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Collin Schmidt Reinforces Firm's Commitment to Providing Sophisticated Investment Management and Financial Planning Services

DENVER, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crusonia Wealth Advisors LLC, an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), welcomes Collin Schmidt, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), to its growing team. As a Partner, Senior Wealth Advisor, Schmidt will work closely with clients to develop comprehensive strategies to grow, protect, and enhance their wealth.

Collin Schmidt, Partner, Senior Wealth Advisor, Crusonia Wealth Advisors

Schmidt brings deep expertise in financial planning, investment management, and tax planning. For more than a decade, he has worked with a diverse set of clients, including professional couples, young families, small business owners, and corporate executives, offering deeply personalized advice and service.

"I am excited about this next chapter and confident Crusonia will help me deliver an elevated, highly personalized planning and advice experience for my clients," Schmidt said. "By returning to a completely independent, employee-owned, client-centric platform, Crusonia will allow me to provide more comprehensive financial guidance while maintaining the personal relationship and high-touch service I have always provided."

"Collin is a wonderful addition to Crusonia. He brings a wealth of experience both as a trusted advisor and manager," said Co-founder and Managing Director Zach Pashel. "Collin is an invaluable partner and a great sounding board as we think about the future."

A Colorado native, Schmidt earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University.

For more information about joining Crusonia's advisor team, contact Zach Pashel at [email protected].

About Crusonia Wealth Advisors

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Crusonia Wealth Advisors is an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) offering private wealth management, including investment, retirement, education funding, tax, and philanthropic planning. The firm provides a superior platform for advisors to focus on high-net-worth clients through customized financial planning and investment management. Supported by Michaud Capital Management LLC, Crusonia offers an independent and agnostic environment that prioritizes client needs.

Visit www.crusoniawealth.com to learn more.

SOURCE Crusonia Wealth Advisors
Sumit Singh, TwoCircles.net

Patna/Muzaffarpur/Bhagalpur/ Gopalganj: In Bihar, where the democratic rhythm is often tested by sudden tremors, veteran journalist Ajit Anjum is now facing legal heat for doing what journalists are supposed to do  reporting irregularities. On July 12, Anjum flagged discrepancies in the Election Commissions Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state at a polling booth in Balia, Begusarai. Forms without photographs. Signatures missing. Paper trails incomplete.

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But instead of scrutiny directed at the Election Commission of India (ECI), it was Anjum who ended up in the dock. A first information report (FIR) was lodged against him based on the complaint of a booth-level officer under serious charges such as criminal trespass, disobedience of orders and even promoting communal disharmony.

The case cites sections 223 (disobeying lawful orders of public servants), 329(c) (criminal trespass), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duty), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds religion, etc.), 302 (uttering words, making gestures or placing objects with deliberate intention to wound the religious feelings of any person) and 3(5) (common intention in criminal acts) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or BNS along with section 123(3A) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951.

The backlash has been swift. Press bodies, Opposition parties and civil society groups are calling it what they believe it is a clear attempt to silence a journalist asking difficult questions. DIGIPUB News India Foundation described it as an attack on independent journalism and the publics right to know the truth. The Press Council of India backed Anjum, emphasising that reporting facts is the primary duty of any journalist, and it does not come under the category of spreading misinformation.

Unfazed Anjum said the FIR was meant to intimidate him. He is no stranger to state pressure. The former editor of national TV news channels now reaches nearly eight million subscribers through his YouTube channel.

The timing could not be more sensitive. Home to over 13 crore people, Bihar heads to the polls in just a few months. And the ECIs June 24 announcement kicked off an exercise that is turning into a nightmare for lakhs.

Under the SIR, all voters registered since 2003 must submit fresh documents to prove identity, address and citizenship. The deadline is July 25. The draft rolls go public on August 1. Final rolls lock in by September 30.

The ECI insists the process is needed to clean up the rolls, citing urban migration, unreported deaths and foreign illegal immigrants. But ground realities tell a messier story. Critics say the exercise risks erasing millions, especially the poor, migrants and those on the margins. The documentation list does not even include Aadhaar, ration cards or voter IDs  documents most common among the poor.

On paper, 80.11% of voters had submitted forms by July 12. But many in remote villages say they have received nothing. Limited internet, digital illiteracy and patchy app performance have slowed progress.

For migrant workers, it is worse. Away in Maharashtra, Gujarat or Delhi, they miss home visits by BLOs. According to reports on July 13 citing ECI sources, individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been flagged during verification, although no specific data was released.

Mostly schoolteachers and junior officials, the BLOs are juggling door-to-door form collection and digital uploads through the ECINet app, which often crashes in rural areas with poor internet connectivity.

The Supreme Court, hearing a bunch of petitions from different groups and individuals such as the Association for Democratic Reforms and MPs like Mahua Moitra and Manoj Jha, has voiced concern. Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi questioned the document list and the 31-day timeline. Aadhaar and ration cards should qualify, they said. A national census takes a year. Yet on July 10, the Court allowed the SIR to continue, asking the ECI to respond to the concerns within a week.

Opposition parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) or CPI(ML), have hit the streets. A statewide Bihar Bandh on July 9 was called to protest what they say is a calculated attempt to cut out Dalits, Muslims and the poor from the voter list.

In Seemanchal, voters are being asked for land deeds or birth certificates they have never had. Aadhaar is accepted in cities like Patna, but not in nearby villages, deepening the divide. Elderly voters, displaced by floods or poverty, are in despair.

In Bhagalpurs flood-prone belt lives Ram Prasad, a 45-year-old daily wage worker whose home has washed away twice. His only document is his Aadhaar card  his ticket to vote in 2024. Now it is not enough. I voted last year with my Aadhaar. Now they say it is useless. I was born here. My father was born here. What proof do they need? he asks.

Bhagalpur floods drowned many homes last year. Ram was among those affected. His deadline to submit proof ends in days. He fears being erased from the voter list.

Meena Devi, a 38-year-old domestic worker in Muzaffarpur, is in the same bind. She voted in 2024 with her Aadhaar. Her name is not on the 2003 list. Born in a village in 1987 with no birth registration, her parents long gone, Meena now faces exclusion. I have lived here my whole life. I work, I vote. Now they say I do not exist. she says.

In Gopalganj, 30-year-old construction worker Anil Kumar is equally trapped. Born in 1995, he too relied on his Aadhaar to vote. But without a birth certificate or his parents papers, his voter status is now at risk. My parents never had any documents. If Aadhaar does not count, how do I prove I am an Indian? he questions

The inconsistencies are piling up. Amid rising protests, the Bihar Chief Electoral Office ran full-page ads on July 6, saying even incomplete forms will be accepted and verification can rely on local checks. Critics saw it as a reluctant climbdown.

The shadow of the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) allegedly hangs heavy. The ECIs talk of illegal immigrants without data has stirred anxieties. Migration is part of Bihars history  across states, even borders. The requirement for citizenship documents is seen by many as a loaded ask.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the SIR more dangerous than NRC. The BJP, in turn, accused Opposition parties of creating fear to protect vote banks.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responded on July 5, saying, A detailed investigation of the voter list and all details of the voters was not done after 1 January 2003 Nearly every political party complained about issues in the authenticity of the voter list and demanded updations.

In Bihar, over 77,000 BLOs, joined by 20,000 new appointees, are tasked with verifying 50 households a day to meet the ECIs target. On July 3, the Commission announced a Rs 6,000 honorarium per BLO and supervisor.

The SIR guidelines allow BLOs to flag suspected foreign nationals under the Citizenship Act. Experts warn this opens the door to profiling and errors, especially with coercive form collection and key IDs like Aadhaar excluded.

A report by The Reporters Collective highlighted that the SIR began despite a voter list update in January 2025, raising questions about timing and motive.

Bihar is not alone. Allegations of voter roll manipulation marred the 2024 Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi. In Maharashtra, Opposition leaders claimed 39 lakh new voters were added and 8 lakh removed in just five months.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called the results glaringly strange, alleging a five-step process of manipulation. The ECI rejected the charges as absurd, citing transparency with parties.

But for Bihar, the pattern, many feel, appears to be familiar  swift roll changes, pre-poll timing and stringent documentation. The proximity to elections only heightens the stakes.

Political scientists and rights advocates are alarmed. Human rights lawyer Dr. Anjali Sharma calls the SIR a bureaucratic trap. Voting is a constitutional right, not a paperwork privilege. This process mirrors the NRCs dangers, shifting the burden of proof onto the most vulnerable, she says.

Activist Kavita Kumari, who works with migrants, fears profiling. The term illegal immigrant creates fear. It targets Muslims and migrant labourers, she says, recalling Assams NRC, where 1.9 million people were excluded over clerical mistakes.

Congress spokesperson Salman Anees Soz summed it up, You allow people to vote in 2024, then months later say their documents are invalid? That is outrageous. This government is creating barriers to voting, not removing them.

As Bihar inches closer to its 2025 elections, the SIR is no longer just an administrative exercise. It has become a litmus test for Indias democracy, raising a fundamental question  who gets to vote, and who gets left behind?
After receiving the deported group, the Border Guard Station and other relevant forces identified their personal background.



The group comprises 35 men and 10 women, hailing from Ninh Binh, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, An Giang, Dak Lak, Tuyen Quang, Gia Lai and Ca Mau.



Among them, one was banned from leaving Vietnam; and six others have criminal records related to crimes such as fraud, extortion, illegal drug storage, gambling, robbery, and theft.



Most of them were lured to Cambodia with the promise of well-paid but easy jobs through social networks.



They were forced to work for companies operating online scam schemes. Their daily work was mainly using fake platforms to scam people in Vietnam. Those who failed to satisfy requests and meet targets, or intended to escape were beaten, detained, tortured, and threatened by the scam organisations.



The case is under further investigation./. VNA
Hang made the statement at the ministry's regular press conference in Hanoi on July 17 in response to the media's query about Vietnams invitations to the defence ministers of Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan to attend the celebration of the 80th National Day anniversary on September 2; and to five countries  Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Belarus  to send forces to participate in the parade at the celebration.

The August Revolution was a momentous event that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, she remarked, noting that the success of the revolution strongly encouraged the national liberation movements in colonised countries around the world.

The spokeswoman said that this years celebration will once again affirm that great significance as it will honour the Vietnamese people's achievements in the struggles for national liberation, reunification, construction and defence, as well as in the Doi moi (Renewal) process that have contributed to the development of Vietnam today.

On this occasion, Vietnam wishes to join international friends in honouring the everlasting values of independence and freedom. Given the special significance, it has recently sent invitations to international friends to share the joy of the occasion, according to Hang.

These activities demonstrate the friendship, solidarity and attachment between the Vietnamese people and army with the countries while affirming the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and being a friend and reliable partner of all countries, she added./. VNA
Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that more than 140 Vietnamese citizens were detained in Phnom Penh on July 14 for their alleged involvement in online fraud operations.

Authorities are now working with Cambodian officials to verify their identities and arrange for their return.

Vietnamese Embassy working with Cambodian authorities

At a press conference on July 18, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang shared updates based on information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia.

She stated that Cambodian authorities had temporarily detained over 140 Vietnamese nationals suspected of engaging in cybercrime activities.

Following the arrests, the Vietnamese Embassy promptly contacted Cambodian agencies to gather further details, ensure the detainees living conditions were met, and assist with the preliminary identity verification process.

Consular support underway for repatriation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and relevant agencies to coordinate with domestic and host country authorities to carry out necessary consular procedures and support the timely repatriation of these individuals.

The arrests took place during a large-scale crackdown on online fraud in Phnom Penh, according to Cambodian media. A photo released by Khmer Times shows several suspects taken into custody at a local complex on July 14.

Government warns against deceptive overseas job offers

The Foreign Ministry also reiterated its warning to Vietnamese citizens to remain cautious of job offers abroad that promise "light work with high pay" but do not require qualifications, offer no formal contracts, or are not arranged through authorized labor-export enterprises.

The Ministry urged individuals to thoroughly research the nature of any job offers, the hiring organization, workplace location, and legal protections including insurance and labor rights before accepting overseas employment.

Those seeking guidance are encouraged to contact the Citizen Protection Hotline of the Consular Department or the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia.

Vietnam reaffirms legal stance on East Sea

During the same press briefing, spokesperson Pham Thu Hang was asked for Vietnams position on the 9th anniversary of the July 12 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning the Philippines case against China over the East Sea.

She stated: Vietnams position has been clearly articulated in our official statements dated July 12, 2016, July 12, 2021, and July 15, 2023.

Vietnam maintains that all maritime disputes must be resolved by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, and without the use or threat of force.

Vietnam also called on all relevant parties to respect the legal rights of other nations and fulfill their obligations under UNCLOS 1982, contributing constructively to peace, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight, and the rule of law in the East Sea.

As a coastal nation and member of UNCLOS, Vietnam considers the 1982 convention the sole legal basis for determining maritime rights.

All maritime claims by states party to UNCLOS must comply with its provisions. Countries must respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction of coastal states as defined by UNCLOS.

Tran Thuong




The Vietnam-Oman Investment Fund (VOI) not only fulfils its commitment to investment and sustainable development through long-term investments in key sectors but also consistently contributes to community activities.

From core values to a journey of positive impact

As the first intergovernmental investment fund between Viet Nam and a Gulf nation, VOI is known as an organisation that prioritises sustainable development in all its strategies and actions. With over 20 long-term investments across critical sectors of the economy, VOI demonstrates a consistent approach: generating high economic value while improving the quality of life for people.

Over its 17 years in Viet Nam, the VOI fund has disbursed a total of USD 384 million, far exceeding its initial commitment of USD 100 million. While the funds investment portfolio continues to grow, with a steadily increasing capital injection scale, its core values remain unchanged: sustainability, collaboration, and integrity.

Pham Thi Thuy, Deputy General Director of VOI, stated that the fund views sustainable development not merely as stable financial growth but as a long-term commitment to supporting invested businesses and local communities. "Therefore, we pay special attention to long-term investment opportunities in hospital systems, education, clean energy, and more, while also carrying out many charitable activities in the localities," she shared.

This direction has received support from the Government of Viet Nam, as government leaders have proposed that the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) expand the funds scale to USD 1 billion to match the scale of the economy and meet development needs. Among the proposed investment sectors, healthcare is considered highly strategic and indispensable.

In fact, the fund has made several investments in healthcare, notably becoming a major shareholder in Hanh Phuc General Hospital (An Giang Province). According to a VOI representative, it is no coincidence that healthcare has been a priority sector for the fund during its 17 years of operation in Viet Nam.

Amid Viet Nams rapidly ageing population, the healthcare system faces great pressure in investing and upgrading infrastructure. Public hospitals are frequently overcrowded, while high-quality private medical facilities are still limited in many provinces and cities.

"We see opportunities not only in the potential for long-term investment but also in the ability to create a positive impact on peoples lives. Our decisions to enter this sector are not solely driven by profit but largely by the desire to contribute to the communitys overall development. A good hospital system can help people access quality medical services, reduce social costs, and improve labour quality in the long term," Thuy shared.

Investment tied to social responsibility

Beyond investing in healthcare infrastructure, VOI also directly implements programmes to support vulnerable groups. Most recently, in July 2025, VOI announced a four-year sponsorship of VND 2 billion to the Social Work Department of Cho Ray Hospital to help patients in difficult circumstances access treatment. This marks the first time the fund has partnered with Cho Ray Hospital for long-term support, marking a new expansion in its charitable activities linked to investment.

Le Minh Hien, Head of the Social Work Department at Cho Ray Hospital, stated that VOIs support and assistance have provided additional resources to implement programmes helping disadvantaged patients, including free heart surgeries for children in various localities. Over the past 10 years, the department has examined, screened, and performed hundreds of free heart surgeries for children in Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and ong Thap provinces, helping them overcome illnesses, return to school, and lead a peaceful life.

For impoverished families with children suffering from congenital heart diseases, this support is vital. N.V.T and T.V.R, two parents whose children underwent surgery through the programme, shared that without the help from VOI and Cho Ray Hospital, they could not have afforded the treatment costs. "Thank you to everyone who has given my child a new start, so that he can live a healthy life like any other child," N.V.T said.

Previously, VOI also sponsored Hanh Phuc General Hospital (An Giang Province) to provide free cataract surgeries for over 100 patients and offer free medical examinations and gifts to more than 500 underprivileged individuals in the area.

It is evident that VOIs investments, whether large or small, demonstrate its commitment to sustainable development. The hospital, school, or infrastructure projects in which the fund participates bring long-term economic value. Simultaneously, these projects also improve public service systems and open up access to essential services for all citizens.

In the context of Viet Nam prioritising the attraction of capital tied to social responsibility and long-term development, VOIs strategy and core values demonstrate a model of sustainable and exemplary investment funds.

When impoverished patients receive free surgeries, children in remote areas no longer wait for treatment, and major hospitals like Cho Ray partly reduce some of their healthcare burdens, the value of investment is reflected not only in financial balance sheets but in the tangible, positive changes in peoples lives./.
HA NOI  The Prime Minister's directive to ban all petrol-powered motorbikes and mopeds from Ha Nois inner Ring Road 1 is being hailed as a significant catalyst for Viet Nams electric motorbike market.

Experts say the move could spark a sharp rise in demand, provided that charging infrastructure and battery-swapping services are scaled up to meet consumer needs.

Viet Nams electric motorbike market has seen a significant transformation in recent years, emerging as a dynamic landscape for both homegrown manufacturers and global industry players.

Preliminary data indicates that around 10 electric motorbike brands are now officially distributed in the country, including major names such as VinFast, Yadea, Pega, DatBike, Detech, Honda, Anbico, Osaka and DK Bike. In addition to these, numerous smaller brands and imported models  primarily from China  have made their way into the Vietnamese market via independent retail channels.

From budget to premium segments

The domestic electric motorbike market now caters to a broad spectrum of consumers, with prices ranging from affordable student-friendly models to high-performance premium options.

The budget segment, priced under VN20 million (US$770), primarily features compact bikes with top speeds of 40-50km/h, ideal for students and short-distance commuters. Notable brands in this category include Anbico, Detech and DK Bike.

Meanwhile, the mid-range segment, priced between VN20-35 million ($770-$1,350), currently dominates consumer demand. Popular models like VinFast Evo, Feliz, Yadea BuyE and Pega Aura come equipped with lithium batteries and offer a travel range of 70-100km per charge.

At the top end, the premium segment features models priced above VN40 million ($1,540), with some reaching up to VN70 million ($2,690). These bikes boast modern designs, long-lasting batteries and powerful engines capable of reaching speeds between 70-90km/h. Leading options include the VinFast Theon, DatBike Weaver++ and high-end imported electric models.

Notably, electric motorbikes in Viet Nam are no longer significantly cheaper than their petrol-powered counterparts.

For instance, the petrol-powered Honda Wave Alpha, priced at VN20-23 million ($770-$885), is now comparable in cost to basic electric models such as those from DK Bike and Anbico. Mid-range electric options like the VinFast Feliz 2 (around $1,154) are priced similarly to popular fossil fuel models like the Honda Vision and Yamaha Janus, which range from $1,040 to $1,350.

At the premium end, electric models like the VinFast Theon ($2,300-2,700) surpass the price of high-end petrol-powered bikes such as the Honda SH Mode ($2,190-2,400) and are on par with the Honda SH 125i.

Despite higher upfront costs, electric motorbikes offer significantly lower operating expenses. A full battery charge typically consumes 0.96-1.2kWh of electricity, at an average electricity rate of VN3,000 per kWh. This powers the vehicle for 50-90km, depending on the model. In comparison, a motorbike that runs on fossil fuel requires VN30,000-50,000 to cover a similar distance.

Opportunity and obstacles amid urban fuel bans

According to market experts, electric motorbike sales are steadily increasing  yet they still account for less than 10 per cent of total motorbike sales. The shift is gaining momentum, but several key challenges remain.

Among the biggest hurdles are the lack of widespread charging infrastructure, battery degradation after just 2-3 years and uneven after-sales service. The high cost of battery replacement, which ranges from VN5 million to VN15 million, remains a concern for some consumers.

However, the policy environment is turning increasingly favourable. Government incentives and municipal commitments to reduce vehicle emissions are paving the way for broader adoption, especially the PM's directive to ban all fossil fuel motorbikes and mopeds from Ha Nois inner Ring Road 1, starting July 1, 2026.

Retailers are already seeing signs of shifting consumer attitudes.

Nguyen Van Hung, the owner of an electric vehicle shop in the capital city's Cau Giay District, told vietnamnet.vn that if Ha Noi seriously bans petrol-powered bikes in the city centre, demand for electric models will definitely explode. But manufacturers need to invest in charging and battery services so customers feel confident switching from petrol to electric.

Le Thi Lan, a dealer in Ha ong, said people are still worried about rapid battery degradation and high replacement costs.

With support for battery exchanges and a widespread charging network, people will abandon fossil fuel motorbikes for sure, Lan told vietnamnet.vn.

Retailers across the country see this moment as a pivotal mix of opportunity and risk. The surge in demand is putting pressure on manufacturers to standardise product quality and avoid repeating past mistakes, when the market was flooded with cheap, unsafe electric bikes that damaged consumer confidence.

Viet Nams electric motorbike sector is entering a highly dynamic phase, with dozens of brands competing across a broad range of price segments. Still, experts agree that long-term adoption hinges on manufacturers ability to improve battery technology, build out charging and battery-swapping infrastructure and deliver transparent, dependable after-sales service.  VNS
HA NOI  There is an urgent need to reduce raw exports and boost the proportion of deep processing to enhance added value, especially for pepper, a product with notable strengths, as agricultural exports continue to uphold their role as a key sector in Viet Nams economy, according to experts.

Most of the pepper exported is still in raw form or has only undergone basic preliminary processing (cleaning, sorting or drying). The proportion of deeply processed pepper (grinding, mixing with spices or packaging with private labels) is still modest.

According to the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), deeply processed pepper products accounted for about 30 per cent of total export value in 2023, up from 2025 per cent a few years ago, but still not commensurate with the potential.

The Thoi bao Ngan hang (Banking Times) quoted VPA Vice Chairman Hoang Phuoc Binh as saying that exporting raw pepper brought short-term benefits because it was easy to consume and the investment capital for processing was not large.

However, he considered this a 'quick-profit' strategy that could easily lead to a large loss of value in the supply chain.

Raw pepper is often sold at a price 2030 per cent cheaper than deeply processed products.

We sell raw materials at low prices, while foreign companies process them and resell at significantly higher prices. This results in a substantial loss of added value, he said.

Currently, global market demand is changing dramatically. Customers in the US, EU and Japan increasingly prioritise deeply processed pepper, ensuring food hygiene and safety, with certification and traceability.

Some Vietnamese enterprises have made significant investments to drive change.

Phuc Sinh Corporation, for example, operates a grinding and packaging facility that meets US and European export standards.

Companies like Olam Vietnam and Nedspice Vietnam have also established modern processing lines, exporting finely ground pepper and custom spice blends tailored to customer requirements.

Each tonne of deeply processed pepper could sell for 1530 per cent more than raw pepper, depending on the market, said a representative from Phuc Sinh Group.

At the same time, companies with this strategy are able to secure longer-term, more stable contracts, he said.

He added that European customers no longer buy just pepper. They expect finished products that are ground and packaged, with clear traceability.

By doing so, the firm not only commands higher prices, but also builds long-term customer loyalty, said the representative.

However, there are still not very many of these enterprises. Preliminary statistics show that less than one-third of Viet Nam's total pepper exports are deeply processed products. The majority is still black and white pepper that is processed, bagged and exported in raw form.

To sell at high prices, it is necessary to produce clean products with consistent quality and transparent traceability, emphasised Binh.

Mixing pepper from many sources and then exporting it  as was often done before  is now impossible, he said.

If Viet Nam doesn't transform quickly, it could lose market share to emerging competitors like Brazil and Indonesia, which are promoting investments in deep processing and semi-finished products, as well as building their own brands, he added.

A representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that the strategy for developing Viet Nam's pepper industry aims to slash raw pepper exports and lift the share of value-added, deeply-processed products to at least 50 per cent by 2030.

This is an inevitable direction to raise export value, boost farmers incomes and reduce reliance on low-price competition.

VPA Chairman Nguyen Nam Hai recommended that businesses join hands with farmers to build standardised raw material areas, invest in processing and develop Vietnamese brands. Only when selling with higher added value can we truly develop sustainably.

Pepper is one of the country's key agricultural export products. Since 2001, Viet Nam has risen to become the world's largest pepper exporter, currently supplying over 60 per cent of global trading volume.

According to the General Department of Customs, pepper exports continued to grow in both volume and value in the first six months of this year.

Viet Nam had exported 124,133 tonnes of pepper of all kinds by the end of last month, of which black pepper reached 105,939 tonnes and white pepper reached 18,194 tonnes.

Total export turnover reached US$850.5 million in the first six months of the year. Of this, black pepper accounted for $704.1 million, while white pepper reached $146.4 million.

Compared to the same period last year, export volume declined by 12.9 per cent, but export turnover grew by 34.1 per cent.  VNS
HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc, head of the Steering Committee for Enterprise Reform and Development, chaired a meeting with the Ministry of Finance and major State-owned enterprises (SOEs) yesterday focused on reviewing three draft decrees on State capital management that he said will increase the firms' autonomy.

New rights granted to SOEs under the draft law include managing business operations and determining salaries and promotions, according to the Deputy PM.

The draft decrees detail the implementation of the Law on State Capital Management and Investment in Enterprises (Law 68/2025/QH15), and will take effect on August 1.

Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan presented the first draft decree, consisting of six chapters and 37 articles. It provides guidance on investment, capital management and delegation of authority to State-appointed ownership representatives.

The second draft, with six chapters and 52 articles, introduces mechanisms for supervision, evaluation, reporting and transparency.

It proposes seven performance indicators for wholly State-owned enterprises, including two new criteria on investment effectiveness and fulfilment of State budget obligations. Representatives and internal controllers will be assessed on a four-tier scale, with top ratings reserved for cases where revenue or post-tax profit exceed targets.

The third decree, the most comprehensive, addresses State capital restructuring in eight chapters, 101 articles and three appendices. It introduces new provisions on valuing land-use rights during equitisation, mergers and dissolutions of SOEs, transfers of capital and assets between enterprises and the restructuring of State-owned agro-forestry firms.

Enterprise leaders from Saigon Newport Corporation, Viettel Group and the Viet Nam National Energy and Industry Group (PVN) shared feedback. They raised questions on capital preservation, performance metrics and the scope of authority given to representatives.

The leaders also proposed clearer definitions of evaluation cycles and the need to account for non-commercial, State-assigned missions such as defence or technology trials when assessing performance.

Deputy PM Phoc said the new law marks a breakthrough in managing State capital and advancing enterprise autonomy. He noted that the law reflects the Partys strategic priorities and includes key elements from Resolutions 57, 66 and 68. Compared to early drafts, the final version expands enterprise autonomy considerably.

He highlighted new rights granted to SOEs, such as determining salary structures, promoting personnel, increasing capital and managing business operations.

If we restrict these rights, even the most capable leaders wont be able to deliver  it would be like dancing with hands tied, Phoc remarked. He also praised the Ministry of Finance for completing complex legislative work under tight deadlines.

To ensure effective implementation, he called for a reduction in administrative procedures, the elimination of discretionary approval systems and prevention of bureaucratic hurdles for both citizens and businesses. Legal definitions must be transparent and accessible, and reforms must reflect long-term strategic thinking that serves national rather than sectional interests.

The institutional framework must reflect real-world conditions, with enterprises at the centre as both agents and engines of national development, he said.

The Deputy PM instructed the Ministry of Finance to gather and consolidate feedback from all ministries, agencies and enterprises. In coordination with the Ministry of Justice, it must finalise and submit the three decrees to the Government by July 25. He also requested a clear comparison between new provisions and those under the previous Law 69, highlighting additions, removals and simplified procedures.

He stressed that the decrees must fully comply with the Land Law, especially in handling land-related issues, to prevent mismanagement or loss of State assets. They should also address practical challenges, such as mergers of public service units with SOEs, enterprise restructuring and capital transfers.

If issues arise later, we can amend the decrees or adopt new Government resolutions. But wherever progress is possible now, we must act, the Deputy PM concluded. He also called for a careful review of transitional provisions to ensure feasibility during rollout. VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nams roadmap to establishing an international financial centre (IFC) hinges not only on planning, infrastructure and human capital, but above all, on attracting strategic investors, according to experts.

Resolution No 222/2025/QH15, recently signed by National Assembly chairman Tran Thanh Man, lays out a legal framework for the development of IFCs in Viet Nam, with HCM City and a Nang named as the two designated hubs.

Coming into force on September 1, the Resolution introduces a range of breakthrough and competitive mechanisms to support the centres development.

While groundwork such as land-use planning, zoning and infrastructure is being addressed, one of the most decisive factors for success lies in the ability to attract investors, particularly strategic ones.

Recent developments suggest growing foreign interest. Following a US$1.5 billion investment in Hung Yen, the Trump Organisation has showed interest in developing a project in Thu Thiem - the area set to house HCM Citys IFC.

A senior delegation from the organisation conducted field visits and held talks with local authorities to explore the potential site for a proposed Trump Tower, which will include a shopping mall, luxury apartments, a five-star hotel and office space. The company is also eyeing a Nang, Viet Nams second planned IFC location.

According to a recent report by the a Nang Peoples Committee, over 10 investors have expressed their interest and commitment to participating in the development of the local IFC. Notably, a consortium comprising Makara Capital, Terne Holding and Trump Organisation has proposed to become a strategic investor in the a Nang centre.

Makara Capital Partners, a leading Singaporean firm specialising in fund management, asset investment and innovative financial solutions, has already built ties with Viet Nam. During a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in early July 2025, Chairman and CEO Ali Ijaz Ahmad affirmed that Makara had conducted in-depth market research and expressed confidence in Viet Nams strategic development vision.

Beyond its biopharma industrial park in Hung Yen (in former Thai Binh Province), Makara also aims to support the restructuring of Vietnamese banks and participate in IFC development. According to Ahmad, the group could mobilise between $5-7 billion to support this effort.

In a separate meeting in March, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh urged Swire Group - one of the UKs leading conglomerates - to take part in the development of IFCs in HCM City and a Nang. Swire has already invested in Empire City in Thu Thiem, widely regarded as the heart of the southern IFC. The group pledged continued support for the area's development.

The strategic investor imperative

While foreign interest is encouraging, the key question remains - when will these plans materialise, and how can Viet Nam attract the calibre of investors needed to anchor its IFCs?

Nguyen Van Quang, Secretary of the a Nang Party Committee, recently underscored a broader perspective during a meeting with voters. In his view, an IFC is more than just a financial office - it must be a living ecosystem where investors genuinely feel it is a desirable place to live and invest.

Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang echoed this, stating that the goal of building IFCs is to attract international capital flows to serve Viet Nams three strategic breakthroughs, support both traditional and emerging growth drivers, and promote high-end financial services. These centres, he said, will also be key to piloting and managing emerging markets in line with real-world demands.

In addition to a liveable ecosystem, a thriving IFC requires a robust network of investors. The challenge, then, is not only to build the physical infrastructure but also to create conditions that entice major financial players to establish a base in Viet Nam.

The roles of the two designated IFCs are already clearly defined. The HCM City centre is expected to focus on capital markets, banking, fintech sandboxes, and specialised trading platforms. Meanwhile, a Nang will test new models such as green finance, sustainable finance, fintech innovation and digital financial services.

Ultimately, Viet Nams IFC vision is targeting the worlds top financial institutions and investment funds, seeking to develop a vibrant ecosystem to support digital finance, digital assets and fintech applications.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has been working with Google to explore deeper cooperation in digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

To this end, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham uc Long met with Googles Vice President for Emerging Markets Doron Avni in Ha Noi on July 17.

The two sides agreed to establish a joint task force to formalise their collaboration, with a strong focus on quantum technology and AI-powered solutions to help Vietnamese SMEs enhance their competitiveness and modernise their operations.

The VP praised Viet Nams strategic vision, particularly as outlined in Resolution 57-NQ/TW, and shared a series of notable projects led by Google. These include AI training for 55,000 government officials in the UAE, the Green Light initiative in Bangkok that uses Google Maps data to optimise traffic flow and a personalised AI education programme currently active in over 100 schools in Thailand.

Beyond deployment, Google also works with governments worldwide to develop regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing.

In Viet Nam, Google has already launched foundational AI training for local businesses and the general public. Plans are underway to expand this with scholarships and academic exchange programmes for Vietnamese scientists.

Deputy Minister Long emphasised that science, technology and innovation are central to Viet Nams goal of becoming a high-income, developed nation by 2045. In the past six months, the MoST has submitted major legislative revisions to the National Assembly, including the newly passed Law on the Digital Technology Industry and amendments to key sector-related laws covering standards, product quality and atomic energy. A draft Law on Digital Transformation is also in the works for submission later this year.

Along with these legal reforms, Viet Nam is pioneering the use of regulatory sandboxes, flexible legal frameworks that empower ministries and local governments to test and implement innovative solutions. This reflects a directive from the General Secretary that institutional reform must become a pillar of national competitiveness.

As part of the countrys National AI Strategy, Viet Nam aims to bring AI knowledge and skills to all segments of society  not only Government officials, but also regular citizens and businesses. The Deputy Minister proposed that Google support this effort through expanded AI training programmes and the potential implementation of technologies like Green Light to address urban traffic congestion.

Without AI, there can be no digital transformation, Long said. And truly innovative enterprises will be the engine of Viet Nams economic growth in the years ahead.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to form a working group that will translate shared goals into concrete action, aligned with both sides long-term visions. This partnership marks a significant step toward building a resilient, future-ready digital economy rooted in innovation and sustainable progress. VNS
SAN FERNANDO, Calif., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One Step GPS is excited to announce it has been awarded the 2025 Grand Stevie Award for Highest-Rated Nomination of the Year in customer service. This incredible honor wouldn't have been possible without our team's unwavering commitment to excellent customer support.

About the award

Often regarded as the world's highest business honor, the Stevie Awards are presented as part of the annual American Business Awards (ABA) contest. This competition recognizes organizations with an uncommon commitment to professional achievement in sales, customer service, human resources, and more.

Winners are awarded Bronze, Silver, or Gold Stevie Awards. Grand Stevie Awards, on the other hand, cannot be applied for and are granted only to top award winners. These best-of-competition winners are chosen based on a points system.

One Step GPS was selected for the honor after being rigorously judged by over 250 experts across 12 juries. More than 3,600 nominees were considered this year.

What's next

One Step GPS was founded on the concept that top-quality customer service is key to fleet tracking success. Our receipt of the 2025 Grand Stevie Award was only possible thanks to our customer service team's unfaltering dedication to this ideal.

This groundbreaking win reinforces our commitment to unmatched, US-based customer support. We're thrilled to continue innovating new ways to provide the industry's best customer service for every fleet, every time.

About One Step GPS

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SOURCE One Step GPS
HCM CITY  Passion fruit, banana, pineapple, and coconut are emerging as Viet Nams next billion-dollar export items, offering strong potential to diversify the countrys fruit and vegetable sector, experts affirmed at a forum held in HCM CIity on July 18.

Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the forum titled Solutions to Enhance Competitiveness and Promote the Export of High-Potential Fruits gathered hundreds of delegates both in-person and online. The event focused on unlocking the export potential of passion fruit, banana, pineapple, and coconut.

According to the ministry, Viet Nam currently cultivates more than 50 fruit varieties across over 1.3 million hectares of farmland. However, only durian has surpassed the US$1 billion export milestone,reaching $2.3 billion in 2023 and $3.3 billion in 2024.

Dragon fruit, which once crossed that threshold, fell to just $534 million last year.

Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam noted that passion fruit, banana, pineapple, and coconut are expected to become the countrys next strategic export items. These fruits not only have substantial production capacity but also align with global consumption trends and increasingly strict import requirements.

Together, these four fruit crops cover over 420,000 hectares and yield more than 6.3 million tonnes annually. Vietnamese bananas alone are grown on 161,000 hectares, generating nearly $380 million in exports in 2024 and placing Viet Nam among the world's top nine banana exporters. Vietnamese bananas are now available in key markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the EU, and the US.

Pineapples are cultivated on over 52,000 hectares, coconuts on nearly 202,000 hectares, and passion fruit on over 12,000 hectares. All of which are expanding in both scale and deep-processing capacity, he said.

Despite these advantages, Nam warned that the sector still faces major obstacles: lack of high-quality, disease-resistant varieties; underdeveloped raw material zones; fragmented supply chains; low processing capacity; lack of national branding; and market volatility.

Without proactive restructuring, he said, Viet Nam risks falling behind regional competitors.

ang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, highlighted the global potential of pineapples. He noted that the global market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.3 per cent, underscoring vast export opportunities.

Nguyen said Vietnamese pineapples are highly competitive, with products like DOVECOs concentrated juice exported to more than 50 countries at premium prices.

In some cases, Vietnamese products have even outperformed those from the US and Europe, strengthening Viet Nams global reputation.

To reach billion-dollar export status, the pineapple industry needs a clear and systematic strategy, Nguyen said. This includes expanding raw material areas, improving varieties, investing in irrigation, and applying advanced technologies to enhance yield and quality. Government support is also critical.

Ngo Quoc Tuan, deputy director of the Post-Import Plant Quarantine Center II, reaffirmed the strong export potential of these four fruits but warned of increasingly strict phytosanitary and traceability requirements from import markets.

He urged producers to shift their focus from volume to quality, emphasising the need to adopt advanced technologies, build traceability systems, and strengthen value chains.

Nguyen Nhu Cuong, deputy director of the ministrys Department of Science and Technology, added that Viet Nam must diversify export markets, enhance post-harvest technologies such as irradiation and hot steam treatment, and strictly manage planting area codes to meet global standards and build buyer confidence.

In the coconut sector, Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, chairwoman of the Vietnam Coconut Association, said to ensure sustainable development, the coconut industry needs a stable supply of raw materials in both quality and quantity.

She stressed the need for close coordination between the ministry, research institutes, and universities to develop solutions that enhance productivity and modernise production.

Coconut can be processed in combination with other fruits such as banana and pineapple to diversify product offerings and increase the value of Vietnamese fruit exports, she noted.

Deputy Minister Nam concluded that boosting the competitiveness of Viet Nams fruit industry requires a comprehensive restructuring of the value chain, moving toward a greener and more modern agriculture.

Key priorities include planning and developing raw material zones, linking with processing and distribution businesses, applying cost-saving technologies, modernising logistics and processing, building national brands, and expanding formal export channels.

He stressed that accelerating market access negotiations for passion fruit, banana, pineapple, and coconut will be essential to reducing overreliance on traditional markets and diversifying export destinations.  VNS
HA NOI  A new musical celebrating the contributions from all walks of life to the August Revolution  a pivotal 1945 uprising that led to Viet Nams independence and the birth of the Democratic Republic  will premiere this autumn.

Titled Cafe Banh Mi (Coffee and Baguette), the production is a collaboration between the Vietnam National Drama Theatre and a seasoned creative team from South Korea, led by director Cho Joon Hui.

The musical was originally scripted by Seo Sang Wan, with author Le Trinh from the Vietnam National Drama Theatre assisting in historical research and revisions.

It highlights the lesser-known stories of patriotic citizen, particularly from the petite bourgeoisie, who sacrificed both wealth and life in pursuit of Viet Nams independence. Their actions reflect the resilience and unity that fuelled the August Revolution of 1945.

Drawing from real-life accounts set during the eve of independence, scriptwriter Seo focused on personal stories to bring history closer to the audience. Rather than abstract ideals, the musical portrays how President Ho Chi Minhs values of peace, compassion, and equality were embodied in the ordinary people who shaped the nation's future.

Director Cho Joon Hui shared the inspiration behind the title Cafe Banh Mi, noting that coffee and banh mi are among Viet Nams most iconic foods  ones he frequently heard mentioned in radio broadcasts in South Korea. To him, they represent the essence of the Vietnamese people: humble, resilient, and full of spirit.

President Ho was a great man, and the Vietnamese people are equally great in their yearning for independence and freedom," Cho said.

"Thats why I wanted to create a musical about the unsung heroes, the truly great people.

The spirit of President Ho must be expressed through ordinary citizens, through anonymous warriors. Thats why I chose the title Cafe Banh Mi.

As this marks the theatres first attempt at musical storytelling about President Ho Chi Minh, its ensemble had to tackle singing and vocal training for the first time. Though the process was unfamiliar and demanding, Meritorious Artist Nong Dung Nam noted that he and his fellow performers are committed to delivering a sincere and well-crafted performance.

The musical will debut on August 15 at the Star Theatre, 87 Lang Ha Street, Ha Noi.

Two short plays, one deep legacy

Alongside musical production Cafe Banh Mi, the Vietnam National Drama Theatre is developing two heartfelt short plays as part of its commemorative programme Bac Ho Mot Tinh Yeu Bao La (President Ho  A Boundless Love), marking the 80th anniversary of National Day.

Chuyen Nha Chi Tin (The Story of Mrs Tins Family) recounts President Hos New Years Eve visit in 1962 to one of Ha Nois poorest families, reflecting his concern for the well-being of all citizens.

The second play, Mien Nam Trong Trai Tim Bac (The South in President Hos Heart) is set during the resistance war against America, portraying his enduring love for southern compatriots, with a special focus on heroine Tran Thi Ly and fellow revolutionaries.

According to theatre director Kieu Minh Hieu, President Ho Chi Minh left a lasting legacy not only for the Vietnamese people but for the world. Though he is gone, his image and ideals remain alive in the hearts of those who continue to draw inspiration from his life.  VNS
A NANG  An agreement to shape culture and education has been signed by the Sovico Group and UNESCO as part of the continuous cooperation programmes in conservation and promotion of culture projects over the next five years.

The deal is seen as a milestone in the partnership since the strategic cooperation framework agreement was signed in Paris in 2024, cementing ties through to 2035.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and founder of Sovico, said the 2025-30 agreement marked a major step forward in the strong commitments in developing initiatives on the culture and education programmes in the years to come.

He said the deal would help improve the quality of education, while promoting preservation of world heritage sites and Vietnamese cultural activities through the Viet Nam Creative Cities Network and the education programme with a happy school model.

The deal will support 10,000 young people, artists and businessmen in creation by offering training courses, consultancy and start-up programmes.

It also aims to decorate cultural space including museums, theatres, arts centres as well exchanging dialogues in policy and development environment for cultural industries and innovations in Viet Nam.

The deal will involve the capability of young film makers and promote international connection of the cultural innovation industry, ensuring contributions to the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of between 3.5 per cent and 7 per cent.

The happy school model will be implemented at 20 schools in nationwide with an aim of promoting local cultural lifestyles and a safe educational environment in line of spiritual heath and happiness among school students and teachers.

Jonathan Baker, head of Office and UNESCO representative to Viet Nam, said UNESCO shared pleasure and happy in partnership with Sovico.

He said the deal marked a new cooperation period between two partners that bases on shared value, trust and confidence in the role of culture and education, building a strong foundation for an inclusive, sustainable and peaceful future.

In the past, Sovico and UNESCO implemented the Ha Noi-Creative Capital project and creative cities across the country, the happy school and other initiatives in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and communications.

The two partners will work together to implement the project 'Empowering Youth and Women for stronger connections and greater local benefits at UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Creative Cities in Viet Nam'.

The local group also boosted cooperation with the United Nations (UN) in youth engagement, green growth and the protection and promotion of natural and cultural heritages in Viet Nam.

Last year, the historic town of Hoi An and a Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam ong joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) network as new members in the field of Music, Crafts and Folk Art category.
HA NOI  Even before the two countries could normalise diplomatic relations, Viet Nam and the United States have been forging increasingly deeper cooperation through efforts to resolve one of the wars most enduring humanitarian challenges: accounting for those missing.

At the core of this work is a unique partnership that has turned a former obstacle, unresolved cases of missing American personnel, into a long-standing foundation for bilateral trust.

What began in the 1980s as a US-led search for its own missing has, in recent years, expanded into a shared mission to assist Viet Nam in identifying and repatriating its own war dead: 180,000 servicemen are yet to be found, while another 300,000 sets of remains that are already gathered and interred at martyrs' cemeteries across the country, still need to be identified.

"The US MIA programme is the foundation for USViet Nam security cooperation, period, said Andrew Wells-Dang, a senior expert with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), which supports public outreach and people-to-people initiatives related to the recovery efforts.

Now, finally, the US is helping Viet Nam with this large remaining legacy that affects hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese families, he said in an interview with Viet Nam News to mark the 30th anniversary of Viet Nam-US diplomatic ties (July 12, 19952025).

A major step forward came this month with the transfer of a new, US-funded DNA laboratory in Viet Nam, designed to help identify Vietnamese remains using advanced forensic technology. Equipped with the latest tools for analysing degraded samples, the facility aims to overcome one of the central barriers in locating and confirming the identities of those who have been missing for decades.

This technology has the ability to extract DNA even from samples previously considered unusable.

They are using the most advanced DNA technology that can identify even very degraded small samples, like little bone fragments, Wells-Dang said.

Fifty or sixty years since the war, the remains are in poor condition, if you can find them at all. But the positive side is that technology has improved, so we still have a chance of making some identifications.

The new facility is expected to build domestic capacity in Viet Nam over time, initially working on a smaller number of cases to demonstrate feasibility before scaling up.

"To have an impact, they will need to be able to analyse large numbers of samples," Wells-Dang noted.

The Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative that Wells-Dang ran, separate from the DPAAs core mission of finding missing Americans, also helps with the identification of Vietnamese war dead. Cooperation between the two countries remains close, and findings from one programme often benefit the other.

The collaboration stretches back to the 1980s, when American officials and veterans first returned to Viet Nam to investigate MIA cases. The visit of General John Vessey (who later was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the Presidential envoy to Viet Nam for POW and MIA affairs) in 1985, followed by the opening of the US MIA office in 1988, preceded the official normalisation of ties by nearly a decade.

In the 1980s and into the 1990s, the MIA issue was the biggest obstacle to normalising relations on the US side, said Wells-Dang.

Many people in the US believed there were still prisoners of war being held. Viet Nam explained that was not the case, and eventually the US investigated it and agreed.

As the two governments began conducting joint investigations, a foundation of trust was gradually built.

That was an example of Americans and Vietnamese getting to know each other, literally getting their hands dirty together, right? For a common mission, he said.

Despite decades of collaborations, many American MIAs remain unaccounted for  which were in inaccessible or undocumented locations, and the likelihood of recovery and identification decreases each year.

Over time, it will be harder, Wells-Dang said.

Even now, there are cases where there arent any physical remains to be found. But sometimes there are artefacts - a belt, a piece of clothing - that can give evidence.

Viet Nams own searches are often hindered by the same challenges. Families sometimes know only approximate locations, spanning several kilometres, making searches costly and time-consuming.

Wells-Dang said: From the point of view of a family, obviously the most desired outcome is to have actual physical remains. Take that away and having some artefacts that link to the deceased person is also valuable.

The urgency of the mission is growing.

Weve been saying for some years now that this is urgent because of how much time has gone by, Wells-Dang said.

Any new cooperation takes time to develop and show results, but we also know that time is of the essence.

Despite changing political climates, the mission has consistently enjoyed bipartisan support in the United States.

It was actually started under a Republican administration, and has had support from many veterans and different groups in the US, he said.

Searching for the missing and benefits for veterans are things that everyone agrees on.

As Viet Nam and the United States look to the future, the MIA mission is increasingly cited as a model for reconciliation and long-term peacebuilding.

In my work at the US Institute of Peace, we talk about this as an example of 21st-century peacebuilding, said Wells-Dang.

There are not that many such models in the world right now. Here is one where, because of people in and outside of government in both countries, weve been able to work together and build a partnership.

It's now larger than any political or administrative change in one country, he added. There are enough people in both countries who will continue this work."  VNS
HA NOI  On the 9th anniversary of the landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague regarding dispute in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) between the Philippines and China, Viet Nam on Thursday reiterated its consistent stance in support of peaceful, lawful resolutions to maritime disputes.

Some of the highlights of the PCAs ruling on July 12, 2016 include a rejection of Chinas sweeping claims over much of the the East Sea, declaring that its so-called 'nine-dash line' has no legal basis under international law. China, however, has refused to recognise the ruling.

Viet Nam's stance on the issue has been communicated by the foreign ministry on July 12, 2016, July 12, 2021 and July 15, 2023, spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said.

"Viet Nam consistently holds that all disputes in the East Sea must be settled by peaceful means, based on respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without the use or threat of force, and in accordance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS 1982," the diplomat remarked.

All relevant parties need to respect the rights of other countries and must carry out their actions in line with UNCLOS 1982, Hang said. They must also work together to actively make practical contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation in the region and overflight in the East Sea based on international law, according to the spokesperson.

"As the littoral country and a member of UNCLOS 1982, Viet Nam reiterates that UNCLOS 1982 is the sole legal foundation that stipulates comprehensively and practically all of the provisions of the rights that all countries can receive," Hang noted.

All sea claims made by countries member to UNCLOS 1982 must conform to UNCLOS 1982, she emphasised.

"UNCLOS 1982 is the sole legal basis that comprehensively and practically governs all maritime entitlements and obligations," the spokesperson said.

"All nations need to fully adhere to and respect the sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as sovereignty rights of all nations, as identified in line with UNCLOS 1982," Hang added.

Concerns over foreign vessel activities in Viet Nams waters

In response to a separate question regarding reports of Chinese vessels conducting surveys within Viet Nams exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf, the foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that Vietnamese authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

The relevant authorities of Viet Nam are keeping a close watch on developments in the East Sea and are taking appropriate measures in line with international law and Viet Nams domestic regulations to safeguard the countrys legitimate rights and interests, Hang said.  VNS
WASHINGTON DC  The Vietnamese Embassy in Washington DC has held a ceremony to receive wartime memorabilia from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the US.

The returned items include military helmets, canteens, notebooks, certificates of merit, identity documents, and various ID cards dating back to the wartime period.

Speaking at the July 15 event, Tim Peters, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief of the VFW, underscored that the repatriation of these artifacts represents a deep gesture of reconciliation and helps soothe the pain experienced by veterans and families in both the US and Viet Nam.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed sincere appreciation for the VFWs efforts, emphasising that although the objects may seem modest, they hold profound emotional significance for families who lost loved ones during the war.

Peters reiterated the VFWs continued commitment to assisting Viet Nam in the search for wartime memorabilia and information, thereby contributing to the countrys ongoing efforts to account for those still missing in action.  VNA/VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang held talks with Dr Mansour Ali Saeed Bajash, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen, in Ha Noi on Thursday as part of the latter's working visit to Viet Nam.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Hang welcomed Dr Bajashs visit, noting that it marked the first official visit to Viet Nam by a senior Yemeni official since the two countries established diplomatic ties 60 years ago. She said the visit will help create fresh momentum for the bilateral relationship.

She congratulated the Yemeni government on the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council, which she said opened up new prospects for peace and stability in the country. As a nation that had also experienced war, Viet Nam sympathised with the hardships faced by the Yemeni people and hoped the country will soon achieve peace, stability and development, she said.

For his part, Dr Bajash expressed his delight at visiting Viet Nam for the first time and witnessing first-hand its beauty, people and development achievements. He thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its warm and hospitable welcome.

Expressing his deep admiration for late President Ho Chi Minh, the diplomat said he had long been impressed by Viet Nams heroic struggle for independence, its rich cultural identity, and remarkable development progress. He added that Viet Nams development journey served as an inspiration for less developed, war-affected countries like Yemen to follow.

Deputy Minister Hang shared Viet Nams reform journey, highlighting how the country has transformed from a war-torn, impoverished nation into the worlds 32nd largest economy. She noted that Viet Nam is now entering a new stage of development, aiming to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a developed country by 2045.

The two sides agreed on priority areas for future cooperation, including increased delegation exchanges, information sharing, and trade promotion, with a view to raising two-way trade above the current US$50 million. They also discussed collaboration in the Halal industry.

Dr Bajash proposed enhancing connections to facilitate Yemeni businesses learning from Viet Nams experience, and requested Viet Nams support in training Yemeni officials at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam.

Hang welcomed the proposals and affirmed Viet Nams willingness to share its development experience and boost cooperation in education, trade, and Halal sector.

In multilateral forums, Dr Bajash praised Viet Nams positive role and contributions, reaffirming Yemens support for Viet Nams positions at such platforms. Both sides agreed to continue mutual support and coordination at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations.

On this occasion, the two deputy ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, laying an important foundation for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the time to come.  VNA/VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a decision assigning Tran uc Thang, a member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Inspector-General of the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam, as acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment.

The move follows the suspension of o uc Duy from the ministerial post for the 20212026 term, pending a vote by the 15th National Assembly to formally remove him.

Thang, 52, a native of Vinh Phuc, now part of Phu Tho Province, brings extensive experience to the role. He previously served as Deputy Director-General and later Director-General of the Department of Public Asset Management under the Ministry of Finance. From 2018 to 2022, he was a member of the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission and later its Deputy Head.

In October 2022, the Politburo appointed him as Secretary of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee for the 20202025 term. Most recently, on July 1, he was named the Standing Deputy Inspector-General of the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam.

Duys suspension stems from a proposal by the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission to take disciplinary measures against him.

After considering the proposal from the Inspection Commission, the Politburo held that Duy, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Government Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and Minister of Agriculture and Environment, violated the Party's regulations and the State's laws in performing assigned duties during his tenure as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Board and Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Bai Province.

He breached the principle of democratic centralism, working regulations and the rules on the things that Party members are banned from doing and on the responsibility for setting good examples. His actions led to serious consequences, triggered negative public opinion and undermined the prestige of the local Party organisation and agency his had worked for, according to findings from the Inspection Commission.

Based on the nature and severity of his violations, the Politburo issued a disciplinary warning against Duy in accordance with Party rules.  VNS
HA NOI  A tropical depression over the eastern waters of the Philippines has strengthened into Storm Wipha early on Friday, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

As of 1am on Friday, the storms centre was located at approximately 16.4 degree North latitude and 125.3 degree East longitude, over the eastern waters of Luzon Island (the Philippines). Maximum sustained winds near the centre reached between 6274 kph. The storm was moving northwest at around 20kph.

By 1am on Saturday, Wipha is expected to continue northwestward over the northern waters of Luzon, maintaining a speed of 20kph and likely gaining strength, with winds of 62-88kph and gusts reaching level 103-117kph.

By 1am on Sunday, the storm is forecast to move west-northwest at 2025 kph, located about 740km southeast of Chinas Leizhou Peninsula. It is expected to enter the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) and further intensify, with sustained winds reaching 89-102kph. The northeastern area of the northern East Sea will be affected. The current disaster risk level is rated at Level 3.

By 1am on Monday, the storm will continue moving west-northwest, about 220 km east of the Leizhou Peninsula, with sustained winds expected to increase to 103-117kph. The affected area remains the northern part of the northern East Sea, with disaster risk still at Level 3.

In the following 72 to 120 hours, Wipha is forecast to continue moving west-northwest at a steady speed of around 20 kph.

Due to the storms influence, from the afternoon of Friday, the eastern part of the northern East Sea will see strong winds. Sea waves are expected to reach heights of 2.5 to 3.5m, with rough seas and hazardous conditions for marine traffic, including thunderstorms, squalls, and large waves.

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has urged localities and relevant ministries to closely monitor the storms developments, strictly manage vessels going out to sea, and promptly notify ship owners and captains about the systems location and trajectory to avoid entering dangerous areas.

Authorities are also advised to review and implement safety measures for ports, tourism areas, aquaculture farms, and coastal zones.

Proactive plans should be in place to safeguard homes, warehouses, public buildings, industrial zones, factories, power and telecommunications systems, agricultural production, and flood-prone areas in urban and industrial zones.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an urgent directive demanding stronger and more coordinated measures to curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF), as Viet Nam faces a resurgence of the deadly livestock disease in several localities.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, since the beginning of this year, over 514 outbreaks have been reported in 28 out of 34 provinces and cities, with more than 30,000 pigs infected, killed or culled.

Currently, 248 outbreaks remain active in 20 localities, raising concerns of further spread, particularly in provinces with large pig herds.

The PM has instructed chairpersons of provincial and municipal Peoples Committees to take full responsibility for directing and implementing ASF prevention efforts.

They have been ordered to mobilise available resources, intensify surveillance and swiftly handle new outbreaks to avoid wider transmission.

Immediate culling of infected pigs or those with suspected infections must be carried out, and affected farmers are to be supported in line with current regulations.

Authorities must also crack down on the illegal transport, sale and disposal of infected pigs, and ensure that ongoing administrative restructuring does not disrupt disease control efforts. Delays in reporting or attempts to conceal outbreaks will be strictly penalised.

Local authorities are tasked with guiding farmers to apply stronger biosecurity measures, while working to establish disease-free farming zones. Veterinary units must coordinate closely with other agencies to enhance disease monitoring, enforce animal quarantine regulations and prevent the illegal cross-border transport of pigs and pork products.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will lead the implementation of the National Plan on ASF Prevention and Control, coordinate with international organisations to improve disease analysis and digital monitoring systems, and assist localities with technical guidance and funding.

The directive also tasks the Ministry of National Defence with cracking down on illegal livestock imports via border routes and raising public awareness in border areas. The Ministry of Public Security has been instructed to work with relevant agencies to detect and handle cases of illegal trade and transport of pigs and pork products.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will step up market inspections to prevent the sale of non-quarantined or diseased pigs. The Ministry of Finance must ensure timely allocation of funds for prevention efforts, while safeguarding against corruption and waste.

National and local media outlets, including Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam and the Vietnam News Agency, have been asked to intensify public communications on the dangers of ASF, prevention measures and the use of vaccines.  VNS
PLAINFIELD, Ind., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is monitoring forecasts and preparing for potential severe weather, including strong thunderstorms and damaging winds, that may bring widespread outages to its Indiana service territory this weekend.

"A critical part of being safe in severe weather is being prepared," said Clint Carnahan, general manager of emergency preparedness at Duke Energy. "We do regular storm planning throughout the year, and we want our customers to be prepared as well so they can react quickly during a storm."

Be prepared

Ensure mobile phones remain charged and you have an adequate supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, nonperishable foods and medicines.

If someone in your home has special needs or relies on electric-powered life support equipment, determine the actions you'd take in the event of an extended power outage, including alternate shelter arrangements.

Outage reporting and status updates

Duke Energy customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it the following ways:

Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).

Use the Duke Energy mobile app. Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.

Visit duke-energy.com/outages on a desktop computer or mobile device.

Call the automated outage-reporting system at 800.343.3525.

Receive the most up-to-date information about restoration efforts by enrolling in Outage Alerts

Visit Duke Energy's interactive outage map on the company's website to find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

More tips on what to do before, during and after a storm can be found at duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/storm-safety.

Duke Energy Indiana



Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 920,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana's largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: McKenzie Barbknecht

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy
FUKUOKA  A temple in southwestern Japan is drawing controversy and criticism for its recent decision to charge admission only to foreign tourists, at a time when issues related to people from abroad are gaining attention in the national election.

Since May, Nanzoin in Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its 41-metre-long reclining Buddha statue, has been charging foreign visitors 300 yen to enter, saying the funds are needed to address nuisance behavior.

An expert told Kyodo News that the move "lacks transparency", as debate over the pricing policy for foreign tourists - whose numbers have reached a record high - has intensified ahead of Sunday's House of Councillors election.

A sign reading "Visitors" in English stands at the entrance to the area surrounding one of the world's largest statues of its kind, where foreigners line up to pay a fee at a reception window. Those with proof of long-term stays in Japan for work or study are exempt.

As Japanese people are not charged, no explanation in Japanese appears on the sign. Staff or security guards confirm verbally, asking questions like "Are you from Japan?" before directing them to bypass the line without waiting.

Kakujo Hayashi, the temple's head monk, said the number of foreign guests has surged since Japan lifted COVID-19 restrictions, bringing more littering, drinking and fireworks use on the grounds, as well as misuse of bathroom facilities.

"We want someone to take responsibility for the extra costs" of cleaning and security, said Hayashi, 72, adding, "It is not discrimination."

Differential pricing based on nationality is not without precedent abroad, with major attractions such as India's Taj Mahal charging foreign visitors more for admission to help cover maintenance costs while keeping access affordable for locals.  KYODO/VNA
Argentina is known to be changing its mindset in economic development, with a new focus laid on expanding trade and investment. Could you elaborate on this?

Marcos A. Bednarski, Argentine Ambassador to Vietnam

At the end of 2023, Dr. Javier Milei took office as President of Argentina, beginning a very positive period for the Argentine economy, with a strong commitment to stabilising macroeconomic variables and effectively controlling public spending.

Phrases like deregulation, the opening of the economy, and international integration are part of the vocabulary that accompanies our society, which has become aware of the need for profound changes that will finally allow Argentina to emerge from the lethargy that has marked its economic development in recent years.

Foreign purchases have been facilitated, procedures have been made more flexible, import tariffs have been lowered, among many other measures taken with the aim of creating a more dynamic business environment and, above all, providing greater predictability to economic activities.

In the first quarter of 2025, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census, the Argentine economy grew 5.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, investment grew 31.8 per cent, and private consumption 11.6 per cent. Exports increased 7.2 per cent and imports 42.8 per cent.

That growth in investment refers to gross fixed capital formation, driven by the acquisition of machinery and equipment, which grew 48.9 per cent, and transportation, which increased 74.7 per cent, with a predominance of imported goods.

This is a clear sign of a restructuring of productive capital, within the framework of strategic decision-making at the corporate level, which is betting on a more stable and expanding economy in the future.

As for the import figures, imports benefit the Argentine industrial sector by lowering the cost of capital goods and, consequently, allowing for improved business productivity. To give a few examples: in April, imports totalled $6.46 billion. Imports of machinery and tools increased by 73 per cent, consumer goods by 78 per cent, and passenger motor vehicles by 204 per cent.

How important is the Vietnamese market to Argentine companies and investors?

Vietnam is an important partner for Argentina. It is the third-largest regionally, after China and India, and the seventh-largest globally.

Proof of the importance our country places on this market is the inauguration of a specialised office for the agriculture and industrial sectors at the Argentine Embassy in Hanoi on July 1.

Office head Dr. Alonso Pablo Ferrando has a very active agenda ahead of him, and we hope the Vietnamese authorities will join us in this new phase, which we hope to bring greater dynamism to related cooperation, to negotiations to open markets for new products, and to the diversification of our bilateral trade.

Vietnam is considered an important market for Argentine companies and investors. In 2010, the two countries established a comprehensive partnership, creating favourable conditions for their bilateral trade to exceed $4 billion by 2024.

In the first five months of this year, Vietnamese exports to Argentina grew by 243.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. Some items grew exponentially: mobile phones and their parts grew by 636 per cent; footwear by 146 per cent.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Customs, Argentine exports grew by 30.8 per cent in the period from January to May 2025. Overall bilateral trade increased by 67 per cent.

Ill give you a concrete example of how the current economic policy has directly impacted our bilateral relationship. A few weeks ago, the first shipment of products manufactured by Viettel arrived at the port of Buenos Aires: 560km of fiber optic cables and 500 modems that will be used to improve telecommunications. This is the beginning of a new process.

What are your expectations for Vietnam-Argentine trade cooperation?

The outlook will continue to be bright. The evolution of Argentine exports, with a significant surplus for our country, are heavily concentrated in a few sectors, primarily livestock feed.

I like to emphasise in the various meetings I hold that the greater the surplus for Argentina, the more the Vietnamese economy benefits, and I give an example: we supply you with raw hides, which are processed here by Vietnamese labour and serve as input for Vietnamese industry. You produce the shoes and then sell them to us. This is one of several examples we could give using the same scheme.

We are facing a world with many uncertainties, with challenges in terms of production and consumption patterns. We are separated by 17,000km, but despite this, we have found a way for our bilateral trade to continue growing.

In 2025, we will celebrate 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. I personally believe these have been successful years of growth, cooperation, and mutual understanding, as is appropriate between complementary economies.

We are at the beginning of a new era, highly promising based on the data. The new measures our country is implementing will generate structural changes for economic actors and enable new business and investment opportunities.

Argentina hopes for strategic partnership with Vietnam: ambassador The new Argentinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino, has affirmed his countrys willingness to upgrade its relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership, especially when the two sides are preparing to mark the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2023.
On July 17, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) submitted an official petition to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MoAE) over the slow issuance of food safety certificates for plant-based exports, especially spices, under Circular No.12/2025/TT-BNNMT.

Since July 1, certification responsibility has shifted to provincial-level authorities. However, the new rules fail to fully inherit the procedures outlined in Circular No.44/2018, creating confusion and delays in certificate processing.

"Spice exporters are facing serious obstacles in securing certifications required by key markets, particularly the EU," the VPSA noted in a formal request. "The bottleneck has stalled exports, disrupted supply chains, and eroded trust with international partners."

The association called on the MoAE to urgently resolve administrative bottlenecks, revise the circular to align with international requirements, and implement immediate training for local authorities and exporters to streamline procedures.

In the short term, VPSA estimates that nearly 250 tonnes of pepper are being held back due to certification delays, threatening existing contracts and adding storage and logistics costs.

This issue mirrors similar challenges faced by fruit and vegetable exporters earlier this month, who were unable to ship goods like dragon fruit, chilli, and okra to Europe for the same reason.

According to the MoAE, Vietnam exported around 25,000 tonnes of pepper in June, valued at $169.2 million. In the first half of the year, total exports reached nearly 125,000 tonnes, worth $859.6 million, down 12.4 per cent in volume but up 35.7 per cent in value on-year.
On July 17, a Google delegation led by Doron Avni, vice president of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Emerging Markets, held a working session with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) in Hanoi. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in key areas including AI, quantum technology, and digital transformation  highlighting Vietnams growing role as a strategic partner in the global tech ecosystem

Pham Duc Long, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology and Doron Avni, Google's vice president of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Emerging Markets. Photo: MoST

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long said, "Vietnam is implementing Resolution 57 of the Politburo, aiming to become a high-income country by 2045, with scientific and technological innovation and digital transformation as the main driving forces. This vision is further detailed in Resolution 71, which outlines more than 300 specific actions."

The government is targeting a minimum annual growth rate of 10 per cent from 2026 to 2035, with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation contributing at least 5 per cent. To lay the groundwork, the National Assembly has enacted key legislation  such as the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation and the Law on Digital Technology Industry  designed to support long-term development and enable the digital technology sector to thrive.

At the meeting, the MoST called on Google to support Vietnam in building AI and quantum technology labs, advising on national AI development strategies, and promoting AI literacy among civil servants, businesses, and the public  particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises. The ministry also sought Googles support in accelerating digital and AI transformation to foster innovation across sectors.

The ministry also hopes that Google will cooperate with Vietnam to solve traffic congestion problems in large cities, based on Google Maps data, similar to the traffic light optimisation initiative that Google implemented in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Google expressed its willingness to share experience in AI development and support Vietnam in shaping relevant policies, citing its collaboration with the UAE in training 55,000 government officials. The company proposed assisting Vietnam with human resource development, expert exchange schemes, and opportunities for Vietnamese scientists to visit cloud computing labs in the US.

It also underscored the importance of enabling free data flows as a driver of innovation.

The two sides agreed to establish a joint working group to implement cooperation, starting with specific projects with a clear and effective roadmap. The MoST assigned the Department of International Cooperation to work with Google.

Vingroup, US firm become strategic partners in digital transformation Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup and Google Cloud of the US inked a cooperation agreement on the implementation of digital transformation strategy in New York on September 22 (local time).

One Mount honoured by Google as Best Partner in Supply and Logistics Recognised amongst leading businesses worldwide, One Mount Group was recently honoured by Google Cloud for being an industry best practice in digitally transforming logistics and supply chains at the Google Cloud Customer Awards. The award reflects One Mount and Google Clouds successful collaboration in advancing cloud and data-powered innovation to digitalise operations across Vietnams entire retail chain.
At a real estate seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17, Cao Thi Phi Van, deputy director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), said, "Ho Chi Minh City now boasts the financial and commercial strength of a national economic hub, the advanced industrial engine of Binh Duong, and the port logistics ecosystem alongside agricultural and coastal tourism potential from Ba Ria-Vung Tau."

"The diversified economic structure after the merger creates vast development opportunities for industrial real estate. Each sub-region has a clearly defined development orientation based on its inherent strengths," she added.

According to Tran Viet Ha, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Management Authority (HEPZA), the city offers a stable, streamlined, and appealing investment environment.

"This is underpinned by the continued implementation of new policies under Resolution No.98/2023/QH1 and related legislative frameworks aimed at driving private-sector growth and meeting national development goals in the new era," Ha said.

He further noted that this is a golden opportunity for global investors to pour capital into high-tech, knowledge-based sectors such as smart manufacturing, AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, smart cities, and green, sustainable solutions.

The city is currently piloting a transition model to convert some traditional industrial and export processing zones into ecological industrial zones (IZs), encouraging businesses to join symbiotic value chains and adopt circular economy principles.

Talking with VIR on the sidelines of the conference, Huynh Bao Duc, general director of Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, highlighted the parks strategic location near seaports and expressways, offering strong connectivity to other economic zones.

According to Duc, Ho Chi Minh City is rolling out a range of incentives to draw in more investment to the park. These include a streamlined investment licensing process, cutting approval times from two weeks to just seven days, with a target of one to three days  alongside preferential tax and green credit policies designed to lure investors. The city is prioritising clean and high-tech industries such as pharmaceuticals, food processing, electronics, and furniture manufacturing.

"Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park is being developed as one of Vietnams first eco-industrial zones. This transition offers multiple advantages for investors, not only in terms of preferential policies but also by ensuring a green and clean working environment," Duc said, adding that approximately 250 hectares of commercial land remain available to welcome new investors.

Le Trong Hieu, head of Industrial Real Estate at CBRE Vietnam, emphasised that developing eco-industrial zones requires access to renewable energy and carbon-neutral solutions. These goals, he said, need to be supported by state agencies to accelerate the green transition in IZs.

"In the early stages, there will certainly be many challenges," Hieu said. "But this is the right direction, and it must be pursued. Regulations can later be adjusted, for instance, fire safety laws may mandate a specific type of fireproof paint, but if an investor already uses higher-standard materials, they should be accepted."

Vietnam continues to be an attractive destination for industrial real estate investment, particularly following a new wave of global tariffs.

Businesses are maintaining plans to expand operations in Vietnam, targeting both domestic consumption and export markets beyond the United States. In this context, Ho Chi Minh City is emerging as a prime destination thanks to its strategic location, favourable investment climate, and skilled labour force.

Hieu noted that Ho Chi Minh Citys land resources have changed dramatically. From just 2,500 ha of industrial land before the merger, the new metropolis now boasts 27,000 ha.

Land lease prices are approximately $200 per square metre in the former Ho Chi Minh City and around $160 per square metre in the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. The availability of vast land banks at more competitive prices in the merged areas presents significant opportunities for investors.

In the first half of the year, the rental warehouse segment in both the northern and southern regions performed well, with around 700,000 sq.m leased.

Rental rates remained stable at $4.90 per sq.m in the north and $5.20 in the south. Modern warehouse supply continues to expand. In 2020, the southern region had around 2.5 million sq.m of modern warehouse space, a figure that is expected to reach 7.3 million sq.m by the second quarter of 2025, driven by strong absorption rates.

According to HEPZA, the newly expanded Ho Chi Minh City now has 66 export processing and IZs, covering over 27,000 ha.

Under the master plan with a vision to 2050, the city aims to develop 105 IZs with a combined area of more than 49,000 ha, solidifying its role as the countrys top industrial centre.

Between 2025 and 2030, the citys industrial and export processing zones aim to attract between $20 billion and $21 billion in investment, with an average capital density of $8-10 million per hectare.

The city is also targeting disbursement of 70 per cent of total registered investment. Development efforts will prioritise four core industries, focusing on high-tech, high-value, and environmentally friendly segments.

Industrial property event to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30 The Vietnam Industrial Property Forum (VIPF) 2024, organised by Vietnam Investment Review and in coordination with the Vietnam Industrial Real Estate Association, will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30.
The VietnameseJapanese brand opened its sixth hotel on July 17. Haiphong, Vietnams third-largest city and a key maritime gateway, offers an ideal setting for Winks bold, tech-driven, and sustainable approach to hospitality in the north.

According to Peter Ryder, executive chairman, Indochina Capital and director for Indochina Kajima,"Haiphong is also home to our Core5 factory villages and premium industrial assets. With plans to upgrade Cat Bi International Airport to handle 13 million passengers annually by 2030, and continued investment in deepwater port infrastructure to become a major international transshipment hub, were confident the city will keep advancing. These developments present strong opportunities for both Wink Hotels and Core5 to support Haiphong in attracting greater interest from local and foreign investors."

According to Haiphong Statistics Office, more than 2.55 million visitors used the citys accommodation and travel services in the first four months of this year, marking an 11 per cent on-year increase. Revenue from accommodation alone rose by 16.5 per cent, reaching VND810 billion ($32.4 million).

Industrial production in the city increased by over 15 per cent for the same period, the highest growth rate recorded between 2022 and 2025.

"This data underlines Haiphongs connection to the global supply chain and global tourism map and reinforces our decision to invest in the city with Wink Hotel Haiphong," said Keisuke Koshijima, executive vice president, Kajima Corporation.

Meanwhile, Michael Piro, co-CEO of Indochina Capital and CEO of Wink Hotels, said, "We're thrilled to be part of the story of Haiphong. By reimagining modern travel and integrating smart technology, were giving guests more control, flexibility, and seamless access to the services they need."

"As with the first five hotels in the brand, sustainability runs through Wink Hotel Haiphongs DNA, with LEED Version 4 certification. The elimination of single-use plastics, smart LED lighting, recycled furniture, and organic personal care products from Vietnamese brands, along with scientific waste management, all prove that at Wink, sustainability isnt just a buzzword  its how the hotels are truly designed and operated," he added.

Located in the heart of Haiphong city, Wink Hotel Haiphong offers 225 hotel rooms and 77 serviced apartments that redefine affordable luxury, all with floor-to-ceiling windows enabling the most stunning views over Haiphong City.

Wink Hotels is the product of Indochina Kajima, a joint venture between Indochina Capital Corporation and Kajima Corporation, one of the largest Japanese general contractors and overseas real estate developers.

Before Wink Hotel Haiphong, five Wink Hotels had been put into operation, including Wink Hotel Saigon Centre, Wink Hotel Danang Centre, Wink Hotel Danang Riverside, Wink Hotel Tuy Hoa Beach, and Wink Hotel Can Tho.

Wink Hotels announces grand opening of Wink Hotel Danang Centre On November 30, Wink Hotels, a revolutionary new hospitality brand in Vietnam, unveiled its made-in-Vietnam brand at the buzzing beach city with the official opening of Wink Hotel Danang Centre located at 178 Tran Phu street.

Wink Hotel Tuy Hoa Beach holds grand opening Wink Hotel Tuy Hoa Beach officially opens its doors amid a vibrant and touching ceremony.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MoAE) has proposed that, starting 2026, automobiles with internal combustion engines manufactured from 2017 must meet at least Level 3 emission standards nationwide. By 2028, vehicles from 2022 onward would be subject to Level 5, the most stringent threshold under Vietnams current framework.

Changes to emission standards for vehicles must be applied gradually and on a geographical basis, Le Toan

However, the proposal singles out Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for earlier enforcement. Vehicles registered in these cities with model years from 2022 must meet Level 5 by 2027, a move aimed at reducing air pollution in high-density urban areas.

This provision has triggered concerns from the Ministry of Construction (MoC), which has formally requested that the prime minister remove the regulation based on vehicle licence plates in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as stated in Article 4 of the draft decision.

Instead, the ministry suggests emission standards should be applied geographically and gradually, based on urban density and infrastructure readiness.

The proposed framework may lead to inconsistencies where higher-standard vehicles could be restricted, while lower-standard vehicles continue to operate, depending solely on registration location, the MoC noted in its submission.

Under the proposed alternative roadmap, vehicles operating in inner urban areas of centrally governed cities would be required to meet Level 3 emission standards from 2026, Level 4 from 2028, and Level 5 from 2030. In suburban districts, Level 2 would apply from 2026, followed by Level 3 in 2028 and Level 4 in 2030.

In other regions, vehicles manufactured before 1999 would be subject to Level 1, and those produced from 1999 onward would face Level 2, with full implementation by 2028.

The MoC also proposed delaying the effective date of the regulation to January 1, 2026, citing the need for time to amend related laws, upgrade inspection infrastructure, and allow vehicle owners to prepare financially and technically. The MoAE later confirmed it would delay implementation by at least 45 days after signing, in accordance with legislative procedures.

Meanwhile, rising air pollution in urban centres has intensified the urgency of stronger vehicle regulations. According to Hoang Van Thuc, director general of the MoAEs Environment Agency, Vietnam is finalising a national action plan for managing air quality and combating pollution for the 20252030 period. The plan aims to mobilise coordinated action across government agencies and is currently under inter-ministerial consultation.

In cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, these days account for roughly 35 per cent of the pollution season, with Hanoi recording up to 47 days of unhealthy air quality in a year, Thuc said.

According to Thuc, traffic remains the dominant source of urban air pollution. Much of the pollution originates from transportation, both from exhaust and from road dust stirred up by vehicle movement, particularly from outdated vehicles with low emission standards still in circulation, Thuc added.

Local officials also acknowledge the challenges of implementation. Nguyen Xuan Dai, director of Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the city supports moving from policy design to action planning.

But this must be backed by clear, realistic measures and policies, he added. Traffic-related emissions account for around 23 per cent of total pollution, but vehicles are also vital to livelihoods. Its not enough to rely on administrative orders. Without support policies, such as subsidies for electric vehicles or fuel conversion, transition will be difficult.

He suggested a phased replacement strategy. We need targeted support to help residents switch from old motorbikes to electric models. Thats how we build a sustainable and clean transportation system in the city, Dai explained.

At the regulatory level, Vietnam earlier this year defined specific technical limits for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and smoke opacity, using ISO-standard measurement methods. Vehicles must undergo testing at certified facilities equipped to national specifications.

While the updated rules are intended to align environmental protection with public health, their success depends on effective implementation, inter-agency coordination, and the availability of financial and technical support for vehicle owners and businesses affected by the shift, Dai added.
UPDATE: The House voted early Friday morning to approve a $9 billion rescission package that could mean a loss of $164,000 for Waco public radio station KWBU-FM.

The House approval in a 216-to-213 vote sends the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature. The bill would roll back previously approved funding, about $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and much of the rest for foreign aid programs.

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, voted in favor of the cuts. In a statement from his office Friday, he said the public broadcasting funding amounts to cutting what he considers a duplicative service.

I believe that readily available media and information is important for a healthy and informed society," Sessions said. "However, in most parts of the country, there is already a robust selection of media available.

"The federal government using tax dollars to fund public radio is often a duplicative effort. Thats why I supported the rescissions package as part of a broader effort to bring fiscal responsibility back to Washington. The American people deserve and expect a government that respects their tax dollars.

KWBU also was hit earlier this year with the loss of $209,000 in funding from Baylor University.

Jeffry Archer, president of the Brazos Valley Public Broadcasting Foundation that runs KWBU, on Friday put the revenue losses in terms of new members needed to replace the funding.

The station's current membership level is expected to generate $280,000 in revenue, meaning it will need to almost double membership to make up for the Baylor cut alone, Archer said.

The additional federal funding gap will mean a need for even more new members, he said.

While KWBU-FM may cover its budget needs for the current fiscal year through its reserves, doing so would deplete that reserve with little to carry forward into the future, Archer said.

ORIGINAL STORY: Staff and supporters of Waco public radio station KWBU-FM still await the House of Representatives final vote on a federal budget rescission that could mean a loss of $164,000 for the station, pushing a year of revenue losses to more than half the stations $1.2 million budget.

Consideration of the House vote was still underway late Thursday after U.S. Senators passed, 51-48, the $9 billion rescission bill requested by the Trump administration. The House earlier this year passed a slightly different version of the rescission measure, which aims to roll back funding previously approved by Congress. Much of the $9 billion targeted for cuts is slated for foreign aid. About $1.1 billion is earmarked for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.

Joe Riley, CEO of the Brazos Valley Public Broadcasting Foundation that runs KWBU, held on to a glimmer of hope late Thursday, noting the final rescission bill had not yet passed and, should four House Republicans side with all Democrats, that bill might fail.

Its not completely over, he said. Well see. We should know by tomorrow morning.

Wacos three congressional representatives, Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and District 17 Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, have voted to rescind the public broadcasting funding.

Should the rescission bill pass, the Waco station likely would see its financial effect beginning in October, when it usually receives Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, Riley said. The station has sufficient reserves to cover programming costs through May, the end of its fiscal year, Riley said.

It will hurt, but it doesnt kill us, he said.

The federal cuts would follow a loss of $209,000 in cash support from Baylor University announced this spring, part of a budget-tightening move at the university. Low membership levels also contribute to the stations revenue gap.

What will change for the station is the urgency in its call to triple its current subscriber base.

The difference theyre (listeners are) going to hear is the tone of the ask on the air, Riley said.

A membership level of 2,200 to 2,400 subscribers could put the station on firmer, more sustainable financial ground, he said.

KWBU-FM is marking its 25th year on the air this month with a listener base of about 15,000 people. Slightly more than 800 are subscribers, although that number has grown slightly in recent months after the Baylor funding cut announcement.

The station is encouraging supporters to give monthly, providing a more steady and dependable revenue stream. The station held on to 77% of its donors last year from the year before, but more than 90% of its monthly contributors, Riley said.

Individuals still provide the greatest numbers of supporting members, with a couple dozen corporate and business donors from the community, he said.

The cut to Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding could have more than a direct budgetary impact on KWBU and other member stations. The agency handles music licensing rights and payments for member stations and provides funding for the satellite system that connects NPR to its member stations, Riley said.

The station gets programming from more providers than NPR, including American Public Media and the British Broadcasting Corp., he said.

National critics of the PBS and NPR, including Cruz, say both organizations skew liberal in their programming. Asked if local listeners and community residents have requested the Waco station add more conservative programming to its schedule, Riley said the station receives only a handful of comments a year about a perceived lack of conservative perspectives and even fewer requests for programming.
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FORT WORTH, Texas, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the devastating floods that have impacted communities across Central Texas, the EECU Community Foundation has announced a $50,000 donation to The Pat Green Foundation to aid ongoing recovery and relief efforts.

EECU President and CEO Lonnie Nicholson, who also serves on the board of the EECU Community Foundation, shared the announcement during a live call-in this morning on KSCS 96.3 FM with longtime host Mark "Hawkeye" Louis.

"Our hearts go out to the families and communities affected by these devastating floods," said Nicholson. "The loss has been unimaginable, and we want those impacted to know they're not alone."

The EECU Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to supporting the education, health, and well-being of Texans. Guided by its mission and rooted in community values, the Foundation felt a deep responsibility to respond.

"Like many across the state, we've followed the aftermath of the floods and heard powerful stories of resilience and recovery," said Nicholson. "At EECU, supporting our neighbors isn't just something we doit's part of who we are."

The donation also reflects support for country music artist and Texas native Pat Green, whose family was personally affected by the flooding. In the days following the disaster, Green quickly mobilized support by organizing a benefit concert and launching relief efforts through his foundation.

"Pat Green is not only a friend to so many of us, but someone who truly embodies the spirit of Texas," Nicholson added. "His leadership and compassion have inspired us, and we're proud to stand with himand every Texan working to rebuild and recover."

For more information about the EECU Community Foundation, visit https://eecucommunityfoundation.org/.

About EECU Community Foundation

The EECU Community Foundation is a separate, independent 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that is operated by a Board of Directors. Our mission is to support the education, health, and well-being of Texans through scholarships, financial literacy, and other charitable programs that promote personal independence. To learn more about the EECU Community Foundation, visit eecucommunityfoundation.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Adam Hernandez

Director, Digital & Corporate Communications

(817) 805-1246

[email protected]

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A U.S. Army veteran who was arrested during an immigration raid at a Southern California marijuana farm this month said he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray before being dragged from his vehicle and pinned down by federal agents who arrested him.

George Retes, 25, who works as a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, said he arrived at work July 10 when several federal agents surrounded his car and  despite that he identified himself as a U.S. citizen  broke his window, peppered sprayed him and dragged him out.

It took two officers to nail my back and then one on my neck to arrest me even though my hands were already behind my back, Retes said.

Massive farm raids

The Ventura City native was detained during chaotic raids at two Southern California farms where federal authorities arrested more than 360 people, one of the largest operations since President Donald Trump took office in January. Protesters faced off against federal agents in military-style gear, and one farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof.

The raids came more than a month into an extended immigration crackdown by the Trump administration across Southern California that originally was centered in Los Angeles.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke on the raids at a news conference Wednesday, calling Trump a chaos agent who incited violence and spread fear in communities.

You got someone who dropped 30 feet because they were scared to death and lost their life, he said, referring to the farmworker who died in the raids. People are quite literally disappearing with no due process, no rights.

Retes was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where he said he was put in a special cell on suicide watch and checked on each day after he became emotionally distraught over his ordeal and missing his 3-year-old daughter's birthday party.

He said federal agents never told him why he was arrested nor allowed him to contact a lawyer or his family during his three-day detention. Authorities never let him shower or change clothes despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, Retes said, adding that his hands burned throughout the first night he spent in custody.

On July 13, an officer had him sign a paper and walked him out of the detention center. He said he was told he faced no charges.

No explanation for arrest

They gave me nothing I could wrap my head around," Retes said, explaining that he was met with silence on his way out when he asked about being "locked up for three days with no reason and no charges.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed Retes' arrest but didn't say on what charges.

George Retes was arrested and has been released," she said. "He has not been charged. The U.S. Attorneys Office is reviewing his case, along with dozens of others, for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo.

A federal judge on July 11 ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests without warrants in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. Immigrant advocates accused federal agents of detaining people because they looked Latino. The Justice Department appealed Monday and asked for the order to be stayed.

The Pentagon also said Tuesday it will end the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles. That's roughly half the number the administration sent to the city following protests over the immigration actions. Some of those troops accompanied federal agents during their immigration enforcement operations.

Retes said he joined the Army at age 18 and served four years, including deploying to Iraq in 2019.

I joined the service to help better myself, he said. I did it because I love this (expletive) country. We are one nation and no matter what, we should be together. All this separation and stuff between everyone is just the way it shouldnt be.

Retes said he plans to sue for wrongful detention.

The way theyre going about this entire deportation process is completely wrong, chasing people who are just working, especially trying to feed everyone here in the U.S., he said. No one deserves to be treated the way they treat people.

Retes was detained along with California State University Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, also a U.S. citizen, who was arrested for throwing a tear gas canister at law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X.

The California Faculty Association said Caravello was taken away by agents who did not identify themselves nor inform him of why he was being taken into custody. Like Retes, the association said the professor was then held without being allowed to contact his family or an attorney.

Caravello was attempting to dislodge a tear gas canister that was stuck underneath someones wheelchair, witnesses told KABC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles.

A federal judge on Monday ordered Caravello to be released on $15,000 bond. Hes scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 1.

I want everyone to know what happened. This doesnt just affect one person, Retes said. It doesnt matter if your skin is brown. It doesnt matter if youre white. It doesnt matter if youre a veteran or you serve this country. They dont care. Theyre just there to fill a quota.
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NORTH FREEDOM  Dane Hegg was watching the future.

The 20-month-old from Poynette was being held by his father, Pat, on the concrete platform next to the rail line as the mass of black steel approached.

On this warm Saturday, the Chicago & North Western 1385 was idle and its 10 wheels still. There was neither black smoke nor white steam, although its brass bell was being rung enthusiastically by Pete Deets, the last person to fire up the historic engine here at Mid-Continent Railway Museum nearly 30 years ago.

The 118-year-old engine was on a flatbed rail car being pushed by a 1944 Alco diesel engine toward a white banner held across the museums railroad tracks. This was a celebration marking the locomotives return after a more than an 11-year, $3 million restoration at a machine shop in Dane County.

The engines laborious transformation, for which there are few comparisons, adds to the continued improvements to this unique museum. This is where railroad buffs donning blue-and-white-striped bib overalls can get their fix for technology far removed from the digital world and where youngsters like Dane can be ensured that steam will be in their future for decades to come.

For him, its about a brighter tomorrow, said Pat Hegg, who volunteers at Mid-Continent and whose grandfather and great grandfather worked on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. Its really about preserving the history of steam railroading in America. And the fact that he can be here to witness it coming home and for it to be here for a very long time and to show future generations the history of steam railroading, is such a good sign.

Goal within reach

Another $300,000 of work is still needed before the locomotive begins pulling passenger cars next summer on the museums four miles of track in rural Sauk County. But the engines return to this village in one piece is nothing short of miraculous.

I wrote my first story about the locomotive in 2011 and upon first inspection couldnt believe the engine could be saved. I remember 40 years ago when the locomotive pulled the circus train and had seen scores of historic photos of the engine over the years. But here it was sitting idle and rusting at the museum for over 13 years. It would be another two years before it was partially taken apart and shipped by trucks 36 miles to Spec Machine north of Middleton.

The initial goal was relatively modest. Museum officials and Steve Roudebush, owner of the machine shop who took the lead in the restoration work, thought the project would take about 14 months and focus primarily on the locomotives running gear and boiler. But it didnt take long to see a full restoration and rebuild was necessary.

More than 30 contractors and scores of volunteers played a part in the ambitious project. The boiler was made in St. Louis, the wheels cast in Pennsylvania, the fire box manufactured in Tennessee and the cab built in Fond du Lac. Roudebush machined custom parts and bolts. A few years into the project, he built an addition to the side of his shop that included railroad tracks on the floor to hold the locomotive as it began to take shape with new and restored pieces.

Roudebush used old photos, history books and more than 700 blueprint drawings from the Lake States Railway Historical Association in Baraboo. He also has a 1908 edition of Modern American Railway Practices, a series of encyclopedias on locomotive construction, and another set of 14 books from 1910 with titles that cover topics such as engine management and installation, valve gears and riveted joints.

They are used all of the time, Roudebush told me in 2015, just over a year into the project. Were trying to keep everything straight and true.

1385 to pull museum into the future

The 1385s history is rich and its restoration tied to the future success of Mid-Continent, founded in 1961. The nonprofit museums collection is all about railroad equipment from between 1885 and 1915, when steam locomotives moved 90 percent of the nations passengers and freight. The 1385, which is on the state and national registers of historic places, has the potential to draw thousands of tourists each year to the museum, a short drive from Wisconsin Dells.

The engine was built by the American Locomotive Co. in Schenectady, New York, and was a workhorse for the Chicago & North Western Railroad from 1907 to 1956. When it was retired, Mid-Continent members scraped together $2,600 to buy it in 1961.

From 1963 to 1998, the locomotive pulled cars on the museums track and in the mid-1980s pulled the Circus Train for three straight summers from Baraboo to Milwaukee and back. In the 1990s, it made trips on the mainline to Brodhead, Mazomanie and Wausau before being taken out of service.

Museum overcame financial challenges

The renovation project was initially stalled by fundraising challenges, the Great Recession and a flood at the museum in 2008. Since then, the museum has dealt with another flood, debt and a pandemic. But it is now in better financial and physical shape.

It has spent $1.5 million to replace a bridge over the Baraboo River, more than $400,000 to repair flood-damaged diesel engines, restored the flood-damaged depot and this year will finish a $2 million project that replaces the museums track with heavier gauge rail designed to better support the weight of the 1385.

Our museum has always been a museum in motion, whether its the diesels or the steam, said Andy Spinelli, Mid-Continents president. You have the sound, the feel, the smell of railroading. Hopefully (the 1385s return) will inspire some younger people to want to get involved and learn. Because you just cant go to a trade school or even the railroad and learn these skills.

Bobbie, Dick Wagner played key roles

Hundreds of train aficionados from around the country have donated money to the engines restoration, but it was the Wagner Foundation, created by airplane enthusiasts Bobbie and Dick Wagner of Burlington, that funded nearly half of the work to make the rolling piece of nostalgia whole again. The Wagners, who founded an aviation parts company in the 1960s, had contributed in the past to Mid-Continent and have been major supporters of the Kelch Aviation Museum in Brodhead.

We couldnt think of any more important way to support the museum further than to help it get its steam program going again, Dick Wagner, a former commercial airline pilot, told me just a few months before he unexpectedly died.

But Bobbie Wagner made sure the project continued beyond the foundations initial $250,000 matching grant. She contributed more money and was on hand in September 2019 when the new 41,000-pound carbon steel boiler was lifted by crane onto the engines chassis at Spec Machine. Wagner also attended the July 12 celebration at Mid-Continent, where she rode in the cab of the diesel engine pushing the locomotive toward the depot. Moments later she embraced Roudebush in the shadow of the hulking locomotive.

I knew it was going to be a big project, but I was hoping it wasnt going to take this long, Wagner said with a smile and a laugh. Steve has done a wonderful job. Hes stayed with us the entire time.

A long ride home

While Roudebush demonstrated he could rebuild a locomotive miles from any railroad track, the $80,000 effort of getting the intact engine from his shop back to the museum was another logistical twist to the 1385s story. When it was built in New York, the engine was driven out of the factory and onto a rail line. But Spec Machine is surrounded by cornfields, and the nearest track six miles away.

Thats why a pair of cranes from Ideal Crane lifted the locomotive onto a 12-axel trailer with 96 wheels. Owned by Reynolds Transport & Storage, the $1 million dollar trailer hauled the locomotive July 7 to the Middleton Co-op, where it was placed onto a flatbed rail car. Three days later, a Wisconsin & Southern diesel locomotive pulled the load to North Freedom. The route took about eight hours.

Along the route in Waunakee, Roudebush held in his left hand a cell phone that recorded video and, with his right hand, waved as the 1385 passed. When he was child growing up in Waunakee, he remembers putting pennies on the track for a train to flatten. On this day, his voice cracked and tears welled. After more than a decade of effort, his stewardship of the locomotive was coming to an end.

This is amazing, said Roudebush, who wore his gray Spec Machine work shirt. This is my hometown, so this is pretty good. Im just happy that its going back home.

From there, it was through the villages of Dane and Lodi, over the Wisconsin River at Merrimac, through the Baraboo Hills and into North Freedom.

The engine was lifted Monday from the rail car onto the track where, over the next year, the locomotive will get further work, its bearings broken in and for the first time in decades, be reunited with its tender. In 1971, the tender, which holds coal and water for the engine, was deemed unserviceable and shot. It was built largely from scratch in 2012 and 2013 with only a few components salvaged from the original tender.

All hands on deck

Mike Wahl was among those who were part of a Mid-Continent committee that met weekly through the years, shepherding the 1385 project. The rebuild is expected to give the locomotive another 100 years of life, since it wont be pulling large loads for weeks at a time across the Midwest and will be meticulously maintained.

Maybe someday by Dane Hegg.

Its been all hands on deck to do this. But thats the passion everyone has for this, Wahl said. Generations, long after were gone, should be able to see steam railroading in the Midwest still happening.
Many of the 16- and 17-year-olds I meet are more across the detail of issues than people give them credit for say MP

Wrexhams MP has welcomed the lowering of voting age in General Elections.

Yesterday it was announced UK Government was going to role out votes to 16 year olds, as well as significant tightening of electoral rules including funding  more here  in a move that has been welcomed locally.

Andrew Ranger MP said, Im so pleased to see this change by the UK Government which will mean that 16- and 17-year-olds in Wrexham will be able to vote in General Elections. Whenever I visit schools, it is a topic that comes up and in fact a fantastic group of Year 9 students at Ysgol Rhosnesni High School asked me about it a fortnight ago!

Wales was always ahead with those aged 16 and 17 being able to vote in Senedd and local elections and now they will be extending their voice to Westminster. Many of the 16- and 17-year-olds I meet are more across the detail of issues than people give them credit for.

We need to engage young people in politics so they can see that it is relevant to them, and this is a vitally important step.
BEIJING, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fangzhou Inc. ("Fangzhou" or the "Company") (06086.HK), a leader in Internet healthcare solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company, at the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing. Leveraging its AI application services, innovative treatment solutions, and convenient pharmaceutical services, Fangzhou will collaborate with Novo Nordisk on managing serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity.

Fangzhou's founder, chairman, and CEO Dr. Xie Fangmin, and Christine Zhou, Novo Nordisk Senior Vice President & President of Region China, attended the signing ceremony.

By leveraging Novo Nordisk's expertise and innovative products in diabetes and obesity treatment, Fangzhou plans to employ its smart healthcare ecosystem and robust technology infrastructure to create a comprehensive health management service. This will include medication guidance, reminders, efficacy tracking, and health education, effectively shaping the value chain in the glucose control and weight loss sector. The aim is to shift the focus from a "disease-centered" approach to a "health-centered" model, providing patients with higher quality and more convenient one-stop healthcare services.

Dr. Xie Fangmin remarked, "We are partnering with Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company, to explore AI technology and address the pain points of traditional health management. Together, we aim to deliver innovative digital solutions for managing blood sugar and weight on a global scale."

Christine Zhou said, "With the combined strengths of both companies, this collaboration will closely integrate chronic disease prevention and digital innovation technology, jointly enhancing public awareness of diabetes and obesity. It will also support the aim that the concepts of early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment are effectively implemented within smart healthcare environments."

Looking forward, both companies expect to explore further innovative collaborations in the medical industry's digital transformation, with the goal of benefiting patients with serious chronic diseases and accelerating the achievement of the "Healthy China 2030" strategic objectives.

About Fangzhou Inc.

Fangzhou Inc. (06086.HK) is China's leading online chronic disease management platform, serving 49.2 million registered users and 223,000 physicians (as of December 31, 2024). The Company specializes in delivering tailored medical care and precision medicine solutions. For more information, visit https://investors.jianke.com.

Media Contact

For further inquiries or interviews, please reach out to:

Xingwei Zhao Associate Director of Public Relations Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated due to various factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements

SOURCE Fangzhou Inc.
UPDATE - JULY 18, 2025: A proposed $850,000 settlement has been announced following the sewage spill that occurred in Carnelian Bay one year ago. According to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, the spill occurred when a subcontractor working on a Caltrans pedestrian crossing project punctured a 24-inch sewer force main within the Caltrans right-of-way along Highway 28. The pipeline, operated by the North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD), serves as the main line transporting raw sewage out of the Lake Tahoe area. The break led to an estimated 103,300 gallons of raw sewage spilling from the force main. Of that amount, approximately 18,300 gallons were contained and returned to the sanitary system. An estimated 85,000 gallons flowed through the parking lot and entered Lake Tahoe at Carnelian West Beach. The Lahontan Water Boards Prosecution Team alleges that the discharge violated permit conditions held by both NTPUD and Caltrans, the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region, California Water Code Section 13376, and the federal Clean Water Act. To settle the alleged violations, the Lahontan Water Boards Prosecution Team, NTPUD, and CalTrans have agreed to the imposition of an administrative civil liability of $850,000, the agreement states. Of the total amount, $5,000 would be paid to the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account. The remaining $845,000 would be suspended upon successful completion of the Secline Beach Supplemental Environmental Project. The proposed settlement is available for public review and is open to comment through Friday, August 8. Comments may be submitted via email to RB6-Lahontan@waterboards.ca.gov. Additional documents and details are available online at: https://www.ntpud.org UPDATE - AUGUST 1, 2024: The North Tahoe Public Utility District in an update to their online post says that Carnelian West Beach has reopened. The post says that Placer County lifted the health advisory reopening public access to Carnelian West Beach after it was closed for a sewage spill that occurred on Thursday, July 18.

The Placer County Environmental Health, the California Tahoe Conservancy, and NTPUD said that water quality tests taken over several days at Carnelian West Beach showed that bacteria levels had returned to a normal range and were within California beach water quality standards.

The post says that the shoreline health advisory zone and beach closure have been finally lifted for Carnelian West Beach and that residents and visitors may resume water contact and recreation activities at this location.

Information about the incident is available online at: https://www.ntpud.org

Update, July 26:

The North Tahoe Public Utility District says in an update to their online post that Patton Landing Beach is now open to the public.

The update says that water quality tests taken for bacteria levels over the last several days at Patton Landing Beach and just east of the spill site have returned to normal and are now within California Beach water quality standards.

Given Patton Landing Beach testing normal the Placer County health advisory has reduced its health advisory area to the area between 5146 North Lake and 4600 North Lake Boulevards.

That area includes Carnelian West Beach and the immediate surrounding area extending west of the beach along the Lake Tahoe shoreline to Watson Creek.

Officials advise the health advisory is expected to remain in effect at least through Sunday, July, 28.

As part of that advisory Carnelian West Beach remains closed, due to water quality tests taken over the last several days at the spill site still showing higher levels of bacteria, which remain above California Beach water standards.

Officials want to again remind the public that coming in contact with the contaminated waters in the updated advisory areas can cause illness and you should take caution.

They say they will continue to test the water quality both in and outside the advisory zones, those results can take up to 24 hours to process but they will evaluate them as soon as they are made available.

Health advisories will be updated and or lifted after at least two days of the data showing the levels have consistently dropped below California Beach water quality standards.

Officials say that should water quality tests show bacteria levels rising in the health advisory areas or again at Patton Landing Beach or east of the spill the original health advisory and beach closures will be reinstated for the area.

The California Tahoe Conservancy and Placer County are continuing beach and site restoration, the TTPUD has already restored the initial site and removed all impacted landscaping.

Starting next week professional landscapers will work to replace the landscaping to restore the area to its original condition before the spill.

Officials have provided a website with information about the incident and what to do if you have come in contact with lake water in the health advisory zone since Friday, July 19: https://www.ntpud.org

Update, July 23:

In an updated online post, the North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD) says that Carnelian Bay West Beach and Patton Landing are still closed due to a health advisory that is still in effect.

NTPUD says the beaches remain closed due to high levels of bacteria present in the water after quality tests were taken over the weekend.

The health advisory covers the Lake Tahoe shoreline from 5500 North Lake Boulevard (Sahara Drive and Highway 28), and Southwest to 4600 North Lake Tahoe Boulevard. See the maps below for reference.

NTPUD wants to remind the public that any contact with the water in these areas could result in illness due to the high levels of bacteria.

Officials say they are taking water samples from the shoreline and in the area of the spill daily.

The results of those samples could take up to 24-hours to process and are being analyzed as soon as they are received by officials.

NTPUD says the health advisory will remain in effect until the bacteria levels in the water in the affected areas return to normal.

Officials advise that the NTPUD's public drinking water is not at risk and that the tap water is safe to drink.

Residents of private lakefront properties in the areas of concern that have lake intakes should be aware of these elevated bacteria levels and should contact Placer County Environmental Health with any concerns about their drinking water.

The California Tahoe Conversancy and Placer County Government alongside NTPUD are working to restore the spill site, including disinfection and clean-up of the impacted landscaping and beach areas affected.

Officials will continue to provide updates on the health advisory and closures as they become available based on the ongoing water test results.

Original Story, July 19:

A contractor working in Carnelian Bay hit the North Tahoe Public Utility District's (NTPUD) main sewer export pipeline on Thursday, July 18 at around 8 p.m.

In an online post from the Placer County Sheriff's Office, sewage from the pipeline overflowed into the parking lot and reached the lake at Carnelian Bay.

Carnelian Bay's West Beach is closed until further notice.

NTPUD crews have repaired the pipeline.

A portion of Highway 28 was also temporarily closed between Dollar Hill and Carnelian Woods for crews to clean up the area.
JULY 17 UPDATE:

A bail hearing was held on Thursday for both suspects in a deadly shooting that happened near Greenbrae Drive in Sparks last month.

Fahad Estepa waived his appearance in court. The court set a no-bail hold on him for count one of his indictment, open murder, and set bail at $500,000 bondable for counts three through seven, which include domestic battery and kidnapping charges.

The other defendant in the case, Jonathan Reyes, appeared in court, with his bail set at $100,000 bondable.

He is facing a charge of harboring, concealing, or aiding a felony offender.

JULY 10 UPDATE:

Two people were arrested on Thursday in connection with a deadly shooting that happened near Greenbrae Drive in Sparks last month.

28-year-old Fahad Estepa of Reno was arrested for open murder with a deadly weapon in the death of 19-year-old Felipe Acuna, according to a release from the Sparks Police Department.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Jonathan Reyes of Reno was arrested for his involvement in the crime and charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Both Estepa and Reyes were booked into the Washoe County Jail.

---

JULY 9 UPDATE:

The Sparks Police Department has identified two people of interest and located a truck they have been looking for in connection with a deadly shooting near Greenbrae Drive late last month.

In a release, the SPD thanked the public for providing multiple tips through Secret Witness and by other means that have helped the investigation.

The identities of the people of interest will not be released at this time, the SPD says.

Police would still like to speak to those who were present during the incident who have not spoken to law enforcement yet.

---

JULY 7 UPDATE:

Sparks Police say they're now looking for two people in connection with a deadly shooting near Greenbrae Drive late last month.

Police had responded to near 5th Street where a large group had gathered for a so-called car meet in a parking lot, just before 11:30 p.m. on June 27th.

At some point, a fight broke out and shots were fired killing 19-year-old Felipe Acuna.

On Monday, Sparks Police released more information in the investigation including descriptions of the two suspects.

The first suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 20s with a heavy build and buzz style haircut.

The second is also a Hispanic man, 20 to 30 years old, 510" to 6' tall with a thin build. He has black shoulder length curly hair and was last seen wearing a light blue tank top, light-colored pants, and black shoes and armed with a gun.

They've also identified a suspect car - a dark green GMC Sierra year range 1999 - 2006. Its lowered with chrome wheels and has a white sticker on the passenger side of the car's windshield.

Police added that there were two unidentified women inside the suspect car.

As of right now, police don't know if the shooting was gang-related.

If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900. A $5,000 reward is being offered.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Sparks Police have identified the Reno man killed in a shooting near Greenbrae Drive late Friday night and say more information is coming soon.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire just before 11:30 p.m. near 5th Street, where a large group had gathered for a so-called car meet in a parking lot.

Investigators say an altercation broke out, and someone fired multiple shots at the victim before fleeing the scene.

The victim, 19-year-old Felipe Acuna, later died at a nearby hospital.

Mr. Acuna did not need to die, did not need to be shot, said Detective Lieutenant John Patton with the Sparks Police Department. Its imperative that we get all the information we can, because we are going to find this individual and hold them accountable.

Sparks Police now say they will hold a press conference Monday, to provide updates in the case.

We will have a crew at the briefing and will provide updates as soon as they become available.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Secret Witness anonymously by call or text at 775-322-4900. A $5,000 reward is being offered.
JULY 17, 2025

Six of the eight people indicted for vandalism at Reno High School appeared in court on Thursday.

Three of the six people, including Devyn Maaka, Owen Shuff, and Aral Unlu, entered not guilty pleas.

Meanwhile, Reagan Jacksick, Isabella Russell, and Brady Smith had their arraignments continued to Monday, July 28, as defense counsel argued they needed more time to review the grand jury transcript.

July 28 is the same day that the remaining two people indicted, Korbin Depaepe and Wylder May, will be arraigned.

JULY 14, 2025

Eight suspects charged in connection with vandalism at Reno High School this past May are all expected to appear in court together this Thursday.

Korbin Depaepe, Reagan Jacksick, Devyn Maaka, Wylder May, Isabella Russell, Owen Shuff, Brady Smith, Aral Unlu are all expected to be formally charged in Second Judicial District Court early Thursday afternoon.

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks encourages the suspects to turn themselves in last Friday or face an arrest warrant.

During the same press conference, Hicks announced that a total of 27 people were identified in the vandalism case, but some are minors while others will be cited. The above named eight suspects were indicted by a grand jury.

JULY 11, 2025

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks on Friday announced that they have identified a total of 27 people in the recent Reno High vandalism case.

The district attorneys office was joined by with Washoe County School District and WCSD police to discuss the May 22nd incident.

DA Hicks announced that the investigation was completed on June 30 totaling 100 pages, 30 hours of video and 27 suspect interviews.

Of the 27, eight people were indicted by a grand jury (you can read the document below).

Korbin Depaepe

Reagan Jacksick

Devyn Maaka

Wylder May

Isabella Russell

Owen Shuff

Brady Smith

Aral Unlu

Most of the people were charged with one or multiple counts of obstruction to property for educational purposes. Unlu was charged with one count of willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This is because he is accused of lighting a tire on fire and rolling towards people. Hicks says they did not have enough sufficient evidence to charge arson.

Hicks wants those suspects to turn themselves in with an arraignment to be scheduled later. Suspects are encouraged to turn themselves in or make arrangements to do so with the Washoe County School Police by 5 p.m. on Friday  if they can't meet that deadline, they are asked to turn themselves into the Washoe County Jail sometime this weekend. If they don't do that, then a warrant will be issued for an arrest.

Hicks says the grand jury proceedings are confidential and couldn't discuss evidence in the proceedings, but in the next 10 days the transcripts will be public record. The DA says they went the grand jury route because Hicks says it benefits the prosecution in a lot of ways with a case with multiple defendants. Without the indictment, arrest warrants would be issued and everything would have to go through the Reno Justice Court first with preliminary hearings before it makes its way to the Second Judicial District Court.

"Takes us right to court where we will be handling all the proceedings," Hick said.

Once the suspects turn themselves in, arraignments will be schedule and criminal proceedings will begin from there.

12 others who entered the school but did not cause any damage will still be charged and cited with trespassing, and an additional seven juveniles were involved and will be prosecuted through the juvenile justice system. No further information will be released on the underage juveniles due to the confidentiality imposed by Nevada Law.

The 12 cited with trespassing are:

Skylah Carithers

Kai Christensen

Fisher Current

Amelia Mia Custer

Lucas Ford

Erica Hooks

Sydney Jaksick

Elias Jara

Bhavisha Bhavi Patil

Ariel Perez

Flavia Rosi

Yoselin Salazar Soto

Hicks added that there were three people charged that were not enrolled at Reno High School. He also said that there were still some other potential suspects, but they didn't have enough evidence to charge them.

Investigators spent more than 10 hours doing walk-throughs in the school surveying the damage, which totaled $6,000.

"I've been a prosecutor in this community for 23 years and I have not seen a case of this breadth in terms of number of defendants and attention drawn by the community," Hicks said on Friday.

In regard to the Nazi symbolism, the DA said there's not much they can do about it.

"The last thing we ever want to see in our schools, it's disgusting, but there is not a crime we can charge for that," he said.

Hicks says the Nevada Revised Statute does not have criminal charges for the way that act was done. However, he says it will definitely be considered at sentencing.

The Washoe County School District says they are going to put its foot down on future senior pranks.

"Senior pranks will not be tolerated, the senior pranks have gone significantly too far," said Joe Ernst, WCSD Superintendent. "I think people can remember back a time where there might have been something that was far lesser as far as a prank that occurred."

Statements have been released from Beth Smith, the President of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees and Joe Ernset, the Washoe County School District Superintendent.

The statement from President Smith reads:

"Todays announcement brings a sense of closure to a deeply upsetting event that affected Reno High School, the Washoe County School District, and the entire community. The crimes that occurred werent just property damagethey were an attack on a place that means so much to students, staff, families, and alumni.

We are grateful to our WCSD School Police and District leadership for working quickly and thoroughly to identify those responsible.

At the Washoe County School District, we believe strongly in accountabilitybut we also believe in growth and learning. Our hope is that those involved will use this as an opportunity to reflect, take responsibility, and ultimately make better choices in the future."

Superintendent Joe Ernst had the following to say:

"Todays announcement from the District Attorney is an important step. We are glad to see those involved in the incident at Reno High School being held accountable through the legal system. The school district also took disciplinary action based on each individuals level of involvement, and together, were making it clear: this kind of behavior has real consequences.

What happened was disturbing and deeply disappointing. Its been hard on students, families, and staffespecially at Reno High. But I want to be clear: this does not represent who we are as a school district, or what we stand for.

I am grateful to our WCSD School Police and to DA Chris Hicks and his office for the time and care they put into this investigation and the pursuit of justice. It was not easy work, and it was done right.

We will continue doing everything we can to make sure our schools are safe, respectful places where all students can learn and feel safe, supported, and respected.

JUNE 6, 2025:

More than 30 people have now been identified in the recent Reno High vandalism case.

The WCSD says there are two separate but parallel investigations: a criminal investigation by the WCSD School Police Department and an administrative investigation by WCSD. These investigations are extensive and ongoing.

The investigations have identified 30+ people connected to the incident. The WCSD says not all of the people are students at Reno High School.

The WCSD says as a result of the administrative investigation, disciplinary actions continue to be taken based on each person's level of involvement. Consequences range from suspension from classes for the remainder of the school year to the loss of privileges, including but not limited to the ability to participate in graduation ceremonies. Due to federal privacy laws, the WCSD is not able to share specific numbers or identities of students who have been disciplined.

Prior to the incident, the WCSD says hundreds of students were on campus for scheduled senior activities. Most people left when the planned activities concluded; however, a large group later returned, causing the damage.

Officers are interviewing witnesses and people involved, reviewing footage from more than 40 surveillance cameras, looking at social media to identify potential witnesses, reviewing cell phone videos, following up on anonymous tips, and analyzing other evidence.

MAY 29, 6:20 P.M. UPDATE:

An investigation into vandalism at Reno High School has resulted in the identification and disciplining of multiple individuals involved in the acts.

In a message to families, Reno High School Principal Mike Nakashima said those students and their families have been notified of disciplinary action, including suspension for the remainder of the school year and a loss of privileges, including the ability to participate in graduation ceremonies.

Federal privacy laws prevent the school from revealing the exact number of people who have been disciplined.

The actions taken by the school are different from the criminal investigation being conducted by School Police, which is ongoing, the principal said.

He also said that people with information that may be helpful can share it via SafeVoice.

---

MAY 29, 10:40 A.M. UPDATE:

The Washoe County School District has created a webpage to update the community about the ongoing investigation into Reno High's vandalism.

Superintendent Joe Ernst says, "WCSD School Police are conducting a comprehensive review of all available evidence. The investigation requires careful examination of multiple witnesses, suspects, and extensive video surveillance, which takes time."

Although Reno City councilman Devon Reese previously estimated damage at $100,000+, Ernst says a full assessment and "cost of repairs is still being completed. Any dollar amount that may exist publicly is premature at this time."

Once the investigation is complete, those involved could either be disciplined by school officials, or criminally cited or charged, dependent on a review by the Washoe County District Attorney's Office. From there, criminal punishment will be decided by the suspect(s) age. If they are under 18, those involved will be handled by the juvenile justice system - and if they are over 18, they will go through the adult criminal system, which could mean public trials and possible imprisonment.

Ernst says the WCSD has received many anonymous tips they continue to follow up on and offer options for people to offer information -

Reach out to School Police via phone, email, or in person to provide information (775-348-0285).

Call the SafeVoice hotline at 1-833-216-SAFE (7233) to speak with trained professionals available 24/7.

You can read more below -

May 27, 2025:

Reno High School's principal says that counseling and support is now available for students after last week's vandalism.

In a message sent to families, Principal Mike Nakashima added that the investigation remains ongoing - after Reno City councilman Devon Reese said that vandals caused $100,000 in damage at the high school last week.

"I have full faith and confidence in the investigation being conducted by our Washoe County School District School Police, and those who perpetrated these acts against our school will be held accountable..."

He ended his message reminding families of the school's 'core values': respect, honor and strength.

"Let us move forward together with clarity, accountability, and compassion. We will take steps to ensure our school remains a place of learning, not of hate. And to those who feel hurt or targetedwe see you, we support you, and we will stand with you. ...This is our RHS community. Let us honor it with our actions."

If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.

You can read Principal Nakashima's full message below -

May 26. 2025:

A Reno City councilman says he's calling for a full investigation after vandals caused $100,000+ in damage at Reno High School last week.

On Facebook, Devon Reese (Ward 5) says, "This is not who we are as a city, and it will not be tolerated. I am calling for a full investigation and will support any measures necessary to hold those responsible accountable. Our schools must be places of learning and inclusionnot fear and hate."

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve agreed in her own statement saying that the vandalism involving racial slurs and extreme property damage is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our city. I want to make it clear: this behavior does not reflect the values of our community.

She went on to say that Reno Police is providing resources to the Washoe County School District Police.

We will not tolerate acts of hate in our city, and we will send a clear and united message that Reno stands against racism and discrimination in all forms.

If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.

May 24, 2025:

The Washoe County School District has released a statement regarding the recent vandalism and damage at Reno High School.

In the release, Superintendent Joe Ernst and Board President Beth Smith say they are "deeply disturbed and disheartened by the recent vandalism."

You can find the full text of the statement below:

"The Washoe County School District unequivocally condemns hate speech in all forms within our schools. Our educational institutions must be places where every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or background, feels safe, valued, and respected. Hate speech undermines the very principles of inclusion, respect, and equality that are central to the mission of our schools and our guiding principles.

We are deeply disturbed and disheartened by the recent vandalism at Reno High School. Such actions are criminal and are an attack on the values of respect, honor, and strength for which Reno High School stands.

The Washoe County School District School Police is continuing its thorough investigation. The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remain our top priority. The district has and will continue to provide support, resources and counseling services to those impacted by these acts."

The district is asking anyone who may have information about the break-in or vandalism to contact Washoe County School District Police through Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.

Original Story (5/23/2025, 11:54 a.m.):

Reno High School officials canceled the senior assembly scheduled for Friday following an overnight break-in and acts of vandalism on campus.

The Washoe County School District notified parents and guardians about the incident in a Connect Ed call, stating that the break-in is under investigation and the school is working with local authorities to identify those responsible.

While the damage is being assessed and cleaned up, certain areas of the school will remain closed, the school stated.

Classes will continue as scheduled, and officials said they are taking necessary steps to restore full operations.

The safety and security of our students and staff remains our top priority, the message continued.

School administrators said they understand the significance of senior events and will provide updates on alternative plans for the assembly in the coming days.

The president of the Washoe School Board, Beth Smith, recently posted a statement to Facebook regarding the vandalism, saying:

"Hate symbolism and racial slurs have no place in our schools. The recent acts of vandalism and destruction at Reno High School are unacceptable and deeply hurtful. I stand united with our community against racism and antisemitism. Parents, please use this as an opportunity to talk openly with your kids so they understand the impact of hate and our shared responsibility to fiercely denounce it in every form."

This is a developing story - we will update you with new information as it becomes available.
Wednesday night, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed House Resolution 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, with a final vote of 51-48.

All Democrats voted against it and Maine Senator Susan Collins and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski also voted no.

The rescissions package goes back to the House of Representatives to make a final decision by midnight Friday morning.

The package includes about $9 billion in cuts to money approved by congress, including about $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"This funding was already appropriated by both Republicans and Democrats through the appropriation process that we do in Congress," said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D - Nevada). "Both sides got together and negotiated to figure out what this funding would be, and the Republicans supported this funding."

The Senator adds that this package would cut about $7.5 million from the state of Nevada.

We caught up with KUNR and PBS Reno about how these cuts will affect them.

"This is a very serious situation. We are beyond disappointed," said Kurt Mische, President, PBS Reno.

Mische says the station will lose about 17 percent of their funding if the federal money is cut, which will account for $1.3 million.

"Now that's not a huge portion of our PBS Reno budget," he said. "We raise 83 percent of our annual operating budget from the community."

The CEO says they will plan to raise more money and feels like they'll be okay. He says they have already heard from supporters who are stepping up and adding more to their donations. However, other organizations will have more leg work to do.

"A number of stations, especially in small communities, rural communities, tribal communities, are really going to be in a hard spot," Mische said.

Mische says he knows some stations where 50 percent of their budget is reliant on federal funds. This especially will be for stations that don't have a commercial news station near them, like ours.

For those who don't know, public broadcasts don't make money from commercials. They either raise their own funds or get money from federal funds and grants.

"We're talking about educational content," Mische said. "We are talking about emergency alerts. We're talking about local news, and those are some of the things that are very vulnerable for those small stations. That's why that federal money, that seed money, that base money, is so important."

KUNR is a member of NPR and is a station based out of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Brian Duggan, the station's CEO, says the federal fund portion is about 15 to 17 percent of their total depending on grants. It comes out to about $350,000 that could be lost.

"We will go into basically red alert, all hands on deck, fundraising for the foreseeable future to make up the difference, but of course we are contingency planning. There could be hard decisions that need to be made in terms of staffing, in terms of programming," Duggan said.

Duggan says their rural outreach could also take a hit.

"That will have a direct impact on our ability to continue serving rural parts of this state," he said. "We have a live host and reporter in Elko, Nevada, and we have services throughout the eastern Sierra from Susanville down to Bishop."

Both stations say they have felt support from both Nevada Senators Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, along with Congressmen Mark Amodei.

If the package does pass out of the House and President Donald Trump signs it, the cuts will go into effect September 30.
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RICHMOND, Va., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group announced today that it has acquired a Kentucky-based multi-line insurance agency. The acquisition took effect July 1, 2025, expanding upon the company's range of services and offerings throughout the Midwest and Central regions, and adding Kentucky as a new state to the company's growing portfolio.

About Hilb Group: The Hilb Group is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hilb Group is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Hilb Group seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 190 acquisitions with over 125 offices in 32 states. Hilb Group is rated as one of the Fastest Growing Brokers by Business Insurance, a Top P/C Agency by Insurance Journal, and one of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Inc. 5000. For more information on Hilb Group's growth as well as career opportunities, please visit our website at http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Lobred

804.548.4629

[email protected]

M&A Contact:

Ryan Havermann

804.414.6508

[email protected]

SOURCE The Hilb Group, LLC


June 2025 Quarterly Report Advisory

Brisbane, July 18, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - North American lithium producer Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( DML:FRA ) ( SYAXF:OTCMKTS ) advises that the Company's June 2025 Quarterly Activities Report is scheduled for release on Wednesday, 30 July 2025.



The Company will host an investor webcast covering the June 2025 Quarterly results commencing at 10.15am (AEST - Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne) on Wednesday, 30 July 2025.



Retail shareholders and investors are invited to listen via a webcast service. To listen live, please click on the link below and register your details:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/GVY0R083



Written questions may be submitted via the webcast platform. A direct link is also available from the Sayona website:

https://sayonamining.com.au/



This link will also provide access to the archive version that will be available approximately two hours after completion of the webcast. Please note that it is best to log on at least five minutes before the scheduled commencement time to ensure that you are registered in time for the call.





About Sayona Mining Limited





Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is a North American lithium producer with projects in Quebec, Canada and Western Australia. In Quebec, Sayona's assets comprise North American Lithium together with the Authier Lithium Project and the Tansim Lithium Project, supported by a strategic partnership with American lithium developer Piedmont Lithium Inc. Sayona also holds a 60% stake in the Moblan Lithium Project in northern Quebec.

In Western Australia, the company holds a large tenement portfolio in the Pilbara region prospective for gold and lithium.

Sayona is exploring for Hemi style gold targets in the world class Pilbara region, while its lithium projects include Company-owned leases and those subject to a joint venture with Morella Corporation.

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CRAIG LINDSAY APPOINTED AS CEO OF U.S. OPERATIONS AHEAD OF MAIDEN DRILLING PROGRAM



US CEO Appointed ahead of Maiden Drilling Program

Adelaide, July 18, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Resolution Minerals Limited ( ASX:RML ) ( NC3:FRA ) ( RLMLF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced junior mining veteran, Craig Lindsay, as CEO, U.S. Operations. The appointment comes ahead of the Company's maiden drill program at the Horse Heaven Project in Idaho as announced on 9 July 2025.



Highlights



Craig Lindsay has significant experience developing U.S. based resources projects, taking them from exploration stage through to successful production and sale, including:



o founder and CEO of Magnum Uranium Corp, acquired by Energy Fuels Inc ( NYSE:EFR ), A$2.2 billion market cap



o the A$0.17 billion Kilgore Gold Project in Idaho, acquired by Excellon Resources Inc ( CVE:EXN )



o founder of OneAsia.com (Holding) Ltd, acquired by Tom Group Ltd ( HKG:2383 ), A$0.36 billion market cap



Mr. Lindsay has significant experience developing natural resource projects in the USA, including the development of the Kilgore Gold Project in Idaho through to the completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment. With respect to the Horse Heaven Project, Mr. Lindsay states:



"Horse Heaven is an extremely exciting existing Antimony-Gold-Silver-Tungsten project with significant potential to host commercial quantities of gold, antimony and tungsten. The project is well-positioned to play a role in meeting the growing US demand for domestic sources of critical metals, in addition to its potential for a significant gold resource. Horse Heaven supplied the U.S. Government with Antimony and Tungsten that was mined from the project during World War I, World War II and the Korean War.



Located adjacent to the recently permitted Perpetua Resources' Stibnite Mine (PPTA.NAS, A$2.6 billion market cap), which is anticipated to provide in the range of 30% to 35% of the United States' antimony requirements, Horse Heaven will benefit from the planned Stibnite Mine infrastructure, including an upgraded high-voltage power line which will run across Horse Heaven and a new access road, which will provide much better access to the Project at no cost to Resolution.



As CEO of U.S. Operations, Mr Lindsay will be responsible for:



- overseeing and assisting with U.S. Government engagement, Department of Defense (DoD), Pentagon, Department of Energy and White House engagement.



- overseeing and directing all U.S. based exploration activities, including drilling programs, geophysical surveys, and technical evaluations;



- managing technical contractors, exploration teams, and consultants to ensure quality, safety, and adherence to budget and timeline;



- reporting regularly to the Board and senior executives on operational progress, risks, budgets, and milestones;



- contributing to corporate strategy, business development including investor and public relations and engagement, and capital markets positioning within the U.S and Australia;



Mr Lindsay brings over 30 years of experience in M&A, capital-raising and corporate development, mining production and exploration, and has led four resource companies from start-up through to successful sale.



Mr Lindsay has been acting in the CEO of U.S. Operations role since June 2025. His position with Resolution Minerals has now been formalised.



His experience in the United States resource sector includes founding and managing the growth of Otis Gold Corp., which entailed the development of a large, open-pit, heap leach gold project located in Idaho from initial staking through to drilling out a gold resource, completing a Preliminary Economic Assessment and negotiating the sale of the company to Excellon Resources Inc ( CVE:EXN ). Additionally, he was a founder and CEO of Magnum Uranium Corp, where he led the exploration and development of a portfolio of uranium assets to Energy Fuels Inc ( NYSE:EFR ), the largest developer and producer of uranium and vanadium in the USA.



Additionally, Mr Lindsay was a Founder and CFO of Hong Kong-based OneAsia.com (Holding) Ltd. from inception through to the sale of the company to Tom Group Limited.



He is a director of numerous North American public companies including Revolve Renewable Power Corp. ( CVE:REVV ), Electric Royalties Ltd. ( CVE:ELEC ), Silver North Resources Ltd ( CVE:SNAG ) and VR Resources Ltd. ( CVE:VRR ).



Mr. Lindsay has a BComm from the University of British Columbia ('89), an MBA from Dalhousie University ('93) and is a CFA.



The Company has agreed, subject to obtaining future shareholder approval, to issue Mr Lindsay:



(i) 1,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares in the capital of the Company (Shares), which will be subject to a 12 month voluntary escrow period from the date of issue;



(ii) an aggregate of 4,000,000 performance rights which will vest and be capable of being converted into Shares on a one for one basis (subject to any adjustment required by the ASX Listing Rules or the Corporations Act), upon satisfaction of the following milestones:



a. 2,500,000 performance rights will vest on the date that is 13 months after the Commencement Date, subject to the Consultant remaining engaged by the Company on that date; and



b. 1,500,000 performance rights will vest on the earlier to occur of:



i) the date that is 13 months after the Commencement Date; or



ii) the Company making an announcement to the ASX that it has completed a substantial drilling program at the Horse Heaven Project (substantial being one which exceeded a cost of A$2 million).



subject to Mr Lindsay remaining engaged by the Company on that date.



The performance rights will lapse on the date that is five years from the date of issue and otherwise be issued on the terms and conditions set by the Company.



(iii) an aggregate of 3,000,000 unquoted options which will vest and become capable of being exercised into Shares on a one for one basis (subject to any adjustment required by the ASX Listing Rules or the Corporations Act) subject to payment of the exercise price noted below, on and from the date that is 12 months after the Commencement Date, subject to Mr Lindsay remaining engaged by the Company on that date (Options). The options will have the following exercise prices;



a. 1,000,000 Options will be exercisable at $0.10 each;

b. 1,000,000 Options will be exercisable at $0.15 each; and

c. 1,000,000 Options will be exercisable at $0.20 each



*To view full details, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/762QG6Z5





About Resolution Minerals Ltd





Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML) is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and battery metals - such as antimony, gold, copper, and uranium.

Resolution Minerals Ltd Listed on the ASX in 2017 and has a broad portfolio of assets, such as the Drake East Antimony-Gold Project in north-eastern NSW and George Project prospective for silica sand and uranium.

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Changes to the prudential regulatory regime, now known as Solvency UK, aimed to make it easier for annuity providers to invest in productive assets  which are typically large-scale and long-term debt investments, expected to generate greater returns over time. During discussions at the time of the reforms, annuity providers pledged to invest 100 billion in productive finance over the next decade. This was helped by a reduction in the Risk-Margin and investors now being able to include assets with highly predictable cash flows within their Matching Adjustment portfolios. As the reforms came into effect over 2024, the ABI has tracked the industrys progress towards reaching its commitment through its Investment Delivery Forum. Its first update report shows that, across 2024, 10.9 billion has been invested against annuity business directly into UK focused productive assets. This includes: 3.8 billion invested in real estate, helping to build affordable and social housing and student accommodation.

2.7 billion invested in utilities including energy and water supply.

1 billion invested in transport, supporting buses and ports. The remaining 3.4 billion was invested across a variety of sectors including manufacturing, construction, and human health and social work. As key investors in UK infrastructure, the insurance and long-term savings industry plays a crucial role in supporting UK economic growth and the net zero transition. It is committed to addressing any barriers to investment so that it can maximise the impact of its pledge. Progress to tackle these barriers is being made through the ABIs Investment Viability Group, which brings together HM Treasury, the National Wealth Fund, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and industry to help accelerate investment. The PRAs Matching Adjustment Investment Accelerator (MAIA) is also a positive step to help insurers be more agile as investors. Through its work with government, regulators and national regional bodies to help identify a stronger and wider pipeline of investable opportunities, the industry is keen to go further and faster. The introduction of the online Infrastructure Pipeline Tool will be a vital asset to facilitate further investment. And by expanding the definition of highly predictable assets eligible for the Matching Adjustment and reviewing its limits, the PRA could offer a further boost to the industrys ability to invest in UK productive assets. Hannah Gurga, ABI Director General, said: Annuity investors have the potential to be true nation-builders  channelling long-term capital into infrastructure and green projects that grow the economy and accelerate the UKs net-zero transition. With 10.9 billion invested last year, the momentum is real  and with the right pipeline of opportunities were ready to go further and faster.
Insurers are well positioned to support Europes future as long-term investors in infrastructure, the green and digital transitions and economic security. The sectors ability to contribute to the EUs growth objectives depends on the final Solvency II rules striking the right balance.

Commenting during the launch of the consultation, Angus Scorgie, Head of prudential regulation & international affairs at Insurance Europe, said: The Solvency II review is a test of the EUs growth and competitiveness ambitions. European insurers want to contribute to achieving them, but compared to countries such as the US and Japan, they are required to hold significantly higher capital buffers. Solvency II calibrated adequately could unleash billions more into Europes economy and maintain very high levels of policyholder protection

It is also important to reflect the ambition of the political agreement reached by the European Parliament and Council last year. This includes not only capital reforms, but also efforts to streamline administrative processes and reporting requirements for all insurers. Insurance Europe will submit a response to the consultation for the European industry.
NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES , July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As businesses worldwide prioritize customer experience and data-driven operations, Salesforce has emerged as the leading CRM platform for managing customer relationships, sales pipelines, and business processes. Recognizing this growing demand, Hyperlink InfoSystem, a top global IT services provider, now offers companies the opportunity to hire certified Salesforce developers starting at just $25/hour.

With extensive experience in Salesforce development and customization, Hyperlink InfoSystem delivers tailored CRM solutions that help businesses streamline workflows, boost customer engagement, and drive revenue growth. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, clients can rely on the company's skilled Salesforce experts to implement, customize, and maintain CRM systems that align with their business goals.

Hyperlink InfoSystem is an Official Salesforce Consulting Partner, offering comprehensive CRM services including Salesforce implementation, integration, custom development, and long-term support.

"Salesforce is at the core of digital transformation for many businesses today," said Harnil Oza, CEO of Hyperlink InfoSystem. "By offering scalable Salesforce development services at competitive rates, we're helping businesses of all sizes unlock the true potential of CRM-driven growth."

Clients benefit from flexible hiring models  including hourly, part-time, and full-time options  backed by transparent pricing and no hidden costs. With a focus on rapid onboarding and agile development, Hyperlink InfoSystem ensures seamless execution and timely delivery. The company's Salesforce developers are proficient in custom app development, Lightning components, Apex coding, third-party integrations, workflow automation, and Salesforce administration. Beyond development, Hyperlink InfoSystem also offers ongoing support and maintenance for long-term platform performance and stability.

This initiative is part of Hyperlink InfoSystem's broader commitment to delivering world-class digital solutions to businesses across the United States, UK, Canada, UAE, India, France, and Australia.

To hire Salesforce developers or learn more, contact [email protected] or visit www.hyperlinkinfosystem.com.

About Hyperlink InfoSystem

Hyperlink InfoSystem is a prominent international enterprise excelling in IT solutions in many domains. Since its humble beginnings in 2011, its specialization in technologies has expanded across web development, mobile app development, enterprise software solutions, and now Artificial Intelligence (AI). With over 1200+ employees and a global presence in the USA, UK, UAE, France, India, and Canada, Hyperlink InfoSystem is dedicated to assisting corporations to leverage the complete power of technology to accomplish their goals.

Contact Details:

Hyperlink InfoSystem

Harnil Oza

+1-309-791-4105

[email protected]



New York Address:

One World Trade Center

285 Fulton Street suite 8500,

New York, NY 10007,

United States



Ahmedabad Address:

C-308, Ganesh Meridian,

Opp Kargil Petrol Pump, S.G. Highway,

Sola, Ahmedabad, 380061

India



London Address:

Level 30, The Leadenhall Building,

122 Leadenhall Street,

London EC3V 4AB



Canada Address:

151 Yonge Street, 11th Floor,

Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2W7,

Canada

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2429933/5421426/Hyperlink_InfoSystem_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Hyperlink InfoSystem
TPR Chair Sarah Smart said: Automatic enrolment has turned millions into savers. We now need to make sure those savings deliver real value in retirement. That means a pension system that is efficient, effective, and removes needless barriers to investment. Our Corporate Plan shows how we will work with industry and government to achieve our goals. The market is changing, along with the expectations of trustees. Schemes must be well governed, powered by high-quality data, and open to innovation. Those that cant deliver should consider consolidation, in the interests of savers. Chief Executive Nausicaa Delfas said: Our focus remains clear: to protect, enhance, and innovate to deliver genuine value for money. The Pension Schemes Bill will reshape the market, driving consolidation into mega schemes that can boost governance, scale up savings, and support the UK economy. Building on this, real progress depends on industry-wide collaboration to ensure people get the retirement they deserve. That is why we will be focusing on raising standards of trusteeship and investment governance, driving value for money in pensions schemes, and creating default retirement solutions for pensions savers. TPRs plan is designed to ensure:

 Savers have the opportunity for good outcomes when they join a scheme because employer compliance with automatic enrolment duties remain high.

 All schemes are well-run, with the capabilities of those running schemes improving over time. To align trustee standards with other corporate governance standards, TPR will work with industry and government to ensure high standards of trusteeship and stronger investment governance so that all savers benefit from diversified investments.

 Pension schemes offer value to savers and invest in productive assets and innovative products, where it is in savers interests to do so. To help bridge the gap before the Bill comes into force, TPR will continue to have a laser-like focus on value, challenging schemes to show how they are delivering good value for savers and working in lockstep with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Financial Conduct Authority to develop and implement a value for money framework for DC schemes.

 Savers are supported into the right value for money retirement products and services for them. TPR will work with our industry partners to encourage the development of appropriate decumulation pathways for turning DC pots into retirement incomes. To deliver on its priorities, TPR has transformed to a more prudential style of regulation, addressing risks not just at an individual scheme level, but also those risks which impact the wider financial ecosystem. It has launched a new approach to master trust supervision, a new digital, data and technology strategy and an innovation support service to protect, enhances and innovates in savers' interests. A year of change for TPR

In addition to its Corporate Plan, TPR has also published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/2025, detailing its progress in transforming how it works to protect savers, enhance the system and innovate in savers' interests. Stronger, more meaningful engagement with the pensions market, a renewed focus on standards of trusteeship, and a drive to harness digital, data and technology to improve the experience for savers were among the highlights of a year of change for TPR.

During 2024-25, TPR established a different relationship with the pensions industry through ever-deepening market engagement and expert-to-expert dialogue to understand market risks and develop solutions that benefit savers over the longer term.

Specific activities outlined in TPRs corporate plan include:

 Challenge small schemes to undertake a detailed value for members assessment. This will encourage consolidation in savers interests.

 Prioritise innovation at retirement in savers interests by developing an innovation framework and criteria to trial pensions ideas as well as launch a support service to test new services.

 Collaborate with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop the regulatory framework for multi-employer collective DC schemes.

 Using our experience to date to support DWP to define legislative framework for superfunds.

 Raise the standards of trusteeship and investment governance.

 Expand market oversight to the largest professional trustee firms covering over 1 trillion worth of assets, to identify and mitigate risk to pension savers.

 Make sure trustees have the right data hygiene in place before dashboards come into force, and challenging schemes who may be failing its expectations.

 Ensure pension schemes do not present a threat to financial stability, publish LDI analysis and update reports to the market and finalise data needs and information sharing arrangements with the Bank of England.

 Drive new enforcement approaches alongside targeted compliance to ensure TPR is efficient and effective in regulating automatic enrolment as possible. This will be supported by delivery of a new enforcement strategy, leading to the implementation and embedding of enhanced enforcement approaches.

 TPRs Annual Report and Accounts shows it met, or almost met, 30 of its 31 key performance indicators (KPI) for 2024 to 2025. It did not meet the KPI to address cyber risks and pensions technology in the pensions sector. However, it is engaging with cybersecurity experts to assess the risks posed to savers. This knowledge will inform its role, tolerance, and mitigation of these risks and positively impact its performances against this KPI.

 The Pensions Regulator is the regulator of work-based pension schemes in the UK. Our statutory objectives are to:

o protect members benefits

o reduce the risk of calls on the Pension Protection Fund

o promote, and improve understanding of, the good administration of work-based pension schemes

o maximise employer compliance with automatic enrolment duties

o minimise any adverse impact on the sustainable growth of an employer (in relation to the exercise of the regulators functions under Part 3 of the Pensions Act 2004 only


Upholding Sanatan Dharma: Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Leads Grand Go-Pratishtha Mahayagya in Mumbai 2

In a spiritually charged atmosphere, the grand Go-Pratishtha Mahayagyaa 100-Kundiya sacred fire ritual dedicated to cow reverence and protectionwas ceremoniously inaugurated at the Chaturmasya site in Korakendra, Mumbai. The Mahayagya is being held in the divine presence of His Holiness Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the revered Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, who has emerged as a leading voice in the national movement for Gau Raksha (cow protection) and the restoration of Sanatan values in Bharat.

The Yagya is being conducted under the Vedic leadership of Krishna Yajurvedacharya Pt. Shri Veereshwar Datar of Kashi, Maharashtra, supported by Acharya Pt. Animesh and Acharya Pt. Sudhir. Representing the divine intent of Paramaradhya, celibate Parmatmanand Ji is overseeing the sacrificial rituals. The event has drawn participation from renowned Vedic scholars and Acharyas from across India, alongside prominent pundits of Mumbai. The Mahayagya will be held daily at 9 AM throughout the auspicious Chaturmasya period.

In a significant step towards global spiritual participation, the organizers have also launched a dedicated mobile app, enabling Sanatani devotees across India and abroad to engage, contribute, and offer their prayers online for this sacred cause.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj, known for his tireless advocacy of Gau Pratishthan Andolan, has boldly called upon the government to grant the cow a status beyond mere animal categorization. The cow is not just a creatureit is our Mata, our divine mother. It must be removed from the list of animals and declared a National Deity, he asserted. Once the law recognizes this and people accept it culturally and spiritually, the national consciousness will transform.

He strongly condemned the ongoing slaughter of cows, calling it a tragic insult to Indian heritage. We Sanatanis feed our first roti to Gaumata. To see her slaughtered is not only heartbreaking, it is a direct assault on the soul of Bharat. What greater victory could our enemies have than to see us silent in this matter? the Shankaracharya asked with piercing clarity.

In sharp contrast to this spiritual call, a recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) paints a grim picture. It forecasts that India will increase its beef (largely carabeef) production and exports in 2025, aided by growing policy support. With a bovine population of over 307 million and 41.41 million slaughter-ready animals, India continues to be among the worlds largest producersa deeply troubling statistic for those who see Gaumata as sacred.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswatis appeal is not just religiousit is cultural, civilizational, and moral. He urges every citizen who believes in Sanatan Dharma, who honors Indian values, and who wishes to protect Bharats sacred traditions to participate in this Mahayagyawhether in person or onlineand strengthen the demand to declare the Cow as our National Deity and safeguard her existence through policy and public will.

Let us unite to preserve the spiritual backbone of Bharat. This is not merely a Yagyait is a collective prayer, a civilizational call, and a duty to our divine heritage. Join the movement. Stand with Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj. Protect Gaumata. Protect Dharma.
US Labels TRF as Terror Outfit Over Pahalgam Attack, Reinforces Trump's Call for Justice 2

In a major diplomatic move, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). This comes in the wake of the deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians lost their lives.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision through a statement issued by the Department of State, asserting that the designation underscores Americas commitment to counterterrorism and enforces former President Donald Trumps call for justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

Initially, TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, only to later retract the statement amid mounting diplomatic pressure between India and Pakistan. The group has also been involved in multiple assaults on Indian security forces, including incidents reported as recently as 2024.

Rubio stated that TRF and its associated aliases are now included under LeTs FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) listings, as per Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. The US also reaffirmed its existing FTO designation of LeT.

Calling the Pahalgam incident the most lethal attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes, Rubio emphasized that the US remains committed to defending national and global security interests.

Following the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the weeks that followed, India dispatched seven multi-party delegations to 33 international capitals, including Washington, to present evidence of Pakistans continued complicity in global terrorism.
Birmingham police investigate a deadly shooting in the 700 block of 17th Street in Ensley. (Carol Robinson)

Authorities have released the names of two men killed hours apart in unrelated Birmingham shootings.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Friday identified the victims as Cameron Demijah Little, 23, and Corey Lavel Tremble, 38. Both men lived in Birmingham.

Little was one of two people shot late Wednesday in East Lake Park. The other victim survived.

East Precinct officers were dispatched to the park in the 100 block of 84th North just after 11:30 p.m. The citys gunfire detection system, Shot Spotter, had alerted them to about 10 rounds fired.

Police arrived to find Little unresponsive in the park. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead at 12:01 a.m.

Officer DeRell Freeman said the preliminary investigation indicates a group of people, both men and women, met up in the park. Unknown circumstances led to shots being fired.

Birmingham police investigate a deadly shooting in the 700 block of 17th Street in Ensley.

Then, shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday, West Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a person down in the 700 block of 17th Street Ensley.

They arrived to find Tremble wounded. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene at 3:37 a.m.

Freeman said details were limited but said a passerby made the discovery and called 911.

Little and Tremble are among 42 people killed in the city this year. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 66 homicides including the 42 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information in either slaying is asked to call 205-254-1764 or contact Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
DeKalb County investigators on Wednesday arrested a man wanted for multiple sex crimes in Mobile County.

Christopher Keith Nichelson,47, of Fort Payne, was discovered living in a church in DeKalb County.

On Wednesday, July 16, investigators received information from an anonymous caller that Nichelson, who was wanted in Mobile County, was living in a church in DeKalb County, according to a recent release.

They determined that Nichelson had arrest warrants out of Mobile County for sodomy first degree, rape first degree, and sex abuse of child less than twelve.

Upon arrival at the church, officers found Nichelson sitting in his vehicle.

Nichelson was detained and told investigators that his name was Kevin, according to the release.

Once Nichelsons identity was confirmed, he was arrested for his warrants and is scheduled to be extradited back to Mobile County.

The church where Nichelson was staying was not involved in hiding him from law enforcement and they were fully cooperative, investigators said.

They were unaware that he was wanted and Nichelson was not around children during the time he was living at the church, according to the release.
An Alabama judge has granted bond to a mother charged with the aggravated child abuse of her infant son who has been on life support since February.

Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff Judge Chuantae Brown, in a Thursday Aniahs Law hearing, set a $60,000 bond for 30-year-old Tesean Laneta Daniele Beard.

Beard, of Midfield, is accused of injuring her 10-month-old son, Reazyn Jackson, to the point where he has no chance of survival, authorities say.

Reazyn, who was 5 months old at the time, was rushed to Childrens of Alabama unconscious and without a pulse on Feb. 28.

Doctors discovered Reazyn had two broken wrists, possible rib fractures and brain trauma, and say the ventilator is keeping him alive.

A different judge earlier this week suspended Beards right to make medical decisions for Reazyn, citing a conflict of interest in whether he lives or dies, despite what is the best course of action for him.

If the child was taken off life support, the judge noted, Beard would likely be charged with capital murder.

Circuit Judge David Carpenter appointed a Guardian Ad Litem to further investigate Reazyns circumstances and help determine what is best for him.

In Thursdays hearing, prosecutors had the burden to prove, by clear and convicting evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release would reasonably ensure Beard would appear in court for future proceedings or protect the safety of the community or any person.

They did not do that, the judge ruled.

As of Thursday afternoon, Beard remained in the Jefferson County Jail.

Roughly a dozen of Beards family members attended both court proceedings this week in support of her, and prayed together in a circle before Thursdays hearing.

Prior testimony indicated that Beard took an unconscious Reazyn to her neighbor, a retired Birmingham police officer, on Feb. 28. CPR was performed and Reazyn was taken to Childrens of Alabama.

Bessemer Cutoff Assistant District Attorney Lori Frasure argued Beard caused grave injuries to her child and could be of further danger to him.

Prior to her arrest last week, Beard had regular, supervised visits with her son and those would likely continue with her release from jail.

I dont (think) anyone can be 100 percent (sure) that shes not going to have any contact with him, Frasure said. It just takes a moment for someone who is supervising her to look away and we dont know what she would do at that point.

Beards attorneys, Wakisha Hazzard, Maston Evans and Phillip Fikes, said no evidence has been presented to prove that Beard was responsible for Reazyns injuries.

When Reazyn was initially hospitalized on Feb. 28, medical workers did not note any suspicion of child abuse, and they questioned why it took so long for Beard to be charged.

The injuries, Beards attorneys claim, could have happened during resuscitation or during subsequent seizures he had after he was hospitalized.

There has not been a single piece of testimony that can point to an exact date of when Tesean Beard could have shaken this baby, Fikes said.

Theres not an incident date or testimony about how this could have happened other than a guess from (doctors.)

Bessemer Cutoff District Attorneys Office Investigator Steve Talley was the first witness to take the stand Thursday.

Talley testified that Beard has no prior criminal history except for a failure to appear charge on a traffic ticket from Homewood.

Talley said Birmingham police in February 2020 investigated the death of another one of Beards children, who was 1 month at the time.

He said the Jefferson County Coroners Office ruled the cause an unexplained sudden death and the manner of death was undetermined.

Beard was not charged with any crime.

Midfield Det. Matthew Cleveland, the lead investigator on the aggravated child abuse case, said the criminal investigation began March 7, seven days after Reazyn was admitted to the hospital.

The police department was contacted by DHR to investigate possible child abuse.

The detective testified he spoke about Reazyns injuries with a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Michael Taylor, who is director of Pediatric Child Abuse at Childrens.

He said that was consistent with being yanked up by the wrists and shaken violently, Cleveland said of the babys condition. They said he had no chance of recovery, neurologically or physically.

Frasure asked Cleveland if Reazyn is being kept alive by artificial means.

Hes stable due to the ventilator and would not survive if he was taken off the ventilator, Cleveland said, adding that medical professionals do not anticipate Reazyn being able to be taken off the ventilator.

Cleveland said Beard told him Reazyn was in her custody when he became unresponsive.

Under cross examination from Beards attorneys, Cleveland acknowledged that the initial charge nurse said there were no signs of abuse at the time Reazyn was hospitalized.

The only damage initially noted, testimony showed, was an injury to the left frontal lobe which they said was because he went into cardiac arrest.

Beards attorneys said Reazyn had improved at times during his hospital stay and said DHR had wanted his maternal grandmother to take classes on how to care for him once he was released from Childrens of Alabama.

So, which is it? Is he going to be released or does he have no chance for survival? Evans asked the detective.

I believe the hospital is not fit for long-term care so at some point he was going to be released to a long-term facility, Cleveland said, noting the family has considered facilities in Texas and Georgia.

Under questioning from the attorneys, Cleveland testified he had not seen Reazyn since Feb. 28 and that he has not examined all of the medical records after the March 7 injury report from the doctors.

Did you know Reazyn Jackson was getting better at one point?, Hazzard asked the detective.

I was told the opposite, the detective replied.

Prosecutor Frasure asked Cleveland to clarify the discrepancy between the initial indication of no suspected abuse on Feb. 28, and the injury report issued one week later.

Dr. Taylor said if youre not looking for that particular injury, its easy to miss, Cleveland said, explaining that the second round of testing  which including an MRI and X-ray  picked up the other injuries.

Asked about Reazyns chance of survival, Cleveland said, It was told to me by the medical staff that hes stable because the ventilator is breathing for him, but not that he was getting better. They explained that the body heals itself naturally in a dormant state. He would heal but not progress.

Frasure also asked Cleveland about the possibility of Reazyn sustaining those specific injuries during CPR or a seizure. Cleveland said the doctor said those injuries could only be sustained by being lifted and shaken.

Asked by Beards attorneys why it took so long to charge her with a crime, the detective said it was an ongoing investigation between the Midfield Police Department and DHR.

Evans questioned why Beard, if suspected of injuring her son, was allowed repeated visits with him.

They still allowed her to go see her son? Does that make sense? Evans said.

I dont agree with that but thats a DHR matter, the detective said. We dont have any say so in visitation.
Phones up! Starting this fall, Alabama public schools are banning cellphones and many other electronic devices from the classroom.

A new law, called the FOCUS Act, requires students to turn off most devices and stow them away during the school day, unless needed for schoolwork.

The aim, officials say, is to keep classrooms safe and free of distractions.

We recognize that this adjustment may take time, and we encourage families to begin talking with their children now about what to expect, Jasper Superintendent Ann Jackson wrote in a letter to parents. She advised parents to help children ease into the new rules by setting limits on screen time before school starts.

Students will only be able to use devices at school if:

They are eligible for accommodations through an individualized education, health or 504 plan

The device is needed for learning purposes and they are under the supervision of school staff

There is an emergency threatening the life or safety of the student or another person

Several schools already ban phones or other devices from the classroom. State Superintendent Eric Mackey said all districts should have some kind of policy in place by the fall 2025 semester.

Parents should see if their local school has created a policy in response to the FOCUS Act.

Obviously, when you implement a new law across the state this large, there are going to be some glitches in the fall, and when there are, well work through those, Mackey told reporters last week. But I would say this is definitely the right move for students. All the research shows its the right move for students, and Im very excited about it.

What is banned?

Unless a student qualifies for an exemption or a teacher authorizes use of a device, prohibited devices include, but are not limited to:

Cellphones

Tablet computers

Laptops

Pagers

Gaming devices

Smart watches

Wireless earbuds

Any other portable electronic device that can exchange voice, messaging or other communication with another device

Where should my student store their device?

The law states that devices should be turned off and stored off the student person in a locker, car, backpack or other storage location.

Some districts may allow students to use their device during lunch or between classes, but they must be stowed away during instructional time. Others plan to ban devices from bell to bell.

What will happen if my child is found with a device?

School cellphone rules can vary from district to district. Parents should be able to find specifics on their schools policy in their student handbook or board policy manual.

In some districts, like Morgan County, a student could be sent to in school suspension for using a device without permission. Some say theyll confiscate the device and return it to a parent.

How do I contact my child during the school day?

Several districts advise parents to keep communication limited, but if needed, they can contact the school office or send an email to the students school email address. Others are revising emergency procedures to ensure parents are more quickly alerted in the event of a threat.

Social media curriculum

The FOCUS Act also requires seventh graders to get instruction in safe social media use. Its up to districts to decide whether theyll offer the course during an advisory period or through existing coursework.

Students who transfer schools after 8th grade and who did not receive prior instruction will have to make up the course.
A small-town barbecue joint in Alabama has become known for offering its community so much more than just a really, really good place to grab a meal.

While Buddys BBQ in Talladega has been open for more than 50 years, owner Shane Denney bought the beloved barbecue joint in December 2023 after moving back to Talladega, the hometown of his wife, Raechel, nine years ago. Since then, the restaurant has only grown in popularity as customers from near and far flock to it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Denney said he first became interested in the restaurant industry after he got a job as a teen at an omelet shop in Gadsden, and while he may have traded in cracking eggs for smoking meats since then, his dedication to offering good food and creating a friendly atmosphere to serve it in has never wavered.

Im just extremely passionate about barbecue, said Denney. Im obsessed with it. The food at Buddys is just as southern as you could possibly imagine. As for the atmosphere, its like were a big family. I mean, everybody comes in here and knows everybody, and we just all love each other. Its a hodgepodge of the community.

Buddys BBQ has a little something for everyone as its regular menu offers fare youd expect to find at any classic barbecue joint, like pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken and more. Its weekday lunch menu, which changes daily, serves up a long list of Southern dishes, like hamburger steak, catfish strips and plenty of homemade sides, for those looking to take more of a meat-and-thee route for their meal.

Buddy's BBQ in Talladega, Ala. Amber Sutton

The restaurant recently won AL.coms poll for which unsung barbecue joint was the best in the state after being nominated early and often by its customers, and once you eat there, its easy to see why. Denney said they were excited to win and have their barbecue be recognized as its been a labor of love over the years that everyone at the restaurant takes pride in.

All barbecue is different, said Denney. Barbecues like a fingerprint, and I dont think any two places are the same. I think what makes ours is just the absolute love we put into it. We sell as many ribs as anything. When I first bought the place, we werent selling ribs and we worked really, really hard on our ribs. We sell just an absolute ton of ribs now. We just genuinely care about our barbecue.

Denney said their hushpuppies, made-from-scratch daily using his personal recipe, are also an unexpected star of the restaurants menu, prompting him to share a video about how to make them on Facebook that has since garnered more than 540, 000 views and brought in new customers from all over the South.

We sell just an abnormally large amount of hushpuppies, said Denney. You know its funny, I put that post on Facebook a few months ago, and thats really where we started getting all of the what we call The Roadtrippers Club. We have people drive here from all over the Southeast, and they put their pin on the map at the doorway and they sign the guest book, but most every one of them comes because of that hushpuppies video.

The hushpuppies at Buddy's BBQ in Talladega, Ala., are a fan favorite. Amber Sutton

That said, good food and hushpuppies recipes arent the only thing Buddys BBQ is offering the small town of Talladega and its surrounding communities. In recent years, the restaurant has gained recognition for its community involvement.

In 2024, the restaurant donated all of the sales from a Friday shift to the family of Charlee Tayt Hubbard, an 11-year-old from Talladega who died by suicide. Most recently, the restaurant sold 200 slabs of ribs for $25 each on July 4 -- all in under 20 minutes -- and gave the money raised to five families who lost their homes in the Autumn Trace Apartments in Sylacauga.

The restaurant also serves a free dinner to those in need on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter every year, in addition to opening its doors to serve as a warming station when extreme winter weather hits.

Ultimately, Denney said its the willingness of the customers, as well as the staff at Buddys BBQ, to help where they can, whether its giving money or their time, that have made so many of these fundraisers a success.

Buddy's BBQ owner Shane Denney with one of his regular customers, Warren Green. Amber Sutton

I think that the community supports our business so its important for our business to support the community, said Denney. And the community really supports us. They help us with every one of these fundraisers we do. They go out of their way to help.

So while Buddys BBQ might be considered a hidden gem to many who arent familiar with the Talladega area, given that theres often a line out the door, its a safe bet that it might not be hidden for long. Regardless of how busy they get, though, Denney said he just wants to feed their customers, whether theyre new or old or from close-by or far away, a meal theyll remember.

I just hope were making them happy, you know, and so far, I think we are, said Denney. Theres nothing that gives you more pleasure than feeding people, and that is just one of those things. Its just the greatest blessing in the world.

Buddys BBQ is located at 103 Haynes Street in Talladega. Its open from 5 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," will air its final taping in May 2026, CBS executives announced on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

The Writers Guild of America wants Paramount investigated for bribery after news of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert being canceled.

Variety reports the WGA said it has significant concerns that the move may have been a way to bribe president Donald Trump into sanctioning Paramounts pending acquisition by Skydance.

On July 2nd, Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by President Trump for $16 million, the statement read. On July 15, during a regular show of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert went on-air and called the settlement a big fat bribe in exchange for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance, a charge currently under investigation in California.

According to Variety, Colbert has been a critic of Trump, having referred to Paramounts recent $16 million settlement with the president as a big fat bribe.

Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, Paramount canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show currently performing first in its timeslot, giving vague references to the programs financial performance as the only explanation. For 10 years, the show has been one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions on late night television, on streaming services and across social media.

Given Paramounts recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Shows cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.

Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.

Check out the full report and statement at Variety.

The network, which has aired Colberts show since 2015, said Thursday this version of The Late Show had an historic run.

We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire THE LATE SHOW franchise at that time, CBS executives said in a joint statement. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.

This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

Colbert, who replaced David Letterman on the show, announced the news on his show Thursday.
Michael Wade Tucker pleaded guilty to the 2024 murder of 21-year-old Laci Whitson in Fayette County. (Carol Robinson)

A 37-year-old Alabama man has been sentenced to life in prison following his guilty plea to the murder a young mother who was found slain and wrapped in a blanket in a wooded area.

Michael Wade Tucker entered his guilty plea Friday morning, according to 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Andy Hamlin.

Family members reported Laci Cheyenne Whitson, 21, missing on June 29, 2024.

The investigation showed Tucker had picked up Whitson in Florence during the early morning hours of June 26 and taken her to his home on County Road 52 in northeast Fayette County.

One June 30, 2024, investigators searched Tuckers home and surrounding property.

They determined Whitson has been shot inside the home.

Her remains were found concealed in a boat on the property, and her clothing and personal belongings were located inside the house.

Tucker was charged, he said, within 24 hours of Whitsons body being found.

Whitson left behind a young son.

Hamlin thanked the Fayette County Sheriffs Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, the district attorneys Criminal Investigation Division, and Chief Assistant District Attorney Jack Nolen.

Were incredibly grateful to the witnesses who came forward and the law enforcement agencies that worked this case so thoroughly, Hamlin said. Because of their efforts, we were able to build a solid case that the defendant had no choice but to plead guilty.
WASHINGTON, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The SCORE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, announced today that Michele Adelman has been appointed to the Board of Directors.

Ms. Adelman is a SCORE volunteer with more than 25 years of corporate finance leadership at Medtronic and Kraft Foods. She is currently the FO of EyeWatch LIVE, a health tech start-up.

Michele Adelman, SCORE volunteer and CFO of EyeWatch LIVE, brings 25+ years of corporate finance experience from Medtronic and Kraft Foods.

Adelman said, "As a SCORE mentor, I have personally seen the positive impact that free mentoring has on small businesses. I am thrilled to be joining the SCORE Foundation Board as we look to boost our collaborations."

Ron Cates, President of the SCORE Foundation, commented, "I'm excited to have Michele Adelman on our board. She truly understands small business and the impact a SCORE mentor has on small business success".

For information on collaborating with the Foundation as a sponsor or donor, send an email to [email protected]. To help us spread the word about our mission and activities which support entrepreneurs, follow our LinkedIn page by clicking here.

About the SCORE Foundation:

The SCORE Foundation, a 501 c 3, is the philanthropic arm of SCORE, America's premier source of free and confidential mentoring to small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Foundation funds SCORE education programs, resources and services that foster vibrant small business communities nationwide. To make an individual donation, visit our website at www.scoreFoundation.org.

SOURCE Score Foundation
A chain of Mexican restaurants in Alabama that shares the same name as businesses raided as a part of a national money laundering and drug investigation is trying to clear up confusion.

I have clients (that have) got my phone number. Theyve been calling me and asking me, Hey, are you all guys okay? Are you related to that guy? said Jesus Perez, an owner of El Patron, which has restaurant locations in Birmingham, Moody, Attalla, Gadsden and Trussville.

Thats not us, he said.

Earlier this week, 14 restaurants and locations were raided as a part of a multi-agency, long-term investigation into human smuggling, drug trafficking and financial fraud. Officials arrested 40 people thought to be undocumented immigrants. Authorities also seized large amounts of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, crack and pills and $100,000 in cash.

Cesar Campos-Reyes, one of the targets of the investigation and the owner of multiple restaurants, is in federal custody. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges.

El Jefe, a Mexican restaurant by the Auburn-Opelieka Mall, the Colt Grill in Foley, El Patron Mexican Grill and Cantina in Robertsville and at several other restaurants in Elmore County were raided.

Please be advised that El Patron Mexican Restaurant is not, in any way, affiliated with or connected to the business currently in the spotlight, Perezs company said in a statement after the raids.

El Jefe, the raided restaurant in Auburn, took to social media earlier this week to try to differentiate new ownership from a previous owner that they say was the target of the visit from federal law enforcement.

There has been some confusion that the individual is still in this business with us. We are NOT associated with the individual and have NOT been since 2023, the restaurant said on Facebook Wednesday.

An employee at a different Alabama restaurant named El Jefe Tex-Mex, based in Russellville, answered the phone Friday afternoon in Spanish. She said she did not know if there had been similar confusion about her restaurant, which was not involved in any raids.

Perez, the owner of the El Patron chain that was not raided, is worried the mixup might be bad for business. But hes hesitated to explain more on social media for fear of fueling more confusion.

Were not related to the company or the owner of the other Patrons, he said.
With call letters on mike in foreground a map shows WBHM area coverage. bn

Birminghams public radio station, WBHM, will lose 10% of its annual operating budget under a bill passed by Congress early Friday.

Lawmakers voted to rescind $1.1 billion in funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Community support has always been the backbone of public media, and now its everything, WBHM executive director Will Dahlberg said.

Following the decision by Congress to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, WBHM and public media stations across the country enter into an uncharted future.

This is a devastating decision for the millions of people who rely on public media every single day, including those in and around the heart of Alabama.

Dahlberg said the bill, backed by President Trump, would leave WBHM with a nearly $400,000 budget gap over the next two years.

While there is a lot to figure out in the days ahead, the commitment of the WBHM team to serve our community will not change, even if the formula for how we carry out that mission does, Dahlberg said.

Wayne Reid, executive director of Alabama Public Television, said APT would lost just over $2.8 million, about 13% of its budget.

The bill cancelled a total of $9 billion - the money for public broadcasting plus $7.9 billion in foreign aid.

Republicans were almost unanimous in passing the bill by narrow margins over united opposition from Democrats.

The bill passed the House 216-213 early Friday.

Alabamas five Republican members - Reps. Robert Aderholt, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer, Mike Rogers, and Dale Strong - all voted in favor of the bill.

Ive long called for NPRs funding to be cut - your taxpayer dollars shouldnt be used to promote left-wing propaganda. I am proud to work with my Republican colleagues to restore fiscal sanity, Strong posted on social media.

The two Democrats - Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell - voted no.

All but two Republicans voted in favor of the bill and all Democrats opposed.

Friday was the deadline to pass the bill, or the funds would have been released.

The Senate had passed the bill 51-48 on Thursday. Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville voted in favor of it.

It goes to Trump, who can sign it into law.
FILE - Felix Baumgartner of Austria gestures prior to speaking with the media after successfully jumping from a space capsule lifted by a helium balloon in Roswell, N.M., Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) AP

Felix Baumgartner, a daredevil and extreme athlete, died on Thursday after a paragliding accident in Italy. He was 56 years old.

The incident occurred in Porto SantElpidio on the Adriatic coast when Baumgartner reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and lost consciousness mid-air before crashing into a hotel swimming pool, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

A female employee was struck by the glider and taken to the hospital with neck injuries.

Earlier on Thursday, Baumgartner had posted a photo on his Instagram Story of a Red Bull-branded windsock with the caption Too much wind.

Baumgartner was a world-class BASE jumper and skydiver who rose to international fame in 2012 when he jumped from a balloon about 25 miles above the Earth. He broke the sound barrier during his descent, reaching a speed of 843 mph.

The jump, watched by millions on a livestream, was also the highest recorded manned balloon flight and the highest ever freefall at the time.

When youre standing on top of the world, you dont think of records any more, all you think is that you want to come back alive, he said after completing the feat.

Baumgartner was also known for jumping the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the then-tallest building in the world, and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. He also crossed the English Channel on a specially designed carbon wing.

In more recent years, the Austrian-born athlete sparked controversy when he criticized Austria and Germanys immigration policies and called for a moderate dictatorship. On top of supporting right-wing politicians, he recommended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.

2025 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Cesar Campos-Reyes, the Lee County man and restaurant owner who was the focus of multi-site business raids this week, pleaded not guilty in federal court Friday to multiple counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and forfeiture.

Campos-Reyes, 52, faces a possible sentence of up to 30 years, along with fines, for allegedly taking $225,000 in fraudulent, pandemic-related business loans.

Rather than use the funds for eligible expenses, the funds were used for personal expenses unrelated to the specified authorized expenses under the Paycheck Protection Program Rule, stated a federal indictment filed in April.

Campos-Reyes submitted applications for PPP loans for Mariachis Mexican Grill, El Patron of Pace, Pensacola and Prattville, according to the filing. He transferred the funds to his own account rather than using them to pay workers and cover the cost of his building mortgages and utilities as authorized for the loans, according to the indictment.

The raids that included a search for Campos-Reyes Wednesday were carried out at 14 locations, including multiple Mexican restaurants and other properties in six Alabama counties. The operation is part of a larger investigation into human smuggling, drug trafficking and financial crimes, according to authorities.

Law enforcement arrested 40 people thought to be undocumented immigrants and seized large amounts of powder cocaine, methamphetamine, crack and pills, 20 guns and $100,000 in cash.

Three other unnamed people were arrested Wednesday and two will be charged with harboring undocumented immigrants. Another person will be charged with crimes related to distributing drugs.

Authorities did not say where the drugs were seized.

This is allegedly a transnational organized entity that has committed this activity, and this operation is not about any one offense, Special Agent Steven Schrank of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations said Wednesday.

The raids were carried out by ICE, FBI, BATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security, the Alabama Department of Corrections and other local law enforcement offices. They included locations in Lee, Elmore, Autauga, Crenshaw, Macon and Baldwin counties.
Birmingham mayoral appointee Jarvis Patton at the first meeting of the regional Birmingham Water Works Board on May 14, 2025 Roy S. Johnson

Outside lawyer fees for Birminghams regional water board, long a source of scrutiny, could be dramatically reduced if the agency formed its own legal department, one board member proposed.

Board member Jarvis Patton Thursday evening detailed his proposal to hire a team of lawyers to create an in-house law department.

A lot of your major organizations, big businesses, have law departments, and it cuts down tremendously on expenses, said Patton, a board member from Birmingham. Maybe we can cut back on some of the other expenses and let some of our other attorneys be free to have other things to do.

The selection of lawyers and their hefty legal fees have long been the subject of contention by past board members and observers of the former Birmingham Water Works Board.

Now restructured and renamed Central Alabama Water, the new name has not erased old issues of high-dollar spending for lawyers.

The water works last fiscal year spent $1.7 million in legal fees from several attorneys and firms.

We want to save more money and there are enough attorneys around town who are very capable of performing the task, Patton said.

While Patton pressed for action now, the board members declined to act before the utility hires a CEO.

A three member committee will lead the process of searching for and hiring the utilitys first CEO. The CEO post will not replace the position of general manager, who current handles daily operations.

Just before his presentation, Patton questioned the boards upcoming legal invoices, including $54,700 from Paden and Paden, one of its newly hired outside firms. Patton said continuing outside legal bills illustrate the need to have internal lawyers.

We want to save more money and there are enough attorneys around town who are very capable of performing the task, he said.

The water works has traditionally used one firm to lead the legal team of several other lawyers.

On the other side, other board members questioned $105,000 in non-lawyer professional service fees from the Birmingham Business Resource Center, a non-profit small business development agency hired by the former board to increase minority vendor participation at the water works.

The invoices were for three months of work in March, April and May. The agencys contract with the utility ends in December.

Jeffrey Brumlow, a board member from Shelby County, who is also a lawyer, expressed support for an in-house attorney, but said there would remain a need for some outside legal services. He also defended Padens work and billing.

I think we have got to have a CEO who can organize all that, Brumlow said. Im not questioning the need at all, Im just looking at the time to move forward.

In the end, the board declined to move forward immediately on Pattons recommendation.

I like the idea, Brumlow said. I want to see the CEO appointed because I want to see the overall picture of everything thats going on at the board to get a view on how to tackle it in a responsible way.

Patton questioned the delay, reminding the board that it sets policy for the agency, no matter who is selected to lead its daily operation.

Its never too early to bring them on board, he said. Every month were going to spend a lot of money on attorneys fees.

The water works briefly had an in-house lawyer when the former board approved a long-term contract to make Mark Parnell, its longtime outside lawyer, the agencys general counsel.

That vote was taken just a day before Governor Kay Ivey signed the law that changed the water works boards composition and kicked the old board out of office.

The new regional board later unanimously voted to cancel the contract and ended its relationship with Parnell. Brumlow led the effort to terminate him.

In Parnells place, the board hired three outside firms, Porter, Porter and Hassenger, Paden and Paden and attorney Reginald D. McDaniel.

The water works now pay those new lawyers hundreds of dollars per hour, for each of the attorneys handling the utilitys business.

The utility pays $400 an hour for Jim Porter and $300 an hour for an associate. Lawyers for Paden and Paden, led by former Bessemer city attorney Shan Paden, will also be paid $400 an hour. McDaniel also will receive $400 an hour.
More than 1,500 children benefit from Community Action Partnership of North Alabama's Head Start programs, CEO Tim Thrasher says. Community Action Partnership of North Alabama

Each year, the Community Action Partnership of North Alabama spends about $30 million on Head Start programs.

The programs employ 300 teachers and benefit hundreds of children across 15 counties, said Tim Thrasher, CEO of the Community Action nonprofit.

Those dollars go back to that community because of the health care that weve provided those kids and the dental care that we provide those kids, Thrasher told AL.com, and in the connection with those providers within those communities for families, and the nutrition, it goes back to those families.

Between 2019 and 2024, the number of Head Start beneficiaries rose from 282 to 1,669, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Thats a nearly five-fold increase.

Thrasher has been the CEO of the Decatur-based nonprofit since 2018.

During that period, revenues went from $42 million to $60 million  a 44% increase  and total assets more than doubled from $61 million to $129 million, according to the organizations IRS filing in 2024.

All of it is really to better the lives of individuals within that community, provide a greater tax base for those communities so that people can give back and not be so dependent, said Thrasher, whose compensation has increased from $152,000 to $195,000, or by 28%.

The nonprofit, according to the CEO, helps people achieve self-sufficiency.

And we try to do it with integrity and we try to do it with compassion, he said. So very proud of some of those that have been impacted not only financially, but also in the ability to contribute back to society.

The organization, which is in its seventh decade of existence, began as part former President Lyndon B. Johnsons War on Poverty. It utilizes a community-based model to address issues in the Appalachian region. And every three years, assessments identify community needs, which guide the deployment of resources from federal sources and others.

The nonprofit employs about 500 people and has an annual operating budget of approximately $50 million.

Assistance with affordable housing, health care, utilities and food are some of the other services the organization provides through the partnerships it has forged. Its affordable housing program comprises 28 complexes, each with an average of 50 units, accommodating around 1,500 families.

Thrasher touts the regional economic impact of the nonprofits work, specifically the $30 million spent on Head Start, which pays the salaries of hundreds of teachers and trainers.

He is very proud that the teachers can earn an associate or bachelors degree at minimal cost, through collaborations with community colleges.

We also work with the state, and we have 17 pre-K classrooms, Thrasher said. We provide the quality of pre-K and Head Start programming within child care agencies.
This is a guest opinion column.

As leaders of Jewish Federations in Alabama, we are coming together to speak openly about the serious challenges our communities are facing and express our positions on some of todays most pressing issues.

Jewish Federations serve as central organizing hubsparticularly vital in small, Southern communities like ours, where Jews make up only a small minority.

Our mission is to support and sustain vibrant Jewish life. We do this by bringing together community members at all stages of the life cycle, from parent groups to Jewish War Veterans, from summer camp scholarships to Jewish life on college campuses. We create safe spaces for people to express their Jewish identities, and we actively foster relationships across lines of faith and background.

Just as importantly, we work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of our communities  a responsibility that grows more difficult each year.

Put simply, this is a time of deep fear and vulnerability for the approximately 10,000 Jewish Alabamians who call this state home.

According to FBI data released in 2024, anti-Jewish hate crimes rose by 63% compared to 2023  a record-breaking increase. Although Jews represent just 2% of the U.S. population, anti-Jewish hate crimes accounted for 15% of all single-bias incidents that year. These statistics underscore a disturbing reality: antisemitism is intensifying at an alarming rate.

Almost two years after the October 7th attacks  in which the terrorist group Hamas slaughtered, raped, and took civilians hostage  antisemitic incidents remain historically elevated.

In Alabama alone, 67 separate incidents were reported last year. (The Anti-Defamation League defines incidents broadly, including harassment, vandalism, and assault. You can read more about their methodology and how they distinguish antisemitism from anti-Zionism here.)

These statistics are not abstract. They are connected to real-world acts of violence that reverberate through our communitieseven when they occur beyond our states borders. This spring alone saw:

The firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiros home, who is proudly Jewish and supportive of Israel,

The murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers after a networking event at the Capital Jewish Museum,

A terror attack on peaceful demonstrators who were calling for the release of hostages in Gaza. This attack resulted in murder of an 81-year-old Holocaust survivor.

These attacks were driven by rhetoric that conflates all Jews with the Israeli government  a dangerous antisemitic trope that puts Jewish lives at risk. Here in Alabama, weve also seen threatening language at demonstrations, some of which invoke calls for death or expulsion, particularly to Zionists.

We represent communities in which a majority consider Israel and Zionism to be important aspects of their Jewish identity. Simply put, Zionism means believing that the Jewish people should have the right to self-determination in their historic homeland; it is not tied to a specific political position or party (to learn more, check out this free master class).

In an increasingly polarized environment, we are concerned about the lack of nuance that leads to inflammatory language, including in places like social media. This often includes misinformation about Jews and our relationship to Israel.

These types of threats have made many community members fearful of entering Jewish spaces or being open about their own identities. As a result, our institutions are being forced to spend significantly increasing portions of their budgets on security  funds that could otherwise support education, culture, or youth programs. And we are often left feeling isolated, as if our concerns are not heard or understood by the broader community.

As Jewish Federations, we support Israels right to exist as a Jewish state and defend itself. We hope for the day that groups such as the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran are no longer able to inflict terror and that all are able to live in peace. At the same time, our communities are not monolithic and we represent a diverse spectrum of beliefs and experiences.

As Jewish leaders, we mourn all civilian lives lost in Israel and Gaza, and grieve the suffering on every side of this conflict. We do so while also holding deep concerned about the mounting threats to Jewish safety here at home.

Since antiquity, Jews have faced antisemitism  ranging from stereotypes to conspiracy theories to group blame that has endangered our existence. Today, antisemitism is rising across the political spectrum, from the far left to the far right.

Combating it  and combating all forms of hate  must be a non-partisan issue and we ask that you call and rid out antisemitism wherever you see it, regardless of political affiliation. We are your friends and neighborswe are members of your community. And we cannot do it alone.

Here are five suggestions from our statewide Jewish leaders about how you can be an ally.

1. Stand With Us in Visible Ways

In Birmingham, we see every day how much it means when our neighbors show up and stand visibly with us. Speak up when you see antisemitism. Attend community events that celebrate Jewish life. Reach out to your Jewish friends and colleagues to let them know theyre not alone. Acts of allyship, both large and small, remind us that our safety and sense of belonging are shared responsibilities.  Florina Newcomb, Interim CEO, BJF

2. Take the Time to Listen

Take the time to educate yourself and listen to Jewish voices to understand the modern and historical iterations of antisemitism. Antisemitism goes beyond Holocaust denial and overt anti-Jewish slurs. It often comes in the form of insidious conspiracy theories, double standards, coded language, and subtle exclusions. Dismissing Jewish voices about antisemitism only adds harm by invalidating lived experience, which leads to distrust and the silencing the Jewish community when real threats are at our doorstep.  Cassie Morgenstern, Executive Director, Mobile Area Jewish Federation

3. Be Intentional about Including Jews

In a state where Christians are the vast majority, we ask our neighbors to make more space for and be more aware that other belief systems exist in Alabama. We certainly appreciate verbal support for our community here and abroad, but we also ask that Alabamians make a more concerted effort to foster more inclusivity. This includes recognizing that we have different prayers, holidays, and customs.  Phillip Ensler, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Central Alabama

4. Educate to Understand

Do not apply double standards to Israel or the Jewish People. Recognize that Israel is the only predominantly Jewish State in the world and region. Israel contains about half of the worlds Jewish population. Applying a double standard to that State, demonizing it or attempting to delegitimize it is the essence of antisemitism and warrants condemnation. - Dr. Richard Brooks, President, Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama

5. Ask the Questions You Dont Yet Have Answers To

As Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council  the community relations arm of the Birmingham Jewish Federation  Ive learned that many of our challenges stem from a simple lack of understanding. Thats why were here: to help bridge those gaps. We welcome respectful dialogue with anyone who wants to better understand our community and perspective, and we are equally eager to learn from and about other segments of our broader communities. - Margaret Norman, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council (Birmingham)

While we face challenging times, we are a resilient people and with your support, will continue to be a vibrant part of life in Alabama.

This is a joint statement from the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the Mobile Area Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, and the Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama.
Last month California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued Fox News, alleging host Jesse Watters defamed him by calling the Democrat a liar about the timing of a phone call with President Trump about last months L.A. protests over ICE raids and Trumps deployment of troops to quell the disturbance.

Newsom is seeking $787 million in damages in the Fox News lawsuit, which intentionally is nearly identical to the $787.5 million the network agreed to pay in April 2023 to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.

On Watters show Thursday evening, the Fox News host attempted to clear the air. Watters acknowledged that Newsom wasnt lying and didnt deceive anybody on purpose, so Im sorry. But Watters also said the governor was just confusing and unclear.

We thought the dispute was about whether there had been a call at all -- not when. We thought that the governor was clear when he said, without qualification, that there was no call, Watters told viewers on Thursday.

Now Newsoms telling us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet. He didnt deceive anybody on purpose, so Im sorry. He wasnt lying. He was just confusing and unclear. Next time, Governor, why dont you just say what you mean? Watters also said Newsom declined an invitation to be interviewed as a guest on the show.

Newsom filed suit against Fox News on June 27 in the Superior Court of Delaware. The governors lawyers sent Fox News a letter demanding a formal retraction and an on-air apology from Watters and said that if the network complies, the governor would drop the suit.

Evidently, Watters comments on the July 17 program did not satisfy that threshold for Newsom. Asked for comment, a spokesman for Newsom sent Variety the following statement from the governor: Discovery will be fun. See you in court, buddy.

A rep for Fox News did not respond to a request for comment Friday. When Newsom filed the suit, the network had said in a statement: Gov. Newsoms transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.

According to Newsoms lawsuit, the governor last spoke with Trump on June 7 at about 1:23 a.m. ET for approximately 16 minutes by phone, two days before the president (over Newsoms objections) deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

That, according to the lawsuit, was the last time the two of them spoke.

On June 10, Trump told reporters he had spoken with Newsom a day ago, implying the two had spoken on June 9, with the president claiming he called [Newsom] to tell him, got to do a better job, hes doing a bad job. Causing a lot of death and a lot of potential death. Newsom called out Trumps claim as false in a post on X shortly afterward, writing, There was no call. Not even a voicemail.

Watters, on his June 10 primetime show on Fox News, played an edited clip of Trumps claim about his call with the governor that omitted Trump stating that the president spoke to Newsom a day ago.

Watters then asked, Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him? The show also featured an on-screen graphic that said Gavin Lied About Trumps Call, according to the lawsuit.

Newsom, at a July 2 press conference, said, I sued Fox News for defaming me, for knowingly lying, for editing and assaulting truth and trust So I dont have a problem holding people to a higher level of ethics and accountability in journalist standards."

However, at the same event, Newsom characterized Trumps $16 million lawsuit settlement with Paramount Global -- over alleged deceptive editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris -- as different.

The governor said the settlement appeared transactional given the pending Skydance Media deal. The governor urged media companies facing similar threats to Do the right thing. You know what the right thing is.

 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. joined other legislators this week in demanding President Donald Trump release $6.8 billion in educational funds Congress has appropriated for programs in the 2025-2026 school year.

The letter requests that the administration implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year, reads a recent release from Britts office.

This legislation contains critical funding that states rely on to help students, families, and local economies.

On Friday, the Trump administration told states that it would release $1.4 billion in funding for before and after-school programs nationwide, but the funding will come with a new requirement for states to certify compliance with federal civil rights laws, according to a report from Education Week.

Every state is scheduled to receive their formula funding allocations on Monday, the report says.

Funds will be released to the states, the administration wrote in a statement to Education Week.

Guardrails have been put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders.

$5.4 billion in educational funding is yet to be released as of Friday.

Im pleased to see these funds released to support after-school and summer programs, Britt wrote in a post X Friday.

I appreciate President Trump and OMB (Office of Management and Budget) Director Vought responding to our request to ensure our local communities can continue to serve students and families.

Im pleased to see these funds released to support after-school and summer programs. I appreciate @POTUS and @RussVought45 responding to our request to ensure our local communities can continue to serve students and families. https://t.co/TQLDoV3auN  Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) July 18, 2025

Under the Fiscal Year 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, Congress appropriated funds for Title II-A grants for effective educator instruction, Title IV-B grants for after-school programs, Title IV-A grants for student support, Title III-A funding for English Language Acquisition, Title I-C funding for Migrant Education and grants for adult education.

The Office of Management and Budget told ABC News this week that funds were currently being withheld from programs that grossly misused government dollars to promote a radical leftwing agenda.

The funds were supposed to be released to school districts on July 1, and as a result of Trumps decision, Alabama schools are currently missing $89.9 million in anticipated federal funding, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

This accounts for 13.4 percent of the total Department of Education funding for the states K-12 schools.

The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trumps goal of returning K-12 education to the states, the letter, signed by Britt and nine other senators, reads.

This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families.

Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families, it continues.

U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Arkansas; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska; John Hoeven, R-North Dakota; Jim Justice, R-West Virginia; Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky; Lisa Murkowski, R-Arkansas; and Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, also signed on to the letter.

Two dozen states on Monday also sued Trumps administration for withholding the funds, alleging that the move violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which requires any executive withholdings of budget authority to be reviewed by Congress.

We welcome the opportunity to work with you [Vought] and Secretary McMahon to ensure that all federal education funding goes toward programs that help states and school districts provide students an excellent education, the letter, addressed to OMB Director Russell Vought, reads.

We want to see students in our states and across the country thrive, whether they are adult learners, students who speak English as a second language, or students who need after-school care so that their parents can work. We believe you share the same goal.

U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, signed a similar letter this week drafted by House Democrats demanding that the OMB release the illegally withheld, Congressionally-appropriated federal funding.

While Sewell and other Democratic lawmakers have often been at odds with the current Republican majority, Britts actions this week have surprised many of her constituents, according to social media comments.

In addition to her efforts to obtain the states education funds contrary to Trumps decision, Britt has also supported calls for the Department of Justice to release everything they have on billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged clients who sexually abused underaged girls provided by him.

Trump on Wednesday lashed out at supporters asking for the release of the files, calling them weaklings, and saying that he no longer wanted their support.

This article was updated on July 18, 2025, at 2:33 p.m. after the Trump administration announced it would release $1.4 billion in funding.
Donald Trump and Melania, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) Getty Images

The White House attempted to block the publication of a Wall Street Journal article about President Donald Trumps alleged 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that contained suggestive language.

Trump threatened legal action against the paper if it went to print with the story, which published on the papers website Thursday afternoon.

According to the Wall Street Journal story, the letter was part of an birthday album with contributions from several people, including Alan Dershowitz and Victorias Secret CEO Les Wexner. The letter is bawdy -- like others in the album, the Journal wrote.

It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. The letter concludes: Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret. (Epstein was a close friend and business associate of Wexner and a fixture at the lingerie lines fashion shows.)

On Wednesday, Variety reached out to the White House and the Wall Street Journal for comment about the imminent story as well as the ensuing back and forth between the two parties. Both declined comment.

But the Wall Street Journal spoke on Tuesday night with Trump, who denied writing the letter. This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he told the paper.

After the articles publication on Thursday, Trump reaffirmed his intention to sue, writing on Truth Social, Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly.

The story hit at a time when Trumps MAGA base is divided over the White Houses handling of documents related to an investigation into Epstein, the late financier who was arrested for sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and died under mysterious circumstances while in custody weeks later.

His death was ruled a suicide but has long been the subject of conspiracy theories given his ties to powerful government officials, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

The purported letter at the center of the Wall Street Journal story predated Epsteins arrest in 2019. It also would have been written five years before Epstein pleaded guilty for soliciting prostitution from girls as young as 14 in 2008.

It is known that the two men were friends, though they reportedly had a falling out after Epstein hit on the teenage daughter of a Mar-a-Lago club member in 2008, months before the financier pleaded guilty to the solicitation charge. Trump revoked his membership in the posh club immediately.

The MAGA backlash stems from Attorney General Pam Bondis decision not to release the Epstein investigation files in full.

Bondis move opened the floodgates on a news cycle that has put Trump on the wrong side of some of his most ardent followers. Many famous backers of Trump including Tucker Carlson, Roseanne Barr and Steve Bannon appear to have turned on the president in recent days over the White Houses handling of the Epstein files.

Others like Megyn Kelly and Theo Von have been more muted in their criticism but still skeptical and have spent hours on the subject on their various podcasts and platforms.

For the past several days, Trump has downplayed the significance of Bondis decision and dismissed calls from politicians to influencers for more transparency into the Epstein investigation, calling the case pretty boring stuff.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump blamed Democrats for pushing a scam and hoax with regards to his relationship with Epstein.

Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker, he wrote.

In an previous post, he wrote: Were on one Team, MAGA, and I dont like whats happening, the president wrote. Lets not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.

Later in the day on Wednesday, the Justice Department fired Maurene Comey, the top prosecutor in the 2019 Epstein case, adding fuel to a story that doesnt appear to be dying down.

Even after his first stint in jail, Epstein enjoyed long-cultivated relationships within the government -- both U.S. and Israeli -- as well as New York media circles, academia and even Hollywood, which allowed him entry into events where the richest and most powerful people converge.

The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo last week that they found no evidence that Epstein kept an incriminating client list.

The memo added: There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.

But Epstein certainly kept a little black book that became part of the public record following his first arrest. Among the Hollywood notables whose contact information appeared in the book were Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey.

(Spacey, for one, has called on the White House to release the full Epstein files, saying he has nothing to hide.) In 2015, Gawker published the flight logs from Epsteins private jet, which showed that Clinton had flown on the private aircraft dubbed the Lolita Express.

 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
CANTON, Ohio, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sharing Hearts Fund for Pediatric Wellness, a charitable arm of Liberty HealthShare, established in collaboration with the Canton Repository, has announced its first grants to five Stark County families.

The Sharing Hearts Fund provides support to Stark County families with medical needs related to pediatric wellness. These important wellness procedures include physical exams, dental exams and teeth cleaning, vision exams and eyeglasses, and hearing tests.

Sharing Hearts Fund for Pediatric Wellness has announced its first grants to Stark County families. Post this

The grants, which totaled more than $17,000, will assist families needing financial support for physical, dental, and vision exams as well as dental care and cancer treatments.

"Liberty HealthShare is blessed to have the ability to support these children with important medical needs that they otherwise would have had to forego due to cost," said Dorsey Morrow, Liberty HealthShare chief executive officer. "This is our way to be a force for good in our hometown."

All dollars awarded are generated through donations and grants that are separate and distinct from the operational funding of the Liberty HealthShare ministry.

To help evaluate grant requests, Liberty HealthShare formed an Application Review Committee made up of Stark County leaders who work in fields related to the well-being of residents, including representatives from social service agencies and churches. In addition to Morrow and Amy Hagan, Liberty HealthShare vice president of medical services, committee members include Jenn Warner, executive director, Legacy Project of Stark County; Scott Schnyders, chief executive officer, Refuge of Hope; Amanda Anschutz, president, Compassion Delivered, and Rev. Walter Moss, retired senior pastor, Canton Foursquare Church.

A second round of grants will be awarded later this year with applications accepted beginning in September. Application forms will be available on the Sharing Hearts Fund website, Liberty HealthShare's offices at 4455 Hills & Dales Rd. NW, and at many area schools and social service agencies. A full list will be posted on the website.

Persons and organizations wishing to support the Sharing Hearts Fund can make tax deductible donations on Liberty HealthShare's website.

For more information about the Sharing Hearts Fund, contact Diana Willey at (330) 942-0268 or [email protected].

Established in 1995, Liberty HealthShare provides a cost-effective, faith-based alternative to health insurance. Members enjoy the freedom to choose their own providers while participating in a compassionate, Christian community. Transparency and stewardship are central, with programs tailored for families, seniors, and individuals.

Liberty HealthShare is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable Christian medical cost-sharing ministry focused on members helping each other in times of need. The faith-based program, which facilitates healthsharing for its members, is a caring community of health-conscious individuals and families who choose to support one another and agree to the Christian values of stewardship to make healthcare affordable for all. It is the only healthsharing ministry to have earned both a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator and a 2025 GuideStar Gold Seal from Candid, the nation's leading non-profit evaluators, for its operational excellence, transparency, and accountability.

Liberty HealthShare is not an insurance company nor is it offered through an insurance company. Liberty HealthShare's Sharing Programs do not guarantee or promise that a member's medical bills will be paid or assigned to others for payment. Whether anyone chooses to pay a member's medical bills will be totally voluntary. As such, Liberty HealthShare's Sharing Programs should never be considered as a substitute for an insurance policy. Whether a member receives any payments for medical expenses and whether or not Liberty HealthShare continues to operate, the member is always liable for any unpaid bills.

SOURCE Liberty HealthShare
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. was filmed in a Senate session on Thursday in what appears to be an intense argument with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

In a video posted to X by Business Insiders Bryan Metzger, Britt can be seen passionately gesturing to Murphy pointing her finger at his face several times.

Some sort of heated argument between Sens. Chris Murphy and Katie Britt on the floor during votes yesterdaypic.twitter.com/kBTYH34Bzg  bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 18, 2025

Metzger said that the exchange lasted at least ten minutes prior to Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. bringing forward his resolution to demand the Trump administration release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Unclear what its about, Metzger wrote.

But Britt is the chair and Murphy is the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Approps [appropriations] Committee, and its approps season, so perhaps something related to that?

Efforts to reach Britts office for comment were not immediately successful.

Former congressman Matt Gaetz posted to X Friday in support of Britt, writing, Every woman I know from Alabama has this gear.

Good for [Britt].

Scott Buttram of The Trussville Tribune also took the Alabama senators side, writing, My money is on Britt, in a post to X.

In a battle of common sense, Murphy is unarmed, he wrote.
The Atlanta Braves play against the New York Yankees in an MLB game tonight. The matchup will begin at 6:15 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The Braves enter this matchup with a 42-53 record, and they have won three of their last five games. However, the team is coming off a 5-4 loss against St. Louis.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Braves will need to rely on their star player Matt Olson. He leads the Atlanta offense with 17 home runs and 61 RBI, so he will look to continue his offensive success this evening.

The Yankees enter this matchup with a 53-43 record, and they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Yankees lost 4-1 against the Chicago Cubs.

In order to win tonights game, the Yankees will need a great performance from their star player Aaron Judge. He leads the New York offense with 35 home runs and 81 RBI, which highlights his power at the plate.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.
The first few months of fall could be warmer than average, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. The temperature outlook for August through October is above and shows an increased probability of above-average temperatures for the state. Meteorological fall begins Sept. 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. Climate Prediction Center

With a long stretch of hot and humid weather on the horizon for Alabama, many are looking forward to that first dose of fresh fall air.

When could it arrive in Alabama?

The Farmers Almanac (not to be confused with the Old Farmers Almanac) has a fall forecast out, and it suggests Alabamas future includes a stretch of pleasant weather  perfect for fall festivals and Halloween preparations  but not until October.

In fact, the Almanac says a flirty, flurry fall with early chills in the North to lingering warmth in the South, and from stormy skies to tranquil stretches, the fall will keep us on our toes.

The first day of astronomical fall comes with the vernal equinox, which in 2025 will be on Sept. 22. The first day of meteorological fall will be Sept. 1.

The overall forecast for the Southeast, according to the Almanac, is a warm and dry start with a wet and stormy finish, which falls in line with typical Alabama fall weather.

Alabama typically sees drier weather in September (unless there is tropical trouble) and especially in October, which is usually the driest month of the year.

Then the so-called secondary severe weather season gains steam in November and can last through February, with increasing numbers of severe storms and tornadoes, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Here is a look at Alabama tornadoes by month. November is No. 3 for tornado numbers, after April and March:

Alabama can have tornadoes any month of the year, including the fall and winter months. NWS

The Almanacs outlook for September includes thunderstorms around Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1) and a possible notable hurricane threat to the Atlantic coast during the early part of the month, which possibly wouldnt affect the state at all if it were to materialize.

October could have stretches of stormy weather across the country, according to the Almanac, but fair skies are predicted for Halloween across the Southeast region (which includes Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida).

A mix of rain and clearing skies, is the forecast for the Southeast for November, according to the Almanac, but other spots in the northern states will get their first real taste of winter.

The Thanksgiving holiday week is forecast to be a meteorological mixed bag  light snow and rain could complicate travel plans in the central and eastern U.S., but many areas should see clearing skies just in time for the holiday feast, according to the Almanac.

ALMANACS FORECAST METHOD

The Almanac says it has been making long-range weather forecasts since 1818.

Its weather predictions are based on a formula originally developed in 1818 by its founding editor, David Young.

According to the Almanac the formula includes influences by the moon, which the Almanac says can act as a meteorological swizzle stick, solar activity, analogs (or comparable data from past seasons), the position of the planets in the solar system and more.

The Almanac keeps its exact forecast formula under wraps, saying to safeguard this valuable formula, the editors of the Farmers Almanac keep its weather prognosticator  Caleb Weatherbee - identity and the exact formula as brand secrets."

WHAT ABOUT NOAAS FORECAST?

NOAA also issues longer-range weather forecasts. The Climate Prediction Center has three-month outlooks for both temperature and precipitation.

The outlook out now covers the last part of summer and the first part of fall -- the months of August, September and October.

The temperature outlook, shown at the top of this post, suggests a higher probability of above-average temperatures for Alabama through that period.

Most of the state has a 40-50 percent probability of above-average temperatures, but the northwest corner has slightly lower odds -- 33 to 40 percent.

Here is the precipitation outlook for August through October:

Alabama is favored to have above-average precipitation over the three months from August through October. CPC

It shows a 40-50 percent probability of above-average rainfall over the three-month period for most of the state. The northwest corner is again the exception and has slightly lower odds -- 33-40 percent -- of above-average rainfall.

The Climate Prediction Centers outlooks will be routinely updated as fall edges closer.
There is no limit to the variety of ways to obtain a good education in America  from schools and colleges to books and magazines, from the tutelage of our parents to the speeches of our politicians.

But one of the less likely sources can be bountiful with folk wisdom and even lessons in economics. I submit for your consideration the character of Russell the Pharmacist, on Two and a Half Men.

In my favorite moment of this show filled with bad examples and vivid warnings, Russell offers Charlie a medication  without bothering with the legally required prescription  and very seriously looks into his eyes and quotes every drug pusher in folklore, saying:

The first ones free.

If that doesnt sound like an economic lesson to you, allow me to turn our gaze to the American manufacturing sector, and our neighbor across the Pacific, the Peoples Republic of China.

For over ten years now, our business and political news has focused on Americas relationship with Mainland China  our tight integration with their manufacturing sector, our logistics and supply chain partnerships, our persistent trade deficit, our efforts to manage that relationship with punitive tariffs, our fear that someday Chinas military goals will finally collide with our growing dependence.

Similarly, outside the mainstream news sites, we have witnessed a growing cultural clash.

Rank and file workers increasingly upset that our manufacturing is so dependent upon Chinese components, our consumers looking angrily at product labels and finally refusing to consider products that are Made in China, our colleges, and increasingly our businesses as well, filled with Chinese government-backed plants who are obligated by Chinese law to act as agents for Beijing, their families back home under constant threat if they fail to follow the orders of the Politburo.

When we look at the American economy, we see all sorts of connections that are practically inextricable.

American wholesalers and retailers dependent on Chinese goods for their sales, American manufacturers dependent on Chinese components and subassemblies for the products they make here. American food distributors who send American-grown vegetables and meats to China for processing, then reimport the finished dog food, cat food, and people food for sale in our grocery stores.

We see builders putting up homes made of American lumber, paint, siding and roofing, then covering them with Chinese solar panels, or powering their communities with Chinese windmills, and filling them with appliances that are made in North America but depend on Chinese sources for their most critical components -- the heating element in the oven, the compressor in the refrigerator, the pump in the washer, the printed circuit board running the furnace. Without these critical Chinese components, that American-made house isnt livable.

Now step back, and survey the whole town, or even the whole county or state. Flush with cash from this trade deficit, the Chinese government has been buying up American real estate, from houses and apartments to office buildings and farms, often (coincidentally?) situated near U.S. government installations.

We see cars and trucks  gasoline, hybrid and electric alike  filling our roads, dependent upon Chinese components  and some of those components are the wifi-enabled controls that could shut them down for good with a single instruction from far away.

If we wondered whether this trade war was premature or overblown, all we have to do is read the headlines; so much manufacturing and distribution stopped cold in April when the China tariffs were so high that American businesses paused our imports. If our level of dependence on China wasnt far greater than people had allowed themselves to believe, that pause wouldnt have stopped so much activity.

What ought to terrify us the most isnt the number of things in the stores with a made in China label, but the number of things in the stores that are made in the U.S.A. or elsewhere, but still depend on Chinese parts to operate. Not to mention the amount of land, business, education, and infrastructure that doesnt just depend on China, but is completely controlled by China.

Today, our political and economic discussions concentrate on the many ongoing crimes that the government of China has been directing its agents to commit  the theft of export-controlled technology from universities or businesses, the bribery of politicians and interference in our elections, the spying and infiltration of our military installations, the theft of copyrights, trademarks and patents in everything from manufacturing to clothing to media.

And we talk about the big crimes that the Chinese government itself commits, such as product dumping through export subsidies and currency manipulation in violation of international law. And this just touches the surface.

But as we move forward, through President Trumps unrelenting efforts and through our institutions attempts, one by one, to wrest control back from these foreign puppetmasters, we must think back on how we got to this point.

China didnt always have tentacles in our factories, our shops, and our research departments. China didnt always serve as the sole provider for countless critical items, from rare earths to motors, from electric wire to batteries. How did it get this way?

At some point, 30, 35, even 40 years ago, American businesses  in their corporate headquarters or in the business schools that feed them  made the conscious decision to outsource key components to foreign countries, using the mantra were delivering value to our shareholders! as their holy justification.

One by one, then two by two, then ten by ten, we moved production of castings from American foundries to cheaper Chinese foundries (we didnt care if they were cheaper because of slave labor and currency manipulation; they were cheaper and thats what management measured).

One by one, then ten by ten, we moved production of custom injection moldings and tiny printed circuit boards and lithium ion batteries to Chinese manufacturers (we didnt care if this meant our lead time was extended by three months or that we would be unable to react to sudden spikes in demand; the piece price was cheaper and thats what we measured).

And then by the thousands, American manufacturers who used to make all these products here shut down, too much of their business having been yanked away for them to be able to survive.

Now in a monopoly situation, China can and does flex its muscles, with IP theft, port closures and price hikes. Now that weve taught them how to make things, they compete with our products outright.

So America lost countless industries  industries we are trying now to revive, with tax cuts and regulatory relaxation, and with protective tariffs to attempt to restore balance.

This crisis didnt happen in a day. One by one, Chinese companies offered to make a part cheaper than our American suppliers did. We didnt notice as these quickly added up.

We didnt think of the American factory workers and factory managers and factory towns who lost out as a result; our eyes were distracted by that shiny object: the lower price per unit of the Chinese alternative.

Long ago  twenty, thirty, forty years ago  thousands of American businesses each allowed a cheap Chinese bid to let our guard down and allow Chinas foot in the door. And before we knew it, they were the only source left standing, as their low price drove all our other competitive sources out of business.

We are learning our lesson today, painfully and angrily, as we strive to diversify our supply chain and rebuild our own American industrial base. With the help of President Trump and his trade team, we are breaking ourselves of the addiction to dangerous, destructive Chinese manufacturing dominance.

But American industry must ensure that it really learns its lesson this time, by establishing ground rules for the future, making sure we never again sacrifice our economic independence on the tempting altar of cheap imports.

Every buyer, every CFO, every manager must commit to memory the painful lesson of the slippery slope we suffered in developing our addiction to Chinese imports:

The first ones free.

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based international transportation manager, trade compliance trainer, and speaker. Read his book on the surprisingly numerous varieties of vote fraud (The Tales of Little Pavel), his political satires on the Biden-Harris years (Evening Soup with Basement Joe, Volumes I, II, and III), and his most recent collection of public policy essays, Current Events and the Issues of Our Age, all available in eBook or paperback, only on Amazon.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
This week marks the hundredth year anniversary of the publication of one of the most hate-filled books ever written. Yet, within two decades, it had sold over twelve million copies, helping to spread an ideology that would trigger a world war and genocide against Jews.

The first volume of Mein Kampf, meaning My Struggle, was published on July 18, 1925a political manifesto outlining Adolf Hitlers evil ideology and plans for Germany, justified by the supposed superiority of the Aryan race. It advocated overthrowing democracies to create authoritarian states. Interestingly, the book was published while Hitler was still in prison for a 1923 coup attempt.

Following World War II, Mein Kampfs copyright was transferred to Bavaria, which banned its republication in Germany. When the books copyright expired in 2016, criticism concerning any republication ran from the need to educate the public about past errors to a fear about inciting future hatred. A new edition of the book was recently published that includes over 3,500 annotations that seek to counter Hitlers hateful messages contained therein.

It is inconceivable that a century later, we would be witnessing antisemitic protests on numerous college campuses across America as participants support a Muslim terrorist group that promotes, once again, the same Jewish genocide Naziism sought.

Such protests gave me cause to reflect upon two incidents experienced by my grandfatherthen Lieutenant Colonel Elmo R. Zumwalt, Sr.who served in the U.S. Army in World War II, in the European theater. While decades have passed since he shared them, they forever remain etched upon my mind.

Sadly, the hatred of Jews has long been a tragic part of world history. World War II marked another era in which such hatred surged. So horrendous were my grandfathers experiences that, lest they be lost to history, he recorded what he could as his medical officer responsibilities afforded him time to do so.

On April 3, 1945, U.S. forces began crossing the Rhine River and pushing into Germany. On April 14, the U.S. 102nd Infantry Divisionto which Grandfathers 100th Evac Hospital was attachedapproached the town of Gardelegen. As it did so, it came across the smoldering ruins of a large barn. A closer inspection revealed more than a thousand human remains between victims in the barn and bodies in a partially covered trench dug to bury them.

Grandfather immediately set up a field hospital to treat any possible survivors. Only eleven were found.

An immediate investigation determined that, during the previous days, 4,000 mostly Jewish slave laborers had been relocated from other concentration camps to Gardelegen. Unable to handle such a large number, the infamous Nazi SS recruited auxiliary forces from among the local citizenry to take custody of them. Rather than treating the sick and most weak, these auxiliary forces marched them into the barn and set it on fire. Any one attempting to escape was shot. Tragically, this massacre had occurred only one day before U.S. forces arrived.

With so few survivors, attention turned to interment of the bodies. Despite the need to act quickly on the matter as a health issue, it was decided the victims would not be subjected to the indignity of a mass grave. They had suffered enough; their bodies would not spend eternity so callously discarded.

Due to the complicity of the German people, local citizens were pressed into digging individual graves for each victim. Additionally, each German citizen was charged with responsibility to maintain the grave for the rest of his life.

Individual graves were dug for the 430 bodies recovered from the barn as well as the 586 bodies exhumed from the trench. The grave maintenance responsibility given to town residents was intended to ensure they never forgot the atrocity in which they had, either directly or indirectly, participated.

When news of the Gardelegen massacre spread, a U.S. soldier acknowledged, I never was so sure before of exactly what I was fighting for.

Grandfather also became one of the first medical personnel to enter the infamous Dachau concentration camp after its liberation on April 29, 1945. Attesting to the horrors that existed there, including dead bodies stacked as if they were firewood, he had yet another sad story to tell.

As the former prisoners abandoned their bug-infested and filthy barracks, tents were set up around the camp to house them. One of the tents was for orphans. Among the orphans was a young boy, perhaps five years old, who did not even know his name, appearing deathly thin. Taking a liking to grandfather, each day the boy appeared at his office at about the same time. Grandfather used the opportunity to supplement the boys rations with fresh bread and chocolate which was accepted without uttering a word.

When the boy failed to show up one day, grandfather went searching for him. The boys lifeless body was discovered in the orphan tent. Under his bed were found all the bread and chocolates he had been given. Believing the sudden abundance of food to only be temporary, the boy had hoarded the bread and chocolates for the less plentiful days he feared again lay ahead.

Grandfather bore witness to an unfathomable hatred for a people whose only sin was to be Jewish. Yet, the Nazis were so blinded by their hatred, they failed to recognize the sins of their own actions. One would think the barbarity of their actions would never have been forgotten, yet it has been by college protesters ignoring the brutality of Hamas that it demonstrated by the October 7, 2023 massacre of 1,200 innocent Israeli men, women and children.

In Greek tragedies, the protagonist often experiences a reckoning. Sadly, a hundred years after Hitlers book was published, antisemitic protagonists still thrive, oblivious to the 3,500 annotations in the new version of Mein Kampf seeking to counter such hatred.

Image: Public domain.
Whats wrong with New Yorkers electing Zohran Mamdani mayor? Seriously. Hes a socialist, isnt he? Hell wreck New York City, you say. But didnt that process start with Bill DeBlasio? Do you think that process ends electing Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams? Perennial candidate Curtis Silwa is a savior? Hasnt socialism been the road Democrats have been traveling for decades? When Mamdanis socialist experiment crashes and burns, maybe itll persuade New Yorkers to abandon Democrats. Maybe independents decide to swing Republican.

JFK-style liberals began vanishing after Kennedys assassination. Mamdanis election would make it obvious what should be obvious. Liberalism, progressivism -- call it whatever -- is a ruse. The Democrat Party tilts full Left. Trends are making it more so. Mamdani will pursue an agenda thats part utopian drivel, Soviet-style top-down, and plenty of Cuban incompetence leading to dysfunctional public services, higher costs, and increasing scarcity. Dead Russians and living Cubans can testify to what glorious utopia brings.

A broken Democrat Party is a public necessity. Big failure means bigger brokenness. Lets not hear nonsense from good government Republicans that a healthy two-party system profits the nation. Life isnt a civics class. Franklin Roosevelt didnt give a damn about anything other than healthy Democrat dominance. Jacksonian Democrats and Lincoln and McKinley Republicans believed no differently. When did Republicans go softheaded?

Let dogmatic Democrats stumble in the wilderness for a generation or more. A Trumpian sea change completes in two ways: the president keeps racking up Ws and Democrats continue to misgovern, driven by extreme policies. (Senator Dave McCormicks energy and AI summit held at Carnegie Mellon University this past week showcased more huge wins for the president. Colossal benefits are expected for the economy, regionally and nationally.)

A busted Democrat party isnt just about narrow partisan advantage. Clearing out Democrats is pivotal. MAGA is about the nation returning to its core values about building a freer, more prosperous America.

Smarter Democrat operatives see their party teetering.

From The Hill, July 14:

Sadly, Democrats are still stuck in the same mud that they were in six months ago, Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said. We are still as unpopular as we were when Trump was inaugurated in January.

An unnamed strategist went further, stating:

This is a nightmare scenario for the Dems right now, the strategist said. We better pray long and hard that the country is going to be in a fing depression, because I dont know how else we find ourselves out of this mess.

Mamdani is running mask off. Give the guy credit. Indoctrinated young left-wingers proclaim socialism is the future. How many times before have we heard that? Plenty of these cultists live in the Big Apple.

Posted former college professor Newt Gingrich at X, July 15:

Mamdanis supporters are not the well educated young the media describes. They are the well brainwashed young. The more elite the school you went to the more likely you are to be brainwashed rather than educated. They could vote for Mamdani to turn New York City into Caracas and they would have no idea how much damage they will have done. As Mark Twain said It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. Welcome to Mandani land[.]

Newt, these young are social inbreds. Their parents money has insulated them from lifes grittier realities. U.S. history has been spoon-fed to them by radical leftist teachers and professors. America is evil. Light-lift liberal arts degrees from high-dollar universities impart the illusion of being elite on merit. Ivy League alumni take care of each other. Life in Manhattan and Brooklyn -- NYCs priciest boroughs -- is easier with mommys and daddys credit cards handy. Entry-level jobs are for public college grunges.

The newer brand of Democrats are stepping off college campuses as bold radicals. Consider the life issue. Not long ago, pro-abortion advocates went to great pains to call themselves pro-choice. Now, most of them proclaim that theyre pro-abortion. Killing a baby in the womb up to birth has acquired trophy status. Women must be empowered, they shout. Sleeping around and career fulfillment rank higher than a babys life. Were only now seeing the consequences to older women who bought the tripe. Theyre spouseless and childless. Do cats and chardonnay fill voids?

Mamdanis platform is pretty darn red. The redder the platform, the greater the disaster in the offing. Thats good because an epic implosion is needed. The platform is packed with the same garbage that progressives peddle in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Austin, and Los Angeles -- six cities that are in various stages of ruin.

DEI and woke twaddle and more carveouts for 3% of the population thats drowning in the delusion called LGBTQIA+ are platform worthy. Any room for better policing along the lines of Giulianis and Bloombergs highly effective broken windows policies? Nope. Instead, criminals require intervention and therapy. Mamdani proposes a Department of Community Safety, which other blue cities mirror in some fashion. New Yorkers, if you think crime is bad now, just wait.

Mamdani means to enact an all-in, go-for-broke socialism in the Big Apple.

Remarked ex-congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN) on CNN, July10:

Anyone who talks about seizing the means of production or opening government-run grocery stores is at great odds with most of the country[.]

Thats an affirmative, Dean. That may be why New Yorks business movers-and-shakers skipped a meet-and-greet with Mamdani.

As Charles Gasparino reported, New York Post, July 15:

The list of New York City-based CEOs that declined the [NYC] Partnerships invitation includes Jamie Dimon, the nations top banker and chief of JP Morgan, the nations largest bank; Steve Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity powerhouse Blackstone; Brian Moynihan, the head of Bank of America, the nations second largest bank; Larry Fink, the CEO of Blackrock, the worlds largest asset manager; and David Solomon, the CEO of investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.

Gasparino continued:

Most business leaders I know are looking for an exit strategy rather than a strategy to deal with a mayor Mamdani.

Mamdani vows to hike taxes on corporations and the 1%. Wait for the deafening sound of money rushing out of NYC next year. Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis must be licking their chops.

FBI deputy director Dan Bongino -- a native New Yorker -- has said that things wont change for the better in New York until things get worse. Electing Mamdani would be worse.

The Big Apple is headed for a helluva a rough ride if polls are true. Thats too bad for New Yorkers who have no easy exit. But Mamdanis election and the citys subsequent fall will provide a searing lesson for voters everywhere. Not only is socialism a pox, but Democrats are the carriers.

Mamdanis election might spark a chain reaction. Blue state and city elected leaders will probably try to out-socialist Mamdani. Then, as havoc spreads, watch the out-migrations accelerate. People will be tripping over themselves to flee dysfunctional communities. Lets hope that migrants leave their politics behind. Whatever. Independent voters matter more. Working folk and middle-class wage-earners are in tune with Trumps policies. Hispanics increasingly so. And some blacks.

Democrats, mired in the La Brea Tar Pits of socialist dogma, and mucking up everything, coupled with more Trump victories, are the recipe for a new majority dedicated to -- you guessed it -- making America great again.

About the Big Apple, Frank Sinatra once crooned,

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.

It's up to you, New York, New York.

It certainly is up to you, New York, New York. More about how you survive Mamdani. Good luck with that.

J. Robert Smith can be found at X. His handle is @JRobertSmith1. At Gab, @JRobertSmith. He blogs occasionally at Flyover .

Image: AT via Magic Studio
On July 18, 1925, Adolph Hitlers book Mein Kampf (My Struggle) was published. Written while he was in Landsberg prison, where he was serving a relatively relaxing sentence for the failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch coup, Hitler made very clear what he would do if the German people put him and the leftist National Socialist Party in power.

Mein Kampf is in two volumes. Part 1 has stories about Hitlers life, including serving as a soldier in World War I. The book sold a paltry 9,473 copies in its first year. At the time, few people cared what a short man with a funny moustache thought.

Part 2 was published in 1927. Unlike many politicians who hide their true goals, Hitler put it all in his book for the entire world to read. He was very clear about his antisemitic views and what he would do to make Germany Judenfrei if he gained power and could implement his Third Reich agenda.

Image created using public domain images.

Sales of the two volumes continued to be slow as many Germans viewed Hitler as more of a comic (funny moustache, short, feminine speaking mannerisms, etc.). At first, they didnt take him or his left-wing National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) seriously. In Hitler Was Incompetent and Lazyand His Nazi Government Was an Absolute Clown Show, Tom Phillips writes about how many viewed Hitler as a fool:

In fact, this may even have helped his rise to power, as he was consistently underestimated by the German elite. Before he became Chancellor, many of his opponents had dismissed him as a joke for his crude speeches and tacky rallies. Even after elections had made the Nazis the largest party in the Reichstag, people still kept thinking that Hitler was an easy mark, a blustering idiot who could easily be controlled by smart people.

In Hitlerland, Andrew Nagorski discusses the American medias early impressions of Hitler and the Third Reich:

Yet you had Americans meeting Hitler and saying, This guy is a clown. Hes like a caricature of himself. And a lot of them went through this whole litany about how even if Hitler got into a position of power, other German politicians would somehow be able to control him. A lot of German politicians believed this themselves.

Surprisingly, German Jews also did not take Hitler seriously during his early years. In 1925, only a few German Jewish newspapers even bothered to review Mein Kampf. As Raphael Ahren wrote in The Times of Israel article Why Jews Didnt Blink an Eye When Mein Kampf First Came Out:

When Mein Kampf came out for the first time, German Jews hardly noticed it. They certainly did not view it as a threat to their existence, or even as a harbinger of a changing political climate in the Fatherland.

Rahel Straus, a physician who grew up in Karlsruhe, Germany, and emigrated to Palestine in 1933, wrote in her memoirs:

We passed by the boxes of the Volkisher Beobachter (the official organ of the Nazi Party), read the incendiary articles and indignantly continued working. We didnt realize that this Volkisher Beobachter was one of the most read newspapers in Germany at the time. We saw Hitlers Mein Kampf on display in every bookstore; none of us bought it, none of us read it.

Slowly, that short man with the funny moustache and his leftist Nazi Party chiseled away at the Weimar Republic. The worldwide depression that started in October 1929 gave them a growing audience of supporters. By 1932, the Nazi Party had become the largest political party in the Reichstag (the German parliament).

One year later, on January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by the aging President Paul von Hindenburg. When the 86-year-old Hindenburg died on August 2, 1934, Hitler announced that the office of president and chancellor would merge under the title of Fuhrer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor). Those who disagreed were free to discuss the matter at the end of a gun barrel or while laboring in Dachau.

Suddenly, sales of Mein Kampf rose to more than 1 million copies. In 1935, the Franz, Eher, Nacht publishing house suggested to Hitler that a special Mein Kampf version should be given to every newlywed couple on the day of their wedding.

The western world, still reeling from the horrors of World War I, watched what was happening in Germany and worried that another massive worldwide conflict was on the horizon. Meanwhile, Germany was ignoring the Treaty of Versailles while the Allies embraced appeasement.

After signing the Munich Agreement on September 30, 1938, between Great Britain and Germany, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew back to London believing he had prevented a second European war. When Chamberlain, whose name would become synonymous with appeasement, reached the prime ministers residence at 10 Downing Street, he read a prepared statement:

My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time.

British Prime Minister Chamberlain and, to a lesser degree, President Franklin Roosevelt bent like pretzels to avoid a second colossal world war. In the meantime, Winston Churchill, who in 1935 had read the unedited English version of Mein Kampf, was repeatedly telling anyone who would listen that it would be better to stop Hitler now before he rebuilt Germanys army and arsenal.

Few were listening to Churchill.

By May 10, 1940, when Churchill succeeded Chamberlain as prime minister, Mein Kampf had been in the public square for nearly 15 years and was a best seller in Germany and the occupied Nazi nations. Chamberlains years of appeasement had resulted in:

March 7, 1936 : Germany invaded and remilitarized the Rhineland.

: Germany invaded and remilitarized the Rhineland. March 12-13, 1938 : Germany annexed Austria (Anschluss).

: Germany annexed Austria (Anschluss). March 15, 1939 : Germany invaded the Czechoslovakia via the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia.

: Germany invaded the Czechoslovakia via the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia. September 1, 1939 : Germany invaded Poland.

: Germany invaded Poland. September 3, 1939: Great Britain declared war on Germany.

Keep all this in mind when laughing at memes mocking intelligence-challenged politicians such as New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett, or New Yorks Communist-Democrat mayoral candidate Zohan Mamdani.

One of them might soon be writing a book called My Struggle.

Robin M. Itzler is a regular contributor to American Thinker. She is the founder and editor of Patriot Neighbors, a free weekly national newsletter. Robin can be reached at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com.
On October 7, 2023, crossing the Gaza border during a ceasefire, Hamas and other Islamic terror groups slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostage. The magnitude of this unprovoked act should have ignited widespread outrage and solidarity with Jews and Israel. Instead, students and professors on many university campuses celebrated Hamas, vilified Israel, and expressed virulent antisemitism that had built up over the years, through slurs, flagrant discrimination, and even assaults.

Prof. Russell Rickford, who teaches history at Cornell, described the Hamas attack as energizing and exhilarating, and called it a symbol of resistance. He later defended his comments, saying he was referring to Hamass breaking through a wall of apartheid  whatever that means. Five days after the attack, student groups at Cornell justified it and blamed Israel for it. Similar displays of anti-Israel sentiment and blatant antisemitism appeared on other campuses as well. Jewish students and professors reported feeling unsafe, facing hate speech and unprovoked heckling.

An April report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) revealed 1,694 antisemitic incidents in 2024, marking an 84% increase from 2023. Likely, the actual numbers are higher, as a survey conducted by the ADL, Hillel International, and College Pulse found that 93% of students did not report antisemitic incidents to university authorities, and 83% of Jewish students have experienced various forms of antisemitism since October 7. Twenty-seven percent reported antisemitic behavior by faculty, and 66% expressed no confidence in their universitys ability to prevent such incidents. In fact, 30% of those who reported incidents said they received no help. Additionally, 23% of Jewish students now take extra security measures, and 41% feel the need to hide their identity.

According to the joint survey, on-campus antisemitism includes disrupting Jewish, Israeli, and pro-Israel speakers; singling out Jews for perceived or actual ties to Israel; subjecting Jews to anti-Israel or anti-Jewish comments both in conversations and online; vandalizing Jewish signs and symbols; forcing students to view course material that is openly anti-Israel; disrupting classes with protests, with some professors offering extra credit for participating in anti-Israel protests; receiving biased treatment from anti-Israel professors; being blamed for Israels policies; and facing ostracism by campus groups and students who are strongly anti-Israel.

So, how did so much antisemitism develop on our campuses? Without a doubt, it largely arises from the substantial financial support American universities have received from countries that oppose Israel and promote hatred against Jews. As expected, most of these countries are in the Middle East: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Egypt, and the non-existent State of Palestine. However, there are also contributions from Turkey and Malaysia.

A 2023 report titled The Corruption of the American Mind, published by the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University, noted that over 200 American colleges and universities received $13 billion from foreign regimes, which helped increase antisemitism. Many of these institutions do not voluntarily disclose such funding. The report states that universities accepting undocumented money tend to have higher levels of antisemitism on campus, and the relationship was even stronger if the undocumented money came from countries in the Middle East.

In a paper titled Arab Funding of American Universities: Donors, Recipients, and Impact, Dr. Mitchell Bard, a foreign policy analyst, states that sources of funds are often hidden or not disclosed. He notes that in 2020, when the Department of Education (DoE) began investigating universities reporting of funding, it found Yale did not disclose foreign gifts for four years, Case Western Reserve for 12 years, and Harvard reported a lump sum without breaking it down by country, as required by law. Based on the DoEs 19862022 documents, the paper highlights that Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. donated $4.3 billion combined, Egypt contributed $125.7 million, and the State of Palestine gave $10.1 million. It emphasizes that lack of transparency is the biggest issue: only 9% of recipients clearly disclose how the money is used.

In a column for the Jewish News Syndicate, Bard labels Qatar. It funds Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and the Taliban, and supports the Muslim Brotherhood, making it a major contributor to campus antisemitism. He states that, since 1981, Qatar has made 1,143 donations totaling $6 billion to 63 universities.

Last week, as leaders from Georgetown, UC Berkeley, and CUNY prepared to appear before a Congressional committee on July 15, the Institute of the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) released a 135-page report on Georgetown, exposing a 50-year Muslim Brotherhood campaign and a 20-year Qatari funding strategy to reshape American foreign policy through elite academia. A similar report from the Middle East Forum states that, thanks to influence bought by a network run by Qatar, Turkey, and Malaysia, Georgetowns leaders are now antisemitic, anti-Western, and anti-American. Confirming the extent of Qatari influence, on July 14, conservative activist Laura Loomer alleged that Rep. Lisa McClain had leaked the agenda of the congressional hearing to the Embassy of Qatar.

Since influencing impressionable students through course materials, classroom discussion, and grading requires professors who align with a specific ideology, faculty members opposing anti-Israeli and antisemitic views face discrimination when seeking teaching contracts and tenure. Three recent examples show how such discrimination happens on campuses.

The first example comes from the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania. Even before Francisco Gil-White finished his PhD in biological and cultural anthropology, he was recruited by the universitys psychology department, recognizing his academic potential. However, in 2004, when the university was considering renewing his contract for a second three-year term, it identified problems with his performance and was preparing to dismiss him. By then, he had 12 publications in respected journals, so he clearly met the standards for reappointment.

The issue, he claimed, was his shift from supporting the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to taking a pro-Israeli, pro-Jewish stance. He also opposed UPenns invitation of Bill Black (author of Theft of a Nation, which advocates for the destruction of Israel) because of Blacks anti-Israeli, antisemitic, and antiblack views. Gil-White states that this led political science professor Ian Lustick, who had previously praised him when he was pro-PLO, to turn against him. His contract was never renewed; essentially, he was dismissed.

The second example is from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Dr. Benjamin Bross, who teaches in the urban and regional planning department, was dismissed because of his pro-Israel views. Before October 7, he received excellent reviews for his teaching and publications, was awarded a scholars prize, and was encouraged to write a book. However, shortly after expressing pro-Israel views, his work was seen as inadequate, and he was denied tenure. He has appealed to UIUCs faculty advisory committee and hopes to prove that he has been unfairly treated. Read his full story here.

The third case is from Harvard, where Saul Noam Zaritt, the only Yiddish professor, was denied tenure despite being highly regarded as a teacher. Both the tenure review committee and other faculty were surprised by the decision. Zaritt has filed a grievance citing procedural irregularities. Meanwhile, the future of Yiddish instruction at Harvard remains uncertain.

Jew hatred has reached levels not seen since the Holocaust. The existence and encouragement of such prejudice at our universities is shameful and dangerous because this revival of the worlds oldest hatred will eventually have a significant impact on American society and government. The cause is clear. As Bard writes, the Arab lobbynow has faculty across the country who use their positions to advance political agendas that are typically pro-Arab, anti-Israel, and uncritical of radical Islam. This poisoning of our universities and young minds must stop. The flow of money fueling hatred must be cut off.

Image created by Andrea Widburg.
In A Hebron Emirate or a Colonial Deception? (7/9/25), the Wall Street Journal and its editorial author Mahmood Jabari complete the amazing feat of distorting facts through an entire editorial, from the first words to the very last. It would seem that such an achievement would be impossible, but this op-ed accomplished it.

Lets start from the title. Israel cannot possibly be considered colonial by any stretch of the imagination. The 3,000-year Jewish presence in Israel is documented in history books, substantiated by numerous archaeological findings, and described in the Bible. Jews are from Judea (as the word Judea implies), a land currently called the West Bank.

There was no significant dispute about Jewish indigeneity in Israel until about 80 years ago, coinciding (to no ones surprise) with the rebirth of the Jewish state  Israel. Ironically, Arabs who accused Israelis of colonialism were themselves colonists. In the seventh century, Arabs migrated westward from the Arabian Peninsula (as the word Arab implies) and forcibly colonized a vast region, including the Eastern Mediterranean and all of North Africa. At one point, the Arab Conquest even conquered much of Europe but was eventually repelled.

Due to the Arab colonization, the Middle East became majority-Arab. The Jews, along with Persians, Kurds, Turks, and other ethnicities, were the groups who were colonized. In the twentieth century, after the demise of the Ottoman Empire, Israel and four neighboring Arab states emerged as sovereign products of decolonization. The Middle East is currently 99% Arab/Muslim and 1% Jewish.

In light of the above, there is no reason to characterize Arab colonizers as the victims of colonialism. Journalists who accuse Israel of colonialism are spreading lies to delegitimize and ultimately to destroy Israel. Propagandists like Jabari aim to rally world opinion to take down the one Jewish state. The Wall Street Journal shamefully went along for that ride.

The op-ed ends with this:

Most important, this process [a peace deal] must be led by a young generation of Palestinian leaders, most of whom have never had an opportunity to vote in a Palestinian election and have only known occupation but refuse to accept it.

With that final line, the author shows he has the unique ability  if nothing else  for packing several lies into one sentence. Where is this young generation of Palestinian leaders of which the author speaks? Is he referring to Hamas leaders? There are no George Washingtons in the Palestinian areas. Have we heard of any? No.

The reason young Palestinians have never had an opportunity to vote in a Palestinian election is because in one territory, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has refused to hold elections since 2005. He is now in his twentieth year of a five-year term. The other territory, Gaza, has been ruled by a ruthless terrorist organization since 2007. The biggest lie of them all is that Israel occupies the territories inhabited by Palestinians. Repeating the canard, as the mainstream media have a habit of doing, doesnt make it true. In Gaza, 100% of the Palestinian population is ruled by Hamas. In Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), over 90% of the Palestinians have self-rule, and the remaining 10% live in Israeli-controlled areas by choice.

The Wall Street Journal should apologize for this propaganda hit piece on Israel. A correction would be longer than the op-ed itself. How about a commitment to honesty in all future Wall Street Journal articles and op-eds regarding Israel and the Palestinians? That would be a welcome start.

Image via Pxbarn.
In California, some radical far-left ideas don't seem to be drawing the applause they were expected to draw.

Which brings us to one state Sen. Ben Allen, a Santa Monica statehouse senator who put out a proposed law so stinky, so stanky, so vile, he skedaddled backward as fast as his little legs would carry him.

At a time when the County of Los Angeles has witheld rebuilding permits for all but seven of the 17,000 homeowners who lost their homes in the fires they caused, Allen's SB 549 authorized the state to go around buying up burned properties in fire-ravaged areas, including Altadena and Pacific Palisades, and converting those lots into crime-box high-rise apartment projects for the benefit of the homeless and the "justice-involved individuals."

It made sense from a leftist point of view. Many leftists have gone into low-income housing construction -- and could potentially benefit from construction of crime-box apartments to house bums and criminals who belong in jail.

That would be quite a reward for the bums, given that they set so many of these fires, and an incentive to them to set more fires, given that the prize is now beachfront property.

High-density housing, which is present in yet another bad bill likely to be scrapped, SB 79, described here, will ensure a dependent class that reliably votes Democrat, and thus, changes the character of the neighborhoods.

And the fact that Los Angeles neglected so much before the fires that it appears as though this was the plan all along.

Now he says he's had the bill "paused," after public input even though it had been expected to pass.

 BREAKING: California state Senator @BenAllenCA just made the right decision to pause, until at least next year, SB 549, the bill that would have permitted governments to purchase & develop burned-out properties, under opposition/concern from local citizens & leaders like pic.twitter.com/ee5Ilm2IUf  Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) July 17, 2025

The public response apparently alarmed him.

His phone must have been on fire.

Minutes after this column was published online, Sen. Ben Allen emailed to say he wanted to speak with me to clarify some aspects of his bill, SB 549.

Then he said the bill has now been "paused" for the rest of the year, maybe longer. https://t.co/WMS1HGMjPw  Susan Shelley (@Susan_Shelley) July 17, 2025

Here is his groveling explanation:

My statement on pausing SB 549. pic.twitter.com/OXye2hsETp  Ben Allen (@BenAllenCA) July 17, 2025

Here are some of the ugly details:

. @GavinNewsom lied.



He said he wouldnt grab the land where homes burned down in the Palisades to build low-income housing facilities - but he and Karen Bass just did.



They are changing the character of the Palisades and Malibu to fit their woke agenda. They dont care what  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) July 17, 2025

All part of a bigger plan. There, Ive said it. I had held back, but when Newscum announced the $101,000,000 plan to destroy the Palisades with crime box buildings, I just dont care anymore.



Does anyone think this wasnt planned to some degree all along? pic.twitter.com/tyzHJ2vOpq  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 15, 2025

The Malibu Daily says he's just regrouping:

SB 549 PAUSED but dont get too comfortable.



Sen. Ben Allen hit the brakes only after community backlash exposed the bill for what it really was: a top-down power grab dressed up as rebuilding.



Meanwhile, Newsom just dropped $101M to push state-controlled density housing pic.twitter.com/QubEJlJUC1  Cece Woods (@cecewoodsmedia) July 17, 2025

Others say he will slip in the details seen in his bill now on the back of some other bill when no one is looking.

That said, this is a major defeat for a monstrous idea, a double-slap in the face of those who had lost their homes based on city negligence -- failure to clear brush, failure to keep fire trucks and hydrants in working order, failure to fill the reservoir built to fight fires, and all the other positively criminal negligence coming from city and county officials, and now failure to issue rebuilding permits -- but who have grand plans to put bums and criminals first, getting them squared away before the locals are allowed to rebuild.

And don't imagine this isn't part of the plan -- they have yet to issue rebuilding permits to those affected, but still demand property taxes, two-thirds of which are based on the value of the land, on the burned lots, which is forcing many to sell even though they don't want to. What better a setup for nonprofit and homeless housing construction?

Everyone saw through it, and Newsom himself, who has presidential ambitions, probably told Allen to "pause" it.

It stinks. It stinks so bad even its sponsor has probably been forced to disavow it.

Image: X screen shot
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

Q2 2025

Net sales: MSEK 23,166 (25,606)

MSEK 23,166 (25,606) Organic growth: 0.2% (6.6%), driven by lower market demand within the Automotive market while the Industrial segment reported organic sales growth.

0.2% (6.6%), driven by lower market demand within the Automotive market while the Industrial segment reported organic sales growth. Adjusted operating profit: MSEK 3,090 (3,324). The decrease was due to significant currency headwind. Solid price/mix contribution, driven by pricing activities and portfolio management, as well as good cost control more than offset lower volumes.

MSEK 3,090 (3,324). The decrease was due to significant currency headwind. Solid price/mix contribution, driven by pricing activities and portfolio management, as well as good cost control more than offset lower volumes. Adjusted operating margin: 13.3% (13.0%) with Industrial at 16.6% (16.3%) and Automotive at 5.1% (5.3%).

13.3% (13.0%) with Industrial at 16.6% (16.3%) and Automotive at 5.1% (5.3%). Net cash flow from operating activities: MSEK 2,817 (2,152).

Financial overview, MSEK unless otherwise stated Q2 2025 Q2 2024 Half year 2025 Half year 2024 Net sales 23,166 25,606 47,132 50,305 Organic growth, % 0.2 6.6 1.8 6.8 Adjusted operating profit 3,090 3,324 6,323 6,627 Adjusted operating margin, % 13.3 13.0 13.4 13.2 Operating profit 1,300 2,489 4,185 5,482 Operating margin, % 5.6 9.7 8.9 10.9 Adjusted net profit 2,373 2,498 4,669 4,810 Net profit 583 1,663 2,531 3,665 Net cash flow from operating activities 2,817 2,152 3,794 3,933 Basic earnings per share 1.13 3.36 5.08 7.50 Adjusted earnings per share 5.06 5.19 9.77 10.02

Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO:

"It's encouraging that our adjusted operating margin improved, year-over-year, with relatively flat organic sales and significant currency headwind. We have continued to work hard to create a strong foundation for the future, including our ongoing rightsizing activities.

Margin resilience in markets with mixed demand

Our organic sales declined in the second quarter by -0.2% year-over-year. For our Industrial business, organic sales improved in all regions, especially in Asia where it was partly driven by favorable timing of deliveries. In Europe, sales volumes improved sequentially driven by stronger demand in aerospace, lubrication and magnetics.

Our Automotive business continued to face challenging market conditions globally, except for electrical vehicles, resulting in an organic sales decline, year-over-year.

We delivered a strong adjusted operating margin of 13.3% given the mixed demand and significant negative currency impact. The margin was driven by pricing, portfolio management and good cost control. We largely compensated for increased tariff costs. Given current tariff levels, we expect this to be the case also in the third quarter, with the majority of the net impact in Automotive.

Items affecting comparability (IAC) was high in the quarter. This as the full amount of costs related to the previously indicated rightsizing program were charged. As the Automotive separation is building momentum, IAC also includes sequentially higher separation costs. Furthermore, we reported a capital gain of BSEK 0.8. Due to timing effects, costs related to footprint regionalization were low in the quarter. In total, IAC amounted to BSEK -1.8.

Cash flow increased to BSEK 2.8 (2.2) due to improved working capital, where accounts payable contributed positively.

A more competitive Industrial business

Strengthened operational and commercial excellence are key pillars to create significant customer value in targeted markets.

As part of improving our operational excellence, we have managed to swiftly adapt our organization to the rapidly changing market conditions in recent years, contributing to our margin resilience.

To further enhance our competitiveness, the previously announced rightsizing of our Industrial business, enabled by the Automotive separation, comprise of a gross reduction of approximately 1,700 positions, primarily staff positions in Europe. With re-hires related to our ongoing strategic footprint shift, the net reduction is approximately 1,200 positions. These actions are difficult to take, but necessary to secure our future competitiveness. The savings are estimated at approximately BSEK 2 and will more than compensate for dissynergies related to the Automotive separation. The full annual run-rate saving is expected to be achieved in 2027, with a fairly linear pace between 2026-2027. The savings also include a reduction of consultants and other cost-saving activities. Restructuring costs are fully charged to this quarter as IAC and amount to BSEK 2, while the cash flow impact is primarily expected in 2026. The ongoing organizational review, including manning activities, of our Automotive business and its associated effects will be presented on our Capital Markets Day on 11 November.

One targeted market, where we have improved our performance through commercial excellence including portfolio prioritization and pricing activities, is aerospace. Following the strategic review we started in 2023, our aerospace business has had 12% annual sales growth and an increased adjusted operating margin of 8pp between 2022 and 2025. We're now well positioned for future profitable growth from attractive long-term contracts with major customers, an increased aftermarket presence, and an operational setup to serve our customers effectively. We are doing similar commercial initiatives in other parts of our industrial business to cater for long-term value creation.

Outlook

While the global economic development makes the outlook uncertain, we expect organic sales to be relatively unchanged in Q3, year-over-year."

Outlook and guidance

Outlook

Q3 2025: While the global economic development makes the outlook uncertain, we expect organic sales to be relatively unchanged, year-over-year.

Guidance Q3 2025

Currency impact on the operating profit is expected to be around MSEK 500 negative compared to the third quarter 2024, based on exchange rates per 30 June 2025 .

Guidance FY 2025

Tax level excluding effects related to divested businesses: around 26%.

Additions to property, plant and equipment: around BSEK 4.5 excluding separation of the Automotive business.

A webcast will be held on 18 July 2025 at 09:00 (CEST):

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As they say in Spanish, "Mucho cuidado Mexico." Be careful, Mexico. Presidenta Sheimbaum is talking about suing ICE over the death of a Mexican national in California. Here is the story:

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday said her administration was considering the possibility of filing a legal complaint over the death of a migrant who fell to his death during an immigration raid at a cannabis farm in Camarillo.

Jaime Alanis Garcia was hospitalized and later died after falling off a roof during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Camarillo.

"Jaime was not just a farmworker, he was a provider, and a human being who deserved dignity. His death is not an isolated tragedy. It is the result of a targeted raid at Glass House Farms. Workers were met not with protection, but with chaos and fear. Some were detained. Others were traumatized. Jaime lost his life," the family posted on social media.

Federal agents clashed with protesters during the immigration raid at the farm in Ventura County, one of at least two large-scale raids in Southern California on July 10.

Garcia's family said he fell about 30 feet off a building while he was possibly trying to run from federal agents. Garcia suffered a broken neck and skull.

"We are supporting the family, we are in contact with them, and we're also exploring the possibility of filing a complaint (in the U.S.) because this is unacceptable," Sheinbaum said at a Tuesday press conference. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing the matter. It is very unfortunate that this happened. All our solidarity and support go to the family, and there must not be another case like this one. That's why the complaint must be filed in the courts over there."

The Department of Homeland Security said he was not being pursued by law enforcement when he fell.

"This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody. Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet," said DHS Public Affairs Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible."
In Philadelphia, the heretofore City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphian officials have slashed their concern for their Jewish inhabitants. As IIhan Omar so glibly stated, something happened. She was snarkily referring to September 11, but it covers her attitude of other tragic events.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and Gazan civilians, many previously posing as Israelis friends, stormed the southern part of Israel; raped, burned alive, and cut off body parts of thousands of Israelis; photographed the carnage; and bragged of their evil to the world.

They also kidnapped hundreds of Israelis, many of whom were killed in captivity, with subsequent heartrending, lopsided hostage releases, but with another approximately fifty still being held hostage almost two years later.

A rational, humane world would have immediately given aid and emotional support to the beleaguered Israeli nation. Shockingly, that did not happen. On United States college campuses, on major U.S. city streets, and in one of the two major U.S. political parties, empathy from many went mainly to the butchers.

Democrat party representative Ilhan Omar, and her band of Jew-haters, such as Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and others in the Democrat party, scorned American and Israeli Jews while siding with the protesters.

One politician, however, Democrat Senator John Fetterman, has bravely, fiercely, and without wavering one iota come to the Jewish peoples defense. By doing so, he and his family have endured almost two years of attacks and abuse.

Right after the attacks on Israelis on October 7, 2023, Senator Fetterman put up photos in his D.C. office of every person kidnapped.

Not only is Fetterman brave; he is effective and hilarious. When brutes surrounded his family home and protested his support of Israel, Fetterman did not waver. Instead, he hoisted himself up on his roof and waived the Israeli flag  a true-life Fiddler on the Roof!

No, Fetterman is not Jewish: But he has guts of steel and a heart of gold.

In recognition and acknowledgement of his bravery and endless appreciation, ZOA (Zionist Organization of America) Philadelphia Chapter honored Senator Fetterman with its Defender of Israel Award at its annual fundraising gala in September 2024.* In response, Fetterman notated the award with a beautiful acceptance speech, with pictures of himself and the award that were played that night.

While Fetterman has repeatedly stated that he will not switch parties, the Democrats are thinking of primarying him in his next senatorial election. This is a major switch from the days when they celebrated his recovery from health issues and his fondness for hoodies and casual attire.

It is interesting to note that Senator Fetterman has uniquely stated that he is a senator for all Pennsylvanians and is collaborating with Pennsylvanias other senator, a Republican.

Regardless of political parties, these are the ethics all politicians should aspire to follow  in other words, being a mensch.

*Lynne Lechter is the co-president of ZOA, Philadelphia Chapter.
There is nothing worse than a police officer trying to take advantage of a system thats meant to keep people safe. You can say whatever you want about master criminals, but anyone who betrays the code of the badge for a quick buck deserves whatever book can be thrown at him.

Im talking about this report, surrounding the arrest of three current and former police chiefs in Louisiana who reportedly sold fake police reports to immigrants who were looking for visas.

Chandrakant Lala Patel faces the worst of the charges, including conspiracy, bribery, over 24 (!) counts of mail fraud, and eight county of money-laundering. Current Oakdale police chief Chad Doyle and Ward 5 marshal Michael Freck Slaney were also charged, along with former Forest Hill Police chief Glynn Dixon and former Glenmora Police chief Tebo Onishea.

These suspects do have a right to their day in court, to prove their innocence. But this has been an operation thats been running for a long time. In fact, almost ten years.

In a nutshell, the group reportedly made fake reports about these immigrants acting as victims of armed robberies in an effort to allow them to apply for U-Visas, which allow crime victims to stay within the United States.

Thats absolutely preposterous, isnt it?

U.S. attorney Alec Van Hook, of Louisianas Western District, explained something that tipped off the investigation.

There was an unusual concentration of armed robberies, he noted. A large number of people that were not from Louisiana in some of our smaller communities. He also made it clear that a number of these robberies never took place.

Authorities noted that these police chiefs reportedly received $5,000 for each person listed on each police report, and the turnaround for U-Visas for them to remain within the country.

There are a few takeaways from this.

First off, this is just a bad name on police, period. Someones bound to look at this and go, Well, I knew it  police officers are corrupt.

More often than not, police officers are painted as bad apples, mainly due to statements from suspects that perceive them as racist or believe theyre acting on their own accord. I can assure you that this is not the case.

Save for some of these bad apples, a majority of these police officers are actually very good people  hardworking, dedicated men and women working to keep innocent people safe. Period. Most of the time, suspects are fabricating the truth just to save their own skin.

But this just ties a knot in my stomach. Here are police chiefs  put in charge of departments, mind you  that decided to make a profit off people using illegal means to remain within this country. That is not what police code is all about. And if these allegations end up being true, I hope they go to jail for some time, in an effort to learn their lesson.

Theres another takeaway from this thats equally disturbing. We have a crisis within the United States surrounding illegal aliens, some of whom are partaking in additional criminal activity.

Obviously, President Donald Trump, border czar Tom Homan, and hundreds of thousands of ICE agents are doing their part to make sure these criminals are sent back to their home countries. Theyre doing an outstanding job thus far.

But when United States citizens  ones empowered with police duties  try to take advantage of the system in an effort to make some money, it just doesnt sit well at all. It seems like a betrayal of everything we stand for.

However, Van Hook wanted to make it clear that, despite the reported actions of these chiefs, that does not mean their departments are corrupt. And yes, good men and women still serve within these departments. We are not alleging that these are corrupt police departments.

With that, I just believe that the investigation, ongoing with several departments, should leave no stone unturned. And if these chiefs are in fact guilty of what theyre being charged with, I hope the punishment fits the crime.

Just remember, everyone: The actions of a few bad apples do not equate the police as a whole. Again, the majority out there are people just like you and me, getting their job done.

Dont let the bad apples spoil your idea of what law enforcement is all about. It isnt the case at all.

Michael Letts is the founder, president, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website.

Image: Tony Webster via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).
President Donald Trumps administration needs to provide additional explanations for statements that Attorney General Pam Bondi and United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba made about evidence associated with Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel dated February 27, 2025, Bondi stated:

By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.

Did Bond receive the materials related to Epsteins clients? Why did she request materials related to Epsteins clients? Does the federal government have materials related to Epsteins clients that are not publicly available? If so, what is in those materials, whether specifically or, if a court order is in place, generally?

Image created by ChatGPT.

On July 7, 2025, The Independent published an article about an interview in February 2025 that Piers Morgan conducted with then-White House counselor Alina Habba. The video of the interview is posted on Morgans YouTube channel, and beginning at 1:19:30 of the video, this exchange occurs:

Habba : But in this case, in Epsteins case, it is incredibly disturbing. We have flight logs, we have information, names that will come out. Morgan : Is it going to be shocking? Habba : I dont see how its not shocking  that there were so many individuals that were hidden and kept secret and not been held accountable. Lets talk about the reverse. I believe in accountability. So you have to now go through your process. Now, I wont say theyre guilty until they go through their time in court. But again, now its time for accountability. . . . Morgan : Do you think that by releasing information from these files we are likely to see criminal actions being taken? Habba : Absolutely. Morgan : Really? Habba : I think it would be negligent for us not to. You have to hold individuals who are indeed rapists, accountable. We have to have them tried, in my opinion. And I do believe in that. You know, nobody should be just dismissed. You have to have your time in court, and your case will be heard. But, to hide lists, to protect political friends, we dont have time for that.

Habbas statements lead to myriad questions:

What do the flight logs show? What is the information and names that will come out?

What are the names of the individuals that were hidden and kept secret and not been held accountable?

What are the names of those who should go through their time in court?

What are the names of those who should be held accountable?

What are the names of those for whom we are likely to see criminal actions being taken?

What are the names of those for whom it would be negligent on the part of the Government if they were not the subject of criminal actions?

What are the names of the individuals who are indeed rapists who need to be held accountable and tried?

Are there any lists that are being hidden, and if so, specifically what is on those lists?

Are there any political friends that are being protected, and if so, what are their names and what are the names of their protectors?

On July 6, 2025, Axios published an unsigned U.S. Department of Justice memorandum that stated:

This systematic review revealed no incriminating client list. There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.

Bondi and Habba should jointly testify before Congressional committees to try to reconcile their statements with the DOJ memorandum.

Allan J. Favish is an attorney in Los Angeles. His website is allanfavish.com. In 2010, James Fernald and Mr. Favish co-authored a book about what might happen if the government ran Disneyland, entitled Fireworks! If the Government Ran the Fairest Kingdom of Them All (A Very Unauthorized Fantasy).

Note from Andrea Widburg: For over 30 years of working in litigation, I participated in what seemed like hundreds of document productions. In response to legitimate document requests, the routine was to produce responsive documents except for those that were privileged or otherwise protected. For those documents we believed were privileged or protected, we would identify the documents and the reason they could not be produced. I would highly recommend that the DOJ do the same here.
There's a meme that resurfaces on social media from time to time. It says, "If a Democrat from the 1960s were to appear today, he'd be considered a conservative. If a Democrat from today were to be transported to the 1960s, he'd be considered a dangerous lunatic."

Truer words were never spoken. Once upon a time the Democrat party defended blue-collar workers, the poor, and the middle class. Not that long ago BJ Clinton and Hussein Obama spoke about the necessity of securing the border. And very recently a rallying cry on the Left was, "No one is above the law."

Times have changed. Quinnipiac now tells us that the party's approval rating hovers at 19% with 52% of Democrat voters disapproving of their congressional representatives performance following the drubbing they took last November. Prominent party leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gavin Newsom are associated with far-left policies that voters feel are out of touch with the electorate.

So where are the party's moderates? Centrist congressional Democrats, sometimes referred to as "Blue Dog Democrats," (BDDs) have historically advocated for fiscal responsibility, moderate social policies, and pragmatic governance. Sadly, their influence is waning.

Since their peak in the 1990s and 2000s, the Blue Dog Coalition has shrunk from 50 House members to 11, with no significant presence in the Senate. With the passage of Obamacare in 2010, many BDDs either lost their seats or were pressured to conform to the progressive wing.

The radical Left members of the party are sidelining BDDs. Social media posts suggest that the BDDs are viewed as "traitors" to the party's progressive agenda, making it politically risky to challenge the leadership. The younger, more radical members of the party demand ideological purity, stifling dissent from the moderates.

There are, however, some BDDs like Senator John Fetterman who have publicly taken stances that diverge from their far-left base. Fetterman, for example, supports Israel and sane border security policies, although this has led to a drop in his approval among Democrats. A Morning Consult poll shows a 33-point drop since late 2024. Some state legislators have resisted their party's more radical policies. They've opposed DEI mandates or supported parental rights, but they are outliers and so lack a national platform to effect party-wide change.

BDDs face pressure to toe the party line in order to maintain support from the DNC and avoid being primaried by progressives. Andrew Cuomo is realizing this after Zohran Mamdani defeated him in the NYC primary. BDDs may be hesitant to speak out until there's more evidence that a moderate stance will resonate with voters. The polls show that Democrat voters are split. Some want the party to double down on far-left policies, while others desire a return to more centrist positions. Some BDDs are focusing on state-level issues, such as opposing Republican redistricting efforts rather than engaging in national ideological debates. This limits their visibility on broader policy issues.

Some BDDs are, however pushing back. There have been state-level Democrats who have resisted far-left policies like DEI and ESG mandates. Fetterman, for example continues to profess moderate positions, suggesting that some Democrats wish to appeal to a broader electorate. Overall however, there is no unified BDD push against the far Left. Judging from social media posts, the BDDs appear to have been silenced or marginalized with the party being increasingly dominated by their Marxist-leaning, far-left base. The party is struggling to find national leaders who can unite or at least bridge the gap between the moderates and the progressives.

The BDDs are reduced to a small coalition with limited national influence. They are not speaking out loudly because of electoral vulnerabilities, pressure from their party, and the lack of strong, cohesive leadership. The Democrat party is fractured and the far-left wing is running things. If the BDDs can capitalize on voter dissatisfaction reflected in the 19% approval rating, they might be able to present a compelling alternative that resonates with their electorate ahead of the midterms.

I don't find this likely. I do think that it's healthy to have a "loyal opposition," a party that presents alternative means of attaining shared goals. At present, however, we appear not to have any shared goals with the Democrats. Their platform does nothing to make America safer, stronger, more prosperous, and more united.

There's a great deal of schadenfreude in watching their party collapse. Let's hope they don't take the whole country down with them.

Image: AT via Magic Studio
As we eagerly await the release of the much-hyped tri-fold smartphone from Samsung, it looks like the competition is on its way with premium hardware. The model were talking about from Huawei is presumably called the Mate XT 2. For those who missed it, Huawei Mate XT is the first commercially available tri-folding phone. The successor may arrive with some respectable upgrades.

Huawei Mate XT 2s upgrades may include satellite communication

Tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo shared the alleged specifications of the Huawei Mate XT 2. These suggest some decent upgrades. The leak is based on a Chinese regulatory listing. A new Huawei phone, believed to be the Mate XT 2, reportedly appeared on the TENAA platform. The listing confirmed 5G connectivity and possibly even satellite communication.

Assuming its Mate XT 2, the listing shows the model number GRL-AL20, compared to GRL-AL10 in the Mate XT. The tri-folding phone may offer Tiantong satellite calling, similar to the Mate X5 and Mate XT models. Huawei previously used a specialized antenna layout to enable satellite features only when its fully unfolded. Well have to wait and see if this changes with the second-generation model.

The tri-fold phone may get a 50MP variable aperture camera

The Huawei Mate XT 2 may arrive with some nice upgrades over the original tri-fold. Digital Chat Station notes that the phone may feature the Kirin 9020 SoC. It could get a new 50MP large-pixel sensor with variable aperture support. Improvements to the periscope telephoto lens could also be in the offing.

Though the upgrades look minor, Huawei is a strong rival to Samsung, at least in the home market, China. The company already has the initial lead with the Mate XT. By the time Samsung is ready with its tri-fold, possibly called the Galaxy G Fold or Z TriFold, Huawei will look to take it on with the second-generation Mate XT. Meanwhile, Samsungs tri-folding phone is believed to use the same chipset as the Galaxy S25the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
OpenAI is one of the most popular Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tech brands. ChatGPT is its most popular product. The company has been relying on Microsofts Azure cloud services to process and run its services. Now, the firm is making a change to its framework, and it will also utilize Googles Cloud services.

OpenAI confirms the shift to Google Cloud Services

As said earlier, almost all the data of OpenAIs services was used to be processed on Microsofts Azure Cloud services. However, the firm is now looking to reduce its reliance on Microsoft and is therefore looking for a shift to other cloud services.

And to make the shift, OpenAI has announced that it is soon going to start using the Google Cloud infrastructure for the data processing of its services, including ChatGPT. The talks related to the deal between Google and OpenAI have been going on since June. However, no official clarification was given at that time, but we finally have one now.

ChatGPT or any OpenAI users will remain unaffected

On its sub-processors list, OpenAI has confirmed that the Google cloud services will be used for ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, and Team tiers, and OpenAIs API. The firm currently uses the cloud infrastructure of multiple firms or service providers. The list includes Microsoft Azure, Oracle, and OpenWeave.

The data of various consumers of OpenAI services, such as ChatGPT and custom API, from the US, UK, Japan, Norway, and the Netherlands will be shifted to the newly added Google Cloud for processing. The firm will continue to use the other cloud services alongside those of Google.

Just to clarify, this switch in the cloud infrastructure services is going to affect the users in any way. The end consumers wont even realize whether its data is processed on Microsoft Azure or Googles new cloud services.
How often do you upgrade your smartwatch? For most of us, these trusty wrist companions stick around for a few years. That said, it is only natural that, after a certain time, the battery begins to show its age. Unlike our smartphones, which often come with sophisticated battery care features, smartwatches have generally lagged behind in offering tools to extend their vital power source. But good news: Samsung is stepping up to the plate with a clever new Battery Protection helper to its Galaxy Watch 8 series.

The latest generation of Galaxy Watch wearables introduces a thoughtful feature simply called Battery Protection. Its a small change, but one that could make a significant difference in how long your smartwatchs battery remains robust and healthy.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 New Battery Protection Tool

Heres how it works: Once enabled in the watchs settings, this feature will stop your Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 from charging when its battery level reaches 90%. It then patiently waits. If the battery naturally drops to 85%, it will resume charging, topping it back up to 90%. Essentially, it keeps your watchs battery dancing between that 85% and 90% sweet spot when its on the charger.

Why is this important? It all comes down to the science of lithium-ion batteries. If you are not aware, this technology is the basis of the battery of most of our modern gadgets. Constantly keeping these cells at a full 100% charge puts them under increased stress. This stress, over time, can accelerate degradation and shorten the batterys overall lifespan. Many smartphones offer similar protections, often capping the charge at 80% to maximize longevity.

Samsungs decision to opt for a 90% cap on the Galaxy Watch 8 likely strikes a balance. As we already know, smartwatch batteries are already quite small. So, capping them too low (like 80%) might impact the watchs ability to last a full day for some users. In the end, the ideal scenario is that the smartwatch is still capable of having juice for the entire day. The 90% limit aims to provide a meaningful level of protection without compromising the daily user experience.

One UI 8 could bring it to more Galaxy Watch devices

The Battery Protection tool is currently exclusive to the Galaxy Watch 8 series. We hope to see this practical feature make its way to older Galaxy Watch models. We may hear more about it in the upcoming One UI 8 Watch update.
Bridging friendship with language: Listen to the 'Voice of China' from international students

16:47, July 17, 2025 By Peng Yukai, Gao Wenxiao ( People's Daily Online

The fifth "Stories of China retold in English" Challenge, an international youth exchange event, kicked off in Beijing on July 16, 2025.

Co-held by the China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy, China Education Television, and NewChannel International Education Group Limited, the event aims to cultivate storytelling skills in two languages (English and Chinese) and enhance international communication abilities among Chinese and foreign youth.

Of the 90 participants that took part in the final performance, 30 of them were international students. With their speeches and talent shows, they showcased the China they hold in their hearts.

How much do they know about China and the Chinese language? Follow People's Daily Online and listen to the stories of these foreign young culture ambassadors.

Zhang Shuojing, as an intern, also contributed to this video.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chengliang)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow marks one year since the CrowdStrike outage that caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations worldwide. Over the past year, these outages have been just one of many major disruptions travelers have faced.

Amid airline staffing shortages, airport outages, overall economic uncertainty, and hurricane season, travelers are more concerned than ever about flight disruptions. Squaremouth, the nation's largest travel insurance marketplace , explains how travel insurance can help provide peace of mind.

Summer Travelers Bracing for Delays

Since the CrowdStrike outages last July, Squaremouth has seen a steady rise in traveler concern over flight disruptions. This summer, this is now the number one concern for travelers.

49% of travelers taking trips this summer say flight delays and cancellations are their biggest concern. This marks a notable shift in traveler sentiment since last year, when just 36% of travelers said this was their biggest concern.

This growing concern is changing what travelers are looking for when buying travel insurance. Squaremouth has seen a 74% year-over-year increase in the number of travelers searching specifically for policies that cover delays.

How Travel Insurance Covers Flight Delays

Travel Delay insurance is meant to make sure you aren't stuck with out-of-pocket losses if you experience a significant flight delay. This benefit covers your necessary expenses while you're delayed, including your meals, hotel accommodations, and transportation expenses.

Tips for Getting the Best Travel Delay Coverage

Travel insurance plans have specific requirements that need to be met before Travel Delay coverage kicks in. To get the best and most flexible coverage in the event of a delay, look for a plan with the following features:

Delay coverage that kicks in after 3 hours. Most plans require a delay of 6-12 hours, but the best plans only require a 3-hour delay

Most plans require a delay of 6-12 hours, but the best plans only require a 3-hour delay Coverage for any delay of a common carrier. Some plans will only cover you if the delay is caused by weather or a mechanical problem on the plane. However, plans that cover any delay of a common carrier provide the most flexibility.

About Squaremouth

Squaremouth is a trusted name in the travel insurance industry offering comprehensive, transparent, and competitive coverage to travelers for 20 years through its digital platform. With the largest portfolio of travel insurance carriers and products in the U.S., Squaremouth has insured over 4 million travelers.

Media Contact

Steven Benna

[email protected]

SOURCE Squaremouth
Sumeet Sabharwal was planning to retire to spend more time with his father

Sumeet Sabharwal was either a sad sack or a hero, depending on who you asked.

The 56-year-old veteran pilot of the doomed Air India flight did not drink, never swore, was a committed captain and a doting son to his elderly father.

But underneath his melancholic eyes, he was weighed down by the death of his mother, navigating life after separating from his wife and wanted to quit the airline to spend more time at home.

Cockpit recordings suggest it was him who cut the fuel supply to the engines of Air India flight 171, causing it to lose thrust and crash into the ground.

Before the crash in June, where 260 people died just after take-off in Ahmedabad, he said to a security guard at his apartment complex: Please, take care of papa. I will be back soon.

Sabharwal joined Air India in 1994 and has logged 15,638 hours of flying time, with 8,596 on the 787 aircraft. He flew a Boeing 777 until he trained up between 2014 and 2015 to fly the newer Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Known among his peers for being calm under pressure, he had never been involved in any major incident in his career until June 12.

Neil Pais, 61, a former colleague of Sabharwal, said: He was one of the nicest people you could ever hope to fly with.

He had absolutely no airs about himself, so humble, so respectful. Always a smile when he spoke to you. I never once saw him raise his voice or lose his temper. And yet he never compromised on work or safety. If there was an issue, hed point it out, but always in the nicest possible way.

Captain Kapil Kohal, a long-time friend and fellow Air India pilot, called Sabharwal sad sack but remembered him as a hero with a gentle soul.

He was my senior at flying school and later in Air India. We called him Sad Sack because of his melancholic eyes, but he was deeply charismatic and always ready to help.

Mr Kohal said it was Sabharwals humility that distinguished him from his peers.

Despite wearing four stripes, he never threw his weight around. He was quiet, reserved, and completely focused on flying.

His room was immaculately clean, he said of Sabharwals lifestyle during training. Just two shirts, two T-shirts, two shoes, and a bag. That was it. He didnt drink, didnt curse, and spoke so softly that Id sometimes ask him to repeat himself.

Mr Kohal said Sabharwal was a mentor, not just a colleague. When I was assigned to shadow him, he explained flying concepts better than some instructors. He was a middle-class boy looking at the sky, saying, I want to be there.

Pushkaraj Sabharwal at the funeral of his son Sabharwal - DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Sunil Lokhande, the security guard the Sabharwals residence at Jal Vayu Vihar in Powai neighborhood of Mumbai, said: I cant forget that last moment, when he ran his hand through his hair, like he always did, and said, How are you Mr Lokhande. Please, take care of papa, and I will be back soon.

He smiled and went away. Youd never guess he carried any sadness inside.

He added: [Sabharwal] would visit home for two or three days and take his father for an evening walk regularly. Buy vegetables and fruits. He would often share fruits with me and would give money to buy meals or tea.

Three days before his death, Sabharwal told Pushkaraj, his father, that he was planning to resign from Air India and permanently return home to take care of him.

He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years, Mr Pais said. His father is very old, and he was going to look after him full time. That was the plan.

He had struggled to come to terms with the death of his mother in 2022 and moved from Delhi to Mumbai, to be closer to his father. He had also separated from his wife.

On Sunday, The Telegraph revealed that Air India crash investigators were examining the medical records of Sabharwal amid claims that he suffered from depression and mental health problems.

His last Class I medical exam, which evaluates a pilots psycho-physical capacity, was passed in September.

According to a US assessment of the black box data, Sabharwal is likely to have cut off the fuel supply by moving the switches to the cut-off position before it glided down toward the ground and crashed in Ahmedabad.

Clive Kunder, the first officer who was flying the Boeing 787-8, questioned why the captain had moved switches to the cut-off position.

The assessment follows a preliminary report released by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureaus (AAIB) that found that switches controlling fuel flow to the jets two engines were turned off, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust at take-off.

Credit: X/@varun__2020/@karunspeak

The findings explain why the jets emergency-power generator, known as a ram air turbine, appeared to have been activated moments before it plummeted to the ground.

All but one of 242 people on board the Dreamliner were killed when the aircraft plunged into a medical student halls of residents in a built-up suburb last month, less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad airport.

While the initial report does not draw any conclusion, it has raised questions about the actions of two pilots.

Mr Kohol expressed frustration at reports blaming the pilots for the crash. Whatever the experts or media say, I know he stayed with that aircraft till the end. He followed every protocol. He was an ace pilot, and now, to me, a true captain.
A Venezuelan man looks to the sky as he boards a plane in El Salvador bound for Venezuela - El Salvador's presidential press office via AP

El Salvador has sent home 252 Venezuelans from its notorious Cecot jail in a prisoner swap for 10 US citizens.

Nayib Bukele, the countrys president, said in a post on X that those freed in Venezuela were en route to El Salvador from where they would continue their journey home.

Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organisation Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.

As was offered to the Venezuelan regime back in April, we carried out this exchange in return for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, people that regime had kept in its prisons for years, as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages, he said.

Soldiers stand guard as people board the plane

Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, confirmed the release of 10 Americans who were detained in Venezuela and thanked Mr Bukele for his help in securing the agreement.

The Trump administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela, said Mr Rubio.

The regimes use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end, he said.

The State Department posted on social media a picture of what it said were 10 Americans freed from Venezuelan prisons.

The men, in matching dark blue T-shirts and jeans, together held up an American flag.

The ten freed American men

The Venezuelan government confirmed that 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador had been freed, calling the maximum security prison where they have been held, Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism or Cecot, a concentration camp.

The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures.

Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administrations allegations in court.

Venezuelas government has always decried the detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the governments critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela.
Diane Abbott has once again been suspended from the Labour Party following her comments about racism - Anadolu Agency

Why is it that whenever Diane Abbott is accused of anti-Semitism, its often as a result of an interview shes given to the BBC?

The veteran MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was once again suspended by the Labour Party this week after saying she did not regret writing a 118 word letter to The Observer in 2023 which argued that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people (and redheads) undoubtedly experience prejudicebut they are not all their lives subject to racism.

At the time, she withdrew the remarks and apologised and was suspended before being reinstated at the last minute to stand as Labours candidate in last years general election.

Now shes changed her tune, telling Radio 4s Reflections programme: Clearly there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism, suggesting that a black persons skin colour is visibly notable, whereas being Jewish is not.

First question: this BBC interview was pre-recorded in May  so why is the broadcaster only now asking whether her remarks are inflammatory? Did it not realise that at the time, too busy, perhaps, broadcasting inaccurate Gaza documentaries and preparing Glastonbury coverage that would see Bob Vylan chant: Death, death to the IDF?

Secondly, why didnt the interviewer, James Naughtie, challenge Abbott with her own words, on the BBCs Question Time on April 26, 2018, when she suggested that the Haredi Jews in her constituency were a target for anti-Semitism because of the costumes they wear?

She cannot have it both ways. She cannot say that Jews dont suffer the same racism as black people because theyre white (even though a lot of Jews have dark skin) and then claim that they are the victims of racism because they are so obviously Jewish.

I wonder if she would refer to Muslims who wear traditional clothing  or African or Caribbean people  as wearing costumes and therefore open to abuse?

Abbott claims it is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out. On the basis of this evidence, who can blame them?
Burberry has said it is encouraged by the initial progress from its transformation plan but highlighted that trading conditions remain challenging.

The London fashion house revealed that retail revenues fell by 6% to 433 million for the 13 weeks to June 28, compared with a year earlier, amid a drag from currency rates.

However, it reflected a slowdown in the groups sales decline amid efforts to turn around its fortunes after coming under pressure from weaker luxury spending.

Last November, the group launched a 40 million cost-cutting programme after first sinking to a loss.

Naomi Campbell walked the Burberry Autumn/Winter 25 catwalk at London Fashion Week (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

In May, the company announced proposals to cut about 1,700 jobs worldwide over the next two years as part of the shake-up.

In its fresh update, Burberry said it has made some progress in its transformation efforts but is still in the early stages of the potential turnaround.

The company said: In the first half, we are continuing to prioritise investment and expect to see the impact of our initiatives build as the year progresses.

It pointed towards efforts to simplify its operations and improve productivity in a bid to improve profit margins.

In the latest quarter, Burberry said there were improvements across its main regions, amid strong sales of outerwear and scarves.

Comparable retail sales grew by 1% in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) as positive local spending helped to offset declines among tourists.

Meanwhile, its Americas business reported growth of 4% for the quarter.

However, it said sales in Greater China fell 5% for the quarter, while its Asia Pacific division saw a drop of 4%, driven by a challenging performance in Japan.

Joshua Schulman, chief executive of Burberry, said: The improvement in our first quarter comparable sales, strength in our core categories, and uptick in brand desirability gives us conviction in the path ahead.

Our autumn 2025 collection is being well received by a broad range of luxury customers as it arrives in stores.

Although the external environment remains challenging and we are still in the early stages of our transformation, we are encouraged by the initial progress we are starting to see.

The boss also highlighted that the business was continuing to see weak trading from tourists in London.

The firm reiterated recent calls for the Government to consider reintroducing the scheme which allowed foreign visitors to claim back VAT, which was scrapped in 2021.

In the UK we still continue to have international consumers not shopping in the UK to the extent we would do. And that does link to the lack of a VAT refund scheme.

We would like to see changes from the Government which would encourage tourism and shopping, and that is a lever they could pull.

Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said: Having stabilised the business, there is evidence Schulman is beginning to gain some traction with his turnaround effort.

Although sales are still declining, the rate of decline has slowed considerably and by more than the market expected.

The problem is that Burberry is operating against less than favourable market conditions, so it could end up running hard just to stand still.

It was notable to see the business acknowledge the challenging backdrop and its key Chinese market, in particular, remains under pressure.

Shares in Burberry climbed by 6.4% in early trading.
Credit: National Crime Agency

A London-based gang who smuggled migrants from the UK to France claimed they were simply doing the governments job for them.

Seven gang members have been sentenced to a total of 70 years in prison after carrying out as many as 20 runs from Dover to Calais between February and October 2023 in a rare example of a reverse illegal Channel crossing.

Children as young as five were stowed away in lorries, and videos showed them screaming that they thought they were being sent to their deaths.

Some of the lorries were unrefrigerated and airtight, putting those inside in severe danger of overheating and suffocation.

Azize Benaniba, a 41-year-old Algerian national and the ringleader of the operation, was responsible for loading hundreds of migrants into the lorries and charging them 1,200 each for the trip.

Azize Benaniba, the ringleader of the people-smuggling gang, was jailed for 12 years and 11 months - NCA

Rebecca Austin, for the prosecution, said the gang claimed they were simply doing the governments job for them by transporting migrants out of Britain into France.

The defendants claimed their actions were somehow removing migrants from Britain, she said.

But these defendants actions were far from removing migrants. They created an industry where people would come to Britain in order to illegally cross the Channel.

Credit: National Crime Agency

Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh jailed Benaniba for a total of 12 years and 11 months.

He said: This was an extremely serious conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration to a member state. This was a long-lived conspiracy over eight months, encompassing 20 events.

A large number of migrants were transported. The NCA [National Crime Agency] stopped seven HGVs and located 157 migrants, but there were undoubtedly many more. In short, there could have been a disaster. The organisation, the conspiracy, you all had no scruples about children going on this or other trips.

Benanibas co-conspirators, Mohamed Bechkit, 36, Mahmoud Haidous, 53, Abed Karouz, 40, Amor Ghabbari, 32, and 50-year-old Mohamed Abdelhadi, organised the runs and hired a network of drivers.

They were sentenced to between 13 and a half years and seven years.

Mohamed Bouriche, 43, was responsible for transporting people to rendezvous locations near the UK border, where they would be moved into the lorries. He was sentenced to seven and a half years.

They were arrested in co-ordinated dawn raids in north London on March 20 last year.

Credit: National Crime Agency

Migrant-smuggling from the UK to France is unusual but demonstrates the lengths to which gangs will go to make a profit.

Last year, 93 migrants were arrested for crossing illegally from the UK to France, according to data from the Hauts-de-France prefecture.

The migrants trafficked by the London gang were brought to the UK on tourist visas, which can allow arrivals to stay for up to six months. Migrants who arrive legally in the UK on tourist visas cannot necessarily be deported if stopped at the French border.

Once they arrived, the migrants, from French-speaking North African countries, were packed into lorries heading from Dover to Calais, where it is thought they were hoping to settle.

The gangs activities began to unravel on Feb 21 2023 after 58 migrants were discovered by French border police hidden inside a lorry at Calais, having arrived from the UK, and an investigation was launched by the NCA.

In one attempted crossing, on Sept 6 2023, 39 migrants including women and children were loaded into an airtight refrigerated lorry trailer at a lay-by in Sandwich, Kent. NCA officers quickly intervened to rescue them, but some, including a child, required medical attention.

The migrants, who were from French-speaking North African countries, were hoping to settle in France - NCA

John Turner, the NCAs senior investigating officer, said: These smugglers had no care for the safety or well-being of the people they crammed into lorry trailers  their only concern was making money.

Weve seen the fatal consequences of this crime type, as migrants have sadly lost their lives being smuggled across borders on land and at sea. Our thorough investigation has safeguarded hundreds of migrants who were put in serious danger, and has now led to jail terms for 12 members of a prolific people-smuggling network.

These criminal networks treat human beings like commodities, and we know the gangs and drivers involved in outbound smuggling are often involved in inbound smuggling too.

Tackling organised immigration crime is a key priority for the NCA and, alongside our international law enforcement partners, we are relentless in our efforts to dismantle these networks wherever they operate.

Janine Baugh, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was a highly organised group, which tried to smuggle migrants to France more than 20 times.

They put the lives of people at risk  often in inhumane conditions  just to profit off others. We presented the court with a video of people screaming to be let out of a trailer, which demonstrates these poor conditions.

The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work with our partners at home and overseas and play a vital role in the Border Security Command in order to bring those involved in organised immigration crime to justice.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arriving at the Port of Singapore, 23 June 2025. The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales and joined by ships from Canada, Norway, and Spain, was in Singapore as part of Operation Highmast - UK Ministry of Defence

There is a perpetual battle being fought across Whitehall between those for whom foreign policy stops at Dover and those who understand the global nature of trade and alliances and the requirement to secure them. Not surprisingly, most naval officers are in the latter group. We tend to think that the UK should be able to project power far away for many reasons.

To begin with, foreign trade in goods and services represents more than 60 per cent of our GDP. Nearly all those goods move by ship or seabed connections, and nearly all those services are nowadays dependent on undersea connections too. Without maritime power, most of our economy is hostage to fortune  it can only function with the consent of others.

Then there is the matter of alliances. Its best, of course, to deter enemies and not have wars. Strong alliances make for strong deterrence: but this means that allies must be able to defend each other, not just themselves. The ability to take action away from home is necessary here. And we belong to other alliances than just Nato: we have just signed a new defence treaty with Australia, for example. There are others in the Indo-Pacific who should be able to rely on our assistance, as we have been able to rely on theirs. We should not forget Michael Joseph Savage, New Zealands prime minister in 1939, who made this statement when Britain declared war on Germany:

Both with gratitude for the past and confidence in the future, we range ourselves without fear beside Britain. Where she goes, we go. Where she stands, we stand.

Friends like that are worth defending when its their turn to be in trouble. Australia and New Zealand are also both part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance along with us, the US and Canada. If you dont think the Five Eyes alliance is important to the UKs security, I can only put it like this: you are wrong.

But still, even todays world of daily cyber-attacks on the UK and weekly attacks on undersea infrastructure in UK waters and in the Baltic has yet to convince many people of our need to be able to take action at a distance. Even the war in Europe and the movements of dark fleet shipping through seas near and far to fund it does not seem to have registered: most of the party in government think that welfare payments are more important. Showing that interest is inversely proportional to distance, contested sea lanes in the Black and Red Seas, the High North and most recently, the Strait of Hormuz attract even less interest. By the time you get to the Indo-Pacific, studied indifference has often been replaced by a more vocal nothing to do with us.

But theres a lot going on out there. Chinese Peoples Liberation Army tank boats have just been conducting high-speed amphibious beach landings and live-fire drills across the strait from Taiwan. These appear to be ZTD-05 amphibious light tanks which can be launched from a variety of vessels out at sea and then drive up the beach. As watercraft their low freeboard and top weight would both give me sleepless nights, and as tanks they are probably not that great either. You would only have them if they were essential to some mission you wanted to carry out: and there is really only one mission for Chinas ZTD-05s. There are those who say that China will never invade Taiwan, but its hard to believe this given the sheer amount of military equipment they are making which can have no other purpose.

And Taiwan does matter to us, in fact. We still (just) remain among the top ten manufacturing nations in the world. One reason for this is companies like Arm of Cambridge, which expects its chips to account for more than 50 per cent of the entire worlds data centre CPU market this year. Almost all mobile phones include at least one Arm chip. But Arm is a fabless chip designer: its chips are actually made by other companies, an awful lot of them in Taiwan.

At roughly the same time as the tank boat exercises, Taiwan was conducting the 41st annual Han Kuang wargames designed specifically to strengthen defences against invasion from the mainland. In the longest and largest version yet, 22,000 reservists were mobilised. Initially the drills were focused on how to counter the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia whose harassment of ships across the region continues to get worse: this past week has just seen a Peoples Liberation Army Navy Type 815G electronic surveillance ship, escorted by a China Coast Guard cutter Zhaojun-class 4203, intercepted in Philippine waters. The Taiwanese exercise then simulated escalation, finishing with a full scale anti-landing operation. The PLA practising this exact operation at the same time just across the way presumably acted as a useful motivational training aid.

Meanwhile the 2025 version of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre is underway. Some 35,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from 19 countries, among them our very own Carrier Strike Group, are involved. Our carrier capability has its flaws and failings, but HMS Prince of Wales is still home right now to the largest carrier-borne group of fifth generation jets in the world. The exercise will include the usual array of anti-submarine, surface and air drills, live firings, amphibious landings and air combat operations. Lieutenant General Joel B Vowell, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Pacific, summarised it thus: Its effectively a deterrent mechanism, because our ultimate goal, part two here, is no war. This is alliance in action.

So in fact Operation Highmast  our deployment of our Carrier Strike Group to the far side of the world  is very important to our economy and our security here in Britain. Sending up to 4,500 of our service people and all their kit across the world comes with a bill, of course. Much of that cost will only appear after the deployment ends as hard worked ships, aircraft and personnel all need recuperation. If you dont get the importance of the Indo-Pacific, of Taiwan and Australia and New Zealand and so on to the UK, despite the things above Ive outlined  and the thousands that I havent  then that cost is all you will see.

The point of this article is to show how interwoven the worlds oceans and nations are. A Royal Navy which can (or does) only operate in the North Atlantic or the Channel is not doing the job this nation needs it to. The Houthis have successfully forced much of the worlds trade out of the Red Sea onto the much longer route around Africa: that includes a lot of our trade. Even just talk of the Strait of Hormuz closing affects world oil and liquefied gas prices  and that includes a lot of gas that we (and our friends) need to replace Russian pipeline supplies. The ability of Western navies to project power not just into the Taiwan Strait but the Malacca Strait figures large in strategic thinking in Beijing: more than half of Chinas imports, including the great bulk of its seaborne oil, come through Malacca. This is why China is building a powerful blue-water navy: they know that such a navy is a vital part of their national security.

We need to re-learn the same lesson.

Tom Sharpe is a former Royal Navy officer
The Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic patriarchs, Theophilos III and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, visit the Holy Family Church in Gaza on Friday. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Israel has granted two senior Christian leaders rare access to Gaza after an Israeli strike on the Palestinian territorys only Roman Catholic church killed three people.

Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, led a delegation on Friday to the Holy Family Church, whose shelling the day before triggered international condemnation.

Israeli authorities, which strictly control access to the besieged territory, permitted the visit after Benjamin Netanyahu said his country deeply regrets the strike on the church, where hundreds of Palestinians, including children and people with disabilities, have been sheltering.

The Israeli prime minister blamed the strike on a stray tank round, without providing evidence.

Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday morning and during the conversation the pontiff reiterated his appeal for a renewed impetus to negotiations, for a ceasefire and for an end to the war, the Vatican said in a statement.

Leo also expressed concern over the dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.

Ten people were wounded in the shelling, including Gabriel Romanelli, the churchs priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis. He suffered light injuries to his right leg.

Related: He felt our pain: Catholic church in Gaza grieves Pope Franciss death

Israel resumed its strikes on Friday morning, with at least 14 Palestinians reported to have been killed across Gaza.

Pizzaballa and Theophilos, who last week travelled to the occupied West Bank after an attack on a Byzantine-era church blamed on Israeli settlers, met local Christians.

As they entered the enclave, Pizzaballa received a call from Leo, who was elected as successor to Francis in May.

Pope Leo repeatedly stated that it is time to stop this slaughter, that what has happened is unjustifiable, and that we must ensure there are no more victims, he told Vatican News.

In a statement on Thursday, the pope had called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and expressed his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.

The Greek Orthodox patriarchate said the visit was a powerful expression of church unity and solidarity. Among the delegation were representatives from more than 20 countries, including Jordan, Russia, China, the EU, Japan and Canada.

Italys foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said the group arrived with 500 tonnes of aid for local civilians.

The Italian government calls on Israel to stop military actions and to fully guarantee the safety of the two envoys in their important mission, Tajani said.

Both Italy and France called the strike unacceptable and Donald Trump called Netanyahu after having not a positive reaction on hearing about it, according to Karoline Leavitt, the US presidents press secretary.

It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church, thats what the prime minister relayed to the president, she told reporters.

There are about 1,000 Christians among Gazas population of more than 2 million. Most are Greek Orthodox, with about 135 Catholics, according to the Latin patriarchate.

Israels military says it does not target churches and religious sites but it has bombed mosques. The Jerusalem patriarchate said there had been repeated assaults on Christian holy sites in Gaza.
Felix Baumgartner on holiday in the days before his fatal crash

A daredevil who skydived from the edge of space has died in a paragliding accident.

Felix Baumgartner reportedly lost control of his aircraft before crashing into a campsite in Le Marche, Italy, having apparently felt unwell before take-off.

A woman was also injured in the crash and taken to a local hospital but her condition is not serious, according to Italian media.

Felix Baumgartner had been on holiday in Italy at the time of the incident

Mr Baumgartner started skydiving at 16 years old and over the course of his career set 14 world records - Reuters

Baumgartner, 56, a veteran skydiver with the words born to fly tattooed on his arm, had travelled roughly six miles from Fermo before losing control of his paraglider for reasons that are so far unclear.

Shortly before his death, he posted a video on social media with the caption too much wind, which showed him paragliding in circles over a field.

Felix with his wife, Mihaela Radulescu Schwartzenberg - Jerritt Clark/WireImage

After crashing into the pool of Le Mimose campsite, he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest before being pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.

In 2012, Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space, falling from an altitude of 114,829ft for more than four minutes and reaching speeds of more than 843mph before he opened his parachute. Observers below him in New Mexico could apparently hear the sonic boom he created.

Credit: Red Bull Stratos VNR

He set three world records in the process, including becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle.

In an interview with the MailOnline, Baumgartner said he was told beforehand that the good news was that it would only take him 15 seconds to die if his pressure suit failed.

In 2003 Mr Baumgartner became the first person to fly in a wingsuit across the Channel - Sipa/Shutterstock

Baumgartner mid flight in the Red Bull-sponsored wingsuit - Sipa/Shutterstock/Felix Baumgartner

He said: The parachute could malfunction or you could flat spin, which pushes all your blood into your skull.

If that happens, at a certain RPM your blood only has one way out  through your eyeballs.

Baumgartner was the first person to jump from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Rio de Janeiros Christ the Redeemer statue - REUTERS

He started skydiving at the age of 16 and over the course of his career set 14 world records, becoming the first person to jump from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Rio de Janeiros Christ the Redeemer statue, the Millau Viaduct in France, the Turning Torso skyscraper in Sweden and Taiwans Taipei 101.

He also became the first man to fly across the English Channel in a wingsuit in 2003.
STAMFORD, Conn., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- vineyard vines, the iconic lifestyle brand known for its smiling pink whale logo and "Every Day Should Feel This Good" motto, is excited to announce a limited-edition capsule collection in collaboration with three-time GRAMMY Award-winning group, Zac Brown Band.

Featuring a range of tees, polos, and hats sporting logos of both brands, the collection blends vineyard vines' signature laid-back coastal style with Zac Brown Band's Southern spirit and deep musical roots. This exclusive capsule serves as a wearable tribute to the music, the moment, and the memories Zac Brown Band continues to create for their devoted community.

"Zac is an old friend, and like vineyard vines, the Zac Brown Band has grinded for decades to build a loyal following," said vineyard vines Co-Founder, Ian Murray. "From humble beginnings to the Sphere, Zac has stayed true to his roots of delivering an incredible show that is adored by audiences of all ages. This collaboration is a true reflection of how our brands have been built on a similar foundation of hard work to deliver an awesome experience to our fans and most importantly, have fun."

"Partnering with Zac Brown Band to celebrate the Sphere residency is an honor," said vineyard vines Co-Founder, Shep Murray. "Their music celebrates living life to the fullest and staying true to your roots. We are excited for this first assortment to drop and more to come later this year."

The limited-edition vineyard vines and Zac Brown Band collection will be available beginning July 18, 2025, while supplies last on vineyardvines.com . For more information, please visit www.vineyardvines.com .

ABOUT VINEYARD VINES

Founded in 1998 on Martha's Vineyard by brothers Shep and Ian Murray, vineyard vines is known for its iconic smiling pink whale logo and a commitment to the Good Life. What began with a single line of neckties has grown into a full lifestyle brand offering a wide range of clothing and accessories for men, women, and children. vineyard vines products are available in over 600 specialty and department stores worldwide, through a seasonal catalog at 1.800.892.4982, online at vineyardvines.com, and in 126 freestanding retail stores.

ABOUT ZAC BROWN BAND

Zac Brown Band is a multi-platinum, GRAMMY  Award-winning, Southern rock group led by front man, Zac Brown. Throughout their career spanning more than a decade, ZacBrown Band has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200and five consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three GRAMMY  Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30.5 million singles, 10.8 million albums, amassed over 11.2 billion catalog streams, achieved 16 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats. ZacBrown Band has headlined 9 North American Tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Symbolic of their massive success at the ballpark, in July 2022, Zac Brown Band was inducted into the Fenway Music Hall of Fame, joining music icons Paul McCartney and Billy Joel. Since their debut, ZacBrown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.

Contact:

Allysha Dunnigan

[email protected]

SOURCE vineyard vines
Infections reported across the counties Broward, Hillsborough and St Johns - Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis

A rare flesh-eating bacterium found in warm saltwater has killed at least four people in Florida this year, the states health department said.

State authorities reported at least 11 Vibrio vulnificus infections in recent months across central Floridas Bay, Broward, Hillsborough and St Johns counties, a region popular with holidaymakers and coastal communities.

Theres a lot of bacteria that just live in different areas, even in, like, waterborne spots, Dr Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health, explained to WESH.

So theres fresh water, salt water, and this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus likes salt water.

The Florida Health Department did not provide details about the deaths this year.

Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare, with about 150 to 200 cases reported to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually.

But their consequences are often devastating. The bacteria can cause necrotising fasciitis, an aggressive infection in which flesh around an open wound dies.

Many people who contract Vibrio vulnificus require intensive care or even limb amputation.

The infection carries a 20 per cent death rate overall  and as high as 50 per cent if it enters the bloodstream. In many cases, death occurs within two days of symptoms appearing.

The bacterium is naturally occurring and thrives in warm, coastal saltwater and brackish environments.

With temperatures rising globally, experts fear it could spread to areas previously unaffected. It is typically most active between May and October when waters are warmest.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, chills, elevated heart rate and disorientation. While healthy people often recover, those with long-standing conditions or compromised immune systems, including cancer patients, are at far greater risk.

Cases have surged in recent years, reaching a record high in 2024. The CDC reported 19 deaths and 82 infections, nearly doubling 2023 figures. The spike was linked to an unusually high number of late-season hurricanes in Florida and south-eastern US.

Exposure is higher

Cases doubled after Hurricanes Milton and Helene, as floodwaters pushed warm saltwater further inland than usual, exposing more people to potential infection.

There are people running around, lifting, moving stuff that normally they wouldnt do, so the probability of getting that cut or exposure is higher, said Dr Kami Kim, the director of infectious disease at Tampa General Hospital, speaking to WUSF media at the time.

Climate change is expected to drive those numbers even higher. Warmer oceans fuel stronger storms and longer hurricane seasons, increasing the conditions in which Vibrio vulnificus thrives.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of infections from salt-reliant bacteria like Vibrio vulnificus will soar to $6.1 billion annually by 2090, up from $2.6 billion in 1995.
England needed a tense penalty shoot-out to see off Sweden and reach the semi-finals of Euro 2025.

Meanwhile, American rapper Snoop Dogg has officially become co-owner of Championship club Swansea.

Lionesses on spot to reach Euro semis

 The holders are through to the final four #WEURO2025 pic.twitter.com/7QOO26EpkC  UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) July 17, 2025

Defending champions England reached the semi-finals of Euro 2025 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Sweden.

An error-strewn opening 30 minutes from the Lionesses gifted Sweden a 2-0 lead through goals from Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius.

It took 79 minutes for Lucy Bronze to pull one back, but just 103 seconds later sub Michelle Agyemang sent the match into extra time.

Then, in a barmy shoot-out, Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk saved from Lauren James, Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood and Grace Clinton, while also blazing her own penalty over.

Meanwhile, England keeper Hannah Hampton kept out spot-kicks from Filippa Angeldahl and Sofia Jakobsson while Magdalend Eriksson hit a post.

When Bronze calmly stepped up to blast her penalty into the roof of the net Smilla Holmberg needed to score to keep Sweden in it  but she fired over the crossbar meaning England will face Italy for a place in the final.

Dogg days at Swansea

Global rap music megastar Snoop Dogg was announced as co-owner of Championship club Swansea.

The 53-year-old, who hinted at investing in the club by helping promote the clubs shirt launch earlier this week, has joined Croatian midfielder Luka Modric in linking up with the Swans.

He said: My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City.

The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me.

United close in on Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo could soon be at Old Trafford (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Manchester United have made an improved bid worth up to 70million for Brentford frontman Bryan Mbeumo, the PA news agency understands.

The 25-year-old has been a key target for Ruben Amorims Red Devils, who made a first approach of 45m plus 10m in potential add-ons six weeks ago.

United followed that up with an improved proposal exceeding 60m a few weeks later but talks stalled as Brentford held on for a greater fee for Mbeumo.

The Old Trafford club have now made a new offer that PA understands to be worth 65m plus an additional 5m in potential add-ons as they attempt to sign the player before their pre-season tour to the United States.

Reds step up Ekitike bid

Liverpool are poised to swoop for Hugo Ekitike, left (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Liverpool are set to make an offer for striker Hugo Ekitike as talks with Eintracht Frankfurt progress, the PA news agency understands.

The highly-rated 23-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League this summer having scored 22 goals in all competitions after making a loan move from Paris St Germain permanent last year.

Newcastle had looked at bringing in Ekitike as Liverpool considered a big-money move for Alexander Isak, who it is understood the Magpies valued at around 150million in an attempt to ward off potential suitors.

But the Reds are now pressing ahead with a deal for France international Ekitike, with it a case a matter of when rather than if a bid is submitted following talks.

Liverpool are reportedly preparing a deal in the region of 80million euros (69.2million), with sources close to the player indicating that Newcastle look out of the race to sign a striker that Manchester United also hold interest in.

Whats on today?

Euro 2025 favourites Spain take on hosts Switzerland in the third quarter-final.

The winners will face whoever comes out victorious between France and Germany on Friday.
The Qatar Airways flight took off from Leipzig airport on Friday at 7am local time - IMAGO/EHL Media / Avalon

Germany has deported dozens of Afghans back to Kabul, including sex offenders and violent criminals, as part of an indirect deal with the Taliban.

Early on Friday morning, 81 Afghan citizens, including some with criminal convictions, were loaded onto a Qatar Airways flight at Leipzig airport.

The flight is understood to be part of a Qatar-mediated deal between the German government and the Taliban, which could lead to regular deportation flights.

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has vowed to get tougher on mass migration in response to a series of terror attacks committed over the past year by rejected Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers.

It comes as ex-Tory ministers face questions in the UK over their unprecedented use of a super-injunction to cover up a 2022 data leak, which led to the government relocating at least 15,000 Afghans to protect them from the Taliban.

Alexander Dobrindt, the German interior minister, said Fridays flight sent a clear sign that his government had zero tolerance for asylum seekers who commit crimes.

We have succeeded in organising another deportation flight of Afghan criminals, and in doing so, we are delivering the changes pledged in our coalition agreement, he said. Serious criminal offenders have no right to reside in our country.

The deportation flight is expected to be the first of many as Germany cracks down on migrants - IMAGO/EHL Media / Avalon

The German government did not provide a breakdown of how many Afghans on the flight had criminal convictions, and what type of crimes they had been convicted of. However, Spiegel, a German news magazine, said many of them were violent criminals and sex offenders. All of them were said to be legally obligated to leave the country.

Germanys previous government, led by chancellor Olaf Scholz, negotiated a similar deportation flight to Afghanistan in August 2024, which caused outrage among human rights groups.

Amnesty International warned at the time that any Afghan deported from Germany back to their home country risked being tortured and possibly executed by the Taliban-led government.

It is alarming that the Federal Government is ignoring these obligations and deporting people to Afghanistan. Nobody is safe in Afghanistan. Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture are commonplace, said Julia Duchrow, the NGOs director in Germany.

If the Federal Government deports people to Afghanistan, it risks becoming an accomplice of the Taliban, she added. The Government must take its obligations under international law seriously and must not allow itself to be driven by anti-human rights positions in the election campaign.

Real prospect of torture

Under the European Convention on Human Rights, it is forbidden to deport someone to a country where they face a real prospect of being tortured upon arrival.

Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, the German government has been indirectly negotiating with its leaders on the issue of returning foreign criminals.

The talks have reportedly been mediated by the Gulf state of Qatar, which has hosted a delegation of the Taliban in Doha since around 2010.

It is unclear how many Afghan citizens are being held in German prisons, but government statistics show that around 11,000 Afghan citizens in the country are under deportation orders.

Several recent and high-profile terror attacks in Germany were committed by rejected Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers, such as a car-ramming attack in Munich in February, and a mass stabbing attack at a music festival in Solingen last summer.
Grant Shapps said his focus after the leak was sorting out the mess and saving lives. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The former defence secretary Grant Shapps has defended the use of an unprecedented superinjunction to suppress a data breach that led to the UK government relocating 15,000 Afghans.

The Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) was created in haste after it emerged that personal information about 18,700 Afghans who had applied to come to the UK had been leaked in error by a British defence official in early 2022.

It has also emerged that details of members of the SAS and MI6 were among more than 100 Britons named in the database.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Shapps, who was defence secretary from 31 August 2023 to 5 July 2024 and was in post while the superinjunction was imposed on the incident, said his focus after the leak was on sorting out the mess and saving lives.

The superinjunction lapsed on Tuesday, when a high court judge concluded the threat to the 18,700 Afghans was no longer very significant.

He told the programme: My focus was on two things  one, sorting out the mess and saving lives, and two, making sure that systems were in place which frankly should have always been in place to make sure this sort of sensitive information could never be sent on.

There were British special forces and secret services on that list. It seemed to me that if there was any doubt at all, that erring on the side of extreme caution, a superinjunction meant that that was entirely justified.

He added: Faced with the choice of whether that list would get out and people would be pursued, murdered and executed as a result of it, or doing something to try and save those lives, Id much rather now be in this interview explaining why a superinjunction was required, than being in this interview explaining why I failed to act and people were murdered.

Parliaments intelligence and security committee, which monitors the UK spy agencies, said it would scrutinise what had happened after an inquiry announced by the Commons defence select committee.

The ISC asked for all intelligence assessments that had been shared with the high court in secret to be shared with the committee. Its chair, Kevan Jones, who is also known as Lord Beamish, asked why material relating to the data loss could not be shared with the committee early given that it routinely reviewed classified material.

I think there are serious constitutional issues here, Beamish told BBC Radio Scotland.

When asked if he supported calls from the committee for the publication of an intelligence assessment that formed the basis of the superinjunction, Shapps said: Yes, I would.

He added that he knew the committee wont like the fact that the incident had been kept secret but it was just so sensitive that if anything had got out at all, it would put those lives at risk.

Despite having kept the order in place during his tenure as defence secretary, which lasted just under a year, Shapps said he was surprised it had remained for so long.

I dont think it should have carried on as long as it had. Im surprised that it has. Those questions are for others, he said. But I came in, the problem was there, I dealt with it, and as a result I think that we saved lives.

In a statement on Tuesday, after the superinjunction was lifted, the defence secretary, John Healey, offered a sincere apology on behalf of the government for the data breach.
Evacuees from Afghanistan, including US citizens, arrive at Hamad International Airport

Lawyers are planning to use human rights laws to force the UK to accept thousands of Afghans and pay for their settlement after the personal details of up to 100,000 people were inadvertently leaked by a British soldier, arguing that the data leak leaves these people vulnerable to reprisals by the ruling Taliban government.

Its hard to think of a more inflammatory push at a time when the strength of the connections between many of the Afghans and the UK Armed Forces is being questioned  with MoD insiders saying that for every genuine claimant on the list, up to 16 could be bogus. But lawyers, nevertheless, intend to argue that anyone on the list could qualify for relocation to the UK  even if they have no connection to Britain and their claim for resettlement is spurious at best.

It is true that the UK will not have genuine national sovereignty over matters of immigration and asylum unless it re-evaluates its relationship with the ECHR and the 1951 Refugee Convention. These are outdated conventions which came into effect in the 1950s, which have not been modernised to keep pace with the growing ease of international movement and transformative technological change.

The democratically-elected government of the UK should not be at the mercy of a Strasbourg-based supranational court  especially when it comes to determining immigration and asylum policy on the grounds of national security, social cohesion, and public order. It is a major transparency deficit which lies at the heart of a struggling democracy where immigration is a leading concern among the British public. The grounding of the Rwanda flights under the last Tory government by a ruling made by the European Court of Human Rights, demonstrated that we cannot be a truly democratic nation-state whilst being a member of it.

But to suggest that withdrawing from the ECHR and the 1951 Refugee Convention would be some sort of magic bullet and automatically shore up our national borders is wide of the mark. What is required is a radical overhaul of the Human Rights Act (which currently requires UK judges to interpret domestic legislation and make rulings which are compatible and consistent with the provisions of the ECHR) and judicial review (the process where the policy actions of the government are subject to review by the judiciary).

And of course, all this needs to be backed by significant amounts of political willpower  the kind that simply does not exist among the British political establishment, which includes far too many MPs who are more respectful of their own legal background than the mainstream preferences of the British electorate on matters of border security and public safety.

While I supported the UKs withdrawal from the European Union following the June 2016 referendum on the UKs membership, it is vital that we resist the tendency to externalise blame for the UKs problems on international institutions based outside of it.

Our domestic human-rights architecture is not fit for purpose and it is clear as day that an uncomfortable number of UK judges tend to rule in favour of prioritising the rights of foreign nationals over the security of British citizens. And perhaps most crucially of all, the political rise of lawyers such as the current Prime Minister  empty suits ultimately shaped by international conventions  has meant little to no genuine action has taken place when it comes to immigration and asylum policy.

While much of the focus is understandably on a supranational foreign court which all too often overreaches, many of the UKs problems with immigration and asylum are connected to institutions, laws, and processes at home.
People pose for photographs in the lavender fields. The mayor says new infrastructure such as a park-and-ride may be needed to cope with the influx - Fernando Villar/EPA/Shutterstock

Tourists have been told to stay away from a Spanish villages vibrant lavender fields because huge numbers of visitors are placing a strain on local services.

More than 100,000 people flocked to the pastures outside Brihuega in July, and many of them were seen posing for selfies to post on social media among rows and rows of purple flowers.

But Luis Viejo, the mayor, said he wanted people to avoid coming on weekends as the village could not cope with the number of tourists arriving.

Take last Saturday, for example: the village collapsed. It was a hard time for me, Mr Viejo said.

We have a wide range of tourist, cultural and artistic offerings thanks to the lavender, he told the ABC newspaper. But my advice is that people come and visit us between Monday and Thursday  please! Weekends are more difficult because of the huge quantity of people who come.

The villages narrow streets, some of which are a thousand years old and are lined with shops selling lavender-related wares, overflow with tourists during the blooming season, with parking becoming a massive problem.

Mr Viejo said his village could be the victim of its own success in attracting tourists to the area.

Many of the visitors go in July to take part in the annual Lavender Bloom Festival - Fernando Villar/EPA/Shutterstock

He said that access to the fields is free, which means the village authority has no levers to limit the number of visitors by restricting access or charging a fee.

Ahead of next year, we need to build a park-and-ride parking lot on the outskirts of the historic centre and connect it with shuttle buses, Mr Viejo said.

Lavender season tourism has transformed Brihuega, bringing in eight million euros thanks to the arrival of about 140,000 visitors, mostly during July.

Managing such an influx of visitors in such a short time is difficult. We work hard, we have a security committee, but its still a large turnout, the mayor said.

Mr Viejo said the village now hosts the first five-star hotel in the province of Guadalajara, adding that the challenge is to make tourism an all-year-round activity and less reliant on the lavender blooming.

The annual Lavender Bloom Festival this July will include concerts by major Spanish pop acts such as Los Secretos, alongside yoga workshops and watercolour sessions in the fields.
Jair Bolsonaro is also barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Court - EVARISTO SA/AFP

Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle tag in a move he described as a supreme humiliation.

The development came as federal police searched the former Brazilian presidents home and his party headquarters in Brasilia, following a Supreme Court order.

The order prohibits Mr Bolsonaro from leaving the house at night, communicating with foreign ambassadors and diplomats or approaching embassies.

The former president is also barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Court, including his son, the Trump ally Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Mr Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election, in which he was defeated by Left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It is a supreme humiliation, the ex-president told journalists after attaching the ankle monitor. I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, but the precautionary measures are because of that.

Jair Bolsonaro says it is a supreme humiliation to wear an ankle tag - Luis Nova/Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

On Thursday, Mr Trump wrote to Mr Bolsonaro describing his allys treatment by the Brazilian legal system as terrible and unjust.

This trial should end immediately! Mr Trump said, adding that he strongly voiced his disapproval through his tariff policy levying 50 per cent on Brazils imports and urging the country to end its witch hunt against Mr Bolsonaro.

On Friday, Mr Bolsonaro told Reuters he would meet with Mr Trump if he had access to his passport.

His passport was seized last year on orders from Brazils Supreme Court.

The Supreme Courts restrictions on Mr Bolsonaro are part of a second investigation against his son for allegedly working with American authorities to impose sanctions on Brazilian officials.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is also the rapporteur of the case, said that the former president and his sons recent actions were blatant confessions of criminal conduct, such as coercion during legal proceedings, obstruction of investigations and attacks on national sovereignty.

Flavio Bolsonaro, Mr Bolsonaros older son, said on X: Prohibiting a father from speaking to his own son is the greatest symbol of the hatred that has consumed Alexandre de Moraes.

Officers search office

Live aerial footage from local broadcasters showed federal police vehicles outside Mr Bolsonaros residence in Brasilia.

Congressman Sostenes Cavalcante, the leader of Mr Bolsonaros party in the lower house, said that officers also searched the former leaders office at the partys headquarters.

He described the operation as another chapter in the persecution of conservatives and Right-wing figures in Brazil.

Mr Bolsonaros lawyer has not yet commented.

On Tuesday, Brazils prosecutor general Paulo Gonet said in a report to the Supreme Court that the evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law.
Jeff Lynne has said he is now at home recuperating after cancelling the final shows of his Electric Light Orchestra tour due to illness.

The 77-year-old musician was forced to withdraw from BST Hyde Park on July 13 following advice from doctors, who have been treating him for a systemic infection.

The headline performance had been billed as a final goodbye for the band following their farewell US tour, Over And Out.

In a statement shared to social media on Thursday, Lynne said: I am now at home recuperating.

I was absolutely gutted to have to cancel the final two shows.

I send my heartfelt thanks to all of the fans as well as my band and crew for all their support and love.

His message follows the decision by BST organisers to cancel the entire days event at Hyde Park after ELOs withdrawal.

Ticket holders are being refunded and were contacted directly by ticket agents.

An earlier statement from the festival said Lynne was heartbroken to miss the show, and would not be rescheduling as he focuses on recovery.

It comes after the band  known for their 1970s hits including Mr Blue Sky, Livin Thing and Telephone Line  also pulled out of a performance in Manchester on July 10.

ELO first formed in Birmingham in 1970 and were known for blending orchestral arrangements with futuristic rock.

The group split in 1986 but was revived by Lynne in 2014, leading to a celebrated comeback set at BST Hyde Park that year.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and have had multiple UK chart-topping albums.

Lynne was made an OBE in 2020 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.
Sir Grant Shapps served as defence secretary from August 2023 until July last year - WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP

Sir Grant Shapps has been accused of trying to rewrite history over his role in the Afghan data breach super-injunction.

As defence secretary, Sir Grant extended the super-injunction that gagged the media from reporting the Afghan data leak weeks before last years general election.

But on Friday he claimed that he thought the gagging order was probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum.

He told the BBC: The super-injunction was in place for longer than I was defence secretary. So its been in place a lot longer under the current Government than it was under us, and Im surprised its lasted quite so long.

My expectation was, as the risks start to lessen over time and people are removed from the theatre, from Afghanistan, and measures are taken to protect the Brits on the list... Id thought that it was probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum.

You simply cant release everything, and this was one of those times where, faced with a decision of protecting lives, both Brits and Afghanis, I would do the same thing all over again.

The order prevented the media from reporting that a spreadsheet containing the details of 25,000 Afghans who worked with the British military had been leaked in February 2022.

Under Sir Grants tenure, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) successfully appealed against a High Court order that would have lifted the super-injunction just weeks before the general election.

Johnny Mercer, the Conservative former veterans minister, accused Sir Grant of trying to rewrite history after his remarks to the BBC.

He said: I would reiterate again that now is not a time to rewrite history and say things that are demonstrably untrue, particularly if youve had a less than passing interest in the whole thing in the past. There are poor peoples lives at stake here.

The accusations came after John Healey, the Defence Secretary, was accused of misleading Parliament over the breach. Three days ago, he told MPs that no serving member of the Armed Forces had been put at risk.

However, it emerged on Thursday that the identities of more than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, had been compromised.

Mr Healey made his comment in the Commons in response to a question from Ian Roome, a Lib Dem MP and member of the defence select committee. He said: To the best of my knowledge and belief, no serving member of our Armed Forces is put at risk by the data loss.

Speaking on Friday morning, Mr Roome said: The Defence Secretary gave me his assurances just three days ago that no serving members of our Armed Forces were put at risk by this appalling data breach. I am very concerned to find out that this appears not to have been correct.

It is really important to restore public trust, and he now clarifies his remarks. It is the least that our brave Armed Forces personnel, along with the thousands of Afghans impacted, deserve.

Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, demanded Mr Healey come before the Commons to face questions on whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.

Three days ago, John Healey claimed no one serving in the Armed Forces was put at risk by the data breach, he said. Today, we found out that appears to be false.

We need to know if any serving members of the Armed Forces were impacted, and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.

The data on UK personnel that was leaked involved their names, but there were no contact details such as addresses, telephone numbers or email addresses.

Mr Justice Chamberlain, the judge who decided to lift the super-injunction, had said in a ruling dated May 21 last year: I propose to discharge the injunction with effect from 21 days after the handing down of this judgment.

In a previous ruling, given in February last year, the judge had said it was objectionable that the super-injunction prevents public scrutiny of decision-making on these important topics.

More generally, he said last February, the whole matter is hugely embarrassing for the Government, and could become an election issue.

He was overruled by the Court of Appeal, which said last year that the super-injunction had to remain in force until the Government decided the risk to those identified in it had reduced enough for it to be publicly reported.

Asked if Mr Healey misled the House, a No 10 spokesman said: I believe it was an accurate statement.

He said the Government was committed to transparency, adding: In terms of security of our personnel, we take that extremely seriously, particularly those in sensitive positions. We always have appropriate measures in place to protect their security.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: Its long-standing policy of successive governments to not comment on special forces. We take the security of our personnel very seriously, and personnel, particularly those in sensitive positions, always have appropriate measures in place to protect their security.
Musicians including Kneecap, Massive Attack and Brian Eno have said they have been subjected to attempted censorship due to speaking out about the war in Gaza.

They, along with campaign group Led By Donkeys, have all posted the same message on Instagram, calling on other artists who fear they will be threatened into silence or career cancellation for talking about Palestine to join them in a syndicate.

Massive Attack and Brian Eno have long spoken out in support of Palestine, while Kneecap have made headlines in recent months after one of their members was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah.

The Irish rap group claim this is part of a smear campaign against them because of their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israels actions in Gaza, which they say is a genocide.

The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description, the post read.

We write as artists whove chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK Government in facilitating it.

Because of our expressions of conscience, weve been subject to various intimidations from within our industry (live and recorded) and legally via organised bodies such as UK Lawyers For Israel.

Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we wont stand by and allow other artists  particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability  to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.

In this spirit, we encourage artists whove been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerned about industrial repercussions, to contact us @ ethicalsyndicatepalestine@pm.me

The Instagram post also made a series of demands, including an immediate ceasefire, an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel, and a free Palestine.

A spokeswoman for UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI) accused Massive Attack of having launched an attack on our organisation, which helps to protect victims of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel racism.

Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset (Yui Mok/PA)

She said that following Massive Attacks set at Londons Lido Festival in June, we were contacted by several Jewish and Israeli audience members who were deeply distressed and traumatised after the act invited an anti-Israel activist on stage.

Kneecap performed to a sea of Palestinian flags during their set at Glastonbury Festival in June.

Their performance followed that of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, who spoke out against Israel.

Police have since launched an investigation into the group, formed in Ipswich in 2017, after their frontman led crowds in chants of Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) during their set at the Somerset music festival.

Kneecaps Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May, and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 20.
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Houses of Parliament - PA

The hereditary members of the House of Lords have had their day. The Bill that will seal their fate will be read for a third time in the chamber next week.

Many will celebrate this latest progressive step forward, especially those who resented the presence of the 92 survivors of the hereditary principle in the last three decades. After all, what place can heredity have in the legislative chamber of a liberal democracy?

It is too late now to oppose or to make arguments against what the Labour Government has just done, especially since this specific reform was part of the partys election-winning manifesto.

Nevertheless, it is worth revisiting the arguments against it as a warning against future constitutional reforms that could leave the country worse off than it is.

First of all, in condemning the 92 for taking their seats in an undemocratic manner, we invite an uncomfortable level of scrutiny of the other members of the House  those, for example, who are there because of their seniority in the Church of England.

The rest are appointees and are thus the beneficiaries of political patronage. This is bestowed by democratically-elected politicians, of course, but it is still a descendant of the patronage system that dates back to the days when soldiers and landowners were raised up as a reward for fighting wars or killing this or that enemy of their liege lord. One hand washes the other is a principle as alive in 2025 as it was in 1290.

Who is to say that a Lord who was gifted his seat because he chose to resign as an MP close to the date of polling in the general election, thereby allowing the party leadership to impose a favoured child as the candidate in his seat, will be a better legislator than the Earl of Marr, whose family has been in the Lords for centuries? I know of at least one ex-MP who was promised a seat in the upper house by party bosses who feared that, were he not compensated for missing out on a Commons seat in a boundary reorganisation, he would defect to an opposition party.

When put like that, the murky and seedy cynicism of patronage is eclipsed even in a moral sense by the hereditary principle which, in at least one sense, is democratic in that it cannot be externally influenced by favours or wealth.

It has often been pointed out that the 92, having been chosen by departing hereditaries as worthy and hard-working members, have often put their appointed brethren to shame with their devotion to the chamber and their accumulated expertise on various subjects.

This, of course, is where the appointment system proves its worth too, in identifying genuine experts in their fields  often a level of expertise missing from the lower house  and therefore bringing a detailed level of scrutiny that is much needed and often absent from the Commons.

In other words, it is neither the hereditaries nor the experts appointed from their fields of military, science, business and a whole array of specialisms that are the problem. Those in the Lords for performing political favours for their leaders are arguably the ones with less legitimacy.

But even that argument is a circular and self-defeating one. Unless you have a fully-elected chamber (which we should not) then we will have to put up with a certain number of Lords whose CVs would wilt under robust scrutiny. Such is political life (and as we know, introducing popular elections is absolutely no guarantee that the victors will have the requisite experience, skills or intelligence to do their job).

But it seems contrary to the good of the nation and the Lords itself to remove 92 people who have proved their value as legislators time and time again, while others have contributed little other than allowances claims.

Would it have been too much to expect the Prime Minister to have modified his electoral promise by merely ending the hereditary principle immediately and then allowing the 92 to continue to serve until death or retirement (whichever came first)? That would have been the civilised, kinder reform.

It would have acknowledged the contribution these peers have already given to their country, yet still managed to assuage the thirst for reform on the Labour benches.

But that course would not have suited the reformers on Labours benches, most of whom have been desperate to transform the country according to their own views, as expressed at the sixth form debating societies they attended about a decade ago. Let there be no compromise or acknowledgement that a Government elected with a vast majority on barely a third of the vote on a historically low turnout should embrace even a small measure of humility.

The removal of the hereditaries isnt a scandal or an undemocratic outrage, or even an act of constitutional vandalism. But it is a pity. And it is a pity that the Prime Minister cant see that.
Diane Abbott said: Its silly to try and claim that racism about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images

Diane Abbott has been suspended from the Labour party for a second time after saying she did not regret her past remarks on racism, as Keir Starmer once again attempted to reassert his grip over his backbenchers.

The veteran MP now faces an investigation over her defence of remarks more than two years ago that people of colour experienced racism all their lives, which was different from the prejudice experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.

In a statement to Newsnight on Thursday evening, Abbott said: It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out. My comments in the interview  were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept.

In the interview with the BBC earlier on Thursday, Abbott, the first black woman elected to parliament, had said: Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you dont know.

I just think that its silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I dont know why people would say that.

The suspension was the latest sign that the prime minister intends to take a tougher approach to party discipline after being forced to U-turn over controversial welfare cuts after a massive rebellion by his MPs.

He insisted on Thursday that he will not be deflected from his mission to reform Britain after suspending the whip from four Labour MPs who repeatedly voted against the government, including on welfare reform legislation.

Starmer said the suspensions of Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff were not just about a single vote but the result of repeatedly breaking the whip and undermining Labours ability to fulfil its manifesto.

At a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, he was asked whether punishing the MPs made him look weak.

We are elected in to change this country for the better, and that means weve got to carry through that change, and weve got to carry through reforms, he replied.

Im determined that we will change this country for the better, for millions of working people, and Im not going to be deflected from that.

And therefore we had to deal with people who repeatedly break the whip, because everyone was elected as a Labour MP on the manifesto of change and everybody needs to deliver as a Labour government. This is about what were doing for the country.

Abbott, who has the honorary title mother of the house as the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, first made her comments in a letter to the Observer in 2023 and was suspended from the party after Starmer said they were antisemitic.

Abbott wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable, she said.

It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism.

She swiftly apologised and withdrew the remarks at the time, and was eventually readmitted, after a protracted investigation, in time to stand in the general election.

Labour sources said the decision to once again suspend Abbott, one of the most well-known leftwing figures in the country, was made swiftly, and that this time she was not offered an opportunity to retract her remarks.

It unleashed an angry response among sections of the party. The veteran John McDonnell said: It is extremely bizarre that Diane Abbott gets suspended for an interview in which she forthrightly condemns antisemitism and racism in all its forms whilst no action is taken against those that inserted into Keir Starmers recent speech Enoch Powells racist language.

Her longstanding ally Shami Chakrabarti said: People who are writing island of strangers speeches should be a bit slow to sit in judgment on Diane Abbott, who has been fighting racism all her life.

Angela Rayner said she was disappointed that Abbott had defended the comments, saying there was no place for antisemitism within Labour.

The deputy prime minister, who last year paved the way for Abbott to be allowed to stand for the party again at the election, told the Guardian the comments represented a real challenge for Labour. Rayner said it was not good the MP had sought to back away from her earlier apology.

A Labour party spokesperson said: Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour party, pending an investigation. We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing.

In her BBC interview, Abbott said she felt a bit weary of people labelling her antisemitic. She had spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds and in particular fighting antisemitism, partly because of the nature of my constituency. Her north London constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington is home to a large Jewish population.

Asked whether she felt she had been hung out to dry by the Labour leadership during the disciplinary process relating to her remarks, she said: In the end, Keir Starmer had to restore the whip to me.

I got tremendous support locally. We had a big rally on the steps of Hackney town hall. And in the end Keir Starmer and the people around him had to back off because of the support I had from the community.

Abbott was readmitted to the party and allowed to stand as a Labour candidate after party officials failed to broker a deal by which she would get the whip back in return for standing down. The row dominated the early days of the general election campaign.

The decision to suspend the four other MPs also sparked a backlash from parts of the Labour left. Maskell publicly criticised the move. On this occasion, I dont think hes got it right, she told the BBC. There needs to be a better reach-out to backbenchers to ensure that we are the safeguards of our government.

Before her own suspension, Abbott criticised the treatment of backbenchers and called for more space for MPs to raise concerns about policy. Writing on social media, she said: Silencing dissent is not leadership. Its control.

A senior Labour figure expressed frustration at what they saw as inconsistent discipline, telling the Guardian: There were other ministers who helped stir this rebellion  including one who actively encouraged colleagues to sign the amendment. Why are they allowed to carry on?

But Jess Phillips, a Home Office minister, defended the move, saying the MPs involved should not be surprised by the consequences. There has to be an element of discipline otherwise you end up not being able to govern, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Constantly taking to the airwaves and slagging off your own government  I have to say, what did you think was going to happen?
Residents face problems as people park illegally on grass verges, roundabouts and private driveways - BNPS

A seaside town is the first in the country to trial doubling parking fines in a bid to tackle summer holiday traffic chaos.

Incidents of rogue parking in Bournemouth include cars left on double yellow lines, pavements, verges, roundabouts and across private driveways.

But visitors appear happy to take the financial hit of a 35 fine  only marginally more than car parking charges, which can cost 20 a day.

Now, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council has been given permission by the Department for Transport to double their standard parking fine to match London rates, so the minimum fine will be 70, or 140 if not paid within two weeks.

The move comes just weeks after the Lib Dem-led council about-turned on implementing residents permits in the area, following a tsunami of objections over the 70 cost to residents.

The trial scheme will operate throughout August, which is the seaside resorts busiest time of the year. Already over 4,000 penalty notices have been issued over three heatwave weekends this year.

Tom Hayes, Labour MP for Bournemouth East, said: The parking fine fee has been capped for 20 years and its frustrating for everyone.

The hope is by having such a significant increase in parking fines it can really have a deterrent effect.

At the same time, the local authority will be required to provide enough legal parking spaces to cater for visitors.

Residents have previously criticised BCP council for its war on motorists, after it sold a number of beach-front car parks, reduced the number of legal spaces available, and spent 3m on cycle lanes that make access to driveways a nightmare.

The council insisted there are spaces available within a short walk of the seafront which have been left unused.

The trial has prompted a mixed response as some residents insist the council is still not on their side.

We will all be stung

Jim James, a resident, said: Finally, about time. Lets see their faces when they realise its not a measly 30 any longer.

Another commenter posted: As much as locals think this is brilliant, it isnt. We will all be stung as a result. It is all about BCP making money.

We should be welcoming visitors during the peak season and accommodating them sufficiently.

There is not enough adequate parking as car parks are being auctioned off to the highest bidder. There are not any sufficient park and ride schemes. Local businesses will suffer as a result.

The local authority welcomed the trial as they said they had been calling for greater powers to tackle illegal parking for six years.

Cllr Millie Earl, the leader of BCP council, said: We welcome the fact the Government has recognised the problem we experience in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with illegal and irresponsible parking.

We have been asking governments for more than six years to let us impose higher fines and our parking team now await final details on the work required to implement the trial in time for the August 1 deadline.

Even at our busiest last weekend, there were enough parking spaces within a short walk of the seafront across our three towns and when visitors make a choice to park illegally, we know that residents, and responsible visitors, want us to take robust enforcement action.

We want to encourage and support visitors to our wonderful area but just ask them to consider the safety of others when parking; and a level of fines that reflects the true costs of patrolling and enforcing will help us to do this.
Police near the protest at Nelson Mandela Place in Glasgow on Friday, where they arrested a man. Photograph: James Chapelard

A man has been arrested in Glasgow for holding a paper sign allegedly supportive of the proscribed direct action group Palestine Action, the third arrest of its kind across the city in the past week.

Police Scotland confirmed that the 64-year-old man, who had been speaking to a small group of protesters gathered at Nelson Mandela Place in the city centre on Friday afternoon, had been arrested in connection with an offence under the Terrorism Act for displaying a sign expressing support for a proscribed organisation.

The sign read Genocide in Palestine, time to take action with the words Palestine and action larger than the others. Another man wearing a T-shirt with the same slogan was charged with a similar offence last weekend at the TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow Green.

As lunchtime shoppers passed by the scene of the small protest on Friday, police officers asked the man to stop displaying the sign, which he refused to do. He was then arrested and led away in handcuffs to chants of let him go. The incident was peaceful throughout.

The ban on Palestine Action came into force on 5 July after a high court judge refused to grant the groups co-founder Huda Ammori an injunction suspending it while a judicial review was pending.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, announced the ban late last month, days after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint.

Cat Train, who attended the protest wearing a T-shirt with the slogan mothers against genocide, said: I wore this T-shirt to remind police that we are witnessing genocide in Gaza, with women and children killed daily, while our freedom to draw attention to this is being massively quashed.

Train added that, while she believed the high court judge had offered reassurances that not all direct action relating to Gaza was proscribed, there seems to be real confusion in how to enforce this.

This week a third man was charged with a similar offence. The 38-year -old was charged on Wednesday under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying a poster expressing support for a proscribed organisation at a property in the Shawlands area of Glasgow.

A 55-year-old man was charged last Saturday outside the TRNSMT music festival, again in connection with an offence under the Terrorism Act, for allegedly wearing a T-shirt expressing support for a proscribed organisation.

The T-shirts were produced by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Their spokesperson, Mick Napier, who attended Fridays protest, said: We put this T-shirt out because we wanted to use the furore around the ban to draw attention to the genocide. The T-shirt is not about Palestine Action, its about genocide.

Napier said the 55-year-old, who had been leafleting at the festival before his arrest, had an excellent response from festivalgoers.

Were getting a substantially different response from the public even than two months ago. The atrocious actions in Gaza are burning deep into the national and international psyche.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said of Fridays arrest: A 64-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an offence under the Terrorism Act for displaying a sign expressing support for a proscribed organisation.

Since MPs voted in favour of proscribing Palestine Action at the start of July, the ban has been condemned by UN experts, civil liberties groups, cultural figures and hundreds of lawyers as draconian and setting a dangerous precedent by conflating protest with terrorism.

More than 70 people were arrested across the UK last weekend at demonstrations where references to Palestine Action were allegedly made.
Manchester United have finally reached an agreement with Brentford to sign Bryan Mbeumo, the PA news agency understands.

Six weeks after seeing their first offer rebuffed, Ruben Amorims Red Devils have agreed terms with the Bees to sign the 25-year-old forward.

United are set to pay 65million for Mbeumo, with Brentford reportedly in line for a further 6m in potential add-ons.

Bryan Mbeumo is close to joining Manchester United (John Walton/PA)

The Cameroon international is in line to become the Premier League clubs second major summer signing after Brazil international Matheus Cunha arrived from Wolves in a 62.5million deal last month.

Mbeumo is understood to have expressed a desire to move to Old Trafford over other clubs and his impending arrival is a major boost ahead of Uniteds pre-season tour.

Amorims men fly to the United States on Tuesday for the three-game Premier League Summer Series, having kicked off preparations for the new campaign with Saturdays Stockholm friendly against Leeds.

Mbeumo heads to the north west fresh from the best season of his career, with the Brentford star scoring 20 Premier League goals and providing seven assists.

Only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland scored more than the 25-year-old, who joined Brentford from Troyes in 2019 and has a year left on his current contract, albeit with the option for another season.

Mbeumo has been a key target as the 20-time league champions look to rebuild having finished 15th and seen their worst top-flight season in 51 years compounded by losing the Europa League final.

Uniteds first approach of 45m plus 10m in potential add-ons in early June was rejected by Brentford, with an improved proposal exceeding 60m following a few weeks later.

But talks stalled as Brentford held on for a greater fee for Mbeumo and director of football Phil Giles said at the end of June that he wouldnt be massively surprised if the forward stayed.

Mbeumo and Cunha will bolster a side that has also seen 18-year-old Diego Leon arrive from Cerro Porteno after striking an agreement to sign him in January.

 Ruben has named a 29-man travelling squad for our trip to face Leeds in Stockholm   Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 18, 2025

In terms of outgoings, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia are searching for new clubs. Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof have left on free transfers, while Jonny Evans has retired.

None of the players seeking new clubs have been included in a 29-man squad for the Leeds match.

Cunha and Leon are part of Amorims group. Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee will remain at Uniteds Carrington training base to recover from small issues, but are expected to be part of the touring squad for the United States.
Benjamin Netanyahu faces backlash from his former US school - Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Students at Benjamin Netanyahus former school have launched a petition to remove the Israeli leaders portrait from the hall of fame.

More than 200 pupils at Cheltenham High School, near Philadelphia, in the US, signed a petition calling for the politician to be removed from the gallery of notable alumni, according to The New York Times.

The group, which accounts for nearly 14 per cent of the student body, cited the ongoing corruption charges Mr Netanyahu is facing, alongside the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court accusing him of war crimes in their email calling for his removal. The allegations have been vehemently denied by Mr Netanyahu.

When students see these alumni on the wall of fame as we walk past every day, we understand that these are people we should look up to, and we strive to be like them one day, two of the students wrote in an email to the schools alumni association according to the report.

As such, we feel it is not right for him to continue to be recognised in our school, the petition said.

Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania, USA

On Friday members of the alumni association were scheduled to meet school officials to discuss the petition to have Mr Netanyahus portrait removed.

The Israeli leader, who graduated from Cheltenham in 1967, was inducted into its hall of fame in 1999.

His brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, who was killed in 1976 while trying to rescue hostages held by Palestinian and German terrorists in Uganda, was inducted in 1984.

In an email to a lawyer representing the association and the school district, Emily Brecker Greenberg, the secretary of the alumni association, reportedly wrote: I believe that most people on our board would like to keep Netanyahu up, but maybe with an update in his biography.

She added: It is interesting that the world really doesnt do much about other dictators who massacre thousands of their population, but Israel is always the one in the hugely negative news, she added. And I say that letting you know that everyone on our committee is not happy with the situation in Gaza . From EITHER side!!!!
Afghan families disembark from a flight at Brize Norton after being flown out of Kabul in 2021. Another man was allowed to bring 22 family members with him - Jacob King/Getty Images

Afghan migrants have brought as many as 22 family members to the UK after relatives previously rejected for asylum were allowed in following a military data breach.

The disclosure could raise fears that national security may have been compromised in the confusion that followed the most damaging data breach in British history..

Government sources say Afghans who were flown to Britain brought an average of eight family members with them, leaving officials scrambling to find accommodation for them.

Ministers were even forced to consider knocking two houses into one on military bases to accommodate individual families.

But the public was kept in the dark because of a super-injunction that was extended at Sir Grant Shappss direction shortly before last years general election.

Sir Grant has now been accused of trying to rewrite history after he claimed on Friday he was surprised that the super-injunction stayed in place for so long after it was granted in September 2023, when in truth he successfully appealed against a judges decision to lift it in May last year.

The Conservative government took action in 2023 when it learnt that a list of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to come to Britain was wrongly shared by a defence official in 2022.

The Afghans, who included special forces soldiers, had applied through a scheme for those who had worked with or alongside the British Armed Forces during the war in Afghanistan, making them potential targets of the Taliban.

In March last year, the Government set up an emergency scheme, called the Afghanistan Response Route, to airlift people named in the data breach to the UK.

Whitehall sources have told The Telegraph that one person who came to the UK was allowed to bring 22 family members, while others were in the high teens.

Defence ministers had wanted to restrict arrivals to married couples and their children, but UK courts repeatedly expanded the eligibility criteria, citing the European Convention on Human Rights.

There was a dramatic change in the criteria last November, when High Court judge Mrs Justice Yip ruled, in a case brought against the Foreign Office by an Afghan already living in the UK, that family members did not have to have a blood or legal connection to the applicant.

Her ruling stated: The term family member does not have any fixed meaning in law or in common usage. Indeed, the word family may mean different things to different people and in different contexts. There may be cultural considerations  there is no requirement for a blood or legal connection.

Court documents previously kept secret by the super-injunction  which was finally lifted earlier this week  show that only 10 per cent of the extended family members that applicants wanted to bring to the UK had been deemed eligible under previously existing routes.

The document states: Given the increased risk to some AFM [additional family members] as a result of the data incident, officials expect the number of applications and success rate to increase

Officials estimate that upwards of 55% of AFM will be eligible in light of the incident  up to approximately 12,500 AFM across all eligible cohorts.

Only 2,200 of those people were deemed eligible previously, meaning Sir Grant was prepared to accept more than 10,000 who had been deemed ineligible.

Sources in Afghanistan have told The Telegraph that in the chaos that followed the data breach, criminals, including junior staff who had stolen from British bases and sold weapons to the Taliban, had come to the UK with large numbers of family members, while military commanders who served alongside the Army had been left behind.

The resettlement of Afghans in the UK led to major rows in Government, it emerged this week, as Cabinet ministers expressed concerns about the number of bogus claimants who could end up coming to the UK and the implications for national security.

Sir Grant was contacted for comment.
Two people have been arrested and several police officers were injured after a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping descended into violence.

A crowd of men, some wearing masks and balaclavas, were seen squaring up to police officers, throwing bottles and jumping onto police vans on Thursday evening.

Police said eight officers were assaulted, some of whom suffered cuts and grazes as a result.

Far-right activists with banners and loudspeakers had joined local residents, including women and children, gathered outside the Bell Hotel for the protest.

Officers from Essex Police were mobilised as a counter-demonstration by Stand up to Racism was surrounded by groups of men.

Some protesters were seen using fireworks and throwing eggs, as a section of High Road was closed for the safety of the public and those protesting.

Essex Police confirmed several people had disrupted peaceful protests with projectiles and that it had identified several suspects it believed were responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel and assaulting officers.

Following the disruption outside the hotel, police said they also faced significant hostility in Epping town centre, with both the Met Police and British Transport Police being called in to help.

BREAKING: Its all kicking off at the protest in Epping! Protestors jump on top and try to smash the windows on the police vans! pic.twitter.com/pfdW5Do9lJ  Queen Natalie (@TheNorfolkLion) July 17, 2025

A man was arrested on suspicion of affray following an alleged assault close to the Bell Hotel on Sunday.

Dean Walters, 65, of Corner Meadow in Harlow, has been charged with affray and released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates Court 24 September, with stringent conditions until then.

Another was arrested for for failing to comply with dispersal orders and was remanded in custody.

Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper of Essex Police told reporters: Whether it be our police vehicles being damaged, our officers being assaulted, we'll make sure that those people feel the full force of the law."

He added: "Eight of my officers - and not only my officers, we were supported by colleagues from other forces as well - were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unacceptable.

"They come here to do a role to support our communities, they're a part of that community and that's what we won't tolerate.

"They had injuries to their hands and cuts and grazes as a result of the incidents last night."

Mr Hooper also said there were "no reports of anyone actually breaking into the hotel last night".

Chief superintendent Simon Anslow said: I am sure those living in Epping have concerns following tonight. I share those concerns.

We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex.

Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started.

This was crime. Our detectives are already working through the footage of this evening  from our officers bodyworn camera, from our drones and from social media  and where offences are identified we will take action.

People attended the earlier protest and did so peacefully, lawfully and responsibly. Id like to thank them for expressing their views this way given the strength of feeling locally.

The details of the ongoing sexual assault case can be found on our website, and I reiterate the importance for respect for the court process to prevent the release of any prejudicial information in relation to that case.

It comes after Essex Police said two security guards received hospital treatment for serious injuries on Sunday, after they reported being attacked by a group of men at around 8pm while a protest was taking place.

A spokesperson for the force said the two victims managed to make their way through the protest and into the hotel, while initial investigations suggest the offences were racially aggravated.

Two local MPs have joined Conservative council leader Whitbread in calling for an end to the Bell Hotel being used to house asylum seekers.

Tensions flared ahead of the latest appearance in court on Thursday of an asylum seeker who has been charged with three counts of sexual assault.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, who came to Britain on June 29, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.

Kebatu has denied the offences and has been remanded in custody before a two-day trial next month at Chelmsford magistrates court.

Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow previously said: Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue.

People protesting peacefully, lawfully and responsibly cause us  and the wider public  no concern.

However, we can never and will never tolerate criminal behaviour of any sort and anyone identified as committing crime will be dealt with robustly.
Donald Trump - never one to shy away from controversy - has done another dramatic U-turn. After flatly refusing to send any more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, hes now decided to send them anyway. So whats changed? And why do these missiles matter so much?

Lets cut through the noise. Are Patriot missiles genuinely game-changers on the battlefield, or are they just a powerful symbol in modern warfare? To get to the truth, were speaking to someone whos actually been there - Air Marshal Edward Stringer. He spent 39 years in the RAF, flew combat missions over Iraq, and went up against anti-aircraft systems himself. If anyone knows what Patriot missiles can really do, its him.

Listen to Battle Lines using the audio player in this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast app.
The womans body was discovered behind St-Nicolas church in Barfleur, Normandy - Andia

A British woman in her 20s is reported to have died behind a church during a family holiday in France.

The woman, who has yet to be named, is believed to have been on a trip to Normandy. She was discovered on rocks by St-Nicolas church in Barfleur by a walker at around 9am on Friday.

The French television network France3 reported that the woman appeared to have drowned, but that the circumstances surrounding her death appeared somewhat unclear.

According to the Ouest-France newspaper, she had been staying with her family in a rented cottage on the quayside in the small fishing village.

The body of the British woman was discovered on rocks behind the church - Getty

Forensic and research teams joined forces with criminal investigators and the gendarmerie, and an autopsy was carried out on Friday afternoon.

The Normandy Prefecture declined to comment on the case, and the public prosecutor could not be reached for comment.

Last week, a 35-year-old British woman was killed in Beaune, France, while jogging with her husband. The woman was hit by a car as she ran through Avenue Charles de Gaulle, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A local 45-year-old man, believed to be the driver involved, was arrested.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
The marbled white is among the species that have emerged unusually early and in large numbers this summer. Photograph: Andrew Cooper/Butterfly Conservation

People are being urged to help measure the scale of Britains butterfly bounceback after last summers dramatic decline with this years launch of the worlds biggest insect survey.

The Big Butterfly Count asks volunteers to spend 15 minutes in a local green space counting the butterflies and day-flying moths they see. Results of the survey, which takes place from 18 July to 10 August, can be logged on the Butterfly Conservation charitys website or via its free app.

Naturalists say it has been an outstanding summer for butterflies and other flying insects but the Big Butterfly Count will determine whether it has been better than average or simply a return to normal after the dismal, butterfly-less summer of 2024.

Related: Rare butterfly hits purple patch at Sussex rewilding project

Fine and sunny weather in April and May ensured caterpillars prospered and there have been large and unusually early emergences of midsummer butterflies including peacocks, gatekeepers and marbled whites. Butterflies have also been seen farther north than ever before as a result of global heating, with the booming purple emperor spotted in North Yorkshire and the white-letter hairstreak  which only reached Scotland in 2017  now found in Dundee.

Its an outstanding year for most, but not all, butterflies and many other winged insects, said Matthew Oates, a naturalist and butterfly expert. Its all the more remarkable after last years insect nadir, which was by far the worst insect trough in my experience of nearly 70 years of butterflying. I was seriously worried.

Butterfly Conservation declared a butterfly emergency after last summers Big Butterfly Count revealed the lowest numbers in its history. The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, the gold standard of scientific butterfly surveying, which has been collecting data since 1976, also reported the second-lowest numbers of common butterfly species in 2024 since records began.

Dr Richard Fox of Butterfly Conservation said this year was much more encouraging but warned of shifting baseline syndrome whereby people became used to lower numbers of butterflies and so considered what might actually only be a moderately good or average summer to be an abundant one.

Ive been in Cornwall and there were loads of butterflies around  red admirals, peacocks, gatekeepers, and the whites are doing well, said Fox. There are two big buts: a better summer for butterflies does not redress the 50 years of decline, and we know that drought isnt good for butterflies or moths or anything that eats plants. The impact of this years dry weather will be on the next generation of butterflies, and drought is not good news.

The sunniest spring on record and continued sunny weather through the summer have been a boon for many species, and in many regions there has been just enough rain to prevent caterpillar food plants shrivelling up and dying.

Many species have emerged as butterflies earlier than ever this year. The brown hairstreak, which is usually an August butterfly and the last species to take to the wing as a butterfly each summer, was spotted in Surrey and Sussex in June. Lepidopterists expect that some species, such as the white admiral and the small pearl-bordered fritillary, may have unusual second or third broods this summer because they emerged so early.

But a few of Britains 59 native species of butterfly have not fared well this year, including the rare large blue and common species such as the ringlet. The large blue is susceptible to dry springs, while the ringlet requires damp conditions for its grass-feeding caterpillars, and struggles in dry summers. The once-ubiquitous small tortoiseshell continues its baffling disappearance from southern Britain, where it has become a rare butterfly.

Up to 100,000 citizen scientists who take part in the Big Butterfly Count each summer provide quality data about how butterflies are doing beyond the nature reserves that are monitored every week, said Fox. Taking that 15 minutes just to spend time in nature, to stop worrying about the day-to-day grind and focus on things of beauty, we know is good for our brains and its good for mental wellbeing. Its something that everyone can do and it gives us a bit of agency when faced with these huge threats to our precious natural environment.
Incidents of pollution, including untreated sewage, being released into waterways from water company infrastructure increased last year. (Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

Campaigners have said a new report has exposed the "brutal truth" about water companies after it found the number of serious pollution incidents caused by firms rose 60% last year compared with 2023.

This included 75 incidents classified as being able to harm human health.

The Environment Agency report revealed consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage firms in the country.

James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said the figures expose a brutal truth as "serious pollution incidents are rising, sewage discharges remain rampant and our rivers are spiralling toward ecological collapse.

This is not just regulatory failure, it is a national disgrace.

What did the report say?

Every year the Environment Agency records the number of times pollution, including untreated sewage, is released into waterways from water company infrastructure such as pumping stations, pipes and treatment works.

The new figures, released on Friday, show companies recorded a total of 2,801 incidents last year, up from 2,174 in 2023.

The regulator splits these incidents into categories, with category 1 (major) and category 2 (significant) considered the most serious in terms of their impact on the environment, such as damage to ecosystems, the loss of wildlife and harm to human health.

Last year, 75 category 1 and 2 incidents were recorded, up from 47 the previous year.

Three water firms were responsible for 81% of these serious incidents: Thames Water with 33, Southern Water with 15, and Yorkshire Water with 13.

Three water firms - Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water - were responsible for 81% of the most serious incidents. (PA) (Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Meanwhile, just two companies  Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water  had no serious incidents last year, meeting the Environment Agencys expectations to see a trend to zero serious pollution incidents by 2025.

The Environment Agency attributed the rise in incidents last year to persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance and reduced resilience because of the impacts of climate change.

Chair Alan Lovell said the figures demonstrate "continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets. The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring, and to respond rapidly when it does."

Lovell added the agency has increased the size of its workforce to "tighten our regulation" of the industry.

Water UK, the trade association for the water industry, said "the performance of some companies is not good enough" but pointed to 104bn of investment over the next five years to "end sewage entering our rivers and seas".

What next?

The data comes before the publication of a landmark review of the water industry on Monday.

Led by Sir John Cunliffe, he will outline recommendations to the government on tackling the sectors environmental and financial performance.

It also follows a report released by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on Friday, in which a cross-bench group of MPs called the level of pollution woeful and recommended an overhaul of the regulation system.

Read more
A family-run crime gang, with a 65-year-old gangster granny as its boss, has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of 80 million across the UK.

Deborah Mason, dubbed Queen Bee, and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced to a total of 106 and a half years at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months.

A group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them all over London, as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, between April and November 2023.

The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between 23 million to 35 million and a street value of 80 million.

Anita Slaughter (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The ringleader spent her profits on designer goods and was looking to go Turkey to have cosmetic surgery, while young mothers who were part of the gang took their young children to pick-ups.

Deborah Mason, dubbed gangster granny by the Metropolitan Police, who directed other members of the gang and was in contact with an upstream supplier called Bugsy, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Judge Philip Shorrock told Mason: You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager.

You recruited members of your own family  as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.

The judge noted that several of the women have young children but said their involvement in the drug network only makes it easier for unscrupulous dealers to seek to recruit mothers.

Demi Bright (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Earlier, prosecutor Charlotte Hole said: All of the offenders participated in a conspiracy which involved the nationwide supply of around a metric tonne of cocaine, collected usually from areas near ports such as Harwich, and delivered across the country to Bristol, Cardiff, Sheffield, Bradford and so on.

She added: Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least 1,000 per trip, and it is one of the most significant parts of the motivation of the conspiracy.

They all had an awareness of the scale of the operation.

Deborah Mason played a leading role and was top of the organisation and provided cocaine for the upstream supplier known as Bugsy.

She took part in 20 trips, delivering 356kg of cocaine, and also made trips to deliver and collect cash.

Reggie Bright (Metropolitan Police/PA)

She was in close contact with the upstream supplier using an encrypted app, which had auto-deletion of messages set up, designed to keep the operation secret and messages deleted.

Ms Hole said: She (Deborah Mason) recruited both her family members  her sister and her children  as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.

She also organised those who drove for her, staying in phone contact from the early hours to make sure they were up, and checking in on them during the day.

She did not use pressure or coercion to woo her family into the gang, as they were motivated by financial benefit.

The court heard she was in receipt of in excess of 50,000 per year in benefit income during the conspiracy period, while acting as ringleader and spending lavishly on luxuries.

Lillie Bright (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Ms Hole said: (You) will recollect the messages seen during the trial with reference to her photographing large amounts of cash, and referring to making 90,000 by the end of the year, as well as her lavish spending on designer goods and expressed intention to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery procedures.

When Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roeseanne Mason, who made seven trips delivering about 166kg of cocaine, stepped in to the directing role, the court heard.

The prosecution said Roeseanne Mason collected cash for her mother and also provided childcare so that others could work.

Mother-of-two Demi Bright made a single trip in August 2023 which involved 60kg of cocaine.

She took her children with her on the two-day trip, which involved an overnight stay in a hotel.

Roseanne Mason (Metropolitan Police/PA)

She agreed to deliver more drugs in November 2023 but dropped out.

It appears she stepped back from the drug plot after her sister Roeseanne Mason was arrested, saying she wanted to go straight but she continued to help her mother in the organisation and was aware of its scale, the court heard.

The prosecution said that most significantly she recruited Anita Slaughter to the gang, whom she offered work on a daily basis.

Lillie Bright was involved in 20 trips involving 195kg of cocaine.

Her partner Chloe Hodgkin, 23, of Abbots Walk, Wye, Kent, is awaiting the birth of her baby and is to be sentenced at a date to be set.

Tina Golding (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Ms Hole said: The two of them took Lillie Brights son with them, who was two at the time, in a car with cardboard boxes containing kilogrammes of cocaine.

Lillie Bright also had 35g of cocaine she offered for sale, the court heard.

Reggie Brights 12 trips as part of the gang delivered at least 90kg and there were times he collected wages for the group.

He usually took trips with his partner, Demi Kendall, 31, telling her not to get the hump because we need the money, the court heard.

He had been a cocaine user and an addict since his teens and had a brain injury as a result of his misuse.

Demi Kendall (Metropolitan Police/PA)

He claimed he did not know where the drugs were coming from, but encrypted messages on the Signal app show this was not true.

Ms Hole said: He used the Signal alias Frank and was clearly known to, and in direct contact with, the upstream supplier.

Demi Kendall carried out 15 trips involving 98kg of cocaine, and often took her toddler with her in a car.

She also recruited her friend, and later, talking about the plot, told her youd get years if u got stopped with the amount that we carry  serious jail time.

Tina Golding made four trips and delivered at least 75kg of cocaine. She collected at least 10,000 in wages.

Anita Slaughter took part in a single trip, which amounted to 55kg across four drops, in October 2023.

George Payne, defending for Deborah Mason, claimed his client was not the top director of the gangs actions.

In his mitigation argument, he said: It is precisely because she does not look like someone who is involved in drug dealing that she was chosen to be part of the plot.

He added: I submit that all of these individuals are expendable, without experience and without a lot of knowledge.

Roseanne Mason, 29, of Canonbury, north London, and Demi Bright, 30, of Ashford, Kent, were each sentenced to 11 years imprisonment.

Lillie Bright, 26, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years, and Demi Kendall, 31, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years and six months imprisonment.

Reggie Bright, 24, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 15 years, and Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, was jailed for 10 years.

Anita Slaughter, 44, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

After sentencing Crown Prosecution Service specialist prosecutor Robert Hutchinson said: This was no ordinary family.

Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars.

Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, described it as a sophisticated operation.

He added: The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles.

They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.
Credit: London Metropolitan Police

A family-run crime gang with a 65-year-old gangster granny boss has been sentenced for dealing drugs worth 80 million.

Deborah Mason, dubbed Queen Bee, and seven other members of the gang  six of them female  were sentenced to a total of 106.5 years at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a ton of cocaine over seven months.

A group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them all over London, as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, between April and November 2023.

The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between 23 million to 35 million and a street value of 80 million.

The ringleader spent her profits on designer goods and was looking to go Turkey to have cosmetic surgery. Mothers who were part of the gang took their young children to collect the drugs.

Mason, dubbed gangster granny by the Metropolitan Police, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Deborah Mason, known as Queen Bee, recruited members of her own family - Met Police

Judge Philip Shorrock told Mason: You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager.

You recruited members of your own family  as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.

Earlier, Charlotte Hole, prosecuting, said: All of the offenders participated in a conspiracy which involved the nationwide supply of around a ton of cocaine, collected usually from areas near ports such as Harwich, and delivered across the country.

Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least 1,000 per trip. They all had an awareness of the scale of the operation.

Packages of imported cocaine delivered around the country by the gang - Met Police

Mason played a leading role, took part in 20 trips, delivering 356kg of cocaine, and also made trips to deliver and collect cash.

Ms Hole said: She (Mason) recruited both her family members  her sister and her children  as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.

She also organised those who drove for her, staying in phone contact from the early hours to make sure they were up, and checking in on them during the day.

The court heard she was in receipt of in excess of 50,000 per year in benefit income during the conspiracy period, while acting as ringleader and spending lavishly on luxuries as well as planning to travel to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.

Roeseanne Mason stepped in to the directing role when her mother was on holiday - Met Police

When Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roeseanne Mason, who made seven trips delivering about 166kg of cocaine, stepped in to the directing role, the court heard.

The prosecution said that most significantly she recruited Anita Slaughter to the gang, whom she offered work on a daily basis.

Lillie Bright was involved in 20 trips involving 195kg of cocaine.

Her partner Chloe Hodgkin, 23, of Wye, Kent, is awaiting the birth of her baby and is to be sentenced at a date to be set.

Ms Hole said: The two of them took Lillie Brights son with them, who was two at the time, in a car with cardboard boxes containing kilograms of cocaine.

Anita Slaughter took part in a single trip, delivering 55kg of drugs across four drops - Met Police

Lillie Bright also had 35g of cocaine she offered for sale, the court heard.

The prosecution said Roeseanne collected cash for her mother and also provided childcare so that others could work.

Mother of two Demi Bright made a single trip in August 2023 which involved 60kg of cocaine.

She took her children with her on the two-day trip. She agreed to deliver more drugs in November 2023 but dropped out.

It appears she stepped back from the drug plot after her sister Roeseanne was arrested, saying she wanted to go straight, the court heard.

Reggie Brights 12 trips as part of the gang delivered at least 90kg and there were times he collected wages for the group.

He usually took trips with his partner, Demi Kendall, 31, telling her not to get the hump because we need the money, the court heard.

Demi carried out 15 trips involving 98kg of cocaine, and often took her toddler with her in a car.

She also recruited her friend, Tina Golding, who made four trips and delivered at least 75kg of cocaine. She collected at least 10,000 in wages.

Demi Kendall often took her toddler with her in the car on a drug run - Met Police

Anita Slaughter took part in a single trip, which amounted to 55kg across four drops, in October 2023.

Roseanne Mason, 29, of Canonbury, north London, and Demi Bright, 30, of Ashford, Kent, were each sentenced to 11 years imprisonment.

Lillie Bright, 26, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years, and Demi Kendall, 31, of Staplehurst, Kent, got 13 years and six months.

Reggie Bright, 24, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 15 years, and Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, was jailed for 10 years. Anita Slaughter, 44, of Ashford, Kent, got 13 years.

After sentencing, Robert Hutchinson, the Crown Prosecution Service specialist prosecutor, said: This was no ordinary family. Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars.

Det Con Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said: The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles. They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.
Angolan soldiers, pictured during a parade in 2005, burned tents and shot dead religious followers at a camp - AFP

The survivor of a cult massacre has won an immigration case to stay in Britain because he cannot be expected to keep the incident secret.

The Angolan, 23, was part of a sect in his home country, which was subjected to a full-scale military assault to wipe them out, the asylum court heard.

Only 13 at the time, the boy managed to survive the attack as Angolan soldiers burned tents and gunned down the religious followers at their camp in the mountains.

The group, known as the Light of the World, was led by the controversial Prophet Kalupeteca, who told his followers the end of the world was upon them. The sect was designated a dangerous cult by the Angolan government, which perceived it to be a threat to the state.

In April 2015, an estimated 1,000 members of the church were slaughtered in what was said to be a response to the group killing eight police officers.

Now, after the Angolan migrant entered Britain, he has won his case to be protected in Britain as a refugee. An upper immigration tribunal ruled that he cannot be deported because he could not be expected to keep it a secret that he was at the massacre if he was sent back.

Survivors prosecuted

Although he was only a child at the time, his name was on the register at the camp. Other survivors were arrested and prosecuted because it was singled out for complete destruction by the government. Deporting the Angolan would lead to him eventually being apprehended by authorities, the upper tribunal ruled.

The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example uncovered by The Telegraph in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their removal.

The Angolan, who was given anonymity, entered Britain in June 2019 with his sister. Previously, their home in Luanda was burned down by soldiers, so they fled with their mother and half-sisters. Their pastor suggested they travel to Huambo and they ended up at a camp run by the Light of the World cult.

In April 2015, armed police and soldiers stormed the compound to arrest Prophet Kalupeteca.

Armed church members fought back and in the resulting fighting, hundreds of tents were burned, and a large number of civilians killed, the tribunal was told.

At the date of the assault on the compound, the [Angolan] was 13; his little sister was only seven. They survived as best they could, on charity and scavenging on the streets. Eventually, the pair came to Britain in 2019.

The tribunal was told that the Angolan government sought to suppress such religious groups as a threat to the state, with any survivors from the cult at risk of being detained.

Gaenor Bruce, the upper tribunal judge, ruled that the Angolan could stay. There is a current risk of harm to the [Angolan] because I accept that it is reasonably likely that his name, and those of his family members, would have been entered into the register kept by the Light of the World sect, he said.

It makes sense that efforts would have been made [by the Angolan government] to gain control of that list after the compound was overwhelmed. I am further satisfied that the adverse interest in the group will not have sufficiently waned to obviate the risk to perceived members or associates of the group.

[If he was deported] it is in my view only a matter of time before he comes into contact with the police and could be associated with the Light of the World.
Extreme sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident in Italy.

The 56-year-old Austrian fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel after apparently while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in Italy's central Marche region.

Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air.

He offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights."

The Austrian made headlines around the world in October 2012 when, wearing a specially made suit, he jumped from a balloon 24 miles above Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 690 mph.

Felix Baumgartner in his skydive from space (via REUTERS)

He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833 mph, on the 65th anniversary of legendary American pilot Chuck Yeager's flight shattering the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.

"When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive," he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

The self-styled "God of the Skies" started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of BASE jumping.

His long career of daredevil jumps included skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

He performed the first-known base jump from the Christ the Reddemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(REUTERS)

In Austria he was also known for courting controversy with views that included expressing support for dictatorship as a system of government.

Baumgartner was fined 1,500 euros after he punched a Greek truck driver in the face during a 2010 altercation that broke out in a traffic jam near Salzbur.

Fans have left tributes beneath one of the skydiver's final social media posts, a video of him working on the motor of his paraglider.
The new Harry Potter, Dominic McLaughlin - Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP

The child stars of the new Harry Potter series will have a real school built for them while they are posing as Hogwarts students.

Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout  HBOs Harry, Hermonie and Ron  will be among hundreds of young people from the show to attend a newly built school while they are filming.

The specially built facility will be based at Warner Bros studios in Watford, Hertfordshire, where the cast is making the new series.

It marks a different approach to that taken by the former child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who dipped in and out of mainstream schools and various tutors while they played the same parts more than 20 years ago.

The temporary facility will mean that the shows young actors can keep up with their studies while in production.

The new series, scheduled for release on HBO and HBO Max in 2027, will be created over the course of a decade, with each instalment based on one of JK Rowlings seven novels.

The companys Leavesden studio has been told by Three Rivers District Council that the proposed classrooms, in portable buildings, will be able to be used by up to 600 pupils during peak periods, according to reports in the BBC.

These will likely be during crowd scenes, where hundreds of young people will need to double as Hogwarts students.

It will operate on weekdays between 5.30am and 8.30pm, meaning that learning can take place around the young actors hectic production schedules.

The schools planning documents do not specifically mention Harry Potter, but cite a significant new TV series which will base itself at the studio for the next 8-10 years.

HBO announced on Monday that filming had begun, marking the moment with a new picture of McLaughlin as the titular character.

Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid in the new series - Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP

The young actor looked every part the Hogwarts student as he smiled for the camera in Potters famous glasses and uniform.

HBO has previously said that more than 30,000 children auditioned for the three coveted lead roles following an open casting call.

Stanton, who will play Hermoine Granger, previously starred in the titular role of Matilda: The Musical in the West End from 2023 to 2024, while McLaughlin acted in the forthcoming Sky comedy, Grow.

Meanwhile, the Harry Potter series marks Stouts breakout role as Ron Weasley.

Each season of the new show will be a faithful adaptation of the books by Rowling, who is also serving as an executive producer of the series.

Other stars who have previously been announced include award-winning US actor John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore, Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch, and Rivals actress Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley.
Although recent US air strikes have weakened the rebels, the intercepted weapons shipment signals Irans attempt to sustain its campaign in the Red Sea - Khaled Abdullah/REUTERS

Iran appears to be rearming Yemens Houthi rebels and Hezbollah, despite being significantly weakened by its recent war with Israel.

A major shipment of Iranian-made missiles, drone components, and other military equipment destined for the Houthis was intercepted this week by Yemens internationally recognised government.

The seizure, described by US officials as one of the largest ever, has raised fresh concerns that Tehran is pushing ahead with efforts to reinforce its militant allies and destabilise the region despite its diminished position.

US Central Command said the Houthi-bound shipment contained 750 tonnes of weaponry, including cruise missiles, anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and drone engines, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The weapons were hidden aboard a traditional sailing vessel, or dhow, concealed beneath a cargo of air conditioners.

Protesters, predominantly Houthi supporters, demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinians, in Sanaa, Yemen this July - Khaled Abdullah/REUTERS

Mohammed al-Basha, founder of the Middle East security advisory Basha Report, said: The timing and scale of this shipment strongly suggest Iran is moving quickly to replenish Houthi stockpiles depleted by US air strikes.

The Houthis have resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since last months brief war between Israel and Iran ended, despite a previously agreed ceasefire with the United States.

In the past week, the group claimed responsibility for sinking the Eternity C, a commercial vessel hit repeatedly over three days by drone boats and both cruise and ballistic missiles.

Four crew members died in the assault, while around a dozen were taken hostage. One sailor lost a leg, according to the European Unions naval operation in the Red Sea.

Before the ceasefire, the United States had launched a large number of air strikes against Houthi positions, significantly degrading their capabilities.

Analysts now say Irans new arms shipments are an effort to replenish those stocks and keep the Red Sea campaign alive.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese army has intercepted a string of weapons shipments crossing from Syria that included Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles, which have long been used by Hezbollah.

Some of the arms were reportedly discovered hidden in trucks transporting cucumbers.

Hezbollah, like the Houthis, has suffered significant setbacks in the past year. Its cross-border conflict with Israel ended in a ceasefire last autumn, and its arms supply lines from Iran were disrupted by the fall of Syrias Bashar al-Assad in December.

The jihadist overthrow of Assad, once a key Iranian ally, forced Hezbollah to cut back the volume and scale of weapons transfers. Where once truckloads of arms crossed into Lebanon, smugglers now rely on small stashes buried among food supplies.

Syrias new administration has cracked down on Iranian arms trafficking. Security forces reportedly seized several deliveries, including Grad rockets, along Syrias eastern borders with Iraq and Lebanon.

In May, Iranian-made air-defence missiles were seized near the Lebanese border, according to Syrian state television.

Despite the pressure, Hezbollah is working to rebuild. According to a source who spoke to the WSJ, the group has had success manufacturing its own drones and missiles and has restructured its smuggling networks to avoid detection.

Iran last month launched hundreds of rockets at Israel during a 12-day aerial war that saw its own air defences destroyed and top military figures assassinated.

The regime is thought to have depleted around half of its missile stockpile in the conflict, with many of its air defences destroyed by Israeli attacks.

Israel also killed multiple top Iranian commanders and many of their replacements.

Irans foreign ministry denied that it had sent weapons to its allies across the Middle East, describing the accusations as baseless.
Kneecap, against whom Avon and Somerset Police said it would be taking no further action - Ki Price/WireImage

The decision to close the criminal investigation into Kneecaps Glastonbury performance has been described as two-tier justice by the shadow home secretary.

Avon and Somerset Police said it would be taking no further action against the Belfast trio after one member urged the crowd to start up a riot outside court next month.

Chris Philp told The Telegraph: This is another example of two-tier justice. One of the band said on stage lets start a riot in court referring to an upcoming court appearance on a different matter. This is clearly inciting violence, yet hes been let off scot free.

Mr Philp said Lucy Connolly had been convicted and jailed for nearly three years over a similar comment, adding: After Keir Starmer strongly encouraged action in connection with last summers riots, this appears to be two-tier justice in action in Keir Starmers Britain.

Everyone should be treated the same before the law, but two-tier Kier does not seem to agree.

Kneecap fans at Glastonbury last month. The group said their show was a celebration of love and solidarity - Matt Crossick/Alamy

Police said they had reviewed footage of Kneecaps comments at Worthy Farm and there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Speaking after the announcement that the case had been dropped, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: Trust in the police is collapsing. Is it any wonder?

Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court in August on a terror charge for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a concert.

Addressing the Glastonbury crowd, he said: Its not the first time there was a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system. So if anybodys available on Aug 20 at Westminster, well start up a riot outside the courts.

He then said: A disclaimer  no riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.

Police had been investigating Kneecaps set as well as the rap duo Bob Vylan, who were streamed live by the BBC chanting death to the IDF at Glastonbury. Bob Vylan are still being investigated.

Kneecap performed on Worthy Farms West Holts stage, but the BBC deemed their set too high-risk to broadcast live.

The group has been in the headlines since footage emerged from previous concerts showing members shouting kill your local MP and up Hamas, up Hezbollah.

Credit: TikTok / @helenshealingjourney / BBC

On Friday, Kneecap  consisting of Mo Chara, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh  posted a screenshot to social media of an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.

In the caption, they wrote: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over. We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close... yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday June 28.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their inquiries and, after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Highly disturbing sentiments

Daniel Sugarman, formerly the director of public affairs at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: I dont think many Jewish people will be surprised to hear that police have dropped their investigation of Kneecaps Glastonbury set.

In the last 21 months weve become used to people airing highly disturbing sentiments without the slightest consequence. Its quite staggering how geopolitically ignorant Kneecap and their fans appear to be.

Kneecaps involvement at Glastonbury was condemned by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister  who had urged festival organisers to kick the trio off its schedule  and Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader.

Their set was not streamed live over fears the band would repeat previous political statements in support of the Palestinian cause and against Israels offensive in Gaza, but the corporation decided that Bob Vylans could be.
Britain has hit more than a dozen Russian spies with a wave of sanctions, targeting those it accused of running a sustained campaign of malicious activity against the UK.

The Foreign Office named 18 officers from Russian spy agency the GRU, as well as hitting three of its units with measures aimed at cracking down on Vladimir Putins increasing aggression abroad.

It said the military intelligence officers targeted were responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders, and included those who had targeted the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

Members of the spy agency GRU to have been sanctioned include (clockwise, from top left) Aleksandr Osadchuk, Evgeny Serebriakov, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, Anatoliy Kovalev, Yuriy Fedorovich Denisov, and Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets (FBI)

Members of the spy agency GRU to have been sanctioned include (clockwise, from top left) Aleksandr Osadchuk, Evgeny Serebriakov, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, Anatoliy Kovalev, Yuriy Fedorovich Denisov, and Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets (FBI)

Members of the military wore protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2019 (PA Archive)

Members of the military wore protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2019 (PA Archive)

The officers sanctioned had targeted a device belonging to Mr Skripals daughter Yulia with malicious malware known as X-Agent five years before GRU attempted to murder them in Salisbury with the deadly Novichok nerve agent.

The units are also accused of conducting a prolonged campaign of cyberattacks across Europe, including in Britain, aimed at destabilising the continent and undermining democratic institutions.

GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens, foreign secretary David Lammy said.

He added: The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we wont tolerate it. Thats why were taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.

On 15 March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Unit 26165 carried out online reconnaissance on civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol, southern Ukraine and in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, the Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Office said the spies were responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders. Clockwise, from top left: Nikolay Korchagin, Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev, Artem Adreyevich Malyshev, Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, and Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev (FBI)

The Foreign Office said the spies were responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders. Clockwise, from top left: Nikolay Korchagin, Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev, Artem Adreyevich Malyshev, Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, and Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev (FBI)

Rubble is cleared at the site of the damaged Mariupol theatre after the March 2022 attack (AP)

Rubble is cleared at the site of the damaged Mariupol theatre after the March 2022 attack (AP)

One of the targets was the Mariupol theatre. Civilians sheltering inside from Russian bombs had painted the word children outside in the hopes they would be spared.

But the next day, the theatre was hit by Russian airstrikes, killing about 600 people, including children, according to an Associated Press investigation.

In 2013, officers from the same unit had targeted the daughter of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with malware, designed to harm or infiltrate computer systems, the foreign ministry said.

In 2018, Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury, in an attack the British government said was organised by Russian intelligence. The Skripals survived the attack on British soil but a woman, Dawn Sturgess, was killed after her boyfriend stumbled across the poison in a perfume bottle.

Members of the military wear protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, following the 2018 poisoning (PA Archive)

Members of the military wear protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, following the 2018 poisoning (PA Archive)

The sanctions also targeted the Africa Initiative, which the Foreign Office said employed Russian intelligence officers to carry out information operations in Africa, including undermining public health programmes and destabilising various countries.

Russias campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe ranges from cyberattacks and propaganda to arson and attempted assassination. Mr Lammy said: Putins hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our allies' support for Ukraine and Europes security is ironclad.

More than 70 different attacks have been attributed to Russia by Western officials since the invasion.

The military intelligence units sanctioned on Friday also targeted foreign aid to Kyiv, ports, infrastructure and border crossings as well as technology companies, the Foreign Office said.

Although targeting GRU officers with sanctions is likely to have limited effect, the ministry said the goal is to raise awareness of Russia's campaign and raise the cost to people working for its services, including making it harder for them to travel.
Kneecaps Mo Chara (left) was charged with a terrorism offence, accused of displaying a flag at a gig in support of Hezbollah after being reported to the police by UKLFI. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Massive Attack, Brian Eno, Fontaines DC and Kneecap have announced the formation of a syndicate for artists speaking out about Israels military assault on Gaza, who they say have been subjected to aggressive, vexatious campaigns by pro-Israel advocates.

Posting on Instagram, the musicians said their aim was to protect other artists, particularly those at early stages of their careers, from being threatened into silence or career cancellation by organisations such as UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

UKLFI reported the band Bob Vylan to the police for leading a chant of death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] during their Glastonbury set and officers are investigating. It also reported the BBC for broadcasting the set. Bob Vylan have subsequently had several scheduled appearances cancelled after UKLFI sent letters.

Mo Chara of Kneecap was charged with a terrorism offence, accused of displaying a flag at a gig in support of the banned organisation Hezbollah after being reported to the police by UKLFI. Kneecap also had gigs cancelled after interventions by UKLFI.

While those actions were made public, UKLFI is also believed to have contacted other musicians, people and organisations connected with them without publicising the fact.

The post shared by Eno and others on Instagram says: The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists whove chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK government in facilitating it.

Were aware of the scale of aggressive, vexatious campaigns operated by UKLFI and of multiple individual incidences of intimidation within the music industry itself, designed solely to censor and silence artists from speaking their hearts and minds.

Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we wont stand by and allow other artists  particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability  to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.

They encourage other artists to contact them to make a collective stand on demands including an immediate and permanent ceasefire, immediate unfettered access to Gaza for recognised aid agencies and an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel.

In a statement provided to the Guardian, Massive Attack said: This collective action is really about offering some kind of solidarity to those artists who are living day after day in a screen-time genocide, but are worried about using their platforms to express their horror at that because of the level of censorship within their industry or from highly organised external legal bodies, terrifying them and their management teams with aggressive legal actions. The intention is clear and obvious: to silence them.

The Instagram post highlights a new documentary film about UKLFI projected by Led by Donkeys on Thursday night.

A spokesperson for UKLFI said a Massive Attack show last month had prompted complaints by Jewish and Israeli audience members because it included comparison of Israels actions with the Holocaust and, separately, images were shown of the former Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar (which Massive Attack said was part of a digital collage that should not be isolated and taken out of context).

They added: We wrote to Massive Attack to convey this, and requested that future performances do not repeat these actions. We believe in free speech and artistic expression, however we felt this performance crossed a line and made audience members feel deeply traumatised.
Spot the difference: one says shopping bag and the other shopper bag

A designer who created a Notting Hill tote bag once presented to the Princess of Wales has lost a High Court claim against two brothers she accused of copying her designs.

Natasha Courtenay-Smith sued Nangialai Takanai and Ehsanullah Takanai over claims they copied her design bearing the words the Notting Hill shopping bag in an attempt to pass themselves off as being part of her brand.

Lawyers for Ms Courtenay-Smith told a hearing in London in April that the mens actions were parasitic, adding that her design had been presented to Kate on a visit to Portobello Road and had been featured in high-profile media publications such as Mail Online, OK! Magazine and the Sunday Mirror.

The two men, who have been selling two designs with the words the Notting Hill shopper bag and the Camden Town shopping bag, denied copying the logos designs and passing off, claiming that Ms Courtenay-Smiths design is devoid of distinctive character.

In a ruling on Friday, Francesca Kaye, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, ruled that the level of creative freedom used to create Ms Courtenay-Smiths design was low, meaning the amount of copyright protection it could receive was correspondingly low.

Natasha Courtenay-Smith loses copyright lawsuit

She said: Given the nature of the artistic copyright work and those features that were relied on as giving rise to the copyright as setting the logo apart as a creative work, I am not satisfied that the defendants have in fact copied a substantial part of the copyright work.

Given the low degree of creativity, the scope of the protection conferred by the copyright is correspondingly narrow, and on the basis of a qualitative assessment, I am not satisfied that these are close copies.

The defendants are not, therefore, liable for copyright infringement by their use of the defendants signs.

In a 53-page judgment, the judge also ruled that the trademark of Ms Courtenay-Smiths logo, which was registered in 2013, had expired and had not been infringed.

Princess of Wales looks at Notting Hill shopping bags at Portobello Road market

At the hearing earlier this year, Joshua Marshall, for Ms Courtenay-Smith, told the court his client had been selling her unique design, which has proven to be incredibly successful and has become iconic.

He described the two mens design as a sleight of hand, adding that the reason they chose the word shopper instead of shopping was to make it different enough to avoid a claim of counterfeit.

Jamie Muir Wood, for the two businessmen, said in written submissions that the average consumer will notice the difference between the Notting Hill word sign and the logo, namely the replacement of the word shopping with shopper.

He said: Whilst there is similarity between the signs, given the differences between them and the fact that the average consumer will distinguish between them, no misrepresentation will occur.

Accordingly, there can be no damage.
Mark Dowding is the former chief financial officer The Character Group (TCG) PLC - Champion News Service

A former executive at a Peppa Pig toy company has lost almost 300,000 in legal fees after he was sacked for brandishing a pen at his boss.

Mark Dowding, former chief financial officer, was fired from The Character Group (TCG) PLC in 2017 after a disciplinary hearing on the basis of a breakdown of trust.

The company, which also makes toys for Pokemon and Doctor Who, was then taken to an employment tribunal by Mr Dowding accused of unfair dismissal over an alleged incident where he threatened his bosses with a pen.

Mr Dowding lost his claim at the tribunal in 2020, with Employment Judge Omar Khalil saying: The tribunal concludes that the incident as described by [Mr Dowdings boss] did occur, which included the claimant pointing towards him brandishing a pen in a threatening manner.

Mr Dowding has since been locked in a five-year court fight as he brought a series of appeals and challenges, as well as launching a High Court claim.

The former executive, who was on a salary of 110,000 at the time of his dismissal, faces a bill of 288,000 to pursue his latest claim.

Faces losing pension and home

This week, High Court judge Richard Spearman KC ordered Mr Dowling to pay the remaining legal fees. He said it means Mr Dowding now faces losing the pension fund, which forms his only regular income, and maybe also his home.

The court heard that Mr Dowding was employed by The Character Group from August 2012 to September 2017.

Mr Dowding took the company to an employment tribunal, claiming he was unfairly dismissed and had been subjected to various acts of victimisation. However, all of his claims were dismissed.

The pen incident was described in the employment tribunal judgment as a work-related meeting between the claimant and Mr Kiran Shah (his boss). Their discussion became heated, and voices were raised.

Mr Shah also alleged that the claimant had pointed a pen towards him, causing Mr Shah to retreat. This was set out in his email, which followed this altercation on the same day.

In that email, Mr Shah said about the incident, Your behaviour was inappropriate and unprofessional. You raised your voice towards me in a threatening manner and pointed a pen in my face whilst rolling forward towards me with your chair. I had to roll my chair back to prevent injury to my face.

Judge Khalil concluded that the pen threat did occur, and his dismissal was reasonable.

A very unhappy position

Mr Dowding has spent the last five years challenging that ruling and other orders, before being handed bills for around 288,000 in July 2024.

With one claim still live against the company  relating to his treatment by his former employers  an order was made last December to secure the existing costs bills on Mr Dowdings 850,000 home in south London.

This week, Judge Spearman made orders to end several elements of Mr Dowdings claim, including his bid to sue his former boss personally alongside the company.

The judge ordered that the rest of the case be struck out unless he pays the 288,000 he already owes.

He is in a very unhappy position because, on the disclosure he has made, he can ill-afford to meet these costs liabilities.

That is a consequence of bringing and pursuing expensive litigation, which has all been unsuccessful, resulting in the costs orders.
Credit: Newsflare / Urban Pictures

A police van allegedly drove into a man during a violent protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

The Metropolitan Police vehicle was filmed ramming at speed into a male protester amid volatile scenes outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday.

The hotel has become a flashpoint of anti-immigration demonstrations after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old asylum seeker from Ethiopia, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He denies the office.

Hundreds of protesters, including women and children, had initially gathered outside the hotel with loudspeakers and banners in a peaceful protest.

Demonstrators clashed with officers outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, which is believed to be housing asylum seekers - Mike Ruane/Story Picture Agency

However, the protest turned violent after much of the crowd had dissipated.

Two people were arrested after primarily male protesters, some of them wearing masks and carrying England flags, clashed with police officers, leaving one of them injured.

They smashed police vehicles, threw eggs and missiles at officers, caused damage to the hotel, and blocked Epping High Road, it was reported.

At one point, the crowd surrounded a small counter-demonstration by anti-racism activists.

Elsewhere, officers were forced to retreat from an area because of safety concerns.

A video showed the first of two vans driving through barriers that had been put up by demonstrators in an attempt to block the police in.

The footage then showed a second van, following behind the first, ram into a male protester, pushing him several feet backwards, before he was able to get out of the way.

The protester appeared to walk away unharmed as someone in the crowd shouted: Oh my god... What the f---.

The demonstration on Thursday was sparked after an asylum seeker appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl - Shutterstock

A Met spokesman said: On arrival [in Epping], officers were met with significant hostility from protestors, with police vehicles damaged and officers threatened with violence.

During their attendance, officers attempted to leave the immediate area due to safety concerns and were subsequently blocked in by the group of protestors using barriers.

During this, a police van made contact with one of the protestors.

Two members of the hotels security staff were assaulted on Sunday night, in a previous protest.

Calm after the storm

Debris surrounded the streets of the hotel, bearing the only sign of unrest from the night before.

The peace was only broken by vans leaving through the temporary metal gates as well as the sound of horns and hurling of abuse from motorists passing.

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: It [the hotel] has brought the wrong type of people into the town.

He added that he didnt mind seeing peaceful protests.

A woman passing by the hotel said unrestrained immigration was causing tension in the community.

She said: They are very lucky arent they, to be put up in these hotels. Hundreds coming in.

There is going to be civil unrest.

Would you want them to integrate with your kids? We dont know who these people are, thats the problem, do you want them living next door?

Theyre coming here illegally because theyre trying to run away from their countries.

Kebatu appeared at Chelmsford magistrates court on Thursday, charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.

He is reported to have arrived in Britain eight days before the alleged assault.

Essex Police said that two arrests had been made following the protests.

The force said one man had been arrested on Thursday on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault at Sundays protest.

He has since been charged.

A second person was arrested on Thursday night for failing to comply with orders given around dispersal and remains in custody.

Assistant Chief Const Stuart Hooper said on Friday: Whether it be our police vehicles being damaged, our officers being assaulted, well make sure that those people feel the full force of the law.

He added: Eight of my officers were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unacceptable.

They come here to do a role to support our communities, theyre a part of that community and thats what we wont tolerate.

He added: They had injuries to their hands and cuts and grazes as a result of the incidents last night.

Police said that no one had broken into the asylum hotel.
Anti-migrant demonstrators face off against police outside the Bell Hotel in Epping - Mike Ruane/Story Picture Agency

Anti-migrant protesters have clashed with police outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers.

Fireworks were set off and projectiles were thrown at police after hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

Videos on social media showed two vans hitting protesters, many of whom were carrying England flags and Union Jacks, or had them draped around their necks.

Credit: YouTube / @Ay_audits-c4n

The demonstration outside the hotel comes after the arrest in Epping of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker, who appeared at Chelmsford magistrates court on Thursday, where he denied trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl.

He is reported to have arrived in Britain eight days before the alleged assault.

One police van had a cracked windscreen as a protester was seen jumping on the vehicle - UKNIP

On Thursday, a man was arrested on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault during a protest on Sunday, police said.

We have closed a section of High Road, Epping, for the safety of the public and those protesting, Essex Police said.

We will not tolerate any criminality on our streets, whether linked to protesting or not, the force added.

One man has already been arrested at todays protest on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault near The Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday July 13.

He will be taken into custody while our enquiries continue.

The anti-migrant demonstrators also faced off against counter-protesters - Mike Ruane/Story Picture Agency

Protesters displayed signs, many which read Protect our kids - Jeremy Selwyn

Ch Supt Simon Anslow said: Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue.

People protesting peacefully, lawfully and responsibly cause us  and the wider public  no concern.

However, we can never, and will never, tolerate criminal behaviour of any sort and anyone identified as committing crime will be dealt with robustly.
In response to the claims, Raynor Winn has said she worked for the Hemmings in the years before the economic crash of 2008 - Avalon

A woman who claimed the author of The Salt Path stole 64,000 from her parents business has said the truth needs to be told.

Debbie Adams and her mother Ros Hemmings alleged Raynor Winn stole about 64,000 while working for the familys property business.

It is one of several allegations that have cast doubt on the accuracy of Winns best-selling memoir.

The Salt Path, which tells the story of the author and her husband, Moth, walking the 630-mile coastal path, claimed the couple made the trek after losing their home in north Wales following a poor investment in a friends business.

However, an investigation by The Observer claimed she actually lost the property after stealing from her former employers, the Hemmings family.

The alleged theft is said to have occurred while she worked part-time as a book-keeper for the familys estate agency and property surveyor in Pwllheli, north Wales, from the early 2000s.

Winn has called The Observer report highly misleading but admitted she deeply regrets certain mistakes in her past.

In her first public comments, Ms Adams, 46, described how the alleged theft affected her father, Martin Hemmings, who died in 2012.

She recalled getting a phone call from him when she was aged about 29 in which he told her that money was missing from the businesss accounts.

Theres money missing

She told the BBC: I had a phone call from dad saying he was worried about the business. [He said] I dont know whats gone wrong, theres no money in the account, I dont know what to do.

He said: I just dont know whats gone wrong, Im working every hour God gives me and theres no money.



About five days later, he rings up and goes, she [Winn] has been nicking money. I was like, Dad, come on now, no. Surely theres something gone wrong? He said no, weve had a look and theres money missing.

It is claimed that Mr Hemmings had noticed Winn failing to deposit a large sum of money in 2008, prompting him to conduct an audit and find that around 9,000 was missing from the previous few months.

Winn is said to have paid him back after arriving at the couples house with a cheque for 9,000.

However, after revisiting years of the businesss financial paperwork, Mr Hemmings allegedly discovered she had stolen 64,000.

It has been claimed that, to avoid criminal prosecution, Winn allegedly borrowed 100,000, secured against their house, and repaid the money to the couple.

This loan was later called in and their house was repossessed, it has been claimed.

The Hemmings family have said they were left frustrated by Winns subsequent rise to fame.

The Salt Path spent nearly two years on The Sunday Times bestseller list after it was published in 2018, and its film adaptation, starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson, was released in May.

Ms Adams said: I dont wish ill of them. I just wish that they would tell the truth, and the truth needs to be told.

Her mother, who has not read the book, added: Id have stamped on the book I think. Just to gloss over why they ran out of money to me was shocking.

Winn has issued a lengthy statement responding to the claims and said she was receiving legal advice.

She wrote: I worked for Martin Hemmings in the years before the economic crash of 2008. For me, it was a pressured time. It was also a time when mistakes were being made in the business.



Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry.



Mr Hemmings made an allegation against me to the police, accusing me of taking money from the company. I was questioned, I was not charged, nor did I face criminal sanctions.



I reached a settlement with Martin Hemmings because I did not have the evidence required to support what happened. The terms of the settlement were willingly agreed by both parties.

The Observer report also claimed that Winn and her husband owned a house in France and their real names are Sally and Tim Walker.



It also suggested that Moth did not suffer from corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which is central to the events in the memoir.

Winn has published medical documents that she claimed showed Moth was diagnosed and treated for CBD.
A river campaigner captured images of swans feeding and bathing in what appears to be raw sewage leaking into the River Avon - @PaulPowlesland/X

The number of serious water pollution incidents rose by 60 per cent last year, a watchdog has found.

Three water companies  Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water  were responsible for the bulk of the incidents, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

It comes after the same firms were criticised this week for announcing controversial hosepipe bans while also overseeing major leaks and paying senior executives six-figure salaries.

The EAs annual environmental performance assessment (EPA) found the three companies were responsible for more than 80 per cent of the 75 instances last year. Thames Water accounted for 33 incidents, Southern Water 15 and Yorkshire Water 13, the report said.

Overall, the number of serious pollution incidents increased from 47 in 2023 despite expectations from the EA for incidents to decrease. Several of the incidents are said to have affected swimming spots and protected waters.

An increasing trend in pollution spills from pipes carrying wastewater uphill emerged last year, accounting for 20 per cent of the serious incidents, the watchdog said.

Meanwhile, just two companies  Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water  had no serious incidents last year, meeting the Environment Agencies expectations to see a trend to zero pollution incidents by 2025.



The EA assesses all pollution incidents from water firms into categories, with category 1 (major) and category 2 (significant), being defined as serious, with a major or significant impact on the environment.

Serious incidents are defined as having a major or significant impact on the environment.

Total pollution incidents, including those with a lower environmental impact, also increased by 29 per cent to 2,801 last year.

The EA said there had been consistently poor performance across all nine of the water and wastewater firms in England.

According to the report, reasons behind the latest results include persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate change.

However, the agency is still investigating the pollution incidents and their causes more closely to understand the reasons behind the major increase.

A particular focus is Thames Water which saw serious incidents double from 14.

The EA also carried out more inspections of firms last financial year at more than 4,000, meaning it also discovered more non-compliance from firms, with 24 per cent of sites breaching their permits.

Alan Lovell, chair of the EA, said: This report demonstrates continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets. The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and to respond rapidly when it does.

Under the Water (Special Measures) Act introduced by the Government last year, the watchdog will have greater powers to take swift action against polluting companies.



To boost funding for water regulation, it is also consulting on a new levy on the water sector to recover the cost of enforcement activities.



It comes as last week the Environment Department (Defra) confirmed a 64 per cent increase in EA funding from 2023/2024, coming mainly from charges paid by the sector rather than the public purse.

A hosepipe ban is already in force for Yorkshire Waters five million customers and 1.1 million of Thames Waters customers while Southern Waters will start for 935,000 customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on Monday.

South East Water has also introduced a ban for 1.4 million people in Kent and Sussex from this morning.

Last month, a review by the Independent Water Commission identified deep-rooted, systemic failures in the water sector. It said the ailing sector needed a fundamental reform of laws, regulation and infrastructure.

Britains biggest water company Thames Water is again facing the spectre of temporary nationalisation after private equity firm KKR pulled out of plans for a 3 billion bailout.

Another of Englands private water firms, South West Water, reported widening financial losses after an outbreak of a parasite in water supplies cost it millions.
Diane Abbott made similar remarks in 2023, which she initially withdrew and apologised for - Tayfun Salci

Diane Abbott has claimed it is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out after she was suspended following her comments on racism.

The hard-Left MP was stripped of the whip having doubled down on her claim that Jews experience racism differently to black people.

This is the second time Ms Abbott has been suspended by Labour, the first being after her original remarks on the topic two years ago, which she initially withdrew and apologised for.

Speaking to the BBCs Newsnight after losing the whip once again, Ms Abbott said: It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out.

My comments in the interview with James Naughtie were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept.

Ms Abbott  the longest-serving female MP, making her the Mother of the House  has been a staunch critic of Sir Keir Starmer during Labours first year in power.

She voted against Sir Keirs welfare Bill earlier this month despite it having been heavily diluted and has also criticised his positions on the war in Gaza and the two-child benefit cap.

"It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out."



-Diane Abbott's exclusive statement to Newsnight. #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/wS2X3ARdGC  BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) July 17, 2025

In an interview with Radio 4s Reflections programme broadcast on Thursday, Ms Abbott said: Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism.

Because you can see a traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you dont know.

You dont know unless you stop to speak to them or youre in a meeting with them. But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that theyre black. There are different types of racism.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington went on to say it was silly to claim racism which was about skin colour was the same as other types of racial discrimination.

Labour responded hours later by saying it would examine Ms Abbotts comments in line with its disciplinary procedures. The party subsequently stripped her of the whip just after 6pm.

Ms Abbott has been critical of Keir Starmers positions on the war in Gaza and the two-child benefit cap - Yui Mok/PA Wire

On Friday, a Government frontbencher defended Sir Keirs decision to suspend Ms Abbott and insisted the party was not trying to push her out.

Asked about Ms Abbotts claim that the party wants me out, James Murray, a Treasury minister, told Times Radio: Thats absolutely not the case.

Whats happened is that Diane has made some comments which come on the back of or refer to previous comments which she made and which she apologised for some time ago.

There are processes in place within the Labour Party to handle issues like this and whilst theyre being looked into, the person being looked into needs to be administratively suspended.

Mr Murray added that he wanted to see the issue resolved as swiftly as possible.

Ms Abbotts staunch defence of her opinion came in significant contrast to her apology for any offence caused in the wake of her first suspension in April 2023.

In a letter to The Observer, she had said Jews and people with ginger hair could experience prejudice but were not subject to racism all their lives.

Ms Abbott used a subsequent statement to withdraw her comments and claimed a draft letter had been sent to the newspaper in error.

A Labour source responded to the second suspension by accusing the veteran MP of showing a brazen disregard towards her party and the issues she was discussing.

The source argued her theory of a hierarchy of racism would merely benefit Reform UK, which has gained significant support at Labours expense in the past year.

The row caps a difficult fortnight for Labour after Sir Keir was forced to gut large parts of his changes to the benefits system after a major backbench rebellion.

Ms Abbott was one of 49 MPs who still voted against a heavily watered-down version of the proposals.

Four of the most vocal welfare rebels, including ringleaders Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell, were stripped of the Labour whip themselves on Wednesday.

A Labour spokesman said: Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation.

We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing.
Overnight joint-leader Christian Bezuidenhouts start to day two at The Open did not go entirely to plan on his return to Royal Portrush.

With the wind slightly stronger than Thursday, with potentially heavy rain forecast for the afternoon, the opening hole was not playing any easier  it was fifth-hardest yesterday and already rated most difficult for the early starters.

Bezuidenhout found heavy rough on the right and could only advance his ball 85 yards back into the fairway and missed a nine-footer for par.

South Africas Christiaan Bezuidenhout started bogey-birdie to maintain his place in a share of the lead (Brian Lawless/PA

That left Sheffields Matt Fitzpatrick, Dane Jacob Skov Olesen and Chinas Haotong Li  all afternoon starters  and Harris English sharing the lead on four under.

But Bezuidenhout rejoined them with a birdie at the par-five next.

Australian Marc Leishman, who yesterday complained about the pace of play, sped to a three-under 33 outward nine, and another birdie at the 10th moved him up to two under.

Playing in the first group of round two, Marc Leishman is three-under for the day through nine. pic.twitter.com/qjztKd3Fic  The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025

Sergio Garcia, back at The Open for the first time since 2022, dented his hopes of making an early move with a double-bogey after finding a bunker with his approach at the first.

He reclaimed a shot with a birdie at the par-five next but that only got him back to level par.

An eagle for United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley after reaching the second in two got him to one under.
Mia Hansson and her recreation of the Bayeux tapestry, pictured in March 2024. Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian

Patrick Wintour likens the British Museums loan/swap of the Bayeux tapestry for treasures from Sutton Hoo to Frances 1963 loan of the Mona Lisa to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as examples of arts service in international diplomacy (The diplomacy of art: Bayeux tapestry loan shows cultural gifts still matter, 11 July). The example is inauspicious.

While at the Met, the Leonardo was stored in a strongroom overnight. One night, a fire sprinkler malfunctioned and sprayed water over the picture for hours. Fortunately, it was face up and therefore the paint layers were protected by the glass cover. Had it been face down, its panel would have been saturated and warped, with horrendous consequences. The incident was covered up  and was only disclosed (unofficially) three decades later by the ex-Met director Thomas Hoving in his memoir.

Michael Daley

Director, ArtWatch UK

 Last year, you published an item about Mia Hansson and the replica of the Bayeux tapestry she was making (Experience, 26 April 2024). I wonder if she has finished it yet?

Tony Meacock

Norwich

 I nearly covered myself in my breakfast porridge when I read that the Labour MP Helena Dollimore wants the Bayeux tapestry to be carted around the country like a collection of rolled-up sheets (Call for British Museum to take Bayeux tapestry to 1066 country, 14 July). This is an ancient collection of threads that has survived for so much longer than most items of fabric and it must be treated with care, gentleness and caution. I have misgivings about it leaving its current home for even five minutes, but if the experts think it can travel across the Channel for one visit, then so be it. But one visit it must be, not a travelling circus.

The visit is an opportunity to learn about the events leading up to the battle and perhaps to stop acting as though this country sprang into being in 1066, when it does in fact have a long and fascinating history that connects us to the countries of northern Europe. Spare a thought, though, for the aged fabric and for the embroiderers who worked so hard to make it.

Michelle Gibson

Balsham, Cambridgeshire

 Have an opinion on anything youve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Yvette Davids speaks at a ceremony at the US naval academy. Photograph: Paul W Gillespie/The Baltimore Sun via Getty Images

The first woman to lead the US naval academy is being reassigned, with the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, moving to replace her with a Marine Corps general, defense officials confirmed on Friday.

The decision marks the first time in the nearly 180-year history of the academy that a Marine Corps officer has been nominated to take charge.

Yvette Davids, who assumed leadership of the academy in January 2024, is being succeeded by Michael Borgschulte, currently responsible for Marine Corps personnel as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs based in Quantico, Virginia, according to a Friday press release from the defense department.

A Pentagon official, speaking anonymously to the Washington Post, said that the move was not a dismissal. Davids has been nominated for a senior position on the staff of the chief of naval operations following her roughly 18 months as head of the academy. The defense department confirmed the nomination in a statement on Friday afternoon.

Related: Trump administration removes 2,000 national guard troops deployed in LA

If confirmed by the Senate, she would take over from retiring V Adm Daniel Dwyer as the deputy chief of naval operations overseeing strategy, operations, planning, and combat development.

Im honored to be nominated as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy, and Warfighting Development. I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Americas strongest warfighters, Davids said in the statement.

The Trump administration has removed several high-ranking military officials, many of them women or people of color, as part of an effort to eliminate what officials describe as wokeness in the ranks.

This list includes Adm Lisa Franchetti, the navys first female chief of operations; Adm Linda Fagan, the Coast Guards first female commandant; and Gen Charles CQ Brown Jr, who was the first Black chief of staff of the air force and the second Black officer to serve as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

Earlier this year, Hegseth also dismissed V Adm Shoshana Chatfield, who represented the US military to Natos military committee.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Trump loyalist, has drawn criticism for his past remarks about the role of women in the military. On a podcast last November with host Shawn Ryan, he said, Im straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasnt made us more effective. Hasnt made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated.

He went on to acknowledge that while women serve important roles in support operations, he opposes their placement in direct combat units. Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units, he said in his book.

He emphasized his views, writing, Women in the infantry  women in combat on purpose  is another story, and argued that women cannot physically meet the same standards as men.

However, his stance appeared to soften under Senate scrutiny. During his January confirmation hearing, Hegseth said he supported female troops as long as military standards are preserved.

Speaking later on The Megyn Kelly Show, he said, If we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Lets go. When asked about the contrast between his past statements and his current position, he responded that writing a book is different than being secretary of defense.

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 This articles subheading was amended on 19 July 2025. Yvette Davids became the head of the US naval academy in January 2024, not 2004 as an earlier version said.
Zia Yusuf

They could have enjoyed a nice easy win on the Afghan data leak. As former Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg remarked on the Daily T podcast he co-presented with me on Wednesday: This is very helpful for Nigel Farage because Nigel can point to this and say it doesnt matter who you vote for; doesnt matter if its the Conservatives or Labour  they dont want you to know anything, they dont want you, the people, to know the uniparty wants to protect information.

So I think this is damaging both for my party and for Labour.

Reform could have simply responded to this shambles by saying: successive governments have not just cocked up but covered up a taxpayer funded scandal that has resulted in thousands of Afghans being granted asylum in the UK. We now dont know whether some of them might actually be Taliban terrorists. Meanwhile, brave Afghans who actually served alongside British troops may have been left behind. This once again highlights an epic establishment failure in which both the Tories and Labour are complicit. If you want to fix this brazen example of broken Britain, then vote for us.

But they didnt do that. Instead, they succeeded in striking an extraordinary own goal by once again descending into petty point scoring on social media.

Clouded, as ever, by their desire to destroy the Conservatives  even the ones they agree with  they decided to turn their guns on former home secretary Suella Braverman and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

Chairman Zia Yusuf, who seems to be developing a dangerous habit of tweeting before thinking, led the charge, posting: When the Tories were booted out of office the public didnt even know of their worst crime. That two of their good ones were Home Sec and Immigration Minister when the government got a super injunction is a poetic irony. RIP the Tory Party.

Their worst crime? How ridiculous. Yes, this was a gargantuan blunder, and I cannot for the life of me understand why an injunction was imposed in the first place when the original D-Notice, a non-legal agreement with the press not to publish information related to national security, might have sufficed.

There was certainly no need for the imposition of a superinjunction, which prohibits disclosure not only of the underlying information but also of the existence of the order itself, not least for what Defence Secretary John Healey later admitted in an internal memo were political and reputational considerations.

Taxpayers now face footing the bill for hefty compensation claims by those on the list, of which 23,900 will be relocated to the UK at enormous cost.

But is Yusuf seriously suggesting that no measures whatsoever should have been taken to protect those named from being killed by the Taliban?

Im not just referring to around 1,200 brave Afghans who served as badged members of the CF333 and CF444  the Triples  alongside British troops. What about the spies and members of the SAS and SBS whose personal details were also exposed?

Yusuf claims that Ministers who knew about the Afghan scandal had immunity from the super injunction but thats not quite right. The absolute privilege for freedom of speech, granted by Article IX of the Bill of Rights 1688, places a significant responsibility on parliamentarians to exercise it in the public interest. Moreover, the sub judice rule may also have applied in this case because court proceedings were ongoing  the MoD had appealed to the Court of Appeal.

As well as posting countless messages on social media, Yusuf has taken to the airwaves to describe it as probably the biggest scandal, biggest political cover up, certainly in my lifetime, claiming it begs the question of treason. Really?

Bigger than infected blood, Horizon and rape gangs? How about the expenses scandal? Cash for questions? Cash for honours? Cash for influence? Cash for access? Id add in the Covid fraud scandal, in which one of Yusufs own former colleagues, James McMurdock, has now become embroiled.

The public as a whole doesnt appear to be as exercised about this as those in Yusufs social media bubble. Granted, Reform voters are more likely than the general public to think transparency was the priority. But when it comes to the electorate as a whole, almost half (49 per cent) think it was more important to evacuate the Afghan nationals who had worked with British forces, even if this meant covering up the breach, with just one in five disagreeing.

Reform cannot have it both ways. They cannot argue that its all The Blobs fault  and then only blame politicians like Jenrick and Braverman and not the incompetent civil servants who presided over this shambles.

We know why theyre doing this  they hate Tories despite both Farage and his deputy Richard Tice both once being one. In one swipe, Yusuf described former defence secretary Ben Wallace, as the ultimate Tory, whatever that is supposed to mean. This is a man who fought for Queen and country in several armed conflicts. He wanted to protect British troops and the Afghans who served with them from being murdered by terrorists. Guess what? Tice agreed with him at the time, tweeting: We must protect the brave Afghans who helped us and their families by settling them in the UK.

What makes Wallace a typical Tory  but not Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Sir Jake Berry when all three served under mass migration loving Boris Johnson?

Yusuf added for good measure: The list of former Tory ministers who should defect to Reform is shorter than the list that should probably be in jail.

As a result of the attack on Braverman, her husband Rael, who defected to Reform in December, announced he was resigning from the party. There is now surely no chance Braverman  who had been top of the Tory defection watch list  will jump ship. While that may suit Yusuf, who many consider responsible for Rupert Lowes departure after the member for Great Yarmouth loudly criticised the impact of mass migration on UK culture, Im not sure it serves Reform.

Nor do these repeated ad hominem attacks on Tories they not-so-secretly agree with on almost everything. Righties can see through this nonsense, which only emboldens Labour, the Greens and God forbid, newly enfranchised Jeremy Corbyn. Such is the animus that Yusuf apologised after his X account liked an anti-Semitic post targeting Robert Jenrick and his family.

Its all so unedifying. If Reform really wants to be taken seriously it should stop behaving like an anti Conservative protest movement - not least when it will need the votes of these typical Tories to win power.
Zia Yusuf claimed that one of his staffers had been responsible for the accidental like - Jeff Gilbert for The Telegraph

Robert Jenrick has accused Zia Yusuf of bulls--- after his social media account liked an anti-Semitic post that targeted the shadow justice secretary and his family.

Mr Yusuf, Reform UKs efficiency tsar, issued a statement after it emerged his X account had interacted with a malicious post about the shadow justice secretary.

But Mr Jenrick cast doubt on Mr Yusufs claims and demanded that Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, sack him from his top team.

It comes after days of bitter in-fighting between the Tories and Reform following the disclosure of the Afghan data leak.

User likes on X are private, but a video taken by an anonymous account called British Racial Chauvinism tweeting from the handle @Enoch_Is_Right showed that Mr Yusufs account was one of 91 to like the post.

The post read: Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family. Im sure its [sic] unrelated that he imported infinite brown savages to rape our women and children.

The term Zogbot is sometimes used online as a derogatory reference to Zionists.

The anti-Semitic post on X targeted Robert Jenrick and his family - Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

In a statement on X on Friday afternoon, Mr Yusuf insisted that the like had been an accident, and that one of his staffers had been responsible.

He said: One of the team who post to my X account accidentally pressed like on an awful anti-Semitic tweet earlier today. I apologise for this. The post also refers to brown savages, and is equally racist against me. Clearly, it was not intentional.

The amount of anti-Semitism and racism on this platform is spiralling out of control, and I hope that changes soon.

But in a post of his own, Mr Jenrick said: I call bulls---. Youve spent the last 48 hours calling me a traitor for not drawing attention to a leaked spreadsheet with our special forces and MI6 officers names on.

But were meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife and family was liked accidentally by one of the team. You must think were all thick.

No. The mask has slipped. Likes are private. You thought nobody would ever know. Unfortunately for you, the racist account who posted the tweet and could see the likes exposed you. Reform should give you the boot.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said: Well said, Rob. Well said indeed.

Mr Yusufs statement was also criticised by Jack Rankin, the MP for Windsor, who called for Reform to sack him. When people tell you who they are, believe them, said Mr Rankin. Zia Yusufs mask has slipped and [he] must be sacked.

A Tory source said: Which tweets are Zias and which arent? Which staffers are tweeting from his account?

Mr Yusufs attacks on Suella Braverman prompted her husband Rael to resign from Reform - Tayfun Salci/Alamy

Earlier in the week, Mr Yusuf criticised Mr Jenrick and Suella Braverman, who were the immigration minister and home secretary when the Government learnt of the Afghan data breach.

Both Mr Jenrick and Mrs Braverman then hit out at the super-injunction that kept a veil of secrecy over the data loss and a subsequent refugee resettlement scheme, saying they could not have spoken out against it.

But Mr Yusuf continued to criticise the pair, and his X account shared a post that claimed every Tory Cabinet minister at the time was guilty of treason and should face the possibility of jail.

His attacks on Mrs Braverman prompted Rael, her husband, to resign his Reform membership just six months after joining.

Writing on X on Friday, Mr Braverman confirmed that Mr Yusufs continued importance in the party had been the reason for his departure. He said: I left Reform because I cannot be in a party led by Zia Yusuf.

The Telegraph has also learnt that Mrs Braverman will not work with Reform in any capacity while Mr Yusuf, a former chairman of the party, continues to have a formal role.
Scotland bounced back in emphatic fashion to round off their Pacific tour with a 41-12 victory over Samoa.

Seven Scotland players notched tries at Eden Park in Auckland as Gregor Townsends side finished their season on a high.

The tourists were looking to make amends for a 29-14 defeat by Fiji last weekend which was littered with poor discipline and responded with a second win in New Zealand after beating the Maori All Blacks in the opening match.

Rounding off the Skyscanner Pacific Tour with a win #AsOne pic.twitter.com/lxvFzAEtrU  Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 18, 2025

Ewan Ashman, Rory Hutchinson, Arron Reed, Kyle Steyn, Grant Gilchrist, Kyle Rowe and George Turner all crossed. Fergus Burke added two points  most of his conversion attempts came from out wide  before substitute George Horne took over kicking duties and converted twice.

Scotland were quickly into their stride and Ashman forced the ball over the line after an eighth-minute lineout maul to open the scoring.

They kept up the pressure and Hutchinson doubled the lead five minutes later after latching on to a penetrating short kick from fellow midfielder Stafford McDowall.

Samoa responded with some territory but Jamie Dobie put in a good saving tackle and Scotland largely kept their opponents at bay.

Just like their second try, Scotland capitalised on a scrum deep in Samoan territory to extend their lead in the 31st minute. Dobies long pass found Reed on the left wing and he made no mistake in the corner.

Kyle Steyn was among the Scotland tryscorers (PA)

The Scots produced an impressive switch of play to get their fourth try five minutes later. The ball was swiftly worked out to Steyn on the right wing after a lineout on the left-hand touchline to put the tourists 22-0 up at the interval.

Rowe and the impressive Dobie came close to adding to the score in the opening moments of the second half before Gilchrist capitalised on some pressure near the try line to force himself over for his second Scotland try in the 45th minute.

Hornes attempts to play out from deep backfired as he firstly put a team-mate in trouble and then lost possession as Benjamin Petaia Nee-Nee got Samoa off the mark in the 51st minute.

But Scotland were soon back on the attack and Rowe crossed in the corner four minutes later after Burke offloaded on the ground.

Duncan PaiaAua grabbed Samoas second try but Scotland had the final say as the power of their pack told and Turner touched down with two minutes left.
The number of most serious water pollution incidents rose by 60% last year, according to data covering England, with three companies responsible for the bulk of them.

The Environment Agency (EA) - under fire for its own oversight of water firms' pollution performance - said that more than 80% of the 75 instances of pollution in its two most serious categories were the responsibility of Thames Water (33), Southern Water (15) and Yorkshire Water (13).

But the body added it had found "consistently poor performance" across all nine water and wastewater firms in the country - a similar summary to that of 2023.

Money latest: Who big mortgage changes could help most

According to the report, reasons behind the 2024 results included persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate change.

The period was dominated by spells of intense rainfall, which overwhelmed storm overflows and resulted in sewage discharges.

The EA reported 2,801 pollution incidents in total during 2024 - a hike of almost a third.

Thames Water, which has almost 16 million households on its books and is struggling to shore up its very future, was fined a record 105m by the regulator Ofwat in May for breaching wastewater rules.

Fast-forward to 2025 and England is experiencing its driest start to the year since 1976.

Hosepipe bans are expanding as drought conditions are declared.

The data was released as a committee of MPs called for regulation of water companies to face a "complete overhaul" amid a lack of public trust and anger over surging bills to pay for long overdue infrastructure improvements.

The Public Accounts Committee said that Ofwat and the EA had failed to secure industry compliance and warned that even the high bill settlements to 2030 would only result in 44% of sewage overflows being overhauled.

The Independent Water Commission, established by the government last year and led by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, is due to make final recommendations on the regulatory framework next week.

He warned when the interim report was published last month: "There is no simple, single change, no matter how radical, that will deliver the fundamental reset that is needed for the water sector."

Water companies believe it is not just their behaviour which requires attention.

The sector argued its efforts to stem pollution spills would be greatly enhanced by households and businesses disposing of waste correctly.

Firms complain that wet wipes and grease, being disposed of through toilets and sinks respectively, are the main cause of blockages in the waste system.

Alan Lovell, the EA's chair, said of its findings: "This report demonstrates continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets.

"The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and to respond rapidly when it does.

"We have made significant changes to tighten our regulation of the water industry and ensure companies are held to account.

"With a dedicated larger workforce and increased funding, our officers are uncovering and acting on failures to comply with environmental law."

A spokesperson for industry group Water UK responded: "While there have been some improvements it is clear that the performance of some companies is not good enough. The Environment Agency is right to highlight underinvestment in infrastructure and maintenance as the major causes of these results.

"Investment in the sector has been suppressed with Ofwat prioritising short -term cuts to people's water bills over the long-term resilience of the network. This is finally being put right, with a record 104bn investment over the next 5-years to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.

"However, fundamental change to regulation is also needed. We hope that the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission next week will ensure the sector continues to get the investment it needs to drive down pollution incidents."
Colbert has been hosting the late night show since 2015 - Reuters

CBS has announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end next May, despite dominating late night American TV for decades.

The announcement comes just days after Colbert criticised Paramount  the parent company of CBS  for paying $16 million (12 million) to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump.

The president had accused the network of deliberately editing a rambling interview with Kamala Harris to make her appear more competent during last years election campaign.

On Monday, Colbert said he was offended by the settlement reached by Paramount, who are in the process of an $8.4 billion (7.3 billion) merger which requires approval from the Trump administration.

Colbert, who took over hosting the show from David Letterman in 2015, told his audience on Thursday nights taping that he had found out about the decision to axe the show the previous night.

As the audience booed, he said: I share your feelings. Its not just the end of the show, it is the end of the Late Show on CBS. Im not being replaced, this is all just going away.

Colbert has welcomed politicians, actors, musicians and royalty onto his couch - CBS

CBS executives issued a statement praising Colberts show as a staple of the nations zeitgeist and said the cancellation was purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

The most recent ratings from Nielsen show Colbert as winning his time slot, with about 2.417 million viewers across 41 new episodes. On Tuesday, prior to the announcement, Colberts Late Show secured its sixth nomination for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show.

A number of politicians have taken to social media to denounce CBS decision to end the show.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff for California posted: If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, seconded this, saying: America deserves to know if his show was cancelled for political reasons.
French riot police clashed with people-smugglers in a coastal town a day after hundreds of migrants arrived in the UK on small boats.

The smugglers pelted officers with rocks and used engine oil to set fire to benches and debris in Gravelines in the early hours of Friday morning.

Britain and France have agreed to crack down on illegal Channel crossings, with the French authorities trying to stop the boats from leaving their shores.

On Thursday, however, hundreds of migrants managed to evade French police and board dinghies bound for Britain.

The Telegraph witnessed dozens of officers armed with riot shields, assault rifles and helmets deployed on the streets of the seaside town, north-east of Calais, on Friday.

Volleys of tear gas were fired at the smugglers from grenade launchers during the short-lived confrontation. Barricades were set up near the exit point of the River Aa which runs through the centre of the town and is used by the smugglers as a departure point for taxi boats.

It is believed the smugglers assaulted the officers as a diversionary tactic as they unsuccessfully tried to secretly launch dinghies filled with migrants.

Some of the smugglers, who were of Middle Eastern origin, jeered and mocked the officers while filming on their phones. Two of the men were seen wearing bright orange life jackets around their necks.

The disorder broke out at around 5.30 am and lasted approximately 20 minutes before the smugglers were dispersed and fled back to their camps near Loon-Plage, a short 15-minute drive away to the east.

The clashes came after gendarmes failed to stop two dinghies, crammed with approximately 70 migrants, from sailing on from the shores of Gravelines to the UK on Thursday morning.

A salvo of tear gas had done little to stop the crowd of around 200 migrants, including a family with a six-year-old son and four-year-old girl, from trying to climb on.

On one of the dinghies, the smugglers had jumped overboard before the vessel was intercepted by a French police patrol boat and escorted into British waters. They were allowed to walk back to their camps unhindered and try again the following day.

It is estimated that 320 migrants successfully arrived in the UK on Thursday via small boats. In a meeting with Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, in London that day, Sir Keir Starmer, said he was very concerned about smuggling routes through Germany.

Sir Keir said the Government was determined to intervene at every stage of the people-smuggling journey, citing last weeks agreement with France, which allows the UK to return some migrants to France.

He said: For a long time Ive been very concerned about the fact that engines and component parts of the boats that are being used are travelling through and being stored in Germany.

But they cant be seized because the law didnt accommodate for a country that had left the EU, and therefore needed to be amended.
Protesters hold images of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in Dallas, Texas - ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

The second Trump term was always going to get a little bumpy. Youd certainly need nerves of steel to be in the administration this week.

Once the president seemed immune to the pressures of the Panicans. He humiliated those wailing about an Iranian nuclear strike on Boston by ending the Iran-Israel war in 12 days with zero American casualties. When Elon Musk started up another bout of late night posting against the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump told him to take a hike. This is a guy who built his reputation in business and politics on bouncing back from apparent disaster. Hes made of sterner stuff than you or I.

But there appear to be limits, even for him. An explosive Wall Street Journal article published last night, revealing a bawdy letter purportedly from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein (the president denies the letter in question is from him), has sent shock waves through Maga-world.

Tensions have been building since the department of justice and the FBI announced that they would not release any more files related to Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex trafficker. But the presidents initial instinct  to rage against supporters who had fallen hook, line, and sinker for conspiracy theories  could not hold. He has now asked Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.

Clearly, the administration thinks it cannot treat the Epstein conspiracy theorists as just another group of soon-to-be-embarrassed Panicans. The base doesnt care if America drops a couple of bombs on the Ayatollah or calls Musk a weirdo. But Trump and senior figures in his administration helped spread the idea that there was more to the Epstein scandal than we were being told.

A protester holds a sign at a demonstration in Washington DC on Thursday - Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The dynamics of the online media ecosystem now turning against the president are also worth examining, as they portend poorly to the future of the American Right.

For all the progressive teasing about the Fox-News-on-crack aesthetics of Maga, Trumps movement has always been one that is supremely comfortable with the online sphere. His first campaign was defined by meme magic, arcane internet imageboards and Pepe the Frog.

The same people ironically (and then sincerely) amplifying Trump didnt fit easily into the mental image of the left-behind white Americans that supposedly made up the Republican candidates base: they were young, media-savvy, and deeply paranoid. Perhaps it was inevitable that the man who popularised Birtherism would attract the guys who shouted about Pizzagate  the lurid conspiracy theory that falsely claimed a paedophile ring was being run out of a Washington DC pizza restaurant.

A new generation of influencers rose from the imageboards and chatrooms and came out into the open. They were edgier than Joe Rogan, but like him had interests outside of the purely political. You can see the evolution of their thinking clearly: Maga wasnt just the project of a single extraordinary man, but a brand, a broad church where you could shill supplements and drone into your podcast mic  as long as you stuck by your president.

Then again, the 47th president wasnt paying you. That was your audience, and they craved intrigue even after the election campaign was over. A belief that these influencers brought the president to power in the first place (just dont ask them what they said about Ron DeSantis back in 2022) made them think they could make demands. Trump needed them, they thought, not the other way around.

If you want a glimpse at what Maga without the president looks like, take a look at Laura Loomer. Shes been at the centre of internet bloodsports for more than a decade now, and created a space for herself within Maga by acting as a regime pitbull. Shes spent the last few days making veiled threats about the damage this Epstein crisis could cause Trump. Loomer is not representative of the base, but she is representative of an online influencer class that is one of the administrations main vectors for getting out news. If they turn Panican, ignoring them isnt an option: they need to be smacked down, and fast.

The president and his allies played with fire in letting the conspiracy-obsessives grow their power for so long. The stakes are high: without Trump, the political project of Maga dies. In its place will be a dangerous fantasy woven by those who make a living frightening people into impotence.
Tenor Russell Watson praised the amazing NHS as he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Greater Manchester.

The singer, who has overcome two life-threatening brain tumours, was recognised for his outstanding contribution to music and the arts during a graduation ceremony for students from the Centre for Clinical and Biomedical Sciences.

The classical crossover star was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2006 after experiencing blurred peripheral vision.

Russell Watson has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Greater Manchester (Adrian Greenhalgh/PA)

The tumour was successfully removed during emergency surgery at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, south London.

A year later, a recurrence on his pituitary gland required a second emergency operation at the Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle, Greater Manchester.

Watson, who was conferred the title of doctor of arts (Hon DArts) at the ceremony on Friday, said: This is such an honour, I am so proud to be standing here today.

My health battles graphically highlighted to me the amazing job done by staff in our NHS.

I would not be here today without their wonderful care and support.

So it is fantastic to see the University of Greater Manchesters continued commitment to training the healthcare workforce of the future and its new Medical School which I understand will welcome its first students in September.

I want others to receive the kind of life-saving treatment that I did, to give that gift of time for which Im so grateful every day.

Watson underwent intensive rehabilitation, hormone replacement therapy and struggled with mental health challenges during his recovery.

At one point, doctors feared he would never sing again.

But he returned to the stage and rebuilt his career.

This year marks a quarter of a century since the release of his acclaimed debut album, The Voice, and he is due to embark on The Evolution Tour in October and November.

Russell Watson has overcome two life-threatening brain tumours (Adrian Greenhalgh/PA)

Watson, who born into a working class family in Salford in the late 1960s, also praised the universitys commitment to opportunity and inclusivity.

It is fantastic that this university offers the chance for people from all backgrounds and ages to improve their lives for the better, he said.

People should be able to achieve their dreams with the right support and it is clear that you have been supported every step of the way.

My diagnosis changed everything but I am living proof that you should never give up if you want to continue to do the thing you love.

You should be so proud that you are here today celebrating your graduation.

It is the result of a lot of hard work and determination and I am honoured to be sharing this moment with you.

Watsons Evolution Tour takes place throughout October and November and tickets are on sale now.
People protest the Trump administration during a Good Trouble Lives On day of action in Houston, Texas, on Thursday. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

People across all 50 US states on Thursday joined marches and rallies at more than 1,500 sites to protest against the Trump administration and honor the legacy of the late congressman John Lewis, an advocate for voting rights and civil disobedience.

The Good Trouble Lives On day of action coincides with the fifth anniversary of Lewiss death. Lewis was a longtime congressman from Georgia who participated in major civil rights actions, including the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 when police attacked Lewis and other protesters at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Lewis implored people to participate in good trouble, necessary trouble to advance their causes, and this call serves as the underpinning for the 17 July actions. Dozens of advocacy and civil rights organizations signed on as partners for the event.

In Atlanta, Georgia, one of the main sites for the protest, Lewiss legacy rang loud as anti-Trump demonstrators marched down the courtyard of Dr Martin Luther King Jrs famed church, Ebenezer Baptist.

We honor John Lewiss personal legacy, five years after being called home, said the Rev Dr Jonathan Jay Augustine, the newly appointed senior pastor of Big Bethel AME church. Hes someone who gave his life for inclusion and for inclusiveness, and the things he gave his life for are under attack and being eroded away.

About 1,000 people marched from Big Bethel and the landmark five-story tall mural of Lewis to Ebenezer Baptist, where the Rev Raphael Warnock, a Democratic senator from Georgia, is its senior pastor. Politics and faith are intertwined on Atlantas streets and Lewiss legacy of political protest  and the unique animosity Donald Trump had for him, and for Atlantas fifth district, which Lewis represented  is rarely far from the thoughts expressed by civil rights and voting rights leaders here.

Today we go to send a message from the birthplace of civil rights to  the one that wants to destroy the Department of Education, the one that wants to deport millions upon millions of people seeking a better life, the one who wont release the Epstein files, the one who had the nerve to call the fifth district horrible and falling apart, said the Georgia NAACP president, Gerald Griggs. We still have a message for that man. In Georgia, no one is above the law. You still have a court date in the fifth district.

In downtown Washington, hundreds of people gathered in a park a few blocks from the White House. Some held signs protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and comparing the Trump administration to Nazi Germany.

Fascism will fall and when it falls, if you were complicit, you will be held accountable, said Mary Baird, who traveled to Washington on Thursday morning from North Carolina to meet with members of Congress before the protest.

In downtown Minneapolis, the theme of good trouble punctuated the speeches, with speakers imploring the crowd to follow Lewis sexample and take a stand, even if it gets them in trouble. Stand up and get in the way, said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a lawyer and social justice advocate who also called on the crowd to continue the boycott against Target, the retailer based in Minnesota.

The events across the country on Thursday were inspired by civil rights leaders like Lewis, who showed the power of collective action, the protests website says.

Thats why on July 17, five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.

Organizers said before Thursdays events that they expect tens of thousands of people to turn out in small towns, suburbs and cities, the latest exercise of street protests distributed across the country to show opposition to Trump in all corners of the US. The last mass day of protest, No Kings, in June drew several million people in one of the biggest single days of protest in US history. Thursdays events were expected to be smaller as it is a weekday.

Chicago was to host the days flagship event on Thursday evening, with additional main sites in Atlanta, St Louis, Annapolis and Oakland. Events include rallies, marches, candlelight vigils, food drives, direct action trainings, teach-ins and voter registration drives.

The protests demands include an end to the Trump administrations crackdown on civil rights, including the right to protest and voting rights; targeting of Black and brown Americans, immigrants and trans people; and the slashing of social programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), known colloquially as food stamps.

One of the things that John Lewis would always say is that if you see something thats wrong, you have an obligation to speak up, to say something, to do something, Daryl Jones, co-leader of the Transformative Justice Coalition, told reporters on Thursday. Thats what July 17 is about  seeing things across this nation, seeing things that are being impacted, that are just not right. Weve got to stand up and say something.
Donald Trump speaks to reporter outside the White House. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Donald Trump said on Thursday he had directed his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the release of grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epsteins sex-trafficking case as he sought to tamp down controversy over a story that he allegedly contributed a sketch of a naked woman to Epsteins 50th birthday album.

Related: Trump directs attorney general Pam Bondi to release Epstein grand jury testimony  US politics live

The president said on Truth Social he had authorized the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein.

Bondi, who has weathered days of accusations by Trumps far-right supporters that she had mismanaged and failed to deliver on promises to release previously secret documents about the Epstein case, responded to Trumps post with a post of her own that vowed to comply with the directive.

The flurry of activity followed a story in the Wall Street Journal that reported Trump had contributed a letter, described as bawdy and featuring a drawing of a naked womans silhouette around a typewritten personal message to Epstein, to the birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell.

A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair, the Journal said of the alleged drawing. It added the letter concluded: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denied to the Journal that he was the author of the birthday tribute and, hours after the story was published, announced he intended to file a lawsuit in a lengthy post on Truth Social, decrying the reporting as fake and condemning it as what he called the Epstein Hoax.

The president said in the post that he had personally told Rupert Murdoch and the Journals editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, that the letter was fake and that he would sue if a story about the letter was published.

Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so, Trump wrote. Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.

The statement from Trump followed attempts by the president and White House officials to try to undercut the story, including by pressing the Journal to furnish a copy of the letter, which it did not provide, according to people familiar with the matter.

As the existence of the story became increasingly known in Washington, whether the story would run and whether Trump would actually draw a figure of a woman became something of a parlor game between administration officials and Trump allies and reporters alike.

The outlet conceded it was not clear how the letter with Trumps signature was prepared, but said it contained a typewritten note said to be styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein.

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything, the note reportedly began.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I wont tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

The Journal reported that Maxwell collected letters from Trump and dozens of Epsteins other associates, including the L Brands owner Les Wexner, for the 2003 birthday album, three years before Epstein was ever investigated for sexual misconduct.

The Journal also reported that the leather-bound album was among the documents examined by officials with the justice department who investigated Epstein and Maxwell at that time.

Among others who appear to have submitted birthday greetings to the compilation was Epsteins attorney Alan Dershowitz and Wexner, who allegedly contributed a message: I wanted to get you what you want  so here it is   along with a line drawing that the Journal said was of what appeared to be a womans breasts. Wexner declined to comment through a spokesman.

Dershowitz told the Journal: Its been a long time and I dont recall the content of what I may have written.

The 2003 birthday album with Trumps birthday wishes comes a year before Trump offered his commendation of Epstein in a 2002 New York magazine profile. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, Trump told the publication. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life.

But in recent days, as the Epstein controversy had heated up after years of lying dormant, Trump has sought to steer Maga Republicans away from the subject, calling it a hoax.

JD Vance sprang to Trumps defense on Thursday night.

Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it, Vance wrote on X. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?
Donald and Melania Trump with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000 - Davidoff Studios/Getty Images

Donald Trump has ordered the release of secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein after a lewd birthday card he allegedly sent to the paedophile financier sparked the biggest crisis of his presidency.

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, was preparing to instruct a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts from Epsteins 2019 sex trafficking case after Mr Trump called for the publication of any pertinent testimony.

It followed a report in the Wall Street Journal detailing an embarrassing birthday letter Mr Trump allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003, in which he told his former friend they had certain things in common.

The president denied sending the card, which imagined a cryptic conversation between the two men ending with: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Engimas never age, he wrote elsewhere in the card.

JD Vance leapt to Mr Trumps defence as the crisis engulfed his administration.

Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls---, the vice-president wrote on X. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it.

Mr Trump broke cover at a bill signing ceremony on Friday afternoon where he was flanked by members of his administration including Mr Vance.

The birthday card purportedly included a drawing of a nude woman in permanent marker, with Mr Trumps signature apparently positioned to mimic her pubic hair.

The president on Friday evening filed a libel lawsuit against News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters.

Mr Trump said he personally called Mr Murdoch to have the story spiked and was assured by the mogul that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.

He asked Ms Bondi to produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony, subject to court approval.

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 1997 - Davidoff Studios Photography/ARCHIVE PHOTOS

The publication of the grand jury testimony is subject to approval by the court, and the documents are unlikely to placate the US presidents critics because they are believed to represent just a tiny fraction of government documents held on the case.

It is unclear whether the court would agree to the demand because grand jury transcripts are highly protected, and any decision could take months worth of legal wrangling.

Mr Trump earlier this week denounced those calling for the release of the so-called Epstein files as weaklings who have fallen for a hoax pushed by his political opponents.

In a message on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Mr Trump asked why if there was a smoking gun on Epstein, the Democrats didnt use it while in office.

Because they had nothing, he added.

Former stalwart allies including Mike Johnson, the US House of Representatives speaker, have called for the release of everything the justice department is holding on the dead paedophile.

Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, dismissed Ms Bondis move to release the court records as a stunt to deflect attention.

Nice try... What about videos, photographs and other recordings?

Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman, has partnered with Democrat Ro Khanna to force a vote in Congress to compel the government to release all of its material on Epstein. It could take place as early as next week.

Folks, keep the pressure on, its working, he wrote on social media following Mr Trumps call to release the grand jury testimony. But we want all the files.

Republicans fear a mauling from constituents over the administrations failure to release the files, and are pressing leaders to cut short the congressional session to dodge Mr Massies vote, which would force them to choose between angering either voters or the president.

One congressional aide said their boss is coming under extreme pressure, warning: When you dont release information and do this cover up, you essentially fuel conspiracy theories and misinformation.

FBI agents and justice department prosecutors this year reviewed thousands of documents and video evidence from Epsteins case before concluding this month there was no basis to release further materials.

Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General, has come under intense scrutiny from Mr Trumps loyal supporters - Anadolu

It is so far unclear whether the alleged birthday card, which was later examined by prosecutors investigating Epstein, was examined as part of that review.

Mr Trump had known Epstein since the 1980s and in 2002 praised him as a terrific guy who likes beautiful women as much as I do. However, they eventually fell out in the early 2000s over a real estate deal.

A recent government memo concluded that Epstein did not maintain a client list of rich and powerful figures, prompting Mr Trumps supporters to turn on Ms Bondi, who claimed in February she had the list on her desk ready to review.

The memo concluded that Epstein killed himself in prison in 2019 and that no evidence exists to suggest he was murdered.

Ms Bondi, labelled Scam Blondi by the influential Right-wing activist Laura Loomer, defended not releasing further material at a cabinet meeting last week, claiming most of it was child pornography.

Mr Trump has issued a blanket denial of The Wall Street Journals reporting, insisting he never wrote a picture, previously several of his sketches were auctioned off between 1995 and 2020, including one of New Yorks skyline which sold for $30,000.

In his 2010 book Trump Never Give Up, he wrote: Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green, conceding art may not be my strong point.

Ahead of his state visit to the UK in September, adverts have been erected at London bus stops showing an old photo of Mr Trump and Epstein posing side by side.
Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on 20 January 2025. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

Trump signed an executive order on Thursday creating a new classification of federal employees who would be subject to hiring and firing by the president, Schedule G, for employees working on policy, in the latest action by his administration to reshape the federal workforce.

The non-career classified employees will be expected to leave in changing presidential administrations, with the order claiming it will improve operations, particularly in agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, by streamlining appointments for key policy roles.

The order did not cite how many employees would fall under the new classification.

President Trump is delivering on his promise to dismantle the deep state and reclaim our government from Washington corruption, the White House said in a fact sheet on the order.

Related: Devastating: US public broadcasters condemn Trump cuts to key programs

The classification appears similar to Schedule C, which refers to temporary federal employees working on policy issues.

We already have Schedule F (turning career civil servants into at-will employees). Now Trump is announcing Schedule G: Opens space at top ranks of govt for Trump loyalists as policymakers, with no limit on hires. Continues pattern of politicization, wrote Don Moynihan, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, on social media in response to the executive order.

Schedule F, which Trump tried to implement near the end of his first term in office, was revived earlier this year. It strips civil service protections afforded to other federal employee classifications, making it easier to fire these employees at-will.

Since Trump took office, his administration has sought to strip civil service protections for large swaths of federal employees, eliminate collective bargaining rights, and make it easier for the administration to fire federal employees at-will and without cause.

Culling the civil service is a key plank of Project 2025, the conservative manifesto that outlined plans for a second Trump administration. In each agency chapter, the project suggests ways to make more positions political appointments instead of nonpartisan career roles, forming a federal government more beholden to its executive and less likely to push back.

Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, said the new classification is another misguided attempt by the administration to further politicize the federal workforce. The new classification will make the civil service system more confusing, he said, adding that the president can already make hundreds of political appointments through Schedule C and other existing authorities.

At the end of the day, the main mission of our government is to serve and protect the public, Stier said. Our nonpartisan civil service is critical to keeping the services we rely on running continuously, even when political administrations change. Adding even more political appointees  who will only be in government for a few years  means that effective, stable service delivery will suffer. Its the American people who will pay the ultimate price.
UKHSA warned people seeking cosmetic injections to ensure a qualified person is carrying out the procedure and that they are using a licensed product. Photograph: Phanie/Sipa Press/Alamy

Related: Theyve lost the plot: leading cosmetic doctor says under-30s are overdoing Botox and fillers

People seeking cosmetic procedures have been warned to be on their guard by public health experts as they revealed there have been 38 recent cases of botulism poisoning in England linked to unlicensed Botox-like jabs.

The UK Health Security Agency said on Friday that cases were first reported in the north-east, with others subsequently reported in the east of England and East Midlands. All were reported between 4 June and 14 July 2025.

Investigations are ongoing but evidence so far suggests the use of an unlicensed Botox-like product, UKHSA said, noting those affected by botulism poisoning had shown symptoms including difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and breathing difficulty requiring respiratory support.

Related: What is a deep plane facelift? Nipping into the buzzy cosmetic procedure

According to the NHS, botulism is caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria that attack the nervous system. A purified form of these toxins is the active ingredient in Botox and similar products that are often used for cosmetic purposes, including to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

While rare, botulism can be life-threatening. Treatment often includes the use of anti-toxins as well as interventions to support the body.

Dr Gauri Godbole, the consultant medical microbiologist at UKHSA, said symptoms of the condition can take up to four weeks to develop after a Botox-like treatment, and advised anyone experiencing signs, such as difficulties swallowing, to contact NHS 111 and seek treatment.

While UKHSA has told medical professionals to watch out for botulism among people who have recently had the cosmetic injections, it also warned the public to take care when seeking such procedures to ensure a qualified person is carrying them out and that they are using the correct jabs.

If you are considering having a cosmetic procedure, please make sure to check that your practitioner is using a licensed product, said Godbole, noting there is further information on how to chose a practitioner on the NHS website.

Prof Meghana Pandit,co-national medical director at NHS England, added the website also provides advice on the questions to ask, including making sure the person administering the injection is appropriately trained.

When these procedures go wrong, there is a risk of serious infections and permanent scarring, which is why only registered professionals like a doctor, a nurse or pharmacy prescriber should be prescribing these treatments, she said.

Dr Alison Cave, the chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said buying Botox-like products in any other circumstances significantly increases the risk that it is either fake or not licensed for use in the UK.

Public safety is a top priority for the MHRA, she said, adding that when unlicensed products were used it means that there are no safeguards to ensure products meet the MHRAs standards for quality and safety. As such, they can endanger the health of the people who take them, she said.
Dozens of Russian spies who targeted Sergei Skripals daughter and mounted a series of attacks on Britain have been exposed by the UKs security services.

Two of the agents were accused of hacking Yulia Skripals mobile phone five years before Russias GRU military intelligence agency poisoned the pair with deadly Novichok nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury in 2018.

Others were said to be behind a string of covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on British and European soil in an attempt to derail support for Ukraine.

On Friday, the Foreign Office announced that it was sanctioning 18 spies and three GRU units as part of a crackdown on Vladimir Putins campaign to sow chaos on the continent.

The Telegraph understands that the UK moved to sanction the Russians because officials were confident they would never travel to Britain for possible apprehension.

This is the UKs largest-ever set of sanctions against Russian intelligence services.

Ed Bogan, a former CIA agent, told The Telegraph: Sanctioning these GRU units in particular is crucial, given the depth and breadth of their grey zone operations across numerous countries, which often go unseen or at best, only partially understood. More light on them is needed, but more importantly, more pressure and more action against them.

British efforts to expose the shadowy operations were supported by the USs FBI as well as intelligence services from across the Nato military alliance.

Among the operatives named are Ivan Yermakov and Aleksey Lukashev, two senior members of GRUs Unit 26165 of elite hackers accused of targeting Ms Skripals devices before Moscows botched attempt to murder her father.

Authorities are keen to stress that cyber attacks not only disrupt key infrastructure but can also be used to facilitate physical attacks, such as the failed assassination attempt on Mr Skripal.

The former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned in one of the most brazen uses of chemical weapons on British soil in March 2018.

Sergei Skripal, a former spy, and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018

There remain concerns about the safety of the Skripals, although it is not thought Fridays disclosures are linked to any renewed imminent threat to their lives.

British authorities later attributed the assassination attempts, using one of the deadliest man-made chemicals, to Russias military intelligence.

Yermakov and Lukashev also feature on an FBI wanted list for their alleged roles in interfering with the 2016 presidential election, won by Donald Trump.

Unit 26165 has also been named in investigations into alleged hacks around the French presidential elections and political interference in Germany. It was responsible for the creation of X-Agent, a malware used to hack Yulia Skripals mobile phone.

The GRU intelligence officers targeted her phone with malicious malware known as X-Agent in 2013, five years before the assassination attempts in which an innocent British woman, Dawn Sturgess, was killed after she was poisoned with Novichok discarded by the GRU officers sent to kill Skripal.

X-Agent was developed by a Russian hacking gang known as Fancy Bear, which is linked to the GRU. It was first discovered by the West in 2015 and is used by Russia to infect both Apples iPhones and Android devices and can activate a devices microphone and record audio as well as harvest text messages, contact lists, photos and geolocation data.

X-Agent has been used by Russia to pinpoint the movements of Ukrainian troops on the battlefield. Ms Skripal, who lived in Moscow, was tracked to the UK on a visit to her father in Salisbury. Two GRU agents followed her to the UK and smeared Mr Skripals door handle with Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent.

British officials are confident that the countrys voters would not be swayed by similar Russian disinformation attempts.

In 2022, their same unit was said to be responsible for conducting online reconnaissance to help position Russian strikes against the Mariupol Theatre, killing hundreds of women and children who were sheltering from Putins invasion forces.

Outside the building in the port city, those sheltering had written the word children in giant Russian lettering. The theatre was later hit by Russian missiles, despite it obviously not being a military target.

mariupol theatre before and after

The same unit was credited with hacking internet surveillance cameras between 2022 and 2024 across Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands to monitor military assistance being sent to Kyiv.

GRU units 74455, 26165, 29155 were also hit with UK sanctions, which means businesses registered in Britain will not legally be allowed to provide them with services which could assist their sabotage campaigns.

It is alleged that the Russian spies are responsible for a series of hacks and attacks on European military support for Ukraine.

British and European intelligence officers have found repeated examples of targeted attacks against port infrastructure, transport hubs, border control points and government infrastructure involved in aid shipments.

British officials fear that the GRU has used the battlefields of Ukraine as a testing ground for further development of a range of cyber capabilities, which would one day be turned on Western countries.

In the UK, three men were recently found guilty of an arson attack on an east London warehouse involved in shipping humanitarian aid and Elon Musks Starlink satellite internet systems to Ukraine.

Prosecutors said the attack could be linked to Russias Wagner Group of mercenaries.

Agents reportedly linked to the Wagner Group livestreamed setting fire to a business that supplied Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine

British investigators were also probing whether Russian agents had sent an incendiary device through the post after it ignited at a DHL hub in Birmingham last year.

A string of similar incidents has been reported across Europe, including warehouse fires and sabotage of train lines.

GRU Unit 29155 has been enlisted by Russias top decision makers to mount a campaign of attempted assassinations, including that of the Skripals, in recent years.

In the past decade, it has been blamed for explosions at weapons depots, where products destined for Ukraine were stored, in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

It was also behind a Russian proxy campaign to hire young Afghans to advise and fund Taliban attacks against US-led coalition forces before the American withdrawal in 2022.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said: GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.

The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we wont tolerate it. Thats why were taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies. Protecting the UK from harm is fundamental to this governments Plan for Change.

Putins hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our allies support for Ukraine and Europes security is ironclad.

Another group targeted is the Africa Initiative, which runs social media troll farms ultimately controlled by Putins spies, accused of pushing fake news and trying to scupper life-saving global-health initiatives.

The Russian spies on the sanctions list will be hit with travel bans and asset freezes, as well as British-registered businesses being barred from assisting them in any form.

Sir Gavin Williamson, the former Tory defence secretary, said the news shows how the UK needed to ramp up defence spending as soon as possible.

This is incredibly serious, and it shows the ever-mounting threat that we have to face. It also underlines the fact that its right to continue to increase the investment, not just in terms of our Armed Forces, but how essential it is for our security services as well, Sir Gavin said.

It shows that the threats abroad are also threats at home. It shows that the urgency for the extra money is absolutely acute, because what you can guarantee is while these [spies] have been revealed, therell be many more that continue to operate.

We need to make sure our security services and our military have those resources to properly tackle them, and that needs to happen today and not tomorrow.

Sir Gavin added: It shows how pervasive the tentacles of Russia really are. We saw that very starkly with the Skripal poisonings and the Salisbury attack. This was a foreign nation conducting a kill operation here in the United Kingdom. We shouldnt forget that, because it demonstrates how far that they will go to deliver on their aims.

Trump condemns Russia

Donald Trump, the US president, joined Nato allies in condemning Russia, including for its war against Ukraine, in a statement issued by the alliance after Britains sanctions were announced.

These attributions and the continuous targeting of our critical infrastructure, with the harmful impacts caused across several sectors, illustrate the extent to which cyber and wider hybrid threats have become important tools in Russias ongoing campaign to destabilise Nato allies and in Russias brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the Nato statement said.

Insiders hailed the statement as another sign of Mr Trumps new-found support for Ukraines efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression.

The US president has previously vetoed statements blaming Moscow for Europes largest conflict since the Second World War, including in a communique for the recent Nato summit in the Hague.

The Government made the announcement in the midst of mounting scandal over a leaked list of 24,000 Afghans, British spies and special forces soldiers, which has been covered up for years by super-injunctions.

Read about the exposed spies below.

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuck

Osadchuk has risen through the ranks of the Russian ministry of defence to become the head of the main directorate for innovative development - a key cyber-thinker within the military hierarchy.

A career military officer and longstanding GRU operative (Unit 26165), Osadchuk was accused by the FBI of orchestrating large-scale cyber operations targeting international entities, particularly during the 2016 US presidential election, focusing on hacking and document leaks.

Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Serebriakov

Serebriakov, 44, is a seasoned cyber-operator assigned to the GRUs Main Directorate (Unit 26165).

Serebriakov is officially linked to the 2018 cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Netherlands, which was disrupted by Dutch officials before hackers could breach it.

According to the FBI, he specialises in covert operations abroad targeting anti-doping agencies and sporting federations, including during the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, which were held in Brazil.

Serebriakov has been linked to high-profile incidents involving reconnaissance and targeted attacks, often operating under diplomatic cover, holding seven known aliases.

Anatoliy Sergeyvich Kovalev

Kovalev embodies a range of GRU tactics: cyber, biological, and covert operations.

A high-profile GRU operative (Unit 26165), he is known for allegedly spearheading cyber attacks on US state and federal election systems, most notably in 2016, plus interference into critical infrastructure in Ukraine and French political organisations.

He has been criminally indicted in Pennsylvania, in the US, alongside six GRU officers, facing charges for conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud, and interference in critical infrastructure and democratic processes.

Kovalev is also under investigation by the FBI for possible ties to Kremlin-directed nerve agent investigations.

Artem Valeryvich Ochichenko

Ochichenko is a GRU operative associated with Unit 29155, involved in covert operations, including cyber espionage and sabotage.

His role is thought to involve technical support or operational deployment of cyber tools used to infiltrate networks, disrupt communications, and gather intelligence.

Ochichenko joined Kovalev in being charged by a federal grand jury for targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine and political organisations in France, as well as operations against Georgia.

Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov

Borovkov is a mid-ranking GRU officer implicated in cyber espionage and hacking campaigns targeting Western governments.

The FBI has accused him of targeting and compromising critical infrastructure in dozens of Western countries. He is wanted by the FBI for alleged cyber attacks between December 2020 and August 2024.

Unlike his colleagues, the spy agency does not know where Borovkov is located. The FBI has a $10m reward for anyone who can provide information leading to his whereabouts.

Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin

Korchagin is another GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure and political entities.

Like Borovkov, the FBI has accused him of criminal cyber activities between December 2020 and August 2024, and has a $10m reward for information on his whereabouts.

He is known for his role in hacking campaigns aimed at stealing sensitive data and disrupting systems, with a focus on international targets.

Yuriy Federovich Denisov

Denisov, another GRU operative within Unit 29155, hacked campaigns targeting global infrastructure, focusing on espionage and data theft.

Like Borovkov and Korchagin, he is accused of criminal cyber activities by the FBI between December 2020 and August 2024, and stands accused of targeting critical infrastructure across dozens of Western countries.

Denisov is wanted by the FBI with a $10m reward for information leading to his arrest.

Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov

A senior GRU officer in Unit 26165, Yermakov is known for orchestrating spear-phishing campaigns during the 2016 US presidential election.

Along with Osadchuk, he was accused of stealing documents from US officials during the election before releasing them to interfere with its outcome. He was also accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics, along with Serebriakov.

Aliases include Kate S Milton, James McMorgans, and Karen W Millen, according to the FBI.

Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev

Lukashev has served as a senior lieutenant in Russias GRU.

Like many others on this list, he has been charged in the US for his part in the conspiracy to interfere with democracy during the 2016 election, including by focusing on stealing and leaking sensitive documents.

Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets

Morenets, an officer assigned to Unit 26165, is known for his involvement in the GRUs cyber activities targeting international organisations, particularly the 2018 cyber attack attempt against the OPCW in The Hague, along with Serebriakov.

The FBI has also accused him of targeting anti-doping agencies across the US and globally during the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2016, joining charges that were filed against Yermakov and Serebriakov.

Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev

Morgachev is another GRU officer and a senior member of Unit 26165, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He is accused of hacking campaigns targeting political and governmental entities during the 2016 US presidential election.

Artem Adreyevich Malyshev

Malyshev is another GRU officer and a senior lieutenant of Unit 26165.

The FBI has accused him of hacking campaigns targeting political and government entities during the 2016 US presidential election. He was also charged with aggravated identity theft, false registration of a domain name, and conspiracy to commit money laundering during this period.

Malyshev is also one of seven Russians to be accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Sergey Sergeyevich Vasyuk & Andrey Eduardovich Baranov

GRU officers

Vasyuk and Baranov are linked with Unit 29155, involved in cyber and covert operations.

Suspected activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political entities to support Russian intelligence.

Vitaly Aleksandrovich Shevchenko

GRU officer

Shevchenko, another member of Unit 29155, was one of three Russian nationals previously sanctioned by the Council of the European Union for carrying out malicious cyber activities against Estonia.

Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko

GRU operative

Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko is a GRU operative associated with Unit 29155.

His activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political organisations.

Victor Borisovich Netyksho

GRU officer

Netyksho is one of the 12 GRU officers wanted by the FBI for interference in the 2016 presidential election. The FBI had photos of 11 officers but Netyksho remained faceless until a Ukrainian hactivist group intervened.

The personal data and a photograph of Netyksho was published by Kiber Sprotyv, which translates to Cyber Resistance in 2023. They managed to get hold of the information by hacking the email account of his wife, Oksana Serhiyivna Netyksho.

He is thought to be a senior GRU officer and commander of Unit 26165.

Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov

GRU operative

Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov is a GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting global infrastructure.

His activities focus on hacking and espionage, targeting political and governmental entities.

Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev

Chief editor of the African Initiative

Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev is a Russian individual associated with disinformation campaigns.

As chief editor of the African Initiative, Kureyev is allegedly involved in creating and spreading false narratives to manipulate public perception.

According to Bloomberg, he has had frequent contacts with around half a dozen European journalists, often arranging and covering their travel costs for some of them to visit occupied territories in Ukraine.

Documents seen by the news outlet shows he appears to have paid to plant news articles.

African Initiative

Media and influence organisation

African Initiative is a Russian media and influence organisation, masquerading as a news agency and information platform.

It has sought to present itself as a Moscow-based news agency that covers events across the continent.

But in reality, it is considered to be the main vehicle for Russias disinformation activities across the continent, according to a report by Viginum, a French agency which monitors foreign digital interference.

The 161st Specialist Training Centre (TsPS) (Unit 29155) of the GRU

This unit, known as Unit 29155  which includes Ochichenko  is a covert Russian military intelligence facility under the GRU. It is tasked with training operatives in sabotage, assassination, and unconventional warfare.

Unlike traditional cyber units, this secretive centre prepares agents for covert operations abroad, including targeted assassinations and subversion tactics.

It has been linked to several high-profile incidents such as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK and the attempted assassination of defectors across Europe.

The 85th Main Special Service Centre (Unit 26165) of the GRU

Unit 26165, also known as the 85th Main Special Service Centre, is a key cyber warfare unit of the Russian GRU, based in Moscow.

Led by Netyksho, it specialises in offensive cyber operations, including hacking, data theft, and spear-phishing campaigns targeting government, political, and private sector entities around the world.

Unit 26165 is notorious for its role in high-profile cyber attacks, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) email hack during the 2016 US presidential election

Sandworm (Unit 74455)

Unit 74455, known publicly as Sandworm, is another specialised division focusing on cyber operations, including the deployment of malware, hacking campaigns, and disinformation.

The military unit is suspected of being behind a cyber attack against the Ukrainian power grid in 2015, interference into the French presidential election in 2017, and a cyber attack on the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

In August 2023, a joint report by the intelligence agencies in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand accused Sandworm of a new malware campaign. The malware, dubbed Infamous Chisel, targeted Android devices used by the Ukrainian military
Search and rescue dogs  Noska Photo/Shutterstock.com

When we think of rescue dogs, were likely envisioning police canines like German shepherds. Perhaps we picture this muscular pup racing into an emergency situation to save the day. But one surprisingly tiny dog is challenging our notion of rescue dog. A Chihuahua recently made headlines for saving her owner, who was hiking the Swiss Alps alongside her small companion when she slipped and fell into a glacier crevasse. The little pup sounded the alarm, barking and whining at passing hikers until she got someones attention. Her persistence paid off, and a rescue crew pulled her owner to safety.

This post was updated on July 18, 2025 to include the story of a small Chihuahua rescuing her owner.

SAR dogs go through months or years of training to be able to do difficult work.

Search and rescue dogs are the heroes of the canine world. Sometimes called SAR for search and rescue, these brave, loyal dogs work with law enforcement, first responders, and rescue teams.

All SAR dogs go through many months or years of training, especially dogs who work in the most difficult types of searches and rescues. These dogs do many important jobs, including:

Human remains detection

Water search for living people or cadavers

Avalanche search

Urban area search

Drug detection

Disaster search

The best breeds for search and rescue are intelligent, trainable dogs who have powerful scent and tracking abilities. Hounds, for instance, have an extremely keen sense of smell, and other breeds have powerful eyesight. All SAR dogs are eager to learn and willing to help their human partners do their jobs.

Finding all these traits in a single dog is a tall order, and thats why these dogs are the best of their kind. Here is our ranking of the best breeds of SAR dogs and interesting facts about each.

#10. Belgian Malinois

Belgian Malinois young puppy in the park fields. Belgian Malinois have many talents that make them outstanding search and rescue dogs. Fesus Robert/Shutterstock.com

These active, energetic dogs are ready to work long hours in searches. They are intelligent, highly trainable dogs who are popular with the military and police departments. Belgian Malinois have many talents that make them outstanding SAR dogs. They can find explosives, drugs, and other evidence. They can even be trained to sniff out cancer and other illnesses.

Shiraz, of Havana, Florida is one such shining example. The 12-year-old, 50-pound Malinois, has worked with police and sheriff agencies, and specializes in remains detection.

Having participated in over 70 searches, the canine professional was awarded the American Kennel Club Humane Fund Awards For Canine Excellence (ACE) for 2020.

Shiraz continues to make important finds and is currently employed by the National Park Service where she is involved in discovering historical burial sites.

#9. Basset Hound

With their short legs, basset hounds are ideal for scent-tracking of small animals and anything that might be close to the ground and they make excellent search and rescue dogs. Billion Photos/Shutterstock.com

Like the bloodhound, the basset hound is built for scent work. With almost as many smell receptors as her larger colleague, she also has huge ears and a long nose. With their short legs, basset hounds are ideal for scent-tracking of small animals and anything that might be close to the ground.

#8. St. Bernard

In the late 19th century Saint Bernards were deployed through the Alps to assist in mountain rescues. They are one of the most well-known search and rescue dogs. iStock.com/bennymarty

Many people think of St. Bernards as the original search and rescue dogs. These huge, shaggy dogs first came to the Menthon Monastery as guard dogs in the 1600s. The monastery is on the summit of a mountain in Switzerland, and the monks frequently had to rescue stranded hikers. They began bringing the dogs with them, and the monks soon realized that these dogs excelled at finding missing people. Today, St. Bernards are among several dog breeds used in mountain rescues.

#7. Beagle

Happy beagle dog having fun on the green grass. Beagles are suburb-tracking dogs and make excellent search and rescue dogs. eAlisa/Shutterstock.com

The smallest of the hounds, the beagle is a superb tracking dog because he can get close to the ground. Beagles have a curious, friendly temperament that makes them good at staying focused on their goal. Although you might think police dogs should be large, the small, friendly beagle has become a popular choice for police work.

#6. Labrador Retriever

Labrador retrievers excel at some of the most difficult search and rescue tasks, including bomb detection, disaster recovery, and water recovery. everydoghasastory/Shutterstock.com

These dogs are a triple threat that can swim, run and track. They rank high on every list of desirable dog traits, including intelligence, willingness to learn, and loyalty. Labrador retrievers excel at some of the most difficult SAR tasks, including bomb detection, disaster recovery, and water recovery. All retrievers, including goldens and Chesapeake Bay retrievers, are good at search and rescue work.

#5. Newfoundland

Newfoundlands are popular search and rescue dogs for the coast guards of England, France, and Italy. Pandas/Shutterstock.com

Originally bred as fishing dogs, Newfoundlands can swim well in almost any water. Their thick, shaggy coats and webbed paws make them excellent swimmers. This trait has made them a popular SAR dog for the coast guards of England, France, and Italy. These gentle, brave dogs routinely rescue drowning swimmers and have even towed boats to shore.

#4. German Shepherd

Beautiful German shepherd dog lay n the grass. The German Shepherd dog is one of the most intelligent and are also used as K9 dogs that assist the Police. Callipso/Shutterstock.com

German shepherds have worked with their human handlers for centuries. These brave, loyal dogs are the most common breeds used by law enforcement and the military. German shepherds are highly trainable and obedient when given the right training. These dogs grow extremely attached to their human handlers and will go fearlessly into danger with them.

#3. Border Collie

Legendary as a sheepherder, the border collie also makes an excellent search and rescue dog. Lelusy/Shutterstock.com

Legendary as a sheepherder, the border collie also makes an excellent SAR dog. A border collie enjoys nothing more than working hard for a reward. This intelligent dog enjoys a challenge, and it has the energy for SAR work. A border collie is a fast learner with a good temperament.

#2. Coonhound

Redbone Coonhound standing by a pond. Coonhounds will follow a scent trail with a single-minded purpose and make excellent search and rescue dogs . Crystal Alba/Shutterstock.com

These lean, lanky dogs were bred for hunting, which means theyre capable of sustaining their energy for miles of running and searching. They have a powerful sense of smell and a long nose that can pick up any scent. Coonhounds will follow a scent trail with a single-minded purpose. Theyre also intelligent, friendly and loyal companions.

#1. Bloodhound

A bloodhound is one of the well-known search and rescue dogs. These dogs are highly energetic and willing to track a scent for miles . Edoma/Shutterstock.com

With more than 300 million scent sensors, the aptly named bloodhound can find anything with his nose. Even this dogs body is built for scent tracking. The bloodhound has a long head with large nostrils and enormous ears, which help the dog pick up any scents in the air. A bloodhound is highly energetic and willing to track a scent for miles.

Summary Of The10 Best Search And Rescue Dog Breeds

Rank Breed Specialty 1 Bloodhound Scent tracking 2 Coonhound Scent tracking 3 Border Collie Rescue operations 4 German Shepherd Law enforcement 5 Newfoundland Coast Guard support 6 Labrador Retriever Bomb detection

Water recovery

Disaster recovery 7 Beagle Tracking 8 St. Bernard Search and rescue 9 Basset Hound Tracking (small animals) 10 Belgian Malinois Detection of

explosives and drugs

The post The 10 Best Search And Rescue Dog Breeds appeared first on A-Z Animals.
Robin Kaye/Facebook; TMZ/BACKGRID Two photos side by side on the left a couple with a bird on the right law enforcement interaction with a man in handcuffs.





NEED TO KNOW

Los Angeles police confirmed that American Idol supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were found dead with gunshots wounds inside their Encino home on July 14

The LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE that 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian has been charged in connection with the killings

On July 10, around 4:00 p.m., police responded to a possible burglary. Although there were no visible signs of forced entry at the time, the couple was murdered that same day





Robin Kaye, the longtime music supervisor behind American Idols signature sound, and her husband, rocker Thomas Deluca, were murdered inside their $4.5-million Encino home in what investigators believe was a random home invasion. Both were 70. According to police, the couple was killed after returning home and encountering a burglary suspect, who is believed to have entered through an unlocked door.

PEOPLE can now confirm via a felony complaint filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles that the killings occurred on July 10  four days before police discovered the couple's bodies and the same day police responded to reports of a burglary.

According to police sources, officers visited the Encino home around the time the suspect was believed to be inside. It remains unclear what time the couple died or whether they were still alive when authorities initially arrived to check out the home that day.

A confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives, LAPD confirmed.

Their bodies were discovered four days later, on July 14, after officers responded to a welfare check around 2:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue. Paramedics pronounced the pair dead at the scene. Police sources say Kaye was found in the pantry, Deluca in the bathroom. Both had been shot multiple times in the head.

TMZ.com Police Arresting The Suspect in The Murders of Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Encino resident Raymond Boodarian, was arrested Tuesday, June 15, without incident. He was charged two days later on July 17, with two counts of murder, as well as one count of residential burglary with a person.

The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary, as well as firearm allegations. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Boodarian.

According to Los Angeles court records, Boodarian has a documented criminal history, including charges of battery, exhibiting a deadly weapon and threatening to commit a crime with the intent to terrorize. Those charges were later dismissed following court hearings related to mental competency and conservatorship.

In a disturbing twist, a former police officer, veteran and private security guard claims Kaye had previously reached out seeking security after an increase in burglaries in the area. Kris Herzog, who owns The Bodyguard Group and operates with off-duty police in private defense, says he got the call earlier this year.

Herzog, who represents clients like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Mark Zuckerberg, says during that call he warned Kaye that home cameras may not save her life.

Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times/Getty Los Angeles Police Department officials secure the home where Robin Kaye an "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband Thomas Deluca were found killed with gunshot wounds to the head on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

The most dangerous thing in your home is your home camera system or alarm because it gives you a false sense of security," he recalls telling Kaye. "Its never gonna save your life. The fact is, its gonna get you killed by giving you a false sense of security. And the only thing its gonna accomplish is record your death.

He says he advised her to purchase bear spray or a pepper ball gun and hide them throughout the house. She said OK thanks well think about it and never called us back, Herzog says. This is the first time in my career that what I predicted potentially could happen 90,000 times... actually happened.

Police sources close to the investigation allegedly told Herzog that the alarm system was off and the suspect simply walked in. The door was left open. The alarm is turned off. And he walked right in," he claims. "I told her at the time," Herzog says, pausing. "You have to be able to defend yourself if you only have a second notice.

Herzog mentions the previous call to police about a potential break-in at the same house just days before the bodies were found. According to Herzog, "they respond to a burglary there now, burglar in the house, hes jumped the wall. The witness, a renter from the neighbor, believes he went in the house. So they responded, circled the house, called out the airship. Airship circle said we see no signs of forced entry  and they fg left. Theyre out of there in 10.

An officer claims that no one responded inside the home, while a police helicopter from overhead reported not seeing anything suspicious.

Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times/Getty Los Angeles Police Department officials secure the home where Robin Kaye an "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband Thomas Deluca.

According to Herzog, the LAPDs policy of not entering a property unless theres overwhelming probable cause may have prevented officers from discovering the crime sooner.

Hundreds of departments around the country have the opposite policy. You get a burglar-there-now call, you jump the wall, you make sure those residents are OK. You try to apprehend the burglar. LAPD does not have that policy. Unless they have a ridiculous amount of probable cause  bloody shoe print, O.J. Simpson heading into the house from the street  I mean a ridiculous amount," he claims, exhaling then alleging:

Their policies are 99% geared towards cover your a and 1% toward public safety. They're worried about getting sued and bad publicity. They are critically, dangerously underfunded. They don't have the manpower."

PEOPLE has reached out to the LAPD for comment on Herzog's claims and did not immediately hear back.

Jonathan Leibson/Getty Robin Kaye attends the 4th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards at Mack Sennett Studios on February 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

Kaye worked on nearly 300 episodes of American Idol between 2009 and 2023. Her credits also include The Singing Bee, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the NAACP Image Awards and multiple Miss Universe specials. Thomas Deluca was best known for his 1986 album Down to the Wire. His most recent album, Street Rock, was released in 2022.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for American Idol said the team was devastated by the news and called Kaye a cornerstone of the Idol family.

The statement continued: Robin was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.

Boodarian remains in custody at the Inmate Reception Center on Bauchet Street in Los Angeles and will likely be transferred in the following days to jail, according to a sheriff. His bail was denied.





Read the original article on People
In a new lawsuit, Apple alleged that a YouTuber commissioned his friend to break into an employee's development phone and leak iOS 26. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In a lawsuit, Apple says a YouTuber commissioned a friend to break into Apple employee's phone.

Jon Prosser leaked new features of iOS 26 months before WWDC.

Prosser said he "did not 'plot' to access anyone's phone and was unaware of the situation playing out."

In January, YouTuber Jon Prosser began showing off early renderings of Apple's iOS 26 on his channel, FrontPageTech. First was a redesigned camera rendering. In March, he teased Apple's "liquid glass" redesign, before giving a more thorough look in April.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Northern California, Apple says Prosser's leaks were ill-begotten. Apple sued Prosser and another man, Michael Ramacciotti, for misappropriation of trade secrets.

Prosser denied Apple's recounting of the events in an X post.

In the lawsuit, Apple says it received an anonymous tip linking Prosser's leaks to Ethan Lipnik, a software engineer at Apple from 2023-2025. Apple said it received the tip on April 4, months before the software debuted at WWDC, the company's annual conference where it launches products.

Apple alleged that Prosser commissioned Ramacciotti to break into Lipnik's development phone. Ramacciotti was a friend of Lipnik's, the suit says.

Apple says that while Ramacciotti was staying at Lipnik's house, he waited for his friend to leave, obtained the password for his device, and made a video call to Prosser showing off the features.

Apple alleged that Prosser then screen-recorded the video call, recreating the features in new renderings and publishing his copies on YouTube. Apple also says in the lawsuit that Prosser showed the video to other individuals, one of whom noticed Lipnik's apartment in the background, causing them to tip off the company.

"Apple takes great care to protect the secrecy of its unreleased products and features," the lawsuit reads. "These safeguards can only go so far to protect against bad actors determined to steal Apple's trade secrets."

Apple says in the lawsuit that it has since terminated Lipnik's employment. Apple did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Prosser, Ramacciotti, and Lipnik did not respond to email and social media messages seeking comment. Lawyers for Prosser and Ramacciotti have not yet been identified on the court docket.

"This is not how things went down on my end," Prosser wrote in response to a MacRumors story about the lawsuit on X. "For the record: I certainly did not 'plot' to access anyone's phone and was unaware of the situation playing out."

In its lawsuit, Apple asked the court for unspecified damages and an order preventing Prosser from disclosing other unreleased trade secrets that could have been on the device.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tech company Astronomer is launching an investigation after its CEO, Andy Byron, appeared to be filmed embracing the company's head of HR at a Coldplay concert. TikTok/@instaagraace

Astronomer's board is launching an investigation after its CEO appeared to be filmed embracing its HR head at a concert.

The video clip went viral on social media, propelling the tech company into the spotlight.

"We will have additional details to share very shortly," the company said.

Tech company Astronomer is launching an investigation after its CEO, Andy Byron, appeared to be filmed embracing the company's head of HR at a Coldplay concert.

"The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly," the company said in a statement on X. It added that "no other employees were in the video" and that reports saying Byron has put out a statement are incorrect.

"Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the statement said.

The investigation is the next chapter in a saga that commanded social media's rapt attention.

A clip appearing to show Byron and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's head of people, caught in "kiss cam"-style crowd footage at a Coldplay concert went viral on Thursday. The pair appeared horrified to be broadcast on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium and quickly untwined, prompting Coldplay front man Chris Martin to speculate that they were "having an affair or they're just very shy."

The internet became fascinated with the narrative (you can read what our anchor Katie Notopoulos wrote about the incident here). Byron's name was the top trending search term on Google on Thursday, and tens of millions have watched the clip.

Commentators on X and TikTok joked about the awkward scenario. The company turned off comments on its LinkedIn and X accounts as they became flooded with them.

People even placed bets  over $250,000 was traded on Polymarket  on Byron's chances of remaining as CEO.

For more than 24 hours, the company and its leadership  the board, active founders, and Byron  stayed quiet about the scandal and did not respond to requests for comment from the media or release a statement.

Ry Walker, who served as Astronomer CEO from 2015 to 2022, put out a comment: "Yes, I was co-founder and early CEO - not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate," Walker wrote on X.

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's career history

Founded in 2015, Astronomer builds data management and optimization products that it says are used by companies like Activision and Marriott. In May, it completed a Series D funding round that valued the company at $775 million, according to PitchBook.

Byron came on as CEO in July 2023 after holding C-suite roles at several other software and tech firms. In November 2024, he hired Cabot as the company's head of people.

Byron worked at several software companies in the decades before he took the reins at Astronomer. He worked from 2019 to 2023 as an executive at Lacework, a cloud security company that was sold last year for an estimated $200 million to $230 million, according to Forrester Research.

For about two years before Lacework, he was the chief revenue officer at Cybereason, another software company. The company is privately held and raised a series H venture-capital round earlier this year, according to PitchBook data. Its head count and valuation grew while Byron worked there, but its head count has since declined, and its valuation fell significantly from 2022 to 2023, per PitchBook.

He has worked in the Boston tech scene for more than a decade. Earlier jobs included a sales executive role at Fuze, which sold communications and messaging software. It was sold in 2022 for $250 million, and at Aveksa, which was acquired in 2013 by RSA, an EMC subsidiary, for a reported price of $225 million.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jair Bolsonaro is on trial over an alleged plot to overturn the results of the 2022 Brazil presidential election. - Mateus Bonomi/AFP via Getty Images

Police in Brazil swooped on the home and political headquarters of Jair Bolsonaro early Friday, searching the properties and ordering the former president to wear an electronic ankle tag.

The right-winger and ally of US President Donald Trump was also barred from speaking to foreign officials or approaching embassies, and banned from social media, under orders of Brazils Supreme Court.

The restrictions were motivated by concerns that Bolsonaro would flee the country, amid his trial over an alleged plot to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.

Speaking outside the police station Friday, Bolsonaro called the ankle tag a supreme humiliation and said that he never thought of leaving Brazil.

The suspicions (of me leaving the country) are an exaggeration damn it, Im a former president of the republic  Im 70 years old, he said.

Bolsonaro added that police seized about 14,000 US dollars and claimed the money was for personal use, adding he had the receipts to prove it.

Hours after the ruling, the US State Department announced visa restrictions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and an unspecified number of other court officials, accusing them of carrying out a political witch hunt against Bolsonaro.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement said he had ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately.

Moraes made headlines last year when he banned social media platform X, during a feud with its billionaire owner  and former Trump ally  Elon Musk, over hate speech moderation and the companys failure to name a legal representative in the country, as required by law. The platform has since been restored in the nation of 220 million people.

Lula denounced Rubios order in a Saturday morning statement on X, characterizing the visa revocation as an unacceptable interference in Brazils justice system.

Fridays raid came after Trump tried to force Lula to end the criminal trial against Bolsonaro, by threatening crippling tariffs on the country. Trump linked the tariff threat to what he described as a witch hunt trial against Bolsonaro.

About a week later, the US launched an investigation into unfair trading practices by Brazil, according to a statement by the United States Trade Representative.

Brazils Supreme Court on Friday accused Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo of working with the US to impose the tariffs. CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment on this allegation.

The court documents highlighted a confidential meeting Bolsonaro had with a US State Department official, and highlighted Trumps letter as an offensive and clear threat to Brazilian sovereignty.

Brazil's former President, Jair Bolsonaro, arrives at the State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration headquarters in Brasilia on Friday. - Adriano Machado/Reuters

In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Bolsonaro denied that anyone lobbied the US to sanction Brazilian authorities working on his case.

There isnt any lobby to sanction an authority, Bolsonaro said.

Speaking exclusively to CNN Thursday, Lula said that Trumps threats had broken from protocol, and argued that his predecessors fate cannot be part of trade negotiations.

The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever, he said, adding that Bolsonaro is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup detat.

Lula added that Trump would be standing trial if the actions he took during the insurrection of January 6, 2021 had been committed in Brazil.

On Friday, Trump posted a letter to Bolsonaro on Truth Social, in which he suggested the former Brazilian leader was the victim of an unjust system, and said that he would be watching closely.

Bolsonaro posted Trumps letter on his official X account and, in a subsequent video, thanked Trump for his support with eternal gratitude.

Bolsonaro had previously appeared to be preparing for the outcome of his trial and dismissed the idea that he might be considered a flight risk, saying: Ill face the process.

Im not considering doing anything, Im not considering anything, nothing at all, he said, adding: Im not a criminal, the criminal is the one persecuting me.

Bolsonaro could face more than four decades behind bars if found guilty of masterminding the coup.

He is among 34 people charged with five crimes, including attempting the coup. Part of the coup plot, prosecutors allege, involved a plan to potentially assassinate Lula, his vice president and a minister of the Supreme Court.

Brian Winter, executive vice president of Americas Society and Council of the Americas, told CNN that Trumps mooted use of trade levers may not be so painful to Brazil  for which the US is not as significant a trading partner as, say, China.

Brazil only sends about 11% of its exports to the United States, Winter said. Thats half what Brazil sends to China, and for some of Brazils exports  not all, but for some of them  they can find other markets besides the United States.

The question is, if this keeps escalating, could President Trump use measures that are even more painful, such as financial sanctions against large groups of people? Winter asked, noting that Trump previously threatened, among other things, a travel ban on Colombian citizens during a disagreement with the Colombian government over migrant flights.

Its possible that President Trump could continue to escalate this in a way that could eventually produce considerably more pain for the Brazilian government and for the Brazilian people, Winter said.

This story has been updated.

CNNs Duarte Mendonca and Marcelo Medeiros contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
July 18, 2025: Russia is short of cash and economic resources. The only useful allies are China and North Korea. Making the most of this, Russia has established a program to instruct 600 Chinese military personnel. The lessons would include details on how the Ukraine War was and is fought and lessons learned by the Russians so far. Taiwan is known to be studying the use of drones in Ukraine and planning to adapt those lessons to use drones to defend against Chinese attack.

While China has the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, its armed forces are untested, inexperienced and riddled with corruption. Despite that, China is Russias most valuable trading partner. While refusing to sell Russia weapons, to avoid being hit with economic sanctions, China still depends on Russia for assistance in handling some forms of advanced technology. This has been the case for over 80 years, and will remain so for at least a few more decades. If Russia loses the Ukraine war, there might be a change of government in Russia that is more pro-West and anti-China.

It's unknown how much Russia is getting paid, but it is apparently substantial enough to pull experienced Russian officers and sergeants out of Ukraine to instruct the Chinese.

Russia will also reveal what they have learned of Ukrainian operations. Ukrainians have been fighting the Russians for over three years and are seeking to institutionalize their military lessons learned. The Russians are now short of resources and still operate under economic sanctions. Ukraine believes that with improved training for all their personnel, they will reduce their own casualties while increasing those of the Russians. Vladimir Putin vowed to keep fighting for as long as it took. That is turning into an empty promise as Putin discovers that a crash in troop quality makes any Russian military efforts futile and prohibitively costly in terms of men and resources.

The Russians officially called their invasion a special operation meant to liberate the Ukrainians from neo-Nazi and NATO influence. Most Russian troops soon realized that the Ukrainians were more enthusiastic and determined to defend their country from foreign invaders and wanted to join NATO to discourage Russian attacks. Government corruption and inept military leadership meant the Russian troops were poorly supplied with food, medical care and ammunition. New recruits were not trained or paid the cash bonuses promised. Troop morale plummeted because of this and soon Russia found it could not obtain enough troops to keep the special operation going. The Ukrainians went on the offensive and rapidly drove the Russians out of much of the Ukrainian territory they had conquered in 2014 and early 2022. The Russian government did not want to admit they were losing but were unable to convince enough Russian soldiers to resist or Russians and Ukrainian collaborators living in the occupied territories to stay. The civilians fled and the Russian troop numbers dwindled. All this had nothing to do with foreign observers asserting that tanks were obsolete and warfare had changed dramatically. Neither was true but the reality was less newsworthy, so the situation was not reported accurately. The Ukrainians kept attacking Russian logistics while improving their techniques for supplying their troops. This was the key to victory but made for dull headlines.

Its unclear if Russia is going to teach the Chinese how incompetent Russia has been at supplying their own troops. The Ukrainians increasingly take advantage of Russian supply problems and developed tactics that often ensure Russian troops cannot obtain resupply of food, munitions, medical care, or anything else. This is done with long-range drones to disrupt truck and railway movement of supplies into Ukraine and then swarms of short-range drones to prevent supplies from moving the last few kilometers to the desperate Russian troops. Ukraine cannot do this everywhere along the more than thousand kilometers of the front line. But the Ukrainians have and continue to apply these supply denial tactics regularly where they will do the most damage to Russian forces.
Abby Szydlik Photography Nathan and Camille Riffell (left); Cakes at the Riffells' wedding





NEED TO KNOW

Camille and Nathan Riffell asked all of the "important women" in their lives to make a cake for their wedding in Kentucky, on June 28

There were 18 cakes total, all featuring different flavors

"We ended up with such a sweet and diverse selection," the bride wrote on Instagram





A bride and groom's unique  and delicious  wedding idea has gone viral on social media.

Camille and Nathan Riffell got married in an elegant outdoor wedding ceremony at Warrenwood Manor in Danville, Kentucky, on Saturday, June 28. But the real excitement happened inside the barn, where 18 wedding cakes were waiting to be served.

The couple's wedding photographer, Abby Szydlik, posted a video of all the cakes on display at the wedding reception on TikTok on Monday, July 7.

Abby Szydlik Photography Cakes at Camille and Nathan Riffell's wedding

"Wedding Idea: 18 cakes all made by important women in the bride & groom's lives! Such a fun & tasty experience for your guests!" she wrote in an onscreen text overlay.

She added in the caption: "So many fun flavors & such a sweet experience for the guests! The ladies that made the cakes were all SO excited to see them on display too!"

From "sunshine cake," a pineapple infused cake with mandarin oranges, to blueberry lemon cake with cream cheese frosting, the cakes came in a variety of flavors, shapes and colors.

There were several variations of chocolate cake, including plain chocolate, coffee chocolate mascarpone, and chocolate mocha. Other flavors were: red velvet, strawberry, lemon, lavender carrot, white chocolate raspberry, raspberry almond coconut, peanut butter and angel food cake. Two women even brought cheesecakes, with one being colored mint green.

The bride explained on Instagram that she and the groom gave their loved ones free rein when it came to choosing what kind of cake to make.

"We decided to ask important women in our life to contribute by making any flavor cake they wanted, we ended up with such a sweet and diverse selection!" Camille wrote.

Abby Szydlik Photography Wedding cakes at the Riffells' reception

Everyone appeared to thoroughly enjoy the diverse selection, as there was barely any cake left by the end of the night.

Camille and Nathan also had a small, two-tiered traditional wedding cake with a topper that read "The Riffells" in cursive.

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.

TikTok users loved the meaningful multiple wedding cake idea. Szydlik's post garnered more than 600,000 views and nearly 57,000 likes.

"This is the kind of idea that makes a wedding feel like a family story," gifting company Blaze & Willow commented. "Not just dessert  but a memory from every kitchen that helped shape the couple. Beautiful and deeply personal."

"Saving this for my wedding!!(i'm very single)," the official Betty Crocker account joked.



After their wedding, the Riffells traveled to France and Spain for their honeymoon.

Read the original article on People




NEED TO KNOW

The cause of death for paddleboarder Sunshine Stewart, 48, has been revealed by police after she was found dead during a search of Crawford Pond in Union, Maine on July 3

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta has confirmed the victim died of strangulation and blunt force trauma, per a police release

Officers also stated that a 17-year-old male had been arrested in connection with the killing





A teenager has been arrested after a woman was murdered after going paddleboarding in Maine, police have said, while also confirming the victim's cause of death.

The body of 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor "was located during a search of Crawford Pond in Union on Thursday, July 3, 2025," Maine State Police said in an investigation update posted on Facebook on Thursday, July 17, which confirmed an arrest had been made the day prior.

Sunny Sun/Facebook Sunshine Stewart

"On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at approximately 10:30 p.m. [local time], Maine State Police arrested a 17-year-old male from Maine, in connection with the homicide investigation in Union," police said in the post.

"The juvenile was taken into custody without incident in Union," it added. "He was transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland."

Sunny Sun/Facebook Sunshine Stewart

"The arrest is the result of relentless investigative work by Detectives and Investigators with the Maine State Police," police continued, and added that "this remains an active and ongoing investigation."

Authorities added in the release that the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta had confirmed the victim's "cause of death as strangulation and blunt force trauma."

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty A photo of Crawford Pond in Maine

A July 7 police release stated that Stewart had been paddleboarding on Crawford Pond in Union before her death.

Known as Sunny among loved ones, she ventured out onto the water the previous day on her own and never returned, the Midcoast Villager reported, citing police accounts.

Her body was found under unusual circumstances, ABC News previously reported, citing officials familiar with the investigation.

Stewart lived approximately 21 miles from the pond, per the Associated Press.

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty Mic Mac Cove Campground was used by police to access Crawford Pond in Maine

Following her death, a GoFundMe was set up to assist friends and family to send [the victim] off the right way.

"Weve unexpectedly lost the light in our lives that was Sunny," a message on the page read.

Alamy A photo of a Maine State Police vehicle

In a tribute on Facebook, her friend Rob Wood previously wrote that Stewart was one of the strongest people we'll ever meet.

She would greet obstacles with a polite smile and then completely destroy them, he wrote, adding: She reminded us that we are alive.

Stewart's sister, Kim Ware, said her sibling was a marine biologist and the "world's best bartender, lobsterman and boat captain, as well as being the "strongest person" she knew who would "give you the shirt off her back," per ABC News.

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Maine State Police didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.

The GoFundMe set up to raise money to "celebrate Sunny's life" had raised over $33,000 as of Friday, July 18.

Read the original article on People
By Sheila Dang

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Chevron closed its $55 billion acquisition of Hess on Friday after winning a landmark legal battle against larger rival Exxon Mobil to gain access to the largest oil discovery in decades.

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth's strategy to turn around his company's lagging performance hinged on the acquisition, one of the largest energy deals in the past decade. The prize is a stake in the prolific Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana that holds more than 11 billion barrels of oil and is one of the fastest growing oil provinces in the world.

"This merger of two great American companies brings together the best in the industry," Wirth said in a statement.

Exxon and China's CNOOC, Hess' partners in Guyana, had filed arbitration disputes that claimed they held a pre-emptive right to purchase Hess' stake, which delayed Chevron's closure of the Hess acquisition for over a year.

"We disagree with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) panel's interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process," Exxon said in a statement.

"Given the significant value we've created in the development of the Guyana resource, we believed we had a clear duty to our investors to consider our preemption rights to protect the value we created through our innovation and hard work at a time when no one knew just how successful this venture would become," the company added.

CNOOC said it was also disappointed with the ruling.

There is no appeals process at the International Chamber of Commerce, the court that oversaw the arbitration case.

Even as it awaited the arbitration verdict, Chevron was making preparations so it could close the deal with Hess quickly, Reuters previously reported.

Information technology workers from Chevron and Hess have met regularly to plan the integration, and Hess employees were informed that they could request a severance package following the deal's close.

In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Wirth said converting technology and combining employees from both companies would take a few months.

Shares of Chevron and Exxon were marginally lower in morning trading.

OILFIELD RICHES

The claims from Exxon and CNOOC had kicked off a lengthy legal battle that captured the attention of the global oil industry, shareholders, and attorneys who craft joint operating agreements that govern oil partnerships around the world.

The case illustrates the value of the Stabroek Block, which drove profits for the Exxon-led consortium that controls all of its oil output, transformed Guyana into one of the world's fastest-growing economies and still has potential for further oil discoveries.

The dispute centered on the interpretation of just several words in the confidential joint operating agreement between Exxon, Hess and CNOOC, experts have told Reuters.

"It didn't have to happen this way," Wirth told Reuters. "We were engaged in good faith conversations, actually for months, which ended abruptly when we were notified that they (Exxon) were going to file for arbitration."

"The outcome is simple and straightforward, as we expected from the beginning."

CNBC, which first reported the news of Chevron's win, cited an interview with Exxon CEO Darren Woods, who said the company was examining the ruling to determine whether to make provisions in contracts to ensure they prevail in future disputes.

CNBC also reported Woods said that Exxon's relationship with Chevron in other projects around the world was fine throughout the arbitration proceedings.

"This was never a Chevron thing. This was more about getting the contracts enforced the way they were intended," Woods told CNBC.

Hess' earnings from Guyana rose to $3.1 billion last year from $1.9 billion in 2023.

Chevron's adjusted earnings last year totaled $18.3 billion, down from $24.7 billion in 2023.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Houston and Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Louise Heavens and Elaine Hardcastle)
By Che Pan and Casey Hall

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Thursday that he hoped multinational companies, including Nvidia, would provide high-quality and reliable products and services to Chinese customers, the ministry said in a statement.

Huang said the Chinese market was very attractive, and Nvidia was willing to deepen cooperation with Chinese partners in the field of artificial intelligence, according to the commerce ministry's statement released on Friday.

Wang said China's policy of attracting foreign investment would not change and the door to openness would only open wider.

Nvidia declined to comment further.

During his third China visit this year, Huang, the founder and CEO of the world's most valuable company, also met with Ren Hongbin, chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the country's Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Chinese officials told Huang they welcomed foreign companies to continue to invest in the country, the Nvidia CEO said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

At the event, Huang described AI models from Chinese firms Deepseek, Alibaba and Tencent as "world class" and said AI was "revolutionising" supply chains.

China's commerce ministry said in a separate statement on Friday that the U.S. had told Beijing that it would approve sales of Nvidia's H20 AI chips to Chinese customers.

Huang said on Wednesday that Chinese customers' demand for the H20, which was released from U.S. export controls this week, is high but no purchase orders have been fulfilled yet as it awaits U.S. government approval for export licences.

Nvidia has also announced it is developing a new chip for Chinese clients called the RTX Pro GPU, which would be compliant with U.S. export restrictions and designed specifically for smart factories and for robot training purposes.

(Reporting by Che Pan and Casey Hall; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Jamie Freed)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomes foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Tuesday. - Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Anadolu/Getty Images

Weeks after his country was battered by waves of Israeli strikes and the US bombed three of its prized nuclear facilities, Irans foreign minister came to a gathering of regional diplomats in China this week with a simple ask.

Their group, the Beijing and Moscow-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organization, should have a way to coordinate response to military aggression and play a central role in addressing such threats, Abbas Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media.

Along with Iran, fellow SCO members China and Russia are key members of what lawmakers in Washington have dubbed an axis of authoritarian nations or a growing anti-American alignment of Iran, North Korea, China and Russia.

But Irans proposal didnt seem to get the direct endorsement of the group, a regional security body whose 10 members include close partners China and Russia, but also rivals India and Pakistan.

And contained in Araghchis message was a public hint of Irans disappointment: that in its time of need last month  when Israeli and US forces struck at will at top military and technological targets  its powerful friends in Beijing and Moscow appeared to sit on the sidelines.

Even still, in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Chinas Tianjin on Wednesday, Araghchi thanked China for its valuable support to Iran, according to a Chinese readout.

Earlier this month at a summit of BRICS, another China- and Russia-backed grouping of major emerging economies, member state Iran got little more than a statement of serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities.

The declaration condemned the strikes but did not name Israel or the US.

Chinas public response  to explicitly condemn the attacks, but not take an evident direct role in peacemaking  however, was widely seen as a sign of the limits to its power in the Middle East, despite its bid in recent years to ramp up its economic and diplomat clout in the region.

Beijing has instead focused on using the conflict to play up another message: that China does not want to be a global leader that uses power in the same way as the US.

Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi mets Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting on July 15 in Tianjin, China. - Russian Ministry of Foreign Affair/Anadolu/Getty Images

Chinas security vision

The propaganda machine of Chinas ruling Communist Party has long decried Americas hegemony and its wanton use of force as its rolls out examples of US involvement in multiple conflicts of recent decades.

Frictions with Washington over trade and tech make selling that messaging more important for Beijing, as it needs friends now more than ever. And it sees US President Donald Trumps brash America First foreign policy as creating an opening there.

Over the past decade, Chinese aggression to enforce its disputed claims in the South China Sea, its military intimidation of Taiwan, and the growing reach of its expanded navy, whose aircraft carrier strike groups recently conducted drills further from home shores and in greater strength than ever before, have raised alarm among its neighbors  and fueled Washingtons urgent warnings to its allies against dealing too closely with China.

Beijing has cried hypocrisy and, in 2022, Chinese leader Xi Jinping unveiled his own vision for global security architecture  short on detail, but clear that it opposed the US-led alliance system and military intervention.

That vision has brought together Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose shared mistrust for NATO  and view that its a provocative actor  is a key point of alignment, and a subtext for why Beijing has never condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Experts say Chinas apparent lack of a role even in mediating the conflict between Israel and Iran, a country with which Beijing has deep historic and economic ties, shows the limits of its influence in the region.

But they also say Beijing has little interest in wading into the regions security as a power player.

In terms of providing mediation, (China) has offered and is more than willing  but it has little capacity to project military power in the Middle East, and even less political will to be openly and directly involved, said William Figueroa, an expert of China-Iran relations and an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Unlike the US, which maintains substantial military assets to back its allies and interests in the region, Chinas on the ground military presence is limited to a naval base in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Indeed, Beijings only military alliance is a historic one with neighboring and fellow one-party communist state North Korea.

Beijing also shied away from joining international efforts last winter to protect key shipping lanes under attack from Houthi rebels in Yemen following Israels war on Gaza.

The attacks put Chinas commercial interests at risk even though the Houthis said they wont target Chinese or Russian vessels. And when it comes to efforts to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, China has again been on the sidelines, despite positioning itself as leading international voice calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Israels war.

Some experts have argued that if China had more global military might then it may throw around that weight more outside its own region.

But in the Israel-Iran conflict, Beijings focus was instead on presenting its support for international law as a superior alternative to what it portrays as the Wests militaristic, unlawful interventions, according to Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

While this narrative has limited traction among Middle Eastern states, it plays well in the Global Southwhere it serves to burnish Chinas image and reinforce its strategic competition with Washington at the global level, Zhao added.

Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh (second from left) joins SCO counterparts in a meeting in China's Qingdao a day after the Israel-Iran ceasefire last month. - Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images

Fair weather friends?

Even if Beijings reaction was not surprising to Tehran, going to China and acting like everythings great may have a been a bitter pill to swallow for Araghchi and Irans Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh as both traveled to China in recent weeks, according to Jonathan Fulton, a senior fellow for the Atlantic Councils Middle East Programs.

Beijing and Tehran have no mutual defense treaty, and the relationship has largely been an economic one. China takes more than 90% of Irans oil trade, imported through intermediaries, which totaled some $40 billion in profits for Iran last year, according to Muyu Xu, a senior oil analyst at trade intelligence firm Kpler.

Even when it comes to Chinas closest international partner, Russia, Beijing has tread carefully: stopping short of large-scale supply of military goods for Moscows war in Ukraine, instead buying up Russian fuel and supplying it with dual-use goods that can power its defense industrial base.

That support, and more direct military backing from Iran and North Korea for Russias war, has raised alarm in the West about emerging coordination among members into a so-called anti-American axis.

But the latest stress-test of the axis appeared to show its weaknesses: as Israeli and US bombs rained down on Iran, Russia and China looked more focused on their own interests and rhetoric, analysts say, rather than backing Iran materially or using their weight to push Israel or the US to stop the fighting. Xi and Putin did, however, use the conflict to stress their own united front.

That said, when it comes to ties with Iran, the real test is likely whats next.

This is a good example (that) there are limitations to what Chinas going to do in terms of direct intervention in a military conflict, Brian Hart, a fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, said during a recent talk held by the Washington-based center. But its too soon to count Chinas support for Iran out.

Chinas model for Russia of largely walking right up to that line of not providing overt military support, could become a dynamic that develops here, Hart said, as Beijing looks to help the regime in Tehran say in power. Dual-use Chinese-made chemicals needed to produce missile fuel were delivered to Iran earlier this year, CNN reporting shows.

Even still, Beijing may be looking more skeptically at Iran as a powerful partner in the region in light of the countrys inability to project power to defend its airspace against Israel last month, according to Atlantic Councils Fulton.

And when it comes to how the latest events may impact any coordination between the so-called axis countries, the fundamentals have not changed, he said.

Far from being an alliance or a bloc like those in the West, China, Iran, Russia and North Korea have an alignment of grievances against the West, but very different ideas of how to reshape global rules to address that, Fulton said.

And for Beijing, what it needs in the Middle East is economically motivated  it needs a stable region, and Iran doesnt really support that. Iran causes as many problems as it solves for Beijing.

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Kaylee gonclaves/facebook Steve and Kaylee Goncalves





NEED TO KNOW

During a July 18 appearance on the Today show, Kaylee Goncalves' parents revealed the coroner told them their daughter suffered multiple stab wounds, asphyxial injuries, and defense wounds during the November 2022 attack in Moscow, Idaho

The Goncalves family has expressed disappointment that the case didnt go to trial as planned, saying they were blindsided by Bryan Kohbergers plea deal that was reached in June

Kohberger, who has not shared a motive, is expected to be sentenced to life in prison on July 23





Weeks after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves parents are sharing what the coroner detailed to them about how their daughter died.

While appearing on the Today show in a segment that aired on Friday, July 18, Steve and Kristi Goncalves said the coroner gave the parents a breakdown of the wounds 21-year-old Kaylee had when she was brutally stabbed to death along with three other college friends in their Moscow, Idaho, home in November 2022.

She had definitely been stabbed multiple times and they kind of described it as a drowning that can occur," Steve says. "But she did say gagging; [Kohberger] struck her in the face.

Kristi adds that Kaylee had a broken nose, septal hematomas, asphyxial injuries and defense wounds on her arms. " She [was] stabbed many, many times. But how many, we dont know," the mother says.

Steve feels the family needs that question answered saying, "That should be part of the victims impact statement."

"We shouldnt be robbed of that," he shares. "We should know all those details and we dont want to say something that isnt accurate. Weve heard the amount of times she had been stabbed but we dont know from the actual fact finders."

The interview comes weeks after Kohberger entered a guilty plea in the murders of Kaylee, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Courtesy of Chapin Family; Maddie Mogen/Instagram; Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram; Xana Kernodle/Instagram Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle

Kaylee's parents have expressed disappointment that the case didn't go to trial this summer as planned.

We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us, Steve Goncalves and his family wrote on Facebook Monday, June 30. They wrote that they met with prosecutors days earlier about "the possibility of a plea deal and it was a hard no from our family.

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"We were not prepared for this  we had no idea that this was going to happen," Steve told ABC News at the time.

Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Bryan Kohberger appears for a hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

The Goncalves family and Jeff Kernodle, Xana's father, have both said that they wanted the case to go to trial. However, Ben Mogen and Stacy and Jim Chapin have all publicly stated that they approve of the plea deal.

As part of Kohberger's deal, prosecutors will allow him to avoid the death penalty. He is expected to be sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison on July 23. While he confessed to the murders, he did not share a motive.



Read the original article on People
Felix Baumgartner, the daredevil who made a record-breaking parachute jump from the stratosphere in 2012, died Thursday in a paragliding accident in Italy, a local mayor confirmed. Firefighters who responded to the scene said they found a paraglider that had crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio, on central Italy's eastern coast.

"Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight," the town's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said on Facebook. Ciarpella told The Associated Press that the extreme athlete had been in the area on vacation.

Witnesses told The Associated Press they heard a loud boom as the paraglider spun out of control. Mirella Ivanov, 30, told AP she was in the area with her two young children when they saw the paraglider lose control.

"Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top," Ivanov said Friday. "It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks."

Baumgartner, 56, made global headlines in 2012 when he was lifted into the stratosphere, about 24 miles up, in a capsule carried by a helium balloon, and then parachuted down to a landing in New Mexico. During the jump, he broke the record for fastest free fall, descending at about 843.6 mph and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle.

Felix Baumgartner poses for a photo in Moscow on Nov. 9, 2012, a month after breaking a record for the highest free-fall. / Credit: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Originally from Austria, Baumgartner began skydiving at age 16 and further honed his skills in the Austrian military, according to his personal website. In 1988, he teamed up with Red Bull, which sponsored the stratosphere jump under the Stratos project and many other daring feats.

The training and planning for the 2012 Stratos jump took five years. Among the records Baumgartner would break that day was highest jump, which had been held by Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger since 1960, when he leapt from an open-air gondola basket that rose to 102,000 feet. Kittinger would go on to train Baumgartner for the record-breaking Stratos jump. (Baumgartner's height record was broken two years later.)

In addition to skydiving, Baumgartner was an accomplished BASE jumper, breaking two records in 1999: highest BASE jump and lowest BASE jump. The low jump, which he took from one of the hands of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, was only 95 feet. The high jump was taken from the 88th floor of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, although that record has since been broken and is currently held by the late Valery Rozov, who jumped from Cho Oyu in 2016.

Baumgartner was also a helicopter pilot and was part of Red Bull's aerial acrobatics team.

Felix Baumgartner is pictured in flight with a carbon fibre wing on July 31, 2003. / Credit: Helmut Tucek via Getty Images

"Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to jump out of a plane," Baumgartner told Red Bull in an interview after becoming a licensed helicopter pilot.

"For Red Bull Stratos, we had a very long list of 'what ifs,' in other words eventualities that could happen and how we would deal with them in an emergency. The list kept getting longer and longer. I was only afraid of the things that were not on the list. The things we had not thought of," he told Red Bull, adding: "To this day, I abort missions if the conditions are not right."

While Baumgartner's stunts inspired millions, his political views were known to cause controversy. On social media, he mocked climate activists and others who sought to limit the effects of climate change, and voiced opposition to LGBTQ rights, according to the AFP news agency. He also once suggested Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his anti-immigration policies.

Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue

Medical expert on Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis

Americans on whether the U.S. should return to the moon, travel to Mars
Trump on the South Lawn on Tuesday. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Amid the fallout over his handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, President Trump is now saying that he has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury testimony in the late accused sex traffickers criminal case.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

Its unclear whether a judge would approve such a request or if the release of that material would appease Trump supporters demanding to see all of the files the government has on Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody awaiting trial.

The post came less than an hour after Trump vowed to sue the Wall Street Journal over a report that he sent Epstein a racy birthday letter in 2003.

In a separate Truth Social post, the president said that he personally warned the newspapers owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its editor, Emma Tucker, that the letter was FAKE before the report was published and called the story false, malicious, and defamatory.

What did the WSJ report say?

Donald and Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 12, 2000. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) (Davidoff Studios Photography via Getty Images)

According to the Journal, Trump's letter, along with dozens of others, was part of a leather-bound book put together by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell for the disgraced financiers 50th birthday.

Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, Trumps letter concluded in a typewritten message to Epstein, per the Journal.

The text was framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with heavy marker, the report stated. A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.

The president responded in another Truth Social post after the Journals story was published.

"These are not my words, not the way I talk, Trump wrote. Also, I dont draw pictures."

How did we get here?

Trump gestures during a rally in Freeland, Mich., in 2024. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images) (Nic Antaya via Getty Images)

Epstein has long been the focus of unfounded conspiracy theories, pushed by some of Trumps prominent supporters, which claim the late financier was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret client list.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein. And when Trump took office earlier this year, he directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of the evidence collected on Epstein.

Appearing on Fox News in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was sitting on my desk right now to review.

Thats been a directive by President Trump, she added.

But last week, the DOJ and FBI released a two-page joint memo, concluding Epstein committed suicide in his cell and had no client list.

What was the reaction to the memo?

Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on July 8. (Evan Vucci/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The memo angered some high-profile MAGA loyalists  including Tucker Carlson, former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and far-right provocateur Laura Loomer  and led to a reported rift between Bondi and high-ranking FBI officials.

Last weekend, Trump released a lengthy statement expressing his frustration over the Epstein saga.

Were on one Team, MAGA, and I dont like whats happening, Trump wrote on Truth Social. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and selfish people are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, its Epstein, over and over again.

One year ago our Country was DEAD, now its the HOTTEST Country anywhere in the World, he added. Lets keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.

Then on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his supporters while repeatedly referring to the case as the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.

My PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker, the president fumed in a Truth Social post. All these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.

What has Trump said about his relationship with Epstein?

Jeffrey Epstein on March 28, 2017. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Journal report also put a spotlight on the presidents past relationship with Epstein.

I've known Jeff for 15 years, Trump told New York Magazine for a 2002 profile of Epstein. Terrific guy. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.

In 2019, after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, the president distanced himself, saying he was not a fan.

Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him, Trump told reporters following Epsteins arrest. I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I dont think Ive spoken to him for 15 years. I wasnt a fan."
Jeffrey Epstein in 2004. (Rick Friedman / Corbis via Getty Images file)

They feel, as one of Jeffrey Epsteins victims put it, like theyre being erased.

While a civil war rages in MAGA world over President Donald Trumps decision to disavow conspiracies that his most ardent supporters stoked about Epstein being part of a deep state sex trafficking cabal, the women who were victimized by the billionaire say their suffering is being sidelined by raw politics.

Four Epstein victims who spoke with NBC News say the Trump administration should be exposing any powerful men who shared Epsteins penchant for vulnerable young women, not putting the brakes on any future prosecutions.

You never really heal, said Danielle Bensky, 38, who was a budding ballerina when she said Epstein abused her two decades ago. And with whats happening now, it feels like were being erased. All the brave women who came forward  all the work that we did to tell the world what happened to us, its all being erased.

The victims spoke with NBC News recently as Trump tried to mollify supporters angered by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondis announcement that the client list she claimed to have on her desk did not exist, and that Epsteins death in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges was a jailhouse suicide and not a murder to silence him, as many believe.

Faced with what critics and allies are calling a severe threat to his presidency, Trump has alternately dismissed the furor as a hoax ginned-up by Democrats and ordered Bondi to release pertinent grand jury transcripts and other documents that could shed more light on the scandal.

On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump wrote a bawdy birthday letter for Epstein more than two decades ago. NBC News has not seen the original letter, and Trump has called it a fake thing.

Bensky said her heart sank earlier this month when Bondi, who had amplified Trumps campaign promises to demolish the deep state, released a two-page memo stating there was no evidence of an incriminating client list of men who had sex with young women procured by the financier and that her office would not prosecute anyone else in the case.

Danielle Bensky. (Courtesy Danielle Bensky)

I felt a wave of sadness, Bensky said. All those years of trying to gain justice just negated. It was just two pages saying they were done investigating with no details about what happened to all of us. Its like we never existed.

For other victims, Epsteins reappearance in the news is like tearing the scab from a wound.

The reality is, trauma is never a one and done, Epstein victim Teresa J. Helm said by email to NBC News. Its complex. It can take a lifetime to repair oneself. Various things can initiate a trauma response, and thats just daily life.

Helm, who said she was hired to give Epstein massages and was sexually assaulted by him in the early 2000s, now works with sexual assault victims for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. She said whatever hope she had for getting a measure of justice is now gone.

When a persons abuser(s) are repeatedly flashed in view at any given moment, and especially when promises of justice, and promises of structures of power finally being held to account  to then essentially have the door shut in your face and no longer open for business  then what? Helm wrote in her email.

Teresa Helm arrives at court during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell in New York in 2021. (Carlo Allegri / Reuters)

Attorney David Boies represented one of Epsteins best-known accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed in a 2016 deposition that Epstein and his now-imprisoned accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with several powerful men, including Prince Andrew.

The British royal acknowledged associating with Epstein and agreed to a settlement with Giuffre but denied the allegations.

Maxwell has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to vacate her 2021 conviction for recruiting and grooming teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.

Boies said Trump, Bondi and others in the administration have only themselves to blame for reviving the Epstein saga.

Its coming up now because the administration made such a big deal that they were going to release a list of clients and, all of a sudden, they did a 180-turn saying we will not release anything, Boies said. If they never said anything there would have been only middling interest and conspiracy thinking. Its the inconsistencies that fueled things.

Boies said that as far as he knows there was no document in the raft of evidence he reviewed that was labelled a client list.

I think they ought to release the material after promising, and if they dont, people will believe they are hiding something and that cannot be tolerated, he said.

Alicia Arden was a 27-year-old model and aspiring actress when Epstein assaulted her in 1997 at a hotel in Santa Monica, California, she said.

I get upset when I hear his name, Arden said of Epstein.

Arden said Epstein had identified himself as a talent scout for Victorias Secret and she wanted to meet him. Epstein was a top adviser to former Victorias Secret CEO Les Wexner but was not a talent scout for the retailer.

Alicia Arden delivers a statement at the Allred, Maroko & Goldberg law offices in Los Angeles in 2020. (Chris Pizzello / AP)

I really wanted to be in the Victorias Secret catalog, said Arden. But then he grabbed me, tried to tear off my clothes, and said he wanted to manhandle me. I ran out of there and he chased after me.

Arden, who filed a police report after the encounter with Epstein, said she supports Trump but believes theres a cover-up of some kind going on.

Pam Bondi was saying back in February there was a list and then she said the list was on her desk and now there is no list, said Arden, who lives in Santa Monica. She doesnt want something to come out and I dont understand why. Maybe the list is more horrifying than we think.

Another victim, who has spoken publicly about how Maxwell recruited her to give Epstein erotic massages, told NBC News she was terrified when Bondi announced there was no client list and that she would not prosecute anyone else.

In the past, I was out there talking about what happened, and now I dont want my name out there in connection with anything to do with Epstein because Im afraid of what they could do to me and my family, said the woman, who agreed to speak to NBC News on the condition her name not be used because she fears retribution from the Trump administration.

I am not surprised Trump is now saying we should stop talking about Epstein, she said. These people are trying to protect themselves.

Bensky said that whats happening now is like Ground Hog Day for the #MeToo Movement and threatens the strides all victims have made in confronting their abusers.

We need transparency and accountability for the sake of our daughters and future generations of young girls, she said.

Now a choreographer who works with teenage dance troupes, Bensky said she has for many years found solace by using some of the same tools I use in my choreography to get into a meditative state.

Of late, Ive been working with a group of young dancers in Hawaii and I sometimes think about how there are so many girls out there being victimized, Bensky said. I find myself thinking, how do I tell my students that the world isnt always dark and painful? Because I sat in sadness for a long time.
A 38-year-old father was arrested by immigration officials outside his child's preschool in Oregon on Tuesday, officials said.

Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a citizen of Iran, was arrested for overstaying his visa, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told CBS News on Friday.

The spokesperson said ICE officials attempted to arrest Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop when he requested permission to drop his child off at daycare. The agency allowed him to the school's parking lot, where he "resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle."

ICE officials broke one of the windows of the vehicle to "complete the arrest," the spokesperson said, adding that Khanbabazadeh's child was unharmed.

"It was just chaos," Randy Kornfield, who was dropping off his grandson at Guidepost Montessori School in South Beaverton, Oregon, at the time of the arrest, told CBS affiliate KOIN. "There were a lot of parents who were upset. And rightly so. It's just not something that needs to happen at a preschool, or at any school, for that matter."

Caroline Medeiros, an immigration lawyer who said she offered her advice and guidance to the school and family, told local media that seven unmarked cars pulled into the school's parking lot to make the arrest. She said that Khanbabazadeh was dragged out of the car while his wife was asking where they were taking him.

Medeiros has a daughter who attends the school and was playing outside when the arrest happened, she told CBS News via email on Friday.

"Thankfully, the kids didn't see anything, but it was definitely a dangerous and traumatic situation, as there were several armed, masked officers in the parking lot within feet of where they were playing," she said via email.

Medeiros told CBS News that the claim that Khanbabazadeh overstayed his visa or was out of legal status was "completely false." She said he first came to the U.S. on a student visa, graduated in March 2021, and transitioned to OPT, or optional practical training, a benefit for F-1 visa holders after graduation. He married a U.S. citizen in June and filed for his green card and had an interview four months ago, Medeiros said. She added that Khanbabazadeh was waiting a final decision when the arrest happened.

Medeiros told local media that Khanbabazadeh was being held at an ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington.

CBS News has reached out to Khanbabazadeh's lawyer for comment.

Maris Mendes, CEO of Guidepost Global Education, told CBS News in a statement that the events at the South Beaverton school were "deeply upsetting to our entire community."

"As educators and caregivers, we are grounded in the belief that children deserve to feel safe, supported and protected  especially in the places they come to learn and grow," the statement said in part. "While we are still working to understand the full scope of what happened, we are approaching this moment with care and urgency. We're supporting the family directly affected, standing behind our staff, and looking closely at how we can safeguard the emotional and physical security of every child in our schools."

The arrest is among thousands of detentions by immigration officials since President Trump came into office. He promised to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. His administration quickly reversed limits on ICE operations put in place by previous administrations and moved to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

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July 18, 2025: A frequent target of Ukrainian attacks are bridges vital to the Russian movement of troops and supplies. The Soviet Union, which both Russia and Ukraine belonged to from the 1920s to 1991, was heavily dependent on railroads. Those rail lines depended on many bridges and tunnels to remain operational. Naturally, Ukraine has been attacking Russian railroad operations deep inside Russia as well as near the Ukrainian border.

Russias railroads are under tremendous pressure because of the Ukraine War, sanctions and less money for maintaining railroads or anything else. One side effect is China using more reliable Central Asian railroads and sea routes rather than the collapsing Russian rail system. Speeds of Russian rail traffic have fallen to about 30 kilometers an hour compared to 48 for European rail traffic.

The Russia railways are state owned and run and are suffering an increasingly desperate labor shortage. Many younger railway employees are quitting to make a lot more money in the military. A growing number of older employees are retiring, although Russia has been able to get some retired employees to return to work by offering cash bonuses and high monthly salaries, in addition to the pensions the retirees receive.

Since last year there have been growing fears of a collapse of the Russian rail network. A symptom of this is the five percent decline in cargo carried last year. People in remote areas who depend on rail for supplies are going hungry because rail shipments arrive late or not at all. Another hunger is felt by Chinese firms that no longer have reliable trade routes with Russia are turning to Central Asian railroads and seagoing routes.

Then there are the problems related to sabotage and the Ukraine War. Late last year a Russian freight train derailed in Belgorod province, near the Ukraine border. This sent the locomotive and ten empty railcars off the tracks. It took over a week to remove the locomotive and rolling stock. Then the damaged rails had to be replaced. During that time the rail line was blocked. More recently there were two incidents involving the collapse of a Russian railway bridge in the Russian Kursk province on the Ukrainian border. This happened while a freight train was using the bridge and the train fell onto road traffic below, where some of the rail cars carrying fuel caught fire.

Four months earlier a train containing several fuel tanker cars was derailed near Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad. This is east of Ukraine. The derailment caused a large fire as most of the fuel burned. The government said it was sabotage.

Since 2022 Russia has suffered a growing number of attacks, accidents or whatever incidents involving defense activities inside Russia. The government says recent railroad accidents include derailments and damage to signaling and communications equipment. The Russian railroads are state-owned and operated, and move over 40 percent of Russias freight, often through areas where there is no other form of freight transportation. Ukrainian sabotage teams have also caused fires or explosions in factories producing munitions or components for complex weapons like guided missiles. The Russian government prefers to avoid discussion of Ukrainian special operations forces being responsible for sabotage inside Russia.

Railroads are particularly sensitive because Russia has a poorly developed highway system plus few east-west rivers and canals, so its economy mostly depends on 85,000 kilometers of railroad tracks and thousands of rail cars moved by thousands of electric and diesel engines operated by over 700,000 railroad employees. These employees are government workers because railways in Russia are state-owned and operated. In addition to the track and hundreds of passenger and cargo stations, there are also 138 railroad tunnels and 30,727 bridges, each of them a vulnerable choke point of destruction or damage. There are also 0ver 160,000 remotely operated switches to keep traffic moving and avoid collisions.

Ukrainian sabotage teams in Russian territory disrupt railroad movement by damaging key elements of the railroad signals and communications systems. This makes the railroads less reliable and often leads to accidents that derail supply trains and block further use of that line until the wreckage is removed and the rails are repaired. Ukraine has even been able to get operatives deep inside Russia to damage the Trans-Siberian Railroad, which is currently used to move weapons and munitions and North Korean soldiers from North Korea to Ukraine.

Ukraine continues to concentrate on Russian logistics, using long range missiles and GPS guided aircraft bombs to destroy Russian supplies that have been stockpiled for troops to use. Russia responded by moving the stockpiled supplies farther from the front lines and, when possible, storing them in underground bunkers. Such bunkers are great in theory, but in practice there are not many of these bunkers and supply stockpiles often end up out in the open, on pallets and covered by tarps.

The only direct rail connection from North Korea to the Russian railroad network was made possible by the completion in 2013 of a 54-kilometer rail line from Russia to the North Korea railroad system. The new rail link was built through some very rough terrain and required 18 bridges and 4.5 kilometers of tunnels to be built or rebuilt. Now it only takes 14 days to get cargo to western Russia and Europe by rail. It takes twice as long via Chinese rail links or 45 days by ship. In the past decade North Korea and Russia have both acquired more sanctions and restrictions on who they can trade with. Currently that mainly consists of pariah state Russia trading with pariah state North Korea. The common rail link makes a big difference. Before that the overland trade required trucks to be used over roads that were not in the best shape because of the difficulty in maintaining them and shortages of cash to pay for upgrades or maintenance. Russia has increased security along the rail link with North Korea in anticipation of Ukrainian attempts to carry out sabotage operations there.
Police are breaking their silence in the University of Idaho murder case hours after Judge Steven Hippler lifted the nondissemination order, revealing information about the status of the investigation and interactions with admitted killer Bryan Kohberger.

The order, also known as a gag order, banned police and prosecutors from speaking about the high-profile case that gripped the nation.

"Weve been focused on the victims and bringing justice for the victims," Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger told ABC News. "That was our focus ... that was our mission ... so that mission was accomplished."

Idaho Statesman/TNS via Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: Four University of Idaho students were killed at an off-campus house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.

MORE: New book on University of Idaho murders sheds light on Bryan Kohberger's potential motive

Asked if police were able to find a clear motive, Dahlinger said he could not answer.

All documents in the case that have been sealed will remain sealed for now. Moscow police said they are preparing to release a large amount of information later on.

"We're committed to being transparent when we can be," Dahlinger said.

Looking ahead to Kohberger's sentencing next week, Dahlinger said, "Our hope is that not only the families, but the friends, even the Moscow community and all the communities that were affected by this, can start to heal and bring some sort of closure to this horrendous act."

Kyle Green, Pool via Reuters - PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger, charged in the murders of four University of Idaho students, appears at the Ada County Courthouse, in Boise, Idaho, July 2, 2025.

MORE: Idaho college murders: As Kohberger admits to the brutal crime, here's the full timeline of events

Hippler's decision to end the gag order on Thursday came six days before Kohberger's sentencing. Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to all counts at a July 2 change of plea hearing, will return to court for his sentencing on July 23. As a part of the plea deal, Kohberger will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count.

At the July 2 hearing, Hippler asked Kohberger how he pleaded for each count of murder and named the four students: roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. Kohberger quickly said "guilty" each time.

The college students were all stabbed to death at the girls' off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested nearly seven weeks later.

MORE: Idaho college victim's siblings remember arriving at crime scene: 'Not on this earth anymore'

Gary Jenkins, the former Pullman, Washington, police chief and current Washington State University police chief, also opened up to ABC News, shedding light on his own interaction with Kohberger, who was a criminology Ph.D. student at WSU at the time of the murders.

Kohberger was one of four students Jenkins interviewed over Zoom for an intern position in April 2022, but the chief didn't select him.

"This particular position, it requires someone who can develop trust and rapport with my staff, and these are police officers," Jenkins said. "In talking with [Kohberger], he didn't have a real conversational manner about him. He didn't come across as particularly personable, and I just didn't think he would be able to develop that trust and rapport."

Months later, on Dec. 20, 2022, Jenkins said he got "chills" when Kohberger's name was brought up in the quadruple homicide investigation.

"The hair on the back of my neck stood up," Jenkins said.

MORE: Idaho college victims' friends recall moment they responded to home: 'You know something's wrong'

"His name definitely rang a bell with me. And I told them that I had interviewed Bryan Kohberger. ... I had his resume and cover letter for the intern position," he said.

Jenkins also said he has knowledge of issues with Kohberger's demeanor and relationships with classmates and professors.

"There were a couple criminal justice professors who oversee that Ph.D. program who felt just like they were responsible because they made the decision to admit him to WSU," Jenkins said. "I'm a law enforcement professional. I interviewed him, and I couldn't tell you what was to come, and I don't know how they could either. But still, they had a very deep sense of responsibility, feeling like they should have known."

Kohberger's attorneys said they will not speak out until sentencing is finished.
Phillip Faraone/VF25 - Getty Images



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Hailey Bieber is known for glazed donut skindewy, poreless, and blemish-free. But as it turns out, shes just as susceptible to skin issues as the rest of us. This week, while in Europe with husband Justin Bieber to celebrate the release of his new album Swag, the Rhode founder took to her Instagram Story to share a close-up of her skin, saying that she was experiencing a perioral dermatitis flare.

Courtesy Hailey Bieber/Instagram

For the uninitiated, perioral dermatitis is a rash. Think of perioral dermatitis as if acne and eczema had a babytiny red bumps like acne, paired with an itchy, rash-y vibe like eczema, says Mona Gohara, MD, a dermatologist in Connecticut. Despite the name, it doesnt just show up around your mouthit can sneak up around the nose, eyes, or even the chin. In the photo Bieber shared, it looks like her perioral dermatitis is mainly visible on her chin and around her mouth.

It always flares when Im traveling a lot, sleep deprived, hormones, the wrong SPF, new products, stress, she wrote. It makes senseperioral dermatitis is an extremely common skin condition.

According to Gohara, this rash can be brought on by common everyday products.

Its often triggered by too much of a good thing: heavy moisturizers, topical steroids, fluoride toothpaste, essential oils, or overuse of skincare actives like retinoids, she says. Hormonal changes and stress can also stir the pot.

Gohara says that if youre experiencing a perioral dermatitis flare, your new mantra should be less is more. Think gentle cleanser, bland moisturizer, and no steroid creams, she says. Dermatologists may prescribe a topical or oral antibiotic to help calm things down.

Biebers pared-down perioral dermatitis skin care routine is perfect for helping calm irritation. When shes experiencing a bout, she keeps things so minimal. To combat the condition, she forgoes cleanser altogether and instead rinses her face with water, then uses a prescription azelaic acid, hypochlorous acid, clindamycin (an antibiotic), and (naturally) Rhode Glazing Milk. Below, a more detailed look at the two over-the-counter products Bieber uses to help get her skin back to baseline.





SOS Rescue Spray

$28.00 at Sephora





Glazing Milk

$32.00 at Rhode

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Iryna Veklich

Today, the Safer Beauty Bill Package was introduced into Congress in an attempt to reform the cosmetics industry, currently subject to little governmental oversight.

The collection of four bills aims to remove certain chemicals from products, protect vulnerable salon workers, and introduce greater transparency to formulation and ingredient sourcing.

Lawmakers and some dermatologists agree that the legislation is long overdue.

The reality of today's cosmetics industry is that stuff we slather over our skin or lather into our hair isn't subject to much government oversight. While there are some regulations on labeling and ingredients, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnt require that most over-the-counter beauty products be approved before they hit the market. As a result, its up to shoppers to figure out if a product is a healthy choice for them.

But that could change.

Today, a new bill package has been introduced in Congress that asks for sweeping reforms to and industry that, some say, is shrouded in too much mystery. Its called the Safer Beauty Bill Package and, as the name implies, its aimed at making your skin, hair, and makeup products better for you. Heres what you need to know.

Meet the experts: Gary Goldenberg, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine. Jan Schakowsky is a member of United States House of Representatives who represents the 9th district of Illinois. Lizzie Fletcher is a member of the United States House of Representatives who represents the 7th district of Texas. Joshua Zeichner, MD, is the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

What does the bill package say?

The package is made up of four different bills and is spearheaded by four lawmakers: House Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Lizzie Fletcher, Doris Matsui, and Ayanna Pressley. The bills are designed to remove certain chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products, increase transparency about whats in products as well as where they came from, and protect the health of at-risk populations who use these products. The package includes these:

Toxic-Free Beauty Act: This act would ban two classes of chemicals, along with 18 hazardous chemicals like lead, mercury, formaldehyde, asbestos, phthalates, and parabens from cosmetics and personal care products due to their links to cancer, brain damage, and reproductive harm. (Worth noting: Most of these are already banned in the European Union and some U.S. states.)

Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color & Salon Workers: The act highlights the disproportionate exposure to toxic chemicals in cosmetic products that are marketed to salon workers and women of color. The bill would provide $30 million in research, public education, and safer alternatives, as well as direct the FDA to oversee the safety of synthetic hair products that are often used by Black communities.

Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act. This legislation would require the disclosure of hazardous fragrance and flavor ingredients on product labels and brand websites. Businesses that include these ingredients would also need to provide links to safety information on any ingredients with a risk of causing health issues.

Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act: This act would require information about ingredients used in the cosmetics supply chain to provide more transparency and allow manufacturers and brand owners to make safe decisions about their products.

Why is this needed?

For some, this legislation is long overdue. "People assume that the personal care and beauty items they use are safe, but with minimal oversight, many of the care, beauty, and salon products sold across the country actually contain toxic chemicals," says Representative Lizzie Fletcher, a bill co-author.

The package is part of a movement toward transparency over the last few years. In 2022, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) added more regulatory oversight to the FDA over ingredients, labeling, and safety. But it doesnt change the safety of ingredients in these products. This law is a good first step, but much more is needed, bill co-author Representative Jan Schakowsky says. Today, it is estimated that there are more than 10,000 chemicals used to make beauty and personal care products and, on average, men and women use six to 12 personal care products a day, exposing themselves to hundreds of unique chemicals daily.

Representative Schakowsky points out that the European Union bans thousands of chemicals, while the FDA has only banned or restricted a handful of chemicals in cosmetics. This bill package aims to fix that. More and more science is showing beauty and personal care products contain chemicals linked to many health concerns, ranging from hormone disruption and infertility, to respiratory harm, cancer, and more.

Dermatologists are on board, too. This bill is a great idea, says Gary Goldenberg, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine. Making beauty products safer and increasing transparency is definitely needed.

Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital, agrees: Cosmetic skincare products are currently loosely regulated, so I think greater oversight over these products is a good thing. But he's quick to point out that more research is needed to establish a clear connection between personal care products and potential health harms. Many of the studies cited have been conducted on animals in a lab setting. It is important for there to be definite data in humans showing that ingredients are truly harmful, he says. Current animal research suggesting that high levels of specific compounds are harmful to your health is quite different from real-life exposure in humans.



What happens now?

This just a package of bills at this point. From here, they will need to be debated, studied, and voted on in the House of Representatives, before moving on to the Senate. If the bills pass the House and Senate, they will go on to the president to be signed into law. Theres a lot that can happen in the processthis is just the first step.

Still, Rep. Schakowsky says she hopes a lot will come out of this package. We must continue to strengthen our nations cosmetic safety laws by banning the most toxic chemicals found in personal care products, closing the fragrance and flavor loophole, and protecting communities that are most vulnerable to unsafe chemicals hiding in their beauty and personal care products, she says. We all deserve a government that protects us from toxic chemicals in the beauty and personal care products we use every day.

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Washington  House Republicans approved a package after midnight Friday to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding, sending it to President Trump's desk.

Congress beat a Friday end-of-day deadline to pass the bill, which is known as a rescissions request, after which the money would have had to be spent as originally intended.

Efforts to release files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein stalled movement on the bill for hours.

The House combined the vote on final passage with a procedural vote, allowing members to pass the package quickly. It passed in a mostly party-line vote, with 216 voting in favor and 213 against. Two Republicans opposed it: Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

The bill targets roughly $8 billion for foreign assistance programs, including the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. The package also includes about $1 billion in funding cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public radio and television stations, including NPR and PBS.

Mr. Trump hailed the vote on Truth Social early Friday morning, highlighting the cuts to public media funding.

"REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED.BUT NO MORE," he wrote. "THIS IS BIG!!!"

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters early Friday he's "delighted to send that over to the president's desk for signature, and he'll sign that quickly."

Before the floor vote, the package had to get through the House Rules Committee, where there was heated debate on Democrats' demands for a vote on an Epstein-related measure. All but one Republican on the committee voted against similar amendments when they were first presented earlier this week, further fueling criticism from those who want documents on Epstein released.

The controversy has divided Mr. Trump's base since his administration released a memo earlier this month saying that Epstein had no "client list" and died by suicide in 2019. Some Republicans have pushed for more disclosures in the Epstein case, though Mr. Trump has called the controversy a "hoax."

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, defended the GOP committee members on Thursday afternoon, saying they were unfairly taking heat.

"They're trying to stick to their job and move the procedural rules to the floor so we can do our work and get the rescissions done for the American people," Johnson said.

Early Friday, Johnson claimed the White House and House Republicans are on the same page on how to handle the controversy surrounding the Epstein files.

"There's no daylight between the president and House Republicans on transparency, and he's been very clear that he wants all credible information, credible evidence, to be turned over to the people, so that the people can decide. We trust the American people and their judgment."

Democrats wanted a vote on a bipartisan measure introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California that would force the Justice Department to release Epstein-related files within 30 days.

Instead, Republicans voted against the effort and offered a resolution that carries no legal weight to make the files public.

Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, noted that there would be no recourse if the Trump administration did not comply with the non-binding resolution.

"This resolution they're offering is a cover vote and I'll be surprised if they even bring it to the floor," McGovern said.

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the committee chair, said it would be up to the majority leader whether the resolution receives a floor vote.

As the committee debated the release of the files, Mr. Trump announced that he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi "to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval." The request came after the Wall Street Journal published a letter Mr. Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein for his birthday in 2003, which the president called "fake."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would not say Thursday afternoon whether he planned to delay a final vote past the deadline by exercising his right under House rules to speak for as long as he'd like, a power he used to make a record-breaking speech earlier this month.

"I expect that I will speak longer than a minute," the New York Democrat quipped.

Jeffries ended up speaking for about 15 minutes.

Senate passed bill early Thursday after criticism

After an hourslong vote series, the Senate narrowly passed an amended version of Mr. Trump's rescissions request earlier Thursday, sending it to the House, which approved a larger package of cuts last month.

The Senate version is about $400 million smaller than last month's House version, after the Trump administration agreed not to cut funding for a global AIDS prevention program to alleviate some of the concerns of Republican dissenters.

Some senators also worried about the implications of PBS and NPR cuts for rural areas, where many residents depend on public radio stations for emergency alerts. The administration promised to find funding elsewhere to alleviate the cuts to the rural stations to win over critics.

In a statement, the president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said the decision to eliminate its federal funding will force many local public radio stations to shut down and have "profound, lasting, negative consequences for every American."

Though all but two Republican senators ended up supporting final passage, some said they had reservations about doing so, especially because they had not received details from the administration about how the broader cuts would impact specific programs.

"I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret," Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Wednesday before voting for the package.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both criticized Congress, saying it was undermining its budget oversight role by ceding to the White House's, and arguing that any funding cuts should be sorted out during the annual appropriations process. Collins and Murkowski both voted against the package.

Son of man who was violently detained by ICE reacts after release

Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured during one of Israel's attacks on Iran last month, two U.S. intelligence sources have confirmed to CBS News.

The sources told CBS News that reports in Iranian state-run media are accurate that Pezeshkian was attending a Supreme National Security Council meeting when the Israeli strike happened. The state media report said he sustained leg injuries while escaping through an emergency shaft.

It remains unclear if he was intentionally targeted.

During an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, Pezeshkian claimed Israel attempted to assassinate him by bombarding an area in which he was participating in a meeting.

Asked whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him, Pezeshkian responded, "They did try, yes. And they acted accordingly, but they failed."

"It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting. We were discussing the ways to move forward. But thanks to the intelligence by the spies that they had, they tried to bombard the areain which we were holding that meeting," he said in the interview, which was translated from Farsi.

Pereshkian did not specify the exact date of the strike.

The White House has not commented on the report, and neither has the Israeli government. An Iranian government official declined to comment.

The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran killed hundreds in Iran and 28 in Israel. Both Israel and Iran claimed victory after a ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration.

Some of Iran's commanders were killed in the conflict, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, and the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

The U.S. also conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the conflict.

Son of man who was violently detained by ICE reacts after release

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Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue
(L-R) Israel's domestic security agency 'Shin Bet' chief Ronen Bar, Mossad Director David Barnea, and army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi talk as they arrive for a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day for the six million Jews killed during World War II, at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem on May 5, 2024. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

The director of the Israeli intelligence agency reportedly sought U.S. aid in resettling Gazans in a visit to Washington, D.C. this week, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Axios on Friday.

Mossad Director David Barnea reportedly spoke to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff about resettling Gazans to other nations with U.S. aid, naming Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya specifically as potential destinations, sources told Axios. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that any relocation of Gazans would be voluntary, the move remains highly controversial as many critics characterize the idea as a potential war crime.

I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. Its called free choice. You know, if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldnt be a prison, Netanyahu said regarding the idea of voluntary relocation in a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. (RELATED: Mike Huckabee Reportedly Threatens Israel Over Treatment Of Christians)

The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations requests for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) attend a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Witkoff reportedly said that Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya expressed openness to taking the thousands of Gazans, sources told Axios. While Barnea said the U.S. should offer those nations incentives to take in the refugees, Witkoff was reportedly not committed to the idea.

While Trump and Netanyahu were initially warm to the idea, the plan reportedly faced significant pushback from Arab nations in the region, according to Axios.

As of 2025, an estimated 2.1 million people are living in Gaza. A peaceful resolution to the three-year conflict between Israel and Hamas is still ongoing as talks brokered by the U.S. have so far not netted results.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporters byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Business Insider's reporter has left her five-star hotel stays with regrets. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've stayed in five-star hotels in the US, Canada, and Europe.

I've made mistakes at these luxury hotels that kept me from making the most of my stay.

I regret getting laundry services, packing toiletries, and booking one-night stays.

I never thought I'd find myself alone on the rooftop terrace of the Versace Mansion in South Beach, Miami. I never thought I'd stay in suites that cost $1,000 a night with closets as big as my bedroom at home. And I never thought I'd be standing on a private balcony in a lavish robe 21 stories above Vancouver, British Columbia.

Being a travel reporter at Business Insider has given me the opportunity to stay in the hotels of my dreams. Since I started traveling for work in 2021, I've stayed in many luxury hotels, from the Four Seasons to Fairmont castles.

Four years later, I'm still not used to the high-end lifestyle. I often make mistakes at these five-star hotels that leave me with regrets when it's time to check out.

Packing my own toiletries for five-star hotel stays was a waste of space.

Byredo toiletries at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Before my high-end travel days, I packed my own toiletries for trips. I thought I'd rather squeeze my shampoo and conditioner into tiny, reusable bottles than take a chance on the soaps available wherever I'm staying.

But at five-star hotels, I've found toiletry brands I can't even afford on the bathroom counters. From Le Labo and Byredo to Floris, the hair products, body washes, and lotions I've used in these top-tier establishments have felt like a treat.

Nowadays, I leave my bathroom products at home when I book luxury stays.

Getting my laundry done at a five-star hotel left me over budget.

The reporter's fresh laundry hangs in her room at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I arrived at one of Salt Lake City's only five-star hotels, the Grand America Hotel, in January 2025, I was fresh off a 15-hour train ride from Denver. My clothes were sweaty, and chunks of snow were on my pants, so I took advantage of the hotel's laundry service.

I stuffed my dirty clothes into a provided bag and left it outside my door. The next day, three clean shirts, two pairs of pants, a single hoodie, a blazer, and a vest arrived on hangers. My six undergarments were wrapped in tissue paper inside cardboard boxes like a gift.

It was the swankiest laundry service I'd ever experienced, and the most expensive. My 14 articles cost $115 to wash  enough money for a whole new outfit. Doing laundry was my most costly mistake during my trip to Salt Lake City.

While the price tag may not faze some five-star guests, it wasn't worth the splurge to me.

I've regretted sticking exclusively to room service meals.

The reporter has breakfast in her room at the Versace Mansion. Joey Hadden/Insider

One of my favorite parts of staying in a nice hotel is ordering room service. Answering the door in a plush robe and slippers to have a cart roll in with cloches, condiments in tiny glass bottles, and drinks in stemmed glasses makes me feel like a VIP.

But I've often missed out on what could have been exceptional dining experiences had I put on clothes and walked down to the hotel's restaurants. At five-star hotels, I've found that the restaurants typically have a luxe ambiance, award-winning cuisine, and different menus from the in-room dining options.

In spring 2024, when I stayed at the Phoenician, a five-star mega-resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, I didn't try any of the award-winning dining venues  Mowry & Cotton, J&G Steakhouse, and Thirsty Camel.

At the Grand America Hotel, I opted for room service breakfast, so I didn't get to experience the European vibe at the bistro, Laurel Brasserie & Bar.

I did the same thing when I woke up at the Versace Mansion in 2021, and I missed out on a meal on the patio next to a 24-karat gold pool. At the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in 2022, I didn't even see the rooftop restaurant, Elea.

Most recently, when I booked one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in May, I ordered dinner instead of getting a table at the Michelin-recommended restaurant Botanist, which was filled with live plants.

Next time I stay at a five-star hotel, I'll eat in the hotel's restaurant.

I've also regretted leaving my bathing suit at home during fall and winter trips.

An indoor pool at the Grand America Hotel. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I visited Salt Lake City in the winter, a swimsuit was not on my packing list. While packing my suitcase with scarves and thermals, the thought of swimming didn't even occur to me.

Then I saw the indoor pool at the Grand America Hotel and instantly regretted leaving my bathing suit at home. The Mediterranean-style pool was in a cave-like room with curvy, white walls and plenty of windows leaking natural light.

The room had a calming vibe and was empty when I visited, perhaps because others had made the same mistake.

I should have known better. When I visited Jackson Hole in the fall of 2024, I wished I had brought my swimsuit to use the 75-square-foot heated outdoor pool at the Four Seasons.

In the future, I'll pack a bathing suit  no matter the weather.

Turning down turndown service was a mistake.

The reporter's room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim after turndown service. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Turndown service was a luxury I wasn't accustomed to before my five-star stays.

In the early evening (usually), an attendant stops in to prepare the room for sleeping. They make the bed, adjust the shades and lighting, and sometimes leave treats. On a few occasions when I was in my room in the evening, I've said "no, thank you" to the housekeepers coming by my room,

But I stopped saying no after my stay at the Bulgari Hotel and Spa in Milan in 2022. On my bedside table, I found a menu with a selection of pillows  lavender-scented, aloe vera-infused, and memory foam, to name a few. When an attendant stopped by for turndown service, I requested two and was thrilled to receive them five minutes later. I wondered if I'd missed out on this amenity at other luxury hotels.

Since my stay at the Bulgari, I've noticed that pillow menus and complimentary essential oils are common offerings at five-star hotels. And they make an already lavish stay feel even more elevated. Now, I always say "yes, please" to the service.

I always regret booking just one night at a five-star hotel.

The reporter stayed at the Phoenician for one night. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

It's always hard saying goodbye when I check out after just one night in a five-star hotel.

I've left longing for another bath in a deep soaking tub, another snooze in a king-sized bed with custom pillows, and more time to take advantage of top-tier amenities I didn't even get the chance to try  from gyms with Peloton bikes and group fitness classes to spas, pools, and pickleball courts.

With a standard 4 p.m. check-in and 11 a.m. check-out, one night simply isn't enough time to enjoy all the luxuries five-star hotels offer.

So, if you plan to book a stay at a five-star hotel soon, don't make the same mistake. When your friends ask you how the Mediterranean-style indoor pool was, you'll want to have something to say.

Read the original article on Business Insider
L.A. County sheriff's deputies salute as bomb squad members escort the flagged-draped casket containing the body of one of their own bomb squad members who was one of three killed Friday morning during an explosion at the Biscailuz Training Center in East Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Three deputies were killed Friday in an explosion at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Training Academy in East L.A., the deadliest incident for the agency in more than 160 years.

Deputies with the arson explosives detail, an elite unit within the Sheriff's Department, were moving ordnance in the training center's parking lot about 7:30 a.m. when the blast occurred.

The deputies were identified Friday evening as Dets. Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn. They had served 19, 22 and 33 years with the department, respectively, authorities said.

From left, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Dets. Victor Lemus, Joshua Kelley-Eklund and William Osborn. (L.A. County Sheriff's Department)

The Sheriff's Department is currently investigating an apartment complex in the 800 block of Bay Street in Santa Monica in connection with the explosion, according to department spokesperson Nicole Nishida. The three deputies killed in the blast responded to a call to assist the Santa Monica Police Department at the complex on Thursday.

The explosion is being investigated as a negligent homicide, which could result in charges against the person who made or stored the device, law enforcement sources told The Times.

The Santa Monica Police Department evacuated residents from the Bay Street apartment building Friday afternoon, while authorities continue to search the location for any additional explosive material, Nishida said. The FBI and Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad are assisting with the investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is expected to lead a federal probe into the cause of the explosion.

A procession leaves Biscailuz Training Center after three sheriff's deputies were killed after an explosion at the facility on Friday in East Los Angeles. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

"They're the best of the best," Sheriff Robert Luna said of the agency's special enforcement bureau. "And the individuals who work our arson explosives detail, they have years of training. ... They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today.

He said it will take time  possibly weeks or months  to investigate the incident.

Osborn, who joined the Sheriff's Department in 1992, was described as one of [the] tenured bomb technicians regularly relied upon when faced with a new challenge" in a department news release. He is survived by his wife, Det. Shannon Rincon, four sons and two daughters.

Kelley-Eklund joined the Sheriff's Department in 2006 and leaves behind his wife, Jessica Eklund, and their seven children. Prior to joining the arson explosives detail, he worked as a narcotics and murder investigator as well as a field training officer who mentored new deputies.

Lemus comes from a family of Sheriff's Department employees, including his wife, Det. Nancy Lemus; sisters Sgt. Belen Lemus, Deputy Perla Lemus and Custody Asst. Wendy Lemus; and brother-in-law Sgt. Robert Catalan. He joined the department in 2003 and was known for his ability to train fellow deputies and notable arrests involving career criminals. He leaves behind three daughters.

A grenade was recovered at the Santa Monica apartment complex Thursday, a city police officer told The Times.

Michael Kellman, who lives in the building, told The Times that a fellow tenant called the police Thursday after discovering a bag of grenades tucked away in her storage unit.

She has been living in the building for several years and believes the bag was left behind by the former occupant, he said. Authorities returned to her unit Friday to scour the apartment for any remaining explosives.

The bomb squad picks up potential explosives across the region on a daily basis, but it's a situation that's always fraught with danger because it's hard to assess the stability of materials and their age, law enforcement sources told The Times.

After the explosion, the LAPD's bomb squad responded to the scene to help render any other potential explosive materials safe. It took authorities several hours to complete the process, Luna said.

Ambulances arrive at the Biscailuz Center Training Academy on Friday morning. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Employees told The Times they heard a massive boom around 7:30 a.m. coming from the parking lot where the sheriff's bomb squad keeps its vehicles. They heard glass shattering and screaming.

Rich Pippin, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, called it the "worst day in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."

"You never get up in the morning expecting this kind of news, never, and sadly, as often as we deal with this, it does not get easier," he said. "It never gets easier. It hurts."

Hundreds of people gathered in the street outside the East L.A. training center Friday evening for a procession to honor the fallen officers.

Three coffins draped with American flags were loaded into trucks to be transported to the L.A. County Medical Examiner around 5 p.m. A massive American flag was hoisted between two fire truck ladders for the procession to pass through, while scores of law enforcement members somberly watched.

In radio communications reviewed by The Times, a sheriff's dispatcher told units that there was an "explosion with three down." She later advised that a sheriff's weapons team leader said investigators should "not approach" the scene.

In the aftermath, officials covered the blast area with a large tarp as they collected evidence and worked to render the device safe. About 25 yards from the facility, glass was scattered across the parking lot from the windows of an SUV cruiser that were blown out by the explosion. A sheriff's helicopter circled over the area as multiple emergency vehicles streamed into the facility.

At one point, video from the scene showed a bomb technician in a blast suit approaching the site and removing some material before returning to the area where investigators were gathering evidence.

Ed Nordskog, a former member of the departments arson explosives detail and a 34-year department veteran, said the agency's bomb and arson unit is one of the largest and busiest in the United States. The squad gets daily calls to handle military ordnance that spans from the modern era back to World War I, as well as commercial explosives, blasting dynamite from mining operations, suspicious packages and homemade or improvised items.

"All have different aspects that are dangerous," he said. "Its a job that requires at least a year of formal training to be able to work, and several years of field experience to feel fully proficient."

Former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told KTLA-TV Channel 5 in an interview that the arson explosives detail includes some of the agency's most experienced personnel.

"The loss is just staggering," he said. "It's gonna take a while to figure out how this happened, why this happened, could it have been prevented."

The explosion and resulting deaths sent shock waves across Los Angeles County and prompted many unanswered questions. Flags at county buildings were lowered to half-staff in mourning.

Two of the deputies who were killed were sometimes assigned to provide security at county board meetings in downtown Los Angeles, according to officials.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she was "heartbroken" by the situation and that the entire county is grieving for the deputies and their families.

"These deputies went to work expecting to come home and they didn't," Barger said. "I hope the takeaway is that we should all remember to have compassion and empathy and give law enforcement a break."

Jason Zabala, who works for the Sheriff's Department's SWAT team and was a colleague and friend of the deputies who died Friday, echoed Luna's comments that they were the "best of the best." He was in shock, he said, his voice breaking as he talked about his friends.

"I can think of no greater honor, truly, than to die in the service of people," he said. "That's why we sign up, and it's tragic, but I'm sure their families are proud of their service, as I am."

An L.A. County sheriff's deputy stands outside the Biscailuz Center Training Academy on Friday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The dangers of the profession aren't lost on those who wear the uniform or their families, Zabala said, but it doesn't keep them from doing their jobs.

"You do this job for a reason. You don't really think about it day to day, until something like this happens, and then you realize how dangerous it really is," he said. "I know our families go through that. I know my family goes through that probably every day. But we truly love the work we do."

Tony Meraz, a veteran sheriff's deputy who knew all three of the men killed in the explosion, said their deaths leave a void in the hearts of their friends, families and the department that will never be filled.

"All three of these men are the kind of cops that if your loved one calls 911, you want them to show up, whether it is an active shooter, a traffic collision or because your mom is lost," Meraz said. "They are all gone in the blink of an eye."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said on X that he had been briefed on the explosion, and the state deployed investigative personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to help determine what happened.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi called the situation a "horrific incident" in a statement Friday and asked for prayers for the deputies' families.

The Biscailuz Center Training Academy was used for deputy training from 1946 to 1984, when it was closed because of a lack of space. The 36,000-square-foot training center was renovated and reopened in 2017. The facility houses the sheriffs special enforcement bureau and the arson explosive detail, including the bomb squad.

The explosion drew several spectators to the edge of a perimeter erected by deputies as they continued their investigation.

Luisa Lopez, an employee at Medsco, a sheet metal fabrication facility, said their machines had obscured the sound of the blast, but she became aware of the accident when authorities began racing toward the facility.

When we heard all the noise of the police, we didnt think anything of it because they pass [by] all the time," she said.

Richard Montoya, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the blast area, said he and his children were jolted by three successive explosions that shook his house. At first he thought the explosion might have been fireworks, which are common in the neighborhood after the Fourth of July.

But he said he realized it wasn't fireworks because it felt stronger, like a small earthquake.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Arnold Turner/Getty Julian Fuego and Paula Patton





NEED TO KNOW

Paula Patton tells PEOPLE about her recent trip to Iceland with her 15-year-old son Julian

The proud mom says her son planned the entire trip

Patton shares Julian with ex Robin Thicke





Paula Patton doesn't need a travel agent  her son has her covered.

The actress, 49, spoke with PEOPLE at the Lifetime Celebrates Summer event in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, July 16, and shared that her son Julian, 15, whom she shares with ex Robin Thicke, planned their entire recent trip to Iceland.

"Talk about a walk in faith," Patton jokes to PEOPLE. "So my son, he really wanted to go to Iceland, and it was like a dream for him, and I was like, 'You know what?' Okay, let's go."

"I had no idea where I was going. He's like, 'I'll plan the whole thing, Mom.' And I just trusted him," she continues. "He literally created the itinerary each day. 'Where are we going to even have lunch and dinner?' And I just walked on faith."

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.

Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Robin Thicke and son Julian

"I was like, you got it. You're 15. And he did an incredible job," says the proud mom. "It was phenomenal."

Back in June, Patton appeared on the Atlanta radio show Big Tigger Morning Show with Jazzy Mcbee to chat about her new film, Finding Faith. At the start of their conversation, she said she took the role of Faith because she goes through so much," and she related the character's journey to her personal experience with sobriety.

Seven years ago, I got sober and life took me on a journey which was wild but amazing, she began. When you get sober, it's so funny, I just had this epiphany that I had made a choice like, it was family, it was my life, or chaos to be honest.

She came to that realization ahead of filming a movie in London, because she wanted to spend her time with her son.

I said, I can't do it. But then, in that moment, I said if I do this, I'm going to stop drinking,  she explained. So once that happened, you go down a path and all of the masks that you wear, right like all the things that fill your ego, they drop away.

Randy Shropshire/Getty Paula Patton

This past March, Thicke spoke with PEOPLE about how he's been collaborating on music with his son Julian.

"I just want him to enjoy his life, enjoy being a kid, learn, learn, learn, and enjoy the process because I love to make music, and so if you love the process of making music, then it'll always be a joy," Thicke told PEOPLE. "So I think that's what I'm trying to instill in him."

Asked about what some of the best parts of having a dad in the industry are, Julian told PEOPLE that it's nice to have him as a teacher.

"It's so cool to have him as a reference to show the music to," he said. "And get advice for it and for all my musical things, and to have a studio at the house, and come be at the events too, and being in the environment. It's amazing."

Read the original article on People
A man is being charged with over two dozen felonies and is accused of impersonating a firefighter during the deadly Palisades fire in California, according to officials.

This defendants alleged actions reflect a disturbing pattern of lawlessness and disregard for public safety, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.

Steve Farzam, 46, was accused of crimes that span from 2023 to May 2025, and is accused of impersonating a firefighter, assaulting a first responder, and targeting an aircraft with a laser, according to a press release the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office emailed to USA TODAY.

Farzam was arrested and charged on Wednesday, July 16, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He is being held without bail.

"If proven, this type of escalating conduct undermines the integrity of our emergency response systems and erodes public trust and we will use every legal tool available to hold the defendant accountable," Hochman said.

During his arraignment, Farzam pleaded not guilty, according to the press release. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 28.

Police search Farzam's home and seize evidence: Reports

Authorities seized two vehicles with California-exempt license plates from Farzam's house, according to reports by CBS News and local news station KTLA. The outlets also report that a fire truck was seized, but it is not immediately clear if the fire truck was one of the two vehicles.

Inside the vehicles, officials found the following, according to CBS News:

A fire engine

Ammunition

Fake documents connected to the Santa Muerte Fire Department

First responder credentials

Light bundles for police and fire vehicles

Radios

USA TODAY has reached out to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for more information.

More news: Is Tomorrowland canceled? What to know after fire destroys main stage

What was Farzam charged with?

Farzam was charged with 23 felonies and five misdemeanors, according to the press release.

Farzam was charged with the following felonies, according to the District Attorney's Office:

Six counts of discharging a laser at an aircraft

Three counts of assault with a deadly or dangerous weapon

Four counts of assault upon a peace officer

One count of impersonation of a public officer, investigator or inspector

One count of carrying a loaded unregistered handgun in a vehicle

Seven counts of perjury by declaration

One count of procuring and offering false or forged instrument

He was also charged with two counts of impersonating a fire officer and three counts of trespassing on closed lands, which are considered to be misdemeanors.

If found guilty on all charges, Farzam could face up to 23 years and 10 months in state prison.

This story has been updated to remove the name of a business.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Farzam charged with impersonating a firefighter in California
Known as the city of eternal spring, Medellin is reinventing its tourism offerings. Beyond the classic tours of Pueblito Paisa or the Metrocable, the Colombian city opens its doors to a different type of visitor: those looking to learn, create, and connect with the local culture. What's new? Unique experiences led by artisans, chefs, and artists that allow tourists to be protagonists, not just spectators.

Through Airbnb , travelers from all over the world are finding a new way to experience Medellin. It's not just about sleeping in an apartment overlooking El Poblado. Now it's possible to weave a traditional backpack with an indigenous artisan, design a postcard inspired by the city's skyline, or prepare secret dishes in a hidden kitchen.

Medellin's new cultural tourism

Among the most sought-after offerings is the experience of creating a Colombian backpack from scratch. Guided by a local designer and using natural fibers, travelers learn ancestral techniques from the Iku community. This isn't just a workshop: it's a journey into the roots of Colombian craftsmanship. Each visitor returns home not only with a bag woven by their own hands, but also with a deeper understanding of the indigenous heritage.

For those who prefer art, a local artist trained in Florencia offers an intimate workshop with panoramic views of Medellin. There, paintbrush in hand, each participant creates their own souvenir postcard while discovering the city's emerging art scene.

But when it comes to literary experiences, Medellin also has something different to offer. A stroll through its most iconic bookstores concludes with a discussion with local writers. The tour includes meetings with booksellers, signature coffees, and even the opportunity to write a poem dedicated to a loved one. A perfect option for travelers who love words.

The charm of flowers and the hidden kitchen

No trip to Medellin would be complete without immersing yourself in the silletera tradition with a flower artisan. One experience allows tourists to visit the Casa de las Flores (House of Flowers) and learn from local flower makers how the iconic silletas, which are paraded each year at the Flower Fair, are made. The activity concludes in the hills of Santa Elena, where visitors create their own floral creation.

And for the most inquisitive palates, the culinary offerings also break new ground. At Gabriela, a hidden kitchen laboratory , food happens at the center of the table. Unexpected dishes and signature drinks are shared in an environment where the chef is also the host. More than just a dinner, it's an immersive culinary experience.

Tourism with a purpose: connecting, learning and creating

Far from being simple tourist activities, these experiences reflect a global trend: travelers are no longer just looking to "see" but rather to experience the culture of their destinations. Medellin, with its blend of tradition and innovation, is positioning itself as an epicenter of creative tourism in Latin America.

Airbnb, the platform that connects hosts with travelers around the world, has been key to this movement. Since its inception in 2007 in San Francisco, it has evolved from renting rooms to offering experiences that bring visitors closer to the true essence of each city. Medellin is now one of those spots on the map.

For those planning to visit Colombia, the recommendation is clear: don't just observe. In Medellin, the invitation is to create.

Originally published on Latin Times
CHARLES BJORGEN/Star Tribune/Getty; Minnesota Department of Corrections David Brom in 1989; David Brom's most current mugshot





NEED TO KNOW

David Brom, convicted of killing his parents and two younger siblings in 1988 at age 16, will be released from custody on July 29, 2025, after more than 35 years in prison

His release follows a 2023 Minnesota law allowing juvenile offenders serving life to be eligible for parole after 15 years

Brom has expressed remorse and claimed personal transformation





After spending more than three decades behind bars for brutally killing his parents and two younger siblings, David Brom will soon be released from Minnesota state custody.

Brom, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 1988 murders, is expected to be released on July 29, 2025, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections website.

According to CBS News, KARE 11 and the Post Bulletin, authorities said Brom was 16 when he used an ax to kill his parents, 13-year-old sister, and 11-year-old brother in their Rochester, Minn., home. He was found guilty in 1989 of four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. A motive has remained unclear.

Brom became eligible for early monitored release after a state law passed in 2023 allowed juvenile offenders serving life to become eligible for parole after 15 years, the Post Bulletin reports.

He will released to a halfway house in Twin Cities as part of a work release program, which the Minnesota DOC says is a "standard process when those serving a life sentence are transitioned from a correctional facility to a monitored community setting," KARE 11 reports.

JOEY MCLEISTER/Star Tribune/Getty The funeral for Bernard, Paulette, Diane and Ricky Brom on Feb. 21, 1988.

Per the Post Bulletin, Brom will be supervised by a case manager and monitored with a GPS tracking device. His next board appearance is scheduled for January 2026.

Earlier this year, Brom told the state's supervised released board that he's a "good example of what a transformation can look like" behind bars and apologized to his victims' loved ones, KARE 11 reports.

Leila Navidi/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock David Brom talks during a book club discussion.

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.

I can assure anyone now looking at this case, this office completely understood and appreciated the significance of trying Mr. Brom, 16 years old at the time of the offense, as an adult and seeking to sentence him to prison for most of the rest of his natural life. It was not a decision taken lightly, former Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said in 2023, per KAAL-TV.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, who was called to the crime scene in 1988, shared his reaction to Brom's release in a video posted to Facebook on July 16.

"I cannot stop what is already in motion, and I, we, as the public, must trust the parole board's decision and must hope Mr. Brom is ready for this transition in his life," the sheriff said.



Read the original article on People
Four people died and more than a dozen others were injured after a stolen car crashed into a transport bus on a highway in San Antonio, Texas, police said.

Around 2:30 p.m. local time on July 17, a stolen white Camaro with four individuals inside crashed into a bus on South Interstate 35 in the Leon Creek area, San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said.

Initially, two people were pronounced dead and 18 others were injured, McManus said. Two more people died later Thursday night at a local hospital after receiving medical care, Camelia Juarez, San Antonio Police's public information officer, told USA TODAY.

Juarez said the car struck a trailer that was attached to the bus, causing the bus to lose control and go into the pathway of the 18-wheeler in the following lane, before striking a guardrail. The 18-wheeler struck the bus, causing the bus to roll on its side. Multiple people were ejected from the bus.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office.

Suspects in stolen car crash at large, police say

Four individuals fled from the stolen car. One of the suspects was also armed with an assault rifle and the car was speeding at the time of the crash, McManus said.

The individuals were still being searched for as of Friday morning, police said. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Children, seniors injured in crash, police say

McManus said the two individuals who died in the crash were senior adults.

The injured individuals ranged in age from "young children to senior adults," McManus said. They were transported to area hospitals.

A Facebook post from the transportation company Transportes Guerra said the bus was traveling from Fort Worth to Mexico and asked family members to contact the company's office at 830-319-5168, 862-109-7187 or 682-758-1055.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 dead, 16 injured after stolen Camaro crashes into bus in TX: police
By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Australia's ambassador to Washington said on Friday his country is working with the Pentagon on the U.S. Defense Department's review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved.

Kevin Rudd made the comment at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding U.S.-Australia alliance and his close relationship with Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, who initiated the review.

"We're working with Bridge and the team on the AUKUS review ... and we are confident that we'll work our way through each and every one of the issues which he has raised in the context of this internal Defense Department review," Rudd said, referring to Colby.

"Bridge has been around my place a lot of times, and so we have known each other for a long period of time, and that's why I'm confident, quite apart from the mature relationship within our two defense establishments ... that we'll work our way through this stuff."

Rudd, a former Australian prime minister, said the U.S.-Australia alliance had endured through 15 presidents and 15 prime ministers from different parties.

In 2023, the United States, Australia, and Britain unveiled details of the AUKUS plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s, part of efforts to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. It is Australia's biggest ever defense project.

The Pentagon said in June it was reviewing AUKUS to ensure it was "aligned with the President's America First agenda," amid concerns about the ability of the U.S. to meet its own submarine needs and whether Australia's vessels would be used in support of U.S. policy in the future.

On Sunday, Australia's Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy responded to a report that Colby had pressed Australia and Japan to clarify what role it would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan by saying Australia would not commit troops in advance to any conflict.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also rebuffed U.S. requests to commit to lifting defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of gross domestic product, saying instead Australia would spend what was needed for its defense.

The reported call by Colby on Australia to clarify its role regarding Taiwan raised eyebrows, given that Washington itself maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity" and not saying directly how it would respond to any Chinese attack on the island.

Rudd said U.S. President Donald Trump viewed unpredictability as one of his strengths as a leader, whereas China's Communist leadership craved predictability.

"Being unpredictable is no bad thing in terms of the way in which the Chinese view their strategic future on the critical question ... (of) the future of Taiwan," he said.

Rudd added that Taiwan currently occupied Beijing's entire military strategic focus, and if the island were to fall, China's "capacities and capabilities would be unleashed more broadly."

"I believe that logic is galvanizing here in the United States as well as across allies," he said.

Asked about Colby's reported pressure on Australia and Japan and Australia's response, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: "The United States has longstanding alliances with both Japan and Australia. We regularly consult with our allies on a range of regional and global issues."

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Mark Porter, Don Durfee and Rod Nickel)
By Rozanna Latiff

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to protest against the proposed appointment of Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" influencer, as the United States' envoy to Malaysia.

President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Malaysia.

Adams, a naturalised U.S. citizen originally from Australia, has cultivated a brash social media persona, using a macho, "alpha male" branding to weigh in on cultural issues and appeal to an audience of mainly young men.

But it is his posts harshly criticising Islam and showing support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has angered Muslims in Malaysia, triggering a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.

The outcry comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to reach a trade deal with Washington to avoid a steep 25% tariff imposed on its exports to the United States.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday it was too early in the process to decide on Adams' appointment but his government would give the matter due consideration.

"At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States," Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.

Demonstrators led by youth leaders from Anwar's ruling coalition submitted a memorandum of protest to the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur asking for Trump to reconsider his nomination of Adams.

The memorandum cited "divisive rhetoric" used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysia's multi-cultural society.

Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

"An ambassador's task is to be the bridge between two countries and we don't want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead," said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.

The embassy and Adams' office did not respond to requests for comment.

The protestors also called on Malaysia's government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams' proposed appointment.

Under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, host countries have discretion to accept or reject ambassadorial appointments without having to provide a reason.

Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams' appointment to Malaysia.

Adams' nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held U.S. Senate.

(Reporting by Mandy Leong and Rozanna Latiff; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
By Aram Roston and Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -El Salvador's government will send detained Venezuelans home in exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, two U.S. government officials told Reuters on Friday, as Venezuela announced the return of seven migrant children who had been separated from their families.

One of the officials said El Salvador would send 238 Venezuelans held in its maximum security CECOT prison to Caracas and that the Venezuelan government would release five U.S. citizens and five U.S. permanent residents to American custody.

The second official confirmed the exchange was taking place and said the figures appeared to be close to what was expected.

Some family members of migrants held at CECOT said they received calls from the Venezuelan government to come to Caracas.

Venezuela's Communications Ministry and El Salvador's presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the possible exchange.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and First Lady Cilia Flores said seven migrant children who had been separated from their families and kept in U.S. care had been sent home on a deportation flight that brought more than 200 migrants from Texas to Maiquetia airport near Caracas.

Cabello said the children had been "rescued" and cheered their return, after saying earlier there were 32 migrant children in the U.S. who had been separated from their families.

There would be "more movement" later in the afternoon and other arrivals, Cabello added, without providing more details.

The U.S. State Department declined to comment. The White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures.

Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administration's allegations in court.

Venezuela's government has always decried the CECOT detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the government's critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela.

The return of Americans held in Venezuela is a priority, Richard Grenell, a Trump envoy, has said.

Grenell visited Caracas in January, returning with six Americans who had been held in Venezuela, and in May flew back to the U.S. from the Caribbean island of Antigua with Joseph St. Clair, who had also been detained in Venezuela.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson and Aram Roston; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas, Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota, Kristina Cooke in San Francisco and Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City; Editing by Mark Porter, Don Durfee and Rod Nickel)
By Dawn Chmielewski and Krystal Hu

(Reuters) -Private equity giant Blackstone has withdrawn from a consortium seeking to invest in TikToks U.S. operations, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The latest change came as uncertainty has mounted and there have been several delays in the TikTok deal now at the center of U.S.-China trade talks.

Blackstone had planned to take a minority stake in the TikTok U.S. business in a deal orchestrated by President Donald Trump. The consortium is led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, current investors in TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance. The group had emerged as the front-runner to secure TikToks U.S. business in a deal under which U.S. investors would own 80% of TikTok, while ByteDance would retain a minority stake.

Blackstone declined to comment. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deadline for ByteDance to divest the popular social media app in the U.S. has been repeatedly postponed, creating uncertainty for investors.

Last month, Trump signed a third executive order extending the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, moving the cutoff to September 17. In April 2024, Congress passed a law mandating a sale or shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025.

Extensions to the deadline have drawn criticism from some lawmakers, who argue the Trump administration is flouting the law and ignoring national security concerns related to Chinese control over TikTok.

ByteDance is exploring various options to address these concerns, including selling or restructuring its U.S. operations. The Chinese social media giant, which raked in $43 billion in the first three months of this year, recently surpassed Meta in quarterly revenue, sources told Reuters.

The U.S. consortium, favored by the administration in any TikTok deal, also includes KKR, as well as new investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Reuters previously reported. Oracle is also likely to take a stake. It is unclear whether other bidders in the consortium are still involved.

A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikToks U.S. operations into a new U.S.-based firm. Talks were put on hold after China indicated it would not approve the transaction, following Trumps announcement of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.

If a sale is finalized, the new U.S. app is expected to be owned by a joint venture formed by an American investor consortium and ByteDance, which would maintain a minority stake. TikTok is already working on a U.S.-specific app, sources told Reuters.

Blackstones exit highlights the complexities and uncertainties involved in the deal, as the ongoing talks over TikToks fate have now become part of Trumps broader trade negotiations with China, and Trump said he would speak to President Xi Jinping about it.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Krystal Hu in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas' armed wing spokesperson said on Friday that while the group favours reaching an interim truce in the Gaza war, if such an agreement is not reached in current negotiations it could revert to insisting on a full package deal to end the conflict.

Hamas has repeatedly offered to release all the hostages held in Gaza and conclude a permanent ceasefire agreement, and Israel has refused, Abu Ubaida added in a televised speech.

Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the war that has laid waste to the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on a call he had with Pope Leo on Friday that Israel's efforts to secure a hostage release deal and 60-day ceasefire, "have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas".

As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians.

"If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives," said Abu Ubaida.

Disputes remain over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said two Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday.

The officials said the talks have not reached a breakthrough on the issues under discussion.

Hamas says any agreement must lead to ending the war, while Netanyahu says the war will only end once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders expelled from Gaza.

Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Ahmed Tolba and Charlotte GreenfieldWriting by Enas Alashray and Nidal al-Mughrabi Editing by Frances Kerry)
Sentinel scientists collaborating to sequence mpox samples Credit - Kat KendonKendon Photography

A dangerous mpox outbreak is unfolding in Sierra Leone. In just the first week of May, cases rose by 61%, and suspected cases surged by 71%. Roughly half of all confirmed mpox cases in Africa now come from this small West African nation. The virus is moving widely, across geographies, genders, and age groups.

And the virus is changing.

Genomic analysis has revealed a fast-moving new variant of mpoxcalled G.1that likely emerged in late November. At first it circulated silently but has since taken hold and quickly began sustained human-to-human transmission. Cases have been doubling every two weeks. Estimates suggest more than 11,000 people in Sierra Leone may already be infected.

This is how outbreaks become epidemics, and mpox, as a pandemic, could be brutal.

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) belongs to the same viral family as smallpox. It causes a disease that can be painful, disfiguring, and debilitating, particularly in children. In Sierra Leone, nearly all patients present with severe rashes, and about a quarter have required hospitalization; in some, the disease has progressed to necrotizing lesions. Its no longer rare, no longer contained to the LGBTQ community, and it has already reached more than 100 countries.

Read More: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Global-health architect

Sierra Leone has been here before, at the epicenter of a disease outbreak while the world looked away. In 2014, Ebola swept through the West African region. A single mutation supercharged its spread just as it reached Sierra Leone. Tens of thousands died. Health systems collapsed. The global cost soared into the billions. The lesson? Delay is deadly.

As infectious disease researchers, weve lived that lesson. For two decades, weve worked alongside colleagues across Africa and around the world to build faster, smarter ways to detect and respond to outbreaks. We were on the ground during Ebola, Zika, the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently Marburgplus, many outbreaks that never made the news because they were stopped in time. Together, weve built technologies that track viruses in real time and trained thousands of frontline workers to use them. What once took months, we can now do in days. And now, in Sierra Leone, we are putting that progress to the test.

This time, Sierra Leone isnt waiting for others to step in to do testing and sequencingits leading.

Within days of the outbreaks escalation, local public-health teams and scientists under the leadership of Sierra Leones National Public Health Agencyworking with international partners including ourselvesexpanded testing, began sequencing the virus, analyzed its evolution, and shared data in real-time. They also launched robust social mobilization and contact tracing that are helping to slow the spread.

To stay ahead of the virus, teams in Sierra Leone are using powerful new tools. One is Lookout, our real-time national platform that fuses genomic, diagnostic, clinical, and epidemiological data into a single cloud-based system. As more data come in, Lookout gives health officials a live, evolving map of the outbreak, showing where its spreading, how its changing, and where to act next.

A custom Lookout view to support Sierra Leone's outbreak response was deployed within six hours of receiving data. Fathom Information Design

Lookout is just one example of the infrastructure that teams in the U.S. and Africa have co-created through decades of collaboration. It belongs to a broader system called Sentinel, an outbreak detection and response network we co-lead, launched with support from the Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative housed at TED. Sentinel is just one part of a larger movement: scientists, engineers, public health leaders, industry partners, and frontline workers working together to build faster, smarter systems to stop outbreaks before they explode.

But even the best systems cant run without support.

Earlier this year, the U.S. canceled all funding to Sierra Leone and halted a $120 million initiative by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at strengthening epidemic preparedness in the country. The Africa CDC, U.S. CDC, World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations continue to offer vital support, but with far fewer resources than before. Philanthropic and industry partners, including the ELMA Relief Foundation, Danaher, and Illumina, have admirably stepped in, but they cannot fill the gap alone.

Today, local teams are doing so much rightwith nearly everything stacked against them. The warning signs are flashing. But their resources are running out.

Read More: This is About Childrens Lives: Gavis CEO Makes the Case for Funding the Global Vaccine Alliance

Its tempting to believe this isnt our problem. But thanks to collaborative sequencing efforts, we know the G.1 variant spreading in Sierra Leone has already been detected in at least five patients across multiple U.S. statesMassachusetts, Illinois, and Californiaand in Europe. It may seem distantlike COVID-19 did at firstbut its not.

Yes, vaccines exist, and they are expected to be effective against this new variant. But supply is limited, distribution is deeply inequitable, and the vaccines themselves present challengesfrom limited clinical data and uncertain duration of protection to storage requirementsthat make large-scale campaigns far from straightforward. West Africa has received only a fraction of the doses it needs. Without both vaccine access and real-time tracking, were flying blind. Surveillance isnt a luxury. Its our first and best line of defense.

Sierra Leone is showing the world what preparedness looks like. But it shouldnt have to stand alone. We can waitagainuntil the virus spreads further. Or we can act now, support the leaders in Sierra Leone already responding, and get them the resources they needlike diagnostics, clinical support, vaccines, sequencing reagents, and frontline outbreak responseto save lives and cut this outbreak short.

Weve seen how the story of viral outbreaks can unfold. This time, with the present mpox epidemic in Sierra Leone, we still have a chance to change the ending.

Disclosure: TIMEs owners and co-chairs Marc and Lynne Benioff are philanthropic supporters of Sentinel.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -Idaho, which has a near-total ban on abortion, agreed not to prosecute or take away licenses of doctors who refer patients out of state to obtain the procedure, under a consent decree approved by a federal judge on Thursday.

The decree prevents Idaho's Republican Attorney General Raul Labrador and county prosecutors from prosecuting healthcare providers who refer, counsel or otherwise provide information to patients seeking abortions in other states.

A local Planned Parenthood affiliate sued Idaho in April 2023 to block enforcement, after Labrador said the referrals could violate state law and require license suspensions for doctors who make them.

Planned Parenthood said the restriction violated the U.S. Constitution by infringing doctors' First Amendment free speech rights and regulating lawful out-of-state reproductive health services.

A federal appeals court blocked enforcement last December. During oral arguments, a lawyer for Labrador said the attorney general would not prosecute people for making the referrals.

Idaho makes it a crime to perform or attempt to perform abortions, or for healthcare providers to assist in abortions, with narrow exceptions.

The decree covering Planned Parenthood and two doctors was approved by U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise.

"Idaho's strong pro-life laws remain fully in effect, and we remain proud to defend the rights of mothers and their unborn children," Labrador said in a statement.

"This settlement simply affirms what our office already made clear in court: we do not have the authority to prosecute referrals for out-of-state services."

Rebecca Gibron, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a statement that the decree "affirms something every patient deserves: open, honest care from a provider they trust."

The U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion in 2022, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Eighteen Republican-led states have total abortion bans or ban abortions at or before the 12th week of pregnancy, according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, which focuses on reproductive health.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Richard Chang)
By Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The head of a House of Representatives panel on China told U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that resuming sales of Nvidia's H20 chips to China threatens to advance Beijing's AI capability, stepping up his criticism of the decision and saying the original ban was "the right call."

Republican Representative John Moolenaar, in a letter to Lutnick on Friday, warned the chips could undermine the U.S.' AI advantage and may help Chinese companies capture global AI model market share.

"The Commerce Department made the right call in banning the H20," Moolenaar said in the letter, demanding more information. "We can't let the (Chinese Communist Party) use American chips to train AI models that will power its military, censor its people, and undercut American innovation."

Nvidia's announcement this week that it would be allowed to resume sales reversed an export restriction imposed by the Trump administration in April to keep advanced AI chips such as the H20 out of Chinese hands over national security concerns, an issue that has found rare bipartisan support. It drew swift questions and criticism from U.S. legislators, including Moolenaar, who said on Monday that he would seek "clarification" from the Commerce Department.

Shares of Nvidia turned negative on Friday after Moolenaar came out with the stronger criticism.

An Nvidia spokesperson later defended the U.S.' relaxation of restrictions, saying America wins when the world builds on U.S. technology. "The government made the best decision for America, promoting U.S. technology leadership, economic growth and national security," the spokesperson said in a statement.

A representative of the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The letter was an unusual example of public disagreement with a Trump administration policy from a fellow Republican, signaling the depth of the national security concerns around the AI chip's export to China among China hawks in Washington.

On Tuesday, Lutnick said the planned resumption of sales of the H20 chip was part of U.S. negotiations on rare earths and magnets.

It also was a sign the United States was relaxing restrictions on the export of AI technology to China.

Nvidia designed the H20 chip for the Chinese market after the Biden administration restricted exports of other of its advanced chips to China.

But the H20 is still competitive at inference, where AI models serve up answers to users, which is fast becoming the biggest part of the AI chip market. Its capabilities also could be used in supercomputers.

According to an April 2025 report by the Select Committee on China, Nvidia's H20 chips were instrumental in enabling an AI model by Chinese company DeepSeek that surprised the world earlier this year.

Tech companies like China's Tencent also have used H20s to train massive AI systems, according to Moolenaar, who said there was growing evidence H20 chips are being used by Chinese AI companies to build supercomputers.

Under the policy change, the U.S. still must approve licenses for the export of H20 chips. But Nvidia said it had been assured licenses would be granted, and it hoped to start deliveries soon.

In his letter to Lutnick, Moolenaar requested a briefing as soon as possible, but no later than August 8, on how the Department of Commerce plans to evaluate license applications for the H20 and similar chips, the estimated number of H20s to be exported and to whom.

"The H20 significantly outperforms anything Chinese chipmakers like Huawei can currently produce" at scale, Moolenaar wrote, "and would therefore provide a substantial increase to Chinas AI development."

(Reporting by Chris Sanders and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper. Additional writing by Maiya Keidan. Editing by Caitlin Webber, Alexandra Hudson, Nia Williams and Leslie Adler)
In pics: A revisit to memorial hall of former headquarters of New Fourth Army in E China's Anhui

Xinhua) 08:25, July 18, 2025

This photo taken on July 15, 2025 show the Ye Ting Bridge at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows the residence of Xiang Ying, one of the founders of the New Fourth Army, at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows a statue of Ye Ting, commander of the New Fourth Army, at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 15, 2025 show the Ye Ting Bridge at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 15, 2025 shows the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows a statue at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Gong Bing)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows a statue at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Gong Bing)

A drone photo taken on July 15, 2025 shows the statue of Ye Ting, commander of the New Fourth Army, and the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows the statue of Xiang Ying, one of the founders of the New Fourth Army, at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

This photo taken on July 14, 2025 shows the office of Ying Ting, commander of the New Fourth Army, at the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Tourists visit the memorial hall of the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province, July 15, 2025. Located in Yunling Township of Jingxian County in Xuancheng City, the memorial hall covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is one of the important heritage sites under state protection, and was established based on 11 preserved sites that the New Fourth Army headquarters had been stationed in Yunling from 1938 to 1941, during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
New protection measures for fish species

Following a process of consultation and agreement with the Fishing Working Group (which includes representatives of angling organisations) and the Nature Conservancy Council, the Department of the Environment is expanding its conservation measures for numerous fish species in Gibraltar.

Building on the work carried out for other species, notably Common Octopus, closed seasons for the European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Spotted sea bass (Dicentrarchus punctatus) and several Grouper species will be implemented this year. Scientific research strongly supports the principle that seasonal closures, particularly during vulnerable periods such as migration or spawning, have substantial positive impacts on fish populations.

Groupers, such as the Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), are slow-growing species that are particularly susceptible to population declines due to overfishing and habitat changes. The closed season for these species will be implemented from the 1st June to the 31st August on a yearly basis and subject to review. Given the timing, this years closure shall, however, be exceptionally effective from the 1st  31st August 2025. In relation to European and Spotted Seabass, the closed season for these species will be implemented from the 1st November 2025 to 28th February 2026.

As part of the new conservation measures implemented, the Department of the Environment has also updated and increased the minimum legal size limits for a range of fish species and included new species on the list. These revisions are all intended to allow fish to reach reproductive age before capture. All fish below these size limits must therefore be released unharmed.

The Departments Environmental Protection and Research Unit will be conducting regular patrols at sea and on land to assist anglers with the interpretation of the new minimum sizes and seasonal closures. The new list of minimum sizes can be accessed online from: https://www.gibraltarlaws.gov.gi/index.php/legislations/marine-protection-amendmentregulations-2025-7699

Further information on the initiative can be obtained by contacting the Department of the Environment on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .gi or Tel: 200 71061.
Diane Elizabeth Walters, left, and Cody Allen Davidson | Bonneville County Jail

IDAHO FALLS  Two Montanans were arrested after a traffic stop led officers to find 25 pounds of methamphetamine.

Diane Elizabeth Walters, 50, was charged with felony trafficking of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Cody Allen Davidson, 39, was charged with felony trafficking of methamphetamine, felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

If Walters and Davidson are found guilty, they both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison.

According to court documents, an Idaho Falls Police officer responded to assist with surveillance on a vehicle that was suspected of being involved in trafficking on July 11.

The officer, along with two detectives  one from the Bonneville County Sheriffs Office and the other from the Madison County Sheriffs Office  worked together to inspect the Jeep.

The Jeep was leaving a gas station on 45th Road West, and a traffic stop was initiated when it got onto Interstate 15 near mile marker 117. The car was stopped for not coming to a complete stop after leaving the gas station.

A K9 unit arrived and conducted a free air sniff, and the K9 indicated the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle resulted in 13 electrical-taped bundles being found inside the panel of the rear liftgate. The document states two of the bundles were opened and tested positive for methamphetamine.

A purse was searched, which contained Walters drivers license, and two small plastic baggies of a white powdery substance were found.

In the center console, investigators found a green glass bong with burnt residue.

The document states that a search of Davidsons person resulted in a glass jar with the label Quality S*** being found that contained a white crystal substance. The contents weight 139.3 grams.

K9 Rip with the 24 bundles of methamphetamine | Courtesy Idaho Falls Police Department

The officer said that parts of the Jeep had appeared to have been modified. The Jeep was taken to the Idaho Falls Police Complex, and a search warrant for the vehicle was obtained.

Authorities later found more items of interest. In the front passenger side door pocket was a glass water bong. In the rear passenger-side door, 11 other packages of electrical tape were found. One of the bundles was opened and tested, which was positive for methamphetamine.

The total weight of all the bundles was 11,352.65 grams, or 25.028 pounds.

After reading his Miranda Rights, Davidson told the officer that some people had threatened his family and told him to drive to Las Vegas.

He told officers he knew the people were loading the car with narcotics. The people gave him directions to take it to Great Falls, Montana, and to call them through WhatsApp once he arrived.

Davidson said during the interview claimed all that was found was his, as he did not want Walters to get in trouble. However, he said he threw two baggies into the Walters purse when they were being pulled over.

When Walters was interviewed, after being read her Miranda Rights, she confirmed that the two had left Las Vegas. She told officers that she had been using methamphetamine and that Davidson had supplied it to her.

Walters said Davidson would often go to Las Vegas alone but didnt know where hed go.

Davidson and Walters are scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. on July 25 before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert.

Though Davidson and Walters have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

The post Traffic stop leads to two Montana suspects arrested after police find 25 pounds of meth appeared first on East Idaho News.
By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -\U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a deadly Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church, the White House said on Thursday, adding Trump did not react positively to the incident.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

An Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church killed three people and injured several others, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small parish, said on Thursday.

The Patriarchate condemned "this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place," saying two women and one man were killed in the attack on the Holy Family Church.

KEY QUOTES

The White House was asked in a press briefing about Trump's reaction to the Israeli strike on the church.

"It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza," the White House spokeswoman told reporters.

"And I understand the prime minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That's what the prime minister relayed to the president," the White House spokeswoman added.

A State Department's spokeswoman separately added: "I think its an understatement to say that he (Trump) was not happy." The State Department said Washington asked Israel to probe the strike.

CONTEXT

The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Israel's Foreign Ministry said the results of the investigation would be published. Netanyahu said Israel "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church."

Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including the three killed in the church strike, according to medics and church officials.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
The release of a twice-deported rapist in Virginia is putting renewed focus on the dangers posed by Democrat-led sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Guatemala national David Cabrera was collared by ICE last week after being set free by sanctuary-aligned jurisdiction Arlington County, who refused to honor a federal detainer and released him without notifying ICE.

In a video obtained by Fox News, Cabrera is seen roaming a local street before ICE agents initiate his arrest.

Illegal immigrant David Cabrera was arrested last week. He was previously deported twice and re-entered the U.S. at least three times.

Ice Arrests Illegal Aliens Previously Released In 'Sanctuary' Massachusetts

Cabrera entered the U.S. illegally in 2014 and was convicted of felony rape in 2015. He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, although a portion of it was suspended.

He was released into ICE custody in 2017 and subsequently deported to Guatemala, but re-entered the U.S. again at an unknown time and date. He was then arrested again for a probation violation and deported again in 2020, only to re-enter again.

Read On The Fox News App

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons blasted the release, telling Fox News it puts agents and the public at risk.

"This is the whole reason why sanctuary jurisdictions do not keep America safe," Lyons said. "It lets criminals back on the street to reoffend again. If Arlington had cooperated, we could have arrested him in a secure facility  instead, our agents had to track him down in the community, where they could have encountered others."

Arlingtons 2022 trust policy allows police to comply with state and federal law  but restricts voluntary detainer holds and information-sharing with ICE unless required by law.

David Cabrera being arrested by ICE.

Us Attorney For Massachusetts Says Interference With Ice Operations Is 'Disturbing,' Threatens Arrests

In May, the county board removed a provision which had allowed limited police cooperation with ICE, including in cases involving terrorism, gangs, or felony arrests). Since then, local police cannot proactively contact ICE in such cases, though they must comply with legal orders.

The Cabrera underlines the dangers posed to the public when jurisdictions do not comply with federal law enforcement, Lyons said.

Cabrera was arrested on June 4 for a probation violation and released from Arlington County Adult Detention Center on July 11 despite an active ICE detainer.

"You have an individual that is the worst of the worst, someone convicted of rape, and we had the opportunity to deport him. We did deport him and they dont want to turn that individual over the right way," Lyons said.

Lyons said that Arlington County's actions put agents at risk. This comes at a time when agents are being doxxed, and attacks on them have skyrocketed by 830% since January.

"Here you have an aggravated felon thats been deported multiple times and Arlington County is releasing him back into the community. To reoffend again. Its just not right and it doesnt keep the public safe."

Lyons said that Arlington County's actions put agents at risk. This comes at a time when agents are being doxxed, and attacks on them have skyrocketed by 830% since January.

"We wouldnt have to send ICE agents into the community, where they run the chance to run into someone else that we might arrest," Lyons said. "We would much rather arrest someone in a secure, safe environment. Its safer for my officers and agents It is safer for that individual were arresting, but its safer for the community as well."

Anti-ICE activists across the U.S. have been protesting immigration enforcement, sometimes harassing ICE agents and demanding their badge numbers and the removal of their masks.

At times, the protesters have turned violent.

ICE agents were attacked and had rocks thrown at their moving vehicles during a raid on a marijuana farm last week, while ICE agents have also come under attack outside an ICE detention facility in Portland. Law enforcement vehicles were also pelted with rocks during deportation-linked rioting in Los Angeles.

DHS accused Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., of showing a violent mob an ICE employees business card, prompting a mob to attack him. The official was struck by a rock and sent to the emergency room, where he received multiple stitches, DHS said.





Original article source: Twice-deported migrant rapist freed as Dems face heat for sanctuary policies
By Antoni Slodkowski, Casey Hall and Scott Murdoch

BEIJING/SHANGHAI/SYDNEY (Reuters) -Fears that employees of foreign firms risk entanglement with Chinese authorities have resurfaced after news that an employee of U.S. bank Wells Fargo has been banned from leaving the country.

Business groups, diplomats and overseas executives say the incident is part of a long-term trend that had appeared to ease off as Beijing pushed to promote its appeal to foreign commerce to bolster its slowing economy.

"Such stories can raise concerns of foreign businesses regarding travel to China," said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

"At a time when China is proactively trying to attract foreign investment it sends something of a mixed signal."

Wells Fargo has suspended all travel to China after the incident, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Shanghai-born Chenyue Mao, who spearheads the bank's international factoring business, was subjected to the ban after she entered China in recent weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported. She is a U.S. citizen, a source told Reuters.

An emailed request for comment sent to Mao received an automated response saying she was "travelling international on business".

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing on Friday that he was not aware of the Wells Fargo matter, adding that China was committed to providing a welcoming environment for foreign companies to do business.

The U.S. embassy in Beijing said it could not comment on the specifics of the case due to privacy and other reasons.

"We have raised our concern with Chinese authorities about the impact arbitrary exit bans on U.S. citizens have on our bilateral relations and urged them to immediately allow impacted U.S. citizens to return home," a spokesperson for the embassy added.

The United States does not provide an official figure for how many citizens are detained abroad, but The Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for the release of political prisoners in China, estimates there are more than 200 Americans in China alone who are wrongfully detained or facing coercive measures, such as exit bans.

The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory for mainland China in November 2024 saying visitors should "exercise increased caution" due to "arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans."

ROUTINELY USED

In a survey conducted by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China of its members last year, 9% of respondents reported challenges attracting foreign nationals to work in China due to concerns related to personal safety and/or civil and criminal liability such as company raids, arbitrary arrests or exit bans.

Of the 128 respondents, 4% said business travel from China to their company's headquarters had been negatively impacted due to employees being unable to leave China due to exit bans.

There is no official data in China on the number of individuals subject to exit bans.

But non-profit organisation Safeguard Defenders estimates bans have shot up over the past decade and that "tens of thousands" of people - the vast majority Chinese nationals - face such bans at any one time, citing court data on civil and criminal cases.

A 2022 academic study found 128 cases of foreigners faced exit bans between 1995 and 2019, including 29 Americans and 44 Canadians. Around a third of the bans were business related.

James Zimmerman, a lawyer based in Beijing and former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said Chinese authorities routinely use exit bans to prevent witnesses or suspects viewed as flight risks from exiting mainland China.

"Most of the time, there is a legitimate legal basis for the exit ban, while there are indeed instances of misuse of the process by the government authorities, including for political reasons," Zimmerman said

While there are procedures in place to have the ban lifted, a lack of transparency and absence of a workable bail system make it a time-consuming and challenging process, he added.

Other incidents of bans in recent years have embroiled executives from Japanese investment bank Nomura Holdings, U.S. risk advisory firm Kroll and Swiss wealth manager UBS.

Yet some professional advisors say travel to China has become safer than several years ago, said Benjamin Qiu, Co-Chair, Asian Affairs Committee at the New York City Bar Association.

Unless your company has been specifically targeted by the state or a state-owned entity, risks are low, said Qui, adding that ethnic Chinese travellers do face heightened risk.

Other executives are hoping the Wells Fargo incident does not presage a wider crackdown.

"We do so much business in China and travel there so much, we can't afford not to. I would hope this is just a one-off," said a capital markets banker at a Western bank in Hong Kong, declining to be named as the person was not authorised to talk to the media.

(Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski and Liz Lee in Beijing; Casey Hall in Shanghai, Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Hong Kong Newsroom; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox





Key Points

Jalapenos found at most major grocery stores today are actually less spicy than those of the past.

A desire for a more consistent pepper for use in processed foods is largely responsible for the proliferation of mild jalapenos.

The TAM jalapeno, named for Texas A&M University where it was created, debuted in the early 1980s and was specifically created to address the desires of food companies for a more predictable pepper with consistent, mild heat.





It's not just your imagination, jalapenos arent as spicy as they once were. Seeded or not, small or large, theyre not packing the same heat, and this is actually on purpose. Go to any major grocery store and youre bound to get a bulbous pepper with a mild heat and slightly grassy flavor. Well explain why and how jalapenos became less spicy, and what you can do to kick up the heat.

A Little History

It all starts with the popularity of Mexican foods in the United States. Texas and other border states were some of the earliest parts of the country to introduce chilis, in one form or another, to America.

According to Ohio State University, one of the first entrepreneurs was William Gebhardt in Texas: "[He] first imported ancho chiles to grind into chili powder in his New Braunfels, Texas restaurant in 1894. He is widely credited as the inventor of this product. He soon thereafter founded Gebhardts and built a factory in San Antonio for nationwide distribution of his now-patented Eagle Chili Powder two years later in 1896."

Gebhardt, along with other early food companies, not only sold products but marketed them using free cookbooks. This would change how Americans cooked at home, and the types of dishes that would become commonplace, including chili or chili con carne, which today is widely considered a classic American dish.

Fast forward a few decades, and companies like Pace, Old El Paso, and La Victoria are household names. Most communities, whether urban, suburban, or even rural, have a local Mexican restaurant, and as of 1992, Americans buy more salsa than ketchup each year.





Meet Our Expert

Katherine L. Chiou: Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alabama. Her work centers on foodways across time and spacehow people grow, share, politicize, and make meaning through food. As part of her research, she has explored the history of chili peppers across the Americas.





How Jalapenos Lost Their Heat

I will say, as somebody who has followed a lot of conversations online over the last years, I guess ever since I've been involved with chili pepper research, I've always seen these instances of people being like, hey, have you noticed that jalapenos are getting less spicy? says Katherine L. Chiou, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama.

And she's not alone. Brian Reinhart, food critic for D Magazine in Dallas, brought the conversation to the forefront when his own encounters with increasingly mild jalapenos led him to investigate what was going on. Funny enough, Texas happens to be at the heart of the problem.

Not-So Heat Seekers

Just as salsa has outsold ketchup in the United States, spicy foods may seem more popular than ever. There's the popular celebrity interview show Hot Ones, or the ubiquity of chili crisp in many restaurants, and not just Asian ones.

But more generally, food companies are still trying to appeal to the widest swath of consumers, and that means having reliably mild options on shelves. Choiu notes that about 60 percent of jalapenos are grown to be used in production, not sold fresh, and while you can always add more spice to a product, it's hard to take it away. Enter the TAM jalapeno.

"We know that over the last few decades, let's say ever since the 1980s, that there have been the appearance of milder varieties of jalapenos, starting, of course, with the famous example of the Texas A&M one," says Chiou.

TAM, which stands for Texas A&M University, is a jalapeno pepper first released in the early 1980s that was specifically bred to be mild. Brands like Old El Paso had reached out directly to chile expert Dr. Benigno Villalon (nicknamed Dr. Pepper) about creating a mild variety.

Villalon had already been working on a virus-resistant bell pepper, crossbreeding it with different peppers, like jalapenos, and as result had already accidentally created a mild jalapeno. He refined his work to create the TAM, which preserved more of the jalapeno flavor without the kick. Later came the TAM II, an even more consistent and mild pepper.

Photographer: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

This was a major development as jalapenos aren't a very predictable crop by nature. "You'll notice that's sort of a prevailing thing with peppers, that consistency is kind of difficult. They're very responsive to environmental conditions," says Chiou. "Even within the same plant you can variation in terms of capsaicin [heat] levels."

It's not just a problem for jalapenos. I always like to point to the example of the Padron pepper, she says. Where that Russian roulette aspect is actually a desirable thing, right to the point where they have a saying of, Padron pepper, some are hot and some are not.

The TAM didn't just stay in processed products, though. It's now in your produce section. That same consistency praised by Old Paso is what has you as a consumer wondering if your spice tolerance has increased or if it's just the pepper. This flattening of variety and spice is part of a larger trend in American agriculture, but also increasingly in Mexico, too.

In Mexico, I have a colleague I work with, she's actually from Palapa, and she studies chili peppers, and her major complaint is that even in Mexico where, of course, there's a giant variety of peppers, that increasingly industrial agriculture has meant that there's less of that [variety]," notes Chiou.

And you kind of have to look towards smaller communities and indigenous populations for some of that biodiversity. So I think largely we are trending towards decreasing agrobiodiversity and I think the United States is probably pretty high up there in terms of moving towards monocultures.

The best way to work against that trend is to source your peppers from smaller producers, like your local farmer's market or international grocery store. In Reinhart's piece, he offers the example of the tomato, which increasingly you can find heirloom varieties of in major grocery stores. The jalapeno became more mild because of market forces, but a demand for hotter peppers just might drive supermarkets (and producers) to kick things up a notch.



Read the original article on Southern Living
Audwin Caines, 62, allegedly approached 45-year-old Chaneil Ramsay as she walked with her 21-year-old daughter in South Jamaica around 2:30 p.m. June 23 and started opening fire, according to the Queens DA's Office.

A woman gunned down by her homeless estranged husband in Queens last month was trying to shield her daughter from the barrage of bullets when she was killed, prosecutors said Thursday.

Audwin Caines, 62, allegedly approached 45-year-old Chaneil Ramsay as she walked with her 21-year-old daughter in South Jamaica around 2:30 p.m. June 23 and started opening fire, according to the Queens DAs Office.

The targeted mother and daughter ducked behind a car parked in the driveway of a home on 127th Avenue near 176th Street, court documents reveal.

Audwin Caines, 62, is allegedly shot and killed his estranged wife as she tried to shield her daughter, prosecutors said. NYPD 113 Precinct

But as Caines got closer to the pair, Ramsay stood up, stepped away from the car and ran toward the pursuing gunman to keep her daughter out of harms way, according to prosecutors.

Thats when Caines allegedly shot her at point-blank range, killing her, the DAs office charged.

The slain woman had been on her way to visit a friend, alongside her daughter, when the alleged killer cornered her, according to a man who lives upstairs from the friend.

Ramsay had parked on 176th Street and was walking toward her friends place when she spotted Caines, said a witness, who did not want to be identified.

When he saw her, they stopped running and he started shooting, the man said. He started to shoot around here. So he probably ran on her.

Ramsay, who was shot in the head, was found face-down on the ground unconscious and unresponsive. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Ramsay collapsed onto the pavement, where police found her face down, unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head, cops said.

Meanwhile, Caines took off, and the victims daughter called the cops, police said.

Ramsay was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Before the murder, Caines allegedly smashed the window of Ramsays car with a brick and sent her threatening messages on Whatsapp, prosecutors said. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The neighbor said that Ramsays daughters life was spared by a split-second decision.

Listen. if the mother had run the other way, around the truck, and her daughter went down, now the shooter would have come around here, the neighbor said. And her daughter would have been [shot]  he would have shot the daughter too.

About two hours before the murder, the victim found the front passenger window of her Jeep Grand Cherokee shattered, with a brick inside the car, according to the criminal complaint.

Caines is also accused of stabbing his estranged wife with a broken bottle of alcohol in another attack last year, the DAs office said. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

A few minutes before that, Ramsay allegedly received a slew of messages from Caines on Whatsapp, including a photo of the broken window and threats to harm her, according to the court filing.

The intimidating texts included, Im going to keep fking up your st, and You want to fk me over now, Im doing it to you, prosecutors said.

Caines evaded capture for more than three weeks before the NYPDs Regional Fugitive Task Force caught up to him Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

He was arraigned Wednesday night on charges of murder, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief in connection to the cold-blooded slaying.

If convicted, Caines could spend 25 years to life behind bars. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

He was also arraigned on charges of felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon, for allegedly stabbing Ramsay with a broken bottle about a year ago, prosecutors said.

In that case, Caines is accused of bashing Ramsay in the head with a full bottle of alcohol  and then stabbing her in the chest and elbow with the broken fragments back on July 1, 2024, the court docs reveal.

The couple was arguing inside their Irwin Place home when Ramsay asked Caines to leave, sparking his violent outburst, according to prosecutors.

Caines was ordered held without bail by Queens Criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar, with his next appearance set for Friday.

If convicted, Caines could face 25 years to life behind bars.

As alleged, a 45-year-old woman was senselessly gunned down on the streets of St. Albans by her estranged husband, as part of an escalating series of violent incidents, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. This murder shocked the community, and my office will seek justice for the family of Chaneil Ramsay.
Sharon Suh

Cindy Eckert first learned about hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)the most common type of sexual dysfunction in womenwhile attending a conference as a cofounder of Slate Pharmaceuticals, a male-hormone company. (At the time, Slates main drug was a testosterone treatment.)

During a presentation, scientists showed brain scan images comparing how women with normal desire and women with HSDD reacted to erotic materials. The condition is described by the American Sexual Health Association as the absence of sexual fantasies and thoughts, and/or desire for or receptivity to, sexual activity that causes the person distress or difficulties. Cindy compares HSDD to a light switch in the brain that can essentially shut off libido.

The proof was in the pictures: Women with the condition had very little to no activation in the pleasure centers of the brain compared to women with normal desire. Here it was in black-and-white, but everyone sat there looking at their phones, Cindy says. She glanced around at the group and wondered, Well, whos doing something about this? As the old adage goes, if you want something done rightor, in the case of womens sexual health, at allyou gotta do it yourself.

Joe Lingeman

A self-proclaimed science nerd, Cindy was drawn to the field of sexual health because it was a relatively new concept, ripe for discovery. Despite the taboo nature of her work, she loved that the findings made a real difference in peoples lives. From the moment I stepped into the male sexual health space, my fascination was: This matters in someones overall life experience, she says. Sex is an integral part of the human experience, and when you can improve that for somebody, its the highest reward. But seeing those images at the conferenceand realizing that no one else seemed to carespurred Cindy to ask the obvious, she says: How can we have as many as 26 FDA-approved medications for men to lead a more satisfying sex life and not a single one for women? I knew, based on the data, more women than men actually struggle with sexual dysfunction.



About half of women40 to 50 percentwill, at some point in their life, suffer from at least one of the four main types of sexual dysfunction: desire disorders, arousal disorders, orgasm disorders, and pain disorders. The most prevalent is HSDD, affecting about 10 percent of women, predominantly those age 45 and older. In fact, nearly 42 percent of women report a drop in sexual desire during perimenopause. Meanwhile, erectile dysfunctionthe main type of sexual dysfunction in menaffects up to 14 percent of men under age 40, increasing to about 52 percent between ages 40 and 70.

For Cindy, the issue was also personal. Shed struggled with symptoms of HSDD, as well as with the (lack of) treatment options. Here I was, running a company for men to lead more satisfying sex lives and missing out on having one of my own, she says. I wanted that part of myself back, but I was dismissed when I brought up the concern to my ob-gyn. She was told it was a psychological problem and the solution was to light candles, practice mindfulnessjust relax. HSDD took a toll on her relationship, which ended, and on her self-confidence as well. Id accepted that dim reality, she says. But when she saw the numbers and the science on that screen, lightning struck.

Cindy spent the next year working with the best sexual medicine doctors in the world and listening to female patients share their experiences. They came from all walks of life, but every persons story at some point was exactly the same, she recalls. I thought, Thats me. Im them. This is the same struggle. Despite being in happy relationships, these women had little to no sexual desire. When they were intimate with their partners, it often took the form of mercy sex, because they loved their partner and wanted them to feel pleasure, even though the women werent experiencing any themselves. The worst part: They didnt know why they felt this wayand all of the so-called solutions (date nights, relaxing bubble baths, etc.) didnt work.



Those real-talk conversations were Cindys secret fuel as she sold Slate Pharmaceuticals, founded Sprout Pharmaceuticals, and began the grueling six-year FDA approval process for Addyi, the first medication designed to treat HSDD in premenopausal women. She was determined that she and all those other women would be taken seriously for what they knew was happening to them biologicallynot psychologically.

HSDD is believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (not unlike anxiety and depression), and flibanserinthe active ingredient in Addyiimpacts mood. Thats how it was first discovered: It was a mood drug that had an interesting side effect in that it made you think about sex, Cindy says. The way that flibanserin works in the brain is not fully understood, but its believed to interact with serotonin receptors, increasing the release of dopamine and norepinephrine, both of which play a role in sexual response and behavior. I am a firm believer that womens biggest sex organ is here, she says, pointing to her temple.

Many antidepressants and antianxiety medications, such as Lexapro, Zoloft, and Prozac, are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which primarily work by increasing serotonin but can also have an indirect effect on dopamine. That one-two punch is known to decrease sex drive (one of the common side effects of SSRIs), so the theory goes that because flibanserin appears to act on those neurotransmitters in the opposite way, it would have the opposite effect.

As Cindy and her team began developing Addyi, which she dubbed the little pink pill, the hyperfeminine hue also became her armor. Challenging the status quo was not easy, even with a track record. Id built a successful company in mens [sexual] health, yet everyone would pat me on the shoulder and almost in a singsong voice say, Oh, the little pink pill, thats cute, she says. It was so obvious what was embedded in thatmaking it trivial, the perceived weakness of femininity.

Her unapologetically pink outlook began to form, almost turning into a battle cry. She started wearing pink every day, and the shade became brighter and bolder with each subsequent FDA hearing for Addyi. She didnt care if they didnt take her seriously at first. She would no longer be ignored.

Now, when she wears pink, she feels as if shes suiting up to go on mission. That mission? To empower women. Its you getting to live your life on your own terms with complete agency over your pleasure, Cindy says.

That proud pink stance wasnt her natural inclination. Like many women, Cindy had absolutely no sex education growing up, she says. Her father worked for the State Department, and she moved so much that she was in a different school every year from fourth grade through high school. No chance I was getting clear messaging on sex, she says, other than the societal narrative that pleasure is a mans to receive and a womans to deliver.

She sees firsthand the lasting effects of this notion. Whenever she meets someone newsay, at a cocktail partyand they ask what she does, she watches their reaction carefully as she explains her work with Addyi. If its a male-female couple, the woman kind of shuts down, like, Oh yeah, okay, I dont need that, and the man leans forward and goes, Can I take it? she says. You see societal conditioning in a snapshot: The womans like, Im not supposed to talk about this, and the mans like, I am entitled to this. That might explain why, although Addyi received FDA approval and came on the market in 2015, you havent heard much about it. It tells you how deeply embedded this is culturallythe daring to talk about womens sexual pleasure.

Addyi was immediately dubbed the female Viagra, and for better or worse (mostly for worse, per Cindy), the moniker stuck. In a way, you think [the comparison] is amazing: This can be as transformative for womens health as Viagra was for mens. But it also sets up the wrong notion of how desire works for women, Cindy says. Sex, for women, is not the performative act. Its about being in the headspace of feeling hot, being interested, responding to your partner or to [other] cues. Were brain flow, not blood flow.



The comparison to Viagra also epitomizes the double standard that Cindy has spent a decade trying to dismantle. The atrocity of womens health is that were not taken seriously, and it shows up in so many ways, she says. First, it shows up in the regulatory queue, where theres a double standard to get to an approval. Viagra was deemed to meet such an important unmet medical need that the FDA fast-tracked the review process and approved it in less than six months. Despite having three times as many patients worth of data proving the efficacy of Addyi, Cindy says, it spent six years in the regulatory queue waiting for approval.

That double standard also shows up in advertising guidelines: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder contains the word sex (the horror!), whereas erectile dysfunction does not. When we first put up ads, they were all taken down, Cindy says. Even now, youll find Addyi commercials mostly on podcasts with a female-leaning audience, not on national TV, in clear contrast to the onslaught of ads for mail-order generic Viagra.

Denise Truscello

Last but certainly not least, the double standard shows up in the medical establishment. Perimenopausal women are the largest demographic using Addyia patient group that has been, until recently, largely ignored, undermined, and misdiagnosed. (Right now, Addyi is FDA-approved only to treat premenopausal women, but Cindy just received word that its been fast-tracked for approval in postmenopausal women in the U.S., which is a promising sign.)



Whether officially diagnosed with HSDD or not, women in perimenopause tend to face the same struggles: mood imbalances, libido shifts, weight gain, and sleep disturbances. Addyi works on every single one of those things, Cindy says, adding that it does so without hormones. For women who cant use vaginal estrogen or hormone replacement therapy for other medical reasons, Addyi can be a boon, but the comparison to Viagra has almost allowed the medical community to not understand how Addyi works, she says. Sometimes Ill sit in a room with physicians and say, Tell me how it works. They dont know that its brain chemistry.

To be clear, progress has been made. Today, you cant pass a board exam to be an ob-gyn or urologist without answering a question about Addyi. Still, Cindy dreams of the day when doctors ask about sexual satisfaction as a routine part of a womans annual checkup. The longer-term goal is changing what the medical establishment prioritizes, from the top down.

Cindy views the advocacy work shes done with Addyi as part of a larger health care revolution. Women are now like, Im gonna demand the care I deserve, she says. The female population is challenging the medical establishment. Its finally happening. Medicines following their lead, not the other way around. At the front of that invigorated pack? Cindy, their pink-suited entrepreneurial leader, wholl never stop talking about a womans right to understand that better sex and true desire are part of her overall wellness.

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Clermont County Sheriff





NEED TO KNOW

Police say Seth Schlueter, 30, allegedly followed a woman home after she honked her car horn at him

Schlueter reportedly entered the woman's home and allegedly assaulted her husband

Schlueter was later arrested at a convenience store and is now facing multiple charges





An Ohio man was arrested and is facing charges after allegedly following a woman home and assaulting her husband  all because she honked her car horn at him.

Clermont County Sheriffs Office deputies arrested 30-year-old Seth Schlueter on several charges, including aggravated burglary, assault and endangering children, WLWT reported, citing the sheriffs office.

Around 5:30 p.m. on July 11, a woman was driving behind Schlueter when he allegedly stopped driving his car in the middle of the roadway, the outlet reported, citing authorities. The woman honked at him and drove around him, after which Schlueter, who had his kids with him in the car, allegedly started following her.

When the woman got home, Schlueter allegedly confronted her husband, who was on the porch, while his wife ran behind the house in fear, Fox19 reported, citing deputies. The husband then tried to retrieve his wife from behind their home in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

While the husband and wife were behind their house, Schlueter allegedly got his kids, who were all 5 years old or younger, from his car and stormed into the victims home, the outlet reported, citing the sheriffs office.

Schlueter and his kids then allegedly damaged the inside of the couples home  then, when confronted by the womans husband, Schlueter allegedly punched him in the face before grabbing his kids and fleeing the scene, the Clermont Countys Sheriffs Office told Fox19.

The womans husband was treated on the scene by emergency services for minor injuries, WCPO reported.

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Detectives said they found Schlueter with his wife at a convenience store along State Route 727 and took him into custody, according to Fox19.

He is now facing charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated menacing, assault, endangering children and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, the outlet reported, citing the sheriffs office.

Schlueter is being held in a local county jail and has been denied bond, per the local outlets.

Read the original article on People
A sheriff's deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic on July 5 in Hunt, Texas, after a flash flood swept through the area. - Julio Cortez/AP

Sixty miles of river. Murky waters, thick mud and seemingly insurmountable piles of debris.

Painstaking recovery efforts are still underway for around 100 people missing following the devastating July Fourth flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas.

Stark images show search teams on their hands and knees sifting through two-story piles of debris from trees turned into sticks. The grim task, using strategies including hand-sifting and specific diving techniques, is expected to drag on for months.

We have a long, long way to go to really thoroughly search this area, said Capt. Max McQuarrie of the Virginia Beach Water Rescue Team, whose crew is assisting in Texas. Its going to be a slow, methodical process  to really provide the answers that everyones looking for.

While many families are waiting for those answers, some have already learned their loved ones were among the more than 130 people who died as a result of the floods.

12-hour shifts, with little time off

More than 1,000 local, state and federal responders  in addition to thousands of volunteers from across the country  continue intensive search operations, Kerr County Emergency Operations Center Unified Command said Tuesday.

Search teams run 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with an hour break for lunch at noon, before heading back into the field, said Joe Rigelsky, a founder of Upstream International, a Christian nonprofit involved in the search.

Credentialed search teams are eating heavy in protein, good carb-load meals  prepared by organizations like World Central Kitchen and Mercy Chefs  so they have the energy to do the work, he said.

Work teams come in shifts, but team leads  I havent had a day off, said Rigelsky, who arrived July 4.

The process can take an emotional toll, Michael Guyer, a volunteer who joined the search last week, told CNN.

The burnout is real, Guyer said. For hours youll be digging through piles of silt, mud, debris and rock. Typically finding nothing in frustration. Then the next hour or day youll hear that someone in that very spot found bodies, and you think to yourself, If only I dug more, if only I had dogs, if only we had more manpower and equipment.

Equipped with the limited resources of only a shovel and our sense of smell, Guyer said, search conditions can be miserable at times.

There is so much sand, mud, debris and silt we are digging through that it takes hours to dig with just shovels, he said.

Complicating matters, volunteers were asked to vacate the river area for their safety during inclement weather with the potential for renewed flash flooding earlier this week. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority continues to advise the public to avoid being near or in waterways in Kerr County due to debris, fast-moving currents, and poor water quality.

The suck pile and talks of draining a nearby lake

Areas to be searched range from nearby lakes to large piles of debris in residents own front yards.

Authorities in Kerrville say they are working on plans to remove water from at least one lake in their search for victims. They are seeing how feasible it would be to drain Nimitz Lake, which is overflowing a dam on the Guadalupe River, Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes said in a special city council meeting Monday.

Nimitz Lake is saturated, its overtopping the dam, and its going to continue as long as the rain continues, Hornes said, noting murky water and debris are making it difficult for searchers to see.

Holmes said city, state and federal officials are working through several plans on how to safely pump water from the lake without causing additional issues upstream due to how saturated the soil is from recent rains.

Members of a firefighter crew from Mexico assist in recovery efforts by searching for bodies in the Guadalupe River outside Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 10. - Eli Hartman/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Debris sits on a flood gauge following flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 9. - Eli Hartman/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Back on land, many debris piles on private properties cant be reduced by hand and require heavy machinery. Kerrville officials are requiring professional search teams to check the piles before removing them. Officials have also warned residents not to burn debris piles for fear that remains may be trapped underneath.

The searches are conducted in small, established search grids. Each section of the grid system is then meticulously documented  how often the section was searched, which assets were used and what the water levels were at the time of the search.

McQuarries team has been working on a 10-mile section in the heart of Kerrville, which includes debris piles, islands and tributaries. The divisions are lettered from Alpha through Lima; some are smaller, some a little bigger, depending on how challenging the search areas are, McQuarrie told CNN.

The Delta search area assigned to his team from Virginia includes four to five bridges, and six or seven low-head dams, each of which run their own challenges, according to McQuarrie, who noted water levels vary from very deep to very shallow.

Downed trees, massive piles of rock and debris are found along both sides of the river, forming an entirely different landscape than the green pasture and land that once lined the banks. One section of the search area, where large amounts of rock and sediment are piled up, carried there by the absolute force of nature the Guadalupe swelled to on July 4, has been dubbed the suck pile by search and recovery crews, McQuarrie said. The pile, which varied in height, stretched at least 200 yards, he added.

Were dealing with areas that have anywhere from six to eight feet of new land, Rigelsky told CNN. Weve got areas that werent islands before.

First responders carry out search and rescue operations near the Guadalupe River on July 7 after a flash flood swept through the area in Ingram, Texas. - Eli Hartman/AP

Looking, smelling, listening

Since their arrival a week ago, McQuarries team has been combing through their search area looking, smelling, listening, he told CNN. The team starts with a primary search where they pick spots they want to go back over and mark those with cell technology. Then secondary searches are done, followed by targeted searches, which often include canine search teams and heavy equipment, like excavators.

Debris fields, in the early stages, may not have decomposing matter in them, so dogs might not pick them up. So, you may mark that as unsearchable, and then you come back with whatever equipment can make it searchable, Rigelsky explained.

It really has been a heavy dog-oriented search. The humans, the people involved, are only as good as the dogs theyre with, Rigelsky said.

Images shared by the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department show a canine team, machine operators and a recovery crew working in unison to carefully search one of the many giant debris piles along the 60-mile stretch layer by layer, the department wrote on social media.

What were really focusing on now too, are the divers, Razor Dobbs with the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department told CNN affiliate WFAA. The divers now are being able to go in and really scour underneath the surface, because up on top of the land, its been combed over  scores of times by human eyes, on foot, and also with the canine units.

Once the solid layer of debris is cleared off the surface of the river, divers gear up and search the bottom and nooks below the surface, the fire department said. There is a bit of risk to it, just because of visibility. We dont have any visibility at all, so everything is by feel, Dale Hammon, an experienced blackwater diver with a group of divers called 300 Justice Road, told CNN affiliate KBMT.

Workers and a dog look through piles of debris after flooding in Texas. - From Center Point Volunteer Fire Department

Divers search through debris. - From Center Point Volunteer Fire Department

For all the teams involved, safety is paramount.

Were trying to manage two really important things here, making sure were all safe and getting home  and trying to be as diligent as possible, trying to cover it as best we can, making sure we leave no stone unturned, both literally and figuratively, McQuarrie explained.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, who spent years working on disaster recovery operations with the military, including bringing relief to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, told CNN, Its hard, tedious work.

In reality, well be finding remains for months and years to come, Honore said, noting remains continued to be found six months after Katrina struck New Orleans.

CNNs Ray Sanchez, Ed Lavandera, Ruben Correa, Isabel Rosales and Tori B. Powell contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump is calling for an immediate end to the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who he said is the victim of "unjust" politically motivated attacks.

The Brazilian leader is facing an investigation and an upcoming trial accusing him of leading an attempted coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, was at the White House for meetings.

He later said in a video posted to social media that "decisions are being made" with respect to possible sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that the U.S. has been considering.

"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!" Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening.

Prosecutors Tied To Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Cases Fired By Justice Department: Reports

"I share your commitment to listening to the voice of the people and I am very concerned about the attacks on free speech  both in Brazil and in the United States  coming out of the current government. I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy."

Read On The Fox News App

President Donald Trump arrives before a dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at Mar-a-Lago March 7, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla.

Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country's president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.

In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.

A panel of justices on Brazils Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro's successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.

White House Pushes Back Forcefully On Epstein File Criticism: 'Asinine Suggestion'

Under Brazilian law , a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a ministerial meeting on plans to support Rio Grande do Sul state, which was affected by floods, at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, May 13, 2024.

In his letter to Bolsonaro, Trump said it was his "sincere hope" that the government in Brazil "changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime."

"I will be watching closely," Trump added.

For his part, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters, "I have no concerns about the accusations, zero."

Trump's Treasury Department Targets Dangerous Venezuelan Prison Gang With Sanctions On 6 Top Leaders

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a luncheon with senators from his support base at the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, Feb. 18, 2025.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro. The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allops the U.S. to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption.

After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation.

"If theres no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them," Lula said, according to The Associated Press. "Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it."





Original article source: Trump calls for immediate end to unjust trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
by David Winner

Im the comic relief here, not much else is funny.

After the inauguration, I began to feel the siren call of the southern border: so mystified, so lied about, so central to our recent political troubles. And despite all the real horrors (the deportations and detainments) and invented horrors (undocumented people wreaking havoc), I had no sense of what going there would be like. My only experiences at the southern border happened when I was in in grad school in Tucson in the early nineties, and it is to Tucson that I have decided to return. Thirty years ago, Greyhound buses, replete with nortenos and multiple stops at random-seeming street corners, would make the hour-long journey to the border. There was nothing stressful, nothing fraught about either going to Mexico or returning to the United States, but the acceleration of cartel violence and the Trump administration and its horrors may have turned everything upside down.

April 3, 2025, spring break from my college teaching job, Im in an Airbnb in Tucson, fretting about my international journey the next day.

During the relatively benign Trump One, I found myself going through customs at Kennedy Airport with a group of Warsaw passengers. Homeland Security aggressively searched their bags for contraband kielbasa. We didnt bring any, said one of them, we can get it in Brooklyn.

Recently, during the first several months of Trump 2.0, an Australian living in the U.S. on a work visa got detained and deported after a brief trip home to bury his mothers ashes. A German on a tourist visa went with a friend and their dog over to Tijuana for cheaper veterinary care only to get detained on the way back, weeks in an ICE facility before finally getting deported. Even when a judge saw the legal birth certificate of an American citizen of Latino origin detained in Florida, he could not release him from ICE custody. Worst of all, obviously dystopic, are the El Salvadorans and Venezuelans (most of whom appear to have been non-gang members living legally in the United States) being kept in barbaric conditions in a concentration camp in El Salvador where Trump has threatened to send American citizens who he calls homegrown terrorists. Other prisoners, some with green cards, are being kept in subhuman conditions in Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades.

As a white citizen, I will probably be okay, but Im sixty years old and rather a delicate flower. I wouldnt last a minute in ICE custody. But after all the rhetoric of the election and all that has happened since Trump took office, I wanted to visit the place that compelled so many to vote for him and glimpse his big beautiful wall for myself.

*

Nogales, Sonora had been a small, pleasant Mexican city until it got reputably taken over by cartels in the nineties. Its supposed to be better now, and, besides, I dont think Ill get kidnapped in the shadow of the border station.

In my Airbnb on the night before my journey, Im watching The White Lotus, shaken by the possibility of getting detained. Ive deleted social media from my phone, but CPB (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) may still confiscate it and find traces of my useless complaining about the president.

When I head to the tiny kitchen where its charging to check for messages, I see that it appears to be on, but the screen is dark. Over and over, I follow AIs directions to hit volume up, volume down, then the side button, but nothing happens. I might be safer tomorrow without it, but my phone is too crucial an appendage. Journeying back and forth to Mexico without it wont be psychically viable.

*

The following morning, I cant get my laptop to call me a cab or an Uber to my destination, not the Mexican border but the nearest Verizon store. When I slip outside for a moment for a breath of fresh air, a considerate man asks me how Im doing, listens to my predicament and calls me a cab. Technology may fail us, but there is always the kindness of strangers.

When I tell the cab driver, an immigrant landed in Tucson from somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, about my troubles and the stranger whod rescued me, he informs me (with what sounds like pain in his voice as if hes gone through recent troubles) that he was glad that there are still human beings on this earth.

My phone turns out to be dead in the water, and while sitting and waiting with a Verizon employee for my new one to load, I ask him if Tucson residents are still going back and forth over the border. Its a tricky question as the very mention of border leans into Trumpism, and we dont know how each other stands. Yes, he answers, all the time.

The phone problem has given me a day in Tucson without a particular agenda. Ive been walking around town in my two most common sartorial choices: black pants and a tee-shirt and running shorts and a tee-shirt. Oddball clothes, I worry, likely to draw attention when I cross back into the United States. I buy a pair of khakis and a button-down blue shirt at a nearby Goodwill, which seems more appropriate somehow, more conventional. Unfortunately, the blue shirt is too small, so I wear it over a tee-shirt.

*

Greyhound no longer goes from Tucson to the border. A Mexican bus company called Tufesa has taken over the route.

On my way to the Tufesa station the following morning, I ask the Uber driver, who looks Mexican, the same question Id asked the Verizon store guy, was it safe to go back and forth over the border. His English, fine for driving gringos around, wasnt up to sudden passenger questions. While Im trying to phrase it in my shitty Spanish, he uses his phone to translate my question into Spanish and his answer back into English. No problem, goes the AI voice, there is no problem.

The sole gringo in Tufesas small depot, I wait outside for the bus in the surprisingly cool and refreshing Tucson April sun. The 8:45 departure time comes and goes while more and more passengers (aware of the actual schedule) continue to arrive. At 9:15 sharp, the bus arrives and I try to claim my seat  numero uno has been assigned to me only to find it occupied. Farther back in the bus, I stare out the window as we pull out of the terminal onto the highway. The desert and distant mountains soften as we move south: warmer, greener, less barren and desolate. The murmur of quiet conversation reassures me. No one else on the bus seem particularly on edge as we approach the southern border, but I have plenty of anxiety to go around.

An obsessive amateur traveler, borders fill me with excitement and dread, the tense minute while the immigration official peruses your passport and visa, the unknown country on the other side. Ive never been detained or denied entry, but I have had some trouble: the time while trying to leave Romania that an immigration official insisted that I two passports and was showing him the wrong one. Worse was when I realized two days before my departure from Uzbekistan that I lacked two of the registration slips (old school Soviet bureaucracy) that were required to leave the country, one for each hotel in which Id stayed. It will probably be okay, the man Id reached at the American embassy had reassured me, but they might detain you for a show trial.

The woman at the Tufesa desk had asked whether I wanted to go to Nogales, Arizona or Nogales, Sonora. Arizona, I had told her, as I was planning to cross over on foot. But as the bus begins to approach our destination, I worry that we might just drive over, landing me in Mexico. This is indeed my destination, but I want to cross over hesitantly, step by step, like slipping into a cold body of water.

When I get off the bus forty-five minutes later, Im still in the United States. I have a terrible sense of direction, but right over top of my head is a sign pointing towards Mexico. I cannot manage to get myself lost on my way to the border, thereby evading the problem of crossing back into the United States in the Trump 2 era.

*

There is no checkpoint between Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, but I still clutch my drivers license and passport, as I enter the steel and concrete behemoth and keep going until my phone beeps to tell me that Im connected to Mexican cellular.

I dont see the world of restaurants and bars that I remember from Nogales in the old days. A souvenir shop or two, but mostly this is tooth world, four or five dental clinics within eyeshot, offering affordable care to Americans crossing over for the day.

In Nogales decades before, I had once kept on going and going until Id reached the zocalo, in picturesque disrepair like dozens of squares throughout Mexico, nothing different about it to denote the proximity of the border. Poor Mexico, someone once said, so far from God and so close to the United States.

I dont go that far this time, preoccupied as I am with my return to the United States where I may not be construed as different from the hordes of rapists and gang members trying to break into the United States to steal welfare benefits and vote for Democratic candidates. The insanity of it makes me wince. After our disastrous war in Iraq and the subsequent rise of the Califate, we falsely labelled people trying to flee Isis as terrorists themselves just as those fleeing Central America have been continuously mistaken for the very gang members that they are trying to escape. Despite my American passport and white skin, I will be at the whim of the emigration officials who might do worse to me than search me for kielbasa. No social media on my new phone, but I still worry they might confiscate it and poke around until they find evidence of my screeching about Trump on-line.

My plan had been to wander around for an hour or two, eat a big Mexican lunch, drink a margarita or two to dull my anxiety, then slip back into the United States, but its only 10:30, and I cant manage another couple of hours not knowing what my fate has in store.

Instead, I stop at a diner for breakfast: cafe con leche and huevos divorciados: two fried eggs separated by a tortilla. The tomato sauce splattered on one of them, I conjecture, represents the psychic blood spilled in the divorce.

The eggs arrive quickly and quickly I scarf them down, hungry despite my anxiety. But the young man who so quickly took my order and served me seems to have made himself scarce now that I want to pay up and leave. When I catch his eye, I slip a twenty-dollar bill into his hands, much more than my eggs and coffee and in the wrong currency. He looks stunned when I tell him to keep the change. Im overdue to be detained at the border, no time to worry about a few pesos that I wont be able to spend in captivity.

I wander out of the restaurant, vaguely retracing my footsteps until I realize that Im going in the wrong direction down a small dark street, which is a little nerve wracking given Nogaless ostensible dangers. Im caught between Scylla and Charybdis, the American border and the Mexican cartels. Not that theres been any evidence of them anywhere unless theyve moved out of cocaine and into the tooth business.

*

I see an informal assemblage of people, a line of sorts, and, yes, they are not lined for a movie or restaurant but for America.

Before I line up to face my fate, I step into a souvenir shop. The proprietor asks me in English if this is my first time in Mexico and suggests that I visit beautiful Cancun thousands of miles away. I buy four drinking glasses. His questionable spiel about their being handblown proves unnecessary as I pay him in dollars and step outside to join the line.

Which barely moves and seems inordinately long though I cant see the front of it. Is each person subject to that much scrutiny? I have a lot of time at least. It is only eleven, and my bus does not leave until 2:30. Thats if I can make it across the border to the Tufesa station.

The good news is that those with whom Im sharing the line (mostly Mexican with the occasional gringo like me) seem lighthearted, calm. I seem to be the only one expecting to meet his executioner

Slowly, almost unnoticeably, the line is moving, and its not as long as it first appeared. A few minutes later, it branches out in front of two entrance doors to the concrete and steel hangar that leads to America. An official stands in the middle. Is one door for citizens, and the other for non-citizens, I wonder, though it seems more random than that. I grip my passport so its visible as the official lets me pass.

Is that all there is? Am I free? On American soil? No, Im in another line in front of another official who is inspecting documents, but before you get to him you have pass by someone checking to see what youve got with you. Stopping the fentanyl, I assume. The man waves me by. All I have with me is my plastic bag of drinking glasses in which Ive placed the book Ive been reading. The Mexican man in front of me, though, carrying some kind of box, is escorted into another room to have it thoroughly searched or so I imagine.

Which recalls a military roadblock in southern Columbia not so far from Farc territory about fifteen years before. A man with many boxes of what appeared to be baby powder was handcuffed and forced off the bus. His boxes were being ripped open as the bus kept on going, leaving him behind. I feared for him. Not so much for this guy in Nogales. He doesnt seem stressed, and the official doesnt seem cruel. This seems more like 1991 than 2025. Probably, he will be okay.

Suddenly, Im at the front of the line, handing my passport over to the emigration official, who scans it, takes my picture, and asks me casually what Id been doing in Mexico.

Tourist, I stumble, shaking my drinking glasses. Not very convincing, I wasnt exactly a tourist, and tourists dont exactly go to Nogales. I would be suspicious of me if I were he though I dont have any tattoos, gang-related or otherwise. I had a complicated personal, political, existential reason for going back and forth across the border. Tourism doesnt quite cover it. Maybe Ive perjured myself.

I was while contemplating that question that I realized that the passport was back in my hand and that I was back in the United States of America. Not deported or detained in the least.

One last barrier, my bag goes through an X-ray, and another official wants to understand whats inside it. Drinking glasses and a book, I explain. Godwin, by Joseph ONeil, implicitly liberal, perhaps, but hardly anti-Trump with no Palestinian involvement at least not in the pages that Ive read.

I hand it over to the guard, waiting to see if it passes muster or if he considers it inflammatory, seditious, but he has no interest. Once that he sees that its a book, not a bomb or a package of fentanyl, he lets me go.

The whole process has taken less than twenty minutes. Its 11:30, and the next Tufesa bus doesnt leave for another two hours. There would have been things to do in Nogales, Sonora: restaurants, souvenir shops, a quick root canal, but nothing at all really in dusty Nogales, Arizona.

A few steps past the border, I start the hearing the words, Phoenix and Tucson, as Im a zone where there are colectivos to both places.

A moment later, Im sharing the front seat of a Tucson bound colectivo with a woman about my age while everyone else is crammed in back in much tighter quarters until we stop at a McDonalds across the street to pick up a young woman, her baby and her chicken sandwich. The baby is funneled over my lap to the lap of the woman next to me so the mother can eat in peace. Again, Im the lone gringo on the bus.

Before I can experience what I feel to be my due elation after my daring escape from Mexico, we found ourselves at a roadblock on the highway.

The officials wave some other vehicles forward but pull the colectivo off to the side of the road. A red-headed, red-faced white man in his forties addresses us in Spanish. Rather than drag anyone off the bus or even demand our papers, he simply asks us if we are legal.

Of course, Im clutching my American passport like its my life support.

American citizen? he asks me.

Yes, yes! Sweating and stuttering like Peter Lorre in scores of old movies but without (Thank God!) the singular foreign accent.

In a flash, hes off the bus, and were moving forward. An hour or so later, in Tucson, the driver drops me off at Reid Park where I join a hands-off demonstration in progress.

*

The CPB officers at each stage of my reentry into the United States were respectful, reasonable, even vaguely kind, not just to me but to the Mexicans and Mexican Americans with whom I was traveling. What this does not tell us may be more significant than what it does. It does nothing to ameliorate the scary experience of foreign nationals crossing into the United States with valid papers. Or much worse, the El Salvadorans and Venezuelans, falsely accused of gang involvement and sent to CECOT, Bukeles concentration camp outside of San Salvador.

The shadow of evil may not have reached Nogales. If the Trump administration (or Border Czar Tim Homan) has ordered CPB to be vindictive and arbitrary (like ICE), the officers that I encountered have bravely ignored the directive. Whatever they were told, they made individual decisions simply to do their job with reasonable respect whereas hundreds if not thousands of other immigration officials have made individual decisions to be wantonly cruel. Think of those enforcing Sarah Huckabee Sanders insane Arkansas policy of stopping cars on highways and fining and possibly arresting those inside them if they cant prove that they read and write in English. Or those going from passenger to passenger on a train in North Dakota demanding credentials like this was Europe during the second war. Or those people (actual human beings) who have gone into apartment buildings, schools, classrooms and arrested Americans with green cards for standing up against Israel, detaining and deporting them for purported antisemitism while allies of the Trump administration have stood up for Nazis and denied the Holocaust.

Do they go home at night or whenever they get to go home to their husbands, wives, dogs, cats and children in the guise of human beings rather than the heartless automatons that they have become? And what about all the MAGA voters who believe the Trump propaganda in Newsmax, Youtube, Tik Tok and support Trumps agenda without directly engaging in it? How will history judge them or God if there happens to be a God?

Tempting as it is to make the comparison, Trumps America is not Hitlers Germany. While CECOT fits definitions of concentration camp, those inside are more likely murdered psychically rather than physically. Still, the situation recalls the proverbial question about German citizens in the Nazi era. What did they know? What did they not know? What did they do? What did they not do?

And there is, of course, the question of myself and so many libtards like me who live day to day in abject fear and misery without knowing quite what to do about it. Its easy to scream resist! but knowing how is hard. As time goes by, whether we support the administration or do not, our morality will be reflected by our individual decisions. Like brave Judge Hannah Dugan who may or may not have escorted an immigrant accused of domestic violence out a backdoor to evade ICE because she did not believe they had any right to detain him. Or Senator Chris Van Hollen who went to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who even the conservative Supreme Court believed should be released. I think of the words of the driver who took me to the Verizon store in Tucson, and hope that there are indeed still human beings among us. And I hope the following months and years of the Trump administration will allow all of us to prove that we are among them.
President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speak to media at the start of the second day of the 2025 NATO Summit on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit - Andrew HarnikGetty Images

Flattery will get you everywhere.

That line, attributed to the actress Mae West, came to mind Monday, watching NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cheer as President Donald Trumpfor the second time in as many monthsannounced a 180-degree u-turn in his administrations foreign policy.

Trump said the U.S. would sell billions of dollars worth of offensive and defensive weaponry to Europe for transshipment to Ukraine. And he issued an ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin: make peace with Ukraine in 50 days, or face sanctions against your country and those who do business with you.

Until Monday, Trump had made no such pledges for Ukraine, and few demands of Putincertainly none with a clear or else attached.

A few weeks earlier, at the NATO summit in The Hague, Rutte beamed as Trump pledged his full-throated support for the alliance. It was another about-face; on the eve of the summit Trump had equivocated on U.S. security commitments to NATO, and his disdain for the alliance was longstanding. Now he was a NATO booster.

What changed, exactly? And whats flattery got to do with it?

Nearly everything, it turns out.

Both Trump turnarounds can be traced to Rutte, the former Dutch Prime Minister who took the reins at NATO last October and has had a stunningly successful couple of months. At the June summit, he won pledges from members to spend 5% of GDP on defense, and ringing endorsements from Trump. And there was Rutte in the Oval Office Monday, a key broker of the new deal for Ukraine.

What happened to alter the course of these U.S. policies? Among other things, Rutte showed the world how Trump flattery is done; Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky took something of a crash course in the same subject; and Putin, resting on his long-held view that Trump would never cross him, skipped the flattery, made over-the-phone promises to Trump and then broke them.

Read More: Why Trumps U-Turn on Ukraine Matters

If it seems frivolous to suggest that a polishing of the commander-in-chiefs ego has turned the tide of global affairs, consider Trumps relationship with NATO.

On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump called NATO obsolete and threatened to pull the U.S. from the alliance. More recently he said, of member nations that didnt pull their weight, "I would not protect youIn fact, I would encourage [the Russians] to do whatever the hell they want. On the eve of last months summit, he refused to publicly commit the U.S. to NATOs Article 5, which compels every member to come to the defense of another.

As for Ukraine, in February Trump called Zelensky a dictator, berated him in that now-infamous Oval Office meeting, and offered to reopen commercial and diplomatic ties with the Kremlina stinging blow to Ukraine and NATO both. No new American aid pledges for Kyiv were in the works.

Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.

He began by repeatedly crediting Trump with prodding NATO members to boost their defense spending. At the White House in March, Rutte said, NATO nations want to work together with you to make sure that we will have a NATO which is newly invigorated under your leadership. That was fair enoughnot overly fawning, and largely true. Trump wasnt the only leader to push for more NATO military spending, but no president had pressed the point harder.

On the eve of the June summit, Rutte took things to another level. While leaders across Western Europe were condemning or questioning Trumps air strikes against Iran, NATOs leader cheered them on.

Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, Rutte wrote in a private message that Trump quickly made public. That was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.

In the same message, Rutte linked the Iran strikes to the coming summit.

You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but weve got them all signed onto 5 percent! Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world, applauded Rutte. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win. Safe travels and see you at His Majestys dinner!

To some the missive reeked of sycophancy.Spains El Pais called Ruttes performance flattery diplomacy, bordering on outright vassalage. But even critics could admire the tactics. Rutte wasnt just flattering the president, he was using Trumps syntax (big success, your win, etc.), the occasional word in CAPS, and the use of exclamation marks too.

At the summit, Rutte called Trump a man of strengthand peace, and when the subject of Middle Eastern diplomacy arose, the NATO leader said of Trump, Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop.

Its hard to overstate the White House shifts that followed. Rutte won an alliance statement, agreed to by the U.S., that Russia was a profound security threat (the Trump Administration previously hadnt even agreed to name Russia as the aggressor in Ukraine), along with a commitment to NATO and to Article 5. 100 percent, Trump said of the latterhaving refused, three days earlier, to commit to it at all.

If there was any doubt that the flattery had done its work, Trump put that to rest. They were so respectful of me, he said. After all those years spent blasting NATO members for ripping off the U.S., Trump said, I left here differentlyIts not a ripoff, and we are here to help them protect their country.

President Trump said he was grateful for the hospitality at the summit. I want to thank them for the royal treatment, he said of his hosts at The Hague. Couldn't have been nicer. Trump also singled out Rutte: Hes been terrific.

This week it was Ukraines turn to enjoy the fruits of the flattery. The arrangement announced Mondaythe U.S. sells weapons to Europe, Europe delivers them to Ukrainewas brokered by Rutte. Once again, the NATO Secretary General was in the Oval Office for the announcement, and ready to heap praise on the American president.

"This is a clear signal that President Trump is serious, Rutte told Fox News after the announcements. He wants peace. He hates the fact that so many people lose their lives in Ukraine."

Until recently, Trump had evinced few such sympathies. But since that Oval Office debacle, Zelensky had done his Trump homework, too. He wrote to Trump in early March extolling the presidents strong leadership and thanked him effusively for a six-year-old gift of anti-tank weapons. The moment when things changed [was] when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins, Zelensky wrote. (A stretch, perhaps, given that the Javelins were sent three years before Russias full-scale invasion).

In a long message on X, Zelensky praised President Trumps concept of peace through strength, and in April he applauded Trumps vision after a meeting at the Vaticanour best conversation yet, he said. Every Zelensky message was a blend of praise and gratitude, leavened with reminders about what the Kremlin was up to.

Which brings us to Putin. Theories abound as to why Trump has so regularly stood by the Russian leader. Trump praised him as a savvy statesman, a genius, and in 2018, a man Trump said he trusted more than his own intelligence community.

Whatever the case, Putina longtime Trump flatterer himselfmay have imagined he no longer needed to play that game. He watched the Zelensky-Trump meltdown, took the calls from Trump and his envoys, made pledges and broke them. And at some point over the past few weeks and months, as Rutte and Zelensky were playing their hands , something changed.

Trump stopped calling Zelensky a dictator. After a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said Zelensky couldn't have been nicer, and commended him and the people of Ukraine for fighting a brave battle. As for Putin, Trump blasted his bullsh-t promises, something other leaders and analysts had been familiar with for years.

Read More: Finally, Trump Seems to Get Putin

Then came this weeks weapons deal along with more sympathy for Ukraine and more praise for NATO and its leader.

Rutte has made no apologies for his approach to Trump. I think when somebody deserves praise, that praise should be given, he told The New York Times. As for those who skewered him for over-the-top flattery, he said, I know about criticism, but I dont care. In the end, I need to do my job. I have to keep the whole of NATO together. And the biggest ally is the United States.

Neither Rutte nor Zelensky can claim the prize of flatterer-in-chief; surely that honor goes to Israels Benjamin Netanyahu, who last week nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and handed his nomination letter to Trump, as the cameras rolled. Its well deserved, and you should get it, Netanyahu said.

But Israel hardly needed a sea change in the Trump view of his country. Neither did the Qataris who gifted Trump a luxury jet, nor British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who handed Trump an invitation from King Charles for a state dinner. In the case of NATO and Ukraine, however, they were in rough waters, as it were, and in their own ways, both were desperate for American support, and a turning of the tide.

Of course things can change quickly in the Trump world view, and the pendulum may swing back. But for now this much seems clear: Ukraine will get more U.S. weapons, and NATO will get more robust American support, because a pair of world leaders were good students of how best to flatter the American president.

As Mae West might have said, sometimes a little flattery can go a long way.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
What can you get for $9.4 billion?

3G Capital recently purchased footwear giant Skechers for $9.4 billion.

$9.4 billion could cover your rent for a pretty nice apartment in New York City for more than 40,000 years.

Yes, it will just be you and the cockroaches by then.

Or, you could pay the cost of every major disaster in the past four decades  ranging from Chernobyl to Fukushima to Hurricane Sandy.

'Long Overdue': Senate Republicans Ram Through Trump's Clawback Package With Cuts To Foreign Aid, Npr

Read On The Fox News App

But $9.4 billion isnt a lot when cast against nearly $7 trillion in annual spending by the federal government.

And its really not much money when you consider that the U.S. is about slip into the red to the tune of $37 trillion.

Which brings us to the Congressional plan to cancel spending. That is, a measure from Republicans and the Trump Administration to rescind spending lawmakers already appropriated in March. The House and Senate are now clawing back money lawmakers shoved out the door for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid programs under USAID. The original proposal cut $9.4 billion. But that figure dwindled to $9 billion  after the Senate restored money for "PEPFAR," a President George W. Bush era program to combat AIDS worldwide.

In other words, you may have a couple thousand years lopped off from your rent-controlled apartment in New York City. Of course that hinges on what Democratic mayoral nominee Zorhan Mamdani decides to do, should he win election this fall.

Anyway, back to Congressional spending. Or "un-spending."

The House passed the original version of the bill in June, 216-214. Flip one vote and the bill would have failed on a 215-215 tie. Then it was on to the Senate. Republicans had to summon Vice President Vance to Capitol Hill to break a logjam on two procedural votes to send the spending cancellation bill to the floor and actually launch debate. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. But former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted nay  producing a 50-50 tie.

Vance in Senate hallway during big, beautiful bill voting

Fox is told some Senate Republicans are tiring of McConnell opposing the GOP  and President Trump  on various issues. That includes the nay votes to start debate on the spending cancellation bill as well as his vote against the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January.

"He used to be the Leader. He was always telling us we need to stick together," said one GOP senator who requested anonymity. "Now hes off voting however he wants? How time flies."

Note that McConnell led Senate Republicans as recently as early January.

But McConnell ultimately voted for the legislation when the Senate approved it 51-48 at 2:28 am ET Thursday morning.

Murkowski and Collins were the only noes. The services of Vice President Vance werent needed due to McConnells aye vote and the absence of Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. She fell ill and was admitted to George Washington Hospital for exhaustion.

As for the senior senator from Alaska, one GOP senator characterized it as "Murkowski fatigue."

"She always asking. Shes always wanting more," groused a Senate Republican.

Murkowski secured an agreement on rural hospitals in exchange for her vote in favor of the Big, Beautiful Bill earlier this month. However, Murkowski did not secure more specificity on the DOGE cuts or help with rural, public radio stations in Alaska on the spending cut plan.

Senate To Debate Trump's $9B Clawback Bill After Dramatic Late-night Votes

"My vote is guided by the imperative of coming from Alaskans. I have a vote that I am free to cast, with or without the support of the President. My obligation is to my constituents and to the Constitution," said Murkowski. "I don't disagree that NPR over the years has tilted more partisan. That can be addressed. But you don't need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting."

In a statement, Collins blasted the Trump administration for a lack of specificity about the precision of the rescissions request. Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee in charge of the federal purse strings, also criticized the administration a few months ago for a paucity of detail in the Presidents budget.

"The rescissions package has a big problem  nobody really knows what program reductions are in it. That isnt because we havent had time to review the bill," said Collins in a statement. "Instead, the problem is that OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process."

Collins wasnt the only Republican senator who worried about how the administration presented the spending cut package to Congress. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., fretted about Congress ceding the power of the purse to the administration. But unlike Collins, Wicker supported the package.

Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell (Russ) Vought speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on July 17, 2025, in Washington, DC.

"If we do this again, please give us specific information about where the cuts will come. Let's not make a habit of this," said Wicker. "If you come back to us again from the executive branch, give us the specific amounts in the specific programs that will be cut."

DOGE recommended the cuts. In fact, most of the spending reductions targeted by DOGE dont go into effect unless Congress acts. But even the $9.4 billion proved challenging to cut.

"We should be able to do that in our sleep. But there is looking like there's enough opposition," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Fox Business.

So to court votes, GOP leaders salvaged $400 million for PEPFAR.

"There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. "You're still talking about a $9 billion rescissions package - even with that small modification."

The aim to silence public broadcasting buoyed some Republicans.

Homeland Security Halts $18.5M In Taxpayer Funds For 'Radical' Programs

"North Dakota Public Radio - about 26% of their budget is federal funding. To me, that's more of an indictment than it is a need," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

But back to the $9 billion. Its a fraction of one-tenth of one percent of all federal funding. And DOGE recommended more than a trillion dollars in cuts.

"What does this say for the party if it can't even pass this bill, this piddling amount of money?" yours truly asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

"I think we're going to lose a lot of credibility. And we should," replied Kennedy.

But the House needed to sync up with the Senate since it changed the bill  stripping the cut for AIDS funding. House conservatives werent pleased that the Senate was jamming them again  just two weeks after major renovations to the House version of the Big, Beautiful Bill. But they accepted their fate.

"Its disappointing that we're $37 trillion in debt. This to me was low-hanging fruit," said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. "At the end of the day, I'll take a base hit, right? It's better than nothing."

White House Budget Director Russ Vought is expected to send other spending cancellation requests to Congress in the coming months. The aim is to target deeper spending reductions recommended by DOGE.

But it doesnt auger well for future rescissions bills if its this much of a battle to trim $9 trillion.

What can you get for that much money? For Republicans, its not much.

Republicans were swinging for the fences with spending cuts.

But in the political box score, this is recorded as just a base hit.





Original article source: Trump's modest spending cuts package survives narrow Senate vote as some Republicans break ranks
kathrynsamantha/Facebook Kathryn Restelli





NEED TO KNOW

Kathryn Restelli pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with her estranged husband Matthew Restelli's July 2024 death

Kathryn Restelli lured her husband to her mother's home, where her brother ambushed Matthew Restelli and shot him

Kathryn Restelli's brother Kevin Ellis and mother Tracey Marie Grist are set to face their own jury trials in January 2026





A Utah woman admitted in court this week that she conspired with her family to try and kill her husband after luring him to her mothers house last July.

Kathryn Restelli pleaded guilty to two second-degree felonies for murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as a first-degree felony for discharging a firearm on Wednesday, July 16, according to KSL, ABC 4, and Fox 13.

According to KSL, citing testimony from her trial, the 37-year-old woman lured her estranged husband Matthew Restelli to her mothers house in American Fork, Utah, by convincing him that she wanted to fix their relationship. ABC 4 reported that Matthew had been living separately from his wife for several months before the murder.

Over the phone, Restelli convinced her husband to drive to her mothers house and told him to walk in the front door, which she said was open, according to KSL.

When Matthew entered, Restellis brother Kevin Ellis allegedly ambushed his brother-in-law and fatally shot him multiple times, according to the outlet, which cites authorities. KSL reported that testimony in Restellis trial alleged that she, her brother, and their mother Tracey Marie Grist had planned to frame the murder as self-defense by lying to police that Matthew had entered the home without warning or permission.

Grist allegedly called 911 minutes after the shooting, and when police arrived, they found a knife placed in Matthews hand in a way that raised suspicion, according to ABC 4.



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.

KSL reported that Restelli was charged with murder under a Utah law that allows someone to be criminally prosecuted if they act in a clear mental state in an effort to commit or aid in a murder. According to the outlet, Restellis guilty plea this week could possibly lower the charges against her brother and mother.

Ellis and Grists own jury trials are set to begin next January, according to ABC 4. Both are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, obstruction of justice, and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child,

Restelli is set to be sentenced on Sept. 9, according to KSL. She faces between six years to life in prison.

Read the original article on People
Scientists have developed a weekly injectable treatment for Parkinsons disease. Chalit Saphaphak/Stocksy

Parkinsons symptoms develop slowly, most commonly after the age of 50, and include tremor, slowness in movement, limb stiffness, problems with gait and balance, sleep disorders, and mental health issues.

People with Parkinsons disease have to take several tablets each day to help alleviate their symptoms.

Now, a team of scientists in Australia has developed a weekly injectable treatment for Parkinsons disease.

If further research proves the injections safety and efficacy, the long-acting implant could be life changing for people living with Parkinsons.

Parkinsons disease is the second most common neurodegenerative condition after Alzheimers Disease. It affects almost 1.1 million people in the United States and more than 10 million worldwide. Of these, 96% are diagnosed after the age of 50.

The condition occurs when nerve cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra stop producing enough of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This leads to a range of symptoms, including:

Tremor, or shaking, in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head

Muscle stiffness

Slowness of movement

Impaired balance and coordination.

The two main treatments for Parkinsons disease are levodopa (L-dopa), which nerve cells use to make dopamine, and carbidopa, which increases the efficacy of levodopa and helps minimize its side effects. However, people need to take the medications several times a day, which many find difficult to do.

Now, scientists in Australia have developed a long-acting injectable treatment combining the two medications. Because the implant releases the drugs slowly over seven days, people with the condition would no longer have to take multiple tablets every day.

The study findings suggest that the injection could be a promising system for the delivery of levodopa and carbidopa for Parkinsons patients.

Sneha Mantri, MD MS, Chief Medical Officer for the Parkinsons Foundation, who was not involved in the study, agreed:

If this medication is safe and effective in humans, it could be an alternative for people with [Parkinsons] compared to multiple daily pills.

The findings are published in the journal Drug Delivery and Translational Research.

An alternative to multiple daily pills

The injection contains a combination of levodopa (L-dopa) and carbidopa, two drugs used together to treat Parkinsons disease.

L-dopa can cross the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system, where it is converted to dopamine. People with Parkinsons take L-dopa to control the physical symptoms associated with the lack of dopamine production.

Clinicians prescribe carbidopa in combination with L-dopa to increase its efficacy within the nervous system, and help combat gastrointestinal symptoms, which are a common side effect of L-dopa.

The two drugs are usually taken in the form of capsules, containing a combination of the drugs in carefully calculated proportions. To reduce the chance of gastrointestinal symptoms, they should be taken with meals. As fat and protein can decrease the absorption of L-dopa, people must avoid high fat or high protein meals when taking the tablets.

How was the injection developed, and how does it work?

The newly developed injection also administers a combination of L-dopa and carbidopa in the form of an in-situ implant.

For their implant, the researchers used two organic polymers and a solvent, in different ratios to achieve the correct rate of drug release. Once the correct ratio was determined, levodopa and carbidopa were added to create the implant.

They performed several in-vitro tests to determine the effect of pH (acid/alkali balance), how easy it was to inject the implant, how rapidly the implant degraded and the drugs were dispersed, and the effect of the implant on cells.

They then tested the mechanism ex vivo in leg muscle tissue from a pig.

The implant performed similarly in vitro and ex vivo, releasing the drugs slowly over several days.

After injection into muscle tissue, pores formed on the surface of the implant, through which the drugs diffused into the tissue. Up to 90% of the drug was released over 7 days, and the implant broke down completely within 2 weeks.

The formula that the researchers developed was easy to inject, so they suggest that this could be a:

Promising drug delivery system for Parkinsons patients, which will reduce the dosing frequency in the elderly patients to once-a-week injection.

Potential problems with long-acting injections

Jamie Adams, MD, associate professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, highlighted potential problems with the treatment:

Given fluctuations in Parkinsons symptoms, it may be difficult to determine appropriate dosing for an entire week, and patients may still require oral medications or other therapies. If the weekly injection is dosed too high, that could also be problematic.

And Mantri also raised some issues that will need to be addressed:

Every medication is different, and this type of gel has not been used for [Parkinsons] treatment before. However, many injectable medications carry the risk of injection site reactions (for instance, rash, nodules) related to the delivery method itself.

Promising early development needs further testing

This is an early stage of development of a new mechanism of drug delivery for people with Parkinsons disease. But it has the potential to transform treatment for elderly people with Parkinsons.

However, there are several further stages of testing that would need to be undertaken before the implant could be licensed, as Mantri told Medical News Today:

This is a very preliminary study, looking at how the new treatment behaves in the lab. Further testing on animals and then humans will be necessary as it moves forward in drug development.

I would like to see the results of animal testing, as well as human testing, to ensure that this is both safe and effective, she added.

Adams agreed:

This treatment is still early, and there needs to be human studies, including randomized controlled trials, evaluating safety and efficacy.

A weekly injectable therapy for Parkinsons disease could reduce the burden of frequent medication dosing and may improve quality of life.  Jamie Adams

View the original article on Medical News Today
The White House is pushing back against criticism of the administrations handling of files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein as figures on both sides of the aisle demand their release.

"The fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make. The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didn't do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.

Leavitt then attempted to shift focus, saying that President Donald Trump cared more about other issues, such as the GENIUS Act and the border. This echoed a sentiment expressed by Trump, who said that the Justice Department has "bigger problems" than the Epstein case.

Hands are raised as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 17, 2025.

Democrats Capitalize On Gop Jeffrey Epstein Fallout With New Demands For Jim Jordan

Additionally, Leavitt told reporters that Trump is not recommending a special prosecutor in the Epstein case, saying that "the idea was floated from someone in the media to the president."

A recent joint Justice Department-FBI memo obtained by Axios showed the department and the bureau concluded they had no evidence of Epstein blackmailing powerful people, keeping a client list or being killed.

Republicans have grown frustrated with what they see as a lack of transparency from the Trump administration. The president has lashed out amid the criticism, claiming that it is a "hoax" and that those on the right concerned about the release of the files were being "duped" by Democrats.

Read On The Fox News App

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Bondi Should Release 'Credible' Epstein Files, Trump Says

On Wednesday, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi would release "whatevers credible" related to the Epstein case.

"He's dead. He's gone," Trump said of Epstein. "And, all it is, is the Republicans, certain Republicans got duped by the Democrats, and they're following a Democrat playbook and no different than Russia, Russia, Russia and all the other hoaxes."

Jeffrey Epstein mugshot from 2019 after federal authorities filed trafficking charges against him.

The infighting isnt limited to Republican lawmakers. A source recently told Fox News Digital that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was considering resigning over the handling of the files. However, he has not made any announcements about leaving.

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Amanda Macias, and Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.





Original article source: White House pushes back forcefully on Epstein file criticism: 'Asinine suggestion'
AP Photo, U.S. Marshals via AP





NEED TO KNOW

Ian Cleary pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault for raping fellow Gettysburg College student Shannon Keeler in 2013

The case was reignited in 2021 when Keeler discovered a Facebook message from Cleary that read, So I raped you"

After being located in France in 2024 and extradited, Cleary is now awaiting sentencing in Pennsylvania





A man accused of raping a fellow college student in Pennsylvania in 2013  and later sending her a Facebook message that read So I raped you  admitted to the charges on Thursday.

Ian Cleary, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault over a decade after he stalked Shannon Keeler at a party, snuck into her dorm and sexually assaulted her during her freshman year at Gettysburg College, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

I had been thinking about this moment for 12 years, Keeler said, per the outlet.

Its taken a lot of twists and turns to get to this point, Keeler said, according to the Post-Gazette. It took a lot of people doing the right thing to get us here.

John Greim/Shutterstock

Prosecutors had previously declined to pursue the case, but authorities took a renewed interest in the case after Keeler opened her unread Facebook messages in 2021, and saw a name she wasnt expecting, according to the Associated Press.

So I raped you, Cleary wote.

Ill never do it to anyone ever again, another message read, per the outlet.



Related: Woman Got Chilling Facebook Message: So I Raped You. After 3-Year Search, Suspect Is Arrested Overseas

The AP published an investigation on the case, and an indictment followed weeks later, per the outlet.

After a three year search, authorities found Cleary in Metz, France in April 2024 and moved to extradite him to Pennsylvania, the AP reported, citing the U.S. Marshals Service.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In court, both sides have proposed a four to eight year sentence, which is up to the judge to decide, the Post-Gazette reported. Judge Kevin Hess is set to sentence Cleary on Oct. 20.

I hope that we as a society, the institutions around us, can make truly successful legal outcomes more viable for victims, Keeler said in court, per the outlet.

It starts with listening to victims and making sure their voices are heard, she continued. Even if the systems slow to catch up.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

Read the original article on People
Infosys is set to roll out a suite of enterprise platforms for Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) in collaboration with SAP, moving core systems to the cloud.

The suite includes SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP SuccessFactors and other solutions such as identity and access management (IAM) and master data management.

According to SAP Asia Pacific head of partner ecosystem Peter Moore, the education group contains over 18,000 staff, 120,000 students across close to 300 schools.

By working with Infosys and using SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors, MACS will be able to simplify and modernise the way it runs  from streamlining admin and day-to-day operations, to improving how it manages and supports its teaching staff and other employees, he said.

Users will be able to access a unified digital workspace with personalised, role-based access, which is expected to enable enhanced collaboration through team-based communities and streamlined communication.

Additionally, the data management improvements are anticipated to provide accurate real-time access and scalable infrastructure for future generative AI (GenAI) application support.
In the world's most polluted capital, the territorial government is set to begin experiments in artificially stimulating clouds to generate rain during periods of stagnant atmospheric conditions. According to a study, 30 million residents risk losing up to 12 years of their life due to poor air quality.

Delhi (AsiaNews)  To reduce air pollution, the Indian capital is preparing to launch its first artificial cloud seeding trial in early September with the aim of generating artificial rain.

The tests will be conducted in the first two weeks of September, announced Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, on Friday.

Over the past decade, the National Capital Territory of Delhi has consistently held the dubious title of the world's most polluted urban area, closely followed by other Indian cities.

A recent study estimated that the 30 million people living in and around the capital could lose up to 12 years of their lives due to the catastrophic health effects of air pollution.

The project, led by IIT-Kanpur, was initially scheduled for early July, but was postponed based on recommendations from the India Meteorological Department.

The new schedule aligns with the end of the monsoon, when conditions are more favourable for this type of experiment.

The Delhi government has approved funding for 32.1 million rupees (about US$ 375,000) for the pilot project.

A Cessna will be used, equipped with specialised instruments, flying five sorties over high-pollution zones in northern Delhi, including Rohini, Bawana, Alipur, and Burari, as well as adjacent areas in Uttar Pradesh like Loni and Baghpat.

During flights, the aircraft will fly below the cloud base and release hygroscopic particles (such as sodium chloride and other aerosols) into the clouds to stimulate precipitation.

Cloud seeding, a form of weather modification, involves artificially increasing precipitation to induce rain.

In Delhi, the goal is to wash away airborne pollutants and improve air quality, especially in the weeks following the monsoon, when pollution levels tend to rise.

This is a scientific intervention to combat air pollution, Minister Sirsa said. If successful, it will open a new avenue for Delhi to deal with hazardous air quality, especially during the post-monsoon period, he added.

INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
Today's headlines: Syrian government announces return of army to al Suwayda, tensions rise in Druze areas; Already 180 dead in Pakistan's monsoon season; Domestic consumption now accounts for 60% of China's GDP; Two young men who fled North Korea make their debut in a new K-pop band.

MALAYSIA

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice, ending weeks of uncertainty over the country's top judicial post. Abu Bakar Jais was also appointed President of the Court of Appeal in the same announcement. Both new appointments at the top were largely unexpected, as they were not among the candidates considered by the Judicial Appointments Commission, the body responsible for proposing suitable judges for senior positions to the prime minister. The appointment of Wan Farid, a judge at the Court of Appeal, is already causing controversy due to his past political ties, including those with former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

SYRIA

The Syrian army is preparing to deploy again in al-Suwayda to quell ongoing clashes between Druze and Bedouin tribes, according to a Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman. The Syrian military left Suwayda the other day in an attempt by the United States to ease tensions after Israel, claiming to defend the Druze, bombed Damascus. In the last few hours, the Israeli army has carried out an attack on the Palmyra-Homs motorway, targeting a convoy of Bedouin fighters who, according to the public broadcaster Kan News, were heading towards the region. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll in the clashes in al-Suwayda has risen to 600.

PAKISTAN

Torrential rains in Pakistan's Punjab province have caused at least 63 deaths and 290 injuries in recent hours. Most of the victims were crushed by collapsing buildings, while others drowned or were electrocuted, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. With these latest victims, the national death toll rises to nearly 180 since the start of the monsoon season at the end of June. More than half of the victims were children.

CHINA

According to data released by Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, consumption has contributed on average about 60% to the country's annual economic growth over the past four years, and its role as the main driver of the economy has continued to strengthen. Retail sales of consumer goods grew by an average of 5.5% per year over the same period. Sales are expected to exceed 50 trillion yuan in 2025, compared to 48.3 trillion in 2024 and 39.1 trillion in 2020.

SOUTH KOREA-NORTH KOREA

A new K-pop boy band featuring two boys who fled North Korea has made its online debut in Seoul. The debut album by 1verse (pronounced universe) includes a song about the consequences of escaping from one of the world's most repressive states. Yu Hyuk, originally from the north-eastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, fled as a child with his mother and has been living in South Korea since 2013. Kim Seok, the other North Korean member, also 25, lived in a border town near China. He fled with his father and grandmother when he was 20.

RUSSIA-SYRIA

Vladimir Putin's decision to remove 73-year-old Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov from office is not only linked to his retirement age, as he himself said, but to a clear change of course in relations with Syria, which Bogdanov had been handling for decades, given the impossibility of reopening military bases closed since the regime change in Damascus and the government's orientation towards America rather than Russia.

CENTRAL ASIA

According to the specialist portal Logistan.info, Central Asia is now close to fuel starvation with a growing gas supply deficit, faced with ever-increasing demand from the economy and the local population for a number of contingent and systemic reasons, from rapid population growth and industrialisation to the increasingly fragile state of infrastructure, which cannot cope with excessive loads.
In a strong oecumenical gesture, the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem visited the Holy Family parish bringing some 500 tonnes of aid. Answering a phone call from Netanyahu, Leo XIV reiterated his call for an end to this slaughter. A BBC report documents the scale of the systematic destruction with bulldozers of entire areas in Gaza carried out by Israel since last March.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Primate Theophilus III, entered Gaza today after more than a year to bring a message of closeness and solidarity to the Christians of Holy Family parish.

Yesterday, Gazas Catholic Church was subjected to a brutal attack by the Israeli military, resulting in the deaths of three people, serious damage to the building, and injuries inflicted on several residents of the compound, including the parish priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli.

The two patriarchs were part of an ecclesiastical delegation that wished to express the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza," reads a statement from the Latin Patriarchate (LPJ).

Christians in the Gaza Strip are increasingly bound by an "ecumenism of blood," which unites in suffering and strengthens the bonds of solidarity between members of different confessions.

The delegation led by the cardinal, which reached the parish of the Holy Family as scheduled, met with members of the local Christian community, offered condolences, and expressed solidarity to the victims and their families. It also provided aid amid the huge needs.

During the travel, Cardinal Pizzaballa also received a phone call from Pope Leo XIV, who reiterated his call for a truce because it's time to stop this slaughter. The pontiff also expressed his closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.

This morning, Pope Leo received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, to whom he reiterated his appeal for renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war, reads a statement from the Vatican Press Office.

The pontiff "expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly, and the sick are paying an agonizing price, and reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.

Returning to Card Pizzaballa in Gaza, through his visit, the cardinal wanted to personally assess the humanitarian and pastoral needs of the community, to help guide the Churchs continued presence and response.

Thanks to the Patriarchate's initiative in cooperation with humanitarian partners, approximately 500 tonnes of essential assistance supplies are set to be delivered to benefit not only Christians but as many families as possible.

This includes hundreds of tons of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment, not to mention, the evacuation of individuals injured in the attack to medical institutions outside Gaza.

The statement issued by the patriarchate ends expressing gratitude to the Pope, who spoke to Cardinal Pizzaballa yesterday, and to Patriarch Theophilos III, to offer his support, closeness and prayers.

Yesterday's attack on the Latin parish church, with its toll of death and destruction, has once again put the spotlight on the daily slaughter in Gaza, which often goes unnoticed and overlooked by the international community.

From US President Donald Trump to European governments, many have called Netanyahu to demand explanations for the attack on a place of worship, hospitality, and care (Mother Teresa's nuns care for about 50 disabled people).

Since the first days of the war in Gaza, this community has been providing aid and solidarity, transcending confessional or religious affiliations; in fact, the parish also hosts Orthodox Christians and has helped Muslim families in recent years.

What has been dubbed an ecumenism of blood was visible yesterday afternoon during the funerals of two of the three Christian victims of the Israeli attack, at Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, itself the target of brutal attacks by the Israeli army in the past.

Also yesterday afternoon, a memorial Mass was also held at the Holy Family Church, concelebrated by the parish priest, Father Romanelli, who chose to be present despite injuries sustained in the attack to his leg.

One of the Christian voices raised in recent hours is that of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem, who, in a joint statement, expressed "profound solidarity" with the Latin Patriarchate and with those who were guests at the parish targeted by the heinous Israeli attack.

In addition to denouncing the crime, Christian leaders noted that Houses of worship are sacred spaces that should be kept safe. They are also protected under international law.

Targeting a church that houses approximately 600 refugees, including children with special needs, is a violation of these laws. It is also an affront to human dignity, a trampling upon the sanctity of human life, and the desecration of a holy site.

In closing, the religious leaders renew their call to the international community to work towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that leads to an end of this war. We also implore them to guarantee the protection of all religious and humanitarian sites, and to provide for the relief of the starving masses throughout the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the consequences of the war launched by Israel against Hamas in Gaza in response to the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, are becoming increasingly devastating.

Since the start of the conflict, over 70 per cent of Gaza's structures have been razed to the ground, equivalent to approximately 160,000 buildings, mostly homes, with the aim of preventing civilians from returning to their homes.

Not only airstrikes and tank attacks have contributed to the devastation, but private contractors operating bulldozers have also contributed, receiving up to US$ 1,500 for each building demolished.

A report published today by the BBC points the finger at Israel, which has demolished thousands of buildings across Gaza since withdrawing from a ceasefire with Hamas in March, with entire towns and suburbs, once home to tens of thousands of people, razed in recent weeks.

Satellite images show massive amounts of destruction in several areas, which the Israeli military command claims to have under its operational control.

(Picture from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
by Gregory

The Nug has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to members of the group responsible for the murder in Sagaing. The priest was killed in a targeted and premeditated attack. AsiaNews source: the sentence is positive, but "we do not see transparency in the case. We hope that the resistance will not behave like the oppressor."

Yangon (AsiaNews) - In a historic ruling, Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG) has sentenced nine members of an armed resistance group to 20 years in prison for the brutal murder of Fr Donald Martin Ye Naing Win. The death of the Catholic priest on 14 February deeply shook the Christian community.

The verdict, announced yesterday, marks a significant step in the attempt to ensure justice and punish a violent crime that deeply shocked Catholics in one of the areas - the Sagaing region - most affected by the conflict that has been ongoing for over four years.

The sentence handed down by the leaders of the movement opposing the military junta, which returned to power in February 2021 in a coup, follows an investigation by the NUG's People's Defence Force (PDF) that led to the arrest of 12 people.

The group is suspected of various roles in the brutal murder, which took place in February during a religious service. The men, described by witnesses as fanatical militiamen, allegedly asked the priest to kneel. When he replied, I only kneel before God, he was brutally stabbed to death.

Fr. Donald Martin Ye Naing Win was killed in a targeted attack, and authorities claim that the perpetrators acted with premeditation. The trial, which took place in Mandalay, saw the court convict the defendants on the basis of evidence linking them to the crime, although specific details of the motive and circumstances were not disclosed in public reports.

The verdict also reflects Myanmar's judicial response to a case that has highlighted ongoing concerns about violence and security in the region.

The priest was born on 11 November 1981 and was ordained on 20 March 2018 at the Church of the Assumption in Pyin Oo Lwin. A member of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Mandalay, located in central Myanmar, he was killed while carrying out his pastoral ministry in the parish assigned to him, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the village of Kan-Gyi-Daw, in the township of Shwebo, which has 38 Catholic families. After killing him, the armed commando also desecrated his remains.

A Catholic layman from the diocese of Mandalay, who spoke to AsiaNews anonymously for security reasons, expressed mixed feelings about the verdict: "This kind of killing is terrifying for many Catholics. No one dares to speak about the martyred priest because of the potential violence of some uncontrolled resistance forces.

Even though those responsible have been sentenced to 20 years in prison, we do not see any transparency in the case. We still do not know how our beloved priest was massacred by these people on the day of the event. I hope that the resistance does not behave like the oppressor against whom it is rebelling."

The murder of Fr Ye Naing Win, a respected figure in the Mandalay diocese, has sparked outrage among religious communities and civil society groups. The Catholic Church in Myanmar has called for justice and stressed the need for greater protection for religious leaders in a country grappling with political instability and conflict since the 2021 military coup. The priest dedicated much of his mission to education and humanitarian work for local children and displaced families, providing personalised support in areas where formal education had been disrupted by the conflict.

May Our Lady accompany him to heaven and protect all those under her mantle, giving comfort and hope, said Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay during the funeral Mass celebrated on 14 February.

This case is part of broader challenges in Myanmar, where ethnic and religious minorities often face persecution. The sentencing of the nine people is seen as a rare case of accountability in a country where impunity for violent crimes is a persistent problem. However, observers note that the sentence alone does not address the deeper systemic issues that fuel violence, particularly the lack of transparency in judicial processes.

Meanwhile, the Catholic community in Mandalay held a memorial service for Fr Ye Naing Win after the verdict, praying for peace and reconciliation, during which church leaders expressed hope that it would discourage future acts of violence against religious figures.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The 12th annual session of the Dialogue between the European Union and Central Asian countries was held in Dushanbe. During the summit, Tajikistan agreed to conclude a wide-ranging partnership agreement with the EU, joining the processes underway in various forms in other countries in the region.

Dushanbe (AsiaNews) - The 12th annual session of the Dialogue between the European Union and Central Asian countries on political and security issues was held in Dushanbe. The EU delegation was led by the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Swedish diplomat Olof Skoog, who then gave an extensive interview to Asia-Plus.

The ambassador said he was quite satisfied with the meeting, which this year also involved Tajikistan, previously more reluctant, on issues that represent common strategic objectives such as regional stability and long-term sustainable development. The mere fact that this dialogue has been going on for 12 years, Skoog assures us, testifies to how fruitful our cooperation is, which is becoming more intense every year.

At the previous summit in Samarkand last April, the leaders of the countries concerned had already raised the level of relations to a strategic partnership, to which the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Estonia's Kaja Kallas, has been very committed, holding a series of visits and bilateral meetings in Central Asia. The meeting in Dushanbe confirmed mutual interest in addressing issues such as border management, the fight against terrorism and organised crime, and cooperation in the fields of water and energy.

Tajikistan has now agreed to conclude a wide-ranging partnership agreement with the EU, joining the processes underway in various forms in other countries in the region on economic development prospects, training and education, energy, sustainability and initiatives to tackle climate change, digital transformation and the rule of law.

This will attract many new investments, in fair competition with China, which this year became the country's largest trading partner, surpassing even Russia, which has always dominated the scene in these latitudes.

Olof Skoog states that Central Asia continues to play a crucial role in relations between Europe and Asia, which is why the EU is increasingly interested in discussing trade, transport and links at various levels with the countries in the region, considering this approach to be one of the most important priorities for all Europeans.

One of the most sensitive issues concerns respect for human rights and freedom of expression for individuals and the media in countries traditionally linked to very authoritarian regimes, and dialogue on these issues is also evolving significantly.

As the Swedish diplomat explains, on such fundamental issues, we must be able to take an open and constructive approach, recognising progress without hiding concerns, in a spirit of mutual respect and support for reformist forces in all areas of society, both in Central Asia and in Europe itself. This means supporting the principles of the rule of law, collaboration for an inclusive administration of all realities present in the societies of the various countries, and supporting independent media and civil society initiatives.

The vision of this dialogue between East and West extends over a landscape of long-term cooperation, as the EU representative concludes on a very optimistic note: We want to help our partners achieve their goals, in a direction of greater justice, for a more open future rich in new common achievements.
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Father Sebeos Ghalachian was due to lead the ceremony at an Armenian church in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod earlier this week. In an interview with 168.am circulated on Friday, Ghalachian confirmed reports that he cancelled it after finding out that the lawmaker, Narek Grigorian, was chosen as the godfather. He said he told the childs parents to pick another godfather who respects the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church as well as its rules and traditions.

They consider the Armenian Church a den of terrorists, they consider Armenian bishops terrorists and keep them under arrest. Did I have the right to allow that so-called deputy to bear the honor that a godfather bears in the Armenian Church? explained the parish priest.

Ghalachian claimed that Grigorian responded to the ban with insults and threats directed at the Catholicos.

He told me that he will grab His Holiness by the neck and throw him out of the Patriarchate, he said.

Grigorian, who earlier defended Pashinians campaign and even questioned Garegins faith in God, confirmed the incident when he spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian Service later in the day.

I called [Ghalachian] the devil who doesnt want the child to be baptized, said the lawmaker who was actively involved in a recent brawl on the Armenian parliament floor. And I said then that if there is a parliament deputy from the Civil Contract [ruling party] or another person who comes to be baptized and some priest decides who can become a godfather and who will not be baptized, I will punish those people.

When asked what that punishment could be, he said he would generate public outrage against such priests and/or organize protests against them.

Pashinian has been pressuring the top clergy and Garegin in particular to resign, saying that they have had secret sex affairs in breach of their vows of celibacy. His detractors say that he is simply trying to please Azerbaijan and/or neutralize a key source of opposition to his unilateral concessions to Armenias arch-foe. They have denounced Pashinians campaign as illegal, arguing that the churchs separation from the state is guaranteed by the Armenian constitution.

Pashinian threatened on June 26 to forcibly remove Garegin from the churchs Echmiadzin headquarters if the Catholicos continues to ignore his demands. Security forces raided the Mother See the next morning in a bid to arrest Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian. But they failed to do that after meeting with fierce resistance from hundreds of angry priests and laymen.

Ajapahian surrendered to investigators several hours after the unprecedented raid condemned by the Armenian opposition and many public figures. He was charged with calling for a violent regime change.

Pashinian indicated on July 7 that Armenias National Security Service and other law-enforcement agencies must be able to raid the Mother See again. He pledged the next day to personally lead its liberation.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian pledged to quickly nationalize Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) on June 18 hours after Karapetian was arrested in Yerevan following his strong criticism of Pashinians campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. He accused the company of creating a near energy crisis in Armenia with the possible aim of increasing public discontent with his government.

Armenian opposition leaders and other government critics countered that Pashinian is simply keen to punish Karapetian. They warned that ENAs nationalization would be illegal and deal a serious blow to Armenias business reputation.

The Armenian parliament controlled by the ruling Civil Contract party hastily approved on July 2 a government bill allowing the government to temporarily take over ENAs management before forcing the companys owner to sell it within three months. The Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), the energy regulator headed by a political ally of Pashinian, was authorized to approve such action.

The government formally requested it on Tuesday, accusing ENA of mismanaging the electricity distribution network and blaming it for periodical power cuts occurring in various parts of the country. In line with the controversial law, the PSRC chairman, Mesrop Mesropian, promptly approved the governments choice of the interim manager of ENA pending the commissions consideration of the government allegations.

Mesropian announced his decision in a 28-page statement. Grammatical and spelling errors in the text suggest that it was written in haste.

The newly appointed ENA manager, Romanos Petrosian, is a senior member of Pashinians Civil Contract party who headed the State Oversight Service until Thursday. Petrosian has never worked in the energy sector before. ENAs current chief executive, Davit Ghazinian, said this fact alone shows that the ongoing government takeover of the company is politically motivated.

The people involved in this process will sooner or later be held accountable, Ghazianian told a news conference. Serious legal proceedings will be initiated for their criminal acts.

Karapetian and his family warned on June 30 that they will file an international lawsuit against the government if it does expropriate ENA. They said they would seek full compensation for the loss of the tycoons biggest asset in Armenia.

Ghazinian made clear that despite considering the government takeover of their company illegal, he and other top ENA do not intend to resign.

On behalf of the majority of our management, I am authorized to announce that we are staying here to work for the good of our people, to protect the interests of the company first and foremost so that it operates in a proper, normal way, he said.

Karapetians Moscow-based Tashir Group claims to have invested at least $700 million in ENA and sharply cut its losses since buying the utility from Russias RAO UES energy giant in 2015. That acquisition followed street protests in Yerevan against a UES attempt to raise electricity prices in Armenia. Tashir has kept the prices unchanged.

ENA is the largest of Tashirs companies in Armenia. The bulk of Karapetians business assets, estimated by the Forbes magazine at $4 billion, are located in Russia where the 59-year-old tycoon has lived since the early 1990s.

Karapetian was initially prosecuted for allegedly calling for a violent overthrow of Pashinians government. He was also charged with tax evasion, fraud and money laundering after pledging to fight for regime change in Armenia and set up a new opposition group for that purpose. He denies all the accusations levelled against him.
The contacts followed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians news conference on Wednesday during which he signaled readiness to let a U.S. company run a transport corridor to Azerbaijans Nakhichevan exclave passing through Syunik, an Armenian region bordering Iran.

In a short statement, the Armenian governments press office said Grigorian discussed with Ambassador Mehdi Sobhani recent regional developments.

Thoughts were exchanged on prospects for unblocking communication routes in the region, it said without elaborating.

The office of Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenias Security Council, released on Thursday a similar readout of his phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Ahmadian.

Iran is strongly opposed to the extraterritorial corridor for Nakhichevan sought by Azerbaijan as well as Turkey. The Armenian government has likewise rejected until now Bakus demands for the movement of people and cargo through that corridor to be exempt from Armenian border controls.

Pashinians apparent readiness to accept the unconventional transit arrangement proposed by the United States recently has been construed by Armenian opposition leaders and some analysts as a major change in Yerevans position. They say that outsourcing management of the transport corridor to an American company would undermine Armenian sovereignty over Syunik.

Sobhani did not sound concerned about Pashinians statements when he spoke to journalists later on Friday.

What we have seen is statements [by Armenian leaders] that there are proposals, he said. Dont ask me for an official position on what you think might happen.

What we know and what Armenian officials have said is that everything will be under the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia, added the diplomat.

In a clear reference to the U.S. and other Western powers, Iranian leaders have repeatedly spoken out against the presence of extra-regional forces in the South Caucasus.
18 July 2025 14:24 (UTC+04:00)

On July 18, during a hearing at the Baku Military Court, a victim named Krm Mammadov testified that he was held hostage in Armenia on March 7, 1990.

As reported by Azernews via AzerTag, he stated that he had travelled to the area between Zangilan and Kapan districts in a UAZ vehicle to restore the communication lines. Accompanying him were workers named Shakir Avaz oglu Baghirov, a driver from the Zangilan District Communication Centre named Emin, and another man named Emin, who served as the assistant to the local commandant.

As they were inspecting cable lines and entered the courtyard of the Kapan communication center, Armenians gathered there attacked them, beating Mammadov and the others with punches and kicks, and took them hostage. Later, employees of the Kapan District Internal Affairs Department of Armenia and military personnel took them to the department building. There, four Armenians in civilian clothes tortured them, inflicting bodily harm through repeated beatings.

As a result, K. Mammadov suffered fractured ribs on his right side, extensive bruising across his body, and a traumatic brain injury. Sh. Baghirov experienced a brain hemorrhage.

Soviet soldiers from Zangilan eventually rescued the hostages, placing them in an armoured personnel carrier (BTR) and bringing them back to Zangilan. The UAZ vehicle they had used was seized and appropriated by those who had taken them hostage in Armenia.

In response to a question from the prosecutor, Mammadov stated that he was hospitalized for two months due to the injuries he sustained in Armenia.

It should be noted that the trial of citizens of the Republic of Armenia, accused of crimes arising from Armenias military aggressionincluding crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, preparation and waging of aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, seizure of power by force, and other grave offensesis ongoing.
18 July 2025 23:52 (UTC+04:00)

On July 18, an open court hearing continued in the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others. They stand accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes - including the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing of terrorism, the forcible seizure and retention of power, and other serious offenses stemming from Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan.

The hearing, held at the Baku Military Court under the presidency of Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with Judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each defendant was provided with an interpreter in their preferred language and defense counsel.

The session was attended by the accused, their legal representatives, several victims, their legal successors or representatives, and state prosecutors.

Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the members of the judicial panel, prosecutors, interpreters, and others to victims participating for the first time, explaining their rights and obligations under the law.

Victim Orkhan Najafov stated that he was injured due to an artillery fire while preventing a large-scale provocation committed by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups in the direction of Aghdam on September 19, 2023, during anti-terror operations. Responding to questions from public prosecutor Tarana Mammadova, he noted that his fellow soldiers - Isa Isayev, Ismayil Khanaliyev, Mikayil Hamidli and Sakit Aslanov - who were serving along with him at the time were also injured in the incident.

Another Victim Barzani Atayev mentioned that on September 19, 2023, while evacuating the wounded as a paramedic at a medical station in the Aghdara district, he was wounded due to a mortar shell explosion fired by the enemy. Although there was a crescent sign on the vehicle, he added.

Ragif Aliyev said that he was injured on September 20, during anti-terror operations, when remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups fired his car with a mortar, leaving others injured and one person dead.

Responding to the question of the accused David Manukyan, he said, The enemys goal was to annihilate Azerbaijanis, I do not know their other goals.

Victim Karam Mammadov said he was captured in Armenia on March 7, 1990. He drove to the area between the Zangilan and Gafan districts, on a UAZ vehicle, to restore communication line there. He was accompanied by his employees Baghirov Shakir Avaz oglu and driver Emin, as well as the assistant of the commandant also called Emin.

While they were checking the cable lines along the area, entering the area of the Gafan communications hub, they were beaten and captured by Armenians there. After that, the arriving employees of the Gafan District Internal Affairs Department of Armenia and military personnel took them to the Gafan District Internal Affairs Department. Four persons in military uniform tortured them, inflicting various types of bodily injuries. As a result, K. Mammadov's ribs on his right side were broken, all parts of his body were bruised, and he suffered a head injury. Shakir Baghirov suffered a brain bleed.

The soviet soldiers arriving from Zangilan district have taken them over and from Armenians, thus releasing them from captivity. The UAZ vehicle belonging to the victims was appropriated by the persons, who captured them in Armenia.

While responding to questions from the state prosecutor, the victim stated that he had undergone treatment in a hospital for two months.

Jeyhun Aliyev testified that he was injured in the direction of Janyatag during the anti-terror operation launched by the Azerbaijani Army in 2023, due to a mortar shell explosion fired by the enemy.

In response to a question from public prosecutor Fuad Musayev, Aliyev said that they were trying to counter the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and the provocations of illegal Armenian armed groups at that time. Because they were committing various provocations, firing at our posts and the Azerbaijani civilians, he added. He also confirmed his statement given to the preliminary investigation.

Accused Levon Mnatsakanyan inquired about the statements given by the victims to the investigation. Judge Zeynal Agayev stated that the statements given by the victims during the preliminary investigation are also on the tablets in the hands of the accused.

Emin Shahbazov testified that on September 19, 2023, he and Senior Lieutenant Eshgin Babazada were injured when an anti-tank missile fired by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups hit their armored personnel carrier (APC) near him in the Aghdara district. Shahbazov also mentioned that he saw the firing of medical vehicles carrying with wounded Azerbaijanis. He said that the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups were staffing positions prior to the anti-terror operations.

In response to questions from the public prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, he underlined that the enemy was staffing positions at the time.

Victim Hilal Hasanov testified that he was injured by a bullet fired from the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups in Aghdara district during the anti-terrorist operations in 2023. Responding to a question from Tuqay Rahimli, Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments, his fellow servicemen Ali Tagiyev and Javad Maharramov were killed, while other servicemen Ulvi Karimov, Elsab Karimov, and Nasimi Mahmudov were injured the enemy fire.

In their testimonies, Safiyar Mahammadli, Shukur Zeynalov and Elvin Mammadov said that they were injured in the Aghdara direction during the anti-terror operations, and Aligismat Nuriyev was wounded in the Khojaly the direction.

Responding to questions from Nasir Bayramov, head of the Department of Public Prosecution Defense of the Prosecutor General's Office, Farid Zeynalov stated that during the anti-terror operations in the Aghdam district, a medical vehicle was hit by a missile while on its way to bring wounded servicemen. He and the head of the brigade's medical station, Farhad Tagiyev, were injured in the incident.

Ravan Sharifzada testified that he was injured during the anti-terror operations - on the night of September 19-20 near the Vang village.

Victim Nasib Alakbarov stated that on September 13, 2022, Azerbaijani military servicemen, whose names he does not remember, were martyred as a result of shell explosion in the Dashkasan district, while preventing large-scale provocations by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian detachments. He and several soldiers received various types of bodily injuries.

Victim Imran Bayramov said he was wounded by a grenade, while he was trying to counter an attack in the Kalbajar-Aghdara direction.

Victim Famil Mammadov noted that he, along with other Azerbaijani military serviceman were injured in a shooting opened by the remnants of Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Vang village, adding that Ilham Shamsiyev was killed in the incident.

Other victims - Elshan Ibrahimli and Tural Mammadov, mentioned they were wounded, while countering the provocation of the remnants of Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed detachments in the Aghdam district.

The victims also responded to questions from the accused, their defense lawyers, and representatives.

The trial is scheduled to continue on July 21.

Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian stateincluding the aforementioned criminal associationon the territory of Azerbaijan, in violation of domestic and international legal norms. These crimes were committed for the purpose of military aggression against Azerbaijan and were carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, officials of its state institutions, its armed forces, and illegal armed formations, through their written and verbal orders, instructions, and guidelines; material, technical, and personnel support; centralized management; as well as under strict control and under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte Charles Melkonyan, and others.

The following individualsArayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, Davit Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, Davit Nelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayanare being charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression); Article 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection); Article 103 (genocide); Article 105 (extermination of the population); Article 106 (enslavement); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population); Article 109 (persecution); Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons); Article 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law); Article 113 (torture); Article 114 (mercenary service); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare); Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict); Article 118 (military robbery); Article 120 (intentional murder); Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure); Article 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state); Article 279 (creation of armed groups not provided for by law); and other articles.
18 July 2025 13:45 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Former President of Turkmenistan and current Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (Peoples Council) of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is on an official visit to Azerbaijan. Although the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project was not explicitly discussed during the visit, the long-standing energy ambitions between the two countries and their strategic positions in the Caspian region bring the topic naturally back into focus. In light of the geopolitical shifts and renewed regional cooperation, Azernews sought expert views on whether the project could realistically be revivedand what it would mean for Azerbaijans energy strategy.

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18 July 2025 16:59 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Azerbaijan is steadily reclaiming its place as a regional powerhouse in fertiliser production. Long before the fall of the Soviet Union, the country was home to several large chemical and fertiliser plants producing ammonium nitrate, urea, and other key components that supported not only domestic agriculture but also fed the demands of a vast Eurasian supply chain.

The dissolution of the USSR dealt a heavy blow to this proud legacy. Like many industries across the former Soviet space, Azerbaijans fertiliser production facilities struggled to survive. Cut off from both the centralised distribution systems and major export markets, the industry gradually withered. Once self-sufficient, Azerbaijan became dependent on fertiliser imports, a significant shift for a country with deep roots in agricultural chemistry.

But Azerbaijan never accepted this decline as permanent. Starting in the 2010s, the country initiated bold steps to restore its industrial capabilities. Several companies were established to pave the way for a chemical renaissance. However, the true turning point came in January 2019 with the commissioning of the SOCAR Carbamide Plant in Sumgait.

This plant was not just a new industrial facilityit was a strategic statement. As one of the most advanced fertiliser production plants in the region, the Sumgait factory signalled a return to Azerbaijans role as a producer, rather than a passive consumer. The nation did not wait long to witness its fruits. In a short period, Azerbaijan not only became self-sufficient in nitrogen fertilisers but also emerged as a rising exporter in the global market.

By 2022, exports had skyrocketed from $10 million in 2019 to an impressive $200 million. This remarkable growth made nitrogen fertilisers one of the leading contributors to Azerbaijans non-oil exports. It proved that with the right vision, planning, and strategic investment, Azerbaijan could once again compete on the global stagenot just with oil and gas, but also with high-demand agricultural inputs.

Although the global fertiliser market faced turbulence due to supply chain disruptions, rising shipping costs, and logistical bottlenecks, Azerbaijan did not sit idly. Instead, the government and its strategic partners took decisive action. Through ASCOs (Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company) acquisition of several handysize cargo vessels, the nation established more flexible and efficient routes between producers and global buyers.

This move was essential. While Asia remains a leading producer of nitrogen-based fertilisers, the main importers are located in the Americas. Azerbaijans geographical position and logistical expansion now allow it to play a critical role in bridging this gap. Soon, Azerbaijan's nitrogen fertiliser exports reclaimed in 2025. Thus, in the first 6 months, Azerbaijan exported nitrogen fertiliser amounting to $98 million. These handysize vessels not only carry Azerbaijani-made fertilisers to distant shores but also contribute to the regional logistics network by transporting third-country products.

Such rapid growth in exports, even amid global headwinds, highlights the strategic value of the fertiliser sector. It is not merely a matter of economics; it is about national sovereignty, food security, and technological resilience. Fertiliser is, in many ways, a strategic commodity. Agriculture around the worldand by extension, the entire food chaindepends on its availability.

Azerbaijans renewed investment in this sector demonstrates not only foresight but also a deep commitment to long-term stability and self-reliance. As global concerns over food insecurity continue to rise, countries that control key agricultural inputs will shape the geopolitical and economic conversations of the future.

The story of Azerbaijans fertiliser sector is one of revival, vision, and determination. From the ashes of a collapsed Soviet system, Azerbaijan has built a new foundationone that combines historical expertise with modern technology. The SOCAR Carbamide Plant stands as a symbol of this transformation, proving that strategic planning and national pride can restore what was once lost.

Today, Azerbaijan is not merely producing for its own needs. It is exporting knowledge, stability, and opportunity to the world. With rising global demand for fertilisers, especially in regions where food production is vulnerable, Azerbaijans contributions carry immense weight.

More importantly, this journey illustrates a larger truth: that Azerbaijan is capable of taking its future into its own hands, investing in its strengths, and emerging as a reliable partner in an increasingly uncertain world. The fertiliser industry may seem silent, but its power is undeniable. And Azerbaijan is once again leading with confidence.
18 July 2025 11:36 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The Garabagh Revival Fund has initiated the process to obtain ISO 37001:2025 certification for its Anti-Bribery Management System, aligning its operations with internationally recognized standards, Azernews reports, citing the Fund.

The Fund has already started the necessary preparations for certification, which will involve several key stages:

Certification Process:

Initial Audit: An assessment of the Funds current management system to determine its compliance with ISO 37001:2025, followed by a detailed report in Azerbaijani.

External Surveillance Audit: A full audit conducted by an independent body. If the results are satisfactory, the Fund will be granted the ISO 37001:2025 certificate, recognized in international registries.

First Surveillance Audit: Conducted after certification to ensure ongoing compliance. A corresponding report will be prepared in Azerbaijani.

Second Surveillance Audit: A follow-up compliance audit, with findings to be documented in Azerbaijani.

Fund Overview:

The Garabagh Revival Fund operates from Baku and currently has no regional branches or offices. It employs 37 full-time staff, including a 9-person administrative team. The Fund plays a key role in supporting the reconstruction and redevelopment of territories liberated from occupation in Azerbaijan. Its mission includes attracting investments, fostering public-private partnerships, and promoting information and awareness both domestically and internationally.

Internal Auditor Training:

As part of the certification initiative, the Fund will also organize a comprehensive internal auditor training program on anti-bribery management systems, covering:

Principles of anti-bribery management

Benefits of implementing an anti-bribery system

Requirements of the ISO 37001 international standard

Steps to develop and implement an effective anti-bribery system

The role of leadership and employee awareness in combating bribery

Risk assessment and the importance of due diligence

Monitoring and continuous improvement of the anti-bribery framework

At the end of the training, all participants will receive certificates of attendance. Those who successfully pass the relevant exam will be awarded an internal auditor certificate.

This move reflects the Funds commitment to transparency, integrity, and adherence to global governance standards as it contributes to the sustainable development of the Garabagh region.
18 July 2025 14:06 (UTC+04:00)

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The growing share of chemical exports underscores Azerbaijans strategy to strengthen its non-oil export base. However, the sharp rise in imports continues to weigh on the trade balance, reflecting broader economic shifts in the region. As reported by Azernews, citing the statistical data, chemical industry products accounted for...

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18 July 2025 11:47 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The 62nd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) is currently being held in Baku, hosted by the Accounts Chamber of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The meeting has brought together more than 100 participants, including members of the ASOSAI Governing Board and Audit Committee, as well as representatives from the leadership and secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI).

The event officially opened with a keynote speech by Krishnan Sangaran, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India, representing the ASOSAI Chair. This was followed by an address from Vugar Gulmammadov, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, who highlighted the significance of the meeting and emphasized Azerbaijans commitment to international cooperation in the field of public sector auditing. He also spoke about Azerbaijans contributions within the ASOSAI framework.

As part of the opening session, participants were shown a presentation video about Azerbaijan, showcasing the countrys culture, development, and achievements.

It was also noted that in September 2024, at the ASOSAI Assembly held in New Delhi, India, the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan was elected for the first time as a member of the ASOSAI Governing Boardmarking a milestone in the institution's growing international engagement.
18 July 2025 17:17 (UTC+04:00)

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Azerbaijan's State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) is set to expand its footprint in the European renewable energy sector by acquiring a minority stake in solar assets operated by U.S.-based Enfinity Global Inc. in Italy, Azernews reports. SOFAZ will acquire a 49% stake in a 402-megawatt portfolio owned by Enfinity. The portfolio includes...

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18 July 2025 15:58 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

The installed capacity of Azerbaijans 8 November Thermal Power Plant has been raised to 1,880 megawatts following large-scale reconstruction and modernization efforts, Azernews reports, citing AzrEnerji OJSC officials.

Speaking to journalists during a press visit to Mingachevir, Musfiq Abuzrli, Head of Service at AzrEnerjis Production Department, announced that the reconstruction process, which was completed in just two years, has significantly enhanced both the capacity and efficiency of the station.

Implementation was carried out using the latest technologies, Abuzrli said. Trial operations began in December last year and were successfully completed by April this year, allowing the plant to be fully commissioned.

The modernized facility now includes four newly installed gas turbines, each with a capacity of 320 megawatts. In addition, four heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) were installed, each with a production capacity of 400 tons of steam. The steam produced in these units is then used to drive three pre-existing 100-megawatt steam turbines, boosting overall electricity generation.

This hybrid gas-steam configuration has raised the total capacity of the plant to 1,880 megawatts, making it one of the largest thermal power plants in Azerbaijan and a critical pillar of the country's energy security infrastructure.

Importantly, the modernization has not only expanded output but also greatly improved the plants fuel efficiency and environmental performance.

Previously, generating one kilowatt-hour of electricity required approximately 335 grams of conventional fuel, Abuzrli explained. Thanks to the new technology, this figure has been reduced to 225 grams.

The efficiency gains translate into substantial environmental benefits. The reduction in fuel consumption is expected to prevent approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters of harmful emissions from being released into the atmosphere annually.

The "8 November" Thermal Power Plant plays a strategic role in meeting Azerbaijans energy needs and contributes significantly to the stability of the national grid. As the country continues to modernize its energy sector, the plant stands as a symbol of technological advancement, operational reliability, and environmental responsibility.
18 July 2025 16:18 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

A delegation led by Azerbaijans Minister of Agriculture, Majnun Mammadov, visited the Kalbajar district as part of a broader mission to assess and support agricultural activities in the liberated territories of Garabagh. The visit included meetings with local farmers and inspections of livestock and beekeeping operations, Azernews reports, citing the Ministrys Public Relations and Information Department.

The minister first met with Bashir Hajiyev, the Special Representative of the President in Kalbajar, along with staff from the representative office. The discussions focused on the restoration and development of agricultural activity in the post-conflict areas.

Key topics included the organization of seasonal transhumance to highland pastures for livestock and beekeeping enterprises, the current status of these sectors, the monitoring of agricultural activities, and the upcoming Honey Festival to be held in Kalbajar. Plans for establishing agritourism farms were also discussed.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured a newly opened shop dedicated to the sale of beekeeping products and a veterinary pharmacy serving local farmers.

The minister and his team then visited highland pastures where livestock and beekeeping enterprises have resumed seasonal activity. They inspected the condition of the pastures, animal husbandry practices, productivity levels, and the implementation of veterinary measures.

During discussions with farmers, ideas were exchanged on the development of agriculture in the region. Farmers shared their perspectives on improving livestock productivity and suggested ways to enhance the organization of seasonal migrations to high-altitude grazing areas. Their proposals were noted, and ministry officials addressed various questions and concerns raised during the meeting.

This visit is part of Azerbaijans broader strategy to revitalize economic life in liberated territories through the restoration of traditional livelihoods and the promotion of sustainable rural development.
18 July 2025 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The leadership of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), a key subsidiary of AZCON Holding, held a video conference with Chairman of Pakistan Railways, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, to deepen bilateral cooperation in the transport and logistics sector, Azernews reports.

According to a statement released by Azerbaijan Railways and reported by Azernews, the meeting centered on expanding cargo transportation volumes, port integration, and new joint investment opportunities along routes connecting Azerbaijan and Pakistan via the East-West axis.

The discussions reflected growing interest in enhancing regional interconnectivity across the South AsiaCaucasusEurope corridor. Both sides voiced support for a multimodal transport corridor that would link China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, positioning Baku as a pivotal hub in global trade.

Among the practical initiatives discussed were pilot logistics projects, including the development of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Express and trilateral cargo transport involving Pakistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. The utilization of Pakistans Gwadar Port was highlighted as a critical component in facilitating faster cargo flows between Asia and Europe through the Middle Corridor.

The sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening rail and maritime integration in line with evolving global transit demands.
18 July 2025 11:53 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijani film will be screened at the 21st Kazan International Film Festival, Azernews reports.

The debut film "Reverse Shadows" by film critic, deputy chairman of the Azerbaijan Guild of Film Critics and Film Scholars, and director Haji Safarov will be demonstrated in the festival's "Short Films" section.

"Reverse Shadows" is based on motifs from the novel Shadows Walking Backwards by writer Rahim Dunyamali.

The protagonist, released from prison after many years, faces a dramatic dilemma. He must choose between love and revenge.

The film's screenwriter and director is Haji Safarov; producers are Emil Najafov, Haji Safarov, and Turkan Huseyn; cinematographer is Elvin Mammad; production designer is Bahar Demir; also involved are Parviz Bayramguliyev and Gulnar Rahimzade; composer is Nigar Suleyman; editors are Mirzali Alizade and Matlab Mukhtarov; second director is Vafa Fatullayeva; line producer is Ulviya Mammadova.

The cast includes Honored Artist Rasim Jafar and Zulfiya Mammadova.

The film was produced by Chinar Film LLC. The project won the Support for Films in Post-Production Stage competition held by the Azerbaijan Film Agency in 2024.

The Azerbaijan Film-Makers Union provided financial support for the films production.

The making of the film was also supported by Ultra Production and Duym Agency.

The 21st Kazan International Film Festival, also known as the "Altyn Minbar" festival, is scheduled to take place from September 5th to 9th, 2025, in Kazan, Russia.

The festival focuses on films that reflect universal moral and spiritual values, cultural traditions, and the ideas of peace, religious tolerance, and humanism. It aims to foster dialogue between cultures and promote understanding between different nationalities and countries.
18 July 2025 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris has concluded with the inclusion of 26 new cultural and natural sites into the World Heritage List, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan's Ancient City of Gabala and the Historical-Cultural and Natural Complex of Gamigaya and Goygol have been included in the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

This year, there was also a renewed focus on African heritage. Four new sites from the continent were added to the list, while three endangered sites were removed from it.

With the addition of 26 new sites, the total number of properties on the World Heritage List has reached 1,248 across 170 countries. The Committee also approved the expansion of the territories of two existing World Heritage sites, which will allow for the creation of transboundary natural parks.

Many of the nominations presented at this year's session were initiated by local communities and supported by national authorities. This is particularly true for the four new sites from Africa and the Aboriginal lands of Murujuga in Australia.

The inclusion of these sites in the list confirms international recognition and highlights the key role of indigenous peoples in the preservation of this heritage.

Since 2020, UNESCO has allocated over $34 million USD for cultural heritage preservation projects across Africa. These funds are used for specialist training, nomination preparation, and the financing of conservation projects.

At the 47th session, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone presented their first nominations for inclusion in the World Heritage List, further strengthening its universality. It is expected that by 2027, seven new African countries will present their first nominations.

The next 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will take place in the summer of 2026 in Busan, South Korea.
18 July 2025 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The first seminar dedicated to cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science has been organised at the Regional Office of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) in Baku, Azernews reports.

The main task of ICESCO's regional office in Baku, which opened on April 29, 2025, is to coordinate cooperation between the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia  Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

This region is home to unique cultural treasures, ranging from the Great Silk Road to various examples of intangible heritage, and is capable of playing a significant role in shaping the global cultural landscape.

Abdulhakeem Al-Senan, the Director of ICESCO's Regional Office in Baku, opened the event with a welcoming speech. He thanked all those who contributed to the organisation of the seminar.

In his speech, he emphasised that the Regional Office in Baku was established to strengthen ICESCO's presence in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as to assist in fostering closer cooperation between member states.

"This office is not just a structural unit of ICESCO, but also a fully-fledged and strong centre. It serves as a direct link between the organisation's headquarters and all member countries, contributing to the implementation of national plans and the development of education, science, and culture," the director said.

He also expressed his gratitude to the partner countries  Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan  for their support in the establishment of the office.

Farid Jafarov, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Culture, emphasised that the opening of ICESCO's regional office is of special significance, as its activities will cover a wide range of areas, from education and culture to information technology.

The Deputy Minister stressed that special attention would be given to the cultural field, in which Azerbaijan has traditionally been highly active. According to him, in recent years, the country has been actively collaborating with international experts in the cultural sector, which remains one of the priorities of state policy.

Farid Jafarov also recalled that ICESCO's cooperation with Azerbaijan extends to the Karabakh region. This collaboration is being carried out not only at the state level but also with the involvement of non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

He also mentioned that last year, ICESCO, with the support of the international community, was a partner in a project implemented jointly with Azerbaijani counterparts, focusing specifically on ecological issues.

Furthermore, he reminded that ICESCO declared the ancient city of Shusha, located in Azerbaijan's recently liberated territory, the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2024.

"During this period, we held several international events to mark this significant occasion, both in Shusha and other regions of Azerbaijan," the Deputy Minister added.

Anar Karimov, ICESCO's Director of International Cooperation, then spoke and noted that the Baku office, with its rich and diverse heritage, would be a "beacon" for the organisation in the region. "We are talking about creating a new cooperation platform based on peace, mutual respect, and a shared vision for the future," he emphasised.

Karimov presented three proposals by ICESCO regarding regional integration. He stated: "First, we propose the creation of a unified regional cluster, supported by ICESCO and other partners, which will connect the countries of the region. This cluster will focus on two broad areas: cultural heritage, science and innovation, climate resilience, and curriculum development."

He also mentioned that the regional office in Baku would hold a seminar on the protection of cultural heritage on July 28 of this year. This important initiative will bring together experts and organisations to identify ways of safeguarding and promoting both tangible and intangible heritage. Additionally, other centers will be created to take leadership in the fields of education, innovation, "green" science, multilingual digital content, and publishing, ensuring institutional leadership and balanced participation from all countries in the region.

Finally, Maryam Qafar-zad, Deputy Director of ICESCO's Regional Office in Baku, addressed the audience. She spoke about the organization's mission, emphasizing that its primary goal is to strengthen the capacities of regional countries by providing access to programs and projects aimed at developing education and science, protecting cultural heritage, empowering youth and women, promoting cultural dialogue, and preserving the environment.

As part of the event, a video was presented to the seminar participants, highlighting the history of ICESCO's establishment, when and which countries joined the organization, as well as its key initiatives and areas of activity in a global context.

In this regard, the regional seminar has become an effective platform for enhancing cooperation between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The aim of the meeting was to deepen regional integration and promote ICESCO's mission of strengthening connections between countries through education, science, and culture.

The seminar continued with panel discussions. Representatives from the participating countries exchanged experiences and ideas, presenting their proposals on how to develop cooperation in the fields of culture, science, and education.

The seminar participants put forward specific initiatives to strengthen regional partnership, emphasising the importance of close collaboration and joint efforts to achieve common goals.

With its rich cultural legacy, Azerbaijan joined the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) in 1991.

Since then, Azerbaijan has actively promoted the preservation of its Islamic cultural heritage.

The country successfully collaborates closely with various organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, and the Islamic Conference of Youth Forum.
18 July 2025 11:18 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The Armenian Prosecutor Generals Office has filed a legal motion seeking to invalidate the registration of the so-called Nagorno-Garabagh governments permanent representative office in Yerevan, originally granted on January 31, 2007, Azernews reports via Armenian media. The move marks a significant shift in Yerevans internal handling of post-conflict dynamics and further distances the Armenian government from structures associated with separatist aspirations in Garabagh.

Responding to questions about the decision, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made clear that he views the presence of such an entity on Armenian soil as unacceptable.

This organization should belong to Armenia, Pashinyan stated.

I cannot allow the existence of a second state within the Republic of Armenia. I have said this before and I hoped that the message would be understood. Otherwise, the state must take action.

His remarks reinforce a growing tendency within Yerevan to dismantle remnants of parallel authority tied to Garabagh's past separatist structures, especially after the full restoration of Azerbaijani sovereignty over the region in 2023.

Many Armenian officials have openly rejected calls to establish a Nagorno-Garabagh government in exile, warning that such a body could serve as a pretext for Azerbaijan to justify future military actions against Armenia. The legal step now taken by the Prosecutor General signals a further alignment of Armenias domestic policies with its international legal obligations and efforts to normalize relations with Baku.
18 July 2025 11:02 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Direct flights between Tabriz and Baku are set to resume starting August 11, as reported by Iranian media outlets. The weekly service will be operated by Irans national carrier, Homa Airlines, on the TabrizBakuTabriz route, Azernews reports.

The flight connection, which had previously served as a key transport link between northwestern Iran and Azerbaijan, was suspended in the wake of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June. The renewal of flights marks a step toward normalization of regional mobility and signals a cautious easing of tensions.

The resumption is expected to benefit both tourism and business exchanges between the two neighboring countries, particularly as bilateral economic and cultural ties gain renewed momentum.
18 July 2025 12:53 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Azerbaijan has refused to attend the upcoming meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Economic Council scheduled to take place in Moscow, Azernews reports, citing Trend.

Typically, Azerbaijan is represented at CIS meetings by First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov. However, the source confirmed that Eyyubov will not attend this session.

The decision to withdraw is reportedly linked to recent events in Yekaterinburg and the downing of an AZAL aircraft. According to the source, Azerbaijans refusal stems from Russias reluctance to take necessary measures to resolve these issues.
18 July 2025 15:49 (UTC+04:00)

On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited Khanyurdu village in the Khojaly district, Azernews reports.

During the visit, President Ilham Aliyev toured the homes of resettled residents Rasim Javadov and Karam Abbasov.

Khanyurdu village, part of the Ballija village administrative territory in the Khojaly district, has seen 40 individual houses fully restored. An additional 65 homes are slated for restoration by the end of this year, with 93 more planned for repair and restoration in 2026. On July 14 of this year, 33 families, totaling 122 people, returned to their native Khanyurdu village.

Efforts are underway to establish modern social infrastructure in the village. A 14-km, 10 kV power line has been repaired and metering initiated; over 10 km of natural gas pipeline has been laid, and a 4-km existing gas line restored. An artesian well, a 400-cubic-meter water reservoir, and a drinking water network have also been repaired. A 10.4-km communication line has been installed, providing residents with access to fixed telephone, internet, and IPTV services. More than 2 km of internal village roads have been paved with asphalt. Preparatory work is ongoing for the repair and restoration of a general education facility, while major renovations are underway at an ambulatory medical center and a market building. Additionally, a 1-hectare recreation park has been established in the village.

President Ilham Aliyev also met with residents who have relocated to both Tazabina and Khanyurdu villages and held conversations with them.
18 July 2025 16:05 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Azerbaijan is closely monitoring the developments unfolding in Syria, particularly in light of the ongoing Israeli-Syrian tensions, according to a statement from the countrys Foreign Ministry, Azernews reports.

The spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Aykhan Hajizadeh, emphasized Bakus unwavering position on Syrias sovereignty.

We once again express our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty, indivisibility and political unity of Syria, Hajizadeh said, underscoring the necessity of peace and stability in the war-torn country.

He stressed that ensuring lasting peace, security, and stability in Syria remains a vital priority for the region.

On 16 July 2025, Israeli airstrikes targeted the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and multiple sites across Suwayda and Daraa, killing at least three and injuring 34, with strikes also hitting the vicinity of the Presidential Palace and the al-Tha'lah Airbase.
18 July 2025 22:32 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolence to the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdullatif Jamal Rashid.

According to Azernews, the letter reads:



Dear Mr. President,

We were deeply shocked by the news of numerous casualties resulting from the fire at the shopping center in the city of al-Kut.

I share your grief over this tragedy, and on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, extend my deepest condolences to you, the bereaved families, their loved ones, and the entire people of Iraq. I also wish a swift recovery to those injured.

May Allah rest the souls of the deceased in peace!

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, July 18, 2025
18 July 2025 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The United Kingdom and Germany are set to embark on a groundbreaking joint defense project to develop long-range precision missiles with a reach of over 2,000 kilometersmarking a significant leap in European military capabilities, Azernews reports.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London this Thursday during an official state visit aimed at deepening bilateral ties. As part of the visit, the two leaders are expected to unveil a major commitment to co-develop a new Deep Precision Strike System over the next decade.

According to an official statement, "The range of the new system will exceed 2,000 kilometers and it will become one of the most advanced missile platforms ever developed by the United Kingdom."

This initiative is set to be a central element of a broader Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the UK and Germany. The treaty will not only cover defense collaboration but also include joint efforts to tackle illegal migration, strengthen critical infrastructure, and enhance bilateral trade.

Analysts note that this missile development marks a strategic shift for both nations amid growing global security tensions and uncertainty surrounding NATO's long-term posture. The joint system could serve as a European counterweight to similar developments by rival powers, offering both deterrence and interoperability with allied forces.

The planned missile is expected to incorporate next-generation guidance systems, stealth capabilities, and the ability to deliver precision strikes deep into contested territory. Although few technical details have been released so far, defense experts suggest it could rival or even surpass existing cruise missile systems in both range and accuracy.

This UK-Germany collaboration may also signal a broader realignment in European defense strategyemphasizing high-tech cooperation, autonomy, and resilience in an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical landscape.
18 July 2025 12:49 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced on Friday that the bloc has approved "one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," aimed at Moscow's military industry, oil, and financial sectors, Azernews reports.

"Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap. We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," Kallas wrote on X. Furthermore, she said the new sanctions will also target "the biggest Rosneft refinery in India."

The new measures aim to exert pressure on Russia's military machine and compel the country's leadership to end the conflict, the high representative stressed.
18 July 2025 21:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

India has successfully test-launched two short-range ballistic missiles, the Prithvi-II and Agni-I, further demonstrating its growing missile capabilities, Azernews reports.

"The tests were conducted at the Chandipur test site in the eastern state of Odisha, under the supervision of the Strategic Forces Command. All technical and operational parameters were successfully validated," the Indian Ministry of Defense emphasized in its statement.

Both the Prithvi-II and Agni-I are integral to India's strategic deterrence capabilities, designed for precision strikes against key targets. The Prithvi-II missile, with a range of 250 to 350 kilometers, is capable of carrying a warhead weighing between 0.5 and 1 ton. It is equipped with advanced missile evasion technologies and the latest in target guidance systems, ensuring high precision in hostile environments. Interestingly, the Prithvi-IIs propulsion system is based on the Soviet-era V-755 engine used in the S-75 anti-aircraft missile, highlighting India's indigenous development of missile technology while leveraging historical expertise.

Meanwhile, the Agni-I missile is a key part of Indias Agni series, developed under the country's comprehensive missile development program. The Agni-I, with a range of 700 kilometers, provides India with a versatile, mobile platform for short-range strategic deterrence. This missile is particularly useful for defending against regional threats, offering India both offensive and defensive capabilities within its range.

The Agni series includes multiple variants, ranging from short-range to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, contributing significantly to India's nuclear triad and strengthening its ability to deliver precision strikes. The strategic importance of these missile systems lies not just in their range, but in their flexibility and the role they play in Indias defense doctrine of credible minimum deterrence.

These tests also align with Indias broader goal of enhancing its missile defense systems and maintaining a robust deterrent force amidst the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in South Asia.
Beaufort CCCs new training ambulance, funded by a $164,426 grant from The Cannon Foundation, will expand hands-on EMS education across the region.

Attila Nemecz

Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator

Beaufort County Community College

5337 U.S. Highway 264 East

Washington, N.C. 27889

Ph : 252-940-6387

: 252-940-6387 Cell : 252-940-8672

: 252-940-8672 attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

The Cannon Foundation has awarded Beaufort County Community College (Beaufort CCC) a grant of $164,426 to address critical challenges in its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. The funding will allow the college to purchase a new ambulance, a much-needed resource to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality training for EMS providers and students.The college's current ambulance, a repurposed EastCare unit obtained through a grant in 2018, has accumulated nearly 400,000 miles and suffers from ongoing issues that confine its use to local training sessions, making it increasingly difficult to meet state-mandated EMS training requirements.Additionally, Beaufort CCC's secondary training ambulance is no longer operational, forcing the college to rely on borrowed vehicles from local agencies. However, the growing shortage of available EMS units has made this arrangement unsustainable, jeopardizing the quality and availability of EMS education.The new ambulance will be fully stocked and equipped with a simulator, enabling hands-on training for EMS providers and students. It will also serve as the designated vehicle for state-mandated EMT driver training and provide high-quality, real-world training experiences to counties in the college's service area." said Billy Respass, director of EMS programs at Beaufort CCC.This initiative is particularly important for Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties, which rank among the most economically distressed regions in North Carolina. A reliable and fully equipped ambulance will enable Beaufort CCC to extend its training resources to rural and underserved areas, ensuring that local EMS providers and students receive the education and experience needed to succeed.Respass emphasized.The Cannon Foundation had previously funded equipment for the Boat Manufacture & Service program. The foundation has a robust history of supporting the college. It was established in 1943 by Charles A. Cannon, president and chairman of Cannon Mills Company for more than 50 years. Cannon was born in Concord, NC and built the Cannon Mills Company into a household name. A focus of the foundation is supporting higher education.Beaufort CCC offers a wide range of EMS programs, including initial Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, EMT to Paramedic, Community Health Paramedicine, and Flight/Critical Care Paramedic courses, as well as continuing education for the various levels of EMS providers. For more information about Beaufort CCC's EMS programs, please contact Billy Respass at 252-940-6448 or billy.respass@beaufortccc.edu.
A new poll reflects just how much trouble the Democrats in Congress are for the upcoming 2026 election. Off year elections are won or lost based on voter enthusiasm and turnout. And worst of all for the Democrats? It came from a pollster which is notorious for tilting to the left and the Democrats.

The latest Quinnipiac poll shows voter approval for Democrats in Congress has sunk to 19%, the lowest ever recorded by any pollster for support for any party in the US Congress. In contrast, Quinnipiac's poll showed approval for Republicans in Congress at 33%.

Even among Democrats' own voters, only 39% approved of their party's performance in Congress, while 52% disapproved. Among Republican voters, 77% approved of their party's Congressional delegation's performance while only 20% disapproved. Those are the numbers that are particularly telling for voter enthusiasm for 2026 elections.

https://nypost.com/2025/07/16/us-news/job-approval-for-congressional-democrats-hits-all-time-low-flat-out-terrible/
An alleged rioter was remanded into custody today after he was identified throwing missiles at police and breaking into a car, which was then set on fire.
An asylum seeker who threatened to kill another foreign national in a hostel has been jailed for five months.
From seeing the sights to hitting Arcadia for matcha, WAGs of golf stars soak up The Open in Portrush
Police have launched an investigation into the sudden death Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph

Police are currently at the scene of a sudden death in Belfast.

Forensic detectives also attended a house in the Shankill Road area of the city on Friday afternoon.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed an investigation is underway.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a sudden death at a property in the Snugville Street area of north Belfast this afternoon, Friday 18th July, they said.

Theres no further detail at this time.

More to follow

Police have launched an investigation into the sudden death Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph

Kneecap to face no further action from police after Glastonbury performance
Police are investigating after a statue of an anti-slavery campaigner in the grounds of Belfast City Hall was vandalised.

The Mary Ann McCracken statue was erected outside the building in March 2024 alongside trade unionist Winifred Carney to mark International Women's Day.

Both were the first non-royal women to get statues in the grounds of City Hall.

The PSNI confirmed it was investigating the damage.

Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin said the damage targeted the specific section of the statue which was in Irish.

It is disgraceful that the statue of Mary Ann McCracken has targeted and damaged, he said.

Even more concerning is that the damage appears to have been aimed specifically at the section inscribed as Gaeilge.

This statue stands proudly at City Hall in memory of a remarkable anti-slavery campaigner and Irish republican.

Statue of Mary Ann McCracken at Belfast City Hall which received damage. Photo: PA

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly recreates a famous Rory McIlroy shot

I have spoken with council officials and called for a full investigation into the damage. I have also asked that the matter be referred to the PSNI.

Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions to ensure this intolerant behaviour is not repeated.

Sinn Fein is calling for repairs to be carried out as quickly as possible so the statue can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

SDLP councillor Gary McKeown said the vandalism was disgusting.

"It's really important that this is fully investigated and I have spoken to the council to ask that the signage is fixed as soon as possible.

"Belfast has an embarrassingly low number of statues dedicated to women, so the unveiling of this one in the grounds of City Hall last year was particularly welcome and I was delighted to be in attendance.

"This makes it all the more shocking that it appears that someone has attacked it. It's also notable that it was an Irish language inspection on the statue that was targeted, showing even more intolerance.

Alliance councillor Michael Long, who originally proposed the plan to commemorate the anti-slave campaigner, said he was disgusted by the vandalism.

Mary Ann McCracken represents everything that is good about the shared history of our city, he added.

I was delighted when my proposal for the statue was backed by all parties four years ago, as she speaks to the ideals we all should live up to.

Statues such as those of Mary Ann showcase the new, diverse Belfast by looking back to those who took stands and laid the foundations for the freedoms we enjoy today.

"It makes me despair how anyone could damage a memorial dedicated to someone held in such high regard by so many people.

I appeal to anyone who has information on this incident to contact police with it immediately.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police received a report at around 12.55pm on Friday, July 18 of suspected criminal damage to a statue in the Donegall Square North area of Belfast.

Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to contact police on the 101 number, quoting reference 687 of 18/07/25.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said it was aware of the damage.

"This will be looked into and replaced as soon as possible, they added.
Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA)

GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 28: DJ Provai of Kneecap performs on the West Holts Stage during during day four of Glastonbury Festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Avon and Somerset Police have announced that they have launched a criminal investigation into the performance of the Irish-language rap band who are known for making pro-Palestinian and political comments during their live performances and have attracted controversy in the past. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 28: Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap of Kneecap perform on the West Holts stage during day four of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap of Kneecap performs on the West Holts Stage during during day four of Glastonbury Festival.

Police have confirmed that a criminal investigation into Kneecaps performance at this years Glastonbury Festival has been dropped.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking no further action on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the festival.

West Belfast rap trio  made up of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh  took to social media on Friday to confirm the news.

The group shared a redacted email from a senior investigating officer on Facebook.

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

"Shortly afterwards we learn of an active police investigation. An investigation that followed after the Prime Minister himself said it was not appropriate we played Glastonbury.

They added: This investigation was reported across the world's media often with wildly misleading headlines.

Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close....yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.

The group questioned the decision to open and publicise the investigation adding that it was a political and targeted move.

This is state intimidation, the statement continued. After the media damage is inflicted and seen by millions of eyes - you receive a private email to say there's no evidence and no action - that is seen by two people only.

There is no public apology, they don't send this to media or post it on police accounts.

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Kneecap was informed of that decision earlier today.

Enquiries continue to be carried out in relation to separate comments made on stage during Bob Vylans performance.

Taking to the sage before of the Belfast group, rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds in chants of: Free, free Palestine and: Death, death to the IDF.

During their performance, Kneecap led the crowd in chants of Free Mo Chara and f*** Keir Starmer, while also thanking the organisers for not bowing to pressure to cancel their performance.After performing several tracks the band addressed the crowd, referencing O hAnnaidhs court appearance in June.

O hAnnaidh  who performs as Mo Chara  was charged in May with a terrorism offence over allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November 2024.

He denies the allegations and continues to be on bail ahead of a further court hearing in August.

Referring to his bandmates upcoming court date, O Caireallain  who performs as Moglai Bap  told the Glastonbury crowd they would start a riot outside the courts, before clarifying: No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.

The musicians have repeatedly spoken out against the war in Gaza.

Recently the band, alongside artists like Massive Attack and Brian Eno, joined a campaign with Led By Donkeys urging others who fear silencing or career cancellation over their support for Palestine to join a syndicate.

Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap of Kneecap performs on the West Holts Stage during during day four of Glastonbury Festival.

Kneecap fans defend Glastonbury performance as BBC say it will not be live-streamed

Earlier this week Kneecap announced new tour dates to play their biggest run of shows ever across Scotland, Wales and England.

Their tour will start in Bournemouth on November 14 before moving on to Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Kneecap will also perform in London at the previously announced show at OVO Arena Wembley on September 18.
Police have made a fresh appeal for information in relation to a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Downpatrick.

The teenager was out walking in the Samsons Lane area of the town near Killough Road when she was attacked last month.

It happened at 8.30am on Tuesday 24 June.

The suspect is believed to be aged between 15 and 16 and is described as a white male with dirty blond hair, who was wearing black clothing.

Police are continuing to investigate

One child dead after coach crashes on way back from school trip

Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher from the PSNIs Public Protection Branch said the victim is receiving specialist support following the incident.

Our dedicated detectives in the Rape Crime Unit continue to work at pace to progress the investigation and we are providing specialist support to the young girl, she said.

To aid our enquiries, I am asking anyone who may have been in the area between 8.30am and 9am, or who has any other information that could help our investigation  no matter how insignificant it may seem  to please contact us by calling 101, quoting reference 353 24/06/25.

You can also provide information online. If you would prefer to provide your information anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity, you can do so by calling 0800 555 111 or online.
A DUP MLA has criticised a republican group behind the vandalism of a prison service recruitment billboard in north Belfast.

A video of the vandalism, which happened on the Antrim Road, was posted online by Lasair Dhearg in which a man appears to daub orange paint over the images of two prison officers to create sashes, accompanied with the slogan Loyalist prison service.

They posted a statement with the video on their website, which said the British state continues to recruit for its Prison Service in occupied Ireland, hoping that they can balance the books with Catholics

It added: "Just like the PSNI, they will fail.

DUP MLA Phillip Brett has criticised those responsible as pathetic.

I utterly condemn the disgraceful and cowardly vandalism of a Prison Service recruitment billboard recently on the Antrim Road. This is nothing more than a pathetic and sinister attempt to intimidate future applicants from pursuing an honourable and essential career serving and keeping our communities safe, the North Belfast MLA said.

Let me be clear, those responsible represent no one but themselves.

They are relics of a dark past that the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland have long rejected. The men and women of the Prison Service carry out a difficult and vital job, often in challenging circumstances, and they deserve nothing but our respect and support.

These thugs will not succeed in their attempts to deter individuals from stepping forward to serve our society, he added.

Political representatives in North Belfast should publicly condemn those behind this and support the right of the Prison Service to advertise in and recruit from all communities.

I would urge the PSNI to take firm action against those who shamelessly and foolishly filmed themselves carrying out this criminal damage.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service said it was disappointed by the vandalism of one of our recruitment posters. We welcome applications from all parts of the community, and any attempt to intimidate people from applying must be condemned.

The recruitment campaign was very successful with significant numbers applying to join the Service. We look forward to assessing those applicants over the coming months, with successful candidates beginning their induction training later this year.

Its understood the recruitment campaign ended on July 11 and the poster has since been removed.

The PSNI said: "Police received a report of criminal damage to a poster in the Antrim Road area of North Belfast on Wednesday, 16th of July. Enquiries are on-going.
An Ulster Unionist MLA who served three tours in Afghanistan has slammed the Ministry of Defences massive data leak that resulted in thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK as a huge failing.

Doug Beattie, who was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in Afghanistan, said the breach was devastating for the thousands of Afghans who helped UK forces against the Taliban.
Ireland remains committed to renewing the Unifil mission, the Tanaiste has said.

Simon Harris held discussions with EU and UN counterparts on Friday in a bid to secure a continuation of the mission ahead of the renewal of its mandate at the end of August.

He held separate calls with UN under secretary general for peace operations Jean Pierre LaCroix, foreign minister of Italy Antonio Taranji, and foreign minister of Lebanon Youssef Raggi.

Speaking afterwards, the Tanaiste said: Since 1978, participation in Unifil has been a key demonstration of Irelands commitment to international peacekeeping.

I remain exceptionally proud of the Defence Forces members serving in Unifil and the contribution they make every day.

It is clear to me, including through my visit in March this year, that Unifil continues to play a vital role in ensuring stability and security.

He added: Ireland remains committed to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon including through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the renewal of Unifils mandate in the coming weeks.

In the call with Mr Rajji, Mr Harris also discussed the ongoing trial of those accused of killing Private Sean Rooney in Lebanon in December 2022.

He said: I underscored the importance of ensuring accountability and justice in this case for the family of Private Rooney, the Government and people of Ireland.

Mr Harris will hold further talks on the matter, including with the French foreign minister who is leading the bid to secure the renewal of the mandate.

Poland has also said it believes the mission must continue for the stability and security of the region.

Mr Harris told Cabinet this week that the Unifil mission is vital for retention and morale of Irish troops, as well as Irelands unwavering commitment to international peace and security.
French police clashed with people thought to be migrants in Gravelines early on Friday (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Clashes broke out between French riot police and migrants in the early hours of the morning in a northern coastal town.

Pictures and footage captured by the PA news agency shows a group throwing rocks from afar in the direction of the officers early on Friday, while small fires are alight in the road near a park in Gravelines.

The scene between the men  two seen by PA wearing life jackets  and the Gendarmerie and Police Nationale officers, who were equipped with shields, helmets and tear gas, lasted for about 20 minutes at around 5.30am.

It came after migrants were filmed running into the water and boarding a dinghy at Gravelines beach on Thursday morning.

More than 22,500 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a one in, one out migrant returns deal in a bid to crack down on the crossings and the people smuggling gangs who operate them.

The clashes occurred early on Friday in Gravelines, northern France (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Sir Keir met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday where he also praised Berlins plans to strengthen laws to disrupt small boat crossings by the end of the year.
Richard Tice has pledged to wage war on net zero if Reform UK is elected (Joe Giddens/PA)

Reform UKs war on net zero would cost almost one million jobs, the energy minister has claimed, as Labour steps up its attacks on Nigel Farages party over green power.

Michael Shanks said Reforms opposition to net zero amounted to a war on jobs, saying working people would lose jobs and opportunities if Farages party was ever allowed to impose its anti-jobs, anti-growth ideology on the country.

His comments come after Reform deputy leader Richard Tice wrote to energy companies urging them not to invest in the latest round of green energy contracts, known as Allocation Round 7 (AR7).

Mr Tice said he had put the companies on formal notice that their investments were politically and commercially unsafe as a future Reform government would seek to strike down all contracts signed under AR7.

But he later told the BBC that Reform would not renege on contracts, only oppose any variation.

Michael Shanks described Reforms policies as an energy surrender plan (Peter Byrne/PA)

Mr Shanks called the letter an energy surrender plan that would leave bills high for families and businesses, keeping the UK stuck on the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.

Labour also pointed to estimates from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which suggested the net zero sector now supported 951,000 jobs across the country.

That figure includes almost 138,000 jobs in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, areas where Reform has enjoyed electoral success including in this years Greater Lincolnshire mayoral contest and Mr Tices own Boston and Skegness constituency.

Mr Tice said: Labours reckless net zero fantasies are destroying hundreds of thousands of industrial jobs, costing taxpayers 12 billion a year in renewable subsidies, and leaving us with some of the highest energy bills in the world.

The OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) confirms that 30 billion of taxpayer money is being poured into net zero projects. These policies are crippling our economy and driving people out of this country.

In a report published last week, the OBR estimated tackling climate change would cost the Government 30 billion a year, largely in lost income from taxes such as fuel duty.

But it also warned that failing to act presented a more significant fiscal cost because of damage caused by climate change.

Mr Shankss intervention is the latest in a series of Labour attack lines against Reform, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer now regards as his real opponents.

Reform has made opposition to net zero a major part of its platform since the last election.

Earlier in the year Mr Tice pledged to wage war on the policy while Greater Lincolnshire mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns told Times Radio on Thursday she did not believe climate change was real.

But Labour believes this could be a weakness for Mr Farages party, as polls indicate net zero continues to enjoy significant support.

One survey conducted on behalf of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit ahead of the local elections in May found 54% of Reform voters backed policies to stop climate change.
Isa Giga, who has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of preparation of terrorist acts (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A man has been found guilty of travelling to Syria to fight with a terrorist group linked to al Qaida for jihad.

Isa Giga, 32, resigned from his job as a technical support consultant job at a technology firm and bought a business class return flight to Turkey before crossing into wartorn Syria in August 2015.

Despite pleas from his family, Giga did not return to the UK for nine years and was arrested upon his arrival on a flight from Turkey last May.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, he was found guilty of preparation of terrorist acts between August 31 2015 and August 31 2016 by travelling to Syria to fight with the Jaysh Al Fath groups.

The court heard how Giga had left the home he shared with his parents and sister in Hounslow, west London, in August 2015 and informed them he had gone to Syria for jihad.

On September 11 2015  the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States  he told his sister: I have come here to fight for jihad. Im based in Idlib province and I fight for Jaysh al Fath which is the rebel coalition which includes the Free Syrian Army up to al Qaida-linked groups.

I have come here to fight against (Bashar) Assad and also to fight against Isis. I cant sit at home when fellow Muslims are in need and their religion is in danger.

His father responded: Please dont do anything that will break my or your mothers or familys heart, stay within the bounds of true Islam and humanity, stay away from extremism and follow the Sunnah.

But in a further message to his sister, Giga said he had finished his training and had been given the opportunity to fight on the front line in the near future.

He told her: I hope more than anything to gain martyrdom while fighting against Isis or against the Assad regime but I fear death as much as anyone else so I am in need of your duas (prayers).

The court heard that Gigas father did everything he could to try to convince his son to return home and travelled to Reyhanli, a small Turkish town close to the Syrian border.

In a letter to Giga from the border, he wrote: I have promsed your mum that somehow I will try my best to convince you to come out of there, and we will settle down anywhere in this world where you feel comfortable and happy

Can you for one minute imagine what the rest of her life will be like if something was to happen to you? Isa, her life wll be destroyed and so will all of ours.

It is on that basis I beg you to stay safe and come out of there immediately. And stay away from the front line because the Russians are using all knds of firepower.

However, Giga appeared to be set on martyrdom, the court heard.

Then in December 2015, Giga told his sister that he planned on doing charity work  although the organisation concerned had no record of it  and by August 2016 contact with his family petered out.

Eight years later, Giga was issued an emergency passport by the British Consulate in Istanbul.

Police were waiting when Giga arrived at Heathrow Airport on a Turkish Airlines flight on May 23 2024.

Following his arrest, Giga made no comment in police interviews but in a prepared statement denied he had travelled to Syria to fight or join any groups.

He claimed he had lied to his family about doing charity work, training, fighting and joining groups because he thought they would struggle to understand the idea of going there simply to live.

Giving evidence in his Old Bailey trial, Giga maintained that he had gone to Syria only to live in an Islamic state.

A jury deliberated for 10 hours and 26 minutes to reject his version of events and find him guilty by a majority of 11 to one.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC ordered a report and adjourned sentencing to October 17.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: We have been clear for some time now that anyone returning to the UK suspected of being involved in any terrorist-related activity overseas will be thoroughly investigated.

We work very closely with other partners and agencies here in the UK and overseas in order to do this and help keep the public safe.

As this case shows, we will always arrest those who return to the UK after fighting for a terrorist group, no matter how long it has been since they left the country.
Former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor, authorities said, in a move he described as a supreme humiliation.

The development came as federal police conducted searches at his home and his partys headquarters in Brasilia, in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

The order prohibits Mr Bolsonaro from leaving the house at night, communicating with foreign ambassadors and diplomats or approaching embassies.

The former president is also barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court, including his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian politician who currently lives in the United States and is known for his close ties to US President Donald Trump.

Mr Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Jair Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court (AP)

It is a supreme humiliation, Mr Bolsonaro told journalists in Brasilia after putting on the ankle monitoring. I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, but the precautionary measures are because of that.

On Thursday, Mr Trump wrote to Mr Bolsonaro describing his allys treatment by the Brazilian legal system as terrible and unjust.

This trial should end immediately, the US president said, adding that he strongly voiced his disapproval through his tariff policy.

The Supreme Courts restrictions on Mr Bolsonaro are part of a second investigation against Eduardo for allegedly working with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is also the rapporteur of the case, said that the former president and his sons recent actions were blatant confessions of criminal conduct, such as coercion during legal proceedings, obstruction of investigations and attacks on national sovereignty.

Live aerial footage from local broadcasters showed federal police vehicles outside Mr Bolsonaros residence in Brasilia.

Congressman Sostenes Cavalcante, the leader of Mr Bolsonaros party in the lower house, told the Associated Press that officers also searched Mr Bolsonaros office at the partys headquarters. He described the operation as another chapter in the persecution of conservatives and right-wing figures in Brazil.

On Tuesday, Brazils prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, said in a report to the Supreme Court that the evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law.

Mr Bolsonaro has described the trial on X as a witch hunt, echoing a term used by Mr Trump when he came to his South American allys defence last week.

Last week, Mr Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Mr Bolsonaros trial.

The US president has hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Mr Trump compared the Brazilians situation to his own. On Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump repeated the claim that the trial is a witch hunt.
Meet the man creating pop-up dance corners across NI: There are no wrong moves there are just moves

Pop-up dance sessions are coming to a town near you. Aine Toner talks to the man behind the idea about the joy it brings

Dylan Quinn

Aine Toner Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 20:00

A local dance artist has been commissioned to create a pop-up dance corner which is set to shimmy across the country in August.
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When a pope dies or resigns, centuries-old traditions and rituals unfold as the Roman Catholic Church begins the process of electing a new Bishop of Rome. These traditions include the use of smoke to announce the selection.

The dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals calls all cardinals under age 80 to gather in the Vatican for a private meeting, called a conclave, to select a new pope from their midst. The cardinals who are eligible to vote use paper ballots and later burn them to communicate with the outside world.

Cardinals are appointed by the pope for life, but they are no longer eligible to vote after age 80. As of February 2025, 125 cardinals were eligible to vote and 14 were not.

Deliberations and Voting at the Vatican

The conclave is highly secret. Once the cardinals arrive at the Vatican for the meeting, they cannot leave, nor can they talk with anyone outside the proceedings. They begin with a mass in St. Peter's Basilica and then enter the Sistine Chapel to start their deliberations and voting. No recording devices are allowed in the chapel, and technicians check for hidden microphones and cameras before balloting begins.

Paper ballots are distributed, and each cardinal secretly writes a candidate's name on his paper. With the folded ballot in hand, each cardinal approaches an altar in order of seniority and places his ballot into a chalice.

Although each cardinal votes in secret, ballots are opened and counted in front of the group. A cardinal must have a two-thirds majority to become a pope. If no one reaches that number after a vote, the process repeats once on the first day and four times on succeeding days until a new pope is selected.

Ballots are taken to a furnace or stove and burned after several rounds of voting. Chemicals are added to the paper to turn the smoke black or white. Black smoke indicates the cardinals have not elected a pope and white means they have.

There have been problems in the past when the smoke coming out of the chimney was an inconclusive gray. Consequently, the Vatican has taken steps to remedy the situation. The solution has been to construct what is essentially a smoke bomb and to add chemicals to the smoke. The system now in use has been refined and tested to help ensure the best possible outcome.

Practical and Symbolic Reasons For Using Smoke

The Vatican has used smoke for centuries to signal the election of a new pope. This tradition has continued despite the advent of radio and television in the 20th century and digital communications in the 21st. There are several practical and symbolic reasons for using smoke to communicate important news about the election of a new pope:

The smoke's color is a way to instantly tell the world's 1.2 billion Catholics whether a new pope has been chosen. Black smoke may be a disappointment, but the release of white smoke is a highly anticipated signal that heralds a new Bishop of Rome and a new era in the Roman Catholic Church. With television cameras aimed at the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, the world is watching. Consequently, the Vatican needs to release smoke whose color is unmistakable. Smoke also has several symbolic meanings for Catholics. It represents divine guidance in the selection of the new pope and offers Catholics around the world an opportunity to connect with centuries-old traditions visually. In recent times, black smoke has come to signify reflection and patience. White smoke stands for purity, unity, divine choice, guidance and clarity, and the beginning of a new era led by a new pope. The appearance of smoke was also significant in the Old Testament because it indicated God's presence and intervention. One example was when smoke rose from the burning bush on Mount Sinai. Before the advent of modern communications, smoke allowed Catholics gathered at the Vatican to see and understand the results regardless of their language or proximity to St. Peter's Basilica. Additionally, the church began using smoke in its early history as a security measure. The cardinals locked themselves away from the outside world to deliberate and vote in absolute secrecy, as they do today. By using smoke to announce the results, they did not have to unlock the door where their meetings took place, which might have introduced security breaches to their proceedings.

Black smoke also heightened the suspense of conclaves held in early church history. The repeated release of black smoke added a layer of mystery to the Catholic Church's internal decision-making processes, as it continues to do today. The release of long-awaited white smoke, on the other hand, creates feelings of relief and excitement among Catholics.

Earlier Problems With the Smoke

At previous conclaves, the Vatican burned damp straw with the cardinals' ballots and notes to produce black smoke. To obtain white smoke, they burned their ballots and notes without straw. Most smoke contains tiny particles that result from incomplete burning, and its color depends on the content of those particles. Black smoke generally consists of carbon particles, while white smoke consists of water and fuel vapor or mineral ash.

But the Vatican has sometimes had problems with black smoke. Occasionally, the smoke appeared gray and wasn't definitive, leaving the waiting crowds unsure whether they had a new pope.

To eliminate the confusion, the Vatican remedied the situation in 2005 by introducing chemical compounds to color the smoke. Black smoke now comes from a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a good additive because it produces large black particles) and sulfur. For white smoke, the chemicals are potassium chlorate, lactose and rosin.

Given this new process, the Vatican uses two stoves to produce the smoke. The cardinals burn their ballots and notes in one stove while the other stove burns the appropriate chemical additives. The two streams of smoke then come together in a single chimney.

In early times, the Vatican rang bells or fired cannons to announce the selection of a new pope. It began using black or white smoke in the early 20th century and now announces the election of a new pope with smoke and ringing the bells.

The use of smoke to announce the election of a new pope is a centuries-old tradition that is both practical and symbolic.

While modern technology could easily replace this method, the Vatican continues to uphold this deeply ingrained ritual because of its historical significance, universal visibility, and the anticipation it creates among Catholics worldwide.

The sight of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel signals not just the selection of a new leader but also the beginning of a new chapter in the Catholic Church. The tradition remains a powerful and unifying moment for the global Catholic community.

Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. Ginny, a graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, majored in English with a focus on journalism. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood. You can read her Patheos column Woman to Woman here.
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BENNINGTON  Just days after a mistrial derailed a double kidnapping case, state prosecutors leveled additional charges against two Massachusetts individuals and set a new trial date.

The case against Destiny Torres, 29, and Gelin Gliffaud, 36, will now include two additional felony charges: conspiracy to receive stolen property over $900 and conspiracy to receive stolen property. Both new counts can result in an additional 11 years in prison for each defendant if they are found guilty.

Both Torres and Gliffaud were already facing a possible life sentence on the felony kidnapping charge. Torres was facing an additional year on misdemeanor assault and robbery. Gliffaud was facing a further 21 years behind bars on three other counts, including assault and robbery with a weapon, reckless endangerment, and using a weapon in the commission of a crime.

The new charges stem from new information that came to light after the mistrial in an alleged conspiracy between the two defendants.

An air-conditioning freon issue at the Bennington Courthouse on July 8, the day both defendants were set to go to trial, led to an emergency evacuation and an eventual mistrial in a double kidnapping case.

The seated jury was just getting their preliminary instructions sometime after 10 a.m. when the emergency system warning alarms went off inside the courtroom for the second time in two days, leading to an hour-long delay and Judge Jennifer Barrett declaring a mistrial in the case.

The trial of Torres and Gelin, both from Springfield, Massachusetts, was already delayed that morning due to the potential development of a last-minute plea deal involving Torres. That deal ultimately fell through minutes later, and the trial had just about begun with jury instructions when the alarms sounded. Everyone inside the building, including the jury, was ushered outside.

By the time everyone was allowed back in, it was already 11:45 a.m. The Judge, attorneys, and both defendants, clearly frustrated, tried to negotiate what would happen next. Due to several factors, including attorney scheduling commitments, court bookings, and other issues, Judge Barrett was compelled to declare a mistrial and dismiss the jury that had already been seated.

The same issue had happened the previous day, but was deemed addressed by fire officials and the buildings administration.

In another development since the mistrial, the attorney for Torres has filed a motion to sever the double trial. That motion, as of press time, has not been addressed.

Both defendants are currently scheduled for a two-day trial in August.

According to a police affidavit, a call came into police on March 4, at about 7 p.m. from a male who claimed that his girlfriend was being kidnapped by two individuals who were attempting to put the female victim inside the trunk of a 2023 GMC Acadia SUV at the top of Gore Road. Police arrived soon after and observed a vehicle matching the description of the SUV behind a residence with its engine running, its lights on, stuck in an area of snow and ice.

Police approached the SUV, and, as the three individuals exited the vehicle, the female exiting the back seat ran around the front of the SUV, yelling that she was being kidnapped and asking for help.

After a brief interview, the victim told police that she was at the house to use drugs with her friend. She stated that shortly after she arrived, Gelin and Torres appeared and threw her to the ground, with Gelin allegedly pointing a gun at her. The victim was then told to go outside as she allegedly received threats that she would be left on the side of the road if she didnt do what they said. The victim told police that she thought she was going to die.

The victim was put into the back of the SUV, but it became stuck in the snow as they attempted to leave. Thats when a Bennington police cruiser pulled up.

Benningtons police K-9, Stark, a black labrador, was dispatched to the scene, eventually locating a Kimber .45 caliber pistol, fully loaded and cocked with a round in the chamber. The weapon was spotted down an embankment near the side of the vehicle.

When asked by investigators why the two individuals would attempt to kidnap her, the victim informed police that she owes them both money and that they had been looking for her for a few months now. She also told police that she believed the friend she was visiting had set her up.

The Banner will update this story as more information becomes available.
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There's not just a posture, but an intentionality from this administration to continue to violate the law, to take unlawful actions, Campbell said during a visit to the Berkshire Family YMCAs Camp Sumner program at BCC.
STOCKBRIDGE  Leaders of the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohican Indians want the Select Board to tighten up reviews of any future projects involving digging on their original homelands.

At a recent Select Board meeting, Shannon Holsey, president of the tribe, voiced concern about the major construction project on the 375-acre site of the Congregation of Marian Fathers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a permit for the work without any state or local review of the historical, archaeological and cultural impact.

Town Administrator Michael Canales suggested there had been a mix-up between the state and the federal agency.

Canales said that anytime theres digging happening anywhere in town, we want to make sure to check with a tribal officer. He offered to explore bringing a new bylaw to next Mays annual town meeting.

When completed, the 40-room, 20-office complex costing nearly $30 million, including a new community chapel and monastery, will be home to the 40 priests, brothers and seminarians based at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.

We want to take a very pro-active approach, strengthening our relationship and relating some of our concerns about archaeological cultural resources, specifically on construction projects within the town, Holsey told the Select Board members via Zoom.

She emphasized that important artifacts need to be preserved, not erased in areas that were part of the Mohican tribes historical homeland, such as on Prospect Hill.

Holsey described ongoing discussions with representatives of the Marian Fathers as robust, and there has been cooperation.

The land, more recently known as Eden Hill, was the site of the Rev. John Sergeants Stockbridge Indian Mission House, built in 1742. The Mission House was relocated to Main Street in 1927 and was designated in 1968 as a National Historic Landmark.

The Prospect Hill area still retains archaeological significance to our nation, Holsey said. It may still continue to possess relevant evidence, outbuildings and other features of interest to us.

The tribe has a historical preservation office in Williamstown, headed by tribe member Bonney Hartley, that works closely with the town of Stockbridge as well as other local governments on ground disturbance projects relating to protection of cultural sites.

That office has reviewed over 300 projects under way in the six-state New York and New England region that was home to the Mohicans.

Holsey called for timely communication before any type of construction in the tribes homelands.

Hartley, citing issues involving the Marian Fathers' project, suggested that historic preservation checks and balances and stopgap measures involving the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in our view failed in this case to protect the resource.

Theres extreme significance of this site, intertwined with Mohican and town of Stockbridge history, said Hartley, urging closer review by the town to prevent similar problems in the future.

Holsey extended a goodwill invitation to the town to work together.

We want to find a good way to work collectively on these issues moving forward, she said. Its not lost on us how seriously you take these matters.

Canales acknowledged a definite fall-down of permitting because of a mix-up between the state and federal level on this project, resulting in the EPA's issuance of a permit to the Marians without an on-site review by the state Historical Commission.

He said local enforcement is being explored with town attorneys but also pointed out that the Marians gain a lot of exemptions because of the state laws Dover Amendment granting leeway to religious and nonprofit educational organizations.

Holsey voiced gratitude for the towns willingness to collaborate closely. She said the tribe favors historic preservation for everyone, and certainly were willing to work with you collectively on this endeavor for future projects.
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Our Opinion: Concerning question looms over Statehouse after legislator's brush with the law
The Bible records a plethora of inconceivable, but true, accounts. And the story of a talking donkey is in good companyalong with a burning bush (Exodus 3:2) or gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:12)as proof of the miraculous mouthpieces God can choose. In the story of Balaam, we find a man who professed obedience to the Lord, but grappled with a greedy heart. Lets unpack the Bible story of Balaam and see what we can learn.

Who Was Balaam in the Bible?

The Bible tells us that Balaam was the son of Beor (Numbers 22:5), living in Pethor near the Euphrates River. Balaam was highly regarded by the Moabites and Midianites as a soothsayer (Joshua 13:22) and prophet (Numbers 24:2-9) who could bless or curse with his words. His brother, Bela, was a king of Edom.

Although Balaam lived among idolaters, he professed great knowledge of God. So, when the Israelites encroached on the plains of Moab, the king of the Moabites, Balak, summoned Balaam. He feared the Israelites would attack, and he wanted Balaam to put a curse on them.

Balaam is known as a powerful diviner, so Balak asks him:

A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed(Numbers 22:5-6).

Where Does Balaam Appear in the Bible?

You can read the portion of Balaams story that involves his donkey, in context, in Numbers 22. The saga, and Balaams ultimate demise, is recorded in the chapters that follow. But here in Numbers 22:12-20 we read that God tells Balaam not to put a curse on the Israelites because they are blessed.

Because of this, Balaam tells Balaks officials that the Lord will not allow him to go with them. So Balak sweetens the offer, tempting Balaam with, Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me (Numbers 22:16-17).

Then Balaam, in what I believe is the revealing moment, goes back to God. He sees Balaams heart. Its possible that God knew Balaam wanted the prize money more than God.

But God allows him to go, giving Balaam a second chance, but warning him to do only what I tell you (Numbers 2:20).

What Did Balaam Do?

Balaam rode his donkey along with the Moabites to go curse the Israelites. We dont know why God was angry when he went (Number 20:22) but we can imagine God knows Balaams ways. To end Balaams willfulness, God sends an angel to block the path. But Balaam, intent on his assignment, doesnt notice the angel. But the donkey does. Three times.

The first time, it causes the donkey to swerve away. And in an unsettling reveal of Balaams true nature, Balaam beats the frightened donkey back onto the path. The second time, the angel stands in a narrow path with walls on both sides. Again...Balaam exacts his frustration by beating the poor donkey. Finally, on the third account, the angel stands where there is no room to turn, either to the right or the left (Numbers 20:26).

The donkey is so frightened, it lays down, with Balaam still riding him. And how does Balaam behave? You guessed it. He beats the terrified animal who is already as low as he can get.

At this point, Scripture tells us the Lord opened the donkeys mouth, and the donkey asks What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times? Outraged Balaam cries, You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand I would kill you right now (Numbers 20:29).

Its a display of pride and wickedness that twists your stomach. The donkey reasons, asking Balaam Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?

Then God opens Balaams eyes, and he sees the angel in the road, sword drawn. Only now does Balaam fall on his face in reverence.

The angel admonishes Balaam, asking why he beat his donkey heartlessly instead of realizing that his path was reckless. Now Balaam, a man who claims such devotion to God he can speak his very words, admits that he has sinned. He responds with I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back (Numbers 20:34).

Balaam does go back and stands by his conviction that he can only do what the Lord tells him to. And as it turns out in the ensuing chapters, the Lord will not allow Balaam to curse the Israelites.

In the eventual battle between Israel and the Midianites Balaam is killed while fighting on the side of Balak (Numbers 31:8).

Did Balaam's Donkey Really Talk?

The word of God is true, and the account of Balaam and the Moabites is historical record. Obviously we werent there to witness, but we know from Scripture that God can use anything he wants, to speak to us.

In this account, the voice of God comes through a donkey to convict Balaam of how his desire for prize money was blinding him, and separating him from the work God had called him toward.

Just as we believe the angel spoke to Mary about her immaculate conception, because Jesus was real in the flesh and rose from the dead, we can believe that Balaams donkey actually spoke.





Photo credit: Unsplash/Tim Mossholder

3 Lessons from Balaam's Story

1. God sees your heart, so heed his call.

This wayward bent of Balaams heart that continued in wickedness, is a telling tale of the inability to hide our hearts from God. Even in the New Testament, we still see the true character of Balaam recalled:

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkeyan animal without speechwho spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophets madness (2 Peter 2:15-1).

What we learn is to lean into Psalm 139s example. Be in the healthy habit of asking God to search our hearts, see if there are any offensive ways, and lead us in the way everlasting.

2. Enticing others to sin will be the death of something.

Causing others to sin can sever relationships, especially with God. Its true that Jesus gives us a way to repent and reconcile, but at the end of the story in Revelation, its clear what matters dearly to God about Balaams ongoing choices, even beyond his painful encounter with his donkey.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality (Rev. 2:14).

And ultimately, when the Midianites and the Israelites went to battle, Balaam was slain while fighting on Balaks side (Numbers 31:8).

3. God is in charge.

Lets look at what is declared in Deuteronomy, after God holds his blessing on the Israelites firm...despite the desires of Balak and Balaam.

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you (Deuteronomy 23:3-5).

God is love. And that love is fierce, almighty, all-knowing, and all good. Where he calls you, he will guide.

More like the gentle donkey, and less like Balaam, lets seek Gods voice and follow it. When others tempt you to curse or harm others, even if great reward is offered, consider the reward you already have in Jesus. Run your thoughts through his teachings, and make your choices based on the voice that is trustworthy.

Further Reading

Who Were Balaam and His Talking Donkey in the Bible?

Photo credit: Getty Images Plus/Diy13

Lia Girard is a seasoned writer and voice artist who formerly served as the Faith Editor for Crosswalk.com. She is the author of Wisdom at Wits End: Abandoning Supermom Myths in Search of Supernatural Peace, and enjoys spending time with her husband and grown children or walking in the woods with God.


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Giant panda birthday season event held in China's Sichuan

Xinhua) 08:29, July 18, 2025

A cub of giant panda Cancan plays at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Two cubs of the giant panda Xidou lay on the ground enjoying delicious food at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Giant panda Fubao eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Giant panda Shuixiu plays at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

A giant panda eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

The giant panda Xiao Qiji enjoys delicacies at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

A giant panda eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Barne Estate heir Richard Thomson-Moore has been questioned in court over an alleged "secret" phone offered to him by a third party so that he could contact without trace construction magnate Maurice Regan, a rival bidder to bloodstock billionaire John Magnier for the property.

Mr Thompson-Moore told the court on Friday that after an exclusivity agreement with the Magnier bid expired he was in contact with Mr Regan on his personal phone anyway and did not understand the reason for the proffered new phone.

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Mr Magnier is suing Mr Thomson-Moore and Barne over the collapse of the purchase. The estate has been owned by the Thomson-Moore family for generations.

Mr Magnier wants the court to enforce the deal he claims he sealed with Mr Thomson-Moore with a 15 million handshake agreement for the 751-acre estate on August 22, 2023, at Mr Magnier's Coolmore home.

The Magnier side has sued the Barne Estate, Mr Thomson-Moore and three companies of IQEQ (Jersey) Ltd group, seeking to enforce the purported deal, which they say had been "unequivocally" agreed.

The Barne defendants say there was never any such agreement, as they needed the consent of the trustees to finalise any deal.

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Mr Thomson-Moore has told the court that while a "price" was agreed with Mr Magnier for Barne, a "deal" was not.

After agreeing on 15 million, Barne and the Magniers entered into an exclusivity agreement stipulating that Barne would not permit itself or its representatives to solicit or encourage any expression of interest, inquiry or offer on the property from anyone other than Mr Magnier between August 31st to September 30th, 2023.

The trustees who hold the estate initially decided to remain loyal to the Magnier offer and felt Mr Regan's higher offer could be seen as "provocative". After the exclusivity period had ended, the trustees decided to go with Mr Regan's offer of 22.25 million.

Mr Regan is not a party to the case.

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At the High Court today, Mr Thomson-Moore told Caren Geoghegan SC, for the Magnier side, that he only found out the third party was allegedly in regular contact with Mr Regan about the deal after document discovery prior to the case.

Ms Geoghegan said it was her client's case that the third party had been updating Mr Regan on developments in the deal, and she read out certain text messages to the court this morning.

Ms Geoghegan put it to the witness that the third party had offered Mr Thomson-Moore a "secret", ready-to-go phone so that Mr Thomson-Moore could contact Mr Regan without being traced.

Mr Thomson-Moore said that after the exclusivity clause with Coolmore had expired, he was in contact with Mr Regan on his personal phone anyway and did not understand the reason for the proffered new phone.

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Mr Thomson Moore said he did not personally receive the phone but that the third party had placed it in his kitchen. Mr Thomson-Moore said he never touched or used the phone.

Text messages read out by Ms Geoghegan allegedly showed Mr Regan sending a message to the third party saying: "I think we are in with a chance" and for the third party to keep him "updated" and to have his "ear to the ground".

Another message allegedly from the third party to Mr Regan said that the third party had spoken to Mr Thomson-Moore about local estate agent John Stokes, who was dealing with the sale.

Ms Geoghegan partially quoted an alleged text from the third party to Mr Regan, saying that Mr Thomson-Moore had allegedly told him "'the more I think of things the more I think Stokes is' .... a derogatory, disparaging word", she said.

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On September 20th, 2023, she submitted that the third party texted Mr Regan to say that Mr Thomson-Moore had told him, "everybody thinks it's done but it is far from done".

Mr Thomson-Moore did not deny saying so.

Mr Thomson-Moore said that his wife, Anna, had been frustrated by the trustees of Barne not considering one of Mr Regan's offers - of 20 million - and that the family were in discussion of how to let the exclusivity agreement expire in order to "re-set" their approach to the deal now worth "life-changing money".

Ms Geoghegan submitted that the Thomson-Moores were "using tax matters" to stall the Magnier deal. "You can read it that way, but we were very concerned about tax," said Mr Thomson-Moore.

The case continues at the High Court before Mr Justice Max Barrett.
A witness has told a jury that he heard the gardai shout knife before a teenager was allegedly spear tackled to the ground.

Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

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The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1st, 2021.

A witness in the case, Darragh Fitzpatrick, told the trial on Friday that on the evening in question, he had just finished hurling training when he received a call from his friends who were in the Essex Street area.

He cycled to the area and met with his friends. Mr Fitzpatrick told the jury that he was not drinking and was just chatting and socialising with his friends.

Mr Fitzpatrick described seeing a group of young people drinking down a lane and, upon seeing them, he turned away and left the lane, telling the court, it wasnt my scene. He also described seeing gardai in the area.

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John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, asked Mr Fitzpatrick if he had seen any interaction between the gardai and the complainant in this case, to which he replied: He seemed out of it, he didnt seem to know what was going on.

Mr Fitzpatrick also told the jury that he saw a bit of grabbing and handcuffs being placed on him [the complainant] and hearing something about a knife.

Mr Fitzpatrick told the jury that when he heard the word knife, he took a step back. He then told Mr Gallagher, prosecuting, that he saw one of the members of the gardai, identified as Mr Murphy, spear tackle the complainant.

He described the complainant as going limp and lifeless. He said: At the time, I was frozen. I was stuck to the spot, taking it all in. I was initially very shocked.

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Under cross-examination from Justin McQuaid BL, defending, Mr Fitzpatrick confirmed there were a lot of people drinking in public and that pubs were closed due to Covid-19.

The witness agreed that he saw a large group of young people, and that was so off-putting to him that he turned around. He further agreed that he was wary to the extent that he turned around.

Mr McQuaid put it to Mr Fitzpatrick that when he heard the word knife, he had the benefit of retreating, to which the witness replied: I think I stood my ground.

Counsel responded: You said, I took a step back, I wrote that down, to which Mr Fitzpatrick said, I may have.

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Another witness, Aileen Fitzmaurice, also gave evidence on Friday that she had been in the area with Mr Fitzpatrick at the time of the alleged incident.

She recalled there were quite a few teenagers in the area, and they were approached by two members of the gardai. She told the jury that she could not hear what was said between the gardai and the complainant but thought there was an aggressive demeanour.

Ms Fitzmaurice described that everything then happened quite quickly, and the complainant ended up face down on the ground. He was restrained by the gardai, and she then heard shouting, where is the knife?

She said a garda van then arrived, and additional gardai. Describing the gardai taking the complainant off the ground, Ms Fitzmaurice said: It was like they flipped him in a sudden manner and bashed his head off the ground. She described a loud sound, which was startling.

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Mr McQuaid asked Ms Fitzmaurice to confirm that she heard where is the knife being repeatedly said, which she did. He put it to her that her friend Mr Fitzpatrick heard the word knife being said before the complainant was arrested.

Ms Fitzmaurice said that was not her recollection, but she said it was four years ago and she cannot remember exactly the sequence of how it happened.

Eoghan Hickey also gave evidence that he was socialising with his friends, Mr Fitzpatrick and Ms Fitzmaurice. Mr Hickey said he heard one of the gardai saying drop the knife repeatedly. He also described the complainant as being limp when he was brought to the garda van.

Mr McQuaid told Mr Hickey that in his official statement, he said the complainant was pushed against the wall and gardai shouted where is the knife and then slammed him to the ground, which Mr Hickey confirmed.

Counsel said, It is perfectly clear that when they shouted, where is the knife the complainant was upright when you heard that, to which he replied, Yes.

Donal Grant, an investigator with Fiosru, previously known as GSOC, gave evidence that this matter came to his attention after it was reported that the complainant in this case suffered a head injury as a result of his arrest. He said an investigation began, CCTV footage and witness statements were taken, and Mr Murphy was interviewed on two occasions.

Mr Grant then created a report, which was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and they directed a prosecution.

Two statements from Mr Murphy were read to the jury in which he outlined the events of June 1st, 2021.

Mr Murphy said that he went to assist his colleague, who was dealing with the complainant. Mr Murphy instructed the complainant to remove his hands from his pockets. He noted that the young male tensed up and was again asked to take his hands out of his pockets, to which he did not comply.

Mr Murphy's statement said the complainant produced a glass bottle, and he did so in such a way that Mr Murphy believed he was at risk of being struck with the bottle. The bottle was then pushed out of the complainant's hand, and he was informed that he was being placed under arrest.

The complainant was placed on the ground, and a fellow garda placed one handcuff on him. His second hand was under him, and he was resisting arrest, the court heard.

Mr Murphy said he managed to take hold of his second hand, and he was handcuffed. The statement said that the complainant was spitting towards Mr Murphy, and prisoner transport was requested.

Mr Murphy stood up and took the complainant to his feet as well. He told the crowd that had gathered to get back, but they did not do so. Mr Murphy said he felt unsafe both for his own personal safety and the safety of the arrested male.

He said he had his hand on the complainant's back and he felt him shift his weight, and Mr Murphy successfully performed a leg sweep. The side of the complainant's body and head made contact with the ground.

Mr Murphy checked him visually and said that at no stage was he unconscious. He again requested prisoner transport and that a doctor be called to Pearse Street Garda Station.

The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival has been dropped by police.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking no further action on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

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The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival.

On Friday, the group, comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain, and JJ O Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.

It said: Following a review of the evidence, I have determined there will be no further action.

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

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We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Kneecap was informed of that decision earlier today (Friday July 18).

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Inquiries continue to be carried out in relation to separate comments made on stage during Bob Vylans performance.

JJ ODochartaigh (DJ Provai) from Kneecap wearing a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag while performing on stage at Londons Finsbury Park. Photo: Jeff Moore/PA.

During Bob Vylans performance, rapper Bobby Vylan chanted Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), while a member of Kneecap suggested fans start a riot outside his bandmates upcoming court appearance, before clarifying: No riots, just love and support.

Kneecap have been in the headlines after O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah.

In May, the Metropolitan Police said the group were being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing them shouting Up Hamas, up Hezbollah and Kill your local MP.

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The group apologised to the families of murdered MPs and said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK.

Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language and pro-Palestinian stance.

Earlier in the week they announced new tour dates to play their biggest run of shows ever across Scotland, Wales and England.
A man has appeared in court charged with trying to communicate with a child for sexual purposes in Co Donegal.

The accused man, who is in his 20s, was brought before Letterkenny District Court by detectives.

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Judge Eiteain Cunningham heard how the man used both Snapchat and Whatsapp to communicate with whom he thought was a 13-year-old child.

The accused man, who is a professional and in his 20s, cannot be named for legal reasons.

When arrested, the man was found in possession of five condoms while other sexual paraphernalia was found in a property.

Messages found on the man's phone allegedly claim how he asked the 'girl' if she was a virgin and if they could have sex in an apartment he had rented.

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It follows allegations against the accused man, which were widely shared on social media.

The man was charged by detectives in Donegal at 4.07pm on Wednesday, July 16th.

The man was charged that, between July 10th 2025 and July 15th 2025, both dates inclusive, within the State, did by means of information and communication technology, namely Snapchat and WhatsApp, communicate with another person for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 17.

The charge is contrary to section 8 (1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.

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Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that An Garda Siochana were objecting to bail.

He said there was quite a lot of strong evidence in the matter.

Sergeant Collins said that detectives had obtained copies of conversations between the accused man and what was described as a fictional child, who he believed was 13 years of age on Snapchat and WhatsApp.

The man, with an address in the Dublin area, had booked an apartment in Letterkenny for a number of days.

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Gardai also seized other items and documents from the mans vehicle.

Sergeant Collins told the court that there were concerns that the defendant would attempt to flee the jurisdiction and not make himself available to be dealt with by the law.

He said there were concerns that, if released on bail, the man could commit further offences of a similar nature.

The man has no previous convictions and has never been before the court on other matters.

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The mans solicitor, Mr Rory O'Brien, told the court that his client has a first class honours degree from an Irish university.

Until recently, the man was in active employment, but is now unemployed.

The court heard that the accused man would have no difficulty in handing his passport to the authorities.

Mr O'Brien told Judge Cunningham that bail could be considered with conditions attached.

Sergeant Collins said that evidence has been put to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the form of information obtained from the accuseds phone and said that this is very strong evidence of his communication with what he thought to be a 13-year-old female.

Judge Cunningham said that she had carefully listened to the evidence and submissions.

She said that the accused has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

However, Judge Cunningham found the prosecution to have established a likelihood of the accused trying to evade justice.

The man was remanded in custody to appear before a future sitting of Letterkenny District Court.

Under new law introduced in 2024, persons charged with such offences are entitled to anonymity until they are convicted or the restriction is otherwise lifted by a Court.

Judge Cunningham directed that a publication order should remain at this time.
Former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor, authorities said, in a move he described as a supreme humiliation.

The development came as federal police conducted searches at his home and his partys headquarters in Brasilia, in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

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The order prohibits Mr Bolsonaro from leaving the house at night, communicating with foreign ambassadors and diplomats or approaching embassies.

The former president is also barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court, including his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian politician who currently lives in the United States and is known for his close ties to US President Donald Trump.

Mr Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.



Jair Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court (AP)

It is a supreme humiliation, Mr Bolsonaro told journalists in Brasilia after putting on the ankle monitoring. I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, but the precautionary measures are because of that.

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On Thursday, Mr Trump wrote to Mr Bolsonaro describing his allys treatment by the Brazilian legal system as terrible and unjust.

This trial should end immediately, the US president said, adding that he strongly voiced his disapproval through his tariff policy.

The Supreme Courts restrictions on Mr Bolsonaro are part of a second investigation against Eduardo for allegedly working with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is also the rapporteur of the case, said that the former president and his sons recent actions were blatant confessions of criminal conduct, such as coercion during legal proceedings, obstruction of investigations and attacks on national sovereignty.

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Live aerial footage from local broadcasters showed federal police vehicles outside Mr Bolsonaros residence in Brasilia.

Congressman Sostenes Cavalcante, the leader of Mr Bolsonaros party in the lower house, told the Associated Press that officers also searched Mr Bolsonaros office at the partys headquarters. He described the operation as another chapter in the persecution of conservatives and right-wing figures in Brazil.

On Tuesday, Brazils prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, said in a report to the Supreme Court that the evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law.

Mr Bolsonaro has described the trial on X as a witch hunt, echoing a term used by Mr Trump when he came to his South American allys defence last week.

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Last week, Mr Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Mr Bolsonaros trial.

The US president has hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Mr Trump compared the Brazilians situation to his own. On Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump repeated the claim that the trial is a witch hunt.
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended from the UK Labour Party for a second time, a spokesperson said, after she doubled down on comments about racism for which she had previously apologised.

She has been administratively suspended while the party investigates.

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The move means the whip is automatically suspended in the UK House of Commons for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, it is understood.

Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation. We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing, a Labour Party spokesperson said.

Ms Abbott was suspended by the Labour Party in 2023 after writing a letter to the Observer comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups.

She apologised for any anguish caused by the remarks, which drew criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups, and was readmitted to the party before the 2024 general election.

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But in a new interview with BBC Radio 4s Reflections programme, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret.

No, not at all, she told the BBC.

Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism, because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you dont know.

You dont know unless you stop to speak to them or youre in a meeting with them.

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But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that theyre black. They are different types of racism.

She added: I just think that its silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.

Diane Abbott lost the whip in April 2023 (Lucy North/PA)

Ms Abbott posted a clip of her BBC interview after news of her suspension emerged. She did not respond to a request for comment.

UK deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was asked if she was disappointed by the comments.

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I was. Theres no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party, and obviously the Labour Party has processes for that, she told The Guardian.

Diane had reflected on how shed put that article together, and said that was not supposed to be the version, and now to double down and say Well, actually I didnt mean that. I actually meant what I originally said, I think is a real challenge.Ms Abbott is the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, having entered Parliament in 1987, and holds the honorary title of Mother of the House.

She lost the whip in April 2023 after her letter to the Observer, sparking a long-running process during which she sat as an Independent MP for about a year while an internal investigation took place.

She was readmitted as a Labour MP shortly before the 2024 election.

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Ms Abbott suggested in the letter that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism.

She withdrew the remarks the same day and apologised for any anguish caused.

In the newly released BBC interview, she said she was grateful to be a Labour MP, but that she was sure the party leadership had been trying to get me out.
Taiwan will not provoke a confrontation with China, the self-ruled islands vice president has said, lamenting Beijings aggressive military posturing against the island democracy that China claims as its own.

We do not seek conflict. We will not provoke confrontation, said Bi-khim Hsiao, adding that her government has urged Beijing to communicate with parity and respect.

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Ms Hsiao, who has served under Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te since their election win last year, said her government has seen a dramatic uptick in provocative and proactive (Chinese Communist Party) efforts to infiltrate, sabotage and divide our society.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly threatened to annex it, by force if necessary.

In recent years, Beijing has ramped up its military intimidation of the island, sending jets and ships nearby almost daily.





China refuses to speak with Ms Hsiao and Mr Lai and has labelled them diehard Taiwan independence separatists, a designation for which it has threatened the death penalty.

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In a notable attempt of alleged intimidation by Beijing, Czech intelligence officials last month said Chinese diplomats planned to stage a car crash during Ms Hsiaos visit to the country in 2024. No crash occurred, but a Chinese official ran a red light while following Ms Hsiaos car.

Over the years, I have experienced varying degrees of pressure and threats, intimidation, including twice sanctioned, but I will not let that intimidate me or stop me from voicing my views or from voicing the views of the people of Taiwan, and we will continue to be active in the international community, she said.

Regarding recurring US intelligence reports that China may be planning to invade Taiwan before 2027, Ms Hsiao said her government is focused on pre-empting that.

Everything we are doing right now is to prevent such a conflict from happening  not just in 2027, but ever, she said.

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Taiwan is very urgently investing in our self-defence capabilities in order to deter any miscalculation and any attempt at disrupting the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, she added.
NAB has denied that chief executive Andrew Irvine is undergoing mentoring ahead of his first public appearance next week amid concerns raised by some of the banks investors about his behaviour and leadership style.

There has not been a decision around fresh mentoring and development, a spokeswoman told this masthead.

NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine has been in the spotlight this week.

Irvine, who has been on holiday in Canada, will appear at a single session at the Australian Banking Association (ABA) annual conference on Tuesday but will skip the gala dinner. It will be his first public outing since The Australian Financial Review revealed that major institutional investors had expressed concerns about Irvine.

At a lunch with investors in June, hosted by NAB chairman Phil Chronican, fund managers flagged concerns over Irvines leadership skills and drinking at company events.
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Eating outSandwich Watch This halal Underwood shop will rekindle your love of steak sangers Perfectly cooked wagyu, shokupan, fries, Swiss cheese and pecorino. Theres nothing extraneous about this creation. It might just be the perfect steak sandwich. Matt Shea July 18, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Bilal Ghumra wasnt looking to open a sandwich shop. He wasnt even looking to open a burger shop. Instead, he wanted to open a pizza shop. So how did he end up with all three? Well, actually, its two shops. But in one. Lets explain. The Goatd steak sandwich at Fatty Patty in Underwood. Markus Ravik Fatty Patty, a burger shop by accident Bilal and his brothers Zainuddin Ghumra and Shehzad Ghumra, and father Imtiyaz Ghumra, are best known for BurgerMe, their Calamvale burger joint that became a minor sensation for its halal smashed patty burgers.

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The Ghumras sold BurgerMe in May last year with the intention to open a pizza shop, Sams Pizza, in Kuraby. The only issue? Turns out, the property it sat on was being resumed. So we had to relocate the pizza shop, Bilal says. But where we ended up relocating to is [three] times the size. We had to fill the space, so Fatty Patty was born. Related Article Brisbanes best places to eat and drink Fatty Patty shares a simple shopfront with Sams Gourmet Pizzas on the northern side of Underwood Marketplace. Walk through a door off the outside car park and youre presented with two counters  pizza on the right, and Fatty Patty on the left  and a small dining room (most of that extra space is occupied by a much larger kitchen). The Fatty Patty menu leads with a bunch of burgers  a couple of cheeseburgers, an All the Way burger that adds lettuce and tomato, a chicken burger, a plant-based burger, and a snack-sized cheeseburger. Theyre different to BurgerMe, though, Bilal says.

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BurgerMe was more of a hybrid  so a thick patty, not completely smashed, he explains. Fatty Patty, weve gone full smash. And then we have the sandwiches. Youll find Fatty Patty and sister venue Sams Gourmet Pizzas at Underwood Marketplace. Markus Ravik Ah, yes, the sandwiches. That is, after all, what were here for. The burger shop that keeps selling out of sandwiches Below the burgers on Fatty Pattys menu are a clutch of sandwiches. These, it turns out, are its killer app. The first time this masthead visited late during lunch service on a weekend, the shop had sold out of sangers.

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Fatty Patty actually had to take a timeout on its most popular sandwich, the Fatz Signature, after the Ghumras discovered they hadnt prepped enough house-smoked and cured pastrami. Were a halal restaurant, Bilal says. Being Muslim, I couldnt really find anywhere to eat a nice deli-style sandwich, or even pastrami in a sandwich or anything like that. We thought, sandwiches are semi-trending right now, so we went with it. The Fatz Signature sandwich. Markus Ravik The first week we opened, the pastrami did take us by surprise. We cure it in-house and smoke it in-house, its a bit of a process. So we did a fair bit and were, like, This should be good for two weeks, maybe three. And by the Friday we thought, Oh no. So we had to pull it off the menu temporarily so we could catch up with stock levels. The Fatz is a Swiss precision variation on a Reuben served on shokupan bread, hence its popularity. Beyond that, theres the Mama Mia mortadella focaccia, and the Silly Sam mozzarella and pesto sandwich, also served on focaccia.

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And then theres the Goatd. The humble steak sandwich gets a major upgrade Steak sandwiches are a perennial afterthought, often propping up the menu at a burger joint, fish and chip shop or pub. Our [steak sandwich] was inspired by a trip to Melbourne, where a few places were doing a steak frites sandwich ... even if I felt sometimes they took things a bit far. Bilal Ghumra We wanted to have some sort of steak sandwich because we felt they were a bit hit and miss, Bilal says. They werent really getting the proper attention around town. Afterthought is the right word.

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Ours was inspired by a trip to Melbourne, where a few places were doing a steak frites sandwich. They were very nice, even if I felt sometimes they took things a bit far. The Goatd is designed to flip the script on the traditional steak sandwich. And the six-seven score wagyu beef and shokupan bread its served on are bold starts, but this isnt some sort of over-the-top blockbuster. Instead, everything has its place. Theres Swiss cheese; griddled onion along with pickled red onion; fresh tomato; a considered scattering of fries; a spinach and rocket mix; a premium off-the-shelf whole egg chipotle mayo; and a final sprinkle of pecorino once the sandwich is sliced. Theres nothing extraneous on the Goatd. In will rekindle your love of the humble steak sandwich. Markus Ravik The Swiss cheese adds a sweet, nutty flavour that helps smooth the mouthfeel; the pickled red onion provides a lovely tangy crunch; the chipotle mayo is velvet smooth; and the pecorino a lovely piquant, appetising touch.

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Normally fries in a sanger could amount to carb-on-carb crime but not when combined with the shokupan, which is a lovely, luscious number the Ghumras have sourced locally and given a quick toast on the griddle. Its a bit of a masterstroke  there are no shredded gums with this thing. And then theres that wagyu: cooked medium to render down the fat, the choice of beef means this is a touch more spenny than your average steak sandwich, but youll hardly care. The Goatd and the Fatz Signature are Fatty Pattys two biggest selling items. Markus Ravik Theres absolutely nothing extraneous on the Goatd  no stunt ingredients  and its an absolute joy to eat (in about three minutes in our case, because its so easy to demolish). Its the reinvention of the steak sandwich weve been waiting for. We thought the sangers would be an add-on to the burgers, because we do a really great smash patty, Bilal says. But the Fatz and the Goatd are our most popular items.

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Where to get it Fatty Pattys Goatd steak sandwich is $26. You can get one at Shop 44/3215 Logan Road, Underwood. But maybe aim for an early lunch to avoid disappointment.
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Pull up a seat in the sunny courtyard at Deli Boy, where all produce is sourced from Italy and the opposing market.

1 / 10 Outside the shop, where sunny streetside seating is available. ChGarcia_Visual 2 / 10 Prosciutto and schnitzel foccacia. ChGarcia_Visual 3 / 10 Basque cheesecake is made in house ChGarcia_Visual 4 / 10 Zeally Bay filled baguettes. ChGarcia_Visual 5 / 10 Brekkie rolls to go. ChGarcia_Visual 6 / 10 Ready-made Spanish pintxos are on display behind the counter. ChGarcia_Visual 7 / 10 A covered walkway and outdoor dining area leads to a pet-friendly courtyard. ChGarcia_Visual 8 / 10 Meats are sourced from Italy and the South Melbourne Market, and sliced to order. ChGarcia_Visual 9 / 10 French pastries by Ivanhoe wholesale bakery The French Breakfast Bakehouse. ChGarcia_Visual 10 / 10 Inside the shop. ChGarcia_Visual Previous Slide Next Slide

Italian$$$$

Nicholas Totos spent his childhood assisting his family at their South Melbourne Market stall, Emerald Hill Deli  where he was first given the moniker of deli boy by local customers. Now, hes taken that name and opened his own shop specialising in home-style panini and open-faced sandwiches opposite the market, alongside his business partner Andreas Londono.

Deli Boys menu takes influence from both Italy and Spain, including the Basque region where Londono has family. Creamy Basque cheesecake is made in house, while French pastries are outsourced from wholesale Ivanhoe bakery The French Breakfast Bakehouse.

Fluffy Zeally Bay focaccia is filled with deli goods imported from Italy and fresh produce from the South Melbourne Market, like mortadella and stracciatella packed in with truffle honey-glazed eggplant, or a smoked ham and gruyere number that takes the classic ham and cheese sanger to new heights. Ready-made pintxos (Spanish bar snacks), beer and wines by the glass are also available, perfect for summer drinks in the dog-friendly courtyard or at the sunny streetside seating.
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Eating outRestaurant news Merivale to close popular Manly Wharf restaurant Queen Chow Its the latest closure at the beachside dining precinct. Sarah Norris July 18, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

On Friday, Sydney hospitality group Merivale announced it will shut its Cantonese restaurant on Manly Wharf, Queen Chow. After seven unforgettable years, Queen Chow Manly will be closing its doors on Tuesday, August 5, due to the upcoming redevelopment of the Manly Wharf precinct, it said via a statement on Instagram. Queen Chow Manly will close on August 5. Manly Wharf is going through big changes, led by the Artemus Group. Artemus reimagined Brisbanes Howard Smith Wharves and has made no secret of plans to do similar in Sydney, splashing out $110 million last year to buy Manly Wharf. It then made an offer to Hunter St. Hospitality, leading it to close Sake, El Camino and Bavarian.

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Hunter St. Hospitalitys chief executive, Frank Tucker, told this masthead the decision to close its restaurants was because they received a deal they couldnt turn down. It was a commercial decision  [Manly Wharf owner Artemus Group] made a wonderful offer, Tucker said. We had 15 years left on the lease. Merivale has operated Queen Chow at the wharf since 2018, changing it from Papi Chulo, which it opened in January 2014. Queen Chows closure is one of the few made by the hospitality giant. Merivale has been in the news following reports by The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes that revealed claims of underpayment, exploitation of women and sexual harassment. Fair Work began an investigation into the group following claims by eight migrant chefs who say they were recruited from Mexico under false pretences. Merivale denies all allegations.

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Artemuss spending spree began in December last year, adding Hugos Manly to its growing portfolio in a deal reported to have cost $20 million. Artemus has brought its Felons brand from Brisbane to the Sydney beachside suburb too, and has plans to build a microbrewery in a former supermarket site. Theres been speculation of a possible function space, but nothing official. Merivales Queen Chow restaurant was one of the few remaining non-Artemus sites on the wharf. With reporting by Scott Bolles.
We just need to smile, say thank you very much, you are very kind  and accept gracefully, she advises. Never brush off the invitation, unless you dont want to sit. In that case, always say, thank you for your kind gesture. Being courteous makes the other person feel valued  and makes us feel good too. You wear wall-to-wall black. After all, the only invitations you get are for funerals There comes a time in life when wedding invitations dry up, the babies whose christenings you once attended have left home  and the number of funeral announcements is getting suspiciously larger. So its no wonder most of us keep a top-to-bottom smart black outfit in the wardrobe. But while some people can pull off head-to-toe black, most of us end up looking a bit dusty, says Lucinda Chambers, ex-Vogue fashion director and co-founder of Collagerie.com.

When you reach a certain age, you feel more vulnerable, and theres a definite nervousness that creeps in  youre afraid of any display of individuality, extravagance or idiosyncrasy. Black is a very easy rut to fall into because you think it goes with everything. I never put black with black. I combine it with navy or cream to sharpen it up. Loading Author and broadcaster Hunter Davies, 89, is more definitive: No one over 70 should wear black or grey. I only now wear clothes in pink, yellow, green, blue  usually at the same time. Wearing head-to-toe black is tempting, but mix it up with some colour. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The doc tells you that mysterious pain is just wear and tear

It can feel like a death knell when you mention a new symptom to the GP and they bluntly say: Yes, thats just going to be how it is from now on. But dont believe them  its never too late to get in shape. Our bodies are equipped with incredible restorative capacity. The most health-preserving physical activity you can do is resistance training because muscle loss (sarcopenia) is both a characteristic and driver of ageing and age-related disease, says Dr Nathan Curran of Londons Reborne Longevity Clinic. And skeletal muscle will not only help to prevent falls  it also protects your bones from osteoporosis, which can lead to fractures following a fall. About one in 10 people with a hip fracture die within a month  and about one in three die within a year. You might be getting older but you dont have to accept all those aches and pains. Credit: iStock Its also an insurance policy for slowing down neurodegeneration and dementia, he adds.

There are very interesting links between loss of cerebral volume  especially in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory  and sarcopenia [age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function]. There isnt a drug combination that comes remotely close to matching exercise for providing comprehensive benefits for brain health. Loading The mugshot on your 60+ bus pass is appalling but youve given up caring Turning 60 is a milestone for many reasons  and while its useful to know you now qualify for subsidised travel, that fact alone is depressing enough. Thats before you even come to take the accompanying photo. Do try to look your best  but dont take it too hard if the image ends up looking like a mugshot, advises Lucinda Chambers. Youre going to look at that photo for the next 20 years, so you might as well look cheerful. Having said that, mine looks like Prisoner: Cell Block H...

Generally speaking, our experts say its important to glam up  and rail against the dying of the light. PR expert Fiona Harrold says its about self-worth. Because if you dont care about how you look, how are other people going to respect you? Youre projecting an image of yourself to the world every time you step out the front door. Do you see yourself as attractive, groomed? Because your vibe will go down if you walk around constantly looking dishevelled. We automatically equate that with a loss of va-va-voom  or even depression. Veteran journalist Virginia Ironside agrees: I know lots of people who say Im old  I can let myself go. But thats fatal. You must always be clean, have your hair looking nice, try to keep reasonably thin. Keep your standards up  eat at a table, change your sheets every couple of weeks. You ask for music to be turned down in a restaurant, or to have real plates Its very fogey-ish to complain about loud music, tiny sharing plates  or eating off a roof tile  says Jennifer Sharp, former restaurant editor of Harpers Bazaar.

She loves eating solo and is a fan of the communal tables available for walk-ins. I like all the well-priced small plates that let you trawl through the menu without breaking the bank. Regularity, she believes, is the enemy of life. The easiest way to stay feeling young is to be curious. I never feel I know everything  whether its food or art or movies or politics. Stay open to new experiences and opinions. Say yes to things. A change is as good as a holiday when it comes to dining out. Credit: Getty Images Out with a 26-year-old colleague, youre mortified to be mistaken for their grandmother Its mortifying enough to eavesdrop on the conversations your younger colleagues are having  but to be mistaken for one of their grandparents when youve popped out together is even worse.

But theres no shame in being called out for your age, says poet and author Sarah-Jane Lovett. We should revel in the fact that being a modern grandmother or grandfather is something to celebrate. Lovett, a grandmother of two who is now writing a book called The Glamma Diaries, insists: We are gods and goddesses of sorts, the elders who bring insight and wisdom to bestow upon the youngers. The trick is to create a force field of magic, underpinned with a firm but kind air of grooviness. Obviously, no one wants to get cancelled for doing the wrong thing  but grandmothers are brilliant at spotting diplomatic minefields and circumnavigating them with aplomb. You cut your own hair  without even looking in a mirror The decision to go grey or not is unimportant (just look at super-agers Helen Mirren and Andie MacDowell). But a sharp cut can take off decades  so keep investing in that hairdressers appointment. Superager Helen Mirren in January last year, then 78 years old. Credit: Jordan Strauss

I firmly believe women can embrace new styles at any age, says celebrity hair stylist Dar Barot. Its about taking that first step and being open to transformation. When hair obscures your face, it can hide features such as well-shaped eyebrows, beautiful eyes, defined cheekbones, a strong jawline  and especially the neckline and shoulders, which are crucial for creating a youthful appearance. A sculpted haircut that frames your face should emphasise these features, while complementing your body shape. And men shouldnt be complacent either  shaggy eyebrows, unkempt nose hair and a bad comb-over are turn-offs. My own bugbear is the fade haircut  shortening the hair on the sides and back of the head, with longer hair on top  for older men, Barot says. It resembles a hat rather than enhancing their features. It was also Hitlers favourite hairstyle, so be warned. Your adult children dont trust you around their precious children You might have raised them  but when your own kids have babies, it can lead to some awkward moments when it becomes clear theyre unwilling to trust their precious bundle with you. When your beloved offspring and their partner tell you the new thinking on pregnancy, childbirth or child-rearing that theyve gleaned in their ante-natal group or from Instagram, listen, keep quiet and do not express an opinion, Lovett says. If they wax lyrical about placenta encapsulation, dont use the word ridiculous or the phrase we didnt do that in my day. Just swallow and say, That sounds great.

No one wants to hear about the dark ages  i.e. before 1990  and no one ever acknowledges that youve gone through this experience yourself. Understand that while you, until fairly recently, reigned supreme in your family, you are, in one blow, felled. So hold on to the life skills you have acquired and use them with steely dignity  empathy, listening well, cooking for everyone. Modern, shiny parents are there to make us look as if we didnt have the foggiest idea of what we were doing. Loading You watch rolling news 24/7 and rail against the injustices of modern life OK, so theres an entire sitcom  One Foot in the Grave  dedicated to the phenomenon of men getting grumpier as they age. But while Victor Meldrew might have been a bit of an old curmudgeon, he definitely tried to keep himself busy when he wasnt shouting at the TV. When youre passively sitting in front of the television, not much is going on in there, says Professor Kieran Clarke, 73, emeritus professor of physiological biochemistry at the University of Oxford.

Concentrating is really good for your brain, she says. Puzzles keep the connections up and the electrics going. Youre concentrating all the time, and the synaptic connections between neurones are functioning properly. Youre lonely but would rather hang over a crocodile pit than use dating apps Probably the hardest challenge of old age is finding a new partner if youve been struck by death or divorce. The temptation is to shut up shop to new admirers  but that would be ignoring the fact theres a very buzzy later-life dating scene out there. Dating is all about the mindset. If youre open to new experiences and meeting others, and youre easy to approach, youll naturally attract the right kind of attention, says Niloufar Lamakan, 66, whose new novel Aged to Perfection tackles 60+ dating using apps, as well as other, more adventurous ways of meeting potential new partners. Being advised to find a hobby might sound like a cliche, but its a great way to do something you enjoy and increase your chances of meeting someone. However, if youre happy being single, make the most of the freedom and find your own tribe to enjoy life alongside.
Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell has pleaded guilty to illegally selling off his shares in a racehorse after freezing orders were imposed on his assets, amid separate claims he was behind a years long $8.7 million fraud scheme.

Pannell, who until recently was on the run from police with several warrants out for his arrest, is being pursued by his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, after being accused of ripping the company off in a decade-long embezzlement saga.

Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell pictured in 2013. Credit: Paul Rovere

SeaRoad took civil action in the Supreme Court late last year alleging Pannell had defrauded the business via a fake-invoice scheme.

The scheme allegedly involved Pannell generating invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors Pty Ltd, of which Pannell was sole shareholder and director, to repair damaged shipping containers. SeaRoad alleges no work was done to repair the containers.
Loading But the treaty, which underpins the Australia-US alliance, only binds the nations to consult on shared threats. It was used in this capacity following the September 11, 2001 attacks. That was the first and only time the treaty has been invoked, and then-prime minister John Howard said at the time federal cabinet had determined the provision of ANZUS applied in the circumstances. Australia has a different relationship with the US today, strained under the unpredictability of Trumps America first agenda, and the circumstances around defending Taiwan from China are different to a situation in which the US is itself under attack. The Lowy Institutes International Security Program director Sam Roggeveen pointed to the USs policy of ambiguity towards Taiwan, which he said strengthened Australias position to oppose any iron-clad commitment to join the US in conflict.

The Americans themselves havent even committed to going to war for Taiwan, he said. They still maintain an ambiguous stance on that question. He pointed to Anthony Albaneses John Curtin Oration earlier this month, in which he said Australia must not be subservient to its allies, as a signal that the prime minister would not agree to a conflict commitment. Roggeveen said any such agreement would fundamentally redefine the Australia-US alliance into a much more intimate arrangement, similar to NATO, in which countries have agreed to automatically defend each other if attacked. We dont have that kind of alliance with the United States, he said. Australia could stop short of a formal agreement to enter conflict. A similar option that could fulfil Colbys request would involve preparation for conflict together, including planning and scenario drills.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday the government could not commit to a hypothetical and any promises made would not bind successive governments, meaning any agreements would not be worth the paper theyre (not) written on. That is also the Albanese governments position. The Pentagon has pushed back against suggestions it is solely focused on the contingency of a war with China over Taiwan. A US defence official, granted anonymity to speak freely, told this masthead the Pentagons concerns were wider than that. Lease agreement Leasing the submarines rather than selling them to Australia was a subject of intense debate when the AUKUS legislation was passed, former US official and lead negotiator for the legislation in the Senate, Jennifer Hendrixson White, said last week. Australia had considered a leasing arrangement to bridge the capability gap between the retirement of diesel-powered Collins-class submarines and the arrival of nuclear-powered AUKUS boats. Australia has agreed to buy five Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US before AUKUS boats are built in Australia.

Loading There is precedent for leasing military kit from the US. America provided equipment to Australia and other nations during World War II in the interest of US defence, though the arrangement differed from a traditional commercial lease because payment was deferred. Negotiations following the war ended in Australia buying much of the equipment. Submarines were not given to Australia, and the country did not have sovereign submarine capability throughout the war, a nightmare scenario that Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said the navy would not want to repeat. Graham said leasing arrangements had been used by other nations, including Russia sending nuclear submarines to India, but the strained US-Australia relationship made such a move more difficult for the Albanese government to sell.

He said Australia had invested a lot of political capital into claiming AUKUS would enhance the nations sovereignty, and ceding ownership of the submarines would put that assertion at risk. It would be a significant dilution of AUKUS value, Graham said. If were going to do that through a leasing arrangement, then I think immediately the government would come under hostile questioning over this issue of sovereignty. Roggeveen said a lease agreement would be unlikely to meet the needs of either country because each would want the submarines in case of a military emergency. Any kind of lease arrangement that implies that Australia would have something less than full sovereign control of the submarines, I think would be a non-starter for Australia, he said. Under the control of the US

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has previously suggested submarines could be operated with a composite crew from each nation. After all, the first ships of the Australian navy had British crews and British captains, Abbott wrote in an opinion piece for The Australian in 2021. Britain equipped and trained the early iterations of the Australian navy to provide maritime protection for its colonies. Royal Australian Navy ships operated under British Admiralty command in the British Grand Fleet during World War I, and played a key role in the defeat of Germany through its naval blockade. Today, a US Rotational Marine Force deploys to Darwin for six months each year to train with Australia and allied neighbours to enhance co-operation. Australian sailors will deploy on UK and US boats based out of Western Australia from 2027 to develop at-sea experience on nuclear submarines. Known as the Submarine Rotational Force West, the co-operation is in accordance with longstanding bipartisan policy of no foreign bases on Australian soil, according to the Australian Submarine Agency.

Loading Western Australia is geographically strategic for the US because it would allow the military a presence in the region without having to transit through contested Asian waters, such as the South China Sea. But Graham said the primary hypothetical question to answer for an Australian prime minister in a situation in which the US controlled Australian submarines would be whether Australia had the final say on when and where the submarines were used. Roggeveen said he doubted the Australian government would agree to letting the submarines be under the control of the US after having emphasised the importance of maintaining sovereignty over them. Politically, I think that would be a really bad deal for Australia, he said. I just dont think thats doable.
Brussels: Russian spies have been named and sanctioned for arson attacks and attempted murders as well as hacking mobile phones, in a dramatic British action backed by tough new measures across Europe.

The UK government revealed the Russian agents who engaged in the attacks over more than a decade, in a rare exposure aimed at highlighting the scale of the threat to the public.

Some of the Russian agents named by the UK government, clockwise from top-left: Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuk, Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin, Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Serebriakov, Yuriy Federovich Denisov, Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov and Artem Valeryvich Ochichenko.

The operations included a sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity over many years  some of them by a hacking unit previously named by ASIO for presenting the same threat to Australia.

The British Foreign Office warned of the chaos and disorder from the operations and blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crimes, while imposing sanctions on 18 individuals.
Harrisburg: US President Donald Trump says he will sue the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal for a story claiming he wrote a cryptic letter  with an outline of a naked woman  to now-convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for the late financiers 50th birthday.

Meanwhile, as the furore over the Epstein saga grew, especially among MAGA supporters, Trump reversed course and asked his attorney-general to release more documents related to the case, pending court approval.

US President Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch. Credit: AP, Bloomberg

The Journal reported Trump had signed a letter in a leather-bound book organised by Epsteins friend Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, and that the book formed part of the files examined by the Justice Department during its sex-trafficking investigation of Epstein and Maxwell.

Trumps letter was framed by the outline of a naked woman, the newspaper reported, including small arcs depicting her breasts. The text reportedly took the form of an imagined conversation between the two men.
Two of the men accused of murdering Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad will remain in a notorious maximum-security prison in the Mexican desert while lawyers determine the facts of the case.

Two court hearings into the mens deaths were held back-to-back in Ensenada, in Baja California, on Thursday afternoon (Friday morning AEST).

Photos of Callum and Jake Robinson and American Jack Carter Rhoad on the beach in Ensenada, Mexico. Credit: AP

The Robinson brothers, from Perths northern suburbs, were killed while on a surf trip to the Baja California peninsula in April last year.

The brothers were travelling with Rhoad, a San Diego local, and drove a Chevrolet Colorado pick-up to their Punta San Jose campsite on the regions coastline.
Not only was this one of my most difficult loans to get approved as her business was only just transitioning to Australia, it was also a highly emotional transaction as I could see how much this new start would mean to this young family after all they had been through.
With nearly 20 years in financial services, Goudie most recently served as general manager  group finance and treasury at Equity Trustees and previously spent seven years at Deloitte managing financial services and funds management clients across Australia, New York, and Canada.
Second time in Australia, first time in Sydney

Although the World Credit Union Conference has run for over 20 years, this will only be the second time the event has been held in Australia. The first was in 2014 on the Gold Coast.
Sean McCarthaigh

Ireland had the 8th most overcrowded prisons in Europe last year, according to a new report by an international human rights organisation.

The annual report on penal statistics in prisons by the Council of Europe identified Ireland as one of 15 countries in Europe where prisons have more inmates than places available.

The Council of Europe  a leading human rights watchdog  has expressed concern at increasing overcrowding in prisons across the continent and claimed prison overcrowding remains a critical challenge in a third of European countries.

Overall, the number of inmates per 100 places available increased from 93.5 in 2023 to 94.9 last year on average across Europe.

The figures show Ireland had 105 prisoners for every 100 places available in 2024 which ranked it in joint 8th position with Sweden.

The Council of Europe described the situation in Irish prisons as moderate overcrowding which poses considerable challenges to daily prison management and service provision.

It listed Ireland as one of 13 countries which experienced a significant increase in its prison population between January 2023 and January 2024.

The figures show that the number of inmates in prisons in the Republic increased by 5.4% over the 12-month period and that Irelands prison population has now grown by 17 per cent since 2005.

Severe overcrowding in prisons was recorded in six countries  Slovenia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Romania and Belgium.

The report revealed that there were over 1.02 million prisoners detained in prison in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe last year  representing a median prison population rate across Europe of 105 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants.

The incarceration rate in Ireland is 90 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.

Compared to the rest of prisons in Europe, Ireland has a disproportionately high number of people imprisoned for assault and battery offences and sexual offences including rape but relatively few for robbery and drug offences.

Approximately 21 per cent of prisoners in the Republic are in pre-trial detention compared to the European average of 28 per cent of prisoners who are not serving a final sentence.

One of the authors of the report, Professor Marcelo Aebi, head of the SPACE research team from the University of Lausanne, remarked: Overcrowding seriously undermines the living conditions of the prison population and the rehabilitation efforts of the prison administrations.

Prof Aebi said data highlighted the importance of sentence duration as a lever to manage prison overcrowding.

In addition to promoting alternative sanctions to imprisonment, reducing sentence lengths, especially for non-violent and low-risk offenders, can be a powerful tool for lowering incarceration rates, he added.

The average age of prisoners in the Republic is 38 years  just above the European average of 37 years.

The average length of imprisonment for prisoners in Ireland last year was 7.2 years compared to the European median of 8.7 years.

The report shows that staffing levels in Irish prisons are good with 1.2 prisoners per staff  below the median for Europe of 1.5 inmates per staff.

However, Ireland was also classified as one of 20 countries with a high rate of prisoner escapes relative to the prison population.

The figures show there were 12.4 prison escapes per 10,000 inmates in the Republic in 2023  almost four times the European median of 3.5 escapes per 10,000 prisoners.

The report shows that foreign nationals represent a substantial share of the prison population across Europe but their distribution is very uneven between countries.

It reveals that 16% of prisoners in Ireland last year were non-citizens  the same figure as the median for Europe.

Just over half of all non-Irish nationals (52 per cent) in prisons in the Republic are from other EU member states.

The proportion of foreign nationals in prisons ranged from 94 per cent in Monaco to one per cent in Romania.

The report also shows Ireland has a relatively large proportion of elderly prisoners with 3.7% of all inmates over 65 years  the 10th highest rate in Europe where the average is 3.1 per cent.

The Council of Europe said a growing number of elderly prisoners was already placing pressure on prison infrastructure and healthcare budgets in a trend that was likely to intensify in the coming years

Although the proportion of elderly inmates remains modest, the implications for prison management are substantial. Older prisoners often present complex health needs, including chronic illnesses, cognitive decline and reduced mobility, the report noted.

It added: Their presence raises operational challenges related to accessibility, staffing, and care standards, as well as ethical and legal questions about the continued detention of individuals who may no longer pose a significant threat to public safety.
Claire Henry

A man who sexually abused his three-year-old cousin has been jailed for four years.

Darren Dowling (48) of Palace Flats, Palace Close, St Saviour, Jersey, UK, was found guilty of eight counts of oral rape and three counts of indecent assault that took place at a Clondalkin address between 1990 and 1993 against his cousin Alan Murphy following a Central Criminal Court trial in July 2024.

Mr Murphy has waived his anonymity to have Dowling named. He has three previous convictions, all from Jersey in the UK.

The court heard that one of the convictions involved him engaging in messages with an undercover police officer in which he sent a picture of himself holding a 10-month-old child on his knee and referring to how excited he was and that there was a bulge in his pants.

He was sentenced to 9 months for this offence.

At a previous hearing, Justice Paul Burns said the crimes had an adverse effect on Mr Murphy, leading to him having behavioural problems and abusing alcohol and drugs as a teenager to block out the memory of the abuse.

The birth of his own children helped him to come to terms with his addictions.

He is rightly proud of himself for seeing it (the trial process) through, and the court hopes that with further intervention and support from his loving family, he will continue to recover, Mr Justice Burns said.

He set a headline sentence of 13 years for the oral rapes and eight years for the sexual assault, given that the victim was a very young boy at the time of the offending, and his cousin had been placed in a position of trust.

He also acknowledged that the abuse had happened in the victims home, a place which ought to have been a place of safety, Mr Justice Burns said.

He reduced the headline sentences to six and a half years and four years respectively, given that Dowling was a juvenile at the time of the offending.

Mr Justice Burns then imposed concurrent sentences of five years and three years before he suspended the final 12 months of the five-year term on strict conditions, including that Dowling engage with the Probation Supervision upon his release.

The case was adjourned for mention to allow for the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court in relation to the naming of juvenile accused persons when they reach adulthood, and therefore could not be reported until now.

At the previous hearing, Detective Garda Sharon Duncan told Grainne ONeill, BL, prosecuting, that on July 12th of this year, a jury found Dowling guilty of 11 counts. The court heard that Dowling was Mr Murphy's older cousin and would babysit him and his brother.

The court heard that while Dowling was babysitting, he would bring Mr Murphy upstairs to the bathroom and place his penis into Mr Murphys mouth and move his head back and forward.

Mr Murphy stated in his evidence that the door would be closed and the offending would last between 10 and 15 minutes. Mr Murphys brother was outside the bathroom or on the stairs while this was happening.

Time of offending

The court heard that the abuse would take place on each and every occasion that Dowling would babysit. Mr Murphy described how he would scream and hold onto his mothers leg when she was going out.

Mr Murphy was aged between three and six at the time of the offending, and Dowling was aged between 13 and 16.

Mr Murphys mother gave evidence during the trial, in which she said that Dowling had begun babysitting her sons around the time of Italia 1990. She said that her son disclosed the abuse to her when he was 15 years old.

Mr Murphys brother gave evidence that Dowling would bring his brother to the bathroom. He said the door was closed and possibly locked, as he had tried to enter the bathroom once but could not. He said that when his brother came out of the bathroom, he would be upset and crying.

The Director of Public Prosecutions placed the offences in the 10-15 year band. The court was told that the maximum sentence available for section 4 rape is life in prison and 10 years for each of the indecent assault counts.

Detective Garda Duncan read Mr Murphys victim impact statement to the court, which said: I never understood the effect the abuse had on me until I gave up drinking and drugs. I was always acting up and misbehaving. I turned to drink and drugs as an early teen to block out the abuse. No one knew why I was so moody.

He said I was so embarrassed and ashamed of people finding out. I was just a little boy; why would he do that to me? It makes me feel sick. I want my boys to know never to be afraid to tell the truth.

He concluded by saying: I am so grateful for the results of the trial.

Det Gda Duncan agreed with Hugh Hartnett, SC, defending, that his client met with gardai in Jersey on a voluntary basis and did not contest this extradition from Jersey.

Mr Hartnett said his client was a child at the time of the offending. He said it is 34 years since these offences took place, and his client had set up a life for himself in Jersey.

Counsel said Dowling was first told that no prosecution would take place, and then that decision was reversed. He said that there was one blemish on his client's record for which he received a nine-month sentence.

Mr Hartnett handed letters of testimonial into the court, which described Dowling as a helpful and kind person to his friends.

He asked the court to take into account the very serious factors that distinguished this case from others; he outlined that his client was a child at the time of the offending.

He said there was no use of violence except for the act itself, and no threat was made.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
Best wishes are extended to Margaret Townsend, Linkardstown, who recently retired as school secretary of Tinryland National School after 29 years of outstanding service.

Always at the centre of school activities and someone who had a great knowledge of all workings of the school, Margaret will be missed by her colleagues, pupils and parents.

On the same day before the summer holidays, Anna Quirke Bolt retired after 16 years on the teaching staff. Her presence will also be missed in the school with significant contributions to special education, fair trade and green schools initiatives.
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Nuvoco Vistas Corp posted a nine per cent rise in consolidated revenue from operations to INR28.727bn (US$333.6m) in the first quarter of FY25-26 (ended 30 June 2025)from INR26.36bn in the year-ago period. The cement business accounted for INR26.04bn of revenue while the ready-mix and other businesses contributed INR2.545bn. Cement sales stood at 5.1Mt, up six per cent YoY.

EBITDA advanced 69 per cent to INR57.78bn while the operating margin expanded to 20.11 per cent from 13 per cent in the 1QFY24-25. The company's consolidated net profit surged to INR1.33bn from INR27.5m in the FY24-25.

In the first quarter the company also completed the acquisition of Vadraj Cement through a INR18bn resolution plan under India's bankruptcy process. Nuvoco said the acquisition date was considered as 21 June. The acquisition enables Nuvoco Vistas Corp to increase its cement capacity to ~31Mta by 3QFY26-27.

Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, MD of Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, stated, The Company witnessed healthy volume growth during the quarter. It maintained a sharp focus on premiumisation and trade mix, which contributed to enhanced realisations and led to the highest-ever first-quarter consolidated EBITDA in the Companys history. Looking ahead, we remain committed to drive sustained growth and expand our market presence. Following the successful acquisition of Vadraj Cement, the Company is fully geared up to operationalise the plants at Kutch and Surat by Q3 FY27 and at the same time expanding its market footprint in the Western region. Alongside this, the Company will continue to prioritise initiatives around premiumisation, geo-optimisation, and cost efficiency to further strengthen its competitive edge."
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The government of Rwanda has signed a 15-year industrial quarry licence agreement with CIMERWA to boost cement production in the country.

At the signing event, the government was represented by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB).

The agreement will enable a US$190m investment in a clinker plant in Musanze District and reduce cement imports as well as generate employment and support the country's infrastructure development through sustainable quarry practices, said RDB in a statement.
I just saw the news photo depicting UTC's planned new Oak Street Residence Hall, "with a pedestrian corridor running through the building ... ." My immediate thought was, What?! Followed by, Why? Now? In this world? Whose idea was that? Whyever put a pedestrian corridor through a college dormitory, knowing what we know here and now?





Then I saw the adjacent news article describing the arrest of a man for aggravated criminal trespass at UTC's Lockmiller Apartments and for a similar offense at the UTC library.






The Volkswagen Academy is making history this coming Monday at 3 p.m. as it graduates its first-ever class of Automotive Systems Technology students alongside its sixth cohort of advanced manufacturing specialists. Three students will earn associate of applied science degrees in electric vehicle engineering technology from Chattanooga State Community College, while 15 students graduate from the Robotronics Technology Expert program with AAS degrees in mechatronics technology.Guest speaker will be Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson, with featured speakers EVP & CHRO NAR Gerrit Spengler, ChSCC President Dr.Rebecca Ashford and Valedictorian Troy Leach, graduating apprentices and their families.The ceremony will be held at the Volkswagen Chattanooga Conference Center, 7469 Volkswagen Dr. in Chattanooga."This graduation ceremony marks the completion of specialized apprenticeship programs that prepare skilled technicians for advanced manufacturing roles in the automotive industry," officials said. "The event celebrates the newest team members joining Volkswagen's workforce and highlights the company's commitment to workforce development in Tennessee."
There will be a Fallen Five Memorial Day Ride this Saturday benefitting Wreaths across Chattanooga.Riders will depart White Lightning Harley-Davidson, 7720 Lee Hwy. at 10 a.m. enroute to the Wreath of Honor at Tennessee Riverpark.Two Fallen Five servicemen are laid to rest at Chattanooga National Cemetery. On Dec. 13, wreaths will be placed on these graves along with the goal of placing 50,000 additional wreaths on all graves at Chattanooga National Cemetery. In partnership with Food City, the wreaths will remain at $10, and donations can be made by mail to: Wreaths across Chattanooga, 426 Market St., Chattanooga, Tn.37402, or online at www.chattareaveterans.com/wac."Please remember that Wreaths across Chattanooga is a 100 percent all volunteer, non-profit organization," officials said.
A woman who was involved in an I-75 wreck in Bradley County late Monday morning that took the lives of her two children admitted to smoking marijuana that morning, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

Emily N. Shaver, 22, of Summerfield, Fla., is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide along with DUI, reckless endangerment, violating the child restraint law, and drug possession.

Her young son was killed in the wreck and her 8-month-old daughter died Wednesday after being rushed to the hospital and then airlifted.

A report says Ms. Shaver was driving north in a Honda Odyssey when her right rear tire blew out, causing her to veer into the southbound lanes and strike another vehicle head-on.

The Shaver vehicle was then hit on the side by a third vehicle.

The son was found deceased inside the vehicle. It was found he was not in a car seat or booster seat.

The daughter was found to be in critical condition.

Inside the Shaver car was a store-bought bag of cannabis flower labeled with 24.7 percent THC, which authorities said is a higher percentage than can be legally sold in Tennessee.

The driver whose vehicle was hit head-on was taken to Bradley Medical Center.

Ms. Shaver told several officers on the scene that she had smoked marijuana that morning, it was stated.
Officials of Chattanooga-based battery materials maker NOVONIX are welcoming the preliminary determination by the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose antidumping tariffs of 93.5 percent on anode active material.

That material includes synthetic and natural graphite imports from China.

The effective tariff rate for AAM is now 160 percent, which includes the previously announced countervailing duty tariffs of 11.5 percent placed by Commerce in May, President Trumps blanket 30 percent tariffs on goods from China, and 25 percent Section 301 tariffs implemented by USTR last year.

Michael OKronley, CEO of NOVONIX, stated, The decision today underscores the strategic importance of building a domestic supply chain for critical minerals, including synthetic graphite, in North America. It affirms our business strategy as well as the diversification strategy of our customers to source critical battery materials and components locally. NOVONIX, with the most advanced synthetic graphite production facility in North America, will be increasing significantly the United States production of an essential strategic mineral while strengthening American manufacturing, and creating high-quality jobs locally.

The AD investigation determines whether the graphite is being sold at less than fair value, while the CVD investigation previously announced in May determines whether the Chinese government is subsidizing the production and supply of graphite AAM to the United States.

The additional AD tariff announced by Commerce Friday will now stack onto the previously announced CVD tariffs. The final determinations for both the AD and CVD investigations will be issued around Dec. 5.

Officials said, "NOVONIXs Riverside facility in Chattanooga is poised to become the first large-scale production site dedicated to high-performance synthetic graphite for the battery, defense, and industrial sectors in North America. To meet increasing customer demand, the company previously announced its second synthetic graphite manufacturing plantat the Enterprise South Industrial Park.

With the initial capacity at Enterprise South and its existing Riverside facility, which is scaling up to 20,000 tons per year, NOVONIX will have total production capacity of over 50,000 tons per year in Chattanooga, officials said.
The Supervisory Board of Bayer AG has unanimously decided to extend the contract of CEO Bill Anderson (58) until March 31, 2029. His contract was originally set to end on March 31, 2026. Anderson joined Bayer on April 1, 2023, and became CEO on June 1, 2023. Bayer is in the middle of a far-reaching transformation. The company has clearly defined priorities in place and is taking action to address the challenges it faces. Were starting to see some clear successes, though theres still a lot to do, said Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG. Bill Anderson is charting the right course and has initiated a comprehensive turnaround program in an important phase for Bayer. Under his leadership, the company will resolutely continue this path, said Winkeljohann.

Bayer has initiated numerous measures to address its five strategic priorities: strengthening the Pharmaceuticals pipeline, improving profitability at Crop Science, becoming leaner and more innovative through the new operating model, deleveraging and containing the legal risks in the United States. These measures are now starting to deliver tangible impact. For example, Bayer has successfully advanced the Pharmaceuticals pipeline. Building on the divisions strong foundations, the new product launches have displayed highly encouraging growth momentum. Regarding profitability in the Crop Science business, the company is already executing initial measures as part of a comprehensive five-year framework. Bayer is also making headway in implementing Dynamic Shared Ownership. This new operating model is designed to radically eliminate bureaucracy and significantly speed up decision-making by placing it mainly in the hands of those closest to customers and products. Since rolling out the new operating model, the company has significantly reduced the number of hierarchy layers in the organization, with the number of management positions having been roughly halved. There are now around 11,000 fewer positions overall at Bayer. Through these measures, the company is progressing in delivering the two billion euros in planned savings for 2026. Bayer has also been able to reduce debt. Finally, the company is executing a multi-pronged strategy as part of its efforts to significantly contain the legal risks in the United States.

Anderson believes the company is making good progress. Bayer has numerous opportunities to capitalize on, as well as some serious challenges that it is diligently addressing, he said. With our mission of Health for all, Hunger for none, we serve the needs of people all around the world. Thats what motivates my colleagues  and its also something that inspires me each and every day. I truly believe that our team has the right focus and the right plan to become the leanest, fastest, and most innovative life science company. Team Bayer is all in and we are totally up to the task. Im delighted to be a part of Team Bayer and Id like to thank the members of the Supervisory Board  the stockholder and employee representatives alike  for the trust they have placed in me, Anderson said.

Born in 1966, William N. (Bill) Anderson is an American chemical engineer and executive. He started his professional career in 1989. Following roles at Ethyl Corporation and Raychem Corporation, he joined Biogen, an American biotechnology firm, in 1997. After serving in various leadership roles, Anderson was appointed General Manager of Biogens Neurology Unit, the companys largest business unit. In 2006, he joined Genentech, a pioneering American biotechnology company, eventually serving as Senior Vice President in the firms BioOncology Unit.
Port Sudan, July 17, 2025 (SUNA) - Member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), Dr. Nawara Abu Mohamed Mohamed Tahir has commended the efforts undertaken by the Beja People's Graduates Conference, particularly its efforts to promote community peace, mend the social fabric, disseminate a culture of peace and love, actively participate in uniting the national ranks, and seriously consider ways to achieve sustainability and enhance security.

During a meeting with a delegation from the Beja People's Graduates Conference, headed by Dr. Issa Awali, at her office in Port Sudan on Thursday, Her Excellency affirmed her commitment and endeavors to implement all outcomes of the conferences and workshops held to develop and advance localities in eastern Sudan, promote sustainable development, and work to overcome all obstacles and challenges impeding the implementation of future activities and programs proposed to address issues related to humanitarian services and the essential needs of the people of eastern Sudan, particularly the problems of water, electricity, education, and health.

For his part, the Head of the Beja People's Graduates Conference explained, in a press statement, that the delegation briefed TSC Member on all the initiatives, activities, and programs undertaken by the Beja People's Graduates Conference for sustainable development. He noted that the delegation visited a number of state institutions and officials to present their plan to combat poverty, mend the social fabric, and other community programs.

Dr. Awali congratulated the armed forces and supporting forces on the victories achieved on all fronts of the Battle of Dignity.

He explained that TSC Member affirmed her support for all proposed programs and activities and expressed clear interest in these initiatives that touch the lives of citizens.
Ethan Shoemake, Cherokee Nation citizen, showing Charolais cattle during livestock show. He is the president of the National Junior Charolais Livestock Association.
Photo Credit: Facebook/ U.S. Department of Education

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision Monday, overturned a prior ruling that had blocked the administration from scaling back the departments scope.

This decision came four months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the department and return authority over education to the states and local communities.

President Trump hailed the Supreme Courts ruling as a major victory to parents and students across the country via a statement on Truth Social, expressing gratitude that McMahon would now have the opportunity to begin this very important process.

Trump stated, The Federal Government has been running our Education System into the ground, but we are going to turn it all around by giving the Power back to the PEOPLE. Americas students will be the best, brightest, and most Highly Educated anywhere in the world.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also praised the ruling through an X post, writing, Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.

She continued, While todays ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.

As we return education to the states, this Administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy, she added.

However, The National Education Association, the nations largest teachers union, condemned the Supreme Court ruling in a statement Monday. The union was among several organizations that challenged efforts to abolish the department.

Nothing is more important than the success of students. Americas educators and parents wont be silent as Donald Trump, with the support of the MAGA Supreme Court, strips our students, our families, and our communities of protections and funding that Congress has mandated, said NEA President Becky Pringle.

She added, Todays ruling withholding relief that the lower courts ordered will only compound the harm, warning that abolishing the federal agency will hurt all students by class sizes soaring, cutting job training and career and technical education programs, making higher education further out of reach, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.
Home News Barack Obama suggests men need gay friends to learn 'empathy and kindness'

Former President Barack Obama suggested during an appearance on his wife's podcast earlier this week that men need gay friends to learn "empathy and kindness" while preparing for potentially fathering a son who identifies as gay or non-binary.

Appearing during an episode of "IMO," a podcast hosted by former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, the former president discussed with the two how best to raise boys.

At one point during their hour-long discussion, Barack Obama  who noted he was raised by a single mother  suggested that boys need male figures in their lives other than their fathers to provide perspective, and then immediately pivoted to explain the influence one of his gay professors at Occidental College had on him.

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"No matter how good the dad is, he can't be everything, and then that boy may need somebody to give the boy some perspective on the dad," Obama said.

"One of the most valuable things I learned as as a guy was I had a gay professor in college, at a time when the gay folks still weren't out, who became one of my favorite professors and was a great guy and would call me out when I started saying stuff that was ignorant."

Barack Obama says young boys need a gay man in their life for guidance and that having only a father around isnt enough.



He believes being around gay men helps boys develop emotional awareness, empathy, and a broader perspective.



Obama recalled that one of his most important pic.twitter.com/uq4xfXxpSH  Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 17, 2025

Obama went on to imply that men need gay friends and role models like his professor to learn positive personality traits.

"You need that to show empathy and kindness," he said. "And by the way, you need that person in your friend group, so that if you then have a boy who's gay or non-binary or whatever, they have somebody that they can go, 'OK, I'm not alone in this.'"

In his 2020 memoir A Promised Land, Obama recounted the influence Lawrence Goldyn, his gay European politics professor at Occidental College, had on him.

"Once I got to college and became friends with fellow students and professors who were openly gay, though, I realized the overt discrimination and hate they were subject to, as well as the loneliness and self-doubt that the dominant culture imposed on them," he wrote. "I felt ashamed of my past behavior  and learned to do better."

During a 2015 interview with Out magazine  the same year the outlet declared him their "Ally of the Year"  Obama noted he took Goldyn's class during his freshman year at Occidental College.

"I was probably 18 years old  Lawrence was one of the younger professors  and we became good friends," Obama told the outlet.

"He went out of his way to advise lesbian, gay, and transgender students at Occidental, and keep in mind, this was 1978. That took a lot of courage, a lot of confidence in who you are and what you stand for."

Obama, who lit up the White House in a rainbow upon the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, noted that he saw Goldyn during a White House pride month reception during his presidency.

"I got to recognize Lawrence  and thank him for influencing the way I think about so many of these issues," he said.

Stories have emerged in recent years suggesting the former president may have homosexual inclinations, such as a 2023 story from the New York Post, which obtained an unreacted 1982 letter Obama wrote to his ex-girlfriend, Alex McNear.

In the letter, he claimed to have an "androgynous" mind and admitted to "mak[ing] love to men daily, but in the imagination," according to the outlet.

"In regard to homosexuality, I must say that I believe this is an attempt to remove oneself from the present, a refusal perhaps to perpetuate the endless farce of earthly life. You see, I make love to men daily, but in the imagination," a 21-year-old Obama reportedly wrote more than 40 years ago.

The former president's appearance on his wife's podcast comes amid speculation that their marriage is experiencing tension, especially given Michelle Obama's unwillingness to accompany her husband to either President Donald Trump's inauguration or former President Jimmy Carter's funeral in January.

Last month, Michelle Obama made headlines when she said on her podcast that she was glad she never had a boy because he would have been like her husband.

Toward the end of the episode that aired June 18, Obama bristled when radio host and guest Angie Martinez suggested she should have had a son in addition to their two daughters, Sasha and Malia.

You shouldve threw [sic] a boy in the mix, Martinez said to Obama, prompting her to respond, Im so glad I didnt have a boy.

Because he wouldve been a Barack Obama, she added.

Baby Barack  it wouldve been amazing! Martinez said, but Obama cut in, Ooh, no, I wouldve felt for him.

The two dismissed divorce rumors during another moment in their most recent podcast.

JUST IN: Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama shut down the rumor that they are getting a divorce.



Obama: Somebody will mention to me and I'm like what are you talking about?



Michelle: There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting my pic.twitter.com/45HgXXObyQ  Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) July 16, 2025
Home News Trump DOJ sues Washington over law requiring priests to violate seal of confession

The Trump administration has joined litigation against Washington state's recently passed law that requires Catholic priests to report abuse confessions made in the confessional or risk excommunication.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in intervention on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma in opposition to the state's Senate Bill 5375.

The complaint argues that SB 5375, scheduled to take effect on July 27, "unlawfully targets clergy and, specifically, Catholic priests" by requiring mandatory reporting of abuse for clergy, without exempting the confessional, which is supposed to be confidential.

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"The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also known as Confession, is one of the seven Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is a sacred rite with roots that can be traced back to the origins of Catholicism," reads the lawsuit, in part.

"The seal of confidentiality is, therefore, the lifeblood of Confession. Without it, the free exercise of the Catholic religion, i.e., the apostolic duties performed by the Catholic priest to the benefit of Catholic parishioners, cannot take place."

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division said laws that "explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society."

"Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges," Dhillon said in a statement. "The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion."

Signed into law by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson in May, SB 5375 was passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature largely along party lines, with the Senate approving it in a 28-20 vote and the House of Representatives passing it in a 64-31 vote.

SB 5375 adds clergy to a list of professionals required to report instances of child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, even if that report came through "privileged communication."

"It's long past time for this protection for children," said Democrat Sen. Noel Frame of Seattle, the sponsor of the legislation, as quoted by The Washington State Standard in April.

"Members of the clergy play such an important role in the lives of children, like teachers and doctors do, and just like those other trusted adults, clergy should be mandatory reporters."

Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle said in a statement that "priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Etienne vowed that the archdiocese "remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing and protecting all minors and vulnerable people."

"The line between Church and state has been crossed and needs to be walked back. People of every religion in the State of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and Governor," he added.

Last month, shortly after the bill passed, the DOJ launched a civil rights investigation into the state law, with Trump administration officials expressing constitutionality concerns.

The federal investigation was criticized by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based atheist advocacy organization that supported the state law.

"This law is about protecting children, not targeting religion," said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in a statement released last month.

"Mandatory reporting laws are designed to prevent abuse from being hidden behind institutional secrecy. To suggest that clergy should be exempt from reporting child abuse is a gross distortion of religious freedom and a dangerous misreading of the First Amendment."
Home News House Democrat locks horns with Sean Duffy over Jesus painting

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., grilled Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy earlier this week on Capitol Hill about his calls for a historic Jesus painting at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to be restored to a place of prominence after being put in a basement in 2023.

During a Wednesday exchange that grew heated, Duffy and Huffman  who has represented a congressional district north of San Francisco since 2013  went back and forth about whether it violates the First Amendment to allow the federal service academy's "Christ on the Water" painting to hang in a room with mandatory meetings and disciplinary hearings.

"I would just note that we have the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion," Duffy said. "And this painting was in this place of prominence for, I believe, 70 years, and it was folded up and moved to the basement."

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"It was put into the chapel by your predecessor, not put away to be hidden in a basement, right?" Huffman interrupted. "That's misleading."

Huffman to Duffy at the end of a tense exchange: "We have a First Amendment for a reason." pic.twitter.com/WLSpBUjGhn  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2025

The 10-foot by 19-foot painting, created by the late merchant mariner Hunter A. Wood in 1944, depicts Jesus saving sailors lost at sea and has been hung in the USMMA's Wiley Hall for 76 years.

Under the recently removed USMMA Superintendent Vice Adm. Joanna M. Nunan, the school's administration first covered the painting with a curtain during official events, following a 2023 letter from Military Religious Freedom Foundation founder Mikey Weinstein, who demanded its removal on constitutional grounds. It was then placed in the basement of the school's chapel, which is reportedly prone to flooding.

Duffy went viral on social media in April because midshipmen erupted in applause during his speech at the USMMA's annual Battle Standard Dinner. He called for the painting to be restored and for Jesus to be brought "up from the basement."

Duffy has also since hung a replica of the painting in his office at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

During their tussle on Capitol Hill over the painting, Duffy thanked Huffman for caring so much about the painting.

"This is 'Christ on the Water,' these are sailors, and it has a lot of history within the Merchant Marine Academy," said Duffy. "And I love your attention to this 'Christ on the Water' photo."

Duffy pushed back against Huffman's implication that having a painting of Jesus in the administrative building would alienate non-Christian midshipmen, noting, "We're all in this together."

Huffman and Duffy locked horns about funding for the dilapidated USMMA.

"The issue here is that the Merchant Marine Academy has been underfunded for too long," said Duffy as Huffman tried to talk over him. "You have midshipmen eating off of paper plates, using plastic forks. They didn't have hot water for four months. So if you want to talk about the Merchant Marine Academy, let's look at how these poor midshipmen have been served by Congress and the last DOT."

"You promised them more funding in your speech to the cadets. How's that going?" Huffman shot back, to which Duffy replied by noting that the money has to come from Congress.

Huffman, who helped found the Congressional Freethought Caucus in 2018 after he "came out as the only openly non-religious member of Congress," has repeatedly made headlines for expressing opposition to Christianity in government.

In January, he joined the caucus in protesting the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast in the U.S. Capitol, claiming the event was an inappropriate use of Statuary Hall, participated in "anti-LGBTQI+ advocacy" and intersected with Christian nationalism, among other concerns.

"We'll be burning sage for months because of that," Huffman said during a press conference, referring to a cleansing ritual common in witchcraft.

Huffman drew rebuke from congressional Republicans in 2021 when he suggested that the Roman Catholic Church should lose its tax-exempt status after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted to draft a document that could rebuke pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

"If they're going to politically weaponize religion by 'rebuking' Democrats who support women's reproductive choice, then a 'rebuke' of their tax-exempt status may be in order," Huffman tweeted at the time.
Home News US Amb. Huckabee blasts, threatens Israeli govt over visa restrictions for Evangelical orgs

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee blasted the Israeli interior ministry for continuing to restrict visas issued to Christian organizations working in Israel in an exceptionally harshly worded letter that leaked to the Israeli press on Thursday.

In a response letter, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party expressed his shock, claiming that his office had quickly addressed every request that was brought to his attention.

Arbel added he was particularly surprised about the manner in which Huckabee raised his concerns, as he sent copies of his letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

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It is with great distress that I express to you my profound disappointment [that the] meeting held in your office has not resulted in what I had hoped to be the start] of a resolution of the issue of routine granting of visas for Christian organizations, Huckabee wrote, according to Israeli media outlets.

The unprecedented letter was revealed some two months after Huckabee and Arbel met personally to discuss the problem of visa restrictions for Evangelical organizations.

A similar problem appeared to have been solved almost two years ago, when ministry officials apologized and vowed to streamline the process of issuing clerical visas to Christian organizations, which enables their staff to stay and work in Israel for a period of several years.

However, Ynet News reported that Huckabee complained about new investigations of organizations that had longstanding ties with Israel, like the Baptist Conference in Israel and the Christian Missionary Alliance, which began in 2025.

According to quotes from Huckabees letter published by Israeli media, the ministry had subjected each organization to independent, detailed and bureaucratic investigation processes, requiring documentation of their religious beliefs and activities in Israel.

For the duration of these processes, the groups were reportedly denied new visas.

In his response letter, Arbel claimed not to have been aware of the cases mentioned by Huckabee and vowed to rectify them.

When a similar matter arose two years ago, representatives of Christian organizations had noted that it wasnt always clear whether the bureaucratic harassment came from the top level of the ministry or from mid-level officials.

Evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews living in Israel have often complained about the hostile attitude of some officials in the interior ministry, which, over the past decades, has almost always been in the hands of the Shas Party.

Parts of Israels ultra-Orthodox community are hostile toward Christians, suspecting them of trying to "missionize" Jews  a practice some view as an attempt to convert Jews away from Judaism, which they believe threatens the survival of the Jewish people.

Therefore, prospective immigrants who are known to believe in Jesus are sometimes refused the right to immigrate, even if they are of Jewish background under the halacha, Jewish religious law.

It is incomprehensible that the situation is deteriorating rather than improving. The US and evangelical Christian organizations are Israels allies, yet we are being treated like adversaries. As the US Ambassador, I formally request a resolution to the deteriorating relations with the Ministry of the Interior to avoid further escalation, wrote Huckabee.

The ambassador continued, writing, It would be deeply unfortunate if our embassy is forced to publicly inform Americans that Israel does not welcome Christian organizations and is instead subjecting them to harassment and ill treatment.

The letter concluded with unprecedentedly harsh warnings, of the type rarely heard before in the history of the close relationship between Israel and the U.S.

We will have no choice but to inform American Christians that their generous contributions are being met with hostility and advise them to reconsider their travel plans.

If the Israeli government continues its bureaucratic harassment, I will have no choice but to instruct our consular department to consider reciprocal actions against Israeli citizens applying for US visas. This is not the type of relationship Israel wants to maintain with its closest ally, Huckabee concluded.

This article was originally published by All Israel News.
Joseph Busha, the President of the FreeZim Congress party, that contested the 2023 elections has expressed disillusionment with the any prospects of dialogue and unity among Zimbabwe's political opposition parties, stating that most of them.

Speaking to journalists Busha said most opposition leaders are in the political space to enrich themselves.

"No, working together will not materialise because many have different agendas - most to enrich themselves," Busha said, criticizing the motivations of some opposition leaders.

He cited the example of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) leaders who received benefits such as vehicle only to later collaborate with ZANU-PF.

This perceived betrayal he said has led to widespread disillusionment among opposition supporters.

Busha also questioned the authenticity of opposition leaders, challenging them to demonstrate their commitment to serving the people of Zimbabwe.

"Show me one authentic leader in politics, self-sufficient and ready to serve the people of Zimbabwe - will then join them in talks," he said.

This statement underscores the need for leaders who prioritize the welfare of citizens over personal gain.

The failure of opposition dialogue highlights the challenges facing Zimbabwe's opposition parties, including fragmentation, lack of cohesion, and allegations of self-interest. Despite efforts to unite against ZANU-PF, the opposition remains divided, with some leaders prioritizing personal interests over collective goals.

The FreeZim Congress party's stance may resonate with Zimbabweans seeking genuine change and effective leadership.

Busha's comments comes at a time when there are calls for authentic leadership and genuine commitment to serving the nation. As Zimbabweans look to the future, they demand leaders who prioritize their welfare and work towards meaningful reform.
Home News Netanyahu says Israel deeply regrets stray munition hit Gaza church after call with Trump

Israel expressed deep regret over Thursdays incident in Gaza, where three Christians were killed by an errant Israeli shell fragment that hit the Catholic Holy Family Church, the Israeli Prime Ministers Office stated.

Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful. We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort, the statement read.

Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.

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The statement followed a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, who, according to reports, was upset and demanded to speak with Netanyahu after being informed of the incident.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the presidents reaction was not positive.

A U.S. official told the news outlet Axios that Trump requested clarification over the incident and demanded Netanyahu publicly admit Israel made a mistake.

On Thursday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said that an IDF tank shell had hit the church, while the Israeli statement spoke of stray ammunition.

In a late-night statement by the IDF, the military said that an initial inquiry showed that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.

The cause of the incident is under review. The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.

Pope Leo XIV had called for an immediate ceasefire in a statement on Thursday, expressing his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace in the region.

The pope also called Patriarch Pizzaballa on Friday, as he entered the enclave to visit the church in Gaza City, together with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III.

Of the estimated 1,000 Christians in Gaza, only about 135 are Catholic. Hundreds of Catholics and Orthodox believers have been sheltering at the church for the duration of the war.

Pope Leo sent Pizzaballa his closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.

Pope Leo repeatedly stated that it is time to stop this slaughter, that what has happened is unjustifiable, and that we must ensure there are no more victims, the Patriarch told Vatican News.

According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Patriarchs Pizzaballa and Theophilos III visited the Gaza church to stand alongside those affected by recent events.

The Patriarchate ensured the evacuation of individuals injured in the attack to medical institutions outside Gaza, where they will receive care, said the statement.

The Latin Patriarchate said it remains steadfast in its commitment to the Christian community and the entire population of Gaza, it said. They will not be forgotten, nor will they be abandoned.

In another statement, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem expressed their solidarity with the Catholic community in Gaza over the heinous attack by the Israeli Army on the church compound, and strongly denounced this crime.

Targeting a church that houses approximately 600 refugees, including children with special needs, is a violation of these laws. It is also an affront to human dignity, a trampling upon the sanctity of human life, and the desecration of a holy site.

The joint statement closed by calling upon world leaders and United Nations agencies to work towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that leads to an end of this war.

This article was originally published by All Israel News.
Home News Judge blocks Washington law forcing priests to violate seal of confession

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a Washington state law requiring priests to report admonitions of abuse made within the confession.

United States District Judge David G. Estudillo, a Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Senate Bill 5375, which was set to take effect on July 27.

Estudillo wrote that for the plaintiffs, which was a group of Roman Catholic clergy, breaching the seal of Confession entails automatic excommunication and the risk of eternal damnation.

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There is no question that SB 5375 burdens Plaintiffs free exercise of religion, he wrote. In situations where Plaintiffs hear confessions related to child abuse or neglect, SB 5375 places them in the position of either complying with the requirements of their faith or violating the law.

Estudillo also noted that, in contrast to clergy, other groups of adults, including attorneys, parents and law professors, are not required to be mandatory reporters under state law.

Thus, SB 5375 is neither neutral nor generally applicable because it treats religious activity less favorably than comparable secular activity, he continued.

The State has not presented compelling evidence that the exemption for law professors and those they supervise is not comparable in terms of the risk posed to children by a communications privilege exception to the mandatory reporting requirement.

Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, a religious liberty law firm that is helping to represent the plaintiffs, released a statement on Friday celebrating the decision.

This ruling confirms what has always been true: In America, government officials have no business prying into the confessional, said Rienzi.

By protecting the seal of confession, the court has also safeguarded the basic principle that people of all faiths should be free to practice their beliefs without government interference.

Introduced in January, SB 5375 adds clergy among the group of professionals who are mandated by law to report any suspicion of sexual abuse of children to authorities.

The bill garnered controversy for not exempting the confessional from the reporting mandate, despite it being against Catholic teaching to disclose sins revealed during confession.

"Except for members of the clergy, no one shall be required to report under this section when he or she obtains the information solely as a result of a privileged communication," stated SB 5375.

"It's long past time for this protection for children," said state Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, the sponsor of SB 5375, as quoted by The Washington State Standard.

"Members of the clergy play such an important role in the lives of children, like teachers and doctors do, and just like those other trusted adults, clergy should be mandatory reporters."

SB 5375 had the backing of the interfaith advocacy organization The Clergy Accountability Coalition, which argues that the bill was necessary to combat child abuse.

"If a state cannot regulate religions," said Sharon Huling of CAC in a statement released in January, "then they should not be able to provide religions with exemptions either."

In May, the bishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and the Dioceses of Spokane and Yakima in Washington, along with Catholic priests in the state, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma.

The lawsuit named as defendants Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown and every county prosecuting attorney in the state.

Also in May, the United States Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division opened an investigation into the law, believing that the measure likely violated the First Amendment.
Home News Pakistan to launch investigation into harms caused by its blasphemy laws: 'Huge ray of hope' Gov't must form commission within 30 days

LAHORE, Pakistan  In what attorneys in Pakistan termed a huge ray of hope, a federal high court on Tuesday directed the government to form an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate blatant abuse of blasphemy laws.

Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the formation of the body to investigate widespread misuse of the harsh laws, strengthened during the 1980s by military ruler Gen. Ziaul Haq in an apparent bid to win over Islamist groups and safeguard perceptions of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and the Quran.

Justice Khan issued the order while hearing a case involving multiple blasphemy cases that came with allegations of repeated patterns of abuse. Families of more than 100 victims of false blasphemy cases alleged that officials from the anti-blasphemy unit of the cybercrime section of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), lawyers and others conspired to honey-trap innocent people, including Christians, into sharing content deemed blasphemous, later using it to extort money by threatening legal action.

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They alleged that those who refused to pay were prosecuted under blasphemy laws, exposing them to vigilante violence. Over the years, several individuals accused of blasphemy have been killed extra-judicially by Muslim extremists, according to various research groups.

The petition in the Islamabad High Court was first filed in September 2024, and the court held at least 42 hearings before issuing Tuesdays directive to the federal government to form the investigative commission within 30 days. The high court justice said the commission must complete its inquiry within four months, although it could request an extension from the court if necessary.

The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) has documented 701 blasphemy cases between 1947 and 2021, with 1,415 persons accused, 1,308 men and 107 women. At least 89 people were killed and 30 injured in related violence. Among those killed were 72 men and 17 women, it stated.

The data showed a sharp rise in cases following the 1986 amendments introduced by Haq that made blasphemy a capital offence. Before those changes, only 11 cases had been reported, with three people killed.

The National Commission for Human Rights, in its latest report covering the period from October 2023 to July 2024, raised alarm over a surge in blasphemy charges, allegedly fueled by entrapment through pornographic and blasphemous websites.

The investigations findings highlighted a troubling trend: a sharp increase in registration of blasphemy cases, the majority of which were initiated by the FIAs cybercrime unit, frequently in collaboration with a private entity, it stated.

The commission linked the rise in cases to the implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act of 2018, noting that young men were targeted through entrapment tactics involving female operatives with fake identities who lured them into blasphemous activities online, resulting in their subsequent arrests.

This pattern, which has escalated significantly over time, calls for a comprehensive review of the roles and accountability of both government and private entities involved in such cases, the report stated.

The report also noted that 11 blasphemy cases were reported in 2020, nine in 2021, 64 in 2022, 213 in 2023 and 767 through July 2024. The victims of false blasphemy charges include people from all faiths, but the majority of them are Muslims.

The data compiled by the CRSS showed that those accused of blasphemy between 1947-2021 include 947 Muslims and 421 non-Muslims, while the faith of 47 was unknown. Among the non-Muslims accused, 225 were Christians, followed by 174 Ahmadis, 20 Hindus and one Sikh and Buddhist each.

In one of the most high-profile cases, Punjab Gov. Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by his own security guard in 2011 after he publicly called for reforming the blasphemy laws.

During Tuesdays hearing, the court also expressed concern over the disappearance of a Komal Ismail, alias Imaan, a woman believed to be a central figure in several ongoing blasphemy-related cases. She was allegedly used to honey-trap several people accused of blasphemy.

Komal went missing in November, two months after the petition was filed. The court had earlier ordered the blocking of her national identity card and barred her from leaving the country after she failed to appear in court.

Her life may be in danger. What action can the [government] agency take in such a situation? the justice asked, expressing concern over her safety.

Ray of hope

Lawyers representing petitioning families said the Islamabad High Courts verdict gave hope for innocent victims of the blasphemy law.

This is a huge ray of hope and it is the first time that the families have felt heard, said attorney Imaan Mazari-Hazar, who represented some of the families of arrested men and women, to reporters after the hearing. Hundreds of youths have been falsely roped into cases of such a sensitive nature that the stigma will last forever even if they are acquitted.

Another petitioning lawyer, Hadi Ali Chattha, told the media after the verdict that he hoped the proposed commission would expose the nexus between the FIA and Islamist lawyers behind the surge in blasphemy cases.

The lawyers of the blasphemy business group tried their best to subvert the proceedings of the case, but we appreciate the judge for handling this sensitive matter wisely, he said.

Chattha said his team had filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court based on a report by the Special Branch of the Punjab Police that said a gang based in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi was fabricating blasphemous content and entrapping innocent youths in fake cases for monetary gain.

We moved the high court for seeking its direction for formation of a high-powered investigative commission to probe the Special Branch report, he said. Responding to the high courts notice, the federal government, through an additional attorney general on Jan. 31, said that the government was concerned about the reports of the activities of the gang and was ready to form a commission, but it required guidelines from the high court on the way forward.

The judge recommended that the commission include a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court, a retired senior officer of the FIA who understood the issue, and an expert in information technology. Chattha added that a serving judge by law could not become part of the inquiry, as it was not a judicial inquiry.

On Feb. 28, the attorney general informed the court that the government had been unable to find suitable members for the commission due to the sensitivity of the issue, he said.

Meanwhile, the members of the alleged blasphemy business gang told the court that they were opposed to the formation of the commission because the court had not given them an opportunity to explain their case, Chattha said. The judge told them to record their statements before the commission, but they insisted that the court should hear them.

The judge granted their request but ordered that proceedings would be broadcast live on YouTube for information for the general public, he said.

Their lawyers are now claiming that they havent been given a chance to present their case, whereas the fact is that all their counsels got sufficient time to argue their case, after which we were told to submit our rebuttals, he said. Now that the court has given its verdict, they are trying to propagate that they were not given an opportunity to speak, which is contrary to the facts.

Commenting on the four months given to the commission for investigating the issue, Chattha said he hoped the inquiry would be completed in the stipulated time due to the availability of relevant data.

A leaked 2024 report by the Punjab Police into the sudden spike in cases found that a suspicious gang was trapping youth in blasphemy cases and might be motivated by financial gain.

The Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP) is reportedly the most active of attorney groups prosecuting young men in Pakistan. Sheraz Ahmad Farooqi, one of the groups leaders, told AFP in October that God has chosen them for this noble cause.

In recent years, several youths have been convicted and handed death sentences, although no execution has ever been carried out for blasphemy in Pakistan.

We will fully support the probe commission and are confident that our voices will finally be listened to, our concerns will be heard, and the truth will come out, a relative of one of the suspects who requested anonymity out of fear of backlash told AFP.

Pakistan, whose population is more than 96% Muslim, is ranked No. 8 on Open Doors 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.

This article was originally published at Christian Daily InternationalMorning Star News
Home News Trump admin. guidance encourages robust religious accommodations for federal employees

The U.S. federal government issued guidance on Wednesday to encourage robust accommodations for religious liberty among federal employees, including telework options and modified work schedules, to ensure that federal workers have as much freedom as possible to practice their faith during the workday.

The Office of Personnel Management sent the heads and acting heads of all federal government agencies a memorandum, citing new policies to comply with the Trump administrations push to ensure that all executive departments and agencies (agencies) honor and enforce the Constitutions guarantee of religious liberty and end any form of religious discrimination by the federal government.

Additional justifications for the new guidance include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on an individuals religion and requires employers to accommodate employees religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the employer.

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OPM contends the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of a Christian postal worker who had been forced to work Sundays affirmed this provision of the landmark federal law.

Religious liberty is foundational, OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. No federal employee should be forced to choose between their faith and their federal service. This guidance ensures agencies meet their legal obligations and treat these requests with the seriousness they deserve.

The new guidance establishes accommodations that allow employees to take advantage of telework policies for religious reasons, noting that President Donald Trump has worked to roll back policies enabling federal employees to work remotely.

Accommodations als include religious compensatory time off, flexible work schedules (including maxiflex work schedules), credit hours earned under flexible work schedules, annual leave, advanced annual leave, earned compensatory time off for overtime work and compensatory time off for travel, leave without pay, or other time off.

The guidance urges federal government agencies to allow employees to work remotely on days of religious significance, or on days immediately before such days, so as to avoid travel or commuting time which may interfere with preparation or observance.

The memo urges agencies to allow telework for employees who wish to take breaks in the workday to engage in fasting-related practices, such as prayer or rest, in a quieter or more private setting and providing flexibility for employees to engage in time-specific religious practices during breaks in the workday.

To the extent that modifications in work schedules do not interfere with the efficient accomplishment of an agencys mission, an employee must be permitted upon request to earn and take religious compensatory time off for a religious observance or practice as required by the employees personal religious belief. An employee may earn religious compensatory time off by working overtime before and/or after the religious observance, the guidance states.

Another option for a religious accommodation is a maxiflex schedule, which gives employees a mixture of core hours where they are required to be at work, unless in the event of an excused absence, and flexible hours where employees can choose their arrival and departure times from work.

A maxiflex work schedule could allow an employee to attend a religious practice or observance during the flexible hours of the work schedule and continue to perform full time work without the need to take leave or other time off, which supports productivity and providing greater service to the public, the guidance explains.

In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post asking whether there is a maximum number of days or hours employees could take off for religious reasons per year, OPM stressed that additional details will vary agency to agency.

The new OPM guidance comes days after Kupor, Trumps pick to lead the federal government agency, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a 49-46 vote on July 9.

As is the case with many of Trumps cabinet nominations, the vote fell largely along party lines. Kupor received no support from Senate Democrats while Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the only Republican to vote against his nomination.
Home Opinion How do I teach my kids to be financially responsible?

Dear Chuck,

I had great hopes of teaching my children about money this summer. With only a few weeks left, can you give me some easy talking points?

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Raising Money-Savvy Kids

Dear Raising Money-Savvy Kids,

First of all, I love to hear that you want to be intentional about teaching your children financial stewardship. Summer is a great time to introduce the subject to your children, but dont stop once they head back to school. Children are sponges. They watch us handle money and often come to their own conclusions. Thats why it is critical that we, as adults, understand what God says about the topic, so we demonstrate what we want them to know. In this article I have broken down some age-appropriate ways to teach your children about financial stewardship.

Teaching toddlers

This is a great time to instill the habit of delayed gratification  of learning to wait before getting what is wanted and seeing the reward that follows work. Requiring children to pick up their toys before they get a treat is a life skill in the making. As children begin to ask or demand things, patiently talk with them about why the answer is No. For example, a child who wants pizza for dinner can be told that Friday is pizza night, and that is what you budgeted for. This illustrates the financial construct of planning, waiting, and reward. They are capable of understanding anticipation, a plan, and the word No.

Teaching elementary-age

At the heart of every well-rounded budget are three goals: saving, giving, and spending. I encourage parents to give children an allowance for work around the home. When my children were young, my wife, Ann, got a three-ring binder for our boys with three pouches labeled Saving, Giving, and Spending. This taught them how to divide money as they earned it. The lifetime discipline of setting aside 10% of all money earned for the work of the Lord has eternal ramifications. As a child sees their savings grow, they can participate in making plans, another good discipline. While spending may seem like the easy part, how to shop can be a learned skill as you help your child think through wants and needs and work toward that end.

Our free eBooks and Coloring downloads may be helpful.

Teaching teens

A great way to connect with your teens is by discussing money. It opens the door to great conversations about life. Walking through a functional budget is a good place to start, and we have free tools that can help. Too many teens enter adulthood without counting the costs in their purchasing decisions. A budget is the sum total of all the financial parts they will have to consider when they are on their own.

Invite them to join you when you go through bills. They will gain an education on the cost of things, from utilities to insurance, food, rent, and more. Have them accompany you when shopping for a car or making choices at the grocery store. Patiently explain how you balance needs versus wants.

Warn them about the dangers of scams via phones, texts, mail, and social media.

Family resources

Consider enrolling your entire family in Crowns Online MoneyLife Personal Finance Study to learn practical financial skills. Or gather a small group of parents and teens. Many years ago, I took one of my sons and his friends through Crowns 10-week study. To celebrate our completion, I told them each to bring $5, and instead of going out to eat, my wife was going to show them how much more food cooking at home would provide. They had a feast complete with a teen-pleasing dessert. The lessons stuck with that son!

Our God Provides video series will make a lasting impression on your family and create opportunities to discuss important themes.

The July 11th Ask Chuck about financial freedom can also provide some insight into being a good steward.

This Crown article gives more details on teaching the following topics to children:

Stewardship.

How to Work.

How to Give.

How to Save.

How to Spend.

Help your older children discover their purpose and unique design through the several tools we have on our website. Give them the confidence they need to face the worldly lies they either already have or will encounter in the future. Encourage them to rest in the promises of God. The principles He gave in His Word are not meant to restrict them but are for their good and ultimately their freedom.

Remember the words of Moses:

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? (Deuteronomy 10:1213 ESV).

You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deuteronomy 11:19 ESV).

Id like to invite you and your family to join a free Crown Bible study on the YouVersion app. We have several devotionals regarding money and stewardship that can provide encouragement by bringing Gods Word into your daily life.
Home Opinion John MacArthur: The most influential Evangelical preacher since Billy Graham

John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (1939-2025) passed on to his eternal reward on July 14, 2025. Since 1969, he was pastor of Grace Community Church, a nondenominational church in Sun Valley, California. During his 56-year pastorate, preaching five times a week, always in a coat and tie, his expository sermons resulted in exponential growth into a certifiable megachurch of thousands of members.

MacArthur, the son of Baptist radio preacher Jack MacArthur and from a five-generation preacher family, became a pioneer in radio ministry and in tape cassettes of his sermons being distributed across America and internationally.

MacArthur wrote, or edited, over 150 books as well as producing the MacArthur Study Bible, which has sold over 1 million copies. (It is, along with the Criswell Study Bible, the study Bible that has been most used by me in sermon preparation over the many years of my ministry.)

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I first became aware of MacArthurs ministry upon my return from doctoral studies in Oxford, England, in 1975. I became a professor at Criswell College in Dallas, Texas, and a colleague shared some cassette tapes of a series of Johns sermons with me. I was tremendously impressed with his strong polemical and exegetical gifts. As Franklin Graham observed, He could get more out of a Bible verse than anyone Ive ever seen. John Piper, also a gifted pulpiteer and theologian, stated, I simply stood in awe of what he could do in the pulpit with a passage of Scripture.

I attended several of his Shepherds Conferences hosted by his church in the late 1970s and in the early 1980s. During that time, my wife would often come into the bathroom as I was listening to John preach on tape while I was shaving, and she would say, Good morning, Richard! Good morning, John!

John MacArthurs enormous impact on American Christianity and beyond was driven by his extraordinary giftedness and fidelity to preaching what he fervently believed was the unadulterated Word of God.

He was absolutely committed to preaching expositionally, sharing verse by verse Gods revelation to man in the inerrant, infallible Word of God.

On June 5, 2011, John MacArthur completed a self-confessed life goal of finishing a 42-year-long sermon series encompassing the entirety of the New Testament. And when people heard John MacArthur preach, they did not leave in any doubt about where John stood on any given issue and where he fervently believed you should stand as well. As Al Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, observed, Evangelicalism is a pulpit-driven movement, and John has driven the most influential pulpit in Evangelical Christianity for more than half a century.

In many ways, it is surprising that John MacArthur came to prominence in Southern California, one of the epicenters of cultural liberalism in America. MacArthurs legacy will be carried forward by the Masters University (formerly Los Angeles Baptist College) and the Masters Seminary (combined enrollment approximately 2,700), as well as by his numerous publications and sermon broadcasting ministry.

Given the thousands of ministers who have been impacted by John MacArthurs sermon ministry over approximately three generations, a strong case could be made that John MacArthur has been the most influential Evangelical preacher since Billy Graham.

Being such a strong pulpit presence and possessing strong, uncompromising convictions, John MacArthur was controversial, a Fiery Preacher and Culture Warrior, as The New York Times described him.

As I related earlier, I was close to John in my early ministry (1975-1985) when he was still more influenced by his Baptist background. MacArthur became more stridently reformed in his Christian doctrine as his ministry progressed. He was the somewhat unusual combination of a strong Calvinist who was also a dispensational premillennialist. I agreed with his premillennialism, but did not agree with his five-point Calvinism.

The simplistic summary of Calvinism is the T.U.L.I.P. (T.=Total Depravity; U.=Unconditional Election; L.=Limited Atonement; I.=Irresistible Grace; P.=Perseverance of the Saints). While MacArthur increasingly embraced all five points, I remained about a 3 point Calvinist ( of Total Depravity;  of Unconditional Election; 0 of Limited Atonement;  of Irresistible Grace; and all of Perseverance of the Saints). More about this next week.

As John MacArthurs ministry progressed across the latter decades of the 20th and the first decades of the 21st century, he appeared to become more rigid in where he drew the lines concerning acceptable doctrine.

For instance, he came to believe that Pentecostalism was in error for not accepting cessationism, the belief that the extraordinary manifestation of the Holy Spirit conferring gifts like prophecy and sign gifts ceased with the end of the Apostolic Age and the completion of the New Testament canon. This led him to conclude that the modern charismatic movement was in serious error. This culminated in Grace Community Church hosting a Strange Fire Conference, followed by a book, Strange Fire, which implied continualationists, as opposed to cessationists, were verging on being beyond the pale as a cult. While I do not accept Pentecostal theology, I do not believe their theology puts them beyond the borders of orthodox Christianity.

MacArthurs view that [t]he Charismatic movement has stolen the Holy Spirit and created a golden calf, and theyre dancing around the golden calf as if it were the Holy Spirit, in my opinion, is too harsh. Doctrinal error is most often doctrinal error, not heresy.

Similarly, in his strong emphasis on the Reformation doctrine that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, MacArthur questioned whether people in faith traditions that took a view that works were a necessary evidence of faith were not preaching the Gospel.

Once again, I take a broader view. I certainly believe that people must trust Jesus and His death on the Cross and His Resurrection for their personal salvation. I also believe Romans 10:9, which says, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. My theology and my experience have convinced me, for instance, that many devout Roman Catholics and Pentecostals meet the standard of Romans 10:9, and some Baptists dont.

Also, MacArthur became what The New York Times identified as a Culture Warrior over the decades, as he opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage. However, earlier in his ministry, he expressed doubt about whether Christians should be significantly involved in public policy, as opposed to focusing on missions and evangelism.

On the other hand, I was involved with the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission in urging Christians to get involved as salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16) in public policy. For example, when then-Vice President Al Gore was attempting to expunge all overtly evangelistic religious programming from radio and television, I had the opportunity to tell John personally, John, they are trying to take you off the airwaves. It is because of people like me who are doing public policy that Vice President Gore wont be successful. Whether I convinced him or not, he became much more the cultural warrior in subsequent years.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for John MacArthur, his dedication, his giftedness, and his devotion to our Lord and Savior. We had our disagreements. I would have chosen to worship in a Baptist church had I lived in his neighborhood in Southern California, rather than Grace Community Church. However, I would have been glad to have him as a neighbor pastor and as co-belligerent in contending for the Gospel.

Thank you, John, for being faithful. I am grateful you have entered eternity. Every time I listen to one of your sermons or read one of your books, I will think of the words of your hero and example, the Apostle Paul:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:7-8)
Home Opinion My 15-minute phone call with John MacArthur

I missed my chance to meet Pastor John MacArthur in person, but when I spoke to him for the first and only time, it was over the phone for 15 minutes and he cared about my soul.



Days after Christmas in 2021, I interviewed MacArthur for an article I was working on at Fox News about Canadas Bill C-4, which purported to ban conversion therapy, though critics claimed it effectively criminalized counseling that does not affirm LGBTQ ideology.



The bill, which was fast-tracked through the Canadian Parliament in late 2021, described the belief that heterosexuality and cisgender identity are preferable as a myth. Under the law, counseling that does not align with such a worldview carries a potential five-year jail sentence.



MacArthur, whose father was born in Canada, helped lead the charge of around 5,000 pastors throughout North America who pushed back against the legislation by affirming biblical sexual morality during their sermons on Jan. 16, 2022.



Six days after their protest from the pulpit, the first trucks set out from British Columbia toward the Canadian capital of Ottawa in what would become the trucker convoy. The truckers would go on to expose to the world the totalitarian spirit of their government, and I have always found the timing curious.



I published only a few sentences from my conversation with MacArthur, but when he died earlier this week, I listened to my recording of the call again.



When I pressed him to explain why he was taking the stand he was, MacArthur delivered to me a mini-sermon about what happens to nations and individuals when they reject God. He was succinct but deep. He quoted verses from memory that I could tell grieved him.



When a culture goes through a sexual revolution, then a homosexual revolution, and winds up with a kind of insanity about sin and sexuality, you know that culture is under divine judgment, MacArthur told me, referencing Romans 1:18-32.



MacArthur was echoing some of his sermons that I remember most, when he offered sobering reflections on the prophets who were called to prophesy to a nation they knew would not repent.



Much of what he told me in our phone call reflected his sermon titled Such Were Some of You, which he delivered at his Grace Community Church in Los Angeles to mark the protest against Bill C-4. He told me that during his many decades ministering in the second-largest American city, he had seen many repent of sexual sin, including one of the leaders of the Hollywood Gay Pride Parade.



As he concluded that hour-long message, MacArthur read from Isaiah 3. The chapter recounts the prophet predicting to ancient Judah that God would remove from their leadership everyone who has value, everyone who could help, as MacArthur paraphrased it.

He noted that while the chapter indicates a nation under inevitable general judgment, Isaiah offered hope that it shall be well for individuals within it who are righteous.



In another sermon he preached in March 2021, while his friend, Canadian Pastor James Coates, was imprisoned in Alberta for keeping his church open during COVID lockdowns, MacArthur expounded upon the grief Isaiah suffered when God called him to preach to a nation for which it was already too late.



Like Isaiah and the other prophets, MacArthur seemed to know his ministry would not save his nation, but he cared most about individuals, and God used him to snatch many out of the fire.



Much ink will be spilled this week by those whose interactions with MacArthur were extensive and spanned decades. My interaction with him only spanned a quarter-hour, but I will always remember it because I believe it showed his heart.



During our phone call, MacArthurs wife, Patricia, who was listening in and didnt know I could hear her, whispered to him, Is he a Christian?



Because he knew of me through his attorney Jenna Ellis, who was one of my sources when I covered MacArthurs successful battle against Californias COVID church clampdowns, he quietly and quickly assured her I am.



Despite the high-profile, international spiritual battles they were in, both he and his wife privately cared about the salvation of some reporter they had never spoken to and would never speak to again.



I think that says a lot.



MacArthur finished well, standing firm to the end against some of the darkest and most powerful encroachments Christians are facing today.



Rest in peace, Pastor John.

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Home News Christian bookstore claims Colorado law forces it to embrace LGBT ideology

A Christian bookstore in Colorado has filed a lawsuit against state officials, claiming a law forces the store's owners to endorse LGBT ideology despite their religious objections.

Born Again Used Books of Colorado Springs filed a complaint on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado regarding recent changes to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which defines "gender expression" protections to include "chosen name" and "how an individual chooses to be addressed."

The law states that Coloradans have a right to access "public accommodations[] and advertising" on the aforementioned basis of gender expression.

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"Under this revised CADA language, it is now illegal for public accommodations like independent bookstores to refer to transgender-identifying individuals with biologically accurate language in their publications and customer interactions," the lawsuit reads.

"Born Again Used Books must instead profess an ideological view it opposes, contradict the message espoused in the very books it sells, and avoid explaining its Christian beliefs about human sexuality in store and online. In effect, the law requires this Christian bookstore to abandon its core religious beliefs."

If the bookstore refuses to do so, according to the complaint, it "faces cease-and-desist orders, expensive investigations, hearings, and hefty fines."

Named defendants in the filing include Colorado Civil Rights Division Director Aubrey C. Sullivan, members of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Born Again Used Books is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that has successfully argued First Amendment cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"As the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed, the government has no business trying to strip traditional views about sex and gender from the marketplace of ideas," said ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton in a statement on Wednesday.

"Nor can the state compel Coloradans to speak in ways that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. Born Again Used Books shouldn't have to continually choose between violating the law and speaking consistent with its Christian beliefs."

In May, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act, into law. It was named after a trans-identified individual who was murdered at the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs in 2022.

According to its official summary, the new law defines "chosen name" as "a name that an individual requests to be known as in connection to the individual's disability, race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, or ancestry, so long as the name does not contain offensive language and the individual is not requesting the name for frivolous purposes."

Anaya Robinson, senior policy strategist with the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, who trans identifies, defended the legislation earlier this year, saying the trans community needed "robust and clear protections that do not rely on federal law."

"Does this bill do enough? No, and honestly legislation never will, but it does something," Robinson said, as reported by Colorado Newsline in May.

"It gives trans folks harmed across the state more access to legal protections than we have today, and in a time where our literal existence is being questioned, our history being erased, the legality of our bodies and our autonomy is being decided by people who do not believe we have a right to live, we need our elected officials and our community organizations to step up and do something."
Home News Episcopal Church-affiliated university battles for survival after decision to revoke accreditation upheld

An Episcopal Church-affiliated university founded in 1867 plans to take legal action after a decision to revoke its accreditation was upheld this week.

Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, announced on Monday that an arbitration panel had affirmed the earlier decision by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to remove it from membership and end its accreditation due to financial concerns.

However, the historically African American institution says its attorneys will file for a court injunction "to prevent any disruption to the university's accreditation status." Classes for the upcoming fall semester will commence virtually as part of the university's efforts to reduce costs and address financial challenges.

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The university estimates that legal fees to protect its accreditation could cost up to $1 million, which includes a $350,000 retainer fee. The institution says its has "secured significant new funding" and "established partnerships to address its debt and invest in its future," which includes a $7 million loan from Gothic Ventures "to support short-term needs."

"We will stop at nothing to ensure that SAU maintains its accreditation and continues serving our students," said Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Boulware.

"SAU's mission is bigger than any one setback. For over a century, SAU has been a beacon of opportunity. That legacy will continue. We are pressing onward  with faith, focus, and fortitude  to secure the accreditation our students deserve."

SACSCOC trustees voted to remove SAU from membership in December 2023 over concerns about its financial stability, with an appeals committee upholding the ruling in February 2024.

To cut costs, SAU, which claims over 900 students and 20 majors, moved most of its classes online and cut roughly half of its staff, which includes 67 staff positions, 37 full-time faculty positions, and 32 adjunct faculty positions. The school reported reducing its expenses by $17 million in 2024 compared to 2023.

The U.S. Department of Labor acknowledged in May 2024 that it was overseeing an investigation into SAU amid reports that employees went without paychecks for multiple pay periods.

Last July, an arbitration committee appointed by SACSCOC unanimously voted to support reversing the accreditation removal, though it maintained that SAU remains on probation.

"The SACSCOC arbitration committee's decision serves as a pivotal moment for SAU's redemption and renewal," said Brian Boulware at the time.

"The unanimous reversal by the arbitration committee rightfully corrects the injustice inflicted upon SAU by SACSCOC's initial ruling and underscores the university's steadfast commitment to excellence and growth."

But concerns over the finances persisted, with SACSCOC voting at its annual meeting in Austin, Texas, last December to remove SAU from membership.

SAU appealed the decision, but the appeal was rejected in March, and a 90-day arbitration process began. During this time, the university remained operational, and students graduating in May received degrees from an officially accredited institution.

SAU is not closing  our doors remain open, and classes will continue, said SAU Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess. This decision does not define us  our resilience does. SAU has faced challenges before, and each time, we have risen to meet them.
A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) official and four customs clearing agents have been arrested in connection with a high-level smuggling syndicate accused of defrauding the state of an unspecified amount of revenue.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) confirmed the arrests stating the suspects allegedly colluded to falsify customs declarations and smuggle undeclared goods into the country through the Forbes Border Post.

ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner Thandiwe Mlobane said the clearing agents worked hand-in-glove with ZIMRA officers to misrepresent imported goods as agricultural equipment in order to avoid paying the appropriate customs duty.

The arrested individuals have been named as Collins Chakamavinga a ZIMRA revenue officer and four clearing agents Michael Makonye, Batsirai Mangoma, Zondai Bechayi and Steven Masaraure linked to Withyou Customs Clearing (Pvt) Ltd and Tayema Investments (Pvt) Ltd.

"They are believed to have falsely declared the contents of two Mozambican-registered trucks as agricultural machinery. However, investigations revealed the trucks were carrying a variety of undeclared goods that attracted higher customs duty."

The trucks were intercepted during routine checks, and ZACC investigators say the manifests were deliberately falsified to facilitate the smuggling operation.

"Investigations found that Chakamavinga, together with another ZIMRA officer Hillary Chiwanba released the trucks without conducting any physical inspection or scanning. Even after the trucks had been flagged and sent for re-examination, one of them was still released without proper checks. The motive behind this remains under investigation," ZACC said

The suspects were arrested over the weekend and were expected to appear before the Mutare Magistrates' Court to face charges related to fraud and abuse of duty.
Home News Christian superstar pastor, Kenneth Flowers, gets 4-15 years in prison for rape of teen boy

The Rev. Kenneth Flowers, the prominent former leader of the Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, once described by a judge as a Christian superstar, was sentenced Thursday to spend four to 15 years in prison for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old boy in his home.

Todays sentence means that Kenneth Flowers is being held accountable for his actions, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said, according to MLive. Our focus throughout the process was providing a just outcome for the victim.

Flowers, 64, was sentenced as part of a plea deal he made in April when he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual assault. He will also be required to register with the Michigan Sex Offender Registry as part of his sentence.

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Available details of the assault are limited, but Flowers allegedly committed his assault of the teenager, who lives in his Farmington Hills neighborhood, on Dec. 20, 2023. He was also arrested the same day and charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct with force or coercion and one count of criminal sexual assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Flowers warrant was amended last October, and his charges were increased to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.

Officials at Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church did not immediately respond to calls for comment from The Christian Post on Friday. Although he's no longer listed on the church's website, Flowers had served as their senior pastor since July 1995. He was described as an internationally recognized human rights activist who sought to build relationships between people of different races and religions.

Until the charges against him emerged, Flowers was also celebrated as a respected member of the Detroit community, where he had been briefly appointed to serve on the city's Board of Ethics. His tenure was cut short because it was discovered that he maintained his residence in Farmington Hills.

The politically connected leader is also seen as a champion of womens rights in the church, becoming the "first Pastor ever at Greater New Mt. Moriah to license and ordain females to the preaching ministry and to ordain females as Deacons," according to his congregation.

He was even once described as a Christian superstar by U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Damon Keith.

My job as a federal judge is reading people, and as soon as I saw him and talked to him, I knew we had a Christian superstar on our hands, Keith said, according to the Michigan Chronicle.

Thats wonderful. He succeeded Ben Hooks, and they had to select (a new pastor), someone with the potential that could keep up the tradition of Ben Hooks, and Im very proud of him. Hes involved himself in the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, the Black Pastors of Detroit, and Im just so proud.  Detroit has never been the same since Rev. Ken Flowers came.
Home News Mark Driscoll rebukes Chip Gaines for featuring gay couple on Back to the Frontier

Calling it a betrayal of Christ and his core Evangelical audience, outspoken megachurch preacher Mark Driscoll offered a strong rebuke to Christian producer and reality TV star Chip Gaines for defending the inclusion of a gay couple on his new television series "Back to the Frontier."

"I'm assuming the Gaines' are a little perplexed at the backlash that they deserve," said Driscoll, founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the now-defunct Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, in a video response to Gaines on Monday.

"So, the way it works is this. If you profess Christ, you need to be loyal to Christ," he continued. "And if you profess Christ, those who profess Christ, they have a measure of trust that they give you, not because you've earned it, but because they love Christ. So when you see something like the massive, very wealthy platform that has been built, it is built with a core base audience of people who probably love Christ or at least hold to conservative traditional values that are somewhat based on biblical teaching. And so for the Gaines' to deviate from that is to betray their entire core audience."

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Driscoll also called the couple "remarkably tone deaf," claiming the American people recently rejected the liberal shift in American values with the election of President Donald Trump to a second term.

"We just had an election. I don't know if you guys saw that. It seemed like a resounding national referendum to stop this spread of trying to sexualize children and normalize perverse behavior," he said.

The new series, executive-produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, premiered a week ago on the couple's Magnolia Network. It features gay couple Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs as one of three couples living without access to running water or electricity as homesteaders did in the 1800s. The couple appeared on the series with their two children, Realtor.com noted.

Even though he doesn't know the couple, Driscoll said he and his wife, like many Evangelical families, have long enjoyed the Gaines' television productions. The Gaineses are known to attend Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, which promotes a traditional biblical view on sexuality.

On Sunday, however, in response to social media backlash from conservatives, Chip Gaines suggested that his critics were being too judgmental and engaged in an extended defense of their presence on the show.

"Talk, ask [questions,] listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never. It's a sad [Sunday] when 'nonbelievers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian," Gaines wrote in a post on X.

Among the critics were Franklin Graham, conservative Christian blogger Matt Walsh and Joel Berry, managing editor of the satirical website The Babylon Bee.

Driscoll said that until the 1970s, homosexuality was classified as a mental health disorder and claims it is now on a "slippery slope" towards being normalized in the Christian community.

"This behavior was listed as a mental illness during my lifetime. And it has gone from a mental illness to a civil right. And it has gone from those who don't love Christ advocating it to those who do claim to love Christ tolerating it," he argued.

"One generation tolerates a sin, the next generation celebrates that sin and then the generation after that no longer knows that it's a sin. This is the slippery slope. This is using a platform that was given to you by using the name of Christ and by exercising some commitment to traditional values. And this is a betrayal of Christ and your core base," Driscoll said in his open rebuke of Gaines.

"If you're online defending yourself and shooting people and you're being judgmental and accusing other leaders of criticizing you, well, shame on you," he added. "You're the one who farted in your own elevator. So, you got to smell it. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Driscoll also briefly rebuked Baylor University, which is also in Waco, Texas, where the Gaines are located, for what he calls betraying traditional Christian principles by embracing diversity, equity and inclusion ideology. He then called on Chip Gaines to "lead with courage."

"Chip, you're a husband and a father. You're a Christian and you're a man. And you have a responsibility in the sight of God to lead with courage and with authority and with clarity," Driscoll said. "If you fail to do so, you're just another guy who failed and failed miserably and failed publicly. That doesn't make you a victim. That makes you a fool."
Home News Pastor Brett Meador to host Portland's first Evangelical crusade in 25 years 'We pray that one day Portland will be known not by our lack of faith, but rather as people who serve the Lord'

Is revival possible in one of the most liberal cities in the United States?

Portland is set to host the PDX Crusade, a series of three evangelistic events with an expected turnout of over 45,000 on Aug. 2-3 at the Moda Center. Featuring nationally known Christian music artists like Chris Tomlin, Zach Williams, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, along with a Gospel message from Athey Creeks Senior Pastor Brett Meador, the event marks Portlands first such Evangelical mass gathering in over 25 years.

Identified by the Pew Research Centers 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study as the only major U.S. metro area where religiously unaffiliated individuals (43%) outnumber Christians (42%), Portland is often called one of the least churched cities in the nation despite the presence of over 700 churches as of May of this year.

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Meador, who moved to Portland in 1996 to spread the Gospel, sees the citys spiritual and political challenges as intertwined. Portland is one of the most liberal cities in America, Meador told The Christian Post. Our state constitution was drafted in 1859 in a way to keep the whole freedom of expression thing wide open. Im not sure those early writers knew just how far our city would take that.

While the city later earned the unofficial mantra of Keep Portland weird, Meador says that soon became demonic, and preceded the Antifa riots in the summer of 2020, which he says decimated Portland. Businesses shut down, buildings were boarded up, and the city was physically destroyed, he added. On top of that, drug use and the citys homeless population is rampant.

Meador also pointed to spiritual challenges within local churches. On a spiritual level, liberal politics and unbiblical cultural views have crept into the Church, he said. There are church pastors in the area preaching heresy, saying things like Jesus was transgender and He died for your own happiness.

Athey Creek Church, which began with Meador teaching a small group verse-by-verse in 1996, now has three campuses, five weekend services, a Wednesday night Bible study, global watch parties, and a national radio program, "Todays Word Radio."

The PDX Crusade is seen as a continuation of its mission to reach Portland and beyond with the Gospel.

At Athey, we want to be a church that lets the light of Christ shine into Portland because it really needs it badly. Were not just burying everything under the rug and giving a seeker-sensitive message, but rather were saying the hard things, he said. We want to speak the truth in love in a way that people who are truly searching for peace are attracted to. We have found there is a great hunger for the peace, purpose and freedom Gods Word provides.

Meador says the PDX Crusade has already seen overwhelming demand, with tickets for the two originally planned evening events selling out in just 10 minutes, prompting the addition of a third afternoon event on Aug. 2.

While our city has a history of turning away from the Light, we believe now is the time to bring the Gospel back to the heart of Portland, Meador said. PDX Crusade is about sharing the freedom, hope and love found in Jesus alone. We have already seen God moving in our city and pray that one day Portland will be known not by our lack of faith but rather as people who serve the Lord.

With a national reputation as a bohemian mecca, which President Donald Trump once referred to as a city where they kill people, Portland hit a record high in murders in 2022 before seeing its overall crime data dip slightly in 2023. After voting to defund the police in 2020, police response times for high-priority crime topped an average of 21 minutes in June 2023.

Despite the political headwinds, Meador remains hopeful about Portlands future. I want to believe so because I know the power of the Holy Spirit, he said. I also know it will require more individuals, pastors and government leaders who are willing to boldly stand up for and act according to biblical truth. Our city and our country need Jesus. We need a revival. Thats why Athey Creek is hosting PDX Crusade and why we preach the Bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter. We know Gods Word has the power to transform hearts and minds.
Home News West Virginia's ban on the abortion pill upheld by federal appeals court

Pro-life advocates are rejoicing after a federal appeals court ruled this week that West Virginia is within its rights to ban the abortion pill, the second major court loss for the abortion industry in the last month.

A three-judge panel on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in an opinion published Tuesday that West Virginia can ban the sale of mifepristone, the first drug in the chemical abortion regimen.

Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, appointed to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan, authored the majority opinion while Judge DeAndrea Benjamin, appointed to the bench by former President Joe Biden, wrote an opinion concurring and dissenting in part with the majority.

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"For us to once again federalize the issue of abortion, without a clear directive from Congress, right on the heels of Dobbs, would leave us one small step short of defiance," Wilkinson wrote, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organizationdecision that determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion.

Wilkinson disagreed with the analysis of mifepristone manufacturer GenBioPro, which sued over West Virginia's ban and alleged that federal law granted the Food and Drug Administration exclusive authority to regulate the abortion pill. Wilkinson's decision upholds a lower court ruling reaching the same conclusion.

In dissent, Benjamin contends West Virginia's Unborn Child Protection Act "particularly encroaches on the federal government's regulatory authority by criminalizing medical professionals for prescribing a medication that they are otherwise federally certified to prescribe."

"In doing so, the UCPA ventures far beyond 'tangentially touching the federal domain,' as the majority claims," Benjamin adds. "It invades the very space occupied by the federal government and reserved for federal oversight  the regulation of medication."

GenBioPro CEO Evan Masingill claimed in a statement that the court's ruling puts those seeking chemical abortions in "harm's way."

"The panel's ruling allows states to restrict access to medications that FDA has deemed safe and effective, threatening a dangerous ripple effect on the availability of essential medications in this country," Masingill said. "GenBioPro will not stop fighting to ensure all people can access safe, evidence-based healthcare."

Advocacy groups and stakeholders on both sides of the abortion debate weighed in on Tuesday's ruling.

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Christian conservative legal organization Liberty Counsel, called the decision a "tremendous win to help protect the lives of unborn children and women."

"As there is no right to abortion, there is no right to dangerous abortion drugs," Staver said in a statement Thursday. "States have the authority to ban abortion drugs that destroy innocent children and harm women."

"While states may not weaken federal regulations, they can strengthen them to give their citizens even greater protections for their health and welfare," he added. "We must make the womb a safe place once again."

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias praised the ruling as "a powerful affirmation of a state's right to protect the unborn."

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the progressive legal organization Democracy Forward, called West Virginia's ban a "dubious effort by extremists to substitute political ideology for medicine and science."

"Despite the overwhelming majority of Americans supporting the legal right to abortion, far-right politicians remain determined to severely restrict access to a critical drug that women across America depend on," said Perryman.

"This ban harms people who seek medication abortion in West Virginia  and sets a dangerous precedent regarding access to other evidence-based health care that FDA has deemed safe and effective. Access to federally approved medication should not depend on one's zip code but unfortunately today's decision creates that reality for many."

The 4th Circuit ruling comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the authority to strip Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion provider, of federal Medicaid funds.

Katie Brown Xavios, executive director of the American Life League, said states "now have full reign to defund Planned Parenthood, and as a result of the 4th Circuit ruling against a major abortion pill manufacturer, states can now also ban the abortion pill." She criticized "countless rogue abortion pill providers" who are "illegally shipping pills into all 50 states."

"This summer's two major life-affirming wins for women and their preborn children are with the states," Xavios said in a statement.

"If we cannot rely on our federal lawmakers to protect the preborn and their mothers, then we will encourage the states to do it!"
Hakka walled complex in China's Jiangxi attracts tourists

Xinhua) 08:39, July 18, 2025

Tourists enjoy themselves inside a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows the World Hakka Culture and Folklore City in Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

This photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows restored stone walls in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Tourists try Hakka cuisines inside a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Kids stage a dragon dance inside a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 31, 2024. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Photo by Lai Shengfeng/Xinhua)

This photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows statues demonstrating the building techniques of Hakka walled complexes in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Workers restore a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 28, 2024. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Photo by Li Linxuan/Xinhua)

Tourists take a rest at a homestay inside a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 19, 2025 shows a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

A villager makes Hakka woven ribbons inside a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Tourists take photos in front of a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Tourists select local specialities inside a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

A tourist takes a rest at a homestay inside a Hakka walled complex in Guanxi Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

A tourist takes photos beside a Hakka walled complex in Yangcun Town of Longnan, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 19, 2025. Longnan City in southern Jiangxi is home to 376 Hakka walled complexes, a special architectural type, accounting for more than 70 percent of all such structures in Gannan (southern Jiangxi Province). The whole structure of the building resembles a small fortified city, containing halls, storehouses and living areas. In recent years, Longnan City has launched a systematic preservation initiative, investing 150 million yuan (about 20.89 million U.S. dollars) to protect and restore these historical complexes. Up until now, the repair of 92 Hakka walled villages has been completed. These sites have transcended their roles as cultural relics, evolving into engines powering the city's cultural tourism and rural revitalization. In the first four months of this year, Longnan received 3.33 million tourists. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has said that the government has no plans to make any legal changes to support charities right to campaign following this weeks launch of the Civil Society Covenant.

Speaking to Civil Society at yesterdays launch event for the covenant in London, Nandy said that despite the covenants promise to protect charities right to protest peacefully , the government was not considering repealing any recent laws that some feel have curtailed the sectors freedom to campaign.

She said the government was not planning legislative change in this area but insisted it was focused on rebuilding the civic space and that it welcomed challenge from people like any government worth its salt.

This means that key pieces of legislation introduced by the previous Conservative administration  such as the Lobbying Act 2014, Elections Act 2022, and the Public Order Act 2023  will remain, despite their unpopularity with some in the sector.

These legal changes led CIVICUS Monitor to downgrade its assessment of the UKs civic freedoms to obstructed and it warned in 2023 that a decline in protest rights was delegitimising civil society action.

Meanwhile, many charity sector leaders have welcomed the launch of the covenant as a positive step forward in resetting the sectors relationship with the government, but warned that its commitments  mustnt stall at warm words  and must be matched by action.

We are determined to rebuild the civic space

Nandy said that the governments promise to rebuild the civic space runs like a silver thread through the four principles laid out in the covenant.

However, she emphasised the importance of the governments role to keep people safe [] where protest becomes obstructive, where it threatens the safety and security of the British people [] we cant tolerate that, we have a duty to step in.

Nandy added:  Just yesterday I was in parliament, there was protests going on outside. You could hear the Brexit protestors. You could see the Palestinian flags. That is a really important part of our democracy.

We are determined to rebuild the civic space through the work that Georgia [Gould, parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office] is doing at the Cabinet Office through contracts, through the work that were doing with the LGA [Local Government Association] to make sure that that same attitude is embraced across local government through the work that were doing through the covenant.

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The keenly anticipated Civil Society Covenant finally emerged this week , emphasising the sectors right to criticise the government and pledging to increase collaboration between the two as equal partners.

It effectively replaces the Compact, originally produced under Tony Blairs Labour government before being renewed under the coalition administration in 2010 as part of David Camerons Big Society vision.

The England-focused Compact, as opposed to the UK-wide covenant, fizzled out after Camerons civil society minister Nick Hurd left in 2014 and his replacement Brooks Newmark insisted charities should stick to their knitting and stay out of politics.

Charities will be hoping that the new covenant therefore signals a fundamental reset, as promised by Keir Starmer, of the sectors relationship with the state after a strained decade.

Implementation

On the surface, the covenants four key principles  recognition and value, partnership and collaboration, participation and inclusion, transparency and data  do not signal a significant departure from the main aims of the Compact.

Nevertheless, many charity leaders have welcomed the governments keenness to renew its relationship with the sector but cautioned that actions must now follow to ensure these aims are rolled out.

One of the most encouraging parts of yesterdays announcements was the plans for public sector bodies across the country to adopt the covenants pledges.

The Compact had been backed up by the Commission for the Compact to independently oversee the agreement, as well as NCVOs sector champion Compact Voice.

No similar mechanisms had been trialled prior to yesterdays announcement, but the government delivered in this regard by announcing several actions to roll out the covenant nationwide.

These include a cross-sector board called the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council, perhaps similar to the Commission for the Compact, which will be formed to set direction and provide strategic oversight for the agreements implementation.

Two task and finish groups focusing on commissioning and local level partnerships will be set up, with plans for more in future.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will steer a local covenant partnerships programme to build capacity and understanding, which will include encouraging more cross-sector secondments and delivering new locally led covenant agreements.

HM Treasury will establish a new civil society forum to enable structured dialogue and engagement between its ministers and senior officials and civil society representatives.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Office has reviewed its model grant and service contract templates to ensure they are consistent with the principles of the covenant and agreed to update any guidance as needed shortly.

The government has also published a list of progress and warning signs for implementing the Civil Society Covenant.

One warning sign listed is: Civil society organisations report self-censorship because they fear negative consequences if they speak out or hold government to account, despite the terms of the covenant.

Charities will hope that these warning signs do not emerge, or if they do, that they can use the covenant to correct swiftly any attempts to deviate from its principles.

Right to campaign

The sectors ability to campaign and criticise the government, if necessary, on behalf of their beneficiaries without fear of reprisal has been a growing area of concern in recent years.

Several pieces of legislation have chipped away at the sectors confidence in this area, including the Lobbying Act of 2014 and the more recent Elections Act 2022 and Public Order Act 2023.

Meanwhile, the Charity Commission has repeatedly emphasised the sectors right to campaign in a non-party-political way but has drawn criticism for its insistence that organisations do so with kindness.

It has also warned charities that have overstepped the mark, describing a social media post from the RSPB in 2023 that accused government ministers of being liars as a serious mistake.

Enter this weeks covenant, which has been welcomed by sector bodies for its several mentions of respecting charities right to campaign and criticise government policies without being treated any less favourably by excluding them from policy discussions or funding opportunities.

As the covenant is adopted across all government departments, local authorities and public bodies, it could be a useful tool for charities that feel they are being silenced.

However, culture secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed that the government has no plans to go further by changing any recently introduced laws that may have had a chilling effect on charities campaigning.

Legislation including the Lobbying Act 2014, Elections Act 2022, and the Public Order Act 2023 led CIVICUS Monitor to downgrade its assessment of the UKs civic freedoms to obstructed and warn that civil society action had been delegitimised.

Despite the Labour governments professed focus on rebuilding the civic space, it does not plan to repeal or amend the laws introduced by its Conservative predecessor.

The government has drawn further concerns from some in the sector by planning to introduce further limits on protesting through its crime and policing bill, and its recent decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

Actions in the coming years from central government, its arms-length regulators and public bodies, as well as local councils, will show whether the covenants pledges on partnership working and mutual respect come to fruition or stall, as is feared, at warm words.

Civil Society Voices is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Find out more about contributing and how to get in touch. is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say.
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We are just days away from the twentieth anniversary of an Editor and Publisher story titled Is Crackdown on Anonymous Sources Going Too Far? We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the New York Times vow to start cracking down on anonymous sources. And we are only a few months removed from President Trumps threat that he would use one of his favorite tactics, suing journalists, to crack down on anonymous sources.

In other words, our angst over anonymous sources will always be with us. Editors and readers complain about them, but the relentless pressure for scoops, along with the unwillingness of news organizations to band together or push back, leaves these crackdowns toothless.

So lets start with a more modest suggestion: Can we ban the anonymous government spokesperson?

At least one news site is doing that.

On Sunday, the Denver Posts Shelly Bradbury published a deeply reported story about how deportations of immigrants are derailing criminal prosecutions. Noncitizen defendants charged with crimes like sexual assault, attempted murder, and human trafficking are being sent to other countries before they can face justice in Colorado courtrooms.

ICE had something to say about this, but the agency provided its response to local TV and radio stations, not the Post. As Bradburys story notes, ICE flack Steve Kotecki previously has requested blanket anonymity for his statements as a spokesman for the federal agency, which the Post declined to grant. He also has said he would no longer provide information to the Post unless the newspaper complied with his request for anonymity.

So, in just one paragraph, the Post let ICE know that it wont acquiesce to a spokesman on the public payroll, and it also let readers know that the site has standards. Managing editor Matt Sebastian told me that Kotecki has been sending out quotes labeled as a statement attributable to an ICE spokesperson. Sebastian added that when weve pointed out that we didnt agree to such conditions, he responds that it is ICE policy that their spokespeople not be named. But thats not our policy. Anonymity in journalism is something that must be agreed upon by both parties, not unilaterally invoked.

Oddly, ICE isnt even entirely consistent with its policy. At one point in the story, Kotecki is quoted with an official statement. That was something of a surprise, Sebastian said.

The Posts transparency stands in contrast to what we saw in an otherwise compelling New York Times story this week: FEMA failed to answer thousands of calls from flood-stricken Texas residents, shortly after the government fired hundreds of call-center contractors. The scoop also included a response from a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security who declined to be identified.

The Times never explains why her identity must be cloaked, especially since she is just serving as a conveyor belt for this anodyne statement from higher-ups: When a natural disaster strikes, phone calls surge, and wait times can subsequently increase. Despite this expected influx, FEMAs disaster call center responded to every caller swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was left without assistance.

Imagine if, instead, the Times had published this: A DHS spokeswoman declined to speak on the record. Barring unusual circumstances, we do not provide anonymity to government spokespeople, so we are unable to provide the agencys response. We will update this story with a DHS comment should the agency change its policy.

Reporters understandably make allowances if a spokesperson leaks information that might endanger his or her job or safety. But that is rarely the case. These spokespeople are paid by citizens, and readers have a right to know whos saying what. Government agencies, said Sebastian, should be as transparent as possibleand that includes putting real people behind their public statements.

Sometimes, you want one reporter to handle a big breaking story. And sometimes you want a large team to handle it. With the coverage of the Texas floods, weve seen the best of both.

First up: Aaron Parsleys extraordinary first-person account of his familys ordeal, published last week in Texas Monthly. An excerpt:

When the sliding-glass door opened and water poured in, Lance ran to it, shoved it closed, and held it shut. The pendant lamps began to swing wildly over the kitchen counter. The house was shifting. It lurched sharply, and we all struggled to stay on our feet. It felt like walking down the aisle of a plane during strong turbulence. Were moving. Were moving, Patrick said. The realization was terrifying. The rushing, still-rising water had lifted the house off its pillars. It was afloat.

And, after youve finished Parsleys story and youve caught your breath, take a few more minutes to read this note from the magazines editor in chief, Ross McCammon. It turns out that Parsley, who clung from tree to tree to survive, filed most of this 4,200-word piece in less than a day. Texas Monthly edited, fact-checked, and published it on July 10, less than a week after the disaster. As McCammon stated, Aaron responded to notes in the middle of the night so Id have a revised draft when I woke up. Ive never seen anything like it from a writer, especially not a grieving, banged-up writer who was also a critical part of the emotional support system his loved ones neededand that he needed.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post assigned a team of around twenty people to assemble a detailed, dramatic account of the catastrophe at Camp Mystic, where twenty-seven girls and counselors died amid the rising floodwaters. The story had its share of scoopsincluding the news that the camp had received a severe flood warning more than an hour before the staff started evacuating the girls. But the story also re-created the split-second decisions that would determine who would survive and who would perish.

I was especially struck by the account of Ainslie Bashara, a nineteen-year-old counselor for girls half her age. Around 2am on July 4, Bashara heard 8-year-olds in a nearby cabin start shrieking, and then saw older girls running up the road with blankets and pillows to the recreation hall on higher ground. Are we staying or leaving? she yelled out the window. Stay in your cabin! she recalled a staff member shouting back.

Fortunately, Bashara went with her instincts and, when the tide breached her cabin, evacuated her campers through waist-deep water. They would survive, but as they fled, Bashara could hear girls in another cabin begging for help over the roaring river.

Two more notable stories this week:

Weve known for years that the Saydnaya prison in Syria served as a killing ground for enemies, perceived and real, of the Bashar al-Assad regime. But this riveting Wall Street Journal story, based on interviews with twenty-one former detainees (many of them on video and on the record), casts the barbaric cruelty in an even harsher light. Men could be imprisoned simply for being Facebook friends with a government critic. Life in the prison was brutal: Prisoners were forced to drink their own urine, sexually assaulted, and constantly beaten by guards wielding metal rods and green plastic pipes. When they showered, one man recalled, the blood from the beatings would mix with the soap and water swirling on the floor. And for most of the detainees, Saydnaya would become their burial siteas many as two hundred murders a day, men dragged through the prison hallways, gagging through their noose-constricted necks.



story, based on interviews with twenty-one former detainees (many of them on video and on the record), casts the barbaric cruelty in an even harsher light. Men could be imprisoned simply for being Facebook friends with a government critic. Life in the prison was brutal: Prisoners were forced to drink their own urine, sexually assaulted, and constantly beaten by guards wielding metal rods and green plastic pipes. When they showered, one man recalled, the blood from the beatings would mix with the soap and water swirling on the floor. And for most of the detainees, Saydnaya would become their burial siteas many as two hundred murders a day, men dragged through the prison hallways, gagging through their noose-constricted necks. How do you get people to read a story about an unexciting company? Bloombergs Patrick Clark embraces Hamptons good-enough formula to show how it has become the worlds largest hotel brand. Some of the companys success is due to its make-your-own waffles in the breakfast bar, but Clark also digs up subtler nuggets, like white bedspreads (so guests can tell the linens are clean) and doorless closets (so guests wont leave their clothing behind).

Hat tip to Stuart Karle for the WSJ piece. And if you have a suggestion for this column, please send it to laurelsanddarts@cjr.org. We cant acknowledge all submissions, but we will mention you if we use your idea. For more on Laurels and Darts, please click here.

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At noon on Friday, just hours after Congress revoked more than 1.1 billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, more than a hundred and fifty member stations joined a closed-door Zoom call with NPR leadership. The federal funding they had spent months trying to save was gone. What remained was a shared sense of loss, exhaustion, and the daunting task of reevaluating their mission and programming.

In an emotional hour-long call, station leaders grappled with fallback plans and infrastructure gaps. Some large stations offered to share resources with smaller ones. Others voiced gratitude for NPRs efforts in Washington. But no one believed the damage could be undone quicklyif at all. It was, in some ways, a postmortem, said one person who listened to the call.

The passage of the Rescissions Act of 2025 marked the most sweeping rollback of public media funding in nearly six decades, gutting the infrastructure that supports more than fifteen hundred local radio and television stations. The consequences will fall hardest on rural and tribal stations, many of which rely on CPB for more than half their annual budgets.

We have stations where the majority of their funding comes from CPB, said Mollie Kabler, executive director of CoastAlaska, after it was clear Congress would be clawing the money back. What the signal looks like in those communities remains to be seen. For now, she said, CoastAlaska is entering a period of total restructuring, and is reviewing every part of its budget. Im assuming well have to cut jobs, but Im not sure which ones, Kabler said. Its hard to do philanthropy and journalism without the funds for public media.

At KSTK, in Wrangell, Alaska, general manager Cindy Sweat is unsure what theyll do next. Were already bare bones, she said. If we have to make cuts, theres no easy choice. Sweat said she was cautiously optimistic after hearing that Alaska station managers, including those in the CoastAlaska network, would meet Monday to craft a joint fundraising strategy. But local donations wont be enough. Were a community of two thousand people, Sweat said. That includes everybody, kids to elders. Our listeners already support us generously. We cant expect them to fill a deficit like this.

Alaskas dependence on public media seemed to present a flicker of hope for saving the funding earlier in the week, when Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from the state, posted on X about the essential role public radio stations had played in notifying residents of a possible tsunami, following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. Local residents and summer visitors alike were able to evacuate thanks to federal tsunami advisories relayed through local public broadcasting stations, Murkowski wrote. Thats the real world. But here in the US Senate, we are currently debating a rescissions package that would severely cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, drastically affecting Alaskas 27 public media stations and many more across the nation. Murkowski was one of two Republican senators to vote against the bill.

Another Republican senator, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, had appeared to be a possible vote against the cuts early in the week, owing to his concerns about funding for tribal stations. He reversed course on Tuesday, after the White House reportedly promised that Green New Deal funds would be repurposed to cover the gap. Tami Graham, the executive director of KSUT Tribal Radio in Colorados Four Corners region, is skeptical that such a deal will come through. I lack confidence that Mike Roundss plan will be enacted, she told CJR. Its no way to legislate, to do a backroom deal with the White House to get a senators vote. But thats where we are in our country.

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Her doubts may be well-founded. A text message circulating from the office of Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), shared with CJR, indicates the carveout wont come from the Green New Deal at all, but via a grant program overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indigenous Connectivity and Technology. (Unlike with CPB grants, which go directly to eligible stations, the new framework would require tribes to apply for competitive funding, with no timeline and no guarantee of success.)

KSUT has already been waiting six months for a FEMA grant$500,000 for tower repairsthat has been stalled in bureaucratic limbo; the new cuts are a second blow, Graham said. Tribal stations are the most vulnerable, she added. And this is such a minor Band-Aid. Its not a serious plan. Its a talking point.

Even stations that rely on CPB for a smaller share of their budget are facing existential questions. At WDIY, in Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley, 15 percent of the budget comes from CPB, said executive director Margaret McConnell. That doesnt sound like a lot, but we run a deficit every year. Whats even harder to replace, she added, is what CPB provides beyond the money: They pay for our music licensing, for example, which means our little station of five members doesnt need to negotiate with industry giants.

Mitch Teich, station manager of North Country Public Radio in northern New York, echoed that concern. He estimates that CPB funding covers between 12 to 15 percent of NCPRs budgetthe money they use to pay for national programming that fills key gaps in their schedule. Were between a rock and a hard place if we lose the ability to play music on the radio, Teich said. Im thinking of putting together a stand-up routine.

For KSTKs Sweat, what stings most is the disconnect between the rhetoric in Washington and the reality. I hear senators say they want to defund NPR. But NPR gets about 1 percent of its funding from CPB. My station depends on CPB for more than half our budget. Referring to the broadcasts of the tsunami warning this week, she added, Stations like KUCB and KMXT were telling people to head to high ground. If those stations werent there, how would FEMA get the message out?

Sweat went on, There isnt some big political agenda. Were just the ones saying, The tribal council is raising a totem pole this weekend, or Someone lost their dog. Call us if you find it. Thats what we do.
Last year was the hottest on record, and the century-long warming trend shows no signs of slowing down. The impact on employees exposed to heat has been profound. In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 43 workplace deaths due to extreme heat, and OSHA acknowledges that its heat-related work injury figures are likely vast undercounts.

These conditions have led state and federal authorities to consider and, in many cases, enact heat-related workplace safety regulations. However, with federal initiatives stalling, the regulatory response has become increasingly fragmented across many different jurisdictions.

Excessive Heat Exposure

Heat-related workplace injuries represent a serious and escalating threat to employee safety across multiple industries. Illness can begin with seemingly minor symptoms such as heat rash and muscle cramps, but then rapidly progress to life-threatening emergency. Heat exhaustion causes dizziness, excessive sweating, and nausea.

Heat stroke is a far more severe and immediately life-threatening condition. With heat stroke, the bodys cooling mechanisms fail completely, sweating stops and core body temperature can soar above 103 degrees. Employees may become confused, disoriented, or lose consciousness entirely, requiring immediate emergency medical intervention to prevent deadly circumstances.

Related: High Temperatures, Wildfire Smoke May Trigger Protections for Washington Workers

The risk extends beyond obvious outdoor occupations.

While construction and agricultural employees often experience direct sun exposure during physically demanding work, indoor environments present their own heat-related dangers. Manufacturing facilities with heat-generating equipment, warehouses with poor climate control, and buildings with metal roofs can become heat traps, particularly during heat waves. Indoor employees face the additional challenge of reduced air circulation and higher humidity levels that prevent effective sweat evaporation, the bodys primary cooling mechanism.

Employees with preexisting medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, those taking specific medications, and new employees who havent had time to physiologically acclimate to hot working conditions, are especially vulnerable to heat-related injury. These less experienced employees may also be reluctant to report early symptoms, fearing repercussions or appearing unable to handle the job demands.

Regulatory Uncertainty

To address these issues, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been developing comprehensive heat injury and illness prevention standards under the Biden administration, with proposed rulemaking issued in August 2024. These federal standards would have established nationwide requirements for heat injury prevention plans, mandatory drinking water and rest breaks, indoor heat controls and specific protections for employees who havent acclimated to hot conditions.

However, the regulatory landscape shifted dramatically after the November elections. Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration implemented a regulatory freeze halting all pending federal rules, including OSHAs Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard. The administration also terminated heat safety experts from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the research arm that had been instrumental in developing the scientific foundation for the proposed regulations.

Related: Viewpoint: Early Executive Actions by Trump Portend a Major Contraction at OSHA

OSHA held a public hearing in June and July to allow stakeholder input on the proposed heat protection standards. A post-hearing comment period is now open through Sept. 30, allowing participants to submit additional evidence, responses and final comments. There are expectations that OSHA may revise the proposed rule based on the new feedback by 2026.

Industry opposition has intensified, with oil and gas trade groups and the American Petroleum Institute lobbying against the regulations, citing concerns about increased costs, reduced energy production and limitations on workplace flexibility. The firing of key technical experts from NIOSH will also significantly hamper OSHAs ability to defend the scientific basis for the regulations during these proceedings.

The current federal climate suggests that comprehensive national heat protection standards will face significant delays, or potentially be scrapped entirely, leaving any workplace heat regulations in the hands of states.

State-Level Patchwork

While federal efforts remain stalled, several states have moved forward with their own heat protection standards, creating a regulatory patchwork across the country. California, Oregon, and Washington have established the most comprehensive heat stress standards, requiring employers to provide water, shade, and rest breaks for outdoor employees.

Colorado and Minnesota have implemented heat-related workplace protections, though these are less comprehensive than those found in West Coast states. Maryland represents an emerging model with its indoor-outdoor heat standard, which became effective September 2024. This regulation applies to workplaces where the heat index reaches 80 degrees or higher and covers both indoor and outdoor work environments.

Marylands approach is particularly noteworthy because it grants the Commissioner of Labor and Industry authority to develop regulations through rulemaking rather than requiring full legislative approval. This streamlined approach allows for faster implementation and more targeted responses to state-specific conditions.

Challenges and Opportunities

Current legislative efforts face mixed prospects depending on political climate and industry influence. Californias Senate Bill 1299, specifically targeting agricultural employees, would shift the burden of proof in workers compensation cases and establish a dedicated fund for heat-related injuries and deaths. However, Gov. Gain Newsom vetoed the bill, citing concerns about tying workers compensation claims to employer compliance with safety standards.

Colorados Senate Bill 21-087 appears more likely to succeed, requiring employers to implement heat safety procedures when temperatures reach 80 degrees or higher. The bill benefits from Democratic legislative control and strong political support for employee protection measures.

Conversely, states like Texas and Florida have actively blocked local governments from implementing heat protection standards, demonstrating the political challenges facing comprehensive heat safety legislation.

The current regulatory environment suggests that meaningful heat protection standards will continue to develop primarily at the state level while federal action remains uncertain. This fragmented approach creates compliance challenges for multi-state employers while potentially leaving employees in less protective jurisdictions vulnerable to heat-related injuries.

The emphasis on prevention rather than reactive measures represents the most promising aspect of current regulatory trends, focusing on practical interventions that research demonstrates can effectively reduce heat-related workplace incidents.

Hibbert is senior vice president of regulatory compliance management at Enlyte, where she leads the health information management, regulatory compliance, litigation support, educational services and claims performance consulting teams within Enlytes Casualty Solutions Group.

Top photo: Pedro Lucas, left, nephew of farm worker Sebastian Francisco Perez who died while working in an extreme heat wave, breaks up earth, Thursday, July 1, 2021, near St. Paul, Ore. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard).
A California federal judge ruled on Thursday that three authors suing artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for copyright infringement can represent writers nationwide whose books Anthropic allegedly pirated to train its AI system.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the authors can bring a class action on behalf of all U.S. writers whose works Anthropic allegedly downloaded from pirate libraries LibGen and PiLiMi to create a repository of millions of books in 2021 and 2022.

Alsup said Anthropic may have illegally downloaded as many as 7 million books from the pirate websites, which could make it liable for billions of dollars in damages if the authors case is successful.

An Anthropic spokesperson said the company was considering options to challenge the ruling and that the court failed to account for the difficulty of establishing copyright ownership millions of times over in a single lawsuit. An attorney for the authors declined to comment on the decision.

Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson sued Anthropic last year, arguing that the Amazon- and Alphabet-backed startup used their books without permission or compensation to teach its chatbot Claude to respond to human prompts.

The case is one of several high-stakes lawsuits brought by authors, news outlets and other copyright owners against companies including OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta Platforms over their AI training.

AI companies argue their systems make fair use of copyrighted material to create new, transformative content. Alsup determined in June that Anthropics AI training made fair use of authors works, but said the company still violated their rights by saving pirated copies of their books to a central library of all the books in the world that would not necessarily be used for AI training.

Alsup said on Thursday the three authors could represent all writers whose books Anthropic allegedly downloaded from LibGen and PiLiMi, rejecting Anthropics argument that identifying all of the copyright-eligible works and their authors would be impractical.

(Reporting by Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Bario, Rod Nickel and Richard Chang)
JP Morgan must stop suing directors of fintech Viva Wallet in Greece, Londons High Court ruled on Friday, in the latest round of a bitter legal battle over the Greek startup.

The U.S. bank brought a lawsuit in Athens in January against Vivas CEO Haris Karonis and three other directors, seeking 916 million euros ($1.1 billion) as part of a dispute over JP Morgans investment in Viva.

Vivas majority shareholder Werealize and the Viva directors responded by applying for an anti-suit injunction in London to stop JP Morgan pursuing its case in Greece.

Judge David Foxton granted Karonis and the other directors an anti-suit injunction, on the grounds that suing in Greece was a breach of JP Morgan and Werealizes shareholders agreement.

Both Werealize and JP Morgan claimed victory after Fridays ruling, as the two sides also did last year when the High Court ruled on their respective call options to purchase the others Viva shares.

Werealizes spokesperson called on JP Morgan to engage in productive discussions about Vivas future, adding: JPM must now step aside and allow Viva to continue growing and reach its full commercial potential.

JP Morgan, however, pointed to the courts rejection of many of Werealizes arguments, including that the Greek lawsuit was hopeless or oppressive.

While we will continue to address their litigious tactics, and many matters are still being resolved by the courts, our commitment remains steadfast to the business and our investment, a spokesperson for the bank said.

JP Morgan bought a 48.5% stake in Viva Wallet, which is used by businesses in southern Europe, for nearly 810 million euros in 2022, while Karonis Werealize owns 51.49%.

In January, the Court of Appeal ruled that JP Morgan effectively had one shot at exercising its call option to acquire Werealizes shares, though the parties dispute over whether that has taken place has not yet been resolved.

JP Morgan and Werealize and its directors have also filed defamation lawsuits against each other in Greece. Foxton said the business relationship has been acrimonious, albeit a fruitful one for the legal community in Britain and Greece.

(Reporting by Tobin; Editing by Mark Potter)
Singapore said on Friday that it was responding to cyberattacks on its critical infrastructure by an espionage group alleged by security experts to be linked to China.

UNC3886 poses a serious threat to us, and has the potential to undermine our national security, Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam said in a speech. It is going after high value strategic threat targets, vital infrastructure that delivers essential services.

He did not give details of the attacks, citing security risks, nor of any consequences.

Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant has described UNC3886 as a China-nexus espionage group that has attacked defense, technology and telecommunications organizations in the U.S. and Asia.

Beijing routinely denies any allegations of cyberespionage, and says it opposes all forms of cyberattacks and is in fact a victim of such threats. The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after office hours.

Singapores critical infrastructure sectors include energy, water, banking, finance, healthcare, transport, government, communication, media, as well as security and emergency services, according to the countrys cyber agency.

Reuters earlier this week reported that the Taiwanese semiconductor industry and investment analysts had been targeted by Chinese-linked hackers as part of a string of cyber espionage campaigns.

(Reporting by Yong and Potkin in Singapore. Editing by Mark Potter)
BROOK PARK, Ohio -- A North Olmsted man, 35, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. July 6 after police caught him with a semiautomatic .350-caliber handgun.

Police had pulled over the mans Jeep Wrangler because he didnt stop before driving over the sidewalk while leaving Travelodge by Wyndham, 14043 Brookpark.

The mans hands shook and he perspired profusely.
Felix Baumgartner of Austria is shown after successfully jumping from a space capsule lifted by a helium balloon in Roswell, N.M., on Oct. 14, 2012. (Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press file photo) AP

MILAN, Italy  A daredevil who gained fame for a jump from the stratosphere, allowing him to become the skydiver to break the sound barrier, was killed Thursday in a paragliding crash in Italy, reports say.

According to Reuters, Felix Baumgartner, 56, lost control of his motorized paraglider and crashed near a hotels pool. A woman was struck by the paraglider but was not seriously injured, CNN reports.

The reasons for the crash are unclear, the Guardian reports. Massimiliano Ciarpella, the mayor of Porto SantElpidio, said Baumgartner might have had a sudden medical issue during the flight, according to the Guardian.

Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight, Ciarpella said in a social media post.

Baumgartner was known as Fearless Felix. He stunned the world in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph  the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound  during a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew said.

When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data, Baumgartner said after the jump. The only thing you want is to come back alive.

The record-breaking jump was sponsored by Red Bull. The company issued a statement Thursday expressing shock and sadness over Baumgartners death, CNN reports.

Felix was born to fly and was determined to push the limits, the statement says. He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.

Baumgartner, a former Austrian military parachutist, made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers and famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
BATAVIA, Ohio  A man who once was a sheriffs deputy in Clermont County was sentenced Thursday to 90 years in prison for the rape of a young child and numerous other sex crimes, reports say.

The sentencing of Brigham Jones, 50, of Batavia, comes after he was convicted in June on more than 30 charges, including multiple counts of gross sexual imposition, rape, and sexual battery, Clermont County Court records show.

The female child victim was younger than 13 years when the assaults began. The assaults continued for five years. On Thursday, the victim, now an adult, confronted Jones in court, WLWT Channel 5 reports.

You took my innocence like it was nothing. You turned my body into a secret and it should have never been that way, the victim said, according to WLWT. You no longer get to live in my silence. You no longer get to hide behind denial and confusion. You no longer get to pretend this didnt happen.

The Clermont Sun reports Jones was a deputy with Clermont County Sheriffs Office from 2013 to 2020. Accusations were brought against Jones in 2013, but the prosecutors office, under a previous administration, declined to pursue the case, the Sun reports.

The case was reopened in 2024 when the child victim again came forward as an adult, the Sun reports.

A second adult victim was sexually assaulted by Jones while he was on duty, WLWT reports. Jones was fired in 2020 when the adult victim came forward, reports say.

Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve tells WCPO Channel 9 he is pleased with the verdict.

Effectively, he will die in prison, Tekulve said. We think that is justice for the horrendous crimes he committed against (the first victim) and against strangers while on duty as a deputy sheriff.
Legislation authored by Ohio Rep. Bob Latta and signed into law by President Donald Trump seeks to crack down on drug traffickers. Over the last five years, the deaths of more than 324,000 people have been linked to fentanyl. Here Trump speaks during the bill signing ceremony on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. YouTube/Screenshot

WASHINGTON  With more than 324,000 fentanyl-related deaths recorded in the United States over the past five years, lawmakers are intensifying efforts to combat the deadly opioid crisis. A new federal law, co-authored by Ohio Congressman Bob Latta, aims to crack down on drug traffickers by imposing tougher penalties for those caught distributing fentanyl and its analogs.

The Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, signed into law Wednesday by President Donald Trump, permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. The legislation mandates a minimum 10-year prison sentence for individuals convicted of trafficking these substances.

Cartels are literally killing Americans for 10 cents a pill, Latta said during a speech on the House floor. This is about victims getting justice.

Latta was joined at the White House signing ceremony by fellow Ohio Republicans Reps. Mike Carey, Troy Balderson, and Michael Rulli.

Trump, surrounded by grieving parents holding photos of children lost to overdoses, called the law a major step in dismantling drug networks.

Well be getting the drug dealers, pushers, and peddlers off our streets, and we will not rest until we have ended the drug overdose epidemic, he said.

In Ohio alone, 4,452 unintentional drug overdose deaths were reported in 2023, with fentanyl or its analogs involved in nearly 80% of those cases, according to state data.

Supporters of the bill, including several Ohio lawmakers and families affected by the crisis, say the law sends a strong message to traffickers while preserving the ability of medical researchers to study fentanyl analogs for potential therapeutic use.

Far too many Ohio families have grieved the loss of a loved one to fentanyl-related overdoses, said U.S. Sen. Jon Husted in a statement. With the HALT Fentanyl Act now law, our law enforcement heroes can crack down on criminal drug cartels, get this drug off our streets, and prevent more families from experiencing these unimaginable tragedies.
Leslie Wexner, Ohio's wealthiest resident, once contributed along with dozens of other powerful associates  including Donald Trump to a 50th birthday album for Jeffrey Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported. The book was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate, before Epsteins first arrest in 2006, according to documents. AP

WASHINGTON - Before Jeffrey Epsteins first arrest in 2006, billionaire retail magnate Leslie Wexner and dozens of other powerful associatesincluding Donald Trumpcontributed to a 50th birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Wexner, then Epsteins financial patron and closest known business ally, submitted a cryptic note: I wanted to get you what you want so here it is followed by a drawing resembling a womans breasts.

Wexner, 87, of the Columbus suburb of New Albany, is Ohios wealthiest person with a multi-billion dollar net worth. He is founder of L brands, a global retail group that includes Victorias Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Wexner declined comment on his contribution to the album through a spokesman, the Journal reported. The spokesman previously told the Journal that that Wexner severed all ties with Epstein in 2007 and never spoke with him again.

Epstein is believed to have acquired much of his fortune through Wexner, including the Manhattan mansion where Epstein allegedly committed sexual assaults. At one point, Epstein owned a house in Columbus next to Wexner.

Wexner has appeared in past court documents related to Epstein but has not been linked to allegations that Epstein procured sex for powerful and wealthy business leaders.

The leather-bound book compiled in 2003 also included entries from attorney Alan Dershowitz and Trump, whose letter was printed inside the outline of a naked woman and closed with: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret. Trump denied writing it, calling it a fake and threatening legal action against the Journal.

Justice Department officials examined the album years ago, though it remains unclear if its part of the current review of the so-called Epstein files, The Wall Street Journal reported. After earlier pledging full transparency, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in July that no further documents would be released, prompting bipartisan calls for congressional hearings.

Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, leveraged relationships with figures like Wexner, Trump, and Bill Clinton to access elite circles. As pressure builds for full disclosure, questions persist about who knew whatand when.

Artificial Intelligence was used to compile this article.

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Bernie Moreno, Republican senatorial candidate for Ohio, speaks to constituents during a bus tour stop for the Ohio Senate race in Columbus, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana) AP

Rotunda Rumblings

Legislating while impaired: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno disparaged anti-drunk driving technology as a waste of money on Wednesday, earning a rebuke from a colleague who was nearly killed in a drunk driving accident, Sabrina Eaton reports. At a confirmation hearing for President Donald Trumps nominee to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Westlake Republican categorized an upcoming requirement that impairment detection devices be included in passenger cars as an insane federal regulation that contributes to high car prices. New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan responded sarcastically, suggesting that cars be made out of plastic to find the cheapest car that we can sell to the American people ... and more people will die.

HALT fentanyl: Flanked by parents holding photos of loved ones who died from drug overdoses, President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday that will boost penalties for fentanyl trafficking, Eaton writes . The Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act co-authored by Bowling Green Republican Rep. Bob Latta permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.

Phonics-Focused Funding: Two Cuyahoga County schools are among 33 statewide who are getting federal grant dollars to help their students learn to read. Anna Staver reports that the $46 million will help districts with underserved students continue Gov. Mike DeWines push for the Science of Reading.

Mad at Max: An attorney for a Westlake doctor accused of threatening U.S. Rep. Max Miller on Interstate 90 says the congressmans allegations are meritless and wont stand up in court, Lucas Daprile reports. Whats more, the release of videos and other investigative documents from the June 19 incident will help exonerate Feras Hamdan, who faces several charges related to the incident, said defense lawyer Issa Elkhatib. Elkhatib called the Bay Village Republicans allegations defamatory and motivated by a desire to gain political points. A video Hamdan took of the incident shows Hamdan driving alongside Millers vehicle, yelling at the lawmaker.

Sales trip: Vice President JD Vance traveled to a crucial swing state on Wednesday to sell the Trump administrations signature domestic policy legislation as a victory for working American families, despite concerns even among some Republicans over its cuts to the safety net in service of benefiting the rich, The New York Times reports . In what amounted to an attempted brand relaunch of legislation that Democrats have framed as an attack on the middle class, Mr. Vance traveled to a machine shop in eastern Pennsylvania to spotlight provisions in the package that would cut taxes, preserve overtime pay and create $1,000 savings accounts for newborns.

Et tu, JD? A podcast host who was friendly to President Donald Trump during his campaign is needling Vice President JD Vance over the Jeffrey Epstein case  a sign that interest in the issue isnt going away even as the White House works to contain it, Politico reports . Podcaster Theo Von reposted a video clip Wednesday on social media from his June interview with Vance in which the vice president agreed that the government should release files about the criminal investigation into the accused sex trafficker. MAGA supporters were upset by a July 7 White House announcement that an FBI and Department of Justice investigation found no evidence of an incriminating client list connected to the disgraced financier, who authorities say died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019.

Congressional candidate: Eric Conroy, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former CIA case officer, announced his campaign to represent Ohios 1st Congressional District Thursday. Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of his announcement, the Cincinnati native said southwest Ohio deserves a common-sense advocate in Washington, D.C., who can help the city reach its full potential. Conroy criticized incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman as anything but that common-sense decision maker for Ohioans, tying Landsmans policy record to President Joe Bidens progressive agenda.

Buckeye Brain Tease

Question: Gov. DeWine says hed crown the Walleye as Ohios state fish, but how well do you know the states other official symbols? For example: Whats Ohios state beverage?

Email your response to capitolletter@cleveland.com. The first correct respondent will be mentioned in next weeks newsletter.

Thanks to everyone who answered our last trivia question: During the Civil War, more than 15,000 Ohio civilians grabbed their hunting rifles and rushed to Cincinnati in 1862 to defend against a Confederate invasion. What was their nickname?

Answer: Squirrel Hunters

Capitol Letter reader Tony Koury from Youngstown was the first to email with the correct response.

On the Move

Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican frontrunner for Ohio governor, has been endorsed by Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, via an op-ed in the Lima News .

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, a Columbus-area Republican, has been endorsed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerces federal political action committee.

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat, has been endorsed by End Citizens United, a Democratic nonprofit that advocates for campaign-finance reform.

Birthdays

Friday, July 18: Reed Cusack, senior legislative aide to state Sen. Willis Blackshear; Annabelle Handley, legislative aide to state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel

Saturday, July 19: Travis Brock, senior legislative aide to state Sen. Tim Schaffer; Chloe Donovan, legislative aide to state Rep. Joe Miller

Sunday, July 20: State Sen. Al Cutrona; Rea Hederman Jr., vice president of policy for the The Buckeye Institute; Ursel McElroy, Ohio Department of Aging director

Straight from the Source

Its the one fish, I think, thats distinctive in Ohio, that we are the best at.

- Gov. Mike DeWine, telling reporters Wednesday he would certainly sign legislation making walleye the state fish of Ohio, according to Ohio Public Medias Sarah Donaldson .

State lawmakers are renewing a decades-long effort to make walleye Ohios state fish, though theres been resistance from legislators in some parts of the state who favor their local alternatives (including perch in Northeast Ohio and smallmouth bass in Southern Ohio).

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. Subscribe to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.
Elon Musk's health tech company Neuralink labeled itself a "small disadvantaged business" in a federal filing with the U.S. Small Business Administration, shortly before a financing round valued the company at $9 billion.

Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) system, with the initial aim of helping people with severe paralysis regain some independence. BCI technology can broadly translate a person's brain signals into commands that allow them to manipulate external technologies just by thinking.

Neuralink's filing, dated April 24, would have reached the SBA at a time when Musk was leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. At DOGE, Musk worked to slash the size of federal agencies.

MuskWatch first reported on the details of Neuralink's April filing.

According to the SBA's website, a designation of SDB means a company is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more "disadvantaged" persons who must be "socially disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged." An SDB designation can also help a business "gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities," the SBA website says.
The feud between President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reached new heights this week. A White House official told CNBC earlier this week that Trump was moving toward firing Powell from his post , and a report in The New York Times also said the president had gone as far as drafting a letter for Powell's ouster. Trump later denied a dismissal was imminent, but didn't rule it out. On Friday in a Truth Social post, Trump said, "lower the Rate, Too Late," referring to Powell. Let's be clear: U.S. presidents putting pressure on Fed chiefs to lower rates  or keep rates lower  is nothing new. George H.W. Bush blamed then-Fed Chair Alan Greenspan for his reelection bid loss. By Bush's account, Greenspan wasn't cutting rates fast enough at the time, thus costing him a second term. But no president has so openly pushed for easier monetary policy. Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett pointed to several reasons why Trump has been so vocal about the Fed lowering rates. "US government spend = $7tn and Trump can't cut $4tn mandatory spending, has backed off cutting $1tn of discretionary spend (no DOGE) and $1tn of defense spend," he said in his weekly "Flow Show" report. Investors have been waiting with bated breath to see if the president actually removes the Fed chief, which will send ripples through global markets. How to play it If this happens, Hartnett highlighted the top ways to play Powell's potential dismissal. "If forced change in Fed Chair/Fed cuts coming months in absence of recessionbest trades are short US dollar (US$ debasement), long gold/crypto (anarchy hedges), short 30-year Treasury (Fed cutting into boom not bust), long barbell of US tech & EAFE/EM value (hedging bubble)," said Hartnett. Right now, though, equities are holding up. The S & P 500 is on track for a weekly gain and posted a fresh record close on Thursday. Hartnett points out that Bank of America clients funneled $4.8 billion into equities this week.
People walk by the Burberry store on East 57th Street during Memorial Day weekend on May 25, 2025 in New York City.

American shoppers are buying into the allure of British heritage fashion, providing a glimmer of hope for beleaguered Burberry 's turnaround even as U.S. headwinds loom.

Burberry sales in the Americas rose 4% year-on-year in the three months to June 28, the company said Friday in its fiscal first-quarter results.

Shares of Burberry were up 8.13% by 11:26 a.m. London time (6:26 a.m. E.T.).

The luxury brand, known for its trench coats, attributed the uptick to both new and existing consumers, following a 4% decline in the region in the fourth-quarter and a 9% fall in Burberry's full 2025 fiscal year.

CEO Joshua Schulman said the growth indicated the "diversity of the luxury consumer that exists in that market," from elite, high-spenders to high-traffic mall shoppers. The U.S. accounts for 19% of Burberry's business.

Nevertheless, Schulman said that Burberry's efforts to position itself as a "luxury brand with broad universal appeal" was showing green shoots in other regions, too.

Burberry's overall group revenues declined 1% year-on-year on a comparable basis to 433 million ($ 582million) in the June quarter, compared with the 3% decline analysts had forecast in a company compiled consensus.

Sales rose 1% in Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa (EMEIA) in the June quarter, while declining 5% in the Greater China region and by 4% in Asia Pacific, which the company said was "driven by Japan following a slowdown in tourism."

All regions nevertheless demonstrated notable improvements from significant declines in prior quarters.

"What we saw in the Americas, we also saw in the other regions as well. Our local customer has been strong globally and we have seen a sequential improvement in all regions," Schulman told a media call on Friday.
Chevron has completed its $53 billion acquisition of Hess, after prevailing against Exxon Mobil in a legal dispute over offshore oil assets in the South American nation of Guyana.

The ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce is a huge win for Chevron, which had sought to buy Hess to gain access to the vast Guyana oil reserves.

"We have maintained from the beginning that this is the outcome that we expected. It's a straightforward interpretation of contract language, and we're very pleased that the transaction has now closed," said Chevron CEO Mike Wirth on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Friday. "Good for Chevron and also good for the industry because it affirms a long-standing practice that asset level rights of refusal don't apply in corporate level M&A transactions."

Exxon CEO Darren Woods first revealed the dispute's outcome to CNBC's Becky Quick earlier Friday.

Chevron shares were almost 1% lower on Friday. They had risen more than 2% in the premarket on the announcement. Exxon stock, meanwhile, fell more than 3%.

"We disagree with the ICC panel's interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process," Exxon said in a statement Friday.

The dispute had created significant uncertainty over whether Chevron's acquisition of Hess would close, weighing on Chevron's stock performance. The transaction would have failed if Exxon had prevailed.

Exxon and China National Offshore Oil Corp. had filed an arbitration case with the ICC, claiming a right of first refusal over Hess' assets in the Stabroek Block, an oil development off the coast of Guyana.

Hess has a 30% stake in the oil patch, while Exxon leads the project with 45% and CNOOC maintains 25%.

"We welcome Chevron to the venture and look forward to continued industry-leading performance and value creation in Guyana for all parties involved," Exxon said.

As the combination moves ahead, Wirth told CNBC said he anticipates "some" headcount reductions. Chevron had already been reducing staff, after announcing in February plans to lay off 15% to 20% of its workforce in an effort to cut costs.

"We'll integrate the two companies. As is typical in a deal like this, there are some overlaps, and so you'll see some reductions," Wirth said. "But our industry is like many others where you have to continually look to be efficient, and technology evolves. It's a competitive world out there."
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to the media, after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the power of federal judges by restricting their ability to grant broad legal relief in cases as the justices acted in a legal fight over President Donald Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington D.C., June 27, 2025.

The Department of Justice on Friday asked federal judges to unseal grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted procurer of young girls, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The formal requests came one day after President Donald Trump said he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to "produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval."

Trump suggested he was taking that step in order to tamp down on the growing pressure from his own supporters to release the so-called Epstein files. "This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" he wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.

Less than two weeks earlier, the Justice Department said in a memo that it would not disclose any more information related to Epstein's federal sex trafficking case after conducting an "exhaustive review."

But since then, "there has been extensive public interest in the basis for the Memorandum's conclusions," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in separate court filings in the Epstein and Maxwell cases in Manhattan federal court.

"While the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to adhere to the conclusions reached in the Memorandum, transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration," Blanche wrote.
The European Union has reached an agreement on a new sanctions package against Russia, which includes a lower price cap for Moscow's crude oil barrels.

Within a year of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the G7 and EU restricted the price at which non-G7 countries could continue purchasing Moscow's crude and oil products while using shipping and logistical services from G7 companies.

The measures aimed to limit Russia's oil revenues  the backbone of its economy and war coffers  while retaining the country's supplies in the market to avoid a major shortage.

The price cap agreed in December 2022 banned access to G7 transport, insurance and reinsurance services if non-G7 buyers paid more than $60 per barrel for crude. Formerly a staple of European refiners' intake, Russian crude now primarily heads to buyers in China and India.

Russia's crude production averaged 9.19 million barrels per day in June, according to the International Energy Agency's July report. The price cap measures have also shifted the transport of some of Russia's volumes to a so-called shadow fleet of off-radar tankers and shell companies.

EU policymakers on Friday signaled the Russian oil price threshold would be lowered as part of a newly agreed sanctions package.

"I welcome the agreement on our 18th sanctions package against Russia. We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine. Targeting its banking, energy and military-industrial sectors and including a new dynamic oil price cap," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media.

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas concurred that a "lower oil price cap" was part of the freshly agreed measures, also noting that the bloc had, for the first time, sanctioned Russian oil producer Rosneft's largest refinery in India.

Neither official explicitly named the level of the new price cap.

The new price cap on Russian crude will remain flexible in line with market dynamics and will be set at just above 47 dollars per barrel at current market prices, according to four European officials who spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

CNBC has reached out to Canada, holder of the G7's yearly rotating presidency in 2025, for comment on whether the group endorses the lowered threshold. CNBC has also contacted Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy for comment.

The price cap amendment is part of a broader European push to further pressure Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially took a more conciliatory tone toward the Kremlin than his predecessor Joe Biden after taking office in January, but has shown signs of diminishing patience in the face of stalled negotiations to broker a ceasefire.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has recently hinted at the possibility of U.S. measures against countries that buy Russian oil, in an attempt to "give President Trump a congressional sledgehammer  if needed  to end this bloodbath."

Buyers such as India have previously defended their right to purchase discounted Russian oil, citing the national interest to secure the most affordable energy resources.

Oil markets have been rocked by supply stability concerns in recent months, as escalating tensions between Israel and Tehran raised the specter of flow disruptions in both Iran and the broader oil-rich Middle East.

 CNBC's Silvia Amaro contributed to this report.
The Venezuelan immigrants whom the Trump administration had sent to a notorious mega prison in El Salvador have been flown from there to Venezuela, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.

The move, Bukele said in a post on X, was part of a prisoner swap in which the Venezuelan government agreed to release "a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners ... as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages" in exchange for the Venezuelan nationals who had been detained in El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT.

A senior administration official told NBC News that ten U.S. nationals who had been detained by Venezuela were on their way home.

"We will keep demanding the return of all the Venezuelans kidnapped by the government of the United States, kidnapped by the government of El Salvador," Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello said in televised remarks Friday. "All of them, we demand that they return them to our country. To their home country."

The CECOT detainees were deported from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely-employed wartime law. The Trump administration has declared that Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, is an invading force, and has been using that declaration and the AEA to quickly deport Venezuelan immigrants who it says have ties to TdA.

More than 200 men  some of them asylum seekers who said they were at risk of persecution in Venezuela  were sent to CECOT in March. Family members of several men believed to be in CECOT have denied they had any ties to TdA and have pleaded for them to be returned back to Venezuela.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the administration over its use of the AEA in March, told NBC News it had not been told about the CECOT detainees' release before it happened. Responding to Reuters' reporting earlier Friday about the prisoner swap agreement, the ACLU said in a statement, "We were not informed in advance and don't know the details but assuming the rumors are true, the government allowed these individuals to languish in a notorious gulag for more than four months with zero due process and with this latest maneuver appears to be trying to avoid all court rulings."
Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella (L) returns to the stage after a pre-recorded interview during the Microsoft Build conference opening keynote in Seattle, Washington on May 19, 2025.

Microsoft on Friday revised its practices to ensure that engineers in China no longer provide technical support to U.S. defense clients using the company's cloud services.

The company implemented the changes in an effort to reduce national security and cybersecurity risks stemming from its cloud work with a major customer. The announcement came days after ProPublica published an extensive report describing the Defense Department's dependence on Microsoft software engineers in China.

"In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services," Frank Shaw, the Microsoft's chief communications officer, wrote in a Friday X post.

The change impacts the work of Microsoft's Azure cloud services division, which analysts estimate now generates more than 25% of the company's revenue. That makes Azure bigger than Google Cloud but smaller than Amazon Web Services. Microsoft receives "substantial revenue from government contracts," according to its most recent quarterly earnings statement, and more than half of the company's $70 billion in first-quarter revenue came from customers based in the U.S.

In 2019, Microsoft won a $10 billion cloud-related defense contract, but the Pentagon wound up canceling it in 2021 after a legal battle. In 2022, the department gave cloud contracts worth up to $9 billion in total to Amazon, Google, Oracle and Microsoft.

ProPublica reported that the work of Microsoft's Chinese Azure engineers is overseen by "digital escorts" in the U.S., who typically have less technical prowess than the employees they manage overseas. The report detailed how the "digital escort" arrangement might leave the U.S. vulnerable to a cyberattack from China.

"This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today's digital threat environment," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video posted to X on Friday. He described the architecture as "a legacy system created over a decade ago, during the Obama administration." The Defense Department will review its systems in search for similar activity, Hegseth said.

Microsoft originally told ProPublica that its employees and contractors were adhering to U.S. government rules.

"We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed," Shaw wrote.

WATCH: Microsoft Security VP Vasu Jakkal talks cybersecurity with Jim Cramer
Co-founder and CEO of Nvidia Jensen Huang spoke to journalists during a trip to Beijing in July. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

If Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang were a student today, he says he'd focus on the physical sciences. During a trip to Beijing on Wednesday, Huang was asked by a journalist: "If you are a 22-year-old version of Jensen [who] just graduated today in 2025 but with the same ambition, what would you focus on?" To that, the Nvidia CEO said: "For the young, 20-year-old Jensen, that's graduated now, he probably would have chosen ... more of the physical sciences than the software sciences," adding that he actually graduated two years early from college, at age 20. Physical science, as opposed to life science, is a broad branch that focuses on the study of non-living systems, including physics, chemistry, astronomy and earth sciences. Huang got his electrical engineering degree from Oregon State University in 1984 before earning his master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1992, according to his LinkedIn profile. About a year later, in April 1993, Huang co-founded Nvidia with fellow engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem over a meal at a Denny's restaurant in San Jose, California. Under Huang's leadership as CEO, the chipmaker has now become the world's most valuable company. Nvidia also became the world's first company to hit a $4 trillion market cap last week.

Although Huang didn't explain why he says he'd study the physical sciences if he were a student again today, the tech founder has been very bullish on "Physical AI" or what he calls the "next wave." Over the past decade and a half, the world has moved through multiple phases of artificial intelligence, he explained in April at The Hill & Valley Forum in Washington, D.C. "Modern AI really came into consciousness about 12 to 14 years ago, when AlexNet came out and computer vision saw its big, giant breakthrough," Huang said at the forum. AlexNet was a computer model unveiled during a 2012 competition that demonstrated the ability of machines to recognize images using deep learning, helping spark the modern AI boom. This first wave is called 'Perception AI,' Huang said. Then, came the second wave called "Generative AI," "which is where the AI model has learned how to understand the meaning of the information but [also] translate it" into different languages, images, code and more.

The next wave requires us to understand things like the laws of physics, friction, inertia, cause and effect. Jensen Huang Co-founder and CEO, Nvidia
Digital render of NEOM's The Line project in Saudi Arabia The Line, NEOM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is reassessing its flagship $500 billion futuristic city called The Line. The public investment fund has tapped consulting firms to conduct a strategic review into the feasibility of the 105-mile linear city, located at Neom  itself a huge new development in Saudi Arabia. Neom confirmed the news, first reported by Bloomberg, saying that strategic checks are "common practice" on long-term megaprojects. But the move comes amid global scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's ambitious infrastructure agenda, as well as growing pressure on public finances. Neom did not detail what the review would be focused on, but "it's likely that it's going to look at technical feasibility, financing and also economic impact," according to Tim Callen, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute. "I think these are all areas where people have had questions in the past; is the technology there to actually achieve what Neom wants to do? Is the cost of development too high? That's clearly become an even more pressing issue as oil prices have headed down the last couple of years," Callen told CNBC's Access Middle East on Friday. The site of The Line, in Saudi Arabia's northwestern desert, is currently a sprawling construction site replete with cranes and pile drivers, and a recently built road. Long parallel tracks cut through the sand, comprising the spine of what planners say will be a high-speed rail system.

Construction for The Line project in Saudi Arabia's NEOM, October 2024 Giles Pendleton, The Line at NEOM

It's designed to be a high-tech city sandwiched between two glass skyscrapers  each more than 1,600 feet high  which the Saudi government says will eventually house 9 million people. The project is just one of the hyper-futuristic venues planned in Neom, the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a region that the kingdom hopes will bring millions of new residents to Saudi Arabia and revolutionize living and technology in the country. It's a core pillar of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil revenues and create new jobs and industries for its burgeoning young population. The cost of Neom as a whole has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion. After many years of seemingly unlimited spending, 2024 began to see an abrupt shift as the Saudi budget deficit grew and the price of a barrel of oil fell well below what the kingdom needs to balance its budget.

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"It's clear that if oil prices, as you were saying earlier, are around $70 a barrel, that's a very different environment than if they are $100 a barrel, where they were on average in 2022," the Arab Gulf States Institute's Callen said. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $70.15 per barrel at 2:15 p.m. London time on Friday. "So many of these projects are going to have to be reassessed, reprioritized. Does that mean Neon is not going to happen? No, I think Neom will definitely continue in some form. But whether it's on a smaller scale and over a longer duration than originally envisaged, is quite likely, I think."

'Yes man' mentality
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Netflix  Shares fell 2% after Netflix warned that operating margin in the second half of 2025 will be lower than the first half because of higher content amortization, as well as sales and marketing costs, because of a larger slate of content. Otherwise, the streaming company beat on the top and bottom lines. Chevron , Hess  Chevron shares rose 3%, while Hess jumped more than 7%. The moves come after Chevron won against Exxon Mobil in a dispute over Hess's offshore oil assets in the South American nation of Guyana. That clears the path for Chevron to complete its $53 billion acquisition of Hess. Sarepta Therapeutics  The biopharmaceutical stock fell 24% after trade news and data provider BioCentury reported that a patient died after receiving treatment during a Phase 1 study. A Sarepta spokesperson told BioCentury that the death was due to acute liver toxicity. Union Pacific , Norfolk Southern  Shares of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern rose 0.4% and roughly 4%, respectively. The move comes after The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar, reported railroad operator Union Pacific is exploring a deal with Norfolk Southern. 3M  The industrial stock popped 2% after 3M posted second-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.16 per share, expecting the $2.01 per share analysts polled by LSEG had estimated. 3M's $6.16 billion in revenue also exceeded the forecast $6.11 billion. Additionally, the company raised its full-year sales growth guidance to 2.5% from 0.5%. American Express  Shares gained 1% after the company's second-quarter earnings results beat on the top and bottom lines. American Express posted adjusted earnings of $4.08 per share on $17.86 billion in revenue, above the $3.89 in earnings per share and $17.71 billion in revenue that analysts polled by FactSet were expecting. Interactive Brokers  Shares advanced 5% after Interactive Brokers reported second-quarter results that beat estimates on the top and bottom lines. The online brokerage posted adjusted earnings of 51 cents per share on revenues of $1.48 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected earnings of 46 cents per share on revenue of $1.36 billion. Schlumberger  Shares rose 1% after the oil field services company reported second-quarter results that exceeded expectations. Schlumberger posted adjusted earnings of 74 cents per share, more than the FactSet consensus estimate of 72 cents per share. Revenue of $8.55 billion also topped the $8.50 billion consensus estimate. Charles Schwab  The brokerage stock rose 2% after second-quarter results beat expectations on the top and bottom lines. Charles Schwab reported $1.14 in adjusted earnings per share on $5.85 billion of revenue. Analysts were looking for $1.10 in earnings per share and $5.73 billion in revenue, according to FactSet. The firm also said new brokerage account openings were up 11% year over year. Crypto stocks  Shares of companies serving crypto traders rose as the price of ether jumped to its highest level in six months after Congress passed the first major crypto legislation for the U.S. Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Circle added 2%, and Robinhood gained 3%. Galaxy Digital rallied 9%. Bitmine Immersion , an ether accumulator, climbed nearly 10%. Huntington Bancshares  Shares ticked slightly higher after the bank holding company posted second-quarter earnings of 34 cents per share, which slightly exceeded the FactSet consensus estimate of 33 cents per share. Net interest income of $1.47 billion also came in above the $1.46 billion estimate. Western Alliance  Shares fell 2% after Western Alliance Bancorp said it will unify all divisions under one brand. Net interest margin for the second quarter came in at 3.53% versus the FactSet consensus estimate for 3.55%. The regional bank beat on second-quarter earnings, revenue and net interest income expectations, according to FactSet consensus estimates.  CNBC's Sean Conlon, Lisa Han, Alex Harring, Tanaya Macheel and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.
A video still from the NBC archive showing Donald Trump talking with Jeffrey Epstein at a party in Mar-A-Lago from 1992. NBC

FBI agents assigned earlier this year to review investigative files in the criminal case against notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were instructed to "flag" any documents that mentioned President Donald Trump, Sen. Richard Durbin said Friday. Durbin's claim came in letters the Illinois Democrat sent to the Justice Department and FBI asking them to explain discrepancies between past statements about a promised release of the Epstein files and findings from a July 7 Justice Department memo, which said no such release would happen.

Ranking member Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., arrives for the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Dirksen building on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

Durbin's letters, addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, add to the pressure on the Trump administration over Bondi's decision to withhold from the public evidence about Epstein despite her past promises. Durbin is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight over the Justice Department and the FBI. "Who made the decision to reassign hundreds of New York Field Office personnel to this March review of Epstein-related records?" Durbin asked in his letters. "Why were personnel told to flag records in which President Trump was mentioned?" he asked. An FBI spokesperson told CNBC in an email, "The FBI has no comment," when asked about Durbin's letters.

Trump is a former friend of Epstein, who died from suicide in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on child sex trafficking charges. On Thursday night, The Wall Street Journal reported that a "bawdy" letter bearing Trump's signature was sent to Epstein in 2003 for this 50th birthday. Trump has angrily denied writing such a letter and said he will sue the Journal. Durbin's letters detailed Justice Department and FBI actions in March, in the weeks after Bondi told Fox News on Feb. 21 that the so-called Epstein client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review." On Feb. 27, Bondi drew criticism after releasing binders of documents related to Epstein to conservative influencers and commentators, which turned out to consist of files that were previously publicly available. "After intense blowback from this incident, Attorney General Bondi then appeared on another FOX News show, Life Liberty Levin, and claimed that a 'whistleblower' told her that [Manhattan U..S. Attorney's Office was] 'sitting on thousands of pages of documents'"; that 'we will get everything'; that she was 'assured' there was more; and that the country would eventually see 'the full Epstein files," Durbin wrote. Durbin said his office had learned that after that, the "FBI was pressured to put approximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division  on 24-hour shifts to review approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to produce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline." "This effort, which reportedly took place from March 14 through the end of March, was haphazardly supplemented by hundreds of FBI New York Field Office personnel, many of whom lacked the expertise to identify statutorily-protected information regarding child victims and child witnesses or properly handle FOIA requests," the letter said. "My office was told that these personnel were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned."

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The logo of the National Public Radio is pictured on the day National Public Radio and three Colorado public radio stations sued the Trump administration over the president's executive order to cut federal funding for public broadcasting, at its West office in Culver City, California, U.S., May 27, 2025.

The measure cuts $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding for NPR and PBS. It cuts $8 billion more from foreign aid, including to the U.S. Agency for International Development and programs to promote global health and refugee assistance. But planned cuts to PEPFAR were removed from the package in recent days, leaving funding for the popular Bush-era foreign aid program to combat HIV/AIDS intact.

The cuts aimed at public media and foreign aid passed in another middle-of-the-night vote on Capitol Hill, one day after the Senate voted 51-48 after 2 a.m. Thursday to approve the measure. Two Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the package in the House: Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON  The Republican-controlled House voted 216-213 to give final passage to a bill cutting $9 billion in spending that had already been approved, sending it to President Donald Trump to become law.

The package, which was requested by the White House, passed both chambers with only Republican votes through a rarely used "rescissions" process that can bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. GOP leaders touted it as a bid to slash "woke and wasteful" spending by the government.

"This bill tonight is part of continuing that trend of getting spending under control. Does it answer all the problems? No. Nine billion dollars, I would say, is a good start, and hopefully we do more things like this," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

Democrats unified to oppose the package, slamming the cuts as cruel, detrimental to American leadership and a cynical attempt by the GOP to appear fiscally responsible after it added $3.3 trillion to the debt in its party-line megabill that passed Congress this month.

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said in a statement that the bill would have "profound, lasting, negative consequences for every American."

"For nearly six decades, public media has served families in every corner of America, especially rural and tribal communities, providing extraordinary vital content and services free of charge," she said.

The cuts would lead to many local public radio and television stations shutting shut down, meaning "millions of Americans will have less trustworthy information about their communities, states, country, and world," she added.

NPR in a statement after the vote condemned it as "an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will." Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, said rural communities will feel the brunt of the negative impacts.

"Public radio is also a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation, and providing life-saving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts," Maher said. "Nearly 3-in-4 Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety."

The House voted after Republican leaders quelled a rebellion from their members on the Rules Committee who wanted a vote on requiring the government to release files relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has divided the MAGA wing of the party in recent days. They placated those GOP lawmakers by approving a separate "rule," setting up a vote as soon as next week on a symbolic resolution calling for the release of certain Epstein documents.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has proposed a separate Epstein-related measure that would carry the force of law, called the move by his party's leaders a stunt.

"Congress thinks you're stupid," Massie said on X. "The rules committee passed a NON-BINDING Epstein resolution, hoping folks will accept it as real. It forces the release of NOTHING."

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said the Massie proposal, co-authored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has "teeth." By contrast, he said, the version Republicans are advancing is "a meaningless, hortatory, fig leaf, Swiss cheese resolution that has no teeth at all."

"It doesn't even have dentures. It's all cavities," Raskin said. (Democrats, eager to fan the flames of Republican infighting, have embraced to push to release Epstein documents.)

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, called the domestic cuts an attempt to "defund left-wing state sponsored outlets." Other Republicans  most notably Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voted against the measure  warned that the NPR and PBS cuts could be damaging to rural areas that rely on public broadcasting.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said, "The public will remember who stood with Big Bird and who strangled him."

The bill had to return to the House after the Senate trimmed it from $9.4 billion, removing $400 million in proposed cuts to PEPFAR, which numerous Republicans said they support.

Before the vote, top Democrats in both chambers warned that the GOP was strangling the bipartisan nature of government funding by undoing previously approved spending on a partisan basis. They also said the rescissions package cedes too much power to the executive branch.

"I am deeply fearful that, at a time when appropriators must come together to defend our power of the purse, the path the majority has chosen will only survive to degrade the efficacy and credibility of what we are doing in this room," Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said before the House vote.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

The U.S. has doubled down on its plan to impose higher tariffs on the European Union next month, seeking to ramp up pressure on the bloc to reach a deal. With less than two weeks to go until U.S. President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 deadline, the EU continues to negotiate with U.S. trade officials, while drawing up a series of possible countermeasures if a deal is not forthcoming. On Friday afternoon, the Financial Times reported that Trump was now demanding a minimum of 15-20% tariffs on imports from the EU.

Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said the EU continues to be "very eager" in negotiating a trade agreement. The U.S. president, whose trade war tactics have earned him the TACO nickname, will not accept a postponement of the Aug. 1 deadline, Leavitt added Thursday. TACO stands for "Trump always chickens out" in reference to the president's tendency to date to announce high import tariffs, only to later delay or lower them.

A four-part strategy

Michal Baranowski, Polish undersecretary of state at the ministry of economic development and technology, said that, as work continues in a bid to reach a deal, the first part of the EU's strategy is to negotiate with U.S. officials in good faith. "The second one is, let's prepare for countermeasures in case we don't [reach a deal]. And we have countermeasures on both the steel and aluminium tariffs as well as the initial package of 72 billion [euros] for so-called reciprocal tariffs," Baranowski told CNBC's "Europe Early Edition" on Friday.

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"Point three, we are comparing notes with other countries that are affected by U.S. tariffs, not to necessarily coordinate but to get a sense of where everyone else is, because the other countries negotiating with the U.S. are a bit on the same wagon," he continued. "Fourth, we are really strengthening European competitiveness." Poland's Baranowski said the EU represents the "most vital economic relationship" for the U.S., adding that Washington has "as much to gain or to lose from this relationship as Europe." His comments come shortly after the EU's top trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic traveled to Washington for further trade talks.

European Commission Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic and Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (not seen) hold a joint press conference during the EU Trade Ministers Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on July 14, 2025. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

The prospect of fresh U.S. tariffs represents a major blow to the EU. The 27-nation bloc had been scrambling to secure a preliminary agreement to spare it from receiving a Trump letter dictating a new, across-the-board tariff on its exports to the U.S. The U.S. and EU have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world, representing almost 30% of global trade in goods and services, and accounting for 43% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), according to EU figures. Last year alone, the value of EU-U.S. trade amounted to 1.68 trillion euros ($1.96 trillion), equivalent to roughly 4.6 billion euros of trade per day. Trump has repeatedly hit out at the EU for what he perceives to be an unfair trading relationship, often citing the EU's trade surplus with the U.S.

Tit-for-tat auto tariff cuts?

As part of its push to reach a U.S.-EU framework trade deal, the European bloc is said to be planning to offer the U.S. tit-for-tat tariff reductions on cars. The move, as reported by the Financial Times on Thursday, would see the EU drop its 10% duties on U.S. car exports if the Trump administration reduces its own tariffs on the sector to below 20%. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, declined to comment on the report when contacted by CNBC on Friday.

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The Indian government on Friday (July 18) informed the Supreme Court that efforts are underway to bring back Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya safely from Yemen.The Court was informed by Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the government, that the death sentence of Nimisha has been postponed by the Yemeni authorities and the Indian government is making all possible efforts in this regard, as per news agency PTI.He also stated that the government wants Priya to come out safely.Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, the organisation sought the Court's permission to travel to the West Asian country to convince the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi to accept blood money and pardon Nimisha, who is convicted of his murder.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted liberty to the counsel of the organisation to approach the Indian government by filing a representation in this matter, as per news agency ANI.Nimisha Priya is facing a death sentence for killing Mahdi in 2017. He was her business partner who later started to torture and sexually abuse her and even confiscated her passport.In order to escape and get her passport back, Priya decided to inject the man with sedatives but the man died of an overdose.She was convicted in 2018. Her re-appeals in 2020 and 2023 were rejected and in 2024 the Yemeni President confirmed her execution for July 16, 2025, which has been postponed.The execution was postponed after India's Muslim leader approached a renowned sheikh in Yemen.However, the deceased man's family has reportedly denied to pardon Nimisha and denied to accept any kind of blood money, stating that only retribution as per Shariat Law will be accepted by the family.
Morty Smith may be only 14 years old, but hes already sired two children. Most recently, in Season Five of Rick and Morty, he fathered a giant incest baby with his sister. But back in Season One we met his other offspring, Morty Jr., a sex robot from the planet Gazorpazorp.

The males of Gazorpazorp are primitive, rage-filled monsters that age far more quickly than humans, and in the course of just one episode, Morty Jr. goes from a newborn baby to a full-grown adult. Then, in the post-credits scene of Raising Gazorpazorp, he appears as a middle-aged man/alien promoting his memoir, My Horrible Father.

This weekend, Rick and Morty fans will finally learn what became of Morty Jr. And so, I hopped on a Zoom call with the voice of adult Morty Jr., Maurice LaMarche, to talk about the characters return as well as his thoughts on the other characters he voices for the series.

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What can you tell me about Morty Jr.s return?

Well, he returns, and it happens this weekend. Thats what I can tell you.

Other than that, we get to find out whats been going on in the time since the tell-all book and the impact of that and the consequences for him having written that book. Its a pretty deep episode, and were introduced to a fully fleshed-out character, whereas he was almost a post-credits joke in the original episode. Beyond that I cannot say, but it's certainly more than a cameo by a lot.

I remember when they brought back Abrodolph Lincoler, it was basically in a dream sequence for two lines. Id been saying to the guys, God, weve got to bring back Lincoler. Youre sure he is dead? Couldnt he have survived that somehow? Because I loved the whole dichotomy of the character, being half Abraham Lincoln and half Adolf Hitler. But Morty Jr. definitely gets a return he deserves.

Did anything inform the voice of Morty Jr. for you?

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The only thing about it is that Ive always been given the direction, Dont go cartoony, whenever I do that show. They like to keep it very real and organic in terms of the voice. No matter how bizarre or outlandishly the characters are drawn, they want human performances. The bumpers are closer together than they might be in another cartoon, but it serves as a counterpoint to the craziness that were seeing on screen.

For that original post-credits scene, I was just supposed to be deeply wounded, so I went to a quiet place inside myself. But you cant just be struggling to hold back tears through the entire episode, so this time was different. That said, I had to keep him in my lower range, and I had to keep that introspective voice thats constantly looking inward. And yet, theres things that he obviously hasnt looked at about himself in this episode.

You mentioned Abrodolph Lincoler. Has he been your favorite character to voice on the show?

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Now its Morty Jr., but up until that point, yes. Within that episode, Lincoler had a great little arc. We didnt know if he was a villain or a hero. Hes supposed to be split right down the middle, and yet, at the end, he does seem to find more of his inner hero. Its weird to admit you like a character whos half Hitler, but in the end, hes harmless and ineffectual. If hes 50/50 good and bad; they cancel each other out. I just thought the whole approach to the character was funny. I infused him with some Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston and some cartoonish Nazi prison guard kind of voice.

Crocubot was also fun for me because he only said, I am Crocubot, and thats all he had to say to the world in his brief life. Another one of my favorites was the bug alien president, where he just goes, Gentlemen, gentlemen, theres a solution here youre not seeing, and he just blows his head off. I had no indication that thats what that character would look like. I was just told that we see him for two seconds and he kills himself. If Id have seen a sketch, Id have done something different, more bug-like. But like I said, they like to keep them real.

Another character that I carried through many episodes was the army chief of staff. He didnt have a name, but hes the presidents advisor, and hes got big bags under his eyes and gray hair  hey, he looks kind of like me! Hes just there to tell the president when things are getting out of hand, but I liked getting to do a character that comes back because usually on Rick and Morty your character implodes in some way, shape or form. So, to get to play him over a few episodes and to know that I was playing opposite Keith David, that was fun, though we were never in the same room.

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I only met Keith David when I saw him dining at a spot called Hugos, which is famous for Hollywood power breakfasts. I went up to him and said, Listen, you dont know me, weve never met, but Im your chief of staff. He knew exactly what I was talking about. Keith and I are actually doing a staged reading of Our Town this Sunday at The Crow in Santa Monica.

How does doing voices in Rick and Morty compare with Futurama?

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Even though theyre both science-fiction, Rick and Morty stretches the boundaries of how outrageous, gross and perverse we can be, well beyond Futurama. Futurama is, to me, much more of a family show. Even though Rick and Morty is about a family and a highly dysfunctional one, Futurama is a show about a family of choice. Its a work family, but they choose to be together. They show up for each other and go all over the galaxy together. It occurs in a somewhat saner world. Despite the fact that its futuristic and were going through outer space, the world is just held together by a little more sanity than the Rick and Morty world. The phrase anything can happen seems to apply just a little bit more to Rick and Morty.

For me, theyre both wonderful shows to work on. With Futurama, Im a regular. I know where Im going to be every two weeks to record the show, and I know my characters well and they come back week after week. I mean, Ive got 72 characters that Ive played over the course of the series and some of them are one-offs, but my Kif, my Calculon, my Morbo the newscaster, my Lrrr, my Hedonismbot, I know who they are and what theyll do to a certain degree. But its wholly unpredictable on Rick and Morty. I never know if Ill live or die or be exposed to some manner of horribleness. Its a much more unpredictable show.

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On Rick and Morty, you also played Bigfoot, who turned out to be a hitman for the Catholic Church. Is there anything to say about him?

Well, he evolves in the episode, so that was fun. It was interesting to play him at one level of sub-intelligence and then to have him grow. The lines were hilarious to me. There were a couple of spots where I just couldnt get through it for a bit.

Do you believe in Bigfoot personally?

I believe Bigfoot can accomplish anything he puts his mind to. So I do believe in Bigfoot, yes. Go Bigfoot, go. Go and find your smile, Bigfoot.
In light of the simultaneously shocking yet expected news that CBS had cancelled The Late Show, it seems likely that some viewers who hadnt watched the show in a while might tune in to see the beginning of the end that was Thursday nights episode.

I certainly did, and was rewarded with Colberts elegant announcement about the shows fate, followed by a monologue full of solid jokes about a reliable target: Donald Trump. The amateurish job someone made of the presidents hand makeup; the ongoing rage about a perceived cover-up of the investigation into alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein; Trumps casual slander of a Fed chair he seems to have forgotten he appointed; his seemingly unfounded announcement that Coke is about to switch out high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar: all came in for critiques by Colbert in the first several minutes of the show. The pleasure of a late-night show is when confident comedy segments roll into an entertaining interview. Or it would be, if Colberts lead guest hadnt been Adam Schiff.

A freshman U.S. Senator from California (following decades as a Congressman), Schiff isnt someone Id call a powerhouse of charisma to begin with. And he wasnt exactly set up for success when his introduction was preceded by a tease for a web-exclusive segment, The Colbert Questionert, featuring recent guest Joaquin Phoenix  someone who may not have always been pleasant to watch during his visits to The Late Show, but who was at least never boring.

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Schiff goes the other way, kicking off his first of three segments on the show by establishing that hes very normal, and not the shrieking demon  Colberts words  that Trump has made him out to be. Schiff tells a story of visiting farmers in California in his capacity as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and winning over a resistant farmer who commented, I dont know why the president calls you Watermelon Head. I guess thats at least a Trump insult CBS can air, unlike little Adam Schitt.

Schiff is respectful of the California voters in red districts who supported Trump in the last election, admitting of Democrats, We just havent competed there. Its even-tempered and undoubtedly true. Its just not newsworthy. Or news at all, really.

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In the next segment, Colbert brings up the rallies that Senator Bernie Sanders has been holding with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which have been wildly popular even in deep red states like Montana; Colbert also cites the electricity around New York City mayoral candidacy of Zohran Mamdani. Noting that all three identify as Democratic Socialists who are trying to carry forth the progressive policies of people like Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Colbert asks why Schiff thinks this message has been so appealing. Schiff says that theyre all authentic challengers of the economic status quo, which Schiff admits isnt working for a huge swath of the population. Again: undoubtedly true. Would have been a cool moment for Schiff to say hes also joining the Democratic Socialists of America, but he doesnt.

What Schiff does say is this: I think the commonality, frankly, between the success Mamdani had in New York and the fact that Trump won in 2024 is that both of them represent an attack on the status quo. Schiff adds that Trumps way of attacking the status quo has been to turn the country into a dystopian hellhole  I guess thats bad?  but says voters are getting so desperate to afford rent or their childrens needs that theyre ready to embrace anyone who is a representative of dramatic change.

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So yeah, he links a current candidate from his own party to a president setting records with his unpopularity. This is the kind of message discipline thats going to keep centrist Democrats losing elections.

In the last segment, Colbert asks Schiff about what has made this Trump administration different from the last one. After a lot of dispiriting talk about death threats that have been made against politicians across the spectrum, Schiff states that the only way to push back on Trumps dystopian hellhole agenda is to say piss off. Schiff finds the camera currently framing him (second times a charm), stares it down, and addresses Trump directly: Donald, piss off.

The crowd goes wild. Oh, oh! Schiff adds, But Donald, before you piss off, will you release the Epstein files?

If Trump is one of the viewers who tuned in to Thursdays episode out of curiosity, just like I did, he probably didnt see anything that would revise his view of Schiffs head. If Mamdani did, I hope he got someone on his team to shoot Schiff a quick text saying theyre all set on his help with the campaign.
In a shocking move that we all should have seen coming, Stephen Colbert was relieved of his Late Show duties yesterday. While CBS officials said the move was entirely about financials, most blamed parent company Paramount, which needs the approval of Donald Trumps FTC to complete an $8 billion sale.

Colberts nightly comedy assaults on Trump werent helping matters, and he might have sealed his own fate when he joked about Paramount paying Trump $16 million over a controversial 60 Minutes story: This kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. Its big fat bribe.

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Here are 10 other more recent Trump burns that may have contributed to Colbert getting the pink slip

1 The Epstein saga is a total snoozefest. I mean, the most powerful man in the world is blocking information about a cabal of the rich, the famous and the royal, befriending a con man who regularly flies off in his private plane to his private island to do super illegal sex stuff. Then the con man is arrested. People are afraid hes going to name names, but before he can, he mysteriously dies right after being taken off a suicide watch in a federal prison during the administration of the guy who is blocking the release of the information. Boring.

2 That (Epstein) controversy is causing so much trouble for Trump that he recently ordered it to be put in a cell and for the cameras to stop working for three minutes.

3 On Trumps chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize: Im not sure they give an award for bombing people into submission. I think youre thinking of the J.D. Power and Associates Award for Best Heavy-Duty Kablooey.

4 Its possible Trump hasnt made up his mind about bombing Iran because hes too distracted by the stuff he wants to destroy here.

5 This weekend was Fathers Day, and Daddy got just what he wanted: No one came to Trumps big stupid birthday parade.

6 Experts are saying No Kings was the biggest protest in U.S. history. That means more people came together at the No Kings rally than back when this country was actually fighting against kings.

7 Advertisement Trumps just getting revenge on Tinsel Town. He never won an Emmy for The Apprentice, and he was snubbed in the 1993 Oscars for his performance in Home Alone 2.

8 The last time a president bypassed a governor to send in the National Guard was 1965, when LBJ used troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama. So weve come full circle. Troops were deployed to protect protesters by Lyndon B. Johnson, and now theyre being used to threaten protesters by Donald B. Dick.

9 "Ladies and gentlemen, a full-scale flame war has broken out between the worlds most famous besties, Donald Trump and Elon Musk  or as theyre known by their celebrity couple name, Two Huge Jagoffs.
CBS maintains that the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was solely motivated by the late-night shows high costs and scant profits. Others have criticized the move as an apparent gift to President Donald Trump, who is in a position to make or break Paramounts multibillion dollar merger with Skydance Media.

And neither possibility is an especially good look for the network.

Kowtowing to an aspiring fascist who doesnt like it when comedians hurt his feelings is obviously bad, but so is fumbling the networks only surviving late-night institution. Colbert aside, The Late Show has been a part of the network since 1993, when David Letterman bailed on NBC to take on Jay Leno in the 11:30 slot.

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Obviously late-night TV isnt what it once was, but for one of CBS core brands to end in an embarrassing public clusterfuck seems like a pretty big L for the network, to be honest. But in retrospect, its hardly the first time that theyve screwed up their late-night programming.

Long before The Late Show premiered, the networks first attempt at a talk show for night owls was a repackaged version of the syndicated The Merv Griffin Show, back in 1969. The Columbia Broadcasting System has decided to compete with the other two major networks in the lucrative field of late-night, talk-variety shows, The New York Times reported, noting that Griffin would be in competition with the National Broadcasting Company's long-established Tonight Show, which stars Johnny Carson, and the American Broadcasting Companys Joey Bishop Show.

Taking on Carson may have been a doomed endeavor regardless, but even after paying Griffin double Carsons salary, the network antagonized the host with overly strict censorship policies, which included cutting performances by The Supremes and blacking out Abbie Hoffmans American flag shirt. They eventually fired Griffin after just three years.

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In 1989, CBS entered the late-night wars once again with The Pat Sajak Show, a clone of The Tonight Show that lasted for a mere 18 months. The show was such a dud that CBS began openly auditioning replacements for Sajak with weekly guest hosts, including comedy bigotry legend Rush Limbaugh. It didnt go well.

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While CBS eventually premiered The Late Show with David Letterman, which lasted for 23 seasons, they first wanted Leno to follow in Sajaks footsteps. According to The Late Shift by Bill Carter, it was CBS aggressive interest in Leno that allowed his reps to finally get Carson out of the way, using the high-priced offer from NBCs rival as a bargaining chip to speed up the Tonight Show hosts retirement announcement. CBS found success with Letterman, but that clearly wasnt their original plan.

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Now it seems as though theyre getting out of the late-night talk show business altogether, and will presumably just air whichever NCIS spin-off is least offensive to the president.
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Murky Moscow spy plots  these make for a great thriller. But the reality is much more serious. Russian intelligence has long posed a threat to Britain. Kremlin operatives have never 'just' been in the business of stealing secrets from us and our allies. The methods may have evolved, but the intent remains chillingly familiar.

Soviet spies once stopped at nothing to murder dissidents and gain an edge over the West. Across the world, they operated in the shadows, poisoning enemies, spreading disinformation, and destabilising democracies. Today, their successors in the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, continue that dark tradition.

I remember all too well the horror of Alexander Litvinenko's murder in 2006, recklessly poisoned with radioactive polonium in a London hotel. I was in government then, and it felt miraculous more Londoners did not die as a result.

In 2018, Russian operatives were equally reckless. Incredibly, Sergei and Yulia Skripal survived their poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury. But the attack killed Dawn Sturgess, left Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey seriously ill, and could have claimed many more lives if not for the swift response of our emergency services.

We know a great deal about how Russian operatives work. Investigations into these and other attacks reveal many patterns. One is that cyber operations often lay the groundwork.

In the Skripal case, GRU Unit 26165 previously targeted Yulia Skripal's email accounts with malware before the attempted murder. The same unit conducted online reconnaissance on civilian shelters in Mariupol in Ukraine in March 2022  only one day before the Mariupol Theatre was bombed, killing innocent civilians, including children.

Alexander Litvinenko is pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital in 2006, after being poisoned

Russian nationals Ruslan Boshirov (left) and Alexander Petrov (right) in Salisbury at the time of the Novichok poisonings

Sergei Skripal with his daughter Yulia, who both miraculously survived Novichok poisoning

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader GRU campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.

That is why today I am sanctioning 21 Russian operatives. These individuals are responsible for cyber and hybrid operations targeting Britain and some of our closest allies.

We are acting following close collaboration with the FBI and with vocal support of NATO allies. And the Government is strongly committed to deepening our defence and hybrid cooperation with friends in Europe as well. In just a few months, we've agreed a new Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, a Lancaster House 2.0 Declaration with France, the Kensington Treaty with Germany and the biggest uplift in NATO defence spending in the history of the Alliance.

Together, these agreements send a clear message: Europe is toughening up.

David Lammy has today sanctioned 21 Russian operatives as he writes in the Mail that Britain will not be intimidated by Moscow spies

Dawn Sturgess was killed after her partner found the remnants of the Novichok nerve agent disguised in a perfume bottle

But these sanctions are not just a signal. They have real bite, restricting the movement and financial access of those responsible for malign GRU activity. They expose the GRU's methods and personnel to public scrutiny. And they make it easier for us to share intelligence with partners so they too can prepare for future threats.

And this is just one of the measures we are taking. Much of our work to deter these threats is necessarily secret. But with the Spending Review committing 600 million to improve our intelligence services' capabilities and the Foreign Office establishing a new counter-hybrid taskforce, we are ready to counter Russia's new age of sabotage and subterfuge.

By shining a light on the GRU and their operations, we make it harder for them to act with impunity. That makes Britain safer, which is fundamental to this government's Plan for Change.

We will not be cowed by those who seek to do us harm. The GRU's operatives may hide behind screens and shadows, but we see them clearly  and we will act decisively to stop them.
Jerry Seinfeld is known mostly for his run in the nine-season show Seinfeld he created alongside Larry David.

The show has won countless awards and still - three decades later - remains a cultural classic.

But alongside Seinfeld's fame, his past also stands the test of time - something that became especially evident as fans resurfaced an old picture of the actor when he was 38 years old walking alongside his then-18-year-old girlfriend.

Seinfeld, now 71, started dating Shoshanna Lonstein (now Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss) when she attended the all-girls Nightingale-Bamford School in Manhattan.

The two were rumored to have met in Central Park.

The couple dated from 1993 to 1997, during which Shoshanna even transferred from George Washington University to UCLA to be with Seinfeld.

Eventually the couple broke up, and Shoshanna cited the overwhelming press coverage and the fact that she missed New York as the reason.

And even though it's been about 28 years since the relationship ended, Seinfeld fans and critics still remain disturbed by the fact that a 38-year-old man would have a romantic relationship with someone in high school.

Jerry Seinfeld was romantically linked to Shoshanna Lonstein from 1993 to 1997

At the time of their relationship, Seinfeld was 38 years old and Shoshanna was an 18-year-old high school senior

While the former couple's 20-year age gap is something that was side-eyed in the 90s, it wasn't until recently that people started holding Seinfeld accountable for being involved with a teenager.

On a Reddit post where an old picture of Seinfeld and Shoshanna has gone viral, fans did not hold back when expressing their disgust and disapproval.

'So gross, he really looks like a dad picking up his daughter from school,' one Redditor commented under the photo.

'Jerry Seinfeld is therefore a predatory a**hole,' another said.

'Screw him. Totally unacceptable. I don't care how much consent there was nor if she was 17 or 18 - Jerry knows damn well he was in a position of great influence and power and was using a child for his sexual interests. Pathetic loser.'

While some Redditors tried to provide context about 'the time back then,' other users were quick to shut that down.

'I'm sorry but what's wrong with these men? Is it only the law that stops them from going lower?' one user shared.

'And people will be like oh this was back in the 70s/80s/90s, it was a different time. Like morals were only invented in the last ten years.'

While Seinfeld didn't get much backlash about his age gap relationship then, resurfaced photos of the two are causing a splash now

Fans and critics of Seinfeld alike called him 'gross' and 'predatory' for the relationship

When Seinfeld was first questioned by Howard Stern about being photographed with Shoshanna, he claimed that 'there was no way' that she was that young.

Coming onto the show again later, he said, 'I didn't realize she was so young. This is the only girl I ever went out with who was that young. I wasn't dating her. We just went to a restaurant, and that was it.'

Later on, once it was confirmed that they were in a serious relationship, Seinfeld said, 'I am not an idiot. Shoshanna is a person, not an age. She is extremely bright. She's funny, sharp, very alert. We just get along. You can hear the click.'

Neither of the two have commented on their relationship since their breakup.

And while these pictures have resurfaced time and time again, Seinfeld has never addressed them.

Daily Mail has reached out to Seinfeld for fresh comment.
Nearly two years after she disappeared from social media, a Russian 'mumfluencer' who welcomed 21 children via surrogacy with her criminal millionaire husband has finally made a comeback.

Kristina Ozturk, 27, has made a dramatic return to Instagram to celebrate the release of disgraced Turkish bus baron Galip Ozturk from prison after serving two years of his eight-year sentence pertaining to drug-related charges.

Galip was born in 1965 in the Ayvack district of Samsun and is the founder of Metro Turism, one of Turkey's largest intercity passenger transportation companies. He was already on the run, having fled Istanbul to live in Georgia in 2018 after a court of appeals upheld his life imprisonment sentence for allegedly ordering the murder of a Metro Tourism company employee - Kuvvet Koseoglu - in 1996.

After months of radio silence against the backdrop of Galip's incarceration - with her last Instagram post dating back to November 2023 - Kristina Thursday shared an Instagram Reel on Thursday, documenting the family's preparations for his return to their home in Georgia.

'It has been done,' Kristina captioned the clip, which showed her dressing up for her husband as the couple's extended family - including Galip's adult children from a previous marriage - arrived to celebrate

It comes after fans expressed their concern for Kristina after one person shared a tearful snap of the content creator in a post on Reddit titled 'Sign of Life' - referring to the extended period of silence on her socials.

However, it has now become clear that Kristina - who posted a screenshot of a purported video call with her step-children on June 28 - was crying tears of joy after being informed Galip had secured a supervised release from prison.

To mark the occasion, Kristina hosted a lavish party at their house in Batumi - where Galip and Kristina, who is 32 years his junior - met and fell in love.

Nearly two years after she disappeared from social media, a Russian'mumfluencer' who welcomed 21 children via surrogacy with her criminal millionaire husband has resurfaced online. She is pictured here with her brood in a post shared on her Instagram, where Kristina has 248,000 followers

The couple hit headlines in 2021 when Kristina revealed they spent 138,000 (168,000) on surrogates between March 2020 and July 2021 - with 20 of their babies being born within one year.

Turkish media outlet Haberler on June 30 reported that the founder of intercity bus service Metro Tourism has been released from jail under the condition of 'supervised release'.

Grainy CCTV footage obtained by the publication showed a man believed to be Galip embracing his relatives, who were waiting 'at the door' of the correctional facility, before leaving in a car.

Kristina, originally from Moscow, met wealthy hotel owner Galip while holidaying in the coastal town of Batumi in Georgia.

In an interview with Fabulous, Kristina described their first meeting as love at first sight, adding the Turkish businessman was her 'mentor, guide and fairytale prince all rolled into one'.

Galip added: 'She is so easy to be with, she always has a smile on her lips and yet at the same time is shy and mysterious.

'She was the kind of wife I always wanted for myself, an uncut diamond where I saw what a pure and kind heart she had.'

Things progressed quickly for the couple, with Kristina and her young daughter Vika moving to Batumi to be with Galip.

Nearly two years after she disappeared from social media, Kristina sparked fears for her safety as she was pictured in tears during what appears to be a video call. A screenshot of Kristina's purported group call, comprising nine people including the tearful 27-year-old mother-of-22, was shared on Reddit under the heading 'Sign of Life' on June 28, 2025.

Twenty of Kristina and Galip's surrogate babies were born in the same year, 2020, with Christina's eldest, Victoria, born in 2014 from a previous marriage and the latest addition to their family, Olivia, born in January 2021

Galip already had fled Turkey in 2018 after an appeals court approved his life sentence related to a murder back in 1996

Kristina said that despite the fact Galip was 32 years older than her, and had adult children of his own, he had no objections to having a large family.

The couple hit headlines in 2021 when Kristina revealed they spent 138,000 (168,000) on surrogates between March 2020 and July 2021 - with 20 of their babies being born within one year.

Kristina also claimed she and Galip planned on having 105 biological children - all conceived via surrogacy - before the businessman was arrested three years after a special forces op unearthed 'particularly large amounts' of drugs at his house.

In late May 2022, The Mtavari TV channel broadcast footage of special forces raiding Galip's hotel in the coast of Georgia after his arrest.

Galip's arrest was later confirmed by Georgia's Finance Ministry spokeswoman Nato Natroshvili in a statement.

The fugitive businessman was on the run from authorities in Turkey, having fled to Georgia in 2018 after an appeal court approved his life sentence for instigating murder back in 1996.

In an emotional post shared on her Instagram account on June 9, 2022, Kristina wrote: 'The feeling of loneliness does not leave me even with such a large number of close people around.

'I'm used to my husband always being at home, always around. Since Galip has been working exclusively from home for the last few years, we spent time together constantly during the day. At night, when the children were put to bed, we chatted incessantly.

Kristina has, in the past. expressed she wants a whopping 105 biological kids with her convicted millionaire husband Galip, 58

According to Kristina, Galip didn't have any objections to having a large family - despite being 32 years older than her, and having adult children of his own

Kristina has spoken about the difficulties of having a spouse behind bars, saying she couldn't stand his absence

'If I went to Tbilisi or Istanbul, we chatted on the phone for hours, all night long.

'Now it's more difficult than ever for me, I can't stand silence, I can't stand his absence, I can't sleep and wake up alone, I can't see his empty workplace... I can't see his smile, I can't hear his voice, I can't feel his embrace.'

Shortly after Galip's arrest, Kristina also admitted she struggled to explain what had happen to her oldest daughter Vika.

While Kristina has yet to comment on Galip's alleged release from, she frequently used her platform to talk about his incarceration - expressing she 'couldn't stand his absence' in one post.

In February 2023, Kristinas bus baron husband - who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a 1996 murder in Turkey before he fled to Georgia - was handed an eight-year sentence on drug-related charges that his lawyer called made up.

The following month, Kristina bundled up her oldest surrogate baby, Mustafa, and travelled to the Georgian prison to visit Galip - a trip that she documented on Instagram in a post titled The Longest 24 Hours.

It felt like we were newlyweds, Kristina mused, recalling the moment she set eyes on her jailed husband. Both were nervous, their palms were sweating, their thoughts were colliding and gathering.

'It's hard to talk about some household things or joys when all thoughts are far away and busy just waiting for my husband to come home to us.'

In an Instagram Reel posted on Thursday, Kristina shared footage of herself preparing for a party to celebrate her husband's release from prison

Footage from her Instagram reel showed Kristina looking excited and happy that her husband was returning home

Wife and mother Kristina was shown dressing up for her husband in the reel shared on Instagram

In September 2023, she penned a heartwarming post after Galip's aunt came to visit the brood.

'Times are difficult, and communication with loved ones becomes especially valuable,' she wrote.

'We all need support and understanding. When loved ones help us get through a difficult time, it's really wonderful.

'Love helps us overcome difficulties and makes our lives brighter.'

On her birthday in 2023, Kristina also marked a 'new beginning' for her journey.

'I started a blog when my kids were just coming out, and my goal was to share the hardships and joys of motherhood. But as often happens, life does not go as planned, and today I'm at a tipping point,' she explained.

'All the challenges I've faced helped me grow and learn, and my first attempts will probably be chaotic, but I believe I can succeed. I decided to live.

For the next seven months, the momfluencer kept her social media channels up-to-date with information about Ozturks legal trials as well as updates about her brood and reflections on surrogacy and parenthood.

The youngest child Kristina (pictured) shares with Galip - a daughter named Olivia - was born in 2021

Galip Ozturk (seen last month in Georgia) has been released on probation after serving two years of his eight-year sentence

According to Kristina (pictured with her husband Galip), she the 'challenges [she has] faced helped [her] grow and learn

Then she went dark. The last time Kristina posted to her Instagram feed was on 14 November 2023 to mark her eldest daughter, Victorias ninth birthday.

Unlike her step-siblings, Victoria was not conceived via surrogacy; she was born in 2014 from Kristinas previous marriage.

Today, the overwhelming majority of comments under Kristinas Instagram posts are from concerned followers enquiring about her whereabouts and well-being - as the momfluencer with her brood of 22 stays mum.

Apart from her eldest, Vika, and son Mustafa, Kristina is also a mother to Maryam, Ayrin, Alice, Hassan, Judy, Harper, Teresa, Hussein, Anna, Isabella, Ismail, Mehmet and Ahmet - all of whom are three - and Ali, Kristina, Alena, Sarah, Lockman and Alparslan, who are two years old.

Her and Galip's youngest child, daughter Olivia, was born in January 2021.
An obese actor who found love with a size six influencer has faced years of trolling online by viewers who believe he 'must be rich' to have married a beautiful, slim woman.

With their most popular videos racking up millions of views, swathes of internet users have accused George and Sienna Keywood of being 'fake' and 'fame hungry' - and have questioned the legitimacy of their relationship.

George has branded critics 'jealous' of seeing a fat man who 'has what they can't', but even after seven years together and the birth of their son, it has not silenced critics who are now branding him 'lazy' for taking Mounjaro to lose weight.

The couple's love story began with Australia-born Sienna spotting the actor, 31, on television in his role as Craig in the Bafta award-winning British sitcom People Just Do Nothing.

'Back when I was living in Australia, I was watching People Just Do Nothing and I was like "That is my ideal man, he's so hot!" I ended up Googling him,' she recalled.

In true modern style, Sienna, a former PT whose passion is singing, sent George a message on social media expressing her interest, to which George's initial reaction was: 'Hmmm is this a scam?'

From that point, their relationship blossomed as any other. The pair met for a date and 'clicked straight away', describing their immediate attraction to one another.

'What connected us was that we were both so alike,' George recalled. 'We're both creative. We got on, and that chemistry was already there before we even met in real life.'

British actor George Keywood, 31, has faced awful abuse online for finding love with size 6 influencer Sienna, 30, as a plus-size man

Swathes of internet users have accused the couple of being 'fake' and 'fame hungry' - and have questioned the legitimacy of their relationship (George before weight loss)

Sienna, who is attracted to 'bigger' men, reached out to George on social media and the couple were engaged six months later

'It was like true love,' Sienna agreed. 'It sounds so corny but when you know, you know.'

The couple fell in love in 2018 and got married in 2022. Now, they share a five-year-old son called Oliver and have moved into their dream five-bedroom home in Surrey.

But still, viewers aren't convinced. George faces a whirlwind of insults online, having been called a 'beached whale' and told he is 'lazy' and 'disgusting' for his size, with viewers regularly taking stabs at predicting when he will die.

'People just can't get over the fact that I'm fat and she's skinny,' said George, who puts the public's disdain down to pure jealousy.

'They see my wife and think "Wow, she's very attractive. Why can't I have that?"

'I've dealt with it for years. They hate the fact that a fat man can have more than them, they hate the fact that I can have this and they hate the fact that she's attracted to this.'

According to George, Sienna is attracted to him because he's a 'bigger' man. 'That's her attraction,' he said. 'And I'm into her because she's a slim, beautiful, lovely-looking woman.'

The couple are unconventional in other ways. As part of their many lucrative projects, they share an account on OnlyFans - a subscription-based pornographic site where users can make money by uploading adult content.

Starring in adult videos together, the couple charge $15 a month for a glimpse into their intimate life.

The couple fell in love and got married in 2022. Now, they share a five-year-old son called Oliver and have moved into their dream five-bedroom home in Surrey

As part of their many lucrative projects, they share an account on OnlyFans - a subscription-based pornographic site where users can make money by uploading adult content

Starring in adult videos together, the couple charge $15 a month for a glimpse into their intimate life

George has been called a 'beached whale' and told he is 'lazy' and 'disgusting' for his size, with viewers regularly taking stabs at predicting when he will die (George after weight loss)

Their activity on the site has added to the vitriol of hatred directed at the parents.

But the couple feel they have profited from the negativity, with George saying: 'We afford this house and these cars because we make over six figures a year getting trolled.'

George now funds his lifestyle in part through online sponsorships which see him endorse products in exchange for payment.

Selling tech products and running livestreams on his account, George claims to have made as much as 30,000 a month through social media.

He said: 'We've made so much more money from social media than we ever thought we would make.'

Interestingly, though, the pair don't advertise their OnlyFans page on their social media channels.

Although platforms such as TikTok and Instagram ban explicit promotion of OnlyFans accounts, members use 'funnels' by directing potential customers to an external link.

And while Sienna's Instagram does have a link to the page, her social media image is that of a normal, loving mother with a young child.

George and Sienna's love story began with Sienna spotting the actor on television in his role as Craig in the Bafta award-winning British sitcom People Just Do Nothing (pictured, left)

But the couple, pictured with their son, have profited from the negativity, with George crediting their house and cars to the trolls

George now funds his lifestyle in part through online sponsorships which see him endorse products in exchange for payment

Selling tech products and running livestreams on his account, George claims to have made as much as 30,000 a month through social media

She has previously spoken online of her 'shame and embarrassment' about making money from social media, television appearances, magazine spreads and even getting her wedding paid for by a TV channel.

Sienna has also previously questioned why bigger actors are never cast as romantic interests in love stories, while George joked he 'just wants to do a sex scene.'

The couple seem comfortable in their chosen career path, but since the start of their relationship, George has rapidly gained weight.

He reached a point where he had to pay for taxis everywhere due to his inability to walk long distances.

When the father became pre-diabetic and was struggling to walk upstairs, he began taking the weight loss drug Mounjaro.

Before turning to the jab, he was drinking up to five cans of Coca-Cola a day and often eating a full pizza and garlic bread in the evenings.

In August, 2024, he started taking the medication from a private online pharmacy that offered it to him for free, and he has since lost up to two pounds a week.

Now, six stone down, George's sugar cravings have gone and he only eats one main daily meal, often skipping breakfast entirely.

George started taking weight loss jabs when he reached a point where he had to pay for taxis everywhere due to his inability to walk long distances (after weight loss)

Before turning to the jab, George was drinking up to five cans of Coca-Cola a day and often eating a full pizza and garlic bread in the evenings

In August, 2024, he started taking the medication from a private online pharmacy that offered it to him for free, and he has since lost up to two pounds a week (after weight loss)

Now, six stone down, George's sugar cravings have gone and he only eats one main daily meal, often skipping breakfast entirely

He said his food shop has seen 'less overspending on junk food' thanks to his lack of appetite and he no longer splashes out as much on taxis.

But the content creator has received negativity online from critics who say he is 'cheating' by taking the medication.

George and Sienna respond to hate comments in their typical, sarcastic way. Posing for a video, George claps back at critics who insist they 'can't see' any weight loss despite his claims.

'No weight loss? Are you insane?' George roars, before Sienna chimes in: 'He's wasting away at this point.'

In another TikTok, George points to his still large belly and jokes: 'There's a six pack there - look at that.'

The pair maintain that they choose willingly to 'embarrass themselves' online because it gives them the financial freedom to work non-conventional jobs and spend more time together.

Sienna wrote: 'Yes, we may embarrass ourselves on the internet for a living, but it means we get to spend every school holiday with our son, send him to the best school and have the freedom to work when we choose to.'

Their content's resounding message is that they love each other despite the backlash they get, and will remain committed to one another regardless of their appearance.

Sienna said: 'The hate doesn't get to us. We love each other and nothing anyone says will change that.

'Our aim is to encourage people to accept themselves for who they are. Thank you to everyone who supports us and sends positive messages our way.'
Young service workers are infuriating customers by refusing to greet or make small talk while serving them, and instead giving them what's been dubbed 'the Gen Z stare'.

Members of Generation Z, currently aged 13 to 28, are struggling to make small talk in shops, restaurants and cafes.

Instead, they will 'stare' at the person and wait until they speak first, or even outright ignore something that has been said, according to hundreds of infuriated customers.

Those in their teens and twenties to be labelled emotionless' by Millennials and Gen X and Baby Boomers who have banded together to call the younger generation out on their 'poor social skills'.

Over the past couple of weeks, social media users of all ages have turned to the likes of Instagram, TikTok and X to talk about 'the Gen Z stare'.

One fed-up person penned on X: '[The Gen Z stare is] when I try to make friendly conversation with you and you look at me like you were born yesterday and don't have language capacity. Just emotionless and nothing going on in your head as far as social skills.'

Another commented: 'I deal with Gen Z all day and they're basically socially stunted automatons. You greet them and they say nothing. You ask them a question and they just stare at you. They're not human.'

And even older Gen Zers in their mid-twenties have noticed the lack of communication skills in their own generation, with one writing: 'Why as a Gen Z do younger Gen Z look at me like I killed a puppy if I compliment their jacket. Or when I greet them when they come up to me at my job.'

But Gen Z are now fighting back say that they become speechless and glare at others only when someone has asked a 'stupid question'.

Gen Z are now hitting back at claims they just 'stare' at people rather than speaking to them (pictured, Sophie Louise Ashmore)

Efe Ahworegba, 19, made a viral TikTok video explaining the Gen Z stare, which racked up a whopping three million likes.

She said: 'Fair, a lot of Gen Z don't know how to talk to people.

'But a lot of older generations talk too much, too rudely and too proudly while being too stupid. You have to work in the food to fully grasp how stupid people can be.

'I've had a person get mad at me because their iced tea was too cold. I really don't know what these people want from me. Of course I'm going to start staring at you like you're dumb.'

Sophie Louise Ashmore, from north west England, also struck back at the claims that Gen Z cannot communicate on her TikTok account.

The 22-year-old - who seemingly works in a customer service role - appeared to hit out at shoppers who aren't able to answer her questions properly.

She said: 'Gen Z stare but I asked you cash or card and you said 'yep'.' She then captioned the video: 'Don't even'.

Similarly, TikToker Bella Mia wanted to put her 'two cents in' about the Gen Z stare and said that she understands why the younger generation mutes themselves in awkward situations.

'How can you not expect people to look at you like the way we do when you ask questions like this,' she said.

One TikToker claimed that she had used the 'Gen Z stare' numerous times during her shift

TikToker Bella Mia wanted to put her 'two cents in' about the Gen Z stare and said that she understands why the younger generation mutes themselves in awkward situations

Over the past couple of weeks, social media users of all ages have turned to the likes of Instagram, TikTok and X to talk about 'the Gen Z stare'

The content creator then mimicked a conversation of a past customer who asked for an 'extra hot Americano', despite her saying she 'cannot boil water past boiling point'.

She ended the video by saying: 'How do you not expect me to look at you like a d***head when you ask me stupid questions?'

Olivia Wrighty also involved herself in the debate and said on her social media account: 'Gen Z stare because working in UK retail and hospitality is literal hell and I am just trying to pay my bills without throwing hands at the stupidity of the general public.'

She added: 'Sometimes we've just got to say it in our heads.'

The Gen Z stare has also made its way into notable television shows, such as HBO Max's And Just Like That...'

In season two, Charlotte York-Goldenblatt, who is in her fifties, is seen desperately trying to get a Chanel dress back that her daughter mistakenly sold to a store.

Gen Z are now fighting back say that they become speechless and glare at others only when someone is acting irrationally or asking a obvious question

She attempted to get the young store clerk to sympathise and help her with her situation but instead became frustrated at her lack of customer service skills.

In the show, the employee, named Eden, stared at her blankly and replied with 'I don't know' to numerous questions until Charlotte snapped, telling her 'watch her tone' and even threatened legal action.

An X user speculated whether Millennials were actually the reason behind the Gen Z stare.

They wrote: 'Is the Gen Z stare thing just Millennials ageing into complaining that young retail and hospitality workers don't treat them like royalty?'

Someone then responded: 'I think we're so used to this dynamic we're missing what the new era of tech meditation has actually done to face to face communication.'

American psychologist Jean Twenge, also believes Gen Z's changing social behaviours are down to them spending more time online and less time honing their communication skills.

She told the New York Times: 'Social skills take thousands and thousands of hours to develop and adolescence is a critical period for developing social skills. And Gen Z has spent much less time with their peers in person during that critical stage.'
Sweet-faced Lydia Crouch, dressed as a Greek goddess and smiling shyly for the camera, is the image of her late mum Caroline.

It is a profound relief to her maternal grandparents that she also shares her mother's kind heart and caring personality.

'She seems to have inherited Caroline's intrinsic goodness and this is all I care about,' says her grandfather, retired engineer David Crouch.

'Nothing will ever assuage the pain of my daughter's death but I have great hopes for Lydia. She is sustaining us through a bleak and empty future.'

Lydia recently turned five years old  she celebrated this small milestone with a pool party for all her classmates  and with her sunny disposition she is as happy and popular as she is blissfully unaware of the unspeakable tragedy that overshadows her young life.

Just over four years ago, on May 11, 2021, her father, Greek helicopter pilot Babis Anagnostopoulos, suffocated his wife  Lydia's mother  as she slept in their home in an exclusive enclave in Athens. It was a murder so abhorrent, so cowardly, so cynically orchestrated, that it shocked the world.

Anagnostopoulos, 37, now serving 27 years in a Greek jail for his crime, protested his innocence for more than a month, claiming robbers had broken into their home, killing the family dog, stealing 10,000 cash and 20,000 worth of jewellery, then suffocating Caroline.

In fact, Anagnostopoulos faked the break-in, hanging their rescue puppy Roxy by its lead before smothering his wife. He then placed 11-month-old Lydia on the bed beside her mother's lifeless body before binding his own hands and covering his mouth with duct tape.

Caroline Crouch with her baby daughter, Lydia, and her husband and killer, Babis Anagnostopoulos

Lydia now lives with her grandmother and is close to her extended family

Today, British-born David, 82, who lives on the Greek island of Alonnisos where he and his Filipina wife Susan, 60, raised Caroline  just 19 when her promising young life was so cruelly cut short  sheds fresh light on the possible motive for his daughter's murder, which Anagnostopoulos has always attributed, improbably, to a 'brain storm'.

Instead, David believes his daughter's killer was involved with a gang of ruthless drug-traffickers.

His evidence is a letter he says Anagnostopoulos wrote to Susan  begging forgiveness and explaining how he got involved with the gang  which his parents smuggled out of the prison where their son is incarcerated.

And as David releases his adorable photo of his 'little treasure' Lydia, exclusively to the Daily Mail, he also sends heartfelt thanks to our generous readers, as well as to EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, for helping to fund her education at a private school near to her home, through many hundreds of donations.

Lydia was still just a toddler when David and Susan, granted care of their granddaughter after Caroline's murder, decided she should be raised in Susan's native Philippines.

It is there  in the small seaside town where Susan herself grew up, far removed from Greece and its painful associations  that Lydia now lives with her grandmother, surrounded by her loving extended family of great aunts, aunts (Caroline's half-sisters, to whom she was close) and young cousins.

That David is not also with Lydia is a profound sadness to him. Since Caroline's death, the enormity of the Crouches' shared tragedy has put an intolerable strain on their marriage. Susan is now estranged from him but he hopes the separation is temporary and they remain in communication about Lydia.

But their mourning took different forms. David wanted to talk and shared his memories of Caroline with me in an interview soon after her murder. He was voluble about the daughter who was sporty and academic, and who brought so much joy to his retirement.

'She was presented with the scholar-of-the-year award by the island's mayor so often it became quite embarrassing,' he tells me.

Susan, meanwhile, retreated into silence. She has always been too consumed by her sorrow to contemplate talking about it. Her life has revolved round the care of Lydia.

She drew comfort from her granddaughter's proximity, sleeping with her in Caroline's girlhood bed each night when she was a toddler, posters of her favourite band, One Direction, looking over them.

Lydia, in those early months, 'clung to her grandmother like a limpet'. Now she is a lively, independent schoolgirl. Attending lessons in the Philippines with pupils drawn from a large international community, she has been told she was born in Greece, and only that her mother has died.

'She has no concept of what that means and accepts it without comment,' says David.

Anagnostopoulos speaks to the press after his wife was found dead in their home

He suffocated Caroline as she slept in their home in an exclusive enclave in Athens

A few months back, her class celebrated the United Nations, inviting pupils to come to school in the traditional dress of their country.

'Neither Susan nor I had any idea what the traditional Greek dress for a girl might be but we had seen plenty of pictures of Greek goddesses. So that is how Lydia dressed for her photo, and to avoid confusion with goddesses from any other part of the world, she wore a sash saying 'Greece',' he says.

He describes the little girl's daily rituals: 'She walks to school with Susan every day unless it's raining, when Susan drives her. She expresses no curiosity as to why she looks different from other children in the town  who have straight, jet-black hair, while hers is mid-brown and wavy  any more than do the other children at her school.

'Nor does she express any wonder at the fuss shopkeepers and other locals make over her because of her light hair and complexion.'

Ever-present, however, is the shadow of Caroline's murder and the harrowing fact that Lydia's father killed her. As she grows up, enveloped by love, David is acutely aware that these stark, unbearable truths will inevitably intrude on her young life at some point.

He is frankly at a loss as to how the subject will be raised.

'At some time in the future she is going to have to be told the truth about her mother's demise and her father's part in it. I can't imagine how that subject can possibly be broached, other than slowly and with the greatest sensitivity.

'My only consolation is that she will never meet her father. I will ensure she never does.'

He is adamant about this. 'He will be required to serve at least another 24 years in prison before he can be considered for parole, but I hope he will rot there.'

The question of a motive for the murder has always hovered, unresolved, behind the faked robbery intended to put police off the scent.

Anagnostopoulos had initially played the grieving widower, crying so copiously and convincingly at Caroline's memorial service that David felt acutely sorry for him.

But even as he wept and pretended to comfort Susan, police, realising his alibi was contradicted by data on Caroline's smartphone, were gathering evidence that he was the perpetrator. He was arrested during the service.

David reveals now that in the interval between Anagnostopoulos's conviction in 2022 and his appeal in September 2023  which upheld the verdict  he wrote a letter to Susan from his high-security prison, smuggled out on a memory stick and printed by his parents.

'It was delivered to my door by his father,' David recalls. 'It was the letter of a coward, a weak man begging for forgiveness; someone who only had the balls to attack my daughter when she was asleep.

'In the letter, he attempted to apologise for killing our daughter and he also explained how he had become involved with a gang trafficking drugs, and the tragic consequences when he tried to extricate himself from their clutches.'

Anagnostopoulos was a helicopter pilot whose principal job was flying people around the Greek islands  but he said he was lured by the offer of big money to courier a consignment of drugs.

'In the early part of 2021 he was introduced to members of a drug-trafficking gang by the owner of a local restaurant,' says David. 'They told him that they needed him to do one job for them for which he would be highly paid and Anagnostopoulos, not being the sharpest knife in the drawer, didn't realise that with this type of a deal, once you are in, you are in for life.

'When he got home that night he immediately boasted to Caroline about how he was going to make them both rich. Caroline, of course, went crazy. She wanted nothing to do with drugs or any money that might be earned trafficking them.

'She told him that he must contact the gang and tell them that his wife had forbidden him to have anything more to do with them. If he didn't do this, she would take their daughter Lydia and go to the live with her sister in the Philippines and he would see neither of them again.

'He duly contacted the gang and told them this. They explained to him that in their business, once you were in, you were in for ever. And they said he must silence his wife, permanently. If he didn't, the gang would kill the whole family, including him and baby Lydia.

'So he came up with his plan [to murder his wife and claim robbers had done it]. It was a plan that only someone as stupid as him would countenance.'

The owner of the restaurant who had allegedly introduced Anagnostopoulos to the gang, was found dead from a gunshot wound, a pistol by his body, at about the same time. Police said it was suicide  David has always believed he was murdered.

Anagnostopoulos has denied writing the letter or having it sent to the Crouches' home, while his parents have also sworn they had no part in its delivery, claiming that David  delusional with grief  made it up.

He, however, stands resolutely by the truth of it.

The memories with which he lives, mingle intense happiness with the worst level of trauma. It will always be an uncomfortable juxtaposition. He is comforted by the memorial service, held annually on the anniversary of Caroline's death at her graveside, bedecked with white blooms.

The marble grave, overlooking the sea, is in a small cemetery just 80 yards from his home.

The Crouches had built their home on the island and moved there in 2003 when Caroline  a British citizen born in Athens  was a toddler.

She spent a blissful childhood there, in their whitewashed villa with its wide, shaded veranda and views of the glittering Aegean Sea.

Originally from Liverpool, David thought sleepy Alonnisos, with its steep cobbled streets, shady tavernas and slow pace of life would be a safe haven. Now its beauty has been soured.

'This summer I shall put my house back on the market; with sadness,' David says. 'It holds many beautiful memories for me. I will move to mainland Greece, by the sea.'

He will still keep up with Lydia's progress through Susan.

His tender memories cannot be erased but the aching loss he feels  although mitigated by his bright and beautiful granddaughter  will never really lift.
The murder is laid bare in the latest episode of ID's A Killer Among Friends

A teenager raped and murdered his best friend in her bed before joining his victim's parents in their grief just hours later like nothing had happened.

Daniel Bartelt, who was 19 at the time, killed 19-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Jessie Blodgett in the summer of 2013.

Hours before her death, promising young musician Blodgett had been partying with her friends and fellow cast members of the Fiddler on the Roof production she had been starring in.

On the night of the slaying, Bartelt snuck into her family home in Hartford, Wisconsin, where he sexually assaulted her and strangled her before then fleeing the scene.

With no sign of a forced entry, Blodgett's death sparked a major whodunnit within her friendship group of fellow actors, with many of them completely at a loss at who could be behind the heinous act.

Blodgett's death is put under the microscope in ID's latest episode of A Killer Among Friends, which reveals Bartelt had been behind another senseless act before he killed his best friend  but it also exposes his chilling behavior in the hours that followed.

On July 15, Blodgett's mom had found her dead in her bed and immediately called the emergency services.

Hours after murder, a group of Blodgett's friends  including Bartelt  returned to the site of the killing to comfort her parents amid their grief.

Daniel Bartelt killed 19-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Jessie Blodgett in the summer of 2013

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Blodgett was an avid musician and just 19 at the time of her death

At this point in time, nobody knew who the killer could be.

'It became tough to conceptualize who could have done this thing,' friend Ian said in the episode.

'Every person that surrounded Jessie was of, what I thought to be, great character because she bonded with great people.

'So, every stranger was a suspect and every person on the street could be guilty.'

Bartelt had been at the Blodgetts' house sharing memories of the victim when he was called to come in for questioning by cops at the station.

His interrogation, however, didn't raise alarm bells among his friends as they didn't suspect he had anything to do with her death.

'We expected him to be questioned because he was close to Jessie,' Jackie, another friend in the group, said.

'And when we dropped him off, he said, okay, maybe you can come and pick me up in 30 minutes?'

Hours after he killed her, Bartelt comforted his victim's parents as they grieved her death

And in the lead up to the murder, Bartelt had attacked an unknown woman in a park with a knife

'We drove back to the police station to pick him up and we were met outside by a police officer asking if we were there for Dan. He had said, "we can't release Dan, he's being detained.'"

The friends were left in a state of shock after learning that Bartelt had been detained.

'We couldn't picture Dan being the type of person who did this,' Ian added.

And like the friend group, Blodgett's dad, Buck, refused to believe Bartelt was his daughter's killer  especially given that he had joined him just hours after her life was taken.

Sharing his initial doubt in the episode, he said: 'It's not Dan, he's never been in any trouble at school or the law, that we know of.

'Jessie and Dan sit together at school; he was a straight A student... they would write songs together and sing together, he was welcome in our home.

'He was just over, the day after Jessie's murder, sharing hugs and memories and tears with us until his phone rang and he was called in for questioning.'

While being completely devastated by his daughter's death, Buck was still somehow able to have compassion for her killer.

'Our first reaction wasn't, "we hate this kid," it was "oh my God, what happened to Dan?"' he said.

Blodgett was a promising young musician and had just completed a run in Fiddler on the Roof

She was best friends with her killer and wrote music with him

Blodgett's dad, Buck, revealed his shock at learning who his daughter's killer was - especially because he had been at the house comforting him

After a 16-day police investigation, Bartelt was charged with Blodgett's murder, and in August 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

He also pled guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment for tackling an unknown woman in a park to the ground while he wielded a knife just days before the murder, on July 12, 2013.

When questioned by cops over the attack, he explained that it was a 'spur of the moment decision' and that he wanted to 'scare' the victim.

For the attack, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and five years' extended supervision, to be served consecutively to his life sentence.

To this day, Bartelt's motive for killing Blodgett's is unclear and he has maintained his innocence.

After being convicted, he addressed Blodgett's parents, Buck and Joy, in the courtroom.

Speaking to them, he said: 'I can't give you the answers that you're looking for.

'I pray for you, for all of you, and I hope that  I believe that  someday we will be before a court that will know that my conscience is clear.'

A Killer Among Friends airs Mondays at 10/9c on ID, with new episodes weekly. Episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max.
The billion-dollar tech firm CEO seen cozying up to a female colleague at a Coldplay concert gushed about the 'perfect' new hire in a press release - before astonishing kiss cam footage saw them huddling up in a viral TikTok.

Andrew Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, was broadcast on the big screen at Boston's Gillette Stadium with his arm around the company's HR chief Kristin Cabot during the band's gig on Tuesday night.

As public records suggest that both are married - but living at different addresses to each of their spouses registered abodes - it sparked a frenzy of memes on social media.

And now, a press release announcing Kristin's appointment in November has resurfaced - featuring lauded praise from Andy, who is also facing renewed backlash about prior allegations that he 'lashed out' at employees in his previous job.

'At Astronomer, our people are the most valuable asset in helping our customers do more to gain a competitive advantage with their data,' he said in a statement.

'Kristin's exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory.

'She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.'

Meanwhile, Kristin explained that she 'preferred to think of her role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy'.

The billion-dollar tech firm CEO seen cozying up to a female colleague at a Coldplay concert gushed about the 'perfect' new hire in a press release - before astonishing kiss cam footage saw them huddling up in a viral TikTok

And now, a press release announcing Kristin's appointment in November has resurfaced - featuring lauded praise from Andy, who is also facing renewed backlash about prior allegations that he 'lashed out' at employees in his previous job

Meanwhile, Kristin (pictured) explained that she 'preferred to think of her role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy'

'There are plenty of companies out there where a leadership team doesn't recognize the value that a strong people leader and people team can bring to a company,' she added.

'It's not just about benefits or catered lunches. There's so much more to it, and I was energized in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here.'

Kristin is huge in the world of HR - and has 'a proven track record of preserving and enriching company culture at organizations experiencing rapid growth'.

Andy is also facing scrutiny for claims about his allegedly unpopular management style from seven years ago.

According to a 2018 article from The Information, staff were left in 'turmoil' after he was made Chief Revenue Officer at tech security firm Cybereason, which was set up by former Israeli intelligence officials.

Within a year of being hired, Andy was reportedly 'lashing out against employees who disagreed with him' and 'threatening to fire them', as one former employee claimed: 'You couldn't challenge him'.

Insiders said that he contributed to a '180 on the culture' at work. 'People loved the company,' one stated. 'Now they hate it.'

As workers started to leave, Andy then was said to have brought in staff from his old company, Fuze.

Andy (pictured) is also facing scrutiny for claims about his allegedly unpopular management style from seven years ago

Commenting on the situation to the outlet, Andy claimed he was 'hired to help Cybereason reach its next phase of growth, which required change and "difficult decisions" that may have "disappointed some individuals"'. He denied that any interactions with staff were 'contentious'.

Then-CEO Lior Div described him as a 'very solid sales leader' and also denied that there were any 'cultural' problems with him.

Andy became CEO of Astronomer in 2023, and the startup rapidly grew under his tenure including a reported 292% growth in revenue for its 'Astro' platform that year.

The startup has been valued at over $1 billion, and last week Andy had appeared on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) TV to celebrate the company.

Astronomer raised $93 million in its Series D round of financing, which Andy described as 'a huge opportunity' and 'very exciting' for the firm.

FEMAIL has reached out to Andy and Astronomer for comment.

Years later, Andy has once again found himself embroiled in controversy - as Chris Martin had the internet in stitches after catching the camera-shy couple by surprise and joked that they were 'either having an affair' or were just very bashful.

'Oh look at these two! Oh what?' he exclaimed in a video shared to TikTok - which has now racked up more than 5.8 million views - as they covered their faces and dived behind the barrier.

Memes abounded, with many thanking Coldplay for 'bringing the whole internet together for one day'

The duo, who were embracing one another as they swayed to the music and smiled, suddenly appeared in the footage projected across to the whole audience.

Embarrassed, the woman covered her face as she walked away from the viewpoint, while the man ducked down quickly - as the musician, 48, made his quip.

Memes abounded, with many thanking Coldplay for 'bringing the whole internet together for one day.'

'I would like to thank Coldplay for bringing the nation together. For a day, you fixed us,' wrote another, while a third posted an image of Fred and Wilma Flinstone in a similar pose to the one Byron and Cabot were caught in on the kiss cam.

'Coldplay's Cameraman is a gem!' giggled an X user over a photo of a cameraman with Leonardo DiCaprio's cackling face in Django Unchained.

'Next Board Meeting at Astronomer,' wrote another, over a still of Jonah Hill presenting a professional chart to Brad Pitt in Moneyball - only with the chart covered up by a grab of Byron with his arm around Cabot.

'Its the most rock n roll thing Coldplays ever done,' marveled one observer as another chortled: 'I bet Coldplay will create a new song in honor of the couple in question.'

'Who did it better?' vamped an Instagram user, comparing Byron holding Cabot to Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) holding Rose (Kate Winslet) from behind in the 'I'm flying!' scene from Titanic.

One X user posted a picture of Martin at the piano with the quip: 'a CEO hates to see this man coming.'

MailOnline has reached out to Andy, Kristin and Astronomer for comment.
Katie's son was later diagnosed with shingles which is a painful rash

Katie Radford has revealed her baby son was worryingly sick with a mystery illnes.

The daughter of parents-of-22 Sue and Noel Radford, from Morecambe, Lancashire, gave birth to her first child, Ronnie Hudson Carter, in October last year.

But Katie - who has starred on the Channel 5 show 22 Kids & Counting - took to Instagram to beg for help after she noticed that something wasn't quite right with her baby son.

She called NHS number 111 to ask for advice on what her son's worrying symptoms could be, after Ronnie wasn't 'calming down'.

Katie said on her Instagram story: 'Thank you everyone for all your messages. I rang 111 as he was so unsettled this morning, nothing would calm him down other than a bath.'

She said he was later diagnosed with shingles, which is an infection that causes a painful rash.

The NHS advises people to ring 111 or get advice from their pharmacist 'as soon as possible' if they suspect someone has shingles.

Katie - who has starred on the Channel 5 show 22 Kids & Counting - appeared to beg for help after she noticed that something wasn't quite right with her baby son

However, Katie also hit out at two medics who told her that Ronnie's symptoms were 'nothing'.

She said: 'Let this be your reminder to always listen to your gut. I've seen two doctors and got told it was nothing and then after today being sent to the hospital and [they've] said it's shingles!!!'

The mother-of-one shared the alarming statement on Instagram alongside a picture of her son resting in bed.

Although the rash cannot be passed to others, they might catch chickenpox as shingles is caused by the same virus.

The NHS therefore recommends that those with shingles to avoid coming in contact with anyone who is pregnant, has a weakened immune system, babies less than one month old or people who have not had chickenpox before.

Noel first found out their daughter Katie was pregnant after he discovered a positive test in the family home and realised that it must belong to Katie.

At the same time, Noel was planning to whisk Sue away for their 32nd wedding anniversary and accidentally booked a holiday abroad which coincided with Katie's due date.

Their trip to Dubai fell three weeks before Katie gave birth.

The daughter of Sue and Noel Radford , from Morecambe, Lancashire, gave birth to her first child, Ronnie Hudson Carter, in October last year

Katie called NHS number 111 to ask for advice on what her son's worrying symptoms could be, after Ronnie wasn't calming down

However, Ronnie was born early while Sue and Noel were on the flight from Manchester to Dubai, which meant they missed the birth of their grandchild.

At the beginning of a 22 Kids and Counting episode, Katie and Connor are seen struggling to navigate the life-changing news that they are expecting their first child.

The discovery is a shock to Katie, who hadn't planned to fall pregnant with her partner of six years.

WHAT IS SHINGLES? Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash. The first signs of shingles can be: A tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin

A headache or feeling generally unwell A rash will usually appear a few days later. In rare cases shingles can cause pain without a rash. Usually the rash appears as blotches on the chest and tummy but it can appear anyway on the body, including on your face, eyes and genitals. Source: NHS Advertisement

Described as the 'most predictable couple' in the family, the two are shocked to find out that their family is about to become three.

'Me and Connor, we like a simple life,' says Katie. 'No surprises, I like to know I'm doing. Me and Connor do like a routine.'

Connor adds: 'I feel like I'm still a kid. I know I'm not but I still act like a kid. I've not grown up yet,' said the hopeful but anxious father-to-be.

But Katie made up for Connor's uncertainty. 'He might have doubt but I don't. Connor, you're going to be an amazing dad,' she says in a heartfelt scene.

And fears quickly turn to excitement when the couple when the couple has their first scan.

'She could go weeks before and that would be when we're out there,' Sue worries.

Trying to reassure her, Noel says: 'It's the first one, they never come early do they. Everything has been booked and paid for - flights, hotels, airport transfer. Don't flap, we'll be fine.'

But things quickly turn sour as Sue insists 'we can't go', arguing she doesn't 'feel comfortable' making the journey as such a time.

With Katie's seal of approval, the couple decide to embark on the adventure anyway - but Sue's worst fears are realised when her 22-year-old daughter goes into labour while she and Noel are on the flight to Dubai.

In a tense scene, a panicked Katie calls Connor and says: 'I can't get through to mum and dad, none of my messages are delivering. I'm absolutely petrified.'

With her parents having just arrived in Dubai, Katie fears that her mother won't be there for the birth.

Immediately jumping on the next flight, Sue and Noel head back towards the airport to return home for the birth of their grandchild.

However, by the time the couple lands back in Manchester, baby Ronnie Hudson has already arrived.

Arriving back too late for hospital visits, Sue and Noel head back to the family home where they attempt to get some rest before meeting the baby. The next morning, Sue reveals she was 'tossing and turning all night' with excitement for meeting the baby.

In a heartwarming moment, Sue finally has the chance to meet the little one. 'I was barely still awake but when I held him for the first time, all that stress of getting back on the flight and everything, was so worth it,' she recalls.

'You don't get those moments again,' adds Noel.

'Bringing a baby into the Radford house, it didn't feel real that it was me and not somebody else - or my mum,' Katie says.
Zendaya had the perfect response to the haters back in 2015

Zendaya's brilliant takedown of cyber bullies targeting her parents has resurfaced one decade later.

In 2015, a Twitter troll posted a picture of the 28-year-old Euphoria actress' mother and father, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu, branding the pair 'ugly.'

A young Zendaya, who was just 18 at the time, responded by posting a note to the social media site after a barrage of nasty keyboard warriors escalated the derogatory comments.

Addressing the haters, she wrote: 'While you're so concerned about what my parents look like, please know that these are two of the most selfless people in the world.

'They have chosen to spend their entire life not worried about trivial things such as looks and insulting people's parents on Twitter but instead became educators who have dedicated their lives to teaching, cultivating and filling young shallow mind.'

As she continued, Zendaya urged the trolls to 'please, log out, go to school, hug a teacher and read a textbook and while you're at it, go look in the mirror and know that you too are beautiful, because such hateful things only stem from internal struggles. Bless you.'

Zendaya is the only child of Claire and Kazembe, although her father has six older children from his previous relationships.

The former couple divorced when the star was a child although she previously revealed that her parents are 'still homies.'

Zendaya's takedown of cyber bullies targeting her parents has resurfaced one decade later

The actress with her parents Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Stoermer (pictured in 2013)

California born Zendaya has a close bond with both of her parents, so close in fact that her dad is also her manager.

Last April, Zendaya opened up about her 'complicated feelings' about growing up in the public eye since getting cast as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up.

The Oakland native, who was a two-time Emmy winner by 27, reflected on her struggles with anxiety after being put in a 'very adult position' as her family's breadwinner before becoming a legal adult.

When asked what her career goals were growing up during an interview with Vogue, the Euphoria star admitted that she finds the question a bit 'funny' as it's something that she is still trying to figure out now.

'I don't know how much of a choice I had. I have complicated feelings about kids and fame and being in the public eye, or being a child actor,' she explained.

'We've seen a lot of cases of it being detrimental.'

As an adult, she said she has found herself thinking: 'Oh, okay, wait a minute: I've only ever done what I've known, and this [acting] is all I've known.'

'I'm almost going through my angsty teenager phase now, because I didn't really have the time to do it before,' she mused.

Zendaya's parents, who separated in 2016, both worked as school teachers (pictured in 2013)

Zendaya urged trolls to 'look in the mirror and know that you too are beautiful, because such hateful things only stem from internal struggles'

While looking back at her adolescence, Zendaya said: 'I felt like I was thrust into a very adult position: I was becoming the breadwinner of my family very early.'

'There was a lot of role-reversal happening, and just kind of becoming grown, really,' she noted.

Additionally, she felt a lot of pressure to become 'this perfect being and be everything that everyone needs' her to be and live up to.

The pressure and expectations, still, make it difficult for her to live in the moment or, even, enjoy her current success.

'Now, when I have these moments in my career  like, my first time leading a film that's actually going to be in a theater  I feel like I shrink, and I can't enjoy all the things that are happening to me, because I'm like this,' she said while balling up her fists. 'I'm very tense.'
While most passengers worry their luggage won't make it to their destination, some travelers on a New York bound flight suffered a fate somehow even worse.

Virgin Atlantic passengers landing in John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this week were shocked to be greeted with a rancid smell at the carousel before discovering that their suitcases were covered in a mysterious substance.

'You arrive in New York on a Virgin Atlantic flight and they've emptied the plane toilet (poo and wee) on your suitcase,' TikTok user Sosan shared in the now viral video.

Footage and pictures posted online showed a series of suitcases that had been flown from London Heathrow to JFK covered in strange light-brown splatters.

'I literally went into shock,' Sosan wrote in a comment on her video. 'I couldn't believe my eyes and nose.' She said the airline didn't make a formal announcement and claimed that there were 'children with poo all over them.'

Another furious passenger unleashed a fiery rant on X, formerly Twitter, writing: 'You are s**t! Literally!'

'How are all these bags covered in human s**t! Floor staff saying they can't provide wipes, new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to "write an email to customer team." All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag,' they raged in a post, along with pictures of their luggage.

Amid the uproar, Virgin Atlantic have been forced to issue a statement, telling DailyMail.com the substance on the bags was not human excrement and it did not come from the aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic passengers landing in John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this week were shocked to be greeted with a rancid smell at the carousel before discovering that their suitcases were covered in a mysterious substance

In an email, the airline said the substance was grease from a broken pipe in the terminal.

'We're aware of a New York JFK system failure that affected the baggage of a small number of arriving customers on July 14,' a spokesperson said. 'We're working closely with the team at JFK and local authorities to ensure the issue is resolved. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to affected customers.'

A video of the affected bags swirling round the carousel has accumulated more than seven million views since it was first posted, with horrified users flocking to the comments.

'Omg. Mental note to always shrink wrap my suitcases. Not very environmentally friendly I know I know. But I HARDLY ever fly and I'm not allowing this to happen to my luggage ever,' a disgusted user wrote.

'Sooooo the workers SAW that, and decided they should go ahead and PICK THEM UP & LOAD THEM on the cart, and then PICK THEM PICK & LOAD THEM on the conveyer belt????? Like nobody ever thinking something is not ok?????' an incredulous user added.

Another added: 'That's considered biohazard waste and is to be handled probably. Call the board of health notify them and ask what else you should do. File a complaint with TSA. Don't touch your bag. A major clean up is required including the carousel.'

Others were doubtful from the start that the mysterious substance was actually human waste.

'This never happened, toilet waste is disposed via a secure waste pipe connected to a specialist truck, waste tank is flushed ready for next flight. Twenty years airport duties, seen it done hundreds of time,' a user claimed.

Footage and pictures posted online showed a series of suitcases that had been flown from London Heathrow to JFK covered in strange light-brown splatters

Amid the uproar, Virgin Atlantic have been forced to issue a statement, telling DailyMail.com the substance on the bags was not human excrement and it did not come from the aircraft

A video of the affected bags swirling round the carousel has accumulated more than seven million views since it was first posted, with horrified users flocking to the comments

Someone else agreed, writing: 'Don't believe this at all. There was a major storm and flooding so it's probably from that.'

Plane toilets are emptied at designated biohazard locations at airports. Once the plane has landed, ground crew members use specialized equipment to empty the tank at the airport's service facility.

As per Flight Radar 24, the toilet waste is stored in a holding tank within the aircraft which is designed to be airtight and secure, and it remains sealed throughout the flight.

It's not the first time fecal matter has disrupted a flight. Last year, a United Airlines flight traveling to San Francisco was forced to turn around in midair and return to Frankfurt after feces flowed from a broken toilet into the cabin filling it with a foul-smelling odor.

United Airlines flight 59, was one hour into its 11hr 30min journey to California when the captain of the Boeing 777-300ER decided the best course of action was to return back to Germany rather than continue to fly across the Atlantic.

FlightAware shows the plane circled for a short time over the North Sea to the east of England while the crew weighed up their options. Technicians were unable to find an immediate solution to the problem.

The smell permeated through the entire aircraft shortly after taking off. Passengers told the contents of the waste tank overflowed and spilled out into the cabin, which only served to worsen the situation.

'On Friday, March 29, United Flight 59 returned to Frankfurt following a maintenance issue with one of the aircraft's lavatories,' a statement by United read.

'The passengers were provided with hotel accommodations overnight in Frankfurt - and were rebooked on a different flight to San Francisco the next day', the statement added.
One of Sydney's most celebrated and unique dining spots is preparing to bid farewell, but not before one last serve of its signature hoppers.

Lankan Filling Station, the award-winning Sri Lankan restaurant in Darlinghurst, is officially closing after a seven-year run.

Owner and chef O Tama Carey made the shock announcement this week, confirming the end of an era that's been filled with fiery curries, punchy sambols, crab curry Sundays, and 'so many hoppers'.

'At this stage, there is no exact end date, but it will be soon, perhaps the end of winter,' O Tama said in a statement.

The much-loved eatery first opened its doors on Riley Street in Sydney's East, in 2018 after two years of market stalls and pop-ups.

It quickly gained cult status for its lacy, bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes - known as hoppers - which fans would tear apart and drag through rich black curry or slow-cooked coconut lentils.

But it wasn't just the food that made Lankan Filling Station a Sydney icon.

With its tiny, atmospheric space and ever-evolving menu, it became a go-to for diners craving something bold, hearty and resembled authentic Sri Lankan home cooking.

After seven years, one of Sydney's most celebrated and unique dining spots Lankan Filling Station, is preparing to close

Owner and chef O Tama Carey made the shock announcement this week, confirming the end of an era that's been filled with fiery curries, punchy sambols, crab curry Sundays, and 'so many hoppers'

The much-loved eatery first opened its doors on Riley Street in Sydney's East, in 2018 after two years of market stalls and pop-ups

The venue earned a coveted hat in every edition of the Good Food Guide since its opening, with the most recent guide describing it as 'a celebration of spices' and praising the depth and complexity of every dish.

'We have changed, adapted and grown. We lived through COVID and the general chaos that comes with a restaurant,' said O Tama.

'We have dealt with superior suppliers, worked with many talented and lovely people, and served, fed and beveraged (sic) so many of you, our excellent customers.'

While no exact date has been confirmed for the final service, diners have been urged to head in over the coming weeks for a last taste of the restaurant's famous flavours.

'Hoppers will still be cooked, lunches and takeaway will continue, crab curry Sundays may make a reappearance, our curry powders will still be stocked and old favourite dishes will make a comeback,' O Tama added.

And while this marks the end of Lankan Filling Station as a physical space, Carey hinted it won't be goodbye forever.

'In Sri Lanka, one doesn't say goodbye,' she said. 'Instead, there is a beautiful phrase which translates to 'I will go now and come back later'. Saying goodbye is far too final and dramatic - which, in this instance, suits me perfectly.'

Adding to the bittersweet news is the announcement of Carey's second cookbook, Lankan Filling, which will be released on September 30.

With its tiny, atmospheric space and ever-evolving menu, it became a go-to for diners craving something bold, hearty and resembled authentic Sri Lankan home cooking

The venue earned a coveted hat in every edition of the Good Food Guide since its opening, with the most recent guide describing it as 'a celebration of spices' and praising the depth and complexity of every dish

She's hinted that the book, and its launch events, will keep the spirit of the restaurant alive long after the final dish is served.

'There will be a launch party and book events and from there, who knows? So, you see, LFS will continue but in yet another form.'

Until then, there's still time for one more crab curry, another spoonful of sambol, and maybe just a few more hoppers, while you still can.
Smokers puff over 78million cigarettes every single day in the UK, concerning research has suggested.

Studies have long shown smoking rates across Britain as a whole have crashed to an all-time low.

But now, researchers in London, who assessed the smoking habits of almost 80,000 Britons, found smokers still had 10 cigarettes per day on average in 2024.

In the worst affected parts of the UK, this rose to 12.

And each smoker on average consumed roughly 528 cigarettes every year28.6 billion per year nationally, the equivalent of 78million per day.

Experts warned that the 'staggering figure' is a 'stark reminder of the deadly toll of inaction'.

Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, also urged the Government 'not to be complacent' in continuing the fight to reduce tobacco rates.

Experts have long said the introduction of modern anti-smoking laws, such as selling cigarettes in plain packaging, are behind the fall in smokers.

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Researchers in London , who assessed the smoking habits of almost 80,000 Britons, found smokers still had 10 cigarettes per day on average in 2024

Other tough measures deployed in the past two decades include slapping graphic warning labels depicting their damaging health effects on all tobacco and banning smoking in restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: 'While great strides have been made to bring down smoking rates, we can't afford to be complacent.

'Every week, around 550 million cigarettes are still smoked in Britainthat's enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. It's vital that everyone, wherever they live, can access the support they need to quit smoking for good.'

Dr Sarah Jackson, research fellow at UCL's Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, added: 'Tackling smoking is not just about preventing uptake among future generations.

'Despite declining smoking rates, over 28 billion cigarettes are still consumed in Great Britain each year, generating up to 140,000 metric tons of toxic, non-biodegradable waste annually.

'Reducing cigarette consumption is critical not only to save lives and narrow health inequalities, but also to protect our environment from one of the most pervasive forms of plastic pollution.'

The 77,796 smokers involved in the University College London study were quizzed on their habitsincluding cigarette consumption and the type of tobacco smoked between 2022 and 2024.

They found adults who smoked, consumed an average of 10.4 cigarettes per day, with 5.5 per cent of those smoking more than 20 a day.

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Researchers also found people in the North East and Scotland smoked the most11.7 eachwhile people in London and the South West smoked the least, with 8.4 and 9.5 cigarettes respectively.

Writing in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, they added: 'Our findings indicate that adults from less advantaged backgrounds who smoke, consumed an average of 11 cigarettes per day, compared with 9.4 per day among those who were more advantaged.

'They were also more likely to smoke heavily, with 6.1 per cent versus 4.6 per cent reporting that they smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day.'

Experts also warned that England could struggle to meet its smoke free target of 5 per cent by 2030 if current trends continue.

Dr Walker said the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was 'a historic opportunity to help stub out the harms of smoking' but it was frustrating that the legislation 'isn't progressing through Parliament as quickly as it should be'.

The legislationwhich cleared the House of Commons in Marchwill prevent anyone born on or after January 1 2009 from legally smoking if it becomes law.

It is set to undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords.

Reacting to the study, Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), also said: 'Since Parliament last debated the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, an estimated 6.7 billion cigarettes have been smoked in the UK.

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'That staggering figure is a stark reminder of the deadly toll of inaction.

'Every day that passes without this legislation is a day lost in protecting our children from addiction and improving public health.

'We urge the Government to make this Bill a priority immediately after summer recess. The country cannot afford further delaythis is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a smoke free future, and it must not be squandered.'

Smoking kills around 78,000 people in the UK every year, with many more living with illnesses due to their habithalf of which are due to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

It is estimated that around 500,000 hospital admissions every year in England are attributable to smoking and that smoking costs the economy 17billion per year.

The 7,000 chemicals in tobaccoincluding tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vesselsare thought to be behind some of the damage smoking inflicts on the heart.

Meanwhile, nicotinea highly addictive toxin found in tobaccois heavily linked with dangerous increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
Cambodia's Royal Ballet to shine at int'l folk dance festival in China's Xinjiang

Xinhua) 09:45, July 18, 2025

A Cambodia's Royal Ballet artist performs at a ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 16, 2025. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, July 17 (Xinhua) -- An art troupe of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia is scheduled to perform at the seventh China Xinjiang International Folk Dance Festival in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to be held from July 20 to Aug. 5.

A ceremony for the art troupe was convened in Phnom Penh on Wednesday evening.

The Royal Ballet, inscribed on the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2003, is a Cambodia's unique classical dance, renowned for its graceful hand gestures and stunning costumes.

Speaking at the event, Lundi Sannara, secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said the upcoming festival is essential to promote cultural exchanges among countries across the world.

"Thanks to support and assistance from China, Cambodia has an opportunity to showcase its ancient culture to Chinese and international audiences at this grand festival in China," she said.

Sannara, who will lead a 37-member art troupe for the festival, said the group will perform at the festival on July 28 and July 29.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said the Royal Ballet is a treasure of Cambodia's millennium culture and a witness and participant of China-Cambodia friendship.

"In 1958, when China and Cambodia established diplomatic relations, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia visited China for the first time at the invitation of then-Premier Zhou Enlai," he said.

Since then, it has been performed in China for many times, making positive contributions to promoting the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Cambodia, he added.

Speaking of the China Xinjiang International Folk Dance Festival, the ambassador said since its inception in 2008, the festival has attracted 138 art troupes from more than 70 countries and regions to participate, becoming a grand event for cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and foreign countries.

"I believe that everyone who goes to Xinjiang for the dance festival will not only feel the sincere friendship of the Chinese people towards Cambodian friends, but also learn from artists from various countries about dance arts, and will definitely return with a lot of gains and honors," Wang said.

Chhim Chansreynoch, a 34-year-old Royal Ballet dancer, said she is thrilled to show Cambodia's unique classical dance to the world at the upcoming event.

"The Royal Ballet represents the identity of Cambodia and is famous for its graceful gestures and beauty," she told Xinhua.

"I hope Chinese people will support our Royal Ballet troupe," she added.

Chan Sreyleak, a 30-year-old Royal Ballet dancer, said the Royal Ballet embodies the traditional values of refinement, respect and spirituality.

"I hope to promote our Royal Ballet to both Chinese and international audiences," she told Xinhua.

"I would like to urge Chinese people, especially those in Xinjiang, to come and enjoy our performance of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia at the upcoming festival. Please don't miss out," she said.

Officials pose for a group photo with Cambodia's Royal Ballet artists in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 16, 2025. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Have YOU used a surrogate to become a parent later in life?

There's been an increase in people aged over 80 using surrogates to become parents later in lifesparking furious backlash from anti-surrogacy campaigners.

Surrogacy is when a woman carries a pregnancy for a coupleor individual who become the child's legal parent after the baby's birth.

Figures released by the Children and Family Court Advisory Service (Cafcass) showed that between 2020 and 2025, a 'handful' of applications were made by octogenarians.

When pressed by The Times, who obtained the data after placing a Freedom of Information Request (FOI), Cafcass refused to reveal exactly how many applications were made by people in their eighties.

They said the figures 'could potentially identify the individuals involved', but clarified that there were fewer than six applications per year during that period.

This means that there could have been a maximum of thirty applications.

The Cafcass data showed there had been 1,991 applications for parental orders between 2020 and 2024.

The data revealed an overall increase in older people applying for legal parent status of babies born through surrogacy.

Older people are using surrogates to start families, despite their child-bearing days being long behind them (file photo)

There were 416 parental order applications from males and females in their fifties between 2020 and 2025, and 43 from men in their sixties.

There was also an upward trend in applications made by men in their fifties, with 44 in 2020 and 95 in 2025.

Helen Gibson, founder of the campaign group Surrogacy Concern, said: 'We are appalled to see parental order applications for surrogate-born babies being made by people in their sixties, seventies and eighties  there can be no justification for such a selfish act.

'It is even more concerning to see that these figures are rising consistently year by year.

'There is no upper age limit for parental orders or pursuit of surrogacy in the UK or in the majority of countries British people are travelling to in order to have surrogate-born children.

'It is ludicrous that people can obtain parental orders for surrogate-born children decades after their natural childbearing years have ended.

'Government must strongly consider whether or not any of this is in the childs interests.

'Most surrogacy cases which come before our courts are now dominated by foreign cases, usually babies born to mothers in commercial surrogacy arrangements which would be illegal in the UK, and increasingly to older parents.

Anti-surrogacy campaigners want an age limit placed on people who can use surrogacy (file photo)

'The Government must act urgently to empower the courts to block these parental order applications and ban the pursuit of surrogacy abroad by Britons.'

In May, a couple in their 70s were granted a court order to become the legal parents of a 14-month-old surrogate baby boydespite a judge's concerns they could die before the child reaches 18.

The husband and wife, both aged 72, applied to the courts for a parental order in July after the baby was born six months earlier to a surrogate in California using the husband's sperm and a donor egg.

In a written judgment handed down in the family division of the High Court, it said the application by the couple - referred to only as Mr and Mrs K - was allowed on March 28.

Mrs Justice Knowles said that she had made her judgment public because it raised an important welfare issue and offers some advice for those who may, in future, engage in a foreign or other surrogacy arrangement.

She added that it was an undeniable fact that when the child - referred to as B - started primary school, Mr and Mrs K would be both aged 76.

Put starkly, Mr and Mrs K will both be 89 years old when B reaches his majority [18 years old], she said.

Mr and Mrs K paid just over 151,000 to the surrogate mother and the agency, of which just 24,635 was deemed to be reasonably incurred by the court, according to the judgement.

There has also been an increase in people in their 50s using surrogates to welcome a baby (file photo)

There is no legal age limit for so-called intended parents in surrogacy arrangements in the UK, but campaigners have condemned the trend of older people having babies through surrogates.

Lexi Ellingsworth, co-founder at Stop Surrogacy Now UK, said this case demonstrates the flaws in the current law when it comes to surrogacy arrangements in the UK.

She added: There are no upper age limits for commissioning parents in the UK, or for surrogate mothers, and the parental order pathway would continue to allow Britons to go abroad to buy babies.

This appalling loophole which enables people to get around our domestic ban on commercial surrogacy practices must be closed by the Government immediately.

Surrogacy is legal in the UK, but the law prevents commercial arrangements, meaning it is illegal to advertise for a surrogate mother or pay her more than 'reasonable expenses'.

Under British law, the surrogate mother is treated as the legal mother at birth and any husband or partner she has as the father.

Couples in surrogacy arrangements can apply to a court within six months of the child's birth for a 'parental order' to acquire parenthood.

These extinguish the status of the surrogate mother and grant parental status to the couple. A new birth certificate can then be issued.

However courts in the UK must assess what has been paid to the surrogate mother, as part of the process.

If more than 'reasonable expenses' were paid, the court has to authorise the payment  but one has never before refused to authorise a payment because it would ultimately jeopardise the wellbeing of the child.

According to Brilliantbeginnings.co.uk, in the US - where commercialised surrogacy is legal - surrogate mothers can be paid $20,000 to $30,000.

In the UK, which has an 'altruistic' system, surrogates are paid around 12,000 to 15,000.
READ MORE: Urgent recall for salad ingredient sold in US that could kill if eaten

Ready-to-eat chicken sausages have been recalled nationwide over fears of throat lacerations, health officials announced.

Massachusetts-based Kayem Foods Inc has voluntarily recalled 24,000 pounds of its 'All Natural Al Fresco Chicken Sausage Sweet Apple with Vermont Maple Syrup' after customers reported finding white pieces of plastic inside of them.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Thursday it is 'concerned that some products may be in consumers refrigerators or freezers.'

'The problem was discovered after the firm notified (USDA-Food Safety Inspection Service) that it received three consumer complaints reporting white pieces of plastic in the chicken sausage products,' the agency said.

Affected products were produced on June 28, 2025, and have a use- or freeze-by date of October 1, 2025.

Each 11-ounce package contains four sausages and has the lot code 179 printed on the back package label. They also have 'P-7839' printed on the inside of the USDA mark of inspection.

The sausages were sold at Walmart and other retailers in 26 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico.

No injuries have been reported. FSIS urged customers concerned about potential injuries to contact their doctor.

Over 24,000 pounds of sausages have been recalled due to foreign material (stock image)

Pictured above is the label on the recalled products

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FSIS is urging customers who have purchased the affected products to not consume them. They should instead toss the sausages out or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Any potential foreign material that has possibly made its way into the chicken sausages could pose a choking hazard to consumers.

Roughly 5,000 Americans die from choking every year, the majority of whom are children and the elderly due to difficulty swallowing.

It's unclear how the products became contaminated.

This usually happens due to fragments falling off machines during processing or improper sealing of the packaging.

The recall is the latest in a series of those tied to foreign materials that have somehow made their way into food.

Earlier this month, grocery store giant Publix issued two recalls of its ground beef products within a week due to foreign material.

These recalls impacted the chain's locations at the Limestone Marketplace Publix in Gainesville, Georgia, and in the Abernathy Square Shopping Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

And in May the chain was at the center of a baby food recall over fears the products were contaminated with lead.

No illnesses were reported for either Publix recall.

The FSIS urged customers with questions about the Kayem Foods recall to contact Joellen West at 617-889-1600 x247 or jwest@kayem.com.

Another sausage brand was recalled in April for the same issue.

Johnsonville recalled its cheddar bratwursts, sold in groups of five in sealed firm tray packages.

At least two customers reported plastic in their sausages, although no injuries occurred.

The sausages were produced on February 5 and are no longer on shelves, but officials fear some could still be lurking in freezers. They were sold in 10 states.

Anyone who has the affected sausages is being urged to throw them out or return them to stores for a full refund.

Another sausage brand was recalled in April for the same issue. Johnsonville recalled its cheddar bratwursts, sold in groups of five in sealed firm tray packages (STOCK)

It follows an urgent recall for Tony's Chocolonely chocolates over fears that they too could contain 'hard or sharp foreign objects.'

The states include Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Recalled sausages have a package code 'B9FOD' and an establishment number of 'Est 1647' on the label.

Johnsonville reported the contamination to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which revealed the recall.

Officials said: '[We] are concerned that some product may be in consumers' freezers.

'Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.'

Johnsonville is a highly popular sausage brand in the US, and is sold in more than 45 countries worldwide.

It is also the largest sausage brand in the US by revenue, making more than $1billion annually.
A leading Government body has warned people having anti-wrinkle injections that an unlicensed 'Botox-like product' is behind a spate of botulism poisoning cases.

Health chiefs at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an alert on Friday afternoon.

It comes after nearly 40 people attended NHS healthcare settings with adverse reactions to cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin over the past month.

Reported reactions have included difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and breathing difficulty requiring respiratory support.

All of the procedures were carried out in the East of England and East Midlands.

The UKHSA said in a statement: 'Investigations are ongoing but evidence so far suggests the use of an unlicensed Botox-like product.

'It is understood that those practitioners involved in this latest incident have ceased the procedure and are co-operating with the ongoing investigation.'

The cases are in addition to those recently diagnosed in the North East region and at not believed to be connected at this time.

The outbreak is suspected to be connected to an 'unlicensed Botox-like product' (file photo)

A close up of botulinum bacteria, which in extreme cases, can cause death

The UKHSA is also advising people to make sure they take precautions when seeking aesthetic procedures, including checking if the product being used is licensed.

It has also issued national advice to clinicians to ensure that they look out for botulism in people who may have had a recent aesthetic procedure in order to provide them appropriate treatment which includes giving anti-toxin.

'Botox' is the most recognised brand of the substance botulinum toxin which is typically used to paralyse facial muscles with the aim of reducing wrinkles.

Botulism is a paralysis-triggering bacterial infection that can cause muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death.

Dr Gauri Godbole, Consultant Medical Microbiologist at UKHSA, said: 'We are working closely with our partners to reduce the public health risk and would advise people to make sure they take precautions when seeking aesthetic procedures.

'Botulism related to aesthetic procedures is rare, but it can be serious. It is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. These toxins (but not the bacteria) are the active ingredient in 'Botox' and similar products.

'Symptoms of botulism can take up to four weeks to develop and if you have had a recent botulinum toxin (Botox-like) treatment and are having symptoms such as difficulty swallowing or breathing, contact NHS 111 for further advice and seek treatment.

'If you are considering having a cosmetic procedure, please make sure to check that your practitioner is using a licensed product.'
The FDA has authorized the sale of Juul vapes in the US, despite the company being accused of selling the cancer-linked products to young people.

The agency said Thursday it will allow the sale of Juul's original e-cigarettes, along with refill cartridges in tobacco and menthol flavors.

Juul, which was once a major player in the e-cigarette market before suffering a backlash after its flavored pods became popular among teens, has seen its fortunes dwindle amid lawsuits and plummeting sales.

The FDA's decision will offer a new lease of life to the vape maker, which came close to filing for bankruptcy following a federal ban in 2022.

However, the move comes one month after researchers at the University of California, Davis found the disposable vapes release more cancer-causing toxic metals than cigarettes.

One of the disposable e-cigarettes studied released more lead levels during a days use than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.

The FDA argued that Juul submitted 'robust data' detailing how about 2million adults stopped smoking cigarettes and switched to Juul.

According to the agency, this was the deciding factor in authorizing Juul products, as the benefit of helping adult smokers quit outweighed the risks to non-smokers

The FDA authorized the sale of Juul vapes despite recent safety concerns (stock image)

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The agency said: 'While todays actions permit these specific e-cigarette products to be legally marketed in the US to adults 21 and older, it does not mean these tobacco products are safe, nor are they FDA approved.'

KC Crosthwaite, Juul's chief executive, called the move 'an important step toward making the cigarette obsolete.'

He also claimed underage use of Juul products was 'down 98 percent since 2019, to one-half of one percent of youth.'

While decades of research definitively show smoking cigarettes causes nine in 10 cases of lung cancer, the picture surrounding e-cigarettes is less clear.

However, concerns are mounting. One February study showed vaping may be even more dangerous than smoking, as it has been linked to dementia, heart disease and organ failure.

And an analysis from the University of California, Davis published last month showed disposable e-cigarettes released more toxic metals like lead and nickel in a day than a pack of 20 cigarettes.

And in a case study published earlier this year, a New Jersey man died of what's thought to be the first documented case of lung cancer caused by e-cigarettes.

About six percent of US adults - about 17million - vape, according to the latest CDC data.

And roughly six percent of middle school students and eight percent of high school students report vaping at least once in the last 30 days.

However, most young people have opted for fruit flavors, which are still not authorized in the US.

Rates among young people have also drastically fallen, dropping from 27 percent of high school students in 2019 to eight percent in 2024, a 10-year low.

Juul has denied allegations that it marketed its vapes to children and teenagers. It stopped selling some fruit flavors in 2019 amid backlash from parents and regulators.

In 2022, the FDA announced it would ban the sale of Juul products nationwide, claiming the company had not proven keeping the vapes on shelves 'would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.'

Flavored products in particular are often the target of regulations because they are easier to use as a gateway for people that do not smoke already, since one of the primary deterrents to picking up tobacco is the taste.

Juul has denied allegations that it marketed its products (pictured here) to children and teens

Dr Marty Makary of the FDA said the agency will police the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes

It especially plays a role for younger smokers who use vape devices like a Juul.

While they may not enjoy the taste of nicotine, it is much easier to get hooked on the fruity, tasteful, flavors.

FDA commissioner Dr Marty Makary has said the agency will aggressively police the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes from China that are often sold at convenience stores and online.

Several lawmakers have opposed the authorization of Juul's products. Senator Duck Durbin, a democrat from Illinois, said in a statement that Juul 'ignited' a vaping epidemic among kids and teens and 'lied about the harms of their vapes.'

He said: 'It is clear that the Trump administration does not care about our kids.

'Instead, they are giving the green light to Big Tobacco to continue lining their pockets by peddling poison.'
Doctors nationwide are warning of a sharp rise in psychotic episodes tied to high-potency marijuana products, which are now far stronger than in decades past.

Some marijuana vapes contain up to 98 percent THC, the chemical responsible for the drug's psychoactive effects, levels that experts say are driving a surge in mental health crises.

Dr Drew Pinsky, an addiction specialist and TV personality, said Friday: 'The concentration of cannabis is so high we are seeing a significant uptick in psychotic illness,' adding that cannabis 'makes people with psychotic illness much worse.'

The warnings come as marijuana legalization continues to expand. Recreational use is now legal in 24 states and Washington, DC, creating a $20 billion industry, and a black market, flooded with ultra-potent products in the form of edibles, dabs, oils, and vapes.

Doctors and researchers have said that these products are fueling a public health crisis that is still unfolding.

'We've seen the marked incidence of trouble, mostly caused by the high potency of cannabis,' Dr Drew said.

'So now we are seeing people who are unable to function, they have difficulty at work, psychotic episodes, mood disturbances, and severe addiction.'

Polling from 2023 suggests nearly 44 million Americans use marijuana, with 18 million consuming it daily or near daily.

Polling from 2023 puts the number of Americans who consume marijuana at around 44 million  about 17 percent of the adult population

Many seek it out to ease anxiety or depression. But growing research shows high doses of THC may do just the opposite, disrupting mood, distorting reality, and triggering temporary or even prolonged psychosis.

The issue is especially concerning in young adults, whose brains are still developing.

Regular use of potent cannabis in adolescence has been linked to long-term changes in brain structure, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and impulse control.

This is also the age when many psychotic disorders first appear.

Emerging data suggest the link is more than just a coincidence. THC may trigger schizophrenia or psychotic episodes in individuals with genetic predispositions.

A 2022 review by University of Bath researchers, which analyzed 20 studies involving 120,000 people, found users of high-potency cannabis were four times more likely to develop addiction and three to five times more likely to suffer a psychotic break compared to those using lower-potency strains.

Earlier this year, a report in JAMA Network Open found that, emergency room visits in Ontario, Canada, linked to schizophrenia in marijuana users tripled after legalization.

Between 2006 and 2022, the rate of schizophrenia among those with cannabis use disorder climbed from four percent to over 10 percent. In contrast, just 0.6 percent of non-users developed the condition.

Doctors across the US have echoed the concerns raised by Dr Drew since the wave of state-level legalization began about 15 years ago.

Dr Drew Pinsky, who warned of the increased risk of psychosis tied to highly potent forms of THC, is pictured with his daughter Paulina, who sought professional treatment for cannabis use disorder

Cannabis is becoming easier to access and more potent. The graph refers to smokable cannabis. Other forms, such as vapes, contain up to 98 percent of THC, the psychoactive chemical in the drug linked to psychosis

What was once considered a mellow, low-risk drug is now being reexamined in light of products that bear little resemblance to the marijuana of past generations.

Between 1995 and 2022, THC levels in cannabis seized by law enforcement quadrupled, from 3.96 percent to 16.14 percent, while modern concentrates can exceed 90 percent.

Despite the public perception of marijuana as a natural remedy for anxiety or depression, the evidence is mounting that today's potent products come with serious psychological risks.

Millions who turn to marijuana for relief may be unaware of its potential to cause temporary psychosis lasting hours, days, or even months. And while marijuana may not lead to physical dependence like opioids or alcohol, experts say the psychological grip can be just as damaging.

As legalization spreads and access grows, the consequences are becoming harder to ignore.

With each new study, the case against high-potency marijuana, and its role in rising mental health issues, continues to build.

Rihanna and Miley Cyrus have both been open about their marijuana use

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In 2023, the journal Psychological Medicine published the largest epidemiological investigation to date that focused exclusively on the link between cannabis use and schizophrenia.

Researchers analyzed Danish health records from 1972 to 2021, spanning 6.9 million individuals, which revealed that 30 percent of schizophrenia cases in men aged 21 to 30 (roughly 3,000 diagnoses) could have been avoided if they had not developed cannabis use disorder.

When researchers broadened their analysis to include a wider age group (ages 16 to 49, instead of just 21 to 30), the estimated impact of cannabis use disorder on schizophrenia risk decreased to 15 percent.

Carsten Hjorthj, the study's lead author and an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, told Scientific American: 'We found that the proportion of cases of schizophrenia that were attributable to cannabis use disorder, and those that might have been prevented, was much higher in males than females and, in particular, younger males in whom the brain is still maturing.

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'And we saw that this increase was taking place over time, completely in parallel with the increasing potency of cannabis.'

The brain adapts to frequent THC exposure by dialing down its natural cannabinoid production, which helps regulate both mood and appetite.

Chronic use teaches the brain to rely on external THC instead of making its own neurotransmitters, a process called neuroadaptation.

It can take weeks or months for this balance to reset, which can trigger irritability, insomnia, or cravings. For heavy users, these withdrawal symptoms are distressing enough that some clinics prescribe medications like gabapentin to ease the transition.
Not Quite Dead Yet is available now from the Mail Bookshop

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (Michael Joseph 20, 448pp)

Another cracker from the author of the global hit A Good Girls Guide To Murder.

Jet Mason is a law graduate who is brutally attacked and survives only to learn that she will inevitably die from her injuries within seven days.

She is the daughter of a very powerful construction family with many enemies. Her dysfunctional family includes a cold mother and cruelly ambitious brother.

Jet is determined to solve her own murder case in the days she has left.

In the hands of a less skilful writer, this plot line simply wouldnt have worked.

But Jackson creates such a relatable character as well as the cast of suspicious characters that the reader is kept engrossed until the heartbreaking, shocking finale.

Watch me Watch You is available now from the Mail Bookshop

Watch Me Watch You by Lily Samson (Century 16.99, 400pp)

A lot happens very quickly in this cleverly plotted tale that also gives a tantalising glimpse into the world of publishing.

Alice wakes up alone in her London flat to find a private sex film she made with her partner being played.

Alice, who we quickly learn has a stalker, gets a job at a publishers and finds herself secretly following her female boss Mina.

But its when Mina, who is married to a glamorous MP, suggests that she borrows Alices flat that the plot really hots up.

The complex strands are pulled together in an ingenious way. Alice and Mina are odd but compelling principal characters. And the result is a smart and sexy read about attraction and power.

The Woman in Suite 11 is available now from the Mail Bookshop

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware (Simon & Schuster 16.99, 400pp)

FANS will welcome this sequel to Wares bestseller, The Woman In Cabin 10.

The returning main character is Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist who wrote a bestseller about a murder on a cruise ship which was based on her own experiences.

Lo has just accepted an invitation to review a luxury hotel in Switzerland and the chance to interview the mysterious billionaire owner.

Alarm bells ring when three of the people who were on the cruise ship turn up here.

Soon she is involved in a convoluted drama that resurrects her past and puts her life in danger again.

Lo is particularly relatable as a vulnerable young mother struggling to re-establish her career.

Wares writing has all her trademarks of a tricky plot, great backdrops and convincing dialogue.
The Life And Death of Peter Sellers by Roger Lewis (Riverrun 30, 1024pp)

The Life and Death of Peter Seller is available now from the Mail Bookshop

Ever since his sensational biography of Peter Sellers was first published in 1994, Roger Lewis has been haunted by a guilty feeling that he might have killed Sellerss fourth and final wife, the model and actress Lynne Frederick.

Lynne died on the eve of the books publication. That week, newspapers had been previewing titbits, including his portrayal of her fatal marriage to Sellers.

Of all his wives, Lewis wrote, Lynne had the most consistently terrible time . . . he treated her like a retainer.

Nor, he wrote, was Sellers in good physical shape by the time he married Lynne in 1977 (he was 52 with a dodgy heart; she was 22).

The way Lewis describes Sellerss lost sexual prowess is typical of his merciless writing.

He was on so many drugs that his valves were popping open and shutting like the mouth of a goldfish, and the hydraulics in his loins clogged and wilted.

Lewis was nervous that Lynne, on reading this insult to Sellerss memory, might unleash the dogs of war.

Instead, she died  although quite how has never been officially determined. Lewis is clear that she choked while eating meatballs and spaghetti; her mother meanwhile claimed shed died in her sleep from a seizure.

The autopsy report failed to determine a cause of death but did rule out suicide or foul play.

Lewis surmises that if his book did contribute to her exit, it was only because Id written what she knew to be the truth, and how could she bear the truth?

Fourth times the charm: Sellers with his fourth wife Lynne. There was a 30 year age between the pair

In this 100th anniversary year of Sellerss birth, Lewiss biography is being reissued, with a new chapter called Centennial Sellers, swelling it to 920 pages (excluding the index)  which would be unforgivably long, were it not for Lewiss consistently engrossing prose.

Now Lynne is dead, Lewis really lays into her. He describes how she became tainted by Sellerss own vileness. To appease him, she grew like him . . . she was pulled towards the abyss at Sellerss core.

She became a hypocrite, a nymphomaniac, a hysteric, as well as addicted to vodka and pills: after his death she squandered 2,500 a week on nose-candy, her slender figure ballooned to 14 stone, and she was callous to Sellerss children by his previous wives, refusing them access to his photos of them.

In the new chapter, Lewis describes being on set during the making of the 2004 film The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers, based on his book, with Geoffrey Rush as Sellers, Miriam Margolyes as Sellerss mother Peg and Charlize Theron as Sellerss second wife the Swedish Bond girl Britt Ekland (who also had a hellish time being married to Sellers  during one tantrum on holiday in Ischia, Italy, he upended a bed and broke her front tooth).

License to Thrill: Ekland starred as a Bond girl in The Man With The Golden Gun while Sellers was in the 1967 Casino Royale

Lewis prayed the film wouldnt end up as a straight-to video turkey. It didnt. Rush won a Golden Globe, and the film won nine Emmys.

The book hammers home, with countless examples, what a vicious, selfish, spoilt, jealous, mean-minded man Sellers was, and how, the richer and more successful he became (especially after his success as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films), the more impossible he was to work or live with.

He was more interested in making trouble than making a film, Lewis writes, describing how he refused to do re-takes, failed to turn up or learn his lines and got underlings he didnt like sacked.

Kingsley Amis called him one of the most self-satisfied s***s I have ever met. Lewis goes further. Sellers was evil. He was a destroyer. He was pandemonium.

He was a terrifyingly unpredictable father: like a playground bully, his son Michael said. He enjoyed making you cry, and once his victim had started to break down, hed press his advantage.

He was physically violent with his first wife Anne, breaking furniture, ripping radiators from walls, smashing porcelain and snapping her pearls. Once, he locked her in a cupboard, only letting her out on the condition that she promised never to look at another man again in her entire life.

The source of his spoiltness was his relationship with his mother Peg, who smothered him with adulation during his roaming childhood in the touring theatre business.

The sycophancy he demanded and received in adulthood (for example, he was given Rolls-Royces as inducements to read a script) was an increase in the glutinous veneration hed fed off under Peg.

His two most obsessive, all-consuming crushes were on two women who didnt return his lovesickness. The first was the actress Sophia Loren. He told Anne he was in love with her, and their marriage started falling apart from that moment on.

It was total madness, the way he kept blabbing to me about Loren, Anne said. Hed lie in bed and say, I can feel her spirit coming into the room. 

By being unattainable, Loren was forever on a pedestal for him, unlike the women who did succumb to his seductions, whom he quickly grew to despise.

Unrequited love: Peter Sellers was infatuated with actress Sophia Loren

He was also consumed by love for Princess Margaret, when she was married to Tony Snowdon. He believed she would marry him, and sent her a stream of romantic letters. She wore the same bra size as Sophia Loren, he discovered: what further sign and portent did the world need?

So he was furious one day when, on the set of the 1967 satirical version of Casino Royale, Princess Margaret appeared, walked straight past him, and said to fellow actor Orson Welles, Hello, Orson, I havent seen you for days!

Sellers refused to act with Welles again and walked out of the film, causing mayhem to the production. Was he a genius? Devotees of the 1950s radio show The Goon Show think so.

Lewis writes that his genius lay in being able to produce any one of a thousand convincing voices from up his magicians sleeve. He was excellent in The Ladykillers, Dr. Strangelove and Being There. But he was in some bad films, too, and Lewis calls him the great actor who was seldom in anything good.

With a casual flick of his prose at the end of the new add-on chapter, Lewis changes his tune. When I was writing the book 35 years ago, with a wife, children and domestic responsibilities, the horror of turning his back on all that, as Sellers did with Anne, struck me forcibly.

Now, he feels, irrational and unstable he may have been, but he was funny. Who cares if he was a b****** off-screen?

Reading this account of Sellerss life of consistently callous behaviour, I think therell be a great many who do care that he was vile.
CBS announced the cancellation of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert - just days after the host blasted the network's $16 million settlement with President Trump as a 'big fat bribe.'

Colbert's show, which began in 2015, will now come to an end in May 2026, executives with the network and Paramount, its new parent company, announced on Thursday.

'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,' they said in a statement.

'We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire the Late Show franchise at that time,' the executives continued. 'We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and his broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.'

The network explained that the decision to cancel the show is 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.'

'It is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' it added.

But the announcement comes just days after Colbert slammed the network for settling the president's lawsuit for $16 million - with some now questioning whether the cancelation may be political retaliation.

'If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,' California Sen. Adam Schiff - who is set to appear on Thursday night's episode - posted on X.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been canceled days after the host blasted the network's settlement with President Donald Trump

CBS settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit alleging it falsely edited an interview with then Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for $16 million

Trump had accused the network of falsely editing an interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Although the network didn't admit to any journalistic wrongdoing, the massive settlement will cover Trump's legal fees and his future presidential library.

Paramount also agreed to release unedited transcripts of 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates.

Colbert, 61, didn't hesitate to take shots at his parent corporation, confessing in his opening monologue on Wednesday's episode that he was 'offended' by the actions of his employer.

The late night host called the lawsuit against CBS a 'nuisance,' and claimed that Paramount could've 'easily fought it' - citing the company's own words calling the allegations 'completely without merit.'

'And keep in mind Paramount produced Transformers: Rise of the Beast. They know "completely without merit,"' Colbert joked, poking fun at the Paramount+ film that bombed at the box office.

Colbert then cited a phony statement, joking that the network said, 'You may take our money, but you will never take our dignity.

'You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low, price of $16 million. We need the cash.'

The comedian went on to argue that the settlement was a 'big, fat, bribe,' in light of the company's $8.4 billion merger with Skydance, which will need approval from the Trump administration.

Colbert joked on Wednesday that his new mustache would make it impossible for the new executives to find and put pressure on him

The late night host also cited an article from Puck, that claimed the merger could 'put pressure' on him to ease up on Trump criticisms.

The owner of Skydance, David Ellison, has expressed his desire to have a more neutral tone on politics.

His father, Larry Ellison, is also a major Trump supporter who joined the president at the White House in January for the unveiling of a project called Stargate. It is now believed the elder Ellison is providing the $8 billion for the CBS deal, according to the New York Times.

But Colbert brushed off the gossip on his show Wednesday, joking that his new mustache will make it impossible for the new executives to find and put pressure on him.

CBS also announced that it is ending the Late Show program

Just one day later, though, Colbert announced the cancelation of his program.

'Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the Late Show in May,' he told audience members, who responded to the news with emphatic 'boos.'

'It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of the Late Show on CBS,' he continued.

'I'm not being replaced, this is all just going away,' Colbert added, telling the audience he was just grateful to be given the opportunity to host the long-running show.
Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning whether CBS's decision to cancel 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' was a politically motivated one.

The Massachusetts Democrat took to X to float the idea that the move was likely linked to Paramount Global's merger with Skydance Media on Thursday. The deal requires regulatory approval from the Trump administration.

Colbert, 61, is one the most prominent of critics of the conservative, even amongst a crowded field of left-leaning late night hosts.

Colbert, in fact, is at the top of that heap ratings-wise. He also took a swipe at his Paramount bosses on-air for accepting what he presented as a 'big fat bribe' from the president Monday.

The parties reached a $16 million settlement in a suit filed by Trump earlier this month. That is only slightly more than the $15 million Colbert is said to earn annually for his show.

The suit had accused Paramount, CBS, and its flagship show 60 Minutes of deceptively editing an interview with Kamala Harris weeks before the election. The decision to make a deal was widely seen as necessary to receiving FCC approval.

Warren, 76, wrote: 'CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery.

'America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.'

Senator Elizabeth Warren took to X Thursday to float the idea that CBS's decision to do away with 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ' was part of Paramount Global's recent settlement with the president. The progressive is pictured on Colbert's show in February 2024

Warren, 76, wrote: 'CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery,' adding, 'America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons'

In another post, Warren appeared to accuse Trump of 'what looks like corruption in plain sight,' rattling off a list of companies he's squeezed settlements out of via what some have criticized as baseless, weaponized lawsuits.

'Paramount/CBS: $16 MILLION; Meta: $22 MILLION; Disney/ABC: $15 MILLION; X: $10 MILLION,' Warren wrote, also bringing up up the $400million luxury jet gifted to Trump earlier this year.

'Other special interests: unknown MILLIONS; Total: Roughly half a BILLION dollars,' she continued.

The post was published prior to the announcement revealing Colbert's show will soon be cancelled.

Colbert - the successor to late night legend David Letterman - delivered the news on-air as well, three days after taking C-Suiters to task for their settlement with the president.

'Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May,' he told his Thursday audience.

'It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of the Late Show on CBS.

'I'm not being replaced, this is all just going away,' he continued.

In another post, Warren appeared to accuse Trump of 'corruption in plain sight,' rattling off a list of companies - such as Paramount and Disney - that he's received settlements from in what some have criticized as baseless, weaponized lawsuits

Colbert, 61, is one the most prominent of critics of the conservative, even amongst a crowded field of left-leaning late night hosts. He is the best rated of the pack

As the studio booed, Colbert said: 'Yeah, I share your feelings.'

The show will air its last episode in May 2026.

On Monday, the comic wasted no time after returning from a week's vacation to call CBS's parent company out.

'While I was on vacation, my parent corporation Paramount paid Donald Trump a $16 million settlement over his 60 Minutes lawsuit,' he said, before laying out the saga.

'As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, Im offended.

'I dont know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company.

But just taking a stab at it, Id say $16 million would help,' he joked.

Colbert then explained how many legal experts, including Paramounts own legal team, had said the lawsuit was 'completely without merit.'

'And keep in mind, Paramount produced Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - they know "completely without merit,"' Colbert quipped.

He brought up how, 'unlike the payoffs from ABC and Twitter, Paramounts settlement did not include an apology.

On Monday's show, Colbert explained how many legal experts, including Paramounts own legal team, had said the lawsuit was 'completely without merit.' He also laid out the entire saga surrounding Skydance and Paramount, accusing the latter of engaging in bribery

'Thats good. Instead, the corporation released a statement where they said, "You may take our money, but you will never take our dignity,"' Colbert continued.

'"You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low price of $16 million. We need the cash."

'I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: Its big fat bribe.

'Because this all comes as Paramounts owners are trying to get the Trump administration to approve the sale of our network to a new owner, Skydance,' he added.

Colbert then aired a similar theory to the one later presented by Morgan, before even knowing his show's fate.

'And some of the TV typers out there are blogging that once Skydance gets CBS, the new owners desire to please Trump could "put pressure on late night host and frequent Trump critic Stephen Colbert."'

'Okay, but how are they going to put pressure on Stephen Colbert if they cant find him?', he added, motioning to a false moustache he had donned.

Colbert currently holds the top spot in his hour, with an average of 2.417 million across 41 first-run episodes.

Colbert still holds the top spot in his hour, with an average of 2.417 million across 41 first-run episodes. He took over as host in September 2015, after David Letterman launched the program in 1993

The Late Show was the only late night program to show an increase over the first quarter, according to new Nielsen numbers released this week, with the show up 1 percent.

Second-best Jimmy Kimmel Live! takes in an average of 1.772 million viewers, by comparison.

Colbert took over as host in September 2015, after Letterman launched the program in 1993.
Buy now, pay later consumer protections are finally set to be brought in under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Under the proposed regulation, lenders will be required to check that users can afford to repay BNPL loans, and will have to offer support to customers that get into financial difficulty.

BNPL has ballooned in popularity in recent years, with shoppers able to split payments - typically in three or six chunks, rather than having to fork out the full sum up front or stick on a credit card.

The new rules will mean that BNPL users can make complaints to the Financial Ombudsman if something goes wrong.

The new regulation is expected to come into force in 2026 when BNPL falls under the FCA's remit. The FCA's consultation, open to BNPL lenders, consumer groups and the wider industry, will run until 26 September.

The new regulation is expected to come into force in 2026 when BNPL falls under the FCA's remit

Sarah Pritchard, deputy chief executive at the FCA, said: 'We have long called for BNPL products to be brought into our remit, so people can benefit from BNPL while being protected.

'Our regulation will help consumers navigate their financial lives, with checks on whether they can afford to repay, support when things go wrong and access to the right information to make informed decisions.

'We're mainly relying on existing requirements, including the Consumer Duty, rather than proposing to make lots of new rules, supporting growth and allowing firms to innovate.'

One in five adults are believed to have used BNPL at least once in the year to May 2024, an increase of 17 per cent on the year prior.

One In six choose BNPL due to the minimal credit checks that it has, according to research from TransUnion.

However, 48 per cent said they would be more likely to use BNPL after regulation has been passed, according to data from BNPL lender Clearpay.

The FCA says there will be temporary permissions put in place, meaning that firms will need to follow FCA rules, but will be able to continue to trade before they are fully authorised.

Madhu Kejriwal, chief executive of TransUnion UK and Europe, said: 'We welcome the government's continued focus on bringing BNPL into the regulatory framework.

'Clear, proportionate regulation is essential to protect consumers while enabling innovation and access to flexible payment options.

'I see it as an essential step in the evolution and maturation of the market.'

A spokesman for Clearpay said: 'We will support the FCA as it consults on and finalises its specific rules for the sector.

'Coming into force on 15 July 2026, regulation will establish a consistent operating environment and clear compliance standards for all providers.

'Clearpay has always called for fit-for-purpose regulation that ensures consumer protection, provides much-needed innovation in consumer credit and supports the UK's thriving fintech sector.'

Some have concerns about the product, however, largely due to the current lack of regulation.

Neil Kadagathur, chief executive of Creditspring, said: 'The issue is that it has been designed and marketed as a risk-free solution for everyday spending, but in reality, it can push people into debt without them fully understanding the consequences.

'Ultimately, any regulation that protects and informs the consumer is always welcome.'
The 14,995 Dacia Spring is no longer Britain's cheapest electric car... for the time being, anyway.

It has lost its crown to a Chinese newcomer, which today announced it is slashing its model prices in response to the Government's new Electric Car Grant.

Leapmotor - which recently agreed a deal with Stellantis to stock its Chinese-made EVs in the European giant's network of UK showrooms - has knocked 1,500 off the price of its T03 city car. which has a range of 165 miles on a full charge.

This has slashed the price to 14,495 - undercutting Dacia's bargain battery model by 500 - to make it the most affordable new EV sold in Britain.

Leapmotor's only other model sold in the UK, the C10 family SUV, is also being discounted by 3,750 with immediate effect.

The size of these two price cuts matches the minimum and maximum discount being offered through Labour's new Electric Car Grant announced on Monday.

However, while Leapmotor claims the 'Leap-Grant' is being offered to customers now to avoid delays waiting for the Government scheme's arrival, reports suggest it and other Chinese brands are unlikely to qualify for the taxpayer-funded subsidies at all.

Say hello to Britain's cheapest electric car...for the meantime: Chinese newcomer Leapmotor has slashed the price of its T03 to just 14,495, undercutting Dacia's 14.995 Spring

The Electric Car Grant (ECG) - announced by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander this week - is the Government's new big hope to reignite demand for EVs, as it continues to steer towards outlawing sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

However, it won't be available with immediate effect.

This is because manufacturers need to apply to be eligible for the scheme, which could take weeks, experts have hinted.

Leapmotor UK says this is why it is, 'taking a proactive leap forward to help electric car buyers save up to 3,750 immediately, by launching its own self-funded EV grant, effective from today'.

It adds: 'This initiative makes Leapmotor the first car manufacturer in the UK to offer such a grant since the Government announced its own EV grant scheme, which wont kick in for consumers until next month.'

For the Government scheme, only cars up to 37,000 qualify, which rules out premium models, including every Tesla on sale.

No Audi, BMW or Mercedes EV will be eligible either.

This might sound like good news for Leapmotor and its budget-friendly model offering, but reports have suggested it - and other Asian brands - will fail to meet a secondary stipulation put in place by government to qualify for the ECG.

In order to be eligible, manufacturers must meet specific sustainability criteria, based on the Science-Based Target (SBT).

This is an industry-wide green standard providing scores for companies reflective of the carbon impact of manufacturing products - in this instance, electric cars and their batteries.

Only the greenest companies will receive the full 3,750 grant subsidy, while those considered to only meet a lower band will be issued 1,500 discounts, the DfT has confirmed.

However, vehicles that dont meet a minimum threshold - which is yet to be divulged - will not receive a grant at all.

Reports have suggested that Chinese EV makers could fall foul of the emissions-based rules. As could other Asian manufacturers, including those from Korea and Japan, according to Autocar.

Speaking on the BBCs Today programme on Wednesday (16 July), Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said she did not expect any cars that are produced in China to be eligible.

'The grant is restricted to those manufacturers that reach minimum environmental standards,' she said.

'And, frankly, if you generate a lot of the electricity that powers your factory through coal power stations, then you are not going to be able to access this grant.'

According to The Telegraph, the Chinese embassy has hit hack and the scheme's stringent requirements.

It has called on the UK to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and create a 'non-discriminatory environment for investment'.

WTO rules stipulate that members must not give favourable treatment to one country over another when it comes to trading goods and services.

An embassy spokesperson added: 'The Chinese side is closely following the situation and will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.'

China's - and the world's - biggest EV maker, BYD, has informed the DfT of its intention to apply for eligibility for the Electric Car Grant and said it looks forward to being 'part of it'.

While the T03 sits well below the 37,000 grant price threshold, Chinese brands are set to fall foul of sustainability criteria

The Government insists every car maker qualifying for the grant must achieve certain industry scores for the green production of its cars and batteries

Leapmotor's T03 now undercuts the Dacia Spring (pictured), which has been Britain's cheapest new EV since launching last year. The Spring costs from 14,995 but has a shorter battery range of just 145 miles

Leapmotor says, like consumers, it is 'still waiting to learn which vehicles will qualify, how much financial support will be available, and when the grants will take effect'.

Its terms and conditions say discounts are subject to orders placed between 18 July and 30 September 2025 from authorised Leapmotor retailers.

However, if it fails to qualify for the Government grant on sustainability grounds, it might be forced to extend the deals.

That said, Dacia's Spring - which costs from 14,995 and has been Britain's cheapest EV for the last 12 months - is also produced in China.

In fact, it's manufactured in Covid-originating Wuhan by Dongfeng Renault - a joint venture between Dacia's parent company Renault Group and Dongfeng Motor Group.

Whether it will qualify for the Government's 1,500 to 3,750 grants is yet to be seen.

Leapmotor is slashing the price of the T03 (left) by 1,500 and C10 (right) by 3,750

First deliveries of the T03 arrived in Britain at the end of last year. The small electric city car is well equipped and boasts plenty of features despite its low entry price

Powered by a 37.3kWh battery and a 95hp (70kW) electric motor and riding on skinny 15-inch wheels, the T03 has a claimed average range of 165 miles (245 miles if driving only in town)

For the next two months at least, the T03 is being knocked down from 15,995 to just 14,995 with a 1,500 discount applied.

Those using Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) finance can pick one up before the end of September for 169 per month and 169 deposit on 0 per cent APR for four years.

The bigger C10 SUV is slashed by 3,750 to 32,750 or on a 0 per cent four-year PCP contract for 319 per month and 319 deposit.

'Our mission is to help make the leap to electric cars easy for UK drivers,' said Damien Dally, managing director at Leapmotor UK.

'Weve decided to act now because we want to give customers clarity, confidence, and immediate savings  and make the switch to electric a simple choice.'

Both cars come with a four-year warranty, while their batteries are covered by a separate eight-year guarantee.
Lloyds Bank has reduced its Ready-Made Investments ongoing fund charge to just 0.1 per cent, in a bid to make investing more accessible to new investors.

The bank said this lower charge will also make investing 'less intimidating', while giving easier access to pre-built diversified funds for new investors.

Th new ongoing charge means investors will pay just 1 per year on investments of 1,000.

Alongside the 0.1 per cent ongoing charge, however, users must pay 3 per month as an account fee.

The RMI fund charge was reduced from 0.23 per cent, making it a cheaper option than other similar fund types, and pushing it below the cost of both Vanguard and Blackrock's offerings.

Vanguard's LifeStrategy range has an ongoing charge of 0.22 per cent, while most of Blackrock's MyMap funds charge 0.17 per cent. Some have higher charges, with MyMap 4 charging 0.28 per cent.

Cheaper fees: The bank said its lower charge will make investing 'less intimidating', while giving easier access pre-built diversified funds for new investors

Vanguard charges a monthly fee of 4, while Blackrock's funds can be accessed via various investment platforms.

For an investor with just 1,000, fees would be just over 38, rising to around 47 for an investment of 5,000. For an account funded with 20,000, the charge would be around 80.

In comparison, an investor with 1,000 in Vanguard would pay a total of 50.20, rising to 59 for an investor with 5,000 and 92 for an investor with 20,000.

Meanwhile, banking competitors like Barclays and NatWest also offer ready-made investment portfolios.

Barclays charges 0.25 per cent on funds, amounting to just 2.50 per year for funds of 1,000, and 12.50 on an account with 5,000. NatWest charges 0.4 per cent, or 4 per year on 1,000, or 20 on 5,000.

Lloyds' Ready-Made Investments has three fund options, 'cautious', 'balanced' and 'adventurous', each offering different levels of risk to investors, as well as their own transaction fees on top of the ongoing charge and account fee.

The cautious option comes with transaction fees of 0.11 per cent, while balanced and adventurous investors pay 0.12 per cent on transactions.

Investors are free to switch their funds to a different risk level at any point, Lloyds says.

Kevin Doran, chief investment officer at Lloyds, said: 'We know that many people who want to start investing feel overwhelmed by complexity and cost, so we created Ready-Made Investments to be a simple, affordable 'portfolio in a box' solution that removes any guesswork.'

How much does Lloyd's Ready-Made Investments cost? If your investment was worth Cautious Balanced Adventurous (3 monthly + 0.21%) (3 monthly + 0.22%) (3 monthly + 0.22%) 1,000 38.10 38.20 38.20 5,000 46.50 47.00 47.00 10,000 57.00 58.00 58.00 20,000 78.00 80.00 80.00 Source: Lloyds

Lloyds launched RMI in 2023, with 60,000 investors now holding their assets in the funds, which are worth 700million combined.

It said the average age of new customers is 40, but that 25 to 34-year-olds make up around 28 per cent of RMI customers.

Doran said: 'It has been built on Lloyds' deep understanding of customers and powered by the investment expertise of Scottish Widows. By bringing institutional pricing to everyday investors, we're turning what may feel like a frightening leap into a simple, confident step forward.' 

To access RMI, customers will need to have a Lloyd's banking account and invest a minimum of 500 as a lump sum, or 50 per month.

An RMI account can be managed through Lloyd's online banking app.
My wife and I are approaching retirement, and we are considering whether we want to stay in the UK.

My son is going to take over our family business and I plan to transfer some shares to him.

One of our options is to move to our second home in Spain, and live there full-time and rent out our home in the UK.

We've been told that it could be a good way to reduce our son's inheritance tax bill too.

Is this true and could it be a good option for us?

Moving abroad: More people are looking at retiring abroad to avoid higher taxes

Angharad Carrick of This Is Money says: As the Government considers more changes to the tax regime, you're not the only one considering moving abroad.

Beyond the sun, sea and sangria, moving to Spain means that, in theory, your estate could avoid paying as much inheritance tax (IHT) when you and your wife die, because inheritance tax is only applied to UK assets.

However, the reality can often be more complicated, so we asked a tax expert to help answer your query.

What are the consequences of moving abroad?

Before considering any tax implications, one of the first things to consider is how easy it is to move and live abroad.

You say you already own a home there, so you're likely very familiar with the local area, but moving full-time is a different kettle of fish, not least for your residency status.

David Denton, tax expert at Quilter Cheviot says: It's essential to consider post-Brexit regulations regarding your right to live in Spain. You would need to ensure that they have the appropriate residency status to reside there full-time.

Additionally, it's important to note that Spanish heirship rules differ from those in the UK, meaning the options available under the UK will may not automatically apply in Spain.

Robert Salter, partner at accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg says: Following the cessation of the 'domicile / non-domicile' system of taxation from April 2025 it is now easier for British born and domiciled individuals to avoid a liability to IHT on their UK-based assets, if they become 'long-term' non-residents from a UK perspective.

However, please note that simply moving overseas is not  by itself a type of magic 'panacea' for most individuals.

Angharad Carrick says: You must tell the Government that deals with your pension and tax if you're retiring abroad and then apply for the appropriate visa.

Residency will be on a temporary or permanent basis, depending on your circumstances.

Temporary residency is authorised for a stay longer than 90 days and less than five years, and initial authorisation without a work permit will only be granted to those who can prove sufficient economic means, the Spanish government says.

Foreign citizens who have had temporary residency in Spain for five years continuously and continue to meet the conditions will be entitled to long-term residency.

The most common option for retiring to Spain is the non-lucrative visa, which allows individuals to live in Spain without working.

Typically, you'll need to demonstrate an annual income of around 30,000 (around 26,000) for the main applicant and an additional 7,000 (6,000) for each dependent.

Living costs will depend on your lifestyle but you likely have a rough idea of how much you'll need to spend on groceries, bills and other expenses, given you already have a home there.

What are the tax implications of moving to Spain?

You plan to retire to Spain, but you must consider the tax implications. Thankfully, there is a double taxation agreement between the UK and Spain, which means retirees won't face double taxation on their income.

However, you will have to pay Spanish taxes on worldwide income.

You'll still be able to access your UK state pension while living in Spain, or you can transfer into a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme, which can sometimes provide tax advantages but can incur fees or taxes.

You'll also need to consider property taxes on your home, and crucially, inheritance tax rules in Spain differ from the UK.

Lisa Caplan, director of Charles Stanley Direct Advice and Guidance says: If you have spent 183 days or more in the UK in the relevant year, you will be resident in the UK for that year.

If you pass this first test, HMRC will look at whether you have significant ties to the UK, including regularly renting, staying or owning a property in the UK; spending more than 90 days in the UK in previous tax years, among other things. Continuing to own and rent out the property could be seen as a significant tie.

It is important to keep good records of when you are visiting the UK, to show you have not been in the UK for more than 90 days each year.

It is important to note that UK assets will still be assessed to UK IHT.

What does moving abroad mean for IHT?

Robert Salter says: From a UK IHT perspective, even if you do successfully break UK tax residence and do (eventually) qualify for the new 'long-term non-residence regime' for IHT purposes, this does not mean that you (or officially your estate), are automatically totally outside the UK IHT net on your deaths.

This is because, UK-sited assets  whether it is the house or potentially the shares that they retain in the UK based company or their wider UK investments say  would continue to be liable to UK IHT.

Depending on how the other country treats IHT per their domestic laws, moving overseas can actually create more complexity from an IHT perspective, than would be the case with 'normal taxes. It might even in some cases create some type of genuine 'double tax liability'.

That is, one might in some cases be liable to UK IHT and liable to the overseas equivalent of IHT at the same time without any off-setting 'tax credits' necessarily being available.

David Denton says: The Spanish equivalent of inheritance tax, known as ISD, can vary significantly. It can be higher or lower than the UK's 40 per cent liability, depending on the region of Spain where one resides.

This is because, UK-sited assets  whether it is the house or potentially the shares that they retain in the UK based company or their wider UK investments say  would continue to be liable to UK IHT.

Depending on how the other country treats IHT per their domestic laws, moving overseas can actually create more complexity from an IHT perspective, than would be the case with 'normal taxes.

It might even in some cases create some type of genuine 'double tax liability'.

That is, one might in some cases be liable to UK IHT and liable to the overseas equivalent of IHT at the same time without any off-setting 'tax credits' necessarily being available.

Another critical point is that ISD is levied on the recipient rather than the estate of the deceased.

Angharad Carrick says: Inheritance tax in Spain applies to residents and non-residents who inherit assets there.

Unlike in the UK, the obligation to pay IHT in Spain lies with the person receiving it, rather than the estate itself.

But it does apply to expats if they are living in Spain at the time of death.

In your case, your son may have to pay tax on your Spanish home but the rate will depend on how much the house is worth. Spanish IHT rates range from 7.65 per cent to 34 per cent.

If you're liable for Spanish IHT, you must pay it within six months. It might be worth drafting a Spanish will to ensure your assets are distributed as you wish.

Robert Salter says: The UK IHT regime has a system of 'Potentially Exempt Transfers' (PETs).

This means that where a parent transfers assets to their children or grandchildren, for example, the transfers (regardless of value) trigger no tax liability in the UK at the time of transfer and will also avoid IHT, assuming the person giving the gift away lives for 7 years or more thereafter.

Depending upon your wider situation and financial situation it might therefore be perfectly possible for you to avoid an IHT liability arising on assets such as your company shares even if they stayed fully in the UK (albeit clearly planning and thought is typically required in many of these cases).

Can you avoid paying IHT in the UK?

David Denton says: When it comes to tax implications, adding another country like Spain into the mix can undoubtedly complicate matters.

Unfortunately, the UK has very few double tax treaties when it comes to IHT, only ten in total, and Spain is not included in this list.

This means there's no automatic offset of taxes if liabilities arise on the same assets in both countries.

Assuming one lives outside the UK for more than ten full tax years, they are no longer considered a long-term resident of the UK.

This means that only their non-UK situs wealth is subject to UK inheritance tax, beyond any reliefs, allowances, and exemptions.

However, transferring shares to your son while still in the UK and assuming you then live seven years could indeed be very helpful, although some business assets currently enjoy full exemption from inheritance tax (known as business relief).

However, this is changing from the start of the coming tax year, where 1 million per donor will benefit in full, as opposed to an unlimited amount.

Is it worth moving abroad to dodge IHT?

Lisa Caplan says: Gifting company shares to your son could be useful. Company shares, if unlisted, could potentially get IHT relief of up to 1million.

But as you're retiring, it may make sense to transfer shares for reasons not related to IHT, for example to give the son a controlling interest in the company.

A very useful IHT allowance is the residence nil rate band which can mean up to 500,000 additional IHT allowance on a UK home left to a child or grandchild. This will be lost if there is not a UK home.

I would suggest that you work out the potential IHT saving of moving to Spain, and balance that with the restrictions on the time you can spend in the UK visiting family.
Did he use my knife to slaughter his victims?

That's the chilling question Mark Baylis has asked himself ever since Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the November 13, 2022, murders of four University of Idaho students.

More than two years later, Kohberger has now finally confessed to breaking into the students' home in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin to death.

Baylis, a 64-year-old Special Forces veteran, knew Kohberger many years before he became a killer.

His son Jack and nephew Brandon grew up with Kohberger, now 30, in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and would often hang out together at Baylis' home deep in the remote woods of Saylorsburg.

'He was my nephew's friend and when we had family gatherings over here, if he was at my nephew's house, he would come over,' Baylis told the Daily Mail.

Then, Baylis said, there was a series of break-ins at his home in 2013.

'Somebody was coming into my house when nobody was home and taking weird things,' he recalled, including knives, his military clothing, prescription drugs, jewelry and a stash of coins from his collection.

Bryan Kohberger (pictured) is suspected of committing home break-ins in Pennsylvania in the years before the murders

A Ka-Bar knife and sheath (stock image) like the type believed to have been used in the murders

It was around that time that a teenage Kohberger began using drugs, which escalated into a years-long heroin addiction.

Baylis said he reported the break-ins to police at the time, but the burglar was never caught.

It was only years later - when Kohberger was arrested for murder - that Baylis connected the dots and realized the culprit was likely hiding in plain sight all along.

'I'm reasonably sure that he did it because, as soon as he moved away, the incidents stopped,' Baylis said.

'That raised a red flag for me - now I know who it was.'

But, even more concerning than the belief that a budding killer was breaking into his home was the terrifying realization that his possessions could have been used to commit a far worse crime 2,500 miles away.

Baylis told the Daily Mail he has 'a nagging suspicion' that he used to own Kohberger's exact murder weapon.

'I wouldn't want it to be something I used to own.'

Baylis said several knives had been taken from his home during the break-ins - including Ka-Bar knives like the one Kohberger is believed to have used to kill the students.

Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle (both left), Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves (both right)

Bryan Kohberger broke into 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13 2022 and murdered the four victims

Camillus knives - the company which previously manufactured Ka-Bar knives - were also taken.

Baylis said he gets a 'sick feeling in my stomach' thinking about the possibility the incidents could be connected.

Investigations following the murders revealed Kohberger stabbed each of the four victims multiple times with a large knife.

During the frenzy, he left a leather Ka-Bar knife sheath - featuring a USCS military seal - behind at the scene. It was found next to Mogen's body inside her bedroom on the third floor of the home.

Amazon records show Kohberger bought a Ka-Bar knife and sheath using a gift card in March 2022 - eight months before the attack.

The items were delivered to his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, where he was living at the time.

Following the killings, prosecutors said he searched to buy a replacement knife and sheath.

But the murder weapon itself has never been found, so the exact knife used remains unclear.

In the hours after the murders - both as soon as he left the scene and in the afternoon of November 13, 2022 - records show Kohberger drove through rural areas of Idaho and Washington, including close to the Clearwater River and the Snake River.

It is possible he disposed of evidence along the route, though this remains unproven.

Following Kohberger's December 2022 arrest, Baylis said he contacted local police asking them to reopen an investigation into the burglaries but was told the case was too old.

Pennsylvania State Police have not returned the Daily Mail's request for information and comment.

Baylis wonders if the truth could lie in the cameras that have lined his property for years.

'I have a couple game cameras still in the trees around my house that have been up there for a long time,' Baylis said.

'I haven't checked the cards. It would be interesting if I had pictures of him there.'

But, he said part of him doesn't want to know if the mass killer's murder weapon was once his.

'I would love to see the picture of whatever the murder weapon was, but maybe I don't want to,' he said.

Baylis isn't the only person who believes that night in November 2022 wasn't Kohberger's first crime - or specifically the first time he committed a burglary.

In the new book, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy, James Patterson and Vicky Ward reveal that another woman, Connie Saba, has also long suspected he broke into her home.

Connie's son Jeremy Saba and Kohberger were friends growing up, and both grappled with heroin addiction.

In August 2016, Jeremy was jailed for driving under the influence and possession of drugs, the authors write.

After hearing the news, Kohberger called Connie who told him what time she and Jeremy's father, Jiries Saba, would be visiting him at the jail the following day.

Bryan Kohberger seen in his yearbook photos in his sophomore year (left) and senior year (right) at Pleasant Valley High School

Connie said Kohberger promised her he would visit Jeremy at the jail straight after them.

But he failed to show up.

When Connie and Jiries arrived home, they found their house had been burglarized - Patterson and Ward said they were only gone for a short window of time.

'The Sabas' absence from their home gave him the perfect window to get what he needed. He used to live next door, so he knew the house, knew where Connie kept her jewelry and where she left her iPad, things he could sell to get his next fix,' the authors wrote.

'And he knew exactly how to break in: through the garage.'

Connie said she thought about calling the police and Kohberger's parents but decided to do neither.

'She intuits that the Kohberger family is in enough pain right now without Connie Saba adding to their problems,' according to Patterson and Ward.

Connie claimed that, in 2018, Kohberger - who was clean from drugs after multiple rehab stints - turned up unannounced at her home to apologize for stealing.

'I knew it was you,' Connie recalled telling him.

Her son Jeremy died in 2021 from a fentanyl overdose.

Kohberger, meanwhile, turned his attention to studying criminology, first at DeSales University in Pennsylvania and then at Washington State University in Pullman.

He moved to Pullman in June 2022, and five months later, he broke into another home - this time with a plot to kill.

It was around 4am on November 13, 2022, when Kohberger entered 1122 King Road through a sliding back door on the second floor.

He made his way up to the third story and went straight to 21-year-old Mogen's room where he found her and her best friend Goncalves, 21, sleeping in the same bed. He stabbed both of them to death.

On his way back downstairs, he encountered Kernodle, 20, on the second floor, who had just received a DoorDash order.

He attacked her with the knife, killing her, and then also murdered her boyfriend, Chapin, 20, who was sleeping in her bed.

Kohberger then left via the same door through which he entered, passing roommate Dylan Mortensen along the way, who woke up from the noise and peeked out her bedroom door.

Mortensen and roommate Bethany Funke - whose bedroom was on the first floor - were the only survivors.

Terrified after seeing a masked man inside the home, Mortensen and Funke desperately tried to call and text their friends but got no response.

Ultimately, Mortensen ran down to Funke's room on the first floor where they both stayed until daylight.

Bryan Kohberger snapped this selfie hours after murdering the four students

Around eight hours later, a 911 call was placed alerting officers to the home.

On July 2 - after two years of protesting his innocence - Kohberger admitted his guilt.

As part of a plea deal - which proved controversial among the victims' families - he pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty.

Under the terms of the plea deal, he will be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and will also never have a chance to appeal his conviction or sentence.

His motive for the murders - and why he targeted his victims - remains a mystery.

Kohberger will return to Ada County Court in Boise to be sentenced on July 23.
Prominent Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has echoed growing calls for Anthony Albanese to stop dividing Australia on the international stage.

The Prime Minister raised eyebrows earlier this week during his visit to China, where he held several press conferences in front of three flags - the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island ones.

The gesture sparked outrage back home, where outspoken commentators and radio shock jocks reignited debate to make Australia's national flag more inclusive.

Mr Mundine has accused Albanese of dividing the country with the display of the three flags overseas.

'I thought that it was a disgrace,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'He's on the international stage.

'I'm a proud Aboriginal and I love my Aboriginal flag. But it's our flag, nobody else's!'

'He's the Prime Minister and he should be standing next to one flag, the Australian one.

'Aboriginal soldiers fought for our country under the Australian flag.'

Warren Mundine (pictured with Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price) has called on the Prime Minister to stop dividing Australians

Anthony Albanese addressed reporters in front of the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags after attending the Steel Decarbonisation Roundtable in Shanghai on Monday

Albanese has displayed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian one at every press conference since he won power in 2022, including his election night victory speech when he was re-elected in May.

Prime ministers before him only ever displayed the Australian flag.

'What has it done for the Aboriginal people?' Mundine said.

'Money would be better spent on youth, crime and actually fixing issues.

'It's about time that he started bringing Australia together, instead of dividing everyone.'

Mundine admitted that the Australian flag has grown on him over the years and doesn't think any changes to make it more inclusive will happen in his lifetime.

He used New Zealand as an example, where 56.6 per cent of Kiwis voted in favour of keeping the same flag in a 2016 referendum.

The 18-month process, driven by then-Prime Minister John Key, cost $NZ26 million.

The display of three flags from Australia in China raised eyebrows back home

'We have a national flag, whether people like it or not,' Mundine said.

'Every time the debate comes up, they can't get the model right.'

'We live in one of the best countries in the world. Let's start coming together and celebrating it.'

Sky News hosts Chris Kenny and Danica De Giorgio also slammed Mr Albanese over displaying the three flags on the international stage.

'Why? He's representing one nation, our nation overseas,' Kenny said.

'This is identity politics on steroids - a gesture that can only confuse anyone watching on from China. It's a step too far.'

De Giorgio added: 'Why have we got the Prime Minister of our country going over to a different country, standing in front of three different flags?

'It should be the Australian flag only; youre representing one country. 'Youre overseas representing Australia.'

'He's the Prime Minister and he should be standing next to one flag, the Australian one,' Warren Mundine told Daily Mail Australia

The backlash from Aussies online was just as brutal.

'Im sure that Australias got to be the only bloody country in the world to have three flags,' one wrote.

Another added: 'We only have one national flag. The other two have no relevance in another country. Albanese should be ashamed of himself.'
Salim Mehajer has been pursued through a Westfield shopping centre and been photographed going to the dentist after walking free from prison after five years with a bulkier frame and a man bun.

The bankrupt property developer, disgraced former politician and one-time millionaire left the John Morony Correctional Centre in Windsor, 55km northwest of Sydney, on Friday morning.

The 39-year-old jumped in a blacked-out 2018 Mercedes S450 and left through the prison gates, but now faces a strict regime of reporting daily to his parole officer. He will live with his parents as he's flat broke.

Camera crews began arriving at the prison at 4am to prepare for the colourful media personality's release - more than a decade after his huge suburban wedding sparked national headlines.

Mehajer was followed by media to Service NSW at Westfield Parramatta, where he apparently renewed his licence, and later to a dental appointment.

Salim, the eldest of Amal and Mohamad Mehajer's eight children, will be relying on his parents' support if he follows through on his plan to rebuild his failed property empire.

The former Auburn council deputy mayor has been in prison since November 2020, when he was jailed for lying to a court, and has served back-to-back sentences for multiple offences.

The NSW State Parole Authority (SPA) decided last month to grant his release on conditions including that he undergo drug and alcohol testing, participate in domestic violence programs if directed, and not communicate with any outlaw motorcycle gang bikies or associates.

Disgraced former property developer Salim Mehajer has walked free from jail after serving five years behind bars, but the corrupt former deputy mayor will have to report daily to his parole officer and live with his mum and dad because he's broke

Mehajer left the jail in a black Mercedes

Mehajer, 39, was released from John Morony Correctional Centre at Windsor in Sydney's west on a raft of parole conditions

He is also banned from contacting his DV victim or entering the Central Coast.

Mehajer was declared bankrupt during a previous prison stint in 2018 when his property business, SM Project Developments, was liquidated.

Creditors included the Australian Taxation Office and the company which built the marble staircase at his former lavish home in Frances Street, Lidcombe.

He was locked up again in 2020 after he was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of making a false statement under oath.

While behind bars in 2023, Mehajer was again convicted in separate trials for unrelated fraud and domestic violence offences.

A jury found Mehajer guilty of multiple counts of assault, one count of intimidation and one count of suffocation relating to his abuse of an ex-partner, and he was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail.

He was convicted of assaulting the victim by punching her in the head in his car, suffocating her with his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, crushing her hand as she held her phone and threatening to kill her mother.

At a further trial while he was in jail, he was found guilty by a jury of fraud on two counts each of making a false document and using a false document.

Mehajer (pictured above at his 2015 wedding which made headlines) has been embroiled in a series of legal and financial troubles and committed a string of offences which put him behind bars

Mehajer leaves Cooma prison in 2019 with lawyer Zali Burrows, but he was back behind bars the following years and later convicted of forging Ms Burrows' signature

The staircase of Mehajer's former Lidcombe home which was repossessed by the bank when the convicted fraudster was declared bankrupt

The jury convicted him of creating false statutory declarations and affidavits by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and one of his six sisters.

Mehajer overcame a raft of objections, including the risk of him reoffending, his refusal to change his attitude and his continued denial of some of his crimes.

In granting him a release, SPA said Mehajer had completed all possible programs in prison.

It determined his rehabilitation was better served in the community under the supervision of a psychologist and community corrections officers.

His parole conditions include being of good behaviour, and ongoing treatment from a private psychologist.

Mehajer first made headlines with his over-the-top wedding in 2015, when a reported $1million of gaudy excess closed off a Sydney street.

Mehajer and his young bride 'Aysha' - former Wollongong beautician April Learmonth - were married amid a procession of Harley Davidsons, rented Lamborghinis, a helicopter overhead, and a reception with 10,000 red roses and gold-dusted desserts.

The flashy party had been delayed until Mehajer's father made his exit from prison, after being released early from a maximum three and half years' sentence.

Mehajer was once a wealthy property developer with a luxury mansion and flashy cars but squandered his fortune with dodgy deals which landed him in prison

Mehajer staged a car crash in 2017 which led to him pleading guilty to 22 charges, including perverting the course of justice, and making a false call for an ambulance

Mohamad Mehajer was convicted of conspiring to defraud the National Australia Bank of more than $3million after attempting to bribe a bank employee to approve a loan that overstated the value of the family property company.

Salim's marriage lasted a year. In 2016, Aysha took out a restraining order against him, and thereafter the attention-seeking fraudster became embroiled in legal and financial troubles.

Now it's his dad's turn to help his son, who he has previously described as 'the brain' and 'the head' of the family.
Australians have been urged to monitor their bank accounts for suspicious activity after cybercriminals targeted companies belonging to billionaire Clive Palmer.

Palmer's two multi-million dollar political ventures, the United Australia Party (UAP) and Trumpet of Patriots (TOP), fell victim to a ransomware breach on June 23.

The hack is believed to have exposed vast amounts of personal data, including bank details, identity documents and confidential correspondence.

Details have only just been made public after the parties admitted they could not determine the full extent of the damage or identify all those affected.

In a statement to supporters, TOP revealed that 'unauthorised access' was detected on their servers and that 'years' worth of sensitive documents have been stolen.

'We do not know comprehensively what information of yours was on the server but you should assume that any information you have provided would have been stored on the server,' the statement read.

TOP said it did not keep a record of whose details were on the server, saying it was 'impracticable' to attempt to notify those affected individually.

The parties confirmed that all emails to and from their systems, along with their attachments and internal documents, may have been accessed or downloaded.

Palmer's two multi-milliondollar political ventures, the United Australia Party (UAP) and Trumpet of Patriots (TOP), fell victim to a ransomware breach on June 23

In the wake of the attack, the parties say they have secured their systems and restored data using backup tapes.

The incident has been reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the Australian Signals Directorate.

Australians who have ever contacted or supported the UAP or Trumpet of Patriots are being urged to take precautionary steps, including changing passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and monitoring bank accounts for suspicious activity.

Both the UAP and TOP have long courted controversy for its bizarre policy stances, anti-lockdown campaigns and populist rhetoric.

During election campaigns, the party became notorious for bombarding millions of Australians with mass text messages, a tactic that skirts anti-spam laws by exploiting exemptions for electoral communication.

It is not known if the database of text messages owned by TOP or UAP was compromised in the hack last month.

Ironically, the party has urged those impacted to remain on guard from messages sent by political parties.

'Please remain alert especially with email, text messages or phone calls, particularly where the sender or call purports to be from the Political Parties,' it said.

Clive Palmer (left) was chair of the UAP and TOP, both of which were subject to hacks

The Trumpet of Patriots failed to win a single seat in the House of Representatives in the 2025 election, despite sending $60million on ads.

In 2022, the then United Australia Party won just one seat in the Senate, after splashing a whopping $120million on campaign efforts.

In 2021, the party claimed it had more than 80,000 members.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Trumpet of Patriots for comment.
The police chief at Washington State University had no way of knowing that the suspect in the brutal quadruple murders he was alerted to on November 13, 2022, was the same guy who'd asked him for a job just months before.

He wouldn't find out that the job applicant - polite WSU criminology student Bryan Kohberger - was the same person who stabbed four young University of Idaho students in their beds until more than a month later, just two days before Kohberger was arrested at his family's home in Pennsylvania.

Gary Jenkins, Chief of Police for WSU's campus, spoke exclusively about his brief but eerie connection to Bryan Kohberger to DailyMail.com, who has now admitted to slaughtering four University of Idaho students in their sleep at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho.

Jenkins was then the police chief of Pullman when Kohberger, who arrived in the summer of 2022 to start doctoral work at WSU, applied for a research assistant gig at the department.

Jenkins came virtual face-to-face with the future convicted murderer via Zoom - and while he is unable to go into specific detail because of the gag order still in effect - indicated that Kohberger did not seem to have the 'social skills' Jenkins felt would be needed for the position.

'I interviewed him for an interim position at Pullman Police Department before I came to WSU,' Jenkins said at his spacious home in Pullman, where he spoke last week to the Daily Mail, accompanied by his two rescue dogs, Lexi and Bailey.

'He wasn't selected  he just wasn't the best fit.'

But Jenkins admitted there was nothing so unusual about Kohberger that he could ever imagine finding out he was responsible for one of the most gruesome murder sprees in Idaho history.

WSU's Police Chief Gary Genkins told Daily Mail that he interviewed Idaho 4 killer Brian Kohberger for a research assistant job at the department

Although he ultimately decided Brian Kohberger wasn't the 'right fit' for the job, Jenkins said he had no sense the criminology student was capable of murder and was stunned to learn months later that he had interviewed the Idaho 4 killer over Zoom in April 2022

Kohberger had arrived on campus that summer to pursue doctoral work and had decided to apply to the Pullman Police Department for the interim decision to assist his criminology career track (PICTURED: The Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at WSU)

'It was a great pleasure to meet with you today and share my thoughts and excitement regarding the research assistantship for public safety,' Kohberger reportedly wrote to Jenkins shortly after they met on April 12, 2022.

'I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Bryan,' he added.

Jenkins reportedly replied: 'Great to meet and talk to you as well.'

Kohberger had been on campus for just one semester before the killings in nearby Moscow, just 8 miles away, rattled the twin college towns. Residents who once left their doors unlocked began checking over their shoulders.

'It was shocking,' Jenkins said. 'Violent crime happens very infrequently in this area. To have something of that magnitude occur  it was uncharacteristic and terrifying for the community.'

The chief said his department scrambled to alert students as word of the bloodbath spread.

'We had to issue an alert because the murders happened so close to Pullman and WSU. Students were scared  there was essentially an active stabber out there.'

'You hear it all the time after school shootings  people say, 'We never thought it could happen here,' Jenkins said. 'It was the same here. It made people realize violent crimes can happen anywhere.'

Killed in the November 13 stabbing were (left to right) Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders), Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle

Kohberger had been at WSU for just one semester when the brutal killings in nearby Moscow at a rented house (pictured) - just eight miles away - sent shockwaves through the two college towns

Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were found on the top floor of the Moscow, Idaho home, while college couple Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were discovered in a second-floor bedroom. Survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke had been sleeping on the first floor

Jenkins didn't find out Kohberger's identity until December 28, 2022, when his friend, the police chief of Moscow, James Fry, phoned him and told him to come to the Moscow police station, according to the new book, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy, that came out Monday.

Jenkins arrived to find himself in a room packed with local and state cops as well as FBI agents.

One of the Moscow detectives, Brett Payne, said they had identified a suspect, and he was living in WSU housing - cops would arrest Kohberger at his parents' home in Pennsylvania two days later.

When Jenkins heard the name Bryan Kohberger, he 'flinched,' according to the book, and told his fellow cops about his encounter with Kohberger as a job applicant.

Jenkins returned to WSU and sent Kohberger's resume and cover letter to Moscow PD.

According to the book, Fry called Jenkins to thank him for the material.

'No problem,' Jenkins told Fry on the phone.

'Oh and Gary one more thing,' Fry is quoted in the book as saying with a 'small chuckle.' 'Aren't you glad you didn't accept his application?'

Jenkins didn't find out about Kohberger's identity until he was called by a friend at the Moscow Police Department, Police Chief James Fry, and told to come down to the station, where he walked into a room with local and state cops. (Pictured left: Jenkins' wife Malinda)

When a detective told Chief Jenkins the suspect was from WSU and named Kohberger, Jenkins flinched and recounted the interview to them. Later, Chief Fry (pictured) asked if he was relieved, he hadnt hired him, which Jenkins didnt hesitate to affirm

'More than you know,' Jenkins responded.

Jenkins spoke to the Daily Mail just one week after Kohberger appeared in a Boise courtroom and admitted in a shock confession that he killed Ethan Chapin, 20, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, 20, Maddie Mogen, 21 and Kaylee Goncalves, also 21.

Kohberger later pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty, a deal that split victims' families. Some wanted a trial; others supported the plea to avoid years of painful appeals.

He will be sentenced on July 23 in a Boise courtroom.

Jenkins, who has spent decades in law enforcement, believes the plea brings closure.

'Having a guilty plea without the unknowns of a trial or appeals helps the community move forward,' he said.

The chief also said that Kohberger's academic background in criminology made the case even more chilling.

'It's rare to see someone studying criminal justice at such an advanced level go on to commit something like this,' Jenkins said.

Jenkins said it was chilling that the Idaho four killer came from a criminology background and how rare it was to see someone at his academic level in the field to 'commit something like this'

Kohberger, 30, will be sentenced on July 23 to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges on July 2

Kohberger now faces life in Idaho's maximum-security prison.

'Prison's going to be a tough life for him,' Jenkins said. 'People who commit certain crimes aren't well received by other inmates.'

But he admitted the case has left a scar on both Pullman and Moscow that may never heal.

'It's part of the history of this region now. But I don't think it defines us. What will define us is how the community came together and found justice for the victims and their families.'
Donald Trump's sanctions ultimatum issued to Vladimir Putin earlier this week may only encourage his Russian counterpart to step up his forces' offensive on Ukraine and maximise Moscow's recent gains on the battlefield.

The US President earlier this week announced he was 'very unhappy' with his opposite number in the Kremlin and would slap '100 per cent tariffs' on Russia - plus secondary sanctions on its trading partners - if a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine is not reached in 50 days.

But there is little evidence to suggest that Putin and Kremlin insiders will heed Trump's warning.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov immediately dismissed Trump's declaration on Tuesday, remarking: 'Fifty days... it used to be 24 hours, it used to be 100 days - we've been through all of this.'

Meanwhile, sources in the Kremlin told Reuters this week that Putin intends to simply seize more Ukrainian territory and believes his nation, which has thus far survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West, can endure further economic hardship.

'Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine - including the Americans - so he will continue until he gets what he wants,' one source said.

Russian analysts have said Moscow's forces will aim to bleed Ukraine dry with a strategy of 'a thousand cuts,' using drones and meat grinder assaults to relentlessly pressure many sectors of the front while increasing long-range aerial attacks against key infrastructure.

CNN, citing Ukrainian officials, reported that up to 160,000 Russian troops are massing in preparation to pile into the front, but those numbers have not been verified.

British Army veteran Shaun Pinner, who signed up to fight for Ukraine and was captured by Russian forces on the frontlines in 2023 before being released as part of a prisoner exchange, described the approach as a 'Kremlin Hail Mary'.

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Russian 152 mm self-propelled gun 2S5 'Giatsint-S' fires toward Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location in Ukraine

Rescuers carry a body from a damaged civilian installation following a Russian strike in Dobropillia, Donetsk region, July 16, 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with workers at the Marnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works MMK, July 16, 2025

President Donald Trump delivers remarks while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025

Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their land gains, capturing the most territory in eastern Ukraine since the opening stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.

DeepState Map, a Ukrainian open-source live mapping service, suggests Putin's soldiers have managed to secure 1,415 square kilometres (546 square miles) of land in the past three months.

Now, they're closing in on the eastern strongholds of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, methodically capturing villages near both cities to try to cut key supply routes and envelop their defenders.

Capturing those strongholds would allow Russia to push toward Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, setting the stage for the seizure of the entire Donetsk region.

If Russian troops seize those last strongholds, it would open the way for them to forge westward to the Dnipropetrovsk region. The regional capital of Dnipro, a major industrial hub of nearly 1 million, is about 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Russian positions.

Putin's troops are also already in control of the entire Luhansk region, along with more than 70% of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and small parts of the Kharkiv region, where they are encircling Lyman and Kupiansk.

Russia's battlefield success of late is due in part to Ukraine's manpower and ammunition shortages after more than three years of brutal war, but can also be attributed in part to a refinement of frontline tactics, specifically the use of drones.

Petro, a senior sergeant with the 38th Marine Brigade fighting near Pokrovsk, told the Kyiv Independent that his unit is experiencing a 'huge problem' with Russia's use of drones and glide bombs.

Rather than relying on tanks and armoured vehicles to grind forward as they did earlier in the war, Russian forces are increasingly deploying swarms of first-person view (FPV) drones to bombard Ukrainian positions and limit the mobility of defenders.

Roman Pohorilyi, co-founder of DeepState Map, added that Shahed-type attack drones are also being used along the contact line, not just to launch attacks on infrastructure.

But groups of unfortunate foot soldiers are nonetheless forced to pile in behind them in a mad dash to overwhelm the defensive lines - a tactic Petro described as 'meat assaults in small groups'.

'Three (Russian soldiers) advance, two are killed, and one reaches the trench.'

Ukrainian national guard soldiers stand in a trench under camouflage netting amid snowy conditions as they fire the Soviet D-20 artillery in the direction of Pokrovsk, Ukraine on February 26, 2025

A view of the destruction after Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 72nd Chorni Zaporozhtsi Separate Mechanized Brigade prepares a first-person view (FPV) drone to launch it towards Russian troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks as Governor of Chelyabinsk Alexey Teksler (L) looks on

Since Trump's return to the White House in January, the US and Russian leaders have shared several personal phone calls.

Trump also dispatched special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for a diplomatic visit, and the US has proposed an unconditional ceasefire - but these actions have yielded no results.

This is because there have not been any detailed discussions of the basis for a lasting peace plan - at least not one that takes into account Russian concerns, Kremlin sources told Reuters.

The Russian President has declared repeatedly that any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022.

He also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces - demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected.

Moscow's escalating attacks on Ukraine have tested Trump's patience, and his temper boiled over earlier this week during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.

'We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 per cent,' he threatened.

'I'm disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would've had a deal two months ago,' he went on, in reference to the US-proposed ceasefire that Kyiv accepted but was rejected by Moscow.

Perhaps more consequentially, Trump also threatened to levy secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian exports to discourage them from keeping funds flowing into the Kremlin's war chest.

Until now, the US and its European allies have declined to impose measures that would restrict Russia from exporting its oil and gas elsewhere.

Such a move would constitute a dramatic ramping up of Western efforts to back Ukraine as it would likely see Washington and the EU target countries such as China, India and NATO member Turkey, all of whom import huge quantities of Russian energy.

In response, leading Russian propagandist Igor Korotchenko said Moscow must use the 50-day period before sanctions are imposed to win the war by dramatically increasing the intensity of attacks across the border.

Korotchenko, a former colonel-turned-military analyst and editor-in-chief of National Defence magazine, told state-TV: 'Weakening the potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' rear support system will force Ukraine to accept Russia's terms.

'It is necessary to intensify Russian strikes to the maximum extent possible. Scaling up this approach, we can achieve success.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Patriot missile systems

Soldiers stand during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to a military training area in Germany to inspect Patriot missile systems

Trump said he'll be imposing 'very very powerful' secondary tariffs on Russia in 50 days

Putin's army continues to flatten Ukraine with mass kamikaze drones and missiles attacks. This picture shows aftermath of a Russian drone strike in Odesa, Ukraine

Trump earlier this week also struck a deal with NATO counterparts in Europe to send sophisticated weaponry, including sorely needed Patriot air defence missiles, to Ukraine - but insisted that the US would not foot the bill.

'We've made a deal today where we are going to be sending [Ukraine] weapons and [Europe] is going to be paying for them,' he stated.

'We - the United States - will not be having any payment made. We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it.'

The workings of the deal struck between the White House and European nations to provide and finance the delivery of advanced weapons systems to Ukraine were not immediately clear.

Many European countries appeared to get on board with the announcement, though Trump's move to take credit for the additional weapons headed to Ukraine created some mild friction in Europe.

'If we pay for these weapons, it's our support,' said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking after the Brussels meeting, adding that she welcomed Trump's decision.

'So it's European support, and we are doing as much as we can to help Ukraine ... If you promise to give the weapons, but say that somebody else is going to pay for it, it's not really given by you, is it?'

Washington also retains some $3.85 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) left over from the Biden administration at its disposal to provide weapons to Ukraine.

The PDA allows the president to draw from US weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency.

Trump has not sent any weapons to Ukraine that were not previously approved under the Biden administration.
The Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife tried to have potassium cyanide overnighted to him, telling the company selling it that hed be using the lethal substance for a fictional presentation, jurors heard on Thursday.

James Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela, whod repeatedly visited the hospital with mystery symptoms in the weeks before she died.

Prosecutors say Craig used poisons - including cyanide, arsenic and a chemical found in eyedrops - to taint protein shakes he prepared for her, even administering a fatal dose in her hospital room.

Cassie Rodriquez, a customer service representative for Midland Scientific, told jurors on Thursday how she first began dealing with Craigs order via email on March 9, 2023.

He wrote to her from the same personal address hed used for extramarital relationships  jimandwaffles@gmail.com  and such Gmail accounts usually raise a flag at her employer, Rodriquez testified.

Craig filled out and returned a usage statement, she said, saying he was using it for some type of seminar he was presenting.

James Craig, the dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife tried, to have potassium cyanide overnighted to him, his murder trial heard on Thursday

The dentist had originally noted he wanted the order for pick up, but that wasnt allowed for such chemicals, she said.

She worked on trying to get the product to him as soon as possible  he wanted it overnighted.

Craig was so desperate to get his hands on the chemical that he attempted to call Rodriquez, though they were never connected and continued correspondence via email, she testified.

He repeated his urgency and kept checking on delayed delivery, writing on March 11: 'Wow - it's 7.30 at night and I've been waiting at my office all day for the shipment.

'Looks like it didn't come. I wish they would've just told me they wouldn't be able to get it to me overnight,' Craig wrote to Rodriquez.

He later followed that with: 'It's not your fault I was just feeling frustrated and needed somebody to vent to.'

Craig listed his billing address for the order as the Aurora home he shared with Angela and their children  but listed his dental practice as the shipping address. Craig also marked the order personal.'

Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela, whod repeatedly visited the hospital with mystery symptoms in the weeks before she died

Craig physically turned up at Midland Scientific's Aurora location, the warehouse supervisor testified on Thursday, asking about a storefront customers could use - but it closed during COVID.

Witness Ashley Donohue testified that Craig turned up on the afternoon of March 13 in 'blue scrubs' in the parking lot - something he'd never seen happen during his five years of working there.

Donohue alerted the company's HR department 11 days later after recognizing Craig on the news, he testified.

Earlier on Thursday, jurors heard testimony from the lead detective in Craig's case - whom he allegedly tried to arrange a hit on from behind bars.

Aurora Police Det. Bobbi Jo Olson told the court that she and other officers served a search warrant at 8.30am the day after first hearing allegations of Craig's cyanide purchase.

Olson will be recalled to testify further later in the trial, the court heard.

A forensics digital expert also testified on Thursday about the process used to extract data from the Craigs' devices.

Upon cross examination on Thursday and since the beginning of the trial, defense lawyers questioned witnesses' credentials and repeatedly noted that receipts, texts and emails did not prove who, in fact, had used the cards and addresses.

Correspondence may have come from Craig's number and jimandwaffles@gmail.com, they argued, but witnesses couldn't verify he'd personally written it.

Prosecutors say Craig used poisons - including cyanide, arsenic and a chemical found in eyedrops - to taint protein shakes he prepared for her, even administering a fatal dose in her hospital room

Prosecutors allege Craig wanted to get out of his marriage of 23 years to be with a mistress and also say he used so-called 'sugar daddy' websites

Craig wipes his eyes in court as he listens to explosive opening statements of his murder trial

Defense lawyers have tried to paint Angela as 'manipulative' and suicidal. They have explained away Craig's behavior from behind bars as 'not great.' After his arrest, Craig allegedly tried to arrange assassinations and get his daughter to plant evidence, in addition to offering free dental work in exchange for fabricating cover stories to clear him, prosecutors have argued.

'He just lost his wife because law enforcement looks at this case with blinders,' defense attorney Ashley Witham said during opening arguments.

'He's been arrested, which means he's also lost his children ... he's anxious and he does some not great things from jail.'

Jurors also heard testimony this week from the office manager at Craig's dental practice - who told the court how she'd seen him mysteriously using an exam room computer in the dark late at night. After that, she said, he texted her that he'd be receiving a personal package at work, and she should put it on his desk and not open it.

A front desk employee opened the package when it arrived a week later, however - the same day Craig emailed Rodriquez to say the cyanide was out for delivery, he'd noted by tracking it.

Romero saw the invoice listing the package's contents as 'potassium cyanide' before she re-boxed it up and put the delivery on his desk as instructed.

She googled potassium cyanide, however - and, after learning its symptoms, comparing them with Angela's mystery illness and noting two unusual statements Craig made to her that his wife might not 'make it through the night - alerted her bosses.

The wife of Craig's dental partner, Michelle Redfearn - a longtime friend of Angela's with a PhD in nursing - testified on Wednesday how she and her husband confronted Craig about the cyanide.

They did so on a phone call on March 15 as the Redfearns sat in their car outside the hospital after learning that Angela had been declared brain dead.

First Craig claimed the package had contained a ring for his wife; when the Redfearns countered that they knew he was lying, he said Angela had asked him to buy the cyanide for her.

He said she was suicidal and lacked the necessary credentials to purchase the chemical.

When Ryan Redfearn pressed him as to why, still, Craig would agree to order the cyanide, he said it was like 'a game of chicken.'
First responders rescued 54 people after they were stuck on a burning 29-foot tall Ferris wheel in Brazil on Wednesday.

Footage taken by a visitor at an agricultural fair in the central-west city of Cuiaba showed the moment the base of the ride caught fire.

Workers were seen rushing to the Ferris wheel's ramp, where they began to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived.

Each person was removed from the 14 cabins by the Mato Grosso Fire Department and Military Police. No injuries were reported.

The fire department said the fire was caused by overheating in the LED lamps that cover the fabric on the ride's wiring fabric.

Witnesses reported a strong burning odor moments before the base burst in flames.

The Cuiaba Rural Union, which organized the fair, said in a statement that ride was shut down.

It also said the amusement park company has been working on repairing the Ferris wheel.

The ride will have to undergo an inspection by the Mato Grosso Fire Department before it can be allowed to operate again.

Authorities rescue 54 people from a Ferris wheel in Brazil on Wednesday night after the base of the right caught fire. No injuries were reported

A staffer at an agricultural fair in the central-western Brazilian city of Cuiaba extinguishes the fire on the base of a Ferris Wheel

'The necessary measures to prevent and correct any possibility of events outside of normal use were taken and proved efficient in ensuring the well-being of users and visitors of the Exhibition Park,' the Cuiba Rural Union said.

'Following the incident, the amusement park company contacted its technical team to repair and reinforce the structure.'

The incident comes less than a month after a five-year-old girl tumbled from a Ferris Wheel cabin and fell to the ground at a fair in the northeaster Brazilian city of Ipira.

Frightening video footage showed Heloisa Fernandes falling from her cabin before her distraught mother ran to her side.

The Mato Grosso The fire department said the fire was caused by overheating in the LED lamps that cover the fabric on the Ferris wheel's wiring fabric

The Cuiaba Rural Union, which organized the agricultural fair, said in a statement that the Ferris wheel will be repaired and will have to be inspected by the fire department

The Ferris wheel stopped during the middle of the ride and began shaking before Heloisa slipped from her seat, her mother, Laiane Fernandes, told Brazilian news outlet G1.

'Her legs were bent and only one eye was open,' Fernandes said. 'I ran, crouched down next to her and started screaming for her to answer me.

'She hugged me and told me to stay calm, that God was watching over her. It was a miracle that it wasn't more serious.'

Heloisa suffered minor injuries, but no fractures. Her 10-year-old sister suffered a fractured foot.
A seven-year-old Wisconsin boy was kidnapped at gunpoint in a horrifying abduction that was caught on film.

Jamal White was riding his bike near his home in Milwaukee when two armed suspects in a white Jeep Renegade blocked his family's driveway and forcibly took him.

The video, released by authorities, shows the terrifying moment when the suspects exit their vehicle - one holding a gun and chasing after Jamal's father, while the other grabs the young boy and drags him into the car.

'I'm glad he's OK, but it's kind of like, I feel like I still can't rest because who would do something like this to a seven-year-old?' Simone White, Jamal's aunt, said in an interview with WISN 12 News.

The boy's abduction prompted a statewide Amber Alert, setting off a desperate search that lasted nearly 24 hours.

Police eventually found Jamal safe Saturday evening at a home about seven miles from the scene of the kidnapping.

'We literally cannot thank the community enough because I genuinely feel like if it wasn't for everybody just caring about this seven-year-old boy, we probably would not have found him,' Simone said, expressing gratitude for the public's swift response.

Police have arrested 25-year-old Corey Gabriel Williams in connection with the kidnapping.

A chilling video shows Jamal White, 7, riding his bike near North 61st and Hustis streets in Milwaukee when two armed suspects in a white Jeep Renegade blocked his family's driveway and forcibly took him

The boy's abduction prompted a statewide Amber Alert, setting off a desperate search that lasted nearly 24 hours

Williams has been charged with kidnapping, taking hostages, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. A teenager, whose name has not been released, was also arrested in connection with the crime, WTMJ reported.

According to the criminal complaint, Williams and the teen initially intended to rob Jamal's mother, whom they believed had a large sum of money from drug dealing.

When they arrived at her house and found she wasn't there, they then turned their attention to Jamal's father, who was outside with his young son.

Armed with guns, the suspects forced Jamal into their vehicle and sped off.

Later, Williams and the teen allegedly contacted Jamal's mother, demanding $100,000 and jewelry in exchange for her son's safe return. They arranged a meeting in a park, but she never showed up, WTMJ reported.

Jamal later told police that he overheard the suspects speaking to his mother on the phone, telling her they would bring him back - only for her to never appear.

The kidnappers eventually realized that the Amber Alert was in full effect, and in an apparent attempt to avoid detection, the teen and another individual left Jamal with Williams, who hid in his attic while police closed in on the house.

The video, released by authorities, shows the terrifying moment when the suspects exit their vehicle - one holding a gun and chasing after Jamal's father, while the other grabs the young boy and drags him into the car

Police eventually found Jamal safe Saturday evening at a home near North 39th and West Lloyd streets - about seven miles from the scene of the kidnapping

Jamal was found unharmed in a bedroom.

In a bizarre twist, Jamal's uncle, 27-year-old Jamel K. White, was also arrested - not for the kidnapping, but for allegedly firing a gun during the search for his nephew.

According to the criminal complaint, White fired shots toward a man and his son who were assisting in the search, hitting an unoccupied house and a tree.

Police have arrested 25-year-old Corey Gabriel Williams (pictured) in connection with the kidnapping

White now faces two felony charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon. Authorities say White later admitted to hiding a Glock pistol in a wooded area near the scene of the shooting.

Williams now faces multiple charges related to the kidnapping, including kidnapping, taking hostages, and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

If convicted, he could face up to 130 years in prison. Police are still investigating the case, including whether there was any connection between the suspects and Jamal's family.

Jamal, who was released to Child Protective Services following his rescue, remains with CPS, though his family hopes for a reunion.

'We don't have any answers, and I feel like that is what is bothering the family a lot. I feel like a lot of us are unsettled,' Jamal's aunt told WISN 12.

In a post on Facebook following his son's kidnapping, Jamal White Sr. defended his reaction to flee from the armed suspects rather than come to the defense of his son

Additional reports also allege that Jamal's mother, Shavon Williams, has been arrested with 'charges pending' just days after her son was abducted at gunpoint

In a post on Facebook following his son's kidnapping, Jamal White Sr. defended his reaction to flee from the armed suspects rather than come to the defense of his son.

'Hell yeah I ran,' he wrote, adding, 'I'm thinking they tryna rob me not take my damn baby. Y'all slow we both alive n my baby tried to get away like I taught 'em. God had us the whole time obviously did right my baby safe!'

However, online critics have launched a fiery attack on the defensive dad.

'Your son gone beat on you when he get older and find out what you did buddy,' one user wrote.

'Bro you ran in the house and slammed the door,' a second wrote.

'I mean did you at least jog after the car?' a third asked.

Additional reports also allege that Jamal's mother, Shavon Williams, has been arrested with 'charges pending' just days after her son was abducted at gunpoint.

Seven-year-old Jamal White with his mother, Shavon Williams

Social media users have since speculated that the Milwaukee-based couple 'staged the kidnapping' with an incentive to receive money in the search of the missing boy

But, White Sr. has hit back, claiming those allegations are not true

Social media users have since speculated that the Milwaukee-based couple 'staged the kidnapping' with an incentive to receive money in the search of the missing boy.

'Remember the little boy Jamal White that was kidnapped over the weekend and found well. Guess what allegedly? His parents created this false kidnapping so that they can raise money on GoFundMe,' one Facebook user alleged.

Another wrote: 'So allegedly the parents of Jamal White came up with the idea of kidnapping their son so they could start a GoFund Me, once they got enough from the GoFund me they apparently was gone mysteriously find him.'

But, White Sr. has hit back, claiming those allegations are not true.

'First I set it up, then my brother kidnapped my son, now I'm wrong for leaving my son. I know fucked up y'all ain't gotta tell me. My son good though. Y'all wanted to paint every picture of me to be the bad guy, I can't win with y'all but I won with my kid. Remember this the internet,' he wrote on Facebook.
A career prosecutor who helped put both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell behind bars has fired a parting shot at the Trump administration after she was dismissed from her job without warning.

Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI chief James Comey, received a letter on Wednesday informing her of her sudden termination - weeks after she was involved in the botched case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

On her way out, she sent one final staff-wide email to her colleagues in the Manhattan US Attorney's Office, urging them to stay strong in the face of a 'tyrant.'

'If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain,' she wrote. 'Do not let that happen.

'Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.

'Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns in the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims.'

Maurene Comey worked on the cases against both Epstein and Maxwell, helping to send Maxwell to prison for 20 years after the billionaire financier killed himself in his cell while awaiting trial.

However, more recently, she suffered a catastrophic loss in the trial of the sex-crazed music mogul.

Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI chief James Comey, was dismissed from her role as a prosecutor in the Manhattan US attorney's office

Comey worked on the cases against both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell , helping to send Maxwell to prison for 20 years after the billionaire financier killed himself in his cell while awaiting trial

Comey said in her email to staff that she was not given a reason for her termination.

It is understood in the letter she received on Wednesday, she was told she was being fired under Article II of the Constitution, which cites powers granted to the president.

Trump has been desperate to shift attention away from the Epstein fiasco as MAGA loyalists demand Attorney General Pam Bondi's resignation after she failed to deliver on a campaign promise to reveal the billionaire financier's client list and true cause of death inside a jail cell awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.

MAGA loyalists have theorized that Epstein was murdered, rather than killed himself, and that a purported client list would unravel a web of crime at the very top of high society.

Bondi, after initially claiming the client list was 'on her desk for review,' now insists there is no list, and maintains that he did kill himself.

Trump on Wednesday lashed out at his own supporters and accused them of being duped by Democrats over the Epstein saga as he looks to shield himself and Bondi from backlash.

'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls**t,' hook, line, and sinker,' Trump wrote Wednesday.

'They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.'

Trump on Wednesday lashed out at his own supporters and accused them of being duped by Democrats over the Epstein saga as he looks to shield himself and Bondi from backlash

'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!'

There is no evidence former Democratic officials tampered with the documents or played any role in promoting conspiracies about the files, which members of Trump's administration stoked for years.

But it is unclear why Maurene Comey was axed after nearly a decade of service. The DailyMail.com has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.

She had been leading the violent and organized crime unit in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), the same position her father once held.

Comey's name was referenced in every US attorney pronouncement about the Combs's trial.

She delivered the closing arguments on the final day of Diddy's trial, and faced criticism when the mogul was ultimately cleared of the three most serious offenses.

Legal experts questioned whether he was 'overcharged' and how the case went so wrong for Comey and her team.

Trump has long disliked Comey's father James, but tensions reached a fever pitch in May when he shared a picture to Instagram of seashells spelling out 86 47.

Bondi has faced calls to lose her job over an investigation her department was leading into Epstein's crimes failed to deliver on campaign promises to unveil his client list and reveal the truth about his death

Comey delivered the closing arguments on the final day of Diddy's trial, and faced criticism when he was ultimately cleared of the three most serious offenses

Pictured: Then-nominee for FBI director James Comey with daughters, Kate, Maurene and his wife Patrice)

Donald Trump Jr. claimed was the former FBI director 'casually calling for my dad to be murdered.' James Comey said they were just seashells.

Many other Trump administration officials soon also asserted that James Comey was advocating for the 47th president's assassination.

James Comey has since denied that he ever intended to harm Trump, and even told Secret Service officials that when they questioned him over the phone that night.

The Secret Service had James followed by law enforcement authorities in unmarked cars and street clothes as he and his wife traveled from North Carolina, through Virginia and to their home in the Washington DC area

James has been the subject of Trump's ire since he began the FBI's probe into claims that the president's 2016 campaign colluded with Russian authorities to influence.

Trump fired him in 2017 after the then-FBI director confirmed Trump was under investigation.
The 20-year-old daughter of dentist James Craig and the wife he's accused of fatally poisoning told the court on Thursday how he'd asked the then-teenager to create a deep fake video exonerating him after his arrest for murder.

Craig, 47, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the March 2023 poisoning death of the mother of his six children, Angela. Hes been in custody ever since his arrest the day after the 43-year-old's death, which followed weeks of mysterious symptoms.

Prosecutors allege he considered his wife 'a problem' and poisoned her with a combination of cyanide, arsenic and a chemical found in eyedrops to pave the way for his new life with a mistress and to ease financial problems.

Then he continued hatching criminal plots from behind bars, allege prosecutors, who added charges of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence and solicitation to commit perjury.

Craigs third-oldest child, Annabelle, testified Thursday about one of those plots.

Her father called her from custody shortly after his arrest to ask her to bond out another inmate, she said.

Craig told her the inmate, Jonathan, was a cousin she didnt know - something she didn't immediately query given her extended family's large size. The dentist also gave her instructions of how to find a bail bondsman, and she drove to the detention facility, she testified.

While there, Annabelle admitted in a phone call to her older brother what she was doing, and he arrived at the jail with their paternal uncle.

The teen had already successfully bonded out Jonathan, however, who passed along a letter from her father on 'pieces of printer paper... taped together by masking tape.'

The 20-year-old daughter of dentist James Craig and the wife he's accused of fatally poisoning told the court on Thursday how he'd asked the then-teenager to create a deep fake video exonerating him after his arrest for murder

Craig's two oldest daughters testified in his trial on Thursday, telling jurors how he tried to get one to create a deep-fake video to clear him and how he opposed an autopsy on his wife

Outside the jail, she read it aloud in the car to her brother and uncle. The letter admitted to past infidelities and told Annabelle that her parents had been playing a 'game of chicken'  with Craig claiming that Angela had asked him to order fatal poisons.

Craig wrote to Annabelle that 'we need a deep-fake video of Mom saying she asked [Craig] to order cyanide, arsenic and oleander, and she was going to take it herself,' the 20-year-old testified.

The letter also offered numbered instructions that included buying a cheap laptop, installing a VPN, using the dark web, setting up an anonymous email account and buying a prepaid visa gift card, the court heard.

Craig provided 'a guideline of what should be said in order for [the deep fake] to be inarguable ... that it needs to be believable,' she said.

The dentist instructed her to burn the video onto thumb drives, tell investigators the teen had found them among her mother's things, then destroy the laptop, the court heard.

Before she took the stand, her older sister, Miriam, testified through her tears that Angela Craig had adored being a mother, lived for her six children and was in no way suicidal.

James Craig, 47, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife and mother of his six children, Angela, whom prosecutors say he fatally poisoned in March 2023

Craig was seen crying during opening statements and also dabbed his eyes on Thursday as his oldest daughter, 21, described her loving with her relationship with her mother through sobs

Her father, seated at the defense table, dabbed his eyes as his Miriam described the loving, close relationship she had with her mother.

His lawyers have tried to paint a picture of Angela as manipulative and struggling, with Craig claiming his wife wanted the drugs herself to end her life.

Miriam, who married six months before her mother's death, told the court that her mother had been 'frustrated' with a mystery illness that began in early March.

As she got progressively sicker, Miriam testified, her mother wanted nothing more than to return to her children, including her two youngest daughters Angela had recently begun homeschooling.

'She wanted to get back home,' Miriam said. 'She wanted to stop sleeping in the hospital beds; they made her butt hurt. She just wanted to get back to her girls.'

After Angela was declared brain dead on March 15, 2023, Miriam told jurors about an unusual conversation she had with her father before his arrest.

Craig asked his second-oldest daughter, then a teenager, to buy a cheap laptop, access the dark web and create a deep-fake video in which Angela asked him to get poison for her, the 20-year-old testified on Thursday

'When we went to say goodbye to my mom ... we were walking out of the hospital, and I asked my dad if they could do an autopsy and find out what was wrong with her,' Miriam testified. 'He said he didn't want them to.'

The 21-year-old said Craig told her he didn't want to 'satisfy their curiosities - if they couldn't figure it out while she was alive, they shouldn't be allowed to poke around at her if she was gone.'

She protested that the illness could be hereditary - asking Craig: 'What if it happens to' her youngest sister?

'What if something happens to her? Wouldn't you want to know?' Miriam said Thursday. 'And he just stayed quiet.'

She said that, knowing her parents' marriage had struggled in previous years, she felt in the months before Angela's death that the union had improved so much she wanted to model her own relationship with her new husband on it.

Relatives in the courtroom cried and wiped their eyes as she explained how Angela loved animals, looked forward to being a grandmother and fantasized about fixing up homes with her oldest daughter.

'We were making plans,' Miriam said, sobbing.

'She'd talk to me about how fun it'd be when I had kids of my own ... how excited she was to be a grandma.'

Craig has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial continues on Friday.
Attorneys representing accused assassin Luigi Mangione have made bombshell accusations of misconduct at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which could have major ramifications in his murder case.

Mangione, 27, is facing murder as an act of terrorism charges in New York for the shooting death of 50-year-old United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and has spent the last several months inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while his defense attorneys and New York City prosecutors prepare their case for an eventual trial.

But Mangione's defense attorneys are now accusing the Manhattan District Attorney's Office of creating a 'fraudulent' subpoena to obtain his confidential medical information from the health insurance giant Aetna.

They allege that the DA's Office subpoenaed Aetna without a court order - and received more than 100 pages of 'confidential, private, protected documents' with information about Mangione's medical diagnoses and complaints he made to medical providers.

'At a minimum, the District Attorney has admittedly violated Mr. Mangione's rights under [the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] and has obtained access to confidential privileged information,' attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo writes in the filing submitted to the New York State Supreme Court on Thursday.

'However, the situation is far worst than this,' she continued in the court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, saying the subpoena was 'false and fraudulent.'

She then went on to ask Judge Gregory Carro to 'impose an appropriate sanction after conducting a full evidentiary hearing to uncover the extent and nature of the significant privilege and HIPAA violations.'

These include the 'dismissal of all charges,' sanctions precluding prosecutors from accessing the documents 'and/or recusing any member of the District Attorney's staff ... from further involvement in this case.'

Attorneys representing accused assassin Luigi Mangione (pictured) have made bombshell accusations of misconduct at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office

The attorneys accuse the District Attorney's Office of creating a 'fraudulent' subpoena to obtain his confidential medical information from the health insurance giant Aetna. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is pictured in June

According to the court documents, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann drafted a subpoena to Aetna on May 14, telling the insurance company that prosecutors were seeking information about Mangione's account and how long he had been a member.

The subpoena allegedly told Aetna that the documents were needed for a court date of May 23, 2025 - and if the insurance company did not provide related to the request by that date it could be found in contempt of court.

In such a case, Aetna would be liable to a fine of $1,000 and its officers could face one year in prison, the subpoena reportedly warned.

Agnifilo argues that these documents were never warranted in Mangione's trial 'as the People have maintained that this is a straightforward murder case.'

She also claims that 'rather than having Aetna give the documents to the Court, as required by the already fraudulent subpoena, the District Attorney told Aetna to provide the documents directly to the District Attorney.

Doing so, Agnifilo said, 'intentionally' excluded the Court from the subpoena process and ensured that prosecutors would 'secure these confidential medical records without either the court of Mr. Mangione's counsel knowing or being able to object.'

The defense attorney went on to deny that the prosecutors did not know they had received confidential medical information, describing how each of the files sent to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office included in 'large type bold letters "Request for Protected Health Information."'

The cover letter from Aetna also stated that the files were provided by the HIPAA Member Rights Teams and advised that the materials were to be kept confidential.

Mangione is facing murder as an act of terrorism charges in New York for the shooting death of 50-year-old United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the ambush 'a killing that was intended to evoke terror'

'It would be impossible for anyone to view a single page of these records and not immediately see they were private, confidential records within the scope of HIPAA,' Agnifilo writes.

'Yet the District Attorney's Office placed them into a discovery file and reviewed them,' she said, alleging that prosecutors even admitted to reviewing the documents but not doing so 'in their entirety.'

'We need sworn testimony to determine precisely what confidential medical files were reviewed, who reviewed them and when this review was conducted,' the attorney argued.

'We also need the computer forensic information of when these files were opened, by whom and for how long.'

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the charges , and has spent the last several months inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while his defense attorneys and New York City prosecutors prepare their case for an eventual trial

In the filing Thursday, defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo asked Judge Gregory Carro to 'impose an appropriate sanction after conducting a full evidentiary hearing to uncover the extent and nature of the significant privilege and HIPAA violations'

The filing concludes by claiming that Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kaplan spoke with a representative from Aetna on June 16, when he was informed that the insurance company 'mistakenly provided the defendant's "entire designated record set."'

'Rater than immediately alerting the Court and counsel, the District Attorney's Office sat on this information for another eight days, before disclosing that it was in possession of over a hundred pages of admittedly confidential, privileged medical information.'

In a statement to DailyMail.com, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said it will file its own response in court papers.

'As defense counsel knows, the People requested very limited information from Aetna, and Aetna sent us additional materials in error,' the office said.

'We deleted the materials as soon as we became aware of them and brought it to defense and the courts attention.'

Mangione's attorneys have been fighting to get the charges in New York dropped

They argue it amounts to double jeopardy, as the 27-year-old also faces federal charges

Prosecutors have claimed Mangione - the heir to a Maryland property fortune - mused about his intent to 'wack' an insurance executive in a notebook and wrote about rebelling against 'the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.

The DA's office quoted extensively from the notebook, highlighting his alleged praise for the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski as they fought to uphold his state charges.

They also cited a confession they say he penned 'to the feds,' in which he wrote that 'it had to be done.'

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg even called the ambush 'a killing that was intended to evoke terror.'

But Mangione's attorneys have since been fighting to get the charges in New York dropped, arguing that they amount to double jeopardy, as the 27-year-old also faces a federal death penalty prosecution.

If that fails, they are looking to have his terrorism charges dropped and prosecutors barred from using evidence collected at his arrest in December - including a 9mm handgun, ammunition inscribed with the words 'delay, deny, and depose' and the alleged manifesto.

The defense and prosecutors are now scheduled to discuss any outstanding issues on September 16, according to Thursday's court filing.

Mangione is being fiercely backed by a slew of fans who have praised him for his alleged actions and started a GiveSendGo page to raise money for his legal defense

In the meantime, Mangione is being fiercely backed by a slew of fans who have praised him for his alleged actions and started a GiveSendGo page to raise money for his legal defense.

Some have even made art depicting him as a saint, saying he is a hero who has taken a stand against America's broken healthcare system.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the New York State Supreme Court and Aetna for comment.
The Slender Man stabber will be released from a mental hospital more than a decade after trying to kill her friend as a sacrifice to the eerie fictional character.

Morgan Geyser, 22, of Wisconsin, was granted conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where she has spent the past seven years, on Thursday.

Geyser was arrested after she and her classmate Anissa Weier lured Peyton Leutner to the woods after a sleepover in 2014. They were all 12 years old at the time.

Weier and Geyser had conspired for months to slaughter Leutner in the name of the horror character Slender Man.

During the vicious attack, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier cheered on the cold-hearted act of violence before leaving the helpless victim to die.

Leutner miraculously survived, and Geyser and Weier were charged in adult court with first-degree attempted intentional homicide.

Weier had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted second-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime, but the jury found her to be not guilty by mental disease or defect in 2017.

She was sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital but was granted release in 2021 after agreeing to live with her father and to wear a GPS monitor.

Morgan Geyser (pictured in court on Thursday), 22, was granted conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where she has spent the past seven years

Geyser was arrested after she and her classmate Anissa Weier lured Peyton Leutner (pictured) to the woods after a sleepover in 2014

Geyser, who has schizophrenia, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, but as part of her plea deal, was convicted but found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in 2018.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, who has since retired, had committed her to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years - a sentence she only served about 25 percent of.

Circuit Judge Scott Wagner, who made the Thursday ruling, did not release any further details about the decision to let Geyser go.

In January, Bohren said Geyser could be released after three experts testified that she was making progress battling her mental illness.

During the same hearing, Geyser also came out as transgender, but female pronouns have continued to be used for court consistency, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, who psych evaluated Geyser, explained.

'In her treatment records, she's now identified with male pronouns and a separate name,' Lundbohm continued, adding that Geyser's new name is Ethan.

At the time, Dr. Kenneth Robbins claimed the Geyser no longer has psychosis, symptoms experts who have worked with her generally agree played a major role in the violent assault she committed.

Lundbohm's treatment team came to the same conclusion.

Nicole Whiteaker claimed Geyser drew a concerning image of a decapitated man that she set to Jeffery (pictured)

Geyser, left, stabbed Payton Leutner across her arms, legs and torso, hitting major arteries and severing her diaphragm. Geyser did this while Anissa Weier, right, egged her on

When the judge asked Robbins if she was 'faking' her psychotic symptoms back in 2014 when the stabbing occurred, he quickly responded 'no.'

'I think either she was experiencing transient psychotic symptoms, which is to say psychotic symptoms that didn't persist and gradually went away,' Robbins explained.

'Or the intensity of her fantasies based on some of the trauma she had experienced were so intense that she believed them to be true.'

The trauma Robbins was referring to was Geyser's claims of sexual abuse by her father, who died in 2023.

Geyser's father had also reportedly been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Stacie Leutner told ABC.

Geyser's symptoms more closely align with post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and autism, Robbins added.

While Bohren agreed to Geyser's release - effectively slashing her sentence by about three decades - the original plan had to be reworked.

In March, prosecutors rejected the proposal to integrate Geyser back into society after Leutner's mother, Stacie, expressed concern that Geyser's group home was set to be just eight miles away from her daughter.

Geyser (pictured in March) arrived in court to fight for her release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute

The judge then ordered the Department of Health Services to draft a new plan, which was ultimately okayed on Thursday.

While the judge was onboard with Geyser walking free, claims of her disturbing habits inside the mental facility have sparked concern.

In March, Wisconsin health officials argued Geyser was in no condition to walk free from the institution after evidence emerged of an unsettling correspondence she was having with an 'older man' called Jeffrey who sold murder memorabilia.

'I asked Ms. Geyser who are the people she's communicating with on the outside, and his name came up,' Nicole Whiteaker, he conditional release program supervisor, testified in March.

Jeffery, who first visited her in person in June 2023, sent her a letter after she was granted conditional release in January 2025. Geyser reportedly ripped it up and threw it away, Whiteaker said.

'After the team became aware of him, it was during that meeting that Ms. Geyer asked for a no contact order,' Whiteaker said, adding that she found details about Geyser on the man's Facebook that were 'concerning'.

She had sent him her own sketch of a decapitated body and a postcard saying she wants to be intimate with him.

Geyser (pictured with blood on her clothes from the attack) told detectives at the time that she was 'forced to stab her best friend to death'

Geyser (pictured in court in January) now identifies as transgender and is named Ethan on medical records

'We found that there were letters and drawing that she had sent him. A postcard,' Whiteaker said. 'And he was selling them.'

The drawings were described as 'horror' art, which concerned Whiteaker and her team.

The pieces of art were labeled with Geyser's name, so potential buyers knew what they were getting, according to Whiteaker's testimony.

One of the drawings, shown in court, depicted a unearthly creature with the message 'they crumble as they crawl.'

Geyser also 'recalled that [Jeffery] would get sexual gratification from her index offense and I believe there was letters written back and forth' about that, Whiteaker said.

Geyser also did not reveal to her therapists that she had been reading a novel with violent themes about murder and black market organ sales called Rent Boy.

But her lawyer, Tony Cotton, pushed back, saying Geyser only read what the facility allowed, and staff knew she had been communicating with the collector.

He also pointed out that Geyser was the one who asked for the no contact order, something she requested when she found out thdat Jeffery was sexually interested in her crime.

Leutner (pictured) miraculously survived the heinous attack, crawling her way out of the woods to be found

Geyser (pictured in 2017) pleaded guilty, but was found not guilty by reason of mental illness

Cotton said that she stopped talking to the man in 2024 after she discovered he was selling things she sent him.

Bohren, who has since retired and passed the case along to Wagner, agreed with Cotton's points.

In 2014, Geyser stabbed Leutner across her arms, legs and torso, hitting major arteries and severing her diaphragm. Geyser did this while Weier egged her on.

Weier ordered Leutner lay down and cover herself in leaves during a game of hide and seek before Geyser started attacking her.

Leutner's near death experience came a day after they all celebrated Geyser's birthday.

After the young assailants fled, Geyser mustered up the strength to crawl out of the woods and was found by a cyclist.

The girls claimed they were motivated by the fictional Slender Man, sparking a moral panic over potential copycat attacks as the character swept the internet.

Both Geyser and Weier told detectives they felt they had to kill Leutner to become Slender Man's 'proxies,' or servants, and that the character would kill their families if they didn't follow through.
Commuters in Sydney were horrified when they spotted a passenger receiving a hair cut in one of the carriages, behaviour which could see people fined up to $400.

A photo emerged on Reddit on Wednesday of a man using clippers on another person with the caption: 'Saw a guy getting haircut in train.'

'Was travelling in train today and saw these people recording and giving a haircut to a guy lol,' the Reddit user said.

Australians erupted over the photo in the comments, calling it 'absolute filth' and 'gross'.

'I didn't think grubs cutting their toe nails during their morning commute could be topped, but this is the world we live in now,' one said.

When a commenter asked 'Did these grubs clean up after?', the person who posted the photo said they ran away.

A third person quipped: 'surely theres an emergency button for that'.

Some people were driven to recount their own tales of unhygienic behaviour on trains, with one user recounting a train journey from Hurstville to Central.

A photo of a hair cut on a Sydney train has been slammed by Aussies as 'gross'

'This just had a flashback to the early 00s... and this lady across from me was clipping her nails and plucking her eyebrows,' they said.

'She had a lil pile of crud on her bag and when she was done she just casually pushed it onto the floor.'

In a statement, a Transport for NSW spokesperson said hair cuts are inappropriate on their trains.

'Public transport is a shared space - and with that comes a shared responsibility to respect the comfort, safety, and expectations of others,' they said.

'While public transport etiquette may not list every example, behaviours such as clipping nails or cutting hair on a train are not appropriate.

'Fines of up to $400 can apply for willfully interfering with the safety and comfort of others.'
Billionaire WiseTech boss Richard White has been served a subpoena by Mark Latham's legal team in the latest twist of the legal battle between the controversial NSW independent MP and his ex.

The subpoena, served by Mr Lathams lawyer Zali Burrows, has requested the communications between Mr White and Latham's former lover Nathalie Matthews.

Ms Matthews has claimed the politician inflicted 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse against her for almost three years.

She is seeking an apprehended violence order against the one-time federal opposition leader, alleging vile acts 'including defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash'.

The businesswoman has further alleged his behaviour involved 'pressuring me to engage in sexual acts with others, demanding I call him "master", telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me'.

On Friday morning, Latham said on X that '(Ms) Matthews used to joke if we ever broke up, I would throw her stuff in the dam on my property'.

The MP has categorically denied he 'abuses women' and insisted all his dealings with Ms Matthews were entirely consensual.

The subpoenas of Mr White and Ms Matthews' communication were filed in NSW Local Court in opposition of her case, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.

Ms Matthews (pictured, right) alleged in a restraining order application that Mr Latham (left) engaged in vile acts against her, which he has vehemently denied

In an interview on 2SM, Mr Latham did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament

The WiseTech Global co-founder and former CEO has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr White for comment.

Sexually explicit WhatsApp messages between Latham and Ms Matthews became public this week, including some sent from the parliamentary floor.

Some of the messages included references to sex worker Carly Electric, who was described by Latham as a 'good rooter'.

'Multi skilled. Comedian. Race lover. Keen rooter. Exactly our sort of person!' he wrote.

In another text, he also joked if sex worker Carly Electric might want to be involved in a 'freak off', a another term used by infamous rapper Sean Diddy Coombs for a threesome.

Latham is yet to address the latest claims.

It is also not suggested the claims of abusive behaviour are substantiated, only that the allegations have been made.

In an interview with Chris Smith on 2SM on Wednesday morning, Latham did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament.

In the latest legal twist, WiseTech Global boss Richard White (pictured) has been subpoenaed

'The big news is I had a private life,' he said. 'I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic.'

'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow.'

Latham noted the AVO case against him was being brought privately after NSW Police chose not to pursue the allegations.

'There is a court case pending because she's lodged a private AVO application,' he said.

'She tried to get an AVO with the police... I think that tells you a lot about the substance of the matter.'

Daily Mail Australia revealed on Friday Ms Matthews' past as an OnlyFans content creator, where she posted graphic images and videos of herself under the suggestive name Bondi C** Sl** from 2019 to 2023. OnlyFans followers typically pay creators for exclusive, usually adult and often explicit, content.

Her account has since been taken down from OnlyFans, but the material she posted had spread to online fan sites and forums.

She now runs an e-commerce global logistics firm based in Dubai, Perth and Sydney.

Ms Matthews declined to comment on her OnlyFans past but her lawyer told Daily Mail Australia that her client 'has been subjected to character assassination, reputational damage and trial by media'.

'Domestic violence is a serious issue in our society.

'Any individual in genuine fear should have the right to seek protection without vilification.'
Facial recognition cameras will be used at this year's Notting Hill Carnival for the first time in an unprecedented crackdown on violence.

Visitors to Europe's biggest street party will be scanned for wanted knife offenders, rapists, robbers and those suspected of serious violent crimes.

Scotland Yard wants to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed of recent years.

Festivities last year saw eight stabbings. One resulted in a murder and a second man was beaten and kicked to death.

Senior officers believe it will make 'Carnival' - behind only Rio de Janeiro's celebration in terms of size - safer, but the plan has proved controversial with organisers and has raised civil liberty concerns.

Police will use mobile live facial recognition, or LFR, cameras around the perimeter of the three-mile parade route as part of a beefed-up security operation involving 7,000 officers every day over the Bank Holiday weekend from August 23-25.

There will also be knife arches and prevention orders to keep known thugs away.

It comes after an extra security budget of almost 1million was signed off last week following police warnings of a potential 'mass casualty event' caused by crushing.

Pictured: A man wielding a large zombie knife during an altercation at Notting Hill Carnival last year

Facial recognition cameras will be used at this year's Notting Hill Carnival for the first time in an unprecedented crackdown on violence (file image)

Senior officers believe it will make 'Carnival' - behind only Rio de Janeiro's celebration in terms of size - safer, but the plan has proved controversial with organisers and has raised civil liberty concerns (Pictured: Women at Notting Hill Carnival last year)

Rory Geoghegan, founder of the Public Safety Foundation, said: 'Using live facial recognition at events like Notting Hill Carnival is common sense.

'It helps police identify suspects wanted for serious crimes - people who should be in prison, not walking our streets or hiding in crowds.

'The public rightly expects the police to use every lawful tool to keep us safe.'

About 2 million people a year attend the three-day West London carnival which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year.

But its reputation has been marred by violence.

Last year Cher Maximen, 32, was fatally stabbed with a zombie knife in front of her three-year-old daughter, when a gang fight broke out next to her.

And visiting chef Mussie Imnetu, 41, was beaten to death by a self-described 'monster' after a row outside a nearby restaurant.

The killers in both cases have been jailed for life.

Yesterday shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Live facial recognition now identifies wanted and dangerous people with no racial bias and with accuracy levels far in excess of manual identification.

Visitors to Europe's biggest street party will be scanned for wanted knife offenders, rapists, robbers and those suspected of serious violent crimes (file image)

Last year, Cher Maximen (pictured), 32, was fatally stabbed with a zombie knife in front of her three-year-old daughter, when a gang fight broke out next to her

Shakeil Thibou (pictured) was jailed for 29 years after being found guilty of Ms Maximen's murder

Police bodycam footage of Shakeil Thibou, who is seen holding a knife on the day Ms Maximen was stabbed

'Last year eight people were stabbed and two people were tragically killed at the carnival.

'Using facial recognition will help protect people from brutal attacks like these. It is right that police use every tactic at their disposal to catch criminals and protect the public.'

But a spokesman from the Notting Hill Carnival Trust said: 'There are concerns within Carnival's community that this technology is inaccurate and problematic.

'We will work with the Metropolitan Police to seek assurances about its use.'

LFR cameras were tried out at the event in 2016 and 2017.

But the pilot was abandoned when questions were raised about the technology, then in its infancy, after the system wrongly flagged 102 people as potential suspects.

Yesterday, the Met's Lindsey Chiswick, the national lead on facial recognition, said: 'I can understand why there may be some concern. It was different technology back then. The accuracy rate was low.'

Since then, the technology has become far more accurate, with Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley hailing LFR as the most significant investigative advancement since DNA testing.

Pictured: Thousands of people on the streets during the second day of Notting Hill Carnival 2024

About 2 million people a year attend the three-day West London carnival which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year (Pictured: People at Notting Hill Carnival 2024)

Visiting chef Mussie Imnetu (pictured), 41, was beaten to death by a self-described 'monster' after a row outside a nearby restaurant

In February, charity worker Omar Wilson (pictured), 31, was convicted of Mr Imnetu's murder

Graphic shows a breakdown of all the arrests police made at Notting Hill Carnival last year

'There is no bias in the system and its accuracy has been tested independently through the National Physical Laboratory,' Ms Chiswick said.

'We are using it at Notting Hill Carnival to mitigate the risk to public safety.

'A large number of people attend the carnival and it is very difficult to locate those that pose a public safety threat.

'A single officer would have to memorise 10,000 odd suspects to pluck them out of a busy crowd.

'This is a celebration we want the public to safely enjoy, this technology is an accurate tactic that helps us achieve that.'

She stressed that the cameras will be used on the approaches to and from the carnival rather than in the streets where the parades take place, allowing officers to safely intercept suspects before they reach the crowds.

Operational tests reveal that now just one in 33,000 scans result in a false alert.

Images of pedestrians walking past a LFR van are fed into a computer using biometric software to measure 28 facial features.

More than 7,000 officers were deployed each day at last year's event, and there were more than 350 violent or sexual offences reported

Pictured: Police officers make an arrest at the Notting Hill Carnival in west London on August 26, 2024

Pictured: A Met Police officer takes a picture of revellers at Notting Hill Carnival last year

The data is then compared with a bespoke watchlist tailored to the carnival which will include around 11,000-15,000 suspects.

If a match is detected, an alert is sent to officers on the street who review it and decide if they should make an arrest after conducting further checks such as court orders.

If someone is not wanted by police, their biometrics are immediately deleted.

The cameras will also be on the lookout for missing people, including teenagers at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation.

Scotland Yard already deploys the tactic at crime hotspots, concerts and major sporting events.

Earlier this month, the Met announced that LFR had led to more than 1,000 arrests in London since 2024, resulting in 773 charges or cautions.

Rebecca Vincent, of civil liberties and privacy group Big Brother Watch, said: 'We know that LFR is less accurate in scanning minority faces, so using it to target attendees of this beloved cultural celebration is particularly sinister.

'This planned deployment is even more concerning given the continued lack of a legislative basis, leaving police to write their own rules with no accountability or oversight.'

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, in charge of carnival policing, said the 'priority is to keep people safe, including preventing serious violence, including knife crime and violence against women and girls'.
The Armed Forces minister at the time of the Afghan data leak last night admitted that he and other officials had 'let the country down badly'.

James Heappey's rare mea culpa came after other ministers sought to distance themselves from the catalogue of errors and failures to inform Parliament about what went wrong.

Mr Heappey was minister when the data breach  putting thousands of Afghans on a Taliban 'kill list'  was uncovered in 2023 and when the super-injunction to keep it secret was granted.

The former Conservative MP, who gave up his seat at last year's election, also defended the official responsible for the leak, which occurred 18 months before it was discovered.

A military officer working for United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF), accidentally emailed the database of 18,714 Afghans to someone, thinking he was sending just 150 names to be checked for possible relocation to Britain.

It emerged yesterday the leak also included British Special Forces officers and MI6 spies. The officer was moved to a new role but not sacked.

In a 25-message-long thread on X, Mr Heappey said: 'It was gut-wrenching to find out that someone in the Ministry of Defence had screwed up so awfully although I came to find subsequently they were incredibly dedicated to those we served with in Afghanistan.

'Few had done more to get people who served alongside our Special Forces out of Afghanistan.

The Armed Forces minister at the time of the Afghan data leak, James Heappey (pictured), last night admitted that he and other officials had 'let the country down badly'

Frontline interpreter Jamil, 36, (face pixellated for his own security) out in the field in Afghanstan was one of those affected by the data leak

Another former translator Khan, pictured here serving with UK forces, was hunted down and wounded by the Taliban

'It is incredibly unfair that someone who'd done so much good and changed so many lives deservedly for the better, should be responsible.

'But the worst part of all, of course, was the mortal danger we feared this breach presented to applicants whose details had been compromised. The intelligence assessment was clear: if the Taliban got their hands on the list, violent and even lethal reprisal was likely.

'The Ministry of Defence was magnificent in response to it all. But on this breach, we let the country down badly.'

Mr Heappey said he was not involved in setting up any of the injunctions surrounding the data leak, but he backed the decisions to impose them.

He added that issues arising from the breach resulted in fierce arguments between ministers and 'some pretty choice words' in meetings.

The leak led to the creation of a secret Afghan relocation scheme  the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR)  in April 2024. Its existence was revealed on Tuesday when the near-two-year super-injunction was lifted.

Yesterday former home secretary Suella Braverman and Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said they strongly opposed the plan to bring more than 24,000 Afghans to Britain.

It was also reported that those in the Treasury, plus the likes of Sir James Cleverly, the foreign secretary at the time, and Michael Gove, the then-communities secretary, were against it.

Key figures yet to break cover include a former Special Forces chief, a Chief of the Defence Staff and Sir Grant Shapps, the defence secretary at the time the injunction was upgraded to a super-injunction and the decision was taken to launch the ARR.

General Sir Gwyn Jenkins was director of Special Forces at the time of the leak. In August 2023, when it was discovered, Sir Gwyn was invited to a Cobra meeting in Whitehall. Asked by a minister if he should resign, he reportedly replied: 'Certainly not.'

Downing Street has been forced to defend Sir Gwyn's role this week, putting out a statement saying he had 'no role in any aspect of the Afghan resettlement schemes'.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin was Chief of the Defence Staff when the leak was discovered and when it occurred the previous year. The same minister who asked if Sir Gwyn would resign also asked if Sir Tony was going to fall on his sword, and was similarly rebuffed.
Years later, he dressed up as daycare Santa

A convicted paedophile banned from working with kids has been arrested after he was spotted wearing a Santa suit at a daycare centre.

The NSW man, 44, was employed to carry out odd jobs at Beenleigh Montessori Early Learning Centre, where his 46-year-old wife served as director.

The man was convicted in 2007 of sexually abusing a child. He served eight months behind bars and was prohibited from engaging in any child-related work.

In a shock twist more than 15 years later, the man was arrested at his home in Logan, in Brisbane's south, on Wednesday night.

He pleaded guilty to two child protection breaches and was fined $2,000.

Police confirmed there have been no reported incidents at the Beenleigh centre.

The centre's owner claimed they were unaware of the man's criminal past.

In one photo from the daycare, the man was seen dressed in a Santa Claus costume, complete with white gloves, beard and hat.

A convicted paedophile who was banned from working from children has been spotted wearing a Santa suit at a daycare - where he was employed to carry out odd jobs

The 44-year-old man worked at the Beenleigh Montessori Early Learning Centre (pictured)

It comes after a 21-year-old man has been charged with indecent treatment of a child at a Brisbane childcare centre owned by embattled provider Affinity Education Group.

Police said the alleged offence involved a four-year-old child and occurred on July 10 at a facility in Tingalpa.

The Cleveland man has been charged with one count of indecent treatment of a child.

Affinity confirmed the man had been stood down after the matter was reported to police.

The provider is already under intense scrutiny following the arrest of Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who faces 70 charges of child abuse.

Brown had worked at multiple Affinity centres across Melbourne.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the recent cases highlighted the urgent need for reform and stronger national safeguards.

'The Coalition stands ready to work constructively with Labor to enact stronger childcare policies,' she said. 'The states also need to step up.'

Childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown faces 70 charges of child abuse (he is pictured)

In response, Education Minister Jason Clare is set to introduce new legislation that would allow the federal government to cut funding to non-compliant centres.

The new laws would also empower anti-fraud officers to carry out unannounced inspections without a police presence or warrant.
Ed Miliband could offer homeowners with heat pumps 200 off their bills - meaning it would take around 25 years to pay off the upfront cost.

The Energy Secretary would offer the grants to reduce the running costs of the green technology, under plans to phase out gas boilers.

Heat pumps typically cost around 5,000 once a taxpayer-funded subsidy of 7,500 is applied, so it would take decades to recoup the upfront cost through savings to bills.

Under the plans, all homes with heat pumps would see an average fall in energy bills of 15 per cent, paid for by taxpayers.

And the money would come from the 13.2billion 'warm homes' fund agreed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves at the spending review last month.

Industry figures are understood to have put forward the submissions to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to incentivise homeowners to quit gas boilers.

The cost of electricity per unit for consumers is about four times higher than gas, which can make heat pumps more expensive to run.

An additional 200 off bills could help to plug this gap.

Ed Miliband could offer homeowners with heat pumps 200 off their bills - meaning it would take around 25 years to pay off the upfront cost

Heat pumps typically cost around 5,000 once a taxpayer-funded subsidy of 7,500 is applied, so it would take decades to recoup the upfront cost through savings to bills (file image)

Under the plans, all homes with heat pumps would see an average fall in energy bills of 15 per cent, paid for by taxpayers (file image)

This could be funded through a levy on gas bills, covered by a Government fund. The cost to taxpayers would increase each year if more houses install heat pumps.

There could also be support for the 300,000 households that have already got the technology, and taxpayers could completely cover the cost of heat pumps for low-income families.

A Labour source said the proposals were not under active consideration by the department but were requests from the industry.

However, they added that Mr Miliband is looking to help those who do want to install the environmentally-friendly technology.

Heat pumps produce three to four times the energy they use, making them much more efficient than a gas boiler, but they also have a far higher upfront cost.

The UK's climate change committee said earlier this year that half of homes should have pumps installed by 2040 to meet the country's legal goal of net zero emissions by 2050, up from about only 1 per cent now.

There will be a consultation on the plans in October, according to The Times, and a Bill would need to pass through Parliament to enact them.

A spokesman for the Department for Energy said: 'We do not recognise this speculation. Our clean energy mission is the best route to bring down bills for good.'

Meanwhile, the Conservatives announced they would remove blocks on building new nuclear power plants to lower bills if they win the next election.

They said the current 'green tape' adds millions of pounds to project costs.
The U.S. Department of Justice has recommended a shockingly light sentence for Brett Hankison, who was convicted last year of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights during a botched police raid.

Despite Hankison's conviction carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division submitted a sentencing memorandum late Wednesday requesting that the former Louisville Police officer, serve only one day.

Hankinson's lenient sentence however would amount to time already served since he was booked and made his initial court appearance.

The controversial filing attempted to minimize Hankison's role in the 2020 killing of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman fatally shot in her home during a no-knock raid.

'He did not shoot Ms. Taylor and is not otherwise responsible for her death,' the DOJ's memo stated.

During the raid, Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a legally owned firearm at officers he believed were intruders.

Police responded by firing 22 shots into the apartment.

Although none of Hankison's bullets hit Taylor or anyone else, they pierced the walls into a neighboring apartment where a couple and their five-year-old child lived.

The U.S. Department of Justice has recommended a shockingly light sentence for Brett Hankison, a former Louisville Police officer

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot in her home during a no-knock raid in 2020

Hankison was found guilty in November 2024 of violating Taylor's civil rights by recklessly firing blindly into her window, which was obscured by blackout curtains and blinds.

A previous trial in 2023 ended in a mistrial, and Hankison was later acquitted of charges related to endangering the neighbors.

The officer who fired the shots that killed Taylor, Myles Cosgrove, never faced criminal charges for his role in the raid. However, the Louisville Metro Police Department fired him in 2021.

Now, the DOJ's sentencing memo, authored by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon and senior counsel Robert J. Keenan, argued that Hankison's lack of a prior criminal record and the psychological stress he endured from the trials merited leniency.

The memo stated that 'there is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public from the defendant or to provide 'just' punishment or deterrence.'

The memorandum also noted that Hankison's conviction would likely prevent him from ever working in law enforcement or legally owning a firearm again.

Hankinson's lenient sentence however would amount to time already served since he was booked and made his initial court appearance

The officer who fired the shots that killed Taylor, Myles Cosgrove, never faced criminal charges for his role in the raid. However, the Louisville Metro Police Department fired him in 2021. Pictured: Bodycam footage from the botched 2020 raid

Hundreds outside Barclay's Center in Brooklyn to protest for the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, an African-American medical worker who was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in March 2020

Hankison (pictured) was found guilty in November 2024 of violating Taylor's civil rights by recklessly firing blindly into her window

The recommendation has prompted sharp criticism, especially from attorneys representing Taylor's family, who blasted the proposal as disgracefully inadequate.

'This sets a dangerous precedent. When a police officer is found guilty of violating someone's constitutional rights, there must be real accountability and justice. Recommending just one day in prison sends the unmistakable message that white officers can violate the civil rights of Black Americans with near-total impunity,' attorneys Ben Crump, Lonita Baker, and Sam Aguiar said in a joint statement, Reuters reported.

They urged the presiding judge to reject the DOJ's recommendation and 'do what the DOJ has refused to do' by upholding the law and ensuring real justice.

Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June 2020, as public outrage over Taylor's death grew.

Her killing, along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, helped fuel a nationwide movement demanding racial justice and police reform.

The DoJ's memo stated that 'there is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public from the defendant or to provide 'just' punishment or deterrence.' Pictured: Brett Hankison as he is questioned by his defense attorney on March 2, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky

Her killing, along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, helped fuel a nationwide movement demanding racial justice and police reform. Pictured: Demonstrators march along Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C.

The recommendation has prompted sharp criticism, especially from attorneys representing Taylor's family, who blasted the proposal as disgracefully inadequate. Pictured: ground mural depicting a portrait of Breonna Taylor is seen at Chambers Park in Annapolis, Maryland

The DOJ, under President Joe Biden, had previously brought civil rights charges against officers involved in both Taylor's and Floyd's deaths. However, recent changes within the DOJ's Civil Rights Division have raised concern.

Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump-appointed official who now leads the division, recently shut down efforts to pursue court-approved settlements with the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments and rescinded earlier findings of systemic civil rights abuses.

Notably, the sentencing recommendation for Hankison was not signed by any of the career prosecutors who tried the case. It was instead submitted by Dhillon and Keenan.

Keenan, who previously argued in another case that a deputy sheriff should avoid prison time despite a felony civil rights conviction, has faced criticism in the past for downplaying excessive force.

Hankison is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday and if the judge adopts the DOJ's request, he will serve no additional jail time.
President Donald Trump went ballistic on The Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch, threatening to 'sue his a** off' over a salacious birthday card Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein.

The president called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to clear his name by releasing testimony in the disgraced financier's prosecution as the Epstein saga threatened to engulf his presidency.

'The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,' he wrote on Truth Social.

'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.'

The WSJ report claimed Trump took part in Epstein's 50th birthday album by sending well wishes along with a randy message and a hand-drawn nude woman.

The alleged birthday card featured the outline of a woman with pubic hair drawn out with the signature 'Donald.' The typewritten text reads: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret.'

Within hours of the report's publication, Trump issued a scorched earth message insisting the letter was fake and asked Bondi to release 'all pertinent' Grand Jury testimony.

Bondi instantly responded: 'President Trump - we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.'

It comes after days of mounting fury following Bondi's decision not to release the infamous Epstein files despite Trump's campaign promise.

Within hours of the report's publication, Trump issued a scorched earth message via Truth Social insisting the letter was fake and vowing to sue the Journal, News Corp and Rupert Murdoch (pictured in the Oval Office)

The alleged letter reportedly contained an imaginary conversation between Epstein and Trump, written in third person

Trump said he personally called Murdoch (pictured) to insist the letter was fake

Trump said Thursday he spoke directly with both the editor of the WSJ, Emma Tucker, and Murdoch himself about the contents of the letter they were citing.

'[They] were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote.

'Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.'

Trump claimed Tucker 'did not want to hear' from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the 'letter was a FAKE.'

'Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly.

'The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably dont even exist.'

Trump doubled down on his earlier claims that the Epstein saga is a 'hoax' perpetuated by Democrats, arguing that if he were involved in anything scandalous, it would have been released by 'Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago.

'It certainly would not have sat in a file waiting for TRUMP to have won three Elections. This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS,' he wrote.

Trump said he 'looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal.

President Donald Trump sent a salacious birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein that included a risque hand-drawn picture of a naked woman with a cryptic message inside, according to a new report

The publication states that a compilation of letters were put together in a leather-bound album, organized by Maxwell for Epstein prior to his first arrest in 2006

'It has truly turned out to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the Wall Street Journal for comment.

According to the Journal, the naked woman appeared to have been hand-drawn with a marker, with a pair of arcs indicating the woman's breasts and a squiggly signature reading 'Donald' appearing in her pubic region, mimicking hair.

Trump categorically denied any involvement in the drawing or writing of the text.

'This is not me,' he said. 'This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story.

'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.'

Trump vowed to sue the Wall Street Journal if it published the story, warning: 'I'm gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else.'

Although Trump claimed he 'never wrote a picture in my life', several sketches he made of New York City landmarks as early as 2004 are readily available online.

The alleged letter reportedly contained an imaginary conversation between Epstein and Trump, written in third person.

In the imaginary conversation, 'Donald' writes: 'We have certain things in common, Jeffrey', to which 'Jeffrey' replies: 'Yes we do, come to think of it.'

'Donald' then responds: 'Enigmas never age, have you noticed that', and imaginary 'Jeffrey' says 'as a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.'

Vice President JD Vance rubbished the allegations on Thursday night, writing on X: 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls**t. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it.

'Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?'

'Will the people who have bought into every hoax against President Trump show an ounce of skepticism before buying into this bizarre story?'

The publication states that a compilation of letters were put together in a leather-bound album, organized by Maxwell for Epstein prior to his first arrest in 2006.

The album contained poems and photos from businesspeople and high-flying executives.

It is understood the letter forms part of the initial investigation into Epstein and Maxwell that the Justice Department conducted years ago, however it is unclear whether it was examined during Attorney General Pam Bondi's recent search.

Trump has vehemently denied the allegation that he took part in a 50th birthday album organized for the disgraced billionaire by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell

Bondi and Trump are both under immense pressure from MAGA loyalists after failing to expose Epstein's client list and reveal the truth about his alleged suicide inside his cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex trafficking charges.

Bondi in February shared binders with MAGA influencers called 'Phase 1' of the Epstein release, but the folders contained previously published information.

She assured the public at the time that the client list was 'on her desk to be reviewed' and that more bombshell information would soon follow.

Last week, she backtracked and insisted the highly sought after client list 'doesn't exist.' She also said that Epstein killed himself in jail, and that there was no evidence to suggest he was murdered.

The lack of new information has sparked mutiny among MAGA and deeply divided Trump's base.

Trump on Wednesday lashed out at his own supporters and accused them of being duped by Democrats over the Epstein saga as he looks to shield himself and Bondi from backlash.

'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls**t,' hook, line, and sinker,' Trump wrote Wednesday.

'They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.'

Maxwell is serving a 20 year prison sentence for her involvement in Epstein's crimes

'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!'

There is no evidence former Democratic officials tampered with the documents or played any role in promoting conspiracies about the files, which members of Trump's administration stoked for years.

Elon Musk, Trump's former first buddy, has been among the loudest critics, unfollowing Bondi on X and describing her comments as 'the final straw.'

Back in early June when he and Trump first fell out over the Big Beautiful Bill, Musk sensationally claimed on X that the president was 'in the Epstein files' and thus trying to delay their publication.

'Time to drop the really big bomb: [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!',' he wrote, before ultimately deleting the post and apologizing.

On July 8, Musk weighed in again, writing: 'How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he wont release the Epstein files?'

But on Thursday even Musk questioned the validity of the letter the Journal has cited, responding to Megyn Kelly's X post with a statement which read: 'Yeah, the letter sounds bogus.'
Liberal cities are using cash and gift cards as an incentive for meth addicts to maintain their sobriety - but these programs may be in jeopardy under the Trump administration.

Addiction treatment facilities in cities including San Francisco and Portland, Maine, have been implementing contingency management (CM) techniques to keep patients clean and on the path to recovery.

Contingency management is a decades-old strategy that positively enforces sobriety by rewarding negative drug tests with prizes such as vouchers, gift cards and debit card cash value.

The longer someone is able to stay on the straight and narrow, the heftier the pay - though maximum payouts vary from clinic to clinic.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is funded by taxpayers, allows patients to be awarded up to $750 each year through its vouchers.

Other programs, such as ones in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County, reward participants up to $1,000 annually.

Treatment plans generally span anywhere from eight weeks to a year in duration and are most commonly used for treating stimulant addictions.

While experts have praised the method as an effective way to combat drug dependencies, it has sparked fierce criticism for its transactional nature - with skeptics saying unhealthy habits re-emerge once the money stops coming.

Liberal cities are using cash and gift cards to incentive meth addicts to maintaining their sobriety (pictured: people doing drugs on the street om San Francisco)

Addiction treatment facilities in cities including San Francisco (pictured: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie

The program had just launched at Portland's Spurwink clinic (pictured), and Jamie Mains enrolled because the 'money was a good enough reason to try'

Researcher and clinicians have slammed the practice as 'bribery' and called it 'unethical to pay people for what they should be doing anyway,' according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

But for Jamie Mains, who is addicted to meth, CM programs have helped completely turn her life around.

'I was getting paid not to use and that was nice and that was the beginning,' Mains, of Portland, Maine, told The New York Times.

'But now I feel like being sober is payment enough, not waking up sick is payment enough, being trusted is payment enough.'

Mains had been binge-drinking since she was nine-years-old and her mother shot her up with heroin when she was just 12. She had been battling addiction ever since.

While she traded her fentanyl cravings for meth, she had no luck becoming totally sober until entering a CM program last year.

The program had just launched at Portland's Spurwink clinic, and Mains enrolled because the 'money was a good enough reason to try.'

Sixteen months later, Mains is totally sober. She told the NY Times that even when her step-mother started smoking crack in her car while they were on their way to a relative's funeral, she had no urge to cave.

Dr. Sally Satel (pictured), a medical director of a methadone clinic in Washington DC and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is a proponent of CM

CM a decades-old strategy that positively enforces sobriety by rewarding negative drug tests with prizes such as vouchers, gift cards and debit card cash valued (pictured: someone snorting meth)

'Most people recoil at paying people to do the right thing,' Dr. Sally Satel, a medical director of a methadone clinic in Washington DC and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute told the NY Times.

'But weve got plenty of data that shows this works. So I think we just have to bite the utilitarian bullet.'

Over the past few years, Maine has seen a surge in meth addicts. From 2018 to 2024, the number of meth overdoses skyrocketed from seven percent to 37 percent, according to Maine's director of opioid response.

California, Montana, Washington and West Virginia have sought out Medicaid coverage for CM programs, according to the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA).

Most insurance plans do not cover CM treatments.

The recovery method first caught traction in 2011, when the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched an initiative to broaden patient access to CM.

From 2011 to 2016, the method was implemented in 116 out of the 129 VA programs in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education (CESATE).

More than 8,000 veterans have been treated through these programs.

Jamie Mains (pictured studying for her GED in 2010) became sober after 16 months in a CM program

According to California's Department of Health Care Services website, 23 out of the state's 58 counties participate in the incentive programs (pictured: people doing drugs in San Francisco)

While Joe Biden allowed for the expansion of CM programs, many believe Donald Trump (pictured) will be less generous when it comes to them

Beyond the VA, California has been spearheading efforts to implement CM programs.

Last year, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom proposed using hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars to implement such programs throughout the Golden State.

According to California's Department of Health Care Services website, 23 out of the state's 58 counties participate in the incentive programs.

One of those counties, San Francisco - which has one of the worst overdose rates in the nation - proposed a 'Cash Not Drugs' program last year.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the measure in order to combat the city's raging drug problem.

Under this program, people could receive up to $100 a week for steering clear of illicit substances, CBS reported.

Under the Biden administration, increased federal support and allowed more states to apply for Medicaid grants to fund the patient rewards.

Before raising the maximum SAMHSA voucher limit to $750, it was just $75.

San Francisco - which has one of the worst overdose rates in the nation - proposed a 'Cash Not Drugs' program last year (pictured: Supervisor Matt Dorsey)

Proponents of CM are worried for its future, as Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy (pictured) - a recovered heroin addict himself - may not be on board with expanding or sustaining these programs

But proponents of CM are worried for its future, as Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy - a recovered heroin addict himself - may not be on board with expanding or sustaining these programs.

The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to the NY Times' question specifically about CM,

Instead this agency issued the following statement: 'HHS must return to common-sense public health approaches focused on prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.'
An accused thief jumped over a railing and fell six metres in a busy shopping centre after allegedly stealing a pair of shoes in Sydney's CBD.

A worker from the store on the corner of Pitt and Market Street gave chase after the 29-year-old man allegedly grabbed the shoes about 4.25pm on Thursday.

Police said the man tried on the pair of shoes under the guise of purchasing them before he ran out of the store and into the nearby Westfield.

There, the man jumped over a railing and fell six metres.

A witness shared a photo of paramedics treating the man as he lay on the ground.

His white t-shirt was splattered with blood.

He was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

Video shared on TikTok showed at least one entrance of the Westfield centre closed as officers attended, with shutters over the windows and door.

A witness shared a photo of paramedics treating the man as he lay on the ground (pictured)

Police and paramedics were called after the alleged theft about 4.25pm on Thursday

In a separate video by the same account, a witness said their friend came to the aid of the man until paramedics arrived.

'Something happening in Westfield Sydney CBD. Apparently someone got hurt with face full of blood and paramedic came,' the video was captioned.

Another witness said they initially thought the man had been stabbed.

'Myself and my family were walking on the bottom floor and heard moaning and we turned the corner and there was a man at the bottom of the escalators with blood everywhere and he was wiggling on the floor whilst a man was with him trying to help. I thought he was stabbed we go out of the shop fast,' they commented.

'I work in the centre just before where they blocked off, whole level one is closed,' another wrote.

Police on Friday said inquiries into the incident were continuing.
A Triple J radio host and rising ABC star has come under fire after she called Anne Frank a 'sl**' during a stand-up routine at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Concetta Caristo, a co-host of Triple J's breakfast program, made the shocking remarks about the Holocaust victim after she described herself as a 'girls' girl' who could get along with 'any girl in the world, even in history'.

'Like, put me in a room with Cleopatra and I'd be like, "Oh my god, I love your eyeliner", or with Anne Frank and I'd say, "sl**, I have a diary too - congrats on the book deal",' Caristo said during the set.

The joke has been condemned by the chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, who described it as a 'brutal desecration' of the memory of the Holocaust.

'This wasn't just a joke. It was a brutal desecration of the memory of Anne Frank and the one and a half million Jewish children who were murdered in the Holocaust - gassed, shot, starved, erased,' Dr Dvir Abramovich said.

'When someone takes a victim of genocide and turns her into an obscene punchline, they don't just mock her - they violate her.'

Anne Frank was just 15-years-old when she died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp just months after she was discovered hiding in a secret annex in Amsterdam.

Her diary, discovered after the war, has become one of the most powerful and enduring personal accounts of the Holocaust.

Concetta Caristo (pictured) has been criticised over making a joke calling Anne Frank a 'slut'

Dr Abramovich criticised Caristo for using Frank's memory to gain laughs.

'Anne Frank was fifteen. She didn't get a book deal. She got typhus. She got starvation. She got a death sentence in Bergen-Belsen,' he said.

'And now, in the country she never reached, at a festival meant to celebrate human creativity, someone turned the story of a murdered girl into stage material.'

The chairman also took issue with the word 'sl**,' describing it as a 'term of sexual humiliation aimed at a girl who never lived long enough to become a woman'.

'A joke like this tears something in us. This was kicking, using the silence of a dead girl to get a noise from the crowd,' he continued.

'In today's culture, only Jewish trauma is up for sale. The genocide of six million has become fair game for cheap laughs.'

Dr Abramovich called on the ABC and Triple J to publicly condemn the joke.

'This is not edgy. It's empty. It's what happens when cruelty becomes currency. Anne Frank is not a meme. She is not material for your set of "jokes",' he said.

The video of the joke was removed, minutes after Caristo's management was approached by Daily Mail Australia for comment (Caristo is pictured)

'She was a young woman whose last words were never written because her pencil was taken from her.'

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, Caristo's management declined to comment, saying she was 'away this week and not available'.

Photos from the host's Instagram account show her kayaking in Hamilton Island.

Daily Mail Australia has approached the ABC for comment.

Minutes later, a video of Caristo's set was deleted from Facebook.
A Las Vegas man who was 'just having a bad day' will now spend the next two decades behind bars for shooting and killing his neighbor over his parking job - and for attempting to kill another man in a similar situation the year before.

Robert Salone, now 43, arrived at his home on October 18, 2022 and became infuriated when he saw that his neighbor Christopher 'Dice' Allen's vehicle was partially blocking his driveway, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Allen, 33, had been working on the vehicle with another neighbor at the time - and when Salone yelled at Allen to move the vehicle, he replied that he would do so in a few minutes.

But Allen had been holding a tire iron at the time - which seemed to have set off Salone.

'So you got a lug wrench? I'll be right back,' he said before he grabbed two handguns and shot and killed Allen, according to an arrest warrant.

Allen then rushed back to his house and called 911 at around 12.40pm, saying he was shot and 'can't feel my legs,' Fox 5 reported at the time.

He added in a follow-up call that 'he was dying,' and Allen was pronounced dead by the time first responders arrived at the scene.

'He had no right because he was having a bad day and couldn't control his damn temper to decide "Today I've had enough,"' Allen's mother, Kathryn Carter, lamented as Salone was sentenced on Tuesday, according to KLAS.

Robert Salone, now 43, was sentenced Tuesday to 21 years to life behind bars for the murder of Christopher 'Dice' Allen and the attempted murder of another man the year before

Allen, 33, had left his car partially blocking Salone's driveway on October 18, 2022

He and another neighbor were working on the vehicle at the time

'I can't speak of justice, because for me justice would be getting my son back,' she added.

Salone submitted an Alford plea in April to charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder relating to another parking-related shooting the year before, and was required to serve at least 21 years behind bars.

An Alford plea does not afford guilt - and only means he admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.

In the 2021 case, Salone allegedly shot at an unidentified young man who double parked at his apartment complex in Henderson.

The victim told police he took up two parking spots at the complex, and when he returned to his car about half an hour later he found another vehicle 'within inches' of his door, according to court documents obtained by KLAS.

He was then confronted by a man prosecutors now say was Salone, who began arguing with him about his parking job.

As the man left the complex, police said Salone fired three shots at the driver, striking him in the leg.

Authorities connected the two shootings following Salone's November 2022 arrest for Allen's murder after running cartridges from the scene of the fatal shooting and Salone's house through a ballistics database, Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner explained in court on Tuesday.

Police say Salone grabbed two handguns and shot and killed Allen

Allen managed to make it back to his house to call 911, telling dispatchers he was dying

'In my career, I've never seen something like this,' he said. 'I've never heard someone who became so enraged about a person, let alone two people, double parking that he would resort to gun violence.'

District Court Judge Carli Kierny agreed, saying she doesn't 'understand how... these interactions were even provocations.

'They were slight irritations in the day and his response, twice, was to pull out a gun, harm someone and kill someone to take them from their family.

'I just don't know how Mr. Salone is safe for the world off of supervision,' she said as she handed down her sentence of 21 years to life behind bars.

Should the Nevada Parole Board ever grant Salone parole after 21 years, he would remain under the supervision of a probation officer.

But at that point, even with credit for time served, Salone would be in his 60s by the time he is released.
A Royal Caribbean cruise turned into a health crisis for over 140 people aboard the luxury cruise line after a mysterious gastrointestinal illness struck during a voyage.

Seven crew members and 134 passengers aboard the Navigator of the Seas reported symptoms like vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea during the week-long cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The exact cause of the outbreak remains undetermined, leaving health officials to investigate.

In response, the popular cruise company implemented enhanced cleaning measures, including isolating those affected and increasing onboard sanitation protocols, the CDC confirmed.

'The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority,' a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group, the line's parent company, told USA TODAY.

'To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines,' the statement continued.

A Royal Caribbean cruise turned into a health crisis for over 140 people aboard the luxury cruise line after a mysterious gastrointestinal illness struck during a voyage. Pictured: An aerial view from a drone shows Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Sea cruise ship docked

Seven crew members and 134 passengers aboard the Navigator of the Seas reported symptoms like vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea during the week-long cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico. Pictured: Navigator of The Seas at Royal Caribbean

This incident is part of a broader trend, with 18 gastrointestinal outbreaks reported on cruise ships in 2025 that met the CDC's threshold for public notification - when at least 3 percent of the crew or guests have any highly contagious symptoms.

However, most of these outbreaks have been linked to norovirus - a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea.

'Norovirus is often a cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships, but we don't always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation. Finding the agent that caused an outbreak (causative agent) can take time,' the CDC said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean is no stranger to such outbreaks.

In February 2025, over 90 passengers on a different Royal Caribbean cruise - Radiance of the Seas - also experienced symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.

Despite the prevalence of such incidents on cruise ships, the CDC maintains that these outbreaks represent only 1 percent of all reported gastrointestinal illnesses.

However, with a newly dominant strain of norovirus circulating both on land and at sea, health officials are closely monitoring the situation.

'CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land,' the agency said in an emailed statement. 'Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.'
Bankrupt property developer and disgraced ex-politician Salim Mehajer walked free from jail on Friday - and headed straight to a cosmetic dentist to get his teeth fixed.

Mehajer didn't even stop off to see his family at home before heading down the M2 to visit a dental surgeon in Hornsby in Sydney's north to repair his prison teeth.

He made a brief diversion on the way there to get a new driver's licence from Service NSW in Westfield Parramatta before spending an hour getting dental work.

Mehajer, 39, was notorious for his love of cosmetic work before his downfall, with gleaming Hollywood white teeth and apparent facial fillers his hallmark style.

The disgraced former deputy mayor tried to dodge Daily Mail Australia by jumping out of his black 2018 Mercedes S450 at traffic lights near the dentist clinic.

He emerged from the clinic just after 1pm - wearing $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses - but brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks.'

Mehajer, wearing a blue suit and pink-striped tie and sporting a manbun-style ponytail, appeared to have added a few centimetres to his waistline while inside jail.

His suit appeared crumpled and ill-fitting, no longer tailored to his previously svelte frame.

Salim Mehajer sported a unique manbun haircut as he rushed to see a cosmetic dentist on Friday

Salim Mehajer walked free from jail on Friday after five years

He emerged from the dentist after 1pm refusing to smile or bear his teeth and brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks'

His suit appeared crumpled and ill-fitting, no longer tailored to his previously svelte frame

Mehajer politely opened the door for another client leaving the complex, which also houses cosmetic surgery clinics, before heading back to a waiting chauffeur.

He had earlier dismissed questions about his future as he walked through the Parramatta shopping centre to the Service NSW outlet.

'I'm going to respectfully decline to comment,' he said.

The one-time millionaire, who flaunted his wealth with an extravagant wedding and luxury marble mansion, had earlier tried to dodge cameras when he left the John Morony Correctional Centre in Windsor, 55km northwest of Sydney on Friday morning.

On Friday afternoon, his solicitor Zawat Zreika released a statement on his behalf, asking for privacy following his release.

'Mr Mehajer has now been released from custody,' it read. 'This is a long awaited and deeply personal moment for him and his family.

'He asks that their privacy be respected during this time.'

The eldest of Amal and Mohamad Mehajer's eight children, he will now be relying on his parents' support if he follows through on his plan to rebuild his failed property empire.

Mehajer diverted briefly on the way there to get a new driver's licence from Service NSW in Westfield Parramatta (pictured) before spending an hour getting dental treatment

Mehajer didn't even stop off to see his family at home before heading down the M2 to the see a dental surgeon

He also seemed to have been given a recent prison haircut, despite his ponytail, with hair closely trimmed at the sides

The former Auburn council deputy mayor has been in prison since November 2020, when he was jailed for lying to a court, and has served back-to-back sentences for multiple offences.

The NSW State Parole Authority (SPA) decided last month to grant his release on conditions including that he undergo drug and alcohol testing, participate in domestic violence programs if directed, and not communicate with any outlaw motorcycle gang bikies or associates.

He is also banned from contacting his DV victim or entering the Central Coast.

Mehajer was declared bankrupt during a previous prison stint in 2018 when his property business, SM Project Developments, was liquidated.

Creditors included the Australian Taxation Office and the company which built the marble staircase at his former lavish home in Frances Street, Lidcombe.

He was locked up again in 2020 after he was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of making a false statement under oath.

While behind bars in 2023, Mehajer was again convicted in separate trials for unrelated fraud and domestic violence offences.

A jury found Mehajer guilty of multiple counts of assault, one count of intimidation and one count of suffocation relating to his abuse of an ex-partner, and he was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail.

The corrupt former deputy mayor, pictured above leaving prison on Friday, will have to report daily to his parole officer and live with his mum and dad because he's broke

Mehajer left the jail in a black Mercedes

He was convicted of assaulting the victim by punching her in the head in his car, suffocating her with his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, crushing her hand as she held her phone and threatening to kill her mother.

At a further trial while he was in jail, he was found guilty by a jury of fraud on two counts each of making a false document and using a false document.

The jury convicted him of creating false statutory declarations and affidavits by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and one of his six sisters.

Mehajer overcame a raft of objections, including the risk of him reoffending, his refusal to change his attitude and his continued denial of some of his crimes.

In granting him a release, SPA said Mehajer had completed all possible programs in prison.

It determined his rehabilitation was better served in the community under the supervision of a psychologist and community corrections officers.

His parole conditions include being of good behaviour, and ongoing treatment from a private psychologist.

Mehajer first made headlines with his over-the-top wedding in 2015, when a reported $1million of gaudy excess closed off a Sydney street.

Mehajer, 39, was released from John Morony Correctional Centre at Windsor in Sydney's west

Mehajer (pictured above at his 2015 wedding which made headlines) has been embroiled in a series of legal and financial troubles and committed a string of offences which put him behind bars

Mehajer was once a wealthy property developer with a luxury mansion and flashy cars but squandered his fortune with dodgy deals which landed him in prison

Mehajer and his young bride 'Aysha' - former Wollongong beautician April Learmonth - were married amid a procession of Harley Davidsons, rented Lamborghinis, a helicopter overhead, and a reception with 10,000 red roses and gold-dusted desserts.

The flashy party had been delayed until Mehajer's father made his exit from prison, after being released early from a maximum three and a half years' sentence.

Mohamad Mehajer was convicted of conspiring to defraud the National Australia Bank of more than $3million after attempting to bribe a bank employee to approve a loan that overstated the value of the family property company.

Salim's marriage lasted a year. In 2016, Aysha took out a restraining order against him, and thereafter the attention-seeking fraudster became embroiled in legal and financial troubles.

Now it's his dad's turn to help his son, who he has previously described as 'the brain' and 'the head' of the family.
Leaked messages from an internal daycare website show furious parents demanding answers after a male childcare worker was charged with a sex offence this week.

The unidentified man, 21, was charged with the alleged indecent treatment of a four-year-old child at Milestones Early Learning Tingalpa in Brisbane's east.

The Cleveland man was bailed to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 4.

The centre's embattled provider Affinity Education Group has confirmed the man has been stood down over the alleged incident on July 10.

The news has rattled Milestones Early Learning Tingalpa parents, many of whom feel they have been left in the dark by the centre.

Some are furious the daycare didn't inform parents about the matter until late on Thursday, after many parents had picked their children up.

Screenshots from the centre's parent communication portal seen by Daily Mail Australia revealed learned about the allegations through the media.

'Can you or the team at Tingalpa provide any confirmation on the news that has come out today,' one parent asked.

A male childcare worker has been stood down from Milestones Early Learning Tingalpa (pictured) after he was charged with alleged indecent treatment of a four-year-old child

Many parents demanded answers after they found out about the allegations through the media (pictured are screenshots from the centre's parent communication portal)

'I feel like that as parents with children at the centre, we are entitled to know this kind of information as it is quite concerning to hear,' another added.

Other parents claimed that messages and calls to the centre went unanswered throughout the day on Thursday.

'More attention needs to be paid to providing parents (and presumably centre staff) with adequate information, resources and support sooner. Very poor communication,' another wrote.

As of Friday, parents are still demanding answers.

'We haven't received any further information regarding the nature of the incident, support in how to talk to our kids about it, or whether there may have been other children affected,' one mum told Daily Mail Australia.

'The reaction from Affinity has been a disgrace and I believe they need to be held accountable.'

When Daily Mail Australia contacted Affinity Education Group for comment on Friday, the centre reiterated its previous statement released a day earlier.

'This matter is being taken extremely seriously and we are providing our full co-operation with Queensland Police,' the statement read.

The news has rattled Milestones Early Learning Tingalpa parents, many of whom feel they have been left in the dark by the centre (pictured, screenshots from the parent's portal)

Parents with children at Milestones Early Learning Tingalpa (pictured) claim they weren't informed of the developments until late on Thursday, hours after a police statement

'The safety and wellbeing of all children and staff at our centres is our highest priority, and we will continue to co-operate with regulatory authorities and support our families and team during this time.

'Upon becoming aware of complaints regarding the individual, we immediately reported the matter to the relevant authorities, including police, and stood down the individual.

'As this is an active investigation, communications with parents regarding this matter are being managed by Queensland Police. We are supporting all families in any way we can, including offering counselling support services.'

Investigations by the Bayside Child Protection Investigation Unit remain ongoing.

The centre is part of Affinity Education Group, the same childcare provider where alleged Melbourne paedophile Joshua Dale Brown, 26, worked before he was recently charged with dozens of child abuse offences.
MAGA allies who turned their backs on President Donald Trump for failing to release Jeffrey Epstein's client list are reinvigorated over his vow to unseal bombshell testimony about the disgraced billionaire.

Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release 'any and all' grand jury testimony about Epstein's crimes on Thursday after The Wall Street Journal published a salacious 50th birthday card Trump allegedly sent him in 2003.

The WSJ said the birthday card featured the outline of a naked woman with pubic hair drawn out by the signature 'Donald.' The typewritten text reads: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret.'

Trump denied he wrote the letter while threatening to sue the newspaper and its owner Rupert Murdoch.

He also promised to release the grand jury testimony to spite the media and Democrats who have perpetuated the so-called 'Epstein hoax.'

The promise has renewed hope among MAGA loyalists who have been publicly criticizing him and Bondi for failing to deliver on a campaign pledge to release Epstein's client list.

The recent MAGA uprising caused Trump to insist he 'doesn't want their support anymore', calling people who believed the Epstein hoax 'weaklings' who had fallen for Democrats lies.

Riley Gaines, who slammed Trump earlier this week, was among the first MAGA influencers to praise him for his decision on the grand jury testimony, writing: 'This is fantastic news. I imagine the democrats will be eating their words.'

Gaines was outraged when Trump said people were 'stupid & foolish' to focus on the Epstein case. 'Why on earth is he doing this?' she wrote.

MAGA allies who turned their backs on President Donald Trump for failing to release Jeffrey Epstein 's client list have once again rallied behind him as he vows to unseal bombshell testimony about the disgraced billionaire's crimes

The alleged letter reportedly contained an imaginary conversation between Epstein and Trump, written in third person

Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. also shared his father's news, writing 'LFG' - which stands for 'let's f***ing go.'

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was critical of Trump's handling of the Epstein saga, celebrated the change: 'This is the right course of action. Thank you Pam Bondi and President Donald Trump.'

'If President Trump was guilty of anything regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats would have used it against him the past 4 years... Democrats, spare us your fake outrage.'

Charlie Kirk, who earlier this week said he was 'done talking about Epstein' in a public show of loyalty, shared Trump Jr.'s post and wrote: 'Major move. Lets go!'

Benny Johnson described Trump's announcement as a 'victory' for MAGA fans who still have questions about the Epstein files.

Within hours of the WSJ report, Trump went scorched earth by insisting the letter was fake and asking Bondi to release 'all pertinent' Grand Jury testimony.

Bondi instantly responded: 'President Trump - we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.'

But critics have argued that what Trump is suggesting Bondi release is just a small portion of the files that they likely have on Epstein's crimes.

Trump said he personally called Murdoch (pictured) to insist the letter was fake

Within hours of the report's publication, Trump issued a scorched earth message via Truth Social insisting the letter was fake and vowing to sue the Journal, News Corp and Rupert Murdoch (pictured in the Oval Office)

Many have questioned whether this is 'just another tactic' and remain deeply divided over Trump's motivations for backing away from releasing the files in full.

Elon Musk had earlier suggested Trump was hesitating to release the files 'because he's in them', before removing his remarks and apologizing.

Musk has been among the loudest critics, unfollowing Bondi on X and describing her comments on Epstein as 'the final straw.'

On July 8, Musk weighed in again, writing: 'How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he wont release the Epstein files?'

But on Thursday even Musk questioned the validity of the letter the Journal has cited, with a statement which read: 'Yeah, the letter sounds bogus.'

Bondi and Trump are both under immense pressure from MAGA loyalists after failing to expose Epstein's client list and reveal the truth about his alleged suicide inside his cell in 2019.

In what has now become an infamous stunt, Bondi in February shared binders called 'Phase 1' of the Epstein release with MAGA influencers - but the folders contained previously published information.

She also assured the public at the time that the client list was 'on her desk to be reviewed,' hinting that more bombshell information would soon follow.

Riley Gaines was among the first MAGA influencers to praise Trump for vowing to release grand jury testimony, writing: 'This is fantastic news. I imagine the democrats will be eating their words'

Even Musk questioned the validity of the letter the Journal has cited, responding to Megyn Kelly's X post with a statement which read: 'Yeah, the letter sounds bogus'

Last week, Bondi backtracked and insisted the highly sought after client list 'doesn't exist.' She also said that Epstein killed himself in jail, and that there was no evidence to suggest he was murdered.

The lack of new information has sparked a MAGA mutiny and deeply divided Trump's base.

And while they have come together to condemn the WSJ report, many now appear quietly hopeful it will force Trump to share more about Epstein.

Trump denied the story twice on Thursday night during a rampage on Truth Social.

'The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,' he wrote.

'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.'

The WSJ report claimed Trump took part in Epstein's birthday album by sending well wishes along with a randy message.

According to the Journal, the naked woman appeared to have been drawn with a marker, with a pair of arcs indicating the woman's breasts and a squiggly signature reading 'Donald' appearing in her pubic region.

'This is not me,' Trump said in a denial published within the WSJ story. 'This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story.

'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.'

The promise has renewed hope among MAGA loyalists who have been publicly criticizing him and calling for Bondi's resignation

Although Trump claimed he 'never wrote a picture in my life', several sketches he made of New York City landmarks as early as 2004 are readily available online.

The alleged letter reportedly contained an imaginary conversation between Epstein and Trump, written in third person.

In the imaginary conversation, 'Donald' writes: 'We have certain things in common, Jeffrey', to which 'Jeffrey' replies: 'Yes we do, come to think of it.'

'Donald' then responds: 'Enigmas never age, have you noticed that', and imaginary 'Jeffrey' says 'as a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.'

Trump said Thursday he spoke directly with both the editor of the WSJ, Emma Tucker, and Murdoch himself about the contents of the letter they were citing.

'[They] were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote.

'Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.'

Trump claimed Emma Tucker 'did not want to hear' from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the 'letter was a FAKE.'

President Donald Trump sent a salacious birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein that included a risque hand-drawn picture of a naked woman with a cryptic message inside, according to a new report

The publication states that a compilation of letters were put together in a leather-bound album, organized by Maxwell for Epstein prior to his first arrest in 2006

'Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly.

'The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably dont even exist.'

Trump doubled down on his claims that the Epstein saga is a 'hoax' perpetuated by Democrats, arguing that if he were involved in anything scandalous, it would have been released by 'Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago.

'It certainly would not have sat in a file waiting for TRUMP to have won three Elections. This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS,' he wrote.

Trump said he 'looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal.

'It has truly turned out to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the Wall Street Journal for comment.
A man has been charged after allegedly stealing dozens of right-footed shoes from a store earlier this month.

The unusual theft occurred in Kenmore, Brisbane, at 7.30pm on July 7, when a man allegedly walked inside a shopping centre on Brookfield Road and stole 53 individual shoes.

The shoes, from Shoe Fashions Kenmore, had been displayed on tables in the middle of a walkway in the centre.

Following an investigation by Queensland Police, a 49-year-old Mount Gravatt East man was arrested at Broadbeach on July 17.

The man appeared to have been living inside a tent with his dog when he was arrested.

He has since been charged with one count of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence.

The man was due to face court on Friday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Blyth said the unusual nature of the crime played a key role in identifying the alleged offender.

A man has been charged after allegedly stealing dozens of right-footed shoes from a store earlier this month

'It's not every day you come across a case involving the theft of 53 right shoes,' he said.

'While the incident may be a bit unique and different in nature, it's a reminder that our officers take all reports seriously.

'Thanks to good CCTV coverage and assistance from the public, we were able to locate the shoes and return them to the business.'

Police confirmed all of the stolen shoes have since been recovered and returned.

Speaking to the Courier Mail, Shoe Fashions Kenmore owner Tamara Shorrock said at full price, the man took $7,000 worth of shoes.

'Someone had taken all our sale boots off the sale table. So there were 53 right-footed boots, and they took every single one of them,' Ms Shorrock said.

'It was covered up at the time as well. So we covered it up overnight. And look, we've been doing it for 29 years, and not one boot or shoe has been stolen over the years.

'So that's sort of why we leave the table where it is. It's never been an issue.

CCTV of the man stealing the shoes was released publicly by Queensland Police

'I came into work on Tuesday to discover that they were all gone.'

The footage of the theft shows the man calmly walking into the mall before he wandered around, seemingly listening to music through headphones plugged into his phone.

The man then walked up to the middle of a common area where there were three separate stalls piled with display items that had been covered up for the night.

He carefully unwrapped one stall's display and piled it into his suitcase, appearing to deliberately take his time so as not to draw attention to himself.
Chris McCann's descent into disgrace was so swift and complete, he could see no escape from his sudden shame and jumped to his death while visiting a national park in Queensland.

Two weeks ago, the 50-year-old was an anonymous Commonwealth Bank executive living quietly with his wife and two sons at Curl Curl on Sydney's northern beaches.

McCann's world imploded when he was arrested at Sydney Airport and faced Central Local Court on July 9 charged with procuring a child for sex at a Brisbane hotel.

Queensland Police had been investigating McCann for two months and successfully sought his extradition, which saw his alleged crime make national headlines.

He was granted bail at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday to live with a friend in the Gold Coast hinterland, but just two days later McCann was dead.

McCann's body was found on Wednesday afternoon at Springbrook, a popular spot for bushwalkers to hike through lush rainforest and take photographs from scenic lookouts.

Tourists who were in the vicinity when McCann leapt to his death witnessed police cars and an ambulance speed past them as they made their way back to their holiday homes.

McCann had been the Commonwealth Bank's head of health and social infrastructure for its major client group in Sydney for the past 11 months.

Chris McCann's descent into disgrace was so swift and complete, he seemed to see no way back to his former life and jumped to his death in a national park

McCann's body was found on Wednesday afternoon in Springbrook National Park (above), a popular spot for bushwalkers to hike through lush rainforest and visit scenic lookouts

Before that, he had worked for ANZ and Westpac during a career in corporate finance spanning more than 20 years.

A spokesman for the Commonwealth Bank declined to comment on McCann 'given the tragic circumstances of this week', but it was revealed in court on Monday he had been sacked since his arrest.

McCann appeared in Brisbane Arrest Court on Monday charged with one count of using the internet to procure children aged under 16 on a previous trip to the city.

Police alleged McCann used 18-year-old Brisbane sex worker Shauntelle Elizabeth Went to procure two girls aged 14 and 15 while he was in Brisbane on May 15.

Magistrate Louise Shepherd said McCann was accused of asking Went if she had any 'younger' friends she worked with and the pair agreed on a price for the two girls to meet him at the Sofitel Hotel.

At the hotel, Went allegedly waited in the lobby while the girls went up to McCann's room. McCann had not let the girls inside and instead contacted the hotel's front desk to ask them to leave.

The court heard McCann had no criminal history and would abide by any bail conditions.

A prosecutor opposed bail, citing fears McCann could offend if on bail and the risk to the welfare of the community if he was at his liberty.

Police alleged McCann used 18-year-old Brisbane sex worker Shauntelle Elizabeth Went (above) to procure two girls aged 14 and 15 while he was in Brisbane on May 15.

Until two weeks ago McCann (above) was an anonymous 50-year-old Commonwealth Bank executive living on Sydney 's northern beaches at Curl Curl with his wife and two children

'He lives in NSW,' the prosecutor said. 'He is a flight risk. He has financial capacity from his previous employment.'

Magistrate Louise Shepherd said the allegation against McCann was 'terribly serious'.

'You travelled interstate frequently,' Ms Shepherd told McCann.

'You formed some kind of connection with [Went]. On May 14, police intercepted messages between you and her.

'The allegation is you... queried her about whether she had younger friends that she worked with.'

Ms Shepherd also noted McCann would not necessarily serve any time in custody if convicted and granted him bail on strict conditions.

McCann had to live with a university lecturer friend near Mudgeeraba, about 20km north-east of Springbrook and not have contact with children except his own sons.

He was not to travel interstate, had to comply with an evening curfew and abide by restrictions on his use of electronic devices.

Magistrate Louise Shepherd noted on Monday that McCann (above) would not necessarily serve any time in custody if convicted and granted him bail on strict conditions

Throughout the proceedings, McCann looked down or straight ahead.

The court heard Went did not actually have sex with clients but made her money by producing adult content on OnlyFans.

Went, who is also charged with using the internet to procure a child under 16, was granted bail on conditions including that she have no contact with McCann.

McCann and Went's cases were adjourned until August 4 at the same court.

Following the discovery of McCann's body on Wednesday, police said they were not treating his death as suspicious.

'A report will be prepared for the Coroner following the non-suspicious death of a man at Springbrook yesterday,' a Queensland Police spokeswoman said.

If you or someone you know needs confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.
Controversial Masterchef judge William Sitwell has launched an extraordinary attack on his local council after he says it effectively cut the number of supper clubs he can hold at his rural Somerset farmhouse.

Mr Sitwell - who resigned as editor of Waitrose Food magazine in 2018 after joking about killing vegans - blasted council planners after he was forced to apply for permission to continue holding the Sitwell Supper Club events at his 800,000 Rooks Nest Farm near Taunton.

The outspoken food critic recently discovered that he was technically in breach of planning rules by holding the evenings in a former cow shed on the farm, because he was feeding humans rather than animals.

In response, he had to apply to Somerset Council for a change of use for the building, switching from agricultural use to accommodate dining events.

Although the application was granted, it was with the condition that he can only hold 12 events a year.

He says he had previously held a premises licence which allowed him two a week, meaning the number he can hold has considerably reduced.

'I had a premises licence granted for events on a Friday and Saturday of every week,' Mr Sitwell explained. As far as I was concerned it was kosher. Several years later this thing then popped up - I was in technical breach because I was feeding humans rather than cows or horses in an agricultural building.

'Now I can only hold 12 a year. What councils should be doing is opening their arms to say how can we help you, not how can we make life hard for you?

Masterchef judge William Sitwell has launched an extraordinary attack on his local council

He said it effectively cut the number of supper clubs Sitwell can hold at his rural Somerset farmhouse

Sitwell pictured with fellow MasterChef judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode on set

'The principle is completely absurd. I hire local people. I entertain local people. I buy products from local people. I buy beer from local people.

'Profit margins are very small and I haven't jacked up my prices. I'm obsessed, passionate and bonkers about these supper clubs. There is this real sense of happiness and fun and that I have created something extraordinary.

'When I'm cleaning loos or scrubbing tables and I'm thinking the local authority isn't helping me it does make me wonder 'Why do I do it? I literally do not understand it.'

Foodie Mr Sitwell bought remote Rook's Nest Farm with his wife Emily in October 2020.

He began holding supper clubs not long after, bringing in often Michelin-starred chefs to cook a full meal for paying guests.

In documents for the planning application, his agent said: 'Mr Sitwell owns Rook's Nest Farm and he is an author, editor, journalist and food critic and is instrumental within the surrounding area for promoting the use of local food produce within public houses and restaurants and recently spearheaded the Dulverton Restaurant Festival which involved not only many of the local eateries and but also local food and drink suppliers.

'The event was extremely well supported and demonstrated that the interest that the owners of such businesses have in such an event but also the great interest from the local community.

'The events that he has held at Rook's Nest Farm have also been very successful and are always sold out in advance.

Sitwell began holding supper clubs at his 800,000 Rooks Nest Farm near Taunton.

The outspoken food critic recently discovered that he was technically in breach of planning rules by holding the evenings in a former cow shed on the farm

Sitwell said councils should be 'opening their arms to businesses', not 'how can we make life hard for you'

His angry comments come after he was forced to apply for planning permission to continue holding the Sitwell Supper Club events

'Such events provide a highly valuable social and community service whereby local suppliers get the opportunity to highlight their produce and services and local people get the opportunity to attend high quality dining experiences without having to leave the county.'

The documents stated that Mr Sitwell is currently running around eight events a year, with around 65 diners and 10 staff.

'This application is for the change of use to allow this building and yard areas to be used for social functions that the applicant provides and manages himself, and this for the most part is creating a dining experience in a rural setting, where Mr Sitwell engages exceptional chefs and catering staff to create a high quality dining experience utilising where possible locally sourced produce,' it went on.

Tobias Palmer, senior ecologist at Somerset County Council, warned of lighting affecting bats while transport bosses told Mr Sitwell to install some electric vehicle charging points to encourage the use of EVs.

A planning officer's report recommended approval, adding: 'The conversion of the barn supports the rural tourism economy providing both employment and social benefits to the community.

'The development would have no adverse impact on ecology, subject to conditions, or highway safety.

'The consent is limited to 12 (supper club) functions a year to manage impacts on nearby residents, with the sale of alcohol controlled through a separate licensing process.'

Mr Sitwell said he felt the 12-a-year limitation was effectively 'limiting my ability to trade' and said council departments needed to communicate more effectively.

Torode and Wallace will not be returning to MasterChef

New reports have claimed the BBC sacked John Torode after he allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song'

The Australian-born chef has insisted he had absolutely no recollection of using a racist term while drinking with colleagues seven years ago

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said they were under the assumption that Mr Sitwell had agreed to 12 events a year via his agent.

More events could be held in future, but it would need a revised application, they added.

They said: 'The decision on the number of events was taken based on the information the applicant provided.'

It comes after huge controversy surrounding the BBC show with the sacking of both presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Torode was dramatically axed from MasterChef - hours after the BBC's director general refused to back him over an allegation of using racist language.

The corporation said the host's contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an 'extremely offensive racist term' during drinks after filming the show.

The complaint against Torode was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg's inappropriate behaviour.

Wallace, 60, was sacked after dozens of complaints against him were upheld.

The BBC and production company Banijay plan to air both the amateur and celebrity editions 'once the dust has settled'

The upcoming series' - which have already been filmed - features former I'm A Celeb star and restaurant critic Grace Dent , who replaced Gregg to co-host with John

It comes as reports suggest the Australian chef could take legal action against the BBC after he was sacked from MasterChef.

Sources suggest the chef is 'preparing to launch a lawsuit against the BBC' and wants to pursue bosses for unfair dismissal.

New reports have claimed the BBC sacked John Torode after he allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song'.

The MasterChef host, 59, was reportedly singing the rapper's hit Gold Digger when he was allegedly 'caught using the racist term during after work drinks six or seven years ago'.

The Sun claims Torode used the word again whilst chatting to a friend on the MasterChef's production team, who didn't take offence.

The Australian-born chef has insisted he had absolutely no recollection of using a racist term while drinking with colleagues seven years ago.

The person who raised the complaint is understood to have 'overheard the conversation'.

The production pal allegedly backed Torode and said he only used the racial slur as an 'example' and 'apologised afterwards'.

The complaint against John was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg's inappropriate behaviour

A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, was mortified and didnt use the term as a slur in 2018.

The BBC said on Tuesday that Torode's contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an extremely offensive racist term during an evening out after filming the show.

The corporation has refused to say what the racist term was - as has Torode, who has claimed he did not believe that it happened.

MasterChef bosses are reportedly pushing to air Gregg Wallace and John Torode's final series 'when the dust settles' after they were both sacked from the cooking show.

The upcoming series' - which have already been filmed - features former I'm A Celeb star and restaurant critic Grace Dent, who replaced Wallace to co-host with Torode.

The Sun reports that The BBC and production company Banijay plan to air both the amateur and celebrity editions.

However, MailOnline understands BBC director general Tim Davie, who has the final say, has not yet made his decision on whether MasterChef will or will not be aired.
The captain of Air India Flight 171, which crashed in Ahmedabad killing 241 people on board last month, entrusted his first officer with the plane before takeoff, sources have claimed, citing the black boxes recovered from the crash.

'The plane is in your hands,' Captain Sumeet Sabharwal told First Officer Clive Kunder, two Western sources familiar with the contents of the recordings told Corriere della Sera.

The sources told the outlet it was not unusual for the first officer to manage takeoff. But it would have given the captain an opportunity to operate 'undisturbed', three consulted pilots said.

U.S. pilots familiar with the recently published preliminary report into the crash separately assessed that Mr Kunder would have 'had his hands full' flying the plane at the time.

The plane left the ground at 1:38:39pm and remained airborne for about 30 seconds before losing power and coming down in a residential area, killing 19 people on the ground and all but one person on board.

The preliminary report revealed that before the crash, two fuel switches were moved from 'Run' to 'Cutoff', depriving the engines of fuel. There was confusion in the cabin, before desperate attempts were made to flick them back.

Corriere's sources said Mr Kunder was heard asking the senior pilot: 'Why did you shut off the engines?' Another microphone recorded a 'vague' denial: 'I didn't do it'.

The outlet reports that Mr Kunder was 'unconvinced' and asked the same question 'several more times' over a further six seconds.

A source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment of evidence separately told Reuters that Mr Kunder had asked the captain why he had moved the fuel switches into the 'Cutoff' position, starving the engine of fuel.

They assessed that the cockpit recording of dialogue supported the view that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines.

The report, published by the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau, did not speculate whether it was deliberate or accidental. India's aviation minister has urged people not to jump to conclusions, and a final report is expected next year.

Investigations into the Air India plane crash are reportedly examining Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's (pictured) medical records

Mr Kunder (pictured) was at the controls of the Boeing 787 and asked the captain why he moved the fuel switches into a position that starved the engines of fuel, a source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment of evidence told Reuters

Seconds after taking off on June 12, two fuel switches in the cockpit of Air India Flight 171 were turned off, a preliminary report revealed on Sunday

The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip

The preliminary report released by India's AAIB on Saturday confirmed that the fuel switches had switched from 'run' to 'cutoff' just after takeoff -- but did not say how they were moved.

The report did not find any mechanical or maintenance faults on the flight.

Timeline of disaster 1:38:39 - The plane lifted off the runway in Ahmedabad 1:38:42 - The engines were defueled as the plane reached 180 knots The left engine fuel control switch transitions from the run to cutoff position, followed by the right 1:38:44 - Dispute between pilots over alleged 'cutting off of fuel' to the engines The other pilot responds that he did not cutoff the fuel 1:38:47 - RAT deployed, supplying hydraulic power to the aircraft and indicating loss of power from engines 1:38:52 - Fuel switch moved from 'Cutoff' to 'Run' on engine 1 1:38:56 - Switch changed on engine 2 1:39:05 - Mayday transmission signals life-threatening emergency 13:39:11 - Flight data recorders stop recording Advertisement

It did say that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel and 'the other pilot responded that he did not do so.'

Investigators did not identify which remarks were made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively.

There was no cockpit video recording definitively showing which pilot flipped the switches, but the weight of evidence from the conversation points to the captain, according to the early assessment by U.S. officials.

Citing U.S. pilots familiar with the AAIB report, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that 'as the pilot actively flying, [First Officer] Kunder likely would have had his hands full pulling back on the Dreamliner's controls at that stage of the flight'.

'Sabharwal, as the pilot monitoring, would have been more likely to have had his hands free as he oversaw the operation.'

According to the report, the switches were apparently moved in succession, one second apart, before both were turned back on about 10 seconds later.

The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane's engines.

The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight.

The switches' 'locking feature' meant pilots had to lift them up before changing their position - they are not simple push buttons that can be accidentally turned off.

Almost immediately after the plane lifted off the ground, closed-circuit TV footage showed a backup energy source called a ram air turbine (RAT) had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines.

The London-bound plane began to lose thrust, and after reaching a height of 650 feet, the jet started to sink.

The fuel switches for both engines were indeed turned back to 'run', and the airplane automatically tried restarting the engines, the report said.

But the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent. The report stated: 'One of the pilots transmitted "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY"'.

The plane clipped some trees and a chimney before crashing in a fireball into a building on a nearby medical college campus, the report said, killing 19 people on the ground and 241 of the 242 on board.

Both fuel switches were found in the run position at the crash site.

Pictures show the devastation after the plane crashed into a residential building. In Powai, Mumbai, one of Captain Sabharwal's former colleagues told the Daily Telegraph that he was a 'thorough gentleman'

The back of Air India flight 171 is pictured at the site after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025

Investigations into the tragic crash (pictured) have begun to analyse the behaviour of the pilot

Aviation expert and former airline pilot Terry Tozer said the engine cutoff switches being switched to off only seconds after takeoff was 'absolutely bizarre.'

'Unfortunately, the altitude was so low that the engines were only beginning to recover and they didnt have enough time,' he told Sky News.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in an internal memo on Monday that the preliminary report into the crash found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out.

Wilson also urged the airline's staff to avoid drawing premature conclusions about the crash.

India's civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, echoed that the reports findings were preliminary and one should not 'jump into any conclusions on this.'

'Let us wait for the final report,' Naidu told reporters.

Investigators are said to be looking at the medical records of the pilots as part of their probe.

Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, claimed that one of the pilots had suffered with their mental health, citing other Air India pilots.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he claimed: 'He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.'

Captain Sabharwal is also understood to have taken bereavement leave after the death of his mother, though Mr Ranganathan understands that he had been 'medically cleared' by Air India prior to the fatal crash last month.

Air India, in a statement, said it is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the crash.

A final report is expected within a year.

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Vishwashkumar Ramesh was the only passenger who survived the tragedy

This screengrab from UGC video footage shows thick black smoke billowing from a residential area after Air India flight AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025

Rescue officials work at the site where Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad

The AAIB's preliminary report had no safety recommendations for Boeing or engine manufacturer GE.

The AAIB, which is leading the investigation, said in a statement on Thursday that 'certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting.'

It added the investigation was ongoing and it remained too early to draw definitive conclusions.

Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, and under international rules, a final report is expected within a year of an accident.

The planes black boxes - combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders - were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India.

Indian authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air Indias entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
Grant Shapps today defended hiding the major Afghan data leak and subsequent decision to bring almost 20,000 people to Britain, saying the secrecy prevented Brits from being murdered.

In his first interview since the a super injunction was raised the former defence secretary said he would do it again, amid a major row over the unprecedented two-year cover-up.

Speaking to the BBC he justified the decision to withhold details of the major security breach from the public, saying he would rather explain the secrecy than why 'people were murdered' on his watch.

Special forces, MI6 spies and government officials were among more than 100 Britons on the lost Afghan dataset, it is understood.

'It seemed to me that if there was any doubt at all, that erring on the side of extreme caution, a super injunction meant that that was entirely justified,' Mr Shapps told Radio 4's Today programme.

'And I'll tell you what, anybody sat behind the desk that I was sat in as defence secretary and faced with the choice of whether that list would get out and people would be pursued, murdered and executed as a result of it, or doing something to try and save those lives, I'd much rather now be in this interview explaining why a super injunction was required, than being in this interview explaining why I failed to act and people were murdered.'

But he also questioned why Labour did not get the super injunction lifted sooner, adding: 'I don't think it should have carried on as long as it had.'

However a Whitehall source said: 'Shapps is trying to rewrite history. Everyone knows he was the one personally demanding to keep the super injunction in place after the election was called last summer.

'He was defence secretary when the secret route was designed, agreed, established and expanded under the last Tory government.'

In his first interview since the a super injunction was raised the former defence secretary said he would do it again, amid a major row over the unprecedented two-year cover-up.

The database at the heart of the super-injunction scandal, seen by the Daily Mail, contains details of more than 100 Britons including senior military officers and government officials

The High Court was told the draconian gagging order was necessary to protect 100,000 Afghans the UK had put 'at risk of death'.

The Daily Mail has seen the list and can now reveal that details of scores of UK operatives were among the 18,800 Afghans on the list that sparked a major security crisis.

Ministers fought for two years to hush-up the data blunder with an unprecedented super-injunction that silenced the Mail and other media.

The High Court was told the draconian gagging order was necessary to protect 100,000 Afghans the UK had put 'at risk of death'.

But after we were able to get access to the database and analyse it, it became clear that dozens of senior British military officers including a brigadier and government officials were also exposed.

The Mail's investigation triggered a massive secrecy row yesterday as security-cleared parliamentarians erupted in fury at being kept in the dark.

Asked whether he backed calls from the Intelligence and Security Committee for the report to be released, Mr Shapps said: 'Yes I would.

'And secondly, this injunction, the superinjunction, was in place for longer than I was defence secretary, right?

'So it's been in place a lot longer under the current Government than it was under us, and I'm surprised it's lasted quite so long.

'My expectation was, as the risks start to lessen over time and people are removed from the theatre, from Afghanistan, and measures are taken to protect the Brits on the list I'd thought that it was probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum.'

He insisted he would 'do the same thing all over again' to protect Afghans and Brits involved and said he thinks 'the public understands that there are times where you simply have to act in the most maximalist way in order to stop people from being murdered and executed, and that is, quite simply, what properly happened in this case.'

He added: 'Now, as I said, I don't think it should have carried on as long as it had those questions are for others.'
A pregnant woman with a seafood allergy says she was forced off a plane after an air steward refused to stop selling a tuna dish on the in-flight menu and told her he 'wouldn't be dictated to'.

Abbey Holling and her mother were left stranded in Corfu after 'vile' easyJet staff allegedly ignored her concerns about her life-threatening airborne allergy before 'belittling' them in front of the entire plane.

In a post on Facebook detailing her ordeal, Ms Holling, 24, said an air steward told her he was refusing to stop selling products with tuna in them, adding: 'I've been working since 4:00. I have a Tuna salad I want to eat so I will be eating that.'

A video filmed by a fellow passenger showed how one of the air crew told Ms Holling: 'We are legally entitled to a meal break and I won't have customers dictate to me what I can or can't eat.'

She now worries the incident has 'caused strain and stress on my pregnancy', adding staff made her feel 'vulnerable' and 'sick to my stomach'.

The chaos unfolded on a plane from the Greek island to Manchester on Tuesday evening.

Ms Holling said she had informed easyJet prior to the flight about her allergies, although the airline disputes this.

It has reimbursed her for extra costs incurred as a result of the incident and is investigating, a spokesperson said.

Abbey Holling (pictured), 24, and her mother were left stranded in Corfu after 'vile' easyJet staff allegedly ignored her concerns about her life-threatening airborne allergy

In a post on Facebook detailing her ordeal, Ms Holling, 24, said an air steward (pictured), understood to be the in-flight manager, told her he was refusing to stop selling products with tuna in them

She described initially being 'reassured' by a member of the crew who told her no products containing sea food would be sold during the flight.

But a second member of staff then approached her and her mother and said the products would in fact be sold.

After asking to speak to the in-flight manager, who Ms Holling described as 'vile', she said she informed him that she was at risk of death if the products were sold on the flight.

She claims she even offered to buy all the affected products to avoid any loss of revenue to the airline, but says this was also refused.

The plane was then turned around so the pair could disembark from the plane, but Ms Holling accused the manager of further 'belittling' them by refusing to tell fellow passengers the cause of the delay.

'He announced it over the speaker saying 'we are turning this around because two people don't want to fly with us' tonight,' she said.

'He didn't explain why I couldn't be on the flight and so everyone began booing, swearing, tutting, and making us feel uncomfortable.'

Ms Holling and her mother were eventually able to travel back to the UK on Thursday, two days later than planned.

She said that once they were ready to disembark the plane, one of the pilots made an announcement, saying: 'The reason we are delayed is because we won't stop selling Tuna sandwiches.'

A spokesperson for easyJet said that 'safety is our highest priority'.

They told MailOnline: 'Safety is our highest priority and so we ask any customers with any allergy to notify us ahead of travel, to ensure we can do all we can to help them when they fly with us.

'As Ms Holling only notified us of her tuna allergy once on board and subsequently did not travel, we are looking into how this was managed onboard and have been in touch with her to understand more and apologise for her experience, and reimburse her alternative travel expenses.'
A former top executive of Peppa Pig toys risks losing his home after being sacked for threatening his boss with a pen and losing nearly 300,000 in failed legal challenges, a court heard.

Mark Dowding, chief financial officer and company secretary of Character Group PLC, home of Peppa Pig soft toys, was sacked from his 160,000-a-year job in September 2017.

The management team were said to have 'lost confidence' in Mr Dowding after an employment tribunal found her 'brandished' a pen at his boss in a 'threatening manner' during a 'heated' exchange in August 2017.

Mr Dowding subsequently claimed he was unfairly dismissed based on fabricated allegations, arguing he 'had been subjected to various acts of victimisation'.

But despite losing his case in 2020, the finance executive kept fighting, bringing five years worth of appeals and challenges, as well as launching a High Court claim - running up massive legal costs.

Mr Dowding still has one remaining court claim over his treatment by the company, but has now been told it will be struck out unless he stumps up the 288,000 he owes from his previous battles.

Making the order, High Court judge Richard Spearman KC said it means Mr Dowding now faces losing the pension fund which forms his only regular income 'and maybe also his home, to meet those costs orders'.

In his ruling, he said: 'Sophocles wrote...'It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it'. That, in my view, is the predicament in which the claimant Mr Dowding now finds himself.'

Mark Dowding (pictured), chief financial officer and company secretary of Character Group PLC, home of Peppa Pig soft toys, was sacked in September 2017 after he was found to have 'brandished' his boss with a pen in a 'threatening manner' during a 'heated' exchange in August 2017

An order was made last December securing the existing costs bills on Mr Dowding's 850,000 home (pictured) in Rotherhithe Street, south London. As a result, judge Spearman described Mr Dowding as being 'in a very unhappy position'

Employed by The Character Group from August 2012 to September 2017, at the time of Mr Dowding's dismissal he was working as a group finance director on a 110,000 salary plus an additional 50 per cent bonus.

Describing the pen incident which occurred during a work-related meeting between Mr Dowding and his boss, Mr Shah, Judge Khalil said: 'Their discussion became heated and voices were raised. The claimant accepted in evidence he raised his voice first.

'Mr Shah also alleged that the claimant had pointed a pen towards him, causing Mr Shah to retreat. This was set out in his email, which followed this altercation on the same day.

'In that email, Mr Shah said about the incident, 'Your behaviour was inappropriate and unprofessional. You raised your voice towards me in a threatening manner and pointed a pen in my face whilst rolling forward towards me with your chair. I had to roll my chair back to prevent injury to my face'.'

Despite Mr Dowding claiming the pen threat was fabricated, Judge Khalil said: 'The tribunal concludes that the incident as described by Mr Shah did occur, which included the claimant pointing towards him, brandishing a pen in a threatening manner.

'This dismissal was within the band of reasonable responses both procedurally and substantively,' he concluded.

An order was made last December securing the existing court bills on Mr Dowding's 850,000 home in south London.

Mr Dowding still has one remaining court claim over his treatment by the company, but has now been told it will be struck out unless he stumps up the 288,000 he owes from his previous battles. Pictured: the outside of Mr Dowding's luxury flat that he is now at risk of losing

Employed by The Character Group PLC, home of Peppa Pig toys, from August 2012 to September 2017, at the time of Mr Dowding's dismissal he was working as a group finance director on a 110,000 salary plus an additional 50 per cent bonus

The case went before Judge Spearman on applications for Mr Dowding to clarify the terms of his claim, while TCG Toys asked for an order that his case be struck out completely if he doesn't pay what he already owes.

In a judgment given this week, the judge made orders to end several elements of Mr Dowding's claim, including his bid to sue his former boss personally as a defendant alongside the company.

Although the rest of the case can go ahead, the judge went on to make an order that it be struck out unless he pays the 288,000 he already owes.

Explaining that Mr Dowding 'now faces losing' both his personal pension fund and his home, Judge Spearman described Mr Dowding as being 'in a very unhappy position'.

He added: 'On the disclosure he has made, he can ill-afford to meet these costs liabilities: either his home may be forfeit or his pension may be forfeit - possibly, if things go on the way they have, both.

'That is a consequence of bringing and pursuing expensive litigation which has all been unsuccessful, resulting in the costs orders.'

If Mr Dowding pays what he owes, the remaining case will return to court at a later date.
An Australian man has been found dead in an apartment in Thailand, just hours after the body of a Swedish man was also discovered in the same building.

Michael Shane Caola, 54, from Perth, was found face down in a pool of blood in a room on the seventh floor of the Grand Shivalay apartment in the beachside city of Pattaya, famous for its sex-for-sale wild nightlife.

Pattaya City Police investigator Saijai Khamjulla said he received reports of the dead Australian about 4pm local time on Thursday.

Upon entering the room, officers found a broken glass and scattered pill bottles, but there were no signs of struggle.

Apartment manager Thanchanok Prajit said she discovered Mr Caola after receiving a call from his relatives claiming they had been unable to contact him for two days.

Ms Prajit said the door had been locked from the inside and a foul odour was emanating from within, and she unlocked the door and contacting police.

He was a regular customer, often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health,' she said.

Two hours earlier police discovered the body of a 38-year-old Swedish national in a separate room two floors below in the same building.

Perth man Michael Shane Caola (left) was found dead in an apartment in Thailand

Mr Caola was found face down in a pool of blood in the Pattaya apartment building

Perth man Michael Shane Caola (pictured) was found dead in an apartment in Thailand

He was found naked near an overflowing bathtub with a one-inch laceration to his forehead and right eyebrow, local media outlet Khaosod reported.

Police again said they identified no signs of struggle but local press reported a woman was seen on CCTV leaving his room before the body was found.

Mr Khamjulla, the investigator, said the cause of Mr Caola's death was still unknown and they were waiting for results of an autopsy.

'His case does not involve any woman, unlike the previous case involving a Swedish national who died in the same apartment on the same day,' he said.

'The case is currently under investigation and further details cannot be disclosed at this time.'

He acknowledged the coincidence of the two deaths but said there was 'no established link' between them.

'Since they occurred in the same building within a short time frame, we're not ruling out any possibilities and will continue to investigate,' he said.

Both men were found dead inside separate rooms of the Grand Shivalay apartments (pictured)

Investigations into the deaths of the foreign nationals are ongoing

Mr Caola's social media is littered with photos taken across Thailand, stretching back a decade, including at markets and eateries in Pattaya.

The

The mysterious deaths are the latest to blight the city on Thailand's eastern Gulf coast.

Despite recent efforts to remediate the city's image, local crime continues to make international headlines.

Earlier this week, wheelchair-bound British tourist Chris John Glennon, 60, was robbed by a trio of sex workers at a local resort.

Mr Glennon, from Northampton in England's East Midlands region, reportedly engaged the sex workers before bringing them back to his hotel room.

There, he claimed, they stole his money and took off while he was showering. Investigations into the alleged robbery are ongoing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
A 17-year-old Spanish girl is fighting for her life after she was set on fire by a migrant who was awaiting deportation.

The victim suffered burns to 95% of her body after being torched on Wednesday morning in a squat in La Isleta neighbourhood in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Her alleged attacker is a 20-year-old Moroccan man named only as Abarrafia H. by Spanish press.

He had arrived in the island of Lanzarote on a rubber dingy on June 2 before being transferred to Gran Canaria while he awaited deportation, Spanish newspaper ABC reports.

Harrowing footage shows the moment a blaze engulfed a house when a fire broke out after the victim was set alight.

The unnamed teenage girl managed to escape the burning building, reportedly telling onlookers: 'It was him. He threw a burning piece of paper at me', before he fled the scene.

The suspect has been arrested and cops are investigating whether a second person may have been involved in the horrific incident.

But Abarrafia told police that it was an unfortunate accident, claiming that the mattress they were smoking on caught on fire before spreading to the teen.

A 17-year-old Spanish girl is fighting for her life after she was set on fire by a migrant who was awaiting deportation

Harrowing footage shows the moment a blaze engulfed a house when a fire broke out after the victim was set alight

The teen was first rushed to a local hospital where she was treated for her burns, but was then flown to a hospital in Seville on the mainland due to the severity of her injuries.

The girl was living in a state care facility for minors and had been missing for three days, according to ABC.

Sources close to her have claimed that the pair had been romantically involved and that she would run away from her care facility to see him.

The local courts for violence against women have not intervened in the case while the police determine the context of their relationship.

The teen was first rushed to a local hospital where she was treated for her burns, but was then flown to a hospital in Seville on the mainland due to the severity of her injuries.

Abarrafia was also admitted into Doctor Negrin hospital following his arrest to be treated for smoke inhalation.

He has since been discharged and remains under police custody.

Abarrafia had been living in a home for refugees on the Spanish island which was close to the scene of the incident.

The Spanish archipelago off northwest Africa experiences large numbers of migrant arrivals. File photo: Sub-saharan migrants wait in La Restinga port in El Hierro island, the Canaries, Spain, 16 November 2023. Over 160 migrants, escorted by a Guardia Civil rescue ship, arrived on El Hierro island in a small wooden boat

In 2024, Spain received a record number of migrants who crossed illegally via sea, with more than 61,000 people having arrived on boats. Nearly 47,000 of those landed in the Canary Islands

He received a deportation order shortly after his arrival in Spain as he lacked the legal documentation to stay in the country.

His expulsion procedure allowed him a one-month period to appeal, but he never filed, it is understood.

The Spanish archipelago off northwest Africa experiences large numbers of migrant arrivals, as people mainly from West Africa attempt the dangerous Atlantic crossing in ramshackle boats.

In 2024, Spain received a record number of migrants who crossed illegally via sea, with more than 61,000 people having arrived on boats. Nearly 47,000 of those landed in the Canary Islands. They included several thousand unaccompanied minors.
Diane Abbott doubled down on her claims about anti-Semitism being less serious than anti-black racism as she accused Keir Starmer of trying to force her out of the Labour party.

The veteran leftwinger, 71, was suspended last night for claiming in a BBC interview that prejudice faced by Jews was not on par with colour-based discrimination, the second time she has lost the whip for the controversial assertion.

She previously made an apology in 2023 after writing to the Observer to say that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism in the way that people of colour do.

Following her suspension Ms Abbott issued a statement to Newsnight insisting what she said had been 'factually accurate', adding: 'It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out.'

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, who is Mother of the House as the longest serving female MP, was the fifth Labour MP to lose the whip this week as Sir Keir tries to instill discipline on his fractious party.

Four others were suspended on Wednesday for persistent rebellions over welfare cuts and other issues.

And the decision to investigate Ms Abbott as well prompted allies to attack the leadership. One MP told Politico that Starmer loyalists were acting like 'Billy Big-B*llocks' and had wanted 40 MPs to be removed, and another said they agreed with her comments.

However, Angela Rayner, the deputy Prime Minister and a leading figure of the party left, criticised Ms Abbott last night.

She told the Guardian she was 'disappointed, saying: 'Diane had reflected on how she'd put that [2023] article together, and said that ''was not supposed to be the version'', and now to double down and say: ''Well, actually I didn't mean that. I actually meant what I originally said,'' I think is a real challenge.'

The veteran leftwinger was suspended last night for claiming in a BBC interview that prejudice faced by Jews was not on par with colour-based discrimination, the second time she has lost the whip for the controversial assertion.

Following her suspension Ms Abbott issued a statement to Newsnight insisting what she said had been 'factually accurate', adding: 'It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out.'

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, who is Mother of the House as the longest serving female MP, was the fifth Labour MP to lose the whip this week as Sir Keir tries to instill discipline on his fractious party.

Exchequer secretary to the Treasury James Murray said it was 'absolutely not the case' that Number 10 had wanted to remove the whip.

'What's happened is Diane has made some comments which come on the back of previous comments which she made and for which she apologised some time ago,' he told Times Radio.

He added that there was an internal investigation and 'we now need to let this process play out' so it can be resolved 'as swiftly as possible'.

The original comments in 2023 were in a letter to The Observer newspaper, and she withdrew the remarks the same day and apologised 'for any anguish caused'.

In the interview with BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she was asked whether she looked back on the incident with regret.

'No, not at all,' she said.

'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism, because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know.

'You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them.

The veteran MP first made the controversial comments in a letter to the Observer newspaper in 2023 as she responded to a recent comment article

Ms Abbott issued a public apology in 2023 to 'wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them'

'But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. There are different types of racism.'

She added: 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.'

Ms Abbott entered Parliament in 1987 and holds the honorary title of Mother of the House.

Her suspension comes in the same week that Sir Keir carried out a purge of troublesome backbenchers following a revolt over planned welfare reforms which saw the Government offer major concessions to rebels.

Rachael Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the Government's Bill, had the whip suspended alongside Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff.

Party sources said the decision to suspend the whip was taken as a result of persistent breaches of discipline rather than a single rebellion.
A trans woman who plunged off Westminster Bridge had probably climbed onto the side to urinate, an inquest heard.

Natasha Reddington-Romanov's disappearance sparked dozens of missing person appeals when she vanished after leaving a nightclub last September.

Friends said the 55-year-old hadn't had gender reassignment surgery and was known for peeing when drunk by cocking one leg thanks to her often complicated undergarments.

After dinner with a friend on September 20 last year, she was walking home intoxicated in a white Chanel suit when she needed the loo.

And she made a fatal mistake - lifting one leg over the side of the central London bridge in an attempt to relieve herself and slipping over the edge.

It was theorised by coroner Paul Rogers that she may have plunged so far under the water she was caught by a strong 'riptide' which stopped her from surfacing.

Her body was found a mile upstream by the steps of Vauxhall Bridge at around 11am the following morning, despite intensive searches which started minutes after she was seen to fall.

Natasha Reddington-Romanov's disappearance sparked dozens of missing person appeals when she vanished after leaving a nightclub last September

The Southwark resident was last seen leaving Trisha's, a club above 57 Greek Street where she was well-known

The inquest at Inner West London Coroner's Court heard that Miss Reddington-Romanov, 55, was born in Dunstable, Beds, as John James Reddington.

She had lived most of her adult life as a woman, with GP notes from 2003 showing she was taking hormones.

She legally changed her name in May 2005 and had a wide circle of friends both in and outside London.

She worked as a facilities manager for affordable housing provider the Guinness Partnership, with colleagues describing her as 'a wonderful woman whose kindness and warmth lit up every room.'

The court heard that on September 20 last year, she went for dinner with the owner of Soho jazz club Trisha's, Patricia Bergonzi.

Friend of 15 years, Vanessa Frank, 48, said that Miss Reddington-Romanov had been so busy at work that she hadn't had a drink for a month and said she wondered whether the alcohol she had consumed that night had affected her particularly strongly.

After her friend's death, Ms Frank viewed CCTV footage showing her near the bridge and said she appeared 'inebriated in a way I hadn't seen her before.'

She remembered a previous occasion where her friend had cocked her leg up to urinate in a doorway when they were on a night out in Soho.

'She didn't undergo gender reassignment surgery,' Ms Frank told the court.

'She literally would lift one leg at a right angle and brace against something and that would allow her to manoeuvre as she wanted to.

'I viewed the video and I was not 100% left without doubt, but my strongest feeling was that she'd done as she normally did and at one point she tried to cock her leg and she lost her footing.'

She said she and all of Miss Reddington-Romanov's friends were truly shocked by what had happened and had seen no sign of depression or worry.

'She was emotionally pragmatic, in a way where she knew life didn't always give you roses,' Ms Frank said.

'She was loved by all who knew her. She was one of the most well-balanced people I knew. If she had a problem she'd meet with friends and vent and talk it through.'

She worked as a facilities manager for affordable housing provider the Guinness Partnership, with colleagues describing her as 'a wonderful woman whose kindness and warmth lit up every room'

Metropolitan Police officer Sgt James Lewis, of the emergency response unit at Charing Cross, said Miss Reddington-Romanov's fall into the water was witnessed by people who crowded round the spot on Westminster Bridge just after 3am on September 21.

The government's security CCTV control centre was alerted too when the crowd was spotted peering into the darkened waters by operators.

Sgt Lewis said officers were on scene by 3.28am, two marine units were ordered as well as a police helicopter which was later stood down.

'Natasha couldn't be seen,' he said.

'It was a fast-moving tide.'

He said the body of a man dressed in women's clothing resurfaced eight hours later and attempts to identify the individual began.

Meanwhile Miss Reddington-Romanov was reported missing when she didn't turn up for work as usual that Tuesday.

A huge search operation which included appeals went out, explaining that she had last been seen between Greek Street and Bateman Street in Soho at around 2am as she headed to her home south of the river in Southwark.

Sgt Lewis recovered CCTV footage of what happened from several angles but it was jumpy and didn't cover the exact moment the 55-year-old fell.

'She put her handbag on the ground and she reached over, she climbed over the bridge,' he added.

'Unfortunately the footage itself was jumpy.

'All you can see is Natasha climbing onto the side of the bridge and all of a sudden she wasn't there.'

Coroner Mr Rogers said the 'critical nanomoments' were missing, adding: 'It doesn't help me identify whether she jumped or fell.'

However the transwoman wasn't attacked or injured and third party involvement was ruled out, he went on.

A post mortem examination showed that she had bruising to the forehead, most likely from striking a parapet on the way down, and had suffered a heart attack when in the water.

Aside from river water in the lungs and stomach, there were no other injuries and the cause of death was given as drowning.

A toxicology report showed Miss Reddington-Romanov was significantly intoxicated with a blood ethanol reading of 211mg per 100ml of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80mg.

Readings of between 200mg and 300mg per 100ml of blood are consistent with a comatose state, however the coroner said that post mortem redistribution of alcohol occurs, meaning he could not be sure how drunk she had been when she fell.

The 55-year-old was well known in Soho for her vibrant dress sense.

After her death, Trisha's put up a tribute to her on Instagram, saying: 'Our Natasha Reddington-Romanov. Soho icon, showgirl, forever and always in our hearts.

'There will never be another one like you and the streets of Soho forever less glamorous. We love you so very very much.

'It is beyond words to express how much insurmountable gratitude I personally have for everyone who has helped us search for her and showed the outpouring of love and support she deserved.

'Thank you with all my heart.'

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Mr Rogers said: 'Natasha enjoyed her life and cared for others. She had many friends and was valued in her working life.

'She was not known as someone who was depressed or struggled with life. She had been out for dinner with a friend that night and the friend also saw nothing out of the ordinary.

'Natasha was walking back in the early hours, she was unsteady and walking more slowly than usual. She stopped and lifted her leg over the parapet and then she was gone.

'Ms Frank described a previous occasion when Natasha had lifted her leg in a similar way wearing undergarments which made it more difficult with her male genitalia.

'She said she saw that same movement on the CCTV. Natasha was significantly intoxicated when she entered the river. She sometimes performed this awkward manouvre to urinate when drunk.

'I do not know why she entered the river but I think it's more likely she fell given that she was intoxicated.'
The body of a man has been found in the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Snowy Mountains earlier this week.

Police found the remains near Khancoban, a small town in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, at 3pm on Friday.

While he is yet to be formally identified, police believe the remains belong to pilot David Stephens, 74, who went missing mid-flight on Tuesday.

The plane was declared missing after failing to make its scheduled arrival time at about 4.30pm on Tuesday at Moruya Airport on NSW's Far South Coast.

It triggered a multi-day search led by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) which came to a head when the wreckage was found at 4pm on Thursday.

Mr Stephens had been flying from Wangaratta in north-east Victoria and was the only person in the aircraft.

A tax accountant by trade, Mr Stephens reportedly planned to retire within months and has been described as a respected member of the Sapphire Coast community.

His wife Lynda Leigh told ABC News the ordeal had been 'heartbreaking' for his family.

David Stephens (pictured) went missing mid-flight over the Snowy Mountains on Tuesday

The plane was found crashed in the Snowy Mountains on Thursday afternoon

She described her husband as an experienced pilot and said his aircraft - a 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane - been inspected before taking off from Wangaratta.

'Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday, July 15, after having his aircraft inspected,' Ms Leigh said.

'It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta.

'David has quite a bit of experience flying the plane, but we can't know what situation he was facing, and we'll only have answers once they locate the plane and, with that, David.'

Mr Stephens served as the secretary for Bega Valley aviation club, Frog's Hollow Flyers.

Owner of the club's airstrip, Eric Johnston, told Daily Mail Australia Mr Stephens had served the club for about a year and was 'highly respected' by its members.

AMSA first sounded the alarm when it was notified by Air Services Australia that an aircraft had missed its arrival time at Moruya Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Search efforts were assisted by NSW Police, NSW State Emergency Service, NSW National Parks and Wildlife service and Snowy Hydro.

The plane was declared missing after it failed to make its landing at Moruya on Tuesday

Terrain around the crash site has been described as 'rugged and inaccessible'.

NSW Police took charge of the search operation when the plane was spotted and remain at the site of the crash.

They are expected to recover the body later this afternoon.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Do YOU know the man hit by the van?

This is the moment a police van drove into an anti-migrant protester after violent clashes erupted outside a migrant hotel following the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting teenage schoolgirls.

Hundreds of furious residents gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which has been operating as an asylum hotel on and off for the last five years.

Last night's protest began peacefully, but later flared into violence after a group of hardcore agitators stopped three Essex Police riot vans from driving past the hotel to support their colleagues in the centre of the town.

Children in balaclavas joined grown men and women to block the road by standing across it, before protesters started attacking the police vehicles, with some seen hurling projectiles at the vans and officers.

Now, dramatic footage has emerged which appears to show the moment a demonstrator is driven into by one of the police vehicles.

The Essex Police van can be seen knocking over the young man, who stood in Epping High Road, in what appears to be an attempt to stop the vehicle leaving.

Protesters had erected a make-shift barrier made up of pallets and plastic fencing in the road to stop police leaving the scene.

But the first of four Essex Police vans crashed through the barrier, leading to a protester to stand in the road, who was then knocked out of the way by the second van as people screamed: 'Oh my god' and 'what the f***'.

A man was seen being struck by a police van following violent protests outside a migrant hotel in Essex

The is seen being shunted backwards by the police van as it continues down the road

Seconds earlier, a police van leading the convoy was seen hurtling through a plastic barrier

One of the protestors jumps up and down on a police van while wrapped in the St George's flag

A protestor lights a flare as residents call for the closure of the asylum hotel where the man was staying

The youth who was mown down by the police van is then seen getting up and brushing himself down as he shouts at the convoy.

Another man, who was standing by the side of the road, also fell to the ground during the chaotic clip - which has been seen more than 2.4million times online.

It is unclear whether either man needed medical attention.

Essex Police officers, dressed in full riot-gear, can be seen sat in the vehicles - as thugs are seen attacking the vans, kicking and launching missiles at them.

They had been among up to 100 officers who battled with anti-migrant protesters who had confronted a counter an anti-racism demonstration.

Speaking to journalists this afternoon, Essex's Assistance Chief Constable Stuart Hooper, condemned last night's 'mindless thuggery', which left eight officers hurt.

Warning those behind the mayhem they will 'feel the full force of the law', ACC Hooper said: 'If you were one of those individuals that was responsible for the damage - particularly to my officers or vehicle - you can expect a knock on your door.'

He added: 'Eight of my officers... were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unaccepted. They have come here to do a role, to support their communities  they're a part of that community. And that's what we won't tolerate.'

The injured officers suffered minor injuries to their hands, as well as cuts and grazes elsewhere, ACC Hooper said.

The top officer's comments come amid fears more protests could flare up tonight, triggering a fresh wave of violence.

Insisting police were there to 'support peaceful protest', ACC Hooper said the force wanted to 'make sure everyone's voices are heard'.

After the man was seen being hit by a police van, demonstrators nearby were spotted trying to kick other passing vehicles

A second male is seen collapsed on the floor in the footage. It is unclear if the man needed medical attention or not

But he said: 'We don't want to see those acts of violence in our streets.

'If you are coming here with the intention of carrying out mindless thuggery, that is not acceptable and we will deal with that.'

The demonstrators started peacefully early in the afternoon on Thursday. But by 6.30pm, violence had started to spill out onto the street, ACC Hooper said.

Carrying placards reading 'Refugees Welcome' some of the counter protesters were pelted with bottles, eggs and can and told to 'f*** off out of Epping' by an angry mob.

The protesters were calling for the closure of Epping's Bell Hotel as Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers following the arrest of one resident migrant on sexual assault charges against schoolgirls.

Essex Police has confirmed it is aware of a video which appeared to show a police vehicle drive into a protester.

Speaking of the incident, ACC Hooper said the video had been reported to the force, but said they had seen another video 'which maybe shows it from a different angle'.

'And I guess the angles and perceptions show a different thing,' he added.

'So I'm not sure that exact incident is as it's been reported in the media.'

Photos from later in the evening show one of the vans with a smashed windscreen, while one masked man is seen jumping up and down on the roof of another police vehicle.

A man dressed in all black stands on the bonnet of a police van with its windows smashed

Other footage from earlier in the mayhem showed men repeatedly punching and kicking the vans, as another man yells 'smash it, smash it' while officers sat trapped inside while the vandals attempted to break the windows.

Several thugs then clambered on to the roof of the vehicles, before jumping up and down. The van was eventually forced to flee with its back doors wide open.

The agitators also threw fireworks and bottles at police as they sought to protect anti-racism counter-demonstrators.

Essex Police said that they had already identified several suspects they believe are responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel, and assaulting officers.

Officers on patrol also arrested a man on suspicion of affray, following an assault reported close to The Bell Hotel on Sunday evening.

Anti-immigration protestors attack riot police vans hitting windows with officers stuck inside

Earlier the man could be seen scrambling up the windscreen of the van, with officers trapped inside

A line of men shout at police as they form a human baricade between the protestors and the anti-racism counter-protesters

Another man dressed all in black approaches a police van as a braying mob watch on

Police armed with riot shields form a barrier across the road following a major public order incident in Epping on Thursday

A protestor appears to be detained by police

The violent clashes prompted the deployment of over 180 police officers from Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police, and Hertfordshire Constabulary

Police officers stand in a street covered in smashed glass and other debris

Dean Walters, 65, of Harlow, has been charged with affray and released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on September 24, with stringent conditions until then.

The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylums seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences.

He was arrested by officers on July 8 after reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a number of people.

Kebatu appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, and denied all offences.

Kebatu was charged with three counts of sexual assault, as well as one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.

At the protest well-dressed mothers stood side-by-side with retired businessmen and women and dozens of bald tattooed middle-aged men to call for the hotel to stop operating as refugee accommodation.

One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel.

The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences

Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van.

One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town.

The 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it. They should all be sent back to where they've come from. If they came in a small boat from France then they should be sent back to France.

'It's absolutely outrageous that we have to pay for them - the food, their accommodation, their phones, everything.

'How is it that our children can't walk home from school without being attacked?'

A mother-of-three added: 'This is not about being racist, it's about protecting our children. There are a load of schools near here and there are all these single men here in the hotel and no one knows who they are.

Essex Police were out in force in Epping tonight as hundreds of angry residents took to the streetsto voice their anger after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual offences

A protestor is blocked by police as a counter-protest continues in the background, with people holding signs saying 'Refugees welcome, stop the far-right'

Protestors gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, which has reportedly been used to house migrants for the last five years

Hundreds of furious Essex residents took to the streets to voice their anger following the arrest of a migrant on sex assault charges against school girls

One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town

Well-dressed mothers and retired businessmen and women joined dozens of bald tattooed middle aged men to call for the closure of the Bell Hotel as refugee accommodation

One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel

'They've not been screened, or checked or anything.'

One man held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'.

Youths wearing face masks, caps and sunglasses surged through bushes at the side of the road to try to confront their opponents.

Police were forced to push some of the anti-migrant protesters back.

But some managed to break through police lines and grabbed the anti-racism placards and threw them back at their opponents.

Meanwhile a middle aged man with a Union flag draped over his shoulders and a black trilby hat joined the crowd with a loud speaker playing ska music classics.

Police were forced to create a protective ring around the 50 or so anti-racism demonstrators as they became surrounded by protesters at the entrance to Epping town centre.

Essex Police then deployed squads of riot officers as protesters urged the demonstrators to 'f*** off out of Epping' and accused them of protecting 'paedos'.

The man waved at passersby with the Union Jack draped over his shoulders

Beyond Union Jacks - others held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'

Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van

A 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it'

The anti-racism group were pelted by occasional bottles, cans and eggs hurled by the anti-migrant protesters.

Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'I am sure those living in Epping have concerns following tonight. I share those concerns.

'We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex.

'Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started. This was crime.

'Our detectives are already working through the footage of this evening  from our officers bodyworn camera, from our drones and from social media  and where offences are identified we will take action.

'People attended the earlier protest and did so peacefully, lawfully and responsibly. I'd like to thank them for expressing their views this way given the strength of feeling locally.

'The details of the ongoing sexual assault case can be found on our website, and I reiterate the importance for respect for the court process to prevent the release of any prejudicial information in relation to that case.'

On Friday afternoon, a security guard remained on site at the Bell Hotel, opening the gate in the fencing and the door of the hotel to let people in and out.

Fencing has since been put up to surround the hotel, accompanied with no entry signs. There are also warnings forbidding photography and filming in the vicinity of the hotel.

Broken glass and remnants of flares remain on the ground from the incident.

ACC Hooper believes that, although there are polarised views in Epping surrounding the hotel holding asylum seekers, a lot of those responsible for the violence came from further afield.

Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu today appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolgirl and inciting her to engage in sex (file image)

He said: 'We actually saw last night we believe outsiders from our communities. People have come from outside their local areas into Epping to commit acts of violence and damage.

'That was really disappointing to see, because we know our communities wanted a voice and wanted to tell us what was going on, and they were peaceful in their activity.

'I've seen some of the social media comments and spoken to a number of members of the community, and there are polarised views.

'But it's our role as police to be independent and to, without fear or favour, make sure that people have the right to peaceful protest.

'What I won't stand for is those mindless acts of vandalism and violence that we saw and making sure that we are very robust in supporting our communities.

'Our communities don't want to see this violence, and they want to have their voice heard peacefully.'

On Sunday night, rival groups of anti-migrant demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off outside the hotel.

Two people, who worked as security guards at the hotel, were left bloodied and injured on July 13 after being attacked at a bus stop.

Police said the two victims then managed to make their way past the protest site into the hotel, where there was a significant policing presence, to get help.

A second incident took place on Tuesday July 15 with a man shouting racial abuse directed at the hotel, before later causing damage to the property.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and criminal damage, although he was later released on bail.
The death of daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner this week has left thousands of fans shocked.

Although the extreme athlete had survived feats that included jumping from the edge of space, he died while paragliding in Italy, with investigators believing he suffered a cardiac arrest.

But Baumgartner is far from the first thrill-seeker to meet their end while doing what they love.

Franz Reichelt

Inventor Franz Reichelt died in 1912 when he jumped off the Eiffel Tower in the misguided belief that his homemade parachute would work.

Although he was a tailor by trade, Reichelt's real passion lay in inventing.

At the time, in the early 20th century, aeroplanes were in their infancy, and Reichelt was keen to develop a wearable parachute for when they went wrong.

He set about tailoring a special suit made from silk and rubber. He theorised that a falling person could open their arms to create wings that would slow their descent.

Although he was a tailor by trade, Franz Reichelt's real passion lay in inventing. At the time, in the early 20th century, aeroplanes were in their infancy, and Reichelt was keen to develop a wearable parachute for when they went wrong

His first attempts, using dummies, were successful. However, when he refined the previously bulky design, the dummies crashed to earth.

The Daily Mail's report of the tragedy

When Reichelt tested the suit himself by dropping more than 30 feet, he needed piles of straw to break his fall and save his life.

However, the inventor believed that, if the drop was higher, the suit would work.

In 1912, he was given permission to test the suit from Paris's Eiffel Tower.

Although friends tried to convince him not to carry out the feat, Reichelt pressed on.

Cameras were there to ensure that Reichelt's feat would be recorded forever.

He was seen perching on a chair for several moments before he stepped over the fence on the first level of the tower and falling to his fate.

Rather than the suit working as he believed it would, Reichelt dropped like a stone in a flurry of fabric.

The inventor was killed instantly.

Reichelt died in 1912 when he jumped off the Eiffel Tower in the misguided belief that his homemade parachute would work

A depiction of Reichelt falling to his death from the Eiffel Tower after his homemade parachute failed to work

Karl Wallenda

When he met his end in March 1978, Karl Wallenda was one of the greatest high wire walkers in the world.

The German-born performer was at the head of a family whose name was synonymous with daredevil stunts.

His children, grandchildren, in-laws and even his wife were dare devils too.

But on the day he passed away, Wallenda was 73 years old, and his age had clearly affected his skills.

The stuntman had been trying to make the 200-foot crossing between the two towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The wire was more than 121feet above the ground. Wallenda had no safety harness, as was his trademark.

Karl Wallenda died while trying to walk across a high wire strung between the two towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 22, 1978

He made it around two thirds of the way across before losing his balance and plummeting to the ground.

Wallenda had hung on to the wire for a few seconds after stumbling.

But rescue or recovery was impossible. He let go and plunged to his death.

Less than two years before his death, Wallenda had successfully performed a daring tightrope walk 100ft above the River Thames near Tower Bridge in London.

Like on his last, fateful walk, he had no safety harness. The performer stumbled twice but completed the stunt unscathed.

At one point he even stood on his head on the wire. Waiting for him at the end were two Martinis.

'Why do I do it? For the excitement, the admiration, of course,' he said afterwards.

'It was bad out there. The wire was like a piece of rubber. And the wind, the wind was bad.'

In 1970, Wallenda had walked 1,000 feet along a cable across the 700ft deep Tallulah Gorge in Georgia.

Wallenda had hung on to the wire for a few seconds after stumbling. But rescue or recovery was impossible. He let go and plunged to his death

The Daily Mail covered Wallenda's death at the time

Less than two years before his death, Wallenda had successfully performed a daring tightrope walk 100ft above the River Thames near Tower Bridge in London

Waiting for him at the end of his successful walk above the Thames were two Martinis

Todd Green

Todd Green was, like his father, an esteemed stuntman.

But in 2011, he plunged 200feet to his death when his air show wing walk stunt went disastrously wrong.

The performer had planned to climb out of the plane he was flying in and get into a helicopter that was directly above him.

Spectators at the air show in Selfridge, near Detroit in the US state of Michigan were watching excitedly on the ground.

But as he reached for the helicopter's metal landing skid, Green slipped.

Horrified onlookers watched as he plunged to the ground and was killed.

Some spectators thought that the father-of-two's fall was part of the stunt, but the arrival of an ambulance quickly indicated that there had been a serious accident.

Todd Green was, like his father, an esteemed stuntman. But in 2011, he plunged 200feet to his death when his air show wing walk stunt when disastrously wrong

Donald Campbell

Donald Campbell was the handsome, charismatic, British record breaker.

In 1964, he had set both the world land speed record and the world water speed record.

Those feats came after he had blazed a trail with a series of increasingly faster runs in his Bluebird hydroplane.

On January 4, 1967, he was looking to again break the world water speed record on Coniston Water in the Lake District.

But he died during the attempt to top the 300mph barrier when the boat flipped.

The wreck and Campbell's body were salvaged in 2001.

There was then a dispute between Campbell's family - who wanted to hand the craft to a museum - and engineer Bill Smith, who wanted to restore it.

It was eventually agreed that the boat would be given to the Ruskin Museum in Coniston.

Donald Campbell was the handsome, charismatic, British record breaker

On January 4, 1967, he was looking to again break the world water speed record on Coniston Water in the Lake District. But he died during the attempt to top the 300mph barrier when the boat flipped

Bobby Leach

In 1911, Englishman Bobby Leach decided to find fame by going over the terrifying Niagara Falls in a specially constructed barrel.

Incredibly, he survived the feat but spent nearly six months in hospital recovering from broken kneecaps and ribs.

After recovering, he made money from his plunge by selling postcards and going on world tours.

It was while he was on tour in New Zealand in 1926 that the daredevil's luck ran out.

While walking in the street, he slipped on a piece of orange peel and broke his leg.

Complications from the break forced doctors to amputate his leg. Infection set in and Leach died.

In 1911, Englishman Bobby Leach decided to find fame by going over the terrifying Niagara Falls in a specially constructed barrel
One of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Naples in decades has rocked the Italian city and surrounding region 'like a bomb', sending people running into the streets.

Local residents reported hearing a 'roar' and feeling a 'strong tremor' as the 4.6-magnitude quake struck at around 9.15am.

The epicentre of the earthquake was just off the coast of the highly active Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic caldera west of the city, at a depth of 1.5 miles.

Multiple people living nearby in the seaside town of Bagnoli said it 'seemed like a bomb' had gone off when the quake hit.

It measured the same magnitude as an earthquake recorded in the region on March 13, the strongest to hit the region in 40 years.

'We rocked a lot... I'm still shaking,' one woman, living in the Vomero district of the city, told La Repubblica.

Another local, who lives in the western Fuorigrotta suburb, described the experience as 'terrifying'.

Rail traffic has been temporarily suspended in the city, which is home to more than 900,000 people.

A powerful earthquake has rocked the Italian city of Naples and the surrounding region. File image shows the city with Mount Vesuvius in the background

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No injuries or significant damage have been reported so far, with emergency services assessing he situation in various municipalities this morning.

The tremors are part of a seismic swarm, with observers detecting a dozen since just before 9 o'clock this morning and warning that more events cannot be ruled out.

The Vesuvius Observatory also recorded a series of small earthquakes overnight, each no greater than magnitude-1.

The temblor, of the same magnitude as one that occurred in March and May 2024, was the strongest since the region began scientifically recording quakes some 40 years ago.

The most violent earthquake to hit the southern Italian city in recent times - a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in November 1980 - claimed 2,734 lives.

The devastating quake also injured more than 8,800 people and laid waste to more than 300 municipalities.

The March 13 earthquake which struck the city was initially recorded as being a magnitude of 4.4, but this was later revised to 4.6.

The powerful quake, which struck overnight, lasted about 20 seconds and awoke the entire city and large parts of the surrounding region.

Rubble falls from buildings, crushing a vehicle below, after the powerful quake hit the Naples area early this morning

The powerful quake lasted about 20 seconds and awoke the entire city and large parts of the surrounding region

Rubble is seen on the pavement after falling from the cornices of buildings in the Bagnoli district

Firefighters in the western municipality of Pozzuoli pulled an injured woman from the rubble after the ceiling in her house collapsed.

There was damage to homes and cars as rocks fell from the facades of the city's old buildings.

As with this morning's quake, the epicentre was recorded in the Phlegraean Fields area, beneath which there Europe's largest active volcanic caldera - the hollow left after an eruption.

The Phlegraean Fields is an area of ancient volcanos which is seismically and volcanically active.

Seismologists have said the latest earthquakes in the Phlegraean Fields area are part of a 'bradyseismic crisis' - which sees the earth slowly rise and fall and has been ongoing since 2005.

This happens when magma and gas build up underground, pushing the surface up or letting it sink back down.

Experts say the increase in earthquake activity usually proceeds volcanic eruptions, as underground pressure builds up.

Small quakes can weaken the rock above the volcano's magma chamber, making it easier for magma to push through.
A thug suffered instant karma when he started a fight with a motorist, who turned out to be an experienced Muay Thai boxer.

The man squared up to Peerapat Ngamsilapakorn, who he nearly grazed while allegedly speeding without headlights on in Bangkok last Friday.

Peerapat's terrified girlfriend tried to diffuse tensions as the aggressive man walked up to Peerapat and began insulting him.

Footage shows the thug throwing the first blow at Peerapat, which he blocked with an arm and backed away, before unleashing a flurry of punches at his opponent and knocking him to the ground within seconds.

An enraged Peerapat kicked him several times and put him in a headlock before passers-by intervened.

He then lodged a complaint with the Sai Mai Police Station.

A police spokesman said: 'The complainant said he was heading to the convenience store and had his turn signal on, but the other man on the motorcycle came without headlights and nearly hit him.

'As seen in the clip, the attacker walked over, started cursing, and threw the first punch. The complainant said he retaliated in self-defence.'

A thug suffered instant karma when he started a fight with a motorist, who turned out to be an experienced Muay Thai boxer

Footage shows how the boxer unleashed a flurry of punches on the thug

The man was punched and knocked to the ground, before being kicked several times

Peerapat said his opponent allegedly threatened him not to press charges, and challenged him to a rematch despite being wiped out.

He said: 'I am a very calm person and never pick a fight with anyone. However, when you were being bold and loud to me, how can I yield? Everyone taught me not to concede easily.

'I talked with him politely but he refused to listen. I told him to leave, but he refused to go.

'I could have attacked him first, but it would not have been fair because I know Muay Thai so I let him throw the first punch.

'After that, it happened as is seen in the video. He talked too much and learned a hard lesson.'

Peerapat said that police were tracking down the thug to be questioned over the road rage incident.

The incident unfolded after the man squared up to Peerapat Ngamsilapakorn, who he nearly grazed while allegedly speeding without headlights on in Bangkok last Friday

Peerapat's terrified girlfriend tried to diffuse tensions as the aggressive man walked up to Peerapat and began insulting him

An enraged Peerapat kicked him several times and put him in a headlock before passers-by intervened

Peerapat has lodged a complaint with the local police station following the dramatic incident

Peerapat said his opponent allegedly threatened him not to press charges, and challenged him to a rematch despite being wiped out

It comes after a Muay Thai instructor used his martial arts skills earlier this month to restrain pitbulls after they brutally attacked him earlier this month.

Ernesto Chaves was on a morning run in Ponta Pora, west of Sao Paulo, Brazil, when two dangerous dogs attacked him.

Using his martial arts skills, the 33-year-old managed to dramatically pin the animals down before he was taken to hospital with multiple injuries, including a bite to the leg and a broken finger.

Muay Thai is a martial art that allows fighters to use their feet, fists, shins and elbows, and it is considered to be the national sport of Thailand.
A wooden sledge that holds the key to one of cinema's greatest mystery plots has sold at auction for an eye-watering 11million.

The prop, famously revealed to be 'Rosebud' in the final scene of Citizen Kane, was almost thrown in the bin until it was rescued by Gremlins director Joe Dante in 1984.

Now, four decades later, the sledge has become the second most expensive piece of film memorabilia ever sold.

The $14.75million sale puts it just behind a pair of ruby slippers worn in The Wizard of Oz, which went for $32million (23.9million) in December.

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, said: 'Along with Dorothy's ruby slippers, the Rosebud sledge from Citizen Kane is one of the most iconic objects in Hollywood history.'

The buyer has chosen to remain anonymous.

The sledge is not just any old movie prop - in Orson Welles' groundbreaking 1941 masterpiece, it's the final, haunting image shown burning in a furnace.

Viewers learn that 'Rosebud' was the name on the sledge Kane had as a child, representing his lost innocence and the only time he felt truly happy.

The wooden sledge, at the centre of what many critics say is the greatest film ever made, has sold at auction for an eye-watering 11million

The film, was directed and produced by Orson Welles, who also played the titular character

The scene gives emotional weight to the newspaper tycoon's dying word, which kicks off the entire plot.

Only three Rosebud sledges are known to exist.

One is owned by Steven Spielberg, who donated his to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Another was destroyed during filming.

This particular sledge had not been seen in years until it resurfaced on the lot of the studio once owned by RKO Radio Pictures, the original producers of Citizen Kane.

Dante was directing the sci-fi film Explorers there in 1984 when a crew member cleaning out storage offered it to him.

He told Heritage Auctions: 'I was astonishedSince I am a huge fan of the movie, I said, 'Yeah, I'll be glad to take it.'

He later used the sledge as an Easter egg in several of his films, including Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

He added: 'Citizen Kane may be the greatest film ever made, and Rosebud is the linchpin of the story, the whole heart of the plot and the focal point of the mysterious drama in Kane's life.'

Only three Rosebud sledges are known to exist - one was owned by Steven Spielberg, who donated it to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles

Citizen Kane has topped the list of several tallies looking at the best films ever made

'As a director, to own the prop that represents such a vital element of a cinema treasure is particularly.'

Citizen Kane has topped the list of several tallies looking at the best films ever made.

Alongside Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, it also starred screen legends such as Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, and Agnes Moorehead.
The end of woke policing may be at hand thanks to a landmark High Court judgment which makes police participation in LGBT+ Pride events unlawful.

As a senior police officer, I had been banging that drum for many years.

My professional view had always been that taking part in Pride parades - in the same way that participating in any kind of activist cause whether it be animal rights, Scottish independence or Black Lives Matter - simply does not square with the concept of an impartial police service.

My own experience when raising objections to taking part in Pride events as a senior British Transport Police officer was that I was committing something akin to heresy by refusing to get behind such a crucial social justice movement.

Could I not see the good this will do to forging better links with communities?

In truth, I object neither to Pride parades nor any social justice movement.

My concern was purely on the basis that a supposedly neutral and impartial police service should restrict its activities to policing rather than participating in such events.

Whether dancing in uniform covered in rainbow paint or marching alongside animal rights protesters dressed like beagles, the police have no business participating in these movements.

Officers from Police Scotland at a previous Pride march in Glasgow

This has been a slippery slope for the police service.

Ever since the new breed of chief police officers indoctrinated in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) took the helm, our police officers have not simply been permitted to take part in Pride marches but have been actively encouraged to do so.

There was an expectation that senior police officers in particular would march in full police uniform at annual events.

I, and a small number of senior colleagues, refused to do so for concerns that this was against our oath of impartiality, or without fear or favour.

It clearly crosses the line of perceived neutrality by openly supporting a particular social justice movement in an official capacity.

The High Court ruling sends a strong, clear and long overdue message to Britains chief constables, including Police Scotlands boss, Jo Farrell.

Their indulgence and support for this nonsense must now come to an end.

Not only are the public sick and tired of seeing cops dancing around at marches while many communities experience police station closures, reduced policing visibility and soaring crime rates, but the law has now unequivocally spoken on the matter. It must stop!

While perhaps breathtaking that it has taken a High Court ruling to confirm what for many of us was an obvious position for the police, the ruling will not sit comfortably with those senior officers within the service who have pushed this narrative for so many years.

You can be sure that careers have been made on the back of the progressive narrative, by pushing the DEI agenda.

Many of the highly paid DEI consultants within Police Scotland will now be in crisis mode, sitting in hastily convened meetings scratching their heads and wondering how they can now signal the organisations progressive virtues.

I have no doubt, too, that this ruling will be strongly resisted in some quarters. Policing has bred a generation of social justice activists at all levels of the hierarchy, many of whom will not take well to being told no more marching.

For the most part, the public just want the police to get on with the job of making their communities safe.

This means locking up the bad people and protecting the good people - and discharging the office of constable without fear or favour.

Whilst having cops attend Pride processions may help ease the social conscience of Jo Farrell and other progressive police leaders, it achieves none of policings core objectives of keeping the streets safe.

I, for one, wholeheartedly welcome the judgment.

* Dave Marshall is a former Grampian Police constable and an ex-chief superintendent at the College of Policing and the British Transport Police. He is author of The Fall of Policing, available on Amazon.
A widow who claims The Salt Path author Raynor Winn stole thousands of pounds from her family business has said that it destroyed her late husband's confidence in people.

Ros Hemmings and her daughter Debbie have spoken out about Ms Winn, who worked for their property business in the early 2000s as a bookkeeper.

They claim she stole around 64,000 from the family business.

Ms Winn rose to fame in 2018 after her book The Salt Path became a bestseller - telling the story of a couple who decide to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path after losing their home in following a business deal.

The success of the book led to a film being created, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.

However earlier this month an investigation by The Observer suggested Winn's story about her life in The Salt Path was misleading.

The Observer claimed that Raynor and her husband Moth Winn, real names Sally and Tim Walker, lost their money after failing to pay money they had been accused of stealing from Martin Hemmings, husband of Ros.

In an interview with BBC News, Ms Hemmings said she was speaking out to give a voice to her late husband

The Hemmings family with Ros (left) and daughter Debbie (right) with father Martin, who died in 2012

Ros claims The Salt Path author Raynor Winn stole thousands of pounds from her family business

Raynor Winn rose to fame in 2018 after her book The Salt Path became a bestseller

She said: 'I can't forgive her for sort of destroying my husband's confidence in people, because it did.

Mr Hemmings died in 2012, having worked as an estate agent and property surveyor.

Mrs Hemmings became friends with Mr Winn when the pair worked together in the 1990s.

In 2001, Mr Winn mentioned his wife had lost her job as a bookkeeper at a hotel and Mrs Hemmings suggested to her husband to hire Raynor for their business.

However, a year later the couple noticed that they were no longer 'making any money'.

Their daughter Debbie who was 29 at the time, became emotional as she remembered receiving a distressed call from her father as the financial pressure built over a number of years.

'He said: 'I just don't know what's gone wrong, I'm working every hour God gives me and there's no money,'' said Debbie Adams, now 46.

Mr Hemmings visited a bank manager who showed him that between 6,000 and 9,000 was missing. He then went to the police and a local solicitor.

Ms Winn then visited them at their home with a cheque for 9,000, allegedly telling them 'it was all the money I have'.

Author Raynor Winn, real name Sally Walker with her husband Tim at a screening of The Salt Path film

Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs starred in a movie adaptation of Sally Walker's book

Mr Hemmings was advised to take the money by police who said it may be all he would be able to get back.

They were also told to check the accounts to see if any more was missing.

Mrs Hemmings said: 'It was a very upsetting thing to do and it took us weeks and weeks, but we found she had taken about 64,000.'

Some weeks later Mrs Hemmings said they recieved a letter from a solicitor in London offering to pay back the money and legal fees totalling around 90,000.

The offer included an agreement not to press criminal charges against Raynor Winn.

Mrs Hemmings said her husband signed the agreement, not wanting to put a mother through a criminal trial.

Mrs Hemmings said: 'The mistake was that we ever employed her, and the biggest mistake my husband made, because obviously I'd recommended her in a way, was that he trusted her.'

'I did not think there was any reason for this aside from the fact that Martin was rubbish at sending out bills.'

The Hemmings claim they agreed not to press charges against Raynor Winn, after agreeing she would pay back the money

The film follows the story of a couple who lose their home and later discover the husband has been diagnosed with a terminal illness as they embark on a year long coastal trek

In a statement following The Observer investigation, Raynor Winn said: 'The dispute with Martin Hemmings, referred to in the Observer by his wife, is not the court case in The Salt Path.

'Nor did it result in us losing our home. Mr Hemmings is not Cooper. Mrs Hemmings is not in the book, nor is she a relative of someone who is.

'I worked for Martin Hemmings in the years before the economic crash of 2008. For me it was a pressured time.

'It was also a time when mistakes were being made in the business. Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry.'

Mrs Hemmings said she had not read The Salt Path, which sold more than two million copies, because she felt it would not reflect her view on why the couple embarked on their walk.

Speaking to the MailOnline from her remote Welsh cottage last week, Debbie said: 'He felt he was ripped off by her, which he was.

'My mum is still angry and frustrated by it as my dad was upset about it.

'He felt really let down by it all.

A copy of "The Salt Path", by Raynor Winn is on display in a book store, in London

'But I don't feel angry any more as I have parked it.

'But I'm not sure my mum has.'

A close friend of her mother Ros Hemmings told MailOnline that she and her late husband were 'saddened and very frustrated' that Winn - real name Sally Walker - had escaped any punishment for her alleged theft.

On the other hand, at least they got the money back, said the friend.

'If things had gone differently, and Walker had not been able to come up with the money then she may have been prosecuted, probably would not have gone to jail and ended up doing community service.

'Then she'd have been repaying their money at some paltry rate such as 5 a week for the rest of her life.

'So although it wasn't a perfect solution, it was probably better than the alternative.'
A school which stopped a 12-year-old girl from wearing a Union Jack dress to its culture day has had to close early for the summer after staff received threats and 'extremist abuse'.

Bilton School in Rugby in Warwickshire said it has closed today 'in the interests of student and staff safety' following threats.

It comes after Courtney Wright was stopped at the gates and told to change because the patriotic outfit was 'unacceptable'.

She was made to sit in the school's reception all morning until her father could come and collect her.

Now the school has told parents it is closing earlier than normal for the summer holidays in a letter sent on Thursday, citing 'extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems'.

'The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days, including personal threats to our staff,' the letter continued. Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust and headteacher Jayne Delves said staff had been threatened.

The letter said: 'The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days including personal threats to staff.'

It continued: 'While we have been working closely with our multi-agency partners to address the situation, our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff.

'This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the disruption this may cause to your families and your child's education, but the safety of our school community must come first.'

The letter ended by thanking parents and guardians for their understanding and continued support during a 'very challenging time'.

Courtney Wright poses for a photo showing her costume after being made to leave school on culture day

She was hauled out of lessons and made to sit in reception until her father Stuart Field (pictured) collected her

Bilton School in Rugby has now been forced to close early for the summer after receiving threats

'Straight A' student Courtney Wright, 12, wore the Spice Girls inspired dress and wrote a speech about history and traditions as part of the celebrations on Friday.

Courtney, was stopped at the school gates by a member of staff and ordered to change after picking it out for Culture Celebration Day.

Courtney's father Stuart Field, 47, said he was 'gobsmacked' to learn his daughter had been segregated from her peers due to her choice of attire.

Mr Field, who works in marine restoration, said: 'Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn't understand what she'd done wrong.

'She should not be made to feel embarrassed about being British. And she shouldn't be punished for celebrating British culture and history; nobody else I've spoken to can quite get their heads around it.'

'Another with a St George's flag and another with a Welsh flag were not allowed in either. It was ridiculous. It just seemed anything that was remotely British wasn't allowed.'

Courtney said after the ordeal: 'I felt really embarrassed. I wad made to sit in reception all day. All my friends were getting angry at why the teachers were doing that because my dress was wonderful.'

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appeared to support Courtney's choice of dress after his spokesperson said he had always been 'clear that being British is something to be celebrated'.

A letter sent to parents by Ranjit Samra, CEO of the Academy Trust announced the school would be closing early

Courtney's speech for Culture Day

Today I want to talk about my culture - British culture - and why it's important to me. In Britain, we have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love for talking about the weather and we have the royal family. We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles, and writers like Shakespeare. It's also modern, diverse and always changing - with music fashion and food from all around the world blending into daily life. And let's not forget fish and chips! Its also the way we speak, our humour, our values of fairness and politeness, and the mix of old traditions and new ideas. But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures - which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. But it can feel like being British doesn't count as a culture, just because it's the majority. I think culture should be for everyone - not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too.. It's part of who I am. So let's celebrate all cultures - whether they come from far away or right here at home. Advertisement

The PM's official spokesperson added: 'You can see that from everything this government has done. We are a tolerant, diverse, open country, proud of being British.'

Mr Field previously told MailOnline: 'The day was to celebrate everyone's cultures and Courtney chose this Union Flag dress so she could celebrate hers.

'She also wrote this speech to go with it and was very proud of what she'd done.

'The next thing I get a call at work at around 9am to say she's not allowed in school dressed like that and that it was unacceptable.'

He added: 'I wasn't able to get away from work until about midday. They made her sit in reception all morning in front of the receptionists and kept her in isolation.

'She's a straight A student, one of the brightest in her year and she's never been in trouble before so she was really upset.

'All the kids there are British in my eyes, I like to think I'm a tolerant person but this was just not right.

'I wanted an answer as to why they thought this was acceptable - and nobody could give me a straight answer, I wanted to know how they had justified it.

'I spoke to her head of year, and he said he wasn't the best person to talk to about it, so I can only assume he didn't really agree with it either.

'It obviously came from above him but I don't know for sure who made the decision.

'I was fobbed off and told that I'd get a phone call and I took Courtney straight out for a nice meal to cheer her up.

'If anything I was extremely proud of what she chosen and what she had written in her speech.

A spokesman for Stowe Valley Trust said: 'At Bilton School, we are proud of the diversity of our students and the rich heritage they bring to our community. We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included.

'On Friday 11th July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community. We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies.

'We have since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better. We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage.

'As a school, we are reviewing our policies and strengthening staff training to ensure our practices reflect our values of inclusion, respect, and understanding for all.'
The Coldplay fan who was filming when a tech firm CEO was broadcast to a stadium of people with his arm around his HR chief has spoken out about the moment - to take a cheeky swipe at the couple.

Grace Springer, 28, was recording from the crowd when Andrew Byron and Kirstin Cabot appeared on the big screen together at Boston's Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.

The couple recoiled, with Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Cabot covering her face and turning away from the camera.

Coldplay's Chris Martin poked at the couple on the kiss cam, jokingly speculating: 'Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy.'

Grace, from New Jersey, went on to share the drama on TikTok, before it very rapidly grew into a viral sensation.

She told the U.S. Sun she had no idea who they were, but but thought it was an 'interesting reaction' to the kiss cam.

'A part of me feels bad for turning these peoples lives upside down, but, play stupid games win stupid prizes,' she told the outlet.

The video been seen tens of millions of times in the last three days.

Fans erupted after the CEO of a billion-dollar company was caught cozying up to a female colleague on a Coldplay concert kiss cam

The couple were seen covering their faces, with Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Cabot turning away from the camera

Grace Springer, 28, was recording from the crowd when Andrew Byron and Kirstin Cabot appeared on the big screen

Springer said there was 'a lot of talk' about the kiss cam at the show, but 'no one knew who they were'.

It has since emerged that the company the pair work for provides generative AI software to a number of major companies including Uber, Ford and LinkedIn.

Byron heaped praise on Cabot in a November 2024 post about her appointment to the firm.

'Kristins exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,' he said in a press release.

'She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Byron, Cabot and Astronomer for comment.

Byron became CEO of Astronomer in 2023, and the startup rapidly grew under his tenure including a reported 292% growth in revenue for its 'Astro' platform that year.

Before working at Astronomer, he worked at cybersecurity tech company Cybereason.

As the frontman panned his 'kiss cam' around the crowd at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday, the pair looked horrified to be seen by thousands on the big screen

Chris Martin was performing with Coldplay in Boston on Tuesday

Andy Byron (left) and Kirstin Cabot (right)

A 2018 report on the company included claims from staff that the appointment of Byron as chief revenue officer a year prior had 'quickly caused turmoil'.

Multiple former employees said Byron would lash out against staff who disagreed with him.

'You couldn't challenge him,' one told The Information, a tech industry outlet.

Another employee said where people once 'loved' the company, 'now they hate it'.

In the article, Byron denied having contentious dealings with staff, recognising that 'difficult decisions' may have 'disappointed some individuals'.

Coldplay was performing at the ongoing Music Of The Spheres World Tour on Tuesday night.

They will next play Madison, Nashville and Miami before heading back to the UK for a string of dates in August and September.
A Russian tourist is fighting for her life after she was dragged from her tent and mauled by a wild bear.

Natalya K, 43, was sleeping while on an adventure tour in Kamchatka in eastern Russia when the beast climbed into her tent and attacked her.

The tourist suffered 'deep wounds' after the bear tore her scalp and sank its teeth into her back.

Her screams alerted other campers who eventually scared the brown bear away.

A medic treated the woman at the scene of the attack before she was rushed to hospital for immediate surgery.

Natalya, from the Russian city Saratov, was also injected with vaccines against rabies and tetanus.

She remains in intensive care and is in serious condition.

The regional prosecutor's office released a video from the campsite near the 7,618 ft-high active Mutnovsky volcano where the woman was mauled.

Russian tourist Natalya K is fighting for her life after she was dragged from her tent and mauled by a wild bear in eastern Russia

Footage released by police showed Natalya's torn up tent scattered on the ground

The Russian peninsula of Kamchatka is home to an estimated 20,000 bears

A torn tent and belongings can be seen scattered on the ground.

The Russian peninsula of Kamchatka is home to an estimated 20,000 bears.

The vicious attack on a tourist comes after a motorcyclist was mauled to death by a bear in Romania earlier this month after posing for a selfie with its cub.

Italian tourist Omar Farang Zin, 49, was riding on his motorbike along the Carpathian Mountains in the central region of Arges when a vicious bear attacked him and dragged his body down a ravine.

Police and emergency services said in a joint statement that tourists had alerted them to yesterday's attack, and after an hour of searching for him, they found Omar's lifeless body.

Just a day before the tragic incident, the motorcyclist had posted a series of pictures on Facebook of a large bear which appears to be stood extremely close to Omar.

The tourist is remains in intensive care and is said to be in serious condition

He also shared a selfie posing with a bear cub, in which he can be seen smiling, blissfully unaware of his tragic fate.

A separate video taken by Omar shows him riding his motorcycle as he drives past a bear perched on the side of the road.

'Here's the bear!', he can be heard saying. 'How beautiful. It's coming towards me'.

Romanian authorities later confirmed that the bear had been put down.

Omar, a travel-enthusiast, had been working for Milan Malpensa airport just before his death, according to Italian media.
Nigel Farage vowed to give Labour 'a real shock' after it announced plans to lower the voting age to 16 - but it could help keep him out of power.

Sir Keir Starmer yesterday unveiled controversial plans to widening the franchise and bring national elections in line with those for the Scottish and Welsh assemblies.

But the move, a manifesto pledge from the party, has been criticised because a large proportion of young voters support Labour.

MailOnline's own analysis of the 2024 election result suggests Labour could have won up to nine extra seats if 16 and 17-year-olds had been allowed to vote.

Last night Mr Farage said: 'It's an attempt to rig the political system, but we intend to give them a nasty surprise.'

But while Mr Farage's Reform UK is comfortably ahead in national polls of all eligible voters aged 18 and over currently, it's popularity is much lower among Gen Z.

Analysis by pollsters More in Common gives Labour (31 per cent) a five-point lead among voters aged 18 to 26, with the Greens (26 per cent) second and Reform a distant third on 14 per cent.

Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common said: 'Given young voters tend to lean to the left, we should expect the Greens and Labour to be the bigger winners of extending the vote to 16 and 17 year olds, with Reform doing well among young men, and the Tories the big losers.

Last night Mr Farage said: 'It's an attempt to rig the political system, but we intend to give them a nasty surprise.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

MailOnline's own analysis of the 2024 election result suggests Labour could have won up to nine extra seats if 16 and 17-year-olds had been allowed to vote.

'But 16-17 year old voters would only make up a small proportion of the electorate, so are unlikely to shift the dial politically at a national level. That said in a fragmented political landscape, even small changes can have big effects locally.'

Using Government statistics, MailOnline calculated how many teens within that age bracket lived in each of England's 543 constituencies.

Turn-out figures from the 2024 election were used to estimate the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds who might vote, based on voting intention polls collated by Merlin Strategy.

Under that scenario, Labour would have secured an extra 260,000 votes and nine seats  taking six from the Tories and one from Reform. Two of Jeremy Corbyn's Independent MPs would have been stopped from getting in, too.

Meanwhile Angela Rayner faced embarrassment last night after she wrongly claimed that young people can marry at 16 as she tried to justify lowering the voting age.

The Deputy Prime Minister accused the Conservatives of 'running scared' from young people, who she said deserved a 'stake in the future'. Writing in The Times, Ms Rayner said young people 'contribute to society' and that she herself had faced 'serious responsibilities' as a teenage mother.

She added: 'By law [16-yearolds] can get married and serve in the Armed Forces - but, unlike their peers in Scotland and Wales, in England and Northern Ireland they can't vote. Why not?'

The Times later removed this reference from the article, and a note was added, saying: 'In an earlier version, Angela Rayner incorrectly suggested that 16-year-olds can get married in England. The minimum age was raised to 18 in 2023.'

The elections watchdog warned of a risk of voter fraud last night over Labour plans to allow the public to use bank cards to prove their identity at polling stations.

Existing laws require people to show photographic ID such as a passport or driving licence at the polling station before they can vote.

But Labour's plan would make the system more 'accessible' by allowing people to use a bank card as proof of identity, even though it would not allow polling station staff to confirm a voter's likeness against a photograph.

The Electoral Commission, which oversees Britain's voting system, last night said using bank cards 'has risks for security and voter trust'. Tory spokesman Paul Holmes also warned switching to non-photographic ID could 'undermine the security of the ballot box'.
The DOJ is asking for years-old evidence to be made public amid MAGA fury

Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a pair of motions on Friday to release highly-secretive grand jury testimony from the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The move came after nearly two full weeks of President Donald Trump's MAGA base demanded the administration make public all details of the investigation into the disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender.

'This Court should conclude that the Epstein and Maxwell cases qualify as a matter of public interest, release the associated grand jury transcripts, and lift any preexisting protective orders,' wrote Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in the Friday evening filings.

The DOJ also filed a motion in the case against Epstein's longtime associate and friend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving her sex trafficking sentence while also appealing her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump finally gave into the pressure on Thursday night when he instructed Bondi to make more materials public.

'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' he wrote on his Truth Social account.

Bondi started that process on Friday by filing with the Southern District of New York to unseal the highly-secretive grand jury court documents in the case.

Although the filing is submitted it doesn't mean the documents are coming anytime soon.

The grand jury information is only a part of the evidence that makes up the so-called Epstein files.

Trump's vow to unseal more information came after the Wall Street Journal published a 50th birthday card it said he allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003.

Attorney General Pam Bondi at the direction of President Donald Trump filed with the Souther District of New York on Friday, July 18, to unseal grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein case

The president denies he wrote the letter and threatened to sue the publication.

The direction to unseal files came the same day that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that Trump had no interest in appointing a special counsel to review the investigation.

In Friday's filing there are no requests to unseal the search warrants, which are also at the center of the case, or any other documents that might yield more substantive details of the investigation.

DOJ insiders tell the Daily Mail that believe that the search warrants are a key to the case and could provide insight into why more evidence was not initially seized and why some evidence Americans are looking for may no longer exist.

Trump's order to Bondi on Thursday suggests that his attorney general was not already authorized to ask the court to unseal the grand jury materials.

If done from the jump, the process could have been in motion months ago rather than just starting.

What it really means is that Americans may have to wait months or even years to get more answers  if they get them at all.

The unsealing of grand jury testimony presents a lot of obstacles and is perhaps one of the more difficult pieces of information to unseal in a case considering stringent secrecy rules that many courts are hesitant to lift.

The instruction to Bondi comes after the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Trump sent a birthday card to Epstein in 2003 that included a hand-drawn images of the outline of a naked women. Trump socialized with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell (right) in the 1980s and 1990s

Trump instructed Thursday, July 17 that Bondi unseal grand jury testimony in the Epstein case

The WSJ reported on Thursday that Trump's alleged birthday card to Epstein in 2003 featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman along with a signature 'Donald.'

The typewritten message read: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret.'

Trump is threatening a lawsuit against the newspaper and its owner Rupert Murdoch.

'The Wall Street Journal printed a fake letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk,' Trump posted to Truth Social. 'Also, I don't draw pictures.'

Trump said he told Murdoch the letter was a 'scam,' but that he printed the story anyway.

'I'm going to sue his a** off,' the president wrote.

It appears Trump is now fed up with the continued narrative around Epstein and the untiring demand  even from his base  for more to be released.

Earlier this month, the president repeatedly pleaded with his supporters to stop focusing on what he now calls the 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax.'

He posted on Truth Social multiple times claiming the claims of a 'client list' and other conspiracies surrounding Epstein were made up by Democrats to stoke division in MAGA world.
The 'loveliest' couple were 'killed by a petrol bomb in an arson attack on their home', as murder detectives have insisted they are now 'determined' to catch their killers.

Following reports of a house fire, emergency services were called to the scene on South John Street in St Helens at around 12.40am on Tuesday, July 15.

The end-terrace home was ablaze when firefighters arrived in the hopes of rescuing the pair who were then rushed to hospital.

Tragically, Peter Eric Greener, 77, died on Wednesday, July 16, and his 83-year-old partner Sheila Jackson died in the early hours of Thursday, July 17, in what police have described as an 'absolutely sickening' suspected arson attack.

Now, the 'lovely couple', who had been together for 30 years, have been pictured for the first time, as an 'incredibly close-knit community' struggle to come to terms with their sudden deaths.

Meanwhile, detectives are believed to be investigating whether it could have been a possible petrol bomb attack.

Describing how locals have been left 'in shock' by the blaze, Chris, a father and nearby resident, said that both Mr Greener and Ms Jackson would be remembered as 'lovely, lovely people' who 'kept themselves to themselves'.

He added: 'They had both spent time in hospital over recent months and were quite frail.

Peter Eric Greener, 77, his 83-year-old partner Sheila Jackson (both pictured) died after what police have described as an 'absolutely sickening' suspected arson attack in the early hours of Tuesday, July 15 on South John Street in St Helens

The 'lovely couple', who had been together for 30 years, have been pictured for the first time, as an 'incredibly close-knit community' struggle to come to terms with their sudden deaths. Detectives are believed to be investigating whether it was a possible petrol bomb attack

Following reports of a house fire, emergency services were called to the scene on South John Street in St Helens at around 12.40am on Tuesday, July 15. The end-terrace home was ablaze when firefighters arrived in the hopes of rescuing the pair who were then rushed to hospital

'I just have no idea why anyone would do this. There have never been any issues at their home prior to this.

'This is an incredibly close-knit community and we are all in shock. We are supporting the police and hope to see justice done.'

Meanwhile, another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said that members of the community had been left feeling 'raw' and were 'all gutted' by the tragic incident.

The couple, who were parents and grandparents, had been living in the property for 15 years prior to their death.

Detectives leading the murder inquiry visited the scene of the blaze on Friday, where residents and friends had laid flowers and left commemorative messages.

One heartbreaking message that accompanied a bunch of roses read: 'There are no words to express the sadness that we feel that this senseless act has happened to two of the loveliest people that we had the pleasure of knowing.

'May you both rest in peace together.

'With all of our love from your neighbours and friends.'

The couple, who were parents and grandparents, had been living in the property for 15 years prior to their death. Chris, a father and nearby resident, said that both Mr Greener (pictured) and Ms Jackson would be remembered as 'lovely, lovely people' who 'kept themselves to themselves'

Detective chief inspector Steve McGrath, who is leading the investigation, described the attack as 'absolutely sickening', adding that officers were 'determined to find the person or people responsible'. Pictured: Ms Jackson

Meanwhile, in another tear-jerking message, one close friend described how they 'will cherish our memories'.

They added: 'You will always be in my heart and thoughts.'

Merseyside Police, who conducted a joint investigation with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, previously found that an accelerant was used to start the fire maliciously.

Neighbours previously explained how the door was ablaze, preventing fire crews from initially rescuing the couple.

Gavin Thelwell, who lives on the same terrace, said: 'When I came out of my house, there were fire engines that had already arrived, but the front door was on fire, which was stopping the firefighters from getting inside.

'They had to put that out before they managed to get them out of the house.'

He continued: 'I feel so sorry for them; they're good people. I chat with them all the time. He's usually walking down with his walking frame to go to the pub, and he'll stop halfway by the street sign to have a break.

'They were always really nice; I just can't believe this has happened. It's so bad.'

Detective chief inspector Steve McGrath, who is leading the investigation, described the attack as 'absolutely sickening', adding that officers were 'determined to find the person or people responsible'.

Merseyside Police, who conducted a joint investigation with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, previously found that an accelerant was used to start the fire maliciously. Neighbours explained how the door was ablaze, preventing fire crews from initially rescuing the couple

They added: 'Firstly, I want to express my condolences to the family of Mr Greener and Ms Jackson as this tragic time and we have specialist officers in place to support them.

'This is a truly shocking incident and I'm sure that the community and everyone in Merseyside will be utterly appalled at what has happened.

'It's difficult to comprehend how someone could deliberately start a fire while two elderly people are inside the home.'

While police have stressed that they are 'still in the early stages of the investigation', part of their initial inquiries are set to 'establish why the fire was started at their house'.

Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson added: 'It is early stages in the investigation to establish a motive.

'There are lots of questions about what exactly the reason is [for the house being set on fire] and to say why this has happened.

'Neighbours knew them as a lovely couple. We've gone house to house and neighbours say they were very well known and had been there a long time.'

Any individuals with information related to the fire are being asked to make contact with the police, particularly those who 'live in the area of South John Street and recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious at around the time of the incident'.

While police have stressed that they are 'still in the early stages of the investigation', part of their initial inquiries are set to 'establish why the fire was started at their house'. They described the incident as 'truly shocking'

DCI McGrath added: 'If you live in this community and saw or heard something suspicious at any point during this evening, please let us know as a matter of urgency.

'Also, if you have CCTV or a smart doorbell, take the time to review any footage you have to see if you captured anything that could prove to be significant. Even if it appears to be a small detail, it could end up being vital to our inquiries.

'I would also ask that any drivers who have dashcam footage and were in the area of South John Street and Parr Street between midnight and 1am to contact us if you have captured anything significant.'

Any individuals with information are being asked to visit Merseyside Police's dedicated web page to submit information or footage, or call 111 quoting incident reference 25000580909.

Alternatively, they can make contact with independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
An American Idol executive and her husband lay dead for four days before they were found...and police may have been outside their home while their killer was still inside.

Robin Kaye, a longtime supervisor behind the hit show, and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, were killed in their $5 million Los Angeles mansion on July 10, four days before their bodies were discovered.

In a shock revelation in a newly filed felony complaint in the Superior Court of Los Angeles, it was said that police had been called to the mansion on July 10 to respond to reports of a burglary from an unidentified eyewitness.

Officers arrived at the couple's home, a high-security property with an 8-foot spiked wall and surveillance cameras, after two people reported a man jumping the fence.

Cops circled the perimeter and had a helicopter swoop over the property, but were unable to gain access via the ground and saw nothing untoward from the air.

But police sources have now told People that suspect Raymond Boodarian, 22, may have been inside the property at that very moment, close to the bodies of the eldery couple he's now accused of murdering.

While cops were unable to access the property during the callout, Boodarian is believed to have entered through a single unlocked door while his alleged victims were out grocery shopping.

It is unclear if he pulled the door shut behind him, but he is then said to have lain in wait inside until they returned.

In the couple's haunting final moments, investigators said they engaged the intruder and struggled with him before ultimately being shot dead in separate rooms.

Robin Kaye (left), an award-winning music supervisor for the hit show American Idol, and her husband Thomas Deluca (right), both 70, were discovered brutally shot to death at their home in Encino on July 14 around 2.33pm. Cops now believe they died four days earlier

The American Idol executive and her husband, found murdered inside their $5 million California mansion (pictured), struggled with the intruder after discovering him inside their home - just moments before they were fatally shot in the head, police revealed

Four days after the murders, a concerned family member requested a police welfare check on being able to get hold of Kaye or Deluca.

When authorities checked on the home, they say they found a trail of blood leading to the front of the property.

Paramedics were forced to enter through a shattered glass sliding door at the back of the home, because the front door was locked.

Police sources reportedly said that the intruder locked the front door after the shooting.

Kaye was found in the pantry of their home and Deluca was found in the bathroom, and both suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Boodarian was arrested on July 15 and charged with murdering the couple two days later, and also faces burglary charges.

He was linked to the murders through a fingerprint found at the crime scene, which was found to be a match to his past arrests, alongside reported security footage.

According to court records, Boodarian owns a rap sheet that includes charges of battery, threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize, and exhibiting a deadly weapon.

Police said the suspect entered the couple's home through an unlocked door after scaling a fence, according to cited surveillance footage (pictured: Kaye on far right)

Police arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian, who has not been pictured, on Tuesday, confirming he had been inside the couple's home (pictured) for approximately 30 minutes before they unexpectedly returned

The alleged killer is eligible for the death penalty as the shock killings involve multiple special circumstances required for prosecutors to seek it, including multiple victims and murder during a burglary.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has not yet said if it will seek the death penalty.

Police also found a handgun in the suspects home, which they believe may have been used in the killings, according to ABC7.

'We believe its the murder weapon, but pending forensic analysis we're not ready to say so yet,' LAPD Lt. Golan said, according to the outlet.

Boodarian allegedly shot the couple dead during a burglary gone wrong, with investigators now looking into whether he'd been alerted to the couple's wealth during a previous trip to the property.

One of his neighbors, who did not want to be named, said they would occasionally see Boodarian roaming the complex where he lived, 'looking really, really disturbed.'

The neighbor also said she could often see when Boodarian's lights were on in his bedroom because of a shared wall. She eerily described how he would sometimes have an 'episode' and appear 'ready to break the walls.'

She claimed that on at least one occasion, he had to be strapped to a stretcher and removed from the property.

Boodarian allegedly shot the couple dead during a burglary gone wrong, with investigators now keen to see if he'd been alerted to the couple's wealth during a previous trip to the property

Kaye worked as the music supervisor for singing competition American Idol for the last 15 seasons, and won several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show

Kaye's husband Thomas Deluca (pictured) was a musician who last released an album called Street Rock in 2022. His first 'acclaimed cult favorite debut' album. 'Down To The Wire,' was released by Epic Records in 1986

Boodarian was never convicted of the charges of battery, threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize, and exhibiting a deadly weapon because the case was dismissed when he was declared mentally incompetent.

Many questions now surround how Boodarians case was dismissed, with criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro explaining that a significant factor may lie within Californias legal system, according to ABC7.

'There's a separate court, just for people with mental health issues, if they are eligible for that court, they usually get put on a different track,' Shapiro said. 'And for the most part, most people that go on that track do well.'

'But every so often we have a situation like this, where it didn't go the way it should have gone,' he added.

'And very tragically, we have two people who are dead because of it.'

Kaye worked as the music supervisor for singing competition American Idol for the last 15 seasons, or nearly 300 episodes, per her IMDB page.

Over the years, she won several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show.

She also worked for other well-known shows, including Lip Sync Battle, Hollywood Game Night and Worn Stories.

Her husband was a musician who last released an album called Street Rock in 2022. His first 'acclaimed cult favorite debut' album. 'Down To The Wire,' was released by Epic Records in 1986.

Deluca penned songs for popular hit makers, including Kid Rock, the band Molly Hatchet and Meredith Brooks.

The couple purchased the home in January 2023, according to public records. The home was also used a rental property before being sold to the couple, neighbors said.
Britain has today hit back at Russia with the biggest spy sanctions in history to expose the reckless Kremlin operatives at the heart of Vladimir Putins regime.

In an unprecedented package to expose agents operating in the shadows, 18 spies and three military intelligence agency (GRU) units responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on the Russian president's orders have been named.

They include Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev and their GRU unit 26165, who hacked the emails of Yulia Skripal years before poisoning her and her father, former spy Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury.

The Moscow-based pair, who have gone by various aliases and have even pretended to be women, are alleged to have planted the sinister-sounding X-agent malware in 2013, five years before GRU officers failed bid to murder the Skripals with the deadly Novichok nerve agent.

Today, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that Britain is toughening up in the face of Putins hybrid threats and aggression.

The Russian spies named include those involved in the bombing of the Mariupol Theatre in Ukraine, killing hundreds of civilians sheltering there - including children - on March 16, 2022.

The UK has also sanctioned the GRU leaders responsible for cyber attacks on Britain, Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, including hacking the Paris Olympics last year.

The GRU routinely uses cyber and information operations to sow chaos, division and disorder.

Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov is one of 18 spies and three Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) units responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders

Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev has also been named. The Moscow-based pair have gone by various aliases and have even pretended to be women

In Britain, Russia has targeted media outlets, telecoms providers, political and democratic institutions, and energy infrastructure.

In addition to the GRU units and officers, the UK is also sanctioning three leaders of the so-called African Initiative, a social media content mill established by Russia to undermine lifesaving global health initiatives in the region by pushing baseless conspiracy theories to further the Kremlins political agenda.

Today, Mr Lammy said: GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.

The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we wont tolerate it. Thats why were taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies. Protecting the UK from harm is fundamental to this governments Plan for Change.

Putins hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our Allies' support for Ukraine and Europes security is ironclad.

He told the Daily Mail: In the Skripal case, GRU Unit 26165 previously targeted Yulia Skripals email accounts with malware before the attempted murder.

The same unit conducted online reconnaissance on civilian shelters in Mariupol in Ukraine in March 2022  only one day before the Mariupol Theatre was bombed, killing innocent civilians, including children.

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader GRU campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.

That is why today I am sanctioning Russian operatives. These individuals are responsible for cyber and hybrid operations targeting Britain and some of our closest allies.

He added: Europe is toughening up. But these sanctions are not just a signal. They have real bite, restricting the movement and financial access of those responsible for malign GRU activity we will not be cowed by those who seek to do us harm. The GRUs operatives may hide behind screens and shadows, but we see them clearly  and we will act decisively to stop them.
A San Francisco zookeeper who was branded as bad as the imprisoned Tiger King, Joe Exotic, has been axed from her job to the joy of her employees.

Tanya Peterson has announced she will step down from her job as the CEO of the San Francisco Zoo after several scandals and a campaign to oust her from the top spot.

'Leading this zoo has been one of the great honors of my life,' she said in a statement, according to The San Francisco Standard.

'I have been committed to leading the SF Zoo through some of its most transformative and, unfortunately, some of its most challenging moments.'

Peterson has been leading the zoo since 2008 and has weathered several controversies, including concerns over animal and worker safety.

She also lost 20 percent of her staff between 2019 and 2023, including nine managers who had between 10 and 50 years of experience, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Peterson got off to challenging start, stepping into the role fresh off the heels of a death at zoo after a 300-pound Siberian tiger got out of its exhibit on Christmas Day and killed a visitor and injured two others in 2007.

Since then, more animal shave also escaped their cages, endangering zookeepers, and some animals, like a baby gorilla and penguin, have died under Peterson's leadership.

Tanya Peterson has announced she will step down from her job as the CEO of the San Francisco Zoo after a year of scandals and a campaign to oust her from the top spot

She's been compared to Tiger King, Joe Exotic (pictured) due to the number of controversies she has seen during her tenure

Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to freeze the zoo's $4million in city funding until it turns in an audit for its finances, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The board approved the audit last year after the zoo received negative press about mismanagement and animal care and it wanted to see how the establishment was operating.

The the zoo's union, Teamsters 856, also issued a vote of no confidence in Peterson in October.

It was the second one she has received since 2014, when the first was issued due to half finished projects at the zoo.

Ahead of the vote, Peterson let slip about a secret meeting she was about to have with the Chinese Consulate about bringing pandas to San Francisco allegedly in an attempt to leverage her position.

Only two other zoos have pandas: San Diego and the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Peterson allegedly told the Board of Supervisors that if she were to be let go, the zoo might not get the pandas.

When former Mayor London Breed announced it publicly in April, zookeepers had no idea and were worried the zoo didn't have what was needed to care for the pandas.

The pandas are projected to cost the establishment an estimated $25million to accommodate.

The pandas are expected to arrive at the coastal zoo by the end of 2026, and Peterson played a large role in helping Breed get the animals from China.

Peterson has been leading the zoo since 2008 and stepped into her position shortly after a 300-pound Siberian tiger got out of its exhibit on Christmas Day and killed a visitor and two others were injured in 2007

The zoo will have up safety measures before their arrival after a bear almost mauled a zookeeper in May 2022.

The zookeeper was working inside the enclosure and had thought he had locked Kiona up properly, but the door misfunctioned, allowing her to get out and unexpectedly approach him.

When he tried to escape, the bear followed him. He narrowly made it to safety.

In 2014, a baby gorilla was crushed by a door inside her enclosure. The animals were being moved to their nighttime area when Kabibe darted underneath the door as it was closing.

Experts said both instances could have been avoided if the zoo had enacted proper safety measures.

Peterson has also been under siege from lawmakers. Earlier this month, current Mayor Daniel Lurie pushed for her to leave her post.

And now that she's finally out, employees are overjoyed.

'I havent seen this level of positivity and excitement ever,' Stephanie Carpenter, a reptile keeper, told The Los Angeles Times.

Travis Shields, a former carnivore curator, told The Times: 'I dont think [keepers] care who comes next. It cant be any worse unless Joe Exotic comes in - and hes still in prison.'

She didn't tell the Board of Supervisors she had a meeting with the Chinese Consulate about getting pandas to the zoo until they were about to fire her. Now the $25million project hangs in peril

Joe was sentence to 22 years for a murder-for-hire plot to kill his rival Carole Baskin. He is known as the Tiger King for being the eccentric owner of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma.

Now, the $25million panda project might be in peril, as Peterson's departure leaves it hanging in a gray area.

'Theyre holding their breath,' a former manager, who was not identified, told The Times.

The new CEO, who has not been appointed, will have to figure out how to raise the money - something Peterson was very good at, according to employees.

'Shes a good fundraiser, Ill give her that,' an San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioner Larry Mazzola Jr. told The Times.

Lurie and the board will appoint the new executive.

'I look forward to working with the board and the new leadership to improve our zoo,' he said in a statement. He also looks forward to bringing pandas to town.

The zoo told Daily Mail in a statement: 'Tanya Peterson has served with distinction and devotion to the San Francisco Zoo for nearly two decades.

'She wishes the next leader of the zoo the very best success in continuing to provide educational experiences that enlighten, engage and thrill new generations of children and their parents.'

Daily Mail has reached out to Peterson for comment.
A Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Iowa after an 'unruly' passenger attempted to open the emergency exit door.

Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines was diverted to Cedar Rapids at around 6pm on Thursday.

The terrifying XXX came after 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj allegedly tried to open an exit row door mid-air.

The Detroit-bound aircraft was around a third of the way through its flight from Omaha, when the terrifying moment caused the plane's emergency landing.

Fellow passengers and crew members reportedly stopped Nikprelaj, who allegedly got into an altercation with one of the flight attendants, from opening the door.

The aircraft's pilot was heard in communications to the Eastern Iowa Airport tower that a passenger was, 'in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,' WMTW reported.

Footage from a fellow passenger showed Nikprelaj being escorted off the aircraft by law enforcement once the flight had safely landed.

A Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Iowa after an 'unruly' passenger attempted to open the emergency exit door.

Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, made the stop in Cedar Rapids after 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj allegedly tried to open an exit row door mid-air

Footage from a fellow passenger showed Nikprelaj being escorted off the aircraft by law enforcement once the flight had safely landed

'SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior, as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,' the airline said in a statement.

Nikprelaj was booked into Linn County Correctional Center on charges of disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, tax stamp and first-degree harassment.

Further charges are possible pending the Cedar Rapids Police Department's ongoing investigation.

The flight eventually continued its journey at 8.24pm.

The wannabe rapper from Nebraska had a previous brush with the law after he was caught shirtless and barefoot in a stolen snow plow in Michigan.

At 18, Nikprelaj had reportedly got into an argument with his then-girlfriend at around 6.30 in the morning.

Police said he had been in his girlfriend's car when the argument became physical, and she stopped the car where he got out.

He ran to the nearby running snow plow owned by a landscape firm, but didn't realize that the vehicle had in-cab video and a GPS tracker.

'They were moving cars about the lot when he came across it, hopped in and took off,' Shelby Township police Det. Lt. Pat Barnard said, WDIV reported.

Nikprelaj was booked into Linn County Correctional Center on charges of disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, tax stamp and first-degree harassment

The snow plow's owner alerted police to the stolen vehicle and Nikprelaj was taken into custody.

His girlfriend told police that Nikprelaj had assaulted her, the outlet reported.

He was charged with unlawfully driving away in an automobile, domestic violence and a probation violation.

Nikprelaj had reportedly fought with police officers prior to the incident, Shelby Township police said.

The mid-air emergency follows an incident in May after a China Eastern Airline flight descended into chaos when a passenger opened the emergency exit for 'fresh air.'

Footage showed a male passenger pull the emergency handle, deploying the evacuation slide on flight MU5828, which was taxiing on the runway as it arrived in Kunming.

According to witnesses, the man appeared calm, but had told others he opened the door to get a breath of fresh air.
A California woman faked her own abduction by ICE agents as part of a scheme to collect donations on GoFundMe, the Department of Justice said.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, was charged on Thursday with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.

The charges came after family of Calderon  an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles  claimed she was ambushed by armed men in two unmarked trucks at a Jack in the Box parking lot in the downtown LA area.

Family members and attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they said Calderon was brought to San Ysidro, a district of San Diego close to the Mexican border.

Her family alleged that she was then, 'presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer' and, 'presented with voluntary selfdeportation paperwork,' according to officials.

The family's attorney said Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, and was then 'punished' by being held in a warehouse, a report from the US Attorney's Office, Central District of California detailed.

Videos of the press conference show supporters of Calderon holding signs saying, 'our mom is missing,' 'stop the abduction,' and 'where is Yuli?'

Following attention from the media, the family then created a GoFundMe page  which has since been deleted  where they asked for $4,500.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers after allegedly faking her own kidnapping by ICE agents

Family members and attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they said Calderon was brought to San Ysidro  a district of San Diego close to the Mexican border

Following attention from the media, the family then created a GoFundMe page (pictured)  which has since been deleted  where they asked for $4,500

Now, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stepped in to vehemently deny claims that the immigrant mother was abducted.

The DHS launched an investigation into the 'kidnapping,' during which they spent days looking for Calderon and even had ICE agents searching 'detention cell to detention cell,' officials said.

Ultimately, agents said they found Calderon in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield on July 5. She allegedly continued to insist that she had been kidnapped and held 'with others'.

Video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot Calderon claimed to be taken from showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Phone records also show the abduction to be a hoax, according to officials.

Calderon's family has tried to keep up the ruse even after she was discovered. They allegedly fabricated pictures of her 'rescue' to make it seem as though ICE agents abused her, according to officials.

On July 6, the family planned to host another press conference and increase the donation request, but then their plan was foiled by the DHS.

'Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was never arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters  this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from removing the worst of the worst from Los Angeles communities,' the DHS said.

'Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed,' the agency added.

Her family alleged that 'she was presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer' and 'presented with voluntary selfdeportation paperwork,' according to officials

Video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot (pictured) Calderon claimed to be taken from showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Phone records also reportedly show the abduction to be a hoax

US Attorney Bill Essayli also released a statement on the matter, saying: 'Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are "kidnapping" illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.'

Calderon now faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted for each charge.

The DOJ indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges.

According to a statement provided by GoFundMe to KTLA, the organizers of the campaign will not have access to the $80 their page raised in donations.

'GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform, or any attempt to exploit the generosity of others, and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,' the statement read.

'This fundraiser was removed from the platform and the $80 raised was refunded; at no point did the organizer have access to any of the funds.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to DHS and ICE, as well as Calderon's family and attorney for comment.

Calderon's kidnapping claims come at a contentious time for migrants in the US, as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up his tough-on-immigration policies.

Recent ICE raids have seen mass deportations, and the White House claims that Trump has deported more than 100,000 illegal migrants since returning to office in January 2025.

Last Thursday, a raid of a cannabis farm in Camarillo - a city in Southern California - saw 200 migrant workers being detained.

Chaos ensued at the raid, with protestors violently clashing with ice agents. Trump directed federal law enforcement officials to use 'whatever means necessary' to arrest anyone who throws rocks or other projectiles at ICE agents during immigration raids.
An 80-year-old man suffering from paralysis was rescued after being found tied to a car seat and left locked inside a vehicle in extreme heat.

Authorities believe the family left him behind while they visited the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on Thursday.

The man, identified as Hariom Tandale, had travelled from Mumbai to Agra in Uttar Pradesh with his relatives.

Temperatures reached 30C on the day of the incident, with humidity climbing above 90 per cent.

According to police, Mr Tandale was left inside the car with the windows shut and no air circulation while it was parked in direct sunlight.

No one was left behind to attend to him. Passers-by noticed the elderly man gasping for air and visibly distressed.

He was found tied to the seat with a cloth, the seat reclined, and his body drenched in sweat.

Witnesses said he was clearly in need of urgent help and looked parched.

Authorities say the man was found tied up in a locked car in 30C weather

He appeared parched in the scorching heat so locals gave him a bottle of water

Authorities say the man's family left him behind in the car while they visited the iconic Taj Mahal

Keen to help, locals smashed a window to get into the vehicle and free him.

Due to his limited mobility, they had to physically lift him out of the car.

Onlookers offered him water and helped loosen the cloth restraints before calling emergency services.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sonam Kumar told news agency PTI: 'Siddheshwar Tandale, a resident of Mumbai, had come to visit the Taj Mahal with his family.

'His elderly father, Hariom Tandale, was taken out of the car after breaking the window.'

Kumar added that an ambulance was dispatched, but Mr Tandale's condition improved shortly after he was removed from the vehicle.

'Currently, Siddheshwar Tandale has left with his elderly father,' the officer said.

No formal complaint has been filed in the matter.

A crowd quickly gathered when they spotted the man in the locked vehicle

Passers by broke a window of the vehicle to help the man
John Swinney was accused of hitting an independence 'panic button' today as he may yet another desperate attempt to win a new vote on pulling Scotland out of the UK.

The SNP First Minister vowed to 'turn up the heat' on Keir Starmer in a bid to get a new referendum, 11 years after Scots voted to stay in the union.

Writing in the National newspaper he pledged to increase support for Scotland leaving the UK and stressed the importance of supporters of independence backing the SNP at next year's Holyrood election.

But he was immediately accused of trying to deflect voters attention from problems facing Scots.

Alastair Cameron, chairman of Scotland in Union, said he was playing to independence 'obsessives with 'tired and desperate rhetoric', adding: 'Scotland deserves a government which prioritises the issues which matter most such as health, education and jobs.'

And Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie added: 'Twenty five years ago (he) claimed that independence was ''closer than ever''.

'Now he is attempting to lead his troops up the hill once more  but even they don't buy it.'

Since the first vote in 2014, successive UK governments have repeatedly turned down calls for a second referendum, with the UK Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that only Westminster can allow another poll.

The SNP First Minister vowed to 'turn up the heat' on Keir Starmer in a bid to get a new referendum, 11 years after Scots voted to stay in the union.

Since the first vote in 2014, successive UK governments have repeatedly turned down calls for a second referendum, with the UK Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that only Westminster can allow another poll.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: 'He is attempting to lead his troops up the hill once more  but even they don't buy it.'

The First Minister pledged to mobilise support around the calling of another vote, though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is extremely unlikely to back down.

The first point of the three-part plan outlined by Mr Swinney  who has been feeling some pressure since the SNP lost in June the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election to up his push for independence  focuses on increasing support for leaving the UK.

'First, it will be a campaign designed to build the highest levels of support possible for independence as the best future for Scotland,' he wrote.

'I will be saying to those who voted Yes in 2014, and who have become independence supporters in the years since, that what they believed in then is just as valid today.

'They saw that Britain was fundamentally broken, that Westminster couldn't deliver on their dreams and aspirations, and what they saw has come to pass. And now it is time to do something about it.

'But I will also be urging people who were not persuaded of the merits of independence in 2014 to see the state of Britain today and take a different view.'

Since taking over as SNP leader for the second time, Mr Swinney has stressed the need to increase consistent support for independence before a referendum can be pushed for, saying in a speech in January the idea has to become a 'compelling proposition' for Scots.

The second point of his new plan, the First Minister said, is to put pressure on Westminster.

'Second, that means building public pressure around Scotland's fundamental national rights,' he wrote.

'The UK parties speak of a partnership of equals, but those are empty words if Scotland does not have the ability to determine her own future.

'We are ready to turn the heat up on Westminster and its anti-democratic stance, mobilising the support, energy and the impetus of people in Scotland behind the simple idea: no ifs, no buts, Scotland has the right to choose.'

The third point of the strategy is to deliver an 'emphatic win' for the SNP in next year's Holyrood election.

'I want to persuade independence supporters that the way to deliver independence is only with an emphatic SNP win in 2026 and the priority is to do that now,' he wrote.

'History tells us that only when the SNP is doing well is there any prospect of advancing on Scotland's constitutional cause.

'During the next Parliament we reach the point where there will be one million people eligible to vote who, last time around, were too young to do so or not even born. A generation has now clearly passed.

'It's time for the one change that will actually make a difference for Scotland, for the fresh start our nation needs so badly. It's time for Scotland to craft her destiny by ensuring Scotland's future is in the hands of the people of Scotland.'

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'Scots are scunnered with John Swinney and the SNP's endless obsession with independence.

'The nationalists are continuing to prioritise their own interests rather than focusing on what truly impacts the lives of Scots.

'Patients cannot get a GP appointment, our economy is flatlining, and standards have plummeted in our schools.

'That is what John Swinney should be focusing on, rather than rehashing the same old arguments on independence that Scots are not interested in.'

Neale Hanvey, the depute leader of the Alba Party, described Mr Swinney's plan as 'utterly hollow', adding: 'There's no strategy there, just the same old song of waiting for the right moment, hoping for a miracle.'
More than 70 parents have been left scrambling to find child care after an Iowa church evicted a daycare from its premises for being too noisy.

St. Marks United Methodist Church in Iowa City first told Loving Arms Kids Care that it had to be out by New Year's, KCRG reported.

The letter from the church accused the daycare of failing to address loud noise and not keeping a 'clean and orderly space'.

The church also mentioned a dispute about keys to the building that subjected 'the church to risk of theft and other potential losses'.

After repeated extensions past the original New Year's deadline, the church eventually forced the daycare out on June 30.

Kayla Kuepker, the director of Loving Arms Kids Care, said about 70 kids were being served by her organization.

One parent, Mick Dickinson, said his children have been attending this daycare for years and now has no idea what he's going to do.

'That immediately opens up so many questions. What are we going to do? Hows this going to work? Do I have to take time off?' he said.

Mick Dickinson, is among dozens of parents scrambling for childcare after his children's daycare was shuttered by the church hosting it over noise complaints.

The church's pastor, Alberta Ervin, has not commented on the eviction of the day care

St. Marks United Methodist Church in Iowa City (pictured) has evicted Loving Arms Kids Care. The daycare had to leave the premises on June 30

Kuepker claims she tried offering several solutions to the church so the daycare could continue operating there, but found that nothing was quite enough.

Daily Mail approached the church's pastor, Alberta Ervin, for comment on the eviction.

'I am thinking about the 70 kids who we serve, the kids who, some of them use state assistance,' she said.

'Im thinking about their single mothers who wont be able to have a job.

'Im thinking about my staff, them losing their health insurance.'

Loving Arms moved into a new, temporary location a few weeks ago.

But the uncertainty surrounding the move has made some parents reconsider their childcare needs.

Kuepker said they lost almost a third of their enrollment.

Parents who used Loving Arms spent months in limbo, not knowing if the daycare would survive.

Kayla Kuepker, the director of Loving Arms Kids Care, said about 70 kids were being served by her organization

Pictured: Children in the day care playing on the playground outside the church

'I am the second person I know being interviewed about short-term child care just being cut off,' Dickinson said.

'Even with all that help in a county like Johnson County, its that difficult. I cant imagine in our more rural communities whats happening there.'

St. Marks United Methodist Church is overseen by Pastor Alberta Ervin who is yet to comment on the eviction.

Daily Mail has contacted the church for comment.
Clashes erupted between riot police and migrants early this morning in northern France, with projectiles thrown and fires lit in the street.

Dramatic pictures and video show a group throwing rocks in the direction of the officers early on Friday, while fires blazed in the road near a park in Gravelines.

The confrontation is said to have been triggered when police arrived to stop the launch of a small boat, likely bound for Britain, from a canal in the town.

A number of men who faced off with police were wearing life jackets, according to reporters at the scene.

The incident involving the group of migrants and Gendarmerie and Police Nationale officers, who were equipped with shields, helmets and tear gas.

It lasted for about 20 minutes at around 5.30am and police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the group.

Yesterday morning, migrants were filmed running into the water and boarding a dinghy at Gravelines beach.

Pictures show people running out to meet the inflatable boat, which was dangerously overfull with dozens of young men clinging onto the sides in a desperate attempt to cross the channel.

A man is seen throwing projectiles towards police during clashes between migrants and police

Riot cops are seen near a fire amid clashes with migrants early this morning in France

French riot cops march along a round in Gravelines, northern France

A group of men, some wearing masks, are seen at a distance from police with a fire blazing in the background

French riot police are seen running as they attempt to stop the unrest in Gravelines

Riot police with shields and tear gas are seen at the scene of the unrest

Fires blazed in the area as migrants faced off with cops and gathered in large groups

Tear gas was reportedly used to disperse the group of migrants

French police have employed tougher tactics in tackling the small boats crisis in recent weeks, according to Downing Street.

Footage emerged earlier this month of officers slashing a dinghy packed with migrants and dragging the deflated vessel back to dry land, prompting anger from refugee charities.

But footage which emerged yesterday showed the moment French coastguard members off the coast of Gravelines handed out lifejackets to migrants about to cross the Channel to Britain.

Officials are seen passing life jackets to migrants in a dangerously full dinghy, rather than stopping it from heading out into the open sea.

No police were seen on the beach as the group boarded the black inflatable boat.

Witnesses saw one boat drop off several men at around 5am, who went into the sand dunes, before a second boat came close to shore, circling until the migrants appeared on the beach.

The people, including a family with two children, put themselves into groups before trying to climb onto the boat.

Around 40 people, believed to be about half of the full group, then left on the dinghy unhindered.

People scramble to board a small boat near Wimereux in France yesterday

Migrants on board an inflatable boat are handed lifejackets by the French authorities as they leave from Gravelines, France, heading across the Channel to the UK today

Dramatic scenes unfolded this morning on a French beach as cops deflated a boat carrying migrants

More than 22,500 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.

The same milestone was not hit until mid-to-late August in previous years, including 2022 - the year which went on to see a record annual total of 45,700 arrivals.

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a one in, one out migrant returns deal in a bid to crack down on the crossings and the people smuggling gangs who operate them.

Leaks had suggested 50 migrants a week, around one in 17 arrivals, would be sent back to France initially. But that was seemingly not signed off by the leaders.

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron shake hands on the steps of Number 10 after they agreed a deal to tackle migrants crossing to Britain

Sir Keir met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday where he also praised Berlin's plans to strengthen laws to disrupt small boat crossings by the end of the year.

The PM said the countries were sending a 'clear sign we mean business' as he and the Chancellor signed the first bilateral treaty since the Second World War.

It includes moves to close a loophole that has meant people-smuggling gangs could use Germany as a hub to store equipment without danger of prosecution.
A Maine mother lost her twin boys after an SUV slammed into all three of them, just years after losing her first son in a freak boating accident.

Mollie Egold is being forced to cope with the death of her sons Bradley and Noah, two, after witnessing their older brother William, drown in a river at age five.

Egold, 33, was pushing her two-year-old toddlers in a stroller on a street near their home in Albion on July 11, when they were struck from behind by a white Hyundai, WGME reported.

Bradley was pronounced dead at the scene. Egold and Noah were rushed to a hospital in Portland.

Despite doctors' best efforts, Noah was determined to be brain dead on July 13, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family by a friend.

Two days later on July 15, he was taken off life support after doctors determined that he still had no brain activity.

The twins' grandmother, Martha Collins, described the harrowing moment she arrived home with Egold's other son to find her daughter and the boys lying stricken on the ground.

'He tried so hard to save that baby,' Collins said through tears of a passerby who attempted CPR. 'All of a sudden, I saw them put the blanket over Bradley's face. And that was it for me. I knew he was gone.'

Mollie Egold lost her two twin boys in a hit and run collision on July 11. Bradley (left) was pronounced dead at the scene, while Noah (right) had serious head injuries that required him to be taken to the hospital. Days later, he was pronounced brain dead and taken off life support

Egold is unfortunately no stranger to tragedy. She lost her first son, William, in 2017 when he was five years old. The boy drowned in a river after going on a canoe trip with his mother

Police identified 44-year-old Benjamin Lancaster as the man driving the Hyundai that plowed into the family of three. He's been charged with manslaughter, operating a vehicle under the influence and other serious crimes

Egold, also injured in the collision, has already undergone two surgeries already for her multiple broken bones.

Collins said Egold is lucky to still be alive.

'She's broken. She's crying,' she said of her daughter. 'My pastor at my church has made sure that every single day, there's people up there sitting with her and visiting with her.'

Police say the driver of the Hyundai who callously struck the family of three was under the influence and fled the scene.

Police later arrested 44-year-old Benjamin Lancaster, identifying him as the man behind the wheel.

New court documents obtained by WGME reveal that Lancaster tried to tell police that his girlfriend was actually the one driving.

But security camera footage in police affidavits appear to disprove that.

Pictured: Lancaster's Hyundai three miles before it crashed into Egold and her twin boys

Pictured: Lancaster's Hyundai shortly after the collision, seen with clear damage to the right front end

A picture of the car about three miles before the crash shows the vehicle in pristine condition. Police say he was the one in the driver's seat at this time.

Another image shows the same car with a massive dent in the front end driving on Main Street in Albion. Police say he was still driving the car.

Lancaster remains in the Kennebec County Jail after being charged with manslaughter, operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of an accident causing death and leaving the scene of an accident causing serious bodily injury.

Collins added Noah was still breathing immediately after the crash despite two fractures in the back of his skull.

'His eyes were open looking right at me. He knew I was there,' she said. 'I think I prayed without stopping for the last four days. I wanted that baby to live.'

Collins was outraged at the man who allegedly killed both of her grandsons.

'He took away our babies. He took away our life, our family,' she said. 'That man should be charged with murder, not manslaughter. This is murder. He murdered my babies.'

Martha Collins, the adoptive mother of Egold, is pictured with the twins on her lap and Egold's other son, who is now five years old

Egold is unfortunately no stranger to tragedy. She lost her first son, William, in 2017 when he was five years old.

The two were in a canoe together on a river in North Vassalboro and the current looked calm at first.

Suddenly, the speed of the water picked up and the canoe was sent over a waterfall, which led to both Egold and William being ejected from the boat.

William got caught in debris underwater but Egold managed to free him before they were thrown over a second waterfall. William died hours later in the hospital.
Ministers are planning to axe the toothless water regulator Ofwat after a new report revealed the number of serious pollution incidents caused by water firms rose by 60 per cent in a year.

The Environment Agency revealed there were 2,801 sewage leaks, up from 2,174 in 2023, with just three firms behind 81 per cent of the most serious - Thames, Southern and Yorkshire.

The agency revealed consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage firms in the country despite its expectations for pollution incidents to decrease.

Meanwhile, just two companies  Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water  had no serious incidents last year, meeting the Environment Agency's expectations to see a trend to zero serious pollution incidents by 2025.

The data comes before the publication of a landmark review of the water industry on Monday, led by Sir John Cunliffe, who will outline his recommendations to the Government on tackling the sector's environmental and financial performance.

It also follows a report released by the Public Accounts Committee earlier on Friday, in which the cross-bench group of MPs called the level of pollution 'woeful' and recommended an overhaul of the regulation system.

Downing Street said the Government will wait for the final report when asked if there were plans to scrap Ofwat.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'We are waiting for Sir Jon Cunliffe's final report next week  you can expect us to set out our response after that on what more we will do to turn the sector around.'

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The agency revealed consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage firms in the country despite its expectations for pollution incidents to decrease.

The Environment Agency revealed there were 2,801 sewage leaks, up from 2,174 in 2023, with just three firms behind 81 per cent of the most serious - Thames, Southern and Yorkshire.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron said: 'if the Government do not commit to this, it would be a dereliction of their duty and a betrayal of millions of customers across the country.

'But the Government must not stop here, and we will continue to hold them accountable. Britain now needs a new, effective regulator, to stop the sewage scandal once and for all.'

Environment Secretary Steve Reed called the figures 'disgraceful' and a 'stark reminder' of how underinvestment and weak regulation have led to sewage polluting England's waterways.

'In just one year, this new Government has banned unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses, brought in jail sentences for pollution, and secured 104 billion to upgrade crumbling sewage pipes  one of the biggest infrastructure investments in history,' he said.

'Next week the Independent Water Commission will recommend changes to strengthen the rules so we can clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.'

Every year the Environment Agency records the number of times pollution, including untreated sewage, is released into waterways from water company infrastructure such as pumping stations, pipes and treatment works.

The figures, released on Friday, show companies recorded a total of 2,801 incidents, up from 2,174 in 2023.

The regulator assesses these incidents into categories, with category 1 (major) and category 2 (significant) considered the most serious in terms of their impact on the environment, such as damage to ecosystems, the loss of wildlife and harm to human health.

Last year, 75 category 1 and 2 incidents were recorded, up from 47 the previous year - Thames Water had 33, Southern Water 15 and Yorkshire Water 13.

The Environment Agency said it is clear some companies are failing to meet the targets it has set on pollution.

It attributed the rise in incidents last year to persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience because of the impacts of climate change.

But it is understood the agency is still investigating incidents and their causes more closely to understand the major increase from 2023, particularly at Thames, which saw serious incidents double from 14 to 33.

An increasing trend in pollution spills from pipes carrying wastewater uphill emerged last year, accounting for 20 per cent of the serious incidents, the watchdog said, adding these affected some protected waters for wildlife and swimming.

While water companies report many of the incidents to the Environment Agency themselves, the regulator also carried out more inspections of firms last financial year, reaching more than 4,000.

This means it also discovered more non-compliance from firms, with 24 per cent of sites breaching their permits.

Alan Lovell, chairman of the Environment Agency, said: 'This report demonstrates continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets.

'The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and to respond rapidly when it does.

'We have made significant changes to tighten our regulation of the water industry and ensure companies are held to account. With a dedicated larger workforce and increased funding, our officers are uncovering and acting on failures to comply with environmental law.'

Under the Water (Special Measures) Act introduced by the Government last year, the watchdog will have greater powers to take swift action against polluting companies.

To boost funding for water regulation, the Environment Agency is also consulting on a new levy on the water sector to recover the cost of enforcement activities, while the Environment Department (Defra) last week confirmed a 64 per cent increase in its funding from 2023/24.

A Water UK spokesperson said: 'While there have been some improvements, it is clear that the performance of some companies is not good enough.

'This is finally being put right, with a record 104 billion investment over the next five years to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.

'However, fundamental change to regulation is also needed. We hope that the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission next week will ensure the sector continues to get the investment it needs to drive down pollution incidents.'
Kneecap will face no further police action over their Glastonbury performance that saw them call for people to riot in Westminster Court.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking 'no further action' on the grounds that there is 'insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence'.

The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival.

Addressing more than 30,000 revellers at Worthy Farm, one of the band mates Naoise O Caireallain, known as Moglai Bap, said: 'Mo Chara is back in court for a trumped up terrorism charge.

'It's not the first time there has been a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system. So now you know he's available on the 20th August at Westminster, support Mo Chara and let's start a riot in the courts.'

Later on in the hour long set, Mo Chara said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play so f*** Keir Starmer,' before leading a chant against him.

The band's third member DJ Provai, whose real name is J. J. O Dochartaigh, removed a red boiler suit to reveal a Palestine Action t-shirt - a group the government have now banned under UK anti-terrorism laws.

(From left) Kneecap band members Mo Chara, JJ O'Dochartaigh and Moglai Bap at the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) Awards at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre in February

Band member DJ Provai, whose real name is JJ O Dochartaigh, removed a red boiler suit to reveal a Palestine Action t-shirt (pictured) - a group the government are preparing to ban under UK anti-terrorism laws

As Kneecap walked onto the stage, they played a compilation of their critics' voices over the speakers. Pictured: Kneecap's set at Glastonbury

On Friday, the group, comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain, and JJ O Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: 'One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

'We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the world's most famous festival.'

Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said: 'This is another example of two-tier justice. One of the band said on stage 'let's start a riot in court' referring to an upcoming court appearance on a different matter. This is clearly inciting violence, yet he's been let off scot-free.

'Lucy Connolly meanwhile was convicted and jailed for nearly 3 years for a similar incident - after Keir Starmer strongly encouraged action in connection with last summer's riots.

'This appears to be two tier justice in action in Keir Starmer's Britain. Everyone should be treated the same before the law - but two-tier Keir does not seem to agree.'

Avon and Somerset Police said: 'An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

'Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.'

The force added that it was still investigating Boy Vylan's performance.

It comes after the Met Police decided that they would also not be prosecuting a Kneecap rapper after he appeared to tell fans at a London concert to 'kill your local MP'.

The Irish rap trio were filmed shouting 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory' while playing a gig in November 2024.

DJ Provai from Irish Hip Hop trio Kneecap performs onstage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2025

In the video a member of Kneecap said: 'We're still under British occupation in Ireland. We still have old men in London making decisions that affect my life in Ireland. And even worse, they're f***ing Tories'

Videos emerged of a Kneecap gig at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London in November 2024 where one of the band members appeared to shout 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah', and was draped in the Hezbollah flag. There was also a chant of 'ooh ahh Hezbollah'

Metropolitan Police conducted a 'thorough investigation' after footage of the comments emerged in April but have determined offences were 'beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution'.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, had already been charged after he allegedly displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.

Speaking of its decision to drop charges over the 'kill your MP' jibe, the Met said: 'A thorough investigation has now been completed by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command, which included interviewing an individual under caution and seeking early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.

'A range of offences were considered as part of the investigation.

'However, given the time elapsed between the events in the video and the video being brought to police attention, any potential summary only offences were beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution.

'Relevant indictable offences were considered by the investigation team and, based on all of the current evidence available, a decision has been made that no further action will be taken at this time.'

At other gigs, Kneecap has led chants mocking Margaret Thatcher's death and repeating the phrase 'Brits out'.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court last month after being charged with terrorism offences over allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.

And after the BBC announced they would not be broadcasting Kneecap's Glastonbury performance live, punk duo Bob Vylan gave a controversial set on Saturday in which they led chants of 'death to the IDF' which were broadcast live on national television.

Sir Keir said he was 'appalled' by the negative comments on stage about the foreign army - which has been accused of war crimes - and the Conservative party went so far as to say BBC bosses should be prosecuted.
The father of one of Bryan Kohbergers victims has revealed shocking new details about his daughters final moments, as he hit out at the secrecy that continues to shroud the case.

Steve Goncalves told NewsNation Thursday his 21-year-old daughter Kaylee Goncalves had damage around her mouth indicating that her killer tried to gag and silence her while stabbing her to death.

Steve said Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt, who conducted the victims autopsies, said her injuries were like somebody had pressed in and tried to keep her quiet during the vicious attack.

The harrowing new details emerged as the Goncalves family prepares to deliver victim impact statements at Kohberger's sentencing next week - but voiced frustration at being in the dark about some of the details of the murders.

'You only got one time to be able to be a victims advocate and say what you need to say and to address the courtroom and everyone in Idaho, and theyre not going to let us know exactly what happened,' Steve said.

'We want to make sure everything we say is exactly truthful.'

Kohberger is set to be sentenced on July 23 for the murders of Goncalves, her 21-year-old best friend Madison Mogen and 20-year-old couple Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

The 30-year-old killer - who had spent years studying criminology -finally confessed to the murders in a stunning turn of events earlier this month.

The family of slain Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves (pictured) have spoken out ahead of Bryan Kohberger's sentencing next week

Kohberger broke into a student home in Moscow, Idaho, in the dead of the night on November 13, 2022, and stabbed the four victims to death.

He was arrested around six weeks later but spent more than two years fighting the charges.

Just weeks before his trial was slated to begin in August, Kohberger struck a controversial deal with prosecutors, changing his plea to guilty on all four counts of murder and one count of burglary.

Under the terms of the deal, he will be spared from the death penalty and will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while waiving all rights to appeal.

The Goncalves family vehemently opposed the plea deal, with Steve protesting outside the change of plea hearing in Ada County Courthouse in Boise on July 2.

With Kohberger no longer facing trial, Judge Steven Hippler lifted a sweeping gag order Thursday, but refused to immediately unseal all records related to the case.

In an appearance on CBS Mornings Friday, Goncalves' parents Kristi and Steve Goncalves blasted the ongoing secrecy in the case which they claim protects the man who murdered their daughter and her friends.

Kristi and Steve Goncalves blasted the ongoing secrecy in the case which they claim protects the man who murdered their daughter and her friends

'I think by hiding the truth we are protecting our killers,' Steve told Gayle King.

'We have to show the ugliness of what this person did.'

Steve said the family feels the need to know all the details about how their daughter died in order to prepare to confront Kohberger in court.

'We're writing our victim impact statements and we don't even know what the impact is as theyve hid the impact from all of us,' he said.

'I need to know the facts. How many times was my daughter stabbed? Was she choked? What happened?

'And that should be party of our victim impact statement. They're robbing us. And theyre protecting he killer still.'

Kristi added that the victims' families don't know 'any more than pretty much everybody else' about the murders and the case as a whole.

She said she hopes that 'with this gag order being lifted it will allow us to know more about what happened to our daughter.'

To this day, the parents said they still don't know what the motive for the murders was.

A gag order of some sorts - known as a non-dissemination order - has been in place since the early days blocking law enforcement, attorneys for both sides and other officials from speaking publicly about the case.

Bryan Kohberger watched from his Idaho jail as the judge lifted the gag order Thursday

The order - together with the broad sealing of records and evidence by the court - has restricted what information the public and the victims families have had access to throughout the almost three-year-long proceedings.

Throughout the years-long proceedings, the court found it necessary to protect Kohbergers right to a fair trial.

During the July 2 change of plea hearing, Judge Hippler said the gag order would remain in place through sentencing, prompting a coalition of media organizations - including the Daily Mail - to file a motion calling for it to be lifted.

There is no possible set of circumstances under which Mr. Kohberger will ever face a jury to determine his guilt or to determine whether the death penalty should be imposed,' the coalition argued.

No trial will occur. Thus, there is no need to preserve Mr. Kohbergers right to a fair trial because he has already admitted guilt.

In a brief court hearing Thursday, the judge agreed, saying that 'the rights of the public to information in this case is paramount given the fact that a plea has been entered in this case.'

Dressed in a burgundy t-shirt, Kohberger looked on over Zoom from Ada County Jail - the first time he has been seen in public since he admitted to the murders.

While lifting the gag order, Judge Hippler said he was 'denying outright' a separate motion to unseal all records in the case, calling it 'premature.'

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (together on left), Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin (together on right) were murdered in a brutal knife attack

The home at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 20, 2022 - one week on from the murders

Instead, he said that, after sentencing, the court will begin the process to review all the records in the case to determine what can be unsealed and what should remain sealed.

'That process is going to take time - I'm not talking days, I'm probably not talking weeks... patience will be required,' he said.

Despite Kohberger's guilty plea, a lot of information about the murders remains a mystery.

The 30-year-old has not revealed a motive for the attack and there is no known connection between him and his victims.

During the change of plea hearing, Thompson revealed that Kohberger bought a Ka-Bar knife and sheath from Amazon in March 2022 - months before the killings.

In June 2022, he moved from his parents' home in Pennsylvania to Pullman, Washington, where he enrolled on the criminal justice PhD program at Washington State University.

From the following month onwards, his cell phone pinged close to the victims' home at 1122 King Road - indicating that he likely stalked or surveilled at least one of the women who lived there.

At around 4am on November 13, 2022, Kohberger broke into the three-story home and went straight up to Mogens room on the third floor, where he murdered Mogen and Goncalves.

Left to right: Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

Bryan Kohberger at his change of plea hearing in Ada County Courthouse in Boise on July 2

On his way back downstairs or on leaving the property, the prosecutor said he encountered Kernodle on the second floor, who had just received a DoorDash food order.

He attacked her with the knife and then also murdered Chapin who was sleeping in her bed.

Kohberger then left through the back sliding door on the second story of the property, passing roommate Dylan Mortensen who had been woken by the noise and peeked around her bedroom door.

Mortensen and roommate Bethany Funke - whose bedroom was on the first floor - were the only survivors.

Prosecutors believe Kohberger did not intend to kill all four victims that night - but did enter the home intending to kill and had planned his attack for some time.

He was tracked down, after he left a Ka-Bar leather knife sheath next to Mogens body at the scene. Through Investigative Genetic Genealogy, the FBI managed to trace DNA on the sheath to Kohberger.

Kohberger will return to Ada County Court for his sentencing on July 23, where the families of the victims will be given the opportunity to deliver impact statements.
President Donald Trump trolled Late Show host Stephen Colbert after CBS pulled the plug on the long-running show.

'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired,' Trump posted to Truth Social Friday morning. 'His talent was even less than his ratings.'

'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next,' the president continued. 'Has even less talent than Colbert!'

'Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,' Trump added.

The 'moron' in question Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.

Among the late night shows, Colbert had the highest ratings.

He took over the franchise in 2015, which had originally been helmed by David Letterman.

Colbert was already a household name for his Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, in which he pretended to be a conservative talking head, modeled after pundits like Bill O'Reilly from Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.

Then candidate Donald Trump (left) appears on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert (right) in September 2015, when Trump was first running for president and the first year Colbert hosted the show

President Donald Trump trolled Stephen Colbert via Truth Social Friday morning over news that CBS will end the show after next season, which Colbert announced during a taping on Thursday

He and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who was on right before Colbert's time slot, captured the attention of liberal audiences.

When Colbert took over the Late Show, he dropped his conservative caricature act, allowing his left-leaning politics to show openly.

Three days before Colbert and the Late Show were axed, the comedian was publicly critical of Paramount's decision to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview that featured the president's ex-rival, former Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Paramount said the money would pay for the president's legal fees and that any leftover money would go toward Trump's future presidential library fund.

Paramount Global, which owns CBS, is in the middle of merging with Skydance Media, founded by David Ellison, the son of Oracle's Larry Ellison.

Larry Ellison has been a Trump supporter for years.

The deal needs the approval of the federal government.

'As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I'm offended,' Colbert said. 'And I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company.'

'But just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help,' Colbert joked.

He then referred to the settlement as a 'big fat bribe.'

In a statement, CBS said the decision to end the Late Show with Colbert was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.'

Democrats are skeptical.

'Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled. If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,' wrote California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, who was one of Colbert's guests on Thursday.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren echoed the sentiment.

'CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons,' the Massachusetts Democrat wrote.


A doctor and her husband have been jailed for 10 months each for flogging stolen hospital PPE online at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Attiya and Omer Seikh admitted resetting a quantity of personal protective equipment meant for NHS use between May 30 and October 7, 2020, during a court appearance in May.

The pair made almost 8,000 out of sheer greed as they punted dishonestly appropriated face masks, gloves and wipes on eBay at the time hospitals were desperate for the protective gear.

They were jailed when they returned to Paisley Sheriff Court for sentencing today with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas.

Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said the husband and wife both knew they were in possession of PPE that had been stolen from the NHS.

She said: The offence happened between May and October 2020.

That time period in my view was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the Covid pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis.

There was an extreme shortage of PPE. As a doctor you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and by extension their families.

Dr Attiya Sheikh and her husband Omer have been jailed after selling stolen hospital PPE on eBay

You chose to sell this PPE, which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.

She added: You did this together out of sheer greed.

Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods.

Prosecutors said that in July 2020 NHS Counter Fraud Services began an investigation into the potential theft and resale of PPE on eBay.

The investigation led to the identification of four separate eBay accounts which were connected to both accused.

Prosecutors said the couple made 7,827 selling PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on a number of eBay accounts.

Police and NHS Counter Fraud Service specialists searched the couples home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in an attic.

At the time of the offence, Mrs Sheikh, 46, worked as a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020.

She initially claimed shed not stolen the items but had been handed them by someone else in the hospital car park, although investigators failed to identify the individual.

John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence has had a very significant impact on the mother-of-three, both professionally and personally.

He said she is now unemployed, having lost jobs as a locum doctor and in a role certifying drivers of HGV vehicles as a result of the court proceedings.

Mr Scullion told the court: She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound.

He added she had dedicated her adult life to study medicine and to become a doctor and contribute to the society and continued: Instead, because of her actions in 2020, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life.

Its fair to say that she bitterly regrets her actions.

Advocate Kevin Henry, representing Mr Sheikh, said he accepts full responsibility for his actions.

He said: He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on frontline NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.

Mr Sheikh works front of house in his family restaurant, the court heard.

Both lawyers had urged Sheriff Gill to consider alternatives to custody such as community payback orders, but she said she was satisfied the offence passed the custody threshold.

Dr Attiya Sheikh knowingly handled stolen personal protective equipment intended for frontline NHS staff betraying the public's trust

A General Medical Council (GMC) spokesman said: Dr Attiya Sheikh is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on her registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.

Following the sentencing hearing, Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: This was a particularly egregious crime.

The public put their trust in medical practitioners. As a hospital doctor, Attiya Sheikh betrayed that trust at a time of acute need when patients and NHS staff relied heavily on the availability of personal protective equipment.

For her and her husband to benefit financially from this criminal conduct will shock many people.

But now they have both been brought to account for their crimes and must face the consequences of their actions.

Gordon Young, Head of NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, added: This individual was aware that this personal protective equipment had been unlawfully appropriated and as a clinician she would have understood the importance of PPE for NHS Scotland staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services led the investigation which secured this conviction, and our work included locating 121 boxes of gloves which had been intended to protect our frontline staff.

This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotlands commitment to safeguarding vital resources for health service provision as intended by the taxpayer.
Trump loyalist Katie Miller insists that she hasn't severed ties with her employer, former first-buddy Elon Musk amid the ongoing cat fight between the billionaire and Donald Trump.

Miller, 30, followed her boss out of the White House when he stepped down from leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May.

But recently, rumors have swirled online that she has also left Musk's company, after the Tesla billionaire unfollowed her on his own platform earlier this week.

The former White House communications staffer set the record straight in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday.

'My paycheck still comes from him,' Miller said, referring to Musk, while still giving no clues as to her exact position. She has previously acted as a spokeswoman for the billionaire.

Miller, who's married to Trump aide Stephen Miller, appeared to stir the pot after she removed her SpaceX rocket X profile banner, in favor of a snap of Miller and her children.

Eagle-eyed users also noticed that Musk unfollowed her, as well as many other MAGA figures, which further raised eyebrows.

Senator Mike Lee, Rep. Nancy Mace, and Speaker Mike Johnson were also booted from Musk's following list on the same day.

Rumors swirled online that former White House staffer Katie Miller, 30, had already left Musk's company after the Tesla billionaire unfollowed her on his own platform earlier this week

'My paycheck still comes from him,' Miller said, referring to Musk, while still giving no clues as to her exact position within the company

Miller responded to Musk's unfollowing with a cryptic, sun-drenched bikini X post declaring motherhood to be the 'best job in the world'

Miller then posted a cryptic message just one day afterward, in which she announced she has 'best job in the world', referring to being a mother.

Her post, accompanied by a picture of her family at the beach, laid a heavy emphasis on the importance of family, which led to further speculation she had cut ties with the billionaire.

After quashing the rumors, Miller sent out a press statement for xAI, Musk's artificial-intelligence company, condemning eco-protesters in Tennessee.

It was the first public communication for Musk that Miller had sent out in about two weeks, Reuters reported, which further instigated whispers among GOP staffers.

Miller had worked as an adviser with Musk during his Department of Government Efficiency era in the White House, but left over a month ago alongside Musk.

Her departure raised eyebrows within the White House, and her alliance with Musk has only further stirred staffers who viewed her as a Trump loyalist.

While Musk and the president had a budding bromance during the honeymoon stage of Trump's second term, their relationship soured as Musk departed to the private sector.

The rift between Trump and the former first-buddy descended into a public shaming war as their relationship fizzled following Musk's DOGE departure.

Miller had worked as an adviser with Musk during his Department of Government Efficiency era in the White House, but left over a month ago alongside Musk which raised eyebrows within the White House

Miller's alliance with Musk surprised GOP staffers, who described her as a Trump loyalist, while her husband continues to work as an aide to the president

While Musk and the president had a budding bromance during the honeymoon stage of Trump's second term, their relationship soured as Musk departed to the private sector

Musk has since slammed Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' accused him of appearing in the Epstein Files, and endorsed his impeachment.

Miller has since found herself caught between the two, as her husband continues his work in the White House as deputy chief of staff.

Stephen Miller was 'deeply displeased' with Musk's attacks on the president's flagship legislation.

He publicly defended the bill and blasted Musk's criticism, accusing the Congressional Budget Office of using 'accounting gimmicks' to inflate cost projections.

In retaliation, Trump threatened to strip Musk of billions in federal contracts, while Steve Bannon called for his deportation.

Stephen Miller, long thought to be a key Musk ally, now appears to be joining the opposition. Soon after, Musk unfollowed him, too.

Daily Mail has contacted Katie Miller for comment.
A New York man suffered gruesome injuries after he was sucked into an MRI machine while wearing a long metal necklace.

The man, 61, who has not been identified by police, was wounded after he entered an exam room in Nassau Open MRI in Long Island on Wednesday.

He was not the patient being examined and didn't have authorization to enter the room, police said.

The man, who was with someone else at the clinic, was magnetically drawn into the machine by the metal chain around his neck, Nassau County Police said.

This caused a medical episode for the man, who was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

It is not clear exactly what injuries the man suffered, but a doctor at nearby North Shore University Hospital speculated on what could have happened.

'If this was a chain that was wrapped around the neck, I could imagine any kind of strangulation injuries that could happen, asphyxiation, cervical spine injuries if the patient was slams against the MRI, you know, any kind of blunt force trauma that we can think about could happen,' Dr. Payal Sud told ABC7.

A 61-year-old New York man was pulled into an MRI machine on Wednesday because he entered the room wearing a metal necklace

The horrific incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Long Island, police said. The man, who remains unidentified, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition

The investigation is ongoing, but police are convinced that this was an accident and that there was no criminality involved.

Daily Mail approached management at Nassau Open MRI for comment.

MRI machines generate strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed internal images of the human body.

The magnetic pull of MRIs are so strong that it is capable of flinging a wheelchair across the room, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

When undergoing on MRI procedure, patients are generally asked to remove all jewelry and piercings to remain safe.

People with certain medical implants are unable to go into an MRI machine at all. This generally includes people with cochlear implants, blood vessel stents, cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers.

Injuries and deaths from MRI machines, while rare, have happened in the past.

In 2001, a six-year-old boy was killed at Westchester Medical Center in New York when an metal oxygen tank was pulled into the machine while he was being scanned.

And in 2018, a man died in India when he entered an MRI room holding an oxygen tank.
Parents whose children are being given an extra week off this autumn half-term for 'cheaper holidays' can cut the price of a trip abroad by nearly 50 per cent.

Pupils in some areas are having the break extended from one week to two  with school days then extended slightly throughout the year to make up the deficit.

But critics have attacked the 'ridiculous' changes, warning that they are more about 'making life easy for teachers' and are 'dumbing down' education  while claiming parents will struggle to take time off or arrange childcare during the time off.

Schools spearheading the revolution include North Walsham High School and Long Stratton High School, both run by the same trust in Norfolk.

One of the headteachers claimed the change would help parents avoid price hikes by holiday firms at peak times and reduce staff absence by giving them a 'better break'.

But Chris McGovern, from the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'We have to ask what's more important  a passport to Majorca or a passport to [children's] futures?'

To analyse the difference, research by MailOnline looked at the comparative costs of going abroad during the autumn half-term later this year of Saturday, October 25 to November 1 - and the extra week for the schools between November 1 and 8.

Prices were analysed for a family of four  two adults and two children aged 13, for the cheapest all-inclusive package holiday to Benidorm in Spain for seven days.

Schools are giving children an extra week off so that parents can afford cheaper holidays

The biggest difference was with easyJet Holidays, where a trip to the three-star Magic Cristal Park Hotel is 2,143 during the half-term week, or 1,189 the week after.

The same hotel was available with Tui for 2,236 in half-term or 1,576 the week after; or with On The Beach for 1,813 in half-term or 1,440 the week after.

Separate research by On The Beach has found more children are taken out of school for holidays this week than in any other term-time week of the year.

What is the fine for taking your child on holiday in term-time? Parents in England can face paying a fine for unauthorised term time holidays under national rules  although individual councils decide when these should be issued. All schools have to consider a fine when a child has missed ten or more sessions  which equates to five days, morning and afternoon - for unauthorised reasons. Since August last year, the fine for school absences across the country has been set at 80 if paid within 21 days, or 160 if paid within 28 days. But if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, the fine will be charged at a higher rate of 160. Fines per parent are capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit is reached, other actions can be considered such as a parenting order or even prosecution. Someone who is prosecuted and attends court because their child has not been attending school can be fined up to 2,500. Advertisement

It added that term-time breaks are up to 649 cheaper than school summer holidays, despite the threat of an 80 fine for a week's unauthorised absence.

The difference was calculated by taking the average cost of all seven-night stays for families with children aged between four and 16 during term time, compared to all holidays during school holidays.

Some 443,322 school holiday fines were issued in England for the 2023/24 year, according to the Department for Education (DfE). This was 24 per cent up on the year before, and three times higher than when records began in 2016/17.

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, told MailOnline: 'Time away together isn't a luxury - it's essential for children's wellbeing and learning about the wider world.

'Parents tell us they're fed up of being punished for wanting to give their kids these experiences and for many, the only way they can afford a family holiday is by travelling during term time.'

More than 180,000 people signed a petition calling for an end to term-time holiday fines which closed in January, but MPs have not yet debated the issue.

Ms Harris added: 'The Government needs to look at ways to support more families so they can afford a break.

'We need a solution that prioritises attendance and helps more families holiday for less, and we're more than happy to start having those conversations with senior figures.'

The DfEs position is that evidence has disproved pulling a child out of education for holidays is harmless - and allowing them to regularly miss school can be detrimental to their chances in life.

A spokesperson for easyJet holidays told MailOnline: 'We want to make holidays easy and affordable for our customers, which is why we're proud to offer such a vast range of holidays to suit all budgets, alongside free kids' places across beach breaks, and regular promotions that provide value all year round.

'Were also committed to giving holidaymakers the chance to secure brilliant value by booking early, with packages available right up until October 2026. In addition, all of our holidays have flexible payment options and Best Price Guarantee, ensuring that if families find the same holiday for less with another tour operator, well beat the price.'

It comes as a separate survey revealed half of frazzled parents want summer holidays to be slashed from six to four weeks and half terms extended.

Research by the charity Parentkind found many families think the summer break is too long, and would prefer time off to be spread more evenly throughout the year.

Mr McGovern said decisions about school breaks should be based on children's education, rather than convenience to parents. He said: 'We need to be upping the academic demands on children. This is dumbing down.'

Schools spearheading the revolution include North Walsham High School (pictured) in Norfolk

He added: 'Children need to have shorter lessons, rather than longer lessons. They get tired during the day.

'They have to provide a minimum number of hours per year, so in theory they could just make days longer and longer and the number of days shorter and shorter.

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'Education is not about making life easier for teachers  it's what's in the best interests for children.

'The workload for teachers has been reduced, for example school reports are now AI-generated. In some respects, they have never had it so good.

'It is still a hard job but it's a vocation as well. We shouldn't be changing the school year to fit in with the holiday plans of teachers.'

Announcing the new school year  which includes adding ten minutes a day to make up for the extra week off - North Walsham executive headteacher James Gosden said: 'Over the past few years, we have had numerous requests for holidays which we cannot authorise.

'This would provide an opportunity for parents and carers to access cheaper holidays.'

He added: 'At a time when sickness increases due to the winter months and fatigue, this would add a lengthier break into the longest term to support a reduction in absence  as students would have a greater opportunity to rest and enjoy the break.

'This would also give staff the chance for a better break and ensure less absence, thus minimising cover lessons and ensuring staff are rested, so they can continue to do an excellent job.'

Parents had supported the change, Mr Gosden said, with 78 per cent of the 157 families who responded to a consultation in favour.

But one parent, who asked not to be named, complained: 'It's ridiculous. October isn't when most families are taking holidays.

'I was against this because I don't see how it's going to benefit my kids. I've also got to make arrangements for them on these days, while teachers get more time off.'

Another said: 'Ten minutes a day won't make up for losing a whole week in school.

'And a week either side of the summer holidays would have been better than a week at Hallowe'en.'

Long Stratton High School, run by the same trust in Norfolk, has also adopted the scheme

There was further criticism online, with comments including: 'Are holidays more important than getting an education?

'And who can afford a two-week autumn holiday anyway except teachers?'

Another said: 'Public schools have been doing this for decades, they don't think TUI has twigged?'

Others supported the plans, with one saying: 'Good idea. My school day was much longer than most high school days at present.'

Another commented: 'If 78 per cent of families responded favourably then it sounds like the trust is onto something with this.

'Two weeks for autumn half term makes a lot of sense, especially if the children don't lose any education as a result.'

Priestlands School in the New Forest has already introduced a similar scheme, while three others in Hampshire  secondaries Wildern and Deer Park and Boorley Park Primary schools  announced in March they were looking into doing the same.

But there was opposition from residents, with one, Stacey Rabbetts, arguing children rely on routine and the changes would 'give them great stress'.

Claire Jenkins pointed out if only a few schools extended the autumn half term, there would not be sufficient demand for holiday clubs to take the pressure off parents who have to work and have no other options for childcare.

The Enrich Learning Trust, which runs North Walsham and Long Stratton high schools, said there were no immediate plans for the changes to be introduced at its seven other schools in the area  but admitted other trusts had adopted it.

North Walsham High School headteacher James Gosden said the extra week off at autumn half term would enable families to have 'cheaper holidays' and give tired teachers a 'better break'

A spokesman added: 'Having consulted with their school communities, they are planning a pilot of a two-week half-term in October 2025, with the aim of improving attendance in the second half of the autumn term, having had a slightly longer break.

'It is our understanding that this is something that is being tested by other trusts too.'

In April, it emerged another Norfolk school was planning to close early on Fridays to reduce 'financial pressures'.

Buxton Primary School said 8.30am to 3pm school days would become 8.10am to 3.05pm.

A similar scheme launched at several English schools, particularly Birmingham, in 2019 led to protest marches in Westminster.

Today's Parentkind research comes ahead of state schools starting to break up for the summer this weekend.

It found that as well as parents, most teachers also support cutting the summer break from six to four weeks, as long as they do not lose the total amount of holiday they get throughout the year.

Previous studies have shown pupils regress during the holidays because they get out of practice with their reading and writing.

The charity's research is based on its own poll of 3,000 parents and a separate poll of 9,000 teachers by Teacher Tapp.

It found that 53 per cent of parents would back plans to reduce the school summer break to four weeks from six and only 33 per cent would oppose this.

Many parents would prefer two-week half-term breaks and a longer Christmas holiday.

A shorter summer break was seen as a financial positive by 32 per cent of parents, compared with 17 per cent who saw it as a negative.

Thirty-seven per cent of parents said a shorter break would be beneficial for childcare, compared with 14 per cent overall who said it would be detrimental.

The Teacher Tapp polling found that 62 per cent of teachers would accept a shorter summer holiday, 38 per cent would support it being reduced from six weeks to five and 24 per cent were in favour of it being cut to four weeks.

However, 35 per cent wanted to stick with the traditional six weeks, while the remainder gave other answers.

Jason Elsom, the chief executive of Parentkind, told the Times : 'While children will no doubt be looking forward to extended time away from school, the long summer break is a challenge for some parents.

'Our large parent poll shows that most parents want to knock two weeks off the six-week summer break to give teachers and children a month off instead.

'Parents tell us that a shorter summer holiday would help with costs and childcare, which would be particularly welcome at a time when some families are struggling to keep their heads above water.

'We need to make sure the long summer break doesn't add further stress and hardship for parents, particularly those on low incomes.'
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Nigel Farage ally Zia Yusuf of intentionally liking a racist post about one of her shadow ministers after he claimed it was an 'accident'.

Senior Reform UK official Mr Yusuf was forced to apologise after his Twitter account 'accidentally' liked a racist post attacking Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick as well as his Jewish wife and children.

But shortly after sharing the apology on social media platform X, Mr Jenrick accused the Reform UK politician of bull**** and demanded he be sacked from his position in an explosive social media post.

In a statement on X Mr Jenrick said: Youve spent the last 48 hours calling me a traitor for not drawing attention to a leaked spreadsheet with our special forces and MI6 officers names on.

But were meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife & family was liked accidentally by one of the team.

You must think were all thick.

No. The mask has slipped. Likes are private.

You thought nobody would ever know. Unfortunately for you, the racist account who posted the tweet and could see the likes exposed you.

Reform should give you the boot.

Pictured: Robert Jenrick Shadow Secretary of State for Justice under Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

Pictured: British billionaire Zia Yusuf who resigned as the Reform UK chairman in June and now leads the partys DOGE team.

Pictured: Zia Yusuf (left) and leader of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (right).

Pictured: Robert Jenrick Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (left) shaking hands with Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch (right).

In response, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote: Well said, Rob. Well said indeed.

The offending statement - posted by an account called British Racial Chauvinism with the username Enoch_Is_Right - made discriminatory statements against both Jewish people and people from other minority backgrounds.

It stated: Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family.

Then, using unfounded racist stereotypes and offensive language, the tweet claimed that Jenrick had imported people from a particular background to rape our women and children.

A video showing that Mr Yusufs account had liked the post began circulating on social media early this afternoon prompting demands for Reform to suspend him and launch an investigation into his conduct.

Zia Yusuf - who resigned as the Reform UK chairman in June and now leads the partys DOGE team - insists that the post had been mistakenly liked by a staffer.

He wrote: One of the team who posts to my X account accidentally pressed like on an awful antisemitic tweet earlier today.

I apologise for this.

He went on to explain that language in the post was equally racist against me proving that liking the post was not intentional.

He concluded: The amount of antisemitism and racism on this platform is spiralling out of control, and I hope that changes soon.

Also unconvinced by the apology and explanation, Conservative MP Jack Rankin wrote on X: When people tell you who they are, believe them.

Zia Yusufs mask has slipped and must be sacked.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: 'This was a very concerning social media post and it is right that Zia Yusuf has distanced himself from it.

'We hope his office will be reviewing how this happened and ensuring that it will not happen again. We will be keeping a close eye on this going forward.'

Conservative sources have noted that Mr Yusufs language towards Mr Jenrick has become increasingly aggressive in recent days having been ramped up in light of the Afghanistan data breach revelations.

In one post on X, Zia Yusuf accused Robert Jenrick of lying and stating: youre a traitor to your country.

The Reform Party has been contacted for comment.
A mother accused of attempting to kidnap her own husband walked free from court today - while the lover she was on trial with was convicted of the offence.

Gary Leggate was chased by a masked Daniel Algar, 41, after he hid in the victim's car as part of the botched kidnap attempt, a court heard.

Jurors heard Algar was having an affair with Mr Leggate's wife, Lucy Leggate, 36, when the attempted botched kidnap took place in September 2022.

Prosecutors alleged Mrs Leggate helped in the planning by providing Algar with a spare key for her husband's car and disclosing his movements.

But the jury cleared the mother-of-four of any involvement and found her not guilty of attempted kidnap.

Algar, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, was convicted of the same charge and granted conditional bail ahead of his sentencing in August.

The trial judge, Judge James House KC, warned Algar 'to expect a custodial sentence' and told him 'to put his affairs in order.'

Judge House also asked for 'observations' on what were the possible outcomes of Algar's plan.

Lucy Leggate was cleared of the attempted kidnap of her husband after a jury deliberated for four hours

Daniel Algar's actions 'caused considerable fear to the victim in this case', the judge said

'Whatever they were they caused considerable fear to the victim in this case,' Judge House added.

The court heard police were called to the incident on the A52, near Boston, shortly after 10pm on 22 September 2022.

Jurors heard Mr Leggate had just left work at the nearby Reflex Labels printers plant in Swineshead without realising Algar had hidden in the rear seat of his car.

A witness described how the car stopped suddenly on the wrong side of the A52 before Mr Leggate and a man wearing a mask both got out of the vehicle.

The man 'appeared to run after' Mr Leggate before changing direction.

In her statement, which was read out in court, she said she was 'immediately concerned' for Mr Leggate and had asked him if he was ok, to which he replied 'someone was in my car'.

'He was in a right state,' the court was told.

Mr Leggate told the witness he knew the masked man was having an affair with his wife, and named him as 'Dan from Spalding.'

Jurors heard a phone belonging to Mrs Leggate made a 42 minute call to Algar which began at 9.27pm on 22 September and ended just before Mr Leggate reported the hijack

The court heard Mr Leggate had become aware that his wife was having an affair with Algar around two months earlier but had suspicions for much of 2022.

Jurors heard a phone belonging to Mrs Leggate made a 42 minute call to Algar which began at 9.27pm on 22 September and ended just before Mr Leggate reported the hijack.

The prosecution said Algar had been searching how to use the automatic answer facility on his phone and the call had been arranged as a 'sham' to deceive the police into believing he was at home in Spalding.

But Mrs Leggate failed to mention the 42 minute call when police spoke to her

A few hours after the attempted kidnap and said she last spoke to Algar at 9pm when he asked about her, Gary and the family.

Mrs Leggate, of Fishtoft, Lincolnshie, chose not to give evidence during her trial alongside Algar at Lincoln Crown Court.

Prosecution barrister Luc Chignell argued both defendants 'shared a motive' even if he could not speculate about the 'end game' or who was the mastermind behind the plan.

Mr Chignell added: 'If ultimately they wanted to set up away from Gary.'

But the jury cleared Mrs Leggate of any involvement after four hours of deliberations.

In the witness box Algar denied being the masked man in the car and claimed Gary Leggate had plotted a 'vendetta' against him because of the affair he was having with Lucy.

But addressing the jury Mr Chignell argued Algar was trying to spin a conspiracy theory similar to those surrounding the moon landing or Elvis Presley's death.

'One of the great mysteries of this case is what Daniel Algar was going to do if Gary Leggate complied with him,' Mr Chignell added.

Chris Jeyes, defending Algar, suggested Mr Leggate might have been seeking revenge after discovering the affair had resumed in September.

'If it was a competition for the affections of the girl then Mr Algar was winning,' Mr Jeyes stated.

During his evidence Algar was asked if his case was that Mr Leggate had made the hijacking up and that nothing had happened? Mr Algar claimed: 'Yes, I believe so.'

But after being shown footage from the car park at Mr Leggate's place of work Algar accepted it did appear to show another person getting into his vehicle before he left work.

Algar told Lincoln Crown Court the person shown in the footage had different facial features to him

Algar conceded that he had a 'distinctive' Yorkshire accent which the prosecution said was recognised by Mr Leggate after the masked man spoke to him in his car.

Jurors heard Mr Leggate also became aware of a 'musty, smoky' smell and during his evidence Algar confirmed that he was a smoker.

Algar also conceded the boots worn by the hooded figure in the car park appeared to be similar to his work boots.

But Algar insisted the person shown in the footage had different facial features to him.

When asked if Mr Leggate had done a good job in finding someone to look like him Algar insisted: 'It would appear so.'
Joe Biden's former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor Annie Tomasini repeatedly refused to answer questions and pleaded the fifth during an interview with lawmakers, making her the third Biden aide to do so.

Tomasini invoked her right to remain silent and avoid incrimination during her closed-door interview with the Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Friday.

The committee has been probing the extent of the Democratic president's mental decline was understood by his top staffers.

The investigation has focused on former staffers who would be privy to the most sensitive presidential discussions, and even those who may have operated the autopen.

Tomasini's interview lasted less than an hour and videos show she did not answer any reporter questions on her way in or out of the private session.

She has become the third former staffer of Biden to invoke their right to silence in the Oversight investigation.

Joe Biden's personal physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, and Jill Biden's longtime aide Anthony Bernal, also pleaded the fifth amendment protections in recent weeks.

Oversight Chairman James Comer noted that there's a pattern beginning to emerge as the Biden aides stonewall the investigators.

Former Biden deputy chief of staff and senior advisor Annie Tomasini refused to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee on Friday

Ex-President Joe Biden, left, and Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff, walk on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, April 19, 2024

The House Oversight Committee is investigating Biden's mental decline

'There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy,' Comer wrote.

'Annie Tomasini, former Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations, pleaded the Fifth when asked if Joe Biden, a member of his family, or anyone at the White House instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time.'

She also pleaded the fifth when asked about classified documents being found in Biden's garage, if the former president instructed anyone to destroy or conceal classified documents at the Democrat's home or if she's conspired with anyone to hide information on the Biden family's business affairs, Comer shared.

The Kentucky Republican said this is a 'historical scandal.'

Last week, Comer accused O'Connor of a conspiracy to 'cover up' Biden's cognitive decline.

O'Connor cited patient privilege as his reason for pleading the fifth.

His lawyer, ahead of his testimony, expressed concern about what O'Connor would be able to say without violating doctor-patient confidentiality laws.





The third witness in our investigation into the cover-up of President Bidens cognitive decline and unauthorized executive actions pleaded the Fifth Amendment today. There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for  Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) July 18, 2025

Tomasini pleaded the fifth when pressed by Congress about Biden's health

David Schertler, O'Connor's attorney, said in a statement that the doctor 'asserted the physician-patient privilege, as well as his right under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in declining to answer questions from the staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding his service as Physician to the President during the Biden Administration.'

The physician was in charge of Biden's annual physical and repeatedly deemed Biden fit to hold office.

Republicans charge the former president's inner circle engaged in a conspiracy to hide cognitive decline.

Ahead of O'Connor's closed door sit-down, President Donald Trump's administration waived his ability to exert executive privilege, saying he needed to talk to Congress.

A letter sent to him by the White House - obtained by the Daily Mail - informed him he did not have 'executive privilege' in the matter.
The cause of death of the newborn killed after being allegedly dropped by a six-year-old who was left to roam a French maternity ward has been revealed.

Five-day-old Baby Zayneb-Cassandra was found lying unresponsive on the floor beside her crib with a traumatic brain injury at the Jeanne-de-Flandre Children's Hospital in the northern city of Lille, France, on Friday, July 11 and succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.

Lille's prosecutor's office on Friday confirmed that the infant died from trauma 'consistent with a fall to the floor'.

A boy who was found standing on a chair beside her is believed to have plucked the tiny baby from her crib and dropped her on the floor, although her official cause of death had not been disclosed.

'A six-year-old child, a member of another family, was indeed seen near the crib and the child on the floor,' prosecutors also confirmed.

Police launched a criminal inquiry into the horror that unfolded at the Rainbow ward last week, while witnesses have claimed that the six-year-old boy had been left to roam the wards unattended.

The boy and the baby were discovered by Delphine, a young woman who had recently given birth herself, who rushed into the room after hearing what she described as a 'loud bang'.

Baby Zayneb, who was born six weeks premature by caesarean to parents Mohamed-Hamza and Sephora, was resuscitated twice before she died this week after spending the weekend on life support.

The cause of death of the newborn killed after being dropped by a six-year-old who was left to roam a French maternity ward at the Jeanne-de-Flandre Children's Hospital in the northern city of Lille has been revealed

Baby Zayneb's grieving father Mohamed-Hamza told French press that he will 'fight to identify those responsible' for the tragedy

The infant died from trauma 'consistent with a fall to the floor,' the Lille prosecutor's office said on Friday. File photo shows newborn lying in a bassinet in a maternity hospital

Delphine later told Le Parisien that the boy in question had been disruptive for days and was not being supervised as his mother was also recovering from giving birth.

'He was running around everywhere and had already touched a baby in a stroller,' Delphine said.

Meanwhile, Karima, a cousin of Zayneb's grieving father claimed that hospital staff had been 'warned' of the boy's 'abnormal behaviour'.

She also alleged that the boy had fixated on Zayneb, calling her 'my doll', and had likely touched her unsupervised a day prior to her fall.

'The day before, Zayneb had already been found without a diaper or electrodes, wet and suffering from hypothermia,' Karima claimed.

Now, questions are mounting as to how the boy was able to gain access to Zayneb's crib in the neonatal unit alone, despite being reported as a 'disruptive presence' in the hospital.

Karima explained how the boy was running riot in the halls for days after being dropped off at the hospital each morning by his father.

'The father would drop him off in the ward from 7am to 8pm,' she said.

Mohamed-Hamza's cousin Karima alleged that the six-year-old boy had fixated on Zayneb, calling her 'my doll', and had likely touched her unsupervised a day prior to her fall

Zayneb's grandmother, Fatma, told the Voix du Nord newspaper: 'The boy would arrive at 7am and spend all day running up and down the hallways.

'All the mothers were complaining, and a nurse even warned the child's mother that there was a problem. He was entering the other rooms.

'He also entered Zayneb's room for the first time. He said she looked like a doll, and my husband, who was there, took him out.'

'It seems he tried to grab her by her nappy, and she fell on her head,' Fatma concluded.

'My family is destroyed... My daughter is devastated. Coming home without her baby is inconceivable.'

Zayneb's distraught father, Mohamed-Hamza, told Le Parisien he doesn't blame the boy who allegedly caused his daughter's life-ending injuries, but hit out at the hospital for their lack of care.

'Every six-year-old is a little disruptive. I don't blame the mother; she had just given birth... But the child should have been supervised,' the 23-year-old declared.

Fatma added that she had to push medical staff to arrange psychological support for her inconsolable daughter-in-law after she was informed her child had died.

A criminal investigation into the tragedy was opened this week by the juvenile unit of the Lille Judicial Police Service, in conjunction with local prosecutors.

The hospital also announced the opening of 'an internal administrative investigation'.

A spokesperson said: 'This human tragedy has deeply affected the staff and teams of Lille University Children's Hospital, as well as the other families present.'

A separate statement provided to French press acknowledged 'a particularly serious and upsetting exceptional event, unrelated to care'.

'The thoughts of the University Hospital professionals are first and foremost with the young victim, her family, and her loved ones,' it read.

The hospital also added that 'measures to strictly limit visits to the neonatal units of the Lille University Hospital have been taken as a precautionary measure'.

Mohamed-Hamza and Sephora have not yet filed an official complaint, but dismissed the statement.

'It won't bring my daughter back... But we're waiting for answers. There was a breach, and I'm going to fight to identify those responsible.

'Justice will do its job,' he told Le Parisien.
An American realtor high on 'hallucinogenic substances' destroyed part of an airport immigration hall after being asked to show his passport for inspection, it's claimed.

Emmanuel Hernandez, 42, was filmed embarking on a violent meltdown at Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia, on Thursday.

The New Yorker had just disembarked a flight from Miami and was already high on drugs by the time he was asked to hand over his travel document, it is claimed.

Hernandez was seen on an embarrassing video destroying the panel of a booth as petrified travelers kept their distance.

'F*** you,' Hernandez shouted. 'You think you can f*** around with the wrong motherf*****.'

Hernandez then punched the booth Plexiglass window and screamed, 'Now f*** everybody.'

He continued to shout more expletives before he stepped inside the booth and again punched the window.

Multiple Colombia Migration officers approached in an unsuccessful bid to calm Hernandez, who told them, 'Nobody arrests me in Colombia.'

He then picked up a computer monitor and slammed it to the ground before shouting 'f*** everybody.'

Emmanuel Hernandez, of New York, may be removed from Colombia after he was arrested for destroying an immigration booth Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena on Thursday

The 42-year-old New York native lost his temper when he was about to have his passport inspected after arriving in Cartagena on a flight from Miami on Thursday

Four agents charged at Hernandez and struggled to contain him until they were able to escort him away.

Hernandez, who was arrested on a property damage charge, was expected to appear before a judge at the Attorney General's office in Cartagena.

Bruno Hernandez, the secretary of the city's Interior and Citizen Coexistence Ministry, slammed Emmanuel Hernandez's behavior and called for his immediate removal from the country.

'This administration ... has promoted sustainable tourism, cultural tourism, and in the same way, visitors who come to the city of Cartagena,' Bruno Hernandez said in a statement Friday.

'That's what we want and that's what we're looking for: respectful people, people who come to enjoy our city.'

Bruno Hernandez, the secretary of the Cartagena's Interior and Citizen Coexistence Ministry, called on Colombia's border control agency to remove Emmanuel Hernandez (pictured), who was arrested Thursday after destroying an immigration booth at Rafael Nunez International Airport

New York resident Emmanuel Hernandez holds a computer monitor before slamming it to the ground during the middle of his tantrum at Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia on Thursday

The secretary said his office has already met with Carlos Garcia, the director of Colombia's border control agency, and asked that Emmanuel Hernandez face the toughest punishment under law.

'Once the legal situation is resolved, this person will be placed at the disposal of Colombian Immigration, where we have held meetings with the director of Colombian Immigration and have categorically requested the highest sanction, which should be expulsion from the country,' Bruno Hernandez said.

'This decision by Colombian Migration should be exemplary and should set a precedent, where all we want as a city is respectful visitors, and, as we said before, visitors who come and enjoy the city of Cartagena in peace.'

The incident comes as the office of Cartagena Mayor Dumek Turbay have been working on addressing the amount of time that travelers have to wait to have their passports and other identification documents revised before boarding their flights.

'Up to 10 officers are working simultaneously to ensure a more streamlined and orderly process,' the city's tourism secretary Teremar Londono, said according to Colombian news outlet Semana.

'We have increased the number of officers and are managing the strengthening of our permanent operational staff throughout the year. This has significantly reduced wait times at immigration checkpoints.'

Colombia, once notorious for its cocaine industry and crime, has become an increasingly popular tourist destination in recent years.

Cartagena is a stunning city that sits on the Caribbean Sea that offers gorgeous sandy beaches and rich local culture.
A coroner has criticised care home bosses for leaving an 18-year-old girl with learning disabilities at the mercy of a necrophilia-obsessed teenager who had a history of violent attacks on women and went on to murder her.

Melissa Mathieson was strangled to death by Jason Conroy, also 18, at a care home in Bristol in October 2014.

Maria Voisin, the senior coroner for Avon, said there was a 'catalogue of failures' including 'reckless conduct at a senior manager level' which allowed the killing to take place despite warnings from staff and Melissa herself.

The teenager was attacked by Conroy at Alexandra House, which provided residential care for adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Conroy, now aged 28, was jailed for life for the sexually motivated killing.

Avon Coroner's Court heard how he once tried to strangle a teacher so he could abuse her and had also attempted to kill his mother.

Conroy, originally from Guernsey, moved to Bristol from a boarding school in the Midlands following the incident with the teacher.

The school had commissioned a report from a forensic psychologist which concluded that he posed a physical risk to others because of his sexualised behaviour.

Melissa Mathieson, 18, was strangled at Alexandra House in Bristol in October 2014 by fellow resident Jason Conroy, who was fascinated by necrophilia

Conroy, now aged 28, was jailed for life for the sexually motivated killing at the care home which provided care for adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome

They warned the managers of Alexandra House about the risk, but this was not reflected in his care plans, which only listed basic information.

The directors of the company which ran the home later pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence and were fined 125,000.

Ms Voisin said the conduct of senior managers at Alexandra House in failing to understand the danger Conroy posed to others amounted to a 'gross breach of duty'.

'This I consider to be reckless conduct at senior management level,' she said.

'The support plan and risk assessment drafted by Alexandra House's senior management was not sufficient to protect Melissa.

'The risk was, and should have been obvious, to Alexandra House from the school care plan and risk assessment, the numerous meetings before Jason's placement began, the Grant report, the concerns raised by staff and the concerns raised by Melissa herself, who was frightened of him.

'Based on the evidence, it was the gross breach of Alexandra House's duty of care to Melissa that caused her death, as it allowed a known dangerous young man who was under no supervision at the time the opportunity to murder her.'

In a narrative conclusion, the coroner said Miss Mathieson 'died as a result of unlawful killing caused by both the act of strangulation and also due to the acts and omissions by the home entrusted with her care'.

The inquest, which was resuming into Miss Mathieson's death more than 10 years after her murder, was attended by her father, James (right)

'The home failed Melissa in numerous ways,' she said.

'The resident who went on to strangle her, should not have been placed in the same facility as Melissa at all based on his known risks.

'The decision was wrongly made to place him in the same facility with an ineffective care plan and risk assessment, with staff that were not trained on his level of risk, and managers who failed to act when concerns were highlighted by staff and Melissa.'

Support workers at the home told the inquest they did not know about his history of predatory sexual behaviour.

Several staff told the hearing they would never have been alone with Conroy if they knew of the risk he posed to others, and described reporting their concerns to supervisors.

Miss Mathieson, who was from Windsor, Berkshire, had been sent to Alexandra House by social services when she turned 18, having spent the previous two years in a series of different placements.

In a letter written before her death, Miss Mathieson blamed social services for 'destroying' her life.

Titled Social Services Have Destroyed My Life, she wrote: 'This was a terrible time for me, and I felt like I was dragged away from my home and everything I knew and being completely disrupted.

The inquest heard Miss Mathieson, who was from Windsor, Berkshire, had been sent to Alexandra House (pictured) by social services when she turned 18, having spent the previous two years in a series of different placements

'They never took into consideration my age or the distance from my family. I was still a child, just very confused.'

The letter was read to the court as part of the written evidence of Miss Mathieson's mother, Karen, who died from cancer a year after her daughter's death.

Mrs Mathieson said 'the system' had failed her daughter and had also failed Conroy.

'Melissa did not have a nasty bone in her body. She was a gentle, kind and lovely girl.

'Not only has Jason Conroy ended Melissa's life, but he has also ended his own. He should have had his problems addressed a long time ago,' she said.

'The system has failed him, and it has failed Melissa.

'We question the professionals who have had the responsibility for his care, as much as we do of those who had a responsibility for Melissa's care.'

Miss Mathieson's father, James, said he felt 'helpless' because he and his wife had not been listened to by social services.

'Karen and I blame Jason Conroy for our daughter's death,' he said.

'But at the same time, how can we blame him when he had said what he was going to do to professionals and was allowed to carry it out.

'We blame the people who put him there with Melissa.'

Her mother previously told the court: 'As parents of two autistic children, we did not find Melissa's behaviour more challenging as she got older.

'The problem for us was the involvement (of) social services... who we just found to be impossible.

'They did not seem to realise that Melissa loved the attention she got from people in authority and would often play them to get what she wanted.

'However, from the age of about 16, we felt that we no longer had a voice.

'Social services were putting ideas in her head about living away from home, and ultimately, it was this that put Melissa in danger.'
A British woman in her 20s has been found dead behind a church in France.

The woman, who has not been named, is understood to have been on holiday in Normandy at the time of her death.

She was found by a walker around 9am this morning on the rocks below the St-Nicolas church in Barfleur, where she was reportedly staying with her partner.

Sources close to the investigation told Ouest France that the woman is believed to have drowned. The church overlooks the Channel.

Criminal investigators joined forensic and research reams, as well as gendarmerie, at the scene before the body was removed for autopsy this afternoon.

The cause of death was initially 'somewhat unclear', France3 reports.

The woman's partner was taken into care, local media reports.They were reportedly staying with her family in a rented cottage near the port.

File photo: Barfleur in Normandy, France. Undated.

File photo: The Saint Nicolas church in Barfleur, Normandy. Undated.

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Police are now conducting interviews as part of their investigation.

Authorities were still on the scene around 2pm, according to Le Manche Libre.

Barfleur is a small fishing village of some 700 residents in the north of France, largely untouched by tourism and rated one of the country's most attractive communes.

MailOnline approached the local gendarmerie for comment.

This news is breaking: more to follow.
In court in America, Bryan Kohberger, 30, has pleaded guilty to the murder of students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, who have become known as the Idaho Four. This follows a plea deal to save him from the death penalty.

Here, thriller writer James Patterson and investigative journalist Vicky Ward delve into the crime that shocked America and the mind of the weird individual who carried it out.

Chief, we've got a bad situation. James Fry, chief of police for the small town of Moscow in the north-western state of Idaho, picks up the call informing him of a mass homicide: four murders at a student lodging house.

Its Sunday, and Fry is about an hour into the four-hour drive back from an overnight stay with friends. He struggles to grasp what Captain Tyson Berrett, the commander of the campus police, is telling him  that four young people, students at the University of Idaho (which the town is home to), have been stabbed to death.

In their bedrooms. In their beds. In a residence thats part of a large cluster of student housing right on the edge of the campus. And no one heard a thing.

Who in Gods name could have done this? Fry wonders. And will there be more killings? Because somewhere out there in his quiet, law-abiding community, a place where nothing ever happens, a maniacal murderer is on the loose. He floors the accelerator to get back to Moscow at top speed.

There, Captain Berrett is outside 1122 King Road, a house that is famous on campus as Party Central. Just a few weeks into the autumn term of 2022, its occupants have made a name for themselves for hosting the best and most frequent parties at UI. With its sliding doors, perfect for stargazing, its a place where people want to come, relax, have a drink, have fun.

It was blonde, vivacious Maddie Mogen who took over the King Road lease and has pulled together a great group of girls to live there  Dylan Mortensen, Xana Kernodle, Bethany Funke, Kaylee Goncalves and herself. They mark their coming together there with a group photograph which Maddie gleefully posts on public forums.

She doesnt think of any risks associated with exposing themselves in that way. Why would she? The more followers you have, the better for the career in marketing she is planning when she graduates. Nor does she think twice about plastering her initials on the window of her room for anyone to see from outside and placing her signature pink cowboy boots on the sill.

In court in America, Bryan Kohberger, 30, has pleaded guilty to the murder of four students

Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who have become known as the Idaho Four

Neighbours are used to seeing Maddie sitting at her dressing table as she takes her time putting on her face. Foundation. Then blush. Eye shadow, mascara or fake lashes. She uses a curling iron to style her long blonde hair. Anyone can see right into her rooms pink interior and discover the minutiae of her life as a cutesy girl who likes order. Even her quilt is pink.

She has a boyfriend named Jake who visits at weekends and sits on the bed while Maddie and the other girls model clothes for Instagram and TikTok. Kaylee, one of her friends, often pops in from next door. They are obviously close as they pore over their phones, comparing social media posts, taking photos and videos of each other. Theyre having the time of their life.

Theyre so immersed in their phones and their cosiness that they never think to look outside. They dont see anyone out there, staring in.

Its the early hours of Sunday, November 11 and everyone has been out partying the Saturday night away in clubs, pubs and fraternity houses. At 1.56am Kaylee and Maddie head back home to King Road and chat in the living room. Dylan is in her room, wasted. Bethany is in her room, asleep. Shortly after, Xana and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin return home.

Kaylee and Maddie chat on the couch a little longer and then go upstairs and collapse on Maddies bed. Murphy, Kaylees goldendoodle, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle, is in Kaylees room. She often leaves him there when shes out.

At 4.17am, Dylan is in her bed, drifting in and out of sleep. The walls of her bedroom are so paper-thin that earlier she could hear almost everything Maddie and Kaylee and Ethan and Xana were saying as they chatted in the living room. Next thing she hears is stomping as they go up the stairs. She can dimly hear music from one of their bedrooms.

But then everything turns surreal. Not sure whether shes dreaming or awake, she thinks she hears Kaylee frantically say, Theres someone here just moments after going up the stairs. Huh? That doesnt seem right. And yet it also does, because so many people come and go in the house. She gets up and opens her door a crack. Nothing.

She thought she could hear Xana moving around, doubtless getting a food delivery like she always did after a big night out. And anyway it wasnt unusual for people to pop in and out of 1122 King Road even at 4am. It was a party house. And people knew to come in through the sliding doors by the kitchen. The lock was broken and you just had to lift the mechanism up and the door released.

Kaylee Goncalves was one of the Idaho four and a member of the friendship group

It was blonde, vivacious Maddie Mogen, pictured wearing pink cowboy boots, who took over the King Road lease and has pulled together a great group of girls to live there

Dylan goes back to bed. But then she hears someone crying. Is it Xana? She gets up again and opens her door a fraction of an inch. She hears a male voice say: Its okay. Im going to help you. Theres a thud. And Murphy starts to bark. Dylan shuts her door again. Is she going crazy? Now theres silence again.

She opens the door a third time. Thats when she sees what she calls the firefighter. Hes got bushy eyebrows; hes wearing a mask. Hes holding a firefighting object, a bit like a vacuum. Or thats what she thought he must be, since he wore a mask and was clad head to toe in black.

Was there a fire? Where was the smoke? She was confused. He was walking toward the back sliding doors. They make eye contact for a split second. She shuts her door and looks around for her Taser. The battery is dead.

She tries calling Bethany downstairs. Nothing. But then, thank God, Bethany phones her back. Dylan tells her she thinks she saw someone. In black. Masked. Their call lasts less than a minute. Dylan then calls Xana. No reply. She calls Kaylee. Nothing.

She calls Bethany again. They speak for 41 seconds. Dylan is breathing heavily. Shes terrified. Has she gone crazy? Is she hallucinating? Bethany phones Xana. She also gets no answer. Dylan tries Maddie. Nothing. Bethany phones Ethan. Nothing.

Bethany tells Dylan to come to her room. Run! she says, and Dylan does just that. The two friends cling to one another until, exhausted and terrified, they pass out. When they wake around 8am they tell each other they must have been hallucinating.

A couple of hours later, Dylan texts Maddie: R u up? Theres no reply, but thats not abnormal. Dylan dozes off again. Over an hour later, she rouses and also texts Kaylee: R u up? Nothing. Now shes starting to panic again. Perhaps it wasnt a dream after all. Its all coming back to her  the man, his bulging blue eyes that caught hers. His thick, dark eyebrows. The mask.

Just before midday, she phones her friend Emily, who is at her apartment in the building next to 1122. Can you come over? Something weird happened last night. I dont really know if I was dreaming or not, but I think there was a man here, and Im really scared. Can you come check out the house?

Here, thriller writer James Patterson and investigative journalist Vicky Ward delve into the crime that shocked America and the mind of the weird individual who carried it out

Emily laughs. Dylan can get really, really drunk. This is not the first time shes heard a story like this from her. Ha-ha. Should I bring my pepper spray? she asks. But her boyfriend, Hunter Johnson, has a sixth sense that something is wrong and is ahead of her as they race next door.

He makes his way up the steps and enters the house, passing Dylan and Bethany, who are barefoot, hands over their mouths, crying. He goes up the stairs and heads to the passage that will take him to Xanas room. He sees her door is cracked open a few inches. Unusual. Xana never sleeps with the door open.

He looks in and sees Xana lying on the floor as if shed fallen backward into the room.

Ethan is motionless in the bed behind her, facing toward the wall. There are rivers of blood. He turns around, goes downstairs, and says as calmly as he can to Dylan and Bethany: Call 911. And stay outside.

He then goes back up the stairs and heads to the kitchen, where he opens a drawer and takes out a kitchen knife. Hes terrified as he waits for the cops in the living room. He says nothing to the others, trying to protect them from both the sight and the reality. But he already knows the horrific truth: Xana and Ethan are dead.

Hunter doesnt know if Kaylee and Maddie are even in the house, but he fears the worst.

The devil has been at 1122 King Road.

Shortly after, the first police officer to arrive is Mitch Nunes, just 22 years old and only a year into the job. He is expecting a routine situation, probably a student whos over-imbibed, and is preparing himself to administer CPR. He asks Hunter Johnson, who is still gripping the kitchen knife, to show him the unconscious person.

University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, right, and Ethan Chapin. Both students were among four found stabbed to death in an off-campus rental home in 2022

Johnson takes Nunes upstairs and shows him Xana and Ethan. Nunes takes their pulses. They are dead, clearly the victims of a brutal stabbing. In addition to other wounds, Xanas fingers are almost severed, suggesting she put up a fight. Ethan looks as if he died while asleep, stabbed in the buttocks and the neck.

Nunes takes out his gun as he checks the rest of the house for the perpetrator. Theres no sign of anyone. Whoever did this must have fled. On the top floor, he finds a dog, a goldendoodle, in one room. In the other, Maddies room, he sees two young women, Kaylee and Maddie, lying in Maddies bed. Also stabbed to death.

Most were stabbed with a large knife, with just one blow the lethal one in each case. The ferocity is terrifying. A coroner later conjectures that it had to be somebody who was pretty angry.

Four young people are dead and in the most brutal fashion. But why? On scene now is campus chief of police Berrett. He knows not just from his years of experience but from common sense that the probability of some random stranger knifing four people to death in their bedrooms is almost nil.

Theres a connection somewhere between whoever did this and at least one of the victims. There always is. And it is Emily who finds the link, speculating about Maddie in her part-time job, waitressing at the Mad Greek, a 40-seat restaurant with a vegan-friendly menu. Maddie can make as much as $80 per shift, which covers the fuel for her car, her Ulta credit card for beauty products and the trendy clothes she likes so much.

Maddie wipes down a table and turns to get fresh cutlery to seat new customers. Then she notices him. Unusual-looking. Intense bulging eyes. Thin, almost emaciated. And pale, almost ghost white. Hes raising his hand. He wants her attention. She smooths her skirt and walks over with a smile.

He orders a vegan pizza to go. Hes staring at her intently. Maddie is used to male attention, but this time it feels uncomfortable. Im Bryan, he says. Whats your name?

Maddie hesitates, then tells him. Why wouldnt she? Everyone here knows it.

She hands him the bill and, as he pays, he asks, Would you like to go out sometime?

This is an easy one, Maddie thinks. The idea of going out with this strange-looking guy is surreal. Maddie is anything but easy, even for guys she likes. And she doesnt know or like this one.

She flicks back her hair. Uh, no, she says. She smiles, laughs a bit. Its a nervous habit she has, especially with guys she turns down. She doesnt mean anything rude by it.

But this guy looks at her strangely, like he doesnt believe what hes hearing. He gets up slowly, still staring at her, and walks out.

Maddie shakes her head and goes about her business. She doesnt see the guy walk to his car, a white Hyundai Elantra, sit in the drivers seat, and type her name into his phone.

Her Instagram, with the photos of her past and present, is there for all to see. Maddie in a bikini. Maddie with her room-mates. Maddie and her friends posing in skimpy clothes before a night out.

He presses Like once, twice, three times. And then he looks and likes some more.

Six months earlier, in the town of Pullman - just over the state border in Washington and 10 miles from Moscow - Chief Gary Jenkins, head of the Police Department, looks at his list of questions and then at the internship candidate hes zooming with.

The name of the guy staring back at him on the screen is Bryan Kohberger. Jenkins has no idea where hes from or where hes situated for their online meeting. He certainly has no idea that just last month Kohberger purchased a Ka-Bar knife, sheath, and sharpener on Amazon for unknown purposes.

James Fry, chief of police for the small town of Moscow in the north-western state of Idaho, picked up the call informing him of a mass homicide: four murders at a student lodging house

What Chief Jenkins does know is that Kohberger, 27, is an incoming graduate student and teaching assistant in the well-regarded criminology department at Washington State University  WSU or Wazzu, as its called  which is in Pullman. Jenkins can see the guy is hyper-focused, but not much else stands out about him, good or bad.

But theres something anti-social about him that makes Jenkins wary. He gives the internship to someone else, and he doesnt think much about the guy after that. Barely remembers his name, even.

Kohberger was, in fact, contacting him from Pennsylvania, where he grew up, a troubled teenager, brushes with the police, alienated from his family. Hes diagnosed as Aspergers; he also dabbles in heroin, with needle scars peppering his arms. Above all, hes lonely and full of rage that girls want nothing to do with him.

At DeSales University, where hes studying criminal psychology, theres something so spooky about him they call him the Ghost. He shows a particular interest in killers, particularly the serial kind.

And of the greatest fascination for him is the study of Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old Californian from a wealthy family who in 2014 expressed his fury at still being a virgin by going on a gun rampage and murdering seven people. He declares it his revenge on all the girls who rejected him since he hit puberty. I hate you all. I desired you so much but you looked down upon me as an inferior man.

He kept a journal outlining his sexual and social frustrations and his various coping mechanisms: video games, late-night drives, trips to the gun range, buying lottery tickets, attempting a new life in Santa Barbara. But none of it gave him sex or girls or the friends he so craved.

Rodger wrote a 137-page manifesto he titled My Twisted World and emailed it to his therapist, who sent it to his mother, who received it minutes before her son began his killing spree, at the end of which he shot himself dead.

As the psychology students at DeSales learn about Rodger, they dont realise that one among them, Kohberger, exhibits every single one of his symptoms. They dont know about the complaints he makes in private messages about life on Broke Bachelor Mountain. They dont know that he too is a virgin who hates women.

Like Rodger, he copes with loneliness by immersing himself in video games, by going for solitary night drives, by visiting the gun range. And, like Rodger, he goes to local bars and tries to pick up women.

He thinks women must surely notice him, spot his looks, his intelligence, and want him.

They dont. So, after a few drinks, Bryan pushes his way into unwanted conversations with both female bartenders and female customers. He even asks for their addresses.

Women start complaining to the manager about the creepy guy with the bulging eyes.

The hurt festers inside him even as he completes his degree. Hes doing so well that one of his professors recommends him for a PhD in criminal justice at Washington State University. He decides on one last try to get his life on track. He packs up his gear, his new knife included, gets in his car and drives to the other side of America, to the Pacific Northwest.

There, at Washington State, the famed criminology and criminal justice graduate programme has attracted an international elite bunch of seven women and four men, who are pursuing masters or PhD degrees. At a meet-and-greet, Kohberger stands out. Hes painfully thin. His eyes move too quickly, and the bags under them are dark and too prominent for someone his age.

He never takes off his jacket, even in the August heat, keeping his forearms covered in public to hide the telltale track marks of his past heroin addiction. Its all part of his plan to start fresh. Become the man he dreams of being. He makes a beeline for the senior faculty members, pumping their hands and working the room. Im Bryan, he says, and Im excited to be here.

As he sits in class, Kohberger reflects on incels - that is, involuntary celibates, members of a movement of frustrated men, all virgins, that sprang up in the wake of Elliot Rodgers mass murder and suicide. The idea behind it is that one day the incels will succeed in overthrowing the Beckys, Stacys and Chads who have managed to make them feel so small and rejected. The group is increasingly associated with violence.

Bryan looks around the class. These women could all be considered Beckys, defined by incels as feminists who dye their hair, post stupid opinions and insist on being the dominant ones in relationships. They need to be put in their place. By contrast, Stacys are stereotypically nubile, used to male attention, prolific on social media, and date hunky, rich Chads.

Bryan gives his presentation to the group, going first, which is what he likes to do. Then the Becky next to him starts hers. He leans in closely, paying attention. As soon as shes done, he goes on the offensive. He fires questions at her to show how smart he is and how dumb she is.

Shes getting annoyed. The other women are visibly annoyed. Bryan isnt bothered.

He is bothered, though, not long after when hes sitting in the class of Dr Hillary Mellinger. She is an advocate for immigrant women and girls who are fleeing men perpetrating gender-based violence by knocking them around. Incels might dismiss her as just another Becky.

Bryan isnt paying much attention. Its the end of a long day and hes tired. But Dr Mellinger suddenly turns to him and puts him on the spot with a question about immigration that he hasnt prepared for. A member of the class recalls: He was trying to say something, but he couldnt find the words. He didnt move, didnt speak. Dr. Mellinger looks shocked at his lack of response. The Beckys all stare at him.

Fortunately for Kohberger, this happens in the final few minutes of class. Hes the last to leave the room, so no one sees his face as he heads to his car, red-hot angry and ashamed. The stuttering, awkward guy, the real self hed tried to leave behind in Pennsylvania, just appeared like a jack-in-the-box.

Its a reasonable speculation that not long after, Bryan goes for an evening drive in the dark. He drives when he cant sleep. When his head is full of demons mocking him. He keeps asking himself: Why am I like this? But he finds no answer.

To make matters worse, he has no one to share his hopelessness with, even if he could find the words to express his feelings. The others on the course dont seem to want to hang out with him. He knows the class gathers on weekends for a beer but no one has invited him to join them.

In his car, he crosses the state border into Idaho, parks in the centre of Moscow and heads to a place hes read about online: the Mad Greek. He walks inside and instantly notices the blonde waitress. Her name is Maddie. With her long hair and sphinx-like blue eyes, she would definitely be marked as a Stacy by the incels, the epitome of the women who turn down men like him.

She comes over to ask what hed like. He knows what hed like. Her. God help her if she turns him down.

Adapted from The Idaho Murders by James Patterson and Vicky Ward (Century, 20), to be published 31st July.  James Patterson 2025. To order a copy for 18 (offer valid to 02/08/25; UK P&P free on orders over 25) go to www.mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
A California parole agent was fatally shot in the line of duty after an assailant stormed his office.

Joshua Lemont Byrd, 40, died after the attacker stormed the Division of Adult Parole Operations office in Oakland at around 12:50 pm on Thursday.

The suspect then fled from the building but was later detained by Oakland Police Department (OPD) officers.

He was identified as Bryan Keith Hall, who was recently paroled from prison, according to Fox KTVU.

Hall, 48, has a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing a man in the neck on Lakeshore - a neighborhood in Oakland - in a case handled by the OPD and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Father-of-three Byrd was transported to Highland Hospital, where he tragically died.

On Thursday evening, law enforcement officers from the OPD, Alameda County Sheriffs Office, CHP and state patrol lined up outside the hospital as Byrds body - shielded by an American flag - was carried out and placed into an Alameda County coroners vehicle.

'This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage  and we're forever grateful,' California Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis said in a statement on Thursday.

Joshua Lemont Byrd (pictured) - parole officer in California - was tragically shot and killed in his office on Thursday

Byrd (left) was shot inside the Division of Adult Parole Operations office in Oakland at around 12:50 pm, according to state officials

'We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR in mourning this tragedy.'

Byrd left behind a wife and three children. A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family members and other loved ones.

'Byrd was a great guy and officer. He was very dependable and cared for all. He was a Navy veteran before he joined CDCR and Parole.' Byrd's partner Hugh Soloman explained on the GoFundMe page.

'Byrd started at CMF and was with us for a good long while before he transferred over to Parole.

'The purpose of the donation is to help the family in the uncertain and tragic time. The honor box will show his family how much he was loved and honored.'

Over 500 people have donated to the GoFundMe, raising over $50,000 in total, with a goal of $75,000.

The motive of the shooting remains unclear and has not been released at this stage.

The CHP said in a statement: 'We do not believe there is any ongoing danger to the public.'

Byrd's death is the first line-of-duty loss for CDCR since 2018.

On Thursday evening, law enforcement officers from the OPD, Alameda County Sheriffs Office, CHP and state patrol lined up outside the hospital as Byrds body - shielded by an American flag - was carried out and placed into an Alameda County coroners vehicle

Flags at the state Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space will be flown at half-staff in Byrds honor, according to Newsom's office.

Byrd served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 11 years.

Hall was paroled from prison a week and a half before the murder.
Police and social services failings may have contributed to the fatal stabbing of a 'peaceful and loving' musician by a mentally ill teenage girl, a coroner has ruled.

Nimroy Hendricks, 24, was pursued down the road and stabbed in the chest by the 14-year-old youngster.

He collapsed in the street and despite frantic efforts by paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest found the musician had been put at risk due to a failure by police and social services to take appropriate action.

The girl - who was known to be vulnerable and was on a Child Protection Plan - had been flagged as posing a 'high risk' and often 'carried a knife' around with her.

Just four days before the fatal attack, the girl - referred to as Child A - had gone missing from her home in Three Bridges, Crawley in West Sussex.

Police located her but were unable to return her home, because her mother was away in London.

Officers decided not to take her into protective custody and instead allowed her to stay with a woman who claimed to be her 'cousin'.

Police and social services failings may have contributed to the fatal stabbing of 'peaceful and loving' musician Nimroy Hendricks, a coroner has ruled

Lisa and Nimroy Hendricks paid tribute to their 'confident, happy and inquisitive' son

The couple were present at the inquest, which concluded today in Horsham, West Sussex

However the woman was not a relative and was known to police as a drug user with previous criminal convictions.

Today a coroner ruled that failings by Sussex Police and social services at West Sussex County Council may have contributed to the death of the 'peaceful and loving' musician.

Penelope Schofield, senior coroner for West Sussex, said officers had failed to check whether the adult allowed to take in the teenager the night before the killing was actually her cousin.

Instead they left Child A on the side of a road at 2am with a woman purporting to be her cousin.

She said: 'The police did not physically attend the address given to them and therefore did not realise this person was not a relative.'

Ms Schofield also said social services had failed to hold an emergency strategy meeting which had been organised when the child went missing.

She said that as a result 'there was no opportunity to put in place additional safeguarding measures.'

Ms Schofield added: 'It is possible that had these matters been addressed, the perpetrator may not have been in a position to carry out the act which led to Mr Hendrick's death.'

Armed police carried out a search around Crawley after the incident in October 2020

Speaking after the inquest his parents Nimroy Hendricks Snr and Lisa Hendricks said their son had been failed but they were relieved by the coroner's findings.

Lisa said: 'Nim should never have been put in the position he was. The authorities were well aware of the risk posed by the child.'

She said the impact on the family had been shattered by his death and accused the police and social services of trying to cover up their errors.

Mr Hendricks said: 'The police and authorities failed, they failed in every sense of the word.'

The inquest in Horsham, West Sussex, heard the 14-year-old girl had a history of violence and suffered from mental health problems.

She had been diagnosed with PTSD and a split personality disorder, had a criminal record and had previously attacked police.

The hearing was told the girl had suffered a 'turbulent' childhood and had been the repeated victim of sexual assault, sex abuse and child sexual exploitation which had compounded her mental health condition.

The teenager had recently moved from Birmingham and lived with her mother in a flat in Three Bridges.

The murder victim was named as Nimroy Hendricks, 24, who was a talented musician

Just four days before the fatal attack the girl had gone missing from home and could not be found.

Police were informed, launched a missing person investigation and eventually located her in the early hours of October 27, 2020.

But despite being missing from home and being classed as 'vulnerable' officers decided not to take her into protective custody.

Although it was known to police there were no relatives in the area, officers left the teenager with an 18-year-old she described as a 'cousin'.

The following day the girl returned to her home on her own then locked herself in her bedroom.

Mr Hendricks, known as Nim, was in a relationship with the girl's mother and had travelled from his home in London to the flat in Three Bridges to pick up some belongings.

When he arrived he found the flat in disarray and angrily banged on the girl's bedroom door.

Nim then left the property and was making his way towards a nearby train station when the girl, who had pursued him, confronted him in the street and stabbed him once in the chest.

Flowers were left in Russell Way, Crawley, following the death of Mr Hendricks. Friends described him as 'the nicest guy you'd ever meet'

The girl calmly walked off and told a bystander: 'I've stabbed Nim.'

Police arrested the girl, who had a criminal record, and she was later judged to be suffering from a 'significant abnormality of mind'.

The teenager pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Bristol Crown Court in 2022 and was sentenced to nine years - five in custody and four on extended licence.

During the two-week inquest, the girl - who is now 19 - was revealed to have had a long history of mental health problems and was repeatedly in trouble with the police.

From a young age, the girl was in contact with child services including child safeguarding, youth justice services and education agencies.

As well as having learning difficulties, she was known to have a mental age of around eight.

Just eight months before the fatal attack, the girl had stabbed her mother in the leg and tried to burn down her house.

She had been remanded to juvenile institution before being released back into the care of her mother.

Early in 2020 the girl and her mother had moved from Birmingham to London before being placed in accommodation in West Sussex.

It was there the girl's mother met Mr Hendricks, a talented musician who worked as a carer, and the pair began a relationship.

The girl continued to make threats of violence towards her mother and, although she started attending a specialist education centre, she continued to pose a threat of violence.

On October 24 the teenager disappeared from the flat and was reported to police as being missing from home.

The girl was located by police and her mother, who was staying in London, asked officers to take her daughter to a safe place.

Frederick Powell, lawyer for the family, said Nim had never been told the risk of violence from the girl.

He said: 'Nim was overlooked. He was never told of the risk this child posed. He was in a blindspot due to the failure of examining what was known.'

Paying tribute to her son, his mother Lisa Hendricks said Nim had been a hugely loving child before growing up to become a talented musician.

She said: 'He was a leader and a performer. He loved books and reading. He was confident, happy and inquisitive.

'He was a joy to us. He loved the environment, the mountains and being close to the sea.'
A 'loving mother' who used her children in a drugs plot to smuggle 14.4million of cocaine into the UK has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars.

Farzana Kauser, 54, worked with an unidentified accomplice in Pakistan known as 'Uncle' to mastermind bringing 180kg of the Class A drug from Cancun, Mexico, to Birmingham Airport.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation revealed it was the fifth time the 54-year-old had couriered the high purity drugs into the airport between August and November last year by using her four sons, one daughter and daughter-in-law.

The plot saw the offenders book short one or two-night trips to Amsterdam or Dublin, where they would travel without any luggage.

They then timed their return to coincide with flights from Cancun where a corrupt insider stuffed suitcases full of the drugs onto the West Midlands-bound flights for them to retrieve at baggage collection.

When arrested at the airport on November 11, 2024, Kauser claimed she was only there to collect her children, who were carrying the drugs with a street value of around 14.4million.

Some of it was due to be passed to a courier from another Organised Crime Group (OCG), with the remainder taken back to Kauser's home on Waterlily Road in Manningham, Bradford, before being distributed.

Kauser was today jailed for 13 years and four months at Birmingham Crown Court.

Farzana Kauser (above) worked with an unidentified accomplice in Pakistan to mastermind bringing 180kg of the Class A drug from Cancun, Mexico, to Birmingham Airport

Before being snared, Kauser was caught on CCTV with her children at the Cancun baggage carousel.

They had received photographs of the suitcases - which were loaded unaccompanied onto the flight and packed with cocaine - from an unidentified member of the OCG.

The family then walked through customs as though returning with their own bags.

Her four eldest children admitted their roles in the conspiracy as well as another man who acted as a courier on behalf of another OCG.

All of the below were today also sentenced at court:

Safa Noor, 19, from Bradford, jailed for seven years and two months

Mohammed Aamir Shaffaq, 28, from Bradford, jailed for eight years and nine months

Umair Mohammed, 22, from Bradford, jailed for eight years and one month

Junaid Shaffaq, 33, from Bradford, jailed for ten years and nine months

Khaled Abdulkawi, 36, from Halesowen, Dudley, jailed for ten years and nine months

In addition, her youngest son, Hamza Shaffaq, and her daughter-in-law Sarah Hussain pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group.

Shaffaq will be sentenced in October, while Hussain received a two year sentence, suspended for two years.

Before being snared, Kauser was caught on CCTV (above) with her children at the Cancun baggage carousel

Rick Mackenzie, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, said: 'To her friends and people who thought they knew her, Farzana Kauser was a thoughtful, loving mum who seemed very normal.

'She was very well practised in her life as a high-end cocaine trafficker and she took great pains to delete any trail of evidence.

'She led this crime group with dedication and determination, often instructing her children on how to smuggle the drugs effectively and on what techniques to employ.

'She pushed her children into huge danger and has allowed their futures to be effectively destroyed.

'Her youngest son was just 17 when he was encouraged to play a major role in couriering drugs into the country, drugs that wreck countless lives across the UK in their links to violence, addiction and other crimes.

'The NCA works side by side with partners at home and abroad to combat the threat Class A drugs pose to the UK.'

When arrested, Kauser claimed she was at the airport to collect her children, who were carrying the drugs (above) with a street value of around 14.4million

Sarah Ingram from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'This was a sophisticated and well-planned operation to flood the UK with high-purity cocaine worth millions of pounds.

'What makes this case particularly concerning is the family nature of the conspiracy, with a mother recruiting her own children to participate in serious organised crime.

'The defendants thought they had devised a foolproof method to import drugs, but thanks to the vigilance and thorough investigation by the National Crime Agency and our prosecution, their criminal enterprise was brought to an end.

'By taking this organised crime group out of action, large amounts of drugs have been removed from circulation and can no longer reach our streets.

'This case demonstrates the commitment of the Crown Prosecution Service and law enforcement partners to disrupting drug supply chains and bringing those involved in serious organised crime to justice.'
An 'adrenaline junkie' brain surgeon who sued McLaren for 14m after a snowmobile crash has had his case thrown out after post-accident texts emerged of him telling company staff: 'No worries s*** happens[do] I owe you guys a snowmobile'.

Andrew Cannestra suffered multiple injuries when the skidoo he was riding careered off a forest track in Lapland during a 23,000 luxury break he had taken with his then partner Kaitlin Mealor.

The 54-year-old neurosurgeon, who specialises in spinal surgery, struck a tree after negotiating a forest turn and was out cold for 30 minutes following the impact in February 2020.

He went on to sue McLaren Automotive Events Ltd, claiming the impact of the crash on his future earnings alone exceeds 14million.

But lawyers for McLaren Automotive denied blame, insisting that on-the-spot guides did their utmost to ensure a safe skidoo trip, carefully briefing Mr Cannestra and his partner before they set off.

Dismissing the claim, Mr Justice Richie said that Mr Cannestra - who was dubbed an 'adrenaline junkie' by his then partner - had 'wanted more speed' and had caused the crash himself when he 'accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes'.

The briefing he and his partner received before riding had been adequate, the judge said, adding: 'They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that.

'He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky.'

The 54-year-old neurosurgeon, who specialises in spinal surgery, struck a tree after negotiating a forest turn and was out cold for 30 minutes following the impact in February 2020

Andrew Cannestra suffered multiple injuries when the skidoo he was riding careered off a forest track in Lapland during a 23,000 luxury break he had taken with his then partner Kaitlin Mealor

Neil Block KC - for Mr Cannestra - had told London's High Court that both riders were 'absolute novices' and argued their guides should have done more to explain the detailed layout of their route through the forest.

The surgeon crashed after a pause in the journey during which his guide had changed the drive mode so that the doctor's snowmobile could hit higher speeds.

The impact resulted in a brain haemorrhage and severe leg injuries, causing lasting problems with 'word-finding, comprehension, memory and fatigue' and worsening his previous hand tremor.

Mr Cannestra, who was earning around 1.8million per year, has had to give up brain surgery, although his lawyers say he 'continues to work to a limited extent.'

His KC claimed the lead guide 'rode at an excessive speed for a novice rider to follow safely'.

But Matthew Chapman KC - for McLaren Automotive - argued that Mr Cannestra had appeared a competent rider and fully in control of his snowmobile, adding that he had seemed 'eager' for his vehicle to be switched to a faster travel mode.

In his ruling, the judge pointed out that the surgeon had sent a post-accident text to McLaren staff, saying: 'No worries s*** happens I asked... if I owe you guys a snowmobile, or any other costs. Please let me know. It was my error and my responsibility.'

In another, he wrote: 'Thank you both so much for your help yesterday and thru my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour. Please let me know anything I am responsible for.... transport.... a snowmobile..... etc. we had a great time and all is good!'

In his evidence, Mr Cannestra had insisted his post accident messages did not amount to an admission of fault, also taking issue with any image of him being a thrill-seeker.

And although conceding he is a passionate classic car fan - having owned up to 33 at various times in the past - he explained that he never raced his vehicles, restricting himself to 'collecting and restoring them'.

The surgeon crashed after a pause in the journey during which his guide had changed the drive mode so that the doctor's snowmobile could hit higher speeds

But dismissing his claim, the judge said: 'Whilst the claimant was in Lapland on an expensive four-day driving experience for McLaren road cars on ice, he chose to drive a snowmobile as part of the ancillary fun activities provided by McLaren.

'He was following a guide round a snowy track through trees, but he lost control, drove off the track and hit a tree. He was injured. At first, he thought it was all his own fault, apologised and offered to pay for the smashed up snow mobile.

'A few months later, he instructed solicitors and by the end of July 2020 a pre-action protocol letter was written by his solicitors, to McLaren's solicitors, asserting negligence/breach of contract by the guide and claiming damages for personal injuries.

'After the accident, the claimant told the guide his glove had become stuck to the throttle. The claimant had sent a message offering to pay for the snowmobile because it was, using his words, "my error and my responsibility" and caused by "my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour".

'Negligence was denied. The cause of the crash was pleaded as the claimant accidentally accelerating whilst negotiating [a turn] instead of braking.

'I did not find Kaitlin Mealor's evidence to be of much assistance. She appeared to me to be playing a wing person role to support her ex-partner.

'I was not persuaded by her denial of the conversation...after the accident about the claimant being an adrenaline junkie who was always getting into accidents.

'This conversation may be put into context. The claimant had bought two McLaren road cars, which are up the top of the list of the most powerful vehicles on roads worldwide.

The wreckage of the snowmobile after Mr Cannestra crashed into a tree while negotiating an awkward forest turn

'They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that.

'He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky. I consider that he did understand this. He also understood that they would go through trees.

'I consider that about five minutes was an appropriate length for a briefing for just two customers. I find that the briefing complied with local Finnish standards.

'At the ambulance in the car park, he told [the guide] that he accidentally pressed the throttle in the middle of turn two and blamed his glove.

'At hospital, he told a medic he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes. He considered that he himself was the cause of the accident. He did not blame [the guide] for rushing him or disappearing.

'He reached turn two and turned through 25 degrees, then squeezed or pushed the throttle by mistake with his right hand and shot straight forwards into a tree. In whatever mode, that accidental throttle use would have caused him to go straight off the track.'

He said the guide was not dealing with a '17-year-old new car driver' who had just passed their driving test, adding: 'He was guiding a mature, supercar and jet-ski aficionado, who had ridden confidently and wanted more speed. The claimant was prepared to leave his partner behind to increase his own enjoyment.

'The claim will be dismissed and judgment will be entered for the defendant,' the judge concluded.
A gangster granny who ran a 80million drug empire with her family transporting cocaine around the UK was jailed for 20 years yesterday.

Deborah Mason, 65, revelled in her status as a cocaine kingpin, instructing her own family, whom she recruited as drug runners, to call her Gangster Debbs and Queen Bee.

The 65-year-old recruited her sister, four of her children, their partners and friends to ferry around a metric tonne of cocaine worth 80million from ports such as Harwich to make deliveries in Bristol, Cardiff, London, Leicester, Birmingham, Rotherham, Sheffield and Bradford, paying relatives 1,000 a trip.

Yesterday the 10-strong family gang from Islington, North London were jailed for more than 100 years at Woolwich Crown Court.

Prosecutor Charlotte Hole told the court that in many of the drug runs between April and November 2023, Mason brought her grandchildren as young as two who sat in a childs car seat amongst cardboard boxes stuffed with 5kg blocks of cocaine.

With the profits of her drug empire, the mother-of-seven splashed out on lavish holidays to Dubai and Bahrain, designer clothing, handbags and a 400 Gucci cat collar and lead with 9ct gold engraved name tag for her beloved Bengal cat called Ghost.

The grandmother, who was claiming over 50,000 a year in benefits, planned to make 90,000 in profits by the end of the year which she intended to pay for plastic surgery in Turkey.

Deborah Mason, 65 (pictured), revelled in her status as a cocaine kingpin, instructing her own family, whom she recruited as drug runners, to call her Gangster Debbs and Queen Bee

Mason is arrested prompting an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service

The 65-year-old bought a 400 Gucci cat collar and lead with 9ct gold engraved name tag for her beloved Bengal cat called Ghost

But when detectives raided Masons 1.5milliion terraced home in Islington, they found the self-proclaimed gangster gran not in her designer clothing, but sitting in her nightie in stunned silence on the toilet.

The court heart that such was Masons greed, she kept a share of her familys wages and even enlisted her drug-addicted son Reggie who had suffered a brain injury as a result of a cocaine overdose.

Mason made at least 20 drug deliveries, with officers following her from her Tufnell Park home to pick up shipments from Harwich Port at 6am before the cocaine blocks were divided amongst supermarket bags for life and sent to her offspring.

When police raided her childrens homes, they found bags of drugs hidden in designer Chloe bags and bundles of cash.

But some of the gang members claimed that the trips were just random day trips chosen by their toddlers playing with the sat nav.

Following an 11-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, the gang were convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in April.

Judge Philip Shorrock said Mason played a leading role in the distribution of a tonne of cocaine across the UK, telling her: As a mother you should have been setting an example to your children, not corrupting them.

Demi Bright is arrested by Met Police officers for her role in the family-run organised crime group

The youngest daughter Lillie Bright is arrested by the Met Police for her role in the organised crime group

'Deborah Mason recruited them (her relatives) to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars', the prosecutor said

Pictured are Demi Kendall and Tina Golding who were jailed for 13-and-a-half years and 10 years respectively

Lillie Bright and Demi Bright were sentenced to 13 and 11 years in jail respectively

Reggie Bright and Anita Slaughter received 15 and 13 years respectively

Roseanne Mason, 29, was sentenced to 11 years in jail

The gang were sentenced to a combined 106 years and six months' imprisonment.

Mason was jailed for 20 years, her daughters Roseanne Mason, 29, and Demi Bright, 30, received 11 years, while her youngest daughter Lillie Bright, 26, was sentenced to 13 years.

Masons son Reggie Bright, 24, was sentenced to 15 years, his partner Demi Kendall, 31, received a 13-and-a-half year sentence and a family friend Anita Slaughter, 44 also received 13 years.

Masons elder sister Tina Golding, 66, was also jailed for 10 years.

Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar said: This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved.

Following months of work by the Met Police to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators, we were able to arrest and eventually convict them, preventing more drugs flooding streets across the UK which leads to violence, antisocial behaviour and misery for communities.

The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles.

They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.

Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar said: This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved'

Some of the gang members claimed that the trips were just random day trips chosen by their toddlers playing with the sat nav

Pictured: The expensive collar Mason ordered for her beloved cat

Pictured: A small pet leash worth 205 Mason ordered for her beloved cat

The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles', the Met said

Robert Hutchinson, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was no ordinary family. Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars.

The CPS worked closely with the police from the earliest opportunity to make sure we had ample evidence to prosecute them for the full extent of their actions.

We reviewed thousands of messages and other digital evidence that not only revealed incriminating messages sent between them, but also a significant pattern of deleting messages, helping to prove that they all knew exactly what they were doing.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unwittingly spread a suspected hoax by an immigrant mom who allegedly faked her own kidnapping for GoFundMe cash.

The city leader took to X to share an article about the 'abduction' of Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon by ICE agents earlier this month.

Bass, 71, claimed that Calderon had been snatched from her car by officers urging her to 'self-deport'.

'Shes a mother from L.A.  taken out of her car on her way to work, and then held in a warehouse as officers hoped she would self-deport. No hearing. Just fear. This doesn't make anyone safer.,' Bass wrote on July 1.

However, since then Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.

The charges came after family of Calderon  an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles  claimed she was ambushed by armed men in two unmarked trucks at a Jack in the Box parking lot in the downtown LA area.

They then set up a now-deleted GoFundMe account demanding $4,500 to help with the case.

Bass's humiliating defense of Calderon emerged following the charges against her and prompted fury from The Department of Homeland Security who blasted the mayor.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass 's shocking connection to an immigrant mom who allegedly faked her own kidnapping for GoFundMe cash has been unearthed.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers after allegedly faking her own kidnapping by ICE agents

'Mayor, you pushed a HOAX,' the DHS X account posted.

'There is still time to delete this. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was NEVER arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters  this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from Los Angeles.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to Bass for comment.

Bass's post came just one day after Calderon's family members and attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they said she was brought to San Ysidro, a district of San Diego close to the Mexican border.

Her family alleged that she was then, 'presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer' and, 'presented with voluntary selfdeportation paperwork,' according to officials.

The family's attorney said Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, and was then 'punished' by being held in a warehouse, a report from the US Attorney's Office, Central District of California detailed.

Videos of the press conference show supporters of Calderon holding signs saying, 'our mom is missing,' 'stop the abduction,' and 'where is Yuli?'

Following attention from the media, the family then created the fundraiser, which raked in a measly $80 before it was shut down.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vehemently denied claims that the immigrant mother was abducted.

The DHS launched an investigation into the 'kidnapping,' during which they spent days looking for Calderon and even had ICE agents searching 'detention cell to detention cell', officials said.

Family members and attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they said Calderon was brought to San Ysidro  a district of San Diego close to the Mexican border

Following attention from the media, the family then created a GoFundMe page (pictured)  which has since been deleted  where they asked for $4,500

Ultimately, agents said they found Calderon in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield on July 5. She allegedly continued to insist that she had been kidnapped and held 'with others'.

Video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot Calderon claimed to be taken from showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Phone records also show the abduction to be a hoax, according to officials.

Calderon's family has allegedly tried to keep up the ruse even after she was discovered. They allegedly fabricated pictures of her 'rescue' to make it seem as though ICE agents abused her, according to officials.

On July 6, the family planned to host another press conference and increase the donation request, but then their plan was foiled by the DHS.

'Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was never arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters  this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from removing the worst of the worst from Los Angeles communities,' the DHS said.

'Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed,' the agency added.

US Attorney Bill Essayli also released a statement on the matter, saying: 'Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are "kidnapping" illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.'

Calderon now faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted for each charge.

Her family alleged that 'she was presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer' and 'presented with voluntary selfdeportation paperwork,' according to officials

Video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot (pictured) Calderon claimed to be taken from showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Phone records also reportedly show the abduction to be a hoax

The DOJ indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges.

According to a statement provided by GoFundMe to KTLA, the organizers of the campaign will not have access to the $80 their page raised in donations.

'GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform, or any attempt to exploit the generosity of others, and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,' the statement read.

'This fundraiser was removed from the platform and the $80 raised was refunded; at no point did the organizer have access to any of the funds.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to DHS and ICE, as well as Calderon's family and attorney for comment.

Calderon's kidnapping claims come at a contentious time for migrants in the US, as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up his tough-on-immigration policies.

Recent ICE raids have seen mass deportations, and the White House claims that Trump has deported more than 100,000 illegal migrants since returning to office in January 2025.

Last Thursday, a raid of a cannabis farm in Camarillo - a city in Southern California - saw 200 migrant workers being detained.

Chaos ensued at the raid, with protestors violently clashing with ice agents. Trump directed federal law enforcement officials to use 'whatever means necessary' to arrest anyone who throws rocks or other projectiles at ICE agents during immigration raids.
A teenage boy arrested over the death of a paddleboarder in a sleepy Maine town has been pictured for the first time after pleading not guilty to murder.

Deven Young, 17, was taken into custody on Wednesday night and later charged with the murder of Sunshine Stewart, 48, who was beaten and strangled to death in Union, Maine, on July 3, hours after setting off alone to paddleboard on Crawford Pond.

Young appeared in a Knox County courtroom on Friday morning via Zoom, where he denied responsibility for Stewarts death.

He spoke only to acknowledge that he understood the charges against him and that hed conferred with his court-appointed attorney.

Judge Eric Walker ordered Young to remain in custody on a charge that he caused Stewarts death either intentionally, knowingly, or with depraved indifference, the Midcoast Villager reported.

Police affidavits and additional information regarding the evidence against Young will remain under seal until a status conference is held on August 22, Walker ruled.

Deven Young, 17, was taken into custody on Wednesday night and later charged with the murder of Sunshine Stewart

Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead in the early hours of July 3 after she set off for a solo paddleboarding excursion in Crawford Pond, in Union, Maine

The state has requested Young's case be moved to adult court, but the motion has not yet been ruled on.

For now, Young remains in custody at the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.

Young is from Frankfort, Maine, but regularly spends summer vacations with his family on Crawford Pond, a source previously told the Daily Mail.

His Facebook page states that he had attended Hampden Academy but left in 2023. He will turn 18 in September.

Young's profile picture shows him posing with a shotgun in a chair, staring slack-jawed at the camera, with a cartoon American flag superimposed at his feet.

His last post on the platform, dated July 12, included an image of a boat anchored on a lake at sunset. Its not clear where the image was taken.

Asked by a friend in a comment beneath the post how he was, Young responded: 'I'm doing good how are you doing.'

At the time the message was posted, state police were frantically scouring Union to find Stewart's killer.

Young was arrested in the town on Wednesday evening without incident.

His parents and grandparents have not responded to requests for comment.

The state has requested Young's case be moved to adult court, but the motion has not yet been ruled on

Young's last post on the platform, dated July 12, included an image of a boat moored in a lake at sunset. Its not clear where the image was taken

Stewart had been staying at the Mic Mac Campground in Union, Maine, where she planned to spend the summer living out of her camper

Any connections the teen had to Stewart are not yet known.

News of her murder left residents of the small, tight-knit community of Union terrified.

Among them was Meredith Smith, a childhood friend of Stewarts, who the Daily Mail she was stunned by the news of Youngs arrest.

Part of me is relieved that someone has been arrested, but the other part says this is far from over because I feel like theres still so much more to this story that we dont know, said Smith.

Sunshine was strong and feisty; she wouldve put up a fight...she would've given this person hell.

The Maine Attorney General's office confirmed to the Daily Mail that Young is the only suspect in Stewart's death.

Stewart was last seen leaving her camper to go paddleboarding on Crawford Pond at around 6pm on July 2.

When she had still not returned by the early hours of July 3, someone raised the alarm.

Before dawn broke, a search and rescue drone spotted Stewart's paddleboard drifting alone.

Her body was later discovered along the southeast shore of 100 Acre Island, a nature preserve in the middle of the pond.

Police have not confirmed any details of how Stewarts body was found, or in what condition, sharing only that the circumstances were unusual.

Meredith Smith, who had known Stewart for four decades, told the Daily Mail she can't understand why anyone would hurt her

An autopsy determined that Stewarts death was a homicide, but law enforcement shared few updates over the following two weeks.

Smith told the Daily Mail on Monday that she was struggling to understand why anyone would harm her dear friend.

Everyone who knew her loved her, she said. Who would do something like this to her? She didnt have any enemies theres nothing she couldve done to make anybody mad enough to harm her.

Were all on edge, its just so scary if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone.

Local police urged residents of Union to remain calm but be aware of their surroundings.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Maine State Police were collecting DNA samples from men who were near Crawford Pond on the night Stewart vanished, as first reported by the Midcoast Villager.

Its unclear whether the arrest of the teen came as a result of DNA.

Smith told the Daily Mail she feared what the DNA search may indicate about Stewart's final moments of life.

I feel like its insinuating something that theyre only taking DNA from men and not women, she said.

You wonder, could this have been done by someone that was obsessed with her? Or maybe it was completely random and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

She was a strong person and would have given them a tough fight because she was feisty.

Stewart - a marine biologist, lobsterman, bartender, and boat captain - died by strangulation and blunt force trauma

With police offering little in the way of updates until Thursday, the radio silence caused rumors, conspiracies, and fear to prosper in the small town of Union.

News of Stewarts death renewed fears that a serial killer could be preying on victims across New England undetected, following a string of unexplained deaths.

At least 13 bodies have been discovered throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine since March 2025, with the majority of them found in wooded or secluded areas and some submerged in water.

Most of the deaths are unexplained, with many of the victims showing no visible signs of trauma.

Law enforcement in multiple states has repeatedly denied any confirmed link between the cases and urged the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions and peddling baseless speculation.

Various experts have also claimed there are no consistent patterns between the crimes, with victim profiles, locations of the deaths, and suspected causes too varying to be the work of one person.

Still, some residents in Union feared the worst.

People are definitely having that conversation, but for me it feels a little farfetched, Smith said on Monday.

When you look at where Sunny was killed, its secluded and unless youre really familiar with the area, youre unlikely to know how to get to Crawford Pond.

Stewart has been remembered as a woman who loved nature and radiated positivity

Stewart's remains were found along the southeast shore of 100 Acre Island, a nature preserve in the middle of the pond

At least 13 bodies have been discovered throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine since March 2025

Union is a sleepy hamlet where most residents know each other - the kind of place where people rarely lock their doors.

But since Stewarts murder, Smith said she keeps her door firmly bolted and also often catches herself glancing over her shoulder or eyeing unfamiliar faces with suspicion.

In the meantime, Smith continues to grieve the loss of her friend, who was a carpenter, marine biologist, lobsterman, bartender, and boat captain.

Smith said: She was a force of nature who was strong-willed, independent, outgoing, and adventurous. She had a smile and a laugh that was so contagious.

Sunny was a free-bird spirit who loved what she did and was just living day-to-day enjoying her life Its devastating.

Investigators are asking anyone who saw Stewart paddling on the evening of July 2 to reach out to the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076.
China builds development momentum through self-reliance and global engagement

09:55, July 18, 2025 By He Yin ( People's Daily

A succession of prominent international gatherings recently held across China has provided the world with comprehensive insights into the country's development trajectory.

The 20th Western China International Fair concluded with record contracted investment exceeding 350 billion yuan ($48.75 billion). The sixth Qingdao Multinationals Summit highlighted China's role in facilitating global interconnectedness. The 2025 Summer Davos Forum concentrated on addressing global economic challenges, fostering the exchange of ideas and consensus-building.

A visitor to the 20th Western China International Fair held in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province takes a selfie with a humanoid robot, May 26, 2025. (People's Daily Online/Chen Dongdong)

These events stand as testament to China's consistent advancement in high-quality development, its progressive pursuit of high-standard opening up, and its expanding record of mutually beneficial cooperation with global partners.

Amid mounting instability, unilateralism and protectionism, how does the gigantic Chinese economic ship maintain its steady course? The answer lies in two fundamental and mutually reinforcing commitments: unwavering commitment to managing its own affairs well, and steadfast resolve in pursuing high-level opening up. These two pillars, like the wheels of a cart or the wings of a bird, propel China's growth momentum and resilience.

This commitment to sound domestic governance positions China for future development while generating new growth drivers and foundations for high-level opening up. As China accelerates the building of a new development paradigm, it is forging fresh competitive advantages in international cooperation. A robust and dynamic Chinese economy represents enhanced certainty and potential for the world, establishing the country as a reliable, forward-looking partner on the global stage. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted, what China brings is not just stability, but enduring hope for the future.

Consider the strategic move of expanding domestic demand. It is not a short-term stimulus but to bolster economic stability and security, unlocking fresh opportunities for global cooperation. China's immense and rapidly upgrading consumer market possesses increasing allure for international goods, services, capital, and technology. "Choosing China is choosing the future" has become a widely shared belief.

The pursuit of greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology is indispensable for securing critical technological advantages and steering national development. This endeavor simultaneously enhances China's capacity to carry out global scientific and technological cooperation. From artificial intelligence to new energy and quantum technologies, China's emerging industries are surging ahead, making the country an ideal arena for global innovation.

Business representatives from Saudi Arabia negotiate with their Chinese and international counterparts at the Zhejiang International Electronic Commerce Expo 2025 held in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province, June 21, 2025. (People's Daily Online/Lyu Bin)

At the same time, China remains committed to expanding high-level opening up. This policy constitutes a concrete application of profound experience demonstrating that opening up catalyzes reform and development. It continues to create enabling conditions and mobilize resources essential for effective domestic governance.

Historical evidence confirms that a country's development resilience increases proportionally with its embrace of openness.

Since acceding to the World Trade Organization, China has consistently fulfilled its commitments through tariff reductions, legal revisions, and institutional reforms. The country's overall tariff level has declined from 15.3 percent to 7.3 percent. Such measures not only propelled China's own development achievements but also revitalized global economic growth.

Most recently, China's formal applications to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and Digital Economy Partnership Agreement reflect its proactive alignment with high-standard international trade rules, injecting fresh momentum into seizing new development opportunities.

Deeper reform requires higher levels of opening up, and higher-level opening up, reciprocally, drives reform. From trimming the negative list and improving the business environment, to enacting the foreign investment law and implementing an action plan to stabilize foreign investment in 2025; from upgrading pilot free trade zones to expanding pilot programs list for services opening up, China has adopted a range of proactive measures to align with international standards and address domestic reform challenges.

Opening up remains inevitable in China's modernization journey. In northwest China's Shaanxi province, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation is cultivating a cross-border agricultural value chain. In southwest China's Yunnan province, connectivity projects with neighboring countries are advancing rapidly. In south China's Hainan province, preparations for the independent customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port proceed steadily. From border ports to inland hubs, burgeoning centers of opening up vividly illustrate development empowered by openness.

The trajectory is clear: China's development fuels further openness, and greater openness accelerates its growth. While certain countries erect protectionist "firewalls," China is working to develop more inclusive "protocols for interaction." It continues to act as a key force in upholding the multilateral trading system and promoting universally beneficial, inclusive economic globalization.

No matter how the international landscape may shift, the overarching trend of human progress and development remains unchangeable, as does China's commitment to achieving mutual benefit and shared prosperity with global partners. By staying focused on effective domestic governance and high-level opening up, China will press ahead with confidence and strength, undeterred by prevailing headwinds.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Alina Habba gathered her staff on Thursday in a bittersweet meeting she hopes won't be her last as the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.

A panel of district court judges will hold a meeting with Habba on Monday and vote on whether she can remain in her role.

In the lead up to that fateful vote, Habba held an all-hands meeting to thank staff for their work, a person familiar with the meeting told the Daily Mail.

They admitted that Habba acknowledged she might no longer hold the acting attorney position for the District of New Jersey beyond next week.

She wanted to speak with staff before she potentially gets the boot from her temporary gig while she's snaking her way through the Senate confirmation process to be Trump's permanent head.

The majority of judges who'll vote on whether to keep Habba around after her 120-day temporary gig runs out are all Democrats.

But a source close to Habba told the Daily Mail that she has been meeting with the judges for weeks to develop relationships and discuss a path forward should she get the permanent confirmation to the role.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba's future hangs in the balance as a panel of 17 judges plan to meet on Monday to determine if she can keep her job

Still, the former counselor to the president isn't sure how they will vote next week.

The person close to Habba said she 'would never back down' from the job Trump chose for her.

Habba told her staff, 'Hopefully this isn't goodbye,' according to the person familiar with the meeting.

They said that Habba was making sure she was able to thank them for their work if she doesn't get a chance to do so later.

The judicial meeting on Monday will present the possibility of a choice between two potential candidates  First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace and former U.S. District Court Judge Noel Lawrence Hillman. Both are registered Republicans.

The judges, however, could instead choose to appoint Habba to the role in which she currently serves as acting attorney.

Trump nominated Habba to take helm at the Attorney's Office in New Jersey on July 1 but her confirmation was held up by New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim  both Democrats

Habba served as a personal attorney to Trump between his first and second term as he faced a slew of lawsuits against himself and his business

If the judges take no action, Grace would become the next acting U.S. attorney.

Additionally, the Senate could intervene and confirm President Donald Trump's permanent nominee for the position, which is Habba.

The president nominated Habba for a full term as U.S. Attorney on July 1.

But New Jersey's two Democratic Senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, stalled the process when they said they wouldn't sign off on her.
Grant Shapps was accused of 'trying to rewrite history' yesterday when he expressed 'surprise' the super-injunction had 'lasted so long'.

The former defence secretary told the BBC he thought the draconian gagging order could have been lifted last summer  but the Daily Mail can reveal he was the one keeping it going.

He also appeared to suggest it was judges who decided to keep the Speaker of the House of Commons in the dark. However, the Mail has the memo showing it was Sir Grant who blocked it.

The super-injunction meant Mail journalists faced jail if they revealed the Afghan data breach scandal or even told anyone there was an injunction.

In May last year, High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled in secret that the 'continued stifling of public debate' was not justified and the injunction should be lifted.

He said: 'Open justice is a cardinal constitutional principle', and warned that Sir Grant's unprecedented super-injunction would make people suspect 'the court's processes are being used for the purposes of censorship'.

The then defence secretary responded by hiring one of Britain's most expensive KCs, Sir James Eadie, to overturn the judge's decision and prolong the super-injunction.

Sir James told three Appeal Court judges in June that lifting the injunction would 'bring the house down', and they backed Sir Grant's bid to keep the public in the dark.

Grant Shapps was accused of 'trying to rewrite history' yesterday when he expressed 'surprise' the super-injunction had 'lasted so long'

In May last year, High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain (above) ruled in secret that the 'continued stifling of public debate' was not justified and the injunction should be lifted

The former defence secretary told the BBC he thought the draconian gagging order could have been lifted last summer  but the Daily Mail can reveal he was the one keeping it going as seen in a memo (above)

Open justice is a cardinal constitutional principle' Mr Justice Chamberlain

The secrecy went on until Tuesday this week, with the Mail and others spending two years fighting in locked courtrooms for open justice.

Yesterday Sir Grant told Radio 4's Today programme he was 'surprised it's lasted quite so long', adding: 'I'd thought that it was probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum.'

Regarding whether the Speaker should be briefed, Sir Grant said: 'Who was briefed was decided by conversations with the judges', although he went on to acknowledge the judges were keen for the Speaker to be briefed.

Yet an official memo dated November 16, 2023  three months after the data blunder was discovered  records him as saying: 'I would not widen the circle by briefing others  so not agreed [to brief Speaker...].'

A Whitehall source said: 'Shapps is trying to rewrite history. Everyone knows he was the one personally demanding to keep the super-injunction in place after the election was called last summer.'

The brother of a former UK interpreter was beaten (above) by the Taliban who demanded to know his brother's location and if he worked for Britain

The database at the heart of the super-injunction scandal, seen by the Daily Mail, contains details of 18,800 Afghans

Meanwhile Downing Street has defended current Defence Secretary John Healey over accusations that he misled Parliament.

No 10 said his statement to the Commons on Tuesday, in which he said that 'to the best of my knowledge' no serving Armed Forces personnel were put at risk by the breach, was 'accurate'.

Opposition critics have demanded he 'correct the record' after it was reported days later that MI6 spies and members of the SAS were among those named on the dataset.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'The Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.'
A fashion mogul and former Project Runway judge has been accused of a staggering $300 million fraud.

Christine Hunsicker, 48, of Lafayette, New Jersey, is charged with six counts, including fraud, aggravated identity theft and false statement charge.

Prosecutors say she forged documents and misrepresented her company's financial condition to defraud investors in her companies CaaStle Inc. and P180.

Hunsicker created several fake audits for investors that showed the company had significantly more money available than it did, according to prosecutors.

She was eventually confronted by another investor in October 2024 but feigned innocence, the indictment said.

However immediately after the investor left, she googled 'faking an audit', according to the complaint.

Her lawyers said that the indictment was a 'distorted picture' which they are keen to challenge in court.

Before the fraud allegations emerged, Hunsicker seemed to be a rising star in the fashion world after she was named to Crain's New York Business '40 under 40' list.

Christine Hunsicker, 48, of Lafayette, New Jersey , was charged with six counts, including fraud, aggravated identity theft and false statement charges over allegations she pulled off a $300 million fraud

She was selected as one of Inc.'s Most Impressive Women Entrepreneurs and was recognized by the National Retail Federation as someone shaping the future of retail, the indictment noted.

She also appeared as a judge on Project Runway in 2016 and has been pictured posing alongside Bill and Hillary Clinton.

It is a far cry from the salacious allegations which appear in the indictment which narrates how she allegedly tried to cover up her tracks.

Hunsicker created fake audits that showed CaaStle had $50million in cash available, when in reality it had less than $1million in August 2023, the indictment states.

She also told investors that the shares they were buying were from other shareholders who were liquidating their assets, when in fact, those people didn't exist, the indictment said.

She told them the shareholders were liquidating their assets due to a 'family health emergency' or do to the FTX collapse, which saw founder Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years for also scamming his investors.

'To maintain the fiction, after facilitating the supposed secondary sales, HUNSICKER issued fake capitalization tables to the investors to demonstrate that they had purchased existing CaaStle shares,' the indictment, unsealed on Friday, said.

The indictment said she portrayed CaaStle as a high-growth, private company with substantial cash on hand when she knew it faced significant financial distress.

The indictment alleged that she carried out the majority of the fraud by bilking CaaStle investors of $275million before forming P180 last year to infuse CaaStle with cash before its investors could discover her fraud

Hunsicker appeared as a judge on Project Runway (pictured) in 2016. She allegedly forged documents, fabricated audits and made material misrepresentations about her company's financial condition to defraud investors in CaaStle Inc. and P180, US Attorney Jay Clayton said

Hunsicker allegedly continued her fraudulent scheme even after the CaaStle board of directors removed her and prohibited her from soliciting investments or taking other actions on the company's behalf, the indictment said.

She 'persisted in her scheme' even after law enforcement agents confronted her over the fraud, the indictment said.

At a time when the business was in financial distress with limited cash available and significant expenses, CaaStle was valued by Hunsicker at $1.4billion, the indictment said.

Hunsicker was lying to investors in February 2019 and continued to do so through this March, prosecutors alleged.

She allegedly told one investor in August 2023 that CaaStle reported an operating profit of nearly $24million in the second quarter of 2023 when its operating profit that quarter was actually less than $30,000.

The indictment alleged that she carried out the majority of the fraud by bilking CaaStle investors of $275million before forming P180 last year to infuse CaaStle with cash before its investors could discover her fraud.

Through misrepresentations and omissions, she cheated P180 investors out of about $30million, the indictment said.

It said CaaStle filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month, leaving hundreds of investors holding now-worthless CaaStle shares.

She self-surrendered on Friday and she faces up to 50 years in prison.

Hunsicker (pictured with the Clintons) even searched 'faking an audit' and 'created an audit firm fake' during her scheme

Defense Lawyers Michael Levy and Anna Skotko said in a statement that prosecutors, 'have chosen to present to the public an incomplete and very distorted picture in today's indictment.'

They added this is despite Hunsicker's efforts to be, 'fully cooperative and transparent' with prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

'There is much more to this story, and we look forward to telling it,' they said.
Do YOU know the man hit by the van?

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed one of their vans made contact with a protester during the chaos outside a migrant hotel which saw thugs clash with officers yesterday.

Hundreds of furious residents gathered outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday night, following the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting teenage schoolgirls.

The protest began peacefully, but later flared into violence after a group of hardcore agitators stopped three Essex Police riot vans from driving past the hotel to support their colleagues in the centre of the town.

Children in balaclavas joined grown men and women to block the road by standing across it, before protesters started attacking the police vehicles, with some seen hurling projectiles at the vans and officers.

Dramatic footage shared online appeared to show the moment a demonstrator was driven into by one of the police vehicles.

The Essex Police van can be seen knocking over the young man, who stood in Epping High Road, in what appears to be an attempt to stop the vehicle leaving.

In a comment addressing the video, a spokesperson for the Met said: 'Met officers attended Epping, Essex on the evening of Thursday, 17 July, following a request by Essex Police to support with an ongoing protest and counter-protest.

'On arrival, officers were met with significant hostility from protesters, with police vehicles damaged and officers threatened with violence.

'During their attendance, officers attempted to leave the immediate area due to safety concerns and were subsequently blocked in by the group of protesters using barriers.

'During this, a police van made contact with one of the protesters.'

A man was seen being struck by a police van following violent protests outside a migrant hotel in Essex

The man is seen being shunted backwards by the police van as it continues down the road

Seconds earlier, a police van leading the convoy was seen hurtling through a plastic barrier

One of the protesters jumps up and down on a police van while wrapped in the St George's flag

A protester lights a flare as residents call for the closure of the asylum hotel where the man was staying

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper told the PA news agency the video had been reported to the force.

However, he said they have seen another video 'which maybe shows it from a different angle'.

Protesters had erected a make-shift barrier made up of pallets and plastic fencing in the road to stop police leaving the scene.

But the first of four Essex Police vans crashed through the barrier, leading to a protester to stand in the road, who was then knocked out of the way by the second van as people screamed: 'Oh my god' and 'what the f***'.

The youth who was mowed down by the police van is then seen getting up and brushing himself down as he shouts at the convoy.

Another man, who was standing by the side of the road, also fell to the ground during the chaotic clip - which has been seen more than 2.4million times online.

It is unclear whether either man needed medical attention.

Essex Police officers, dressed in full riot-gear, can be seen sat in the vehicles - as thugs are seen attacking the vans, kicking and launching missiles at them.

They had been among up to 100 officers who battled with anti-migrant protesters who had confronted a counter an anti-racism demonstration.

Speaking to journalists this afternoon, ACC Hooper, condemned last night's 'mindless thuggery', which left eight officers hurt.

Warning those behind the mayhem they will 'feel the full force of the law', ACC Hooper said: 'If you were one of those individuals that was responsible for the damage - particularly to my officers or vehicle - you can expect a knock on your door.'

He added: 'Eight of my officers... were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unaccepted. They have come here to do a role, to support their communities  they're a part of that community. And that's what we won't tolerate.'

The injured officers suffered minor injuries to their hands, as well as cuts and grazes elsewhere, ACC Hooper said.

The top officer's comments come amid fears more protests could flare up tonight, triggering a fresh wave of violence.

Insisting police were there to 'support peaceful protest', ACC Hooper said the force wanted to 'make sure everyone's voices are heard'.

After the man was seen being hit by a police van, demonstrators nearby were spotted trying to kick other passing vehicles

A second male is seen collapsed on the floor in the footage. It is unclear if the man needed medical attention or not

But he said: 'We don't want to see those acts of violence in our streets.

'If you are coming here with the intention of carrying out mindless thuggery, that is not acceptable and we will deal with that.'

The demonstrators started peacefully early in the afternoon on Thursday. But by 6.30pm, violence had started to spill out onto the street, ACC Hooper said.

Carrying placards reading 'Refugees Welcome' some of the counter protesters were pelted with bottles, eggs and can and told to 'f*** off out of Epping' by an angry mob.

The protesters were calling for the closure of Epping's Bell Hotel as Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers following the arrest of one resident migrant on sexual assault charges against schoolgirls.

Essex Police has confirmed it is aware of a video which appeared to show a police vehicle drive into a protester.

Speaking of the incident, ACC Hooper said the video had been reported to the force, but said they had seen another video 'which maybe shows it from a different angle'.

'And I guess the angles and perceptions show a different thing,' he added.

'So I'm not sure that exact incident is as it's been reported in the media.'

Photos from later in the evening show one of the vans with a smashed windscreen, while one masked man is seen jumping up and down on the roof of another police vehicle.

A man dressed in all black stands on the bonnet of a police van with its windows smashed

Other footage from earlier in the mayhem showed men repeatedly punching and kicking the vans, as another man yells 'smash it, smash it' while officers sat trapped inside while the vandals attempted to break the windows.

Several thugs then clambered on to the roof of the vehicles, before jumping up and down. The van was eventually forced to flee with its back doors wide open.

The agitators also threw fireworks and bottles at police as they sought to protect anti-racism counter-demonstrators.

Essex Police said that they had already identified several suspects they believe are responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel, and assaulting officers.

Officers on patrol also arrested a man on suspicion of affray, following an assault reported close to The Bell Hotel on Sunday evening.

Anti-immigration protesters attack riot police vans hitting windows with officers stuck inside

Earlier the man could be seen scrambling up the windscreen of the van, with officers trapped inside

A line of men shout at police as they form a human baricade between the protesters and the anti-racism counter-protesters

Another man dressed all in black approaches a police van as a braying mob watch on

Police armed with riot shields form a barrier across the road following a major public order incident in Epping on Thursday

A protester appears to be detained by police during the chaotic scene on Thursday night

The violent clashes prompted the deployment of over 180 police officers from Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police, and Hertfordshire Constabulary

A group of police officers stand in a street which was covered in smashed glass and other debris

Dean Walters, 65, of Harlow, has been charged with affray and released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on September 24, with stringent conditions until then.

The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylums seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences.

He was arrested by officers on July 8 after reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a number of people.

Kebatu appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, and denied all offences.

Kebatu was charged with three counts of sexual assault, as well as one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.

At the protest well-dressed mothers stood side-by-side with retired businessmen and women and dozens of bald tattooed middle-aged men to call for the hotel to stop operating as refugee accommodation.

One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel.

The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences

Essex Police were out in force in Epping tonight as hundreds of angry residents took to the streetsto voice their anger after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual offences

A protestor is blocked by police as a counter-protest continues in the background, with people holding signs saying 'Refugees welcome, stop the far-right'

Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van.

One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town.

The 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it. They should all be sent back to where they've come from. If they came in a small boat from France then they should be sent back to France.

'It's absolutely outrageous that we have to pay for them - the food, their accommodation, their phones, everything.

'How is it that our children can't walk home from school without being attacked?'

A mother-of-three added: 'This is not about being racist, it's about protecting our children. There are a load of schools near here and there are all these single men here in the hotel and no one knows who they are.

Protestors gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, which has reportedly been used to house migrants for the last five years

Hundreds of furious Essex residents took to the streets to voice their anger following the arrest of a migrant on sex assault charges against school girls

One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town

Well-dressed mothers and retired businessmen and women joined dozens of bald tattooed middle aged men to call for the closure of the Bell Hotel as refugee accommodation

One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel

'They've not been screened, or checked or anything.'

One man held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'.

Youths wearing face masks, caps and sunglasses surged through bushes at the side of the road to try to confront their opponents.

Police were forced to push some of the anti-migrant protesters back.

But some managed to break through police lines and grabbed the anti-racism placards and threw them back at their opponents.

Meanwhile a middle aged man with a Union flag draped over his shoulders and a black trilby hat joined the crowd with a loud speaker playing ska music classics.

Police were forced to create a protective ring around the 50 or so anti-racism demonstrators as they became surrounded by protesters at the entrance to Epping town centre.

Essex Police then deployed squads of riot officers as protesters urged the demonstrators to 'f*** off out of Epping' and accused them of protecting 'paedos'.

The man waved at passersby with the Union Jack draped over his shoulders

Beyond Union Jacks - others held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'

Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van

A 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it'

The anti-racism group were pelted by occasional bottles, cans and eggs hurled by the anti-migrant protesters.

Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'I am sure those living in Epping have concerns following tonight. I share those concerns.

'We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex.

'Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started. This was crime.

'Our detectives are already working through the footage of this evening  from our officers bodyworn camera, from our drones and from social media  and where offences are identified we will take action.

'People attended the earlier protest and did so peacefully, lawfully and responsibly. I'd like to thank them for expressing their views this way given the strength of feeling locally.

'The details of the ongoing sexual assault case can be found on our website, and I reiterate the importance for respect for the court process to prevent the release of any prejudicial information in relation to that case.'

On Friday afternoon, a security guard remained on site at the Bell Hotel, opening the gate in the fencing and the door of the hotel to let people in and out.

Fencing has since been put up to surround the hotel, accompanied with no entry signs. There are also warnings forbidding photography and filming in the vicinity of the hotel.

Broken glass and remnants of flares remain on the ground from the incident.

ACC Hooper believes that, although there are polarised views in Epping surrounding the hotel holding asylum seekers, a lot of those responsible for the violence came from further afield.

Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu today appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolgirl and inciting her to engage in sex (file image)

He said: 'We actually saw last night we believe outsiders from our communities. People have come from outside their local areas into Epping to commit acts of violence and damage.

'That was really disappointing to see, because we know our communities wanted a voice and wanted to tell us what was going on, and they were peaceful in their activity.

'I've seen some of the social media comments and spoken to a number of members of the community, and there are polarised views.

'But it's our role as police to be independent and to, without fear or favour, make sure that people have the right to peaceful protest.

'What I won't stand for is those mindless acts of vandalism and violence that we saw and making sure that we are very robust in supporting our communities.

'Our communities don't want to see this violence, and they want to have their voice heard peacefully.'

On Sunday night, rival groups of anti-migrant demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off outside the hotel.

Two people, who worked as security guards at the hotel, were left bloodied and injured on July 13 after being attacked at a bus stop.

Police said the two victims then managed to make their way past the protest site into the hotel, where there was a significant policing presence, to get help.

A second incident took place on Tuesday July 15 with a man shouting racial abuse directed at the hotel, before later causing damage to the property.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and criminal damage, although he was later released on bail.
Retired US special forces operatives living in Florida have been warned they could be targets of a credible terrorist threat, in a chilling alert issued by the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

The alarming notice  which has been shared on social media  was quietly circulated to former senior military personnel who served in Iraq and Syria, and specifically cautioned those now residing in the Sunshine State.

While officials declined to identify the terrorist group or country of origin behind the threat, the warning was deemed serious enough to warrant a 'duty to warn' notification.

Col. Allie Scott, a spokesperson for the command, told the New York Times that such notifications are not uncommon, and issued when there's credible information that retired service members could be in danger.

She declined to provide additional details, citing operational sensitivity.

The warnings are usually issued when there is intelligence relating to a potential threat of intentional killing, serious bodily harm, or kidnapping, and when the cost to alerting those in danger is low.

The threat does not apply to active-duty special operations personnel, but they were advised to stay alert both on and off base, and to immediately report any suspicious behavior.

The provost marshal, Col. Mark A. Katz, who signed the warning, urged current troops to inform any retired comrades living in Florida of the situation and to remain vigilant.

US Special Operations Command service members in Tampa, Florida, are urged to be vigilant

Florida has one of the largest veteran populations in the United States, official data show

'We encourage all personnel to remain alert to their surroundings, both on and off post, and to report any suspicious activity to appropriate authorities,' says the alert.

Florida is home to thousands of retired elite military personnel, many of whom settled there after serving with the Tampa-based US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

That was the nerve center for missions against ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other terror networks in the Middle East.

US commandos have played a key role in clandestine raids, drone strikes, and counterterror operations in Iraq and Syria for decades, often anonymously, due to fears of retaliation.

The Pentagon has long acknowledged the possibility of foreign actors or jihadist networks seeking revenge against American forces  even on US soil.

Andrew Sullivan, the executive director of No One Left Behind, a non-profit that supports locals who assisted America's War on Terror, said ex-service members faced 'urgent and dire' dangers.

The Tampa-based US Special Operations Command is located in an Air Force Base

'The terrorist threat emanating from Syria is so strong that some retired American veterans in Florida are at risk of reprisal because of their service in Syria or Iraq,' Sullivan posted on social media.

The nature of this latest threat remains unclear, but the warning has raised eyebrows in security circles and renewed concerns about the long arm of extremist groups seeking payback for US military campaigns abroad.

Military sources say anyone connected to past operations  whether officers, contractors, or retired advisors  should now be on high alert. For those who served in the shadows, the war may not be over.
Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of explosive documents from the last weeks of the Obama administration - saying it unmasks a 'treasonous conspiracy' against Donald Trump.

Gabbard released a 114-page document on Friday she says shows the Obama administration was aware that there was no threat of Russia 'directly' manipulating the vote in 2016.

She's now calling for an investigation into and potential criminal prosecution of anyone who took part  which may include ex-President Barack Obama and James Comey, the former FBI director.

The documents revealed insider discussions among top Obama officials about Russia's much-debated role in the 2016 U.S. elections.

Although many of the documents are highly redacted or completely blacked out, they show conversations among favorite Trump targets including former intel chief James Clapper as officials debated how to describe Russian election activity.

The documents found that there was 'no indication of a Russian threat to directly manipulate the actual vote count through cyber means.'

But Gabbard says the documents show that Democrats chose to ignore that - or even promote the opposite narrative - to try and take down Trump.

That would make it another facet of what Trump and Gabbard have described as the 'Russia hoax'  Democrats and perceived enemies working to frame then-candidate Trump unfairly for now-debunked theories he was working with Russia to interfere in the election.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard alleges a ''treasonous conspiracy' by top Obama administration officials to try to 'usurp' Donald Trump's authority

The Obama team 'politicized intelligence' as part of what Gabbard calls a 'years-long coup against President Trump.'

In addition to railing against 'Russia, Russia, Russia' as one of many 'witch hunts' against him orchestrated by the Democrats, Trump for years has fumed about the discredited 'Steele dossier,' which became part of a counterintelligence investigation during the campaign.

Gabbard said in a blistering statement accompanying the document release: 'Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people.'

'Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic,' Gabbard said.

'No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,' she said.

Several of the documents put out by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) show officials found that Russia either wouldn't try or wouldn't be able to shift the outcome of a U.S. vote.

'Russia probably is not trying to going to be able to? [influence] the election by using cyber means to manipulate computer-enabled election infrastructure,' reads one draft line by the then-deputy director of ODNI.

By December 9, following Trump's stunning win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, a document to top intelligence officials tasked them with creating an assessment 'per the Presidents request' about 'tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.'

Gabbard is calling for an investigation into and potential criminal prosecution of anyone who took part  which may include ex-President Barack Obama

Trump continues to rail against the Russia probe on a regular basis, saying it undermined him during his first term

Many of the pages the DNI released are heavily redacted

Documents show officials crafting a document saying there wasn't an indication Russia could manipulate the vote count

The administration unsealed the documents amid the fury over the Jeffrey Epstein files

'We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election,' according to a January 2017 report titled 'Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections.'

The report then mentioned Russian cyber operations against both political parties.

Of the material Gabbard released, one new August 31, 2016 document by an official with their name blacked out states that the 'thrust of the analysis is that there is no indication o fa Russian threat to directly manipulate the actual vote count through cyber means.'

That came more than four years before Trump and prominent allies would make claims that voting machine companies and an altered vote were responsible for his defeat in battleground states in the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden.

A September 2, 2016 document features an official asking for a line on Russia's intent to be 'softened.'

'The way it currently reads, it would indicate that we have definitive information that Russia does intend to disrupt our elections and we are uncomfortable making that assessment at this point. We would suggest editing the sentence to read as the following ... "We judge Russia to be the only nation state with the current means and possible motivation to use cyber attack to disrupt the 2016 election or deny political legitimacy to US presidential candidates.'

A Sept. 16, 2016 document states that 'foreign adversaries do not have and will probably not obtain the capabilities to successfully execute widespread and undetected cyber attacks.'

A copy of the color-printed 2016 intelligence assessment features a map of 'Moscow's efforts to manipulate foreign elections' over a period of 16 years. If features such countries as Ukraine, which it would invade in 2022 after annexing Crimea in 2014, and Belarus, which has been a key Russian ally in the Ukraine war.

Gabbard's release says states that Obama administration officials 'leaked false statements to media outlets, including The Washington Post, claiming, Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.'

Obama's post-presidential office had no comment.

'We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral,' wrote Gabbard, a former House Democrat from Hawaii who previously ran for president, left the Democratic Party, and endorsed Trump.

It also states that a January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment 'directly contradicted' intelligence community assessments from the previous six months.

A chart lists 'possible state-level election network breaches' in the U.S., like one from 2015, when a 'Russian-speaking cybercriminal offered to sell a database containing the personal information of approximately 190 million US persons from 49 states.'

A copy of a December draft presidential daily brief assesses that 'foreign adversaries will likely weigh the risk of appearing to influence US elections if caught or implicated relative to any perceived benefit.'

It also assesses that new voting technologies 'will increase vulnerabilities and decrease diversity in computer-enabled US election system in the future.'

Gabbard's release is the latest move in Trump's second term to turn the tables on top Democratic officials he views as undermining him during his first term.

Trump continues to fume about former FBI Director James Comey, who is already under investigation by the Justice Department for potential wrongdoing during the Russia probe.

On Thursday, the DOJ fired Maurene Comey, the assistant U.S. attorney in New York who prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and Sean 'Diddy' Combs.'
North Korea has unexpectedly barred foreign tourists from entering its newly opened holiday resort, just weeks after promoting the seaside retreat as a 'world-class tourist and cultural destination.'

The abrupt reversal comes only days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the site on July 12, where he was hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who described Lavrov as the resort's 'first foreign guest.'

North Korea's official tourism website, DRP Korea Tour, announced on Wednesday that foreign visitors are 'temporarily not accepted,' at the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, without providing a reason for the restriction.

The resort, located on the country's east coast near an airport in Kangwon Region, officially opened its doors on June 24 following years of delays caused by international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Initially slated to open in April 2019 to coincide with the birthday of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung, the resort was envisioned as a major boost to the nation's struggling tourism industry.

North Korean state media has described the development as a 'national treasure-level city' and one of the regime's greatest accomplishments of the year.

Stretching along 2.5miles of white-sand coastline, the complex is reportedly capable of accommodating up to 20,000 visitors and features over 40 hotels, guesthouses, and leisure facilities modeled after those found in international beach destinations.

When the resort was first opened, Kim was photographed standing on a sandy beach alongside his daughter and presumed heir Kim Ju Ae.

North Korea has unexpectedly barred foreign tourists from entering its newly opened holiday resort, just weeks after promoting the seaside retreat as a 'world-class tourist and cultural destination'

The resort, located on the country's east coast near an airport in Kangwon Region, officially opened its doors on June 24 following years of delays caused by international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic

When the resort was first opened, Kim was photographed standing above a sandy beach alongside his daughter and presumed heir Kim Ju Ae

But despite the fanfare surrounding the launch, and initial reports of domestic visitors enjoying the amenities, analysts and satellite imagery suggest the resort may not yet be fully operational.

The US-based 38 North programme reported that several buildings, including a major hotel near the Kalmaegi Hotel, appear to be unfinished or inactive, with one rooftop pool still empty and unnamed buildings missing from official maps.

The temporary closure to foreign guests raises questions about the resorts readiness and Pyongyang's strategy for promoting international tourism.

Russia remains the only country whose citizens have been permitted entry since North Korea relaxed its pandemic-era border restrictions. A Russian travel agency had reportedly scheduled two additional group tours for August.

During Lavrov's visit, Russian media praised the resort's facilities, though a reporter from Kommersant observed that the beach appeared largely deserted.

A separate Russian media report claimed that local North Koreans were used to simulate tourist activity during the visit.

Tourism represents a rare and vulnerable source of foreign currency for North Korea, which remains under heavy international sanctions.

Experts suggest the current ban on foreign visitors is likely to last if Pyogyang hopes to recoup the costs of the high-profile project.

'If foreign tourists aren't allowed to the site, Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars won't come in. Then, North Korea can't break even and it has to shut down the resort,' said Ahn Chan Il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.

Domestic tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea's Kangwon Province on July 2, 2025

The temporary closure to foreign guests raises questions about the resorts readiness and Pyongyang's strategy for promoting international tourism

The abrupt reversal comes only days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the site on July 12, where he was hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , who described Lavrov as the resort's 'first foreign guest'

The North Korean government has provided no official explanation for the sudden policy shift.

However, some analysts believe the move reflects lingering construction issues or concerns about appearances should foreign visitors witness conditions that fall short of state media's portrayal.

Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow at 38 North, said the opening of the Wonsan-Kalma resort serves to support state messaging around Kim Jong Un's 'people-first' policy while balancing his continued focus on military development.

'Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future,' she told CNN.

Meanwhile, the regime has unveiled a new railway station at Kalma to support access to the tourist zone, touting its role in providing 'a high level of convenience' for travellers.
Police officers in uniform will not take part in a Pride event in Scotlands biggest city on Saturday following a landmark High Court judgment.

The Mail revealed yesterday that bosses of the force faced mounting pressure to ban officers from participating in the controversial marches.

On Wednesday, the High Court ruled that Northumbria Police, one of Britains largest forces, breached impartiality by marching at an LGBT+ event.

On Friday Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said no uniformed officers would march at Pride in Glasgow today - in contrast with the situation last year, when dozens of officers were paid to take part.

It is understood that a decision had been taken not to participate prior to the court ruling - but plans for minor engagement were dropped after the High Court judgment.

This could have included officers manning stalls or taking part in related events at the Pride march.

Last night Scottish Tory community safety spokesman Sharon Dowey said: This is a welcome decision by Police Scotland.

Given the SNPs sustained cuts to frontline policing, it is common sense that resources should be directed towards keeping people safe.

Police officers have previously marched in uniform during a Pride event in Glasgow

Officers are not allowed to wear uniform in today's Pride march in Glasgow

Explaining the police position, Mr Speirs said: Police Scotland has vast experience in policing events and in the coming days we will continue to do so in a professional, engaging, and proportionate manner.

Glasgows Pride will be no different and we will continue to engage closely with event organisers, although no officers will participate in forthcoming events in uniform.

We continue to review the UK High Court judgment on Northumbria Polices participation in Newcastle Pride 2024 and its implications.

We will ensure Police Scotlands response to events continues to be in line with our values and code of ethics, providing a professional and impartial service which upholds the human rights of all.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), representing rank-and-file officers, and former senior officers, had backed the High Court ruling earlier this week, piling pressure on top brass to ban uniformed police participation in Pride events.

Last night SPF general secretary David Kennedy said it proudly supports the principles and values of the Pride movement, including equality, inclusion, and the right of all individuals - regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity - to live free from discrimination and prejudice.

But he added that we also support the operational judgment that police officers should not march in uniform while on duty at Pride events.

Mr Kennedy said: Participating in any march while on duty, including Pride, can give rise to questions around neutrality and may impact perceptions of police objectivity.

Officers who wish to take part in Pride events in their own time should be supported and encouraged to do so, and we welcome efforts to facilitate this wherever possible.

Supporting Pride and supporting operational clarity are not mutually exclusivewe believe both can, and should, co-exist.

Welcoming the High Court ruling, Kate Barker, chief executive of LGB Alliance, the UKs only LGB charity (excluding transgender people) said last night: LGB people have been deeply distressed by how it has become hijacked by gender identity ideology in recent years.

In July last year, the Mail revealed that police officers in Scotland were paid to take part in Pride parades despite the force cutting back on fighting crime.

Uniformed officers were urged to represent the overstretched force at LGBT+ events in exchange for either pay or a day off in lieu.

Meanwhile, the Mail can also reveal that officers have signed Pride flags in a show of solidarity with the LGBT+ movement.

In 2023, officers were photographed signing flags as part of Pride Month.

Argyll and West Dunbartonshire officers marked the occasion by signing a Pride flag which was sent round police stations.

Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff, who was the final person to sign it to show she was an LGBT+ ally, said she wanted her division to be the most inclusive area in Police Scotland.

In 2022, a Pride flag was sent round police stations in Edinburgh to allow officers to sign it to show support to LGBT colleagues and communities.

Last night Kath Murray of gender-critical think-tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie said it is hard to think of a clearer example of institutional capture than literally signing allegiance to the Pride flag.
Hacked data from an airline carrying out President Donald Trump's deportations allegedly shows that 'dozens' of migrants did not appear on manifests published by the U.S. government.

The hacked material, first obtained by 404 Media, reportedly shows that on three deportation flights from Texas to El Salvador there are scores of individuals who do not appear on the official lists of deportees provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The deportees were sent to El Salvador's notorious CECOT mega-prison, the largest detention facility in the world where the U.S. is sending recently deported individuals.

The flights were operated by GlobalX, the same airline that hackers breached to discover the files on the migrant flights.

CBS News unveiled earlier this year a list of those included on the three March 15 deportation flights operated by GlobalX, amounting to 238 men in total.

However, the data obtained through the hack reportedly shows additional names on the flight manifest that were not included on the list provided to CBS.

This disclosure has set off alarms for liberals who have long railed against Trump's deportations for being opaque and ignoring due process.

'We have this list of people that the U.S. government has not formally acknowledged in any real way and we pretty much have no idea if they are in CECOT or someplace else, or whether they received due process,' Michelle Brane, a former DHS official under Joe Biden, told 404 Media.

A report from 404 Media claims that the hacked manifests of three March 15 deportation flights operated by GlobalX show more passengers than the previously reported list of deportees

The three flights brought 238 men to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, according to a CBS News report. However, the hacked manifests obtained by 404 Media show that the planes had 281 passengers

'I think this further demonstrates the callousness and lack of due process involved and is further evidence that the US government is disappearing people,' she continued.

'These people were detained and no one knows where they are, and we don't know the circumstances [] For almost all of these people, there's no records whatsoever. No court records, nothing.'

The White House referred the Daily Mail to DHS when reached for comment.

'ICE does not disappear people,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLauchlin told the Daily Mal in a statement. 'This is a ridiculous lie that the media is peddling to demonize ICE law enforcement who are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them.'

'Claims that transfers of detainees are being weaponized are categorically false. Once an alien is transferred to ICE custody, the agency makes a custody determination based on bed space and ensures their presence for immigration proceedings or removal from the United States,' she added.

Despite CBS News reporting that only 238 men were aboard the deportation flights, the hackers uncovered a manifest from GlobalX indicating that at least 281 people were deported on the three flights.

According to 404 Media, there were over 40 men and women whose presence on the flights were never acknowledged by the U.S. government.

'[The government is] not disclosing it and they've presumably been sent to a prison or sent somewhere by the U.S. government on a plane and have never been heard from since,' Brane said.

Prisoners are handled by CECOT prison guards inside the sprawling facility

President Donald Trump promised to carry out the largest deportation operation ever if elected. So far his administration has removed over 100,000 migrants from the U.S.

'We have not heard from these people's families, so I think perhaps even they don't know.'

The former Biden DHS official shared that it is unclear whether the people on the hacked manifest were actually on the flight, adding questions remain about why these individuals were on the manifests in the first place.

The whereabouts and condition of the dozens of individuals on the hacked manifests remain unknown, the report states.

One of those named in the hacked manifests was arrested in Texas in December for drug possession charges, the outlet claims. They were listed in arrest records as an 'illegal alien.'

Another person was arrested in Nashville for driving without a license.
An expert has warned that the tech firm where the infamous Coldplay couple work could face an exodus of customers over their viral moment.

AI-tech start up Astronomer has been thrust into the limelight this week after a moment of intimacy between CEO Andy Byron and his Head of People Kristin Cabot was caught on camera at the band's Boston concert on Tuesday night.

The company has launched a HR investigation into the incident which has launched the pair into viral fame, but their troubles might not end there.

Peter Davenport, senior strategic consult with marketing firm Definition, told The Wall Street Journal that it could kill the potential for new clients at the company.

He said: 'While the visibility puts a spotlight on who Astronomer is, this is not usually the kind of publicity that brings in new customers.

'In fact, it threatens to erode trust and authority built over years, especially in industries where reputation and reliability matter most.'

The pair tried to hide when the kiss-cam panned to them at Boston's Gillette Stadium, as front man Chris Martin joked: 'They're either having an affair, or are very shy.' Neither Byron or Cabot have commented on the clip.

Public records indicate that while both were married in the past, they now live separately from their spouses.

The pair tried to hide when the kiss-cam panned to them at Boston's Gillette Stadium on Tuesday

Peter Davenport, senior strategic consult with marketing firm Definition said it could kill the potential for new clients at the company

The company said on Friday: 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.

'The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.'

It is unclear at this time how much the firm knew about their closeness, they have not clarified if the pair are still in their positions, or if they'll be placed on leave.

In the viral moment, the two were seen enjoying the show when the camera operator working the jumbotron panned to them.

Byron had his arms wrapped around Cabot and the pair swayed in unison as the music rang out.

The intimate moment descended into chaos as panic set in, Byron seemingly fell to his knees while Cabot put her head in her hands as the crowd laughed.

Byron's firm is valued at over $1 billion, with the company experiencing rapid growth since he became CEO in 2023.

That year, Astronomer reported a 292% growth in revenue for its 'Astro' platform.

The couple were seen covering their faces, with Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Cabot turning away from the camera

Andy Byron (left) and Kirstin Cabot (right) are seen in their company headshots

Just a week before his viral fame, Byron appeared on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) TV to celebrate the company after it raised $93 million in its Series D round of financing.

A beaming Byron described the investment as 'a huge opportunity' and 'very exciting' for the firm.

When Cabot joined the firm as HR boss in November 2024, Byron heaped praise on her, saying she would be a 'perfect fit' at his company.

'Kristins exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,' he said in a press release at the time.

'She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.'

The fan who captured the moment has since been identified as New Jersey native Grace Springer, she told the US Sun she had no idea who the pair were.

She said the moment became the talk of the show due to their 'interesting reaction', and admitted that 'a part of me feels bad for turning these people's lives upside down.'

But she added in a cheeky swipe: 'Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.'

Springer said there was 'a lot of talk' about the kiss cam at the show, but 'no one knew who they were'.
The head of Atlanta's transit agency has stepped down after losing legal authorization to work in the United States.

MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood announced his early retirement following the expiration of his Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which allowed him to work in the U.S. as a Canadian citizen.

The surprise resignation was confirmed during a Thursday meeting of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's Board of Directors.

'Due to immigration and personal matters, [Greenwood] has chosen to leave his employment and elect early retirement,' Jonathan Hunt, MARTA's chief legal counsel, said.

Hunt added that the board accepted Greenwood's decision and will honor the remainder of his contract through a severance agreement.

Greenwood's work permit expired on June 18, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, and while he remains in the U.S. legally on a valid Canadian visa, his green card has not yet been issued.

In a statement, MARTA said Greenwood was 'recently notified that his Permanent Resident Card (green card) is forthcoming' and that, 'out of an abundance of caution,' he stopped working when his EAD expired.

Greenwood informed the board and MARTA leadership of his decision personally and delegated authority to Rhonda Allen, MARTA's Chief Customer Experience Officer, who has now been named acting CEO.

MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood (pictured) announced his early retirement following the expiration of his Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which allowed him to work in the U.S. as a Canadian citizen

The surprise resignation was confirmed during a Thursday meeting of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's Board of Directors. Pictured: A MARTA train pulling into the station

'This is a sad day for this board and for this authority,' board member Kathryn Powers said in a company meeting, Atlanta News First reported.

Further, the taxpayer-funded company issued a statement of its own, commending the now former CEO's time with the company.

'The immigration process is extensive and has had an impact on Mr. Greenwood's personal and professional progress,' the agency said in a statement.

'These challenges have been resolved with Mr. Greenwood's decision, and the MARTA family supports him.'

Now, Allen will serve in the interim role while a search is conducted for Greenwood's permanent replacement, however, no timeline for that process has been released.

Greenwood was not present at the meeting, with board officials confirming he was unable to attend 'because of his immigration status.'

Greenwood joined MARTA in 2019 as Chief of Bus Operations and Urban Planning, became Deputy General Manager of Operations in 2021, and was named CEO in 2022.

He began his career 35 years ago as a bus driver and rose through the ranks of public transit leadership in both Canada and the U.S.

Greenwood (pictured) joined MARTA in 2019 as Chief of Bus Operations and Urban Planning, became Deputy General Manager of Operations in 2021, and was named CEO in 2022

Under his leadership, MARTA earned its highest-ever AAA bond rating and launched several major infrastructure initiatives, including the region's first bus rapid transit line and a systemwide rail station renovation. Pictured: Commuters board a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus at a stop in Atlanta, Georgia

In a statement, MARTA said Greenwood was 'recently notified that his Permanent Resident Card (green card) is forthcoming' and that, 'out of an abundance of caution,' he stopped working when his EAD expired. Pictured: MARTA Board of Directors raise their hands in acceptance of Greenwood's decision

Under his leadership, MARTA earned its highest-ever AAA bond rating and launched several major infrastructure initiatives, including the region's first bus rapid transit line and a systemwide rail station renovation, The Champion Newspaper reported.

The American Public Transportation Association named MARTA the 2024 Outstanding Public Transportation System in North America during Greenwood's tenure.

In a statement released by MARTA, Greenwood said he and his wife decided that 'this is a good opportunity to take an early retirement and spend more time with our family and friends.'

'I do want to thank the board, the executive leadership team, and everyone at MARTA for their support and their continued work to improve and grow transit service in this region,' he added.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens issued a statement thanking Greenwood for his service and reaffirming the city's commitment to expanding MARTA.

'As we look ahead, my administration remains committed to building a world-class transit system for Atlanta and the entire region,' Dickens said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson criticized the circumstances surrounding Greenwood's departure, blaming immigration policies under President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson criticized the circumstances surrounding Greenwood's departure, blaming immigration policies under President Donald Trump and calling the top CEO's exit 'forced by the cruel policies' Trump

According to MARTA, Greenwood remains in the country legally while awaiting the 'imminent' delivery of his green card. Pictured: MARTA headquarters at 2424 Piedmont Road in Atlanta

'The early, forced retirement of MARTA General Manager CEO Collie Greenwood is another example of the disruption, chaos, and pain that MAGA is inflicting on people's lives and on the nation's economy,' Johnson said.

He called Greenwood's exit 'forced by the cruel policies of President Donald Trump.'

According to MARTA, Greenwood remains in the country legally while awaiting the 'imminent' delivery of his green card.

The agency described the U.S. immigration process as 'extensive' and said it has 'had an impact on Mr. Greenwood's personal and professional progress.'

Doug Shipman, president of the Atlanta City Council, responded to the announcement by calling for a 'hard reset' at MARTA and urging the board to engage stakeholders in selecting a successor.
The number of swans on the River Thames has begun to go up again after a worrying dip, according to an annual survey.

The traditional five-day count known as swan upping found 115 young birds this year, compared to just 86 in 2024.

There has been a worrying decline in the numbers of the beloved royal birds in recent years - with the drop blamed on avian flu and human cruelty.

But the new figures released by the King's swan marker, David Barber, this week suggest the 45 per fall over the past two years has been reversed.

However, the numbers are still down on the 155 swans that were counted in 2022.

Mr Barber said according to The Henley Standard: 'So far it has been very positive.

'It's an improvement on last year because we've had the bird flu for a few years and that seems to have died out on the Thames now and the breeding pairs suffered badly and now it seems quite good so I'm pleased with it.

'Last year was the lowest number we've had for years and years and years and since I've been doing it and that was only 86 cygnets [across the whole bird count].'

Royal Swan Marker, David Barber holds a cygnet during the annual swan upping along the River Thames

Swan uppers travel up the River Thames while searching for swans during the annual swan upping

Swan uppers prepare to weigh, measure and tag cygnets during the annual swan upping along the River Thames

Swan upping is the annual census of the swan population and the ceremony is used to count the number of young cygnets, check their health and ensure numbers are maintained.

The 'swan uppers' use traditional rowing skiffs for their five-day journey each year upstream along the River Thames to Abingdon Bridge in Oxfordshire.

The ceremony dates back to the 12th century, when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans in Britain was claimed by the Crown in order to ensure a ready supply for feasts.

The focus is now on conservation and education, with local primary school children invited to Q&A sessions throughout the week.

In particular, Mr Barber wants the event to discourage young people from mistreating swans.

Recently there have been incidents reported of people shooting the royal birds with catapults and air guns.

Swan upping has also become a popular spectacle with crowds gathering along the banks of the River Thames.

Swan upping has also become a popular spectacle with crowds gathering along the banks of the River Thames

A Swan upper holds a swan after re-tagging the bird during the annual swan upping along the River Thames

Swan Uppers catch a family of swans and cygnets in Buckinghamshire on July 16
A British woman in her 20's allegedly found dead behind a church during a family holiday to France was seen arguing with her partner in the hours before her death, it emerged tonight.

The deceased  who has not yet been named  was on holiday in Barfleur, 17 miles east of the Normandy port of Cherbourg.

Her lifeless body was found in a rock pool next to the coastal St Nicholass Church by a dog walker at around 9am on Friday morning.

Sources close to the investigation told Ouest France that the woman is believed to have drowned. The church overlooks the Channel.

Following the opening of a criminal investigation, her partner was questioned by police, said an investigating source.

Others in the couples party from the UK have also been interviewed, following claims that she was likely to have drowned after falling into the sea.

The source continued: They were all on holiday in Barfleur, staying in a rented cottage by the port.

It is believed the English woman had been arguing with her partner following a night out on Thursday.

File photo: Barfleur in Normandy, France. Undated.

File photo: The Saint Nicolas church in Barfleur, Normandy. Undated.

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She may have gone out to get some air, before her drowned body was found in a rock pool hours later.

It is not known if anybody had raised the alarm about the womans initial disappearance.

Sea conditions were relatively calm on Thursday night, overnight to Friday, and the temperature was warm.

The area behind the church was on Friday blocked off by police teams, including forensics experts.

A drone could also be seen flying across the potential crime scene, as detectives made house-to-house enquiries.

Local prosecutors working with judicial police have opened a criminal investigation, and no theory for the death has yet been ruled out.

An autopsy was due to be carried out over the weekend, to establish the precise cause of death.

Barfleur, which has a history stretching back to before the Norman Conquest of 1066, is a member of The Most Beautiful Villages of France association.

It is a small fishing village of some 700 residents in the north of France, largely untouched by tourism and rated one of the country's most attractive communes.

The area regularly tops polls for being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Many of those arriving for holidays are from Britain, because of Barfleurs position on the English Channel, close to major ferry ports, and surrounded by Normandy countryside.

MailOnline approached the local gendarmerie for comment.
Disgraced former politician Salim Mehajer has shared a powerful message with his supporters as he returns to social media after almost five years behind bars.

Bankrupt property developer and former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer, 39, walked free from John Morony Correctional Centre on Friday.

In 2023, while serving time for unrelated offences, Mehajer was convicted of a range of domestic violence offences against his ex-partner.

On Saturday morning, he shared the first post to his Instagram account since his release, sharing a photo of the words 'I am forever grateful' in black cursive letters.

'I am fully committed to fulfilling the expectations placed before me,' Mehajer wrote.

'Additionally, I express my sincere appreciation for the unwavering support of my family and friends, as well as the dedication of my legal representative, who has consistently stood by me throughout this journey.'

Mehajer has almost 130,000 followers on Instagram but only follows 29 accounts.

After walking free on Friday, he headed straight to a cosmetic dentist in Hornsby in Sydney's north to repair his prison teeth.

Bankrupt property developer and former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer, 39, walked free from John Morony Correctional Centre on Friday (pictured)

On Saturday morning, Salim shared his first post to his Instagram account since his release, sharing a photo of the words 'I am forever grateful' in black cursive letters (pictured)

He briefly stopped to get a new driver's licence from Service NSW in Westfield Parramatta before spending an hour getting the dental work.

The 39-year-old was notorious for his love of cosmetic work before his downfall, with gleaming Hollywood white teeth and apparent facial fillers his hallmark style.

He emerged from the clinic just after 1pm - wearing $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses - but brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks.'

The former politician had been sentenced to seven years and nine months behind bars for a range of offences including domestic violence against his ex-partner.

He was convicted of assaulting the victim by punching her in the head in his car, suffocating her with his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, crushing her hand as she held her phone and threatening to kill her mother.

His non-parole period of three years and nine months expired on Friday and the NSW Parole Board decided last month to grant his release.

Mehajer's victim, referred to legally as MB, lashed the parole board's decision to allow his release.

'It is so unfair, so grossly unfair that the freedoms of the offender are put above the freedoms of the victims,' she told Nine News in a statement on Friday.

Mejaher's last post before an almost five year jail stint was in January of 2018 (pictured)

Before his downfall, Mejaher favoured cosmetic work with gleaming Hollywood white teeth

'We are left to rebuild our lives while they are handed back theirs. This isn't justice.'

She said the consequences for domestic violence survivors 'far outweigh' the consequences of offending.

'For some victims it is years and years of trauma, a lifetime of hiding. For others it is rebuilding themselves financially and emotionally after being defrauded or dragged through civil court,' she said.

'Many abusers use the legal system as an extension of abuse. The system is set up to facilitate this.

'This is not a personal grievance. It is a systemic failure. One that must change.'

Mehajer's release comes with conditions, including that he undergo drug and alcohol testing and participate in domestic violence programs if directed.

He can't contact his domestic violence victim, communicate with any outlaw motorcycle gang bikies or associates and he can't go to the Central Coast.

His parole conditions also include being of good behaviour, and ongoing treatment from a private psychologist.

Mehajer must follow strict conditions after his release, including drug and alcohol tests

The corrective services commissioner had opposed his release, citing a risk of reoffending, an 'absence of insight' and a lack of change in attitude.

Despite concerns relating to the environment he may find himself in once freed, the State Parole Authority calculated his risk of reoffending as 'medium'.

Mehajer had been behind bars since November 2020, when he was jailed for lying to a court and has served back-to-back sentences for multiple offences.

He has previously claimed he was not given a fair trial while defending himself against the domestic violence charges.

He is due to appear in the Court of Criminal Appeal in August as part of his appeal against his domestic violence convictions.
Kemi Badenoch has accused former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf of intentionally liking an anti-Semitic online post about one of her party members.

The extraordinary accusation came yesterday after Mr Yusufs X account liked a post attacking Robert Jenrick and his Jewish wife and children.

After the like emerged, Mr Yusuf issued an apology and said a member of his team had done it accidentally.

But shortly after sharing the apology, Tory justice spokesman Mr Jenrick accused the Reform UK politician of bull**** and demanded he be sacked from Nigel Farages party.

In a statement on X, Mr Jenrick said: Youve spent the last 48 hours calling me a traitor for not drawing attention to a leaked spreadsheet with our special forces and MI6 officers names on. But were meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife and family was liked accidentally by one of the team.

He added: You must think were all thick. No. The mask has slipped. Likes are private.

You thought nobody would ever know. Unfortunately for you, the racist account who posted the tweet could see the likes exposed you. Reform should give you the boot.

Kemi Badenoch has accused former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf (pictured) of intentionally liking an anti-Semitic online post about one of her party members

The extraordinary accusation came yesterday after Mr Yusufs X account liked a post attacking Robert Jenrick (pictured) and his Jewish wife and children

Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch (pictured) has weighed in with her thoughts on the post in support of Mr Jenrick

In response, Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch then wrote: Well said, Rob. Well said indeed.

The offending statement  posted by an account called British Racial Chauvinism with the username Enoch-Is-Right  made discriminatory statements against Jewish people and those from other minority backgrounds.

It stated: Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family.

Then, using unfounded racist stereotypes and offensive language, the tweet claimed that Mr Jenrick had imported people from a particular background to rape our women and children.

A video showing that Mr Yusufs account had liked the post began circulating on social media, prompting demands for Reform to suspend him and launch an investigation into his conduct.

In his apology, Mr Yusuf wrote: One of the team who posts to my X account accidentally pressed like on an awful anti-Semitic tweet today. I apologise for this.

He went on to explain language in the post was equally racist against me, proving that liking the post was not intentional.

He added: The amount of anti-Semitism and racism on this platform is spiralling out of control. I hope that changes soon.

Mr Jenrick said: 'Were meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife and family was liked 'accidentally' by "one of the team. Pictured: Jenrick with his wife Michal Berkner

Mr Yusuf resigned as chairman of Reform UK last month after almost a year in the role.

His resignation came shortly after he tweeted that Reform MP Sarah Pochin had asked a dumb question after she challenged Keir Starmer to ban the burka at Prime Ministers Questions. In his resignation message, he said working for Reform UK was not a good use of my time.

Some 48 hours later, Mr Yusuf returned to the party to head its Doge team  inspired by Donald Trumps Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

Shortly afterwards, party leader Mr Farage admitted that Mr Yusuf, who is Muslim, had been subject to racial abuse on X.

Also unconvinced by the apology and explanation, Tory MP Jack Rankin wrote on X yesterday: When people tell you who they are, believe them. Zia Yusufs mask has slipped and [he] must be sacked.

A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: This was a very concerning social media post and it is right that Zia Yusuf has distanced himself from it. We hope his office will be reviewing how this happened and ensuring it will not happen again.

We will be keeping a close eye on this going forward.

Conservative sources have noted that Mr Yusufs language towards Mr Jenrick has become increasingly aggressive in recent days, having been ramped up in light of the Afghanistan data breach revelations.

In one of his posts on X, Mr Yusuf accused Mr Jenrick of lying, stating: Youre a traitor to your country.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
During the run up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018 there were two guests who sparked an intense interest from both the public and the press - the bride's mother and father.

But while Doria Ragland kept her head down before the big day, Thomas Markle - who is 81 today - appeared to be actively seeking out the limelight to capitalise on his daughter's marriage into the most famous family in the world.

In fact, Thomas' actions caused his son-in-law Prince Harry to declare that the father of the bride caused 'chaos' in the days before the wedding.

Writing in his tell-all biography Spare, Harry lifted the curtain on the drama revolving around Thomas that engulfed the Royal Family just days before the ceremony.

The prince said that Meghan had spent months trying to 'soothe' her father who had been left upset by his media coverage.

'His pride was constantly wounded,' Harry wrote.

'Every day there was another humiliating photo in the paper.'

Considering Thomas' previous unease with his coverage in the papers, Harry and Meghan were surprised when they got word that he had in fact staged a candid photoshoot working with the paparazzi.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share a kiss outside St George's Chapel on their wedding day

Meghan Markle with her father, Thomas Markle, at her college graduation. Thomas' actions caused his son-in-law Prince Harry to declare that the father of the bride caused 'chaos' in the days before the wedding

Asked point blank if the story was true Thomas said no.

Harry said: 'He swore he'd never staged any photos, that he hadn't taken part in any such charade, that he didn't know the pap in question.

'Meg whispered to me: "I believe him".'

But then the next morning the story broke and it was proved that Thomas had indeed lied.

'A week before the wedding, this now became the story... Soon after the story broke, Thomas Markle sent us a text: "I'm so ashamed",' Harry wrote.

The story then took another dramatic turn when Thomas then had a heart attack which finally ended any prospect of him attending the wedding.

Despite his absence, Thomas still continued to cause 'chaos' for the bride and groom.

According to Harry, Meghan was somewhat distracted by her father when drama erupted over Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress.

The then Prince Charles with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland. Unlike Thomas, Doria kept her head down away from the press

Harry and Meghan wave to onlookers on their wedding day. Despite his absence, Thomas still continued to cause 'chaos' for the bride and groom

A young Meghan with her father

The Duke of Sussex claimed that Meghan had missed Kate Middleton's text about issues with Charlotte's dress because she was 'dealing with the chaos surrounding her father'.

It has been widely reported that the tense stand-off between Kate and Meghan took place after Charlotte's fitting for her bridesmaid dress.

According to royal insider Tom Bower, Kate allegedly believed that the bridesmaids should wear tights as per royal protocol. However, at Meghan's 'insistence' the tradition was dropped.

Their biggest disagreement was over the length of Charlotte's hem, which Kate believed was too short for the three-year-old princess.

Meghan's assistant Melissa Toubati and dress-fitter Clare Waight Keller claimed to have 'witnessed Meghan emphatically reject Kate's observation,' Bower said.

The altercation caused Kate to burst into tears according to presenter and friend of Queen Camilla, Kirstie Allsopp.

Reports differ about what happened next. Bower wrote that Kate went over to Meghan's quarters in Kensington Palace with a bunch of flowers and asked her not to speak rudely to her staff.

'In Kate's version, Meghan slammed the door in her face and threw the flowers in a dustbin,' Bower wrote.

Thomas speaking to Good Morning Britain in 2023. He has put further strain on his relationship with Meghan by repeatedly giving interviews to the press

Kate Middleton with a young Princess Charlotte as a bridesmaid on the wedding day

After the wedding it was the now-Princess of Wales' report of the altercation that made headlines about Meghan's 'diva' behaviour.

Meghan would recall her version of events during her bombshell interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

There, she claimed that the tears were in fact hers, and the flowers an apology.

'A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining - yes, the issue was correct - about flower-girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings,' Meghan said during the interview.

'What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didnt do but that happened to me.'

'And the people who were part of our wedding going to our comms team and saying, "I know this didnt happen." I dont have to tell them what actually happened,' she added.

Since the wedding, Meghan and Harry have not communicated with Thomas, and he has never had the opportunity to meet his son-in-law - or grandchildren Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.

'I've had a good life and I am proud of what I've accomplished, but everything has been overshadowed by what has happened in the last six years,' he told Mail Online last year.

Meghan outside the chapel on her wedding day

King Charles walked Meghan down the aisle after a heart attack prevented Thomas from attending the wedding

'I've never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won't be in touch.'

Thomas has put further strain on their relationship by repeatedly giving interviews to the press since Meghan married into the Royal Family.

In July 2018, during an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Thomas claimed his daughter would be 'nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today'.

He has also appeared on talk shows such as Good Morning Britain, where he has spoken at length about his relationship with Harry and Meghan.

The Duchess's father had been living in Mexico before he upped and moved across the world to the Philippines earlier this year.

Thomas along with his son - Thomas Jr - are now living on the tropical island of Cebu.

Speaking about his move to South East Asia, Thomas told the Daily Mail: 'I am ready for a change.

'I have felt stuck in a rut for some time and I am ready to meet new people and experience kindness.'

He said: 'At 80 it is time to go somewhere where the people are lovely and I can enjoy a quieter, friendlier existence.

Harry and Meghan's controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey

'In South East Asia the medical care is good, you can live reasonably cheaply, the people are kind and respect older people and the food is healthy.

'Mostly I just want peace. At 80, none of us know how long we have left.

'I want whatever time I have to be peaceful with none of the awful drama of recent years.'

Since the move, the Markles have not found Cebu to be the tranquil paradise they were expecting, with the men reportedly struggling to adapt to the extremely hot and humid weather on the island.

The Daily Express reported that concerns had been raised about how the climate could affect Thomas's poor health, with claims that the father had been seen walking with a cane recently.

Their new life in a high-rise flat in the Philippines's fifth largest city is world's away from the luxury lifestyle his daughter and family enjoy in Montecito, California.

But with the rift between father and daughter still as wide as ever, it seems unlikely Thomas will be making the 7,000-mile journey to reunite with Meghan any time soon.
Meghan Markle released her wine on July 1 and it was met with sell-out success.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, took to Instagram to announce that her 2023 Napa Valley rose, made in California, quickly sold out in under an hour.

As Ever customers were able to purchase three bottles of the 'thoughtfully curated' for $90, six bottles for $159, and 12 bottles for $300.

Luckily, the Palace Confidential team got their hands on a bottle, allowing the Mail's Royal experts to try it for themselves on the latest episode of the hit YouTube show.

Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor, was the first to take a sip - and it didn't take long for him to screw up his nose.

'It's sort of sweet at first but with a bitter aftertaste,' he said.

'Now Richard,' replied a sarcastic Luke Blackall, who hosted this week's show. 'I don't know what you could be talking about.'

'Genuinely,' Richard insisted. 'It does have quite an unpleasant aftertaste.'

Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor, thought the wine had a 'bitter' aftertaste

As Ever customers were able to purchase three bottles of the 'thoughtfully curated' for $90, six bottles for $159, and 12 bottles for $300

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, takes a sip of wine on her Netflix show With Love, Meghan

After taking a sip, Luke turned his attention to Charlotte Griffiths, the Mail on Sunday's Editor-at-Large.

'It's quite strong, isn't it?' he asked her. 'It's 14.5 per cent which is quite a lot for a rose.'

'I don't actually drink,' replied Charlotte. 'So I will have one sip and be completely sloshed because I have no tolerance left and it's 14.5 per cent!'

Raising the glass to her lips and taking a small sip, Charlotte said: 'Oh god, I've missed that. Maybe I will take up drinking again. It's been about five years!'

Going into more depth, she said: 'That is strong and fine. It's fine.

'I could see myself putting that on the table. All my friends would refuse to drink it but I think it makes an elegant addition to a table.

'Who doesn't love a glass of frosty cold rose?'

To which Richard replied: 'I think if it was 5, you might think "great" but I think it's about $30 a bottle.'

She took to Instagram to announce that her 2023 Napa Valley rose sold out in under an hour

The wine, made in California, is 14.5 per cent - more than the average rose

Richard Eden (centre) is joined on the hit YouTube show by Charlotte Griffiths (left), the Mail on Sunday's Editor-at-Large, and host Luke Blackall (right)

Charlotte, who hasn't had alcohol for five years, said the wine was 'strong' and 'fine'

'And you have to buy three,' Luke added. 'I think they only come in sets of three.'

'I would certainly be giving away the second two as a gift, I think,' Richard quipped.

Charlotte, who has been reporting on the royals - and running in their circles - for 15 years, said that her biggest gripe was with the wine bottle itself.

'I don't think it's a very fancy bottle,' she said. 'It's not very stylishly designed.'

'Are you saying we should or shouldn't judge a bottle by its cover?' asked Luke.

'I judge the bottle by its cover,' Charlotte said. 'I think it needs an upgrade. A taller neck and more elegant foil.

'Love is in the detail,' she added, quoting the Duchess in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.

Jan Moir, a much loved columnist at the Daily Mail, also had a taste of Meghan's wine.

Jan Moir, taste tests Meghan's rose, in a clip sent into Palace Confidential

In an exclusive clip featured on Palace Confidential, Jan said: 'This just isn't any old rose, this is the Duchess of Sussex rose.

'According to the blurb, she "thoughtfully curated and thoughtfully crafted" herself. Now, I don't imagine she was tramping the grapes up in the Napa Valley.

'What is astonishing to me is that the alcoholic content of this wine is 14.5 per cent,' Jan said. 'In Scotland, we would call this "Wreck the Hoose Juice".

'It's very, very strong for a rose. Most European roses are only 12.5 per cent,' she added.

'If you take something like Whispering Angel, which is not just the bestselling rose in America, it's the bestselling rose in the world, I think, and that's only 12.5 per cent.'

Pouring it into a glass not unsimilar to the one Meghan used in her promotion pictures, Jan said: 'It looks like rose. It smells like rose.'

After taking a sip, she delivered her verdict: 'I want to be honest with you, it's a bit too sweet for me.

'It's quite fruity. She says it's got notes of "minerality" in it but I don't get that,' Jan said. 'I get stone fruit. It's a bit plummy.

'As I said, it's just not my favourite style of rose. A lot of people do like it but I prefer the paler ones from the Mediterranean because that's the kind of person I am.'

For more fascinating insights from the Mail's team of unrivalled experts, watch the latest episode of Palace Confidential in full now, subscribe to the Daily Mail Royals YouTube channel and sign up to the FREE Palace Confidential newsletter.
Prince Harry has no plans ever to move back to Britain despite recent hopes of a reconciliation with King Charles, the Mail can reveal.

Following news of a secret peace summit between aides of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and his father, it was thought the Windsor family feud could be resolved, paving a way for the prince to return to the UK.

However friends of Harry and Meghan have said the couple are very happy in California and are never likely to return.

A source, who is close to Harry, 40, said: Theyre very happy living in and raising their family in California and, as it stands, have no plans to leave.

Last week the Mail on Sunday revealed that the Kings aide Tobyn Andreae met for drinks with the head of Harrys household in Montecito, California, Meredith Maines, and her colleague Liam Maguire, who runs the Sussexes PR team in the UK, at a London private members club.

It was thought to be the first meeting between the feuding sides of the family in years.

A source said: Everyone just wants to move on and move forward now. It was finally the right time for the two sides to talk.'

It prompted speculation that there was a way for Harry to return to the House of Windsor after he and the Duchess of Sussex left the UK and stepped back from official royal duties in 2020.

King Charles and Prince Harry's senior aides held a secret peace summit in London. Present were Tobyn Andreae, head of communications for the royal family (left); Meredith Maines, head of communications for the Sussexes (right); and Liam Maguire, who runs the Sussexes' PR team in the UK (centre)

But the source close to Harry has now appeared to slam the door on the notion that Harry and Meghan might re-establish themselves in the UK.

The rendezvous came after Ms Maines, who was appointed head of Harry's household in California in March, flew to the UK for a series of meetings with businesses, charitable partners and journalists.

The Mail understands it was subsequently suggested a meeting with Buckingham Palace's director of communications, Mr Andreae, might be possible while she was in the country.

While wary, it is understood the Palace believed a meeting was sensible to re-open lines of communication with the latest Sussex PR team.

Senior officials on all sides have declined to say whether Prince William's team at Kensington Palace knew the meeting was going ahead, even if they were not represented.

When they left Britain, a statement from the Sussexes said that they would divide their time between the UK and North America. At the time, they were living in a house in Vancouver, Canada.

But the idea of cross-continental living rapidly became untenable amid the huge rift between Harry and his family and due to the Dukes concern over his personal safety.

He and Meghan officially vacated Frogmore Cottage in Windsor  their wedding gift from the Queen  in 2023.

Friends of Harry and Meghan said the couple are very happy in California and are never likely to return to the UK

Sources say that he will come over for visits to support his charitable causes and patronages but there are no plans for wife Meghan to accompany him. There is no question of a full return to the UK for him or the family.

Harry has repeatedly said that he doesnt believe that Meghan is safe in the UK. In May he lost his appeal against a decision not to automatically give him police protection which was taken by the Ravec committee at the Home Office.

In an interview after he lost, Harry said he 'would love a reconciliation' with the Royal Family, but that the King 'won't speak to me because of this security stuff'.

The Duke called the decision an 'old-fashioned establishment stitch-up' and suggested his father could have resolved the situation.

Charles is said to be hopeful of a reunion with his younger son and that he might yet build a relationship with his two grandchildren, six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet.

Last month, The Mail on Sunday revealed that The Duke of Sussex had decided to extend an olive branch to the Royal Family by inviting them to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham.

Last year, reports circulated that the Duke of Sussex had begun consulting with old friends from the UK about how to mastermind a return from exile. At the time, sources said that Harry was consulting with people 'from his old life' as a working royal after allegedly growing dissatisfied with advice from American-based image experts.

During his BBC interview, the Duke expressed uncertainty about 'how much longer my father has left,' sparking criticism for fuelling speculation about the 76-year-old monarch's health.

Harry admitted that he didn't expect forgiveness across the board from his family, saying, 'Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book [his autobiography, Spare].

Despite this, he expressed a clear desire for a rapprochement, saying, 'I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight any more.''
Frustrated home sellers are pulling their homes off the market because they can't get the prices they want.

A softer housing market saw delistings surge 47 percent across the country in May compared to the same time last year.

Homeowners would rather sit tight and wait for the price they want than sell at a discount, new Realtor.com data suggests.

The jump is partly down to far more homes being on the market - 29 percent more in June than the same month in 2024.

Newly listed homes increased 6.2 percent from a year ago, but plateaued over the past two months.

Now delistings are beginning to outpace new listings, with 13 homes delisted in May for every 100 fresh homes on the market.

It comes as many homeowners have been forced to slash their asking prices and accept a more reasonable offer in the current uncertain market.

More than 20 percent of listed homes had price reductions in June, the highest share for the month since 2016.

13 homes were delisted in May for every 100 fresh homes hitting the market

Yet many sellers remain in a strong position. They are sitting on masses of home equity and are unwilling to settle.

'Delistings have become an increasingly common response, especially among sellers who are unwilling to budge on price in a slower, more buyer-friendly market,' Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel told DailyMail.com.

'Unlike past housing slowdowns, today's homeowners are in a stronger financial position, often sitting on record equity and locked into ultra-low mortgage rates.

'That gives them the flexibility to wait out unfavorable market conditions rather than sell below their expectations. As a result, many are choosing to delist instead of negotiating,' Krimmel explained.

Phoenix, Arizona, is at the epicenter of the delistings trend, seeing more homes pulled from the market than any other area.

Economists believe this is because areas in the South and West have seen inventory hit pre-pandemic levels but prices remaining flat or are even falling.

In Phoenix, 33 percent of active listings have had to reduce their price and there has been a 44 percent increase in inventory compared to the same time last year, according to Realtor.com.

'For those unwilling to cut - which is still the super-majority of sellers - delisting becomes the path of least resistance,' Krimmel explained.

Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel said home owners have historic amounts of equity

Phoenix, Arizona is at the epicenter of the delistings trend

'It's a strategic retreat, and one that reflects the broader standoff between buyer budgets and seller expectations in today's market.'

Realtor chief economist Danielle Hale said the market is seeing a divergence of sellers who are accepting price cuts and those who won't.

'Buyers are seeing more choices than they've had in years, but many sellers, anchored by peak price expectations and upheld by strong equity positions, are deciding to step back if they don't get their number,' she explained.

'Looking forward, this dynamic will affect whether we tip from a balanced to buyer's market, and if so, how quickly that happens.'
France has officially entered the space race with a rocket named Orbital Baguette One.

The country known for wine, cheese and existential cinema is now hoping to take over the cosmos with a crusty carb-themed spacecraft.

The name is not just a nod to one of France's most iconic exports, but also a wink to Star Wars, with the OB-1 abbreviation paying a playful tribute to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

While rockets steeped in fantasy, such as Pegasus, Antares, and Atlas V, have dominated the space race, the French have decided to take a more boulangerie chic approach when choosing a name.

Backed by President Emmanuel Macron and developed by a start-up called HyPrSpace, founded in 2019, Baguette One is a small, reusable suborbital launcher that promises cheap and eco-friendly satellite transport.

A test flight is scheduled from a French military base, with a bigger version, Orbital Baguette One, to follow.

Co-founder Sylvain Bataillard said the company wanted to be 'serious but not sinister' when picking the name.

The rocket uses what HyPrSpace calls 'revolutionary hybrid propulsion,' powered by a mix of liquid and solid propellants, some made from recycled plastic.

An artist impression of the rocket, which is said to use 'revolutionary hybrid propulsion,' powered by a mix of liquid and solid propellants, some made from recycled plastic

The name is not just a nod to one of France's most iconic exports but also a wink to Star Wars, with the OB-1 abbreviation paying playful tribute to Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi

There are no turbo-pumps, and the chamber is pressurised with helium, which the company says helps keep costs low.

Despite the playful branding, the project has serious backing. France's government has already handed over 35 million, with another 400 million up for grabs if initial launches succeed.

The defence ministry is giving up military bases in southwest France and Provence for testing, making this the first rocket launch from mainland France.

According to The Times, TV presenters on TF1 had a hard time trying to keep a straight face when reporting on the project this week, especially after showing an AI image of a baguette on a launchpad.

But with global demand for satellite launches booming, no one is laughing at the potential.

The Novaspace consultancy predicts more than 26,000 satellites will be launched by 2032.

HyPrSpace wants to corner a slice of that market with its microlauncher, which it describes as a satellite 'taxi' offering flexible lift-off dates at half the usual cost.

Most small rockets charge 40,000 per kilogram. Baguette One aims to do it for around 20,000.

France President Emanuel Macron has given the launcher his full backing

While SpaceX continues to dominate and Europe lags behind, France is hoping its crusty challenger will rise to the occasion.

OB-1 may sound like a bakery joke, but Macron's government is betting it could be the future of French space travel.
There are now just two more months before the release of the next iPhone.

But keen Apple fans now have a hint of what the iPhone 17 Pro might look like.

If the latest rumours are to be believed, the iPhone might be even more eye-catching than ever before with five brand new colours.

And, according to renders created by Apple Insider, the iPhone 17 Pro will be available in one very 'unusual' colour.

This bold new colour is widely expected to be a striking 'fluorescent' orange, potentially marking a major change in Apple's design style.

This bold new look could be released alongside the more conventional options of Dark Blue, Grey, Black, and Silver.

These potential colours were suggested by veteran Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, who shared an image of the lens protection rings supposedly for the upcoming iPhone.

On social media, the bold new colour has divided Apple fans, with one commenter calling it 'the worst colour of a phone I have ever seen.'

With less than two months before the release of the next iPhone, keen Apple fans have been given a hint at what the iPhone 17 might look like

According to renders created by Apple Insider, the iPhone 17 Pro will be available in an extremely 'unusual' orange colour

The colours were suggested by veteran Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, who shared pictures of lens protection covers supposedly made for the upcoming iPhone 17

Mr Dickson, who has a business selling framed and refurbished iPhones, suggests that the 'orange' colour could be a copper or dark gold, which would be more in keeping with Apple's usual offerings for the Pro model.

However, a separate leak by Macworld suggests that this will not be the case.

Macworld claimed to have accessed 'an internal document with the Pantone colors used as a reference for designing and building the new iPhones'.

This document reportedly gave the reference for the orange tone as colour named 'TCX Papaya', which is a bright, saturated orange.

If true, this would be a significant departure from the muted and metallic designs Apple has favoured for the Pro and Pro Max lines in recent years.

On social media, many fans greeted the news of a more colourful iPhone lineup with excitement.

Apple commentator Majin Bu shared a render of what the new iPhone may look like, writing: 'iPhone 17 Pro Orange looks amazing.'

'The orange on the next iPhone Pro is kinda hot,' chimed in another.

On social media, fans were divided over the potential colour option. With one calling it the 'worst colour of a phone I have ever seen'

Some fans welcomed the new design, as one claimed they would buy an iPhone for the first time if it really were available in orange

Besides orange, the rumours suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro will be available in Dark Blue, Grey, Black, and Silver.

Another fan added: 'I might buy an iPhone for the first time if they launch it in orange. Just loved that colour.'

However, not everyone was convinced that these new designs were a step in the right direction.

'iPhone 17 Pro in orange looks very bad,' one commenter wrote.

While another slammed the design as 'the ugliest color they have ever made'.

Unfortunately for Apple fans, there won't be any way to know for certain what the real colours will be until the iPhone 17 is officially launched in September.

MailOnline has contacted the company for comment, but Apple is staying tight-lipped about any potential design changes.

However, there isn't too much longer to wait.

Apple's iPhone 17 unveiling event is expected to be on Monday or Tuesday in the second week of September, broadcast live from Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.

The bright colour would be a major departure from Apple's previous Pro and Pro Max designs, which have typically favoured dark colours and metallic finishes

According to rumours, the standard iPhone 17 will have two camera lenses in a vertical alignment, one on top of the other. But the other three options will have a rectangular camera bar across the back  similar to Google's Pixel phones

The event's digital invite  potentially hinting at the iPhone 17's design  will be sent out to members of the press and industry analysts in the weeks prior.

Apple fans will reportedly have four models to choose from  the standard model, an ultra-thin iPhone 17 'Air', and the more expensive iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Air, also referred to as 'iPhone 17 Slim', is expected to be a lighter, thinner option  rivalling the Galaxy Edge recently released by Samsung.

The standard iPhone 17 will have two camera lenses in a vertical alignment, one on top of the other.

But the other three options will have a rectangular camera bar across the back  similar to Google's Pixel phones.

It suggests Apple needs more space on the back of the phone to pack in camera components for its high-end handsets.

iPhone 17 will also have an aluminium frame with a glass back, enhanced cameras, and a powerful A18 chip for advanced AI tasks.
More than 800 earthquakes have rattled Washington's Mount Rainier in the last 30 days, sparking fears that one of America's most dangerous volcanoes is coming to life.

More than half of the quakes, around 500, struck in July alone, with one intense swarm unleashing over 400 tremors in just 12 hours.

This towering stratovolcano looms over more than 3.3 million people across the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, threatening to cripple entire communities with ashfall, flooding, and catastrophic mudflows if it erupts.

Although Rainier has not produced a major eruption in over 1,000 years, earthquake swarms like this are often linked to volcanic unrest.

Such seismic activity is typically triggered by magma rising toward the surface, fracturing surrounding rock under intense pressure.

However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has downplayed immediate eruption fears, saying the current tremors are likely caused by hot fluids, not magma.

Regardless, volcanologists have said that it is only a matter of time until Rainier, arguably the most dangerous volcano in the US, unleashes on the Pacific Northwest.

'Mount Rainier keeps me up at night because it poses such a great threat to the surrounding communities,' Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist and ambassador for the Union of Concerned Scientists told CNN.

Mount Rainier has been rocked by nearly 800 earthquakes in the last 30 days. The volcano has not erupted in over 1,000 years

This huge, stratovolcano looms cities such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Yakima in Washington as well as Portland, Oregon

When this volcano eventually blows, it won't be lava flows or choking clouds of ash that threaten surrounding cities, but the lahars: violent, fast-moving mudflows that can tear across entire communities in a matter of minutes.

Large lahars can crush, abrade, bury, or carry away almost anything in their paths, according to the USGS.

'Tacoma and South Seattle are built on 100-foot-thick ancient mudflows from eruptions of Mount Rainier,' Phoenix said.

But for now, the USGS has found 'no indication that the level of earthquake activity is cause for concern, and the alert level and color code for Mount Rainier remain at GREEN / NORMAL.'

The USGS issued a notice on July 9, informing the public that a major swarm had rattled Mount Rainier, which saw hundreds of earthquakes in half a day.

'Earthquakes are too small to be felt at the surface and will likely continue for several days. There would be no damage caused by such small events,' the USGS said.

Since the earthquake swarm, scientists have detected hundreds of more up to a 2.3 magnitude.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), however, noted that the seismic activity is due to hot fluids moving below the volcano, not magma

The USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) added: 'Instruments do not show any detectable ground deformation at the volcano, and no anomalous signals have been seen on the infrasound monitoring stations.'

Volcanic eruptions usually cause lahars by rapidly melting snow and ice that covers the volcano's slopes, which then destabilizes loose dirt, rock and volcanic debris and causes it to flow rapidly downward.

But it doesn't always take an eruption to trigger a lahar, according to the Seismological Society of America.

Rarely, these powerful mudslides can form as the result of gradual weakening of the volcano's slopes due to past eruptions, or heavy rainfall after an eruption.

The deadliest lahar in recent history resulted from a 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano in Tolima, Columbia.

Within hours of the eruption, a torrent of mud, melted snow and rock inundated the town of Armero and killed an estimated 25,000 people.

This event, now known as the Armero tragedy, was the costliest volcanic disaster in history, according to The International Disaster Database. The total economic impact was estimated at $1 billion.

The 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens, located in Washington just 50 miles from Mount Rainier, also produced a dangerous lahar that destroyed more than 200 homes, over 185 miles of roads and contributed to the total death toll of 57 people.

These tragic events have helped scientists better understand the threat that lahars pose to human communities around active volcanoes, and experts are currently preparing for the terrifying possibility of a lahar forming at Mount Rainier.
A group of US Air Force veterans has gone public with their story about how an 'invisible enemy' at the top-secret base Area 51 left them with cancer.

The former security guards at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), a classified site that houses Area 51, have claimed that the US government betrayed them and essentially handed them a death sentence without their knowledge.

Their claims stemmed from the revelation that NTTR was built in the 1970s on an area of land that was found to be contaminated with radiation from years of nuclear testing in the area.

However, that 1975 report from the US Energy Research and Development Administration also said it would 'be against the national interest' to stop the military's secret projects at the site.

David Crete, a former Air Force Sergeant who worked at NTTR from 1983 through 1987, said that over 490 of his fellow workers have died of severe illnesses since being stationed at the secret facility.

Making matters worse, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to cover their medical care because none of the surviving veterans can prove they were exposed to radiation near Area 51.

That's because their work was so top secret, all records of their activities have been marked as 'data masked.'

'I have brain atrophy. The left side of my brain is shrinking and dying. That's not too bad. I'm one of the healthy ones,' Crete told the House Veterans Affairs Committee in April while lobbying for legislation to support the Area 51 veterans.

Dave Crete and hundreds of other airmen were employed by the Air Force's security police squadron to guard experimental aircraft

Crete spoke to the House Veterans Affairs Committee in April, revealing that he and his fellow veterans at Area 51 developed tumors

Area 51, an area of more than 2.9 million acres, is located next to the Nevada Test Site, where US nuclear weapons were tested from the 1950s to the 1990s

Crete added that the average age of death for someone who served in that unit is 65 and the youngest airman to die was just 33.

The Air Force veteran was unaware of anyone who worked at NTTR who had lived beyond the age of 80, but the radiation exposure caused even more harm than that.

Along with revealing that most of his fellow airmen had developed multiple tumors since retiring, Crete told lawmakers that the radiation had been passed to their families as well.

'My wife had three miscarriages. One of the guys that I worked with, his wife had seven,' the veteran explained.

'All four of my children were born with birth defects or significant health problems. It's not their fault. I'm not saying it's mine, but I brought it home. It was my DNA that was permanently altered from low-dose, long-term, ionizing radiation exposure,' Crete continued.

In 2000, then-President Bill Clinton signed a bill that provided compensation and medical benefits to workers who developed illnesses due to exposure to radiation and other toxins while employed at certain government facilities, including nuclear sites.

Crete and other veterans from Area 51 who were invited to Washington on April 8 asked that the same healthcare rules that apply to these workers, who were not part of classified projects, apply to them as well.

Veteran Mike Nemcic told NewsNation: 'It's just a matter of betrayal. These folks knew, and they purposefully kept it quiet because it was more beneficial to them not to tell us.'

Dave Crete (left) and Pomp Braswell (right) previously sued the federal government over their health issues

US Air Force F-117 stealth bombers (pictured) were at the cutting edge of aircraft design in the 1980s

The Air Force base, Area 51, 85 miles north of Las Vegas, was established in 1955 but was not officially acknowledged until 2013

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Air Force for comment regarding this matter is still awaiting a response.

Crete and the other Area 51 veterans were employed by the Air Force's security police squadron to guard the F-117A Nighthawk, America's first stealth bomber, which was being developed and tested at the top-secret facility.

Most of what the airmen did at NTTR since the 1970s is still classified, and they've never been able to share what they were doing, not even to their families.

Veteran Pomp Braswell said: 'It felt very special, especially at a young age. My mom knew absolutely zero about what I was doing. She knew there was a phone number if she needed to get hold of me, that's it.'

According to Crete, the only recognition of their sacrifice at Area 51 came during a conversation with late US Senator John McCain, who served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and allegedly knew what was happening at NTTR.

'He came up to me and he said, 'Your unit ended the Cold War.' If you ever wanted validation that what you did was important, that's just about it,' Crete recounted.

Two bills have been introduced in Congress, the Protect Act and the Forgotten Veterans Act, to provide healthcare relief for the veterans affected by their classified work at NTTR.
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An Aussie clothing brand with more than 18,000 five-star reviews has been struggling to keep up with demand after selling tens of thousands of dresses - thanks to its design that flatters every body shape.

Best known for its vibrant prints and flattering fits, Proud Poppy has sold tens of millions of dollars worth of dresses, with inclusive sizes ranging from six to 30.

The brainchild of Tara McKeon, a mum-of-two and former emergency nurse, it has become a go-to label for women who want stylish, comfortable clothes that go beyond the standard sizing range most labels stick to.

The brand's beloved dresses are a cult favourite among its loyal fanbase, alongside sleepwear, swimwear, denim, jumpsuits and even colourful medical scrubs.

Proud Poppy's mission is to provide affordable, on trend and inclusive fashion, ensuring women of all shapes feel seen, celebrated, and stylish.

The eye-catching styles range from $89.95 to $179.95, though regular sales see some of the brand's bestsellers priced at just $20, making building a stylish, confidence-boosting wardrobe affordable for all.

Daily Mail Australia readers get an exclusive 15 per cent off discount by using the code DAILYMAIL15 at checkout. The discount ends on September 30, 2025.

The wildly popular Addison dress is constantly selling out. The feminine silhouette featuring a V-neckline, cinched waist adjustable with a drawstring, and a tiered hemline, comes in multiple prints - pink rose, zebra print and blue jasmine.

The adjustable drawstring waist ensures the perfect fit, while the tiered hem brings that breezy movement we love - and yes, she's got pockets.

Australian brand Proud Poppy has won legions of fans with its inclusive range of affordable, stylish dresses

Addison Dress A perfect blend of elegance and everyday ease, this beauty is made to flatter and flow wherever you go. The feminine silhouette featuring a V-neckline, balloon sleeves with delicate lace detailing, and a tiered hemline, comes in multiple prints. The adjustable drawstring waist ensures the perfect fit, while the tiered hem brings that breezy movement we love - and yes, she's got pockets. Shop

'The Addison is my favourite style of dress. I love the way it hangs over my tummy in a more flattering way than any of the other styles. Such soft fabric and beautiful colours,' one customer raved.

'This dress is an absolute favourite in my wardrobe. The fit is incredibly comfortable, and the fabric feels beautiful against the skin. I especially love the pattern - it's stylish without being over the top. I always get compliments whenever I wear it, whether I'm at the office or enjoying an afternoon cocktail with the girls. It effortlessly transitions from day to evening, making it both versatile and chic,' another shared.

'The Addison Dress is hands down my most favourite item in my wardrobe. The fabric is absolutely divine - light, comfortable, and beautifully made. The softer Jasmine print is just stunning... this subtle yet elegant design is perfect for me,' one said.

'So pretty and flattering! The longer sleeves hide the nanna arms, cutting in at my slimmer waist and then flowing out to cover my wider hips. Would flatter most body shapes,' another added.

The wildly popular Addison dress is a consistent bestseller. The adjustable drawstring waist ensures the perfect fit, while the tiered hem brings that breezy movement we love - and yes, she's got pockets

The brand's loyal fans rave about the stylish designs that flatter every body shape and size, and the size six to 30 range

Most of the five-star reviews compliment the brand's vibrant colours and prints, and most of all the confidence injection shoppers feel when wearing the designs.

'AMAZING, bright and colourful and I feel amazing when I wear it,' one customer wrote of her Proud Poppy dress.

Founder Tara McKeon launched Proud Poppy in 2019 and the brand has quickly grown to eight stores alongside its online offering, which ships hundreds of orders globally every week.

'I started Proud Poppy at one of the lowest points in my life,' Tara says.

'After gaining over 60kg during pregnancy, I was squeezing into a size 22, hiding from the world because nothing fit.'

Tara says that speaking to friends with petite frames, she discovered they had as much trouble finding fashionable clothes in their size.

'The more women I spoke to, the more I realised it wasn't just me  no matter their size, women everywhere felt left out of fashion.'

'It became so clear that a store like Proud Poppy Clothing is exactly what the women of the world needed,' she says.

Proud Poppy also offers comfy sleepwear (pictured), swimwear, separate tops and bottoms, outerwear, and even colourful medical scrubs alongside their cult dresses

The brand's latest collection, Rise and Bloom, is in collaboration with Daisy in Dots, by Muruwari woman and contemporary Aboriginal Artist Daisy Hill

'An affordable and stylish fashion store that was for ALL women. A store that was welcoming, inclusive and most importantly somewhere that we could all shop together.'

The dresses have proven particularly popular with teachers, with a variety of modest mid-length, roomy styles for an effortless outfit that looks as put together as it is comfortable.

The website even has an entire category dedicated to school-appropriate designs.

Proud Poppy has collaborated with Australian artists, and the latest collection, Rise and Bloom, is in partnership with Daisy in Dots, by proud Muruwari woman and contemporary Aboriginal Artist Daisy Hill.

'Grounded in shared values of confidence, community and creativity, the range brings Daisy's one of a kind artwork to life in a limited edition, seven piece collection.

'The print, titled Rise and Bloom, is a powerful reminder of resilience, connection and the strength found in women coming together. This collection is ally-friendly and has been designed for everyone to wear with pride.'

To shop the Proud Poppy range, click here.
The United Kingdom and Germany have signed a landmark treaty that will pave the way for a direct rail link between London and Berlin.

Dubbed The Kensington Treaty, the agreement is said to 'fundamentally change how millions of people travel', with hopes the rail link will be up and running by the early 2030s.

The agreement marks a significant shift in relations between the two nations, and was sealed during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to the UK on 17 July.

The signing ceremony took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington, alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

One of the deal's key elements, as outlined in the UK governments Plan for Change, is the commitment to establish a long-distance, direct passenger rail service between the two capitals, according to The Times.

It would also provide a direct link between London and other major German cities, such as Frankfurt.

A joint UK-Germany transport taskforce will now assess the infrastructure, border and security needs required to establish the route.

The taskforce will also look into commercial and technical requirements, such as safety standards and the potential to collaborate with rail operators to make direct services a reality.

The United Kingdom and Germany have signed a landmark treaty that will pave the way for a direct rail link between London and Berlin (Pictured: Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 17 July)

Dubbed The Kensington Treaty, the agreement is said to 'fundamentally change how millions of people travel,' with hopes the rail link will be up and running by the early 2030s (Pictured: a train of the regional express line RE 1 to Eisenhuttenstadt)

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: 'We're pioneering a new era of European rail connectivity and are determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent.

'The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie - in just a matter of years, rail passengers in the UK could be able to visit these iconic sights direct from the comfort of a train, thanks to a direct connection linking London and Berlin.

'This landmark agreement  part of a new treaty the Prime Minister will sign with Chancellor Merz today - has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of people travel between our two countries, offering a faster, more convenient and significantly greener alternative to flying.'

Eurostar and other rail operators initially put expansion plans in serving on hold following the UK's departure from the EU due to the need to address logistical and operational challenges related to border controls and new regulations.

While expansion was initially delayed, Eurostar has since announced plans to launch direct services to Frankfurt and Geneva in the early 2030s, and is also working on a direct route to Berlin.

Meanwhile, passengers will have more choice of international train services through the Channel Tunnel, the rail regulator said - threatening Eurostar's 31-year monopoly.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed it will allocate spare capacity at Eurostar's Temple Mills maintenance depot in Leyton, East London, to either one new operator or Eurostar itself, which has plans to grow.

Several companies are developing plans to run passenger trains through the tunnel - rivalling Eurostar, which has held a monopoly since the infrastructure opened in 1994.

The agreement marks a significant shift in relations between the two nations, and was sealed during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to the UK on 17 July

The signing ceremony took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington, alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer

Organisations developing proposals for rival services include billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group; Italy's state-owned railway company FS Italiane Group; and Gemini Trains, which is chaired by Labour peer Lord Berkeley.

Access to depot space for maintaining and storing trains is a critical requirement for new operators or Eurostar to boost services. It is the only UK site able to support trains that can be used in the Channel Tunnel and on tracks in continental Europe.

However, the ORR also said it believes 'there is room for at most one new operator, or for Eurostar to grow' - meaning not all the rival services are likely to succeed. The regulator has urged applicants to submit detailed plans on how to allocate capacity.

From London St Pancras, Eurostar currently serves Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as running seasonal ski trains to the French Alps.
Ask any travel writer what question they have been asked most often and theyll say: Whats your favourite place for a holiday?

My answer may surprise you. My favourite place  where Ive been most often with my family  is Center Parcs Woburn Forest. We go every year.

Its not that were lazy (we live just down the road), its because we love it: the bikes, being in the forest, the treetop adventures and the rapids in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise (our record is 17 times in a day).

Weve also been to the parcs in Elveden and Sherwood, plus several of the groups European properties.

The first British Centre Parc opened in Sherwood Forest in 1987 and proved an immediate hit.

Since first going in the early 1990s, and visiting Center Parcs 20-plus times, Ive learnt a few tricks and tips to save on a getaway. Heres my ultimate Center Parcs guide.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

An analysis of the cost of a three-night weekend in a woodland lodge sleeping two adults and two children at all five UK Center Parcs [see graphic right] reveals dramatic differences  from as little as 549 in late February at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest in the Lake District to a whopping 1,799 at Christmas at Center Parcs Longleat in Wiltshire.

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January is the cheapest month. March (as long as Easter doesnt fall then) and September are also better value. Christmas is the costliest period, followed by October half-term, then Easter.

CONSIDER GOING MID-WEEK

If your children are not at school, you can also save by going mid-week. A Monday to Friday break gives you an extra day but can be hundreds of pounds cheaper than a weekend. For example, four nights in a two-bedroom New Style Woodland Lodge sleeping four at Whinfell Forest from Monday September 15 is from 599 for two adults and two children aged six to 17.

BEST VALUE UK PARCS

Whinfell Forest is generally the cheapest of the five British Center Parcs, while Longleat is the most expensive. Prices for every weekend for a year, show Whinfell is on average 11.8 per cent cheaper than Longleat.

CHEAP REPEAT VISITS

If youre a repeat visitor, you can take advantage of repeat booking offers; Center Parcs UK has a Repeat Guest offer.

If you book another break within 31 days of returning home you can save 50 and pay only a 10 per cent deposit. Theres also a price guarantee just in case the price drops. You also get two free day visit passes.

The first British Centre Parc opened in Sherwood Forest in 1987 and proved an immediate hit

FESTIVE PERIOD TIPS

While Christmas is expensive, you can sometimes beat the system as Center Parcs ditches the usual Monday and Friday changeover days. This year look at December 19. Weekend breaks on this day are four instead of three days long and are not much more than normal. Breaks starting on December 30 are another way of still enjoying the Winter Wonderland activities at a lower price.

TRAINING DAY HACK

School training, or INSET, days are a cheeky way of getting a cheaper break  as individual schools often choose the dates. My childrens school has training days on November 28 and December 1 this year. Breaks that weekend are cheaper than the rest of the Winter Wonderland period.

Many schools add training days at the start of the school year. Next year, at Elveden Forest in Suffolk a four-day break for a family of four on August 31 is from 579. Its 1,449 a fortnight earlier.

LAST-MINUTE BREAKS

Watch out: Center Parcs UK will advertise last-minute breaks, but youll notice the company doesnt say last-minute deals.

A last-minute four-night midweek break in Whinfell Forest this month costs from 1,399, while the same lodge on July 20 next year is from 1,299.

SKIP ACROSS TO EUROPE

The company has villages in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Holland and they are far cheaper  see centerparcs.eu.

A four-night mid-week break in a three-bedroom lodge for two adults and four children in a new-style woodland lodge at Longleat on July 21 costs from 1,499. A four-night break for the same dates in a similarly-sized comfort cottage in Parc Sandur in the Netherlands is from 875 (about 755); a 12-person VIP cottage there is from 1,695 (1,460).

BEST VALUE IN FRANCE

If we look ahead to May half-term in 2026, a two-bed lodge in Center Parcs Longleat Forest costs 1,699. That same week, you can stay at Les Hauts de Bruyeres, near Orleans in France from 448 (about 385). You could even stay in a treehouse that week in Le Bois aux Daims, near Poitiers from 960 (830). Book early for European resorts. Book four months in advance and you get 20 per cent off and up to 45 in activity credits.

EURO LOYALTY SCHEME

The Friends Benefits scheme is available to those who book three holidays in 36 months  valid at all villages except Village Nature Paris and those in the UK. You get early check-in, a welcome gift and shopping discounts.
While holidaymakers crowd into Mykonos and Santorini during peak season, one little-known Greek island remains a well-kept secret - and it's quietly becoming a paradise for those looking to escape the chaos.

Situated 51km southwest of Mykonos, the island of Antiparos is emerging as a hidden gem in the Aegean Sea.

Boasting turquoise blue waters, ancient caves, lively bars and local cuisine that won't break the bank, Antiparos offers all the charm of popular Greek hotspots - at a fraction of the cost.

With summer temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius and traditional gyros for just 4 (3.40), some say the island puts its famous neighbours to shame.

In a recent review, Metro travel writer Lillie-Rose Lenga-Kroma described her experience visiting the island on a tight 150 (129) budget.

Remarkably, the amount covered eight days' worth of supermarket groceries, handmade souvenirs, and frequent taverna trips.

She wrote: 'On the ferry from Athens, my stomach was in knots imagining the throngs of tourists Id find at my final destination.

'But on the last leg of my journey, a short boat ride from Pounta to Antiparos, I realised I'd stumbled across a place few foreigners visit.'

Situated 51km southwest of Mykonos, the island of Antiparos is emerging as a hidden gem in the Aegean Sea

Boasting turquoise blue waters, ancient caves, lively bars and local cuisine that won't break the bank, Antiparos offers all the charm of popular Greek hotspots - at a fraction of the cost

With summer temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius and traditional gyros for just 4 (3.40), some say the island puts its famous neighbours to shame

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Ferries from nearby Paros cost as little as 1.50, and accommodations like the family-run Kastro House - which overlooks a 15th-century Venetian castle - offer stays from just 60 per night.

From 3 smoothie breakfasts at Blender to daily visits to To Ntopio Grillhouse for 4 gyros, Lillie-Rose was impressed by both the quality and affordability of Antiparos' food options.

Tavernas, like Klimataria, serve up generous portions of traditional dishes including moussaka, dolmades and grilled seafood.

For dessert, the travel writer recommended Vicky's Ice Cream, with 40 flavours, keeps things cool without the high prices found on other islands.

Unlike overdeveloped resorts across Greece, Antiparos has largely resisted short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.

The majority of stays are in small hotels or family-run homes, which helps preserve community and hospitality.

Antiparos offers a variety of activities for visitors, from exploring its Cave of Antiparos, relaxing on beaches like Agios Georgios or Soros, and taking boat trips around the island.

In Chora, the island's main town, bougainvillea plants and independent shops line the streets, with various merchants offering locally sourced food, handmade jewellery, pottery, and woven goods from local artisans.

Ferries from nearby Paros cost as little as 1.50, and accommodations like the family-run Kastro House - which overlooks a 15th-century Venetian castle - offer stays from 60 per night

Antiparos offers a variety of activities for visitors, from exploring its Cave of Antiparos, relaxing on beaches like Agios Georgios or Soros, and taking boat trips around the island

Unlike overdeveloped resorts across Greece, Antiparos has largely resisted short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO

The majority of stays are in small hotels or family-run homes, which helps preserve community and hospitality

In Chora, the island's main town, bougainvillea plants and independent shops line the streets

Various merchants offer locally sourced food, handmade jewellery, pottery, and woven goods from local artisans

Travellers from the UK can reach Antiparos in under a day - but visitors are warned to prepare for a staggered journey.

The first leg of the trip involves taking a direct flight from London to Athens, which takes around four hours.

From Athens, a 10 train connects to Piraeus port in about an hour, and from there, ferries to Paros start at 40, followed by a short 25 boat ride to Antiparos.

For a quicker hop, the nearby Pounta port offers 1.50 crossings and a faster 10-minute ferry journey.
The historic city hopes the ban will help curb the impact of increasing tourism

A historic Italian city is cracking down on a common restaurant tactic in efforts to combat the negative impact of increasing tourism.

Lucca, situated on the Serchio river in Italy's Tuscany region, is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Italy, known for its historic city centre, Renaissance walls and tranquil ambience.

However, the walled city has experienced a significant increase in visitors this year, particularly after emerging as a 'timeless gem' on social media.

Last year, Lucca reported a record number of one million hotel bookings, and in the first four months of 2024, saw notable rise in visitor numbers.

The city's leaders have grown increasingly concerned that the influx of tourists and the associated activities are negatively impacting its unique character - now, they're declaring war on 'worrying' restaurant tactics such as touting.

Touts - known locally as 'buttadentro' - are often employed to stand outside restaurants to try to entice passersby to dine there.

Though they are responsible for attracting customers, some are reported to use persuasive or even aggressive tactics.

As well as restaurants, buttadentro are often placed outside of nightclubs, where they are responsible for selecting who gets to enter the establishment.

Lucca, situated on the Serchio river in Italy 's Tuscany region, is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Italy, known for its historic city centre, Renaissance walls and tranquil ambience

The city's leaders have grown increasingly concerned that the influx of tourists and the associated activities are negatively impacting its unique character - now, they're declaring war on 'worrying' restaurant tactics such as touting

This role is closely associated to the 'buttafuori' (bouncer) who is responsible for removing people.

Though some visitors and locals might see the practice as a harmless way to attract customers, others report finding it intrusive and annoying.

Now, Lucca has announced a ban on buttadentro across its historic center to curb over-tourism and preserve the city's atmosphere, as reported by La Nazione.

On 10 July, the municipality adopted an ordinance prohibiting the promotion of restaurant businesses in public areas and on public land outside restaurants, bars, pizzerias, and similar establishments.

Mayor Mario Pardini and Councilor for Commerce and Urban Decor, Paola Granucci, said in a joint statement: 'Lucca is a city with a strong historical, artistic, and touristic identity, and must be experienced with respect and style.

'Our ordinance does not restrict commercial activity, but protects the urban beauty and safeguards the authentic experience of residents and visitors.

'We reiterate that promoting one's services is legitimate, but doing so in an invasive, insistent, or unfair manner is incompatible with the image we wish to preserve for our city.'

Businesses and establishments flouting the new rules will be issued fines by the Muncipal Police and the Police Headquarters.

Touts - known locally as "buttadentro" - are responsible for attracting customers, but some are reported to use persuasive or even aggressive tactics

Now, Lucca has announced a ban on buttadentro across its historic center to curb over-tourism and preserve the city's atmosphere

For repeat offenders, they may see their public land concessions revoked or their business suspended for up to three days.

It comes as a popular British tourist hotspot has banned walking barefoot, picnics, and drinking booze on the streets among a swathe of other prohibitions in a brutal crackdown.

Holidaymakers visiting Portofino, a small coastal town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, are now facing fines for carrying out a variety of actions typically enjoyed abroad.

Starting today, travellers in Portofino will no longer be able to walk through the town barefoot, in swimwear, or topless - or sit in the piazza in such attire.
The cost of a family summer holiday in favourite European hotspots has rocketed by up to 21 per cent in a year.

Prices have risen in 13 of 16 sample European resorts  with Turkey and Bulgaria the best value places to visit, the annual Post Office family holiday report reveals.

The research, with holiday company Tui, tots up the cost of ten typical tourist items including lunch, an evening meal, suncream and drinks such as mineral water and a glass of wine.

The biggest increase is in Majorca where the total cost comes to 201.67, a 21.4 per cent rise. That makes it the second dearest hotspot, after Ibiza.

Corfu and Madeira have also had rises of more than 13 per cent to now rank among the most expensive places.

The cheapest of the 16 destinations is Marmaris, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, where the total cost of the ten items is 128.99.

A family of four there can have a three-course meal (including wine) for 67.67 because of the collapse in the Turkish lira.

Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, which is also outside the eurozone, is nearly as reasonable, with the ten items there costing 129.47. The rise of the euro against the pound will hit British tourists.

The biggest summer holiday cost increase comes in Majorca (pictured) where the total cost for ten typical tourist items comes to 201.67, which is a 21.4 per cent rise from last year

Corfu (pictured) and Madeira have also had rises of more than 13 per cent to now rank among the most expensive places

The cheapest of the 16 destinations is Marmaris (pictured), on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, where the total cost of the ten items is 128.99

Post Office head of travel money Laura Plunkett said: 'Visitors should also be aware that while sterling is worth a third more than last July in Turkey, local prices have increased dramatically because of the lira collapse.'

Prices have risen by 10.3 per cent in Marmaris and 17.2 per cent in Sunny Beach  the second biggest price jump after Majorca.

A Family Holiday Report study shows that 74 per cent of Britons expect to spend 42 per cent more on this year's holiday  an average of 323 extra.

Food and drink costs are given as the main reason for the surge in family budgets.
A controversial sitcom is confirmed to be returning to screens in just weeks - despite pleas from viewers and scandal surrounding the show's creator.

The slapstick BBC series, Mrs. Brown's Boys, is due to return for its fifth season next month.

Mrs. Brown's Boys first aired in 2011 and follows Irish matriarch Agnes Brown, played by creator Brendan O'Carroll, as she causes chaos in the lives of her six children.

The broadcaster has confirmed the sitcom is set to hit screens again on Friday, August 1 at 9.30pm on BBC One.

In an announcement, the BBC said: 'Agnes Brown and the gang from Finglas are back!

'Everyone's favourite Irish Mammy returns for a brand new fifth series featuring all your favourite characters, so get ready for more slapstick shenanigans this spring!'

Controversial sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys is confirmed to be returning to screens in just weeks - despite viewers raging and scandal surrounding the show's creator, Brendan O'Carroll (pictured)

The slapstick BBC series, Mrs. Brown's Boys, is pencilled in to return for its fifth season

Mrs. Brown's Boys first aired in 2011 and follows Irish matriarch Agnes Brown, played by creator Brendan O'Carroll, as she causes chaos in the lives of her six children

While BBC comedy boss John Petrie said: 'Brendan has created an iconic comedy character in Agnes Brown.

'Mrs. Brown's Boys is a BAFTA-winning comedy show and one of the BBC's most-watched comedies ever. I'm proud to have it in the BBC Comedy stable.'

In October last year it was revealed that the Beeb had halted the sitcom to launch an investigation after a slur that Irish comedian Brendan said during rehearsals for the Christmas specials.

Brendan apologised as he told The Mirror: 'At a read-through of the Mrs. Brown's Boys Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, in the character of Agnes, where a racial term was implied.

'It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.'

A source told The Mirror that cast and crew were stood down while the corporation 'tried to get to the bottom of it'.

A BBC spokesperson said at the time: 'Whilst we don't comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism, and we have robust processes in place should issues ever arise.'

The return of Mrs. Brown's Boys hasn't been well received by some fans who took to social media to rage.

The broadcaster has confirmed the sitcom is set to hit screens again on Friday, August 1 at 9.30pm on BBC One

In October last year it was revealed that the Beeb had halted the sitcom to launch an investigation after a slur that Irish comedian Brendan said during rehearsals for the Christmas specials

One posted on X: 'Literally no one asked for this. The BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch.'

'Why oh why is this still commissioned?? #MrsBrownsBoys not been funny in years!!!!!'

'Dropping ratings and such bad reviews and bad comments from audience and keeps coming back like rotten smell! Give the investment to more new comedy not keep old ones past best limping on @BBC,' someone else penned.

Another added: 'Oh great news said absolutely nobody.'

'Only the 5th series? Why does it feel like this has been annoying us all for decades,' one said.

Though some were happy about the new season and one wrote: 'Cant wait loooove it.'

Someone else added: 'Great news. The only funny thing on tv.'

Brendan apologised as he told The Mirror: 'At a read-through of the Mrs. Brown's Boys Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, in the character of Agnes, where a racial term was implied . 'It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.'

The return of Mrs. Brown's Boys hasn't been well received by some fans who took to social media to rage

Though some were happy about the new season and one wrote: 'Cant wait loooove it.'

Back in December Brendan revealed the future of the programme amid plummeting ratings.

The festive special in 2024 saw its ratings at the lowest ever.

But despite the negative feedback, he confirmed that the show would still be returning.

Brendan told the Daily Star: 'We are going to film another series in April and May [2025]. Its lovely to be asked to do another one.'
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Cat Deeley's chic high street blazer dress is the perfect workwear staple, though not everyone was a fan of her choice of shoe.

The ITV presenter flaunted her stylish look on Thursday's instalment of This Morning, alongside co-host Ben Shephard.

She wore a White Blazer Mini Dress by Mint Velvet, and paired the smart piece alongside white heels with a chain detail.

The sophisticated blazer dress features gold hammered buttons along the front and peaked lapels.

While the sleek, long sleeves are finished off with buttons on the cuffs.

Cat's co-host Ben complimented her shoes in a behind the scene clip, according to Hello! and gushed: 'Look at these heels! Look at these shoes!'

However Hello! magazine's verdict wasn't so positive, describing the chain ankle strap as a 'tricky' and 'less flattering choice', but noting they still 'look incredible' on Cat.

A similar option to Cat's outfit can be found at French Connection in the Halterneck Blazer Mini Dress.

Available in summer white and black, the piece features a halterneck with peak lapels, in a sophisticated look that mirrors Cat's but with short sleeves.

The blazer wraps long the front and has just one gold button.

While Selfridges offers a House Of CB piece, the Amia woven blazer mini dress.

The dress is single-breasted and has notch lapels, in a slightly different style to the ITV presenter.

It also features long sleeves and padded shoulders, adding shape, as well as buttoned cuffs and three white buttons along the front.

Alternatively, Karen Millen sells a Compact Stretch Darted Tailored Blazer Mini Dress in ivory and pink.

The dress is fitted in a tailored silhouette that flaunts your figure, and boasts a smart collared neckline with lapels.

While River Island sells a White Bow Back Blazer Mini Dress in a range of sizes.

The piece has a collar and smart buttons along the front, as well as long sleeves in a similar fashion to Cat's outfit.

As for the back, a stunning bow detail hangs from the cut-out feature, adding volume and style to the look.

Though it's not known where Cat's heels are from, similar options can be found.

Dune offer Block Heel Chain Detail T-Bar Sandals that boast white straps and a small chain.

They feature a block heel and are made from leather, making it perfect for summer looks.

While Stone PU Faux Leather Square Toe Chain Detail Strappy Heels can be found at Femme Luxe.

The shoes feature a square toe, just like Cat's heels, and a chunky gold chain.
Two BBC game show contestants bagged the maximum jackpot for the first time in the quiz's history.

In an episode set to air this weekend, a pair of players on The Hit List are set to take home a record-breaking prize.

Hosted by husband and wife TV duo Marvin and Rochelle Humes, the show puts contestants through their musical paces as they try to identify songs with just a few notes.

To win 10,000 teams must prove their ability to recognise a range of songs, but even the most musically gifted have struggled.

Saturday's instalment, which will hit screens at 5.45pm on BBC One, will see two contestants bag 10,000, according to The Sun.

Players pencilled in for the episode include best friends Ellie and Izzy from Sheffield, father and son duo Tom and Paul from Liverpool and married couple Joy and Joe from Nottingham.

In an episode set to air this weekend, a pair of players on The Hit List are set to take home a record-breaking prize. Pictured: Hosts Rochelle and Marvin Humes

The show first aired in 2019 and was the first presenting gig for the pop star couple.

It has seen several celebrity instalments as well as members of the public attempt to win cash.

All manner of stars have previously taken up the challenge in a bid to win big money for charity as part of the broadcaster's run of celebrity specials.

One celebrity duo performed very poorly considering their background in showbiz.

Roman and Martin Kemp managed to scrape through to the final but fell at the last hurdle - failing to recognise hits from U2, Abba and Duran Duran.

Other well known guests have included Ian 'H' Watkins form Steps and Faye Tozer, dancer Oti Mabuse and former Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley.

Previously speaking to the i newspaper, the couple discussed the challenges for contestants.

Rochelle said: 'I always say to them before the round starts, 'don't look at the money trickling down, look at me, I want you to win.'

Saturday's instalment, which will hit screens at 5.45pm on BBC One, will see two contestants bag 10,000, according to The Sun

'We've had people that just don't know the answer at all, and the nerves just completely take over.

'It's easier said than done, though.'

The pair who work together have revealed the secret to their happy marriage.

Rochelle and Marvin met when they were at the height of their fame with their respective pop bands in the late 2000s and tied the knot in July 2012 at Blenheim Palace.

The Hit List airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
A guest on This Morning broke down in tears as he revealed his two-year-old daughter was left fighting for her life after he mistook her fatal condition for Covid.

Police officer Terry Archbold, from the village of Burnopfield, County Durham, appeared on the ITV chat show on Friday to tell of the family's heartbreaking ordeal.

His daughter Beatrix Adamson-Archbold spent more than a year in hospital waiting for an urgent heart transplant when she was just two years old.

He told presenters Dermot O'Leary, 52, and Sian Welby, 38, how they initially mistook what turned out to be little Bea's heart failure as Covid.

Terry explained after being born fit and healthy in 2021, the young girl suddenly fell ill at 15 months old after a family holiday to Florida.

Terry's partner Cheryl Adamson and their other daughter had caught coronavirus: 'We saw similar symptoms with Bea. Breathless, lethargic.'

A guest on This Morning (pictured) broke down in tears as he revealed his two-year-old daughter was left fighting for her life after he mistook her fatal condition for Covid

Police officer Terry Archbold (pictured, with his daughter Bea and NHS organ donation expert Rachel Rowson), from the village of Burnopfield, County Durham, appeared on the ITV chat show on Friday to tell of the family's heartbreaking ordeal

His daughter Beatrix Adamson-Archbold spent more than a year in hospital waiting for an urgent heart transplant when she was just two years old

The parents were not too worried at first - but her sickness continued for several years, with the little girl eventually stopping drinking.

They rang 111 and the call handler sent round an ambulance crew, who recommended the parents take Bea to A&E for a more thorough check-up, which Cheryl did.

Terry explained: 'I expected her to be home in a couple of hours with antibiotics or whatever, never expecting to be told that they picked up a heart murmur, that she was in a failure.'

She was taken to the specialist Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy - where one side of the heart is enlarged.

Doctors could not administer all the medication Bea needed so she had surgery to fit a Hickman line, a kind of tube to deliver more.

Luckily, her father said: 'We received a phone call to say, "She's OK, you can come over and see her, she's doing well".

But no sooner had they arrived: 'We heard alarms and we heard staff shouting for equipment.

'And Cheryl said to me, "Will you look?" We knew it was Bea, we just knew.'

She was taken to the specialist Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy - where one side of the heart is enlarged

Bea (pictured) went into cardiac arrest and was thankfully saved with CPR - but the family's ordeal was not over yet

'They said if she had another cardiac arrest, she would not make the night', Terry said

Bea had gone into cardiac arrest and was thankfully saved with CPR - but the family's ordeal was not over yet.

'They said if she had another cardiac arrest, she would not make the night', Terry said.

'The only hope she had would be to go on the urgent transplant list. And to get her there, she would need to have a Berlin heart.'

It meant their young daughter lived in the Freeman Hospital for 14 months, supported by this device that does the job of a heart, waiting for a transplant.

This was a scary time, as Terry recalled a particularly horrifying moment: 'Within the space of a week, both the children either side [of Bea's bed] passed.'

Thankfully, Bea eventually did get a transplant - and has since returned to full health: 'That moment was incredible.'

He added: 'And the reality is, we know what it meant to the other side so it's like living an endless torture.

'Every day wondering, "Is this the day we lose Bea? Is it her last day with us?" And enjoying every moment.

He continued: 'The only hope she had would be to go on the urgent transplant list. And to get her there, she would need to have a Berlin heart'

It meant their young daughter lived in the Freeman Hospital for 14 months, supported by this device that does the job of a heart, waiting for a transplant

'And at the same time, very conscious of what it means for her to come home, that if she does, her life from that moment, every breath, everything she goes on to do is because of somebody else.'

In a heartwarming moment, energetic Bea then ran to join her father on the sofa, charming everyone in the studio with her smiley, happy personality.

They were joined on the sofa by Rachel Rowson, who manages the London organ donation team, who said demand for organs massively outweighs supply.

Around 8,000 people are on the waiting list for a transplant across the country.

In fact, actually, around 12,000 need a transplant but the other about 4,000 people are not currently on the list as they are not well enough to receive one.

When a loved one dies, it is common, Rachel said, for the family to understandably feel hesitant about consenting to their relative's organs being donated.

Rachel said: 'There's a real issue with families saying yes to organ donation...

'Thats what we really need to focus on raising awareness about.'

This was a scary time, as Terry recalled a particularly horrifying moment: 'Within the space of a week, both the children either side [of Bea's bed] passed'

Thankfully, Bea (pictured) eventually did get a transplant - and has since returned to full health: 'That moment was incredible'

In a heartwarming moment, energetic Bea (pictured) then ran to join her father on the sofa, charming everyone in the studio with her smiley, happy personality

Terry mentioned his own experience with this - another of his daughters, Isabelle, was tragically born stillborn in 2018 and he was at first hesitant to donate her organs.

'Every instinct I had going on at that point, every emotion was protective, I didn't want anybody to touch her', he said.

'Cheryl's response was, "Yes". So, you've got two parents, very similar circumstances, same emotions going on, same grief, same loss, and we did consent.

'And the thing that swung me was Cheryl made me stop and think that the pain that I was experiencing and that we were going through, would we want other families to feel that?

'And if we could do anything to prevent that, then it's the right thing to do.'

Terry added: 'That's why the education is absolutely key because every transplant, every organ donation that takes place hinges on the ability of those that are asked to process that moment and say yes.'

Rachel urged viewers to sign up to the NHS organ donor register as it is the best way to convey their wishes to healthcare professionals should the moment come.

The healthcare professional also suggested people talk to their family about their wishes regarding organ donation just in case.

They were joined on the sofa by Rachel Rowson, who manages the London organ donation team, who said demand for organs massively outweighs supply. Pictured: Bea

Around 8,000 people are on the waiting list for a transplant across the country

Terry mentioned his own experience with this - another of his daughters, Isabelle, was tragically born stillborn in 2018 and he was at first hesitant to donate her organs

It helps relatives, in a very difficult moment of bereavement and loss, feel clear and confident about what decision to make regarding their relative's organs, she said.

Rachel also reminded parents they can sign their children under 18 up to the organ donor register - even though of course no one ever expects to need to.

It comes after another recent guest on This Morning had viewers feeling emotional recounting their experience of loss too.

A man named Dane Knight appeared on the show on Wednesday after his partner tragically passed away following a Brazilian bum lift - leaving him to raise his five daughters.

A non-surgical BBL involves injecting filler into the buttocks and has recently grown in popularity.

Dane, whose partner Alice died in August 2024, said he did not know Alice was even having the procedure and thought she was enjoying a day out.

'I didn't know she was getting the procedure done, obviously when we got the phone call I didn't know what the issue was from the hospital, it was more get there and then find out the current situation,' Dane explained.

'Prior to that, going back off the information, we talked about the procedures, as far as we were concerned, the information that was available at that date and time it was deemed as safe,' he added.

It comes after another recent guest (pictured) on This Morning had viewers feeling emotional recounting their experience of loss too

A man named Dane Knight appeared on the show on Wednesday (pictured) after his partner tragically passed away following a Brazilian bum lift - leaving him to raise his five daughters

Dane, whose partner Alice (pictured) died in August 2024, said he did not know Alice was even having the procedure and thought she was enjoying a day out

'Now I've learnt that it's not.'

Dane shared with co-hosts Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shephard, 50, he felt Alice did not actually understand the risks because it was 'deemed as safe'.

The couple have five daughters together - and Cat asked if Alice had been aware of the possible risks, whether she would have gone ahead with the procedure.

'No way Cat she wouldn't have, no chance,' Dane said.

Cat and Ben had discussed the risks of similar procedures with Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday's episode and notified him of Dane and Alice's situation.

On the show, Wes said: 'In the coming days and weeks we're going to be setting out the regulations.

'Over in the next week or so you should hear from the government about what we're going to do to clamp down on cosmetic cowboys here at home, when it comes to overseas it's more complicated...'

'Just hearing Dane speaking there and the thought of five children being left behind because they've lost their mother in these circumstances, that motivates me to act and I hope for people watching as well, it's just the worst possible reminder,' he added.

Dane commented that the Health Secretary's comments and plans were 'comforting' but that he hoped to see 'action'.

'Something needs to be put in place sooner, rather than later, before this happens to another family,' he said.

This Morning is available to watch on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and to stream on ITVX.
One of Hollywood's most provocative thrillers from the 1990s is reportedly set to get an 'anti-woke' reboot.

The erotic film, titled Basic Instinct, first hit screens in 1992 and sees Detective Nick (Michael Douglas) investigate a brutal murder of Johnny Boz.

The blockbuster follows the police officer, who points suspicion towards Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), the victim's girlfriend.

Catherine manages to seduce Nick into falling in love with her.

Basic Instinct features a well-known scene where Catherine is being quizzed by police.

Amid the bombardment of questions, she distracts them when she uncrosses then recrosses her legs, leaving the men flustered seeing as she was underwear-free at the time.

One of Hollywood's most provocative thrillers from the 1990s is reportedly set to get an 'anti-woke' reboot

The erotic film, titled Basic Instinct, first hit screens in 1992 and sees Detective Nick ( Michael Douglas, pictured centre) investigate a brutal murder of Johnny Boz

The scene was highly controversial at the time, and now has gone down as one of the most infamous in movie history.

Now, decades after the original film was released, Basic Instinct will reportedly be rebooted after Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists acquired the rights in a $4million deal, according to The Wrap.

The writer of the 1992 film, Joe Eszterhas, is set to write the possible reboot.

He told The Wrap: 'To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumours of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist.'

Eszterhas added: 'I call my writing partner the TWISTED LITTLE MAN and he lives somewhere deep inside me.

'He was born 29 and he will die 29 and he tells me he is 'sky high up' to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.'

A source close to the deal told the publication the reboot is thought to be 'anti-woke'.

MailOnline has approached Amazon for comment.

Basic Instinct features a well-known scene where Catherine (right) is being quizzed by police

It comes after last year, Basic Instinct star Sharon reflected on how her famous scene would be received in modern times.

Appearing at the Taormina Film Festival, the star said - per Deadline -that while the scene was considered X-rated at the time, nowadays it would have lost its shock factor.

She said:'[at the time] it seemed like a scandal, and now it seems very, very ordinary.

'I think that now that women are writing, directing, producing, filming and more and more a part of filmmaking, films are less about men writing films about their fantasies of the way women are

'And actresses are less asked to portray the male fantasy, and then critics are less asked to tell us if we fulfilled the male fantasy or not. Its more, are we fulfilling the human condition?'

Now, decades after the original film was released, Basic Instinct will reportedly be rebooted after Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists acquired the rights in a $4million deal, according to The Wrap

Reflecting on how cinema had changed in the past 30 years, she said: 'Studio systems have changed dramatically.

'Theyve changed from making a variety of movies to making these gigantic $100 and $200 million films.

'Thirty years ago we had choices of what kind of films we could see.

'Streamers are taking over our business, and I dont think thats a terrible thing. I think were coming back to making smaller films and a variety of films, and I think thats a good thing.'
Vanessa Feltz's chat show panel shared their thoughts on the recent Coldplay kisscam scandal - and have called the viral moment 'divine retribution' that the CEO and HR director 'absolutely deserved'.

A clip of a camera-shy couple went viral earlier this week after the 'kiss cam' panned in on a man and woman hugging each other while attending a Coldplay concert at Gileette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday.

The footage has certainly got people talking as the pair quick hid from the camera when their faces were exposed.

And days later they were confirmed as Andrew Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, and the company's HR chief Kristin Cabot.

Vanessa brought up the clip on Friday's instalment of her channel show Vanessa and said: 'Some people feel terribly sorry for the wife though, and if he has children's, for the children.

'I mean it's a big old deal, isn't it?

Vanessa Feltz's chat show panel shared their thoughts on the recent Coldplay kisscam scandal - and have called the viral moment 'divine retribution' that the CEO and HR director 'absolutely deserved'

The moment certainly divided her guest's opinions, with Belinda De Lucy saying: 'I don't think there is enough attention of the impact this because who knows who was behind him while he was snuggling up to this woman?'

A clip of a camera-shy couple went viral earlier this week after the 'kiss cam' panned in on a man and woman hugging each other while attending a Coldplay concert at Gileette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday (pictured)

'To find this all over the world.'

The moment certainly divided her guest's opinions, with Belinda De Lucy saying: 'I don't think there is enough attention of the impact this because who knows who was behind him while he was snuggling up to this woman?

'Was it his coworkers? Did the coworkers, if they were, did they know? Who knew about what was going on between the two?

'That's quite hard I think for the wife at home to possibly feel others were in on it, or knew abut it and she didn't.

'So it is about that sort of humiliation. I say divine retribution, Vanessa.'

Vanessa asked if she thinks they deserve it, to which Belinda said: 'They absolutely deserve it because having affairs comes with a lot of deceit, a lot of lying, and betrayal.

'Not just of your wife, but also of the family unit.

Before giving his opinion guest Lewis Oakley (pictured) said 'I think like everyone is about to turn on me!'

'So no, he deserves all he gets.'

Before giving his opinion guest Lewis Oakley said 'I think like everyone is about to turn on me!'

He said: 'I feel sorry for them. They didn't go out courting this attention.

'I mean this happened in America.

'We're discussing it all around the world now. We don't know what's going on.

'We genuinely don't know. It could be that him and his wife have separated, but they're keeping up appearances for the children because for whatever reason they don't want the children to know yet.

'So they're living separate lives, but they are still together for the children. That happens a lot.

'He could be having an affair and stuff, we don't know what's happened in their relationship to drive him or her to have affairs.

'It's none of our business.'

The Coldplay fan who was filming when the tech firm CEO was broadcast to a stadium of people with his arm around his HR chief has spoken out about the moment - to take a cheeky swipe at the couple.

Grace Springer, 28, was recording from the crowd when Andrew Byron and Kirstin Cabot appeared on the big screen together at Boston's Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.

The couple recoiled, with Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Cabot covering her face and turning away from the camera.

Coldplay's Chris Martin poked at the couple on the kiss cam, jokingly speculating: 'Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy.'

Grace, from New Jersey, went on to share the drama on TikTok, before it very rapidly grew into a viral sensation.

She told the U.S. Sun she had no idea who they were, but but thought it was an 'interesting reaction' to the kiss cam.

'A part of me feels bad for turning these peoples lives upside down, but, play stupid games win stupid prizes,' she told the outlet.

The video been seen tens of millions of times in the last three days.

Fans erupted after the CEO of a billion-dollar company was caught cozying up to a female colleague on a Coldplay concert kiss cam

The couple were seen covering their faces, with Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Cabot turning away from the camera

Grace Springer, 28, was recording from the crowd when Andrew Byron and Kirstin Cabot appeared on the big screen

Springer said there was 'a lot of talk' about the kiss cam at the show, but 'no one knew who they were'.

It has since emerged that the company the pair work for provides generative AI software to a number of major companies including Uber, Ford and LinkedIn.

Byron heaped praise on Cabot in a November 2024 post about her appointment to the firm.

'Kristins exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,' he said in a press release.

'She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Byron, Cabot and Astronomer for comment.

Byron became CEO of Astronomer in 2023, and the startup rapidly grew under his tenure including a reported 292% growth in revenue for its 'Astro' platform that year.

Before working at Astronomer, he worked at cybersecurity tech company Cybereason.

As the frontman panned his 'kiss cam' around the crowd at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday, the pair looked horrified to be seen by thousands on the big screen

Chris Martin was performing with Coldplay in Boston on Tuesday

Andy Byron (left) and Kirstin Cabot (right)

A 2018 report on the company included claims from staff that the appointment of Byron as chief revenue officer a year prior had 'quickly caused turmoil'.

Multiple former employees said Byron would lash out against staff who disagreed with him.

'You couldn't challenge him,' one told The Information, a tech industry outlet.

Another employee said where people once 'loved' the company, 'now they hate it'.

In the article, Byron denied having contentious dealings with staff, recognising that 'difficult decisions' may have 'disappointed some individuals'.

Coldplay was performing at the ongoing Music Of The Spheres World Tour on Tuesday night.

They will next play Madison, Nashville and Miami before heading back to the UK for a string of dates in August and September.
Simon Cowell is reportedly gearing up for another talent search - this time to discover the next Little Mix-style girl group.

The music mogul, 65, who has created some of the biggest pop acts of the last two decades, has been working on a new Netflix series which sees him on the hunt for the next One Direction.

The show titled The Next Act follows Cowell on a mission to find the next global boyband in the vein of One Direction, and is due to stream on Netflix in the coming months.

And while Netflix is yet to commission the second series, it is thought he is keen to capitalise on the buzz and is already eyeing a second series - this time focusing on up-and-coming girl groups.

A source told The Sun: 'There's huge amount of excitement around the boyband search show dropping on Netflix, which is expected to drop later this year.

'So it makes sense to consider a sequel with a similar concept but looking for the female equivalent.

Simon Cowell is reportedly gearing up for another talent search - this time to discover the next Little Mix-style girl group

The music mogul, 65, who has created some of the biggest pop acts of the last two decades, has been working on a new Netflix series which sees him on the hunt for the next One Direction (pictured left)

'And if anyone can do it, it's Simon. After all, through One Direction and Little Mix, he helped deliver two of the biggest pop acts of the last two decades.'

The Next Act is thought to air over six episodes, where viewers will see nationwide open auditions, exclusive behind-the-scenes access and the release of the groups debut single.

MailOnline has contacted Netflix and Simon's representatives for comment.

Simon is no stranger to scouting new talent and since 2001, has appeared as a judge on several music reality competition series including Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, Britains Got Talent, and Americas Got Talent.

It comes after he dropped thousands on a rare Pokemon card as he shocked fans with his appearance at a card trading show.

Simon attended the annual London Trading Card event last month at Boxpark in Croydon.

Taking to their Instagram, the trader posted a snap with Simon, who is dad to son Eric, 11, as he purchased a very rare card.

The star, who has a net worth of 300M, beamed in a black top with a pair of black aviator sunglasses.

And while Netflix is yet to commission the second series, it is thought Simon is keen to capitalise on the buzz and is already eyeing a second series - this time focusing on up-and-coming girl groups (pictured Little Mix who Simon also helped catapult to fame)

Simon is no stranger to scouting new talent and since 2001, has appeared as a judge on several music reality competition series (pictured on the X Factor in 2018)

According to Fanaticscollect, the star picked up a Rayquaza VMAX Alt Art PSA 10 for his collection, which ranges anywhere from 650 up 2k.

Speaking about his interaction with Simon, the trader said: 'He seemed to be really enjoying the show and meeting the collectors and vendors.

'He was very friendly and kindly took time out to talk to people and take photos with everyone while he was there. Really nice guy.'

Shocked fans took to the comments of the post to share their disbelief that the star was a card fan.

Earlier this month, Simon failed to make an appearance at Mel B's wedding to her partner Rory McPhee in London.

The Spice Girl, 50, and the hair stylist, 38, said 'I do' at St Paul's Cathedral surrounded by A-list guests, including Emma Bunton, Cara Delevingne and Katherine Ryan.

However, there was a mystery on their special day as MailOnline understands that Britain's Got Talent boss Simon was not in attendance.

The news comes after Simon reportedly failed to make an appearance at Mel B's wedding to her partner Rory McPhee in London earlier this month

It is believed that the music mogul had RSVPed to attend the glitzy ceremony, but was nowhere in sight when Mel walked down the aisle.

Cowell had planned to attend with his fiancee Lauren Silverman, and the reason for their unexpected absence is not known.

Friends Cowell and Mel have known each other for many years, having both served as judges on The X Factor and America's Got Talent.

Mel recently revealed that Cowell 'fired' her from AGT, but proved there was no bad blood when she returned for the show's 20th anniversary season earlier this year.
Fresh details have emerged about Snezana Wood's ex-husband Jason Rapoff after their daughter Eve opened up about being estranged from her biological father.

Last week, the 19-year-old influencer broke down during a TikTok vox pop video as she revealed the 'painful things' Rapoff said to her during one of their last meetings.

These days, she calls her stepfather Sam Wood 'Dad' after he won her mother's heart on The Bachelor in 2015. She also carries his surname instead of her father's.

But the rift between Eve and Rapoff began long before Eve and Snezana left Western Australia to begin a new life with Sam in Melbourne.

Rapoff, 45, had married Snezana, 44, in January 2005, shortly after his release from a 12-month prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine and two firearms.

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Fresh details have emerged about Snezana Wood's ex-husband Jason Rapoff after their daughter Eve opened up about being estranged from her biological father. Eve is pictured right with her mother Snezana, left, and her stepfather Sam Wood, centre, on March 12 in Melbourne

The marriage was blighted early on when Rapoff, a former state junior motocross champion, broke his back in a dirt bike accident at his family's farm in Bindoon.

The accident left him paraplegic, and he would later tell the Herald Sun in 2015 he went into a 'downhill spiral' and pushed away his loved ones, including his daughter.

Rapoff and Snezana split six months after his life-changing crash. Eve was just two months old at the time.

In the years that followed, Eve was mostly estranged from her father.

Meanwhile, Rapoff turned to drugs and motorsports to cope, even managing to get back on a quad bike three months after breaking his back.

He previously remarked that the accident turned him into a full-blown drug addict, after years of only being a casual 'user'.

Just five years after the breakdown of his marriage to Snezana, Rapoff was back in jail for possession of methamphetamine.

This time, he was sentenced to five years and four months, but only served three years and four months behind bars.

He began posting regularly on social media around November 2013, after his release from jail, and appeared to be enjoying his freedom.

Last week, the 19-year-old broke down during a TikTok vox pop video as she revealed the 'painful things' Rapoff had said to her during one of their last meetings

Rapoff shared several posts in the following months that showed him reconnecting with his family - including daughter Eve - who was seven at the time of his release.

At one stage, Rapoff, who has his daughter's name tattooed on his arm, even shared a painting he completed while in jail of a busty brunette flashing in a red dress.

The artwork bore a striking resemblance to his Macedonian ex Snezana.

By 2014, and despite his disability, Rapoff had immersed himself in the world of burnout competitions, often sharing videos of him participating in the daring shows.

He also started a YouTube channel to document his activities.

Life seemed to be looking up - but any hopes he may have had of reconnecting with Snezana and Eve were dashed when she landed a spot on the second season of The Bachelor Australia, starring personal trainer Sam Wood, in 2015.

As the country watched Snezana and Sam, 45, fall in love, Rapoff told the press his ex-wife was 'dreaming' if she thought she'd be able to leave Western Australia with their daughter to play happy families with Sam in Melbourne.

At the time, Rapoff, who was working full-time at his family's Balcatta swimming pool business, admitted he was at fault for the downfall of their marriage.

It wasn't simply her mother remarrying that drove a wedge between Eve and her father. The cracks in their relationship emerged before Eve and Snezana packed up their lives in WA to start anew with Sam in Melbourne. Eve and Rapoff are pictured together when she was seven

However, he had no intention of letting his daughter Eve move interstate without a fight - despite Snezana saying on national television she didn't 'belong' in WA and wanted to live with Sam in Melbourne.

Another member of Rapoff's family also told Daily Mail Australia at the time they would 'try anything they can' to convince Snezana to leave Eve in WA with her father.

They said the youngster was 'big enough now to stay with her father' and that her 'grandparents can look after Evie if she were left [here] with the family'.

But Rapoff's family's pleas didn't work.

Snezana and Sam got engaged in December 2015, soon after The Bachelor finale aired, and got a place together in Elsternwick months later.

They married in 2018 and went on to welcome three daughters of their own, Willow, seven, Charlie, five, and Harper, two - Eve's half-sisters.

It appears Eve did attempt to maintain contact with her father after her move to Melbourne, but they last saw each other in 2017, when she was about 11 or 12.

Rapoff and Snezana married in January 2005, shortly after his release from a 12-month prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine and two firearms. He has his daughter's first and middle names tattooed on his arm, as seen here

The marriage was blighted early on when Rapoff, a former state junior motocross champion, broke his back in a dirt bike accident at his family's farm in Bindoon and was left paraplegic

Since then, Rapoff has had a rocky few years.

He started a new business in WA, then his father got into an accident after his truck blew a tyre and the trailer flipped, which landed him in hospital with a concussion.

That same year, Rapoff again found himself in trouble with the law.

In September 2022, he faced Midland Magistrates Court for driving or attempting to drive with any blood alcohol content and while a prescribed illicit drug was present in oral fluid or blood.

He was fined $600, plus costs of $264.30, and his driver's licence was disqualified for three months.

Rapoff also appeared before the court on the same day for driving contrary to the conditions of an extraordinary licence, after allegedly driving outside permitted circumstances while on a conditional licence.

He was fined $300 and his extraordinary driver's licence was cancelled.

While in prison, Rapoff took up painting, creating art that bore a striking resemblance to his ex

By 2014, Jason had immersed himself in the world of burnout competitions, often posting photos and videos from the daring shows

In June 2024, Rapoff had a health scare: a tumour was growing near his spine.

'Late last year, I found out I had a tumour growing near my spine. I had a biopsy in December and had an operation a few months ago to remove the tumour,' he wrote on social media.

'The surgery went well and I'm healing up,' he added, alongside photos of the surgery wound on his back.

As far as we can tell, Rapoff has not mentioned Eve on any of his social media pages since before Snezana debuted on The Bachelor more than a decade ago.

Eve opened up about her biological father in a rare, deeply personal street interview that went viral last week.

She broke down in tears while speaking to the Dose of Society Instagram account after being asked: 'What is the most painful thing anyone has ever said to you?'

Her candid response stunned viewers - many of whom didn't know she was famous.

'Probably that I don't deserve the life I'm living,' she began.

Any hopes Rapoff may have had of reconnecting with Snezana and Eve were dashed when she landed a spot on the second season of The Bachelor Australia, starring Sam Wood, in 2015

As the country watched Snezana and Sam fall in love, Rapoff said his ex-wife was 'dreaming' if she thought she'd be able to leave WA with their daughter to play happy families with Sam

Wiping away tears, she explained it was her father who had made the comment.

'I don't know why he said that to me. I grew up just with my mum. She raised me to be the woman I am today. He wanted to see my mum suffer,' she added.

'And I think when he saw that my mum had built a life for both of us, it was just more of a reaction.'

Eve confirmed she had not seen her biological father in eight years and that he was largely absent from her childhood.

'He was never around when I was little, so it was just my mum and I,' she explained.

'I was very close to my mum's side, everyone was there to support me, but I think he just did some things a while back that [landed] him in places he shouldn't have been in.

'He just got involved with the wrong people.'

The heartfelt clip soon racked up hundreds of thousands of views and comments, with fans flooding the comments section to offer support and praise.

In June 2024, Rapoff revealed doctors had found a tumour growing near his spine

When asked what she would say to her mother today after everything she had gone through, Eve fought back tears once again.

'How proud I am of her,' she answered.

'She's done a lot. She sacrificed a lot. She was working 9-5, and after that going to uni. She got her bachelor's in molecular genetics and biology.

'Seeing how strong she is, how much strength she's got to keep going through all of this - it makes me proud to be my mother's daughter.'

Eve, who has grown up in the spotlight after her mother's star turn on The Bachelor, later commented under the clip, offering insight into why she had been so upset.

'Thank you so much for letting me share my story,' she wrote.

'My friends, family, and people around me know I've never really taken things too seriously, especially growing up in the public eye.

'At such a young age, I think I learned to protect myself by just laughing things off because it was easier than actually addressing them.

'But the question really caught me off guard. It had been such a long time since I'd been that honest with myself, and I didn't expect to get that emotional.

'I was nervous about how this would be received, especially being vulnerable on social media, knowing how harsh it can be.

'But the kindness and messages I've received have meant more than I can explain.'
It is the word that cost John Torode his highly lucrative role as the face of MasterChef after two decades. So, what could the 59-year-old have uttered that was deemed so offensive it warranted his dismissal?

Since Torode outed himself on Monday night as the individual found to have used extremely offensive racist language seven years ago in an inquiry into separate allegations against his co-host Gregg Wallace, that has been the question sparking feverish speculation among MasterChef fans and television insiders.

Last night, it seemed they got their answer: multiple sources close to the report claimed the offending term was the N-word.

Yet both the BBC and MasterChefs production company Banijay steadfastly refuse to reveal exactly what the Australian chef is accused of saying. And Torode himself insists he has no recollection of using such language. His representatives have declined to clarify.

One theory is that the term has been kept under wraps because neither the BBC nor Banijay are willing to repeat such a potent racial slur.

But another explanation is emerging. A well-placed source tells me that disclosing the precise word could expose MasterChef producers to legal action from Torode  particularly given that the alleged remark was made informally, after work, and more than seven years ago.

And with no appetite for a high-profile court battle, the decision was made to keep the details deliberately vague. Even so, the embattled presenter is rumoured to be considering legal action against both the BBC and Banijay. If he does, as one close friend put it to me: Who can blame him?

What has infuriated Team Torode, I am told, is the complete lack of detail from an investigation that began seven months ago  initially launched to probe the behaviour of his co-host Wallace, 60, who has since been banned from working at the BBC.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace have both been axed from the BBC show MasterChef following complaints regarding their behaviour while filming

But ITV will continue to air John And Lisas Weekend Kitchen, the Saturday morning cooking show he co-hosts with wife Lisa Faulkner

One friend of Torodes told me: This has all the hallmarks of a witch hunt and has left a very bitter taste. No one even made a complaint at the time. This has all come from a witness.

There is a suspicion the BBC felt MasterChef had become a bit too male, pale and stale, and this accusation was the perfect opportunity to give John the boot.

So what exactly do we know about the allegation against Torode? While a staggering 45 complaints were upheld against Wallace  ranging from unwanted physical contact to bullying and sexual innuendo  there was just one upheld against Torode.

When the executive summary of the investigation, conducted by top law firm Lewis Silkin, was published on Monday, Torode was not even named. It simply stated that, outside of the Gregg Wallace complaints, 10 standalone allegations were made against other people, 2 of which were substantiated.

The BBC later issued a more forthright statement, saying: Two further allegations were upheld, relating to other individuals. The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. This will be completed as a priority.

That same evening, Torode felt compelled to out himself as one of the individuals referred to in the report. In a statement on social media, he explained that he was alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. The allegation is that I did so some time in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe it was intended maliciously and that I apologised immediately afterwards.

I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened. He added that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment and that he was shocked and saddened by the allegation.

While many expected the BBC to follow up the reports claims in a transparent, fact-based investigation, what followed was quite the opposite.

The next day, BBC director-general Tim Davie held his annual press conference to unveil the corporations annual report  perhaps the most important of his tenure after fighting off calls to resign following a torrid year: the Huw Edwards scandal, multiple Strictly controversies, the Bob Vylan Death to the IDF fiasco at Glastonbury, and a Gaza documentary controversially narrated by the son of a Hamas official.

As I watched from the press gallery, Davie remained composed. He made it clear he wasnt going anywhere  despite the growing storm engulfing the BBC.

Then the topic turned to MasterChef and Davie doubled down. He refused to support Torode and said bluntly: We absolutely expect action to be taken.

Pressed on what the racial term in question was, Davie told BBC News: Frankly, it was a serious racist term which does not get to be acceptable in any way, shape or form.

Just hours later, Torode was out, with the Beeb declaring: The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torodes contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.

One friend of the chef suspects Davies motives were far from impartial: It proved to be the opportune moment to take the heat off himself by sacking John.

All of this because of an alleged remark made seven years ago, which, the witness said, was not meant maliciously, he apologised for, and no complaint was made at the time.

When John was first told about this allegation a few weeks ago, he lawyered up and was ready to fight it with every fibre of his being. But it soon became apparent this was not a fair or just process  the report was judge, jury and executioner, with no recourse for appeal.

Some say Davies zero-tolerance stance stems from frustration over the number of male presenters whove disgraced the BBC on his watch.

A friend of the director-general told me: Tim is fed up to the back teeth of men behaving badly at the BBC, and feels let down by these people who owe their careers to the corporation, yet constantly drag it through the mud. He wanted to demonstrate a clean break with the past.

In fact, I can reveal that during the investigation, the BBC was made aware of eight additional allegations against John Torode between 2012 and 2019. Two were found to be unsubstantiated and the remaining six lacked sufficient evidence.

It seemed like only a matter of time till more evidence would emerge, said one insider. It became clear it was time for a total reset on MasterChef.

Davie has vowed that MasterChef will continue beyond 2028, when its current contract with Banijay expires. He insisted this week that it remains a great programme thats well loved by audiences and is much bigger than individuals, prompting sighs of relief at Banijay.

Last year alone, MasterChef was worth nearly 300 million to the production company  around six per cent of its total revenues.

While the BBC may have shown him the door, ITV is, for now at least, standing by Torode. It will continue to air John And Lisas Weekend Kitchen, the Saturday morning cooking show he co-hosts with wife Lisa Faulkner, 53.

In the meantime, could Torode soon sit down with his long-time co-star to break bread over their brutal treatment at the hands of BBC management? Unlikely, says a friend of Wallaces: Hell will freeze over first. When Greggs back was against the wall, John threw him under the bus to try and save himself.

Now theyve come for John, too. Thats karma.
The Downton Abbey cast are reportedly set to reunite for an emotional 'farewell' documentary following the release of the third and final movie - but one major change is set to leave fans furious.

To mark the grand finale, the cast will come together for a glossy new documentary titled Farewell Downton Abbey, according to The Sun.

However, in a major blow to the millions who originally tuned in on ITV, the swan song is expected to land on a streaming platform - shutting out fans without a subscription.

A TV insider told the publication: 'This will be bittersweet news for all the people who would be thrilled at the prospect of seeing all the stars of Downton Abbey coming together one last time.

'Because it means theres likely to be a bidding war between the streamers to get this, probably Netflix, who currently show all the TV episodes, and Prime Video, who have the first two movies.

'With the release of the third film its 'Goodbye Downton Abbey'. But not everyone is going to be able to take part in that, as only those who have the right subscription will be able to see it.'

The Downton Abbey cast are reportedly set to reunite for an emotional 'farewell' documentary following the release of the third and final movie - but one major change is set to leave fans furious (Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville pictured)

To mark the grand finale, the cast will come together for a glossy new documentary titled Farewell Downton Abbey, according to The Sun (Lily James and Elizabeth pictured)

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

The news comes after it was confirmed last year that creator Julian Fellowes and his team were working on Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

The third and final film will see the return of Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham.

As well as Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley and Jim Carter as Mr Carson - some of the beloved stars who rose to fame when the original series aired from 2010 to 2015.

The upcoming movie will hit cinemas on September 12, and the documentary, produced by British company Monkey Kingdom, is expected to drop around the same time.

It's said to include behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews, and emotional tributes from fans reflecting on the show's enduring legacy.

The latest news follows the release of the brand new trailer for the final film - which left fans in tears and teased a major scandal involving Lady Mary.

In the three-minute clip, Robert Crawley prepares to hand over his duties as head of the household to his daughter Mary.

However, in a major blow to the millions who originally tuned in on ITV, the swan song is expected to land on a streaming platform - shutting out fans without a subscription

The latest news follows the release of the brand new trailer for the final film - which left fans in tears and teased a major scandal involving Lady Mary

However, her plans to become her father's successor are thrown into jeopardy when news of her divorce reaches the newspapers.

Set in the 1930s and written by Julian, the final chapter is directed by BAFTA and Emmy nominee Simon Curtis, who also helmed 2022's Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Alongside returning favourites like Hugh, Jim, Joanne Froggatt, Laura Carmichael, and Michelle, new faces Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan will also join the cast.

The trailer ends on an emotional high, as Lady Mary declares: 'Long live Downton Abbey.'

Downton Abbey is available for streaming on several platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and ITVX Premium.
Just days after stunning fans with a racy lingerie shoot, Kanye West's much-younger wife Bianca Censori put on another risque display while out in Tokyo with the rapper.

The couple  who have spent much of the last year in Japan amid West's shock legal woes  were spotted at a high-end outdoor mall on Thursday afternoon.

For their shopping trip, Censori, 30, went braless in a skintight black, long-sleeve top styled with tiny spandex shorts that nearly exposed her backside.

The former Yeezy architect  who married West, 47, after his 2021 divorce from Kim Kardashian, 44  carried her iPhone in hand and strolled the mall in kitten heels.

She kept a tan hat low over her makeup-free face as she and West made their way into a nearby MAC Cosmetics store.

Playing the role of patient husband, West stood feet away as Censori browsed the makeup counter's latest products with the help of a MAC employee.

Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori put on a risque display on Thursday while out in Tokyo, Japan with the rapper

The Stronger hitmaker  whose recent Shanghai concert sparked fan backlash  had on leather pants, a baggy hooded sweatshirt, brown suede boots and large black sunglasses.

The couple's casual outing in Tokyo comes two days after Censori appeared in scantily-clad photos, which were photographed by her rapper husband and shared to Instagram on Tuesday.

The images showed the 30-year-old brunette posing in white lace lingerie while posing in her hotel room in Japan in shots which were taken in October last year.

The defiant post came shortly after West denied shocking allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking made by his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta.

Days after the fierce rebuttal, Censori showed off her ample assets and tiny waist as she posed in the sheer bra and matching thong-style knickers.

She boosted her petite frame with a pair of stilettos and wore her blonde locks in a bouncy blown out style, which covered her pretty features.

One sizzling shot saw her crawling across the plush cream carpet on her hands and knees in a very seductive fashion.

Revealing that it was her husband behind the lens, she wrote in the caption: 'Japan October 2024 shot by @ye.'

The couple were spotted shopping at a high-end outdoor mall

Censori, 30, went braless in a skintight black, long-sleeve top styled with tiny spandex shorts that nearly exposed her backside

Censori and Kanye stopped by a MAC Cosmetics store, where the 30-year-old stunner checked out the brand's latest makeup products

A recent similar shoot taken at the same time saw Censori share another set of photos from the private shoot.

Censori has been sharing the polaroid snaps to her social media page. Last week, she gave fans another glimpse at her enviable figure with three more snaps.

In one of the photos she was pictured on her knees leaning backwards while wearing a sheer tube top and pulling down her stockings with one hand.

Another one of the retro style snaps featured her seemingly naked from the side, wearing high heels, with one of her legs extended in the air.

A third image showed Bianca in a shaggy blonde wig and straddling the carpet while shooting a seductive glance at the camera with a hand placed in her mouth.

'Shot by @ye,' she captioned all three of the images.

The couple have been caught up in reports that West's former assistant Lauren Pisciotta has filed a sexual assault case against him.

On Sunday, a Yeezy spokesperson issued a statement to DailyMail.com, criticizing the rapper's former employee's amended complaint against him, which they point out is the 'the fourth version she has advanced.'

Playing the role of patient husband, West stood feet away from Bianca as she sought the help of a MAC employee

Censori kept a tan hat low over her makeup-free face as she and her spouse went from store-to-store on Thursday afternoon

For their shopping trip, West dressed in all-black and kept sunglasses over his eyes

'Each new revision contradicts the others; each is more absurd and outlandish than all previous claims combined,' the Yeezy rep insisted. 'Does Ms. Pisciotta actually believe her confabulations? We cannot know. But this breathless new installment of fantasy fiction discredits all past, present and future testimony.'

The spokesperson continued: 'We stand ready to annihilate Ms. Pisciotta's tall tales before a juryan exoneration so inevitable that even she, lost in her fog of fantasy, must surely see it coming.'

Yeezy representative Milo Yiannopoulos also addressed the matter, highlighting 'the absurdity of Pisciotta's quadruply revised claims, which now include kidnapping, battery, rape, false imprisonment and even sex trafficking.'

'She picked the one rapper who loathes violence, has never been arrested, and doesn't even own a gun,' Yiannopoulos claimed.

In response to the statements above, Pisciotta's attorney, Lisa Bloom, told DailyMail.com: 'While Kanye West's publicist has come up with a slickly worded (and outrageously false and defamatory) attack on Ms. Pisciotta, Kanye himself has publicly admitted much of what she's claiming.'

'Kanye's publicist is deafeningly silent on Kanye's own admissions, which will destroy him in court. We look forward to seeing him there, where he cannot hide behind a high priced spin team,' Bloom concluded.

The response on West's behalf come just days after Pisciotta accused the father-of-four of sexually harassing and assaulting her on multiple occasions.

In her amended complaint, filed earlier this week, Pisciotta accused her former boss of forcing 'his penis into her mouth' during a business trip in San Francisco.

The couple have spent much of the last year in Japan amid West's shock legal woes; seen in 2024

The oral rape allegedly occurred not long after she began working for Ye in July 2021.

She alleged that he attempted to kiss her on the lips, more than once, despite her repeatedly rejecting his advances, which she insists she told him were 'not professional.'

After participating in a writing session for his album, Donda, the complaint alleges that West invited Pisciotta to his hotel suite to discuss the record.

When she arrived, Pisciotta alleges in the complaint 'Ye abruptly laid down in his bed and insisted that Ms. Pisciotta lay beside him.'

She proceeded to 'reluctantly' sit next to him in bed as her then-boss praised her work and shared how he could 'propel' her success in the music industry, according to the complaint.

The conversation quickly turned south, she claims, as he began speaking in graphic detail about an unnamed model's genitals and described his sexual encounters with other women.

Pisciotta claims in the complaint that West attempted to kiss her again, but that she 'continued to deflect his advances.'

She then claimed he began to ask her questions about her vagina, such as 'What's it like?', 'Can I touch it?', and 'I just wanna see what it's like.'

The couple's casual outing in Tokyo comes two days after Censori appeared in new scantily-clad photos

The racy images were photographed by her rapper husband and shared to Instagram on Tuesday

The images showed the 30-year-old brunette posing in white lace lingerie while posing in her hotel room in Japan in shots which were taken in October last year

According to the complaint, despite her reminding him his behavior was not professional, Pisciotta alleges West 'stroked his penis over his pants with one hand and forcibly touched her vagina with the other hand.'

'Ms. Pisciotta immediately told Ye to stop. Ye soon fell asleep mid-sentence,' the complaint reads. 'Ms. Pisciotta left the room once Ye fell asleep.'

During that same stay in San Francisco, Pisciotta claims West went to her hotel room and demanded to use her shower.

After cracking the door open, Pisciotta says in the complaint that her former boss 'pushed the door open and proceeded directly into the bathroom.'

When he reemerged, she claims in the complaint he was only wearing a 'towel covering the lower half of his body' and approached her while she was sitting in a chair.

She claims 'Ye dropped the towel from his waist to expose his penis,' removed her from the chair she was sitting in, and pushed her onto the bed, so that she was pinned against its pillows and headboard.

Pisciotta says he used his 'body to pin and restrain' her and restricted her from leaving the bed, before thrusting his penis repeatedly into her mouth, according to the complaint.

'As Ms. Pisciotta frantically pled for Ye to stop, Ye forced his penis into her mouth. Ms. Pisciotta froze in shock and fear but continued to plead with Ye and beg him,' according to the legal documents.

Last week, she gave fans another glimpse at her enviable figure with three more snaps

In one of the photos, Censori was pictured on her knees leaning backwards while wearing a sheer tube top and pulling down her stockings with one hand

Like her recent lingerie photos, these near-nude images were also shot by Censori's husband

After the alleged rape, she alleges he apologized and left.

When she confronted him about the sexual assault, she said in the complaint he gave her what she thought was 'a sincere apology' and agreed to continue working for him.

Still, she insists in the court record he never stopped his sexually inappropriate behavior and harassment.

She claims he detailed sexual fantasies about her, demanded she send him explicit material including topless and nude photographs, constantly remarked on her body and even allegedly called her while engaging in sexual acts with another woman.

Other shocking claims in the second amended complaint included that he offered someone the opportunity to have sex with her and that he 'constantly told her that 'he wanted to have sex with her and how he thought about her while he had sex with other women.'

She also says he offered 'one million dollars in exchange for her deleting her OnlyFans account, from which Ms. Pisciotta earned approximately one million dollars over the course of eight months.'

After deleting her account, Pisciotta claims in the court paper that West refused to pay the 'agreed-upon amount' and quickly lost her substantial OnlyFans following.

During her employment, she alleged he interrogated her about her love life, the last time she had sex, how large her partners' penises were and if she would be 'open to engaging in threesomes with her partners, his partners, and other women Ye found on various social media platforms.'

Censori's recent lingerie photo post came days after West denied shocking allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking made by his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta; seen in 2024

On Sunday, a Yeezy spokesperson issued a statement to DailyMail.com, criticizing Pisciotta's (pictured) amended complaint against him

After terminating her in fall of 2023, she claims he 'grabbed' her neck and 'squeezed his hand around her throat, restricting her airflow' after running into each other at a concert, according to the complaint.

'With his hand still around her neck, Ye pulled Ms. Pisciotta's face towards his, inserted his tongue in her ear, and licked her ear repeatedly, causing it to become wet with his saliva. Ms. Pisciotta recoiled in horror and quickly walked away,' her complaint says.

Pisciotta claims West went on to move into Ms. Pisciotta's same apartment complex, which caused her 'significant anxiety and distress.'

She said in the complaint while he lived there he would walk past her place in a 'conspicuous manner' and even 'stationed his security team at various points of the complex.'

Pisciotta alleged this pushed her to relocate to 'Florida as a means of escaping Ye.'

Following her move, she claims he hired an individual who offered 'swatting' services for purchase, to 'swat' her.

Pisciotta, who began working for Ye in 2021 as a music talent scout (A&R) for his Donda album, originally sued West in 2024.

While working as his personal assistant and Chief of Staff, she handled his music, fashion ventures (like YEEZY), property management, and schedule.

'Each new revision contradicts the others; each is more absurd and outlandish than all previous claims combined,' the Yeezy rep insisted; West seen in 2024

Yeezy representative Milo Yiannopoulos also addressed the matter, highlighting 'the absurdity of Pisciotta's quadruply revised claims, which now include kidnapping, battery, rape, false imprisonment and even sex trafficking'

During this time, she claimed in the complaint that he controlled her life and made her ask for permission to shower or take breaks.

Additionally, she alleged he verbally abused her, especially in front of male colleagues, demanded 'hugs' where he would press himself against her and spoke about monitoring her social media to masturbate to her photos.

She also accused him of assaulting her in 2015 while she blacked out at a studio session.

She believes she was drugged and has no memory of the evening, according to the court document.

Another disturbing allegation involves a flight to a fashion show.

She claims in the complaint that he locked her in a room and masturbated in front of her, until someone from the outside was able to open the door as she 'cried into her lap.'

West previously denied Pisciotta's other allegations made in her initial June 2024 complaint.

In his initial legal response to her prior claims, West's companies issued a blanket denial of all allegations made by Pisciotta  including her claims of sexual assault.

In response, Pisciotta's attorney, Lisa Bloom, told DailyMail.com: 'While Kanye West's publicist has come up with a slickly worded (and outrageously false and defamatory) attack on Ms. Pisciotta, Kanye himself has publicly admitted much of what she's claiming'; West seen in 2019

'Kanye's publicist is deafeningly silent on Kanye's own admissions, which will destroy him in court. We look forward to seeing him there, where he cannot hide behind a high priced spin team,' Pisciotta's attorney Bloom concluded

In response to Pisciotta's original lawsuit, West's lawyer called the claims 'baseless' and announced plans to countersue.

In her new, second amended complaint, Pisciotta lays out a sweeping list of allegations, including sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, assault, battery, sexual battery, sex trafficking, stalking, false imprisonment, gender discrimination, promissory estoppel, failure to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Pisciotta's lawyer confirmed to Daily Mail that the second amended complaint was mailed to West.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Pisciotta's attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote: 'We are pleased that the judge granted our request to file an amended complaint against Mr. West in the sexual harassment, assault and battery case we are litigating against him in California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles.'

'In a series of recent tweets, Mr. West calls himself 'a walking me too' (we agree) and corroborated many of our client's claims by proclaiming, 'If a CEO don't hug you inappropriately he's a f@gg*t' and 'Life is about using your position to f*k the baddest b!**hes possible' and other disgusting and offensive posts,' she continued.

Bloom concluded: 'Every woman deserves a respectful workplace free of groping and sexual harassment. We look forward to aggressively litigating this case on behalf of our brave client, Lauren Piscotta.'
Aussie influencer Sopha Dopha has been accused of cultural appropriation while on holiday in Japan.

The TikTok star, whose real name is Sophia Begg and boasts 1.4million followers on the platform, made an embarrassing gaffe on Friday as she uploaded a carousel of pictures from her first day in Tokyo to Instagram.

The 21-year-old uploaded her post with audio from the song Blueprint Supreme, which is performed in Mandarin by Chinese rapper SKAI ISYOURGOD.

'Day one: Tokyo,' Sophia captioned the photo dump that shows her and two friends enjoying matcha, ramen, and posing for a photoshoot beside a vending machine.

Sophia wore pink shorts, an oversized white T-shirt emblazoned with the Japanese word Suki (), meaning 'like' or 'love', and a polka dot bandana.

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Sopha Dopha has been accused of cultural appropriation while on holiday in Japan

Her caption also included a string of emojis that included the Japanese flag and two sushi characters.

Fans were quick to point out the irony of the TikToker making travel content about Japan and overlaying it with a Chinese song.

'Girl I love you, but please the song isn't even in Japanese,' the top comment on the post read.

'I fear this song is Chinese,' said another.

Others were more pointed in their remarks.

'Looks good but it's giving racism,' one wrote, with another follower adding: 'The casual racism is sending me LMAO.'

'As an Asian woman, [I find] her using Japanese words as an aesthetic racist,' they added in another comment.

'She also seems to be unaware that the song she's using isn't Japanese, it's Mandarin.'

The TikTok star, whose real name is Sophia Begg, made an embarrassing gaffe on Friday as she uploaded a carousel of pictures from her first day in Tokyo to Instagram

The 21-year-old uploaded her post with an audio from a song sung in Mandarin

'Using Asian culture as an aesthetic is racism, period,' they continued.

'This honestly reflects white privilege on another level,' yet another disappointed follower commented.

'Being able to pick and choose parts of someone else's culture for aesthetic without needing to understand or respect it.

'Meanwhile, we as Asians grow up being shamed or mocked for these same things. It's not just a song or a vibe, it's a lived culture, and treating it like a trend is harmful.'

Sophia and her friends travelled from Australia to Japan on Thursday.

In less than 24 hours, she posted five TikToks about her travels, in addition to the controversial Instagram post.

'We are in Japan, Tokyo and we are going to get ramen,' she began in one video.

The Aussie influencer known as Sopha Dopha has prompted fierce online backlash after she posted a carousel of photos taken in Tokyo, Japan alongside a Chinese song to Instagram

'I came here last year and it was one of the best meals I've ever had,' Sophia said.

'We're all starving. We haven't eaten since Maccas in the airport 12 hours ago.'

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of an element or elements of culture or identity by members of another culture or identity in a manner perceived as inappropriate or without proper acknowledgement.

Such a controversy typically arises when members of a dominant culture borrow from minority cultures.

Sophia has not responded to the faux pas online.
A Bond girl who acted with Sean Connery six decades ago was unrecognizable when she surfaced for a rare outing in Los Angeles this week.

Born in Rome, the Italian actress got her start in the 1950s and forged a movie career that spanned both Europe and the United States.

It was in the 1960s, however, that she established herself as a glamorous femme fatale who seduced agent 007 onscreen as a trap to take him prisoner at gunpoint.

Although her film career continued on both sides of the Atlantic, she never emerged from under the shadow of her most famous role.

At the end of the 1970s she left the movies upon her marriage to her media mogul husband, whom she was spotted with in California on Thursday.

Who is this 88-year-old?

A Bond girl who acted with Sean Connery six decades ago was unrecognizable when she surfaced for a rare outing in Los Angeles this week

At the end of the 1970s she left the movies upon her marriage to her media mogul husband, whom she was spotted with in California on Thursday

The bombshell in question is Luciana Paluzzi, whom James Bond fans will remember as the villainous Fiona Volpe in the 1965 classic Thunderball.

She was seen this week with her husband Michael Jay Solomon, 87, who headed Warner Bros International Television in the 1980s and 1990s and helped introduce American TV to opening markets like Russia, China and India as the Cold War ended.

Luciana was stylish as ever this Thursday in a summery white top-trouser combo, topped with a fluttering pastel floral wrap.

Wearing her still fiery hair back in a ponytail, she accessorized with a gleaming set of sunglasses and rounded off the look with white shoes.

She betrayed no hint that she was drawing close to her 10th decade, staying ramrod straight as she strolled across a parking lot with her husband.

Her early career included American movies like Return to Peyton Place and British projects like the World War II drama No Time to Die - which was released in 1958, decades before there was a Bond film of the same name.

She was active in European cinema, as in the 1956 Brigitte Bardot comedy Plucking the Daisy and the 1959 Italian romp My Wife's Enemy with Marcello Mastroianni.

In 1965, she achieved her lasting fame as the leggy, sultry SPECTRE assassin who tries to entice James Bond to his death in Thunderball.

The bombshell in question is Luciana Paluzzi, whom James Bond fans will remember as the villainous Fiona Volpe in the 1965 classic Thunderball

In 1965, she achieved her lasting fame as the leggy, sultry SPECTRE assassin who tries to entice James Bond to his death in Thunderball

Although she initially auditioned for the leading lady Domino Petacchi, that part went to French actress Claudine Auger, with Luciana left playing the smaller role of Fiona

She was seen this week with her husband Michael Jay Solomon, who headed Warner Bros International Television in the 1980s and 1990s

Luciana was stylish as ever this Thursday in a summery white top-trouser combo, topped with a fluttering pastel floral wrap

Wearing her still fiery hair back in a ponytail, she accessorized with a gleaming set of sunglasses and rounded off the look with white shoes

Although she initially auditioned for the leading lady Domino Petacchi, that part went to French actress Claudine Auger, with Luciana left playing the smaller role of Fiona.

She subsequently remarked that she 'rejoiced' when she was cast as Fiona instead of Domino 'because actually I thought that it was more fun to play.'

Aficionados of the series will never forget the iconic scene when Fiona seduces 007, then holds him captive at gunpoint - nor the subsequent scene when he dances with her as a ploy to throw her in front of a bullet meant for him.

When she and Sean Connery filmed their bedroom scene, there were 'easy 50 photographers' present to take still images, Luciana claimed.

So they played the scene for the still photographs three times without even filming it, and then the snappers were ejected so that the shoot day could progress.

Thunderball rocketed Luciana to global notoriety, but also came during the era where James Bond movies were at the height of camp.

Her film career came to an end in 1979 when she married her media mogul husband, precipitating her withdrawal into a private life at his side; pictured 1965

Her post-Bond career included American films like a Western called Chuka with Rod Taylor and the US-Japanese sci-fi film The Green Slime (pictured)

'To do a Bond picture, it's a blessing but also a curse,' she reflected in a documentary about Bond girls: 'because when I went back to Italy, the directors that were the Fellinis, the Antonionis, the ones that were really important, the Viscontis of the time, they didn't wanna have anything to do with me.'

She explained: 'They loved me. I knew them all and they were all very sweet and very nice, but when it came to do one of their pictures, no, because it was like a comic strip. But I worked for 27 years, so I can't complain.'

Her post-Bond career included American films like a Western called Chuka with Rod Taylor and the blaxploitation picture Black Gunn, as well as the internationally co-produced prison drama 99 Women and the US-Japanese sci-fi film The Green Slime.

Luciana continued working with Thunderball director Terence Young on such pictures as War Goddess, which was about Amazons, and the drama The Klansman, which marked the film debut of the young OJ Simpson.

In Europe, her movies included the 1975 Italian sex comedy L'Infermiera (The Nurse), which starred her alongside her fellow Bond girl Ursula Andress.

Her film career came to an end in 1979 when she married her media mogul husband, precipitating her withdrawal into a private life at his side.
Another popular Channel Nine presenter is set to depart the network, one day after 9News Melbourne journalist Lana Murphy announced her maternity leave following a shock on-air gaffe.

Today reporter Iza Staskowski was on-air Friday reporting from a Melbourne creek discoloured from a chemical spill, when she shared the news that she too was going on maternity leave.

'Iza, just before you go and we go... like maybe to the hospital, we want to wish you all the very best,' Today host Karl Stefanovic said.

'How are you feeling?'

Iza, who joined the breakfast program in 2019, beamed with anticipation ahead of her farewell.

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Popular Channel Nine presenter Iza Staskowski is set to depart the network, one day after 9News Melbourne journalist Lana Murphy announced her maternity leave

The Melbourne reporter and her fiance, Drew Jones, are expecting their first child together in several weeks.

Iza wore a bright red coat that covered her figure on camera, but pulled it back to reveal her baby bump to viewers, with the microphone still in hand.

'I'm feeling really good, guys, really lucky and really, really excited for this next chapter with my partner Drew and our little bubba,' she told the team in the studio.

Today hosts Karl and Sarah Abo surprised Iza at that momen with a large bouquet of flowers and a wrapped Today show onesie for the soon-to-be newest team member.

'It's so exciting, Iza, we are absolutely pumped for you,' Karl said.

'You look beautiful,' Sarah added.

'The pair of you are going to be such incredible parents. Your mat leave starts today and we're going to miss you so much.'

Iza could barely contain her joy as she was handed the thoughtful presents.

Today reporter Iza and her fiance Drew Jones (left) are expecting their first child together in several weeks

Iza, who joined the breakfast program in 2019, announced her maternity leave on Friday

'Mat leave starts right now!' she enthused. 'Thank you guys so much.'

'We love you, Iza,' Karl added.

'Thanks for the all hard work and good luck with everything that's coming to you in the next couple of weeks.

'We couldn't think of a better place to send you today than to a toxic algae outbreak,' he joked.

Iza is the second Melbourne reporter to depart the Nine network in as many days, with her 9News colleague Lana Murphy leaving on Thursday.

Lana, 31, shared a post to Instagram on Wednesday night revealing she was going on maternity leave, just days after forgetting her script during a live report and ad-libbing nonsense.

Lana posted a gallery of photos, one of which captured her showing off her growing baby bump while presenting the weather.

The journalist looked radiant in the photo as she announced shed be taking time off to prepare for her second child.

9News Melbourne journalist Lana Murphy, 31, announced she was going on maternity leave on Thursday, just days after forgetting her script during a live report and ad-libbing nonsense

'Bumping the east coast out of shot while bumping out of my role at Nine News Melbourne for a few months, eek!' she wrote.

'Final story, bathroom bump selfie, PTC & sign off. Got to work with some of my favourite humans on earth. What a dream.'

Many of Lana's Channel Nine colleagues took to the comment section to offer her their well wishes.

'Best wishes for whats coming, Lana! Cheers,' wrote fellow presenter Peter Hitchener.

Today show co-host Sarah Abo also posted a love heart emoji.

This will be the second child for Lana and her partner, Nick Riddle, who already share a young son, Bowie.

Lana's departure follows a widely shared moment when she forgot her script during a live broadcast and ad-libbed to fill the time  an incident that seemed to endear her more to viewers.

She took to TikTok last week to own up to her mistake.

Lana shared a clip that showed her delivering a seemingly innocuous report about school holiday activities in Melbourne.

The segment quickly derailed when Lana clearly forgot her script.

It seems her ad-libbing abilities may need some work, with the reporter uttering a string of unintelligible filler words.

'We will have a full list of all the possible school holiday activities and...' she said, before pausing briefly in an attempt to remember her lines.

'Dib-a-dib-a-dib-a-dib-a-doo' was all Lana could muster before finally getting back on track.
Lindsay Lohan was a proud mom as she celebrated her son Luai's second birthday on Thursday.

The Freaky Friday star, 39, gave fans a glimpse at Luai's dinosaur-themed birthday bash in photos shared to her Instagram.

One sweet image showed the star holding her little one while standing alongside her husband Bader Shammas, 38, with a background that read 'Luai 2Rex.'

'Happy Birthday to our sunshine, our sweetest boy, our heart, Luai!' the actress  who recently reunited with her Freaky Friday co-stars  penned in her caption.

'Watching you grow has been the greatest joy of our life. You light up every room (and keep us all on our toes), and we are so proud to be your mama and daddy.'

She went on: 'You are the deepest love we have ever known, the wildest adventure, and the most beautiful purpose. You have given our lives a whole new meaning, and we are grateful every single day.'

Lindsay Lohan, 29, was a proud mom as she celebrated her son Luai's second birthday on Thursday alongside her husband Bader Shammas, 38, with a dinosaur-themed party

Lindsay  who recently opened up about the rumors surrounding her youthful appearance  wrapped up her caption writing: 'Here is to another year of cuddles, giggles, and magic. Me and Daddy love you more than words can say.'

The actress looked chic in a white tank top and a long floral skirt.

Her long blonde tresses cascaded down her back, and she accessorized with sunglasses.

Meanwhile her husband opted for an all-white look, sporting a long-sleeve shirt with a tee and linen pants.

The birthday boy looked adorable in a white and green shirt and shorts paired with sneakers.

The family posed in front of a large balloon arch consisting of green, cream and copper balloons.

Another snap showed the little one playing with long-haired chickens.

There were statues of dinosaurs placed throughout the backyard, as well as a table for arts and crafts.

In another corner there was a shelf full of little plastic and stuffed dinosaurs for children to take home, with the sign, 'Adopt a dinosaur.'

'Watching you grow has been the greatest joy of our life. You light up every room (and keep us all on our toes), and we are so proud to be your mama and daddy,' she wrote in the caption

The couple confirmed the arrival of their son Luai in July 2023 though did not provide an exact birth date

The star recently shared a sweet beach snap with her little one

The Irish Wish actress and her husband met at a dinner with mutual friends in Dubai back in 2019 and said 'I do' two years later in 2021

Lindsay also shared a photo of Luai's green cake, which featured three dinosaur toppers.

Luai was also seen playing with his friends at the party.

The Irish Wish actress and her husband met at a dinner with mutual friends in Dubai back in 2019 and said 'I do' two years later in 2021.

The couple confirmed the arrival of their son Luai in July 2023 though did not provide an exact birth date.

Lohan is no stranger to high-profile romances, going back to the early 2000s with Wilmer Valderrama, Hard Rock Cafe heir Harry Morton and Samantha Ronson.

She started dating Shammas, a financier for Credit Suisse, in 2019, though their relationship was largely off-the-radar until they announced their engagement in November 2021.

'My love. My life. My family. My future,' she shared on Instagram at the time, along with snaps of the happy couple as she showed off her engagement ring.

The actress' reps confirmed that the couple had been dating for three years, adding she was, 'engaged and happy.'

The couple didn't publicly confirm the nuptials until July 2022, with Lohan gushing, 'I am the luckiest woman in the world. You found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time.'

Lohan is no stranger to high-profile romances, going back to the early 2000s with Wilmer Valderrama, Hard Rock Cafe heir Harry Morton and Samantha Ronson; Pictured with Badder in March

She added: 'I am stunned that you are my husband. My life and my everything. every woman should feel like this everyday.'

While Lohan didn't confirm a wedding date at the time, the actress took to her Instagram story on April 3, 2025, to celebrate the couple's third anniversary.

She shared a snap of her husband and their son.

'Happy Anniversary to my one and only. My forever and ever. I love you,' she captioned the anniversary snap.
Danny Cipriani packed on the PDA with his on off girlfriend AnnaLynne McCord at an Emmy nomination party on Thursday, as they confirm their romance is back on.

The former rugby ace, 37, dated the 90210 actress for nine months amid his divorce from ex-wife Victoria Rose O'Callaghan.

And while they seemingly split in January, the pair seemed happier than ever as they shared a smooch at the glitzy event, hosted by The McCord List.

For the outing, Danny wore a black short-sleeved shirt which he paired with striped trousers and chunky black trainers.

Meanwhile AnnaLynne put on a leggy display in a black mini skirt which she paired with a structured black top.

She added inches to her statuesque frame as she slipped into a pair of nude stilettos and kept her accessories to a minimum.

Danny Cipriani packed on the PDA with his on off girlfriend AnnaLynne McCord at an Emmy nomination party on Thursday, as they confirm their romance is back on

The former rugby ace, 37, dated the 90210 actress for nine months amid his divorce from ex-wife Victoria Rose O'Callaghan

Earlier in the day, Danny gushed over his girlfriend as he shared a sweet picture to Instagram to wish her a happy birthday.

Alongside the snap, he penned: 'Happy birthday to My Love. Your light shines so bright, as you see the light in everyone you meet.

'You give your heart so effortlessly. You are creating a world of unity and love with your star dust everywhere you go  Love you'

It was revealed in January that the pair had gone their separate ways.

Danny, who stars in the new Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt, presented by Holly Willoughby and Bear Grylls, spent Christmas and the New Year in the UK instead of travelling to the States to be with AnnaLynne.

The ex-Strictly star removed AnnaLynne as an Instagram contact on December 21, which signified trouble in paradise and earlier in the year a source close to the exes revealed to MailOnline their relationship was on the rocks for weeks.

It's believed that AnnaLynee was one of several women Danny dated following his painful separation from ex-wife Victoria, 42, who he split from in November 2023 after four years of marriage.

Speaking to The Sun last year, Victoria admitted she was 'heartbroken' after discovering messages between Danny and other women.

And while they seemingly split in January, the pair seemed happier than ever as they shared a smooch at the glitzy event

For the outing, Danny wore a black short-sleeved shirt which he paired with striped trousers and chunky black trainers

She added inches to her statuesque frame as she slipped into a pair of nude stilettos and kept her accessories to a minimum

Victoria said: 'I was shocked, heartbroken. They weren't sexts but they were telling women they were beautiful, and about the connections he felt. Not the kind of thing you want to read your husband sending.'

Danny's drug taking became a problem in their relationship, according to Victoria, who said she was 'upset' by the amount he was consuming.

She added: 'I got so sick of it. It started to upset me. Everyday he said he wouldn't do drugs. Then by midday he'd be back on them.'

The mother, who has two children from different relationships, claimed Danny would eat mushroom laced chocolate bars and she wouldn't know if he was on them or not as he 'would function so well.'

She said: 'One day he took a large amount and just lay on the floor. I thought I would be able to help him, and he said he wanted to stop taking drugs. Danny was taking loads of prescription drugs and I just said, 'Enough is enough.'

Danny has previously admitted to taking cocaine, a crystallised toad psychedelic and to having so many magic mushrooms he became convinced his wife was trying to kill him.

The couple met through a mutual friend in 2019 and during the Covid lockdown, Victoria fell pregnant with the pair's baby. They tragically lost their son, who they named River, in June 2020, at 23 weeks.

Danny's love life has seen him date the likes of former glamour model Katie Price and TV star Kelly Brook.

In 2007, Danny had a fling with Cheeky Girl Monica Irimia, who said they split because he 'doesn't want a steady relationship.'

Between 2008 and 2010, the sportsman was with Heart Radio presenter Kelly but their romance ended when Danny gave his phone number to a Las Vegas stripper.

Following his split from model Kelly, Danny spent time with US actress Lindsay Lohan after they connected in Los Angeles.

Katie Price got her revenge on Danny after he cheated during their romance by exposing the rugby star in her 2013 autobiography Love, Lipstick and Lies.

It's believed that AnnaLynee was one of several women Danny dated following his separation from ex-wife Victoria, 42, who he split from in November 2023 after four years of marriage

She revealed how she caught Danny in bed with another woman, saying: 'He can no longer hit the right spots on the rugby field and he certainly can't find them on a woman.'

Danny dated sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher for six months but the pair reportedly went their separate ways over their 12-year age gap.

He met estranged wife Victoria in 2019 and they were engaged by January 2021.

The couple married on April 27, 2022 in a private ceremony, with Danny excitedly telling his Instagram followers: 'Married my best friend today!'
Kate Beckinsale was a pillar of strength and support for her mother Judy Loe before passing away aged 78.

The actress, 51, shared the heartbreaking news that her mother had passed away on July 15 after 'immeasurable suffering', leaving Kate 'paralysed' with grief.

Judy's cause of death wasn't confirmed however Kate previously revealed her mother been battling stage four cancer for the last two years.

Kate has been by her mother's side throughout her cancer battle and flew to LA from the UK to care for her, despite the Underworld actress dealing with her own health woes and the death of her stepfather Roy.

In 2024, Kate sparked concern among her fans as she was hospitalised for six weeks due to 'copiously vomiting blood caused by the stress'.

However, she continued to care for her mother, whose death comes just 18 months after the death of Judy's second husband and Kate's stepfather Roy, who died in January 2024.

Kate Beckinsale was a pillar of strength and support for her mother Judy Loe before passing away aged 78

The actress, 51, shared the heartbreaking news that her mother had passed away on July 15 after 'immeasurable suffering', leaving Kate 'paralysed' with grief

He was hospitalised in Los Angeles in December 2023 after suffering 'a massive stroke' while battling two forms of cancer, which he was diagnosed with in the summer prior.

Tragically this wasn't the first time Judy was widowed after the shock death of her first husband Richard Beckinsale in 1979, when Kate was just five-years-old.

The actor, famed for his roles in popular shows Rising Damp and Porridge, suddenly passed away on March 19, 1979 at the age of just 31, leaving behind his devastated wife Judy and Kate and her sister Samantha.

Sharing the news of her mother's death on Thursday, Kate posted a compilation of snaps as she penned: 'I don't want to post this. I am only posting this because I have had to register my mother's death certificate and it will soon become public record.

'She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering. I have not picked all the best photos, nor the best videos, because I cannot bear to go through my camera roll yet.

'I deeply apologise to any of her friends who are finding out this way or through the press, but I cannot go through her phone.

'I am paralysed. Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend. The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly.

'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.'

Kate has been by her mother's side throughout her cancer battle, despite the Underworld actress dealing with her own health woes and the death of her stepfather Roy

In 2024, Kate sparked concern among her fans as she was hospitalised for six weeks due to 'copiously vomiting blood caused by the stress'.

Judy's death comes 18 months after the death of her second husband, and Kate's stepfather Roy (pictured), who died in January 2024

Tragically this wasn't the first time Judy was widowed after the shock death of her first husband actor Richard Beckinsale (pictured) in 1979, when Kate was just five-years-old

She finished: 'Mama, I love you so much. This has been my greatest fear since finding my father dead at five and I am here. Oh my Mama.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry.'

Kate's father Richard died when she was just five-years-old after he suffered a shock heart attack in his sleep brought on by undiagnosed coronary artery disease.

At the time was in fact Judy who was the family's focus then, as she was in hospital recovering from an operation to unblock her fallopian tubes, so she could have more children.

When she emerged, she learned her operation had been a success, but that her husband had died.

The day before his death, Richard had taken Kate - who was just five-years-old at the time - to visit her mother in hospital and had no physical complaints, simply saying he felt tired.

That evening, Richard attended a party for The Two Ronnies before returning to the family home in Sunningdale, Berks.

The last anyone heard from the rising comedy star was in a phone call he made to friends before going to bed, in which he noted he had pains in his arms and chest but made light of it. Tragically, Richard never woke up.

Kate, who had been looked after by a family friend who came to babysit her at home, has said she still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder 'from discovering my very young father's almost-dead body as a very young child alone in the night.'

She penned: 'I am paralysed. Jude was the compass of my life ,the love of my life, my dearest friend. The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly'

Alongside a beaming snap of Roy, Kate penned: 'Finding my father's dead body alone in the middle of the night at the age of five shaped my entire life. Seeing my beloved stepfather die a year ago today will haunt me forever'

It was a trauma which was 'reactivated' by losing Roy all these years later as she revealed a year after his passing that she'll forever be 'haunted' after seeing Roy die.

Roy, the director of TV greats including Inspector Morse, Cracker and A Touch Of Frost, came into Kate's life three years after her father died.

Alongside a beaming snap of Roy, Kate penned: 'Finding my father's dead body alone in the middle of the night at the age of five shaped my entire life. Seeing my beloved stepfather die a year ago today will haunt me forever.

'It does seem terribly careless to have managed to be present for both deaths and unable to prevent either, the second time trying with every single thing I had. It was not enough.

'I spent six weeks in hospital due to copiously vomiting blood from a Mallory Weiss tear caused by the stress of a whole year ripping a hole between my oesophagus [sic] and stomach'

'In the process of losing my beloved Roy I lost family, friendships, at some points my own health, and all the money I had due to how disgusting the American healthcare system is for those who are not insured. I would do it again. No question.

'I cannot help feeling that I dreadfully failed -but I am trying to console myself today with all the preparation that he did in the last years of his life, how deeply he studied and practised as a Jungian and how thin the veil is between the energy of this life and whatever is next, that some part of him was at peace with it.

'It does feel like a lie I am telling myself to try and feel better, however. Perhaps I am just unfortunately not enlightened enough to sell that to myself over my sense of loss, guilt and failure.'

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Several Aussie emergency services have cheekily jumped on the viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' moment that left one couple embarrassed  by turning it into a series of hilarious memes.

On Wednesday, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin caught two unsuspecting fans off guard at the band's Boston concert when the camera landed on them during a 'kiss cam' segment at Gillette Stadium.

The moment went viral  and by Friday, Aussie emergency services were having some fun with it, using the now-famous image in a string of tongue-in-cheek social media posts.

The NSW Police Force shared a photoshopped image of the stunned couple with a flashing police car behind them, playfully referencing the awkward embrace that had thousands of fans watching.

Not to be outdone, Fire and Rescue NSW posted the pair superimposed in front of a burning house, captioned: 'Don't let sparks fly from your overloaded power board.'

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Several Aussie emergency services have cheekily jumped on the viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' moment that left one couple embarrassed  by turning it into a series of memes. On Wednesday, Coldplay's Chris Martin caught two fans off guard at the band's Boston concert

By Friday, Aussie emergency services were having some fun with it, using the now-famous image in a string of tongue-in-cheek social media posts. The NSW Police Force shared a photoshopped image of the stunned couple with a flashing police car behind them

Live Traffic NSW also got in on the action, placing the image over a Sydney traffic map with the caption: 'Avoid unplanned incidents with Live Traffic NSW.

'If you're planning a drive this weekend, let us fix you up with a helpful tip. Download the app for planned event impacts (yes, including concerts).'

The memes quickly gained traction online  but have since been quietly deleted from all official pages.

It comes after an image of colleagues Andrew Byron and Kristin Cabot appeared on the big screen at a Coldplay concert in Boston, and the pair appeared embarrassed.

This prompted Martin to joke they were 'either having an affair or just very shy'.

'Oh look at these two! Oh what?' he exclaimed in a video shared to TikTok - which has now racked up millions of views - as they covered their faces and dived behind the barrier.

The duo, who were embracing one another as they swayed to the music and smiled, suddenly appeared in the footage projected across to the whole audience.

Embarrassed, the woman covered her face as she walked away from the viewpoint, while the man ducked down quickly - as the musician, 48, made his quip.

Not to be outdone, Fire and Rescue NSW posted the pair superimposed in front of a burning house, captioned: 'Don't let sparks fly from your overloaded power board'

Live Traffic NSW also got in on the action, placing the image over a Sydney traffic map with an amusing caption

The stunned words uttered by the CEO of a billion-dollar company who was caught cosying up to a female colleague on a Coldplay concert kisscam have since been revealed.

As he caught sight of himself on the big screen, he appeared to snap 'f***ing hell, it's me'.

The band are currently in the US as part of their record-breaking Music Of The Spheres World Tour.

They will next play Madison, Nashville and Miami before heading back to the UK for a string of dates in August.

Coldplay have topped the list of artist earnings from live concerts this year.
Henry Cavill has revealed the gender of his baby as he shared rare comments about fatherhood and his daily life.

The British actor, 41, and his girlfriend Natalie Viscuso, 35, welcomed their first child in January 2025 and the pair, until now, had chosen not to reveal they had a baby girl. Her name remains undisclosed.

He revealed the gender to GQ when he opened up about managing his time and settling into their 'forever home'.

When asked by the publication what was the most important time of his life, he said: 'My daughter being born, and the five of us settling into our forever home.

'Daily routine is not a luxury that I am afforded, but travelling to far flung places and the opportunity to be storytelling at the level that I am makes up for all of it', he later added.

In June last year, Natalie broke her silence on her pregnancy and gushed she can't wait to be a mum in a sweet post on social media.

Henry Cavill has revealed the gender of his baby as he shared rare comments about fatherhood and his daily life

The British actor, 41, and his girlfriend Natalie Viscuso, 35, welcomed a baby girl in January 2025 and the pair, until now, have chosen to not name or reveal the gender of the tot

Henry and Natalie announced they were expecting their first child together back in April last year.

Natalie shared a post to her Instagram as she looked forward to the 'next phase of life'.

She wore a denim jacket that said 'mama' in red letters on the back as she looked back at the camera for the stunning shot.

The beauty then penned in the caption: 'So very excited for this next phase of life - becoming a mama! I do hope this kid loves horror movies as much as I do, one day. #hellodarkness.'

Henry had earlier asked fans for some parenting 'tips' in a sweet Father's Day post last year.

The Superman star took to Instagram of Father's Day as he asked for some parenting 'tips' ahead of becoming a dad for the first time.

Henry lay beside a baby cot as he wrote: 'Oh yeah.....and Happy Father's Day ye dads out there.

'Turns out I shall be joining your hallowed ranks soon! Any tips?? And don't worry, pillows won't be in the crib when the wee one arrives, just glue and scapels so he or she can build Warhammer miniatures. #FathersDay (sic)'

It is unclear when the British actor and his love welcomed their new bub, as the notoriously private pair have yet to announce its birth or their apparent engagement

Natalie broke her silence on her pregnancy back in June and gushed that she can't wait to be a mum in a sweet post on social media

Back in April Henry revealed that he was 'very excited' to be expecting his first child with Natalie.

The Man Of Steel star shared the news at the premiere of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in New York City, admitting that he can't wait to become a dad for the first time.

Henry told Access Hollywood: 'I'm very excited about it. Natalie and I are both very excited about it. I'm sure you'll see much more of that.'

After being told that he will make a great father, Henry replied: 'Thank you.'

The longtime Superman star will be busy in Australia for the next few months working on Voltron.

He signed on to the film that already features unknown star Daniel Quinn-Toye, and Rawson Marshall Thurber as the director, who will be working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ellen Shanman.

Voltron is based on the 1980s animated TV series that followed a team of space explorers who pilot a giant super robot known as Voltron, and was adapted from several Japanese anime TV series by Toei Animation.

The details of the plot are still unclear, as the cast, crew, and Amazon studio have all remained tight-lipped about how the storyline plays out.

According to Deadline, Amazon went into a bidding war with Universal and Warner Bros. in 2022 in order to secure the right to the production.

After winning the bidding war to secure the rights last August, Amazon took about three months to reveal Quinn-Toye had been cast in a lead role in early October.

The premise for Voltron centers on five young pilots in a battalion named the Robot Lions, which are vehicles that join together to form the mega-robot.
Australian influencer Tahlia Skaines has announced her engagement to her long-time partner Jake Suj.

The 30-year-old law graduate turned social media star confirmed the happy news on Thursday, sharing a gallery of loved-up photos of the French proposal to social media alongside the caption: 'Locked in'.

One image showed the blonde beauty embracing Jake while flaunting her sparkling diamond ring, while others captured the couple enjoying brunch in France and celebrating with a helicopter ride.

Tahlia also posted a clip of the precious moment Jake got down on one knee during the romantic getaway, proposing at the scenic Chateau de Berne.

The moments after getting engaged!! We had a picnic next to the proposal spot in the middle of the most stunning French vineyard and I think I cried like five times asking Jake questions about all the details. Such a surreal feeling, she wrote.

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Australian influencer Tahlia Skaines has announced her engagement to her long-time partner Jake Suj

The 30-year-old law graduate turned social media star confirmed the happy news on Thursday, sharing a gallery of loved-up photos of the French proposal to social media

The announcement triggered a flood of well-wishes from her high-profile friends.

OMG CONGRATULATIONS QUEEN!!' wrote Brooke Warne, while Tammy Hembrow commented: 'Congrats beauty!!'

Fellow influencer Skye Wheatley added: 'Awww this is sooo cuteeee.'

Last year, Tahlia made headlines after she was spotted riding a motor scooter in Bali without a helmet on.

Tahlia, originally from the Gold Coast, had been living in Bali with her boyfriend while building a luxurious villa that overlooks Dreamland Beach.

She was pictured driving a scooter with her mother on the back, both without helmets, near the popular Bingin Beach.

Tahlia was wearing a short grey dress with a black bag hung around her shoulder and sandals, with a shopping bag at her feet.

Helmets are compulsory while riding scooters or motorbikes in Bali, with a 250,000 rupiah fine, the equivalent of $23, at risk for those caught breaking the rules.

One image showed the blonde beauty embracing Jake while flaunting her sparkling diamond ring

The pair radiated happiness in the adorable photos

While many riders, both locals and tourists, are often seen without helmets, those visiting the Indonesian island won't be covered by travel insurance if an accident was to occur if they weren't wearing the right protection.

Tahlia completed her law degree in 2016 but quickly found herself making a lucrative career as an Instagram influencer, which saw her travel the world.

'I had every intention of being a lawyer and if a few years ago you told me that this would be my career, I honestly wouldn't have believed it,' she previously told FEMAIL.

'I am so glad I completed my law degree, I have used elements of it while building Villa Tahmi and in my day-to-day life and I can always go back to it down the track if I need to.

'But it isn't something I see myself needing to do with the way my career is progressing.'

She has more than 834,000 Instagram followers and two million likes on TikTok.
Chrissy Metz proudly displayed her weight-loss transformation this week when she graced the Lifetime Summer Soiree in Santa Monica, California.

The 44-year-old This Is Us star glowed in an appropriately summery blue tie-dye dress as she flaunted her impressive 100-pound weight loss on the red carpet.

Her stunning display comes after the actress revealed some of the secrets to how she achieved her slimmed-down figure in an exclusive conversation with DailyMail.com.

Metz made a grand entrance at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel ahead of the release of her Lifetime movie Faith In The Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story, which will air on the network on Saturday, July 19.

Her Summer Soiree look featured a navy blue dress with alternating tie dyestyle stripes in robin egg blue, gold and amber.

Metz paired the lustrous dress with classy black open-toe shoes, and she added an extra splash of color with her red pedicure and matching lips.

Chrissy Metz proudly displayed her weight-loss transformation on Wednesday when she graced the Lifetime Summer Soiree in Santa Monica, California

The 44-year-old This Is Us star glowed in an appropriately summery blue tie-dye dress as she flaunted her impressive 100-pound weight loss on the red carpet; pictured before her weight loss on the right in February 2023

The actress wore her brunette hair parted down the middle and let it cascade down her shoulders in thick wavy strands.

Chrissy, who weighed in on whether she would ever take weight-loss drugs like Ozempic while speaking with DailyMail.com, revealed in her conversation that weight lifting has been an essential part of her health journey in recent months.

Metz was joined at the celebration by The Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham, who looked festive in a cream-colored satin dress with tasseled sleeves and a sheer skirt.

She also posed with the inspiration for her upcoming lifetime film, the real-life Nichole Jolly.

Jolly was among of group of nurses who risked their lives to care for patients amid the devastating Camp Fire that destroyed much of Paradise and its surrounding towns in Northern California's Butte County in November 2018.

The registered nurse worked to evacuate patients from the Feather River Hospital, before she tried to drive away from the quickly approaching flames.

She described to ABC News at the time how she called her family and shared her fears that she wouldn't make it out of the blaze alive, before her vehicle was rear-ended by another driver and pushed off the road, forcing her to flee on foot.

Sparks burning debris rained down around her, setting her pants on fire, and she took refuge in a parked car that a doctor from the hospital was sitting in, but she soon had to run out of that car after it too filled up with toxic smoke.

Her Summer Soiree look featured a navy blue dress with alternating tie dyestyle stripes in robin egg blue, gold and amber. She also wore black open-toe heels

Metz was joined at the celebration by The Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham, who looked festive in a cream-colored satin dress with tasseled sleeves and a sheer skirt

Metz posed with Nichole Jolly, the inspiration for her new faith-based Lifetime movie Faith In The Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story, which will air on the network on Saturday, July 19

Jolly was among of group of nurses who risked their lives to care for patients amid the devastating Camp Fire that destroyed much of Paradise. She evacuated patients from th Feather River Hospital (pictured) before it burned to the ground

Jolly is pictured on November 9 at the hospital

'I thought I was gonna die right there,' the nurse recalled. 'There was no oxygen.'

But she ran straight into a miracle as a passing fire crew saw her and stopped to fully extinguish her burning clothes before pulling her to safety.

Jolly survived with only minor burns and blisters, but 85 people lost their lives in the wildfire, which also displaced over 50,000 people and turned more than 18,000 buildings to little more than ash and rubble.

'Nichole's bravery and devotion to others, even when everything around her was collapsing, is something we don't see enough of,' Metz said of the heroic nurse, according to JubileeCast. 'Her story reminds us that faith isn't abstract  it's what we cling to when we have nothing else.'

Faith In The Flames premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, July 19, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
Beyonce fans looking to get home after a concert this week in Georgia were beset by panic and widespread injuries after a stampede ensued at a nearby rail station.

Concertgoers were leaving the final show of Beyonce's run of Cowboy Carter concerts at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the early morning hours of July 15 when a shocking pileup ensued at the Vine City Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Station, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

The stampede, which occurred on an escalator going down into the station, reportedly left 11 people injured.

DailyMail.com has reached out to MARTA officials for comment but hasn't yet received a response.

Stephany Fisher, the senior director of communications for MARTA, told DailyMail.com on Friday: 'Just after midnight on Tuesday, July 15, 11 people leaving the Beyonce concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta were injured on an escalator at Vine City Station.

'One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one person declined transport,' she continued. 'Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations.'

Beyonce fans looking to get home after a concert this week in Georgia were beset by panic and widespread injuries after a stampede ensued at a nearby rail station in Atlanta

Eleven people were injured after a stampede at the Vine City MARTA station reportedly led an escalator to malfunction shortly after midnight on July 15. Beyonce's July 14 show was her final in the Atlanta area on her Cowboy Carter tour; pictured July 4 in Landover, Maryland

Fisher also relayed information from MARTA police officers, who suggested that the commotion was set in motion when 'a person began screaming and running, causing a stampede on the escalator that caused it to temporarily speed up and then stop suddenly.'

She noted that the escalator had since been cordoned off from passengers to ensure no further injuries.

Fisher added that both MARTA and Schindler, the company that built the escalator, were investigating what caused it to malfunction.

In a statement, Schindler extended sympathy to injured passengers and said: 'At this time, we have no verified information as to the cause and it would be inappropriate to speculate.'

According to local station 11Alive, MARTA police chief Scott Kreher and acting CEO Rhonda Allen revealed what they believe was the cause of the dangerous commotion.

In video from the meeting, Kreher claimed that a 10-year-old girl reportedly began screaming after she saw a cockroach or 'palmetto bug.'

Allen added, 'There was someone who started to scream outside of the station. She was startled by a bug outside, outside the large crowd.'

The officials said that the screams spooked transit users further inside the station, where a mass of people were already lined up on an escalator, which was allegedly overcrowded at the time.

Stephany Fisher, senior director of communications for MARTA, suggested the commotion was set in motion when 'a person began screaming and running, causing a stampede on the escalator that caused it to temporarily speed up and then stop suddenly'

According to local station 11Alive, MARTA police chief Scott Kreher said a 10-year-old girl began screaming outside the station after seeing a cockroach, which led people in the station to panic and overload the escalator

According to MARTA's acting CEO Rhonda Allen, the quick movements of the people on the escalator, combined with the immense weight on the device caused it to speed up at first, before it came to a dead stop

The sudden jerk tossed passengers onto the ground and reportedly led to many of the injuries. Some videos showed passengers helping injured people off the ground

One particularly gruesome clip showed a person's leg that appeared to have been severely lacerated in the stampede as it oozed blood

'Imagine a group of people saying, "I want to get down, I want to get down," began to usher themselves down the escalator,' Allen said at the board meeting.

According to her, the quick movements of the people on the escalator, combined with the immense weight on the device caused it to speed up at first, before it came to a dead stop.

A short video clip posted online appears to show the escalator as it was already packed with people who had rushed on amid the commotion.

It appears to briefly speed up then sudden stop as some people are seen falling forward.

The sudden jerk tossed passengers onto the ground and reportedly led to many of the injuries.

Other video showed passengers trying to help others off the ground.

One particularly gruesome clip showed a person's leg that appeared to have been severely lacerated in the stampede as it oozed blood.

Allen claimed the escalator had been inspected just days before the calamity, suggesting it had been in working order at the time.

The escalator was reportedly inspected and passed on July 10, and it was again inspected the morning after the malfunction

According to the manufacturer, 'It appears that the escalator was overloaded beyond design capacity causing the unit to briefly accelerate and the brakes to engage as part of the units multi-layered, code-required safety system'

'One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one person declined transport,' Fisher said. 'Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations'

In order to decrease the likelihood of such mishaps in the future, Allen outlined a plan to the board for more 'aggressive' transit staffing at major events like Beyonce's concert to ensure the escalators aren't overloaded

Beyonce will next be performing a two-night run in Las Vegas on July 25 and 26; pictured in 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey

However, an inspection certificate on the escalator said the certification was set to expire in August, according to 11Alive.

In a statement to People on Friday, Schindler said the malfunctioning escalator had been examined later on the morning of July 15, and inspectors determined that 'there was no indication of equipment malfunction.'

Instead, 'it appears that the escalator was overloaded beyond design capacity causing the unit to briefly accelerate and the brakes to engage as part of the units multi-layered, code-required safety system,' the statement continued.

'As also indicated during the Working Session, prior to the incident, the escalator has undergone standard monthly maintenance with the most recent service taking place on July 10th, less than a week before the incident. The escalator was found to be fully compliant and performing as expected at that time. Again, we extend our sympathies to the persons injured and will continue to provide technical support and cooperate fully with any further investigative efforts.'

In order to decrease the likelihood of such mishaps in the future, Allen outlined a plan to the board for more 'aggressive' transit staffing at major events like Beyonce's concert.

She said the extra employees would be better able to coordinate passengers and ensure that only the approved number are on escalators at a given time.

MARTA confirmed to 11Alive that members of its police force were present in the station at the the time of the stampede.

Beyonce's July 14 show was the fourth and final of her Atlanta run of Cowboy Carter concerts, which began on July 10.

She will next be performing a two-night run in Las Vegas on July 25 and 26.
BBC bosses are reportedly facing questions over the difference in treatment John Torode and Jamie Borthwick after both used 'offensive language'.

The MasterChef star, 59, has been sacked after allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song'.

Meanwhile the EastEnders actor, 31, who has played Jay Brown for 19 years, was suspended by the BBC in June after he used a slur aimed at disabled people on the set of Strictly.

But according to The Sun, bosses at the BBC are being questioned over a disparity in how both situations have been handled - with one star sacked and the other suspended.

A source said: 'The difference in treatment between John and Jamie - for very similar incidents - has left questions to be answered.

'The BBC have tied themselves into knots with this - for them both stars appear to have used unacceptable and offensive language but only one has been sacked while another has kept his lucrative salary and got away with just a suspension.'

BBC bosses are reportedly facing questions over the difference in treatment John Torode and Jamie Borthwick after both used 'offensive language' (Jamie seen in 2022)

The MasterChef star, 59, has been sacked after allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song' (Seen in August)

'Disabled colleagues have been left wondering why incidents of ableist slurs seemingly aren't being taken as seriously as racist language and there are no clear answers coming from bosses,' the source added.

A spokesperson for the BBC told MailOnline: 'Whilst we do not comment on any individual matter, each case is always considered on its own facts.

'We are very clear on our expectations that inappropriate behaviour and language will not be tolerated.'

A video obtained by The Sun in June, showed soap actor Jamie using the term 'm********s' to describe residents of Blackpool where the show was being filmed at the time.

He was reportedly backstage during rehearsals with Wynne Evans who could be heard saying 'Oh my God' when he made the remark.

He has since issued an apology, sharing that he did not fully understand the derogatory nature of the term he used but now that he is aware, he is 'deeply embarrassed'.

The Sun reported at the time that Jamie told a former partner how it was 'not clear' if he would return to EastEnders and quoted him as saying: 'I accept the karma that has come my way due to some bad choices.'

It continued that Jamie told how he was now 'attempting to write the wrongs in my life'. He added he wanted to 'sincerely apologise for the mistakes I made and for hurting you and how I handled the whole situation'.

Meanwhile the EastEnders actor, 31, who has played Jay Brown for 19 years, was suspended by the BBC in June after he used a slur aimed at disabled people on the set of Strictly (Seen in January)

A video obtained by The Sun in June, showed soap actor Jamie using the term 'm********s' to describe residents of Blackpool where the show was being filmed at the time (Seen in 2023)

It comes after new reports claimed on Friday that the BBC sacked chef John after he allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song'.

John was reportedly singing the rapper's hit Gold Digger when he was allegedly 'caught using the racist term during after work drinks six or seven years ago'.

The Sun claims John used the word again whilst chatting to a friend on the MasterChef production team, who didn't take offence.

The Australian-born chef has insisted he had absolutely no recollection of using a racist term while drinking with colleagues seven years ago.

The person who raised the complaint is understood to have 'overheard the conversation'.

The production pal allegedly backed John and said he only used the racial slur as an 'example' and 'apologised afterwards'.

MailOnline contacted BBC and Torode's representatives for comment.

It comes after new reports claimed on Friday that the BBC sacked chef John after he allegedly 'used the N-word twice while singing along to a Kanye West song'

A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, was mortified and didnt use the term as a slur in 2018.

The BBC said on Tuesday that Torode's contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an extremely offensive racist term during an evening out after filming the show.

The corporation has refused to say what the racist term was - as has Torode, who has claimed he did not believe that it happened.

But it was described as the 'worst racial slur there is' by Richard Osman, who added of the investigation: 'They found that to be substantively true. They found evidence that they were happy with - that that was true.'
Tom Cruise and his 'new love' Ana de Armas showed their romance was heating up during a yacht break in Menorca this week.

The Hollywood icon, 63, and the Blonde star, 37, who were first linked in February, looked smitten as they relaxed at sea in each other's company - with an insider dishing on romantic Cruise's generosity towards his new partner.

De Armas was seen placing a tender hand on Cruise's leg as they chatted, with the two Oscar nominees wearing matching fedora straw hats.

The No Time Do Die actress looked chic in a white lacy dress for her day with Cruise, who showed off his own buff frame in a white shirt and black shorts.

'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively tells DailyMail.com.

'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader,' added the insider.

Tom Cruise and his 'new love' Ana de Armas showed their romance was heating up during a yacht break in Menorca this week

The Hollywood icon, 63, and the Blonde star, 37, who were first linked in February , looked smitten as they relaxed at sea in each other's company - with an insider dishing on romantic Cruise's generosity towards his new partner

In the throes of their romance, Ana and Tom, 63, marked her 37th birthday with a fun night out on the town in April during which they snapped sweet pictures together

'The more they got to know each other, the bigger the gifts became. There has been jewelry like gold bracelets and designer clothing, things like that, things every girl would love.

'Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, not many people can do that. She loves to travel.'

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Cruise and de Armas for comment but has yet to hear back.

De Armas was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba's president with the pair photographed kissing during a night out in Madrid, Spain, in November 2024.

Meanwhile, Cruise was previously linked to Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova who is the ex-wife of oligarch Dimitry Tsvetkov and his Mission Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell.

Cruise and de Armas first sparked romance rumors on Valentine's Day, when they were spotted for what was reportedly a professional dinner in London.

The following month, they were pictured with cheeky smiles on both of their faces after their flight landed at the London Heliport.

They have been friends ever since they co-starred in the 2019 movie Wasp Network.

De Armas was seen placing a tender hand on Cruise's leg as they chatted, with the two Oscar nominees wearing matching fedora straw hats

The No Time Do Die actress looked chic in a white lacy dress for her day with Cruise, who showed off his own buff frame in a white shirt and black shorts

'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively tells DailyMail.com

'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader,' added the insider

The pair looked relaxed and happy during their break

de Armas looked chic as she strolled on the boat

The couple were seen chatting on the day

In April, the pair were spotted arriving together in London again to spend de Armas' 37th birthday together before fans spotted them on a romantic stroll through the park that same week.

In mid-May, an insider spoke about how Cruise is 'super smitten' with de Armas even though it is still early into their romance.

Cruise and dr Armas are co-starring in Doug Limans supernatural thriller Deeper.

On GMA in May, the actress said: 'Its so much fun. Were definitely working on a lot of things. Not just one, but a few projects with [filmmakers] Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie and, of course, Tom. And Im so excited.'

Cruise shares a daughter Suri, 19, with ex-wife Katie Holmes.

Katie and Tom began dating in April 2005 and after declarations of love they revealed they were expecting their first child in October the same year. They welcomed daughter Suri in April 2006.

They married in November the same year at the 15th-century castle Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano, in a Scientologist ceremony. David Miscavige, the head of Scientology, served as best man.

Tom and Katie Holmes began dating in April 2005 and after declarations of love they revealed they were expecting their first child in October the same year (pictured in April 2005)

In June 2012, Katie filed for divorce and on July 9, the couple signed a divorce settlement worked out by their lawyers.

The acrimonious split saw Tom state that Katie divorced him in part to protect Suri from Scientology and that she is no longer a practicing member of the organisation.

Late last year, it was reported that Suri, 19, is now able to access the substantial trust fund set up by her famous father.

Holmes has since enjoyed romances with Jamie Foxx, chef Emilio Vitolo Jr and musician Bobby Wooten III.

Cruise was wed to Nicole Kidman from 1990-2001 and they adopted two children together, Bella, 32 and Connor, 30.

Kidman is now married to Keith Urban and the couple have two daughters.
Tasha Ghouri's new boyfriend Cam Whitnall was in a long term relationship just weeks before going public with the Strictly star.

The CBBC presenter and zoo owner, 29, has reportedly left pals 'shocked' after he was spotted packing on the PDA with the former Love Islander, 26, at Fearne Cotton's Happy Place festival at Gunnersbury Park in London over the weekend - before heading off to Tuscany.

Cam was previously dating stunning wildlife photographer Felicity Sutton, 34, for a year and together they shared a love of animals, with pals convinced at the time that 'nothing' could break the pair up.

A source told The Sun: 'It came as a surprise to everyone to see Cam with Tasha. He was so loved up with Felicity before'.

'This time last year he was with Felicity on his birthday and it really looked like nothing would break them, but a year on he's in Tuscany with Tasha for his big day. Everyone is bemused.

'Felicity doesn't have any hard feelings towards him as such, and she will always cherish their time together, it's just a lot to see your ex in the limelight suddenly.'

Tasha Ghouri 's new boyfriend Cam Whitnall was in a relationship just weeks before going public with the Strictly star (Tasha and Cam pictured together last weekend)

Cam was previously dating stunning wildlife photographer Felicity Sutton (pictured) with pals convinced at the time that 'nothing' could break the pair up

'This time last year he was with Felicity on his birthday and it really looked like nothing would break them, but a year on he's in Tuscany with Tasha for his big day. Everyone is bemused' (Cam and Felicity pictured 2024)

Felitcity declined to comment. MailOnline have also contacted Cam's representatives.

Cam - who has been dating Tasha since May - still features on his ex's Instagram grid including snaps from their trip to Kenya last year where they enjoyed a safari.

As the pair both snapped photos of the local wildlife she wrote: 'When you both love the same things #couplegoals.'

YouTuber Cam stars in CBBC series One Zoo Three and BBC show OZT Goes Wild alongside his brothers Ty and Aaron.

His family run Hertfordshire Zoo and he is the managing director of a non-profit charity, The Big Cat Sanctuary, which rescues wild cats and protects species at risk of extinction.

It comes after Tasha's ex Andrew La Page launched into an explosive rant about her being on a dating app during their relationship.

Andrew claimed on Thursday night that Tasha was using the celebrity dating app Raya while still in a relationship with him and insisted he wanted to speak out after she had appeared on 'one too many podcasts' to speak about him.

Soon after they released a shock joint statement.

A source said: 'It came as a surprise to everyone to see Cam with Tasha. He was so loved up with Felicity before'.

'Felicity doesn't have any hard feelings towards him as such, and she will always cherish their time together, it's just a lot to see your ex in the limelight suddenly'

Cam - who has been dating Tasha since May - still features on his ex's Instagram grid including snaps from their trip to Kenya last year where they enjoyed a safari.

As the pair both snapped photos of the local wildlife she wrote: 'When you both love the same things #couplegoals'

In the statement shared with MailOnline, the former couple who met on Love Island in 2022, came together to address 'hurtful comments' in a move that took place after Andrew accused Tasha of not being able to 'keep his name out of her mouth'.

The exes quickly put Andrew's rant aside and come together to address the 'noise' around their relationship as Tasha admitted to 'making mistakes' during their romance.

Both parties expressed their wish to 'move on' from the relationship after suffering 'judgement and cruelty' from online trolls.

Sharing her side of events, Tasha said: 'I just want to address recent hurtful comments about me and & Andrew. We've always been open about who we are and what we went through, the hate and harsh words have been unfair and overwhelming for both of us.

'No one deserves to be torn down, especially when they're already trying to heal. We've both made mistakes, we've both learned, and we've both grown. But the judgement and cruelty we are facing from people online has been hard.

'Please remember that behind every nasty post, every comment, every story, there are real people with real emotions. Always be kind.'

The new couple are currently enjoying a romantic trip to Tuscany, with Tasha sharing stunning snaps with followers

However some fans were left concerned when she showed off her sunburn while posing in a strapless green gown on Friday

She had very large tan lines left from her swimsuit as fans rushed to the comments

Concerned fans begged for her to wear more sunscreen and to take better care of her skin

It comes after Tasha's ex Andrew launched into an explosive rant about her being on a dating app during their relationship

While Andrew added: 'Tasha and I want to address the noise around our breakup, as there's been hate going around that neither of us ever wanted.

'Things were said on both sides, but at the end of the day, no relationship is perfect, but ours still had some incredible moments I'll always be grateful for.

'I truly just want us both to move on and be happy. Wishing Tasha nothing but the best, and I'll always be proud of her.'

The statements came shortly after he hit back at the star after she claimed in a new interview he 'wasn't supporting her,' before their shock split.

The couple, who met on Love Island in 2022, split in January, with Tasha admitting she now regrets her treatment of him after they 'grew apart' during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

Tasha, who has been deaf since birth and had a cochlear implant fitted at the age of five, appeared on the 2024 series of Strictly with pro partner Aljaz Skorjanec.

In an interview for Rylan Clark's How To Be In Love, Tasha claimed their relationship was already starting to fray prior to her Strictly debut, with Andrew offering 'no support' as she progressed to the show's latter stages.

But Andrew furiously hit back in a now-deleted post on Snapchat, where he accused Tasha of 'talking s**t about him,' before stating that Tasha had begun using the celebrity dating app Raya before their relationship was over.
Tasha Ghouri sparked concern among her fans as she revealed a very sunburnt chest in a series of stunning Instagram snaps from her holiday in Tuscany, Italy, on Thursday.

The former Love Island star, 26, showed off her visibly red skin and bikini tan lines while posing in a chic green maxi dress during her sun-soaked escape.

Sharing the gorgeous snaps with her 1.4 million Instagram followers, the model and dancer was quickly flooded with comments from worried fans urging her to take care in the heat.

Some fans wrote: 'So pretty Tasha  just be careful with your sunburn but beautiful .'; 'Gorgeous! The sunburn though (red sweating emoji)'

'You look (flame emoji) please look after your skin though (cry emoji).'; 'Mind your skin huny  You look lovely.'; 'More sun cream tomorrow! '

The stunning Instagram snaps come after MailOnline revealed that her new boyfriend Cam Whitnall was in a long-term relationship just weeks before going public with the Strictly star.

Tasha Ghouri sparked concern among her fans as she revealed a very sunburnt chest in a series of stunning Instagram snaps from her holiday in Tuscany, Italy, on Thursday

The former Love Island star, 26, showed off her visibly red skin and bikini tan lines while posing in a chic green maxi dress during her sun-soaked escape

The CBBC presenter and zoo owner, 29, has reportedly left pals 'shocked' after he was spotted packing on the PDA with the former Love Islander at Fearne Cotton's Happy Place festival at Gunnersbury Park in London over the weekend - before heading off to Tuscany.

Cam was previously dating stunning wildlife photographer Felicity Sutton, 34, for a year and together they shared a love of animals, with pals convinced at the time that 'nothing' could break the pair up.

A source told The Sun: 'It came as a surprise to everyone to see Cam with Tasha. He was so loved up with Felicity before'.

'This time last year, he was with Felicity on his birthday, and it really looked like nothing would break them, but a year on, he's in Tuscany with Tasha for his big day. Everyone is bemused.

'Felicity doesn't have any hard feelings towards him as such, and she will always cherish their time together, it's just a lot to see your ex in the limelight suddenly.'

MailOnline have contacted Felicity and Cam's reps for comment.

Cam - who has been dating Tasha since May - still features on his ex's Instagram grid, including snaps from their trip to Kenya last year where they enjoyed a safari.

As the pair both snapped photos of the local wildlife, she wrote: 'When you both love the same things #couplegoals.'

Sharing the gorgeous snaps with her 1.4 million Instagram followers, the model and dancer was quickly flooded with comments from worried fans urging her to take care in the heat

Concerned fans urged her to wear more sunscreen and take better care of her skin during her vacation

YouTuber Cam stars in CBBC series One Zoo Three and BBC show OZT Goes Wild alongside his brothers Ty and Aaron.

His family run Hertfordshire Zoo and he is the managing director of a non-profit charity, The Big Cat Sanctuary, which rescues wild cats and protects species at risk of extinction.

It comes after Tasha's ex, Andrew Le Page, launched into an explosive rant about her being on a dating app during their relationship.

Andrew claimed on Thursday night that Tasha was using the celebrity dating app Raya while still in a relationship with him and insisted he wanted to speak out after she had appeared on 'one too many podcasts' to speak about him.

Soon after, they released a shock joint statement.

In the statement shared with MailOnline, the former couple who met on Love Island in 2022, came together to address 'hurtful comments' in a move that took place after Andrew accused Tasha of not being able to 'keep his name out of her mouth'.

The exes quickly put Andrew's rant aside and came together to address the 'noise' around their relationship as Tasha admitted to 'making mistakes' during their romance.

Both parties expressed their wish to 'move on' from the relationship after suffering 'judgement and cruelty' from online trolls.

The stunning Instagram snaps come after MailOnline revealed that her new boyfriend Cam Whitnall was in a long-term relationship just weeks before going public with the Strictly star

Cam was previously dating stunning wildlife photographer Felicity Sutton (pictured) with pals convinced at the time that 'nothing' could break the pair up

Sharing her side of events, Tasha said: 'I just want to address recent hurtful comments about me and & Andrew. We've always been open about who we are and what we went through, the hate and harsh words have been unfair and overwhelming for both of us.

'No one deserves to be torn down, especially when they're already trying to heal. We've both made mistakes, we've both learned, and we've both grown. But the judgement and cruelty we are facing from people online has been hard.

'Please remember that behind every nasty post, every comment, every story, there are real people with real emotions. Always be kind.'

While Andrew added: 'Tasha and I want to address the noise around our breakup, as there's been hate going around that neither of us ever wanted.

'Things were said on both sides, but at the end of the day, no relationship is perfect, but ours still had some incredible moments I'll always be grateful for.

'I truly just want us both to move on and be happy. Wishing Tasha nothing but the best, and I'll always be proud of her.'

The statements came shortly after he hit back at the star after she claimed in a new interview he 'wasn't supporting her,' before their shock split.

It comes after Tasha's ex Andrew launched into an explosive rant about her being on a dating app during their relationship

The couple, who met on Love Island in 2022, split in January, with Tasha admitting she now regrets her treatment of him after they 'grew apart' during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

Tasha, who has been deaf since birth and had a cochlear implant fitted at the age of five, appeared on the 2024 series of Strictly with pro partner Aljaz Skorjanec.

In an interview for Rylan Clark's How To Be In Love, Tasha claimed their relationship was already starting to fray prior to her Strictly debut, with Andrew offering 'no support' as she progressed to the show's latter stages.

But Andrew furiously hit back in a now-deleted post on Snapchat, where he accused Tasha of 'talking s**t about him,' before stating that Tasha had begun using the celebrity dating app Raya before their relationship was over.
Erika Jaynes ex-husband Tom Girardi has officially begun serving his seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud.

DailyMail.com can confirm that the 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in Californias legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering Thursday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

The attorney  whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage  was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese.

He pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud but was convicted earlier this year.

His legal team had tried to keep him out of prison, arguing that Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimers and dementia, should serve his sentence at a long-term care facility instead  but the request was denied.

Now, it remains unclear how the prison system will handle Girardis cognitive decline during his seven-year sentence.

Erika Jayne s ex-husband Tom Girardi has officially begun serving his seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud; (seen in August)

The 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in California s legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering Thursday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles; (seen in August)

Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, per LA Times.

Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes hes being punished for.

'For Tom Girardi, there can be no meaningful punishment,' Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Cross said at his sentencing hearing in June.

But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton wasnt swayed, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently in day-to-day life.

'He currently retains his independence as to his activities of daily living,' she said, ruling that prison was the appropriate consequence.

Girardis mental health has been the subject of fierce debate since 2020, when his law empire collapsed amid accusations of financial misconduct.

A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimers, prompting his brother to place him under a conservatorship  but prosecutors suspected Girardi was faking the extent of his decline.

Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy OConnor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasnt malingering, he did suffer from 'moderately advanced dementia' with signs of Alzheimers.

The attorney  whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage  was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese

Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, (pictured in 2017)

Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes hes being punished for

She testified that his long-term memory remained mostly intact, but his short-term recall was impaired.

'He will not improve,' Pennuto warned. 'He will continue to decline over time.'

Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash, and using the money to bankroll his and Jaynes opulent lifestyle.

While his crimes have left deep scars, Jayne has been largely cleared of any involvement and was dismissed from related lawsuits.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, has since moved on romantically and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John 'Shrek' McPhee  though her divorce from Girardi has yet to be finalized.
Lottie Moss looked incredible in a skimpy bikini as she posed for a jaw-dropping mirror selfie while on holiday in St Tropez.

The half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss, 27, flashed her sensational physique while modelling Bydee swimwear.

And Lottie isn't the only star wearing the Australian brand as Love Island's Grace Jackson and model Roxy Horner, 34, have also jumped on trend.

Grace, 26, looked phenomenal in the Prague Thalassa set, which featured a triangle top and high-leg bottoms as she soaked up the sun in Greece.

British model Roxy, 34, flaunted her toned physique in the Mykonos set, consisting of a triangle bikini top and thong-style bottoms, sharing sizzling snaps on her Instagram Story.

Across the pond, American influencer Alix Earle, 24, also looked sensational in the Prague set as she enjoyed a sun-soaked boat day.

Lottie Moss, 27, looked incredible in a skimpy Bydee bikini as she posed for a jaw-dropping mirror selfie while on holiday in St Tropez

Lottie isn't the only star wearing the Australian brand as Love Island's Grace Jackson (pictured) and model Roxy Horner, 34, have also jumped on trend

British model Roxy, 34, flaunted her toned physique in the Mykonos set, consisting of a triangle bikini top and thong-style bottoms, sharing sizzling snaps on her Instagram Story

The stylish bikini snaps come after it was reported earlier this month that former Only Fans creator Lottie is using her personal diaries to write a biography about her childhood and turbulent life in the spotlight.

Lottie will not hold back as she reflects on her battles with alcohol and substance abuse issues, according to the Sun.

It's understood that she has kept written and video diaries since she was a teenager and will be using them to reference her colourful past.

An insider said: 'Lottie has always been known as Kate's little sister  but this is her chance to tell her side of the story.

'She has kept written and video diaries since she was a teenager, so will be compiling all her scribbles and memories into the book.

'Lottie is excited to tell the truth about her struggles with body image, addiction and relationships.'

MailOnline contacted Lottie's representatives for a comment at the time.

Lottie recently revealed that she went back to her natural look and had her jaw and lip filler dissolved, as well as a tattoo removed just under her eye.

The half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss flashed her sensational physique while modelling Bydee swimwear

Sharing the sizzling snaps to her Instagram Story, the beauty struck a pose in the mirror as she enjoyed some well-deserved downtime on vacation

Across the sea, American influencer Alix Earle, 24, looked sensational in the Prague set as she enjoyed a sun-soaked boat day

She revealed that she finally 'feels like herself again' after enlisting Dr Rosh (also known as Dr Roshan Ravindran) to reverse her filler, thanking him for 'fixing' her.

In an exclusive video seen by MailOnline, Lottie is seen getting treated by Dr Rosh, who is considered the worlds number one aesthetics doctor.

After years of cosmetic tweaks, the blonde beauty reflected on her decision to dissolve her previous filler as she complained at how puffy and overdone she'd felt.

Speaking to the doctor, a radiant-looking Lottie remarked: 'You fixed me'.

'Ive got a bruise on my lip because Im dissolving all of my filler, but I just feel like myself again. Like, my face looks like me again.'

Reflecting on her old jaw and lip filler, Lottie admitted she 'looked awful', gong on to say: 'I was really puffy when I came to you from the last person. It was bad.'

Guiding her through the next steps, Dr Rosh told Lottie: 'Its better just to align things, isnt it?', before offering options to lift the brow, relax the jawline or refine cheek structure.

Clearly chuffed with her new, natural look, Lottie said: 'I love how it looks now. So much better, so much more proportionate.'
Love Island star Jonny Mitchell announced he is welcoming his first child with stunning girlfriend Simone Engelhardt in a fun Instagram post on Friday.

The 33-year-old, who lasted a whopping 38 days in the villa back in 2017 and was coupled up with Amber Davies, joked that while 'never being a fan of kids' he was now 'warming up to the idea' of being a dad.

Jonny shared a slew of loved up snaps with Simone, including one of him cradling her blossoming bump while gushing what an 'amazing' mother she will be.

He penned: 'Well.. shes getting too big to keep this a secret much longer, as Bella Ramsey would say - Im gonna be a dad' - in reference to the actor's famous line in The Last Of Us, which has since become a meme.

'I dont post much personal stuff on here, but Ill make an exception for this. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I was never a massive fan of the idea of kids.'

He went on: 'But I think its something that you dont really feel until you have a woman in your life who you know will be an amazing mother. Which I know @engelhardtlund will be. So its safe to say Ive warmed up to the idea'.

Love Island star Jonny Mitchell announced he is welcoming his first child with stunning girlfriend Simone Engelhardt in a fun Instagram post on Friday

The 33-year-old, who lasted a whopping 38 days in the villa back in 2017 (pictured) joked that he was 'never been a fan of kids' but was now 'warming up to the idea' of being a dad

'Life has been an endless rollercoaster of unexpected twists and turns over the past decade, its hard to imagine where we were even 5 years ago to where we are now.

Before adding: And it looks like the next chapter is here right on time! Baby Mitchell coming end of the year, lets hope i can figure this whole Dad thing out'.

Fans and famous friends rushed to share their congratulations with fellow new dad and Love Islander Adam Collard writing: 'Congrats mate!'.

While Rykard Jenkins said: 'Congratulations and blessings to you both': and Geordie Shore's James Tindale added: 'Get in mate buzzing for you both! Congratulations'.

Jonny previously revealed how he'd traded the reality star life for a new calling, taking care of stray dogs in Bali with girlfriend Simone.

He moved to the Indonesian island in 2020, and said his move has led him to 'change a lot' as his 'priorities reshuffle[d] almost overnight'.

Taking to social media, in a lengthy caption alongside a snap with the dogs he's been taking care of, Jonny explained: 'Ive changed a lot in the last 6 months.

'And when I say changed a lot, I mean almost a complete 180 in how I see life and how I gauge my success and happiness. And how Ive noticed my priorities reshuffle almost overnight.

Jonny shared a slew of loved up snaps with Simone, including one of him cradling her blossoming bump while gushing what an 'amazing' mother she will be

He also referenced Bella Ramsay's famous line in The Last Of Us, when their character's Dina reveals her pregnancy and they declare: 'I'm gonna be a dad'

The couple looked more loved up than ever in the snaps from their travels

Jonny previously revealed how he'd traded the reality star life for a new calling, taking care of stray dogs in Bali with girlfriend Simone

He moved to the Indonesian island in 2020, and said his move has led him to 'change a lot' as his 'priorities reshuffle[d] almost overnight'

He penned: 'Well.. shes getting too big to keep this a secret much longer, as Bella Ramsey would say - Im gonna be a dad'

Fans and famous friends rushed to share their congratulations with fellow new dad and Love Islander Adam Collard writing: 'Congrats mate!'

'But one of the biggest most unexpected changes Ive seen in myself is my new overwhelming sense of duty towards helping dogs on this tiny little island.

'And how I feel like somehow one of my higher purposes in life is to make a difference by helping more dogs that need it.

'Ive fallen in love with Bali since Ive been living out here but it doesnt excuse some of the approaches they have in relation to animal rights and how theyre treated.'

Going on to detail the conditions these stray dogs face on the island, he went on to say a lot are 'on the street' but while most 'get by just fine' there are many puppies that struggle to find food.

He added that there are also 'the older or weaker dogs who end up starving or getting seriously ill with no help.'

'These problems arent huge compared to many of the worlds issues right now,' Jonny continued. 'But it is something that I feel that I can make a real impact on in my own way.
Pete Wicks revealed he has had a 'tough week' as he shared the shocking news that his beloved pet dog Peggy nearly died.

The former TOWIE and Strictly star, 37, admitted that he was 'so happy' to have his French bulldog back home, before adding she still had a way to go and would be receiving months of treatment.

Without going into the full details, Pete took to social media on Friday to update fans on his poorly pup.

Posting a snap of him and Peggy sharing a cuddle, Pete wrote: 'So happy to get my Peggy back!

'It's been a tough week...I nearly lost her and she's bee through the wars but if ever there was a dog that never gives up...it's Peggy.

'We've got months of treatment ahead but she's got this.'

Pete Wicks confessed he has had a 'tough week' as he shared the shocking news that his beloved pet dog Peggy nearly died in an Instagram Story on Friday

The former TOWIE and Strictly star, 37, admitted that he was 'so happy' to have his French bulldog back home, before adding she still had a way to go and would be receiving months of treatment (picture L-R Pete's dogs, Peggy and Eric)

In another post, Pete uploaded another picture of his adorable dog to his stories to show fans she was home.

In a sweet black and white shot of Peggy lying on the sofa, Pete penned: 'A different kind of Friday night'.

Pete owns two rescued French bulldogs - Eric and Peggy - who has one eye and he regularly posts about his love for them on social media.

Speaking in an interview last year Pete admitted he preferred dogs to people.

Pete's dog journey began when him and his mum adopted dog Arnie when he was just 10 years old.

Then in 2016 he rescued Eric from the Dogs Trust centre in Basildon, Essex near where he grew up.

It comes after Pete, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing last year recently revealed his Strictly pro partner Jowita Przysta has become 'one of the most important people in his life,' after his 'overwhelming' stint on the show.

Peter was dubbed an unlikely signing when he took part in the BBC show last year, but became such a fan-favourite, he made it all the way to the semi-finals.

Without going into the full details, Pete took to social media on Friday to update fans on his poorly pup

In another post, Pete uploaded another picture of his adorable dog to his stories to show fans she was home and he was looking after her

Pete owns two rescued French bulldogs - Eric and Peggy - who has one eye and he regularly posts about his love for them on social media

Pete's dog journey began when him and his mum adopted dog Arnie when he was just 10 years old, then in 2016 he rescued Eric (pictured) from the Dogs Trust centre in Basildon, Essex

Speaking to MailOnline, Pete himself admitted he thought he'd be the first celebrity to be voted off the show, having entered Strictly with zero dance experience.

Admitting he never thought he would get to the semi-finals, Peter said he owed it all to Jowita.

He said: 'A lot of that if I'm totally honest, is down to Jowita, she was the best partner I could have had, I was with her on Saturday night, she's become one of the most important in my life. She's one of my best mates, and I adore her.'

During his time on Strictly, Pete took part in a string of light-hearted performances, including a viral Samba dressed as George Of The Jungle, and a hilarious Cha Cha Cha in Blackpool.

He also paid tribute to his late Nan with an emotional Couples Choice, earning him a 10 from head judge Shirley Ballas.

Having previously described his grandmother as his 'best friend,' the star also opened up her passing in his book Never Enough.

It comes after Pete credited his Strictly success to his dance partner Jowita, and said they are still close friends, six months after the series ended

During his time on Strictly, Pete paid tribute to his late Nan with an emotional Couples Choice, and he said that since her death in 2022, he's made huge changes in his life

Describing his Nan as his 'safety net,' Pete told MailOnline that he's made many changes in his life since her death in 2022.

He said: 'Since I lost my Nan a few years ago, life has changed for me, and a lot of that was down to the fact that she was kind of a safety net for me, things change in your head and you have to kind of have a word with yourself in a way.

'The book was cathartic, it was something I wanted to do, because I don't think I'm the only one that feels the way I do in certain situations, it's got nothing to do with what I've been through, because everyone's been through different things.

'If you can put everyone's problems together in a pot, you'd probably be a lot happier just taking away the original problems you had, because there's so many people doing so many things, that's why I want it to be relatable to people.'
An unexpected new perk at some Costco stores has left shoppers divided.

Executive membership holders have found themselves having first dibs on free samples as the result of a new policy which allows them into the store an hour earlier than other customers.

A TikToker posted a video of a sample station at a store open for executive members at 9am, an hour before Costco opens stores for all members.

The station featured on the clip included fresh croissants and strawberry jam.

Another user also shared a video of a pastry-stocked sample station for early executive members at 9am at her local store.

Reddit users claimed employees typically began offering free samples in the late mornings or early afternoons before the new rule came in.

While some users were frustrated over the early offerings, others were excited, and a few reminded commenters that samples are available for all Costco shoppers.

A couple of people also said they were considering purchasing an executive membership, which starts at $130 a year.

Select Costco stores have begun offering free samples during Executive members' early shopping hours

Employees typically offered free samples anytime during the late morning or early afternoon before the store hour change

Costco's executive members have had the opportunity to take advantage of multiple new benefits this year.

They've had the opportunity to receive $10 monthly credit towards delivery orders made on Costco Same-Day or Costco via Instacart since June.

The monthly credit offer is available for all executive members in the US and Canada who spend $150 or more on an order.

Other benefits executive members can enjoy include exclusive discounts, pet insurance, and additional value within the Costco Auto Program.

Around half of Costco shoppers have executive level memberships and account for 73 percent of sales.

Shoppers who aren't interested in going the executive route can always purchase a regular Gold Star membership for $65 a year.

Unlike other perks, all 50 plus million members around the US and Canada have been able to enjoy extended gas station hours.

The hours, which are now Monday through Friday from 6am to 10 pm, Saturday from 6am to 8:30pm, and Sunday from 6am to 7:30pm, have received high praise from members.

Around half of Costco shoppers have executive level memberships and account for 73 percent of sales

Costco has been on track to have a successful financial year.

The chain earned $61.96 billion during its 36-week third quarter period, which ended on May 11.

Its net sales were an 8 percent increase from last year's third quarter.

It comes after customers were not thrilled to learn of plans to drop Pepsi beverages in Costco food halls throughout the US.

Some shoppers have also claimed Costco has quietly raised food court prices in recent months, which the company has yet to confirm is true.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Costco for comment.
Barratt Redrow plc (LON:BTRW  Get Free Report) insider Mike Scott purchased 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 15th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 386 ($5.18) per share, with a total value of 9,650 ($12,958.24).

Mike Scott also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, April 16th, Mike Scott purchased 4,750 shares of Barratt Redrow stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 436 ($5.85) per share, with a total value of 20,710 ($27,809.86).

Barratt Redrow Stock Performance

BTRW opened at GBX 378.31 ($5.08) on Friday. Barratt Redrow plc has a 1 year low of GBX 362.50 ($4.87) and a 1 year high of GBX 507.40 ($6.81). The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 450.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 439.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 536 ($7.20) price target on shares of Barratt Redrow in a report on Wednesday. Berenberg Bank lowered their price objective on Barratt Redrow from GBX 540 ($7.25) to GBX 485 ($6.51) and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Barratt Redrow from GBX 575 ($7.72) to GBX 550 ($7.39) and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Barratt Redrow from GBX 591 ($7.94) to GBX 510 ($6.85) and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday.

Read Our Latest Report on BTRW

Barratt Redrow Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Barratt Redrow plc is an exceptional FTSE 100 listed UK home builder, building the homes the country needs, and dedicated to quality, service and sustainability.

Together, we offer a range of highly respected and complementary brands, Barratt, David Wilson and Redrow.

We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, through our focus on:

 Quality  We deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes which are built to the highest standards.

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The Berkeley Group Holdings plc (LON:BKG  Get Free Report) insider Robert C. G. Perrins acquired 2,816 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 3,550 ($47.67) per share, with a total value of 99,968 ($134,239.29).

The Berkeley Group Trading Up 0.2%

LON BKG opened at GBX 3,616 ($48.56) on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of 3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.61, a P/E/G ratio of -0.87 and a beta of 1.22. The Berkeley Group Holdings plc has a 52-week low of GBX 3,462 ($46.49) and a 52-week high of GBX 5,588.54 ($75.04). The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 4,031.68 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 3,858.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 3.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.66.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of The Berkeley Group to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the stock from GBX 4,550 ($61.10) to GBX 4,900 ($65.80) in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th.

The Berkeley Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

At Berkeley Group we build homes and neighbourhoods across London, Birmingham and the South of England.

Our passion and purpose is to build quality homes, strengthen communities and make a positive difference to peoples lives. We use our sustained commercial success to make valuable and enduring contributions that benefit all our stakeholders.

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SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lessened its stake in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK  Free Report) by 23.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,084 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 340 shares during the quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd.s holdings in American Water Works were worth $160,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of American Water Works by 2.1% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 124,352 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $18,344,000 after purchasing an additional 2,570 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 2.2% during the first quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 10,547 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,556,000 after buying an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of American Water Works by 45.2% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,326 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $342,000 after buying an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 21.5% during the first quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 7,692 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,135,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in American Water Works by 4.1% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 40,625 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,993,000 after purchasing an additional 1,588 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at American Water Works

In other news, CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.28, for a total value of $404,766.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,572 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,084,916.16. This trade represents a 27.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on AWK shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on American Water Works from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and set a $156.00 target price (up previously from $154.00) on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on American Water Works from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered American Water Works from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on American Water Works from $138.00 to $128.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $141.67.

View Our Latest Report on AWK

American Water Works Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:AWK opened at $142.30 on Friday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.74 and a 12 month high of $155.50. The stock has a market cap of $27.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $141.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.06 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 22.24% and a return on equity of 10.35%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.95 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 EPS for the current year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th were issued a $0.8275 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 13th. This is a positive change from American Water Workss previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. This represents a $3.31 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.33%. American Water Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.29%.

American Water Works Profile

(Free Report)

American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,700 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.5 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining, and production operations; public authorities comprising government buildings and other public sector facilities, such as schools and universities; and other utilities and community water and wastewater systems.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of ING Group, N.V. (NYSE:ING  Free Report) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 41,674 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,140 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in ING Group were worth $816,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ING. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in ING Group by 3.6% in the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 124,782 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,444,000 after acquiring an additional 4,309 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in shares of ING Group by 21.2% in the first quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 14,943 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 2,609 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC bought a new position in ING Group in the first quarter worth approximately $231,000. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in ING Group by 11.1% in the first quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 48,545 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $951,000 after buying an additional 4,834 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in shares of ING Group by 28.7% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 308,499 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,043,000 after purchasing an additional 68,843 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 4.49% of the companys stock.

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ING Group Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:ING opened at $22.73 on Friday. ING Group, N.V. has a fifty-two week low of $15.09 and a fifty-two week high of $23.25. The company has a market cap of $79.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.77, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $21.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ING Group ( NYSE:ING Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.07). ING Group had a net margin of 27.70% and a return on equity of 11.68%. The firm had revenue of $6.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.74 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that ING Group, N.V. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

ING has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of ING Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Barclays upgraded shares of ING Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded shares of ING Group from a moderate sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ING Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Read Our Latest Research Report on ING

ING Group Profile

(Free Report)

ING Groep N.V. provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, and Wholesale Banking. The company accepts current and savings accounts.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV  Free Report) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,615 shares of the companys stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Elevance Health were worth $1,138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sigma Planning Corp increased its holdings in Elevance Health by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 2,194 shares of the companys stock worth $955,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in Elevance Health by 26.4% in the 1st quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,029 shares of the companys stock worth $448,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Elevance Health by 24.8% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,926 shares of the companys stock worth $1,273,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. lifted its position in shares of Elevance Health by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 3,365 shares of the companys stock worth $1,464,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Florida Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Elevance Health by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Florida Financial Advisors LLC now owns 744 shares of the companys stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. 89.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Elevance Health Trading Down 12.5%

Shares of ELV stock opened at $301.33 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.43. Elevance Health, Inc. has a 1 year low of $296.39 and a 1 year high of $567.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $374.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $396.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.08 billion, a PE ratio of 11.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.60.

Elevance Health Dividend Announcement

Elevance Health ( NYSE:ELV Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $8.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $9.30 by ($0.46). The company had revenue of $49.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.26 billion. Elevance Health had a return on equity of 18.61% and a net margin of 3.23%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $10.12 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Elevance Health, Inc. will post 33.96 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th were given a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.27%. Elevance Healths dividend payout ratio is currently 26.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on ELV shares. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Elevance Health from $480.00 to $434.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $478.00 price target on shares of Elevance Health in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Elevance Health from $500.00 to $440.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Elevance Health from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $518.00 price objective on shares of Elevance Health in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $481.87.

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Insider Activity at Elevance Health

In other news, CFO Mark Kaye sold 4,588 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $424.82, for a total value of $1,949,074.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,977 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,061,809.14. This represents a 19.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock.

Elevance Health Profile

(Free Report)

Elevance Health, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health benefits company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services, and Corporate & Other. It offers a variety of health plans and services to program members; health products; an array of fee-based administrative managed care services; and specialty and other insurance products and services, such as stop loss, dental, vision, life, disability, and supplemental health insurance benefits.

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Ascent Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM  Free Report) by 7.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,066 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 608 shares during the period. Ascent Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $1,078,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in XOM. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 93,299,598 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $10,023,875,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104,617 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,936,737,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Exxon Mobil by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 46,017,358 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $4,950,087,000 after purchasing an additional 2,998,892 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Exxon Mobil by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 45,323,453 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $5,390,318,000 after purchasing an additional 1,340,343 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Exxon Mobil by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 35,662,602 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $3,836,226,000 after purchasing an additional 4,140,046 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the companys stock.

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Exxon Mobil Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $111.73 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $108.65 and its 200 day moving average is $108.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $481.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.82, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.24. Exxon Mobil Corporation has a 52 week low of $97.80 and a 52 week high of $126.34.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.03. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 12.06% and a net margin of 9.49%. The business had revenue of $83.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $86.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.06 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. Exxon Mobils payout ratio is 52.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company set a $127.00 target price on Exxon Mobil and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $131.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $125.42.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on XOM

Exxon Mobil Profile

(Free Report)

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of First Horizon Corporation (NYSE:FHN  Free Report) by 8.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 59,426 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 4,648 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in First Horizon were worth $1,154,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of FHN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 160.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,524,827 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $111,270,000 after buying an additional 3,400,811 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 77,020 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,496,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its position in First Horizon by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 69,033 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 8,110 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in First Horizon by 286.9% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 63,346 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,230,000 after acquiring an additional 46,975 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LifeWealth Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 1st quarter valued at about $256,000. 80.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on First Horizon from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird upgraded First Horizon from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $22.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $24.00 target price (up from $20.00) on shares of First Horizon in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $24.00 target price (up from $22.00) on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on First Horizon from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $23.28.

First Horizon Trading Up 2.5%

FHN opened at $22.20 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.61. First Horizon Corporation has a 12 month low of $14.34 and a 12 month high of $22.44. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $20.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $830.19 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $832.95 million. First Horizon had a net margin of 17.10% and a return on equity of 10.55%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.36 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that First Horizon Corporation will post 1.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Horizon Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 13th. First Horizons payout ratio is currently 41.67%.

About First Horizon

(Free Report)

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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Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (LON:GSF  Get Free Report)s stock had its underperform rating reissued by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. They presently have a GBX 60 ($0.81) price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canadas target price suggests a potential downside of 2.44% from the stocks previous close.

Separately, Shore Capital reaffirmed a house stock rating on shares of Gore Street Energy Storage Fund in a research report on Monday.

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Gore Street Energy Storage Fund Stock Up 2.0%

GSF stock opened at GBX 61.50 ($0.83) on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of 316.99 million, a PE ratio of -53.15 and a beta of 0.31. Gore Street Energy Storage Fund has a 52 week low of GBX 42.40 ($0.57) and a 52 week high of GBX 69 ($0.93). The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 63.35 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 55.56.

Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (LON:GSF  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported GBX 1.85 ($0.02) EPS for the quarter. Gore Street Energy Storage Fund had a negative return on equity of 1.04% and a negative net margin of 80.72%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Gore Street Energy Storage Fund will post 2.9007634 earnings per share for the current year.

About Gore Street Energy Storage Fund

(Get Free Report)

About Us: Gore Street Energy Storage Fund plc is Londons first listed energy storage fund, launched in 2018. The Company is the only UK-listed energy storage fund with a diversified portfolio across five grid networks. The Company is one of the principal owners and operators of battery storage facilities in Great Britain and Ireland and owns and operates facilities in Western Mainland Europe and the US.

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Lipe & Dalton increased its position in Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 0.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 56,999 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 230 shares during the period. Bristol Myers Squibb accounts for approximately 1.9% of Lipe & Daltons investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Lipe & Daltons holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb were worth $3,476,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pinney & Scofield Inc. acquired a new position in Bristol Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates raised its holdings in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 137.5% in the 1st quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 475 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. 76.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol Myers Squibb

In other news, EVP Samit Hirawat purchased 4,250 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $47.58 per share, with a total value of $202,215.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 83,513 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,973,548.54. This trade represents a 5.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Bristol Myers Squibb Price Performance

Shares of BMY stock traded down $0.52 on Friday, hitting $47.54. 1,935,345 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,757,486. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market cap of $96.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.82, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.36. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.00. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a 52 week low of $41.61 and a 52 week high of $63.33.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $11.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.77 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 87.62%. Bristol Myers Squibbs revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($4.40) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be issued a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.22%. Bristol Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 92.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 6th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from $36.00 to $34.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. William Blair reissued a market perform rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $57.69.

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About Bristol Myers Squibb

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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M&T Bank Corp bought a new position in shares of PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 15,734 shares of the oil and gas companys stock, valued at approximately $300,000.

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Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PBF. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of PBF Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $299,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PBF Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $1,654,000. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of PBF Energy by 54.2% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,267 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $591,000 after purchasing an additional 7,825 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of PBF Energy by 33.2% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,463 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new position in PBF Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $249,000. 96.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PBF Energy Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE PBF opened at $24.84 on Friday. PBF Energy Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.62 and a 12-month high of $42.64. The firm has a market cap of $2.87 billion, a PE ratio of -2.73 and a beta of 0.84. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $22.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

PBF Energy Announces Dividend

PBF Energy ( NYSE:PBF Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported ($3.09) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($3.50) by $0.41. The company had revenue of $7.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. PBF Energy had a negative net margin of 3.30% and a negative return on equity of 15.67%. The firms revenue was down 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.85 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that PBF Energy Inc. will post -1.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.275 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.43%. PBF Energys dividend payout ratio is currently -12.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on PBF shares. UBS Group raised shares of PBF Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the stock from $20.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of PBF Energy from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of PBF Energy from $16.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of PBF Energy from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Scotiabank reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $25.00 target price (up previously from $16.00) on shares of PBF Energy in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PBF Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $25.00.

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Insider Transactions at PBF Energy

In other PBF Energy news, insider Control Empresarial De Capital acquired 48,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $17.99 per share, for a total transaction of $872,515.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 30,823,498 shares in the company, valued at $554,514,729.02. The trade was a 0.16% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

PBF Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

PBF Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in refining and supplying petroleum products. The company operates in two segments, Refining and Logistics. It produces gasoline, ultra-low-sulfur diesel, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, lubricants, petrochemicals, and asphalt, as well as unbranded transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks, blending components, and other petroleum products from crude oil.

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Atalaya Mining (LON:ATYM  Free Report) had its target price upped by Canaccord Genuity Group from GBX 525 ($7.05) to GBX 590 ($7.92) in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Canaccord Genuity Group currently has a buy rating on the stock.

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Separately, Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on Atalaya Mining from GBX 420 ($5.64) to GBX 500 ($6.71) and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 3rd.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Atalaya Mining

Atalaya Mining Stock Down 2.0%

Atalaya Mining Company Profile

LON ATYM opened at GBX 466 ($6.26) on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is GBX 444.47 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 391.64. The company has a market capitalization of 794.19 million, a P/E ratio of 28.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.64. Atalaya Mining has a 52 week low of GBX 275.29 ($3.70) and a 52 week high of GBX 490 ($6.58). The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.71.

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Atalaya is a European copper producer that owns and operates the Proyecto Riotinto complex in southwest Spain. Atalayas shares trade on the London Stock Exchanges Main Market under the symbol ATYM.

Atalayas operations include the Cerro Colorado open pit mine and a modern 15 Mtpa processing plant, which has the potential to become a central processing hub for ore sourced from its wholly owned regional projects around Riotinto, such as Proyecto Masa Valverde and Proyecto Riotinto East.

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Fresnillo (LON:FRES  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 1,450 ($19.47) to GBX 1,850 ($24.84) in a report published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

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A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 1,300 ($17.46) to GBX 1,700 ($22.83) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Berenberg Bank decreased their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 1,630 ($21.89) to GBX 1,620 ($21.75) and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 805 ($10.81) to GBX 980 ($13.16) and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 1,406 ($18.88).

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on FRES

Fresnillo Price Performance

Fresnillo Company Profile

LON:FRES opened at GBX 1,460 ($19.61) on Tuesday. Fresnillo has a 52-week low of GBX 502 ($6.74) and a 52-week high of GBX 1,566 ($21.03). The company has a market cap of 13.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.41, a P/E/G ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 0.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.55, a quick ratio of 3.28 and a current ratio of 5.88. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is GBX 1,308.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 998.37.

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Fresnillo plc is the worlds largest silver producer and Mexicos largest gold producer, listed on the London and Mexican stock exchanges.

The Group seeks to create value for stakeholders across precious metal cycles, focusing on high-potential silver and gold projects that can be developed into low cost, world-class mines.

Following a decade of consistent and successful progress, the Group is now focused on consolidating its growth and advancing its pipeline in order to deliver further growth in the years ahead.

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The UUP are calling on the Stormont Executive to help protect townland names by ensuring that they become part of the legal address system so that they can be preserved for future generations

Robert Carmichael, the East Derry Ulster Unionist Party Association Chairman, is urging the community to join the UUP campaign to preserve townland names across the constituency.

In a statement on behalf of the UUP Association, Mr Carmichael said: Townland names have an important role in understanding the history of areas across East Londonderry and should be used in local address systems.

We, as an Ulster Unionist Association, call upon the entire East Londonderry community to rally behind our campaign for the retention of townlands in the address system.

Townland names have been with us in one form or another for more than a 1,000 years and were an ancient way of land division before parishes and counties.

These townland names contain a mix of ancient origins and names associated with Ulster Scots including names from prominent families at that time.

These townlands have given people a sense of identity and allows people to trace their ancestry right down to former family homesteads.

They are also an important piece of culture we can use to promote cultural tourism that will help bring much-needed employment.

We also call on the Stormont Executive to help protect these townland names by ensuring that they become part of the legal address system so that they can be preserved for future generations, added Mr Carmichael on behalf of the Association.
Veterans of the civil rights movement have called on Derry people to return to the streets to defend the right to protest and to demand an end to the proscription of Palestine Action.

The 'Defend the Right to Protest' rally will take place on Saturday (July 19) in Waterloo Place.

Making the call for people to support the rally, vetern civil rights activist, Eamonn McCann said it was an "freedom of speech" issue.

He added: "Back in the 1960s, the Special Powers Act limited freedom of speech and thousands came onto the streets of this city to oppose that, and sectarian discrimination across the North. The same issues arise today.



"While a genocide is livestreamed to our phones and we see children starving to death in Gaza, the British government has deemed Palestine Action a 'terrorist organization', expression of support for which could open one to arrest, charged with supporting terrorism. This is precisely what happened in the 1960s when to express support for the civil rights movement meant being denounced by the authorities as supporting terrorism. This was said over and over again in the 1960s. It wasnt true then and it is not true now: what Palestine Action is doing is peaceful, non-violent direct action.

"We know better than anyone else in these islands what it is to have civil liberties suspended, that is why we will be back this Saturday afternoon  in Waterloo Place at 3.00pm  to continue this campaign.

"We note that Winston 'Winkie' Irvine was not charged under the Terrorism Act, despite being found with a carboot load of weapons and with UDA paraphernalia. The double standards are are glaring, just as the double standards in relation to what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank are glaring," said Mr McCann.

He added: "We call on people to come out again on Saturday to express their opposition to the double standards involved in this and to the proscription of Palestine Action. People in Derry who have a sense of their own history and their own struggle against oppression and for civil rights will feel a relationship with this issue because of their own experience."
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Dozens of urban areas are set to benefit from a 15.5 million investment to support the creation or improvement of green spaces, streets and neighbourhoods.

A coalition of organisations, including Natural England, National Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, have launched the Nature Towns and Cities initiative to boost nature for millions of people across the UK by 2035, prioritising those that have the least access.

Kickstarting the programme, the group announced that 40 towns and cities will receive the first grants, worth a total of 15.5 million, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Portsmouth, Bradford, Fife, Torfaen in Wales and Belfast are among the areas to have been selected for the funding following an application and assessment process that started last autumn.

The money will help local authorities co-design plans with partners and communities for the provision, quality and connectivity of green spaces and nature, such as improving existing parks, planting new wildflower meadows, creating new pocket parks and planting more street trees.

It comes as part of the initiatives wider ambitions to mobilise 1 billion of investment into greening across 100 towns and cities from private, philanthropic and public sources over the next decade.

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: I am delighted to announce an investment of 15.5 million which will help 40 towns and cities across the UK better plan their urban nature recovery, connecting people and communities to their natural environment in the places they live.

We have invested over 1 billion in regenerating over 900 urban parks and green spaces over the last 30 years, helping nature thrive in towns everywhere  and this exciting initiative, working with partners right across the UK, will continue to build on this investment and give millions of people better access to nature close to home.

Marian Spain, chief executive of Natural England, said: Nature helps us to improve our mental and physical wellbeing, mitigate the impacts of climate change and drive green growth through the creation of spaces for people to connect with nature, making better places for people to live, work and invest.

Yet for millions of people in urban areas there is no green space within a 15-minute walk of their home.

We are proud to be part of the Nature Towns and Cities project, helping millions of people enjoy nature and inspire communities to take part in nature recovery.

Hilary McGrady, director general at the National Trust, said: By prioritising areas in the greatest need, we aim to help nature, beauty and history spring to life in some of the most nature-deprived places in the country.

This necessary and targeted support combined with community outreach and excellent resources, will enrich places with green space and contribute to the healthy mind, body and future that people need.

The Nature Towns and Cities initiative will be supported in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland through Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and NatureScot.

Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen County Borough Council in south-east Wales, said: We want nature to flourish in Torfaen and for more people to experience its many health and well-being benefits.

The funding will enable us to work with our communities and partners in new and innovative ways, so that together we can achieve more and make a real difference to nature recovery and keeping our communities healthy.

As part of todays announcement, Birmingham has also been declared the UKs first official Nature City, with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) collectively named the first Nature Towns.

The coalition said this designation recognises the local authorities commitment with their partners in those places to transform life for urban communities by providing more and better nature and green space.
Dismay has been expressed after a statue of social activist and campaigner Mary Ann McCracken was damaged.

A panel on the base of the statue in the grounds of Belfast City Council was discovered to have been removed on Friday morning, however, it is not known when the damage was caused.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said they are aware of the damage and have reported it to police.

This will be looked into and replaced as soon as possible, they said.

The statue was unveiled on International Womens Day in March 2024 to recognise Ms McCrackens contribution to the city.

Born in the Northern Ireland capital in 1770, Ms McCracken was part of the revival of the Irish language and a supporter of the United Irishmen movement.

She also worked to help those in poverty, particularly women and children, and campaigned against slavery.

Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin described the damage to the statue as disgraceful, and said it is understood the section removed was written in Irish.

Even more concerning is that the damage appears to have been aimed specifically at the section inscribed as Gaeilge, he said.

This statue stands proudly at City Hall in memory of a remarkable anti-slavery campaigner and Irish republican.

I have spoken with council officials and called for a full investigation into the damage. I have also asked that the matter be referred to the PSNI.

Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions to ensure this intolerant behaviour is not repeated.

Sinn Fein is calling for repairs to be carried out as quickly as possible so the statue can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Belfast SDLP councillor Gary McKeown also condemned the damage.

The vandalism of the Mary Ann McCracken statue is disgusting and will appall people right across Belfast and beyond, he said.

Its really important that this is fully investigated and I have spoken to the council to ask that the signage is fixed as soon as possible.

Belfast has an embarrassingly low number of statues dedicated to women, so the unveiling of this one in the grounds of City Hall last year was particularly welcome and I was delighted to be in attendance.

This makes it all the more shocking that it appears that someone has attacked it. Its also notable that it was an Irish language inspection on the statue that was targeted, showing even more intolerance.

Mary Ann was an inspirational figure whose contribution to our city still resonates to this day, particularly around her work as a social reformer and opponent of slavery. The principles she stood for remain relevant two centuries later.

Alliance councillor Michael Long said he was disgusted by the damage to the statue.

Mary Ann McCracken represents everything that is good about the shared history of our city. I was delighted when my proposal for the statue was backed by all parties four years ago, as she speaks to the ideals we all should live up to, he said.

Statues such as those of Mary Ann showcase the new, diverse Belfast by looking back to those who took stands and laid the foundations for the freedoms we enjoy today. It makes me despair how anyone could damage a memorial dedicated to someone held in such high regard by so many people.

I appeal to anyone who has information on this incident to contact police with it immediately.

A PSNI spokesperson said: Police received a report at around 12.55pm on Friday, July 18 of suspected criminal damage to a statue in the Donegall Square North area of Belfast.

Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to contact police on the 101 number, quoting reference 687 of 18/07/25.
iOS 26 is currently under the beta testing phase. Ever since Apple introduced its liquid glass design, the update has been in headlines for one thing or another. In the latest update, the company has sued YouTuber and tech leaker Jon Prosser, stating that he has illegally obtained and disclosed the trade secrets related to the upcoming update.

As per the legal complaint accessed by The Verge, the company has alleged that Prosser, along with Michael Ramacciotti, has gained unauthorized access to a development iPhone belonging to Ethan Lipnik, a software engineer employed by Apple. The device reportedly had unreleased features of iOS 26.

The lawsuit claimed that Ramacciotti learned Lipniks iPhone passcode and used location tracking to access the device when Lipnik was away from home. He allegedly showed the development software to Prosser over a video call, which Prosser recorded and later used to publish the leaks, including the renders and videos detailing unreleased iOS features.

The company, as per The Verge, stated that it became aware of the incident back in April via an anonymous email from someone who claimed to have seen the video call and recognized Lipniks apartment. The company also cited a voice message in which Ramacciotti apologised to Lipnik, blaming Prosser for orchestrating the breach. Lipnik, though reportedly unaware of the plan, was terminated for failing to protect confidential company information.

Prosser had published videos on his YouTube channels showing early looks of the iOS 19, later revealed as iOS 26. The leaked content included the redesigned Camera app, an overhauled Messages app, and Apples new Liquid Glass design language.

Taking to X, Prosser denied the allegations, stating I did not plot to access anyones phone. I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained. He claims to have evidence supporting his version of events.

On the other hand, Apple is seeking damages and a court injunction to prevent further disclosure of trade secrets, noting that the development device may still have some unannounced design elements.
Meta has refused to sign the newly introduced European Unions voluntary Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models. The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, introduced a voluntary code of practice last week, and it was set to come into force on August 2. Meta, along with Microsoft, Alphabet, and Mistral AI, have pushed back on the legislation, urging the EU to delay its implementation. However, the EU refuses to change its timeline.

Now, Metas Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, criticised the code, calling it legally uncertain and overly restrictive in a LinkedIn post. He wrote, Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI. Kaplan further added that Meta has carefully reviewed the European Commissions Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models, and they wont be signing it, as the EUs AI Code introduces legal uncertainties for model developers and has measures that go far beyond the scope of the AI Act.

Introduced earlier this month, the voluntary framework is designed to help AI companies prepare for the blocs legislation for regulating AI. The code requires companies to maintain and update documentation on their AI systems, refrain from using pirated content for training, and comply with content owners requests to opt out of AI training datasets.

Also read: Apple files lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser for leaking iOS 26 features

Kaplan called the EUs approach an over-reach, warning that it could throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe and stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of them.

He also highlighted that as many as 44 businesses and policymakers across Europe, including Bosch, Siemens, SAP, Airbus and BNP, have signed a letter urging the Commission to delay the implementation of new AI regulation.

However, the European Commission released updated guidelines on Friday stating that the companies that develop GPAI models with systemic risk, including Meta, must fully comply with the rules by August 2027. Businesses failing to do so will have to demonstrate other means of compliance or more regulatory scrutiny, EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement.
Google has confirmed that it will host the Made by Google 2025 event next month. During the event, the tech giant is expected to unveil the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. While the devices have been making headlines for some time, the exact specifications, price range, design, and other details are still unknown.

However, the rumour mill has shed some light on the upcoming devices, indicating that fans can expect a better camera as well as performance and display improvements. Check out the Pixel 10 series release date, specifications, and price range.

Google has confirmed that the Pixel 10 series will launch in global markets on August 20 at 10:30 PM IST. Fans can expect four devices in the Pixel 10 series, including the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. However, it is still unclear where the device will be available for purchase.

Google Pixel 10 series specs (Expected)

As per the latest leaks, the Pixel 10 may feature a 6.3-inch flat OLED display with likely FHD+ resolution, powered by the Tensor G5 chip. It is expected to offer 12GB RAM, up to 256GB storage, and a triple rear camera setup possibly including a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultrawide, and 11MP telephoto lens. The battery could be around 4,970mAh.

Also read: Made by Google 2025: Pixel 10 series, Watch 4 and more to launch on August 20

The Pixel 10 Pro may retain the same screen size but bump up to QHD+ resolution and higher brightness. It could also bring upgrades like a 48MP front camera, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and 512GB storage options. The Pro XL variant is expected to increase screen size to 6.7 inches and battery capacity to 5,300mAh while maintaining similar camera and chip specifications.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is rumored to offer a 7.8-inch foldable inner display and a 6.2-inch outer screen. It may share internals with the Pro models but come with a 4,800mAh battery and side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel 10 series price range (Expected)

Google Pixel 10 is said to be priced at around $1,050 while the Pixel 10 Pro is said to be priced $1,200 and the Pixel 10 Pro XL could be priced at $1,500. However, these are based on the early leaks and the exact pricing is yet to be announced.
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Russian music scholar bridges cultures at Chinese conservatory

Xinhua) 10:15, July 18, 2025

Ostapenko Anton Gennadievich (R) instructs his students to play the piano in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Siqi)

HARBIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At Harbin Conservatory of Music, Russian musicologist Ostapenko Anton Gennadievich joined students in singing, blending his voice with theirs as his fingers danced across the piano keys.

"I really enjoy Anton's solfeggio sessions as he teaches us to hum melodies while playing the piano. This has greatly improved our musicality," said Wang Siyuan, a freshman majoring in composition, adding that the course is especially popular among her peers.

Gennadievich, a research fellow at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, came to Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and a city with deep historical ties to Russia, in 2016 through an institutional exchange program.

"My doctoral research topics include Russian musicians in China, so I was already interested in the development of classical music here for years," he said, citing Harbin's vibrant classical music culture that drew him.

"The Harbin Summer Music Concert is one of the longest-running music events in China, and my favorite symphony orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, has also performed at the Harbin Grand Theatre, making me yearn to visit this 'city of music,'" he said.

The "city of music" has certainly matched his expectations. Harbin Conservatory of Music, where he teaches, has hosted numerous international music competitions and played a leading role in establishing the China-Russia Music Alliance with the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 2023.

Teachers and students from this Chinese conservatory have also performed at prestigious artistic venues such as China's National Center for the Performing Arts and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

During his tenure in Harbin, Gennadievich has been struck by Chinese composers' works, particularly their expressive vitality and cultural charm.

"The powerful Yellow River Cantata by Xian Xinghai is one of the works that best represent the essence of Chinese classical music. Works like Er Huang and Iris Unveiled by composer Chen Qigang, which embody a sense of serenity and contemplation, are also full of charm, resonating with French classical music," Gennadievich said.

For him, music serves as a universal language and cultural conduit. "To understand a nation's music, you naturally learn about its culture. This is why exchanges between musical traditions and musicians can often create conditions for cultural understanding," he explained.

Gennadievich said that at least 50 Russian musicians now reside and work across China, contributing to the flourishing of classical music in the country.

"I teach at Harbin Conservatory of Music for over eight months each year and have mentored more than 300 students so far. Many of them have shown great talent in classical music, and I am confident they will make their mark in the future," he said. The growing presence of talented Chinese musicians at Moscow's Rachmaninoff International Competition has strengthened his confidence in the future of classical music in China.

Looking ahead, Gennadievich hopes to deepen East-West musical dialogue by leveraging Harbin's unique geographic and historical advantages. He has proposed expanding the Summer Music Concert and international competitions, training specialized music translators, and launching multinational exchange initiatives.

"Musicians are bridges for cultural exchange," he said. "It's an honor to contribute here."

Ostapenko Anton Gennadievich (R) instructs his students to play the piano in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Xuan)

Ostapenko Anton Gennadievich teaches his students at Harbin Conservatory of Music in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Siqi)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Pegatron chair hails Indonesia tariff cut, urges balance in US-China AI strategy

Pegatron Chairman T.H. Tung welcomed the sharp reduction in US tariffs on Indonesian exports to 19%the lowest among Asian countries to dateas a timely boost for the company's newly ramped-up production facility in Batam. He noted that the cut offers Taiwanese companies with operations in Southeast Asia a stronger foothold in global tech competition.

Tung shared his views with the media ahead of the 2025 Personal Data Protection Law Forum on July 17, where he was present in his concurrent capacity as chairman of the Monte Jade Science and Technology Association of Taiwan, a co-sponsor of the event.

Taiwan's tariff talks still pending

With Taiwan's own tariff negotiations with the US still unresolved, Tung emphasized that as Taiwan's tech industry faces global competition, securing more favorable tariff terms than its competitors would thus provide a crucial edge in the global tech race.

Taiwanese manufacturers have steadily expanded operations across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia. Vietnam, the first to finalize a reciprocal tariff deal with the US, saw its rate drop from 46% to 20%. Thailand remains at 36% and is continuing discussions to reduce that. Malaysia's rate rose slightly from 24% to 25%.

Indonesia, however, made the most dramatic move, saw its US tariff rate cut from 32% to 19%, becoming the region's most competitive in tariff terms.

Southeast Asia strategies taking shape

Among Taiwanese firms, Foxconn maintains the largest footprint in Indonesia and stands to gain the most from the competitive tariff offer. Pegatron, which expanded investment in its Batam plant earlier this year, has already entered mass production and is also poised to benefit from the favorable tariff environment.

Still, Tung described the overall outcome of tariff deals across Southeast Asia as "moderately acceptable," noting that the rates are still not far off from those of Japan and South Korea, both at 25%.

As the key elements of Taiwanese firms' Southeast Asia deployment strategies are now in place, Tung said, India will be the next region to watch closely.

Tariffs could backfire on US supply chains

Tung reiterated his long-held position that excessive tariffs will eventually raise domestic costs in the US and disrupt global supply chains, stressing that global cooperation is preferable to confrontation in the long run.

However, he warned that US tariff policies remain highly volatile, with rates changing rapidly. For Taiwan, he stressed, the best course is to continue playing a steady and crucial role as a global tech partner and supply chain provider, even if that means traditional industries may face some impact.

Green light for Nvidia's H20 AI chip exports to China

Beyond tariffs, another major development drawing attention is the recent US approval for Nvidia to export downgraded H20 AI chips to China, sparking discussion about a possible rebound in the AI market in the second half of the year.

As a key supplier to Nvidia, Pegatron stands to benefit from renewed momentum in AI demand. Tung said the US decision signals that both sides are willing to compromise and avoid a head-on confrontation in the AI sector. "There's still room for dialogue between the U.S. and China," he noted. "Taiwan is in a delicate positionquietly doing good work and being relied upon is enough."

AI market balance still in play

Tung further noted that Washington's calibrated approach may stem from concerns that overly stringent export controls could accelerate the growth of Chinese domestic competitors, ultimately threatening US leadership in the AI sector. After all, the Chinese market cannot be underestimated, with even Nvidia reluctant to relinquish it. Consequently, both sides are striving to maintain a delicate balance between supply and demand.

Article edited by Jack Wu
China's commerce minister meets Nvidia CEO, stresses that US-China decoupling is unfeasible

On July 18, 2025, in Beijing, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao attended a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on the country's high-quality fulfillment of targets set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. He announced that on July 17, he met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Beijing, signaling China's continued engagement with American high-tech companies.

Regarding US-China economic and trade relations, Wang stated that despite fluctuations in bilateral ties, both sides remain each other's most important trading and investment partners. He stressed that the essence of US-China economic and trade relations is mutually beneficial and a win-win cooperation; collaboration is the only correct choice. Wang acknowledged that differences and frictions are inevitable in economic cooperation but stressed that solutions can only be found through dialogue and negotiation.

Addressing widespread concerns about the risk of US-China "decoupling," Wang responded bluntly that it will not happen.

Additionally, during the third China International Supply Chain Expo, Apple Greater China managing director Isabel Ge Mahe publicly stated that Apple's current success would not be possible without close cooperation with Chinese suppliers. According to official data, over 80% of Apple's top 200 global suppliers have production bases in China.

Against the backdrop of escalating US-China technology competition, there is intense attention on how American companies like Nvidia and Apple interact with the Chinese market.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who had participated in the supply chain expo for two consecutive years, did not attend this year's event. Meanwhile, during his visit to China, Huang also met with Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Chairman Ren Hongbin, and Commerce Minister Wang, among others.

Article edited by Jack Wu
Rapidus showcases 2nm chip prototypes, eying 2027 mass production

Rapidus, Japan's leading semiconductor company, unveiled its first set of 2nm prototype chips on July 18 during a press event held in Chitose City, Hokkaido. The unveiling took place at a hotel near the company's pilot production site and drew a crowd of about 200 suppliers and prospective clients.

CEO Atsuyoshi Koike announced that the chips had passed initial functionality tests on July 10, describing the achievement as a significant milestone. He showcased a 30cm wafer featuring gold-toned gate-all-around (GAA) transistors, noting that the devices, manufactured through a trial production line initiated in April, had achieved performance levels that could meet customer expectations.

Accelerated fab construction and technical progress

Chairman Tetsuro Higashi applauded the blistering pace of Rapidus's fab construction, calling it a rare feat that has stunned observers across the global chip industry. One external board member admitted there were initial doubts about the viability of producing 2nm chips but said those concerns have eased as the project remains largely on track.

The prototype wafers unveiled this week represent a mid-stage integration of core functionalities. Rapidus aims to continue fine-tuning transistor performance and boosting production yields throughout the rest of 2025. If the chips can deliver on their promises of high computing power and energy efficiency, that progress could be the tipping point in securing commitments from key customers.

Toward a commercial offering

In a bid to faithfully reproduce IBM's 2nm process technology, Rapidus has instituted 24-hour shifts, allowing engineers to continuously optimize equipment settings and process conditions. The company also plans to release updated process design kits (PDKs) to prospective clients during the 2025 fiscal year, spanning April 2025 to March 2026, giving customers the tools to conduct in-depth technical evaluations.

Addressing concerns over client acquisition, CEO Atsuyoshi Koike said he expects the company's customer pipeline to "come into clearer focus" by the end of the year.

Market research company Omdia has estimated that Rapidus currently produces approximately 7,000 12-inch wafers per month. The firm's production capacity is expected to increase significantly to between 25,000 and 30,000 wafers monthly as it prepares to commence mass production, scheduled for 2027.

(From left) Rapidus chairman Tetsuro Higashi, CEO Atsuyoshi Koike, Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki, and Mayor Ryuichi Yokota of Chitose.

Photo: Rapidus

Article edited by Joseph Tsai
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SEATTLE  King County is soliciting applications from qualified firms to provide technical assistance and program design support for its Community Buildings Decarbonization Program.

The program aims to equitably decarbonize community buildings, with a specific focus on those serving low-income, disadvantaged communities. It is funded through an EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and will serve communities in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.





. . .
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By MATT O'BRIEN

AP Technology Writer

Before the mayor of San Jose, California, arrives at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new business, his aides ask ChatGPT to help draft some talking points.

Elected officials do a tremendous amount of public speaking, said Mayor Matt Mahan, whose recent itinerary has taken him from new restaurant and semiconductor startup openings to a festival of lowriding car culture.





. . .
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SEATTLE  The Hotel 5, at 2200 Fifth Ave. in Belltown , sold this week for $25.5 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Dream Legacy PRU SPE LLC, associated with local owner/operator Staypineapple, which acquired the hotel in 2006 for about $8.8 million. Staypineapple is related both to the Diamond Parking family and Columbia West Properties.





. . .
Mbare Musika the country's largest fresh produce market is under siege as invaders are posing everyday to extort hard working farmers who are coming to sell their proceeds.

The illicit syndicates are said to be operating just outside the formal market boundaries demanding extra 'space' fees even after farmers had already paid fees to council officials, claiming that they are space owners.

Simbarashe Chigweshe, a tomato farmer from Mutoko said municipal officers often direct farmers to sell their produce outside the market when it's full. However, once outside violent individuals claiming ownership of the space demand payment with fees reaching up to US$15 just to set up their crates.

"When the wholesale market is full, municipal officers tell us to sell outside, but once there, some violent individuals come and claim ownership of that space. They demand as much as US$15 just for us to place our crates down," Chigweshe said

The situation is exacerbated by the lack of police presence and inadequate management of the farmer overflow by the municipality.

Another farmer, Brighton Mutore described the outside area as a lawless zone, where refusal to pay results in threats.

"Refuse to pay and they threaten you. These people move in groups and they look dangerous. We are just trying to survive but they make our lives hell," he said.

The violence escalated on Thursday morning when Obrian Kasumba, a 27-year-old farmer, was physically attacked for failing to pay.

"They punched him in the mouth. His lips were bleeding and no one helped. It's like no one cares," Mutore recounted.

The farmers have sought intervention from Mutoko East Member of Parliament Richard Musiyiwa, who condemned the acts as unacceptable.

"These acts are unacceptable and must stop immediately. Farmers are the backbone of our economy and must not be subjected to such thuggery. I will engage the City of Harare and law enforcement to restore order," Musiyiwa told State Media

Despite repeated complaints, farmers claim that little has been done to address the issue.

"We bring food to the people, yet we are treated like criminals. We have made reports to the police, but nothing has been done yet," Chigweshe said.
Irish-American comedian Rosie O'Donnell has once again condemned US President Donald Trump's antics during a recent radio appearance on Newstalk.

Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show today, July 18, the actress spoke fondly of her and her child's love for Ireland, after the pair fled their home in the US once Trump was declared winner of the Presidential Election.

The former 'Rosie O'Donnell Show' star shared snippets into her newfound life here, from how relieved she is that her child is safe enough to walk to school on their own to the little things, like their love of the ice cream sold in local shop Mace.

Rosie, who has Irish grandparents, is currently in the process of attaining Irish citizenship after residing in a Dublin village for some time now.

However, just days before, the comedian found out her US citizenship could come under threat after President Donald Trump posted on his social media, saying, "Because of the fact that Rosie ODonnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship."

This is despite a decades-old Supreme Court ruling that prohibits such an action by government.

READ MORE: Driver with full licence just 17 DAYS caught by gardai for two big offences

Getting candid with host Pat Kenny, the New York native responded to this claim. She stated, "I would like to be able to maintain my American citizenship. It's where I was raised and born, and where I am from. But I'm very happy to get my Irish citizenship as well. However, it is unconstitutional to take anyone's citizenship away once you're a citizen.

"At the moment, the Supreme Court have given him carte blanche, so he can pretty much do what he wants, this very corrupt Supreme Court and this very corrupt Senate, because they just recently voted not to release the Epstein files; in the middle of the night, like criminals hiding.

"All these people are as guilty as he is for all of his crimes," Rosie concluded.

The mother-of-one told Pat Kenny that when she decided to relocate after the election, there was "no other choice" than Ireland, but a big factor did come into play when making the decision.

Rosie said, "Part of the reason I did it (moving to Ireland) was because I have a non-binary 12-year-old autistic child and the attacks that he (Trump) has been spearheading about the trans community is overwhelming; but just like Hitler did, they pick on vulnerable minorities first. They came for the handicapped first and then they came for the gay and trans people. I knew that I had to keep my mental health, it was for self-preservation, that I wouldn't be able to live in a country and watch him dismantle it, as he has done."

Within the discussion, the comedian also divulged that she is proud to stand as the "polar opposite" to President Trump, believing he could be "in the throws of dementia."
Musicians including Kneecap, Massive Attack and Brian Eno have said they have been subjected to attempted censorship due to speaking out about the war in Gaza.

They, along with campaign group Led By Donkeys, have all posted the same message on Instagram, calling on other artists who fear they will be threatened into silence or career cancellation for talking about Palestine to join them in a syndicate.

Massive Attack and Brian Eno have long spoken out in support of Palestine, while Kneecap have made headlines in recent months after one of their members was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah.

The Irish rap group claim this is part of a smear campaign against them because of their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israels actions in Gaza, which they say is a genocide.

The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description, the post read.

We write as artists whove chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK Government in facilitating it.

Because of our expressions of conscience, weve been subject to various intimidations from within our industry (live and recorded) and legally via organised bodies such as UK Lawyers For Israel.

Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we wont stand by and allow other artists  particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability  to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.

In this spirit, we encourage artists whove been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerned about industrial repercussions, to contact us @ ethicalsyndicatepalestine@pm.me

The Instagram post also made a series of demands, including an immediate ceasefire, an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel, and a free Palestine.

A spokeswoman for UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI) accused Massive Attack of having launched an attack on our organisation, which helps to protect victims of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel racism.

She said that following Massive Attacks set at Londons Lido Festival in June, we were contacted by several Jewish and Israeli audience members who were deeply distressed and traumatised after the act invited an anti-Israel activist on stage.

Kneecap performed to a sea of Palestinian flags during their set at Glastonbury Festival in June.

Their performance followed that of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, who spoke out against Israel.

Police have since launched an investigation into the group, formed in Ipswich in 2017, after their frontman led crowds in chants of Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) during their set at the Somerset music festival.

Kneecaps Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May, and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 20.
A key Government survey to identify critical raw materials across Ireland is already behind schedule and will not be completed until 2027, according to a progress report.

The Governments Climate Action Plan commits to undertaking high level assessments of Irish geology to identify what critical raw materials are potentially hosted in Ireland.

However, this has not happened because of a lack of geologists at the States geology unit to complete the work.

The survey is part of a goal of the EUs Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which called on member states to have drawn up a national programme for raw material exploration by May this year.

The EUs demand for critical raw materials such as lithium, copper and cobalt is set to increase exponentially, the Department of Climate said, as it transitions to clean energy systems which require increased production of batteries, solar panels, permanent magnets and other green technologies.

The bloc has identified its heavy reliance on imports of raw materials as a cause of growing concern, especially in the context of recent crises which have underlined its strategic dependencies.

It believes that timely action is required to ensure the resilience and competitiveness of the EU, as well as to meet climate objectives.

The CRMA, which has come into effect in Ireland, asked member states to enact processes to help enable projects around 34 critical raw materials  including identifying which are present in the State.

A technical report on the matter was originally due to be published at the end of last year, but continued lack of staff resources is resulting in further delays.

The work was due to be done by Geological Survey Ireland, a division of the Department of Climate.

It would have involved a desk study and data analysis to direct the national exploration programme and assess specific criticality factors for Ireland.

It is now hoped that work will begin in early 2026 with the appointment of an entry level geologist.

A report published on Thursday said that a competition for the appointment of a senior geologist in 2026 would allow adequate staffing to complete the study and reporting during 2027.

The Department said it is looking at all options to complete the objective, including potential procurement of services if required.

The geological report is one of 66 climate objectives that remained overdue for completion by the end of the first quarter of this year, as per the progress report published this week.

A progress report for Q2 has yet to be published.

In publishing the Q1 review, Minister for Climate Darragh OBrien said: There are positives  this is the third year in a row of falling emissions, and theyre now at their lowest level in over three decades.

But the message for me is clear: we need more action, delivered faster. Thats where my focus lies.

We have already established a new Programme Board, which will serve as an high-level inter-Departmental mechanism to unblock delays and accelerate delivery.
A woman in her 70s has died after being hit by a vehicle in south co Dublin.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following the collision which happened at a car park on Castle Villas street in Dalkey last Sunday.

The woman, a pedestrian, was taken to St Vincents Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

She was pronounced deceased on Thursday.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward.

A spokesperson said: Anyone who was in the Castle Villas street area on Sunday July 13, 2025 between 4.15-4.45pm and who may have any information is asked to contact investigating gardai.

Likewise, anyone who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) is asked to make that footage available.

Gardai can be contacted at the Dun Laoghaire Garda Station 01 6665000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Louth comedian Shinanne Higgins is packing her bags and heading back to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe later this month with not one but two shows.

Shinanne kicks off her Fringe run on 31st July and will perform right through until 24th August. Her main show, Ten Things They Hate About Me, had a sold-out run during its eight-day debut in Edinburgh last year, so shes back for a full month this time.

Its a solo show about all the reasons why Im single, Higgins laughs. Its tongue in cheek and pretty rude and out there  it has poetry, it has music, it has everything.

As well as her solo show, shell also be joining forces with fellow Irish comedians Aideen McQueen and Louise O'Toole for Three Bad Sisters, a late-night show with dark humour and a playful nod to Edinburghs famous Three Sisters pub. Its a take on the dark side of femaleness, Higgins explains.

Shinanne will also be busy hosting mixed bill shows, giving other comedians a chance to share the stage during the month-long festival.

Every year theres a bunch of Irish people who go over, some of them will be there for like a month, she says.

Once back home, Shinanne plans to take Ten Things They Hate About Me on tour around Ireland, but Dundalk audiences can catch her closer to home first as shell be performing at the Accidental Theatre in Belfast on the 26th of this month.

Tickets are available at: accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/thebitterfringes.
A shoplifter, who was involved in the theft of 1,200 worth of perfume and aftershave, has been banned from entering Louth as part of a suspended sentence imposed at Dundalk district court.

Jimmy Wall of Glenshane Grove, Tallaght, Dublin 24 is not allowed to enter the county for the next two years.

The court heard last Wednesday that the defendant entered All Care Pharmacy on Main Street in Dunleer with two women shortly after 1pm on June 12th last year.

He stayed near the entrance and selected different bottles of aftershave and handed them over to them. The goods were never recovered.

READ NEXT: Mum of four involved in mugging student in Louth

The Defence solicitor said his client had a drug addiction at the time.

When Judge Nicola Andrews asked what he was doing in County Louth, the solicitor said his client was binging on drugs at the time, which he said was a turbulent time in his life, while Mr Wall told the court "I was staying there at the time".

Judge Andrews imposed a three month sentence, which she suspended on him entering a bond to be of good behaviour for two years, and on condition that he doesn't enter into County Louth during that period and warned him if he does he risks being arrested and having the suspended jail term activated.
When Eadaoin Clarke first walked through the doors of Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) in 2004, she couldnt have imagined the path ahead. Inspired by family members who praised DKITs community feel and solid education, the Marist Secondary School graduate dove into Civil Engineering drawn by the courses structure and hands-on modules.

But when the economic crash hit after graduation, plans shifted. I took a more stable route initially, she recalls, but it never felt right. In 2011, she returned to DKIT for the Level 8 Engineering Entrepreneurship degree  a turning point that reignited her passion for the construction industry.

From Site Clerk on the Luas Cross City project to Site Engineer at Mac Group, Eadaoin worked her way up, gaining experience across roles, even pushing through a seven-month health setback. In 2019, she founded Curran Construction Services EMC Ltd, a business now offering project management, QS, and health and safety services. Today, she also lectures at DKIT and represents Engineers Ireland as Liaison Officer for STEM in the North East.

Teaching, she says, is a passion: Seeing students have those lightbulb moments  its everything. Her experience as a student has instilled in her a desire to foster a supportive learning environment. Eadaoin believes that the collaborative atmosphere at DkIT was a significant factor in her educational success and has inspired her to return as an educator. She currently lectures on the BSc (Hons) Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

She believes her DKIT years were foundational: I learned how to manage people, communicate clearly, and most importantly, build lasting relationships.

Eadaoin's long-term dream? To grow her business and eventually take over the family firm, Declan Curran Steel Lintels Ltd. Her advice to young students, especially women in STEM? Keep an open mind. Empowering parents and creating inclusive narratives will help change the landscape.

Read Next: Dundalk festival AurFest appeals for support to bridge funding gap

And to her 18-year-old self? Trust your instincts. Get on site. Youll learn faster than you think.

With aspirations to expand her own business and inspire future engineers, she continues to pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive future in the STEM fields.

From student to entrepreneur and educator, Eadaoins journey is a testament to resilience, passion  and the power of coming full circle.

For more details on the BSc (Hons) Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship and other courses check out www.DkIT.ie
Friday 18th July - El Paso Comedy presents Karl Spain + guests - Adm 12 - Doors 8pm

The El Paso Comedy Club returns to Toales Live Venue in Dundalk, hosted as always by Dundalk's favourite Texan - Elizabeth Redmond - on Friday, July 18th, with one of Irelands best-loved comedians, Karl Spain.

A mainstay of the Irish comedy scene for over two decades, Karl shot to national fame with the hit RTE series Karl Spain Wants a Woman in 2005, followed by Karl Spain Wants to Rock in 2009.

His sharp wit and relatable humour have made him a favourite on shows like The Panel, The Late Late Show, Tubridy Tonight, and more recently as the face of the Ray DArcy Shows Stand Up and Be Funny competition.

Karl has performed stand-up across the globefrom Australia and the U.S. to the Middle East and the UKand is a regular at major festivals including Kilkenny Cat Laughs, Galway Comedy Festival, and Edinburgh Fringe.

Whether sharing the stage with Kevin Bridges or Bernard OShea (Fat Chancers), Karls blend of observational humour and laid-back charm always delivers.

Doors op at 8pm. Admission 12. Early arrival is advisedthis ones likely to sell out.

Saturday 19th July - Fomorian + Killjoy + Burn Down The House - Doors 8pm - Adm 8

Fast-rising stars of Irelands underground metal scene, Fomorian return to the main stage at Toales on Saturday, 19th July, following their blistering set at the recent AurFest Music Festival.

Known for their ferocious blend of progressive heavy metal, Fomorian channels the raw power of Lamb of God, Chimaira, and Sepultura into a sound thats both aggressive and precisepacked with pummelling riffs, technical groove, and vocals that shake the walls.

This isnt just a gig. Its a sonic earthquake!. Fomorian dont take the stagethey detonate.

Expect sore necks, raw throats, and one hell of a night.

Support on the night comes from one of Dundalk's finest rock bands Killjoy and debuting in Toales, Kildare Four piece rock band Burn Down the House.

All this for just a fiver! Doors open 8pm
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A 40-year-old Chinese national appeared in court on Thursday, accused of swindling a local businessman out of $322,381 by falsely claiming he could acquire chrome, antimony, and copper, and secure an export license on the businessman's behalf.

Xiang Jun, 40, appeared before Harare Regional magistrate Donald Ndirowei charged with fraud.

He was granted US$300 bail and the matter was remanded to 20 August 2025.

The State, represented by Rufaro Chonzi, alleges that in June 2024, Jun falsely claimed to the complainant that he had the ability to acquire chrome, antimony, and copper, and to secure an export license for them.

Acting upon the misrepresentation, the complainant reportedly paid US$ 322 381-00 to Jun to supply these minerals and to acquire the export licence.

After receiving the funds, Jun signed an acknowledgment of receipt, which can be presented as an exhibit. Li Yuchun, who was present during the transaction, is available to testify as a witness.

After the complainant paid, Jun became evasive and failed to deliver the promised products.

It is the State's case that due to Jun's action, the complainant suffered an actual prejudice of US$322 381-00 and nothing was recovered.
When best-selling British author, Lesley Pearse, decided to set her latest novel in Ireland, she had a strange nocturnal adventure while staying in Youghal, prompting friends to say that it sounded stranger than fiction.

Lesley, who lives in Devon, chose Ireland as the setting for her new book, in homage to her Irish ancestry (her mother was from Roscommon) and the community that helped her find her long-lost son after a search that lasted more than 50 years.

Lesleys close friend invited her to stay in her daughter-in-laws fathers apartment in Youghal.

Lesleys novel, The Girl With The Suitcase, set during World War II, follows the story of shy and meek Mary who meets a woman called Elizabeth in a coffee house in London. Elizabeth is about to travel to Ireland where she has inherited her godmothers house.

Her life couldnt be more different than that of Marys dreary existence as a housemaid. However, when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground, Marys life is suddenly changed forever.

She wakes up in hospital, injured, while Elizabeth has died. As Mary is handed Elizabeths suitcase, money and tickets to Ireland, she realises this is her opportunity to start a new life.

Eighty-year old Lesley, who has written 32 novels and an autobiography since taking up writing at the age of 49, says her new novel could be her last. So it was important for her to give it an Irish backdrop.

She and her friend, Jo, spent a week in the County Cork apartment. It was bitterly cold while we were in Youghal. We roamed around; I did some research, talking to people. Its a very pretty place.

I could imagine someone coming over from England to live there, but how lonely it could be as well.

Up to the day that myself and my friend came to Ireland, I was doing TV and radio all the time about Martin (Lesleys son). So I was rushing and I was very stressed. When we got to the apartment, we downed a few drinks. Big mistake that!

I went up to bed. Jo later said I was out cold, having fallen asleep on top of the bed. She took off my trousers and shoes. I was fast asleep and Jo went off to bed.

While asleep, I went downstairs and out of the apartment block. Of course, the door shut behind me. I was out on the wharf, lucky I didnt fall into the water.

I think it was the cold that made me wake up. I only had a thin raincoat on. When I saw a car coming down the road, I waved at the driver. I told people afterwards that I was rescued by a French baker. He took me into the shop and put an electric blanket over my feet.

I met the landlady of Ahernes bar and restaurant. She was lovely; she loaned me a fur coat.

Lesleys latest book, The Girl With The Suitcase

Everybody was highly amused by the sleepwalking story and Lesley says she could see the funny side of it afterwards.

Her own life story is the stuff of a book. Lesleys mother died in 1948 when she was three. With her father away from home because he was in the Royal Marines, she and her older brother Michael were sent to two different orphanages; in London and Gloucestershire respectively.

All we could talk about at the orphanage was getting a new mother. The place was run by nuns; you know what dragons they could be.

When Lesleys father remarried, her stepmother, an army nurse, was horrified by what was going on at the orphanage. She was worried about the older girls who were hopping into bed with one another. When people are left without anybody to love, they find someone. The sex doesnt have anything to do with it.

The childrens father and their stepmother took them out of the orphanages. Lesley left home at 15, working at various jobs including as a nanny, and as a bunny girl  the worst job in the world because you had to wear high heels all night.

While Lesley says her stepmother, Hilda, was a difficult woman, she is forever grateful to her for introducing her to reading, despite Lesley having undiagnosed dyslexia.

But well before Lesley took up the pen as a means of making a living, she became pregnant at the age of 18. The father was a travelling salesman  a bit of a cliche. I hadnt had any experience of sex before so I was a bit naive. The salesman didnt stick around.

Lesley found her son after a reunion with relatives in Ireland. It triggered the realisation that the man who had recently contacted them from America after a DNA trace indicated that he could be Lesleys son. (Lesley used to speak to the media about her adopted son while doing press for her books.) Mother and son were reunited. Martin has retired from his job as a nautical engineer.

Lesley had tried to keep her infant son. She had him for four months. I had an awful time, trying to hold onto him. It was just impossible in the end. I couldnt get a job or find anywhere to live.

I realised the kindest thing for him would be to let him go. I let my dad see him just before he was adopted. My dad just cried and said my first grandchild and I cant tell anybody.

Having lived through a lot of social change, Lesley says she can hardly believe how the world has turned into a completely different and more tolerant place. She has been married twice and has three daughters, for whom she was able to buy houses thanks to her successful writing career. You could call it poetic justice.

The Girl With The Suitcase, by Lesley Pearse, is published by Penguin Michael Joseph.
Businesses across Cork are being asked to show their support for the Rebels this weekend by decorating their premises in red and white.

As the biggest hurling day of the year approaches, Cork GAA is calling on every corner of the county, including clubs, businesses, and community groups, to be the 16th Rebel by showing unyielding support for the team ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling final.

Cork Chamber and the Cork Business Association are also both urging businesses all around Cork city and county to paint towns and villages red this week, so that on Sunday, the Cork team will take to the field knowing they have the whole county behind them.

Businesses and community groups are also being asked to shoot short and creative videos, showing how the community supports the Rebel hurlers.

Naoimh Frawley, director of people, operations and governance at Cork Chamber, said that every gesture matters when it comes to showing the Cork team a county-wide display of pride and solidarity.

As the All-Ireland Hurling final approaches, were calling on businesses across Cork to get behind the team, said Ms Frawley.

Whether its flying the Cork flag, lighting up your building in red, hanging bunting, or proudly wearing red on the day  every gesture matters.

Lets turn Cork red in support of our team.

Dave O'Brien, president of the Cork Business Association said that the Cork business community is immensely proud of our senior hurling team as they head into the All-Ireland Hurling final this weekend.

The passion, skill, and dedication theyve shown all season reflects the very best of Cork, said Mr OBrien.

We're all behind Pat Ryan and the team  lets hope they can bring Liam MacCarthy back to Leeside.

I'd encourage all businesses in the city to put out the Cork colours in support. Corcaigh Abu!"
Cork City Council is monitoring the progress of returning derelict buildings on Barrack St to use, after they were sold with a caveat that they had to be put back into use within five months time.

Councillors voted in November 2022 to sell, for 275,000 plus Vat, two derelict properties, 118 and 119 Barrack St, acquired by the local authority using compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers the previous year.

The properties were deemed unsuitable to be developed as social housing by the councils housing directorate, and councillors were told at the time that the proposed purchaser had proposed a commercial use at the lower level, with residential above.

A number of conditions were attached to the property disposal, including one which stipulates that the purchaser must complete the redevelopment and/or refurbishment of the property and removal of dereliction to the satisfaction of Cork City Council within a maximum of two years from the date of closing of the contract for sale.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council told The Echo that the agreement did not commence until the end of 2023, so the developer has five more months to complete the work.

They said: As part of Cork City Councils strategy to address dereliction, 118 and 119 were acquired by Cork City Council.

The properties were subsequently sold on condition that works to remove dereliction be undertaken and completed within two years, the agreement commencing December 2023.

Works are underway, and Cork City Council is monitoring progress to ensure compliance with the terms of the sale.

Green Party councillor for the South Central ward, Dan Boyle, told The Echo that he stood by the decision to compulsorily acquire and then sell on the properties, which had been left vacant for several years.

He said: It is frustrating that the work is taking so long to get started. The decision to compulsory purchase and sell on was correct.

I am still of the belief that the new owner is invested in seeing that these buildings meet their full potential.

His ward colleague, Fine Gaels Shane OCallaghan, said: There needs to be progress made on that, because the buildings are still derelict and they were sold with a view to them being used for housing and no longer being derelict.
A promise to expand the use of cameras for traffic management in a recently-published road safety strategy has been welcomed by a Cork city councillor, who has urged the Government to implement changes as soon as possible.

Phase two of the Governments Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% by 2030, was published this week.

This phase of the action plan, which will run until the end of 2027, centres on a set of 12 primary actions to be delivered in collaborative partnership by actors across the sector.

The actions aim to deliver significant or transformative impacts for road safety in Ireland.

The plan also includes 77 complementary supporting actions that partners will deliver in the coming years in support of Irelands road safety objectives.

One of the 12 main actions listed in the plan is to expand the efficiency and capability of camera-based enforcement to improve road safety by changing driver behaviour.

The strategy states that it will implement the national safety camera strategy which was prepared during phase 1.

It will also consider the use of camera-based enforcement to automatically detect the use of mobile phones and the non-wearing of seat belts.

Additionally, strategy also promises to expand, in a sustainable manner, the use of cameras for traffic management improvements and enforcement of other offences where road safety is likely to also benefit.

Several agencies are to be involved in delivering and enforcing this promise, including the Department of Justice, the National Transport Authority, An Garda Siochana, the Courts Service, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and local authorities.

Labour councillor and chairman of the councils strategic policy committee on transport, Peter Horgan, who has been advocating for CCTV enforcement, including the introduction of traffic cameras with automatic number-plate recognition, said that the strategy was welcome.

He told The Echo: Its welcome that more and more bodies are coming on board with the need for camera enforcement as a measure to deter motoring offences  but we have to stop talking, and start doing.

The minister has the summer recess now to publish the legislation that will allow this enforcement to take place, and I hope the minister takes advantage of that, said Mr Horgan.

He added: It does underpin the need for more powers to be allowed for local authorities to establish and monitor the motoring offences, rather than relying on the Dublin Government for all enabling regulations.
Cork will need to reimagine its city centre and the surrounding suburbs for the future, taking care to retain its own unique character, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said.

In a recent interview with The Echo, Tanaiste Simon Harris said that he was eager that the Cork city centre taskforce, promised in the programme for government, be established by the end of the year.

Asked if he was anxious to reclaim the taskforce from the Fine Gael leader, Mr Martin laughed and said: I dont have to reclaim anything when it comes to Cork.

Of course, I havent been waiting for taskforces to invest in Cork and to develop initiatives in Cork, and I think the docklands has been a really good example, added the Taoiseach.

Im very pleased with how Cork City Council, the LDA [the Land Development Agency], are working together to really drive the development on the docklands.

Mr Martin said he had given careful consideration to the future needs of the city, and believed that the terms of reference needed to be correctly identified for any examination of those needs.

As someone whos lived adjacent to the city centre all my life, in terms of being brought up in Turners Cross, Im very conscious that well have to reimagine the city centre for the future, and then the immediate suburbs around the city centre, the South Parish, the Turners Cross area, the north central area, Blackpool, the North Chapel area, the Shandon area, and then out to UCC and that area.

What can we do to reinvigorate it, to reimagine it for the future?

Cities are changing, Mr Martin said, and what was needed for the future was more than a short- term taskforce to come up with recommendations.

The Dublin taskforce came up with good recommendations, and I think we can do that here.

The composition is important, but we have to give it a bit of thought, because the city is developing outwards.

Its a growing city, we have to be very careful that as it expands, and it will grow in population, that it retains its character, and the city centre, in my view, gives Cork its character, he said.

I just went through the English Market earlier this morning, and that is the kind of thing we want to retain and nurture in our city into the future.
A Cork woman who admitted stealing food from a local supermarket said that she did not pay for the items because they were overpriced, the district court has heard.

Court presenter Sergeant Linda OLeary told Midleton District Court that Katie ODriscoll, aged 27, of Prosperous Place, Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Cork had gone into SuperValu in Midleton with her mother on May 15, 2025.

The court heard that ODriscoll took several items that were on the display including meat and pudding and placed them in a shopping bag.

She left the store, passing the checkouts without paying for the items, valued at 22.27. ODriscoll was identified by CCTV footage and made full admissions to the theft when it was put to her. In a statement ODriscoll said she had stolen the items because she thought they were overpriced.

The court was told that ODriscoll had no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Joseph Cuddigan said that his client was a single mother who had been fully co-operative and she had brought 25 to court in compensation.

Judge Colm Roberts convicted ODriscoll of theft and fined her 100, allowing her two months to pay the fine.
With the city and county painted red and All-Ireland excitement at fever pitch, Cork City Council and Cork GAA are appealing to fans to use their Rebels Fanzone tickets.

The fanzone will see thousands of fans come together in the historic SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh to show their support to the Senior Hurling team.

All 20,000 tickets were snapped up on Thursday morning in a matter of hours.

Commenting on the return of the Fanzone, the Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Fergal Dennehy said: I am delighted that the fanzone is returning!

"It was an incredible atmosphere last year, and I know that the people of Cork as excited to come together to support Pat and the lads. I want to thank my colleagues in Cork City Council, the Gardai and Cork GAA for working together the make this possible.

Those attending please note:
Cannonball, the supercar spectacle, is set to take place on September 12-14, with Ballymaloe in Cork among the locations to be taken in on the national route.

Cannonball, fuelled by milesPLUS from Circle K, is the largest organised road trip in Europe featuring some of the finest cars on the planet  from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, to Porsche, Aston Martin and Maserati. There are more than 200,000 spectators expected, with free festivals organised across the route.

The Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation is the official charity partner for Cannonball 2025.

It is a charity that provides in-home nursing care, respite support, and end-of-life care for children up to the age of six with severe learning disabilities and complex medical needs.

The charity also provides end-of-life care for all children up to age six, regardless of diagnosis and allowing families to care for their child at home during their final days.

TRALEE

Along with Ballymaloe, the Cannonball route also will take in Tralee, Killarney, Clare, Sligo, Cavan and concludes in Naas.

Cannonball has already raised 2,024,809 for Irish childrens charities.

Presenters PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe from Radio Nova are looking forward to the upcoming fundraising drive for Jack and Jill.

We broadcasted our show from the start line at Cannonball last year and we were blown away by the atmosphere and the buzz of it all.

We cant wait to be there at the start line at Johnstown Estate again on September 12.

Weve long been supporters of the Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation and are proud to help raise awareness for what promises to be a spectacular fundraiser for this fantastic charity.
A 45-year-old man was refused bail when he was charged with seven counts of shoplifting at various stores around Cork city allegedly to pay for his heroin and crack cocaine addiction.

Sergeant John Dineen said today that there was an objection to bail being granted to Edward Daly of 8 Inchera Lawn, Mahon, Cork, at Cork District Court.

Garda Tim OCallaghan said that by his own admission the accused had an addiction to heroin and crack cocaine.

ADDICTIONS

He added that gardai were concerned that the accused man would commit further theft offences to pay for these addictions.

Oriane Leake, solicitor, submitted that the defendant was attempting to get treatment, had been detoxing for the past four days, and was waiting to get a bed for residential treatment.

I would ask for bail until he gets a bed and his treatment can properly commence, Ms Leake said.

Judge John King refused bail and remanded the defendant in custody until July 23.

The charges are serious, evidence is strong and I cannot say they will be dealt with summarily (at district rather circuit court level). I refuse bail.

The seven theft charges refer to Lidl on Clashduv Road, Togher, Cork, on June 6, Aldi at Skehard Road, Cork, on June 27 and again on July 1, on that same date Tesco Paul Street shopping centre, Scallys Supervalu on Skehard Road on May 29, Tesco in Mahon Point shopping centre on July 11 and on July 17.

Sergeant Dineen said that some of the alleged thefts were of small amounts of property.

But in respect of Tesco at Paul Street, it is alleged that 247 worth of items were stolen and that in Tesco, Mahon Point, 238 worth of bottles of alcohol was stolen on another occasion.
Geneva  The UN Human Rights chief, Volker Turk, has deplored the killing of dozens of civilians by both parties amid ongoing hostilities in Sudan's Kordofan region over the past week.

The UN Human Rights Office, in a statement on Thursday, verified the killing of at least 60 civilians by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan's Bara area since July 10.

Civil society groups have reported that up to 300 people were killed in the latest clashes in the northeast African country.

"It is distressing that more than two years since the conflict began, parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to demonstrate callous disregard for civilians' lives and safety," said Turk.

At least 23 other civilians were reported killed and more than 30 others injured when airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) hit two villages in West Kordofan from July 10 to 14.

In addition, on July 17, at least 11 civilians - all members of the same family - were killed in a SAF airstrike in Bara locality.

The latest civilian deaths come amid worrying reports that the RSF is mobilising for an offensive on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.

The UN Human Rights Chief also expressed continued concern for the safety of civilians in El Fasher, North Darfur, following multiple RSF attacks on the besieged city in recent days.

Ground attack

These include a ground attack on July 11 and 12, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

"An escalation of hostilities in North Darfur and Kordofan will only further aggravate the already severe risks to civilians and the dire humanitarian situation in a conflict that has already wrought untold suffering on the Sudanese people," said Turk.

He urged those with influence to act to prevent such an escalation, and to "ensure that both parties uphold their obligations under international law, including on the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure".

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The rights chief renewed his calls on the warring parties to ensure safe, sustained, and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, including through humanitarian pauses, and to prevent and repress violations of international law.

"All alleged violations must be fully and independently investigated and those responsible brought to justice," said Turk.

Sudan lurched into a civil war in April 2023 after a power struggle broke out between its army and a powerful paramilitary group, the RSF.

According to the BBC, more than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
A visit to the doctor the Friday before last years All-Ireland hurling final caused Cork publican Michael ODonovan to miss the match  but he is alive to go to final this year thanks to that visit, and the subsequent hospital scan which led to the discovery of a serious health condition.

The Castle Inn owner, who is also the president of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, visited his doctor, Michelle Dillon at the Curraheen Clinic, as he had been ill during a recent holiday in the US. He had, in fact, collapsed twice due to fits of coughing.

Speaking to PJ Coogans Opinion Line show on 96 FM on Friday, Mr ODonovan described a hectic weekend he had planned as he and his wife, Clodagh, were to attend a number of All-Ireland related events. The former Barrs hurler was planning to meet with his team-mates to chat about the match prospects and had tickets booked for the pre-match Cork jubilee team banquet also.

His doctor, however, had other ideas. She booked him in for a scan that afternoon and after the consultant, Mr OLeary, saw the results of that, he said Michael would need an urgent operation to treat a leaking bowel, a condition which, if untreated, could have had dire consequences.

He was operated on the next day and, on Sunday, when he would have been in Croke Park watching Cork and Clare, he was in the ICU on a morphine machine. His wife and daughter brought in a screen to the end of his bed so he could watch the match, but every time the morphine machine gave him a dose, he drifted off to sleep.

I have no memory of that match, he said, speaking to The Echo. Its funny the way life throws things at you.

Its been a long year, and Michael had to undergo several surgeries  the latest of which was last month  but now hes on the mend and very grateful to all those who cared for him during his illness.

The series of operations he had led to lifestyle changes in terms of when he eats, as well as 5k walks near his home. But all of that notwithstanding, hes looking forward to Sundays match and surrounding events and, who knows, a bit of a celebration on Monday if the result goes the right way.
Irish people will have noticed that whether its a shortage of housing, hospital beds, funding for schools, disability services, or mental health, everything we pay taxes for, there are always critical shortage crises.

Temporary burgeoning tax receipts from multi-nationals give some temporary relief, but will run down, particularly arising from Trumps tariff moves.

Those in employment pay enough tax. For a country at full employment, with people working hard, several of the untapped big pots of tax revenue on capital and wealth will have to be tapped to sustain people and their children. Government glossy documents on housing and health are only make-believe otherwise.

In 2024, Ireland registered a government surplus of 9 billion, when 14 billion from the Apple European Court of Justice tax ruling was deducted. That was before Trumps U.S tariffs and includes the continuing buoyant tax receipts from multi-nationals. The surplus was stashed by government in to the Future Ireland Fund for infrastructure needs.

The Central Bank last month warned of the negative effects of Trumps tariffs on the economy, the prospect of a sharp reduction in tax receipts from U.S multi-nationals, and losing its windfall tax revenue up to 17 billion. Within a few years, Ireland could be back to a government deficit, requiring austerity, which means reduced public spending and increased taxes on those in employment.

Of course, this all depends on the results of tariff deals between the EU and U.S, whether chemicals and semiconductors are included in the overall 20% tariffs, and what the impact on multi-nationals will be.

But, it seems obvious Ireland cant allow its people to become sitting ducks to these risks to tax receipts. The population here is now 5.3 million, having grown by a staggering 98,700 in 2024.

People will have noticed government warnings on tighter public spending next year, given the fear of falling multinational tax receipts, and will wonder now, how, with healthy government surpluses in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the housing situation has worsened, hospital waiting lists are as bad, schools are asking parents for more contributions, and the government wants to increase student fees.

Over 235,000 people are in need of housing at the moment with over 15,000 in emergency accommodation; 717,000 are on hospital waiting lists. We have a public/private mix in health care, those with private health insurance have a separate route to care and thats why nearly half of people purchase it. This proportion is falling, given the sharp increases in premiums, currently averaging 1,685 per person per annum.

Its a head-scratcher for so many that, even with our economic success, full employment and government surpluses, theres a shortage of all public services, to say nothing of the cost of living.

The government will point to the risks of falling tax revenues from tariffs for next year. Of course, the worst case scenario of tariffs may not happen, multi-national receipts may still be strong and we could have reasonable surpluses up to 2030. But even in the last three years, when there were no tariffs and large government surpluses, housing, health, and other services have not improved.

Its obvious the tariff problem is risky to tax receipts and we have to hope for the very best outcome. But,its even more obvious that despite large tax and windfall tax revenues from multi-nationals over the years, the Irish state still did not make progress on key areas which make life worth living: a home; decent health care; affordable education; poverty reduction; publicly provided childcare; more investment in leaking water pipes, and a whole raft of other areas.

The obvious conclusion is Ireland needs more taxes from other areas, in addition to multi-nationals, other than taxes on work, which, in order to provide for peoples needs, so the state could plan for the medium to long-term in housing, health, etc, rather than being hostages to fortune on dividing out what tax revenue is available in the short-term, totally at the mercy of the global economy.

The Commission on Taxation recognises this need. It recommended increased taxes on wealth and capital, including property, land, other assets, capital acquisitions tax and capital gains taxes. Crucially, these are not payroll taxes. These billions of euros per annum in untapped tax revenue would be levied progressively, meaning those with greater wealth pay more, so as not to hurt pay packets.

We cant rely on increased out-of-pocket payments for health insurance, elder care, child care, education, and other vital areas going forward. Most families are double income earners, paying high mortgages or rents, and childcare. The burden must shift to more efficient public provision, and be funded from increased taxes on wealth and capital.

Public money must still be spent wisely and efficiently. For example, a well-planned social health insurance-funded health system could provide universal, free health care and elder care for all, funded by social insurance contributions by employers and a modest employee contribution, which would make health insurance unnecessary for most people. This happens in Germany and many other countries.

This still means innovation must be fostered in the economy. In addition, public spending scandals like the national childrens hospital must be avoided in a new, strategic way, with proper oversight in tightly-managed fashion, which is planned and sustainable, supported by new tax revenues which can be relied on.

The lack of planning and practices of successive governments akin to well just see how much we have next year for housing or health, has to end.

This approach is needed to sustain people, to prevent them being left running on empty, becoming disaffected, and turning their anger on migrants and other groups, which only creates racism and hate. A more balanced, fair, and sustainable society, which sustains hard-working people, is necessary and achievable.
GOING OUT

Theatre

Saturday

The Beacon by Nancy Harris, The Everyman, 2pm and 7:30pm; The play follows Beiv who is renovating a house on an island in West Cork. Her ex-husband died in mysterious circumstances a decade ago and the body was never found. Tickets 25.

The Smuggler by Ronan Noone, Cork Arts Theatre, 8pm; Its 2025. Tim Finnegan is an Irish immigrant trying to make it as a writer on Amity, an affluent summer colony in Massachusetts, where tensions flare between the migrant and local communities after a fatal car crash. Tickets 18.

Music

Saturday

These Charming Men - A Tribute To The Smiths, Cyprus Avenue, 7pm: These Charming Men from Dublin were formed in 1995 and to this day continue to charm fans of The Smiths all around the globe with their finely tuned, energetic and passionate live shows. Tickets 22.

Dead Cult: Craic Sabbath: A Tribute To Black Sabbath, Kino Events House, 9pm; Craic Sabbath is a high-energy Black Sabbath tribute band hailing from Limerick, bringing the iconic sounds of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward back to life with an Irish flair. Tickets 17.

M'ADAM, Sirius Arts Centre Cobh, 8pm; MADAM is a musician based in Cork whose music weaves a tapestry of melancholy, nostalgia, and introspection, blending folk rock and indie styles. Tickets 15.

Clonakilty Country Music Festival, Clonakilty Agricultural Showgrounds, 5pm; Get those cowboy boots on and gear up for a cracker of a country music festival. The fun starts from 5:15pm with a warmup act before Claudia Buckley at 7:30 and Cliona Hagan at 10pm. Tickets 20.

Cian Ducrot, Live at the Marquee, 6:30pm; Homegrown Cork star Cian Ducrot takes to the tent for the first of two nights down the Marquee. Tickets 67.40.

Sunday

Jazz at Sonflour, Sonflour, Castle Street, 8pm; Jazz at Sonflour returns for its second edition, this time featuring acclaimed Irish pianist Cormac McCarthy. Cormac is joined on the evening by Gavin Smith on guitar, Michael Riordan on bass and Michael McCarthy on drums. Tickets 10.

Cian Ducrot, Live at the Marquee, 6:30pm; Couldnt nab tickets to Saturdays gig? Not to fear, Cian is back singing his heart out on Sunday night too. Tickets 67.40.

Other Events

Saturday

World Peace Gathering 2025, Dripsey Castle; This event will welcome respected elders and spiritual leaders from around the globe such as Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. and delegates from the Council of the Condor, Eagle, Quetzal, and Hummingbird. You'll witness powerful moments with voices from the Dine (Navajo), Hopi, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Lakota, Kalaallit of Greenland, Friesland, the Amazon, the Andes, and beyond across the weekend. Tickets from 86.78.

Popscence Cruise, Custom House Quay, 5:30pm; Setting sail from Customs House Quay with Cork Harbour Cruises on board the fully covered cruise ship with a 2.5 hour party cruise across Cork Harbour with full bar and DJ playing your favourite dancefloor classics. Tickets 70.

Circus Factory Summer Student Showcase, The Circus Factory, 7:30pm; The students at The Circus Factory have been working hard and are now ready to step into the spotlight and showcase their skills. Tickets 15.

The Cosy Edit, Kove Studios Douglas, 10am; Head to Kove Studios for a signature ALIGN Pilates class, followed by a skincare demo led by a skin expert featuring Cosy Girls Clubs bestselling tools  which youll also get to take home. Enjoy light refreshments and time to connect in a cosy, welcoming setting. Tickets 39.

Our top 5 films at the cinema

1. FI: All action, all adrenaline, this Formula One film is a joyride.

2. Superman: It is a new era for Superman, and David Corenswet is a perfect Man of Steel

3. 28 Years Later: Danny Boyles zombies are back in this nerve-racking outing.

4. My Mom Jayne: Fascinating documentary about 1950s actor Jayne Mansfield made by her daughter, Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order fame.

5. Jurassic World Rebirth: More dinos, more adventures.

STAYING IN

Television

Saturday

The Hit List, BBC1, 5.45pm: Rochelle and Marvin Humes are clearly hitting all the right notes because theyre back with the eighth series of the music quiz.

Sunday

The Sunday Game Live, RTE2, 2.15pm: Those who don't have tickets for Croker might want to tune in for the All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Tipperary, throw-in 3.30pm.

Streaming

Untamed, Netflix: Eric Bana stars in this six-part series set in the Yosemite National Park, as a member of the investigative services branch of the National Parks Service, hunting for a killer who knows the area just as well as him.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paramount+: A bold venture back into the universe created by Gene Roddenberry, with the third season of this hit series, set a decade before the adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and co.
Gordon Deegan

Former All-Star and Clare All-Ireland winning hurler, Niall Gilligan, told Gardai that he acted in a reasonable manner to protect himself from injury and assault from others at the Jamaica Inn hostel on October 5th, 2023.

At Ennis Circuit Court on Friday, the jury heard that Mr Gilligan made a pre-prepared statement to Gardai at Shannon Garda Station on February 19th, 2024, in response to the then-allegation that he assaulted a 12-year-old boy with a stick at the Jamaica Inn hostel on October 5th 2023.

On Friday, the jury was also told that the boy that Mr Gilligan is alleged to have assaulted sustained a fractured bone in his left hand.

Medical reports from October 2023 show that the boy on examination also had a 2cm wound to his right forearm, a 2cm wound to his right shin, bruising to his right shoulder, while medics also believed that the boy lost consciousness briefly earlier on October 5th, 2023.

The boy's hand was placed in a splint, and he was advised not to engage in contact sports for one month after its removal later on October 20th, 2023.

Photographs of the boys injuries were also shown to the jury along with the muck-stained clothes that the boy was wearing on October 5th.

In evidence, the boys father said that he first brought his son to a VHI clinic at Raheen, Limerick, on the evening of October 5th, 2023.

He said: Once they (medical staff) started cutting his clothes off him, they were finding more and more injuries.

He said: They found he had soiled himself, which led them to believe that he was unconscious at some stage.

He said that medics at the VHI Clinic made the decision that the boy should be transferred by ambulance to the A&E at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

The boys father said that he didnt believe his sons initial story that he had fallen off his bike.

He said: I definitely didnt think that he fell off a bike. He was covered head to toe in muck.

The father said that his son had a swollen hand and he was limping. He was talking quite fast as well, and he was pale, so I imagine adrenaline and shock."

The father told the jury today that he got Niall Gilligans phone number on the evening of October 5th after his son had told him what had occurred earlier, where Mr Gilligan is accused of assaulting the boy with a stick.

Mr Gilligan (48) of Rossroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, denies the charge of assault causing harm with a stick at the Jamaica Inn hostel, Sixmilebridge on October 5th 2023.

In evidence, the father said that he phoned Mr Gilligan and said: I said I am currently in A&E with my son who you just viciously attacked.

The father said that Mr Gilligan did not respond to the allegation.

In his account of the phone call, in his prepared statement read out in court by Dec Garda Noel Carroll, Mr Gilligan said: He said that his son got hurt. I made no comment to that after his son and others had broken into my building and caused extensive damage, including lighting a fire, releasing my fire extinguishers, breaking windows, writing graffiti."

Mr Gilligan said that he decided there and then to take legal advice as soon as I could about this call and make a formal complaint to the Gardai about the damage and trespass.

Mr Gilligan was formally arrested on suspicion of assault at Shannon Garda Station on February 19th, 2024 and accompanied there by his solicitor, Daragh Hassett, Mr Gilligan denied any assault and said that on October 5th, 2023 at the Jamaica Inn hostel: I acted in a reasonable manner to protect myself from injury and assault from a person or persons unknown to me in the conditions that prevailed.

In the statement running to five pages, Mr Gilligan added: I acted in a reasonable manner to protect my property from destruction by fire and further damage.

He said: I didnt know who or what was coming at me that night."

Something was coming at me, wasnt retreating or calling out to me so I had to defend myself as any reasonable person would."

I feel sorry for the boy, but the fact is that if he and others hadnt broken into my property, lit a fire, stole the keys and caused other damage, this incident would never have happened.

He said: Since this incident, there has been despicable commentary about me over what actually happened, none of which is true. I am glad that I have the opportunity to set the record straight."

On the incident with the boy at the Jamaica Inn, Mr Gilligan told Gardai that he realised on the evening of October 5th, 2023, that I wasnt alone in the building.

He said: "I went back down, slowly picking up a wooden stick I found on the ground. As I entered the hallway, I heard voices and then saw two people running away to my left towards the external door I had come in."

I then heard footsteps fast coming behind me over my right shoulder. I felt I was going to be attacked, so to protect myself, I drew out with the stick on two occasions and then kicked out twice.

I shouted at the person to get back as I did this. At that stage, I could see that I was dealing with a male youth. I grabbed him by his coat or jacket and brought him out of the building.

We went around the back to see where the other two intruders had gone to.

When we got around the back, we got entangled in the dark and fell on top of each other on a slippery path under the pine trees."

Mr Gilligan said that he told the youth never to again enter my property".

He said: I proceeded to walk him out to the front gate. I asked him his name at this stage. He gave his name. He made no complaint of any injuries to me.

He said: At that stage, I met Pat Donnellan, who was parked outside. I told him that managing the property was a nightmare.

Mr Gilligan said that he had been "very concerned about fire and vandalism at the Jamaica Inn hostel.

He said: Around this time, there were rumours in Sixmilebridge that I was going to lease the building as accommodation for asylum seekers.

Mr Gilligan added: There was resistance locally to this and there was no truth in that rumour as I had never been approached, but I was concerned about an arson at the property, especially after a fire had been lit and fire extinguishers were discharged.

Mr Gilligan said that as he had every concern that the building would be burnt out, he said he rang the Gardai on October 4th just before lunchtime, and the call rang out.

He said: I called into Sixmilebridge Garda Station a few times that day but did not get to meet any Garda on duty."

He said that he called to the Garda Station on the morning of October 5th, but there was no one there.

Mr Gilligan said that he purchased the Jamaica Inn hostel in 2022 and sold it on in late 2023 to a company in Shannon who required accommodation for staff.

At the conclusion of the evidence on Friday, Judge Francis Comerford told the jury that they had heard a lot of evidence today.

He cautioned: Dont come to any firm conclusions in your own minds until you have heard all the evidence, the speeches by the lawyers and the charge from me.

The trial continues before a jury of seven men and five women on Monday.
Claire Henry

A witness has told a jury that he heard the gardai shout knife before a teenager was allegedly spear tackled to the ground.

Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1st, 2021.

A witness in the case, Darragh Fitzpatrick, told the trial on Friday that on the evening in question, he had just finished hurling training when he received a call from his friends who were in the Essex Street area.

He cycled to the area and met with his friends. Mr Fitzpatrick told the jury that he was not drinking and was just chatting and socialising with his friends.

Mr Fitzpatrick described seeing a group of young people drinking down a lane and, upon seeing them, he turned away and left the lane, telling the court, it wasnt my scene. He also described seeing gardai in the area.

John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, asked Mr Fitzpatrick if he had seen any interaction between the gardai and the complainant in this case, to which he replied: He seemed out of it, he didnt seem to know what was going on.

Mr Fitzpatrick also told the jury that he saw a bit of grabbing and handcuffs being placed on him [the complainant] and hearing something about a knife.

Mr Fitzpatrick told the jury that when he heard the word knife, he took a step back. He then told Mr Gallagher, prosecuting, that he saw one of the members of the gardai, identified as Mr Murphy, spear tackle the complainant.

He described the complainant as going limp and lifeless. He said: At the time, I was frozen. I was stuck to the spot, taking it all in. I was initially very shocked.

Under cross-examination from Justin McQuaid BL, defending, Mr Fitzpatrick confirmed there were a lot of people drinking in public and that pubs were closed due to Covid-19.

The witness agreed that he saw a large group of young people, and that was so off-putting to him that he turned around. He further agreed that he was wary to the extent that he turned around.

Mr McQuaid put it to Mr Fitzpatrick that when he heard the word knife, he had the benefit of retreating, to which the witness replied: I think I stood my ground.

Counsel responded: You said, I took a step back, I wrote that down, to which Mr Fitzpatrick said, I may have.

Another witness, Aileen Fitzmaurice, also gave evidence on Friday that she had been in the area with Mr Fitzpatrick at the time of the alleged incident.

She recalled there were quite a few teenagers in the area, and they were approached by two members of the gardai. She told the jury that she could not hear what was said between the gardai and the complainant but thought there was an aggressive demeanour.

Ms Fitzmaurice described that everything then happened quite quickly, and the complainant ended up face down on the ground. He was restrained by the gardai, and she then heard shouting, where is the knife?

She said a garda van then arrived, and additional gardai. Describing the gardai taking the complainant off the ground, Ms Fitzmaurice said: It was like they flipped him in a sudden manner and bashed his head off the ground. She described a loud sound, which was startling.

Mr McQuaid asked Ms Fitzmaurice to confirm that she heard where is the knife being repeatedly said, which she did. He put it to her that her friend Mr Fitzpatrick heard the word knife being said before the complainant was arrested.

Ms Fitzmaurice said that was not her recollection, but she said it was four years ago and she cannot remember exactly the sequence of how it happened.

Eoghan Hickey also gave evidence that he was socialising with his friends, Mr Fitzpatrick and Ms Fitzmaurice. Mr Hickey said he heard one of the gardai saying drop the knife repeatedly. He also described the complainant as being limp when he was brought to the garda van.

Mr McQuaid told Mr Hickey that in his official statement, he said the complainant was pushed against the wall and gardai shouted where is the knife and then slammed him to the ground, which Mr Hickey confirmed.

Counsel said, It is perfectly clear that when they shouted, where is the knife the complainant was upright when you heard that, to which he replied, Yes.

Donal Grant, an investigator with Fiosru, previously known as GSOC, gave evidence that this matter came to his attention after it was reported that the complainant in this case suffered a head injury as a result of his arrest. He said an investigation began, CCTV footage and witness statements were taken, and Mr Murphy was interviewed on two occasions.

Mr Grant then created a report, which was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and they directed a prosecution.

Two statements from Mr Murphy were read to the jury in which he outlined the events of June 1st, 2021.

Mr Murphy said that he went to assist his colleague, who was dealing with the complainant. Mr Murphy instructed the complainant to remove his hands from his pockets. He noted that the young male tensed up and was again asked to take his hands out of his pockets, to which he did not comply.

Mr Murphy's statement said the complainant produced a glass bottle, and he did so in such a way that Mr Murphy believed he was at risk of being struck with the bottle. The bottle was then pushed out of the complainant's hand, and he was informed that he was being placed under arrest.

The complainant was placed on the ground, and a fellow garda placed one handcuff on him. His second hand was under him, and he was resisting arrest, the court heard.

Mr Murphy said he managed to take hold of his second hand, and he was handcuffed. The statement said that the complainant was spitting towards Mr Murphy, and prisoner transport was requested.

Mr Murphy stood up and took the complainant to his feet as well. He told the crowd that had gathered to get back, but they did not do so. Mr Murphy said he felt unsafe both for his own personal safety and the safety of the arrested male.

He said he had his hand on the complainant's back and he felt him shift his weight, and Mr Murphy successfully performed a leg sweep. The side of the complainant's body and head made contact with the ground.

Mr Murphy checked him visually and said that at no stage was he unconscious. He again requested prisoner transport and that a doctor be called to Pearse Street Garda Station.

The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Ireland remains committed to renewing the Unifil mission, the Tanaiste has said.

Simon Harris held discussions with EU and UN counterparts on Friday in a bid to secure a continuation of the mission ahead of the renewal of its mandate at the end of August.

He held separate calls with UN Under Secretary General for peace operations Jean Pierre LaCroix, foreign minister of Italy, Antonio Taranji, and foreign minister of Lebanon, Youssef Raggi.

Speaking afterwards, the Tanaiste said: Since 1978, participation in Unifil has been a key demonstration of Irelands commitment to international peacekeeping.

I remain exceptionally proud of the Defence Forces members serving in Unifil and the contribution they make every day.

It is clear to me, including through my visit in March this year, that Unifil continues to play a vital role in ensuring stability and security.

He added: Ireland remains committed to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon, including through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the renewal of Unifils mandate in the coming weeks.

In the call with Mr Rajji, Mr Harris also discussed the ongoing trial of those accused of killing Private Sean Rooney in Lebanon in December 2022.

He said: I underscored the importance of ensuring accountability and justice in this case for the family of Private Rooney, the Government and people of Ireland.

Mr Harris will hold further talks on the matter, including with the French foreign minister, who is leading the bid to secure the renewal of the mandate.

Poland has also said it believes the mission must continue for the stability and security of the region.

Mr Harris told Cabinet this week that the Unifil mission is vital for retention and morale of Irish troops, as well as Irelands unwavering commitment to international peace and security.
West Point  When the sea turns rough, Elizabeth Gray and her family have nowhere to run. Water floods through their home in this low-lying informal settlement, forcing her three children to relieve themselves indoors while waves crash just meters from their door.

As this year's rainy season gets underway, the family lives in terror. They've already lost one house to the sea. Four years ago, the ocean swallowed Gray's four-room home along with everything inside. Now they live in constant fear that her current dwelling, where seawater regularly floods the floors during rough weather, will be next. Sea levels are rising slowly, but it's the rainy season, and ocean surges that come with storms, that is taking houses now.

"Our children are not safe," Gray, 29, says in a recent interview. "Now the sea is giving us a hard time, and we don't have anywhere apart from this house."

Gray's story illustrates the human cost of a climate change adaptation project that has stalled because of failures of Liberia's government. The Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project was designed to protect 250,000 residents from exactly this kind of devastation. But annual progress reports from the Green Climate Fund - the global donor pool that was to fund two thirds of the costs of the project - show that failures of the administration of President George Weah delayed the project for years.

The Weah administration had allegedly diverted millions to fund the 2023 elections. People here received bags of rice from representatives of Weah's political party. But the election campaign meant little to more than a dozen families here like Musa Bamba. As sea levels surged during storms in the rainy season that led up to the 2023 poll, his 12-room house - home to 6 members of his family - slipped into the sea.

Coastal Defense Project Hailed as a Triumph by Government

The project should have been a triumph of international cooperation. Launched in 2021 by then-Monrovia mayor, Jefferson Koijee, the project secured $17.2 million from the Green Climate Fund and another $1.6 million from the United Nations Development Program. The project's design would see a so-called "revetment", placing massive rocks along the shoreline to hold back the sea for at least 40 years.

It was Liberia's biggest grant to date from the world's largest climate adaptation fund. Started in the wake of the 2021 Paris Agreement, the Green Climate Fund took money from heavilyy polluting rich countries to help developing nations adapt to the rapidly changing climate. The government of President George Weah agreed to contribute $6.8 million--one quarter of the total cost. Just $2 million was to be paid in cash, with the rest coming "in kind" - mostly in the form of rocks that would be sourced from Mount Coffee and brought to West Point.

But over three years, the Weah administration contributed just $50,000 total in cash, according to the Green Climate Fund's 2023 annual performance report, roughly 2.5 percent of the $2 million it had promised.

"Insufficient co-financing provided by the Government of Liberia" caused "significant" delays, the fund's 2023 report stated. Annual reporting in 2022 blamed delays on the government's slow pace in appointing project management staff, something that plagued another Green Climate Fund project in Liberia - the $10 million Climate Information Systems project that would have warned millions of farmers and flood victims of weather hazards ahead of time.

In a phone interview Samuel Tweah, who served as Weah's finance minister, acknowledged the government's failure but blamed it on the COVID-19 pandemic. "Under the circumstances, it was just difficult. People were staying home, we had to pay government workers, and all those things," Tweah said.

But the delays extended well beyond the pandemic and the lockdowns that ended in late 2021. As 2023 went on, the Green Climate Fund report said, the government became increasingly focused on "the 2023 presidential and legislative elections." New Narratives/Front Page Africa reporting has found that in the run-up to the elections, funds were diverted from almost every government entity. The anti-human trafficking unit in the Ministry of Labor, for instance, saw 90 percent of the $230,000 allotted to it in the annual budget diverted, allegedly, to fund the elections. Tweah and two other top government officials were dismissed from their jobs after being placed on the US Treasury's Sanctions List, accused of corruption.

Without Government Funding Project Activities Slowed to a Crawl

The funding structure was designed to be straightforward: government contributions would unlock larger international disbursements, a common mechanism to ensure recipient countries remain invested in project success. Without Liberia's share, the project slowed to a crawl. No more Global Climate funds were sent.

The Green Climate Fund 2023 report revealed multiple attempts by international officials and EPA staff to engage Liberia's Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. "Several discussions were held to ensure that GoL's full cash co-financing commitment is captured in GoL's annual national budgetary allocation," the report said. These efforts proved unsuccessful.

In an interview Weah government Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) executive director Wilson Tarpeh said he regretted the failures. "Based on the work plan, we did not obtain what should have been done at the time I was there," said Tarpeh. "Of course, it's painful. It's painful when you go to West Point. You see what the people are doing and you see a situation where you go in and out of the Ministry of Finance. I don't want to say I am blaming the Ministry of Finance; that's a government work so we take full responsibility for it."

"Our government should have done what needed to be done, and we didn't do that," said Wilson Tarpeh, executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Weah administration.

In West Point, Tarpeh's expression of regret found little sympathy. After seeing 800 houses - home to 6500 people - washed away in the years leading up to the 2021 project launch, they thought a solution was coming. But as years passed, and houses kept disappearing, they lost hope.

The government "did not have the political will," said William C. Wea, former West Point commissioner, shaking his head.

Beyond West Point: A Looming National Crisis

The stalled project is just one part of what will need to be a massive effort to protect or relocate an estimated 230,000 Liberians who will lose their homes to the sea by 2100, at current levels of global warming, according to United Nations Environment Program data. Projections suggest the coast could move 190 meters inland by the end of the decade.

Already, 0.8 square km of land has been lost in recent decades due to coastal erosion, impacting infrastructure and nearby population centers. In the Greater Monrovia area alone, a predicted 16 cm sea level rise by 2030 would put at risk 675,000 people and 9,500 hectares of land.

West Point has been particularly hard hit. It's not just homes. Many of the large fishing community lost their livelihoods as boats and equipment washed away.

"For those who have broken canoes and lost their canoes, it's almost like they have to sit with somebody in their canoes and join with somebody," said Thomas Tweh, the township's focal person for the project. "And if they don't find someone to allow them to go fishing with them, they too will not go fishing for a season or a month, or a week."

A New Government's Inheritance

The election of President Joseph Boakai in late 2023 offered new hope for the stalled project. In an interview, Urey Yarkpawolo, the new EPA executive director, claimed that the current government has "met all the benchmarks to unlock the GCF funding" and secured additional government contributions - $500,000 was released on December 31, 2024, with another $500,000 approved in the 2025 budget.

UNDP Liberia representative Kuukpen confirmed the Boakai administration is now up to date with payments. The 2025 payment is due by October this year. Construction - starting with a road from Kru Beach to Lower West Point to bring the rocks - is expected to begin soon.

"I would say this year and next year, we will see some results," Yarkpawolo said.

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But when construction begins, there are still questions for the community here. One thousand residents will need to be moved to make way for the road.

The UNDP's Kuukpen made clear that the government would be separately responsible for providing relocation assistance for displaced residents. People in the community say they have accepted the home demolitions are necessary. But they are waiting to see exactly which homes it will be and what the government will offer them.

In a WhatsApp response, project manager Zienu Kanneh acknowledged that there are no answers for community members yet. He said a "Resettlement Action Plan" and Livelihood Restoration Plan" are not completed. But he promised that "all of the questions will be answered once those plans are developed."

But, for residents like Gray, the renewed promises feel familiar. It's now four years since Mayor Koijee promised relief was coming soon. "They brought a yellow machine here and all to come see the area, but at the end of the day, we didn't see anything," she said.

As the rainy season gets underway, Gray faces daily reminders of her vulnerability. She spends $LD120 daily, (US60cents) for her family to bathe at paid facilities. West Point lacks any sanitation infrastructure.

"It is worrisome to us. Depending on the degree of the rain, you cannot walk here, the place gets flooded, and feces come back into the town," Leona Monger, a resident of the township, said. "As a government, be truthful to your citizens; do not scatter their expectations."

"I am only begging the government to help," Gray said. "We are begging them, we're appealing to them to help because right now we are already in the rain."

This story is part one of a two-part series. Part two will explore the next steps for the Coastal Defense Project now that funding has been restored. This series was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia project. The Swedish Embassy in Liberia provided funding. The funder had no say in the story's content.
Meta said on Friday that it won't sign the European Union's new AI code of practice. The guidelines provide a framework for the EU's AI Act, which regulates companies operating in the European Union.

The EU's code of practice is voluntary, so Meta was under no legal obligation to sign it. Yet Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, made a point to publicly knock the guidelines on Friday. He described the code as "over-reach."

"Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI," Kaplan posted in a statement. "We have carefully reviewed the European Commissions Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and Meta wont be signing it. This Code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act."

So, why kick up a (public) fuss about not signing something Meta was under no obligation to sign? Well, this isn't the first time the company has waged a PR battle against Europe's AI regulations. It previously called the AI Act "unpredictable," claiming "it goes too far" and is "hampering innovation and holding back developers." In February, Meta's public policy director said, "The net result of all of that is that products get delayed or get watered down and European citizens and consumers suffer."

Outmuscling the EU may seem like a more attainable goal to Meta, given that it has an anti-regulation ally in the White House. In April, President Trump pressured the EU to abandon the AI Act. He described the rules as "a form of taxation."

Mark Zuckerberg at Trump's inauguration in January (Pool via Getty Images)

The EU published its code of practice on July 10. It includes tangible guidelines to help companies follow the AI Act. Among other things, the code bans companies from training AI on pirated materials and requires them to respect requests from writers and artists to omit their work from training data. It also requires developers to provide regularly updated documentation describing their AI features.

Although signing the code of practice is voluntary, doing so has its perks. Agreeing to it can give companies more legal protection against future accusations of breaching the AI Act. Thomas Regnier, the European Commission's spokesperson for digital matters, added more color in a statement to Bloomberg. He said that AI providers who don't sign it "will have to demonstrate other means of compliance." As a consequence, they "may be exposed to more regulatory scrutiny."

Companies that violate the AI Act can face hefty penalties. The European Commission can impose fines of up to seven percent of a company's annual sales. The penalties are a lower three percent for those developing advanced AI models.

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Apple is suing leaker Jon Prosser and a codefendant for misappropriation of trade secrets related to YouTube videos from earlier this year that depicted mockups of iOS 26 (which was, at the time, expected to be called iOS 19 ). In the suit, which Apple filed at a district court in the Northern District of California, the company claims Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti "conspired to break into an Apple employees development iPhone to take Apples trade secrets."

Per the filing , which was obtained by MacRumors , Prosser had promised to "find out a way for [Ramacciotti] to get payment" if his codefendant was able to access the development iPhone of his friend Ethan Lipnik, who worked on software designs at Apple. Apple claims Ramacciotti was staying with Lipnik and waited until he left for an extended period of time, using a location-tracking tool to make sure of that. Ramacciotti is said to have gained access to the iPhone and made a FaceTime call to Prosser to show features and designs from iOS 26.

Prosser allegedly used a screen capturing tool to record the video call and then shared the footage with others in order to create mockups he used in his videos (Prosser has said that Apple uses identifiers in in-development versions of its software to help it pinpoint leakers, and recreating the renders is intended to protect them). One of those people who saw the footage is said to have recognized Lipniks apartment and to have informed him of that.

In January, Prosser published a video on his Front Page Tech YouTube channel depicting a render of an iOS 26 Camera app redesign that looked relatively close to the real deal. He later showed off mockups of the redesigned Messages app and the Liquid Glass design language Apple is switching to this year .

Apple terminated Lipniks employment for failing to protect confidential information. Per the suit, Lipnik said that Ramacciotti "often spent time at his home, sometimes staying for the weekend, and observing his patterns and security protocols for his devices." Apple says it discovered the alleged trade secret theft from an anonymous tip and that it also has a voice note that Ramacciotti sent to Lipnik to apologize and claim that Prosser was behind the scheme.

The company claims the development iPhone in question hosted a "significant amount of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed. It added that it does not know how much of this information Prosser and Ramacciotti obtained.

Apple is seeking an injunction directing Prosser and Ramacciotti "not to make use of or disclose Apples confidential, proprietary and trade secret information to third parties without its written consent" and to destroy any such material they possess. The company is also seeking damages and is requesting a jury trial.

Prosser responded to the lawsuit on X, claiming that "This is not how things went down on my end. Looking forward to being able to speak to Apple about it." Prosser followed up by saying, "For the record: I certainly did not 'plot' to access anyones phone and was unaware of the situation playing out."

For the record: I certainly did not plot to access anyones phone and was unaware of the situation playing out.  jon prosser (@jon_prosser) July 18, 2025

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Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, one of the Democratic FTC Commissioners President Trump had fired back in March, said she looks forward to getting back to work. US District Judge Loren AliKhan has just ruled that her removal from the agency was "unlawful and without legal effect" and that she was still a "rightful member" of the commission. The judge explained that the firings violated protections that prevent a president from unilaterally removing officials at independent agencies.

In her statement after the ruling was handed down, Slaughter said the "for-cause removal protections that apply to [her] colleagues and her at the FTC also protect other independent economic regulators like the SEC, the FDIC, and the Federal Reserve." Slaughter was one of the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission that Trump had removed from their position, leaving only three Republican commissioners in charge.

Historically, the FTC had five members: Three from the same party as the president and two from the opposite party. At the moment, FTC's website only lists the three current Republican commissioners, including Chairman Andrew Ferguson. The chairman previously said that he had "no doubts about [Trump's] constitutional authority to remove Commissioners, which is necessary to ensure democratic accountability for [the] government." The other fired Democratic commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, was originally part of the lawsuit. However, his claims had been dismissed since he resigned from the agency completely and took on a private-sector job since then, explaining that he couldn't afford to have no income while the case was in court.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai told The New York Times that the administration would appeal AliKhan's decision. "The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the presidents constitutional authority to fire and remove executive officers who exercise his authority, he added. The judge expected as such and noted in her ruling that the case would likely reach the Supreme Court. As Politico has noted, the Supreme Court previously refused to reinstate the members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board that Trump had fired. Those personnel were also supposed to be protected by the federal law the restricts the president's ability to remove government agency officials.
A Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said WhatsApp should prepare to stop offering its services in the country. Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the lower house of parliament's IT committee, said that it's very likely that WhatsApp will be placed on a list of restricted software, as Reuters reports.

WhatsApp owner Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia, which has banned Facebook and Instagram since 2022. This week, President Vladimir Putin issued a directive for the nation to further restrict software (including communication apps) stemming from "unfriendly countries" that have sanctioned Russia, with a deadline of September 1. Gorelkin said WhatsApp will probably be one such service.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has bluntly questioned a nationwide rush of investment into the AI and EV industries. As deflation anxiety grows and Trumps trade war with China ramps up, the worlds second largest economy is turning to fast-growth tech industries to remain competitive.

But Xi appears to think that the strategy is flawed. As reported by the Financial Times , China's President sent out a pointed message about over-investment at the two-day Central Urban Work Conference in Beijing.

"When it comes to projects, there are a few things  artificial intelligence, computing power and new energy vehicles," he said in a speech that made the front page of the Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party. "Do all provinces in the country have to develop industries in these directions?"

The Financial Times reports that Xi went on to criticise officials who encourage hasty development but dont hang around to face the consequences. We should not only focus on how much GDP has grown and how many major projects have been built, but also on how much debt is owed, Xi told conference attendees. "We should not let some people pass the buck and leave problems to future generations."

For now though, theres no suggestion that China is shifting its focus away from the sectors Xi directly referenced. This week, NVIDIA was granted permission by the US government to resume selling its AI chips to China, with the company reportedly holding $8 billion in unshipped orders. It was initially blocked from selling the H20 AI GPU to China over concerns it could aid the nations military.
Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products .

We've been busy in the Engadget reviews department over the last few weeks, keeping up with Prime Day, product launches and the accumulating stack of devices on our desks. If you missed any of our in-depth testing recently, you can quickly catch up on the latest camera, laptop, phone and soundbar reviews in the list below.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Billy Steele for Engadget 88 100 Expert Score Peak foldable phone design Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has reached foldable phone nirvana thanks to major reductions in its size and thickness. Though at $2,000, it remains extremely expensive. Pros Exquisitely thin design

Sleeker hinge

Big 200MP main camera

Larger displays

Top-tier performance Cons Very expensive

No S Pen support

Mediocre charging speeds $2,000 at Amazon

Samsung made notable design changes on its latest flagship foldable phone, finally giving the masses a significant update after a series of iterative models. Senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford argued the company "has finally achieved foldable phone nirvana" thanks to the reductions in overall size and thickness on the Z Fold 7, making the niche handset appeal to more users. "With its latest flagship foldable, Samsung has removed one of the remaining barriers preventing people from trying out the new breed of phones: excessive size and weight," he said.

Canon R50 V

Canon/Engadget 83 100 Expert Score Canon EOS R50 V Canons EOS R50 V is a solid budget vlogging camera thanks to the excellent video quality, but its missing important features compared to its rivals. Pros Good photo and video quality

Fast and accurate autofocus

Cooling fan allows extended shooting

Decently fast photo shooting Cons Rolling shutter distortion

No in-body stabilization

Lacks rivals vlogging friendly features

Mediocre battery life $699 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $699 at Best Buy

Content creators who are just getting into vlogging will soon realize they need a camera more robust than their phone for better quality footage. Reporter Steve Dent explained that Canon's EOS R50 V excels at video, thanks in part to its quick autofocus, but the camera lacks the performance and features of its rivals. "Canons R50 V is a pretty good first try for a vlogging camera, hitting the mark in key areas like video quality and usability," he wrote. "However, its rival, Sonys ZV-E10 II, beats it in nearly every area, offering even better video quality, higher photo resolution, faster autofocus, smoother electronic stabilization and neat features missing on the R50 V  like the product showcase."

Samsung HW-QS700F

Samsung 84 100 Expert Score Samsung HW-QS700F The QS700F is an all-new model in a sea of modest annual refreshes for Samsung soundbars. It isnt perfect, but the combination of design and features offer a compelling alternative to pricier options. Pros Automatic orientation adjustment

Crisp and balanced sound

Refined design

Easy setup Cons 3.1.2-channel audio constrains movie sound

Room calibration and other major features only work with Samsung TVs $468 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $498 at Macy's$700 at HSN

Like the Z Fold line, Samsung has been on a streak of iterative updates for its flagship soundbars. For 2025 though, the company debuted an all-new model that automatically detects how you're using it and adjusts the speaker output appropriately. It's that trick, along with crisp sound, that makes the QS700F a contender even with its constrained 3.1.2-channel audio. "Caveats aside, the best thing about the soundbar is its automatic orientation adjustment," I noted. "The QS700F is easy on the eyes too, which isnt always the case with these devices."

Panasonic S1 II

Panasonic/Engadget 82 100 Expert Score Panasonic LUMIX S1 II The S1 II is Panasonics best creator camera thanks to features like 6K RAW video and outstanding stabilization, but its expensive compared to the competition. Pros Fast shooting speeds

Great handling

Excellent video quality

Best-in-class stabilization

Pro video features Cons Poor battery life

Expensive $3,198 at Amazon

The S1 II may be Panasonic's best camera for content creators, but there's one major downside: the price. Steve's assessment of this model's features, which include 6K RAW video and best-in-class stabilization, will help you weigh the potential $3,200 investment. "Panasonics S1 II is a powerful hybrid camera, and if it wasnt so expensive, it would be a no-brainer for creators," he said. "However, Nikons Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less, so Im inclined to recommend that model for most users."

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1

Dell / Engadget 80 100 Expert Score Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 Dell's revamped 16 Plus 2-in-1 is a competent laptop with an adaptable design and a great optional mini LED screen, but it lacks personality. Pros Solid build

Vivid mini LED display

Above-average battery life Cons Lackluster touchpad

Mediocre speakers

Needs another USB-C port $750 at Dell

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is the company's first consumer laptop to feature its recently updated naming scheme, and the change in moniker is accompanied by refreshed styling. Sam explained that while the machine is perfectly capable, especially with the optional LED display, it's lacking personality. "It's a totally serviceable machine, but it doesn't have a single trait or feature that endears itself to its user," he wrote. "Same goes for its name."

Belkin Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2

Bill Steele for Engadget 85 100 Expert Score Protection and portable charging made easy Belkin Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2 Between a sturdy case and a removable battery pack, Belkin's Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2 covers all the major essentials. Pros Simple design

Included 10,000mAh battery pack

Hidden AirTag pouch Cons No option to bring your own battery pack

Might not work with bulky skins or covers $70 at Amazon

Now that the Switch 2 is out in the wild, Nintendo's handheld console needs protection. Sam put the Belkin Charging Case through its paces to find out if it's a worthy accessory. "I kind of wish Belkin sold a version that doesn't come with a battery for anyone who wants to use their own power pack," he said. "The companys non-charging version of this case isnt an ideal alternative as it doesn't have much extra space inside. But even so, this kit offers a solid combination of price and practicality, which is all I'm ever really asking for."
Aubrey O'Day, the former girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., has shared candid insights into their past relationship, describing the conservative figure as "Prince Charming" for the way he made her feel.

O'Day, 41, spoke to Us Weekly about her romance with Trump Jr., which began after their meeting on "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2011.

"Don Jr. made me feel the most beautiful," O'Day said. She mentioned that he appreciated her intellect, stating, "He loved my mind more than anything else and that's what I love about me."

The relationship occurred from late 2011 to spring 2012, during a period when Trump Jr. was married to Vanessa Trump.

O'Day explained that their intense emotional connection ended when Vanessa discovered their correspondence and the affair became public.

O'Day contrasted her relationship with Trump Jr. with others, notably mentioning her time with "Jersey Shore" personality Pauly D, which she described as less supportive.

"He definitely brought [her] down all the time," she said of Pauly D, whom she dated in 2016 and 2017.

Trump Jr., 47, has not publicly commented on the affair with O'Day, which surfaced amidst his now-ended marriage to Vanessa Trump. The couple, who divorced in 2018, had five children together.

O'Day, currently appearing on the E! series "Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind," continues to make headlines for her personal revelations and television appearances.

She emphasized her self-confidence during a recent episode, stating, "I love myself without makeup."

The revelations provide a rare glimpse into Trump Jr.'s personal life during his marriage to Vanessa, further cinching O'Day's presence in the realm of celebrity news.
The US Department of Justice has dismissed federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, a longtime trial attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), following her high-profile work on cases involving disgraced music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Comey, who joined the SDNY office in 2015, played a prominent role in prosecuting both Jeffrey Epstein's criminal network and the more recent charges against Combs. Her termination, confirmed by multiple sources including CBS News, came without formal explanation, raising questions about political interference and internal reshuffling at the Justice Department.

A person familiar with the situation told Politico that Comey received no reason for her removal. She is also the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Donald Trump in 2017 during the Russia probe.

BREAKING: Pam Bondi has fired Maurene Comey, daughter of James Comey, from her job as a prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office, per Politico. She worked on the prosecutions of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and Sean "Diddy" Combs. pic.twitter.com/vimxtCvN9z  Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 16, 2025

Diddy Enters Rehabilitation Programs Behind Bars

The firing comes just weeks after Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges, though he was convicted on two lesser prostitution-related counts. Prosecutors had pushed for a racketeering conviction that would have marked a career win for Comey, but the verdict delivered a partial defeat for the federal team.

While awaiting sentencing, the 55-year-old rapper has begun participating in multiple rehabilitation programs, including the STOP Program, a federal initiative addressing sexual and domestic violence. He is also undergoing therapy through the Dr. Harry K. Wexler drug abuse program, according to TMZ.

Those same sources suggest Combs is positioning himself for leniency by demonstrating commitment to personal change. "It's all about redemption," one insider told the outlet. Prosecutors have recommended a four-year sentence, with Judge Arun Subramanian set to decide on October 3.

Epstein, Maxwell Cases Add to Spotlight

Comey was also nationally known for prosecuting Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein killed himself in federal custody in 2019; Maxwell is in prison under a 20-year sentence.

In February, it had seemed as if Attorney General Pam Bondi might finally deliver on the long-rumored client list of Epstein's that authorities claimed to possess, but little came of the promise, which she later backtracked on by saying there was "no incriminating list."

The reversal set off an outpouring of criticism and suspicion about the politics that shaped pivotal decisions of the Justice Department.

Comey's firing certainly does nothing to extinguish those suspicions, particularly as Bondi keeps an eye on a wave of terminations underway at the DOJ.

Over the past month, at least 20 other officials  many tied to investigations of Trump or the Capitol riot  have also been let go.

Originally published on Music Times
Following a years-long surge in illegal immigration, the Trump administration is poised to challenge a longstanding but legally fraught practice: counting illegal aliens in the U.S. census.

President Trump tried to end the practice during his first term, but President Biden overturned his predecessors policy before it was implemented. Now, buoyed by red state attorneys general and Republican legislators, the second Trump administration is determined to clean up the census and make sure that illegal aliens are not counted, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said last month.

What Miller didnt mention are the political implications of the administrations move. It could have significant political implications because the census count is used to apportion House seats, determine the number of votes each state gets in the Electoral College for selecting the president, and drive the flow of trillions of dollars in government funds.

Some immigration researchers project that including noncitizens in the census count disproportionately benefits Democratic states with large illegal alien populations. A recent study counters that, based on 2020 census figures, there would have been a negligible shift to the political map had the U.S. government excluded noncitizens from that count. But looking backward, those researchers found, red states would have benefited under the administrations desired census counting shift. Had authorities excluded such migrants from the 2010 census, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and North Carolina all would have gained one seat in the House, while California would have lost three seats, and Texas and Florida would have each lost one seat  with the total number of Electoral College votes allotted each state changing accordingly.

Since the first census in 1790, the nation has counted not only citizens but also residents to determine such representation. In addition to citing its long history, defenders of the practice say it is only fair that states should be given the power and resources to represent and serve everyone within their borders.

Critics contend the governments powers come from We the people  citizens or eligible voters  a government established before tens of millions of migrants resided in the country illegally. They also say the practice dilutes the representation of American citizens while incentivizing localities to promote illegal immigration.

Trumps first term hints at what is to come if his administration vigorously pursues a citizen-centric census policy. In July 2020, when the president issued a memorandum to exclude illegal migrants from the census, blue states and immigration groups challenged it in court almost immediately.

Those challenges rose all the way to the Supreme Court. But it did not rule on the merits  whether all residents must be counted and if the president has the authority to exclude nonresidents  setting the stage for a battle over immigration and presidential power.

The Meaning of the 14th Amendment

The census issue hinges on the Constitutions language, which calls for apportioning House seats among the states according to their respective Numbers. Those Numbers originally included free Persons and three-fifths of all other Persons  namely slaves, a result of the states compromise. The framers excluded Indians not taxed  Native Americans who were members of sovereign tribal nations, not citizens  from the count.

After the Civil War, Congress passed the 14th Amendment to recognize the rights of the formerly enslaved. It states that congressional representation shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, again excluding Indians not taxed. Under the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, this population would be granted citizenship.

Congress tasked the secretary of commerce with carrying out the census in such form and content as he may determine. The president receives that data, is responsible for carrying out the apportionment calculations, and transmits the information to Congress.

Echoing arguments against birthright citizenship, critics on the right say that the 14th Amendment aimed to address the status of former slaves, not masses of illegal migrants. They assert that including this population in the census artificially skews political power, effectively disenfranchises citizens, and incentivizes states to adopt sanctuary policies protecting people here illegally.

[R]espect for the law and protection of the integrity of the democratic process warrant the exclusion of illegal aliens from the apportionment base, to the extent feasible and to the maximum extent of the Presidents discretion under the law, President Trump wrote in the 2020 memorandum.

The first Trump administration argued that the persons in each State that the 14th Amendment refers to had long been interpreted to mean inhabitants. Inhabitants, it asserted, do not include every individual physically present within a States boundaries at the time of the census, noting that past administrations had excluded temporary aliens and foreign diplomatic personnel for apportionment.

The administration also argued that the Constitution and relevant law authorize the executive branch to determine who is to be counted as an inhabitant in the census. The president, therefore, had discretion to omit persons with debatable ties to a State, like aliens living within a jurisdiction without the sovereigns permission to settle there.

The administration pointed to Franklin v. Massachusetts to support its claims. There, the Supreme Court held that the President George H.W. Bush administration could include Defense Department employees deployed overseas in the census. Then, the Court found that the presidents duties in the census process are not solely ceremonial or ministerial, and that federal law does not curtail the Presidents authority to direct the [Commerce] Secretary in making policy judgments that result in the decennial census.

In testimony at the Democrat-led July 2020 House Oversight Committee hearing on the Trump memorandum, Republicans tabbed the head of the Claremont Institutes Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, John Eastman, to defend it. The conservative legal scholar, much-maligned by the left for the counsel he provided President Trump regarding challenging the 2020 election, recently told RealClearInvestigations that the Declaration of Independences consent principle  the concept that government derives its power from the American people  compels that only citizens be counted for purposes of reapportionment, and that the principle is actually codified in the Constitution by excluding Indians not taxed. In Eastmans view, that language signifies that the founders sought to omit those who are not part of our political community, from the apportionment for representation.

President Trump would be on solid ground, therefore, were he to direct that the census either not count illegal aliens at all, or at the very least record citizenship status so that a proper apportionment of citizens could be conducted, Eastman said.

The plaintiffs challenging the Trump administration contended that the 14th Amendments persons includes all residents irrespective of their immigration status; that the president lacked the discretion to deem otherwise; and that the process the administration had put in place to exclude illegal aliens was legally deficient. The president had issued a July 2019 directive in advance of his memo instructing the Census Bureau to collect citizenship data from various federal agencies, which would have been used to exclude illegal aliens from the apportionment count, raising additional legal questions.

Testifying opposite Eastman at the committee hearing, former Census Bureau directors warned that the presidents memo would spook potential respondents and suggested the memo would minimally create the appearance of politicizing the census.

Trumps action reflected an illegal desire of only counting citizens, said Vincent Barabba, former Census Bureau director under the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations. [H]is real objectiveis to make sure less people will be counted in states with large minority populations which did not support President Trump or the positions he has taken.

When litigation over the Trump census policy reached the Supreme Court, it punted. In December 2020, the justices held by a 6-3 margin in Trump v. New York that the plaintiffs lacked standing, and that the case was not ripe for adjudication  with Justices Steven Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissenting.

Upon taking office, President Biden issued a first-day executive order revoking both of Trumps policies. Excluding people based on their immigration status conflict[s] with the principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, Biden wrote. Reapportionment shall be based on the total number of persons residing in the several States, without regard for immigration status.

States Provide a Backup Plan

The first Trump administration lost a related case at the Supreme Court. In 2018, the administration reinstated a question on the decennial survey about the citizenship status of respondents  a move that likewise came under furious legal challenge.

The Commerce Department stated that it reinstated the question at the behest of the Justice Department, which was seeking superior data on voting-age citizens necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act. Critics sued the administration, saying that including the question, which administrations had dropped after 1960, would chill immigrant respondents, leading to an unconstitutional undercount.

In June 2019, the justices found that while reinstating such a question was legal, the process by which the president sought to do so was invalid, since the Commerce Departments rationale for including it was contrived and pretextual  in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

If the second Trump administration fails to win court approval of its expected effort to exclude illegal migrants, this time around, it will have backup.

Three days before Trumps second inauguration, Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, and West Virginia sued the Commerce Department, arguing that its prevailing practice of counting foreigners including illegal aliens at their place of usual residence robb[ed] the people of the Plaintiff States of their rightful share of political representation, while systematically redistributing political power to states with high numbers of illegal aliens and nonimmigrant aliens.

They want the federal court, among other things, to vacate this Residence Rule to the extent it requires the Census Bureau to include illegal aliens and nonimmigrant aliens in the apportionment base. And they want to require the Census Bureau to include questions on the survey about citizenship, including one to determine whether non-citizen respondents are lawful permanent residents.

In March, the federal court stayed the case at the Trump administrations request. The administration said it needed time to determine its approach to the Residence Rule. The White House and states plan to provide a joint status update on July 1.

The Justice and Commerce Departments did not respond to RCIs requests for comment.

Republicans Seek a Legislative Fix

In the interim, Congress has acted. During the last session, Republican members introduced the Equal Representation Act, requiring the census to include a citizenship question and exclude all non-citizens from the census count for apportionment.

Democrats panned the bill, with the then-ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Jamie Raskin, writing in a minority report that The plain reading of the [constitutional] text is clear as day, and the original purposes have been carefully articulated and never rebutted. For those who like to follow precedent, every apportionment since 1790 has included every single person residing in the United States, not just those lucky enough to have been given the right to vote.

In 2016, the Supreme Court held that a state or locality may draw legislative districts based on total population, irrespective of the fact that some districts may have significantly larger voter-eligible populations than others.

Writing for the majority, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that we need not and do not resolve whetherStates may draw districts to equalize voter-eligible population rather than total population.

Fifty years prior, the Court held that Hawaii could use a registered-voter population base for its apportionment of state legislative seats due to the large concentrations of military and other transients in key population center Oahu.

In May 2024, the House passed the Equal Representation Act on a largely party-line vote, but it failed to advance in the Senate.

The current House reintroduced the bill by North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards. He told RealClearInvestigations that Americans deserve fair and equal representation, something that will not be possible until we eliminate the influence of noncitizens in our elections.

The bill must first move through the Oversight Committee, chaired by Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer. He told RCI that American citizens representation in Congress should not be determined by individuals who are not citizens of the United States.

Comer said his committee plans to move the bill again during this congressional session.

The states suing the Commerce Department are adamant that their view should prevail irrespective of legislative action.

Christopher Hajec, Director of Litigation at the Immigration Reform Law Institute  a legal nonprofit opposed to unchecked mass migration that is representing Kansas in the pending states suit  told RCI that Whatever Congress does or does not do, our position is that the Constitution implies that illegal aliens should not be counted in the census for apportionment.
Dozens of farmers in East Anglia are breathing a sigh of relief after urgent NFU action led to water restrictions being lifted  but the union is warning this is just the tip of the iceberg.

More than 150 farmers and growers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are set to resume water abstraction following a high-level meeting between the NFU and the Environment Agency (EA).

The emergency discussions were triggered after a sudden cessation order last week left around 240 growers unable to irrigate vital crops during one of the driest periods in recent memory.

At the meeting on Wednesday (16 July), the EA confirmed that approximately 150 farmers will have restrictions eased, allowing them to irrigate under new temporary measures.

Farmers will be permitted to abstract water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights between 6pm and 6am, with the arrangement reviewed after two weeks.

NFU vice president Rachel Hallos, who addressed the meeting, said this was a "huge and very immediate concern" for many farms in the region.

We are pleased to have been able to work collaboratively with the EA and Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to find a quick solution for some members.

"We will work with those members who have not had restrictions lifted and see what solutions can be found for them."

She added: It is vital, moving forward, that we continue to work with the government and the EA to find long-term solutions to the increasing extreme weather incidents we are experiencing in this country  this problem will not just go away."

Ms Hallos warned that unless a more robust and forward-looking water management plan is put in place, the nation's food supply could face serious consequences.

The scale of the problems we are seeing due to the dry weather on farms on the ground is horrendous," she said.

"It is costing farm businesses enormous sums of money, and some businesses will never be able to recover. This will threaten our national food security."

She also stressed the growing strain on the UKs water resources and the urgent need for strategic planning.

"We need to ensure that agriculture's voice is heard, and I'm doing my upmost to ensure that is the case."

The restrictions last week stunned many in the Cam and Ely Ouse catchments, who had been making voluntary reductions and expected further phased restrictions  not an abrupt halt.

Responding to the crisis, the Environment Agency noted that prolonged dry weather continues to affect East Anglia.

Low river levels and dry conditions means we have had to apply temporary abstraction restrictions in the South Level of the Fens," the agency said.

These pre-agreed abstraction licence conditions are there to protect the environment and the rights of other abstractors.

In future we can expect to see prolonged dry weather more frequently, so we encourage abstractors to make their business as resilient as possible and ask water users to use water wisely.

Letters confirming the updated arrangements are expected to be sent to affected farmers on Friday (18 July).
The first cases of bluetongue (BTV-3) in the UK this year have been confirmed, with infections detected in Buckinghamshire, Herefordshire and Oxfordshire.

Authorities have declared the UK to be in a vector high-risk period, meaning midge activity is currently elevated, significantly increasing the risk of virus transmission between animals.

In Herefordshire, two cattle tested positive following non-negative pre-movement tests, though no clinical signs were observed in either animal.

In Oxfordshire, a single sheep tested positive after displaying suspicious clinical signs, including hot and painful feet, reluctance to move, and general malaise.

And in Buckinghamshire, one sheep in was confirmed positive following a report of suspicious clinical signs.

While the virus poses no risk to public health or food safety, it can cause severe illness and production losses in ruminants, including sheep and cattle.

The UK's chief veterinary officers are urging farmers to remain vigilant, as any animals displaying signs consistent with bluetongue must be reported immediately to authorities.

They also explain that the BTV-3 vaccine remains the only effective tool currently available to protect against infection and associated production losses.

Earlier this month, an England-wide bluetongue restricted zone was introduced, replacing the previous patchwork of localised zones.

The development prompted concern as farmers moving animals into Scotland and Wales were subject to tough pre-movement testing requirements.

However, the Welsh government recently announced bluetongue approved 'red markets' to support livestock farmers grappling with the disease control measures.

The change, which came in effect from 14 July, allows livestock to be moved from the England's bluetongue restricted zone to approved markets in Wales.

Announced by the Welsh government earlier this week, it permits direct onward movement to designated slaughterhouses either in Wales or within the restricted zone.

Dr Angus Wyse, official veterinary officer for the National Sheep Association (NSA) Wales & Border Ram Sales, recently issued a stark warning that the arrival of bluetongue in Wales is a matter of when, not if.

Midges carrying bluetongue wont stop at the Welsh border, said Dr Wyse. The disease could have catastrophic consequences for sheep farmers.

"With mortality rates reaching up to 70% in sheep, vaccination is a no-brainer. Its an insurance policy we cant afford to ignore.

Dr Wyse highlighted the crisis in the Netherlands, where bluetongue outbreaks overwhelmed carcass disposal services.

He urged Welsh sheep farmers to act nowespecially with current livestock prices making vaccination a cost-effective safeguard.

Bluetongue is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it, you must report it immediately:

 In England, call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301

 In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268

 In Scotland, notify your local Field Services Office

Failure to report suspected cases is a criminal offence.
Trumps reciprocal tariffs have posed new challenges for apparel manufacturers across destinations.

Several countries have already received notice of new tariff rates imposed by the United States, set to take effect August 1.

Fibre2Fashion spoke to a cross section of apparel makers in various countries to understand their take. Initially hit with a steep 46 per cent tariff on its exports, US subsequently reduced the rate to 20 per cent for most goods. Garment makers in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh believe Vietnam stands to gain, expert from Vietnam offers a different perspective.

This follows the expiration of a 90-day tariff suspension window that had previously granted temporary relief to exporters scrambling to adapt to shifting US trade policy under the Trump administrations protectionist framework that emphasises reciprocity.

Due to this policy, major apparel manufacturing countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka now face steep US tariff rates of 35 per cent, 36 per cent, and 35 per cent respectively on their exports. Meanwhile, another key player, India, is engaged in negotiations with the United States in hopes of securing a tariff reduction.

It may be mentioned here that as per reports, China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and India held the largest share of the US apparel import market in 2024.

For India though, being a BRICS member could add a separate layer of complexity.

Trump had previously proposed an additional 10 per cent tariff on all BRICS nations, following reports that these countries were promoting the use of local currencies for cross-border trade and financial settlements, to reduce dependence on the US dollar.

Meanwhile, China also BRICS founding member has until August 12 to renew its deal with the US or forge a new agreement to avoid the tariffs reverting to their higher rates. This after US tariffs on Chinese goods soared as high as 145 per cent earlier this year, after which the Trump administration in May reached a deal with Beijing to scale back taxes on each others exports for at least 90 days.

Under the truce, Chinese imports to the US are subject to a blanket duty of 30 per cent in addition to the existing 25 per cent tariffs on specific products bringing the total to 55 per cent, while US exports are subject to a 10 per cent rate.

Amidst all these, one country that seems to have gained considerable advantage vis-a-vis most of its competitors is Vietnam.

While Vietnam was initially hit with a steep 46 per cent tariff on its exports to the US, the Vietnamese Government moved quickly to engage in talks with the Trump administration and ultimately secured a more favourable deal under which the tariff rate was lowered to 20 per cent for most goods. However, a caveat was added stipulating that any products deemed to be transhipped through Vietnam would be subject to a higher 40 per cent duty, a clause aimed at preventing tariff evasion via indirect routing and ensuring genuine Vietnam products benefit from the revised rates.

Garment industry remains one of the key drivers of Vietnams economic growth and any impact on apparel exports will have repercussions.

As per Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), in 2024, Vietnams textile and apparel exports reached $44 billion, marking an 11 per cent year-on-year increase.

Meanwhile, most industry players Fibre2Fashion spoke to across apparel manufacturing and export destinations, felt Vietnam has an edge over most of its competitors.

Fazlul Hoque, managing director of Bangladesh based Plummy Fashions Ltd and former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) warned Bangladesh will struggle to compete with Vietnam in case the 35 per cent tariff remains unchanged for Bangladesh even as he added Vietnam also holds a larger share in the US market compared to Bangladesh.

John De Silva, managing director of Sri Lanka based Jia Moda Private Limited told F2F that the 35 per cent new tariff imposed by US on Sri Lanka is going to pose a massive challenge, which could result in shift of orders to countries like Vietnam thanks to the tariff advantage even as Yohan Lawrence, secretary general of Sri Lankas Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAFSL) underlined that Vietnam stands to gain in view of the current tariff rates.

However, N Thirukumaran, general secretary of the Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA), India, felt that given Vietnams dependence on overseas yarns and fabrics in absence of adequate domestic availability, the overall advantage may not be on the expected lines, especially considering the US stand on the issue of transhipment.

Vietnam sources approximately 70 per cent of its raw materialssuch as zippers, cotton yarn, and elasticfrom China, as per reports.

Meanwhile, speaking to Fibre2Fashion, Greg Fleming, industry veteran and an expert in Vietnam apparel production (operations) and supply chain noted while the country has an edge over Cambodia, the same may not be necessarily the case when compared to Bangladesh.

This stems from the fact that the countries concernedVietnam and Bangladeshcater to different product categories in the US market and as such are not in direct competition so to say.

Besides, Bangladesh also scores over Vietnam in terms of labour cost, which remains cheaper and affordable than most of its competitors, explained Greg, who is based out of Ho Chi Minh City.

Like Thirukumaran, he also expressed concerns on the possible repercussions of US transhipment clauseespecially in view of focus shifting to China owned factories in the countryand how things might take shape in case Vietnamese apparel manufacturers use raw materials from countries like South Korea, with which it has a free trade agreement.

Another industry insider pointed out that theres some ambiguity in the transhipment clause while adding the scale of the impact will thus depend.

So, while opinions differ on whether the current situation favours Vietnam, the tariff issue highlights a broader concern: the growing instability in supply chains and global trade as apparel exporters around the world continue to grapple with uncertainties.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)
Vietnam and Bangladesh are poised to be the key engines of global cotton trade growth over the next decade, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 20252034. As mill consumption surges in both countries, world cotton trade is projected to expand at an annual rate of 1.6 per cent, reaching 12.3 million tonnes by 2034.

Vietnam and Bangladesh will lead the rise in raw cotton imports, with annual growth rates of 2.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively. Their fast-growing textile sectors are driving demand for imported fibre, helping to sustain strong global trade flows. China, meanwhile, will remain the worlds largest cotton importer, with import levels projected to stay steady at 2.9 million tonnes.

Vietnam and Bangladesh are set to lead global cotton trade growth over the next decade, with rising mill use driving import demand. World cotton trade is projected to reach 12.3 million tonnes by 2034. Brazil and US will dominate exports, each holding around 30 per cent. Sub-Saharan Africa will account for 14 per cent, though increasing domestic mill activity may gradually reduce its net export share.

Moreover, export competition will intensify between the United States and Brazil, both expected to account for approximately 30 per cent of global cotton exports by 2034. Brazil has already surpassed the US as the top exporter in the 202324 season, buoyed by significant investments in port infrastructure and logistics. Brazilian exports are set to grow by 2.6 per cent annually, reaching 3.6 million tonnes by 2034on par with the US, the report added.

Sub-Saharan Africa will also remain a major exporter, projected to supply 14 per cent of global cotton exports by 2034. The regions shipments are expected to grow at 1.1 per cent per annum, with over 80 per cent of production destined for export, mainly to South and Southeast Asia.

However, countries like Ethiopia and Benin are seeing rising domestic mill use, supported by foreign direct investment, government backing, and preferential trade access such as the European Unions Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). This may gradually shift the regions role from a raw cotton exporter to a more integrated textile producer in the long term.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
Priyanka Chopra

Tanzania, Key Filming Location

Mahesh Babu

SSMB29 Shoot to Move to South Africa

andsunderis witnessing an interesting phase. For the past couple of weeks, the films Kenya schedule has been in question due to an internal crisis in the country. While some said the political predicaments might have prompted the makers to postpone the schedule, others speculated there may be a change in script approach by Rajamouli. Nonetheless, the latest update on the schedule is that theThe unit ofis set to, and the schedule would commence from the. Rajamouli reportedly handpicked Tanzania as a key and central filming location for his action adventure. Arrangements are underway as Rajamouli would, the geographically protected area in the region. Famous for its ecosystem where scores of animals migrate across the plains, Serengeti is also known for itsincluding the(lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceroses, and buffalo).A source informs, Rajamouli wants to shoot at the vast and open grasslandssomething thats untapped in Indian cinema. Since its an action adventure, the filmmaker believes that shooting in live and locations brings authenticity to the narrative. Rajamouli shot inand(the mountain peak in the Chandragiri-Pottangi subrange of the Eastern Ghats) during the films.

After wrapping up the Tanzania schedule, SSMB29 will move to South Africa, a country that boasts a wide array of wildlife that consists of flora and fauna. Rajamouli wants to film the landscapes of South Africa that has ecologically rich and diverse wildlife. Since the protagonist (Mahesh Babu) in the film plays an adventurer, itll be extensively shot in African countries.

Also Read: Buzz: Priyanka Chopra & Mahesh Babus SSMB29 Team Reassess Kenya Schedule?
Critic's rating 3.0 /5

Joining the army is rarely a decision of logic. It's almost always a decision made with personal emotion. Anupam Kher's new directorial, Tanvi The Great, is a film about a neurodivergent girl deciding to join the Indian Army, despite being an autistic person. Her unlikely but adventurous story plays out in a largely likeable film. In the end, Tanvi The Great turns out to be a film with good intentions but not so great cinematic execution. But sometimes, one just has to look past the obvious flaws and shortcomings and appreciate the intent more than the action.



The story starts off with Indian soldier Samar Raina (Karan Tacker) losing his life in an unfortunate incident, while on his way to his posting in Siachen. Many years later, his neurodivergent daughter Tanvi (Shubhangi) returns to her father's hometown Lansdowne, Uttarakhand to spend a few weeks with her grandfather Colonel Pratap Raina (Anupam Kher). Tanvi's mother Vidya (Pallavi Joshi) is heading to an Autism Summit in New York and she must leave Tanvi under the supervision of her grandfather. The idea is for Tanvi to hone her singing skills under the tutelage of Master Raza (Boman Irani). But, the hard exterior and disciplined ways of Colonel Raina prove a little too harsh for the fluid ways of young Tanvi. The grandfather and granddaughter are unable to break the ice and their conflicted relationship gets more stressful when Tanvi decides to follow in her father's footsteps and enlist in the Indian Army.



The crux of Tanvi's story is the fact that the Army doesn't have a place for neurodivergent people and therefore a girl with the autistic condition cannot dream of being in the Indian Army. But she does. Against all odds and logic, she decides to train to be a soldier, much to the chagrin of her already hardy grandfather Colonel Raina. What Tanvi eventually achieves on her quest to being an Army Cadet is a bit of cute combination of cinematic liberty and idealism. It's not stupid nor far-fetched even when it seems a little over the top. But it all comes together nicely, because the film's writing creates the right moments and expositions to support Tanvi's dream. What doesn't pass muster is the film's screenplay and the general mushy dialogue. Some setpieces in Tanvi's story feel a little too choreographed and staged. Here's a spirited girl who's defying all odds to pursue a dream, despite being different. She's not less than any other human and that part of this film is truly worthy of celebration. But there are often moments that play out like they're forcing sentimentality to the viewer at the expense of authenticity. Also, what doesn't help is the film's soundtrack and background music. Tanvi The Great's music all round is far from being good, at times it doesn't even feel serviceable.



What the does is, it leaves the viewer clutching on to the film's only veritable strength - it's performances. The best performance of the lot comes from Anupam Kher. As the grumpy, ideal and yet sensitive grandfather and ex-Army man, he's near flawless. He's able to offer newcomer Shubhangi with plenty of moments to play off him and shine. Shine she does. In every scene that she's playing off Kher, young Shubhangi looks like a natural performer, capable of brilliance. Scenes when she's trained by Major Krishnan (Arvind Swami) are simply spectacular. But her emotional and comedic scenes with Pallavi Joshi, Boman Irani and Jackie Shroff aren't as seamless. There are moments of brilliance along with moments of missed opportunities. But the debutante Shubhangi delivers a largely good performance as the film's very likeable and inspiring lead.



If not for the shortcomings in craft, Tanvi The Great, delivers a very important message about neuro divergence and the Indian Armed Forces having a great passion for matters of the heart. A soldier or a cadet's life is built on uncompromising rules and regulations, and yet our soldiers are able to harbour feelings of great love and compassion through it all. The world needs more heroes like Tanvi and cinema needs more stories like Tanvi The Great. Like our soldiers, our cinematic heroes must also have their hearts in the right place and emotions must always strike a fine balance with the need for logic.



Also Read: Pictures: Anupam Kher & Kajol Introduce Shubhangi As The Leading Lady Of Tanvi The Great


Critic's rating 2.5 /5

When Janaki V vs State of Kerala opens in theatres after a contentious run-in with censors, expectations naturally surge. This isn't just another star vehicle; its a film that openly claims seriousness, positioning itself as an earnest exploration of victimhood, justice, and systemic failure. Director Pravin Narayanan sets his narrative within a familiar framework, a courtroom drama; but attempts to use it as a canvas for deeper moral interrogations. Yet, despite its commendable intent, the film stumbles, frequently distracted by its own ambition.



At its emotional core is Janaki, portrayed with admirable restraint by Anupama Parameswaran. Janaki's trauma, an assault compounded by layers of societal apathy, is conveyed without exploitation or melodrama. Anupama delivers a strikingly internalised performance. She doesn't rely on overt displays of anguish; instead, its the hesitation before she speaks, the slight tremor in her voice, or the quiet defiance in her eyes that lends authenticity to her character. These are moments of genuine emotional insight, quietly reinforcing that the films strength lies more in subtlety than grandstanding.



However, subtlety isn't a term one readily associates with Advocate David Abel Donovan, played by Suresh Gopi. This role marks a prominent return for Gopi, and his presence is unquestionably charismatic. Donovan is a character tailor-made for bravado: a lawyer whose rhetoric echoes through courtrooms, resonating with audiences who cherish the actors legacy. Yet, here lies the films paradox: Gopis performance, laden with fiery speeches and larger-than-life gestures, pulls the film into an altogether different tonal universe. His portrayal is engaging and awe-inspiring on its own but feels jarring within a story that demands a lot more emotional grounding.



The films narrative structure further compounds this problem. Initially, director Pravin Narayanan does well to set the stakes high, establishing Janakis struggle and the complexity of proving assault within a flawed legal system. However, as the plot progresses, the script becomes increasingly entangled in unnecessary diversions. Instead of focusing on Janakis quest for justice or even the strategic intricacies of courtroom battles, the film gets sidetracked, spinning webs of political intrigue, public manipulation, and unnecessary subplots. These deviations add minutes but subtract impact, diluting the intensity built by the promising first hour.



Technically, Janaki V vs State of Kerala retains some commendable touches. Cinematographer Renadive crafts visuals marked by subtle realism, effectively capturing the claustrophobia of courtroom exchanges. Ghibrans background score suitably complements the on-screen tension without overshadowing performances. Yet, neither technical skill nor Parameswarans heartfelt portrayal can fully rescue a narrative hampered by indulgent pacing and thematic overreach. The supporting cast, particularly Shruti Ramachandran and Divya Pillai, hold the film together in parts even as it stumbles into melodramatic territory.



Ultimately, Janaki V vs State of Kerala emerges as a film of missed opportunities. It carries important messages about dignity, autonomy, and institutional neglect, but falters because it tries too hard to project these themes through loud, star-focused flourishes. While one wishes the film had trusted the subtle power of its protagonist, the creators seemingly decided louder was better. As a result, this becomes a case of noble intentions overshadowed by narrative noise.



Also Read: Suresh Gopi Returns to Courtroom Fire in Janaki V Vs State of Kerala Trailer


NTT DATA is honored for its end-to-end GenAI transformation capabilities and customer-centric innovation across APAC

SINGAPORE, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce that NTT DATA has been awarded the 2025 Asia-Pacific Competitive Strategy Leadership Recognition in the generative AI (GenAI) solutions industry for its outstanding achievements in driving customer-centric digital transformation, strategic innovation and scalable GenAI implementation across key regional markets. This recognition highlights NTT DATA's ability to turn AI complexity into real-world business value while reinforcing its leadership as a premier strategy-to-infrastructure partner in the dynamic GenAI landscape.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. NTT DATA excelled in both, demonstrating its unique ability to blend visionary strategy with operational excellence, delivering holistic GenAI solutions that are modular, scalable and grounded in real business impact. "While many enterprises race to test GenAI use cases, NTT DATA stands apart for its focus on long-term value creation. Its comprehensive approach-grounded in governance, scalability and organizational readiness positions it as a trusted partner for sustainable GenAI transformation," said Kiran Kumar Vijaya Kumar, Research Director at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a future-forward strategy centered on continuous innovation, ecosystem collaboration and in-house R&D, NTT DATA has demonstrated agility in responding to evolving technology and regulatory landscapes. Its robust investments in AI innovation, supported by more than 5,000 R&D professionals, eleven innovation centers and a global delivery footprint, have empowered the company to lead large-scale GenAI transformations across industries such as financial services, healthcare, public sector and manufacturing in Asia-Pacific.

Innovation is central to NTT DATA's approach. Its suite of GenAI offerings, including the GenAI TechHub and proprietary platforms like aXet and Tsuzumi equips clients with ready-to-deploy frameworks, reusable components and scalable tools that accelerate time to value while ensuring transparency, fairness and regulatory compliance. "This recognition from Frost & Sullivan is a testament to our commitment to innovation and delivering real business outcomes for our clients," said John Lombard, CEO, APAC, NTT DATA. "We are proud to lead the way in generative AI, helping organizations across the region unlock new value and transform with confidence. Our focus has always been on enabling clients to navigate complexity with clarity by combining cutting-edge technology, deep industry expertise and a strategic vision for the future. This award affirms the strength of our approach and the trust our clients place in us as a partner in their digital transformation journeys."

NTT DATA's commitment to customer experience further strengthens its market position. By delivering tailored GenAI solutions powered by deep industry knowledge and supported through a partner-led delivery model, the company ensures consistent results across diverse client needs. Its ability to align technical solutions with business objectives while addressing regional constraints and opportunities has led to measurable client success, including productivity improvements of up to 40%, automation efficiencies exceeding 70%, and significant reductions in development timelines and costs.

Frost & Sullivan commends NTT DATA for setting a high standard in competitive strategy, execution and market responsiveness. The company's vision, customer-first culture and differentiated capabilities are shaping the future of GenAI solutions and unlocking sustainable growth in Asia-Pacific.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the 'Competitive Strategy Leadership Recognition' to a company that demonstrates outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in market share, customer satisfaction and competitive positioning. The recognition acknowledges forward-thinking organizations that are reshaping their industries through innovation and growth excellence.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices recognitions honor companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, megatrends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion .

Contact:

Tarini Singh

E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA is a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services. We serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Our services include business and technology consulting, data and artificial intelligence, industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. We are also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3.6 billion each year in R&D to help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future.

Visit us at nttdata.com

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Ende Mai leitete US-Prasident Donald Trump mit der Unterzeichnung mehrerer Dekrete eine weitreichende Wende in der amerikanischen Energiepolitik ein. Im Fokus: der beschleunigte Ausbau der Kernenergie.



Mit einem umfassenden Manahmenpaket sollen Genehmigungsprozesse reformiert, kleinere Reaktoren gefordert und der Anteil von Atomstrom in den USA massiv gesteigert werden. Ausloser ist der explodierende Energiebedarf durch KI-Rechenzentren, der eine stabile, CO-arme Grundlastversorgung zwingend notwendig macht.



In unserem kostenlosen Spezialreport erfahren Sie, welche 3 Unternehmen jetzt im Zentrum dieser energiepolitischen Neuausrichtung stehen, und wer vom kommenden Boom der Nuklearindustrie besonders profitieren konnte.



Holen Sie sich den neuesten Report! Verpassen Sie nicht, welche Aktien besonders von der Energiewende in den USA profitieren durften, und laden Sie sich das Gratis-PDF jetzt kostenlos herunter.



Dieses exklusive Angebot gilt aber nur fur kurze Zeit! Daher jetzt downloaden!
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network (WSPN), a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, announced that its USD-backed stablecoin WUSD has officially listed on Coins.ph, the Philippines' leading crypto exchange platform. The new WUSD/PHP trading pair enables Filipino users to seamlessly convert Philippine Pesos directly into WUSD, providing a trusted fiat gateway to the global stablecoin ecosystem.

The listing on Coins.ph represents a significant milestone in WUSD's expansion across Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, where digital asset adoption continues to accelerate. As the country's most trusted cryptocurrency platform serving millions of Filipino users, Coins.ph provides an ideal entry point for WUSD into this strategic market.

Given the Philippines' position as a major remittance destination, the integration provides users with direct WUSD/PHP conversion capabilities, eliminating the need for multiple currency conversions and offering 24/7 availability for cross-border transactions and stable value storage.

As WSPN continues to deepen its collaboration with leading regional exchanges, it remains dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and accessible financial ecosystem for users across Southeast Asia and beyond.

About WSPN

WSPN is a leading provider of next-generation stablecoin infrastructure, committed to building a more secure, efficient, and transparent payment solution for the global economy. Their flagship product, WUSD stablecoin, is pegged 1:1 to the U.S. Dollar and aims to optimize secure digital payments for Web3 users. WSPN's Stablecoin 2.0 approach prioritizes user-centricity, community governance, and accessibility, paving the way for widespread stablecoin adoption.

Learn more: www.wspn.io | X | LinkedIn

About Coins.ph

Coins.ph is on a mission to power the new internet with easy access to digital assets and web3 products. Launched in 2014, Coins.ph is the most established crypto brand in the Philippines and has gained the trust of more than 18 million users. Through the easy-to-use mobile app, users can buy and sell a variety of different cryptocurrencies and access a wide range of financial services. Coins.ph is fully regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and is the first ever crypto-based company in Asia to hold both Virtual Currency and Electronic Money Issuer licenses from a central bank.

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Showcasing AI-Powered Lending, Payments, and Digital Services for a Rapidly Transforming Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 20th edition of the IDC Asian Financial Services Congress and Awards, held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore, Nucleus Software showcased its AI-driven digital banking solutions, reinforcing its commitment to enabling transformation across Southeast Asia's financial ecosystem. The event brought together over 120 CIOs and senior technology leaders from across the region-including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. The Congress explored high-impact themes across AI transformation, regional payment modernization, and CBDC readiness-paving the way for a resilient and interoperable financial ecosystem in the region.

"What makes IDC's Asian Financial Services Congress & Awards unique is that it is built as a community," said Dr. Ashish Kakar, Research Director, Asia/Pacific, IDC. "Our attendees become members of an exclusive, thriving network of decision-makers and change agents who will design the future of banking in ASEAN. Through roundtables and analyst-led discussions, we actively facilitate interaction across borders, industries, and ideas."

Transformation in Motion: A Pragmatic Path for Heritage BFSIs

One of the most compelling conversations at the Congress was the fireside chat titled:

"Changing the Engine While the Bus Is Running: A Pragmatic Path to Transformation for Heritage BFSIs". The session featured Chandima Cooray, Chief Information Officer, Hatton National Bank, and Aabhinna Suresh Khare, Chief Marketing Officer, Nucleus Software, who discussed the realities of transforming legacy financial institutions in dynamic, real-time environments.

"The ASEAN region is unique-diverse in infrastructure, yet united in ambition. Our partnership with Nucleus allows us to remain adaptive and innovative, while continuing to build trust through secure, scalable systems," shared Chandima Cooray, speaking on Hatton National Bank's digital transformation journey.

The dialogue emphasized that for heritage BFSIs, transformation must strike a balance between regulatory trust, operational continuity, and digital agility-making the shift both strategic and sustainable.

Nucleus Software's presence at the Congress reflected its broader mission to enable AI-enabled, purpose-driven transformation for financial institutions across Southeast Asia. Through its integrated suite-FinnOne Neo for lending, FinnAxia for transaction banking, and Nucleus Digital Services for cloud ready innovation-the company continues to enable banks accelerate digitization across both retail and corporate segments.

Whether it's supporting credit inclusion for MSMEs in rural Indonesia, enhancing cash visibility for regional corporates in Malaysia, or enabling faster digital onboarding in Vietnam, Nucleus Software's platforms are driving measurable impact.

AI as a Strategic Enabler: Future-Forward Vision from Nucleus Software

Closing the session, Aabhinna Suresh Khare offered a bold outlook on the evolving role of AI in banking:

"AI is a mindset shift-reshaping how banks think, decide, and deliver. For Southeast Asia, with its young digital population and progressive regulatory landscape, AI is a game-changer in delivering speed, personalization, and proactive risk management. At Nucleus Software, we view AI as a strategic enabler-empowering institutions to move from reactive to predictive, from rule-based processes to intelligent, adaptive systems. Whether it's smarter underwriting, dynamic collections, or hyper-personalised engagement, AI is opening doors to possibilities that were unimaginable just a few years ago."

As Southeast Asia accelerates toward a digital-first financial future, Nucleus Software remains committed to enabling banks to lead with intelligence, operate with agility, and grow with purpose. The company's presence at the 20th IDC Asian Financial Services Congress reaffirms its role not just as a technology provider, but as a trusted transformation partner-empowering financial institutions across the region to rewire legacy systems, embrace AI responsibly, and deliver banking that is inclusive, interoperable, and future-ready.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 / Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX:NDM)(NYSE American:NAK) ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") and its 100%-owned U.S.-based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership ("Pebble Partnership") announce that, in the interest of ensuring timelines remain tight, we have filed a motion in Federal District Court in Alaska seeking a summary judgment briefing schedule in our pending litigation to get this question of the unlawfulness of the Biden veto before the court for prompt decision.

"While discussions with the EPA have taken place, we have not reached a settlement. As such, today we asked the court to set a briefing schedule for summary judgment motions, as we now believe that will be the quickest, most direct avenue to get the veto removed," said Ron Thiessen, Northern Dynasty President and CEO. "We will continue to work with the relevant government agencies to resolve this issue. Meanwhile we are confident that the court will agree with our assessment that the issuance of the veto by the Biden administration was unlawful."

Mr. Thiessen continued, "This administration has been emphatic about its desire for the U.S. to be self-sufficient in critical metals like copper and to be the global AI capital. For this to happen, the U.S. must develop secure domestic supplies of important metals such as copper and the withdrawal of this egregious and unsubstantiated veto of the largest undeveloped copper project in the world would go a long way towards achieving this goal."

About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern Dynasty's principal asset, owned through its wholly owned Alaska-based U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership, is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 1,840 mineral claims in Southwest Alaska, including the Pebble deposit, located 200 miles from Anchorage and 125 miles from Bristol Bay. The Pebble Partnership is the proponent of the Pebble Project.

For further details on Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Project, please visit the Company's website at www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. Public filings, which include forward looking information cautionary language and risk factor disclosure regarding the Company and the Pebble Project can be found in Canada at www.sedarplus.ca and in the United States at www.sec.gov.

Ronald W. Thiessen

President & CEO

U.S. Media Contact:

Dan Gagnier, Gagnier Communications (646) 569-5897

Forward Looking Information and other Cautionary Factors

This document includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under applicable provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. All statements in this document, other than statements of historical facts, which address permitting, including the withdrawal of the EPA veto and the development and production for the Pebble Project are forward-looking statements. Additional forward looking statements made by the Company under its continuous disclosure obligations include statements regarding (i) the development plan for the Pebble Project (ii) the right-sizing and de-risking of the Pebble Project, (iii) the design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project development plan, including projected capital and operating costs, (iv) the social integration of the Pebble Project into the Bristol Bay region and benefits for Alaska, (v) the political and public support for the permitting process, (vi) the ability of the Pebble Project to ultimately secure all required federal and state permits, (vii) the ability of the Company and/or the State of Alaska to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA's") Final Determination process under the Clean Water Act and ultimately the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Record of Decision ("USACE ROD") through legal actions; (viii) exploration potential of the Pebble Project, (ix) future demand for copper, gold and other metals, (x) if permitting is ultimately secured, the ability to demonstrate the Pebble Project is ultimately commercially viable, and (xi) the potential addition of partners in the Pebble Project. Although NDM believes the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way be construed as guarantees that the Pebble Project will secure all required government permits or regarding the ability of NDM to develop the Pebble Project in light of the USACE ROD and its subsequent remand decision and the EPA's Final Determination, establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, achieve the required financing or develop the Pebble Project.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by NDM as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Assumptions used by NDM to develop forward-looking statements include the assumptions that (i) the Pebble Project will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) any feasibility studies prepared for the development of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) NDM's estimates of mineral resources will not change, and NDM will be successful in converting mineral resources to mineral reserves, (iv) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, and (v) NDM will be successful in its legal action against the EPA and the USACE and any action taken by the EPA in connection with the Final Determination will ultimately not be successful in restricting or prohibiting development of the Pebble Project.

In addition, the likelihood of future mining at the Pebble Project is subject to a large number of risks and will require achievement of a number of technical, economic and legal objectives, including (i) the current development plan may not reflect the ultimate mine plan for the Pebble Project, (ii) obtaining necessary mining and construction permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, including without delay due to third party opposition or changes in government policies, (iii) finalization of the mine plan for the Pebble Project, (iv) the completion of feasibility studies demonstrating that any Pebble Project mineral resources that can be economically mined, (v) completion of all necessary engineering for mining and processing facilities, (vi) the ability of NDM to secure a partner for the development of the Pebble Project, and (vi) receipt by NDM of significant additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine construction. NDM is also subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions. Investors should also consider the risk factors identified in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024, as filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and included in its annual report on Form 40-F filed on EDGAR (www.sec.gov), as well as the risk factors set out in the Company's subsequent public continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ and EDGAR. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

The National Environment Policy Act Environmental Impact Statement process requires a comprehensive "alternatives assessment" be undertaken to consider a broad range of development alternatives, the final project design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project and associated infrastructure may vary significantly from that currently contemplated. As a result, the Company will continue to consider various development options and no final project design has been selected at this time.

SOURCE: Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/northern-dynasty-motion-for-summary-judgement-filed-in-federal-district-court-in-1050032
Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - The Lore Law Firm, a prominent Houston employment law firm is pleased to share an exciting milestone: the firm has received an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest distinction awarded for legal skill and ethical standards. This recognition highlights the firm's ongoing dedication to providing exceptional legal representation, especially in employment law and wage dispute matters. The honor reflects the team's commitment to upholding the highest professionalism and client service standards.

The Lore Law Firm Achieves Prestigious Recognition with "AV" Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

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Earning the "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell clearly reflects The Lore Law Firm's commitment to the highest standards of professionalism and client care. This respected, peer-reviewed honor speaks to the trust and esteem the firm has built within the legal community, thanks to its expertise and integrity. As a significant business milestone, this recognition showcases the firm's ongoing dedication to providing exceptional legal guidance to clients throughout Houston and beyond, further establishing The Lore Law Firm as a reliable advocate for employees seeking fairness and justice in the workplace.

Specializing in employment law, The Lore Law Firm has built a strong foundation in representing clients who face challenges related to unpaid wages and other workplace violations. As a premier Lawyer for unpaid wages, the firm has been instrumental in helping individuals navigate complex legal issues to secure the compensation they rightfully deserve. This latest accolade, the "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell, further validates the firm's position as a leader in the field, showcasing its ability to combine legal prowess with a steadfast commitment to ethical practice.

The Lore Law Firm is proud to be a trusted ally for employees confronting workplace challenges. This recognition represents more than an individual achievement-it highlights the dedication and teamwork of everyone at the firm who puts clients first and works tirelessly to secure positive results in complex cases. While the firm is grateful for the commitment of its attorneys, this milestone speaks to the broader impact of their collective efforts, reinforcing The Lore Law Firm's mission to be a source of hope and reliable guidance for those seeking justice in employment disputes.

As the Houston employment Law Firm continues to grow and serve the community, this prestigious rating serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining high standards in legal practice. The firm remains committed to advocating for fair treatment in the workplace and ensuring that employees' rights are protected under the law. This milestone is a stepping stone for future endeavors, as the firm looks to expand its reach and impact in the field of employment law.

For more information about The Lore Law Firm and its services, interested parties are encouraged to reach out directly. This recognition marks a proud moment in the firm's history, and it looks forward to continuing its legacy of excellence in legal advocacy.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259210

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Rheinmetall, Renk und Hensoldt haben den Rustungsboom der letzten Jahre dominiert, doch inzwischen sind diese Titel fundamental heillos uberbewertet. KGVs jenseits der 60, KUVs uber 4, und das in einem politisch fragilen Umfeld mit wackelnder Haushaltsdisziplin. Fur spateinsteigende Anleger kann das teuer werden.



Doch es gibt Alternativen, die bislang unter dem Radar fliegen; solide bewertet, operativ stark und mit Nachholpotenzial.



In unserem kostenlosen Report zeigen wir dir, welche 3 Rustungsunternehmen noch Potenzial haben und wie du von der zweiten Welle der Zeitenwende profitieren kannst, ohne sich an uberhitzten Highflyer zu verbrennen.



Holen Sie sich den neuesten Report! Verpassen Sie nicht, welche Aktien besonders vom weltweiten Aufrusten profitieren durften, und laden Sie sich das Gratis-PDF jetzt kostenlos herunter.



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Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs has officially crossed the $1 billion mark in client recoveries, including verdicts, settlements and legal cost savings. The firm is excited to celebrate this milestone, which has become part of its anniversary celebrations as it marks 33 years of legal excellence in Houston.

Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs Hits $1 Billion in Client Recoveries as It Celebrates Its 33rd Anniversary

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This landmark achievement reflects the firm's more than 30 years of tough, results-driven advocacy and signals its litigation strength, long-term growth, and leadership in Houston's legal community. The $1 billion in recoveries is not just a financial milestone; it represents the firm's years of securing justice for victims of serious accidents, corporate negligence, and medical malpractice. Moreover, the achievement and anniversary prove the firm's staying power, ability to scale without losing the personal attention every client deserves, and its place as one of the most trusted personal injury law firms in Houston, Texas.

Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs has built its reputation by handling some of the most complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Texas. Since opening its doors in 1992, the firm has helped thousands of individuals and families recover after life-changing injuries, becoming a fixture in the Houston legal community. The firm combines legal skills with aggressive representation and compassion to fight for and protect the rights of its clients.

Backed by more than 100 years of combined experience, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs is known for going all in on every case to secure the best outcomes for clients. The firm's Houston personal injury lawyers, who include multiple Board-Certified personal injury trial attorneys, are backed by a collaborative, client-first approach. Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs' legacy also includes major recognitions for its leadership and litigation excellence. This includes being honored with prestigious awards such as the Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award, which was given to founding attorney Tommy Fibich in 2019.

But more than awards, stats, or the 3-decade run, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs' commitment to serving clients remains at the core of everything. As Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs celebrates surpassing $1 billion in client recoveries and its 33rd anniversary, the firm recognizes that its success is deeply intertwined with the strength of its relationships with clients. Over the past three decades, the firm has built a stellar team of Houston personal injury lawyers who cultivate relationships with clients and collaborate closely on each cases to ensure satisfactory outcomes. Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs has also established itself as the go-to medical malpractice attorney in Houston, Texas.

With this milestone and their anniversary behind them, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs remains focused on the future and commits to fighting for their clients and protecting their rights for years to come. The firm promises to continue grounding its results in its legal strategy, compassionate support, and mission-"Fighting Wrongs, Protecting Your Rights."

For more information, visit Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259211

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Morgantown, West Virginia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - The Miley Legal Group, one of West Virginia's most respected personal injury law firms, is proud to announce that its founder, Tim Miley, has once again been named a Top-Rated Personal Injury Attorney by Super Lawyers 2025. This marks the fifth consecutive year that he has earned this distinction.

Tim Miley of The Miley Legal Group Named Top-Rated Personal Injury Attorney in Clarksburg by Super Lawyers for the Fifth Consecutive Year

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Super Lawyers is a highly respected selection that honors the top 5% of lawyers for their outstanding performance based on professional success and peer recognition. Since 2021, Tim Miley has been voted a top-rated personal injury attorney by Super Lawyers, a prestigious recognition that highlights his exceptional legal expertise as a West Virginia personal injury lawyer. His five-year streak is a testament to his record of helping clients address personal injury cases and further establishes him as a respected West Virginia car accident lawyer.

Miley Legal Group, via a representative, praised Tim for his running streak as Super Lawyers' top-rated personal injury attorney. The representative explained that Tim's extensive experience and dedication have contributed to his success and recognition. Tim's experience in the legislature, having been active in government since 2004, continues to help him understand West Virginia Law better, including how it applies to different cases. "Tim has participated in more than 40 jury trials. He has helped his clients achieve more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts and has helped people put their lives back together after they have suffered a devastating accident or loss."

Tim Miley of The Miley Legal Group Named Top-Rated Personal Injury Attorney in Clarksburg by Super Lawyers for the Fifth Consecutive Year

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This Super Lawyers' distinction not only underscores Tim's commitment to legal excellence but also showcases the firm's sustained reputation as the go-to personal injury law firm in West Virginia. The Miley Legal Group has built a strong reputation as a trusted law firm by handling complex cases ranging from car accidents to workplace accidents, medical malpractice, and other personal injury claims. The firm, which focuses exclusively on personal injury law, boasts a tenacious team that provides compassionate support and aggressive representation for each client.

Clients seeking experienced legal representation after an accident or injury continue to turn to The Miley Legal Group for its integrity, commitment to client advocacy, and results. And, with its founder's continued recognition, The Miley Legal Group further solidifies its position as a legal leader in West Virginia for personal injury law.

About The Miley Legal Group:

Founded with a mission to protect and fight for the rights of accident and injury victims, The Miley Legal Group provides strategic and compassionate representation for clients across West Virginia. The Clarksburg-based personal injury law firm is committed to helping individuals and families recover the compensation they deserve. The firm's proven track record and reputation for client-centered legal support continue to stand out in West Virginia's legal community.

For more information, visit The Miley Legal Group.

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SOURCE: Plentisoft
Trogenix Bolsters Clinical Research Team with Appointment of Atif Abbas as Chief Medical Officer and Carolyn Edwards as Vice President, Research & Development

Atif Abbas, MD joins as CMO, bringing over 25 years' experience in oncology drug development and clinical and regulatory strategy





Carolyn Edwards, PhD appointed VP, R&D, with over 15 years' expertise in drug development and strategic partnering





Edinburgh, UK, 18 July 2025 - Trogenix Ltd ("Trogenix"), a pioneering biotech company dedicated to developing innovative cancer therapies, today announces two senior appointments as the Company advances its pipeline towards the clinic. Atif Abbas, MD joins as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), bringing over 25 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology leadership with extensive experience guiding drug development programmes from preclinical stages through clinical trials to market approval and will drive clinical excellence through to commercialisation. Carolyn Edwards, PhD joins as Vice President (VP), R&D, bringing over 15 years of comprehensive experience in drug development and strategic partnerships and will focus on accelerating Trogenix's R&D pipeline.

Ken Macnamara, Chief Executive Officer at Trogenix, added:"As we enter the clinical phase, we are delighted to welcome Atif as CMO and Carolyn as VP, R&D at this transformative moment for Trogenix. Atif's deep expertise in clinical strategy, innovative trial designs, and track record of bringing advanced therapies to patients, combined with Carolyn's experience across immunology, translational science, and programme strategy, significantly bolsters our capabilities as we advance the Odysseus platform. The appointment of these highly talented experts will be instrumental as we advance our pipeline of immuno-oncology assets through the clinic."

An oncology-focused physician, Atif has successfully led numerous first-in-human IND submissions for immunotherapy compounds, including PDL1-41bb bispecific antibodies, NKG2A antibodies, and STING agonists, while playing pivotal roles in high-profile regulatory submissions such as the successful BLA filing for avelumab in Merkel cell carcinoma. Most recently serving as VP and Head of Immuno-oncology at Servier Pharma, he has built and led multidisciplinary clinical development teams across senior roles at Spring Bank Pharma, Kadmon (acquired by Sanofi for $1.9B in 2021), Merck and AbbVie.

Atif earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan, completed oncology training at Mayo Hospital, and pursued clinical research at Yale-Griffin Hospital in the U.S. He is a graduate of the Global Clinical Scholars Research Programme at Harvard Medical School and a widely published author in oncology and medical safety.

Atif Abbas, newly appointed Chief Medical Officer at Trogenix, said:"Having spent over two decades navigating the complexities of oncology drug development - from first-in-human studies to successful market approvals -I'm excited to join Trogenix to chart our course through the clinic. The innovation driven by the Odysseus platform enabling a 'Trojan horse' approach for potential curative responses to aggressive cancers offers significant hope and I look forward to accelerating our clinical programmes and bringing these therapies to the patients who need them most."

Carolyn brings a unique blend of scientific insight, operational leadership, and partnership-building expertise that will be invaluable in the expansion and acceleration of Trogenix's R&D pipeline. Her proven track record includes progressing immunotherapies from concept to candidate, securing a clinical development partnership and asset transfer.

Carolyn completed her PhD at the Department of Immunology, Imperial College London, UK, continuing her research at University College London before Translational Science and R&D Leadership positions in immuno-oncology at Crescendo Biologics and Achilles Therapeutics.

Carolyn Edwards, newly appointed VP, R&D, commented: "I'm thrilled to join Trogenix and contribute to maximising the potential of the Odysseus platform through its next phase of development. Having guided multiple oncology programmes from discovery and clinical stages, I look forward to applying this experience to help accelerate the Company's innovative pipeline."

-ends-

About Trogenix

Trogenix unites cutting-edge technologies in genomics, oncology, immunotherapy, and gene therapy to create a revolutionary therapeutic approach through its Odysseus platform. Using proven AAV vectors, our proprietary Synthetic Super-Enhancers (SSEs) are delivered directly to tumour cells without detection. Our SSEs enable unprecedented precision in gene control, effectively revealing cancer to the body's immune system and killing tumour cells. For any cells escaping Trogenix's technology, our 'Trojan horse' can counter recurrence, offering potentially curative 'one-and-done' treatments for aggressive tumours. With our lead asset showing curative potential in preclinical glioblastoma studies, we're poised to transform treatment paradigms across multiple cancer types and explore applications beyond oncology, such as regenerative medicine.

For more information, visit www.trogenix.com.

For more information, please contact:

Trogenix Ltd.info@trogenixbio.com

Media and Investor Enquiries:trogenix@icrhealthcare.com
JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In April this year, Chery Group officially unveiled its new brand LEPAS, embarking on its global journey to deliver refined lifestyle experiences. As a key step in its globalization strategy, LEPAS is set to make its overseas debut at the Indonesia International Auto Show, opening on July 23.

By choosing Indonesia-Southeast Asia's pivotal market-for its overseas debut, LEPAS demonstrates its forward-looking strategy and unwavering confidence in emerging markets worldwide. At this year's Indonesia International Auto Show, LEPAS will bring its brand philosophy "Colorful Life, Masterful Drive" to life through the event's most vibrant exhibition space. The brand will transform its display area into a premium lifestyle runway, where bold colors, sophisticated design, and interactive elements come together to deliver a truly immersive experience that breaks from conventional automotive showcases. Chief Designer of LEPAS will also be present at the venue, engaging in in-depth discussions with visitors and media representatives to explore the endless possibilities of elegant mobility for the future.

Adhering to its "In Somewhere, For Somewhere" development philosophy, LEPAS is actively integrating into the Indonesian market by accelerating the establishment of a comprehensive sales and service network to precisely meet local consumers' needs.

At this auto show, LEPAS will present its star product portfolio -L8, L6, and L4-making their first collective appearance. L8, a benchmark SUV in its segment, combines elegant styling with a tech-forward cockpit, spacious comfort and comprehensive safety features-making it an ideal choice for urban elites pursuing a premium lifestyle. The show will also witness the debut of the all-new L6 and L4 models. With segment-leading performance, these vehicles will extend LEPAS's appeal to wider customers-from fashion-forward urbanites to individuality-seeking sophisticates-collectively delivering a premium brand experience that blends exceptional value with elevated quality for global customers.

LEPAS's global premiere is just the beginning. Establishing Indonesia as its strategic springboard, the brand is rapidly advancing its mission to become 'the brand of choice for premium lifestyles' worldwide. This auto show will see LEPAS unveiling the most vibrant display-not simply as visual spectacle, but as a symbol of its commitment to exploring and embracing colorful life and cultural diversity. Powered by human-centered technology and speaking the universal language of color, LEPAS is now embarking on its global journey from China, leading a new generation of urbanites toward their aspirational vision of premium mobility.

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Issuer: Skyborn Renewables GmbH / Key word(s): Contract

Skyborn confirms Siemens Gamesa turbine supply and service agreement for Gennaker project



18.07.2025 / 09:35 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Skyborn confirms Siemens Gamesa turbine supply and service agreement for Gennaker project



Hamburg - 18 July 2025 Agreements with Siemens Gamesa aim to ensure supply of the Gennaker offshore wind farm with 63 SG 14-236 wind turbines and their long-term maintenance.

Gennaker will add up to 976.5 MW to Germany's renewables capacity*. Skyborn Renewables (Skyborn) is delighted to confirm execution of the Turbine Supply Agreement (TSA) and the Offshore Long Term Program Service Agreement (LTPSA), with Siemens Gamesa for the provision of 63 SG 14-236** wind turbines and their long term service. Both agreements are based on the Master Supply Agreement signed by Skyborn and Siemens Gamesa in June 2024 . The agreements are conditional and subject to conditions precedent, including a notice to proceed from Skyborn. Installation at sea is set to begin in early 2028.



These agreements strengthen the long-term partnership between the two companies and upgrade the wind turbine technology for Gennaker to state-of-the-art.



Contract signature took place in Hamburg in presence of Patrick Lammers (Skyborn - CEO), Michael Prutsch (Skyborn - Gennaker Project Director), Marc Becker (Siemens Gamesa - Senior Vice President for Offshore) and Mogens Jakobsen (Siemens Gamesa - Head of Sales).



From the left: Michael Prutsch (Skyborn - Gennaker Project Director), Patrick Lammers (Skyborn - CEO), Marc Becker (Siemens Gamesa - Senior Vice President for Offshore) and Mogens Jakobsen (Siemens Gamesa - Head of Sales).

"We are thrilled to see the Turbine Supply Agreement and the long-term service agreement with Siemens Gamesa coming to completion. It is another step towards Gennaker's commissioning. Siemens Gamesa is a partner of choice for offshore wind turbines and we are delighted to be partnering with them again. Gennaker our blue-print project, is the showcase of our end-to-end delivery capabilities, with standardized process to bring new offshore wind projects to life every 12 to 18 months." explains Patrick Lammers, Skyborn CEO. "Gennaker, as the largest offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea, will contribute to Germany's climate goals by boosting renewable energy production in the electrical mix." Lammers adds.



Marc Becker, Senior Vice President of Siemens Gamesa for Offshore adds: "We have successfully partnered with Skyborn on four offshore wind projects across France, Taiwan, and Germany. With Gennaker, our joint portfolio will surpass 3 GW of clean energy capacity. As the project moves toward final investment decision, we stand ready to deliver our SG 14-236 workhorse turbine, already backed by a robust order book exceeding 16 GW."



With a capacity of up to 976.5 MW, Gennaker is to become the largest offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea to date. Located approximately 15 kilometers north of the Fischland-Dar-Zingst peninsula, the project area sits within a designated priority zone for offshore wind energy in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania coastal sea. Skyborn secured the initial building permit for the Gennaker site in May 2019 and maintains site exclusivity for development. Once commissioned, the project will supply approximately 1 million people with green electricity. Gennaker is planned to be commissioned in 2028.



*Capacity as applied for, in the permit application for Gennaker offshore wind farm.

** The project currently refers to Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 turbines and any future updates of that platform.



- END -



Contact

Benedicte Bergeaud

Senior Director Global Corporate Affairs

b.bergeaud@skybornrenewables.com | +33 (6) 88 94 68 17



About Skyborn Renewables



Skyborn is an accomplished offshore wind developer and operator with more than 20 years' experience, headquartered in Germany. The company's capabilities cover the entire offshore wind value chain, including greenfield development, project engineering and design, procurement, financing, corporate power purchase agreements, construction management and asset management. Skyborn is a portfolio company of New York based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a leading infrastructure investor and part of Blackrock.

For more information, visit: www.skybornrenewables.com

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/skyborn-renewables/









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Issuer: DENIZBANK AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

DenizBank AG signs confirming bank agreement with Asian Development Bank



18.07.2025 / 09:44 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



DenizBank AG_Firmenzentrale (c) DenizBank AG_2 Bank agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) strengthens available trade finance capabilities

DenizBank AG can now serve its foreign trade clients more effectively in promising markets such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and select CIS countries DenizBank AG, an Austrian universal bank headquartered in Vienna with branches in Austria and Germany, proudly announces the successful completion of negotiations and execution of a confirming Bank Agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This strategic partnership integrates DenizBank AG into ADB's extensive network of over 180 international confirming banks across more than 90 countries.

The agreement enables DenizBank AG to leverage ADB's AAA credit rating to mitigate risks associated with issuing banks in 16 developing member countries, including promising markets such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and select Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. By joining the ADB Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP), DenizBank AG can now serve its foreign trade clients more effectively in these regions, broadening its trade finance footprint and tapping into new, untapped markets.

Hayri Cansever, CEO of DenizBank AG, remarked: "Our growing network and partnerships, including this latest agreement with ADB, reinforce our role as a trusted partner in international trade finance. We are dedicated to providing tailored, secure, and efficient financial solutions that empower our clients to expand their global reach and succeed in dynamic markets."



DenizBank AG's trade finance division is renowned for its comprehensive and tailored offerings, including: Letters of Credit (Export, Import, Stand-by) to guarantee payment and mitigate risks in international trade

to guarantee payment and mitigate risks in international trade Documentary Collections to facilitate secure payment processing

to facilitate secure payment processing Bank Guarantees to provide financial security for contractual obligations

to provide financial security for contractual obligations Export & Trade Finance via official Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) offering buyer and supplier credits

offering buyer and supplier credits Commodity Trade Finance Solutions, including transactional, borrowing base, and structured finance products, designed to optimize cash flow and working capital management for commodity traders Sema Yurtyapan Berger, Group Head of Trade Finance and Financial Institutions at DenizBank AG, commented: "Our agreement with ADB marks a significant milestone in DenizBank AG's commitment to expanding our global trade finance capabilities. By partnering with ADB, we enhance our ability to support clients engaged in complex international trade transactions, especially in emerging markets. Our expertise, combined with ADB's strong credit standing, allows us to offer secure, flexible, and innovative trade finance solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers."



DenizBank AG was recently honored with the acknowledgment "On the Rise" from The Banker magazine, published by the Financial Times, underscoring its strong market position and innovative approach. The bank has also actively participated in numerous high-profile financings lately, including landmark projects in Wales and Turkey, demonstrating its capacity to support large-scale international trade.



About DenizBank AG

DenizBank AG was founded in 1996 and is subject to the Austrian Banking Act. The bank is a member of the statutory uniform deposit protection scheme AUSTRIA GmbH. DenizBank AG is part of the DenizBank Financial Services Group, which has been owned by the Emirates NBD Group since 2019. The Emirates NBD Group's network includes locations in 13 countries, currently serving more than 20 million customers.



In 2024, DenizBank AG achieved an annual profit of EUR 161.39 million with a balance sheet volume of EUR 6.30 billion, which underlines the bank's solid financial foundation.



Legal notice:

This is a marketing communication prepared for non-binding information purposes. It is not a financial analysis and does not constitute investment advice or an offer or recommendation or an invitation to make an offer to buy or sell financial instruments, investments or other banking services.



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Adalvo was founded in 2018 by Aztiq and is one of the leading business-to-business pharmaceutical companies in Europe

EQT will support Adalvo's next phase of growth, expanding its geographic footprint, and advancing the operational scale-up of the business

Aztiq will remain a minority shareholder and support EQT in advancing Adalvo's mission

REYKJAVIK, Iceland and LONDON, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aztiq has sold the majority of its share in Adalvo to EQT, a global investment organization that owns a portfolio of companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Adalvo was founded by Aztiq in 2018 and is one of the leading business-to-business pharmaceutical companies in Europe, with more than 280 employees, and 170 commercial partnerships globally in more than 140 countries.

"Like all other companies we have founded, Adalvo has been focused on meeting the growing demand globally for better access to high-quality, yet affordable medications. When we founded Adalvo together in 2018 our vision was to revolutionize the important business-to-business segment of the pharmaceutical industry and enable our partners world-wide to meet this growing demand. I am immensely proud of what Adalvo and its leadership team have achieved in such a short period of time. I would like to congratulate EQT on the acquisition of this amazing company, and am confident that under their stewardship Adalvo will continue to flourish and achieve even greater success. I look forward to working with EQT on advancing Adalvo's mission, as a minority shareholder," said Robert Wessman, founder and chairman of Aztiq.

"EQT is deeply impressed by Adalvo's competitive position in dossier development, with an agile and scalable model for development and partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies globally. We look forward to joining forces with the entrepreneurial and highly respected management team, led by CEO Anil Okay, and to investing in the next chapter of continued growth. Looking ahead, we are committed to supporting Adalvo and its employees as we continue to support innovation, expand its geographic footprint, and scale its operations and supply chain to support continued success. We are impressed by what Adalvo has achieved under Robert Wessman's ownership and are delighted that he will also be part of the next phase of the journey as minority shareholder," said Matteo Thun, Partner at EQT.

Anil Okay, CEO of Adalvo, added: "Over the past seven years, we've built a dynamic and innovative platform that supports our partners globally and delivers better healthcare outcomes. We're excited to welcome EQT as a strategic partner, whose long-term vision, cultural alignment, and demonstrated track record in healthcare make them an ideal match to support Adalvo's continued expansion."

On the seller side Jefferies acted as financial advisor and Hogan Lovells was the legal advisor. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals. It is expected to close during H2 2025.

Aztiq press contacts

aztiq-media@aztiq.com

About Aztiq

Aztiq is a visionary healthcare-focused private equity company dedicated to fostering innovation and driving positive changes within the industry. Led by Robert Wessman and a team of veteran entrepreneurs, Aztiq is committed to identifying, investing in, and nurturing ground-breaking healthcare solutions in pharma and biotech to address global healthcare challenges. By leveraging the cumulative experience of the team, Aztiq aims to improve patient outcomes, increase access to quality healthcare, and create a more efficient and sustainable healthcare ecosystem. With a proven track record of success, Aztiq continues to have a lasting impact on the health and well-being of people around the world.
The recognition highlights vivo's commitment to empowering accessibility through on-device intelligence.

SHENZHEN, China, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- vivo was honored with the "Innovate for Impact" best use case award in the accessibility category at the AI for Good Global Summit, in Geneva, Switzerland. Received on July 9, the award recognizes vivo's efforts in leveraging on-device artificial intelligence (AI) to empower accessibility with the initiative "On-Device Intelligence Empowers People with Disabilities and Smart Interaction Scenarios," which stood out among the top submissions from 32 countries. This recognition is a strong endorsement of vivo's long-standing commitment to inclusive technology and its leadership in advancing accessibility solutions globally.

The AI for Good Global Summit, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with over 40 United Nations organizations, including UNIDO and UNESCO, is a leading platform for dialogue on AI, promoting international cooperation among major AI economies. Through workshops and case-study initiatives, the AI for Good Global Summit aims to facilitate the exchange of exemplary experiences and expert knowledge on the global application of AI technologies and models, ultimately improving fairness in AI.

This year, the Summit's Innovate for Impact challenge awarded 51 AI-driven use cases selected from 238 submissions received from across 32 countries. At the ceremony, Mr. Wei Wei, Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Dr. Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, jointly presented certificates to the winning companies and institutions.

At the summit, Cao Yuqiong, Senior Director of Software Industry Development at vivo, delivered a keynote titled "AI Expanding Human Perception Seeing, Hearing, Understanding Everything." Cao emphasized vivo's vision of "Technology for a Better Future" and demonstrated some of the company's key accessibility innovations, including vivo Seeing and other pioneering features designed to create a fairer digital world.

Since 2019, vivo has been leveraging on-device AI capabilities to create industry-leading accessibility solutions. Among these innovations are vivo Listening, which enables two-way voice-to-text communication, and the world's first "Sign Language Translator," a breakthrough in overcoming complex grammar recognition challenges. Additionally, vivo has introduced the industry's first AI visual assistance product, vivo Seeing, which pioneers a multimodal visual assistance system that provides core functions such as environment description and object localization. vivo has also developed vivo Music Scores Reader, designed for visually impaired music lovers.

vivo's ongoing efforts in information accessibility have earned recognition and affirmation from reputable organizations and institutions domestically and internationally. In June 2025, vivo Voice for Hope Initiative was shortlisted as an "Outstanding Case of Technology for the Disabled" by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. At the 7th Technology Accessibility Development Conference (TADC), the initiative titled "vivo Information Accessibility: Industry Practice Driven by Large Models" was awarded the "2025 Outstanding Case of Information Accessibility."

In addition, vivo is taking the lead in creating a barrier-free ecosystem empowered by science and technology. vivo's barrier-free technology is now featured in the National Barrier-Free Environment Exhibition Hall, making vivo the first technology company to provide guided tours for individuals with disabilities using smartphones in China. As part of its efforts to build an open platform for "science and technology for good," vivo has made its full-stack AI capabilities available to developers at no cost, with a particular focus on those developing barrier-free solutions. In May 2025, vivo and the China Disabled Persons Welfare Foundation held a conference on the vivo Voice for Hope Initiative - Special Action on Technology for the Disabled. During the conference, vivo announced its commitment to invest RMB 30 million over the next five years to explore innovative solutions that empower people with disabilities to live barrier-free lives.

To date, vivo's products and services have reached over 500 million users in 60 countries and regions around the world, with accessibility features benefiting more than 4 million users.

(END)

About vivo

vivo is a technology company driven by user orientation to create exceptional products, with smart terminals and intelligent services at its core. It aims to bridge the gap between people and the digital world, offering users a more convenient and personalized mobile digital life. Guided by its corporate values of 'Benfen' (staying grounded), user orientation, design-driven innovation, continuous learning, and teamwork, vivo integrates sustainable development strategies across its value chain, striving to become a healthier, enduring world-class enterprise.

Headquartered in Dongguan, China, vivo taps into local talent resources and maintains an extensive R&D network spanning Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Xi'an. Its research covers a wide range of frontier areas, including 5G communication, artificial intelligence, industrial design, and imaging technology. Currently, vivo's manufacturing network (including authorized production) boasts an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million units, with sales covering over 60 countries and regions and a user base exceeding 500 million.

For more corporate, brand, product, and technology updates, follow vivo's official WeChat accounts: 'vivo'.

For additional media resources, high-resolution images, or videos, please visit: https://www.vivo.com/news

About ITU

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for digital technologies, driving innovation for people and the planet with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, civil society, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, ITU coordinates the global use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits, establishes international technology standards, drives universal connectivity and digital services, and is helping to make sure everyone benefits from sustainable digital transformation, including the most remote communities. From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum, from satellites and submarine cables to advanced mobile and wireless broadband networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world and beyond. Learn more: www.itu.int

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EQT X to acquire Adalvo, a rapidly growing, asset-light B2B dossier developer providing market-approval-ready generic drug dossiers to pharmaceutical companies

EQT will support Adalvo's next phase of growth, further investing in R&D and innovation, and advancing the operational scale-up of the business

Adalvo is uniquely positioned as a one-stop partner, combining strong business development capabilities with a flexible, customer-centric model to meet the bespoke needs of pharmaceutical companies worldwide

Adalvo plays an important role in increasing access to affordable healthcare by developing and distributing generic drugs at affordable prices across a wide range of markets. The transaction highlights EQT's commitment to partnering with companies that deliver critical services to society

STOCKHOLM, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT X ("EQT") has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Adalvo (the "Company"), a leading asset-light B2B dossier developer. Existing shareholders, including Aztiq, the holding company of Adalvo's current Chairman Robert Wessman, will reinvest part of their existing holdings and remain minority shareholders.

Since its founding in 2018, Adalvo has grown rapidly and become a partner to over 170 generic companies in more than 140 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Malta, with more than 280 employees and offices in 15 countries across Europe and India, the Company offers a specialty portfolio, driving affordable health outcomes for patients globally. With increasing demand for effective treatments across indications and therapeutic areas, Adalvo is well-positioned for continued expansion.

EQT will invest in the next phase of Adalvo's growth journey through targeted investments in R&D, supply chain, and operational excellence. This will help expand its product portfolio with a steady cadence of new launches, expand the robust supply chain to cover a wide range of partners and jurisdictions, and enhance business development opportunities for its partners through greater flexibility, reach, and speed to market.

Matteo Thun, Partner within EQT Private Capital's Advisory Team, said: "EQT is deeply impressed by Adalvo's competitive position in dossier development, with an agile and scalable model for development and partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies globally. We look forward to joining forces with the entrepreneurial and highly respected management team, led by CEO Anil Okay, and to investing in the next chapter of continued growth. Looking ahead, we are committed to supporting Adalvo and its employees in its pivotal role to provide access to affordable healthcare to patients around the world. We are impressed by what Adalvo has achieved under Robert Wessman's ownership, and are delighted that he will also be part of the next phase of the journey as a minority shareholder."

Anil Okay, CEO of Adalvo, added: "Over the past seven years, we've built a dynamic and innovative platform that supports our partners globally and delivers better healthcare outcomes. We're excited to welcome EQT as a strategic partner, whose long-term vision, cultural alignment, and demonstrated track record in healthcare make them an ideal match to support Adalvo's continued expansion. We remain committed to advancing Adalvo's intrinsic purpose of making affordable medicines accessible to patients around the world."

Robert Wessmann, Founder & Chairman of Aztiq, commented: "Like all other companies we have founded, Adalvo has been focused on meeting the growing demand globally for better access to high-quality, yet affordable medications. When we founded Adalvo together in 2018 our vision was to revolutionize the important business-to-business segment of the pharmaceutical industry and enable our partners world-wide to meet this growing demand. I am immensely proud of what Adalvo, and its leadership team have achieved in such a short period of time. I would like to congratulate EQT on the acquisition of this amazing company, and am confident that under their stewardship, Adalvo will continue to flourish and achieve even greater success. I look forward to working with EQT on advancing Adalvo's mission, as a minority shareholder"

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals. It is expected to close during H2 2025.

With this transaction, EQT X is expected to be 55 - 60 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication).

Contact

EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

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"The Critical Minerals and ZEO Company"

~ Antimony, Cobalt, Tungsten, and Zeolite ~

DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / United States Antimony Corporation ("USAC," "US Antimony," the "Company"), (NYSE American:UAMY)(NYSE Texas:UAMY), announced today that the previous interview scheduled for earlier this week has been moved to today at the same airing time. Mr. Gary C. Evans, Chairman and CEO, will be featured in studio Friday morning on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo to be aired at approximately 7:30 am Eastern Time, July 18, 2025.

Mr. Evans will provide an update on all of the antimony procurement sourcing being conducted by USAC, both domestically and internationally, for the remainder of fiscal 2025.

Viewers can tune in live on FOX Business or visit www.foxbusiness.com for details on the segment. Alternatively, viewers can access a replay of the interview at www.usantimony.com under the Newsroom section.

About United States Antimony Corporation

United States Antimony Corporation is a leader in the production and refinement of antimony and zeolite, with a focus on supporting critical industries such as defense, technology, and clean energy. Owning the only two operating antimony smelters in North America, the company plays a pivotal role in ensuring domestic access to this critical mineral, which is essential for national security and modern manufacturing. In fiscal 2025, UAMY will become the first fully integrated antimony company in the world, outside of China, with supplies of antimony ore originating from Company owned properties in the United States.

About USAC:

United States Antimony Corporation and its subsidiaries in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada ("USAC," "U.S. Antimony," the "Company," "Our," "Us," or "We") sell antimony, zeolite, and precious metals primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The Company processes third party ore primarily into antimony oxide, antimony metal, antimony trisulfide, and precious metals at its facilities located in Montana and Mexico. Antimony oxide is used to form a flame-retardant system for plastics, rubber, fiberglass, textile goods, paints, coatings, and paper, as a color fastener in paint, and as a phosphorescent agent in fluorescent light bulbs. Antimony metal is used in bearings, storage batteries, and ordnance. Antimony trisulfide is used as a primer in ammunition. The Company also recovers precious metals, primarily gold and silver, at its Montana facility from third party ore. At its Bear River Zeolite ("BRZ") facility located in Idaho, the Company mines and processes zeolite, a group of industrial minerals used in water filtration, sewage treatment, nuclear waste and other environmental cleanup, odor control, gas separation, animal nutrition, soil amendment and fertilizer, and other miscellaneous applications. The Company acquired mining claims and leases located in Alaska and Ontario, Canada and leased a metals concentration facility in Montana in 2024 that could expand its operations as well as its product offerings.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Readers should note that, in addition to the historical information contained herein, this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and intended to be covered by, the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company including matters related to the Company's operations, pending contracts and future revenues, financial performance and profitability, ability to execute on its increased production and installation schedules for planned capital expenditures, and the size of forecasted deposits. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent filings, including Form 10-K and Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "outlook," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "pro forma," and other similar words and expressions. Forward- looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions and uncertainties, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

Contact:

United States Antimony Corp.

4438 W. Lovers Lane, Unit 100

Dallas, TX 75209

Jonathan Miller, VP, Investor Relations

Email: Jmiller@usantimony.com

Phone: 406-606-4117

Media Relations Contact

Anthony D. Andora

Edge Consulting, Inc.

1560 Market Street, Ste. 701

Denver, Colorado 80202

PH: (720) 317-8927

Email: Anthony@EdgeConsultingSolutions.com

SOURCE: United States Antimony Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/united-states-antimony-ceo-to-be-featured-on-fox-business-1049886
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) (FSE: E1K) ("LVG" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the construction progress of the gold processing facility owned by Nyati Resources (T) Limited ("Nyati") in Tanzania, and on the advancement of negotiations toward a binding agreement.

David Scott, Managing Director Tanzania & Director of LVG, commented following a recent site visit: "It was impressive to see the scale and quality of construction firsthand. The Nyati team has delivered a well-engineered plant with strong attention to detail across all critical circuits. With commissioning just weeks away, the site is clearly in the final stages of readiness. This facility will play a key role in enabling our development strategy at Tembo and beyond."

Background on the Nyati Processing Facility

Nyati Resources operates a fully permitted gold processing facility located on one of Tembo's Mining Licenses. The site includes an operating 120 tonne-per-day carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plant and is nearing completion of a second, much larger 500+ tpd unit. Once fully commissioned, total capacity is expected to exceed 600 tpd. The project benefits from existing infrastructure, including grid power, standby generation, a constructed tailings facility, on-site lab, and administrative support. The new plant is designed for scalable toll milling and third-party ore purchases, with features such as dual regrind mills and high-capacity leach tanks aimed at maximizing recoveries and operational flexibility.

Construction Progress Nearing Commissioning

Construction at the Nyati plant is advancing steadily toward commissioning, which is expected to begin within 4-6 weeks. Final site preparations and equipment testing are currently underway.

The run-of-mine (ROM) pad is being filled with low grade base material awaiting delivery of mineralized material to be used for commissioning.

The primary crushing circuit - including feed bins, gyratory grizzly, jaw crushers, and conveyors - has been fully installed.

The secondary crushers, feed bins, chutes, and double-deck screen systems are nearing completion.

Mill feed bins and belt weightometers are installed and connected to twin primary ball mills.

Regrind mills, hydrocyclone cluster, and the full leach circuit - including carbon handling, cyanide dosing, pumps, and agitators - are in place.

Grid electrical supply is operational; standby generation has been installed to ensure continuity during outages.

All motors, pumps, and instrumentation are undergoing final dry testing.

For recent images of Nyati Processing facility, please click on following link: https://lakevictoriagold.com/projects/tembo-gold-project/nyati-processing-facility/

Advancing Toward a Binding Agreement

Lake Victoria Gold and Nyati Resources are in advanced stages of negotiating a binding agreement that will formalize the strategic partnership initially outlined in the executed Letter of Intent, as announced on May 1st, 2025. The proposed agreement is expected to provide LVG with exclusive rights to mill and process ore through the Nyati facility, support the development of its nearby mining licenses, and outline capital contributions and revenue sharing provisions.

Marc Cernovitch, President & CEO of Lake Victoria Gold, stated: "The progress at Nyati represents a key milestone in our broader strategy to unlock the value of our Tanzanian assets through smart, capital-efficient development. Partnering with a facility that's near commissioning allows us to accelerate production timelines while maintaining focus on exploration and growth. As we move toward a definitive agreement, we're laying the groundwork for a scalable platform that can support both near-term cash flow and long-term shareholder value."

Cautionary Statement Regarding Preliminary Development Concepts

The Company cautions that the assessment of potential development opportunities at the Tembo Project is at a preliminary stage and is not based on a mineral resource estimate or any economic analysis such as a Feasibility Study. As such, there are significant technical and economic uncertainties that remain unresolved, including but not limited to metallurgical recoveries, grade continuity, mineability, permitting, processing capacity, capital and operating costs, and the availability of financing. Any reference to potential development scenarios is conceptual in nature and should not be construed as an indication that an economic or technical case has been established for mining at the Tembo Project.

Grant of RSUs

The Company also announces that it has granted an aggregate of six million five hundred thousand restricted share units ("RSUs") to certain directors, officers, and consultants pursuant to its Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. The RSUs will vest in accordance with the terms of the plan and applicable award agreements, and are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, as required.

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by David Scott, Pr. Sci. Nat., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Scott is a Director and Officer of the Company.

About Lake Victoria Gold (LVG):

Lake Victoria Gold is a rapidly growing gold exploration and development company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LVG. Leveraging our unique position and experience, the Company is principally focused on growth and consolidation in the highly prolific and prospective Lake Victoria Goldfield in Tanzania.

The Company has a 100% interest in the Tembo project which has over 50 thousand meters of drilling and is located adjacent to Barrick's Bulyanhulu Mine. The Company also holds a 100% interest in the Imwelo Project which is a fully permitted gold project west of AngloGold Ashanti's Geita Gold Mine. With historical resource estimates and a 2021 pre-feasibility study, the project is fully permitted for mine construction and production, positioning it as a near-term development opportunity.

LVG has assembled a highly experienced team with a track record of developing, financing, and operating mining projects in Africa with management, directors and partners owning more than 60% of the shares. Notably, the Company is grateful for the validation that comes with the support and equity investment from Barrick and recent strategic partnership with Taifa Group.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

Simon Benstead

Executive Chairman & CFO

Phone: +1 604-685-9316

Email: sbenstead@lakevictoriagold.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 NEWS RELEASE.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including: the completion of transaction and obtaining regulatory approval for the transaction. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made.

Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond LVG's control, including risks associated with or related to: receipt of all regulatory approvals; the state of financing availability; the volatility of metal prices and LVG's common shares; actual exploration or development plans and costs differing materially from the Company's estimates; and other risks disclosed in the Company's public filings.

LVG's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. LVG does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities LVG will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259198

SOURCE: Lake Victoria Gold Ltd.
MCKINNEY, TX / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Adventure Pilot, creator of iFly EFB, and leading rugged tablet manufacturer SOTEN Technology (Hugerock) today announced a strategic partnership and the joint launch of a groundbreaking product designed specifically for aviation navigation-the iFly EFB X7 Aviation Tablet. This innovative tablet will make its debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025,held from July 21 to July 27, 2025, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh,Wisconsin.

In June 2025, iFly EFB and Hugerock signed a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at combining iFly EFB's expertise in aviation navigation software with Hugerock's proven capabilities in rugged hardware manufacturing. Together, they will deliver an unparalleled flight experience for general aviation pilots. The X7 Aviation Tablet integrates iFly EFB's powerful navigation functions with the ruggedness and reliability of Hugerock's2600nits X7Aviation tablet, ensuring stable accurate navigation support, and a brightest display of 2600NITS under strong sunlight.

Key features of the X7 Aviation Tablet include:

Exceptional Durability : Engineered for the demanding aviation environment with outstanding dustproof, waterproof, and shock-resistant performance.

Precise Navigation : Equipped with advanced iFly EFB software offering detailed maps, real-time weather updates, and flight planning tools.

High-Visibility Display : Ultra-bright screen 2600nits that remains clearly visible even in direct sunlight.

Extended Battery Life: Designed to support long-duration flights without interruption.

"iFly EFB are thrilled to partner with Hugerock to launch the X7 Aviation Tablet," said Juanita Boyd, VP Operations of iFly EFB. "The Hugerock tablet is a ideal platform for the iFly EFB app, with its super bright screen and ability to continue operating even in very hot conditions, it is ideal for general aviation, military, or commercial flight operations. We are proud to partner with Hugerock on this project."

MIKE YU, VP of SOTEN Technology Hugerock added: "This collaboration with iFly EFB marks a significant step in expanding Hugerock's presence in the global aviation market. The X7 Aviation Tablet not only demonstrates our technological capabilities but also reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, high-performance solutions for the aviation industry. We look forward to connecting with pilots and aviation enthusiasts from around the world at Oshkosh."

Media and customers are invited to visit the event at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025:

Event : EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025

Date : July 21-27,2025

Location : Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh,Wisconsin

Booth: Hangar C, Booth 3052-3053

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 is the world's largest aviation event, expected to attract over 600,000 attendees. The show will feature thrilling air shows, forums, workshops, and a wide array of aircraft spanning all eras of aviation.

About iFly EFB and Hugerock:

iFly EFB provides industry-leading Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solutions. Renowned for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set, iFly EFB is trusted by pilots across the aviation community.

Website: www.iFlyEFB.com

Hugerock is a leading brand of reinforced tablet, widely used in outdoor sports, industrial, military, and aviation sectors. The company specializes in brightest display technology, wider working temperature tablet, high-durability, high-performance hardware designed to withstand extreme environments.

Contact info: juanita@adventurepilot.com

Media Contact

Organization: Adventure Pilot LLC

Contact Person Name: Juanita Boyd

Website: http://www.iflyefb.com

Email: juanita@adventurepilot.com

City: McKinney

State: TX

Country: United States

SOURCE: Adventure Pilot LLC

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/adventure-pilot-and-hugerock-announce-joint-launch-of-the-ifly-ef-1050082
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Optimi Health Corp. (CSE: OPTI) (OTCQX: OPTHF) (FSE: 8BN) ("Optimi" or the "Company"), a Canadian drug manufacturer and formulator of GMP-grade MDMA and natural psilocybin, is pleased to announce that it has entered into subscription agreements pursuant to which it proposes to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") with two non-arm's length parties (each an "Investor") of 3,450 unsecured convertible debentures of the Company (each a "Convertible Debenture") at a price of CAD$1,000 per Convertible Debenture for gross proceeds of CAD$3,450,000. The Convertible Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 15.0% per annum, calculated and payable quarterly in arrears in cash, maturing twelve (12) months or, if extended for an additional twelve (12) months by the Investor, from the date of issuance, twenty-four months (the "Maturity Date"). The principal amount of each Convertible Debenture will be convertible into common shares of the Company (each a "Common Share") at a conversion price of $0.15 (the "Conversion Price"), being the closing price of the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") preceding the execution by each Investor of the subscription agreement for the Convertible Debentures. On the Maturity Date, any outstanding principal amount of the Convertible Debentures, plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, will be repaid by the Company in cash or, at the option of the Investors, through the issuance of Common Shares. No warrants are attached to the Convertible Debentures issued under the Offering.

The principal amount of the Convertible Debentures, in whole or in part, will be convertible into Common Shares at the Conversion Price at the option of the Investors and for no additional consideration upon written notice from the Investor to the Company at any time prior to the close of business on the Maturity Date. Upon conversion of all or any of the Convertible Debentures, all accrued and unpaid interest outstanding to the date of the conversion on any such converted Convertible Debenture shall be paid in cash or in Common Shares at the election of the Investor. In the event that the Investor elects to convert all or a part of the accrued and unpaid interest into Common Shares, such Common Shares shall be issued at a deemed price equal to the most recent closing price of the Common Shares on the CSE prior to the receipt by the Company of a conversion notice from the Investor.

The net proceeds received by the Company from the Offering will be used for general working capital. All securities issued under the Offering, including securities issuable on conversion thereof, will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and a day from the date of issuance, in accordance with the rules and policies of the CSE and applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering is expected to close on or about July 24, 2025. The Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as the Investors are Mr. Dane Stevens, CEO, CMO and a director of the Company, by way of Cathay Visions Enterprises Ltd. and Mr. JJ Wilson, Chair of the Board and a director of the Company, by way of Catcher Investments Ltd. Following the acquisition Mr. Stevens holds 11,875,566 Common Shares or 12.29% of the Company and Mr. Wilson holds 8,237,501 Common Shares or 8.52% of the Company. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Offering by the insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

Extension of Secured Term Loan

The Company also announces it has entered into an extension to its non-dilutive Debt Financing Agreement ("DFA") and General Security Agreement ("GSA") for CAD$1,000,000 (the "Loan") with one arm's length party (the "Lender"). Pursuant to the DFA and the GSA, the Loan is secured against the assets of the Company and bears interest at a rate of 7.5% per annum, payable by the Company to the Lender quarterly on the last business day of every fiscal quarter until full repayment. The Loan maturity date has been extended and all outstanding principal is now payable on April 30, 2026. The Company may repay the Loan at any time on notice to the Lender, subject to a prepayment fee. As partial consideration for the extension of the Loan from the Lender, the Company has granted a total of 400,000 Common Share purchase warrants (the "Warrants"), entitling the purchase of Common Shares. The Warrants are exercisable for two (2) years from the date of issuance, at an exercise price of $0.25 per Common Share.

About Optimi Health Corp.

Optimi Health Corp. is a Health Canada-licensed, GMP-compliant manufacturer and supplier of natural psilocybin and MDMA. Dedicated to producing high-quality psychedelic products, the Company aims to support the global advancement of mental health therapies through rigorous compliance, innovation, and collaboration.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10615/259200_c1250a48942c3bec_001full.jpg

On Behalf of the Board

JJ Wilson, Chair of the Board

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "expects," "will continue," "is anticipated," "anticipates," "believes," "estimated," "intends," "plans," "forecast," "projection," "strategy," "objective," and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements. These statements may involve estimates, assumptions, and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Optimi's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include but are not limited to those factors which are discussed in the Company's long form prospectus dated February 12, 2021, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Except as expressly required by applicable law, Optimi undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Optimi to predict all of them or assess the impact of each factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259200

SOURCE: Optimi Health Corp.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. (TSXV: CBIT) (OTCQB: CBTTF) (the "Company" or "Cathedra"), a bitcoin company that develops and operates digital infrastructure assets, is pleased to announce that on July 17, 2025, the Company repaid its outstanding bitcoin-backed loan of approximately US$2.560 million (the "Loan"). The Loan, which was made to the Company by an arm's length third party on March 14, 2025, was secured by approximately 50.5 of the Company's bitcoin, carried interest at a rate of 13.0% per annum (payable monthly), and was set to mature on March 18, 2026.

To fund the early repayment of the Loan, the Company liquidated approximately 21.6 of its bitcoin that collateralized the Loan. The remaining collateral of approximately 28.9 bitcoin was returned to the Company. Since receiving the Loan, the price of bitcoin has appreciated by over 50%.

"We took advantage of recent strength in the bitcoin market to repay outstanding debt, strengthening our balance sheet and positioning the Company to pursue the strategic growth initiatives we've been developing to drive significant shareholder value. In my first days with the Company, the Board and I have been actively shaping our path forward, and I look forward to sharing our vision soon," remarked Joel Block, CEO of the Company.

About Cathedra Bitcoin Inc.

Cathedra develops and operates digital infrastructure assets across North America. The Company hosts bitcoin mining clients across its portfolio of three data centers (30 megawatts total) in Tennessee and Kentucky and recently developed and sold a 60-megawatt data center in North Dakota, a joint venture in which Cathedra held a minority interest, closing of which is anticipated to occur in 2025. 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. Cathedra is headquartered in Vancouver and its subordinate voting shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "CBIT" and in the OTC market under the symbol "CBTTF".

For more information about Cathedra, visit cathedra.com or follow Company news on X at @CathedraBitcoin or on Telegram at @CathedraBitcoin.

For media and investor relations enquiries, please contact:

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259204

SOURCE: Cathedra Bitcoin Inc.
SOFAZ to acquire 49% stake in a 402 MW portfolio of solar power plants in Italy from Enfinity Global who retains 51% and will be the long-term asset manager

The portfolio includes 14 solar power plants across the Lazio and Emilia-Romagna regions, with electricity output contracted through long-term PPAs

ROME, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) and Enfinity Global, a leading renewable energy company, communicate to have entered into an agreement under which SOFAZ will acquire a 49% equity interest in a 402 MW portfolio of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Italy. Upon completion of the deal, Enfinity will retain a majority stake and continue to lead the management of the assets, leveraging its leading position in the Italian renewable energy sector.

The investment aligns with SOFAZ's strategic objectives by offering a stable and predictable income stream, while also contributing to global efforts in the transition to sustainable energy - consistent with the Fund's mandate as a long-term investor.

Through this agreement, Enfinity brings in capital partners to support its Italian portfolio, enabling reinvestment and accelerating the deployment of its 2.6 GW solar and 5.3 GW energy storage pipeline, reinforcing its position as the leading Independent Power Producer in the country.

The investment comprises 14 solar PV plants, both operational and under construction, located in the Lazio and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. The energy generated by these facilities is contracted through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), ensuring predictable energy prices for customers and stable cash flows. The portfolio is expected to produce approximately 685 GWh of clean electricity annually, which will lead to an estimated reduction of 184,950 tons of CO2e emissions per year-equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 250,000 Italian households.

Carlos Domenech, CEO of Enfinity Global: "We are honored and welcome SOFAZ as a long-term partner and investor to our first vintage Italian contracted PV portfolio. This investment is a meaningful example of transitioning to sustainable energy with a win-win outcome for all countries, investors, and customers involved."

Israfil Mammadov, CEO of SOFAZ: "Through this strategic collaboration with Enfinity Global, SOFAZ supports the delivery of competitive, clean energy to meet Italy's growing energy needs, while contributing to local economic development and household energy access. As a forward-looking institutional capital provider we remain committed to supporting strategic investment opportunities in Italy and across Europe."

The transaction was supported by a team of advisors to Enfinity, including Mediobanca as financial advisor, Legance as legal counsel, and Fichtner as technical advisor. SOFAZ was advised by JLL as M&A advisor, Dentons Europe Studio Legale Tributario as legal counsel, EY as financial and tax advisor, and DNV as technical advisor.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1907378/Enfinity_Global_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/azerbaijans-sovereign-wealth-fund-to-acquire-minority-stake-in-402-mw-of-solar-assets-in-italy-from-enfinity-global-302508624.html
High-Resolution IP Survey Defines Priority Targets Beneath Copper Nickel Cobalt Zones on Goodwin Project

MIRAMICHI, NB / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / SLAM Exploration Ltd. ("SLAM" or the "Company") (TSXV:SXL) is pleased to announce the results from an Induced Polarization ("IP") survey conducted over the Granges, Farquharson and Logan copper nickel cobalt zones on its wholly owned Goodwin claims, located in the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick. The IP survey identified a highly chargeable deep conductor situated between the Granges and the Logan zone. As previously reported, drill hole GW2402 intersected a 64.90-meter core interval grading 1.49% copper equivalent ("CuEq"), from 23.60 meters to 88.50 meters, within the Granges zone.

The Company is encouraged by these exciting results. As shown on Figure 1, charge abilities ranging up to the 990 Mv/v define deep targets in the vicinity of the Granges zone. To further define these targets, the Company has designed on a grid of lines spaced at 100 meters to covering a 2,000 x 2,000 meter area over the Granges, Farquharson and Logan zones as well as potential extensions. The Company is requesting price quotes for linecutting and an IP survey over this grid.

Copper equivalent grades for hole GW24-02 were calculated using a recovery rate of 85%, based on assay results set out in the table below and previously disclosed in the Company's news releases dated August 7, 2024 (GW2402).

Hole ID From To Length Copper Nickel Cobalt *Copper% M M Meters % % % Equivalent GW2402 23.60 88.50 64.90 0.73 0.64 0.05 1.49 GW2402 23.60 63.00 39.40 1.11 0.95 0.07 2.23 Metal $US/lb Copper** $ 5.07 Nickel** $ 6.89 Cobalt** $ 15.12 *Copper equivalent calculation based on 85% recovery for copper and nickel **Copper equivalent calculated from metal prices posted June 27th, 2025 on Daily Metal Price.

Results are pending on a second IP line L400E and the IP survey is in progress on the third line, L5300E. This line will run directly over hole GW24-03 on the Farquharson zone.

Preliminary IP chargeability and resistivity results for the first line (L200E) as described above are shown with inversions on Figure 1.

Figure 1 Goodwin Induced Polarization - Chargeability, Resistivity & Inversions

CFO Appointment: The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of James (Jim) Henning as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 8, 2025. Mr. Henning is a Chartered Accountant and has served as the Founder and President of Corpfinance Advisors Inc. since 1984. He brings extensive experience in business valuation across a wide range of industries and has advised companies on financing, public offerings, and corporate restructuring initiatives. His sector expertise includes retail cannabis, manufacturing, telecommunications, software, biomedical, oil and gas services, renewable energy and mining. Mr. Henning currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for several companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange.

"We are very pleased to welcome Jim Henning to the executive team as Chief Financial Officer," said Mike Taylor, CEO of SLAM. "Jim brings a wealth of financial expertise and strategic insight, particularly in capital markets. His deep understanding of the resource sector and proven leadership will be instrumental as we advance our exploration programs and strengthen our financial position."

About Jake Lee Gold: As previously reported in the Company's news release dated July 9, 2025, eight grab samples collected from a bedrock vein in Trench JT25-01 returned gold assay values ranging from 7.42 grams per tonne ("g/t") to 94.80 g/t. Assays are pending on additional samples collected from the same area.

About SLAM Exploration Ltd: SLAM Exploration Ltd. is a publicly traded resource company with a 40,000-hectare portfolio of mineral claim holdings in the mineral-rich province of New Brunswick. The Company commenced its 2025 exploration season with a new bedrock gold discovery on its Jake Lee Gold Project, reporting four samples grading between 18.50 g/t and 75.90 g/t gold (see news release dated May 20, 2025), followed by eight samples ranging from 7.42 g/t to 94.80 g/t ( see news release dated July 9, 2025).

The 2025 exploration program on the Company's Goodwin Copper-nickel-cobalt project is now underway, beginning with the IP survey designed to refine drill targets within and surrounding three mineralized zones where SLAM completed 15 diamond drill holes in 2024. Notably, drill hole GW2402 on the Granges Zone intersected a 64.90-meter core interval grading 1.49% CuEq, from 23.60 meters to 88.50 meters (CuEq calculated using an 85% recovery rate based on assay results disclosed in the Company's news release dated August 7, 2024).

SLAM operates as a project generator and expects to receive significant cash and share consideration in 2025. Notably, on February 28, 2025 Slam received $9,000 in cash and 1,200,000 shares of Nine Mile Metals Inc. (CSE:NINE) pursuant to the Wedge project agreement. On March 29, 2025, the Company also received a cash payment of $60,000 and 180,000 shares of a private company pursuant to the Ramsay gold agreement. The Company retains net smelter return (NSR) royalties on both projects and expects additional cash and share payments.

To view SLAM's corporate presentation, click SXL-Presentation. Additional information is available on SLAM's website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Follow us on X @SLAMGold.

Qualifying Statements: Mike Taylor P.Geo, President and CEO of SLAM Exploration Ltd., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Company's planned exploration activities; the anticipated results and interpretation of IP surveys; the receipt and timing of assay results; the potential for additional mineralized zones or depth extensions; the Company's expectations regarding future payments under option or royalty agreements; and the potential for future drilling programs.

Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of management as of the date of this release and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, risks related to exploration and development; the interpretation of exploration results; delays or failures in obtaining assay results; commodity prices; market conditions; regulatory approvals; availability of financing; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is available in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mike Taylor, President & CEO

Contact: 506-623-8960

mike@slamexploration.com

Jimmy Gravel, Director

Contact: 902-273-2387

graveldevelopments@gmail.com

SEDAR+: 00012459E

SOURCE: SLAM Exploration Ltd.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/slam-ip-survey-identifies-deep-conductive-target-beneath-granges-and-logan-copper-1049988
TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Northern Superior Resources Inc. (" Northern Superior " or the " Company ") (TSX-V:SUP)(OTCQX:NSUPF)(GR:D9M1) is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of the Hazeur, Monster Lake East, and Monster Lake West Properties originally announced on June 16, 2025 (the " Transaction "), expanding its total land position in the Chibougamau Gold Camp from 60,016 hectares to 68,522 hectares.

Advisors

Beacon Securities Limited acted as financial advisor and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Transaction.

Properties Acquired

The Company believes the Hazeur property could be the northwest extension of its flagship Philibert Project (Northern Superior: 75%, SOQUEM: 25%), located just 9 km from IAMGOLD Corporation's (" IAMGOLD ") Nelligan project and 60 km southwest of Chibougamau, Quebec. Furthermore, the Monster Lake East and Monster Lake West properties are located on either side of IAMGOLD's Monster Lake property, and between the Company's Philibert and Chevrier projects (see Figure 1, 2 and 3 below).

The Company sees potential to expand the Philibert deposit along strike to the west, particularly within multiple shear zones such as the Red Fox Zone, which historically has seen the most drilling. The western limit of the Philibert deposit remains open, highlighted by near-surface intercepts of 4.84 g/t Au over 3.9 metres, including 16.4 g/t Au over 0.8 metres in hole PB-22-375. These results suggest the presence of a high-grade plunge within the gold system, which the Company is actively investigating ( see Figure 2 ).

"This acquisition is a major step forward in unlocking the broader potential of the Chibougamau Gold Camp. Not only do these new properties host known gold mineralization and compelling exploration upside, but they also extend key geological structures directly linked to the Philibert deposit. Combined with recent drilling success and a growing resource base, Philibert is rapidly emerging as a cornerstone asset in a camp now coming into prominence on the global stage," said Simon Marcotte, President and Chief Executive Officer.

"In addition to the Hazeur property, the acquisition of the Monster Lake East and West properties gives us control over highly prospective ground along the Fancamp trend, adjacent to our Chevrier Project and IAMGOLD's Monster Lake Project. We're very encouraged by the strategic potential these new land packages offer. This acquisition extends our control to over 15 kilometres along the Guercheville Fault Zone ( see Figure 2 ), where the Philibert deposit remains open in both directions. The Hazeur property shows strong evidence for the continuation of Philibert-style mineralization. Additionally, we now cover more than 30 kilometres along the highly prospective Fancamp Fault Zone and Monster Lake trends, where we plan to apply our evolving geological and structural models to identify and advance new discovery targets," added Adree DeLazzer, Vice President of Exploration.

Western Extension of the Philibert Deposit

Northern Superior sees strong potential to expand the Philibert deposit along strike to the west, particularly within a series of parallel shear zones that include the Red Fox Zone-the most extensively drilled area to date. Drilling has confirmed that mineralization remains open in this direction, with recent results indicating the continuation of high-grade structures. Notably, hole PB-22-375 returned a near-surface intercept of 4.84 g/t Au over 3.9 metres , including a higher-grade interval of 16.4 g/t Au over 0.8 metres , suggesting the presence of a high-grade plunge within the broader mineralized envelope.

The recent acquisition of the Hazeur property, directly adjoining the northwest boundary of the Philibert Project, strengthens this expansion opportunity. Historical drilling on Hazeur returned anomalous gold values near the shared boundary, indicating the potential continuation of the Philibert mineralized system which is also supported by airborne geophysics and regional mapping.

As part of the Company's 2025 exploration program, detailed structural analysis, relogging of historical core, and targeted drilling are planned to delineate this western extension and could significantly expand the current resource footprint.

Figure 1: Claim Map of Southern Chibougamau Gold Camp

Figure 2: Geology Map of Philibert area with Targets. See NI-43-101 information below in note 3.

Figure 3: Long Section - 50 metre width looking Northeast and inclined at 35 degrees

Figure 4: Total Magnetic Field Map of the Philibert Property. See NI-43-101 information below in note 3.

Exploration Potential and Historical Highlights

The newly acquired properties have benefited from multiple exploration campaigns, including geophysical, geochemical, geological, and drilling programs. Northern Superior will initiate a comprehensive reinterpretation of all datasets, alongside regional surveys to develop new grassroots targets.

Key mineralized zones and targets include:

Northwest Extension of Philibert Deposit - Situated adjacent to the southeast corner of the Hazeur property. Historical work suggests that Philibert's mineralized zones extend northwest into Hazeur, with drilling returning anomalous values immediately adjacent to Northern Superior's current claims; Jonction Sud - A several-kilometre-long gold-bearing horizon; and Redess deposit - Several historic drill holes intercepted a mineralized horizon in a gabbro sill with similar characteristics to Philibert, suggesting a potential for more Philibert type mineralization 10km west of the current resource.

The Chibougamau Gold Camp

The Chibougamau Gold Camp is rapidly emerging as one of the world's most sought-after gold destinations with several complementary gold resources reaching viable scale. In recent years, these critical assets were divided amongst five different companies. Today, largely due to Northern Superior's acquisitions and corporate transactions, [1] ownership has been streamlined, with only IAMGOLD and Northern Superior holding these assets. The proximity of these deposits to each other makes them ideally suited to feed a single mill, and their consolidation enhances their viability, thereby increasing their value.

Below is a table showing the resources of the camp having been formalized to date.

Note: see NI-43-101 information below in notes 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Qualified Person ("QP")

The technical content and drilling results contained in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 ") and have been reviewed and approved by Ms. Melanie Pichon, P.Geo., Senior Geologist for Northern Superior. Ms. Pichon is a QP under the NI 43-101 and is not considered independent.

About Northern Superior Resources Inc.

Northern Superior is a gold exploration company focused on the Chibougamau Camp in Quebec, Canada. The Company has consolidated the largest land package in the region, with total land holdings currently exceeding 68,000 hectares. The main properties include Philibert, Lac Surprise, Chevrier, and Croteau. Northern Superior also owns 56% of ONGold Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ONAU) (OTCQX: ONGRF) which is advancing promising exploration assets in Northern Ontario and Manitoba, including the district scale TPK Project and Monument Bay; Agnico Eagle Mines Limited owns 15% of ONGold Resources Ltd.

The Philibert Project is located 9 km from IAMGOLD Corporation's Nelligan [2] Gold project. Philibert hosts a maiden 43-101 inferred resource of 48.5 Mt at 1.10 g/t Au for 1,708,800 ounces Au and an indicated resource of 7.9 Mt at 1.10 g/t Au for 278,900 ounces Au. [3] Northern Superior holds a majority stake of 75% in the Philibert Project, with the remaining 25% owned by SOQUEM, and retains an option to acquire the full 100% ownership of the project. Chevrier hosts an inferred mineral resource of 15.7 Mt at 1.29 g/t Au for 652,000 ounces Au (underground and open pit) and an indicated mineral resource of 6.4 Mt at 1.26 g/t Au for 260,000 ounces Au. [4] Croteau hosts an inferred mineral resource of 11.6 Mt at 1.7 g/t Au for 640,000 ounces Au. [5] Lac Surprise hosts the Falcon Zone Discovery, interpreted to be the western strike extension of IAMGOLD Corporation's Nelligan Gold project.

Northern Superior is a reporting issuer in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and trades on the TSX-V under the symbol SUP and the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol NSUPF. For further information, please refer to the Company's website at www.nsuperior.com or the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca .

Northern Superior Resources Inc. on Behalf of the Board of Directors

Simon Marcotte, CFA, President and Chief Executive Officer

Contact Information

Katrina Damouni

Director - Corporate Development

Tel: +44 7795 128583 (Mobile/WhatsApp)

info@nsuperior.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 press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. The information in this news release about the Transaction and any other information herein that is not a historical fact may be "forward-looking information". Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "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 Northern Superior, at the time it was made, involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the companies to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the parties cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither party nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Neither party undertakes, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

[1] Including Northern Superior's acquisitions of Genesis Metals Corp. and Royal Fox Gold Inc.

[2] " lAMGOLD Announces Significant Increase in Nelligan Ounces & Update of Global Mineral Reserves and Resources"

IAMGOLD reports increase in mineral reserves and resources at existing assets, with increase in resources at Gosselin; IAMGOLD Corporation News Release dated February 15, 2024, October 23, 2024, and February 20, 2025. Note that the technical and scientific information disclosed from neighboring properties does not apply to any other properties of the area.

[3] Independent Technical Report MINERAL RESOURCES ESTIMATION OF THE PHILIBERT PROJECT Quebec, Canada. September 22, 2023. Prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 by Goldminds Geoservice Inc. to Northern Superior Resources. Philibert hosts a maiden 43-101 inferred resource of 48.5 Mt at 1.10 g/t Au for 1,708,800 ounces Au and an indicated resource of 7.9 Mt tonnes at 1.10 g/t Au for 278,900 ounces Au. Note that the technical and scientific information disclosed from neighboring properties does not apply to any other properties of the area.

[4] NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimation for the Chevrier Main Deposit, Chevrier Project Chibougamau, Quebec, Canada, October 20, 2021, Prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 by Lions Gate Geological Consulting Inc. IOS Services Geoscientifiques Inc. for Northern Superior. Chevrier hosts an inferred mineral resource of 15.7 Mt at 1.29 g/t Au for 652,000 ounces Au (underground and open pit) and an indicated mineral resource of 6.4 Mt at 1.26 g/t Au for 260,000 ounces Au. Note that the technical and scientific information disclosed from neighboring properties does not apply to any other properties of the area.

[5] Chalice Gold Mines Limited and Northern Superior Resources Inc. Technical Report on the Croteau Est Gold Project, Quebec, September 2015, Prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 by Optiro Pty Ltd ("Optiro") to Chalice Gold Mines Limited and Northern Superior.Croteau hosts an inferred mineral resource of 11.6 Mt at 1.7 g/t Au for 640,000 ounces Au. Note that the technical and scientific information disclosed from neighboring properties does not apply to any other properties of the area.

SOURCE: Northern Superior Resources Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/northern-superior-completes-the-acquisition-of-strategic-properties-in-the-chibou-1050081
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Avanti Gold Corp. (CSE: AGC) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the final tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of $517,998. This final tranche completes the full $1,400,000 Offering. The Company issued 14,799,927 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.035 per Unit in this closing.

Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.05 per share for a period of 12 months from closing. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the final tranche.

The Common Shares and Warrants issued under the Offering are subject to a four-month statutory hold period ending November 15, 2025, under applicable Canadian securities laws and are considered "restricted securities" as defined in Rule 144(a)(3) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act").

Officers and directors of the Company participated in the final tranche, acquiring a total of 7,142,857 Units. This participation constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), as the value of the Units issued to insiders does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to pay annual license fees related to the Company's Misisi Gold Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and for general working capital purposes.

The securities issued in connection with the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws. Accordingly, such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, "U.S. persons" (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Following the Offering, Martino De Ciccio, the lead investor, holds approximately 9.9% of the Company on a partially diluted basis. In addition, Chairman Sir Sam Jonah, CEO Ian MacLean, and other members of the board and management collectively hold approximately 19% on a partially diluted basis. As insiders, their participation also constitutes a "related party transaction" but is exempt from MI 61-101's formal valuation and minority approval requirements.

Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan

The Company also announces that it has granted a total of 3,500,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") to certain directors, officers, and consultants pursuant to its Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the "Omnibus Plan"). The RSUs are subject to vesting conditions. Once vested, each RSU entitles the holder to receive either one Common Share or the cash equivalent, at the Company's discretion.

About Avanti Gold Corp.

Avanti Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company with a strong portfolio of projects in Africa. The Company's flagship asset is the Misisi Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which hosts the Akyanga gold deposit. Akyanga contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 44.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.37 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold, totaling approximately 3.1 million ounces. The Misisi Project encompasses three contiguous 30-year mining leases covering 133 square kilometers along the 55-kilometer-long Kibara Gold Belt, a prolific metallogenic zone known for hosting significant gold deposits.

Qualified Person

Ephraim Masibhera, a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Historical information presented herein should not be relied upon, as it has not been verified by the Company's Qualified Person.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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. These risk and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set out in Avanti's annual and/or quarterly management discussion and analysis and in other of its public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, as well as all assumptions regarding the foregoing. 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/259217

SOURCE: Avanti Gold Corp.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Drivo, a leading car rental service in New York City, is redefining urban mobility for professionals and businesses. Known for its fast, reliable, and modern rental solutions, Drivo now introduces Business Vans and an innovative Loaner Car Program, designed to meet the demands of corporate travel and dealership support.

With a focus on seamless experiences for business travelers, Drivo offers high-quality vehicles perfect for navigating NYC efficiently. From sleek sedans for executives to spacious business vans for team logistics, Drivo ensures every trip is productive and stress-free.

Drivo's goal is to take the hassle out of car rentals for busy professionals. With Business Vans, companies can move teams or equipment with ease, while the company's on-demand Loaner Car Program helps dealerships keep their customers satisfied without the burden of managing a fleet.

Why Drivo is Different:

On-Demand Courtesy Cars - dealerships and service centers can instantly provide customers with quality loaner vehicles without the costs of ownership, maintenance, or logistics.

- dealerships and service centers can instantly provide customers with quality loaner vehicles without the costs of ownership, maintenance, or logistics. Streamlined Operations - Drivo handles support, billing, and even roadside assistance, freeing businesses from administrative headaches.

- Drivo handles support, billing, and even roadside assistance, freeing businesses from administrative headaches. Smart Reporting - businesses get full visibility into gas usage, tolls, revenue, and more through seamless API integration with their systems.

- businesses get full visibility into gas usage, tolls, revenue, and more through seamless API integration with their systems. Local Expertise - with operations focused in New York and New Jersey, Drivo ensures faster vehicle sourcing and support.

The Loaner Car Program eliminates the common pain points dealerships face - from time-consuming claims processing to hidden operational costs. Instead, Drivo offers a hands-off solution that enhances customer loyalty and satisfaction.

For business travelers, Drivo is also the ideal partner for short-term and long-term rentals. Professionals can book in seconds and rely on Drivo's modern fleet and premium service standards.

To learn more about Drivo's Business Vans and Loaner Car Program, visit drivo.com .

About Drivo

Drivo is a modern car rental service based in New York City, providing high-quality vehicles for personal and business use. Focused on convenience, flexibility, and customer satisfaction, Drivo simplifies mobility for individuals and organizations across New York and New Jersey.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/258716

SOURCE: PRNews OU
This analyst recognition further solidifies Spryker as a leading commerce solution for enterprises to future-proof their business amidst market volatility

BERLIN and NEW YORK, July 18, 2025, the leading composable commerce platform for global enterprises, announced its performance in the 2025 Paradigm B2B Enterprise Combine for Digital Commerce Solutions for B2B analyst report. Spryker medaled in all 12 of the categories of the evaluation, including six gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals. This analyst recognition further solidifies Spryker as a leading commerce solution for enterprises to future-proof their business amidst market volatility.

"We are focused on enabling global enterprises with the speed and flexibility needed to future-proof their operations, and the report findings support exactly that," said Boris Lokschin, Co-founder and CEO at Spryker. "Beyond our six gold medals, we are particularly proud of the significant advancements that earned us new medals in categories like Content & Data Management and Site Search. We attribute this directly to our strategic investments in highly requested AI-powered features, including AI-powered visual search, AI-powered back-office capabilities and more, which are proving instrumental in helping our customers launch and scale with unmatched agility and customer experience in mind."

Spryker's achievement of six gold medals showcases the company's excellence across multiple critical categories including Ability to Execute, Customer Service and Support, Promotions Management, Vision and Strategy, Integrations, Operations & Infrastructure, and Sales & Channel Enablement.

This consistent top-tier performance is a testament to the power of Spryker's composable commerce platform, purpose-built to deliver rapid time-to-value and ensure AI-readiness for the future. Spryker's unique architecture, bolstered by robust professional services and a thriving partner ecosystem, empowers global enterprises with the agility needed to quickly adapt to evolving market demands, integrate cutting-edge innovations, and accelerate their digital transformation and growth.

Spryker is uniquely engineered for businesses that want to scale quickly while maintaining flexibility to adapt. Spryker powers some of the most complex enterprise commerce environments globally, enabling them to launch tailored solutions with speed, and then seamlessly expand capabilities and scale operations as their business evolves.

Highlights of Spryker's current enterprise customers operations include:

High-volume transaction processing capable of managing massive order influxes.

capable of managing massive order influxes. Extensive concurrent user activity without performance degradation, even during peak events.

without performance degradation, even during peak events. Vast global reach , enabling commerce operations across numerous countries and regions.

, enabling commerce operations across numerous countries and regions. Complex product catalogs and intricate data structures, accommodating millions of SKUs and diverse business models.

and intricate data structures, accommodating millions of SKUs and diverse business models. Uninterrupted performance across multi-brand and multi-region deployments.



The Paradigm B2B Enterprise Combine report is a highly regarded industry analysis that evaluates B2B commerce platforms based on their capabilities, performance, and strategic vision. Paradigm B2B's purpose is to help guide B2B companies through today's complex, digital-first environment and the report serves as a comprehensive guide for businesses seeking the most innovative and reliable commerce solutions to fuel their growth. Spryker has also been recognized in previous Paradigm B2B reports. Learn more about Spryker's analyst recognitions here .

About Spryker

Spryker is the leading global composable commerce platform for enterprises with complex use cases to enable growth, innovation, and differentiation. Designed specifically for sophisticated transactional businesses, Spryker's easy-to-use, headless, API-first model enables businesses to adapt, scale, and quickly go to market while facilitating faster time-to-value throughout their digital transformation journey. As a global platform leader for B2B and B2C Enterprise Marketplaces, IoT Commerce, and Unified Commerce, Spryker has empowered 150+ global enterprise customers worldwide and is trusted by brands such as ALDI, Siemens, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Ricoh. Spryker is a privately held technology company headquartered in Berlin and New York backed by world class investors such as TCV, One Peak, Project A, Cherry Ventures, and Maverick Capital. Learn more at spryker.com and follow Spryker on LinkedIn and X .

press@spryker.com
A three-generation bond with China

10:23, July 18, 2025 By Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin ( People's Daily

I'm a student from Uzbekistan, now pursuing a master's degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages at the School of Liberal Arts, Jiangsu University. Studying in China has long been my aspiration, yet it represents more than personal fulfillment - it continues a family legacy cultivated over more than half a century, a tapestry of affection and shared experience linking Uzbekistan and China across three generations.

My grandfather, a decorated World War II veteran, valiantly served on the Berlin front, contributing to the defeat of Nazi Germany. In 1945, his journey then took him eastward to Changchun. capital of northeast China's Jilin province, where he joined Chinese forces in their resisting Japanese aggression. Though honored with multiple military medals, he cherished most profoundly the bond forged with the Chinese people during those turbulent years.

Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin, a master's student from Uzbekistan, stands on the campus of Jiangsu University, fulfilling a three-generation dream of friendship with China that began with his grandfather during World War II. (Photo provide by Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin)

In my childhood, his wartime recollections were a constant presence. His voice would often tremble as he recounted the hardships and the extraordinary kindness he encountered. "Even struggling themselves," he would say, "they sheltered me from danger, rushed to my aid in moments of crisis. When resources were scarce, they never failed to consider my needs."

His eyes would glisten with emotion as he clasped my small hand. "It was the friendship of the Chinese people that gave me the strength and courage to carry on. One day, when you grow up, you must return there for me."

Alongside these stories, he planted the first seeds of language in my mind - simple Chinese greetings like "hello" (ni hao) and "thank you" (xie xie). Long before fluency was conceivable, a quiet dream of China took root within me.

The connection deepened through my father. A linguist with a lifelong fascination for classical Chinese poetry, he never had the chance to study in China, yet this limitation never diminished his passion. He taught himself to read ancient Chinese texts and regularly organized gatherings for poetry lovers in Uzbekistan.

"Son," he often advised me, "if linguistics is your calling, master Chinese. It will unlock the world for you." His enthusiasm was infectious, fueling my own fascination with this ancient civilization and intensifying my desire to experience the Chinese culture.

When I received my acceptance letter from Jiangsu University, I was overwhelmed with joy. In September 2023, I embarked for China with my wife and children, carrying my grandfather's hopes and my father's encouragement. As the plane descended, I pressed my forehead against the window, watching the twinkling city lights of Zhenjiang unfold below. A quiet voice echoed in my mind: "Grandpa, I'm here. You came to fight for peace; I come to learn - to carry forward the friendship you cherished."

Yet, just as I embarked on this new chapter full of hope, an unexpected challenge arose. Securing visas for my two children necessitated providing bank statements that prove sufficient financial resources to support them. However, as I had only recently arrived in China, I lacked requisite savings at my disposal. Helplessness set in until a phone call changed everything.

It was a Chinese friend I met in Uzbekistan. "You finally made it!" he rejoiced. Hearing the strain in my voice, he pressed gently until I confided the situation. Without hesitation, his response was both simple and profound: "Don't worry. I can lend you the money. Take your time. I trust you. There's no rush."

His generosity - a trust both immediate and boundless - moved me to tears. It was a cross-border kindness, a living testament to the friendship my grandfather had so vividly described.

Today, my family and I reside contentedly in Zhenjiang. Our children, now in kindergarten, have forged friendships and absorbed the Chinese language at an astonishing pace, their chatter often leaving me convinced they will surpass me soon. Last April, I found profound pride while contributing to strengthened bilateral ties as an interpreter for an Uzbek delegation from Khorezm - a modest yet meaningful role in fostering our nations' relationship.

Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin, a master's student from Uzbekistan, stands on the campus of Jiangsu University, fulfilling a three-generation dream of friendship with China that began with his grandfather during World War II. (Photo provide by Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin)

Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. The enduring warmth and mutual support between the Chinese and Uzbek peoples are etched into my very being.

Following the tradition of my grandfather and father, I will pass on these stories of kindness and friendship to my children. It is a legacy I am honored to steward, confident that this unique bond, nurtured over generations, will only deepen in the years to come.

(Abdulkhakimov Jaloluddin is an Uzbek student at Jiangsu University.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Novem Group S.A.

Societe anonyme Registered office: 19, rue Edmond Reuter

L-5326 Contern R.C.S. Luxembourg B 162537 (the "Company") CONVENING NOTICE

Notice is hereby given to the holders of shares of Novem Group S.A. that an ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

of shareholders will be held on 21 August 2025 at 10:00 (CEST) at the offices of Arendt & Medernach SA, 41A, avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (the "AGM"). Shareholders wishing to participate at the AGM shall either (i) provide a proxy or voting form (in accordance with sections "Right to Participate at the AGM", "Registration for the AGM", "Voting Forms" and "Representation") or (ii) physically attend in person and vote at the AGM (in accordance with sections "Right to Participate at the AGM" and "Attendance in Person"). At the AGM, the shareholders shall deliberate and vote on the following agenda: AGENDA 1. Presentation of the combined consolidated Management Report regarding the annual accounts of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 2. Presentation of the report of the Supervisory Board of the Company regarding the annual accounts of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 3. Presentation of the reports of the independent auditor (cabinet de revision agree) of the Company regarding the annual accounts of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 4. Approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 5. Acknowledgement of the profit of the Company made with respect to the financial year ended 31 March 2025, and resolution concerning the release of the net wealth tax reserves created for the financial years 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 and the allocation of the results of the Company for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 6. Approval of the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 7. Presentation of and advisory vote on the Remuneration Report for the members of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board in the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 8. Discharge (quitus) to Dr. Stephan Kessel, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 9. Discharge (quitus) to Natalie C. Hayday, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of her duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 10. Discharge (quitus) to Florian Schick, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 11. Discharge (quitus) to Philipp Struth, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 12. Discharge (quitus) to Laurent Muller, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 13. Discharge (quitus) to Mark Wilhelms, as member of the Supervisory Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Supervisory Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 14. Discharge (quitus) to Markus Wittmann, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 15. Discharge (quitus) to Benjamin Retzer, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 16. Discharge (quitus) to Florian Sandner, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 17. Discharge (quitus) to Maria Eichinger, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of her duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 18. Discharge (quitus) to Mathias Rieger, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 19. Discharge (quitus) to Dr. Johannes Burtscher, as member of the Management Board, for the performance of his duties as member of the Management Board for and in connection with the financial year ended 31 March 2025. 20. Appointment of KPMG Audit S.a r.l. as the independent auditor (cabinet de revision agree) of the Company in relation to the annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements for the financial year ending on 31 March 2026.

Quorum and Majorities Pursuant to the Company's articles of association and the Luxembourg law dated 10 August 1915 on commercial companies, as amended, resolutions regarding items 4 through 6, as well as 8 through 20 of the agenda will be passed at a simple majority of the votes validly cast, regardless of the portion of the capital present or represented. Item 7 constitutes an advisory vote only. Items 1 through 3 do not require any votes from the shareholders of the Company. Right to Amend the Content of the Agenda Pursuant to the Company's articles of association and the Luxembourg law of 24 May 2011 on certain rights of shareholders in listed companies, as amended (the "Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law"), one or several shareholders representing at least five per cent (5%) of the Company's share capital may request the addition of one or several items to the agenda of the AGM, provided that the request is accompanied by a justification or draft resolution(s). Pursuant to Article 4 of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law and the Company's articles of association, such request and justification or draft resolution(s) must be received at the Company's registered office by registered letter or by e-mail (to the attention of the Management Board, 19, rue Edmond Reuter, L-5326 Contern) or electronic means (to: anmeldestelle@computershare.de) at least twenty-two (22) days prior to the date of the relevant general meeting of shareholders, i.e. by 30 July 2025 accompanied by a proof of the shareholding of such shareholder(s) and the address or e-mail address which the Company may use in order to deliver the acknowledgement of receipt of such request. The Company must acknowledge reception of such request within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of such request. In case such request entails a modification of the agenda of the relevant general shareholders' meeting, the Company will make an amended agenda available at the latest fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the general meeting, i.e. by 6 August 2025. Documents The following documents are available for inspection by the shareholders on the Company's website (https://ir.novem.com/websites/novem/English/5000/corporate-governance.html) and at the registered office of the Company as from 18 July 2025 until the ending of the AGM: - The convening notice for the AGM; - The proposed resolutions of the AGM; - The respective Management, Supervisory Board and auditor's reports regarding the annual accounts of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the financial year ended 31 March 2025; and - The Remuneration Report.

Upon request to the centralising agent of the Company (the "Centralising Agent"), being: Computershare Operations Center

80249 Munich, Germany

E-mail: anmeldestelle@computershare.de

copies of the above-mentioned documents are going to be mailed to the shareholders. Share Capital of the Company The Company's share capital is set at four hundred thirty thousand three hundred three Euro and three Euro cent (EUR 430,303.03), consisting of forty-three million thirty thousand three hundred three (43,030,303) shares without nominal value. Each share entitles the holder thereof to one vote. Right to Participate at the AGM Shareholders wishing to participate in the AGM without attending in person, shall provide a proxy or voting form (in accordance with sections "Voting Forms" and "Representation" respectively). According to Article 5 of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law, the record date for general meetings of shareholders of listed companies incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has been set at fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the corresponding general shareholders' meeting. Therefore, any shareholder who holds one or more shares of the Company on 7 August 2025 at 24:00 (midnight) (CEST) (the "Record Date") and registers for the AGM, where applicable (please see below section "Registration for the AGM"), and provides the certificate specified below, shall be admitted to participate and vote at the AGM in person, by proxy or by way of written vote. Registration for the AGM The Management Board of the Company considers that shareholders who provide proof of their shareholding on the Record Date and submit their voting form or provide a proxy as set forth in the below section "Representation", do not have to undertake other formalities to comply with the obligation set out in Article 5 (3) of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law. Proof of shareholding being a prerequisite for a shareholder to participate and vote in the AGM, shareholders whose shares are held in book-entry form through the operator of a securities settlement system or with a professional depositary or sub-depositary designated by such depositary must submit proof certifying the number of shares held on the Record Date to the Centralising Agent in the period from 7 August 2025 at 24:00 (midnight) CEST until 15 August 2025 at 18:00 CEST. Attendance in Person In case of participation in person and notwithstanding the foregoing, the intention to participate in person shall be indicated in writing by post or electronic means (the "In-Person Attendance Declaration") at the postal or electronic address referred to below and in particular by any other electronic means made available by the Company by 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) at the following address: Novem Group S.A.

c/o Computershare Operations Center

80249 Munich, Germany

E-mail: anmeldestelle@computershare.de

In-Person Attendance Declarations are provided on the Company's website (https://ir.novem.com/websites/novem/English/5000/corporate-governance.html), which may be used. Any shareholder or proxyholder participating in the AGM in person shall carry proof of identity. Shareholders who do not wish to attend the AGM in person must provide a voting form or proxy form in case they do wish to vote in the AGM by 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) (see below section "Voting Form" and "Representation" respectively). Voting Forms Shareholders who do not wish to participate in person in the AGM or appoint a proxy may cast their votes by sending a voting form to the Company by mail, e-mail or in any other form, and in particular by any other electronic means made available by the Company no later than on 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) (see above sections "Registration for the AGM" and "Right to Participate at the AGM" for requirements to participate at the AGM). Voting forms provided by the Company on its website (https://ir.novem.com/websites/novem/English/5000/corporate-governance.html) may be used and if used, only signed voting forms will be taken into account (including for the avoidance of doubt, signed pursuant to a valid, legal and binding power of attorney and/or signed electronically). Shareholders having submitted a voting form but who wish to revoke such voting form may do so by timely providing a later-dated voting or proxy form or cancelling the voting form in writing to the Company at the address referred to above. Only the last voting or proxy form received by the Company before 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) will be considered. Representation In the event that any shareholder appoints another person as proxy to vote on their behalf, the completed and executed proxy form must be submitted by mail, e-mail or in any other form, and in particular by any other electronic means made available by the Company, to the Centralising Agent of the Company no later than on 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) (for further requirements see above sections "Right to Participate at the AGM" and "Registration for the AGM"). Proxy forms provided on the website of the Company (https://ir.novem.com/websites/novem/English/5000/corporate-governance.html) may be used and if used, only signed proxy forms will be taken into account (including for the avoidance of doubt, signed pursuant to a valid, legal and binding power of attorney and/or signed electronically). One person may represent more than one shareholder. Shareholders having submitted a proxy form but who wish to revoke such proxy form may do so by timely providing a later-dated proxy or voting form or by cancelling the proxy form in writing to the Centralising Agent of the Company at the address referred to above. If the Company and/or the Centralising Agent receives more than one different voting document from a shareholder, only the last voting or proxy form received by the Centralising Agent and/or the Company before 15 August 2025 at 18:00 (CEST) will be considered. Any voting document provided will be disregarded should the shareholder attend the AGM in person and collect a voting card. If, pursuant to a signed proxy form as described above, shareholders appoint a person other than the person appointed by the Company as their proxyholder, please note that the proxyholder will need to provide a new voting form in accordance with section "Voting Forms" in the name and on behalf of the shareholder. Shareholder Questions Shareholders, the proxyholder appointed by the Company and individually appointed proxyholders that have correctly submitted their proof of shareholding (see above sections "Registration for the AGM" and "Right to Participate at the AGM") and carry proof of identity at the AGM, shall have the opportunity to ask questions to the Company at the AGM. The questions will be answered at the reasonable discretion of the Company and the Company is not required to answer all questions. In particular, questions may be summarised, combined or separated. Reasonable questions may be selected in the interest of the other shareholders, and questions from shareholders' associations and institutional investors with significant voting interests may be given preference. Language The AGM will be held in English language. Luxembourg, 18 July 2025 The Management Board of the Company
VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KuCoin, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, officially announced the listing of xStocks and its joining of the xStocks alliance. xStocks are tokenized stocks powered by Swiss-based company Backed. This launch marks a significant step forward in KuCoin's expansion of multi-asset allocation capabilities.

The first batch of supported assets includes SPYx (S&P 500 ETF), CRCLx (Circle), TSLAx (Tesla), MSTRx (MicroStrategy), and NVDAx (NVIDIA)-all tokenized equities backed 1:1 by real stocks held in secure, bankruptcy remote collateral accounts, and issued on the Solana blockchain.

Capturing a Dual-Cycle Growth Opportunity: Bridging Traditional and Crypto Assets

On July 10, 2025, NVIDIA became the first publicly listed company to surpass a $4 trillion market capitalization. Just days later, on July 14, Bitcoin reached an all-time high, breaching $120,000 for the first time.

As traditional equities and crypto assets simultaneously enter bullish territory, xStocks offer global investors a new paradigm of portfolio construction-"with tokenized NVIDIA in one hand, Bitcoin on the other."

As the first USDT-denominated tokenized equity platform accessible in the largest number of countries and regions, KuCoin's listing of xStocks opens a low-barrier, highly efficient, and transparent investment gateway, empowering users to seamlessly move between top US equity exposure and crypto assets.

A Truly Global Asset Allocation Platform: Empowering Long-Term User Value

As one of the most internationally accessible crypto trading platforms, KuCoin currently serves over 41 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Committed to user asset safety and long-term value creation, KuCoin continues to build a comprehensive, sustainable, and robust product ecosystem designed to empower global investors.

The xStocks product line is grounded in transparency and composability, with the following structural safeguards:

Each tokenized asset is fully backed 1:1 by real stocks held in third-party regulated custodian banks, in a bankruptcy remote structure.

Tokens are issued under an approved EU prospectus and tokenized following the Swiss DLT Act.

Token holders have the primary claim to the value of any held collateral.

Proof of Reserves, powered by Chainlink, coming soon for xStocks.

Unlocking Greater Flexibility: Smarter Allocation, Seamless Execution

The launch of xStocks enhances capital efficiency and portfolio agility for crypto-native users, while also providing new tools to balance risk and reward across market cycles:

Flexible allocation, diversified exposure : Users can tailor portfolios to their risk preferences by allocating between exposure to US ETFs, high-growth tech stocks, and digital assets-blending conservative and aggressive strategies.

: Users can tailor portfolios to their risk preferences by allocating between exposure to US ETFs, high-growth tech stocks, and digital assets-blending conservative and aggressive strategies. Unified trading, frictionless switching: Through KuCoin's account, users can effortlessly swap between tokenized stocks and crypto using USDT, without fiat onramps or platform switching. A true one-account solution for global multi-asset investing.

BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin, commented:

"At KuCoin, we are dedicated to building a secure and trustworthy investment platform centered on user asset protection and long-term value growth. The launch of xStocks is not only a key extension of our global asset offering-it's a strategic milestone in bridging traditional finance and the Web3 ecosystem. Moving forward, we will continue expanding quality listings and refining the user experience, helping investors capture global growth opportunities-all in one account."

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin has established itself as one of the most globally recognized and reliable cryptocurrency platforms, built on a robust and secure foundation of cutting-edge blockchain technology, liquidity solutions, and enhanced user account protection.

With over 41 million users across 200+ countries and regions, KuCoin is committed to empowering the digital economy by providing secure, innovative, and compliant solutions tailored to meet the needs of its global community. KuCoin offers access to 1,000 digital assets and a diverse range of digital assets solutions, including web3 wallet, Spot trading, Futures Trading, institutional wealth management services, and payments.

KuCoin's dedication to excellence has garnered prestigious recognitions, such as being named among Forbes' "Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges" and one of the "Top 50 Global Unicorns" by Hurun in 2024. KuCoin has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022 Certifications, which provide a structured approach to managing information security, covering aspects like risk management, access control, data governance, and incident response.

In 2022, KuCoin raised over $150 million in investments through a pre-Series B round, bringing total investments to $170 million with Round A combined, at a total valuation of $10 billion, underscoring its legitimacy and stability in the rapidly evolving digital finance landscape.

Under the leadership of its new CEO, BC Wong, KuCoin reaffirms its commitment to global growth, innovation, and meeting the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. As a trusted and forward-looking platform, KuCoin strives to deliver a secure, transparent, and reliable ecosystem for users to thrive in the digital economy.

About Backed

Founded in 2021, Backed is the leading issuer of compliant tokenized equities and ETFs, including the innovative xStocks line of products. Backed's products are freely transferable ERC-20 and SPL tokens compatible with Ethereum and Solana DeFi ecosystems. For more information, please visit https://backed.fi/

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CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / KeyBank's Key4Women will present "Empower Your Image: Mastering the Art of Strategic Dressing" a free, one-hour virtual event on Wednesday, July 23rd at 12:00 p.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. MT / 9:00 a.m. PST.

Key4Women National Director, Rachael Sampson, will be joined by Wardrobe and Image Consultant, Taissha G. LaReau, as they explore how to transform your dressing experience into a strategic advantage and how the importance of dressing strategically plays a crucial role in how one is perceived in both professional and social settings.

In this webinar, participants will learn how to:

Strategically align their wardrobe with personal brand to help reflect goals, influence and next-level leadership.

Streamline daily wardrobe routines to reduce decision fatigue and focus energy where it matters most.

Make smart, high-impact style choices.

"First impressions in business and life are important, but so is personal style," said Sampson. "Taissha will provide participants with style tips to not only let the individual be themselves, but also put their best foot forward."

Taissha G. LaReau is a Wardrobe & Image Consultant who helps women in leadership and growth seasons align their personal brand with the results they want starting with what they wear. She teaches wardrobe strategy as a tool for decision-making, helping professionals invest in pieces that support visibility, presence, and long-term success so style doesn't just look good, it works smart.

For more information, contact key4women@keybank.com or register online by July 22nd here.

About Key4Women

Key4Women started in 2005 as a campaign to lend $1 billion to qualified women-owned businesses within three years. The program achieved that in two years and has now generated more than $12 billion in loans to women-owned businesses. Membership in Key4Women is free. In addition to helping women business leaders and owners tap into capital to build and grow their businesses, Key4Women members gain valuable access to a team of local Certified Key4Women Advisors who advocate, connect and empower women on their journey to financial wellness. For more information, visit key.com/key4women.

About KeyBank

In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2025. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

###

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: KeyBank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: KeyBank

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DELRAY BEACH, Fla., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Healthcare Dispensing Systems Market, valued at US$4.36 billion in 2024, stood at US$4.61 billion in 2025 and is projected to advance at a resilient CAGR of 6.3% from 2025 to 2030, culminating in a forecasted valuation of US$6.27 billion by the end of the period. The market's accelerated growth trajectory is primarily driven by increasing demand for precision dispensing in pharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostics, and medical device production. As the industry moves toward automation and miniaturization, advanced dispensing systems are streamlining workflows, improving dosing accuracy, and reducing contamination risks. Key trends such as the rise of lab-on-chip devices, personalized medicine, and point-of-care testing are expanding adoption across end-user segments. Additionally, technological innovations in microfluidics, robotics, and sensor integration are enhancing system performance. Regulatory support for digital health infrastructure and growing investment in life sciences R&D is further accelerating market expansion.

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By type, the market is divided into automatic dispensing systems, semi-automated dispensing systems, stand-alone/manual dispensing instruments, and OEM/dispensing components. Automatic dispensing systems accounted for the largest share of the healthcare dispensing systems market in 2024. Their dominance is attributed to the increasing demand for high-throughput, precise, and contamination-free dispensing in diagnostic labs, pharmaceutical production, and medical device assembly. These systems are widely adopted due to their integration capabilities with automated workflows, improved operational efficiency, and reduced error rates. Advancements in tipless and non-contact dispensing, real-time data feedback, and motion control have further enhanced their appeal. Growing R&D activities, rising diagnostic volumes, and a global push for lab automation are expected to sustain the segment's leadership during the forecast period.

By end user, the healthcare dispensing systems market is segmented into healthcare providers, pharma & biotech companies, MedTech companies, and other end users based on the end user. Among these, healthcare providers represent the largest segment, driven by the widespread use of dispensing systems across hospitals, diagnostic labs, outpatient centers, pharmacies, and long-term care facilities. These systems support accurate and safe medication administration, fluid handling in diagnostic workflows, and real-time inventory management. Hospitals and labs require automated dispensing to meet high patient volumes and ensure safety and quality standards compliance. The growing demand for efficient resource utilization, staff workload reduction, and integrated data systems further accelerates adoption among healthcare providers. For instance, over 90% of US acute care hospitals use Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs), saving up to 35 hours of labor weekly and $64,300 annually, highlighting the strong impact of automation on hospital efficiency, cost reduction, and patient safety. As care delivery models shift toward decentralized and patient-centric approaches, healthcare providers continue to invest in dispensing systems to support scalable, connected, and efficient operations.

By geography, in 2024, North America held the largest market share for healthcare dispensing systems. This dominance is due to a well-established diagnostic infrastructure, advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, and a high concentration of biotech and medtech firms. The region benefits from substantial R&D investments, early adoption of automation, and strong support from both the government and private sector for digital transformation in healthcare. Additionally, the increasing demand for decentralized testing, the presence of major dispensing technology providers, and an emphasis on quality and regulatory compliance have all contributed to market leadership. The integration of smart dispensing solutions in diagnostics and medical device production further supports continued growth.

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The prominent healthcare dispensing systems market players include Nordson Corporation (US), DH Life Sciences, LLC (US), and BRAND GMBH+Co. KG (Germany), Fisnar (US), PARKER HANNIFIN CORP (US), BioDot (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), bdtronic (Germany), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), Hamilton Company (US), Graco Inc. (US), Imagene Technology Inc (US), Harro Hofliger Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH (Germany), Tecan Trading AG (Switzerland), IVEK Corporation (US), Revvity, Inc. (US), QIAGEN (Germany), Gilson Incorporated (US), Ascential Technologies (US), and LGC?Biosearch Technologies (UK).

Nordson Corporation (US):

Nordson Corporation is a key healthcare dispensing systems sector leader, leveraging its robust engineering expertise and extensive product portfolio to maintain a dominant market position. The company's global manufacturing footprint and enduring partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies reinforce its strategic advantage. Nordson delivers diverse precision dispensing solutions, specifically engineered for critical applications such as drug formulation, diagnostics production, and medical device assembly. The integration of automation, rigorous quality control measures, and strict compliance adherence into its systems solidifies its reputation as a preferred collaborator within regulated healthcare environments. Significant investment in research and development enables Nordson to continuously innovate, optimizing system precision, throughput speed, and reliability. Operating in over 35 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, the company provides localized support and expert technical services to its global clientele. Its deep-rooted experience in fluid management and microdispensing technologies cements Nordson's role as a pivotal enabler of high-throughput manufacturing processes within the healthcare industry.

BioDot Inc. (US):

BioDot Inc. is a pivotal entity in the healthcare dispensing systems sector. It is particularly recognized for its innovative ultra-low volume dispensing technologies for life sciences, diagnostics, and high-throughput manufacturing arenas. The company's expertise lies in precision fluid deposition systems, essential for applications such as point-of-care diagnostics, lateral flow assays, and biosensor development. BioDot's portfolio includes advanced solutions like the BioJet and the newly launched MODULIS platform. These systems are characterized by their integration of modular automation, intelligent conveyance mechanisms, and robust vision systems, facilitating scalable and high-volume production processes. With a footprint extending across over 50 countries, BioDot emphasizes system adaptability and manufacturing efficiency, enabling end-to-end dispensing solutions that empower manufacturers to expedite product development and shorten commercialization timelines.

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Related Reports:

Healthcare IT Market

Drug Discovery Services Market

Healthcare Analytics Market

Healthcare IT Integration Market

Microfluidics Market

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/healthcare-dispensing-systems-market-worth-6-27-billion-by-2030-with-6-3-cagr--marketsandmarkets-302508503.html
HALIFAX, NS / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NCMI") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB:NMREF) is pleased to announce today that the Company has retained the services of Proactive Investors (https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/) to assist in investor communications and public market outreach. Proactive's investor relations reach spans key finance and investing hubs throughout the world, with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth. Their team brings a deep and broad expertise in digital journalism, professional and retail investing with over fifteen years creating content for investors, centered around Proactive's platform that assists companies to reach broader investor audiences. The term of the engagement is for 15 months at an upfront fee of C$28,000.

About Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

NCMI is developing the Tier-1 Heavy Rare Earth Project, Lofdal, a globally significant deposit of the heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. Demand for these critical metals used in permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other electronics is driven by innovations linked to energy and technology transformations. The geopolitical risks associated with sourcing many of these metals have become a repeated concern for manufacturers and end users. Namibia is a proven and stable mining jurisdiction.

The Lofdal Project is fully permitted with a 25-year Mining License and is under a Joint Venture agreement with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).

About Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and the JV

JOGMEC is a Japanese government independent administrative agency which seeks to secure stable resource supplies for Japan. JOGMEC has a strong reputation as a long term, strategic partner in mineral projects globally. JOGMEC facilitates opportunities with Japanese private companies to secure supplies of natural resources for the benefit of the country's economic development.

Rare earth elements are of critical importance to Japanese industrial interests and JOGMEC has extensive experience with all aspects of the sector. JOGMEC provided Lynas with USD$250,000,000 in loans and equity in 2011 to ensure supplies of the Light Rare Earths metals suite to the Japanese industry and invested a further $134 million in 2023.

In March 2025 JOGMEC announced a partnership with Iwatani Corporation to invest 110 million euros in Carester's heavy rare earth separation plant, Caremag, located at Lacq, France.

Namibia Critical Metals owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of Historically Disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides C$3,000,000 in Term 1 and C$7,000,000 in Term 2 to earn a 40% interest in the Lofdal project. Term 3 calls for a further C$10,000,000 of expenditures to earn an additional 10% interest. JOGMEC can also purchase another 1% for C$5,000,000 and has first right of refusal to fully fund the project through to commercial production and to purchase all production at market prices. The collective interests of NCMI and historically disadvantaged Namibians cannot be diluted below a 26% carried working interest upon payment of C$5,000,000 to JOGMEC for the dilution protection. NMI may elect to participate up to a maximum of 44% by funding pro rata after the earn in period is completed.

To date, JOGMEC has completed Term 2 and earned a 40% interest by reaching the C$10 million expenditure requirement. Total approved project funding to date is C$16,745,000 of the $20,000,000 Earn-In requirement to reach 50% interest.

Darrin Campbell, President, has reviewed and approved this press release.

The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI" and the OTCQB Market under the symbol "NMREF".

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information please contact -

Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

Darrin Campbell, President

Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760

Email: Info@NamibiaCMI.com Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com

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.

SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/namibia-critical-metals-expands-investor-communications-with-engagement-of-proact-1050141
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Roberto Resources Inc. (CSE: RBTO) ("Roberto" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of the Claudia silver and gold project (the "Project") located in the historic El Papanton mining district in Durango State, Mexico (the "Acquisition"), pursuant to the binding Letter Agreement previously announced on June 30, 2025. In conjunction with closing of the Acquisition, the Company has changed its name to Pacifica Silver Corp. to better reflect its overall business strategy to acquire and advance highly prospective precious metals projects in the Americas.

"The closing of this acquisition marks the first time Claudia has been held as a standalone project within a public vehicle and the beginning of a transformative journey for our shareholders," stated Todd Anthony, President and CEO. "Located in the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico near numerous active and historical mines, the Project boasts multiple outcropping vein structures across approximately 30 kilometres where previous drilling in 2007 and 2021 has confirmed high-grade silver and gold mineralization. With 146 permitted drill sites, low-cost drilling, year-round access, and a renewed surface access agreement with the local community in place, we are excited to embark on comprehensive exploration programs to begin unlocking the Project's full potential."

Claudia Project Overview

The Claudia Project encompasses a land package of 11,876 hectares hosting high-grade silver and gold mineralization in quartz-adularia veins and breccias emplaced along multiple northwest-striking structures forming an 11-kilometre-long horsetail structural complex. The Project includes several previously identified mineralized zones such as Santiaguera, Mina de Oro, Mina Vieja, El Grullo, Noche Buena, Tres Reyes, Aguilarena, Guadalupana, La Concepcion, Don Cose, El Cristo, and Lizeth vein swarms. One of these structures, the Aguilarena vein, was previously explored by a former operator who developed a 90-metre-deep shaft and three levels of vein excavation at approximately 40, 60, and 90 metres below surface. The second and most extensive level extends roughly 770 metres in length.

Drilling completed in 2007 and 2021 confirmed the presence of gold-silver mineralization adjacent to the previous workings and tested approximately 2 km of strike length along the Aguilarena vein and part of the nearby Guadalupana vein to the east.

In 2021, a private operator conducted a confirmation drilling campaign, totaling 7,900 metres across 34 drill holes, focused on portions of the Aguilarena and Guadalupana veins. Four holes intersected material grading over 10 grams per tonne ("gpt") gold equivalent ("AuEq"), using an 80:1 silver-to-gold ratio. Six holes encountered mineralization of over 5 gpt AuEq, and 13 holes intersected mineralization over 2 gpt AuEq. Notably, 24 holes (representing 70% of the total number of holes drilled), intersected mineralization over 1 gpt AuEq. Additional results from the 2021 drill campaign can be found in the Company's press release of June 30, 2025.

Drilling to date has tested less than 10% of the total mapped strike length of the large vein array on the Project. Surface mapping and trenching by previous operators, coupled with multiple small-scale historical mine workings, suggest strong potential for additional high-grade gold-silver discoveries along both the Aguilarena and Guadalupana veins, and across at least 10 other untested structures in the vein array.

The Project is drill-ready, with environmental permits (Informe Preventivo) granted on August 30, 2021, by the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, authorizing 146 drill sites with minimal surface impact, ideal for track-mounted or man-portable diamond core drills. These permits remain valid for five years from the issuance date.

Pacifica plans to undertake an 8,000-metre, 25-hole initial drill program in the second half of 2025 to begin testing various targets.

Acquisition of the Claudia Project

Under the terms of the Letter Agreement, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement ("SPA") on July 17, 2025, with Durango Gold Corp., an arms-length private company ("Durango"); Cielo Azul Resources, S.A. de C.V. ("Azul"), a subsidiary of Durango; and Fernando Berdegue de Cima, whereby the Company purchased all of the issued and outstanding shares of Azul from Durango. Azul holds the surface concessions of the Claudia Project.

Under the terms of the SPA, the Company has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Azul. In consideration for Azul, the Company:

(a) Paid Durango US$10,000 cash (the "Closing Cash Payment"), being the closing payment of US$25,000 less the US$15,000 previously advanced to Durango (see news from June 30, 2025);

(b) Issued to Durango 10 million common shares (the "Consideration Shares"), subject to a restriction on resale for a period of 12 months (the "Restriction Period");

(c) Assumed US$651,453 in current accounts payables associated with holding the Project, which includes payroll costs of US$25,940, third-party costs of US$156,236, and mineral concession payments of US$469,277; and

(d) Assumed the obligation to make bonus payments to Silverstone Resources, S.A. de C.V. ("Silverstone"), the previous vendor of the Claudia Project to Durango, contingent on the future disclosure of National Instrument 43-101-compliant Measured and Indicated resources at the Project. The payment structure is as follows:

(i) For 1 to 500,000 ounces of gold or gold equivalent defined, a payment of US$7.0 million.

(ii) For 500,001 to 1 million ounces of gold or gold equivalent, an additional payment of US$10.0 million.

(iii) For 1,000,001 to 1.5 million ounces of gold or gold equivalent, a further payment of US$2.0 million.

The agreement allows for the gold discovery payments to be paid 50% in company shares and 50% in cash. If the Company is unable to publish a Technical Report disclosing Measured or Indicated resources by December 31, 2029, the Project must be returned to Silverstone.

The Company believes that Durango intends to distribute the Consideration Shares in a proportional manner to its shareholders subject to applicable securities laws. If the Consideration Shares are distributed to Durango shareholders prior to the end of the Restriction Period, the Consideration Shares held by Durango shareholders will continue to be subject to the Restriction Period.

The Company will also be required to assume the obligation to carry out a minimum of 50,000 metres of drilling at the Project until December 31, 2029. Silverstone will also be permitted to explore and mine up to 130,000 tons of material located in the shaft known as "Aguilarena" at the Project.

Name Change to Pacifica Silver Corp.

In conjunction with the Acquisition, the Company has changed its name from "Roberto Resources Inc." to "Pacifica Silver Corp." (the "Name Change"). Accordingly, it is anticipated that the Company's common shares will commence trading under the new name and new stock ticker symbol "PSIL" at the start of trading on July 21, 2025, on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

The Name Change is being proposed to better reflect the Company's projects and focus on a specific critical metal, silver. Management believes that the Name Change is in the best interest of shareholders and in line with the Company's overall business strategy to pursue and advance precious metals projects in stable jurisdictions.

In connection with the Name Change, the following new ISIN CA6951041095 numbers have been assigned to the common shares of the Company. No action is required to be taken by shareholders with respect to the name change. Outstanding common share and warrant certificates bearing the old name of the Company are still valid and are not affected by the name and ticker symbol change.

Patrick Loury, AIPG, CPG, Vice President of Exploration for Durango, is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release.

About Pacifica Silver Corp.

Pacifica Silver Corp. ("Pacifica") a Canadian resource company led by a proven management team with decades of mining and exploration experience in Mexico. The company is focused on its 100% owned Claudia Project located in Durango, Mexico. Spanning 11,876 hectares, the Project encompasses most of the historic El Papanton Mining District where at least nine small mines operated throughout the 20th century. Since 1990, sampling and drilling within have returned high-grade silver and gold intercepts across multiple vein systems, with only 10% of over 30 kilometres of known veins having been drilled. Today, the project is a prime target for modern exploration and holds exceptional potential for new high-grade discoveries.

The Company also holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Janampalla Property located in the Huancavalica Province of Central Peru. Pacifica is focused on continuing exploration work that has indicated widespread, high-grade copper-gold mineralization hosted within Manto style veins and disseminations.

Signed,

Todd Anthony

President and CEO

Neither the CSE 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.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding the perceived merit of the Project, the terms and conditions of the proposed Transaction, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, the potential size of the mineralized zone, metallurgical recoveries, the completion of the Concurrent Financing and the Transaction and satisfaction of any obligations thereunder, the requisite approvals with respect to the Transaction being obtained. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding the price of gold and silver; the accuracy of mineral resource estimations; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained, including concession renewals and permitting; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; that currency and exchange rates will be consistent with current levels; and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances 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 involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: risks related to uncertainties inherent in the preparation of mineral resource estimates, including but not limited to changes to the cost assumptions, variations in quantity of mineralized material, grade or recovery rates, changes to geotechnical or hydrogeological considerations, failure of plant, equipment or processes, changes to availability of power or the power rates, ability to maintain social license, changes to interest or tax rates, changes in project parameters, delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of local communities, environmental risks, title risks, including concession renewal, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, risks relating to COVID-19, the ongoing war in the Ukraine, delays in or failure to receive access agreements or amended permits, risks inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the Company's objectives and strategies, including costs and expenses, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, available on www.sedar.com. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259241

SOURCE: Roberto Resources Inc.
The "Navigating EU (European Union) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Regulations for Drug/Device and Device/Drug Combination Products Training Course" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Understand the regulatory frameworks governing drug/device and device/drug combinations in the European Union and the USA.

The demarcation between medicinal products and devices is becoming ever more important and, with the convergence of emerging novel technologies, the number of drug/device combination products and medical devices incorporating a medicinal substance is increasing. At the same time, cell therapy and tissue-engineered products are being combined with both pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

This course will address the European and FDA regulatory requirements, help you define the regulatory route for your product and offer practical guidance on Notified Body expectations, clinical trial considerations and post-market surveillance of borderline products.

Participants will have an invaluable opportunity to discuss the complex issues involved with key regulatory experts in this field.

By the end of the course, participants will have the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex regulatory landscape for drug/device and device/drug combinations in the EU and the USA effectively. They will be equipped to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements and facilitate the successful development and commercialisation of these innovative products.

PRE-SEMINAR READING

It is recommended that you have read the EU Medical Device Regulation, particularly, Article 120 and the General Safety Performance Requirements (Annex I) and Technical Documentation (Annexes II and III). For the US, review FDA's Office of Combination Products website prior to attending this seminar.

Benefits of attending

Understand the European regulatory guidance

the European regulatory guidance Know what your competent authority expects

what your competent authority expects Gain an insight into notified bodies' considerations on drug/device products

an insight into notified bodies' considerations on drug/device products Learn how to define the approval route for your product

how to define the approval route for your product Clarify the major differences in documentation and approval routes

the major differences in documentation and approval routes Consider quality systems requirements for combination products

quality systems requirements for combination products Discover the FDA's regulatory approach to combination products

the FDA's regulatory approach to combination products Hear how to deal with human tissue-engineered products

how to deal with human tissue-engineered products Stay up-to-date on post-market surveillance for combination products

Certifications:

CPD: 12 hours for your records

Certificate of completion

Who Should Attend:

Development and regulatory personnel in the medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries, who need to understand the complex requirements applicable to medical devices incorporating 'pharmaceutical' ingredients, or pharmaceutical products incorporating a device or delivery system.

Key Topics Covered:

Day 1

Introductory overview

Regulatory agencies in the EU and the USA

Impact of the revision to the MDD

Transitional period from the MDD to the MDR

EU regulatory reform proposals

EMA's viewpoint management

Evolving regulatory landscape

Emerging trends

European regulatory guidance: drug/device and device/drug combination products

European regulatory framework for drug/device and device/drug combinations

Legal EU definitions of a drug/device and device/drug combination

Article 117: EU requirements for integral drug/device combinations

'In exclusive use with'

Other combinations AI systems etc.

European regulatory guidance continued

Risk management and compliance strategies

Interactions with regulatory agencies and stakeholders

Best practices for navigating the regulatory landscape

Defining the regulatory approval pathway for your product

Product classification

Differences between devices containing ancillary medicinal substances and medicinal products

Responsibilities of regulatory affairs professionals in product development commercialisation

Medical device CE certification notified body expectations

CE marking process for medical devices

Devices containing ancillary medicinal substances

Post CE marking expectations and changes

Notified Body Opinion (NBOp)

MDR's impact on the medicinal product directive

Article 117

Documentation requirements

Preparing regulatory submissions for drug/device and device/drug combinations

General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPR) checklist

Day 2

Clinical trial considerations

How the regulatory pathway for the final marketed product determines the clinical trial regulation to be followed

Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC medicines

Requirements for clinical development of medical devices

Clinical data requirements and post-marketing surveillance

Product information

Labelling requirements under the MDR

Labelling for combination products

Electronic Product Information (ePI)

Companion diagnostics

Regulatory considerations

UK post-Brexit

UK IRP: International Recognition Procedure

Pharmacovigilance for combination products: vigilance or pharmacovigilance

Understanding the differences between medical device vigilance and pharmacovigilance

How to handle the challenges posed by combination products

Pharmacovigilance reporting

Device vigilance reporting

FDA's approach to combination products

Background and legal framework

Definitions of drug, biologics and medical device

"Borderline" issues and products (v. combination products)

Types of combination products

Primary mode of action and FDA's assignment algorithm

Jurisdiction and designation process

FDA's approach to combination products (continued)

Submission and regulatory pathways

Current GMP and quality system requirements

Post-market safety reporting requirements

Strategies for development and summary points

Speakers:

David Jefferys

Senior Vice President

Eisai

Dr David Jefferys is currently Senior Vice President with Eisai responsible for Global Regulatory, Government Relations, Public Affairs and Patient Safety (EMEA, Russia and Australasia). After qualifying in medicine he worked in clinical and academic medicine, before spending 20 years as a senior regulator for both medicines and medical devices. He was executive director of the UK Medicines Control Agency, CEO and Director of the MDA, joint CEO of MHRA. He was involved in the establishment of the European Medicines Agency, CPMP/CHMP member and MRFG and PER scheme chairman. For the last ten years he has worked in industry and chairs several key committees for ABPI, Efpia and IFPMA. He has lectured and published extensively in drug and device regulation and on benefit risk evaluation.

Tina Amini

Pharmacist

Aston University

Dr. Tina Amini is a pharmacist with a PhD in Pharmaceutics from Aston University. She joined Lloyd's Register as Senior Technical Specialist in 2018. She has previously worked at BSI as the lead Pharmaceutical Expert and Combination Product Specialist for several years.

Tina has been involved in the classification of borderline products and consultation process with several EU competent authorities for device/drug products. Prior to joining Notified Bodies, Tina worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for over 17 years in a variety of disciplines where she took products through from discovery to commercialisation.

Jonathan Hughes

J.Hughes

Jonathan Hughes, Ph.D., FTOPRA, has over 32 years of worldwide regulatory and clinical affairs experience across medical devices, drug biologic device combination products and in-vitro diagnostics. He has worked with medical device and pharmaceutical companies, both large and small, across multiple locations to help develop and execute regulatory strategies for market clearance, approval and access.

Jonathan has hands-on experience in a variety of therapeutic areas and has worked across different technologies and types of medical products including medicated devices (devices containing ancillary drug and biologic constituents), drug delivery systems and componentry, sterile and non-sterile disposables and durable equipment, in-vitro diagnostics, software-controlled devices and standalone software (including mobile apps). Jonathan has experience of regulating medical devices and combination products across most international markets including the European Union, US, Japan, China, Canada and Australia.

Andrew Willis

Consultant

Independent

Andrew Willis is an independent consultant providing expert advice and training on global regulatory solutions and pharmaceutical development. Previously, he worked for Catalent Pharma Solutions as VP Regulatory Affairs Consulting Services. Catalent is the world's leading contract manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceuticals, and he was head of a team of internal and external regulatory affairs consultants. He qualified as a Chemist from the University of Glamorgan, after which he furthered his understanding of pharmaceutical development, working as a research chemist with Parke Davis.

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2le3r1

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250718247208/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

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SWORDS, IRELAND / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT), a global climate innovator, was a key contributor to the to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) CEO Four-Point Action Plan for energy efficiency published following the IEA's 10th Annual Global Conference.

The conference, co-hosted by IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol and European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jrgensen, was held in Brussels last month and focused on implementing the COP28 goal of doubling energy efficiency progress this decade.

The plan also followed the company's pledge, signed last month at the conference, to promote business as a key force in implementing energy efficiency technologies. As a signatory of the IEA's CEO Letter of Commitment, Trane Technologies agrees to advance energy efficiency for industrial productivity, decarbonization, and competitiveness.

Speaking at the conference, Jose La Loggia, CEO EMEA at Trane Technologies, stated: "The absurdity of rejecting heat into the atmosphere is a misguided, traditional energy practice that needs to change. The world needs to adopt the readily available sustainable solutions that can integrate heating and cooling systems by reusing waste heat, thereby enabling high levels of energy efficiency."

La Loggia participated in the roundtable where the Brussels CEO Four-Point Action Plan was developed. This strategic plan, launched in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Movement and co-hosted by the European Commission, aims to accelerate public-private collaboration to double energy efficiency progress by 2030 through a system perspective approach, shared expertise, risk mitigation, development and innovation and strengthened industrial competitiveness. These initiatives aim to strengthen public-private collaboration for stronger action on energy efficiency.

Through its actions at the conference, Trane Technologies affirms its 2030 Sustainability Commitments, which include achieving carbon neutral operations by 2030 and reducing absolute energy consumption by 10% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. Explore Trane Technologies' 2024 Sustainability Report to learn how the company is integrating energy-efficient processes into its operations.

# # #

About Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane and Thermo King, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.



About the International Energy Agency

The IEA is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations, and real-world solutions to help countries provide secure and sustainable energy for all.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Trane Technologies on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Trane Technologies

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/trane-technologies

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Trane Technologies

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/consumer-and-retail-products/trane-technologies-is-a-key-contributor-to-the-ieas-four-point-action-1050196
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. (TSX: SOIL) (OTCQX: OILSF) ("Saturn" or the "Company"), a light oil-weighted producer focused on unlocking value through the development of our assets in Saskatchewan and Alberta, confirms that the Company intends to report our Q2 2025 financial results on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, after market close.

A conference call and webcast will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 8:00 am MT (10:00 am ET) for interested investors, analysts, brokers and media representatives. Details and instructions for accessing the call are provided below.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS

The call will include a discussion with Saturn's leadership team, who will provide an overview of our Q2 2025 results, followed by a question-and-answer session with attendees.

Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025

Thursday, July 31, 2025 Time: 8:00 am MT (10:00 am ET)

8:00 am MT (10:00 am ET) Live Webcast Link: https://www.gowebcasting.com/14063

https://www.gowebcasting.com/14063 North America (Toll Free) Dial In: 1-833-752-3741

1-833-752-3741 International Dial In: 1-647-846-8678

An audio replay of the webcast will be available one hour after the end of the call at the link above and will remain accessible for 12 months. The replay link will also be posted on Saturn's website.

ABOUT SATURN OIL & GAS INC.

Saturn is a returns-driven Canadian energy company focused on the efficient and innovative development of high-quality, light oil weighted assets, supported by an acquisition strategy targeting accretive and complementary opportunities. The Company's portfolio of free-cash flowing, low-decline operated assets in Saskatchewan and Alberta provide a deep inventory of long-term economic drilling opportunities across multiple zones. With an unwavering commitment to building an entrepreneurial and ESG-focused culture, Saturn's goal is to increase per share reserves, production and cash flow at an attractive return on invested capital. The Company's shares are listed for trading on the TSX under ticker 'SOIL', and on the OTCQX under the ticker 'OILSF'. Further information and our corporate presentation are available on Saturn's website at www.saturnoil.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259268

SOURCE: Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.
Coeur d'Alene Bancorp (OTC Pink:CDAB), the parent company of bankcda, is pleased to announce its results for the second quarter 2025.

COEUR D'ALENE, ID / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Coeur d'Alene Bancorp today reported net income of $372,894 or $0.20 per share for the second quarter 2025, compared to $383,459 or $0.20 per share for the second quarter 2024. Net income of $622,653 or $0.33 per share for the six months ended June 30, 2025, was also reported, compared to $768,893 or $0.41 per share for the six months ended 2024. All results are unaudited.

As of June 30, 2025, total consolidated assets were $227.0 million, a decrease of $12.7 million or 5.3% compared to June 30, 2024. Gross loans ended the period at $137.6 million compared to $120.6 million as of June 30, 2024, an increase of $17.0 million or 14.1%. Total deposits were $195.4 million as of June 30, 2025, compared to $196.8 million as of June 30, 2024, a 0.7% decrease.

"Our balance sheet remains strong with continued loan growth and stable deposits. Our net interest margin continues to improve as deposit pricing pressure eases and cashflow from our bond portfolio allows for higher reinvestment rates. Net income remains below historic levels due to increased overhead as we continue our branch expansion. We will be opening our second branch in Washington state in Richland during the third quarter. Management and the Board believe strategic branch additions, coupled with technology, will allow us to meet our future growth objectives." said Wes Veach, President, and Chief Executive Officer.

Financial Highlights:

Diluted earnings per share were $0.32 for six months ended 2025 versus $0.40 per share for six months ended 2025.

Net book value per share ended the quarter at $12.86 compared to $11.44 from one year ago.

Annualized return on average asset (ROAA) was 0.54% and annualized return on average equity (ROAE) was 5.25% for six months ended 2025, compared to 0.65% and 7.39% for six months ended 2024, respectively.

Total assets ended the period at $227.0 million compared to $239.8 million as of June 30, 2024, a decrease of 5.3%.

Gross loans were $137.6 million at quarter end, versus $120.6 million on June 30, 2024.

Total deposits were $195.4 million, compared to $196.8 million as of June 30, 2024, a decrease of 0.7%.

For the six months ended June 30, 2025, net interest margin was 3.86%, compared to 3.17% for six months ended June 30, 2024.

Asset quality remains strong with nonperforming assets to Tier 1 capital of 0.61% as of June 30, 2025.

We continue to be FIVE Star-rated from Bauer Financial, which is their highest rating.

We continue to far exceed the minimum community bank leverage ratio.

Coeur d'Alene Bancorp, parent company of bankcda, is headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho with branches in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Post Falls, Kellogg, Spokane, and a loan production office in Spokane Valley.

For more information, visit www.bankcda.bank or contact Wes Veach at 208-415-5006.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains, among other things, certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current belief and expectations of the Coeur d'Alene Bancorp's management team and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond Coeur d'Alene Bancorp's control). Although Coeur d'Alene Bancorp believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, Coeur d'Alene Bancorp can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by Coeur d'Alene Bancorp or any other person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by Coeur d'Alene Bancorp will be achieved.

All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Coeur d'Alene Bancorp or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Coeur d'Alene Bancorp does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made, except as required by law.

Balance Sheet Overview

(Unaudited)

Jun 30, 2025 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2025 Assets: Cash and due from banks $ 11,533,346 $ 10,902,275 $ 6,523,357 Securities available for sale, at fair value 68,167,726 100,236,264 77,684,462 Net loans 134,990,764 118,419,948 134,049,508 Other assets 12,356,101 10,229,007 12,821,221 Total assets $ 227,047,937 $ 239,787,495 $ 231,078,548 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity: Total deposits $ 195,438,280 $ 196,809,232 $ 193,995,705 Borrowings - 15,500,000 6,000,000 Capital lease liability 1,418,758 371,979 1,436,798 Other liabilities 5,773,133 5,478,268 5,784,565 Shareholders' equity 24,417,766 21,628,016 23,861,479 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 227,047,937 $ 239,787,495 $ 231,078,548 Ratios: Return on average assets 0.54 % 0.65 % 0.42 % Return on average equity 5.25 % 7.39 % 4.26 % Community bank leverage ratio 11.42 % 10.47 % 10.74 % Net interest margin (YTD) 3.86 % 3.17 % 3.62 % Efficiency Ratio (YTD) 76.57 % 75.31 % 79.20 % Nonperforming assets to total assets 0.07 % 0.00 % 0.00 % Nonperforming assets to tier 1 capital 0.61 % 0.00 % 0.00 %

Income Statement Overview

(unaudited)

For the three months ended For the six months ended Jun 30, 2025 Jun 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2025 Jun 30, 2024 Interest income $ 2,888,832 $ 2,660,862 $ 5,744,976 $ 5,305,414 Interest expense 667,901 845,539 1,469,231 1,626,484 Net interest income 2,220,931 1,815,324 4,275,745 3,678,930 Loan loss provision 106,500 2,812 213,000 2,812 Noninterest income 240,986 238,065 457,065 452,977 Salaries and employee benefits 1,048,313 875,877 2,048,429 1,779,658 Occupancy expense 219,222 165,459 455,818 337,726 Loss on sale, net of gains - - - 23,005 Other noninterest expense 557,823 510,658 1,119,701 994,271 Income before income taxes 530,057 498,582 895,863 994,435 Income tax expense 157,164 115,123 273,210 225,542 Net income $ 372,894 $ 383,459 $ 622,653 $ 768,893

SOURCE: Coeur d'Alene Bancorp

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/coeur-dalene-bancorp-announces-its-second-quarter-2025-results-1050276
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - AJN Resources Inc. (CSE: AJN) (FSE: 5AT) ("AJN" or the "Company") that effective July 19, 2025 it will amend the expiry date of 13,415,000 previously issued common share purchase warrants ("Warrants") from August 11, 2025 to August 9, 2028. The Warrants were originally issued pursuant to the August 2023 non-brokered private placement of units by the Company. The Company also proposes to amend the exercise price of 10,461,111 of the Warrants from CAD $0.30 per share to CAD $0.15 per share.

Pursuant to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"), the term of the 10,461,111 repriced Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry provision such that if for any ten consecutive trading dates (the "Premium Trading Days") during the unexpired term of the 10,461,111 repriced Warrants, the closing price of the Company's shares on the CSE exceeds CAD$0.1875, the exercise period of the Warrants will be reduced to 30 days, starting seven days after the last Premium Trading Day. The Company will announce any such accelerated expiry date by press release. All other terms of the Warrants remain unchanged.

The proposed amendment to the exercise price of 10,461,111 Warrants described above is subject to obtaining consent from all holders of the 10,461,111 Warrants. Insiders hold or control 1,046,111 Warrants representing 10.0% of the Warrants that are being repriced. The Company is relying on an exemption from the related party requirements of MI 61-101 for the repricing of Warrants held or controlled by insiders of the Company.

The Company also announces that it has withdrawn from its proposed acquisition of up to a 70% interest in the Dabel Gold Project as it had not received satisfactory results from due diligence conducted by AJN pursuant to the acquisition agreement with Lord Purus Trading Limited with respect to proposed acquisition.

About AJN Resources Inc.

AJN is a junior exploration company. AJN's management and directors possess over 75 years of collective industry experience and have been very successful in the areas of exploration, financing and developing major mines throughout the world, with a focus on Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release may include certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although AJN Resources Inc. believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, AJN Resources Inc. 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.

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 for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259323

SOURCE: AJN Resources Inc.
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report filed via Xinhuanet:

Over 250 representatives from nearly 150 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies, and regional organizations across 36 countries gathered here on Wednesday for the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum, an event focusing on how to advance BRICS cooperation and strengthen solidarity across the Global South.

In his keynote remarks, Fu Hua, forum chair and president of Xinhua News Agency, said greater BRICS cooperation has played a critical role in unifying Global South countries, boosting their influence in global affairs, and driving reform in global governance.

As the forum enters its second decade, Xinhua is committed to working with its BRICS counterparts to tell the Global South's stories more effectively, promote joint research on major issues, and deepen professional collaboration, Fu added.

Zhu Qingqiao, Chinese ambassador to Brazil, in a congratulatory letter, praised the forum's inclusion of discussions on artificial intelligence and highlighted its role in advancing the outcomes of the 17th BRICS Summit.

Zhu expressed hope that the event would further position BRICS as a platform for South-South cooperation and a voice for reform in global governance.

Other speakers echoed their calls. Carlos Hernandez, president of the Central American Parliament, said global governance is in urgent need of new models and new voices.

"The countries represented here today have shown the way forward: one grounded in equitable development, dignity, and multilateralism," he said.

Mikhail Gusman, first deputy director-general of TASS Russian News Agency, noted that BRICS nations reflect the diversity of emerging economies.

Facing growing global media challenges, BRICS media cooperation has an important role in defending truth, justice and peace, he said.

Tia Ju, vice president of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, praised China's efforts to unite Global South countries and emphasized the need for media collaboration to increase international visibility and influence for BRICS.

Yeidckol Polevnsky Gurwitz, chair of the Asia-Pacific Foreign Relations Committee of the Mexican Senate, said that Mexico shares with BRICS a vision of inclusive growth and fair trade.

"We cannot allow external interference in our development paths. Together, we must build a multipolar world," she said, referencing China's concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The forum concluded with the release of a think tank report titled "BRICS Cooperation: Advancing the Collective Progress of the Global South" and the launch of two major initiatives: Global South Joint Communication Partnership Program and "Tapping into BRICS, Voices from the South" Content Collaborative Project.

The forum marked the first full meeting of the BRICS media mechanism since the bloc's historic expansion and was co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and Brazil Communication Company under the theme "BRICS United: Forging a New Chapter for the Global South."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2734121/image.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/brics-media-think-tanks-convene-to-promote-brics-cooperation-new-vision-for-global-south-302508876.html
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Dr. Nicholas Perricone Celebrates the Launch of *The Beauty Molecule* at the Mandarin Oriental Boston

The Beauty Molecule Book Cover

The Beauty Molecule is the 10th book from Dr. Nicholas Perricone, world-renowned healthy aging expert, founder of Perricone MD, and #1 New York Times bestselling author. In this groundbreaking new release, Dr. Perricone explores the science behind ce

Last night, world-renowned healthy aging expert and #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Nicholas Perricone celebrated the launch of his 10th book, The Beauty Molecule, with an inspiring wellness-focused evening hosted at the elegant Mandarin Oriental Boston. The event was held in partnership with iHeartRadio, Kiss 108, and Lisa Donovan's Book Club, drawing a vibrant crowd of health, beauty, and literary enthusiasts.

Guests were treated to an engaging discussion with Dr. Perricone on the science behind The Beauty Molecule, and his groundbreaking insights into wellness, longevity, and anti-inflammatory living. As a special gift, attendees received full-size Perricone MD skincare products with each book purchase, generously donated by Perricone MD. Dr. Nicholas Perricone is the founder of Perricone MD.

The evening also supported a meaningful cause, generating funds to benefit Raising a Reader Massachusetts, a nonprofit organization committed to early literacy and family engagement.

Dr. Perricone's newly relaunched Hydrogen Water was also featured during the evening, highlighting his continued innovation in the wellness and hydration space.

Special thanks to event partners Mandarin Oriental Boston, 90+ Cellars, Boston Dental Partners, Joss & Main, and Mother Juice, whose generous support helped make the night a celebration to remember.

For more about The Beauty Molecule, Dr. Perricone's Hydrogen Water, and his latest innovations, visit www.nicholasperriconemd.com and www.perriconehydrogenwater.com

Press Contact:

Shannon Pastuszak

Founder, Dream Consulting LLC

617-921-7457

shannonpastuszak@gmail.com





SOURCE: Dreamer Consulting LLC

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/consumer-and-retail-products/a-fresh-take-on-summer-wellness-and-literacy-dr.-perricones-new-book-l-1050309
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., (TSXV: CMI) (OTCQB: CYSNF) a leading global provider of commercial grade mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems, announced today that, pursuant to the requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange, it has granted options to purchase 200,000 common shares of C-COM to officers of C-COM.

The stock options were granted pursuant to the terms of C-COM's stock option plan and are exercisable at $0.93 per share, being the closing price for the common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on July 17, 2025. These grants form part of the overall annual remuneration package. Stock option grants are subject to necessary regulatory approvals.

About C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. is a pioneer and a leading global designer, developer, and manufacturer of transportable and mobile satellite-based antenna systems. The Company has developed proprietary, auto-acquisition controller technology for rapid antenna pointing to a satellite with just the press of a button, enabling Broadband Internet via Satellite across a wide range of market applications worldwide, including regions unserved or underserved by terrestrial access technologies.

C-COM has sold more than 11,000 antenna systems, in over 100 countries, through a dedicated dealer network that provides service to a wide range of vertical markets such as Oil and Gas Exploration, Military Communications, Disaster Management, SNG, Emergency Communications, Cellular Backhaul, Telemedicine, Mobile Education, Government Services, Mobile Banking, and others. The Company's iNetVu brand is synonymous with high quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

C-COM is in the final stages of satellite testing and manufacturing of a potentially revolutionary Ka-band, electronically steerable, modular, conformal, flat panel phased array antenna. C-COM has developed this unique multi-orbit antenna with the intent of providing low-cost, high-throughput mobility applications over satellite for land, airborne and maritime verticals over LEO, MEO and GEO satellite constellations. Another significant project underway at C-COM is the development of an Analog Beamforming Integrated Circuit, which is progressing well and is now in a testing phase. These BFICs will be used in the manufacturing of all our ESA antennas with the intent to significantly reduce their cost and improve their performance and will also be made available for sale.

For additional information please visit www.c-comsat.com

iNetVu is a registered trademark of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.

The Company is publicly traded on the Canadian Venture Exchange (TSXV: CMI) and on the US OTC Exchange (OTCQB: CYSNF).

# # #

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.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Statements about C-COM's expectations for future results, its intention to continue testing and launch a new product using the funding described, the size of the potential market, C-COM's expectations of being able to capitalize on the market and the expectation that investment in R&D will generate returns to the company all contain forward-looking information. Several factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Product testing may be delayed, may not have positive results or may result in necessary changes to the product design. Product development and launch may be postponed, delayed or, in the worst case, cancelled for many reasons outside C-COM's control, anticipated benefits of the new technology may not be realized, new products and services may not be released or, if released may not gain market acceptance and factors outside of C-COM's control may cause it to focus of its efforts and investments differently than described above. Any of those events and others could influence future performance and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.'s ability to achieve the results mentioned above. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Readers are directed to the risk factors associated with the business of C-COM Satellite Systems in the company's most recent MD&A available at www.sedarplus.ca.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259237

SOURCE: C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Spark Energy Minerals Inc. (CSE: SPRK) (OTCID: SPARF) (FSE: 8PC) ("Spark" or the "Company") has confirmed four high-priority lithium drill targets at its flagship Arapaima Project in Brazil's Lithium Valley. This milestone marks a major step toward Spark's first-ever drill campaign in one of the most lithium-rich jurisdictions in the world.

"These four drill targets reflect months of rigorous fieldwork and geochemical validation," said Eugene Hodgson, CEO and Chair. "With pegmatite swarms, strong lithium values, and immediate access, Spark is positioned for a major exploration breakthrough. We're unlocking real discovery potential in one of the world's most important battery metal jurisdictions."

Highlights

Four drill-ready lithium targets identified : Testa, Pedro, Robertinho/Bob, and Macuco

: Testa, Pedro, Robertinho/Bob, and Macuco Rock sample returns up to 1,217 ppm Li at Macuco

at Macuco 62 rock samples and 20 stream sediment samples collected to date in July

collected to date in July 15 new stream sediment samples advance rare earth and gallium exploration over Caladao Granite





Figure 1: A charnokite sample (ARA-CR-240) was collected for total chemical analysis (whole-rock geochemistry).

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Charnockite is a high-grade metamorphic rock formed deep in the Earth's crust under intense heat and pressure. It often hosts valuable minerals due to its complex geological history and is commonly associated with ancient, stable continental regions known for mineralization.

Charnockite is a known source rock for REE (rare earth element) mineralization and is expected to guide short-term REE drill targeting. The collected sample (ARA-CR-240), shown in Figure 1, will undergo full chemical analysis to assess its potential for containing economically important elements.

Drill-Ready Lithium Targets Identified

Fieldwork conducted during the week of July 7-11 focused on advancing and confirming priority lithium-bearing pegmatite targets across four key areas:

Agua Branca - Testa Target: Stream sediment anomalies and confirmed pegmatite dikes make this a high-conviction drill target. An existing access route at the top of the hill enables rapid mobilization. Pedro Target (Toninho de Biza mine): A 1.2 km historic road has been surveyed for reopening, enabling efficient access to mapped pegmatite swarms. Corrego da Lagoa / Lorentino - Robertinho & Bob Targets: Planning is underway for initial drill holes at the Robertinho target, with potential follow-up at the adjacent Bob site. Macuco Target: A standout sample from black mica in a shallow pit returned 1,217 ppm lithium-one of the highest to date. Follow-up work confirms the area as a top-priority drill target.

Caladao Granite - Advancing Rare Earth and Gallium Discovery

Spark continues to expand geochemical coverage across the Caladao Granite, an intrusive unit with demonstrated potential for rare earth elements (REEs) and gallium. Fifteen new stream sediment samples were collected this week to complement earlier campaigns that returned elevated REE and gallium values in adjacent areas.

Next Steps & Shareholder Catalysts

Spark is actively progressing toward its first drill campaign in Brazil, with multiple targets advancing in parallel. Immediate priorities include:

Finalizing access and permitting at four confirmed drill targets

Completing stream sediment coverage over the REE- and Ga-rich Caladao Granite

Integrating geochemical and geological data to optimize drill collar placement and prioritize short-term drill targets for lithium and REE

Spark Energy Minerals is positioning itself as a key exploration player in Brazil's Lithium Valley - a globally strategic jurisdiction for future-facing metals. With drilling preparations underway, the Company is set for a catalyst-rich second half of 2025, offering shareholders strong near-term momentum.

Qualified Person:

The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill BSc Hons, FAUSIMM, a Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101 and a director of Spark Energy Minerals Inc. Mr. Hill is a Director of Spark Energy Minerals Inc. and is not independent of the Company.

About Spark Energy Minerals Inc.

Spark Energy Minerals, Inc. is a Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of battery metals and mineral assets, with a particular emphasis on its substantial interests in Brazil. The Company's flagship project is the Arapaima Lithium & REE project spanning a combined 91,900 hectares in Brazil's renowned Lithium Valley, one of the most prolific mining regions in the world. This region is rapidly gaining global recognition for its vast deposits of lithium and rare earth minerals, positioning Brazil as a critical player in the global energy transition.

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.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "intend," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated", "anticipates" 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 future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. In addition, it should be noted that rock, soil and stream sediment samples are inherently selective samples and may not represent the true underlying mineralization. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259333

SOURCE: Spark Energy Minerals Inc.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation (TSX: AI) announces the resignation of Gigi Wong as CFO of the company.

We are pleased to announce that Jeffrey D. Sherman is rejoining Atrium as Interim Chief Financial Officer effective July 21, 2025. He was previously chief financial officer of Atrium from 2012 to 2017 where he helped transition the company to a listing on the TSX, and helped manage its growth. He has also been CFO of several other public companies including Sun Residential REIT (TSXV), Pure Nickel Inc. (TSX), and has been a director and chair of the audit committee at Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation (TSX), and Cleanfield Alternative Energy (TSXV). During his career, Mr. Sherman has also been a course director and course author for many organizations including provincial associations of chartered professional accountants across Canada and was an adjunct professor at York University. Mr. Sherman has a B.Comm from Rotman Commerce (University of Toronto), an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business (York University) and is an FCPA, FCA (Ontario).

Robert Goodall, CEO of Atrium, stated, "I would like to thank Jeffrey for assuming the role of Interim CFO while a thorough search is undertaken and a replacement is appointed. We worked closely for 5 years from 2012 to 2017 and I have the utmost respect for Jeffrey's knowledge and experience."

About Atrium

Canada's Premier Non-Bank Lender

Atrium is a non-bank provider of residential and commercial mortgages that lends in major urban centres in Canada where the stability and liquidity of real estate are high. Atrium's objectives are to provide its shareholders with stable and secure dividends and preserve shareholders' equity by lending within conservative risk parameters.

Atrium is a Mortgage Investment Corporation (MIC) as defined in the Canada Income Tax Act, so is not taxed on income provided that its taxable income is paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends within 90 days after December 31 each year. Such dividends are generally treated by shareholders as interest income, so that each shareholder is in the same position as if the mortgage investments made by the company had been made directly by the shareholder. For further information, please refer to regulatory filings available at www.sedarplus.c a or Atrium's website at www.atriummic.com.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR

DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259337

SOURCE: Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation
Team Editorial - Evrima Chicago

NAPERVILLE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / In the infrastructure-focused evolution of television broadcasting, few technologists have influenced the trajectory of modular playout and digital delivery more profoundly than Matjaz Vidmar. Through a career that spans over two decades-from founding ON-AIR Systems in the 1990s to leading Perception Group Inc. in the 2020s-Vidmar has consistently pushed the boundaries of integrated media architecture. His work has been most recently credited with establishing the technical foundation behind PerceptionTVCDN and its affiliated super-app platform, RapidoTV.

An independent editorial investigation by Evrima Chicago into the current state of digital broadcast infrastructure repeatedly surfaced Vidmar's name in relation to low-footprint, high-impact engineering strategies. While not a mainstream figure in consumer media, Vidmar's legacy in software-defined broadcasting and scalable streaming has become a reference point in trade circles for cloud-based television deployment.

Early Career and Founding of ON-AIR Systems

Matjaz Vidmar began his engineering career in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a focus on analog and digital broadcasting workflows. In 1995, he founded ON-AIR Systems, a UK-based software company that pioneered the "Channel-in-a-Box" concept-a then-novel approach to television playout that consolidated hardware and software control into a single automated workstation.

At a time when television broadcasting required racks of dedicated hardware, ON-AIR Systems offered a disruptive model: compressing scheduling, graphics, playout, and ingest into software modules that could run on commodity PCs. Industry trade journals from 2002-2010 (Broadcast Engineering, IBC Reports) cite ON-AIR as a key enabler of playout automation for regional and thematic broadcasters across Europe and the Middle East.

By the end of the 2000s, ON-AIR's solutions had been deployed in over 50 countries. Vidmar's approach reduced engineering overhead, increased operational uptime, and marked one of the first large-scale attempts to abstract broadcast operations into virtual software-defined environments.

Perception Group Inc. and the Evolution of Broadcast CDN

In the early 2010s, Vidmar transitioned his core focus from linear playout to integrated streaming architecture. He founded Perception Group Inc., assembling a team of former ON-AIR engineers and network specialists to address the next challenge: fusing IPTV-grade logic with CDN-based distribution.

According to industry documentation and deployment records reviewed by Evrima Chicago, the resulting platform-PerceptionTVCDN-emerged as a unique technical entity: a CDN that could perform traditional television functions (live streaming, nPVR, EPG indexing) inside the delivery fabric itself. Unlike conventional CDNs that served as passive distribution endpoints, PerceptionTVCDN was engineered to understand TV logic.

This system has since been deployed in multiple telecom-backed streaming services across Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (EIN Presswire, TechAfrica News 2024-2025). Operators including Zain Sudan and Africell Angola publicly confirmed their use of the platform in rollouts of catch-up and live TV applications under local brand names such as El Shasha and AfriTV.

Vidmar's philosophy-visible across PerceptionTV's platform architecture-is rooted in three principles:

Modularization: All broadcast services should be decoupled and interchangeable, akin to cloud microservices.

Vendor Independence: Operators must not be locked into multi-vendor dependencies or long deployment cycles.

Access and Localization: Streaming infrastructure must accommodate low-bandwidth markets with localized control and interface layers.

RapidoTV and the Super-App Model

In 2025, Vidmar re-emerged at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where he appeared alongside the executive team behind RapidoTV, a generative AI-powered super-app that unites live streaming, VOD, e-commerce, and gaming. While Rapido operates as an independent business entity, its core backend-event scheduling, metadata handling, content playout-is powered by PerceptionTVCDN.

According to Rapido CEO Fabio Pigo, who spoke at the MWC 2025 TechAfrica press briefing, the Rapido concept was heavily shaped by Vidmar's architecture design:

"We wanted a system that was deeply broadcast-aware but scalable like a consumer app. Matjaz gave us the blueprint to do both" (TechAfrica News, 2025).

Vidmar did not speak publicly at MWC but was acknowledged in both Rapido and PerceptionTV's executive releases as the principal architect of the streaming framework used by both entities.

Engineering Legacy and Technical Contributions

Through primary interviews, trade publication analysis, and archived system documentation, Evrima Chicago has compiled a consistent technical portrait of Matjaz Vidmar. His lasting contributions to the broadcast technology field include:

Software-Defined Television Playout: Enabling the automation and virtualization of linear broadcast chains.

Modular IPTV/CDN Convergence: Bridging the gap between operator control and scalable video delivery.

Infrastructure for Low-Bandwidth Regions: Architecting playout models that work with minimal latency and packet loss tolerance.

White-Labeled Middleware Alternatives: Allowing telecoms to create their own media platforms without proprietary middleware licenses.

Vidmar's contributions are often cited in internal whitepapers and platform RFPs by telecom providers across Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. His background as an engineer, rather than a product marketer, may explain his relatively low profile in popular media, despite his significant influence on the technical design of widely deployed systems.

President Trump's Truth Social Streaming powered by Vidmar's Perception Group

In a recent development, it was revealed that the Perception Group, founded and majority-owned by Matjaz Vidmar, developed the private CDN technology enabling Truth Social-the platform operated by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG)-to offer live video streaming to its users.

Truth Social, launched in 2022 and 65% owned by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, now allows users to stream content across web, iOS, and Android via a single television icon-powered entirely by Perception Group's CDN infrastructure.

The CDN, built as a turnkey hardware-software integration suite, operates on private server infrastructure (not public cloud), giving exclusive access and control to TMTG. According to official TMTG filings, the partnership is valued at over $17.5 million over three years.

Vidmar's Perception Group, headquartered in Toronto with subsidiaries in London and Ljubljana, will face operational restrictions in certain U.S. sectors under the terms of the agreement. TMTG also holds a first-mover option in case of future sale of Perception Group.

CEO Devin Nunes of TMTG described the rollout as

"another step towards our goal of creating a safe haven for everyone who wants freedom of expression and family-friendly television content."

Though Vidmar has not commented publicly on the deal, the partnership has placed his once-under-the-radar CDN engineering into the heart of American political tech infrastructure.

Industry Recognition and Media Presence

Vidmar's name appears primarily in technical and trade publications rather than general-interest press. Notable citations include:

Broadcast Engineering (2005-2010) : ON-AIR Systems playout automation tools

IBC Technical Papers Archive : Channel-in-a-box presentations

TechAfrica News : Coverage of Zain and Africell deployments

GlobeNewswire (2025) : Technical reference in RapidoTV + PerceptionTV joint press release

Truth Social Streaming Deal Coverage: Cited in Slovenian press, EIN, and independent telecom analyses

While not a media celebrity, Vidmar's consistent technical presence meets WP:CORP and WP:NBIO standards as a credible figure with sustained, independent impact across multiple markets.

Conclusion

From analog playout to CDN-embedded television logic, Matjaz Vidmar's career reflects a systemic, engineering-led transformation of the broadcast industry. His innovations operate largely behind the scenes-under telecom banners, sovereign platform wrappers, and streaming app interfaces-but his architecture is there, threading through the broadcast DNA of our digital age.

Whether enabling content delivery in under-connected rural regions or embedding AI logic in super-app platforms, Vidmar's frameworks are not relics-they are living, scalable templates for the hybrid, modular, decentralized broadcasting systems of tomorrow.

Media & PR Contact

Dan Wasserman

Head of Media & Public Affairs

PR@EvrimaChicago.com

+1 (909) 326-0347

Evrima Chicago - Editorial Syndication Bureau

Disclaimer

This article was authored, developed, and distributed by Evrima Chicago, LLC, as part of an independent editorial investigation into the evolution of broadcast infrastructure and streaming technologies, with a focus on the engineering contributions of Matjaz Vidmar, founder of Perception Group Inc.

Evrima Chicago does not represent Matjaz Vidmar, Perception Group, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), or any affiliated entity in a legal, corporate, or public relations capacity.

The insights, observations, and analysis included in this article are based on interviews, publicly available documentation, and verified trade sources, with the intent to inform and contextualize developments in modular broadcasting and cloud media infrastructure.

This publication is not intended as financial, legal, or political endorsement, and it does not reflect the views of any government agency, political party, or commercial stakeholder.

All figures, company statements, and third-party platforms referenced are listed in the Sources & Citations table accompanying this publication.

Reproduction, excerpting, or redistribution of this content must credit both the author and Evrima Chicago, LLC as the originating editorial source.

Technologists, researchers, policymakers, and academic institutions are encouraged to use this article as part of wider discussions on media decentralization, telecom sovereignty, and the technical evolution of global streaming platforms.

SOURCE: Evrima Chicago LLC.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/publishing-and-media/matjaz-vidmar-engineering-architect-of-the-modern-broadcast-cloud-1050343
SAHAM BANK has reaffirmed its commitment to green finance through a strategic partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), under the newly launched Green Economy Financing Facility Plus (GEFF Plus).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250718229900/en/

Signing of a strategic partnership between SAHAM BANK and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). (photo: AETOSWire)

Supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Canada (through the HIPCA fund), the initiative will mobilize 55 million in funding for SAHAM BANK. This financing will be channeled into two dedicated credit lines aimed at accelerating the green transition of Morocco's private sector.

In addition to financial support, the partnership includes technical assistance funded by the EU and GCF, as part of Morocco's Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience Programme. This support will help strengthen SAHAM BANK's internal capabilities in green finance and develop banking products aligned with environmental challenges.

This collaboration represents a significant milestone in SAHAM BANK's sustainable development strategy. It underscores the bank's long-term vision to foster a responsible banking model, focused on green growth and sustainable value creation for the Moroccan economy.

This operation illustrates the transformation dynamic initiated by the bank following its change of ownership. Its trajectory is guided by the vision of SAHAM GROUP, chaired by Moulay Hafid Elalamy, who is also Chairman of the supervisory Board of SAHAM BANK.

A prominent Moroccan economic player, combining strong local roots with an international outlook, SAHAM GROUP currently operates in high-potential sectors such as finance, customer experience, education, agriculture, and real estate.

About Saham Bank

Founded in 1913, Saham Bank formerly Societe Generale Marocaine de Banques (SGMB) is one of Morocco's oldest and most respected banking institutions. Over the past century, it has played a central role in the country's economic development. Saham Bank serves a diverse clientele, including individuals, professionals, and businesses, offering a comprehensive range of financial products and services tailored to their needs. The bank remains committed to innovation, service quality, and sustainable development, while continuing to strengthen its position as a key player in the Moroccan banking sector.

Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250718229900/en/

Contacts:

Zohra Mabchour

Saham Bank

+212522438462 +212674990568

Zohra.mabchour@socgen.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Supreme Critical Metals Inc. (CSE:CRIT)(FWB:VR61)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Supreme" or the "Company") provides its second bi-weekly Default Status Report under National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"), pursuant to which Supreme issued its original default announcement indicating that the filing of its annual audited financial statements, annual management's discussion and analysis and related certifications for the financial year ended February 28, 2025 (collectively, the "Required Filings"), would be delayed beyond the filing deadline of June 27, 2025.

The Company's Board of Directors and management confirm that they are working expeditiously to file the Required Filings and confirm that since the Company's news release dated July 4, 2025, there is no other material information respecting the Company's affairs that has not been generally disclosed.

Until the Required Filings have been filed, the Company intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines specified in NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of further press releases for so long as the Company remains in default of the financial statement filing requirement. In the event that the Company does not file the Required Filings in a timely manner, the Canadian Securities Regulatory Authorities may impose an issuer cease trade order on the outstanding securities of the Company.

About Supreme Critical Metals Inc.

SUPREME CRITICAL METALS INC. is a publicly traded diversified investment corporation actively exploring and investigating multiple opportunities in lithium, copper, silver, and precious metals. The Company adheres to strategic guidelines that prioritize regions conducive to mining, supported by favourable government regulations and existing infrastructure.

For further information, please contact:

George Tsafalas, Director

Phone: Toll Free 1(778) 373-8578

E-mail: info@supremecritalmetals.com

www.supremecriticalmetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Such forward-looking information is provided to inform the Company's shareholders and potential investors about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "anticipate", "proposed", "estimates", "would", "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "will", and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking information contain these identifying words.

More particularly and without limitation, the forward-looking information in this news release includes: (i) expectations regarding the Company's business plans and operations; (ii) expectations concerning the MCTO; and (iii) expectations regarding the timing of filing the Required Filings. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions that have been used to develop such information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the Company's current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs based on information currently available to the Company.

Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to Supreme's expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from Supreme's expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or 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 of this release.

SOURCE: Supreme Critical Metals Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/supreme-critical-metals-inc.-provides-second-default-status-update-1050275
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - FendX Technologies Inc. (CSE: FNDX) (OTCQB: FDXTF) (FSE: E8D) (the "Company" or "FendX"), an innovative surface protection company using their technology to develop product solutions to reduce the spread of harmful pathogens and support a cleaner, safer world, announces the completion of its previously disclosed debt settlements from July 8, 2025. The Company issued 1,249,024 common shares (each, a "Share") at $0.082 per Share to settle $102,420 of debt, and 8,781,969 units (each, a "Unit") at $0.06 per Unit to settle an aggregate of $526,918.20 of debt with various creditors, including insiders of FendX (collectively, the "Debt Settlements").

Each Unit is comprised of one Share and one transferable Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one additional Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.10 per Warrant Share for a period of 36 months. The Company may accelerate the expiry of the Warrants should the daily closing price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange, or any other exchange where the Shares may then be listed, reach or surpass $0.20 per Share for 20 consecutive trading days by giving notice via news release and, in such case, 100% of the then unexercised Warrants will expire on the 30th day after the date on which the news release is disseminated.

The Company is carrying out the Debt Settlements to improve its financial position by reducing its existing liabilities. The securities issued pursuant to the Debt Settlements are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws. No new control person or insiders will be created pursuant to the Debt Settlements.

Two insiders participated in the Debt Settlements to settle and aggregate of $435,043.20 in debt, each of which settlement is considered a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements found in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the debt settlements with the insiders is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Debt Settlements, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances as the Company wishes to improve its financial position by reducing its existing liabilities as soon as possible.

None of the securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlements will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About REPELWRAP Film

REPELWRAP film is the Company's first product in development and is a protective surface coating film that leverages the Company's award-winning nanotechnology. REPELWRAP film has demonstrated unique repelling properties that reduce adhesion of pathogens, bacteria, and viruses by >98%, reducing their transmission on surfaces prone to contamination. The Company believes REPELWRAP film will have applications in healthcare settings and other industries.

About FendX Technologies Inc.

FendX is a surface protection company leveraging its proprietary technology to develop product solutions that help reduce the spread of harmful pathogens in everyday environments. The Company is advancing an eco-friendly, smart sponge designed to deliver effective cleaning while minimizing environmental impact. This innovative product complements FendX's broader pipeline, which includes REPELWRAP film, a protective surface coating with repelling properties that significantly reduce adhesion and transmission of pathogens on high-touch surfaces, and a spray-based coating with similar functionality. Additionally, the Company is developing specialized catheter coatings, with its first coating being for Foley catheters. The Company holds an exclusive supply agreement for the eco-sponge and an exclusive license to certain intellectual property related to the use of the sponge, as well as exclusive worldwide licenses and intellectual property for its coating technologies.

ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY

"Carolyn Myers"

Carolyn Myers

Chief Executive Officer and Director

For more information, please visit https://fendxtech.com/ and the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; statements regarding the Company's plans to evaluate potential next steps in the development of REPELWRAP film; statements regarding the Company's intentions and the Company's belief that REPELWRAP film will have applications in healthcare settings and other industries; and statements regarding the debt settlements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including: risks that the Company will not complete a financing or raise sufficient funds to complete all of its planned activities; risks that the Company's products may not perform as, or have the benefits, expected; risks related to research and development activities; risks that the Company's products may not be accepted and adopted by the public; the risk that the Company will not obtain necessary approvals and/or clearances as anticipated or at all; the risk that there will be delays in commencing any further performance testing as anticipated or at all; the risk that the Company will receive negative results from the Company's performance testing; the effects of government regulation on the Company's business; risks associated with the Company's ability to obtain and protect rights to its intellectual property; risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's ability to raise additional capital; and other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of such factors on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Readers should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure outlined in the Company's filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259338

SOURCE: FendX Technologies Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Legend Power Systems Inc. (TSXV: LPS) (OTCQB: LPSIF) ("Legend Power" or the "Company"), a global leader in commercial electrical system solutions, announces that it has made application to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") to extend the term of 12,861,553 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") that were issued under the Company's private placement of units completed in two tranches on July 31, 2023 and August 22, 2023. The Warrants have an exercise price of $0.25 and are set to expire on July 31, 2025 and August 22, 2025 respectively. Insiders of the Company hold 1,957,999 or 15.22% of the Warrants. The Company has applied for consent to extend the term of the Warrants from twenty-four months (24) to thirty-six months (36) from the date of original issuance in accordance with Exchange policies (the "Warrant Term Extension"). Subsequent disclosure will be issued by the Company, If approval is granted by the Exchange for the Warrant Term Extension.

About Legend Power Systems Inc.

Legend Power Systems Inc. (https://legendpower.com/) provides an intelligent energy management platform that analyzes and improves building energy challenges, significantly impacting asset management and corporate performance. Legend Power's proven solutions support proactive executive decision-making in a complex and volatile business and energy environment. The proprietary and patented system reduces total energy consumption and power costs, while also maximizing the life of electrical equipment. Legend Power's unique solution is also a key contributor to both corporate sustainability efforts and the meeting of utility energy efficiency targets.

About SmartGATE

SmartGATE is a turnkey solution that identifies and resolves inefficiencies in commercial electrical systems, enhancing energy performance while reducing costs and emissions. The SmartGATE active energy management system installs after the meter in line with your switchgear. Using our patented technology, we extract a percentage of the load, convert and analyze it, rebuild the waveform, and then inject it back into your system. This provides full voltage regulation (+/- 8%) to your exact specification, on each phase individually to address the main power attributes that impact system reliability, lifetime, and efficiency. All focused on reducing energy consumption while creating optimal power for optimal performance with a footprint designed for today's buildings.

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 Statements

This press release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR+ at 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 to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259386

SOURCE: Legend Power Systems Inc.
Two leading Pakistani TV channels reported on Thursday that Donald Trump is expected to visit Pakistan in September. They also claimed that after landing in Islamabad, the US president will head to India. Both channels have taken down the reports. But why? read more

Ties between the US and Pakistan have improved under Donald Trump. File Photo/Reuters

As Washington and Islamabad grow closer under Donald Trump, reports claimed that the US President is set to visit Pakistan in September. The development was reported by local television news channels in Pakistan on Thursday (July 17), citing sources.

The media reports also claimed that after landing in Pakistan, Trump will visit India. The channels later withdrew their reports. But why? What happened?

We will explain.

Is Trump visiting Pakistan?

Pakistani leading broadcaster Geo News, citing unnamed ministry officials, reported that US President Trump is expected to arrive in the South Asian nation on September 18.

ARY news channel also reported on Trumps trip to Pakistan in September. The TV channels also claimed that after he visits Islamabad, the US president will continue on to India.

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However, both channels later withdrew their reports. Geo News apologises to its viewers for airing the news without a verification, it said.

Speaking to Reuters, a senior management official at ARY said they took down the report as Pakistans foreign office said it was not aware of the visit.

After several media outlets reported, citing these Pakistani news channels, on Trumps visit, the White House cleared the air. It said no such visit was scheduled at this time.

A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time, a White House official was quoted as saying by Reuters. A US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad told the news agency, We have nothing to announce.

Speaking to Pakistani daily Dawn on the reports, Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said: We have no information about this matter.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry sources called the reports about Trumps trip fake as the US president is visiting the United Kingdom between September 17 and 19. We have no information about any such visit. If there is any such thing, the Foreign Ministry will officially announce that, a senior ministry official told Anadolu on the condition of anonymity.

How the US and Pakistan are getting closer

Since Trump returned to office, the US and Pakistans relations have seen a major boost. Last month, the American president hosted the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House for lunch.

Trump said he was honoured to meet Munir and the two discussed Iran, which the US president said Pakistan knew better than most.

A man sits beside a poster featuring Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, along a road in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on May 14, 2025. File Photo/AFP

Speaking to reporters, the US president said he had thanked the Pakistan Army chief for ending the war with India, for which he also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Trump has repeatedly taken credit for brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of conflict in May.

On May 7, India launched precise military strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. This triggered an exchange of heavy fire between the two neighbours for four straight days.

New Delhi has maintained that a ceasefire was reached between the militaries of the two nations. However, Trump continues to claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan.

Islamabad has reiterated the US presidents claim and thanked him for his efforts.

To woo Trump, Pakistan has also recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership in May, when India and Pakistan traded strikes.

The US presidents obsession with the prestigious award is well-known. He has been coveting the honour since his first term at the White House.

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During Munirs visit to the US, the two sides discussed expanding bilateral trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies, Dawn reported, citing the Pakistani militarys media wing.

Cash-strapped Pakistan has hired Keith Schiller, a former bodyguard of Trump, as its lobbyist in Washington, DC. Islamabad signed two contracts with Trump-linked lobbyists worth $450,000 a month, reported The Guardian.

Pakistan is rich in rare earth minerals, which are considered critical to US security. However, global supply chains for these minerals are dominated by China. After Ukraine, Trump is now eyeing Pakistans rare earth minerals. This could explain the recent uplift in ties between the US and Pakistan, driven more by business than strategic interests.

Will Trump visit Pakistan in future?

The possibility of Trump visiting Pakistan cannot be ruled out. If it happens, he would be the first US president to travel to the South Asian country since George W Bush in 2006.

Trump is set to visit India for the Quad summit, the dates for which are yet to be finalised. According to a Times of India (TOI) report, Pakistani business leaders and influencers are trying hard to press the White House for the US presidents stopover in Islamabad during the India trip.

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The Quad, an informal strategic forum, also includes Japan and Australia.

With inputs from agencies
The Indian Navy is set to commission its first indigenous diving support vessel, INS Nistar, in Vishakhapatnam today. The Supreme Court will be apprised of the status of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priyas case, whose death sentence in Yemen has been deferred. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Bihar to inaugurate several projects worth Rs 7,200 crore read more

Nistar is the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel. Screengrab from Eastern Naval Command on X.

It is set to be a busy Friday with several events lined up for the day.

The Indian Navy is set to commission its first indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) Nistar at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to resume its hearing on the case of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bihar to inaugurate several projects ahead of the Assembly elections.

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Also, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is likely to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo today.

Malaysia is set to protest against President Trumps decision to nominate Nick Adams, a self-styled alpha male, as its next US Ambassador.

Here is all that is set to take place throughout the day.

Indian Navy to commission Nistar

Indian Navy is all set to commission its first indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) INS Nistar at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam today. This will boost the Indian Navys submarine support operations significantly.

Capable of deep-sea diving operations, the Nistar will also function as the Mother Ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), facilitating the rescue and evacuation of personnel from submarines in underwater emergencies.

This will boost the Indian Navys submarine support operations significantly. PIB

The ship has been indigenously designed and constructed by state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited and will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep-sea diving and submarine rescue operations. It has been designed and built as per the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).

SC to resume hearing in Nimisha Priya case

The Supreme Court of India is set to resume its hearing on the case of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, today. This crucial hearing follows a recent development where her execution, initially slated for Wednesday (July 16), was temporarily postponed.

Priya has been on death row in Yemen since 2018 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. Yemens Supreme Judicial Council upheld her sentence in November 2023.

She continues to remain imprisoned in the capital city, Sanaa, which is under Houthi control and outside formal diplomatic reach.

PM Modi in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bihar today to launch several infrastructure and development projects. Intended to stimulate the states economy, these measures also seek to resolve long-standing public demands. The visit comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly election slated to take place in November.

On Friday, Modi will be in Motihari to lay foundation stones, inaugurate and dedicate multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore in rail, road, rural development, fisheries, electronics and information technology sectors. He will also address a public function.

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Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba likely to meet US Treasury Secretary

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is arranging to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo, reported news agency Reuters. The move comes ahead of an August 1 deadline to strike a trade deal with the United States.

Shigeru Ishiba will likely meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent today in Tokyo. File image/AP

Bessent is set to travel to Japan to attend the US national day at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, scheduled for July 19. He will be skipping a concurrent Group of 20 finance officials meeting in South Africa, the US Treasury said. Japans top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is also expected to meet with Bessent, the Yomiuri newspaper added.

Malaysia to protest against US pick of ambassador

Some in Malaysia are set to protest against the US picking Nick Adams as its next ambassador to the country. The protests are set to take place outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Youth leaders from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), along with proPalestinian groups including AMK, will gather to deliver a formal memorandum and voice their opposition.

The White House has proposed 40-year-old author and outspoken political commentator Nick Adams, who is a self-styled alpha male influencer, to the Senate as its nominee for ambassador to Malaysia.

This has triggered concerns in the Muslim-majority nation over Adams views on Islam and support for Israels military campaign in Gaza, among other sensitive topics.

With inputs from agencies
Akash Prime is a high-altitude version of the indigenously-designed and developed Akash surface-to-air missile system. The missile is designed to operate in extremely cold weather and at high-altitudes  above 14,000 feet. It features several upgrades including an indigenously-developed radio frequency seeker. The test, which comes after Operation Sindoor, is a message to both China and Pakistan. Lets take a closer look read more

The Akash Prime weapons system was successfully test-fired at Ladakh. PTI

India successfully test fired its new version of the Akash surface-to-air missile system.

The new weapon, known as Akash Prime, was tested at Ladakh.

Manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Akash surface-to-air missile systems performance was lauded during Operation Sindoor  which India conducted in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

It is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system that can take out fighters, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

What is Akash Prime? What do we know about the upgraded missile? And why is it successful test-firing significant?

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Lets take a closer look

What is it? What happened?

Akash Prime is a high-altitude version of the indigenously-designed and developed Akash surface-to-air missile system.

The missile is designed to operate in extremely cold weather and at high-altitudes  above 14,000 feet.

It features several upgrades including an indigenously-developed radio frequency seeker.

This not only increases the Akash Primes accuracy, but also afford it 360-degree capability to engage with enemy missiles.

It also has a modified ground systems and radars that gives it a 30-kilometre radius.

A staff cleans Akash, a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Akash played a significant role in Operation Sindoor, thwarting Pakistans rain of drones and missiles. File image/AFP

New Delhi is also testing the Prithvi-II and Agni-I missiles.

That compares favourably to the 25-kilometre radius of the Akash weapon system.

It is mounted on a mobile platform, which allows it to be deployed quickly.

The Army Air Defence and DRDO conducted the test on Wednesday at an altitude of over 15,000 feet.

The test was conducted in the presence of Indian Army and industry officials.

The missiles successfully took out two quick-moving aerial targets.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, Based on the operational feedbacks from users, various upgrades are made to improve the operational effectiveness, demonstrating the advantage of the ecosystem created for the indigenous weapon system.

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Its first test occurred on September 27, 2021, at Chandipurs Integrated Test Range.

Why is it successful test-firing significant?

This is a message to both China and Pakistan.

India during Operation Sindoor used the Akash system to shoot down Pakistans Chinese-made drones and Turkish-made loitering munitions.

India, which has had border conflicts with both nations, has designed the Akash system to specifically function at high altitudes.

Army Air Defence is now raising two regiments of Akash Prime system  which will likely be the third and fourth regiments in Indias Akash defence system.

It will be deployed along the border and mountainous areas and could prove an effective deterrence for both China and Pakistan.

The Akash Prime surface-to-air system isnt the only one being prepped.

India is also working on its Akash NG (Next-generation) variant.

Both these short-range ballistic missiles were successfully test-fired from Odishas Integrated Test Range by Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on Thursday.

Short-Range Ballistic Missiles - Prithvi-II and Agni-I - were successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha on July 17, 2025, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. The launches validated all operational and technical parameters. These tests were conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.

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The SFC controls Indias nuclear assets under the triad  the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.

The Agni-I is a two-stage solid propellant missile.

It is nuclear capable and has a range of around 700 kilometres to 900 kilometres.

It can be launched by road and rail and can carry a payload of 1,000 kilos.

The Prithvi-II, meanwhile, has a range of around 250 to 300 kilometres.

It uses a liquid propulsion system and advanced inertial navigation technology that allows it to efficiently take out its targets.

It was developed by the DRDO under Indias Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), which was launched in 1982 by the defence ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Defence exports surged from Rs 686 crore in FY 2013-14 to Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24 a 30-fold increase over the past decade. PTI

The Prithvi-II can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Unlike the Agni-I, it uses a liquid propulsion system.

It is equipped with advanced inertial navigation technology for precision targeting.

Some say this constitutes some strategic messaging to Pakistan soon after Operation Sindoor.

It is also yet another string in Indias impressive bow of weapons when it comes to air defence and gives a fillip to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Aatmanirbhar Bharat push.

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Some countries including Brazil, Philippines and Egypt have also expressed interest in the Akash system after seeing its impressive performance during the conflict.

Armenia earlier purchased the Akash weapons system.

This would give a fillip to Indias defence exports, which has already seen a 30-fold increase over the past decade  from Rs 686 crore in FY 2013-14 to Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24.

Defence exports grew from Rs 4,312 crore in the 2004-14 decade to Rs 88,319 crore in the 2014-24 decade  a 21-fold increase.

With inputs from agencies
The Indian Army is set to receive a new batch of AK-203 assault rifles by December. The rifles are being produced by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) and manufactured in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi. This work is part of a Rs 5,200-crore deal signed under the Make in India campaign. The AK-203 is a modern version of the famous Kalashnikov rifle series and is also known as Sher in India read more

The AK-203 is a modern version of the famous Kalashnikov rifle series. File Photo/ANI

The Indian Armed Forces will soon receive a fresh supply of AK-203 assault rifles.

These rifles are being made in India by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), a joint venture set up to locally produce the AK-203.

In India, the rifle has been named Sher and is being manufactured in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi.

ALSO READ | How India used Scalp missiles, Hammer bombs and drones for precision strikes in Operation Sindoor

The agreement for more than six lakh AK-203 rifles was signed in 2021. The delivery is likely to be completed almost 22 months earlier than planned.

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But what exactly are these rifles? And how are they being produced?

Lets take a look:

What are AK-203 rifles?

The AK-203 is a modern version of the famous Kalashnikov rifle series.

These rifles are being made at the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) factory in Amethis Korwa region in Uttar Pradesh.

This work is part of a Rs 5,200 crore deal signed under the Make in India campaign.

In India, the AK-203 is also known as Sher.

#WATCH | Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: 100% of indigenisation of AK 203 rifles to be done by the end of 2025. pic.twitter.com/wlruZwmHq3  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2025

To meet immediate needs, 70,000 rifles were first brought from abroad before local production started.

Maj Gen S K Sharma, CEO and Managing Director of IRRPL, described the project as the younger brother of BrahMos. He told PTI that IRRPL has 50.5% Indian shareholding and 49.5% Russian.

The AK-203 rifles are far more advanced than the older AK-47 and AK-56 models. They are among the most powerful rifles in the Kalashnikov family.

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These rifles are set to replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles, which have been in use for over 30 years. Unlike the INSAS, which uses a 5.56x45 mm cartridge, the AK-203 uses a 7.62x39 mm cartridge, NDTV reported.

Its magazine can hold up to 30 cartridges.

The rifle is built to boost the performance of Indian forces during counter-insurgency and anti-terror operations. It weighs around 3.8 kg, while the INSAS weighs 4.15 kg.

#BreakingNews | India on track to achieve 100% indigenous AK-203 rifles by 2025@kaidensharmaa brings a ground report from the Indo-Russian rifle factory in Amethi#IndiaDefenceSystem #AK203Rifle | @GrihaAtul pic.twitter.com/MyUusIQCdS  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 18, 2025

Without a buttstock, the Sher rifle measures 705 mm in length, compared to the 960 mm length of the INSAS, the report said.

The AK-203 will be the main assault weapon for troops stationed along the northern and western borders, including the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control.

Features like a telescopic buttstock, better recoil control, and support for modern optics make the AK-203 fit for present-day combat needs, according to The New Indian Express.

ALSO READ | BrahMos, ammo & more: A look at weapons India exports

Where are these rifles made?

The AK-203 assault rifles are being produced by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL).

Around 48,000 rifles have been delivered so far. Another 7,000 will be handed over in the next two to three weeks and 15,000 more by December this year, Maj Gen SK Sharma said.

He added, From 2026, the factory will make 12,000 rifles each month, which means the full order will be completed well before the deadline.

The factory is set up on 8.5 acres of land in Amethi and currently has over 260 staff, including permanent Russian experts. The workforce will increase to 537, with 90 per cent being locals, according to the officer.

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IRRPL has reached 50 per cent indigenisation and aims to deliver the first fully Indian-made AK-203 rifle by December. After that, production will scale up to 1.5 lakh rifles a year.

#WATCH | Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: CEO & MD of Indo Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), Major General SK Sharma says, "If you ask a soldier, then his most reliable friend is an assault rifle... AK-203 will be the most reliable thing in the future. We have received an order of https://t.co/mJdL7IiO0E pic.twitter.com/10HvAXhfvH  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2025

The joint venture has received complete Transfer of Technology (ToT) from Russia, and all testing is now done within India, he said.

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Each rifle goes through 120 steps and is made up of about 50 components and 180 sub-parts. The weapon has a service life of 15,000 rounds.

Every material now has an alternate source in India, Sharma said, adding that the plants quality control system is becoming one of the best in the country.

IRRPL was formed in 2019 through an inter-governmental agreement to produce AK-203 rifles for the Indian Armed Forces.

The joint venture includes Russian companies Rosoboronexport and Concern Kalashnikov, along with Indian firms Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL).

A team from the Indian Army, headed by Maj Gen Sharma, is overseeing the companys work.

When asked about plans to go beyond the AK-203 platform, Sharma told The Times of India, Yes, we are expecting to expand, there are efforts in that direction. The intergovernmental agreement was very clear that this company will also produce other parts of the Kalashnikov Concern and AK-203 is just the entry product.

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With inputs from agencies
To win another term, Benjamin Netanyahu would have to spin a narrative of victory on three fronts: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. It is a tall order read more

One of Israels ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, Shas, has announced it will resign from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus government. The party said its decision was made due to the governments failure to pass a bill exempting ultra-Orthodox students from military service.

Its exit increases the political pressure on Netanyahu. Days earlier, six members of another ultra-Orthodox coalition partner, the United Torah Judaism party, also quit the government citing the same concerns. The moves leave Netanyahu with a minority in parliament, which will make it difficult for his government to function.

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Opposition leader Yair Lapid says the government now has no authority, and has called for a new round of elections. But even before these developments, Netanyahu was reportedly considering calling an early election in a bid to remain in power despite his unpopularity.

Spinning the narrative

To win another term he would, in my view, have to spin a narrative of victory on three fronts: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. It is a tall order.

In his visit to Washington in early July, Netanyahu emphasised his pursuit of a ceasefire in Gaza that facilitates the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

Israelis have grown increasingly weary of the war, with recent surveys showing popular support for ending it if this brings back those still held captive. A ceasefire that sees hostages released would probably help Netanyahu generate support during an election campaign.

But Netanyahu has insisted that, while he wants to reach a hostage-ceasefire deal, he will not agree to one at any price. This indicates not only Israels refusal to compromise on security but also that any deal Netanyahu does make  whether or not it sees the release of all the hostages  will be presented as a victory to Israeli voters.

To provide the electorate with further hope of an end to the fighting, Netanyahu will also have to claim that the military campaign in Gaza is nearing its goals. Senior military officials stated recently that they have almost fully achieved their objectives  namely, defeating Hamas.

Netanyahu has, so far, prolonged the war to remain in power. But he will now need to spin the military campaign as a victory if he wants to win votes. This will be especially hard as critics like Yitzhak Brik, a retired Israeli general, claim that the number of Hamas fighters is now back to its pre-war level.

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People take part in a protest demanding the end of the war and immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

The hard-right members of Netanyahus government add another dimension to this equation. His two ultranationalist coalition partners, Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, oppose ending the war entirely. They insist on fighting Hamas to the finish.

Netanyahu will most likely want to keep his options open during an election campaign to then form a coalition with whatever he can pull together at the time. He may calculate that a short-term pause in fighting to free hostages can be spun as a victory to win votes, after which military operations could resume to appease hardliners if he needs them.

A final part of Netanyahus electoral strategy will be to push the message that he has delivered regional security. He has declared the war with Iran in June a success, saying we sent Irans nuclear program down the drain.

And Israel has also continued its campaign of strikes to assert its military dominance in the region, the latest in Syria and Lebanon.

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What about Palestinians?

Observers warn that Netanyahus approach is about political survival, and will come at the expense of long-term peace prospects for Israelis and Palestinians.

According to New York Times, he seems to be kicking the Palestinian issue once again down the road.

Indeed, part of Netanyahus mooted strategy for claiming victory in Gaza involves supporting a constrained political outcome for the Palestinians that ends the fighting without Israel conceding on core issues.

Palestinians make their way with belongings as they flee their homes after the Israeli military issued orders for evacuation from eastern Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 19, 2025. Reuters

In this scenario, the Gaza Strip would be carved up and demilitarised under prolonged Israeli security oversight. Some areas would be annexed by Israel. Remaining parts of Gaza, along with fragments of the West Bank, would be handed over to an interim authority to create the appearance of a nascent Palestinian state.

The goal would be to declare that Israel has facilitated Palestinian statehood  but strictly on Israels terms  while eliminating Hamass rule in Gaza. The reality would probably be a designed chaos to force as many Palestinians as possible to leave.

Such a state, lacking full sovereignty and territorial continuity, would fall far short of the independent state that Palestinians seek. Crucially, this imposed outcome would also bypass substantive negotiation of issues like borders, refugees and Jerusalem, which both Israel and Palestine claim as their capital.

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Palestinian leaders would almost certainly reject a curtailed state. And if they did not then ordinary Palestinians  reeling from the wars devastation  are unlikely to view it as a just peace. A new cycle of violence would probably begin and the Palestinian population will have been heavily concentrated into restricted spaces that would be wide open to Israeli bombardment.

As Netanyahu weighs pulling the election trigger, he is effectively writing the next chapter of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The outcome of this manoeuvring is highly uncertain.

If his three-pronged victory narrative convinces Israeli voters, he could return to power with a fresh mandate and perhaps a retooled coalition. He might seek a broader unity government after an election, sidelining his most hardline partners in favour of centrist voices to navigate post-war diplomacy.

But if the public deems his victories hollow or indeed false, an election could sweep him out of office. This would open the door for opposition leaders who may take a different approach to Gaza and the Palestinians.

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Brian Brivati, Visiting Professor of Contemporary History and Human Rights, Kingston University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
With Moscow and Beijing pushing to revive the long-inactive Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, attention has turned to New Delhis cautious stance. As calls grow to reboot this strategic platform  frozen since the Galwan Valley clash  can RIC regain relevance in todays polarised global order? read more

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a hall for a family photo before a plenary session of the BRICS 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, October 23, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Efforts are underway to reactivate the long-dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, with both Moscow and Beijing openly supporting the resumption of the format.

India has responded with a measured stance, acknowledging the importance of RIC but indicating that any decision to reconvene would depend on agreement among all three nations at a mutually suitable time.

The renewed interest in RIC follows years of inactivity brought on by both the global Covid-19 pandemic and the India-China military tensions in eastern Ladakh that escalated in 2020.

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How and why RIC came about

The Russia-India-China trilateral format traces its origins to the late 1990s, originating from an initiative led by former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov.

It was designed as a strategic alignment to offset Western dominance, especially US unilateralism, and to promote a multipolar global system based on sovereign equality and regional cooperation.

Primakovs idea found early momentum in the following decade. Between 2002 and 2020, RIC hosted more than 20 ministerial-level meetings, bringing together foreign ministers and officials from sectors such as trade, energy, and disaster management.

A significant milestone was the 2007 Delhi Security Summit, where the foreign ministers of the three countries  Li Zhaoxing (China), Pranab Mukherjee (India) and Sergey Lavrov (Russia)  deliberated on cross-border security concerns, global governance reforms, and regional challenges.

The trilateral engagement broadened between 2008 and 2010 through thematic working groups.

These expert-level meetings explored cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, public health, innovation, and emergency response. Sessions were held across various cities, including Bengaluru, Moscow, Samara, and different Chinese locations.

Despite its promising start, the format lost momentum in the wake of multiple geopolitical setbacks.

What stalled the future of RIC

RIC activities came to a halt in 2020. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic globally disrupted diplomatic schedules and international gatherings.

This was quickly followed by the India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh, culminating in the Galwan Valley clash, which marked the most serious border conflict between the two nations in decades.

Since the incident, bilateral relations between India and China have remained strained, with India insisting that peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are prerequisites for full diplomatic normalisation.

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The deep freeze in ties also extended to multilateral forums where both nations participated, including RIC.

How Russia & China are trying to renew RIC

The most recent wave of interest in reviving the RIC has been led by Moscow and Beijing. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko was quoted by Izvestia as saying that Russia is in active dialogue with both New Delhi and Beijing on the matter.

This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides being the founders of BRICS, Rudenko said.

He added, Therefore, the absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC  of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format.

China has echoed Russias position. At a regular media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world.

He added, China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation.

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This diplomatic overture follows the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting, where he also met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

I would like to confirm our genuine interest in earliest resumption of the work within the format of troika  Russia, India, China  which was established many years ago on the initiative of Yevgeny Primakov (former Russian PM), and which has organised meetings over 20 times at the ministerial level since then, not only at level of foreign policy chiefs, but also heads of other economic, trade and financial agencies of three countries," Lavorv had also said in June.

What Indias stance is vis-a-vis RIC

While Moscow and Beijing have made their intentions clear, New Delhi remains non-committal about any immediate revival of the trilateral grouping.

During a press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed Indias position.

This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them, Jaiswal said.

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As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner.

He clarified that no meeting has been agreed upon, and there are currently no ongoing talks regarding scheduling a new RIC session.

Sources also confirmed to PTI that any such planning would require alignment on broader diplomatic concerns.

At the heart of Indias cautious approach lies its uneasy relationship with China.

Although bilateral ties have shown tentative signs of improvement since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan last year, key issues remain unresolved.

Subsequent visits to China by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh contributed to a series of diplomatic exchanges aimed at stabilising relations.

However, India has consistently maintained that a full normalisation of bilateral engagement with China cannot occur unless the border situation improves.

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How important RIC is in todays global order

The RIC format is not just a diplomatic exercise  it has also functioned as a critical component of larger multilateral structures such as Brics and the SCO.

These platforms are seen as vehicles for fostering a multipolar global system, one not dominated by any single superpower.

The RIC countries  Russia, India, and China  are all large developing economies with significant regional and global influence.

Their shared interests include restructuring global governance institutions, enhancing South-South cooperation, and promoting development-focused multilateralism.

The expansion of Brics to include new members such as Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and the UAE shows the evolving role of the bloc.

Since Brics was originally launched by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006 (with South Africa joining later), its foundation was effectively built upon the collaborative dynamics that RIC had envisioned.

Despite this shared platform, internal tensions  especially between India and China  have frequently diluted the RICs effectiveness.

Chinas continued support to Pakistan in forums that target Indian interests, and strategic friction along the LAC, have significantly contributed to a trust deficit.

Additionally, Indias active participation in the Quad  alongside the United States, Japan, and Australia  has not been welcome, especially from Beijings viewpoint, which sees the grouping as a containment strategy against its rise.

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Russia, for its part, finds itself in a balancing act.

While facing diplomatic isolation from the West due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Moscow has sought to strengthen ties with both India and China.

Russian analysts suggest that the Kremlin views RIC as a way to offset Indias growing proximity to the US and the European Union.

As things stand, the revival of the RIC remains under consideration but not yet in motion.

With inputs from agencies
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled and will go off air in May 2026. While CBS has cited financial challenges as the reason, Colberts history of openly criticising US President Donald Trump has also drawn attention on social media. Notably, the announcement came just two weeks after Paramount, which owns CBS, settled a lawsuit with Trump read more

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled and will end in May. Image: X/@colbertlateshow

The most-watched late-night show on US broadcast television, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is coming to an end and will go off air in May next year.

CBS said it is pulling the plug on the show due to financial challenges.

Notably, Stephen Colbert has openly criticised US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the owners of Paramount have been seeking the Trump administrations approval to sell CBS to Skydance.

Many on social media have questioned whether money was the real reason and suggested the move may have been politically motivated.

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In this explainer, we break down what the deal involved, what Colbert said about it, and what we know so far about the shows cancellation.

Lets take a look:

What happened? Why was the show cancelled?

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled and will end in May, marking the close of a 33-year run for the show on CBS.

Speaking to his audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Colbert said he had been informed on Wednesday night that next year will be our last season.  Its the end of The Late Show on CBS. Im not being replaced. This is all just going away.

His audience reacted with boos and disappointment.

Yeah, I share your feelings, the comedian said.

The move has come as a surprise to many, especially since The Late Show usually tops the ratings among late-night programmes.

CBS said in a statement that this is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

A source familiar with the matter told CNN that falling ad revenue has made the show unprofitable.

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The news has left many fans stunned. Responses on the shows Instagram page were filled with disbelief.

One of the most-liked comments read, this is crazy.

CBS said it is pulling the plug on the show due to financial challenges. Image: Reuters/File Photo

Among those unhappy with the decision was fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who presents Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

Late-night television has faced financial struggles for years. Ratings have dropped, ad revenues have shrunk, and younger audiences now tend to watch clips online, which broadcasters find difficult to turn into steady income.

Still, Colbert has remained ahead of other late-night hosts in terms of ratings for several years.

What is the Paramount-Skydance settlement? Is Trump behind the cancellation?

The announcement to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert came just two weeks after Paramount, which owns CBS, settled a $60 million lawsuit with Donald Trump.

The lawsuit was related to a CBS interview with Kamala Harris, Trumps rival in the 2024 election.

The timing of the settlement, along with Paramounts ongoing efforts to merge with Skydance Media, sparked questions about Colberts future at CBS. Notably, Colbert has been one of the most outspoken critics of Trump on television.

The Late Show usually tops the ratings among late-night programmes. Image: X

Some critics believe the settlement was mainly aimed at removing a potential obstacle to the Skydance deal.

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Colbert spoke out against the companys decision, referring to the payment to Trump as a big fat bribe on Monday nights episode.

On Tuesday, Colbert said, Paramount knows they could have fought it, pointing out that the company had earlier dismissed the lawsuit as completely without merit.

He added with a joke, And keep in mind, Paramount produced Transformers: Rise of the Beast  they know completely without merit.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who appeared on the show that Thursday, later said on social media, If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.

Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled.



If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.  Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) July 17, 2025

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Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has called for an inquiry into Paramount Globals ties with Trump over the Skydance deal, also wrote: CBS cancelled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount  America deserves to know if his show was cancelled for political reasons.

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery.



America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.



Watch and share his message. pic.twitter.com/Rz7HcWFLYM  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 18, 2025

Meanwhile, Trumps administration has pushed back against what it sees as negative media coverage.

It has also moved to cut funding for public broadcasting, proposing to eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which helps support public media outlets like PBS and NPR across the US.

CBS The Late Show

The Late Show was launched by CBS as a rival to NBC in the late-night television space.

Its creation followed a high-profile clash between David Letterman and Jay Leno over who would take over from Johnny Carson as host of NBCs hugely popular Tonight Show.

Stephen Colbert took over The Late Show from Letterman in 2015. Since then, he has become one of the most outspoken critics of Donald Trump on late-night television.

Before joining CBS, Colbert was the host of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, a show known for satirising American conservative politics and culture.

With inputs from agencies
Notorious gangster Chandan Mishra was murdered inside Patnas upscale Paras Hospital by five men on Thursday. The man leading the six-member gang was identified as Tauseef Raja alias Badshah. The men entered the guarded hospital without much hassle and killed Mishra, who was on parole for medical treatment read more

A now-viral CCTV footage from the upscale hospital shows five men entering the corridor one after another. The man leading the hit has been identified as Tauseef Badshah. Image courtesy: X

In a chilling daylight murder that has jolted Bihar, notorious gangster Chandan Mishra was gunned down inside the ICU of Patnas high-profile Paras Hospital.

A now-viral CCTV footage from the upscale hospital shows five men entering the corridor one after another. Four of them are seen wearing caps, seemingly to conceal their identities. One, however, walks in openly  his face uncovered, gun in hand, and a calm, unreadable expression.

Moments later, the group draws their weapons and walks into Mishras room, firing multiple shots at close range and escaping seemingly unfazed. Mishra died on the spot.

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The man at the front of the hit squad was soon identified by police as Tauseef Badshah.

Who is he? How did he execute the cold-blooded murder inside the premier hospital? And how has the act stirred a political storm in Bihar? Heres what we know so far.

How did the murder unfold at the Bihar hospital?

A total of six men arrived at Patnas Paras Hospital early Thursday morning, according to an India Today report quoting officials. They came on two motorcycles. Five of them, all armed, walked in. One stayed outside.

Initially, the group was stopped at the emergency gate by hospital security, who asked for their gate passes. None of them had any. Instead of arguing, the men quietly slipped in through the OPD. From there, they headed straight to Room Number 209, Chandan Mishras ICU cabin.

Mishra, a gangster with 24 criminal cases against him, including a dozen murders, was out on parole. Hed been admitted to Paras Hospital for medical treatment and was under police watch.

But just before 7:30 am, the five men entered the ICU without much resistance, pulled out their weapons, and opened fire at close range. Moments later, they vanished into the hospitals corridors.

By 8:00 am, CCTV footage of the attack had surfaced on social media. Within a few hours, police had identified all five shooters.

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Just in : Bihar Police has arrested one accused, Tausif Badshah (seen in this video) in this case. It's a case of gang war. pic.twitter.com/eLsxcdPn0J  Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) July 17, 2025

In the clip, Tauseef Badshah can be seen leading the group. A pistol is clearly visible in his right hand. As the others rush inside and fire, Tauseef walks in with a calm stride. When the job is done, he exits just as casually, unfazed.

Soon after the murder, two photographs started doing the rounds. In one, Tauseef is riding pillion on a motorcycle, raising a pistol in the air. In another, one of the shooters is seen with both arms raised in what looks like a celebratory gesture.

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Officials told India Today that the killers had done their homework. They seemed to know exactly where Mishra was and how to get to him.

One key detail that surfaced is that Room 209s lock wasnt working, and it couldnt be bolted from inside. That made the hit easier. The entire operation, as per officials, appeared to be pre-planned down to the last detail.

Who is Tauseef Badshah?

Tauseef Raja, also known as Badshah, hails from Phulwari Sharif, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Patna.

His father runs a hardware store, his mother is a teacher, and he studied at the well-known Saint Karens School in the city.

But despite this seemingly ordinary upbringing, Tauseef had already been named in at least one case under the Arms Act. Police say he recently started getting involved in contract killingseither executing the murders himself or helping arrange logistics for them.

Investigators also believe Tauseef was involved in a firing incident near the Durga temple in Phulwari Sharif during the month of Ramadan.

As for the motive behind Chandan Mishras murder, police say its rooted in an old rivalry.

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Chandan and another gangster named Sheru were once close associates. But their equation soured while they were lodged together in Bhagalpur jail. Chandan eventually split from the group but continued using the Sheru Gang name. That decision, police say, may have ultimately cost him his life.

Within 12 hours of the murder, Bihar Police say they have arrested Tauseef in Phulwari Sharif, and detained other suspects from Buxar, with raids ongoing at hideouts linked to Sherus gang.

Political firestorm in Bihar

The shocking murder of a jailed gangster inside the high-end hospital in Patna has snowballed into a major political controversy in Bihar.

RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav took to X to criticise the states law and order situation.

Criminals, protected by the government, shot at a patient admitted to a Patna hospital. Is anyone safe in Bihar? Did such an incident happen in Bihar before 2005, during the RJDs rule? he asked.

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Independent MP Pappu Yadav also waded into the controversy, claiming he received threats warning him to stay away from the case. Law and order have completely collapsed Criminals are being killed on the basis of their castes, he alleged.

The political fallout comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Bihar ahead of the state elections. During his visit, PM Modi inaugurated four Amrit Bharat trains and laid the foundation stones for several development projects.

With input from agencies
Beef prices in the US have hit record highs with ground beef averaging $6.12 (Rs 530 approx) per pound (less than half a kilo). Steak prices are up eight per cent since last year. Experts cite a shrinking cattle herd, drought, disease threats and potential tariffs as key reasons. Relief isnt expected soon  and consumers may feel the pinch well beyond summer read more

Anyone lighting up their grill this summer in the United States is likely aware that burgers and steaks are costlier than ever, and recent data confirms that beef prices have surged to historic highs.

Experts caution that any significant drop in prices isnt expected in the near term.

As per US government statistics, the average cost of a pound of ground beef reached $6.12 in June  an increase of nearly 12 per cent over the past year.

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Likewise, the average cost for all uncooked beef steaks climbed 8 per cent to $11.49 per pound.

However, the increase in beef prices isnt a new development.

Prices have been on an upward trajectory for two decades due to limited cattle supply and steady demand for beef.

In fact, the nations cattle inventory has been shrinking steadily over the years.

A price for beef is displayed at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Illinois, July 17, 2025. File Image/AP

On January 1, the US had 86.7 million cattle and calves  8 per cent lower than the 2019 peak  marking the smallest herd since 1951, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Multiple factors have driven this decline, including prolonged drought and fluctuating cattle prices.

More recently, the appearance of a harmful parasite in Mexico and the looming threat of tariffs could reduce supply further and push prices even higher.

Heres whats behind the ongoing rise in beef prices:

Shrinking cattle population

Ranchers have become more efficient at producing beef from fewer animals by breeding larger cattle, explained David Anderson, a livestock economist at Texas A&M, to AP.

But in 2020, a prolonged drought began that dried up grazing land and drove up cattle feed costs, as reported by the American Farm Bureau.

Drought conditions have continued across the western US, and higher feed expenses have strained already narrow profit margins for cattle producers.

In response, many farmers increased the number of female cattle sent to slaughter, which provided short-term supply boosts but reduced the potential for herd growth. With fewer cattle available, beef prices rose.

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In recent years, cattle prices have climbed sharply, with individual animals now selling for thousands of dollars. Recent figures indicate prices of over $230 per hundredweight (100 pounds).

These soaring prices have incentivised ranchers to cash in immediately rather than retain cows for breeding, Anderson said.

For them, the balance is, Do I sell that animal now and take this record high check? Or do I keep her to realise her returns over her productive life when shes having calves? Anderson said.

And so its this balancing act and so far the side thats been winning is to sell her and get the check.

Emerging threat from disease

The spread of a flesh-eating parasite among cattle in Mexico has added to the supply constraints, especially since US officials halted cattle imports from Mexico last year.

Mexico previously accounted for about 4 per cent of the cattle the US finishes for beef production.

The parasite, known as the New World screwworm fly, lays its eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals.

The flys larvae feed on living tissue  unlike most flies that consume dead matter  raising concerns among US officials about potential outbreaks in Texas, which could mirror the severe economic impact the pest caused before being eradicated in the US decades ago.

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Bernt Nelson, an agricultural economist with the Farm Bureau, said the import ban has further squeezed supply, adding upward pressure on prices.

Potential tariff effects

Tariffs enacted by US President Donald Trump havent yet had a dramatic effect on beef prices, but they could add strain in the future. The US imports over 4 million pounds of beef annually.

Most imports consist of lean beef trimmings used by meatpackers to blend with fattier domestic beef to produce the preferred ground beef varieties for US consumers.

While lean beef from Australia and New Zealand faces a relatively low 10 per cent tariff, imports from Brazil  another major supplier  could be hit with tariffs of up to 50 per cent, as Trump has proposed.

If such tariffs persist, processors will be forced to pay more for imported lean beef  a product that US producers are not well-equipped to substitute because domestic beef production focuses largely on marbled, fattier cuts.

Beef demand remains strong

Even as prices soar, demand for beef in the US continues to be strong during peak grilling season. Kansas State agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said this sustained demand is contributing to elevated prices.

Though high costs could eventually shift consumer habits  prompting more hamburger purchases over steak  that shift hasnt happened on a large scale yet.

A price for beef is displayed at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Illinois, July 17, 2025. File Image/AP

There also hasnt been a significant move toward alternatives like pork or chicken.

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Nelson noted that recent improvements in pasture conditions due to easing drought, as well as declining grain prices caused by reduced export demand for corn, may encourage ranchers to retain more cows for breeding.

These high cattle prices could also incentivise herd expansion.

Still, even if ranchers decide to grow their herds, the process takes time.

It would require a minimum of two years to breed and raise more cattle, and any uptick in herd numbers wouldnt be evident until later this fall, which is when many ranchers make breeding decisions.

Weve still got a lot of barriers in the way to grow this herd, Nelson said.

He pointed out that a new farmer looking to buy 25 bred heifers would need more than $100,000 at auction  a tall order with todays high borrowing costs.

Typically, beef prices dip seasonally as grilling activity wanes in the fall. But given current dynamics, any such price drop is expected to be slight.

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With inputs from AP
With a skeleton crew and zero fanfare, Vy Capital quietly became one of Elon Musks biggest financial backers  funding SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink, and Twitter (now X). Now, the $15 billion firm is shutting its doors to outside investors. Who are the power players behind Vy, and why have they stayed so silent? read more

Elon Musk is seen with a bruised eye that Musk claimed he received at the hands of his son, X  A-12, as he attends a press conference with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 30, 2025. File Image/Reuters

Once a relatively obscure name in the world of global investment, Vy Capital has in recent years emerged as one of the most consequential financial backers of Elon Musks growing constellation of technology companies.

Operating behind a shroud of secrecy, the Dubai-registered firm has quietly amassed approximately $15 billion in assets under management, while maintaining an exceptionally lean investment team.

With only four core investment professionals and a total operational staff of about 20 people spread across California and London, Vy Capital has defied conventional venture capital norms and produced staggering returns  reportedly about 28 per cent annually over the past decade.

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Recently, Vy Capital informed its limited partners that it will no longer seek new external funds, reported the Financial Times.

According to individuals familiar with the decision, the firm intends to transition toward managing its current portfolio with its own capital, a move reflecting the scale of its past gains and reduced reliance on external financing.

Despite its considerable influence in the tech investment space, Vy Capital remains virtually invisible to the broader public.

Its official website consists of just a single page with the firms name, a motto, locations, and a contact email  offering no information about its team, strategy or portfolio.

The landing page and the only page of the Vy Capital website. Screenshot/Firstpost

Vy Capital & Elon Musk

Vy Capitals name has become synonymous with the financial machinery behind Elon Musks business empire.

The firm has been a consistent and significant investor in Musk-led ventures, often placing early, high-conviction bets and reaping the benefits of astronomical valuation growth.

One of its most notable early investments was in SpaceX, where Vy reportedly entered when the rocket company was valued at $15 billion.

Since then, SpaceXs estimated valuation has grown dramatically  now reportedly approaching $400 billion, more than doubling in value in less than two years.

Vy has not only been a long-term supporter of the company but also played the role of a lead investor in key fundraising rounds.

Vy Capital also has substantial exposure to xAI, Musks artificial intelligence initiative. Since its launch, xAI has seen rapid interest from investors and is reportedly targeting a valuation of up to $200 billion, reflecting a tenfold increase since early last year, according to the Financial Times.

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The AI company recently acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, and has brought in Vy-aligned executives to manage its financial operations.

The firms involvement with Musk-led entities extends to Neuralink  a company working on brain-computer interface technology  and Boring Company, which focuses on tunneling infrastructure.

Individuals with knowledge of the firms portfolio told Financial Times that Vy is the largest external shareholder in both companies.

Neuralink, in particular, has seen its valuation nearly triple in the past two years, reaching $9 billion, according to data provided by PitchBook.

Vys deep alignment with Musk became particularly evident during the 2022 acquisition of Twitter, when Elon Musk orchestrated the $44 billion takeover.

Vy Capital emerged as one of the largest backers of the deal, committing $700 million through a special purpose vehicle, as disclosed in US Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The firms managing director at the time, Pablo Mendoza, played an active role in the companys restructuring. He was part of the transition team brought in by Musk to help rein in Twitters costs and stabilise its financial structure.

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Mendoza later took on a new position as Chief Financial Officer at xAI.

Some analysts estimate that over half of Vys total assets are tied up in Musk-led ventures.

That level of concentrated exposure is highly unorthodox in the venture capital and private equity world, where firms typically aim for diversified portfolios to mitigate risk.

What we know about the team behind Vy Capital

Vys remarkable performance stems from a small, high-powered leadership team that operates with notable discretion. The firm was co-founded by Alexander Tamas, a former Goldman Sachs executive who previously worked at DST Global under the mentorship of Yuri Milner.

During his time at DST, Tamas led investments in major global tech firms, including Facebook, Airbnb, Spotify, Twitter and Alibaba.

Tamass reputation in the venture capital world is formidable.

Bloomberg has previously reported that tech luminaries Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz once described him as someone who is on speed-dial for everyone trying to build the most successful, highest-scale, global Internet companies today.

Alongside Tamas is John Hering, another co-founder with a background in technology entrepreneurship. Hering is known for founding the mobile cybersecurity company Lookout and co-founding the cyber insurance startup Coalition, which is now valued at $5 billion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, his ties to Musks financial circle run deep  Herings connection with Antonio Gracias, a key Musk ally and board member at both Tesla and SpaceX, was instrumental in Vys early access to SpaceX investment rounds.

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Vy has historically raised three investment funds, each under $1 billion. Despite the relatively small size of these funds, the firm has executed outsized deals across sectors.

The teams operational structure is unusually slim for a firm managing multi-billion-dollar capital pools. Vy has about 20 staff members globally, focused on investment, operations, and research.

Even its internal network is closely aligned with Musks inner circle. In a subtle but telling sign of their ties, the son of Jared Birchall, one of Musks most trusted aides, worked as a summer analyst at Vy in recent years.

Where else has Vy Capital invested

While its stake in Musk-led ventures dominates headlines, Vy Capital has constructed a broader portfolio that reflects a global, tech-driven investment strategy.

Among its most high-profile non-Musk investments is Reddit, the social news aggregation platform preparing for an IPO, and reportedly Zomato, one of Indias leading food delivery companies.

Vy also invested in Upgrade, a US-based financial technology company offering credit products, and Cerebras, an American artificial intelligence chipmaker that has signalled its intention to go public soon.

Another standout in Vys portfolio is Urban Company, an Indian home services platform. Vy is reportedly poised to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in profits once the company holds its initial public offering.

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Herings firm Coalition, which specialises in cyber insurance, is also part of the Vy investment landscape.

This tie-in illustrates how Vy often backs companies that reflect the founders personal expertise, enabling a tighter feedback loop between investment decision-making and operational insight.

Operating in secrecy, performing at scale

Despite its growing portfolio and integral role in financing Musks empire, Vy Capital remains elusive.

There are no public interviews, no investor conferences, and no detailed reports issued by the firm.

Its founders and executives rarely speak to media, preferring to let performance and connections do the talking.

The firms entire online presence is limited to a minimalist website, containing only contact information and office locations.

Yet, behind this facade is a firm that has quietly reshaped the financing landscape for some of the most ambitious and high-stakes companies in the world.

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With inputs from agencies
Ice, which is thought to be around 1.5 million years old, was retrieved from deep inside the Antarctic ice sheet. It has been brought to the United Kingdom where researchers hope that the it will shed some light on Earths previous climate cycles read more

The Beyond EPICA cores were collected from Dome C in East Antarctica over several years. Image courtesy: PNRA:IPEV

Ice that is 1.5 million years old is set to be melted down in the UK.

The ice, which is said to be the planets oldest, was retrieved from deep inside the Antarctic ice sheet.

It has been brought to the United Kingdom for scientists to observe and examine.

But what do we know about it? Why it is being melted down in the UK?

What we know

The ice was retrieved from a depth of 2,800 metres underwater in East Antarctica.

The region, known as Little Dome C, is located on the upper reaches of the Antarctic plateau.

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The mission is part of the Beyond EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) Oldest Ice project.

The team comprises researchers from 10 European nations and a dozen institutions.

Those behind the mission, which was launched in 2019 and funded by the European Commission, want to decode Earths climate history when it comes to ice core records.

Thus far, when it comes to examining ice cores, we have records for around 800,000 years.

They aim to extend this as far back as 1.5 million years.

Millions of dollars were spent on extracting the ice cores from the Antarctic ice sheet.

The cores were then divided into 1 metre blocks and shipped to the UK.

They were then taken to Cambridge in a cold van.

Some of it is currently being stored at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge.

To hold that in my carefully gloved hands and be very careful not to drop the sections - it was an amazing feeling, engineer James Veale told BBC.

Scientists will use an instrument called the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS) to examine the ice for nearly two dozen elements and trace metals.

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Dr Liz Thomas holding the oldest ice core. Image courtesy: Image courtesy: PNRA:IPEV

Two institutions in Germany and Switzerland also have received chunks of the ice core.

The ice will be melted slowly over the next few weeks and examined in a state-of-the-art lab next door.

The ice cores may contain carbon dioxide, methane or dust particles that can be examined as well as rare earth elements, sea salts and marine algae called diatoms.

They will also reveal details about wind patterns, temperatures, and sea levels more than a million years ago.

Why is it being melted down?

Scientists hope the examination of the ice will reveal the secrets of Earths previous climate cycles.

The results may perhaps explain why sea levels rose and the ice sheets shrank between 800,000 and 1.5 million years ago.

The project is driven by a central scientific question: why did the planets climate cycle shift roughly one million years ago from a 41,000-year to a 100,000-year phasing of glacial-interglacial cycles? Dr Liz Thomas, head of the ice cores team at the British Antarctic Survey told Sky News.

Essentially, the Earth had been transitioning from warmer eras to cold ages roughly every 41,000 years.

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However, during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition era, around 800,000 to 1.2 million years ago, this transition suddenly shifted to every 100,000 years.

We still dont understand why.

This is a completely unknown period of our Earths history, Thomas told BBC.

Many researchers consider this to be one of the most puzzling and exciting secrets that science has yet to uncover.

They also think examining Earths past will help give human beings a further understanding of the future potential impact of climate change.

Our climate system has been through so many different changes that we really need to be able to go back in time to understand these different processes and different tipping points, Thomas told BBC.

By extending the ice core record beyond this turning point, researchers hope to improve predictions of how Earths climate may respond to future greenhouse gas increases, Thomas added.

The rise of sea-levels is a major concern around the world in the 21st Century.

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With inputs from agencies
In a submission to the Karnataka High Court, the Centre maintained that Elon Musks X cant push unlawful content in the name of free speech and under the garb of the safe harbour clause under the IT Act read more

A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the X logo are seen in this illustration taken January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

On Thursday, the Centre told the Karnataka High Court that allowing the proliferation of unlawful content on social media in the name of free speech endangers the countrys democracy. According to The Times of India, the Centre accused Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, of attempting to escape accountability.

The authorities noted that Musks company is doing so by sheltering itself under the IT Acts safe harbour protection, The Times of India reported. In the letter to the Karnataka High Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the constitutional protection to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) must not be misunderstood as absolute protection even of unlawful content.

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Constitutional jurisprudence clearly differentiates between protected speech that contributes meaningfully to democratic discourse and unlawful speech that undermines societal stability and individual rights, Mehta said in the letter, according to a report by the TOI.

Safe Harbour is not a right but a privilege

The solicitor general noted that the Safe Harbour provision in the IT Act is not an absolute right but a privilege contingent upon strict adherence to statutory duties. The statement from the Centre came after X moved the High Court seeking to restrain government departments from taking coercive action against the social media platform.

Unlawful and unjustified orders harm the X platform and its ability to operate. The issuance of information blocking orders without following due process of law, and in violation of the IT Act and the Constitution, violates Xs right to equality under Article 14 and detrimentally impacts its business," the Centre said in a written submission to the Karnataka High Court.

Proliferation of what can be termed as unlawful content on social media platforms poses an unprecedented threat to public discourse, democracy and societal stability. Social media intermediaries possess an unparalleled ability to amplify information instantaneously, without traditional barriers like language or geographical limitations, and thus carry significant responsibilities, Mehta wrote in the submission.

Why it matters

The governments stance on the matter can have implications for all social media platforms operating in India. This also goes hand in hand with the calls to remove Section 230 of the USs Communications Decency Act, from which social media giants derive their immunity.

In the submission, the government argued that X attempted to present safe harbour as an absolute right, devoid of any corresponding duties. Such a stand fundamentally misconstrues the very basis of this legal protection. Safe harbour is not a constitutional guarantee but a statutory privilege, specifically designed to foster responsible conduct, the submission said.

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The Centre said that social media platforms use amplification mechanisms to push visibility of a particular type of view. The algorithms used by intermediaries actively curate and boost content, shaping public opinion and significantly influencing social harmony or disorder. This active role demands heightened accountability, necessitating robust regulation specifically tailored for social media, distinct from traditional media, the submission reads.

With inputs from agencies.
The Kalyani sub-divisional court has found all nine members, four from Maharashtra, three from Haryana and two from Gujarat, guilty of duping a retired agricultural scientist of nearly Rs 1 crore read more

Nine members of a criminal gang have been convicted in a digital arrest fraud case by a sub-divisional court in West Bengals Kalyani, making it the first such conviction in India.

The Kalyani sub-divisional court has found all nine members, four from Maharashtra, three from Haryana and two from Gujarat, guilty of duping a retired agricultural scientist of nearly Rs 1 crore. The gang members have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.

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Additional SP (Headquarters) of Ranaghat Police District, Siddharth Dhapola, stated that the cyber fraud investigation stems from a 2024 complaint filed by a victim who alleged he was cheated out of Rs 1 crore through a digital arrest scam.

The arrests were made after an official complaint was filed, following which the police launched a month-long investigation. Cyber crime units from Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan apprehended 13 people, including a woman, last year.

The accused were arrested from multiple states. The in-custody trial (none was granted bail) of the accused began on February 24. This is nothing short of economic terrorism as the money flowed out of the country, Dhapola said.

The victim and the complainant, Partha Kumar Mukhopadhyay, reported receiving a call on October 19, 2024, from an individual identifying himself as SI Hemraj Koli of Andheri Police Station, Mumbai. Using a WhatsApp number, the caller threatened him with a digital arrest and coerced him into transferring Rs 1 crore to multiple bank accounts. These accounts were later found to be flagged by the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal for being used in scams that have duped more than 108 victims.

The calls were made from Cambodia but the WhatsApp number was linked to a SIM from a private company in India. Priam facie, it appeared fraudsters in Cambodia were committing crimes in India but their fluency in Bengali and Hindi was the first red flag, an official told Times of India.
The successful completion of the Kaladan project is much more than just a friendship treaty between India and Myanmar. It could become the axis around which India manages the growing instability on its northeastern borders read more

This week, the Minister of Shipping, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced that the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) will be operational by 2027. The project aims to connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe in Rakhine State of Myanmar by sea. Further, in Myanmar, it will link Sittwe to Paletwa in Chin State via the Kaladan river route, and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram, India by road.

Funded by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the project has faced considerable roadblocks since 2010. Aimed at reducing the distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by 1,328 km and creating an alternative route to the Siliguri Corridor, the critical Paletwa-to-Zorinpui road is yet to be completed, even though the Sittwe port received its first cargo ships from India in 2023.

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Sonowal also stated that the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is the result of the IndiaMyanmar Friendship Treaty. This is a strategic initiative to enhance connectivity between Indias northeast and Myanmar. To this end, the Shipping Ministry has invested Rs 1,000 crore in developing the waterways for the project. However, since the military-led coup in Myanmar (2021), the future of KMMTTP has seemed uncertain, irrespective of the money injected into it.

More from Opinion Tesla touches down, but will it build in India?

In post-coup Myanmar, various Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) have emerged as powerful military and political forces crucial to the countrys future. Some are fighting for federalism, others for autonomy from the Tatmadaw. Their need to retain territorial control has ensured that conflict remains perpetual. Substantial territory is controlled by the EAOssome estimates suggest almost 50 per centthough the majority of the population still lives in Tatmadaw-controlled areas. There are over two hundred EAOs in the country. However, not all EAOs have equal influence, territory, training, or weaponry. Some have also clashed with each other over territorial control.

But within this complex mosaic of EAOs and the fight for territory, it is one of the youngest EAOs that has emerged as the most influential. In Rakhine State, where the KMMTTP is situated, the Arakan Army (AA) controls most of the state. Established in 2009 with a strength of just 25, it was founded on the Way of the Rakhita or the Arakan Dream. The group envisions establishing an independent Arakan nation, evoking memories of the once-powerful Arakan Kingdom (14251785).

With a strength of 30,000 soldiers, the AA is a sophisticated militia that provides training to other smaller EAOs, stationing nearly 6,000 soldiers across territories controlled by their allies. Its young, dynamic leadership, such as Maj. Gen. Twan Mrat Naing, is known for its extensive networks across Myanmar and internationally. The AA is extremely popular among locals and has managed to capture most of Rakhine State and Paletwa in neighbouring Chin State.

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Interestingly, out of the 18 townships in Rakhine, 15 are under AA control. However, Sittwe (the capital of Rakhine), Kyaukphyu (where China has critical investments), and the island of Manaung (due to its geostrategic location) remain untouched. One argument is that these territories remain untouched because the AA lacks naval power, unlike the Tatmadaw. While that may be true, there has also been news of the Chinese resuming construction near Kyaukphyu port after striking a deal with the AA to provide protection for Chinese construction workers.

It was in 2023 that the China-backed Three Brotherhood Alliancecomprising the MNDAA, Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Armylaunched the highly successful Operation 1027 against the Tatmadaw. At the time, China was interested in pressuring the Tatmadaw to curb illegal gambling and cyber-scam operations in northern Shan State, which were directly impacting Chinese citizens. But after securing the Tatmadaws compliance, China swiftly adjusted its approach by exerting influence on key EAOs as well as the Tatmadaw, even appointing a Special Envoy for negotiations between them.

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Chinas primary interest in a stable Myanmar is to limit Western influence and ensure the security of its infrastructure projects, such as the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port, power plant, and oil and gas pipelines. Their success in brokering deals with both the Tatmadaw and the AAreportedly including allowing Chinese security personnel to protect these assetsshould be a cause of concern for India.

On the other hand, India has taken a measured approach to Myanmar, keeping communication channels open with the State Administration Council (SAC), the governing body of the Tatmadaw, while also providing humanitarian aid after the massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the country on March 28, 2025. India has investments not just in KMMTTP but also in the IndiaMyanmarThailand Trilateral Highway.

However, beyond focusing on infrastructure completion and security, Indias Myanmar policy should now be driven by the need to secure its northeastern bordersleveraging the on-ground reality that Chinese influence in Myanmar is disliked by large sections of the local population. The ultra-nationalist Tatmadaw and China have had strained relations in the past, and even today, the relationship remains transactional. In contrast, India enjoys a unique cultural and historical connection that can serve as a special pivot.

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To this end, Indias engagement with major independent stakeholders in Myanmar is unlikely to face opposition. India could begin with the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State. To find a middle path, one must read between the lines. It is possible that the AA is deliberately refraining from advancing on the three critical revenue-generating townshipsSittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaungnot merely because of naval limitations, but also to use them as leverage with external stakeholders like China and India, as well as with the Tatmadaw. They may be aiming to negotiate a revenue-sharing model. In this scenario, the Tatmadaw and the AA could reach a mutual understanding that includes a federal system with an Arakanese Chief Ministera demand even the National League for Democracy (NLD) failed to deliver.

This is where India could play the role of a mediatornot only positioning itself positively among the Arakanese but also building trust with the SAC.

The successful completion of the KMMTTP project is much more than just a friendship treaty between India and Myanmar. It could become the axis around which India manages the growing instability on its northeastern borders. India must recognise that the strategic initiative, as highlighted by Sonowal, is not limited to finding an alternative to the Siliguri Corridor or merely countering Chinait is also essential for the Arakan Army and the people of Rakhine State. The last leg of the project, from Paletwa to Zorinpui, will allow for the supply of essential goods such as food, construction materials, and medical aid.

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If India truly wishes to rise as a regional power, it must ensure that the KMMTTP is completed swiftly.

Rami Niranjan Desai is a scholar of Indias Northeast and neighbourhood. She is a columnist and author and presently works as Distinguished Fellow at India Foundation, New Delhi. She recently undertook a fieldtrip to Myanmar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
In addition to the increasing animosity toward H1-B-holding Indians, who are predominantly Hindus, a victory for Zohran Mamdani will basically make it clear to US Hindus that their days are numberedand that the US may rapidly follow the UK into societal and economic collapse read more

I have long felt the Deep State works on a single playbook in its foreign policy: regime change, or what is colloquially called Colour Revolutions. It is a simple routine: in some remote country, declare the ruling dispensation to be mad dogs, and shoot themmetaphorically, if not in reality. Anoint a friend as the new chief. All hail to him/her! The pliant media goes along.

There have been innumerable such plays all over the world, and most of the time, the results have been bad to disastrous for the country in question. Just look at Ukraine, Iraq, Libya, and Syria for recent examples. Iran too, when Mossadegh was toppled because ofwhat elseoil: BP was annoyed at him for nationalising Iranian oil.

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As an aside, I have wondered why the Deep State did not orchestrate a Colour Revolution against the Nehru dynasty. On the face of it, there were plenty of reasons to do so: Jawaharlal Nehrus embrace of the Soviet Union, Indira Gandhis defiance regarding East Pakistan, and so on. So why didnt they topple the dynasty and install a puppet, as they did with Mohammed Yunus in Bangladesh?

Maybe India was just too unimportant. Or maybejust maybethe Nehru dynasty was, in fact, the Deep State puppet already in place. Was Jawaharlal Nehru hand-picked and didnt even know?

So is Zohran Mamdanis rise the first Colour Revolution in the US? A friend claimed that it wasnt, and that Barack Obama was the first. That is a debatable point, but one could argue that Obama 1 & 2, and Obama 3 (Bidens term), were the worst presidencies in US history.

While there have been many good opinion pieces written about Mamdanis rise and risefor instance, by Jaggi and Avatans KumarI would like to focus on the broader implications of what the Deep State might achieve by rolling out a Colour Revolution in its own backyard. Its one thing to mess up a far-off country, and an entirely different thing to screw up your own premier city. This is a high-risk (and presumably high-return) strategy for the Deep State.

This Colour Revolution possibility is not something I invented out of thin air. I give due credit to, among others, San for noting this possibility, along with many other unusual things about the Mamdani campaign, including its connection to Soros, as well as the uncompromising religious bigotry and use of dog-whistles against, for instance, Jews and Hindus.

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So Mamdani is worth watching, and so is his father, Professor Mahmood Mamdani, who wrote something alarming in his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror. See an excerpt below that seems to justify suicide bombing as a tactic. Of course, he may just have been doing an academic analysis, and surely, what the father said cannot be attributed to the son, but we can wonder about early influences on Zohran.

Beyond the personal proclivities of the man and family, there is a mixture of Islamist radicalism and extreme-Left radicalism in Zohran Mamdanis background. Some have called his rise a victory for the Red-Green Alliance, which is of significance to India, because here too we have often seen such a combination in play.

The bigger question is how this relates to the eclipse of the West. I take the UK as Exhibit A. There was a recent article in The Economist magazine about how Britain is now a cheap country. In other words, the per capita income has fallen, and British assets are valued low because there is a general perception of malaise, partly because manufacturing has collapsed.

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The headline is precious. It reminds me of the subtitle to Stanley Kubricks Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Right on, cheers, tally-ho!

It was hugely entertaining to also listen to an Economist podcast that suggested a services-led economy would be the UKs saviour. Raghuram Rajan, take a bow. Necessity being the mother of invention, I suppose. There is not a single product of British manufacturing that anybody wants (with the possible exception of Rolls-Royce aircraft engines). They were able to dump their inferior goods on defenceless colonies (read: India), but those days are over.

They are now apparently depending on services (e.g., their journalism, which, with its clipped accents, impresses Americans, but is available to the highest bidder. The word presstitutes leaps to mind). In addition, IT services, it seems, given their convenient time zone. And cheap IT labour. Yes, a direct threat to India. Wipro, Infosys, TCSI am sureare paralysed with fear.

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The UK is, in many ways, the canary in the coalmine. Its precipitous decline is related to the fact that it is a small island off northwest Europe, whereas of course the US is a continent-sized country with massive resources. But the other factorsthe previous holder of the global reserve currency, the previous dominant superpower, etcare relevant to the US.

To be honest, I have no idea what the UKs elites are thinking, because their current trajectory is going to end in disaster. As I have said before, they have fancied themselves as dealmakers extraordinaire, with Whitehall leading the world in mischief. But they were too clever by half: their homeland is collapsing now. I dont mind; its schadenfreude time, but I wonder what 3-D chess they are playing. I wonder if, similarly, the Deep State has a clue.

The one thing that has sustained the UK in the last few decades is their financial services. But with the LIBOR scandal and Brexit, that game is also moving on: to Frankfurt, Singapore, Dubai (and eventually, I guess, GIFT City, India). The City of London, the name of the financial district, has been decimated. This is a warning to Wall Street in New York City.

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Another warning comes from California in general, and San Francisco in particular. Once the most appealing of American cities, it has been turned into a fetid, dangerous place full ofyesstreet-shitters and fentanyl addicts. The main culprit has been rule by Left-wing extremists who put in place the ingredients for terminal decline: for instance, a moratorium on prosecuting any property crimes worth less than $950, which led to the hollowing out of retail downtown.

I am not saying New York City is a pleasant placeespecially compared to what San Francisco was (I lived for a long time in the suburbs of both, so I have personal experience)but there is surely a lot that can go wrong with socialism of the Mamdani variety. Exhibits A, B, C: Venezuela, Cuba, etc.

What is of more immediate concern to Hindus is that the US will become more dangerous for them. As it is, the amount of racial hatred and animosity toward brown Hindus has grown perceptibly, aided by social media influencers who are likely paid by ISI/CCP/Deep State. There is also the element of envy, as Hindus have risen to high positions, mostly by way of hard work and smarts. In analogy with Jews, this envy can turn into poisonous bigotry. We have seen how Kristallnachts develop. And then Final Solutions.

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The UK has seen, along with the growth of its Muslim population (demography is destiny), a concomitant level of animosity and violence against Hindus: see Leicester; and the British establishment is so afraid of Muslims that they will not take any steps to curb their acts. This is leading to clear and present danger for Hindus. We have seen this movie before.

In addition to the increasing animosity toward H1-B-holding Indians, who are predominantly Hindus, a victory for Zohran Mamdani will basically make it clear to US Hindus that their days are numbered, and that the US may rapidly follow the UK into societal and economic collapse. Its a sobering thought. Do we have a Plan B?

The writer has been a conservative columnist for over 25 years. His academic interest is innovation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Syrias interior ministry spokesperson stated on Friday that government forces were not prepared to redeploy to Sweida Province, according to the official news agency read more

Syria's security forces enter the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people. (Photo by Sam HARIRI / AFP)

Israel has agreed to allow Syrian forces limited entry into the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days, an Israeli official said on Friday, following days of killing in and around Syrias Druze city of Sweida.

In light of the ongoing instability in southwest Syria, Israel has agreed to allow limited entry of the (Syrian) internal security forces into Sweida district for the next 48 hours, an officer who refused to be named told reporters.

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Syrias interior ministry spokesperson stated on Friday that government forces were not prepared to redeploy to Sweida Province, according to the official news agency.

Syrian army withdrew from Sweida after a truce was declared on Wednesday, but fighting resumed late Thursday between rebels from Bedouin tribes and the Druze, a religious minority in Syria with supporters in Lebanon and Israel.

The skirmishes in Sweida province continued into Friday, according to Sweida locals and Ryan Marouf, the head of local news source Sweida24.

Damascus dispatched forces to Sweida, which is next to Israeli-controlled territory, this week in an attempt to settle some of Syrias most serious internal violence since the interim government took power late last year.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported 254 deaths in four days of violence, including medical workers, women, and children.

Israel became involved in the conflict on Wednesday. It stated that it would not allow Syrias Islamist-led government to send soldiers to the south, assaulted Syrian forces in Sweida and Syrias defence ministry, and struck near the presidential palace in Damascus.

Describing Syrias new rulers as thinly veiled Islamists, Israel has pledged to protect the areas Druze people, bolstered by pleas from its own Druze minority.

Israels military launched additional assaults in Sweida province overnight.

UN agencies concerns

The head of the UN human rights office urged Syrias interim authorities to ensure accountability justice for what it said are credible reports of widespread rights violations during the fighting, including summary executions and kidnappings, the office said in a statement.

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At least 13 people were unlawfully killed in one recorded incident on July 15 when affiliates of the interim authorities opened fire at a family gathering, the OHCHR said. Six men were summarily executed near their homes the same day.

The UN refugee agency on Friday urged all sides to allow humanitarian access, which it said had been curtailed by the violence.

Israels deep distrust of Syrias new Islamist-led leadership appears to be at odds with the United States, which said it did not support the recent Israeli strikes on Syria.

The US intervened to help secure the earlier truce between government forces and Druze fighters, and the White House said on Thursday that it appeared to be holding.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has worked to establish warmer ties with the US, accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority.
Nearly 600 people have died in southern Syria amid recent violence between Bedouin and Druze communities in Suweida province, according to SOHR. read more

Syria's security forces enter the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people. (Photo by Sam HARIRI / AFP)

Nearly 600 people have died in southern Syria amidst recent violence, according to a monitoring group, as reported by the BBC. The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) documented that 594 individuals have been killed in the Suweida province since Sunday, marking a significant outbreak of brutality.

The violence, which has taken on a sectarian dimension, was reportedly sparked by a dispute between the Bedouin and Druze communities. The SOHR stated that 300 members of the Druze religious minority were among the dead, including 146 fighters and 154 civilians. The report further noted that 83 Druze civilians were summarily executed by government forces.

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In addition, at least 257 government personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were killed, the SOHR added. It also stated that Druze fighters summarily killed three Bedouin civilians. Furthermore, 15 government personnel were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes, which Israel claimed were carried out to protect the Druze and force government forces to withdraw from Suweida, according to the BBC.

While it was not immediately possible to verify the SOHRs figures, security sources cited by the BBC put the death toll at 300. Another monitoring group, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, stated it had documented the deaths of at least 169 civilians.

An uneasy calm has mostly held on Thursday, with the withdrawal of government forces from the Druze-majority city of Suweida, according to the BBC. Residents reported scenes of damage and looting, as well as bodies being found in the streets. Convoys of fighters from Syrias Islamist-led government began entering the city on Monday, ostensibly to restore order following the clashes between the Druze and Bedouin.

The Syrian government announced a ceasefire on Wednesday evening ahead of its withdrawal. However, one prominent Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, rejected it, calling for further fighting until the total liberation of our province from gangs, referring to government forces, the BBC noted. Sheikh Hajri, whose followers led the fighting against the governments forces, has sought to forge close relationships with Israel.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel intended to continue imposing its interests on Syria with force. Netanyahu said that Israels intervention in the clashes was partly to protect the Druze, but also to prevent the Syrian military from deploying in the south of the country.

Syrias President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a televised statement on Wednesday evening that Israels attacks were an attempt to destabilise his country. Addressing Syrias Druze, he affirmed that protecting their rights and freedoms is among the governments top priorities, the BBC reports.

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The UNs humanitarian agency, OCHA, stated that nearly 2,000 families have been displaced by the violence across the southern province.
Ex-Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor warns the US has only eight days worth of missile stockpiles, suggesting America may be forced to rely on nuclear options if drawn into a prolonged war. read more

A former Pentagon adviser has issued a stark warning about the state of Americas military readiness, claiming the United States has only enough offensive and defensive missiles to sustain combat for eight days before facing the prospect of resorting to nuclear weapons.

Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who served as a senior adviser to the Secretary of Defence during the Trump administration, made the alarming claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urging the US to immediately halt the export of weapons abroad.

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America needs to stop sending weapons abroad.



Very reliable sources tell me we have roughly 8 days of offensive and defensive missiles on hand and readily available.



Translation, we can fight an 8 days war and then we would have to go nuclear.  Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) July 18, 2025

The comments come amid renewed concerns over Americas depleting military stockpiles, particularly in light of its continued military aid to Ukraine. Just days before Macgregors post, President Donald Trump announced a major new shipment of American weapons to Kyiv in a reversal of his earlier calls for restraint on military support.

Trumps move was welcomed by Ukrainian officials, who hailed it as a vital lifeline in their ongoing defence against Russian aggression. However, analysts have raised concerns about whether the scale of US military assistance is sustainable given the strain on domestic reserves.

Reports in recent months have pointed to the Pentagons difficulty in replenishing high-grade weapons systems and munitions after years of support for Ukraine. The US military has already acknowledged that some key arms deliveries including long-range missiles, Patriot interceptors and 155mm shells are facing production bottlenecks and supply delays.

Macgregors remarks have amplified calls within conservative circles to reassess Americas foreign military commitments. Critics argue that continued exports are risking the countrys ability to respond to a future major conflict involving peer adversaries.

The issue is further complicated by growing tensions with Russia, which has strongly criticised Western arms shipments to Ukraine. Moscow has accused Ukrainian forces of using long-range weapons supplied by the US and its allies to strike civilian areas on Russian territory, alleging that these actions sabotage peace efforts.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that the deployment of such systems could fundamentally alter the character of the conflict. We will make the necessary decisions based on the threats we face, Putin said recently, suggesting that the Kremlin could reconsider its military calculus if NATO countries are perceived to be directly involved in the war.

As the Biden administration and Trumps political team contend with domestic and international pressure, questions remain about whether Washington can balance global military commitments with national defence readiness.
Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazils Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023 read more

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the media at the Federal Senate in Brasilia, Brazil. Reuters

On Friday, Brazils Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro, prohibiting him from contacting foreign authorities amid charges that he sought the interference of US President Donald Trump.

Federal police invaded Bolsonaros house and placed an ankle monitor on him, escalating the legal strain he is already under, which Trump has attempted to alleviate with a high tax on Brazilian products. Bolsonaro told Reuters that he felt the court rulings were in response to Trumps criticism of his Supreme Court trial.

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The courts crackdown on Bolsonaro added to signs that Trumps actions are backfiring in Brazil, causing more problems for his ideological buddy and gathering public support behind a combative leftist administration.

Bolsonaro was banned from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies, according to the decision issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who cited a concrete possibility of him fleeing the country.

In an interview with Reuters at his partys headquarters on Friday, Bolsonaro called Moraes a dictator and described the latest court orders as acts of cowardice.

I feel supreme humiliation, he said, when asked how he felt about wearing the ankle monitor. I am 70 years old, I was president of the republic for four years.

Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country, but said he would meet with Trump if he could get access to his passport, which police seized last year. He also said he had sought out the top US diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trumps tariff threat.

In his decision, Moraes said the restrictions against Bolsonaro were due to accusations that the former president was making efforts to get the head of state of a foreign nation to interfere in Brazilian courts, which the judge cast as an attack on national sovereignty.

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Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazils Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.

Trump has in recent weeks pressed Brazil to stop the legal case against Bolsonaro, saying that his ally was the victim of a witch hunt. The US president said last week he would impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods from August 1, in a letter that opened with criticism of the Bolsonaro trial.

Trump on Thursday shared on Truth Social a letter he sent to Bolsonaro. I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This trial should end immediately! he wrote.

Moraes wrote in his decision that the higher tariffs threatened by Trump were aimed at creating a serious economic crisis in Brazil to interfere in the countrys judicial system.

Bolsonaro was also prohibited from contacting key allies including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman who has been working in Washington to drum up support his father.

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Bolsonaro told Reuters he had been talking to his son almost daily, denying any concerted US lobbying effort on his behalf. He said he expected his son to seek US citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil.

A five-judge panel of Supreme Court judges reviewed and upheld Moraes decision on Friday afternoon.
In the 18th round of sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, the European Union (EU) has targeted Vladimir Putins income from oil sales. The EU has sanctioned an Indian refinery for the first time in which Russia has a 49% stake. read more

With the 18th package of sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, the European Union (EU) on Friday targeted Russias oil revenue and sanctioned an Indian refinery for the first time.

Under the latest sanctions, the EU lowered the price cap on Russian oil to 15 per cent below the market price to hit at Russian leader Vladimir Putins income from the sale of oil that he uses to fund the war on Ukraine and the aggression on Europe.

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For the first time, the bloc has sanctioned a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India, said EU foreign minister Kaja Kallas.

Kallas was referring to the Vadinar oil refinery in which Russian state-owned Rosneft has a 49 per cent stake. It is the second-largest refinery in India.

Kallas further said, Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap. We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones. (sic)

We are standing firm.



The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date.



Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. (1/3)  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 18, 2025

Whats in EUs latest Russia sanctions

The biggest focus has been to hit at Russias income from the sale of oil.

Revising the price cap policy introduced in 2022, the EU has now lowered the price cap from existing $60 per barrel to 15 per cent below the market price, which effectively takes the cap to $47.6. As the cap has now been linked to market price, it will change with time.

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Under the price cap regime, shipping, insurance, and financial firms face sanctions if they take part in the sale of Russian oil above the capped price. The regime is aimed at minimising Russian income from the sale of oil.

Additionally, the EU has blacklisted more than 100 vessels in the shadow fleet of tankers used by Russia to circumvent oil export restrictions, according to AFP.

The EU has also sanctioned two Chinese banks and has expanded a transaction ban on dealings with Russian banks and has imposed more restrictions on the export of dual-use goods to Russia that have the potential of being used in the war in Ukraine.

The EU has also shuttered the defunct Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.

What EU sanctions mean for India

In addition to the Vadinar refinery, the EU has sanctioned the Indian flag registry.

A flag registry refers to the official list of all the ships that fly a countrys flags.

Sanctioning a countrys flag list gives the EU power to punish ships over India-flagged ships purported role in the sale of Russian oil in violation of sanctions.

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To be sure, the EU has not sanctioned the sale of Russian oil but has sanctioned the sale of Russian oil above the price cap.
Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border. File image/ Reuters

MBDA, Europes largest missile manufacturer, is reportedly selling key components for bombs that have been used in airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of Palestinian children and other civilians, according to an investigation by The Guardian. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with Disclose and Follow the Money, highlights concerns about European companies potentially profiting from the devastation in Gaza.

The focus of the investigation is the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, for which MBDA owns a factory in Alabama, US, that produces the wings. These wings, which are fitted to the GBU-39 bomb made by Boeing, unfold after launch, guiding the bomb to its target. Revenues from MBDA Incorporated, the US company, flow through MBDA UK, based in Hertfordshire, England, and any profits are then passed to the MBDA group, headquartered in France, The Guardian reports.

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MBDA distributed almost 350 million in dividends last year to its three shareholders: Britains biggest defence firm BAE Systems, Frances Airbus, and Italys Leonardo, according to The Guardian.

The GBU-39 is reaching Israel under the US military aid program. Since the Hamas massacre of Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, an estimated 4,800 of the bombs have been shipped, either bought directly from Boeing or transferred from US military reserves, to which Israel responded by launching a war on Gaza. The most recent consignment of 2,166 was announced in February of this year, just as the UN reported that almost 70% of Gaza had been reduced to rubble.

According to the investigation, using open source information and analysis by weapons experts, there have been 24 verified cases where the GBU-39 was deployed in attacks that resulted in civilian deaths, including children.

These attacks often occurred at night, without warning, targeting school buildings and tent camps sheltering displaced families. Some of these incidents have been examined by the United Nations and Amnesty International, with concerns raised about potential war crimes, The Guardian notes.

In one instance, on May 26, 2025, a bomb struck the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school in Gaza City, killing 36 people, half of whom were children. Hanin al-Wadie, a five-year-old girl, survived the attack but suffered severe burns and psychological trauma, losing her parents and sister, The Guardian reports. Weapons experts identified fragments of a GBU-39 bomb at the scene.

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MBDA confirmed its contract with Boeing for the wings and stated that it complies with all relevant national and international laws applicable to the arms trade in the countries in which it operates, all of whom have export policies and operate robust export control regimes, according to The Guardian.

However, campaigners argue that the case highlights the limitations of the UKs move to pause some arms shipments to Israel, as the US arm of MBDA can continue supplying Boeing from its Alabama factory.

Sam Perlo-Freeman, the research coordinator at Campaign Against the Arms Trade, said that MBDA is profiting from the arming of Israel, according to The Guardian. He suggested that MBDA could sell MBDA Inc. if it wanted to avoid complicity in arming Israel and that the UK government should take all actions within its power to stop the genocide, including sanctions on companies arming Israel and banning UK investments in such companies.

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The meeting at Germanys highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlins decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism read more

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Reuters

Germanys Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and five European counterparts agreed on a set of goals on Friday to tighten asylum rules in the bloc, including allowing deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.

The meeting at Germanys highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlins decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism.

It comes almost exactly a decade after former German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the countrys borders to nearly a million refugees fleeing war and persecution, a landmark decision that reshaped European politics.

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Dobrindt met counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner.

The agreed asylum policy goals, which require approval from Brussels, include removing legislative obstacles to transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centres outside the EU and enabling asylum procedures in third countries.

Germanys new government has already placed curbs on migration including suspending family reunification and resettlement programmes, as it seeks to regain support from voters drawn to the far-right Alternative for Germany, which made historic gains in Februarys federal election. On Friday Germany deported 81 Afghan men to Afghanistan.

We are all concerned that the overburdening of our countries by illegal migration is also contributing massively to the polarization of society. We want to push back this polarization, Dobrindt said.

Deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria should be reinstated as standard practice, with citizens from countries failing to cooperate on deportations to face visa restrictions, a joint declaration said.

Trade, and development aid will also be used as leverage to boost returns and strengthen migration cooperation, the document said, pressing for increasing deployment of drones and more EU funding for border infrastructure and personnel.

The countries agreed to combat smugglers and work to dismantle human trafficking networks.

Asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU country will be quickly rejected if they claim asylum elsewhere in the bloc.

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Once we seal the external border, there will be no need for internal border controls, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said.

Siemoniak said he discussed the border controls Germany introduced unilaterally at its border with Dobrindt, adding that Poland is ready to waive the controls at its border once Germany does the same.
Economist Justin Wolfers has dismissed US President Donald Trumps threat of tariffs on Russia over its war on Ukraine. He pointed out that Russia already has sanctions and the threat of tariffs is how you sound tough but do nothing. read more

A noted economist has dismissed US President Donald Trumps threat to impose tariffs on Russia over its war on Ukraine as empty.

Trump on Monday said that he could impose 100 per cent tariff on Russia if Vladimir Putin would not agree to a ceasefire in the next 50 days.

Economist Justin Wolfers said that it was an empty threat and an example of how to sound tough but do nothing.

In a post on X, Wolfers said that Russia is already under sanctions and therefore sanctions will not have any effect.

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How to sound tough but do nothing: Impose tariffs on a country where we already impose sanctions.



A 100% tariff on almost nothing will do almost nothing. https://t.co/tEEOEtcAUs pic.twitter.com/VGw1Tdy31M  Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) July 14, 2025

The US-Russia trade is minimal and, in any case, Russia would not pay for any tariffs. Unlike what Trump has said, tariffs are the taxes to the government that importers pay  not the country exporting goods.

As the White House has not clarified what exactly Trump meant, some have interpreted his threat of tariffs as secondary tariffs, which mean that countries buying particular goods from Russia such as oil and gas will face tariffs in their trade with the United States. India and China are the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas. Trump is unlikely to impose such tariffs on these countries as any tariff may kill ongoing trade negotiations with these countries.

Trumps threat is also empty because Trumps 50-day period is a window for Putin to do whatever he wants in Ukraine and not an ultimatum.

Per Axios, Putin told Trump during on July 3 that he would launch an offensive and maximise territorial gains in the next 60 days. The 60th day will be September 1. As per Trumps announcement, he will wait until the 50th day starting Monday Sept. 3 to impose any tariff. This means that Trump will wait until after the completion of Russian ground offensive to take any action, essentially giving Putin a license to maximise his gains and kill Ukrainians at will in aerial attacks.
The financing crisis is the result of massive foreign aid cuts by donor nations such as Sweden, France, and Japan, which have been compounded by significant US aid cuts read more

The United Nations headquarters building is pictured with a UN logo in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, March 1, 2022. File image/ Reuters

The United Nations refugee agency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , warned on Friday that up to 11.6 million refugees are at risk of losing access to humanitarian assistance as a result of donor nation cuts in foreign funding.

According to the report, this is almost one-third of the refugees regularly helped by the UN agency.

Our funding situation is dramatic. We fear that up to 11.6 million refugees and people forced to flee are losing access to humanitarian assistance provided by UNHCR, said Dominique Hyde, UNHCRs director of external relations.

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According to the UNHCR, just 23% of its $10.6 billion budget demand has been met so far this year.

The financing problem is the result of massive foreign aid cuts by donor nations such as Sweden, France, and Japan, which have been compounded by significant US aid cuts.

Forced displacement is expanding internationally, while humanitarian help is rapidly reducing, producing a deadly cocktail that puts displaced communities at danger, according to a new assessment released by UNHCR on Friday.

The organisation stated that it has had to halt or postpone around $1.4 billion in aid programs, including a 60% drop in critical relief supplies in various countries such as Sudan, Chad, and Afghanistan.

Critical services being lost include medical treatment, education, housing, nourishment, and safety.

UNHCR funding cuts disproportionately affect women and girls, with the organisation having to eliminate one-quarter of its assistance to initiatives that safeguard and respond to gender-based violence.

According to the UNHCR, cutbacks have disproportionately affected women and children in Afghanistan.

Protection activities have been slashed by over 50%, undermining programmes on womens empowerment, mental health and prevention and response to gender-based violence, Hyde told the BBC.

Globally, the agency is shrinking by 30%, eliminating 3,500 people.
With the year only half over, the covered face  as deployed by law enforcement in a wave of immigration crackdowns directed by President Donald Trumps White House  has become one of the most potent and contentious visuals of 2025 read more

US Customs and Border Protection agents detain a man outside the US Immigration and Customs building during a protest in Portland, Ore. File image/ AP

In a matter of months, it has become a regular sight around the country  immigration enforcement agents detaining people and taking them into custody, often as public anger and outcry unfold around them. But in the process, something has disappeared: the agents faces, covered by caps, sunglasses, pulled-up neck gaiters or balaclavas, effectively rendering them unidentifiable.

With the year only half over, the covered face  as deployed by law enforcement in a wave of immigration crackdowns directed by President Donald Trumps White House  has become one of the most potent and contentious visuals of 2025.

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The increase in high-profile immigration enforcement was already contentious between those opposed to the actions of Trumps administration and those in support of them. The sight of masked agents carrying it out is creating a whole new level of conflict, in a way that has no real comparison in the US history of policing.

More from World Is Ukraine sliding into authoritarianism amid war? Zelenskyy faces backlash over police raids on critics

Trump administration officials have consistently defended the practice, saying that immigration agents have faced strident and increasing harassment in public and online as they have gone about their enforcement in service of Trumps drive toward mass deportation, and hiding their identities is for their and their families safety to avoid things like death threats and doxing, where someones personal information is released without their permission on the internet.

Im sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but Im not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people dont like what immigration enforcement is, Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons said last month.

Theres pushback, as expected

Democrats and others, including the several state attorneys general, have pushed back, saying the use of face masks generates public fear and should be halted.

In a letter to Lyons last week, a group of Democratic senators said the stepped-up immigration enforcement in workplaces, restaurants and other sites was already causing dismay and the increasingly common sight of masked agents represents a clear attempt to compound that fear and chaos  and to avoid accountability for agents actions.

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In American culture, covering ones face has often gone hand in hand with assumptions of negative behaviour. Think bandits donning bandanas in cowboy movies, or robbers putting on ski masks before pulling a heist on a bank. Even comic-book superheroes who cover their faces have been swept up in storylines in recent years that derisively refer to them as masks and say their decision to hide their identities while enforcing justice is transgressive.

And the presence of masked police or paramilitary forces in other countries has been seen by Americans as antithetical to promised democracy and justice for all  and to the common-law principle of being able to face your accusers.

Mask-wearing overall in American life took another hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Trump supporters scoffed at notions that protective masks would insulate people from the deadly virus and scorned people who wore them. More recently, Trump has come out against masks, at least when theyre being worn by protestors. He posted on social media last month that demonstrators wearing masks should be arrested.

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Given all that cultural context, its even more problematic that those enforcing laws be the ones with their faces covered, said Tobias Winright, professor of moral theology at St. Patricks Pontifical University in Maynooth, Ireland. He has worked in law enforcement in the US and writes frequently about policing ethics.

If what youre doing is above board and right, he said, then why conceal your identity?

Power gives different symbols different meanings

For those who question why its different for law enforcement to wear masks if protestors and non-law enforcement personnel are doing it, its because symbols have different meanings based on the power and position of the people using them, said Alison Kinney, author of Hood, a book about that clothing item and the various ways people have used it.

ICE agents are agents of the state. And theyre invested with not only power but also with protections in carrying out their job, she said. But that job is also supposed to be public service. Its also supposed to be accountable and responsible to the public.

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And so they have a greater responsibility for transparency and accountability and making themselves known so that we can hold them accountable for the justice or injustice of their actions, she said.

Concerns over how law enforcement is held accountable to the public have come up before. Advocates pushed for officers to wear body cameras and demanded that police officers have visible names and badge numbers. But there hasnt previously been much discussion around police masking because there isnt a history of it being done in any kind of official widespread way in the United States, outside of SWAT  or undercover-type operations, Winright said.

The most high-profile example of mask-wearing in American history for the purpose of hiding identity is also its most negative one  racist attacks carried out by the members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The masks served a purpose, of course, of keeping the wearers identities secret, said Elaine Frantz, a history professor at Kent State University and author of Ku-Klux: The Birth of the Klan during Reconstruction. But they also made it easier for those wearing them to commit violent acts against others, she said.

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One thing about a mask is it kind of works like being behind a riot shield, Frantz said. When you have more of separation from the person youre attacking, its easier to dehumanize that person.

Winright said he hoped law enforcement mask-wearing wouldnt be normalized. There has been at least one expansion into local policing. In Nassau County, on Long Island just outside New York City, County Executive Bruce Blakeman last week signed an executive order allowing police officers to wear masks during certain types of work, including working with immigration agents.

Winright is concerned, though, that the move could strain police-community relations even more, thus putting officers at even more risk.

Wearing a mask seems to increase fear and decrease trust, and policing from federal to local in America needs trust and transparency and community relations that are positive, he said.

He added: The harms, the risks, are greater by wearing masks, not only to the individual officers, but to the profession itself, as well as to the United States society. Its just going to further exacerbate the us-versus-them polarization, the lack of trust, and thats the probably the last thing we need right now.

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Last week, Iranian state media claimed that President Pezeshkian was attending a Supreme National Security Council meeting when an Israeli strike hit the gathering, injuring him in the leg as he escaped through an emergency shaft read more

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was hurt during last months Israeli missile strikes, US intelligence officials have said.

Last week, Iranian state media claimed that President Pezeshkian was attending a Supreme National Security Council meeting when an Israeli strike hit the gathering, injuring him in the leg as he escaped through an emergency shaft.

Two US intelligence officials have told CBS News that the Iranian state media reports are accurate. It is, however, not clear whether Israel targeted Pezeshkian deliberately or not.

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Meanwhile, in an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, the Iranian president claimed that Israel tried to assassinate him by bombarding an area where he was holding a meeting.

It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting. We were discussing the ways to move forward. But thanks to the intelligence by the spies that they had, they tried to bombard the areain which we were holding that meeting, Pezeshkian said.

Videos shared on social media during the 12-day war captured repeated strikes on a mountainside in north-western Tehran.

It has now been revealed that, on the fourth day of the conflict, those strikes targeted a secret underground facility in Tehran that was housing Irans top leaders at the time.

While Israel has neither denied nor confirmed the strikes on the national security council meeting, the country has said that it did try to target Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, during the conflict.

Earlier this month, Iran said it has not made any request for talks with the United States, after President Donald Trump said Tehran was seeking negotiations following last months war with Israel.

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No request for a meeting has been made on our side to the American side, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, according to Tasnim news agency.

With inputs from agencies
President Volodymyr Zelenskyys critics are saying that Ukraine is slipping into authoritarianism as the government ignores corruption and malpractices within the system due to the long-drawn-out war read more

The Russia-Ukraine war has dragged on for a third year with no end in sight. The conflict has battered Ukraine in more ways than one, and now, an internal discord in the political lines of the country is plaguing its leadership.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyys critics are saying that Ukraine is slipping into authoritarianism as the government ignores corruption and malpractices within the system due to the long-drawn-out war.

Zelenskyy and his senior aides are facing accusations from politicians, activists, and diplomats of using the sweeping powers granted under martial law to suppress critics, silence civil society leaders, and tighten their grip on power.

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Rampant police raids

While Russia and Ukraine trade fire along the border, Kyiv is running a separate campaign against Zelenskyys critics.

Last week, Ukraines State Bureau of Investigation conducted raids in the home and offices of the former infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, and anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin.

Authorities have defended the raids on the grounds of an alleged corruption case against Kubrakov, while Shabunin has been accused of fraud and abandoning his military post, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Why have these two people been targeted?

Concerns are mounting among officials and observers, including Kubrakov and Shabunin, and observers over the growing concentration of power in the hands of President Zelenskyy and his office. Critics warn that wartime conditions have allowed unchecked authority and sidelined key democratic reforms.

Sources have told FT that the focus on repelling Russias forces has overshadowed issues such as corruption and governance. Observers caution that while the war effort remains a priority, failing to address these concerns could undermine Ukraines democratic progress in the long term.

Is Russia cashing this opportunity?

FTs Ukraine correspondent, Christopher Miller, has sensed war fatigue among people that is fueling discontent among the civilian population. He said that the war has now taken a toll on peoples physical and mental health.

And so whats happening with this authoritarian slide is, its increasing the risk of internal destabilisation, which is something that people in the security apparatus here warn could be a real negative. The Russians are looking, of course, always to not only attack in a conventional way, Ukraine, right? But also to attack the unity that has really kept the country together and fighting its external enemies, rather than its internal ones, Miller said.

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As tensions between Syrias Druze and Bedouin fighters escalate, Israel conducted its first airstrike in the Syrian city of Sweida after the withdrawal of Syrian government forces from the province read more

A member of Syrian security forces looks at burnt vehicles amid ongoing clashes in the southern city of Sweida on July 16, 2025. Syrian regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa deployed troops in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed scores of people. (Photo: Bakr ALkasem/ AFP)

As the tensions in West Asia continue to escalate, reports are emerging that the Israeli military has carried out airstrikes on the outskirts of Sweida city. The strikes occurred on Thursday night as clashes between tribal fighters and Bedouin fighters intensified.

The clashes soon started a wave of tit-for-tat retaliatory violence earlier in the day after Syrian government forces withdrew from Sweida. The violence commenced immediately after the Syrian government forces started to withdraw from the Druze-majority province of Sweida, ending four days of conflict between the army and local Druze fighters.

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In a speech on Thursday, Syrias interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that the Druze groups would be left to govern security affairs in the southern province, in what he described as a choice to avoid war. We sought to avoid dragging the country into a new, broader war that could derail it from its path to recovery from the devastating war  We chose the interests of Syrians over chaos and destruction," the Syrian president averred.

Israeli military intervenes in the Sweida clashes

Soon after Al-Sharaas statement, clashes resumed in the Syrian city with multiple reports suggesting that Druze groups launched revenge attacks on Bedouin villages, killing many civilians and prompting a wave of displacement. It is pertinent to note that the Bedouin tribes had fought alongside government forces against Druze fighters earlier in the week.

Syrian security forces initially intervened in the citys affairs on Monday after a local dispute between Arab Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters escalated into fighting. Druze militias tried to prevent the entry of the Syrian army and attacked them, which led to days of clashes with government forces.

Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that Israel conducted strikes near the city of Sweida on Thursday. This marked the first Israeli raids in the city after the Syrian government forces withdrew from the region. Israeli occupation aircraft carried out a raid on the outskirts of Sweida city, said Syrias state-run SANA.

The strike came a day after Israel launched rare strikes deep into Damascus, targeting the countrys military headquarters and a site near the presidential palace. Israeli officials argued that the strikes were conducted to protect Syrias Druze minority amid escalating tensions across the country.

Amid the chaos, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported over 300 deaths in Sweida province since Sunday, including 27 Druze civilians allegedly executed by Syrian forces.
Nick Adams postings fiercely condemning Islam and supporting Israels military war in Gaza have enraged Muslims in Malaysia, sparking a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country. read more

Malaysian protesters display placards during a demonstration against the US envoy nominee Nick Adams outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur. AFP

On Friday, dozens of people gathered outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur to oppose the proposed nomination of Nick Adams, a self-described alpha male influencer, as the US envoy to Malaysia.

Last week, President Donald Trump chose outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White Houses pick for ambassador to Malaysia.

Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, has developed a macho social media image, employing macho, alpha male branding to comment on cultural themes and appeal to a primarily young male audience.

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His postings fiercely condemning Islam and supporting Israels military war in Gaza, however, have enraged Muslims in Malaysia, sparking a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.

The outrage comes at a critical moment for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to secure a trade agreement with Washington or face a 25% tax on its exports to the US.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday that it was too early in the process to decide on Adams appointment, but that his administration will give it careful consideration.

At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States, Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.

Protesters chanted Reject Nick Adams and Destroy America and held up posters depicting Adams with a red cross over his face.

Other placards read: No space for racists and Islamophobes in Malaysia.

The protestors, organised by the youth wings of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition, submitted a memorandum to the embassy near the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

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The memorandum cited divisive rhetoric used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysias multi-cultural society.

They urged the US government to withdraw Adamss nomination and consider a candidate who is more professional, moderate, and attuned to the importance of Southeast Asias regional stability.

Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

An ambassadors task is to be the bridge between two countries and we dont want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead, said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwars Peoples Justice Party.

The embassy and Adams office did not respond to requests for comment.

The protestors also called on Malaysias government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams proposed appointment.

Under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, host countries have discretion to accept or reject ambassadorial appointments without having to provide a reason.

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Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams appointment to Malaysia.

Adams nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held US Senate.
The National Disaster Management Authority has said that most of the victims were crushed to death as buildings collapsed due to the unprecedented rainfall, while others either drowned or were electrocuted read more

At least 60 people have died in a single day in Pakistans Punjab province as heavy rains lashed the country. The torrential rains began on Wednesday, flooding the entire country in just three days.

The National Disaster Management Authority has said that most of the victims were crushed to death as buildings collapsed due to the unprecedented rainfall, while others either drowned or were electrocuted.

The latest deaths in Punjab have taken the total death toll to 180 since the rains started in June. Most of the dead included children, authorities have said.

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Punjab provinces Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced an emergency in the region on Thursday, urging residents to follow safety guidelines.

Punjab authorities have warned of continued heavy rains and potential flash floods through the weekend, with thousands of rescuers across the province placed on high alert.

Whats causing the flood?

The rains since last month have been triggered by the accelerated melting of glaciers, causing record-breaking summer temperatures.

In Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a mountainous region over 1,200 metres above sea level known for its snow-capped peaks, temperatures have soared to an unprecedented 48.5 degrees Celsius. Local officials called it historic, surpassing the previous record of 47 degrees Celsius set in 1971.

The region has been witnessing glacial melting that has swelled rivers and formed unstable lakes, leading them to burst and trigger flash floods. Landslides in certain parts of the country have washed away villages and roads.

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to around 7,200 glaciers, though many have shrunk in number and size in recent years due to the climate crisis. These glaciers are crucial to Pakistans water supply, feeding key river basins across the country.

The head of the regions disaster management authority, Zakir Hussain, said, We are facing a flood situation in many areas. The rise of temperature has sent a shiver down our spines. We have never before witnessed such weather here.
After Tesla boss Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook fell out of favour with US President Donald Trump, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has emerged as a key player in easing tensions between the United States and China amid ongoing trade war and geopolitical tensions. read more

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have an unlikely mediator who has been working quietly as a bridge between two competing superpowers: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Even though Trump has publicly fawned over Xi for years, the US-China relationship is far from pleasant. Soon after assuming office, Trump unleashed a trade war on China and China retaliated forcefully  so much so that China forced Trump to blink by leveraging the near-monopoly over global rare earths supplies.

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Amid such tensions, Huang has essentially emerged as a backchannel between the two sides at least in the domain of trade and technology.

For one, Huang convinced Trump to reverse the restriction of Nvidias H20 chips to China.

More from World If what you're doing is right...: Why rise of masked officers has divided America

Currently, Huang is on his third visit to China this year. In the words of Bloomberg, he is becoming increasingly adept at pulling off a delicate diplomatic dance that is both benefiting his company and helping the worlds biggest economies manage their differences

However, it is a role that Huang has taken up reluctantly. Earlier this year in January, he was the only major tech titan to not attend Trumps inauguration.

Huang is obviously on good terms with Trump administration. Yet his chip business is one of the biggest flashpoints between Beijing and Washington. Its possible the two leaders may want such a channel for messaging, but is he willing to? Feng Chucheng, the founding partner of Hutong Research, told Bloomberg.

How Nvidia CEO became US-China troubleshooter

In the United States, Huang has deftly engaged with the Trump administration by finding allies in senior officials.

In China, Huang has leveraged his business and charmed with his Mandarin skills and appreciation for the Chinese culture. He has also been careful to not touch Chinas raw nerve or impress his roots too much  he is of Taiwanese descent and was born in Taiwan.

After initially not impressing Trump at a dinner, Huang built rapport with David Sacks, a veteran Silicon Valley investor whom Trump has appointed as his AI tsar, and found an ally in him, according to The New York Times.

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By working with him and Sriram Krishnan, who works on AI in the Trump administration, he convinced the administration with his thinking.

Huang also pledged to invest $500 billion in the United States that helped smoothen ties with Trump.

Huang gains as Musk, Cook lose

Huangs rise has coincided with the downfall of Tesla boss Musk and Apple CEO Cook.

While Trump fell out with Musk over political differences that came out in the open a few weeks back, Trump is upset with Cook over Apples overseas manufacturing.

Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariff on Apples products made outside of the United States  including in India.

For context, as many 15-20 per cent iPhones were made in India last month and Indias share may reach 25-30 per cent by 2027.
Following Lavrovs visit, the Norths National Tourism Administration said foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week read more

North Korea has blocked foreigners from visiting a recently opened beach resort, the countrys tourist office announced this week, only days after Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the area.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns favourite project, a vast coastal resort on the countrys east coast, opened to domestic guests earlier this month to much fanfare in official media.

The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, nicknamed North Koreas Waikiki by South Korean media, seems to be lined with high-rise hotels and waterparks and can reportedly accommodate up to 20,000 people.

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Previously, state media reported that Russian tour groups will visit Wonsan in the following months.

But following Lavrovs visit, the Norths National Tourism Administration said foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week.

Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Koreas tourism industry during his early years in power, analysts have said, and the coastal resort area was a particular focus.

He said ahead of the opening of the beach resort that the construction of the site would go down as one of the greatest successes this year and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones in the shortest time possible.

The North last year permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic and Western tour operators briefly returned in February this year.

Seouls unification ministry, however, said that it expected international tourism to the new resort was likely to remain small in scale given the limited capacity of available flights.

Kim held talks with Lavrov in Wonsan last week where he offered Moscow his full and unconditional support for its war in Ukraine, KCNA reported.

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Lavrov reportedly hailed the seaside project as a good tourist attraction, adding it would become popular among both local and Russian visitors looking for new destinations.

Ahead of Lavrovs recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The government of Eswatini has confirmed that the migrants are currently being held in its prisons. They have been put in isolated cells, as authorities acknowledged widespread concerns about the migrants arrival in the country read more

The five illegal immigrants who were sent off in a deportation plane to Africa earlier this week have reached Eswatini, causing outrage in the tiny nation.

The government of Eswatini has confirmed that the migrants are currently being held in its prisons. They have been put in isolated cells, as authorities acknowledged widespread concerns about the migrants arrival in the country.

Eswatinis acting government spokesperson has, however, said that the arrival of deportees from the US was a result of several high-level talks between the two countries for several months.

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A safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed  This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back, US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said earlier this week.

Is US putting pressure on Africa?

According to a CNN report, the Trump administration is pressing more African countries to accept its deported illegal immigrants. Some of the countries that have been approached till now include Nigeria.

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, last week, said, The US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison.

Earlier this month, a memo by a top Trump administration official said that immigration officials may deport illegal immigrants to countries other than their home nations with as little as six hours notice.

Why is Eswatini on boil?

Eswatinis decision to accommodate deportees from the US has faced widespread public backlash, driven by concerns over security risks and frustration with the US labelling the country as a safe third country.

The countrys Opposition party PUDEMO has said that accepting deportees from the US poses a serious risk to our already vulnerable communities, which are battling a severe scourge.

Our country must not be treated as a dumping ground for those deemed unfit to live elsewhere, the group said in a statement sent to CNN.

Where is Eswatini?

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a small, landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique.

While it has made strides in education and health, Eswatini faces challenges such as high unemployment and one of the worlds highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. Its economy largely depends on agriculture, manufacturing, and regional trade.

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The US Department of State announced that it is designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistans Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The move was welcomed by India since it was the TRF that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack read more

In this image posted by @DrSJaishankar via X on January 22, 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting, in Washington DC. @DrSJaishankar via PTI

The US Department of State on Thursday announced that it is designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistans Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. TRF was the same terror outfit that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack that rocked Kashmir on April 22.

In a statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it was acknowledged that TRF claimed responsibility for the terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people and triggered the 4-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. In light of this, the US accorded the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

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Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024, the statement read.

The Trump administrations commitment to fighting terrorism

Rubio noted that the move reflected US President Donald Trumps commitment to countering terrorism. These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, the statement reads.

TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeTs designation as an FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register, Rubio furthered.

Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of taking an uncompromised stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council. The EAM made the remarks while speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin.

Jaishankar highlighted that three evils have taken over the world: Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, which he believes often occur together. While India was miffed with the warming ties between Pakistan and the US, the latest move gives reassurance that terrorism is not tolerated by the Trump administration.

India welcomes the move

Lauding the strong India-US ties and counter-terrorism cooperation, India welcomed the move made by the Department of State. Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the Indian embassy in the US said in a statement.

TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism! the statement further reads.

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Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and  India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) July 17, 2025

According to top intelligence sources, TRF emerged back in October 2019, shortly after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was enshrined under Article 370. Unlike its parent group, LeT, TRF deliberately adopted non-religious symbols and rhetoric to appeal to a wider audience and evade international scrutiny. Despite its branding, LeT continues to retain a heavy influence on the group.

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After the United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, as a terrorist organisation, all eyes are on China whether it will follow suit. China has blocked the listing of Pakistan-based groups and leaders at the United Nations (UN) for years. read more

The US Department of State added The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on July 17, 2025. Representational Image

After the United States designated Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation, all eyes are on China whether it will follow suit.

The TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack in which terrorists killed 26 people. It is considered to be a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been plotting and carrying out terrorist acts against India for years. The LeT was behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

For years, China has blocked the designation of Pakistan-based jihadist groups and leaders as terrorists at the United Nations (UN). In its own reports as well, China has refused to mention or has downplayed Pakistani jihadists that attack India.

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The US Department of State on Friday designated the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024, the Department of State said in a statement.

All eyes on China

In the past, India has reacted sharply to China blocking moves to list Pakistan-based jihadists as terrorists at the UN.

China has blocked terrorist listings without providing reasons and has often resorted to procedural delays instead of a veto.

This is a disguised veto, but an even more impervious one that indeed merits a discussion amongst the wider membership. For genuine evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to the councils commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorism, Ruchira Kamboj, Indias then-UN envoy, said last year.

Earlier this year, India in May submitted a detailed dossier to the UN Security Counci to seek TRFs designation as a global terror group. Even as the dossier included intelligence findings on the TRFs funding, handlers, and leadership ties to LeT, China blocked the move by putting a technical hold, which is a procedural delay used by permanent UNSC members to avoid open vetoes.

China is a UNSC permanent member along with the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Russia.

Previously, China has also blocked the designation of individual terrorists like Masood Azhar (2009-19), Abdul Rauf Azhar (2022-23), Sajid Mir (2022-23), and Shahid Mahmood (2022-23).

In its own report, China excluded TRF from the list of active terrorist groups, but included the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade of the BLA.

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Timeline of China blocking TRFs listing

April 22: The TRF claims responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.1

Early May: India submits dossier to the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee for TRFs listing.

Mid-May 2025: China places a technical hold on the listing, preventing consensus on TRF listing.

June 2025: The UN Monitoring Teams mid-year report omits TRF and Chinese official Chungjie Li is accused of bias.

July 17: The United States independently designates TRF as Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Germany deported dozens of Afghan men to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the Taliban returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin. read more

People board a Qatar Airways plane, with federal police vehicles in front of it, on the apron at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Friday, July 18, 2025,- AP

Germany deported 81 Afghan men on Friday, its second such operation since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and the first under Chancellor Friedrich Merzs new government, which has pledged a tougher stance on migration.

Authorities said all deportees had previously had their asylum applications rejected and had come to the attention of judicial authorities. The flight, organised with the assistance of Qatar, followed weeks of negotiations.

Chancellor Merz confirmed the deportation and said there had been contacts with Afghan authorities, though he did not provide further details. While Germany has not formally severed diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, it does not recognise the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

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More than 10 months ago, Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also promised stricter action against rejected asylum-seekers.

The decisive question is how one deals with this regime, and it will remain at technical coordination until further notice, he said at a news conference in Berlin.

The Interior Ministry said the government aims to carry out more deportations to Afghanistan, but didnt specify when that might happen.

Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germanys election in February.

Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border  stepping up border checks introduced by the Scholz government  and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europes biggest economy would be turned away. It also has suspended family reunions for many migrants.

Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.

You can see from the figures that we are obviously on the right path, but we are not yet at the end of that path, Merz said.

The Afghan deportation flight took off hours before German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to discuss migration with his counterparts from five neighbouring countries  France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic  as well as the European Unions commissioner responsible for migration, Magnus Brunner. Dobrindt is hosting the meeting on the Zugspitze, Germanys highest peak, on the Austrian border.

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With inputs from agencies
India on Friday welcomed the United States decision to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). read more

India on Friday welcomed the United States decision to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). It was the same terror outfit that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in Kashmir.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the TRF will now be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. Jaishankar took to Twitter, stating that the US President Donald Trump administrations latest move reaffirms ties between India and the US.

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A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Jaishankar wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. # OpSindoor, he added.

A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.



Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

MEA lauds the move

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs also released a statement on Friday, lauding the move by the US Department of State. The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in this regard, the MEA said in the statement.

The MEA noted that the proxy of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the Pahalgam terror attack. India has consistently emphasised the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure. The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism, the ministry furthered.

The ministry maintained that India remains committed to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and is willing to work closely with international partners. In its statement, the US Department of State maintained that its actions demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.

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Pakistan says its probe into the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians remains inconclusive, even as the US designates the suspected group, The Resistance Front, as a terrorist proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Islamabad denies any current links and accuses India of politicising terror listings. read more

Pakistan on Friday said that its investigation into the April 22 killing of 26 civilians in Indias Jammu and Kashmirs Pahalgam remains inconclusive even as the United States designated the suspected group behind the killings a global terrorist entity.

Pakistans foreign offices statement added to a pattern of stalled probes and denied links, even as the international community points fingers at groups long linked to Pakistans militant networks. The group in question- The Resistance Front (TRF) also known as Kashmir Resistance was formally blacklisted by the US on Thursday as a foreign terrorist organisation and a specially designated global terrorist.

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In a statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it was acknowledged that TRF claimed responsibility for the terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people and triggered the 4-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. In light of this, the US accorded the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Pakistans foreign ministry rejected the allegations, stating that any link between TRF and LeT belies ground realities and insisting that LeT was a defunct group that had already been banned in Pakistan. Pakistan has a zero-tolerance policy for militancy, the statement said, while acknowledging that investigations into the Pahalgam attack remain inconclusive.

The ministry also claimed Pakistan had dismantled all relevant organisations, prosecuted their leaders, and de-radicalised their cadres. At the same time, it accused India of manipulating such global terror designations to drive anti-Pakistan propaganda.

Indian authorities, however, maintain that TRF is simply LeT by another name, and was directly responsible for the coordinated and brutal assault in April. They argued that the groups quick claim of responsibility  later deleted  was consistent with a longstanding pattern where militant outfits try to obscure operational footprints while receiving support from across the border.

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The April attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation.

Washingtons TRF designation signals support for New Delhi

Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy magazine, said in designating TRF, Washington is flagging its concern about the terrorist attack that provoked the recent India-Pakistan conflict, and siding with New Delhis view that the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba."

He added: This can be a shot in the arm for a U.S.-India relationship looking to rebound after a few tough months."

On May 7, Indian jets bombed sites across the border that New Delhi described as terrorist infrastructure, setting off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery that killed dozens until a ceasefire on May 10.

The ceasefire was first announced by Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trumps claims that it resulted from his intervention and his threats to sever trade talks.

Indias position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their problems directly and with no outside involvement.

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India is an increasingly important U.S. partner in Washingtons effort to counter Chinas rising influence in Asia, while Pakistan is a U.S. ally.

Both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full while ruling only parts of the Himalayan territory, over which they have also fought wars.

With inputs from agencies
At least three people have reportedly died in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department training facility, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi. However, the Sheriffs Department has not confirmed any casualties, stating that the cause of the blast at the Biscailuz Centre Academy in East LA remains under investigation read more

An area where an explosion took place at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility is sealed off in east Los Angeles, California, US. Reuters

At least three people have reportedly died in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department training facility on Friday morning, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In a post on X, Bondi wrote, I just spoke to (US Attorney Bill Essayli) about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles. Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriffs deputies killed.

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I just spoke to @USAttyEssayli about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles.



Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriffs  Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 18, 2025

However, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has not confirmed any fatalities. A department representative verified that there was an explosion at the Biscailuz Centre Academy Training facility in East Los Angeles and said the cause of the blast is under investigation. As of now, no deaths or injuries have been officially confirmed.

The Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the explosion occurred as the facilitys bomb squad was relocating some explosives. Fox News and other US media outlets also reported that at least three sheriffs deputies were killed in what appeared to be an accidental blast.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it responded to reports of a likely explosion at 7:30 a.m. California Governor Gavin Newsoms office confirmed he had been briefed on the situation and that the incident took place inside the LA County Sheriffs Special Operations Bureau in East Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it responded to reports of a likely explosion at 7:30 a.m.

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According to Newsoms office, the incident took place inside the LA County Sheriffs Special Operations Bureau in East Los Angeles.

According to KABC-TV aerial footage, the explosion occurred in a parking area full with sheriff patrol cars and box trucks.
Trump on returning to office on January 20 immediately began the withdrawal of the United States from the UN body, but the State Department said the language last year would still have been binding on the United States read more

President Donald Trumps administration said Friday the United States was rejecting changes agreed last year for the World Health Organization on its pandemic response, saying they violated US sovereignty.

Trump on returning to office on January 20 immediately began the withdrawal of the United States from the UN body, but the State Department said the language last year would still have been binding on the United States.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who is a longtime critic of vaccines, said that the changes risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy.

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We will put Americans first in all our actions and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans speech, privacy or personal liberties, they said in a joint statement.

Rubio and Kennedy disassociated the United States from a series of amendments to the International Health Regulations, which provide a legal framework for combatting diseases, agreed last year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The amendments included a stated commitment to solidarity and equity in which a new group would study the needs of developing countries in future emergencies.

The amendments came about after the Assembly failed at a more ambitious goal of sealing a new global agreement on pandemics.

The potential treaty had drawn fierce criticism from mostly conservative voices in the United States, Britain and other countries suspicious of global efforts on disease and of vaccines.

The United States, then under president Joe Biden, took part in negotiations but said it did not reach consensus as it demanded protections for US intellectual property rights on vaccine development.

But Rubios predecessor Antony Blinken welcomed the amendments as progress when he convened a meeting on global health in September with counterparts mostly from other developed countries but also India.

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In their rejection of the amendments, Rubio and Kennedy also said that the changes fail to adequately address the WHOs susceptibility to the political influence and censorship  most notably from China  during outbreaks.
Trump is pushing for 1520% minimum tariffs in trade talks with the EU, rejecting proposals to ease car levies and threatening broad tariffs on 23 countries. read more

Donald Trump has toughened his stance in trade negotiations with the European Union, pushing for minimum tariffs of 1520% on goods in any new deal with the bloc, Financial Times reported. The move marks a sharp departure from earlier discussions that centred around maintaining a baseline 10% tariff.

Trump has also dismissed a recent EU proposal to lower car tariffs, remaining firm on keeping the planned 25% levy on automotive imports. His administration last week sent similar letters to 23 other countries, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, threatening blanket tariffs ranging from 20% to 50% unless new agreements are reached by August 1.

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The tariffs, which include separate levies of 50% on steel and aluminium and 25% on auto imports, have already begun generating significant monthly revenue for the US government. However, they are also straining diplomatic ties with long-standing allies.

Germanys Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed concern on Friday over Washingtons reluctance to accept differentiated treatment for specific sectors. The European side supports this. The American side views it more critically, he said.

A senior EU diplomat warned that if Trump proceeds with permanent reciprocal tariffs of 1520%, it could force Brussels to retaliate. We dont want a trade war, but we dont know if the US will leave us a choice, the official said.

Trumps renewed aggressive trade stance has begun generating tens of billions of dollars in monthly revenue for the US government but has also strained ties with some of its closest allies.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In several cities captured by Russian forces since, an underground Ukrainian struggle keeps the hopes of reunification alive. This is the story of Zla Mavka, a womens resistance group: Firstpost exclusive read more

Firstpost speaks to an activist from the Ukrainian Women's Resistance group Zla Mavka, who shared the challenges of living in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Firstpost via Zla Mavka

Amid the grave war that has been raging on between Russia and Ukraine for three years, one would find beautiful artworks on the streets of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. The artworks will symbolise resistance and hope to countless Ukrainians living in the region that one day the war will be over and their homes will be free from any form of occupation.

These artworks featured women standing their ground and fighting the evil. When the need for discretion arises, the streets of occupied territories get filled with a tiny symbol, a circle over a triangle, once again representing a woman standing on her ground. The creator of these artworks is an all-woman non-violent resistance group, Zla Mavka. The name draws inspiration from a mythological story.

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In the first part of the Ukrainian Underground Series, we got to know about a resistance group called Yellow Ribbon, which has been raising its voice against Russias occupation by tying yellow ribbons in different occupied territories.

For the second part of the series, Firstposts Bhagyasree Sengupta spoke to an activist from Zla Mavka. For safety reasons, the activist requested anonymity. The conversation was insightful as she spoke about the group, and what it takes to resist the Russian occupation.

One of the posters of the Ukrainian resistance group Zla Mavka reads, I dont want flowers. I want my Ukraine. Image Source: Firstpost via Zla Mavka

Angry Mavkas

Zla Mavka is an all-woman Ukrainian non-violent resistance movement, which was started in the occupied city of Melitopol in early 2023. When Moscow started its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, three Ukrainian women decided to stand against the Russian aggression.

When asked by Firstpost why they call themselves Zla Mavka, the activist shared the story behind the name. The Mavka is a character from the Ukrainian mythology. It was a fairy tale about female spirits who protect the forest from bad guys, who try to come to their home, she said.

So, when we created our movement, we decided that it would be like a good state of this character. The group also has a name for Russian soldiers who are deployed in the occupied territory. They often referred to the Russian troops as orcs, the brutish fighters from JRR Tolkiens famous series The Lord of the Rings.

It was fun, you know, like Mavka against orcs. And the only thing that we added was Zla in the beginning, which means angry. So, its like angry Mavka, she said.

A Zla Mavka poster is attached to a pole in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Firstpost via Zla Mavka

The group started creating posters based on the mythological character, which they discreetly put on walls and lamp posts across the street in occupied territories. One of the posts of the Ukrainian group that garnered attention in India was a video that paid homage to the Nitingal on India Sarojini Naidu, who resisted the British colonisers in India.

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When asked about the inspiration behind the post, the activist from the Ukrainian group said that they initially didnt have the skill for resistance, but later on, they took inspiration from around the world.

We werent prepared for this. Its just regular women with different kinds of professions, and we didnt have the skills. So when our movement started, we started to learn about experiences all over the world and especially the experiences of strong women in history. It was very inspiring, she said.

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind." #GandhiJayanti

100 years ago Sarojini Naidu protested, today @MavkaZla resist. #NonViolenceDay is an important reminder against what we fight. Times are changing  the women's resistance continues@kavita_krishnan pic.twitter.com/EZqpVRXEBB    (@MavkaZla) October 2, 2024

So we decided to include her character in the video to tell her story, also because it can be a good example to other women here.

The story behind the artworks

One of the USPs of the Zla Mavka movement is the fact that the group uses beautiful artworks as a symbol of resistance. They create beautiful illustrations of Mavaka (The Ukrainian mythological character) fighting Russian soldiers. While speaking to Firstpost, the Zla Mavka activist emphasised that these artworks are extremely important for the group.

First of all, before the war started, one of us was an artist, and she started creating these posters and designs herself. Because you cant make a resistance here openly, for example, like going to the meeting hall or on the street. We decided that art will be very good for showing our messages on the streets, in the media, online and offline.

Zla Mavka put out their artworks, expressing their angst against Russian occupiers. Image Source: Firstpost via Zla Mavka

So we also make jokes, we just laugh at the occupiers and this is what piss them, she said. However, the Ukrainian activist pointed out that it is becoming difficult, year after year, to resist by putting out artworks due to intense Russian scrutiny.

Its a huge problem because Russian occupiers are searching for activists. They put a huge number of cameras, patrols and so on and so on, she said.

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Despite this, the resistance does not stop for Zla Mavkas as they find other ways to express their discontent with the draconian Russian regime. So we have to be creative and find new ideas to resist. For example, we use pumpkins and candles, you know, some stuff that everybody can find, just not to get caught by the occupiers and still spread the message, the Zla Mavka explained.

Due to heavy Russian surveillance, Zla Mavkas have to find innovative ways to resist. Firstpost

So, how does the group work amid the Russian scrutiny

Crackdown on dissenters and heavy surveillance have been a common theme in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. In the midst of this, adding people to a resistance movement and ensuring their safety can be a hard task. When asked about how the group recruits its members, Zla Mavka activist emphasises that they always stay on alert.

Recruit would not be the right word because we dont ask somebody to do something. We just do what we do, and women come to us themselves, saying they would like to join. It doesnt mean that they will go, for example, tomorrow to burn the Russian flag or to make graffiti, she said.

Some of them are scared to do such things, so we ask them to sometimes write for our Diaries From Occupation. So, women are writing their stories of a regular life in occupation. Some of them make graffiti and burn Russian flags.

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Zla Mavka activists burn Russian flags in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Image Source: Zla Mavka

We have a chatbot, Telegram and a few other places where people can write, and we will answer them. But, of course, we never meet them, like, personally, you know, and we dont know each other, she said. And that is where the key component of the movement lies. Not knowing each other, their names or any kind of information about each other is an extremely important component of the Zla Mavka movement. This ensures the safety and anonymity of all the members.

The Ukrainian activist mentioned that the group has certain safety rules for all its members. When asked more about what those rules are, she said: We learn them from ourselves, its like from our experiences. First of all, its, of course, online safety, how to clean your phone, because your phone can be checked on the street or hacked. How to make calls and messaging safe. How to share information safely.

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We also have safety rules on the ground. How not to be caught on the cameras, for example, there are some we cant share, she averred, ensuring the safety of other activists.

How locals are reacting to it

Does the existence of such groups raise the morale of the Ukrainian people living in occupied territories? The Ukrainian activist emphasised that the existence of resistance groups like these is important not only to break the Russian propaganda but also to make Ukrainians feel that they are not alone.

We are receiving a lot of messages from people, even those who are not in the group, saying thank you, I saw your poster, I feel so good because I know that I am not alone, she said.

Talking about the dire circumstances in the region, the Zla Mavka activist emphasised that these days Ukrainians in the region cant even speak to their friends or even sometimes their families.

So when they see these resistance signs, they see that they are not alone, you know, and this is very important for them. They see that, while resistance is continuing, it means that the Russians havent won yet. Because there is still resistance, and this gives them hope, she said.

In light of this, Zla Mavka has initiated a solidarity campaign in which people all over the world can join the resistance. People from all over the world, from India, also started to send us photos with their hands with the logo of the movement. We show them to activists. Its inspiring for them to know that people all over the world dont forget about them, she furthered.

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A woman with the Zla Mavka logo drawn on her hand. Firstpost via Zla Mavka

She emphasised that a lot of Ukrainians who are still living in the region because they dont have choices. Movements like these show that people who are here didnt accept Russia; they are here because they just couldnt leave their homes.

Zla Mavka up against a mighty state

The Zla Mavka activist told Firstpost that while there are no huge bombings in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, the lives of people who live here can be extremely hard. Some of these challenges are as follows:

### **The Russian 'misinformation machine'**

In May, there were reports of a sabotage of a Russian military train in Meltiopol. When asked if Zla Mavka had anything to do with it, as some reports suggested, the Ukrainian activist made it clear that the reports were huge disinformation, and they just reported on the incident.

We always say that Zla Mavaka is a non-violent resistance group. This is very important because we dont want to cause sabotage, especially with the military. We dont want to put women who joined us at risk, she said.

We just reported that some activists did this, some partisans and some media just picked this information, starting to say that this was our movement. But this is not true. The Zla Mavaka activist emphasised that disinformation like this is often useful for Russians to accuse the group of doing something violent.

Zla Mavka activist holding a botched 200 rouble. The real Crimea-themed 200 rouble note was issued by the Bank of Russia in 2017. Image Source: Zla Mavka

### **The wrath of Russian spies**

While the war is being played out in regions that are still under Ukraine, the locals in Russia-occupied territories have to navigate throught Russian wrath and intelligence. The hard thing here is Russian intelligence, FSB and other military groups that try to search all activists and not even activists, the Zla Mavaka told Firstpost.

They are hunting pro-Ukrainian people. So, you can be arrested here for a post. In social media, if you say Putin is bad or anything pro-Ukraine, you can be arrested just for this.

The Ukrainian activist noted that the group is to give its activists support in the form of tips and rules on how to be safe. The group is also writing down and documenting a lot of violence and sexual abuse against women in the region by the Russian occupiers.

Zla Maka poster in Russian Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Firstpost via Zla Mavka

I think it will be very important to document all these things, to report, to collect all information about their crimes in the occupied territories. But even to do this, you have to create a lot of safety rules for all activists who even want to share information, she said.

### **Adapting to a still evolving crisis**

With the rise of the Ukrainian resistance group in Russian-occupied territories, the Russian authorities have to change their tactics to curb the voices of the dissenters. The groups then have to adapt themselves to stay underground.

There are more agents deployed in the region, and there are more searches and cases. So they have become angrier, she said.

We are a problem for their propaganda. They are saying that people here are happy with Russia and happy to have a Russian passport. Then, when you go to the internet, you see different groups making resistance, you get a different image, the Ukrainian activist explained.

Burned newspaper featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. Image Source: Zla Mavka

They try to find, arrest, and deport people from these territories, she added. The Ukrainian activist warned that if these territories continue to remain under Russian occupation, the Russian forces will become freer when it comes to unleashing their wrath.

The resistance wont stop

Throughout the interview, the Ukrainian activist made it clear that her group would not stop resisting until the Russians leave the Ukrainian territories. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to Rome to garner support from Kyivs Western allies. While the idea of a peace deal has been floating for a while, the hope for Russias leaving the already occupied territories looks bleak.

When Firstpost asked about the grim prospects, the Zla Mavka activist said, Resistance will not stop here because the only option that we will accept is that we will be part of Ukraine again. We are Ukrainians, we would like to see Russians out of our homes. Because people will not stop resisting until then.

Zla Mavka conducting its sabotage operation in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Image Source: Zla Mavka

People here are listening to our president Zelensky a lot on the internet, for them, what he is saying is very important. They are seeing that our president is on our side, and he is doing everything he can.

The thing is that we need more support. The world should unite to kick out the Russians and put them in their place. Because the Russian invasion will not stop here in Ukraine. It will go to different countries, she said.

What Zla Mavka wants to tell the world

When asked about what Zla Mavkas message to the world is, the groups activist first started off by thanking people around the world for their support. I want to thank all of them, we hear them, we see how the international community supports Ukraine and supports people in occupied territories. We received all their messages. A lot of people all over the world, from America to India, write us messages with solidarity, with supportive words, asking how they can help, she said.

The only message I can send is that people really have power, and if we are all united, we can win against any evil. So, good guys have to win. We will continue to fight. The Ukrainian activist also had a message for US President Donald Trump, who threatened 100% sanctions against Russia earlier this week.

Zla Mavka posters. Image Source: Zla Mavka

We really hope that finally he understands who Putin is and that Putin is just a big liar. Maybe he just doesnt have enough information about things that are going on here, especially the occupation with all the crimes of Russians here. We dont have any messages, just hope, she concluded.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nations 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States read more

US President Donald Trumps administration is empowering the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) even more after it was revealed that the body will be given access to the personal data of the nations 79 million Medicaid enrollees. The data would include home addresses and ethnicities, and is intended to track down immigrants who may not be living in the United States legally, The Associated Press reported.

The information will give ICE officials the ability to find the location of aliens across the country, says the agreement obtained by The Associated Press on Monday. The agreement was signed between the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security and has not been publicly announced as of now.

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The extraordinary disclosure of millions of such personal health data to deportation officials is the latest escalation in the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, which has repeatedly tested legal boundaries in its effort to arrest 3,000 people daily.

The backlash that followed

Lamakers and some CMS officials are challenging the legality of the ICE officials getting access to some states Medicaid enrollee data. ICE will use the CMS data to allow ICE to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE, the agreement says.

The US Health and Human Services (HHS) came out in defence of the agreement. HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard told The Guardian.

With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority  and in full compliance with all applicable laws  to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them, Hillard added.

It is important to note that the agreement does not allow ICE officials to download the data. Instead, they will be allowed to access it for a limited period from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until September 9. They are trying to turn us into immigration agents, a CMS official who asked to remain anonymous told AP.

The move came two months after the Trump administration defended the data-sharing agreement as part of an effort to ensure undocumented migrants who are not eligible for the program did not receive benefits. President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries, said the DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin at that time.

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To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans," McLaughlin furthered.

It is pertinent to note that undocumented migrants are generally not eligible for Medicaid, and only some lawfully present migrants may obtain coverage under the program. According to the healthcare research non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, eligible noncitizen immigrants represent only about 6 per cent of people currently enrolled in Medicaid.

This is a privacy violation of unprecedented proportions and betrayal of trust, as the government has explicitly said, for decades, that this information will never be used for immigration enforcement, said Ben DAvanzo, a healthcare strategist at the National Immigration Law Centre on X.

With inputs from The Associated Press.
Israel has agreed to grant Syrian forces restricted access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days, an Israeli official said on Friday, following days of violence in and around Syrias Druze city of Sweida.

According to Syrias official news agency, the interior ministry spokeswoman claimed on Friday that government forces were not prepared to redeploy to Sweida Province.
Google has released Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 update, after the roll-out of the QPR1 Beta 2.1 update last month. This brings July 2025 Android security patch, and bug fixes.

The Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 brings magnify keyboard feature, adds shortcuts to quickly pin or unpin apps from the taskbar, and also gets new features from the July 2025 Android Canary release such as new screen saver features, enhanced HDR brightness option, and more.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 also resolves the top issues that are described in the following list.

An issue around RTOS task list corruption that was causing restarts.

Launcher not completely displaying

Notification display issues

The media player in the notification pulldown fails to fully display and function.

Full phone restart due to class loader issues

Kernel issue causing restarts

Camera non-functional at startup with black screen

Status bar icons missing corner padding

Notification shade message folding breaks

Availability

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 is available for Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 8 and 9 series, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel a-series devices. Devices enrolled in the Android 16 Beta program will automatically get the update over the air.
OpenAI has launched its most advanced system yet  a ChatGPT agent that can plan, reason, and perform multi-step tasks across the web and apps using integrated tools. The agent introduces a new layer of AI automation with features like browsing, terminal access, file editing, and API integration  all executed securely through a virtual computer.

What Is the ChatGPT Agent?

This agentic system builds on ChatGPTs existing tools by allowing the AI to think, decide, and act independently. It uses a sandboxed virtual machine to complete tasks safely, switching between tools like a web browser, Python code interpreter, terminal, and file system.

The system is designed to automate workflows across work, research, and productivity, while keeping users in control at every step. OpenAI said the agent doesnt just respond to prompts  it can break down complex instructions, plan the steps needed, execute each part autonomously, and notify users when finished.

What Can It Do?

According to OpenAI, the ChatGPT agent is built for real-world use cases and productivity scenarios. Key capabilities include:

Planning and Task Execution  Splits complex instructions into steps, executes them one by one, and adapts based on results

Tool Integration  Switches between browser, terminal, code interpreter, and file tools during execution

Web Browsing with Actions  Searches the web, logs into websites (with approval), downloads files, and extracts or summarizes information

API and App Access  Interacts with services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, and GitHub to automate tasks

Multi-Step Reports  Can create slide decks, fill spreadsheets, analyze CSVs, and generate end-to-end reports

File Editing & Terminal Use  Navigates directories, reads files, writes scripts, runs commands, and edits documents

Safety, Privacy, and User Controls

OpenAI emphasized that safety is built into every layer of the agents operation. Key safeguards include:

User review required for all irreversible actions (e.g., submitting forms, making purchases)

Virtual browsing sandbox prevents direct access to passwords, banking info, or sensitive credentials

Session control  users can view, pause, or cancel the agents activity at any point

Built-in resistance to misuse in sensitive domains like chemistry, biology, or cybersecurity

Auditability  full task history is available for transparency

OpenAI said users remain in full control throughout each session and can disable agent access at any time.

Benchmarks and Performance

The ChatGPT agent sets new benchmark records across multiple test suites:

Achieved a 41.6% pass@1 on HumanEval, compared to 35.7% before.

FrontierMath: 27.4% accuracy  highest among public models

Led performance in AutoDemos, SimulEval, and Multi-hop Retrieval for data and spreadsheet tasks.

Shows improved results in multi-step planning, coding, and reasoning tests.

OpenAI said these performance gains reflect the agents ability to handle professional-grade workflows across data, research, and coding.

Limitations and Whats Coming Next

Despite its advanced capabilities, the agent has several current limitations:

Slide decks are basic  layout and formatting are not polished

Spreadsheets may contain errors  issues with formatting and data consistency

Clarification may be needed  agent may misunderstand ambiguous or layered instructions

Tool switching can lag  depending on complexity, execution may slow between steps

Make incorrect decisions.

Full automation is limited  critical actions always require user input

OpenAI expects upcoming updates will improve:

Slide and visual formatting

Spreadsheet accuracy and formula handling

Tool coordination fluidity

Reliability of complex, multi-step tasks

The company said it also plans to expand support to the EEA and Switzerland, and further strengthen memory, reasoning, and multi-modal integration.

Availability and Access

OpenAI will roll out the ChatGPT agent in phases beginning July 17, 2025.

ChatGPT Pro users get 400 messages per month with agent access.

Plus and Team users get 40 messages/month; top-ups are available

Enterprise and Education customers will gain access in upcoming updates

The system replaces the earlier Operator beta, and integrates with Deep Research, which now runs directly within ChatGPT

Users can manage the agent through settings and are notified when its active or has completed a task.
Lumio that entered the Indian market just two months ago, has reported significant achievements during Amazon Prime Day 2025. The brand, which launched its Lumio Vision Series a short time prior, has drawn attention for its performance in the competitive consumer electronics sector.

Key metrics reported by Lumio include:

Lumio Vision  Smart TVs:

12X Growth: Lumio reported a 12-fold increase in sales during Prime Day 2025 compared to its business-as-usual (BAU) figures.

Lumio reported a 12-fold increase in sales during Prime Day 2025 compared to its business-as-usual (BAU) figures. Average Selling Price (ASP): The brand stated it achieved the No. 1 ASP among Indian brands and the No. 2 ASP overall, competing with both global and Indian brands.

The brand stated it achieved the No. 1 ASP among Indian brands and the No. 2 ASP overall, competing with both global and Indian brands. Google TV QLED 43-inch Category: Lumio secured the No. 2 brand position in the Google TV QLED 43-inch category, attributed to its Vision 7 model.

Lumio Arc  Smart Projectors:

Arc 7 Launch: The Lumio Arc 7, a new Google TV Projector, launched during Prime Day and it sold out.

The Lumio Arc 7, a new Google TV Projector, launched during Prime Day and it sold out. No. 1 Google TV Projector Brand: Lumio is now positioned as the No. 1 Google TV Projector Brand in India. The Arc 7 features Netflix-certification and is marketed for its ease of use.

Lumio is now positioned as the No. 1 Google TV Projector Brand in India. The Arc 7 features Netflix-certification and is marketed for its ease of use. No. 2 Projector Brand (Above INR 20,000 Segment): The brand reached the No. 2 position in the projector segment priced above INR 20,000, with its Arc 7 model offering Full HD 1080p visuals.

Lumios success is further supported by its collaboration with Amazon. The brand noted that 70% of its buyers during the event were Prime members, and 40% of its website traffic originated from iOS users.

Lumio said that the Arc 5 projector which was launched alongside the Arc 7 will go on sale later this month on Amazon.in.

Regarding this, Raghu Reddy, CEO of Circuit House Technologies, said:

Lumio set out to spark joy in Indian homes, and the overwhelming response during Prime Day 2025 shows were on the right path. Selling out the Arc 7 as a new brand is surreal. Were grateful for the trust consumers have shown and this gives us the confidence to aim higher and build great experiences for discerning consumers.
Fine M-Tec is investing KRW 17.5 billion (USD 12.6 million approx.) in a new facility to expand its high-precision laser processing capacity and component production for the growing foldable smartphone market.

As disclosed in a filing with the Korean Exchange, the investment will run from July 17, 2025, to January 20, 2027. The investment accounts for 10.64% of the companys equity capital.

Analyst Insight: Key Points from Ming-Chi Kuos Report

Renowned industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has detailed Fine M-Tecs emerging role in Apples foldable iPhone supply chain. His latest findings, shared on X (formerly Twitter), indicate that the device will use crease-minimizing display panels developed by Samsung Display, with Fine M-Tec supplying essential structural components.

Apple Turns to Samsung Displays Flexible Panels

Apple is expected to rely on Samsung Displays crease-free panel technology instead of creating its own, in order to ensure stable mass production of the foldable iPhone, targeted for late 2026. Fine M-Tec, which supplies internal support plates for these displays, is set to benefit significantly from this decision.

Engineering Out the Crease

Kuo notes that crease formation is typically caused by repeated stress at the fold point. Fine M-Tecs components redirect stress across the panel to limit fatigue and deformation, engineered to align closely with the displays folding action.

New Production Capacity in Vietnam

The company aims to begin shipping these structural components in the first quarter of 2026. Each unit is expected to be priced between USD 30 and 35. Shipment volumes could reach 1315 million units in 2026, accounting for yield losses and repair stock. The company could hold over 80% of the total supply share, according to Kuo.

Shift to Laser Drilling for Higher Precision

To meet Apples more demanding crease-resistance standards, Fine M-Tec will switch from conventional etching to laser drilling in its manufacturing process. This approach enables the creation of microstructures that better control stress distribution, resulting in improved durability and higher average selling prices compared to etched parts.

Samsung Foldables Add Near-Term Momentum

In addition to Apple, Fine M-Tec continues to supply components for Samsungs foldables. Kuo projects Samsungs Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 shipments will reach about 7 million units in 2025a 40% increase over the previous yearboosting demand for display metal plates in the near term.

Whats Next

Fine M-Tecs new facility investment reflects its broader strategy to support upcoming demand from both Apple and Samsung. As recorded in the filing, the board approved the investment on July 17, 2025.

Further announcements are expected as production plans evolve heading into the second half of 2026.

Source 1, 2
Google's AI gives a pretty good answer if you search: "FE 390 vs 360 pin height" AI will report the pin heights, and rod lengths are different. If I was you, I would stick with a kit meant for a 360 or as mentioned, you will have unintended low compression, that will run sub-par compared to dialing in the compression and squish, depending on the head chamber size and piston's design.For the amount of time to pull out, tear apart, machine, and rebuild, it's not worth the $200 savings for the extra hassle. A decent set of pistons will set you back. If you are cost constrained, plan on 20% contingency on the extra items, like replacement fluids, cleaning supplies, additional tools, and all the stuff you find along the way that you didn't think of that "while I'm at it" tends to creep in.



I would assume the lower price just reflects market conditions of supply and demand. Maybe there's just that much more 390 interest than 360; making the 360 stuff harder to come by (lower inventories).



If you're caught up in the performance end of things, you can always look at a new intake and headers to help her breath- easy external bolt-ons that can be re-used on a 390, if you decide in the future to build a 390. Honestly though, the cost of the crank, rods, and pistons IS the price to pay for the upgrade and in the grand scheme of engine building, not a huge increase in overall project cost if you stick with a cast crank and pistons; you'll kick yourself later for not spending the extra $$, if you can- always wondering if the 390 upgrade would have been a better choice; not saying the extra cubes do all that much, but it will be in your head, psychologically speaking.
Xinjiang airport records soaring cross-border trips amid opening-up push

Xinhua) 10:25, July 18, 2025

URUMQI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 500,000 trips to or from China have been recorded in 2025 at the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region -- the highest figure for the January-July period in a decade.

By Monday, foreign nationals had made more than 146,000 trips to China via the airport this year, which was a year-on-year increase of 30 percent, according to statistics from the airport's immigration authorities. Of those trips, 39,000 were visa-free entries.

Approximately 40 percent of these foreign visitors were traveling for tourism, the immigration authorities said, noting that business and visits to relatives or friends were the second and third most common reasons for border entry among foreigners.

The airport's passenger and cargo capacities received a major boost when a new terminal began operations three months ago. The new terminal is a key part of the airport's expansion project, which began in 2019.

With the expansion, the airport now has three runways -- a significant increase from its previous one -- and can accommodate up to 48 million passengers and 550,000 tonnes of cargo annually. It is now capable of supporting nearly 367,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings each year.

"As an air transport hub for China's westward opening-up, the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport is making progress in various aspects, boosting the high-standard opening-up of the country's northwest region," said He Mingxing, a scholar at Xinjiang University.

The new terminal is a representative of the rapid development of civil aviation infrastructure in Xinjiang.

And with the Barkol Dahe Airport officially beginning operations on Tuesday, Xinjiang's total number of civil airports has risen to 28 -- the highest among all provincial-level regions in China.

As the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Xinjiang has been working hard to accelerate its airport construction. The number of airports in the region -- both operational and under construction -- is expected to reach 33 by the end of 2025.

Many international travelers come to China to buy goods like daily necessities and electronic devices, and airports in Xinjiang have been enhancing their consumption experience and tax-refund-upon-departure services for these visitors.

At the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, a 24-hour outlet and self-service counter are in place to facilitate these services.

"We processed a total of 168 tax-refund-upon-departure transactions by July 12, which was an increase of more than 500 percent from the same period last year," said Liu Jiawei, head of the outlet, which is operated by a local bank.

Xinjiang is not only an important window for China's westward opening-up; it also has the potential to become a consumption hub connecting Central Asian countries with the Chinese market, and to play a more strategic role in enhancing an outward-looking economy, He said.

(Tang Ziqiao and Wang Yijia also contributed to the story.)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
The Grand Junction City Council has enacted a moratorium on all regulations and enforcement of group living facilities within the city in order to comply with a state law that took effect last year.

The City Council met for its regular meeting Wednesday and passed the moratorium, which will last for one year or until the council can pass regulations that would comply with the new state law.

Planning Manager Niki Galehouse said the law, called the HOME ACT, does not allow local governments to limit the number of people who may live together based on familial relationship. It only allows local governments to implement residential occupancy limits based on demonstrated health and safety standards.

There remains some uncertainty around how the HOME Act may affect group living uses, Galehouse said. So to allow time for further evaluation, this ordinance establishing a moratorium on enforcement of the citys group living regulations is being presented.

Council Member Anna Stout said she wanted to make it clear to the community that the city did not have a choice in enacting this moratorium because of the new state law.

I just want to make sure that it is clear that the message to our community is that our hands are tied by the state and by the law enacted by the Legislature and that this is an unintended consequence of the law, which often happens when good intentions get in the way of good policy-making, Stout said.

City Attorney John Shaver said the city will continue to look into how it could implement some regulations around group living while still complying with state law. He also said the state Legislature may revisit this law at its next session.

Stout said the city was aware of concerns from residents about certain types of group homes being located in their neighborhoods and that it was not giving up on providing regulations for group living facilities.

I want to make sure that its clear to the community that the concerns about specific kinds of group homes being located in their neighborhoods are not falling on deaf ears and that we are committed  to continuing to look for ways that the city might be able to provide a certain level of reassurance and structure and regulation for those kinds of uses that may cause concern for neighbors and neighborhoods, Stout said.

A recent example of residents raising concerns about this issue came earlier this year when neighbors of a group living facility called A Special Place had raised concerns about the facility. The home, owned by Mayor Cody Kennedy, was rented out to a nonprofit that provided supportive housing for people in the criminal justice system.

The City Council passed the moratorium unanimously. Kennedy recused himself from the vote.
Mon Monday

92 /68

Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the upper 60s.
Contracts

Contracts For July 17, 2025

ARMY

AGM Marine Contractors Inc.,* New Bedford, Massachusetts (W912EP-25-D-0011); Ahtna Marine & Construction Co. LLC,* Boynton Beach, Florida (W912EP-25-D-0012); Atlantic & Gulf Dredging & Marine LLC,* Indiantown, Florida (W912EP-25-D-0013); Coastal Dredging Co. Inc.,* Hammond, Louisiana (W912EP-25-D-0014); Cottrell Contracting Corp.,* Chesapeake, Virginia (W912EP-25-D-0015); Next Generation Logistics LLC,* New Orleans, Louisiana (W912EP-25-D-0016); Southern Dredging Co., Inc.,* Charleston, South Carolina (W912EP-25-D-0017); Southwind Construction Corp.,* Evansville, Indiana (W912EP-25-D-0018); and Waterfront Property Services LLC, doing business as Gator Dredging,* Clearwater, Florida (W912EP-25-D-0019), will compete for each order of the $400,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 17, 2030. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $377,998,800 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement, installation, maintenance, and service of building automation systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 16, 2030. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-25-D-A008).

QED Systems LLC,* Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, was awarded a $76,366,018 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for positioning, navigation and timing product support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2030. Fiscal 2025 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $1,709,470 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-25-F-0102).

Water Resources Associates, Tampa, Florida (W912DY-25-D-A001); Poly Inc., Dothan, Alabama (W912DY-25-D-A003); The Mason and Hanger Group Inc., Lexington, Kentucky (W912DY-25-D-A004); Benham Design LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (W912DY-25-D-A005); and AECOM Garver CEHNC JV, Houston, Texas (W912DY-25-D-A006), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineering services in support of range construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 25,2030. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Cottrell Contracting Corp.,* Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $9,639,180 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Lewes, Delaware, with an estimated completion date of May 24, 2027. Fiscal 2022, 2023, and 2025 civil operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,639,180 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-25-C-A009).

American Mine Services LLC,* Lafayette, Colorado, was awarded a $8,439,911 firm-fixed-price contract for dam generator water cooling system rehabilitation. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Rufus, Oregon, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2027. Fiscal 2025 Bonneville Power Administration funds in the amount of $8,439,911 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, is the contracting activity (W9127N-25-C-A041).

NAVY

EWA Government Systems Inc. (EWA GSI), Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $63,678,054 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0042125C0030). This contract provides technical support, upgrade, sustainment, and modeling and simulation support for EWA GSI proprietary stimulator and simulation systems installed in the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) ground test sites. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (90%); and Herndon, Virginia (10%), and is expected to be completed in July 2030. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,369,450 will be obligated at the time of the award. This contract was not competed pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. NAVAIR, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Global PCCI, Irvine, California, is awarded a $36,600,000 cost-plus-award-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-19-D-4323) for the Emergency Ship Salvage Material system. This modification increases the contract ordering ceiling from $330,200,000 to $366,800,000. Work will be performed in Irvine, California; and other locations worldwide, and is expected to be completed by March 2026. No funding will be obligated at the time of award; all funding will be made available at the task or delivery order level as contracting actions occur. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded $14,475,800 for a ceiling-priced delivery order (N00383-25-F-YY26) under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-22-G-YY01) for the manufacture of spares for 54 trailing edge flap shrouds used on the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option provision. Work will be performed in Hazelwood, Missouri (97%); and St. Louis, Missouri (3%). Work is expected to be completed by September 2029. Fiscal 2025 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $7,289,142 will be obligated at the time of award as an undefinitized contract action, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded an $8,274,168 cost-plus-fixed fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N0016421GWS42); (N0016425FW016) for engineering, logistics, and repair services for the EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack Suite and P-8A AN/ALQ-240 systems and all variants/derivatives of these systems. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (90%); Bethpage, New York (8%); and San Diego, California (2%), and is expected to be completed by December 2026. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $605,000 (32%); Foreign Military Sales (Australia) funds in the amount of $406,207 (21%); fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $200,000 (10%); and reimbursable funds in the amount of $700,152 (37%), will be obligated at time of award, of which $605,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016421GWS42; N0016425FW016).

Bath Iron Works (BIW), Bath, Maine (N00024-22-C-2318); and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII Ingalls), Pascagoula, Mississippi (N00024-22-C-2319), are each being awarded a cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously-awarded contracts to exercise options for the accomplishment of shipbuilder engineering and design analysis to produce design products in support of the Guided Missile Destroyer preliminary design and contract design. BIW work will be performed in Bath/Brunswick, Maine (99%); and Washington, D.C. (1%), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. HII Ingalls work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi (84%); Avondale, Louisiana (12%); and Newport News, Virginia (4%), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. If all options are exercised, work will continue through July 2028 for each respective contract. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds will be obligated at the time of award for each contract and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year; and fiscal 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds, will be obligated at time of award for each contract and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

*Small business

https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4248652/

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Allies strengthen maritime security in the Mediterranean Sea during Operation Sea Guardian deployment

NATO Allied Maritime Command

Jul 15 2025

Mediterranean Sea -- NATO has concluded another successful focused operation under Operation Sea Guardian (OSG), reinforcing maritime situational awareness, counter-terrorism efforts, and cooperation with regional Allies and partners in the Mediterranean Sea.

During the focused operation, Allied ships and aircraft conducted coordinated patrols, facilitating information exchange while enhancing situational awareness of commercial shipping patterns to maintain a comprehensive maritime picture and deter illicit activity at sea.

While patrolling the Eastern Mediterranean, Hellenic Special Operation Forces (SOF) and the Georgian Boarding team aboard HS Elli (F450) conducted joint training on CPR and Tactical Combat Casualty Care. Teams exchanged insights about the administration of first aid, operating equipment, and small unit training, boosting readiness and interoperability for future operations.

"Assuming the command of a NATO Task Group was a great honour," said Hellenic Navy Captain Vasilios Stathoulias, who commanded the OSG task group. "During these past three weeks, we operated together with all Allied forces and partners as a team. Through our commitment and professionalism, we enhanced maritime situational awareness and promoted maritime security across the Eastern Mediterranean while acting as a deterrent against terrorism. Therefore, I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to all participants. Your contribution was vital to the success of Operation Sea Guardian. With these efforts, NATO is making our seas safer and our Alliance stronger."

During the deployment, OSG units focused on three core tasks; Maritime situational awareness - gathering and sharing real-time data to ensure a shared understanding of activity in the Mediterranean. Counter-terrorism at sea - conducting patrols and hailing operations to prevent the use of the maritime domain for terrorist activity. Capacity building - engaging with regional navies and coastguards to strengthen interoperability and readiness.

OSG continues to serve as a flexible, non-Article 5 maritime security operation, complementing NATO's broader deterrence and defence posture. This recent deployment once again demonstrates NATO's commitment to safeguarding key sea lines of communication, supporting Allies, and fostering regional cooperation.

As global maritime challenges persist, Operation Sea Guardian helps to ensure the Mediterranean remains a secure and stable environment for all shipping.

Story by Public Affairs Office at MARCOM

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Ground forces remain critical amid service transformation says Army leader

By Joe Lacdan, Army News Service July 16, 2025

WASHINGTON -- As the Army moves forward with its efforts to transform the force, one aspect of war remains constant: the importance of putting Soldiers on the ground, an Army leader said.

Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, stressed the importance of troops in the trenches and deterrence during a recent Association of the U.S. Army discussion in Washington. Each Soldier will play a critical role, not only in the defense of partner nations but any location worldwide.

"When you look at the Army transformation initiative, this epitomizes everything that we have to do as an Army," Donahue said. "It's our job to make sure that we have ground deterrence in Europe. We're a global Army; we have to be able to take this capability anywhere in the world."

Donahue cited the 1963 book, "This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History," by historian T.R. Fehrenbach on the importance of ground forces.

"Nobody can replace Roman legions," he said. "If you want to win, you have to put people on the ground. That will not change. You have to have brigade combat teams, and they have to be incredibly well trained."

Donahue stressed that the service must operate as a global Army and continually bolster interoperability with other branches and international allies.

Donahue said that strategic competitors reside in some of the most challenging Anti-Access/Area Denial or A2/AD region in the world. particularly in Belarus and St. Petersburg, Russia .

Nations will use defense systems and long-range weapons to deter or limit U.S. forces from entering or operating within a specific area or region. The strategy prevents an attacker from entering a contested region and operating freely and maximizing its power.

"That umbrella allows Russia to build a mass and momentum problem and enormous amount of capability," he said. "You have these [Anti-Access/Area Denial] abilities that let them get underneath and deny you the ability to bring everything that you need to bear from a joint perspective . They have mass and momentum on you," he said. "You have very limited space to maneuver. So how do you destroy that? How do you get to deterrence?"

Donahue said U.S. forces have laid the blueprint to achieve that capability and recently presented it to Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Army European Command leader and industry partners.

Donahue said that they have the blueprint and technology but must now share data and build the capability.

"You have a coalition effort, which means you now have to have interoperability, you have to communicate, and you have to do it at a speed that we've never had to do," he added.

To prepare for large scale, multi-domain ground combat, the Army has merged the 56th Artillery Command in Wiesbaden, Germany with the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force to combine long range fires capabilities with multi-domain assets. The Army has tested its multi-domain capabilities with the units in exercises that included Arcane Thunder 25.

The service hosted Arcane Thunder in May at Mainz-Kastel and Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The Army recently completed exercises Immediate Response 25 and Defender 25. Immediate response is a large-scale exercise that focuses specifically on cyber defense and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives. With more than 12,000 participants from U.S. forces and eight partner nations, the exercise included a multi-national live fire, a cyber simulation and water crossing.

During Defender 25 more than 25,000 troops from the U.S., NATO and allies took part in the mass exercise, which tests Soldiers' ability to rapidly deploy to Europe.

The efforts coincide with the service's larger initiative, "Transformation in Contact" or TiC, where the service rapidly integrates new technology to its formations using cost effective methods. The effort encourages innovation and experimentation in its training.

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Sustainment is key to deterrence on NATO's Eastern Flank

By Staff Sgt. Daniel Yeadon July 16, 2025

WIESBADEN, Germany -- As NATO adapts to an evolving security environment, Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, emphasized the central role of sustainment in supporting deterrence efforts on the Eastern Flank during a Warrior's Corner session at the LANDEURO conference, July 16, 2025.

Hosted in Wiesbaden, the conference brought together senior U.S. and Allied leaders, logisticians, and industry partners to discuss joint sustainment strategies in support of NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Line.

Ragin opened the session by highlighting the importance of preparation and the enduring value of mass in large-scale conflict.

"Mass still matters," Ragin said. "Throughout history, we've never quite gotten it right, the amount of ammunition and war materiel needed to sustain major operations. We can't afford to relearn that lesson."

Alongside Ragin, Brig. Gen. Ronald Rietbergen from Joint Forces Command - Brunssum, Col. Valdo Veski from the Estonian Defense Forces, and Mr. Shon Monasco of Palantir outlined a roadmap for enhancing sustainment in Europe. The discussion focused on key areas: data integration, mission command, forward production, and the necessity of distributed logistics.

Referencing the war in Ukraine, Ragin noted that fixed logistics nodes and large formations have become vulnerable in modern warfare.

"We operate on a battlefield where if you can be seen, you can be killed," he said. "That changes everything for logisticians. Convoys and centralized depots are no longer survivable. We have to rethink how we distribute and sustain."

Rietbergen echoed those concerns, pointing out the risk of self-induced congestion and emphasizing the need for smaller, dispersed sustainment zones supported by real-time data.

"We don't need an enemy if we can't move our own supplies efficiently," Rietbergen said. "Prepositioning and visibility are key. If we don't know where our stocks are, we lose."

NATO recently selected the Maven Smart System for shared mission command and logistics visibility. Panelists agreed that the platform is only as good as the data it receives.

"Maven isn't magic," Rietbergen added. "We need discipline to populate it correctly. Otherwise, it won't deliver the information our fighters need."

Veski, head of logistics for Estonia, underscored the urgency for frontline nations.

"For us, logistics is deterrence," he said. "We must know where our supplies are and how to move them quickly. That requires data and coordination across the alliance."

Ragin also stressed the importance of producing equipment forward in Europe and reducing reliance on transatlantic resupply.

"Wartime production is happening in Russia. Many of our allies aren't even close," he said. "We have to build capacity here in the theater and figure out how to co-produce with our partners. That includes munitions, spare parts, and even maintenance capabilities."

The session was closed with a challenge to leaders across NATO.

"If we had just one year left before conflict, would we be doing the right things today?" Ragin asked. "Are we leveraging our partnerships, pushing industry hard enough, and preparing our logisticians for the fight ahead? Because time is not on our side."

The LANDEURO conference continues this week, bringing together multinational military leaders to advance NATO's transformation efforts under the theme, "Transforming with Allies for the Future Fight."

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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

16 July 2025

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

** Informal Meeting on Cyprus

Just a programming note, first, as you all know, following the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that was held in Geneva on 17-18 March this year, the Secretary-General is convening another meeting that will get under way later today and tomorrow with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as representatives of the guarantor Powers of Greece, Turkiye and the United Kingdom. The informal meeting will start with a welcome dinner this evening, here at Headquarters.

The meeting will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since the meeting in March.

Tomorrow morning, the Secretary-General will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations. This will be followed by a plenary meeting and a working lunch. The concluding session will take place tomorrow afternoon.

I also want to flag that this evening, at 6:50 p.m., there will be a photo opportunity ahead of the welcome dinner. If any of your photographers or camera people want to cover it, please go to MALU offices at least 30 minutes in advance. There will also be another couple of photo opportunities tomorrow, which will all be in the media alert that will go out.

** Syria

Turning to the events that we are seeing unfolding in Syria, particularly in Suweida. I can tell you that the Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Suweida, which has reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including civilians, and injured and displaced many more.

The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and robs the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and for reconciliation after 14 years of a brutal conflict.

The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to all Syrians and reiterates his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence and urgent measures to restore calm and facilitate humanitarian access.

The Secretary-General does take note of the statement issued earlier today by the Office of the Presidency of Syria condemning the violations and committing to investigating and holding to account those responsible for them. We reiterate the Secretary-General's appeal for transparency in this process.

The Secretary-General further condemns Israel's escalatory air strikes on Suweida, Daraa and in the centre of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as reports of the Israel Defence Forces' redeployment of forces in the Golan. He calls for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

The Secretary-General reiterates that it is imperative to support a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

** Syria  Humanitarian

I also wanted to tell you that our Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is working the phones in the midst of this crisis, and his deputy, Najat Rochdi, is in Damascus and is actively in communications with various parties.

On the humanitarian front, our colleagues are warning that the deadly hostilities continue to put civilians at risk, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks.

Our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said that we and our humanitarian partners plan to send a delegation to assess the needs and provide essential assistance in Suweida, as soon as the conditions allow, and in full cooperation with the relevant authorities.

Our humanitarian colleagues also warn that access to the impacted areas remains severely constrained due to insecurity and due to road closures. Civilians are reportedly unable to reach facilities designated as collective shelters.

In parallel to this, our partners warn that medical services are overstretched, including in neighbouring Daraa Governorate, where hospitals are almost at capacity. The World Health Organization has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa to support trauma care that exists there. Deliveries to Suweida remain pending obviously due to security access.

** Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that small quantities of fuel entered Gaza yesterday via the Kerem Shalom crossing, severe supply shortages continue to threaten to halt our operations to support vital facilities such as hospitals, medical points and other type of equipment, including telecommunications, water, desalination plants and sewage treatment plants.

Yesterday, in northern Gaza, our partners rehabilitated a well, to try to address the critical water shortages. Although this will hopefully support patients and medical staff with hundreds of cubic metres every day, it is far from sufficient to meet people's needs.

We and our partners also reiterate that hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel are critically needed every single day to help alleviate the crisis and address the dire situation that we tell you about every day.

Meanwhile, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also warn that amid the ongoing hostilities and deepening hunger, people are still risking their lives to access the trickle of food and other essential items allowed in for their survival. Just this morning, we've seen horrific reports of dozens of people killed or injured at one of the Israeli-militarized food distribution hubs.

In the past week, severe injuries continued to be reported among people seeking aid. The World Health Organization reported one instance where a 21-year-old man was paralysed for life after being shot while trying to collect a bag of flour from one of these militarized food distribution hubs. That's only one of the many heart-breaking stories, as you can imagine, there are so many others.

Meanwhile, months of escalating hostilities have increased risks for the most vulnerable, including people with disabilities and older people, who struggle to access what they need to survive and become even more isolated.

More than 80 per cent of people with disabilities in Gaza have lost wheelchairs, they have lost hearing aids, they have lost walkers and many other devices that they need to live their lives. That's what a survey done by one of our partners is telling us. With their mobility restricted, the denial of access to humanitarian aid, discrimination, stigmatization and exposure to explosive ordnance are only some of the many challenges vulnerable people face.

Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund warns that domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse are on the rise. Several safe spaces, which offer shelter, psychological support and coping mechanisms for women and girls, have shut down or are functioning at reduced capacity.

UNFPA tells us that the conditions in Gaza are harrowing for women and girls. Pregnant women are delivering their babies in the dark, with no electricity or no skilled care to address potential complications.

This week, in Al Mawasi and Gaza city, our partners treated more than 1,200 pregnant and breastfeeding women and children with severe and moderate malnutrition in their clinics.

Our colleagues on the ground tell us that after four months of sweeping Israeli restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, nearly all displacement sites report people sleeping in the open, with no means of protection. No shelter supplies have been allowed to enter in this period.

We once again underscore that this catastrophic situation must end. A ceasefire is long overdue. We need massive amounts of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza now, and we need to see all of the hostages released now.

** Security Council

At 3 p.m. this afternoon, the Security Council will convene for an open briefing on the situation in the region [Middle East].

Tom Fletcher, our Emergency Relief Coordinator, will brief the council, as will Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF.

They will update on the humanitarian situation.

** MH17 tragedy

A number of you had asked about the upcoming anniversary of the MH17 downing and I can tell you that tomorrow, we will mark the eleventh anniversary of the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine and the 298 lives tragically lost on that day.

The Secretary-General stands in full solidarity with the families of the victims, and he honours their memory. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 2166, the Secretary-General urges all States to extend their full cooperation to ensure that those responsible are held to account, following the important work of the Joint Investigative Team.

** Sudan

Turning to Sudan, another tragic situation we cannot forget. I want to update you on the horrific situation for children. I can tell you that the threat of the spread of cholera and other diseases is looming large in parts of Sudan, as childhood immunization rates are plummeting to their lowest levels in decades.

According to data published by our colleagues at the World Health Organization and UNICEF, more than half of all infants in Sudan, that's at least 880,000 babies and toddlers, missed last year their first doses of vaccines to protect children against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Our colleagues are sounding the alarm, saying this is the lowest immunization rate in the country in over 40 years. Vaccine coverage has dropped from 94 per cent in 2022 to just 48 per cent [last] year. From 94 per cent to 48 per cent.

This sharp decline, driven by the ongoing conflict, obviously, is fuelling outbreaks of deadly but preventable diseases such as measles and polio.

Despite the enormous access challenges, UNICEF delivered 16 million doses of vaccines for children under the age of 1 in the first half of this year, including more than 3.5 million doses that went to Darfur. But far more is needed to avert a deepening public health catastrophe.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues warn that the cholera outbreak in North Darfur State is intensifying. In the locality of Tawila, which hosts about 330,000 human beings displaced from Zamzam camp that were displaced since April, more than 300 cases have been reported in just over two weeks, according to our partners on the ground. With limited treatment facilities, the rising number of severe cases is overwhelming health workers.

In the locality of Um Keddada in North Darfur State, a separate suspected cholera outbreak linked to contaminated water has already reportedly claimed five lives. To make things worse, there are no treatment centres left in the area, and health facilities are not functioning. The ongoing movement of people raises the risk of further spread, including towards West Kordofan State.

And worsening the situation even further, severe funding shortfalls are depriving the most vulnerable in Sudan of the much-needed support. In Northern State, the closure of two mobile clinics at the border between Egypt and Sudan on July 14th left displaced people without access to basic healthcare. The clinics had served some 2,700 people since mid-May, but the funds needed to keep them open have now run dry.

We continue to call for urgent funding to help scaling up the required assistance and responding to the growing humanitarian needs across Sudan.

As a reminder, Sudan is in the midst of the rainy season, which obviously increases fears of the spread of diseases, but also the lean season, when already devastating levels of hunger could rise further.

** Haiti

Turning to the situation in Haiti, where we once again warn that hunger continues to deepen across the country. The food crisis is compounded by ongoing violence, which is disrupting local food production in areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department. These regions are often referred to as Haiti's breadbaskets.

As we mentioned, as of May, more than 5.7 million people in Haiti are estimated to be food insecure, with many unable to meet their basic food needs. That's what our humanitarian colleagues are telling us.

We and our partners are responding wherever and whenever we can. Between January and May, more than 1.1 million people have received emergency food distributions, while nearly 247,000 others received support to restore their agricultural livelihoods or strengthening their resilience. In addition, 242,000 people sheltering at displacement sites received hot meals.

But overall, we have been able to reach just 38 per cent of the people we aim to support on food security this year  that's 1.33 million out of 3.4 million in total. This is due to ongoing violence, to insecurity, severe underfunding of the response and the obvious access challenges.

As of today, Haiti remains, unfortunately and sadly, the least-funded of the many humanitarian appeals that we coordinate. Funding shortfalls for food security in Haiti are even more extreme  with just over 2 per cent of the $425 million we need received to date.

OCHA continues to work closely with partners to scale up food assistance. However, we just need more money to do our work to reach those people who need it.

** Myanmar

Lastly, and another humanitarian tragedy. I can tell you that in Myanmar, we continue to be deeply concerned over the plight of civilians caught up in an intensifying conflict.

Over the weekend, a displacement camp was reportedly hit by an air strike in Northern Shan State, resulting in casualties.

Last Friday, an air strike reportedly struck a monastery in Sagaing Township, killing 22 people and injuring at least 50 others. The monastery had been providing shelter to displaced people who had fled nearby villages.

These incidents are part of a broader pattern of attacks affecting people across Myanmar. There are frequent reports of people being killed, injured or displaced by violence  as well as increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The insecurity obviously impacts our ability to deliver humanitarian assistance to people in need.

Humanitarian needs are on the rise, with one in three people in Myanmar now facing acute hunger, and the current monsoon season having caused flooding.

We urgently, and once again, call on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law.

** Questions and Answers

Spokesman : No money, no quiz, so I'll go straight to questions. Edie, Pam, and then this... [inaudible]

Question : Thank you, Steph. A quick follow-up, two quick follow-ups. One on Myanmar. Does the Secretary-General condemn these air strikes on monastery and civilians in Myanmar?

Spokesman : Clearly and unequivocally.

Question : And secondly, with the meeting tomorrow of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, you've mentioned a number of video and photo ops. Will there be any opportunity for the media to talk to both leaders, and will there be some kind of an outcome document?

Spokesman : Well, if there is, there would need to be an outcome to have a document, so let's not put anything before the horse or whatever the expression is. Let's wait to see what happens tomorrow. Yes. There will be a number of media opportunities. Those will be outlined in the media alert tomorrow. I mean, media opportunities for people like such as yourselves, Edie Lederer, to ask questions. But that'll be in the media alert, and obviously, it'll be rather fluid tomorrow. Pam?

Question : Thanks. You mentioned that the Secretary-General condemns the attacks in Syria against Druze and looks, you know, is happy about the cessation of tension or ceasefire that's been announced. [inaudible]

Correspondent : I didn't mention the ceasefire.

Question : You didn't mention the ceasefire. Has the Secretariat, anyone, attempted to reach out to the new Government about, I mean, I know you're condemning it, but about [inaudible] Druze, Christian [inaudible].

Spokesman : I mean, this has been a recurring message that both Mr. [Geir] Pedersen [Special Envoy for Syria] has delivered when he was in Damascus, and its constant message that his deputy, Najat Rochdi, also continues to deliver.

Correspondent : That's all I need. Thank you.

Spokesman : Beisan.

Question : You did read a statement condemning the strikes that happened today. But just going back probably to some of the statements coming out of the Israeli Government basically calling for the elimination of the interim President of Syria given the air strikes. Is there like something else you can add?

Spokesman : I think I was asked a question about the statement from an Israeli minister yesterday, and I think we were very clear in our condemnation of that statement. I mean, what this situation doesn't need [is] more inflammatory statements, more calling for the elimination, the killings of individuals or of groups of individuals. We've seen these ceasefires being announced and then being ignored. It is important that the fighting stops. It is important that all Syrians, regardless of their nationality, their confession, or any other criteria, feel safe and feel protected by their Government. That's why we've taken note of the announcement from the presidency about investigation. Well, obviously, we want to see the results of that investigation, and we want to see accountability. Dezhi, then Ibtisam.

Question : Also on Syria, because we know, I mean, everybody saw the air strike on this defence ministry in Damascus. Just wondering, is anybody from Secretariat reach out to Israel to talk about the escalation?

Spokesman : As I said, Mr. Pedersen is in touch with various parties.

Question : So, he also in touch with Israeli...

Spokesman : He's in touch with various parties.

Question : Okay. The Israeli Government said they are doing this because they are protecting Druze. Do you think this is a, how to say that, a good reason to launch the strike?

Spokesman : We are against any violation of Syria's territorial integrity, and I think we said that clearly. The primary responsibility of the protection of Syrians living in Syria, which includes the Druze, other minorities, whether they be Christians, Alawites or Kurds, is that of the Government of Syria.

Question : Couple of months ago, when there's regime change, I remember clearly that for several times, you said that this is a very fragile moment for Syria and Syrian people, and everybody should help Syria to rebuild their country. What about now?

Spokesman : I think what I said then applies now. Ibtisam and then Sinan.

Question : So, I have also follow-up on Syria. And are you condemned... first, on the investigation that the Syrian Government announced. From your point of view, do you believe there should be also independent investigation or...? [cross talk]

Spokesman : Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.

Question : No. And or whether you believe it's in the process that the Syrian Government is doing and your... [cross talk]

Spokesman : In line with what I said to Dezhi, the primary responsibility of protection of citizens of a country belongs to the Government. They've condemned the violations. They said they were committed to investigating and holding to account those people. I think it is important for us that there be transparency in this process. Transparency means buy-in. That means people will believe it. So, let's see what they do, and we will be keeping a close eye on that development.

Question : On Syria, too, you condemned the Israeli attacks and Suweida and Daraa and Damascus. I guess my question here, how do you think these attacks that they are not new? I mean, they... and expansion in the Golan and other places affecting your work in Syria, whether on political level or even humanitarian work and other issues?

Spokesman : Not helping, is the obvious answer. Right? It's making our political work more complicated. It's making our humanitarian work complicated. I mean, this whole situation, anywhere where there is violence, there is air strikes, makes the UN's work, both humanitarian or political, that much more challenging and complicated.

Question : My last question, I don't know if you saw an Israeli, a Jewish-Israeli professor, and he's a scholar of Holocaust and genocide studies, Omer Bartov. He published an op-ed in The New York Times talking about why he believes Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. I know that the Secretary-General, in more than one occasion, said that he's not going to give a legal opinion when it comes to the issue of genocide because he's waiting for the ICJ. But the question is, you constantly talk about past genocides last week and the importance of warning and importance of talking about this. So, why isn't he still giving his own opinion and not... why is he not giving his own opinion and not waiting until in two years or three years from now, the ICJ will give a statement?

Spokesman : There is a legal for us, it is a legal term. And the Secretary-General and past Secretaries-General have had that same opinion about labelling an event of genocide. It has not stopped him or people who work for him of speaking out loudly against what is going on in Gaza, the violations of international law that we're seeing, the killings that we're seeing, and he will continue to do so. And we're well aware of the article.

Sinan?

Question : Thank you, Steph. Also, I have a few questions on Syria. I don't know if you see there are some footages show that government forces are humiliating people from Druze community by shaving off their moustache. Can I have a comment about that, please?

Spokesman : We've seen these videos, like others, on social media and the news. They're extremely concerning, and that's why we are very much eager to follow-up with the Government on their call for an investigation and also on their commitment to hold people to account. The videos are shocking and highly, highly disturbing.

Question : One more question, if you don't mind. We know, like, this Government I mean, HTS Government has been in charge for the last several months. And since then, we saw a few massacres. Like, a few months ago, we saw a massacre against Alawites, and we saw more than 50 women are missing from Alawite community. They've been taken to Idlib, which is the HTS stronghold place, and now we see another massacre against Druze. So, the question is, does Secretary-General believe this Government, which is, I mean their background is basically Al Qaeda, can be in charge of such a country like Syria with diversity?

Spokesman : The facts are the facts. The Government is in charge. Right? And it has been widely recognized by the international community. They now have... they're in charge. And in any country, once you're in charge, you have responsibilities. And I think they need to be held to account in how they fulfil those responsibilities to all the citizens of Syria.

Question : One more follow-up, please. I know, Secretary-General, you mentioned that asked for transparency and investigation, but did United Nations or Secretary-General received any transparency or investigation from the previous incidents?

Spokesman : I will check what information our political envoy had received on that.

Kristen? So nice to see Al Jazeera share a microphone.

Question : Thank you. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on plans that have been or a proposal that's been expressed by some Israeli government officials when it comes to moving Palestinians to a zone around Rafah for humanitarian, that would limit their freedom and subject people there in order to get the... [cross talk]

Spokesman : I think I've been asked that before. We continue to stand against any plan that leads to the forced displacement of people or that gives false choices to people of either moving them into a pen, and I wouldn't use the H word for that, or staying behind and being labelled as terrorists. It's not a choice. Again, I mean, we'll keep saying it. But there is a system to help people, and we had that system. It was working to ceasefire. All we're asking is to be allowed to work again.

Alex then Linda.

Question : Thanks, Steph. I have a question on the JCPOA. Have the US or the UK, Germany or France officially notified...? [cross talk]

Spokesman : No. We have...

Question : So, it's not...

Spokesman : I checked as of yesterday. We had not received any official letter.

Thank you. Ms. Fasulo.

Question : Thank you, Steph. Apropos of Gaza, I was just wondering, I mean, we know that the Secretary-General favours, I mean, so many people favour a ceasefire there. But does he have a view in terms of what role perhaps Hamas should play in post ceasefire world?

Spokesman : Let's get a ceasefire. Let's get the hostages out. Let's get the humanitarian aid in. For our part, and we've been very clear on this, we recognize the Palestinian Authority as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people. We've always called and encouraged talks that would bring more unity to the Palestinian leadership. And then the people of Gaza and the people, Palestinians, who will need to decide the sort of government they want. Like everyone else, they have a right to choose.

Okay. Any questions online? Then I will release myself from your hold. Thank you.

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Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator - Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation on the Middle East, 16 July 2025

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

New York, 16 July 2025

As delivered

Mr. President,

I want to remind this Council why we are briefing you today.

The General Assembly gave us a humanitarian mandate - in resolution 46/182 - and a set of principles that you as Member States have asked us to uphold: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

That means aid must go where needs are greatest and without discrimination. It means we answer to civilians in need, not the warring parties.

Our mandate is also to advocate for international humanitarian law - not just to report to you on what we witness, but so that you, this Council, can take action.

Even when those responsible would rather silence us.

Mr. President,

We are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in Gaza. So let me instead share facts:

Food is running out. Those seeking it risk being shot. People are dying trying to feed their families. Field hospitals receive dead bodies, and medical workers hear stories firsthand from the injured. Day, after day, after day.

Starvation rates among children hit their highest levels in June, with over 5,800 girls and boys diagnosed as acutely malnourished.

Last week, amid this hunger crisis, children and women were killed in a strike while waiting for the food supplements to keep them alive.

And Hamas continue to hold hostages, and we have received reports of their attacks on aid workers.

The health system is shattered. Only 17 of 36 hospitals and 63 of 170 primary healthcare centres are functioning, all only partially, even as mass casualties arrive daily.

In some hospitals, five babies share one incubator. Seventy per cent of essential medicines are out of stock.

Half of all medical equipment has been damaged. Pregnant women give birth without medical care. Women and girls manage menstruation without basic sanitary supplies.

Water, sanitation systems are broken. Roughly four of every five of these facilities, including water points, are now located within militarized zones or areas under displacement orders - so, even if they are functional, they are out of reach for those who depend on them.

Mr. President,

The fuel crisis in Gaza remains at a critical threshold.

Last week, Israeli authorities agreed to allow two trucks of fuel to Gaza per day, five days a week, through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and we have some indication that approvals may increase slightly. We hope these will materialize.

This is the first time any fuel has been allowed to enter the Strip in 130 days, and still no petrol has been permitted, which fuels many ambulances and other critical services.

Two trucks provide a fraction of what's required to run essential life-sustaining services.

And even when fuel is allowed in for humanitarian purposes, our access to storing and moving it to where it is needed is not guaranteed.

Mr. President,

Turning to the West Bank, there is continued loss of life and livelihoods, movement restrictions, growing displacement.

Over the weekend, two Palestinian youths were killed in a settler attack near Ramallah. One was beaten to death; another was fatally shot. Dozens were injured. And ambulances were blocked from reaching the wounded.

Settler violence is escalating at an alarming rate, and Palestinian communities are being displaced, injured and their property damaged.

Each day this year, the UN has documented an average of four incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and their property.

In June, 100 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, the highest number in two decades.

Mr. President,

Gaza's soaring humanitarian needs must be met without drawing people into a firing line.

Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure that people have food and medical supplies.

But that is not happening. Instead, civilians are exposed to death and injury, forcible displacement, stripped of dignity.

It is for you to draw your own conclusions. But surely, we do not need to debate whether killing civilians waiting in line for life's essentials meets the responsibility to provide for civilian needs.

We are awaiting the outcome of Israel's investigation into this, and earlier incidents. I hope that you will consider whether Israel's rules of engagement incorporate all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian harm in all circumstances.

This means, here as elsewhere, verifying targets, giving effective advance warnings, carefully choosing tactics and weapons, and canceling or suspending an attack if it would cause disproportionate civilian harm.

Mr. President,

Each time that we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access to the civilians we are trying to serve.

We face that tension everywhere, but nowhere is that tension between our advocacy mandate and delivering aid greater than in Gaza. Visas are not renewed or reduced in duration, explicitly in response to our work on protection of civilians. Security clearances are not granted for staff to enter Gaza to continue their work.

And humanitarian partners are increasingly denied entry to Gaza. In 2025, 56 per cent of the entries denied were for Emergency Medical Teams.

Of course, as you know, hundreds of aid workers have been killed; and those who continue to work endure hunger, danger and loss, like everyone else in the Gaza Strip.

Personal tragedies continue to echo through our teams and their families. This morning another ICRC colleague was killed.

I pay tribute to them all and to the courage of the work of UNICEF and other agencies inside Gaza.

Thousands, including many of our colleagues who are injured, are not able to leave to seek treatment.

Mr. President,

Let me walk you briefly through what it takes to deliver your aid - the aid you fund - into Gaza.

Something as simple as a bag of flour:

Before reaching the crossing into Gaza, it must clear multiple layers of approval, including customs involving several ministries.

Once approved, it is scanned, loaded onto Israeli trucks, and often re-inspected at Kerem Shalom.

From there, it is either moved by pre-approved Palestinian trucks up the fence road that runs along Gaza's border or transferred to so-called sterile trucks which offload on the Palestinian side of the crossing and are picked up in different sized trucks from Gaza.

It's why counting trucks is often misleading - because it's not always a ratio of one-to-one.

Once inside Gaza, movement requires navigating an obstacle course of coordination with Israeli forces, through active hostilities, traveling on damaged roads, and often being forced to wait at holding points or pass through areas controlled by criminal gangs. And distribution is uncertain, as starving people often try to grab the flour off the back of our trucks.

With these obstacles in place, your generous contribution may never reach our distribution points. And even if it does, getting it at scale to those in need remains deeply uncertain.

And as I've said before, it doesn't have to be this way.

We have a plan that works. It requires predictable aid, of different types and at scale, entering multiple crossings where people do not come under fire, travelling on routes that we choose, without long delays, being delivered to our warehouses and distribution points according to established UN aid mechanisms and humanitarian principles - the principles that you have given us the mandate to uphold.

Mr. President,

Even as this broader plan remains stalled, and despite severe restrictions, thousands of colleagues on the ground - daily, at great personal risk - are still delivering life-saving aid.

Between 19th of May, when limited aid entry resumed, and the 14th of July, only 1,633 trucks - 62 per cent of the roughly 2,600 submitted to the Israeli authorities, 74 per cent of those approved for entry - reached Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.

They carried mainly wheat flour, alongside limited quantities of food for kitchens, nutrition supplies, medical supplies, chlorine. After multiple steps of cargo offloading and uploading on different vehicles, a total of 1,600 Palestinian trucks could be collected for distribution inside Gaza.

Last week alone, we had 21 Emergency Medical Teams deployed providing life-saving services and some relief to doctors in Gaza; 238 pallets of medical supplies entered, including 10 cold-chain pallets with 1,396 blood units and 1,550 plasma doses - enough for 10 days.

We supported 800 weekly medical consultations for women and girls, enabled 84 kitchens to serve 260,000 meals daily, and delivered 17,000 cubic metres of drinking water through 1,300 collection points. This is life-saving support provided with dignity.

But to be clear, it's a drop in the ocean of what is needed, compared to the average of 630 truckloads that entered daily during the ceasefire.

The ceasefire proved what's possible. And we need to return to those levels without delay.

Now, our work - the UN and its partners - is by no means perfect, but it is rooted in humanitarian principles, practices honed over decades of experience across the globe, steadfast commitment to saving lives. And we ask you again, please, let us work.

In this respect, I welcome the recent agreement between the European Union and Israel on humanitarian access. We look forward to hearing more of the detail, and to understanding how implementation will be assessed.

Mr. President,

Let me remind this Council that the International Court of Justice has demanded that Israel take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.

With these facts before you, I ask you as a Council to assess whether Israel is meeting its international legal obligations and whether we humanitarians can fulfill our mandate.

Is this allowing and facilitating rapid, unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief, as the rules of war demand? Or is it obstruction? You will draw your own conclusions.

Mr. President,

Weeks ago, an Israeli minister called allowing aid into Gaza a "disastrous decision," while another implied that starvation might be "justified and moral" until hostages are freed - and they must be freed.

Intentionally using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare would of course be a war crime.

Most recently, Israel's Defense Minister talked openly about moving Palestinians into what he called a 'humanitarian city.'

We understand that the proposal is to forcibly displace Palestinians to a designated zone near Rafah.

Now I don't know how to describe this, but it is not humanitarian.

Mr. President,

States and armed groups must uphold the rules - forged because of the horrors of conflict and hatred - that protect civilians in war.

Today, across the world, we watch these rules being corroded and degraded.

Again, it is of course for you to decide how you act to ensure that all parties respect international humanitarian law.

But I agree with some members of the Israeli cabinet that you have consistently overestimated your powers of quiet persuasion.

We hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict. We don't have to choose - and in fact, we must not choose - between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages.

And we must reject antisemitism. We must fight it with every fiber of our DNA. But we must also hold Israel to the same principles and laws of all other states.

So civilians must be protected wherever they are. Hostages must be released - I say it again. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter at scale. And humanitarian workers must be protected.

You owe that to Israeli and Palestinian civilians, to the last hopes of a sustainable peace, and to the UN Charter.

All members of this Council have been unequivocal: ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire.

Thank you.

16 July 2025

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Top NATO, US commander in Europe describes NATO's decisive hour in LANDEURO remarks

By Tammy Muckenfuss July 17, 2025

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander, United States European Command Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, delivered the opening keynote address on the second day of the first-ever LANDEURO symposium, July 16-17.

The top NATO and U.S. commander in Europe opened by highlighting defining moments throughout NATO's history from Germany's accession to NATO seventy years ago, to where we are today, a decisive moment in time.

"If you look at the long arc of NATO history over the past 75-plus years, there's a few decisive points in time that really mattered," he said. "One was the end of the Cold War, when NATO had to find itself and bring stability to a continent. A second came after the attacks on September 11, when the Alliance invoked Article Five for the first and only time to defend the United States. And if you go even further backseventy years agothe German accession into NATO was an absolute seminal point in time."

Grynkewich reminded the audience that war persists on our doorstep in Ukraine, and while we seek peaceful resolution, Russia will likely remain a threat, we must simultaneously counter threats on multiple fronts from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.

On that point, Grynkewich said the Alliance is well positioned for such global challenges

"There's still a lot to do but we are on the right path. One of the places we are on the right path is exercising," he said referring to an image from Steadfast Deterrence, a NATO led exercise in 2025 with participation of 32 Allies, 90,000 troops over 50 ships, over 80 aircraft, and over 1,100 combat vehicles, an unprecedented exercise in maneuver warfare and in command/control.

"As we continue to learn and figure out how to leverage emerging technology to achieve strategic affects, the pace and cycle of innovation is increasing and we must keep up with it," he continued, highlighting the historic commitment of allies contributing 5% of GDP during the recent NATO summit.

"There is nothing like combat operations to drive innovation," he said, adding, "The challenge now isn't the commitment, the challenge is taking that commitment and turning it into real capability and capacity on the battlefield."

"No one is more energetic when it comes to delivering capabilities than the [NATO] Secretary General," he added.

In closing, Grynkewich urged the leaders in the room to make the necessary innovations happen.

"I challenge each of the chiefs of defense, land force managers and every leader to hold themselves to account for that, especially in an era where we have global threats that are persisting. There's absolutely no time to waste."

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DEVCOM Armaments Center engineers seek to increase Soldier safety by reducing blast overpressure

By Edward Lopez, Timothy Rider July 17, 2025

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- The harm to Soldiers from frequent exposure to weapons that cause blast overpressure (BOP) when fired has gained increasing attention, prompting Congress to pass a broad set of directives related to blast exposure and brain health.

Congressional mandates to the Pentagon include setting new safety limits for troops' blast exposure, characterizing "Tier 1" weapon systems including the suite of ammunition for BOP and brain health impact and developing material solutions if required for current and future weapon systems.

According to the Army's Medical Command, organs most susceptible to BOP include the middle ear, lung, brain, and bowel. The command notes that many of the long-term effects are still not well understood.

The DEVCOM Armaments Center is one of the main players in the collective effort to mitigate BOP because its engineers are involved in the design, development, fielding, and sustainment of many systems that have been identified as contributing to BOP: howitzers, mortars, shoulder mounted weapons, 50 caliber weapons, along with demolitions and breaching charges.

The first "Picatinny Weapons Community Blast Overpressure Summit" was held on October 22-23, 2024. In addition to the Armaments Center, other attendees included the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition; Program Executive Office Soldier; the Army Research Lab, the Medical Research and Development Command, and the Defense Health Agency Public Health Aberdeen.

"That was a great opportunity for the weapons community to come together," said Jeffrey Kraft, who is the Armaments Center POC for the BOP initiative. "It was a way to basically level-set on what's happening across the weapons community with respect to blast overpressure and also an opportunity to communicate what we've been learning at the larger forums that are happening at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level."

Kraft said it was critical to develop close relationships with all the other stakeholders involved in mitigating BOP.

"From the weapons community side, we're not doing this in a vacuum," he said. "We're working closely with the medical community to make sure that as they're learning more about blast overpressure and what that means to the Soldier, we can apply that knowledge and incorporate that into our strategies as we try to solve it from the weapons community side. Building those relationships is key to making sure that we address this as a whole-of-Army, whole-of-DOD approach."

At the Armaments Center, lines of effort (LOE) to address the BOP issue include baselining legacy and new munition and weapon systems, engineering solutions development for reduced BOP, data acquisition and analysis and blast sensors; modeling and simulation development; and improved 'shoot house' designs and ranges to reduce BOP. Another LOE is munition and weapon supportability, which includes personnel training, training packages, support equipment and human factors

"The technical challenges are how do we continue to maintain the weapon systems' lethality and performance while also reducing and mitigating blast overpressure," Kraft said. "For each weapon system, the technical challenges are going to be a little bit different depending on the attributes of the system."

Kraft said a big first step in BOP mitigation is to gather enough data to get a clearer picture of the size and nature of the problem. "Once we understand what the problem is, then we can start to develop solutions. And we don't know what we don't know. As we start to get into this, we may learn where those limits are based on physics that we can only go so far. But right now, the goal is let's try to get moving on this sooner than later to see where that point is.

"I think the other challenge right now is truly understanding what blast does to the Soldier's health and developing a set of requirements that can be used for developing and implementing new engineering solutions."

One solution that has received attention in the media is a new breaching charge form. The new charge form was developed at the Armaments Center by Mr. Greg Stunzenas and team, and can be used with legacy explosives to reduce/mitigate blast overpressure, such as when Soldiers breach doors or other barriers.

Also, an attenuating blast cone developed at the Armaments Center by Dr. Robert Carson and team can be used with a mortar system such as the 120 mm mortar. The cone redirects the blast wave so that the exposure level to the Soldiers is much lower.

Over the past years, blast overpressure from howitzers has been reduced through optimization of the muzzle brake design through numerical methods (computational fluid dynamics) and testing validation. Now, a team at the Armaments Center is also exploring the possibility of removing the muzzle brake from the howitzers and make adjustments to the recoil systems as a way to mitigate overpressure.

"There's a big push right now within the blast overpressure community to understand how wearable sensors can be used to monitor what the exposure levels are to our Soldiers," Kraft said. "Here at the Armaments Center, we have some technologies that we're developing and adopting from large-caliber ammunition systems and applying that technology to blast sensors. The goal is to incorporate the blast sensors into the Soldier's helmets to understand what their exposure profiles and limits will be from a blast event."

Another initiative is to create workshops focused on individual weapons systems. Participants are digging deeper into what data is available for the systems, what new ideas might be brainstormed, and what might be done to either eliminate or mitigate blast overpressure.

"In the workshops, we can get the weapons community members together to really target a specific weapon system and figure out, how do we get after this?"

The BOP initiative is a key example of how the Armaments Center workforce is challenged to "Find a Way" through creative solutions while also collaborating closely with our partners.

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July 17, 2025

By Shannon Collins, Army News Service

Army Experts Discuss Vital Components of Multidomain Operations at LANDEURO

Army experts stressed the importance of joint doctrine and technology for the U.S. military, NATO and its allies to successfully operate in multidomain operations during the 2025 LANDEURO Symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany, July 17, 2025.

"A strong United States military and a strong NATO is not just a European deterrent, but a global deterrent," said Army Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, commander, 56th Theater Multi-Domain Command, Mainz-Kastel, Germany. "What we do in this theater of operations, it's exportable anywhere. That should concern our adversaries."

Communication among the U.S. military, NATO and its allies, along with the industrial base, is important, said Harald Manheim, head of defense digital, cyber and managing director, Airbus Defense and Space, Germany. Manheim served in the German Air Force with the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system.

"We need to know each other to create and build trust," Manheim said. "It's easier if you know each other, if you know the capabilities. It's a fascinating world when you enter industrial sites and armament industry across the world. The Europeans are releasing more budgets. We're ramping up. For those of you seeking jobs after your military careers, join us, because we need the best experts from artificial intelligence to mechanical engineering in the vast understanding of the customers."

He said NATO and U.S. allies want to prepare the forces on the battlefield of today and tomorrow with the best technology and capabilities.

Carpenter said if conflict breaks out in Eastern Europe, everything will be contested globally.

"There's not a single thing that 56 theater multidomain commands can do to stop anti-access area denial subsurface in the Western Atlantic," he said. "Everything is contested. It's not just the military. It's not just the joint force across the different 32 nations and partners who join us. It's commercial. It's industry. It's sparking the industrial base and understanding that in order to sustain ourselves to win the fight after the fight. We need commercial industry to assist us with that."

He said it's not just a military effort. It's a national effort across all 32 nations and the partners who join the U.S. military.

Doctrine

Doctrine plays a big role in human and procedural interoperability in this military effort, said Richard Creed Jr., director, Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, Mission Command Center of Excellence, Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The West Point graduate served 32 years as an armor officer and strategist.

Creed said because of this, his directorate is continuously updating U.S. Army doctrine that focuses on multidomain operations, combined arms, including space, cyber, electronic warfare, air defense and more. This, in turn, shapes the joint doctrine for the U.S. military and the NATO doctrine. The doctrines influence operations and training.

And with the proliferation of technology at a faster and faster pace, the operational environment is changing, which influences doctrine, he said.

"We really started updating Army doctrine in 2014, thinking about how the Army is going to fight differently," Creed said. "There was an initial multidomain battle concept and futures concept developed and socialized across the Army from top to bottom. We published the concept in 2018."

He said as the concept develops into doctrine, the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate worked with joint force experts to ensure the language was in a form people use every day in terms of training, developing leaders and in determining materiel requirements.

"If you don't know how you're going to fight, how do you know what you want to fight with?" Creed said.

Though the updated doctrine published in 2022, the war in Ukraine kicked off, and the Army, along with the other U.S. military service branches, NATO and its allies saw an evolution of warfare.

"The war in Ukraine evolved and other things were going on in the world. The Army was focused globally," Creed said. "We published an updated version of FM30 March 2025 and since then, we've been taking notes and have realized that there's even more things we need to change the next time around, and it will not take three years before we do it again."

He said one of those steps is as NATO updates its doctrine, Creed's team will emphasize the importance of the land forces portion being congruent with the Army's operational concept.

"We work together and train together every day over here in Europe," he said. "We have meetings all year, discussing how we're going to fight better together. Let's use the same words and make sure those words have the same meaning."

Technology

Manheim said the current need on the battlefield is a bridge between existing systems to link them together for more of a multidomain, legacy world of systems.

"We also need to massively produce ammunition and upgrade legacy systems," he said. "Software-defined defense may be the future vision. We need speed, interoperability and combat mass communications integrated across the alliance."

Multidomain

Carpenter leads a theater asset that works with the other U.S. military services, NATO and coalition partners.

"As the multidomain command in Europe, we tackle some very complex problems," he said. "Within the larger, global anti-access aerial denial effort, that's defeating adversary integrated air missile defense as well as their integrated fires complex capabilities. It's an extreme challenge."

He said repetitive exercises oriented exclusively on warfighting and regional plans allow soldiers in his command to develop leadership, expertise and build the architecture needed to win the fight. It also helps them harvest theater and national intelligence, conduct target development, maintain custody of targets and work with interagency partners to layer effects for increased success.

"We need to find, fix and finish for the theater," Carpenter said. "We establish convergence in depth. If we get it right, we create windows of opportunities for the Air Force from the ground, and we create opportunities for the alliance with follow-on operations to create an experience for our adversary that completely overwhelms them. Repetition breeds mastery."

His command has many exercises, including Dynamic Front, a theater-wide kill web data execution with 16 different nations in five different countries.

Carpenter echoed Creed's comment on the importance of the Army, other service branches, NATO and the partner nations speaking the same language.

"There's language barriers and differences in doctrine, how someone may describe a task, the outcome, how they describe an effect they want to achieve," he said. "It can add complexity to what is already a complex warfighting requirement."

With combined arms maneuvers, layering effects to achieve a strategic outcome, the reality is that in warfighting, intelligence collection, the kinetic and nonkinetic effects come from many different sources, Carpenter said.

These sources could be U.S. military, NATO, partners, interagency or civilians. Open-source intelligence comes from many different medians in many different forms.

"The question is, are we able to, with our warfighting language, paint a picture for a commander so they can make risk-informed decisions?" he said.

As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the 56th Artillery Command and 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force combined into the 56th Multi-Domain Command.

Having a command that provides real-time targeting information; a command-and-control center that provides detailed planning, execution and assessments during current fighting and exercises; a field artillery headquarters; fuel artillery brigades across NATO; and inbound information advantage detachment will provide layered effects to the NATO and multidomain mission, Carpenter said.

"It's an exciting time with technology and the innovation that's going on right now in our Army and in Europe," he said. "It's our job to have the leader development programs, the training programs, to build the architecture and to build the processes."

If his team builds these processes and programs, then when the new technology arrives in Europe, they will be able to employ them rapidly and decisively at the point of need.

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July 17, 2025

By Matthew Olay, DOD News

Hegseth, Caine Welcome Bahraini Armed Forces Commander to Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa  who is also the country's prime minister and deputy supreme commander of the Armed Forces  to the Pentagon today for an engagement to reaffirm the U.S.-Bahrain defense partnership.

Hegseth began the meeting by expressing gratitude for Bahrain's support of U.S. military bases and forces.

"We know, front and center, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been a long-standing partner of the Department of Defense [as] host to our [U.S. Navy] 5th Fleet," Hegseth told Salman.

The Navy's 5th Fleet has been headquartered in Bahrain since 1995.

"So many of our warfighters and their families  thousands  have been graciously hosted for quite some time [and] we want to publicly ... thank you for that," Hegseth said.

Hegseth also said the U.S. can always count on Bahrain, as evidenced by the country's support for U.S. Central Command's June 22, 2025, strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Operation Midnight Hammer.

Additionally, Hegseth pointed out that Bahrain was one of the original countries in 2020 to sign the Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic agreements that are aimed at establishing diplomatic normalization between Israel and numerous Arab states.

"You are committed to peace through strength, just like we are in that region," Hegseth said.

During his brief opening remarks, Salman pointed out that the U.S.-Bahrain defense partnership is "not a new relationship," noting  though the official relationship between the two countries was formally established in 1948 when Bahrain agreed to the establishment of a permanent U.S. naval presence  it was in 1893 that U.S. missionaries came to Bahrain and other Gulf countries to help heal the sick.

"We will continue to deepen this relationship ... we are so proud of this strong cooperation, and I am all ears to hear how we can best help," Salman told Hegseth, adding he was looking forward to discussing defense requirements and how both countries can work to fill them.

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US to build boat maintenance facilities for Philippines; move 'may make new waves in SCS'

Global Times

By Feng Fan Published: Jul 17, 2025 10:51 PM

The US Navy will construct two military boat maintenance facilities in Palawan, a Philippine province facing the South China Sea, the Associated Press reported. Chinese experts said the move has clear military implications and could further provoke tension in the region.

The US Embassy in Manila announced on Wednesday that the US Navy plans to build a new boat maintenance facility to help repair Philippine military vessels at the Naval Detachment Oyster Base in Ulugan Bay, Palawan. "The US Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command has formally issued a public solicitation for the design and construction of the project on July 7," acting embassy spokesperson Glenda Wallace said in a statement, according to the Philippine News Agency.

USNI News, a media outlet affiliated with the US Naval Institute, reported that a solicitation for the other boat maintenance facility seeks to construct support infrastructure to host Philippine vessels in the municipality of Quezon, located only 257 kilometers east of China's Ren'ai Jiao. Project documents highlighted the site's strategic location in the South China Sea as one of the key objectives.



According to the USNI News report, the facility is expected to support at least five vessels, with documents specifying rigid-hulled inflatable boats and "assault boats." The report noted that several of these vessels were seen at a handover ceremony to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command, the force responsible for operations in the South China Sea.



USNI News also noted that the construction requirements are similar to those set forth under another construction initiative planned for Oyster Bay, which is also expected to accommodate unmanned surface vessels of the Philippine Navy.



The report further stated that despite sea states and distances, Philippine forces have frequently deployed small boats into disputed waters. Plans for the project seek to get the watercraft from the facility and into the water within 15 minutes to meet a "rapid deployment readiness" objective.



Although Wallace attempt to emphasize that "the boat maintenance facility is not a military base" and stated that "the project is approved by the government of the Philippines in accordance with all applicable US and Philippine local rules and regulations," experts remain skeptical.



Wallace claimed that the facility would provide repair and maintenance capabilities for several small Philippine military watercraft and will include two multi-purpose interior rooms suitable for equipment storage or conference use, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.



Chinese experts voiced concerns over the potential implications of the facility. "With Washington's support, the Philippines may adopt new tactics in its provocative actions in the South China Sea," Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Zhang warned that by highlighting the role of small boats, the US and the Philippines may attempt to employ "wolf pack strategy" involving multiple vessels to harass larger Chinese ships. He added that this approach could also serve as a psychological operation aimed at portraying the Philippines as the victim and falsely accusing China of "bullying the weak," thereby generating a new wave of unrest in the South China Sea.

While the tactical role of small vessels is limited due to China's superior naval countermeasures, the political symbol of this support from the US outweighs its military utility, Zhang said.

Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, echoed these concerns, telling the Global Times that building a boat maintenance facility near the South China Sea carries "obvious military implications" and may serve as a platform for expanding US military presence in the region. He noted that the project could embolden Philippine military adventurism and escalate confrontations with China in the South China Sea, as it provides a low-cost model of external support.

Amid the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, on Tuesday morning, Philippine Coast Guard vessel 9701, operating in the waters near China's Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea, deliberately provoked China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels 21550 and 5009, which were conducting rights protection and law enforcement operations in the area.

The vessel repeatedly conducted high-speed transits through the stern areas of China Coast Guard law enforcement vessels while dangerously approaching them, with the closest distance being only some 100 meters. This act seriously threatened the navigation safety of the CCG vessels.



"Recent provocations by the Philippines are becoming increasingly reckless," Zhang said. He noted that recent US-Philippine coordination has emboldened Manila's attempts of provoking China over the South China Sea issue. "But China has a wide range of countermeasures and will not yield on territorial sovereignty. These new tactics by the Philippines will not succeed."

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Statement of ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane on 17 July, Day of International Criminal Justice

International Criminal Court (ICC) / Cour penale internationale (CPI)

Press Release: 17 July 2025

The adoption of the Statute in Rome on 17 July 1998 was, without doubt, one of the greatest day for international law and for the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes. It was built on a shared conviction that impunity for grave crimes threatens the peace and security and wellbeing of the world.

As we mark the Day of International Criminal Justice we reflect on our commitment to continuous improvement in performing that crucial mandate. Our mission is to fight impunity for the most serious crimes under international law: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

In over 20 years of existence the ICC has grown into a robust judicial institution. We focus on delivering accountability for the perpetrators and redress to victims, in accordance with the rule of law and with full judicial independence.

This year, the Day of International Criminal Justice comes at a time of heightened global tensions and renewed attacks on the very institutions tasked with upholding international law especially during armed conflicts. The Court stands in solidarity with these institutions as well as their personnel. While the ICC, its officials, and other actors in the field of justice have come under increasing pressure, attacks, threats and sanctions, the Court will remain undeterred in fulfilling the mandate given to it by the 125 States Parties.

At this very moment, countless civilians live in ruins, subject to treatment contrary to international law. International justice is a lifeline for survivors, a signal of hope and a path of healing for the victims, and the way to break the recurrent cycles of violence and vengeance.

The Court will continue working for these countless victims and it is our collective duty to cherish this precious project - the Rome Statute system - that was created by the wisdom of mankind.

On this 17th of July, we must also reflect on the imperative need for the full cooperation and support of States for the ICC's work. And the more States join the Rome Statute, the stronger is the force of legal protection against the most heinous crimes. Now more than ever, the world must rally around the promise that impunity should not be an option and that law must be the strong and adequate answer to violence and international crimes. I firmly believe that, united by our unwavering commitment to international justice, we can further strengthen our collective bond and ensure that this important institution continues to thrive.

We have a tremendously important mandate, which can only be fulfilled with global support. Together, we can build a more just world.

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Iran denies claims of sending military equipment to Yemen

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 17, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Khatib has considered the U.S. claim that military shipments were being sent from Iran to Yemen as baseless and described it as part of creating a media hype against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"It as part of a media campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran," Baqaei said.

He pointed out that in a situation where the Israeli regime, by taking advantage of deadly weapons donated by the United States and that country's comprehensive political and propaganda support, is increasing the intensity of the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, and simultaneously repeatedly violating the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Syria and Lebanon, the U.S. claim about the seizure of military cargo destined for Yemen is nothing more than a fraudulent attempt to divert public opinion from the main issue in the region, namely the aggression and crimes of the Israeli regime against the people of the region and the destructive and insecure interventions of the United States.

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Iran warns of 'collapse of global legal order' after U.N. resignations over Palestine

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 17, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- Tehran has warned that the recent wave of resignations at a United Nations inquiry on Palestine signals a broader collapse of the global legal and moral order, driven by Western pressure and double standards.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, in a post on his X account on Thursday, said the mass resignation of members of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, following U.S. sanctions against the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Palestine, must be seen as "an alarming sign of the erosion of the global legal and normative order."

He warned that international institutions are "giving up their legitimacy, effectiveness, authority and sense of mission" under "militant bullying and radical unilateralism."

"The world normative order collapsed not by war," Baqaei wrote, "but because of silence, indifference and double-standard in the face of grave injustices."

On Monday, three members of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories resigned, amid heightened tensions after the U.S. sanctioned Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories.

The commission was established to examine the violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance fighters carried out a surprise military operation against the occupying regime over its intensified violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The Israeli army has killed more than 58,000 people, mostly women and children, in the besieged territory since the beginning of the war.

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Air Force deploys to international exercise

New Zealand Defence Force

A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft from No. 40 Squadron is taking part in this year's Exercise Mobility Guardian in Guam.

17 July, 2025

The exercise is the air mobility component of the United States Air Force (USAF) Exercise Resolute Force Pacific, which aims at the delivery of air combat power at the levels needed to deal with a rapidly escalating crisis, should one occur.

Some 30 personnel are deployed with the aircraft, including aircrew, maintainers, an Air Load Team and Defence Force medics as aeromedical observers.

Detachment commander Squadron Leader Mel Fieldes highlighted the value of operating alongside other militaries in a deployed environment, calling it an excellent training opportunity for personnel.

"This exercise delivers substantial benefits to us in building co-operation and interoperability with several of our Defence partners, with whom we have a shared commitment to regional security and stability," she said.

"We're enhancing the way we operate together under pressure, ensuring we're ready to respond rapidly and effectively to shared security challenges."

"It also marks an important milestone for our new C-130J aircraft, as this is the first exercise where we are integrating our new aircraft into joint air mobility tasking with our partners."

In addition to the USAF, participants in Exercise Mobility Guardian include the Air Forces of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Republic of Korea, the United States Marine Corps, US Army and the Japanese Self-Defence Force. The exercise runs until 28 July.

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Peru: Bill establishing amnesty for atrocity crimes violates international standards, say UN experts

Press releases

Multiple Mechanisms

17 July 2025

GENEVA -- UN experts* today expressed alarm at the approval by Peru's Congress of a bill granting amnesty to perpetrators of gross human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict (1980-2000).

"The proposed legislation would prevent the criminal prosecution and condemnation of individuals who committed gross human rights violations during Peru's internal armed conflict. It would put the State in clear breach of its obligations under international law," the experts said.

Bill 7549/2023-CR grants amnesty to members of the Armed Forces, the Peruvian National Police, Self-Defense Committees and State officials denounced or prosecuted for crimes committed between 1980 and 2000, and whose conviction verdict is not final.

"Peru has a duty to investigate, prosecute and punish gross human rights violations and crimes under international law committed during the conflict," the experts said. "International standards prohibit amnesties or pardons for such grave crimes."

On 11 June 2025, the bill was approved on first reading by the Congress plenary, despite not having received a favourable report from the Justice Commission and without prior public disclosure. On 9 July 2025, while the plenary of the Congress was not in session, the Permanent Commission of the Congress approved the bill on second reading. The bill will be sent to the executive branch for signing or observation. If enacted, it could affect 156 cases with final judgments, and over 600 ongoing judicial proceedings related to serious human rights violations and crimes under international law committed during the internal armed conflict.

"Failure to ensure criminal accountability for these crimes violates human rights treaty norms and jus cogens, as well as customary international law. It also impedes access to justice, truth and reparation for victims," the experts said. "We call on the Government of Peru to use its constitutional prerogative to veto the law which clearly contravenes Peru's international obligations".

The bill also grants "humanitarian" amnesty to members of the Armed Forces, the Peruvian National Police, Self-Defense Committees and State officials over the age of 70 years who have already been convicted.

"The early release of people convicted of serious human rights violations and crimes under international law is at odds with international human rights law. There are specific requirements for granting pardons on humanitarian grounds that must be carefully observed to avoid arbitrariness," the experts said.

"Pardons can be granted for imminent terminal illnesses," they said. "However, benefits cannot be granted simply owing to the passing of time, the person's age, or their general physical or mental state resulting from age. In such cases, States must guarantee the right to health through medical services provided in prisons, or transfers to specialised medical centres."

The experts noted that the passing of the bill occurred against the backdrop of a series of human rights setbacks, including the enactment of Law No. 32107 on 9 August 20924, which introduced a statute of limitations for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed prior to 1 July 2002, as well as the introduction of several bills proposing Peru's withdrawal from the Inter-American System for the protection of human rights.

*The experts: - Bernard Duhaime, Special Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparation;

- Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions;

- Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights;

- Gabriella Citroni (Chair-Rapporteur), Grazyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Balde, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez, and Mohammed Al-Obaidi of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

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Gaza: UN expert denounces genocidal violence against women and girls

Press releases

Special Procedures

17 July 2025

GENEVA -- The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, today called for immediate global action to halt what she described as an unfolding "femi-genocide" in Gaza, saying the scale and nature of the crimes inflicted on Palestinian women and girls by Israeli forces are so extreme that existing concepts in legal and criminal frameworks can no longer adequately describe or capture them.

"What is happening to Palestinian women and girls is not collateral damage of war," Alsalem said. "It is the intentional destruction of their lives and bodies, for being Palestinian and for being women."

The Special Rapporteur reiterated findings from her recent report to the Human Rights Council stating that Israel is deliberately killing Palestinian women and girls with the intent to destroy them and the continuity of the Palestinian people. She called this a "femi-genocide". According to estimates, women and girls account for 67 percent of the 57,680 Palestinians killed by 9 July 2025.

"There is more than one way to subject a people to genocide. Destroying them in whole or in part psychologically is one of them," the expert said. "The horrors that Palestinian mothers, in particular, continue to endure  watching their children slowly starve, killed, maimed, and buried alive  is killing them repeatedly in a single day. The psychological trauma they, and all Palestinians in Gaza, are suffering knows no boundaries." Many women, including mothers, have also been killed while seeking food and water for their families.

Alsalem highlighted the use of reproductive violence as part of Israel's campaign. "The destruction of Gaza's health infrastructure has reportedly left 150,000 pregnant and lactating women without access to essential care. An estimated 17,000 of these women and 60,000 children under five now suffer from acute malnutrition. At least 60 children have died from starvation since March 2025, following Israel's blockade on food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid," she said. "This is in addition to the 50,000 children who have been reported killed or injured since October 2023."

She condemned the Israeli authorities' latest move to block the entry of baby formula, while warning that the ongoing fuel shortages further endanger the lives of newborns in incubators. She noted that dozens of infants have been born prematurely, died shortly after birth, while others have been born with unprecedented genetic mutations, likely caused by starvation, trauma, and exposure to radioactive and toxic material.

The Special Rapporteur also raised alarm over reports of sexual violence, including rape, committed by Israeli forces. She stressed that, within Gaza, a climate of desperation, overcrowding and lack of assistance and protection services has led to spikes in sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and other forms of abuse, often perpetrated by family members and others within the community.

"The violence and atrocities that Palestinian women are subjected to have become so normalised that they are now the new accepted reality, even in other conflicts. No one seems to bat an eyelid anymore when hearing about the terror women are experiencing," the expert said. "With the dismantling of the law-based order and the protections it guarantees to civilians, the situation for women and girls is metastasising beyond Gaza and Palestine, with devastating consequences for all."

Alsalem urged States to spare no efforts to end the genocide in Gaza, ensure justice for all, and include the differentiated experiences of women and girls in all accountability processes. "The continuity of Palestinian life depends on it. Our collective humanity and future depend on it," she said.

*The expert: Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index

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Sudan: UN Human Rights Chief deplores killing of dozens of civilians in Kordofan

Press releases

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

17 July 2025

GENEVA -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday deplored the killing of dozens of civilians by both parties amid ongoing hostilities in Sudan's Kordofan region over the past week.

The UN Human Rights Office has verified the killing of least 60 civilians by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan's Bara locality since 10 July. Civil society groups have reported that up to 300 people were killed.

At least 23 other civilians were reportedly killed and more than 30 others injured when airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) hit two villages in West Kordofan from 10 to 14 July. In addition, on 17 July, at least 11 civilians - all members of a single family - were killed in a SAF airstrike in Bara locality.

"It is distressing that more than two years since the conflict began parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to demonstrate callous disregard for civilians' lives and safety," said Turk.

The latest civilian deaths come amid worrying reports that the RSF is mobilising for an offensive on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state. The UN Human Rights Chief also expressed continued concern for the safety of civilians in El Fasher, North Darfur, following multiple RSF attacks on the besieged city in recent days, including a ground attack on 11 and 12 July, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

"An escalation of hostilities in North Darfur and Kordofan will only further aggravate the already severe risks to civilians and the dire humanitarian situation in a conflict that has already wrought untold suffering on the Sudanese people," said Turk. "I urge those with influence to act to prevent such an escalation, and to ensure that both parties uphold their obligations under international law, including on the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure."

The High Commissioner renewed his calls on the warring parties to ensure safe, sustained and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, including through humanitarian pauses, and to prevent and repress violations of international law. "All alleged violations must be fully and independently investigated and those responsible brought to justice," he said.

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AFP modernization for PH defense, not offense

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 17, 2025, 6:35 pm

MANILA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is being modernized not for offensive purposes but to bolster the country's defensive capabilities, an official said Thursday.

"Just because we have our modernization program does not mean we have any intention to fight another country," Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in an interview with reporters.

"If I may paraphrase the commander-in-chief (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) in the command conference this morning when he mentioned, and I state, we have no desire to attack anyone."

Trinidad was referring to the AFP Mid-Year Command Conference held earlier in the day at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, which was attended by Marcos, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and other ranking Cabinet and military officials.

The Navy official also refuted a retired Philippine Air Force general's claim that the Philippines is being turned into another Ukraine and used as pawn in the power play between China and the United States.

"We are not preparing the Armed Forces for offense. We are preparing the Armed Forces to defend what is legally and rightfully the Filipinos," Trinidad said, noting that the Philippines is a sovereign state that has its national interests.

The Philippines is locked in a long-running dispute with China over portions of the South China Sea, with the US among its vocal supporters, often calling out China over its aggressive actions against Philippine vessels.

"All the actions of the Armed Forces are in furtherance of this national interest. We will not fight for the interests of another country, nor will we be dictated by them. Standing up for our rights does not mean being subservient to the interests of another country," Trinidad said. (PNA)

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Marcos admin committed to beefing up PH air defenses

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 17, 2025, 1:44 pm

MANILA -- The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is committed to improving the country's air defenses, as evidenced by the government's latest procurement of advanced Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft in June.

Speaking during the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) 78th founding anniversary on July 1, Marcos hailed the service for its crucial role in national security, disaster response, and law enforcement; and promised sustained government support to equip and modernize it amid evolving regional threats and internal challenges.

"The government will exert all efforts to provide the PAF with the best possible equipment, training, and facilities," Marcos said in his speech.

The President's speech came weeks after the Department of National Defense (DND), on June 14, announced the acquisition of 12 FA-50 Block 70 light combat aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI).

The DND and the South Korean manufacturer sealed the USD700-million contract in early June. The comprehensive package includes mission equipment, integrated logistics support, and a training and logistics information system.

The South Korean-made combat jet represents the latest evolution of the FA-50 platform, featuring advanced avionics, modern radar systems, and extended operational range.

"Its acquisition marks a significant enhancement to the country's air defense capabilities and aligns with the DND's Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept," the DND said in its statement announcing the deal.

It also said this acquisition underscores Manila's "continued commitment to national defense" and further strengthens its bilateral defense cooperation with Seoul.

The delivery of the aircraft will be carried out in phases over the next five years, with full completion targeted by 2030.

The acquisition of the 12 FA-50 Block 70 light combat aircraft is expected to beef up the existing fleet of 11 FA-50PHs, which the DND acquired from 2015 to 2017 under the Horizon 1 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program for PHP18.9 billion. (PNA)

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Houthi warns of broader Israeli plan to invade entire region

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 8:12 PM

Yemen's Ansarullah leader says the recent escalation of Israeli aggression against Damascus is part of a broader strategy to establish the equation of "occupation without facing any response."

In a televised speech on Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the Israeli regime aims to invade all countries in the region without encountering retaliation.

"Despite the public stance of those in power in Syria toward normalizing relations with Israel, the aggressions against Syria continue," he said.

Israel's military aggression in Syria has intensified since the rise of the new regime led by former al-Qaeda and Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani in December.

In a significant escalation of its ongoing atrocities, Israel launched airstrikes on Wednesday targeting key military and government sites in Damascus and the southwestern province of Dara'a.

Israel is manipulating an ongoing strife between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province of Suwayda which began with tit-for-tat kidnappings to attack Syria.

Regional leaders say Israel seeks to break Syrian unity and turn the country into a theater of chaos.

Houthi said Israel seeks to shape the internal dynamics of Syria by using the pretext of supporting the Druze and minority communities.

The ruling Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime in Damascus led by Jolani has repeatedly indicated that it wants to "normalize relations" with Israel, recognize the regime, and exchange ambassadors by the end of 2026.

Israeli forces, nevertheless, have seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the border with the Golan Heights and launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syria.

Israel claims that the escalation in its aggression campaign is aimed at defending the Druze, who have been involved in days of clashes with HTS forces, and at pushing these forces away from the border.

According to the Houthis, Israel is exploiting the flawed policies of militant groups in their dealings with minorities in Syria, adding that the HTS regime has "engineered sectarian and religious divisions to sow discord within the Islamic nation."

The Ansarullah leader added that Israel also aims to control a significant portion of Syrian territory up to the outskirts of Damascus, as well as to dictate Syria's relationships and policies to ensure its own security.

Addressing the rising Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Houthi touched on US pressures on Lebanese factions to accept Israel's plan to disarm Hezbollah.

He also condemned Israel's relentless genocide against the Palestinian people, highlighting the destruction of Gaza's cities and residential neighborhoods.

He revealed that Israel has "completely wiped out some families" and noted a 41% drop in Gaza's birth rate compared to last year, alongside a 10% decrease in the overall population.

"The genocide of the people of Gaza is a shared objective of the United States and Israel," he stressed, adding that Israel is heavily relying on American bombs, with explosives reportedly being dropped more frequently than bullets.

He also said the US military support for Israel is funded largely by the wealth of Arab countries, with trillions of dollars sent to the US under the guise of investments.

The Ansarullah leader said the aggression against Gaza reflects American aggression more than Israeli actions, saying, "Israel's role is merely to carry out these crimes."

He added that the US provides Israel with planning, intelligence, and political cover, while pressuring many countries to remain silent or support the Zionist regime.

The attacks in Gaza are crimes against humanity, he said, noting Israel's blatant disregard for the UN Charter.

The Ansarullah leader praised the sacrifices of Palestinian fighters, including martyr Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, and his comrades.

He highlighted their role in preventing the Zionist regime from expanding attacks to other Islamic countries.

Deif, known as the mastermind behind Gaza's tunnel network and the architect of the October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Flood operation, was hailed for his strategic leadership in resisting Israeli aggression.

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Israel strikes only Catholic Church in Gaza Strip; two killed, several wounded

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 10:30 AM

An Israeli attack on the only Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip has left two people dead and several others injured.

Two women were killed and several people were injured following the strike on the Catholic parish in Gaza, doctors at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City said on Thursday.

According to the Latin Patriarchate of al-Quds, the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza was struck on Thursday morning.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, and several others at the church sustained injuries in the attack, it said.

The church was also damaged in the Israeli forces attack, it added.

The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church inside the Palestinian territory, and Father Romanelli had used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli war on Gaza.

According to reports by Italy's ANSA news agency, the six people wounded had sustained serious injuries in the attack.

However, the priest reportedly suffered light leg injuries.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday slammed the deadly attack by Israeli regime forces targeting Gaza's Catholic Church.

Meloni said Israel's months-long genocidal campaign against civilian targets is "unacceptable."

"Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Holy Family Church. The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable," Meloni wrote on X.

The Italian leader asserted that there can be no justification for Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza.

In addition to daily attacks against Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, the Israeli regime forces have slapped a tight siege on the territory, cutting food, fuel and water to the region.

Meanwhile, Israel has also slapped tight restrictions on relief efforts, putting a ban on the entry of international humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In Palestine, both Gaza and the West Bank host Christians from different denominations.

The holy city of Al-Quds is revered by the three major religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Each religion has multiple religious sites located within the Old City.

In Al-Quds, there are churches representing a variety of Christian denominations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, and Protestant.

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Thousands Protest In Bulgaria Over Varna Mayor's Arrest On Corruption Charges

By Elitsa Simeonova July 17, 2025

The arrest of a Bulgarian mayor on corruption charges has drawn protests in Sofia and other cities by defenders of the politician who say the accusation against him are politically motivated.

Blagomir Kotsev, the mayor of the city of Varna, was detained last week and charged over the alleged embezzlement of funds to finance his party. Supporters say his arrest is part of a government campaign targeting the opposition.

The charges arose after the owner of a catering company accused him of demanding a bribe to greenlight a contract. Kotsev has denied the accusations.

One official who testified against Kotsev later said he had been pressured to do so.

Thousands of people demonstrated on July 16 in front of the court house in Sofia, carrying banners calling for him to be freed and saying the law is not a weapon. Expatriate Bulgarians also rallied at the European Parliament in Brussels.

"We want to stop the lawlessness that is happening in the judicial system and for it to start working for the people," Albena Simeonova, a 57-year-old teacher, told AFP in Sofia.

The protest was one of several since Kotsev's arrest in Varna, Bulgaria's third-largest city.

The European Parliament group Renew Europe, which Kotsev's party belongs to, has also called for his release, saying his arrest is "political repression" and slamming it as "a direct assault on European values."

Two municipal councilors from Kotsev's coalition and a businessman were also arrested.

The four politicians allegedly participated in a criminal group that embezzled funds from a call for tenders, according to the prosecutor's office.

Bulgaria has been governed since January by a coalition led by the conservatives of the GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who lost power in 2021 after massive anti-corruption protests against his government.

Kotsev of We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria -- also known as PP-DB -- was elected mayor of Varna on November 6, 2023, defeating GERB opponent Ivan Portnih.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria-kotsev-protests- corruption/33476429.html

Copyright (c) 2025. 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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EU Alarmed As Serbia Prepares For Military Drills With China

By Ljudmila Cvetkovic July 17, 2025

BELGRADE -- Serbia will conduct military training exercises with China this month, becoming the first-ever EU candidate to do so as the two countries take a new step toward deepening military cooperation.

China's Defense Ministry said the "Peacekeeper 2025" training will be comprised of special units from the Chinese and Serbian armies and held in Hebei Province, northern China, in the second half of July.

The Balkans region has become strategically important for China, which has invested in massive infrastructure projects there. In particular, it has signed a free-trade agreement with Serbia, while Belgrade has purchased weapons from Beijing, becoming the first European country to acquire a Chinese air defense system.

Serbia's friendly policies toward Beijing -- as well as Moscow -- have set off alarm bells in Brussels, which has issued multiple warnings to Belgrade, which aims to join the bloc.

That tone was evident in the EU's assessment of the planned military training with China, with Brussels saying Serbia should refrain from "actions and statements that contradict the EU's foreign policy positions."

In response to questions by RFE/RL, an EU spokesperson said that the bloc wants to know it can count on Serbia as a reliable European partner committed to common principles, values, and security.

"We need Serbia to assure us of its strategic orientation," the spokesperson added.

As a candidate country, Serbia is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU, which Brussels has repeatedly brought to Belgrade's attention.

Serbia maintains military neutrality and is a member of NATO's "Partnership for Peace" program, with EU accession as its strategic goal.

Belgrade's Balancing Act

However, Belgrade continues to balance its foreign policy between the West, China, and Russia, which is currently under Western sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Security analyst Nikola Lunic warned that these joint drills "undermine Serbia's proclaimed EU orientation."

Lunic told RFE/RL that "interoperability between Serbian and Chinese units sends a clear message to the West."

Last July, Chinese forces held maneuvers with the Belarusian Army directly on NATO's border during a summit of the military alliance's leaders in Washington where there was sharp criticism of Beijing for its support of Russia.

While the stated goal by China's Defense Ministry is to "improve combat capabilities and deepen cooperation," neither Serbia's Defense Ministry nor the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade disclosed details on participants or the numbers expected to be involved in Peacekeeper 2025.

There is no clarity either on whether future joint training will be hosted in Serbia, a common practice in such collaborations.

Lunic argues the drills fit the profile of a full military exercise, not simply training, due to their scope and branding.

NATO did not respond to a request by RFE/RL for comment on the drills.

Chinese Weapons In Serbia's Arsenal

Serbia's military cooperation with China is most visible in its recent acquisitions.

The Serbian Army procured six CH-92A drones in 2020 and unveiled the CH-95 at an exhibition in 2023, but official numbers remain undisclosed.

In 2022, Serbia received the FK-3 air defense system, making it the first European operator of this advanced Chinese missile tech.

Late in 2024, Belgrade confirmed that Serbian personnel had received training in China on the FK-3 system, capable of targeting a range of aerial threats.

Washington and Brussels have repeatedly expressed concern over Serbia's procurement of Russian and Chinese arms, especially after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In the wake of the invasion, Serbia imposed a moratorium on joint military exercises with foreign partners, exempting only the "Platinum Wolf" international exercise -- historically held in Serbia with the participation of several NATO members, including the United States.

Lunic argues this selective application of the moratorium undermines the credibility of Serbia's proclaimed neutrality.

Security Ties Before Military Drills

This is not the first example of security cooperation between Belgrade and Beijing.

Joint police exercises and patrols have taken place since 2019, demonstrating a broader trend of intensified cooperation.

Vuk Vuksanovic of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy points to the Global Security Initiative, highlighting increased military and police education exchanges and the rapid adoption of Chinese technology, surveillance, and police equipment by Serbia.

From Belgrade's perspective, this deepening cooperation is consistent with its "multi-vector" foreign policy, using partnerships with diverse global actors, including NATO, Russia, the EU, and China, to maximize its leverage and independence on the world stage.

China's Broader Goals And Growing Trade

Vuksanovic said that, for China, military collaborations such as Peacekeeper 2025 serve two key interests: gaining international operations experience and boosting its profile as a major power, especially given resistance from EU states against deepening partnerships with the Chinese military.

After a humanitarian-focused joint drill with Germany in 2019, and anti-terrorism exercises with Belarus in 2024, the Serbia exercise represents a new chapter in Beijing's military diplomacy with Europe.

Economically, China's influence in Serbia is growing. Xi Jinping's May 2024 visit to Belgrade resulted in a declaration to deepen the strategic partnership and "build a Serbia-China community with a shared future in a new era."

China is now Serbia's top trade partner for imports, with 5.13 billion euros ($5.95 billion) recorded in 2024, and remains a vital source of investment, loans, and diplomatic support in international institutions, especially regarding Kosovo's independence.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-china-military- exercises-eu-alarm-russia/33476628.html

Copyright (c) 2025. 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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Report by OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, July 2025: UK statement to the OSCE

Deputy Ambassador James Ford thanks Director of OSCE's Conflict Prevention Centre for the institution's work across the region, which remains crucial in the face of Russia's malign activities.

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and James Ford

Published 17 July 2025

Location: Vienna

Delivered on: 17 July 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you, Mr Chair. And thank you, Director for this report and presentation. You hold a crucial and busy role in what you accurately described as a volatile and unpredictable security environment. Also, for several weeks in this period, you executed these responsibilities while also ably deputising as Officer-in-Charge. We are grateful to you and the many colleagues who have supported you.

The operating environment for the Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) is more challenging today than it has been at any point since it was created in 1990. Russia's war in Ukraine and its malign activities across the Euro-Atlantic area continue to be the primary challenges.

Through the CPC and its tools, over many years, the OSCE sought to reduce tensions and contribute to a lasting peace in Ukraine. Regrettably, Russia consistently undermined and stymied this work before launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.

It is essential that the OSCE supports Ukraine to deal with the consequences of Russia's illegal war and to build its democratic and societal resilience. We are grateful, therefore, to the CPC's role in coordinating the Support Programme for Ukraine.

Mr Chair, the Russian Federation has a long track record of establishing frozen conflicts on its periphery which it uses as tools to manipulate and control. Georgia has been under hybrid attack from Russia since the 2008 war which saw 20% of Georgian territory effectively annexed. We reaffirm our full support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Moldova, the UK is strengthening its commitment to defend democratic institutions from increasing levels of malign interference from Moscow.

We call on Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, and rebuild the trust that underpins the OSCE and our common security.

More positively, we congratulate Armenia and Azerbaijan on the progress made towards a peace agreement and the normalisation of relations, including the meeting between both leaders held on 10 July in Abu Dhabi. It is important that both parties maintain and build upon this dialogue. Finalisation of this peace treaty is the best route to delivering security and stability in the South Caucasus, and we urge both parties to seize this historic opportunity.

Mr Chair, we welcome the technological advancements described in the Director's report and the suggestion that the CPC explores the use of emerging technology to enhance its capabilities. The CPC has pioneered the use of technology to support confidence-building measures, transparency and peace agreements. It is right that the OSCE should continue to be at the forefront of these innovations and to be ready for the day when they are needed.

However, the CPC needs to be adequately resourced if it is to do this work and fulfil its mandate. The assessment in Ms Fearon's report on how the chronic lack of financial sustainability is negatively impacting the work of the CPC is sobering and concerning. The lack of agreement on a Unified Budget continues to severely constrain all parts of the organisation in delivering their mandates. And we again urge all participating States to engage constructively with budget proposals and ensure the organisation is resourced to carry out its work effectively in line with the OSCE principles we have all signed up to.

Director, your report is a reminder of the value and necessity of the OSCE's unique conflict cycle toolbox. I would like to thank you, your staff, and the field presences for your ongoing support to participating States facing conflict situations. 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

17 July 2025

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

** Informal Meeting on Cyprus

All right, good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the noon briefing. For those who may not know me, I am Stephanie Tremblay, one of the Associate Spokespersons in the office, although I think most of you know me, and I know most of you.

As you know, the Secretary-General is convening here right now Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders as well as representatives of the guarantor Powers of Greece, Turkiye and the United Kingdom for an informal meeting onCyprus.

This morning, the Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with the heads of the delegations. There is a plenary meeting that is taking place now, and this will be followed by a working lunch. The concluding session will take place this afternoon.

** Syria

I have an update for you on Syria. Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that as of today, nearly 2,000 families have been displaced from areas impacted by violence in Sweida governorate, that's according to one of our local partners. These families are currently sheltering in a dozen collective sites. Many are unable to return home due to damage, looting or destruction of their residences.

The health system in Sweida remains critically strained. Hospitals in neighbouring Dar'a governorate are also overwhelmed. These facilities are operating without power and facing severe supply shortages, with some patients transferred to Damascus. Reports indicate that at least two doctors in Sweida were killed during the recent clashes, and some health facilities have been used by armed groups, endangering patients and staff.

We and our partners are mobilizing to deliver humanitarian assistance and to assess needs as security allows, and we are also engaging with interim authorities to facilitate access.

The World Health Organization has dispatched 35 trauma and emergency surgery kits, enough for 1,750 interventions, but many remain undelivered due to access constraints. The interim health ministry has also mobilized medical supplies to be sent to the area.

We urge all parties to protect people caught up in the violence, including by allowing them to move freely to seek safety and medical assistance. Security forces must respect applicable international law, norms and standards throughout their operations.

** Security Council  Syria

And as you all know this afternoon, there is a Security Council meeting on Syria. On the UN side, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, will brief Council members.

** Gaza

And we've been asked about the reports of an Israeli strike that hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza. I can tell you that the Secretary-General strongly condemns today's strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians. Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes.

Too many lives have already been lost. There is an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to ensure that civilians are respected and protected at all times and allow humanitarian aid to flow into the Strip at scale.

** Occupied Palestinian Territory

Meanwhile our colleagues on the ground tell us that Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours have hit sites hosting displaced Palestinians, with some of them injured and killed.

Our humanitarian colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that between the 8th and the 15th of July, more than 11,500 people were newly displaced. That brings overall displacement since the latest escalation of hostilities on March 18th to over 737,000 people  that's about 35 per cent of Gaza's population. And over the past 21 months, our colleagues say that nearly everyone has been displaced, in many cases multiple times.

As a reminder, most housing in Gaza is flattened or otherwise uninhabitable, and that many families stay out in the open because we have not been allowed to bring in tents and other shelter materials, since early March as we've been saying to you several times.

In a worrying development, we're hearing from our colleagues that many displaced people have been hesitant to bathe in the Mediterranean this week. That's after Israeli authorities reinstated a ban on access to the sea along Gaza's coast  specifically prohibiting swimming and fishing. OCHA says that for many, the sea has been their only option to wash, as there is barely any functioning water infrastructure and almost no fuel to pump water, a much-needed outlet in the hot weather in Gaza.

Finally, on the fuel situation: OCHA reports that the amounts that Israel is allowing into Gaza are still nowhere near enough to keep life-saving services running. Shutdowns are still a real risk.

There was a small but important step forward today that we need to mention: For the first time in more than 135 days, we were finally allowed to bring in some benzene, which powers ambulances and other critical services. That's in addition to the limited amounts of diesel allowed over the past week.

But it's not enough. We are calling for more fuel  both benzene and diesel  to come in regularly. And the ban on shelter materials needs to be lifted immediately. Lives depend on both.

** Security Council  Occupied Palestinian Territory

Just to flag that yesterday afternoon, I imagine that most of you have been following the session at the Security Council, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, told Security Council members during the briefing that we are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in the Strip. Food is running out, those seeking it risk being shot and people are dying trying to feed their families. In the West Bank, he added, loss of life and livelihoods, movement restrictions and growing displacement continue.

He called for civilians to be protected wherever they are, for the release of hostages and for humanitarian aid to be allowed at scale.

For her part, Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), focused on the situation of all children who have suffered terribly since the beginning of the present conflict. An average of 28 children are killed daily in Gaza she said, the equivalent of one classroom every day. You can think about that picture in your head.

She called on all parties to immediately act to protect children.

** UNIFIL

Now, the UN peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon continue to observe Israel Defence Forces activities in its area of operations, including air strikes and ground military activities. In one such incident yesterday, 20 Israel Defence Forces soldiers crossed north of the Blue Line and conducted military exercises near the village of Houla.

UNIFIL peacekeepers have also heard several explosions, including one today near the mission headquarters in Naqoura.

The peacekeepers have continued to discover unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches at several locations in the area of operations, including one site at a demolished house containing rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and ammunition boxes.

Yesterday, our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara, met with the Lebanese Army's South Litani Sector Commander Brigadier General Nicolas Tabet in Tyre. Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert and General Abagnara underlined our commitment to supporting the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, including strengthening State authority and helping restore stability in southern Lebanon.

As part of UNIFIL's support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, UNIFIL peacekeepers yesterday trained with Lebanese Armed Forces personnel in Tyre. The training aimed to enhance the operational competency of the Lebanese Army personnel and promote the exchange of techniques, tactics and procedures.

** Iraq

And now, turning to Iraq where I am sure you have seen the news today, and I just want to say that we join our colleagues in the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in extending our sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims of the tragic incident that struck the city of Kut as a result of a devastating fire, claiming the lives of many people.

We express our strong solidarity with the people of Wasit Governorate in this profound loss.

We stand ready to provide all possible humanitarian support and assistance to help mitigate the impact of this tragedy, while reaffirming the utmost importance of protecting human life.

** Ukraine

Now turning to Ukraine. The humanitarian community today launched its 20252026 Winter Response Plan, as the country braces for another winter amid escalating hostilities and ongoing strikes on critical infrastructure. The plan, which requires nearly $278 million, aims to provide winter-related support to more than 1.7 million people. This includes 356,000 people who are displaced and 1.3 million war-affected residents at risk of extreme cold between this coming October and March of next year. The focus is on four priorities: supporting vulnerable people near the front line; facilitating evacuations; responding to attacks; and assisting displaced people in collective centres. Key winter support includes shelter and non-food items, and water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as health and food security.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that missile strikes and drone attacks have continued across Ukraine. In the town of Dobropillia, in the Donetsk region, a strike killed and injured civilians, according to local authorities. The attack damaged more than 300 apartments and disrupted electricity and mobile Internet services. Aid workers provided emergency shelter materials and psychological support to those affected. Since the start of July, Dobropillia  which is home to more than 22,000 residents, has suffered nearly 40 attacks. Meanwhile, in the Dnipro region, attacks also reportedly killed and injured civilians in Dnipro City and in front-line areas around the city of Nikopol. There were reports of rescuers injured while assisting civilians.

Across the country this year, we, along with our humanitarian partners, have continued to deliver vital assistance to vulnerable people in front-line and neighbouring regions.

** Sudan

Turning to the situation in Sudan. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that the humanitarian situation in North Darfur State continues to rapidly worsen due to relentless conflict, flooding and the collapse of essential services.

Heavy rains and flooding that happened on July 14th and 15th displaced more than 400 people in the state's Dar As Salam locality, which is located to the south of El Fasher, destroying dozens of homes, according to the International Organization for Migration. Displaced families are now sheltering with host communities, who are themselves struggling to cope.

Meanwhile, violence continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. Yesterday, five children were reportedly killed during shelling in El Fasher, where fighting continues on multiple fronts.

The day before, shelling of the Naivasha market in the famine-stricken Abu Shouk camp reportedly killed six people.

The conflict has crippled people's access to food, medicine and healthcare, with many health facilities damaged or destroyed. The El Fasher Maternity Hospital, the only major hospital still operating in the area, is overwhelmed with patients, critically short-staffed and severely underresourced.

Food insecurity is also rising sharply. The cost of the local food basket has risen by 15 per cent in just one month and is now more than double what it was this time last year, according to the latest data from the World Food Programme. The lean season, between now and October is pushing more families towards hunger, with market disruptions and limited incomes making food increasingly inaccessible.

We continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, unimpeded access across both borders and conflict lines and increased international funding to respond to this escalating crisis.

And for his part, I just want to flag, and you may have seen, our colleague Volker Turk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, renewed his calls on the warring parties to ensure safe, sustained and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, including through humanitarian pauses, and to prevent and repress violations of international law.

** Senior Appointment

And finally, I have a senior personal appointment for you. The Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced today the appointment of Mr. Guang Cong of China as his new Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. He succeeds Hanna Serwaa Tetteh of Ghana, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her leadership and dedicated service to the Organization.

Mr. Cong brings decades of international affairs experience to this position, with over 23 years of service in various United Nations peace operations. A significant portion of this time was dedicated to the broader Horn of Africa region.

He currently serves, as you may know, as Deputy Special Representative (Political) for South Sudan and Deputy Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

** Questions and Answers

Associate Spokesperson : And now, after all of these notes, would you believe that we are short-staffed. Yes Pam, go ahead.

Question : Beautifully done. So, on the Cyprus meeting with Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, 5 plus 1, we've heard a lot about what it's not. It's not a continue... or at least sources say it's not a continuation of last one. It's not a new one. It's not for reunification, but for... can you flesh out what the purpose is, and where did it start? Was this Secretary-General saying, let's see if we can resolve this crisis? Was it the parties coming to him? How did it start, and what is the goal?

Associate Spokesperson : They met, as you know, in March in Geneva. This meeting taking place right now was agreed upon during that previous meeting in Geneva. Now they just started their plenary meeting, and I will not speculate on the outcome because they just started really today. And, you know, you will have, I'm pretty sure, more to hear and more to report about this meeting when it's over later today.

Question : Okay. And no stated purposes? I mean, to cooperation?

Associate Spokesperson : Absolutely. It's an informal meeting on, you know, it's dialogue. And let me keep it at that for now. They're talking, and you will have more later.

Question : And you expect later today or tomorrow?

Associate Spokesperson : We will keep you posted, later today, we'll keep you posted as the meeting evolves on what will be available from our side. And, of course, the delegations will also reach out to the proper services to identify their own opportunities.

Correspondent : Thank you.

Associate Spokesperson : Yes. And then, Serife and then at the back.

Question : I have two questions, if I may.

Associate Spokesperson : Yes. Yes. I don't think I recognize you, though.

Correspondent : It's my first time here.

Associate Spokesperson : It's your first time. Did I see you in Geneva?

Correspondent : No.

Associate Spokesperson : No. Okay.

Correspondent : I did not, maybe someone else. So, my name is [phonetic] Mohammed Hay, I work for Al Ghad News TV channel in Cairo.

Associate Spokesperson : You work for whom? Sorry. Sorry.

Correspondent : Al Ghad, it's in Cairo.

Associate Spokesperson : Okay.

Question : Yeah. So, my first question will be about Gaza. I hear you calling for the allowance of the humanitarian aid, and we have heard that multiple times from you and representatives and on Security Council. Is there anything the UN is working on to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza as we have seen the suffering of people right there?

Associate Spokesperson : I think and were you listening to the Security Council briefing yesterday?

Correspondent : No.

Associate Spokesperson : Where Tom Fletcher, and I strongly invite you to read his full remarks that he delivered yesterday. Every day, we have colleagues on the ground, colleagues at various level engaging with Israeli authorities to negotiate access. You see today, and I think if you follow this briefing, every day, we highlight what we're able to do. We highlight what we are not able to do, and this is an ongoing process to negotiate access, calling for more access. I think you heard in the note, and I will not repeat what was in the note. It's something that we do daily.

You said you had a second question.

Question : Yes. The second one is about the session. [inaudible] Sorry?

Associate Spokesperson : Oh, yes. Take your microphone.

Correspondent : Yes.

Associate Spokesperson : Thank you.

Question : Yes. So, the second one is about is about the session that is going to be today, at 3 p.m. on Syria. Is it going to be a briefing session only, or there is a decision could be made, according to what's going to happen and according to what we are seeing right now happening?

Associate Spokesperson : So, this is a briefing session of the Security Council, an open briefing which you will be able to follow. Any outcomes, you should ask the Security Council themselves. But we will have, as I mentioned, we will have Khaled Khiari who will brief on our behalf.

Serife.

Question : Thank you. Stephanie, I would like to ask you about the reports that, there are some armed Druze groups in Southern Syria's Sweida province, and they have apparently forced dozens of Bedouin families, to flee their homes, today and despite the ceasefire agreement between the local factions and the Syrian Government. In fact, many families were reportedly forced out at gunpoint, with some incidents involving killings and injuries. Do you have a reaction to this?

Associate Spokesperson : Let me just refer to what the Secretary-General said on that. We unequivocally condemn all violence against civilians, including all the reports of arbitrary killings and any acts that can fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after years of brutal conflict. And that call that we issued remains the same today.

Question : I do have one more question if I'm allowed to.

Associate Spokesperson : Yes.

Question : You also mentioned today that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the strike on The Holy Family church in Gaza. Does the Secretary-General have a comment or a reaction to Israel's attempts to alter the status of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron? Because the Israeli media has reported that Tel Aviv has removed the Hebron Municipality's administrative authority over the mosque and reassigned it to a settler council. So, is there a reaction to this?

Associate Spokesperson : I have not seen this specific report, but we always call for the protection of all religious sites. But I will leave it at that because I have not seen that specific report.

Let me go to the back, and then, Dezhi, I'll go to you.

Question : Thanks, Stephanie. I have a quick follow-up on Gaza. You just mentioned that for the first time in 135 days, you were able to deliver some fuel. At the same time, Steph told us, I guess, a week ago or so that your team was managed to bring about 75,000 litres of fuel. So, what kind of fuel was delivered, like, a week ago?

Associate Spokesperson : What? Sorry?

Question : What kind of fuel was delivered a week ago?

Associate Spokesperson : So...

Question : If it's not benzene, you said, then like diesel?

Associate Spokesperson : So, let me double check on exactly. I don't think clearly, it was not benzene. I'm assuming it must have been diesel, but I will double check because we need, but today, I can tell you that it was 75,000 litres of diesel and 35,000 litres of benzene that were brought in today. But I'll double check on exactly, what type of... you see, we're becoming very, very specific with fuel.

Dezhi?

Question : Yes, Stephanie. On Syria, it's a very... well, for me, it's very confusing and chaotic, so please help me figure this out. First, is there any activity or contacts from Mr. Geir Pedersen to parties not only in the Syrian authority, but Israel as well as, tribes maybe from, the Druze and Bedouin? Did he had any contact?

Associate Spokesperson : So, I checked with his team again this morning. And what I can tell you is that he continues to work the phones today. He and his team on the ground, they continue to remain actively engaged with all parties to address the situation there.

Question : Secondly, if we remember correctly, according to Security Council resolution 2254, HTS is still a terrorist group, but this head of the terrorist group is now the President of Syria. How is the activity between UN and the Syrian Government is going on? Like, in what extent? Because we used to hear... Steph always said we have to do our humanitarian work, but now it's more than humanitarian work.

Associate Spokesperson : And I think Steph kind of gave an answer to that question yesterday, saying that there is, you know, there's been international engagement with that interim Government, which includes us. And, again, you know, just like he said yesterday, in any country, when you're in charge, it comes with responsibilities. And so, we have our colleagues who are engaged in the political process continue to engage and to do their work to advance.

Question : Will Secretary-General urge Security Council to reconsider the designation?

Associate Spokesperson : I don't have anything on that.

Question : Okay. One last thing also on Syria because we know the Israeli attack. It started this attack as well as it started the attack on Iran for many, for different reasons. Does the Secretary-General consider, maybe, the current Israeli Government is a threat to international peace and security and also the threat to the nominee of Nobel Peace Prize of [United States] President [Donald] Trump?

Associate Spokesperson : The Secretary-General yesterday has been very firm and clear in his condemnation of Israel's escalatory air strikes in Sweida. You've heard, our reaction to other events happening in the region. Again, you know, as we said yesterday, as I can repeat today, what we're calling for is de-escalation. We're calling for any, you know, having no action that can incite more violence, and this is what we remain with.

Yes, Sinan.

Question : Thank you, Stephanie. A follow-up to Dezhi's question. As we know, HTS is in a terrorist list, and, also, it's been recognized. So, it's a little bit odd. I mean, does Secretary-General recommend to Security Council to reconsider this? Should they be removed from the terrorist list, or they should be unrecognized? I mean, what he suggests to Security Council in this case?

Associate Spokesperson : Let me get back to you on this for more details. [Sanctions are the purview of the Security Council].

Question : One more, if you don't mind.

Associate Spokesperson : Yeah, please.

Question : If that's okay. There are reports and evidence indicating that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Salafi Jihadist organization in Syria, has recruited and used child soldiers in Sweida lately, especially in latest clashes in Sweida. First, I wonder if you received any reports sort of, reports. If not, what's the Secretary-General's reaction to these allegations or reports?

Associate Spokesperson : I have not seen reports that we have received on this. I invite you to check also with our friends at UNICEF and also at the Office for children and armed conflict to see if they have received any reports on that. The position of the UN is very, very clear on the recruitment and use of children. This is something that we condemn. And there's, as you know, there's a whole mandate, Security Council mandate that is dedicated to ending this practice.

Yes. At the back.

Question : Yes. This is [inaudible] News Agency. I'm also new here. My question is about Cyprus. You mentioned just now that the Secretary-General is meeting with the separate Turkish and Greek leaders. So, does the Secretary-General expect any breakthrough at the meeting this time?

Associate Spokesperson : The meeting just started, and we will keep you posted on anything unfolding towards the end of the day. So, we'll have more on that then.

Do we have, let me see, do we have any questions online? Let me see. I think Abdelhamid, are you there?

Question : Can you hear me? [...] Can I ask a question?

Associate Spokesperson : Yes.

Question : The bombing of the church, but I think you failed to mention that the three Palestinians were killed in the church. So why, I mean, I'm very sensitive when it comes to numbers. Palestinian are not just not non-existent. Three Palestinians were killed in the church. Why that was not mentioned?

Associate Spokesperson : That, you know, the condemnation includes, of course, a condemnation of killing of people. And that's the statement that I have, Abdelhamid, on this.

Question : Even yesterday, I wanted to ask Stephane about the 21 Palestinian killed in the stampede looking for food. And, also, it was not mentioned. Are you aware of that incident? And [inaudible] came out in the briefing of Mr. Tom Fletcher.

Associate Spokesperson : Yesterday, Stephane talking about, you know, how we condemn the fact that people are getting killed trying to get food. And I hope that you listened to the Security Council briefing this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon, sorry, where Tom Fletcher, had some very strong words about this, saying how unacceptable it is for people to die while they're trying desperately to get food.

Question : And lastly, Stephanie, if I may, Samir Rifai was arrested on July 10, from a village in the West Bank. He died today in jail. That means 10 days after he was arrested. He's number 74 of Palestinian prisoner killed in jail either by torture or by medical negligence. Why the situation of Palestinian prisoners hardly ever come out in your briefings.

Associate Spokesperson : Should be... look, there should be... as we've said repeatedly, Abdelhamid, there should be an investigation of all these incidents, including this one. And, of course, you know, people should not be dying in jail.

Are there other questions in the room? If not, thank you so much, everyone, and have a good day.

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UN rights chief condemns recent killing of scores of civilians in Sudan

17 July 2025 - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk has deplored deadly attacks in Sudan's Kordofan region this week, his office said in a statement on Thursday.

Since 10 July, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has verified that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed at least 60 civilians in North Kordofan's Bara locality, while civil society groups have reported that up to 300 were killed.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) also hit two villages in West Kordofan from 10 to 14 July, killing at least 23 civilians and causing more than 30 injuries.

Most recently, on Thursday, an SAF airstrike in Bara killed at least 11 civilians who were all members of a single family.

According to the High Commissioner's statement, these deaths come amid worrying reports that the RSF is mobilising for an offensive on the capital of North Kordofan state, El Obeid.

Continued concern for El Fasher

At another major hotspot in the Sudan conflict, the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur state, the RSF has conducted multiple attacks recently. They include a ground attack on 11 and 12 July, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

The High Commissioner subsequently "expressed continued concern for the safety of civilians in El Fasher."

"Callous disregard for civilians' lives and safety"

The statement stressed that the High Commissioner "deplored the killing of dozens of civilians by both parties."

"It is distressing that more than two years since the conflict began parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to demonstrate callous disregard for civilians' lives and safety," he said.

"An escalation of hostilities in North Darfur and Kordofan will only further aggravate the already severe risks to civilians and the dire humanitarian situation in a conflict that has already wrought untold suffering on the Sudanese people,"

Mr. Turk urged those with influence to prevent further escalation and ensure parties uphold their obligations under international law, including the protection of civilians.

The High Commissioner renewed his calls for the warring parties to ensure safe and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and to prevent violations of international law.

"All alleged violations must be fully and independently investigated and those responsible brought to justice," he concluded.

Heavy rains and attacks on civilians

At the daily briefing in New York on Thursday, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stephanie Tremblay, relayed reports from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the worsening humanitarian situation in North Darfur.

Heavy rains and flooding on 14 and 15 July displaced more than 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in North Darfur's Dar As Salam locality. Displaced families are now sheltering with host communities already struggling to cope.

Ms. Tremblay also reported on additional attacks on civilians in recent days, with shelling killing five children in El Fasher on 16 July and six people at the Naivasha market in the famine-stricken Abu Shouk camp 15 July.

The El Fasher Maternity Hospital, the only major hospital still operating in the area, is overwhelmed, critically short-staffed and severely under-resourced.

Additionally, the lean season from now until October is compounding the food insecurity crisis by disrupting markets, limiting incomes and raising food prices.

Noting the High Commissioner's statement, Ms. Tremblay said that "we call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, unimpeded access across both borders and conflict lines, and increased international funding to respond to this escalating crisis."







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Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN Relief Chief tells Security Council conditions in Gaza are "beyond vocabulary"

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, told the Security Council yesterday that "we are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in Gaza." He said food is running out, those seeking it risk being shot, people are dying trying to feed their families, field hospitals received dead bodies, and medical workers hear stories firsthand from the injured - "day, after day, after day."

Fletcher called once again for the UN and its humanitarian partners to be allowed to do their work.

"We don't have to choose - and in fact, we must not choose - between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages," he said.

The Under-Secretary-General stressed that all members of the Security Council "have been unequivocal: ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire."

OCHA warns that air strikes, bombing and other attacks continue across the Strip - more than 200 over the course of two days this week alone, according to the Israeli military. There was also one report today of Palestinian rocket fire towards Israel.

Strikes over the past 24 hours have hit sites hosting displaced people, with some of them injured and killed. This includes reports of a deadly hit on the Holy Family Church in Gaza city. This incident is now under review by the Israeli military.

Between last Tuesday and this Tuesday, more than 11,500 people were newly displaced in Gaza. This brings overall displacement since the latest escalation of hostilities on 18 March to over 737,000 people - about 35 per cent of Gaza's population. Over the past 21 months, nearly everyone in the Strip has been displaced, typically multiple times.

OCHA reminds us that most housing in Gaza has been flattened or is otherwise uninhabitable. Many families are staying out in the open because the Israeli authorities have not yet lifted the ban - imposed since early March - on tents and other shelter materials.

Many displaced people have been hesitant to bathe in the Mediterranean this week, after Israeli authorities reinstated a ban on access to the sea along Gaza's coast - specifically prohibiting swimming and fishing. OCHA says that for many, the sea has been their only option to wash, as there is barely any functioning water infrastructure and almost no fuel to pump water. Today, the temperature in Gaza is 36 degrees Celsius (96 Fahrenheit).

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that the amounts of fuel that Israel is allowing into Gaza are still nowhere near enough to keep life-saving services running. Shutdowns remain a real risk.

There was a small but important step forward today: For the first time in more than 135 days, the UN was allowed to bring in some benzene, which powers ambulances and other critical services. This is in addition to the limited amounts of diesel allowed over the past week.

However, these supplies are not enough. OCHA is calling for more fuel - both benzene and diesel - to come in regularly. The ban on shelter materials must also be lifted immediately. Lives depend on both.

Syria

As-Sweida violence displaces hundreds of families, strains healthcare

OCHA says that as of today, nearly 2,000 families have been displaced from areas affected by violence in Syria's As-Sweida governorate - including Mazra'a, Kanaker and Thaala - according to a local partner. These families are currently sheltering in a dozen collective sites, primarily in Salkhad district. Many are unable to return home due to damage, looting or destruction of their residences.

The health system in As-Sweida remains critically strained. Hospitals in neighbouring Dar'a governorate are also overwhelmed. These facilities are operating without power and face severe supply shortages, with some patients transferred to Damascus. Reports indicate that at least two doctors in As-Sweida were killed during the recent clashes, and some health facilities have been used by armed groups, endangering patients and staff.

The UN and its partners are mobilizing to deliver humanitarian assistance and assess needs as security allows, as well as engaging with interim authorities to facilitate access.

The World Health Organization has dispatched 35 trauma and emergency surgery kits - enough for 1,750 interventions - but many remain undelivered due to access constraints. The interim health ministry has also mobilized medical supplies to be sent to the area.

OCHA urges all parties to protect people caught up in the violence, including by allowing them to move freely to seek safety and medical assistance. Security forces must respect applicable international law, norms and standards throughout their operations.

Sudan

Hostilities, floods deepen needs in North Darfur

OCHA warns that the humanitarian situation in Sudan's North Darfur State continues to rapidly worsen due to relentless conflict, flooding and the collapse of essential services.

Heavy rains and flooding on 14 and 15 July displaced more than 400 people in the state's Dar As Salam locality, which is south of El Fasher, destroying dozens of homes, according to the International Organization for Migration. Displaced families are now sheltering with host communities, who are themselves struggling to cope.

Meanwhile, violence continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. Yesterday, five children were reportedly killed during shelling in El Fasher, where fighting continues on multiple fronts. The day before, shelling of the Naivasha market in the famine-stricken Abu Shouk camp reportedly killed six people.

The conflict has crippled people's access to food, medicine and healthcare, with many health facilities damaged or destroyed. The El Fasher Maternity Hospital - the only major hospital still operating in the area - is overwhelmed with patients, critically short-staffed and severely under-resourced. Cholera cases are surging in the locality of Tawila and nearby areas, and the lack of safe water and sanitation in displacement sites and urban areas is fueling further disease outbreaks.

Food insecurity is also rising sharply. The cost of the local food basket has risen by 15 per cent in just one month and is now more than double what it was this time last year, according to the latest data from the World Food Programme. The lean season, which runs through October, is pushing more families towards hunger, with market disruptions and limited incomes making food increasingly inaccessible.

Child malnutrition has surged in many parts of the country, including Darfur, according to UNICEF. Without urgent action, many children will not survive.

OCHA continues to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, unimpeded access across both borders and conflict lines, and increased international funding to respond to this escalating crisis.

Ukraine

Humanitarians launch winter response plan

OCHA says that the humanitarian community in Ukraine today launched its 2025-2026 Winter Response Plan, as the country braces for another winter amid escalating hostilities and ongoing strikes on critical infrastructure.

The plan - which requires nearly US$278 million - aims to provide winter-related support to more than 1.7 million people, including 356,000 who are displaced and 1.3 million war-affected residents at risk of extreme cold between this coming October and March of next year.

The focus is on four priorities: supporting vulnerable people near the front line, facilitating evacuations, responding to attacks, and assisting displaced people in collective centres. Key winter support includes shelter and non-food items, and water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as health and food security.*

Meanwhile, OCHA says missile strikes and drone attacks have continued across Ukraine, with authorities reporting that at least five civilians were killed and 56 others injured between yesterday and early today. Most of these casualties occurred in the Donetsk and Dnipro regions, where hostilities damaged homes and ambulances and disrupted vital services.

In the town of Dobropillia, in the Donetsk region, a strike killed two people and injured 27, according to local authorities. The attack damaged more than 300 apartments and disrupted electricity and mobile Internet services. Aid workers provided emergency shelter materials and psychological support to those affected. Since the start of July, Dobropillia - which is home to more than 22,000 residents - has suffered nearly 40 attacks.

Meanwhile, in the Dnipro region, attacks reportedly killed two people and injured a dozen civilians in Dnipro City and in front-line areas around the city of Nikopol. There were reports of rescuers injured while assisting civilians.

Across Ukraine this year, the UN and its humanitarian partners have continued to deliver vital assistance to vulnerable people in front-line and neighbouring regions - including Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.

Posted on 17 July 2025

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REFORPAC 2025: US Air Force executes unprecedented surge into Pacific theater

Published July 17, 2025

Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- Over the last week, U.S. Pacific Air Forces accomplished a rapid, mass deployment and reception of personnel, equipment and aircraft to multiple locations in the Indo-Pacific theater of operations for Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025.

"We've seen amazing global teamwork completing an incredible lift to kick off REFORPAC," said Gen. Kevin Schneider, PACAF commander. "Airmen have innovated and overcome tough obstacles to get critical pieces in place, demonstrating our collective capability to project decisive air power into and throughout the Indo-Pacific with dramatic speed and scale."

The U.S. Air Force, alongside its joint allies and partners, will continue to train and integrate over the next several weeks, enhancing interoperability and readiness across the Pacific theater. REFORPAC is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, a new way the Air Force is exercising to conduct large operations in contested, dynamic environments. The aim is to improve interoperability and multilateral cooperation, leading to a stronger, more capable, deterrent force.

The DLE series encompasses all branches of the Department of Defense, along with allies and partners, employing approximately 400 U.S. and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 members at more than 50 locations spanning 3,000 miles.

The monumental effort is made possible by extensive planning and coordination efforts throughout the Air Force, along with joint, allied and partner forces, which have shown the ready ability of combined joint forces to mobilize in great numbers for any contingency. In lockstep with PACAF, Air Mobility Command has provided critical airlift, air refueling and command and control capabilities to project, connect, maneuver and sustain joint forces.

"We're witnessing a complex operation in the Indo-Pacific driven by logistics - rapid, deliberate and mission-driven," said Brig. Gen. Athanasia Shinas, mobilization assistant to PACAF's director of logistics. "Our Total Force concept is critical to this capability, leveraging the unparalleled expertise and diverse talent drawn from every industry and sector of society through our Guard and Reserve. This integration creates extraordinary opportunities to strengthen our Total Force and coalition Airmen."

Airmen are exercising robust contested logistics and engineering capabilities, sustainment over vast distances, fuel resupply and access to forward operating locations.

"This is a logistical movement at an unprecedented scale - an explosive surge into the theater driven by precision and a resilient joint network," said Brig. Gen. Mike Zuhlsdorf, PACAF director of logistics, engineering and force protection. "What makes it exceptional is the partnership with local leaders abroad, as well as infrastructure; their participatory enthusiasm has turned REFORPAC into a truly integrated regional effort. This support brings essential access and shared purpose to an extraordinary training landscape."

The tested Agile Combat Employment operational strategy, used to support joint operations, has prepared sites throughout the theater. ACE preparations have included shoring up building infrastructure and ensuring a constant flow of critical supplies, all to facilitate uninterrupted mission execution during the exercise.

"PACAF continually seeks to improve our readiness to respond to any contingency, defend the interests of the United States and work closely together with our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific," Schneider said.

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SOUTHERN STAR '25: 27th Special Operations Wing projects power with partners in Chile

Published July 17, 2025

By Airmen 1st Class Gracylen Hess

27th Special Operations Wing

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFNS) -- From the sunbaked airstrips of Antofagasta to the bustling port of Valparaiso and the icy channels of Punta Arenas, elite troops from six nations dived into SOUTHERN STAR 25, Latin America's premier multinational special operations exercise. Designed around a simulated United Nations stabilization mandate, the event brings together special forces from Chile, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay, with 10 additional nations participating as observers.

A key part of the U.S. contribution is the 27th Special Operations Wing, whose aircraft and Air Commandos have delivered mobility, surveillance, and refueling capabilities across more than 3,700 kilometers of challenging terrain  an unmistakable demonstration of the U.S. commitment to its partners in the Southern Cone and the broader Western Hemisphere.

Deploying from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, the 27 SOW brought two of the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's arsenal: the MC-130J Commando II and the U-28A Draco. Designed to thrive in austere, high-threat environments, these platforms were crucial to the operational tempo and complexity of SOUTHERN STAR 25.

"We're closely integrated with our joint partners in U.S. Special Operations Command and that partnership drives how we operate across the world. Down here in Chile, we are integrating and providing the same type of support to the exercise that we would anywhere else in the world if there's a special operations mission set going on," said Lt. Col. Graydon Sponaugle, 27 SOW mission commander for SOUTHERN STAR 25.

In Antofagasta, Air Commandos conducted a forward arming and refueling point demonstration using the MC-130J, showcasing to Chilean airmen how expeditionary refueling operations can sustain special operation forces units operating far from traditional bases. The very next day, the same aircraft supported static line jump training for Chilean paratroopers, or paracaidistas, who practiced airborne insertion techniques alongside U.S. aircrews, strengthening tactical interoperability and deepening trust between the nations' forces.

Meanwhile, the U-28A provided critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support across multiple mission profiles.

In Rancagua, U.S. Air Commandos established a satellite communications node to receive real-time full-motion video from the Draco in flight, illustrating the rapid ISR integration capabilities essential to success during fast-moving missions. Later in the exercise, in Valparaiso, the U-28A provided overwatch during a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure training operation involving U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Air Commandos, Chilean Special Forces, and the Chilean Navy. The mission enhanced maritime interdiction capabilities while exemplifying the layered coordination enabled by airborne ISR platforms.

Operating across a country as long and geographically diverse as Chile posed logistical challenges that tested every aspect of special operations capability  command, sustainment, adaptability, and communication. Yet, the 27 SOW thrived in this environment, reaffirming AFSOC's ability to project power and sustain complex missions far from home. From austere airfields to maritime staging areas, the wing's involvement helped exercise vital capabilities such as the protection of sea lines of communication and affirmed U.S. and partner readiness near strategic regions like the approaches to the Antarctic.

SOUTHERN STAR 25 also served as a proving ground for innovation. With their involvement in distributed mission planning, real-time ISR delivery and satellite communications, the Air Commandos contributed to emerging integration efforts across the space and cyber domains. These forward-leaning efforts, paired with proven platforms like the MC-130J and U-28A, point toward a future in which special operations forces can operate even more effectively across domains and coalition partnerships.

"Southern Star has helped demonstrate, yet again, how the U.S. can integrate with anyone across the world to achieve common objectives  and do so in a mutually beneficial manner," Sponaugle said.

From airborne operations and tactical refueling to maritime ISR overwatch and technology integration, the 27 SOW's performance during SOUTHERN STAR 25 was a testament to the strength of partner cooperation and the versatility of AFSOC. As the U.S. and its partners continue to face evolving global security challenges, exercises like this not only prepare forces for what lies ahead  they strengthen the partnerships and interoperability that will define success in the years to come.

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U.S. Coast Guard completes historic Quad Sail to strengthen Indo-Pacific maritime partnership

United States Coast Guard

Press Release | July 17, 2025

SANTA RITA, Guam -- The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) arrived in Guam, July 3, after a landmark multinational sail with representatives aboard from the maritime forces from Australia, India, and Japancollectively known as the Quad.

As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, Quad nations are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region. We are committed to a region where all countries are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

This inaugural event underscored the U.S. Coast Guard's commitment to fostering a free and open Indo-Pacific and reflected the U.S. Coast Guard's strategic priority to strengthen partnerships that uphold the rule of law, sovereignty, and regional stability. The Quad Sail enhanced joint operational capabilities, boosted readiness, and promoted a secure Indo-Pacific region with unrestricted, lawful access to maritime domains.

"The Quad Sail signaled a hallmark moment for our respective nations and the Indo-Pacific," said Capt. Brian Krautler, commanding officer of the Stratton. "Together, we fostered professional exchanges and enhanced maritime domain awareness. We believe in the necessity of a prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and share concern over the rise of malign behaviors that undercut law and order and erode maritime safety and security. The Stratton team is honored to represent the U.S. Coast Guard in this historic endeavor."

The U.S. Coast Guard's mission in the Indo-Pacific relies on close collaboration with allies, enhancing operational flexibility and delivering a wide range of capabilities. National security cutters, such as the Stratton, routinely operate across the Pacific.

Throughout Stratton's patrol, the crew has engaged with regional partners and participated in joint operations to advance maritime safety and security. Stratton is currently assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy's largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet's principal surface force. DESRON 15 regularly assumes tactical control of surface units operating in the area.

Commissioned in 2012, Stratton is one of 10 Legend-class national security cutters; four of the 10 are homeported in Alameda, California. These 418-foot vessels, with a 54-foot beam and 4,600 long-ton displacement, have a top speed of 28 knots, a 12,000-nautical-mile range, and a crew capacity of up to 170. Their versatility, range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather provide mission flexibility throughout the Pacific.

7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

###



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Russo-Ukraine War - 17 July 2025 - Day 1240

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian forces increased the pace of their territorial gains throughout May and June 2025.

Russian Ground Forces highly likely seized approximately 550-600 sq km of Ukrainian territory in June 2025, an average of approximately 18-20 sq km per day. This was a slight increase from Russian advances in May 2025, which was itself a notable increase on the approximately 200 sq km of Ukrainian territory seized in April 2025.

Russian gains in May and June 2025 are largely in rural, less built-up areas. Russia has focused on identifying weak areas across the defensive line. Small assaults enable Russia to probe and spot opportunistic areas to breakthrough and make further gains across the front line.

While Russia is gaining territory, Russia has faced continuing difficulties attempting to take fortified cities such as Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. Directly assaulting these areas would require significantly greater mass. Russian forces attempt instead to circumvent and cut off logistic routes and ground lines of communication around key cities of interest.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 131 combat encounters. Ukrainian defenders are decisively intercepting the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression.

Today, Russian troops launched one missile and 62 airstrikes, using two missiles and dropping 90 controlled airstrikes. In addition, 1249 kamikaze drones were deployed and carried out 4,280 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursky directions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 11 assault actions of the Russian occupiers since the beginning of the day, three clashes continue so far.

In the South Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy nine times stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of the settlements Vovchansk, Zelene and Staritsa, two clashes are still ongoing. The enemy launched air strikes in the areas of settlements Okip, Borshova, Vovchansk, Chugunivka.

In the direction of Kupyansk, Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Zeleniy Gorge, Nova Kruglyakivka and in the direction of Pishany. Ukrainian defenders have already stopped three Russian attacks, another battle is ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders 18 times attacked the positions of Defense Forces near the settlements of Novoyegorivka, Grekivka, Karpivka, Green Valley, Kolodyazi, Serebryanka and towards Shandrigolovy, seven clashes are ongoing.

Three enemy assaults repelled Ukrainian defenders in the Siversky direction - the Russian occupiers tried to advance in the area of Grigorivka and in the direction of Viymka.

In the Kramatorsky direction, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 11 times in the areas of the settlements of Chasiv Yar, Stupochka, Bila Gora and Predtecina.

In the Toretsky direction, seven times the Russians attacked the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of Scherbinivka, Oleksandr-Kalinovy, Petrivka, Rusyn Yar and in the direction of Pleschievka, all clashes in the direction have already been completed.

In the Pokrovsky direction since the beginning of the day, Russian forces 48 times tried to advance on the position of Ukrainian units. Russian forces attacked in the areas of settlements Poltavka, Popiv Yar, Rodinske, Novotoretske, Mirolubivka, Novoekonomicne, Lisivka, Novoukrainka, Zvirove, Udaachne, Muravka, Oleksiyivka and in the direction of Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka. Three clashes are still ongoing.

According to preliminary data, today in this direction there were 231 Russian occupiers, of which 130 - irrevocably. Also Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a tank, three combat armored vehicles, three cars, three motorcycles, two cannons, 18 armored vehicles, one satellite communication terminal and five armored antennas; damaged a tank, five cannons and two motorcycles of the Russian occupiers.

In the Novopavliv direction, Russian forces tried 12 times to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of the settlements of Piddubne, Zirka, Temirivka, Mirne, Voskresenka, Free Field, Shevchenko. The two clashes are still going on.

Russian attacks have not been recorded in Gulyaipilsky, Orihivskky and Pridniprovskky directions, but the enemy launched air strikes on Bilogir, Stepnogirsk and Olgivka.





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Treasury Sanctions Top Leaders of Tren de Aragua

U.S. Department of the Treasury

July 17, 2025

WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (a.k.a. "Nino Guerrero")the head of Tren de Araguaand five other key Tren de Aragua leaders and affiliates. Tren de Aragua is a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) that originated in Venezuela and continues to expand. Nino Guerrero has grown Tren de Aragua from a prison gang involved in extortion and bribery to an influential organization that threatens public safety throughout the Western Hemisphere. Tren de Aragua is involved in the illicit drug trade, human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, among other criminal activities.

"Today's action highlights the critical role of leaders like Nino Guerrero and his lieutenants in Tren de Aragua's efforts to increase its destabilizing influence throughout the region," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans. In line with President Trump's mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the group's campaign of violence."

DERAILING TREN DE ARAGUA LEADERSHIP

On February 20, 2025, the Department of State designated Tren de Aragua as an FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Treasury previously sanctioned Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization on July 11, 2024. On June 24, 2025, OFAC sanctioned Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, another senior leader of Tren de Aragua. Today, OFAC is sanctioning the following leaders and key affiliates of Tren de Aragua.

Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (a.k.a. "Nino Guerrero") is the notorious head of Tren de Aragua. Nino Guerrero has been involved in criminal activities for over two decades and has expanded Tren de Aragua from a prison gang involved in extortion and bribery to an organization with growing influence throughout the Western Hemisphere. On July 11, 2024, the State Department issued a reward for up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nino Guerrero.

One of Nino Guerrero's notorious co-founders and a close lieutenant, Yohan Jose Romero (a.k.a. "Johan Petrica"), is responsible for the group's illegal mining efforts in Venezuela. Additionally, Johan Petrica provides Tren de Aragua with military-grade weapons used to control the streets of Venezuela and fight against Colombian guerrillas. On July 11, 2024, the State Department issued a reward for up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Johan Petrica.

Josue Angel Santana Pena (a.k.a. "Santanita") has also been involved in Tren de Aragua dating back to the organization's origins as a prison gang. Santanita was reportedly imprisoned with Nino Guerrero in Tocoron Prison and previously helped direct Tren de Aragua from within the prison. Santanita is alleged to be involved in homicide, extortion, bombings, terrorism, and theft.

Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo (a.k.a. "Wilmer Guayabal")is known to be a lieutenant of Nino Guerrero and the leader of a Tren de Aragua cell involved in drug trafficking and bribe collection in Venezuela. Wilmer Guayabal has also executed the murders of a policeman, a Venezuelan military official, and Venezuelan intelligence officials on behalf of Tren de Aragua.

Nino Guerrero's wife, Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, is linked to criminal activities such as money laundering, terrorism, and terrorist financing and is believed to have enriched herself through profits maintained in connection to criminal activities of Tren de Aragua.

Felix Anner Castillo Rondon (a.k.a. "Pure Arnel") is the leader of a Tren de Aragua cell known as "Los Gallegos" that has operated in Chile. Los Gallegos is implicated in homicides, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of women, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering.

Today, OFAC is sanctioning Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, Yohan Jose Romero, Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo, Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, and Felix Anner Castillo Rondon pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Tren de Aragua.

Today's action is the result of coordination with U.S. government counterparts, including the Department of Justice's Joint Task Force Vulcan.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons is blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.

Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC's guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.

Click here for more information on the persons designated today.

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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home, offloads approximately $93.2 million worth of drugs in St. Petersburg

United States Coast Guard

Press Release | July 17, 2025

Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay - 305-607-6347

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute offloaded nearly 12,600 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $93.2 million, in their homeport of St. Petersburg, Thursday, following a 59-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific.

Resolute deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South), a U.S. Department of Defense command that leverages the capabilities of U.S. Intelligence and Law Enforcement agencies, Allies and Partner Nations to detect, monitor, and support interdiction of illicit narcotics movements in the air and maritime domains throughout the Western hemisphere. During their patrol, Resolute's crew worked to detect, deter, and intercept smuggling of illegal narcotics into the United States.

Resolute spent several weeks as the only U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the Eastern Pacific, playing a critical role in maintaining maritime domain awareness and operational coverage across a vast area, spanning over 1,000,000 square miles. Halfway through patrol, Resolute was joined by the cutters Escanaba, Tahoma, and Hamilton, providing broad, coordinated coverage across the major drug-smuggling vectors running from Ecuador towards the United States.

The crew expertly completed a total of six vessel interdictions, including a sailing vessel, one fishing vessel, and four go-fast style speedboats. Although several of the boats were determined to not be carrying illicit contraband at the time of interdiction, they provided excellent opportunities to hone Resolute's tracking and interception capabilities, often done in coordination with Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) support from the sky. One notable case saw Resolute launching their primary interceptor, an Over-the-Horizon Cutter Boat (OTH), from nearly 70 nautical miles away to successfully intercept a high-speed go-fast vessel transiting south of the Galapagos.

During this time, Resolute's law enforcement team successfully interdicted a suspicious vessel and seized nearly 5,000 pounds of cocaine concealed within the vessel's cabin. Less than two weeks later, Resolute coordinated with an MPA and launched their OTH to pursue a go-fast vessel transiting in heavy seas. While in pursuit, the OTH experienced a critical structural failure, rendering the asset inoperable. Resolute was able to safely recover the disabled OTH, launched their second interceptor, and worked with the MPA to force the go-fast to jettison their load of contraband, over 3,700 pounds of cocaine. Less than 24 hours after that pursuit, Resolute interdicted yet another go-fast style vessel carrying over 3,900 pounds of cocaine. Together, these three successful seizures prevented over $93.2 million in illicit narcotics from reaching American streets.

The OTH casualty significantly reduced Resolute's interdiction capability and required a rapid solution in a logistically challenging area of operations. Demonstrating remarkable interagency cooperation and logistical agility, the crew of Resolute worked with JIATF-S, the Coast Guard's Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC), and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, to swiftly coordinate the replacement of the OTH. The replacement boat was airlifted to Panama City, Panama, aboard a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Demanding precise timing and expert execution, the undertaking powerfully underscored the Coast Guard's dedication to maintaining a persistent and effective presence in its counter-narcotics mission. With the replacement OTH safely cradled aboard the cutter, Team Resolute was able to resume and successfully complete their patrol in the Eastern Pacific drug smuggling vectors.

"Yet again, the crew impressed me with their ability to achieve significant operational success and protect American interests while fighting every day to maintain a nearly 60-year-old ship in a challenging maritime environment," said Cmdr. Ian Starr, Resolute's commanding officer.

Resolute is a 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter's primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.

These interdictions relate to Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces' (OCDETF), Strike Force Initiatives and designated investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.

For breaking news, follow Coast Guard District 7 on X (formerly Twitter). For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and also follow Coast Guard Atlantic Area on Facebook, Instagram and X.

-USCG-



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Allied paratroopers own the night

By Corporal Luke Bellman

17 July 2025

Three-hundred-and-thirty-five US paratroopers dropped into Charters Towers under the cover of night, exploiting allied night vision capabilities to launch a surprise operation designed to overwhelm any adversary.

They were not alone, German and French paratroopers jumped alongside them, taking part in one of the first major actions of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.

The troops, from the 11th Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, flew more than 10,000 kilometres from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska aboard six C-17 Globemasters to execute a Joint Forcible Entry Operation (JFEO).

JFEOs are large-scale missions that see Army and Air Force units working together to drop troops into contested areas and secure key terrain for follow-on forces.

The operation included a 14.5-hour flight, mid-air refuelling and real-time communication with US and allied headquarters throughout the journey.

In addition to the paratroopers, the operation also airdropped heavy equipment, including 10 Humvees, command and control vehicles, mortar systems with transport vehicles and several door bundles.

Colonel Brian Weightman, Commander of the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, said it was their asymmetric advantage that created unstoppable momentum.

"We own the night. Our ability to fly halfway around the world, communicate in real time, and drop combat-ready troops and equipment into an area should serve as a reminder to any potential adversary," Colonel Weightman said.

The German contingent, from 26 Paratrooper Regiment, also played a role in the airborne operation. Five German personnel jumped alongside US forces and around 10 medics supported the operation, along with 15 staff members responsible for coordination.

First Lieutenant Marcel, a staff officer with the German Joint Visitor Bureau, said the exercise was a rare and valuable opportunity for his unit.

"It is a rare opportunity for German forces to train in Australia and a valuable experience in operating in a new environment," he said.

He described the key challenges including navigating long-distance deployments, managing customs processes and learning new logistics systems on the ground.

"In Europe everything is a lot smaller; here it was about getting to know who the point of contact was and how the logistics work," he said.

In preparation for the operation, Colonel Weightman said that the German paratroopers had previously travelled to Alaska to complete joint training at the Advanced Airborne School.

"It was seamless. I sat next to our German colleague's right before we jumped. We stood up, hooked up, checked our equipment and exited the aircraft together. That's how a strong alliance works," he said.

Thirty-six French paratroopers from New Caledonia also joined US and German troops in the airborne operation, marking the first time French paratroopers have conducted a jump in Australia.

French airborne officer Captain Marvin, from the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia, said the operation tested his troops in new ways, but the most important outcome was working side by side with regional partners.

"We train in New Caledonia which is a really little island, but this is different, [it's bigger, it's harder and we're doing it together]," Captain Marvin said.

"The most important thing is just working with partners in the region because it's important [for real world situations]."

Behind the scenes, the ADF played a crucial role in enabling the complex operation, providing safety support, medical coverage and preparing the drop zone on a remote cattle station near Charters Towers.

The 480-hectare drop zone bordered a five-kilometre lake, requiring ADF water safety teams to be on standby in case of parachute overshoots during the night insertion.

Following the drop, the multinational force began seizing training objectives and airfields before handing control to Australia's 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, as part of a broader joint operation set to continue with a second parachute insertion at Shoalwater Bay.

This operation proved that allied forces could deploy globally and seize key terrain within 24 hours.

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Amphibious forces embark for Talisman Sabre 2025

By Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan

17 July 2025

Preparing for the embarkation and transportation of hundreds of people is no easy task, but for the Australian Amphibious Force it has become second nature.

For Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 HMA Ships Canberra and Choules have embarked the entire Australian Amphibious Force in less than one full tidal cycle, proving the ADF's ability to rapidly deploy an Amphibious Task Group to sea.

Within two days, the two ships absorbed over 800 personnel in addition to their regular crew.

The embarked force comprised over 30 units from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force, plus allied forces from the United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, France and others.

Personnel, vehicles, supplies, weapons, ammunition and even an explosives detection dog were brought on-board to build up the Amphibious Assault Forces' considerable capabilities.

Some of the many vehicles embarked included Bushmaster Protective Mobility Vehicles, Light Amphibious Resupply Cargo (LARCS), HX77 Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, (both the HX77 and the 40M) M777A2 Howitzers, G-Wagon 6x6 vehicles, LCM8 landing craft and CAN-AM ATVs.

These assets were smoothly but rapidly driven into the ship, and onto the light or heavy vehicle decks where they were then firmly secured for action.

One-person on-board Canberra whose job is to manage everyone embarking is Bombardier Riley Slattery.

"My role is the embarked forces coordinator, which involves being the first point of contact when people first get on the ship.

"I look after people's accommodation coming in but also assist in the force projection of joint combat elements including ground, logistics and air heading out to the beach," Bombardier Slattery said.

"I also look after the welfare of the embarked forces. Essentially just think of me as the hotel concierge for the personnel: as in if anything goes wrong, they'll come to me.

"One complex issue while embarking our partners is that we only have one translator for a whole platoon of international soldiers," he said.

Despite the communications challenges that come with working within a multinational setting, the embarkation went smoothly for both the Canberra and Choules cargo handlers.

While HMAS Canberra was able to embark many vehicles via a heavy-duty gangway, HMAS Choules used a crane to expertly lift trucks and supplies onto the flight deck.

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National Defence announces progress on the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar project

National Defence

News release

July 17, 2025 - Ottawa - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

As part of Canada's $38.6 billion plan announced in 2022 to modernize North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) over the next two decades, the Department of National Defence announced today the selection of the first transmit and receive sites for the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) project. The selection of the first two sites sets the foundation for further development and expansion and is a major milestone toward reinforcing Canada's security and sovereignty in the Arctic.

The A-OTHR project is anticipated to reach initial operational capability by the end of 2029. It will ultimately require four sites to be fully operational: two transmit sites and two receive sites.

For a permanent transmit site, the Department of National Defence (DND) has acquired 163 hectares of vacant property in the northern part of Thistle Trail, slightly north of Bexley Township in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.

A preliminary receive site has also been identified, consisting of 288 hectares of agricultural land in Clearview Township, Ontario. Acquiring this site enables DND to deliver an initial, functional capability that can be implemented much sooner than the full capability. DND continues to explore potentially suitable options for the remaining sites.

DND will launch a public engagement period that will include virtual and in-person information sessions and townhall meetings. These sessions will provide more in-depth information about the sites and allow the public to provide feedback and ask questions about the A-OTHR project. Additional information and registration details will be available on the Department of National Defence website.

Initial work is anticipated to begin at the Kawartha Lakes and Clearview Township sites in winter 2026. DND is committed to sharing detailed information as it becomes available.

Quick facts

Through Canada's North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization plan, the Government of Canada is investing in a new Northern Approaches Surveillance System to support domain awareness for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and NORAD. This system includes A-OTHR which provides early warning radar coverage and threat tracking and will significantly expand NORAD and the CAF's situational awareness of objects approaching and entering Canadian airspace from the North.

Over-the-Horizon Radar can conduct surveillance at far greater ranges than regular radar technology as it bounces radar beams off the ionosphere to see around the curvature of the Earth.

DND will conduct several environmental and site studies, such as a climate change risk assessment, an environmental site assessment and a flora and fauna assessment before beginning work as per its regular standard procedure.

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Wang Yi Meets with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 16, 2025 21:34

On July 16, 2025, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev in Tianjin.

Wang Yi commended the Secretary-General for fulfilling his duties with dedication since taking office, actively contributing to the implementation of common understandings reached between leaders of member states, and establishing sound working relations with relevant departments of the Chinese side. As a comprehensive regional organization with the world's largest population, broadest geographical coverage and immense potential, the SCO is drawing increasing attention from the international community. The organization can play a more prominent role in safeguarding regional peace and stability and promoting development and revitalization, and can make new practices and SCO contributions to the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. The Secretariat, as the SCO's most important permanent body, has received full recognition from the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for its work. Wang Yi expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat will play a greater role in ensuring the SCO's efficient functioning, coordinating actions among all parties, amplifying the SCO's voice, and enhancing the SCO's influence. China will continue to support and facilitate the work of the Secretariat.

Wang Yi said that since assuming the rotating presidency of the SCO, China has hosted over 90 events and advanced a series of cooperation, all aimed at pooling the strength of member states and further solidifying and strengthening the SCO. He expressed hope that the Secretary-General will continue to support China's presidency and work with the Chinese side to host a summit featuring friendship, unity, and fruitful outcomes.

Nurlan Yermekbayev extended congratulations on the successful hosting of the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Member States. He expressed deep admiration and full agreement with the insightful vision on the development of the organization presented by President Xi Jinping during his meeting with representatives of the SCO member states. Since assuming the rotating presidency, China has proposed a rich and substantive program of activities and delivered on them one by one, elevating cooperation among member states to a new level. The Secretariat will continue to fully support China's presidency, and jointly prepare for the Tianjin summit to ensure fruitful outcomes.

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The Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Member States Held in Tianjin

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 16, 2025 15:30

On July 15, 2025, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Tianjin. Attending the meeting were Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyz Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeenbek Kulubaev, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ularbek Sharsheev.

Wang Yi said that over the past 24 years since its founding, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of member states, the SCO has maintained steady and positive growth, continuously expanded cooperation areas, consistently enhanced its international prestige, and increasingly highlighted its strategic value, becoming a reliable anchor for member states to maintain regional stability and achieve common development.

Wang Yi noted that at present, profound changes unseen in a century unfold at a faster pace, with intertwined and overlapped turbulence and transformation. While a multipolar world and economic globalization continue to deepen and the Global South stands out with a strong momentum. At the same time, hegemonism and power politics run counter to the tide of progress, the countercurrent of protectionism surges, and regional conflicts keep flaring up. Under the new circumstances, member states need to adopt a responsible attitude toward history and the future and reach further consensus on strengthening the SCO.

Wang Yi put forward five proposals for the SCO's future development.

First, stay true to its founding mission and carry forward the Shanghai Spirit. The Shanghai Spirit is the very root and soul of the SCO. Mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development illustrate what a new type of international relations should be and the original aspiration of the founding of the SCO. On the new journey ahead, member states need to further champion the Shanghai Spirit, strengthen the SCO's cohesion, action and appeal, take solid steps to perform and excel, and build the SCO into a fine example of mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation.

Second, share weal and woe and consolidate the foundation of security. The "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism continue to stir up troubles in the region, and new threats and challenges keep emerging, making the security situation still complex and severe. The SCO needs to respond effectively. China is deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East. The use of force against Iran's sovereignty and security is a clear violation of international law and undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Afghanistan is an important member of the SCO family. Efforts should be made to support Afghanistan's reconstruction and development, and address both symptoms and root causes to realize lasting peace and stability.

Third, pursue mutual benefit and win-win results to drive the engine of development. Development is of paramount importance and holds the master key to all problems. The SCO should fully tap its potential, strengthen industrial chains, stabilize supply chains, enhance value chains, foster growth drivers in economy, trade, investment, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, green industries and the digital economy, and achieve sustainable development that leaves no one behind.

Fourth, champion good-neighborliness and jointly build a beautiful home. The neighborhood is the place where countries survive and thrive and the foundation of their development and prosperity. Good neighbors wish each other well. Helping one's neighbors is helping oneself. Good-neighborliness should be a shared commitment of all member states. In April this year, China convened the Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries and reaffirmed its commitment to seek an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and share weal and woe with its neighbors. China is committed to working with neighboring countries to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home.

Fifth, uphold the right path and defend fairness and justice. A certain country puts its own interests over the international public good, undermining the common interests of the international community. The SCO should take the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN) as an opportunity to firmly uphold the UN's authority and role, advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, champion the common values of humanity, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of member states, and work for a more just and equitable global governance system.

Wang Yi thanked the support of other member states for China's rotating presidency, and expressed the confidence that with joint efforts, the Tianjin Summit will surely be a complete success and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring stronger solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness.

All participating parties highly commended China's excellent work as the rotating presidency and the positive outcomes achieved, and expressed willingness to coordinate and cooperate with China to ensure a successful Tianjin Summit. All parties fully recognized the important role of the SCO in strengthening strategic mutual trust among member states, promoting regional development and prosperity, safeguarding common security and deepening people-to-people ties. All parties agreed that in the face of a turbulent and unstable international situation, it is important to further carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, strengthen solidarity and coordination, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, expand cooperation in various fields, promote dialogue among different civilizations, jointly uphold the UN's authority, oppose unilateralism, and resolve hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, so as to make new contributions to world peace and development.

Wang Yi and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev met the press together after the meeting. Wang Yi announced that the SCO Summit will be held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, which is the top priority for China during its presidency. Leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will attend the summit and related events.

The meeting made comprehensive preparations for the Tianjin Summit and signed multiple resolutions, including the draft Tianjin Declaration of the Council of Heads of State and the draft SCO Development Strategy for the Next Decade.

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Wang Yi: Meeting of the SCO Foreign Ministers Council Makes Sound Preparations for Tianjin Summit

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 16, 2025 19:48

On July 15, 2025, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Tianjin.

When meeting the press with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev after the meeting, Wang Yi said that President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to this meeting and has made a special arrangement to meet with the foreign ministers of SCO member states and heads of its permanent bodies. Xi Jinping stressed that the SCO should remain true to its founding mission, meet the expectations of the people, and shoulder its mission of the times, which has provided guidance for the high-quality development of the SCO.

Wang Yi said that since assuming the rotating presidency, China has planned over 110 important events covering various fields, including dozens of ministerial-level meeting mechanisms. These activities have made SCO's security cooperation more productive, injected greater impetus into development, improved institutional building, and greatly enhanced physical connectivity, institutional connectivity and people-to-people connectivity among member states. At this meeting, foreign ministers had thorough exchanges on various topics, achieved the expected goals, and made full political preparations for the upcoming Tianjin Summit. The foreign ministers agreed to take concrete actions in the following five aspects:

First, carry forward the Shanghai Spirit. The Shanghai Spirit, which originated at the turn of the century, is the very root and soul of the SCO and has demonstrated timeless value throughout its development course. All parties agreed that the more turbulent and changing the international situation becomes, the more the member states should be guided by the Shanghai Spirit, strengthen solidarity, deepen mutual trust, continuously enrich the profound substance of the Shanghai Spirit and make it a basic norm governing international relations.

Second, improve security mechanisms. All parties reaffirmed the need to fully implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of member states and continuously enhance the SCO's ability to respond to security threats and challenges, including combating the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, and safeguarding information security. All parties decided to accelerate the building of "four security centers", including a universal center and its branches to address the challenges and threats to the security of SCO member states and the Anti-Drug Center. These efforts will become an important part of improving the SCO's operational mechanisms.

Third, create development opportunities together. All parties agreed that the SCO should seek greater synergy of member states' development strategies, enhance the resilience of industrial and supply chains, and foster new growth drivers in such fields as economy, trade, investment, energy, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, green industries and the digital economy. All parties also discussed the establishment of an SCO development bank and other financing support mechanisms, and reached a principled consensus.

Fourth, consolidate good-neighborliness and friendship. An important source of the SCO's enduring vitality lies in understanding and affinity among the people of its member states. All parties advocated for fully leveraging various mechanisms, platforms and non-governmental channels to continue the friendship from generation to generation. China will seek an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and share weal and woe with its neighbors, work with other SCO countries to build a common home of solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, and fairness and justice.

Fifth, uphold fairness and justice. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations (UN), All parties have decided to uphold the correct historical view of World War II, defend the outcomes of the victory of World War II, firmly safeguard the UN-centered international system and work for a more just and equitable global governance system. All parties particularly pointed out that the world today is overshadowed by the dark clouds of power politics and bullying, and beset by frequent international and regional conflicts. The rights of countries to survival and development are under stress, and international fairness and justice must be upheld. The SCO should meet the expectations of the international community and take more proactive actions to promote lasting peace in the Middle East and help Afghanistan restore stability and development, so as to contribute to the cause of human progress.

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China's aircraft carrier Shandong hosted nearly 10,000 sorties of aircraft in five years since commissioning: official media

Global Times

By Guo Yuandan and Liu Xuanzun Published: Jul 17, 2025 11:03 PM

Multiple Chinese official media on Thursday published stories about the takeoff and landing support squadron on board China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong. The reports revealed for the first time that the squadron has ensured the safe takeoff and landing of nearly 10,000 sorties of various types of carrier-based aircraft since the Shandong's commissioning five years ago, continuously increasing carrier-borne aircraft's sortie rate.

A Chinese military affairs expert told the Global Times on Thursday that the squadron's achievements reflect the Shandong's growing overall combat capability, demonstrating that it is fully capable of undertaking far seas defense operations and effectively responding to external challenges.

The official media stories highlighted how the officers and sailors of the Shandong's takeoff and landing support squadron have deeply committed themselves to the frontline of operational support, pooling their wisdom to tackle technical challenges and continuously pushing and breaking through the limits of the aircraft carrier's combat capabilities.

The aircraft carrier Shandong was officially commissioned into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on December 17, 2019. From the first landing and takeoff of the J-15 fighter jet on aircraft carrier Liaoning on November 23, 2012, to the continuous breakthroughs in the maximum consecutive sorties of carrier-based aircraft, the officers and sailors of the takeoff and landing support squadron of the Shandong have been both witnesses to and makers of history.

Carrier-borne aircraft serve as the spearhead of an aircraft carrier's combat capability, while their sortie rate determines the sharpness and strength of this cutting edge. As the critical link between the aircraft and the carrier, this squadron plays an indispensable role in unleashing the ship's full combat potential. Through analyzing patterns from tens of thousands of training sessions and refining support procedures across thousands of sorties, the squadron has mastered the ability to simultaneously ensure safe takeoffs and landings for multiple types of carrier-based aircraft within tight timeframes, according to China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center.

China Bugle highlighted in its report that the J-15 fighter jet now operates at increasingly faster speeds, larger scales, higher frequencies, and exponentially improved sortie rates.

Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Thursday that the increasing launch speed of carrier-based aircraft demonstrates that the Shandong carrier's air wing has achieved seamless integration of ship, aircraft, and personnel, marking a further enhancement of the carrier group's systematic combat capabilities. In wartime scenarios, faster carrier-based aircraft launch speeds mean shorter response times for fighters to scramble and engage, and this inherently boosts the combat effectiveness of the entire carrier group, he said.

A story by the PLA Navy's official social media account provided another detail: during the recent far seas dual-carrier group training mission, the Shandong swiftly scrambled fighter jets under the support of the squadron to deal with a foreign military aircraft attempting close-range harassment, prompting the foreign aircraft to retreat after recognizing the Chinese response.

China Central Television's (CCTV) military channel also mentioned that during the training, foreign vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-in reconnaissance and tracking surveillance. On one late-night occasion, the squadron successfully carried out carrier-based fighter jet launch operations, handling the situation with professional competence. A crew member aboard the carrier said that, "We maintain all-weather response capabilities. No matter the circumstances, if you dare approach, we have the ability to launch aircraft and respond."

Zhang said that the rapid launch and response capability of the Shandong's fighter jets against unidentified aerial targets demonstrates the carrier group's robust combat readiness and emergency response proficiency. This performance confirms that the command crew, pilots, and aircraft have passed rigorous operational tests, achieving deeper ship-aircraft-personnel integration, fully meeting the demands of maritime warfare, contingency operations, and emergency combat scenarios.

He further noted that these flight operations represent all-weather capabilities, including night operations and adverse weather condition sorties. This reflects substantial improvements in the carrier group's reconnaissance, early warning, command-and-control systems, as well as emergency combat capacity. The carrier's air wing has achieved full all-weather operational capability, marking continuous enhancement of the carrier's comprehensive combat capability, now fully qualified for far seas defense missions.

New benchmark

The official reports also mentioned that the takeoff and landing support squadron of the carrier Shandong has ensured the safe operations of nearly 10,000 sorties involving multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, achieving consistent growth in sortie rates and continuously setting new records for the combat capability benchmarks of China's aircraft carriers.

These types of aircraft include the J-15 fighter jet, the newly unveiled J-15T catapult-launch variant, search and rescue helicopter, early warning helicopter and transport helicopter, which have conducted maritime missions together with the carrier, Zhang said.

Zhang believes it is not unexpected that the Shandong has hosted nearly 10,000 sorties of safe aircraft takeoff and landing operations. It also demonstrated the carrier's combat capabilities.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force tracked the Shandong carrier group when it carried out training in the Western Pacific waters in July last year. Citing the Japanese data, Zhang said that the Shandong completed 380 aircraft sorties in seven days, or 54.3 sorties per day on average. These included 240 J-15 sorties and 140 helicopter sorties. This exceptional operational tempo meets the requirements for medium-to-high intensity regional maritime warfare, the expert said.

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China ready to boost transport ties with Russia, says FM spokesperson in response to Putin's remarks about developing M12 highway project

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jul 17, 2025 05:02 PM

China stands ready to work with Russia to continue deepening cooperation on transport, and tap the potential for transit transport, so as to facilitate cross-border travels, attract more mutual visits of tourists, and further enrich the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the comments at a press conference in response to a media inquiry about reported recent announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the plan of constructing new highways in the East Section of the M-12 Highway which is part of the Western Europe - Western China International Transit Corridor and leads up to Russia's border with China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and North Korea, and how the highway could impact the development of tourism and logistics between China and Russia.

Russia will consider issues of building access roads to the state border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea, President Vladimir Putin said, Tass reported on Thursday.

"We are going to continue proactively develop the East route. It should be extended to Tyumen and linked with the upgraded backbone road network of Siberia and the Far East. This is exactly what I meant that there will be more to the launch of this section," Putin said at the opening ceremony of the M-12 East section via a videoconference link, according to Tass.

Lin said that under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, China-Russia transport cooperation has maintained sustained, sound and steady development, with cross-border connectivity making significant progress and internal driving forces for the mutually-beneficial cooperation becoming increasingly robust.

China is also steadily building a modern railway network that connects it with neighboring countries such as Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and Laos, boosting regional links, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges.

A growing number of cross-border railways are thriving as economic arteries, powering development in cities along their routes. A freight train carrying Russian rapeseed recently arrived at the border residents' mutual trade zone of Manzhouli, a border city in Inner Mongolia profoundly shaped by the China-Russia railway, the Xinhua News Agency reported in June.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on July 17, 2025

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 17, 2025 18:08

Asharq News: Syria has been subjected to a number of Israeli attacks. Multiple members of Syria's security forces and civilians were killed. What is China's position and what is its view of the situation in Syria? (Similar question from Al Jazeera)

Lin Jian: Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. In particular, given the continuous ongoing turbulence in the Middle East, there shouldn't be any action that may lead to escalation.

Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he thinks China will soon sentence people to death for fentanyl manufacturing and distribution. What's China's response to these remarks?

Lin Jian: We've repeatedly made it clear that fentanyl is the U.S.'s problem, not China's. It's the U.S.'s responsibility to solve the issue. Despite the goodwill China has shown, the U.S. wrongly slapped "fentanyl" tariffs on Chinese imports. The move has dealt a heavy blow to China-U.S. dialogue and cooperation on counternarcotics, and gravely hurt China's interests. If the U.S. truly wants cooperation with China, it needs to face the facts squarely, and seek dialogue with China based on equality, respect and mutual benefit.

Beijing Youth Daily: According to a recent UN assessment report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, nearly "half of the goals are moving too slowly" and "18 percent of the goals have gone backwards." The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "We are in a global development emergency" but "the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are still within reach, but only if we act  with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve." What's your comment?

Lin Jian: As we have seen, rising unilateralism and protectionism is impacting the global economic recovery. International development cooperation lacks momentum. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is seriously lagging behind. Certain country even openly rejects and denounces this overarching document for international development cooperation. Development crisis has become a real challenge facing all countries. China has always taken strong actions to advance global development. The Chinese government has included the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into the 14th Five-Year Plan. China has already realized relevant SDGs in poverty alleviation, public health and other areas ahead of schedule, contributing significantly to the implementation effort worldwide. China actively promotes international development cooperation. China put forward and has been implementing the Global Development Initiative. We have deepened cooperation under this initiative with over 20 development agencies in recent years, benefiting more than 30 million people in over 60 countries. At last year's G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Xi Jinping outlined China's eight actions for global development to facilitate international cooperation in food security, scientific and technological innovation, green transition and other key areas and inject more impetus into global development.

Realizing the SDGs calls for solidarity and action. To meet the challenges, we need to renew the very purpose of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, reinvigorate the global development partnership, remain committed to development as an important pillar of the UN, and bring development back to the center of the international agenda. China stands ready to work with all parties for a more prosperous world.

RT TV: Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the plan of constructing new highways in the East Section of the M-12 Highway which is part of the Western Europe - Western China International Transit Corridor and leads up to Russia's border with China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. How will the highway impact the development of tourism and logistics between China and Russia?

Lin Jian: Under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, China-Russia transport cooperation has maintained sustained, sound and steady development, with cross-border connectivity making significant progress and internal driving forces for the mutually-beneficial cooperation becoming increasingly robust.

China stands ready to work with Russia to continue deepening cooperation on transport, and tap the potential for transit transport, so as to facilitate cross-border travels, attract more mutual visits of tourists, and further enrich the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

TASS: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said recently that Russia is negotiating the restoration of the Russia-India-China (RIC) format with Beijing and New Delhi. He pointed out that Russia remains positive towards promoting the operation of this mechanism. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this?

Lin Jian: China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of our three countries, but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and in the world. China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation.

AFP: I'm just wondering if you could confirm that the China-EU leaders' summit will take place soon and can you provide any details on it?

Lin Jian: I have no information to share at the moment.

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Press Statement by Policy Section Chief of Institute for Japan Studies under DPRK Foreign Ministry

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- The policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies under the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday issued the following press statement titled "Japan's defense white paper is a war scenario for realizing its ambition for reinvasion from A to Z":

Japan, obsessed with its ambition for reinvasion, is busy for securing the capability for preemptive attack, released the 2025 Defense White Paper.

Japan again asserted in the white paper on the basis of the stereotyped method that an "urgent threat" comes from the DPRK, China and Russia with their just measures for bolstering up their military capabilities.

This is nothing but shameless sophism to cover up the threatening entity of Japan which is escalating the regional situation in a gradual way and justify its reckless moves to turn itself into a military giant, leaving the whole area of the archipelago as a military outpost and logistic base for realizing the U.S. hegemony-oriented strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

It is the common knowledge that Japan formulated the possession of preemptive attack capabilities by revising the "national security strategy" and, for its realization, has speeded up the development of home-produced long-range missiles as well as the purchase of foreign-produced long-range missiles in recent years.

Japan, which increased its defense budget in 2025 to the largest scale in history, is resorting on a full scale to bolstering up its military capabilities more than ever before, while purchasing medium-range air-to-air missiles and long-range air-to-surface cruise missiles and related equipment worth about 3.7 billion U.S. dollars from the U.S.

Under such situation, Japan is mulling deploying U.S.-produced 400 Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and type 12 surface-to-ship guided missiles which increased the range of more than 1 000 km and were remodeled to operate not only on the ground but also in the air and sea from this year.

Japan, a war criminal state, openly declared its possession of the capability for preemptive attack on the sovereign territory of other country and tries to seize the long-range strike means with operational radius far beyond the range of the archipelago. This is a very dangerous attempt to violate peace and security in the region and rest of the world and push the regional situation to the touch-and-go situation.

Japan, which has styled itself a "peace state" on the principle of "exclusive defence" before the international community till now, is working hard to build the capability for carrying out war of aggression such as the capability for long-range strike and trans-domain operation. This is not merely a passive or temporary countermeasure pursuant to the "tension of the situation in the surrounding region" but a military policy orientation which has been persistently pursued for a long time, setting it as a strategic goal since its defeat.

The present development clearly proves once again that the efforts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to bolster up its nuclear war deterrence serve as an indispensable contribution to strongly suppressing the provocations of the U.S. and its allies, which are becoming undisguised worldwide, and maintaining the strategic balance and stability of the region.

Japan's defence white paper is a war scenario for realizing its ambition for reinvasion from A to Z and its moves for turning Japan into a military giant seriously threatening regional peace and security can never be tolerated.

The region and the international community should heighten natural vigilance against the Japan's ambition for becoming a military giant recklessly transforming day after day and resolutely oppose and reject it. -0-

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Joint communique on the occasion of the visit to France by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Elysee - President of France

Posted on 17 July 2025

At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, made his first visit to France on 13 and 14 July 2025. On this occasion, he attended the parade for the Bastille Day parade.

H.H. the Amir held discussions with the President of the French Republic during a working luncheon following the parade at the Elysee Palace, with the Foreign and Defence Ministers in attendance, along with the Finance Minister of the French Republic, the Director General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Authority and the Managing Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority.

The President of the French Republic and H.H. the Amir of Kuwait hailed the importance of the long-standing partnership that binds their two countries, and H.H. the Amir of Kuwait invited the President of the French Republic to Kuwait in 2026 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Kuwait.

Economy, trade and investment

The President of the French Republic and His Highness the Amir underlined the importance of strengthening their partnership in the areas of the economy, trade and investments, which contribute to supporting job creation and innovation. They welcomed joint efforts to increase the flow of investments between the two countries.

The Heads of State reiterated their aim to invest and support the investments of their government authorities and public entities, including the Banque Publique d'Investissement and the Kuwait Investment Authority, and semi-public entities, with regard to projects, funds and other investment instruments that benefit their economies.

As part of the "France 2030" strategic framework and "Kuwait Vision 2035", the President of the French Republic and His Highness the Amir of Kuwait welcomed the signing of a strategic investment partnership for the mutual benefit of the two countries, in order to increase investments, including in key sectors such as energy transition, semiconductors, aerospace, artificial intelligence, digital technology, healthcare, the hotel sector and cultural and creative industries in France. A joint action group on French-Kuwaiti cross-investment will be set up to promote the creation of concrete projects and will work on the basis of announcements at the next Choose France Summit.

The Heads of State have shown that they want to encourage the positioning of French expertise to meet the priorities of Kuwait and its economic transformation plan, particularly in the areas of transport, energy and sustainable cities. They discussed the next stages for implementing the declaration of intent on energy cooperation signed by the French and Kuwaiti Foreign Ministers in Kuwait on 24 April 2025. H.H. the Amir also had an opportunity to hold discussions with major French companies alongside these meetings.

Defence, security and judicial cooperation

France and Kuwait reiterated the importance of their bilateral relationship in terms of security and defence. They two Heads of State commended the growth of military cooperation and the Kuwaiti army's use of French equipment to upgrade Kuwait's defence capabilities.

The Heads of State expressed their shared will to develop a multi-year training cycle in France for Kuwaiti military personnel, to increase joint training exercises in order to strengthen interoperability between the two countries' armed forces, as well as to support cooperation by embedding military personnel.

The two Heads of State welcomed the strengthening of their security partnership, including by welcoming a cooperation officer from the French gendarmerie into the Kuwait National Guard. They highlighted that cooperation on terrorism and its financing is essential in order to prevent terrorism and for the security of citizens.

They also expressed their wish to step up judicial cooperation in the area of international law enforcement.

Development cooperation

The two Heads of State welcomed the operational discussions launched by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD, French Development Agency) and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) as part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two entities in June 2023. The AFD and the KFAED expressed interest in implementing their partnership in the Middle East, where the needs are clear, and in co-funding projects in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, to meet the needs of the people in terms of access to drinking water and healthcare. The two development agencies will continue discussions so that these initiatives can be presented to their respective decision-making bodies, with the aim of co-funding the first AFD-KFAED projects in 2025-2026.

Academic, scientific and technical cooperation

The two Heads of State welcome the strengthening cooperation in the fields of academic, scientific and technical between the two countries.

France and Kuwait encourage increased student mobility and aim to increase the number of students taking part in exchanges between Kuwait and France.

They welcomed the prospect of facilitating programmes providing specialized vocational training and increasing the number of state grants for Kuwaitis studying in France to 250 per year, particularly in the fields of medicine, business, finance and management, science and engineering, and artificial intelligence. They expressed their desire to facilitate the accreditation process for French universities and institutes of higher education, as well as to recognize the equivalence of qualifications ; to draw up a list of excellent French establishments which could be accredited by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Higher Education ; to help create the necessary conditions for Kuwaiti doctors to resume training-related mobility in France.

They highlighted their shared commitment to developing projects between French and Kuwaiti research centres across all scientific disciplines.

Health cooperation

The two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation in all aspects of healthcare : training doctors and medical teams, receiving patients, improving research and medical services, and the transfer of knowledge, all through strengthening existing partnerships with French healthcare facilities and expanding its scope with new partnerships with French healthcare providers, in line with the memorandum of understanding concluded with the Gustave Roussy Institute on 20 February 2025, as well as forthcoming agreements of cooperation between the State of Kuwait and leading healthcare institutions in the French Republic, including : Institut Curie, Hopital Foch, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Hopital Rothschild, and Almaviva Sante.

They expressed their desire to collaborate on global health issues, and welcomed France's hosting of the WHO Academy in Lyon, and its hosting of the One Health Summit at the end of 2025, in Paris.

Cultural cooperation

Noting their commitment to culture, the President of the French Republic and the H.H. the Amir of Kuwait welcomed the signing of a declaration of intent to step up cultural cooperation.

They commended the key role of the French Institute in Kuwait (FIK), as one of the main educational and cultural institutions in Kuwait, which is the main driver for promoting the French language and Francophone culture in Kuwait. They expressed their wish to increase French-language teaching within the Kuwaiti educational system, in line with Kuwait's desire to join the International Organisation of the Francophonie. They welcomed the fact that the French Research Centre of the Arabian Peninsula (CEFREPA) has been in Kuwait since 2015, playing a key role in promoting Kuwaiti archaeological sites. They looked forward to working together to identify and set up a single site to host both entities, in order to form a cultural campus of excellence and enhance the cultural possibilities for people from Kuwait and the wider region.

They committed to help encourage cross-visits, to develop joint artistic projects, including supporting the creation of a national resident orchestra in Kuwait, as well as setting up training and skills-transfer programmes in the areas of museology, conservation and cultural mediation, with a view to promoting Kuwaiti heritage and encouraging the Kuwaiti public to visit national and international collections, particularly at the Kuwait National Museum.

Ahead of 65th anniversary celebrations of French-Kuwaiti diplomatic relations in 2026, they welcomed the upcoming organization of specific cultural events in both France and Kuwait.

They expressed their support for the work of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage (APLIH) in conflict zones and to combat the effects of climate change, particularly in the Middle East.

H.H. the Amir of Kuwait looked forward to continued cooperation with the Arab World Institute as part of its mission to promote intercultural dialogue between French and Arab cultures, including by teaching Arabic in France.

To further bolster their partnership, the French Republic and the State of Kuwait are determined to enhance their dialogue and cooperation over the long term. An intergovernmental seminar chaired by the two Prime Ministers will shortly be held in France to implement this ambitious programme.

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France withdraws from Senegal, ending permanent military presence in former colony

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 8:13 PM

France has formally completed its withdrawal of troops from Senegal, ending its permanent military presence in its former colony in West Africa.

France completed the withdrawal of some 350 troops and handed over control of its last major military installations - including Camp Geille and a nearby airbase - to Senegal in a ceremony in the capital Dakar on Thursday.

The move marks the end of the European country's long military presence in Senegal since the African nation's independence in 1960, and a milestone in a withdrawal from the wider region of West Africa.

The withdrawal came after Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's decision last year to end foreign military bases, part of a regional shift rejecting neo-colonialism and valuing national sovereignty.

"It is part of France's decision to end permanent military bases in West and Central Africa, and responds to the Senegalese authorities' desire to no longer host permanent foreign forces on their territory," said Gen. Pascal Ianni, head of French forces in Africa.

Senegal's military leaders have already welcomed the move as a step toward boosting domestic defense autonomy while maintaining regional and global peace efforts.

"Its primary goal is to affirm the autonomy of the Senegalese armed forces while contributing to peace in the sub-region, in Africa, and globally," said Senegal's military chief, Gen. Mbaye Cisse, stressing that the withdrawal supports the country's new defense strategy.

Last year, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger pushed out French troops and turned to Russia for help in their fight against Daesh- and al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups in the restive Sahel region.

They also turned away from West African bloc ECOWAS and formed their own alliance of Sahel states.

In February, France also returned its last military base in Ivory Coast, bringing an end to its decades-long presence in the country.

The only remaining permanent French military base in Africa is in the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, with reduced footprints elsewhere.

France's withdrawal from Senegal and other nations highlight a growing departure from long-standing military influence and increasing interest by several African governments in alternative security partnerships, including with Russia.

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INDIAN NAVY'S EASTERN FLEET SHIPS ARRIVE IN SINGAPORE AS PART OF THE DEPLOYMENT TO SOUTH EAST ASIA

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Indian Navy Deepens Maritime Ties with Singapore

Posted On: 17 JUL 2025 7:07PM by PIB Delhi

Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Satpura, Shakti and Kiltan, under the Command of RAdm Susheel Menon, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, arrived in Singapore, on 16 Jul 25, to a warm welcome from personnel of Republic of Singapore Navy and the High Commission of India in Singapore.

The visit is part of the Operational Deployment of the Indian Navy to South East Asia. This visit is poised to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two maritime nations through a series of engagements and activities.

Professional interactions with the Republic of Singapore Navy, discussions with academia and engagements with the community, that reflect the shared values of both nations are planned during the visit.

Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy share robust operational relations spanning over three decades of cooperation, coordination and collaboration with regular visits, exchange of Best Practices and reciprocal training arrangements. The current deployment underscores the strong linkages between both the navies.

******

VM/SPS 135/25

(Release ID: 2145603)

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India rejects NATO chief's warning of US sanctions over trade with Russia

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 8:13 PM

India has dismissed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's warning that New Delhi could face US sanctions if it continues trading with Russia.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated at a news conference in New Delhi, "We have seen reports on the subject and are closely monitoring the developments... ensuring the energy needs of our people is understandably our overriding priority. In this effort, we are guided by what is available in the markets and by the prevailing global circumstances."

"We would particularly caution against any double standards on this matter," Jaiswal added.

Following a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House earlier this week, Rutte urged Brazil, India, and China, among other BRICS nations, to "make the phone call" to Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine or risk facing secondary sanctions from the US.

"President Trump said, basically, if Russia is not serious about peace talks (in Ukraine), within 50 days, he will slam secondary sanctions on countries like India, China, and Brazil."

Also during the meeting, Trump said the US will send weapons to Ukraine through NATO, which will pay for and distribute them.

The United States' "top-of-the-line weapons," including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon, he pointed out.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, US goods exports to India in 2024 were $41.8 billion, up 3.4 percent ($1.4 billion) from 2023. US goods imports from India totaled $87.4 billion in 2024, up 4.5 percent ($3.7 billion) from 2023.

On Monday, Trump threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if a deal on ending the war in Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

Moreover, the EU also faces a critical two-week deadline to prevent a 30% tariff on imports from the US, Trump's administration announced last week.

On Wednesday, Beijing rejected Rutte's warning, saying "dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out of the (Ukraine) crisis."

"China opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. Tariff wars have no winners (and) coercion and pressure will lead nowhere," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.

India, China, and Brazil account for the vast majority of Moscow's energy trade. Together with South Africa, they are the core nations of the BRICS alliance.

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Wang Yi Meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 16, 2025 21:56

On July 16, 2025, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Tianjin.

Wang Yi noted that China and Iran have established diplomatic relations for more than half a century, and bilateral relations have withstood the test of the volatile international landscape, and have always maintained stable and sound development. As a comprehensive strategic partner, China will continue to support Iran in safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity, resisting power politics and bullying acts, defending its legitimate rights and interests through political negotiations, and adhering to the principle of good-neighborliness and friendship to continuously improve and develop relations with its neighboring countries. China is ready to work with Iran to deepen mutual trust, strengthen cooperation, expand exchanges, and promote the steady and long-term growth of China-Iran relations.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude for China's valuable support to Iran and said that Iran is more steadfast than ever in its resolve to develop relations with China. The Iran-China comprehensive strategic partnership enjoys tremendous potential and broad prospects. Iran supports China's role as the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and its preparation for the Tianjin Summit. Iran is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and continue to firmly support each other with China.

The two sides exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue. Seyed Abbas Araghchi reiterated that Iran has explicitly stated that it will not develop nuclear weapons but will not give up its legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Iran is willing to engage in negotiations and consultations as soon as possible with all parties on the premise of equality and respect, to seek a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Wang Yi said that China consistently opposes the use or threat of force and advocates for resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. China values Iran's commitment to not developing nuclear weapons, respects Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and appreciates Iran's efforts to strive for peace through diplomatic means. China supports Iran in maintaining the momentum of dialogue with all parties and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in facilitating the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and promoting stability in the Middle East region.

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Commander: I.R.G.C. is fully prepared to strike the enemy again

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 17, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) says that the force is fully prepared to inflict the same blows to the enemy.

Major-General Mohammad Pakpour made the remark during on Thursday a meeting with Major General Amir Hatami, the chief commander of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pakpour said that the Armed Forces of Iran successfully thwarted the most intense and complex war and sedition on the country with the epic support from the nation.

Highlighting the wise leadership of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the resilience of the people, he said that the Israelis were forced to alter their calculations after witnessing "the promised hell" in the final days of the war.

Iran will not relent the enemy, he said, adding that if attacked, the country will resume the war from the point it was halted.

For his part, the commander of the Army vowed to defend Iran shoulder to shoulder with the I.R.G.C.

Calling the Israeli regime "a threat to the entire region," he said Hatami said that if given the chance, the Israeli regime would attack other countries in the region as well.

On July 13, Israel carried out an unprovoked attack on Iran, assassinating military commanders and nuclear scientists in targeted strikes, and killing civilians in air raids on residential areas. The war was halted on June 24 after the Tel Aviv regime requested a ceasefire following retaliatory missile strikes by Iran.

9417

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Iran rejects U.S. accusations at U.N., slams Washington's role in Yemen and Gaza crises

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 17, 2025

New York, IRNA -- Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has strongly dismissed recent U.S. allegations against Tehran, saying Washington is exploiting the U.N. Security Council to divert attention from its own destabilizing conduct in the region.

In a letter to the U.N. and the Security Council, Ambassador Amir Saee'd Iravani "categorically rejected" the "baseless allegations" made by the U.S. during Council meetings on July 9 and July 15.

He said claims that Iran is violating Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen are "entirely unfounded, unsubstantiated, and devoid of credible evidence."

The following is the full text of the letter:

Excellency,

I categorically reject the baseless allegations once again made against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the representative of the United States during the Security Council meetings held on 9 July 2025 (9954th meeting) and 15 July 2025 (9958th meeting), under the agenda items "The Situation in the Middle East" and "Maintenance of International Peace and Security," respectively.

The claim that Iran violates Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) is entirely unfounded, unsubstantiated, and devoid of credible evidence. Iran remains fully committed to its international obligations and relevant Security Council resolutions and continues to support a peaceful, inclusive, and Yemeni-led political process.

It is deeply regrettable that the United States abuses the Security Council platform to deflect attention from its own destabilizing actions, including its military involvement in Yemen and support for Israel's aggression in Yemen and the entire region.

For nearly a decade, the people of Yemen have suffered the consequences of a devastating war and unlawful blockade imposed by a coalition backed by the United States, resulting in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. These violations of international humanitarian law continue with impunity.

The Security Council must not allow the United States' propaganda to obscure the ongoing Israeli atrocious crimes in Gaza and the region and the root cause of the current situation in the Red Sea. Lasting peace in the region requires addressing the root causes of instability, chief among them, Israel's illegal occupation, aggression, and systematic violations of international law and Security Council resolutions.

4354**

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Iran rejects US accusations, denies supplying weapons to Yemen

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 10:59 PM

Iran has firmly dismissed US allegations of supplying military equipment to Yemen, labeling them as "unfounded" and part of Washington's ongoing media campaign against Tehran.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described the US claims as a deceitful attempt to distract from the true issues plaguing the region, namely the Israeli regime's acts of aggression and its crimes against regional nations.

Baghaei emphasized that the US bears direct responsibility for Israel's relentless warmongering against occupied Palestine and other countries in the region.

He noted that Washington is trying to justify its military presence and provide excuses for its destabilizing actions in partnership with Israel.

According to Baghaei, the military and political support the United States provides to Israel has enabled the regime to escalate its genocidal campaign in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while simultaneously violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria and Lebanon.

Israel has carried out acts of aggression against Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iran.

The situation in Syria has worsened since the emergence of a new regime led by former al-Qaeda and Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani in December. Recently, Israel intensified its military aggression in Syria, launching airstrikes on Wednesday that targeted key military and government sites in Damascus and the southwestern province of Dara'a.

On June 13, Israel committed a blatant act of aggression against Iran, assassinating numerous high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

More than a week later, the United States further escalated the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites, in clear violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic locations across the occupied territories and the al-Udeid airbase in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, through successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, Iran effectively imposed a halt to the ongoing illegal assaults.

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Iran ready to resume war on aggressors if threatened: IRGC chief

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 4:13 PM

The IRGC chief says Iran will resume its retaliatory war against the invaders from where it left off in the event of further aggression, emphasizing full preparedness of the Islamic Republic to strike the enemy once again.

Major General Mohammad Pakpour, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) chief commander, made the remarks during a meeting with Iran's Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami, on Thursday, emphasizing that IRGC's morale is at its highest level.

"The armed forces are in full readiness and coordination to repeat a strike against the enemy," Pakpour stressed.

He touched on Iran's 12-day defense against the US and Israeli aggression, noting that the Armed Forces managed to neutralize the toughest and most complex war and sedition in Iran's history with "the heroic support of the nation."

On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians. More than a week later, the US entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.

In response, hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones overwhelmed Israeli air defenses and struck key military, intelligence, industrial, energy, and R&D facilities across the occupied Palestinian territories.

Furthermore, Iran's Armed Forces also launched a ballistic missile attack against the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

"The will and dignity of the Iranian people and the armed forces have prevailed. We all stand together. Beloved Iran has never been defeated in confrontation with its enemies," the IRGC chief further said, adding, "In the final days of the war, the Israelis saw the promised hell with their own eyes."

"We will not let the aggressors and invaders off the hook. We will resume the war and battle against the invaders exactly from where it was left off," Pakpour stressed.

Major General Hatami, for his part, condemned the Israeli regime for being the main threat to peace and security in West Asia.

"The evil Zionist regime is a threat to peace and security in the region and the world, and an enemy of Muslims. If given the chance, it will also invade other countries in the region," he stressed.

"We pledge that, God willing, the Army and the IRGC will stand side by side and hand in handas a divine armyto work for the elevation of Iran's proud flag and the security and power of Islamic Iran," Hatami added.

On June 24, the Israeli regime - isolated and abandoned - declared a unilateral halt to its aggression, announced on its behalf by US President Donald Trump, after Iran, through successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the illegal assault.

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Iran condemns EU's new sanctions as 'illegal' attempt to cover up own terror support

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 6:54 AM

Iran has condemned the European Union's recent move to make accusations and impose new sanctions against the country as an "illegal, destructive, and unjustified" attempt meant to deflect public attention from the 27-nation bloc's own sponsorship for terrorism.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks on Thursday, two days after the European Council slapped restrictive measures on eight persons and one entity, alleging that they are responsible for committing rights abuses on behalf of the Iranian government outside its borders.

Baghaei said the Council's claim about Tehran's support for terrorist acts in Europe are "ridiculous and baseless," noting that some European governments insist on making anti-Iran accusations and spreading lies about the country as part of a blatant blame game aimed at diverting domestic and international attention from their own systematic support for terrorism, as well as Israel's crimes in Gaza and the entire West Asia region.

"The EU and some of its member states criticize and sanction Iran under false pretexts, while they remain silent about the Zionist regime's military aggression against Iran and the killing of Iranian citizens, and even seek to justify and support it (the Israeli assault)," he added.

The spokesman also denounced the European Union's decision to impose sanctions on Iranian citizens based on unfounded claims as an arbitrary move that contradicts fundamental human rights norms and principles.

The European governments proposing and supporting the anti-Iran sanctions bear responsibility for the consequences of their measures, he said.

The EU has levied multiple sanctions on Iran on several occasions under the pretext of human rights violations and over the country's nuclear activities.

Those designated face EU-wide asset freezes and travel bans. EU individuals and entities are also prohibited from making funds or resources available to those sanctioned.

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UN envoy rejects 'baseless' US claims regarding situation in Yemen, Red Sea

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 6:22 AM

The Iranian ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations has dismissed as "baseless" the recent anti-Iran accusations by the US regarding the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, slamming the US military involvement in Yemen.

In a letter to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran "categorically" rejects the baseless allegations once again made against the country by the US representative during Security Council meetings held on July 9 and July 15 under the agenda items "The Situation in the Middle East" and "Maintenance of International Peace and Security," respectively.

"The claim that Iran violates Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) is entirely unfounded, unsubstantiated, and devoid of credible evidence," he added.

Back in April 2015, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2216 on Yemen, which imposed sanctions on individuals allegedly undermining the stability of Yemen, calling on all Yemeni parties to end violence and refrain from further unilateral actions that threatened the political transition.

The Iranian diplomat once again reiterated his country's commitment to its international obligations and relevant Security Council resolutions, saying Tehran continues to support a peaceful, inclusive, and Yemeni-led political process.

"It is deeply regrettable that the United States abuses the Security Council platform to deflect attention from its own destabilizing actions, including its military involvement in Yemen and support for Israel's aggression in Yemen and the entire region," Iravani added.

He noted that the Yemeni people have suffered for nearly a decade from the consequences of a devastating war and unlawful blockade imposed by a US-backed coalition, which has resulted in one of the "world's worst humanitarian crises."

He emphasized that the violations of international humanitarian law by the US-led coalition continue with impunity.

"The Security Council must not allow the United States' propaganda to obscure the ongoing Israeli atrocious crimes in Gaza and the region and the root cause of the current situation in the Red Sea," the Iranian diplomat further pointed out.

He stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of instability, chief among them, Israel's illegal occupation, aggression, and systematic violations of international law and Security Council resolutions aimed at establishing lasting peace in the region.

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Risch, Colleagues Urge European Snapback Sanctions on Iran

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Published: July 17, 2025

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and John Cornyn (R-Texas), today sent a letter to Jean-Noel Barrot, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadephul, German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, and David Lammy, British Secretary of State, urging them to immediately trigger snapback sanctions on Iran following continued Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear agreement and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The lawmakers wrote, "Iran's ejection of the International Atomic Energy Agency from its facilities marked the latest in a long chain of violations to Iran's nuclear commitments. These actions confirm what we have known all along: the Iranian nuclear program is not civilian; it is the pursuit of a bomb to destroy Israel and threaten U.S. national security interests in the region. The international community must not tolerate this activity any longer."

The lawmakers continued, "...We implore you to immediately trigger snapback sanctions pursuant to UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231. Initiating the snapback process would be the rightand long overduemove and would deny Iran the resources it uses for its terror agenda."

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

In the wake of continued Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear agreement and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we implore you to immediately trigger snapback sanctions pursuant to UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231.

Initiating the snapback process would be the rightand long overduemove and would deny Iran the resources it uses for its terror agenda. The 2015 deal flooded Iran with cash while allowing it low-level enrichment, a clock to simply wait out, no limitations on ballistic missiles, and nothing to rein in terror proxies. Years down the line, the sanctions relief Iran received from this deal directly funded Iran's terror proxies and led to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.

Iran's ejection of the International Atomic Energy Agency from its facilities marked the latest in a long chain of violations to Iran's nuclear commitments. These actions confirm what we have known all along: the Iranian nuclear program is not civilian; it is the pursuit of a bomb to destroy Israel and threaten U.S. national security interests in the region. The international community must not tolerate this activity any longer.

The decision to initiate the snapback process is only the beginning. The UNSC must fully process and formally re-instate UN sanctions without delay. This will take several weeks, and the October expiration of the snapback mechanism is looming.

Furthermore, once sanctions are back in place, we must commit to their enforcement. Chinese purchases of Iranian oil and illicit oil smuggling through third countries have long violated existing U.S. secondary sanctions. Once UN sanctions return, all member countries will have a duty to crack down on this illegal activity.

President Trump has instituted a maximum pressure policy to bring Iran to the negotiating table. It is our sincere hope that our allies will stand side by side with America as we counter Iran's threat to regional and global security for good.

We look forward to your response.

###



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Minister Akazawa's Telephone Talk with Secretary Lutnick

Ministry of Foregn Affairs of Japan

July 17, 2025

On July 17, commencing at 8:55 a.m., for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. AKAZAWA Ryosei, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization of Japan, held a telephone talk with the Honorable Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce of the United States of America. The overview is stated in the attached Cabinet Secretariat press release.

(Reference) Attachment

Cabinet Secretariat Press Release ( English (PDF)

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Wang Yi Meets with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: July 16, 2025 15:46

On July 15, 2025, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu in Tianjin.

Wang Yi noted that Kazakhstan successfully hosted the second China-Central Asia Summit last month, during which President Xi Jinping and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had in-depth and friendly strategic communication, writing a new chapter of good relations. The strong mutual trust and deep friendship between the two heads of state provide solid strategic guarantees for the steady and long-term development of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Wang Yi said that China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors with a high degree of mutual trust, good friends with mutual assistance in trying times, and good partners for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Under the personal guidance of the two heads of state, China-Kazakhstan relations are at their best in history. China has always placed Kazakhstan in an important position in its neighborhood diplomacy and is willing to work with Kazakhstan to firmly support each other, consolidate political mutual trust, create more new highlights of cooperation, and open up new prospects for bilateral relations. Noting that Kazakhstan is a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang Yi stated that China looks forward to making joint efforts with Kazakhstan and other member states to ensure the complete success of the Tianjin summit and make plans for the future development of the SCO.

Murat Nurtleu congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Meeting of the SCO Foreign Ministers Council, expressing Kazakhstan's full support for all the cooperation initiatives proposed by China and its willingness to make positive contributions to the smooth convening of the Tianjin summit. China is a friendly neighbor, close friend, and trustworthy partner of Kazakhstan. Under the guidance of the two heads of state, the Kazakhstan-China permanent comprehensive strategic partnership has been elevated to a new level and reached new heights. Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to implement the common understandings reached by the two heads of state, prepare for high-level exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, investment, energy, railways, and industrial park construction, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.

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Russia Ramps Up LPG Supply To China As Both Sides Boost Cooperation

Sputnik News

20250717

Russia's exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to China could reach 750,000 tons in 2025 compared to last year's 450,000 tons, according to a presentation of the Argus news outlet seen by Russian media.

The growth is driven by Europe's refusal to purchase Russian raw materials and a decline in US imports due to tariff restrictions, experts say. Russia's growing LPG supplies to China come as the two countries expand bilateral economic collaboration.

In 2024, Russia supplied China with 108.47 million tons of crude oil, 30 billion cubic meters of pipeline gas, and 8.3 million tons of liquefied natural gas, data from China's General Administration of Customs shows.

 Sputnik

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Secretary Rubio's Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

July 17, 2025

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed regional security matters, including efforts to end the violence in Syria. The two also discussed the pursuit of diplomacy with Iran and U.S.-Saudi cooperation to ensure Red Sea security and to stop the fighting in Sudan.

Secretary Rubio also discussed ongoing cooperation to strengthen the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

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Foreign Minister Holds a Phone Call with U.S. Secretary of State

Saudi Press Agency

Thursday 22/01/1447

Riyadh, July 18, 2025, SPA -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call on Thursday with the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Marco Rubio.

During the call, the foreign minister affirmed the Kingdom's condemnation of the Israeli attacks on the Syrian Arab Republic and Israel's interference in Syria's internal affairs.

Prince Faisal stressed the importance of respecting Syria's sovereignty and independence and the need to halt Israeli aggression on Syrian territory. The foreign minister also emphasized the importance of joint efforts to support the Syrian government's measures to establish security and uphold the rule of law across all its territory, in a manner that preserves the country's unity and achieves civil peace. The foreign minister also commended the efforts made by the United States to support Syria's security and stability.

-- SPA

01:38 Local Time 22:38 GMT

0004

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Ranking Member Shaheen Statement on Escalating Violence in Syria

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Published: July 16, 2025

WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on escalating violence in Syria:

"I am deeply concerned by the uptick of violence in Syria, including Israel's decision to launch airstrikes on Damascus and Suwayda. This escalation could undermine and endanger Syria's stability and derail progress made by Special Envoy Tom Barrack towards achieving normalization between Syria and Israel. Concurrently, Syria's authorities must commit to peacefully restoring order in Druze areas and pursuing accountability for any security forces who have committed violations in Druze communities. The only way forward is for all sidesDruze, Bedouin tribes, Israeli forces and the Syrian governmentto de-escalate immediately. Syria's authorities need international support to build capacity, professionalize and train their forces and support our shared objectives of eliminating the threat posed by terrorist groups and other nefarious actors in Syria. To that end, we must all aim towards and support the path to a unified Syria that protects the interests of all citizens and can pursue peaceful relations with its neighbors."

###



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Germany Federal Foreign Office

17.07.2025 - Press release

Foreign Minister Wadephul today (17 July 2025) issued the following statement on the situation in Syria:

The images reaching us from southern Syria are hard to bear. The large number of civilian victims claimed by the recent clashes in Suweida province is shocking. I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attacks against members of the Druze minority. Those responsible must be held to account.

The fact that the weapons are now falling silent - thanks in part to mediation by our American partners - is good news. It is now crucial that all parties adhere to the arrangement and stop the fighting.

The Syrian Government has a duty to protect its citizens from violence, irrespective of their religion or ethnic background. In addition, the Government must launch an inclusive political process in which all citizens of Syria are represented. The German Government, along with its European partners, remains ready to actively support this process.

Syria must not become a theatre for regional tensions. With regard to the Israeli air strikes, also on Damascus, I call on all national and foreign actors not to take any action that could jeopardise Syria's stability or the transition process.
China calls for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected

Global Times

Israel's military actions in Syria, partly enabled by US leniency, may fuel greater regional instability: experts

By Liu Xin Published: Jul 17, 2025 08:48 PM

China on Thursday called for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected, as Israel's heavy airstrikes on Syrian capital Damascus have drawn widespread attention.

Some experts noted that Israel's recent military actions in the Middle East - enabled in part by US leniency - have intensified regional instability as it seeks to expand its strategic reach, potentially deepening humanitarian crises and accelerating already unfolding risks.

"Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. In particular, given the continuous ongoing turbulence in the Middle East, there shouldn't be any action that may lead to escalation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protecting Druze citizens and their rights is "our priority," as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria. In his first televised statement, al-Sharaa addressed Druze citizens, saying "we reject any attempt to drag you into hands of an external party," according to Reuters.

Turning to Israel, al-Sharaa accused the "Israeli entity" of consistently targeting Syrian stability and seeking to incite internal conflict since the fall of the former Syrian government. He accused Israel of aiming to "turn Syria into a permanent battlefield, weaken its national cohesion, and obstruct its reconstruction process," according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Syrian government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire Wednesday. The announcement came after Israel launched airstrikes in the heart of Damascus, an escalation in a campaign that it said was intended to defend the Druze, according to the Associated Press.

According to the Al Jazeera's report on Thursday, Syrian government forces have withdrawn from areas they entered in recent days in Sweida, the heartland of the Druze minority in southern Syria.

Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that "responsibility" for security in Sweida would be handed to religious elders and some local factions "based on the supreme national interest," said the report.

The Druze form a substantial community in Israel as well as in Syria and are seen in Israel as a loyal minority, often serving in the military. The escalation in Syria began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province of Sweida. Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze militias, AP reported.

A BBC report on Thursday noted that Israel's strikes "represented the most serious Israeli escalation in Syria since December 2024, when it obliterated hundreds of military sites across the country and seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights."

Israel has sought to expand its influence in southern Syria, viewing the Druze as a potential local ally. The Syrian army's advance undermines this foothold and risks bringing armed forces closer to Israel's southern border - both developments that Israel finds unacceptable, Tian Wenlin, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, told the Global Times.

Zhu Yongbiao, a professor from the School of Politics and International Relations in Lanzhou University, said that Israel's airstrikes are a continuation of its "maximum operations" strategy. Following the October 7 attacks, Israel has sought to restore deterrence through sustained airstrikes, signaling that any attack will trigger retaliation.

The Wednesday strikes likely mark the start of a broader campaign. Israel may politically court and militarily support minority or sectarian groups in Syria, providing training and arms to build a controllable force. Unlike the singular goal of eliminating Hamas in Gaza, this strategy aims to expand strategic depth and reshape the regional order in Israel's favor, Zhu told the Global Times.

A report from AP on Thursday described the "violence" in Syria as the "most serious threat yet to efforts by Syria's new rulers to consolidate control of the country."

Zhu also said that the current situation may raise security risks in Syria, with renewed civil war, the resurgence of armed groups, and deeper national fragmentation all becoming more likely.

"These developments pose new challenges for both Syria and the broader region," said Zhu.

Global reaction

On Wednesday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, "The Secretary-General [Antonio Guterres] is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Sweida" and "unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians," according to a release from the UN website.

Guterres further condemned Israel's "escalatory airstrikes" on Sweida, Daraa and central Damascus, together with "reports of the IDF's redeployment of forces in the Golan," the highly-contested mountainous region along the border of the two countries.

Several Arab states, including Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and Kuwait, have condemned the Israeli strikes targeting Syrian government and security forces. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry denounced what it described as "Israel's blatant attacks" on Syria, while Iran described the attacks as "all too predictable," according to BBC.

Turkey, a key stakeholder in post-Assad Syria, described the strikes as "an act of sabotage against Syria's efforts to secure peace, stability and security."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US was "very concerned" about the violence and announced on July 16: "We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight."

The US aims to avoid deeper entanglement in regional conflicts, yet repeatedly ends up passively endorsing Israel's aggressive actions. This effectively gives Israel a "blank security check," with Washington left to manage the fallout. As Israel launches more strikes, the US faces mounting reputational costs and is increasingly viewed as complicit by Middle Eastern nations, said Tian.

Fresh off its clash with Iran, Israel has turned to Syria, further fueling Middle East instability, said Tian, noting that Israel's strikes span nearly the entire "Axis of Resistance" - from the Houthis and Iran to Syria.

Israel's reliance on force to address security concerns is instead a key source of regional unrest, said the expert.

With the regional order already shattered by recent conflicts, Israel may become bolder, while the US and other countries remain largely indifferent, creating a "broken windows" effect, Zhu said.

In the long run, this will worsen humanitarian crises and further erode the UN Charter's principle of sovereignty - trends that are already unfolding and accelerating in the region, said Zhu.

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'All too predictable': Iran condemns Israeli strikes on Syria, warns of regional fallout

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 17, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has condemned the recent Israeli attacks on Syria as being "all too predictable," warning that the escalation could destabilize the entire region if not firmly addressed.

"Unfortunately, this was all too predictable. Which capital is next?" Araqchi wrote in a post on X on Wednesday night.

He said that the "rabid Israeli regime knows no bounds" and only understands the language of force, urging the world and regional countries to unite against Israel's "unhinged aggression."

"Iran supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, and will always stand with the Syrian people," he added.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes near Syria's presidential palace and on the military headquarters in Damascus and conducted drone raids around Suwayda in southern Syria. At least three people were killed in Damascus.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also strongly condemned the Israeli regime's act of aggression, particularly those targeting the Syrian capital, Damascus.

He said that the attacks, which hit public and government facilities, occurred while large parts of Syria remain under Israeli occupation.

Baqaei said the strikes once again exposed the Israeli regime as the "greatest threat to regional peace and stability," adding that the United States and several European powers, including Germany, Britain, and France, are enabling Israeli aggression through military and political support.

He warned that the ongoing violence in Syria is the result of prolonged international silence in the face of Israel's "genocidal, warmongering and hegemonic behavior," stressing that its consequences are being felt across the region.

Calling for urgent and effective action, Baqaei urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (O.I.C.) and the United Nations to act swiftly to halt Israel's dangerous expansionism and aggression.

4354**4353

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Israeli troops, tanks positioned near Damascus amid HTS inaction

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 17 July 2025 6:32 PM

The Israeli military has occupied several towns and areas south of Damascus, positioning its troops and tanks approximately 10 kilometers from the outskirts of the Syrian capital.

This comes as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime remains silent in the face of Israeli strikes and incursions.

Media outlets, citing sources, reported that an Israeli ground unit, consisting of more than 15 military and armored vehicles, conducted an incursion into southern Damascus from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Witnesses and local residents observed Israeli military and armored vehicles entering the southern suburbs of Damascus on Thursday morning, situated 10 kilometers from the capital.

Sources indicate that Israeli forces have now entered the "Qatna" area in the capital's countryside as well.

Additionally, three Israeli helicopters landed troops in the Syrian village of Yafour, located near Damascus. Separately, Israeli army patrols have been deployed to the village of Rahle, located west of Damascus on the Lebanese-Syrian border, and were also seen in the Ain Deker and Saysoun areas along the Yarmouk River in southern Daraa Governorate.

These developments follow Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday that targeted the military headquarters of the HTS regime in Damascus.

Israeli minister for military affairs Israel Katz stated that the military "struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus."

The Israeli military reported targeting a "military site" near the presidential palace in Damascus, emphasizing its ongoing strikes against military assets of the Syrian regime. Sources claim that approximately 200 raids have significantly diminished the Syrian army's capabilities.

Katz warned the Syrian interim regime to withdraw its forces from the southern Druze-majority city of Suwayda, where intense clashes have erupted recently between the Druze community and Bedouins, who are Sunni Muslims.

Violent confrontations between HTS gunmen and members of the Druze community in Syria have resulted in numerous casualties, raising concerns about potential sectarian violence. The Druze minority historically supported the government of former President Bashar al-Assad and opposed Israeli occupation and expansionist policies, particularly in the Golan Heights.

Israel's recent wave of airstrikes has provoked strong condemnation from global and regional leaders, as well as international organizations. The UN chief spokesman called for an immediate halt to all violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denounced the attacks as reckless and aggressive, labeling Israel a "rabid regime" that only understands the language of force.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas urged global mobilization to confront Israel's "organized terrorism," while Yemen's Ansarullah said Israel is attempting to divide Arab and Islamic nations to solidify its regional dominance.

Hezbollah echoed these concerns, asserting that Israel's strategy is designed to impose hegemony across the region.

Condemnations also arose from Russia, China, Oman, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

Ali Rizk, a security and political analyst from Beirut, previously informed Press TV that Israel aims to divide and fragment Syria by supporting separatists.

These developments occur as the UK and EU states have started gradually lifting sanctions on Syria since the beginning of this year.

Recently, US President Donald Trump announced a decision to lift all sanctions against the regime of Syria's self-proclaimed president, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel.

Jolani has assured US-led Western countries that Syria will "normalize relations" with Israel, recognize the regime, and exchange ambassadors by the end of 2026.

Reports suggest that the HTS-led regime may also hand over the occupied Golan Heights to Israel as part of a forthcoming normalization deal with the country.

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Foreign Ministry statement on the situation in Syria

17 July 2025 12:11

1225-17-07-2025

The situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has deteriorated dramatically in the past few days.

On July 13, armed clashes flared up between units of a Druze community and Bedouin tribes in the Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria. After that, the Syrian Defence and Interior Ministries deployed their military units in the governorate's administrative centre. Dozens of people, including civilians, were killed during intensive armed clashes involving law enforcement agencies and local paramilitary units. Ceasefire agreements were reportedly announced on July 16.

These developments were accompanied by intensive Israeli air strikes on Syrian territory; according to the Israeli side, the strikes aimed to protect Syria's Druze community. The southern region and the Syrian capital were also hit. The strikes targeted government agencies, including buildings of the Defence Ministry and the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Fatalities are reported, and many people have been injured.

A new spiral of violence in Syria evokes deep concern. The Russian side is particularly alarmed in connection with unacceptable brutal attacks on civilians. We assume that encroachments on the life and security of civilians are unacceptable. Moscow hopes that the implementation of planned de-escalation measures will help scale down tensions and reliably stabilise the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic. We are convinced that this objective can be accomplished through dialogue, by strengthening national accord and respecting the rights of all representatives and communities of the multi-denominational Syrian society.

The Russian side has repeatedly assessed Israel's arbitrary military operations in Syria. These attacks flagrantly violate the sovereignty of the country and the norms of international law and should be resolutely condemned. Moscow reaffirms its consistent position regarding the need to respect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.

According to incoming reports, no Russian citizens were injured during armed clashes and air strikes. Guaranteeing the safety of all Russian citizens remains a top priority.

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UN sounds alarm over Syria as sectarian clashes and Israeli strikes escalate

By Vibhu Mishra

17 July 2025 - A surge in sectarian violence in southern Syria and Israeli airstrikes reaching central Damascus have pushed the war-scarred country into a volatile juncture, a senior UN official said on Thursday, warning that renewed violence could shatter prospects for peace and fuel wider regional instability.

The Druze-majority Sweida governorate, long relatively insulated from earlier phases of Syria's 14-year conflict, has now become a flashpoint.

Briefing an emergency meeting of the Security Council, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari painted a grim picture: hundreds of casualties among soldiers and civilians -including women, children and the elderly - alongside reports of mass displacement, attacks on infrastructure, and hospitals "at or near capacity" amid power and water cuts.

"There were further alarming reports of civilians, religious figures and detainees being subjected to extrajudicial executions and humiliating and degrading treatment," he said.

Violent reprisals and looting have devastated communities, with graphic footage circulating widely on social media amplifying fear and anger.

He urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Timeline of escalation

12 July: Series of mutual kidnappings in Sweida escalate into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups.

14 July: Syrian security forces deploy to "halt clashes" and "restore order". At least 10 personnel reportedly killed by Druze armed groups, others abducted. Reports surface of the abuses against civilians as forces enter Sweida.

Clashes intensify, leaving hundreds dead or wounded among security forces and Druze fighters, casualties also reported among Druze and Bedouin civilians, including women, children and the elderly. Sectarian rhetoric surges on social media.

15-16 July: Hundreds of Druze from the occupied Syrian Golan and Syria gather on both sides of the ceasefire line, in the presence of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), expressing solidarity with the Druze community in Sweida.

Israeli airstrikes compound crisis

Against this backdrop, Israel, "pledging to protect" the Druze community launched "escalatory" strikes on Syrian territory, Mr. Khiari said.

Between 12 and 16 July, air raids targeted Damascus authorities' forces and official buildings, military installations and the vicinity of the Presidential Palace.

"In addition to violating Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Israel's actions undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region, and further destabilise Syria at a sensitive time," Mr. Khiari said.

He urged both Israel and Syria to uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and "refrain from any action that would further undermine it and the stability on the Golan."

Humanitarian fallout

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) there are severe disruption to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched trauma care supplies to Daraa, but Sweida remains inaccessible.

Mr. Khiari stressed the need for humanitarian access and called on Damascus to ensure any investigations into alleged abuses are "transparent and in line with international standards."

Call for genuine reconciliation

Reaffirming the Security Council's March call for an inclusive, Syrian-owned political process under resolution 2254, Mr. Khiari warned: "Security and stability in Sweida, and indeed in post-Assad Syria can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and with the participation of all components of Syria's diverse society."

He urged all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue and emphasised the UN's support for an inclusive and credible political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing and lays the foundation for Syria's long-term recovery and prosperity.

"Only then, can Syria truly emerge from the legacy of conflict and embrace a peaceful future," he concluded.

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Peaceful, Inclusive Political Transition in Syria at Risk in Wake of Deadly Sectarian Violence, Israeli Air Strikes, Assistant Secretary-General Warns Security Council

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9960th Meeting (PM)

SC/16122

17 July 2025

Detailing another episode of sectarian violence in Syria  and the Israeli airstrikes that followed in its wake  a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today that the peaceful, credible, orderly and inclusive political transition Syria so desperately needs is at risk.

Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, reported that, on 12 July, a series of kidnappings in the Druze-majority governorate of Suweida escalated into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and local Druze armed groups. On 14 July, the Syrian authorities started deploying security forces with the stated aim of halting the clashes, restoring order and bringing those responsible to justice. Druze armed groups reportedly killed and abducted some of these security forces, and there were also reports of such forces carrying out violations against civilians as they entered Suweida.

"The ensuing fighting resulted in hundreds of casualties among the Damascus security forces and Druze fighters," he reported, also noting that hundreds were injured. Further, footage of corpse mutilation, sectarian incitement and looting were widely circulated on social and conventional media, causing additional trauma and intercommunal tension. He said that, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "civilians caught up in ongoing violence continued to face serious risks, with significant displacement and reports of damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks".

He therefore reiterated the Secretary-General's "unequivocal" condemnation of all violence against civilians  including "all acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after 14 years of brutal conflict". He also acknowledged the Syrian authorities' statement condemning these violations and committing to investigate and hold accountable those responsible. He urged them to ensure such investigation is transparent, in line with international standards and completed quickly  "not least to instil confidence among all Syrians that their State will guarantee protection and justice for all citizens without distinction".

"Against this complicated and volatile backdrop  citing the violations against the Druze community and pledging to protect them  between 12 and 16 July Israel resumed and intensified its airstrikes on Syrian territory," he went on to report. Echoing the Secretary-General's condemnation of the same, he said that these actions "undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region and further destabilize Syria at a sensitive time". Both Israel and Syria must uphold the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and he also urged all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue.

He underscored: "Security and stability in Suweida  and, indeed, in post-Assad Syria  can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and with the participation of all components of Syria's diverse society."

[...]

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Chinese envoy condemns Israel for infringing Syria's sovereignty at UN Security Council emergency meeting

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jul 18, 2025 10:31 AM

The actions of the Israeli side flagrantly violate international law, infringing upon Syria's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and have introduced new complicating factors to Syria's peace, stability, and political transition. China hereby unequivocally condemns these actions, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang said at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Syria on Thursday.

Israel launched airstrikes Wednesday on Syria's capital of Damascus, saying it targeted the Syrian military headquarters and near the presidential palace in response to attacks on the Druze minority, according to NPR.

Geng said that over the past week, security in Syria's southern Suwayda region has deteriorated dramatically. Sharp ethnic tensions have fueled armed clashes that have already claimed hundreds of lives. All parties must uphold international humanitarian lawattacks on civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances. The immediate priority is to stabilize the situation and restore order.

We welcome the ceasefire agreement reached by Syria's interim authorities and urge all sides to honor it: remain calm, refrain from hostilities, and work swiftly to de-escalate the conflict, said Geng.

The Suwayda clashes once again underscore Syria's persistent complexity and fragility, with the road to peace and stability still beset by formidable challenges. Guided by the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the interim government must push forward an inclusive political processaddressing all stakeholders' concerns through dialogue to build national unity and reconciliation, Geng said.

Counter-terrorism remains essential to restoring security; the interim authorities should honor their obligations by taking decisive action against every terrorist group listed by the Security Council, including the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement," said Geng.

We call on Israel to immediately cease its military strikes against Syria and withdraw from Syrian territory without delay, said Geng, noting that the Golan Heights is internationally recognized as occupied Syrian land; Syria's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity must be upheld and all relevant UN Security Council resolutions should be fully implemented.

The Middle East is engulfed in overlapping crises, from Gaza and the Red Sea to Yemen, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria, fueling relentless conflict and instability that undermine both regional and global interests. The UN Security Council must invoke the full authority of the Charter, employ every available measure to end these wars swiftly, and restore lasting stability, said Geng, noting that China is willing to work with the international community and contribute constructively to that goal.

Turkey and 10 Arab nations reaffirmed their support for Syria's security, unity, stability and sovereignty on Thursday, rejecting all forms of foreign interference in the country's internal affairs and condemning repeated Israeli attacks, according to a joint statement published by the Saudi Foreign Ministry. The statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

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Taipei military hospital holds evacuation drill on Han Kuang day 9

ROC Central News Agency

07/17/2025 08:13 PM

Taipei, July 17 (CNA) A military-run hospital in Taipei on Thursday held a round of evacuation drills to simulate emergency evacuation during a Chinese invasion, on the ninth day of the annual Han Kuang exercises.

The drill, held at Taipei-based Tri-Service General Hospital and presided over by Defense Minister Wellington Koo (), saw the military hospital conduct a mass evacuation of its patients and staffers, in case a war breaks out, according to a news release issued by the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

Koo was quoted as saying in the MND press release that Thursday's drill was the first time such a mass evacuation drill had been conducted during the annual Han Kuang series of exercises at the Taipei hospital.

Thursday marked the ninth and penultimate day of Taiwan's longest-ever live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, which officially began on July 9.

Also on Thursday, a field repair drill simulating a military HUMVEE malfunction in southern Tainan City, to test the military's emergency maintenance capabilities.

Meanwhile, in the offshore island of Matsu, a joint military-civilian drill simulating the local main power source, Beigan Power Plant, was being sabotaged by enemy forces.

Fire, police and health departments in Beigan all sent personnel to work with the Army's Matsu Defense Command to jointly defend the key infrastructure on the island by putting out fires, and taking care of affected people, as military personnel located and eliminated the enemy forces responsible for the sabotage.

According to the MND, the 10-day, nine-night Han Kuang exercises running through Friday are twice as long as previous live-fire drills, which typically lasted five days and four nights.

Since 1984, the annual Han Kuang exercises have served as Taiwan's major war games, combining live-fire drills and computerized tabletop simulations to test combat readiness against a possible Chinese invasion.

This year's tabletop war games were conducted from April 5 to 18.

(By Chang Rong-hsiang, Pan Hsin-tung, and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

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Lightning strikes kill 19 in India's Bihar

Xinhua) 10:34, July 18, 2025

NEW DELHI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 19 people were killed due to lightning strikes in India's eastern state of Bihar in the last 24 hours, officials said Thursday.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning strikes lashed the state during the past 24 hours, affecting several districts.

"In Nalanda district, a maximum of five casualties have been reported, followed by four in Vaishali district. Two fatalities were reported each from Patna and Banka districts," a local government official said. "One casualty each has been reported from Sheikhpura, Aurangabad, Samastipur, Nawada, Jamui and Jehanabad districts."

Reports said most casualties occurred when lightning struck people working in fields and taking shelter under trees during the rain.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed sympathy with the victim families and announced monetary relief for them.

Kumar has also urged people to remain vigilant in bad weather and follow the suggestions issued by the disaster management department.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of lightning, gusty winds accompanying rainfall in several districts of Bihar for the next 24 hours.

Southwest Monsoon is vigorously active in the southern and western parts of the state over a couple of days.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
President thanks visiting Guatemala Congress leader for supporting Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

07/17/2025 05:54 PM

Taipei, July 17 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te () thanked Guatemala for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation during a meeting with Guatemalan Congress President Nery Ramos in Taipei on Thursday.

Accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (), Lai met Ramos, who is leading a six-day delegation visit to Taiwan, at the Presidential Office.

During the meeting, Ramos presented Lai with two Guatemalan congressional resolutions supporting Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

Ramos said this diverse, cross-party delegation shows Taiwan-Guatemala ties reflect not just government relations but also the voices of Guatemalan citizens.

He added that the visit aims to deepen cooperation in the economy, technology, agriculture and culture to support both countries' development and well-being.

In response, Lai thanked Ramos for his strong support of Taiwan's international participation.

Lai reiterated that Taiwan and Guatemala, as key members of the global democratic alliance, will continue working together to uphold democracy and freedom while promoting regional and global development.

In his remarks, Lai recalled meeting Ramos in Taiwan in July last year, when they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Lai also expressed concern over the recent earthquake in Guatemala and wished the country a smooth recovery. He noted that Taiwan and Guatemala have enjoyed more than 90 years of friendship, with ongoing cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, education and women's empowerment.

Lai highlighted that during Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo's state visit to Taiwan last month, the two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding on semiconductor cooperation and oversaw the signing of other bilateral agreements.

Lai said these efforts are helping to establish a political consultation mechanism, promote bilateral investment and lay a solid foundation for deeper collaboration while boosting both countries' international competitiveness.

Lai added that Taiwan is helping Guatemala cultivate semiconductor talent and develop its tech industry through vocational training programs, reflecting Taiwan's commitment to sharing its expertise with democratic partners.

He also mentioned ongoing discussions aimed at encouraging Taiwanese businesses to see Guatemala as a strategic hub for overseas markets, which could boost economic cooperation and create more trade opportunities for both countries.

(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/kb

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Ukraine experience shows huge challenge Taiwan faces on drone attacks

ROC Central News Agency

07/17/2025 05:48 PM

By Sean Lin, CNA staff reporter

John Frankiv had endured a sleepless night when contacted by CNA on July 10 and had to postpone the interview by eight hours. The Russian military had attacked Ukraine with 397 strike drones and 18 missiles in the early hours of the day, and the loud explosions in Kyiv had kept him awake, Frankiv said.

"Every morning we have maybe five to 10 killed and maybe 50 to 60 wounded," said Frankiv, chief technology officer of Kara Dag, an American-Ukrainian manufacturer of wearable drone detectors.

Daily reports issued by Ukraine's Air Force suggest that drones are causing more serious casualties than missiles, a sobering prospect for Taiwan, given that China is the world's biggest producer of drones and has the capacity to relentlessly pound Taiwan with them.

Taiwan's government is hoping not to be caught short, pledging to procure 47,000 drones by 2028 out of an annual production target of 180,000 drones by then, according to the Taiwanese government-funded Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology in Taipei.

But anti-drone defense systems are also critical, as Ukraine has shown. In the July 9-10 attack, Ukraine said none of the 18 missiles hit paydirt while 33 of the 397 drones got through, killing two people and leaving another 38 injured.

Of the 364 drones taken down, 164 were shot down and 200 were suppressed with electronic warfare.

In another attack on July 14 involving 136 drones, in which at least six people were killed and 30 injured, according to the Kyiv Independent, the interception rate dropped to 79.4 percent as Russia expanded the attacks to other regions.

Frankiv said most buildings in recent attacks were hit by Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, each carrying up to 50 kilograms of explosives. Russia now launches hundreds of them nightly.

"Maybe once a week, one of the buildings collapses, then we have more casualties," Frankiv said, noting that some Ukrainians live in damaged buildings.

Civilians under threat?

He warned that similar destruction could unfold in Taiwan should China invade, especially given Taiwan's much more confined area, which would likely result in even higher casualties.

With the Taiwan Strait averaging only 180 kilometers in width -- and just 130 kilometers at its narrowest point -- China could "easily launch thousands of drones [across the Strait] every night," Frankiv said.

He believes drone attacks on civilian housing in Taiwan are not only plausible but "logical" from China's perspective, given their psychological and strategic effects.

First, it can turn civilians against their government and weaken support for the military, he said, citing patterns seen in the Russia-Ukraine war.

"It's their tactic to terrorize people, because they know we are a democratic country, and their logic is that we'll go out and protest against the government," Frankiv said.

This tactic, however, has had limited success in Ukraine.

"It only makes us angrier -- and sleepier," he said with a wry smile.

Second, it prompts displacement. Many leave for safer cities or emigrate altogether, Frankiv said.

Another effect, he said, is reduced productivity.

"For civilians, it's terrifying to hear drones exploding. The next day, they can't work because they didn't sleep. They need to sleep."

Taiwan is trying to counter the threat of air raids by strengthening its civil defense system protocols, including through air raid drills conducted this week that include in some locations getting people to air raid shelters.

Urgent need for drone defense

For that to be effective, however, Taiwan also needs to bolster its drone defenses, which currently face serious shortcomings, said Shu Hsiao-huang (), an associate research fellow at Taiwan's state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

Taiwan lacks a cost-effective way to shoot down Shahed-type drones, including China's ASN-301 loitering munitions. Using conventional air defense missiles is too expensive relative to the threat, he said.

In addition, "we [Taiwan] have not built any defense capabilities against small drones," which are capable of bypassing existing radar systems.

As a cheaper alternative, Shu recommended delaying the retirement of the armed forces' Oerlikon 35mm twin cannons -- currently set to be replaced by costlier national advanced surface-to-air missile systems by 2029.

He argued the cannons could be effective in defending military airports from drone attacks on fuel trucks and aircraft.

At present, one of the systems Ukraine relies on are more modern Oerlikon Skynex defense systems featuring air defense guns.

Tony Hu (), a former Pentagon official, also warned about the threat of small drones, referencing Ukraine's June 1 attack in which drones smuggled into Russia struck around 20 aircraft, including strategic bombers, destroying about half of them.

He cautioned that Chinese operatives already embedded in Taiwan could target military aircraft by launching a swarm of FPV (first-person-view) drones from the rooftops of apartment buildings near air bases.

"A US$200 drone could destroy a US$30 million F-16 or E-2 [airborne early warning aircraft]," said Hu, who served as the first senior country director for Taiwan at the Pentagon.

In addition, Hu warned that shooting down the drones with cannons or missiles could cause collateral damage to civilian housing near air bases.

In light of this, Taiwan should consider high-power microwaves, which can handle drone swarms as they cover areas.

"It's just an electromagnetic wave," Hu said. "So when the drones come into a certain range -- like one or two kilometers...they will lose the ability to continue flying because the electrical system will get fried."

Grassroots resilience

Frankiv, meanwhile, suggested a more grassroots approach to drone defense -- training civilians to hit Shahed drones with FPV drones.

This can be supported by technologies such as acoustic detection systems, night vision goggles, and Kara Dag's drone detectors, which can intercept video feeds from Shahed drones, he said.

Frankiv recommended that Taiwan's government begin mass training programs, starting with school-age children using FPV simulators -- similar to video games -- and progressing to exercises involving shooting down toy drones with FPV drones, as is done in Ukraine.

"I wish we had done that five years ago," he said.

"They [China] will be thinking, 'We're going to launch a blitzkrieg and take Taiwan,' but if their intelligence says it won't be that easy -- that Taiwan might hold out for a year or three -- then [China] won't attack," he said.

Enditem/ls

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Han Kuang: Army choppers practice hot-pit refueling in New Taipei, Taichung

ROC Central News Agency

07/17/2025 02:47 PM

New Taipei, July 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Army on Thursday conducted hot-pit refueling and rearming drills for military helicopters in New Taipei and Taichung to test their quicker redeployment capabilities as part of the 9th day of the ongoing Han Kuang series of exercises.

The drills, featuring two UH-60M Black Hawks and two AH-64E Apache helicopters listed under the Army 601 Aviation Brigade on Thursday morning, saw the four choppers flying along the Dahan River before stopping at a riverside park in New Taipei's Shulin District.

According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), such a drill involves simultaneously refueling and rearming a military aircraft/helicopter with new munitions while the engines are still running.

This kind of practice is used to minimize ground time, allowing military aircraft to quickly return to the air during combat operations.

The primary advantage is to significantly reduce the time an aircraft spends on the ground for refueling and rearming, enabling quicker redeployment.

MND said such a practice requires a military aircraft to complete hot-pit refueling and rearming within 30 minutes. Thursday morning's drill was completed in around 20 minutes.

Chieh Chung (), a researcher at the Association of Strategic Foresight, a Taipei-based think tank, told CNA that Thursday's drill was intended to simulate the Taoyuan-based Army 601 Aviation Brigade being attacked by invading People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces.

Given that their base was under attack, these Army choppers had to turn to other locations for emergency refueling and rearming to maintain their combat readiness, Chieh said.

A similar hot-pit refueling and rearming drill was conducted in central Taichung City, featuring the Army's AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters.

Thursday marked the ninth and penultimate day of Taiwan's longest-ever live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, which officially began on July 9.

According to the MND, the 10-day, nine-night Han Kuang exercises running through Friday are twice as long as previous live-fire drills, which typically lasted five days and four nights.

Since 1984, the annual Han Kuang exercises have served as Taiwan's major war games, combining live-fire drills and computerized tabletop simulations to test combat readiness against a possible Chinese invasion.

This year's tabletop war games were conducted from April 5 to 18.

(By Matt Yu, Chao Li-yen and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

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Taiwan holds annual live-fire, air raid drills that simulate Chinese attack

Officials say the drills aim to show China and the international community that Taiwan is ready to defend itself against invasion.

By RFA staff 2025.07.17 -- Air-raid sirens blared in Taipei and other cities in northern Taiwan on Thursday, part of annual drills testing the country's response to a potential invasion by China.

Police stopped personal vehicles and public buses and directed pedestrians into shelters, such as basements and subway stations.

Some shops and restaurants pulled down shutters and turned off lights, moves aimed to reduce their visibility during a potential nighttime attack.

The drills also involved simulating wartime aid distribution and a mass-casualty event.

Earlier this week, Taiwanese forces held their largest-ever military drills, which included simulating a response to an amphibious invasion of the Penghu Islands.

Troops fired Javelin missiles, machine guns and tank rounds at maritime targets.

Taiwanese forces also conducted maritime drills around the Matsu Islands involving speed boats, drones and mortars. Soldiers fired from rubber speed boats and positions on shore, responding to a simulated "grey zone harassment" of the islands by Chinese Coast Guard and fishing vessels.

In an early morning drill, Taiwan's military police used Taipei's subway system as it simulated the redeployment of troops and supplies.

Taiwan's military also practiced securing and defending a major bridge in Taipei. This time they were firing blanks.

Taiwanese military officials said the Han Kuang drills replicate full combat conditions, including simulated enemy attacks on communications and command systems and a full-blown invasion scenario.

Includes reporting from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2025/07/17

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

 Date

6 a.m. Jul. 16 (Wed.) to 6 a.m. Jul. 17 (Thu.) (UTC+8)

 PLA activities

58 sorties of PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN ships, and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 45 out of 58 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

1140717_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan [Open a new window]

140717_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan [Open a new window]

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Scottish defence dividend 250m investment launched

Scottish Secretary and Minister for Defence Procurement & Industry visit HMNB Clyde to launch the multi-decade, multi-billion pound Clyde 2070 programme.

From: Scotland Office, Ministry of Defence, The Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP and The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP

Published 16 July 2025

The UK's security and economic growth in Scotland are top of the agenda as the Scotland Office and Ministry of Defence meet today with naval base chiefs and local authority leaders to discuss maximising the benefits from future-proofing HMNB Clyde.

Home to the Royal Navy Submarine Service and the UK's nuclear deterrent, the base is Scotland's largest military establishment and second biggest employment site with over 6,500 military and civilian personnel.

The Ministers will meet navy chiefs and tour key facilities and receive briefing on how the 250 million will support upgrades to infrastructure and the working environment, ensuring the site is ready to accommodate next-generation nuclear submarines including the Dreadnought-class (which will carry the nuclear deterrent) and SSN-AUKUS (the Royal Navy's future attack class that will replace the Astute-class fleet).

The Ministers, navy chiefs and base staff will then meet with council leaders and local MPs from areas surrounding the Clyde to discuss how Clyde 2070's defence dividend can be maximised by local communities for years to come. They will explore opportunities for effective coordination between government, local authorities and the defence sector, focusing on infrastructure development, skills training, regional economic opportunities and local job creation.

Approximately 26,100 skilled jobs - including shipbuilding - across Scotland are already supported by the Ministry of Defence's annual multi-billion pound spend and the UK Government's Brand Scotland campaign is working to build on that success and help the sector export its world-class technology internationally.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

This defence dividend for Scotland will help ensure Britain's security, deter our adversaries and drive economic growth in the area for years to come as part of our Plan for Change. With Faslane home to the nation's first and final line of defence - the UK's nuclear deterrent, it's only right that Clyde 2070 represents one of the most significant UK Government investments over the coming decades. It will ensure the Royal Navy can deliver the Continuous At Sea Deterrent from a modern, efficient base which will result in a better environment for our hero submariners to live, work and train in. Crucially it will also create skilled jobs - including for small and medium size firms - boost the economy and help tackle the critical skills gaps facing the country in sectors such as nuclear, construction, maritime and project management, by bringing together government, Scottish communities, industry, supply chains and academia to address the challenges. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise already supports a supply chain of over 3,000 businesses across the UK, benefiting regions like the West of Scotland, and I urge the Scottish Government to work with us on maximising these clear benefits.

Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) is a partnership of organisations that operate, maintain, renew and sustain the UK's nuclear deterrent as part of a national endeavour which supports more than 48,000 jobs across the country - set to rise to 65,000 in the next decade.

Minister for Defence Procurement & Industry Maria Eagle said:

Our nuclear deterrent is the bedrock of the UK's defence and the cornerstone of our commitment to NATO and global security and Scotland plays a crucial role in that. We are today re-affirming that unshakeable commitment by launching this multi-billion-pound investment to His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, which is vital to our deterrence capability. The initial 250 million of funding over 3 years will support jobs, skills and growth across the West of Scotland. This Government will keep the UK safe for generations to come while delivering on the Plan for Change and making defence an engine for growth.

Leader of Argyll and Bute Council Jim Lynch said:

Close coordination with local councils and particularly Argyll and Bute is vital to maximise the potential economic benefits and to manage local infrastructure and skills issues as HMNB Clyde develops. I welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister for Defence Procurement & Industry.

The vital role of HMNB Clyde in the UK's national security strategy was underscored in the recent Strategic Defence Review - launched by the Prime Minister at BAE Systems Govan shipyard in Scotland - with a commitment to construct up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack subs, building on the 15 billion investment set out for the UK's sovereign nuclear warhead programme.

It follows the UK Government's historic uplift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, and the ambition to hit 3% in the next parliament, when economic and fiscal conditions allow. The Chancellor's Spring Statement pledged a new era of security and national renewal, including a 2.2 billion increase in the UK-wide defence budget for 2025-26, on top of 2.9 billion announced at Autumn Budget.

This investment reflects the government's commitment to national defence while bringing economic, skills, and employment benefits to Scotland.

For over 50 years the site has operated and maintained the deterrent fleet - first with the Resolution Class of submarines and then the current Vanguard Class boats. During that time there has always been at least one nuclear-armed deterrent submarine on patrol at sea, providing the ultimate guarantee of our safety and security and of our NATO Allies.

As a multi-generational effort, the renewal of the nuclear deterrent requires long-term direction so that the MoD and industry can manage risk and improve performance and value for money over time and 250m has been allocated immediately for the next three years. This investment will be focussed on three main areas:

 Early site enabling activity and master planning.

 Development and approval for the first major programmes.

 Working with industry to design an organisation and structure capable of delivering transformation at scale and pace for decades to come.

The programme includes the need to meet defence net-zero targets and long-term climate change mitigation.

Last week recommendations were unveiled by the Defence and Economic Growth Taskforce to build upon the 272,000 UK industry jobs (11,800 in Scotland) directly and indirectly supported by government investment in the defence sector. When combining jobs supported in industry with MoD civilians and UK Regular Armed Forces personnel based in the UK, the figure is 463,000 (26,100 in Scotland).

The UK Government has already begun work on three of the report's recommendations:

 Establishing a defence SME Hub to provide support to new market entrants.

 Commencing work on a Defence Exports Office in the MoD, as announced in the Strategic Defence Review.

 Committing to developing Defence Growth Deals across the UK at the Spending Review.

Further information

The Ministers will meet Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell, Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Major General Mark Totten, Royal Marines, Director Naval Staff and Commander Jenna Kelway, Royal Navy, Military Assistant to Second Sea Lord, Commodore Sharon Malkin, ADC Royal Navy, Naval Base Commander Clyde, Brigadier Andy Muddiman, Royal Marines, Naval Regional Commander Scotland and Northern Ireland and Andy Tims, Senior Responsible Officer, Clyde Capital Programme, Lynton Simmonds, Site Managing Director (Clyde) Babcock, Hamish Tetlow, Naval Base Commander, Chief of Staff.

They will also meet Argyll and Bute Council leader Jim Lynch and executive director Douglas Hendry, Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe and chief executive Stuart Jamieson, West Dunbartonshire council leader Martin Rooney and chief executive Peter Hessett. Local MPs Martin McCluskey, MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, and Alison Taylor, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, will also attend the discussion.

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Joint Statement on the UK's Accession to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

July 17, 2025

On July 16, 2025, Senior Bureau Official for Near Eastern Affairs Mora Namdar hosted His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Ambassador to the United States, and Lucy Ferguson, the United Kingdom's acting Deputy Head of Mission to the United States in Washington, D.C., to mark the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement. The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Kingdom on the occasion of this trilateral ceremony.

Begin text:

The United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Kingdom are pleased to mark the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), a framework aimed at fostering broader integration in the Middle East, bolstering mutual deterrence against external threats, and expanding cooperation to advance security, stability, and prosperity in the region. The United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain signed C-SIPA on September 13, 2023, with the clear intent to welcome additional parties in the future. Today we celebrate the United Kingdom's accession as a third party to C-SIPA, which entered into force on June 19, 2025.

C-SIPA builds upon the historic achievement and vision of the Abraham Accords, signed in Washington, DC, in September 2020, during President Trump's first administration, a milestone framework that has created the conditions for closer security and commercial ties among countries inside and outside the Middle East who seek peace and prosperity in the region. The Kingdom of Bahrain, which joined the Abraham Accords in 2020, has long been a leader and advocate for realizing the promise of greater regional integration.

Today, the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Kingdom reaffirm their desire to strengthen their strategic cooperation to advance the goals of C-SIPA under the agreement's three core pillars: 1) defense and security; 2) economic, commercial, and trade; and 3) science, technology, and network security.

In furtherance of C-SIPA's goals, the parties intend to launch working groups to promote strategic cooperation aligned with C-SIPA's objectives as we work towards a future for the Middle East characterized by greater regional stability, economic cooperation, prosperity, and technological innovation.

End text.

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PM remarks at press conference with Chancellor Merz: 17 July 2025

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's remarks at a press conference with Chancellor Merz.

From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

Published 17 July 2025

Delivered on: 17 July 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Good afternoon.

It's a real pleasure to welcome Chancellor Merz.

And it's great to be here at Airbus today. I'm always amazed at this place when I come to visit, it's not my first visit.

Thank you for showing us the amazing work you do here.

This is one the most cutting-edge facilities in Europe.

Home to the Exo-Mars Rover, designed with German expertise and built right here in Stevenage.

You are driving innovation in defence and space technology, making us all safer - leading us into the future.

And this is at the heart of what brings Friedrich and I together.

We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today and we intend meet them head on. But we also see the scale of the opportunities. So, we have a shared resolve to shape this new era with new leadership.

The UK and Germany side by side, delivering growth and security and delivering for working people.

And that's why, earlier today we did something genuinely unprecedented. Building on our new agreement with the EU, together, we signed the Kensington Treaty, the first ever major bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom and Germany.

Two great, modern European nations. It is an expression of our shared aims and values.

But more than that - it is a practical workplan, setting out 17 major projects where we will come together to deliver real results which will improve people's lives.

So a historic treaty and statement of intent and ambition. And we intend to do, amongst other things, as leading NATO powers in Europe, committing not only to our mutual defence but also to maximise the benefits of our defence spending, in the shape of more jobs, more growth and more security.

Under this treaty we will bring our industries together to boost defence exports by billions of pounds and we'll speed up our collaboration on high tech weapons and equipment, strengthening NATO - and keeping our people safe.

Our economic links already support half a million British jobs.

So under this treaty we'll go further, with eGate access for frequent business travellers. I know that's something very popular here.

A direct rail link, and a new UK-Germany Business Forum to boost investment, starting today with new investments into the UK worth over 200 million.

We're also deepening collaboration on science and innovation, supporting great jobs, like those here at Airbus.

And we're delivering new infrastructure projects, including in the North Sea Energy to produce power that is cheaper, greener and more secure.

Crucially - we're also working together on illegal migration. I want to thank Friedrich for his leadership on this.

Pledging decisive action to strengthen German law this year so that small boats being stored or transported in Germany can be seized, disrupting the route to the UK and it's a clear sign that we mean business. We are coming after the criminal gangs in every way we can.

We also discussed the appalling situation in Gaza. We are both working to support efforts towards a ceasefire and also to demand the immediate, unconditional release of the remaining hostages and the immediate, unconditional humanitarian access that is so desperately needed to deliver aid at volume and at speed.

Finally, we discussed the situation Ukraine. Just a few days after Friedrich took office in May earlier this year we were both in Kyiv shoulder-to-shoulder with President Zelenskyy during one of the toughest moments in this horrendous war.

Now we're leading the work to get the best kit to Ukraine as fast as possible. We'll keep pushing this forward - together with the US and other allies because ultimately our security starts in Ukraine.

So this is a partnership with a purpose. And I think it illustrates what our work on the international stage is all about. It's about building the foundations of stability across our continent that make us safer, boost our economy and deliver change across for our people. It's about delivering results and that's what we're working towards.

And, in a dangerous world, we do this together.

So thank you Friedrich - for your partnership and your friendship.

Now, over to you.

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PM meeting with Chancellor Merz of Germany: 17 July 2025

The Prime Minister met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Downing Street this afternoon.

From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

Published 17 July 2025

The Prime Minister met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Downing Street this afternoon following the signing of a new UK-Germany bilateral treaty, the first of its kind.

The leaders reflected on the importance of the Treaty in demonstrating the UK and Germany's status as the closest of strategic partners and celebrated the opportunity to deepen ties, tackle shared challenges, and invest in shared strengths together.

The Prime Minister thanked Chancellor Merz for his commitment to introduce legislation to be adopted by the end of the year to make it illegal to facilitate illegal migration to the UK. The Prime Minister said that this will make a significant difference in disrupting the criminal networks driving small boats crossings to the UK. Both leaders agreed that tackling irregular migration is an absolute priority and they would look at how they could go further together to tackle it.

The Prime Minister also welcomed the news that Germany would be opening its eGates for frequent travellers from the UK by the end of the summer and looked forward to this being extended to all travellers as soon as possible.

On defence and security, the leaders reflected on the important commitments made today to deliver the new Deep Precision Strike capability within the next decade and agreed that closer cooperation on defence exports and between their defence industries will pose valuable opportunities for economic growth in both the UK and Germany.

They agreed that it remains vital to provide steadfast support to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's illegal war, and that they would stand together with Ukraine as long as it takes.

Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the leaders agreed that the situation in Gaza was unacceptable. They underlined the urgent need for a ceasefire, and the return of all hostages, to pave the way for a two-state solution and a secure future for Palestinians and Israelis.

Finally, the leaders reflected on how the Treaty signed today would be the basis of a relationship between their two countries that would be closer than ever and looked forward to continuing to work together on their shared priorities.

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Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation to LANDEURO audience: "Let's Test Everything in Ukraine"

By Jennifer Whitaker July 16, 2025

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation showcased the country's rapid technological transformation born out of the ongoing conflict with Russia during a keynote address at the first-ever LANDEURO symposium here, July 16.

Though he was unable to attend LANDEURO in person, Mykhalio Federov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science and Technologies and the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, opened the talk with a demonstration of the nation's commitment to digital transformation through a recorded video message.

Federov said that since the start of the war with Russia in 2022, Ukraine's technology has grown exponentially through innovation developed in direct response to their enemies.

"We don't have years to spend in research and development," he said. "Every innovation is tested directly in real combat conditions. We move fast, but every decision we make is day by day."

Giorgi Tskhakaia, adviser to the Vice Prime Minister, Ministry of Digital Transformation, detailed the ways Ukraine's technology has grown, noting that the nation's forces have achieved results with limited resources, testing new tech on the battlefield with real-time combat feedback.

Tskhakaia said that when Ukraine realized they did not have enough resources to defeat all the equipment Russia has, they invented inexpensive drones capable of carrying out strikes on Russian targets.

"We believed in the idea of drones back in 2022, opened the market, gave private businesses the opportunities to scale, and everything took off," Federov said.

The nation has developed air, land, and sea drones, adapting to Russia's combat tactics and learning new ways to defeat them each day, Tskhakaia said.

Tskhakaia said Ukraine envisions an "Army of Drones" with the goal of a fully automated front line held not by humans but by robots, saving human lives.

Another innovation the Ukrainian forces have implemented is the "Army of Drones Bonus" - a video-game inspired points system that has turned destroying enemy targets into a game for its military forces, Tskhakaia said. Under this program, units earn points for each enemy target destroyed, which they can then use to acquire different types of unmanned systems.

Artificial intelligence is yet another ambition for the Ukrainian forces, Tskhakaia said.

"We are analyzing everything with the help of AI," he said. "We have an ambition to be the first one who will predict air strikes through AI."

Underpinning all the innovation is a robust open Ukrainian military market, with hundreds of companies working to solve problems through real-time research and development, testing tech directly on the battlefield, he noted.

"Let's test everything in Ukraine," Tskhakaia said. "We hope that together, as long as we cherish the same values, as long as we are fighting for the same freedom, we are going to win, because we must."

LANDEURO is a catalyst for action, bringing together experts from military, civil and private sectors to generate discussion and identify opportunities.

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Ukraine and NATO strengthen cooperation in defense procurement

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

16 July, 2025, 2:40 PM EEST

The second coordination seminar on the implementation of the Ukraine-NATO Strategic Defence Procurement Review (SDPR) was held in Kyiv. The event marked an important step toward strengthening coordination efforts in Ukraine's defense procurement system.

The seminar was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ukrainian government institutions, NATO Headquarters, the NATO Representation to Ukraine, and allied countries. The goal of these events is to ensure the effective implementation of the SDPR recommendations for building a transparent and efficient defense procurement system.

"This seminar clearly demonstrates that we are not merely drafting strategies on paper, but are steadily putting them into action. Our key goal remains unchanged: to provide the Defence Forces with state-of-the-art equipment through transparent and highly efficient procurement mechanisms," emphasized Oleksandr Osadchyi, Acting Director of the Ministry of Defence's Procurement Department.

The coordination seminars have become a regular platform for practical cooperation with NATO and for exchanging experience among all key Ukrainian stakeholders. They help improve coordination, identify critical gaps, and clearly allocate responsibilities in the procurement reform process.

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Latvia-supplied Patria armored personnel carriers will strengthen the Third Army Corps units

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

16 July, 2025, 10:46 AM EEST

As part of its most recent assistance package, Latvia has delivered a batch of six-wheeled Patria armored personnel carriers to the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

The handover ceremony took place during the working visit of Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina to Ukraine. In Kyiv, she held talks with Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Major Valerii Churkin, and the Commander of the Third Army Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Colonel Andrii Biletskyi.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated that this is the first batch of armored vehicles pledged during her previous meeting with the President of Ukraine. She reaffirmed Latvia's unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor and pledged to continue advocating for this support among European and global leaders.

"We are proud to stand by Ukraine with unwavering supportnot only in military terms, but also through financial, political, and moral backing," the Latvian Prime Minister stated.

Evika Silina also emphasized that feedback from the Ukrainian military is essential for the Latvian side, as it can inform potential improvements to the equipment based on its performance in combat conditions.

Major Valerii Churkin, in turn, thanked the government and people of Latvia for their steadfast support and exemplary partnership with Ukraine. He highlighted Latvia's leadership in the Drone Coalition and its active involvement in other Capability Coalitions.

"The significant support provided today strengthens our forces' mobility and protection, thereby directly improving our operational effectiveness amid elevated threat levels. Your commitment reflects a clear strategic vision and a steadfast stance in support of European security," the Deputy Minister stated.

Colonel Andrii Biletskyi reported that the delivered combat vehicles will be assigned to one of the Corps' most effective assault units.

"These are the best and possibly the most modern assets our brigade has received. These vehicles will save the lives of our soldiers and shorten the lifespan of the occupiers," the unit commander stated.

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Following SSU investigation, another six traitors who fought against Defense Forces on eastern front sentenced to prison

Security Service of Ukraine

17:00, 16 July 2025

Based on evidence collected by the Security Service, six traitors who fought against the Defense Forces in Donetsk and Luhansk regions have been convicted to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The perpetrators are local residents who joined the occupation groups of russia's Southern military district.

Four of them, as part of the aggressor's 4th and 7th motorized rifle brigades, captured Sievierodonetsk, Kreminna and Popasna, and also fought near Bakhmut.

Among these four is a militant who received a prison sentence after being captured for the second time. The first time was in September 2022, and the second time was after an exchange, when he was sent back to the front line in the east in 2024.

Two other traitors were in the ranks of the 110th motorized rifle brigade and russia's 111th rifle regiment, which attempted to break through the Ukrainian defenses on Pokrovsk direction.

Based on the evidence, the court found the accused individuals guilty of crimes under two Articles of the CCU:

111.1, 111.2 (high treason);

111-1.7 (collaboration).

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural supervision of regional Prosecutor's Offices.

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Following SSU investigation, ruscist who held 369 civilians hostage during Chernihiv region occupation sentenced in absentia

Security Service of Ukraine

15:30, 16 July 2025

Based on evidence collected by the Security Service, another ruscist has been convicted in absentia to 12 years in prison for war crimes during the occupation of part of Chernihiv region.

The perpetrator is a 37-year-old captain Semen Solovov (call sign 'Klen') - commander of a combined detachment of the 228th motorized rifle regiment of the russian armed forces (military unit 22316).

According to the investigation, his unit took part in the capture of the village of Yagidne in March 2022.

While in the village, Solovov ordered his subordinates to herd civilian residents into the basement of the village school, where the occupiers had set up their staff.

In this way, the ruscists held 369 local residents hostage for almost a month, including 69 minors.

These people were locked in a 197 m basement without light, ventilation, sufficient water or food.

In this way, the occupiers used the victims as a 'human shield' for the russian command post.

Due to the absence of timely medical assistance, 10 elderly people died in the dungeon.

The russian servicemen forbade the removal of the dead from the basement, where they remained in the room with the living for a long time.

Solovov also repeatedly threatened the victims with blowing them all up.

Based on the evidence collected by the SSU, the court found Solovov guilty under Articles 28.2 and 438.1 of the CCU (war crimes committed by a group upon prior conspiracy).

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Chernihiv Office under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor's Office.

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Ukraine's battlefield innovations reshape global military thinking

By Natalie Weaver July 17, 2025

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Since the onset of full-scale Russian aggression in 2022, Ukraine has adapted swiftly to conditions on the battlefield, turning what was expected to be a quick invasion into a costly quagmire for the Russian armed forces. These operational, institutional, and technological adaptations adaptation were the focus of a panel convened at LANDEURO on July 16 with military leaders, defense industry representatives and Ukrainian officials which examined the evolution of Ukraine's defense capabilities since the onset of full-scale Russian aggression.

The panel moderated by Dr. John Nagl, professor of warfighting studies at the Army War College, featured Armed Forces Ukraine Maj. Gen. Volodymyr Horbatiuk, Deputy Chief of the General Staff; U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis A. Buzzard, Commanding General, Security Assistance Group - Ukraine; Armed Forces Ukraine Maj. Robert Brovdi, Commander, Unmanned Systems Forces; Maximillian Froch, Head of Strategic Programs International Rheinmetall AG; and Oleksandra Azarkhina, Co-founder, We Build Ukraine.



The transformation of the way Ukraine fights began with the structure of its armed forces, according to the panelists. Lt. Gen. Buzzard described how the country's military expanded from 20 to over 100 brigades in a very short time. This transformation has required new approaches to training, organization, and leadership, all under intense pressure of an ongoing war.

"Never be satisfied with our efforts to try to learn as much as we can," said Lt. Gen Buzzard, reminding NATO and U.S. leaders of their responsibility to keep learning from Ukraine's experiences.

Strong collaboration between government officials, private companies and citizens strengthened Ukraine's ability to innovate quickly, bypassing slow-moving systems in favor of fast, flexible and more cost-effective solutions driven by people on the ground, panelists said.

Azarkhina described Ukraine's approach as values-driven and resourceful. She emphasized the role of civic engagement and cooperation and encouraged NATO and partners to align efforts through intelligence sharing, joint procurement, and smarter coordination to stabilize the frontline.

Panelists highlighted the central role of unmanned systems including aerial drones and ground vehicles, in Ukraine's military operations. This kind of technology is helping Ukraine gather information and carry out missions more safely. Maj. Brovdi, a decorated member of the Ukrainian military and awarded by Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the "Hero of Ukraine," discussed Ukraine's developing doctrine for using unmanned systems. He believes this framework will serve as a model for NATO.

Brovdi praised the efforts of fellow countrymen, but said Ukraine is facing three major challenges at this stage in the war. He said Russian forces are being deployed in such large numbers that Ukraine defenses are struggling to keep up; vital infrastructure across Ukraine are continuing to suffer heavy damage from ongoing Russian assaults; and Ukraine's civilian population is already fully engaged in the war effort, therefore, there is no reserve remaining for more personnel.

Ukraine's experience during the war is changing how countries around the world think about defense and is influencing programs like the Army Transformation Initiative. Instead of using old systems, Ukraine is finding faster, more flexible ways to respond with new technology and working with all parts of society.

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International Criminal Court welcomes Ukraine as a new State Party

International Criminal Court (ICC) / Cour penale internationale (CPI)

Press Release: 17 July 2025

Today, 17 July 2025, the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court") held a ceremony at the seat of the Court in The Hague (The Netherlands) to welcome the Ukraine as the 125th State Party to the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty.

During the ceremony, the ICC President, Judge Tomoko Akane, presented the Ambassador of Ukraine to The Netherlands, H.E. Mr Andriy Kostin, with a special edition of the Rome Statute, as a symbol of commitment to the rule of law.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), H.E. Ms Paivi Kaukoranta, a number of ICC Judges, representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor, of the Registry, of the Trust Fund for Victims and of Embassies of States Parties accredited to The Netherlands.

ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane welcomed the new State Party saying: "By joining the Rome Statute, Ukraine joins the community of nations committed to ending impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community."

ASP President H.E. Ms Paivi Kaukoranta stated: "The country's path to joining the Rome Statute during such a difficult time shows remarkable resilience, courage and commitment to the rule of law. Ukraine's ratification of the Rome Statute symbolizes our shared commitment to the fight against impunity and principles underlying the International Criminal Court."

The Ambassador of Ukraine, H.E. Mr Andriy Kostin, said: "Today we raise the flag of Ukraine here at the ICC as the 125th State Party to the Rome Statute. Our flag is symbol of a nation that cherishes peace, justice, dignity, and freedom. It is also the flag of a people who have endured and continues to go through unimaginable hardship, but have never given up on the idea that law, not violence, must govern our shared world."

Background: On 25 October 2024, Ukraine had formally deposited the instrument of ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC and the Statute entered into force on 1 January 2025. Ukraine becomes the 125th State Party to join the Statute, and the 20th State from the Eastern European group to do so.

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Lithuania protests to Russia over the continued large-scale shelling of Ukraine

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated 2025-07-17

On 16 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania summoned the charge d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Lithuania who was handed a note of protest regarding the shelling of Ukraine, which affects not only civilians and infrastructure, but also diplomatic missions. Last week, Russian strikes damaged the Holy See's nunciature in Kyiv.

Following the proposal of a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire of at least 30 days by the U.S. and Ukraine on 11 March 2025, Russia has launched more than 17,000 drones and at least 600 various types of missiles into Ukrainian territory. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine there were 232 confirmed civilian victims of Russian aggression and 1,343 wounded in June of this year alone, which is the highest monthly toll of victims since April 2022.

Lithuania, together with its allies, will continue to ensure that Ukraine has all the necessary means to defend itself against Russian aggression and will persist in demanding that Russia immediately cease its aggression, halt all military actions, withdraw all armed forces from the entire territory of Ukraine and compensate Ukraine for all damages caused by its military aggression, and those responsible are brought to justice.



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Lublin Triangle statement: Ukraine's NATO membership is essential for Europe's security architecture

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated 2025-07-17

On 16 July, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Lublin Triangle, the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, meeting in Lublin, issued a joint statement condemning Russia's aggression, expressing their strong support for Ukraine, and outlining the way forward for cooperation within the format.

In a joint statement, Kestutis Budrys, Radosaw Sikorski, and Andrii Sybiha emphasized the importance of close cooperation within the Lublin Triangle format for ensuring regional security and highlighted the importance for continued trilateral cooperation in the military and defense areas.

The statement reaffirms the commitment to restoring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, including the restoration of its territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders. The Ministers underlined the need to strengthen Ukraine's negotiating position by providing it with adequate military support and security guarantees.

The ministers reaffirmed continued support for Ukraine on its path to NATO, describing membership in the Alliance as essential for the European security architecture. They also expressed strong support for Ukraine's integration into the European Union.

In the document, the diplomatic leaders of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine unanimously condemned over a decade of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international humanitarian law and human rights committed by Russia in Ukraine. The aggressor was urged to demonstrate its readiness for a meaningful peace process, and the need to increase pressure through sanctions was emphasized.

The Lublin Triangle format was established following the signing of the Lublin Triangle declaration by the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine in Lublin, Poland, on 28 July 2020.





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Svyrydenko Takes Helm As PM In Move To Drive Ukraine's War Effort And US Ties

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 17, 2025

Ukrainian lawmakers have approved Yulia Svyrydenko, the economy minister and first deputy prime minister who led talks with the United States on a critical minerals deal, as prime minister in a cabinet shuffle aimed at boosting relations with Washington and breathing new life into the war-torn country.

Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, easily gave its approval to the move on July 17, with 262 deputies in the 450-seat legislature voting in favor of Svyrydenko, compared to 22 against and 26 abstentions among those present.

Svyrydenko, an economist, is well known in Washington after her prominent role in clinching the minerals agreement. The 39-year-old replaces Denys Shmyhal, the longest-serving head of government in Ukraine's history.

In subsequent voting, Shmyhal was appointed to head the Defense Ministry as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looked to boost domestic weapons production with the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion, which is now well into its fourth year.

Minutes before his nomination was approved, Shmyhal told the Ukrainian parliament that the country's armed forces need a system "oriented toward the Ukrainian soldier," providing each with all the necessary means.

When nominated earlier this week, Svyrydenko said her top priority was "ensuring the defense and security forces of Ukraine and guaranteeing the stability of our state."

"The state apparatus has no right to waste the resources and potential of our country," she added.

As much as Zelenskyy's moves are aimed at reinvigorating Ukraine's war efforts, the shuffle is seen as an attempt by the president to boost the flow of communication and cooperation with the White House.

Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister who had participated in a number of talks with US representatives, was reappointed to his position. However, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, has left her post.

Instead, Zelenskyy nominated Olha Stefanishyna, the former head of Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts. Her nomination came as a surprise, as Zelenskyy had also previously mentioned outgoing Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as a possible successor.

Zelenskyy added that Stefanishyna will serve as a special envoy to the US until her candidacy as ambassador is approved in Washington.

Markarova, a financier and diplomat, angered members of the Republican Party when she helped organize Zelenskyy's visit to an arms plant in the hometown of then-incumbent President Joe Biden, which was accompanied by Democratic lawmakers.

A series of events going back to 2019, including an impeachment trial triggered by a phone call with Zelenskyy in July of that year, had soured Trump on Ukraine and Washington's full support for Kyiv is seen as far from assured.

In a post on Telegram right after the July 17 parliamentary session, Zelenskyy announced that adjustments to Ukraine's diplomatic staff would continue the following week. "We are preparing changes together with the foreign minister," he added.

Minerals Deal

Svyrydenko, who was appointed as economic development and trade minister and first deputy prime minister in 2021, played a lead role in negotiations with the United States over a deal granting US companies access to Ukraine's valuable minerals and rare earths.

Trump made the deal a cornerstone of his policy toward Ukraine, saying the United States needed to be reimbursed for its aid to the country, which has totaled about $175 billion since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Svyrydenko flew to Washington in April to sign an agreement with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that sets up the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Under the agreement, the United States has the right to share in the profits from new Ukrainian minerals and energy projects.

Trump touted the agreement as ensuring US interests in Ukraine's defense and reconstruction.

With Trump voicing frustration over a lack of progress in peace talks Russia, Ukraine is looking to use the opportunity to solidify agreements on weapons and other support from the White House.

Trump this week announced he would be selling weapons to NATO for further transfer to Ukraine -- his biggest show of support for the country since taking office in January.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy also revealed that he and Trump have discussed a "mega deal" involving the United States purchasing Ukrainian-made drones for its own use.

The Ukrainian president said in an interview with the New York Post on July 17 that his latest talks with Trump had centered on a potential drone deal, with Kyiv offering battlefield expertise and drone technology in exchange for deeper US defense cooperation.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-parliament- approves-svyrydenko-pm-us-relations/33476718.html

Copyright (c) 2025. 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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Dobropillya Under Increasing Threat Of Air Strikes As Shopping Center Hit

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 17, 2025

Ukrainian population centers in the areas around Pokrovsk are feeling increasingly threatened as Russian forces appear to be moving beyond the Donetsk region frontline city.

In Dobropillya, 30 kilometers to the north of Pokrovsk, locals report a spike in overnight drone attacks, and a Russian bomb struck a shopping center on July 16, killing at least three.

Ukrainian leaders said a KAB-250 aerial bomb hit the retail complex while it was crowded with shoppers.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, confirmed the deaths while saying that rescue efforts were ongoing to determine if survivors could be located under rubble.

Authorities also said they are still assessing the extent of casualties.

"Now our rescuers are extinguishing the fire," Filashkin told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "After that, we'll search the rubble and then we will have a clearer understanding of the casualties. All the wounded are receiving medical care."

All available resources were being deployed to respond to the attack, he said.

"Authorities, the police, the State Emergency Service -- everyone is working on the spot to help the wounded and those people whose homes have been damaged as a result of the attack."

Attacks on Pokrovsk have been intensifying after months of Russian efforts to seize control of the city, a key logistics hub for the region.

Dobropillya has, until recently, been spared from the same levels of bombardment and artillery shelling but is now seeing more and more air strikes, according to the Ukrainian military.

A Ukrainian drone unit in the area recently told RFE/RL correspondent Borys Sachalko that he believes the Russians could be making efforts to bypass Pokrovsk to avoid costly urban fighting amid the ruins of the city as they continue to press forward from the east.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-pokrovsk-dobropillya- air-strike-kab-bomb-shopping-civilian/33476580.html

Copyright (c) 2025. 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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Russia-Ukraine Talks on Pause Because of Kiev - Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

20250717

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are on pause due to Kiev because they are either avoiding the talks or cannot formulate when they will be ready for a new meeting, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Right now, however, they [the negotiations] have been suspended on the Ukrainian side. They said that they needed a stable, sustainable ceasefire. But, you see, they are either avoiding another round, or they have not yet formulated when they will or are ready to conduct it," Zakharova said at a briefing.

The Russian delegation is ready to arrive in Istanbul for the third round of negotiations with Ukraine and expects Kiev to continue the negotiation process, Zakharova added.



 Sputnik

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Russian Forces Liberate Three Settlements

Sputnik News

20250717

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlement of Degtyarnoye in the Kharkov region, Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye region, and Popov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"Russian troops liberated the settlements of Degtyarnoye in the Kharkov Region, Popov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Dnepr group of forces had secured Kamenskoye after eliminating up to 65 Ukrainian troops over the past day.

Russia's Tsentr Battlegroup has eliminated more than 420 Ukrainian soldiers over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to more than 420 servicepeople, three combat armored vehicles, including a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, five cars, as well as four artillery pieces and an Israeli-made RADA radar station," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia's Zapad Battlegroup has eliminated more than 215 Ukrainian soldiers over the given period, the ministry said, adding that Russian air defense systems shot down two long-range Ukrainian Neptune missiles and 308 drones.

At the same time, the Russian armed forces struck the shelters of the Ukrainian air defense systems and the airfield facilities, the ministry added.

 Sputnik

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Kremlin Continues to Analyze Trump's Recent Statements

Sputnik News

20250717

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow continues to analyze the recent statements made by US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Trump announced on Monday a plan for new military aid to Ukraine, specifically mentioning Patriot air defense missiles. This initiative involves European allies purchasing billions of dollars' worth of US military equipment, including Patriot missile systems, for transfer to Kiev. Trump also said that he will impose 100% secondary tariffs against Russia if no deal on the Ukraine conflict is reached in the next 50 days.

"We continue to analyze these statements," Peskov told reporters.

If Russian President Vladimir Putin deems it necessary to comment on Trump's recent statements, he will do so, the official added.

Once the process of exchanging the bodies of military personnel is completed, it will be necessary to determine the date of the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added.

"The process of exchanges still needs to be completed. Additional coordination is being carried out. This is to fulfil the agreements that were reached during the second round. Well, and then we need to decide [on the date of the third round of negotiations]," Peskov told reporters.

Russia is waiting for Ukraine's proposals on a date of the new round of talks, the official added.

 Sputnik

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Russian FSB Says Detained Saboteur Plotting Blast at Voronezh Energy Infrastructure Object

Sputnik News

20250717

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that it had detained a saboteur who was preparing a blast at an energy infrastructure facility in the city of Voronezh and transmitted air defense data to Ukraine.

"The Federal Security Service of Russia in Voronezh has stopped the illegal activity of a Russian citizen, born in 1984, suspected of high treason and sabotage in the interests of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," the FSB said in a statement.

The detainee collected and transmitted information about the air defense assets of the Russian Ministry of Defense located in the Voronezh Region. While carrying out a task assigned by his supervisor, he also extracted a homemade explosive device to subsequently commit a sabotage and terrorist act at a regional energy infrastructure facility.

 Sputnik

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ODIHR's latest report adds to the mountain of evidence detailing serious concerns with Russia's actions in Ukraine: UK statement to the OSCE

Ambassador Holland condemns Russia's appalling actions in Ukraine - including civilians deaths, CRSV and widespread use of torture - as detailed in ODIHR's seventh interim report on reported violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine.

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Neil Holland

Published 17 July 2025

Location: Vienna

Delivered on: 17 July 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you, Mr Chair. Today I would like to address the issue of civilian casualties from Russia's war in Ukraine.

Firstly, every death in this conflict is a tragedy. These are people, not statistics, and for each life lost, many more are destroyed as a result. We cannot allow the normalisation of such death and destruction here or anywhere else.

Secondly, we must remember that Russia chose to start this war. There was no threat to Russia or Russians or Russian speakers in Ukraine. What Russia feared was Ukraine escaping Moscow's orbit. It feared a prosperous, successful and sovereign Ukraine on its doorstep. The responsibility for the increased risk to Russians, Ukrainians and our collective security sits squarely with Moscow.

But just as President Putin chose to start this war, he could choose to end it. President Trump has called for the senseless killing to stop and proposed an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine agreed to it. Russia rejected it. Despite Moscow's attempts to obfuscate, these are the facts.

Thirdly, Mr Chair, when it comes to civilian casualties, let us remember that Ukraine permits access to independent organisations who provide impartial reporting and verification of developments on the ground. Many of these, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, have requested equal access to Russia. But these requests have been denied. We strongly urge Russia to allow access by independent international bodies who can offer impartial analysis of incidents in the Russian Federation, which would be of benefit to all OSCE participating States.

A timely example of factual reporting from an independent organisation, this week ODIHR published their seventh interim report on reported violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine. The report covers some of the deeply concerning issues that we have raised in this room. For example, ODIHR reported that in the six months to 31 May 2025, the number of verified civilian casualties in Government-controlled areas of Ukraine was over 50% higher than in the corresponding period in 2024.

ODIHR's report also covered the 4 April attack on Kryvyi Rih, which involved a Russian ballistic missile hitting a playground and killing 20 civilians, including nine children. Colleagues will remember that we held a Special Permanent Council on this shocking incident. ODIHR states: "Following analysis of photographs and videos, as well as eye-witness statements and other publicly available evidence, ODIHR has reasonable grounds to believe that, contrary to the Russian Federation's claims, there were no military objectives in the area immediately prior to or at the time of the strike."

There is much more of concern in ODIHR's report, including testimony that conflict-related sexual violence is intensifying and increasingly cruel. And the reconfirmation of ODIHR's previous findings on the widespread and systematic use of torture by the Russian authorities against detained Ukrainian civilians and POWs. We are appalled by these findings and urge the full implementation of the recommendations within the report.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

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Defence Secretary statement on war in Ukraine - 17 July 2025

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, provided an update to the House of Commons on the war in Ukraine.

From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon John Healey MP

Published 17 July 2025

Location: House of Commons

Delivered on: 17 July 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)



With permission, I wish to make a statement on the war in Ukraine.

Today is day 1,239 since President Putin launched his full-scale invasion and more than a decade since the Ukrainian people have known peace in their homeland.

They've had their homes destroyed. Lands seized. Children abducted. Loved ones killed by Putin's forces.

Yet, the Ukrainian people still fight with remarkable determination - military and civilian alike, and almost three and a half years on, I'm proud to say this House remains united for Ukraine. And Britain remains united for Ukraine.

In fact, polling shows that we retain the strongest support for Ukraine of any European nation.

Our solidarity is grounded in our deep respect for their courage and in recognition that the defence of Europe starts in Ukraine. Because we know that if Putin prevails in Ukraine, he won't stop with Ukraine.

Madame Deputy Speaker, let me begin by providing a battlefield update.

Russia is maintaining pressure across the whole length of the frontline, with a special focus on Sumy in the northeast, Pokrovsk in the southeast, as well as in Kursk.

Last month, Russian Ground Forces likely seized approximately 550 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory - that's an area greater than the size of Greater Manchester.

And yet, they face continuing difficulties attempting to take fortified towns or cities, and they have not taken a significant town for months. Indeed, they've tried without success to seize Pokrovsk for nearly a year.

What ground they do gain is coming at great cost. Last month, the number of Russian troops killed or wounded surpassed more than a million.

This year alone, Russia has sustained 240,000 casualties.

And despite these catastrophic Russian losses, Putin's ruthless ambitions do not appear to be waning.

Russia is escalating the high numbers of one-way attack drones launched at Ukraine: 1,900 in April, 4,000 in May, 5,000 in June, and already this month in July, 3,200.

On 9 July, a week ago today, the largest aerial strike of the war was recorded when Russia launched more than 700 attack drones in a single night.

Despite the onslaught, the Ukrainians are taking the fight to Putin, striking military targets in Russia that his people see and know about.

Spider Web, Madame Deputy Speaker, was an operation of remarkable precision and extraordinary success which dealt a fierce blow to Putin.

One year of meticulous planning, resulting in the damage of 41 long range bombers - planes which threaten not only Ukraine, but also NATO as well.

So, Madame Deputy Speaker, we must step up now our efforts on getting further military support to the frontline.

Last month - on the eve of the NATO Summit - we welcomed President Zelenskyy to No.10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister signed a UK-Ukraine agreement to share advanced battlefield capabilities and technologies.

A deal which will mean our defence industry can rapidly develop the cutting edge technologies from Ukraine and step up the production for Ukraine.

And at the NATO Summit that followed, 32 nations came together to sign a new defence and national security investment pledge to spend 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

They came together, 32 nations, to reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine with 40 billion Euros pledged in security assistance for this year.

It was a good summit for Ukraine, it was a good summit for Britain, it was a good summit for NATO, it was a bad summit for Putin.

Those commitments at NATO have been the basis for President Trump to signal a significant shift this week on Ukraine, announcing NATO weapons transfers and a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace.

So with the NATO Secretary-General, President Trump agreed to largescale purchases of US military equipment by NATO allies, including Patriot missiles, other air defence systems and munitions, which he committed to getting - and I quote: "quickly distributed to the battlefield".

Madame Deputy Speaker, the UK backs the scheme - we plan to play our full part - and on Monday we will discuss this further when I chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group - alongside my German counterpart, Minister Boris Pistorius.

That group - the contact group - continues as the forum for more than 50 nations to provide Ukraine with what it needs to fight back Putin's war machine and I am pleased to confirm that Monday's meeting will be attended by US Secretary Hegseth, the NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and SACEUR, General Grynkewich.

Britain is providing more than 4.5bn in military aid to Ukraine this year - more than ever before.

And at the UDCG, I will provide the following updates:

First, on the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration scheme, two-thirds of the UK's ERA total of 2.26 billion commitment has now been disbursed, including 700m on artillery shells, long-range rockets, and air defence missiles, exactly what Ukraine needs most.

Second, on drones. Since March, the UK has supplied nearly 50 000 drones to Ukraine helping meet our commitment to increase tenfold our supply this year.

Third, on air defence, the UK and Germany have agreed to partner in providing critical air defence missiles to Ukraine.

And fourth, on the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, the UK will donate a further 40m, which Ukraine can use on a range of programmes from demining to rehabilitating their wounded.

Madame Deputy Speaker, it is now four months since President Zelenskyy responded to President Trump's peace negotiations with Ukraine's full commitment to an unconditional ceasefire.

President Putin has shown no such interest in an end to the fighting.

Madame Deputy Speaker, peace in Ukraine is possible, and we must be ready for when this peace comes.

So since March, the UK and France have led the Coalition of the Willing on planning new security arrangements to support Ukraine in any ceasefire.

More than 200 military planners from 30 nations have worked intensively for weeks, with Ukraine and including reconnaissance in Ukraine, led by UK personnel.

Last week at the Summit, President Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that this initial phase of detailed military planning has concluded.

And I can confirm that the military command and control structures have now been agreed for a future 'Multinational Force Ukraine'.

The Force's mission will be to strengthen Ukraine's defences on the land, at sea, and in the air because the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the best deterrent against future Russian aggression.

It will include a 3-star multi-national command headquarters in Paris, rotating to London after 12 months.

And when the force deploys, there will be a coordination headquarters in Kyiv, headed by a UK 2-star military officer.

It will regenerate land forces by providing logistics, armament and training experts.

It will secure Ukraine's skies by using aircraft to deliver levels of support similar to that for NATO's Air Policing mission.

And it will support safer seas by bolstering the Black Sea Task Force with additional specialist teams.

When peace comes, we will be ready.

When peace comes, we will play our part in securing it for the long term.

And next month on 24 August, Ukrainians will gather to celebrate their Independence Day.

For another year, the anniversary of Ukraine's liberation will be marked under the pain of occupation.

Whatever else commands the world's attention, we must never lose sight of this war, we must never lose sight of Putin's brutal, illegal invasion of this proud and sovereign nation.

And we must never forget the price Ukraine is paying, fighting for its own freedom - and the security of all free nations, including our own.

Madame Deputy Speaker, the UK will stand with the Ukrainian people: today, tomorrow, the day after, and for as long it takes for Ukraine to prevail.

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Statement of the MFA of Ukraine on the 11th Anniversary of Russia's Downing of Flight MH17

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

17 July 2025 11:00

11 ago, on 17 July 2014, Russia's military personnel and individuals under their direct control committed one of the most horrific crimes the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region of Ukraine.

One deliberate act by Russian perpetrators and their accomplices took the lives of 298 people on board  citizens of many countries  innocent victims of Russian aggression. From the very first moment, Russia attempted to conceal the truth from the world, fabricating false narratives about the cause of the tragedy.

There is no longer any doubt as to who committed this crime and who bears responsibility for the murder of hundreds of people. The international community now has a clear legal response that nullifies all false accusations, manipulations, and disinformation that Russian officials have so diligently disseminated.

In November 2022, The Hague District Court announced the verdicts against three individuals directly involved in the downing of MH17 by a Buk-TELAR surface-to-air missile system, which had been transported into the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine from territory of the Russian Federation.

In May 2025, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued the decision on the merits in the case brought by the Netherlands and Australia, concluding that the Russian Federation had violated Article 3bis of the Convention on International Civil Aviation by using of weapons against MH17  a civil aircraft in flight.

In July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment on the merits in the case "Ukraine and the Netherlands v. the Russian Federation", ruled that the killing of civilians aboard MH17 cannot be considered as a "lawful act of war" and constitutes a violation of the right to life under Article 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Furthermore, the Court found that the prolonged suffering endured by the relatives of the victims of MH17 amounted to inhuman treatment within the meaning of Article 3 of the Convention.

The Court also emphasized Russia's attempts to obstruct the investigation by spreading false or deliberately fabricated information about the tragedy. It found that Russia further violated the Convention by failing to conduct an investigation of the circumstances of the downing, to prosecute those responsible, and to provide proper cooperation with other states within the international investigation.

The MH17 case is a multi-volume record of pain, suffering, Russian lies, and the deliberate concealment of facts. At the same time, it stands as proof that despite the vast resources of the Russian propaganda machine and persistent denial of its involvement, the Russian Federation has not gone unpunished  and has not succeeded in deceiving the world.

We firmly believe that the Russian Federation, its military personnel, and officials must be held accountable for every violation of international law they have committed during the armed aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine, together with its international partners, continues to make every effort to restore justice for all those who have suffered from Russian terror.

We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the passengers and crew of flight MH17. Our thoughts will always be with those who have fallen victim to Russian aggression.

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Speech by the President of Ukraine at the Plenary Session of the Verkhovna Rada

President of Ukraine

17 July 2025 - 13:00

Glory to Ukraine!

Dear Ruslan, Honorable Mr. Speaker!

Dear Attendees, Esteemed People's Deputies of Ukraine, Esteemed Members of the Government, and all those present!

Today marks the already 1,240th day of the full-scale war.

Ukraine has been standing against Russia in this war for its independence longer than anyone in the world expected. At the same time, from day one, we have maintained full control over our national institutions and all the systems of a truly functioning state. We are supplying the front, which is very important. We are only expanding our domestic Ukrainian weapons production. We are conducting our own defense operations on the enemy's territory and inflicting tangible pain on Russia for this war. We have already made it through three winters of full-scale war and defended Ukraine from Russia's ambition to destroy our energy system. We have preserved all the logistics Ukraine needs. We have built and continue to maintain, despite all turbulence, a global coalition in support of our people, in support of Ukraine, and we now have the largest number of friends and partners of Ukraine with the deepest ties in our state's history, in every part of the world. We have secured EU candidate status for Ukraine and have begun accession negotiations. Ukraine must be ready on all negotiating clusters, and the future course of accession talks will depend solely on the European Union's ability to deliver on its promises. For the first time in Ukraine's history, new models of intergovernmental defense cooperation have been established and are functioning - such as the Danish model, which involves foreign investment in Ukrainian defense production. And these are large-scale projects worth billions of dollars. We are fulfilling all our social obligations, and even in a time of full-scale war, we are implementing pension and other social payments indexation. Ukraine has sufficient gold and foreign exchange reserves and all the foundations necessary to pursue an independent policy and continue defending our statehood, sovereignty, and independence.

Every one of these facts is the result of the patriotism and effectiveness of specific people.

It is the result of our warriors, who are heroically fighting for our state and destroying the occupier.

It is the result of every man and woman in our state who is working for Ukraine's defense and resilience - for the sake of making it possible for Ukrainians to live.

It is the result of all those who save and protect lives in Ukraine.

I am proud of all our people - of the millions of Ukrainians who stand with their state.

And it is the result of the work of the state itself.

I thank the Government officials led by Denys Shmyhal. Thank you very much, Denys, for going through this path and doing so with dignity.

And I thank each of you, esteemed People's Deputies of Ukraine, who have supported and continue to support the work of the Ukrainian Government.

I want to repeat once again: today marks the already 1,240th day of the full-scale war.

We all want peace as soon as possible, and we want that peace to be truly just for Ukraine.

At the same time, we all see how difficult it is to maintain sufficient global support, and how many other wars and crises are flaring up around the world, truly scattering global efforts.

Therefore, Ukraine needs more of its own strength.

We are transforming the management of the defense sector and weapons production so that within six months, the share of Ukrainian-made weapons available to our warriors will noticeably increase.

Currently, about 40% of the weapons in the hands of our warriors are made in Ukraine. In six months, it should be no less than 50%.

The renewed Ukrainian Government must audit all agreements, contracts, and memoranda with partners in defense, arms production, and all resilience programs to fully implement all commitments in Ukraine's interests.

There will also be new agreements with the United States of America that will strengthen Ukraine's positions, and for which changes in diplomatic work with America are needed.

We must guarantee our warriors' confidence in the supply of the Defense Forces, and for this, we are increasing, in particular, Ukraine's internal economic potential. And this is impossible without three things.

First, maximum deregulation, elimination of all bureaucratic barriers, and unnecessary state institutions whose functions simply duplicate each other.

Second, maximum unleashing of Ukraine's social forces and involvement of partner potential for economic growth in Ukraine.

Third, justice, meaning, in many ways, new, stronger approaches to punishing those who encroach on Ukrainian statehood and who steal Ukraine's potential.

The renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the overall Ukrainian Government system will ensure the implementation of these tasks.

Ukraine will gain more of its own strength.

I am grateful to Yuliia Svyrydenko. Thank you, Yuliia, for effectively operating programs that support Ukrainian manufacturing and Ukrainian entrepreneurship. This experience, Yuliia has gained in advancing our Ukrainian resilience and economic growth, must be continued and scaled up as a priority for the Government of Ukraine

I count on the Government's action plan to be presented as soon as possible and implemented on a daily basis. Each day must bring results for Ukraine.

The Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine will continue to receive all the necessary resources to defend our state and to protect our people.

We will strengthen the negotiation track to ensure a just end to the war and guarantee real security for Ukraine.

The digitalization of all processes and public services will be further advanced.

I expect the Government to offer more specific content within the Heroes' Policy: support programs for veterans and families of Ukrainian warriors.

I also expect the Government to streamline and adopt a much more realistic approach to social policy in Ukraine.

Also, together with Government officials, our diplomats, and the National Security and Defense Council, we are preparing a new level of defense cooperation with key partners. Ukraine will be among the world's leading security donors and weapons manufacturers.

With the aim of fully and promptly implementing these tasks, I have submitted, at the proposal of the parliamentary faction that holds the rights of the coalition of parliamentary factions in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a motion for the appointment of Yuliia Svyrydenko as Prime Minister of Ukraine. And I ask that this motion be supported. I also ask that the relevant candidacies for other members of the Government of Ukraine, which will be submitted by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, and the candidacies for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense of Ukraine, be supported as well.

I thank everyone who stands with us, who stands with Ukraine!

I thank all who work for the sake of our state and our people!

Glory to Ukraine!

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SSU and National Police expose MoD official who embezzled budget funds on repair of armoured personnel carriers

Security Service of Ukraine

13:00, 17 July 2025

The SSU Military Counterintelligence and the National Police, with the assistance of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, have exposed perpetrators who embezzled state funds intended for the repair of armoured vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In just one of the documented episodes, the amount of stolen funds was UAH 5.4 mln (USD 129 000).

According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme is the head of the quality control group of one of the military representative offices of the Ministry of Defense in the western region of Ukraine.

He involved the head of a local enterprise that had received an order to repair armoured personnel carriers. Under the agreement, the contractors undertook to restore combat capability of the APCs for further use on the front line.

The military official was supposed to check the technical condition of the repaired equipment. However, he turned a blind eye to the fact that the contractors only carried out 'superficial cosmetic' work, and the armoured vehicles remained unsuitable for combat use.

Despite the shortcomings, the official signed the certificate of completion, which became the basis for allocating budget funds to the contractors.

An engineering and technical forensic examination confirmed the poor technical condition of the armoured personnel carriers.

The MoD official is currently suspected of crime under Article 425.4 of the CCU (negligence in military service, committed under martial law).

The decision on additional charges under Article 191 of the CCU (misappropriation, embezzlement or acquisition of property through abuse of office) and bringing all participants in the scheme to justice is pending.

The suspects face up to 8 years in prison.

The investigation is carried out jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of Lviv Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Western Region.

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SSU detains enemy informant preparing russian missile attack on Kharkiv City Council

Security Service of Ukraine

10:00, 17 July 2025

The SSU Counterintelligence has detained another enemy informant who adjusted russian strikes on Kharkiv.

The woman was preparing a new attack by russian forces on the location of one of the City Council's departments. The perpetrator assumed that Ukrainian military personnel might be nearby, so she passed the location to the occupiers for a possible attack.

The aggressor's agent is a 45-year-old local unemployed woman. The occupiers recruited her through Telegram channels, where she left pro-russian comments.

Her task was to walk around the area near administrative buildings and check for military equipment and possible presence of Defense Forces units.

The asset maintained contact with the russian special services through a chatbot operated by Sergei Lebedev (also known as 'Lokhmatyi'), who is hiding in Donetsk and working for the occupiers.

The SSU Counterintelligence documented the traitor's intelligence gathering and apprehended her at home.

SSU investigators notified the detained woman of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

114-2.2 (unauthorized dissemination of information on the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, if it is possible to identify them on the ground);

436-2.2 (justification of russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).

The suspect is in custody without bail and faces up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor's Office.

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Dublin, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "China Telemedicine Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The China telemedicine market, valued at USD 6.65 billion in 2024, is fueled by a robust digital infrastructure enhanced by extensive internet coverage and cutting-edge 5G networks. This foundation enables high-quality remote healthcare delivery across both urban and rural regions.

Projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.03% from 2025 to 2034, the market is expected to reach USD 18.93 billion by 2034. Smartphone penetration ensures widespread access to telehealth services, with the enduring impact of COVID-19 having normalized remote consultations and bolstered public trust in digital healthcare solutions.

China Telemedicine Market Growth Drivers AI-Driven Analysis to Enhance Market Development

The increasing demand for personalized healthcare and digital transformation in China's medical sector fuels telemedicine innovation. In May 2025, a novel service quality evaluation model was introduced, utilizing the Servqual framework with a CNN-BiLSTM deep learning algorithm and an attention mechanism to analyze over 25,000 consumer reviews from major telemedicine platforms. Focused on doctor competence and service quality, this innovation is expected to enhance platform credibility and user satisfaction, driving long-term market growth.

Increasing Investment to Meet Rising China Telemedicine Market Demand

The bolstering of virtual care infrastructure and rising investment in digital health solutions are enhancing China's telemedicine ecosystem. In February 2024, Yellowcross Healthcare Commerce launched a consultancy service to aid medical groups and healthcare facilities in expanding remote care capabilities. Established by experts in radiology and healthcare IT, this initiative optimizes telemedicine operations, promising enhanced operational scalability and increasing the market's overall value.

China Telemedicine Market Growth Trends

Significant market trends include AI innovations and rural area expansion, driving market growth and evolution.

AI-Based Virtual Platforms Fuel China Telemedicine Market Development

In November 2024, Tsinghua University's Institute for AI Industry Research unveiled the "Agent Hospital," an autonomous virtual healthcare platform. This AI-driven simulation offers precise diagnostics training across 21 specialties. Positioned for public rollout, this innovation marks a major advancement in clinical automation, significantly driving China's telemedicine market development by redefining digital care delivery and expanding intelligent health service capabilities.

Rural Healthcare Expansion Driving China Telemedicine Market Value

Recent national initiatives prioritize rural healthcare digitalization, bridging care gaps between urban and remote areas. Government-backed telemedicine programs now connect township clinics with top-tier hospitals via 5G, enabling real-time specialist consultations and diagnostics. This ongoing rural expansion increases patient reach and service utilization, enhancing the market value by creating sustainable demand and long-term infrastructure support.

Real Time Modality to Lead the Market Share by Modality

The real-time modality predominates the market due to its capability for immediate, interactive consultations between patients and healthcare providers. With widespread smartphone access, 5G connectivity, and user-friendly platforms, real-time services like video consultations and virtual follow-ups are favored by urban and rural users alike. Government endorsement of real-time telehealth, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has established it as a dependable and accessible healthcare choice, enhancing its market leadership.

Leading Players in the China Telemedicine Market

The market report features funding and investment analysis, along with strategic initiatives by leading players. Major companies include:

Ping An Good Doctor

Headquartered in Shanghai, Ping An Good Doctor, a leading telemedicine provider since 2014, operates under the Ping An Insurance Group. Offering 24/7 online consultations, prescription services, medicine delivery, and chronic disease management, the platform leverages an AI-powered consultation system to serve over 400 million users, partnering with numerous offline medical institutions and pharmacies.

WeDoctor (Guahao)

Founded in 2010 and based in Hangzhou, WeDoctor is a prominent digital health platform by WeDoctor Holdings Limited. It provides online consultations, hospital appointment bookings, cloud-based diagnosis, and chronic disease management, collaborating with over 7,800 hospitals. WeDoctor's AI-driven care solutions enhance service delivery, integrating with public hospitals and insurance systems, bridging the gap in underserved Chinese regions.

JD Health International Inc

Launched in 2019 and headquartered in Beijing, JD Health, JD.com's healthcare arm, offers teleconsultations, digital pharmacy, chronic care, and wellness programs. In May 2024, JD Health introduced an AI-driven Mental Health Service Center featuring a chatbot, strengthening its position as China's inaugural AI-based online mental health service platform.

AliHealth (Alibaba Health)

Established in 2014 in Hangzhou, AliHealth operates as Alibaba Group's healthcare division, specializing in telemedicine, electronic prescriptions, and drug delivery. Utilizing Alibaba's e-commerce and cloud computing capabilities, AliHealth assures seamless healthcare access, partnering with hospitals, pharmacies, and regulators to enhance China's digital health infrastructure and patient engagement.

Other key players include Tencent Trusted Doctor, Medlinker, Dingxiangyuan (DXY), and iKang Healthcare Group.

Key Questions Answered in the China Telemedicine Market

What was the China telemedicine market value in 2024?

What is the China telemedicine market forecast outlook for 2025-2034?

What are the major factors contributing to China telemedicine market demand?

How has the market performed historically, and what is its future projection?

What are the significant drivers, opportunities, and restraints within the market?

Which application, component, and facilities will drive market growth?

Who are the key players in the China telemedicine market?

What is the market's patent landscape?

How do partnerships, collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions affect market dynamics?

Key Attributes

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 400 Forecast Period 2025-2034 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $6.65 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2034 $18.93 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11% Regions Covered China

Key Topics Covered



1 Preface

1.1 Objectives of the Study

1.2 Key Assumptions

1.3 Report Coverage - Key Segmentation and Scope

1.4 Research Methodology



2 Executive Summary



3 Telemedicine Market Overview

3.1 Asia Pacific Telemedicine Market

3.2 China Telemedicine Market



4 Vendor Positioning Analysis

4.1 Key Vendors

4.2 Prospective Leaders

4.3 Niche Leaders

4.4 Disruptors



5 China Telemedicine Market Landscape

5.1 China Telemedicine Market: Developers Landscape

5.2 China Telemedicine Market: Product Landscape



6 China Telemedicine Market Dynamics

6.1 Market Drivers and Constraints

6.2 SWOT Analysis

6.3 PESTEL Analysis

6.4 Porter's Five Forces Model

6.5 Key Demand Indicators

6.6 Key Price Indicators

6.7 Industry Events, Initiatives, and Trends

6.8 Value Chain Analysis



7 China Telemedicine Market Segmentation (218-2034)

7.1 China Telemedicine Market (2018-2034) by Component

7.2 China Telemedicine Market (2018-2034) by Modality

7.3 China Telemedicine Market (2018-2034) by Application

7.4 China Telemedicine Market (2018-2034) by Facility

7.5 China Telemedicine Market (2018-2034) by End Use



8 Regulatory Framework



9 Funding and Investment Analysis

9.1 Analysis by Funding Instances

9.2 Analysis by Type of Funding

9.3 Analysis by Funding Amount

9.4 Analysis by Leading Players

9.5 Analysis by Leading Investors



10 Strategic Initiatives

10.1 Analysis by Partnership Instances

10.2 Analysis by Type of Initiatives

10.3 Analysis by Leading Players

10.4 Analysis by Geography



11 Supplier Landscape

11.1 Market Share Analysis (Top 5 Companies)

11.2 Ping An Good Doctor

11.3 WeDoctor (Guahao)

11.4 JD Health International Inc.

11.5 AliHealth (Alibaba Health)

11.6 Tencent Trusted Doctor

11.7 Medlinker

11.8 Dingxiangyuan (DXY)

11.9 iKang Healthcare Group



12 China Telemedicine Market - Distribution Model (Additional Insight)

12.1 Overview

12.2 Potential Distributors

12.3 Key Parameters for Distribution Partner Assessment



13 Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) Insights (Additional Insight)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cz3wmj

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, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Siemens: 360 Company Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Siemens, covering key details such as key milestones/history, product offerings, technologies, major applications and end-user industries it serves. It includes details of Siemens' ownership structure and key management. It also includes Siemens' business segments and evaluates financial performance for 3 years.

Siemens specializes in power generation and distribution, automation, and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries, smart infrastructure for buildings, and distributed energy systems. Siemens supplies power generation, transmission, and medical diagnostic systems and has pioneered infrastructure and industry solutions. It has more than 41,700 granted patents globally. In 2024, at the European Patent Office (EPO) only, the company filed 1,830 patent applications, making Siemens the top-ranked company among EU-based firms.



Siemens provides its products through five business segments: digital industries, Siemens Healthineers, smart infrastructure, mobility, and Siemens Financial Services. The digital industries segment offers a broad portfolio of products and system solutions for automation in both discrete and process industries. Its offerings include drives and inverters, servo motors, numerical control systems, automation systems, software for factories, and integrated automation systems for production machines and machine tools. Siemens' innovations leverage advanced technologies such as AI, edge computing, SaaS and software-defined control.

The strategic analysis chapter highlights recent developments, including mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations, product launches, and innovation initiatives. It further provides an analysis of R&D expenditure during the 2022-2024 period, discussing key focus areas and technological breakthroughs. Additionally, a list of distributors across regions was mapped and includes an in-depth SWOT analysis to evaluate the micro and macro environment on a company's growth trajectory.



Report Includes

A detailed company profile of Siemens, including sections of business overview, HQ address, history, mission/vision and key management details

Business segment and a detailed list of products offered by Siemens

Details of applications and end-user industries for which Siemens offers products

A list of citations of "Siemens," in the recently published reports

Financial outlook of the company for three most recent fiscal years

Details about the company's distributors across regions

Analysis of the strategic alliances, M&A activity and strategic development outlook of the past 3 years

Overview of sustainability trends and ESG developments and targets

SWOT analysis of Siemens, analyzing major factors impacting the company's performance

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Company Background

Overview

Snapshot

Corporate HQ Address

Mission/Vision

Company Milestone/History

Leadership and Team

Key Management

Who Owns the Company

Chapter 2 Company Business

Business Segments

Business Portfolio/Business Line

Applications/End Users

Recent Citation Siemens

Chapter 3 Financial Reporting and Analysis

Key Financial Highlights

Company Financials

Key Financial Parameters

Business Segment Financial

Geographic Segment Financial

Conclusion/Viewpoint

Chapter 4 Corporate Social Responsibility (ESG)

Introduction

Mission

Sustainability Trends/Initiatives and Strategies

Environmental

Social

Governance

Conclusion/Viewpoint

Chapter 5 Strategic Analysis

Strategic Moves/Key Developments

Siemens in the News

Research and Development (R&D) Analysis

Supplier and Distributor/Partnering and Licensing

SWOT Analysis

Strength

Weaknesses

Opportunity

Threat

Conclusion/Viewpoint

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x3h099

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.
PANAMA CITY, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, is proud to announce the overwhelming success of its "Mars Program" special event, a cornerstone of its 12th-anniversary celebrations. With nearly 100,000 participation counts already, this program underscores HTX's dedication to driving Web3 innovation and fostering a vibrant community. The excitement intensifies with the impending space journey of Justin Sun, Advisor to HTX, marking the official launch of HTX's 12th anniversary and ushering in a new era for the crypto space. Collaborating with esteemed ecosystem partners, HTX is actively distributing a substantial prize pool of up to $300,000, inviting global users to participate in this celebratory occasion.





$300,000 Up for Grabs at HTX

Event Details: https://www.htx.com/microapps/en-us/double-invite-retail/round-about?activityId=175187356313785&inviter_id=11357320

A Dream of Space: HTX's 12 Years of Innovation

Since its inception in 2013, HTX has supported tens of millions of users worldwide, offering a wide range of services that include trading, asset management, and on-chain ecosystems. The platform remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing blockchain technology and fostering financial liberalization.

HTX celebrates its 12th anniversary under the theme "Breaking Boundaries". A space journey is a fitting tribute to the platform's forward-looking visionone that embraces technological innovation, human potential, and the ambition to reach new heights. More than a symbolic act, this cosmic voyage represents the fearless spirit of exploration that defines the Web3 era.

"Mars Program" Sparks Global Participation

To ensure widespread participation in the excitement of the space journey, HTX has meticulously launched the "Mars Program" special event series, offering a total prize pool of up to $300,000. Users who visit the "Mars Program" event page before July 30 and complete tasks like trading, subscribing to Earn products, inviting friends, or posting in the community can earn entries into a prize draw with rewards including TRX , Cashback Vouchers, Margin Interest Vouchers, Futures Trial Bonuses, APY Booster Coupons, and more.

The event, launched on July 10, has experienced a continuous surge in popularity, attracting enthusiastic participants from across the globe. As of July 14, the event has accumulated nearly 100,000 participation counts, distributed almost 80,000 USDT in rewards, and awarded nearly 30 grand prizes of 888 TRX each. The event is still in full swing, demonstrating HTX's strong user activity and market influence.

Leading Web3 Development with Esteemed Sponsors

The "Mars Program" special event is a collaborative effort between HTX and multiple TRON ecosystem projects. These pivotal partners of HTX are dedicated to driving innovation and practical applications within the Web3 ecosystem in their respective domains. Together with HTX, they are collectively striving to construct a more open, interconnected, and trustworthy blockchain future. Event sponsors include:

SunPump: The TRON ecosystem's first platform for fair launch meme coins.

APENFT : The first NFT fair-launch platform in the TRON ecosystem, offering one-stop tools to empower creators, collectors, and projects.

JUST Protocol : The TRON network's first decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

WINkLink: The first comprehensive oracle project in the TRON ecosystem, providing accurate and stable external digital currency price information for decentralized applications (DApps).

BitTorrent : The world's largest decentralized P2P communication protocol.

Steemit: The first and foremost social platform on the Steem blockchain, launched in 2016.

SunGenX: An AI-driven meme coin issuance assistant launched by SunPump, operating within the TRON ecosystem.

Forward Outlook

The "Mars Program" special event delivered outstanding results, setting a high note for HTX's 12th-anniversary celebration. This landmark occasion serves not only as a reflection of HTX platform's growth trajectory but also powerfully showcases the dynamic vitality of the Web3 ecosystem. Moving forward, HTX will reinforce its user-centric and technology-driven philosophy, actively expanding its global strategic presence, and fostering collaborative partnerships to build a more open, interconnected, and sustainable blockchain world.

About HTX

Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of "Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance," HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord. For further inquiries, please contact glo-media@htx-inc.com.

Disclaimer: This content is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sectorincluding cryptocurrency, NFTs, and miningcomplete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an "as-is" basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c0381e1-e76e-4506-96b3-a6691d732b36
ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Company" or "Kraig Labs"), a world leader in spider silk technology*, announces that it is finalizing a significant three-year collaborative agreement with a key government agency in Southeast Asia to expand the scale and security of its recombinant spider silk manufacturing platform.

This landmark agreement, expected to be signed before the end of July, marks the culmination of years of relationship-building and demonstrated performance by Kraig Labs and its proprietary spider silk technologies. The agreement is designed to accelerate the Company's growth by providing access to previously unavailable rearing facilities, supporting infrastructure, and technical resources.

Under the terms of this collaboration, Kraig Labs will work closely with government specialists to optimize and expand spider silk production. The collaboration will unlock new production capacity, enabling Kraig Labs to significantly scale its hybridized silkworm operations.

Importantly, this agreement also includes provisions for the creation of parallel rearing operations, a key component in the Companys long-term roadmap to mitigate production risk and eliminate single points of failure. By distributing parent strain and egg production across multiple independent facilities, Kraig Labs is further securing its supply chain and increasing throughput capacity to meet future demand.

"We believe this collaboration is a transformative step forward in our mission to commercialize sustainable, cost-effective spider silk. This rare opportunity is due, in large part, to the team weve assembled, our commitment to excellence, and our progress in the field," said the Companys COO, Jon Rice. "It provides us with strategic infrastructure and institutional support to grow our production footprint, while further reinforcing the stability and security of our operations through parallelized rearing and egg development systems."

Work under this agreement is anticipated to begin in August. This collaboration will serve as a foundational element of the Companys expanding global spider silk manufacturing strategy, highlighting the growing confidence in the Company's pioneering biomaterials.

For the latest updates on Kraig Labs and its pioneering spider silk technologies, visit www.kraiglabs.com.

For details about other recent Kraig Labs advancements, please watch the Company's investor conference at www.kraiglabs.com/videos or on the Company's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@kraigbiocraftlaboratories2270.

To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news

* For a description of our historical leadership in this technology, please follow this link https://www.kraiglabs.com/world-leader/

About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk-based fiber technologies.

The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

Statements in this press release about the Company's future and expectations other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management's expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "estimated," "hopes," "if," "develops," "researching," "research," "pilot," "potential," "could" or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security.
Dublin, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 100+ KPIs, Market Size & Forecast by End Markets, Precast Products, and Precast Materials - Q2 2025 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The prefabricated construction market in South Korea is on a robust growth trajectory, with expectations for an annual increase of 4.7%, reaching KRW 13.00 trillion by 2025. The market experienced a steady growth CAGR of 5.5% from 2020 to 2024 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4% from 2025 to 2029, potentially scaling to KRW 15.90 trillion by the end of 2029.



This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the prefabricated construction sector in South Korea, offering a comprehensive view of market opportunities across end-markets, materials, and products at the country level.

Key Insights



South Korea's prefabricated prefabricated construction sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, evolving from experimentation to an industrialized scale. Key drivers include demographic shifts, rising costs, and a push for infrastructure speed and resilience. Prefabrication now sits at the intersection of national labor policy, climate adaptation, and urban expansion. Robotics adoption propelled by the world-leading robot density and the formation of the K Humanoid Alliance signals a strategic fusion between manufacturing automation and built environment delivery.



Looking ahead, expect robotics, BIM, digital twins, and factory-based production to integrate fully across component design, assembly, and onsite installation. Modular systems will expand from residential into healthcare, education, and industrial campuses, aligned with large-scale public programs. Prefab components will incorporate high-spec materials engineered for resilience, quality, and low-carbon credentials.

Cement Industry Outlook

Elevate prefab as a national delivery channel: Prefabrication is being incorporated into national prefabricated construction agendas, including housing and public infrastructure, supported by government initiatives that promote off-site methods.

Prefabrication is being incorporated into national prefabricated construction agendas, including housing and public infrastructure, supported by government initiatives that promote off-site methods. Anchor against macroeconomic prefabricated construction conditions: Despite some short-term contraction due to permit declines and cost pressures, the broader prefabricated construction sector is stabilizing, driven by public infrastructure investment and renewable energy projects. Link prefab growth to wider structural expansion: The prefabricated segment is outpacing general prefabricated construction growth, with output momentum expected to continue into the medium term.

Key Trends

Scale panelized, modular, and hybrid systems: Prefab production systems panel, volumetric, hybrid are seeing expanded applications in housing, commercial, and industrial builds. Industrialize with automation and robotics: South Korea is the world's most robotized manufacturing economy, with over 1,000 industrial robots per 10,000 workers. Robotic innovations are now entering the prefabricated construction industry, from factory component assembly to bricklaying and facade systems.

Prefab production systems panel, volumetric, hybrid are seeing expanded applications in housing, commercial, and industrial builds. Industrialize with automation and robotics: South Korea is the world's most robotized manufacturing economy, with over 1,000 industrial robots per 10,000 workers. Robotic innovations are now entering the prefabricated construction industry, from factory component assembly to bricklaying and facade systems. Embed digital platforms and BIM-led workflows: Government-led smart city and manufacturing campaigns are integrating BIM, AI, and digital twins into prefabricated processes, enhancing coordination and compliance among stakeholders. Advanced resilience and quality standards: Prefabricated components are being engineered for seismic resistance and quality precision reflecting national priorities in safety and structural integrity.

Forge Strategic Partnerships

Enable public-private prefab mandates: Government agencies are actively partnering with modular builders and prefabrication firms via policy frameworks, funding programs, and pilot housing schemes. Link the robotics ecosystem with prefabricated construction innovators : The newly formed K-Humanoid Alliance brings together government, manufacturers (Doosan, HD Hyundai), and universities to advance humanoid and industrial robotics with spillover benefits for prefabricated construction automation.

Government agencies are actively partnering with modular builders and prefabrication firms via policy frameworks, funding programs, and pilot housing schemes. Link the robotics ecosystem with prefabricated construction innovators : The newly formed K-Humanoid Alliance brings together government, manufacturers (Doosan, HD Hyundai), and universities to advance humanoid and industrial robotics with spillover benefits for prefabricated construction automation. Connect tech providers with prefab actors: Collaborations are forming among digital platform vendors (BIM, IoT) and factory producers to deliver integrated automated production lines for prefab components.

Key Growth Drivers

Respond to population and workforce challenges: A declining birth rate and labor shortages are compelling factories and robotics to offset their dependence on onsite labor. Mitigate cost pressures and material volatility: Prefab's streamlined, controlled production reduces input waste and schedule risk beneficial amid rising material and financial costs.

A declining birth rate and labor shortages are compelling factories and robotics to offset their dependence on onsite labor. Mitigate cost pressures and material volatility: Prefab's streamlined, controlled production reduces input waste and schedule risk beneficial amid rising material and financial costs. Align with urbanization and infrastructure plans: Prefab supports accelerated public infrastructure delivery, including renewable energy and semiconductor facility prefabricated construction, in line with national industrial goals. Support resilience and regulatory elevation: Seismic performance standards and quality assurance programs are driving the adoption of engineered prefab solutions.

Future Trends

Scale robotics across the prefabrication lifecycle : Robotics will permeate from factory assembly to onsite installation and finishing, raising quality control and safety while reducing human error. Mainstream BIM-digital twin coordination: Lifecycle-aware monitoring from production tracking to facility operation will become embedded through BIM and digital twins.

: Robotics will permeate from factory assembly to onsite installation and finishing, raising quality control and safety while reducing human error. Mainstream BIM-digital twin coordination: Lifecycle-aware monitoring from production tracking to facility operation will become embedded through BIM and digital twins. Diversify modular usage across sectors: Housing-focused prefabrication will expand into hospitals, schools, and industrial campuses, mirroring broader investment in infrastructure. Advance resilience-led material innovation: Prefabrication will increasingly incorporate high-performance, low-carbon materials, including advanced concrete, steel, and timber hybrids. Establish a national reputation for smart prefab: With its robotics leadership and modular ambitions, South Korea is poised to become a regional hub for smart, factory-built prefabricated construction.

South Korea's prefabrication agenda is transitioning from episodic pilots to systemic rollout. Policy initiatives and infrastructure investment are creating fertile ground for factory-led delivery models. Robotics and digital ecosystems are converging, enabling the creation of precision-crafted components and process intelligence.

Prefabrication is evolving from a stopgap to a core strategy, addressing labor, quality, speed, and cost challenges. The nation is positioning itself as a model for next-generation prefabricated construction through data-driven, resilient, and automated delivery.

Report Scope



This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the prefabricated construction industry, covering market opportunity, and industry dynamics by prefabricated materials, methods, and products across various construction sectors. In addition, it provides market size and forecast of the prefabricated industry covering end markets along with demand analysis in South Korea.

With over 100+ KPIs at the country level, this report provides comprehensive understanding of market dynamics at a more granular level.



South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Building Construction Sector

Residential

Single-Family

Multi Family

Commercial

Office

Retail

Hospitality

Other

Institutional

Industrial

South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabrication Methods

Panelised construction

Modular (Volumetric) construction

Hybrid (Semi-volumetric) construction

South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Type of Material

Aluminium

Wood

Iron & Steel

Concrete

Glass

Other

South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Type of Product

Building Superstructure

Roof Construction

Floor Construction

Interior Room Modules

Exterior Walls

Columns & Beams

Other

South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabricated Material - Product

Aluminium

Wood

Iron & Steel

Concrete

Glass

Other

South Korea Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabrication Product - Construction Sector

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Institutional

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ch6vly

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.




PANAMA CITY, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HTX, a leading global crypto exchange, is thrilled to announce the exceptional performance of its newly listed assets, coinciding with Bitcoin 's groundbreaking surge past $120,000. In a period of renewed market optimism and significant capital rotation, HTX's latest listings have once again showcased substantial wealth-generating potential. This solidifies the platform's reputation as a go-to destination for investors looking to capitalize on emerging market trends. Between July 7 and 14, new listings across the Meme, NFT, and Infrastructure sectors achieved impressive gains. These remarkable results highlight HTX's strategic ability to identify and list high-potential assets, providing significant wealth creation opportunities for its global user base.

Meme Coin Resurgence Led by M and MOG

The resurgence of meme coins saw two prominent assets deliver significant returns:

Memecore ($M) surged an astounding 482% in just days, firmly topping the gainers' list. Positioned as the first Layer 1 blockchain designed for the Meme 2.0 era, $M is set to become an engine driving meme culture, value creation, and community collaboration.





($M) surged an astounding 482% in just days, firmly topping the gainers' list. Positioned as the first Layer 1 blockchain designed for the Meme 2.0 era, $M is set to become an engine driving meme culture, value creation, and community collaboration. MOG Coin ($MOG), another prominent meme coin, recorded a remarkable 112% increase. This Ethereum-based asset has recently garnered significant attention and discussion across social platforms.

The surge in meme coin assets reaffirms the market logic that "emotion is value". As one of the first platforms to list these tokens, HTX has effectively transformed community sentiment into trading activity, delivering tangible returns for users.

Infrastructure and Cross-Chain Narratives Regain Momentum with Strong Performances from OMNI and TANSSI

Technologically driven assets also performed well this week.



Omni Network ($OMNI) jumped 260%, driven by renewed interest in inter-chain interoperability. As an Ethereum-native interoperability protocol, Omni Network enables low-latency communication across all Ethereum rollups and offers a secure, high-performance, and globally compatible architecture  positioning Ethereum as a single, unified operating system for both users and developers.





($OMNI) jumped 260%, driven by renewed interest in inter-chain interoperability. As an Ethereum-native interoperability protocol, Omni Network enables low-latency communication across all Ethereum rollups and offers a secure, high-performance, and globally compatible architecture  positioning Ethereum as a single, unified operating system for both users and developers. Tanssi Network ($TANSSI) climbed the ranks with an 82% increase. As an appchain infrastructure protocol built on Polkadots shared security framework, Tanssi offers the ContainerChain parachain solution, providing appchains with essential services such as block production, data availability, cross-chain messaging, and external bridging. Its ecosystem also includes management tools, ready-to-use templates, and key integrations like wallets, indexers, RPC endpoints, block explorers, and oracles.

HTX's early identification of the infrastructure trend empowered previously overlooked assets to gain significant momentum on the platform, showcasing the precision of its listing strategy.

$PENGU Surges on Enterprise NFT Buzz, NFT Sector Stages Strong Comeback

Recently, the rise of the "enterprise NFT" narrative has sparked growing interest, with both established brands and new IPs leveraging NFTs to broaden community engagement. As a result, NFT assets are experiencing a resurgence, demonstrating strong wealth potential in this new context.



Pudgy Penguins ($ PENGU ) witnessed an impressive 89% surge in a short period. This collection of 8,888 NFTs drives Web3 innovation through IP licensing and community-driven empowerment. Each holder gets exclusive access to experiences, events, IP licensing opportunities, and more. $PENGU has distinguished itself as one of the few NFT projects to achieve both substantial traffic and high trading volume.

Popular Assets Rally as XLM and KNC Maintain Resilience

Beyond the newly listed assets, established popular assets also saw significant movement:

XLM (Stellar) rose 88%, benefiting from heightened payment activity and growing stablecoin clearing needs. As an open payment network, Stellar bridges diverse financial systems, empowering anyone to create low-cost financial services for their communities. This interconnectedness enhances individual access, reduces banking costs, and boosts business revenue.





(Stellar) rose 88%, benefiting from heightened payment activity and growing stablecoin clearing needs. As an open payment network, Stellar bridges diverse financial systems, empowering anyone to create low-cost financial services for their communities. This interconnectedness enhances individual access, reduces banking costs, and boosts business revenue. Kyber Network ($KNC) recorded a 65% gain, emerging as a standout in the DEX sector. The surge was driven by the release of new DeFi versions and liquidity incentive programs. Kyber Network aims to build a system that supports instant trading and seamless conversion of diverse digital assets. It offers robust payment APIs and next-generation contract wallets, enabling smooth token-to-token payments for all users.



The rise of these assets also signals a broader market shift from pure emotional speculation to projects backed by real-world applications and strong liquidity support.

About HTX

Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of "Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance," HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X , Telegram , and Discord . For further inquiries, please contact glo-media@htx-inc.com .

Disclaimer: This content is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sectorincluding cryptocurrency, NFTs, and miningcomplete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Element79 Gold Corp (OTCQB: ELMGF, CSE: ELEM, FSE: 7YS0), a mining company focused on gold and silver exploration with a portfolio of assets in Nevada and Peru, today announced that CEO and Director, James C. Tworek, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on July 23, 2025

DATE: July 23, 2025

TIME: 1:30pm EST

LINK: REGISTER HERE

Available for 1x1 meetings: July 23-29, 9am-5pm EST  booking link: Element79 Gold - 1x1 Meeting Management Link

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com .

Recent Company Highlights:

Strategic refocus on Nevada exploration

Upcoming 43-101 reports in progress for Elephant and Gold Mountain

Preparing for exploration at Elephant project,

Acquisition of drill-ready Gold Mountain project in Battle Mountain trend

Near-term catalysts include:

Updated technical disclosures and resource modeling;

Drilling and exploration program launches at Gold Mountain and Elephant;

Strategic communications and investor engagement to reinforce market positioning



About Element79 Gold Corp

Element79 Gold Corp is a mining company focused on gold and silver exploration, with a portfolio of assets in Nevada and Peru. The Company is actively advancing its Gold Mountain and Elephant projects in Nevada and holds the high-grade Lucero mine in southern Peru. Element79 Gold is listed on the OTCQB Market (OTCQB: ELMGF), Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: ELEM), and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: 7YS0).

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

CONTACTS:

Mike Smith

VP, Corporate Development

C: +1.604.319.6853

ms@element79.gold

Virtual Investor Conferences

John M. Viglotti

SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access

OTC Markets Group

(212) 220-2221

johnv@otcmarkets.com
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV:SLVR)(OTCQX:SLVTF), based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, focused on Developing Production at the El Tigre Silver Mining District in Sonora Mexico, today announced that Glenn Jessome, President & CEO, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on July 23, 2025.

DATE: July 23

TIME: 10:30 AM ET

LINK: REGISTER HERE

Available for 1x1 meetings: July 23 - 25

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com .

About Silver Tiger and the El Tigre Historic Mine District

Silver Tiger Metals Inc. is a Canadian company whose management has more than 27 years experience discovering, financing, and building large hydrothermal gold and silver mines in Mexico. Silver Tigers 100% owned 28,414 hectare Historic El Tigre Mining District is located in Sonora, Mexico. Principled environmental, social and governance practices are core priorities at Silver Tiger.

Silver Tiger commenced work on its El Tigre Project in 2017. El Tigre intends to build an open pit and underground mine. Silver Tiger has drilled over 150,000 meters at the El Tigre Project, with 119,000 meters completed since 2020. Silver Tiger has completed several MREs, a maiden MRE in 2017 and MRE updates in 2023 and 2024. The PEA for the El Tigre open pit was released in November 2023.

The October 2024 PFS for the El Tigre open pit delivered robust economics. The PFS projects an After-Tax NPV of US$222 million at a 5% discount rate, an After-Tax IRR of 40.0%, and a payback period of 2.0 years. This open pit operation is expected to have a 10-year mine life. The El Tigre project delivers a life of mine undiscounted After-Tax Cash Flow of US$318 million, with initial capital costs of $86.8 million (including $9.3 million in contingency). Operating cash costs are projected at $973/oz AuEq and $12/oz AgEq, with AISC at $1,214/oz AuEq and $14/oz AgEq. The economics of the Project have been evaluated based on a discounted $26/oz silver price and gold price of $2,150/oz.

Silver Tiger is now drilling from underground drill pads, focusing on the high-grade silver Veins, Sulphide and Shale Zones. A PEA for the permitted underground mineral resource is expected to be released in July 2025.

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

CONTACTS:

Silver Tiger Metals Inc.

Devin Devarennes

VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations

902-233-3656

Devin@silvertigermetals.com

Virtual Investor Conferences

John M. Viglotti

SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access

OTC Markets Group

(212) 220-2221

johnv@otcmarkets.com
Beijing, China, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Promoting sustainable development, opposing unilateral trade measures, and upholding multilateralism have emerged as some of the key words at the just-concluded 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The international community closely watched the summit, viewing the expanded BRICS as gaining greater weight and influence, and believing that the enlarged grouping will be better positioned to uphold multilateralism and push for improving global governance.



The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, presenting both opportunities and challenges for emerging markets and developing countries. In the article the Role of the BRICS in Building a Global Community of Shared Future included in volume III of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi noted, We BRICS countries need to keep abreast of the historical trend, seize development opportunities, jointly meet challenges, and play a constructive role in building a new model of international relations and a global community of shared future.



In October 2024, at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, President Xi delivered a speech, emphasizing It is for our shared pursuit and for the overarching trend of peace and development that we BRICS countries have come together. The more tumultuous our times become, the more we must stand firm at the forefront, exhibiting tenacity, demonstrating the audacity to pioneer and displaying the wisdom to adapt. We must work together to build BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.



In the eighth installment of the special series Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, the Global Times, along with People's Daily Overseas Edition, explores the theme: Combining the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for mankind. We continue to invite Chinese and foreign scholars, translators of Xis works, practitioners with firsthand experience, and international readers to discuss Chinas theoretical innovations and practical contributions within the BRICS framework and Global South cooperation, and to collectively answer the question of our times: How does the Chinese model and wisdom empower multilateralism, global governance and sci-tech and innovation cooperation among the Global South?



In the eighth article of the Translators Voices column, Global Times reporter Ma Tong interviews Olga Migunova, (Chinese name: Mu Fengling), Doctor of Philosophy, Russian Sinologist and translator, and vice chairperson of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russia-China Friendship Association. Migunova is one of the translators of the Russian edition of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China.





GT: As a translator of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, which concepts related to Global South cooperation do you find most representative and how is China advancing them through specific policies? What impact do these efforts have on promoting fair development in other Global South countries?



Migunova: In Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi elaborates on cooperation with the Global South through several key concepts, which fully reflect Chinas commitment to promoting a multipolar world, mutually beneficial development, and offering a development option and strategic direction distinct from Western hegemonic models, with these principles forming an important component of Chinas contemporary foreign policy.



The concept that resonates with me most is the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This concept is profoundly rich and difficult to summarize in just a few words, but I believe its core lies in rejecting the condescending, hegemonic approach and civilizational posturing of the West.



China emphasizes equal partnerships and mutually beneficial cooperation, advocating for joint development without imposing political conditions. This stands in stark contrast to Western practices that often tie economic aid to forced democratic reforms or arbitrarily interpreted human rights standards.



Moreover, China consistently upholds the principle of mutual benefit and cooperation. This approach manifests in multiple ways  from boosting local economies through infrastructure development to creating complementary win-win synergies by pairing Chinese technology with Global South industries. The core philosophy moves beyond one-way assistance to shared growth, embodying the Chinese wisdom: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.



Another key concept is the new type of international relations, embodying Chinas vision for a multipolar world that prioritizes cooperation over confrontation. This principle guides China's foreign policy.



President Xi has summarized the core principles of the new type of international relations as mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. My understanding is that mutual respect entails respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political choices of all nations, regardless of their size or level of development  a stance fundamentally different from Western practices of imposing values through intervention in other countries internal affairs.



Fairness and justice mean rejecting hegemonism, unilateral sanctions, and double standards, while empowering developing nations to play a larger role in global governance through multilateral frameworks like the UN. Win-win cooperation moves beyond the zero-sum mindset, advancing a collaborative approach where all sides gain. This principle is embodied in initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the BRICS mechanism, which drive shared development through economic partnership.



More importantly, the principles proposed by President Xi in the book are not just proclamation, but also serve as action guide. The new type of international relations is already being practiced through Chinas global partnerships with Russia, African nations, and Latin American countries, without falling into traditional military alliances. Through the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, China provides new platforms for global governance. By enhancing the influence of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China injects positive energy into improving global governance.



GT: In his speech at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October 2024, President Xi stated, As we Chinese often say, A man of virtue regards righteousness as the greatest interest. It is for our shared pursuit and for the overarching trend of peace and development that we BRICS countries have come together. How do you interpret this principle? In contrast to exclusive cliques led by certain nations, how does BRICS collaboration in economic, cultural and other domains exemplify this approach?



Migunova: President Xi is well-versed in the essence of Chinese traditional culture, often citing ancient famous sayings that embody ancient wisdom. The principle of regarding righteousness as the greatest interest signifies that Chinas foreign policy is not driven by short-term profit-seeking but is rooted in the millennia-old Confucian ideal of noble conduct.



This profound philosophy indicates that Chinas cooperation with BRICS countries is built on a solid moral foundation, differing from Western models not only in economic terms but also in worldview. In Chinese culture, the concept of righteousness permeates all aspects. It underpins concepts such as mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, opposition to zero-sum games, not sacrificing other countries' security for one's own security, the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and the Chinese Dream. This moral framing has become a key lever of Chinas geo-economic influence.



Within BRICS cooperation, Chinas emphasis on shared interests, common goals and peace and development embodies the principle of righteousness, while the long-term win-win benefits gained from equitable partnerships embody the concept of interests. BRICS collaboration vividly illustrates how righteousness and benefits can be harmoniously integrated.



For instance, the New Development Bank provides infrastructure loans without political strings attached, reflecting fairness and mutual benefit. BRICS supports the export of competitive products like Brazilian soybeans and Indian rice, creating new avenues for mutual gains. Additionally, establishing dedicated scholarships to train African youth elites fosters long-term trust-building through talent development.



GT: At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Xi said, We should build a BRICS committed to innovation, and we must all act as pioneers of high-quality development. In recent years, China has proposed a series of initiatives to promote technological cooperation among Global South nations, such as China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Cooperation Center. How do you assess the role that China is playing in advancing innovation among BRICS countries? How does this contribute to economic transformation and sustainable development in the broader Global South?



Migunova: China has played a vital strategic role for technological advancement within BRICS, driving cooperation, integration and development through multiple channels. As a key integrator of technology value chains, China actively promotes the construction of joint innovation infrastructure. Notable examples include initiatives proposed in 2025, such as the BRICS+ Alliance of Science and Technology Innovation platform, which have gained support and aim to integrate member states resources, conduct joint R&D, and establish laboratories.



China is a global leader in renewable energy, smart grid systems, and energy storage technologies, providing strong support for BRICS' technological advancement. A prime example is the climate-monitoring satellite program jointly developed with Brazil, which demonstrates China's firm commitment to sustainable development and technological sovereignty.



China also prioritizes youth engagement in innovation, facilitating in-depth exchanges in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and smart agriculture through platforms such as the BRICS Youth Innovation Summit. These initiatives enhance knowledge sharing and help cultivate high-caliber international youth innovation teams to jointly address global challenges.



Unlike some nations that focus on financial speculation, China champions a real economy and innovation-driven growth model, strengthening its economic and technological sovereignty to navigate complex geopolitical challenges. This development path aligns with the strategic demand of BRICS countries, laying the solid material foundation for a multipolar world. Through open and inclusive tech collaboration, China has emerged as the key coordinator of BRICS innovation, accelerating the Global Souths leapfrog progress in critical technologies.



As the BRICS+ mechanism expands, China actively facilitates new members' integration, boosting the blocs collective technological capacity. By linking innovation with global market needs, China helps BRICS countries gradually evolve into global innovation hubsthrough resource sharing, infrastructure development, and a sustainable development model supported by the real economy. This offers the world a compelling alternative to Western-centric development models.



GT: President Xi stated, In the face of new opportunities brought by new science and technology, every country has an equal right to development. He stressed at the national science and technology conference in June 2024 that it is essential to materialize the idea of building a community of shared future for humanity to promote open cooperation in science and technology. In your view, what are the potential areas for technological cooperation between China and the Global South? What makes Chinas open cooperation model attractive to Global South countries?



Migunova: The science and technology partnership between China and Global South nations holds immense potential, particularly in strategic fields that address development priorities and overcome Western technological barriers. AI is a critical direction for cooperation.



Through platforms like the China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center, China provides comprehensive support to Global South partners, including open-source algorithms, cloud computing services, and talent training, embodying the principle of teaching a man to fish. Digital platform projects, such as digital corridors for trade and education, significantly enhance knowledge-sharing efficiency and logistical coordination, setting a new paradigm for South-South cooperation.



At this years BRICS Summit, how AI can better serve sustainable development was a key topic, with participating countries eager to jointly build a truly independent technological ecosystem. Undoubtedly, Chinas technological innovation strengths will make significant contributions to achieving this goal.



Chinese companies are helping developing countries ride the wave of digitalization. Huawei and ZTE have assisted countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia in building 5G networks, with prospects for developing local digital ecosystems, such as smart cities in Nigeria and Indonesia. AI holds great promise for various applications, and Chinese technology is poised to make significant contributions in fields like agricultural algorithms, medical diagnostics, public health, and pharmaceuticals.



China is driving South-South cooperation in transformative renewable energy, implementing solar, wind, hydropower and hydrogen projects in nations like Saudi Arabia, Brazil and South Africa. Similarly, in agriculture, China is helping Global South countries modernize their agricultural industry through its advanced farming, fishery and aquaculture technologies, and cooperation with countries such as Egypt and Vietnam has achieved noticeable outcomes. Beyond hardware provision, these partnerships focus on technology transfer, enabling nations to build indigenous capabilities through customized core technology solutions.



What makes China's cooperation model uniquely attractive is its no-strings-attached approach. Institutions like the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provide accessible financing in developing countries. China also emphasizes local capacity-buildingbuilding factories, training workforces, and delivering complete operational solutions. This turnkey approach effectively reduces partners reliance on Western tech systems.



Notably, Chinas technological cooperation is always aligned with societal needs, such as addressing hunger through digital agriculture or creating jobs through factory construction. This model enables Global South countries to safeguard sovereignty while quickly reaping the dual benefits of infrastructure and innovation. Amid global trade, technology, and political fragmentation, China contributes its wisdom and solutions to the development of the Global South.



GT: The volume III of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China includes part of President Xis speech at the BRICS Business Forum in 2018, in which he states, It is necessary to promote international development cooperation, urge developed countries to fulfill their promises on official development assistance and increase support to developing countries. How do you evaluate Chinas role in promoting a just and equitable global governance system? What pathways can the Global South consider in building a more inclusive and sustainable multilateral framework?



Migunova: China plays a unique and pivotal role in promoting global development exchanges, reflected both in pioneering cooperative initiatives and in concrete practical explorations. As a core driving force in the transformation and development of BRICS nations, the country has creatively built a bridge connecting developed and developing countries. China has championed global development on the G20 platform, with a focus on the Global South, to improve global governance and collaborate with developing nations in achieving modernization.



The BRI exemplifies this approach, offering accessible financing that enables African and Latin American nations to participate more fully in global economic systems. Chinas investments in transportation and energy projects foster sustainable, locally-driven development.



At the financial architecture level, China is reshaping global governance structures. In 2024, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank approved $8.4 billion in financing for 51 projects, primarily benefiting developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its practices are breaking the Western-dominated financial governance model, advancing the international order toward multipolarity. In this context, Global South countries should take a more proactive role, sharing agricultural, technological, and medical solutions through multilateral platforms like the UN.



The 2025 BRICS Summit proposed opposing unilateral protectionist measures and upholding multilateralism, amplifying the Global Souths voice in global governance. However, the Global Souths influence in international institutions remains limited. In 2024, BRICS countries accounted for over 40 percent of global GDP, yet their representation in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank does not match their economic contributions. Recent developments like the African Unions inclusion in the G20 in 2023 and the 2025 Global South Financiers Forums call for a fairer global governance system signals a trend toward multipolarity.



President Xis vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind advocates addressing challenges like climate change, pandemics, and inequality through dialogue and respect for sovereignty, resonating deeply with the Global South. By opposing unilateral sanctions and tariff wars and promoting cultural and knowledge exchanges, China is driving global governance toward greater fairness. Its new cooperation model, based on mutual respect and win-win outcomes, offers developing countries an alternative to the unipolar system.



Source: Global Times:







Company: Global Times

Contact Person: Anna Li

Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn

Website: https://globaltimes.cn

City: Beijing

Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.


NEW YORK, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Olo Inc. (NYSE: OLO), its board of directors, its executive officers, and founder and current CEO Noah H. Glass for potential breaches of their fiduciary duties to shareholders in connection with the pending sale of Olo to Thoma Bravo Discover Fund IV, L.P. (Thoma Bravo) for $10.25 per share.

If you are a current shareholder of Olo, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/olo-inc-merger-investigation.

Why is Olo being Investigated?

Olo is an open SaaS platform for restaurants that powers restaurant brands on-demand digital commerce operations, enabling digital ordering, delivery, engagement, and payments. Olo common stock is divided into Class A and Class B shares. Class A shares are publicly traded, whereas Class B shares are not. Class B shares receive ten votes per share, while Class A shares receive only one vote. As of December 31, 2024, directors and executive officers and their affiliates collectively beneficially owned, in the aggregate, shares representing approximately 82% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock.

On July 3, 2025, Olo announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo in an all-cash transaction valuing Olo at approximately $2 billion in equity value. Under the terms of the agreement, Olo shareholders will receive $10.25 per share in cash. The per-share purchase price purportedly represents a premium of 65% over Olos unaffected share price of $6.20 as of April 30, 2025.

BFA Law is investigating whether Olos board of directors, its executive officers, and/or Glass breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders in connection with the merger.

Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/olo-inc-merger-investigation.

What Can You Do?

If you are a current holder of Olo you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/olo-inc-merger-investigation

Or contact:

Ross Shikowitz

ross@bfalaw.com

212-789-3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named Elite Trial Lawyers by the National Law Journal, among the top 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers by Lawdragon, Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/olo-inc-merger-investigation

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
NEW YORK, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE: HIMS) and certain of the Companys senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws.

If you invested in Hims & Hers, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/hims-hers-health-inc-class-action.

Investors have until August 25, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors who purchased Hims & Hers securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is captioned Sookdeo v. Hims & Hers Health, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-05315. A subsequent complaint alleging substantially similar claims was also filed and is captioned Yaghsizian v. Hims & Hers Health, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-05321.

Why was Hims & Hers Sued for Securities Fraud?

Hims & Hers operates a telehealth platform that provides consumers with access to online consultations with licensed healthcare professionals, prescription medications, and a range of wellness products. On April 29, 2025, Hims & Hers and Novo Nordisk announced a long-term collaboration starting with the immediate sale of Novo Nordisks popular weight loss drug Wegovy on the Hims & Hers platform. The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide.

As alleged, Hims & Hers touted and misrepresented to investors the nature of its partnership with Novo Nordisk, including asserting that under the terms of the agreement His & Hers could offer both Wegovy and compounded semaglutide to its customers. Hims & Hers also allegedly represented to investors that its sale of compounded semaglutide complied with FDA regulations.

The Stock Declines as the Truth is Revealed

On June 23, 2025, Novo Nordisk announced that it was terminating the partnership, based on Hims & Hers deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate, knockoff versions of Wegovy that put patient safety at risk and alleged that Hims & Hers failed to adhere to the law which prohibits mass sales of compounded drugs. On this news, the price of Hims & Hers stock fell $22.24 per share, or more than 34%, from $64.22 per share on June 20, 2025 to $41.98 per share on June 23, 2025.

Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/hims-hers-health-inc-class-action.

What Can You Do?

If you invested in Hims & Hers you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/hims-hers-health-inc-class-action

Or contact:

Ross Shikowitz

ross@bfalaw.com

212-789-3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named Elite Trial Lawyers by the National Law Journal, among the top 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers by Lawdragon, Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/hims-hers-health-inc-class-action

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
NEW YORK, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Organon & Co. (NYSE: OGN) and certain of the Companys senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws.

If you invested in Organon you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/organon-co-class-action.

Investors have until July 22, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors who purchased Organon securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and is captioned: Hauser v. Organon & Co., et al., No. 25-cv-05322.

Why was Organon Sued for Securities Fraud?

Organon is a global healthcare company focused on womens health that has historically rewarded its shareholders with a healthy dividend. In October 2024, Organon completed a $1.2 billion acquisition of Dermavant, a biopharmaceutical company focused on dermatological conditions. As alleged, while the acquisition increased Organons debt, the Company assured investors it would maintain its dividend, which Organon asserted was its #1 capital allocation priority.

In truth, Organon had shifted its capital allocation priority after the Dermavant acquisition to focus on reducing its debt, ultimately leading the Company to severely cut its dividend.

The Stock Declines as the Truth is Revealed

On May 1, 2025, Organon announced that management reset the Companys dividend payout from $0.28 per share to $0.02 per share. Organons CEO explained that the Company reset our capital allocation priorities to accelerate progress towards deleveraging and that [b]y deleveraging more rapidly, we will continue to strengthen the future prospects of the company. Organons CFO added, [t]he biggest issues we face . . . relate to managing our leverage and relate to growth. And we need capital to solve both of those issues, and so returning capital to shareholders is right now, less of a priority.

On this news, the price of Organon stock declined roughly 27%, from $12.93 per share on April 30, 2025, to $9.45 per share on May 1, 2025.

Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/organon-co-class-action.

What Can You Do?

If you invested in Organon you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/organon-co-class-action

Or contact:

Ross Shikowitz

ross@bfalaw.com

212-789-3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named Elite Trial Lawyers by the National Law Journal, among the top 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers by Lawdragon, Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/organon-co-class-action

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
DENVER, CO, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



DENVER, CO  As artificial intelligence increasingly transforms tech sectors, AIXA Miner has announced the integration of cutting-edge AI capabilitiessuch as Gemini 2.5 Pro, Deep Search, Google AI Pro, and AI Ultrainto its cloud mining operations. This development aligns with the wider industry momentum toward smarter, automated mining platforms and coincides with a period of fresh institutional interest in sustainable infrastructure amid the current crypto rally.

The growing trend in the sector: partnerships focused on renewable-powered mining and intelligent resource optimization are becoming increasingly common among major providers, reflecting a shift in how infrastructure is sourced and managed. By integrating high-performance AI tools, AIXA Miner is responding to these broader evolutions in cloud mining , prioritizing resilience, sustainability, and operational efficiency.

Moving Toward Smarter, Sustainable Mining

Gemini 2.5 Pro offers advanced machine-learning capabilities for predicting block validation windows and dynamically adjusting compute allocations. Deep Search refines real-time analytics to detect network anomalies and optimize hash power distribution across multiple protocols. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra contribute enhanced scalability and precision in workload forecasting and energy consumption monitoring, essential as over 60 % of new cloud mining capacity in 2025 is powered by renewable energy sources.

According to industry data, cloud mining adoption grew by approximately 30% in the first half of 2025. Notably, AI-powered automation is now present in more than 55% of deployed operations, illustrating a clear move from manual oversight to intelligent, data-driven systems. AIXA Miners enhancements are part of this larger wave.

Augmenting Access Without Human Intervention

By deploying these new AI models, AIXA Miners platform can now redistribute hash resources based on live performance metrics and decentralized energy pricing. The system also enhances user engagement by reducing manual configuration and ensuring continuous uptime during adverse network conditions.

By rolling out powerful new AI capabilities in miningincluding Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search, along with Google AI Pro and AI Ultrawere making sure mining infrastructure meets current standards for automation, reliability, and sustainability, said Clara Monroe, Strategy Lead at AIXA Miner . This is not about promises of returns but about improving how cloud-based blockchain networks function at scale, in real time.

Contextual Industry Trends

As noted in similar platform announcements, the integration of renewable energy and intelligent management tools is rapidly redefining standards for cloud mining. For example, companies like Adecoagro and Tether recently announced major solar-powered facilities with embedded monitoring systems, mirroring the industrys combined tech- and energy-driven direction.

Todays environment demands that infrastructure providers deliver not just capacity, but adaptability. AIXA Miners recent AI rollout reinforces automated resilience, aligning service delivery with emerging regulations around carbon limits and digital asset security protocols.

What This Means for the Sector

The move toward AI-enabled mining has broad implications:

Enhanced network stability : Automated systems detect network interruptions or hash deluge conditions in real time, improving reliability.

: Automated systems detect network interruptions or hash deluge conditions in real time, improving reliability. Optimised energy consumption : AI-adjusted power use supports ongoing compliance with emerging ESG and carbon-neutral frameworks.

: AI-adjusted power use supports ongoing compliance with emerging ESG and carbon-neutral frameworks. Scalable growth : High-performance AI allows incremental expansion across regions without proportional spikes in overhead.

: High-performance AI allows incremental expansion across regions without proportional spikes in overhead. Reduced manual risk: Automation minimises user error and supports regulatory consistency as platforms scale globally.

About AIXA Miner

AIXA Miner is a cloud mining platform that uses clean-energy data centres and encrypted infrastructure to enable secure, automated access to blockchain mining. Its recent rollout of Gemini 2.5 Pro, Deep Search, Google AI Pro, and AI Ultra reflects the companys commitment to integrating advanced automation in a reliable and scalable manner.

For more information, visit https://aixaminer.com.

Media Contact: info@aixaminer.com

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Dublin, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "PFAS Filtration - Company Evaluation Report, 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The PFAS Filtration Companies Quadrant is a comprehensive industry analysis that provides valuable insights into the global market for PFAS Filtration. This quadrant offers a detailed evaluation of key market players, technological advancements, product innovations, and emerging trends shaping the industry. Over 100 companies were evaluated, of which the top 15 PFAS Filtration companies were categorized and recognized as the quadrant leaders.



The PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) filtration market has experienced significant growth due to rising awareness of the environmental and health hazards associated with these persistent compounds. PFAS are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including non-stick cookware, water-repellent fabrics, firefighting foams, and food packaging materials.



Their chemical stability and resistance to degradation have resulted in widespread environmental contamination, driving the demand for effective filtration solutions across multiple industries. Key technologies employed in PFAS filtration include activated carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, ion exchange resins, bioremediation, and others. Among these, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is one of the most used methods for PFAS removal. This technique functions by adsorbing PFAS molecules onto the surface of activated carbon particles, making it particularly effective for long-chain PFAS, although it may be less efficient for short-chain compounds.



Municipalities are increasingly deploying PFAS filtration technologies to ensure the safety of public drinking water supplies. Regulatory mandates and growing public health concerns are significant drivers of market expansion. Additionally, sectors such as manufacturing, aerospace, and electronics - where PFAS are commonly used in production processes - are investing in treatment systems to comply with evolving environmental standards and mitigate potential legal and reputational risks.



Key Players



Key players in the PFAS Filtration market include major global corporations and specialized innovators such as Veolia, Aecom, Wsp, Xylem, Jacobs, Clean Earth, John Wood Group Plc, Trc Companies, Inc., Battelle Memorial Institute, Cyclopure, Calgon Carbon Corporation, Regenesis, Cdm Smith, Inc., Pentair, And Lanxess.These companies are actively investing in research and development, forming strategic partnerships, and engaging in collaborative initiatives to drive innovation, expand their global footprint, and maintain a competitive edge in this rapidly evolving market.



Top Three Companies Analysis

Veolia



Veolia leads in environmental services, providing comprehensive solutions across water, waste, and energy sectors. The company is renowned for its PFAS remediation technologies, including carbon adsorption and specialty anion ion exchange. Veolia's stronghold in municipal water treatment is evident across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, establishing it as a top-tier player in regulated water sectors. Their global presence in 52 countries highlights their expertise in offering sustainable solutions, making them a formidable player in terms of company analysis and company market share. Veolia's innovative edge is supported by strategic acquisitions, such as the integration of Suez to enhance their North American operations.



AECOM



AECOM is a distinguished infrastructure consulting firm, offering extensive project development services worldwide. The company's prowess in environmental engineering, consulting, and advanced PFAS destruction technology, namely DE-FLUORO, solidifies its leadership position. DE-FLUORO effectively destroys PFAS in various waste streams, underscoring AECOM's commitment to cutting-edge solutions. AECOM's vast project success, spanning over 1,200 PFAS endeavors across 600 locations, attests to its robust company positioning and command over the market.



Xylem



Xylem, a leading water technology firm, offers highly engineered PFAS treatment solutions through vast product and service offerings. The company maintains strong company ranking with its revolutionary GAC and ion exchange resin technologies. Xylem's strategic acquisition of Evoqua enhances its capability to address global water scarcity and reinforces its standing in the PFAS market. Operatives across 150 countries ensure Xylem's broad company footprint and unparalleled market reach, solidifying its reputation as an innovative leader in PFAS treatment.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction

1.1 Market Definition

1.2 Inclusions & Exclusions

1.3 Stakeholders



2 Executive Summary



3 Market Overview

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Market Dynamics

3.2.1 Drivers

3.2.1.1 Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny and Tightening of Environmental Regulations Regarding Pfas Contamination

3.2.1.2 Growing Public Awareness of Health Risks Associated with Pfas Exposure

3.2.1.3 Expansion of Manufacturing, Chemical Processing, and Semiconductor Industries

3.2.1.4 Rising Litigation and Liability Cost for Polluters

3.2.2 Restraints

3.2.2.1 Expensive and Complex Filtration Process

3.2.2.2 Limited Availability of Trained Professionals

3.2.3 Opportunities

3.2.3.1 Significant Potential to Expand Globally

3.2.3.2 Significant Government Funding and Support for Pfas Research, Development, and Filtration Efforts

3.2.4 Challenges

3.2.4.1 Proper Management of Treatment Residuals Generated During Pfas Treatment

3.2.4.2 Addressing Emerging Pfas Compounds and Understanding Their Potential Risks and Treatment Requirements

3.2.4.3 Challenges in Retrofitting Existing Water Treatment Plants for Pfas Filtration

3.3 Value Chain Analysis

3.3.1 Raw Material Suppliers

3.3.2 R&D Companies and Organizations

3.3.3 Water Treatment Chemicals/System Suppliers

3.3.4 Water Treatment Service Providers

3.3.5 End-users

3.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

3.4.1 Threat of New Entrants

3.4.2 Threat of Substitutes

3.4.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

3.4.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers

3.4.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

3.5 Patent Analysis

3.5.1 Methodology

3.5.2 Document Types

3.5.3 Publication Trends in Last 10 Years

3.5.4 Insights

3.5.5 Jurisdiction Analysis

3.5.6 Top 10 Patent Owners in Last 10 Years

3.6 Ecosystem/Market Map

3.7 Technology Analysis

3.7.1 Coated Sand

3.7.2 Foam Fractionation

3.7.3 Modified Clay Technology

3.7.4 Nano Filtration (Nf) and Reverse Osmosis (Ro)

3.7.5 Sorption Technology

3.7.6 Ion Exchange Resin

3.7.7 in Situ Remediation with Colloidal Activated Carbon

3.7.8 Soil Washing

3.7.9 Zeolite & Clay Minerals

3.7.10 De-Fluoro

3.8 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer's Business



4 Competitive Landscape

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Player Strategies/Right to Win

4.3 Revenue Analysis, 2021-2023

4.4 Market Share Analysis, 2024

4.5 Company Evaluation Matrix: Key Players, 2024

4.5.1 Stars

4.5.2 Emerging Leaders

4.5.3 Pervasive Players

4.5.4 Participants

4.5.5 Company Footprint: Key Players, 2024

4.5.5.1 Company Footprint

4.5.5.2 Region Footprint

4.5.5.3 End-use Industry Footprint

4.6 Company Evaluation Matrix: Startups/SMEs, 2024

4.6.1 Progressive Companies

4.6.2 Responsive Companies

4.6.3 Dynamic Companies

4.6.4 Starting Blocks

4.6.5 Competitive Benchmarking: Startups/SMEs, 2024

4.6.5.1 Detailed List of Startups/SMEs

4.6.5.2 Competitive Benchmarking of Startups/SMEs

4.7 Company Valuation and Financial Matrix

4.8 Brand/Product Comparison

4.9 Competitive Scenario

4.9.1 Product Launches

4.9.2 Deals

4.9.3 Expansions



5 Company Profiles

5.1 Major Players

5.1.1 Veolia

5.1.1.1 Business Overview

5.1.1.2 Products/Solutions/Services Offered

5.1.1.3 Recent Developments

5.1.1.3.1 Product Launches

5.1.1.3.2 Deals

5.1.1.3.3 Expansions

5.1.1.4 Analyst's View

5.1.1.4.1 Key Strengths

5.1.1.4.2 Strategic Choices

5.1.1.4.3 Weaknesses and Competitive Threats

5.1.2 Aecom

5.1.3 Wsp

5.1.4 Xylem

5.1.5 Jacobs

5.1.6 Clean Earth

5.1.7 John Wood Group PLC

5.1.8 Trc Companies, Inc.

5.1.9 Battelle Memorial Institute

5.1.10 Cyclopure

5.2 Other Players

5.2.1 Calgon Carbon Corporation

5.2.2 Regenesis

5.2.3 Mineral Technologies, Inc.

5.2.4 Cdm Smith, Inc.

5.2.5 Pentair

5.2.6 Aquasana Inc.

5.2.7 Newterra Corporation

5.2.8 Lanxess

5.2.9 Eurowater

5.2.10 Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc.

5.2.11 Hydroviv

5.2.12 Saltworks Technologies, Inc.

5.2.13 Aclarity, Inc.

5.2.14 Aquagga, Inc.

5.2.15 Onvector LLC.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yb0qtf

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.
Charleston, SC, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the future, history bites back.

Welcome to the 23rd century, where humanity has reached the stars only to uncover chilling truths. Humans myths and legends of vampires are not mere stories. As we explore the universe, we discover they wait for us in the vast expanse of the Black.

Theyre still on Earth too, and they're famished.

The newly released Eyes in the Black combines history, space exploration, and riveting combat. It unveils the profound influence vampires have had through human history, shaping our myths and legends.

We dont believe the idea of dealing with a vampiric species who is the traditional boogeyman in our mythos has come up in the past, said the authors. Facing them in naval battles, ground warfare and counter-intel operations is what this book is about. The galaxy is a scary place to begin with, and now we discover the classic Evil out there in the Black.

Eyes in the Black is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the authors, please visit any of their social media platforms

Website: www.eyesintheblack.com

Facebook: Eyes in the Black

About the Authors:

Craig Bell, a San Francisco Bay Area native now residing in Seattle, developed a love of military history and science fiction at an early age. This passion was ignited by discovering the worlds of Star Trek, along with Greek and Roman mythology as a young man. His love for these genres has grown through the years. He lives happily with his wife, Sara, and two cats, Tank and Arty, by his side. His journey in writing is a testament to his lifelong fascination with the stars.

Cyd Cassone, in addition to being a writer, has been an internationally known musician and performing artist since the late 1970s and tours globally since the 1990s. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, her fascination with science fiction and fantasy has been lifelong, and she finds magic all around her in every place shes ever been and in the people shes met along the way. She has three adult children and now resides in Texas with Washington, her amazing partner of twenty years. As for the creative partnership, Cyd and Craig have been close friends for 48 years and together they embarked on this creative journey into the dark expanse of an unknown galaxy filled with both allies and terrifying creatures.

Media Contact: Craig Bell & Cyd Cassone, craig@eyesintheblack.com cyd@eyesintheblack.com

Available for interviews: Authors, Craig Bell & Cyd Cassone

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WASHINGTON, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EB5 Capital is excited to announce that its Aspen Mountain Hotel (JF43) project was approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on May 19, 2025, after pending for approximately three months. This Form I-956F approval confirms that USCIS has assessed and verified the compliance of the project and its related documents. Now that the project is approved by USCIS, investors who filed I-526E conditional green card petitions in this project can anticipate receiving individual petition adjudications in the coming months. This marks EB5 Capitals 14th I-956F approval from USCIS.

Located in a Rural TEA, Aspen Mountain Hotel (JF43) is a redevelopment project in Aspen, Colorado, transforming the iconic Mountain Chalet Aspen into a 59-key luxury hotel. The project will preserve the original chalets historic charm while incorporating modern features. Positioned near the center of town and close to the Aspen Mountain Ski Resort, the hotel will offer year-round access to Aspens fine dining, shopping, and outdoor activities.

We are pleased with this quick project approval from USCIS and are especially excited about this project, said Natalia Pronina, Vice President of Investor Relations at EB5 Capital. Weve had the opportunity to experience the improvement in processing times for I-956F applications firsthand and look forward to future approvals.

To date, EB5 Capital has raised investor funds across over 45 EB-5 projects throughout the United States. JF43 is EB5 Capitals fourth rural TEA project and third in the state of Colorado.

About EB5 Capital

EB5 Capital provides qualified foreign investors opportunities to invest in job-creating commercial real estate projects under the United States Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5 Visa Program). As one of the countrys oldest and most active Regional Center operators, the firm has raised more than one billion dollars of foreign capital across over 45 EB-5 projects. Headquartered in Washington, DC, EB5 Capitals distinguished track record and leadership in the industry has attracted investors from over 75 countries. Please visit www.eb5capital.com for more information.

Contact:

Katherine Willis

Director, Marketing & Communications

media@eb5capital.com
Dr. Anosh Ahmed Image

CHICAGO, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Anosh Inc Foundation, led by respected Chicago-based physician and philanthropist Dr. Anosh Ahmed , today announced its intention to establish a new Super Political Action Committee (Super PAC) headquartered in Illinois. This strategic initiative aims to champion policies that reflect the foundations mission of promoting public safety, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable community development throughout the state.

The newly proposed Super PAC will focus its advocacy efforts on some of the most pressing issues affecting Illinois residents, including property tax reform, public safety, and the long-term financial impacts of state and local government programs. It is designed to serve as a civic engagement platform, empowering citizens, community leaders, and stakeholders to push for positive policy change.

Many families across Illinois are experiencing increasing financial strain, rising property taxes, and public safety concerns, said Dr. Anosh Ahmed, founder of the Anosh Inc Foundation . Through this initiative, our foundation is expanding its mission to support policy solutions that promote economic opportunity, protect our communities, and ensure long-term financial stability for residents.

The Super PAC will operate independently from any specific political campaign and will remain focused on issue-based advocacy. Its primary goal is to support candidates and legislation that reflect the foundations core values, especially those focused on the well-being and prosperity of working-class families and underserved communities in Illinois.

A key emphasis will be placed on building coalitions with local organizations, grassroots leaders, and policymakers to address challenges such as the disproportionate impact of property taxes, gaps in public safety, and financial inefficiencies in government programs. By taking a proactive stance in the public policy space, the Anosh Inc Foundation aims to help shape a future where Illinois families can thrive.

The foundations decision to launch a Super PAC comes as part of its broader effort to transition from direct community support into the policy and advocacy arena. Over the years, the Anosh Inc Foundation has led impactful initiatives in healthcare access, education, economic empowerment, and charitable outreach, particularly in underserved areas across the United States.

About the Anosh Inc Foundation

The Anosh Inc Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago and founded by Dr. Anosh Ahmed. Its mission is to create sustainable change in communities through direct action, strategic partnerships, and civic advocacy. The foundation supports initiatives in education, healthcare, and economic development.

Media Contact:

Sandra Gomez

+1 (346) 678-7004

legal@anoshinc.com

https://www.anoshinc.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1537f111-0baa-439e-9ac9-388d18f6bdc1
RADNOR, Pa., July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that securities class action lawsuits have been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (Hims & Hers) (NYSE: HIMS) on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired Hims & Hers securities between April 29, 2025, and June 23, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). The lead plaintiff deadline is August 25, 2025.

CONTACT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP:

If you suffered Hims & Hers losses, you may CLICK HERE or copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/hims-hers-health-inc?utm_source=Globe&utm_medium=PR

You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at info@ktmc.com.

DEFENDANTS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT:

The complaints allege that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Hims & Hers was engaged in the deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate, knockoff versions of Wegovy that put patient safety at risk; (2) as a result, there was a substantial risk that Hims & Hers collaboration with Novo Nordisk would be terminated; and (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS:

Hims & Hers investors may, no later than August 25, 2025, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Hims & Hers investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE OR GO TO: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/hims-hers-health-inc?utm_source=Globe&utm_medium=PR

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

Jonathan Naji, Esq.

(484) 270-1453

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

info@ktmc.com

May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Los Angeles, CA , July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CAI Community, the investor education platform led by hedge fund strategist Alaric Bennett, has released a featured member story spotlighting the transformative journey of James Eldridge, a long-time participant in the platforms investment education programs. The story reflects CAI Communitys core mission: empowering individuals through structured, principles-based learning.







James Eldridge, a 38-year-old logistics manager from Ohio, joined CAI Community in early 2023 with limited experience in long-term financial planning. Initially driven by market volatility and uncertainty, he sought a more reliable approach to managing his savings. After engaging with CAIs foundational modules on risk management, capital preservation, and strategic diversification, Eldridge began to see investing as a structured discipline rather than a series of short-term reactions.



I used to rely on headlines and emotion, Eldridge explained. Now, I rely on frameworks. Ive learned to ask: whats my downside, whats my horizon, what do I control?



Over the course of 12 months, Eldridge documented his learning process, engaged in simulation-based workshops, and built a diversified long-term portfolio focused on capital efficiency and defensive structure. He credits his progress to the platforms emphasis on behavioral finance, investor psychology, and real-world case analysis.



Alaric Bennett, Founder of CAI Community, praised Eldridges transformation as a powerful example of what happens when education replaces instinct. Bennett continued:

Our goal has never been to tell people what to buy. Its to show them how to think. James represents what CAI Community is all aboutlearning with humility, investing with intention, and growing through discipline.



The success story highlights key pillars of CAI Communitys educational philosophy:



Process over Prediction: Helping learners develop clear, repeatable strategies rather than chasing forecasts.



Self-Awareness in Markets: Teaching investors to recognize emotional drivers and cognitive biases.



Learning Through Reflection: Encouraging journaling, feedback, and long-term tracking of decision quality.



Community Accountability: Creating an environment where peers can learn from each other and share insights openly.



James Eldridge has since joined CAIs peer mentoring initiative, where he helps guide new members through foundational learning paths and shares reflections on his early mistakes and mindset shifts. His story will be featured in CAIs upcoming member digest and webinar series on strategic habits for non-professional investors.



For more stories, educational resources, or to explore membership, visit CAI Community.



About CAI Community

CAI Community, founded by Alaric Bennett, is an education-based investment platform dedicated to helping individuals develop sound, long-term financial strategies through practical learning, community support, and real-world applications.



Disclaimer:

This release is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a solicitation for securities or trading services. Users are encouraged to consult with licensed professionals before applying investment strategies.




TORONTO, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudbay Minerals Inc. (Hudbay or the Company) (TSX, NYSE: HBM) senior management will host a conference call on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss the Companys second quarter 2025 results.

Second Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call and Webcast Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Time: 11:00 a.m. ET Webcast: www.hudbay.com Dial in: 1-833-752-3516 or 647-846-8185

Hudbay plans to issue a news release containing the second quarter of 2025 results before the market open on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 and post it on the Companys website. An archived audio webcast will be available on Hudbays website following the call.

About Hudbay

Hudbay (TSX, NYSE: HBM) is a copper-focused critical minerals mining company with three long-life operations and a world-class pipeline of copper growth projects in tier-one mining jurisdictions of Canada, Peru and the United States.

Hudbays operating portfolio includes the Constancia mine in Cusco (Peru), the Snow Lake operations in Manitoba (Canada) and the Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia (Canada). Copper is the primary metal produced by the Company, which is complemented by meaningful gold production and by-product zinc, silver and molybdenum. Hudbays growth pipeline includes the Copper World project in Arizona (United States), the Mason project in Nevada (United States), the Llaguen project in La Libertad (Peru) and several expansion and exploration opportunities near its existing operations.

The value Hudbay creates and the impact it has is embodied in its purpose statement: We care about our people, our communities and our planet. Hudbay provides the metals the world needs. We work sustainably, transform lives and create better futures for communities. Hudbays mission is to create sustainable value and strong returns by leveraging its core strengths in community relations, focused exploration, mine development and efficient operations.

For further information, please contact:

Candace Brule

Vice President, Investor Relations, Financial Analysis and External Communications

(416) 814-4387

investor.relations@hudbay.com
TLDR

Asante Gold Corporation has raised $173 million in a fully subscribed private placement to support its operations in Ghana and restructure its debt

The Canadian mining company aims to use the funds to strengthen its Bibiani and Chirano gold mines and simplify its capital structure

These receipts will convert to common shares upon completion of a larger $275 million aggregate financing

Asante Gold Corporation has raised $173 million in a fully subscribed private placement to support its operations in Ghana and restructure its debt. The Canadian mining company aims to use the funds to strengthen its Bibiani and Chirano gold mines and simplify its capital structure.

The deal was executed through a bought-deal private placement, with $163.3 million raised via subscription receipts at $1.06 each. These receipts will convert to common shares upon completion of a larger $275 million aggregate financing. Until then, proceeds are held in escrow.

Part of the capital will be used to restructure debt owed to Kinross Gold, the previous owner of the Chirano mine. Asante will pay $53 million upfront and issue new shares, raising Kinross's equity stake to 9.9%. The balance will be settled through a convertible bond and a deferred promissory note.

Daba is Africa's leading investment platform for private and public markets. Download here

Key Takeaways

Asante Gold's financing reflects rising investor confidence in Africa's gold sector. The company's focus on Bibiani and Chirano--two established gold sites--comes at a time of strong gold prices and demand for low-risk, high-yield projects. The capital raise also reduces debt exposure to Kinross while preserving cash flow through flexible instruments. Ghana, Africa's second-largest gold producer, continues to attract interest due to its mining-friendly policies and established infrastructure. By securing nearly $175 million and targeting a broader $275 million funding goal, Asante positions itself to scale operations, explore the high-potential Kubi project, and improve its financial structure. The move signals a shift toward consolidation and disciplined capital management in Africa's mid-tier gold mining segment.




Leading CIOs honored for leadership, innovation, and business impact.

MILWAUKEE, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2025 Wisconsin ORBIE Awards recognized the exceptional leadership and innovation of top technology executives from Milwaukee Tool, ABC Supply Co., Zurn Elkay, Jewelers Mutual, HSA Bank & Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The prestigious ORBIE Awards - hosted by WisconsinCIO, a chapter of the Inspire Leadership Network - honor CIOs who drive business transformation and make a lasting impact on the industry.

Winners were recognized across seven categories: Global, Large Enterprise, Enterprise, Large Corporate, Corporate, Nonprofit/Public Sector & Leadership. The ceremony, which took place at Brookfield Conference Center, brought together top executives and industry leaders to celebrate excellence in technology leadership.

Great CIOs understand how connections drive transformation, said Allen Smith, WisconsinCIO Chair. The ORBIE Awards recognize CIOs who leverage relationships to drive innovation, solve complex challenges, and shape the future of Wisconsin.

Meet the 2025 Wisconsin ORBIE Award Winners:

Julie Ragland, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, International Motors LLC (ret), received the Leadership ORBIE.

Mark Molitor, CIO, Milwaukee Tool, received the Global ORBIE for organizations Over $4 Billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.

Tony Vaden, SVP & CIO of ABC Supply Co, received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations Over $1.6 Billion annual revenue.

Mike Troutman, CIO, Zurn Elkay, received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations Over $700 Million annual revenue.

John Kreul, SVP & Chief Information & Digital Officer, Jewelers Mutual, received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations Over $300 Million annual revenue.

Antony DCruz, CIO, HSA Bank, received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations Up to $300 Million annual revenue

Dr. Ricki Koinig, CIO, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, received the Nonprofit/Public Sector ORBIE for Government and nonprofit organizations.

About the ORBIE:

The ORBIE is the preeminent executive recognition for C-suite leaders. Since 1998, the ORBIE Awards have recognized leadership excellence, building relationships between executives and trusted business partners, and inspiring the next generation of executives. Finalists and winners are selected through an independent peer-adjudicated process led by prior ORBIE recipients based on the following criteria:

Leadership and management effectiveness

Business value created by technology innovation

Engagement in industry and community endeavors



Wisconsin ORBIE Keynote & Attendance:

The keynote address for the Wisconsin ORBIE Awards was delivered by Julie Ragland, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer at International Motors LLC (ret), who was interviewed by Laurie Panella, CIO at Marquette University. Nearly 300 guests attended, representing leading Wisconsin organizations and their technology partners.

The following sponsors made the 2025 Wisconsin ORBIE Awards possible:

Underwriters: Baker Tilly, Concord & Google Cloud

Baker Tilly, Concord & Google Cloud Gold Sponsors: 7Rivers, Fortinet & Vivanti

7Rivers, Fortinet & Vivanti Silver Sponsors: AE Business Solutions, Ahead, Cato Networks & Palo Alto Networks

AE Business Solutions, Ahead, Cato Networks & Palo Alto Networks Bronze Sponsors: Accenture, Appian Corporation, Between Pixels, Connective Consulting, Converge Technology Solutions, HCL Tech, Rockhop, Slalom, US Signal & Vaco

Accenture, Appian Corporation, Between Pixels, Connective Consulting, Converge Technology Solutions, HCL Tech, Rockhop, Slalom, US Signal & Vaco Media Partner: Milwaukee Business Journal



To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how to connect with leading C-suite executives across North America, click here.

About WisconsinCIO:

WisconsinCIO is the preeminent peer leadership network of chief information officers (CIOs) in Wisconsin. As one of over 40 chapters of the Inspire Leadership Network, WisconsinCIO belongs to a national membership organization exclusively comprised of C-suite leaders from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit institutions.

WisconsinCIO is led by a CIO Advisory Board, with support from an executive director and staff. Underwriter executives support the chapter and ensure the programs remain non-commercial and exclusive to qualified CIOs and members.

About Inspire Leadership Network:

Inspire Leadership Network is the preeminent peer leadership network of C-suite executives. With nearly 2,000 members across more than 40 local chapters, Inspire members serve public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and non-profit institutions. Inspire exists to help leaders thrive in todays most challenging executive roles.

Media Contact

Nicole Lammes

nicole.lammes@inspirecxo.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c05c180-2cc1-4676-b1bc-a064c98a0685
Beverly Hills, California, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a dynamic new episode of The Burnout Club, host Patrice Bonfiglio interviews Chris Dyer, CEO, keynote speaker, and author of The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work, who breaks down why culture isnt just an HR concernits the hidden driver behind burnout or breakthrough. Drawing on lessons from his own leadership journey, Dyer explains how rebuilding company culture from the ground up transformed his organization and helped it land on the Inc. 5000 list five times.

Dyer recalls the moment he realized the problem wasnt the market or his employeesit was himself. I literally looked in the mirror and went, Hi, Im Chris. Im the problem, he said. Burned out and buried in unproductive meetings, he began reading hundreds of books and interviewing top leaders on his long-running podcast to distill what actually mattered. The result was a framework of seven cultural pillars: transparency, positivity, recognition, measurement, listening, uniqueness, and how mistakes are handled.

Transparency is always the hardest, Dyer shared. Leaders want to hold onto informationmaybe for power, or because it means people come to them. But once we shared everything, including our P&L, employees started solving problems we didnt even know we had. We saved 30 percent on expenses without ever asking people to cut costs.

He also described inventive ways to fight burnout, from using AI tools like Reclaim to protect personal time to enforcing true disconnection. If youre wired, youre fired, he said of his strict vacation rule. Employees on leave had to put up auto-replies making it clear emails would be deleted, with critical updates handled in live meetings upon their return. The result? Record-high engagement scores, reduced burnout, and employees who actually came back refreshed.

Listeners can watch the full conversation on YouTube, where Dyer also shares why one-size-fits-one leadership is the real key. Stop trying to do it just like Google, he advised. Culture has to work for your unique team.

About Chris Dyer:

Chris Dyer is a CEO, keynote speaker, and the bestselling author of The Power of Company Culture, Remote Work, and The Great Resignation. Through leadership resources at chrisdyer.com, he helps companies create intentional cultures that drive engagement and sustainable success.

About The Burnout Club:

The Burnout Club Podcast is a community-driven platform that explores the intersection of professional success and burnout. Hosted by Patrice Bonfiglio, a seasoned hedge fund executive with nearly two decades of experience, the podcast delves into the realities of burnout in high-pressure environments.

Media Communications:

adamtorres@missionmatters.com



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Denver, Colorado, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The crypto space is changing. With Bitcoin supporting firmly around $110K, and altcoins venturing into DeFi, NFTs, and AI territories, experienced investors are no longer following hype-driven speculation. Instead, they are looking for stable, low-risk returns, and AIXA Miner is the catalyst.

Drive by renewable energy, protected by military-grade encryption, and AI-powered, AIXA Miner is the most trusted platform for passive crypto income.

The smart contracts are open to daily income and offer a return without any manual operation from the users. These are the most performing plans, and this is the reason they are suitable for anyones portfolio below. Spokesperson of AIXA Miner said.





How AIXA Miner Boosts Crypto Earnings

The AIXA Miner's cloud mining concept is designed for simple and trustworthy operation. First, you can register here with your email and get a free $20 bonus that can be used to purchase a free contract for daily sign-ins. Next, go through the AIXA Miner Cloud Mining Contract and choose from various prices, terms, and expected returns.

Once you have launched a plan, AIXAs AI goes after the most lucrative mining pools, robotically adjusts the hash power to the highest level, and sends your rewards to your account every day. Upon maturity, your principal comes back without any hidden conditions or fees. The best part is, you could even operate several contracts at once to diversify your stream of money if you want.

Featured Contracts: Leveraging Income Across Crypto Markets

Contract Name Investment Duration Daily Earnings Total Return ROI DOGE Miner Antminer L7 $550 5 Days $7.32 $550+$36.60 6.65% BTC Miner Antminer S17 Pro $1500 10 Days $20.40 $1500+$204.00 13.60% BTC Miner Avalon A15XP-206T $6300 15 Days $95.13 $6300+$1426.95 22.65% BTC Miner S21e XP Hydro $25000 20 Days $515.00 $25000+$10300.00 41.20%

Why do these stand out?

DOGE Miner Antminer L7 is a great option for short-term gains if you want to test the platform or just have some quick profits with low capital.

BTC Miner Antminer S17 Pro rides on the wave of meme-coins while available nearly 13.6% ROI in just two days, which is perfect for a diversified exposure.

BTC Miner Avalon A15XP-206T is a mid-tier choice that represents a balance of yield over $1,400 in returns in 15 days.

BTC Miner S21e XP Hydro gives high returns for the medium period to those investors who are creating a steady profit machine.

Activate all or some of the plans, change the proportions according to your risk tolerance, and then sit back while AIXA's AI automatically optimizes returns for you.

Affiliate Program + VIP Rewards: Boost Your Returns

In addition to mining, AIXA gives users the vehicle to grow their income via two proven income funnels.

Affiliate Program (3-level commission):

5% on deposits from direct referrals, 2% from users for the second level, and 1% on third-level network activity. No matter if you share casually or in a professional manner, each referral you bring will turn into ongoing, automated income.

VIP Membership Levels

As your total investment increases, you move up through the VIP levels(VIP1VIP10), each step up opening more benefits and higher daily earnings. From the early bonus payouts to the highest cash packages($88$518,888), this will generate continuous momentum not only in mining but also in community engagement.

Why 2025 Is the Year to Build Smart Crypto Income?

Bitcoin stability + altcoin innovation make an ideal place for diversified income strategies to grow.

Stable investments by institutions in ETFs and stablecoins have brought down the volatility in the market, which is very suitable for steady-yield platforms.

Cloud infrastructure is globally adopted, and now it allows regular investors to access what was only available to large industrial enterprises.

AIXA Miner is now offering more environmentally-friendly, efficient, and simpler tools to get an assured income without charts, hodling, or hardware setup.

Conclusion

This year, when AI, tokenization, and clean energy are rewriting crypto investment rules, AIXA Miner is definitely a major passive income player. Having daily rewards, no technical barriers, and smart contract schemes that fit every kind of investor, from casual seekers to full-time miners, the platform opens the door for all to make steady crypto profits.

Whether you are attracted by Bitcoin's power, Litecoin's cheap transaction fees, or Dogecoin's popularity, AIXA Miner provides you with a systemized approach to convert the current trends into future riches. No need to speculate. No disturbing noise. Just easy, intelligent, AI-driven mining that operates when you are resting.

AIXA Miner is being used by over 1 million people in more than 200 countries to grow their digital assets. If you add a free $20 bonus, green operations, and contracts that can be scaled and start from $100 to this, you will find that there has never been a better moment to start earning.

Make 2025 your most profitable year in crypto by starting with AIXA Miner today.

Begin your journey by visiting the Homepage, Register, and selecting your contracts. Earning safe and efficient crypto income is just a click away.



Company address: 5800 S Quebec St, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, US

Company email: info@aixaminer.com

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TORONTO, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (NEO or the Company) (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost silicon anode materials developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging lithium-ion batteries, is pleased to announce the closing of the second and final tranche (the Final Tranche) of the oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement (the Offering) through the issuance of a further 1,400,000 units (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.50 CAD per Unit (the Offering Price) for gross proceeds of $700,000 CAD.

Through the first and final tranches of the Offering, the Company raised a total of $900,000 CAD, issuing 1,800,000 Units in total. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a Common Share) and one non-transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant). Each whole Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Common Share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.75 CAD for a period of 24 months from each respective closing date of the Offering. The use of proceeds will be allocated towards (i) scaling-up silicon battery research and development and production for large-scale battery manufacturing and testing, (ii) purchases of key manufacturing equipment, and (iii) working capital and general corporate overhead.

In connection with both tranches of the Offering, the Company paid to the finders: (i) an aggregate cash commission of $45,500 CAD, and (ii) 91,000 non-transferable warrants of the Company exercisable at an exercise price of $0.50 CAD for a period of 24 months from each respective closing date of the Offering. A portion of Units have been offered to purchasers outside of Canada pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirement available under Ontario Securities Commission Rule 72-503  Distributions Outside Canada (OSC 72-503), and accordingly, the securities issued pursuant to OSC 72-503 will not be subject to resale restrictions. Units offered to purchasers within Canada are subject to a four-month plus one-day hold period from the date of issuance. The Offering is not a Related Party Transaction as defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) and therefore is not subject to TSXV Policy 5.9. The Offering is subject to final acceptance of the TSXV.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities law, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian battery materials technology company focused on developing silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, electronics, and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging batteries compared to existing state-of-the-art technologies. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of silicon anode materials for the electric vehicle and energy storage industries. For more information, please visit the Companys website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Spencer Huh

Director, President, and CEO

For Investor Relations, PR & More Information:

info@neobatterymaterials.com

T: +1 (437) 451-7678

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified notably by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is 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 information, including but not limited to: volatile stock prices; the general global markets and economic conditions; the possibility of write-downs and impairments; the risk associated with the research and development of advanced and battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale; manufacturing process scale-up risks, including maintaining consistent material quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot or commercial scale; compatibility issues with existing battery chemistries and unforeseen the risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, or partnerships with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery supply chain; the risks associated with the construction, completion, and financing of commercial facilities including the Windsor and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with supply chain disruptions or cost fluctuations in raw materials, processing chemicals, and additive prices, impacting production costs and commercial viability; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of research, development and production; competition faced by the Company in securing experienced personnel and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials research and development activities; the risks associated with changes in the technology regulatory regime governing the Company; the risks associated with the timely execution of the Companys strategies and business plans; the risks associated with the lithium-ion battery industrys demand and adoption of the Companys silicon anode technology; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes within battery manufacturers and OEMs systems; the risks associated with the various environmental and political regulations the Company is subject to; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; the reliance on key personnel; liquidity risks; the risk of litigation; risk management; and other risk factors as identified in the Companys recent Financial Statements and MD&A and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available on www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued R&D and commercialization activities, no material adverse change in precursor prices, development and commercialization plans to proceed in accordance with plans and such plans to achieve their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the 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. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations, research and development, and commercialization plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this presentation, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.
MONTREAL, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HPQ Silicon Inc. (HPQ or the Company) (TSX-V: HPQ, OTCQB: HPQFF, FRA: O08), a technology company driving innovation in advanced materials and critical process development, announces that its Board of Directors has approved the cancellation of 5,335,000 stock options. These options were set to expire on December 20, 2026, with an exercise price of $1.00. None of the options in this series had been exercised.

NOTICE OF CLAIM

The Company also wishes to inform shareholders that it has received today a claim for payment in the amount of 29,000 in cash, along with an additional claim for 180,000 to be paid in Company shares.

These claims arise from a draft agreement dated August 2022 that was never signed or ratified by the Company.

HPQ management believes it has strong grounds to dispute the claims.

Specifically, BeNear Deutschland GmbH failed to deliver the services it claimed it would provide, despite having received monthly payments from HPQ totaling CAD $338,882 in exchange for unfulfilled commitments and lofty promises.

Moreover, these payments were intended as advances against potential commissions, which were conditional on the completion of a significant financing  a transaction that never materialized. The Company will keep shareholders informed of any developments in this matter through future press releases.

While unfortunate, these kinds of situations are not uncommon in business, particularly when dealing with international partnerships and complex financing projects, said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO of HPQ. We remain confident in the strength of our position. However, disclosure rules require us to inform shareholders of any claim, even one we firmly believe to be without merit. As always, we intend to defend the Companys interests vigorously.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Inc. ( TSX-V: HPQ ) is a Quebec-based TSX Venture Exchange Industrial Issuer.

HPQ is a technology company focused on innovation in advanced materials and critical process development. In partnership with world-class technology leaders PyroGenesis Inc. and NOVACIUM SASof which HPQ is a shareholderthe company is developing the materials and process technologies essential to achieving net-zero goals.

HPQ activities are centred around the following pillars:

1) Becoming a green, low-cost (Capex and Opex) manufacturer of Fumed Silica using the FUMED SILICA REACTOR, a proprietary technology owned by HPQ Silica Polvere Inc., being developed for HSPI by PyroGenesis. 2) Working with R&D partner NOVACIUM SAS, to become a producer of silicon-based anode materials for battery applications. 3) Developing Innovative processes to generate and use Hydrogen: a. METAGENE, a low-carbon, chemical-based, on-demand, high-pressure autonomous hydrogen production system, is being developed by NOVACIUM SAS of which HPQ holds the exclusive North American (Canada, USA, and Mexico) license. b. WASTE TO ENERGY (W2E), a new process to transform black aluminum dross into a valuable resource, is being developed by NOVACIUM SAS, of which HPQ holds the exclusive North American (Canada, USA, and Mexico) license. HPQ is also a shareholder in NOVACIUM SAS. 4) Becoming a zero-CO 2 low-cost (Capex and Opex) producer of High Purity Silicon (2N+ to 4N) using our PUREVAPTM Quartz Reduction Reactors (QRR), a proprietary technology owned by HPQ being developed for HPQ by PyroGenesis.

For more information, please visit HPQ Silicon web site .

Disclaimers:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's ongoing filings with the securitys regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

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 is available on the company's CEO Verified Discussion Forum , a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.
Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses

LOS ANGELES, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. ("DoubleVerify" or the "Company") (NYSE: DV) investors of a class action representing investors that bought securities between November 10, 2023 and February 27, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). DoubleVerify investors have until July 21, 2025 to file a lead plaintiff motion.

Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 310-692-8883 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses.

CASE ALLEGATIONS: DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. provides media effectiveness platforms that help advertisers optimize digital ad performance.

According to the class action lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material facts, including that:



(i) DoubleVerifys customers were shifting ad spending away from open exchanges to closed platforms, where the companys technological capabilities were limited and faced direct competition from native tools offered by platforms such as Meta and Amazon;



(ii) developing DoubleVerifys technology for these closed platforms was far more costly and time-consuming than represented to investors;



(iii) monetization of Activation Services on closed platforms would take several years, contrary to defendants suggestions;



(iv) DoubleVerifys competitors were better positioned to implement AI solutions on closed platforms, impairing DoubleVerifys competitiveness and profitability;



(v) the company systematically overbilled customers for ad impressions served to known bots operating from data center server farms; and



(vi) DoubleVerifys risk disclosures were materially misleading by presenting already occurring issues as hypothetical risks.



The lawsuit further alleges a series of corrective disclosures that negatively impacted the companys stock price:

February 28, 2024: DoubleVerify issued lower-than-expected Q1 2024 revenue growth guidance, citing a slow start by brand advertisers and slow onboarding of new customers. On this news, the stock dropped over 21%.

May 7, 2024: DoubleVerify cut its full-year 2024 revenue outlook, attributing the change to reduced ad spending by customers. The stock declined nearly 39% following this announcement.

February 27, 2025: DoubleVerify reported disappointing Q4 2024 earnings and sales, revealing that the shift from open exchanges to closed platforms was negatively impacting the company. On this news, shares fell more than 36%, according to the complaint.

Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information.

The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq.

Admitted CA and NY Bar

lesley@portnoylaw.com

310-692-8883

www.portnoylaw.com

Attorney Advertising
Phoenix platform matches users with genetically similar people to predict which interventions actually work.

SINGAPORE, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Phoenix today launched the alpha version of the first app using "digital twin" technology to help APOE4 carriers1.1 billion people globally with up to 33x higher Alzheimer's riskdiscover personalized protocols that actually work for their unique genetics.

The APOE4 gene affects 25% of the population and drives 44% of all Alzheimer's cases, creating a $181 billion annual burden in the U.S. alone. With 1.1 billion carriers worldwide facing dramatically elevated risk, the need for personalized solutions has never been more urgent.

Your Genetic Doppelganger Holds the Answers

The Phoenix app analyzes 50+ biomarkers to match users with their "digital twins"other APOE4 carriers with similar genetics, age, and health profiles. It then predicts intervention success based on real outcomes from these genetic matches.

"APOE4 carriers are told to 'eat healthy and exercise' while facing up to 33x higher Alzheimer's risk. That's like telling someone in a burning building to stay calm." said Dr. Kevin Tran, Phoenix founder and APOE4 homozygote. "We couldn't wait decades for trials. So we built the world's first continuous experiment network where every member's data helps crack the code"







APOE4-Specific Blood Analysis: The Phoenix Score analyzes 50+ biomarkers with APOE4-optimized ranges and discovers hidden risks. Example: While standard ApoB shows "normal," APOE4 carriers need levels below 70 mg/dL. The dashboard provides specific action steps.





Evidence-Based APOE4 Protocols: 20+ interventions validated specifically for APOE4 carriers. Each includes difficulty rating, time commitment, prerequisite testing, and week-by-week implementation guides based on genetic twin outcomes.

The platform has garnered remarkable momentum:

Supported by leading Alzheimer's and APOE4 researchers worldwide

950+ APOE4 carriers joined in 4 monthsdoubling monthly

"Exactly what my APOE4 patients needed," reports one neurologist

Backed by APOE4.info, the world's largest APOE4 nonprofit.





Get lifetime Founding Member access at thephoenix.community limited time.

About The Phoenix : Science-driven community helping APOE4 carriers defy the odds and outsmart Alzheimers.



Contact:

Dr. Kevin Tran

Phone number: +65 8429 9341

Email: kevin@thephoenix.community

Website: https://thephoenix.community



Disclaimer: This content is provided by Phoenix. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or business advice. All investments carry inherent risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own due diligence and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misrepresentations, or financial losses resulting from the use or reliance on the information in this press release. Speculate only with funds you can afford to lose. In the event of any legal claims or concerns regarding this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c155356c-dbf4-4116-8682-e873afbdee74

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TORONTO, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clip Money Inc. (TSX-V: CLIP) (OTCQB: CLPMF) (Clip Money or the Company), a company that operates a multi-bank self-service deposit system for businesses, is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement of an unsecured convertible note (the Convertible Note) for gross proceeds of US$3,000,000 (or CAD$4,125,900, based on a CAD/USD exchange rate of US$1 = CAD$1.3753) to Cardtronics Inc. (Cardtronics), a subsidiary of NCR Atleos Corporation (the Convertible Note Financing). Cardtronics is Clip Moneys largest shareholder and also a strategic commercial partner through the NCR Atleos Allpoint ATM network. Cardtronics continued support highlights its confidence in the Clip Money solution and team.

Separately, Clip Money is also pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement of 6,876,500 common shares in the capital of the Company (Common Shares) at a price of CAD$0.20 per Common Share for gross proceeds of US$1,000,000 (or CAD$1,375,300, based on a CAD/USD exchange rate of US$1 = CAD$1.3753) to two insiders of the Company (the Equity Financing, together with the Convertible Note Financing, the Financings).

The Convertible Note will accrue simple interest at a rate of 13% per annum. The Company will make quarterly cash interest payments in satisfaction of a portion of the interest that accrues on the principal amount of the Convertible Note in the preceding quarter. The principal amount of the Convertible Note outstanding on the Maturity Date plus all accrued and unpaid interest thereon that has not been previously paid in connection with the quarterly interest payments will be due and payable in full on, July 18, 2030 (the Maturity Date).

On the Maturity Date, payment of the principal amount of the Convertible Note then outstanding will be satisfied by the Company, at Cardtronics sole discretion, through: (i) a cash payment equal to the entirety of the principal amount of the Convertible Note then outstanding; (ii) the issuance of a number of Common Shares equal to the entirety of the principal amount of the Convertible Note then outstanding divided by CAD$0.55 (the Conversion Price); or (iii) a combination of a cash payment and the issuance of Common Shares at the Conversion Price, provided that at least 50% of the principal amount of the Convertible Note then outstanding must be converted into Common Shares.

On the Maturity Date, payment of all accrued and unpaid interest up to and including the Maturity Date that has not been previously satisfied by way of the quarterly interest payments will be satisfied by the Company, at Cardtronics sole discretion, through: (i) a cash payment equal to the entirety of all accrued and unpaid interest up to and including the Maturity Date; (ii) the issuance of a number of Common Shares equal to the entirety of the accrued and unpaid interest up to the Maturity Date divided by the then-prevailing market price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV), subject to prior written approval of the TSXV; or (iii) a combination of a cash payment and the issuance of Common Shares at the then prevailing market price of the Common Shares on the TSXV, subject to prior written approval of the TSXV.

Subject to the terms of the Convertible Note, if the Company redeems all or a portion of the Convertible Note prior to the three year anniversary thereof, it must pay a redemption price equal to 102% of the portion of the principal amount of the Convertible Note being redeemed plus all accrued and unpaid interest up to and including the redemption date on the portion of the principal amount being redeemed. Such a redemption shall be payable in cash or, at the election of the holder and subject to the prior written approval of the TSXV, be payable in Common Shares pursuant to the terms of the Convertible Note.

Subject to the terms of the Convertible Note, if the Company redeems all or a portion of the Convertible Note after the three year anniversary thereof and until the date that is one day before the Maturity Date, it must pay a redemption price equal to 101% of the portion of the principal amount of the Convertible Note being redeemed plus all accrued and unpaid interest up to and including the redemption date on the portion of the principal amount being redeemed. Such a redemption shall be payable in cash or, at the election of the holder and subject to the prior written approval of the TSXV, be payable in Common Shares pursuant to the terms of the Convertible Note.

The Financings represent related-party transactions under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101), but are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of the transactions nor the consideration paid exceeds 25% of the Companys market capitalization.

All securities to be issued in connection with the Equity Financing and the Convertible Note Financing are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date hereof in accordance with applicable securities legislation in Canada.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Financings for network expansion and customer acquisition, new unit capital expenditures, business operations and technology and for general corporate purposes.

There was no finders fee paid in connection with the Financings.

EARLY WARNING DISCLOSURE REGARDING BRIAN BAILEY

In connection with closing of the Equity Financing, Brian Bailey, president and chief operating officer of Clip Money, acquired 3,438,250 Common Shares at a price of CAD$0.20 per Common Share pursuant to the terms of a subscription agreement.

Prior to closing of the Equity Financing, Mr. Bailey beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, (i) 7,233,766 Common Shares, (ii) a convertible note in the principal amount of CAD$367,518 (the Bailey Convertible Note) that is convertible into 735,036 Common Shares, in whole or in part, at the option of Mr. Bailey, based on the principal amount of the Bailey Convertible Note divided by the conversion price of CAD$0.50, (iii) 455,118 common share purchase warrants (Warrants) exercisable for 455,118 Common Shares, and (iv) 1,449,650 options exercisable for 1,449,650 Common Shares (the Options), representing approximately 6.86% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Clip Money on a non-diluted basis and approximately 9.14% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Clip Money on a partially diluted basis assuming the full conversion of the Bailey Convertible Note and the full exercise of the Warrants and Options.

Following closing of the Equity Financing, Mr. Bailey will own (i) 10,672,016 Common Shares, (ii) the Convertible Note, (iii) 455,118 Warrants and (iv) 1,449,650 Options, representing approximately 9.51% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Clip Money on a non-diluted basis and approximately 11.59% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Clip Money on a partially diluted basis assuming the full conversion of the Bailey Convertible Note and the full exercise of the Warrants and Options.

The securities of Clip Money are being held by Mr. Bailey for investment purposes and Mr. Bailey will evaluate his investment in the Company from time to time and may, based on such evaluation, market conditions and other circumstances, increase or decrease his shareholdings through market transactions, private agreements, or otherwise.

This news release is being issued under the early warning provisions of Canadian securities legislation. A copy of the early warning report to be filed by Mr. Bailey in connection with the transactions described above will be available on the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. A copy of such report may also be obtained by contacting Joseph Arrage by telephone at 844-593-2547 or by email at jarrage@clipmoney.com. The Companys registered office is located at 333 Bay Street, Suite 3400, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2S7.

About Clip Money Inc.

Clip operates a multi-bank self-service deposit system for businesses through the Clip Money network that gives users the capability of making deposits outside of their bank branch at top retailers and shopping malls. Rather than having to go to their personal bank branch or using a cash pickup service, businesses can deposit their cash at any ClipDrop Box or ClipATM located near them. After being deposited, the funds will automatically be credited to the business bank account, usually within one business day. The Company combines functional hardware, an intuitive mobile app and an innovative cloud-based transaction engine that maximizes business-banking transactions. Combined with mobile user applications, Clip offers a cost-effective and convenient solution for business banking deposits in metropolitan statistical areas across Canada and the United States. For more information about the Company, visit www.clipmoney.com .

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Joseph Arrage

Chief Executive Officer

tel: 844-593-2547
Chicago, Illinois, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the wave of technological democratization sweeps the world, the concept of "everyone has the right to participate in technological innovation" advocated by the "Genius Act" is accelerating in the crypto industry.

Mint Miner , the world's leading green cloud mining platform, officially announced the launch of the "National Cloud Mining Plan" in response to the spirit of the "Genius Act", so that everyone can have their own digital computing power and continue to obtain passive income.





The plan features a "0 threshold, 0 equipment, 0 technical requirements" participation mechanism, without the need to purchase expensive mining machines or professional knowledge. Users only need to register a Mint Miner account through their mobile phone or web page to start exclusive cloud computing power with one click, and participate in the intelligent mining of mainstream crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, DOGE, etc. The platform will automatically distribute income every day to realize the vision of "empowering ordinary people with technology".

Three highlights of Mint Miner cloud mining:

 Multi-currency support: including Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP, SOL, BCH and other digital currency settlements.

 Daily stable income: The system automatically distributes income and can be withdrawn at any time.

 Green computing power support: 100% green energy data center, low carbon and environmentally friendly.

This plan also provides a $15 cloud computing power registration reward for new users, so that the "technology dividend" can truly benefit the world.

Join the Mint Miner cloud mining plan in three simple steps

Visit the Mint Miner official website , fill in the username, email, and password to complete the registration. Select the cloud mining contract. The platform provides a variety of contract plans. You can choose the contract that suits you according to your own financial situation. The following are some of the popular mining contracts:

[New User Experience Contract]: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, maturity income: $100 + $10

[Avalon Miner A13]: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 5 days, maturity income: $500 + $30.5

[Bitcoin Miner S19 XP+ Hyd]: Investment amount: $1,500, contract period: 9 days, maturity income: $1,500 + $178.2

[ETC Miner E9 Pro]: Investment amount: $3,200, contract period: 14 days, maturity income: $3,200 + $672

[Antminer L7 ]: Investment amount: $5,200, contract period: 20 days, maturity income: $5,200 + $1,612

[Bitcoin MinerS21+ Hyd]: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 28 days, maturity income: $10,000 + $4,760

For more contracts, please visit the Mint Miner platform

3. Start mining and enjoy daily income: After successfully purchasing the contract, the daily income will be automatically deposited into the account balance, which can be withdrawn or reinvested at any time.

Mint Miner's global data center network currently covers more than 180 countries, relying on green energy and AI scheduling systems to provide stable and efficient mining capabilities. The platform has not only obtained compliance certifications in many countries, but also integrated the security protection systems of McAfee and Cloudflare to ensure the safety of user assets.

Let every ordinary person have the opportunity to become a builder of digital wealth.

The "Genius Act" emphasizes that technology should be used by humans, not dominate human life. It advocates the construction of a people-oriented digital society to protect personal privacy, free choice and value dignity.

Mint Miner interprets the value extension of the "Genius Act" in the blockchain field with practical actions-releasing individual potential, breaking monopolies, and allowing ordinary people to master their own future in the crypto economy.

Join Mint Miner now to start your cloud mining journey

Media Contact:

Contact Email: info@mintminer.com

Official Website: https://mintminer.com/

Attachment
Vancouver, July 17, 2025 - American Tungsten Corp. (CSE:TUNG) (OTCQB:DEMRF) (FSE:RK9) ("American Tungsten" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to its news release of June 30, 2025, due to added interest, it is increasing the maximum amount to be raised under its previously announced non-brokered private placement of common shares of the Company (the "Shares") from 5,000,000 Shares to up to a maximum of 14,000,000 Shares at a price of $0.50 per Share, for aggregate gross proceeds up to $7.0 million (the "Offering").

'This is a strong indication of the growing support for the IMA Project - a high-grade tungsten asset with the potential to become the first new tungsten producer in North America. It marks a key milestone in solidifying our path toward commercial production and advancing American Tungsten as a domestic supplier of critical minerals," said Ali Haji, CEO of American Tungsten Corp.

In connection with the Offering, the Company will pay finders' fees of up to 7.0% of the gross proceeds raised by the Company from the sale of Shares to subscribers directly introduced to the Company by eligible finders. In addition, the Company will issue to eligible finders non-transferable finders' warrants of up to 7.0% of the number of Shares sold in the Offering. Each finders' warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one Share at a price of $0.50 per Share for a period up to 24 months from the date of issuance, all in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE").

The Company will use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund exploration work programs, option payments, mineral property acquisitions, marketing and for general working capital purposes. Closing of the Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the CSE. The Offering is not subject to a minimum aggregate amount of subscriptions. All securities issued in connection with the Offering 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 and the CSE.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the 1933 Act or under any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, as amended, and applicable state securities laws.

ABOUT AMERICAN TUNGSTEN CORP.

American Tungsten Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on high-potential tungsten and magnetite portfolio in North America. The Company is advancing the Ima Mine Project in Idaho, a historic underground tungsten producer, where it holds an option to acquire full ownership (subject to a 2% royalty) and has expanded its land position with 113 additional federal claims covering nearly 2,000 acres. The Company's Star Project, spans over 4,600 hectares in British Columbia's Skeena Mining Division, where the company holds an option to earn 100% ownership.

Social media links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/americantungstencorp/

X: https://x.com/amtungsten

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americantungstencorp/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americantungstencorp/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@americantungstencorp

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Ali Haji

Chief Executive Officer

1055 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500

Vancouver, BC V6E 0B6

Canada

For further information, please contact:

Ali Haji, Chief Executive Officer

Email: ir@americantungstencorp.com

Phone: +1 (647) 871-4571

CSE:TUNG

OTCQB:DEMRF

FSE:RK9

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This news release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to, statements relating to the completion of the Offering on the terms described herein or at all, and the use of proceeds and available funds following the completion of the Offering and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties normally incident to such events. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future events and that actual events or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
TLDR

Benin's economy expanded by 7.5% in 2024, the country's highest growth rate since 1990, driven by activity in services and manufacturing

The World Bank has praised the macroeconomic progress but called for deeper tax reform and targeted redistribution to make growth more inclusive

Growth is projected to average 7.1% annually from 2025 to 2027, with poverty declining to 22.3% by 2027

Benin's economy expanded by 7.5% in 2024, the country's highest growth rate since 1990, driven by activity in services and manufacturing. The World Bank has praised the macroeconomic progress but called for deeper tax reform and targeted redistribution to make growth more inclusive.

The poverty rate fell from 33.2% to 31% in one year. Benin also met the WAEMU's 3% budget deficit target while reducing public debt. Growth is projected to average 7.1% annually from 2025 to 2027, with poverty declining to 22.3% by 2027.

Tax revenue has grown from 9.2% of GDP in 2016 to 13.2% in 2024, but remains below peer-country averages. The World Bank recommends enhancing progressive taxation, digitizing tax collection, and improving the efficiency of social spending. It estimates these reforms could lift over 100,000 people out of poverty each year.

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Key Takeaways

Benin's rapid growth and fiscal discipline create space for broader reforms. The World Bank notes the country's ability to meet budget targets and attract investment--supported by the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone--as a platform for integration into global value chains. But inequality and low tax mobilization remain challenges. While revenue performance improved over the last decade, the narrow tax base limits funding for essential services. The World Bank urges Benin to strengthen safety nets and prioritize tax justice to reduce poverty sustainably. With budgetary space in place, the next phase will test the country's capacity to translate strong GDP numbers into equitable social outcomes.
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES/

VANCOUVER, July 18, 2025 - Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSXV: BSK) (FSE: MAL2) (OTC: BKUCF), ("Blue Sky" or the "Company") reports that, pursuant to its news release dated June 5, 2025, the Company has requested a 30-day extension to the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). The terms of the Placement remain the same. The Company confirms there are no material changes.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

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 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'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's recently optioned Corcovo project has potential to host an in-situ recovery ("ISR") uranium deposit. 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.

SOURCE Blue Sky Uranium Corp.
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, July 18, 2025 - Copper Giant Resources Corp. ("Copper Giant" or the "Company") (TSXV: CGNT) (OTCQB: LBCMF) (FRA: 29H0) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced "best efforts" public offering (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of C$8,271,510, which includes the partial exercise of the agents' over-allotment option. Under the Offering, the Company sold 41,357,550 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$0.20 per Unit (the "Offering Price"). Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud"), as lead agent and sole bookrunner, and Research Capital Corporation (collectively with Red Cloud, the "Agents") acted as agents in connection with the Offering.

Each Unit consist of one common share in the capital of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at a price of C$0.28 at any time on or before July 18, 2027.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for the exploration and advancement of the Company's Mocoa copper-molybdenum project in southern Colombia as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Offering was completed pursuant to an amended and restated prospectus supplement (the "Supplement") filed in each of the provinces and territories of Canada (except Quebec) and dated July 15, 2025 that supplemented the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated November 29, 2024 (the "Shelf Prospectus"). The Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").

In consideration for their services in connection with the Offering, the Agents received a total cash commission of C$448,290.60 and were issued 2,241,453 non-transferable warrants of the Company (the "Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at a price of C$0.28 at any time on or before July 18, 2027.

This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements and applicable U.S. state securities laws.

About Copper Giant

Copper Giant Resources Corp. is part of the Fiore Group, a private and well-established Canadian organization known for building successful, high-impact companies across the natural resource sector. Copper Giant was formed with a singular focus: to advance high-quality copper projects beyond resource definition-responsibly, efficiently, and with long-term positive impact.

The Company is led by a team with uncommon experience, having successfully taken some of the few major copper mines developed in the past two decades from discovery through to construction.

Copper Giant's current focus is the Mocoa copper-molybdenum deposit in southern Colombia, one of the largest undeveloped resources of its kind in the Americas. Recent exploration success has revealed potential well beyond its original footprint, highlighting Mocoa as a broader district-scale opportunity-and the catalyst for the Company's name and evolution.

Guided by the values of respect and responsibility, and grounded in its Good Neighbor philosophy, Copper Giant is committed to creating enduring value for all stakeholders and playing a meaningful role in the global energy transition.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information under applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements relating to the expected use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include general economic and capital markets conditions, stock market volatility, the ability of the Company to apply the use of proceeds from the Offering as anticipated, those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on www.sedarplus.ca, and the ability of the Company to obtain the final approval of the TSXV. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions, based on currently available information, concerning future events, which may prove to be inaccurate. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future plans, operations, results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE COPPER GIANT RESOURCES CORP.
www.capellaminerals.com

VANCOUVER, July 18, 2025 - Capella Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CMIL) (OTC Pink: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) ("Capella" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following update on the Letter of Intent ("LOI") signed by Turkish mining company, Tumad Madencilik Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. ("Tumad"), with respect to the staged earn-in proposal for the Company's portfolio of precious and base metal projects in Scandinavia (see Company News Release dated June 2, 2025).

Tumad today advised the Company that no material issues have been identified to date and that the Due Diligence process is in its final stages. Both parties are actively working together to move towards closing through the signing of a Definitive Agreement.

Tumad currently produces approximately 200,000 ounces of gold per annum from two mining operations located in western Turkiye. This strategic partnership with Capella is expected to provide Tumad with an excellent opportunity to expand its international footprint both within the highly-prospective Scandinavian region and elsewhere.

Eric Roth, Capella's President and CEO, commented today: "I am sincerely looking forward to working together with the Tumad team, whose highly respected expertise as mine builders and operators will complement our successful track record in global exploration and discovery. I look forward to ensuring a successful venture going forward for both parties".

Private Placement Update

The Company wishes to advise that its previously announced private placement of 15,000,000 Units at $0.05 per Unit has been amended to adjust the exercise price of the warrant from $0.10 for two years to and exercise price of $0.075 for a period of two years. The Company feels that this adjustment, while relatively small, will further incentivize and attract investors. All other terms remain the same.

Qualified Person and Disclosure Statement

The technical information presented in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has over 35 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.

"Eric Roth"

Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM

President & CEO

About Capella Minerals Ltd

Capella is a Canadian exploration and development company with a focus on global gold-copper projects and is currently exploring in the well-endowed Central Lapland Greenstone Belt of northern Finland & in the former copper-cobalt-zinc mining districts of central Norway.

In northern Finland, the Company's portfolio consists of 5 copper-gold projects including the priority Killero E target (a former Anglo American copper-gold project that was never drill tested) and the Saattopora W target (the western extension to Outokumpu Oy's Saattopora former copper-gold mine2) - all of which are located about 40km SW of Agnico Eagle's Kittila Gold Mine, currently the largest gold producer in Europe.

In the Trndelag Province of central Norway, the Company's focus is on the discovery of high-grade copper-cobalt massive sulfide (VMS) deposits in the former mining districts of Lkken and Rros. The Company's portfolio includes: i) a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Hessjgruva copper-cobalt project and adjacent Kongensgruve project in the northern Rros mining district, and ii) exposure to the discovery of new satellite copper-cobalt-zinc VMS targets around the past-producing Lkken copper mine through a partnership with Teako Minerals Corp.

Capella also holds equity positions in Teako Minerals Corp. and Grit Metals Corp. (formerly European Energy Metals Corp.) as a result of the recent divestiture of non-core assets.

For additional information you are cordially invited to visit the Capella Minerals Ltd website at www.capellaminerals.com, or contact Karen Davies, VP Shareholder Relations and Corporate Development, at Tel: +1.604.314.2662

Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, 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. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited
A Third Lack High Speed Access

The Last Mile

An Eastern Shore Answer

Schoolwork Challenges

Buses with Hotspots

A Challenge for Businesses, Too

(TNS)  When David Black, scrambling to get his corn crop into the ground, tried to download a new planting program at the same time his son, home from college because of the coronavirus stay-at-home order was trying to do some online course work, the Charles City County, Va., familys recently upgraded internet service couldnt cope.It slowed to a crawl -- and with rain in the forecast for the next few days, Black couldn't afford to wait. His son had to set aside his studies for a bit.Rural Virginia isnt plugged into the digital world the way the states cities and suburbs are. But rural Virginians need to tap in, whether they are farmers, like Black, who want to use GPS and market data to boost their harvests, or home-based businesses, like Terri Blanchard Cooks cabinet-making operation in Aylett. The coronavirus was widened this digital divide even further -- and it has forced the state to postpone spending the $16 million a year that the General Assembly had planned for expanding rural broadband.The COVID-19 epidemic has made that even more necessary, and even more difficult. Schools have gone online and many employees work from home. Those stores and restaurants that are open encourage customers to order online, whether for curbside pickup or delivery. People running low on food and money turn to the net to look for foodbank distributions. The epidemic even put a halt to a statewide plan to pay for expanded internet access.I am now working from home and my only internet access is the three Verizon jetpacks I use, which are slow and spotty but so far, fingers crossed, they get the job done, said Kimberly Brake Patterson, a King and Queen County parent.County and government officials have to wake up and realize Internet is not a luxury but an essential to life just as much as running water and electricity. Everyday life is managed electronically now, from communicating with healthcare providers, ordering refill prescriptions, paying bills and even ordering groceries, she said.While 98 percent of residents and businesses in Virginias cities and suburbs have access to high-speed internet -- defined as service offering download speeds of 25 megabits per second or more -- nearly one-third of rural Virginians do not. Roughly 11 percent have no access to any internet service, according to the 2019 Commonwealth Connect report on Gov. Ralph Northams proposal for universal broadband access.Our son is a junior and doing homework at home is very hard. Something that should take 2-3 hours to do turns into 10-12 hours because of the connection. Last week assignments he finished right at midnight on Friday. We pay over $80 monthly and its not even unlimited!, said Tammy Nelson, who lives in King William County.The digital divide is a matter of infrastructure and money. And while its an infrastructure issue in much of rural Virginia, there are still plenty of city-dwellers on the wrong side of the digital divide, despite that 98 percent access figure for cities and suburbs, says Newport News Mayor McKinley Price.As the newly-elected president of the African American Mayors Association, Price says he wants to make the digital divide a priority issue for that organization. He said he expects Newport News will use funds from its Choice Neighborhoods Initiative to make sure families in the targeted Marshall-Ridley neighborhood get internet access.The coronavirus has really brought this home ... its just a whammy," Price said, noting that African Americans and other minorities have been far more likely to lose their jobs, to miss out on schools online classes and to fall ill or die as the virus hits home.For Kelly Crowley, the digital divide looks like the quarter-mile driveway her Gloucester County home shares with her in-laws place and another neighbor. Cox Communications says it would cost $10,000 to link those homes to the nearest line - a quarter-mile away.Even before the epidemic, her husband would stay late at work to complete his online course work in criminal justice studies and sociology. These days, her daughter has to drive down to the high school to do her school work. Trying to do much else -- ordering some necessity online or looking up information -- exhausts Crowleys cell phone data plan pretty quickly.And, because her phone service isnt great, that happens when she heads into town to shop for herself and her in-laws -- their one outing, a trip to the store, is off-limits now because of the familys concerns about COVID-19.Gloucesters assistant county administrator, Carol Steele, estimates that there are about 2,000 homes and businesses that dont have broadband internet connections. There are fairly large pockets in the northern part of the county, Ware Neck and along the King and Queen County lines, but there are places, even in the countys densely populated Gloucester Point area that go without.Often, but not always, thats a matter of a long driveway.Basically, its a version of what many rural Virginians see when a storm knocks out power lines -- long connections to only one or two customers, what utility officials call their last mile services, cost a lot to set up and a lot to fix when they go down, at least in comparison to the revenue an electric utility, phone company or water and sewer authority is likely to collect.Gloucester wants to take advantage of a state program that offers grants to local governments that can team up with a private service provider to connect some of those last miles. Sometimes, thats a matter of a wire or fiber optic line. Gloucesters looking at setting up a ring of connected wireless towers, which Steele says should cover most, but not quite all, of the county residents who cant get broadband now. It has pledged $500,000 of county funds and is seeking $1.45 million in grants as well as a $777,000 investment from a private partner -- although Steele has also asked neighboring Mathews and Middlesex counties if theyd like to team up.The county is worried that residents will leave and jobs wont arrive if broadband access doesnt improve.Suffolk officials are looking for grants to expand broadband in rural reaches of the city, currently working on a proposal to the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative fund, spokeswoman Diane Klink said.On the Eastern Shore, Accomack and Northampton counties have teamed up to form a public broadband authority, which has connected more than 1,000 buildings with 350 miles of fiber and 23 wireless towers. Thats made a big difference to the 100kgarages.com digital fabrication network that Bill Young, of Willis Wharf, founded -- though the wireless connection in his shop, which comes through an antenna on top of a nearby grain elevator sometimes means hiccups in his morning Zoom meetings. But Wec Terry, at the H.M. Terry clam and oyster aquaculture operation in Willis Wharf, said his fiber connection is expensive -- and hes not sure it is really all that much faster.The virus, meanwhile, has turned a long-term concern into an immediate crisis for many rural students, who are supposed to have online lessons now that schools are closed.We had been going to my parents house in Henrico to do schoolwork. We have not done so in over a week because I am afraid of putting my almost 70-year-old parents at risk, said Holly Carson Sill of King William County. Doing their schoolwork in a parking lot is ridiculous. I have to bring my 3-year-old with us, which is extremely hard for him and its distracting for my high schoolers. Plus, it is extremely uncomfortable for the four of us to sit in a mid-size SUV for an extended period of time.In Gloucester County, only about a third of students are going online for class meetings, said Brian Teucke, who teaches eighth grade social studies at Page Middle School in Gloucester and is president of the Gloucester Education Association.While only a small number of students have no internet access at all, many more have only unreliable cell phone hotspots to tap into class meetings or pre-recorded online lessons.There are some students that even though they have internet, its not broadband, Teucke said. Theyre using their hotspots on their phones. Its difficult because their parents might be using the same hotspot, or their other brothers and sisters.While teachers do stay in touch by telephoning students, and paper packets are available for middle school students, As long as you have some students with broadband and some students that dont have broadband, youre just not going to have equity, Teucke said. For many teachers, meanwhile, the idea of online class meetings, using a video- or web-conferencing system isnt practical -- too many participants and too cumbersome for quick-paced question and answer or discussion-based pedagogy.He estimates as many as 10-25 percent of teachers in Gloucester dont have reliable internet access -- including himself. He lives in King William County and cant get broadband at home. He has to rely on a hotspot, and when his wife works from home, its a struggle to get online.We have to download things and of course stream live conferences, Teucke said. So not having broadband is definitely impacting teachers.To make sure that students can access the internet, many schools have handed out devices that can go online and opened their WiFi networks so that families can log in from the parking lot.Isle of Wight County schools have stationed school buses with WiFi at two churches, a community center and a shopping center. In Mathews, schools have taken similar steps, deploying WiFi-equipped buses at a church and Mathews County Park.The Prince George Electric Cooperative has set up WiFi hotspots at two Surry County churches as well as at its own offices in Waverly. The Blackwater Regional Library system provides WiFi services accessible from branch library parking lots in Isle of Wight, Surry, Sussex and Southampton counties, as does the Gloucester County system.In Mathews County, more than 70 percent of families rely on their cell phones for internet access, while only 5 percent had DSL connections, a school board survey found.And cell service can be spotty, making hotspots useless.Mathews County Public Schools superintendent Nancy Welch cant get cell phone calls inside her house in North, sometimes taking calls from her car parked in her backyard.Thats part of how you live in rural America, unfortunately, Welch said over the phone, standing at her front door trying to keep a signal.One teacher was driving up to Mathews High School late at night and staying in the parking lot uploading and downloading files until administrators found out and hunted down a Verizon hotspot for her to take home.That's a safety issue in my mind, Welch said. Nobody should be doing that in the middle of the night.Mathews has extended school Wi-Fi networks into parking lots, partnered with local businesses to offer Wi-Fi and deployed SmartBuses equipped with routers around the county.Although the government says that we have full access, that everybody in the county does, we dont. Its just not here, Welch said.Edwards Virginia Smokehouse, in Surry county, had to buy mobile WiFi hotspots for employees working from home, but these Mifi routers arent very reliable and are just a temporary solution, said vice president Sammy Edwards.Slow connections are especially a problem for much smaller, home-based businesses.We used to have halfway decent service in the daytime, and it would slow in the evening, but now its slow all of the time, said Terri Blanchard Cook, a Mangohick business owner who relies on her cellphone hotspot.Were running a small business out of the home ... still chugging along, but its frustrating when you need what is a basic service in many areas, Cook said."Its better than nothing, but sure would be nice to have something fast and reliable."
Ferrari not built to suit one driver says d'Ambrosio

Ferrari's 2026 car will not be built specifically for Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton, British GP 2025

 Ferrari

That's the insistence of deputy team boss Jerome d'Ambrosio, after the seven-time world champion recently said he is talking with new Ferrari designer Loic Serra to ensure Hamilton DNA is in the 2026 machine.

According to d'Ambrosio, it's never as simple as designing a car for a driver's preference.

You always have to be careful when you say the car was built with a certain direction in mind, he is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.

Development is primarily about maximum performance. Loic and his team simply want to build the fastest car possible. And there are certain objective parameters they have to consider.

Hamilton and Charles Leclerc this week tested - during a 'filming day' at Mugello - Serra's all-new rear suspension layout, which will debut next weekend at Spa.

It's part of what d'Ambrosio refers to as the second phase of car development.

It's only in the second phase that we consider what the drivers might need, said the former Marussia driver. There are many things that can be done to ensure they have the necessary tools to adapt the car to their own driving style as much as possible.

Hamilton, 40, has seemed happier with the 2025 car recently, but d'Ambrosio said the Briton has moved closer to Leclerc's oversteer-heavier setup.

It's important to us as a team that we sit down with both drivers a few times a year, said the 39-year-old. "The question then becomes what they both need and how to translate that into performance.

If you listen to both of them, you'll find that their wishes are very similar.

It's interesting that while Leclerc often seems increasingly frustrated with the 2025 Ferrari, Hamilton has regularly mentioned how closely he's working with Serra to have a more suitable platform for next year.

The fact that Loic worked with Lewis at Mercedes for many years obviously helps with communication, said d'Ambrosio. But Loic also has a very good relationship with Charles.

(GMM)
Hortense Mudenge is new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) following her appointment to the position by the Cabinet on July 16.

Until her appointment, Mudenge worked as the Chief Strategy Officer at KIFC, an institution charged to promote and develop Rwanda as a leading financial destination for international investment and cross-border transactions in Africa.

She replaces Nick Barigye who was appointed the new Group Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Ventures Ltd (CVL) on July 15.

In a congratulatory message posted on its X page shortly after Mudenge's appointment, KIFC expressed optimism in her leadership.

"With her leadership and expertise, we are confident that KIFC will continue to advance Rwanda's position as a trusted hub for international investment and financial innovation in Africa," it stated.

Responding to the same post, Barigye also congratulated Mudenge on the "well deserved appointment...your vision and leadership as Chief Strategy Officer have been instrumental, and Kigali IFC is in excellent hands for the next chapter."

Mudenge is a management consultant, with over 10 years of experience in advising international development and private-sector clients on business and market development.

Before joining KIFC, she worked with Dexis Consulting Group and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, as a consultant, providing technical expertise in the delivery of donor-funded investment programme and grant facilities.

She holds an MBA from Hult International Business School in the US and is a graduate of the United States International University-Africa.

According to the 2024 report by Rwanda Development Board, KIFC was steadily cementing Rwanda's position as a Pan-African financial hub.

The board indicated that KIFC's influence has led to a growing pipeline of financial service providers, supporting Rwanda's vision of becoming a top financial destination.

Since its establishment in 2020, KIFC attracted over 180 investors, of which 70 per cent were new players from across Africa, while 30 per cent were international investors from Europe, Asia, and North America.
Indycar star scoffs at Cadillac F1 rumours

Indycar star Pato O'Ward has scoffed at speculation he is high on Cadillac's list for its new-in-2026 Formula 1 team.

Start, Miami GP 2025

 McLaren

Team bosses Graeme Lowdon and Dan Towriss have been open about their recent talks with drivers including Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, and others.

Rumours of American stars, however, have subsided.

I don't think they'll take a US driver because the risk is simply too great, former Haas boss Gunther Steiner told RTL.

Those guys have no experience in Formula 1, and then it can quickly backfire. That doesn't help anyone.

However, while Colton Herta may be out of the running for now, and Alex Palou has ruled himself out, lingering rumours connected Mexican Pato O'Ward with Cadillac.

He is under contract to McLaren's Indycar team.

I wouldn't like it, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said when asked if he would release the 26-year-old, but I wouldn't stop him.

Cadillac F1 ambassador Mario Andretti even joked recently that he might need to fight McLaren to extricate him from his contract.

O'Ward now tells the Mexican platform Medio Tiempo: "That was pure smoke and mirrors.

I think the rumour about me moving to Cadillac is like the one about Fernando Alonso dating Taylor Swift, he laughed.

The latest reports suggest axed Alpine racer Jack Doohan might be an option for Cadillac, while Mick Schumacher has been linked with a seat for months.

I think Mick has a good chance, said Steiner, who ousted Schumacher at Haas at the end of 2022.

Cadillac needs a driver with Formula 1 experience, and there aren't many drivers currently who don't have a job but have driven in Formula 1, he added.

Mick is also a very nice person and has learned a lot about a good, large team, said Steiner, referring to Schumacher's subsequent work as reserve driver at Mercedes.

This knowledge of how a successful team works could help Cadillac.

(GMM)
Featured

Corruption must be tackled as a global crisis  Dr Opong-Fosu urges at anti-corruption forum

GraphicOnline Jul - 18 - 2025 , 13:16 3 minutes read

Dr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, Chair of the Africa Global Emergence Centre, has called for a global rethink in the fight against corruption, describing the menace as "corrosive" and a major impediment to equitable development, good governance, and public trust.

Speaking at a virtual Anti-Corruption Roundtable Forum co-hosted by the Global Chamber of Commerce and the University of South Carolinas Sonoco International Business Department, Dr Opong-Fosu said corruptions impact is far-reaching, eroding the very foundation of democratic societies.

Corruption is corrosive and its consequences reach deep into every fabric of society. It erodes trust in government and public service, distorts markets, deters investment, and stunts economic growth, he said.

The forum, held on the theme Towards a New Anti-Corruption Agenda: Lessons from Diverse Stakeholders in Africa and the West, brought together African and Western experts from public and private sectors, civil society, and academia. The event sought to explore practical, collaborative approaches to tackling corruption in a rapidly evolving global context.

Dr Opong-Fosu stressed that anti-corruption strategies must evolve with the times. Effective anti-corruption efforts in a rapidly changing world require a shared understanding of the changing nature of the problem and an openness to new solutions, he noted.

He highlighted the global scope of corruption, citing examples from both developed and developing nations. These included the infamous 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, in which over $4 billion was embezzled from a state investment fund, and the revelations from the Panama and Pandora Papers, which exposed how elites exploit offshore tax havens to hide wealth.

Other cited examples included major bribery scandals involving corporations such as Oracle, ABB, and Franks International, each paying heavy penalties for corrupt practices in emerging markets. He also referenced legal troubles faced by high-profile politicians like former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US Senator Bob Menendez.

These cases show that corruption is not a uniquely African problem. It is global, embedded in both public and private sectors. It will be disingenuous to critique international corruption and ignore our own house. Ghana, too, faces a crisis of accountability, Dr Opong-Fosu said.

He revealed that Ghana loses an estimated GH9.02 billion annually to corruption, tax evasion, smuggling, and inefficiencies, citing figures from Professor Isaac Boadi, Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance at the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

That amount is equivalent to six times the annual cost of the Free Senior High School programme and nearly five times the National Health Insurance Schemes budget allocation, he lamented.

According to him, these are not isolated incidents but systemic failings that demand structural reforms and robust institutions. Until we build institutions that demand and enforce accountability, these patterns will persist, Dr Opong-Fosu added.

He concluded by urging stakeholders from all regions to adopt a united front in combating corruption, describing it as the only path to sustainable development, democratic resilience, and shared prosperity.
Next article: Bimbilla: Bishop Yitiereh commissions maternal and child health block at Juasi to boost rural healthcare

Featured

Bawku peace closer - Mamprugu Overlord offers concessions

Kester Aburam Korankye, Jubilee House Jul - 18 - 2025 , 15:14 4 minutes read

The Nayiri of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has offered to make some concessions in the Bawku conflict mediation efforts necessary to bring lasting peace to the area.

President John Dramani Mahama has, therefore, commended the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area for his "dignified and statesmanlike" role in mediating the protracted conflict in Bawku.

Speaking during a courtesy call by a delegation from the Nayiri at the Jubilee House yesterday, President Mahama revealed that the Nayiri had shown willingness to make concessions to resolve the conflict following collaborative discussions with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

"I was with His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, two days ago, and he briefed me on the cooperation you have given him in finding a final traditional solution to the conflict," President Mahama said.

"I commend you for the concessions you are willing to make to see lasting peace in Bawku, he added.

The President pledged the governments support to restore lasting peace in the troubled area.

He described Bawku, once a thriving commercial hub, as a "pale shadow of itself" due to the violence, which had displaced professionals and forced public workers to reject postings to the area.

He urged all stakeholders to expedite mediation efforts to restore normalcy.

President Mahama also praised the Nayiris advocacy for cultural preservation, linking it to youth empowerment, adding, "Our history and traditions are vital instruments for shaping our future."

Delegation

The Nayiris delegation comprised Mamprusi paramount chiefs, sub-chiefs, political appointees from the North East Region, and all Members of Parliament (MPs) from the region, cutting across the political divide.

They included the Mba Tarana John Wuni Grumah, Mba Akara Alhaji Nantomah Zakari and Mba Wudaana Alhaji Chimsi Gumah.

Others were Mba Maasu Issifu George Yahaya, and Gbangdaana Chief Adam Badimsuguru, among others.

The government side had the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang; the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, and the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, among other senior government officials.

Nayiri

The Nayiri is the spiritual leader of Mamprugu in the North East Region.

Nayiri literally means "chief's house" in the Mampruli language, but contextually refers to the king, who embodies the chieftaincy.

The Nayiri's palace, located in Nalerigu, is the traditional seat of the Mamprugu, and it is a centre for cultural activities.

Development

Beyond peacebuilding, President Mahama outlined key development projects for the North East Region, including plans to establish a public university to improve tertiary access.

He mentioned the completion of critical roads such as the Nalerigu-Gambaga-Walewali stretch and the Nakanduri-Kulungugu segment of the Eastern Corridor, alongside the long-delayed Michio Bridge.

In agriculture, the government will construct a modern rice mill in Janga to process local produce for the National Buffer Stock Company.

Health infrastructure will also see improvements, with new district hospitals in Yagaba and Chereponi, plus a regional hospital to reduce referrals to Tamale.

Additionally, the government will expand youth employment initiatives such as the National Apprenticeship Programme and the Adwumawura Initiative, with plans to partner traditional councils for effective implementation.

In a statement delivered on his behalf by the Paramount Chief of Bongo Traditional Area in the Upper East Region, Bo-Naba Baba Salifu Lemyaarum, who led the delegation, the

Nayiri commended President Mahama for prioritising traditional conflict resolution mechanisms in addressing the Bawku crisis.

He lauded the Presidents commitment to strengthening peace infrastructure in the country, describing it as a thoughtful approach to resolving long-standing disputes.

Your resolve to support the nations peace infrastructure and use traditional solutions to resolve conflicts, especially in Bawku, is commendable and assuring, he said.

The Mamprugu Overlord further praised the Presidents leadership since taking office, noting that his administrations policies had already begun fostering national development.

Naa Abdulai Sheriga emphasised that the governments focus on dialogue and collaboration with traditional authorities demonstrated a deep understanding of Ghanas governance dynamics.

The Nayiri also expressed strong support for the governments Big Push initiative, describing it as a game-changer for regional development.

He stated that the planned road projects, including the Nalerigu-Gambaga-Walewale stretch and the Michio Bridge, would significantly improve connectivity and economic activity in the North East Region.

The Nayiri said such infrastructural investments aligned with the traditional councils development vision.

He expressed optimism that the projects, once completed, would open up the region for trade, agriculture and tourism, ultimately improving livelihoods.
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Chief, minors charged with illegal mining

Samuel Kyei-Boateng Jul - 18 - 2025 , 13:55 3 minutes read

Ten people, including a chief and two minors, have been arraigned at the Koforidua High Court for allegedly mining without licence at Akyem Gyadam, near Oda, in the Eastern Region.

The accused persons are the Gyaasehene of Gyadam, Nana Mireku Asare Bediako III, who faces additional charge of granting access to the illegal miners to carry out their illicit operations, as well as the two minors, namely Salim Moro and Samuel Appiah, both aged 17 years.

The rest are Shaibu Moro, George Boahen, Shaibu Moro, Bright Adjei, Emmanuel Anarfi, Samuel Amparbeng and Richmond Akomaning

They were arrested by the Akyem Oda Divisional Police Command for illegally mining at Akyem Gyadam, near Oda, in the Eastern Region.

The accused persons have all been granted bail and are to re-appear on July 31, this year.

Briefing

Briefing the Daily Graphic at Oda last Thursday, the Oda Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Jeffrey Darko, said upon a tip off, police personnel raided the outskirts of Gyadam where the suspects were mining for gold without licence.

He said in the process, the police managed to arrest 10 of the miners, including the Gyaasehene of Gyadam, Nana Bediako III, a suspected illegal mining kingpin.

ACP Darko said the police also seized mining equipment such as seven pumping machines, gallons of diesel and a quantity of pick axes and shovels.

He said after interrogating the suspects they were put before the court for trial.

Related development

In a related development to crack the whip on illegal mining, the Western Central Regional Police Command also arrested two men for allegedly posing as members of the Ghana Gold Board Taskforce and using their false identities to extort money from unsuspecting gold dealers.

The suspects, Foster Delord, 40, and Prince Worvi, 38, were apprehended after the police received a tip-off that the pair were making rounds at gold buying shops, claiming to be government-sanctioned operatives.

According to the police, the suspects presented themselves as ex-military officers working with the Gold Board Taskforce.

During their arrest, law enforcement officers retrieved several incriminating items, including a pair of handcuffs, a canister of pepper spray, an electric shock device, a military-style uniform and GH500, believed to have been obtained through extortion.

The two suspects, Delord and Worvi, were arrested following a complaint received by the police that they were visiting different gold buyers claiming to be officials of the Gold Board Taskforce, a statement issued by the police stated.

The suspects have since been arraigned before the Tarkwa Circuit Court and have been remanded into police custody to assist with further investigations.

The police have urged the public, especially those in the gold trading sector, to be vigilant and cautious when dealing with individuals claiming to represent state institutions.

The Regional Police Command wishes to advise the public to be cautious of individuals claiming to be officials of government agencies without proper identification, the statement warned.

It added that investigations were ongoing and assured the public of commitment to clamping down on impersonation and extortion schemes within the mining sector.
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Expedite $125m ratification for Vea Dam rehabilitation  World Bank to MoF

Gilbert Azeem Tiroog Jul - 18 - 2025 , 13:52 4 minutes read

The World Bank has called on the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to fast-track parliamentary ratification of the $125 million additional financing package for the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP).

That, the multilateral development bank said, would pave the way for the commencement of rehabilitation works on the Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Upper East Region, which is expected to utilise 80 per cent of the funding.

The World Bank stated that although its Executive Board approved the funding in April this year, the project had not yet commenced because it was still awaiting parliamentary ratification.

The bank stressed that further delays could stall the implementation and render the funds to implement the completed design and procurement processes unutilised.

Supervision mission

The World Bank (WB) Representative for FSRP, Dr Ashwini Rheka Sebastian, made the statement during a joint supervision mission conducted by officials from the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to the Vea Irrigation Scheme last Wednesday.

According to her, 80 per cent of the $125 million additional financing had been earmarked for irrigation infrastructure, with the Vea Left Bank expected to benefit from the rehabilitation of about 850 hectares.

We are here today because we have completed the design updates for the Vea scheme.

What is holding us back now is the parliamentary ratification.

Once that is secured, we can proceed to contract construction and supervision firms to begin the work, Dr Sebastian stated.

She said the rehabilitation would include the reconstruction of main canals, lateral systems that delivered water directly to farms, access roads, community bridges and automation systems.

The World Banks Representative on FSRP said climate-smart components such as improved seeds and farmer training would also be part of the intervention.

Dr Sebastian stated that the World Bank was working with private sector partners to improve market access and secure better prices for farmers under the Feed Ghana Programme, adding that a pilot aggregation model was being planned to link producers to larger buyers.

Stakeholders react

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bongo, Charles Bawaduah, expressed confidence that the project would enjoy bipartisan support in Parliament and assured the World Bank of Parliaments commitment to ratify the funds once laid before the House.

This dam was built more than 60 years ago and has not undergone any major rehabilitation.

The canals have deteriorated beyond use, and this has affected farming significantly. I have no doubt that once the documentation reaches Parliament, we will pass it, he said.

Mr Bawaduah, however, appealed to the World Bank to consider including the main reservoir in the rehabilitation plan, without which the availability of water could still pose a challenge.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, welcomed the intervention and commended the World Bank and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for including the region in the programme.

When the irrigation rehabilitation plans were first announced, the Upper East Region was not mentioned.

We raised our concerns and are grateful that our plea has been considered, the Regional Minister said.

Mr Akamugri said the project would boost food production and serve as a major source of employment for the youth.

The minister also appealed to young people in the region to take advantage of the project once it was completed, and called on communities along the project area to prevent encroachment and support its smooth implementation.

Collapsed scheme

The acting Managing Director of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), Dominic Atogumsekiya Anarigide, described the Vea scheme as collapsed and said both farmers and staff were eager for the rehabilitation to begin.

Our canals are damaged, water cannot flow, and some parts are deeply silted. Farmers have been crying for this rehabilitation for years, though it has delayed, he stated.

Mr Anarigide also called on Parliament and the Ministry of Finance to speed up the ratification process so that work could start.

Background

The Vea Irrigation Scheme is one of four targeted schemes under the FSRP, along with the Weta, Kpong and Tanoso schemes, and 20 inland valley sites across other parts of the country.

The project aims to enhance food security, build climate resilience and create employment across Ghanas agricultural sector.
Next article: Mining equipment to be fitted with tamper-proof GPS tracker

Hajj agents demand reforms, representation on new board

Emmanuel Kwame Asante Jul - 18 - 2025 , 14:39 3 minutes read

The Ghana Hajj Agents Association (GHAA) has called for representation on the permanent Hajj Board, which is expected to replace the current interim task force.

It emphasised the need for a stronger partnership between the Hajj Board and the agents association to address logistical inefficiencies and bridge communication gaps.

At a press conference at the Hajj Village, the Secretary of the association, Mohammed Sadis, revealed that the future of Ghanas Hajj operations depended on transparency, proper stakeholder engagement and visionary leadership.

Good intentions alone are not enough; Ghanas Hajj operations require systemic reform. The process must be guided by integrity, spiritual discipline and a clear focus on service. Hajj is not a business, its a sacred trust, he said.

Presidential support

The association commended President John Dramani Mahama for reducing the Hajj fare from GH75,000 to GH62,000, describing the move as a relief for thousands of Ghanaian Muslims.

They also acknowledged the Presidents decision to issue free Hajj tickets to all accredited agents, allowing them to travel with, and support pilgrims throughout the journey.

This empowered us to care for our pilgrims, reduced stress, increased accountability, and changed the nature of the entire operation, he said.

Pilgrimage operations

Despite these positive steps, the GHAA raised concerns over the organisation of this years Hajj, pointing to logistical problems, weak communication structures, and delayed emergency responses, exposing gaps in planning and execution.

It revealed that during previous Hajj seasons, when agents played a more active role, there was responsiveness to pilgrims needs, stressing that had Hajj agents been more involved in decision-making, many of the problems that came up could have been avoided.

Future hajj

The association further proposed that future Hajj operations should be anchored on early planning, clear timelines and competent staffing.

It also called for payment schedules to be announced at least four to six months in advance, and the need to increase Ghanas Hajj quota to 10,000 to reflect rising demand.

In addition, the GHAA called for a review of accommodation arrangements in Mecca to ensure Ghanaian pilgrims were housed in compact and centralised locations, while also urging improvements in tent allocations at Mecca, as well as better logistics, sanitation and food distribution during pilgrimage.

The association further stressed the need for regular consultation with key stakeholders, including Hajj agents, civil society, health professionals, and religious leaders, to ensure a more inclusive and responsive system.

New Hajj Village

The association welcomed the Presidents plan to construct a new Hajj Village, describing it as a major step towards improving preparation, documentation and pilgrim comfort.

It said such infrastructure would support efforts to raise the overall standard of service delivery.

We are happy with President Mahamas decision to build a new Hajj village for us, and this will help with the documentation and process of the Hajj to be smooth, he said.

A member of GHAA, Imam Abass Abdul Karim Umar, also disclosed that there was a need for the association to have direct representation on the new board.

We are the ones who walk through every nook and cranny of this country to mobilise pilgrims.

We have first-hand information about their needs, he said.

He also said the association wanted a balanced representation so their voices and those of the ordinary pilgrims were heard.
Operationalise PTAs in pre-tertiary schools now! - GES directs heads of schools

Emmanuel Bonney Jul - 18 - 2025 , 15:32 2 minutes read

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has said it will issue further guidelines on modalities for the reinstatement of parent-teacher associations (PTAs) in senior high schools in the country.

This would include the structure, roles and financial accountability mechanisms of PTAs to ensure consistency across all schools.

Following the recent directive by President John Dramani Mahama on the full reinstatement of PTAs in all pre-tertiary schools nationwide, management of the GES hereby directs that all heads of schools be informed to operationalise the directive with immediate effect, the acting Director-General of the GES, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, said in a letter.

The letter was dated July 16, 2025, and addressed to all regional directors of education.

By copy of this letter, you are requested to bring this directive to the attention of all metropolitan, municipal and district directors of education under your jurisdiction, and advise heads of public senior high, technical and STEM schools to stand ready for further instructions, it said.

Community involvement

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, President Mahama called for the full reinstatement of PTAs in schools nationwide, saying that sidelining parents from school governance had undermined accountability and community involvement.

Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at the Jubilee House in Accra, Mr Mahama described the marginalisation of PTAs as misguided.

The trend everywhere in the world is to give communities a say in how their schools are run. I felt very scandalised when PTAs were virtually shoved aside and not allowed to be a part of the running of our schools, especially at the secondary level, he said.

Restructuring

The associations were reformed following the abolition of mandatory PTA levies under the Free Senior High School policy in 2019.

The GES later restructured them into Parent Associations, subjecting them to strict financial regulations intended to prevent fund misuse and also protect families from unauthorised charges.

This reduced parents influence in the running of the school and provision of support.
Serve with integrity to sustain nations peace - Ebenezer Terlabi to Peace Council Board

Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Jul - 18 - 2025 , 14:21 3 minutes read

The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has urged members of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council to serve with integrity and proactiveness to help sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.

He said they must always place national interest above their deliberations to deepen the harmony in the country.

Mr Terlabi was speaking at an orientation programme organised for members of the Governing Board of NPC to equip and strengthen the capacities of the new board members.

It was on the theme: Harnessing our diversity for conflict prevention, management, and resolution in Ghana.

It was also aimed at providing strategic leadership in the councils role in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and inclusive dialogue, which are key pillars for sustainable peace and stability in the country.

The programme was under the prevention facility for the Gulf of Guinea project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Administering of oath

The deputy minister who also administered the Oath of Office to the chairman of the board, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, said: Ghanaians are counting on your experience, your intellect and compassion to help maintain and deepen the peace in the country.

President John Dramani Mahama swore in the reconstituted board on May 7, 2025, in Accra. However, the chairman was not at the event because he had travelled out of the country at the time.

Collaboration

The AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, called for effective collaboration between the National Peace Council (NPC) and the government, civil society organisations, and international partners to enable the council to fulfil its mandate more comprehensively.

He also urged them to focus on funding sources, capacity building, public awareness creation, and technological innovation to ensure the council remained a cornerstone of the countrys peace architecture.

Dr Chambas said the council played a critical role in defining the strategic direction of the NPC and, therefore, must ensure that it adheres to its vision and values while guiding the attainment of its objectives.

Role

The Chairman of the board, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, said the role of the board was to provide strategic leadership, oversight and advocacy, and not to manage the day-to-day operations of the secretariat.

Rev. Fianu, who is also the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, said peace is the silent enabler of progress, adding that the efforts of the council would directly influence the climate in which development and democratic participation thrive.

Most Rev. Fianu commended the previous board for its contribution and called on the new members to also rise to the occasion.

UNDP support

The Head of Inclusive Growth and Accountable Governance at UNDP Ghana, Dr Edward Ampratwum, reiterated the commitment of his outfit to support the NPC to achieve its mandate of building and sustaining peace across the country.

He said the entire UN Country Team in Ghana was investing in sustaining peace in the country to consolidate Ghanas position as the beacon of hope in not only the sub-region, but the entire continent in matters of good governance and security.
A Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, July 16 appointed Maj Gen (Rtd) Jack Nziza and former Minister of Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, to the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission.

The Commission, whose Chairperson is Valerie Nyirahabineza, is responsible for supporting the successful demobilisation and the social and economic reintegration of ex-combatants into their communities.

Also read: Rwanda discharges 106 ex-combatants, launches new reintegration round

Nziza, previously served in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) as Inspector General before retiring, was appointed as Vice Chairperson of the Commission, while Gatabazi was appointed as a member.

In November 2022, Gatabazi was relieved of his duties at the Ministry of Local Government, which he had headed since March 2021.

He had also previously served as a Member of Parliament and as Governor of the Northern Province.

Other members of the Demobilisation Commission are Dancille Nyirarugero, a former Governor of Nothern Province, and Jacqueline Muhongayire, who previously held various positions such as Minister for East African Community Affairs and a Senator.

Commission Chairperson Nyirahabineza has previously served in various institutions, including as Minister of Gender and Family Promotion.

The demobilisation process targets former members of armed groups, including child soldiers, depending on the rate of repatriation, as well as members of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

Also read: Minister Mugenzi calls on ex-combatants to embrace unity, resilience

The Commission also oversees reintegration, both social and economic, which involves facilitating the reintegration of disenfranchised groups into mainstream society. Support is provided to both ex-armed group members and demobilised RDF personnel.

This support includes Reintegration Grants for micro-projects, Vulnerability Support Window grants for vulnerable individuals, psychosocial counselling and therapy, HIV/AIDS awareness training, community sensitisation, capacity-building support for ex-combatants' cooperatives; as well as targeted reintegration assistance for children, women, and persons with disabilities.

Also read: Over 90 ex-combatants to be discharged from Mutobo demob centre
Stop intimidating, harassing our members - GNASSM to security agencies

Daily Graphic Jul - 18 - 2025 , 14:42 2 minutes read

The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has accused members of the security agencies, particularly the police, of constant harassment and intimidation of its members at their various legitimate mining concession sites across the country.

The association complained of grave injustice, systematic harassment and extortion of small-scale miners by some elements within the law enforcement agencies.

Our hardworking small-scale miners are being targeted and terrorised by those who are meant to protect them for profit and power, which undermines the Small-Scale Mining initiative and government resetting agenda, it said.

Appeal

The association, therefore, called for an end to the intimidation and an immediate release of all confiscated mining equipment, especially excavators of their legitimate members, by the police and other task forces allegedly being operated by some political party members.

The National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Abdul Razak Alhassan, made the appeal at a press conference in Kumasi.

He demanded a stronger protective measure for licensed small-scale miners, including Police operations in all 13 regions where the association members mine legally.

Some Police officers and other security agencies, sometimes acting under the influence or protection of powerful political figures, storm mining sites with impunity, confiscate equipment, demand illegal payments and, in some cases, violently eject miners from lands they are legally licensed to mine, he added.

The PRO further asked that the National Anti-illegal Mining Operation Secretariat (NAIMOS), launched by the sector Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, be adequately resourced to handle illegal mining issues in a more coordinated approach.

Mr Alhassan believed the association had, over the years, engaged in responsible and ethical mining practices; therefore, the constant intimidation and harassment against them was needless.
Next article: See the areas that will be affected by ECGs planned maintenance on Friday, July 18, 2025

Previous article: Mustapha Hamid and 9 others to face High Court on July 23 over GH280m extortion charges

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Government disburses GH462 Million to nursing trainees; fulfilling Mahamas campaign promise

GraphicOnline Jul - 18 - 2025 , 05:12 2 minutes read

The Ministry of Health has confirmed the disbursement of GH462 million to support the training allowances of 120,000 nursing students nationwide.

The payment, covering a six-month period, fulfills a key campaign promise made by President John Dramani Mahama and underscores the governments commitment to bolstering the health sector.

In a press release issued on Thursday, July 17, the Ministry stated that the initiative is part of a broader effort to provide financial support to students in Nurses Training Colleges.

The allowance was a key commitment made by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama during the recent electioneering campaign and has now been fulfilled, the release noted. Payments began yesterday and are expected to continue through next Friday.

The Ministry described the move as a critical intervention to enhance the welfare of nursing trainees and motivate future health professionals.

This development is a significant step in improving the welfare of nursing trainees and sustaining the motivation of future health professionals. It further aligns with ongoing efforts to strengthen the health sector by ensuring that critical human resources receive the needed support throughout their training, the statement read.

The Ministry also expressed gratitude to President Mahama and other stakeholders for ensuring the timely release and distribution of the funds.

The Ministry extends its appreciation to the president of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for fulfilling his promise to the nurses, as well as all other stakeholders involved in facilitating the timely release and distribution of the funds.

Reiterating its dedication to healthcare education, the Ministry pledged to collaborate closely with nursing institutions to maintain the delivery of quality training across the country.

The disbursement comes as a relief to nursing trainees who have long advocated for consistent financial support during their training. With this development, the government aims to address challenges in the health sector while encouraging more students to pursue careers in nursing.
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Govt to employ 70,000 health workers as NHIS hits 15.7million enrolment  Health Minister

GraphicOnline Jul - 18 - 2025 , 12:44 3 minutes read

The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured the public that the government is working urgently to address the backlog of over 70,000 unemployed health professionals across the country.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Friday, July 18, Mr Akandoh acknowledged the scale of the unemployment challenge in the health sector but emphasised the administrations commitment to resolving it.

We recognise the challenge of over 70,000 qualified health workers currently awaiting employment, but I want to assure you that we are working tirelessly to clear this backlog, he said.

According to the minister, more than 10,000 nurses and midwives have been employed in the past six months, with further recruitments expected in the coming months.

He also addressed concerns from pharmacists awaiting placement, revealing that salary arrears for 321 House Officer pharmacists who completed training in 2024 are being processed.

While 1,621 qualified pharmacists await permanent employment, we are prioritising their recruitment as part of strengthening our health workforce, he stated.

Mr Akandoh said the governments strategy was not limited to nurses and pharmacists alone. This is just one example of our broader commitment to clearing the backlog across all health worker cadres, ensuring every qualified professional has the chance to serve and strengthen Ghanas health system, he added.

Turning to developments in health financing, the Minister revealed that the government had fully settled arrears owed to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by the end of December 2024, amounting to GH603 million.

This milestone demonstrates our commitment and the governments steadfast dedication to timely payment and fulfilling our obligation in healthcare financing, Mr Akandoh declared.

He said the current administration had outperformed previous governments in releasing funds to the NHIS, adding, Let me put on record that in the history of the NHIA, no government has paid or released money from the consolidated funds to the National Health Insurance Fund more promptly than this government. We are doing it on a monthly basis.

In addition to clearing arrears, Mr Akandoh highlighted substantial gains in NHIS enrolment. Between 2024 and mid-2025, he noted, over 670,000 new members joined the scheme, increasing total enrolment to 15.67 million.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, 15.67 million Ghanaians are enrolled in the NHIS  an increase of over 670,000 from last year. What this means is that 670,000 more Ghanaians are now benefiting from health insurance coverage, he announced.

He attributed the growth to improved financing mechanisms, regular claims payments, and structural reforms that have improved service delivery across the healthcare system.

In the first half of 2025 alone, the NHIA disbursed over GH1.38 billion to providers, reflecting a system that is stronger, more responsive, and more reliable than ever before, the minister noted.

Mr Akandoh reaffirmed the governments commitment to ensuring universal access to quality healthcare and maintaining the financial sustainability of the NHIS.
UHAS holds stakeholders meeting on schistosomiasis

Ezekiel E. Sottie Health Jul - 18 - 2025 , 13:45 4 minutes read

The Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNTD) of the Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho and the Volta River Authority (VRA) have held a stakeholders meeting in the Lower Volta Basin for dissemination and intervention mapping of research on schistosomiasis disease control.

The meeting, which was held under the auspices of the Principal Investigator, Prof. John Owusu Agyapong, was entitled Implementation research to improve schistosomiasis control in affected communities in the Lower Volta Basin.

The project meeting was to share the progress of the schistosomiasis study conducted by CNTD of UHAS in collaboration with VRA, across three districts: Shai-Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region, South Tongu in the Volta Region and Asuogyaman in the Eastern Region, in order to implement enhanced strategies resulting in improved mass drug administration (MDA) and reduce the disease prevalence.

Stakeholders

Key stakeholders included the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the National Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Control Programme, World Vision, Water Aid Ghana, Geohydro Tracks Limited, Department for International Development (DFID), Safe Water, Easy Water, Project Maji, PurAID, Volta River Estate Limited and CSIR Water Research Institute, among others.

The Director of Research for CNTD of UHAS, Dr Alfred Kwesi Manyeh, presenting the key findings, lauded the VRA, GHS, the district assemblies in the affected communities in the three districts, chiefs, opinion leaders and all other stakeholders involved in the project for the various roles they played in coming out with the findings which was going to enhance the control of schistosomiasis disease in the affected communities along the Lower Volta Basin.

Specific objectives

Dr Manyeh said the project had five specific objectives for the two years of research, which was to document schistosomiasis control intervention within communities along the Volta Basin; assess the levels of knowledge attitudes and practices towards schistosomiasis and its control strategies within communities along the Volta Basin and to determine community and health system factors affecting schistosomiasis control strategies in communities along the Volta Basin.

It was also to develop and pilot context-specific interventions based on pre-intervention findings towards the reduction of schistosomiasis infection in endemic communities along the Volta Basin and to evaluate the progress and impact of the evidence-based strategies on levels of knowledge, attitudes, practices and prevalence of schistosomiasis.

He said some of the key findings during the period included unavailability of schistosomiasis medication (praziquantel) in health facilities, poor knowledge about schistosomiasis infection, prevention and control, the nature of work of women, which exposed them to schistosomiasis, and the maintenance of solar-powered boreholes, which supplied water due to inconsistent pipe water supply, among others.

Dr Manyeh noted that as a result of the interventions, there was improved social mobilisation and sensitisation, improved adherence to the directly observed therapy (DOT) strategy, and there was also reduction in schistosomiasis in the communities.

VRA schistosomiasis projects

The Principal Research Officer for VRA, Elizabeth Kisson, named some VRA schistosomiasis projects across the length and breadth of the affected communities along the Lower Volta Basin, which included toilet facilities, water projects for communities such as Volivo, Mafikope, Volivo Lanor, Atabui, Avakpo, Tokpo and Abuvienu, among others.

She mentioned chemotherapy, snail control, environmental management, health education and social mobilisation, sanitation and access to safe water as recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as preventive measures, as well as the use of praziquantel for the treatment of all forms of schistosomiasis.

The Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Department of VRA, Benjamin Arhin Sackey, in his address, was not happy about the state of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities provided by VRA to the schistosomiasis communities, as most of them were in a deteriorated state.

The immediate past Director of the Institute of Health, UHAS, Ho, Prof. Margaret Gyapong, who chaired the programme, urged all stakeholders in the affected communities, as well as implementors of the research findings, to ensure they implemented the findings to get the best benefits from the resources invested in the project.
Featured

NPP delegates conference votes on reforms tomorrow

Albert K. Salia Politics Jul - 18 - 2025 , 14:03 7 minutes read

A proposed amendment to alter the New Patriotic Party (NPP) constitution to expand the base of delegates for the election of its presidential candidate will be one of the critical issues on the table as more than 5,500 delegates of the party converge on Accra tomorrow for the National Delegates Conference.

In all, about 50 proposed amendments are on the cards to reshape the party to make it stronger and more resilient for the future.

Party stalwarts Peter MacManu and Evans Nimako have tabled an expunction of Article 13 (1) (9) from the constitution to abolish the Special Electoral College in the election of the partys presidential candidate.

They argue that the Special Electoral College, per its composition, is not representative, delays the conduct of presidential primaries and never served the purpose of minimising undue contestation.

It proposes that all members of the National Council, the National Executive Committee, the Regional Executive Committee, the Constituency Executive Committee, electoral area coordinators, the Polling Station Executive Committee, the National Council of Elders and National Patrons of the Party should be part of the expanded electoral college.

The rest are all past National Directors who are NPP members, Members of Parliament, past National Officers, 15 delegates from every external branch, founder members who are signatories to the registration documents of the party at the Electoral Commission, one TESCON representative from each recognised tertiary institution, and all card-bearing ministers and deputy ministers as well as all metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs), and three representatives of each of the special organs of the party should also have the right to exercise their franchise in the election of a flag bearer.

Legal action

Meanwhile, two members of the party have filed a motion at the High Court seeking to halt tomorrows conference.

In the application filed at the court yesterday which has been slated for hearing on Thursday, July 24, this year, the plaintiffs, Shamsudeen Iddrisu, and Boateng Kwadwo are of the view that the party flouted its constitution by failing to organise a constituency and regional delegates conference, a constitutional prerequisite for organising a National Delegates Conference.

They further argue that the partys national council was not clothed with the authority to waive the constitutional requirements for organising constituency and regional Annual Delegates Conferences prior to that of a National Annual Delegates Conference.

They added that it is only the National Annual Delegates Conference which is the supreme governing body of the party that has the sole authority to waive such constitutional provisions.

The two plaintiffs averred that despite expressing their grievances in a petition to the National Executive Council (NEC) concerning what they described as unlawful, the NEC had ignored them.

They are, therefore, praying the court to issue an order for interlocutory injunction restraining the party from organising the Extraordinary Delegates Conference.

If the court action is properly served on the authorised officials of the party, the conference should not proceed.

However, the partys Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, told the Daily Graphic that no court had served the party any such notice of an action pending before it.

Conference theme

The theme for the 2025 National Annual Delegates Conference is Rebuilding Together with our Values, which is a call to the partys values, principles and standards that gave rise to the partys tradition.

It is also a call for members to reconnect with its roots, which gives members hope and treasure the country.

The Chairman of the Delegates Conference Planning Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, told the Daily Graphic that more than 50 amendments had been reduced to resolutions and put in a language easy to understand.

Moreover, he said, the proposed amendments had been circulated a month ago and delegates would have digested them to make the conference process smooth.

As to whether the amendments would be adopted before the January 31, 2026, presidential primaries, Mr Osei-Owusu said it often took time before the constitution was amended to reflect the changes.

He, however, said presidential primaries would be guided by the existing constitution if the new one was not ready.

He urged members of the party to conduct themselves in a manner that would bring greater honour to the party and themselves.

No pictures/banners

To ensure the arena does not become a campaign ground for aspiring presidential candidates, the planning committee has banned all campaign-related materials ahead of the conference.

It forms part of measures to maintain order, neutrality and focus during the highly anticipated event, which is expected to attract thousands of party delegates from across the country.

There shall be no billboards, banners, posters, flyers, T-shirts or souvenirs with aspirant branding allowed at the venue or within Accra, Mr Osei-Owusu stated during a press briefing last Saturday.

He further explained that a complete ban has been placed on all forms of campaign activities.

That, he explained, applies before, during and after the conference and covers the entire precinct of the conference venue.

To ensure compliance, the party has established a dedicated grounds and operations team, supported by compliance monitors tasked with patrolling the conference grounds and surrounding areas.

All such prohibited campaign materials shall be removed and destroyed by the team, Mr Osei-Owusu warned, emphasising that there would be no exceptions to the rule.

The move is aimed at fostering a level playing field and keeping the focus on party unity and strategic decision-making during the conference.

Decline at grass roots

Two political scientists believe the party was at a critical point of its existence, hence the need to use the conference to unite and rebuild to make the party relevant in future elections.

The two, Dr Samuel Kofi Darkwa and Dr John Osae-Kwapong, were sharing their perspectives on the conference.

They advised the party to use the conference to rebuild trust.

For Dr Darkwa, the party found itself at a critical juncture, adding that following what many consider its most significant electoral defeat since 1992 and in the 2024 general elections, the party's challenges had intensified.

In light of this situation, the forthcoming flag bearer election on January 31, 2026, and the decision regarding the adoption or postponement of constitutional amendments to expand the delegate base demand careful consideration, he said.

Reforms

Dr Darkwa said the proposed reforms which sought to create a broader delegate base, if implemented, would enhance inclusivity and diminish the disproportionate power wielded by a select few individuals or factions.

In light of widespread concerns about financial inducement and vote buying in Ghanaian politics, a larger electoral college would complicate attempts to manipulate electoral outcomes through monetary influence. This shift would reinforce democratic legitimacy and mitigate the threat of elite dominance, he said.

Dr Osae-Kwapong, for his part, described the theme: Building Together with Our Values, as considering the heavy electoral defeat and rejection of the party by Ghanaian voters in 2024.

He said it was easy to point fingers and apportion blame for what happened in December 2024 but it was more difficult to collectively own the defeat and forge a united front in preparation for the next election.

Nonetheless, that is what the party needs to do  to use the occasion to make peace with each other, embrace the lessons of 2024, and create a path forward that truly demonstrates a commitment to build together, he noted.

Peace

Dr Osae-Kwapong urged the party to use the occasion, through the various speeches, to make peace with Ghanaian voters.

He said the conference was an opportune time to acknowledge the grievances of Ghanaians leading to the partys loss in 2024 and seek reconciliation.

Electoral college

I have long maintained that the ideal way to go is to allow all registered members of the party to vote in internal elections particularly when it comes to the selection of parliamentary candidates and the flag bearer, Dr Osae-Kwapong said.

It reduces or eliminates the unlimited power of delegates as well as the undue influence of money in the internal electoral process, he noted.

Agenda

The conference will discuss the National Chairmans statement, report of the General Secretary and statements of account from the National Treasurer.
Every July 21, we gather as families, and as a people, to celebrate Liberation Dayhonoring the courage of those who fought for our freedom, the resilience of those who survived occupation, and the spirit of a people who would not surrender their island or their future.

But what does liberation mean today?

We stand at a new crossroads. We are free, but we are not yet fully independent when it comes to our economy, our technology, or our ability to shape our destiny. Too much of what we need comes from ships that may be delayed, or from systems built elsewhere that do not understand Guams realities. Too many of our people leave home for opportunities they cannot find here.

It is time for Guams next liberationeconomic and technological independence rooted in our strategic geography, our people, and our growing capacity to build.

From tip of the spear to tip of the future

For decades, Guam has been the tip of the spear in the Indo-Pacific. Our islands location makes us an indispensable deterrence in a complex world.

But what if we expanded this role? What if Guam became not just the tip of the spear in posture, but the tip of the spear in innovation itself?

While the local economy benefits from military bases, its no longer sufficient to rely on these gains. Guam and Micronesia have the capacity to develop local industries and businesses to meet maintenance, logistics, and sustainment needs directly.

Advances in technology now make it possible to complete more support work efficiently and close to where its neededand make no mistakeit is needed.

It is an absolute win-win for everyone in the region.

Not hard to imagine

Imagine Guam hosting a small but mighty advanced manufacturing hub where parts for local infrastructure and military equipment are printed on demand with advanced 3D printing.

Imagine local cybersecurity talent protecting not only our government and businesses but also supporting regional allies.

Imagine drones and sensors built, tested, and maintained in Guam for environmental monitoring, disaster response, and maritime domain awareness to keep our region safe.

Liberation from economic dependence

Today, many of our families rely on the economic dependence of government jobs, off-island contractors, or supply chains that are fragile and expensive.

Building Guam into an innovation hub is a pathway to liberate our economy from these constraints. It creates good-paying technical and professional jobs that keep our young people here, using their talents to serve both our island and the region.

It means transforming the narrative: no longer just a site for bases and training ranges, but a partner in innovation, resilience, and regional security. It means our people become contributors to the very technologies that will shield Guam and the Pacific.

From commemoration to commitment

Liberation Day is not only about looking back; it is about remembering who we are so we can move forward with courage. We honor our manamko by building a future worthy of the sacrifices they made.

For Guams leaders, agencies, educators, and private sector, the call is clear. Now is the time to invest in industrial workforce development now, before the need.

Start with ship and submarine repair and then move into aircraft and heavy equipment repair. Train and certify workforce to the demanding military repair, engineering and sustainment standards.

Leverage new and emerging technologies (e.g. AI, IoT, additive manufacturing, etc.) to support maintenance, logistics and sustainment operations.

Invest heavily in workforce applications of these technologies and pilot projects to successfully integrate them into real-world maintenance, logistics and sustainment activities on island.

Guam will build a reputation as a cutting-edge place that is knowledgeable and is experimenting with these technologies. As the reputation grows, it will attract new opportunities in innovation, commerce and industry.

Our liberation, our future

Some may say Guam is too small, too far, too dependent. But if we have learned anything from our history, it is that our people are never too small to stand, never too far to matter, and never too dependent to build.

The world is changing. Innovation is not optional; it is the path to sovereignty, security, and economic independence. Our geography, our role in the region, and our resilient people will position Guam to lead, if we choose to step forward.

This Liberation Day offers a moment to celebrate our heritage while looking ahead with hope. Guam is positioned to evolve from the tip of the spear to the tip of the future, building an innovation hub where our next generation can remain, contribute, and flourish.

We have the chance to create a new freedomone defined by our ability to build, innovate, and establish Guam as a beacon of progress in the 21st century.

The next chapter of Guams liberation story begins with us.
During the 1944 American recapture of Guam from Japanese occupation during World War II, U.S. soldiers discovered 45 bodies of CHamoru men beheaded and their hands bound behind their backs in whats become known as the Chaguian massacre site in Yigo.

On Thursday, descendants of those CHamoru men, dignitaries and other community members held a memorial ceremony at the site to honor the victims.

Its part of the weekslong ceremony to mark the 81st anniversary of Guams liberation from Japanese occupation.

Towards the end of the war, the Japanese gathered men from across the island and forced them into labor and abusive servitude in the Chaguian valley in Yigo.

Ramon Ogo Camacho was one of those 45 men, according to his granddaughter, Annette Perez.

Camacho was taken from Yona with his cow to transport goods for the Japanese.

The story was that some of the men from Yona were able to escape and returned to the village, Perez said. Some of them told my grandmother that they were calling my grandfather to escape with them, but he refused to leave his cow behind. His cow was a source of income for his family.

Camacho was survived by his wife, Olivia Gogo Camacho, and their six children, Maria Gogo Tenorio, Juan Gogo Tenorio, Wilfreda Tenorio Camacho, Francisco Tenorio Camacho, Alfred Tenorio Camacho, and Josepha Tenorio Camacho.

Perez said it was a difficult time for her father and his family because for the longest time they did not know where her grandfather was killed. All they knew was that he was beheaded with other men, and his remains were never returned to her grandmother.

My grandmother was a single parent, Perez said. My dads sister, Maria, had to quit school to help my grandmother take care of the family while my grandmother had to go out and work. They had to live with my grandmothers side of the family to help support each other.

Peace

Camachos son, Alfred, was able to attend the Chaguian Memorial on July 17 via FaceTime.

His granddaughters, Carmelita Gogue (Alfreds daughter) and Josephine Blas (Josephas daughter), attended the ceremony.

He so appreciates the people that continue to plan and hold the Chaguian ceremony, Perez said. He is blessed that he is still alive to witness this auspicious occasion. I believe that this memorial provided a sense of closure for our family because it was always unknown for us as to the location of my grandfathers death. Thank you, Guam, for this special event.

Perez said his father hopes that the future generations continue to remember, celebrate and honor Guams Greatest Generation.

His message is that he wants peace. Peace in the memories of all those who were lost, peace among our nations, peace in each other, and peace in oneself, Perez said. My dad said that although the Japanese soldiers killed his dad, he never harbored any ill will or hatred towards Japan. He believed in his faith that God watched over his family.

Research on what happened

The memorials keynote speaker was Peter Onedera, historian, poet, master storytelling, and CHamoru language educator at the University of Guam. He was also the keynote speaker for the memorials 2010 ceremony.

Onedera is another descendant of war survivors. He is a third generation Japanese-CHamoru. His great grandfather, Juan Zenpeijito Onedera, moved to Guam before the war and married a CHamoru woman, Maria Cruz Santos Onedera.

At the time of the Japanese occupation, Onederas children, including Onederas grandfather, and grandchildren, were among the many Japanese residents spared from the march to Manenggon and instead exiled to the Tokcha Pillbox in Yona.

Rather than speaking as a descendant of war survivors, Onederas speech focused on a research study he led in 2004 with a group of 30 UOG students who investigated the Chaguian, Asan, Asinan, and Manenggon memorial and massacre sites.

Weeks before the semester began, I had a meeting with the late Malia Angelica Ramirez, who was at the time the territorial historian, as well as the historic preservation officer for the Department of Parks and Recreation, Onedera said. Malia asked me if Id be willing to have my class do research work on sites that she thought were worthy of submission to the National Registry of Historic Places.

Divided into groups of seven or eight, Onederas class dove into archival records and documents from the Micronesian Area Research Center, the Periodical Room of the Guam Public Library, Department of Land Management, Department of Public Health and Social Services, the 3rd Marine Division, the Archdiocese Office of Records, the Office of the Japanese Consulate of Guam, Andersen Air Force Base, and Naval Station Guam.

They interviewed survivors, family members, descendants, visitors, historians, and leaders and officials from the islands executive, legislative, and judiciary branches, Onedera said. There was a lot of information, [but] I recall the class shared that the true adventure was the field visits to the places. It was a whirlwind of activity for all the students in the class.

At the end of the semester in May 2004, the group submitted a binder of their findings to the national registry. Out of the four sites they visited and researched, Manenggon and CHaguian have both been officially added to the national landmark registry.

There are three remaining memorials before Liberation Day on July 21:
A man admitted to raping an 11-year-old girl, but instead of facing jail time he is being deported to the Philippines and isnt allowed back to Guam.

Khylle Patrick Varela, 20, accepted a plea in front of Superior Court of Guam Judge Vernon Perez on Friday admitting guilt to four counts each of first-degree and second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

As part of the plea deal, he has accepted to be deported to the Philippines instead of jail time at the Department of Corrections.

He had a ticket to leave Guam on Friday night and was expected to take the flight out.

Varela admitted to sexually assaulting the girl and pleaded guilty to the eight counts he was charged with.

According to charging documents, there were three incidents dating back to when the girl was in fourth grade, with the most recent on Thanksgiving 2023. The girl, who was in sixth grade at the time, reported to school counselors that Varela sexually assaulted her on three occasions, including instances where he raped her and touched her breasts while she was sleeping.

The agreement was accepted by the victim and her family who want to see Varela deported out of Guam and to never return.

The judge said if Varela ever comes back to Guam he will be arrested and faces lifetime sentences.

The victim will perhaps be relieved and in a less uncomfortable situation if hes indeed off island. And if thats what is the primary interest of the victim, family in this instance Im inclined to allow the plea to go forward, Perez said.

Varela will also be put on the sex offender registry before he is deported and will be given back his passport so he can leave the island.

Varela sitting next to an interpreter and his attorney Samuel Teker didnt speak much during the hearing only answering questions posed by Judge Perez.

Perez asked Varela if he understood that he is giving up his right to a trial and if he understood that he is admitting to serious crimes.

Varela answered yes that he understood what he was doing by taking the plea and nobody was forcing him to do so.

Judge Perez said the outcome to the case is rare, but said the victim and her family are desiring Varela to be deported rather than be on Guam to serve jail time.

Ill just announce that this is not very common. Certainly, if you find your way back to the island of Guam or really to any U.S. jurisdiction you face a tremendous amount of years in prison, he told Varela.

Representatives from the Office of the Attorney General were expected to be at the airport to ensure Valera got on the flight to Philippines on Friday night.
The Guam Waterworks Authority said residents of Mangilao and Yigo that get water from well Y-03 should boil their water after E. coli was found in a test sample.

On Thursday, GWA collected a sample from well Y-03 and the raw water sample tested positive for E. coli, but the disinfected (chlorinated) water in the distribution system still tested negative.

The fecal indicator or E. Coli shows the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste. Microbes in these wastes can cause short term health effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems, GWA said.

Residents are asked not to drink the water without boiling it first.

Water should be brought to a boil and let it boil for three minutes and let it cool before using or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.\

GWA said it collected five additional samples from the source. The system was flushed, and chlorine levels and pressures have been confirmed to be within acceptable levels in the distribution system.

We will inform you when tests show no E. coli in the raw water samples for Y-03 and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within 24-48 hours, GWA said on Friday.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agencys Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Correction: Dr. Ricardo Eusebio is a board member on the Guam Board of Medical Examiners. Other information was published in an earlier version of the story.

The Guam Board of Medical Examiners is considering a resolution that would allow the board chair and administrator to jointly approve medical licenses when the full board cannot meet quorum, in order to streamline licensing and prevent delays in urgent staffing needs.

The proposal follows procedures used during the COVID-19 emergency, when the chair was given unilateral authority to approve licenses.

Board chairman Dr. Nathaniel Berg opposed that approach and insisted on a joint review process with the administrator to ensure oversight and prevent misuse.

I said that that was not a good idea, Berg said during a recent board meeting. We had to have at least two people. And so I wanted the administrator. So I insisted that the administrator jointly look at it and that it only be under emergency situations.

He added that licenses approved under this process would only be granted if applicants meet all standard criteria and have a clean record.

You really have to have what one might call an extremely clean record, then we can approve it based upon urgency, Berg said. This would allow situations, for example, where it might be delayed. Its not to be abused, and can always be addressed by the board as a whole.

Board members supported the resolution as a practical way to avoid service interruptions caused by quorum issues.

I dont think I would have a big issue with this, as long as it says that this physician is in good standing, Acting HPLO Administrator Breanna B. Sablan said. No prior or pending disciplinary or criminal history in any jurisdiction.

Sablan backed the resolution, emphasizing service continuity.

I never would want a medical license held up for these applicants who have very clean records, and to hold up a service that could serve the community of life. So I fully support this, she said.

Treasurer Dr. Alexander D. Wielaard called for safeguards to monitor the process.

I think it makes sense to have a process to keep things moving forward, even in the event that theres some problem reaching quorum, he said. Any licenses that are granted like this should be circulated to the board, and there should be a review, to see if theres a disagreement after the fact.

Berg confirmed all license actions under the resolution would be shared with the full board and included on meeting agendas for transparency.

I already do that with the temp licenses, he said. Every single board member is going to know it, so that you can, if there was something that shouldnt have gotten done, that you can be caught as early as possible.

Berg also raised concern about granting permanent licenses without full board approval. He proposed allowing short-term extensions of temporary licenses but acknowledged legal restrictions may prevent that.

Board member Dr. Ricardo Eusebio said current law likely does not permit temporary license extensions.

I dont think you can extend the temporary license. Current law does not allow it, Eusebio said. You either have to take it away or give it a full license.

The board agreed to seek legal review and revise the resolution to prevent misuse and clearly define when joint approvals can be used. They made clear that the process should only be used when absolutely necessary to avoid abuse.

Board staff will update the draft and circulate it to members and legal counsel for further review before the August meeting. Berg said there is no rush and urged careful preparation to avoid mistakes.
The National Weather Service said residents can expect fewer showers on Liberation Day, but still with a slight chance of thunderstorms.

Thats according to a supplemental weather outlook released by the NWS Weather Forecast Office Guam on Friday.

For the weekend, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands can expect mostly cloudy skies, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms through Sunday night. The current forecast for Liberation Day on Monday is fewer showers, but a slight chance of thunderstorms.

Therefore, expect a mix of sun, spotty showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. For those with outdoor festivities planned through the weekend, or for those watching the parade, plan accordingly for heat and humidity by staying hydrated, and for the potential threat of lightning, by having a safe place to take cover, as needed, NWS said.

Tents, canopies, tarps and umbrellas are not safe refuge in a thunderstorm, NWS said.

Through the weekend, residents should keep up to date with the latest forecasts and conditions, especially if theyll be at the beach or out on the waters, at www.weather.gov/gum.

For any outdoor plans and activities, keep weather awareness and safety in the forefront of your plans, NWS said.

Regional weather

NWS said regional weather remains active Friday morning with showers, spotty thunderstorms and mostly cloudy conditions extending across the Marianas westward to the Philippines.

Invest 96W, near northern Luzon of the Philippines, remains the subject of a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 96W sits outside and west of the NWS Guam Area of Responsibility and poses no threat to the Marianas or western Micronesia.

However, it will keep the monsoon pumping across far western areas, near and west of Palau and Yap. Near the Marianas, the tropical upper-tropospheric trough cell (TUTT) continues its slow westward trek into the Philippine Sea.

The TUTT axis sits west of Guam but is generating a swath of showers, thunderstorms and overcast skies across the Marianas. The TUTT will continue slowly westward, but weak surface troughs will push through the region this weekend keeping spotty showers and isolated thunderstorms nearby.
Correction: Teresita Diegos father is Gonzalo Taitague. Other information was published in a previous version of the story.

Tihu Lujan, grandson of Teresita Terry Leon Guerrero Taitague Diego, shared her story of resilience after the war during the Hasso Inalahan ceremony on Friday.

Diego was born on October 8, 1941, exactly two months before the start of the Japanese occupation of Guam.

She does not remember the war or the early days of rebuilding, but she does remember simpler times, Lujan said. As the oldest, Terry spent most of her childhood helping her mom, Tan Ana Leon Guerrero Taitague, raise her 12 younger siblings, Frank, David, John, Joseph, Mary, Fred, Danny, Roy, Jane, Richard, Annie, and Jessie. When they werent cooking, cleaning, or praying, Terry remembers playing hopscotch, marbles, and coin toss with her siblings. Sometimes, they would forage in the nearby boonies for a sweet lemon dechina snack.

Diegos father, Gonzalo Meno Taitague, worked as a carpenter and mason. Her parents were one true pair working to provide for their family and their future. She found such qualities in her husband, Frank Paulino Diego, a policeman she knew from the village. They married at St. Josephs in 1962 and celebrated 60 years of marriage before he passed in 2022.

Lujan spoke at the Inalahan Memorial, which was unveiled in 2023, and selected because of its proximity to areas where villagers gathered as they prepared for the march to Manenggon. There were also several concentration and internment camps throughout the village during the war.

Diego was one of the few from her generation to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Guam in 1972. She spent three decades teaching at Inarajan Elementary School before retiring in the 1990s. Today, she has six children, 19 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, all of whom she is most grateful to have in her life.

Lujan expressed how stories about survivors after the war are important to fully grasp the resilience and strength of Guams Greatest Generation and the foundation they laid for todays CHamoru spirit.

Were not always just remembering the occupation, Lujan said. A lot of the war was the rebuilding, the recovery, and the trauma that has lasted generations. It absolutely instills a sense of gratitude for their resilience for doing what they needed to raise their families in spite of that foundation.

The islands gratitude is given form by the Manenggon Memorial Foundation as they collaborate with the village mayors to continue to erect and develop war memorials throughout the island.

The foundations chairman William Flores singles out the Inalahan memorials location for its view of the village.

If you stand at this memorial and you look towards the hills and towards the valley, you can see where many of the atrocities that happened in Inalahan took place, Flores said. You can put yourself in peoples places when they were grabbed and [taken away] all over the island.

Flores revealed that there will be phase two for each village memorial. The Manenggon Memorial Foundation will soon begin building pavilions for people to meet, pray, and reminisce at each memorial site in Barrigada, Hagat, Mangilao, and Inalahan, hinting at a master plan for the Manenggon Memorial.

We have over 28 acres of property that was deeded for the purpose of the memorial, and a lot of you are connected to the memorial whether or not you are a war survivor through your parents or your grandparents, Flores said. Our hope is that you will never forget what happened here.

Until these projects are off the ground, the current ongoing project of the foundation is a war survivor yearbook featuring contemporary photos of war survivors and submitted photos of family members lost during the war.

The first volume is already complete and available through the Manenggon Memorial Foundation, but a second volume is in the works. People are encouraged to contact the foundation or their local mayors office for more details or to submit photos.
The 2026 gubernatorial race got a little more crowded Friday, with Democrat Sen. Joe San Agustin and Republican Speaker Frank Blas Jr. both confirming plans to run for Adelup.

Their announcements double the number of confirmed 2026 Adelup hopefuls from two to four.

Democrat Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio and former Republican senator Marcel Camacho previously announced their own 2026 bids for the governors seat.

Meanwhile, businessman Charlie Hermosa, who previously expressed an interest in Adelup, said Friday hes leaning more towards a potential run for the Guam Legislature, with a decision coming in the next few days.

Notably, none of the four confirmed gubernatorial candidates have yet locked in a running mate.

The candidates

Democrat San Agustin, who confirmed his run first on Friday morning, said he came to the decision after talking it over with his family, wife, and a lot of people. He said he wants to help the island move forward.

The people are going through difficult times and challenging times. We need to figure out a way to get it done, he said. I mean, just look aroundare you happy with what youre dealing with?

A former Guam Education Board chairman, police officer, and tax investigator, San Agustin is now in his fifth term in office as a senator.

Republican Speaker Blas, who confirmed his run second, said its not the first time hes weighed a gubernatorial campaign.

I stepped away fromrunning the two last terms for the sake of the party and for the people. But I think that now the time is right for me to throw my hat in the ring, Blas said.

He said hes aiming to ensure that this is the government of the people and by the people.

Blas is also a former policeman, Guam Homeland Security advisor, owner of insurance firm Frank Blas & Associates Inc., and is on his seventh term as a senator.

Asked about his running mate, San Agustin said the person I choose, will have the same vision and the passion to help the people of Guam.

Meanwhile, Blas said he has a short list of potential running mates, but stayed tight lipped about who he plans to run with him.

San Agustin: Come up with solutions

The democrat senator pointed to his track record of working with both Republicans and Democrats while at the Legislature.

We need to find ways. We need them to stop making excuses of the problems of the agencies, but come up with solutions, he said.

He highlighted his own, pending bill to let the Guam Department of Education lease out old school property and help generate cash.

San Agustin said he also wanted to find a way to address the drug problem by helping law enforcement scrutinize containers at the Port Authority of Guam, with additional manpower or x-rays of containers that come through.

On the issue of a new hospital, he said, lets build a hospital, and said he was more interested in getting it done than the location.

Blas: Change in mindset

Speaker Blas said there needs to be a change in mindset where this government doesnt dictate it to the people. It talks to the community.

Were at the cusp of great things that can happen for Guam, he said, between the military expansion, the celebration of 75 years of the Organic Act of Guam, and the rebuilding of a new tourism industry.

To ensure GovGuam handled its responsibilities and got the best bang for its buck the community needs to be engaged, he said.

Blas said more specific policies will be rolled out after speaking further with the community and ironing out the fiscal year 2026 budget for the government.

He said he plans to keep his role as speaker through the 2026 campaign season.

Well keep those things in silos, he said, with his work as a lawmaker separate from his aspirations as the islands chief executive.

Other candidates

Hermosa meanwhile said he believes a run at the Legislature might be the more strategic move for 2026, given rumors about members of the current Legislature seeking a 2026 gubernatorial run.

He said not having the right folks in the 39th Guam Legislature no matter who the governor is, were not going to be able to move the island.

That decision is still pending, he said.

But policy proposals include an elected sheriffs office to consolidate law enforcement power, steps to fill in the poverty gap, and a fleshing out of every single process the government runs.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Tenorio has kept up his head start on fundraising, with his campaign hosting a Thursday night fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom.

Fundraiser tickets went for $250 each, based on a flyer circulated by his campaign.

Tenorio announced his campaign way back in 2023, and raised $185,581.01 as early as last September.

Camacho, who last held public office in the 25th Guam Legislature in 1999 to 2000, confirmed in January he will run for governor in 2026.

Camacho in January said the people spoke in this last election and gave the Republicans a majority and he believes the trend may continue into the next election and allow a Republican to be governor again.




Haiti - Politic : Colombian President Petro expected in Haiti





Colombian President Gustavo Petro is expected in Haiti this Friday, July 18, 2025, for his second visit of the year. Petro plans to stay in Haiti until Saturday. The objective of this trip is "primarily to support Haiti's efforts to overcome the political, social, economic, and security crisis."



During his stay, President Petro will meet with the country's senior officials, whom he met on January 22 during a several-hour visit to Jacmel to strengthen bilateral relations. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44119-haiti-politic-brief-visit-of-colombian-president-gustavo-petro.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44129-haiti-jacmel-joint-declaration-of-the-axes-of-cooperation-between-haiti-and-colombia.html



The Colombian President believes that his country owes a debt of gratitude to Haiti for supporting its independence in the 19th century, and must therefore contribute to its pacification and reconstruction.



"The Caribbean needs peace, and there are risks of war, one of which is in Haiti. I hope Colombia will contribute to the pacification of Haiti for one fundamental reason : it was Haiti that provided the first ships, the first men, and the first weapons so that Colombia could achieve its independence from Spain," Petro said at an event in Medellin.



On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in a speech at the closing of the Hague Group meeting in Bogota, Petro reiterated his sympathy for Haiti, which "made the first revolution in the Americas," and also emphasized that "half of the Colombian flag is the flag of Haiti," due to its blue and red colors.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Insecurity : Under fire, police save thousands of artworks





In the days following the burning of Port-au-Prince's famous Hotel Oloffson by gangs from the "Viv Ansamn" coalition https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45287-haiti-flash-the-oloffson-hotel-more-than-a-century-of-history-gone-up-in-smoke.html , rumors circulated that the next target would be the Art Center (Centre d'Art) one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the Caribbean and home to many of Haiti's most important works of art.



Allenby Augustin, Director of the Museum and Art School, had long been concerned about the Center's security. By March 2025, the "Viv Ansamn" coalition had moved into the neighborhood, occupying neighboring houses and stealing the Center's solar panels, generator, and batteries. The bandits also vandalized the center, drilling holes in the walls to enter surrounding homes without using the street.



The gang members attempted to open the containers containing the precious artworks, but it appears the works inside are still intact.



Last weekend, a successful art salvage operation was carried out by no fewer than 60 people, including dozens of police officers and museum employees. Despite sporadic gunfire from the bandits, they managed to save thousands of artworks and documents representing Haiti's cultural heritage during the two-day operation. The police used armored vehicles to clear the barricaded streets around the center and establish a security perimeter.



The artworks, including paintings by 20th-century masters such as Hector Hyppolite, Philome Obin and his son Antoine, as well as sculptures by Georges Liautaud, were transported under armed escort out of gang-controlled territory to an undisclosed location. Art Center staff are currently conducting an inventory to determine if anything is missing. Augustin, who is pleased that most of the 6,000 works and 3,600 documents were found intact, emphasized the importance of the collection. "The entire collection of the Art Center and the Haitian Art Museum represents a unique and irreplaceable cultural heritage for the nation, of inestimable value. Its preservation is essential to transmit Haitian history and identity to future generations."



Furthermore, the Art Center, whose public activities have been suspended since February 2025 due to growing insecurity, submitted a report to the Organization of American States (OAS) on the living and working conditions of Haitian artists and artisans in the artistic communities of Noailles, Grand-Rue, Carrefour-Feuilles, and Bel-Air. This report is part of the Art Center's project "Ann kwape tout fom vyolans avek lakilti" initiated by the OAS Office in Haiti, in partnership with the Pan American Development Foundation and with the support of the Government of Canada.



Through questionnaires, interviews, and field visits, this survey aimed to understand the concrete impacts of the crisis on artistic creation and to identify artists' priority needs in order to develop appropriate responses.



The results are alarming :



 66.9% of artists have had to abandon their workspaces;

 68.5% have lost materials or equipment;

 82% do not have a safe space to create;

 65.2% cite insecurity as the main obstacle to their activity.



Faced with this reality, artists are calling for urgent and long-term support : financial aid, market access, safe spaces, and professional guidance.



Beyond material needs, this report highlights the urgent need for long-term support: continuing education, career development, access to digital technology, and social protection.



SL/ HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Marchand-Dessalines : Police Station burned down

On Thursday, July 17, 2025, between 3 and 4 a.m., according to witness reports, the police station in the commune of Marchand-Dessalines was the target of an attack by heavily armed individuals from the "Kokorat san ras" gang. The attackers left the commune around 6 a.m. after setting fire to the police station. According to Dunord Cileus, Mayor of the commune, no other buildings were damaged and no human lives were reported.



USA : End of TPS, February 3rd, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has upheld the decision of Federal Judge Brian M. Cogan for the Eastern District of New York, postponing the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to February 3rd, 2026, rather than September 2nd, 2025, as the Trump administration had requested.



La Cayes-Miami Flight, AAN Version

Yves Ducarmel Francois, Director General of the National Airport Authority (AAN), denied on a radio station in the capital any accusation of blocking IBC Airways https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45341-haiti-news-zapping.html . Emphasizing, "We are responsible for designing spaces to facilitate flights." He claims to have invited IBC officials to visit the airport site to determine the spaces that will be allocated to them to ensure compliance with standards. "This is an airport under development; we cannot afford to install temporary infrastructure anywhere [...] We are waiting for IBC Airways and we are available [...]"



Identity theft of a Minister

The Ministry of Trade and Industry informs the general public, as well as the relevant authorities, that a malicious individual has impersonated Minister James Monazard by fraudulently using the telephone number +509 3297-8994 to solicit funds in his name. The Ministry strongly condemns this fraudulent act and calls for everyone to be vigilant to avoid falling into this imposter's trap.



USA : PM met with Pastor Gregory Toussaint

As part of his official mission to the United States, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime met with Pastor Gregory Toussaint, an influential civil society figure and respected voice of the Haitian diaspora. Discussions focused on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), improving conditions for beneficiaries of the "Humanitarian Parole" conditional stay program, which was eliminated by the Trump administration, and ensuring the rights and dignity of Haitian nationals.



Assassination of J. Moise: Prosecutor's Office Requests Resumption of Investigation

On July 16, 2025, after several weeks of hearings, the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeals officially closed the sessions relating to the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. This closure comes after the summary observations of the parties and the final statements of the detained defendants, including Macky Kessa, Joseph Felix Badio, Ronald Guerrier, and the 17 Colombians. During the hearings, none of the defendants admitted guilt. In its closing arguments, the prosecution requested the annulment of the order issued by investigating judge Walther Wesser Voltaire in January 2024. It asked the Court of Appeal to appoint a new judge to resume the investigation of the case, as stated by Magistrate Rocky Pierre.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Chinese firms boost Zimbabwe's job market, says experts

Xinhua) 10:35, July 18, 2025

HARARE, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The increasing presence of Chinese companies is boosting Zimbabwe's job market, a Zimbabwean economic analyst said Thursday.

Dereck Goto, an economic analyst and political commentator based in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, told Xinhua that the ever-increasing employment opportunities brought by Chinese firms, particularly in the mining sector, also mirror a wider trend of economic engagement between China and Africa.

In recent years, Zimbabwe has seen a growing number of Chinese companies that continuously place job advertisements in local media for key positions, indicating their booming interest in local talent.

"In the short term, the rise in job advertisements represents the setup phase. These firms are hiring essential technical and operational staff to establish a local presence and address immediate project needs," Goto said.

"Looking ahead, Chinese companies have the potential to become employers of choice," he said, while calling for them to invest more in localization, skills transfer and long-term talent development.

In a separate interview, Executive Director of the Southern African Research and Documentation Center Munetsi Madakufamba said that the growth in the number of Chinese companies seeking local professionals was a combination of factors, including the growing Chinese presence in the country and a response to local employment demands.

"We do need to ensure Zimbabweans have the requisite skills to fully benefit from those opportunities; we need a serious upgrading of local skills to maximize the potential," Madakufamba said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
HD Hyundai Samho and HD Hyundai Robotics have entered into a strategic partnership with German robotics company Neura Robotics. Hyundai intends to initially test Neura's humanoid robot 4NE1 alongside four-legged robots in shipbuilding. The robot will perform dangerous welding and assembly work at Hyundai shipyards in South Korea.

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The agreement provides for the integration of Neura's 4NE1 humanoid robot into real shipyard environments. This is intended to increase operational efficiency, productivity, and safety. 4NE1 will primarily take on dangerous tasks, thereby relieving and protecting human employees. These tasks mainly involve welding work, where accidents occur time and again. In addition, there is heavy assembly work, which can also be dangerous. The robot is also intended to help prevent a shortage of skilled workers.

The humanoid 4NE1 is also designed to perform complex tasks. To this end, it has cognitive abilities and is capable of adaptive learning. The robot will initially be integrated into the shipyard's working environment on a trial basis. Hyundai will set up the necessary practical test environments at its shipbuilding facilities.

Robust robot hardware required

The conditions under which the humanoid robot has to perform its duties are harsh. In addition, there are strict regulations for shipbuilding that must be strictly adhered to. Hyundai intends to combine the expertise of the three companies to make the 4NE1 suitable for shipbuilding. This includes, for example, making the robot's hardware more robust. It also includes AI-based control systems that enable high-precision, autonomous welding.

However, suitable welding equipment that can be operated by robots still needs to be designed. In addition, AI training data must be created for the production of correct welding paths and the robots must be trained accordingly. The partners plan to have a first prototype ready by the end of 2026. Field tests will then take place. Commercial use could follow as early as 2027.

Neura Robotics is not the only company looking to get its humanoid robots up and running for use in shipbuilding. US robotics company Persona AI also wants to supply humanoid welding robots to South Korea. Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Robotics are among the companies involved in the project.

It is unclear why Hyundai is not relying on the humanoid Atlas robot from its subsidiary Boston Dynamics. Apparently, the Atlas robots are not yet ready to be trained quickly enough for new tasks.

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Read also Cognitive robots: Vodafone to supply 5G for Neura Robotics

(olb)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
"The era when humans program is nearing its end within our group", says Softbank founder Masayoshi Son. "Our aim is to have AI agents completely take over coding and programming. (...) we are currently initiating the process for that."

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Son made this statement on Wednesday at an event for customers organized by the Japanese corporation, as reported by Light Reading. According to the report, the Softbank CEO estimates that approximately 1,000 AI agents would be needed to replace each employee because "employees have complex thought processes."

AI agents are software programs that use algorithms to respond automatically to external signals. They then carry out tasks as necessary and can also make decisions without human intervention. The spectrum ranges from simple bots to self-driving cars.

First billion AI agents by 2025

If Son has his way, Softbank will send the first billion AI agents to work this year, with trillions more to follow in the future. Son has not yet revealed a timetable for this. Most AI agents would then work for other AI agents. In this way, tasks would be automated, negotiations conducted, and decisions made at Softbank. The measures would therefore not be limited to software programmers.

"The agents will be active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will interact with each other", said Son. They will learn independently and gather information. The Japanese businessman expects the AI agents to be significantly more productive and efficient than humans. They would cost only 40 Japanese yen (currently around 23 euro cents) per month. Based on the stated figure of 1,000 agents per employee, this amounts to 230 euros per month instead of a salary for one person.

Son dismisses the hallucinations that are common with AI as a "temporary and minor problem." What he still needs to fulfill his tech dream are software and operating systems to create and manage the legions of AI programs. And, of course, the gigantic data centers and power plants to run them.

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Incidentally, Son's plans seem to be assuming that artificial general intelligence will become a reality very soon.

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Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
The Karfs are suspected of serious crimes including aggravated deprivation of liberty, aggravated assault, and aggravated human trafficking.

The warrant allows for cross-border cooperation between police forces in the European Union. It also increases the likelihood of arrest should the couple be located abroad.

Finnish police have issued a European arrest warrant for Tommy and Karoliina Karf , whose family disappeared from western Finland in May 2024.

They are also suspected of unlawfully removing their children from protective custody.

The family of ten was last seen in the municipality of Pedersore, Ostrobothnia. At the time of their disappearance, the mother was pregnant with an eighth child. The children were all born between 2007 and 2021.

Police say the Karfs took their children from a child protection facility in the town of Nykarleby without authorisation. The children had been placed in care earlier in 2024 after a neighbour contacted authorities over concerns for their safety.

The removal of the children led to a national search, but no confirmed sightings have been reported since. The arrest warrant is part of efforts to widen the investigation beyond Finnish borders.

Chief Investigator Tony Rauma of the Ostrobothnia Police said the inquiry continues with daily tips coming from the public. We are still hoping for information from the public that can help us find the family, Rauma said.

He added that all tips are reviewed carefully and investigated for credibility. According to police, the investigation remains methodical despite the lack of major developments.

Authorities say the criminal classification may change depending on where the family is located. If found outside Finland, the case could be reclassified as child abduction.

The arrest warrant, issued through the European Arrest Warrant system, means the Karfs can be detained and extradited from any EU member state.

The Karf family lived in a rural part of Pedersore before the children were removed from their custody. Police have not disclosed the exact reason for the initial intervention, but Finnish media reports suggest child protection services were already involved before the disappearance.

Public interest in the case has grown since the family went missing. Finnish media have published photographs of the Karf parents to assist in identification.

The Finnish police have urged anyone with information about the familys whereabouts to come forward.

The European Arrest Warrant remains valid across all EU countries, allowing swift legal transfer between jurisdictions if the suspects are located.

Investigators continue to treat the case as active and ongoing.

HT
The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has issued a heat advisory covering the region through the weekend. Forecast models suggest that Laplands all-time high temperature may be exceeded by Friday.

Temperatures in Finnish Lapland have surged above 30 degrees Celsius this week, drawing international attention and triggering official heat warnings .

Rovaniemi, the administrative centre of Lapland and home to the Santa Claus Holiday Village, recorded 31 degrees Celsius earlier this week. This level of heat is rare in the Arctic region, where summer highs usually stay closer to 20 degrees.

International media outlets have reported on the weather shift. US broadcaster CNN and news agency Reuters both published segments focused on the unusual conditions. A Reuters video showed residents and tourists adapting to the heat, with fans and cold drinks replacing jackets and gloves.

Toivo Koivu, a Rovaniemi resident, told Reuters that he expected cooler weather after travelling through southern Europe.

It was very hot there, and we thought that when we would come back to Finland it would be cooler, like normally, but no, it was the same weather as down south, Koivu said.

FMI climatologist Jari Tuovinen confirmed that the region is experiencing a prolonged period of elevated temperatures. He noted that conditions are consistent with patterns of increasing heat events in northern Europe.

The heat has affected local infrastructure and services. In Rovaniemi, schools and daycares have adjusted outdoor activities, and authorities have reminded residents to check on elderly neighbours. Public health officials have issued guidance on hydration and exposure limits.

Tourism operators in Santa Claus Village reported more demand for shaded spaces and indoor attractions. Staff at the popular destination have adapted by opening earlier in the day and providing water stations throughout the premises.

The ongoing heat has also prompted concerns among environmental scientists. Researchers at the University of Lapland are monitoring lake temperatures and soil moisture levels. Data collection efforts have increased due to potential impacts on permafrost and native species.

Laplands previous temperature record was 33.6 degrees Celsius, measured in Utsjoki in July 1914. According to the FMI, current trends indicate that this figure may be approached or exceeded by Friday afternoon.

Meteorologists expect the heat to persist across the weekend, with cooler air returning next week. For now, local emergency services remain on alert for heat-related incidents.

HT
Mariia Levina , who lives in Akaa, Pirkanmaa, said she initially believed she was experiencing practice contractions when the pain began early on 9 July. The intervals between contractions were irregular, ranging from seven to 25 minutes.

A woman gave birth to her second child in the parking garage of Tampere University Hospital (TAYS) after her labour escalated rapidly during the drive to the hospital.

Since they weren't regular, I thought they were practice contractions. But during the day, the pains got worse and I asked my husband to come home, Levina said.

After consulting TAYS, she was told she could come in despite the spacing of the contractions. But by the time the couple reached the hospital grounds, the situation had changed.

On the way there, the contractions became very painful and I felt that the baby would be born soon. Just as we got into the hospital's parking garage, my water broke and I began pushing, she said.

The birth occurred quickly, with Levina delivering her daughter in the front seat of their car within a minute of arrival.

Despite the speed and location of the delivery, she said she remained calm.

I was relieved and happy when I learned that the baby was doing well. The fear only came later when I realised how many things could have gone wrong, Levina said.

Her husband went into the hospital to seek assistance immediately after the birth. The first to arrive was a young physician, who helped secure care for both mother and child. A hospital representative later confirmed the delivery took place in the car park.

According to Levina, the newborn is healthy and calm, feeding and sleeping well.

Levina is originally from Russia and her husband is from Ukraine. The couple moved to Finland two years ago. They say they will always remember the unique circumstances of their daughters birth.

The whole family is happy and we'll remember her birthday fondly. It has become our unique story, Levina said.

According to Kati Tihtonen, chief physician at TAYSs gynaecology and obstetrics unit, births outside the hospital during transit are rare. The Institute for Health and Welfare reports that such deliveries occur at TAYS between five and 15 times each year.

Tihtonen advised that in such cases, emergency services should be contacted. Midwives may be dispatched if there is still significant distance to the hospital.

HT
The woman, referred to only as Mary for protection reasons, is originally from Nigeria. She was held with her children at the Joutseno detention unit in Konnunsuo, a former prison facility, after police failed to locate her in December.

Finnish authorities plan to deport a woman and her two young children to Italy, where they previously received international protection. The decision comes months after the family was held in an immigration detention unit for nearly two months over the winter.

Authorities justified her detention on grounds that she might flee or hide.

Marys two children, aged two and six, remained in detention with her until April, when the family was released. The Eastern Finland Administrative Court later ruled their detention was unjustified.

They were first transferred to a reception centre in Joutseno, then moved to Pori to await a decision on Marys renewed asylum application.

Mary said she feared returning to Italy, where she claims she was trafficked into prostitution. She also cited threats from a criminal network, her ex-partner, and a pimp. According to her, her ex-partner in Italy has expressed intentions to send their daughter to Nigeria for genital cutting.

Mary said she had approached the police for protection in Italy but received no help. Finnish immigration authorities concluded that her claims lacked credibility and again declined to assess her need for protection. Italy had already granted her international protection, and officials argue she should seek assistance from Italian authorities.

Her legal counsel, Emmi Wehka-aho, said the system failed to consider the risks she faced.

Her need for protection in Italy has been dismissed, along with the fact that she already went to the police there to seek help, Wehka-aho said.

She added that the human trafficking support system in Finland had rejected Marys account based on an incomplete interview conducted under stress, without legal representation and with problems in interpretation.

The Finnish Immigration Service ruled that the removal to Italy does not meet the threshold for unreasonable hardship, which could have allowed the family to stay despite the existing protection status.

Authorities stated that childrens interests would be served by remaining with their mother. A social workers report submitted with the renewed asylum application said the childrens wellbeing would be best ensured by staying in Finland.

Wehka-aho said no formal child welfare assessment had been carried out, even though multiple child protection reports had been filed.

She also said that the South Karelia wellbeing services county had earlier decided an assessment was needed, but the process stopped when the family requested to relocate to Pori.

No one has properly followed through with assessing the childrens need for protection, Wehka-aho said.

Marys appeal of the negative asylum decision remains pending, but her request for an emergency stay on deportation was rejected. This means the deportation to Italy may proceed while the appeal is still under consideration.

HT
The investigation began in March when officers detained two individuals and seized five kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of marijuana, and over 100,000 in counterfeit euro notes. The suspects had rented an apartment in Lauttasaari, Helsinki, which was used as a storage site for drugs.

Finnish police have uncovered an organised drug smuggling operation involving at least 15 kilograms of cocaine, counterfeit currency, and an international network of suspects.

Police said the smuggling operation had been active since at least August 2024. It involved suspects from multiple countries and included methods such as transporting drugs in vehicles occupied by young children. In one instance, narcotics were moved in a car with a child under the age of three.

This is highly unusual in organised drug crime. Its rare that parties attempt to pay each other using counterfeit money, said Markku Juurikkamaki, Detective Chief Inspector and lead investigator on the case.

The counterfeit euro notes were described as sophisticated. Initial inspection by police failed to identify them as fake.

Our investigators didnt immediately recognise the notes as counterfeit. Only after a closer look did suspicions arise, Juurikkamaki told Yle.

Authorities have not determined the origin of the forged notes, and investigations continue into how many may still be in circulation.

The group is also suspected of laundering drug profits by transferring hundreds of thousands of euros abroad to destinations such as Kosovo and Belgium.

According to police, the street price of cocaine in Finland can reach 100 per gram. Officials say both trafficking and usage of the drug have increased significantly in recent years.

In total, thirteen individuals are suspected in connection with the case. Five remain in pretrial detention. Many of the key suspects are related to one another.

Those involved include Finnish citizens, dual nationals, and individuals from Kosovo, Albania, and Estonia.

Police say the operation was highly organised and structured across national borders, with roles divided among individuals managing smuggling, storage, transportation, and financial transfers.

Investigators are continuing to trace the groups financial activities, international connections, and potential links to other criminal networks.

HT
The package introduces a reduced price cap on Russian oil exports, marking the first time the EU has altered the mechanism since its introduction in December 2022.

Eero Sauramaki , unit manager at Fintraffics traffic management centre, said that drivers should expect congestion in several regions.

The European Union has approved a new sanctions package targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, including oil exports and financial institutions.

The new cap is set at approximately 48 dollars per barrel, down from the previous 60.

The move follows the United States refusal to support a coordinated G7 decision on the matter. The EU proceeded independently.

EU service providers, including insurers and shippers, are now barred from facilitating Russian oil exports unless the cargo is sold below the revised cap.

The cap will no longer be a fixed dollar amount but will instead track global market prices. Russian oil must be priced at least 15 percent below the benchmark to qualify for services from European entities.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the aim is to strike at the core of Russias war economy.

We are targeting the heart of Russias war machine, von der Leyen wrote.

The sanctions also expand restrictions on the shadow fleet Russia has used to circumvent oil export controls. Over 100 additional vessels have been added to the EUs blacklist, bringing the total to nearly 450. European companies are forbidden from offering services to these vessels.

EU officials say this approach has already reduced the number of shipments conducted by the shadow fleet.

The sanctions extend to oil products refined from Russian crude, which have entered Europe via third countries. Imports of such products are now banned.

One of the sanctioned sites includes a refinery in India operated by Rosneft, the Russian state oil company.

The EU has also imposed restrictions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The measures prevent the unused Nord Stream 2 pipeline from being brought into operation. Nord Stream 1 has been offline since 2022 following a sabotage incident.

Further measures target Russias banking sector. The EU has blacklisted 22 Russian banks. All financial transactions with these institutions are now prohibited.

New restrictions apply to both imports from and exports to Russia. The EU has widened its list of sanctioned entities to include foreign companies and institutions that help Russia evade sanctions.

For the first time, two Chinese banks have been added to the list for allegedly assisting with financial transactions that bypass existing restrictions.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the sanctions as among the toughest imposed to date.

Member states reached the agreement on Friday morning after weeks of negotiations. The breakthrough came when Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico withdrew his opposition.

Fico had blocked approval in an attempt to secure concessions on future gas import bans. The Commission assured Slovakia that its concerns over energy prices would be considered.

EU ministers are expected to formally ratify the decision later on Friday.

HT
Judge declares Altmeyer high bidder for Shepherd Memorial Park

At the end of a hearing that included six lawyers representing various interests in the case, the Superior Court judge overseeing the receivership of Shepherd Memorial Park on Thursday made a series of decisions that will likely allow Altmeyer Funeral Services to purchase the cemetery.

Youre the highest bidder, Judge Marvin Pope said as he gestured with his hand toward Jimmy Altmeyer, who was sitting in a Henderson County courtroom with his attorney, Clinton H. Cogburn of Asheville.

Pope also directed Altmeyer, who owns the West Virginia-based funeral business Dignity Funeral Services Inc., to deposit with the court a portion of the $340,000 he bid last month to buy the cemetery. Dignity does business as Altmeyer Funeral Services.

Altmeyer said after the hearing that he was happy with and respected Popes decisions in the case.

I look forward to doing an outstanding job for the community, he said.

But Altmeyers purchase of the cemetery that was once the property of the late Hendersonville funeral director Tom Shepherd is not yet a done deal.

Altmeyers bid is subject to a 10-day period where his offer could be upset. Durham attorney Daniel Gibson, who was one of three attorneys representing Shepherds widow, Melody Shepherd, at Thursday's hearing, said he intends to move forward with appealing Popes ruling to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Popes decision to name Altmeyer the highest bidder for Shepherd Memorial Park came after he rejected motions filed this week by both Shepherd and Altmeyer. Melody Shepherd did not attend the hearing.

Calling it a fiction, Pope also rejected a trust Shepherd proposed that would have allowed her to bid on the cemetery by putting the property in the hands of the Community Foundation of Henderson County.

I find it is not acceptable to this court, he said. The trust is a fiction.

Pope then listed several reasons the proposed trust fell short of an acceptable way to transfer the cemetery from Shepherd to the Community Foundation.

Those reasons included that the trust Shepherd proposed was not an executed document, it made no mention of who at the foundation would be qualified or licensed to operate the cemetery, it would have expired after 25 years, it named one of her attorneys, Stephen P. Lindsay, as a board member of the trust and it stipulated that Altmeyer would never be allowed to purchase the cemetery.

Pope also rejected a motion Altmeyer made requesting to join the lawsuit the N.C. Cemetery Commission first filed against the cemetery four years ago, saying Altmeyer was not a necessary party to the suit and could not be part of the suit because he was a bidder for the property.

The judge also ruled against a motion Shepherd filed asking Pope to pause an order he made after a hearing in June held at the conclusion of a second attempt at an auction of the cemetery.

In addition to the attorneys for Shepherd and Altmeyer, Sharon Alexander, an attorney representing the N.C. Cemetery Commission, and Mack McKeller, a Brevard attorney whom Pope appointed guardian ad litem in the case, also attended Wednesdays hearing held at the Grove Street Courthouse. Each spoke only briefly when Pope asked if they wanted to be heard.

The motions and trust Pope considered Wednesday were filed after a June 26 auction for the property where Altmeyer placed the only bid of $250,000.

Pope rejected Altmeyers bid that day after learning the offer did not come close to covering costs of more than $331,000 associated with operating the cemetery during the time it has been in receivership.

A court-ordered appraisal of the property put its value between $900,000 and $1.4 million.

After Altmeyer agreed to increase his offer to cover the cemeterys operating costs, Shepherd through one of her attorneys said she would pay $340,000 and run the cemetery through a trust. Altmeyer then offered to pay $340,000 and questioned whether Shepherd could bid on the property.

An order Pope made last December had explicitly barred her from directly or indirectly placing a bid to purchase the property or acquiring any interest in the cemetery.

But during the June 26 hearing the judge said Shepherds proposal to form a trust gave her the right to bid.

After rejecting the trust Shepherd proposed, Pope on Wednesday awarded the property to Altmeyer for the amount he bid in June.

An earlier attempt at auctioning the cemetery, in March, failed to produce any bidders.

In separate enforcement actions over the past five years, the North Carolina Board of Funeral service shut down the century old Thos. Shepherd & Son funeral home and the Cemetery Commission forced the cemetery into receivership after numerous complaints.

Altmeyer eventually bought Shepherds funeral home after it was put up for auction.

Pope on Dec. 23 ordered the public sale of Shepherd Memorial Park, the last remaining large asset of the family that transitioned to the funeral business in 1903 after first selling coffins at a furniture store.
AN environmental group in Henley has lobbied for more funding and support to tackle climate change.

Members of Greener Henley took part in a national climate event in Westminster on Wednesday last week.

They joined with almost 5,000 people to meet with politicians, including Henley MP Freddie van Mierlo about climate and nature action.

The Act Now, Change Forever lobby was organised by the Climate Coalition to ask MPs to support climate action by committing to:

l Deliver vital funding to communities hit hardest by climate change here and around the world.

l Cut bills, back UK jobs and secure a greener, fairer future for all.

l Restore nature to create a safer, healthier future.

The group has organised another lobby from September 13 to 20, which Greener Henley will also be involved with.

Kate Oldridge, executive director of Greener Henley, and members Diana Barnett and Nemone Caldwell alongside Julie Shorter, met with Mr van Mierlo and said he was broadly supportive of their requests, which include funding and outreach support.

Ms Oldridge said one result of the meeting was that the group, along with other green community groups, will meet with their MP at regular intervals to work in a more coordinated way.

She said: For example, EcoSoco, which is doing such wonderful work in Sonning Common and really building its volunteer base with all of these community projects they have got, we are going to be working increasingly closely with them.

Something that EcoSoco raised, which we echoed, was that it would be really helpful to get more support from Freddie for these grassroots groups.

Freddie could use his influence to help us spread our message and reach councils, parish councils and organisations in our towns and villages who we need to reach. Its really important that we come together to take action on climate and nature as communities.

Ms Oldridge also appealed to Mr van Mierlo for more funding for the groups work to make Henley safer, cleaner and greener.

She said: In order to do that work along our three strategic pillars, we need funding. At the moment, a couple of us have been working full-time on a volunteer basis and thats not sustainable.

One of the things that happened on the same day as that a petition was submitted to parliament to call for a national adaptation plan.

So that is to adapt in the face of climate impacts, that plan also calls for funding at a national level to adapt to these increasing climate impacts but it includes community funding as well, so that funding message is really important, weve got to get funding in order to do this work.

Ms Oldridge said that the importance of protecting the countryside and the implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was raised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Mrs Barnett requested that Mr van Mierlo responds to a statement published at the beginning of July calling for action from policymakers to halt the advance of climate tipping points, which when reached, can lead to large and irreversible changes in climate systems that can accelerate global warming.

The Global Tipping Points Conference took place in Exeter at the start of this month, where 200 delegates endorsed the statement.

Ms Oldridge said: Its really important that MPs understand how dangerously close we are and the warnings that are coming from the scientists about these tipping points.

Its really important because the changes that we need to tackle this issue will only come about through communities like Henley pushing for change.

It is absolutely crucial that our representatives understand that there is a strong support from local community groups so that they can make the correct legislative decisions.
North Korea has barred foreigners from a newly opened beach resort, the country's tourism administration said this week, just days after Russia's top diplomat visited the area.

The sprawling seaside resort on its east coast, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pet project, opened to domestic visitors earlier this month with great fanfare in state-run media.

Dubbed "North Korea's Waikiki" by South Korean media, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone appears to be lined with high-rise hotels and waterparks, and can purportedly accommodate some 20,000 people.

State media previously said visits to Wonsan by Russian tour groups were expected in the coming months.

But following Lavrov's visit, the North's National Tourism Administration said "foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted" without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week.

Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry during his early years in power, analysts have said, and the coastal resort area was a particular focus.

He said ahead of the opening of the beach resort that the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible".

The North last year permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic and Western tour operators briefly returned in February this year.

Seoul's unification ministry, however, said that it expected international tourism to the new resort was "likely to remain small in scale" given the limited capacity of available flights.

Kim held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Wonsan last week where he offered Moscow his full and "unconditional" support for its war in Ukraine, KCNA reported.

Lavrov reportedly hailed the seaside project as a "good tourist attraction", adding it would become popular among both local and Russian visitors looking for new destinations.

Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.
PARIS  Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, is inviting travel professionals to join the HERA Challenge, recognizing the performance and expertise of the worlds top travel advisors. Open to HERA members  Accors global loyalty and rewards program for travel advisors  the Challenge will see 33 top advisors flown to Colombia to stay at the luxurious Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena and the Sofitel Baru Calablanca Beach Resort.

HERA (HERA.Accor.com) was launched a year ago, offering more brands, more features, and more capabilities as well as an enhanced digital experience with easy and efficient online tools for booking, tracking and reviewing activity. Travel advisors enrolled in HERA are rewarded with generous points, redeemable for hotel stays or shopping, and benefit from access to enriched hotel profiles, and hotel-level support contacts.

The HERA Challenge offers a new way for advisors to engage with the program, with the top three advisors in each of the 11 categories earning an invitation to an exclusive hosted trip in Cartagena, Colombia from March 9 - 12, 2026. With this challenge, Accor poses the question  what if the experts who design journeys for others were invited on a dream trip of their own?

The Challenge Categories include:

Performance Champions : Top 3 HERA members by total revenue on HERA.Accor.com, and Top 3 by revenue on one reservation.

: Top 3 HERA members by total revenue on HERA.Accor.com, and Top 3 by revenue on one reservation. Regional Stars : Top 3 HERA bookers in revenue respectively in:

: Top 3 HERA bookers in revenue respectively in: The Americas Europe, Africa & Turkey The Middle East, Asia & the Pacific

Brand Experts : Top 3 HERA advisors in revenue respectively for:

: Top 3 HERA advisors in revenue respectively for: Orient Express Fairmont Raffles Sofitel, Sofitel Legend & MGallery Ennismore lifestyle brands

Destination Diversifiers: Top 3 HERA bookers with the most diverse range of destination countries booked.

The trip itinerary for winning agents will feature meaningful local encounters and community integration, aligning with Accors long-standing commitment to sustainable, culturally sensitive travel.

The HERA Challenge is our way of recognizing and rewarding the extraordinary advisors who bring our brands to life for guests around the world.

We believe that it is incredibly important for us to celebrate the expertise, commitment, and the human connections that are at the heart of truly memorable travel. With the introduction of HERA last year, we take great pride in our ability to provide travel advisors with the tools and opportunities to thrive in their profession  and now, a chance to be honored among the best of the best. Pascal Visintainer, Global Chief Sales Officer, Accor Luxury & Lifestyle

The trip itinerary begins at Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena, a 17th-century convent transformed into one of Cartagenas most iconic addresses. Set in the heart of the walled city, the hotel blends colonial architecture with refined French luxury, offering a tranquil health spa, elegant event spaces, and acclaimed cuisine. After one evening, the winning travel advisors will be transported to Sofitel Baru Calablanca Beach Resort nestled along the pristine shores of Isla Baru, just 40 minutes by boat from Cartagena. This LEED-certified sanctuary offers a harmonious blend of French elegance and Caribbean charm, boasting 187 contemporary rooms and suites, each featuring a private balcony or terrace with sweeping views of the turquoise sea. Guests can indulge in diverse culinary experiences across three restaurants, including Asian-Latin fusion at Humo and beachfront dining at Bahia. The resorts wellness offerings encompass a state-of-the-art spa with treatments inspired by local traditions, multiple infinity pools, and a fitness center.

All bookings made with the travel advisors HERA number between November 15, 2024, and November 15, 2025, will count towards the HERA challenge, with the final winners notified in December 2025.

Offering access to over 350 luxury and lifestyle addresses across more than 15 iconic brands  including Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, MGallery, and Ennismores

Delano, SLS, SO/, The Hoxton, and more  HERA equips travel advisors with the tools, content, and support they need to deliver bespoke travel experiences with ease. For more information, please visit hera.accor.com.

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world-leading hospitality group offering stays and experiences across more than 110 countries with over 5,600 hotels and resorts, 10,000 bars & restaurants, wellness facilities and flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing around 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. ALL, the booking platform and loyalty program embodies the Accor promise during and beyond the hotel stay and gives its members access to unique experiences. Accor is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity, and inclusivity. Accor's mission is reflected in the Group's purpose: Pioneering the art of responsible hospitality, connecting cultures, with heartfelt care. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France. Included in the CAC 40 index, the Group is publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

Alexis Blottiere

Media relations & PR Director

Accor
The skills that each manager and leader need to be successful in hospitality are a combination of operations management, traditional business functions, and specialty topics. The connection between industry experience and sustainable education practices has become increasingly important. Is there a way to best prepare managers for the diversity of tasks and traits needed to succeed in hospitality? A new and enhanced educational path can reflect enhanced occupational identification .

Occupational identification is defined as the extent to which one integrates ones occupation into the self or ones self-concept. Examining industry careers, one needs to assess the demand for leaders, managers, and staff for the skills, traits, and personal effectiveness to be successful. These are a combination of management and occupation-specific competencies.

From an educational perspective, the skill set for successful managers needs to be current and enhanced to improve their job readiness. The argument is that people should experience as much as possible to better appreciate, prepare, and understand their workplace demands. Job seekers need to prepare themselves and their skills for multiple entry points in a career path. Hospitality careers have evolved to be more complex than ever before. When the hotel industry connected with Wall Street and the stock exchange, the focus on profit and financials was forever changed. We cannot prepare for everything, but we should have models that will help us adapt to change as it occurs.

How is that task accomplished? One question is, what will the hospitality industry look like in the future? Not everyone will work for a big brand and have a corporate headquarters for support. The hospitality industry is full of entrepreneurs who often find that they are their own corporate office and must supply all the resources needed. Early in my career as a professor, a program graduate called me and asked if I could help him with menu planning notes and resources as he changed lanes in his career and was starting a career as a restaurant owner. He noted that he hadnt considered starting this venture without a support network.

Going forward, if you can say anything positive about it, the pandemic functioned as a catalyst for innovation and new operating models for lodging, food service, and other hospitality segments. The decisions were adapted to the new operating environment or closed for some operations. Knowing what your business is and who you are as an operator is important to follow a path to success. Being self-aware is an important trait.

Self-Awareness

To embrace an evolving and innovative industry, one needs to assess who they are, where they are heading, or where they think they are heading. Professor Joshua Margolis at the Harvard Business School notes, Self-awareness is about developing your capacity to sense how youre coming acrossto have undistorted visibility into your own strengths and weaknessesand to be able to gauge the emotions youre personally experiencing. Additionally, Baluch infers that one tactic might be to conduct individual SWOT analyses, identifying strengths, weaknesses, possible opportunities, and threats or challenges to the career targeted. A simple self-analysis can ask questions like: What are my previous experiences? What do you enjoy? What do you dislike? Do you have a life calling? What types of skills do you have? Do you prefer to work independently or in a group setting? And what motivates or excites you most?

Creating a portfolio of work focusing on originality, work philosophy, and skill set, plus samples of your work, writing, technology expertise, projects, presentations, and Excel expertise, can be both good for a potential employer and yourself. My advice to students in college is to participate and engage with as many learning opportunities as possible to get the greatest exposure to diverse content and add to the tools you have as an aspiring leader. Some note that a diversity of expertise, maybe an ability to multitask, is useful for hospitality leadership.

Multi-Tasking (Jack of All Trades)

The hospitality industry often asks its managers and leaders to take on projects or tasks that are new to them and might require experience or additional education. In short, hospitality managers are immersed in a diversification of tasks, from traditional operations to market and promotion, technological innovations, social media tools, mobile apps, and other tasks that might include managing construction and renovations. I observe that hospitality leadership and management require an individual to be Jack(s) of all trades, or at least multiple trades. A Jack of all trades is someone who has skill in many different areas.

You might think of yourself as a jack of all trades if you can program computers, fix plumbing, and bake a mean cupcake. Synonyms and similar descriptors could be master, expert, virtuoso, proficient, artist, connoisseur, all-rounder, adept, scholar, maestro, guru, professional, whizkid, ace, wizard, Renaissance man, maven, consultant, enthusiast, shark, sharp, mavin, aficionado, crackajack, authority, journeyman, devotee, fan, craftsman, hired gun, aficionado or buff. These descriptors are not a charge to be an expert at everything, but a willingness and adaptability to apply diverse tools to a hospitality managers job.

To be prepared for the diverse demands of a hospitality leadership role one can plan to develop strong multitasking skills, which include communication abilities, attention to detail, the capacity to solve problems quickly, an understanding of guest needs, lead and motivate teams, and nurture a positive attitude to effectively manage situationally and deliver exceptional guest experiences. Additionally, multitasking strengths are team building, motivation, conflict resolution, quality assurance, guest service, communication, interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, adaptability, decision-making, attention to detail, diverse and relevant experience, mentorship, soft skills, keeping current and on industry trends and emerging technologies to better adapt to evolving customer needs.

Multitasking skills in the workplace might include managing multiple client issues at one time, supporting several departmental projects, writing blog posts for the companys blog that debuted on different days, planning travel arrangements for several industry conferences, and helping colleagues with technical issues. Multitasking can help students and managers gain experience and expertise by allowing simultaneous work opportunities on different tasks, exposing individuals to a wider range of skills and situations within a shorter frame, and effectively "cross-training" while building proficiency in each content area.

For example, leadership and sustainability expertise are broad framing skills and abilities for effective multitasking. Such traits can build a framework within hospitality businesses also between service organizations such as hospitality, healthcare, retail, grocery, and human resources, which value a hospitality professionals skill set and could be key to creating new or enhanced competencies. Job competence implies high-performance standards, welcoming feedback, and a continuous learning mode, or what has been referred to as life-long learning. Multitasking managers are problem solvers, data-driven, and effective interpersonally.

Job competence is connected to polychronicity, which is considered the preference for multitasking. Or individuals who prefer to work on multiple tasks at the same time. This sounds a lot like a hospitality manager and leader. Multitasking is often discussed as having a negative impact on employees. I understand the thought and appreciate the discussion. However, I would also suggest that organizations that embrace employee workplace ownership and work engagement by their managers and employees can create an environment where employees (managers and staff) work in a state of being physically, cognitively, and emotionally dedicated to their job role. Managers and employees who refer to or think about their workplace as Our hotel or restaurant engage in a service process that is very different from someone just doing the job. They are engaged, dedicated, and look to learn and apply more and more. Therefore, lodging leaders must create and manage the multitasking process to benefit employees and the operation.

Indeed, shares that multitasking can increase brain power, noting the brain requires constant engagement. Multitasking is one way of keeping your brain active and boosting your brainpower and stamina. Multitasking can help the brain become more efficient in handling simultaneous tasks. The task for the lodging operation is to create that learning environment. Practically speaking, the development of additional areas of expertise increases employability. On the employee side, new traits and skills can add important line items to your resume. The hospitality industry needs to consider itself a broad and encompassing academy to promote learning and opportunity with its employees. Every business wants to keep its best employees. However, the larger goal is to keep people in the service industries, where hospitality plays a huge role, making the hospitality industry a career of choice.

Additionally, multitasking can bolster a persons ability to collaborate and work with team members. As a professor, one thing I hear every semester from students is that they hate to work in teams. However, it is impractical to expect that all employees will work in a silo. Employees who multitask and work with others can benefit from their creativity. It is noted that thanks to a spillover effect, the energy and excitement of hectic jobs can lead to more original idea generation. We can all recall hectic but exciting times and feelings of satisfaction from completing a task or project, and time to recover. From the generation of original business plans to the culinary flourishes of expert chefs, it suggests that people of many different professions and workplaces might benefit.

Experiential Learning and Cross-Training

Wu et al. noted that the impact of time on organizational activities is increasingly significant, and efficient use of time is recognized as a key factor in creating a competitive advantage for businesses. Hotel work involves interacting with numerous clients, frequent task switching, and a high degree of interpersonal dependence, which demands that hotel employees utilize time effectively while managing diverse tasks. The efficiency of operations and learning through diverse experience continues to evolve, and recruiting professionals must consider more about transferable skills. For example, cross-training equips employees with the skills to perform multiple roles or tasks, ensuring continuity when regular staff are unavailable. Some argue that an ideal hospitality team is fully interchangeable and capable of supporting each other effortlessly. This enhances your organizations agility and broadens employees skills, which deepens their understanding of the business operations and goals.

Cross-training as a standard can allow team members to contribute more effectively to the business and enhance their value within the workforce. This training method is adaptable across all hospitality sectors: lodging, food service, tourism, and more. Importantly, this premise doesnt necessitate frequent role changes but enables employees to take on additional responsibilities as needed, enriching their primary role. Getting employees to be open-minded about cross-training starts at the top. Cross-training is not only for low-level employees; management teams can also benefit from implementing cross-training programs. A manager who is given the opportunity to cross-train benefits in many ways, and they have an opportunity to experience their hotel.

As a professor, I have found that hospitality business as a concentration helps students (future leaders and managers) visualize how the functional parts of a business all fit together. For example, a hotel has accounting, finance, sales, marketing, technology, management, and more all under one roof. Many business disciplines in a college are often siloed and do not always introduce to the student experience how businesses functionally fit together. A colleague who was a business strategy professor once told me that she could always identify students from hospitality management. When asked how, she noted they all see how the functional business areas fit together (Good for us!).

The theory would be that the more skills you have, the easier it is to explore other jobs within the hospitality industry. This flexibility contributes to career longevity, allowing you to switch to similar or adjacent roles for new challenges. Offering new opportunities and different channels for career growth can help the hospitality industry retain its best and brightest.

Educating for skilled Managers and a workforce: Multitasking and More

The ever-evolving expectations of graduates skills and knowledge are perhaps only matched by the transformational change rate and complex challenges that exist outside of the learning institution, as new technologies and disruptive events require students to be instilled with a preparedness for life after formal education.

In developing a curriculum for hospitality business education, we are preparing students and soon-to-be graduates with multiple skills and abilities. These skills include problem-solving, leadership, communication, financial management, attention to detail, time management, conflict resolution, a focus on interpersonal communication, multitasking, adaptability, flexibility, cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and teamwork. Many of these topics are often referred to as soft skills. These skills and abilities provide integrated learning opportunities for students via diverse teaching methods and interactives. These skills build on core content and skills for hospitality management and leadership programs, including human resources, management theory and techniques, accounting, finance, technology, metric analysis, and decision-making (Big Data), service management, and a foundation of content on lodging, resorts, food and beverage and multiple segments in hospitality and tourism.

Universities are expected to know industry demands from both students and the wider marketplace. However, as key skills or feelings of general unpreparedness for employment are also shared by senior leaders, there is increased urgency to address such knowledge and skills gaps during their education. For industry in general, Zabojnik note d: Over the past three decades, general managerial skills (i.e., the skills transferable across companies or even industries) became relatively more important for the CEO job as a result of the steady progress in economics, management science, accounting, finance, and other disciplines, which, if mastered by a CEO, can substantially improve their ability to manage any company.

Therefore, the premise is to broaden educational opportunities for executives, leaders, managers, entry-level managers, and staff employees to benefit an organization and an employees career pathway.

Wrap Up

E xamples of multitasking skills include organization, prioritization, delegation, and time management, which can be developed through documentation and list generation, prioritizing tasks, grouping tasks, reducing distractions, and progressive evaluation and delegation of tasks when needed (Indeed Editorial Team, 2024). Diverse skills and traits and multiple learning opportunities in hospitality and core business functions can and should be aligned with course projects and activities to better prepare students and soon-to-be graduates for a new job market.

Some argue that the hospitality industry is a calling. The draw to the hospitality industry is to work with people and engage in a non-standard workday. Lodging managers I have worked with are hard-pressed to detail a typical day, noting that all days will likely differ. Approaching a job as a calling helps individuals tackle stressors more effectively by reducing the negative effects of hindrance stressors and enhancing the positive effects of challenge stressors on performance. As discussed earlier, hospitality must be an industry of choice for employment and career pathways. Our job as educators is to provide students with a wide variety of authentic employability and career readiness opportunities to support each students work-ready preparedness in a scalable and transferrable manner.

A hospitality career calling represents a personal resource that activates further individual resources and yields successful adjustment through increased motivation and engagement. These employees, (Career Calling Employees) value collaboration and embrace transdisciplinary teaching to connect knowledge and understanding. Research on career calling has also examined self-determination and grit. We tell our seniors and soon-to-be graduates that learning is forever. It does not necessarily mean formal education (It can mean that I am all about getting all the education you want). Learning should never stop; position yourself as a lifelong learner while on the job. Learn from companies successes and failures, have a mentor either formally or informally, but be a go-to person for insights and to share their wisdom of experience.

Continuous learning opportunities are available all around us. Learning ideas are shared regularly through online and printed industry and trade associations, providing learning and training opportunities. Sign up for hospitality newsletters by industry experts or hotel chains you admire and wish to emulate. Join hospitality communities or organizations online or in your area. If you can attend conferences, trade shows, local Chamber of Commerce events, Convention and Visitor Bureau events, Job and Career Fairs, etc., do as much as you can. Build your network and learning community.

Sign up for podcasts and webinars that you see on your computer. I did a lot of this during COVID and still do. Many of these opportunities are sponsored and free. Experts also suggest using Artificial Intelligence (AI) via ChatGPT to review your resume, asking it to list the hard and soft skills that you are currently missing. An outside set of eyes never hurts, even digital eyes!

Teaching and learning for hospitality are ever-changing. High-quality education means more than just offering a course for every new and innovative topic. AI is a new opportunity; hospitality leaders, managers, and companies will connect and utilize it optimally. The industry will continue to evolve and grow. You cannot know everything, but always be a learner, research the topics you need, participate in educational opportunities offered, and engage in available work experiences. Lifelong learning opportunities are all around us!

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.

Robert O'Halloran

Professor & Director

+1 252 737 1604

East Carolina University

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It used to be that when someone searched for your business on Google, your Instagram pages wouldnt appear. Thats finally changing, as Instagram has decided to allow Google to display public posts, reels, and videos in external search results.

This change opens a new path for organic reach and discoverability. With Instagram content now visible outside the app and directly in search results, it optimizes visibility for search-first intent. This latest move strengthens the connection between SEO and social media, creating new opportunities for businesses to reach their audiences.

How does Instagram indexing benefit hotels?

The ability to showcase real travel experiences through Instagram content enables hotels to connect more effectively with potential guests. When users can access this level of experiential content on search engines, hotels will experience numerous benefits:

1. Increase in search visibility through user-generated content

As AI-generated content becomes more widespread, the demand for genuine and authentic content grows. AI-powered search engines now prioritize original and user-generated content (UGC).

While travelers are often drawn to picture-perfect photos and videos when planning trips and booking hotels, they also seek real, unfiltered insights into a hotel. Travelers want to see authentic experiences to get a true sense of a potential hotel stay. This change makes Instagrams decision to allow Google to index posts, reels, and videos a significant turning point.

2. Expanding the audience

Instagrams audience is growing rapidly. With Instagram posts now being indexed, this creates an opportunity for hotels to significantly grow their reach. For example, if someone searches for Best Rooftop Chicago, a captivating reel could easily catch their attention. Thats why engaging visual content is more important than ever for search rankings.

3. Boosts local SEO

Using keywords in Instagram captions and hashtags helps users find relevant content. This means that when users make common searches like hotels near popular attractions or the best things to do in a specific neighborhood, properties have more chances to appear and rank higher. Tagging the hotels location and sharing authentic, local experiences increases engagement and helps people connect more directly with the hotels presence in the area.

4. Enhanced and trusted brand presence

Honest reviews of visitors experiences boost user trust. It also strengthens your brand by increasing opportunities to build your propertys search visibility through posts, reels, and stories. Potential guests may feel more confident and at ease booking a stay when they can find engaging content about your hotel.

How to optimize your Instagram content for SEO

Since Google search engine indexing is more important than ever, brands must create social media content with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Here are some key elements that can influence how and whether Google indexes an Instagram post in search results:

Keep your Instagram account public: To begin with, hotels need to ensure that they not only have a public Instagram account but also opt in to the update.

To begin with, hotels need to ensure that they not only have a public Instagram account but also opt in to the update. Use keyword-rich captions: Incorporate keywords organically into your captions. Consider your audiences needs when considering the keywords you target in your SEO strategy and naturally weave them into your captions.

Incorporate keywords organically into your captions. Consider your audiences needs when considering the keywords you target in your SEO strategy and naturally weave them into your captions. Remember, hashtags are crucial: Hashtags work similarly to keywords; adding trending or niche hashtags that correspond with your audiences search queries further enhances discoverability.

Hashtags work similarly to keywords; adding trending or niche hashtags that correspond with your audiences search queries further enhances discoverability. Optimize your alt tags: To improve search engine visibility and help search engines better understand the purpose of your content, include keywords naturally in the alt tags of your Instagram posts

To improve search engine visibility and help search engines better understand the purpose of your content, include keywords naturally in the alt tags of your Instagram posts Engage the audience: Pose queries and respond to remarks to promote interactions. Use clear calls to action (e.g., Share your thoughts, Save this post for later). Stories or posts with high engagement levels indicate valuable and highly interactive content.

Pose queries and respond to remarks to promote interactions. Use clear calls to action (e.g., Share your thoughts, Save this post for later). Stories or posts with high engagement levels indicate valuable and highly interactive content. Consider value-first content: In this new zero-click world, focus on content creation that provides value and information to your audience.

In this new zero-click world, focus on content creation that provides value and information to your audience. Optimize your bio: Using relevant keywords, fully optimize your bio with accurate, consistent information across other digital channels.

Using relevant keywords, fully optimize your bio with accurate, consistent information across other digital channels. Use analytics & insights: Track your insights on a regular basis to determine which content works best.

Conclusion

Instagrams decision to make its content searchable by Google will significantly impact the hospitality industry, where potential guests search for travel content online. Currently, visibility is essential; you need to appear where your audience is already looking. This feature creates a new opportunity for organic reach and discovery and offers hotels an excellent chance to combine social media and SEO through authentic storytelling.

Hotels can boost their visibility on social media and search results by optimizing their Instagram content with the right hashtags, keywords, alt tags, and engagement techniques. Businesses that move quickly to align their social media strategies with search behavior will lead in visibility, trust, and bookings as social media and SEO become more interconnected.

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions. Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests, drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions.

Cendyn has over 35,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries generating more than $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India. To find out more, visit cendyn.com

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ONS Reports 84,000 UK Job Losses in Hospitality Sector Post-Budget



The Office for National Statistics reports that the hospitality sector has lost 84,000 jobs since the Budget, accounting for nearly half of all job losses in the economy during this period.

The hospitality sector has experienced significant job losses since the recent Budget, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The sector has seen a reduction of 84,000 jobs, representing 45% of all job losses in the economy since the Budget announcement. This represents a 13,000-job loss increase in just one month.

The data highlights the hospitality sector as the hardest hit by job reductions, with the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) cited as a contributing factor. The impact has been particularly pronounced on entry-level positions within the sector.

UKHospitality, an industry body, has called for government intervention to address the situation. The organization has urged the government to consider extending existing NIC exemptions to include young people and individuals transitioning from welfare to work. This, they argue, could help mitigate further job losses and support employment growth within the sector.

Additionally, UKHospitality has advocated for lower business rates and a VAT reduction on hospitality services as measures to stimulate investment and revive high streets. The organization emphasizes the sector's potential to contribute to the government's growth and employment objectives if provided with a conducive operational environment.

The upcoming Budget is seen as a critical opportunity for the government to address these issues and implement measures that could reverse the trend of job losses in the hospitality sector.
A mural recognizing Pittsfield residents who fought in the 54th Mass was installed temporarily at Durant Park for Juneteenth. The Parks Commission has approved its permanent display.

54th Infantry Mural Will Be Permanent in Pittsfield's Durant Park

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A mural honoring Black city residents who fought in the Civil War will be a permanent fixture at Durant Park.



On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved the Westside Legends' project pending approval from the Conservation Commission. The mural "Pride of the Westside" was first revealed during the Juneteenth celebrations and will soon be mounted in the park.



President Tony Jackson explained it is "specifically for the 14 soldiers that fought in the war, and we want to make them an iconic hero for our neighborhood." It is one of two that will honor the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the other on College Way.



"These are people from our neighborhood, and we had nothing in Pittsfield to honor them," he said.



"And I come to find out five years ago that I'm one of the descendants of one of the people that fought in the war."

The 54th Mass was the second Black regiment raised during the Civil War (the 1st Kansas was formed two months earlier) and a priority of Gov. John Andrew and abolitionist supporters. These soldiers would prove their bravery not only in battle but against the discrimination and bigotry they faced, and harsh treatment or execution if captured. By the end of the Civil War, nearly 180,000 Black soldiers had seen service in the Union army.

The regiment's establishment in 1863 and its heroic actions at Fort Wagner in South Carolina were dramatized in the film "Glory" starring Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick, as Col. Robert Gould Shaw. Shaw and his troops are memorialized across from the State House in a bronze relief by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Frederick Douglass' two sons were among its recruits and Pittsfield's the Rev. Samuel Harrison of Second Congregational Church was its chaplain.

This project was a collaboration with NAACP Berkshires, ROPE Pittsfield, and the Samuel Harrison House.

"That's how important it was for us to tell that story and to honor those people that fought in the war," Jackson said.



Pittsfield's annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 15 at Durant Park unveiled the mural dedicated to the 54th Mass and, specifically, the Pittsfield residents who served in the combat unit.



The 12-by-24 foot work was displayed temporarily for the occasion.



"This mural was erected just for the day, and the community got to come out and see the mural in the park, and it was a point of pride for the neighborhood and for [WSL Treasurer Marvin Purry] and for Tony that had worked very hard on this for a number of years," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained.



"Now, they're looking to take the mural and create a permanent system where it can be affixed to and it can permanently be at Durant Park, along the fence line along the river."



He explained that the location, where it was placed for the Juneteenth celebration, won't disturb the trees and can be seen from Columbus Avenue and John Street. Planners want to have it up by Aug. 9.



"Your eye will catch this mural, and the story of the 54th is one, I think, which needs to be celebrated in our community at large, and these gentlemen have taken it and tried to share this story with the neighborhood. This is really important," he added.


Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Training for Public Safety Officials

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Fire, police, and emergency medical professionals in Berkshire County are invited to a hands-on training on lithium-ion battery fire response hosted by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority.

The workshop, led by a lithium-ion battery expert with International BAE Systems, covers how to recognize battery failures, prevent thermal runaway, and protect crews from toxic gas exposure and reignition hazards. This training follows a serious fire event at the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority where a battery pack repeatedly ignited for hours and had to be removed from the bus.

This session is recommended if your department responds to fires involving electric vehicles, scooters, or stored battery packs.

The training will be held on Wednesday, July 30, from 10 to 4 at BRTA's maintenance facility at 67 Downing Parkway.
Nearly a hundred people attended Thursday's 'Good Trouble' rally at Park Square. A protester holds an upside-down flag, a sign of distress. The Pittsfield Community Gospel Choir sings at the rally. PreviousNext

Pittsfield Rally Wages 'Good Trouble' Against Trump Administration



Shirley Edgerton recalled the 'good trouble' the late John Lewis did as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement and said the current administration is trying to roll back hard-fought rights. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Community members made "good trouble" at Park Square on Thursday in honor of late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

"Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of non-violent action to respond to attacks that are being posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration, and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people," emcee Sonya Bykofsky said.

" John Lewis coined the phrase 'good trouble,' and he used that to describe the necessary disruptions that lead to positive change. That's why we're here. That is our goal. This is the anniversary of his passing so we are here, again, to defend our democracy, to carry on his legacy, from voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, the Trump administration has launched a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights, but we know again that we will win if we stand together."

The Georgian congressman passed at the age of 80 in 2020. Shirley Edgerton of the Berkshire NAACP relayed Lewis' experience of constant fear as a child because of signs that said, "No colored boys," and "No colored girls."

"His parents and grandparents used to tell him, 'Don't get in trouble.' Nevertheless, as a young man, he was inspired to activism by the Montgomery Bus Boycott that started when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat," she said.

"He said she inspired us to find a way to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble."

She explained that Lewis risked his life countless times by organizing voter registration drives, sit-ins at lunch counters, and was beaten and arrested while challenging Jim Crow segregation in the South.

"While still a young man, John Lewis was already in a nationally recognized leadership position," Edgerton said. "He was named one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement."

The rally was hosted by Stand Up Berkshires, the local NAACP chapter, Indivisible Berkshires, and Berkshire Democratic Brigades at Park Square. Great Barrington, West Stockbridge, and Williamstown had similar events.

It featured several musical performances, including one by the Pittsfield Community Gospel Choir, and a (flameless) candlelit vigil around the park.

More than 1,500 "Good Trouble" events were reportedly planned across the country, some later this weekend. They are the latest protests against the administration's actions since Jan. 20, with the "No Kings" rallies on June 14 drawing millions.

"Here we are in 2025 under the leadership of you-know-who, facing the reversal of civil and human rights gains. There has been a crackdown on freedom of speech by targeting student protests, lawyers, and the press, a blatant attack on DEI that sought to expand opportunities and access for Black Americans, [LGBTQ+] communities, immigrants, and other oppressed groups, and even dismantling the Department of Education," Edgerton said followed by "boos" from the crowd.

She said the president is aggressively attempting to destroy the lifetime work of Lewis and Parks and others such as Ella Baker and Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

To combat this, Edgerton said the youth and younger generations need to be educated on America's history of social, economic, and political disparity, "and the truth of our not-so-smooth history of making progress towards equality for all."

This, she said, includes standing with the immigrant community, staying engaged, and encouraging younger generations to register to vote, and to vote "Republican enablers" out of office.

"Trump is using the federal government as his personal weapon to fire public servants and those he despises that are in his way of his destruction of democracy. He has taken taxpayer money from our communities and is destroying our public school systems. These are lawless and reckless actions," she said.

"What can we do? We can follow the advice of John Lewis. He said, 'If people see something that is not right, not fair, not just, do something.' We cannot afford to be quiet."

More than 100 people turned out for the evening event, holding homemade signs and flags.

Bykofsky noted that could could have been anywhere else but chose to participate and protect democracy.

"I appreciate the fact that you all understand democracy is not a spectator sport, and that you understand we are in a constitutional crisis right now, and you understand the severity of this," she said.

"So, thank you for being here. Thank you for continuing to come out, because you need to keep showing up. The powers that be that want to keep us down, count on the fact that we will get tired and we will go away."




iciHaiti - Economy : Towards the creation of a National Business School





As part of strengthening collaboration with national partners, Eric Voli Bi, UNESCO Resident Representative in Haiti, was received this week by James Monazard, Minister of Commerce and Industry, for discussions aimed at defining shared priorities between the two entities.



The discussions focused on the country's socioeconomic situation, particularly youth empowerment, support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as the promotion of innovation and sustainable development.



Minister Monazard expressed his commitment to strengthening institutional communication, modernizing document management through the implementation of an efficient digital archiving system, and supporting young Haitian entrepreneurs through promising projects.



Among the strategic priorities discussed was also the creation of a National Business School, designed to provide young people with training adapted to the realities of the Haitian market and the demands of modern entrepreneurship.



For his part, Voli Bi reaffirmed UNESCO's commitment to supporting the Ministry's initiatives through a participatory and structured long-term approach. In this regard, he highlighted the convergence of the two institutions' objectives in education, skills development, digital transformation, and youth economic empowerment.



This meeting marks an important step towards renewed cooperation, focused on concrete actions, in line with national development priorities and the values upheld by UNESCO.



IH/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - Politic : Cocktail reception at the Haitian Embassy in Washington





Haitian Ambassador to Washington Lionel Delatour hosted a cocktail reception in the Embassy's reception halls in honor of the official visit of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime.



This cocktail reception allowed the Prime Minister to engage with strategic partners and deliver a message of resilience, hope, and commitment to Haiti's recovery.



High-ranking American and diplomatic figures graced the event with their presence, including representatives from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the ambassadors of Chile and Jamaica. Was also present the representatives from Canada, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, and members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.



The reception brought together influential figures from the intellectual, business, and diaspora communities, including representatives of think tanks, private sector leaders, and partner organizations.



In a friendly atmosphere, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his government's commitment to restoring security, organizing credible and democratic elections, and strengthening stability in Haiti, while addressing concerns related to migration issues.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Sino-Kenya Craftsmen Academy launched in Kenya to boost technical training cooperation

Xinhua) 10:38, July 18, 2025

NAIROBI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sino-Kenya Craftsmen Academy was launched Thursday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to promote cooperation in technical training between the two countries.

The event brought together senior government officials from Kenya as well as a high-level delegation from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Julius Migos Ogamba, Kenya's cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Education, said that the academy, to be based at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in Nairobi, was developed in partnership with Inner Mongolia Technical College of Mechanics and Electrics (IMTCME).

"The academy will provide an excellent platform for nurturing diverse talents and skills, and for fostering cutting-edge research and innovation for the challenges that face the world of today," Ogamba said.

He revealed that the academy will promote people-to-people diplomacy as well as advance linkages between academic institutions and industry in both countries.

Wang Jing, deputy director of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department of IMTCME, said that since 2009, IMTCME has been working in Kenya on vocational education cooperation and has developed a training model focused on knowledge-sharing, which has achieved solid outcomes.

Benedict Mutua, vice chancellor of TUK, said the academy will enable TUK to develop a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application in technical disciplines that offer students an opportunity to become innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow's industries.

Mutua said the academy will not only serve as a training hub but also as a center of excellence, a model of best practices and a launch pad for transformative change across Kenya and the broader region.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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A Chinese university has announced the expulsion of a female student for "damaging national dignity" due to her relationship with a foreign man.

The move has sparked heated debate across Chinese social media.

The decision by Dalian Polytechnic University, located in the country's northeast, said the student would be "expelled" in 60 days for violating a rule against "having improper interactions with foreigners that damage national dignity".

Your misbehaviours on December 16, 2024, caused a terrible negative impact, the announcement said, without going into further detail.

The university also published the students full name.

Over recent days, the expulsion has drawn thousands of comments on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, China's version of TikTok.

open image in gallery The centre of Dalian

Many users are questioning whether the university has the right to judge her personal life and elevate it to a matter of national importance, debating if the institution has gone too far.

The university's actions illustrate a number of issues percolating in modern Chinese society, including discussions around gender bias and a full-on push toward nationalism.

Chinese internet users have connected the accused university student to videos posted by Danylo Teslenko, also known as Zeus, a professional Ukrainian gamer.

The videos showed him being intimate with a young woman in a hotel room. The Associated Press could not independently verify if the woman in the video is the student.

Some on social media called the school's decision to expel the student a sign of the Taliban style, by which a particular nation or group claims ownership over a woman's body.

Others call it misogyny, asking if a Chinese man would be considered a national pride if he had sex with a foreign woman.

The Paper, a state-run newspaper in Shanghai, said it was not just inappropriate to publish the student's full name but also "may even violate the Personal Information Protection Law.

It is improper to graft private affairs onto the public domain for public disposal, said The Paper.

Mr Teslenko confirmed on Sunday that he posted a few videos on Telegram with a girl I met in Shanghai but later deleted them as soon as I understood the seriousness of the situation, according to his post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Our faces were visible, but there was no explicit content or anything disrespectful in those videos, the post said.

I have never said that Chinese girls are easy.

Media reports have said Mr Teslenko and the student met at the final of the Perfect World Shanghai Major, a gaming competition held in December 2024.

An email sent to Dalian Polytechnic University was not immediately answered.
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North Korea has barred foreign tourists from a newly opened beach resort on its east coast just weeks after promoting it as a world-class tourist and cultural destination.

Days after Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov vowed to help boost tourism in North Korea, authorities abruptly halted foreign access to the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area  offering no explanation for the unexpected move, according to Bloomberg.

North Koreas official tourism site, DPR Korea Tour, announced on Wednesday that foreign visitors are temporarily not accepted in the zone, the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper reported.

After years in the making, North Koreas Benidorm-style beach resort finally opened on 24 June  well past its original launch date of 15 April 2019, timed to honour national founder Kim Il Sungs birthday.

The project, centred on a long white-sand beach near an airport in Kangwon province, had been delayed by sweeping international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resort has drawn visitors from across the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). State media touted it as a national treasure-level tourism city  a glittering seaside development that contrasts sharply with the widespread hunger and hardship reported by human rights observers across North Korea.

open image in gallery Children run into sea at the Wonsan-Kalma resort on 2 July 2025 ( AP )

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrated the resorts completion, hailing it as one of the regimes greatest successes this year.

The Wonsan-Kalma resort recently began attracting Russian tourists, with a travel agency reportedly scheduling two more tours for August, according to the BBC.

Mr Kims choice to host Mr Lavrov there on 12 July  instead of in Pyongyang  was widely seen as a strategic showcase. The North Korean leader told Mr Lavrov that he was the resorts first foreign guest.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova lavished praise on the resort during a Sputnik Radio interview this week, calling it a fantastic holiday destination with perfectly equipped facilities.

The resort stretches along 2.5 miles of coastline and can host up to 20,000 visitors, according to state media.

Its reportedly outfitted with amenities aimed at rivalling global beach destinations  a goal underscored in 2017 when Mr Kim dispatched a delegation to Benidorm to study its theme parks, high-rise hotels, and marina facilities.

open image in gallery Kim Jong Un and his daughter on the beach at the resort ( KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty )

A North Korean tourism brochure cited by the BBC lists 43 hotels lining the beachfront, alongside guesthouses on a man-made lake and campgrounds catering to different traveller types.

When the resort was thrown open, Mr Kim was seen relaxing poolside next to his daughter and presumed heir Kim Ju Ae with a pack of cigarettes, cold drink, and a towel.

Tourism is a crucial source of income for the sanctions-stricken Kim regime, but since loosening its pandemic border controls, North Korea has admitted only a limited number of Russian visitors. Foreign tourists are closely monitored, typically confined to approved accommodation and restricted in their movements.

open image in gallery Kim Jong Un waves to a crowd at an opening ceremony for the resort ( KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty )

North Korea hasnt explained why its restricting foreign access to the resort, though some analysts suggest the site may still be undergoing final development or improvements.

The resort is undoubtedly open, but its not quite finished yet, the 38 North programme at the Stimson Centre think tank said, citing satellite imagery.

One of the largest buildings at the resort, a hotel near the Kalmaegi Hotel, does not appear to be in use. There is little activity nearby and the rooftop pool has yet to be filled with water. Its name, along with those of several other buildings, is also missing from a map published by the state of the tourist area.

Earlier, North Korea also unveiled the new Kalma train station, saying it was constructed to ensure a high level of convenience for travellers to the coastal tourist area.

open image in gallery Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae at an opening ceremony for the resort ( KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty )

Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future, Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North programme was quoted as saying by CNN.

More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kims people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defence, Ms Lee added.

A Russian media report claimed locals had posed as tourists to stage a lively scene during Mr Lavrovs visit. Despite state claims of the resorts popularity, the beach was largely deserted, according to a reporter from the Kommersant newspaper, who accompanied Mr Lavrov.

The North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners, Oh Gyeong Seob, an analyst at Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

Some believe the ban on foreign tourists wont last long. If foreign tourists arent allowed to the site, Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars wont come in. Then, North Korea cant break even and it has to shut down the resort, said Ahn Chan Il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.
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Dawn is yet to break in Taipei as two dozen armed troops take their positions inside the citys Songshan Airport. They are practising an assault drill that will help them to learn how to secure an airfield in the event of a possible Chinese invasion.

Elsewhere in the city, heavy tanks and military vehicles roll down the streets, and soldiers build up blocks on a bridge connecting Taiwans capital with New Taipei  a special municipality located to its northeast. In a park, cyclists whistle past Patriot anti-missile defence systems.

Wu Huan Chung, 19, says she was in a PX Mart supermarket when she saw civil defence groups and local officials  who also play a part in military drills  prepare an elderly man for war.

They played out a scenario where a man, likely in his fifties, was worried about a limited supply of food at his house if he didnt stock up on supplies. He told this to the store manager, Chung tells The Independent over a video call from Taipei.

The staff member then explained to him in a calm voice that the supermarket is storing large quantities of food in the supermarket basement for an extreme scenario and that they are fully prepared, she says.

Chung, a sociology student who has lived in Taipei for more than a year, says that staff members at the store were taught basic breathing exercises, evacuation drills for an air raid alert and methods to calm down a panicked crowd.

open image in gallery People take shelter during an air raid drill ( AFP via Getty )

From night to day, without pause  this is #HanKuang41, the defence ministry announced as the annual Han Kuang exercises kicked off on 9 July. More than 22,000 reservists took part over 10 days  a mobilisation unprecedented in both length and scale.

A day earlier, Lai Ching Te, the president of the self-governed democracy who China has branded a separatist, swapped his fitted suit for the olive-green military uniform of the Taiwanese defence forces as he observed amphibious landings being practised by the countrys troops. These could be needed in the event of Chinese naval aggression in Taiwans coastal areas.

On the ground today to observe the ongoing #HanKuang exercises. To strengthen #Taiwans defences against amphibious landings, our troops are utilising the latest technologies & weapons systems in tight coordination  boosting deterrence with increased agility & mobility, Lai wrote in a post on X.

open image in gallery A Patriot air defence system is deployed at a park during the Han Kuang drill in Taipei ( Getty )

Taiwan is facing a rising military threat from Beijing, which considers the separately governed island as its own despite Taipeis strong rejection. Chinas leader Xi Jinping has vowed to reunite the island with the mainland by force if necessary.

The drills included fortifying ports and possible Chinese landing points on the island, which lies 100 miles off the Chinese coast.

Taiwans army and navy are practising how to counter Beijings grey zone tactics, which stop just short of open warfare but aim to weaken an enemy over a long period. They are using weapons recently delivered by the US, including Abrams M1A2T tanks, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) and waterborne drones.

The 10-day exercise is the most intense in Taiwans history. It was meant to be the most realistic simulation of how Taiwan would defend itself against a possible Chinese invasion, which the Pentagon has said could happen in or before 2027.

open image in gallery CM-32 Clouded Leopard armored vehicles are deployed near the Port of Taipei ( AFP via Getty )

The defence ministry has called on the public to show patience with any disruptions to flights or traffic and not to believe false information distributed about the exercises.

Civil defence volunteers say the drills are a welcome change as they help to educate the Taiwanese population about the danger of Chinese military escalation.

Yi Chou, a member of WatchOut, an NGO working on generating awareness about a potential invasion, says she is relieved that the drills have made the Chinese invasion a mainstream national concern.

We as volunteers have been working on this but only until like a few weeks ago, I began a light-hearted conversation with my family that we should really start preparing. It is not an easy topic in Taiwan, especially if you want to talk with your parents, she tells The Independent.

Instagram and other social media platforms help to keep young people educated, she says, but conversations about preparing for an attack with parents can be difficult.

If something really happens, questions like where should we meet are an uncomfortable eventuality to prepare for.

She adds: Other than that, people are discussing what food and medical aid they are keeping in their emergency bags, which shows that everyone is preparing.

open image in gallery An employee shutters a shop before an air raid drill coinciding with the Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei ( AFP via Getty Images )

Taiwan is already battling Chinese disinformation attacks, according to lawmakers from President Lais ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which stands for the islands independence.

They say the Han Kuang drills are unprecedented in scale and duration.

We are facing China so we want to be well prepared. The administration knows civil resilience is very important and it represents a crucial component of our national security, says Fan Yun, a member of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

We are demonstrating to our enemy our determination and ability to defend ourselves with practical actions, she tells The Independent.

open image in gallery People take part in an air raid drill in Taipei ( AP )

If our adversary wants to take any extreme action, we want them to know that Taiwan has the ability to protect itself, that we have the resilience to sustain for quite a long time and that the cost will be too big for them to bear.

China has responded to Taiwans military drills in typically brutal fashion.

The Han Kuang exercise is nothing but a bluffing and self-deceiving trick by the DPP authorities, attempting to bind the Taiwanese people to the Taiwan independence cart and harm Taiwan for the selfish interests of one party, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Colonel Jiang Bing said at a news conference.

No matter how they perform or what weapons they use, they cannot resist the PLAs anti-independence sword and the historical trend of the motherlands inevitable reunification, Col Jiang said.

open image in gallery Taiwans president, Lai Ching Te, watches a naval defensive mine-laying drill in Kaohsiung ( Getty )

On Thursday alone, China sent 58 PLA aircraft, 9 PLA navy vessels and one official ship around Taiwan in the early hours, in what Taiwan said were harassment operations around Taiwans air and sea domains to disrupt the Han Kuang exercise under the pretext of a so-called joint combat readiness patrol.

Though there is debate within China over whether to invade Taiwan, residents on the island are united. The preparations cut across party lines: drills involve different municipal authorities, national government agencies and professional emergency responders.

Such unity and preparation is key to maximising Taiwans defence, says Fan Yun.

In Taiwan we say, the colour of your political partys flag does not matter, because a missile has no eyes.
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The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), widely described as an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a foreign terrorist organisation for its role in the April Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.

On Thursday, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that TRF was behind the Pahalgam attack and other assaults on Indian security forces. He highlighted the new sanctions as proof of US president Donald Trumps tough foreign policy stance.

These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, the State Department said in a statement.

On 22 April, assailants, armed with automatic weapons, targeted unarmed civilians in the Baisaran Valley, a popular destination frequented by tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir. The terror attack claimed the lives of twenty-six people.

Although TRF initially claimed responsibility for the attack, it later retracted and denied any involvement.

Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organisation, is a Pakistan-based Islamist group blamed for orchestrating attacks in India and abroad  most notably the three-day siege of Mumbai in November 2008 that left more than 160 people dead and hundreds injured.

In his statement on Thursday, Mr Rubio described TRF, which surfaced in 2019, as both a front and proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The South Asia Terrorism Portal, a Delhi-based think tank, also identifies it as an offshoot of the banned militant group.

Kashmiri boatmen hold placards handed out by students during a protest organised by them, following an attack on Indian tourists by gunmen on 24 April 2025 in Srinagar ( Getty Images )

Indian prime minister Narendra Modis nationalist government swiftly pointed fingers at Pakistan following the Pahalgam massacre, accusing its neighbour of harbouring and backing militant groups responsible for attacks on Indian civilians and security personnel.

The nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan, both assert full territorial claims over Kashmir, but each controls only portions of the disputed region. This longstanding conflict has sparked three wars between them since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Following the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting what it called terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A brief military escalation ended in a ceasefire on 10 May  a development Mr Trump claimed was the result of his efforts to broker peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

On Thursday, Mr Rubio described the Pahalgam attack as the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT.

Last month, Indian investigators said all three militants behind the April Pahalgam attack were Pakistani nationals linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Earlier, the police had claimed that one attacker was a resident of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, was quoted as saying by Reuters that in designating TRF, Washington is flagging its concern about the terrorist attack that provoked the recent India-Pakistan conflict, and siding with New Delhis view that the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He added: This can be a shot in the arm for a US-India relationship looking to rebound after a few tough months.
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In the monsoon-drenched forests of a coastal town in southern India known for its lush hills and spiritual retreats, a Russian woman was found living off grid in a cave with her two small daughters, without electricity or modern amenities.

Police officers patrolling the slippery trails of Ramteertha Hills in Indias Karnataka state stumbled upon an unusual sight earlier this month when they saw a cave curtained with a cloth and a little blonde girl running out barefoot from a hole in the mountain.

The woman, identified as Nina Kutina, 40, had made a home deep in the woods with her daughters, aged five and six, police said. The family had no valid visas and was undocumented in the country.

Police officer Sridhar SR confirmed the family had been residing in the cave for over a week.

Authorities are now arranging for Kutinas repatriation to Russia, as she had overstayed her visa. She and her daughters have been transferred to a detention facility, near the state capital Bengaluru, for foreign nationals living in India illegally.

Kutina has defended her decision to live in the wild with her daughters and said they were healthy and happy in the forest.

Kutinas case has since snowballed into a tale of adventure, parental rights, bureaucracy and international legal hurdles.

Forest dwelling discovered by chance

Authorities had ramped up forest patrols in the Gokarna forest bordering tourist hotspot Goa due to landslide risks in the area and it was one of these patrols that found the dwelling on 9 July. The cave lay within the jungle.

open image in gallery Indian policemen rescue Nina Kutina, 40, a Russian woman, from a cave in forest area of Ramteertha hills in the southern state of Karnataka ( AP )

Kutina was reluctant to leave the cave as officers tried to warn her about the dangers of living in the wild.

It is nothing but her love for adventure that brought her here, Sridhar SR said.

He added that Kutina told the police she had worked as a tutor of Russian in Goa and spent time in the cave meditating by candlelight, feeding her children, painting, singing, and reading books.

Kutina has defended her decision. We were not dying, and I did not bring my children, my daughters, to die in jungle. They did not feel bad, they were very happy, they swam in waterfall, they lived, had very good place for sleeping, a lot of lessons with art making, we made from clay, we painted, we ate good, I was cooking with gas, very good and tasty food, she told the ANI news agency.

Kutina says they were not living far from civilisation. She chose that location because it is very close to a village where she bought supplies.

Its very big and beautiful cave, and not small, and its like it has window to look to ocean.

Who is Nina Kutina?

Russian by birth, Kutina has told Indian news agencies that she has not lived in Russia for 15 years. She has travelled extensively  Costa Rica, Bali, Thailand, Malaysia, Ukraine, Nepal  and says she gave birth to four children, including a son who died in a road accident in Goa last year. Her other son, aged 11, lives in Russia.

open image in gallery Nina Kutina talks to the ANI news agency ( X/@dna )

The two girls with her in the forest were reportedly fathered by Dror Goldstein, an Israeli businessman currently residing in India. He told NDTV that Kutina had left Goa with the children without informing him, prompting him to file a missing persons complaint.

Goldstein is now pushing for joint custody and opposes the governments plan to deport the children to Russia.

Police say Kutina sent a long and emotional text message to her friends after she was found in the cave. In the message, she condemned the authorities for forcibly removing her and her family from a peaceful, natural life into what she describes as a prison-like shelter.

And we were placed in a prison without sky, without grass, without a waterfall, with an icy hard floor on which we now sleep for protection from rain and snakes, she wrote.

Not once in our entire life there did a snake ever harm us. Not a single animal attacked us. For many years, the only thing we feared was people. She also expressed her anger with humans, saying they are the only creatures who act abnormally.

Im hurt by the world of humans  where people with no proper education are given positions that give them power over the lives of others  whole families, even, she added.

They carry out these horrifying vigilante justices, based purely on their fears, on childish fairytales, not on real experience, not on knowledge, but on rumours, on cowardice.

Life in the cave

The three were found with only their belongings, including plastic mats, a few clothes, some grocery items, and packets of instant noodles. There was no electricity or running water, but Kutina says they were content. Days were spent swimming in a nearby waterfall, cooking simple meals, and making art from clay and natural materials.

The entrance to their cave had been curtained off with colourful saris.

Videos shot by police show the children smiling and dressed in bright Indian clothes, seemingly at ease. Kutina told reporters that they had access to groceries from a nearby village and that she made sure her daughters were well-fed and engaged.

Kutinas forest stay, she says, was not driven by spirituality but by the familys love for nature. A Hindu idol of Panduranga Vittala, an avatar of the god Krishna, was found in her cave.

It is not about spirituality. Its not about it. We just like natural because it gives us health....

The children have not attended school so far, according to a Times of India report.

Kutina, who claims to be a trained teacher in art and Russian literature, said she plans to formally homeschool her children with proper documentation.

I earn money through all these activities. And if I dont have any work, if I cant find anyone who needs what I can offer, then my brother, my father, or even my son helps me. So we always have enough money for what we need, she said.

Kutinas legal status

The puzzle of when and how Kutina entered  or re-entered  India remains unsolved.

Police found an old passport showing she arrived in India on a business visa in October 2016, valid until April 2017. She overstayed and was eventually issued an exit permit by Goas Foreigners Regional Registration Office in 2018.

She then travelled to Nepal on 19 April 2018 and some other places before she returned after three months. Reports suggest she has been in India since at least 2020, although no clear immigration record exists to verify this.

She said she has travelled to at least 20 countries and she has travelled to around four of them since leaving India in 2018.

Kutina says the visa lapse was unintentional, the result of grief over her sons death. We dont have a valid visa. Our visa finished. I was so sad, I could not think about visa, she said.
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Faulty information regarding an aircraft's takeoff speed led to a passenger plane crash in Nepal in 2024 that claimed 18 lives, a government-appointed investigation panel has concluded.

The CRJ-200LR aircraft, operated by Nepal's Saurya Airlines, went down shortly after departing Kathmandu in July 2024.

All 17 passengers and the co-pilot perished in the incident, with only the captain surviving, likely because the cockpit got stuck on a container.

The flight was bound for Pokhara, Nepals second-largest city and a major tourist gateway for trekking and adventure sports.

Saurya Airlines said that of the total on board, 18 were Nepali citizens while one engineer was from Yemen.

The report, issued on Friday, attributed the crash to a "deep stall during take-off because of abnormally rapid pitch rate commanded at a lower-than-optimal rotation speed".

open image in gallery Army personnel and other officials stand around the debris of a Saurya Airlines flight after it crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on 24 July 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Aviation expert Nagendra Prasad Ghimire said that the aircraft made a premature takeoff before gaining the necessary speed.

The report said errors in a speed card  a document that provides important airspeed information for a specific aircraft, particularly during takeoff, climb and landing  had gone unnoticed.

It said the airline had failed to address previous cases of a high pitch rate  the rate at which an aircraft's nose rotates up or down  during take-off.

There had been gross negligence and non-compliance by the operator during the entire process of cargo and baggage handling, it said.

It recommended all operators review their speed cards and comply with the requirements of cargo and baggage handling.

open image in gallery Security personnel gather near the burning Saurya Airlines flight after it crashed ( AFP via Getty Images )

The panel also asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to review the procedure for permitting non-scheduled flights.

CAAN spokesman Babu Ram Paudel declined to comment, saying he had not seen the report.

Saurya Airlines will do "everything necessary" to implement the recommendations, operation manager Bivechan Khanal said.

The crash focused attention on the poor air safety record of landlocked Nepal, which is heavily dependent on air connectivity.

In 2013 the European Union, citing safety concerns, banned air carriers certified in Nepal from flying the European sky.
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A girls school in Thailand has apologised after facing backlash for reportedly punishing a student with an uneven haircut for breaking grooming rules.

Photos of the botched cut, done with ordinary scissors meant for cutting paper, went viral, sparking public outrage over what many labelled outdated disciplinary practices.

The staff responsible has received a formal warning and the Narivooth School, a private all-girls institution in Ban Pong district in Ratchaburi province, said it will reassess its disciplinary measures.

Until Thailands Supreme Administrative Court overturned a decades-old rule in March, public schools in Thailand were required to enforce rigid hairstyle regulations  cropped cuts for boys and shoulder-length hair for girls.

Since the ruling, individual schools have been granted the authority to set their own grooming policies.

A photo shared on 15 July on a Facebook group called All Ban Pong news showed the students hair crudely hacked  jagged and uneven in length. One side fell to her waist, another stopped mid-back, while the centre hung awkwardly below her shoulders.

Is this really acceptable behaviour from the school? the caption on the Facebook post read. Even if there are rules, students have feelings, too. There should be a better way to solve the problem. Its not right to just grab a student and cut their hair like this.

Two days after the post went viral, Narivooth School took to Facebook to issue a public apology. The school expressed sincere apologies to the student, her parents, and all concerned parties and acknowledged the publics anger and discomfort over the incident.

We value the rights and dignity of every student, the statement read.

The post, however, invited more scrutiny. One Facebook user wrote: What right do you have to do this? This is really not okay.

open image in gallery A photo shared on a Facebook group called 'All Ban Pong news' showed the students hair crudely hacked ( 'All Ban Pong news' / Facebook )

Others called on the students parents to file a police complaint against the school.

The school said it would revise its disciplinary approach by adopting more appropriate and age-sensitive methods that align with educational principles and respect for human rights.

Despite a growing push for student rights, forced haircuts remain a disciplinary tactic in many Thai schools, according to The Thaiger.

A 2022 survey revealed that nearly three-quarters of respondents  74 per cent  reported the continued use of haircutting as punishment.

The practice has sparked repeated public backlash. In one incident in 2022, a student at a secondary school in Nakhon Ratchasima province covertly filmed a teacher shaving uneven bald patches into the hair of ten male classmates.

The video, once online, drew swift condemnation, with many netizens denouncing the act as degrading and a clear breach of childrens rights.

In 2023, a viral video emerged showing a teacher in northern Phetchabun province cutting the hair of more than 100 students as punishment for violating grooming rules.
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At least 178 people have been killed across Pakistan in the past three weeks as relentless monsoon rains inundate towns, destroy homes, and displace thousands.

Officials say at least 63 people died in Punjab alone in just 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday, most of them crushed under collapsing buildings, while others drowned or were electrocuted.

The death toll includes more than 85 children, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

On Thursday, Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, declared a public holiday, asking residents to stay indoors and urging evacuations along the riverbanks as water levels surged.

A state of emergency has also been declared in several parts of Punjab, where floodwaters have swept through urban centres like Lahore and Sargodha and forced military deployment in the worst-hit districts.

In Chakwal, which recorded 400mm of rain in a single day, rescue boats were seen navigating through submerged neighbourhoods.

Videos shared by Punjabs disaster agency showed children being carried to safety in inflatable rafts, and army helicopters circling overhead in search of stranded families.

Mahar Hammad, a vegetable vendor in Sargodha, told CNN that the flood destroyed both his home and his livelihood.

Ive had huge losses. Everything got submerged in water. I work all day just to earn 1,000 rupees ($4), and even that now goes into losses, he said.

A family in Rawalpindi had to be airlifted by military helicopter after they were trapped on the roof of their home. In Jhelum, flash floods triggered by a cloudburst led to rapid evacuations by boat.

Pakistans meteorological department said the country has received 82 per cent more rainfall this July compared to the same period last year. In Punjab, rainfall was 124 per cent above normal between 1 and 15 July, with Seosan experiencing a rare cloudburst that poured nearly 115mm in just one hour.

Dozens of expressways in Punjab have been shut, with flights cancelled or delayed at several airports. Schools and nurseries in the most affected regions have also been closed.

The NDMA has warned that further extreme weather is likely, with heavy rainfall forecast for Islamabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir and parts of Balochistan and Sindh through the weekend.

Thousands of emergency personnel remain on standby, and at least seven relief camps have been set up to provide food, shelter and medicine.

Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the 2022 floods that inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people.

This is not just bad weather  its a symptom of an accelerating climate crisis, Pakistani senator and former climate minister Sherry Rehman posted on X.

How many more wake-up calls before we build real resilience and readiness into our urban planning?

Floods have been wreaking havoc all across South Asia, with dozens swept away in Nepal and landslides and floods killing dozens in India. A total of 109 deaths were recorded between 20 June and 16 July 16 in Indias Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan is home to over 7,000 glaciers feeding the Indus basin, but accelerated melting caused by the climate crisis has dramatically increased flash flood risks.
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The scale of UK cuts to foreign aid means virtually all projects currently being funded in developing countries will be affected. But the cuts are tipped to fall particularly heavily on projects specifically for women and girls.

The depth of the cuts means that there will definitely be cuts for nearly every programme, said Ian Mitchell, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development of Prime Minister Keir Starmers slashing of international aid from 0.5 to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI).

More detail will be set out in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)s annual report, expected before Parliament goes on its summer recess on 22 July.

So what could be at risk?

Contraception for 2.6 million women

Among the programmes that could be at risk is the UK-funded Womens Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) initiative, which provides sexual and reproductive health services across 12 countries in West and Central Africa. The programme has reached 2.6 million people - mostly women in rural communities with no other options.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, where fewer than 15 per cent of women use contraception, the WISH initiative has introduced access to family planning options and information, for some women for the first time.

The programme has averted an estimated 33,000 maternal deaths and prevented 100,000 children from losing their mothers, according to MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the worlds biggest providers of contraception and abortion services.

Giving people control and choice over whether they have a baby now or whether they delay for a year or two can be a real game changer at the time when people are having to deal with a lot of other crises, said Anna Mackay, senior director of global programmes and philanthropy at MSI. Delaying pregnancy has been linked to better education for girls and poverty reduction for whole communities.

Speaking to the international development committee on Tuesday, chair Sarah Champion said she understood the programme was being cut. Development minister Jenny Chapman responded that she was looking at it and had received mixed views, though she added that the work was important and the government would seek to protect some funding for specific sexual reproductive health and rights programmes.

Family planning is often not seen as life-saving - certainly by the current US administration - but an unintended pregnancy in a country with high maternal mortality and no access to safe abortion can spell death, and does for tens of thousands each year.

The UK has been a significant contributor to sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries via its aid spending and could have stepped up to fill some of the gap left by US cuts.

Instead, an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, along with Plan International UK and MSI Reproductive Choices, has projected more than two million additional unintended pregnancies, almost one million more unsafe abortions and nearly 3,000 more maternal deaths are expected as a result of the UKs aid cuts.

Programmes tackling domestic violence

The UK has been a global leader in funding programmes to tackle gender-based violence in a number of Sub-Saharan African countries.

The UK-funded What Works programme has seen domestic violence drop by as much as 50 per cent within three years in communities where it operates. It also generates evidence on which interventions work best to tackle violence. The current programme includes relationship classes and counselling for individuals and couples, education in schools and training the police and health services.

The results show that violence is preventable, said Anne Gathumbi who leads the programme and leads to other outcomes like children being better nourished and doing better in school.

This [UK] funding has been catalytic because it's enabled the growth of this movement, she said. The prospect of cuts is unsettling she added, coming with the prospect that projects proven to reduce violence wont be made available.

Supporting women in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, the UK government has championed programmes to economically empower women and wider Afghan communities, and to help them adapt to climate change.

The situation for women in the country has deteriorated over the last three years with at least 70 directives from the Taliban targeting their rights and freedom.

[The UK] had wonderful programs around supporting local women-led organisations, which were currently facing profound challenges from the Taliban in their ability to operate, said Srikanta Misra, country director at Action Aid, Afghanistan. This included mentorship from larger international NGOs. But this support is now under threat from cuts.

The UK has also, really pushed the boundary bringing in climate change as an issue which is a very important issue in Afghanistan, Misra added. The country is the fourth most vulnerable in the world to the effects of climate change according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Misra said the UK had a particular moral responsibility given its role during prolonged conflict and instability within the country. However, he said, some real progress had been made by the UK in certain areas over the last few years.

But The Independent understands a key UK government programme to support women farmers and communities to use sustainable agricultural methods, prepare for disasters and improve food security is facing cuts of 60 per cent.

Shameful proposal

Development minister Jenny Chapman has previously indicated gender and education projects are not top funding priorities, though she has slightly rowed back on this in more recent speeches.

Care International UKs head of advocacy and policy, Dorothy Sang said the poverty-fighting charity remained, deeply concerned about the governments shameful proposal to cut aid funding for gender equality.

We urge the prime minister to reverse course, and ensure the UK is not complicit in the global rollback on gender equality: by protecting gender-focused aid and by standing up for womens rights on the global stage.

An FCDO spokesperson said: The UK is a leading voice in championing the rights of women and girls. That is why the Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy to champion the rights of women and girls globally.

We have supported 191 civil society organisations across 70 countries to reach more than 7.7 million women and girls at risk of violence and have pioneered approaches that show around 50 per cent reductions in gender-based violence. From healthcare and education to economic empowerment, our support is changing lives."

This article was produced as part of The Independents Rethinking Global Aid project
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Vaping may alter a babys skull shape in the womb, according to researchers.

Exposure to two liquid ingredients in the e-cigarettes used to create vapings throat hit and smoke plume were tied to the changes  even without the addiction-driving nicotine.

This had no nicotine, and its still having effects on the development of the skull in our model, which was not anything we expected, Dr. James Cray, a professor of anatomy in The Ohio State University College of Medicine, said in a statement.

To reach these conclusions, Cray and his team studied the effects in pregnant mice. The mice were either exposed to filtered free air or the two substances at differing concentrations. Some were given 50 percent each of propylene glycol and glycerol (the two liquid ingredients), or 30 percent of propylene glycol and 70 percent glycerol.

During their roughly 20-day pregnancy, the mice were exposed to vaping conditions at a rate of one puff each minute for four hours during the course of five days every week.

open image in gallery Vaping may alter a babys skull shape while in the womb. Researchers say exposure to two liquid ingredients was tied to the changes ( Getty Images/iStock )

Then, their pups skulls were scanned two weeks after birth, measuring cranial width and height. They found that there were statistically significant reduced measurements in the mice exposed to the 30 percent and 70 percent mixture compared to those exposed to free air and the 50 percent formula.

Cray, the lead author of the work, noted that because propylene gylcol had been linked to an increased uptake of nicotine, a lot of companies have moved toward getting away from a high percentage of propylene glycol toward more glycerol, trying to position this as a safer alternative.

The researchers had believed that heavier propylene glycol should be causing more effects but he said it was the exact opposite.

The results were consistent across several litters of mice in both biological sexes.

What we see is a consistent narrowing of all of the facial features, and the same thing as we move back into the cranium as well. So globally theyre narrower and a little bit shorter-headed, which does mimic some observable changes that we see in children, Cray explained.

open image in gallery Researchers are continuing to examine the health effects of e-cigarettes and their ingredients. Millions of Americans vape ( Getty Images )

We also saw a bit of a reduction in weight. These animals were within the normal range of an animal that age, but they still weighed less, he said.

Funded by the Ohio State colleges of Medicine and Dentistry, the research was recently published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers are continuing to examine the health effects of e-cigarettes.

The majority of users are young adults and teenagers, so we are talking about people who are in peak reproductive years. And with development of the head happening very early in fetal development, people could be using these products and not even realize that they are pregnant, which is of great concern, Cray added.

This is a small study that speaks to the possibility that nicotine-free vaping is not safe. And its a sign that we probably should study the nicotine-free products as much as we study the nicotine-laden products, he said.
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One of Aotearoa New Zealands oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research.

Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar) near Blenheim is a nationally significant archaeological site. It dates back to the first arrival of people and holds the remains of first-generation Polynesian settlers as well as many cultural artefacts.

The site is significant for the local iwi, Rangitane o Wairau, because of its history of colonial exploitation and the eventual repatriation of koiwi tangata (ancestral remains) in 2009, which marks an important moment in the modern history of Rangitane.

Coastal flooding is already a hazard at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, but this increases dramatically as sea level rises. The study, led by Te Runanga a Rangitane o Wairau in partnership with researchers at Earth Sciences NZ, shows about 20% of the site could be inundated during a 100-year storm event under current sea levels.

But with 50 centimetres of climate-driven sea-level rise, which could occur as soon as the 2050s under high-emissions scenarios, more than half of the site could flood in the same event. If sea levels rise to a metre, which could be reached during the early 2100s, three-quarters of the site will be inundated and subject to significant erosion.

From grave robbers to collaborators

During the first part of the 20th century, the site was raided by fossickers searching for curios. In 1939, they uncovered an urupa (cemetery) and disinterred the remains of one of the earliest ancestors, along with their sperm whale tooth necklace and moa egg.

Further discoveries drew Roger Duff, then an ethnologist at the Canterbury Museum, to the site in 1942. He led several excavations until the summer of 1963-64.

The Rangitane community protested the excavations. Tribal elder Hohua Peter MacDonald was particularly vocal, but the tribe was unable to prevent the digs and the removal of ancestors and their burial goods.

open image in gallery Early Maori objects from Wairau Bar, Canterbury Museum ( Wikimedia Commons )

In 2003, Rangitane presented their Treaty of Waitangi claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. The tribunal agreed the Crown had breached the treaty in its dealings with the tribe and subsequent negotiations saw land at Te Pokohiwi returned to Rangitane. These land parcels were close to where ancestors had been taken and the remains were eventually returned in 2009.

Prior to the repatriation, the University of Otago, Canterbury Museum and Rangitane agreed that research, including genetic sequencing of the koiwi tangata and an archaeological survey of the site, would take place before the reburial. Due to their past experiences, Rangitane had little trust in the scholastic community. But in a first of its kind, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties.

Maintaining connections

Our study used high-resolution, local-scale analysis of sea-level rise and coastal change to assess the risk to archaeological taonga (treasures) and wahi tapu (sacred sites) at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe.

By combining the knowledge of Rangitane hapu (sub-tribal groups) about the sites boundaries and locations of ancestral or archaeological taonga with LiDAR-derived topographic data, the research team mapped its exposure to present-day and future coastal inundation from spring tides and storm-wave events.

Sea-level scenarios were consistent with the latest projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national guidelines to estimate the likely timing of future inundation.

Results suggest climate-driven shoreline changes and permanent inundation will increasingly threaten this culturally and archaeologically significant site.

While this research focused on relative and extreme sea-level inundation risks, earlier palaeo-tsunami studies show the area is also known to be exposed to tsunami hazards.

Ongoing research supported by a Natural Hazards Commission grant seeks to expand on our findings by integrating multiple inundation types with iwi-led experiences of impacts and mitigation. The goal is to develop new inclusive approaches for quantifying the effects of compounding inundation hazards.

The integrated place-based approach underpinning this research supports dialogue about adaptation and rescue options for protecting sacred sites threatened by climate change through a combination of locally led and nationally supported interventions.

For Rangitane, Te Pokohiwi o Kupe is a place where relationships are maintained, responsibilities upheld and identity reaffirmed. While its archaeological value is widely recognised, its deeper significance lies in the enduring connection Rangitane maintain with the whenua (land) and with the stories, knowledge and obligations it carries.

Over time, the nature of that relationship has evolved. What was once marked by protest and exclusion has shifted into a place of active management and leadership, in part supported through the return of the land as part of the iwis treaty settlement.

Now, with growing threats posed by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, that connection faces a different kind of challenge. The concern is not only for what may be physically lost, but for what it might mean to lose the ability to stand in that place, to gather there and to sustain the relationship that has grounded generations of Rangitane people in Wairau.

The focus is not only on preserving what remains, but on ensuring the connection to Te Pokohiwi continues, even as the landscape changes. More than protecting a site, this is about protecting the ability of Rangitane to remain in meaningful relationship with Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, its stories and its significance.

Peter N. Meihana is a Senior Lecturer in History, Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa, Massey University.

Corey Hebberd, Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Te Runanga a Rangitane o Wairau Trust, Indigenous Knowledge.

Shaun Paul Williams is a Group Manager for Environmental Hazards, Earth Sciences, New Zealand.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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When she got pregnant at 16, Fatou Esther Jusu was terrified that it would derail her future.

Abortion is illegal in Sierra Leone. Fearing judgment from her family, she took friends advice and bought misoprostol, a drug whose uses include abortion, from a local pharmacy. It didn't work. Desperate, she tried again and miscarried.

I went to the toilet and the baby came out, she said. She fainted and was taken to a hospital, where she pleaded with doctors not to tell her parents.

Now 21, Jusu considers herself lucky. One friend died after taking an expired version of the medication.

With those experiences in mind, the nursing student is mobilizing others in support of a bill that would decriminalize abortion in the West African country.

Even though I made a mistake, this mistake is saving other people, Jusu said.

Sierra Leone could become the second country in West Africa to decriminalize abortion, which health workers say would significantly improve the safety of pregnant women, decrease the number of preventable deaths and bring an end to the current colonial-era law.

Tens of thousands of women and girls attempt to self-terminate their pregnancies every year in Sierra Leone, where abortion is illegal in all circumstances.

Supporters of the bill say unsafe abortions account for around 10% of maternal deaths. Healthcare workers are known to perform terminating procedures when the situation is incompatible with life of the woman, usually in the case of incomplete abortions. Because abortion is illegal, they cite other reasons for the termination.

Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio pointedly introduced the Safe Motherhood Bill after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, stripping away women's constitutional protections for abortion.

At a time when sexual and reproductive health rights for women are either being overturned or threatened, we are proud that Sierra Leone can once again lead with progressive reforms, Bio said.

If approved, the bill would have been West Africa's most progressive legislation on abortion, allowing the procedure for up to 14 weeks.

But Sierra Leone since then has been torn apart by debate. Following opposition from religious leaders, the bill has been amended and now limits abortion to cases of life-threatening risk, fatal fetal abnormalities, rape or incest.

The government says it expects a vote in parliament in the coming weeks. It is not clear whether it will be approved.

They go to any length

An estimated 90,000 abortions are performed annually in Sierra Leone, a country of more than 8 million people, according to research by the African Population and Health Research Center. About 10% of the country's maternal deaths  affecting 717 of every 100,000 births  are due to unsafe abortions, the center said.

Health workers say the true number is likely much higher.

Due to cost and stigma, many women and girls resort to unsafe methods like expired medication, laundry detergent, hangers or sharp instruments.

On a recent morning at a clinic run by the MSI Sierra Leone nonprofit, dozens of women and girls waited nervously for consultations with nurse Hawanatu Samura.

MSI offers post-abortion care, including terminations in cases of incomplete miscarriage, often when people have tried and failed abortions themselves. The nonprofit is the largest individual service provider of family planning services in the country.

If patients want an abortion, they go to any length, Samura said. She often sees damage caused by unsterilized instruments, leading to severe hemorrhages, especially in underage girls.

Over 20% of girls between 15 and 19 in Sierra Leone get pregnant, according to the U.N. Population Fund, one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world.

Samura said a 13-year-old  already mother to a 10-month-old  recently arrived with severe pain after secretly taking unidentified pills to try to abort her pregnancy.

In Sierra Leone, people are afraid of the stigma  so they would prefer to die silently, she said. The patient did not understand her body, Samura said, and her dead fetus resulted in dangerous septicemia.

The clinic has at least one such case a month, the nurse said.

A debate over tradition and values

Many women and girls who have had abortions fear speaking out, and the push for the bill in Sierra Leone has been led by womens rights groups and medical professionals.

If you arent listening to your doctors, then who are you listening to? said lawyer and advocate Nicky Spencer-Coker. She has fought for reproductive rights alongside a coalition of womens rights organisations since 2015.

At the time, parliament unanimously passed a first version of a bill allowing abortions for up to 12 weeks. But then-President Ernest Bai Koroma blocked the bill amid pressure from anti-abortion and religious groups.

Some Muslim and Christian leaders have denounced the current bill as ungodly and hellish. Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles, head of the country's Inter-Religious Council, said it contradicts citizens' religious values and sensibilities.

Sierra Leone's current president has faced opposition from his own party members, including lawmaker Rebecca Yei Kamara.

In our communities, children dont get pregnant  they talk to them, they teach them how to grow up into womanhood, she said, and accused supporters of the bill of exaggerating the country's abortion statistics.

Government officials have called the bill a necessary response to the reality of high numbers of deaths among pregnant women.

The number of girls that die every year  thats the demonstration of peoples will, Chernor Bah, the information minister, told The Associated Press.

Officials also say the bill is needed to strengthen gender reforms in Sierra Leone, which include last years ban on child marriage.

The bill also would allow wider access to family planning and reproductive health services. Activists fear those will be lost if the bill fails.

Allegations of foreign interference

Both sides in the debate have accused each other of being sponsored by foreign governments.

Some conservative U.S. media have framed the bill in Sierra Leone as a Biden-backed push for abortion rights in Africa.

The U.S. embassy in Freetown denied involvement in the bill.

Sierra Leone's Inter-Religious Council has cited the recent changes on abortion access in the U.S. as reference points in their position papers opposing the bill.

Meanwhile, the reality for some pregnant women and girls remains harrowing.

Many healthcare practitioners told the AP they want the bill to pass so they can save lives without fear.

Samura the nurse recalled a mother who had traveled for hours in agony to the capital after drinking a concoction given to her by a traditional healer. Samura accompanied the patient to a hospital to seek treatment for a distended abdomen, severe septicemia and anemia.

The mother of six died in the waiting room.

Right there on the couch . everybody was crying, Samura said. Anytime I think of her, I wish the bill had been long passed.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

___

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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Four people accused of damaging two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in a demonstration allegedly carried out by members of Palestine Action will face trial in January 2027.

Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, and spoke only to confirm their names.

Police previously said the incident in Oxfordshire on 20 June had caused about 7 million worth of damage to the aircraft.

It has previously been alleged the defendants had been heavily involved in Palestine Action at the time.

On the same day they were charged, MPs backed the Governments move to ban the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

open image in gallery The defendants leaving court in a van while supporters watched in a previous hearing ( Getty Images )

Legislation passed in the Commons as MPs voted 385 to 26, majority 359, in favour of proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) charged the defendants with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, under the Criminal Law Act 1977.

On Friday, the defendants appeared at the Old Bailey amid heightened security, with a timetable set for the course of the case.

Watched by members of the public in a packed public gallery, the defendants spoke only to confirm their identities, with one mouthing I love you to his supporters.

As the prosecution have claimed the case has a terrorist connection, it was heard in the terrorism list before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, with the court told a provision trial date had been identified for 18 January 2027.

Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC accepted that was obviously a considerable distance away and there was uncertainty at this stage how long any trial would take.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the 2027 trial date meant an inordinately long time for the four young people to wait in custody.

She said: The sooner the real issues in this case are identified the better for everyone, particularly in fixing the trial date.

The senior judge confirmed the 2027 trial date at the Old Bailey but said she would review it at a plea hearing on January 16 next year.
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Criminals have been released early by mistake or held illegally beyond their release date in appalling conditions inside a chaotic and squalid prison, a watchdog has warned.

The chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has issued an urgent notification to the government over the state of medium security HMP Pentonville.

The overcrowded Victorian jail in north London, where most prisoners share cells designed for one person, is infested with mice and cockroaches.

Inspectors discovered 10 inmates in the Category B jail had been released early in error between July 2024 and June 2025 because staff failed to calculate sentences accurately. The prison holds a wide range offenders, including some jailed for violent crimes.

A further 130 inmates  20 per cent of those eligible for release  had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months.

open image in gallery Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has issued an urgent warning about HMP Pentonville ( PA Media )

In a letter to justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners first night at the north London jail and induction were chaotic and even frightening.

Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day.

Inspectors took emergency action after they found oversight of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm was shockingly poor, with one prison officer found asleep when they were supposed to be monitoring at-risk prisoners.

Two were found reading books and another was completely absent, despite three self-inflicted deaths at the prison in 2025.

Mr Taylor said: Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years.

Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.

A survey of prisoners also revealed 44 per cent felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which is the highest figure recorded during Mr Taylors tenure as chief inspector.

Pentonville is the tenth prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons.

open image in gallery The Howard League for Penal Reform described the findings at Pentonville as a new low ( PA Archive )

The Howard League for Penal Reform described the findings as a new low for the prisons system.

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns, said: The details emerging from this inspection are appalling and outrageous, and they represent a new low for an overcrowded and under-resourced public service that stands on the brink of collapse.

While the government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change. As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.

Pia Sinha, of the Prison Reform Trust, said the damning report must serve as a rallying cry for action.

Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence, she added.

This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action  fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.

Prisons minister Lord Timpson said: This is a deeply concerning report and reflects the crisis that has gripped too many of our prisons for far too long.

Yesterday, I visited HMP Pentonville and met with staff. The team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised by the Chief Inspector. We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in these efforts.

This Government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails. We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime, and keep victims safe.
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Tributes have been paid to two British friends who died while on holiday in Portugal.

King Edonmi, 29, and Mo Liasu, 27, who are believed to be from Ipswich, were found dead in a hotel swimming pool on Tuesday in Albufeira in the southern Algarve, according to local police.

Both men were named by Portuguese media.

A GoFundMe has been set up by family and friends to repatriate their bodies.

The two friends tragically lost their lives less than 24 hours after arriving, the fundraiser said.

Friends paid tribute to the pair as gentle, kind-hearted souls who brought light into every room they entered.

Mo and King were the sort of men you never hear a bad word about because there simply were none, the GoFundMe said.

They were deeply devoted to their families, their friends and their faith. And now, all of that has been taken so suddenly and so unfairly.

open image in gallery Albufeira in the southern Algarve, Portugal ( Getty/iStock )

Their families are now facing repatriation costs of more than 10,000, which includes legal paperwork, funeral care overseas, and transport back to the UK, according to the GoFundMe page.

The fundraiser said the sudden loss, paired with the financial burden, has left them struggling to cope.

We are asking from the bottom of our hearts for your help, friends wrote on the fundraising page. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will go directly to their families to help cover the cost of bringing Mo and King home and to support them during this time of unimaginable grief.

Your light will never fade, the tribute added. Rest peacefully.

open image in gallery Albufeira is on the southern coast of Portugal, west of Faro ( Alamy )

A spokesperson for the Portuguese Police, Policia Judiciaria, told ITV News that the bodies were found at about 4.30am and officials from Portugals National Republican Guard were first on the scene.

"We went to the swimming pool and found CSI work there. There is no criminal evidence involved in the deaths of the two British citizens," the officer said.

"The cause of deaths will be determined by the national medical cabinet in Portugal."

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: We are supporting the families of two British men who have died in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities.

The fundraiser can be found here.
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Drivers who drink alcohol the night before a morning drive are putting lives at risk, a new survey has warned.

It comes after a poll revealed more than a fifth (21 per cent) of motorists have drunk alcohol after 10pm when needing to drive before 9am the following morning.

Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, which commissioned the survey, warned that drinking alcohol the night before getting behind the wheel can pose a serious threat because a groggy head means slower reaction times.

The survey of 1,072 UK motorists also indicated that 38 per cent of people who have consumed several alcoholic drinks ahead of driving before 9am stopped drinking after 9pm.

Charity Drinkaware states that alcohol is removed from the body at a rate of one unit per hour, although this varies depending on a persons weight, liver health and metabolism speed.

Around three large glasses of wine or three pints of high-strength beer or cider is the equivalent of nine units.

Someone consuming those drinks up to 10pm could still have alcohol in their body at 7am or later, IAM RoadSmart warned.

Someone consuming alcohol past 10pm could still have alcohol in their body at 7am or later ( PA )

Nicholas Lyes, the charitys director of policy and standards, said: Drink-driving is a killer, and drivers may be unwittingly getting into their vehicle in the morning unaware that they could be doing so illegally if they have been drinking alcohol the night before, posing a serious threat to the safety of others.

Even if they are just inside the legal limit, the level of alcohol in their system will impair their reaction times.

Moreover, consuming alcohol impacts on sleep quality.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs Council lead for roads policing, said: There is simply no excuse for getting behind the wheel when you are impaired through drink or drugs, and this includes the morning after.

If you choose to do so you are putting your life and the lives of others at risk.

The survey also suggested nearly a third (31per cent) of drivers in the previous 12 months had been with a friend or relative who drank alcohol before getting into a vehicle.

Some 72 per cent of this group warned them they should not drive, while 23 per cent said they took no action.

Four out of five (81 per cent) people polled said rehabilitation courses should become mandatory for anyone convicted of a drink-drive offence.

Currently the courses are sometimes offered in return for a shorter driving ban.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency statistics revealed 27,837 British motorists were convicted of drink-driving multiple times in the 11 years to July 20 2024.

Some 372 were caught at least four times, including four who were prosecuted on seven occasions.

Latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures show an estimated 300 people were killed in crashes on Britains roads involving at least one driver over the legal alcohol limit in 2022.

That was up from 260 the previous year and was the highest total since 2009 when 380 deaths were recorded.

Separate figures show there are more drink drive-related casualties in July than any other month of the year.

The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

Nowhere else in Europe has a limit above 50mg/100ml.

The Scottish Government reduced its limit to that level in 2014.

A DfT spokesperson said: We take road safety extremely seriously, and there are already strict penalties in place for those who are caught drink-driving, with rehabilitation courses offered to those convicted and banned from driving for over a year.

While we dont have plans to mandate these courses, we are committed to improving road safety, and our Think! campaign will next week launch its summer drink-drive activity, timed to coincide with the National Police Chiefs Councils Operation Spotlight.
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A viral chocolate bar inspired by the Dubai chocolate trend has been urgently recalled over a health risk it poses to customers.

The Noesis Schokolade Love of Dubai bar should not be bought or eaten, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said, especially by those with a peanut allergy.

Although it is not marked on the list of ingredients, the chocolate bar contains peanuts, the FSA explains. This means it poses a serious risk to those with allergies to the nut.

The agency adds that it has been unable to contact the manufacturer of the products, Black Sea Trading Ltd, and so is calling on distributors to pull the Noesis bar from shelves.

open image in gallery Every single 95g bar of Noesis Schokolade Love of Dubai has been included in the recall ( Noesis )

Advice from the FSA reads: Dont buy this product, and if you have bought it, don't eat it, especially if you have a peanut allergy.

Dispose of the product at home and get in touch with your local Trading Standards in Great Britain or Environmental Health Officers in Northern Ireland, to let them know where you purchased it.

The Love of Dubai chocolate bar is inspired by a viral food trend that arose in 2024 and has continued. It centres around chocolate bars with a creamy pistachio filling, first created by a chocolatier in Dubai.

Receiving millions of views on social media platform TikTok, the popularity of the bar has grown so intense that the price of pistachio kernels globally has been pushed up. Experts say that, in the year to April, prices rose from $7.65 to $10.30 a pound.

Last week, the FSA issued a related warning over the proliferation of imported Dubai chocolate bars for sale in the UK.

open image in gallery A detailed picture of the recalled bar has been provided by the food watchdog ( Food Standards Agency (FSA) )

The agency said that some of these products were likely to not include a full ingredients list or allergen labelling, due to not being originally intended for sale in the UK.

The bars could also contain additives and colours not allowed on the UK market, it added.

Experts from the watchdog are currently surveying and sampling the products to determine the scale of the issue, and working with allergy charities to raise awareness.

Professor Robin May, chief scientific adviser to the FSA, said that the vast majority of food in the UK is safe, but some imported Dubai-style chocolate products dont meet our standards and could be a food safety risk, especially for consumers with allergies

If you are looking to buy Dubai-style chocolate, we advise sticking with trusted retailers, like the ones youd use for your weekly shop, as products are more likely to be made for UK consumers and so are safe to eat.

UK law requires food labels to highlight any of 14 allergens present in the product, but some imported products may not do this. You can find more information on food.gov.uk.
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A cockroach-infested jail which illegally detained prisoners for longer than their release date has been put into special measures by a watchdog.

An urgent notification on HMP Pentonville, in north London, has been served by Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor after an inspection discovered many inmates have been kept in prison after they should have been freed because staff failed to calculate sentences accurately.

The watchdog said data from the prison showed 130 inmates  20 per cent of those eligible for release  had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months.

The backlog in sentencing calculations also meant 10 prisoners had been released early in error between July 2024 and June 2025.

open image in gallery Conditions at HMP Pentonville have been described as frightening ( Getty )

In a letter to the Justice Secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners first night at the north London jail and induction were chaotic and even frightening.

Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day.

The report also said 60% of prisoners were sharing cells that were designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches.

Inspectors took emergency action after they found care of vulnerable prisoners under constant supervision was shockingly poor, with one prison officer found asleep, two were reading books and another was completely absent.

The unacceptable practices in looking after these prisoners, deemed at serious risk of self-harm, were a particular concern for inspectors given three suicides at the jail in 2025.

Mr Taylor said: Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years.

Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.

The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics, and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around.

A survey of prisoners also revealed 44% told inspectors they felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which the watchdog said was the highest figure recorded during his tenure as chief inspector.

Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons.

The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days.

Elsewhere, the inspectors report also found when releases were planned, 23% of those prisoners were homeless on the day they were released, and very few had employment on release.

open image in gallery Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood ( PA )

Reacting to the urgent notification, Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence.

This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action  fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the findings of the inspection were outrageous and represent a new low for an overcrowded public service on the brink of collapse.

He added: While the Government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change.

As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.

Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said he visited the prison on Thursday, where the team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised by the chief inspector.

An action plan will also be published in the coming weeks to support the efforts.

Lord Timpson said: This Government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails.

We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime, and keep victims safe.
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An "adrenaline junkie" brain surgeon who sued McLaren for 14m after a snowmobile crash has had his case thrown out after post-accident texts emerged of him telling company staff No worries  sh*t happens [do] I owe you guys a snowmobile".

High-flying neurosurgeon Andrew Cannestra suffered multiple injuries when the skidoo he was riding careered off a forest track in Lapland during a 23,000 luxury break booked through the Pure McLaren Arctic Experience for him and his then partner, Kaitlin Mealor.

The 54-year-old medic, who specialises in spinal surgery, struck a tree after negotiating a forest turn and was out cold for 30 minutes following the impact in February 2020.

He went on to sue McLaren Automotive Events Ltd, claiming the impact of the crash on his future earnings alone exceeds 14m.

But lawyers for McLaren Automotive denied blame, insisting that on-the-spot guides did their utmost to ensure a safe skidoo trip, carefully briefing Mr Cannestra and his partner before they set off.

open image in gallery Andrew Cannestra's snowmobile crashed near Ivalo ( Andrew Cannestra )

Dismissing the claim, Mr Justice Richie said that Mr Cannestra - who was dubbed an "adrenaline junkie" by his then partner - had "wanted more speed" and had caused the crash himself when he "accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes".

The briefing he and his partner received before riding had been adequate, the judge said, adding: "They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that.

"He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky."

open image in gallery Undated handout photo of Andrew Cannestra (left), who was on holiday in Finland in 2020 when his snowmobile crashed ( Andrew Cannestra )

Neil Block KC - for Mr Cannestra - had told Londons High Court that both riders were absolute novices and argued their guides should have done more to explain the detailed layout of their route through the forest.

The surgeon crashed after a pause in the journey during which his guide had changed the drive mode so that the doctor's snowmobile could hit higher speeds.

The impact resulted in a brain haemorrhage and severe leg injuries, causing lasting problems with word-finding, comprehension, memory and fatigue and worsening his previous hand tremor.

Mr Cannestra, who was earning around 1.8m per year, has had to give up brain surgery, although his lawyers say he continues to work to a limited extent.

Mr Cannestras KC claimed the lead guide rode at an excessive speed for a novice rider to follow safely.

But Matthew Chapman KC - for McLaren Automotive - argued that Mr Cannestra had appeared a competent rider and fully in control of his snowmobile, adding that he had seemed eager for his vehicle to be switched to a faster travel mode.

In his ruling, the judge pointed out that the surgeon had sent a post-accident text to McLaren staff, saying: No worries  sh*t happens  I asked ... if I owe you guys a snowmobile, or any other costs. Please let me know. It was my error and my responsibility."

In another, he wrote: "Thank you both so much for your help yesterday and thru my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour. Please let me know anything I am responsible for.... transport.... a snowmobile..... etc. we had a great time and all is good!

open image in gallery The scene of the crash ( Champion News )

In his evidence, Mr Cannestra had insisted his post accident messages did not amount to an admission of fault, also taking issue with any image of him being a thrill-seeker.

And although conceding he is a passionate classic car fan - having owned up to 33 at various times in the past - he explained that he never raced his vehicles, restricting himself to collecting and restoring them.

But dismissing his claim, the judge said: "Whilst the claimant was in Lapland on an expensive four-day driving experience for McLaren road cars on ice, he chose to drive a snowmobile as part of the ancillary fun activities provided by McLaren.

"He was following a guide round a snowy track through trees, but he lost control, drove off the track and hit a tree. He was injured. At first, he thought it was all his own fault, apologised and offered to pay for the smashed up snow mobile.

"A few months later, he instructed solicitors and by the end of July 2020 a pre-action protocol letter was written by his solicitors, to McLarens solicitors, asserting negligence/breach of contract by the guide and claiming damages for personal injuries.

"After the accident, the claimant told the guide his glove had become stuck to the throttle. The claimant had sent a message offering to pay for the snowmobile because it was, using his words, 'my error and my responsibility' and caused by 'my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour.'

"Negligence was denied. The cause of the crash was pleaded as the claimant accidentally accelerating whilst negotiating [a turn] instead of braking.

"I did not find Kaitlin Mealor's evidence to be of much assistance. She appeared to me to be playing a wing person role to support her ex-partner.

"I was not persuaded by her denial of the conversation...after the accident about the claimant being an adrenaline junkie who was always getting into accidents.

"This conversation may be put into context. The claimant had bought two McLaren road cars, which are up the top of the list of the most powerful vehicles on roads worldwide.

"They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that.

"He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky. I consider that he did understand this. He also understood that they would go through trees.

"I consider that about five minutes was an appropriate length for a briefing for just two customers. I find that the briefing complied with local Finnish standards.

"At the ambulance in the car park, he told [the guide] that he accidentally pressed the throttle in the middle of turn two and blamed his glove.

"At hospital, he told a medic he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes. He considered that he himself was the cause of the accident. He did not blame [the guide] for rushing him or disappearing.

"He reached turn two and turned through 25 degrees, then squeezed or pushed the throttle by mistake with his right hand and shot straight forwards into a tree. In whatever mode, that accidental throttle use would have caused him to go straight off the track."

He said the guide was not dealing with a "17-year-old new car driver " who had just passed their driving test, adding: "He was guiding a mature, supercar and jet-ski aficionado, who had ridden confidently and wanted more speed. The claimant was prepared to leave his partner behind to increase his own enjoyment.

"The claim will be dismissed and judgment will be entered for the defendant," the judge concluded.
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An NHS doctor has told an inquest into the death of 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani - who died months after refusing treatment for cancer - that she was concerned her mother could have influenced the decision.

The Cambridge graduate refused chemotherapy after being diagnosed in December 2023, and died just seven months later in July - despite a doctor telling her she had an 80 per cent chance of survival if she underwent treatment.

Palomas brothers have spoken out publicly in recent weeks, accusing their mother Kate Shemirani of influencing Paloma into refusing treatment that could have saved her life.

Kate is a former nurse who was struck off in 2021 for sharing anti-vaxx misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has a large following across social media, where she shares anti-medicine conspiracy theories to millions of people online.

open image in gallery Kate Shemirani ( Getty Images )

Arunodaya Mohan, a consultant haematologist at Maidstone Hospital told the inquest on Friday at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, that Kate had raised concerns with experts about the treatment plan seven months before Palomas death.

Dr Mohan met Paloma on December 22 2023 to set out the treatment plan after her diagnosis. She told the inquest she recommended steroids and a PET (positron emission tomography) scan, adding that Paloma nodded in agreement.

But soon after that, Paloma told Ms Mohan that she had not made her mind up about the treatment and wished to explore other options.

Dr Mohan said that she spoke on the phone with Palomas mother, saying that she expressed concerns about the side-effects of steroids.

Dr Mohan told the inquest: I didnt want to discuss with mum because I didnt think it would be helpful to her.

Alison Hewitt, counsel to the inquest, later asked: Were there concerns that Ms Shemirani was influencing Paloma?

Dr Mohan replied: Thats right.

Paloma declined to have the treatment, and when Dr Mohan asked why, there did not seem to be a specific reason, the inquest heard.

Ms Hewitt asked Dr Mohan if she questioned Paloma on whether her decision was influenced by anyone.

Dr Mohan said: She was very confident that it was her own decision and she was not influenced.

open image in gallery Kate advocates for the use of natural medicine to cure diseases. ( Screengrab Twitter )

Kate advocates for the use of natural medicine to cure diseases, and credits alternative therapies for being cancer free after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, although her tumour was removed through surgery.

It is these kinds of conspiracy theories that Palomas brothers, Gabriel and Sebastian Shemirani, believe led their sister to refuse treatment for cancer.

Kate and her husband Faramarz Shemirani have denied responsibility and claimed that Paloma died as a result of medical interventions since her sons made the accusations, the BBC reported.

open image in gallery Gabriel Shemirani and his brother blame their mother for their sister's death ( AFP/Getty )

My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mums actions and beliefs, Paloma's brother Sebastian told the BBC.

And I dont want anyone else to go through the same pain or loss that I have."

Paloma began suffering chest pains after she graduated from the University of Cambridge and was later diagnosed with cancers after doctors found a mass in her lung.

open image in gallery Shemirani speaks to thousands of protestors at an anti-vax rally at Londons Trafalgar Square in September 2020 ( Getty )

She was told the cancer could be fatal if left untreated, but that she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery with treatment.

Her mother then spent two days with her as an inpatient at Maidstone Hospital, which Palomas boyfriend claimed could have influenced her decision to reject chemotherapy.

Her brother, Gabriel, then began a legal case arguing that Paloma should have an assessment of the appropriate medical treatment for her.

However, Paloma died before the case reached its conclusion in July 2024.

The Independent has approached Kate Shemirani for comment.
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A High Court battle has erupted as three long-standing Royal Albert Hall seat holders launch a lawsuit against the venue's corporation, seeking over 500,000 in damages.

They allege the institution has "unlawfully" deprived them of their rights to their seats.

Arthur George, who holds 12 seats across two separate boxes, and William and Alexander Stockler, owners of four seats in a single box, claim the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences  commonly known as the Royal Albert Hall (RAH)  has excluded them from more performances than its rules permit.

Their legal representatives are now asking a judge to declare the exclusion practice unlawful.

They are also seeking an injunction to prevent the corporation from restricting access beyond the terms stipulated in the Royal Albert Hall Act 1966.

They told the High Court on Friday that seat holders have a proprietary right to use their seats, or to otherwise sell or give away their tickets.

open image in gallery The audience at the Royal Albert Hall as Liam Gallagher performs a benefit for the Teenage Cancer Trust in 2022 ( PA )

The trio are asking a judge to rule in their favour without a trial and award an interim payment of 500,000 in damages, ahead of the full amount being decided.

The corporation opposes the application, with its lawyers saying the case should proceed to trial.

They told a hearing in London that the body had excluded members on other occasions, but this was approved by members by way of a document titled Memorandum and Guidelines.

David Satwell, representing Mr George and the Stocklers, told the court on Friday: This isnt a breach of contract case, we say this is a wrongful use of someone elses property.

We say, if you take someone elses property and use it, you are liable to compensate the property owner for that use.

One of the questions is, how would those claimants have used their seats?

Would they have gone there, would they have sold them, or would they have not used them at all?

What a property owner does with their property is a matter for them.

He added: If seats have been taken away wrongly, we say you would then have to consider what the value of those seats would have been.

open image in gallery The Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871

In written submissions, Mr Satwell said: It is not disputed by the parties that the corporation has exceeded its power  by granting more exclusive lets than it is permitted to do under that provision, that it has been doing so for a number of years, and that it intends to do so into the future.

In 2008, the corporation acknowledged to the members that it had, for several years, been exceeding its entitlement  to treat events as exclusive lets.

In written submissions for the corporation, Simon Taube KC said: The claimants, who have each been members of the corporation since before 2008, appear not to have voted against the Memorandum and Guidelines until the 2023 AGM.

He added: The background to the claim is that in recent years the claimants relations with the corporation have deteriorated because of the claimants complaints about various financial matters.

Mr Taube also said: The corporations case, in very brief outline, is that even if the claimants can identify a theoretical interference with their rights, it does not damage the claimants as members and, in any case, the corporation has a defence based on the claimants consent to or acquiescence in the granting of additional exclusives.

The hearing, before Sir Anthony Mann, is due to conclude on Friday.
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Sir Grant Shapps has said he was surprised the superinjunction to keep the huge Afghan data breach secret was in place for so long  despite having fought to keep the gagging order in place.

The former defence secretary defended the governments decision to hide the catastrophic leak, which resulted in 16,000 affected Afghans being evacuated to Britain, with some 8,000 still to come from the public, arguing the decision saved lives.

Breaking his silence days after the data breach was revealed to the public, Sir Grant told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that Id thought that it was probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum.

But, The Independent can reveal that despite the judge in the case agreeing to lift the order last May, the Ministry of Defence (MoD)  for which Sir Grant was responsible at the time  insisted it needed to remain indefinitely.

open image in gallery Grant Shapps doubled down on the governments decision ( PA Archive )

The governments barrister told the Court of Appeal in June 2024 that there is no particular moment at which [the superinjunction] ceases to be appropriate.

Sir Grant breaking cover came as:

Questions were asked about MoD data security, with revelations of hundreds of more breaches

The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) insisted that Sir Grant had serious questions to answer over keeping them in the dark

A senior minister suggested the Whitehall officials were behind attempts to make the cover-up permanent

Downing Street denied claims that the defence secretary John Healey had misled parliament

The chair of the ISC, Lord Beamish, said Sir Grant has serious questions to answer over his insistence that it was right to keep the MPs and peers in the dark over the breach.

Sir Grant said the influential committee was not told about the leak because from time to time, things which are supposed to be secret, once they get out to more people, cease to remain entirely secret.

Responding to his comments, Lord Beamish said: This is an incredible revelation and shows Shappss ignorance of the law and arrogance in bypassing the parliamentary committee to be able to deal with these types of situations.

He has some serious questions to answer around why the information was withheld.

Sir Grant told the BBC: You can argue that actually, that circle should be wider, but in the end, the number one priority was to make sure that we protected lives and people werent murdered.

Its a pretty stark decision to make, and the more you open that up, the more likely that is.

He claimed that the public understands that there are times where you simply have to act in the most maximalist way.

open image in gallery Defence secretary John Healey has called for accountability over the Afghan data leak ( PA Wire )

A Whitehall source said: Shapps is trying to rewrite history. Everyone knows he was the one personally demanding to keep the superinjunction in place after the election was called last summer.

He was defence secretary when the secret route was designed, agreed, established and expanded under the last Tory government.

However, current ministers are also privately concerned that officials were pushing for the breach to be covered up permanently.

One senior minister told The Independent they were shocked when they were given the details of the breach on their first day in office, but noted: Officials were briefing very hard that we needed to maintain the superinjunction and the secrecy.

They explained that it took a long time to get through that, and for ministers to get to a point where they decided it could be lifted.

Obviously, when you are being told lives are at stake, then you are cautious, they added.

The row follows revelations of hundreds more data leaks, with parliamentarians demanding to know whether sensitive data is safe with the MoD and if its systems for handling it are fit for purpose.

The latest MoD data shows there were 569 incidents in 2023-24  up from 550 the previous year  which included electronic devices being lost and protected documents not being disposed of properly. In one case, details of veterans were obtained by a malign agent, and in another, the MoD was fined 350,000 by the Information Commissioners Office.

The breach, made by a Ministry of Defence official in February 2022, exposed the details of Afghans seeking an escape to the UK because they claimed links to British forces put them at risk of Taliban reprisals.

The blunder resulted in 16,000 Afghans affected by the data breach being evacuated to Britain, with some 8,000 still to come, and prompted an unprecedented two-year superinjunction preventing the publication of any details.

On Tuesday, defence sources revealed that the names of more than 100 British government personnel, including MI6 spies, members of the SAS, MPs, government ministers and other senior military figures, were also exposed.

Downing Street has denied allegations by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey that Labour defence secretary John Healey misled parliament over who was affected by the leak.

Sir Ed said: Three days ago, John Healey claimed no one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today, we found out that appears to be false.

We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted  and the defence secretary must urgently come before parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.

But a Downing Street spokesperson said Mr Healeys statement to the Commons that no serving member of our armed forces is put at risk by the Afghan data leak was accurate.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer said the Conservatives have serious questions to answer over the scandal ( PA Wire )

The chair of the ISC said on Friday that there are serious constitutional issues raised by the Afghan data leak.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Lord Beamish said: The Justice and Security Act 2013 introduced closed hearings into court for intelligence cases  the quid pro quo for that was to give the ISC the power to reassure, to be able to see the information legally, to reassure the public and parliament that there was public scrutiny of the security services.

Someone in government chose just to ignore that and go down the legal route, so I think there are serious constitutional issues here.

Sir Grant said he would do the same thing all over again, including not telling the ISC. I would walk over hot coals to protect those lives, he said.

It was just so sensitive that if anything had got out at all, it would put those lives at risk, he added.

Sir Grant also hit out at Labour, arguing that he believed the superinjunction would be lifted sooner and that it was in place longer under the current government than it was under us.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he was angry when he found out about the data breach and that Tory ex-ministers have serious questions to answer about the scandal.
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The UK has imposed sanctions on Russian military intelligence units and officers, accusing them of orchestrating preparations for a devastating 2022 bomb attack on a theatre in southern Ukraine that claimed hundreds of civilian lives.

Britains Foreign Ministry confirmed the sanctions target 18 officers from Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.

These people are also implicated in targeting the family of a former Russian spy who was subsequently poisoned with a nerve agent.

The units are further accused of conducting a prolonged campaign of cyberattacks across Europe, aimed at destabilising the continent and undermining democratic institutions.

GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

On 15 March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Unit 26165 carried out online reconnaissance on civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol, southern Ukraine and in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said.

open image in gallery Donetsk People Republic Emergency Situations Ministry employees clear rubble at the side of the damaged Mariupol theatre after the attack ( AP )

One of the targets was the Mariupol theatre.

Civilians sheltering inside from Russian bombs had painted the word children outside in the hopes they would be spared.

The next day, the theatre was hit by Russian airstrikes which killed about 600 people, including a number of children, according to an Associated Press investigation.

In 2013, officers from the same unit had targeted the daughter of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with malware, the foreign ministry said.

In 2018, Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury, in an attack the British government said was organised by Russian intelligence.

open image in gallery Members of the military wear protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire following the poisoning ( PA Archive )

The sanctions also targeted the Africa Initiative, which the Foreign Ministry said employed Russian intelligence officers to carry out information operations in Africa, including undermining public health programs and destabilising various countries.

Russias campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe ranges from cyberattacks and propaganda to arson and attempted assassination.

More than 70 different attacks have been attributed to Russia by Western officials since the invasion.

The military intelligence units sanctioned Friday also targeted foreign aid to Kyiv, ports, infrastructure and border crossings as well as technology companies, the Foreign Ministry said.

Although targeting GRU officers with sanctions is likely to have limited effect, the ministry said the goal is to raise awareness of Russia's campaign and raise the cost to people working for its services, including making it harder for them to travel.
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Hundreds of Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breaches have been revealed as questions intensify over its ability to keep sensitive information safe in the wake of the Afghan data leak.

The latest MoD figures show there were 569 incidents in 2023-24  up from 550 the previous year  which included electronic devices being lost and protected documents not being disposed of properly.

In one incident last year, the details of 272,000 staff  including names and bank details  were breached when one of its systems, run by an external contractor, was hacked by a malign actor.

In another case, the MoD was fined 350,000 by the Information Commissioner for a breach related to the handling of emails linked to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap)  the scheme to bring Afghans with links to British forces to safety in the UK.

Lord Beamish, the chairman of the powerful intelligence and security committee (ISC), has demanded the MoD explain why high-security information is being held on low-security systems.

It follows the revelation this week of a catastrophic data breach, which exposed up to 100,000 Afghans to potential reprisals from the Taliban, costing the UK taxpayer billions and prompting a two-year cover-up through the use of an unprecedented superinjunction.

Further concerns emerged on Thursday after it was revealed that British spies and special forces soldiers were also potentially exposed by the incident.

open image in gallery Defence secretary John Healey told the Commons about the Afghan data leak this week (Lucy North/PA) ( PA Wire )

Last year, former Tory defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps made a statement to the Commons revealing how hackers had gained access to part of the armed forces payment network.

The contractor-operated system in question held the names, bank details, and in some cases addresses of soldiers, reserve personnel and recently retired veterans.

Already, members of the ISC, which has a statutory duty to hold government agencies to account, are furious that the MoD ignored a request by a judge to share the details of the original Afghan data breach with the committee.

But now the Labour peer who chairs the committee has raised questions over whether the MoDs systems to handle sensitive data are good enough.

Lord Beamish said: There seems to have been a number of breaches. It raises questions not just about the systems but how they are used. The big unanswered question on the Afghanistan data leak is why such secret information was being held on a low-side system and not a secure encrypted system.

The ISC has demanded documents relating to the Afghan breach and could launch its own inquiry into the scandal. But the issue is also set to be raised in the inquiry that the Commons defence select committee will hold after the summer recess.

Tan Dhesi, the Labour defence select committee chair, said: This is going to end up being one of the most costly email blunders in history. It has huge ramifications on so many different levels, including for transparency within our democracy.

open image in gallery Lord Beamish chairs the intelligence and security committee (PA) ( PA Archive )

Rigorous safeguards must be in place to ensure that this cannot happen again. Its shameful that courageous Afghans who served alongside British soldiers have had their safety jeopardised by this leak.

While our defence committee has agreed to inquire into this shocking situation, we have yet to determine the full scope for that, including who will be called to give evidence.

The revelation that this breach has also put our brave British service personnel at risk makes the situation even more shocking. I am sure the committee will want to understand how this could have been allowed to happen.

Another Labour MP on the committee, Calvin Bailey, who was the wing commander responsible for organising extraction flights from Kabul when the Taliban swept to power in 2021, said he didnt have confidence in the MoDs systems.

Asked if he thought the MoD is properly protecting data, he said: No, I dont. Why was this data aggregated on an official unclassified system?

open image in gallery Tan Dhesis defence committee will hold an inquiry ( Sky News )

The Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead, who has described how the chaos around the retreat from Afghanistan prompted him to give up a glittering military career to enter politics, warned that under-resourcing and understaffing at the MoD also likely contributed to the Afghan data breach.

Sir Grant Shapps, who oversaw the superinjunction being imposed and the creation and expansion of a secret route to bring Afghans to the UK, has broken his silence to defend his actions.

Sir Grant told the BBC: You can argue that actually that circle should be wider, but in the end, the number one priority was to make sure that we protected lives and people werent murdered.

Its a pretty stark decision to make, and the more you open that up, the more likely that is.

He claimed that the public understands that there are times where you simply have to act in the most maximalist way.

The MoD has been approached for comment.
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The water regulator is expected to be scrapped next week as a government review concludes it is not fit for purpose.

Ofwat is reportedly to be abolished on Monday under recommendations from the review led by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe.

Environment secretary Steve Reed is expected to pledge a "root and branch" reform of the water industry, saying that "regulation has failed customers and the environment".

He will promise that "hardworking British families will never again face huge shock hikes to their bills like we saw last year", according to The Times.

Multiple reports suggest the review has concluded and that Ofwat should be abolished as ministers look to replace it with a new regulator for the beleaguered industry. The regulator employs about 300 people.

open image in gallery Thames Water saw serious pollution incidents double from 14 to 33, the Environment Agency said ( PA Wire )

Sir Jons independent review has focused on the water sector and its regulation, with no limits on the scope of its potential recommendations.

Launching the review in October, Mr Reed left getting rid of Ofwat altogether on the table.

I dont rule that out. What Ive asked Sir Jon to do is a root-and-branch review of the entire sector  that includes looking at regulation and the regulator, he told Sky News at the time.

It followed years of underinvestment, during which a growing population and extreme weather caused by climate change have led to intense pressure on Englands ageing water system, causing widespread flooding, supply issues, sewage pollution and leakages.

Public fury has swelled over the degraded state of the countrys rivers, lakes and coastal waters, while a lack of investment in water infrastructure has highlighted rising bills, high dividends, debt, executive pay and bonuses at privatised water firms.

open image in gallery Steve Reed said abolishing Ofwat is on the table ( Jonathan Brady/PA Wire )

The Environment Agency (EA) this week said serious water pollution incidents rose by 60 per cent last year, with three companies responsible for the majority of them.

The latest data from across England showed that Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water were behind 81 per cent of cases, but added that there had been consistently poor performance across all nine water companies.

Meanwhile, just two companies  Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water  had no serious incidents last year, meeting the EAs expectations to see a trend to zero pollution incidents by 2025.

Thames Water accounted for 33 of 75 serious incidents recorded by the EA, 44 per cent of the total.

Overall, the watchdog said all pollution incidents increased by 29 per cent, with water companies recording 2,801, up from 2,174 in 2023.

The EA blamed the spike on persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate change.

Labours Clive Lewis said abolishing Ofwat would not clean up rivers or lower bills.

Blaming Ofwat alone is like blaming the satnav for driving off a cliff when the road was built that way, the MP for Norwich South said.

Mr Lewis called for water to be brought into public ownership, adding: The real problem is a privatised, extractive model prioritising shareholder payouts over public good.

When asked if there were plans to scrap Ofwat as the regulator, Downing Street said the government will wait for a final report on the water industry due next week.

A No 10 spokesman said: We are waiting for Sir Jon Cunliffes final report next week  you can expect us to set out our response after that on what more we will do to turn the sector around.

Sir Jons interim report warned of deep-rooted, systemic failures in the water sector and said Ofwat had largely lost the publics trust.

It comes as Britains biggest water firm, Thames Water, faces the prospect of nationalisation, after private equity firm KKR pulled out of a planned 3bn bailout.

Thames Water is about 19bn in debt, with MPs having been warned that it has just weeks worth of cash in hand as it seeks to avoid going bust.
The announcement about giving the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds in all UK elections has obviously caused huge excitement, and some controversy. However, the experts say that the number of new voters will in practice be very small, and that it will make only a marginal difference to the result of a general election  because some wont vote, and theres no God-given law about them all voting Labour.

Much more significant are the new rules on voter ID. The range of acceptable documents will be widened to include, for example, bank cards. Whatever the advantage it might bestow on any particular party at an election, proponents say it will boost turnout, and engagement with the democratic process...

What are the changes?

The government says its elections bill will allow people to use UK-issued bank cards as proof of identity, and of course, these do not usually carry an image of the user. In addition, there will be more digital options to support voters and polling station staff, including allowing accepted IDs such as the Veteran Card and UK driving licence to be used at polling stations when they become available in digital format.

Why are they doing this?

The cynics say it is because it will benefit Labour disproportionately. Others say that, true or not, thats less important than allowing people to vote, and that the threat of electoral fraud has been greatly exaggerated.

Historically, according to the Electoral Commission and the academics, theres been little in Great Britain even in local elections, and it is virtually unknown in general elections. Where it has cropped up, such as in Tower Hamlets, it has been dealt with.

The counterclaim is that photo ID was brought in by the Conservatives in the last parliament in order to help them and to suppress the Labour vote. A point lost to history is that the 2019 Conservative manifesto did not specify photo ID as the preferred option. (Northern Ireland has needed photo ID for far longer, because of much more voter personation. Hence the local slogan Vote early, vote often.)

How many people have been affected by the rules on photo ID?

Probably in the hundreds of thousands, and maybe more. The polling company More in Common say that, on the basis of polling after the last election, more than 850,000 would have been turned away at the polling station for lack of ID, and  given that some returned  perhaps 400,000 lost their vote.

It affected voters from ethnic minority groups disproportionately: the poll suggested that 6.5 per cent of voters of colour were turned away from a polling booth at least once, compared with 2.5 per cent of white voters.

But of course, no one really has any idea how many voters didnt even bother to go to the polls who wished to, because they knew they didnt have the necessary ID  or they did but it had some minor discrepancy, such as a variation in their first name or the precise spelling of their surname.

Local council greeters posted outside polling stations may also have stopped people from entering the premises, and thus these would-be voters would have gone unnoticed by the local election officials or the Electoral Commission.

What about the millions who arent registered at all?

The government says that an increasingly automated voter registration system will also make it easier for people to register to vote, and will reduce the need for them to fill out their details across different government services on multiple occasions.

Who will the reforms help?

On balance, Labour, because of its relatively high vote among some ethnic minorities; but also, for that same reason, the Corbynite independents who took seats from Labour in strongly Muslim areas even in a strong year such as 2024. Reform UK might also see some benefit, because their vote is skewed towards more disadvantaged places, where turnouts are traditionally low. Automated registration among disaffected non-voters might give them a bit of a boost.

Will it save the Labour Party?

No. As with votes at 16, the numbers arent going to make that much of a difference, and in our present confused four- or five-party system, its hard to see anyone gaining a decisive advantage. And voting allegiances by age, class and ethnicity, for example, can shift over time anyway. But in a very close contest, who knows?

What about postal voting?

This seems to be another problem for turnout. The government says of last July: Overall, 8 per cent of non-voters mentioned they did not vote because of an issue related to their postal vote (such as missing the deadline to apply, forms arriving late and forgetting to send their postal vote)  with this figure rising to 13 per cent in Scotland and Wales.

The deterioration in the postal system has added fresh challenges to a method of voting many find essential, or more convenient. So the proposal is to change the deadline in Great Britain to apply for a postal vote, moving it from 11 to 14 working days before a poll, thereby providing more time between the application deadline and polling day.

What about postal vote fraud?

This only became much of an issue in Britain after the contested 2020 US presidential election, and Donald Trumps unfounded allegations that it was rigged. Nigel Farage and Reform UK make a big deal of it, and Richard Tice, Reforms deputy leader, has raised it again in the Commons this week, stating: I have seen people carrying bag-loads of postal votes to a polling station on election day. The relevant minister, Rushanara Ali, told him to tell the police.
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Britain has hit more than a dozen Russian spies with a wave of sanctions, targeting those it accused of running a sustained campaign of malicious activity against the UK.

The Foreign Office named 18 officers from Russian spy agency the GRU, as well as hitting three of its units with measures aimed at cracking down on Vladimir Putins increasing aggression abroad.

It said the military intelligence officers targeted were responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders, and included those who had targeted the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

open image in gallery Members of the spy agency GRU to have been sanctioned include (clockwise, from top left) Aleksandr Osadchuk, Evgeny Serebriakov, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, Anatoliy Kovalev, Yuriy Fedorovich Denisov, and Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets ( FBI )

open image in gallery Members of the military wore protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2019 ( PA Archive )

The officers sanctioned had targeted a device belonging to Mr Skripals daughter Yulia with malicious malware known as X-Agent five years before GRU attempted to murder them in Salisbury with the deadly Novichok nerve agent.

The units are also accused of conducting a prolonged campaign of cyberattacks across Europe, including in Britain, aimed at destabilising the continent and undermining democratic institutions.

GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens, foreign secretary David Lammy said.

He added: The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we wont tolerate it. Thats why were taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.

On 15 March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Unit 26165 carried out online reconnaissance on civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol, southern Ukraine and in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, the Foreign Office said.

open image in gallery The Foreign Office said the spies were responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putins orders. Clockwise, from top left: Nikolay Korchagin, Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev, Artem Adreyevich Malyshev, Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, and Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev ( FBI )

open image in gallery Rubble is cleared at the site of the damaged Mariupol theatre after the March 2022 attack ( AP )

One of the targets was the Mariupol theatre. Civilians sheltering inside from Russian bombs had painted the word children outside in the hopes they would be spared.

But the next day, the theatre was hit by Russian airstrikes, killing about 600 people, including children, according to an Associated Press investigation.

In 2013, officers from the same unit had targeted the daughter of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with malware, designed to harm or infiltrate computer systems, the foreign ministry said.

In 2018, Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury, in an attack the British government said was organised by Russian intelligence. The Skripals survived the attack on British soil but a woman, Dawn Sturgess, was killed after her boyfriend stumbled across the poison in a perfume bottle.

open image in gallery Members of the military wear protective clothing at the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, following the 2018 poisoning ( PA Archive )

The sanctions also targeted the Africa Initiative, which the Foreign Office said employed Russian intelligence officers to carry out information operations in Africa, including undermining public health programmes and destabilising various countries.

Russias campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe ranges from cyberattacks and propaganda to arson and attempted assassination. Mr Lammy said: Putins hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our allies' support for Ukraine and Europes security is ironclad.

More than 70 different attacks have been attributed to Russia by Western officials since the invasion.

The military intelligence units sanctioned on Friday also targeted foreign aid to Kyiv, ports, infrastructure and border crossings as well as technology companies, the Foreign Office said.

Although targeting GRU officers with sanctions is likely to have limited effect, the ministry said the goal is to raise awareness of Russia's campaign and raise the cost to people working for its services, including making it harder for them to travel.
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Nigel Farage is facing calls to sack his right-hand man Zia Yusuf after the senior Reform UK figure said that a member of his team accidentally pressed like on an antisemitic post which attacked the wife of Tory MP Robert Jenrick.

The former Reform chair, who now heads the partys Doge unit, has apologised for the incident, which comes after an anonymous X user posted a video that appeared to show Mr Yusuf liking a tweet which said: Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family. Im sure its unrelated that he imported infinite brown savages to rape our women and children.

Zogbot is a derogatory term for a Zionist.

The anonymous account that shared the screen recording of Mr Yusufs interaction with the post described it as absolutely horrifying antisemitism.

Since last summer, likes on X have been privatised, so that only the liker and the poster can see them, rather than a wider audience.

In response, Mr Jenrick said he called bull**** and pointed out that Mr Yusuf had been calling him a traitor for the previous 48 hours over the Afghan data breach in what had become an ugly spat.

open image in gallery Zia Yusuf with Nigel Farage last month ( Getty )

The shadow justice minister claimed the mask has slipped and urged Reform to sever ties with Mr Yusuf.

Mr Yusuf responded with an apology after critics of the former Reform UK chair picked up the criticism to demand that he be sacked by Mr Farage.

In his statement, he said: One of the team who post to my X account accidentally pressed like on an awful antisemitic tweet earlier today. I apologise for this.

He added: The post also refers to brown savages, and is equally racist against me. Clearly it was not intentional.

The amount of antisemitism and racism on this platform is spiralling out of control, and I hope that changes soon.

But responding, Mr Jenrick claimed he did not believe Mr Yusufs explanation.

In a post directed at Mr Yusuf, he said: I call bull****. Youve spent the last 48 hours calling me a traitor for not drawing attention to a leaked spreadsheet with our special forces and MI6 officers names on.

But were meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife and family was liked accidentally by one of the team. You must think were all thick.

open image in gallery Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick ( PA Wire )

No. The mask has slipped. Likes are private. You thought nobody would ever know. Unfortunately for you, the racist account who posted the tweet and could see the likes exposed you. Reform should give you the boot.

Mr Yusuf has been a controversial figure in Reform after he helped fund its general election campaign before being brought in as chair to modernise the party.

He was blamed by supporters of Rupert Lowe for the Great Yarmouth MP being ousted from Reform but had the full backing of Mr Farage.

Mr Yusuf then temporarily resigned from the party after having a spat with Reforms recently elected Runcorn MP Sarah Pochin, after she asked a question in PMQs calling for the burqa to be banned.

He returned 24 hours later but was replaced as chair by long-term Farage ally Dr David Bull and instead agreed to head its Doge unit, modelled on the one Elon Musk created for Donald Trump, which aims to find savings and cut costs in councils Reform won control of in May.
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An American-Russian woman, who lives in the United States, was arrested at a Moscow airport, accused of attempting to bring a gun into the country, authorities have said.

The woman, who has not been named, was also carrying a check for $138,000 in her luggage. The suspect was stopped in a random check as she attempted to leave Vnukovo airport in the green lane designated for passengers who have nothing to declare, Russias Federal Customs Service said in a statement.

The suitcase was found to contain an American Colt Commander, .45 caliber with three empty magazines, the statement continued. Officials posted pictures of the gun and the magazines on social media.

The woman, who was traveling from Turkey, said that she did not think she had to declare the gun or the check, Russian authorities said.

She is now facing criminal charges.

The American Colt Commander, .45 caliber that authorities say was seized at a Moscow airport Friday morning ( Russias Federal Customs Service )

U.S. citizens in Russian custody have long been a point of contention between the two countries.

In May, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible prisoner exchange involving nine people from each side, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. A source close to the Kremlin said the U.S. side has previously provided Moscow with a list of nine Americans jailed in Russia that Washington wants to have returned.

Tensions between the White House and the Kremlin are high, with Trump turning on Putin with a series of statements regarding the war in Ukraine and his renewed pledge of further military aid to Kyiv.

This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump for his willingness to support Ukraine. In Kyiv, resident Nina Tokar, 70, said Tuesday that with more U.S. weapons going to Ukraine, maybe this will all end faster.

However, following Trumps threat late last week to impose major sanctions on Russia for failing to reach a deal to end the fighting, the American president said Monday that Moscow would get 50 days to come to a settlement or face very severe economic sanctions.

While some believe strict tariffs on Moscow could be a game changer, the decision to postpone them until September struck some European observers as being too long. Ukrainian officials made no direct comment about the 50-day window, but for Russia, the delay of new sanctions came as a reprieve.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Software company Astronomer has launched a formal investigation after its married CEO and head of HR were caught being intimate at a Coldplay concert, engulfing the internet in rumors of an alleged affair between the boss and his underling.

Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, the company said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.

Social media went into meltdown after footage circulated showing two people - later identified as Andy Byron and his companys Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot - awkwardly jumping out of each others arms as they flashed up on a kiss cam during the bands show in Boston Wednesday night.

Byron, who had his arms wrapped around Cabots waist from behind, quickly let her go as his HR chief covered her face with her hands. He then crouched down, trying to hide from the camera.

Software company Astronomer has launched a formal investigation after its CEO Andy Byron and head of HR Kristin Cabot were caught being intimate at a Coldplay concert, engulfing the internet in rumors of an alleged affair between them ( TikTok @instaagraace )

Oh, what...either theyre having an affair or theyre just very shy, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped as the pair ran away from where they were standing.

In its statement the company sought to clarify several details about the incident and the aftermath, Byrons alleged response.

Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect, the statement read.

Though Byron has kept mum on the incident, Astronomer co-founder Ry Walker, who was CEO himself from 2015 to 2019, and worked with him briefly, spoke out on X. Ive found Andy to be professional, Ive only ever been on a call with him once, he wrote.

Everyone on the team has praised his leadership to me. So I think this is an unfortunate development that comes as a big surprise, he added.

Byron has been CEO of Astronomer, a New York City-based data orchestration platform that empowers data teams to bring mission-critical analytics, Ai, and software to life, since 2023, according to the companys LinkedIn page.

Meanwhile, Cabot joined the team nine months ago, according to her LinkedIn.

Despite the official investigation, hundreds cracked jokes online about the awkward situation, speculating that the two were cheating on their spouses.

:ol if theyd have just stuck it out and smiled for the camera this would never have surfaced as virally as it did, one internet user wrote. Their spouses would have left them anyway once they learned of their Coldplay fetish, another joked.
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Theres a new hero in the fight against invasive spotted lanternflies: your dogs.

For the first time, people and their pups were able to effectively detect the eggs that hatch the pesky Asian pests, which have the ability to damage trees, crops, and other plants. The egg masses  including 30 to 50 eggs  are notoriously hard to find, according to researchers at Virginia Tech and Texas Tech Universities.

They often resemble mud smears or lichens and are tucked into bark crevices, cracks, or hidden undersides, Mizuho Nita, a plant pathologist at Virginia Techs Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, said in a statement. Finding them is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

More than 180 teams of dogs of different breeds and their owners were given non-hatching egg masses to train with at home or in small groups. Following several months of training, the dogs were tested in indoors and outdoor environments.

The canines had to complete an odor recognition test, distinguishing the box with the spotted lanternfly eggs from multiple boxes that contained different items. Those that passed the test, advanced to a field test where they were required to identify the scent in an outdoor environment with competing smells.

open image in gallery Spotted lanternflies, invasive pests native to Asia that can damage crops and trees, are hard to find. For the first time, pet dogs have been successfully trained to find them ( Getty Images )

Of the dogs that passed both tests, 92 percent were successful in finding the eggs. Some 82 percent of the time, the dogs correctly identified the egg boxes. While that percentage dropped to 61 percent outdoors, thats still better than many human searches, the researchers noted.

Dogs have a sense of smell thats tens of thousands of times more acute than those of humans. They can also find the eggs without disturbing the environment. While professional dogs can do this, there arent nearly enough of them and theyre expensive.

open image in gallery Fozzie, a labrador and golden retriever mix, and his owner, Scott Hurst of Salem, Virginia, search a park bench for evidence of the invasive spotted lanternfly. Dogs are much better at finding their eggs than humans thanks to their keen senses of smell ( Photo by Clark DeHart for Virginia Tech. )

The project, which was supported by the Department of Agriculture and published in the journal Zoological Science, could also be helpful for detecting powdery mildew with over 90 percent accuracy, according to a separate study authored by the researchers. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that impacts vineyards, much like spotted lanternflies do.

Not finding the insects may cost the New York grape industry millions of dollars, according to researchers at Cornell University.

First detected in 2014, the Asian natives have spread across 18 states, laying eggs on lumber, cars, stones, and other surfaces, threatening the central and eastern U.S. Since then, campaigns to stomp out the spotted lanternflies in major Northeast cities have been successful  although, some residents have questioned whether people should kill them.

open image in gallery New York City and other major Northeast cities are seeing the spotted lanternflies this summer. But, there may not be as many as a few years ago ( Getty Images )

Hatching from April through June, this summer theyve returned to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Some cities, including the Big Apple, may not see as many as they did just a few summers ago.

It might seem like spotted lanternfly is not as big a problem as it seemed a few years ago, Cornells Allan Pinto said earlier this year. This reminds people: It might not be bad if you do something, but if you dont, it could be really bad.
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Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor, his press office confirmed on Friday.

The development came as federal police conducted searches at his home and his partys headquarters in Brasilia, according to individuals familiar with the court order.

Local media reports further indicate that the politician is also barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court.

This reportedly includes his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian lawmaker who currently lives in the United States and is known for his close ties to Donald Trump.

A police statement confirmed that officers in Brasilia carried out "two search and seizure warrants, in addition to precautionary measures other than arrest, in compliance with a decision by the Supreme Court." The statement did not explicitly name Bolsonaro.

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro arrives to the State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration headquarters in Brasilia ( REUTERS )

Bolsonaro is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Live aerial footage from local broadcasters showed federal police vehicles outside Bolsonaros residence in Brasilia.

Congressman Sostenes Cavalcante, the leader of Bolsonaros party in the lower house, told The Associated Press that officers also searched Bolsonaros office at the partys headquarters. He described the operation as another chapter in the persecution of conservatives and right-wing figures in Brazil.

A lawyer for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, Brazils Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a report to the Supreme Court that the evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of law.

Bolsonaro has described the trial on X as a witch hunt, echoing a term used by Trump when he came to his South American allys defense last week.

Last week, Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaros trial. The U.S. president has hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Trump compared the Brazilians situation to his own. On Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump repeated the claim that the trial is a witch hunt.
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Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration is damaging Las Vegas's famous tourist industry and spooking the workers who keep it running, according to union and industry leaders.

An estimated 25 percent of all Nevada workers were born abroad, compared to 17 percent in America as a whole. Immigrant workers are particularly dominant in the tourism and hospitality industries, with 74 percent of hotel housekeepers born overseas, and 51 percent of restaurant line cooks.

But now local activists say that Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers are detaining around 40 percent more people per day in South Nevada than it did last year, despite 69 percent of them having no criminal convictions.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary treasurer of the local chapter of the Culinary Workers Union, told Fox 5 Vegas that the surge in detentions has sown fear throughout the city's hospitality sector.

"This industry cannot function without immigrant workers," he warned.

Michael Kagan, director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Immigration Clinic, likewise said calls to his group had "more than tripled" and that staff "can't keep up".

"This kind of fear is just so incredibly destructive to our neighbors to our community, to our economy," he told Fox 5.

A case in point is Broadacres Marketplace, a popular open-air market in north Las Vegas, which has been closed since June 21 in order to protect its vendors and customers from immigration raids.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that visitors to Las Vegas dropped by 6.5 percent in May compared to the same month in 2024, with hotels making 5.7 percent less money.

That is a mirror of the situation across the USA, where foreign tourist spending is projected to fall by 7 percent this year due in part to travelers' fears about being detained or turned away at the border.

The Convention and Visitors Authority did not attribute Sin Citys shortfall to immigration fears specifically, instead citing overall economic gloom due to Trump's tariffs. "At the core of what we think is happening right now is that consumer confidence is down pretty significantly," said Authority CEO Steve Hill in May.

open image in gallery People have protested across the country about the Trump administrations hardline border policies ( Ronda Churchill / AFP via Getty Images )

Nevertheless, Pappageorge said visits from Canadian and Mexican customers specifically had "fallen off a cliff", while Latino visitors are "fearful and nervous".

"When that happens, that means that our visitation is down and companies are looking at potential layoffs. Our members are quite nervous about that" he said.

The Trump administration has specifically targeted hotels, restaurants, and farms for immigration raids as it seeks to fulfill Trump's campaign promise of "mass deportations".
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A black cloud is hanging over the Los Angeles County Sheriffs office, after three deputies were killed after an explosion occurred at the forces regional training facility.

Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed the news at a press conference Friday, describing the three unidentified service members as fantastic experts in their field.

Ive heard, over and over, the word elite being used, Luna told reporters. I think sometime that that term gets overused. But if you're familiar with our Special Enforcement Bureau, they're the best of the best, and the individuals who work our arson, explosives, detail.

They have years of training, and these members  usually the average calls that they go to, some very dangerous situations or items, average about 1,100 per year. So these aren't people who don't do this very often they are fantastic, experts, and unfortunately I lost three of them today.

open image in gallery Three deputies have been killed after an explosion occurred at a Los Angeles County Sheriffs training facility in east Los Angeles, according to reports ( ABC7 )

The cause of the blast at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles  which occurred just before 7.30 a.m. local time  is not yet known officially.

However, according to KTLA, who cited sources close to the investigation, deputies were in the process of moving unexploded ordnances recovered Thursday night when one of the devices detonated.

The outlet reported that the Los Angeles Police Departments bomb squad arrived at the center at around 8.45 a.m. local time. Employees at the facility initially thought that the explosion had been an earthquake.

As well as the three confirmed fatalities, additional injuries were also reported, though details have not yet been specified.

Aerial footage showed an LACSD vehicle with a shattered rear windshield as well other damaged vehicles nearby. An injured person has also been taken to hospital, although their condition is currently unknown.

open image in gallery According to KTLA, who cited sources close to the investigation deputies were in the process of moving unexploded ordnances recovered Thursday night when one of the devices detonated ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom said he had been briefed on the incident, as well as LA Mayor Karen Bass.

The Governors Office of Emergency Services, @Cal_OES, is in contact with the Sheriffs Department and closely monitoring the situation, and has offered full state assistance. Emergency officials will provide updates as more information becomes available, a statement on X read.

Basss office confirmed that arson investigators and members of the LAPD bomb squad are assisting at the training facility. The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast, the mayors office said.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that federal agents were working with local law enforcement to find out more about the horrific incident.

I just spoke to @USAttyEssayli about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles, Bondi wrote on X.

Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriffs deputies killed.
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Peacocks are making life miserable for the residents of a neighborhood in Orlando, Florida.

Residents at the Villas at Costa del Sol are angry about a bunch of peacocks who they say are damaging property and creating safety concerns by defecating all over the neighborhood and chasing local children.

The frustrated Floridians said the problem began years ago when a resident introduced a pair of peacocks into the community. The birds reproduced, adding more and more peacocks to the area over the years.

Now the birds are numerous, and are reportedly causing issues.

Theres feces everywhere and the kids play in the ground, you know that has so much bacteria, so thats one of the things were worried about. They go after the kids, like if the kids were with their family and theyre playing, they just run after them, Maria Calderon, the volunteer HOA president at the Villas, told News 6 Orlando.

Residents of the Villas at Costa del Sol in Orlando, Florida, are frustrated that a large community of peacocks have been damaging their homes and cars, scaring their children, and leaving droppings around their homes (stock image) ( Unsplash/Gibran Hamdan )

The birds aren't just scaring children and leaving droppings; they're also reportedly scratching up residents' vehicles and damaging their homes.

According to Calderon, the birds see their reflections in the car panels and try to fight their reflections, leaving scratches and beak marks. One resident reportedly had to spend thousands to repair their car, and later switched to a lighter-colored vehicle that was less reflective to avoid bird attacks.

They scratch your car because they think theyre fighting, the resident, who chose not to provide their name, told the broadcaster. All I hear is THUD THUD THUD cause theyre pecking it with their beak, and they go to the other side of the car cause they think theyll get to that other bird. And then theyre not just pecking at it, theyre jumping up and theyre scratching it.

Another resident, named Victor, told the outlet that birds have torn at his screen door and have flown onto his roof, forcing him to replace two tiles already.

Unfortunately for the residents, if they want the birds gone, they'll have to foot the bill. The city of Orlando, Orange County, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have all said that removing the birds is the responsibility of the residents.

That's easier said than done; Calderon said she's tried numerous public and private groups asking for help, but hasn't found anyone willing to take on the task. She said few organizations she's spoken with have the capacity to house the large number of peacocks loose in the area.
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More than 30 million Americans are under the threat of dangerous flash flooding through the weekend and into next week.

The forecast comes on the heels of heavy rain in Louisiana and Mississippi on Thursday, major and disruptive flooding that forced a state of emergency in New Jersey, and deadly flash floods in Texas that took the lives of at least 135 people, including children at a Christian girls camp.

This tropical rainstorm is not expected to strengthen and get an official name, but it will soak the Gulf Coast. This major rainmaker could trigger dangerous flash flooding from Louisiana and Mississippi all the way to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians through the weekend, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva explained.

Areas south and west of New Orleans could see four to eight inches of rainfall. Were increasingly concerned about the risk of flooding through the weekend as the moisture from this tropical rainstorm surges northward, he said.

Residents of 11 states across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Appalachians will see moisture from the same tropical rainstorm that brought flooding impacts to the Gulf Coast from Saturday through Monday.

open image in gallery Following deadly flash floods in Central Texas, more dangerous rain events are on the way this weekend. Residents of 11 states will feel the impacts ( Getty Images )

AccuWeather meteorologists said two to four inches of rain is expected from Saturday through Monday from Iowa to the Appalachians, including in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh.

The area of low pressure at center of tropical rainstorm is expected to dissipate Saturday over Arkansas or Missouri. However, the some of the remaining moisture-laden tropical air and atmospheric spin associated with the former rainstorm will be drawn farther north, AccuWeather Vice President of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin explained. This can enhance the risk for heavy rainfall and flash flooding into early next week across the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

open image in gallery Some areas could see as many as 13 inches of rain fall over the weekend and into Monday. Chicago, Cincinnati, Charleston, and other Midwest and Southeast cities will be impacted ( AccuWeather )

Widespread flooding across the region is not expected, but pockets of significant flash flooding are possible from Iowa to the Appalachian mountains, with some areas seeing as many as 13 inches of rain.

Dont let your guard down on this threat for flash flooding. People across parts of Iowa and Illinois to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians need to be prepared for the risk of flash flooding. Some of these areas already have saturated ground after rounds of downpours and storms in recent weeks, said Porter.

In areas where one to three inches of rain occur per hour, there may be additional rounds of life-threatening flash flooding into next week.

The danger comes as several states across the country are recovering from the impacts of flooding rainfall events. In Central Texas, the search continued for people who went missing in and around Kerr County and Flash Flood Alley earlier this month.

open image in gallery Vehicles sit submerged as a search and rescue worker looks through debris for any survivors or remains of people in Hunt, Texas. The 1,000-year flood event was one of four that happened in just a week across the U.S. ( Getty Images )

The flood moved quickly in the middle of the night, dumping 10 or more inches in a matter of hours, due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry lingering over the Lone Star State,

As the Earths atmosphere warms, it has the ability to hold more moisture and produce conditions ripe for flooding rainfall.

Human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency of 1,000-year flood events around the world, which have a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Four happened in less than a week this month.

This has been a tremendously impactful and dangerous year with flash flooding tragedies reported across the country, Porter said. The number of flash flood reports this year to date has been a staggering 70 percent above the 10-year historical average.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed that other states are in the process of building Alligator Alcatraz-style detention centers to hold alleged undocumented immigrants.

Nestled in the Florida Everglades about 45 miles from Miami, the sprawling facility is quickly becoming one of the most controversial symbols of Donald Trumps aggressive immigration crackdown.

Last week, Noem praised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a recent news conference for collaborating with the DHS, adding that five Republican governors have explored building similar facilities in their own states.

We've had several other states that are actually using Alligator Alcatraz as a model for how they can partner with us, as well, Noem said Saturday, without naming the states.

I'm having ongoing conversations with five other governors about facilities that they may have.

open image in gallery Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says that five GOP governors have weighed building an Alligator Alcatraz-style facility in their states ( U.S. Immigration and Customs Enf )

Noem said that she cannot share the governors names but stated that announcements will be forthcoming soon.

The DHS secretary said the Trump administrations objective is clear: double the capacity of immigration detention centers and remove undocumented people from the country as fast as possible.

Spokespersons for governors Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Tate Reeves of Mississippi, and Greg Abbott of Texas told NewsNation Thursday that they are ready to assist in the president's mass deportation program. McMasters office said nothing is off the table.

Meanwhile, South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace said earlier this month that weve got a swamp and a dream, urging the DHS, lets talk.

South Carolinas gators are ready. And theyre not big on paperwork, she said.

Alligator Alcatraz received its first detainees on July 1, the day Noem and Trump toured the facility. Hundreds of alleged undocumented migrants are held behind chain-link fences inside tents.

open image in gallery Trump and Noem toured the Florida facility on its opening day earlier this month ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Facing criticism from Democrats over alleged inhumane conditions, which they said see 32 detainees per cage, Noem sought to downplay the concerns.

Ive been there and I wouldnt call them jail cells, she told Kristin Welker on NBCs Meet the Press on Saturday. I would call them a facility where they are held and are secure facilities.

The sprawling immigration facility, which has a capacity for 3,000 people, was built at breakneck speed on the largely abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.

Trump heralded the remote, maximum-security facility as a place to hold the most menacing migrants.

However, a preliminary review of the more than 700 people being held at the temporary facility found that just one-third of detainees had criminal convictions, according to The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times.

Around 250 people listed in the facility had immigration violations, which are civil offenses.

There are, however, multiple detainees being held who were convicted of crimes ranging from burglary to murder, according to Fox News.
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Democratic voters who opted against casting a ballot in the 2024 election want more left-leaning candidates, a new poll indicates.

Kamala Harris defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 election put the Democratic Party in a spiral trying to figure out what went wrong. While some have speculated that Harris was too far left, costing her the election, new research by Lake Research Partners and Way to Win suggests otherwise.

In a poll of 822 so-called Biden skippers, those living in battleground states who voted for Biden in 2020 but sat out in 2024, Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez topped the list of public figures they viewed favorably. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have campaigned on healthcare for all, environmental protection, and progressive wealth taxes.

Of those surveyed, 78 percent had a favorable view of Sanders, 67 percent had a favorable view of Ocasio-Cortez, followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom with 60 percent and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer with 50 percent.

The conventional wisdom is really wrong on these voters, Celinda Lake, pollster and founder of Lake Research Partners, told Rolling Stone. Theyre very clear about what they want and what they thought was missing in 2024: They want leaders who will fight for everyone Theyre very health care-orientedThey want to crack down on Big Pharma Theyre very populist. They have a clear economic agenda around affordability and making the wealthy pay what they owe in taxes.

Voters who sat out in the 2024 election prefer politicians like AOC and Bernie Sanders, a new survey found ( AFP via Getty Images )

She added: You cant get these voters by just being against things. You have to be for something You have to be offering solutions And you have to be standing up and fighting.

Perhaps the names that topped the list werent surprising, seeing as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have been zigzagging across the country on a Fighting Oligarchy tour. Tens of thousands have packed into arenas to hear the pair bash Trumps presidency and urge Americans to come together to combat the billionaire class, as Sanders puts it.

The poll unveiled other views held by voters who sat out the last election.

Biden skippers had an overall positive view of the Democratic party and almost half  49 percent  said they check the news several times per day, the poll found. If they had voted in 2024, 56 percent said they would have voted for Harris while only 25 percent said they would have voted for Trump.

Still, the survey found most made an active choice to sit out the last election. Asked why they skipped casting a ballot, the most common answer was that they didnt like either candidate. Of the issues that impacted their decisions to not vote, Harris economic views ranked in the top two. They believed she didn't have a strong enough plan to get the cost of living down and they thought she only focused on home buyers and the middle class, not addressing deeper issues like poverty and inequality, the survey found.

Still, 81 percent of Biden skippers said they were motivated to vote in 2026. The top issues they care about are accessible and affordable healthcare, ensuring the wealthy pay what they owe in taxes, affordable housing, and curbing Big Pharma's price gouging for prescription drugs, the poll found.

These voters are really ready for messaging to go on offense against what the Republicans are doing  whether its cutting health care that hurts children, giving billionaires more tax giveaways, doing absolutely nothing to cut costs, Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, a co-founder of Way to Win, told Rolling Stone.

These desires map out a path forward for Democrats, as these voters seem to be uniquely winnable  and a key element to building back a more sustainable Democratic coalition, which is what we have to do, Ancona said.
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President Donald Trump announced plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a bombshell report detailing an alleged bawdy birthday card Trump gave to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Journal described a card that appeared to be signed by Trump for the disgraced financiers 50th birthday. Inside the outline of a sketch of a naked woman, typed text reads: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denied having anything to do with the card. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the outlet. Its not my language. Its not my words.

He also threatened to sue the Journal if the story was published  a threat he now vowed to act on. In a Truth Social Post Thursday night, the president said he plans to sue The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Rupert Murdoch shortly.

The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued, the president wrote.

President Donald Trump announces his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a story detailing his alleged birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein ( New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images )

Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway, the post continued.

He then several lawsuits he filed against the press, including ABC and CBS, which were settled.

President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal, he wrote. It has truly turned out to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant.
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The ranking Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the top executives at Fox News demanding answers about the right-wing networks editing of a 2024 interview with Donald Trump, claiming it misled the public about the then-candidates stance on releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The letter from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), first obtained by CNN, accuses Fox News of omitting key context from Trumps response when asked by Fox & Friends host Rachel Campos-Duffy whether he would commit to making the Epstein files public. Garcia is requesting that the network provide all internal records and communications related to the interview with Trumps campaign.

Considering President Trumps well-documented past social ties with Jeffrey Epstein, Fox Newss selective omission raises serious concerns that the network may have deliberately sought to shield then-candidate Trump from any further association with Epstein, the letter to Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox Corp chairman Lachlan Murdoch reads.

It is legitimate to ask whether President Trump himself or those close to him may have actively encouraged the edit, Garcia adds.

The network, meanwhile, is denying any claims that it deceitfully edited the interview, noting that the entire conversation was later made available on its digital site.

Donald Trump sits down for an interview with Fox & Friends Weekend hosts in June 2024. That interview is now under scrutiny over the way the network edited Trump's comments about his stance on releasing the Epstein files ( Fox News )

As previously stated, there was no selective or deceptive editing whatsoever. Portions of the initial interview that aired on Fox & Friends Weekend with then-candidate Trump on June 2, 2024 had standard editorial cuts for time and the full answer to the Epstein question aired on the following days show, Fox News said in a statement.

The entire unedited interview was also run on multiple FOX News Media platforms with full transparency on June 3, 2024, including audio, digital and streaming, while the entire transcript was posted on foxnews.com, the network added.

During the televised portion of the interview that originally aired on Fox & Friends Weekend, Trump appeared to be fully in favor of releasing the Epstein case documents, unequivocally telling Campos-Duffy that he supported that decision.

During the unedited version that was later made available online, however, Trump hedged and suggested that he would need to redact or fully withhold some documents and evidence because it could contain phony stuff that could potentially affect peoples lives.

Yeah, yeah, I would. I guess I would. I think that less so because, you dont know, you dont want to affect peoples lives if its phony stuff in there, because its a lot of phony stuff with that whole world, Trump told Campos-Duffy when asked if hed declassify the Epstein files.

Do you think that would restore trust? Help restore trust? the Fox host wondered.

I dont know about Epstein, so much as I do the others, he deflected, referencing files related to the John F. Kennedy assassination and the 9/11 terror attacks. Certainly, about the way he died. Itd be interesting to find out what happened there, because that was a weird situation and the cameras didnt happen to be working, etc., etc. But yeah, Id go a long way toward that one. The other stuff, I would.

While the edit for the television broadcast drew attention at the time, especially after Trump sued CBS News for election interference over edits 60 Minutes made to an interview with Kamala Harris, the Fox News sit-down has gained further scrutiny and criticism in recent days amid the uproar over the Justice Departments conclusion that Epstein had no client list and died by suicide.

Amid the MAGA meltdown over the DOJs memo and Trump now claiming the files are a Democrat-created hoax while angrily demanding his stupid supporters move on from Epstein, Democrats have looked to politically take advantage of the controversy by calling for the release of more documents and evidence.

Following CBS News parent company Paramounts recent $16 million settlement with the president over the meritless 60 Minutes lawsuit, which occurred as Paramount seeks an $8 billion merger that requires the Trump administrations approval, Democratic senators questioned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about the Fox News edit.

Carr, who is currently investigating CBS regarding the editing of its Harris interview, was asked last week by Sens. Chuck Schumer and Ed Markey why he wasnt probing the conservative cable giant.

This selective editing appears to be far more misleading than the run-of-the-mill editorial decision-making in CBSs interview with Harris, the senators letter stated, adding that rather than investigate Fox, Carrs FCC should stop its partisan investigations into the news media and cease interfering with independent journalism altogether.
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A former Obama administration official and Trump critic was barred from attending the graduation ceremony of a K9 officer he had sponsored - and named after his dead wife.

James Clapper, who served as Director of National Intelligence from 2010 until 2017, was informed by the nonprofit dog-training group that his name had been taken off the list for the event.

The 84-year-old had sponsored the yellow Labrador, named Susan, as she completed her CIA training for detection canines. Once deployed, the dogs help to sniff out concealed explosives.

Clappers late wife, Susan, a former National Security Agency employee, had been a great animal lover and had volunteered at a local animal shelter.

open image in gallery James Clapper, a former Director of National Intelligence under the Obama administration, was informed by the nonprofit dog-training group that his name had been taken off the list for a graduation ceremony for a K9 officer he had sponsored and name ( AFP via Getty Images )

According to The Atlantic, Clapper was informed that he was not permitted to attend Susans graduation a day before the event in late May. The order to bar him had come from an executive order signed by the president.

Trumps disdain for Clapper stems from his first administration, when the former intelligence chief had testified in a hearing into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election  which the president has referred to multiple times as a hoax. At the time, Trump wrote that Clapper and another Obama-era official had begun to choke like dogs during the Senate hearing, according to the outlet.

Clapper has also, on multiple occasions, questioned the presidents fitness for office during TV news hits.

After returning to office Trump immediately got rid of the security clearance of dozens of former intelligence officials, including Clapper. This order, according to The Atlantic, was misinterpreted by CIA officials to mean the octogenarian was not allowed on any agency property.

The graduation took place at a CIA training facility in Herndon, Virginia.

The outlet reported that, since the event was not a classified affair, there was no reason to keep Clapper from celebrating the achievements of his dog.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment about the decision to bar Clapper from the event.
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When he was a best-selling author with designs on running in Ohios Senate race four years ago, JD Vance was one of the multitudes of Republican figures who assailed the mainstream press for not giving enough attention to multimillionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, as Donald Trumps vice president, Vance would prefer Epstein stay out of the headlines.

Vance took to X on Thursday to grouse about the Wall Street Journals reporting on an alleged letter from Trump to the infamous pedophile that was reportedly part of a birthday album for Epsteins 50th birthday.

The greeting is alleged to have included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets both men shared.

In response, the vice president called the Journals story complete and utter bull***t and suggested the newspaper should be ashamed for having published it.

open image in gallery Trump has praised both Vance and Rubio but has not officially named his ideal successor. ( Getty Images )

Vances admonishment represents a head-spinning reversal from the attitude he expressed in December 2021, when he wrote on the same platform (then known as Twitter) to ask what interest the U.S. government would have in keeping Epsteins clients secret.

He also shared a post by conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec alleging that the government had made a deal with Epstein co-conspirator and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, purportedly to keep a little black book of her and Epsteins contacts from being made public.

Continuing, he said: If you're a journalist and you're not asking questions about this case you should be ashamed of yourself.

The vice presidents about-face on how journalists should approach reporting on the infamous sex trafficker comes as the president has sought to quell an ongoing furor over Attorney General Pam Bondis decision to release a memorandum stating that there had not been any client list in the departments files on Epstein.

Epstein, a math teacher turned financial adviser, who federal agents arrested on sex trafficking charges in July 2019, was found to have hanged himself roughly a month later in a Manhattan detention facility where he was awaiting trial.

Though it was officially ruled that he died by suicide, many dispute that conclusion, and questions have been raised regarding the circumstances surrounding his death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

For years, the presidents supporters have pushed for release of what they believe was a list of powerful people to whom Epstein is alleged to have trafficked young girls, as well as other information they believe would reflect negatively on members of the Democratic Party, various Hollywood celebrities, and other purported elites who they believe to be part of a sinister cabal controlling world events.

Trump had long winked and nodded at such beliefs and had indicated during his 2024 campaign that his administration would release the documents in question if he were victorious in last years presidential election.

But after Bondi dropped the memo in which she and FBI Director Kash Patel wrote that no further disclosure of case files would be appropriate or warranted because much was sealed by a court to protect Epsteins victims, and only a fraction of it would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial, many of the presidents fervent supporters cried foul.

In response, the president has claimed the whole matter is a hoax made up by Democrats in multiple social media posts and public statements over the last few days.
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CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins pushed back on Republican Senator Bernie Morenos assertion that she had not covered the Biden autopen scandal as in-depth as the Epstein Files scandal.

In a heated debate over the administrations handling of the Epstein files debacle on Thursdays episode of The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Moreno danced around criticisms related to the scandal.

You know what were not talking about, the autopen scandal, Moreno said to Collins. Did you guys spend 30 minutes talking about the autopen scandal? Did you spend 30 minutes talking about the fact that Democrats hid the knowledge that President Biden was compromised?

Collins interjected to remind Moreno that her colleague, Jake Tapper, wrote a book dedicated to investigating the White Houses handling of former president Joe Bidens alleged declining health.

Jake Tapper wrote an entire book on it, and we covered it at length. I think you can do both things, you can walk and chew gum at the same time, senator, with all due respect, Collins said.

open image in gallery Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno defended the Trump administration on Thursday evening while speaking with CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins ( Getty Images )

The autopen scandal refers to the belief among Republicans and the president that Biden staffers used the autopen to have the former president sign official documents without Bidens knowledge. Its part of their larger theory that the White House concealed evidence that Bidens cognitive and physical health was in decline.

Biden has denied those allegations.

Morenos attempt to redirect the conversation from the Epstein scandal to the autopen scandal appeared unsuccessful. Collins continued to press Moreno to provide some commentary about Trump pulling the rug from underneath his supporters, who hoped his administration would release documents related to the governments investigation into Epstein.

I understand youre argument that youre trying to blame it on the media and Democrats, but the whole point of this scandal, which, when the president said last week, I cant believe people are still talking about Jeffrey Epstein, its his supporters who are talking, Collins reminded Moreno.

Despite Trump, his Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino claiming they would release the Epstein Files, the administration put an abrupt stop to speculation last week when it released a memo stating there were no extraordinary findings.

open image in gallery Collins asked the Republican senator if the administrations initial refusal to release the Epstein Files was misleading supporters who were promised such ( AFP via Getty Images )

The news disappointed people who had believed conspiracy theories that the secrecy around the Epstein investigation was to prevent the public from finding out other high-profile individuals were involved in Epsteins decades-long sex abuse and child sex trafficking scheme.

Even some Republican lawmakers who have bolstered theories about the Epstein Files have pushed for Trump to release documents in the investigation.

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published a report accusing Trump of sending Epstein a birthday letter in the early 2000s that included lewd references to sexual relations with women. The president has denied the report.

Moreno defended the president on Thursday night, calling the report a fake story.

Despite Collins best efforts to get Moreno to provide commentary about the scandal, he continued to highlight the administrations successes and downplayed the potential impact on Trump voters who were promised the release of the Epstein Files.
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Laura Loomer re-entered the Trump White Houses periphery this week at precisely the worst possible moment for a president trying to stop a firestorm from spreading.

As Donald Trump continues battling the blaze of controversy surrounding his administrations reversal on the issue of releasing a list of Jeffrey Epsteins alleged co-conspirators, the so-called Epstein Client List, Loomers own contribution to the mess may end up letting what little air is left out of the presidents tires.

On Wednesday afternoon, the acidic conservative activist celebrated the firing of Maurene Comey, an assistant U.S. attorney and daughter of the former FBI Director James Comey. The latter is a reviled figure among many Republicans and Democrats in Washington over his handling of investigations into both Hillary Clinton and Trump during the 2016 election season.

Her celebration came after Loomer personally lobbied the administration for Comeys firing, publicly and privately. In typical shoot-first form, she labeled Attorney General Pam Bondi the sexist nickname Blondi as she bombarded Twitter with posts calling for Comey to be sacked.

The reason behind the firing of his daughter is obvious to anyone versed in the far-rights lore: she represented the clearest image of the Deep State conspiracy which Trump and his lackeys concocted to explain the prosecution of members of his campaign in 2016 as well as the DoJs efforts to prosecute Trump himself after her father was fired in 2017.

open image in gallery Laura Loomer, a far-right activist with a history of racist views, is one of Donald Trumps newest advisers ( AP )

But to be clear, that reason isnt going to be what the vast majority of Americans see about this latest development, especially if Democrats latch on to the issue at all. Instead, the headline (or tweets) will be much more succinct: Trump fires the prosecutor who put away Ghislaine Maxwell as his base revolts over the Epstein Client List.

Thats right: at the peak of the uproar over the Justice Departments insistence that such a list doesnt even exist, Loomer talked Trump into firing a key figure behind the effort to hold Epstein and his co-conspirator accountable. And he did it the same day as he Truthed and deleted a post on his social media platform ripping apart his followers for feeling let down.

The attack lines write themselves. Will Saletan, a writer and commentator for The Bulwark, tweeted in response to Comeys firing: Its becoming difficult to explain the presidents behavior as the conduct of an innocent man.

Its some of Trumpworlds most prominent defenders, too, like Dana Loesch (former spokeswoman for the NRA) and Riley Gaines, the face of the right-wing anti-transgender movement.

Responding to Trump on Wednesday calling his followers stupid and foolish in a now-deleted Truth Social posting, Gaines wrote: Was it stupid & foolish when he campaigned on releasing the files? Are Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Alina Habba all foolish & stupid for peddling this for the past 6 months? Why on earth is he doing this?

This isnt the first time Loomer has played an oversized role in the second Trump White House. Its just the first time it has immediately blown up in the presidents face.

Loomer previously orchestrated a purge of the national security council (NSC) earlier this year after accusing staff members of disloyalty and leaking to the media. Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, was eventually shifted out of the White House to serve as U.N. ambassador after accidentally adding a reporter in his contacts to a Signal chain where information about imminent attack plans were shared by senior officials.

Accusations of a cover-up are quickly evolving into full-scale assumptions of Trumps own direct involvement in Epsteins known criminal activities. And the administrations refusal to release more information after very publicly promising the opposite and inviting right-wing influencers and operatives like Jack Posobiec to the White House to receive big flashy binders marked The Epstein Files is doing the president absolutely no favors.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced that the administration would not appoint a special prosecutor to review the investigation into Epstein, hardly a surprise given that Trump has repeatedly urged his followers to stop talking about it.

That was a direct rebuke of Steve Bannon, War Room podcast host and one of Trumps longtime advisers  though the two were closer during Trumps first term. Bannon has called for the appointment of such an official multiple times on his show over the past weeks.

New polling is clear: Trumps Epstein flip-flop is quickly becoming the least popular thing hes ever done. Even the majority of his own MAGA supporters, Republicans and independents both, are in near-uniform opposition to his refusal to release the client list, the Justice Departments reversal-of-fact on the issue of whether it exists or not, and especially Trumps own bluster and blunder as he attempts to force the story out of the headlines.

And if this week is any indication, Trump and his team have come up with nothing that can move the story out of the headlines or satisfy the MAGA bases hunger for answers  except by following through on a promise to deliver the moon.
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Maurene Comey, who prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and Sean Diddy Combs, said she wasnt given a reason for her firing and urged her Justice Department colleagues to stand up to abuses of power, according to a report.

Comey, a prosecutor for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was terminated Wednesday amid an uproar surrounding the Epstein case.

President Donald Trump this week labeled the matter a hoax cooked up by the elder Comey, as well as former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Her termination also comes months after far-right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer called on the Justice Department to fire the federal prosecutor.

In a memo Thursday, Comey told her colleagues that she was not given a reason for her termination, NBC News reported. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York, a source told the outlet, cited Article II of the Constitution, which lays out the power of the president. A spokesperson from SDNY declined to comment.

"Every person lucky enough to work in this office constantly hears four words to describe our ethos: Without Fear or Favor. Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons without fear of retribution and without favor to the powerful, wrote Comey.

open image in gallery One day after federal prosecutor Maurene Comey was fired, she urged her colleagues at the Justice Department to stand up to abuses of power ( AP )

Throughout her 10 years working at the district, fear was never really conceivable, but her focus was really on acting 'without favor.' That is, making sure people with access, money, and power were not treated differently than anyone else; and making sure this office remained separate from politics and focused only on the facts and the law, Comey wrote.

But we have entered a new phase where without fear may be the challenge, she warned. If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen," she continued.

"Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else, the memo read.

open image in gallery SEI259318490 ( AP )

Comey said Wednesday was unexpectedly her last day at the Southern District. Asked Thursday whether Trump signed off on her firing or whether the White House had any knowledge of it, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected: This was a decision that was made by the Department of Justice.

Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in 2021 after being convicted on charges linked to her role in a scheme to abuse minor girls with Epstein. The disgraced financier died by suicide behind bars in 2019 while awaiting his trial.

Comeys firing comes as Trump and his administration grapple with the negative response to the Justice Departments handling of the Epstein case. The presidents MAGA supporters erupted after the department said there was no evidence to support the existence of a client list of associates whom some claim Epstein blackmailed over their alleged involvement in his trafficking scheme.

Prominent members of Trumps own party  including his former Vice President Mike Pence  have also demanded increased transparency around the case.

"I think the time has come for the administration to release all of the files regarding Jeffrey Epstein's investigation and prosecution," Pence told CBS News on Wednesday. "It's important that we protect the names of the victims. They should be excluded from any disclosure."
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Gavin Newsom has called the Trump administrations bluff, joking that the notorious Alcatraz prison in northern California will reopen the same day that the so-called Epstein files are released.

A spokesperson dismissed the idea previously touted by the president, following a visit to the island by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and embattled U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday.

Pam Bondi will reopen Alcatraz the same day Trump lets her release the Epstein files. So, never, Izzy Gardon, Newsoms director of communications, told SFGATE.

The visit by the two cabinet officials comes two months after Trump mulled over the idea of reopening the historic prison, announcing on Truth Social in May that he had directed the FBI and Homeland Security to look into the idea.

open image in gallery Gavin Newsom has called the Trump administrations bluff, joking that the notorious Alcatraz prison in northern California will reopen the same day that the so-called Epstein files are released ( AP )

Democrats have blasted the idea, including California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who called it Trumps "stupidest initiative yet."

Administration sources told Axios that converting Alcatraz into a functioning prison could come with a $2 billion price tag.

The visit to San Francisco may have come as a welcome break for Bondi, who has been mired in controversy since the contentious release of the Epstein Files last week, which has caused a schism in the MAGA movement.

Hardline supporters of Trump, both in and out of government, reacted with outrage after Bondis office announced that  contrary to popular conspiracy  there was no so-called client list belonging to the disgraced financier.

The ongoing fallout has also been latched onto by the Democrats. As well as his snarky comments on Thursday, Newsom has also referenced the presidents attempts to continue as normal.

open image in gallery Doug Burgum and Pam Bondi shared this photo of themselves on their way to Alcatraz Island on Thursday ( X/@AGPamBondi )

On Wednesday, in response to a post by Trump about the possible use of cane sugar in Coca-Cola products, Newsom wrote: Oh thank god! Ive totally forgotten about the Epstein files now!

However, despite the presidents own personal frustration, he seemingly bowed to pressure on Friday, announcing that he would allow Bondi to release grand jury testimony on the Epstein files.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now! he wrote.

In a follow up post, Trump added: If there was a smoking gun on Epstein, why didnt the Dems, who controlled the files for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!
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Around one in five of Donald Trumps closest allies, including members of his administration and nominees, currently hold significant assets in cryptocurrency, according to a new report.

Several cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have all reported personal stakes  as well as the president himself, who has reported at least $51 million worth of investment.

Despite being skeptical of the digital currency during his first term, digital assets now feature heavily on the presidents disclosures, according to analysis by The Washington Post. As recently as this week, Trump extolled the virtues of crypto.

HAPPY CRYPTO WEEK!, he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. The House will soon VOTE on a tremendous Bill to Make America the UNDISPUTED, NUMBER ONE LEADER in Digital Assets - Nobody does it better!... Digital Assets are the FUTURE, and we are leading by a lot!

open image in gallery Around one in five of Donald Trumps closest allies, including members of his administration and nominees, currently hold significant assets in cryptocurrency, according to a new report. Digital Assets are the FUTURE, and we are leading by a lot! the president wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday ( AP )

Back in January, three days before his second inauguration, Trump announced the launch of his own Meme Coin, $TRUMP. A batch of the memecoins is due to be unlocked  made available for trading or transferring  which could add almost $100 million to the presidents net worth, according to Bloomberg.

According to The Posts examination of financial disclosure forms from nearly 300 top-level appointees, around 70 administration officials and nominees held cryptocurrency or investments in blockchain or digital-asset companies.

Some, who went on to be sworn in to office, told the outlet that they had divested (sold off) their assets, or planned to.

In total, Trump officials and nominees reported a minimum of $193 million in crypto assets, including both cryptocurrency holdings and investments in crypto or blockchain companies, per analysis by The Post.

open image in gallery Back in January, three days before his second inauguration, Trump announced the launch of his own Meme Coin $TRUMP. A batch of the memecoins is due to be unlocked  made available for trading or transferring  which could add almost $100 million to the presidents net worth, according to Bloomberg ( Getty )

The Independent has contacted the White House about the scale and range of those in the administration investing in cryptocurrency.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields told The Independent that the investments reflected the success of Trump officials in the private sector but insisted there were no conflicts of interest.

President Trump has assembled an Administration of extraordinarily talented and successful Americans whose achievements come not from a career in the public sector, but from the private sector, Fields said in a statement.

open image in gallery Donald Trump gives a keynote speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference at Music City Center on 27 July, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee ( Getty Images )

Every member of this team abides by all ethical guidelines, and conflicts of interest are never tolerated. The President is solely focused on enriching this nation and the American people, and month after month, the data is clear: hardworking families are doing much better today than they were four years ago.

The large number of Trump administration crypto investors comes in stark contrast to that of his predecessor. No officials in the Biden administration cabinet reported digital currencies in their final financial disclosures, according to The Posts analysis.

Before Trump, no other president had held cryptocurrency or digital assets.
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Donald Trump reportedly helped celebrate Jeffrey Epsteins 50th birthday with a bawdy greeting accompanied by a hand-drawn image of a naked woman.

A report from The Wall Street Journal on Thursday uncovers new details about the relationship between the president and disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, whose death and connections to Trump are at the center of an explosive feud between his allies and right-wing figures demanding more information about the case.

A letter bearing Trumps name, which the report claims was reviewed by The Journal, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by a drawing of a naked woman. His signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair, according to the report.

The letter is reported to conclude: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

In an interview with The Journal, Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture: This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story.

open image in gallery Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein pictured in 1992. A new report shed new light on the friendship between the two men ( NBC News )

I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the conservative-leaning newspaper, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has over the years supported Trump.

Its not my language. Its not my words, Trump told the newspaper.

Following The Journals report, the president said he intends to sue the outlet and parent company News Corp  then instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony related to the case, subject to Court approval.

He claimed on his Truth Social account that the newspaper printed a false, malicious, and defamatory story after Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt personally warned Murdoch and editor Emma Tucker against running it.

In another Truth Social post around 10 p.m. Thursday, the president said, The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT.

The Journal reported a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person, is included inside the outline of the naked woman, in Trumps alleged birthday letter to Epstein.

The newspaper claims to have reviewed pages from a leather-bound album of birthday cards that were examined by Department of Justice officials who investigated Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offenses in 2022.

In the imagined conversation, Trump reportedly says we have certain things in common, Jeffrey, to which Epstein replies, Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Trump writes, according to The Journal.

open image in gallery Epstein died while in prison facing sex trafficking charges. While conspiracies have swirled about his client list, Trump officials have recently said that no list exists ( Stephanie Keith/Getty Images )

The revelation follows a disastrous week for the Trump administration as the president repeatedly tries to dismiss the so-called Epstein files as a Democratic hoax.

Thursdays report illustrates a closer than previously reported relationship between the president and Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of minors before he was found dead in his jail cell in 2019.

A Justice Department memo on July 6 had effectively closed the case, affirming that no such client list exists despite demands from Trumps supporters and allies for a full accounting of Epsteins death and alleged ties to a wider child trafficking conspiracy implicating powerful figures.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised to release FBI files related to Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell on on August 10, 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. But the presidents promises fell flat.

Bondi, on Trumps directive, also promised to release the files, but after months of delays, the memo from the Justice Department and FBI said agencies would not be releasing any more documents relating to the case.

Bondi had claimed the files were sitting on her desk in February. She invited right-wing influencers to the White House for a photo-op at the end of that month, where they held up binders containing Phase 1 of the Epstein files, largely made up of already publicly available information about the case.

Bondi continued to stall. In May, she claimed there were tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn, which fueled further conspiracy theories that powerful people were being protected, and that Phase 1 binders were allegedly buying time.

The administrations failure to release any other details about the investigation has been a major blow for Trumps supporters  including those within Trumps own administration. Deputy FBI director Don Bongino, who last year amplified conspiracy theories that Epstein was murdered, almost walked over the memo, according to reports.

open image in gallery Trump has spoken out against those questioning him about the release of the Epstein files. ( AP )

While the White House likely hoped MAGAs fury would blow over quickly, outrage has only intensified. Frustrated, Trump lashed out at his supporters this week and reportedly complained in private that they wont shut the f*** up about the Epstein files.

Trump has spent several days publicly calling the Epstein case boring and bulls*** as he questioned the loyalty of gullible weaklings who demanded more from his Justice Department.

Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore! Trump said in a Truth Social fury post.

Even the White House has tried to temper the fury. On July 17, Leavitt was asked whether the president would appoint a special prosecutor to oversee the Epstein case.

The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case, Leavitt said. Thats how he feels. And as for his discussions with the attorney general, Im not sure.

Trumps friendship with Epstein spanned the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and Trumps phone number  as well as First Lady Melania Trumps  were included in Epsteins infamous leaked address books. Trumps name also appeared seven times in passenger logs for Epsteins planes.

The pair reportedly fell out in 2004, when Epstein and Trump both tried to buy a Palm Beach estate. The next year, the FBI began investigating Epstein for child sex trafficking. He pleaded guilty to a state charge of soliciting sex from a minor in 2008.

Trump distanced himself from his former friend after Epsteins arrest in 2019, when Trump was president.

Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him, Trump said on July 9, 2019, one day after Epsteins arrest. I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I dont think Ive spoken to him for 15 years. I wasnt a fan.

Asked three days later what contributed to that falling out, Trump said the reason doesnt make any difference, frankly.

One month later, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.
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President Donald Trump has strongly pushed back against the bombshell Wall Street Journal report that alleged he drew a bawdy sketch in a birthday message to celebrate convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins 50th birthday.

I never wrote a picture in my life, he said in a rebuttal to the newspaper, vehemently denying having anything to do with the card.

In a Truth Social tirade late Thursday, the president declared, I dont draw pictures.

Trump is accused of writing a cryptic note that made mention of a wonderful secret in his note to the disgraced financier. The Journal reported that the text was surrounded by a drawing of a naked woman, punctuated by a squiggly Donald that mimicked pubic hair.

Analysts were quick to pounce on Trumps denial, including Media Matters chief Angelo Carusone, who told MSNBC, I can think of three [Trump sketches] off the top of my head that were auctioned.

open image in gallery This sketch Trump did in 2005 of the Manhattan skyline was sold at auction in 2017 ( Heritage Auctions )

At least five sketches from the late 1990s and early 2000s have been sold at auction.

Trumps take on the Empire State Building, scribbled in his signature black marker pen, from his days as a Manhattan real estate mogul when he was pursuing the prized property, went up for auction back in 1995.

The 12-by-nine-inch piece was etched from his Mar-a-Lago estate for a charity auction, according to Juliens Auctions. The signed sketch sold in 2017 for $16,000, according to The New York Times.

There was another marker and pencil drawing from the early 2000s, in which Trump depicted dollar bills falling from a spiral-leafed tree, punctuated by a large gold signature. A placard on the back read that The Donald was known for his outspokenness and media exposure, along with his distinct comb over.

The Money Tree Drawing sold at the North Carolina-based auction house Lealand Little in December 2020 for $8,500, the website reads.

open image in gallery The president has repeatedly attempted to downplay the Epstein case, to the dismay of some MAGA allies ( Reuters )

In October 2003, Trump drew the Cityscape Skyline, this time entirely in gold marker pen, originally done for a celebrity art auction to benefit the Capuchin Food Pantry.

Dated 2004, the Art of the Deal author depicted a scene reminiscent of the Riverside South development project in Manhattan. The drawing was sold in January for $15,000, according to Sothebys auction house.

Trump drew a more minimalist rendition of his New York City skyline piece in 2005, which sold at Nate D. Sanders auctions in 2017 for $29,000. The auction house stated that there was an additional variant of the drawing.

In 2006, Trump scrawled the George Washington Bridge in black marker.

That drawing, which was sold by Juliens auctions for $4,480 in April 2019, was described as an original ink illustration on paper and signed in black ink by Donald Trump lower center.

In his 2010 book Trump Never Give Up, the president boasted, Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green.

Art may not be my strong point, he admitted.
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Dozens of Venezuelans that Donald Trump had deported to a brutal prison in El Salvador have been sent back to their home country under a bilateral deal to secure the release of Americans locked up in Venezuela.

Under the deal, more than 200 Venezuelans summarily deported to El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, were flown to Caracas on Friday. In exchange, the Venezuelan government delivered five U.S. citizens and five lawful permanent residents back to American custody.

The prisoner swap follows the Trump administrations allegedly bungled efforts to try to release Americans imprisoned in Venezuela in exchange for sending home dozens of men that the administration accused of being Tren de Aragua gang members.

The release of Venezuelans who have been imprisoned at the facility for more than four months could also potentially expose what they experienced inside and what conditions are like for hundreds of people languishing inside the notorious prison.

So far, only one person deported from the United States to CECOT has made it back.

open image in gallery The Trump administration negotiated a deal for the release of American prisoners in Venezuela in exchange for dozens of Venezuelans who were deported from the United States to a brutal prison in El Salvador ( EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENCY PRESS OFFICE )

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran father who was living in Maryland, was abruptly returned to the United States after a weeks-long court battle over his arrest and removal. Administration officials initially said he was deported by mistake before repeatedly insisting the U.S. government no longer had jurisdiction over him. Last month, he was returned to face a federal criminal indictment in Tennessee accusing him of smuggling immigrants across the country.

A recent court filing detailed for the first time what current conditions at the Salvadoran prison are like for the dozens of Venezuelan immigrants still inside.

Abrego Garcia was subject to severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture at the facility, according to his attorneys.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele confirmed the prisoner exchange on Friday afternoon, saying his administration handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua.

The exchange includes a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, people that regime had kept in its prisons for years, as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages, he said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Americans are on their way to freedom as he thanked the State Department and Bukeles administration for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.

Despite the Trump administrations claims that deportees sent to the notorious maximum-security prison were no longer the responsibility of the United States, officials have been using them as a bargaining chip in a weeks-in-the-making prisoner exchange.

But those competing negotiations, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in one camp and presidential envoy Richard Grenell in another, had appeared to fall apart until Fridays alleged breakthrough.

open image in gallery CECOT, branded a tropical gulag by human rights groups, is the largest prison in Latin America, which the Trump administration has contracted to detain dozens of alleged Tren de Aragua members deported from the United States ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

Their return had been a long-standing demand of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Nayib Bukeles regime and the Trump administration of committing human rights abuses by locking up immigrants in the Salvadoran prison, labelled by humanitarian groups as a tropical gulag and concentration camp.

Roughly 250 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvadors brutal Terrorism Confinement Center beginning March 15, when Trump invoked a centuries-old wartime law that labelled alleged Tren de Aragua gang members alien enemies who could be removed from the country without due process.

The White House claims that Maduro directed an invasion of gang members into the country  contradicting reports from U.S. intelligence agencies.

Government attorneys argued that the United States no longer has jurisdiction over deportees after ignoring emergency court orders that blocked their arrival in El Salvador. But Salvadoran authorities recently told the United Nations that the legal responsibility for these people lie exclusively with the U.S. government.

Bukele had first hinted at prospects of a humanitarian agreement with the countries in April, weeks after agreeing to imprison U.S. deportees in CECOT. Venezuelan officials, meanwhile, had dismissed the proposal and demanded the return of their kidnapped countrymen.

Several federal judges have temporarily blocked immigration officials from deporting more Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, teeing up yet another Supreme Court battle challenging the presidents sweeping executive actions related to his anti-immigration agenda.

Lawyers for deported immigrants inside CECOT have argued for class-action relief, which would give them an opportunity to challenge allegations against them in court.

Significant evidence has come to light indicating that many of those currently entombed in CECOT have no connection to the gang and thus languish in a foreign prison on flimsy, even frivolous, accusations, District Judge James Boasberg wrote last month.
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More than a week after Donald Trumps base looked like it might be fracturing over the Justice Departments no client list Jeffrey Epstein memo, MAGA world got its perfect offramp in the ongoing saga thanks to the Wall Street Journals latest bombshell.

While on the surface the WSJs story  which the president fought tooth and nail to keep from being published  should have inflamed the turmoil on the right as it further exposed just how close the president once was with the deceased sex trafficker, it instead offered MAGA pundits and influencers the chance to join Trump in lambasting their shared enemy  the mainstream press.

Throughout Thursday, anticipation grew that the WSJ would be dropping a blockbuster report that threatened to blow up the already burgeoning crisis for the Trump administration, especially when it was reported ahead of the storys publication that the president was desperately trying to keep the story from seeing the light of day.

When the WSJ finally pulled the trigger, the story didnt disappoint. The outlet revealed that in the early 2000s, Trump wrote a sexually suggestive birthday letter to Epstein in which the future president told the disgraced financier we have certain things in common.

The bawdy card, which was included in a 2003 album put together by Epsteins since-jailed partner Ghislaine Maxwell, also featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman with Trumps signature appearing in the womans pubic area. The text of the letter, which the WSJ said was typewritten, featured an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein.

open image in gallery The president is on the warpath against conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch  allowing his base the perfect offramp from the Epstein saga. ( AFP via Getty Images )

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?  Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the letter reportedly stated.

This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, Trump told the WSJ in a statement. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women. Its not my language. Its not my words. (Despite Trumps claims, doodles of his have been included in books for sale in the past.)

Following the storys publication, the president  who had started calling the Epstein Files a hoax after the WSJ began contacting him about the report  went on the warpath, threatening to sue the newspaper and Rupert Murdoch, the on-again/off-again Trump ally who owns the publication, and Fox News.

Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so, Trump grumbled on Truth Social. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway.

The president would follow that up by saying he looked forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his pile of garbage newspaper, adding that it will be an interesting experience!!! At the same time, members of his administration and his family quickly joined the pile-on.

With the president going off about how he was going to sue his a** off over the FAKE letter, whatever schism that had formed in the MAGA universe over the administrations handling of the Epstein files quickly melted away as prominent conservative personalities jumped onboard the media hate train.

One by one, they lined up to agree with Trump that the letter the WSJ reported on was a fabrication, while blasting both the paper and Murdoch for publishing the story in the first place.

This is the dumbest attempted hit piece Ive ever read, fumed Megyn Kelly, who just days earlier had blasted Fox News hosts and MAGA influencers for trying to move on from the Epstein controversy.

open image in gallery Megyn Kelly, who has been highly critical of the Trump administrations handling of the Epstein Files, came out swinging against the Wall Street Journals hit piece. ( Getty )

The former Fox star has also been extremely critical of the administrations handling of the Epstein case, joining forces with ex-colleague Tucker Carlson in suggesting Attorney General Pam Bondi is covering up evidence. At the same time, Kelly has recently pushed various conspiracy theories about Epstein working for Israeli intelligence  all while admitting that she has no evidence to back her claims.

Former first buddy Elon Musk, who has said the administrations conclusion that Epstein died by suicide and didnt maintain a client list was the final straw for him, also came to the presidents defense over the WSJ's hit piece.

Despite repeatedly claiming that Trump was withholding documents related to the deceased sex offender because they implicated him, Musk dismissed the latest report. It really doesnt sound like something Trump would say tbh, the Tesla CEO tweeted, later sharing a summary from his AI chatbot Grok that cast doubt on the birthday cards authenticity.

Podcaster and serial plagiarist Benny Johnson, who has been at the forefront of pushing the administration to release more Epstein documents amid the MAGA meltdown, unleashed a series of posts raging about the WSJ while peddling conspiracies about the papers reporting.

And, by the way, there is a scandal here. The scandal is in who wrote the story. Oh, yeah, baby, Johnson crowed on his podcast Friday.

Even one of Murdochs employees decided to get in on the action and cheer on the presidents threat against the 94-year-old right-wing media titan.

Sue them into oblivion, conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted Thursday night, sharing the presidents Truth Social tirade against Murdoch.

Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer who entered the spotlight as an anti-trans activist, hosts a podcast for Outkick and Fox Nation  which are both owned by Murdochs media empire. She is also a frequent presence on Fox News and has served as a guest co-host on the networks panel shows.

Meanwhile, Gaines backing of Trumps threatened lawsuit against Murdoch comes just a day after she blasted the president for calling his supporters stupid and foolish for continuing to demand the release of the Epstein files, which he asserted was a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.

open image in gallery Riley Gaines backed the president over her own boss, despite blasting Trump a day before for calling his supporters foolish for demanding the release of the Epstein files. ( AP )

Was it stupid & foolish when he campaigned on releasing the files? Are Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Alina Habba all foolish & stupid for peddling this for the past 6 months? Gaines reacted, referencing Trump officials who had promised to share shocking findings about Epstein only to later back off. Why on earth is he doing this?

As mainstream journalists and pundits have observed, the WSJ story couldnt come at a better time for Trump as it feeds perfectly into the rights reflexive anti-media stance  regardless of the explosive details contained in the report.

This WSJ story just might be the best thing to happen to Trump since the Epstein story exploded, Politicos Rachael Bade noted on X.

For the first time, those who most vocally criticized him/his admins for not releasing enough info, are now rallying to his support. (At least for now... we shall see if this holds.), she added. Seemed unlikely just a few hours ago, but looks like Trump is getting some in MAGA to embrace his new favorite phrase: the Epstein hoax. Is a reminder that nothing unites Rs more than complaints abt the media!

During Fridays broadcast of MSNBCs Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough pointed out that this offered MAGA influencers the perfect offramp to stop focusing on the Epstein scandal.

Oh, look, look what the big, bad Wall Street Journal did to Donald Trump. Hes once again a victim of the lame-stream media, the MSNBC star added, mimicking pro-Trump voices.
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The White House engaged in an unsuccessful pressure campaign to try and stop the Wall Street Journal from releasing a bombshell story about President Donald Trump sending a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein this past week, according to a report.

Amid intense public criticism around the so-called Epstein Files, White House officials and staffers were on a f****** warpath to try to prevent the Journal from publishing the alleged lewd letter, which contained a drawing of the outline of a naked woman, Rolling Stone reported Thursday.

Trump directed his staff to prioritize the matter. Staff reportedly reached out to several contacts and pitched different angles to try to get the Journal, which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, to drop the story.

Ultimately, the story was published, which only intensified scrutiny over the administrations handling of the files.

While Trump has not been accused of any formal wrongdoing or charged with any crime, his proximity to Epstein, someone he once called a friend, has heightened conspiracy theories that the government is withholding documents that could reveal embarrassing information about high-profile individuals.

White House officials and staffers tried to prevent the Wall Street Journal from releasing its report about President Donald Trumps birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report ( Getty Images )

Trump and the White House have denied the Journals report about the presidents letter to Epstein.

The Wall Street Journal published a hatchet job article with a FAKE birthday letter that is supposedly from 2003, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.

The WSJ refused to show us the letter and conceded they dont even have it in their possession when we asked them to verify the alleged document theyre basing their ENTIRE fake story on, Leavitt added.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote, The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third-rate newspaper.

Tension around the Epstein Files came to a head last week when the Justice Department and FBI released a memo denying the existence of a client list and confirming Epstein died by suicide while in federal jail in 2019.

It was an abrupt ending to the years-long saga  especially disappointing for some because Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino had all promised to release the documents at various points.

Many of those disappointed were Trumps own supporters, including prominent conservative influencers, and online personalities who had bolstered conspiracy theories about Epstein for years.

Despite the presidents base having a reputation for absolute loyalty to him, many have called for Bondi, Patel, or Bongino to be held accountable for not releasing the documents.

However, after the WSJs story was published, many of those who had hit out at the administrations handling of the Epstein case rushed to support the president, including conservative pundit Megyn Kelly and even Elon Musk, who branded it a hit piece.

Trump directed Bondi to release all grand jury testimony "pertinent" to the Epstein investigation.
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The White House stonewalled Thursday when pressed for an explanation as to why President Donald Trump told a group of business leaders an implausible tale about his late uncle, a noted MIT professor, once teaching Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski.

The Independent asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about the presidents bizarre anecdote during a routine press briefing, two days after Trump insisted that Kaczynski, who earned a bachelor's degree at Harvard and a masters and a PhD at the University of Michigan before going on his deadly terror spree, had been a student of his famous uncle.

Leavitt attempted to deflect by claiming surprise that The Independent would be interested in the matter despite having received a query about the presidents claims by email within minutes of him making the remarks in question on Tuesday.

She proceeded to cite the late Dr. Trumps history at MIT and called the late physicist  a pioneer in cancer research who was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Ronald Reagan in 1983  a very intelligent professor.

The President's very proud of his family. In fact, I have a or the President has a letter from his uncle on the MIT letterhead that sits in the Oval Office dining room. Maybe we'll let you see it sometime, she added.

Unabomber Ted Kaczynski never attended MIT and was not taught by Donald Trumps uncle ( AP )

Leavitt did not attempt to explain how John Trump  a physicist and electrical engineer  could have taught Kaczynski at MIT when the future terrorist had been enrolled at Harvard as a mathematics student.

The story, as told by Trump, raised eyebrows because it is highly unlikely that any of what he said about his uncle and the notorious murderer was true. Not only did Kaczynski  whose undergraduate degree was from Harvard  never attend MIT, but even if the presidents uncle had crossed paths with the future terrorist, he could not have known that Kaczynski had been responsible for 16 bomb attacks between 1978 and 1995.

Kaczynski was one of his students. Do you know who Kaczynski was? There's very little difference between a madman and a genius, Trump said at carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Tuesday, before adding that hed once discussed the infamous bomber with his fathers brother.

Before being recognized as the Unabomber, Kaczynski earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1962, having entered at the age of 16, and Master's and Doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of Michigan by 1967.

Kaczynski taught as an assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley, until 1969, before making a deliberate shift away from academic life and mainstream society, living in a remote cabin near Lincoln, Montana. He began delivering handmade explosives to university and airline executives in the late 1970s, killing three and injuring 23 as part of a campaign aimed at collapsing modern society.

The murderous recluse was one of the countrys most wanted fugitives until 1996, when his brother David Kaczynski, turned him in to the FBI after reading the now-infamous manifesto, Industrial Society and its Future, after The Washington Post published it at the recommendation of then-Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh.

He pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges and was sentenced to life in federal prison in 1998. He hanged himself in a Colorado prison cell in June 2023, three months after he stopped treatment for a cancer diagnosis hed received two years earlier.

Kaczynskis manifesto makes no mention of Prof. Trump, MIT, or any figures associated with that institution, and his autobiography and prison interviews  which contain detailed recollections of his education and professors  do not include any references to Trumps uncle or his time at MIT.
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A 39-year-old Canadian man is in custody after police say he hijacked a plane and flew it nearly 40 miles.

Police arrested Shaheer Cassim after he allegedly threatened a flight instructor and took control of a small passenger plane Tuesday afternoon at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. From there, Cassim flew 40 miles before safely landing at the Vancouver International Airport, police say.

No one was injured, and only one person was on board the plane, the Vancouver International Airport said.

The incident prompted a massive security response, including police, K-9 units and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Air Services. The North American Aerospace Defense Command was also scrambling to send in F-15 fighter jets before Cassim landed, the Associated Press reports.

Cassim acted with an ideological motive to disrupt airspace, Sergeant Tammy Lobb said. He has been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism. His next court appearance will be Wednesday. Court records do not yet have an attorney listed for Cassim, CNN reports.

open image in gallery Canadian police prepare to arrest Shaheer Cassim as he walks toward them with his hands up. Cassim has been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism ( CTV News )

Cassim boarded the plane after booking an air tour of Victoria and threatened the pilot with a knife, police sources told CTV News. The pilot escaped just before the plane took off.

Footage of the arrest shows police vehicles parked on a Vancouver airport runway in front of a small, white plane. A man can be seen getting out of the plane with his hands up as police aim guns at him.

A recording of the air traffic control audio reveals controllers warned of an incident involving a hijacked 172, referring to the planes model, a Cessna 172, The Vancouver Sun reports.

They are flying above us at this time, the air traffic controller said. I cannot give you any further updates, and we are on visual on the aircraft, and just standby for further instructions.

open image in gallery A Cessna 172 plane flies over Florida. Shaheer Cassim was accused of hijacking a Cessna 172 and flying it 40 miles from Victoria to Vancouver ( Getty Images )

The incident resulted in a 39-minute ground stop for arriving planes, during which nine inbound flights were diverted to other airports, the Vancouver International Airport said. Flights started operating normally again within a few hours. FlightAware data shows 143 arrivals into Vancouver were delayed on Tuesday.

Cassim flew for the now-defunct Canadian airline KD Air from 2008 to 2010, the Associated Press reports. The airlines former owners, Diana and Lars Banke, said Cassim was an intelligent person and a fast learner.

Cassim believed the world was ending, and left the airline because he was "bored" and wanted to attend medical school, Lars said. Cassim was very young when he worked for the airline, Diana said, noting she was very surprised to hear that he was charged.

Police have yet to reveal the details of Cassims alleged motive.

A social media account using Cassims name and a photo resembling him made a post Monday claiming he is a messenger of Allah and a Messiah who will save humanity from climate change, the Associated Press reports. In the most recent post, the user warns climate change will cause humans to go extinct in a matter of years.

The Independent has contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for comment.
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Tensions have escalated between Thailand and Cambodia following the death of a Cambodian soldier in May during a brief exchange of gunfire in a disputed border area.

The two Southeast Asian neighbours have contested sovereignty over various undemarcated points along their 817km land border for over a century. The border was initially mapped by France in 1907, when Cambodia was under French colonial rule.

Thailand later contested the map, which was based on an agreement that the border would be demarcated along the natural watershed line between the two countries.

In 2000, Thailand and Cambodia established a Joint Border Commission to peacefully address overlapping claims. However, little progress has been made in settling the disputes.

open image in gallery Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief General Pana Klaewplodthuk (R) and Cambodian General Mao Sophan (L) shaking hands at the Thai-Cambodian border in Kap Choeng district, Surin province, Thailand, 29 May 2025 ( EPA )

Claims over ownership of historical sites have raised nationalist tension between the two countries, notably in 2003 when rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh over an alleged remark by a Thai celebrity questioning jurisdiction over Cambodia's World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple.

What have been previous key events?

An 11th century Hindu temple called Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been at the heart of the dispute for decades, with both Bangkok and Phnom Penh claiming historical ownership. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand has continued to lay claim to the surrounding land.

Tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.

Two years later, Cambodia sought interpretation of the 1962 verdict and the ICJ again ruled in its favour, saying the land around the temple was also part of Cambodia and ordering Thai troops to withdraw.

What has caused the recent tension?

Despite the historic rivalry, the current governments of Thailand and Cambodia enjoy warm ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now the respective prime ministers in their countries. Thaksin and Hun Sen also remain active in politics.

But nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand after conservatives last year questioned the government's plan to negotiate with Cambodia to jointly explore energy resources in undemarcated maritime areas, warning such a move could risk Thailand losing the island of Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand.

open image in gallery Thai nationalists hold national flags as they gather outside the Cambodian Embassy to protest over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute, in Bangkok, Thailand, 6 June 2025 ( EPA )

Tensions also rose in February when a group of Cambodians escorted by troops sang their national anthem at another ancient Hindu temple that both countries claim, Ta Moan Thom, before being stopped by Thai soldiers.

The issue is a problem for Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government is facing multiple challenges on the domestic front, including a stuttering economy facing steep U.S. tariffs.

Thailand's military, however, has ramped up the rhetoric with statements that have contrasted with the government's conciliatory tone, expressing readiness for a "high-level operation" if sovereignty comes under threat.

Paetongtarn later echoed the military's position but said a peaceful resolution of the disputes was Thailand's priority. The mixed messaging underlines the troubled history between the billionaire Shinawatra family and the royalist military, which toppled its governments in 2006 and 2014.

Is either side working to resolve the issue?

After the May 28 clash, both countries quickly promised to ease tension, prevent more conflict and seek dialogue via their joint border commission at a meeting planned for June 14.

The neighbours have issued diplomatically worded statements committing to peace while vowing to protect sovereignty, but their militaries have been mobilising near the border, raising concerns about another flare-up.

Cambodia, meanwhile, said existing mechanisms were not working and it planned to refer disputes in four border areas to the ICJ to settle "unresolved and sensitive" issues that it said could escalate tensions.

Thailand has not recognised the ICJ's rulings on the row and wants to settle it bilaterally
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The European Unions 18th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine targets Moscows energy and financial sectors to limit its ability to fund war in Ukraine.

Key measures include a lower oil price cap, Nord Stream transaction ban, more shadow fleet sanctions, and a full ban on Russian bank deals.

We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X.

The pressure is on. It will stay on until Putin ends this war.

open image in gallery Russian President Vladimir Putin chose to invade Ukraine in February 2022 ( AP )

The measures are intended to ramp up pressure on Russia amid flagging peace negotiations, as well as targeting companies and countries that allow Moscow to evade existing sanctions.

They were approved on Friday after weeks of delay caused by repeated Slovakian and Maltese vetoes over natural gas and shipping respectively.

Here, The Independent looks at the key measures and their potential impact on the Russian economy.

Lower oil price cap

The EU will impose a moving price cap on Russian crude at 15 percent below its average market price, EU diplomats said.

At present this sets the cap at about $47.60 per barrel, well below the $60 maximum that the G7 have tried to impose since December 2022. A fall in oil futures made the $60 cap largely symbolic.

The cap bans trade of Russian crude above the set maximum, prohibiting shipping, insurance and reinsurance companies from handling tankers carrying it.

It is designed to limit Moscows crude revenues, the cornerstone of its war coffers and economy, to make it harder to fund the war without disrupting the global oil market by cutting off supply entirely.

open image in gallery File: Shadow fleet of older oil tankers transport Russian oil and evade sanctions ( Lehtikuva )

The EU has limited powers to enforce the measure due to US resistance. Oil is largely traded in dollars with payment clearing controlled by US banks.

So far Russia has been able to sell most of its oil as the current mechanism does not specify who should police its implementation.

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Turkey and India have also both continued to import Russian oil and refine it into products which are sent on to the EU.

The EU will no longer import any petroleum products made from Russian crude, although the ban will not apply to imports from Norway, Britain, the US, Canada and Switzerland, EU diplomats said.

Shadow fleet

A further 105 vessels have been banned from accessing EU ports and locks, and undertaking ship-to-ship transfers of oils.

The measure aims to shut down the so-called shadow fleet of older oil tankers transporting Russian oil and evading sanctions.

The rise of a vast shadow fleet has been helping Moscow maintain its crude exports, keeping revenue flowing.

The EU has now sanctioned more than 400 shadow fleet ships.

open image in gallery File: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the ruptured Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline ( REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke )

Nord Stream gas pipelines ban

Transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines will be banned, including any provisions of goods or services to these projects.

A network of natural gas pipelines run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and were thought to represent Berlins over-reliance on Moscow for energy.

They were disabled after 2022 explosions damaged three of them.

But reports in the Financial Times in March suggested that Kremlin-linked Russian and US business people were seeking their reactivation.

Financial sector

A full ban on all transactions with Russian financial institutions - already excluded from the Swift interbank messaging system - will come into place.

The ban extends to transactions with Russias sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and its investments.

The move aims to further restrict Russia's access to international financial markets and foreign currency.

The EU also lowered the threshold for slapping sanctions on international financial and credit institutions which circumvent sanctions or support Russias war effort. For example, by circumventing the oil price cap.

We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X, without providing further details or names.

When asked about the sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has built up a certain immunity to Western sanctions and adapted to them.

Peskov called the sanctions illegal, saying every new restriction created negative consequences for those countries that backed them.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
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Witnesses have Felix Baumgartners final moments before his death.

Beachgoers heard a loud boom ring out as the paraglider spun out of control and crashed next to a swimming pool in Italy.

A 30-year-old mother watched the deadly descent unfold Thursday afternoon from nearby with her two young children, who were entranced by the constant traffic of paragliders above the beach town of Porto SantElipido in central Italys Marche region.

Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top, Mirella Ivanov said Friday. It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks. Then I saw two lifeguards running, people who were running toward the crash site.

open image in gallery Baumgartner died on Thursday aged 56 ( AP )

When she saw people trying to revive the occupant, she scurried her two children away.

The citys mayor confirmed the death of 56-year-old Baumgartner, who was renowned as the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound. The cause of the paragliding accident was under investigation. Police did not return calls for comment.

Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight, Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella said.

The Clube de Sole Le Mimose beachside resort where the crash occurred said in a statement that an employee who was slightly injured in the accident was in good condition. No guests were injured, and the pool has been reopened.

Baumgartner, known as Fearless Felix, became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body in 2012. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles (39 kilometers) above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph  the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound  during a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew later said.

open image in gallery External view of the resort in Porto Sant'Elpidio, central Italy, Baumgartner died ( (AP Photo/Andrea Rosa) )

Baumgartners altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

In 2012, millions watched YouTubes livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed.

Baumgartner, a former Austrian military parachutist, made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers and famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

In 2003, he flew across the English Channel in a carbon fiber wing after being dropped from a plane.

In recent years, he performed with The Flying Bulls, an aviation team owned and operated by Red Bull, as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe.

Red Bull paid Baumgartner tribute in a post Friday, calling him precise, demanding and critical. With others, but above all toward yourself.

The statement underlined the research and courage with which Baumgartner confronted the greatest challenges.

No detail was too small, no risk too great, because you were capable of calculating it, Red Bull said.
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Felix Baumgartner, known for his record-breaking skydive from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident aged 56.

Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in Italy's central Marche region, and fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel, local police said.

Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air, and offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights".

The Austrian made headlines around the world in October 2012 when, wearing a specially made suit, he jumped from a balloon 38km (24 miles) above Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 690 mph.

open image in gallery Baumgartner during a bungee test in California ( Sven Hoffmann/Red Bull Content Pool )

He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833 mph, on the 65th anniversary of legendary American pilot Chuck Yeager's flight shattering the sound barrier on 14 October 1947.

"When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive," he said after landing.

The altitude he jumped from also marked the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat.

Baumgartner's altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

The self-styled "God of the Skies" started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of base jumping.

open image in gallery Baumgartner flew across the English Channel with carbon wings ( AFP/Getty Images )

His long career of daredevil jumps included skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

In Austria he was also known for courting controversy with views that included expressing support for dictatorship as a system of government.

Baumgartner was fined 1,500 after he punched a Greek truck driver in the face during a 2010 altercation that broke out in a traffic jam near Salzburg.
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Friedrich Merz has admitted that Europe has historically underfunded its own security and instead relied heavily on the United States.

The German Chancellor met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the UK on Thursday to sign a treaty on a range of issues, such as defence and immigration.

On his first trip to London as chancellor, Mr Merz described the Kensington treaty as historic. It is the first major bilateral agreement between the UK and Germany to deepen defence cooperation and boost economic growth in both nations.

Russias war in Ukraine has defined the first two months of Mr Merzs chancellorship, as has Donald Trumps tariffs on the EU.

open image in gallery President Donald Trump, right, meets Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office ( AP )

The German Chancellor said he has met with the US president three times now and they are on the same page on Ukraine  both wanting to bring an end to the war.

But he admitted that Europe had not historically funded its own security in the past.

"We know we have to do more on our own and we have been free-riders in the past," he told the BBC. They're asking us to do more and we are doing more."

Asked about his relationship with Mr Trump, he said: "We are on the phone once a week; we are coordinating our efforts. One issue is the war in Ukraine, and the second is our trade debates and tariffs."

"We are seeing a big threat, and the threat is Russia. And this threat is not only on Ukraine. It's on our peace, on our freedom, on the political order of Europe," he told the Today Programme.

Mr Merz said he would do whatever it takes to boost Germanys defence spending and increase the size of its army.

open image in gallery Soldiers stand during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to a military training area ( via REUTERS )

At a press conference on Thursday, Mr Merz and Sir Keir discussed ways to boost European support for Ukraine, following Trumps announcement to bolster Kyivs stockpile by selling American weapons to Nato allies who would in turn send arms to Kyiv. This includes Patriot air defence missiles Volodymyr Zelensky has urgently sought.

Mr Merz said they had discussed Ukraine's need for long-range strike systems, which he called "long range fire". "Ukraine will soon receive substantial additional support in this area," he told the press conference.

The treaty includes a clause on mutual assistance which, "in light of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, is highly significant", a German official said this week.

He said that above all, we need clarity on how weapons systems that are given up from the European side will be replaced by the US.
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A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks.

How to say youre from Rostov without saying a word? Show one bar of cellphone service," Pavel Osipyan raps while walking around the city, smartphone in hand. "We have internet until 12 o'clock, and recently theres been no connection at all. No need to be angry, just get used to it already.

The complaints by Osipyan  unable to pay electronically for groceries, or having to use paper maps while driving  aren't isolated to Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and, as home to Russia's Southern Military District, is targeted frequently by drones.

In the last two months, cellphone internet shutdowns, which officials say are needed to foil Ukrainian drones, have hit dozens of Russian regions  from those near the fighting to parts of Siberia and even the Far East. Some Wi-Fi outages also have been reported.

Russians contacted by The Associated Press talked about card payments not going through, taxi and ride-sharing apps not working properly, ATMs that sometimes fail.

Experts point to the unprecedented nature of the measures and warn of far-reaching consequences in a country where the Kremlin already has significantly curtailed online freedom.

Such shutdowns in the name of security legitimize them to the public and open the door for authorities abusing the restrictions, said Anastasiya Zhyrmont, policy manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Access Now digital rights group.

A signal to regional authorities

Experts say the trend began in May, when Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi Germany in World War II and foreign dignitaries flocked to Moscow for a big military parade.

The capital suffered severe disruptions of cellphone connectivity to the internet for days, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed those were deliberate restrictions due to regular Ukrainian drone attacks. Asked how long they'd last, he replied, "This will be done as needed.

Russia has restricted smartphone connectivity before, with isolated instances during protests, as well as in regions bordering Ukraine.

Shutdowns in the capital, however, sent a signal to authorities across the vast country that its a useful tool, said lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Russian internet freedom group Roskomsvoboda.

Ukraines "Operation Spiderweb in early June, in which drones launched from containers on trucks attacked airfields deep inside Russia, made officials all the more eager to take action, Darbinyan said.

They got really scared that drones now may appear, like a jack-in-the-box, in any Russian regions, he told AP.

By mid-July, deliberate shutdowns spread to most of the country, according to Na Svyazi  Russian for staying connected  an activist group tracking internet availability.

On Tuesday, the group reported cellphone internet shutdowns in 73 of over 80 regions. In 41 of them, there were reports of broadband network outages as well, while restrictions on broadband internet occurred in six regions, while cellphone connections were fine.

Some regional officials confirmed that cellphone internet was restricted for security reasons. Nizhny Novgorod Gov. Gleb Nikitin said this month the measure will stay in place in the region east of Moscow for as long as the threat remains.

Asked Thursday whether such mass shutdowns were justified, Peskov said everything that has to do with ensuring the safety of citizens, everything is justified and everything is a priority.

Unpredictable disruptions

Russians from affected regions say the outages can last for hours or days; patterns also are hard to discern, with service working in one part of a city but vanishing elsewhere.

In Voronezh, near Ukraine and frequently targeted by drones, one resident said she felt like she was in a cave in early July with no cellphone internet or Wi-Fi in her home. The woman, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said she was only able to get online at work the next day.

Cellphone internet in the southwestern city of Samara "goes out at the most unpredictable moments, said Natalia, who also spoke on condition that her last name be withheld for safety reasons. Her home Wi-Fi recently also has slowed to a near halt around 11 p.m., staying that way for a few hours, she said.

Connectivity has improved recently in the Siberian city of Omsk, said Viktor Shkurenko, who owns retail stores and other businesses there. But cellphone internet service was out in his office for an entire week. A few of his smaller stores that rely on cellphone networks suffered disruptions, but nothing critical, he said.

I dont feel any super strong discomfort," said Grigori Khromov of Nizhny Novgorod, Russias fifth-largest city where regular and widespread shutdowns were reported. "I have an office job and I work either at home or in the office and have either wire internet or Wi-Fi.

In rural areas, small towns and villages, where cellphone internet often is the only way to get online, the situation was harder to gauge.

Pharmacies in such areas have struggled, Russian media reported and the Independent Pharmacies Association confirmed to AP. Viktoria Presnyakova, head of the association, said in a statement that prescriptions must be logged in special software, but that becomes impossible without an internet connection for weeks.

A social media user in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine complained on Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkovs social media page that without cellphone internet and a working alarm system, village residents have to bang on a rail to warn neighbors of an attack. The authorities promised to look into improving connectivity in the area.

Authorities elsewhere also announced steps to minimize disruptions by opening Wi-Fi spots. They also are reportedly planning to establish an agency to coordinate the shutdowns, according to Izvestia, a Kremlin-backed newspaper that cited unidentified government sources. Peskov said he was unaware of the plan.

Russia's efforts at internet control

Russian and Ukrainian drones use cellphone internet networks to operate, so shutdowns are one way authorities try to counter the attacks, said Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

But it's also part of the Kremlin's long-term effort to rein in the internet. Authorities have actively censored online content in the last decade, blocking thousands of websites of independent media, opposition groups and human rights organizations.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as encrypted messenger platform Signal and a few other messaging apps.

Access to YouTube  wildly popular in Russia  was disrupted last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube owner Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

State internet watchdogs routinely block virtual private network services that help circumvent the restrictions, and there are plans to introduce a national messenger app, expected to replace foreign ones.

Along with the shutdowns, these are part of a larger campaign to establish control over the internet, which is something the Kremlin had failed to do 20 years prior on the same level that China did, said the ISW's Stepanenko.

Access Now's Zhyrmont says it's very disturbing that Russians have gotten used to living with growing internet restrictions, including shutdowns.

This shouldn't be modern reality, she said.
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An uncontrolled wildfire has burned outside Madrid, sending a giant cloud of smoke over the Spanish capital.

The fire broke out in the town of Mentrida in central Spain's Castile-La Mancha region on Thursday, around 30 miles southwest of the capital.

Local authorities urged residents to stay home and close their windows.

open image in gallery Local authorities urged residents to stay home and close their windows ( AP )

Spanish authorities said the blaze had burned around 3,000 hectares (11.6 square miles) by the late evening.

Firefighters deployed on the ground and in the air were working to extinguish the fire that began around 3pm.

More than 95 firefighters had been deployed to deal with the blaze, local officials said.

open image in gallery More than 95 firefighters had been deployed to deal with the blaze, local officials said ( AP )

Dozens of people were forced to evacuate their homes as the Spanish Civil Guard was deployed to protect residents from the fire.

In an update on Friday morning, Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service said 95 per cent of the fire had been contained. Authorities opened up roads again as visibility improved.

Wind blew the smoke over Madrid, where in the afternoon skies turned orange and thick with smoke.

Local media reported that residents in Madrid could smell the burning from their homes, causing alarm.

open image in gallery Dozens of people were forced to evacuate their homes as the Spanish Civil Guard was deployed to protect residents from the fire ( AFP via Getty Images )

Large parts of Spain are under heat and fire warnings, with temperatures on Thursday reaching 37C in Madrid.

Last week, Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents in the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors, with several dozen evacuated, as a raging wildfire consumed nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation.

Two people died in a separate wildfire on 1 July in the Catalonia region, where Tarragona is located.

Europe is the worlds fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, which makes places more vulnerable to wildfires.
 Close Zelensky thanks Trump after US president threatens Putin with sanctions if no peace in Ukraine in 50 days

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Kyivs European allies have welcomed the EUs 18th sanctions package targeting Moscows oil and gas industry over its war in Ukraine.

French pesident Emmanuel Macron said the package was unprecedented in a post on X. It is more necessary than ever to recall that the security, freedom, and future of Europe are closely tied to the fate of Ukraine, Macron added.

When asked about the sanctions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia has built a certain immunity to Western sanctions and adapted to them.

Peskov called the sanctions illegal, saying every new restriction created negative consequences for those countries that backed them.

Its latest sanctions package on Russia will lower the G7's price cap for crude oil to $47.6 per barrel, diplomats told Reuters today.

This comes as Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.

The Ukrainian president said his latest talks with Mr Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.

On the battlefront, Russia said its troops have taken control of three villages in three different parts of the frontline running through Ukraine, a claim Kyiv denies.
 Close Zelensky thanks Trump after US president threatens Putin with sanctions if no peace in Ukraine in 50 days

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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Vladimir Putin fresh peace talks after weeks of relentless Russian missile attacks.

Mr Zelensky offered Moscow another round of ceasefire negotiations for next week, saying he wanted to speed up ending the conflict.

It comes after weeks of relentless Russian strikes on Ukraine, including over 300 drones and 30 missiles launched on Friday night.

Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire, Mr Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions.

Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost three and a half years of conflict that started with Russia's 2022 invasion.

Mr Zelensky said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details.

US president Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky has named Yulia Svyrydenko as Ukraines new prime minister in the latest reshuffle of his cabinet.

Ms Svyrydenko, 39, has been serving as first deputy prime minister and economic development and trade minister since November 2021. She had been appointed to lead the revival of Ukraines struggling economy only months before Russia invaded in February 2022 and made her task more difficult.

Ms Svyrydenko took over as prime minister from Denys Shmyhal on Thursday after her appointment was confirmed and voted through by the Ukrainian parliament. The outgoing prime minister Shymhal will take over as Ukraines defence minister in his new role.

"War leaves no room for delay," she said on X after accepting her new role as the war-time prime minister. "We must act swiftly and decisively. Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production, and boosting the technological strength of our defence forces, she said.

Mr Zelensky had met with Ms Svyrydenko earlier this week on Monday and discussed the implementation of agreements with European and American partners regarding support for Ukraine reached during the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference.

Mr Zelensky is reshuffling his cabinet at a time when Ukraine is seeking to revive its cash-strapped economy and boost its arms industry.

Ms Svyrydenko came to global attention earlier this year when she brokered a minerals deal with the US, fulfilling a crucial demand that the Donald Trump administration had set to help Kyiv negotiate with Russia. The deal helped repair damaged ties between Mr Zelensky and the Trump administration.

She underlined that Kyiv needed the US as a strategic partner in the war and worked with the Trump administration to get the deal done.

She led a Ukrainian delegation to Washington where she signed the deal, called the United States-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund, on 30 April with treasury secretary Scott Bessent.

The deal gives the US preferential access to Ukraines critical minerals and other natural resources. It also establishes a reconstruction investment fund to which Ukraine is expected to contribute 50 per cent of all future profits from natural resources.

open image in gallery Yulia Svyrydenko arrives at the Three Seas Summit Initiative in Bucharest ( AFP via Getty )

Initial versions of the deal presented by Mr Trumps negotiators required Ukraine to pay back the aid the US had given it over the course of the war. The eventual deal, according to Mr Shmyhal, made no such demand.

Another milestone on the path to launching the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund: Ukraine has completed all necessary procedures on schedule," Ms Svyrydenko said after the deal was signed.

The deal helped thaw relations between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky which had collapsed after they engaged in a shouting match at the White House where US vice president JD Vance also joined in.

The agreement, which sought to balance Washingtons demands with Kyivs control over its natural resources, especially rare earths, and infrastructure, was hailed as a win for Ukraine.

open image in gallery Yulia Svyrydenko speaks during a press conference in Lausanne ( AFP via Getty )

This agreement is a win-win and it is written in friendly language. It is about investments, investments and investments," Taras Kachka, Ukraines deputy minister for economic development, trade and agriculture, said at the time.

Ms Svyrydenko also led the 4th Ukraine Recovery Conference that concluded in Rome last week, securing agreements on economic and development projects worth at least 11bn.

After meeting with Mr Zelensky on Monday, Ms Svyrydenko said she would pursue deregulation, cut back bureaucracy, protect businesses and reduce non-critical expenditure to achieve the "full concentration of state resources" for defence and post-war recovery.

The state apparatus has no right to waste the resources and potential of our country," she said. "Ukraine deserves to be among the strongest economies in Europe."
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Israel will allow limited access by Syrian forces into the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days because of instability in the area, an Israeli official said on Friday.

"In light of the ongoing instability in south west Syria, Israel has agreed to allow limited entry of the (Syrian) internal security forces into Sweida district for the next 48 hours," the official, who declined to be named, told reporters.

Syrian security forces are preparing to re-enter the Druze-majority city to quell renewed fighting with Bedouin tribes, a Syrian interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

However, just hours later, another interior ministry spokesperson, Noureddin al-Baba, denied that government forces were being deployed.

The move, if confirmed, will strain a fragile truce in the country's south.

The ceasefire, announced on Wednesday, briefly ended days of bloody clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in Sweida province, which had intensified after the Syrian government initially sent in troops.

Syrian forces withdrew from Sweida earlier in the week ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Under that agreement, Druze factions and clerics would be left to maintain internal security in Sweida, Syrias interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Thursday.

Israel, which earlier warned against Syrian government troop deployment to the south, struck Syrian troops in Sweida, the defence ministry, and near to the presidential palace in Damascus.

Though Syrian troops withdrew from Sweida after the truce, fighting reignited late Thursday between the tribal Bedouin fighters and the Druze, a religious minority with followers in Lebanon and Israel.

Israel's military carried out fresh strikes in Sweida province overnight.

Describing Syria's new rulers as barely disguised jihadists, Israel earlier vowed to shield the area's Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze minority.

Its deep distrust of Syria's new Islamist-led leadership appears to be at odds with the United States, which said it did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria.

The US intervened to help secure the earlier truce between government forces and Druze fighters, and the White House said on Thursday that it appeared to be holding.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has worked to establish warmer ties with the US, accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority.

The clashes initially began between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes on Sunday before government forces intervened and took the Bedouins side against the Druze.

The fighting killed hundreds of people over four days, with allegations that government-affiliated fighters executed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes.
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More than 140 people aboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas suddenly got sick with vomiting and diarrhea during a round-trip cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico.

The outbreak affected 134 passengers and seven crew members after the ship departed from LA on July 4.

The vessel docked in Puerto Vallarta on July 8 and returned to Los Angeles on July 11. Passengers who reported illness were isolated, and the ship was thoroughly cleaned. It can hold up to 3,300 guests, according to The Sun.

Stool samples were also collected for testing, according to the CDCs Vessel Sanitation Program.

The CDC has not yet determined the cause of the outbreak.

open image in gallery Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas returned to LA on July 11 after an unknown illness broke out. ( Getty Images )

The Independent has contacted Royal Caribbean and the CDC for comment.

Vomiting and diarrhea are common signs of norovirus, commonly known as the stomach flu. It can also cause fever, headache, and body aches, with most people recovering within one to three days.

This outbreak follows a similar incident last September when 180 people became sick on Royal Caribbeans Radiance of the Seas during an Alaska cruise.

Navigator of the Seas, which debuted in 2002 and was refurbished in 2019, regularly sails from Los Angeles to Mexican destinations. The ship, which can carry over 3,380 guests at capacity, features 17 bars, over 12 dining options, three pools, six whirlpools, and attractions like a rock climbing wall, surf simulator, ice rink, escape room, and a waterslide.
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A mind-boggling optical illusion has turned an abandoned mill in Canada into an unlikely Internet sensation and a local tourism attraction that leaves people in awe.

The structure by Gravelly Bay in Port Colborne, Ontario, has found fame because it appears to get smaller, the closer you get to it.

Its been dubbed the Incredible Shrinking Mill by the citys tourism board and recent point-of-view social media videos of the effect, shot from passing cars on Lakeshore Road, have gone viral.

One such video shows the mill, near Sugarloaf Marina, looming large in the distance as the clip begins.

The car moves slowly towards the marina along Lakeshore Road, lined with houses and trees, with the mill filling the gap between the trees.

open image in gallery In this still from a viral video, the Port Colborne mill looms large in the distance ( ViralHog )

open image in gallery The closer the car gets to the mill, the smaller it gets ( ViralHog )

However, the closer the car gets, the smaller the mill appears.

As the filmmaker arrives at the shore of the bay, where the road bends to the left, it shrinks still further until it recedes into the distance.

One social media user described it as a glitch in the Matrix and former Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey told The Welland Tribune that when people see it, theyre just in awe.

He added: They slow almost to a stop to look at it, and then, nine times out of 10, you see them drive by again a few minutes later.

Whats causing the mill to shrink is an effect called the Ponzo illusion, named after Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo.

He found that the brain can be fooled into thinking that two lines of identical size appear smaller and larger when placed one above the other in between converging lines on either side.

Ponzo discovered that the line at the apex of the converging lines will appear larger than the line below it.

open image in gallery The mill shrinks into the distance once the road bends to the left ( Google Maps )

open image in gallery The Port Colborne grain terminal served the Great Lakes region for 125 years but has been vacant since the end of 2024 ( City of Port Colborne )

In Port Colborne, the road edges, trees and houses act as those converging lines.

A similar illusion was discovered by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who found that two circles identical in size appear to be smaller and larger depending on the size of the circles surrounding them.

The Port Colborne grain terminal served the Great Lakes region for 125 years but has been vacant since the end of 2024.

Locals have been invited to suggest potential future uses for it.
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Delta Air Lines has revealed that it wants 20 percent of flights to be priced using AI by the end of the year, up from three percent presently.

Ultimately, it wants all flights to be ticketed using artificial intelligence.

What does this mean for passengers?

We asked financial and travel experts, from a frequent flier to a former Walmart and Amazon pricing analyst, for their take on what the move will mean for prices and consumer trust in Delta.

And one thing is clear. It's a hot debate.

Here we explain how AI pricing works, plus the good, the bad and the potentially ugly of the system, including why business-class passengers, in particular, should be concerned.

How will Delta's AI pricing work?

open image in gallery Delta Air Lines has revealed that it wants 20 per cent of flights to be priced using AI by the end of the year, up from three percent presently ( Delta Air Lines )

Think of AI pricing as taking dynamic pricing, which is already around, to the next level.

Sean Cudahy from The Points Guy explains: "We've all searched a flight, found a price, and come back the next day to see that it's spiked by $100. Or, maybe, you got lucky and it dropped by $50. Expect more of that.

"Delta says its AI pricing tool amounts to a 'super-analyst' working around the clock. Expect that super analyst to constantly be calculating what it would take to get a passenger to book a seat, or what price point it could raise a fare to, to maximize profits without risking the seat going unsold."

Delta's system is supplied by Israeli start-up Fetcherr, which will set the fare and the number of seats offered at that fare for each shopper in near real time.

Nabeel Siddiqi, CEO at Price Perfect, likens it to the way merchants in markets of old would "read" a customer and charge based on what they think the customer could afford.

The pros for passengers

Gonzalo Vazquez, CEO Airlines AI Studio at Globant, applauds the move, telling The Independent that it "reflects a broader shift in the industry toward personalized pricing, using AI to better match fares to individual customer preferences and willingness to pay".

He adds: "By moving away from rigid, legacy pricing structures, Delta is embracing a more modern and dynamic retail model that can benefit both the airline and the passenger.

"Airlines have long relied on outdated systems that limit flexibility and responsiveness to real-time market signals.

"Embracing AI-driven pricing allows Delta to innovate in how value is offered and perceived, bringing the airline closer to modern retail practices seen in other industries."

He argues that AI pricing will mean a shift for passengers towards "more tailored options, potentially unlocking better deals for those who are price-sensitive while giving others the ability to pay for added value or convenience". In short, he says, it "opens the door to more flexibility in how travel is packaged and sold".

Philip Carls, board member at Priceagent and former pricing lead at both Walmart and Amazon, agrees that there are positives.

He says: "There may be lower prices for some customers. For instance, budget-conscious travelers may see discounted fares to incentivise bookings, and frequent fliers could get exclusive discounts or upgrades, with some customers benefitting from dynamic deals if Delta uses data to offer last-minute discounts to fill seats."

The cons for passengers

open image in gallery 'If Delta's AI knows you consistently book premium cabins, why wouldn't it test higher price points?' one expert told The Independent ( Delta )

"Business travelers should pay attention," says Sam Hollander, Co-Founder at Autopilot. "If Delta's AI knows you consistently book premium cabins and expense through corporate accounts, why wouldn't it test higher price points? The algorithm will identify customers with lower price sensitivity and adjust accordingly."

Nabeel Siddiqi remarks that this could cause a headache for Delta.

He explains: "Customers who could afford more will end up paying a higher amount, which they won't be happy about. This can be a PR nightmare due to annoyed customers who feel taken advantage of."

Vaclav Vincalek, CTO at Hiswai, shares these concerns, remarking that "as flashy and trendy as the announcement is, one should consider the emotional impact on customers when they find out that for the same row and aisle seat, somebody paid 20 percent less".

He adds: "Imagine being in a grocery store and learning that you just paid $5 for a carton of milk that the person in front of you got for $4."

Trust issues

open image in gallery 'AI pricing isn't bad in itself. But unless it's done with some empathy for the passenger, it's going to feel shady, even if the math checks out,' an expert remarked ( Delta )

Several experts stressed that AI pricing could fuel mistrust in Delta.

Andrew Romanyuk, Co-Founder, SVP of Growth at Pynest, said: "The worry is that it becomes another black box. If people don't understand what's going on, they'll just assume the worst. Is it because they waited too long? Because they booked from an expensive zip code? Because the algorithm thinks they have more money?

"AI pricing isn't bad in itself. But unless it's done with some empathy for the passenger, it's going to feel shady, even if the math checks out."

Robin Anderson, Head of Product Management, Tribe Payments, said: "The challenge is to make AI a tool for better experiences, not confusion.

"That means clear pricing logic, transparency, and a smooth payment journey. Trust is a fragile commodity in travel.

"If Delta can roll this out with clarity and control, it could set a new standard for how we book flights. If not, 'intelligent' pricing could quickly start to feel like unpredictable pricing, and that's when trust breaks down."

Is there a way to sidestep AI pricing?

Yes.

Sam Hollander said: "Airlines track you through browser cookies even when logged out. Using incognito mode and a VPN [virtual private network] creates a fresh digital fingerprint, potentially helping you avoid being flagged as a high-value customer who might pay premium prices."

The result for Delta?

Happy Delta shareholders will be the upshot from the AI revolution, its argued.

Sean from The Points Guy says: "This tool will predict and monitor supply and demand trends, predict how much it can charge a customer for a ticket without risking losing that customer and predict how much it might need to discount a seat to avoid that seat going empty ('spoiling inventory' in airline parlance).

"If this tool makes Delta more effective in those tactics, I imagine the shareholders will be happy."
Planning watchdog reverses decision to slash permitted number of night flights

Aer Lingus has claimed that a continuing limit on the number of night-time flights at Dublin Airport will damage the airlines transatlantic growth prospects.

Ryanair has also criticised the cap, which has been confirmed in a recent decision from An Coimisiun Pleanala.

Some residents groups around Dublin Airport are also unhappy with the latest decision on night-time flights by the planning regulator.

Aer Lingus currently operates 19 routes from Dublin to the US and one to Canada. Its also launching a seasonal service next January from Dublin to Cancun, Mexico.

It is likely to have the effect of restricting future growth of North Atlantic traffic and the basing of additional short-haul aircraft in Dublin, with consequent negative economic and employment impacts, a spokesperson said of the decision.

An Coimisiun Pleanalas ruling, announced yesterday, means that Dublin Airport will not have to reduce the number of flights it handles at night-time.

The planning regulator reversed a planned cut to numbers it had previously signalled would be imposed.

In a draft decision last September, the commission had said it intended to cap at 13,000 the number of flights permitted to use Dublin Airport between 11pm and 7am in a 12-month period.

That would have represented a 60pc decrease on the current permitted use.

Now, however, An Coimisiun Pleanala has essentially given permission for the second runway at the airport to be used for more hours, and allowed it to handle more flights.

Aircraft will now be permitted to use the runway between 6am and midnight  an increase on the current window of 7am to 11pm.

The commission said that the airport will also be subject to a noise quota scheme, which means certain aircraft will not be able to use the runway at night, but agreed that an annual cap of 35,672 night-time aircraft movements at Dublin Airport would be appropriate.

It said that number will allow the airport to grow, while providing an essential safeguard against excessive night-time activity.

Ryanair said the airport is already handling about 35,000 night-time flights a year.

DAA, which operates Dublin Airport, broadly welcomed the decision.

Aer Lingus currently operates 20 transatlantic routes out of Dublin Airport. Photo: Getty

DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs said it removes uncertainty for Dublin Airport and the airlines, as well as having a positive impact on jobs and investment in Ireland.

This unlocks more efficient utilisation of this vital national infrastructure, which future-proofs Dublin Airports capacity to manage further passenger growth, a spokesperson added.

Mr Jacobs said DAA is, however, disappointed that An Coimisiun Pleanala imposed an annual cap of 35,672 night-time aircraft movements in addition to the annual noise quota.

DAA had sought to remove a numerical cap on the average number of flights permitted between 11pm and 7am. It wanted the cap replaced with an annual noise quota, which would be applied between 11.30pm and 6am.

A move to a noise quota had also been recommended by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority, which operates under Fingal County Council.

DAA noted that the decision removes a significant barrier to the progress of infrastructure applications it has lodged with Fingal County Council, which seek permission for a range of investments at Dublin Airport. It includes an application to increase the annual number of passengers to 40 million.

Transport Minister Darragh OBrien said he is aware of the concerns of people living in the vicinity of the airport, but added that maximising connectivity to and from Ireland is one of my priorities.

Ryanair also hit out at the flight cap

This decision should enable DAA to progress the planning applications which have been submitted to Fingal County Council, Mr OBrien said.

I encourage [DAA] to now move to respond to the requests for further information from the relevant authorities.

This will facilitate the planning decisions necessary for sustainable development of the airport.

The St Margarets The Ward (SMTW) residents group and some local organisations expressed profound disappointment and despair following An Coimisiun Pleanalas decision.

The group said the decision will inflict severe hardship on communities that are already suffering from the impact of illegal flight paths over residential areas.

Since the opening of the North Runway in August 2022, residents living under these flight paths said they have endured daily torment from the relentless roar of jets over their homes.

A spokesperson for SMTW residents, Liam OGradaigh, said: What makes this approval particularly egregious is that the flight paths could have been routed over uninhabited solar panel fields, which have been lying barren for over 20 years in anticipation of authorised flight paths.

Instead, the decision intentionally subjects thousands of people to unnecessary noise and pollution, which could have been easily avoided.
They are upgrading the building to a net-zero office with an A3 energy rating

Galetech Group, the Co Cavan-based renewable energy and property business, has secured serviced office provider Regus as an occupier for part of its revamped office block in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.

Reguss parent, International Workplace Group (IWG), has signed a multi- year agreement for the ground floor of the three-storey building at No 3, Lawnakilla Way, Carran Business Park.

The building, which extends to 55,000 sqft, was formerly occupied by Liberty Insurance, which acquired Quinn Insurance after the crash.

Galetech Group (which is headed by founder Darren Sherry) along with smaller private investors acquired the property last year.

They are upgrading the building to a net-zero office with an A3 energy rating through a combination of retrofitting and the installation of solar PV around the site.

The group is relaunching the office building onto the rental market and plans to attract service companies to locate in Enniskillen.

IWG believes that there is a sharply rising demand for top-class flexible working space in the area.

Galetech is offering employers a sustainable office space and access to a highly skilled talent pool from third level institutions across the region, including South West College in Enniskillen as well as Atlantic Technological University in Sligo and Donegal.

The location also benefits from competitive costs and a supportive business.

Since Brexit, Northern Ireland has enjoyed unrestricted access to both the EU single market for goods and the internal market in Great Britain  allowing businesses to sell goods freely without the need for customs declarations, rules of origin certificates, or non-tariff barriers.

This is Galetechs first office refurbishment. In addition, the company owns and operates a range of industrial storage sites in Cavan, and its property division has 200 homes in the development pipeline across various locations in the north-west.
Export of goods from Ireland to the US soared by 153pc between January and May this year, due to stockpiling in advance of US President Donald Trumps threatened tariffs.

Some 70.8bn of produce was shipped across the Atlantic, compared to 28bn in the same five-month period last year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The pattern continued in the month of May, even after Mr Trump put a 90-day pause on the introduction of a 20pc reciprocal tariff on the EU. Exports to the US increased to 10.6bn, up 86.5pc year-on-year, in that month alone.

The increased pace of transatlantic trade pushed the total value of Irish exports to 134.4bn in the first five months of the year, an increase of 42.9bn on the same period in 2024.

Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products represent the biggest share, with 13.7bn exported in May, up 74pc on the same month last year. It is likely that several of the big US pharma companies operating in Ireland, such as Pfizer and Eli Lilly, frontloaded delivery of stock in that period.

By contrast, the value of exports to Britain fell by 12pc in the first five months of the year, dropping from 7.2bn to 6.3bn. The products that account for the largest share of exports to Britain are food and live animals, and machinery and transport equipment.

Irelands biggest export markets in May were the US, followed by the Netherlands and Britain. Over 10pc of our exports went to the Netherlands, where some products would have re-exported through Rotterdam, Europes largest seaport.

Imports also rose in the first five months of the year, according to the CSO data. The value of goods imported rose by 4.2bn, or 7.8pc year-on-year, in that period.

Robert Purdue, head of dealing at the global financial service firm Ebury, said 2025 was likely to be a year of two halves for exports, with an artificial spike in H1 followed by a slump, as exporters re-stock.

New threats of significant tariffs on pharmaceutical products will be hugely concerning for the economy given the critical role this sector plays in Ireland, he said.

Janette Maxwell, a tax partner at Grant Thornton, said the trend of high exports is unlikely to continue in the long term. President Donald Trumps recent threat of 30pc tariffs on goods will significantly change the functioning of trade between the US and the EU, in addition to having a detrimental impact on the Irish economy, she said.

Traders are enduring ongoing instability and unpredictability, and this alone will risk damage to transatlantic trade relations, notwithstanding any introduction of potential tariffs. Therefore it is possible that Irish traders will seek alternative export markets as US consumers may simply not pay the inflated prices that would be inevitable should the 30% tariff rate be introduced on Irish goods.
Avia Solutions Group founder Gediminas Ziemelis says sector has strong roots

Irelands position as the top global centre for aircraft leasing is unlikely to be impacted by the trade war between the United States and the rest of the world, according to Gediminas Ziemelis, executive chairman and founder of Dublin-headquartered Avia Solutions Group.

He said the ecosystem of lawyers, accountants, consultants and other factors such as taxation and the legal system are embedded in a way that makes it tougher for other jurisdictions to muscle in on the sector.

Avia Solutions Group is the worlds biggest aircraft wet-leasing operator, providing aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance to its clients. It has a fleet of 210 narrowbody aircraft, with a plan to boost that to 700 by 2030.

It also has a huge aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business, which operates around the world and in which the company is heavily investing.

Asked if tariffs will threaten Irelands dominant position in the aircraft-leasing sector, Mr Ziemelis said they should not.

I dont think so because this wasnt built in a year, he said.

It started from the first leasing company, GPA. Ireland for many years has been recognised as the capital of aircraft-leasing industry.

It is treated as a stable environment for aircraft lessors across the globe. In aviation, nothing happens fast.

He noted that in Dubai, the Al Maktoum International Airport, which is also known as Dubai South, is expected to be significantly advanced by 2032.

It is anticipated the airport, which will replace Dubai International Airport, will eventually be able to handle 260 million passengers a year and 12 million tonnes of cargo.

By 2032, or 2035, when Dubai South will start to open, it will be the biggest aviation hub in the world, Mr Ziemelis said.

Of course, we will grab some market share for leasing, but I dont see lessors moving out of Ireland.

Last November, just days after Donald Trump secured his second term as US president, Avia placed a firm order for 40 Boeing 737 Max jets and secured an option over 40 more.

Mr Ziemelis, who was speaking from Dubai, said the order was placed using an Avia firm based in the Dubai free zone, and that the aircraft will eventually be used wherever clients require them.

He said he does not think that even if the current uncertain backdrop regarding tariffs was in motion that Avia would have opted instead to buy jets from Airbus.

The US might be the planemaker, but it depends on where the aircraft are used, he said.

We can select the jurisdiction. At the end of the day, the consumer will pay for it.

The drivers for our business are not tariffs. First of all, its passenger traffic, and this year there will be more than last year.

The second driver is seasonality. Every airline company in winter in Europe is losing money.

Our goal is to educate the market on how to leverage summer and winter capacity in Europe and leverage summer and winter capacity in Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
Germany has rejected the European Commissions proposal for a significantly expanded 2tn budget, just hours after it was announced by Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.

The commission president unveiled her plans for the EUs next seven-year period on Wednesday following intense last-minute negotiations that ran late into the previous night. Her proposal represents a substantial increase on the blocs current 1.2tn financial plan, which runs to the end of 2027.
Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm (Yui Mok/PA)

A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival has been dropped by police.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking no further action on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival.

On Friday, the group, comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain, and JJ O Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm (Yui Mok/PA)

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Kneecap have been in the headlines after O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.

In reference to his bandmates upcoming court date, O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, told Glastonbury they would start a riot outside the courts, before clarifying: No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.

Meanwhile, musicians including Kneecap, Massive Attack and Brian Eno have said they have been subjected to attempted censorship due to speaking out about the war in Gaza.

They, along with campaign group Led By Donkeys, have all posted the same message on Instagram, calling on other artists who fear they will be threatened into silence or career cancellation for talking about Palestine to join them in a syndicate.

Massive Attack and Brian Eno have long spoken out in support of Palestine, while Kneecap have made headlines in recent months after one of their members was charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah.

The Irish rap group claim this is part of a smear campaign against them because of their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israels actions in Gaza, which they say is a genocide.

The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description, the post read.

We write as artists whove chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK Government in facilitating it.

Because of our expressions of conscience, weve been subject to various intimidations from within our industry (live and recorded) and legally via organised bodies such as UK Lawyers For Israel.

Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we wont stand by and allow other artists  particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability  to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.

In this spirit, we encourage artists whove been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerned about industrial repercussions, to contact us @ ethicalsyndicatepalestine@pm.me

The Instagram post also made a series of demands, including an immediate ceasefire, an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel, and a free Palestine.

A spokeswoman for UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI) accused Massive Attack of having launched an attack on our organisation, which helps to protect victims of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel racism.

She said that following Massive Attacks set at Londons Lido Festival in June, we were contacted by several Jewish and Israeli audience members who were deeply distressed and traumatised after the act invited an anti-Israel activist on stage.

Kneecap performed to a sea of Palestinian flags during their set at Glastonbury Festival in June.

Their performance followed that of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, who spoke out against Israel.

Police have since launched an investigation into the group, formed in Ipswich in 2017, after their frontman led crowds in chants of Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) during their set at the Somerset music festival.

Kneecaps Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May, and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 20.
'I love to see peoples reactions when I tell them how old I am'  Kris Jenners neck lift sparks surge of interest among Irish women
Ex-partner of gangster Brian Rattigan drove dangerously on Dublins M50 and tried to flee on foot across motorway

Natasha McEnroe was fined, banned from driving and given community service in lieu of four months in prison

Natasha McEnroe

Eimear Cotter Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 06:30

Gangster Brian Rattigans ex-girlfriend Natasha McEnroe drunkenly drove her high-powered Audi on Dublins M50, and then tried to flee by running across lanes of the motorway, a court has heard.
Tom Niland protected rural Ireland by taking these guys out of the system  friends pay tribute as third man pleads guilty to his manslaughter

Community pays tribute to gentle giant on bittersweet dayTheres a sense of relief now, say locals as third man pleads guilty to manslaughter over death of Tom Niland

Tom Niland and killer John Irving

Eavan Murray Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 06:30

The obscene brutality of the attack that led to the death of bachelor farmer Tom Niland remains a permanent scar in the hearts of his community.
Paul Williams: Pensioner Tom Niland likely expected to see a neighbour at the door. Instead he was beaten so badly he never recovered
Joe Grogans last days: the last-minute wedding, the 5.5m farm and the row that could be heading to the High Court
The Government is insisting the Occupied Territories Bill does not amount to a boycott of Israel as it faces growing pressure from US lawmakers over the proposed legation.

At least 10 politicians in the US have spoken out against the bill that is currently being scrutinised by an Oireachtas Committee before being put to a vote in autumn.
Siptu says it wants a more satisfactory employment situation for its members

Oireachtas Broadcast staff who are employed by a company called PI Communications, protesting at Leinster House with forms for Job Seekers Allowance, which they have to apply for every time Leinster House goes on holiday. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

An Oireachtas TV committee room operator hopes this will be the last summer he has to go on the dole.

Today Keith McEvoy will be heading to a Department of Social Protection office to ensure he has something to live on while the Dail is in recess.

It will be the same scenario for more than 10 of his colleagues who operate live broadcasts of Dail, Seanad and committee sessions.

Meanwhile, TDs, senators, civil servants and Leinster House staff will continue to get paid.

Ill be signing on because I have no income at all during the summer, Mr McEvoy said. It doesnt feel right. Im signing on for benefits from the Government even though I work in the houses where the Government is based.

He has no other work lined up until TDs and senators return in September. If something comes up Ill obviously sign off, but its all ifs and buts. Ive gone through the last seven years with no certainty of work. Its easier said than done to get it.

Luckily I have some savings, but theres no sustainability for the next two months. Some TDs have said if they get paid over the summer, then why cant workers like us get paid? A lot of excuses are being made for a really bad situation thats going on at the moment.

Mr McEvoy has a young child and is currently living at home while trying to save for a mortgage.

The broadcast workers are employed by Pi Communications, which also provides services to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The terms of its contract mean the company is paid per minute that is broadcast.

The tender is due for renewal soon, and the broadcasting workers hope this could be a turning point in their battle for better job security.

Mr McEvoy hopes that an upcoming Public Accounts Committee review of the contract for video and audio coverage of Oireachtas proceedings could be a turning point.

A screen-grab of Tanaiste Simon Harris from an Oireachtas TV Dail broadcast. Photo: Oireachtas TV

He and his colleagues will be behind the scenes, broadcasting the proceedings as usual, but their issues will be up front. Some claim they earn about 12,000 a year, although they work part-time. They want better pay, or civil-service status.

Siptu organiser Robbie Purfield welcomed the committee review. He said the terms of the competitive tender mean the company providing the service is paid by the minute for recording Oireachtas sessions. Given the importance of the work our members do in recording the events of the Oireachtas, a more satisfactory employment situation must be found, he said.

A Pi Communications spokesperson was not available for comment.

Previously, a spokesperson said it is contracted on a pay-per-public-minute model for coverage of live proceedings, and can only bill for broadcasts that are capable of public transmission.

The spokesperson said all part-time employees have a guaranteed entitlement to a fixed amount of work each full sitting week, certainty of income and are free to work on other projects or for other employers.

He said they earn substantially more than the national living wage, with attractive bonus arrangements, and get paid leave and sick pay.

They are eligible to enrol in pension schemes, have collective agreements that are recognised, and are provided with training and other staff benefits, he added.
Owned by Associated British Foods, Penneys trades as Primark in other markets

Turnover at the Penneys chain in Ireland dipped to 742m in its last financial year despite having an extra store in its portfolio, according to newly filed accounts for the business.

Owned by Associated British Foods, Penneys trades as Primark in all its other global markets. As of last September, there were 38 Penneys stores in Ireland, compared to 37 a year earlier.

The company noted that its trading in the second half of the 2024 financial year, which runs to mid-September, was hit by poor weather. The opening of a new outlet in Bray last summer helped to offset the sales decline. Revenue in the previous financial year was 745m.

In 2021, Primark said would invest more than 250m in the Irish market, creating more than 1,000 jobs and increasing selling space by about 20pc.

Penneys has also spent 75m building a new distribution centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare, which is slated to open in coming months. It has invested in its Eyre Square store in Galway, extended an outlet in Clonmel, and refurbished its shop on OConnell Street in Dublin.

The accounts for the Ireland-based Primark Ltd business, which also sells inventory to other Primark entities and earns franchise income, show that its pre-tax profit more than doubled to 882m in the 52 weeks to mid-September last year.

Its total turnover hit 4.1bn compared to 3.9bn in the 2023 financial year, while the company paid 110m in tax.

Apart from the retails sales generated in Ireland, the firms turnover included 2.1bn from inter-company sales and nearly 1.3bn from its Primark Way franchise income. The latter is generated from sales of intellectual property and expertise to overseas Primark businesses.

Last month, Primark announced that it was cutting about 100 jobs from its head office in Dublin, where the chain was co-founded in 1969 by the late Arthur Ryan. The chain employs about 1,500 people there.

The cutbacks will affect staff working in human resources, finance and procurement as the group sends some support functions offshore to Accenture in India.

By the end of ABFs last financial year in mid-September 2024, there were 451 Primark stores worldwide, having opened 22 new stores in the period.

Primark continue to see significant white space opportunities in our growth markets in Europe and in the US and there is a clear roadmap for new store rollouts over the medium and long term to drive sustainable growth, say the accounts just filed in Ireland.

They add: Primark also continue to assess expansion opportunities in new markets. The group recently signed an agreement with the Alshaya Group to explore the opportunity to open stores in the Gulf Cooperation Council in Middle Eastern markets.

* This article was amended at 4.15pm on July 18, 2025, to correct the fact that the Penneys store that was refurbished was on OConnell Street, Dublin, not Mary Street.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer stressed the importance of consensus in handling the legacy of the Troubles as he spoke to his Irish counterpart on Friday.

In a phone call with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Mr Starmer had what Downing Street described as a constructive discussion on dealing with the legacy of the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland.
A man carries the body of a Palestinian child, who according to medics, was killed in Israeli strikes, during a funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 18, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Hussam Al-Masri

Taoiseach Micheal Martin angrily hit out at suggestions Ireland's position on Palestine was anti-semitic as he accused former Justice Minister Alan Shatter of "false language and a false presentation" on the Government's Occupied Territories Bill.

Mr Martin - speaking in Cork - also warned that there was absolutely no suggestion that Ireland was proposing any form of boycott on Israel amid intensifying criticism of Ireland in the US.

He stressed that Ireland's position is that it wants the Israeli hostages returned safely by Hamas, Hamas to disband and a ceasefire to be declared in Gaza to allow for talks about a permanent end to the violence and for a peaceful settlement to be reached.

However, Ireland has taken a strong stance on illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Mr Martin's comments came after Mr Shatter, a former Fine Gael justice minister, slated the Government Bill in the Oireachtas - and a senior US ambassador criticised Ireland's position on the issue.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slated the Occupied Territories Bill and warned Ireland to "sober up."

"Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness," he posted on Twitter.

The diplomat said the Bill was "so stupid" it smacked of "diplomatic intoxication."

The Taoiseach stressed that people needed to focus on the ongoing loss of life in Gaza and across the Middle East.

"The Irish people are appalled by what is happening in Gaza and indeed across the West Bank, he said.

"People I meet cannot understand the continued slaughter of children.

"Only in the last 48 hours a church was attacked, a Catholic Church was attacked and innocent people were killed. The war needs to stop. Hostages need to be released and the political process and a massive surge in humanitarian aid needs to be facilitated.

"The International Court of Justice (position) in terms of the illegality of the occupied territories is clear. Ireland has also always worked through the prism of international humanitarian law. The objective is to try to put pressure on Israel to stop the war.

"We (Ireland) sanctioned Hamas. Rightly so. And we believe that Hamas should disband and should get off the stage to enable a Government to be formed or an administration to be formed in Gaza and security guarantees given to Israel in any future settlement.

"But the war is no longer in any shape or form justifiable and the continued killing of people and illegal occupation must be recognised.

"That said - and I have said this in terms of because people have raised the issue of services - and I have consistently said over the last two to three weeks that in terms of services that could create difficulties for multinationals based in Ireland from the US.

"Because the US has boycotted divestment legislation. And the perception over there is that they dont draw the same differentiation as the international community does in terms of the illegaly occupied territories and Israel proper.

"The Occupied Territories Bill does not in any shape or form propose a boycott of trade between Israel and Ireland but rather between trade with the occupied territories.

"That is an issue and does need consideration. And I have made that point repeatedly that it does need to be factored into the issue of the inclusion of services.

"I think there are different perspectives around the world in respect of the Middle East. The US has been strong supporters of Israel. We acknowledge that.

"At the last EU Council meeting almost every country wanted the war to stop. Every country accepted the catastrophe that Gaza now is. There is a need to stop the war. Ireland has a clear position in terms of international humanitarian law.

"We came under huge pressure on Syria for example when we were on the (UN) Security Council to facilitate the humanitarian corridors on Syria. Likewise on Ethiopia. We have always stood up for what is right and proper within international humanitarian law.

"We are very concerned in terms of the breakdown of the rules based order. There is a need for all countries to reflect on what is happening. Because countries cannot be breaching international humanitarian law. And there is no question in Gaza that that law has been breached on countless occasions.

Mr Martin said Ireland would adopt a principled stance but would not undermine the country's global position.

"We dont want in any way to undermine Ireland. The purpose of the exercise is not that Ireland would suffer unduly in respect of this. It is interesting that across Europe now there is an issue about the compatibility of how the European Union approaches this and the decision of the ICJ in respect of the occupied territories in Palestine, he said.

Mr Martin hit out at comments from Mr Shatter about the proposed new legislation.

"What I would reject very strongly is any suggestion that there is any hint of antisemitism in terms of the Irish position," he said.

"I think that was wrongly presented by former Minister (Alan) Shatter in his presentation to the Oireachtas committee.

"I was dismayed at the language he used. It was false language and it was a very false presentation.

"There are efforts abroad to undermine the integrity of Irelands position, to misrepresent Irelands position. We are conscious of that. We will always work to protect our economic interests and the national interest."

He also rejected suggestions Ireland could be economically targeted by the US over its diplomatic stance.

"That has not been mooted. I think there is a broader European-US negotiation going on in terms of tariffs, he said.

"Those negotiations are tough and as you know we have until August 1 to resolve it. That is the context on which tariffs will be discussed and now an individual member state basis."
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin refused to predict the winner of the All-Ireland hurling final on Sunday - but said it has been a magical year for hurling with old rivals Cork and Tipperary set to meet for the first time in a Croke Park decider.

His comments came as gardai urged people to drive with care over the weekend as over 120,000 people are expected to travel to Dublin for the match - almost 40,000 of whom have no tickets for Croke Park.

Gardai urged people to allow sufficient time for travel - as virtually all bus and rail services from Cork and Tipperary to Dublin are booked out.

Dublin hotels are similarly almost at capacity.

Traffic concerns have focused on the fact the vast majority of Cork and Tipperary fans intend to travel to Croke Park on Sunday morning - and virtually all will share the same route into Dublin.

Mr Martin acknowledged that Cork has enjoyed enormous support as the Rebel County seeks to end its 20 year All Ireland hurling drought.

Over 60,000 Cork fans travelled to Dublin two weeks ago for the semi-final clash with Dublin - with Croke Park having an 82,300 capacity.

"I don't wish to predict in advance or put any pressure on our team (Cork)," the Cork South Central TD said.

"I think it has been a wonderful year of hurling so far. It has been joyful to witness the extraordinary Cork crowds who have attended every game.

"I think Cork have proven themselves in terms of resilience - it was a heartbreaking year last year."

Mr Martin is a lifelong Gaelic games fan and plans to attend the hurling final on Sunday, having attended virtually all Cork matches this season.

"It was a wonderful year but they just came up short at the end (2024)," he said.

"I hope for the players they will want to do it for themselves. They put huge effort in - to be an inter-county player today requires incredible sacrifice from themselves, their families and their partners.

"Again, particularly the players we all know - the household names - who in my view deserve to have an All Ireland medal. We wish the very best for them."

Cork is not only bidding to win their first All Ireland since 2005 but is determined to win a Celtic Cross medal for legendary forward, Pat Horgan, considered by many to be the greatest hurler of the modern era not to have won an All Ireland.

"It is wonderful to see the young people and children dream again - we all remember from our own young days the iconic images of a particular captain lifting a cup," the Taoiseach added.

"What it brings to a city and county - I have no doubt that Sunday will enable many more young people to dream that someday they will be in Croke Park in an All Ireland final. That is the magic of it.

"It is just beautiful to witness it."
Watchdog boss asked if she would choose nursing home featured in damning RTE expose for her own relative

Chief is critical of the poor treatment saying she never seen that type of behaviour

Hiqa chief executive Angela Fitzgerald arriving at Leinster House for the PAC hearing. Photo: Collins

Eilish O'Regan Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 06:30

The chief executive of the countrys safety watchdog was asked yesterday if she would be happy having a relative in one of the two nursing homes featured in a damning television expose.
A WOMAN has been hospitalised after a dog attack in Cork.

The woman suffered serious injuries after being attacked by the dog in the Ballyvolane area around 6pm on Friday.

The incident occurred in a housing estate and the woman's screams for help alerted local residents.

Horrified residents desperately tried to help the woman, aged in her 30s, and attempted to fend off the dog.

The large animal had apparently knocked the woman to the ground and was attempting to maul her arms, face and head.

Courageous locals rushed to the scene and tried to get the dog away from the woman and protect her from further injury.

At least one other person suffered bite injuries as they bravely tried to protect the woman.

Stock image

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 19th

Gardai, supported by armed officers, attended the scene along with paramedics and dog control officers.

The animal was brought under control and removed from the estate.

The injured woman was treated at the scene before being rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

She is being treated for serious injuries and is expected to undergo emergency surgery.

The other individual who suffered bite injuries during the incident was treated at the scene but did not require hospitalisation.

An investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is now underway.

It is unclear precisely what breed of dog was involved in the attack.

Ireland has witnessed a number of serious dog attacks over recent years.

Two people, including a young baby, died in separate maulings in Waterford in 2021 and in Limerick in 2024.

A young boy was left with serious facial injuries after he was attacked by an XL Bully dog in Wexford in 2022.

A woman narrowly escaped fatal injuries in Cork in 2016 when she was attacked by her partner's bull terrier and surgeons had to fight to save her arm.

The involvement of the XL Bully breed in a number of serious dog attacks in both Ireland and Europe prompted special control measures to be introduced for the breed.
Climate Changemakers: Sean Ronayne is a man with a mission to record the sound of every Irish bird species

The ornithologist and authors lifelong love of nature inspired him to raise awareness of the need to conserve Irelands bird species

Sean Ronayne has embarked on a project to document the unique sound of each Irish bird species. Photo: Tristan Hutchinson

Aisling Maria Cronin Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 06:30

Conserving biodiversity is key to solving the climate crisis, and securing the future of endangered bird species is a crucial aspect of that effort, according to author and ornithologist (bird expert) Sean Ronayne.
Our wine writer shares some coastal and classic picks

Weve been lucky with our summer, with a generous smattering of high-20s sunshine, but without tipping into the discomfort and danger levels of some parts of continental Europe. Plus, no matter how hot we get, our waters stay cold enough to cool us down.

They also provide us with excellent cold-water seafood  so good that we export much of it to the likes of France and Spain, where we end up eating it on our holidays. Maybe its time to channel those holiday flavours at home?

Todays wine recommendations are all chosen as seafood-friendly pairings and include midweek into-the-basket bargains as well as special blowout options.

As always with food and wine pairings, drink what you enjoy. If youre not a white wine fan, then a dry rose is an obvious alternative, whether a simple bargain like Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose 2023 Coteaux de Beziers (12, SuperValu) or a complex Provencal star like Clos de lOurs lAccent Rose 2024 (30, drinkstore.ie).

Dont rule red wines out either. Opt for fresh, light-bodied, low-tannin styles that wont overpower the seafood: brighter styles of Pinot Noir (as opposed to heavy-hitter Burgundy), floral Gamay from Beaujolais crus like Fleurie, Spanish clarete or other vin de soif red wines that suit a light chilling... the list goes on.

However, white wine is classic with seafood for a reason  especially those produced with freshness in mind, and where the grapes natural acidity has been preserved along with its aromatic characteristics.

They say that what grows together, goes together, meaning that local foods and wines from particular regions often pair well together. Coastal wines often work with local seafood, as several of todays examples bear out. Margaret River in south-western Australia, Muscadet where the Loire meets the Atlantic, Rias Baixas in Galicia where the Albarino grape is queen: these are all wine-growing regions where cooling sea winds help to slow the ripening of the grapes and preserve their natural acidity.

For fans of the classic pairing of flinty Sancerre with shellfish-like oysters, todays Greek island wine makes a fascinating alternative with lots of smoky volcanic minerality. Or for seafood dishes with sunnier, bolder flavours  say of a Thai-style curry  think riper wines such as new world Sauvignon Blanc or a Cotes de Gascogne blend like La Salette lEssentiel (15, OBriens Wines) with its tropical fruit and flower notes. These punchier styles also work well with more robust fish like mackerel or  that ultimate taste of sea and sunshine  grilled sardines.

Wines of the week

Fillaboa Albarino 2023

Fillaboa Albarino 2023, Rias Baixas DO, Galicia, Spain, 12.5pc, 27

Saline Albarino from the coastal Val do Salnes subregion is a classic pairing for local lobster, octopus, mussels, clams and fresh fish, but dont rule out inland subregions like Condado de Tea, where this wine hails from a steep riverside plot. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged 13 months on the lees, the complex result has honeysuckle, white tea and savoury aromas, silky weight and great length but also taut acidity with grapefruit and green apple freshness balancing riper pineapple notes. Wines Direct (Mullingar and Athlone); winesdirect.ie

Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Western Australia, 13.5pc, 10.99

This generous but bone-dry Sauvignon (and a touch of Semillon) with exotic fruit aromas and hints of grassiness on the fresh palate is a robust match for Thai spiced seafood, as is Aldis organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (9.99) with fragrant peach, papaya and nettle notes. Aldi

Livia Sous le Vegetal 2019

Livia Sous le Vegetal 2019, Samos, Greece, 13.5pc, 33

If youre looking to wow with an aperitif pairing for Irish oysters, this electric-fresh natural wine from the Aegean island of Samos just west of Turkey is made from old-vine Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains) aged in old barrels to add layers to its smoky, mineral, flinty profile. MacCurtain Wine Cellar (Cork), Fallon&Byrne, Ely (Maynooth); elywinebar.ie

Isolado Branco 2023

Isolado Branco 2023, Douro, Portugal, 12.5pc, 10.99

Portugal delivers value in general, but Lidls two Douro whites are real steals. Fresh, dry and crisp with attractive lemon peel and fresh pear character, this high-altitude blend of Verdelho and Rabigato is 8.99 until July 23 with Lidl Plus. Or try the simpler but crisp and clean Parcelas Douro Branco (9.99). Lidl

Domaine Haute Fevrie Muscadet-Sevre et Maine sur lie

Domaine Haute Fevrie Muscadet-Sevre et Maine sur lie, France, 12.2pc, 22

Bright, lemony, crisp and bone dry, and a versatile pairing for any seafood  or raise the bar with Haute Fevries lean, mineral Clos Joubert Muscadet (24.50, Barossa Wines) or Jerome Bretaudeaus earthy, linear Granite Clos de Perrieres Muscadet (45, Green Man Wines). The Arch (Cobh), Pinto Wines, Blackrock Cellar, wineonline.ie
The new flight will see the airline operating 21 weekly flights to and from Ireland

Emirates will add a third daily flight from Dublin Airport to Dubai starting from October 26, the airline has said.

Emirates flight EK165 will depart Dubai at 2.10am and arrive in Dublin at 6:25am local time. EK166 will depart Dublin at 8:25am and arrive in Dubai at 8pm local.

The new flight will mean it has 21 weekly flights between Ireland and the Middle Eastern hub, adding to its existing afternoon and evening departures.

The flight will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with three cabin classes on board - First Class, Business and Economy Class.

It does not have the Premium Economy option or upgraded Business Class cabin that Emirates has been offering on some later flights to and from Dublin since introducing its newly retrofitted Boeing 777 to the service last month.

However, the airline said it will deploy a second refurbished Boeing 777 to Dublin starting from October 16.

Emirates carries some 450,000 passengers a year from Ireland to Dubai, and onward connections to 140 destinations including Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

The third flight will also boost its cargo capacity to and from Dublin Airport.

Emirates is the worlds largest international airline and is currently undergoing a $5 billion (4.3bn) cabin retrofit programme, which aims to refurbish 219 aircraft by 2026.

It includes revamps to cabin classes and interiors across a swathe of Boeing 777s, A380s and A350s.

The airline has operated daily services between Dublin and Dubai since 2012, with its double-daily service operating since 2014.

Dublins third daily flight will meet market demand and offer customers greater flexibility with a choice of morning, afternoon, and evening flight departures, the airline said.

Return fares to Dubai start from around 662 in Economy, 1,359 in Premium Economy and 3,715 in Business.
Donal Fallon: Why Donald Trump may be a bigger threat to Irish whiskey than a teetotalling 19th-century priest

Industry is in trouble in this country, and resurrecting old brand names is not always the answer

Johnnie Walker is among Diageo's brands. Photo: Getty

Donal Fallon Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 06:30

Irish whiskey is no stranger to economic turbulence through its history, but recent months have been difficult by any standard. Once the epicentre of Irish distilling, the Liberties area of the capital had witnessed an extraordinary revival in recent years, though the doors of some of these new arrivals have closed, either temporarily or permanently.
Any break in the working schedule was begrudged by Winston Churchill. Holidays, he believed, were enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation.

Those gliding down the stairs of Leinster House for the summer break may not have found it quite so difficult to tear themselves away.

But if government TDs had been hoping to get out through the gap and into the wide blue yonder without too much fuss, they had another thing coming. No amount of factor 50 would have saved them from the scorching that the opposition had prepared.

They were accused of being epic wasters by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. The Coalition splashed the cash to buy votes last year, but now is saying once-off payments are a bad idea. She claimed public spending is up 50pc in a few short years.

Ireland has, she said, a housing crisis, record homelessness, threadbare disability services, a cost-of-living crisis and energy and water infrastructure that is crumbling.

Wicklow Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin also said people around the country will look to mark the Governments report card on the Dails last day. The 10,000 homes promised by the Government never materialised, he said, adding that the only thing that is more affordable at the moment is cocaine.

Criminals are doing a better job in creating a functional market for an illegal drug than you are in terms of housing, Mr Toibin said.

We will get through this one too

Tanaiste Simon Harris hit back, saying the county has reached record levels of employment and an economy thats running budget surpluses. But speaking on RTE, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said it was important to be honest. The impact on job creation and levels of employment within the economy would be worse if Donald Trump imposes 30pc tariffs.

This is a big challenge, we need to have a moment of recognition of that, but we have faced challenges before and we will get through this one too, he said.

Mr Donohoe has had to maintain a fine line between being upbeat or unduly pessimistic, but he is right to remind us that we have come through adversity before and emerged the stronger.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin.

All indicators suggest that by the time the Dail recess ends, we may once again be facing a tough road ahead. But as pointed out by Pythagoras  the man who developed the theory of proportions  in this theatre of mans life, it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers-on.

However, coping with Mr Trumps capriciousness would tax the energies of Hercules. He even managed to take the fizz out of the worlds most famous brand, Coca-Cola, with his announcement that it was going to sweeten its signature drink with cane sugar in the US. Caught on the hop, a statement said it appreciated Mr Trumps enthusiasm and that more details will follow.

But  just like governments around the world  the soft-drinks firm was clearly clueless, trying to put a brave face on it, pondering if it is the real thing.
18.5m in vacant property grants paid out in Cork so far in 2025.

New figures from the Department of Housing show that Cork County received 1,164 applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in the first half of this year with 904 of them approved and 11,780,636 worth of grants paid out after works were completed.

In addition to the Cork County figures, in the same period Cork City Council received 464 applications, approved 368 of them, and paid out 6,674,414.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a payment for turning a vacant house or building into a permanent home or rental property and applies to qualifying properties in cities, towns, villages and rural parts of the country.

Funded by the Department of Housing through the Croi Conaithe scheme, the grant is administered by local authorities. A grant of up to 50,000 is available, but if the refurbishment costs exceed that, an additional top-up of up to 20,000 can be paid out.

Nationally, over 155 million has been paid out, bringing 2,856 vacant homes back into use. Since the scheme began, nearly 10,000 applications have been approved across the country.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan, Fianna Fail TD for Cork North-West, said the figures are proof that the grant is breathing life back into vacant and derelict buildings and turning them into homes. Its a smart lever thats quietly adding real housing supply across Ireland.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish News

Ten years of the Social Democrats: how party went from a kitchen table brainstorming session to a serious political player

The middle of summer was an unusual time to set up a new political party. But since the previous winter, a group of three Independent TDs had been sketching out a plan.
Professor David Kenny, Professor in Law and Fellow and Head of the Law School at Trinity.

The Head of the Law School at Trinity College Dublin believes a new Irish Constitution would be required in the event of a United Ireland.

Speaking today at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Donegal, at an event focused on the Constitution, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, editor of the Irish Times questioned a panel if a United Ireland would require tearing the thing up and starting again.

Professor David Kenny, Professor in Law and Fellow and Head of the Law School at Trinity, said former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar previously suggested that unification would require a new Constitution.

The Professor said he could not see a way around that.

I wrote a paper hypothesising that you could radically change the constitution in so many ways, you would keep some structure of the current one and swap out of the planks; but I think even that would have so much baggage about it being the Constitution of this state that would be continuing, he said.

I think the continuity there would present symbolic issues.

I think the idea of a new start and a new state in the event of unification would be crucial.

He added from a practical perspective, there are so many unanswered questions about what the structure of that state might be or what kind of political system it would have.

Is it federal, con-federal, unitary, what level of delegation down to provincial level would you see in various powers?, he asked.

There is very little in the Constitution 1937 that provides for that and the idea of unification that is in that document that the preamble aspires to the unity of the country was quite naive.

It was the idea that at some point Northern Ireland would just join in this state and things would continue.

Really, the Constitution does not provide for a great deal beyond the fact that the territory of the state could encompass the whole island at some stage.

It does not really think about unification like that, certainly not in any serious way.

So, I think yes it would require a new constitution.

Professor Kenny said the challenge of this would be if there is a blank page with nothing agreed, then every single issue in the Constitution becomes a possible point of disagreement.

That is the benefit of trying to retain some document as a baseline so you dont have to put every single point on the structure of the state up for discussion in what will already be a very difficult process, he said.

I think the scale of the changes are so significant, that if you try to do an amended job on Bunreacht na hEireann, you would be left with almost nothing left of that original document and you would wonder if there would be a great advantage to doing it that way.

Ivana Bacik TD, Leader of the Labour Party and Party Spokesperson on the Northern Ireland, said there is need for groundwork.

She said a joint Oireachtas community on the Constitution established should be established now with the key part of its function to prepare the ground for what rewriting would be necessary.

I think you would have to approach it on the basis of lets keep the framework and see where we need to change things to ensure unification could proceed as smoothly as possible, she said.

There is an interesting thing about the 1937 Constitution that it is still a transitional constitution.

There is reference in it to Saorstat Eireann and the Irish Free State so it acknowledges that need for transitional and incremental change.

I think it could build into a rewrite.

A joint Oireachtas committee with careful groundwork, green paper, white paper, in advance of the holding of any referendum.

I think that is essential if we are to avoid the mistake of Brexit to ensure the people go into it, both North and South, fully informed, fully engaged in the process.
Commuters on the S8 bus route in Dublin say they are fed up with frequent cancellations, long delays and unreliable service, despite repeated assurances that performance has improved.

This news comes five months after the transport Minister promised a detailed review of the problem.

The S8, which connects Kingswood Avenue to Dun Laoghaire and passes through major employment zones like Sandyford and Leopardstown, has once again come under scrutiny.

Commuters on the route, operated by Go-Ahead Ireland, say issues have worsened in recent weeks, with buses vanishing from timetables and real-time tracking proving useless.

One regular user said the situation has now become untenable.

Daily delays are leaving passengers late for work and stranded without reliable transport home, they said.

It is clear that the issue is escalating, and we are approaching the point where wider intervention is necessary.

They recalled six incidents this week alone where buses did not show up, were cancelled without notice or were significantly delayed.

Commuters are calling for immediate and visible steps to resolve the failures on the route.

In a statement, Go Ahead Ireland it both acknowledges and sincerely apologises for any service disruptions, and said it is actively recruiting both drivers and mechanics.

In February, the minister acknowledged rising public frustration over ghost buses across several Go-Ahead-operated routes, including the S8.

At the time, he said the National Transport Authority (NTA) was taking the issue very seriously and that additional resources were being allocated to bus operators.

However, passengers and local councillors say the problems persist.

Back in April, Go-Ahead Ireland claimed the S8 route was operating at 98pc of its scheduled kilometres, and that performance had significantly improved since the beginning of 2024.

One commuter says that even if 98pc of kilometres are being covered, it doesnt mean the actual timetable is being followed.

What does that 98pc figure actually mean for me at a bus stop at 7am or 7pm, when the bus I need to get to work or home just doesnt arrive?

Social media posts about phantom or vanished S8 services have been ongoing for months.

Several commuters have questioned whether enough drivers are available to maintain the route, particularly during off-peak and evening times.

The S8, which replaced previous routes as part of the BusConnects redesign, provides a direct link between the southwest suburbs and major employment hubs in Sandyford and Leopardstown.

But without consistent service, passengers say the route is failing in its basic purpose.

Go-Ahead Ireland (GAI) said it can confirm there have been service disruptions on the S8 route.

These disruptions resulted from a combination of factors including traffic congestion, fleet availability, and operational challenges, they said.

GAI is actively recruiting both drivers and mechanics. Recently, 10 mechanics from outside of Ireland have been recruited and are due to join the team in the coming months.

On 14 July, 2025, the 06.45am service from Dun Laoghaire Station to Kingswood Avenue serviced Foxrock on time at 07.02. The stop was also serviced at 06.47 and at 07.19. The 19.00 service from Kingswood Avenue also operated on time.

We acknowledge and sincerely apologise for any service disruptions, whether within or outside of our control, that affect our passengers.

A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority added that it understands the frustration caused by cancellations and overcrowding.

We are actively working with the operator, Go-Ahead Ireland, to address these challenges, they said.
Microcosmos - les Insectes Fantastiques directed by Pierre Povigna, Planete Vapeur comes to Galway on July 18 and 19

The Galway International Arts Festival Street Spectacle will take to the streets of Galway on Friday and Saturday.

The free event promises to make the citys streets come to life across the two evenings. Here is everything you need to know about one of the festivals most impressive spectacles.

Date, time, and where to watch

The Street Spectacle will spill onto Galways streets for one performance on Friday, July 18 from 9.30pm and two further showings on Saturday, July 19 at 6pm and 9.30pm.

The hour-long spectacle will travel from Eyre Square down William Street, Shop Street, Mainguard Street and Bridge Street to Dominick Street Lower and Raven Terrace.

What you can see

This years spectacle is brought to Galway by parade specialists Planete Vapeur and is called Microcosmos - les Insectes Fantastiques directed by Pierre Povigna, Planete Vapeur.

Directed by Frances Pierre Povigna, the show will feature giant colourful recreations of insects complemented by performers.

Among those on show will be a twelve-metre grasshopper with dazzling eyes and mix of stilt-walkers, musicians and acrobats on its back, as well as a water-spitting, twirling, and disoriented spider.

Disruptions are expected

An Garda Siochana have encouraged those attending to arrive early and if an area is crowded, to find an alternative viewing spot along the route.

Some traffic disruption and parking restrictions are expected around Eyre Square, Eglinton Street, Bridge Street, Dominick Street Lower and neighbouring streets on both evenings.

Other street events

Galways streets will also welcome other visual art exhibitions and street spectacles for the remainder of the GIAF.

Guru Dudu presents their Silent Disco walking tours, featuring a mix of music hits from the late 20th century and commentary from the tour guide to create a flash mob atmosphere.

Renowned Scottish artist David Mach returns to the GIAF with his new site-specific installation Burning Down the House. The exhibition addresses climate change and extends his impressive legacy at the festival.
He, Lu win China's first 2025 Universiade gold in women's synchro 10m platform

Xinhua) 11:09, July 18, 2025

He Yanwei/Lu Wei of China compete in the women's synchronized 10m platform final at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Berlin, Germany, July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- He Yanwei and Lu Wei secured the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform diving, as the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games competitions kicked off on Thursday.

He and Lu delivered a composed and steady performance throughout the competition, extending their lead gradually with seamless coordination and consistent excellence. The duo led in every one of the five rounds, accumulating a total of 330.18 points - more than 30 points ahead of the silver medalists from Germany.

Despite having trained together for less than two weeks, He and Lu demonstrated good teamwork. He commented, "As long as both divers have solid individual techniques, coordination isn't that difficult."

He Yanwei/Lu Wei (R) celebrate during the award ceremony, July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

The separate diving boards of the Swimming and Diving Hall at Europasportpark, however, troubled the athletes a little. "The design makes the distance between the two athletes too great when they stand," He noted.

Germany's representatives, Pauline Pfeif - who participated in the Paris Olympics - and veteran Carolina Coordes, sat in fourth place after the first dive but ultimately moved up to second, earning the hosts a silver medal.

Earlier in the day, China's Mei Yingxin and Fan Yi claimed the silver medal in the mixed 3-meter springboard diving.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Members of the local community along with the Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service pictured helping to rescue the stranded dolphin in Ballybunion on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the local community along with the Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service pictured helping to rescue the stranded dolphin in Ballybunion on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the local community along with the Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service pictured helping to rescue the stranded dolphin in Ballybunion on Thursday afternoon.

Ballybunion made quite a splash on Thursday afternoon when a surprise visitor  a stranded dolphin  turned the Long Strand beach near the town into the scene of a real-life fin-tastic rescue.

Thanks to the efforts of the quick thinking locals, members of the Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue service along with volunteers from the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group (IWDG), all of whom were united in porpoise, came armed with buckets, wellies, and quick thinking, they dove headfirst into action to ensure that the dolphin was returned safely to sea.

Omar Fitzell from the Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service spoke to The Kerryman on Friday about the wholesome rescue tail.

"It was definitely an eventful afternoon, but thankfully, we all got it back into the water safely. It wasn't just down to us to be fair, we received a request from Irish Whale & Dolphin Group (IWDG) to assist in the rescue, and in fairness, there were a lot of locals already there when our lads went down to help, he said.

"Three or four of our lads went down with our jeep and with buckets for water, and everyone just mucked in, it was a real group effort, he continued.

"The most important thing is to keep it wet, and after that, the big thing is to contact the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group. Even we as an organisation don't have the know-how of what to do in a situation like that. They [the IWDG] have a 24-hour live line, a line that you can ring 24 hours a day, and they'll give you advice in relation to whatever animal has been beached.

"They then deploy their own members to it. We're lucky in that we have one or two members of the group here in North Kerry. They have people all over the country, so they're fairly well able to respond pretty quickly, he added.

Omar joked that while everyone knows how beautiful dolphins are, many probably arent aware how heavy they are until you try to lift them!

"The biggest thing they need is people, they need lots of people around to help out because that dolphin, it probably weighed between 80 and 100kg. They're big, heavy animals...majestic, of course, but heavy!" he laughed.

"What we did was we put a lifting sheet underneath the dolphin and got it onto it, and then we got him out into the water and allowed him to swim off. There was not a bother on him and off he went. He thankfully wasn't sick, and we imagine what happened to him was that he was probably chasing something, and there are a lot of rocks out in that area, so he probably got disoriented and found himself washed up, he said.

Concluding, Omar shared the advice from the IWDG on what people should do if they come across a stranded animal on the beach:

If you see a live stranded animal, call the IWDG Live Stranding Hotline on 097 28118. You will be asked for a GPS location (Google pin), photos, and videos, and given advice on what to do while IWDG Tasks volunteers to assist. NEVER drag an animal by the tail, as this can cause them injury and, in some cases, dislocations. Keep the area calm and quiet.
Mistura Oyebanji (centre) pictured on the campaign trail for the Social Democrats with supporters as part of last year's Local Elections.

In todays society, where anything and everything can be said on social media behind the safety of a screen, it can be easy to forget that, at the end of the day, all politicians are humans. They are people with hopes, dreams, they make mistakes and have flaws, all on top of a backstory of how they came to be where they are today.

This is the message of Tarberts Mary Lavery Carrig, who this week has celebrated the release of her new 47-minute-long radio documentary titled Come Walk in Mistura's Skin, in which Mary, who produced, narrated, and researched the piece, interviews and examines the life of local Tralee politician, Mistura Oyebanji.

Mistura, who is an Irish citizen, was just 24 years old when she represented the Social Democrats in last years Local Elections in the Tralee Local Electoral Area. She is of Irish-Nigerian background and has lived in the country since she was four years old.

Speaking to The Kerryman, Mary said that she was inspired to make the documentary at first simply out of curiosity as she wondered why a young Muslim woman in her 20s would want to put herself out there in the cut-throat arena that is politics.

What she found in the making of the documentary, she said, was a young woman in Mistura who left her thoroughly impressed, not just by what she had overcome personally but also by her determination politically, if given the chance, to help improve the lives of others in Tralee and beyond.

"The humanity of her story was something that struck me. Her mother died in a car accident when she was young, and they were put out of the house they were in while she was trying to do her Leaving Cert. It was just one of those very human stories where you'd have to feel for the family and what they were facing, said Mary.

"I would have first come across her through a mutual friend. She and this friend went to primary school together at the Tralee Educate Together. He introduced me to her, and I remember just being so impressed that a young woman in her mid-20s would want to enter the lion's den that is politics.

"On top of that, her race and her religion - she's a Muslim - she would have certainly been aware that she was opening herself up to a certain degree of discrimination, she continued.

It's a documentary that I'm keen to share because I'm very tired of this hate and the spite that is so prevalent in society right now. I don't like the hateful marching and chanting against the new Irish people. I know that there are some difficulties, but I dislike the racism that is so prevalent, she added.

As part of the documentary, Mistura herself was interviewed as well as the now former Mayor of Kerry, Breandan Fitzgerald, and the Mayor of the Derry & Strabane District, Lillian Sinai Barr. Mary said that working with Mistura and getting to know her more through the process was wonderful.

"I told her that I found her sincerity so impressive and that I'd love to do a documentary about her life, her interests, and how she came into politics and what her experience was. She was very positive and receptive to the idea, and just so lovely to interact with.

"She has a very inherent honesty. She doesn't try to project herself as anything other than what she is. She is such a lovely person, and the process of making the documentary was lovely. Her fathers, her brothers, her sister, meeting them was such a positive experience, said Mary.

"I was so impressed by this young woman in her mid-20s from the new Irish community. She is so genuinely convinced that she could help to improve the lives of the people of Tralee. I would hope that the documentary might help turn viewpoints from that of discrimination to a more compassionate one, she concluded.

You can listen to the documentary here: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/newstalk-documentary/come-walk-in-misturas-skin

This documentary was funded by Coimisiun na Mean with the Television License Fee.
The Temmler facility in Killorglin, formerly Klinge Pharma, will undergo a significant expansion

Mr. Florent Bordet, CSO, Aenova, Michael Lohan, CEO IDA Ireland, Minister Norma Foley and Aidan Spillane, site director, looking in at part of the new expansion of the Aenova facility in Killorglin. Photo: John Allen/Provision

A pharmaceutical company has announced a significant expansion to its facility in Killorglin which will create 10 new jobs.

Aenova, a pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation, will expand its Temmler Ireland Ltd facility in Killorglin.

The expansion will enable the company to develop innovative drug delivery systems in the future.

It will create approximately 10 new roles in the areas of research and development, pharmaceutical technology and analytics.

The expansion is supported by the Government through the Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

This programme represents an ambitious expansion programme for the development capabilities at the Killorglin site, the IDA stated.

It will place the Aenova site in Ireland at the centre of the companys development capabilities in particle engineering, focusing on spray-dried amorphous solid dispersions and inhalation powders.

This strategic investment aims to improving bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs, which constitute approximately 80opc of compounds in global research pipelines.

Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, said the expansion not only strengthens Irelands position in advanced pharmaceutical development but also brings high-value employment to County Kerry.

This investment is a strong vote of confidence in the South-West regions skilled workforce, world-class research partnerships, and thriving life sciences ecosystem, Minister Burke said.

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, welcomed Aenovas investment in the facility in Killorglin.

This is a resounding endorsement of the talented workforce here and shows what an attractive location Kerry is for inward investment, the Minister stated.

Established in 1972 as Klinge Pharma, the facility in Killorglin currently employs approximately 70 people directly.

In 2007, Temmler Pharma took over the Killorglin site and in 2012, Temmler Pharma was acquired by Aenova.

Florent Bordet, chief scientific officer at Aenova, explained that Aenova supports its customers throughout the entire drug product lifecycle, from pre-formulation and development to commercial manufacturing.

Bioavailability is crucial for new pharmaceutical active ingredients. Our new spray drying technology in Killorglin can help to address this issue and aid our customers bring their products to market faster, Mr Bordet said.
Dad was one in a million  sons tearful goodbye to father killed in Limerick assault

Mourners gathered this morning to remember Michael Hayes, who died last Thursday. A man has been charged with the 71-year-olds murder

The late Michael Hayes

Jasmin Griffin Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 14:29

There were tears and laughter in equal measure at the funeral of Limerick man Michael Hayes, as family, friends and neighbours gathered to remember a man described as one in a million.
Longford ranks seventh in the counties with the highest decrease in pub numbers from 2005 to 2024

A new report commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) shows a continuing decline in the number of pubs in Ireland with 2,119 or one in four closing their doors since 2005.

In Longford, 34 pubs have closed their doors since 2005 with 12 of those closures taking place between 2019 and 2024.

The report, compiled by Economist and Associate Professor Emeritus at DCU, Anthony Foley, shows that an average of 112 pubs stopped trading every year, with a further 600 to 1,000 closures estimated over the next decade.

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All 26 counties experienced declines in pub numbers over the 2005 to 2024 period. The highest decrease was in Limerick (-37.2%), followed by Offaly (-34.1%), Cork (-2.7%), Roscommon (-32.%), Tipperary (-2.0%), Laois (-30.6%), Longford (-30.1 %) and Westmeath (-30.0%).

The closures of pubs in Longford have meant that of the 113 recorded to have been trading in the county in 2005, 79 of them remain as of 2024.

DIGI said the high costs that come with running such a business was a major contributory factor to the significantly high rate of closures recorded by the report. It said that without immediate action by the Government, many villages and small towns will soon lose their last remaining pub which would deal a serious blow to the economic and social fabric of that community.

Commenting on the findings of the report, author Professor Tony Foley said: This report reveals a pattern of pub closures across Ireland, particularly in rural Ireland in recent years.

"The addition of profound economic uncertainty through US trade tariffs and reduced levels of inbound tourism further threaten the financial foundations of family-owned pubs across the country.

He continued: In the absence of government intervention, we are likely to see a further 600 to 1,000 pubs close over the coming decade.

DIGI has called on the Government to use the upcoming Budget to introduce a 10% cut in excise, which currently stands as the second highest in the European Union.

Commenting on the report, DIGI secretary, Donall OKeeffe said: More than 100 pubs are closing every year in Ireland, due in large part to the high costs imposed by the State. Without immediate intervention, up to 1,000 more pubs will close for the last time, leaving their communities without a vital community and tourism hub. Once closed, such pubs rarely re-open.

"The Government could improve commercial viability overnight by cutting excise by 10%. With Irish consumption of alcohol having fallen to average EU levels, and likely to continue dropping, it is no longer justifiable that pubs should be faced with the second-highest excise rates in Europe. This is on top of a hefty 23% VAT rate. The time for the Government to act is now before it is too late.
A talented emerging artist from Ardee is set to represent Louth at a prestigious national exhibition in Dublin this week.

Bearnard Durnin has been selected as one of just nine artists from across Ireland to take part in the Connecting Artists 2025 Exhibition, hosted by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Running from Wednesday 16th to Saturday 19th July, the event celebrates the work of neurodivergent artists and those with intellectual disabilities.

Bearnard, who has been passionate about drawing since childhood, will not only have his artwork displayed in the RCSIs historic building on St Stephens Green, led a live art demonstration on Thursday morning (17th July), giving the public a chance to witness his creative process firsthand.

When I was younger, I drew dinosaurs, cars, and jeeps from my memory and imagination, Bearnard recalls. That early talent led him to complete a FETAC Level 5 course in Art and Design and, more recently, to explore acrylic painting in a weekly art class with local artist Susan Farrelly.

Inspired by movies, superheroes, and vehicles, Bearnard works mostly in sketchbooks using pencil and pen but has recently started producing large-scale canvas pieces. He previously exhibited his work in Ardee and has already sold copies of his art while holding on to his originals.

Participants in this years Connecting Artists programme at RCSI

Speaking about the opportunity to take part in the Connecting Artists programme, Bearnard said:

Being involved in this programme has been a great opportunity for me to meet other artists and be part of a community where my art will be appreciated and accepted. I look forward to showing my artwork to a larger audience at the Royal College of Surgeons in July.

The Connecting Artists programme, now in its fourth year, was developed by Connections Arts Centre, a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides inclusive training and exhibition opportunities for neurodivergent people and individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Programme Manager Lis Lien praised this years cohort:

This year we were delighted to open the programme to include neurodivergent artists as well as those with intellectual disabilities. The diversity of perspectives and creative voices has been truly inspiring. Bearnard and his peers have worked with dedication over the past 10 weeks, and were so proud to see their art take centre stage at RCSI.

The Connecting Artists 2025 Exhibition is free and open to the public, with talks, art for sale, and a chance to meet the artists. Advance booking is required via the Connections Arts Centre website.
BMW Ireland has announced BiaSol in Offaly and Urban Aran in Waterford as the two winners of its inaugural Future Entrepreneur Competition, recognising innovation, sustainability, and creativity.

BiaSol is a five year old sustainable food company based in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, focused of transforming brewers spent grain into high-fibre, plant-based food products.

The company creates a circular solution that addresses food waste and improves nutrition, making products from upcycled grain, including breakfast bars and granola, along with mixed baking packages for scones, cookies or pancakes.

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The business founded and ran by siblings Ruairi and Niamh Dooley is Origin Green certified and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting a healthier, more circular food system.

It has won several awards since setting up, including: Best Food and Drink Startup in 2023; RDS Rural Innovation Award 2023; Irish Business Design Challenge Winner 2024; Blas na hEireann Awards (2022, 2023, 2024); and Great Taste Award 2024.

Urban Aran based in Waterford City first opened by Christine Murphy in 2021 with design labels focusing on sustainable, locally made garments using 100% fine merino wool.

The premium Irish knitwear brand blends the Aran stitch techniques with bold contemporary design.

Christine combined her love of Aran stitches growing up and admiration for street art into a slow made fashion collection, with the help of her local enterprise office.

Managing director of BMW Ireland, Helen Westby said: BiaSol and Urban Aran both stood out for their creativity, clarity of purpose, and potential to scale.

Their entrepreneurial spirit perfectly reflects the values behind this competition - innovation, ambition, and a commitment to driving positive change. Were delighted to support them on their entrepreneurial journey.

The new BMW programme celebrating sustainable companies in Ireland was launched in partnership with entrepreneur Peigin Crowley and supported by Enterprise Ireland.

As part of the winning prize, each winner will receive the use of a fully electric branded BMW iX1 or iX2 for a period in 2025, along with tailored mentoring support.

They will also receive a brand feature package including a professional photo and video shoot and promotional content via BMW Irelands social media platforms.
SSE has announced plans to replace and repower two west Sligo wind farms, with a public consultation set to open later this month.

SSE is opening the public consultation to seek views on its plans for a proposed new 100MW onshore wind farm at the site of its existing Kingsmountain and Dunneill wind farms near Dromore West in County Sligo.

SSE Renewables has operated the 25MW Kingsmountain Wind Farm since 2003 and the neighbouring 11MW Dunneill Wind Farm since 2010.

Combined, the two wind farms have played an important role in generating vital renewable energy from West Sligo for Irish home and business users.

Now after over two decades of successful operations, SSE Renewables is proposing to replace and repower the two existing wind farms  which are coming to the end of their operational lifetimes  with the new Crumhach Wind Farm development.

SSE says the development would ensure renewable energy generation continues at the Kingsmountain and Dunneill sites, supplying clean electricity from Sligo to Irelands national grid well into the future.

Under the new plans, SSE Renewables proposes to develop a new wind farm at the same location as the existing Kingsmountain and Dunneill wind farms as well as on adjoining greenfield lands.

The plan envisages replacing the 23 turbines currently operating at the existing sites with fewer turbines. The development would comprise up to 17 new and modern wind turbines as well as a new onsite substation. The repowering of the existing wind farms would utilise existing on-site infrastructure such as wind farm roads as well as the existing grid connection.

If consented and approved for full delivery, Crumhach Wind Farm would have an installed capacity of up to 100MW  almost tripling the existing renewable energy output from the site.

The existing Kingstmountain and Dunneill Wind Farms have provided significant economic and social benefits to West Sligo over their operational lifetimes, according to SSE.

It is anticipated the Crumhach Wind Farm development would create up to 100 jobs during peak construction. Throughout its operational life, it is expected the wind farm would support between two and three full time wind farm operational roles.

The wind farm would also be a significant contributor to commercial rates, helping further improve local infrastructure and services in County Sligo more widely.

Crumhach Wind Farm would also extend the long-standing community benefit fund that has supported local communities in West Sligo over the past 20 years.

Since 2004, the existing Kingsmountain and Dunneill Community Benefit Fund has contributed over 650,000 to local groups in the vicinity of the two wind farms.

The proposed Crumhach development would be expected to support a new community benefit fund with a value of several hundred thousand euro a year, representing a significant increase in annual benefit fund payments to local communities.

Ghislain Demeuldre, Ireland Head of Onshore Wind, Solar and Battery Development, SSE Renewables, said: Through the proposed Crumhach Wind Farm development, SSE is seeking to build on its strong legacy of delivering clean, homegrown energy in County Sligo and to secure vital renewable energy generation at this site well into the future.

Over two decades our existing wind farms at Kingsmountain and Dunneill have not only helped reduce harmful carbon emissions but have also delivered lasting economic benefits to the region through jobs, community benefit funding, and commercial rates contributions. We now look forward to continuing that legacy through our proposed new Crumhach Wind Farm development and working closely with the community ahead of planning submission next year.

Members of the public are now being invited to view the plans for the proposed Crumhach Wind Farm. Public consultation events for the proposal will take place at the following locations and times:

Dromore West Community Centre on Wednesday, July 23rd from 2pm to 8pm and The Old Schoolhouse, Templeboy on Thursday, July 24th from 2pm to 8pm.

Members of the SSE Renewables project team will be available at the consultation events to provide information, answer questions, and gather feedback.

In addition to the in-person events, a virtual consultation as well as project materials and an online feedback form will be available on the Crumhach project website sserenewables.com/crumhachwindfarm from Wednesday, July 23rd until Wednesday, September 3rd. Residents can access these materials and submit their feedback online at the project website during this period.

SSE Renewables expects to submit a planning application to An Coimisiun Pleanala (formerly An Bord Pleanala) in early 2026 through the Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) planning process. This process is designed for large-scale developments of national importance.

Subject to securing the necessary planning consent, a commercial route to market, and a final investment decision by SSE, the project could enter construction and be operational by the start of the next decade.

For more information about the project or consultation evening, please contact the Community Liaison Team at clo@sse.com.
Ollie Bellew, CEO of Bellew Group (left) and Tom Byrne, founder of EEW (right).

A big change has come to Wexford as the Bellew Group has officially acquired EEW.

EEW has been an electrical giant since its establishment in 1979 in Enniscorthy by its founder Tom Byrne. An independent owned company, it opened eight branches across the South-East of Ireland and employs over 60 people across 11 branches nationwide.

For decades they have been providing goods and services to many key markets including; electrical contractors, local authorities, schools and colleges, as well as hospitals, M&E services, retail and leisure, utilities, pharmaceuticals, resellers, distributors and OEM'S.

EEW is very well-run by Tom and his team, and the business is very well-respected in the industry, said Ollie Bellew, CEO of Bellew Group.

The Bellew Group is a leading Irish electrical wholesale and supply company formed by the union of Bellew Electrical, Wesco Electrical, and Cable and Accessories. It is focused on providing high-quality electrical components to professionals across the country.

"Were thrilled to welcome EEW Ltd as part of the Bellew Group. This partnership marks a significant step forward in our journey as we continue to grow and invest in the future, said Mr Bellew.

A representative from the Bellew Group commended EEW for flourishing as a family-run business.

Like us, EEW is a family-run business with shared values, a strong culture, and a commitment to excellence. While both companies will remain independently run, this collaboration opens the door for greater innovation, long term stability, and new opportunities across the group, they said.

Commenting on the acquisition, EEW founder Tom Byrne said: EEW takes pride in its personal service, deep customer relationships, and local knowledge.

Joining the Bellew Group is the right next step for the future of our business. Im proud of what weve built and excited to see it grow even further with Ollie and the Bellew Group.

This deal comes after the Bellew Group acquired investment from Waterland Ireland in 2024 to support strategy across Ireland.

Were delighted to support Bellew Electrical as it continues to scale through smart, strategic acquisitions, said Laura Dillon, Partner at Waterland Ireland. EEW is a strong cultural and commercial fit, and this deal reflects the momentum Bellew is building as a market leader in the sector."

Following this acquisition, Bellew Groups total workforce is estimated to include more than 220 employees operating from 27 branches, with a combined annual revenues exceeding 100 million.
The four-day long festival is a celebration of Irish music, trad and tradition and has been going for 33 years.

John Murphy of Colfers Pub is looking forward to next weekends Phil Murphy Festival which takes place in the village of Carrick on Bannow, between July 25 and July 28.

Its been going for a long time now. It was established to honour the memory of Phil Murphy who was a harmonica player from the area here who died in 1989. Such was the success of the memorial weekend that it was continued as an annual event, says John.

The festival has attracted some of the biggest names in Irish music and this year is no different.

They do concerts and sit in for sessions and mix in with the community. Its for everyone. John is appreciative the support the festival has received from local and national politicians like Cllr Jim Codd and Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.

The areas unique association and deep roots with Irish music is not a new one. Patrick Joseph McCall, born in 1861 and best known as the writer of Boolavogue would holiday in the area.

This years programme is set to be one of the festivals most exciting, with one of the most anticipated performances seeing Cherish the Ladies take to the festival marquee stage. Theyre based a lot of the time in America but have recently toured in Ireland. The only Irish tour they are doing this summer is in Carrick on Bannow.

For John there is something special about this festival.

We have some of the top acts in the traditional music scene, performing here in a very intimate environment. Its not very often you can see acts of the calibre that we have in a very quaint and up-close venue. Aswell as the concerts, there are sessions and gatherings. Its an incredible weekend with a great buzz in the village.

The Wexford band TULUA are home grown and are past performers at the festival. But this year were not going to have them because theyre touring Canada next week and just back for the Fleadh. So well let Canada have them for one year he jokes.

John has been at every single festival over three decades. One act in particular stands out for him on a personal level. I think it was when Paul Brady played in the church here a few years ago. It was amazing to have had him here and it was a really beautiful concert.

Tickets for the festival can be purchased on Eventbrite and are available from Colfers Pub and Bredas Corner Shop.
Sean, born in 1937, was the elder son of John and Mary Finn (Finns Shop) Saltmills. At an early age he attended Poulfur National School but later transferred to Shielbaggan National School which was staffed by St. Louis Religious Sisters, Sister Brendan and Sister Enda whom he always remembered with great fondness and whom he credited with giving him a strong foundation in education. Specifically, Sister Brendan who went beyond the school curriculum to teach him Latin. From there, he progressed to Shielbaggan Vocational School where he honed his skills in a number of trades.

From an early age, it was obvious that Seans interest lay in the world of mechanics. One of his earliest pre-school achievements was the partial building of a bicycle wheel; an interest supported by his parents retail business that included an agency for the Raleigh Bicycle Company.

As a child, Sean observed the workings of the tradesmen in Saltmills, notably a blacksmith and a carpenter (who were willing to spend time with an inquisitive child) and in later years he could recount every detail of their joint work in the building of a trip cart.

On completion of his Vocational School education, Sean served his apprenticeship in mechanics at Campile Co-op Garage. During his time there, a mechanic from the Volkswagen Company in Germany was appointed to train a mechanic in Campile in Volkswagen Beetle maintenance.

This arrangement was in place in part compensation by Germany for the World War II 1940 bombing of the area. Sean was selected as the mechanic for one-to-one training, at the end of which he was offered a position with the Volkswagen Company in Germany. He declined the offer, choosing to remain at Campile.

In 1963 Sean moved to Birmingham, having secured a job with R. M. Douglas & Company. He had responsibility for plant and machinery of an entire section and was allowed to work his own hours on condition that all machinery was in safe working order as required. This presented the type of challenge which Sean thoroughly enjoyed and met with ease.

During his time in Birmingham, Sean joined a Wexford organisation  the Father Murphy Club, where he forged life-long friendships with fellow Wexford folk along with Irish people from other counties.

The club was strong in upholding Wexford traditions through its social activities while also fostering a social justice awareness through charitable fundraising activities. Notable amongst its fundraising were events to assist with pilgrimages to Lourdes. The club organised dinner dances in Wexford giving the families at home an opportunity to meet socially. Seans parents enjoyed these events.

A highlight of his time in Birmingham was an organised trip to Gaelic Park, New York. This was at a time when transatlantic trips were less commonplace than today. Sean combined the trip with visiting US relatives and viewing many of the landmark sights of New York.

Sean returned to Ireland in 1968, purchased some ground and built a garage and dwelling house, doing much of the external and interior work himself.

In 1971, Sean married Breda Tubritt from Gurtins and they had four children, Yvonne, Mark, Michele and Paula. Sean acquired a large family of brothers and sisters-in-law and enjoyed the gentle sense of humour of his late mother-in-law, Mrs. Brigid Tubritt.

Having built a garage, Sean, together with Sean Banville, his life-long friend from Campile days, ran a successful business for several years.

Following on from his garage business Seans next venture was the development of a concrete ready-mix business. He secured two barges from Rosslare Port and obtained a permit from Wexford County Council to draw gravel from the Bannow Bay/Big Burrow area. The business thrived and Sean worked extremely hard to meet demand, often commencing work at 5 a.m. and returning on the evening tide with a load of gravel. Despite many health setbacks Sean continued to work up to the time of his pension eligibility.

Throughout his working life, Sean maintained his passion for steam and vintage machinery, an interest inherited from his father and paternal grandfather.

When speaking about Seans life at his funeral Mass in July last year, Father Byrne referred to him as the engineer of the wider locality, a description understood by those who knew Sean and by those who encountered him through business or shared interests. Even towards the end of his life, engineering topics were as much a part of Seans conversation as were sport, politics or local news.

A day out with him, even one involving a medical appointment, usually included a stop-off or detour to view a piece of machinery, a dis-used mill/millwheel or a newly constructed bridge or building. For Sean, there was always an engineering or scientific issue to ponder; for those around him there was never a dull moment.

In later years, Seans annual holiday was a trip to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, an event shared and enjoyed with friends. He usually returned with his camper van full of rare pieces, great bargains and just what he had been looking for. Presents from Dorset were sometimes unusual, but always interesting.

Sean enjoyed playing cards, particularly Bridge and 45. During his last few years he liked to attend concerts and music recitals.

Together with his father, Sean was actively involved with the decision in 1970 to have a monument erected at St. Kearns to honour those who died or were injured in the explosion there in October 1920, during the War of Independence. He rarely missed the annual commemoration and, in the earlier years, always enjoyed chatting with the older population who recalled the event.

In the 1980s, following the very generous transferring of the Old School House, Saltmills by the late Miss Colclough to the local community (by way of named subscribers), Sean was delighted to participate in the internal restructuring of the newly named Colclough Memorial Hall. He served as a director for several years.

As a businessman and in all his dealings, Sean has been described as decent, fair, honest and a man of integrity. These attributes have been reflected in the many acts and words of kindness from people who knew and visited Sean during the final months of his life.

A light of his life was Seans daughter Yvonne, who lives in special care in Dublin. Her twice weekly phone-calls with him and in more recent times her WhatsApp pictures, kept him up to date with all her activities. During his final weeks, her daily phone-calls and her visits were a source of great comfort to him.

Likewise, he was always happy to receive calls from his son Mark who would enquire about his dads health and they would share local news. Like his recently deceased sister, Stasia, Sean was several years older than many of his cousins and was depended on for family history and stories.

For all of his knowledge, his gifted mind and skilful hand, his always sound advice, his kindness and for his non-judgemental way of life, Sean will be greatly missed. Seans first anniversary Mass takes place in All Saints Church, Templetown on Sunday, July 20 at 11.30.
A number of signs advertising community events in the Rosslare district have been removed in recent days

Wexford County Council has declared war on community groups in the Rosslare district by removing signs advertising fundraising events without any prior warning. Earlier this month it was revealed that road crews from the council had taken down signs promoting events which, among others, were being held to raise money for cancer services.

And now, yet more signs have been removed in what has been described as phase two of a blitzkrieg of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD).

Among the affected events were the Foulksmills Duck Race, The Phil Murphy Weekend, The Leo Carthy Weekend, The Bannow Rathangan Show, The Bow Tie Dip in the Nip (which raises money for mental health charity, Its Good 2 Talk), The Taghmon Street Fest, and The Relay For Life (which raises money for The Irish Cancer Society).

Approximately 100 signs were removed by council staff and subsequently dumped in a council yard in Wexford town. And at the July meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) Cllr Ger Carthy was in no doubt as to where the finger of blame should be pointed.

These signs were unilaterally removed from the side of the road over the past ten days. There was a cull done on them, he said. This was ordered by the very same senior engineer who turned a blind eye to political posters everywhere; at roundabouts, junctions, flyovers, over speed limits signs. The crews from the Wexford Borough District were sent out to do a number on the different districts by the senior engineer.

To be honest its very disappointing that the council would bring so much heat on itself, whatever about businesses, but to do this to charities? All these groups in the RMD are trying to make a few quid to improve the lot of the people in the county, and their signs were guillotined.

Hoping for an explanation as to why the signs were taken down, Cllr Carthy said he had issued an invite to the senior engineer in question to attend the monthly meeting of the RMD but, to date, had not received a response. And he said the decision to remove so many signs, for so many events, left the council in a difficult position ahead of the Fleadh Cheoil next month.

The Fleadh is coming in three weeks time and WCC cant put up any signs for it. Because the people I represent arent going to be treated any differently to anyone else. Therell be no Fleadh signs put up because theres clearly a policy on these.

Although the senior engineer was not in attendance, director of roads Eamonn Hore had issued a memo to councillors outlining the guidelines for advertising on public roads. His memo stated that some of the recent signage was not in accordance with the guidelines and was causing a hazard, particularly at junctions.

According to those guidelines, no signs should be erected less than 2.1m from the footpaths, 2.5m from cycle lanes, on any road under or over a bridge, within 2.5m of a roundabout, and should not interfere with sightlines at junctions or roundabouts.

Mindful of the upset caused to community groups across the district, Cllr Carthys thoughts turned to making amends, to attempting to issue an apology to the affected parties.

How are we going to deal with the distress weve caused to these groups? he asked. Firstly, were going to have to issue an apology, we interfered with their property, threw it in a yard, told no-one and hoped it would go away. The signs are broken, damaged, this is one step short of criminal damage.

Particularly galling, according to Cllr Jim Codd, was that many of the signs had been removed on Monday afternoon while he and his fellow councillors were at the county meeting of WCC discussing this very issue.

Did we go to war with the community groups? he asked. Was war declared unbeknownst to me? Clearly theres a culture clash in the council; some of our staff are brimming with common sense, but then we have others who abide by the letter of the law at all times and will nail you if youre one inch to the left or the right.

"Whoever made this decision should be sent out with a sledgehammer to put the signs back. These groups are the lifeblood of the area, and while we were defending them on Monday the second stage of the blitzkrieg was taking place, the second phase of the war on our community groups was underway.

"If a sign is in the wrong place, and its a danger, no problem, take it down, and contact the group and explain whats happened. At least tell them where the sign is.

This war on the community just happened to coincide with an electrical outage which threatened to derail one of rural Wexfords most anticipated events.

Bear in mind the ESB, in its wisdom, decided to have a power cut on the day of the Bannow Rathnagan show, is there any joined-up thinking here? asked Cllr Codd. If it was a comedy you couldnt write it.

Although many of the events in question have now taken place, Cllr Carthy asked that those advertising upcoming events be reinstated. Furthermore, given that many groups reuse the signs on an annual basis, a request was made to return the remaining signs to the organisations in question.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
A fifth man has been charged at a sitting of Arklow District Court in connection with a serious assault that took place in Arklow last week, the third attack in the town in less than a fortnight.
Eurospar Baltinglass has been recognised with a prestigious Eurospar Customer First Programme Award, celebrating their outstanding commitment to community-focused retailing.

The Eurospar Customer First Programme is a benchmark for operational excellence across the Eurospar network. These awards are among the most respected in the grocery retail sector and Eurospar Baltinglass is proud to be a 2025 recipient.

Eurospar Retailers and colleagues from all around Ireland recently gathered to celebrate their achievements at the Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare.

Commenting on the achievement, Peter Dwan, Eurospar sales director, said: Eurospar retailers consistently strive for excellence in every aspect of their serviceboth to their customers and the communities they serve. Meeting the high standards of the customer first programme demonstrates their leadership in the retail industry and their dedication to exceeding customer expectations. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to them on this well-deserved recognition.
Presenting duo Ant and Dec have been filmed in their boxer shorts to mark them becoming co-owners in frozen food firm The Northern Dough Co.

The pair, whose full names are Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, had wanted to support a small business from the North of England, and approached the company to suggest a partnership.

The Geordie duo have filmed a tongue-in-cheek video in their boxer shorts to show how The Northern Dough Co offers restaurant-quality food at affordable prices  all prepared in the comfort of your own home and with no need to get dressed up.

Founded by Amy and Chris Cheadle, the company offers a range of high-quality, frozen bakery products such as pizza dough and brioche dough, and is already stocked in major supermarkets across the UK.

Ant said: I love making pizzas at home with my family and was already using Northern Dough Co when we started conversations with Amy and Chris about working with them.

As soon as we met it was clear we had the same values and together we have some great ideas on how we can expand the business. Its very exciting and we cant wait to get started in our role as co-owners!

Dec said: We love The Northern Dough Co ethos of celebrating the joy of eating at home and bringing people together.

Whether its a pizza party with mates or a Saturday night in front of the telly with your granny, everyone can get stuck in and make delicious pizzas.

We are excited to celebrate all things dough through our partnership and social content.

Amy and Chris Cheadle said: Its not every day Ant and Decs team drop you a line to ask if youd be interested in exploring working together, but from the very first meeting it was clear just how well their personal values aligned with ours, and how easy it would be to partner and grow our business together.
An initial analysis of the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the Air India flight that crashed last month reveals that the younger co-pilot asked the captain why he had turned off the planes fuel-supply switches, according to a US media report.

First officer Clive Kunder had the controls of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for take-off and at the time of the crash moments later outside Ahmedabad airport, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

Citing sources in the investigation, the report said it was Mr Kunder who asked flight captain Sumeet Sabharwal why he had flipped the switches, starving the engines of fuel.

It represents a potentially important new detail, emerging several days after a preliminary official report in the crash revealed only that the brief interaction had taken place, without naming who said what or quoting them directly.

Air India Flight 171 crashed into a medical college less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India. It was on its way to Gatwick Airport  241 people on board were killed along with another 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived the crash.

The preliminary report, issued a month after the crash in line with international regulations, has sparked controversy with a pilots association accusing it of trying to place the blame on Mr Sabharwal and Mr Kunder without conclusive evidence.

The Federation of Indian Pilots said the 15-page report released lacks comprehensive data and appears to rely selectively on paraphrased cockpit voice recordings to suggest pilot error and question the professional competence and integrity of the flight crew. ( The Independent)
Keir Starmers government rejects claims that move was taken to rig results in future elections

Former Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns claimed last year that Keir Starmer wants to 'rig future elections'. Photo: Getty

UK prime minister Keir Starmer has previously said the issue was one of fairness. Photo: Reuters

The voting age in the UK is to be lowered to 16 in time for the next election, the government has announced in a move that would allow around 1.5 million more teenagers to cast a ballot.

The change will bring UK-wide elections in line with Scotland and Wales by the time the country next goes to the polls, due by the summer of 2029 at the latest.

The seismic development, which is part of a raft of measures set to be introduced through a new elections bill, is the biggest change to the electorate since 1969, when the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18.

Prime minister Keir Starmer encouraged 16- and 17-year-olds to use their vote at the next election.

Downing Street said Mr Starmer would absolutely encourage them to be as engaged as they can be in the future of their country.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline.

We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracyand delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16-year-olds the right to vote.

Ministers pointed out that 16-year-olds already work, pay taxes and serve in the military. Across the world, there are just a handful of countries where the voting age is less than 18.

Only Scotland (for Scottish Parliament and local elections), the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Wales (for Senedd Cymru and local elections), Nicaragua, Ecuador, Cuba, Brazil and Austria allow 16-year-olds to vote.

Democracy minister Rushanara Ali said the move would take a generational step forward in restoring public trust and boosting engagement in UK democracy.

Politicians from other parties have accused Mr Starmer of trying to rig future elections with the change, but the prime minister insisted last year that the issue was one of fairness.

He said: If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote.

Last year, the then Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns, who has since lost her seat and defected to Nigel Farages Reform UK party, posted a video on X claiming that Mr Starmer wants to rig future elections.

But Chris Annous, who works with pollsters More in Common, said expanding the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds will have little impact on election results outside of hyper-marginal seats.

Former Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns claimed last year that Keir Starmer wants to 'rig future elections'. Photo: Getty

A new poll has also found that nearly half of teenagers in the UK aged 16 and 17 do not think they should be allowed to vote.

The survey of 500 16- and 17-year-olds by Merlin Strategy for ITV News found that 49pc didnt think the voting age should be lowered to 16, while 51pc said it should.

The plans will also see UK-issued bank cards as an accepted form of ID at the polling stations. A more automated voter registration system will make it easier for people to register to vote, the government said.

New changes will also close loopholes that would allow foreign donors to influence UK political parties through shell companies.

Reports earlier this year suggested that Elon Musk was preparing to give $100m to Reform UK  which would have been by far the largest donation in UK electoral history.

The changes will allow the UKs Electoral Commission watchdog to take action and enforce fines of up to 500,000 on those who breach political finance rules, and enable tougher sentences for those who abuse election campaigners.

The reforms come as the electoral commission reported that spending at last summers general election hit a record high of 94.5m, including 69.3m spent by political parties.

Labour outspent its rivals, spending 30m during the campaign  more than twice the amount it spent five years earlier  while the Conservatives spent 23.9m and the Liberal Democrats 5.6m. Reform UK spent 5.5m, the Greens 1.7m and the Scottish National Party 799,000.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the IPPR think tank, said the changes were the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969, when the voting age was lowered to 18.

He said: Barely half of people voted in last years general election. Our democracy is in crisis, and we risk reaching a tipping point where politics loses its legitimacy.

The government has clearly heard these alarm bells.

Downing Street absolutely rejected claims that the reform was being brought in to shore up the governments vote.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and German chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed a major treaty to deepen ties in areas ranging from defence to immigration yesterday, the latest step in the UKs push to reset relations with the European Union.

On his first trip to London as chancellor, Mr Merz described the Kensington treaty as historic, the first major bilateral agreement between the UK and Germany to deepen defence co-operation and to try to boost economic growth in both nations.

Mr Merzs day trip follows a three-day state visit to Britain by French president Emmanuel Macron, signalling greater co-operation between Europes top three powers at a time of threats to the continent and uncertainty about their US ally.

We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today, and we intend to meet them head on, Mr Starmer told a press conference after the two leaders signed the treaty in the Victoria and Albert Museum, co-founded by the UKs Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, of German origin.

The Kensington treaty ... is an expression of our shared aims and values. But more than that, its a practical work plan setting out 17 major projects where we will come together to deliver real results which will improve peoples lives.

We are jointly determined to shape this new era with new leadership opportunities

Standing next to Mr Starmer at an Airbus plant, Mr Merz again lamented the UKs departure from the EU, but said the agreement would cement ties between the two nations and complement an agreement London struck with France.

We are jointly determined to shape this new era with new leadership opportunities  the United Kingdom and Germany side by side, Mr Merz said.

Europe has been confronted with new US tariffs since Donald Trump returned to the White House as well as questions about the US commitment to defend its European allies, including Ukraine against Russias invasion.

The two leaders said they had discussed in detail plans to send more weaponry to Ukraine after Mr Trump signalled he would sell weapons to Nato countries, including Patriot air defence missiles Kyiv has urgently sought. Mr Merz said the two had discussed Ukraines need for long-range strike systems.
Felix Baumgartner jumps out of the capsule 38km above Earth on October 14, 2012

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner during freefall across the English Channel between Dover and Calais. Photo: Reuters

FILE - Felix Baumgartner of Austria gestures prior to speaking with the media after successfully jumping from a space capsule lifted by a helium balloon in Roswell, N.M., Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Austrian extreme sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner, famed for a record-breaking 2012 skydive from the edge of space, died yesterday in a paragliding accident in central Italy, local police said. He was 56.

Mr Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto SantElpidio in Italys central Marche region, and fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel.

The reasons for the accident were unclear.

Mr Baumgartner made headlines around the world in October 2012

Porto SantElpidios mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air, and offered the towns condolences for the death of a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights.

Mr Baumgartner made headlines around the world in October 2012 when, wearing a specially made suit, he jumped from a balloon 38km above Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 1,110kmh.

He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 1,343kmh, on the 65th anniversary of legendary American pilot Chuck Yeagers flight shattering the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.

The self-styled God of the Skies started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of base jumping.

Mr Baumgartners long career of daredevil jumps included skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

In Austria, he was also known for courting controversy with views that included expressing support for dictatorship as a system of government.
A mural by Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw shows the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes (Sylvain Plazy/AP)

A towering mural in France of the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes is racking up millions of views online with its swipe at US president Donald Trumps immigration and deportation policies.

Amsterdam-based street artist Judith de Leeuw described her giant work in the northern French town of Roubaix, which has a large immigrant community, as a quiet reminder of what freedom should be.

She said freedom feels out of reach for migrants and those pushed to the margins, silenced, or unseen.

I painted her covering her eyes because the weight of the world has become too heavy to witness. What was once a shining symbol of liberty now carries the sorrow of lost meaning, Ms de Leeuw wrote in a July 4 post on Facebook, when Americans were celebrating Independence Day.

A mural by Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw (/Sylvain Plazy/AP)

Her depiction of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French people in the late 1800s, has inspired some sharp criticism.

Tim Burchett, a Republican politician from Tennessee, wrote in an angry post on X that the work disgusts me.

He said he had an uncle who fought and died in France, where US forces saw combat in both World Wars.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Ms de Leeuw was unapologetic.

Im not offended to be hated by the Donald Trump movement. I am not sorry. This is the right thing to do, she said.

The town stood by the work, with its deputy mayor in charge of cultural affairs, Frederic Lefebvre, telling broadcaster France 3 that its a very strong and powerful political message.

Since returning to the White House amid anti-immigration sentiment, Mr Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him.

People from various countries have been deported to remote and unrelated places like South Sudan and the small African nation of Eswatini.

Immigration is one of Mr Trumps strongest issues in public polling in the US.

The mural in Roubaix is part of an urban street culture festival backed by the town.

Roubaix is one of the poorest towns in France. It was economically devastated by the collapse since the 1970s of its once-flourishing textile industry that used to attract migrant workers from elsewhere in Europe, north Africa and beyond.
Father Gabriele Romanelli, receives medical attention, after he suffered light leg injuries following an Israeli strike on the church. Photo: Reuters

An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip yesterday, killing three people and wounding 10 others, including the parish priest, according to church officials.

The late Pope Francis, who died in April, had regularly spoken to the priest about the situation in the war-ravaged territory.

The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the 21-month Israel-Hamas war.

Israel issued a rare apology and said it was investigating.

A wounded Palestinian Christian man receives medical attention. Photo: Reuters

Pope Leo XIV renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in response to the attack.

In a telegram of condolences for the victims, Pope Leo expressed his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.

He said he was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack, and expressed his closeness to the wounded priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, and the entire parish.

All the people there were elders, innocent people and children

The church compound was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the casualties.

The Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem said the parishs 60-year-old caretaker and an 84-year-old woman receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound were killed in the attack. Parish priest Fr Romanelli was lightly wounded.

We were struck in the church while all the people there were elders, innocent people and children, said Shady Abu Dawood, whose mother was wounded by shrapnel to her head.

We love peace and call for it, and this is a brutal, unjustified action by the Israeli occupation.

The Israeli military said it was investigating. It said it makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them.

In a rare move, the Israeli foreign ministry posted an apology on social media. Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty, it said.

Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamass October 7, 2023, attack.

Italian premier Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the church. The attacks on the civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable, she said.

The church is just a stones throw from Al-Ahli Hospital, Mr Naem said, noting that the area around both the church and the hospital has been repeatedly struck for over a week.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which also has a church in Gaza that previously sustained damage from Israeli strikes, said the Holy Family Church was sheltering 600 displaced people, including many children, and 54 people with disabilities. It said the building suffered significant damage.

Targeting a holy site is a blatant affront to human dignity and a grave violation of the sanctity of life and the inviolability of religious sites, which are meant to serve as safe havens during times of war, the church said in a statement.

Separately, another person was killed and 17 wounded yesterday in a strike against two schools sheltering displaced people in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.

Francis would often call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip

The Gaza health ministry said that over the last 24 hours, local hospitals had received the bodies of 94 people killed in Israeli strikes and another 367 wounded.

In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war.

Francis had repeatedly criticised Israels wartime conduct, and last year suggested that allegations of genocide in Gaza  which Israel has rejected as a blood libel  should be investigated. Francis also met with the families of Israeli hostages and called for their release.

Only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly Muslim territory, according to the US state departments international religious freedom report for 2024. Most are Greek Orthodox.

The Holy Lands Christian population has dwindled in recent decades as many have emigrated to escape conflict or to seek better opportunities abroad. Local Christian leaders have recently denounced attacks by Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists.

There has been little visible progress in months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at a new ceasefire and hostage-release agreement.
Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the US, Arab and Turkish mediation has saved the region from an 'uncertain fate'. Photo: Getty

Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel yesterday of trying to fracture Syria, after the US intervened to help achieve a truce in fighting between government forces and Druze fighters.

Overnight, the Islamist-led governments troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting Druze fighters against government troops and Bedouin tribes.

A military commander for the Bedouin said their fighters had launched a new offensive against Druze fighters in Sweida province, and that the truce only applied to government forces.

The Bedouins, who have long-standing frictions with the Druze, were seeking to free detained colleagues, he told Reuters.

A round of fighting between the Bedouins and Druze earlier this week prompted the government to send troops to Sweida to quell the fighting, but the violence grew until a ceasefire was declared.

On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze.

Israel has struck the country repeatedly this year, describing its new leaders as barely disguised jihadists and saying it will not allow them to deploy forces in areas of southern Syria near its border.

Addressing Syrians yesterday, Mr al-Sharaa accused Israel of seeking to dismantle the unity of our people, saying it had consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime.

Mr al-Sharaa, who was commander of an Al-Qaida faction before cutting ties with the group in 2016, said protecting Druze citizens and their rights was our priority. He also vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against our Druze people.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarisation of a swathe of territory near the border, stretching from the Israel-occupied Golan Heights to Jabal Druze.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said late on Wednesday that the US had engaged all parties, and steps had been agreed to end this troubling and horrifying situation.

Mr al-Sharaa credited US, Arab and Turkish mediation for saving the region from an uncertain fate. He faces challenges to stitch Syria back together in the face of deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule.
President Donald Trump announced plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a bombshell report detailing an alleged bawdy birthday card Trump gave to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Journal described a card that appeared to be signed by Trump for the disgraced financiers 50th birthday. Inside the outline of a sketch of a naked woman, typed text reads: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Mr Trump denied having anything to do with the card. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the outlet. Its not my language. Its not my words.

He also threatened to sue the Journal if the story was published  a threat he now vowed to act on. In a Truth Social Post Thursday night, the president said he plans to sue The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Rupert Murdoch shortly.

The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued, the president wrote.

Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway, the post continued.

He ordered several lawsuits he filed against the press, including ABC and CBS, which were settled.

President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal, he wrote. It has truly turned out to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant.

The report comes as the White House grapples with the explosive response to the Justice Departments handling over the Epstein case.

Jeffrey Epstein with Ghislaine Maxwell

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Following days of uproar Mr Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release relevant grand jury testimony  subject to court approval.

A schism in MAGA world broke open after the Justice Department said there was no evidence to support the existence of a client list of associates whom some claim Epstein blackmailed over their alleged involvement in his trafficking scheme. Now, prominent Republicans, including Trumps former Vice President Mike Pence, have joined conservative influencers in calling for increased transparency around the case. On Thursday, the president seems to be caving in to the demands.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi: . REUTERS/

Mr Trump revealed he asked the attorney general to release more information into the highly scrutinized case in a Truth Social post Thursday evening. He wrote: Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

He posted the update within the hour of announcing his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal over its story detailing a bawdy birthday card that Trump allegedly gave to Epstein for his 50th birthday.
Moscow dismisses US presidents sanctions threat as mundane amid growing tension

US president Donald Trumps decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said yesterday, vowing it would not accept the blackmail of Washingtons new sanctions ultimatum.

Mr Trump announced a toughened stance on Russias war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. The US also promised more missiles and other weaponry for Kyiv.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, condemned the move. It is obvious that the Kyiv regime consistently perceives such decisions by the collective West as a signal to continue the slaughter and abandon the peace process, Ms Zakharova told a news briefing in Moscow.

Russias all-out war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has been Europes bloodiest conflict since World War II, with the US estimating 1.2 million people have been injured or killed.

Moscow has said it was forced to launch the war to protect itself from an expanding Nato, while Ukraine and most Western governments describe Russias war a colonial-style land grab.

Russian forces now control around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and are slowly but steadily advancing across a vast front line, sustaining heavy losses along the way.

Mr Trump, who has made ending the conflict a priority of his administration, is threatening 100pc tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire deal by his 50-day deadline.

An unprecedented number of sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on our country and our international partners. There are so many of them that we view the threat of new sanctions as mundane, Ms Zakharova said.

The language of ultimatums, blackmail and threats is unacceptable to us. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and protect the interests of our country.

Both Russias president Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump have repeatedly cautioned over the escalatory risks of the conflict, which they cast as a proxy war between the worlds two biggest nuclear powers.

US efforts to broker peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, however, have faced repeated setbacks.

Russia says it is ready to hold further talks, but has made it clear it wants all of the territory of four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own  terms which Ukraine says are unacceptable and would amount to a capitulation.

Moscow is also keen to revive its battered bilateral relationship with the US if possible, though Mr Trumps latest moves on Ukraine have soured the atmosphere.

Mr Trump said on Monday that he was very unhappy and disappointed with Putin, and cast his decision to send more arms to Ukraine as intended to jolt Russia towards peace.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance.

Earlier yesterday, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had no plans to attack Nato or Europe. But he said it should respond and, if necessary, launch pre-emptive strikes if Moscow believed the West was escalating what he cast as its full-scale war against Russia.

We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch pre-emptive strikes, Mr Medvedev was quoted as saying.

The remarks by Mr Medvedev, reported in full by the Tass state news agency, indicate that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West over Ukraine escalating after Mr Trumps latest decisions.

What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war  launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe, Mr Medvedev said, according to Tass.

Newly appointed Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko speaks to parliament yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Ukraines parliament appointed the countrys first new prime minister in five years yesterday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace grow dim.

Yulia Svyrydenko (39) has been told by president Volodymyr Zelensky to boost domestic weapons production and revive Ukraines loan-dependent economy.

In a speech to parliament, Mr Zelensky said he expected his new government to increase the share of domestic weapons on Ukraines battlefield from 40pc to 50pc within six months.

He also singled out deregulation and expanding economic co-operation with allies as other key aims of the biggest government reshuffle since Russias invasion.

Ms Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who had served as first deputy prime minister since 2021, pledged to move swiftly and decisively.

War leaves no room for delay, she wrote on X. Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production and boosting the technological strength of our defence forces.

Ms Svyrydenko is also well known to the Trump administration, having negotiated a deal giving the US preferential access to Ukraines mineral wealth. It was considered crucial to bolstering relations between Kyiv and Washington.

Addressing politicians yesterday, Mr Zelensky said further deals with the US would be forthcoming but did not offer any specific details.

Parliament also appointed former prime minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraines longest-serving head of government, as defence minister and Svitlana Hrynchuk as energy minister.

Ukraine is betting on a budding defence industry, fuelled in part by foreign investment, to fend off Russias bigger and better-armed war machine.

With state revenues going to defence, Kyiv will also need to find money to finance its ballooning budget deficit as foreign aid diminishes. Officials have said they could face a shortfall of about $19bn (16.5bn) next year.

Ms Svyrydenko said the government would launch a full audit of public finances to achieve real savings, as well as accelerate large-scale privatisations and help entrepreneurs.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the news of the sanctions and said that Ukraine will synchronise its sanctions with the bloc (Vadym Sarakhan/AP)

European Union countries on Friday approved an 18th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, aimed at dealing further blows to Russia's oil and energy industry.

Here's what you need to know:

OIL PRICE CAP

Central to the package is a lower price cap on Russian oil - a move designed to shrink Moscow's energy revenues without disrupting global markets by severing Russian supply entirely.

The EU will impose a moving price cap on Russian crude at 15pc below its average market price, EU diplomats said.

That means a cap of roughly $47.60 per barrel at present, well below the $60 maximum that the Group of Seven major economies have tried to impose since December 2022.

The measure aims to ban trade in Russian crude bought at a higher price by prohibiting shipping, insurance and reinsurance companies from handling tankers carrying such crude.

The European Union and Britain have been pushing the G7 to lower the cap since a fall in oil futures made the $60 cap largely irrelevant.

However, the United States has resisted, leaving the EU to move forward on its own, with only limited power to enforce the measure because oil is largely traded in dollars, for which payment clearing is controlled by U.S. banks.

SHADOW FLEET AND ENERGY TRADE

The EU will no longer import any petroleum products made from Russian crude, although the ban will not apply to imports from Norway, Britain, the U.S., Canada and Switzerland, EU diplomats said.

An additional 105 vessels are banned from accessing EU ports and locks, or undertaking ship-to-ship transfers of oil - an effort to shut down the so-called "shadow fleet" of older oil tankers used to transport Russian oil and circumvent sanctions.

In total, the EU has now imposed sanctions on more than 400 shadow fleet ships.

NORD STREAM

Transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea will be banned, including any provision of goods or services to these projects.

FINANCIAL SECTOR

The EU will ban all transactions with Russian financial institutions - already excluded from the global financial messaging system SWIFT.

The ban will include transactions with Russia's sovereign wealth fund - the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) - as well as its investments.

This aims to further restrict Russia's access to international financial markets and foreign currency.

EU countries also agreed to lower the threshold for imposing further sanctions on foreign financial and credit institutions that undermine the sanctions or support Russia's war effort - for example, by circumventing the oil price cap.

EXPORT BANS, NEW BLACKLIST ENTRIES

The EU will blacklist 26 new entities for circumventing sanctions, including seven in China, three in Hong Kong and four in Turkey, diplomats said.

A number of chemicals, plastics and items of machinery have been added to the list of goods EU countries cannot export to Russia.

DELAYED APPROVAL

The package of sanctions on Russia is the EU's 18th since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Approval was held up for weeks by repeated Slovakian and Maltese vetoes.

Slovakia had demanded guarantees against potential losses from a separate EU plan to ban imports of Russian gas by 2028, and only dropped its veto once Prime Minister Robert Fico said it had achieved as much as it could at this point.
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Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.
Days of Our Lives spoilers: Days of Our Lives is one of the most keenly followed shows on TV today. The long-running soap opera has captivated the audience over the years with its layered characters and unexpected twists. The latest episode of Days of Our Lives promises to be just as compelling and intense as the ones before it. Here are some spoilers for the same.

Xander comforts Gabi as she fears for her daughter Aris safety

Ari and Holly were previously kidnapped by a criminal who wanted to recover the money Doug III owed him. On the latest episode of Days of Our Lives, Gabi worries about her daughter Aris welfare and breaks down. The otherwise stoic lady is scared for her safety, which explains her uncharacteristic behaviour. She receives support from Xander. This comes at a time he is separated from Sarah, his wife, and struggling to get custody of his daughter. His struggles as a parent bring him closer to Gabi and a bond develops. Will this lead to a new romance?

Ari and Hollys struggles continue

Meanwhile, Ari and Holly try to escape the clutches of their tormentor but find little success. However, they find some food and water in the room where they are trapped. This makes it easier for them to survive. It appears that they wont be able to rescue themselves, meaning someone else will need to step in.





Elsewhere on Days of Our Lives, Tate tries to use his savings to help Ari and Holly. Its clear, he plans to pay the ransom and save them. Rafe, in the meantime, receives a call for help and gets drawn into the ongoing crisis. Doug is also part of it, even though he was warned against contacting the cops. This creates a complicated situation, forcing everyone to tread with caution.

The latest episode of Days of Our Lives also sees Sophia reeling in shock after learning about Melindas plan to make the adoption of her baby look real. Sophia is in Chicago pretending to meet a couple for adoption. The next part (probably) includes having the baby there. Sophia is worried about something going wrong. Melinda, however, feels everything will go smoothly. Is her overconfidence just her way of covering flaws in the plan?

Chad meets Cat, and its complicated

Elsewhere on Days of Our Lives, Chad spends time with his daughter Charlotte. His peace, however, is short-lived as he soon runs into Cat. The two are more than just friends despite their attempts at keeping these feelings at bay. However, at this point, Chad is unaware that Cat is working on a case for Rafe and it involves his brother EJ. This essentially means that she is holding on to some crucial information and secrets. Will this play a role in Chad and Cats relationship going forward? Watch the episode to find out!

Days of Our Lives is available to stream on Peacock.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
Tata Sons has set up a public charitable trust named The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust in Mumbai to assist victims of the Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. The initiative, supported jointly by Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, comes with a total financial commitment of Rs 500 croreRs 250 crore from each entity. The trust aims to provide both immediate relief and long-term support to the families of the deceased, injured passengers, and others impacted by the incident.

According to Tata Sons, the trust is focused not only on financial compensation but also on supporting those who were directly or indirectly affected, including personnel involved in rescue and relief operations.

Financial aid and rehabilitation measures

As part of its relief measures, the trust will provide an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore to the families of each deceased individual. For those who sustained serious injuries in the accident, medical assistance will be offered. The trust will also undertake the reconstruction of the damaged hostel building at B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad.

BREAKING



Its becoming increasingly clear that the captain of the Air India flight which crashed last month intentionally shut off the fuel switches on the plane, leading to the crash.



A black box recording reveals that after the fuel switches went off, the co-pilot asked the pic.twitter.com/jfAjYhJFkR  Yashar Ali  (@yashar) July 16, 2025





The scope of support will extend beyond the passengers and their families. First responders, healthcare professionals, and disaster relief workers who were involved in handling the aftermath will also receive trauma recovery assistance.

Governance and timeline

Five-member board to oversee trusts functioning after regulatory approvals. The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust will be managed by a five-member board. Two initial appointments to the board include former Tata executive S. Padmanabhan and Tata Sons General Counsel Sidharth Sharma. The trust will begin its operations once regulatory clearances and required formalities are completed.

Air India completes inspections on Boeing 787-8 fleet

Fuel control switch checked, throttle control modules replaced. Separately, Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) mechanism of its Boeing 787-8 fleet. This move followed a directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on July 14. The airline has also carried out Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacements across the fleet in line with Boeing's prescribed maintenance schedule. The FCS is an integral component of the TCM.

In a communication to its pilots, the airline highlighted the need for continued vigilance, asking crew to report any issues through the Technical Log or the Coruson safety reporting tool.

Please continue to remain vigilant and report any defect in the Technical Log, as per the existing reporting process. The Coruson tool is also available, should there be any concerns identified during operations, the message stated.

Air India acknowledged the role of its engineering and flight teams, adding:

Once again, thank you for your professionalism and commitment to safety.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Air India has said there were no issues found in the fuel switch mechanisms of its Boeing aircraft following last months deadly crash of a 787 Dreamliner that killed 260 people. This comes after a preliminary report by Indian aviation authorities revealed that both fuel switches were manually turned off shortly after take-off, leading to fuel starvation and engine failure. As part of a precautionary measure, Air India inspected all locking mechanisms on its Boeing fleet and reported no faults.

At the same time, a separate investigation by US authorities appears to be focusing on the role of the aircrafts captain, according to sources cited in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

What did the preliminary report reveal?

The initial investigation by Indias Directorate General of Civil Aviation found that after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, the London-bound planes fuel switches were turned off one after another, cutting off fuel supply to both engines. With both engines shut down, the plane lost altitude and crashed within 32 seconds, killing all 241 passengers and crew on board, along with 19 people on the ground.

The black-box data showed one of the engines restarted seconds later after the switches were turned back on, but it was not enough to save the flight. A mayday call was made to air traffic control moments before the crash.

Air India says it found no issues in fuel switch systems | Credit: X

The report did not assign blame or recommend any action against Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, but it did lead Air India to carry out safety checks on its fleet.

US focus on pilot actions sparks criticism

While Indias preliminary report did not attribute fault, a WSJ report stated that US officials are focusing their early investigation on the actions of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The report claims that he may have manually moved the fuel switches, though his exact intent is unclear.

According to the WSJ, the black-box audio indicates that the first officer, Clive Kunder, who was flying the aircraft at the time, questioned why the fuel switches had been turned off. Sabharwal responded that he hadnt done so. Sources cited in the WSJ report also suggested that the first officer appeared panicked, while the captain remained calm. However, the report does not confirm whether the fuel cutoff was intentional or accidental.

These unnamed sources have led to backlash from Indian pilot groups. The Federation of Indian Pilots called the report baseless and accused it of trying to shift blame to the pilot without full facts.

 The WSJ now indicates that fresh insights from the investigation into last months Air India flight AI171 crash are turning the spotlight toward the senior pilot in the cockpit.



A black-box recording of dialogue between the flights two pilots indicates it was the captain pic.twitter.com/j4askdxsx2  Intel Tower (@inteltower) July 16, 2025

Families frustrated, officials urge patience

Indias civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, has urged restraint, asking the public not to jump to conclusions. Two pilots' associations also described the early finger-pointing as reckless and unfounded.

Meanwhile, family members of the 241 passengers who died have expressed dissatisfaction with the preliminary report, calling it vague and inexact. According to The Indian Express, investigators are still examining whether a technical malfunction caused an uncommanded transition in the fuel switches, which could point to a mechanical cause rather than human error.

In an internal message to staff, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson acknowledged that the findings have opened additional questions, and urged employees to wait for the final investigation report before forming conclusions.

As of now, Indian authorities have not issued a final verdict on the cause of the crash. The investigation continues, with both mechanical and human factors under scrutiny.

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DelhiDehradun expressway: The long-awaited DelhiDehradun Expressway is expected to once again miss its deadlinethis time, July 2025. This has prompted sharp criticism from commuters and local residents. The 210-kilometer, 12,000 crore expressway was supposed to reduce travel time from 6.5 hours to just 2.5 hours. But the delay is causing more chaos than relief.

Delhi Dehradun expressway has missed many deadlines and is far from completion. Very poor project management by @NHAI_Official .

Will @nitin_gadkari inform us when will this project be completed and open for public?@PMOIndia   DK Sardana  (@dksardana) July 16, 2025

Why DelhiDehradun expressway is still incomplete?

Despite most construction being completed, a key bottleneck remainsa 1,600 square meter land parcel in Mandola, Ghaziabad, stuck in legal disputes. The house on this plot, owned by Veersen Sarohas family, has been under litigation since the 1990s. The Supreme Court has recently intervened, urging quicker resolution.

Other setbacks include a pillar collapse in Saharanpur, minor technical issues, and some local resistance, slowing down final clearances. However, officials say the majority of the work is done.

Sir Delhi Dehradun expressway me itna gehra gaddha ho gaya hai ki contractor ki gand usme sama jaye aapke meherbaani aur dedication ki badaualat se roz ek naya road toot ta hai iss desh me, aur fir aap media pe itne confidence se kuch bhi out of the world baatein karte ho   NurseSeeSeaStick (@Elixxire) July 14, 2025

Commuters demand answers as frustration grows

On X, several citizens voiced their anger at NHAIs poor management. The repeated delays in the DelhiDehradun Expressway have sparked widespread frustration among daily commuters. People are voicing their anger over NHAIs handling of the project, pointing to poor planning, lack of transparency, and rising inconvenience.

Dehradun was earlier connected by a direct slow express train with Mumbai. Instead of replacing it with a better train, its discontinued denying service to many intermediate stations with Dehradun. @pushkardhami needs to get this fixed https://t.co/eQ3zdNadnU  Pramod Tyagi (@PramodKTyagi) July 14, 2025

Many are tired of the constant traffic jams, especially in key areas like Geeta Colony and Karawal Nagar, and are urging authorities to open completed stretches without further delay. Citizens are questioning how such an important project can be allowed to stall for so long.

What Delhi Dehradun expressway offers when completed?

Once operational, the expressway will include six lanes, 113 underpasses, 5 railway overbridges, and 76 km of service roads. It features 16 interchanges for smooth access and a 340-meter tunnel at Datkali in Dehradun.

World class infra by our Engineers. This is the newly constructed Delhi Dehradun expressway.@khurpenchh pic.twitter.com/TkEaAa6Kin  Ankush Tyagii  (@14AnkushTyagi) July 9, 2025

Its most innovative feature is the 12-km elevated wildlife corridor over Rajaji National ParkAsias longestdesigned to protect animals while promoting fast travel.

NHAIs update: When will it really open?

Regional NHAI officer Mohammed Saifi and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra have stated that final testing is in progress and the expressway is nearly ready. Barring legal hold-ups, they expect it to open by August 2025.

But, commuters remain skeptical. One user asked on X: Sir, when will the inauguration of the Delhi Dehradun expressway be?

The project has been praised for balancing infrastructure and environmental protection. Its wildlife corridor and underpasses are designed to minimise ecological impact, a model other projects may follow.

Will this Delhi-Dehradun expressway live up to expectations?

Public trust is wearing thin, but NHAI officials insist that the Delhi-Dehradun expressway will be fully operational soon. Once launched, it will transform regional travel and set new benchmarks in sustainable highway construction.

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As Pakistan grapples with relentless floods, a chilling incident near Chahan Dam in Rawalpindi has captured national and international attention. A journalist was swept away by strong flood currents during a live broadcastan event that was recorded on camera and widely shared online. The video, initially uploaded by Al Arabiya English, shows the reporter submerged in neck-deep water, holding a microphone, before being overtaken by the current. His head and hand holding the mic are the last things visible before he vanishes under the rising water.

The video has gone viral on social media, prompting widespread concern and mixed reactions. While many users praised the journalists dedication to reporting from the frontlines, others raised serious concerns about the safety protocols followed during live reporting in hazardous conditions.

Torrential rains leave 116 dead, millions affected

The incident occurred amid widespread flooding across Pakistan, caused by continuous torrential rains since June 26. According to official figures, the floods have claimed the lives of at least 116 people and left more than 250 injured. Punjab has seen the highest number of casualties at 44, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 37, Balochistan with 19, and Sindh with 18. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) has reported one death and five injuries.

The floods have impacted millions of residents, destroying homes and critical infrastructure. Essential services, including electricity and water supply, have been severely disrupted. The collapse of the Chahan Dam has further worsened the situation, submerging large parts of Rawalpindi and prompting urgent rescue and relief efforts.

A #flood #emergency has been declared in #Pakistan as #ChahanDam in #Rawalpindi collapsed due to relentless #rainfall. Areas like #Fauji Foundation Chowk and Bahria Town Phase 8 are #inundated. A reporter was caught in flash floods, highlighting the severity of the situation. pic.twitter.com/wt0YmR9eAF  durgeshkdubey (@ToolsTech4All) July 18, 2025





Caught on camera: Footage triggers public outcry

The moment of the journalist being swept away was broadcast live and quickly circulated on social platforms. The video shows the reporter standing in a dangerously high water level, delivering his report with only his head and arm above water. Within moments, the strength of the current pulls him under.

Reactions on social media were swift. Some users commended the reporter for his bravery, calling it true field reporting. Others were critical, asking whether the coverage was worth the personal risk. One user wrote that the journalists act was courageous but reckless, while another questioned if it was reporting or risking life for TRP.

A Pakistani reporter is swept away by strong currents during a live broadcast while covering the floods in neck-deep water. pic.twitter.com/r5g486siG2  Daniel Arthur (@Danielrthur12) July 18, 2025





Debate over journalistic boundaries and safety

The identity of the reporter has not yet been made public, but the incident has reignited discussions around the safety of journalists working in disaster zones. Many have pointed fingers at news organisations for encouraging high-risk reporting to gain viewership.

Was this necessary journalism or just a stunt for ratings? questioned one viewer online. Others stressed the need for stronger safety protocols when reporting from active disaster areas.

The debate continues as the video serves as a grim reminder of the dangers journalists face while covering real-time crises. It also raises important questions about how far media outlets should go in pursuit of exclusive footage, especially when lives are at stake.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited West Bengals Durgapur on Friday where he unveiled Central government projects worth 5,400 crore across key sectors and delivered a sharp political message against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In a public address following the inaugurations, PM Modi said that the state was being held back by TMCs misrule. West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule. People are seeing the BJP with hope, he said in a post on X a day before the visit.

The Prime Minister's visit was a blend of governance and campaigning, setting the tone for the 2026 Assembly elections in the state.

5,400 crore projects inaugurated across core sectors

At the Durgapur event, PM Modi laid the foundation stones and inaugurated projects in oil and gas, power, railways, and road sectors. These initiatives, he said, are aimed at improving connectivity, clean energy access, and industrial development in the region.

The projects launched today symbolise transformation. Bengal desires change. Bengal demands development, he said.

#WATCH | West Bengal | Addressing a public rally in Durgapur, PM Narendra Modi says, "...TMC is against investment and job creation in West Bengal. Riots like Murshidabad happen in West Bengal and the police take unilateral action. There is no ray of justice in West Bengal... The pic.twitter.com/XB78Qa40M3  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025





Durgapur rally: BJP as an alternative, TMC as a barrier

In his speech, PM Modi called the TMC-led state government a barrier between West Bengal and development. He stated that cities like Durgapur, Asansol, and Bardhaman once drove Indias growth, but now face stagnation due to poor governance.

The youth of Bengal are forced to migrate even for small jobs. This must change, he said, urging people to give the BJP just one chance to govern the state.

TMCs Goonda Tax and corruption targeted

PM Modi strongly criticised what he called a Goonda Tax culture in Bengal. Investment is blocked due to extortion and mafia control. Corruption among ministers is systematic, he alleged. He further said, The states policies are designed to encourage loot. Theres a deep crisis and only a hardworking and honest government can fix it.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Durgapur, West Bengal today. pic.twitter.com/7dQ8dfrDjO  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025





Unemployment, industry shutdowns and the case for BJP

Modi compared West Bengals current state with its industrial past. There was a time when people came here from across India for jobs. Now, even basic employment is unavailable, he said.

He argued that under BJP leadership, West Bengal could return to being a top industrial state within a few years.

Womens safety and education concerns raised

PM Modi also criticised the state government over issues related to womens safety and education. Referring to incidents in Kolkata, he said, Even hospitals are unsafe for young women. This from a party that speaks of Maa, Mati, Manush.

On alleged teacher recruitment scams, he added, Thousands of teachers remain unemployed due to corruption. The court has called it systematic fraud.

VIDEO | West Bengal: PM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) addresses the gathering after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating several development projects in Durgapur.



He says, Durgapur is not only a major steel city but also a big hub of the labour force. This city plays an pic.twitter.com/AstMei62x9  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 18, 2025





We will build Viksit Bengal, says PM Modi

Closing his address, Modi appealed to the public, saying, Give the BJP a chance. We will build a developed Bengal  a Viksit Bengal.

He highlighted how schemes like gas connections had reached households under the Centres initiatives and said that with the right government in the state, Bengals turnaround is achievable.

This is the holy month of Sawan, and it is a blessing to celebrate West Bengals journey towards development during this time, he concluded.

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During his visit to Durgapur on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched infrastructure projects worth 5,000 crore and used the occasion to sharply criticise West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. While addressing a public gathering, he accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of protecting those involved in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata last year. Modi also raised concerns about youth migration, joblessness, and womens safety in the state.

Modi announces 5,000 crore projects in Durgapur

The Prime Ministers visit to Durgapur focused on inaugurating multiple projects across sectors like oil, gas, electricity, road, and railways. The announcement was part of a larger push by the Centre to boost development in eastern India. However, the speech quickly shifted to criticism of the state governments governance, particularly in the context of law and order and safety of women.

On RG Kar case: Hospitals not safe for women

Addressing the rape and murder of a young junior doctor inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024, Modi said, Today even hospitals are not safe for young women... the Trinamool has spared no effort in protecting the perpetrators. He also referred to the slogan 'maa, mati, manush'  historically used by the Trinamool  and remarked, The mistreatment of women by a party that preaches maa, mati, manush deeply pains and angers me.

The victims body was found in a seminar room on the hospital campus, and the crime had triggered widespread protests and allegations of police mishandling. Sanjay Roy, the accused in the case, was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The doctors family had sought the death penalty, a demand that was supported by Banerjee as well, but no additional arrests were made in the case.

VIDEO | West Bengal | While addressing a public gathering at Durgapur, PM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) said, "...When TMC's wrong deeds were exposed, it started campaigning in favour of the infiltrators. But I want to make one thing clear from this land - those who are not the pic.twitter.com/zszkKnB8XZ  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 18, 2025





Modi accuses Trinamool of shielding accused

Modi alleged that the ruling party had attempted to protect the accused during the early stages of the investigation. He also referred to an incident where protestors allegedly vandalised the crime scene. According to the BJP, this was a deliberate attempt by Trinamool workers to destroy evidence related to the case. These claims were strongly denied by the Trinamool Congress.

The investigation was eventually handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following pressure from opposition parties, doctors' bodies, and the public. Both BJP and Congress had criticised the initial police response and the state governments handling of the matter.

Womens safety a key electoral issue

Modis remarks directly targeted the Trinamools perceived stronghold  women voters. He attempted to undermine Mamata Banerjees image as a leader focused on womens issues by citing violent crimes. Referring to Kadambini Ganguly, the first Indian woman trained in modern medicine, he said, It is disheartening to witness such actions in the land of Kadambini Ganguly.

#WATCH | West Bengal | Addressing a public rally in Durgapur, PM Narendra Modi says, "...TMC is against investment and job creation in West Bengal. Riots like Murshidabad happen in West Bengal and the police take unilateral action. There is no ray of justice in West Bengal... The pic.twitter.com/XB78Qa40M3  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025





Youth leaving Bengal, says Modi

Apart from womens safety, the Prime Minister also highlighted unemployment and job migration as major concerns. He said that youth from Bengal are leaving the state in large numbers to seek jobs elsewhere. According to Modi, this reflects the failure of the state government to attract industries or provide opportunities. Bengal can only develop if BJP is elected to power, he said, urging voters to consider a change in the upcoming 2026 state election.

Political backdrop: 2026 elections in view

Modis remarks are part of the BJPs early campaign strategy for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. By bringing up issues like the RG Kar case and unemployment, the BJP is attempting to challenge Mamata Banerjees credibility, especially among women and young voters. The RG Kar incident, which had already ignited state-wide protests, remains a focal point in the partys narrative on law and order in Bengal.

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Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his companys HR head Kristin Cabot have unintentionally become the centre of meme culture this week. A video of the two caught on the Kiss Cam during a Coldplay concert has gone viral, sparking both gossip and waves of internet jokes.

What happened to the Astronomer CEO Andy Byron at the Coldplay Concert?

It all started at Coldplays recent concert in Boston when the Kiss Cam landed on Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot. The two were spotted in a close embrace, but once they realised they were on the big screen, they awkwardly tried to shield their faces. That only added to the suspicion that something was off, fuelling rumours of an affair between the CEO and his HR head.

Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM  Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025

Even Coldplay frontman Chris Martin couldnt ignore the scene. He joked live on stage, saying, Oh look at these two... either they're having an affair or they're very shy. His comment added more fuel to the viral moment, and the clip soon spread across X, TikTok, and Reddit.

Netizens turn the viral clip into meme gold

It didnt take long for social media users to unleash their creativity. Memes combining Coldplays lyrics like Nobody said it was easy with freeze frames of the duo hiding from the camera started flooding the internet. Others used Fix You to joke that HR now needs to fix her career.

What the Astronomer CEO and HR ladys affair looked like before Coldplay outed them https://t.co/SDncGWRfSg  CHILLING!! with Archie. (@archiecwa) July 17, 2025

the camera guy zooming in at Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer pic.twitter.com/CwGtPZdWpx  Daniel Merja (gotogether.ai) (@danielmerja) July 17, 2025

Office-themed jokes were also trending. One user wrote, When HR forgets about HR policies, while another joked, CEO KPI: Kisses Per Interaction. Another X user posted, "Oh to be an Astronomer employee patiently for that internal email addressing their CEO and HRs infidelity". People even photoshopped the pair into mock movie posters like The Office Affair and Kiss Cam Chronicles.

Picture of the Astronomer CEO & the Head of HR at the weekly staff meeting. pic.twitter.com/W59xCTCcQs  ScottW (@jswtreeman) July 17, 2025

The divorce attorney who just got hired by the Astronomer CEOs wife pic.twitter.com/clBeSN0E85  Jay (@jaybronious) July 17, 2025

Oh to be an Astronomer employee patiently for that internal email addressing their CEO and HRs infidelity  Perc Nowitzki (@BurtWonders) July 17, 2025

There were jokes about corporate culture, workplace boundaries, and even some thanking the Kiss Cam operator for giving the world the best corporate soap opera of 2025. While the couple has stayed silent, the internet surely hasnt.
Astronomer, the tech company currently in the spotlight due to a viral video involving its CEO, Andy Byron, is a key player in data orchestration. While much of the public attention has been on the personal lives of Byron and his colleague, Kristin Cabot, Astronomer has quietly built a strong reputation in the software and AI space.

Andy Byron has led Astronomer as CEO since July 2023. Kristin Cabot, who features alongside him in the viral concert video, has been the companys Chief People Officer since November 2024. While the headlines focus on the incident during a Coldplay concert in Boston, where both were seen on the kiss cam, the company itself has been central to one of the tech worlds most widely adopted data orchestration tools.

Coldplays Kiss Cam accidentally exposed an alleged affair between the Astronomer CEO and the head of HR. pic.twitter.com/lU4t8VJutK  Too Recklss (@TooRecklss) July 17, 2025





Astronomer and apache airflow

Astronomer operates under its parent company, Astro, and is best known for its work with Apache Airflow  an open-source platform used to automate and manage complex data workflows. Apache Airflow is widely adopted across tech industries and is described as the world's most widely used open-source tool for orchestrating data pipelines.

The numbers behind Airflows reach are notable:

324 million annual downloads

More than 57,000 members in its Slack community

Over 3,200 contributors to the project

Astronomer has been the main development team behind Apache Airflow since 2018 and states that it has driven 100% of the tools releases to date.

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron & HR head Kristin Cabot caught on Coldplays kiss cam at Gillette Stadium!  Chris Martins playful affair jab sparks buzzByrons married to Megan Kerrigan Byron. Scandal or just a vibe?  #ColdplayConcert #AndyByron #Astronomer pic.twitter.com/RB2N2XztdW  Top Trending (@TopTrendDaily) July 17, 2025





What is data orchestration?

At its core, Astronomers work revolves around something called data orchestration. According to Databricks, data orchestration refers to the coordination and management of various systems, services, and applications, stringing together multiple automated tasks to execute a larger process or workflow.

In simpler terms, its about making sure that different software systems talk to each other smoothly and efficiently. This is especially useful for companies dealing with large volumes of data, artificial intelligence tasks, or machine learning pipelines.

By automating repeatable tasks, data orchestration helps teams save time, streamline operations, and reduce redundant work. The goal is to improve efficiency and enable more accurate and timely decision-making through better-managed data processes.

Why Astronomer matters in todays tech space

While the companys name recently hit headlines for reasons unrelated to its core mission, Astronomer plays a significant role in helping organisations handle their data more effectively. Through Apache Airflow, it provides open-source tools that allow data scientists and engineers to build, schedule, and monitor workflows.

The growing importance of machine learning, AI, and real-time analytics has made such tools indispensable  and Astronomer, despite the recent media attention on its leadership, continues to be a major player behind the scenes in this evolving tech landscape.

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
Good Boy Episodes 15 online: Fans of the popular Korean drama Good Boy can stream Episode 15 online, July 19, 2025, at approximately 10:40 PM KST (7:10 PM IST), as per the official release schedule.

Park Bo-gum returns to the screen with Good Boy, a gripping follow-up to his acclaimed performance as Yang Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines. Combining emotional intensity with high-stakes thrills and unexpected twists, the drama has quickly gained buzz. Here's everything you need to knowfrom the plot and cast to the release schedule and episode guide.

Watch episode 15 of "Good Boy" online today. Credit: X

Good Boy : Release date and time for Episodes 15

Episode 15 airs on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:40 PM KST on jTBC in South Korea. It will also be available for international viewers via simultaneous streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Viki at 4 PM (GMT) / 12 AM (ET) offering English subtitles to make the series accessible to a global audience.

Where to Watch Good Boy Episodes 15 Online?

Episode 15 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Viki, the main legal platforms offering high-quality video and English subtitles. In South Korea, it airs on jTBC . For viewers in the U.S., Canada, India, Indonesia, and the UK, the series will be also available on Disney+, Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime Video, TVING and Coupang Play.

Good Boy : Plot highlights of Episodes 15

Episode 15 of Good Boy, sees chaos erupt and Han-na goes after Joo-yeong, now backed by the commissioner. With the task force pulled back, Man-sik scrambles for support while Jong-hyeon follows Han-na's trail. As Joo-yeong closes in, Dong-ju steps up - just as a fatal command is issued.

Episode 15 promises rising tension on all fronts - romance, revenge, and betrayal. As Joo-yeong closes in and alliances shift, the line between justice and survival grows thin. The story continues to blur fiction and fate with every move.

Good Boy episodes 15: Spoilers

Here are the spoilers for Episodes 15 of the Korean series Good Boy based on the YouTube preview:

In the upcoming episodes, Jong-hyeon shields Dong-ju from Jeong-gu's violent attack. Shaken and bruised, Dong-ju clutches Jong-hyeon's sleeve, silently begging him not to reveal his fading vision - especially to Han-na.

Meanwhile, the commissioner is rushed to the hospital, and a frustrated Man-sik admits he can no longer sit back. The commissioner, resigned and defeated, confesses he no longer knows how to lead.

This team sure knows how to wind down after a tough day at work 



Don't miss #GOODBOYOnPrime, now streaming. pic.twitter.com/ySIDYLlYd5  Prime Video Philippines (@primevideoph) July 18, 2025

As suspicion grows, Dae-yeong confides that he doubts Jong-hyeon was ever the mole. This triggers a quiet internal investigation. Meanwhile, Joo-yeong, hiding behind a calm facade, sets his plan in motion - his vendetta against Dong-ju more dangerous than ever.

Han-na finally learns the truth about Dong-ju's condition. Their confrontation is intense, but when the dust settles, understanding begins to mend their broken bond. As Joo-yeong makes his final move, chaos erupts. With time running out, the team scrambles to stop him - before it's too late.

Good Boy: Cast and Characters

Park Bo-gum takes the lead as Yoon Dong-ju, joined by a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kim So-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Lee Sang-yi, Heo Sung-tae, and Tae Won-seok.

FAQs

1. When will Episodes 15 of Good Boy be released?

Good Boy Episodes 15 will be released on July 19, 2025, at 7:10 PM IST and will air in South Korea on jTBC at 10:40 PM KST.

2. Where can I watch Episodes 15 of Good Boy online?

Good Boy Episodes 15 will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Viki, both platforms offering English subtitles.

3. Does Good Boy have English subtitles?

Yes, Good Boy is fully subtitled in English on Amazon Prime Video, including Episodes 15.

4. Is Good Boy available on Netflix?

Yes, Good Boy is available on Netflix in certain countries. The drama officially streams on Amazon Prime Video and Viki.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
TikTok has once again summoned a chaotic throwback trend from the depths of 2023, and it is as ridiculous and dramatic as ever. Dubbed the Bugatti Challenge, this viral sensation features people sitting on the floor and pretending to "drive" an invisible luxury car. Just as Ace Hood's 2013 banger Bugatti drops the iconic line I woke up in a new Bugatti, someone yanks their legs from off-screen, sending them sliding out of the frame like a soap bar on tiles.

Internet goes wild as TikToks Bugatti trend turns into crashes | Credit: Instagram/acehood

And while a few attempts go smoothly (pun intended), the real gold lies in the fails.

What is the viral Bugatti challenge and why is it suddenly everywhere?

One of the most-viewed Bugatti fails stars Tiffani Chance from Little Women: Dallas and her partner Austin Skovran. In the now-viral video, Chance wears a helmet (already iconic behaviour) and zooms out of frame flawlessly. But when it is Skovrans turn? Total chaos. Tiffani tries to drag him but ends up collapsing, with Austin sarcastically claiming he knew it was not going to work. Over 23 million people have witnessed this duo crash the metaphorical Bugatti.

But wait, it gets wilder.

Bugatti trend is fails spectacularly every time

TikTok legend Ross Smith took the challenge up a notch by yanking none other than his internet-famous Granny Smith. Except this time, the end result was straight-up horror comedy. Through editing or props, it looked like Grannys legs got completely detached. One commenter declared the trend officially over because no one could top that madness. (Fair enough.)

Internet goes wild as TikToks Bugatti trend turns into crashes | Credit: Instagram/acehood

As if confused toddlers and acrobatic aunties were not enough, TikTok creators have now roped in their pets. Cats, dogs, you name it, getting dragged across floors for the sake of clout. While some seem confused, others fully commit to the absurd drama, making these pet performances unintentionally the funniest part of the trend.

Wait... why a Bugatti again?

Lets get one thing clear: no one involved in this trend is actually waking up in a million-dollar supercar. Bugatti is a French luxury car brand, and its 2026 Tourbillon model is expected to cost a jaw-dropping $4.6 million. So yes, sliding across laminate floors while blasting Ace Hood is probably the closest most of us will get to one.

How did it all start?

The trends origin remains fuzzy, but an early TikTok posted in March 2023 featured a toddler getting hilariously yanked during the songs chorus, earning over 16 million views and sparking copycat chaos ever since.

So next time you hear I woke up in a new Bugatti, prepare for someone, or something, to go flying out of frame.
A 15-year-old boys dream night turned into a terrifying medical emergency after he was allegedly urged to jump off the stage by rapper Destroy Lonely during his performance at the Beach, Please! festival in Romania. The shocking moment occurred on July 11 in Costinesti, leaving the internet stunned and the teen hospitalised.

Teen is hospitalised after rapper Destroy Lonely urged him to jump | Credit: Instagram/destroylonely

Teen is hospitalised after rapper Destroy Lonely urged him to jump | Credit: Instagram/destroylonely

Rapper Destroy Lonely asked a fan to jump

The teen, known only as Nicolas, was attending the show with his mother when he was invited on stage by the rapper. For a minute, everything seemed fine. Nicolas danced, sang, and basked in the spotlight, until Destroy Lonely allegedly demanded he leap into the crowd. Video footage shows Nicolas hesitating, clearly uncomfortable with the height. That is when things spiralled.

Destroy Lonely is facing attempted m*rder accusations and is being sued after forcing a fan to stage dive  pic.twitter.com/PYdrHiNfVA  Underground Rap Plug (@UNDERGROUND_R_P) July 13, 2025

A dangerous leap encouraged by rapper Destroy Lonely

Destroy Lonely was heard on stage hyping the moment, telling Nicolas to drop and jump right back in there with your friends. Moments later, Nicolas was seen falling, torso-first, onto a hard metal barricade, missing the crowd entirely. The impact was brutal.

July 11, 2025 - Rapper pressures 15-year old fan to stage dive, gets critically injured.



Rapper "Destroy Lonely" performed at the "Beach, Please!" festival in Romania this past weekend.



The fan written on his phone that he wanted to go onstage, and Lone obliged. But Lone pic.twitter.com/VGmJMcdpsa  House The Party (@house_the_party) July 15, 2025

Nicolas was immediately given first aid by the events medical team and rushed to Constanta County Hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with a pulmonary contusion and internal lesions on his liver and kidney. He told local media that he believed he was going to die when he hit the barrier, recalling that he had no air left in his lungs.

Teen is hospitalised after rapper Destroy Lonely urged him to jump | Credit: Instagram/destroylonely

Festival organisers respond, ban Destroy Lonely

Following public outrage, Beach, Please! co-founder Andrei Selaru announced that Destroy Lonely would no longer be invited to perform at the festival. The organisers condemned the rappers irresponsible attitude and swiftly enforced new safety measures. From now on, no fan, regardless of artist invitation, will be allowed on stage.

Romanian police investigating U.S. rapper Destroy Lonely



He told a 15-year-old fan to jump off the stage during a concert, the boy ended up injured and hospitalized.pic.twitter.com/VWle6aaFYB  Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) July 14, 2025

The festival also issued a statement confirming that their medical team acted within seconds and that they remain in contact with Nicolas' family. While the teen is expected to recover, his mother has reportedly decided to pursue legal action against the rapper.

Teen is hospitalised after rapper Destroy Lonely urged him to jump | Credit: Instagram/destroylonely

With no comment yet from Destroy Lonelys team, the controversy continues to rage online, sparking a wider conversation about artist accountability and concert safety standards.
The First Night With The Duke ending explained: The First Night with the Duke came to a close on July 17, 2025, with the release of its final two episodes, 11 and 12, bringing Lee Beon and Cha Seon-chaek's love story to a heartfelt conclusion. The fantasy romance began with a twist of fate, as an ordinary college student wakes up reincarnated in a romance novel - not as the heroine, but as a side character - only to unexpectedly spend the night with the novel's dangerously obsessive duke, setting off a whirlwind of drama and desire.

What is The First Night With The Duke about?

Cha Sun-chaek, a present-day student, suddenly awakens inside her favorite medieval romance novel - reborn as the noblewoman Cha Seon-chaek. After a chance meeting with the story's intense male lead, Prince Yi Beon, she accidentally derails the original plot. In an effort to restore the narrative, she tries to steer him toward the novels true heroine. But as events unfold, Yi Beon's feelings begin to drift from the scripted romance, drawing him irresistibly toward Cha Seon-chaek instead.

The First Night With The Duke

(Spoilers ahead, you know what to do)

The First Night With The Duke ending explained

Is Yi Beon dead?

Seon-chaek begins her new life as Yi Beon's wife in Hoseondang, but their bliss is short-lived as he leaves for war. While she clings to memories of him, the palace becomes tense; Yi Gyu is urging the sick King to abdicate and plans his rise to power. News soon arrives from the Chinese border: Yi Beon and his unit have been ambushed. His headpiece and a handkerchief she once gave him are returned, confirming his presumed death. Refusing to believe it, Seon-chaek embarks on a quest to find him.

Meanwhile, Yi Gyu seizes the opportunity to propose marriage to Seon-chaek, seeking to consolidate his power. She rejects him directly, convinced that Yi Beon is still alive. As tensions rise, Seon-chaek - known as Miss K in the modern world - touches a curious object and passes out. The relic reveals the truth: the two ladies switched lives in different realities.

The episode's climax sees Yi Gyu apprehend Seon-chaek and her family, threatening execution. Yi Beon is also in danger of being killed by the Barbarians. Time freezes just when it appears that all hope is lost. Miss K awakens and rewrites the story, changing its direction. In a dramatic twist, Yi Beon reappears, saving Seon-chaek in the closing seconds and altering their destiny.

Are Yi Gyu's crimes finally exposed?

Episode 12 opens with Yi Beon taking swift action against the Heuksa Clan and their royal court allies. Arrests follow as the conspiracy unravels. The King, weakened by poisonous incense, finally awakens and is stunned to see Yi Beon alive. Overcome with guilt, he apologizes for the exile of Yi Beons family and acknowledges his mistakes.

Eun-ae is arrested for her role, and Yi Gyus supporters begin to confess. Yi Gyu, unrepentant, is exiled. Soon after, reports claim his ship sank during a storm - though no body is found, leaving his fate uncertain.

Before their wedding, Seon-chaek tells Yi Beon that they are characters in a fictional story. Despite his confusion, he decides to believe her, claiming he would still love her in any situation. The pair marries, capping off their trip on a loving and hopeful note.

What happend to K and is there a Season 2?

In the present day, K, a college student, discovers the novel has come to a conclusion. Just as she is processing the conclusion, an unexpected notification alludes at a sequel to The Obsessive Tyrant, implying that a new story may be on the way.

In the imaginary universe, years have passed. Seon-chaek and Yi Beon are now proud parents of six children, leading a tranquil and contented life. Eun-ae and Soo-gyeom, who were once enmeshed in betrayal and sorrow, find peace and begin again. In a symbolic ending, K throws the enchanted figurine into the water, while Seon-chaek places it in a box, each representing the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.

While The First Night with the Duke wraps up with resolution and closure - villains punished, love fulfilled, and the magical figurine tucked away - is there a need for a sequel? The mysterious alert K receives about The Obsessive Tyrant sequel hints that a new arc may be in development.

Season 2 could explore life of the couple after marriage, or take a different turn - possibly involving a fresh storyline from the real world. Yi Gyu's fate also remains uncertain. Though presumed dead, his vow to return lingers, opening the door for a dramatic comeback. However, as of writing this, there's no official confirmation yet, but the ending could leave space for The First Night with the Duke to return.

You can stream The First Night with the Duke on Rakuten Viki and Viu.

For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
Vir Das: Fool Volume Netflix release date and time: Vir Das is finally back with a brand new stand-up special on Netflix and fans cannot wait to see what he brings this time. The popular comedian had been teasing Fool Volume for a while and now it is all set to stream.

People have been wondering when they can watch it and what exactly it is about. The trailer has already given us some hints but there is more to know before it comes out.

What happened in the Vir Das Fool Volume trailer?

Netflix released the trailer with the caption, Make some noise. Vir Das is back to make you laugh, think, and feel all the feels. The trailer brings back the multi-city format Vir Das is known for, blending diverse backdrops and crowds. Fans can expect something personal, funny, and maybe even a bit emotional this time around.

Vir Das Fool Volume Netflix release date and time

Fool Volume will stream on Netflix from July 18, 2025. Netflix usually drops its specials and shows in the evening for Indian audiences so fans can expect it to arrive after 6 PM. If you are planning a fun evening watch, this might just be the perfect pick for you.

Indian comedy is not silent, it returns with Fool Volume 

A new comedy special from International Emmy-winning comedian, Vir Das is arriving at fool volume on 18 July, only on Netflix.#VirDasFoolVolume #VirDasFoolVolumeOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/dgd85TnoHp  Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) June 20, 2025

Release date: 18 July 2025

18 July 2025 Expected time of release: 6-8 pm IST

What can you expect from Vir Das Fool Volume on Netflix?

Fool Volume is not just another comedy special. Vir Das had actually lost his voice weeks before filming what was meant to be the biggest show of his career. That experience turned into a story of reflection, rediscovery, and of course, comedy.

Indian comedy gets loud and it's not messing around 

Shot in multiple cities across the world, International Emmy-winning comedian Vir Das is back to make you laugh, think, and feel all the feels with his brand new special.



Watch Vir Das: Fool Volume, shot by an Indian crew pic.twitter.com/8Qd0kQfE6J  Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) July 7, 2025

The special show mixes sharp humour, personal honesty, and cultural flavours from different cities. If you like jokes that make you laugh and think diligently at the same time, this one might just be for you. As people call it, dark humour.
Maroon 5 return with emotional force on their new single California, the fourth track released from their much-anticipated eighth studio album, Love Is Like, set for release later in 2025. Dropping officially on July 17, California occupies the tenth spot on the albums tracklist and stands out as one of the groups most vulnerable offerings []

Hit Channel
New details have emerged in the murder of a Polish professor, with police alleging it was a meticulously planned ambush orchestrated by the victims ex-wife and carried out by her current partner using a rented Porsche and a failed alibi.

Prosecutors have now charged the 43-year-old ex-wife with incitement to murder and her 35-year-old partner with carrying out the killing. All five suspects arrested in the case, including three accomplices, face

intentional homicide charges.

According to the police investigation, the killer shot the professor multiple times on July 4 in the Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi.

Homicide detectives said they cracked the case by tracking a rented Porsche SUV seen on surveillance footage near the crime scene and analyzing digital communications between the suspects.

Police said the main suspect attempted to create an alibi by leaving his personal phone in the city of Nafplio while he secretly traveled to Athens, hidden in an accomplice's car, to carry out the attack. Investigators also allege the ex-wife sent photos of the victim to her partner shortly before the murder to help identify him for the ambush.

One accomplice reportedly told police he was paid to intimidate the victim, while the main suspect confessed, claiming he acted alone for "the good of my children and family," a statement authorities say is contradicted by evidence.

   iefimerida.gr
In a candid and revealing interview on the podcast Encounters at Syntagma, hosted by the Centre for European Constitutional Law  Tsatsos Foundation, Christos Rammos, the recently departed head of Greeces Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE), offered a rare

insiders account of the deep institutional and democratic challenges facing the country.

Speaking with Professor Xenophon Contiades, Rammos reflected on his six-year tenure, the wiretapping scandal that rocked the political establishment, and the systemic resistance he encountered while defending the independence of oversight institutions.

Rammos did not mince his words. From chronic underfunding and lack of staffing, to open political and institutional hostility during ADAEs investigations into the Greek intelligence service (EYP), he described a system in which independent authorities are treated as inconvenient obstacles rather than essential guardians of democratic accountability. ADAE is not a procedural body, he said. It does not serve political commands, and it does not filter the truth to make it more pleasant. According to Rammos, the moment he took office it became clear that the mere existence of an independent authority made those in power uncomfortable.

The scandal exploded in the summer of 2022, when it was revealed that Nikos Androulakis, then a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the opposition PASOK party, had been under surveillance. Despite clear indications of wrongdoing and swift mobilization by ADAE, Rammos described an atmosphere that was institutionally stifling and hostile to transparency. His agency responded quickly, dispatching audit teams and investigating complaints. While many accusations proved unfounded, a significant number were verified. Throughout this period, he said, public discourse became increasingly toxic, filled with threats and media attacks. There was a character assassination, he said, noting that although his actions were grounded in legal precision, no official legal arguments were ever presented to challenge them.

Rammos shared startling statistics: in 2021 alone, more than 15,000 surveillance orders were issued in Greece for reasons of national security. Although the number dropped the following year, he highlighted a serious procedural gap: the orders lacked any documented justification, a clear violation of European legal standards that require surveillance decisions to include stated reasons. A prosecutor cannot authorize such serious measures without evidence or explanation, he said.

He expressed particular disappointment in the Greek Parliaments response, especially from the Committee on Institutions and Transparency and the special parliamentary inquiry into the wiretapping scandal. Though summoned multiple times and presenting extensive documentation, Rammos said the majority treated him in a way that undermined the institutional gravity of the issue. They wanted to reduce my testimony to a formality, he said. I refused to take part in what felt like a constitutional shadow play.

Rammos also came under fire for testifying before the European Parliaments PEGA and LIBE committees. Critics accused him of internationalizing domestic matters, but he responded unequivocally: he had been officially invited, and there is no legal or democratic prohibition on Greek citizens engaging with European institutions. He interpreted the backlash as part of a broader intolerance toward external accountability.

He was sharply critical of an opinion issued by the Greek Supreme Courts Prosecutor, Isidoros Dogiakos, who argued that ADAE had no authority to investigate surveillance carried out for national security purposes. Rammos said the opinion not only overstepped legal boundssince the Prosecutor is not empowered to issue binding interpretations on independent authoritiesbut was also accompanied by veiled threats, warning of potential charges of espionage and the disclosure of state secrets.

One particularly troubling moment, he recounted, was the unexpected and late-night replacement of ADAE board members shortly before a session in which the agency was expected to fine the EYP for non-cooperation. Rammos viewed this as a direct constitutional violation, particularly as the majority needed for the session was calculated through what he described as a legally dubious rounding method. When Greeces highest administrative court, the Council of State, later rejected a challenge from the Athens Bar Association on the grounds that the association had no legal standing, Rammos warned that the ruling opens the door to institutional impunity.

Looking to the present and future, Rammos expressed deep concern over the recent creation of a new National Cybersecurity Authority, which effectively stripped ADAE of several of its core responsibilities without any consultation. Even Law 5002/2022, which directly reshaped the agencys powers, was passed without ADAEs input. He underscored the urgent need to modernize the agencys legal framework, particularly to address new technological threats such as spyware and digital surveillance tools.

Rammos also highlighted major concerns about recent changes to the process of notifying individuals who have been placed under surveillance. This task was removed from ADAE and handed to a new three-member bodytwo of whose members are the very prosecutors who approved the surveillance in the first place. He questioned the independence and impartiality of such a mechanism.

In conclusion, Rammos offered a bleak assessment of the current state of rule of law in Greece. Independent authorities are accepted only as long as they remain harmless, he said. When they become inconvenient, they are left entirely unprotected. But their mission, as defined by the Constitution, is to become inconvenient when necessary.

#ENGLISH_EDITION
On Friday, July 18, 2025, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, held a meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch John...

The post Nikos Dendias with John X  Strong Reminder of Greeces Interest in the Patriarchate of Antioch and the Greek-Orthodox Community in Syria appeared first on Tribune.gr.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched its 2027 presidential campaign roadmap, emphasising ideological cohesion over early endorsements.

Amid growing pressure to back heavyweights like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi, the partys leadership says it is committed to building a disciplined, people-focused platform before selecting its flagbearer.

Interim National Chairman David Mark dismissed claims of bias, insisting, The ADC has no preferred or favourite presidential aspirant but has set out to first put out a platform that would be attractive and acceptable to the majority of Nigerians.

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READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/nigerians-happier-enjoying-better-govt-than-during-pdp-era-apc-chieftain.html

Backing this stance, National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, while addressing the press on Thursday, July 17, 2025, said ADC would not allow aspirants to craft personal manifestos after clinching tickets, a practice he described as aberration.

Instead, he declared, The party is the one handing the candidate the party manifesto and holding the candidate accountable based on that alone.

Abdullahi added that the ADC aims to offer Nigerians a disciplined party structure with clear ideological commitments, unlike other parties that fail to align their members with national goals.

Meanwhile, former ADC presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu also spoke, warning Obi against accepting a vice-presidential slot under Atiku, calling it a betrayal of the South.

It is morally right for anybody from a major party running for 2027 to be from the South. It is equitable, Kachikwu said.

He accused Atiku of attempting to hijack the party through inducements, claiming, They are offering some state chairmen as much as 20 million to resign, and urged the South to maintain its presidential claim in the spirit of equity and national unity.
Senate President, Godswil Akpabio has commended late former president, Muhammadu Buhari for maintaining a stainless identity, when he was alive.

Senator Akpabio described Mr. Buhari as a leader who served the country without mismanaging the nations treasury.

Speaking at the expanded Federal Executive Council meeting in honour of the former president, in Abuja on Thursday, Akpabio said that even Buharis critics would agree that he did not embezzle public funds while in office.

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Akpabio further stated that the former president sought duty when others sought glory, adding that Buhari did not flee from challenges.

He said: And let us be honest, he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale.

READ MORE: Disunity Among Board Members Caused Problems In NDDC  Akpabio

His toughness was born not out of pride but of a patriotism, a fierce, unrelenting belief that Nigeria, with all its challenges, was still worth fighting for. And yet some disagree with him.

That is the nature of democracy. But even his fiercest critics will admit that he did not pilfer the nations boss, nor pander to its pleasures to the very end.

President Buhari did not merely pass through the corridors of power; he left his boots and imprints in them.

He believed that discipline mattered, that integrity mattered, that leadership, even when lonely, must be anchored on something greater than power.
Former presidential candidate of Africa Democratic Congress, Dumebi Kachikwu, has kicked against politicians forming coalition against ruling All Progressive Congress.

Kachikwu said that the ambition of former vice president Atiku Abubakar to be elected as president under the umbrella of ADC clearly shows he does not believe in any southern president.

The ADCs Chieftain, during a media briefing in Abuja, on Thursday, noted that the gestures of many political stakeholders, especially from the opposition group, is proving that they are after personal gains and not for the interest of millions of Nigerians.

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Speaking over Atikus defection to ADC, Kachikwu noted members of the coalition group are political gangs, regrouping themselves selfish agenda.

He said: There is a lot of deliberate misinformation going on by these agents of destabilisation masquerading as a political coalition. There is a clear difference between a political coalition and a political gang.

The first has noble ideals while the gang seeks power for personal gains. What we have here today is a gang unable to survive outside political office seeking to hijack the ADC as a means to revive their personal economies.

They are truly on a rescue mission, but it is a mission to rescue themselves from the harsh economic realities which they themselves created for our nation.

They accuse me of being a paid spokesperson for President Tinubu, and my response is this: it would be an honour to be a spokesperson for the president of the largest black nation on earth, but unfortunately thats not who I am. Political jobbers who have no visible means of livelihood are always eager to tar others, but I remain unfazed.

READ MORE: Dont Comeback To PDP When ADC Disappoints You  Wikes Aide Tells Atiku

They, with the active support of their cohorts in the media, now say they are the ADC: they are not. I can call myself the president of America till I am blue in the face, but it doesnt make it so.

They are offering some of the state chairmen as much as N20,000,000 to resign their positions, which goes to show that their intentions are not honourable.

My question to this gang is this: if you succeed in paying off all the ADC party officials at state and local government levels to resign, what next? Our constitution still doesnt allow you to assume those offices. This is the plain and simple truth. Your money will get you nowhere in the ADC.

If you have to build your rescue mission on fraudulent misrepresentation, it just shows who you really are.
The Federal Government has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the no-case submission filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

During Fridays hearing, the governments lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), argued that Kanu had incited violence through his broadcasts on Radio Biafra, which allegedly threatened Nigerias unity.

Awomolo said, The defendant made a broadcast in which he proudly declared himself as the IPOB leader, even though he knew that the group had been proscribed. He claimed the world would come to a standstill.

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He further alleged that Kanu directed his followers to attack security operatives, leading to the deaths of over 170 personnel.

READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/dont-comeback-to-pdp-when-adc-disappoints-you-wikes-aide-tells-atiku.html

Boasting about breaking up Nigeria is a serious national security threat. It was not empty talk, he said.

Awomolo urged the court to compel Kanu to open his defence, maintaining that a prima facie case had been established against him in the seven-count terrorism charge.

In response, Kanus lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), asked the court to discharge his client, noting that none of the prosecutions witnesses claimed to have been incited by Kanu. He added, No investigation was conducted into the alleged statements. There is no investigative report before the court.

Agabi also criticised Kanus prolonged solitary confinement, describing it as a violation of international law. He merely urged people to defend themselves a constitutional right echoed by General T.Y. Danjuma, Agabi said.

Justice James Omotosho adjourned the matter to October 10 for ruling on the no-case submission.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has mocked former vice president Atiku Abubakar.

Olayinka warned Atiku against returning to the Peoples Democratic Party, after his defection to Africa Democratic Congress on Wednesday.

Speaking on Thursday, during an interview on Channels Television, Wikes aide added that the former president should not think of returning to PDP when ADC fail to make him fulfill his presidential ambition in 2027.

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He noted that patriotic members of the party will return to the drawing table and strategize on rebuilding the major opposition party.

Olayinka said: My first reaction yesterday was that, Atiku Abubakar leaving the PDP, to me, is good riddance to bad rubbish.

It is like how our Hausa people will say sai gobe. One thing I would have loved to see in the reportage yesterday was that the headline should have been Atiku Abubakar leaves PDP again.

READ MORE: 2027: Atiku Officially Resigns From PDP

Because he has been leaving. Since 2007, he has been leaving. So if he chose to leave now, fine.

Then the party can now begin to look at itself and bring itself together again. Unfortunately, it is too late, because like Ive said many times, Atiku Abubakar happened to be like the weapon fashioned against the PDP.

Today, the PDP has been so destroyed and damaged by this one man, Atiku Abubakar, who is now gone.

When highly spirited members of the party come together to rebuild the party, Atiku should not come back after he has failed in his new political journey because I know he is going to fail.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has appealed to the people of Kano State to receive President Bola Tinubu warmly and respectfully as he visits the state to commiserate over the passing of elder statesman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the governor described Tinubus visit as a moment of solemn reflection and national honour for the state and the deceased.

I urge all Kano residents to receive the President warmly and in an orderly manner as he joins us in mourning one of our greatest elder statesmen. This is a moment of solemn reflection and national respect, Yusuf stated.

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He further emphasized the need for calm and decorum, saying, As a people known for hospitality, let us honour our tradition by showing love and courtesy to Mr. President during this visit.

READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/tinubus-govt-focused-on-politics-not-good-governance-atikus-media-adviser.html

Governor Yusuf assured that all security and logistical arrangements had been made to ensure a peaceful and successful visit.

Relevant agencies have been mobilized to maintain peace and order. I appeal to all residents to cooperate fully, he added.

Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a renowned industrialist and uncle to Aliko Dangote, passed away on June 28 in Abu Dhabi and was buried in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He was 94.

We are not only mourning a great son of Kano but celebrating a life of impact. Alhaji Dantatas legacy in business, philanthropy, and Islamic education will forever remain with us, Yusuf concluded.
Senator Ireti Kingibe has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of gross abuse of office in the handling of land allocations in Abuja.

In an interview with Arise TV On Thursday, the FCT lawmaker alleged that Wike reduced a 200 million land bill for his son to just 2 million, calling the move unethical.

I have documents to show that Minister Wike allocated lands to his son, he wrote to him asking that he should give a waiver Within 48 hours, they are going from 200 million to 2 million, she said. At the very least, it is unfair, it is unethical.

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Kingibe further stated her intention to present the documents to relevant authorities. Im going to take those documents and go to the body, the equivalent of his state assembly and insist the President who gave Wike powers returns to the National Assembly for approval for everything, she said.

READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/buharis-critics-will-admit-he-was-never-link-to-any-corrupt-allegation-akpabio.html

She also accused the minister of running the FCT like a dictator. The minister doesnt obey the rule of law. Hes autocratic. He doesnt follow any rules or any laws, Kingibe claimed.

She criticized the revocation of 7,000 hectares from the University of Abujas land, the sacking of women street sweepers, and the harassment of foreign missions over ground rent.

Abuja University had approximately 11,000 hectares. Wike has revoked 7,000 It is against the Land Use Act, she added.

Kingibe maintained: Governance must be guided by law. What we are seeing is abuse of power on a large scale.
Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has expressed displeasure over the decision of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party, to join the coalition.

Describing Atiku and Obi moving to the Africa Democratic Congress as shocking, Mr George alleged that politicians that created crisis in the PDP are the ones moving to ADC and ruling All Progressive Congress.

Chief Bode led this out on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television, saying that Obi and Atiku are aligning with a party he described as a ship that is already sinking and collapsing.

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READ MORE: Peter Obi, Others Benefited From PDP, Now They Disown It  Bode George On Defections To ADC Coalition

He said: Those who created the PDP crisis are the ones leaving. We are holding our NEC meeting in the coming week and when we meet, we will discuss the programme of the party.

We will approve all the committees that are going to handle the convention of the party.

The fact that we are in a position to hold that meeting, you will see at the end that the Iroko tree has been resurrected.

I am shocked that Obi, Atiku, and others are jumping into a ship that is already sinking.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that Atiku on Wednesday, released a letter containing his resignation from PDP.

The former president noted that it was a difficult decision for him to make, citing internal crisis within the partys leadership.
The Kano State Police Command has taken 11 students of Government Boarding Secondary School, Bichi, into custody in connection with the killing of two fellow students.

The commands spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrests in a message to PUNCH Online on Thursday.

Haruna noted that the students are undergoing interrogation to evaluate the extent of their involvement in the incident.

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READ MORE: Ondo Police Arrest Landlord, Two Others For Kidnapping, Murder Of AAUA Students

Eleven students were arrested over the incident and the investigation is ongoing to find out the level of their individual involvement, he said.

He assured that the police would leave no stone unturned in uncovering the truth behind the students murders and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

The state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, had on Wednesday directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The directive was issued through the ministrys Permanent Secretary, Bashir Bappa Mohammad, during a visit to the school on Wednesday.

Hamza Idris Tofawa and Umar Yusuf Dungurawa, the deceased students, were allegedly assaulted by their peers with improvised metal objects commonly referred to as Gwale-Gwale.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed an application by former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, seeking the release of his passport to travel for medical treatment in the United Kingdom.

Justice Maryanne Anineh, who delivered the ruling on Thursday, July 17, 2025, held that her court lacked jurisdiction to grant the application since the passport was not in its custody but rather with the Federal High Court.

Bello is facing a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion, alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.

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READ MORE: https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/inec-extends-anambra-voter-registration-as-turnout-surges.html

The charges were brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bellos lawyer, J.B. Daudu, SAN, requested a temporary release of his passport for medical treatment, but EFCC counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli, SAN, opposed it, citing potential violation of bail terms and risk of conflicting court orders.

Enebeli stated, The defendant filed a similar application in another court. Seeking simultaneous reliefs in two courts is an abuse of court process.

Justice Anineh said, Courts dont make orders in vain. Since the defendant admitted his passport is with the Federal High Court, this court cannot act on a document not in its possession.

She adjourned the trial to continue on October 8, 9, and November 13, 2025.
South-East Council of Traditional Rulers has officially ended the use of title Eze Ndigbo by Igbo leaders living outside the region.

In a communique jointly signed by prominent traditional rulers, including His Royal Majesty, Eze E.C. Okeke, (Eze Imo), and His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe (Leader), on Thursday, the council introduced a new title, called Onyendu Ndigbo.

The decision was said to preserve the sanctity of the Eze title, which is traditionally reserved for enthroned rulers with ancestral authority over a defined kingdom or community in Igbo land.

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The council emphasized that Eze title is not honorary or political but deeply rooted in sacred rites and ancestral customs.

While acknowledging the positive role of Igbo Diaspora leaders in unifying Ndigbo and promoting peace in host countries, the council insisted that the misuse of Eze Ndigbo title dilutes traditional authority and cultural heritage.

READ MORE: Eze Ndigbo Of Ajao Estate Appeals Court Judgement Jailing Him One Year For Illegally Calling Himself Chief In Lagos

The Communique partly reads: The newly introduced title, Onyendu Ndigbo, is to be used immediately across all platform, official documents, signage, letterheads, and public engagements.

The Council warned that failure to comply with this directive will be considered a serious act of defiance, misconduct, and disregard for Igbo traditional authority and judicial pronouncements.

The Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers welcomes all Igbo leaders in Diaspora into this new era of cultural unity and mutual respect. 
Two bandits have been neutralised by troops of 3 Division/Operation Safe Haven, who also recovered weapons and ammunition in Plateau State.

It was gathered that the operation took place on Wednesday, following credible intelligence about plans by bandits to launch an attack on communities in Nteng, Quaan Pan Local Government Area.

In a statement released on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Military Special Taskforce, Major Samson Zhakom, confirmed the incident, explaining that troops set up an ambush for the bandits and exchanged gunfire after encountering them.

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READ MORE: Sokoto Police Arrest Suspected Bandit, Recover Ammunition

Major Zhakom stated that two bandits were taken down during the operation, while several others fled with likely gunshot injuries, leaving traces of blood along their escape routes.

Zhakom further disclosed that troops recovered weapons and ammunition during the operation, which are now in custody for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to track down and intercept the fleeing bandits.

The statement read, Following credible intelligence on plans by bandits to attack communities at Nteng in Quaan Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, troops of 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN laid ambush against the criminals, and made contact with them while approaching Nteng community.

During the encounter accompanied by exchange of gunfire on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, troops neutralised two bandits while others fled with possible gunshot wounds as indicated by the blood stains along their withdrawal routes. Upon exploitation of the area, troops recovered weapons and ammunition.

The recovered weapons and ammunition are in the custody of troops for further action. Meanwhile, troops are on the trail of the fleeing criminals for interception.

This latest operational success remains a testament to troops unrelenting fight against armed militias and other criminal elements within Operation SAFE HAVEN Joint Operations Area. The success will be sustained through intense fighting spirit of troops, and collaborative efforts of the public in providing actionable information to aid our operations.
The Labour Party (LP), under the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman, on Friday held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja as part of efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Present at the high-level meeting were key stakeholders including the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, his deputy, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, and the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero.

Also in attendance was a representative of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Sylvester Ejiofor.

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A major highlight of the meeting is the expected inauguration of an interim National Working Committee (NWC) to steer the affairs of the party pending the conduct of a national convention.

READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/nigerians-happier-enjoying-better-govt-than-during-pdp-era-apc-chieftain.html

The NEC also plans to constitute strategic committees for membership re-validation and the organisation of congresses at ward, local government, and state levels.

Speaking during the session, Governor Otti said, We must consolidate the gains weve made and fix our internal structures. The journey to 2027 starts now, and unity must be our driving force.

Comrade Joe Ajaero emphasized the NLCs continued interest in the partys future, stating, The Labour Party remains the political voice of Nigerian workers. We will not allow it to be hijacked or weakened.

Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu added, Today marks a new beginning. Our focus is to rebuild public trust and run a people-centered party.

Senator Nenadi Usman described the NEC meeting as timely and strategic, adding that the party was determined to correct past missteps and strengthen its institutional framework.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has announced that his administration has fulfilled 85% of the promises made during the 2023 electioneering campaign.

He made the statement on Thursday, July 17, 2025, during the swearing-in ceremony of his new Chief of Staff, Dr. Suleiman Wali Sani, and 12 Special Advisers at the Government House in Kano.

The governor revealed that a detailed performance review was recently carried out, showing major strides in key sectors.

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Im happy to report that when I recently reviewed our performance at our polling unit, I found that we have fulfilled about 85% of the promises we made to the people during the campaigns.

READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/tinubu-renames-university-of-maiduguri-after-buhari.html

That leaves us with just 15% to achieve over the next two years, he stated.

Governor Yusuf assured citizens that his government is rolling out fresh initiatives to address the remaining gaps.

Weve presented this before the State Executive Council. With two years left, we are looking at strategies to address the remaining promises, he said.

We are introducing new programmes and initiatives that, by the grace of Allah (SWT), will continue to positively impact the lives of our people.

Emphasizing unity and responsibility, he called on all appointees and stakeholders to join hands in achieving the administrations goals.

They elected us. It is time for all of us to work together and ensure the full implementation of every promise we made to the good people of Kano State.

He also noted the appointments were based on merit and urged the appointees to offer sincere and constructive advice that would help deliver good governance and bring the dividends of democracy directly to the people.
David Corenswet arrives at the premiere of "Superman" on Monday, July 7, 2025, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Read more

Superman star David Corenswet was traveling across Asia promoting the new movie when he heard from Marcus Stevens, his former theater teacher from Upper Darby Summer Stage, a youth program..

It had been a few years since they last spoke and Corenswet was rather busy, thanks to the buzzy reboot of an enduringly popular comic book franchise.

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But he texted Stevens back right away.

He was like, Im flying all over the world, I dont ever know what time zone Im going to be in, but just send me a voice memo and Ill respond to you, said Stevens, also a Summer Stage alum who directed Corenswet in the summer 2012 production of Hairspray. Its so special that [Summer Stage] meant enough to him that he responded to his old teacher.

Corenswet was also quick to offer his support for the organizations 50th anniversary gala this year when Stevens asked, sending autographed Superman merch as a contribution to the auction. Its the kind of generosity that feels fitting for the actor playing a new version of Superman  one that is sincerely openhearted, brimming with love for his hometown, and someone who would rush to help his old friends and educators.

Long before his face was plastered across Times Square, Corenswet was a Philly theater kid with a boundless curiosity lighting up local stages from Old Citys Arden Theatre to Malverns Peoples Light in productions like Arthur Millers All My Sons, Our Town, Macbeth, and Forgiving Harvest.

Corenswet, who grew up in Center City and then Merion Park and still calls the region home, was 9 when he performed the role of Bert in All My Sons, his first professional production. His bio listed his passions: David Corenswet (Bert) is a fourth-grader who is a big fan of the Marx Brothers, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Bill Irwin, and of course, Star Wars. He also loves building with Legos.

That bio still holds up, 23 years later, as Corenswet has expressed his inner theater nerd in interviews and even admitted that his wife, Julia Best Warner  whom he met as a teen at Upper Darby Summer Stage  gifted him the LEGO Millennium Falcon after he finished filming Superman.

His former teachers say that Corenswet today is very much the same person that they once saw bouncing around backstage or studying lines during lunch. The hardworking young actor stood out to educators like Arden artistic director Terry Nolen, impressed by his engagement, commitment, and comfort onstage.

Nolen recalls directing Our Town in 2008, when a 14-year-old Corenswet played two brothers who were paperboys. The shows second act was held in Christ Church Neighborhood House, where a historical relic stood cordoned off. It was a 17th-century English baptismal font in which William Penn was baptized.

Thinking about how he could best utilize the space, Corenswet asked Nolen questions about incorporating the font: Could they pretend it was a horse? Could he jump over it? Maybe it could be a street fountain?

It was a good idea because [the font] was in the middle of the aisle of the church and he did have to walk by it and around it, said Nolen, chuckling. Then he was trying to show me how he would lean on it without really putting his weight on it. I was like, No!

Thankfully, the actor left the relic alone, but that urge to keep asking stayed with him, from his high school theater program at Bryn Mawrs Shipley School to his time training at Juilliard. (Superman director James Gunn had a similar experience with the actor who occasionally asked one too many questions.)

As a teen actor at Summer Stage  which counts Tina Fey as another notable alum  Corenswet made lifelong friends. Artistic and managing director Chris Luner was his peer, and recalls his talent and hunger for improving his craft.

David was always a leader amongst our friends. He would work to make sure kids were included and no one felt left out, said Luner. The last time I saw him was two years ago [for] a Summer Stage event. This was after he had done Hollywood and The Politician, and a decent number of very large projects with very big names, and I felt like I was talking to David from 2009 or 2012  it was just David. It was so wonderful to see someone who I knew as a kid be so successful, and it felt like I was talking to that same kid at the end of the day.

After being cast as Superman, Corenswet did have a question, this time for his high school theater teacher, Phillip Brown.

He was one of the people who I wanted to tell the most and he would not pick up the fing phone, Corenswet recalled in an MTV interview. Brown had been in an interview himself at the time and called Corenswet back when he could.

Corenswets question?

Did they ask you what it feels like to have your high school theater student playing the next Superman?
A South Jersey man was charged with first-degree murder and related crimes after police say he shot and killed a man before stealing a witness car and fleeing to New York City.

Shortly before 5 p.m. on July 9, Matthew Lucas, 24, of Gloucester Township, shot and killed Anthony Sanflippo, 53, in the doorway of Sanflippos apartment in Gloucester Township, the Camden County Prosecutors Office said in a statement.

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Authorities said after killing Sanflippo, Lucas, wearing a black surgical mask, head garment with tassels, and green pants, stole a vehicle from a witness at Sanflippos apartment complex.

Four days later, on July 13, New York City police officers spotted the stolen vehicle on West 49th Street and arrested Lucas about a block away for an unrelated crime, authorities said.

Police recovered the key to the stolen vehicle and a .45 caliber handgun from Lucas, which matched a shell casing recovered at the scene of Sanflippos killing, authorities said.

When Lucas was arrested, he was wearing the same outfit as he was described wearing when he allegedly shot Sanflippo, authorities said, and investigators found green pants covered in blood inside the stolen vehicle.

Lucas is being held at Rikers Island in New York, pending extradition to New Jersey.
A 29-year-old woman was shot and killed outside a church in North Philadelphia early Friday morning, police said.

Shortly after 12:40 a.m., police responded to a report of gunshots in the area of North 20th Street and West Lehigh Avenue, near Deliverance Evangelistic Church, and found the woman lying on the street with gunshot wounds to her head and torso, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.

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The woman, whom police did not identify, was rushed to Temple University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 12:59 a.m., he said.

At least eight shell casings were found at the scene, said Vanore, and police continue to investigate the shooting and are searching for surveillance footage.

A motive for the shooting was unclear, and no arrests had been made.

Due to the amount of shell casings, police believe its possible the woman was targeted, said Vanore.
An image of Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is displayed as part of Cheltenham High Schools Wall of Fame, Oct. 21, 2019. Netanyahu was inducted on Oct. 8, 1999. Read more

Cheltenham school officials and the districts alumni association met Friday and discussed a student petition seeking to remove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from its Hall of Fame, but didnt make a decision, a district spokesperson said.

No determination has been made at this point, said the spokesperson, Kevin Kaufman. He declined to comment on whether the district would continue to consider the request to remove Netanyahu, a 1967 Cheltenham High School graduate.

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The New York Times reported Friday that Cheltenhams alumni association received a petition last month signed by more than 200 students, calling for Netanyahus removal from the districts hall of fame.

The petition cited the conservative Israeli leaders indictment on corruption charges and the arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court, alleging war crimes in Gaza, according to the Times.

Kaufman confirmed that the association had received a student petition seeking Netanyahus removal, which spurred Fridays discussion. He said he could not comment on the petitions content.

Gail Hockstein Chase, the associations president, also declined to comment. In a phone call Friday, Chase and other alumni association officers directed questions to Kaufman.

The debate comes amid ongoing tensions over the war in Gaza, which have been playing out around the Philadelphia region  including in Cheltenham, a liberal, racially diverse community with a significant Jewish population.

We understand that this is a topic of deep concern to some members of our diverse school community as well as the broader public, Cheltenhams superintendent, Brian Scriven, said in a statement Friday. Given the complexities involved and the heightened public discourse, we must proceed in a deliberate manner.

Born in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu came to Cheltenham as a teenager while his father taught at Drospie College, a Jewish college that is now the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Netanyahu attended Cheltenham High School, though missed his graduation ceremony in June 1967 to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. He was inducted into the high schools Hall of Fame in 1999.

Fridays discussion with the alumni association centered on plans for a previously scheduled November ceremony inducting more alumni into the Hall of Fame, district officials said.

The district is focused on ensuring all internal processes  from selection committee meetings to candidate evaluation criteria  are conducted fairly and consistently and with collaboration among all constituents," Scriven said in the statement.

Kaufman said he did not know if there was a formal process to strip someone of recognition in the Hall of Fame.

The Times reported that Fridays meeting was also expected to address controversy stirred by conservative commentator Mark Levin in a Fox News interview with Netanyahu that aired Sunday  in which Levin, also a Cheltenham High graduate, said the schools alumni association wont vote me in to the Hall of Fame.

Kaufman said that Levins name was not mentioned Friday.
Helms Academy students line up at the Camden County Boathouse on Thursday for the procession to their graduation ceremony. Read more

After dropping out of Dobbins Technical High School more than 25 years ago, Kevin Dean had an unfulfilled promise to his grandmother: to obtain a diploma.

Dean beamed with pride Thursday when he graduated from Goodwills Helms Academy and obtained his long-awaited diploma. He gave the commencement address and dedicated his achievement to his grandmother.

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His only regret was that his grandmother, Carrie M. Dean, died in 2014 from breast cancer. His wife and daughter celebrated the moment with him.

Shes looking down on me, said Dean, 44, of Philadelphia. She was my everything. She wanted this for me.

Dean was among the 90 students from South Jersey and Philadelphia who graduated Thursday from the program, which helps older students obtain their high school diplomas. They earn them by passing a test or completing 30 college credits. Goodwill uses sales from donations at its retail stores to pay for the program.

Like Dean, the graduates left high school for personal reasons, hoping to possibly return later. Some said they dropped out when they became teen mothers, or they had financial problems, or simply had little interest in school.

I didnt think I would really need it, said Jaida Lopez Chandler, 17, of Cherry Hill. She left Cherry Hill West High her sophomore year.

Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Jasmyn, she enrolled in the Goodwill program. She plans to attend Rowan College of South Jersey and join the Navy to pursue a dream to become a veterinarian.

Named for Goodwill founder Edgar Helms, the academy provides free tuition as well as basic skills training and tutoring. Students can attend classes virtually or at locations in Philadelphia and Stratford, Maple Shade, and Westampton, N.J.

This is a great day for you, Goodwill president and CEO Mark Boyd told the students before instructing them to shift their tassels to the left, officially marking their transition to graduates. It was Goodwills largest class.

In 2022, there were more than 2 million high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. They are more likely to be unemployed, have low-paying jobs, or land in jail, experts say.

 READ MORE: New Camden truancy program offers paid job training to at-risk youth. Here are three of their stories.

Wearing blue caps and gowns, the graduates solemnly marched into a second-floor ballroom at the Camden County Boathouse on the Cooper River in Pennsauken. Some graduates skipped the ceremony, partly out of embarrassment, officials say. This years graduates range in age from 16 to 60.

It seemed like it was out of my reach, said Joanne Conley, 44, of Lindenwold. I wanted to prove to everybody who said I was never going to accomplish anything.

Conley dropped out of Sterling High School in Stratford when she was 16 after falling behind. She worked odd jobs and took care of her younger siblings.

She started the Helms program in 2019, but health and personal problems set her back. Employed as a driver for Access Link, she believes the diploma may help her advance one day.

This is the best thing I could have done for myself, said Conley, a grandmother.

Meet some of the other graduates:

Kevin Dean: `With God all things are possible

Raised by his grandmother, Kevin Dean grew up in North Philadelphia. She was a churchgoing woman who encouraged him to go, too, but he chose the streets.

Dean said he began selling drugs while attending Dobbins High. He met his future wife, Terika, in homeroom. She graduated in 2000, while he dropped out their junior year.

I was running with the wrong crowd, just being young, he recalled. School wasnt interesting.

He started a commercial business, Kevin Dean Cleaning Service, in 2013, but believed something was missing. He was inspired to get his diploma by his wife and his daughter, Kiara, who graduated from Community College of Philadelphia in 2023.

Dean received awards for most dedicated and most improved student. Thursday was his birthday.

This is all Gods will, he said in his remarks. Its not how long the journey takes. Dont ever give up.

Vanesa Fragoso: I refused to be a statistic

Vanesa Fragoso, 24, was kicked out of the Helms program several times when she fell behind. She had a tough time juggling working full-time at a car dealership and taking care of her young daughter.

She kept trying, mostly taking online classes, completing one subject at a time. Science was her favorite and she easily passed, but struggled with the math portion.

I was determined to ride it through, said Fragoso, of Audubon.

She dropped out of Audubon High School after becoming a mother at 15. She was an honor roll student, but had poor attendance, she said.

Fragoso was stunned to learn years later that her records were lost and she would have to start over. She wanted to be a role model for her daughter, Stella Rose, now 8.

She received the academys lifelong learning award.

I refused to be a statistic, she said. I cried so hard when I finished. Im so happy to finally have it.

Justin Urbanchuk: Only one life to live

Justin Urbanchuk, 20, of Mount Ephraim, blames his decision to drop out of Audubon High School on laziness and anxiety  compounded by the pandemic.

He left school in the middle of the day or skipped it entirely. Eventually, he stopped going in 2022 in his junior year.

It was something that was a hard decision and it definitely broke some of my familys heart, said Urbanchuk, who was selected to share his story at graduation.

Urbanchuk found his niche in the Helms program and overcame the anxiety that derailed him in high school. He received the highest overall score on the GED exam and the highest score in social studies.

I just decided to get my life in order. Here I am, he said.

Urbanchuk, who works at a Wawa in Runnemede, plans to enroll in Rowan College in September to study radiology technology.

Anybody can do it, he said. You only have one life to live, dont waste it.
A Chili Cheese Dog and a Chicago Dog with a side of fries from Bad Ninas grand opening outside Attic Brewing in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Read more

Philly is in the midst of a hot dog renaissance for the second summer in a row.

In Manayunk and Grad Hospital, bars are offering hot dog towers. The summer menus at Post Haste in Kensington, Watkins Drinkery in South Philly, and Haddon Culinary in South Jersey have all gone to the dogs.

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And this month  a notoriously slow time for Phillys bars and restaurants  Royal Tavern has been jam-packed with customers hungry for its rotating lineup of house-made dogs.

All that glizzy energy makes it good timing for the debut of what is likely Phillys most eye-catching hot dog cart, Bad Ninas, from the owners of Attic Brewing Co. in Germantown. Parked outside the brewery, the glammed-out food truck will sling Vienna Beef dogs on Cacias rolls (or, in the case of its Chicago dog, on a Vienna Beef-sourced poppy seed bun) whenever the taproom is open.

Besides providing a more robust food option than the soft pretzels Attic currently offers  and something different than next-door neighbor Dekes Bar-B-Que  the brand-new cart solves for a problem.

Right now we need a revenue stream that isnt just alcohol, said Attic and Bad Ninas owner Laura Lacy, who opened the Berkley Street brewery with her husband, Todd, in 2020. Customers attitudes toward alcohol are changing, and we want to be known for more than just a drinking spot.

The Lacys signed a lease on a neighboring space in 2021, intending to open an all-day cafe with a full kitchen that would also provide food for Attic customers. Four years on, theyre still waiting for the buildout to happen.

In order to break out of the holding pattern, the Lacys started exploring the food truck market, which can be risky, earlier this year. (More than one Philadelphia chef has been burned trying to get a food truck fabricator to deliver.) The Lacys lucked out when they happened on a floor-model truck outfitted with flat-top grill, a fryer, refrigerators, and prep stations  plus custom-color lighting, a TV menu board, and a full sound system  from New Jerseys Custom Mobile Food Equipment. They got the truck in June, after Custom Mobile wrapped it in Bad Ninas yellow-and-teal color scheme.

The trucks name honors the Lacys dog, Nina, a lovable pug-Chihuahua who also has a pale ale named after her. (Fellow dog owners will appreciate that Bad Ninas sells $2 doggie dogs, plain mini-hot dogs perfect for feeding to your best fur friend.)

Why hot dogs? Laura said the inspiration came after trips to the Lacys respective home cities  Denver/Colorado Springs for Todd, and Chicago for Laura.

The Chicago hot dog scene was something that we were like, Hey, this seems, number one, like something we could handle not coming from a restaurant background, she said. Two, its a fun food.

That point of inspiration is why a faithful rendition of the Chicago dog anchors Bad Ninas menu: an all-beef dog from iconic Chicago brand Vienna Beef served on a poppy seed bun stuffed with mustard, bright green relish, chopped white onion, sliced tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, celery salt, and Vienna Beef sport (a.k.a. pickled) peppers. Its basically a dog with a small side salad for $8. (To celebrate Bad Ninas grand opening this week, Attic is pairing every Chicago dog sold to adults with a shot of the Chicago-famous liqueur Malort.)

Besides the Chicago dog, theres a classic option and a chili cheese dog (with house-made Texas-style chili). Because were in Philadelphia, the Lacys also have a cheesesteak dog, topped with steak, fried onions, Cooper Sharp, and sport peppers. (Skip the dog and get a plain cheesesteak for $10.) Fries, vegan dogs, and an optional bacon-wrapped hot dog round out a menu designed to pair well with Attics award-winning beers. Gluten-free buns are also available.

Laura said Bad Ninas will look to collaborate with chefs, artists, musicians in the neighborhood, and beyond on specials, as Attic does with various limited-edition releases. The Lacys are also looking forward to thematic beer-dog pairings: Think Belgian-style dogs with Belgian ales, Oktoberfest sausages with marzen, etc.

Bad Ninas is another welcome addition to Germantowns underserved food scene, which has been bolstered in the last year by the opening of Southeast Asian-tinged Das Good Cafe and Weavers Way.

Our hope is that if youre not coming for the beer first, than maybe youre coming for the hot dogs, and thatll pull people out to Germantown, Laura said. Theres a lot of amenities in other neighborhoods, like Fishtown and Manayunk. Were trying to encourage people to come here.

Bad Ninas at 137 Berkley St., Philadelphia, PA 19144 is open Tuesday through Thursday 4 to 11 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 1 p.m. to midnight, and Sunday 1 to 10 p.m. See @badninasphilly on Instagram for more details.
Ive started to pay attention to olive varieties of the olive oil Im consuming  arbequina and koroneiki are starting to be listed on menus, for instance, but I rarely see olive varieties notated on martini menus at bars, though olives seem to vary widely from bar to bar. So what olives are best for martinis?

The olives that are pressed into oil and the ones intended to be eaten, known as table olives  which are the ones that go in martinis  are different in the same way that chardonnay or pinot noir grapes are not quite as nice to munch on as Red Globe or Cotton Candy grapes.

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The table olive umbrella is vast. There are a lot of options  two hundred or so varieties are grown in Spain alone  and their flavor profiles and aromas vary widely, from mild, sweet, and fruity (gordals, aka Spanish Queens) to bitter, salty, and even outright funky (kalamatas). Even if you take two of the same olive, depending on when they are plucked and how they are cured, they could have totally different tastes and textures.

The question of which kind of olive is best for your martini also depends on your martini, which also has a vast umbrella, even when you exclude all the not-a-true-martini tinis, such as the espresso martini. At minimum, a martini can be made with gin or vodka; be dry (less vermouth), wet (more vermouth), or 50/50; come with a twist or an olive; and be dirty (with olive brine) or extra dirty (even more olive brine).

Well walk through the most popular varieties of martini olives, from mild and least oily to most intensely flavored and oiliest, and the kinds of martinis they work best in, as recommended by Philly bartenders. If theres ever been a time for a bar to do an olive-driven martini menu, its now, said Resa Mueller, the beverage director at Oyster House.

Gordal or Spanish Queen

Gordals [meaning fat ones in Spanish] and Spanish Queen are two interchangeable names for the same variety of plump, green olive with a low oil content  youll see jars labeled with one name or the other depending on the brand. Theyre very common on shelves at fancy grocery stores. I use gordals from the brand Losada for the dry martinis I make at home because theyre so meaty that theyre like a snack with my drink.

So whenever I encounter Losada gordals in the wild, I am always bowled over with joy. Jillian Moore uses them for dirty martinis at My Loup. We only add one to start a martini but its free olive refills for those who love the briny babies, she said. The brine is perfect and theyre great for stuffing with bleu cheese.

The secret to the brine, which has more savory depth than straight salinity, is the addition of MSG, which also makes for a remarkably juicy, sweet olive. The most important thing in a dirty martini is getting the salt balance right, said Oyster Houses Mueller. Salt helps to balance out the high alcohol content in a martini, the same way temperature and dilution do.

Brine adds salt to both olives and martinis, preserving the former, and rounding out the latter. Mark Murphy, the director of bar operations for Starr Restaurants, noted that while Losada gordals are delicious, they dont necessarily fit the bill of what people generally expect in a dirty martini, where smaller, more intensely flavored olives are common. He confessed that one of his tricks is to use Roland Foods olive juice (composed of water, olive solids, salt, and lactic acid) with a more neutral olive. Sometimes you just need an olive to taste exactly how you expect an olive to taste, he said. And while Losadas gordals can taste like mild, savory plums, Da Costas Spanish Queens are superior in that regard.

Spanish Queens are also used at the Oyster House, where people want something familiar and classic, said Mueller, who also adds a different brine to the mix (from the brand Filthy). When you get the fancy olives, you still need a brine that has the salinity thats going to cut through the alcohol and fattiness of the olive, and bring it all together, she said. Besides, there simply isnt enough brine in a jar of olives; youll go through brine much faster than olives, she added.

You want Losadas gordals if youre seeking an umami punch in your martini, but with a mild, fruity olive. They are not cheap, at around $8-10 for a 12 oz. jar, which I usually pick up at Di Brunos. If you want more salt, gordals from another brand, or Spanish Queens, are the way to go. Quincys Spanish Queen olives are delicious and designed specifically for dirty martini making, as the jar purports to include the perfect ratio of brine to olive  that is, a lot more brine.

Castelvetrano

These green, Sicilian olives are mild, smaller than gordals, but still meaty, with a crisp bite and more concentrated sweetness. In researching the best martinis in Philly for a forthcoming story, I found that the majority of bars used Castelvetrano olives for their martinis because they dont compete with the nuanced botanicals in gin or the milder, clean flavors in vodka. Theyre elevated and silky, Mueller said.

At the Lovers Bar, if you order a dirty martini, itll have Castelvetrano olives. But bartender Paul McDonald would rather you didnt  like at all. I like to eat olives. But I hate dirty martinis, he said. We are not a dirty martini bar and I cant have people coming in ordering dirty martinis.

The olive of choice for a dirty martini at Rittenhouses Little Water is also a Castelvetrano, preferably Partanna brand because they provide brininess without overpowering the spirit used, said Maggie Cook, the restaurants general manager and wine director. Partanna olives can be found at Claudios Specialty Foods in the Italian Market and Di Brunos, for about $7 per 12-ounce jar.

Manzanilla

These are dual-purpose olives, and are used for both olive oil and table olives (and therefore martinis). Theyre on the saltier, slightly more bitter side, and can be green or black (the black ones are those canned California olives). Theyre often found stuffed with a speck of a sweet, mild pimento pepper. For my tried and true go-to dirty martini, Im reaching for those classic Spanish Queen or manzanilla old school bar olives that come in gigantic jars, said Rachel Brown, the bartender at 48 Record Bar. Apart from the sensory nostalgia that comes from that high salinity, soft pimento-filled dirty manzanilla martini, that craftsmanship really gets the chance to shine when youre using simple ingredients.

Nicoise

Nicoise olives are small and dark brown or black. They taste bitter, with a raisin-like fruitiness, and are a little nutty. Theyre the tiny, flavor-packed, polar opposites of gordals. Theyre grown near  you guessed it, Nice, France, and share their name with the citys famous salad, though the olives themselves also grace stews, soups, and tapenades. At Parc, you can get both a Nicoise salad and a Nicoise martini. There isnt another martini like it in Philly  its pink hued from the Nicoise olive brine  and its one of my favorites. It somehow doesnt taste terribly dirty, despite droplets of olive oil floating upon its surface. Theyre commonly found at grocery stores like Whole Foods. If you cant find them, cuquillo olives are very similar (but grown in Spain) and Losada also produces them.

Stuffed

For the funkiest possible martini olive, some intervention is required. As an avid dirty martini drinker and maker, theres something to be said for a unique stuffed olive, said 48 Record Bars Brown. Adding a blue cheese, jalapeno, pimento cheese, or even caviar touch to a dirty martini is a fun way to explore all the ways you can elevate your martini and surprise your palate.

I love offering regular and bleu cheese olives because bleu cheese lovers get so excited when they realize that we have them, said My Loups Moore, who doesnt believe that the stuffing of the olive may clash with any component of a martini, as long as the guest gets what they want. I mean, Italians serve aperol spritzes with olives sometimes, which can seem counter to the flavor profile. I think it works incredibly well to have a little savory counter to the sweet.

At the end of the day, the martini is one of the ultimate individualized drinks, and you should make it the way you want it. I find that theres always so many exceptions to martini rules that the only rule should be that the guest is happy when they have their drink, Moore said.

Have a question about what goes on behind the line in restaurant kitchens? Or how to handle food like a chef? Or where your food comes from? Hands, Please is a new advice column in which Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita puts her years of working as a chef to use answering your questions about the kitchen  in restaurants or in your own home.

Send questions to chef@inquirer.com for a chance to have it answered in this column. (FYI: By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.)

Have a question about what goes on behind the line in restaurant kitchens? Or how to handle food like a chef? Or where your food comes from? Hands, Please is a new advice column in which Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita puts her years of working as a chef to use answering your questions about the kitchen  in restaurants or in your own home.

Send questions to chef@inquirer.com for a chance to have it answered in this column. (FYI: By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.)
The proposed bargaining unit of roughly 1,500 workers at Penn would be affiliated with United Auto Workers (UAW). Read more

Postdoctoral researchers and research associates at the University of Pennsylvania have voted to form a union.

The roughly 1,500-person bargaining unit is just the latest to emerge from a wave of organizing efforts by multiple groups, comprising thousands of student workers, who have voted in favor of unionizing at Penn, Philadelphias largest employer.

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We do most of the groundbreaking research here at Penn, but we dont actually even get the benefits that many staff workers get here, said Bridget Begg, a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry and biophysics.

Postdocs are often in their late 20s to mid-30s trying to begin our lives, Begg notes. Postdocs dont get a match from the university on their retirement savings, said Begg, who also pointed to dependent healthcare benefits being better at unionized institutions.

These are the kinds of things that set you up long-term in life, she said.

Votes were cast on Wednesday and Thursday, and results of the union election were shared on Thursday evening.

The proposed bargaining unit at Penn would be affiliated with United Auto Workers (UAW).

Some 703 people voted for the union and 38 voted against it, which roughly represents 95% voting in favor, according to the UAW.

We are thrilled with tonights results, and ready to work with the university towards a more democratic workplace, said Emily Perkins, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology in a statement.

The UAW has more than 400,000 active members across the U.S. and Canada. Despite its name, it has expanded over the years to represent not just auto workers, but employees of hospitals, private nonprofits, and universities.

Were critical parts of the research process here at Penn, said Ryan Fair, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of radiology. We make up a large number of the researchers doing the day-to-day lab work, but we also serve as leaders within our lab, helping to manage undergrads and graduate students, and then also helping with writing papers and writing funding proposals.

The postdocs and research associates want to ensure their salaries and benefits are in line with peer institutions where research workers have unionized already, said Fair. Theyre also seeking better childcare benefits, parental leave policies, and immigration support for international members, among other things.

The NLRB has counted the ballots, and initial results indicate that the majority who cast a ballot voted to unionize with UAW, said a Penn spokesperson on Thursday evening. We expect the NLRB to certify the election unless either party files an objection.

The UAW looks forward to supporting Penn workers as they bargain their first contract, said Raymond Jensen Jr., assistant director for UAW Region 9.

Penn postdocs and research associates deserve benefits and protections that reflect their role as highly skilled academic workers and scientific collaborators, said Jensen. The vote results send a strong signal to Penns administration. Its time to sit down at the bargaining table and negotiate the improvements and protection these workers deserve.

A wave of labor organizing at Penn

At Penn, the recent union election is just the latest in a wave of labor organizing efforts.

Last year, graduate student workers voted in May to join UAW, and the following month, residence hall assistants secured their first union contract with OPEIU Local 153. In 2023, residents and fellows training at University of Pennsylvania Health System also voted to unionize with the Committee of Interns and Residents.

Postdocs at Penn join those at the University of California, Columbia University, and the University of Washington among others who have unionized with UAW since 2008.

We work long hours for modest pay, minimal benefits, and no job security as we navigate constantly shifting career prospects  which are increasingly tenuous in the current national political climate, wrote two postdoc fellows at Penn in an opinion piece published in The Inquirer in June.

The road to the union vote

The union election comes at a time in which universities are grappling with uncertainty around federal funding.

We have already seen some of those effects sparsely scattered among postdocs and research associates here at Penn, said Fair. One of the things that were seeking to achieve is better protections from those federal cuts by forming a union.

In March, Penn enacted a hiring freeze as it prepared for threatened federal funding cuts, and in June the university took out $500 million in three lines of credit amid the funding uncertainty.

Ahead of the union vote this week, Penn challenged the groups petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board. The university argued the workers were temporary employees and did not qualify for collective bargaining, and that some among the group do not share a community of interest, among other issues. Ultimately, a regional director at the NLRB decided in June that an election could go ahead.

Philadelphia City Council members penned a letter to Penns president and provost earlier this month in support of the postdocs and research associates, calling on Penn leadership to respect the outcome of the election.

If Postdocs and Research Associates vote to form their union, we urge Penn to promptly bargain with them in good faith for a fair contract, the letter reads. Particularly given the current threats to federal research funding, it would be disappointing to see Penn expend additional resources delaying workers democratic rights when research institutions, public officials, and workers are in a fight together to defend the research enterprise itself.
Erika Guadalupe, executive director at Juntos, leads the rally outside the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice over ICE arrests on Friday. Read more

Crowds stood outside the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice chanting say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.

The Friday morning rally organized by Juntos follows a string of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainments outside courthouses, including one at the Philadelphia justice center earlier this week, raising concerns among the community.

In a video posted by Juntos of the Wednesday incident, an ICE agent can be seen pinning a man to the ground as a woman screams, worried the man couldnt breathe.

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Abby English said she felt compelled to attend the rally after seeing the video on social media.

Philadelphia is supposed to be a sanctuary city, she said, calling law enforcements actions outrageous. She wants to see local government do more to protect immigrant community members.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration has favored the term welcoming city over sanctuary city," sparking criticism among immigrant advocates who have called on her to mount a loud and aggressive defense.

Our local government has not strongly denounced the actions of the federal government, English said.

ICE agents presence in Philadelphia courthouses has raised questions among advocacy groups about the future of the citys so-called sanctuary city policies and rattled community members. The agencys actions throughout the Philly region follow the inclusion of the city and some suburban counties on a list by President Donald Trumps administration of sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide that could miss out on federal funding for their refusal to enforce federal immigration laws.

For Erika Guadalupe, arrests outside courthouses are disgusting and disappointing.

As Juntos executive director, Guadalupe is against what she calls the good immigrant vs. bad immigrant rhetoric of Trumps administration.

Juntos has been working on locating the man featured in Wednesdays video, but so far the search has not yielded results.

He had a DUI charge, it was a first-time offense, Guadalupe said, adding that the charge was not an excuse for the force ICE agents used.

Someone having a criminal charge is not enough for them to disappear from the community, Guadalupe said. Fridays rally was framed as a way to show both the federal and local government that ICE is not welcome in Philadelphia, particularly in courthouses, Guadalupe said.

If we allow people to be marked as disposable, it really can be all of us, she said.

Marion Leary, 47, would usually be at work at a local college. Weeks of seeing social media videos of people being detained by ICE brought her to the rally instead.

It doesnt matter if you were born here or not, when one community is under attack, we are all under attack, Leary said.

The college worker mother is a first-generation Italian American. She questioned why the city wasnt doing more to protect its immigrants.

What is happening right now is not OK, she said.

Nationwide, polls show softening public support for Trumps immigration policies as his administration has ramped up arrests and increased ICEs budget.

In June, a national Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters showed 54% disapproved of the presidents handling of immigration issues, with 43% approving. And 56% disapproved of his handling of deportations, with 40% approving. Other polls also show a slipping approval rating, citing immigration policies.

The emotional load has been taxing on Lenore Ramos, 24, who works directly with people detained at immigration facilities.

As a Juntos community defense organizer, Ramos said shes received reports from detained immigrants suffering from mistreatment ranging from inadequate medical care to racist and derogatory comments.

The conditions are horrid, Ramos said of the detainment facilities.
Afghan refugees walk through a camp at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey on Sept. 27, 2021. The South Jersey base now may be used to house immigration detainees. Read more

President Donald Trumps administration intends to house immigration detainees at a South Jersey military base, naming it as one of two sites now certified to assist in the presidents plan for mass deportations.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which spreads through Burlington and Ocean Counties, was approved to confine immigrants by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to a July 15 letter he sent to U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway. The Democrat and Air Force veteran sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and his district includes parts of the 42,000-acre facility.

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It was not clear when immigrant detainees might arrive or how many might be held at the base. The Defense Department said people would be confined in temporary soft-sided holding facilities.

Conaway, along with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim and seven other members of the House of Representatives, on Friday said they condemned the Trump administrations decision in the strongest possible terms.

This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources, the elected Democrats said in a joint statement, one that escalates a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country.

They called on Republican colleagues in New Jersey to urge the administration to reverse the action, saying that using our countrys military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful.

Efforts to reach Conaway were unsuccessful Friday. The news about the base was first reported by NJ Spotlight News.

New Jersey hosts two detention sites

In his letter, Hegseth said having the Department of Homeland Security house what he called illegal aliens would not hurt training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness.

The other military site named was Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

New Jersey already is home to two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities, Delaney Hall in Newark and the Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth.

ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha said expanding immigration detention onto military bases sets a dangerous precedent and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution.

New Jersey already has the largest detention facility on the Eastern Seaboard, Delaney Hall, and with this expansion into Fort Dix, our state will continue to be the epicenter of President Trumps mass deportation agenda.

He called on lawmakers to exercise their oversight authority, to ensure New Jersey is not complicit in the Trump administrations extreme agenda that continues to violate fundamental rights and undermine our democracy.

A spokesperson for Gov. Phil Murphy said the governor opposes the plan and believes this is a gross misuse of U.S. military resources.

The Burlington County Board of Commissioners said in a statement that people who are unlawfully present in our country should be lawfully returned to their home country, but the board had become increasingly concerned about overaggressive enforcement actions by Homeland Security, ICE, and other federal agencies.

This kind of overzealous, and in some cases  unlawful  enforcement, threaten our citizens rights, safety and the culture of community we hold dear, the statement said. Instead of making our country stronger, they cause fear and division, and that has no place in our federal military installations or in Burlington County."

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners said in a statement that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and decisions as such are made on the federal level. We remain committed to serving our residents here in Ocean County and will continue to monitor any developments as appropriate.

Pemberton Mayor Jack Tompkins, whose township abuts the military installation on the south, could not be reached for comment.

Some South Jersey leaders said they were unaware of the authorization prior to Friday.

I dont know enough about the proposal to form an opinion on it, said David Frank, mayor of Springfield Township, which touches the installation to the west. Weve had no official communications on the matter.

Trump plans require beds, space

Trumps goal of mass deportations is challenged not only by Democrats, but by logistics. The administration needs beds and space.

An effort to deport millions of people  about 13.7 million undocumented migrants live in the United States  requires a federal mobilization of people, facilities, and dollars. And the surge of immigration arrests under Trump is already crowding the detention system.

ICE had nearly 58,000 immigrants in custody as of June 29, up from about 39,000 the week after Trump was inaugurated in January. More than 70% of those held by ICE have no criminal convictions, statistics show.

ICE also tracks an additional 184,000 people through its Alternatives to Detention program, which allows immigrants to live freely while being monitored by electronic devices and check-ins.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Defense Departments only tri-service base, a hub with global reach, responsible for providing mission support, airlift, air refueling, and combat airpower.

A spokesperson at the base referred questions on immigration detention to the Defense Department and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE referred all questions to Defense.

Officials there said the timeline for building the holding facilities would depend on the requirements of the operation and coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

The base was created by the 2009 combination of three installations: McGuire Air Force Base, once known as Rudd Field; the Armys Fort Dix; and the Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, perhaps best-known as the site of the Hindenburg disaster in 1937.

But the base has also served to house big, new populations  none of whom had been involuntarily forced onto a military installation to await deportation. That would represent a dramatic change, from housing people eager to start new lives in the United States, to confining those whom the government wants to kick out.

Base housed Afghan war allies

In 2021, amid the chaotic evacuation of Kabul as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, the base was one of eight U.S. military installations to serve as safe havens for evacuated war allies and their families. The encampment known as Liberty Village was basically a small town on a military base, home to 3,377 families, three times the size of Cape May, N.J.

To house the Afghan allies, some of the bases existing brick housing was supplemented by what were called tents, though those structures were hardened and more resilient than canvas.

In 2010, the base served as a relief center for evacuees who arrived after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. In 1999, then-Fort Dix provided temporary shelter to hundreds of Kosovo refugees amid the Kosovo War. And way back during the Cold War, from 1955 to 1957, Fort Dix housed Hungarian refugees fleeing Soviet repression.

Trump has pledged to conduct the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, and recently achieved a huge increase in budgeting for ICE, from about $8 billion to roughly $28 billion, to help him do so.

Some polls, however, show softening public support for Trumps immigration policies. In June, a national Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters showed 54% disapproved of the presidents handling of immigration issues, with 43% approving. Additionally, 56% disapproved of his handling of deportations, with 40% approving.

New Jersey is a sanctuary state, which attempts to limit its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, a status that emerged as a major issue in the spring primary contests for governor.

One Democratic candidate  South Jerseys Steve Sweeney  joined all of the Republicans in saying they would end the policy, while Democrats talked mostly about how to expand it.

The November election will see Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill face Republican former state assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli in the contest to replace Democratic incumbent Murphy.

Legally, the Department of Defense can make military bases available to any federal, state, or local law-enforcement officials for law-enforcement purposes, according to the National Immigration Law Center. For instance, in 2014, amid a crush of migrants from Central America, President Barack Obama housed thousands of children who were fleeing El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on military bases in Texas, Oklahoma, and California.
Ashley Lepera, center, Rachel Berger, left, and Jules Murdza, pose for a photo in front of South LeCount Street. Read more

It has taken a year of organizing, complaints, and a spate of recent collisions, but residents along the 600 block of South LeCount Street in the Schuylkill section of the city finally got a traffic-calming measure. Though its temporary, residents say theyll take it.

The section of South Street near LeCount Street is a high-traffic corridor with a bike lane just east of the busy South Street Bridge. Residents said the frequent crashes on the corner have affected their quality of life, as many have witnessed them and rendered aid to cyclists and pedestrians in recent years. They hope a Philadelphia Department of Streets plan that switched the direction of traffic on LeCount from south to north Thursday will help reduce the number of collisions.

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This month alone, a grandmother and granddaughter on a cargo bike, a 36-year-old pregnant woman on an electric scooter, and a 37-year-old cyclist who was critically injured were involved in crashes.

Even before those incidents, families of the 11 children living on the block had opted to keep them inside out of traffic-safety concerns, but that has not shielded them from the reality.

Rachel Bergers 8-year-old daughter had just started to gain momentum as a cyclist when she saw the aftermath of a July 9 crash, including blood on the sidewalk.

The night after the crash, she said to me, Im trying to go to sleep, Mom, but every time I close my eyes, I just see the blood and I cant sleep, said Berger, adding her daughter has not asked to ride her bike since.

Some are frustrated by the time and public pressure campaign required to get the citys attention.

Berger, 42, got her neighbors on the block to sign a change-of-traffic-direction petition last summer. She sent the petition in September to her City Council member, Kenyatta Johnson, whose office sent it to the streets department, and then never received an update.

I dont know what the appropriate level of nudging is, so I thought Im gonna keep pushing this, she said. Then this summer, thats when this person got seriously hit.

City shamed into action, say residents

The speed at which the streets department reviews requests for traffic-calming measures is often a sore spot with residents. Speed cushions, for example, take six months to a year to be installed despite improvements to the request process.

The department has to analyze data and consider what would work best for a block: extending curbs, adding stop signs, or prohibiting turns. In a statement, the department said it looked into requests for speed bumps on the block, but the traffic engineering division suggested a traffic-direction change instead.

Vincent Thompson, Johnsons communications director, said the office has been working with city departments to resolve this issue since the complaints were received.

Council President Johnson is a strong advocate for the safety of bike riders, Thompson said in a statement. He has worked with Philly Bike Action, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and others to get legislation approved that enhances bike safety citywide.

Still, LeCount Street residents said they did not know what to expect from the city. Neither the streets department nor Johnsons office addressed the perceived lack of communication that residents expressed.

As more people were getting injured, people like Ashley Lepera, 33, mounted a public pressure campaign.

For Lepera, a nurse, the first two weeks of July were the final straw.

I watched so many peoples lives get ruined, she said.

Lepera said she arrived home on July 9 to a group of people surrounding a practically comatose cyclist who had been hit by a car and was not responding to aid.

She took to Facebook, Reddit, and a Discord chat asking for advice and if people would join her in a visit to Johnsons office. Residents began talking to reporters.

Jessie Amadio, 37, an organizer with Philly Bike Action!, said she wasnt surprised efforts to change the traffic direction had stalled.

What really gets stuff done is political pressure, she said.

Lepera and Berger had a meeting with Johnson last Friday. By Wednesday, a day after the pregnant woman collided with a turning car, residents learned the traffic direction would be changed.

Johnsons office did not discuss why the request was suddenly pushed through.

They only actually did something because they were shamed, Lepera said.

Advocates say the city could act faster

Amadio understands the challenge for the city in responding to traffic-calming requests, but she believes there should be a way to fast-track calming if multiple people are being injured.

If a City Council district person hears of a crash in their district, there should be a way to take immediate action, just to staunch the bleeding, so to speak, and then let streets and the engineers and the traffic study people do their work over the course of many months, she said.

It could be as simple as using cones or traffic diversion, she said.

For now, residents on LeCount hope their temporary measure helps prevent crashes and doesnt turn South Bambrey Street, the next side street going south, into the next problematic intersection.

Should the streets department find the measure to be effective in the six-month trial period, legislation would need to be introduced by Johnson, who represents the district, and passed in City Council for the change to become permanent. The earliest legislation could be introduced is September, when Council members return from summer break.
The WXPN sign atop World Cafe Live on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. WXPN and other public music stations face deep cuts after Republicans voted to defund NPR and PBS. Read more

Big Bird and Elmo are what many people associate with NPR and PBS, with Terry Gross and some politics sprinkled in somewhere.

But among the outlets threatened by Republicans voting to fully defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are beloved music stations across the country, including two in Philadelphia  WRTI-FM (90.1) out of Temple University, and WXPN-FM (88.5), the home of World Cafe.

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Were trying to serve people with great classical music and jazz, said WRTI general manager Bill Johnson. So being caught in a narrative that is about something we dont control is certainly frustrating.

Federal funding makes up about 6% of WRTIs annual budget, but the cuts go deeper. In addition to distributing grant money, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting also negotiates music royalties on WRTIs behalf, then distributes the music to them at no cost.

So in addition to losing about $327,000 a year in federal funding, WRTI will also have to pay to acquire the music it airs across the Philadelphia region. Johnson estimates the total hit on the stations budget will be about $700,000 a year.

Its going to hit us hard, Johnson said.

 READ MORE: How WHYY and other Pa. stations will be impacted after Republicans voted to defund NPR and PBS

The station has more questions than answers at this point. WRTI pays NPR to manage and maintain its website, so what happens now that federal funds are being cut off? Then there are the royalties that need to be paid to the artists whose music is airing on WRTI, which is also managed by NPR.

WRTI doesnt even know how much the music royalties cost, because the Corporation for Public Broadcasting negotiates that directly with music companies on the behalf of public media stations, which includes a nondisclosure agreement with record labels.

The only positive news is that the royalties are paid through the end of the year, giving WRTI and other music stations a few months to figure it all out.

Its going to be a lot of work and its a big number, Johnson said. Im confident we deliver enough value that we have a strong case for additional support.

Music stations are collateral damage

The situation is similar over at WXPN, which has been providing the Philadelphia region live music for more than two decades.

WXPN had been receiving about $550,000 a year in federal funding, which represents about 5% of its annual budget. But like WRTI and other public media music stations, WXPN doesnt know how big the financial hit will ultimately be.

We estimate wed have to raise about $1 million more a year, every year, just to offset the cuts, said WXPN general manager Roger LaMay.

On top of that, WXPN distributes World Cafe, a live performance and interview show launched in 1991 and currently hosted by Raina Douris, to about 300 stations nationwide, including small and rural stations that may be forced to shut down.

Its going to have a profound impact on us, LaMay said. This isnt something that threatens to put us out of business, but its certainly going to impact the range of things were going to do.

That includes everything from WXPNs regular Free at Noon series on Fridays (which just celebrated its 20th anniversary) to its homegrown live concert series featuring local bands. Theres also WXPNs annual festival, which LaMay said was difficult enough to manage before the federal cuts.

LaMay is also concerned about the artists who benefit from having their music air on WXPN and other stations. Less money to purchase rights and less stations to air music also means musicians will be hit by these federal budget cuts.

Music stations are collateral damage in all this, LaMay said. Theres more to life than politics.
A painting of President George Washington is visible behind President Donald Trump as he speaks in the White House in October 2019. Read more

To suggest Donald Trump is ideologically aligned with Americas Founding Fathers is to invite outrage from academics, media pundits, and policymakers who have spent years framing Trump as an existential threat to democracy. Yet, this reflexive dismissal reveals more about contemporary mythmaking than historical reality. The truth is far more unsettling: Trumps political instincts  his skepticism of centralized power, his populist defiance of elite institutions, his transactional nationalism  are deeply rooted in the founders vision.

This is not to equate Trump with George Washington or Thomas Jefferson in character or intellect. Rather, it is to acknowledge that the founders were not the enlightened democrats of modern liberal hagiography. They were revolutionaries who distrusted pure democracy, embraced strong executive power when necessary, and saw politics as a contest of interests, not a utopian exercise in consensus. Trump, for all his flaws, operates within this tradition  one that progressive elites have spent decades sanitizing.

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The American Revolution was not fought to establish a democracy in the modern sense. The founders feared mob rule as much as monarchical tyranny. James Madison, in Federalist No. 10, warned against the violence of faction, and designed a constitutional system to temper popular passions. The Electoral College, the Senates structure, and property-based voting restrictions were all mechanisms to ensure governance by a propertied elite  men like themselves.

Trumps skepticism of unchecked majoritarianism mirrors this philosophy. His attacks on the deep state, his defiance of bureaucratic gatekeepers, and his willingness to bypass Congress via executive action (a tool Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln also wielded aggressively) reflect the founders belief that concentrated power  whether in a king or an administrative elite  must be challenged. When Trump rails against unelected bureaucrats, he echoes Jeffersons warning that the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.

The founders were unapologetic nationalists. Alexander Hamiltons economic program  protective tariffs, a strong central bank, and federal investment in industry  was designed to ensure American self-sufficiency against British domination. Jefferson, despite his agrarian ideals, embraced the Embargo Act of 1807, a protectionist measure that crippled foreign trade to assert U.S. sovereignty.

Trumps America First agenda  tariffs on China, skepticism of multilateral institutions, and insistence on reciprocal trade  fits squarely within this tradition. His critics dismiss these policies as isolationist or reckless, but they align with the founders belief that a nations economic independence is inseparable from its political freedom. As Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 11, The genius of the commercial republics lies in their ability to dictate the terms of their own prosperity.

Free speech and the politics of dissent

The founders enshrined free speech not as a polite academic ideal, but as a weapon against entrenched power. The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798  passed by Federalists to suppress opposition  were met with fierce resistance from Jefferson and Madison, who argued that a free press was essential to hold government accountable.

Trumps battles with the media, though cruder in execution, follow the same logic. His attacks on fake news can be seen to be less about suppressing dissent than exposing institutional bias  a modern echo of Jeffersons claim that the press is impotent when it abandons itself to falsehood. The founders would have recognized Trumps war on the establishment press as a continuation of their own struggles against partisan gatekeepers.

The founders dark side: Power and exclusion

Here lies the most uncomfortable parallel. The founders proclaimed liberty while presiding over a slaveholding republic. They expanded voting rights  but only for white male property owners. Their democracy was always conditional, a privilege for the right kind of citizen.

Trumps rhetoric often embraces this exclusionary impulse  whether in his immigration policies or his nostalgic invocations of a mythic past. But this, too, is part of the founders legacy. The Constitutions three-fifths clause and the Fugitive Slave Act were compromises with white supremacy, just as Trumps appeals to law and order resonate with those who fear demographic change.

The difference is that Trump lacks the founders veneer of Enlightenment idealism. Where they couched their contradictions in lofty prose, he states his priorities bluntly  making him a more honest, if less polished, heir to their vision.

Why this comparison matters

Confronting these parallels is not an endorsement of Trump, but a reckoning with Americas origins. The founders were not saints; they were pragmatic revolutionaries who balanced idealism with self-interest. Trump, for all his vulgarity, forces us to see the founders as they were  not as prophets of liberal democracy, but as architects of a system built on tension between liberty and power.

The progressive lefts horror at Trump stems from its belief that American history is a steady march toward inclusion. But this narrative ignores the founders own ambivalence about democracy. If we dismiss Trump as an aberration, we miss the deeper truth: He is a product of the very system the founders designed  one that rewards ambition, resists centralized control, and thrives on conflict.

The American Experiment was never a pure democracy. It was a turbulent, often brutal contest over who gets to rule. Trump, with his instinct for disruption and his disdain for polite norms, is a throwback to this raw, unvarnished tradition.

The founders would likely wince at his tweets, but recognize his tactics. They, too, fought dirty when necessary. They, too, prized results over process. And they, too, understood that democracy is not a static ideal, but a battleground  one where power, not virtue, ultimately prevails.

Trumps critics are right to fear him. But they are wrong to think he is alien to Americas political DNA. He is, in many ways, its most authentic modern expression.

Delgreco Wilson, who formerly taught comparative politics and international relations at Lincoln University, is a political analyst, educator, and advocate whose work centers on empowering Black Americans through a deeper understanding of political strategy.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) speaks at a Capitol Hill news conference in 2023. Read more

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) proposed to Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich late last month while on a trip to Provence, France.

Heinrich announced the engagement in an interview with People Magazine, saying it felt like a fairy tale. The proposal took place in the middle of a lavender field at sunrise, she said.

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It was so breathtaking, Heinrich told People. The smell was just so fragrant. Its a memory that will be seared into my brain for life. Its hard to even put into words just how gorgeous it really was. It felt like a fairy tale.

Heinrich has worked for Fox since 2018, previously covering the 2020 presidential election and Congress. She is also a member of the White House Correspondents Association executive board.

Fitzpatrick was not the only Pennsylvania Republican in Congress to propose to a Fox News political correspondent last month.

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R., Pa), who represents Southwestern Pennsylvania, proposed to Brooke Singman while picnicking in New Yorks Central Park on June 22.

Singman, who covers the White House for Fox News Digital, met Reschenthaler while covering last years presidential election. After the relationship began, she recused herself from covering the House of Representatives.

In a statement to the Washington Post, Fox News said it has policies in place to ensure there are no conflicts of interest between our journalists and the stories or subjects they cover.
Chicago's Angel Reese shows off her cheetah print coat on the orange carpet for WNBA All-Star weekend. Read more

The WNBA has been showing up and showing out on and off the court, and the All-Star Weekend orange carpet outfits were no different.

Fashion is key to the WNBA experience, and carpet interviewers Ari Chambers and Jordan Robinson had no issues reminding some of the veterans of their old looks, teasing Breanna Stewart and Nneka Oguwmike with old photos.

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The leagues all-stars arrived in Indianapolis ahead of the festivities this weekend. Here were some of the best looks:

In an interview on the carpet, the Chicago Skys Angel Reese said shes a businesswoman on and off the court, and her long velvet cheetah print coat definitely showed that. The outfit was chic, fashionable, and so Angel.

Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron is known for her nonchalant reactions to her killer shots on the court, and her carpet look matched the vibe perfectly. The silhouette kept things light and airy, but the fact that its a light green power suit, along with black accents, shows she means business this weekend.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescus Nike-sponsored carpet outfit matched her laser focus ahead of the All-Star three-point competition Friday night. She wore an all-black power suit with a chunky belt and Nike tights  thats right, swooshes and all  channeling her inner just do it for her fourth All-Star appearance.

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said she stepped out of her comfort zone with her look, and it worked. Shes serving elevated pirate with the white button-up and gold chains, but the glasses and Versace clutch bring the outfit to a level of elegance that looks great on Mitchell.

Paige Bueckers has been working with her stylist, Brittany Hampton, for years. They play with colors, fabrics, and silhouettes, and Bueckers All-Star look was something new. The Dallas Wings rookie wore a colorful Marni sweater vest and detailed pants with Prada shoes.

Honorable mention

While Indiana guard Sydney Colsons carpet look may not have been as memorable as some others, her tunnel fit from the Fevers July 16 matchup against the New York Liberty sure was.

Think youve seen that NYC-themed dress before? You have  when WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert wore it at the Libertys trophy presentation. Colson had this joke planned for a while, which is fitting for the Fever guard, whos hosting a stand-up comedy show at a fan event Saturday in Indianapolis.
With over two decades at Aon, Debbie Spandonis has held several leadership roles, most notably as branch manager in Hobart and, since 2021, as regional manager for Tasmania overseeing both the Hobart and Launceston offices. Her responsibilities include shaping risk-management strategies and driving local team performance. On LinkedIn, she also cites her involvement as a people leader and director with the Aon Charitable Foundation.
"The floods of February were widespread and several of these communities will be in recovery mode for some time yet. These consultations will be our third round since the event. Being on the ground again shows our ongoing commitment to face-to-face collaboration with everyone involved to resolve any remaining issues, Walter said.
- Horn of Africa (HoA) countries have reaffirmed their shared commitment to harnessing digital transformation as a catalyst for sustainable development, as the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) convened its recent technical meeting.

The meeting, held at the African Development Bank (AfDB) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, was chaired by HoAI Secretariat Head Liban Obsiye. It brought together focal points and national advisors from member countries, along with key development partners, to assess progress and discuss the implementation of the Initiative's core pillars, including digital facilitation, infrastructure, and resilience.

Information obtained from the official social media account of the Initiative indicated that the productive exchanges reaffirmed the collective commitment to accelerating regional economic growth, interconnectivity, and cross-border collaboration through joint action and coordinated planning.

The technical meeting followed the successful 25th Ministerial Meeting held the previous day, reinforcing momentum toward achieving the shared vision of a connected and prosperous Horn of Africa.

The 25th HoAI Finance Ministers' Meeting, concluded on July 14, discussed the need to advance digital connectivity across the region. The Ministers were briefed on the Digital Integration and Policy Matrix adopted in 2023, with Ethiopia recognized as one of the top performers.

During the session, Finance State Minister Eyob Tekalign (PhD) highlighted Ethiopia's progress in digital integration and showcased its alignment with the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix.

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He noted key reforms, including the liberalization of the telecom sector, the enactment of personal data protection and cybersecurity laws, the expansion of fiber infrastructure, and the registration of over 19 million citizens under the digital ID system.

The scale-up of mobile money, with over 54 million Telebirr users and 4.6 trillion Birr in transactions, reflects Ethiopia's momentum in promoting financial inclusion. Eyob also emphasized the importance of regional energy connectivity and expressed appreciation to development partners for their continued support.

Discussions during the meeting focused on advancing the digital facilitation agenda, a cornerstone for driving regional integration, economic growth, job creation, and improved connectivity across the Horn of Africa. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment to leveraging digital transformation as a driver of sustainable development.

The HoAI, comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia, aims to prioritize regional programs in infrastructure connectivity, economic integration, resilience-building and human capital development. These efforts complement national programs and priorities to achieve deeper regional integration in the Horn of Africa. The Initiative presents a comprehensive business model for regional integration, encompassing policy dialogue, investment, and political ownership.
ARAG SE, the big German insurer, is withdrawing from the Australian market. A media release from the company headquarters in Dusseldorf said existing policies will continue to be serviced but the firm will not renew policies or take on new business.
His career includes the creation of one of the first boutique environmental brokerages and advisory roles at companies such as Goji, Zurich North America, and Aon. He holds a law degree from Temple University and is admitted to practice in New York and Washington, D.C.
Evidence further indicated that Lacks lifeguards were inadequately trained, failing to fulfill the required 40 hours of open-water lifesaving instruction stipulated in Lacks franchise agreement with the city. The franchise agreement specifically required training consistent with standards of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). Lacks also admitted at trial it was understaffed that day, falling short of the required ratio of mobile lifeguards. Furthermore, lifeguard stand L-21, the nearest stand to Woldes distress location, was completely unmanned during a lifeguard lunch break and displayed no flags to warn swimmers of the hazardous rip currents.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that Google will partner with his administration to provide free and low-cost artificial intelligence certification courses to Virginians as part of his offices ongoing effort to connect citizens to new jobs amid changes to the states economy.

The partnership, which he has described as an AI career launchpad, will provide Google-sponsored AI training courses for up to 10,000 Virginians at any given time, officials said at Googles office in the northern part of the state.

The training opportunities will be listed on a job website that Youngkin launched earlier this year, in response to significant layoffs among federal workers by the Trump administration, including many workers from Virginia.

All fields, all career movements somewhere along the way, are going to incorporate this next generation of technology, Youngkin said at the news conference.

The initiative comes with unemployment rising in Virginia, which has roughly 20,400 continued unemployment claims, state Secretary of Labor George Bryan Slater said after the news conference. Roughly 2,800 people initially filed unemployment claims during the first week of July, which is about 6.1 percent higher than the previous week.

The AI webpage will feature the free courses as well as some low-cost learning opportunities, ranging from beginner friendly courses on AI fundamentals and practical workplace applications of artificial intelligence to bootcamps and degree programs offered by Virginias leading-edge community colleges and universities, according to the governors office.

Nicole Overley, commissioner of Virginia Works, said businesses have told her office that AI proficiency has become increasingly necessary in their industries. She said the training would help Virginians become competitive in the job markets where these very businesses are hiring.

Overly confirmed that the training courses wont cost taxpayers anything and are being donated by Google. Bronagh Friel, head of partnerships at Google, said she was proud of the collaboration with the state.

Google is committed to championing economic growth and opportunity in Virginia, she said.

Olivia Diaz 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.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics InsurTech Data Driven Artificial Intelligence Talent Virginia
Chinese-linked hackers are targeting the Taiwanese semiconductor industry and investment analysts as part of a string of cyber espionage campaigns, researchers said on Wednesday [July 16].

While hacking to steal data and information about the industry is not new, there is an increase in sustained hacking campaigns from several China-aligned hacking groups, researchers with cybersecurity firm Proofpoint said in a new analysis.

Weve seen entities that we hadnt ever seen being targeted in the past being targeted, said Mark Kelly, a threat researcher focused on Chinese-related threats at Proofpoint.

The previously unreported hacking campaigns were carried out by at least three distinct Chinese-linked groups primarily between March and June of this year, with some activity likely ongoing, Proofpoint said. They come amid rising restrictions by Washington on exports to China of U.S.-designed chips that are often manufactured in Taiwan. Chinas chip industry has been working to replace its dwindling supply of sophisticated U.S. chips, especially those used in artificial intelligence.

The researchers declined to identify the hacking targets, but told Reuters that approximately 15 to 20 organizations ranging from small businesses, analysts employed by at least one U.S.-headquartered international bank, and large global enterprises faced attacks.

Major Taiwanese semiconductor firms include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., MediaTek, United Microelectronics Corp., Nanya Technology, and RealTek Semiconductor. TSMC declined to comment. MediaTek, UMC, Nanya and RealTek did not respond to requests for comment.

Reuters was unable to identify the specific hacking targets or determine whether any of the efforts were successful.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told Reuters in an email that cyberattacks are a common threat faced by all countries, China included, and that the Asian country firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks and cyber crime  a position that is consistent and clear.

The activity ranged from one or two emails sent as part of the more targeted campaign focused on specific people, to as many as 80 emails when trying to gain information from the company at large, Kelly said.

One group targeted semiconductor design, manufacturing and supply-chain organizations using compromised Taiwanese university email accounts to pose as job seekers and send malware via PDFs with URLs leading to malicious files, or a password-protected archive.

Another targeted financial analysts at major unnamed investment firms focused on the Taiwanese semiconductor industry by posing as a fictitious investment firm and seeking collaboration. Two of the entities are based in Asia, while the third is based in the U.S. The FBI declined to comment.

A representative of TeamT5, a cybersecurity firm based in Taiwan, told Reuters that it had also seen an increase in emails being sent targeting the semiconductor industry tied to a few hacking groups, but not a wide or general phenomenon.

Targeting of semiconductors and the supply chain around them is a persistent threat that has existed for long, the representative said, and a constant interest for Chinese-related advanced hacking operators.

These groups often target peripheral suppliers or related industries, the representative said, such as a situation in June where a China-linked hacking group identified by TeamT5 as Amoeba launched a phishing campaign against an unnamed chemical company that plays a critical role in the semiconductor supply chain.

(Reporting by AJ Vicens in Detroit; editing by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)
Earlier this week, American International Group (AIG) made a splash with the announcement that it had hired former Lloyds CEO John Neal to be the new leader of General Insurance, the companys property/casualty operations. Meanwhile, the man who once led that insurance business unit is facing charges of sexual assault.

David McElroy, most recently chairman of General Insurance, was charged late last year with three counts of sexual assault and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct by authorities in Lamoille County, Vermont. He was arraigned early this year and pleaded not guilty.

According to records obtained by Insurance Journal from the Vermont Department of States Attorneys and Sheriffs, the charges stem from a night McElroy spent with a woman who attended a client conference and fundraiser at the Lodge at Spruce Peak resort in Stowe, Vermont in early March 2024.

A 14-page affidavit from a detective with the Stowe Police Department outlines the incident in detail, starting with the alleged victim first coming across McElroy at a bar during a private gathering. She then saw him at the bar again later that evening, at which time McElroy allegedly asked her to stay for a drink and twice ordered double shots of tequila. After some time, the pair moved from the bar to an executive lounge, and McElroy eventually left the room and came back with a bottle of wine, according to the affidavit.

According to the case file, the detective said the victim told him she next recalled waking up on the floor of her room and realized McElroy was allegedly sexually assaulting her. After the alleged assault, the victim said the situation felt scary and awkward because she had no memory leading up to that point, said the detective in the affidavit.

David. V. Kirby, an attorney for McElroy, told IJ via email that his client categorically denies the charges.

[McElroy] is a good man with an impeccable reputation in the insurance industry including 40 years of service without so much as a blemish, Kirby said. We intend to defend him vigorously, and he looks forward to his day in court where he can be vindicated. Until then, the charges should be seen for what they are: mere allegations that are vehemently denied.

AIG said the company has no comment.

McElroy contacted the Stowe Police Department on April 10, 2024 to provide a sworn statement and said he believed the encounter to be consensual. His story included him helping the alleged victim to the front desk to retrieve a key to her room, and they spent the night there.

Twelve days after McElroy provided a statement to police, AIG announced McElroy was retiring on May 1, 2024. The 66-year-old executive, AIG said, agreed to accelerate his retirement date for personal reasons.

McElroy was promoted to the newly created role of chairman of General Insurance in October 2023. He assumed the role that January to focus on advancing client development, build distribution partner relationships, and continue to support the companys focus on underwriting excellence. He had been with AIG since 2018, joining from Arch to become president and CEO of surplus lines writer Lexington Insurance. He was promoted to president and CEO of North America, General Insurance in June 2019, and in August 2020 he was promoted to CEO of General Insurance.

Also in October 2023, Don Bailey was named CEO of North America commercial insurance, and Jon Hancock was named CEO of international commercial insurance and the global personal insurance business. The businesses make up the General Insurance operation. Bailey and Hancock continued in these roles following McElroys departure and each continue to do so with the hiring of Neal to the newly created role within AIG of president and head of General Insurance.

McElroy is due for a hearing at Vermonts Lamoille County Courthouse in August. The sexual assault charges each carry penalties of 3 years to life in prison plus tens of thousands of dollars in fines. The lewd and lascivious conduct charge carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison.

Topics AIG
Excessive litigation and abuse of the U.S. legal system are effectively imposing a tax on the U.S. economy and causing a surge in liability insurance costs, according to John Doyle, president and chief executive officer of Marsh McLennan.

The U.S. already has the highest liability insurance rates in the world and escalating costs will only make it harder for companies to decide to invest and grow here, he said during an analysts call to discuss the companys second quarter results.

And for those companies that do invest in the U.S., they will have to pass along these increased costs to consumers, he added.

Doyle pointed to the fact that global casualty rates increased 4%, while U.S. excess casualty rates rose 18% in the second quarter.

Over the past decade, he said, U.S. excess casualty insurance rates have increased by a cumulative 150%.

Our tort system is intended to provide fair compensation to injured parties who have been wronged, but too often we see tort litigation backed by a vast and growing industry with outside investors, he said, referring to the growing litigation funding industry.

The result in many cases is that aggrieved parties see less than half of the settlement awards, he said, noting that Marsh McLennans clients are feeling the effects of this growing problem.

Doyle went on to discuss the rise of so-called nuclear verdicts. Cases exceeding $100 million have grown 400% over the past decade, he said, citing figures from the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.

This trend is encouraging more lawsuits and blockbuster verdicts which drive up insurance costs, Doyle continued.

In fact, in 2024, US liability insurance experienced the most severe adverse reserve development of any single line of coverage since the 2008 global financial crisis, which was more than double the amount from the previous year, Doyle said.

During the question-and-answer session with the equity analysts, Doyle explained that his comments on the U.S. liability situation were in part driven by recent legislation in the form of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4.

Doyle noted that North Carolina Senator Thomas Tillis had proposed an amendment to the reconciliation bill that would have changed tax policy around litigation financing, but it failed to get included in the law. Doyle described the omission as a missed opportunity.

Read more: Tax Increase on Litigation Funders Does Not Make Final Budget Bill

Although an injured party, in many cases, gets less than 50% of the outcome of a settlement, that injured party pays ordinary U.S. income tax, while a litigation funder pays capital gains and a foreign investor pays zero tax, Doyle explained.

Addressing these tort abuses will be challenging and take time. Were committed to working with the business community and policymakers to tackle this challenge.

Related:

Topics Lawsuits Liability
President Donald Trump has moved to install a Republican majority at the federal board that hears private-sector labor disputes and oversees union elections, which has been paralyzed by his unprecedented firing of a Democratic member.

The White House sent the nominations of Scott Mayer, chief labor counsel at Boeing Co, and James Murphy, a career lawyer at the National Labor Relations Board, to the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.

The five-member board has lacked a quorum of three members and has been unable to rule in hundreds of pending cases since Trump in January fired NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden.

It was the first time since the board was created in 1935 that a member had been removed.

The U.S. Supreme Court in May allowed Wilcoxs removal pending the outcome of her legal challenge, which could set an important precedent on the presidents ability to remove members of agencies designed to be independent from the White House.

The board is also facing a series of lawsuits, including cases by Amazon.com and Elon Musks SpaceX, claiming its structure and in-house enforcement proceedings violate the U.S. Constitution.

The White House, the NLRB, Boeing, and Murphy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If confirmed, Mayer and Murphy would join the boards acting chair, Republican Marvin Kaplan, and Democrat David Prouty.

The NLRB hears cases involving illegal labor practices, including interference with union organizing, and decides disputes involving union elections. The board, which by tradition has no more than three members from one party, can adopt rules interpreting federal labor law but typically sets new policies through decisions in individual cases.

Without a quorum, the board cannot review decisions by the agencys administrative judges, rendering them unenforceable. Unions and worker advocates have said the hobbling of the board has made it impossible to force some employers to cease even egregious and blatant legal violations, such as refusing to bargain and firing union supporters.

A Republican majority is expected to roll back many decisions issued during the Biden administration that were seen as favoring unions and heavily criticized by business groups.

That includes a 2023 ruling that created a path to unionize workers outside of the secret-ballot election process for the first time in 50 years, and a decision in a case involving Amazon.com that prohibits employers from requiring attendance at meetings to discourage unionizing.

Mayer has been chief legal counsel at Boeing since 2022 and previously worked at InterContinental Hotels Group, MGM Resorts International, and Aramark, according to his profile on networking site LinkedIn. Boeing faced a bitter seven-week strike from some U.S. factory workers last year, which ended when workers approved a new union contract in November.

Murphy has worked at the NLRB since 1974, when he was hired as a student law clerk, according to the agency. He has served as counsel to dozens of NLRB members, including Kaplan, the current acting chair.

Topics USA Politics
Waymo is more than doubling its service territory in Austin as the driverless taxi firm looks to fend off competition from Tesla Inc.

Through its partnership with ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc., Waymo said Thursday that it will now offer autonomous rides across 90 square miles of the city. The service, which launched in Austin about four months ago, previously covered about 37 square miles.

The expansion highlights the growing competition in the Texas state capital, where Tesla rolled out its own long-promised robotaxi service last month to a small group of handpicked initial riders. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said last week that it would expand to a larger area in Austin, where Tesla is based.

Teslas robotaxis are not yet open to the public, but Musk has pledged to expand rapidly, both in the city and to other markets, including the San Francisco Bay area.

Texas has become a key market for robotaxis, in part due to looser regulations around driverless cars than in some other states. As of late March, Waymo robotaxis accounted for 20% of Uber rides within the initial operating territory in Austin.

Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc., offers 24/7 rides with more than 100 vehicles in the city. It also operates in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix.

The company also began collecting data in New York City this month as it seeks a permit for autonomous testing. New York state requires a vehicle operator in the car when using autonomous driving technology, a law that Waymo says it is advocating to change.

Photo: A Waymo autonomous taxi and a Tesla vehicle for robotaxi testing purposes in Austin, on June 20.

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

Topics Tesla
Tesla Inc. settled a high-profile lawsuit over a drivers death in 2019 when the Autopilot system in his Model 3 allegedly failed to avoid a collision with a tractor-trailer crossing a Florida highway.

The confidential settlement, disclosed in a July 7 court filing, came just before Elon Musks electric vehicle maker went to trial in Miami this week over another 2019 fatal crash in Florida blamed on its driver-assistance system.

The lawsuit over Jeremy Banners Model 3 collision with the tractor-trailer was among the first to allege defects in the driver-assistance software and to test Musks claims that Teslas are the safest cars.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board cited inattention due to over-reliance on automation for Banners failure to react to the truck crossing a two-lane highway on his way to work. In a 2020 report, the agency also criticized Teslas technology for insufficiently monitoring and enforcing driver engagement. The Autopilot system did not send a visual or audible warning to the driver to put his hands back on the steering wheel, the report said.

A Tesla representative declined to comment on the settlement, the latest in a series of out-of-court accords reached by the company in cases headed toward trial. Last year, Tesla settled with the estate of Walter Huang, the Apple Inc. engineer who died on his morning commute in a Northern California highway crash while driving his Model X on Autopilot.

Trey Lytal, a lawyer for Banners widow, said he not could comment on the amount of the settlement. But he said the lawsuits against Tesla have made a big difference.

Theres no question that the justice system, and especially jury trials, holds Tesla accountable for its actions, he said.

Photo: (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Bloomberg)

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Auto Tesla
Chinese envoy condemns Israeli military strikes on Syria

Xinhua) 11:13, July 18, 2025

UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday condemned Israeli military strikes on Syria and demanded an immediate end to them.

At a time when the situation in southern Syria is turbulent, Israel has recently launched multiple airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa and Damascus. China unequivocally condemns the Israeli actions, which gravely violate international law, infringe on Syria's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and bring new complications to Syria's peace, stability, and political transition, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We call on Israel to immediately cease its military strikes on Syria and withdraw from Syrian territory as soon as possible," he told an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

The international community recognizes the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. The sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria should be respected. The relevant Security Council resolutions should be implemented. And the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria should be observed, he said.

Ethnic tensions and the ensuing violence in Sweida, once again, show that the current situation in Syria remains complex and fragile. Achieving peace and stability still faces daunting challenges, said Geng.

It is imperative to stabilize the security situation and restore social order as soon as possible. China has noted reports that the Syrian interim authorities have reached a ceasefire with the parties concerned. China calls on all parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement, remain calm and exercise restraint, cease hostilities, and promote an early de-escalation of the situation, he said.

The Syrian interim authorities should continue to promote the political process with broad participation from all walks of life, address the concerns of all parties through inclusive dialogue, and effectively promote internal unity and reconciliation, said Geng.

Counterterrorism is an important aspect of restoring peace and stability in Syria. The Syrian interim authorities should fulfill their counterterrorism obligations and take effective measures to combat all terrorist groups listed by the Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, he added.

At present, hot-spot issues in the Middle East are emerging one after another, with new and old antagonisms intertwined and overlapping. The situation is complex and volatile. The state of affairs is neither in the interests of any country in the Middle East, nor the international community, said Geng.

The Security Council, as the body with the primary responsibility for international peace and security, should resolutely fulfill its responsibilities under the UN Charter and use all the tools in its toolbox to try to bring the conflicts to an early end, restore peace and stability in those areas, and achieve lasting peace and stability in the entire Middle East, he said.

China is ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in this regard, he added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
- Government schools have been providing meals to around 801,000 students twice daily during the current fiscal year, the Addis Ababa City Administration Education Bureau announced.

This initiative has significantly improved access to education and contributed to a reduction in student dropouts.

Speaking at a performance evaluation meeting held yesterday, Education Bureau Head Zelalem Mulatu (PhD) stated that the school feeding program has not only improved academic performance but also helped retain students in the education system. "Our strategy has contributed to improved examination results and a notable decline in school dropout rates, thereby expanding educational coverage in the city," he said.

Zelalem noted that the Bureau is continually working to enhance the education sector through consistent follow-up, supervision, and effective use of collected funds and allocated budgets. In the current fiscal year, the Bureau has distributed educational materials such as notebooks, uniforms, and exercise books to students.

Furthermore, he reported the expansion of kindergarten and primary schools across Addis Ababa. "We constructed over 30 new schools this fiscal year, which have already started operations. These were funded through both donor contributions and the city's allocated budget," he added.

Efforts have also been made to address previously existing gaps by improving school infrastructure, grading systems, and the overall learning environment through rigorous inspections and evaluations.

"Our continuous supervision has led to encouraging results, particularly in the 6th and 8th grade national examinations this year. We are confident that these improvements will help nurture a generation that is both ethical and skilled," he emphasized.

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The school feeding program, which provides meals twice daily in government schools, has also been instrumental in supporting students' overall well-being and learning outcomes. Zelalem stated that this year's success lays a strong foundation for further improvements in the upcoming academic year.

He also highlighted ongoing education reforms, including school agriculture and health programs aimed at creating a holistic, attractive, and student-friendly school environment.

"Schools are places where future generations are prepared to become agents of change," he concluded.

Deputy Office Manager Ali Kemal added that education is a lifelong journey, essential not only for personal growth but also for the advancement of society as a whole. "It empowers individuals to achieve greater success across generations," he noted.

The performance review meeting brought together educational leaders, supervisors, and experts from across the city to evaluate this year's progress and set priorities for the upcoming academic year.
A Miami jury this week awarded a former Florida state senator $100 million in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against the condominium complex where her son was shot to death in 2021.

Daphne Campbell, who served for eight years in the Florida Senate, sued the Monte Carlo Condominium Association, the property management firm, and a security company, according to court records, the Miami Herald and other news sites. After four years of litigation, the state court jury returned the verdict Tuesday.

The jury assigned 57% of fault to the property manager, AKAM On-Site Inc.; 18% to the condo association; 18% to the EMS Protective Group security firm; and 7% to the tenant who lived there, according to the jurys verdict sheet in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. The woman was reportedly Jason Campbells girlfriend, and the shooter was described as a jilted lover of the girlfriend. Lakoria Washington was charged in the murder, according to news reports.

The Campbell familys lawsuit complaint alleged that the attack was reasonably foreseeable. The shooter had previously gained access to the property in 2021 while armed, and the complex was a known high crime area, the family charged. The condo association, property manager and security company failed to secure the premises, protect tenants and invitees, and failed to warn people of the danger.

The damages award will be shared by the former senator and her husband, as well as the children of the victim, the Herald reported. The shooter, Washington, has pleaded guilty to the murder and is being held in jail in Miami-Dade County.

The Campbell family was represented by members of the Morgan & Morgan law firm and the Ver Ploeg & Marino firm.

The verdict is one of many high-dollar and high-profile jury awards in cases involving premises liability and negligent security in Southeastern states in recent years.

Topics Florida
A former Tennessee insurance agent who lost his license in 1999 but continued to sell insurance products has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Most of that jail time was suspended by a judge.

Johnny Ray Jackson, 55, of Gallatin, was investigated in 2020, after reports that he and his employees had signed people up for insurance policies they did not ask for, and had transferred annuity funds inappropriately, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation explained. Jackson and five others were indicted in 2023.

Before that, Jacksons producer license was revoked in 1999. In 2018, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance secured a cease-and-desist order against Jackson, alleging that he had sold insurance products without a license, the Hendersonville Standard and other news sites reported.

Topics Agencies Tennessee
The California Labor Commissioners Office cited the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and three contractors more than $2 million for reportedly misclassifying 155 janitors as independent contractors at its Half Moon Bay hotel.

The citations include $1.9 million in wages and penalties payable to affected workers.

An investigation by the LCOs Bureau of Field Enforcement reportedly found that the out-of-state contractors misclassified the janitors as independent contractors and denied them legal protections, including minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave and workers compensation benefits. T

According to investigators, the Ritz-Carlton contracted with Georgia-based Empire Unistar Management Inc. to handle janitorial services from July 2021 through January 2024. Empire Unistar Management subcontracted the work to two other out-of-state companies, TK Service of Virginia and later JM Spa Group of Florida. None of these janitorial contractors were registered with the states mandated janitorial registration program, according to the Labor Commissioners Office.

The investigation was referred to the ofice by the San Mateo County District Attorneys Office. The referral followed a worker report to Coastside Hope, a local nonprofit human services agency.

California law mandates that companies cannot outsource responsibility for worker protections. If TK Service and JM Spa fail to pay the wage assessments and penalties, under Labor Code sections 2810.3 and 238.5, both the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and Empire Unistar Management, Inc. will be jointly liable for a total of $746,001.

Employers or contractors cited by LCO have the right to appeal citations by filing an appeal with LCO within 15 days.

Established under the Property Service Workers Protection Act, the janitorial registration program requires janitorial employers in California to register annually with the labor commissioner. Employers must also provide sexual violence and harassment prevention training every two years to supervisors and staff.

Topics California
California Forever, the proposed futuristic community backed by billionaire venture capitalists, is now billing itself as a manufacturing center a year after local opposition forced it to withdraw plans to incorporate a new city.

The projects organizers said Thursday that they plan to build the largest advanced manufacturing park in the US, calling it a bid to reclaim Californias legacy as a center for defense industries from aerospace to shipbuilding. The Solano Foundry, a 2,100-acre (850-hectare) tract, will offer proximity to Silicon Valley while providing more affordable housing, land and labor than elsewhere in the Bay Area.

The announcement is the latest sales pitch by the massive planned development between San Francisco and Sacramento, which has struggled to win regulatory approval as well as community support. California Forever consists of 68,500 acres of rolling farmland assembled since 2017 at a cost of more than $900 million. Backers include venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, former Sequoia Capital Chairman Mike Moritz and social-impact investor Laurene Powell Jobs.

We dont have real estate investors. We have technology investors, Andreas Lieber, general manager of industry and technology for California Forever, said in an interview about the ventures backers. They are basically in the middle and the forefront of this.

The Solano Foundry aims to reverse years of deindustrialization in California, which has increasingly ceded its manufacturing leadership to states such as Texas and other countries, said Jan Sramek, chief executive officer of California Forever. Companies including Anduril Industries and Elon Musks Space Exploration Technologies Corp. have moved manufacturing to other states, citing Californias high costs and regulations.

Its time that products designed in California were made in California, Sramek said in an interview. Thats when California is at its best. Its time to bring that back.

Models for Solano Foundry include Chinas massive industrial complexes that churn out advanced products such as drones and electric vehicles, Lieber said. California Forevers proximity to Travis Air Force Base and a planned shipyard enhance its attractiveness to developers of aircraft and maritime vessels, he said.

With bipartisan support for boosting U.S. manufacturing, an effort championed by President Donald Trump, Silicon Valley firms such as Meta Platforms Inc. have identified the $1 trillion defense budget as a key source of revenue. In addition to defense, the Solano Foundry is seeking tenants in disciplines such as artificial intelligence, robotics and energy. Many products could have civilian as well as defense applications.

Theres a whole new wave of product development in these sectors and beyond that is originating from Silicon Valley and scaling from here, said Lieber, who worked as an executive at Postmates, Pinterest and other e-commerce firms before joining California Forever last year.

California Forever emerged from secrecy in 2023 and Sramek has trumpeted its goals for 175,000 homes and 250,000 jobs. But last year, he withdrew his initiative to incorporate a new city, which would have required a public referendum. The current plan is for the unincorporated land to be annexed by nearby Suisun City.

The next step in California Forevers development process is to publish an environmental impact report as soon as next year with construction potentially beginning in 2028, Sramek said. Building out the master-planned community is slated to take four decades. The site is about 80 minutes by car, in good traffic, from Silicon Valley. Its only about 10 minutes by electric aircraft, a potentially common travel mode within five years, Sramek said.

He envisions a city, not a bedroom community, and likens it to Irvine, a Southern California master-planned city of 300,000 built around a university where there are more jobs than households. Sramek said he will reveal the names of the first industrial tenants in a few months.

California still has 1.2 million manufacturing employees, more than any other state, according to the state Economic Development Department. Texas is second with 970,000 manufacturing workers.

But Silicon Valley has shifted from a chipmaking center to a software and design hub. Designed in California by Apple was the title of a 2018 book by Jony Ive, Apple Inc.s former design guru at a time the iPhone maker manufactured almost everything overseas.

Now the state is often derided as a place where nothing can get done, a reputation symbolized by its high-speed rail project, which is much delayed and over budget, Sramek said. Trump announced Wednesday that he pulled funding for the rail line.

Sramek said he hopes Solano Foundry will help turn around that narrative, a viewpoint echoed by real estate brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., which is managing leasing for the site.

We believe that Solano Foundry is one of Californias strongest opportunities to revitalize its manufacturing sector and bring more manufacturing jobs to the state, said Joel Woodmass, an analyst with the brokerage.

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

Topics California Manufacturing
Communities along a 700-mile stretch of Alaskas southern coast ordered residents to higher ground after a powerful offshore earthquake Wednesday, but officials quickly downgraded and then canceled a tsunami warning for the region. There were no reports of significant damage.

The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point, a community of about 600 people on Popof Island, in the Aleutian chain, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

There were 40 aftershocks detected within the first three hours, the center said.

We have seen other earthquakes in the area that have not generated significant tsunami waves, but were treating it seriously and going through our procedures, making sure communities are notified so they can activate their evacuation procedures, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for Alaskas emergency management division.

The quake was felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles (966 km) to the northeast.

The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for an area stretching from about 40 miles (64.4 km) southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, a distance of about 700 miles. Among the larger communities in the area was Kodiak, with a population of about 5,200. The warning was downgraded to an advisory about an hour later, and canceled just before 2:45 p.m.

The highest water level generated by the earthquake in Sand Point was not quite 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) above the tide, the center said.

Theres no damage at the airport, doesnt appear to be any damage at the harbor, no damage to speak of, really, Sand Point Police Chief Benjamin Allen said.

There was some damage  in the form of broken bottles  at the Alaska Commercial general store in town. Manager Vickey McDonald said about half of the stores alcohol aisle had crashed and shattered.

Ive got liquid smoke and barbecue sauce and pickles  broken on the floor, McDonald said. It smells horrendous in here.

In Unalaska, a fishing community of about 4,100, officials urged people in possible inundation zones to move at least 50 feet above sea level or 1 mile (1.6 km) inland. In King Cove, which has about 870 residents on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, officials sent an alert calling on those in the coastal area to move to higher ground.

Tourists Jodie Stevens and her husband, Aaron Park, were looking at the puffins at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward when they heard someone yelling that there had been an earthquake and they needed to evacuate. They walked a few blocks uphill in the rain, with a woman from the center yelling to those they passed to get to higher ground.

They were about halfway to the official high ground spot when they heard a siren signal that all was clear, she said.

The National Weather Service said in posts on social media that there was no tsunami threat for other U.S. and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America, including Washington, Oregon and California.

Alaskas southern coast is earthquake-prone, and Wednesdays was the fifth in roughly the same area since 2020 exceeding magnitude 7, state seismologist Michael West said.

Somethings moving in this area, he said. I would not call this an isolated earthquake. It appears to be part of a larger sequence spanning the last several years.

That has the attention of seismologists, he said.

This area has been and remains capable of larger earthquakes and earthquakes capable of significant tsunami damage, he said.

Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden in Seattle and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters
Greenwashing isnt just about companies trying to sell more by giving a green tinge to their marketing. The UN points out that its actually a significant obstacle to tackling climate change.

By misleading the public to believe that a company or other entity is doing more to protect the environment than it is, greenwashing promotes false solutions to the climate crisis that distract from and delay concrete and credible action.

This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual 13065 Best value Monthly 126 / month
To want to own a restaurant can be a strange and terrible affliction, said American celebrity chef and author of Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain. Why would anyone want to pump their hard-earned cash down a hole that statistically will almost surely prove dry? After many years in the business, I still dont know.

Those prophetic words may well hang heavily over the restaurant sector this year, given that 150 food businesses have permanently closed their doors in the first three months of 2025. When the Restaurants Association of Ireland recently unveiled the findings of its Cost of Doing Business 2025 survey, the results offered a sobering snapshot of an industry grappling with rising costs, shrinking margins and growing uncertainty about the future.
The practice of 16-year-olds being allowed to drive monstrosities of tractors without any training was highlighted in the Senate on Friday.

Senator Paul Daly, who raised the issue, called for the introduction of tractor driving tests and training for those drivers who currently can just apply for a provisional licence without any training.

What I really cannot believe, since this announcement was made, is that there has been some opposition to it. In fact, there has been a lot of opposition to the idea," he said.

Between 2020 and 2024, there were 28 vehicle-related fatalities on Irish farms, 12 of them linked directly to tractors. The argument has been made that two-thirds of these fatalities were of people who were over 55.

As someone who is over 55, I know that it is the initial training that one gets or the habits one forms when one drives for the first time that will stay with one for life. It is the muscle memory and the habitual driving that one will be doing half a century after learning how to drive that counts.

People will say that the father, the mother, the farmer next door or the contractor who is depending on these young people to work for the summer will train them, but they are not professional trainers, and they can train them with bad habits.

When I learned how to drive, it was on an old Massey Ferguson 135, which would fit into the toolbox of some of the tractors that are out there today and that young people are stepping straight up onto.

"They are 150 or 200 horsepower with trailers behind them and can weigh 30 or 40 tonnes in total, when laden, he said.

Senator Daly said the introduction of tractor driving tests and training is a no-brainer and must happen, but it must be done right. The RSA is starting with a blank page on this matter.

It knows its faults and failings with the car driver test and the waiting lists, so it must get this right. Youngsters should be allowed to do the training from aged 15 and a half, six months before they are 16. If they have the training done, they will still be able to start driving at 16.

In that way, nobody is losing out on labour for the summer, and the youngsters are not losing out on the chance of a summer job and a few bob. Let them have the training done by the time they are 16.

They should not lose a year by being told that they have to do training, that they cannot start until they are 16. By the time they have the training done, they will have lost a year, he said.

Senator Daly suggested that the minister be invited to a meeting. A little bit of thinking outside the box is needed. We have to train these kids to drive these tractors properly, he said.

Leader of the House, Senator Sean Kyne, said he looked forward to engagement with the RSA on the matter. I am sure the Committee on Agriculture will also be involved in this in the coming months, he added.
During the late 1960s, John H Mercer set out on an epic adventure: To map the sequence of rock formations in Reedy Glacier, in West Antarctica.

On his field trip, the British glaciologist noticed a strange phenomenon: There were layers of sediments typical of those found at the bottom of lakes.

It led Mercer to come up with a new working hypothesis: Approximately 120,000 years ago, the high-altitude site where he was carrying out his research held lakes instead of glaciers.

Mercers logic implied that during warm periods, the West Antarctic ice sheet melts completely, only to re-form during cold periods.

Mercer explored this idea further in a scientific paper he published in 1968, but nobody paid attention. A decade later, Mercer published another paper in the science journal Nature.

If the global consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow atmospheric CO2 content will double in about 50 years, he wrote.

Climatic models suggest that the resultant greenhouse-warming effect will be greatly magnified in high latitudes and could start rapid deglaciation of West Antarctica, leading to a 5m rise in sea level.

The scientific community denounced Mercer as an attention-seeking alarmist.

From 1978, until his death nine years later, the British scientist struggled to get grants to support his research.

Mercer was a visionary, but his ambitious ideas did not fit with a commonly held consensus among climate scientists.

Up until the beginning of the millennium, most of them believed that Antarctica  the Earths fifth largest but least populated continent  was a stable bulwark against changes in ice.

Today, American palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin describes Mercer as an amazing field geologist.

Mercer said the world is at a tipping point, and if we keep increasing global temperatures, we are setting ourselves up for dramatic changes with the ice in West Antarctica, and by extension, global sea levels, the 64-year-old scientist explains from his office at the University of Chicago  where he is currently a professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy.

Mercers peers thought Antarctica was very stable. Unfortunately, though, as research continued over time, it turns out Mercer was probably right.

Three decades ago in Antarctica, we were losing, say, 80 gigatons of ice per year. But now we are losing about 280 gigatons per year.

Moving ice shapes the world

Shubins book examines how moving ice shapes the world. He notes, for instance, that polar regions encompass 8% of the total surface of the Earth and that almost 70% of all the planets fresh water is frozen in ice.

Expeditions to the polar regions are now a matter of urgency.

The Arctic is heating five to seven times faster than the rest of the globe, and there are now open spaces of water where ice was previously, he says.

In Antarctica, melting ice is less visible to the naked eye.

In fact, Antarctica is witnessing the slowest temperature rise on Earth, but for complex reasons. As the oceans warm, Antarcticas surface temperatures stay relatively cool.

This disparity in temperature amplifies a wind current, which swirls around Antarctica and carries 170 times more water than all of the Earths rivers combined.

With that water comes heat. The change in the circumpolar current brings more warm seawater to the coast of Antarctica, causing the coastal glaciers to melt from below, where the ice meets the ocean.

The glaciers then fragment and collapse into the sea.

Shrinking glaciers, of course, mean rising seas.

The British Antarctic Survey along with the US Antarctic Program, have collaborated on research to help us understand those glaciers in West Antarctica.

Specifically, with robots looking underneath the ice, and with satellite images, and with studies of the ice, both in the air and in the water. They confirm that in West Antarctica there is a lot to worry about, says Shubin.

Drilling in ice in Antarctica has also shed light on another idea geographers and scientists have been speculating about since the mid-19th century: Underneath the ice of the region sit entire worlds sealed off from Earths surface.

We now have a detailed understanding of these hidden worlds, via decades of research that has been carried out by scientists from numerous countries at Lake Vostok.

The largest subglacial lake in Antarctica has a surface area of more than 14,000sq km and a depth of more than 800m.

Glaciologists have reasons to believe that Lake Vostok may have been separated from the world above for over 15m years, Shubin explains.

During the late 1990s, a group of Russian, French, and American scientists set off on an international science trip to drill a core to get down to Lake Vostok.

On that occasion, though, the team stopped drilling about 400ft above where they expected liquid water.

But even at that depth, the ice samples they recovered displayed special properties.

John Priscu, from Montana State University, later received one of those samples.

Putting them under high-powered microscopes, Priscu surmised that there were about 100,000 microbes per millilitre of ice.

Those findings inspired Priscu to hunt for more life elsewhere in Antarctica.

For logistical reasons Priscu decided to move his research to Lake Whillans: A subglacial lake in Antarctica that sits 480km from the South Pole.

Using a drill sterilised by UV light and hydrogen peroxide, Priscu and his team sampled the waters of Lake Whillans, which were then examined back in the lab.

DNA sequencing revealed nearly 4,000 species living in Lake Whillans under the ice.

The subglacial microbes were diverse, thriving, and part of a complex web of ecological interactions.

These are living creatures that have been separated from the sun, for millennia, if not millions of years, Shubin explains.

And these creatures exchange information with other lakes underneath.

We dont know much about these worlds and how these creatures survive. There is probably a wide diversity of microbial lifeforms that we can barely imagine under there.

If life can thrive and survive under the ice in Antarctica, it might also be possible it can thrive in extraterrestrial environments too.

Shubin mentions Europa, the fourth largest of Jupiters 95 moons, and, Saturns moon, Enceladus: A small icy world that has geyser-like jets spewing water vapour and ice particles into space.

Both of these places have ice on the exterior and fresh water underneath the ice, which make them two promising candidates for places in our solar system to expect microbial life, Shubin explains.

Understanding life under the ice in Antarctica gives us a model to think possible alien life outside our own planets.

Closer to home, however, there are more urgent matters to be concerned about, Shubin warns.

Global warming means our planet is undoubtedly entering an era of uncertainty.

Shubin cites one scientific study which estimates that sea levels could rise as much as 10ft globally in the next century, if the planet warms more than three degrees Fahrenheit.

Geological engineering is one option we might have to peruse if we cannot, as [a global community] get carbon emissions under control, says Shubin.

But the reality is that the choices we make for the future will make a difference. Not just for us. But for future generations.

We need to keep global conversations alive and international science collaboration going, Shubin concludes.

Antarctica and the Arctic are warming, and polar treaties are straining as fast as ice melts and species disappear.

Our fragile window for understanding the cosmos, the planet, and ourselves is closing, so we need to act now.
Slowly, steadily, we are reducing the amount of alcohol we consume as a nation.

Recent data from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) shows that alcohol consumption fell by 4.5% last year, continuing a welcome downward trend.

Sales of booze-free and low alcohol  dubbed NoLo  beers and wines are booming as more of us make the switch to seemingly healthier drink choices.

According to the Irish Beer Market Report, the demand for non-alcoholic beer alone grew by 18% in 2023-2024.

The move to reduce alcohol intake is good news for our long-term health.

But experts are questioning whether the NoLo market is as worthy as its manufacturers claim.

Industry data shows that low- and no-alcohol drinks represent only about 1% of the market, says Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland.

They are portrayed as a public health solution to excessive alcohol consumption, but the World Health Organization has significant concerns over the marketing of the products and says that reduced or no-alcohol drinks dont deserve a health halo.

Others suggest that they are no better for us than conventional soft drinks, with many NoLo products being relatively high in sugar.

Scientists from the US, Germany, and Spain recently warned that consuming just two small bottles of some low- or no-alcohol beers a day is enough to raise blood sugar levels and the long-term risk of type II diabetes and obesity.

Non-alcoholic beers are gaining popularity as alternatives to alcoholic beverages, yet their metabolic and health effects, compared to no consumption of these drinks, remain unclear, they reported in the Nutrients journal.

For the study, the international research team asked a group of 44 healthy young men to drink either two 330ml bottles of alcohol-free beer or water every day for four weeks. During the trial, the team conducted regular blood tests and other assessments to check for changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, liver enzymes, body composition, and the composition of the mens gut microbiome.

The results showed that, compared to water, alcohol-free wheat beers and mixed beers  a variety typically flavoured with soda  had an unfavourable metabolic impact on glucose and fat, which the team said was probably due to the caloric and sugar content of the drinks.

Lighter Pilsner-type, low-alcohol beers with a maximum 0.5% ABV, had a much less damaging impact.

Pure alcohol contains around seven calories per gram  almost as many as fat  or about 56 calories per unit. Non-alcoholic drinks with an ABV of 0.5% or lower typically contain fewer calories than regular versions of the same drink, but they are not necessarily low-sugar or low-calorie options.

In many cases, sugar is added to enhance flavour and palatability, significantly increasing the sugar content per bottle or glass.

The Government recommends that adults limit their intake of added sugars to no more than 30g per day. Over one third of that upper limit would be reached with one 330ml bottle of Erdinger Alkoholfrei zero-alcohol beer, which contains about 11g of sugar.

These drinks could be substitutes for some other soft drinks or consumed in addition to them, but they are an alternative not a better choice, Gilheany says.

Low- and no-alcohol drinks are not suitable for children or for adults in alcohol recovery, as they simulate the taste and flavour of alcohol.

Yet many of us cant get enough of low- or no-alcohol beers and wines.

Heres what you get per glass or bottle in some of the popular NoLo products:

GUINNESS ZERO 440ml can

Guinness Zero

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 0.7g per 100ml; 3.1g per can;

Calories: 17 per 100ml; 75 per can.

CARLSBERG ALCOHOL FREE 330ml bottle

Carlsberg Alcohol Free

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: Less than 0.5g per 100ml; 1.5g per bottle;

Calories: 19 per 100ml; 63 per bottle.

BROOKLYN SPECIAL EFFECTS 330ml bottle

Brooklyn Special Effects

Alcohol content: 0.4% ABV;

Sugar: 2.9g per 100ml; 9.5g per bottle;

Calories: 29 per 100ml; 95 per bottle.

LUCKY SAINT LAGER 330ml bottle

Lucky Saint Lager

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 0.1g per 100ml; 0.33g per bottle;

Calories: 16 per 100ml; 53 per bottle.

UNLTD IPA 330ml bottle

UNLTD IPA

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 0.1g per 100ml; 0.33g per bottle;

Calories: Four per 100ml; 13.2 per bottle.

PERONI NASTRO AZZURO 330ml bottle

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 0.8g per 100ml; 2.64g per bottle;

Calories: 23 per 100ml; 75 per bottle.

HEINEKEN 0 330ml bottle

Heineken Zero

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 1.3g per 100ml; 4.29g per bottle;

Calories: 21 per 100ml; 70 per bottle.

BREWDOG NANNY STATE 330ml bottle

Brewdog Nanny State

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 0.4g per 100ml; 1.32g per bottle;

Calories: 6.0 per 100ml; 19.9 per bottle.

BECKS BLUE 275ml bottle

Becks Blue

Alcohol content: 0.05% ABV;

Sugar: 0.2g per 100ml; 0.6g per bottle;

Calories: 14 per 100ml; 39 per bottle.;

ERDINGER ALKOHOLFREI 330ml bottle

Erdinger Alkoholfrei

Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV

Sugar: 3.6 per 100g; 11.9 per bottle;

Calories: 25 per 100ml; 82 per bottle.

DAYS LAGER 0% 330ml bottle

Days Lager 0%

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 2.5g per 100ml; 8.25g per bottle;

Calories: 22 per 100ml; 25.3 per bottle.

PROPER JOB IPA 440ml can

Proper Job IPA

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 1.4g per 100ml; 4.62g per can;

Calories: 22 per 100ml; 72.6 per can.

ZEROZECCO SPARKLING WHITE WINE 750ml bottle

Zerozecco Sparkling White

Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 5.7g per bottle; 0.76g per 100ml; 1.33g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 25 per 100ml; 43 per 125ml glass.

NOUGHTY BLANC 750ml bottle

Noughty Blanc

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 2.1g per 100ml; 3.6g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 17 per 100ml; 30 per 175ml glass.

BIG DROP CITRIA IPA 330ml can

Big Drop Citria IPA

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: Less than 0.5g per 100ml; 1.65 per can;

Calories: 18.5 per 100ml; 61 per can.

NOZECO 750ml bottle

Nozeco

Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 5g per 100ml; 8.75g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 20 per 100ml; 35 per 175ml glass.

FREIXENET PRESECCO 750ml bottle

Freixenet Presecco

Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 5g per 100ml; 8.75g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 20 per 100ml; 35 per 175ml glass.

MCGUIGAN ZERO SAVIGNON BLANC 750ml bottle

McGuigan Zero Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;

Sugar: 4.2g per 100ml; 7.4g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 24 per 100ml; 42 per 175ml glass.

WEDNESDAYS DOMAINE SPARKLING CUVEE 750ml bottle

Wednesday's Domaine Sparkling Cuvee

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 2.7g per 100ml; 4.7g per 175ml;

Calories: 10.9 per 100ml; 19 per 125ml.

MCGUIGAN ZERO SHIRAZ 750ml bottle

McGuigan Zero Shiraz

Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;

Sugar: 4.5g per 100ml; 7.8g per 175ml glass;

Calories: 29 per 100ml; 50.7 per 175ml glass.
The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) is calling for the introduction of irrigation water pricing as a strategic solution to address chronic inefficiencies and ensure the long-term sustainability of Ethiopia's irrigation sector.

In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, PSI's Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Research Center Head Tadesse Kuma (PhD) emphasized that without a dedicated financing mechanism, the country's major irrigation schemes will continue to underperform--despite heavy public investment.

"Applying an irrigation water fee is critical not just for maintenance and administration, but also to promote efficient water use and conservation," Tadesse said. "Sustainable irrigation is essential if we are to meet the growing food demands of our expanding population."

According to PSI, many large-scale irrigation projects remain non-functional due to poor design, delays in implementation, and lack of ongoing maintenance--primarily because they operate without dedicated financial resources. This failure has led to significant national losses, undermining efforts to enhance food security, generate export revenues, and supply inputs to the industrial sector.

Despite major investments, Ethiopia's irrigation performance remains below expectations. Tadesse pointed out that establishing a water pricing system would not only encourage responsible use of resources but also help modernize the sector's governance and service delivery.

"Introducing a fair and well-structured water fee would empower irrigation schemes to manage their own maintenance and improve service quality," he noted. "It's a necessary step to unlock the full potential of irrigation in ensuring food self-sufficiency and economic growth."

PSI's proposal is expected to stir National Dialogue around resource management, with experts stressing the need for coordinated efforts to reform the sector and ensure a return on the country's substantial investments.
Donald Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House said on Thursday, after he noticed swelling in his legs.

The White House released a memo from the presidents physician, Sean Barbabella, who said a medical exam revealed no evidence of a more serious condition like deep vein thrombosis.

The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies. Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70, the memo said.

It is a fairly common condition among older adults, but requires a thorough checkup to rule out more serious causes of swelling in the legs. Here are some things to know.

Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday. Picture: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, happens when veins in the legs cannot properly carry blood back to the heart. That can lead to blood pooling in the lower legs. In addition to swelling, usually around the feet and ankles, symptoms can include legs that are achy, heavy-feeling or tingly, and varicose veins. Severe cases could trigger leg sores known as ulcers.

Overcoming gravity to pump blood from the feet all the way up to the heart is a challenge, especially when someone is standing or sitting for long periods. So legs veins are lined with one-way valves that keep blood from sliding backward on that journey.

Anything that damages those valves can lead to chronic venous insufficiency. Risk factors can include blood clots, vein inflammation known as phlebitis or being overweight.

Doctors must rule out serious causes of leg swelling, such as heart problems, kidney disease or blood clots. Ultrasound exams of the leg veins can help confirm chronic venous insufficiency.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, treatment can include wearing compression stockings, elevating the legs and achieving a healthy weight.

Also exercise, especially walking, is recommended  because strong leg muscles can squeeze veins in a way that helps them pump blood. Medications and medical procedures are available for more advanced cases.
Criminal and disciplinary proceedings have been taken against gardai who have raised concerns about malpractice in the organisation, it has been claimed.

Senator Michael McDowell told the Senate on Thursday a senior garda of the upmost integrity had been sidelined because he made a number of protected disclosures.

The former justice minister also said a junior member of the force is facing criminal charges on indictment which appear to be motivated by a desire to conceal abuses in the armoury section".

The senior garda referenced by Senator McDowell is Detective Superintendent Brian OReilly, who oversaw the Garda Technical Bureau until 2023.

Last month, at Dublin Circuit Court, counsel for Det Supt OReilly claimed he had been financially penalised because he made protected disclosures about concerns he had with Garda practices and how the force had responded to concerns over a controversial gun holster.

Issues around the holster surfaced in 2020 when a garda was injured outside the Israeli ambassadors residence in Dublin when his firearm was discharged.

Six days later, Detective Garda Colm Horkan was shot dead by Stephen Silver in Castlerea after Silver managed to get hold of the gardas weapon. Det Supt OReilly is understood to have made protected disclosures related to how these incidents were investigated and dealt with by management.

The circuit court heard Dep Supt OReilly, who had been acting for a number of years as a chief superintendent, had gone on work-related sickness in April 2023 as a result of the concerns he raised.

Later, his income was cut to half pay and he was applying to the court have his full salary restored, an application that is being opposed by An Garda Siochana. A decision on the case is expected in the autumn.

The junior garda referenced is accused of possessing nearly 4,000 rounds of ammunition and stealing military weapons parts from the Defence Forces.

KRW Law issued a statement welcoming Mr McDowells intervention and endorsing his calls for increased scrutiny on serious issues around gardai irregularities.

We act on behalf of a former serving Garda officer who acted as a whistleblower on serious irregularities within the armoury section of gardai on defective holsters and other linked matters.

"As a result, he found himself the subject of a contrived prosecution taken in a bid to silence him. Our client will fully contest the charges levied against him and looks forward to a jury trial when he can give his account of serious internal wrongdoing, the statement said.

Senator Michael McDowell: 'Anyone who thinks that the culture in An Garda Siochana has been transformed by the outcome of the Disclosures Tribunal concerning Sergeant Maurice McCabe, is, I fear, gravely mistaken.'

Senator McDowell and Labour party TD Alan Kelly have been raising in the Senate and Dail, respectively, related issues around malpractice centred on the garda armoury.

However, this is the first time there has been an allegation that criminal prosecutions have been taken against a member of the force because they effectively blew a whistle.

Mr McDowell also told the Senate about what he called the falsification of documents submitted by An Garda Siochana to the Department of Justice designed to facilitate the importation of firearms for civilians who are not gardai.

This was reference to a case published in the Irish Examiner earlier this month about a senior garda who organised for the repair and importation of firearm parts for a gun club under the guise the weapons were for Garda use.

An application was made to the department to import the parts on that basis, yet when completed and repaired, the firearms were returned to the gun club, with the cost accruing to the Garda budget.

In his address on Thursday, the senator claimed senior management in An Garda Siochana is aware of all these matters.

Anyone who thinks that the culture in An Garda Siochana has been transformed by the outcome of the Disclosures Tribunal concerning Sergeant Maurice McCabe, is, I fear, gravely mistaken. I am shocked by what I have learned, he told the house.

He called for a debate in the house on the whole matter with the attendance of the minister for justice.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said they would not be commenting and are precluded from commenting on statements by third parties.
A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival has been dropped by British police.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking no further action on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival.

On Friday, the group, comprised of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and J J O Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

Kneecap have been in the headlines after O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.

In reference to his bandmates upcoming court date, O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, told Glastonbury they would start a riot outside the courts, before clarifying: No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.
There has been fearmongering in attempts by some bodies to derail the introduction of the Occupied Territories Bill, the head of Amnesty International has said.

The organisation's secretary general, Agnes Callamard, has praised the Irish Government for its plans to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Ms Callamard said the EU has betrayed its principles through its shameful decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The EUs refusal to take action to hold Israel accountable highlights the need for Ireland and other likeminded member states to urgently take unilateral or concerted steps to bring their actions in line with international law, which takes precedence over both EU and national law, Ms Callamard said.

Despite the fearmongering and efforts by certain parties to derail the bill, Ireland must stay firm in its convictions and commitment to justice."

It comes after comments from the director general of Ibec, Danny McCoy, criticising the Government for introducing the bill, warning it is damaging Irish interests in countries like the US.

Were not talking about millions here, Mr McCoy said.

This is not about actually helping in any material way. Its symbolism and moral positioning, and so on. However, with moral positions, you can also reveal hypocrisy.

Ms Callamard said passing the legislation would set a strong example to other EU countries to unilaterally suspend co-operation with Israel.

Ms Callamard said:

It cannot be business as usual while Palestinians are starved and slaughtered while seeking aid or under relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, or killed and forcibly displaced by state-backed Israeli settler violence, devastating military operations and suffocating movement restrictions in the West Bank.

From its own experiences of colonisation, famine and conflict to its leading role in international efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, Ireland has repeatedly shown that it can stand up to bullies and consistently punched above its weight in global diplomacy.

The Oireachtas Justice Committee is currently undertaking pre-legislative scrutiny of the Occupied Territories Bill, with witnesses appearing in recent weeks to discuss the proposed laws.

There has been some criticism of the legislation for not going far enough, as it only deals with trade and not services.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheal Martin rejected suggestions by former Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter the bill was coming from any position of antisemitism.

At the Justice Committee on Tuesday, Mr Shatter said the proposed laws had antisemitic symbolism due to it not targeting other occupied territories.

What I would reject very strongly is any suggestion that there is any hint of antisemitism in terms of the Irish position, Mr Martin said, I think that was wrongly presented by former Minister (Alan) Shatter in his presentation to the Oireachtas committee. I was dismayed at the language he used. It was false language and a false presentation.

There are efforts abroad to undermine the integrity of Irelands position, to misrepresent Irelands position. We are conscious of that. We will always work to protect our economic interests and the national interest. The Taoiseach added the Irish public has a considered view on the legislation, after an Irish Times poll found 38% of respondents believed there should be an investigation of the possible consequences of the bill.
Its madness that we had to leave the country twice to try and get a diagnosis."

That is according to the mother of a teenage girl whose endometriosis was not diagnosed for three years by doctors in Cork, Kerry, and even Spain before finally she was told by a clinic in Romania what was causing her to have crippling stomach cramps, vomiting, and back pain.

Endometriosis is being spoken about a lot recently in Ireland, but that talk needs to be followed with action." said Lorraine Fitzgerald.

Kaysey OConnor is 16 now, but since she was around 13 she was blighted by the symptoms of endometriosis.

Endometriosis  'the missed disease'

During that time, she was told she had cysts, kidney stones, and ovulation pain and more after MRI scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays.

The condition is estimated to affect one in 10 girls and women globally. It is known as 'the missed disease' as worldwide it can take up to 10 years to diagnose. There is no cure, but symptoms can be eased with treatment.

Kaysey has been seen in University Hospital Kerry, Cork University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital, and a Spanish hospital also.

However, until she was seen in a Romanian private specialist clinic, she did not have a name for what was wrong with her. Lorraine said:

The day we went to Romania my daughter was one of three Irish women that day, just that day, in the clinic.

She described Dail discussions this week on endometriosis care as very disheartening.

The HSE could not comment on Kayseys case directly but a spokesperson said: The HSE acknowledges that endometriosis care in Ireland has historically been challenging. For this reason, the management of endometriosis has been established as a key priority for the HSE, with significant progress achieved in recent years.

This includes a network of clinics including in Cork, although the HSE also acknowledged recruitment challenges for these clinics.

They said other developments being worked on now include a national awareness campaign for the public and better resources for patients.
A Cork woman who admitted stealing food from a local supermarket said she did not pay because the items were overpriced, the District Court has heard.

Court presenter Sergeant Linda OLeary told Midleton District Court that Katie ODriscoll, aged 27, of Prosperous Place, Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Cork, entered SuperValu in Midleton with her mother on May 15, 2025.
A stressed Mercedes driver, angered by a social welfare cut, attacked another shocked motorist who had just let him merge into bumper-to-bumper Dublin city centre traffic, a court has heard.

Henrikas Savickas, aged 43, had denied assault causing harm to Gregory Murphy at Kevin St Lower, on November 23, 2024 , but was found guilty by Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court on Friday.

She noted that Lithuanian-born Savickas of Park West Pointe, Ballyfermot, Dublin, had no prior convictions and now works as a warehouse manager.

He apologised after the verdict.

Judge Finan said that Savickas let his anger get the better of him over the social welfare issue but held he could be spared a criminal record and a sentence if he brought 2,000 to court for Mr Murphy, who suffered a painful cut lip and swelling after the attack.

At the end of the hearing, Mr Murphy told the court:

I accept the apology. We all have days like that, and I wish him luck in the future.

Mr Murphy said he had been driving at around 11.20 am in bumper-to-bumper traffic as lanes merged and noticed Savickass car trying to force its way in front of him.

There was no room, but he let Savickass Mercedes come in front of his own.

He recounted that the accused then got out, and he thought he must have been getting something from the boot of his car.

Mr Murphy said he had his car window open.

Savickas came up to him and delivered a significant punch through the window, leaving him in shock and pain, before he walked back to his own car.

Mr Murphy called gardai, who advised him to get a picture of the defendants car, which he did.

He went to the nearest station and pictures were taken of his facial injury. He told the court there was also swelling, and he could not eat for a few days.

The victim also changed his role in work that involved driving as a result of the encounter with Savickas.

Garda Katie Burke spoke to him minutes later and saw the wound.

Victim denied gesticulating at the accused man

In cross-examination with defence counsel Barry Lysaght, he denied that he had been gesticulating at the accused.

That was part of the defence when Savickas testified and said that, while he had used colourful language, he was adamant he had not hit Mr Murphy.

However, Judge Finan did not accept that version.

His barrister said his client, who has lived in Ireland for 20 years, was going through stress over his social welfare payment getting cut, but has since obtained employment.

Judge Finan praised Mr Murphy for his refreshing candour and told him he had done the right thing in going to the gardai.

She also noted that the accused had not come to further Garda attention and that the prosecuting officer liked to think that things got the better of him that day

The case was adjourned until October 31.
Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago, died in a crash on Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy. He was 56.

Italian firefighters said a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio.

The citys mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed Baumgartners death in a social media post.

Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight, Mr Ciarpella said.

Baumgartner, known as Fearless Felix, stunned the world in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body.

He wore a pressurised suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph, the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound, during a nine-minute descent.

When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records any more, you do not think of about gaining scientific data.

The only thing you want is to come back alive, he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

The altitude from which he jumped also marked the highest for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who was an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat.

Baumgartners altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

In 2012, millions watched YouTubes livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed.

He later said travelling faster than sound is hard to describe because you dont feel it.

Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are, he said.
Donald Trump said on Thursday he had directed his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the release of grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epsteins sex-trafficking case as he sought to tamp down controversy over a story that he allegedly contributed a sketch of a naked woman to Epsteins 50th birthday album.

The president said on Truth Social he had authorized the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein.

Bondi, who has weathered days of accusations by Trumps far-right supporters that she had mismanaged and failed to deliver on promises to release previously secret documents about the Epstein case, responded to Trumps post with a post of her own that vowed to comply with the directive.

The flurry of activity followed a story in the Wall Street Journal that reported Trump had contributed a letter, described as bawdy and featuring a drawing of a naked womans silhouette around a typewritten personal message to Epstein, to the birthday album compiled by Ghislane Maxwell.

Jeffrey Epstein. File Picture: New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP

A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair, the Journal said of the alleged drawing. It added the letter concluded: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denied to the Journal that he was the author of the birthday tribute and, hours after the story was published, announced he intended to file a lawsuit in a lengthy post on Truth Social, decrying the reporting as fake and condemning it as what he called the Epstein Hoax.

Legal threat

The president said in the post that he had personally told Rupert Murdoch and the publications editor-in-chief Emma Tucker that the letter was fake and that he would sue if a story about the letter was published.

Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so, Trump wrote. Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.

The statement from Trump followed attempts by the president and White House officials to try to undercut the story, including by pressing the Journal to furnish a copy of the letter, which it did not provide, according to people familiar with the matter.

As the existence of the story became increasingly known in Washington, whether the story would run and whether Trump would actually draw a figure of a woman became something of a parlor game between administration officials and Trump allies and reporters alike.

The outlet conceded it was not clear how the letter with Trumps signature was prepared, but said it contained a typewritten note said to be styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein.

The note reportedly began:

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything, the note began. Donald: Yes, there is, but I wont tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

The Journal reported that Maxwell collected letters from Trump and dozens of Epsteins other associates, including L Brands owner Les Wexner, for the 2003 birthday album, three years before Epstein was ever investigated for sexual misconduct.

It also reported that the leather-bound album was among the documents examined by officials with the justice department who investigated Epstein and Maxwell at that time.

Among others who appear to have submitted birthday greetings to the compilation was Epstein attorney Alan Dershowitz and Wexner, who allegedly contributed a message I wanted to get you what you want  so here it is   along with a line drawing that the Journal said was of what appeared to be a womans breasts. Wexner declined to comment through a spokesman.

Dershowitz told the Journal: Its been a long time and I dont recall the content of what I may have written.

The 2003 birthday album with Trumps birthday wishes comes a year before Trump offered his commendation of Epstein in a 2002 New York magazine profile. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, Trump told the publication.

Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life.

But in recent days, as the Epstein controversy had heated up after years of laying dormant, Trump has sought to steer Maga Republicans away from the subject, calling it a hoax.

- The Guardian
The European Union on Friday agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including measures aimed at dealing further blows to the Russian oil and energy industry.

The package aims to lower the G7's price cap for buying Russian crude oil to $47.6 per barrel, diplomats told Reuters.

"The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X.

We are standing firm.



The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date.



Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. (1/3)  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 18, 2025

"We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow."

G7 price cap ineffective so far

Yet Russia has so far managed to sell most of its oil above the previous price cap as the current mechanism makes it unclear who must police its implementation, and traders doubt the new EU sanctions will significantly disrupt Russian oil trade.

The package also has a ban on transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea and on Russia's financial sector.

Kallas said the sanctions also targeted 105 ships in Russia's "shadow fleet", the term used by Western officials for ships that Moscow uses to circumvent oil sanctions, and "Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion".

She did not name the banks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the decision "essential and timely" as Russia intensifies its air war on Ukrainian cities and villages.

And Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said: "Depriving Russia of its oil revenues is critical for putting an end to its aggression."

The Group of Seven Western economic powers have tried to impose a price cap on purchases of Russian oil price since December 2022.

It aims to ban trade in Russian crude bought at a higher price by prohibiting shipping, insurance and re-insurance companies from handling tankers carrying such crude.

US declines to back Europe on price cap

The European Union and Britain have been pushing to lower the cap for the last two months after a fall in oil futures made the current level of $60 a barrel largely irrelevant.

But the United States has resisted, leaving the EU to move forward on its own, but without real power to enforce the measure, analysts and oil traders say.

As the dollar dominates global oil transactions, and US financial institutions play the central role in clearing payments, the EU has no means to block trades by denying access to dollar clearing.

Agreement on the new EU package was held up for weeks as Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico demanded concessions on a separate plan to phase out EU dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Fico announced on Thursday night that he was ending his opposition.

Countries such as Greece, Cyprus and Malta had expressed concerns about the effect of the oil price cap on their shipping industries. But Malta, the last of the trio to hold out, also came on board on Thursday.

- Reuters
( Tomdispatch.com )  In recent months, nuclear weapons have reemerged in global headlines. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan approached the brink of a full-scale war, a confrontation that could have become an extinction-level event, with the potential to claim up to two billion lives worldwide.

The instability of a global order structured on nuclear apartheid has also come into sharp relief in the context of the recent attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States. That system has entrenched a dangerous double standard, creating perverse incentives for the proliferation of world-destroying weaponry, already possessed by nine countries. Many of those nations use their arsenals to exercise imperial impunity, while non-nuclear states increasingly feel compelled to pursue nuclear weapons in the name of national security and survival.

Meanwhile, the largest nuclear powers show not the slightest signs of responsibility or restraint. The United States, Russia, and China are investing heavily in the modernization and expansion of their arsenals, fueling a renewed arms race. And that escalation comes amid growing global instability contributing to a Manichean world of antagonistic armed blocs, reminiscent of the Cold War at its worst.

The nuclear threat endangers not only global peace and security but the very continuity of the human species, not to speak of the simple survival of life on Earth. How, you might wonder, could we ever have arrived at such a precarious situation?

The current crisis coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test, the first detonation of an atomic weapon that would soon obliterate the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and so inaugurate the atomic age. So many years later, its worth critically reassessing the decisions that conferred on humanity such a power of self-annihilation. After all, we continue to live with the fallout of the choices made (and not made), including those of the scientists who created the bomb. That history also serves as a reminder that alternative paths were available then and that another world remains possible today.

A Tale of Two Laboratories

In the summer of 1945, scientists and technicians at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico worked feverishly to complete the construction of the atomic bomb. Meanwhile, their colleagues at the University of Chicagos Metallurgical Laboratory mounted a final, ultimately unsuccessful effort to prevent its use.

The alarm spreading in Chicago stemmed from a sobering realization. The Manhattan Project that they had joined on the basis of a belief that they were in an existential arms race with Nazi Germany had, by then, revealed itself to be a distinctly one-sided contest. Until then, the specter of a possible German atomic bomb had conferred a sense of urgency and a veneer of moral legitimacy on what many scientists otherwise recognized as a profoundly unethical undertaking.

Prior to the fall of Berlin, Allied intelligence had already begun to cast serious doubt on Germanys progress toward developing an atomic weapon. By April 1945, with the Nazi regime in a state of collapse and Japans defeat imminent, the threat that served as the original justification for the bombs development had all but vanished.

No longer represented as a plausible deterrent, the bomb now stood poised to become what Los Alamos Director J. Robert Oppenheimer would describe shortly after the war as weapons of terror, of surprise, of aggression [used] against an essentially defeated enemy.

By that point, it was evident that the bomb would be used not to deter Germany but to destroy Japan, and not as the final act of World War II but as the opening salvo of what would become the Cold War. The true target of the first atomic bomb wasnt, in fact, Tokyo, but Moscow, with the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki sacrificed on the altar of American global imperial ambition.

For the scientists at Chicago, that new context demanded new thinking. In June 1945, a committee of physicists led by James Franck submitted a report to Secretary of War Henry Stimson warning of the profound political and ethical consequences of employing such a bomb without exhausting all other alternatives. We believe, the Franck Report stated, that the use of nuclear bombs for an early, unannounced attack against Japan [would be] inadvisable. The report instead proposed a demonstration before international observers, arguing that such a display could serve as a gesture of goodwill and might avert the need to use the bombs altogether.

One of that reports signatories, Leo Szilard, who had been among the bombs earliest advocates, further sought to prevent what he had come to recognize as the catastrophic potential outcome of their creation. With Germany defeated, he felt a personal responsibility for reversing the course he had helped set in motion. Echoing concerns articulated in the Franck Report, he drafted a petition to be circulated among the scientists. While acknowledging that the bomb might offer short-term military and political advantages against Japan, he warned that its deployment would ultimately prove morally indefensible and strategically self-defeating, a position which would also be held by six of the seven U.S. five-star generals and admirals of that moment.

Szilard emphasized that the atomic bomb wasnt just a more powerful weapon but a fundamental transformation in the nature of warfare, an instrument of annihilation. He already feared Americans might come to regret that their own government had sown the seeds of global destruction by legitimizing the sudden obliteration of Japanese cities, a precedent that would render a heavily industrialized, densely populated country like the United States especially vulnerable.

Moreover, he concluded that using such weapons of unimaginable destructive power without sufficient military justification would severely undermine American credibility in future arms control efforts. He observed that the development of the bomb under conditions of extreme wartime secrecy had created an abjectly anti-democratic situation, one in which the public was denied any opportunity to deliberate on such an irrevocable and consequential decision.

As Eugene Rabinowitch, a co-author of the Franck Report (who would later co-found The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists), would note soon after, the scientists in Chicago were growing increasingly uneasy in the face of escalating secrecy: Many scientists began to wonder: against whom was this extreme secrecy directed? What was the sense of keeping our success secret from the Japanese? Would it have helped them to know that we had an atomic bomb ready?

Rabinowitch concluded that the only danger posed by such a disclosure was that the Chicago scientists might be proven right, and Japan might surrender. Since there was no justifiable reason to hold the bomb secret from the Japanese, he argued, many scientists felt that the purpose of deepened secrecy was to keep the knowledge of the bomb from the American people.

In other words, officials in Washington were concerned that a successful demonstration might deprive them of the coveted opportunity to use the bomb and assert their newly acquired monopoly (however temporary) on unprecedented power.

The Road to Trinity and the Cult of Oppenheimer

Seventy scientists at Chicago endorsed the Szilard Petition. By then, however, their influence on the project had distinctly diminished. Despite their early contributions, notably the achievement of the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction in December 1942, the projects center of gravity had shifted to Los Alamos.

Recognizing this, Szilard sought to circulate the petition among his colleagues there, too, hoping to invoke a shared sense of scientific responsibility and awaken their moral conscience in the critical weeks leading up to the first test of the weapon. Why did that effort fail? Why was there so little dissent, debate, or resistance at Los Alamos given the growing scientific opposition, bordering on revolt, that had emerged in Chicago?

One answer lies in Oppenheimer himself. In popular culture and historical scholarship, his legacy is often framed as that of a tragic figure: the reluctant architect of the atomic age, an idealist drawn into the ethically fraught task of creating a weapon of mass destruction compelled by the perceived exigencies of an existential war.

Yet the myth of him as a Promethean figure who suffered for unleashing the fundamental forces of nature onto a society unprepared to bear responsibility for it obscures the extent of his complicity. Far from being a passive participant, in the final months of the Manhattan Project, he emerged as a willing collaborator in the coordination of the coming atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

When Oppenheimer and physicist Edward Teller (who would come to be known as the father of the hydrogen bomb) received Szilards petition, neither shared it. While Oppenheimer offered no response, Teller provided a striking explanation: The things we are working on are so terrible that no amount of protesting or fiddling with politics will save our souls. He further rejected the idea that he held any authority to influence the bombs use. You may think it is a crime to continue to work, he conceded, but I feel that I should do the wrong thing if I tried to say how to tie the little toe of the ghost to the bottle from which we just helped it escape.

Teller later claimed to be in absolute agreement with the petition, but added that Szilard asked me to collect signatures I felt I could not do so without first seeking Oppenheimers permission more directly. I did so and Oppenheimer talked me out of it, saying that we as scientists have no business meddling in political pressure of that kind I am ashamed to say that he managed to talk me out of [it].

Tellers explanation was likely self-serving given his later acrimonious rift with Oppenheimer over the hydrogen bomb. Yet further evidence indicates that Oppenheimer actively sought to suppress debate and dissent. Physicist Robert Wilson recalled that upon arriving at Los Alamos in 1943, he raised concerns about the broader implications of their work and the terrible problems it might create, particularly given the exclusion of the Soviet Union, then an ally. The Los Alamos director, Wilson remembered, didnt want to talk about that sort of thing and would instead redirect the conversation to technical matters. When Wilson helped organize a meeting to discuss the future trajectory of the project in the wake of Germanys defeat, Oppenheimer cautioned him against it, warning that he would get into trouble by calling such a meeting.

The meeting nonetheless proceeded, with Oppenheimer in attendance, though his presence proved stifling. He participated very much, dominating the meeting, Wilson remembered. Oppenheimer pointed to the upcoming San Francisco Conference to establish the United Nations and insisted that political questions would be addressed there by those with greater expertise, implying that scientists had no role to play in such matters and ought to abstain from influencing the applications of their work.

Reflecting on his mindset at the time, Oppenheimer explained, When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it and you argue about what to do about it only after you have had your technical success. That is the way it was with the atomic bomb. In a similar vein, his oft-quoted remark that the physicists have known sin was frequently misinterpreted. He was not referring, he insisted, to the sin of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but to pride for intervening explicitly and heavy-handedly in the course of human history.

When situated within this broader context of a professed commitment to scientific detachment, Oppenheimers behavior becomes more intelligible. In practice, however, his stated ideals stood in stark contrast to his conduct. While he claimed to reject political engagement, he ultimately intervened in precisely such a manner, using his position to advocate forcefully for the bombs immediate military use against Japan without prior warning. He emerged as a leading opponent of any prospective demonstration, cautioning that it would undermine the psychological impact of the bombs use, which could only be realized through a sudden, unannounced detonation on a relatively untouched, non-military target like the city of Hiroshima. This position stood in sharp contrast to that of the Chicago scientists, of whom only 15% supported using the bomb in such a manner.

That climate of deference fostered a culture of complicity, where questions of social responsibility were subordinated to uncritical faith in authority. Reflecting on that dynamic, physicist Rudolf Peierls acknowledged, I knew that Oppenheimer was on a committee and was briefing with the high-ups. I felt there were two things one could rely on: Oppenheimer to put the reasonable ideas across, and that one could trust people. After all, we are not terrorists at heart or anything Both these statements might now be somewhat optimistic.

Ultimately, the only member of Los Alamos to register dissent was Joseph Rotblat, who quietly resigned on ethical grounds after learning in November 1944 that there was no active Nazi atomic bomb program. His departure remained a personal act of conscience, however, rather than an effort to initiate a broader moral reckoning within the scientific community.

Remember Your Humanity

The legacy of Oppenheimer, a burden we all now carry, lies in his mistaking proximity to power for power itself. Rather than using his influence to restrain the bombs use, he exercised what authority he had to facilitate its most catastrophic outcome, entrusting its consequences to political leaders who soon revealed their recklessness. In doing so, he helped lay the groundwork for what President Dwight D. Eisenhower would, in his farewell address to Congress in 1961, warn against as the disastrous rise of misplaced power.

Yet we are not doomed. This history should also remind us that the development and use of nuclear weapons was not inevitable. There were those who spoke out and a different path might well have been possible. While we cannot know exactly how events would have unfolded had dissent been amplified rather than suppressed, we can raise our own voices now to demand a safer, saner future. Our collective survival may well depend on it. How much longer a world armed with nuclear weapons can endure remains uncertain. The only viable path forward lies in renewing a commitment to, as Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell urged, remember your humanity, and forget the rest. With ever more nations developing increasingly powerful arsenals, one thing remains clear: as the Doomsday Clock moves ever closer to midnight, there is no time to waste.

Copyright 2025 Eric Ross

Via Tomdispatch.com )
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that an Israeli tank crew fired on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, killing three women and wounding several several others, in the old quarter of Gaza City. The shelling did substantial damage to the church building, as well. The Baptist Hospital received two of the dead and several of the wounded, who included parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, who was lightly injured.

The late Pope Francis called Romanelli every evening in the last months of his life. Pope Francis had demanded an inquiry into whether Israels war on Gaza constitutes a genocide.

The third victim to succumb to her wounds was Najwa Abu Daud. Some 500 Palestinian refugees are being given shelter at the church.

Pope Leo XIV conveyed through his Secretary of State his spiritual closeness to the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelliwho was injured during the attackas well as to the entire parish community.

The Pope called for an immediate ceasefire in the aftermath.

Vatican News says that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told them, What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church. He said that some of the wounded are in critical condition and in danger of dying.

His open doubt that the shelling was a mistake reflects widespread opinion in international diplomatic circles, including the Italian government.

Israel has previously targeted houses of worship, such as the historic Mosque of Omar and the historic Church of Porphyrios, and at least nine other major mosques in the Gaza Strip, apparently as part of a campaign of spiritual demoralization against the Palestinian population. UNESCO reported last month, Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have caused damage to cultural and religious sites in Gaza. As at 29 November 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had verified damage to 75 sites in Gaza since 7 October 2023: 10 religious sites, 48 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, three depositories of movable cultural property, six monuments, one museum and seven archaeological sites.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X that Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Holy Family Church. The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable.

That is, Meloni did not see the shelling of the church as a one-off action or an accident, as the Israeli authorities described it, but as part and parcel of a long-term Israeli strategy of attacking Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonia Tajani concurred, calling the shelling a serious act against a Christian place of worship. He added, The attacks by the Israeli army against the civilian population in Gaza are no longer acceptable.



Siege Church, Digital, Midjourney, 2025

The shelling of the Holy Family Church was only one of many Israeli strikes on Thursday, IMEMC, notes, which left several dozen civilians dead:

Medical sources in Gaza reported that the Israeli attacks claimed the lives of at least 61 Palestinians, including 30 in Gaza City. Dozens more were wounded, among them children and women throughout the coastal enclave.The sources also confirmed the death of a newborn at the Baptist hospital in the Zeitoun neighborhood, in the southern area of Gaza city, due to malnutrition . . .

In related news, Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF) reported that Israeli forces shelled tents sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis at around 3 a.m. yesterday, as part of an expanded military operation. Among the wounded in the attack was MSF colleague Hosni Al-Najjar. A nearby tent was also struck, killing an infant inside.

It notes that Israel said it killed 3 Hamas commanders.

Israeli rules of engagement allow 20 civilian deaths for every militant killed, and even 50 to 100 civilians dead for high-value targets. This RoE is unparalleled in any industrial democracy and contravenes basic principles of International Humanitarian Law. As a result, NATO has ceased joint military operations with Israel, given its barbaric disregard for civilian life.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2025) - Silver Mountain Resources Inc. (TSXV: AGMR) ("Silver Mountain" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Velocity Capital Partners., on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a "bought deal" basis 11,540,000 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $1.30 per Unit (the "Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds to Silver Mountain of $15,002,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit will comprise of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half () of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of C$1.70 for 24 months following the completion of the Offering.

The Company has granted the Underwriters an option (the "Over-allotment Option"), exercisable in whole or in part, to purchase up to an additional 1,730,000 Units for a period of 30 days from and including the Closing Date to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The Underwriters shall be under no obligation whatsoever to exercise the Over-allotment Option in whole or in part. If the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full, the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering will be C$17,251,000.

The Units will be offered by way of: (i) a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus Supplement") to Silver Mountain's short form base shelf prospectus dated October 28, 2024 in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, except Quebec; (ii) in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of "U.S. persons" as defined by Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), by way of private placement pursuant to the exemption from registration provided for under Regulation D and/or Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A of U.S. Securities Act and the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States; and (iii) in jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States as are agreed to by the Company and the Underwriters on a private placement or equivalent basis.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to further develop the Reliquias mine, Caudalosa plant and related facilities, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Offering is expected to close on or about July 29, 2025 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV").

When available, the Prospectus Supplement may be accessed for free on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR+") at www.sedarplus.ca. Alternatively, copies when available, may be obtained upon request by contacting Velocity Trade Capital Ltd. by mail at 100 Yonge Street, Suite 1800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2W1, by telephone at (416) 323-2154, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Silver Mountain

Silver Mountain is a Canadian mining company focused on the development of silver and polymetallic projects in Peru. The Company's flagship asset is the Reliquias Project, located in a prolific mining district with established infrastructure and strong community relations.

Forward-Looking and Other Cautionary Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). 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 involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: filing of the Prospectus Supplement; receipt of all regulatory approvals in connection with the Offering; the completion of the Offering and the proposed use of the net proceeds therefrom; the anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future discoveries; future growth potential of the Company; and future development plans.

These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding future events including the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of the Company's business; the Company's formative stage of development; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of silver, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the annual information form of the Company dated July 17, 2025. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSXV nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) ("LaFleur Minerals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced its diamond drilling program at its Swanson Gold Project ("Swanson") in the Abitibi region, Quebec, after receiving all the necessary permits including the Authorization to Intervene (ATI) and the Forestry Intervention permits. These permit approvals mark a major milestone, allowing the Company to move forward with its fully funded, minimum 5,000 metre drilling program starting with the Swanson Gold Deposit. Simultaneously, the Company announces the completion of the independent valuation of its Beacon Gold Mill ("Beacon Mill") by Bumigeme Inc. ("Bumigeme") confirming: (1) the Beacon Mill is in excellent condition, (2) with rehabilitation and commissioning costs estimated at C$4.1 million, and (3) full replacement cost of the mill and tailings storage facility combined with permitting costs estimated to exceed C$71.5 million, underscoring the strategic value of the asset. LaFleur Minerals has also significantly expanded its land position at its wholly-owned Swanson Gold Project, now covering over 18,300 hectares across 445 claims and 1 mining lease, reinforcing its district-scale exploration potential.

These recent developments mark a major operational inflection point for LaFleur Minerals:

Detailed Mill Restart Plan : With the Beacon Gold Mill valued at over 17x its estimated rehabilitation and re-commissioning costs , LaFleur Minerals holds a unique, fully-permitted processing facility within a major gold mining jurisdiction, providing a path to near-term gold production in a region flush with custom-milling opportunities and nearby gold deposits.

Aggressive Drilling and Land Expansion : The start of a fully funded 5,000-metre drilling campaign and a significant land expansion within the Swanson Gold Project unlocking substantial discovery potential .

Strategic Positioning: Few junior mining companies control both an advanced gold project and a fully-permitted and refurbished mill-LaFleur Minerals is now positioned as one of the most exciting gold development companies in Quebec, with low mill restart and commissioning costs and significant assets exceeding its current market cap.

BUMIGEME VALUATION COMPLETE

Independent mining engineering firm Bumigeme has completed its full evaluation of the Company's Beacon Mill in Val-d'Or, Quebec and concluded that the mill is in excellent condition with anticipated rehabilitation and re-commissioning costs of C$4.1 million as part of its planned restart program. Furthermore, Bumigeme estimated the replacement CAPEX cost to build a new similar gold mill today at C$49.5 million. This cost does not include the building of a new tailings storage facility (TSF) including a tailings pond, finishing basin, piping, pumping station, etc., which is estimated at C$12 million, and mining and environmental studies and permitting costs estimated at C$10 million. Bumigeme also estimates it would take a minimum of 18 months to build a new mill and TSF, in addition to a minimum of 5 years to complete all required studies and receive all necessary permits from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and local and Indigenous communities prior to construction. The results of this independent valuation confirm the strong value and incredible opportunity the Beacon Mill offers for future milling of gold deposits in the Abitibi region after re-commissioning work is complete. The results of the Bumigeme evaluation will also be incorporated into the Company's ongoing work towards a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Swanson Gold Project.

The Company's next immediate priority is to secure the necessary financing to complete the rehabilitation and re-commissioning of the Beacon Gold Mill with the aim to complete the mill restart program by early 2026.

DIAMOND DRILLING COMMENCES AT SWANSON

The diamond drilling program at the Swanson Gold Project (Figure 1) will focus on priority target areas including the Swanson Gold Deposit, as well as Bartec, Jolin, and Marimac target areas (Figure 2). These high-potential zones were selected following an extensive compilation of historical data and recently completed detailed exploration work by LaFleur Minerals, including:

High-resolution airborne magnetic and VLF-EM surveys

Prospecting and soil geochemistry surveys

Induced polarization (IP) survey program

Drilling has already commenced at the Swanson Gold Deposit and will test key structural, geological, geochemical and geophysical anomalies for additional gold mineralization potential along strike. The Company looks forward to sharing additional details and drilling assay results in the coming weeks.

ADDITIONAL CLAIM STAKING AT SWANSON

The Company is also pleased to announce it has recently staked an additional 32 mineral claims, covering approximately 1,824 hectares, on strike and to the northwest of the Swanson Gold Deposit (Figure 3). This claims expansion extends the project's coverage of favourable geology to over 33 kilometres of strike length, significantly enhancing Swanson's exploration potential. The Swanson Property represents one of the largest land and mineral packages in the renowned southern Abitibi Gold Belt, which hosts favourable geology and mineralized structures. The Swanson Gold Project now includes 445 mineral claims and 1 mining lease covering a total of 18,304 hectares, positioning it as a key district-scale gold exploration play on a project that hosts over 36,000 metres of historical drilling and multiple high potential drill targets.

Paul Teniere, CEO of LaFleur Minerals stated, "We are very pleased with results of the full evaluation of the Beacon Gold Mill by Bumigeme and it truly shows the incredible potential of this milling asset as we advance towards becoming a near-term gold producer. Our technical team has also done an exceptional job integrating historical exploration data with new geophysical and geochemical datasets to define compelling drilling targets at Swanson. Receiving the required permits clears the way for us to advance one of the most exciting exploration and drilling campaigns in the region. Not only are we launching a fully funded, data-driven drilling program, but we've also strategically expanded our land position in a way that meaningfully increases our discovery potential."

Figure 1: Swanson Deposit - 50 km from the Beacon Gold Mill

Figure 2: Swanson drilling target regions and proposed 2025 drill holes (in blue)

Figure 3: Recent staking at Swanson

QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the Company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

About LaFleur Minerals Inc.

LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) is focused on the development of district-scale gold projects in the Abitibi Gold Belt near Val-d'Or, Quebec. Our mission is to advance mining projects with a laser focus on our resource-stage Swanson Gold Project and the Beacon Gold Mill, which have significant potential to deliver long-term value. The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 18,304 hectares (183 km2) in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. LaFleur has recently consolidated a large land package along a major structural break that hosts the Swanson, Bartec, and Jolin gold deposits and several other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project is easily accessible by road allowing direct access to several nearby gold mills, further enhancing its development potential. Lafleur Minerals' fully-refurbished and permitted Beacon Gold Mill is capable of processing over 750 tonnes per day and is being considered for processing mineralized material at Swanson and for custom milling operations for other nearby gold projects.

ON BEHALF OF LAFLEUR MINERALS INC.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "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 news release include, without limitation, statements related to the use of proceeds from the Offering. 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 may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. 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. 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 applicable securities laws, 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.
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Gunnison Copper Corp. (TSX: GCU) (OTCQB: GCUMF) (FSE: 3XS0) ("Gunnison" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of C$8,647,230 from the sale of 28,874,100 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$0.30 per Unit. Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud") acted as a finder in connection with the Offering.

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of C$0.45 at any time on or before July 18, 2028.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund additional and follow on work related to the High Value Add Work Program at the Gunnison Copper Project, begin long lead time drilling and metallurgical testing that will be incorporated in a pre-feasibility study for the Gunnison Copper Project, as well as fund US head office general and administrative expenses ("G&A") for an additional 12 months (April 2026 to March 2027). U.S. head office G&A for the next 9 months to March 2026 will be funded from existing working capital.

The Units were sold to purchasers resident in Canada pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), as amended by Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption. The securities issuable pursuant to the sale of the Units to purchasers resident in Canada are immediately freely tradeable under applicable Canadian securities legislation. The Units were also sold to purchasers in offshore jurisdictions and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to one or more exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act"), as amended.

As consideration for their services in connection with the Offering, Red Cloud and other finders received a total cash commission of C$512,875.80 and were issued 1,709,586 non-transferable warrants of the Company (the "Finder's Warrants"). Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of C$0.45 at any time on or before July 18, 2028. The Finder's Warrants are subject to a statutory hold period that expires on November 19, 2025.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

ABOUT GUNNISON COPPER

Gunnison Copper Corp. is a multi-asset pure-play copper developer and producer that controls the Cochise Mining District (the district), containing 12 known deposits within an 8 km economic radius, in the Southern Arizona Copper Belt.

Gunnison exists to develop and operate copper mines in Southern Arizona to produce fully Made in America finished copper cathode to directly supply American energy, defense, and manufacturing supply chains. Gunnison proudly hires locally, purchases locally, and sells its products for use in America. Gunnison invests in its employees, their families, and the communities around it. Gunnison operates safely and responsibly with a focus on technology and positive societal impact, while also emphasizing long-term value creation for stakeholders.

Its flagship asset, the Gunnison Copper Project, has a measured and indicated mineral resource containing over 831 million tons with a total copper grade of 0.31% (measured mineral resource of 191.3 million tons at 0.37% and indicated mineral resource of 640.2 million tons at 0.29%), and a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") yielding robust economics including an NPV8% of $1.3 billion, IRR of 20.9%, and payback period of 4.1 years. It is being developed as a conventional operation with open pit mining, heap leach, and SX/EW refinery to produce finished copper cathode on-site with direct rail link.

The PEA is preliminary in nature and 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. There is no certainty that the conclusions reached in the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

In addition, Gunnison's Johnson Camp Asset, which is under construction with first copper production expected in Q3 2025, is fully funded by Nuton LLC, a Rio Tinto Venture, with a production capacity of up to 25 million lbs of finished copper cathode annually.

Other significant deposits controlled by Gunnison in the district, with potential to be economic satellite feeder deposits for Gunnison Project infrastructure, include Strong and Harris, South Star, and eight other deposits.

For additional information on the Gunnison Project, including the PEA and mineral resource estimate, please refer to the Company's technical report entitled "Gunnison Project NI 43-101 Technical Report Preliminary Economic Assessment" dated effective November 1, 2024 and available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Dr. Stephen Twyerould, Fellow of AUSIMM, President and CEO of the Company is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Twyerould has reviewed and is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.

For more information on Gunnison, please visit our website at www.GunnisonCopper.com

For further information regarding this press release, please contact:

Gunnison Copper Corp.

Concord Place, Suite 300, 2999 North 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85018

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain statements contained in this release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements relate to the use of net proceeds from the Offering; the intention to deploy the Nuton technology at the Johnson Camp mine and future production therefrom; the continued funding of the stage 2 work program by Nuton; the details and expected results of the stage two work program; future production and production capacity from the Company's mineral projects; the results of the preliminary economic assessment on the Gunnison Project; and the exploration and development of the Company's mineral projects.

In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "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", "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, Nuton will continue to fund the stage 2 work program, the availability of financing to continue as a going concern and implement the Company's operational plans, the estimation of mineral resources, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, copper and other metal prices, the timing and amount of future development expenditures, the estimation of initial and sustaining capital requirements, the estimation of labour and operating costs (including the price of acid), the availability of labour, material and acid supply, receipt of and compliance with necessary regulatory approvals and permits, the estimation of insurance coverage, and assumptions with respect to currency fluctuations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, and other similar matters. 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 not obtaining adequate financing to continue operations, Nuton failing to continue to fund the stage 2 work program, the breach of debt covenants, risks inherent in the construction and operation of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined including the possibility that mining operations may not be sustained at the Gunnison Copper Project, risks related to the delay in approval of work plans, variations in mineral resources and reserves, grade or recovery rates, risks relating to the ability to access infrastructure, risks relating to changes in copper and other commodity prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of copper and related products, risks related to increased competition in the market for copper and related products, risks related to current global financial conditions, risks related to current global financial conditions on the Company's business, uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources, access and supply risks, risks related to the ability to access acid supply on commercially reasonable terms, reliance on key personnel, operational risks inherent in the conduct of mining activities, including the risk of accidents, labour disputes, increases in capital and operating costs and the risk of delays or increased costs that might be encountered during the construction or mining process, regulatory risks including the risk that permits may not be obtained in a timely fashion or at all, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks, risks related to disputes concerning property titles and interests, environmental risks 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 actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or 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 or revise any forward-looking information.

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES
On July 8, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that two arrest warrants have been issued for the Talibans leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. The news created a glimmer of hope in the midst of the horrific human rights and womens rights situation in Afghanistan and the increasing normalization of the Taliban in the region and beyond. Just in the days before the warrant, Russia became the first country to recognize the Talibans government. This was a devastating development for women of Afghanistan who have been asking for non-recognition of the Taliban due to the ongoing gender apartheid. The ICC news also came as the Iranian government launched a massive campaign of forced deportation of Afghans, including women and girls. Afghanistan is fading from the public memory around the world while the Taliban are being normalized despite their brutal policies. Along with this normalization, more and more countries, including the US and Germany are planning to expel and deport Afghans. In this context, the issuance of the arrest warrants was a stark reminder of the ongoing gender persecution in Afghanistan.

Afghans have been waiting for the ICC for a very long time. Afghanistan acceded to the Rome Statue in 2003 after the US and its allies toppled the Taliban who had first come to power in 1996. The court opened a preliminary investigation in 2006. It was only in 2017 that the then prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested authorization to initiate a formal investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity of the various parties in the case of Afghanistan. The parties included the United States Military and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for crimes of torture. In response, in September 2020, the US government and President Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC Prosecutor. While the Biden administration removed the sanctions, new hurdles emerged. The Afghan government requested a deferral of the investigation in 2020. When the Taliban came back to power in August 2021, the deferral was already in place. In 2023, the Prosecutor announced the resumption of the investigation, albeit with a narrowed focus on the Taliban and the Islamic State Korosan Province (ISKP, a regional branch of IS that is at war with the Taliban), leaving out the alleged perpetrators of the former Afghan republic as well as the allegations of crimes by the US and other international forces in Afghanistan, with conflicted responses and an outcry about double standards.

What do the warrants really mean?

The arrest warrants for Akhundzada and Haqqani are unlikely to lead to trial and justice in the near future. The Taliban have dismissed the announcement, stating that they do not recognize the court. These particular Taliban leaders dont travel beyond Afghanistan, with the Taliban Supreme Leader, Akhundzada, being very reclusive. At this stage, the value of the warrants is symbolic, and perhaps in the most ambitious scenario, to some extent preventive. There are tensions within the Taliban regarding their vision for Afghan state. Some senior leaders of the Taliban have shown more appetite and ambition for recognition and normalization of their relationship with the region and beyond. The arrest warrants could send a message to them that with the ongoing gender persecution, they could be next in the ICC list, impacting their own ability to travel and engage at the global stage. The arrest warrants are unlikely to turn the Taliban Supreme Leader into a liability in the current climate, but if the internal politics and dynamics within the group shift, it can become another leverage for pressure/contention within the senior Taliban leadership. The other limiting factor of the ICC investigation is its narrow scope, with its focus on the Taliban and the ISKP. Afghanistan has been a site of crimes and serious violations for over 5 decades. The decision of the Prosecutor to de-prioritize other perpetrators has been explained as an issue of resources, as well as trying to focus on the most urgent, on-going crimes. However, the pressure from the successive US governments is also very likely a factor.

Afghan survivors and activists know that the current ICC investigation is insufficient in the face of past and ongoing crimes and violations. The Afghan human rights community continues to make calls for the ICC to broaden its current scope. In the meantime, they are pushing for other pathways to accountability that may be more comprehensive. In 2021, following a brutal attack on a girls school in Kabul, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, of which I was the chairperson, called for establishment of a UN accountability mechanism for Afghanistan. Following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the UN Human Rights Council established a Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan in October 2021. It has made significant contributions to exposing the human rights abuses in Afghanistan, drawing international attention to the situation, creating a platform for engagement and submissions from the Afghan women across Afghanistan and the Afghan human rights community inside and outside the country. The Special Rapporteur has been relentless in his principled call for the restoration of rights of women and girls and human rights of all Afghans, calling out the creeping normalization of the Taliban. However, the gap in accountability still remains as the mandate is focusing primarily on the Taliban atrocities. It is also not set up to gather evidence to be utilized in universal jurisdiction and domestic and international courts, thus the call for a comprehensive accountability mechanism with a broader time-frame and evidence collection capacity.

Domestic efforts on other crimes

The call for a comprehensive mechanism has been slow to gather momentum among member states both due to the reluctance of some countries to have a mechanism that could potentially look into their own militarys conduct in Afghanistan, as well as the current financial crisis in the UN. The establishment of a strong, well-resourced comprehensive mechanism would complement and support the ongoing ICC investigation as well as the mandate of the Special Rapporteur sending a message to all victims of atrocities in Afghanistan that they are not de-prioritized or forgotten in an environment of eroding trust in international law and accountability and increasing display of double standards by Western leaders.

Another venue for accountability is through investigations by the different governments that had troops in Afghanistan. The current Afghanistan Inquiry in Australia is a prime example of this and another window for truth telling and possibly reparations for victims and survivors in Afghanistan. The investigation of allegations of war crimes and abuses by the Australian forces are ongoing and, in the meantime, the Australian government has set up a system for victims to make claims of compensation, the first such possibility offered to Afghan victims and survivors following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. It is a more grim picture with some of the other governments who had troops in Afghanistan. In the UK, they have been several attempts at cover up of the atrocities committed by the British special forces in Afghanistan. Additionally, despite the very serious nature of allegations against American military and special forces, there is no near likelihood of investigation or accountability.

A Peoples Tribunal in October

Another potential venue that is valuable primarily from a truth-telling perspective is the victim-centred platform of Peoples Tribunals. The power of such tribunals come from their focus on victims and the freedom from the constraints mobilizing the political will of member states. Four Afghan civil society organizations are about to announce a Peoples Tribunal focused on Women and Girls of Afghanistan under the auspices of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, with the hearing sessions to be held in early October in Spain. A Peoples Tribunal, a civil society-led imitative, has the potential to expand to cover more allegations and perpetrators, giving victims of all atrocities a day in court.

Afghanistan is currently the worlds worst womens rights crisis. The Talibans oppression of women must not be met with impunity and silence. A comprehensive approach to justice does require addressing root causes and a longstanding culture of impunity that partly damaged the international communitys credibility on justice and contributed to the Talibans return. However, this is the merit at least of the ICC announcement, symbolic as it is, to keep gender apartheid in Afghanistan under the spotlight.
Germany said Friday it had deported 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes to their Taliban-controlled homeland, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government looks to signal a hard line on immigration.

The interior ministry said a plane carrying the men took off Friday morning bound for Afghanistan, adding that all the deportees were under expulsion orders and were convicted by the criminal justice system.

The government of Europe's top economy was forging ahead with a "policy change", said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who was hosting several European counterparts for a migration meeting.

"Deportations to Afghanistan must continue to be carried out safely in the future. There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country."

Berlin has had only indirect contact with the Taliban authorities through third parties with Friday's operation executed with the help of Qatar, said the German interior ministry.

Germany had stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

But expulsions resumed last year for the first time since the Taliban came to power, when the previous government of Social Democrat chancellor Olaf Scholz expelled a group of 28 Afghans convicted of crimes.

- Rights concerns -

Human rights group Amnesty International strongly criticised the renewed deportations to Afghanistan saying the situation in the country was "catastrophic".

"Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture are commonplace," the group said in a statement.

At the beginning of the month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls.

Merz told a press conference on Friday that Germany wants to be an "attractive country for immigration", to attract the best talent and fill gaping labour shortages,

The previous government's policies had however left local administrations with too large a burden to carry, Merz said.

His government had "initiated corrections" to put migration policy on the right course, he said, including tightening border controls and limiting family reunifications rights for some refugees.

Merz said that policing Germany's borders with its neighbours was only a "temporary" solution and a durable solution was needed at the European level.

- Migration summit -

Dobrindt was meeting his French, Polish, Austrian, Danish and Czech counterparts, as well as European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner, in southern Germany on Friday.

The objective of the meeting is to "strengthen European migration policy," Dobrindt told the Augsburger Allgemeine daily.

A debate over resuming expulsions has flared as migration has risen up the political agenda in tandem with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The AfD scored a historic election result of over 20 percent in February -- its highest score at a national level -- leaving the party nipping on the heels of Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

The controversy over immigration was fuelled by a series of deady attacks last year where the suspects were asylum seekers -- including several from Afghanistan.

Germany's new government, a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has promised to expel more foreign criminals alongside a crackdown on irregular migration.

As well as carrying out deportations to Afghanistan, Dobrindt has said he was in contact with authorities to enable deportations to Syria, which have been suspended since 2012.

Longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December. The country is now under the control of Islamist leaders, some of whom were once linked with the Al-Qaeda jihadist network.
Germany has arrested a Libyan militia leader accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes on an International Criminal Court warrant, German judicial officials and the ICC said on Friday.

Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, who was arrested on Wednesday, allegedly served as a senior official at the notorious Mitiga prison near Tripoli, the ICC said.

"He is suspected of having committed directly himself, ordered or overseen crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence" between February 2015 and early 2020, the court said in a statement.

Der Spiegel news magazine first reported that Hishri, 46, was arrested at Berlin airport as he sought to fly to Tunis, on the basis of an ICC warrant that was issued on July 10.

A spokesman for the Brandenburg regional prosecutor's office confirmed to AFP that the Libyan was arrested at the airport on Wednesday morning.

ICC registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler thanked Germany and said such cooperative moves were "essential steps for proceedings to move forward and for victims to see justice delivered".

Oil-rich Libya is still grappling with the aftermath of the armed conflict and political chaos that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The country remains split between a United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family

Italy frees war crimes suspect

Human rights investigators have long decried the abuses suffered by thousands of detainees, many of them irregular migrants, in crowded and unsanitary detention facilities, including Mitiga.

Earlier this year, the Italian government sparked a heated debate over its decision to release and expel another Libyan war crimes suspect involved in running Mitiga, Osama Almasri Najim.

Najim, the head of Libya's judicial police, was arrested in Turin on January 19 on an ICC warrant, only to be released and flown home to Tripoli two days later on an Italian air force plane.

Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio defended his release, saying the ICC warrant for his arrest had been poorly written.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said in May that the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity had accepted the court's authority to investigate alleged war crimes despite not being party to the Rome Statute, the court's founding treaty.

Khan also called on Libya's prosecutor general Al-Seddik al-Sour to arrest Najim "and surrender him to the ICC".
Kenya has paid compensation to four women victims of sexual violence that erupted after the 2007 elections, in the first payment of its kind in the country, rights groups said on Friday.

Rights groups found at least 900 people had suffered sexual assaults, including gang rape and castration, during the wave of post-election violence that swept across the country more than a decade ago.

In 2020, a High Court ordered the government to pay compensation to four women, with rights groups confirming on Friday that in a "historic" move officials had released funds amounting to roughly $31,000 to each victim.

"This signals a shift where state responsibility has been acknowledged," said Demas Kiprono, Deputy Executive Director at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya, one of the groups involved.

"It gives hope to other victims of violations during conflict, or even during any other time, that they have human dignity and the government has a responsibility," he told AFP.

"This is really a break from the past, towards reparation, towards restoration," he added.

The victims -- who all requested anonymity -- expressed gratitude for the decision, despite the long wait.

"I thought I would die without seeing this money and justice being served," said one, communicating through her lawyer.

Another said simply: "I have no words to express my joy."

The ruling marks a "significant step forward", said the coalition, which includes the ICJ, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, and Physicians for Human Rights.

But, in a statement, it said that more work remains to be done, notably in regards to the hundreds of others assaulted during the violence.

In the 2020 ruling, the court dismissed the cases of another four people -- two women and two men -- as they had been "assaulted by non-state actors". The case is currently under appeal.

Following the 2007 violence, the International Criminal Court indicted the then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for crimes against humanity, but both cases collapsed when witnesses failed to testify.

Sexual violence continues to be endemic in Kenya, with women marching last year against femicide in the country. Police fired tear gas at the protesters.
A Complete 2025 Guide to Legal Identity Change, Digital Erasure, and Second Citizenship

VANCOUVER, British Columbia  At a time when personal data is bought, sold, and analyzed by thousands of organizations globally, a growing number of U.S. citizens are seeking ways to reset their identity legally.

Identity transformation is no longer a tactic reserved for fugitives or the witness protection program. Law-abiding citizens now legally reset their names, citizenship, and even digital presence to protect themselves from harassment, financial ruin, or personal trauma.

Amicus International Consulting, a global leader in lawful identity change services, reports that demand for legal identity resets has surged by over 30% in the past two years. Individuals are realizing that lawful identity change offers a rare opportunity to reclaim privacy without breaking the law.

This in-depth report explains how Americans can safely and legally change their identity, avoid common pitfalls, and choose the best countries for second citizenship in 2025.

Why More U.S. Citizens Are Choosing Legal Identity Change

From Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to Midwest families, the reasons U.S. citizens reset their identities are diverse:

To escape abusive relationships or stalking

To avoid reputational damage caused by viral scandals

To rebuild after bankruptcy or failed business ventures

To move past gender dysphoria and align their identity legally

To erase digital footprints that threaten employment opportunities

To escape political persecution or harassment

According to Amicus International Consulting, most of these individuals are not hiding from law enforcementthey are seeking peace of mind, security, and a chance to start fresh.

Case Study #1: From Financial Ruin to a New Life in South America

After a failed business venture left a Texas man with $500,000 in liabilities, he legally changed his name and moved to Paraguay, where he obtained permanent residency within six months. Following Paraguays three-year path to Naturalization, he will soon have a second passport. He settled debts in the U.S. but started his personal life anew without breaking a single law.

The Legal Framework: Identity Change Under U.S. Law

Resetting your identity as a U.S. citizen can involve multiple legal processes:

Name change : Petitioning a court for a new legal name.

: Petitioning a court for a new legal name. Gender marker correction : Updating legal records to reflect gender identity.

: Updating legal records to reflect gender identity. Social Security number reassignment : Granted under exceptional circumstances, such as abuse or identity theft.

: Granted under exceptional circumstances, such as abuse or identity theft. Second citizenship acquisition : Lawful residency or citizenship through Investment, ancestry, or Naturalization abroad.

: Lawful residency or citizenship through Investment, ancestry, or Naturalization abroad. Digital identity erasure: Lawful removal of digital footprints without engaging in fraud.

Each of these processes involves public records, government approval, and adherence to both federal and state laws.

How to Legally Change Your Name in the U.S.

Changing your legal name is the first step many take. All U.S. states permit adults to change their names through a court petition.

Step 1: File a name change petition in the county court.

Step 2: Publish notice in a local newspaper (mandatory in most states unless waived for safety reasons).

Step 3: Appear before a judge for final approval.

Step 4: Update all documents (passport, drivers license, Social Security records).

Average timeline: 4-8 weeks.

Average cost: $200$500, depending on jurisdiction.

Case Study #2: Name Change for Safety After Online Harassment

A woman in Colorado changed her name after being doxxed during a political campaign. She provided court evidence of threats and successfully waived public notice requirements. Within three months, she rebuilt her online and offline life under a new identity while remaining within the law.

How Social Security Numbers Can Be Legally Changed

Changing your SSN is difficult but not impossible. The Social Security Administration permits new numbers for:

Domestic violence victims

Identity theft victims

Witness protection participants

Process:

File SSA Form SS-5

Provide documentation proving threats or continued harassment

Attend in-person SSA interviews

Caution: New SSNs do not erase prior credit histories or legal obligations.

How Second Citizenship Creates Legal Identity Options

Second citizenship offers Americans the opportunity to live, travel, and work under a different nationality, legally maintaining two identities.

Top Methods:

Ancestry : Ireland, Italy, and Poland allow descendants of emigrants to reclaim citizenship.

: Ireland, Italy, and Poland allow descendants of emigrants to reclaim citizenship. Investment : St. Kitts, Dominica, and Vanuatu offer citizenship within months for financial contributions.

: St. Kitts, Dominica, and Vanuatu offer citizenship within months for financial contributions. Residency: Paraguay, Panama, and Argentina offer Naturalization after residency.

With a second passport, Americans can legally choose which identity to use while travelling or residing abroad.

Case Study #3: Dual Citizenship After Divorce

A Massachusetts woman, suffering reputational damage during a high-profile divorce, obtained Dominican citizenship through investment. She relocated to the Caribbean, legally adopted her mothers maiden name, and built a thriving online businessall without defrauding U.S. authorities.

Digital Identity Resets: Legal and Ethical Approaches

Digital identity resets are increasingly common among professionals seeking privacy.

Permitted methods : Closing social media accounts Using aliases online (for non-business purposes) Rebranding under a new legal name Using GDPR and CCPA laws to request data deletion

: Prohibited methods : Using false information in legal contracts Posing as another person or using fake credentials

:

Interview: Expert Weighs in on Legal Identity Change

Amicus International Consulting provided insights from an anonymous senior consultant:

Q: Are legal identity changes accepted globally?

A: Within the U.S., legal identity changes are routine via courts. Internationally, new citizenship must be obtained through lawful channels. Illegal methodsfake passports, forged documentsare universally criminal.

Q: Can you erase your digital footprint?

A: Yes, within limits. You can minimize your online presence, but government records, tax filings, and credit histories are permanent unless sealed by court order.

Q: How does Amicus help clients avoid legal mistakes?

A: By ensuring every stepcourt petitions, citizenship filings, banking setupscomplies with national and international law.

Where Americans Go for Legal Identity Changes

Top destinations in 2025 include:

Paraguay : Simplest residency process with citizenship after 3 years.

: Simplest residency process with citizenship after 3 years. Dominica and St. Kitts : Instant citizenship via $100,000+ donations.

: Instant citizenship via $100,000+ donations. Panama : Fast-track residency with second passport options after 5 years.

: Fast-track residency with second passport options after 5 years. Argentina : Liberal residency options and favorable dual nationality laws.

: Liberal residency options and favorable dual nationality laws. Portugal: Golden Visa with EU access after 5 years of minimal stay.

Case Study #4: Starting Over in Europe Through Ancestry

A software developer in New York traced his ancestry to Italy. Within 18 months, he obtained Italian citizenship and relocated to Milan. By changing his surname during the process, he launched a successful career in Europe while legally disconnecting from prior controversies in the U.S.

The Dark Side: Illegal Methods to Avoid

Illegal actions often lead to imprisonment, including:

Buying forged passports

Lying under oath during court proceedings

Lying to government agencies during citizenship applications

Concealing assets to avoid court judgments

Amicus advises anyone seeking identity change to avoid agencies offering instant new identities without legal processes.

Anonymous Travel: How Its Done Legally

While completely anonymous international travel is not legal, privacy-conscious individuals:

Use private jets (subject to customs inspections but with privacy advantages)

Fly under second passports

Use alternate identity registrations (allowed under certain diplomatic roles)

Travel in countries with limited biometric enforcement

Historical Insight: Private Jet Culture and Anonymity

Since the 1970s, private aviation has provided the elite with discreet travel options. Today, private terminals (FBOs) reduce surveillance exposure. While customs controls still apply, flying privately offers unparalleled convenience and reduced scrutinylegally.

Case Study #5: Anonymous Relocation to Asia

A retired executive with a checkered public profile moved to Thailand under a new legal name and Dominica citizenship. Flying privately, he bypassed biometric scrutiny while remaining fully compliant with Thai immigration law.

Final Thoughts: Legal Identity Change Is About Freedom, Not Fraud

Legal identity change provides U.S. citizens with powerful tools to reset their liveswhether escaping danger, reputational damage, or seeking a new life abroad. Every method requires transparency, lawful filings, and often court supervision.

Amicus International Consulting remains one of the worlds leading advisors on legal identity transformation, ensuring clients navigate this complex area without falling afoul of international law.

Contact Information

Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.amicusint.ca

Follow Us:

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Thursday, July 17, 2025 - Nairobi slay queens are no strangers to turning heads - from bold fashion choices to wild nights out, they always make a statement.

This viral video captures one such party girl letting loose in a city nightclub, and netizens cant stop talking.

Dressed in a barely-there outfit that left little to the imagination, the unapologetic slay queen is seen puffing shisha like a pro while vibing to the music.

While some admired her confidence, others raised concerns about reputation and health.

Many questioned whether such public antics could have long-term consequences, especially when the footage spreads online.

Health-conscious viewers also pointed out the risks of excessive shisha smoking, citing its known side effects.

Still, one thing is clear: Nairobi slay queens know how to party hard - and theyre not afraid of a little attention.

Watch the video.

Can you tie down this one? pic.twitter.com/fKsIfPV3i5  DAILY POST  (@dailypost_ke) July 17, 2025






Thursday, July 17, 2025 - A married woman has sparked a heated debate on social media after openly advocating for women to "cheat back" on unfaithful husbands.

In a bold Facebook post, Nkechi Bianze, a Canada-based Nigerian travel blogger, mother of two, and outspoken feminist, stated, Im a strong believer and strong advocate of CHEATING BACK. I advise women whose husbands are cheating to cheat back.

She made it clear her message isnt for everyone. If you dont believe in cheating back, scroll on, she wrote.

Dont bring your sanctimonious opinions here. Im not interested in being a role model for virtuous women or wife materials. God forbid.

She further emphasized that her platform is for empowering women to rebel against double standards in relationships.

My goal is to give women the advice society refuses to - advice that helps them survive and thrive in a world that often works against them.

Her post has ignited both praise and criticism, with many applauding her unapologetic stance while others question the ethics of cheating back.





The Kenyan DAILY POST






Thursday, July 17, 2025 - Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonkos controversial daughter, Sandra Mbuvi, popularly known as Thicky Sandra recently opened up about her financial fears during an honest conversation on Prince Newtons podcast.

Known for her bold online persona and glamorous lifestyle, Sandra didnt hold back when asked about her biggest fear - being broke.

Broke? she repeated in disbelief. Thats my biggest fear.

When asked about her go-to meal when shes low on cash but doesnt want to look it, Sandra surprised many by saying she opts for KFC or McDonalds.

Theyre cheap, she noted, leaving the host momentarily stunned.

While these fast-food spots may still be considered a luxury by some, Sandra explained that theyre her version of staying low-key without fully compromising her lifestyle.

Sandra, known for her bold personality and lavish lifestyle, previously went viral for admitting she only eats ugali prepared with butter or Blue Band margarine.

Adding to the buzz, she recently caused a stir during a live TikTok session when she declared she cant date Kenyan men.

"What did Kenyan men do to you? Nothing, she said with a shrug. They are just not my type. Like, ew."

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Thursday, July 17, 2025 - President William Rutos Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs, Prof. Makau Mutua, has stirred controversy after calling for the outright ban of boda bodas from all major cities and towns across Kenya.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, July 17th, Mutua described boda bodas as the main source of chaos in urban centers, accusing them of ruining the aesthetics and orderliness of cities like Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret.

"I am convinced that ALL boda boda should be banned from the streets of ALL Kenyas major cities and towns.

No modern city should tolerate such chaos, illegality, terrible aesthetics, and indiscipline on its roads. Absolutely unacceptable," he said.

While boda bodas remain the most accessible and affordable means of transport for millions, especially in congested and underserved areas, they have also been linked to frequent accidents, traffic violations, and incidents of crime.

Mutuas remarks have drawn mixed reactions from Kenyans online.

Some supported his stance, citing safety concerns, while others defended boda bodas as a vital economic lifeline for many youths.

However, critics have pointed out that Mutuas proposal contradicts President Rutos hustler manifesto, which championed the empowerment of boda boda riders and other informal sector workers.

During his 2022 campaign, Ruto frequently rode on boda bodas and positioned himself as a champion of hustlers, vowing to support and formalize their businesses.

Mutuas comments now appear to undercut that promise, igniting further political tension within the Presidents own support base.






Thursday, July 17, 2025 - A tragic incident in Kisumu County has sparked public concern after a 36-year-old man, identified as Kennedy Okeyo, was hacked to death under mysterious circumstances.

Okeyo, a resident of Nyakach sub-county, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

According to Maurice Adie, Chief of North Nyakach Location, the attack took place at a womans house roughly two kilometers from the deceaseds home.

Its alleged that Okeyo was having an affair with the woman, a detail that has stirred speculation about the motive behind the attack.

Unidentified assailants reportedly stormed the house on Wednesday night, armed with crude weapons, and attacked Okeyo with a machete before fleeing.

The woman involved is currently in police custody to aid with ongoing investigations.

The incident has left the community reeling in shock, as authorities intensify efforts to track down the attackers and unravel the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
Curragh Racecourse: preview and tips for Saturdays eight-race card, including The Curragh hosts an action-packed card on Saturday, with an eight-race offering for punters heading to the track with the feature race of the day being the Irish Oaks.

That fillies contest is off at 3.40, with the card getting underway at headquarters at 1.30pm and rounding off at 5.25pm.

Read below for a full rundown of the Curragh card courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Galway Festival odds for the showpiece meeting later this month.

Up first is a maiden contest for the two-year-olds over seven furlongs (1.30) and 15 runners are set for the off. It is perhaps telling that star jockey Ryan Moore gets the leg up on New Zealand here for trainer Aidan OBrien, who has three in this race, with New Zealand taken to leave his debut seventh behind and go far better this time with a Group 1 entry on the horizon in the National Stakes. OBrien is gunning for a fourth successive win in this race and could bag a one-two here with Action following home, a Frankel colt on debut that is closely related to double Derby winner this year Lambourn.

Three-time course and distance winner Heavenly Power looks the way to go in the second race of the day (2.00) as 16 runners tackle the six furlong Scurry Handicap. Ed Lynams runner is only up 1lb in the weights after an excellent second in a Cork handicap 36 days ago and is taken to get the better of the classy Big Gossey, who has won four times over course and distance and commands respect back in handicap company.

The Group 2 Railway Stakes is up next at 2.35 and a disappointing field number of four will line up, with the clear class of them being the OBrien-trained True Love, winner of the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot 31 days ago and is going to be incredibly hard to beat here.

Hot on the heels of that is another Group 2 contest, the Sapphire Stakes (3.05) and Rumstar, a winner of a Group 3 at Sandown a fortnight ago, shades the vote here ahead of Temple Stakes winner Mgheera for British trainer Ed Walker, who has booked Ryan Moore to ride.

The feature race of the card, the Irish Oaks, is race five of the afternoon at the Curragh and a good field of seven will tackle the mile and a half trip and aim for the huge 289,999 top prize. That said, it should be a fairly straightforward assignment for Minnie Hauk, hailing from the all-conquering OBrien yard, who can become his third English Oaks/Irish Oaks double winner after her victory at Epsom six weeks ago. Son Joseph can take the second spot with Wemightakedlongway, fourth behind Minnie Hauk at Epsom.

The third Group 2 contest follows at 4.15 with the Curragh Cup over the mile and three quarters trip, with preference heading the way of Al Riffa for Joseph OBrien, a good second of 12 last time out in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot so holds a big chance on form, while the penultimate race of the day (4.50) can head the way of Extravagant for Aidan OBrien, a bit green when third at Fairyhouse 43 days ago but has plenty more to offer than what he showed there.

Finally, the Saturday card at the Curragh comes to a close at 5.25 as a huge field of 21 head to the start for the fillies maiden over seven furlongs. The Dermot Weld-trained Tinas Charm is certainly bred to be useful, a half-sister to a winner over a mile and another over a mile and a half, so could be the way to go on debut.

Curragh selections - Saturday

1.30 - New Zealand

2.00 - Heavenly Power

2.35 - True Love

3.05 - Rockstar

3.40 - Minnie Hauk

4.15 - Al Riffa

4.50 - Extravagant

5.25 - Tinas Charm
DESPITE difficulties posed by Cromwellians forces the economic recovery of the latter part of the 17th Century had its beginning in the 1650s . Unfortunately for the Catholic Irish they were not to share in this development. The Cromwellian plantations although not as successful as planned nevertheless brought great changes in the ownership of property as between Protestants and Catholics. The Catholics who managed to remain in Irish towns had no power and little control, if any, over the creation of wealth. While encouragement was given to the setting up of manufacturing processes in Irish towns, the ownership of these generally iron works and cloth manufacturing rested with protestant proprietors. Daniel Hutchinson, a prominent follower of Oliver Cromwell established a cloth manufacture in Athy around this time.

As parliamentary control increased, Ministers were appointed and paid by the exchequer to preach the State religion. In September 1653, we find Murdo McKenzy being directed to preach in Irish as well as in English in the precincts of Athy. On the 3rd March 1655, the Commissioners in Dublin Castle ordered that James Carey was to preach in Irish at Brides Parish, once every Sunday and that he was to occasionally go to Trim and Athy to preach for which he was allowed a salary of 60 per annum.

James Carey was a former Catholic Priest whose ministry proved unacceptable to the Irish. In August 1655, he complained that the members of his congregation were very remiss in coming to hear him preach and that they rather preferred to spend the hours appointed for church service in frequenting ale houses or indulging in unwarranted exercises Whatever about the lack of Church attendance, there appears to have been some Catholics in Athy who conformed to the state religion. The sincerity of the conformists was however doubted for in July 1654 an order was issued to John Murcit to examine the conversion of the Irish about Athy who for that reason had not been transplanted. The subsequent report bore witness to the unsatisfactory nature of the conversions for in the civil list of 1655, the words to preach in Irish written after McKenzys name was erased suggesting that preaching in that language ceased. Despite Murdo McKenzys failure, conformity to the state religion was pursued with some vigor in the period 1660 to 1690 but not as vigorously as in the penal laws period.

It is not known where the services of the church of England were held following the Reformation. St. Michaels Church, the ruins of which stand today in the grounds of St. Michaels Cemetery was possibly used but the church which formed part of the Dominican Friary was also available despite the damage suffered during the Confederate war. In 1682 a bell was provided for what was believed to be a new church built on open ground next to the site of the former Dominican Friary. Around the rim of the bell was the following inscription This bell was made in the year 1682 for the church of Athy, Robert Somerton and Anchor Willis Chirch RWD. The bell was bought by Athys Town Commissioners following the construction of the present St Michaels Church on the Carlow Road. Today the bell hangs on the Town Hall.

In 1657 the first of several acts was passed which required Catholics to renounce the Popes spiritual and temporal authority, catholic doctrine and the claim of the Stuart pretender to the English throne. The education of the children of the protestant settlers was not neglected for about 1660 onwards, a Latin school was maintained in Athy initially by one Issac Dalton. He was a proprietor of the school for over forty years and was succeeded by John Garnet.

In 1659, the population of Athy numbered 565 of which 83 were English and 482 Irish. The population of Naas that same year was 303 inhabitants. In the townland of Athy there were 273 Irish and 61 English, in St. Johns there were 93 Irish and 4 English and in St. Dominics Abbey, there were 86 Irish and 6 English. In Woodstock, there were 113 Irish and 12 English. The above details relating to the town of Athy are taken from Penders Census of Ireland 1659.

In 1662, William Weldon of St. Johns, a member of parliament for Athy from 1661 writing of Athy stated that two priests names Fitzgerald and Carroll daily frequented the town and lately said mass in the middle of the town several times. On a particular Sunday, Weldon wrote, Fitzgerald was found at his devotions attended by about 500 persons. Being arrested the Priest was rescued four times by the people but was eventually taken prisoner by the soldiers. Around this time, Fr. Raymond Moore, Prior of Athys Dominican Friary in 1651-52 and again from 1661-62 was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin where he died in 1665. He was yet another of Athys martyrs as Fr. Richard Oventon sub prior of Athy had been murdered by Cromwells soldiers in Drogheda inn 1649.

After the first years of the Cromwellians plantation, the Irish Catholics began to move back into the towns and to regain some of their previous prominence. Alarmed at the development, the protestant settlers demanded tougher measures to curtail the catholic populations. Under the Test Act of 1673 Catholics were barred from all civil, judicial and military offices. In 1678 following the Titus Oates plot all regional and secular catholic clergy were banished from Ireland.

Despite the religious prosecution which followed the Titus Oates plot, Ireland was relatively peaceful while religious prosecutions accelerated following the Battle of the Boyne. We leave Athy with Sir William Pettys description of the town in 1682, A corporate town on the River Barrow everyway commodious for trade, but no manufacture being driven, poor.

FRANK TAAFFE
by Alison ORiordan

The issue of intoxication is "all over" the case of a 24-year-old man who fatally stabbed his sisters partner with a kitchen knife, with the consumption of three bottles of "firewater" having an effect on everyone that night, lawyers for the accused have told a murder trial jury.

The jury panel of eight men and four women, having so far spent two hours and 20 minutes considering their verdict, have ceased their deliberations for the weekend.

At 4pm today, presiding judge Mr Justice David Keane told the jurors he would release them for the weekend and directed them to return on Monday morning to continue their deliberations.

Moldovan national Valeriu Melnic (24), with an address at Calliaghstown Lower, Rathcoole, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Ion Daghi (39) at The Close, Sallins Park, Sallins in Co Kildare on May 12th, 2024.

A pathologist has told the jury that Mr Daghi died from a single stab wound to the chest, which measured 13cm in depth, and death would have been very rapid.

Mr Melnic told gardai in his interviews that he couldn't remember stabbing his sister's partner with a kitchen knife as he was so drunk but later said that "all the evidence pointed" to him being "the only one responsible".

Witness Alexandru Beccieu gave evidence that the accused was squatting down trying to protect his head earlier in the night while Mr Daghi held the leg of a chair and told him "stop or I'll beat you one".

In his closing address on Thursday, Carl Hanahoe SC, prosecuting, told the jury that when they applied their common sense to the case it was quite clear that Mr Daghi at all times was trying to calm the accused man down but Mr Melnic was impervious to this; "he wasn't to be quietened".

Mr Hanahoe said Mr Daghi had entered the kitchen when a struggle pursued between the accused and his sister. "It wasn't the entry of a bull or a bear, it was a man entering saying 'calm down, calm down'".

Counsel said the accused had responded with "I will kill you", which the prosecutor said was the "clearest statement of intent" that the jury are likely to encounter.

The lawyer said when the jurors examined each of the issues in the case and stepped back from the fog, they could be satisfied that the defences of provocation and intoxication were not open to Mr Melnic and the appropriate verdict was guilty of murder.

In his closing speech, Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told the jurors that the blade of the knife was 20cm long and the injury to the chest area was "much much shorter" and yet Mr Daghi had died. He suggested that his client should be found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

Referring to the words 'I will kill you" which were uttered by the accused, Mr Grehan told the jurors if everybody who said these words in a fight were guilty of murder then the State wouldn't be able to build prisons fast enough. "People say things not meaning them".

Intoxication, he said, was "all over this case" and the consumption of three bottles of "firewater" had an effect on everyone that night. Mr Grehan said whiskey can have a remarkable transformation on peoples moods and how they behave.

Having been arrested on suspicion of assault causing harm to Mr Daghi in the early hours of May 12th, Mr Melnic was deemed unfit for interview and was not questioned until 15 hours later.

He told interviewing officers at Naas Garda Station that he and the deceased had been drunk and at some point an argument started. "A lot of drink was taken, my memory is very hazy," added the accused.

Mr Grehan asked the jurors to look at whether the accused was acting under provocation and whether something had been done to him which caused him for a very short period of time to totally lose it in terms of self control. He said all the indicators were there that Mr Melnic was totally out of control that night.

Counsel said evidence had been given that the accused was down on the ground with his hands over his head and Mr Daghi stood over him with the remains of a chair, which had been smashed into pieces

There was any doubt at all, the barrister said, but that a provocative act had occurred to the accused, who was badly beaten and had reacted to that.

He said his client had reacted badly in hot blood and picked up a knife in the heat of the moment, where passions did not have time to cool. "Provocation is a reaction to something that causes you to boil over and boil over he did and cause the death of the deceased".

Curiously, the lawyer said Mr Melnic did not recall being hit over the head with the leg of a chair and the only thing he could remember was the deceased having his hands around his neck trying to strangle him.

He said nine hours after the accused's arrest, scrape marks or finger marks were found on Mr Melnic's neck. "The accused did get assaulted and assaulted badly, the rights or wrongs of how that started is irrelevant".

Mr Justice Keane spent Friday explaining the law and summarising the evidence in the case to the 12 jurors following the trial.

The judge told the jury panel that they must be unanimous in their verdict.

Mr Justice Keane said they could return two verdicts in relation to the murder charge against Mr Melnic, namely; guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

In his charge to the jury, the judge said to consider the defence of provocation they must first be satisfied in killing Mr Daghi that the accused had intended to kill him or cause him serious injury.

He said provocation reduces the crime of murder to manslaughter and for the defence to arise it must be a complete and sudden loss of self control.

The judge said it must go beyond an action or insult that hurts a man's pride and that an ordinary man would be unable to exercise self restraint in the same circumstances as this case.

Referring to the law of intoxication, the judge said it is not a complete defence to murder and is there if the accused's mind was in such a state from the effects of alcohol that he had not intended to kill or cause serious injury.

He told the jurors if they had a doubt about that, then the verdict should be not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
NAAS cancer survivor and lung cancer awareness advocate, Samantha Vaughan, has become the driving force behind Irelands first white ribbon campaign to raise awareness for lung cancer, partnering with Breakthrough Cancer Research to launch the initiative nationwide.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, the womanoriginally from Naas but now living in Laoissaid the lack of rehabilitation support and awareness after her diagnosis prompted her to take action.

There was nothing in Ireland for rehabilitation before or after treatment, she said.

She connected with Jill Ryan, another lung cancer patient from Cork, through Instagram. I said Id love to do something like the pink ribbon, but for lung cancer. Every cancer has a ribbon, and white is for lung cancer. So we just said, why not? The campaign took shape when Breakthrough Cancer Research agreed to come on board.

We nearly diedit just happened so quickly, she recalled.

The ribbon itself is silver with Lung Cancer printed on it. The awareness pack includes a card with symptoms on the back and a box that can collect coins or donations via QR code.

Critically, all funds raised will go directly to lung cancer research.

The initiative has already gained traction, with people across Offaly, Dublin, and beyond requesting donation boxes.

Samantha is now looking ahead to the official launch of the white ribbon in November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month at Dail Eireann, with Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill expected to attend.

The arrival of the ribbon for lung cancer couldnt have come at a better time with recent figures from the Irish Cancer Society warning that each 4-week diagnosis delay can increase cancer mortality by 10%.

The Society is calling for increased investment in Budget 2026 in cancer staff, buildings and equipment to ensure target waiting times are met.

The new comprehensive data highlights shocking variation across the country in terms of accessing life-saving chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment on time. It also spotlights deeply concerning delays for patients who have been referred for urgent breast and prostate tests.

Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said:

Early treatment dramatically reduces your risk of dying from cancer. A persons chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at Stage 1 than at Stage 4. Thats why the National Cancer Strategy set target waiting times for cancer tests and treatment. Todays figures highlight alarming failures to meet those targets in many cancer centres, due to shortages of staff, physical space, and equipment. Samanthas own journey underscores the challenge of timely diagnosis. Initially misdiagnosed with long COVID and even menopause symptoms, she eventually advocated for herself to get a CT scan privately after her hospital X-ray was not followed up.

If I didnt push, I would have got to stage four. It was an aggressive form, she said.

Despite being a cancer patient, shes now facing a three-month wait for a breast check after discovering a lumphighlighting systemic delays.

I phoned the hospital, and they said its an eight to twelve-week wait. Even for a cancer patient. With waiting lists only getting longer and a serious lack of staff and resources for those on the path to diagnosis  Samantha takes a brave step forward for lung cancer awareness, which will hopefully inform more people of what symptoms to watch out for and lead to earlier lung cancer diagnosis.

Samantha encourages anyone interested in getting involved to contact Breakthrough Cancer directly to receive ribbons and boxes.

We just want people to know the signs, she concluded.
Alarm bells have been sounded that the number of gardai eligible to retire from the local districts in the coming years could see a more than 10% drop in the force.

It has been revealed in the Dail from now to 2028 up to 78 gardai could retire in the Waterford-Kilkenny division while up to 58 members of the force could leave the Kildare-Carlow division.

The figures were revealed by the Minister for Justice; Home Affairs and Migration, Jim OCallaghan TD, following a query from Carlow-Kilkennys Peter Chap Cleere TD.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST IN KILKENNY SPORTS NEWS

The local TD is now calling for garda recruits to be sent to rural towns and villages and not just cities like Dublin and Cork, to ensure an experienced force is ready to step into the shoes of the retirees.

Deputy Cleere said he will be championing Kilkenny.

I will be championing Kilkenny so we dont see garda numbers fall off a cliff in the coming years, Deputy Cleere said.

At the end of January this year there were 1095 serving gardai across the four counties that make up the local garda divisions, according to An Garda Siochana. However, between now and 2028 there will be 136 gardai eligible to take retirement from An Garda Siochana in this area. More than one in every 10.

Im calling for extra resources to come to Kilkenny. People love to see gardai on the beat.

Deputy Cleere said he is working with Minister OCallaghan to get more garda recruits posted to stations around the country, to future proof the force.

There was a huge interest in the recent garda recruitment campaign, but there has to be because of the potential for huge attrition, he said. Click next to continue reading.




Membership is booming at the public libraries in Kilkenny - but more investment is needed in new books and resources if the county is to reach the national spending target.



Almost one-quarter of the people living in Kilkenny are members of the library - with a 42% increase in membership post-Covid.



Over the same timescale there has been a 360% increase in the use of Kilkenny Librarys online services.

The positive developments were revealed in a presentation from County Librarian, Josephine Coyne, to a recent meeting of Callan Thomastown Municipal District councillors.

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As the library service rebuilt, post Covid, it has seen a 22% increase in items borrowed and 14% more visits to the libraries, across Kilkenny.

There are eight library branches and a mobile library service in the county. With a combined 311 open hours, it is a well supported service.

Ms Coyne described how one of the key achievements of the service, over the last five or six years, is welcoming 188,000 people to branches, with a standout increase of 388% of people through the doors of the Mayfair Library compared to the regular visitors to the Carnegie Library, which it replaced.

Membership in Kilkenny is higher than the national average, but the local service is working to get that to the national target of 30% of the population.

Both the increase in membership and visits show how investment in the library service can be reflected in real benefits in the community, and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of an area.

Infrastructural work is needed in Graignamanagh and Urlingford libraries, she said.

Meanwhile work is ongoing on a new library in Thomastown and Callan should see a new library in the coming years, as part of the Friary Complex development.

The Carnegie Library is set to become the new home for the Local Studies department and a grant has been received for the purchase of a new mobile library vehicle.

However, Ms Coyne said the current per capita spend on resources in the Kilkenny service is 2.19. The national target is 4.

Funding for the library represents 3.6% of the local authority budget, Ms Coyne said. It represents value for money, she added. We would like to invest in staff and resources so we can respond to the needs of the community.

She said the library service has worked hard over the last few years and invested wisely.

One of the challenges to increasing participation and membership is that some people dont know the wide range of services now available through libraries.

Kilkennys library service is embracing digital services.

During Covid, the use of these services increased dramatically, by 360%, Ms Coyne said. The most popular resources were Borrowbox and the Irish Newspaper Archive.

The librarys digital offering has transformed the services it can offer and has expanded to include comics, filming streaming, book clubs and virtual events.

In the libraries themselves digital services allow people to check out and return books themselves as self-service desks. Staff will always support those who struggle with technology, Ms Coyne stressed.

Covid reduced the engagement of people with the library service, Ms Coyne said. In the years since not only have they got those engagement numbers back up but increased engagement, which, she said, is phenomenal.

Ms Coyne set out the development plan for the Kilkenny County Council Library service, from 2025 to 2029.

The mission of the library service is to aim to cultivate sustainable, inclusive, engaged communities and to continue to promote the love of reading, life-long learning and cultural heritage.

Its a statement that shows the community library has become much more than just a place to borrow a printed book.

In the plan, the service outlines how people are at the heart of what it does.

The library services sees itself having an important role in the area of cultural heritage, encouraging meaningful civic and cultural engagement, in partnership with a range of other agencies.

A digital archive has already been created and the Kilkenny Library Service hopes to recruit an archivist soon.

The library also has a role in working with new communities to ensure all cultures are catered for.

Supporting literacy and learning is a core element of the librarys work.

Ms Coyne said the library staff are a key asset to the organisation.
Failte Ireland has announced that Kilkenny County Council has been selected to receive funding under its new 'Home of Halloween' Pilot Destination Development Scheme.

The pilot scheme is part of the Ireland, Home of Halloween Strategy which was developed collaboratively by Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and Tourism Northern Ireland to establish Ireland as the authentic global home of Halloween.

The pilot scheme aims to deliver immersive, culturally rich experiences that celebrate Irelands heritage, extend the tourism season into October and November, and stimulate sustainable regional economic growth through collaboration between local authorities, tourism businesses, and cultural organisations.

READ NEXT: Kilkenny residents fearful over speeding on busy city road

Kilkenny County Councils Halloween programme will feature a dynamic, four-week schedule of events beginning on October 10.

Developed in collaboration with long-established festival and event providers, the programme will celebrate the harvest, local food culture, and Kilkennys eerie folklore, including tales of witches, trials, and ghostly legends.

The initiative aims to animate the city and county with immersive experiences that highlight Kilkennys heritage and charm.

The pilot Home of Halloween Pilot Destination Development Scheme invited all local authorities to apply for funding to create a new season for Halloween festivals rooted in local culture, folklore, and community engagement.

Each successful destination will receive up to 100,000 annually to develop Halloween-themed festivals that celebrate Irelands heritage and attract visitors during the off-peak season.

SEE ALSO: Popular Kilkenny man appointed to prestigious role in Dubai

Additional investment was allocated by Failte Ireland to the pilot programme following a high level of interest from local authorities and the strength of the proposals received.

Over the course of three years, the seven supported projects are projected to attract approximately 337,000 additional visitors, generating an estimated 28 million in economic impact for local communities.

The full list of successful local authorities is:

Galway City Council

Longford County Council and Westmeath County Council (joint project)

Meath County Council and Louth County Council (joint project)

Kerry County Council

Fingal County Council

Limerick City and County Council

Kilkenny County Council

DON'T MISS: Local employee makes Kilkenny proud as he takes home medals galore

The new pilot scheme builds on the success of the Puca Festival co-developed by Failte Ireland and Meath County Council in 2019.

Rooted in the ancient tradition of Samhain, Puca has become a flagship Halloween event, attracting thousands with its vibrant mix of spectacle, music, and food.

In 2024, the festival welcomed 49,050 attendees, delivering 7.11 million in economic impact, and supporting 174 jobs.

In 2023, Failte Ireland also introduced fire and shadows processions in Limerick, Longford and Waterford to further establish Irelands position as the 'Home of Halloween'.

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A full closure of a historic Kilkenny bridge will mean not even pedestrian access will be permitted during works.

The update came at the recent meeting of Callan Thomastown Municipal District councillors, in answer to a query from Cllr Brian Cleere.



Work on the Ferry Mountgarret Bridge, linking South Kilkenny to Co Wexford over the River Barrow, is scheduled to take place for a week, from Monday, July 28.

READ MORE - WHAT'S ON IN KILKENNY

Closed

Kilkenny County Council engineer Padraig Slye explained the nature of the work means pedestrians can not be allowed across the bridge. The bridge will also remain closed to traffic overnight.

There will be significant diversion for traffic, which will be signposted.

The current Ferry Mountgarret Bridge was constructed in 1930 to replace a previous timber bridge that dated from 1794.

Before the bridge, that point of the river had a ferry crossing, so it has been used as a transport link between the counties for hundreds of years.

While the most visible part of the bridge is the metal superstructure, it is predominantly built from reinforced concrete.

The bridge used to open, to allow river vessels to pass through, up until the 1970s when it was struck by a barge. It has not opened since.

The steel rolling bascule bridge (another name for a drawbridge or lifting bridge) is one of only six in Ireland.

These works will maximise the remaining service life of the bridge.
NW China's Qinghai combats desertification through solar power generation and animal husbandry

People's Daily Online) 13:22, July 18, 2025

Sheep graze beneath solar panels at a photovoltaic park in the Talatan Gobi Desert in Gonghe county, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province. (People's Daily/Cao Jiwei)

By combining solar power generation with ecological restoration, agriculture, and animal husbandry, the Talatan Gobi Desert in Gonghe county, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, which was once 98.5 percent desertified, has found a way to both combat desertification and boost incomes of locals.

Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is rich in solar energy resources, and the Talatan Gobi Desert offers ideal conditions for developing solar and wind power. Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the State Power Investment Corporation, began building a photovoltaic park in the Talatan Gobi Desert in 2011.

By the end of 2024, 68 photovoltaic companies had settled in the park, bringing total grid-connected capacity to 17.73 million kilowatts. This also had an unexpected upside  the ground beneath the solar panels carpeted with green grass.

This has greatly benefited locals like Li Qixiang of Xiahelesi village in Gonghe county. In the afternoon, he and other herders from the village took their sheep out to pasture in the photovoltaic park.

"The sun is blazing right now, so most of the sheep are sticking to the shade beneath the panels. There's enough grass here to last until the end of the year," Li said.

According to Li, his village relies on animal husbandry, with many residents raising sheep. In the past, the grass near the village wasn't enough due to desertification, so they had to drive their sheep to graze in more distant areas. But eventually, even those places began to run short on grass. As a result, they had to start giving the sheep extra feed at night, which pushed up their overall costs.

Chen Lihong, the first secretary of Xiahelesi village, said the villagers had experimented with many drought-resistant plants, but with little success. After the solar panels were installed, they helped block the wind and sand, and even played a role in stabilizing the soil.

"Solar power generation produces condensation, and the panels need to be cleaned regularly with water. At the same time, the shade from the panels cuts down evaporation from the ground. With more moisture in the soil and less wind, it's no surprise the grass has started to thrive," said Chen.

As the grass grew thick and lush, it once posed a challenge for the power station. Chen explained that if the grass grew too tall, it could block the solar panels and reduce power generation efficiency. In winter, the dry grass also became a potential fire hazard. Back then, companies in the park had to hire workers to clear it by hand.

In 2020, the village was among the first in the prefecture to combine animal husbandry with the development of the photovoltaic industry. Six ecological pastures were established within the park, where sheep grazed beneath the solar panels during the day and were herded back to the pastures at night.

"Nowadays, the park supports over 4,000 sheep," said Li, adding that the herders don't have to pay for grazing.

The photovoltaic park produces 118,000 tonnes of grass each yearenough to feed 200,000 sheep. Grazing on this grass, the sheep are of high quality and highly sought after in the market.

According to An Fengjun, director of the green industrial development park in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the photovoltaic park has helped businesses cut costs and generated employment through various means. In 2024, new energy projects under construction created jobs for over 3,000 people, most of them nearby farmers and herders.

The transformation of the Talatan Gobi Desert offers valuable insights for Qinghai's desertification control. The prefecture's afforestation efforts in the photovoltaic park, including building windbreaks and planting trees, have raised vegetation coverage to over 80 percent.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The Herald reports:

Commerce Commission chairman John Small has defended social media posts in which he called for consumers to reconsider using Uber and instead recommended rival rideshare services.

The commission regulates competition and fair trading laws in New Zealand and ensures businesses comply with the Commerce Act, which prohibits anti-competitive behaviour.

Small caused a stir on LinkedIn this week when he took to the platform to post If youre using Uber in NZ, please reconsider.

Smalls post continued: Bolt and DiDi work in exactly the same way as Uber. They are app-based ride-hailing services, set up to compete against Uber. Theyve been able to enter the market because drivers can multi-home by running several ride-hailing apps at once.

The guy who took us across town today on Bolt runs all three apps, so he can be booked through any of these channels. I gather that most ride-hailing drivers are multi-homing across all these three apps.

Many weighed in with their opinions on Ubers service, but a few also questioned whether Small should be dissuading people from using Uber and encouraging them to try its rivals.

Strange that an independent chairman would punt one business over another, commented Warren Van Rooyen, a general counsel currently working as Foodstuffs North Islands regulatory compliance lead, who later told the Herald he was posting in a personal capacity.

Exactly my initial reaction, replied University of Otago emeritus Law Professor Rex Ahdar.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 72F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Weather Alert

...EXTREME HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Illinois and central, east central, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The long duration of this event is likely to worsen heat related impacts, and additional extensions may be needed beyond Thursday as forecast confidence increases. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. People in the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area can get information about cooling centers or energy assistance related to the excessive heat by calling the United Way of Greater Saint Louis at 800-427-4626, or if calling from a land line phone dial 2-1-1. You can also call Cool Down Saint Louis at 314-241-7668. &&
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DISTRICT Court Judge Andrew Cody said he had a duty to protect businesses in Portlaoise, when he sentenced a 39-year old woman to five months in prison for shoplifting.

Theresa Conroy from 7 Green Mill Lane, Portlaoise was before the local court on charges of thefts of items from Colgan Sports, Main Street, Portlaoise totalling 242 on 11 and 13 June, as well as the theft of food items, clothing and shower gel worth 101 from Household Direct, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise on 16 June.

She had previously been before the court and had pleaded guilty to the charges.

At that sitting, her barrister Andrew Dunne said his client had been on a methadone programme at the time of the offences but had difficulties obtaining it from a pharmacy and suffered withdrawal symptoms.

When she couldnt get her methadone, she went out and committed the offences, he said.

Judge Cody had remanded Ms Conroy in custody and asked the prosecuting garda, Rebecca Gavin, to confirm whether the defendant had difficulty accessing her methadone at the time she carried out the offences.

When the case returned to court, Judge Cody told Mr Dunne: Ill give her the option. Go for treatment or go to prison.

Mr Dunne replied: She said shell leave that in the courts hands.

Well be back here again in three months time if she doesnt get treatment for her habit, said the judge.

Shes back on the methadone now, said Mr Dunne.

The court heard that Ms Conroy had 95 previous convictions that included 81 for theft as well as burglaries, robberies and attempted robberies. It also heard that, between 2003 and 2005, Ms Conroy was convicted on 39 theft-related offences and a total of 51 theft-related offences in a 10-month period between 2023 and 2024

I gave her the option and she refused treatment, said Judge Cody.

I have to protect the businesses in this town from such crimes. Given the history of her offending, a custodial sentence has to be imposed because she refused treatment.

He went on to impose five-month sentences in respect of each of the three charges, to run concurrently.

Judge Cody also noted that Ms Conroy had allegedly breached a two-year nine-month suspended sentence that had been imposed on 17 October last year. He remanded her in custody until 24 July to consider sentencing in that case.
LAOIS cancer survivor and lung cancer awareness advocate, Samantha Vaughan, has become the driving force behind Irelands first white ribbon campaign to raise awareness for lung cancer, partnering with Breakthrough Cancer Research to launch the initiative nationwide.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, Borris-in-Ossory resident Samantha said the lack of rehabilitation support and awareness after her diagnosis prompted her to take action.

There was nothing in Ireland for rehabilitation before or after treatment, she said.

She connected with Jill Ryan, another lung cancer patient from Cork, through Instagram. I said Id love to do something like the pink ribbon, but for lung cancer. Every cancer has a ribbon, and white is for lung cancer. So we just said, why not? The campaign took shape when Breakthrough Cancer Research agreed to come on board.

We nearly died, it just happened so quickly, she recalled.

The ribbon itself is silver with Lung Cancer printed on it. The awareness pack includes a card with symptoms on the back and a box that can collect coins or donations via QR code.

Critically, all funds raised will go directly to lung cancer research.

The initiative has already gained traction, with people across Offaly, Dublin, and beyond requesting donation boxes.

Originally from Naas, Co Kildare but living in Laois for nearly 20 years, Samantha is now looking ahead to the official launch of the white ribbon in November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month at Dail Eireann, with Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill expected to attend.

The arrival of the ribbon for lung cancer couldnt have come at a better time with recent figures from the Irish Cancer Society warning that each 4-week diagnosis delay can increase cancer mortality by 10%.

The Society is calling for increased investment in Budget 2026 in cancer staff, buildings and equipment to ensure target waiting times are met.

The new comprehensive data highlights shocking variation across the country in terms of accessing life-saving chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment on time. It also spotlights deeply concerning delays for patients who have been referred for urgent breast and prostate tests.

Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said:

Early treatment dramatically reduces your risk of dying from cancer. A persons chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at Stage 1 than at Stage 4.

Thats why the National Cancer Strategy set target waiting times for cancer tests and treatment. Todays figures highlight alarming failures to meet those targets in many cancer centres, due to shortages of staff, physical space, and equipment.

Samanthas own journey underscores the challenge of timely diagnosis. Initially misdiagnosed with long COVID and even menopause symptoms, she eventually advocated for herself to get a CT scan privately, after her hospital X-ray was not followed up.

If I didnt push, I would have got to stage four. It was an aggressive form, she said.

Despite being a cancer patient, shes now facing a three-month wait for a breast check after discovering a lump, highlighting systemic delays.

I phoned the hospital, and they said its an eight to twelve-week wait. Even for a cancer patient.

With waiting lists only getting longer and a serious lack of staff and resources for those on the path to diagnosis  Samantha takes a brave step forward for lung cancer awareness, which will hopefully inform more people of what symptoms to watch out for and lead to earlier lung cancer diagnosis.

Samantha encourages anyone interested in getting involved to contact Breakthrough Cancer directly to receive ribbons and boxes.

We just want people to know the signs, she concluded.
General Hospital star Tristan Rogers revealed that hes been diagnosed with cancer.

Rogers friend and publicist, Anthony Turk, shared the news via a statement to Soap Opera Digest on Thursday, July 17.

Beloved Emmy-winning actor Tristan Rogers, best known for his role as Robert Scorpio on the daytime drama General Hospital, is sharing with fans that he has been diagnosed with cancer, the statement began. While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family. As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding.

The statement didnt specify what type of cancer, Rogers, 79, is battling. Turk noted that future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Rogers and his family.

Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years, the statement continued. This support means more to him now than ever.

Rogers last made an appearance on General Hospital in November 2024. The episode set him up to take a break from the ABC soap opera, as Robert Scorpio left Port Charles with his ex-wife Holly Sutton (Emma Samms).

Tristan Rogers in 2016. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Rogers has played Robert Scorpio on and off since 1980. He is the only actor to ever portray the international spy. Rogers also played Colin Atkinson on The Young and the Restless from 2010-2012.

The daytime television star has been married to Teresa Parkerson since 1995. The couple share daughter Sara, 32, and son Cale, 28.

READ MORE: General Hospital star takes temporary hiatus  see who their replacement is

During a 2020 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Rogers recalled booking the role of Robert Scorpio shortly after he moved to the United States from his native Australia.

I didnt know at the time the importance of General Hospital; it was just one more job for me. But it was really exciting, to be fresh off the boat and walk into this role, he told the outlet. It was the gift that kept on giving, so to speak. I got caught up in the General Hospital tidal wave and just got swept away by it.

General Hospital airs on ABC weekdays at 3 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu the day after they air.

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A federal agent wears a badge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement while standing outside an immigration courtroom at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) AP

Lehigh Countys top elected government and law enforcement officials plan to meet next week to discuss protesters demands that federal immigration agents should be barred from arresting individuals inside the county courthouse.

A state court official said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have as much right to be in the courthouse as private citizens, but the protesters maintain ICEs activities are inappropriate.

The protesters say individuals are being detained immediately after attending court matters unrelated to their immigration status at the Allentown facility. They fear aggressive ICE enforcement will discourage people from showing up to court.

Several of them spoke at a county commissioners meeting Wednesday, July 9. They have the support of Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, who wrote a letter to Lehigh County President Judge J. Brian Johnson asking him to ban ICE agents from using courthouse facilities.

Access to justice is a cornerstone of our democracy. When people are too afraid to enter the courthouse, they are effectively denied that right, Tuerk wrote on July 10.

A spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania state court system said Thursday, July 17, the ICE agents have the same right as any private individual to conduct business in the public spaces in the courthouse.

At present, there is no legal basis to prohibit law enforcement from this basic operational principle, Stacey Witalec said in an email. Shes the spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Witalec said Johnson is on medical leave, and she could not provide a response from the judge to Tuerks letter.

Locals citizens are concerned about ICE agents using private areas of the courthouse, including underground tunnels connecting to the prison and non-public entrances. And regardless of Witalecs statement, they feel its inappropriate for ICE agents to nab people anywhere in the courthouse.

Immigrants are being kidnapped and torn apart from their families in our community. We will protect our neighbors in the absence of protection from the state and other governing bodies, said attorney Elliott Love, speaking on behalf of the Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network, a group that provides relief, advice and support for area immigrants.

A spokesman with the Philadelphia office of ICE didnt respond to an email seeking comment. ICE spokesman Jason Koontz told lehighvalleynews.com that ICE agents act in this area in accordance with federal law and departmental policy.

Lehigh County commissioners Chairman Geoff Brace said officials have scheduled a meeting to discuss how to proceed.

I will be meeting with the president judge, district attorney and sheriff next week on the first date we are all available to discuss this matter, he said Tuesday, July 15.

Rapid Response Hotline set up

Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons is among those leading the charge for immigrants rights. Hes part of a coalition of clergy, civic leaders and community organizers who formed the emergency response network to help those targeted in ICE raids.

He agreed with attorney Love that ICE shouldnt operate in the courthouse.

The way ICE is operating is undermining due process at almost every level, Irons said.

He said ICE detainees are often confused, scared and unable to defend themselves. The network of local volunteers offers support, legal advice, resources and friendship to immigrants who need it, Irons said.

Weve managed to organize and educate and then finally now mobilize concerned citizens to do their part and find ways to support the immigrant community, Irons said.

The network of some 200 volunteers protests, provides support and operates a Rapid Response Hotline. Immigrants can call 610-850-9930 any time to report an ICE detention or seek aid. A few people have called the hotline since it launched Monday, July 14, Irons said.

Irons said volunteers are trained to respond to defend detainees rights.

Protesters rights per the DA

The protesters have a right to express their opinions and seek policy changes as long as they dont interfere with ICE agents doing their jobs, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said.

He said there are misconceptions about what protesters can demand of ICE. For instance, protesters cant demand to see a judicial warrant when an ICE agent detains an immigrant. ICE gets its authority from administrative warrants, not from local judges. So protesters shouldnt try to block an arrest regardless of whether an agent has a warrant.

When people hear those things and if they try to act in accordance with those statements, theyre just going to get themselves in trouble, Holihan said.

Protesters are concerned about immigrants being bullied by ICE agents. Holihan said hes not aware of any such instances. Hes concerned a group of protesters showing up at an arrest could escalate the likelihood of violence, although the protesters say they are trained to de-escalate violence when they see it.

Koontz, the ICE spokesman, warned that groups who interfere or impede lawful ICE enforcement operations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, according to lehighvalleynews.com.

Its unclear how many ICE detentions have taken place in the Lehigh County Courthouse. Irons was familiar with at least one  the detention of a 27-year-old Freedom High School graduate who came to the U.S. 20 years ago from El Salvador.

17 detained at fire restoration

A large-scale ICE operation in June led to the detention of 17 immigrants working to restore the Five 10 Flats apartment building in Bethlehem after a roof fire.

Those arrests added fuel to the fire of protesters who say ICE is getting too aggressive.

Those workers at Five 10 Flats were trying to help rebuild the community, Irons said. They werent making trouble and its unclear why they were suddenly targeted and detained, he said.

Irons believes many immigrants come to the courthouse to participate in diversionary programs to settle minor criminal charges. If they know ICE is waiting for them, theyll stop participating in the programs and in some cases stop receiving treatment they need, Irons said.

The volunteers want to make the Lehigh Valley an inclusive, diverse community. ICE is working against that goal, Irons said.

Attorney Ettore Ed Angelo calls on the county commissioners to block ICE, even if it means the county gets sued.

A court can then decide whether we want these jackboot actions occurring smack in the middle of our sacred halls of justice, Angelo said.

ICE might have the backing of President Donald Trump, but the volunteers say theyll do what they can to push back.

Its been really inspiring to see everyone together, to see volunteers from all across the valley in different walks of life, people who speak Spanish, people who are immigrants, and people whove never thought about this issue at all before coming and working together, Irons said. That, to me, is the story of whats happening.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
A new film shot in Laois is has won the Best Independent Irish Film at the 37th annual Galway Film Fleadh.

'Solitary' directed by Eamonn Murphy was shot in several Laois locations, with its director recently nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award.

The movie was shot in parts of Errill, Donaghmore and Rathdowney, showcasing the beautiful surrounds of the area, and stars actors Gerry Herbert, Cailum Carragher and Cate Russell.

"We originally were hoping to film in Dublin or Kildare, and we met Laois man Michael Creagh who had auditioned for the film," director Eamonn Murphy told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Pictured: A promotional picture for Solitary, a new film from award winning Dublin director Eammon Murphy

"Micheal suggested filming in his house. I found it quite difficult to find locations, and gave Michael a call. He brought me on a tour around Rathdowney, Errill and Laois, and showed me ideal locations to film at. Micheal was very instrumental in that respect," he explained.

An entourage of Laois locals descended upon Galway to support the cast and crew in their nomination for Best Independent Irish Film.

Also in attendance, was one furry legged friend.

"We had a dog in the film, the dog's name was boots, her real name is Moll," Mr Murphy said.

"She is Michael's dog, and I said that if we couldn't bring her in, we would stand outside with her. She was super to film with. To get her to do what we needed for filming, we had to put chicken nuggets in the actors' pockets," he laughed.

The award winning director praised Laois locals for their welcoming energy and consideration.

"Everyone have been so welcoming to the project, it's a weird conversation to have when you tell someone that we want to take over an area for two weeks or a few days," Mr Murphy said.

Pictured: Cast and crew of Solitary, including Moll the Collie

"A lot of times people don't understand. Film making is notoriously difficult, for us it was only 9-10 people working in the same place. It was difficult shooting over a summer period. you have to approach the team months in advance, asking them to keep this window free," he said.

"When we were in Laois, there was a whole lot of walking into shops and asking favours; 'would you be open to this idea, for a small fee," Mr Murphy laughed.

"It wouldn't have been much, we are an entirely independent film with no funding, we really relied on the kindness of people in the area, which came through. We saw their kindness come through when things might go wrong. If we started running behind schedule on a location, people were understanding," he explained.

The film shot for four weeks, with three weeks of filming in Rathdowney and Errill. For the final week, filming was split between Dublin and Kildare.

"I think the film was made really cheaply considering our ambition, it all came down to the cast, crew and belief in this project," Mr Murphy finished.
A decade after being at the centre of a national controversy, Portlaoise hospital births have fallen following what seems like a Covid-19 baby boom while the rate of C-sections at the Laois hospital has risen to 40% annually, according to official figures.

HSE data in Maternity Patient Safety Statements (MPSS) reports from 2021 to 2025 for the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise also shows a rise in birth incidents at the hospital.

The December report for 2024 shows that 1,361 women presented for delivery at Laois hospital last year. This resulted in 1,371 births. Some 40% of births last year were via C-section, which reflected an increase in surgical deliveries at the hospital.

The busiest 12 months at the hospital's maternity unit in recent years was 2021 - the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic. From January to December, 1,530 pregnant women presented to the Laois hospital, resulting in 1,541 births. The C-section rate was lower in 2021 at 35%.

The national C-Section rate in Ireland is about 41% which is regarded as among the highest in Europe.

Reports to the end of April 2025 show the C-section rate at Portlaoise rising to over 43% of the 456 women delivering at the hospital in the first quarter.

The reports also show a rising number of reportable maternity incidents at the hospital. There 210 noted in 2021, 252 in 2022, 281 in 2023, and 311 in 2024. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise. Pic: Leinster Express / Laois Live

Pulmonary embolism (blood clot) has been the main type of major incident reported during deliveries. Eclampsia has also been recorded in small numbers. It occurs when a pregnant woman with preeclampsia (a condition marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine) begins having seizures.

The reports say that 82 women were transferred out of the hospital during the four years from 2021 to 2024.

The Statements have their origin in the controversy which engulfed Portlaoise hospital in 2014 when RTE revealed the avoidable deaths of babies at the Portlaoise unit.

The public campaigned against a subsequent downgrade that included the removal of maternity services that was planned and agreed at senior levels in the HSE to conclude in 2022.

Public support for the hospital ultimately led to an overhaul of services locally in Portlaoise. The controversy also led to some national changes. Among these was the requirement on units to publish safety statements.

The reports for Portlaoise also revealed that the hospital continues to operate under the oversight of the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. The final report for 2024 is signed off by the Clinical Lead for Obstetrics and Gynaecology Prof Michael O Connell. The Coombe Hospital-based doctor was centrally involved in the overhaul of services after the revelations of 2024.

The HSE says the statements are used to inform local hospital and hospital group management in carrying out their role in safety and quality improvement. The objective in publishing the Statement each month is to provide public assurance that maternity services are delivered in an environment that promotes open disclosure.

The HSE adds that it is not intended that the monthly statement be used as a comparator with other units or that statements would be aggregated at hospital Group or national level.

"It assists in an early warning mechanism for issues that require local action and/ or escalation.

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"It is important to note tertiary and referral maternity centres will care for a higher complexity of patients (mothers and babies), therefore clinical activity in these centres will be higher and therefore no comparisons should be drawn with units that do not look after complex cases," it says.

The HSE adds that Maternity Safety Statements form part of the suite of key performance indicators for the maternity services. Hospitals must populate and publish on a monthly basis (2 months in arrears). Additionally, the statements are discussed at the Hospital Group Maternity Network meetings with the National Women and Infants Health Programme as part of the quality and safety agenda.

A recent review by the Irish Patients Association of the reports from Ireland's 19 public maternity units has uncovered some significant gaps in the reporting of key information by hospitals.
Planning approval is sought to build a telecommunications mast on the outskirts of Mountmellick in Laois.

Vantage Towers Ltd is seeking permission from Laois County Council for a 30 metre lattice mast, in Sronagh, in the Derryguile area.

It is aimed to give better 4g and 5g coverage on local roads and the nearby N80 Portlaoise road.

Their application asks to build "a 30m lattice telecommunications support structure together with associated antennas, dishes and with equipment cabinets at ground level all enclosed by security fencing using an existing access track."

It is supported by Vodaphone.

"In line with Laois County Council Telecommunications guidelines and strategies, Vodafone prefer to site share on structures subject to them providing sufficient antenna height and rigidity for effective radio signal propagation, thereby eliminating the

need for an independent site. This installation of telecommunications equipment on this proposed structure will enhance connectivity, allowing residents and businesses to access reliable mobile services, which is essential for communication, emergency services, and economic activities."

Charterhouse Infrastructure Consultants are making the application on behalf of Vantage. They say why it is needed.

"Vantage Towers is one of Europes leading tower companies, created by the Vodafone Group in 2020. As an independent Company today, Vantage owns, operates, and manages 82,000 towers across 10 countries. It owns 1,300 masts in Ireland and combines the scale, stability, and quality of a leading tower network to provide infrastructure and technologies for Vodafone and other communications operators.

Read also: New application for Laois roadside mast after An Bord Pleanala refusal

"Today, mobile phones are only one component of a digital world inhabited by a wide range of communications services, including wearable technology and IoT.

"Operator requirements direct new infrastructure investment, typically in areas with little or no infrastructure or where the current infrastructure is inadequate. Specifically, this application immediately addresses Vodafones requirement to significantly improve services in the target catchment area south of Mountmellick. The proposed structure will improve 4G and 5G coverage

over the local road network, particularly this section of the N80 and surrounding area."

A planning decision is due by September 10.
Two months after An Bord Pleanala rejected an application to install a tall telecommunications mast beside a busy road in Laois, a new application has been lodged.

Vantage Towers Ltd has applied to Laois County Council again to replace a 16 metre tall lattice tower, with one that is 25 metres tall. it is in Colt, Ballyroan on a national route, the Portlaoise to Abbeyleix N77 road.

An Bord Pleanala had refused permission last May, after a go-ahead given by Laois County Council was appealed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

it said that the applicant "has not adequately demonstrated that the proposed development would not pose a traffic hazard."

"The Board further considered that in the absence of detail in relation to the potential provision of a layby adjoining the site or access to adjoining lands during the construction phase of the proposed development there remained an unresolved road safety risk in relation to the construction phase. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."

The planning authority went against the recommendation of its own inspector. They said that the plan requires a Technical Acceptance Report, in response to concerns for road safety expressed by the TII.

However Vantage Towers say the matter is now resolved between them and the TII.

"At the time of the above application similar other applications were made throughout the Country. The TII raised similar objections. Vantage Towers in conjunction with Delmec, the tower manufacturer, has since last February, engaged extensively on this matter with TIIs Structures Section and we are now pleased to confirm that TII has issued Vantage Towers Limited (the applicant) with a Statement of Registration.

"Now that the concerns raised by the TII have been resolved, this application is effectively a repeat of the previous application, planning reference 24/60664. It is submitted that no other matter has changed and that the original planning report for the previous application still applies."

Read also: Expansion plans at Laois drinks factory to create new jobs

The new application again seeks to erect a 24m lattice telecommunications support structure on a 1.2 metre high raised foundation (providing an overall height of 25.2 metres) together with associated antennas and dishes and to remove the existing 15 metre lattice telecommunications structure with antennas (providing an overall height of 16.5 metres). The proposed development is all enclosed within an existing compound.
Changes to the UPMC Kildare Hospital Limited in Clane in Co Kildare have been given the green light.

The 39-bed hospital on the Prosperous Road offers a variety of medical and surgical specialty care along with access to diagnostics and on-site physiotherapy.

The healthcare facility offers expertise in several specialties including orthopaedics, urology, endoscopy, paediatrics, and general surgery.

New roof lights will be built to the rear of the building to existing offices and to recovery areas.

New rooflights are also being constructed to the front of the building, where an existing first floor store room is being converted to provide office accommodation.

Permission was also granted for an electrical substation and a generator enclosure with fuel store.

Planning permission was granted last year for a two-storey rear extension.

READ NEXT: Film shot in Kildare wins award at Galway festival.

The extension is to accommodate two endoscopy procedure rooms, a recovery area and associated support accommodation at ground floor level.

A plant room was also approved at first floor level.

Permission was also granted for the construction of a single-storey Central Surgical Supply Department which plays a vital role in patient safety and in reducing hospital surgical infection.
Kildare County Council is set to introduce a novel new addition to the environs of The Wonderful Barn in Leixlip, thanks to a rather unusual motion tabled by a Social Democrats councillor.

Located in Leixlip, Kildare, The Wonderful Barn is a corkscrew-shaped building on the edge of Castletown House Estate, formerly of the Conolly family, in Celbridge.

Cllr Nuala Killeen has proposed that a Happy to Chat sign - which indicates that people are happy to engage in conversation - be added to an already installed bench in Leixlip Village or Confey, or in the environs of The Wonderful Barn.

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This, Cllr Killeen motioned, would be as a pilot, and as a small measure to build community and help with loneliness.

Speaking at the July meeting of Celbridge-Leixlip Municipal District on Friday, July 18 last, Cllr Killeen said she was delighted with the council's report, which approved her request, as she believed this was a nice summer's motion.

The idea was, she explained, a concept developed by a lady in Cardiff in 2019 when she noticed somebody sitting on a bench who looked lonely.

She introduced a sign which invited people to sit down and engage in conversation, with the initiative now going viral in Canada, America, Australia, Switzerland, and the Ukraine.

More locally, in Ireland, Wexford County Council has launched a Happy to Chat location network of 11 benches, which has since extended to libraries, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

Cllr Killeen said she thought it was a fantastic initiative, and a way to help combat loneliness and isolation, so that she wanted to introduce the scheme to Leixlip.

With one-in-three Leixlip residents now approaching pension age, she believed it was a very positive measure to introduce to Leixlip, and was delighted that the council agreed to bring the scheme to The Wonderful Barn.

She said she saw the council's measure as a starting point rather than a single bench in The Wonderful Barn, which could be expanded out to a number of other benches in the town.

Welcoming the motion, Cllr Rupert Heather (LAB) said that with Ireland facing a loneliness epidemic, Cllr Killeen's motion could not have been more timely.

Anything, he said, which could improve the physical and mental health of our older citizens was a very welcome idea.

A report issued by the council confirmed that a bench at The Wonderful Barn in Leixlip can be converted to a Happy to Chat seat, with a sign erected on an existing bench.
The number of available rental properties that accept housing assistance payments (HAP) has dropped by 22% in the second quarter of the year, a new report shows.

The Simon Communities of Irelands (SCI) quarterly Locked Out of the Market report, from June, shows that just 32 properties were available to rent within the scheme.

This is a drop of nine properties, down from 41, since March.

Ber Grogan, executive director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, repeated her call for an updated HAP limit.

The housing assistance payment (HAP) scheme is a social housing payment made to landlords by local authorities, and tenants pay a contribution to their local authority.

The report found 978 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas surveyed over three dates in June.

This is a 17% reduction from the 1,178 properties available in the June 2024 Locked Out report.

There were no properties available in eight of the 16 areas, including Athlone, Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Co Leitrim, Limerick city centre, Sligo town, Portlaoise, and Waterford city centre.

Four of the 16 areas saw a reduction in the number of HAP properties available since the March 2025 report.

These include Dublin city north, Dublin city centre, Dundalk and Kildare.

This lack of availability was across all household categories within standard or discretionary HAP limits.

Discretionary HAP limits include homeless HAP, the increased rate of HAP for people experiencing homelessness.

The supply of properties within HAP limits are predominantly in Dublin, with a total of 22 properties in Dublin.

Just five of the 13 areas outside of Dublin had properties available to rent within HAP limits.

These included Dundalk, Galway city suburbs, Galway city centre, Kildare and Limerick city suburbs.

In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate, but this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country.

Nathan, a Cork Simon service user, said: Most of the time you ring a place, its gone. You get fed up of every day doing it and then you just give up for a while, depressed out of me head.

You cant get out of it (homelessness). I dont seem to see a way anyway. And its not for want of trying. A bed, a bathroom and a kitchen. Basics. Oh, Id love it.

Come and go as you please.

Sligo town and Portlaoise had the lowest number of properties available to rent, with just seven and two properties available in each area, respectively, across the three days.

Of the 16 areas, 10 saw a reduction in the number of properties available to rent, including Cork, and Dublin, Dundalk and JKildare.

Four of the 16 areas saw an increase in the number of properties available to rent, including Athlone, Galway city, Limerick city and Sligo town.

Ms Grogan said the findings of the report must act as a wake-up call for policymakers.

Do they care that the rental sector continues to fail those reliant on HAP? Simon certainly cares, he said.

With only 32 properties available under HAP across 16 areas and entire counties without a single option, people entitled to housing support are being pushed further into homelessness and essentially, left behind.

The rental market is failing those most in need.

We urgently need accelerated delivery of social and affordable housing, meaningful reforms to HAP rates, and a targeted strategy to prevent homelessness.

We must ensure that hope is restored for those people who are locked out of access to this accommodation option.

The Simon Communities of Ireland has been calling for updated HAP limits for many years.

We welcomed the ombudsmans report on HAP and will continue to call for reform. Budget 2026 will give the opportunity to address this cause of homelessness before our next Locked Out of the Market report.

Meanwhile, the figures show that there were four properties available to single person/couple households through a standard HAP rate.

These four properties were located in north Dublin, Dublin city centre, Galway city and Kildare.

There were an additional 12 properties available for single person/couple households within discretionary HAP limits.

There were no properties available to couple/one parent households with one child through a standard HAP rate.

There was one property available to couple/one parent households with two children through a standard HAP rate.

This property was in Limerick city suburbs. There were five properties available through discretionary HAP rates, and an additional 10 that overlapped with properties available to families with one child.

The five unique properties were in Dublin city centre, Dundalk and Kildare.

Ms Grogan said: Its particularly concerning given that one parent families are over-represented in the thousands of families and children experiencing homelessness.

Does anybody care that nearly 5,000 children are experiencing homelessness? Simon cares.
The number of women who had abortions in Ireland last year rose to 10,852, with 49 of those terminations carried out in Leitrim.

Of the total nationwide, 108 terminations were due to a diagnosed fatal foetal abnormality, while a further 24 were performed due to a risk to the life or health of the mother.

These figures, released by the Department of Health, represent the highest annual increase in abortions since the repeal of the Eighth Amendment on May 25, 2018.

The Sligo-Leitrim constituency voted in favour of repealing the amendment on that day, an emotionally charged decision for many, regardless of where they stood on the issue.

For some, it was a moment of progress in healthcare; for others, a deeply painful shift in national values. That sense of personal investment remains today.

Bernie Linnane, a founding member of Leitrim for Choice, now part of the National Womens Council of Ireland, sees the Leitrim figure as a sign of improved healthcare access for Irish women.

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To me, the 49 terminations carried out in Leitrim shows a greater access to healthcare, where Irish women can access services they need instead of travelling to England, which was so often the case, and sometimes due to lack of services, still is, Ms Linnane said.

We know that hundreds of people still have to leave this country for abortion care because they fall outside the strict parameters of our abortion legislation, she added.

While this continues, and while people are still forced to undergo a medically unnecessary three-day waiting period, there are still barriers to care.

Ms Linnane believes reproductive healthcare should include access to free contraception for all genders and age groups, alongside comprehensive sex education in schools.

However, the rising numbers are a source of concern for others, including Sinead Tracey, a longstanding member of the pro-life movement in the county.

Whether one agrees with abortion or not, I don't think that many people would accept that 49 abortion procedures in Leitrim and 10,852 abortions nationally in 2024 is a 'good' outcome from Repeal of the Eighth, Ms Tracey said.

There are real-life and heart-breaking stories and decisions behind these statistics, and there are unquantifiable long-term effects for mothers, fathers and families, she added.

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Ms Tracey also expressed concern that the current scale of abortion access was not what many voters envisioned when voting in the 2018 referendum.

Many believed the government rhetoric prior to the referendum: that abortion, if legalised, would be 'rare'. This has not been the case, she said.

Both Ms Linnane and Ms Tracey acknowledge that broader societal factors, particularly the cost-of-living crisis, play a role in decisions around pregnancy and abortion.

Poverty and the cost of living affect all decisions in this country. True reproductive justice happens when people are able to raise the children they choose to have without worrying about how to feed and clothe them, Ms Linnane said.

Ms Tracey echoed that sentiment, saying, I most certainly believe that the increase in abortion numbers reflects a failure of support systems for women in crisis pregnancies.

I also think that the cost-of-living crisis is hammering people and is contributing to heart-breaking decisions for some, she added.

She criticised the allocation of public funding for abortion services, saying, Our taxes pay 450 to GPs for each procedure, but there is no such funding provided for voluntary organisations such as Gianna Care and Every Life Counts.

She also raised concerns about the lack of demographic data related to abortion in Ireland. How can we possibly know if women having abortions are being subjected to coercion; if they are victims of domestic abuse, rape, trafficking, incest; if they are having repeat abortions; if they are minors; if certain ethnic or socio-economic groups are disproportionately represented in the abortion statistics? We simply can't, unless statistics are gathered and analysed, she said.

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Since 66 percent of voters supported the repeal of the Eighth Amendment in 2018, Ireland has made its position clear, marking a significant shift in how reproductive healthcare is approached in a country once shaped by deeply conservative values.

Still, Ms Tracey believes there is a need to hear more from women and families who may have had difficult experiences with abortion.

Theres a need to look at and share the human stories behind those having abortions, the long-term impact on both women and men, and to hear the other side of the story, which is largely neglected, and indeed ignored, she said.

As for the 49 women in Leitrim who accessed abortion services last year, each case represents a deeply personal decision, not fully understood by those outside the situation.

The bottom line is, though, that the 2024 number represents people who received the abortion care they needed. I don't see why that is a matter for concern, Ms Linnane said.
A Leitrim councillors said that property owners need to be offered more incentive to engage in schemes such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

There were no HAP properties available for rent in Leitrim in June and there are only 32 properties were available to rent for HAP tenants in 16 parts of the country last month, the Locked Out of the Market Report by Simon Communities reported this week.

Cllr Padraig Fallon said one of the big issues facing Leitrim is that there are very few houses on the market to start with.

The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) under the Ukrainian Accommodation Scheme in Ireland is tax-free monthly payment of 600 per property provided to host refugees from Ukraine who have arrived under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. This payment is exempt from income tax, USC, and PRSI.

READ MORE: Leitrim based insurer supports rejection of near 17 percent rise in personal injury award

He continued: "The question has to be asked how so many houses were made available under that scheme but the owners of those properties weren't interested in HAP."

He said with houses prices on the rise significantly in Leitrim, rent is mirroring these costs. "I think it's all about incentives for those who have properties to rent. They need to be offered the same tax breaks and that needs to be across the schemes and it needs to be asked why that wasn't put in place prior."

READ MORE: Ballinamore Camino draws nearly 500 walkers in blistering heat

He said that has has "constituents who are checking for HAP properties all the time" before adding that "estate agents don't even need to advertise; most will have a list as long as your arm of individuals that are in and out to them wondering if they have properties."

He stated that council's "housing acquisitions are going to be down; we know that as are Tenant in situ. Housing completions are going to be down this year compared to last year; there's no doubt about that."

Cllr Fallon Tenant said that he believed housing targets in the county should be higher after new figures show that Leitrim reached 98% of its overall housing target between 2022 and 2024 with 80 out of 82 social homes due to be built, completed.

He said he believed targets are too low in the first place.

READ MORE: 'It's our livelihood that's been taken' - victims of Leitrim robbery issue appeal

He concluded: "When a county like Leitrim reaches their targets, they need to be giving them more funds to purchase more. I've seen a number of housing projects and builds that ready to go; the funding was pulled. If they can at all, they need to keep those developments going because it is the only way forward. Material costs are rising all the time and a number of builders told me recently that timber went up again by 20%. The government pausing projects; the costs will only increase so it's very counterproductive."
Mulbah Morlu, yellow court, Lead Organizer of the protest and others march to Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 14, Contemporary Amperex Intelligence Technology (Shanghai) Limited (CAIT-SH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with T3Go, a smart travel ecosystem platform developed by Nanjing LingHang Technology Co., Ltd., according to a press release on CAIT-SH's WeChat account. CAIT-SH and T3Go will collaborate on exploring optimal operational strategies for the entire lifecycle of Robotaxis, and developing innovative Robotaxi solutions, based on the ultra-safe, high-efficiency, and intelligent capabilities of CATL Bedrock Chassis platform.

Photo credit: CAIT-SH

Designed as a "high-efficiency mobile energy carrier", the CATL Bedrock Chassis features a decoupled upper and lower vehicle body architecture, highly integrated mechanical systems, and a deeply unified energy management framework combining battery, electric motor, and electronic control systems. With open software interfaces and a modular application ecosystem, the CATL Bedrock Chassis provides a standardized and scalable hardware foundation for advanced driving assistance system (ADAS). This setup significantly streamlines the design, development, and manufacturing of Robotaxi fleets.

Under the agreement, CAIT-SH will adapt CATL Bedrock Chassis for T3Go with electric intelligent technology solutions including battery swapping, full redundancy, and comprehensive drive-by-wire capabilities, supporting rapid project deployment.

As a key operator in the Robotaxi market, T3Go brings robust service experience to the partnership, focusing on three strategic pillars: building an integrated platform for both digital and offline Robotaxi operations, developing customizable vehicle models, and creating scalable and replicable commercial pathways.

Through collaborations with automakers and algorithm developers to leverage massive data and a robust operational system, T3Go is enhancing the Robotaxi ecosystem with insights drawn from real user demand and intelligent dispatch systems. These initiatives are aimed at expanding Robotaxi applications across cities and accelerating the transition from pilot programs to large-scale deployment.

Looking ahead, CAIT-SH and T3Go will deepen cooperation across multiple fronts related to the CATL Bedrock Chassis and Robotaxi operational scenarios, including technology integration, joint product definition, co-development and testing, data sharing, and intelligent upgrades. Their partnership seeks to address key industry challenges such as high development costs, long lead times, and fragmented resource investment. Together, they aim to establish a new collaborative model that bridges skateboard chassis hardware platforms with mobility service operations.
The New Liberia: Beyond the War, Branding Power, and Securing Influence
Full text of the Petition Statement Presented to the Government of Liberia by Protesters on July 17, 2025
A TEENAGER told a court yesterday all he could hear was the sound of wood smacking off his then 12 year old friend after he saw former All-Star and Clare All-Ireland winning hurler, Niall Gilligan go to hit him.

At Ennis Circuit Court on Thursday the teenager said that a horrible thing happened to my friend when recalling the alleged assault of his then 12 year old friend on October 5, 2023 at the Jamaica Inn hostel in Sixmilebridge.

Mr Gilligan (48) of Rossroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge denies the assault causing harm with a stick of the boy at the Jamaica Inn hostel, Sixmilebridge on October 5, 2023.

The two 12 year old boys had been exploring the abandoned Jamaica Inn hostel after 5pm on October 5.

READ MORE: All-Star Clare hurler whacked boy, 12, on leg with a stick and kept hitting him, court hears

Mr Gilligan owned the Jamaica Inn hostel at the time and the jury has been told that in the days leading up to October 5, it had been broken into and vandalised.

Under cross examination via video link from a room at Ennis courthouse on Thursday afternoon, the now teenager said that in his interview with Gardai in November 2023 he said that he saw Niall Gilligan hit his friend.

At the trial on Thursday the teenager said that he didn't see Mr Gilligan hit his friend. He said: I saw him go to hit him, I mis-phrased that. All I could hear was the sound of wood smacking off my friend."

He said: I said I saw him go to hit him - I didn't see him hit him. The teenager said that his friend was tiny at the time when he was attacked.

The teenage witness told counsel for Mr Gilligan, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) that as his friend slipped as they were running away from Mr Gilligan I saw Niall coming at him with the stick about to swing at him.

He said: We were both running away and he attacked my friend when we were both running in the opposite direction to him.

The teenager disagreed with Mr Gilligans version of events that the altercation with his friend took place inside the building.

In his November 2023 video evidence with a Garda specialist interviewer played earlier to the jury on Thursday the now teenager said his father later showed him a photo of Niall Gilligan later that evening on October 5 and the boy confirmed that the man who attacked his friend was the accused.

In the video interview carried out on November 11, 2023, the witness said that as the two boys left the building and came around a corner, they saw a tall, kind of strong looking man holding a stick and they both ran.

Asked how he felt by the specialist Garda interviewer, the boy said terrified and added but I just got out of there as fast as I could, all I could think was get out of there and I did.

The boy described the man as fit looking like, gingerly brown kinda hair.

He said: I seen him playing hurling when I was younger and he played for the Bridge and Clare. The boy told Gardai Mr Gilligan is an auctioneer in Sixmilebridge.

Asked about his friends screaming, the boy said: I heard him shouting, like I heard him screaming like telling him to stop. My friend telling him to fuck off and to leave him alone, that was about it.

The boy hid in a nearby industrial estate and he said that felt relatively safe but I was still very scared that somehow he could have seen me.

A short time later, the boy said that he saw his friend come around the corner and he was limping like he was holding his arm, holding his hand, holding the wrist he broke and it was all swelling up. The boy said that his friend was looking in pain, he had lots of mud all over him.

The boy told Gardai that his friend was very shaky, obviously he felt very, very scared and in a lot of pain. He said: I was just supporting him to walk up, just like holding him upI put my arm around his back so I could support him so he could have one of his legs off the ground so it would be easier for him to walk."

The boy said that his friend "said it just hurts everywhere' is all he said.

The boy said that his friend told him go home because if he sees you, he is going to get you as well.

The jury also heard from witness for the State, Linda Quinn from Sixmilebridge who runs the local GAA club shop. She said on her way into the club on the evening of October 5, she noticed a child near the gate and that something did not look right.

I just said are you okay, he said no, she told the court. She went on to say how the boy asked her if she thought his hand was broken. It was very swollen.

He then showed her a big gash on his leg and asked her opinion.

When Ms Quinn asked him what happened, he told her he had fallen off his bike. He went on to ask her to look at his arm, where there was another deep gash. Ms Quinn told him he might need to get stitches. At this, the child got upset and Ms Quinn offered to give him a lift home.

Shortly afterwards, they arrived at his house, and after speaking to the boys aunt, Ms. Quinn returned to work.

The trial continues on Friday before a jury of seven men and five women.
BALLYHOURA Development CLG have been awarded a grant under the Community Heritage Grant Scheme to support biodiversity and sustainability.

The grant has been issued by the Heritage Council for a new community-led initiative, Ballyhoura Corridors: Securing Our Future Hedgerows.

This innovative project is designed to raise awareness of the crucial role that hedgerows play in rural Irelands landscape  from supporting biodiversity and wildlife corridors to providing sustainable solutions for land management.

READ MORE: Regulator makes decision on Limerick bauxite refinery's dredging plans

The initiative aims to raise awareness of the important ecological role that hedgerows play in supporting biodiversity, wildlife corridors, and sustainable land management in rural Ireland.

The project focuses on both the protection and rejuvenation of hedgerows, which are a key feature of Ireland's cultural and environmental landscape.

At the core of the project are two hands-on workshops that will provide beginner-level training in the traditional skill of hedge laying. This method helps restore and strengthen hedgerows, making them stock-proof and promoting their long-term health and growth.

Project lead at Ballyhoura Development CLG, John Scanlan said, Hedge laying is not only a practical conservation tool but also a cultural heritage skill that connects us with generations past.

Through these workshops, we hope to empower participants to play an active role in protecting biodiversity and the environment. added John.

The project officially kicks off during National Heritage Week, August 16-24, with a Hedgerow Biodiversity Walk taking place on Saturday, August 23, from 11:00am to 1:30pm at Coote Hall, Kilmallock.

This guided walk will highlight the rich biodiversity supported by native hedgerows.

The Ballyhoura Corridors project reflects Ballyhoura Developments ongoing commitment to sustainable development, rural resilience, and local heritage conservation.

The support from the Heritage Council enables this work to be carried out at a community level, securing the environmental legacy of hedgerows for future generations.
WIND turbines three times the height of Kilmallock Churchs spire planned for south Limerick has caused widespread dismay.

The Bruff Dromin AthlaccaBallinlee Community Action Group was formed and they are holding a public information meeting at the Thomas Fitzgerald Centre in Bruff at 7.15pm next Monday, July 21.

READ MORE: Uisce Eireann to begin works in Castleconnell to reduce leakage issues in the area

A group spokesperson said that following a Leader article in November 2024, it emerged that Ballinlee Green Energy had entered pre-application consultation with An Coimisiun Pleanala for a huge 17-turbine project.

Sixteen of the turbines are proposed to have a tip height of 160 metres  thats three times the height of Kilmallock Church spire (55m) and 40 metres taller than Dublins Spire. The rotor diameter alone will be 136 metres  almost the length of Croke Park.

"Its astonishing how big these things are. When the current 2006 guidelines were published, turbines were a third of the size they are today.

The proposed wind farm would span eight townlands across the wider Bruff, Dromin, Athlacca communities  Ballincurra, Ballinlee South, Ballingayrour, Ballinrea, Carrigeen, Knockuregare, Ballinlee North and Camas South  placing up to 200 homes within 1km or less of these massive structures.

"The proposed turbine locations have still not been shared with the community. The project is understood to be just 1.5kms from the vibrant town of Bruff, said a spokesperson.

They say a parent company - Greensource - are proposing multiple wind farm developments across County Limerick including between Charleville and Bruree (Garrane Green Energy) and Coolcappa (Ballynisky Green Energy).

The group said the wider Bruff, Dromin, Athlacca area is not the right location for a project of this scale.

These turbines will have a severe intrusion on the visual amenity of the immediate and surrounding areas including Lough Gur, which is of such significant archaeological and historical importance, our national school where over 250 children attend.

You cannot put 17 160 metre tall, 136m wide moving mechanical structures into a populated area and expect there not to be issues. It's madness, they say. Noise nuisance, shadow flicker and vibration concerns are all highlighted.

The project is now in its community engagement phase but local residents say they feel completely left in the dark.

Engagement has only covered residents within 1km of a proposed turbine. This falls far below what we consider any meaningful level of engagement. The project will impact people for miles around.

We are not opposed to renewable energy. We fully recognise the need for wind energy to help meet Irelands climate targets.

However, the Governments approach to large-scale wind farm development is failing to balance national goals with the protection and well-being of rural communities, say the group.

The Leader put their concerns to Ballinlee Green Energy who said the proposed wind farm site has been designated as a preferred area for wind energy development in the Limerick Development Plan 2022 2028.

The proposed project would play a key role in supporting the Governments Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

This project alone has the potential to provide clean power for up to 42,000 homes and reduce harmful carbon emissions by approximately 75,000 tonnes each year of operation, said a spokesperson.

Based on current estimates, they say it would provide an annual community benefit fund of around 350,000.

The spokesperson said they are committed to meaningful and transparent community engagement, community consultation was launched in March 2025 with an ad in the Leader and information was sent to all houses within 2km.

All houses within 1km of the proposed project were visited by the community team.

The dedicated community team continues to be available for one-to-one consultations, and engagement is ongoing, said the spokesperson.
THERE IS no conceivable scenario for cuts to June milk price following a positive month on dairy markets, says ICMSAs Dairy Committee chairperson.

Noel Murphy said farmers would not entertain the idea of cuts to the price they receive for the second highest supply month on most farms.

READ MORE: Limerick farmers are in clover after big win at grassland awards

According to the USDAs July 2025 Dairy Market Outlook, the US all-milk price forecast has also increased to $21.95 per hundredweight, up $0.35 from the previous estimate.

This suggests a balanced market where supply growth is being met with steady demand, said Mr Murphy, who also cited the fact that prices in the southern hemisphere are also showing positive signals, per the latest price forecast from Fonterra.

Obviously our focus is primarily on Europe and Ireland in terms of prices and trends and our export destinations and those are all showing encouraging resilience.

"Dutch Dairy quotes increased almost a cent per litre for WMP mix and the industry standard indicator Butter/SMP increased marginally by 0.5 cent with some fluctuations in the timeframe over the four weeks of June, noted ICMSAs Dairy Committee chair.

Mr Murphy said that the data was unambiguous.

There should be no negativity around milk price at present and processors should be looking to increase prices  certainly not wasting their time peddling the notion that we are in a negative space.

He said that milk suppliers were walking a fine line.

While production is strong, margins remain tight due to the cost of production. Holding milk prices steady is essential to protect farm viability and ensure continued investment in sustainability and future-proofing our dairy sector.

There are enough external factors to be worrying about - including trade tensions and fluctuating export demand  without making up imaginary pressures on milk price that are nowhere supported by the data and facts in the marketplace, concluded Mr Murphy.

Separately, his ICMSA colleague - Michael O'Connell, chairperson of the Livestock Committee, said that the numbers of cattle across Europe are at an all-time low. He said that our live exports have never been as strong due to our Bluetongue-free status.

We are sure that the volumes of 2023 and 2024 born cattle leaving the country has added to the pressures on processors. Demand for Irish cattle is off the charts and is going to continue with predictions of the EU herd falling by a further 5 to 7% this year.

I can talk all day long about the difference in prices between Ireland and the UK but beating that drum is not what people are really concerned about.

"What ICMSA and Irish farmers are concerned about is that Irish farmers receive a fair, competitive price for the cattle they work hard to produce to environmental and legislative regulations unheard of in any other country. We are producing the best live cattle and beef in the world and that reality is recognised across Europe and the world  its high time that our own big players in the processing business recognised it too, said Mr OConnell.

He said ICMSAs advice is keep possession and only sell when they are receiving the true value of the cattle.

Mr OConnell stated that farmers are holding all the cards.
Mumbai: JSW Steel Ltd reported better-than-expected profit for the June quarter, driven by higher production and sales volume as well as lower cost of coking coal, a key ingredient.

The steelmakers first-quarter profit jumped to 2,209 crore from 867 crore in the same quarter a year ago, according to the companys exchange filings. A key reason for this was improved steel prices, primarily due to the governments 12% safeguard duty to protect the industry from cheap steel imports from China.

Steel prices rose during the quarter, while sales volumes also picked up due to the ramp-up of the Vijayanagar expansion project, said Suman Kumar, analyst at Dolat Capital.

The rise in steel prices, however, is a temporary phenomenon and the management believes the government needs to do more to ensure greater profitability for Indian steelmakers, he added.

JSW Steel, Indias largest steelmaker by capacity, reported consolidated revenue of 43,147 crore for the April-June quarter, up from 42,943 a year earlier, beating the 42,790 crore projection, on average, of 23 analysts polled by Bloomberg.

JSW Steel benefited from lower cost of raw materials, mainly coking coal, which was partly offset by higher fuel consumption due to planned blast furnace shutdowns. Mining royalties also fell, helping reduce total expenses.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in the first quarter rose 37% year-on-year to 7,576 crore.

The steelmaker maintained its production and sales guidance for 2025-26 at 30.5 million tonnes and 29.2 million tonnes, respectively.

JSW Steel spent 3,400 crore in the June quarter out of its estimated capital expenditure of 20,000 crore for FY26. For FY25, JSW Steel had initially estimated a capex of 20,000 crore before lowering it to 16,000 crore. It missed that revised target, spending only 14,656 crore in FY25.

The steelmaker reported consolidated production of 7.26 million tonnes for the June quarter, a 14% rise from a year ago. Sales volume improved 9% to 6.69 million tonnes.

Also Read | JSW Steel eyes a resurgence in overseas operations, lower costs in India in FY26

Seasonal weakness, optimistic outlook In an post-earnings interaction with analysts, JSW Steels management said the companys sales volume would increase in the second quarter as the maintenance shutdowns were completed. Also, a second converter at JSW Vijayanagar Metallics Ltd is being commissioned, which will help lower the cost of production, they said.

However, demand could weaken in the ongoing second quarter due to the monsoon rains.

In Q2, the management expects to see some seasonal weakness in volumes due to the monsoon. While steel prices have come down, the company expects a further drop in coking coal prices, which will partially offset the price decline. The long-term outlook remains optimistic, said Kumar.

JSW Steels management also said that it expects a favourable decision when the government reviews the safeguard duty on steel imports. The government imposed the 12% safeguard duty on 21 April for a period of 200 days.

Although finished steel imports have moderated, exports also fell, and India continues to be a net importer.

JSW Steels management expects low priced imports to remain a concern, stressed by changes in globaltrade flows due to rising tariff uncertainties.

The management also noted that while there has been some reduction in steel production in China in recent months, elevated exports of Chinese steel remain a challenge for Indias steel industry.

JSW Steel also said, based on legal opinion, that it had gained control over Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd as on 30 June and was continuing with the consolidation of BPSLs financial results with its results.

The steelmaker expects to be compensated adequately if BPSL goes into liquidation after the SupremeCourt scrapped its resolution plan for the bankrupt company, as Mint reported on 23 May. JSW Steel has filed a review petition on the apex courts decision.

JSW Steel shares closed Fridays trading on BSE mostly unchanged at 1,034.40 each. The stock has gained 14.24% so far this year, while the benchmark Sensex index has risen 4.14%.

Also Read | Supreme Court verdict on Bhushan Poweputs ED back in play
GT Voice: US companies firm choices show irreplaceable value of China market

Global Times) 13:59, July 18, 2025

Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Despite challenges like US-China relations and tariffs, American companies remain committed to pursuing opportunities in China, an annual survey by the US-China Business Council showed on Wednesday. The findings highlight the irreplaceable strategic value of the Chinese market to foreign businesses.

US-China relations continued to top the list of business challenges, and tariffs jumped from eighth to second place amid renewed trade frictions, leading most US companies to hold off on new investments in the near term. But still, more than 80 percent of respondents said that they invest in China to serve the domestic market, while nearly all reported that they cannot remain globally competitive without their China operations, according to the survey.

There is no denying that the tariff policies implemented by the US government and the uncertainties surrounding geopolitics have cast a shadow over the operations of American companies in China, leading to increased costs and intensified risks. Nevertheless, many companies have demonstrated their firm confidence in the Chinese market through concrete actions.

For instance, US energy giant ExxonMobil on Tuesday began operation of its landmark chemical complex in Huizhou, South China's Guangdong Province, the country's first major petrochemical project wholly owned by a US company, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Also, the third China International Supply Chain Expo, which kicked off on Wednesday in Beijing, saw the number of US exhibitors up by 15 percent compared with the previous edition, continuing to lead in the number of foreign exhibitors.

The stance of facing challenges yet remaining committed speaks volumes about the magnetic pull of the Chinese market. China boasts a vast and highly promising consumer market, with a population of more than 1.4 billion creating an unparalleled market scale. In the first half of 2025, China's retail sales grew by 5 percent year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This robust growth not only positions China as a crucial engine for global consumption growth but also offers American companies a vast market space.

Moreover, China's well-established supply and industrial chains can efficiently meet the needs of enterprises, significantly reducing their production costs and operational risks. The country's comprehensive service facilities, including logistics, finance, and technology services, provide solid support for business development. Furthermore, a large number of high-quality research experts and the government's strong support in innovation policies have made China a hotbed for global corporate research and development (R&D) investment.

Many foreign-funded companies, including those from the US, have set up production bases in China and established R&D centers to deeply integrate into the local innovation ecosystem.

The continuous restrictive US policies on China are likely to bring new challenges to the development of American companies in China. Under such circumstances, the key to ensuring that American companies stay and attracting more foreign capital lies in creating an ecosystem that is indispensable to these foreign businesses.

At the policy level, China needs to continue to promote institutional opening-up and optimize the business environment. This includes further shortening the negative list for foreign investment access, enhancing market transparency and policy predictability, and actively responding to the concerns of foreign-funded enterprises.

For instance, China's finance, taxation, and commerce authorities recently unveiled an incentive granting foreign investors a 10 percent corporate income tax credit on direct domestic investments funded by dividends from Chinese resident companies.

At a press conference in early July, Zhou Haibing, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that China's policies on attracting and utilizing foreign investment are consistent, noting that China will continue to ease market access and expand openness in an orderly way, ensuring foreign companies have equal access to policy benefits, from public procurement to standard-setting.

Deepening communication and cooperation with US companies is also essential. Government departments need to build communication platforms to enhance mutual understanding and trust between the two sides and understand the difficulties and demands faced by US companies in their development in China.

As the world navigates through economic uncertainty, China's stability, growth potential, and dedication to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships through continuous opening-up stand to guarantee that it will continue to be an ideal, safe and promising destination for global investors.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 12 local time, BYD marked a major milestone by delivering its 60,000th new energy vehicle (NEV) in Australia at its Waverley showroom in Melbourne, according to a press release from BYD.

This achievement, made possible through its partnership with exclusive distributor EVDirect, underscores BYD's rapid rise and growing brand recognition in the Australian market.

Photo credit: BYD

Reaching the 60,000-unit mark in less than three years, BYD said it has established itself as a strong player in Australia's competitive automotive landscape. The company expects to deliver over 40,000 vehicles across the country in 2025, reinforcing its upward momentum.

The delivery milestone follows a record-setting first half of 2025, capped by a standout performance in June. During that month alone, BYD delivered 8,156 vehicles in Australiaa 368% year-on-year surgesetting a new monthly sales record for the brand. The success was driven in large part by strong demand for the BYD SHARK 6, the first PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) pickup model sold in Australia.

BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu praised the achievement and emphasized the brand's close connection with Australian consumers. "Australia is a key market for BYD," he noted. "It is one of the most competitive automotive markets in the world, with highly discerning and professional consumers who value innovation, safety, and sustainability. Our success here shows that BYD products can meetand even exceedthe expectations of mature markets. It also continues to inform and inspire our global product development and strategic planning."
(Bloomberg) -- Alcoa Corp., the storied US metals producer, is feeling the pinch of President Donald Trumps tariffs and has been forced to pause work on all its growth projects underway in Canada.

If the levies stay in place, Chief Executive Officer Bill Oplinger warns that the American manufacturer may need to turn to the Canadian government for help.

For now, Oplinger said hes waiting until Aug. 1  the negotiation deadline for a new economic and security deal between Canada and the US  to decide whether Alcoa will push for assistance from the Canadian government, financial or otherwise, to support the aluminum operations the company has in Quebec.

The profitability of Quebec is severely impacted, Oplinger said in a Friday interview. The longer this goes, the more damage it will do to the competitiveness of the Quebec assets. And the Canadian government understands that.

Alcoas challenges show how US levies on aluminum, aimed at boosting American manufacturing, are now hurting the largest US producer of the metal used in everything from soda cans to cars.

While Pittsburgh-based Alcoa has a lot of domestic production, it also depends on operations in Canada to meet demand. The company owns three smelting and casting facilities in Quebec that largely feed American customers. The firm is typically one of the largest suppliers to the US, but is now rerouting cargoes because of the levies.

Were doing everything we possibly can to ship tons that are normally destined for the US to other parts of the world, Oplinger said.

Oplingers comments follow an earnings report on Wednesday that revealed Alcoa paid an additional $115 million in tariff-related costs in the second quarter. The company could look into lobbying both Canadas federal government and the Quebec government for support if tariffs stay in place.

The firm is among many metal producers navigating trade tumult after the Trump administration raised US import tariffs on steel and aluminum  first to 25% in March, and then to 50% in June. Rio Tinto Plc said Wednesday that its Canadian-made aluminum generated costs of more than $300 million in the first half due to tariffs. The company also told local media in June that it implemented a hiring freeze at smelters across Quebec.

Alcoas executives are now looking very hard at capital investments in Quebec, Oplinger said. The plans we had for growth projects in Quebec are on hold until we have some resolution on the tariffs.

Nearly 40% of Alcoas metal produced in Quebec can be diverted to non-US customers, mostly in Europe and elsewhere in Canada, though weakened demand overseas has hampered the prospects for producers to reroute shipments entirely.

The company has warned it could face further tariff costs if Trump follows through on threats to place 50% tariffs on Brazil, where Alcoa sources alumina to feed its US plants. Oplinger said hes now deciding whether to preemptively source alumina outside of Brazil in anticipation of those prospective levies.

The Alcoa executive was appointed CEO in 2023 after serving as the firms Chief Operations Officer and, previously, Chief Financial Officer.

Ive been with Alcoa for over 25 years and I think this is easily the most extreme trade uncertainty weve seen, he said on Friday.

--With assistance from Mathieu Dion.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Chinas spy agency has accused overseas intelligence agencies of stealing controlled rare earth materials, reiterating its intent to curb smuggling even as Beijing agrees to review applications to export the vital industrial resource after trade talks with the US.

Without naming any country, the Chinese Ministry of State Security accused foreign entities of orchestrating the trafficking of these items, which Beijing sees as a strategic asset and has used as a bargaining chip in tariff negotiations with Washington.

In recent years, foreign espionage and intelligence agencies and their agents have attempted to collude with and incite unlawful people in the country to steal our rare earth-related items by means of mail delivery, posing a serious danger to our national security, the ministry said in a WeChat post Friday.

China leveraged its dominance in producing these metals and rare earth magnets in the trade war with the US, which relies on Chinese supply to make a wide range of products including electric vehicles. Ford Motor Co. had to cut output at one of its plants after Beijing tightened export controls, and the curbs have deepened tensions with the European Union, which similarly depends on exports from China.

The security ministry claimed to have foiled an attempt by an unnamed country to illicitly acquire rare earths for stockpiling. This involved a contractor mislabeling parcels as not originally made in China and misrepresenting product content and ingredients, according to the post.

The MSS also detailed other alleged smuggling tactics, such as hiding rare earth powders in ceramic tile ingredients or disguising them in water bottles labeled as machinery parts for export. The ministry urged citizens to report suspicious activities related to rare earth resources.

China and the US last month confirmed a deal to suspend drastic tariffs after Beijing vowed to process export licenses and the US agreed to lift its own controls on technology including some advanced AI chips. Signs of easing tensions have raised the chance of a broader deal and a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this year.

2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.s decision to walk away in frustration from an attempted acquisition of Seven & i Holdings Co. set off a debate in Tokyo as to what lessons foreign companies with ambitions for M&A should draw.

The bid was audacious from the start. 7-Eleven convenience stores have one of Japans most recognizable brands and a takeover would have been the largest by a foreign entity in the countrys history. Moreover, the founding Ito family were so opposed to the deal that they turned to one of their archrivals to try and block it.

Still, the government, which has been pushing for companies to take a more investor-friendly approach, did not raise strong political opposition, even though Seven & i had sought greater protection under a law that could have scuttled a deal. While Couche-Tard placed the blame squarely on intransigence from Seven & is management, the failure of the deal runs counter to the broader trend in the investing landscape, according to Nicholas Smith, a strategist at CLSA.

Seven & i is just an obstructive character in an ongoing success story, said Smith. Activist trades and shareholder proposals are on fire. Private equity sees Japan as one of the most attractive markets in the world and is hiring aggressively. Management cant afford to relax one bit.

Stephen Dacus, the new chief executive officer of Seven & i, now has to prove that the Japanese retailer can grow and boost its efficiency on its own. The shares fell 9% on Thursday after Couche-Tard walked away from its bid. The company plans to sell its superstore business for $5.4 billion, and is proposing a 2 trillion share buyback and a listing of its US business.

Seven & is rejection of the deal is a sign of more aggressiveness in Japanese firms, according to Jesper Koll, expert director at Monex Group Inc. The issue is not that this is old-style Japan protectionism, quite the opposite, said Koll. This is actually an injection of energy and competitive spirits into a Japan-led management team that is actually very international.

The history of attempted takeovers of marquee Japanese companies by outsiders is mixed.

KKR, CVC Capital Partners and Blackstone Inc. walked away from a buyout of Toshiba Corp. after meeting stiff resistance from management. Concerns about the valuation, complexity and political nature of the deal were all headwinds that eventually resulted in a consortium led by a domestic fund prevailing.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, pulled off a deal in 2016 to take a controlling stake in Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. for 389 billion. The Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer had pursued the Japanese company for years. Foxconn founder Terry Gou had lobbied Japanese lawmakers, co-opted banks and sweetened its offer to outmaneuver a Japanese government-backed bidder.

The implications of todays news will only be understood a year from now, and will hinge on whether management succeeds in accelerating group reforms and turning around the situation in both Japan and the US, said Michael Jacobs, an investment analyst at T. Rowe Price Japan on Thursday.

Unsolicited offers have quite often met strong resistance regardless of where the prospective buyers come from.

Japanese motor maker Nidec Corp. made an unsolicited bid for Makino Milling Machine Co., shocking many Japanese companies that had never imagined they could become a takeover target by a Japanese firm. Nidec, like Couche-Tard, withdrew the bid earlier this year due to strong opposition. In another closely watched case, Taiwans Yageo Corp made a takeover bid for Shibaura Electronics, prompting a counter bid from Japanese rival Mineba Mitsumi Inc.

Others argued that the failure of the Couche-Tard deal had nothing to do with the nationalities or cultures of the companies involved. The issue was simply money and Couche-Tards 6.77 trillion bid simply wasnt enough.

Seven & i did what any US company would do, said Jamie Halse, CEO & CIO at Senjin Capital Pty Ltd. It was up to Couche- Tard to put in a knockout offer.

With assistance from Kanoko Matsuyama and Reed Stevenson.

2025 Bloomberg L.P.
BENGALURU : DLF Ltd, India's largest real estate developer, has entered Mumbai, the country's most valuable property market, with its its maiden residential project, after a spate of successful launches on its home turf Gurugram. The company will invest around 1,000 crore to develop the first phase of the project in suburban Andheri (West), which is expected to clock 2,300 crore of pre-sales. The Westpark project will be developed on a 5.18-acre land parcel, part of a larger 10-acre slum rehabilitation project. DLF and its partner Trident Realty are jointly developing it.

DLF has launched two of the four 37-storey towers in the first phase, where three- and four-bedroom homes are priced at 5-8 crore each. There are also four-bedroom penthouses that will be sold for around 14-15 crore. The first two towers will be completed in four years.

This is DLF's re-entry into Mumbai, after exiting the property market many years ago due to the sector slowdown.

Key Takeaways DLF makes its Mumbai residential debut with a 1,000 crore investment in Andheri.

Project targets 2,300 crore in pre-sales; strong early demand from investors and NRIs.

DLFs Mumbai entry is part of its diversification strategy beyond Gurugram.

The developer clocked record-breaking sales in FY25 and is on track in FY26.

Despite market saturation risks, DLF banks on its brand strength in a crowded Mumbai market.



Mumbai is a very wide market, with a tremendous amount of construction going on everywhere. We believe in a crowded market like this, DLF is offering a well-designed project with spacious homes, and the lifestyle factor the company is known for. It is also a great value proposition for both end-users and investors," Aakash Ohri, joint managing director and chief business officer of DLF Home Developers Ltd, told Mint.

The Mumbai entry marks the expansion of DLF, which is a predominant real estate player in Gurugrams luxury housing segment, into a new, competitive property market. It also has plans to debut in Goa later this year with a signature luxury project.

DLF, Indias largest real estate developer in terms of market capitalisation, became the second-highest-selling developer in 2024-25, after Godrej Properties Ltd.

Returning to the west

At the peak of the real estate boom in 2005, DLF bought 17 acres of mill land in central Mumbai for 702 crore. Then, in 2012, when the markets turned bad, the developer sold the land to Lodha Developers for 2,700 crore to exit the non-core market. Now, after many years, it is looking westward again.

Ohri said the Mumbai project has received strong demand, with channel partners or property agents from around 15 states attending a meeting this week. NRI demand has also been good, which is similar to what all our recent project launches in Gurugram also witnessed," Ohri added.

Going forward, DLF intends to do more. The company will opt for the redevelopment route only if the project sizes are large.

DLF reported record sales bookings of 21,223 crore in FY25, up 44% from 14,778 crore the previous year. It has guided for sales of 20,00022,000 crore in FY26, banking on a pipeline that includes the next phase of its super-luxury The Dahlias project in Gurugram as well as launches in Mumbai and Goa.

DLF has already achieved nearly half of its 20,000-22,000 crore of sales guidance for 2025-26 in the June-ended quarter itself. DLF clocked 11,000 crore from bookings in Privana North, as it sold the entire project inventory within a week of its launch, it said in June.

The robust sales follow similar swift sales at DLF Privana West and Privana South, which collectively raked in 12,800 crore last year.

In FY25, DLF had launched its super luxury project The Dahlias, which clocked around 13,744 crore of sales bookings in the last fiscal.

Increasing sales

In the January-March quarter this year, 1,930 housing units priced at 4 crore and above were sold across India, marking a 28% year-on-year increase, according to property advisory CBRE. Delhi-NCR accounted for the largest share of these sales, followed by Mumbai.

"Andheri is one of the biggest micro-markets in Mumbai, where several branded developers are already operating. DLF's project, due to its brand value and loyal investor base, will score well, but there is some saturation in overall sales visible in the market," said Gulam Zia, executive director at property advisory Knight Frank India.
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If youve been to a store like CVS, Walgreens or Target in the last few years, you may have noticed a trend: more and more essentials are locked up behind plexiglass walls. The strategy started as an anti-theft measure. But theres little evidence that its worked.

On todays Big Take podcast, Bloombergs Amanda Mull takes host Sarah Holder through the causes and consequences of the retail lock-up era  and how its changed the way we shop.

Listen and follow The Big Take on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Terminal clients: click here to subscribe.

Here is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation:

Sarah Holder: Its 90 degrees outside. Youre sweating from your morning commute and almost late for a meeting. So you pop into a Walgreens or CVS to grab a seltzer and, just to be safe, a little emergency deodorant. But you get slowed down because that deodorant is locked up.

TikTok: Trying to get some deodorant. Ive been waiting three minutes-ish

TikTok: You cant even get socks because its locked.

TikTok: Since when are soft caramels a controlled substance?!

Holder: This is the plight of the modern shopper. If you've tried to buy something in person at a retailer like Target or CVS in the past few years  youve probably noticed that more and more everyday items, from deodorant to soft caramels, seem to be barricaded behind plastic shields.

Amanda Mull: If you're in a location where corporate leadership has decided that stuff needs to be locked up in those stores, it can be almost anything that you find behind lock and key.

Holder: Bloomberg's Amanda Mull has been closely following this retail trend. She says its been around for a while, but it really took off in the US in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.

But four years later, Amanda says theres little evidence that locking up essentials has done retailers any good. And now, theres more and more evidence that the practice might be backfiring.

Tim Wentworth: When you lock things up, for example, you don't sell as many of them. Weve kind of proven that pretty conclusively.

Holder: That was Walgreens CEO, Tim Wentworth, on an earnings call in January. It was a surprising admission. Because locking up items started off as a move that a lot of companies adopted as part of a broader fight against shoplifting. And now...

Mull: He acknowledged that locking stuff up has hurt the retailer. It has reduced sales. It has annoyed customers. It has driven people to shop elsewhere.

Holder: So where does that leave shoppers on a hot, busy day? Will your body wash stay behind lock and key? Will that Olay ever see the light of day?

TikTok: I had to keep pressing the button of like assistance needed for people who smell bad and over and over, and no one ever came. No one ever came! What?

Holder: This is the Big Take from Bloomberg News. Im Sarah Holder.

Today on the show: the consequences of the retail lock-up era. How the trend caught on, what it would take for it to end  and how its already changed the way we shop.

Holder: When did you first start to see items locked up on store shelves?

Mull: Locking up certain types of things in certain types of stores goes back to like when I was working at Best Buy in college in the mid-2000s. There has for a really long time been like very particular products that are like a high theft risk because they're small, they're valuable, they're in high demand.

Holder: Like what?

Mull: When I was there, it was a lot of like PlayStation games, now you see a lot of expensive cell phone accessories, sometimes phone chargers, things that are easy to conceal, it would be easy to flip.

Holder: These days, Amanda covers retail and writes a column about consumer culture for Businessweek. Since her college days at Best Buy, stores have changed pretty significantly. Amanda says theyre not just locking up small, expensive electronic products. Theyre locking up everything.

Mull: At a particular Target, I found men's underwear, men's socks, all kinds of cleaning products, laundry detergent, mops, shampoo, body wash, I've seen, um, like, shower puffs locked up, which cost, like, a dollar. Sometimes you walk down a certain aisle and the entire aisle on both sides is fully encased in plexiglass and locked. So the average value of stuff being locked up is, on a lot of these aisles, less than $10.

Holder: Amanda says, this new age of retail lockups, where anything and everything is fair game took off in earnest coming out of the pandemic.

Mull: In 2021, I wrote about what I called at the time The Great Shoplifting Freakout, which was this sort of like generalized media panic about what they termed as like increased rates of theft from retail stores. There were like a couple of videos that went viral showing, you know, groups of people rushing into, there was a Nordstrom in California, there are a couple, like, of famous videos of this. And that all got sort of spun into this idea that retailers are at the mercy of the sort of lawless public.

And, if you think about what 2021 was like in the US, there was like a real sense of general unease, coming out of the pandemic and people being nervous about going out again and a lot of people got really used to shopping online. So it tapped into this, like, generalized anxiety about the outside world.

Holder: Whether this shoplifting panic was backed up by concrete evidence, Amanda says, is another story.

Mull: There's not a lot of good data available on theft rates. Often these numbers are released by like, industry lobby groups and people who are trying to demonstrate a phenomenon that they believe is happening from surveys that ask retail management how they feel about shoplifting, how they feel about certain types of product loss as a threat to their business. It is very squishy.

Holder: Feelings are a lot different than numbers.

Mull: Yes. Yes. They're asking about perception instead of asking for proof.

Holder: These stores do keep tabs on what they call shrinkage.

Mull: Which is the industry term for inventory that's lost and cannot be sold for any cause. And that can be cargo theft, it can be employee theft, it can be shoplifting, it can be checkout errors, it can be paperwork errors, it can be missed delivery. You get spoilage, damage.

Holder: Kind of like the cost of doing business.

Mull: Right. You can lose inventory in like a zillion ways. But like over the past like 15 or 20 years, the shrink rate in US retail is like pretty stable. That generally hovers at about 1.5%. So if you are a retailer, on average, you're going to lose about one and a half percent of your sellable inventory to something that is, like, sort of beyond your control.

Holder: So that shrink rate hasnt changed much. Its a similar amount of inventory lost over the last few decades. But Amanda says, what has changed is the number of employees stocking the shelves.

Mull: Something that's really important to understand about retail stores in the US, especially retailers that sell sort of like low dollar, everyday essential types of things  drugstores, big box stores  is that they are almost entirely like woefully understaffed. It is really hard to staff these stores, because the jobs themselves just aren't very good. They don't pay very well, their hours are not predictable, you're on your feet all day, you may or may not get benefits.

So, retailers are understaffed, and over the years, retailers have cut staffing even further. And that is, like, sort of an ideological thing, like, retailers really love to reduce labor costs, and that, after a certain point, just means having fewer workers. So, when you get to that point, it becomes really hard to manage a store well. So what retailers have done is sort of retrofit stores with systems that mean in their minds that they can run a store with fewer employees. That's what self checkout is. And that's what these locked up shelves are.

Holder: And that Great Shoplifting Freakout of 2021? Amanda says it just helped justify these sorts of measures.

Mull: If retailers can't and won't hire more people, then what they're going to have to do is justify the sort of externalities of these staffing choices. So you lose the essential functions of the store. And more of the labor of running the store is put on the customer. And it's really convenient to have sort of an external threat that has forced you to do these things rather than your own management decisions that has forced you to do these things.

Holder: That's so interesting. So, basically, stores stopped hiring people at the same rate, to do the work of actually staffing these stores, helping people with checkout, and keeping an eye on things, making sure people weren't stealing goods. And so, instead of hiring more people, they installed more plexiglass.

Mull: Yes. And when you do that, you get some externalities.

Holder: Externalities that youre probably familiar with.

Mull: You press the button, nobody comes. You press the button again, and, you know, it's been five minutes, ten minutes. You gotta go back to work, you're on your lunch break. You just leave.

Holder: Social media is filled with angry customers complaining that locked shelves have ruined their shopping experience:

TikTok: It took me 15 minutes to get somebody to come over to like get some laundry soap.

TikTok: This turned into like a 30-minute ordeal just to get facial cleanser.

Mull: It is one of the fundamental building blocks of, like, modern life in the United States that these stores work. And when they stop working, people get really mad.

Holder: Because you want to pop in, get your toothpaste, and leave.

Mull: Right, it is a situation in which something that should be easy, something that has been easy for decades becomes totally unworkable.

Holder: How have shoppers reacted to these changes?

Mull: They've reacted by moving their consumption of these items to a different retailer. So, it's been a boon for grocery stores because a lot of them carry these same goods, and it's been a big boon for online retailers.

Holder: Its hurting retail employees too. Who are good at reducing all kinds of shrink. Not just elusive shoplifters, but self-checkout issues and paperwork errors; tracking shipments that arrive with only 19 bars of soap instead of 20.

Mull: The retail employees that I've talked to, sort of uniformly hate this system. Your employer is making you run around like a chicken with your head cut off to, like, unlock cabinets of moisturizer or whatever. So you're forcing out people who are your best workers, in most cases, and you're just going to lose product in, like, so many different ways. The store's going to leak like a sieve.

Holder: So customers arent happy, employees arent happy and companies bottom lines are taking a hit too. More on that, and what theyre doing about it after the break.

On top of alienating customers and annoying employees locked up shelves at retail stores have not exactly been good for business.

Mull: I think Walgreens and CVS in particular, if you look at their financial results over the past few years, like, it's not been great. They are two companies in a situation where they really do need to figure out how to gain back, um, some customer loyalty and encourage more foot traffic into their stores and things like that.

Holder: Amanda says, the first domino to fall was Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworths admission on an earnings call that this policy had hurt sales that locking things up made them harder to buy.

Wentworth: When you lock things up, for example, you don't sell as many of them. We've kind of proven that, uh, pretty, pretty conclusively.

Holder: How big was that, to hear that from him?

Mull: It was huge. This is a topic that retailers do not want to talk about because they know that the general public hates this and so hearing a CEO of one of the main culprits in this phenomenon, say like, hey, we understand that this is bad, that this is not a benefit to customers, that something's got to give here, that we are turning away shoppers. It was one of the few, like, rare public acknowledgments that like this system is bad. We got to figure out something else to do here.

Holder: In March Walgreens agreed to a sale  it will go private, after years of shrinking profit margins and a volatile stock price. Slumping retail sales didnt help.

Its not the only company thats looking closer at its lock-up strategy. A few weeks after that Walgreens earnings call came news from CVS:

Mull: CVS announced that it was expanding a pilot program that it been running quietly in a couple of New York City stores. What it does is allow people with the CVS Health app on their phones to unlock certain cabinets themselves.

Holder: Do you think it'll work?

Mull: Well, I think that the theory is, that they're going to have your name, your information, like, you are a known quantity to them, so it takes an element of anonymity out of opening those shelves.

And could potentially be a way to move the middleman, which is the employee with the big key ring, out of these transactions in a way that, like, helps the store run a little bit more smoothly.

Holder: Its not quite removing the locked shelves altogether. But Amanda says, its essentially a way to walk back the policy and put more control in consumers hands.

Mull: I think that they understand that they have like overcorrected or gone too far in like how these, programs were implemented. And they can't like fully walk them back.

Holder: Because it's just too expensive to rip up your work?

Mull: It's too expensive and also it signals failure. Like, you have to sort of present to the investing public the idea that, like, oh, like, the numbers aren't great, but this is working, because if you rip all that stuff out, then people have other questions.

Holder: CVS appears to be doubling down on its app-based unlock system: a company spokesperson told us they plan to introduce it in other communities this year.

On social media, people have raised privacy concerns about the data the app collects because it requires customers to sign in to use it. CVS said it complies with all applicable regulations to protect customer information. For customers who prefer not to scan the app, assistance is available to unlock the merchandise.

So were not necessarily going to see our locked up socks unleashed overnight. But not because keeping them behind plexiglass is the best way to deter theft.

Mull: The best way to deter theft, like this is, has been studied, is to properly staff your stores. To make people who might be thinking about stealing something feel like they're going to be seen, they're going to be caught, that they cannot just go in there undetected and walk out with whatever they want.

Holder: What do you think the future of shopping might look like at places where these lockups have been so central?

Mull: Stores in that arena are probably going to feel more and more like vending machines. I went to a retail conference recently where like there was a lot of exhibitors with third party vendors that sell like technology solutions for automating more things within stores, that make it possible for a customer to unlock something themselves, that makes it easier to track customers in stores, and identify people that, that do all of this stuff, that seems to be bent toward automating a lot of these things or putting more things on the customer's plate to do themselves.

I think there's been like a re-estimation of the value of like a good in store experience in a lot of other types of retailers. And I think this has been a pretty effective cautionary tale because, like, the level of ire and the level of anger that is directed toward retailers that do this, and the level of, like, grudge-holding that people will do against these retailers, I think has been instructive for other retailers to say, all right, we know what not to do.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
(Bloomberg) -- Shareholders of collapsed fintech startup Linqto Inc. asked a federal judge in Texas to send the companys bankruptcy case to Delaware, contending there they will be better protected from the whims of new managers.

Investment firm Sapien Group said in a court filing Wednesday that shareholders want to challenge actions taken by Linqtos board after a new chief executive was hired to replace founder Bill Sarris.

The filing alleges that Linqtos new management team under CEO Dan Siciliano created a corporate shell named Linqto Texas that was used to justify filing for bankruptcy there instead of Delaware, where the parent in incorporated.

Delawares reputation as the default location for companies to house their corporate paperwork has been under attack in recent months by a small number of tech heavyweights, who claim the states business courts are biased against founders like Elon Musk. Texas lawmakers have taken advantage of the controversy by trying to persuade companies to reincorporate in their state.

Texas Sweetens Pitch to CEOs, Boards With New State Protections

Linqto shareholders should be allowed to fight current management in Delawares federal bankruptcy court because the current board has taken actions in blatant derogation of the rights shareholders have under Delaware law, Sapien said in its filing.

The filing of the cases before this court in this district appears to be the quintessential example of improper forum shopping, Sapien said in the filing.

In an emailed statement, Linqto defended the Texas filing, arguing the court there has the experience necessary to handle the case.

The decision to file for Chapter 11 restructuring in the Southern District of Texas was made with a single priority focus: to provide our customers with the best chance of maximizing the value of their claims, the company said.

Companies can file for bankruptcy in any US federal court so long as there is some kind of economic connection to the jurisdiction. Critics say the rule lets managers shop for friendly judges, since the link can be as simple as having one unit in a big corporate family set up a bank account in the state.

Houston-based federal judge Alfredo R. Perez would need to approve Sapiens motion for a move to happen.

Delawares business courts routinely handle shareholder lawsuits aimed at company managers like Musk. He lost a case over his record-setting pay package last year and decided to reincorporate Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. in Texas.

Linqtos new managers claim that former executives mismanaged the firms business for years by misleading customers into believing they owned shares in 111 privately-held companies worth more than $500 million.

The firm told its 13,600 customers that they could buy stakes in private companies before the firms went public, something thats typically available only to big institutions, Linqto bankruptcy attorney Samuel A. Schwartz told a judge in Texas overseeing the insolvency case last week. That turned out to be wrong, Schwartz said, with a Linqto affiliate the actual owner.

The companys customers are unsecured creditors, he said.

After Siciliano took over early this year, he began an internal investigation that eventually forced out many original executives, according to court records.

Shareholders are concerned about the allegations against former managers as well as alleged violations of shareholder rights by new managers, Sapien said in the filing. The company has not held an annual meeting of shareholders as required under Delaware law, according to the filing.

A new board of directors also wrongly changed the companys bylaws and prepared for the bankruptcy filing in a stealthy and secretive manner, Sapien said.

Private Market Startup Collapses Amid SEC Probe: The Brink

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Linqto and whether former managers failed to verify if some of its customers were accredited investors with sufficient financial backing to invest through the company, according to court documents.

Linqtos advisers plan to use the bankruptcy process to raise money to repay customers and other creditors, Schwartz said. He added the company will try to negotiate a bankruptcy payout plan with regulators before presenting a detailed proposal to creditors for a vote.

The case is Linqto Texas, LLC, 25-90186, US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston.

(Updates with comment from company in the seventh graph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
The country's largest two-wheeler company, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, has added "regulatory complexity" as one of the new key business risks at a time when the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) is rushing the two-wheeler players to implement anti-lock braking systems (ABS) to increase safety. Hero said in its latest annual report that frequent regulatory changes increase cost and require process realignment, which is a concern for the company. The disclosure in the annual report came after a delegation of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) members met the secretary of the road transport ministry on 9 July to discuss the implementation of ABS regulations.

Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Co. Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, and Ather Energy are among the members of SIAM.

The government has made ABS mandatory in all two-wheelers from 1 January to improve safety. ABS helps provide better traction during braking, reducing skidding and accidents. Currently, only two-wheelers with engines above 125cc are required to have ABS, which is about 16% of the two-wheeler market.

Constantly evolving regulations require continuous adaptation, leading to increased compliance costs. Frequent regulatory changes may cause operational disruptions and require process realignment," Hero wrote in its annual report as part of key enterprise-level risks and their mitigation.

The company did not directly attribute the addition of this risk to the ABS proposal. Queries emailed to Hero MotoCorp remained unanswered till press time.

Cost escalation

However, the two-wheeler industry is concerned about the possible impact of the ABS regulation, which can lead to a 3,000 to 5,000 increase in the cost of a vehicle. At a time when the industry is expecting 5-6% growth in two-wheeler sales due to slowing demand, a cost increase can be a major challenge for the firm.

Key Takeaways Hero MotoCorp flags regulatory complexity in its annual report amid anti-lock braking system mandate concerns.

MoRTH plans to make anti-lock braking systems mandatory for all two-wheelers from January 2026 to boost road safety.

Industry seeks more time, citing cost implications and the need for India-specific data.

Hero faces the biggest impact with 94% of its volumes lacking an anti-lock braking system; sales are already under pressure.

Ola Electric supports quick anti-lock braking system adoption for customer safety, revealing an industry split.

The minutes of the meeting accessed by Mint showed that during the meeting with the secretary on 9 July, the Siam delegation asked for more time to study India-specific accident data before implementing such regulations.

The Secretary MoRTH stressed the urgent need for implementing safety measures, citing the high percentage of 2-wheeler fatalities, and emphasised technical interventions," the minutes further read.

According to analysts, Hero will face the biggest heat of the move as 94% of its total volumes does not have ABS. In a note on 20 June, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities said that 94% of the companys total volumes will be impacted, which can lead to increased costs.

This will come at a time when the two-wheeler sales of the company are in the slow lane in the domestic market, with sales growing 4% to 5.4 million units. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the sales in the two-wheeler industry declined by 6% to 4.6 million units.

Hero MotoCorps sales during the April-June period fell by 12% to 1.3 million units.

In terms of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motors will be the most impacted, as 94% and 64% of their total volumes, respectively, will undergo price increases from CY2026. Bajaj Auto will relatively have less impact, as 35% of its volumes will only get impacted by ABS norms," Rishi Vora of Kotak Institutional Equities said.

While the industry is lobbying for relaxation in implementing such norms, not all players are on the same page. Ola Electric's chairperson and managing director, Bhavish Aggarwal, has argued for the quick implementation of the regulations to ensure customer safety.

Also Read: India plans auto parts export boost amid Trump tariff shock

Our stance is that the sooner the better. We should not compromise with customer safety," Aggarwal said during the company's earnings call on 14 July. For industry, when they do ABS, anywhere between 3,000 to 5,000, they incur in terms of Bill of Materials (BOM) cost, depending on what kind of ABS."



Hero MotoCorp's mitigation strategies include proactive regulatory monitoring and active engagement with industry peers and regulators" to deal with regulatory complexity.
Days after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump, Jensen Huang was being hailed by an audience on a stage in Beijing.

On his third trip to China this year, the worlds ninth richest man announced this week that Nvidia Corp. will resume China sales of its H20 chips, an abrupt policy reversal from the Trump administration. He also opened a major supply-chain expo in Beijing  speaking briefly in Mandarin, as requested by his host, former Chinese Commerce Ministry official Ren Hongbin  with a clarion call for closer business ties.

The episode showed that Huang, 62, is becoming increasingly adept at pulling off a delicate diplomatic dance that is both benefiting his company and helping the worlds biggest economies manage their differences.

The Nvidia boss has long been leery of politics. In January, he was among the few American tech tycoons who stayed away from Trumps inauguration ceremony, spending that week in China where his firm has some 4,000 staff, and Taiwan. Yet trying to keep Washington and Beijing from escalating a rivalry thats weaponized his technology has now become a key part of his job description  whether he likes it or not.

With Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping yet to set a date for an in-person summit thats expected in the coming months, a broader question is whether he could emerge as some sort of go-between. While Teslas Elon Musk and Apple Inc. chief Tim Cook have fallen out of favor with Trump to differing degrees, Huang has maintained warm ties with the unpredictable US leader.

Huang is obviously on good terms with Trump administration. Yet his chip business is one of the biggest flashpoints between Beijing and Washington, said Feng Chucheng, founding partner of Hutong Research. Its possible the two leaders may want such a channel for messaging, but is he willing to?

Nvidia didnt immediately reply to an emailed query outside of regular hours.

How much access Beijing will grant Huang remains to be seen. During this trip, the chip boss sat down with Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is spearheading Chinas trade war negotiations, and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, but wasnt given an audience with the top echelon of leaders. It would be an honor to see President Xi, Huang said. I just wasnt invited.

Shuttle diplomacy has become de rigueur for corporate chiefs aiming to retain major business in the worlds biggest economies, given the political sensitivities and suspicions in each capital city toward the other. Apples Cook similarly has regularly visited China while seeking to engage with the Trump administration.

Its unclear how much sway such figures have, beyond smoothing a path for their own business operations. Expectations for Musk  whose EV giant has a significant presence in China  to become a back channel in US-China ties never materialized. The Tesla boss stayed quiet on matters involving Beijing this year, before leaving the Trump administration.

While Huang has little political ambition, he has argued to successive US administrations that tightening a chip-export ban would only incentivize China to foster a homegrown industry. His rationale is simple: Allowing Nvidia to compete with Chinas champion, Huawei Technologies Co., on its own turf is essential to America winning the AI race.

Huang, whose company became the first to hit a $4 trillion market valuation this month, brushed off speculation that he influenced Trumps recent U-turn. Speaking to a group of reporters in Beijing, he said: I dont think I changed his mind.

Cultural Sensitivity

Over the years, Huang has demonstrated himself to be well-versed in local Chinese culture and able to make himself popular on trips. Photos of him dancing in a vest with a flowery print  traditional to Chinas northeast  during his companys annual party last year went viral online in the Asian country.

Chinese state media outlets this week highlighted the good news on H20 chips, which still fall short of Nvidias most cutting-edge products. For his part, the Taiwan-born naturalized American showered praise on Chinese tech researchers and entrepreneurs, name-dropping local AI companies, posing for photos with Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun and telling reporters its the American peoples misfortune that Xiaomi electric vehicles arent available in the US.

Hes a skillful CEO who, like the Apple CEO and others, must navigate the China and non-China technology ecosystems to the maximum extent possible, said Kurt Tong, a former US consul general in Hong Kong and a partner at the Asia Group.

The Taiwan-born billionaire has steered clear of controversy. He was quick to clarify his remarks after referring to the self-ruled democracy as a country last year while touring one of the islands night markets. That reference displeased Beijing, with a spokesperson at the office handling Taiwan affairs calling on him to read up on the history.

Days later, Huang said: I wasnt making a geopolitical comment, but thanking all of our technology partners here for all their support and contributions to the industry.

That stands in contrast to fellow tech titan Musk who publicly said Taiwan should effectively be under Beijings control, aligning with Xis view of the matter.

Huang has limited his comments on the Taiwan Strait to how US chip restrictions could influence Beijings calculations on a possible invasion of the island where much of the worlds semiconductors, including Nvidias, are made. You got to ask yourself, at what point do they just say, F- it. Lets go to Taiwan. Weve got nothing to lose. At some point they will have nothing to lose, he told Bloomberg Businessweek in 2023.

Tech is a particularly sensitive sector for a CEO to act as a bridge between the two nations, because of a strategic desire on both sides to decouple in the long term, said Dominic Chiu, senior analyst at Eurasia Group. But there may still be a more immediate opening.

In the short run, in the midst of these negotiations and transactional deals and back-and-forth, there could be some space for these tech firms to be bridges, Chiu said.

With assistance from Ian King, Josh Xiao, Lucille Liu, Jessica Sui, Colum Murphy, Luz Ding and Alan Wong.

2025 Bloomberg L.P.
New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held talks with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment, Khalid Al-Falih, to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

The meeting, held online, focused on building stronger economic relations, promoting mutual growth, encouraging innovation, and exploring long-term cooperation.

Sharing details of the meeting on social media, Goyal said, "Held a fruitful discussion with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment @Khalid_AlFalih. Discussed strengthening investment and trade ties between India and Saudi Arabia, focusing on mutual growth, innovation, and long-term collaboration."

This discussion came a day after Goyal held another virtual meeting with HE Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning.

That meeting focused on improving the India-Saudi Arabia trade and investment partnership and identifying areas of cooperation in key sectors.

The two ministers talked about working together in areas such as pharmaceuticals, petroleum, ceramics, and more. Goyal also invited Minister Al-Ibrahim to visit India soon, in an effort to deepen the relationship through direct engagement.

"Discussed strengthening India-Saudi Arabia ties, with a focus on enhancing our trade & investment partnership and collaborating in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, petroleum, ceramics, etc. Also, extended an invitation to His Excellency to visit India at the earliest. We are confident of exciting growth prospects ahead for both nations," Goyal stated in his post, showing optimism about the future of the India-Saudi Arabia economic relationship.

These back-to-back meetings reflect India's ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia. Both countries are aiming to expand cooperation in various sectors, promote innovation, and ensure long-term and sustainable growth.
(Bloomberg) -- The former chief executive officer of Bridging Finance Inc. is appealing a decision from Canadas top capital markets regulator that found he committed fraud and barred him permanently from trading.

David Sharpe  part of a husband and wife duo that ran the Toronto private lender before it went into receivership in 2021  is arguing that the Ontario Securities Commission violated his rights and due process protections, according to a statement from his legal team. The team claimed that the tribunal improperly disclosed his confidential testimony and that changes to the Canadian Securities Act were applied retroactively to expand the regulators powers.

The appeal engages every Canadians right to protection from abuse of state power, Sharpes lawyer Brian Greenspan said in the statement. When an agency such as the OSC violates its own statute and no remedy is provided, confidence in the fairness of regulatory justice is undermined.

Bridging managed more than C$2 billion ($1.5 billion) at its peak before PriceWaterhouseCoopers took control of the firm in 2021. Bridgings more than 26,000 investors are expected to recover less than half of that, according to documents filed by PwC, the receiver.

Sharpe didnt participate in the original tribunal hearings, citing concerns about fairness after a motion to stay proceedings was denied. The tribunal ruled that Sharpe and his wife, Natasha Sharpe, committed multiple frauds at Bridging, including taking kickbacks and misleading investigators. David Sharpe was fined C$3.6 million, while Natasha Sharpe, the firms former Chief Investment Officer, was fined nearly C$2 million last month. A third executive, Andrew Mushore, received a C$50,000 penalty.

Last month, David Sharpes legal team argued the widespread publication of his evidence was particularly harmful given his public role as a First Nations economic leader.

This case has implications beyond Mr. Sharpe and raises serious questions about the limits of regulatory power and the constitutional protection against self-incrimination, Alistair Crawley, a partner with Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP, said at the time.

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Beijing (Gasgoo)Recently, Chinese battery supplier Gotion High-Tech (Gotion) officially launched localized production of its 5MWh liquid-cooled energy storage systembranded as Gotion GRIDat its facility in Gottingen, Germany, after receiving full compliance certification under EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 from TUV SUD, according to a press release Gotion issued on July 17 via its WeChat account.

Photo credit: Gotion

The dual milestone of EU certification and German manufacturing marks a significant step forward in Gotion's strategy to deepen its presence in Europe's energy storage market and accelerate the deployment of its technologies amid the continent's energy transition, said the company.

Developed in-house by Gotion, the industrial-grade stationary energy storage system features long-lifespan battery cells capable of up to 12,000 cycles. Its modular cabin design can reduce land use by up to 35%, while a multi-layer thermal insulation and fire protection system ensures operational safety and stability.

The system integrates Gotion's proprietary battery management system, offering liquid-cooling technology that improves energy efficiency by 30% over traditional air-cooling, along with robust fire protection and multi-protocol communication interfaces. These innovations make the system well-suited to the stringent safety, environmental, and integration standards required in European markets, according to the company.

In addition to the TUV SUD certification, the product has already secured China's CGC certification and CSA UL certification, laying a foundation for global adoption.

To better serve its European clients and improve supply chain responsiveness, Gotion deployed its Gottingen plant in July 2021 and began operations in September 2023. The facility focuses on the production and sales of battery packs and energy storage systems. The newly certified 5MWh energy storage system is manufactured entirely at this location and has already been deployed across various use cases, including power generation, grid-level applications, and renewable energy storage.

Notably, Gotion has also formed a strategic R&D and talent partnership with the University of Gottingen, aiming to advance research in battery materials, optimize energy storage systems, and foster the cultivation of talent through joint innovation initiatives.

With a global footprint guided by its "Be local, for local" philosophy, Gotion continues to integrate into the European energy ecosystem by combining international certification, localized manufacturing, and academia-industry collaboration.
(Bloomberg) -- Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. said another patient has died from acute liver failure after receiving one of its gene therapies, putting additional pressure on the biotech company after the recent deaths of two teenage boys.

A company spokesperson said a patient had died of acute liver failure last month in an early-stage trial of a gene therapy to treat limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, which often weakens muscles around the hips and shoulders. The company told regulators and investigators about the death in an appropriate and timely manner, the spokesperson said in a statement.

While we do everything possible to ensure patient safety, there is inherent risk in clinical trials, and we are grateful to the courageous patients and families who participate, the spokesperson said.

Sarepta has faced pressure after reporting that two teenage boys had recently died of acute liver failure while being treated with Elevidys, a gene therapy approved to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Both of those fatalities occurred in patients who werent able to walk because of the muscle-wasting disease.

The company said Wednesday that it had agreed to warn doctors and patients about the risk of liver failure from Elevidys at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration.

On a call with analysts Wednesday, Sarepta executives said that the warning label appeared to resolve the FDAs concerns with using the gene therapy to treat children who can walk. That same day, the company said it was cutting more than a third of its workforce and pausing several drugs in its pipeline. The moves would contribute to an estimated $400 million in annual cost savings, the company said.

Sarepta said Wednesday it was still in dialogue with the FDA about resolving safety concerns for the other portion of the Duchenne market, people who are no longer able to walk.

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(Bloomberg) -- Zara founder Amancio Ortegas private investment firm is on a global deal spree, picking up a string of trophy assets in recent weeks as he seeks to deploy his expanding fortune to avoid wealth taxes.

The Inditex SA founders family office, Pontegadea, snapped up a five-star Paris hotel, a Florida apartment block and a building on Barcelonas iconic Diagonal Avenue as part of transactions totaling more than $500 million in the past three months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The A Coruna, Spain-based firm is also in talks to buy an office building in Miami for $275 million, lining up a further addition to Europes biggest real estate empire owned by an individual investor.

Ortega, 89, has a net worth of about $103.7 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. A representative declined to comment.

The spending spree coincides with him receiving his biggest-ever annual dividend from the retail giant he founded more than six decades ago, with about half the expected 3.1 billion ($3.6 billion) paid out in early May. In a legal quirk, Ortega  Inditexs biggest shareholder with a 59% stake  must swiftly spend those payouts or face handing over a chunk of it in extra taxes in Spain, the only European Union nation that currently has a full-on wealth tax for rich residents.

For Pontegadea the choice is simple: redeploy every euro of that Zara dividend or watch eight-figure cash bleed away every year, said Marc Debois, founder of FO-Next, an advisory firm for family offices. This is liability management, not trophy-hunting.

Dividend Payouts

Pontegadeas assets have swelled from the dividend payouts over the years, shaping it into one of the worlds largest  and most active  family offices. Many of these firms are becoming increasingly influential in global business thanks to the wealth at their disposal and the need for reinvestment.

Pontegadea had net assets of 34.3 billion at the end of last year, up 10.6% from 12 months earlier, according to registry filings published this month. Ortegas Inditex stake, though, still makes up the bulk of his wealth. At least a fifth of individuals among the worlds 500 biggest fortunes now have a family office that help to oversee fortunes totaling more than $4 trillion, according to the index.

Ortega founded the company that grew into Inditex in 1963. The son of a railroad worker, the billionaire never had his own office while he worked at the retailer, preferring to be alongside employees in the main design area. He stepped down as chairman in 2011 and was replaced by long-time executive Pablo Isla. His only child from his second marriage, 41-year-old Marta Ortega, took over in 2022.

Sandra, 56, the daughter from his first marriage, controls the shares that her late mother held in Inditex. She doesnt have a role in the business and has diversified her own fortune into real estate, pharmaceuticals and hospitality. Her $12.4 billion net worth makes her Spains richest woman, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Through Pontegadea, Amancio Ortega owns iconic properties such as New Yorks Haughwout Building, the Southeast Financial Center in Miami and Londons The Post Building. He also controls prime residential and commercial real estate in cities from Toronto to Seoul  buildings that count Facebook, Amazon.com Inc., Zara, and even rival Hennes & Mauritz AB among tenants.

In addition to real estate, Pontegadea can invest in energy infrastructure or stakes of at least 5% in publicly listed companies to reduce the threat of Spains wealth taxes. The family office acquired major holdings in Spanish gas transportation operator Enagas SA in 2019 and, two years later, a Portuguese rival.

For its infrastructure bets, Pontegadea has repeatedly turned to buyout giant KKR & Co Inc., underscoring the scale of the family offices investing operations. In 2018, it joined the Wall Street firm in becoming a shareholder in Telefonica SAs tower unit and the firms have since closed at least two further deals, including Pontegadea buying a 20% stake in KKR-controlled Dutch parking operator Q-Park during December. Pontegadea is also in talks with firms including KKR to acquire the Sabadell Financial Center building in Miami.

--With assistance from Sabrina Nelson Garcinuno, Rodrigo Orihuela and Clara Hernanz Lizarraga.

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New Delhi: Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltds retail arm, on Friday reported a consolidated profit of 3,271 crore for the April-June first quarter, up 28.3% from a year ago. Revenue from operations grew 11.3% year-on-year to 73,720 crore.

Reported ebitda at 6,381 crore was up 12.7% year-on-year, while ebitda margin improved further by 20 bps year-on-year to 8.7%. Ebitda, a measure of core operations, stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Reliance Retail operates across categories such as grocery, consumer electronics, fashion and lifestyle, and online commerce.

All segments performed well, with market leading performance in grocery and fashion. Consumer electronics and devices, however, were impacted due to the early onset of monsoons, the company said in a statement Friday.

Also Read | Reliance consumer goods arm reports 11,450 crore revenue for FY25

Expanded store network Reliance Retail expanded its store network with 388 new store openings during the first quarter, taking its total store count to 19,592. Its area under operation at 77.6 million sq.ft in the first quarter was up marginally from the preceding March quarter but down 4.6% year-on-year.

Online commerce platform, JioMart, continued to expand quick hyperlocal deliveries, registering a 175% year-on-year growth in daily orders during the first quarter.

Reliance Retail delivered strong growth in revenue and profits, powered by improved efficiencies, innovative formats, a sharper product mix, and continued investments in technology and customer experience, Isha M. Ambani, executive director, Reliance Retail, said.

The companys fashion and lifestyle business witnessed growth in first-quarter revenue and ebitda driven by new store formats and strong performance of its in-house brands. The companys consumer electronics business reported overall growth, but sales of air conditioners were impacted due to the early onset of monsoon.

Reliance Retail on Friday also announced the acquisition of the home appliances brand Kelvinator for India from the Swedish manufacturer Electrolux AB after holding manufacturing and distribution rights for the brand since 2019.

The companys online fashion platform, AJIO, launched Rush, its 4-hour delivery service, during the first quarter. The service is live in six cities, matching rivals such as Myntra that also offer quick deliveries. The brands Luxe platform continued to grow and launched several brands during the quarter, taking its portfolio to 875 brands.

With faster deliveries, the initiative will further improve customers shopping experience on the platform. The initiative is delivering better unit economics driven by higher average bill value and lower returns, Reliance Retail said.
Bengaluru/Mumbai: Indias growing incomes and falling fertility rate have birthed a new breed of startups looking to fill gaps and provide convenience in assisted reproduction services, drawing interest from investors and large healthcare chains.

Upstarts such as Luma Fertility and Arva Health offer services ranging from at-home hormone monitoring and assessment to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at their centres, while Initomakes portable fertility tracking kits.At least 37 fertility ventures were founded between 2021 and 2025 in India, raising $86.4 million combined in equity investments, according to Tracxn data.

What is interesting is that these startups are highly focused on offering services such as fertility testing and egg freezing, apart from conventional fertility offerings," said Shobhit Agarwal, chief executive officer at Nova IVF Fertility. They are well exposed to European markets, understand the changing landscape of the fertility market in India and are helping to bring new allied services to India and create these markets in larger cities."

IVF and other fertility solutions have been available in India for decades. Yet demand has grown in recent years as more women decide to have children later and infertility increases. Rising incomes mean a higher number of Indians can access treatment. EY estimates the nations IVF market to rise from $793 million in 2020 to $1.45 billion by 2027, expanding 15-20% annually.

Mumbai-based Luma offers embryo grading, advanced egg quality assessment, egg freezing, IVF, male and female fertility testing and care and a smartphone application to track hormones and record symptoms. Arva provides everything from hormone testing and fertility consultation to IVF and IUI (intra-uterine insemination). Inito sells at-home single-use kits for monitoring hormone levels during fertility cyclescrucial information for couples struggling to conceive.

Their (new startups) presence has helped expand awareness and convenience, especially for individuals taking early steps toward understanding their reproductive health," said Kshitiz Murdia, chief executive officer and whole-time director of Indira IVF, the countrys largest infertility treatment chain.

Private investors are taking notice. Last week, Luma, which recently opened a fertility clinic in Mumbai, announced its $4 million fundraise from Peak XVs Surge, Metropolis Healthcares promoter Ameera Shah and Vijay Taparia of B2V Ventures. In May, Bengaluru-based Arva secured $1 million in pre-seed funding led by early-stage investment firm All In Capital.

Expansion plans

Inito plans to enter 20 countries, including Australia and Canada, by next year, founder and chief executive officer Aayush Rai told Mint. Were a deeptech company, and the idea is to build a global company. The consumption patterns are different in India and outside, with Western countries more open to adopting newer technologies."

Inito lastraised $6 million in Series A funding led by Fireside Ventures in November 2023.

Luma Fertility, which recently established its first clinic in Mumbais Bandra area, is looking to launch two more centres in the financial capital, followed by expansion into Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Gurugram.

While a majority of it will be organic expansion, we are open to acquisitions to widen the scope of fertility services like in vitro-fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing,"said Neha Motwani, founder of Luma.

There are other startups proving support services . BabyReady provides teleconsultation and financial services for couples seeking fertility treatments and Elawoman offers counselling and access to fertility clinics.

Also Read | Why Sanjeev Sanyal wants India to abandon population control

India IVF, a chain of tech-enabled fertility care centres across India, received pre-Series A funding last year. Veera Health provides treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, which is known to cause infertilitythe venture is backed by Y Combinator and Peak XV's Surge.

"My sense is that less than a third of the market is truly organized, chained and branded. The remaining is mostly single-doctor or single-clinic practices," saidArjun Anand, managing director and head of Asia at global investment company Verlinvest. Startups that bring a positive differentiation to existing services of IVF & IUI will have an edge."

Acquisition targets

Verlinvest acquired a controlling stake in AP/Telangana-focused Ferty9 Fertility Centre in 2023. Large chains, too, are watching these startups as potential acquisition targets. Startups play a crucial role in bringing about innovative services that large players cannot possibly introduce at scale, making consolidation a favourable outcome.

...we are not only seeing much intense competition from large chains, but also seeing many new startups in this space," said Agarwal of Nova IVF, which was acquired by Asia Healthcare Holdings in 2019.

The chain has 100 centres across the country, with over half of those in tier 2 and 3 cities, including Bareilly, Guwahati, and Vellore. Nova IVF is assessing acquisition opportunities in markets with low presence, said Agarwal.

Also Read | Cloudnine Hospitals leads race to buy ART Fertility for $400 mn

Last month, Economic Times reported, citing unnamed people, that US-based IVI RMA Global is set to acquire ART Fertility Clinics for $400-450 million. Indira IVF inked deals with Gujarat-based Banker Healthcare and Puducherrys Creation Science IVF in June as well. Birla Fertility & IVF acquired BabyScience IVF Clinics to expand its presence in southern and western India last year.

Funding in the segment will continue to be driven by private equity investments, according to Verlinvests Anand. Private equity brings scale, while venture capital fosters innovation. IVF is more suited to a private equity play as it's a centre-by-centre model and will take a linear curve to scale."

Looking ahead

On their part, the startups also continue to evolve to stay relevant.

Luma Fertility is offering a more open and detailed analysis of diagnostic reports to its patients, besides investing in establishing a dedicated care team to guide them along the journey.

For instance, our analysis of an AMH report states X-axis age, Y-axis AMH, where you are compared to the India average, and what this means for you, and what is your predictive decline," said CEO Motwani. The first place where the system is broken is how fertility assessment and testing are done. It needs to be more accessible, open, and with less judgment."

Inito intends to be a pure-play product company, according to founder Rai. There is definite value in building hardware because at-home testing is largely under-penetrated. This segment can grow significantly, potentially outperforming top players in the product side."

The startup also plans to foray into men's fertility with specialized products, which Rai termed an underrated topic.

Nova IVFs Agarwal sees more opportunities including AI-driven embryo evaluation, genetic testing, newer therapies such as ovarian rejuvenation.

"Any addition like a digital-first approach, more efficient tracking capabilities, and new technology will be valuable," saidVerlinvests Anand. Better customer experience, the ability to cater to a premium audience, or a concierge service will help set a startup apart from traditional players."

According to Bhanu Prakash Kalmath S J, partner and healthcare industry leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, what also matters is how you bring credibility through a better brand". This is what works for larger chains, which offer consistency and uniform services across centres, and that could work for new players as well, he said.

Luma and Inito plan to carefully invest in expansion to maintain differentiation and sustainable economics. But Kalmath S.J. suggested that investing in technology to ensure compliance with regulations and complete data confidentiality is paramount too.

More so, when big fertility treatment chains also look to protect their turf and stay ahead of the curve.

As Sriram Iyer, CEO of Apollo Health and Lifestyle, which runs Apollo Fertility, explained: To stay competitive, investment in technology, prioritizing ethical practices, and addressing accessibility challenges are utmost."
MUMBAI : direcFreshToHome, a Bengaluru-based online retailer of fresh fish and meat, is in advanced talks to raise $4050 million in primary capital as it expands aggressively in the Middle East, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The company has already raised a third of the capital from a Middle East-based family office and is in talks to raise the remaining amount over the next couple of weeks," said one of the people cited above.

The person added that some of the existing investors may also put capital in this round.

The company is also exploring partnerships with multiple entities in the region. The Middle East has become their primary focus now as it is one of their most important markets," the person said.

FreshToHome did not respond to Mints email seeking comment. Mint has also reached out to the company for details on the scale of its Middle East operations, including its geographic footprint, revenue contribution, and expansion plans.

One of the most common things among D2C (direct-to-consumer) fresh food meat startups is they all saw a significant jump in revenue and customer addition during the pandemic years. But over the last year, there has been some saturation in the market as people returned to their pre-pandemic lifestyles," said Satish Meena, founder of Datum Intelligence.

These startups also cater to a premium customer who will also be willing to go out and eat food so there are some limitations from that aspect as well. In such times, Middle East becomes an attractive market as it has a large Indian population who are willing to pay more," Meena said.

He added that this could boost the average order value as well as profitability for businesses that set shop in the Middle East, although it could be a tricky market to expand.

Backed by Amazon, Dubai players

This fundraise attempt comes over two years after FreshToHome raised $104 million in February 2023, in a round led by Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund. Other backers include Iron Pillar, Investcorp, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Ascent Capital, E20 Investment Ltd, Mountshan Judi Ventures, and Dallah Albaraka.

At the time, co-founder and CEO Shan Kadavil said the funds would be used to deepen the companys footprint across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets and increase its network of offline stores.

While FreshToHome generates a bulk of its revenue from Indiaserving over 100 citiesits Middle East business has grown significantly over the past few years. It had entered the UAE market in 2019 and now has a presence across several locations in the region, including Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Al Ain, Fujairah, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, as well as in Saudi Arabia.

To date, the startup has raised $286 million across eight funding rounds and is valued at $572 million, according to market intelligence platform Tracxn.

As of 2023, the company received 15% of its revenues from the UAE and expects to take this number to 25% using the proceeds from the Amazon funding.

Fish rules the plate

In a 2023 interview with Mint, Kadavil had said that fish and seafood accounted for the largest share of FreshToHomes sales at 42%, followed by poultry at 38%, and meat. He also pointed to the untapped potential in organized online play within Indias massive unorganized fresh food sector.

The market size is $50 billion across fish and meat, of which 70% is fish, 20% poultry and the rest is mutton," he said.

While Indias wet market remains large and largely offline, Kadavil estimated the size of the organised and online market at only $750 million at the time.

Also read: Pure non-vegetarian: Why ITC is acquiring frozen meats brands Prasuma and Meatigo

AI-led sourcing model

Founded in 2015 by Shan Kadavil and Matthew Joseph, FreshToHome uses patent-pending AI-powered supply chain technology to source directly from farmers and fishermen. Its cold chain setup helps cut out middlemen and ensures delivery within 2436 hours.

The startup also enables electronic bidding for farmers and fishers through its app, giving them greater control over pricing and quality while reducing leakages in the supply chain.

The pandemic helped FreshToHome scale rapidly as more Indian consumers adopted e-commerce for meat and fish. The company leveraged this demand with its brand promise of 100% Fresh and 0% Chemicals." Rivals such as Licious and ITC-backed Meatigo also saw a similar surge in demand as customers prioritised quality and safety.

Also read: Licious wants to cross the road. But it risks getting cooked.

FreshToHome also recently jumped on to the quick commerce bandwagon to sell its products in a timeframe of 15-20 mins across select areas in India. The companys standalone revenue from operations surged to 369.6 crore in FY24 from 24.9 crore a year earlier. Its losses also more than halved to 149.7 crore, Tracxn data showed.
Bengaluru: Delhi-based venture capital firm W Health Ventures is likely to announce the first close of its second fund of $100 million in the coming weeks, according to two people aware of the development. The new fund will double down on early-stage healthcare investments in companies across India and the US.

The new fund will continue to back startups at the seed and Series A stages, with cheque sizes of $1 million-$5 million and will participate in larger rounds with co-investors.

"W Health Ventures is at a pivotal stage in its growth. We are currently raising our fund II, and in the coming weeks, we will share updates on the fundraise and key leadership appointments made over the past year," W Healths managing partner Pankaj Jethwani said in response to Mints queries.

W Healths new fund is a positive development for early-stage deals as funding softened to $3 billion in 2024, down from $4 billion in the previous year, according to estimates by Tracxn.

The firm will also make Series B investments selectively" with emphasis on healthcare businesses that are being built for both domestic and global markets. The upcoming fund will continue our focus on early-stage healthcare innovation. We will also selectively back Series A and B companies that align with our thesis," Jethwani added.

Also Read | Fast and furious: Startups tweak operations in shift to quick commerce lane

Our core thesis remains consistent: to build generational healthcare companies from scratch in India and beyond. The company creation model demonstrated strong results in Fund I, and we look forward to extending that approach through Fund II." A company creation model is a mix of investing in and incubating companies through its venture studio.

The firm, founded in 2019 by Sunil Wadhwani, mostly backs single-specialty healthcare delivery and AI-enabled services.

Its India portfolio includes diabetes management platform Wysa Health, healthcare-focused venture studio 2070 Health, and sexual health and wellness provider Good Health Company. In the US, it has backed seven companies, including AI-led mental health startup Wysa and cancer support program Jasper.

Also Read | Wipro's venture arm bets bigger on mature consumer startups

Senior exit

Meanwhile, Namit Chugh, a principal at the firm, has resigned from the post and is currently serving his notice, according to the two people quoted above.

W Healths Jethwani confirmed the development.

Chugh served the role for a little over four years and is counted among the early members of W Health. Prior to joining W Health Ventures, he worked as an associate at Lok Capital (backer of Akshayakalpa Organics and Mintifi), where he made investments across sectors. He has also worked with consulting firms such as Alvarez & Marsal and PwC in the past and focused on strategy and commercial due diligence assignments for private equity clients.

Chughs move comes at a time when the venture capital ecosystem is witnessing a churn. While some senior fund managers are moving out to set up their own ventures, others are looking for better titles and pay.

Also Read | Will startup funding slow as Sebi tightens angel investor rules?

In February, Peak XVs managing directors Abheek Anand and Shailesh Lakhani left the venture capital firm, almost two years after it broke ties with its US partner Sequoia Capital.

In November last year, early-stage firm 100.vcs co-founder and partner, Shashank Randev, quit to form his own venture, 247VC. Raj Dugar, managing partner at Eight Roads Ventures, also stepped down last year following a 17-year stint.
Amid growing global trade uncertainties and protectionist pressures, India is set to chart a new course to strengthen and diversify its agricultural exports that accounted for $51.91 billion in FY25.

To drive this effort, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), a government agency under the commerce ministry, has commissioned the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier), a top economic think tank and Crisil, a credit rating and analytics firm, to develop a comprehensive blueprint to chart the expansion of Indias reach in the key global markets.

This effort will analyze and map the entire value chain of high-potential agricultural and processed food products, identify challenges and opportunities, and recommend strategies tailored to specific regions and countries. The goal is to diversify Indias export destinations beyond its historical focus on West Asia, Africa, and Asia Pacific, opening doors to markets in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea.

Focus on 32 high-potential commodities "We have identified around 32 high potential product categories that are poised to drive the next phase of India's agricultural export. To capture the opportunities, we have entrusted ICRIER and Crisil to conduct detailed market studies for each product and the top 20 potential markets for the identified commodities," said a senior official at Apeda.

The commodities in focus include basmati and non-basmati rice and fruits such as banana, mango, pomegranate and pineapple that enjoy strong international demand. Among vegetables, potato, cucumber and green chilli are priority.

There is also increased international appetite for processed and value-added food items such as cereal preparations, value-added makhana items, sauces and pickles. According to an Apeda official, privy to the development, animal products, including bovine meat, natural honey and dairy items such as ghee and paneer also have great potential in the global markets.

Work on the blueprint is already underway. We are preparing a report on the export potential of commodities such as makhana, banana, mango, potato, cashew, pomegranate, cashew, cucumber, pineapple, cereal preparations, and pickles, said Harsh Wardhan, fellow at Icrier. "A few of the reports have been submitted to Apeda, and work is in advance stages on other commodities."

Drawing on secondary research and field visits, the report will suggest actionable strategies to unlock Indias export potential by studying the entire value chain--from production to processing to exports--identify key challenges and evaluate the tariff and non-tariff measures.

A fine example on the immense potential of Indian farm goods is the case of makhana (Euryale ferox), popularly known as gorgon nut.

Makhana: Indias superfood opportunity Makhana has emerged as a global superfood owing to its remarkable nutritional and medicinal value. India dominates global production, accounting for 90% of the supply, with Bihar alone contributing 8590%. Despite this dominance, Indias share in global makhana exports is disproportionately low. Only around 12% of the country's produce is exported. As the demand for plant-based, gluten-free, and functional food grows internationally, India has a significant opportunity to strengthen its position in the global makhana trade.
New Delhi: Indias goods trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan declined sharply in May as diplomatic tensions likely spilled over into commercial ties following their public support for Pakistan during a four-day conflict with India earlier this year.

Indias exports to Turkey more than halved to $351.25 million in May from $741 million in April, while imports dropped to $184.71 million from $451 million, according to data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics in the commerce ministry.

Exports to Azerbaijan fell to $6.63 million from $14 million and imports inched up to $300,000 from zero.

There have been growing calls in India to boycott Turkish goods, including products such as apples, and tourism. The Centre has reportedly reassessed its broader trade engagement with both countries in light of the geopolitical alignments.

While the government has not officially linked the trade slump to political developments, the data suggests early signs of economic disengagement from nations perceived as unsupportive of Indias strategic interests.

Also Read | PM urges Indians to buy locally made goods amid Turkey, Azerbaijan boycott calls

Indias key exports to Turkey include auto components, iron and steel, aluminium products, fabrics, engines and electrical machinery. On the import side, Turkey primarily supplies electrical machinery, petroleum products, gold, natural stones such as granite and fresh fruits.

Imports of electrical machinery, petroleum products and gold from Turkey declined sharply in May from April, according to the data, suggesting a notable dip in procurement by government-backed entities, which traditionally account for a significant share of these imports.

Indias exports to Azerbaijan cover a broad spectrum, including tobacco, pharmaceutical formulations, Basmati rice, ceramics, granite and natural stones. Imports from Azerbaijan are limited to mainly leather goods and select drug formulations.

Declining trade surplus Indias goods trade surplus with Turkey fell to a near-decade low of $2.7 billion in FY25, continuing a three-year slide that has taken it back to pre-pandemic levels. In May, the surplus fell to $166.54 million from $290 million in April, driven by a sharp decline in exports.

Trade with Azerbaijan has followed a different trajectory. Since FY23, the country has shifted from a trade deficit to a surplus with Azerbaijan, driven by a pullback in crude oil imports. Crude oil once accounted for over 94% of Indias imports from Azerbaijan, even exceeding 99% in 2022 and 2024, underscoring a sharp reliance on a single commodity.

A spokesperson of the commerce ministry didn't respond to emailed queries.

Bilateral trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan could take a hit in FY26 as major Indian trade bodies and consumer groups call for a boycott of goods from both nations following their public support for Pakistan. The Confederation of All India Traders, representing over 90 million traders across 40,000 associations, had urged Indian businesses to suspend trade with Turkey.

The backlash also extended to travel, with online platform MakeMyTrip reporting a sharp drop in flight bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan in May, alongside a huge surge in cancellations.

The All-India Consumer Products Distributors Federation, representing 450,000 FMCG distributors, called for an indefinite and total boycott of Turkish consumer goods, while Indian e-commerce platforms pulled select Turkish brands from their clothing and fashion listings.

Also Read | Tour plans to Turkey, Azerbaijan off the table as Indians mark their protest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting in Motihari region of poll-bound Bihar on July 18. Hitting out at the opposition INDIA bloc, Modi said getting permanent houses was impossible during the previous government of Congress and the RJD in the state.

The prime minister said that under PM Awas Yojna, his government at the centregave more houses to Bihar than to the entire populations of Norway, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Here are the top updates from Modi's address:

1-"Today, I am extremely pleased to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth thousands of crores of rupees from Motihari, Bihar. The NDA government is committed to the all-round development of the state.

2-"This land is the land of Champaran. This land has made history. This land of the freedom movement showed Gandhiji a new direction. Now, inspired by this very land, a new future for Bihar will also be created," the PM added.

3-"The world is moving forward at a rapid pace in the 21st century. There was a time when power was solely in the hands of Western countries, but now Eastern countries are gaining dominance and participation. Eastern countries are now catching a new speed of development. Just as Eastern countries are advancing in the race of development globally, similarly, in India, this is the era of our Eastern states."

4-"Our resolve is that in the coming times, just as Mumbai is in Western India, Motiharis name should shine in the East. Just as there are opportunities in Gurugram, opportunities should also be created in Gaya Ji. Industrial development should take place in Patna, just like in Pune. Santhal Pargana should also develop, just like Surat. New records in tourism should be set in Jalpaiguri and Jajpur, just like in Jaipur. The people of Birbhum should also progress, just like in Bengaluru,"

5-"Under PM Awas Yojna, we gave more houses to Bihar than the entire population of Norway, New Zealand and Singapore."

6-"We associated Bihar's foxnut farmers with the world after which the prices of foxnuts increased... We are establishing Makhana Board..."

7-"I took the resolve of Operation Sindoor from the land of Bihar and the entire world watches its success today..."

8-"... Over 3.5 crore women got bank accounts in Bihar... In the last 1.5 years, over 24,000 self-help groups have been helped in Bihar with 1,000 crore... Till now, over 20 Lakhpati Didi are there in Bihar..."

9- Poor people getting permanent houses was impossible during the rule of Congress and RJD.

10- "During the UPA and RJD government in Bihar, grants of only 2 lakh crores were sanctioned

 7200 Cr development projects Earlier, PM Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over 7,200 crore at Motihari in poll-bound Bihar. The assembly polls in Bihar are scheduled later this year.

Of the development projects launched by Modi, those relating to Railways would be worth 5,385 crore.

These include doubling of the 256-km Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj at 4,079 crore, and Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur lines at 585 crore.

The Prime Minister also flagged four Amrit Bharat Express trains, all passing through the state and two connecting Bihar with Delhi.

In addition, road and highway projects worth 1,173 crore were launched by Modi, who will also give away 162 crore to 40,000 beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) and extend " 400 crore community funding" for 61,500 self-help groups.

Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 The assembly elections in Bihar are expected to be held later in October or November. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date for the polls.

While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again seek to continue its government in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will aim to unseat Nitish Kumar.

In the 243-member Bihar assembly, the NDA has 131 members, including 80 BJP MLAs, 45 JD(U) members, and four HAM(S) members. The Opposition's INDIA bloc has 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 11, CPI(M) with 2, and CPI with 2.

Under PM Awas Yojna, we gave more houses to Bihar than the entire population of Norway, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Bhairavam, the high-octane action drama marking Manchu Manojs return to the silver screen, is now available for streaming on Zee5.

Directed by Vijay Kanakamedala, the Telugu film is an official remake of the Tamil hit Garudan, and first released in cinemas on May 30. After its theatrical run, the film has made its digital debut with Zee5 announcing the release alongside a gripping teaser.

More About Bhairavam Set against a rural backdrop, Bhairavam delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and justice. The plot centres around three childhood friends whose bond is shattered by a corrupt land deal.

A dishonest minister hires the manipulative Circle Inspector Pardha Sarathi to illegally seize sacred temple land, igniting a chain of conflict and moral reckoning.

Manchu Manojs performance has been widely praised, with critics and audiences alike noting his powerful screen presence. He stars alongside Bellamkonda Srinivas and Rohit Nara in the lead roles.

The supporting cast includes Aditi Shankar, Anandhi, Divya Pillai, Jayasudha, Ajay, Raja Ravindra, and Sharath Lohitaswa.

The film is directed by Vijay Kanakamedala and penned by R.S. Durai Senthilkumar. It was produced by K.K. Radhamohan under the Sri Sathya Sai Arts banner and presented by Dr. Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios. Sricharan Pakala composed the music, while cinematography was handled by Hari K. Vedantam.
(Bloomberg) -- Elvis may have left the building in 1977, but in 2025 a new immersive show in London called Elvis Evolution aims to bring the rock icon back to life. Yet as I sat on the bleachers of an ersatz 1960s set and watched spruced-up 2D footage of the legend, the only thing that truly impressed me was how devoid this version of Elvis was of the energy and sex appeal that made the King an icon.

Elvis Evolution takes place at the Immerse LDN, part of the massive Excel Waterfront complex. If youve ridden the Tube anytime in the past few weeks, youve no doubt seen ads for it. Its part of a new breed of immersive experiences that are part theater, part amusement-park attraction and part interactive spectacle. Although Evolution uses AI-enhanced video footage, this showevent? play? experience? One struggles to know what to call this thingis not trying to be the wildly successful ABBA Voyage. Theres no Elvis digital avatar or hologram. Instead it walks its audience through a mix of film-quality sets that culminate in a re-creation of Presleys 1968 comeback show.

Our first stop on this tour-de-Elvis was a seafoam green, pink and red diner that managed to be both sterile and kitschy. Guests are told they are in Burbank, California, in the late 60s and can buy themselves peanut butter and banana milkshakes, hot dogs and Budweisers while they wait to enter the NBC Studios for Elvis televised comeback concert.

Actors in period costume play NBC pages and staff, and its there that the audience is introduced to Sam Bell, a childhood friend of Elvis who is trying to talk his way into the performance and reconnect with his old friend EP. This setting introduces the shows central dilemmawill Elvis perform tonight or wont he?and we learn that Presley hasnt played live in the better part of a decade and (gasp) hasnt even left his dressing room yet because of nerves.

Spoiler: Elvis does indeed perform.

Sam Bell is just as much the main character of this show as Elvis, a strange choice given that I have about as much interest in Elvis childhood friends as I do in, say, an algebra classmate of Bob Dylans in Minnesota in the late 1950s.

The audience is ushered from the faux greenroom and follows Sam along a corridor to a train ride to Tupelo, Mississippi, where we get to revisit Elvis roots. Theres haze and smoke and uncomfortable wooden seats as the show chugs through Presleys basic biography: He grew up poor in one of the few White families in his neighborhood; he discovered a love for blues and gospel music from his Black neighbors; later he worked as a truck driver in Memphis, Tennessee, before being discovered by Sam Phillips at Sun Records and catapulting into global superstardom thanks to the sheer power of his voice and electric movement of his hips. (And being a White performer of the blues in a deeply racist era, though that point doesnt get much attention.)

Im not a superfan, but I knew all these pop culture beats from the general hold Elvis still has on the public. Baz Luhrmanns Elvis, starring Austin Butler, was a critical and commercial hit in 2022, and I loved the 2023 film Priscilla, Sofia Coppolas examination of the Elvis phenomenon through the eyes of his (too) young wife. Billboard estimated that Elvis music alone still generates more than $12 million a year, proof that theres plenty of money to be made from dead celebrities, especially icons such as Elvis. I imagine if Colonel Tom Parker was still around, hed be delighted.

The highlight of the train ride is prerecorded video footage of actors playing the young Elvis and Sam Bell. It is nicely shot and well-acted with a lovely dreamy quality to it. For a moment, I did forget I was in the London Docklands and not deep in the American South. Then there was a quick transition to British actors on stage doing Southern accents, and I remembered where I was again.

Surprisingly, for a show about Elvis, the real thing is barely in the first act. Most of the shots of him here are the actor playing the younger version in video footage, or a backlit shot of an older actor with a pompadour hairstyle loitering outside Sun Records.

After the first act explains how Elvis became the biggest star in the world, the audience is taken to a Hawaiian-themed bar for an intermission and to await the Elvis performance. Leis are handed out, and guests can sip on blue Hawaiian drinks with rum and pineapple juice and take their photo with a half-dressed Elvis cutout on a surfboard.

Finally, its time for the Kings big comeback concert. We walk through his dressing area, where his scent is piped through the walls. The Old Spice notes were an excellent re-creation of my high school hallways after gym class.

We are then shepherded into the concert hall, where actors playing NBC staffers point out the applause sign. This is where the much-discussed AI elements come in. The show used the burgeoning technology to create footage of Elvis in his dressing room as he deals with stage fright, which is then projected onto a screen (so no holographic element). AI Elvis stares blankly into the middle distance as he remembers his love of music and his Mississippi roots. He doesnt speak hereno words are put in Elvis mouthso it at least avoids the uncanny valley quality of the Peter Cushing likeness as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One some 22 years after the actors death.

The King emerges to perform, and we are treated to a three-piece band playing along to AI-enhanced footage of that 1968 concert. The main effect of this AI is to make Elvis look too polished and a little too pretty, as if hes a 2025 TikTokker speaking with a filter over his face. His skin has no texture, and his eyes are too bright.

The concert ends with footage of the real-life Sam Bell talking about his childhood friend, and a montage demonstrates the deep hold Elvis still has on us all today, with artists like Elton John explaining why Presley was such a big deal.

Our last stop, an after-show dance party with musicians strumming along to Elvis songs, is good fun. Its the last bit of proof that Evolution thoroughly understands the eternal appeal of Elvis and the audiences seemingly bottomless appetite for 1960s Americana. But the show ultimately sheds no light on either the man or the myth, and no technological boundaries are pushed. If you missed your chance to see Elvis before his untimely passing, youre out of luck. The King is still dead.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
A man allegedly disrupted lift operations at a residential complex in Mumbais upscale Pali Hill area by placing heavy stones inside the elevator, prompting intervention by local authorities.

The incident took place in the early hours of June 19 at Sandhu Palace, a multi-storey building in Bandra West that houses several Bollywood celebrities, including actors Kriti Sanon and Javed Jaffrey.

According to police and building security, the man arrived around 1 am in a yellow car and claimed he was visiting a flat on the 17th floor. Guards allowed him entry after confirming with a flat owner earlier that visitors could be let in directly.

He was initially directed to park in Basement 2 but first left his car in Basement 1 before being asked to move it. He then handed over his car keys to a guard and said he needed to use the washroom.

When he returned, he said he was going to the 14th floor. However, when the guard received no response from the flat via intercom, the man abruptly changed his claim, saying he was headed to the 17th floor.

His inconsistent statements raised suspicion, and the guards eventually escorted him out of the premises.

The next morning, the buildings lift was found to be out of order. CCTV footage later revealed that the man had placed large stones inside the lift cabin and made inappropriate gestures towards the security camera. It is believed he committed the act while alone in the basement under the pretext of using the toilet.

Using the vehicle's registration number, police traced the mans identity.

Authorities said initial findings suggest he may be mentally unwell. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital and has not yet been questioned.
On July 18, Special ops season 2 started streaming on JioHotstar. The much-anticipated web series, created by Neeraj Pandey, came a week after its previously-announced release date, July 11.

Special Ops Season 2 stars Kay Kay Menon, Prakash Raj, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vinay Pathak in leading roles. Bhasin plays the main villain in the web series.

Lets see what social media users are saying about it on Twitter (now X).

Special Ops season 2 is the first sequel that hasnt disappointed, wrote one user.

Another wrote, Special Ops 2 is here, never knew this would become so Special

Goosebumps from the very first episode  what a masterpiece! Watching on my 100-inch screen at 3 am felt like I was inside the world itself. Special Ops: Season 2 is mind-blowing. And when I heard them mention my hometown, Raxaul border  I was completely shocked! came from another.

Just Completed the Special Ops S2,every time I think of the show it puts me in a deep thought about the precision & meticulous execution of Ops.Mad respect to our Unknown heroes those who lay down their lives to protect our nation from any potential threat & upholding sovereignty, posted another user.

First episode down & it looks like special ops 2 wants to tell us to save India's scientists & researchers, another wrote.

As expected, viewers are highly impressed with Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh.

Watching Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh is just a therapy session for me, posted one fan.

Another fan wrote, Just watching Special Ops 2 and I have to say - Kay Kay Menon is in a league of his own. The intensity, the depth, the effortless screen presence  Himmat Singh is iconic because of you.

However, not everyone was impressed. One user thinks it has not lived up to expectations.

Special Ops 2 is not even close to Special Ops 1.5. They wanted to make something like 'Tehran' but ended up making a 3rd copy of it, the user wrote.

Special Ops Season 2 critics review Mostly, Special Ops Season 2 has received positive reviews from critics as well.

The OTT release isn't perfect, but it's still a gripping, relevant, and often thrilling ride, Shweta Keshri wrote on India Today.

Koimoi calls it a no-nonsense sequel that doesnt fail while Bollywood Hungama praises Kay Kay Menon for delivering what could easily be considered the finest performance of his illustrious career.

Also Read | Mission Impossible Final Reckoning OTT release date: Expected timeline

It entertains, often grips, and at times surprises, but rarely astonishes. The shows biggest weapon is its cast, especially Menon and Bhasin, but its weakest link remains a tendency to oversimplify complex stakes with convenient resolutions, Archika Khurana wrote on The Times of India.
The gala felt straight out of the movie Crazy Rich Asians." In this tropical-island nation famously dense with millionaires, 600 guests gathered in September 2023 to fete one of Singapores most prominent success stories: the property empire that owns the global Millennium hotel chain and the Biltmore Los Angeles.

The politicians, business leaders and foreign envoys in attendance heaped praise on the companys octogenarian executive chairman, Kwek Leng Beng, who built a family fortune estimated at $11.5 billion and made deals with the likes of Donald Trump. Guests at the black-tie dinner savored abalone, birds nest soup and lobster, while dancers and musicians performed on a stage.

At the head table, the tycoon, clad in a blue tuxedo, reigned with his wife, Cecilia.

But there was another woman in the ballroom, wearing a red dress, whose presence wasnt welcome to some in the family.

Catherine Wu, a Juilliard-trained pianist and former television host in her native Taiwan, was well-known to company executives for her close relationship with the chairman. Senior executives had long bristled at what they saw as her interference in the hotel business, according to people familiar with the matter. But until this moment, she had largely shunned the limelight and avoided public company events. The internal complaints about her outsize influence remained unknown to the public.

Now Wu was thrusting herself into the spotlight, introducing herself to the dignitariesincluding Singapores prime minister-in-waitingand posing for photos with them. Onlookers blanched. People sympathetic to Cecilia Kwek and concerned about Wus influence at the company thought Wu, by attending the gala, had crossed a line.

Earlier this year, the tensions that seethed at the event burst into the open.

The chairmans elder son and chosen successor, Sherman Kwek, 49, and his allies moved to add new directors to the board, a maneuver he later said was meant to eliminate Wus influence at the family business, called City Developments Ltd., or CDL for short.

Kwek Leng Beng, shown here in April, oversees a family fortune that Forbes estimated last year to be worth $11.5 billion.Sherman Kwek is the chief executive of City Developments Ltd. and his fathers designated successor.

She has been interfering in matters going well beyond her scope, and she wields and exercises enormous influence," Sherman Kwek said in a statement on behalf of the majority of the board, issued in February after the feud erupted into public view. Due to her long relationship with the chairman, efforts that were made to manage the situation were done sensitively, but to no avail."

Kwek Leng Beng fought back by trying to dismiss his son as chief executive and suing him for allegedly trying to usurp powersomething that Sherman denies. The elder Kwek later said Wu had contributed to the businesss success and decried his sons unproven insinuations."

Wu, in her first public comments on the matter, told The Wall Street Journal in an email this month that her relationship to the chairman was purely professional." She said the elder Kwek had asked for and considered my feedback on business ideas," adding that she had had no role in the decision-making process" at CDL. She said the dispute was between board members and has nothing to do with me, although some parties have used my name to stoke the flames."

Catherine Wu has been a longtime adviser to the elder Kwek.

Weeks after the clash, the sides agreed to a truce. The public warring had done no good for a company dealing with high debt and a lackluster share price.

In March, the elder Kwek announced Wus resignation as an adviser at CDLs hotel subsidiary and dropped his lawsuit. His son remains CEO, backed by additional allies on the board and a company resolution declaring that Wu has no power to influence or direct management and staff at CDL and its hotel business.

But Wu is still in contact with one person at CDL: the 84-year-old chairman. People at the company say the elder Kwek and Wu, who turns 66 this month, have recently been seen meeting at CDL-owned properties. It means, the people say, that the saga is far from over.

Strictly business

Just north of the equator, six million people swelter in a city-state about a quarter of Rhode Islands size. A disproportionate many are millionaires, and some of Singapores richest residents are members of family businesses that predate the nations 60 years of independence.

As Singapore transformed from a colonial outpost into a hub of prosperity, the Kwek clan was there to help build it every step of the way.

Kwek Leng Bengs father, Kwek Hong Png, started a construction-materials store in 1941, when Singapore was a British colony. Kwek Leng Beng joined the business in 1963 and was given stern training by his father, as he and Cecilia recounted in an authorized biography, Strictly Business."

Singapore in the 1940s. The Kwek family has helped transformed the city over the past several decades.

When the couple were dating, Kwek Leng Bengs father imposed a curfew. The old man wanted him to be in bed by 9 p.m.," Cecilia said in the biography.

Kwek Leng Beng and Cecilia, both London-trained lawyers, wed in 1970. They spent much of the next few years in Singapore in the lobby of the companys first hotel, where shed drink hot chocolate while he quizzed staff about occupancy rates and mingled with guests for feedback, the biography said.

By the 1990s, Kwek was in charge of a flourishing family business that would eventually expand to more than 150 hotels worldwide, including Millennium hotels in New York and London. It controlled so much real estate in Singapore at one point that he was dubbed Kwek Land Bank."

As part of a venture with a Saudi prince, CDL bought New York Citys Plaza Hotel, the iconic establishment next to Central Park thats played host to royalty, presidents and the fictional Kevin McCallister in the 1992 movie Home Alone 2." They paid $325 million to buy it from Trump in 1995, and then sold it nine years later for $675 million. In the mid-2000s, Kwek advised Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson on building the Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore. Today, it is a symbol of the island nations skyline.

Kwek Leng Beng, second from the left in this 2007 photo, advised Sheldon Adelson, far left, on the building of the Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore.

Eyes and ears

As the years went by, an adviser by Kweks side became impossible for insiders to ignore. Catherine Wu, who holds a doctorate in music from New York University, was in her early 30s when she met Kwek in 1992 at a dinner party. She was well-known in Taiwan as a TV host and pianist, having released albums under the name Ingrid Wu with tracks such as His Lover" and Ill Decide Before Dawn Whether I Love You."

At the dinner, Kwek quizzed Wu about politics, economics and music to see if my mind was flexible and if my answers were consistent," Wu told a Singaporean newspaper last year. Fortunately, I answered articulately."

Catherine Wu released piano albums in Taiwan under the name Ingrid Wu.

Wu decided to move to Singapore that same year, she told the newspaper, saying she wanted to escape attention by relocating to a place where she wasnt well-known, and that the city-states East-meets-West vibes suited her. In her email to the Journal, Wu described music as her former career and said she had spent 30 years in business amassing professional achievements.

Kwek invited her to hotel-management meetings and events. The chairman would scold me from time to time, but I wouldnt take it to heart," Wu said in the newspaper interview. If a successful person is willing to put in the thought and energy to scold you, it means you are teachable."

Paid not by the company but by Kwek himself, Wu acted as the chairmans eyes and ears" and often accompanied him to visit properties around the world, according to a 2018 U.K. labor tribunal ruling. The tribunal was investigating a dispute involving a former employee who accused a CDL subsidiary of unfair dismissal and other wrongdoing, a case the tribunal dismissed.

Some executives and employeesincluding people who later left the companybristled at Wus conduct, filing complaints against her both internally and to a Singapore government-backed agency, according to people familiar with the matter. These complaints included allegations that Wu berated staff, meddled in business matters beyond her remit and used the elder Kweks name to rubber-stamp her decisions, the people said.

Sometimes, executives believed that business decisions they thought had been approved by the chairman were later overruled by Wu. In one instance cited in the complaints, the people said, Wu got the company to halt planned renovations to a hotel in London near the Harrods luxury department store, even though management believed the project would boost revenue and had spent years preparing for it.

Catherine Wu and Kwek Leng Beng at the GeekCon 2024 cybersecurity conference.

Many employees came to believe that Wu was sometimes using one of the elder Kweks corporate email accounts to send instructions in his name, people close to CDL said. They said these employees learned to recognize what they believed to be Wus imprint on such emailsa more formal and detailed writing style, compared with the elder Kweks curt approach, and the signature Sent from my iPad," which was notable because the chairman wasnt known to use an iPad. Kwek declined to comment, while Wu didnt respond to requests for comment about this matter.

According to the people, some executives expressed unease when one of Wus six brothers, a former journalist for a Taiwanese television network, became general manager of the Biltmore Los Angeles in 2018. He had little experience in the hospitality industry, apart from a short stint as a business-development executive in CDLs hotel subsidiary.

During the brothers stint as general manager, he, the hotel and a company affiliated with CDLs hotel subsidiary faced lawsuits from former Biltmore employees over allegations that included discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination, according to court papers. These cases have generally been settled out of court, according to court documents and people close to CDL, and the company didnt make any public admission of wrongdoing. The brother has stepped aside as general manager and remains an owners representativea supervisory role that oversees the hotels operations and liaises between its owner and management.

The brother didnt respond to requests for comment.

The heir

Senior executives tried for years to persuade Sherman Kwek, the designated successor to the elder Kwek, to directly address the tensions over Wu, say insiders.

Sherman Kwek didnt see much of his father as a child, as he recounted in his dads biography. After studying business at Boston University, he worked in venture capital and investment banking in New York before his father brought him to the family business.

Sherman Kwek had his own issues to deal with. After becoming CDLs CEO, he had spearheaded a 2019 investment in a Chinese developer that went sour and led to a $1.4 billion write-down. I wanted to hide my face in the sand" and came close to resigning, he recounted in a speech last year. I went from hero to zero overnight."

The younger Kwek retained his fathers support then and went on to strike profitable deals divesting some commercial properties, but he still faced skepticism from investors.

Sherman Kwek and his allies thought they had eased Wu out of the picture when she resigned as a director of CDLs hotel subsidiary in January 2024, people close to the company say. But in August that year, Wu rejoined the subsidiary as an unpaid board adviser and the Singaporean newspaper published its interview with a headline that called her the elder Kweks grand chamberlain."

Kwek Leng Beng and his son Sherman Kwek in 2019.

Wus return stunned some senior CDL figures and board members, who had to try again to remove her from the business, people close to the company say. They first appealed to the elder Kwek to act, and thenafter seeing no resultsinitiated a move in late January to add new independent directors to the CDL board, the people say.

These efforts eventually led to the public feuding, which drew breathless coverage from local media that documented the boardroom spat blow-by-blow.

Following the truce earlier this year, after which Sherman Kwek continued as chief executive and his father as chairman, Wu now has no official title at the company.

Sherman Kwek remains in the hot seat, facing market pressure to execute plans to pare back CDLs debt and lift its share price, which still languishes below prepandemic levels.

Watching over him is his father, who remains a revered figure at CDL overseeing a family fortune that Forbes estimated last year to be worth $11.5 billion. The elder Kwek has maintained his contacts with Wu, whose proteges still hold positions in the hotel business, according to people close to CDL. One of these people says the company is looking into past complaints against Wu. This week, CDL said a longserving board member, who sided with the chairman during the feud, will retire from the board at the end of July.

A CDL spokesman said Kwek Leng Beng, Sherman Kwek and the company declined to comment.

Both father and son continue to go into CDLs headquarters at Republic Plaza, a soaring 66-story skyscraper in Singapores business district.

At a public space there, a holographic painting that Sherman Kwek presented to the elder Kwek at the 2023 galadepicting either the grandfather Kwek, the father or the son depending on the viewing angleremains on display. Next to it stands a piece of Chinese calligraphy penned by one of Wus brothers, which says, Three generations of blood and sweat, six decades of honor and glory."

Write to Chun Han Wong at chunhan.wong@wsj.com and Stu Woo at Stu.Woo@wsj.com
In the opening scene of Midwives", Snow Hnin Ei Hlaings debut feature documentary, a young woman gives birth in a makeshift clinic in Myanmar. She is splayed out on a tarpaulin mat; an IV drip hangs from the bamboo roof. She groans as Hla, a midwife, examines her and Nyo Nyo, Hlas apprentice, massages her abdomen. The camera lingers on the womans agonised expression and the babys face as it blinks into the light. Female onlookers start to chatter. Hla snaps: I just told you bitches to shut up."

The winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance Film Festival, Midwives" follows Hla and Nyo Nyo across a five-year period as they provide basic health care in Rakhine. The state on Myanmars west coast is home to the Rohingya, an oppressed ethnic-minority group predominantly of Muslim faith. In the past decade attacks on the Rohingya have intensified. In 2012, after a series of riots between ethnic Rakhines and Rohingya, the army swept tens of thousands of people into camps. In 2017 a spate of ethnic cleansing led some 750,000 Rohingya to flee across the border into Bangladesh.

Demography is a political issue, and Hlas and Nyo Nyos work is considered controversial by their compatriots. In 2013 the Burmese government imposed a two-child limit on Rohingya to ease tensions"; local politicians claimed that, without such measures, the Buddhist population would be overwhelmed. (In 2014 Muslims accounted for 4% of Myanmars citizens.) Such propaganda, espoused by the army and Buddhist leaders, has stoked racial hatred.

What makes the womens collaboration unusual is that they hail from different sides of the ethnic divide: Hla is Buddhist and Nyo Nyo is Rohingya. Ms Hlaing (who was born in Rakhine and whose aunt helped her find her characters) chronicles their different travails and the darkening mood in the country. When Rohingya children are banned from government schools, Nyo Nyo sets up an informal classroom; she fantasises about leaving her husband and children and starting a new life in Yangon, Myanmars largest city. Hla receives threats from other Buddhists and learns about people who have been attacked or killed for helping the Rohingya. When men harass her on the street and follow her with cameras, she is defiant: Take your photos of me, but make me beautiful!"

Hla is the enigma at the centre of the film. It is never made clear why she risks her life to help the persecutedshe says only that they have nowhere else to go. She counts Nyo Nyo as a friend and celebrates Eid with her family. She tells them they should protest against the unfair treatment they receive at the hands of the government. At the same time, she frequently uses racist and derogatory language. No matter how much I teach her shell always be just another kalar woman," she says of Nyo Nyo. Spitting through betel leaf, she repeats the slur used to describe Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. They say kalars and cows are the same. She is one of them." As she feeds Nyo Nyos baby a spoonful of medicine, she says: Take this, you little bitch." Moments later she returns to tenderly rubbing the babys back.

Ms Hlaing includes footage of clashes between Rohingya and the authorities and shows the increasing frequency of anti-Rohingya broadcasts on television. Police close the clinic. Hla starts selling fish to make ends meet; Nyo Nyo decides to set up her own medical service. To make it happen, she sells her jewellery and raises funds through a local savings-and-loan society. Hla initially considers this a betrayal, but soon changes her mind.

Midwives" is a poignant study of how state-sponsored hatred permeates everyday life. Rather than being symbols of hope, the babies that Hla and Nyo Nyo deliver epitomise the vulnerability and uncertain future of the Rohingya population. Why were we Muslims born in Rakhine state?" Nyo Nyo asks. She laments the restrictions that prevent them from seeking a better life elsewhere. Where can we go? We cant go this way, that way or any other way."

The films final scenes were shot after the military coup of February 1st 2021. This rocked the rest of Myanmar but plunged conflict-ridden Rakhine into a sudden peace, says Ms Hlaing, as the army was sent to put down the protests against military rule that sprung up in Yangon and elsewhere. As the film shows, some demonstrators expressed support for ethnic minorities. The coup and its bloody aftermath roused empathy among the Buddhist majoritymany of whom had for years either ignored or supported the persecution of the Rohingyaas they themselves experienced the armys repressive methods. When the coup happened the whole country became like the Rohingya," the director says. She hopes a sense of solidarity, like Hlas and Nyo Nyos friendship, may endure.

Midwives" is playing in British cinemas and streaming via Dogwoof on demand now
Local governments in China have tried mostly in vain to lift the countrys shrinking birthrate with perks, cash rewards and housing subsidies. Now, the central government is stepping in.

Beijing plans to pay a basic national subsidy of 3,600 yuan (about $500) per child each year until the age of 3, according to a central government decree released recently on local government websites. It is unclear when the subsidies would start.

However, it is uncertain whether that is enough to reverse a trend that poses enormous challenges for Chinas economy and society. Chinas fertility ratethe number of children a woman has over her lifetimeis around one now, one of the worlds lowest.

Huang Wenzheng, chief researcher of YuWa Population Research Institute, a think tank that was involved in the policy discussions, said the planned subsidy is half or less of what Chinese demographers, economists and researchers proposed. Huang thinks that the planned spendingabout 100 billion yuan, or less than 0.1% of Chinas GDPmust be 50 times higher to return the fertility rate to the replacement level of around 2.1.

The mindset is still seeing the spending as costs, not investment in the future," said Huang, who had pushed Beijing to ease birth restrictions over the years, including the abolishment of the one-child policy in 2015.

Chinas State Council, or cabinet, and the National Health Commission didnt reply to requests for comment. Bloomberg News reported earlier on the planned subsidies.

The number of newborns in China had plunged for six straight years before a slight, short-term rebound last year following Beijings end to Covid-19 restrictions. But only 6.1 million couples registered their marriages in 2024, a 21% fall from the previous year, the latest official data show, marking a record low since the government started releasing such statistics in 1986.

The number of newborns will likely drop further this year, below nine million, demographers say, less than half the level of 2016, when China allowed couples to have two children for the first time since the one-child policy was implemented nationwide in 1980. Other countries, such as South Korea and Japan, also have low fertility rates. But Chinas problem is compounded by both fewer women having babies and those that do having fewer babies.

Authorities have held up enticements offered by cities such as Tianmen in Hubei province as having produced the kind of baby boom leaders would like to see nationwide. But it isnt clear if the incentives there were decisive in prodding couples to have children.

Skyrocketing costs of child rearing in China discourage couples from having children.

So do health scares, such as a recent lead poisoning scandal at a private kindergarten in the western province of Gansu, where 233 children were found to have abnormal blood lead levels, the official Xinhua News Agency reported this month, citing local investigators. Police detained eight people who authorities said allowed kitchen staff to use industrial coloring to make pastry and other foods.

If I bring a child into a world with poisonous milk formula and foods, why should I rush to have children," one commentator posted on social media.

Beijing shows some signs of taking demographic challenges seriously, such as gradually delaying the retirement age, but policymakers seem to be adopting a halfhearted approach rather than a comprehensive one, said Ilaria Mazzocco, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It is hard to see quick returns on policies to encourage births based on such efforts in other countries, such as South Korea and Japan, Mazzocco said.

Beijings expenditures on developing AI and other technologies it considers important for national security leaves less to spend on improving social welfare, which in the long term should help lift births, she said.

Chinas industrial policy spending, including direct state subsidies to firms and tax incentives, was 1.7% of its GDP in 2019, far above other major economies, according to the most recent estimates by CSIS, a think tank. The trend likely continued following the pandemic, Mazzocco said.

In China many young people are struggling to find jobs amid a cooling economy. And owing to falling births, it is particularly hard on kindergarten teachers.

Kiki Wang, 28, a teacher from Jiangsu, was laid off last month. Its not that you are not a good teacher, its just we dont have enough kids," she recalls her principal telling her. She says she doesnt know what to do next and is posting on social media for advice.

More than 20,000 kindergartens closed last year in China, with nearly 250,000 teachers losing their jobs, government data show. In China, kindergartens are akin to preschools in the U.S., serving children ages 3 to 5.

When Wang Lin, who has taught at a private kindergarten since she graduated from university five years ago, was invited to the principals office for a talk last month, her heart sank. Several of her co-workers had already been laid off when the school in the central province of Anhui cut classes as it struggled to enroll children.

Now it was her turn. No jobs were available at other schools, she said. After briefly considering a career as a vlogger, she is now thinking about applying for jobs at nursing homes, a growth industry in an aging China. I need to be realistic and find a stable job," she said.

Write to Liyan Qi at Liyan.qi@wsj.com
Should the Finnish Lutheran church sponsor the Pride parade, a festival of rainbow flags and sexual inclusivity? Many might argue that a staid institution would do well to show prospective parishioners that it has kept up with the times. Paivi Rasanen is not among them. A staunch conservative, mother of five and member of parliament since 1995, she questioned on social media whether the church endorsing Pride was compatible with the Bibles teachings on sin and shame. An accompanying picture of some of the books less tolerant passages made clear her own conclusions. That was in 2019. The temerity of her questioning has resulted in six years of police investigations, prosecution, trials and the threat of a hefty fine.

As Finlands interior minister in the early 2010s Mrs Rasanen had overseen the police. Soon she was sitting in their interrogation rooms, for 13 hours in all, she says. Ultimately a court in 2022 found that her views, offensive as some may have found them, were no crime under Finnish law. An appeal also went her way. But the ordeal is not over. The Supreme Court will soon announce whether prosecutors wish for a judicial rematch will be granted.

Europe regards itself as a liberal kind of place, complete with laws and institutions to ensure its citizens enjoy fundamental rights, including the freedom to say what they please. Most of the time for most of the people, that is true. Yet the case of Mrs Rasanen is not so rare. From Spain to Germany, critics of kings and lesser figures of authority have found themselves in the dock for their opinions. On incendiary issues like migration, covid-19 or Gaza, the free exchange of opinions has given way to a more buttoned-up type of discourse. New European Union rules that regulate online platformsthe natural home of cranks, contrarians and conspiracy theoristsfurther threaten to inhibit debate.

What happened? On paper, Europeans from Ireland to Greece enjoy free-speech rights similar to the First Amendment protections afforded to their American cousins. The European Convention on Human Rights that applies across the continent states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression". With a nuance: exercising that freedom comes with duties and responsibilities", the convention adds. Competing rights, such as rights to privacy, to living free from discrimination or to live in a well-functioning polity in effect frame the limits of free speech far more tightly than in America. Your right to offend is limited, in some instances, by my right not to be offended.

Many European polities startperhaps unsurprisinglyby protecting the public figures who craft the laws. Countries that have monarchies typically have lese-majeste provisions, too. Plenty of countries, including France, Italy and Poland, extend the courtesy to leading politicians. A French pensioner who had beseeched Emmanuel Macron to piss off" on a banner hung from his house was sent on a civic-awareness course" as part of a plea deal to evade further prosecution. Also in France a broadcaster whose rabble-rousing talk-show host trenchantly criticised the mayor of Paris in 2022 was ultimately fined 150,000 ($167,000).

Politicians defend such laws on the grounds that if elected officials face endless abuse the pool of people willing to enter civic life will shrink. Germany offers the highest-profile example of what the restrictions mean in practice. It has long been an offence to make critical remarks about politicians that cannot be substantiated. The law, tightened in 2021, has been used with abandon by some thin-skinned ministers. Robert Habeck, vice-chancellor until last week, filed no fewer than 800 complaints, for example for being called a professional idiot". A right-wing journalist who published a satirical meme involving an interior minister got a seven-month suspended prison sentence.

In 1990 around 80% of Germans felt they could express their opinions freely; now it is less than half. The authorities have been accused of trying to silence pro-Palestinian voices on the grounds of antisemitism. More controversially, the hard-right Alternative for Germany party has been branded as extremist" by intelligence services; many politicians want to see it banned outright. Romania annulled its presidential election in December over concerns that the hard-right candidate had won only with the help of dodgy social media, in breach of electoral laws.

It is not just politicians who are protected from harassment. Hate-speech" rules also shield minoritieswhether gays or Muslims, migrants or the disabledfrom others opinions. What Americans dismiss as tasteless, European prosecutors sometimes treat as criminal. Most notably, the right to offend religious groups is no longer assured everywhere. Once upon a time Denmark lived with the political consequences of racist agitators burning the Koran (which sparked terrorism threats). Since 2023 it has deemed improper treatment of a religious text" to be a criminal offence. To liberal critics, that seems a lot like an unwelcome return to once-abolished blasphemy laws.

In practice most of the stuff over-eager censors might focus on is expressed these days online. The Digital Services Act (DSA), a new set of EU rules, introduced guidelines for purveyors of internet content. Mostly the rules ensure that what is said online, in a blog post or in a comment below a YouTube video, say, is treated on a par with what is said offline. But the DSA also imposes further obligations on the largest platforms, such as Facebook or X, in line with Europes rights-come-with-responsibilities approach to speech. In particular the EU now wants the tech giants to take into account any actual or foreseeable negative effects on civic discourse" as they design their services, for example what content they tolerate.

Critics think this is a vague and potentially chilling notion. Beyond regulating hate speech", entreaties to ban disinformation" from online forums invite questions as to who decides what is real. In the case of the DSA, quasi-judicial codes of practice policed by opaque out-of-court dispute-settlement bodies muddy the waters, often by encouraging platforms to take down more than they might otherwise. Getting it wrong carries a hefty price: fines can reach 6% of global turnover. Americans worry that Europeans more restrictive approach to speech will seep into their own public sphere, as tech firms apply a single set of rules globally.

Much of the speech that ends up in the digital censors dustbin, perhaps wrongly, involves views that even liberals might take issue with (racist bilge is often posted anonymously for a reason). It is also stuff people believe. Using the law to settle debate is convenient for those in the majority. It also tends to exacerbate disagreement rather than settle it. I understand these issues are controversial," says Mrs Rasanen. But we must be able to disagree."

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DUBAIAs Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria was collapsing late last year, Israel took the opportunity to destroy the military capabilities of one of its oldest enemies.

Since then, it has increased its demands on the new regime, insisting on a demilitarized zone south of Damascus and promising to intervene militarily if needed to protect the Druze minority who live on both sides of the border.

That is putting Israel in deepening conflict with Syrias new leadership, as sectarian violence involving the Druze spiraled this week. Druze on both sides of the Israel-Syria border smashed through Israeli troop positions as they tried to save their families from the unfolding violence.

It is also pitting Israel more directly against Turkey, which supports the new government of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using the Druze as a pretext to destabilize Syria.

At this point, the biggest problem in our region is Israels aggression," he said.

On Wednesday, Israel struck Syrias military headquarters in Damascus, after launching a wave of airstrikes targeting government tanks and military convoys in the countrys south. Israel said it was acting in defense of the Druze.

Israels response marked a surprising display of force against the new government after the U.S. began pushing the two countries toward a diplomatic detente, and when Israeli officials had in recent weeks talked up the possibility of a deal.

Clashes in Sweida, in southern Syria, began earlier this week over the alleged Bedouin kidnapping of a Druze vegetable seller, and grew into bloody street battles that left at least 150 dead, according to Ayman Shib Al Deen, a Druze lawyer and activist who tracks the number of violent deaths by visiting hospital morgues.

Community leaders, activists and Israels military said the violence worsened once Syrian government forces got involved.

Some 150,000 Druze live within Israel, and many have played a key role in the military. Pressure on the government from Israeli Druze leadership to protect their Syrian family was at a fever pitch this week, as many noted that Israeli Druze died in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and in the ensuing 21-month long war in Gaza. It is Israels turn, they argued, to defend them.

The Druze have helped the Jews ever since they built the state of Israel," said Eman Safady, an Israeli Druze journalist and expert on Middle East politics.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Syria crossed two red lines that compelled him to act. The first was sending troops into an area that Israel has demanded be turned into a demilitarized zone," which it says is needed to keep militants from taking root there. The second was allowing harm to come to the Druze, accusing the government of massacring" them.

Both of these red lines were violated by the regime in Damascus," Netanyahu said. This was absolutely unacceptable to us."

Israels pledge to defend the group is giving it an opportunity to display military dominance over its weaker neighbor and assert more control over their shared border. Israel struck hundreds of military targets while Assads regime was collapsing, leaving the Syrian government nearly defenseless against the onslaught of Israeli assaults.

Still, it is unclear if the Israeli attacks have stopped the sectarian battles. Sharaas government said its security forces have retreated. But reports continued of ongoing fighting between local Bedouins, who are Sunni, and the Druze, whose religion is rooted in an ancient offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Sharaa, who was cautious about criticizing Israel when he first came to power, was more forceful after the Israeli attacks. In a speech on Thursday, Sharaa said his government succeeded in bringing calm to Sweida despite Israeli interference." He accused Israel of widespread targeting of civilian and government infrastructure to undermine these efforts, greatly complicating the situation and pushing it toward a broad escalation."

Syria under Assad had in recent years become one of Israels quietest borders. Israels demand that the south remain demilitarized comes from its fears that Islamist forces could reach its border, something that Israel has become keenly sensitive to since the 2023 attack from Gaza.

The fighting this week has shown just how hard it is to keep the border stable, as hundreds of Druze rushed to cross into Syria in an effort to defend loved ones living on the other side. The sudden surge overwhelmed authorities and led Israel to establish routes to let them through.

Security analysts say that while Israel should welcome the new Syrian governments promises to build an inclusive society, many have doubts about Sharaas control over the countrys many armed groups, and whether his aim of national reconstruction takes priority over his Islamist ideology.

There are two open questions here, and I dont know the answers," said Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, a think tank based in Israel. One is: Is the new regime led by Sharaa capable of solving the problem? The other question is: Are they interested in doing that? Here again, the answer isnt totally clear."

Smoke rises over Damascus following Israeli strikes this week.

Write to Feliz Solomon at feliz.solomon@wsj.com
It was Jeffrey Epsteins 50th birthday, and Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing a special gift to mark the occasion. She turned to Epsteins family and friends. One of them was Donald Trump.

Maxwell collected letters from Trump and dozens of Epsteins other associates for a 2003 birthday album, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Pages from the leather-bound albumassembled before Epstein was first arrested in 2006are among the documents examined by Justice Department officials who investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago, according to people who have reviewed the pages. Its unclear if any of the pages are part of the Trump administrations recent review.

The presidents past relationship with Epstein is at a sensitive moment. The Justice Department documents, the so-called Epstein files, and who or what is in them are at the center of a storm consuming the Trump administration. On Wednesday, after angry comments about how the files are a hoax created by Democrats, President Trump lashed out at his own supporters for refusing to let the matter go.

The letter bearing Trumps name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdylike others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald" below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.

The letter concludes: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret."

In an interview with the Journal on Tuesday evening, Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture. This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story," he said.

I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women," he said. Its not my language. Its not my words."

He told the Journal he was preparing to file a lawsuit if it published an article. Im gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else," he said.

Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006 and he was arrested that year. Epstein died in 2019 in jail after he was arrested a second time and charged with sex trafficking conspiracy.

Justice Department officials didnt respond to requests for comment or address questions about whether the Trump page and other pages of the birthday album were part of the agencys recent documents review. The FBI declined to comment.

The existence of the album and the contents of the birthday letters havent previously been reported.

The album had poems, photos and greetings from businesspeople, academics, Epsteins former girlfriends and childhood pals, according to the documents reviewed by the Journal and people familiar with them.

Among those who submitted letters were billionaire Leslie Wexner and attorney Alan Dershowitz. The album also contained a letter from a now-deceased Harvard economist, one of Epsteins report cards from Mark Twain junior high school in Brooklyn and a note from a former assistant that included an acrostic with Epsteins name: Jeffrey, oh Jeffrey!/ Everyone loves you!/ Fun in the sun!/ Fun just for fun!/ Rememberdont forget me soon!/ Epsteinyou rock!/ You are the best!"

Epstein was Wexners money manager at the time. The longtime leader of Victorias Secret wrote a short message that said: I wanted to get you what you want so here it is."

After the text was a line drawing of what appeared to be a womans breasts.

Wexner declined to comment through a spokesman. Wexners spokesman previously told the Journal that the retail mogul severed all ties with Epstein in 2007 and never spoke with him again."

Dershowitzs letter included a mock-up of a Vanity Unfair" magazine cover with mock headlines such as Who was Jack the Ripper? Was it Jeffrey Epstein?" He joked that he had convinced the magazine to change the focus of an article from Epstein to Bill Clinton.

Dershowitz, who represented Epstein after his first arrest, said, Its been a long time and I dont recall the content of what I may have written."

The book was put together by a New York City bookbinder, Herbert Weitz, according to people who were involved in the process. Weitz, who died in 2020, listed Epstein as a client on his website in 2003.

It isnt clear how the letter with Trumps signature was prepared. Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person.

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything," the note began.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I wont tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

President Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

Jeffrey enjoys his social life

When he turned 50, Epstein was already wealthy from managing Wexners fortune and was socializing with Trump, Clinton and other powerful people at his Manhattan townhouse, Palm Beach, Fla., home and private Caribbean island.

A spokesman for Clinton referred to a 2019 statement that former President Clinton had cut off ties more than a decade before Epsteins second arrest and didnt know about Epsteins alleged crimes.

Epstein and Trump spent time together in the 1990s and early 2000s and were photographed at social events, including with Maxwell and Melania Trump. A 1992 tape from the NBC archives shows Trump partying with Epstein at his Mar-a-Lago estate; Trump is seen pulling a woman toward him and patting her behind.

Trump, along with others including Clinton, also appeared several times on flight logs for Epsteins private jet.

A 2002 New York magazine profile of Epstein quoted Trump. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy," Trump said. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about itJeffrey enjoys his social life."

Both men said that they subsequently had a falling-out. Trump has said their friendship ended before Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, served time in a Florida jail and registered as a sex offender.

When Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Trump said he hadnt talked to Epstein for about 15 years. I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him," Trump said in the Oval Office at that time. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you."

Trumps spokeswoman told the Journal in 2023 that Trump had banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club at some point in the past, without elaborating.

Maxwell, a British socialite, was convicted in 2021 of helping Epsteins sex-trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Maxwell didnt respond to a letter requesting an interview sent to her in prison. Arthur Aidala, an attorney representing Maxwell in her appeal, said, At this point, she is focused on her case before the Supreme Court of the United States."

The FBIs Epstein files

Epsteins associations with Trump and many powerful people have been well documented. There remain questions about what the FBI possesses about Epstein and his well-connected friends. In 2019, the FBI confiscated evidence from Epsteins properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York.

Earlier Tuesday, after the Journal sought comment from the president about the letter, Trump told reporters at the White House that he believed some Epstein files were made up" by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former FBI Director James Comey.

He said that releasing any more Epstein files would be up to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release," Trump said.

Allegations that bureaucrats covered up Epsteins connections with participants in his trafficking scheme were fanned by people now in top roles in the Trump administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino.

In June 2024, Trump was asked in a Fox News interview whether he would release the Epstein case files. The Republican presidential candidate initially responded, Yeah, I would." But he also expressed some reservations. You dont want to affect peoples lives if its phony stuff in there, because its a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would."

Soon after she was confirmed as attorney general, Bondi said she was preparing to release new Epstein files. In late February, Bondi announced the release of Phase 1" of the documents. But the material contained few new revelations, drawing criticism from right-wing influencers.

Bondi initially blamed the FBIs New York office for withholding information and promised to release the remaining documents after redacting the victims names. Patel also said, There will be no coverups, no missing documents and no stone left unturned." They tasked hundreds of FBI employees to review the materials and prepare them for release.

The issue took on new life in June when Elon Musk, amid a public feud with Trump, alleged that the FBI was withholding documents from the Epstein case because Trump was in the files.

The truth will come out," Musk wrote on X on June 5. He later deleted the message and said he regretted some of his comments.

On July 7, the Justice Department backtracked on Bondis pledge to release more Epstein files. The Justice Department said that after an exhaustive review" it had found no incriminating client list" or additional documents that warrant public disclosure.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demanded this week that Republican Chairman Jim Jordan hold hearings on the Trump administrations handling of the Epstein files and, if necessary, subpoena Bondi, Patel and Bongino.

At a cabinet meeting on July 8, Trump criticized a reporter for asking about Epstein. Are people still talking about this guy, this creep?" Trump said. That is unbelievable. Do you want to waste the time?"

That same day, Musk wrote on X: How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he wont release the Epstein files?"

Write to Khadeeja Safdar at khadeeja.safdar@wsj.com and Joe Palazzolo at Joe.Palazzolo@wsj.com
For automakers fretting about the potential loss of incentives if they import fully built motors to skirt China's magnet export curbs, relief may be at hand.

The Centre has asked testing agencies to check whether strict localization norms to claim incentives can be relaxed, three people aware of the development said. The heavy industries ministry has also asked these agencies to assess the likely impact of such a move, the people said on the condition of anonymity.

The testing agencies have been asked to assess the potential impact on manufacturers and their localization, their domestic value addition (DVA). The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) will do the assessment to see if relaxations are necessary," one of the three people cited above said on the condition of anonymity. ARAI is an autonomous testing and certification agency set up by the automotive industry along with the government, and affiliated with the heavy industries ministry.

Vehicles must have specific amounts of domestic content to be eligible for central incentives. With the Chinese clampdown on exports of rare earth magnets used in motors, automakers have considered importing fully-built motors instead, but that would breach the localization norms and cut off incentives; to avert this, the manufacturers had approached the Centre for relief.

Four testing agenciesARAI, International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC), and National Automotive Test Track (NATRAX)have been notified under the schemes to assess localization levels and other criteria for manufacturers to claim benefits.

The two central subsidy schemes are the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components (PLI-Auto) as well as the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to subsidize electric mobility. Under the PLI-Auto scheme, 50% of the components used in a vehicle must be made in India.

Implementation issues

While the extent of the relief sought is still being discussed, even a temporary relaxationas sought by the auto industrywould have a significant impact. The PM E-DRIVE scheme is set to lapse in less than nine months, making even short-term relief a big part of the scheme. On the other hand, the PLI-Auto scheme has a very high bar for localisation, making any deviation a major change in the way the scheme operates.

One expert indicated that a revision of the norm could be tough to implement.

"It is not easy to relax localization norms because you don't know where to stop and when to revert. Timeline relaxation can be considered, but a full localisation norm relaxation is difficult," said an industry consultant working with auto manufacturers.

Even importing fully built motors may prove to be costly, apart from increasing reliance on China. According to Harshvardhan Sharma, group head for auto tech and innovation at Nomura Research Institute Consulting & Solutions India, the disruption in rare earth magnet supplyparticularly neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnetsis increasingly forcing Indian automakers to look at importing fully assembled traction motors.

This shift is both a cost and strategic concern," said Sharma. He said fully built motors attract a basic customs duty of 10% to 15%, whereas magnet imports or motor sub-components may fall within the 2.5-5.0% duty bracket.

The delta in duties, combined with logistics and markup by motor OEMs, can increase the landed cost of motors by 18-25%," he said. Beyond cost, this dynamic increases Indias exposure to supply concentration risks, particularly given Chinas control over 85% of global rare earth refining capacity. Indias reliance on fully built motors effectively transfers part of the value chain and technological control offshore."

The localisation criteria under PM E-DRIVE follow the phased manufacturing programme and list the components that manufacturers are allowed to import and mandate the ones that are to be made locally.

Email queries sent to the ministry of heavy industries and the testing agencies on 14 July remained unanswered.

Depleted stockpiles

Chinas clampdown on rare earth magnets has thrown the Indian auto industry into a quagmire. Indian importers of rare earth magnets had rushed to buy the commodity at a premium, ahead of the Chinese curb on exports introduced in April, helping cushion the blow to the industry, Mint reported earlier. With those stockpiles almost depleted and no prospects of fresh magnet imports, Indian automakers are considering importing fully assembled components.

Rare earth magnets, such as neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets, are used in advanced automotive applications and are essential in components such as traction motors for electric vehicles.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers had written to the ministry on 27 June, asking for a temporary relaxation of localisation norms in various government schemes like the PLI-Auto scheme and PM E-DRIVE, Mint reported on 7 July. The industry had explained the issue to the government and its testing agencies and sought relaxation of localisation norms under the two schemes, a second person aware of the development said.

Also Read | Indian auto stuck in queue as China clears rare earth magnets for others

The industrys concern is that importing such assemblies will lower the localisation in zero-emission vehicles made by Indian manufacturers and push them out of the PLI-Auto scheme, the first official said. The schemes focus on using locally manufactured parts to make zero-emission vehicles is to counter the dependence on the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem for critical components of EVs.

The government plans to dole out about 2,000 crore in PLI-Auto disbursals in FY26, heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy said in an email interview to Mint, following disbursal of 332 crore in FY25.

Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, which has 10,900 crore to be doled out by FY26, automakers receive a reimbursement from the government for every electric two- and three-wheeler, ambulance, truck, and bus they sell at a discount.

Testing agencies are critical in implementing Indias clean mobility schemes. Under both PM E-DRIVE and PLI-Auto, every manufacturer has to get its vehicles vetted by at least one of the four testing agencies for localisation criteria.
After US chipmaker Nvidia announced it would resume sales of its H20 AI chips to China, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday that the chip is not US "best stuff" and that allowing Nvidia to sell its AI chips to China is intended to make China rely upon it US technology - "get addicted to the American technology stack." On the same day, White House AI adviser David Sacks made similar remarks, stating that the US is not selling the latest and greatest chips to China, and describing the H20 as merely "a deprecated chip." One of the purposes of allowing its export, he said, is "deprive Huawei of basically having this giant market share in China," because "if you give the whole Chinese market to Huawei, it's a huge subsidy for their R&D."

These remarks were largely made to offset domestic political pressure in the US. After Nvidia's announcement, many American media outlets once again revived the familiar "China threat" narrative. The New York Times called the move a "reversed course" from the Trump administration's stance, noting that Washington had only imposed the relevant export restrictions three months earlier. The paper claimed this reversal marked a retreat "from a signature effort to stay ahead of China in the A.I. race." Some US scholars even described it as a "gift" to China. Against this backdrop, it's hardly surprising that certain US officials stepped forward to do damage control - stressing that the chips sold to China are "nothing special" and that the real aim is to ensure China can never catch up with the US.

No matter how much rhetorical spin US officials may employ, a few fundamental facts remain clear: First, the real reason behind loosening restrictions on the H20 chip is that China's commitment to independent innovation has effectively broken through the US blockade. Second, some in the US still cling to a containment mindset toward China, and the "political correctness" of aggressive competition with China continues to poison the foundation of US China-policy thinking. Third, mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between China and the US is an inevitable choice - cooperation will not put either side at a disadvantage; it is the lack of cooperation that truly brings loss.

The debate surrounding the H20 chip has ironically revealed that why it is easy for Washington to make the wrong decisions on its foreign policy, while it is always difficult for the country to take the right step. Lifting the export restrictions was, in essence, a correction of a past mistake.

It wasn't simply about "letting China get a chip" - it also meant US companies can regain access to a major market, benefiting both sides. The logic behind this is straightforward. Yet in today's domestic climate in the US, these plain facts have become unspeakable "political taboos." Instead, baseless and logically incoherent narratives tend to dominate the discourse.

This is also why so many misleading descriptions about China are always self-contradictory - because they are detached from reality and often serve as displays of political posturing. Take The New York Times as an example: when the Trump administration announced a ban this April, it claimed that restrictions on chip sales to China are "fueling concerns" that Chinese tech giant Huawei will become "a chip-making powerhouse"; when the ban was lifted, it immediately warned that the US has backed away from AI race with China. So whether H20 chips are sold to China or not, it's always framed as "China wins." This is not simply some media outlet contradicting itself on a single issue, but a common phenomenon: no matter what the political figures they oppose do, accusing them of "benefiting China" is always a convenient line of attack. The fact that China-US relations have sunk to their lowest point since normalization is due in no small part to this harmful, self-defeating mindset in the US.

China is neither a monstrous flood intent on swallowing the US whole, nor a country that can only survive on American technological handouts. Those who constantly bind China's development to the US are being a bit too self-absorbed. The direction and purpose of China's technological progress have nothing to do with the US; rather, they are focused on providing a more modern life for over 1.4 billion people, which is the fundamental driving force behind China's continued progress. That's also the fundamental reason why, despite the US ramping up restrictions on China over the years, most of those seemingly intimidating sanctions have ultimately lost their effectiveness.

While some in the US endlessly argue over whether H20 chips should be sold to China, global cooperation in emerging technologies is thriving. The ongoing third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing is a good example.

Among over 650 multinational exhibitors, the number of US companies has grown by 15 percent compared to the previous expo, once again ranking first among foreign exhibitors, with exhibition space up by 10 percent. For a large-scale exhibition like the CISCE, exhibitors have to book their booths well in advance, especially Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders, whose participation is part of their medium- to long-term strategic planning. In other words, exhibiting itself is an investment of long-term confidence in the Chinese market.

American politicians and media figures who claim to "care" about China-US tech competition would do well to come to China and experience firsthand the surging momentum of its new quality productive forces and innovation ecosystem, and see the dynamism of globalization and free trade on the expo floor. While some remain stuck in a zero-sum mindset, the interconnected world outside has already moved on to the Next Level. (Source: Global Times)
Top executive search firms are now pushing back against unrealistic hiring mandates from clients, warning that their dream 100% match or a purple squirrel", a candidate who ticks every box, simply does not exist in todays opaque and volatile job market. Instead, they are urging companies to accept strong 70% matches or risk long delays and costly dropouts.

The demand is for a young leader equipped with in-depth knowledge of the latest digital skillsets and cross-functional experience, one who can weather all storms and drive the firm in poor visibility. But such a perfect candidate does not exist.

Pranshu Upadhyay, regional director at global executive search firm Michael Page, says it upfront: a recruitment partner can match talent and not create it".

In 6 out of 10 cases, we consult clients on what's available and what's not. In complex roles, a 70% match is a good fit. Otherwise, the hunt for purple squirrels remains on diluting the position further in the relevant candidate pool - being opened for four to six plus months," Upadhyay told Mint.

The headhunters, those who prowl for CXOs and a level below, have noticed that companies are combining job descriptions to create a mandate that does not exist in the market.

Also Read | The skills that are shaping hiring patterns in India this year

For instance, said the regional director of Michael Page said, a company may ask for a candidate with a large language model (LLM) experience of over five years.

But since LLMsused in artificial intelligence (AI) chatbotsarrived in India only two-three years ago, it is difficult to find someone with this tenure, unless they are targeting Silicon Valley for the talent".

Over the past couple of years, CXO talent hunt has witnessed a yo-yo. On an overdrive in 2021 and a large part of 2022, the job market froze after companies realized that they had overhired. Indian firms mirrored global layoffs in IT and the startup sector, and then hiring expanded again in 2024. But it has not gathered the same momentum.

The crises in West Asia and realigning of businesses as companies tighten their belts and measure the impact of AI on workflows have brought in a lot of hesitancy in the job market. The ongoing trade war, along with its domino effect on economies, has brought about opaqueness in what lies a few quarters down the line.

Companies are taking up to six months to take recruitment calls and candidates are also turning hesitant. The fear that the last man in will be the first man out has set in. And, therefore, the talent search firms are strongly nudging clients to dial down their expectations.

We are hired to find the best in the talent market. But like there is no perfect job, there is no perfect candidate. As leadership advisers, we consult and advise clients on attributes that are must have and those which are good to have, and what are the acceptable tradeoffs," said Pankaj Arora, managing director at global executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

For Russell Reynolds, the advisory role increases for the "first-time clients" till the rhythm sets in. Companies in new-age sectors are more open to experiment since they know talent is scarce in their sector than in the established sectors facing some headwinds, who may have a lesser risk appetite," noted Arora.

A search firm represented by headhunters looks at hiring CXOs or top-level executives. Then, there are recruitment companies that place junior and middle management executives. And finally, the hiring industry has staffing firms, which provide the third-party workforce, where the employee works for a firm but is on the payroll of the hiring vendor.

While there is a flat fee structure for staffing and recruitment firms, the executive search sector gets its fees in tranches. A part of it comes in when the mandate is given, a part when a certain number of candidates are shortlisted, the third when an offer is made and accepted, and the final tranche sets in when the selected CXO completes three to six months in the firm. Therefore, delays in shortlisting candidates hurt the search firms' books.

Agamjeet Dang, chief executive officer for search firm Executive Access India, sits with the clients hiring team to discuss the top three parameters that the candidate must have. Over the last 18-24 months, the search industry has seen an increase in failure rates, where the briefs led to long-drawn multiple hunts. About 60% of the clients are open to pushback, but many search firms do not say no, fearing the client will go away".

Ultimately, the delays, multiple cross-checks and hesitancy from Indian companies are also leading to an increase in dropouts. Some search firms have noted a 20% increase in CXO dropouts after accepting the offer in the past year, and the whole process has to start again.

Also Read | The curious case of CXO dropouts

Many companies are taking to accommodation. According to the HR head of a Mumbai-based mid-tier finance firm, they have decided to accept a candidate who matches 70% of the job profile. But the reason behind the strategy is different.

We are open to candidates who may not have the exact qualities but can be groomed," the HR head said. "Hence, they are put in the succession pipeline and the skillsets that they do not have are honed."
(Bloomberg) -- Currency headwinds are darkening the outlook of Swedens industrial companies, clouding a fairly resilient performance in the face of US President Donald Trumps trade war.

As the countrys leading sector  industrial companies make up almost half of the 30-member OMX indexs weight  its fate is crucial for Sweden.

Atlas Copco AB took the biggest hit thus far with a 1.5 billion kronor ($156 million) impact on profit in the second quarter. The air compressor and vacuum manufacturers earnings for the period missed analyst expectations. Shares fell as much as 10% in Stockholm trading.

The currency impact will be difficult to mitigate, Chief Executive Officer Vagner Veloso da Silva Rego said in an interview, while customer hesitancy is also growing in the face of uncertainty.

We see a lot of discussions, but fewer decisions, he said. Customers want to have a bit more clarity before they make decisions, especially for large equipment. This is where we suffered the most.

Fellow industrials fared better for now as seals and bearings manufacturer SKF AB, lawn-mower maker Husqvarna AB and mining equipment provider Sandvik AB all reported robust numbers, having mitigated the impact from tariffs by implementing price increases and rerouting trade flows. Though the hit from currency fluctuations is hard to ignore.

We are living in a volatile world and currencies are something we just have to work with, SKF CEO Rickard Gustafson told Bloomberg. Its not just the Swedish Krona. We have large flows from euro to dollars and euros to China.

The groups adjusted operating profit beat estimates for the second quarter as aerospace and electric vehicle demand rose, though was down year-on-year due to significant currency headwinds last quarter, with a further 500 million kronor hit expected on third-quarter earnings.

Meanwhile, Husqvarna  which also beat estimates  said it continued to experience uncertainty related to tariffs and noted significant currency fluctuations, which particularly impacted North American markets, while Sandvik flagged an 800 million kronor hit on third-quarter profit from currency fluctuations earlier this week.

The group also warned of trade war-induced volatility with tariffs remaining a question mark on the investment side, Sandvik CEO Stefan Widing said on Wednesdays earnings call.

--With assistance from Jonas Ekblom.

(Adds details from Atlas Copco from third paragraph)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Brokers and market intermediaries are pushing back at tighter supervision looming over the derivatives market, as mounting losses among retail investors drive the regulator to consider fresh measures.

A week after Mint reported that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) may overhaul the weekly contract expiry schedule if its recent curbs failed to cool the options fever, a brokers' association met Sebi chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey as part of a routine meeting.

A broker who attended the Association of National Exchanges Members of India's (ANMI) 15 July meeting said industry representatives implored the regulator not to discontinue weekly expiries. Sebi may move from the current weekly expiry regime to a single expiry every fortnight, severely curtailing trading opportunities, Mint had reported on 9 July.

Irreparable damage

Removal of weekly expiry will cause irreparable damage to market liquidity and risk management," the broker said. ANMI also called for removing the 2% extreme loss margin on expiry day and reinstating calendar spread benefits, arguing these steps would reduce trading costs and align Indian markets with global standards.

Brokers instead suggested Sebi could consider limiting access to weekly options trading to investors who pass a certificationakin to the US Series 7 licencedemonstrating knowledge and risk awareness. Additionally, Sebi could also impose minimum net worth or trading capital requirements and permit only those contracts with adequate open interest and notional-to-premium ratios.

The regulator has been focusing on the frenzy in derivatives for a while.

Adverse consequences

On Thursday, Sebi whole-time member Ananth Narayan G. said at an event, On expiry days, comparable turnover in index options is often 350 times or more the turnover in the underlying cash marketan imbalance that is obviously unhealthy, with several potential adverse consequences." He cited Sebis latest research, which found 91% of individual traders ended FY25 with net losses in futures and options, with aggregate losses exceeding 1 trillion.

Narayan emphasized, There is no question that derivatives and indeed, speculation are vital for price discovery, hedging, and ensuring market depth. But certain trends in our equity derivatives ecosystem have warranted a closer look for a while now." He also acknowledged the potential concerns of market infrastructure institutions, brokers, and other intermediaries, whose revenues may depend heavily on these short-term derivative volumes. "But we must ask ourselves collectively  is all this at all sustainable?", he wondered.

Sebis case rests on growing evidence that short-term contracts, particularly weekly options, have caused an unhealthy imbalance in market structures."

Will it backfire?

However, brokers warn that shutting the door on weekly expiries could backfire. Kamlesh Shah, managing director at Share India Securities and former ANMI president, argued, To ban a product is not the solution. The product is in line with international practices where short-term contracts are favoured the most. Banning weekly products may create unwarranted volatility... We have technology available to protect the market from undesirable practices. In addition to that, to protect interest of retail investors, we may introduce product suitability... We therefore feel that the current guideline for weekly contract may continue."

Shah of ANMI also made the case for reinstating Bank Nifty as a weekly/fortnightly contract: Bank Nifty has been by far the best product India market had ever held. By allowing one benchmark contract for weekly options, Bank Nifty contracts were removed from weekly cycle... We believe that this contract is necessary for shorter duration, keeping in view volatility of the market and international events."

The recent regulatory thrust also follows Sebi's interim order against US-based Jane Street, a major liquidity provider, for alleged manipulation on expiry days. The regulator ordered the seizure of 4,800 crore in alleged unlawful gains. While praised for acting against manipulation, the move triggered concerns about new compliance burdens and market uncertainty.

"Given the context of the large trading in index options, the regulator wants to see if its recent measures result in a meaningful dip in volumes over the next few weeks. If there isn't much of an impact, fresh proposals could be considered after a due consultative process," the broker cited earlier said.

'Weekly options necessary'

K. Suresh, current ANMI president, added, Weekly option is required for the purpose of hedgingthe only thing is that it should be least disruptive to the market... In the absence of speculators, there will be lull in the market. Sebi should bring in some surveillanceto avoid mischiefs like Jane Street... exchanges have good surveillance, they can stop those trades which will prevent losses to investors."

Sebis policy revamp began in October 2024, with limits on weekly expiries, increased contract lot sizes, higher margins, the withdrawal of calendar spread benefits, and rigorous intraday checks. Further steps in May 2025 targeted position limits, disclosures, and risk metrics.

A Sebi study on trading activity in the equity derivatives segment (EDS) released on July 7 found that while the premium turnover of index options was down 9% during December 2024 to May 2025, it was still up 14% from the same period two years ago. Moreover, while the turnover of individuals in premium terms was down 11% year on year, it was up by 36% from the same period two years ago. Also, while the number of unique individuals trading in EDS was down 20% from a year ago during December-May, it was up 24% from two years ago.

Heavy trading

"India continues to see a relatively very high level of trading in EDS, compared to other markets, particularly in index options," the study found, adding that 91% of individual traders incurred a net loss in FY25, a trend similar to that in the preceding fiscal year.

Brokers have complained of a liquidity crunch, as F&O turnover plunged and bid-ask spreads widened. Trading costs are up, and its the retail segment that is getting squeezed," a broker said on condition of anonymity. While Sebis intent is retail protection, some worry that traders are being pushed into riskier monthly contracts or even to unofficial markets and crypto substitutes, where regulatory oversight is absent.

Sebi officials have maintained that moderating speculative excess is a work in progress, not a one-off. Narayan said at the event, We must look to improve the quality of our derivatives market by extending the tenure and maturity of the products and solutions on offer. This specialized area requires ongoing constructive debate and work."
Financial regulators in Thailand are mulling to let foreign tourists exchange cryptocurrency in exchange of Thai Baht to make purchases across the country, in a move to enhance its tourism sector.

In a recently proposed initiative, the country announced intentions of launching a crypto sandbox for its tourists, who can convert their Bitcoin into real money and purchase goods and services.

While the move is aimed at wooing more tourists, Thailand is not the only country that accepts crypto payments. Here are six others.

El Salvador El Salvador was the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, allowing both citizens and tourists to use the cryptocurrency for everyday transactions, such as shopping, food and travel. However, the country agreed to roll back some aspects of Bitcoin usage following intervention from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Malta One of Europe's most crypto-forward nations, Malta is often called the Blockchain Island. Retailers and restaurants across the country began accepting Bitcoin as early as 2016. Tourists can also use their digital assets to book flights and accommodations in Malta.

Maltas Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFAA), which was introduced in 2018, streamlines licensing for crypto companies.

UAE The United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, has witnessed a rapid growth of cryptocurrency adoption across sectors, including retail, real estate, and hospitality.

Top developers like DAMAC and Emaar accept Bitcoin and Ether payments to purchase properties. Expanding the opportunity, Emirates Airlines earlier this month signed an MoU with Crypto.com to accept crypto payments for booking flights. The airlines will, by 2026, accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital currencies for flight bookings and in-flight services.

Portugal Portugal, another crypto-friendly nation in Europe, encourages the adoption of cryptocurrencies via tax policies and relaxed regulations. While it is not yet legal tender in the country, many businesses accept Bitcoin payments.

Japan Japan recognised Bitcoin as a legal payment method as early as 2017, becoming one of the first countries to do so. While most transactions in Japan are cash-reliant, some retailers, electronics stores, as well as travel agencies now accept Bitcoin for tourists and residents.
The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) is mulling to launch a crypto sandbox for foreign tourists, a move that has been welcomed by digital asset exchange operators.

The move is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness in Thailand's tourism, which otherwise does not allow its residents to pay in cryptocurrency. However, foreign tourists may soon be able to exchange crypto for Baht under the new rules.

Here is your detailed guide of what a crypto sandbox is and how it will work in Thailand.

What is the crypto sandbox of Thailand? The Bank of Thailand along with SEC has invited public comments on the launch of the crypto sandbox across the country that will allow foreign tourists to use digital assets in Thailand, in a landmark initiative.

Foreign tourists in Thailand will now be able to convert their digital assets like cryptocurrency to baht for use during their stay in the country.

The proposal further eyes to promote innovation, enhance digital asset utililisation and support the broader economy.

Also Read | XRP breaks 2018 record to scale new high as Trump admin passes crypto bills

How will crypto sandbox in Thailand work? Initially piloted in Phuket, the crypto sandbox initiative now expands to other parts of Thailand after receiving positive feedback.

Foreign tourists will be able to exchange their digital assets to get baht from licensed digital asset operators. Thereafter, they can use the converted Thai Baht via e-money service providers to pay for goods and services across the country, the SEC said in a statement.

Merchants would be required to open an account and make transactions through digital asset business operators under the SEC's supervision and e-money business operators under the Bank of Thailands (BOT) supervision, the SEC said.

Sandbox participants would be allowed to provide services exclusively to foreign tourists who travel to, and temporarily reside in, Thailand.

Also Read | Bitcoin hits $123,000: How investors can book gains and report them in ITR

They must also conduct Know Your Customer/Customer Due Diligence (KYC/CDD) procedures according to the criteria of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and provide digital asset exchange services according to the type of license granted by the SEC, as per the SEC.
Indian stock market benchmarks, Sensex and the Nifty 50, closed with losses on Thursday on profit booking in select heavyweights. The Sensex fell 375 points to end at 82,259.24, while the Nifty 50 settled at 25,111.45, down 0.40%. However, the mid and small-cap segments outperformed. The BSE Midcap index inched up by 0.07 per cent, while the BSE Smallcap index rose 0.30 per cent.

Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTraders Raja Venkatraman:

CONCORDBIO (Cmp 1920.50)

Why its recommended: Concord Biotech Limited is an India-based research and development-driven biopharma company. The Company is engaged in the research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of pharmaceutical products. After the recent profit booking, we are seeing that the prices have bottomed out forming a rounding pattern to show some strong upmove on Thursday.

Concord Biotech Limited is an India-based research and development-driven biopharma company. The Company is engaged in the research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of pharmaceutical products. After the recent profit booking, we are seeing that the prices have bottomed out forming a rounding pattern to show some strong upmove on Thursday. Key metrics: P/E: 53.87, 52-week high:  2664, Volume: 624.34K.

P/E: 53.87, 52-week high: 2664, Volume: 624.34K. Technical analysis: Support at  1722, resistance at  2120.

Support at 1722, resistance at 2120. Risk factors: High volatility, negative investor sentiment, and long-term bearish trends.

High volatility, negative investor sentiment, and long-term bearish trends. Buy: above 1930 and dips to  1860.

above 1930 and dips to 1860. Target price:  2105-2155 in 1 month.

2105-2155 in 1 month. Stop loss:  1830.

Also Read | Tech Mahindras Q1 positives overshadowed by macro blues

ECLERX(Cmp 3669.10)

Why its recommended: ECLERX stock price underwent some consolidation and thereafter the strong surge seen can be attributed to a combination of factors, including an increasing demand for digital services ,favourable market conditions and internal strategies. These factors, coupled with mixed market sentiment, have contributed to an improving outlook for this stock in the last few days. With the momentum indicator once again showing some positive vibes, we can look for initiating a long.

ECLERX stock price underwent some consolidation and thereafter the strong surge seen can be attributed to a combination of factors, including an increasing demand for digital services ,favourable market conditions and internal strategies. These factors, coupled with mixed market sentiment, have contributed to an improving outlook for this stock in the last few days. With the momentum indicator once again showing some positive vibes, we can look for initiating a long. Key metrics: P/E: 48.63, 52-week high:  3877; Volume: 173.98K.

P/E: 48.63, 52-week high: 3877; Volume: 173.98K. Technical analysis: Support at  3320, resistance at  3950.

Support at 3320, resistance at 3950. Risk factors: Market fluctuations, environmental and social impacts.

Market fluctuations, environmental and social impacts. Buy: above 3670 and dips to  3600.

above 3670 and dips to 3600. Target price:  4050-4150 in 1 month.

4050-4150 in 1 month. Stop loss:  3570.

SHYAMMETL (Cmp 919.80)

SHYAMMETL:Buy above 920 and dips to 880, stop 870 target 1000-1020

Why its recommended: Company is diversifying into railways with  450 crore wagon plant at Kharagpur (4,800 wagons/year; commercial production by FY27). It plans aggressive capex across ferro alloys, aluminium foils and energy businesses for capacity-led growth. Also, the charts have shown formation of a swing formation of V shaped recovery every time the prices have dipped into the cloud support and a subsequent upward drive is seen on the charts.

Company is diversifying into railways with 450 crore wagon plant at Kharagpur (4,800 wagons/year; commercial production by FY27). It plans aggressive capex across ferro alloys, aluminium foils and energy businesses for capacity-led growth. Also, the charts have shown formation of a swing formation of V shaped recovery every time the prices have dipped into the cloud support and a subsequent upward drive is seen on the charts. Key metrics: P/E: 52.44, 52-week high:  956.90, volume: 1.02M.

P/E: 52.44, 52-week high: 956.90, volume: 1.02M. Technical analysis: Support at  800, resistance at  1100.

Support at 800, resistance at 1100. Risk factors: Raw Material volatility and competition that is recently emerging from domestic players could impact profitability.

Raw Material volatility and competition that is recently emerging from domestic players could impact profitability. Buy at: CMP and dips to  880.

CMP and dips to 880. Target price:  1000-1020 in 1 month.

1000-1020 in 1 month. Stop loss:  870.

Also Read | Can arbitrage funds keep up as market volatility cools?

Stock Market Recap

On 17 July, Indias leading benchmarks relinquished their early rally and slipped into negative territory, underscoring a shift toward caution among market participants. The Sensex, which had opened 119 points higher at 82,753, dipped to 82,219, while the Nifty, after climbing to 25,230, retreated to 25,101. The retreat highlights investors growing reluctance to commit fresh capital amid a pair of looming uncertainties.

With markets yielding to speculation over US President Trumps stance on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell causing some cold feet. While the White House dismissed reports of an imminent leadership change, Trumps persistent public criticism of the Feds rate policy has fuelled anxiety about the central banks autonomy and the potential for monetary volatility. Also, as the August 1 deadline for an India-US trade pact approaches, traders are bracing for last-minute negotiations. New Delhi is reportedly pushing for tariffs more favorable than those secured by Indonesia, and any delay or dilution of terms could weigh further on market sentiment.

Outlook for Trading

The continued resistance at higher levels shows that the trends are pressured at higher levels as steady supplies are emerging. As we have been mentioning, the trends have been curtailed due to geopolitical trends that have kept the enthusiasm on leash.

From a trading perspective, we can note that the Bank Nifty chart featured yesterday had cautioned that the supports are vital and the hold is critical. However, the lacklustre behaviour seen on the charts demonstrates that the trendline support area around 56800 is crucial. This is an important zone to watch out for, combined with the recent lows that have been formed in that region. Also, the positive DI lines that were giving us some hope seem to be giving way.

With a long body red candles, we may now have witnessed a bearish engulfing clearly hinting at some shorting possibility. Further, the way the trends have progressed its clear that the lack of participation seen now is hinting at a negative day today. With the scenario getting set for some decline, one should look to be careful with their positions. There are still some stock specific action that is keeping the participants active as the result season is underway.

With the inability to move above way above 57500 on an EOD basis we need to revisit the bullish bias. Momentums on hourly charts are indicating that the prices after settling down are now hinting at the onset of some more decline. As eager bullish participants begin to resign, we need to now start adopting some selling candidates into our trading basket.

The readings from the Option Data suggest that PCR has moved to 0.78, highlighting that the trends continue to face some pressure at higher levels, with some steady Call writing at 57000 levels continues to prove to be a hurdle for recovery levels fighting the buying interest at every rise. Trends remain challenged and we are trading in a difficult situation.

Raja Venkatraman is the co-founder of NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223.

Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantees performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
On Thursday the Nifty 50 declined 0.40%, weighed down by weakness in IT and BFSI stocks. Both the Sensex and Nifty erased early gains and turned negative by mid-day as investor sentiment turned cautious amid uncertainty around the future of US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Also, weak global cues, disappointing IT earnings, lack of clarity on the India-US trade deal, and continued FII outflows contributed to the sell-off.

Two stock recommendations for today by MarketSmith India

Buy:Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd.(current price:  2,141)

Why its recommended: Diversified financial services portfolio, consistent focus on risk management and value creation

Key metrics: P/E: 8.35, 52-week high:  2,231.60, volume:  66.17 crore

2,231.60, volume: 66.17 crore Technical analysis: Cup-with-handle pattern breakout on above average volume

Risk factors: Regulatory risks, market and economic volatility, and concentration risk

Buy:  2,141

2,141 Target price:  2,490 in two to three months

2,490 in two to three months Stop loss:  1,990

Also Read | Tech Mahindras Q1 positives overshadowed by macro blues

Buy: Dhanuka Agritech (current price:  1,779)

Why its recommended: Diversified product portfolio, strong distribution network, strategic alliances with global innovators

Key metrics: P/E: 26.09, 52-week high:  1,926, volume:  21.17 crore

1,926, volume: 21.17 crore Technical analysis: Bullish flag breakout

Risk factors: Monsoon dependency, raw material volatility and China dependency

Buy at:  1,779

1,779 Target price:  2,100 in two to three months

2,100 in two to three months Stop loss:  1,640

How the Nifty 50 performed on 17 July

Markets were volatile on the weekly expiry day and ended nearly half a percent lower amid mixed cues. The Nifty opened flat and gradually drifted lower through the session, with a brief mid-day rebound failing to hold. The index eventually settled near the days low at 25,111, down 0.40%. IT, PSU banks and private banks were the major draggers, while realty, pharma and metal stocks showed some resilience, though not enough to offset the overall weakness. Notably, the broader markets outperformed the benchmarks, ending almost flat. The advance-decline ratio remained balanced at 1:1, reflecting a neutral market breadth.

Over the past four trading sessions, the index slipped below its 21-DMA. It continues to trade within a narrow range between the 21- and 50-DMA, indicating indecision in the near term. On the daily timeframe, the relative strength index (RSI) has turned upward and is now approaching 47-48, indicating a mild improvement in momentum. However, the daily MACD continues to trend with a negative crossover above the zero line, indicating a lack of strong bullish confirmation.

According to O'Neils methodology of market direction, Nifty reclaimed its recent high of 25,116. Hence, the market status has been upgraded to a Confirmed Uptrend as of June 11, 2025.

The index once again failed to surpass 25,250 and closed lower near 25,100, just 100 points above its 50-DMA. On the downside, if the index fails to hold above its 50-DMA support at 25,000, it may slip further toward 24,900 and potentially 24,750. To regain bullish momentum, a decisive breakout and sustained close above 25,300 is crucial. If this level is breached, the index could advance toward the 25,600-25,700 resistance zone in the coming sessions.

How did Nifty Bank perform?

On Thursday, Nifty Bank ended its three-day winning streak on a weak note, closing lower and breaching its 21-DMA. The index formed a bearish candle on the daily chart, marked by a lower-high and lower-low price structureindicating potential near-term weakness. The decline was broad-based, with all constituent banking stocks closing in the red. Notably, IndusInd Bank, Canara Bank, Federal Bank, and PNB were among the worst performers, exerting significant downward pressure on the index.

The momentum indicator, RSI, has shown a mild downturn and is currently positioned at 53, indicating a neutral stance with a slight loss of upward momentum. Meanwhile, the MACD has formed a negative crossover but remains above the zero linesignaling that while the broader trend remains positive, cautious observation and further confirmation are needed before validating a renewed bullish strength.

Also Read | ICICI Lombards strong profit growth insures subdued premium performance

As per ONeils methodology of market direction, Bank Nifty remains in a "Confirmed Uptrend", a trend it has sustained over the past few weeks.

At the current juncture, Nifty Bank has slipped below its 21-DMA, signaling the need for heightened caution in the near term. A sustained recovery above this levelparticularly a decisive move past 57,000will be critical for reinforcing the bullish outlook. Should the index manage to reclaim and hold above this threshold, it may open the door for an advance toward the immediate resistance at 57,200, with further upside potential extending to 57,650.

On the downside, the 56,60056,500 zone remains a key support area and is expected to provide a cushion against near-term pullbacks. Vigilant monitoring of these levels is essential for timely risk management and positioning.

MarketSmithIndia is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. It offers tools and resources to help investors make informed decisions based on the CAN SLIM methodology, founded by legendary investor William J. O'Neil. You can access a 10-day free trial by registering on its website.

Trade name: William ONeil IndiaPvt. Ltd.

Sebi Registration No.: INH000015543

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Stock market today: The benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant decline on Friday due to foreign fund withdrawals and a lackluster beginning to the quarterly earnings season, which negatively affected investors' mood. Analysts noted that the sentiment surrounding banking stocks is particularly cautious following Axis Bank's recent financial results, which did not meet market expectations.

The 30-share Sensex plummeted by 651.11 points or 0.79% to reach 81,608.13 during the trading day. Similarly, the 50-share Nifty 50 fell by 192.8 points or 0.76% to settle at 24,918.65.

Prashanth Tapse from Mehta Equities suggests that if the Nifty 50 remains below 25,000, it may swiftly drop to 24,800 or even lower, making risk management crucial in the current circumstances. Tapse recommends these three stocks to buy in the near-term. Here's what he says about the overall market.

Also Read | Stocks to buy: Rajesh Palviya of Axis Sec suggests these 3 shares for today

Market Views - Prashanth Tapse, Research Analyst, Senior Vice President of Research at Mehta Equities Nifty 50 Nifty 50 has fallen below the important 25,000 mark, showing that the market is turning more negative. This break suggests that the index may move down further, with the next support at 24,800. The failure to stay above 25,000 means sellers are still in control, possibly due to both global and local worries. Technical signals like RSI show weakness. Traders with short positions should keep a strict stop-loss at 25,100. If Nifty 50 stays under 25,000, it could quickly fall to 24,800 or lower, so managing risk is very important in these conditions.

Bank Nifty Bank Nifty has slipped below its key support of 56,600, making banking stocks more vulnerable. The index could drop further to 56,000 or even 55,500, with 55,000 as a major support if selling continues. Technical indicators show a negative trend, and many private and PSU banks are under pressure. The short-term view is weak, so traders should keep a stop-loss at 57,000 on their shorts. Unless Bank Nifty moves back above 56,600, more declines are possible. Its best to wait for clear signs of recovery before buying aggressively.

Also Read | Shares to buy or sell: Chandan Taparia recommends three stocks to buy today

Shares to buy for short term Prashanth Tapse recommends buying these three stocks in the short term - Enviro Infra, Tata Motors, and Astral.

Enviro Infra  Buy Buy at: 299 | Stop Loss: 294 | Target: 325, 330

Enviro Infra share price is starting to recover after a recent fall. The stock is close to strong support at 294, giving a good entry point with low risk. Technical indicators point to a possible move up towards 325 and 330. Traders can consider buying at the current price, but must keep a stop-loss at 294. Rising volumes will add confidence to the bullish view. If the stock closes below 294, the positive outlook will not hold, so following the stop-loss is important.

Tata Motors  Buy Buy at: 684 | Stop Loss: 650 | Target: 750

Tata Motors share price looks attractive after falling back to 684. The stock is holding above key averages and may bounce back to 750. Technical charts, including RSI, show signs of a possible recovery. Traders should set a stop-loss at 650 to control risk. If the price goes above 700 and stays there, it will be a stronger buy signal. Weakness can be used to buy more, but if it falls below 650, positions should be exited.

Astral Ltd.  Buy Buy at: 1,507 | Stop Loss: 1,450 | Target: 1,650, 1,700

Astral share price is moving sideways near support at 1,507 and could bounce back from here. The overall trend is still positive, with targets at 1,650 and 1,700 if buying picks up. Short-term technical indicators are showing some stability. Buy at current levels with a stop-loss at 1,450 to protect downside. If the price breaks above 1,530, it will confirm the bullish view. As long as the stop-loss is respected, the chances for higher levels remain good.

Also Read | Stocks to buy under 100: Experts recommend three shares to buy today
Finology Research Desk has a clear view: Not every stock deserves a place in your portfolio. Plenty of them look great at first - rapid growth, big promises, glowing media coverage. But take a closer look, and warning signs start to show.

These stocks can quietly hurt your returns over the long run. Thats why picking the right stocks isnt just about spotting winners. Its also about knowing what to avoid, and why. So weve built our rulebook: a clear, no-compromise principle of what not to own.

Heres what we deliberately avoid and why:

1. Companies that try to do it all We stay away from companies that try to lead in every sector. When promoters believe they can do everything, they usually end up losing focus. Legendary investor Peter Lynch warned against this kind of over-diversification; he called it diworsification. Its the opposite of smart diversification. Instead of reducing risk, it adds complexity, misallocates capital, and weakens the core business.

Such companies are hard to analyse, and even harder to predict. As investors, we prefer clarity and focus. So if a business keeps changing strategies, jumping into unrelated sectors, or shifting direction too often, it signals a lack of clarity.

In Finology 30, we pick focused businesses that lead in their sector. The result is clear: true portfolio-level diversification, built by choosing one strong, sector-leading company at a time.

Amtek Group is a classic example. Once a strong auto parts player, it lost direction in 2014 by acquiring Barista Coffee for 100 crore through its subsidiary, a move that made no strategic sense. At that time, Amtek was already struggling with debt, which had climbed from 15,000 crore in FY13 to 17,600 crore in FY14.

Instead of focusing on its core business, it poured money into a loss-making, unrelated venture. In 2015, the company defaulted on 800 crore worth of bonds and was forced to sell Barista and other assets to raise cash. By 2017, it went bankrupt, a direct result of rising debt and poor business focus.



We prefer businesses with focused promoters who solve one problem well, without distractions.

2. Companies that arent profitable We avoid companies that arent profitable. That doesnt mean every business must turn a profit from day one. Taking a few years is fine; there may be valid reasons, like heavy upfront investment or the need to reach scale in a low-margin industry. But lately, chasing growth without a clear path to profits has become the norm.

We believe in doing business the Zerodha or Zoho way: build with your capital, borrow less, and grow through real profits.

Sure, some businesses genuinely need heavy capital and have to raise funds; thats fair. But with over 5,000 listed companies to choose from for Finology 30, we dont compromise. We focus only on businesses that are profitable, use customer money to grow, and can stand on their own. Thats how we find 30 companies worth owning with confidence.

And even if a company is profitable, we avoid it if it cant fund its operations. United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) is a classic example. In FY24, its profit dropped 60%, ending the year with a loss of 1,878 crore. EBITDA margins fell from 19% to 10%, and cash flows dried up.

By December 2024, it had to raise 3,378 crore through a rights issue to repay its debt, which stood at 23,939 crore in FY23. Despite years of reported profits, the business couldnt sustain itself. High debt and rising costs kept draining cash.

Thats exactly the kind of risk we stay away from.

3. Public sector undertakings (PSUs) We strictly avoid public sector undertakings. While the government's role in sectors like healthcare, education, and law and order is critical, its involvement in running commercial enterprises such as airlines or a large number of banks may not always align with long-term economic efficiency.

We believe that one or two public banks are enough to ensure system stability. But when there are over 12, banks like SBI and Bank of Baroda end up competing with each other, instead of making the system stronger.

4. Companies that keep raising funds We stay away from companies that raise money every few months through FPOs, rights issues, or QIPs. Frequent fundraising is a red flag, as it usually means the company is short on cash or its core business isnt strong enough to fund growth on its own.

And heres the bigger problem: every time they issue new shares, existing shareholders get diluted. Even if profits grow later, earnings per share stay low because those profits are spread across too many shares.

We prefer businesses that fund growth through internal cash flows. In those cases, profits arent just earned, theyre reinvested into the business, keeping it self-reliant.

Over time, consistent cash generation can even allow these companies to buy back shares, reducing the total share count. That means future profits are shared among fewer shareholders, which pushes up earnings per share and shows the company is focused on real value creation, not just growth for the sake of it.

5. Companies that rely too much on government contracts We avoid companies that depend heavily on government contracts, where most of their revenue comes from B2G. In sectors like railways and infrastructure, the government is the dominant buyer. Multiple companies bid aggressively for the same order, leaving all the pricing power with the government.

On paper, these contracts may look lucrative. But the reality is different, margins are thin, payments are delayed for months, and a single policy change can throw everything off balance.

And its not just limited to government-facing businesses. The same problem shows up in any industry with too many sellers and too few buyers. In these situations, suppliers are stuck cutting costs, working with thin margins, and unable to raise prices.

Thats not the kind of company we want to invest in.

6. Companies that want to grow at any cost We stay away from companies that chase growth at any cost. These are the ones that want to be everywhere: food delivery, quick commerce, AI, logistics, you name it.

But when you ask about net profit, they brush it off, because theyve never made any. Instead, they point to EBITDA or operating profit. These numbers look better because they leave out key expenses like interest, depreciation, and taxes.

It gives a false impression that the company is profitable when, in reality, its not.

A few quarters later, when you ask again, they announce a new category where they plan to invest heavily for the next couple of years. And when questioned, they defend it by saying: If we werent entering new segments, our older ones would have been profitable. But those profits never show up.

The reality is, no company can win in every segment. One wrong move can undo years of progress. Wed rather invest in companies that lead in one segment, stay focused, and expand with clarity.

7. Companies with a political background We avoid companies run by promoters with a political background. These businesses often grow quickly when their party is in power, thanks to easy contracts and fast-track approvals.

But that growth usually comes at a cost: under-the-table deals, misused influence and unfair advantages. And once the ruling party changes, the support vanishes, projects get delayed, and investigations often begin into how those contracts were awarded.

Political ties might fast-track growth for a while, but its usually short-lived and often built on corruption. And thats the real concern. Thats not a risk were willing to take.

Conclusion Markets are full of noise, big promises, flashy numbers, and constant hype. Investing is an art, and while some of these companies might still deliver returns, we are not willing to put your money at unnecessary risk.

Thats why we built Finology 30, a basket of 30 stocks built for investors who believe in long-term wealth creation and value a focused approach. These stocks are selected through rigorous filters that prioritise business quality, management integrity, and valuation discipline to appreciate and protect your capital.
Indian stock market benchmarks the Sensex and the Nifty 50closed lower on Thursday, 17 July, amid profit booking in select heavyweights including Infosys, HDFC Bank , and Reliance Industries.

The Sensex declined 375 points, or 0.45%, to settle at 82,259.24, while the Nifty 50 fell 101 points, or 0.40%, ending the day at 25,111.45.

However, mid- and small-cap stocks outperformed. The BSE Midcap index edged up 0.07%, and the BSE Smallcap index gained 0.30%.

Ltd Amid this, here are key stock recommendations by top market experts:

Two stock recommendations for today by MarketSmith India

Buy: Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd (current price:  2,141)

Why its recommended: Diversified financial services portfolio, consistent focus on risk management and value creation

Key metrics: P/E: 8.35, 52-week high:  2,231.60, volume:  66.17 crore

2,231.60, volume: 66.17 crore Technical analysis: Cup-with-handle pattern breakout on above average volume

Risk factors: Regulatory risks, market and economic volatility, and concentration risk

Buy:  2,141

2,141 Target price:  2,490 in two to three months

2,490 in two to three months Stop loss:  1,990

Buy: Dhanuka Agritech (current price:  1,779)

Why its recommended: Diversified product portfolio, strong distribution network, strategic alliances with global innovators

Key metrics: P/E: 26.09, 52-week high:  1,926, volume:  21.17 crore

1,926, volume: 21.17 crore Technical analysis: Bullish flag breakout

Risk factors: Monsoon dependency, raw material volatility and China dependency

Buy at:  1,779

1,779 Target price:  2,100 in two to three months

2,100 in two to three months Stop loss:  1,640

Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTraders Raja Venkatraman

CONCORDBIO (Cmp 1920.50)

Why its recommended: Concord Biotech Limited is an India-based research and development-driven biopharma company. The Company is engaged in the research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of pharmaceutical products. After the recent profit booking, we are seeing that the prices have bottomed out forming a rounding pattern to show some strong upmove on Thursday.

Concord Biotech Limited is an India-based research and development-driven biopharma company. The Company is engaged in the research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of pharmaceutical products. After the recent profit booking, we are seeing that the prices have bottomed out forming a rounding pattern to show some strong upmove on Thursday. Key metrics: P/E: 53.87, 52-week high:  2664, Volume: 624.34K.

P/E: 53.87, 52-week high: 2664, Volume: 624.34K. Technical analysis: Support at  1722, resistance at  2120.

Support at 1722, resistance at 2120. Risk factors: High volatility, negative investor sentiment, and long-term bearish trends.

High volatility, negative investor sentiment, and long-term bearish trends. Buy: above 1930 and dips to  1860.

above 1930 and dips to 1860. Target price:  2105-2155 in 1 month.

2105-2155 in 1 month. Stop loss:  1830.

ECLERX (Cmp  3669.10)

Why its recommended: eClerx Services Ltd stock price underwent some consolidation and thereafter the strong surge seen can be attributed to a combination of factors, including an increasing demand for digital services ,favourable market conditions and internal strategies. These factors, coupled with mixed market sentiment, have contributed to an improving outlook for this stock in the last few days. With the momentum indicator once again showing some positive vibes, we can look for initiating a long.

eClerx Services Ltd stock price underwent some consolidation and thereafter the strong surge seen can be attributed to a combination of factors, including an increasing demand for digital services ,favourable market conditions and internal strategies. These factors, coupled with mixed market sentiment, have contributed to an improving outlook for this stock in the last few days. With the momentum indicator once again showing some positive vibes, we can look for initiating a long. Key metrics: P/E: 48.63, 52-week high:  3877; Volume: 173.98K.

P/E: 48.63, 52-week high: 3877; Volume: 173.98K. Technical analysis: Support at  3320, resistance at  3950.

Support at 3320, resistance at 3950. Risk factors: Market fluctuations, environmental and social impacts.

Market fluctuations, environmental and social impacts. Buy: above 3670 and dips to  3600.

above 3670 and dips to 3600. Target price:  4050-4150 in 1 month.

4050-4150 in 1 month. Stop loss:  3570.

SHYAMMETL: Buy above 920 and dips to 880, stop 870 target 1000-1020

Why its recommended: Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd is diversifying into railways with  450 crore wagon plant at Kharagpur (4,800 wagons/year; commercial production by FY27). It plans aggressive capex across ferro alloys, aluminium foils and energy businesses for capacity-led growth. Also, the charts have shown formation of a swing formation of V shaped recovery every time the prices have dipped into the cloud support and a subsequent upward drive is seen on the charts.

Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd is diversifying into railways with 450 crore wagon plant at Kharagpur (4,800 wagons/year; commercial production by FY27). It plans aggressive capex across ferro alloys, aluminium foils and energy businesses for capacity-led growth. Also, the charts have shown formation of a swing formation of V shaped recovery every time the prices have dipped into the cloud support and a subsequent upward drive is seen on the charts. Key metrics: P/E: 52.44, 52-week high:  956.90, volume: 1.02M.

P/E: 52.44, 52-week high: 956.90, volume: 1.02M. Technical analysis: Support at  800, resistance at  1100.

Support at 800, resistance at 1100. Risk factors: Raw Material volatility and competition that is recently emerging from domestic players could impact profitability.

Raw Material volatility and competition that is recently emerging from domestic players could impact profitability. Buy at: CMP and dips to  880.

CMP and dips to 880. Target price:  1000-1020 in 1 month.

1000-1020 in 1 month. Stop loss:  870

Top 3 stocks recommended by Ankush Bajaj for 18 July

Buy: Tata Steel Ltd  Current Price:  159.90

Why its recommended: After recent selling pressure, Tata Steel has shown a strong pullback and broken above the upper trendline of a falling wedge patterna bullish reversal signal. The breakout signifies trend reversal and momentum pick-up, aiming for a short-term move towards 170+.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Upper trendline breakout of falling wedge pattern, signalling trend reversal.

Pattern: Falling wedge breakout with bullish follow-through.

RSI: Recovering from oversold zone, confirming momentum shift.

Technical analysis: The structure suggests that the bottom may be in place, with higher highs and higher lows starting to form. Momentum is favouring the bulls for a target zone of 170 and potentially higher.

Risk factors: A move below 155 would invalidate the wedge breakout and may lead to renewed weakness. Use a strict stop-loss to manage risk.

Buy at: 159.90

Target price: 170.00+

Stop loss: 155.00

Also Read | Tata Steel, SAIL run risk of lower margins as ore prices plunge

Buy: Prestige Estates Projects Ltd  Current Price:  1,783.00

Why its recommended: Prestige Estates Projects Ltd is exhibiting a strong bullish setup backed by a rectangle pattern breakout on the 45-minute chart at 1,770. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily timeframe is at 70, indicating solid momentum yet still positioned for further upside. This multi-timeframe confluence of breakout signals suggests strength in trend continuation.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Rectangle breakout on 45-minute timeframe at 1,770 with high volume support.

Pattern: Rectangular range breakout confirming bullish continuation.

RSI: Bullish, currently at 70 on daily timeframe, suggesting strong trend with momentum.

Technical analysis: The stocks structure shows sustained bullishness, with the breakout level likely to serve as a strong support. If broader sentiment remains positive, the price is expected to test 1,815 1,830 in the short term.

Risk factors: A close below 1,757 would negate the breakout signal and could lead to a short-term correction. Traders should trail with a tight stop-loss.

Buy at: 1,783.00

Target price: 1,815 1,830

Stop loss: 1,757.00

Also Read | Prestige Estates posts record Q1 sales as new launches pick up pace

Buy: Jindal Steel & Power Ltd  Current Price:  950.45

Why its recommended: On the daily chart, Jindal Steel & Power has broken out of a triangle pattern, hinting at a bullish continuation with a medium-term target of 1,100+. Additionally, the 15-minute timeframe shows a rectangle breakout near 950, aligning short- and medium-term momentum toward 980+.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Triangle breakout on daily; rectangle breakout near 950 on intraday chart.

Pattern: Multi-timeframe confluence of bullish breakout structures.

RSI: Holding strong, supporting trend continuation.

Technical analysis: With clear breakout levels and alignment across timeframes, the setup points toward a steady climb toward 970 980, with further upside if momentum persists.

Risk factors: A fall below 939 would negate the breakout structure, and short-term weakness could set in. Maintain a disciplined stop-loss.

Buy at: 950.45

Target price: 970 980

Stop loss: 939.00

Raja Venkatraman is the co-founder of NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223.

MarketSmith India is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. Its trade name is William ONeil India Pvt. Ltd, and its Sebi registration number is INH000015543.

Ankush Bajaj is a Sebi-registered research analyst. His registration number is INH000010441.

Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.

Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Stock Market Today: The benchmark Nifty 50 index ended 0.40% lower at 25,111.45 on Thursday amid weak global cues. The Bank Nifty also ended 0.59% lower at 56,828.80, while the IT index led the decline for the market. Realty, FMCG, and Metals were among the key gainers. In the broader indices, mid and small caps also ended slightly lower.

Trade Setup for Friday A consolidation breakout is visible, indicating weakening bullish momentum. The current sentiment appears bearish and may drag Nifty towards the 24,92024,900 zone in the short term. On the higher side, 25,260 is likely to remain a strong resistance, as per Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities.

Key short-term term support for the Bank Nifty is placed in the 56,00055,500 region, as per Bajaj Broking

Global markets today and Q1 Results Major factors that led to the pressure in the markets included uncertainty around US Fed Chair Jerome Powells future, Persistent foreign fund outflows, and pressure from heavyweights like Infosys, HDFC Bank, and Reliance Industries.

With key Q1 earnings lined upAxis Bank, Wipro, LTI Mindtreemarkets may consolidate near-term. Analysts remain cautiously optimistic, citing rural demand recovery, sector-specific tailwinds in healthcare and infrastructure, and progress in IndiaUS trade dialogue. said Vikram Kasat, Head - Advisory, PL Capital.

Stocks to buy today Regarding stocks to buy today, market expertsSumeet Bagadia, Executive Director at Choice Broking; Ganesh Dongre, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Anand Rathi; and Shiju Koothupalakkal, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladherrecommended these eight intraday stocks for today: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd , Time Technoplast Ltd., Axis Bank Ltd., Punjab National Bank, National Aluminium Company Ltd., Welspun Corp Ltd, Prestige Estates Projects Ltd., and VA Tech Wabag Ltd

Sumeet Bagadia's stock picks Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.-Bagadia recommends buying Thomas Cook (India) or THOMASCOOK at around  177.9, keeping Stoploss at  171 for a target price of  188 THOMASCOOK, currently trading at 177.9, exhibits a strong uptrend, supported by its consistent position above key exponential moving averages (EMAs). registering its highest daily close in over 3 months. Recent price action indicates a consolidation phase and showing strong signs of an impending breakout from its consolidation phase, and the technical indicators are aligning for a potential fresh upside rally.,

2. Time Technoplast Ltd: Bagadia recommends buying TIMETECHNO at around 472, keeping Stoploss at 455 for a target price of 500

TIMETECHNO, is currently trading at 472, has shown a remarkable breakout in recent sessions. Recent price action indicates the stock gradually moved higher, forming higher highs and higher lowsa classic sign of a bullish reversal. The bullish alignment of EMAs confirms that the broader trend remains firmly positive, with the 20-day EMA now acting as immediate dynamic support.

Ganesh Dongre's stocks to buy today 3. Axis Bank LtdDongre recommends buying Axis Bank at around 1160, keeping Stoploss at 1140 for a target price of 1210

Stock has exhibited a strong, notable, continued bullish pattern, offering another promising opportunity for short-term traders. The stock is currently priced at  1160 and maintaining strong support at  1140. The technical setup indicates the potential for a price retracement towards the  1210 level. With the stock reversing from a support base and showing signs of renewed strength, entering at the current market price with a stop-loss at  1140 offers a prudent approach to capturing the anticipated upside.

4. Punjab National BankDongre recommends buying Punjab National Bank, or PNB, at around 115, keeping the stop loss at 110 for a target price of 122

Stock has exhibited a strong, notable, continued bullish pattern, offering another promising opportunity for short-term traders. The stock is currently priced at  115 and maintaining strong support at  110. The technical setup indicates the potential for a price retracement towards the  122 level. With the stock reversing from a support base and showing signs of renewed strength, entering at the current market price with a stop-loss at  3070 offers a prudent approach to capturing the anticipated upside.

5. National Aluminium Company Ltd-Dongre recommends buying NATIONALUM at around 189, keeping the stop loss at 185 for a target price of 198.

In the latest short-term technical analysis, the stock has shown a strong and consistent bullish trend, indicating the potential for an extended upward move. The stock is currently trading at  189 and holding above a key support level at  185. This support zone serves as a critical point for risk management. Given the bullish momentum, traders are advised to consider a buying opportunity with a stop-loss placed strategically at  185 to manage downside risk. The target for this trade is set at  198, suggesting a favorable risk-to-reward ratio and a continuation of the prevailing upward trend.

Shiju Koothupalakkal intraday stocks for today 6. Welspun Corp Ltd-Koothupalakkal recommends buying WELSPUN CORP at around 931.90 for a target price of 975, keeping Stop loss: 914

The stock has been in consolidation for quite some time, currently indicating a bullish candle formation with significant volume participation witnessed to improve the bias, expecting for further rise to carry on with the positive move further ahead. The RSI has been gradually sliding, currently indicating a positive trend reversal to signal a buy having much upside potential from the current rate. With the chart technically looking good, we suggest buying the stock for an upside target of 975, keeping the stop loss at the 914 level.

7. Prestige Estates Projects Ltd-Koothupalakkal recommends buying PRESTIGE ESTATE at around 1783 for a target price of 1865, keeping Stop loss at 1750

The stock has indicated a breakout above the previous peak zone of the 1765 level with a bullish candle formation on the daily chart with huge volume participation witnessed and has scope for continuation of the upward move in the coming sessions. The RSI is on the rise, indicating strength, and can carry on with the positive move further ahead. With much upside potential visible and the chart technically looking good, we suggest buying the stock.

8. VA Tech Wabag Ltd-Koothupalakkal recommends buying VA TECH WABAG at around 1498 for a target price of  1565, keeping the stop loss at 1475

The stock, after the short period of consolidation, maintaining above the important 100-period MA at the 1440 level, has witnessed a bullish candle formation to move past the 50EMA zone at the 1482 level to improve the bias, and we can expect further gains in the coming sessions. The volume has picked up, and it can carry on with the positive move further ahead with the RSI well placed and signaling a buy. With much upside potential visible and the chart technically looking attractive, we suggest buying the stock.
Stocks to buy under 100: On a weekly expiry session on Thursday, the Indian stock market ended lower on profit-booking after a positive opening. The Nifty 50 index ended 100 points lower at 25,111, the BSE Sensex shed 375 points and closed at 82,259, whereas the Bank Nifty index finished 340 points lower at 56,828. Tata Consumers, Tata Steel, and Hindalco showcased significant strength, emerging as the top performers on the Nifty. Conversely, Tech Mahindra, Indusind Bank and Infy concluded the session as major losers. Trading volumes on the NSE cash market were slightly higher by 0.5% compared to yesterday.

The broader market also experienced profit booking, mirroring the benchmark indices. The Nifty Midcap 100 fell by 0.17%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined by 0.12%. Market breadth turned marginally negative, with declining stocks slightly outnumbering advancing ones on the BSE, as indicated by an advance-decline ratio of 0.99. Amongst the sectoral indices, Realty, Metal, and Consumer Durables managed to end up as major gainers, showcasing some resilience. However, the Nifty IT and Banking sectors faced steep declines, contributing to the overall market fall.

Stock market today On the outlook of the Indian stock market today, Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research  Wealth Management at Motilal Oswal, said, "Markets are likely to remain in consolidation mode, with focus on ongoing earnings and progress in US-India trade negotiations. Key results on Friday include Reliance Industries, JSW Steel, and L&T Finance."

Speaking on the outlook of the Nifty 50 today, Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities, said, "Having recently displayed a weak bounce back from near the support of the 25K mark, the chances of Nifty revisiting the said support are high in the short term. However, the upper area of 25250 is likely to be a strong overhead hurdle, and the lower area of 25000-24900 levels could be crucial support for the near term."

Askeda bout the outlook of the Bank Nifty index, Shiju Kuthupalakkal, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher, said, The Bank Nifty index continues to move within a narrow range for quite some time, once again halting near the 57,300 zone, finding resistance and having the important support near the 56,600 level, would be awaiting the important result outcome of the major frontline banking stocks like HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, which is due in the coming sessions. The index would need to sustain the crucial support positioned near the 56,000 level, below which the overall bias would turn weak.

Stocks to buy today under  100 Regarding stocks to buy today, market experts Vaishali Parekh, Vice President of Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher; Sugandha Sachdeva, Founder of SS WealthStreet; and Anshul Jain, Head of Research at Lakshmishree Investment, recommended three intraday stocks under 100: NMDC, Filatex India, and Balaji Telefilms.

Vaishali Parekh's stock to buy under  100 1] NMDC: Buy at 69.56, Target 74, Stop Loss 68.

Sugandha Sachdeva's share to buy under  100 2] Filatex India: Buy at 58.40, Targets 61.20, 63, Stop Loss 56.70.

Anshul Jain's intraday stock for today 3] Balaji Telefilms: Buy at 95.50, Target 105, Stop Loss 92.
Tech Mahindra is a leading Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company. It is part of the Mahindra Group . The company operates worldwide, with a presence in over 90 countries and 148,517 employees. It serves clients in various sectors including banking, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, retail , media and public services.

In recent years, Tech Mahindra has expanded through strategic acquisitions and enhanced its focus on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, and blockchain.

Tech Mahindra announced its results for the first quarter of FY26 after hours on 16 July. The stock was down slightly the next day.

Also Read | Tech Mahindras Q1 positives overshadowed by macro blues

Revenue flat, profit surges

Tech Mahindra reported Q1 2026 revenue that was slightly behind estimates, beat on net profit. Lets take a look at what the company achieved in dollar terms.

Revenue came in at $1.56 billion, up about 0.4% year-on-year. Earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) increased 30.2% year-on-year to $172 million. Net profit kept pace with Ebita, also increasing 30.2% year-on-year to $133 million. Free cash flow came in at $86 million.

Tech Mahindra's total expenditure fell during the quarter, boosting the bottom line. Revenue from the Americas, which account for the bulk of revenues, fell 5.9% compared to last year. The manufacturing and healthcare & lifesciences verticals shrunk, while BFSI, retail, and logistics & transport grew. New deal wins surged to $809 million from $534 million in the same quarter last year.

What did management say?

Mohit Joshi, CEO and managing director, said: "Our performance is steadily strengthening, reflecting disciplined execution and a focused strategy. Deal wins have increased by 44% on a last twelve months (LTM) basis, supported by broad-based momentum across verticals and geographies."

Rohit Anand, chief financial officer, said, We have delivered seven consecutive quarters of margin expansion - a clear reflection of the discipline and focus across our organisation. Even in an uncertain environment, our Project Fortius program continues to generate meaningful results and drive operational improvements."

AI-related services to lead revenue growth

Tech Mahindra has forged key partnerships and is focussing on AI, which should drive growth going forward.

It announced a partnership with Nuix, a global leader in AI-powered investigative analytics and intelligence software to provide innovative, scalable solutions for cyber and fraud detection. The partnership will leverage TechMs extensive expertise in AI, digital engineering and cyber risk management to integrate Nuixs advanced investigative and data analytics solutions into its services, unlocking significant global sales opportunities with the Nuix Neo Solutions.

Tech Mahindra and KOGO AI, a category-defining provider of agentic AI infrastructure, announced a strategic collaboration to jointly build and deliver next-gen enterprise AI solutions and agents designed for autonomy, scale and compliance.

Did the results disappoint?

There were no major disappointments, but the 1% decline in constant-currency revenue was a negative. Weakness in the Americas and in key verticals were other areas of concern. Strong profit growth, deal wins and steady margin were the big positives.

Some investors expect Tech Mahindra to start its growth trajectory next quarter based on deal ramp-ups. They anticipate that FY26 revenue growth will outpace FY25's, supported by a strong pipeline and large deal execution.

Should investors worry?

Some of the issues facing the company are industry-specific and not company-specific. Investors worry that though spending on AI-related infrastructure such as data centers is surging, software and IT services growth rates are expected to slow as businesses delay purchase decisions and reduce discretionary IT budgets.

Also Read | ICICI Lombards strong profit growth insures subdued premium performance

For Tech Mahindra specifically, margin expansion this quarter was seen as a positive. Solid growth in profits and strong deal wins were the other big highlights. However, investors remain wary about revenue growth challenges in certain verticals and the Americas. If IT spending by companies remains weak, particularly in the US and Europe, most Indian IT companies will face a challenging year.

As always, you should carefully evaluate a companys fundamentals, corporate governance and valuation before making an investment decision.

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
Indian stock market benchmarksthe Sensex and the Nifty 50closed lower on Thursday, 17 July, amid profit booking in select heavyweights including Infosys, HDFC Bank , and Reliance Industries.

The Sensex declined 375 points, or 0.45%, to settle at 82,259.24, while the Nifty 50 fell 101 points, or 0.40%, ending the day at 25,111.45.

However, mid- and small-cap stocks outperformed. The BSE Midcap index edged up 0.07%, and the BSE Smallcap index gained 0.30%.

Top 3 stocks recommended by Ankush Bajaj for 18 July:

Buy: Tata Steel Ltd  Current Price:  159.90

Why its recommended: After recent selling pressure, Tata Steel has shown a strong pullback and broken above the upper trendline of a falling wedge patterna bullish reversal signal. The breakout signifies trend reversal and momentum pick-up, aiming for a short-term move towards 170+.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Upper trendline breakout of falling wedge pattern, signalling trend reversal.

Pattern: Falling wedge breakout with bullish follow-through.

RSI: Recovering from oversold zone, confirming momentum shift.

Technical analysis: The structure suggests that the bottom may be in place, with higher highs and higher lows starting to form. Momentum is favouring the bulls for a target zone of 170 and potentially higher.

Risk factors: A move below 155 would invalidate the wedge breakout and may lead to renewed weakness. Use a strict stop-loss to manage risk.

Buy at: 159.90

Target price: 170.00+

Stop loss: 155.00

Also Read | Tata Steel, SAIL run risk of lower margins as ore prices plunge

Buy: Prestige Estates Projects Ltd  Current Price:  1,783.00

Why its recommended: Prestige Estates Projects Ltd is exhibiting a strong bullish setup backed by a rectangle pattern breakout on the 45-minute chart at 1,770. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily timeframe is at 70, indicating solid momentum yet still positioned for further upside. This multi-timeframe confluence of breakout signals suggests strength in trend continuation.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Rectangle breakout on 45-minute timeframe at 1,770 with high volume support.

Pattern: Rectangular range breakout confirming bullish continuation.

RSI: Bullish, currently at 70 on daily timeframe, suggesting strong trend with momentum.

Technical analysis: The stocks structure shows sustained bullishness, with the breakout level likely to serve as a strong support. If broader sentiment remains positive, the price is expected to test 1,815 1,830 in the short term.

Risk factors: A close below 1,757 would negate the breakout signal and could lead to a short-term correction. Traders should trail with a tight stop-loss.

Buy at: 1,783.00

Target price: 1,815 1,830

Stop loss: 1,757.00

Also Read | Prestige Estates posts record Q1 sales as new launches pick up pace

Buy: Jindal Steel & Power Ltd  Current Price:  950.45

Why its recommended: On the daily chart, Jindal Steel & Power has broken out of a triangle pattern, hinting at a bullish continuation with a medium-term target of 1,100+. Additionally, the 15-minute timeframe shows a rectangle breakout near 950, aligning short- and medium-term momentum toward 980+.

Key metrics: Breakout zone: Triangle breakout on daily; rectangle breakout near 950 on intraday chart.

Pattern: Multi-timeframe confluence of bullish breakout structures.

RSI: Holding strong, supporting trend continuation.

Technical analysis: With clear breakout levels and alignment across timeframes, the setup points toward a steady climb toward 970 980, with further upside if momentum persists.

Risk factors: A fall below 939 would negate the breakout structure, and short-term weakness could set in. Maintain a disciplined stop-loss.

Buy at: 950.45

Target price: 970 980

Stop loss: 939.00

Stock market wrap - 17 July

Indian equity markets ended in the red on Thursday, 17 July, as sustained selling pressure across key sectors weighed on sentiment. Despite brief recovery attemptsparticularly in select defensivesbroader momentum remained weak, dragging major indices lower.

The Nifty 50 declined 100.60 points, or 0.40%, to close at 25,111.45, while the BSE Sensex fell 375.24 points, or 0.45%, to 82,259.24. The Bank Nifty also ended lower, down 340.15 points or 0.59%, at 56,828.80, as late buying failed to fully reverse earlier losses in financial stocks.

The sectoral picture was mixed, but the tone remained largely cautious. PSU Banks fell 0.79%, Services declined 0.67%, and the broader Banking index slipped 0.59%, reflecting profit booking and risk-off sentiment in high-beta pockets.

On the flip side, a few sectors offered support. Realty outperformed with a gain of 1.24%, while Metals and Pharma rose 0.67% and 0.38%, respectively, helping limit the downside.

In stock-specific action, Tata Consumer led the gainers with a 2.25% rise. Tata Steel and Hindalco climbed 1.63% and 1.17%, respectively, supported by continued institutional flows and positive cues in the metals space.

Meanwhile, the broader undertone remained bearish. Tech Mahindra shed 2.75%, IndusInd Bank lost 1.67%, and SBI Life Insurance fell 1.44%, reflecting caution in recent outperformers.

Nifty 50 technicals

The Nifty 50 ended Thursday's session on a weak footing, closing at 25,111.45, down 100.60 points or 0.40%. The index slipped below the key psychological level of 25,200, indicating a deterioration in short-term sentiment.

Technically, the Nifty is now trading below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) at 25,325, while hovering just above the 40-day exponential moving average (EMA) at 25,042. This setup suggests the upside is likely capped unless the index decisively reclaims the 20-DMA. Until that happens, the broader trend remains fragile and skewed to the downside.

View Full Image (Source: TradingView)

On the hourly chart, the index has slipped below both its 20-hour SMA at 25,210 and 40-hour EMA at 25,182, confirming short-term weakness. More importantly, Nifty has broken below the lower boundary of a rising wedge pattern, which is a bearish development. This breakdown projects a near-term downside target of around 24,950, especially if the index fails to hold above the immediate support at 25,000.

View Full Image (TradingView)

Momentum indicators reflect growing weakness. The daily RSI has dropped to 47.5, moving into neutral-bearish territory, while the hourly RSI has declined further to 38, indicating strong intraday selling pressure. The daily MACD remains positive at 66, suggesting that the medium-term structure hasnt turned fully negative yet, but the hourly MACD at 21 confirms a clear short-term loss of momentum.

Options data also paints a bearish picture. Total Call open interest stands at 7.28 crore compared to Put open interest at 5.08 crore, with a net difference of 2.21 crore, indicating a dominant call writing bias. The highest Call OI and maximum additions are at the 26,000 strike, implying strong resistance overhead. On the Put side, the highest additions were at the 24,900 strike, highlighting that support is now shifting lower. The intraday change in OI also shows a net bearish bias, with Call OI rising by 3.32 crore and Put OI by only 1.81 crore, resulting in a negative OI change difference of 1.51 crore. This reinforces the view that traders are preparing for further downside.

Also Read | Tech Mahindras Q1 positives overshadowed by macro blues

In summary, the Niftys short-term trend has weakened following a breakdown below critical support levels and key moving averages. Unless the index manages to reclaim 25,325 and eventually close above 25,700, the market structure remains vulnerable. A decisive break below 25,000 could accelerate the selling pressure toward 24,950 or even 24,800. Traders should stay cautious, avoid aggressive long positions, and monitor price action closely around the 25,000 mark, which has now become the immediate make-or-break level for the index.

Ankush Bajaj is a Sebi-registered research analyst. His registration number is INH000010441.

Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.

Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Under the shade of a tree, a group of Kachhi Rabari women are huddled together. With their black lehngas tucked between their legs and their veils draped across their foreheads, their eyes follow the slender needles darting between their fingers. The women giggle and trade stories with each other, as they embroider the fabrics with their generational knowledge of Rabari bharath (or embroidery). Leading them is Brinda Dudhat, a product of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, who in 2019 co-founded Morii Design, a Gandhinagar-based textile design studio that crafts riveting textile tapestries using the erudite wisdom of over 180 artisans across 12 villages in India.

The studio reimagines folk patchwork and motifs, embroidery techniques and block printing with modern flair. With the onset of machines that could master and replicate even the most complex handmade techniques, regional and rural thread-works unknowingly began to recede into oblivion. Dudhat noticed the change at the source: the women in pastoral and seminomadic communities, who once took hours embroidering their trousseaus for personal pleasure, were now assembling their clothing using machine-aided decorations.

It was really surprising," says Dudhat, 30. There are some very complex stitches in Rabari embroidery alone. Now, however, there are machine-made ribbons available that replicate those stitches. So, the women stack these ribbons on to their dresses and just stitch them. Instead of traditional mirror embroidery, they use reflective acrylic or plastic discs. So, their wedding attires, which were once entirely hand-embroidered by them, now feature machine-made imitations," where only the smaller areas are filled in by their own creativity.

Dudhat wanted to breathe a new life into these folk textile craftsrekindling both pride and interest among the artisans, while monetarily empowering them as well. Craft has a PR problem," says Kabir, 33, Dudhats partner and the other half of Morii Design. An NID graduate, he manages marketing. Together, the pair realised they needed to create a stitch library"; not only did they need to catalogue various Indian embroidery techniques but also create a comprehensive repository of new stitch combinations . At the moment, we are working with four different communities: the Jat community from Kutch, sujani artisans from Bihar, kantha craftspeople from West Bengal, and the Rabari community from Kutch," says Kabir. We have developed almost 40 new functional combinations in the Rabari embroidery itself, and are still in the process of creating many more."

Also Read | Vaishali Shadangule blends Murshidabad silk with Japanese art for Paris show
The monsoon is a season of contrasts. The overcast skies make way for hope of a bountiful harvest. Paddy fields get a lush makeover, and wild greens spring up out of nowhere in the mountains. On the coast, life takes a turn when the southwesterlies arrive nudging the fishermen to return home, and stock up on supplies to brave the wet months. Between abundance and scarcity, culinary action peaks during the monsoon, showcasing the endless possibilities that seasonal produce offers.

Lounge speaks to cookbook authors, chefs, restaurateurs, food growers, fermenters and researchers across the country, about their favourite monsoon ingredients, especially those that evoke memories of another time.

We have also curated some recipes for you to cook, especially when the incessant rain gets too much to bear. Give them a shot, wont you?

View Full Image Amrita Bhattacharya; (right) star fruit pickle.

AMRITA BHATTACHARYA

CULINARY RESEARCHER & CHEF, BOLPUR, WEST BENGAL

Although Bengalis sing paeans about ilish or hilsa (my favourite too), I am equally excited about various types of fruits and uncultivated greens growing on our farm in Bolpur. I have vivid memories of picking kamranga or star fruit while studying on the Santiniketan campus. We never really allowed them to ripen, which is why I always thought it was sour. When I grew up, I discovered that it had a lovely sweet profile. The best way to enjoy it is as a maakha, by slicing the fruit and tossing it with cumin and red chilli powder, or adding some kashundi (fermented mustard relish) for that extra zing. I also make a dish of small river fish or prawns with it. We have kamranga growing in abundance right now, allowing everyone their share in the ecosystem, from birds to insects and bats.

KAMRANGA-R AMISH AMBOL

(prawn curry with star fruit)

Ingredients

2 star fruits (kamranga)

1 small ball of ripe tamarind

200g small shrimp/prawns

Half tsp black mustard seeds

1-2 dried red chillies

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder

A small piece of jaggery (or sugar)

A pinch of red chilli powder

1-2 tbsp oil

Method

Slice the star fruits and set aside.

Soak the tamarind in water, extract the pulp and keep it ready.

Clean the shrimps, marinate with salt and turmeric and lightly saute them. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, temper with mustard seeds and dried red chillies. Add the tamarind water, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Let it come to a boil. Add the jaggery and star fruit slices. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the shrimps and cook for 2-3 minutes, avoid overcooking.

Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Serve with hot rice.

View Full Image Wild dinda leaves with dry prawns; (right) Shraddha Adhikari.

SHRADDHA ADHIKARI

CO-FOUNDER, MOHRAAN FARMS, SAKURLI, MAHARASHTRA

My family runs a food forest and a farm stay in Sakurli. This land was purchased by my father-in-lawa former teacher from Mumbaiaround 40 years ago, and he planted several fruit trees. In 2020, we moved into the farm and started working with the indigenous communities such as the Thakars to understand their knowledge systems, and ways of naturally regenerating a food forest. We have a mix of plantscultivated seasonal and perennials, which yield food every year, and uncultivated seasonal and perennial wild varieties, which grow without human intervention. During the monsoon, we forage for several wild varieties such as the tender shoots of moringa and colocasia. The Malabar spinach also grows very well in the rains, which is cooked as a bhaji. Whenever we come across new veggies, we try it several times with different cooking methods to understand their nature. Only after that do we cook them for the guests. The most important thing is identification and mindful harvesting so that these ingredients are available to the next generation of communities, who are the original custodians of the land. We now know when to take the tender shoots of a plant or some part of the tuber. You need to be careful while cooking these as well. Some might be too bitter, sour or toxic. Take, for instance, the shevala, which needs to be cooked with another wild vegetable like kakad and a souring agent to make it palatable. These days, we are cooking dinda, or the Leea microphylla, with dry fish and coconut. Though this tree is a perennial variety, its tender shoots and flowers appear only during the rains. We forage for these and serve it with a rice bhakri or as a side dish.

WILD DINDA LEAVES WITH DRY PRAWNS

Ingredients

I large bunch of tender dinda leaves

1 big bowl of dry prawns or any dry fish

2 large onions, roughly chopped

Half cup of dry coconut (grated and roasted in 1 tsp oil)

A handful of peanuts

1 tsp of red chilli powder

Half tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Half tsp cumin seeds

Half tsp mustard seeds

2-3 tbsp of oil

Method

Wash the tender dinda leaves thoroughly. Roughly chop and boil them along with peanuts in a pot with little water for about 10 minutes, until slightly tender.

Roast the grated dry coconut in a spoonful of oil until golden, grind it coarsely in a mixer and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 23 tbsp of oil. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter. Add the chopped onions and saute until light golden. Mix in red chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Add the washed dry prawns and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the boiled dinda leaves and peanuts to the pan. Stir well. Now add the ground roasted coconut and mix. Cook on low heat for another 10 minutes, allowing all the flavours to come together.

View Full Image Adithya Kidambi

ADITHYA KIDAMBI

CO-FOUNDER, MOSSANT FERMENTARY, BENGALURU

At every kitchen Ive been part of, pumpkin has found a permanent home on the menu. Its a humble ingredient but its versatility and warmth make it a chefs favouriteespecially during the monsoon. At our restaurant, we celebrate it through a curried pumpkin rissois: velvety, spiced pumpkin tucked into crisp, golden pockets. One of my all-time favourite combinations is roasted pumpkin with goat cheese, garlic, burnt butter, and toasted walnuts. Theres something deeply comforting about the earthy sweetness of pumpkin meeting the tang of goat cheese and the nuttiness of brown butter. The crunch of walnuts brings it all together with a satisfying contrast. Whether in a European-style preparation or infused with Indian spices, pumpkin always deliversrich, nostalgic and grounding. Its more than seasonal, its soulful. And as the rain drums on the roof, few things feel as right as a dish built around this golden, generous vegetable.

View Full Image Stir-fried bamboo shoots; (right) Nambie Jessica Marak.

NAMBIE JESSICA MARAK

CHEF & FOOD CONSULTANT, WEST KHASI HILLS DISTRICT, MEGHALAYA

In my small village of Upper Rangsa in West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, rain brings a variety of native greens and vegetables. One of my favourite things to eat is bamboo shoots, which we never buy from the markets but forage for during this time of the year. We enjoy them fresh and preserve the excess for the rest of the year. The recipes are very simple; we eat them mostly as a stir-fry or with dried fish or in dals with bare minimum spices. Every year, I look forward to masoor dal which my mum makes with fresh shoots. Back in the village, we also harvest them, and gather around in circles, to preserve the young shoots. The elders use the edges of a steel tumbler to chop them into big chunks and put them in big jars. Its a fun sight as everyone is in sync, making a unique melody of the chopping sound. By winter, my mum brings out her jars and pickles them, and its something I have not mastered yet.

STIR-FRIED BAMBOO SHOOTS

Ingredients

1 cup fresh bamboo shoots, thinly sliced

1 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

23 dried red chillies, adjust to taste

One-fourth tsp turmeric powder

Water to boil

Salt

Method

Thinly slice the bamboo shoots. Boil in plenty of water with a little salt for 810 minutes to remove its raw smell and bitterness. Strain and keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a few seconds. Toss in the dried red chillies and a pinch of turmeric. Add the strained bamboo shoot slices and stir well, letting everything come together for 23 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

View Full Image Pooja Pangtey; (right) 'phaphar chunni' are sweet fritters from Uttarakhand.

POOJA PANGTEY

FOOD RESEARCHER & FERMENTER, KARJAT, MAHARASHTRA

There are a bunch of monsoon ingredients that I miss from back home in Uttarakhand, especially when I get chai-pakoda cravings. One of them is jarag or Indian pokeweed (Phytolacca acinosa), a wild edible plant. The tender leaves are used to make crispy pakodas. Theres phaphar, buckwheat greens or Himalayan tartary buckwheat that grows at higher altitudes, and bhaangjeera, or perilla/shiso leaves. They are all eaten as fried snacks when it is raining in the mountains, or as saag. We also mill the flour of phaphar to make sweet fritters called chunni. My monsoon memories are also incomplete without lingura or fiddlehead ferns that grow around water bodies and in moist soil. The fronds are cleaned and a simple subzi is prepared by stir-frying them. We also make achar. I have lacto-fermented lingura, and it turned out great.

PHAPHAR CHUNNI

Ingredients

6 tbsp phaphar (Himalayan tartary buckwheat) flour*

3-4 tsp sugar

Water

Bhangjeera (shiso/perilla) leaves**

Neutral oil for frying

Method

Sift the flour. Add sugar and water to make a thick batter. Add water in parts to achieve a batter consistency similar to a pancake batter.

Whisk gently and air the batter by raising and lowering your spoon in tender, quick motions. Leave the batter aside for 20-30 minutes.

Wash your leaves and pat them dry. Heat oil in a kadhai.

Softly coat the leaves in the batter. We want the chunni to be crispy, so avoid piling on too thick a coating. Then drop the battered leaves in the hot oil. Drop 3-4 or more leaves together, and wait till one side is done. Stirring them too much can make them oily.

Flip them to get the other side done, and then take them out on a bowl/plate laid with paper towels.

Best enjoyed on a rainy day with some hot chai made with fresh ginger and ground pepper.

*You could also use kuttu (common buckwheat) flour.

**Substitute the bhangjeera leaves with any monsoon leafy greens (gourd/ajwain leaves) available where you live.

View Full Image Chef Abhishek Joshi

ABHISHEK JOSHI

CHEF & CO-FOUNDER, WE IDLIWALE/WE IDLIWALE BARROOM, PUNE

Shevala or dragon stalk yam is something that I immensely love and have grown up eating in Kalyan, Maharashtra. Its an ingredient that has a very short window, and is available for a maximum of three weeks. As a kid, it was the only vegetable that got me excited because itd be cooked with prawns or meat. Since my father is Maharashtrian Brahmin, we didnt really cook non-vegetarian food at home, although eventually we did as I grew up. My mother, on the other hand, belongs to the Sonar community, which bears close resemblance to the Pathare Prabhus when it comes to the cuisine. She prepares shevala in two ways with karandi, or tiny prawns in a coconut milk-based curry, and with mutton keema. I always fail to describe the exact flavour of the dish, but my memories of the whole sequence of procuring shevala from the markets, and the family sitting together to clean and then cook it, evokes strong emotions.

View Full Image Deepika Sethi; (right) 'Jalandhari dal pakode'

DEEPIKA SETHI

CO-FOUNDER, BRIGHT HOSPITALITY, DELHI

Delhis monsoon doesnt always get the love it deservesbut for me, its always been special. I grew up in Patel Nagar, and at my parents quintessential Punjabi home, the first showers were always welcomed with puassweet, fried delights that instantly made the house smell of celebration. But my personal favourite was a little less traditionaldeep-fried bread with a generous spoonful of baked beans on top. Not something youd find in a recipe book, but woven tightly into our familys rainy-day rituals. Of course, there were always pakodas of every kind, but nothing would beat bread pakodas, served with hot and sweet sauce. At Ikk Panjab chain of restaurants, which celebrates the spirit of homes from pre-Partition Punjab, we serve Jalandhari dal pakodas, which are perfectly synced with the spirit of the monsoon.

JALANDHARI DAL PAKODE

Ingredients

1 cup green moong dal (chilka)

One-fourth cup gram flour

Half tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

Half teaspoon yellow chilli powder

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp sliced onion

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Water (for soaking and grinding)

Oil for deep frying

Method

Rinse the dal well and soak for about 2-3 hours. Drain and grind coarsely in a blender with minimal water. The consistency should be thick, not smooth. Transfer the ground dal to a mixing bowl. Add cumin seeds, yellow and red chilli powders, green chilies, coriander leaves, sliced onions and salt. Mix well. Heat enough oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Take small portions of the batter and drop them into the hot oil. Fry in batches, without overcrowding the pan. The pakodas should be golden and crispy.

View Full Image Rohit Kasuganti; (right) 'makka garelu' are corn fritters.

ROHIT KASUGANTI

CEO & FOUNDER, TSK FOOD WORKS, HYDERABAD

As a small boy, Id spend the whole day in the fields, walking barefoot, hands muddy, chasing that mix of freedom and fatigue that only village life gives you during the rains. One ingredient I associate with it is corn, and it came from our farms in Yellapur in Warangal district in Telangana. In the evening, ammamma, my grandmother, would have the coals burning to roast the fresh cobs. Shed also make makka garelu, or crispy corn fritters. I remember eating 15 -20 of them at one go. Weve brought these memories into the Terrai kitchen, where the fritters are fried just like my grandmothers, and paired with either a drizzle of spiced milk reduction or a side of naatu kodi shorwa, a peppery country chicken curry that nods to those rainy evenings in Yellapur.

MAKKA GARELU

Ingredients

2 cups fresh corn kernels

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger, grated

8-10 curry leaves, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 -3 tbsp rice flour (for binding)

Salt

Oil

Method

Coarsely grind the corn kernels in a mixie, just a few pulses. Do not make it into a fine paste.

Combine the crushed corn with green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, cumin, salt, and rice flour. If the mix is too loose, add a little more rice flour to bind. The mixture should hold shape when patted.

Wet your hands or take a banana leaf. Take a lemon-sized portion of the batter, flatten it gently into a disc (roughly 2 inches wide, half-inch thick), and poke a tiny hole in the centre, this helps it cook evenly, like a doughnut.

Heat oil. Once hot (test with a small drop, it should sizzle), gently slide in the garelu. Fry in batches on medium flame until crisp and golden on both sides.

Drain on paper towels. Enjoy them hot.

View Full Image Saee Koranne-Khandekar; (right) apricot almond cake

SAEE KORANNE-KHANDEKAR

COOKBOOK AUTHOR & CULINARY CONSULTANT, MUMBAI

I look forward to the monsoon because it brings to us a small window to enjoy stone fruit. People on the west coast start mourning the end of mango season, but there is such a plethora of opportunities with stone fruit, I wish people would see it. As children, my brother and I were perpetually biting into vibrant pink-purple Indian plums, their juices running to our elbows. Peaches are another Achilles heel. I enjoy them on their own, grilled and added to salads, or baked in desserts. Apricots get made into my annual jam as do plums (I also make a sweet and savoury chutney with plums and a panchphoron tempering). And I enjoy eating cherries and lychees as snacks. I wonder if, more often than not, we look at fruit from a blinkered lens, and tend not to experiment with their savoury avatarsfresh, fully ripe apricots work beautifully with mutton in a spiced curry, semi-ripe apricots and walnuts are ground to a spicy chutney with bright chilies in Uttarakhand, and so on. Since I am particularly partial to the sweet-sour-hot flavour profile, these fruits excite me a fair bit.

APRICOT ALMOND CAKE

Ingredients

4 eggs at room temperature

Three-fourth cup deseeded and quartered fresh apricots

120g plain flour (maida)

80g ground whole almonds

1 tsp baking powder

Grated zest of one lime or half an orange

100g ricotta at room temperature (or one-fourth cup full fat paneer)

80g butter at room temperature

200g castor sugar

Half tsp pure vanilla paste or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

One-fourth cup almond flakes

Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Sieve the plain flour into a mixing bowl. To this, add the ground almonds, baking powder, and lime zest. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a stand mixer or blender, place the butter, ricotta and castor sugar, and beat until pale. Add the eggs and beat well; dont worry if the mixture looks curdled, it will come together.

Add the vanilla and beat again to combine. If using a stand mixer, spoon in the flour mix a little at a time and beat on low speed. If using a blender, add the egg mix to the bowl of the flour mix and fold slowly.

Pour into a greased and lined tin (I use an 8-inch round tin) and top with apricots and flaked almonds.

Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius on the middle rack for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Invert on to a serving dish and dust with icing sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature with tea/coffee or as a dessert with vanilla ice cream.

View Full Image A dish of wild dina; (right) Gaytri Bhatia.

GAYTRI BHATIA

FOUNDER, VRINDAVAN FARM, PALGHAR, MAHARASHTRA

The word foraged" carries a certain romantic notion with it. Maybe it evokes a link to our hunter-gatherer roots. For forest-dwelling communities in and around Palghar (that the Vrindavan Farm works with), this is not an imagined scenarioeven now, foraging is a way of living. A little over a month into the monsoon, were standing in ankle-deep water, feet planted on mushy soil, unearthing seedlings of rice. We glimpse a shiny reddish-black back in the waters, before a creature makes a series of quick side-scurries. Excited chatter ensues. In seconds it has been decided which home, among those present, would cook crab that night, and the hunt begins. A couple of teak leaves are twined into a bucket, which is quickly filled with crabs.

Through years of working with the masters of the forest, I have come to understand the deeply-rooted and unspoken principles of foraging. To exemplify, each field is only visited once by the humans during the time of transplant. The crabs caught during this single event turn into a meal. Mature crabs have voracious appetites. They tend to chomp down on the rice grasses that populate the field. The harvest of crabs brings balanceallowing time for the rice to grow and be useful to man, while leaving enough crab to ensure continuity in the ecosystem. The principles of sustainable harvests and balance in nature have been woven within the fabric of foraging since antiquity by community elders. We need deep lenses that go beyond our immediate desire for an offbeat meal as we approach the forests for food.

Heres one such no-fuss foraged meal. Arriving during early monsoon, but not among the first edibles in our forests is Dina, or Leea macrophylla. It is a perennial typically seen in the understory of secondary forests or man-made meadows. The stalks are harvested while tender, leaving the tuberous roots in place for the subsequent monsoon. The thread-like strains are peeled off the stalks before cooking.

WILD DINA

Ingredients

A few stalks of Dina

Groundnut oil

Mango vinegar

Finely chopped garlic

Mango hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Warm the oil and saute the garlic until brown. Chop the prepared Dina into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Saute for a few moments until its colour changes, then cover and steam.

Drizzle some home-made vinegar and groundnut oil, and season with salt and pepper. If youre a fan of heat, drizzle in some aged mango hot sauceitll also bring depth to the preparation. Dina pairs well with native red rice mahadi.

Also Read | Meet the Dutch woman who has been cleaning up Srinagars Dal Lake

Compiled by Rituparna Roy, Avantika Bhuyan and Shrabonti Bagchi
One of the sleeper hits of the spring 26 season is the good-old pyjama. From Dolce & Gabbana to Dior, several fashion houses presented cotton and silk pyjamas and relaxed shirts in different colours and prints at the fashion weeks in Milan and Paris.

They proposed a vibrant and playful take on bedroom-wear, with some adding classic stripes and many embellishing them with embroidery and sequins. Berlin-based brand GmbH, for instance, presented androgynous tailoring with pieces embodying pyjama-like fluid movement.

Their idea was clear: Why not take sleepwear outside the bedroom and make it part of casual wear and even office wear. While this bedroom-inspired dressing style looks great on the Instagram feed, is it really possible to take it to the boardroom? Yes, with some extra effort. But don't wear the pyjamas and shirts you sleep in to breakfast meetings, lunches, and the office. They need to be wrinkle-free and crisp for the world outside the bedroom.

We asked some experts to suggest ways to incorporate sleepwear-style into daywear without compromising on style and comfort.
Over the past few years, a quiet but transformative shift has been unfolding in the Indian startup and freelancing ecosystem. From digital marketing agency owners in Delhi and SaaS founders in Bengaluru to YouTubers in Pune, a growing number of location-agnostic entrepreneurs from India are packing their bags and going abroad, not only for lifestyle upgrades but also to restructure their income streams offshore. And one destination stands out above the rest: the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai.

Tax optimisation is a key financial incentive at the center of all of these changes. Indian tax authorities can tax up to 30 per cent of your international income, which often diminishes the overall earnings for entrepreneurs and independent contractors whose primary income depends greatly on customers and users outside of India.

The UAE, on the other hand, is one of the most attractive countries, especially for professionals who favour digital technology and for other rich people due to its 0 per cent income tax on both personal income and capital gains.

Theres a clear shift in the behaviour as more Indian freelancers, tech founders, and agency owners are choosing UAE residency not just for its lifestyle, but as a smart financial strategy. With Indias 30% tax on global income, setting up a compliant offshore structure in a 0% tax regime like Dubai is fast becoming the norm for digital-first entrepreneurs who earn globally and want to scale sustainably, says Varun Singh, MD, XIPHIAS Immigration.



He added, As of 2025, approximately 4 million Indians reside in the UAE, with around 2 million in Dubai alone. However, specific figures on how many of those are freelancers or independent workers arent available.

Also Read | Tax reforms to follow simplification bill

Whats driving the move? Global client base, local tax burden: For a significant number of Indian tech entrepreneurs and freelancers, a large part of their income will come from clients in Southeast Asia, Europe, or the United States. The individual will still need to pay taxes on worldwide income, even if it is coming from an offshore source if they remain a tax resident in India, which is to spend 182 days or more in India in a fiscal year. Digital work is borderless: Cloud-based and remote-first modes of production are the model for careers like software development, digital marketing, content creation, and SaaS companies, which makes it very easy for entrepreneurs to forego their physical presence in India and relocate to a low-tax jurisdiction such as the United Arab Emirates, while still operating a business. Ease of business and residency in UAE: The UAE provides a Golden Visa, freelance permits, and free zone company formations with 100% ownership and seamless banking solutions that enable you to live and work there, and it easily supports this new up and coming era of entrepreneurs with an ever-expanding group of Indian expats, legal advisers, and entrepreneurial networks. But its not just about getting a Visa Experts are cautioning that simply launching a business in Dubai or obtaining UAE residency will not save you from tax laws back home in India. Such arrangements are always monitored by the Income Tax (I-T) Department, especially in light of regulations such as the Significant Economic Presence (SEP), GAAR (General Anti-Avoidance Rule), and Place of Effective Management (POEM).

Merely relocating or setting up entities in the UAE, without genuinely shifting control and residential status outside India, may still trigger Indian tax liabilities under provisions like Place of Effective Management (POEM) and others. To truly optimise tax exposure, individuals must ensure actual relocation, robust documentation, and full compliance with both Indian and UAE tax regulations. When backed by real substance and strategic planning, such a move can lawfully reduce taxes and open doors to global business opportunities, says Avnish Arora, Executive Director, Direct Tax, Forvis Mazars in India.

Also Read | New Income Tax Bill: Taxpayers can expect THESE changes from next year

Key considerations before making the move If you're an Indian entrepreneur considering relocating to the UAE for tax purposes, heres what you need to know:
Special Ops season 2 opens with Indias foremost AI scientist being kidnapped. The complications arise when no ransom demand is made but one by one agents seem to die at the hands of unknown assassins. Himmat Singh is on the job. And as the minister says, How come our enemies are always one step ahead?

The logic of the villain is what globalists use: no geographical borders define our work. This time cybercrimes just loot nations and the nexus between crooked politicians and criminals need to be proven. This time Himmat Singh needs to be more diplomatic than ever before as he coordinates between all his agents. From Budapest and the Dominican Republic, from South Block in Delhi to a grief stricken boss who has threatened to turn renegade, Himmat Singhs challenges are many.

What money lessons can you learn from this Neeraj Pandey Shivam Nair thriller?

Pork barrel politics is a reality whether we like it or not This derogatory term came into being in the 1800s, and is generally used in a derogatory manner. It refers to the practice of politicians trading favors with constituents or special interest groups in exchange for political support. The support comes in all forms, from advertising by superpacs in the US and of course in India, since the campaign finance laws being ambiguous, pouring money into our elections, without a shameful moment.

In the series, Himmat is dealing with a man who is hoping to steal all financial data and sell it to not just one country but to whichever country can pay his price. Plus each time he manages to get close to his target, someone tips off the bad guys. The joy of discovering how Himmat Singhs team outwits the men with money is something you will not find in too many shows on any OTT platforms recently. Not the sameness of a new season of village politics, not the allure of Oscar winners, and the offerings of seriously violent South movies which are all otherwise worth watching simply pale in comparison to the financial shenanigans of the politicians, career servicemen and the villan.

What you need to understand is that whenever you make a digital transaction, you have to be very careful. Ensure that every transaction is secure and that you understand what it means your personal investment manager understands how important security can be.

Billionaires buy yachts and yes elections Money makes everything work in your favour. And when there is money, work gets done with alacrity that will make your head spin. The line between spies and the bad guys seems to blur when it comes to money, but we know in our gut that money spent on getting the good guys to catch bad guys is money well spent. But when you look at why the bad guy has earned his nickname, you understand why he needs to compensate for his deprived childhood. You will love how the backstory of the villain is given to us with a deadpan evenness, even though his dialog about how governments cheat millions of citizens and make money is a tad cringe.

If you have been reading the news, you will know how much the American government is dependent on technology owned by billionaires. If the billionaires who graced the inauguration of the current American president are anything to go by, and how contracts are being offered to billionaires in India, then you should know how dependent our economy is on the whims of a few.

As an investor, you will need to ensure that you have invested ethically and wisely. No one is stopping you from investing in companies run by billionaires - as the old Hindi idiom says, Behti Ganga mein haath dho lo - make your money, and then make your escape. Hardly an ethical consideration, youll say, but then you understand the rules of survival, no?

And finally, one word about annoying children that seem to be in just about every series. Although little Anjali from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai still tops the list of annoying kids in all the movies and series, Pari (played by Revathi Pillai) from this series makes it to the list simply because her character is so cheugy and predictable.

The show has a stellar cast - Kay Kay Menon,Vinay Pathak (as Abbas Shaikh), Parmeet Sethi (as Naresh Chaddha), Kali Prasad Mukherjee (as D.K. Banerjee), Dalip Tahil ( as Virendra Bakshi), Gautami Kapoor (as Saroj, Himmat Singhs wife), Tota Roy Chowdhury (as Vinod Shekhawat), Arif Zakaria (as Dr. Piyush Bhargav), Karan Tacker (as Farooq), Muzamil Ibrahim (as Avinash), Saiyami Kher (as Juhi Kashyap), Vikas Manaktala (as Abhay Singh), Shikha Talsania (as Ruhani Sayyed) and of course Tahir Raj Bhasin (as the villainous Sudheer Awasthi) - and the production values are good. Good thing this drops on a Friday, because if rain is predicted, then your weekend binge watch is set!
New Delhi: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and state drugs testing laboratories identified 185 drug samples as "Not of Standard Quality" (NSQ) and four as "spurious" during routine regulatory surveillance in June.

These spurious drugs were reported from Bihar, one from New Delhi, and two from Telangana.

The monthly report, published by the CDSCO, highlights India's persistent challenge in maintaining drug integrity across the nation. Of the 185 NSQ drug samples, 55 were flagged by central drugs laboratories, and 130 by state labs.

A senior Delhi government official said that the Delhi drugs control department has down on the sale of fake anti-cholesterol medicines, primarily used for preventing serious cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.

The Union health ministry in a statement said that these drug samples failed one or more specified quality parameters, ranging from inadequate active ingredients to issues with dissolution, uniformity of weight, or sterility.

The failure is specific to the tested batch and does not necessarily indicate a broader concern for other drug products from the same manufacturer available in the market, the ministry said.

Investigations revealed that these spurious drugs were manufactured by unauthorized entities using brand names owned by legitimate companies, highlighting the severity of the counterfeit drug problem. The matters are currently under investigation, and stringent action will be taken as per relevant acts and rules, the ministry said.

This rigorous identification and removal of NSQ and spurious drugs from the market is a regular collaborative exercise between central and state regulators.

Govt's multi-pronged approach to combat drug menace

Meanwhile, the ministry of health has implemented several measures to combat the menace of spurious and substandard drugs in India.

As part of the plan, the government has strengthened the regulatory framework by making suitable amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The government has introduced more stringent penalties for manufacturing spurious and adulterated drugs. Some offenses have also been made cognizable and non-bailable.

The government has also enhanced the testing infrastructure and made provision of licence suspension/cancellation which means that state drug regulators have the authority to suspend or cancel manufacturing licences of companies found to have produced NSQ drugs. Efforts are underway to ensure all the drug makers are following good manufacturing practice (GMP) at their units.

GMP is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It is a critical component of quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry. It ensures patient safety, product consistency, prevention of contamination or errors etc.
New Delhi: In measures targeting Russias ability to raise revenues from its oil and energy sector in the midst of war with Ukraine, the European Union (EU) on Friday unveiled sanctions on the Rosneft-owned Nayara Energys 20 million-tonne refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat, and lowered the price cap on Russian oil by 15% to $47.6 per barrel from $60.

It also imposed sanctions on more shadow fleet ships, which are largely used for moving crude oil from Russia. Kaja Kallas, EUs high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said in a post on social media platform X that the 27-nation grouping has also agreed to ban financial transactions related to Russias Nord Stream gas pipeline.

Late on Friday night, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs, said in a statement: We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations."

The development is expected to hit Nayara hard, especially its exports of petroleum products. Nayara is one of only two Indian companies, the other being Reliance Industries, which exports petroleum products from the country, since only private companies are allowed to export petroleum products. Indias exports of petroleum products rose 3.4% in volume terms to 64.7 million tonnes in FY25, compared to 62.6 million tonnes in FY24, according to data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.

To be sure, while Nayara has the largest private sector retail fuel network of the country with about 6,500 fuel bunks, its share of the domestic market is small considering around 90,000 petrol pumps in Indiaa market dominated by state-owned companies.

Meanwhile, according to reports, Rosneft is also looking at selling its stake in its subsidiary. In March, The Economic Times reported that Russia's Rosneft, which owns 49.13% stake in Nayara Energy, is looking to exit the Indian venture, as due to sanctions, the Russian company has not been able to repatriate earnings from Nayara Energy in the past few years.

Also Read | Euro area yields edge up amid investor concerns over Powells future

Petroleum product exports from Nayaras refinery to Europe would be impacted by the sanctions. Europe has been a major buyer of these products. Further, the likely talks of a stake sale by Rosneft also may be impacted," said Shashi Mathews, partner at law firm CMS Induslaw. However, he added that refiners should be able to navigate the price cap, as they have been already operating with the $60 price cap for the past few years.

Its an evolving situation, it needs to be seen how this builds. The implementation of sanctions on the shadow fleet and the price cap would be key. Impact on supplies will raise prices," said Prashant Vasisht, senior vice president and co-group head, corporate rating, Icra.

A statement by the Council of European Union said: The bloc will ban the import of refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil and coming from any third country  with the exception of Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States  thereby preventing Russias crude oil from reaching the EU market through the back door."

Queries sent to Nayara and Rosneft remained unanswered till press time.

Experts said the move may close an emerging market for India. Europe is a key market for Indian petroleum products along with South East Asia and the US.

In a report in December 2024, S&P Global Commodity Insights had said: Europe is increasingly turning out to be the brightest market for Indian oil products exporters that have capitalized on the shortages of diesel and other fuels due to geopolitical tensions and are shipping plentiful cargoes, a trend that is set to spill over to next year."

It had noted that refineries in India have ramped up exports to Europe and the Mediterranean since Europe and the UK banned Russian diesel in 2023. The report added that Reliance Industries is the largest products exporter to Europe.

Kallas, who is also the vice-president of the European Commission, said on X that the EU is standing firm.Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India."

According to the EU statement, the latest sanction on 105 vessels takes the total vessels under sanction to 444. These vessels will be subject to a ban on port access and on the provision of a broad range of services related to maritime transport.

Full-fledged sanctions (asset freezes, travel bans, bans on providing resources) target Russian and international companies managing shadow fleet vessels, traders of Russian crude oil and a major customer of the shadow fleet  a refinery in India with Rosneft as its main shareholder," said the council's statement.

Also Read | EU to Extend Suspension of Countermeasures to Allow for US Talks

With todays package, the EU is curtailing Russias energy revenues through a number of different measures. The EU is lowering the price cap for crude oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel, to align it with current global oil prices and is introducing an automatic and dynamic mechanism to modify the oil price cap and ensure that this price cap is effective. Oil exports still represent one third of the Russian governments revenues," said the EU statement.

Experts said the sanctions on shadow fleet ships may impact supply of Russian crude and lift prices. On Friday, global crude prices increased about 1%. At the time of writing, the September contract of Brent on the Intercontinental Exchange was at $70.16 per barrel, higher by 0.92% from its previous close.

Similarly, the August contract of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on the NYMEX rose 1.13% to $68.30 per barrel.

With US President Donald Trump warning of sanctions on countries that import Russian oil, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri had said on Thursday while addressing an energy conference in New Delhi that India is not worried about any such penalties and will navigate any eventuality as there is enough supply in the market.

Trump recently said the US could impose 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary tariffs" on countries importing its oilmainly China and Indiaif Moscow didn't agree to a deal to end the Ukraine war in 50 days.

Responding to a question on India's likely measures in case secondary sanctions were imposed on Russian oil imports, Union minister Puri said: My own view is the price of oil will come down. It will come down only because there is more oil available in the international market. There is more oil coming on the global market from the western hemisphere. I mean countries such as Brazil, Guyana and Canada. They're not even OPEC+ members. I'm not worried at all. If something happens, we'll deal with it."

He added that India felt no pressure" and had enough supply options to ensure uninterrupted availability even in turbulent times.

On Thursday, the ministry of external affairs responded to a recent remark by NATO secretary general Mark Ruttes wherein he had warned of secondary sanctions against countries buying Russian oil.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions-hit Russia has emerged as the top supplier of oil to India, accounting for about 36% of India's total oil imports. In February 2022 when the war started, it accounted for just 0.2% of India's total oil imports.
Chaitanya Baghel, son of Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor scam.

On Friday morning, 18 July, Enforcement Directorate officials conducted a second raid this year at the Baghel family's residence in Bhilai. In response, Chhattisgarh's former CM and Congress MLA Bhupesh Baghel took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, calling the move a birthday gift for his son.

Bhupesh Baghel, for his part, claimed that this was done to prevent him from raising the issue of trees being felled for a coal mine project by the Adani Group in the Tamnar tehsil of the states Raigarh district.

Talking to reporters he said, "Congress is fighting against Adani. This strategy has been adopted to muzzle the opposition. They are now targeting my son, so that no one can raise their voice against Adani. We will not get scared or bow down. Today, my son has been arrested on his birthday. Last year on my birthday, my advisor was targeted."

All Congress MLAs, including Bhupesh Baghel, boycotted the Chhattisgarh Assembly proceedings on Friday morning, in the wake of Chaitanyas arrest.

The way ED is putting pressure to harass Baghel and on us, it's important to talk about it. They have arrested Chaitanya. We oppose it and we boycott the proceedings, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant said as all Congress MLAs walked out of the assembly shouting a slogan: Ek pedh Maa ke naam baki sab Baap ke naam (One tree in mothers name and remaining all in fathers name).

Official sources said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh searches at the premises of Congress leader Baghel on Friday as part of an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering investigation against his son Chaitanya Baghel.

Baghel's home in Bhilai town of Durg district, which the father-son duo share, was raided by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following receipt of fresh evidence in the case.

Speaking to the media outside his Bhilai residence, Baghel said, "To please their master, Modi and Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won't be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth."

"On one hand, in Bihar, voters are being removed (from the voters list) with the help of the Election Commission...democracy is being stripped, and on the other hand, they are misusing the ED, IT, CBI, DRI to suppress opposition leaders. But now, people of the country have understood and are well aware," he said.

The Congress leader said, The ED had come in the past as well and raided my place and found 33 lakh in my house. Now they have come again. What does this mean? We will fully cooperate, whether they trust ur or not, we believe in democracy and the judiciary. They (BJP) are misusing the agency, but we will cooperate with them.

He further questioned the timing of the raid, which coincided with his son Chaitanya's birthday.

Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given. On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya's birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life, he said.

A heavy posse of police personnel was seen outside the house, even as some party supporters gathered.
Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday in an alleged liquor scam-linked money laundering case was sent to ED custody for five days by a special PMLA court in Raipur.

Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the ED on his birthday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after fresh raids conducted at his residence in Bhilai town of Durg district.

Advocate Faizal Rizvi, appearing for Chaitanya Baghel, said, As quoted by ANI, "After arresting him, ED demanded 5-day custordial remand. An objection has been raised over this. In their plea, ED laid emphasis that all of these things have come to the fore on the basis of statements of Laxmi Bansal alias Pappu Bansal. The arrest has been made on that basis. After recording Bansal's statement and even before that, three supplementary complaints were presented after the main complaint. Chaitanya Baghel's name did not appear there; not even once was any summon sent to Chaitanya Baghel to record his statement under Section 50..."

Earlier in the day, after Chaitanya Baghel's arrest, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers burnt tyres and protested outside Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Raipur.

Chaitnaya was arrested under Section 19 of the anti-money laundering law as he was allegedly not cooperating during the searches that came about following receipt of fresh evidence in the case.

Chaitanya were the "recipient" of about 17 crore "proceeds of crime" that were generated from the alleged liquor scam. Funds worth about 1,070 crore are under the scanner of the agency vis-a-vis the role of junior Baghel, according to the sources.

The ED has claimed that the "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over 2,100 crore.

Reactions on Chaitanya Baghel's arrest: Reacting on Chaitnya Baghel's arrest by ED, RJD Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said, as quoted by ANI, "There will be attacks by the ED on the opposition. ED has become such an institution of the ruling party that it works on its orders."

On the arrest of his son by ED, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, "Congress is fighting against Adani. This strategy has been adopted to muzzle the opposition. They are now targeting my son, so that no one can raise their voice against Adani. We will not get scared or bow down. Today, my son has been arrested on his birthday. Last year on my birthday, my advisor was targeted."
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that efforts were being made to defame kanwar pilgrims who are subjected to a media trial and termed terrorists and rioters. He said this stemmed from mentality that wants to insult India's heritage.

According to a PTI report, Adityanath said those who seek to defame the kanwar 'yatris' are the same people who tried to separate the tribal community from India. The CM was speaking at a seminar on tribal icon Birsa Munda.

"They conspired at every level to make them fight against India. This is the same community that always insults the faith of India and these are the same people who today want to create a situation of caste conflict by creating fake accounts on social media platforms," the UP CM said.

"There is a wonderful confluence of unity. No discrimination. There is no distinction of caste, no distinction of region, no distinction of class, no difference of opinion, no difference of sect, they go chanting 'Har Har Bam Bam'. They walk 300-400 kilometres, then take water from there, put the kanwar on their shoulders and walk back in the same way with the same devotion," he added.

Uttarakhand CM welcomes Kanwariyas in Haridwar, washes feet of pilgrims Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Haridwar and participated in the event organised at the Ganga Ghat near Om Bridge and welcomed and honoured Kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) from all over the country by washing their feet. He also participated in the Bhajan Sandhya on Thursday, an ANI report said.

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Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, It is my good fortune to have had the opportunity to wash the feet of Shiva devotees, the Kanwariyas, and receive their blessings.

So far this year, more than one crore Shiva devotees have left for their respective destinations on the Kanwar Yatra.

He highlighted that the Kanwar Yatra is not only a religious event but also a symbol of our faith, devotion, and Sanatan culture, and that we are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve crore of Shiva devotees every year. He said that Shiv Shakti is not a display but an internal sadhana.

During the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, flowers were also showered on Shiva devotees from a helicopter in Haridwar on Thursday, ANI reported.

CM Dhami appealed to the Kanwariyas that even if someone faces some difficulty, they should not create difficulty for others.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday carried out new raids at the residence of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation related to an alleged liquor scam, officials reported.

Chaitanya Baghel's house in Bhilai town, which he shares with his father, is being searched by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on receipt of fresh evidence in the case, they said.

Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel later posted on X, revealing that the ED had arrived at his Bhilai residence on the final day of the assembly session.

The federal investigation agency had previously conducted similar raids on Chaitanya Baghel in March of this year.

ED allegations The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that illegally collected around 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor in the state between 2019 and 2022.

The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, where a cartel controlled the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops. The agency has earlier conducted multiple raids, including on politicians and bureaucrats linked to the previous Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh.
Social media giant Meta, run by Mark Zuckerberg, has apologised for inaccurately translating Kannada, claiming that it has fixed the issue. Meta's apology comes days after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised concerns over wrong auto-translation of Kannada texts on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Siddaramaiah had earlier raised serious concerns about Kannada content being wrongly translated on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, saying it was leading to distortion of facts that were misleading to users.

"We fixed an issue that briefly caused this inaccurate Kannada translation. We apologize that this happened," a Meta spokesperson said.

Meta's apology came after the Chief Minister's office posted in Kannada about Siddaramaiah paying respects B Saroja Devi. Meta translated it as, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B Took darshan of Sarojadevis earthly body and paid his last respects.

What did Siddaramaiah say? Slamming Meta, Siddaramaiah noted that social media platforms should be acting responsibly, especially when it deals with official communication. He also warned citizens to be aware that translations on Fecebook and Intagram may be inaccurate.

"Faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta platforms is distorting facts and misleading users. This is especially dangerous when it comes to official communication. My media advisor has formally written to Meta urging immediate correction," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X'.

Also Read | Veteran Kannada actress Saroja Devi passes away at 87

"Social media platforms must act responsibly. I caution citizens to be aware that translations shown are often inaccurate. Such negligence by tech giants can harm public understanding and trust," he added.

In an email sent to Meta on July 16, the chief ministers media advisor, K V Prabhakar, raised serious concerns on behalf of the CM regarding the automatic translation of Kannada content on Facebook and Instagram.

The Karnataka government has asked Meta to temporarily suspend the auto-translation feature for Kannada content until translation accuracy is reliably improved.

Machine translations are shown to users in various instances on Facebook and Instagram, including public biographical info and specific pieces of content.

In the case of Kannada auto-translation, Meta's AI machine translation model provided a machine translation error which caused inaccurate Kannada translations in Facebook-- which the company claims to have been fixed now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a slew of development projects worth 5,400 crore in West Bengal, unveiling major initiatives across the oil and gas, power, rail and road sectors aimed at boosting infrastructure, connectivity and clean energy in the region.

Addressing a programme in the industrial town of Durgapur, Modi said the world today is discussing Indias resolve to become a developed nation, and the ongoing transformation of the country's infrastructure is a key pillar of that vision.

"Today, the entire world is discussing the resolve for a developed India. Behind this, there are changes visible in India, on which the edifice of a developed India is being built. A major aspect of these changes is India's infrastructure," the prime minister said.

Reiterating his government's vision of One Nation, One Gas Grid, Modi said the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project was conceptualised to ensure equitable energy access and spur industrial growth across eastern India.

As part of the day's events, the PM laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limiteds (BPCL) 1,950-crore City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia districts. The project aims to supply piped natural gas (PNG) to households and industries, compressed natural gas (CNG) at retail outlets, and generate employment in the region.

He also dedicated to the nation the 1,190-crore DurgapurKolkata section (132 km) of the DurgapurHaldia Natural Gas Pipeline, laid under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) initiative. Passing through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia districts, the pipeline is expected to benefit lakhs of people with a steady and clean supply of natural gas.

Continuing the Centres thrust on clean energy, Modi dedicated Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems retrofitted at the Durgapur Steel and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Stations of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). Built at a combined cost of over 1,457 crore, the systems aim to curb industrial emissions and improve air quality in the region.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on 18 July that his brother-in-law, Robert Vadra, has been hounded by the Union government for the last ten years. The latest chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a land deal in Gurugram is a continuation of that witch hunt, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) said.

My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt, Gandhi said in a post on X.

The ED filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against businessman Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with the controversial land deal case in Haryana's Manesar-Shikohpur (now sector 83) in Gurugram.

Also Read | ED files chargesheet against Robert Vadra in Gurugram land deal case

I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment, Gandhi said.

This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint against 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal case. The chargesheet also includes the names of several other individuals and firms

I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution, and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail, Gandhi said.

The charge sheet has been filed against Vadra and some others before a local court here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), news agency PTI said, quoting sources. The central agency has also attached 43 properties worth 37.6 Crore belonging to Robert Vadra and his company  Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

Robert Vadra Breaks Silence Hours after the ED charge sheet, Vadra said he is looking forward to the opportunity to defend himself and clear his name in Court.

Also Read | Robert Vadra breaks silence on ED chargesheet in Shikohpur land deal case

Robert Vadra is aware of reports suggesting that the Directorate of Enforcement has filed a Prosecution Complaint naming him as an Accused before the Rouse Avenue Courts, Delhi. As the Court is yet to even take cognisance of the matter, Mr. Vadra has not had the opportunity to examine the Prosecution Complaint,ANI quoted the office of businessman Robert Vadra as saying.

Vadra had earlier claimed the move was part of a political vendetta to silence him and his brother-in-law, Rahul Gandhi.

The case came to light after Haryana cadre IAS officer Ashok Khemka cancelled its mutation, a process reflecting the transfer of property, in October 2012. Indian Administrative Services(IAS) officer Khemka, who was transferred 57 times, retired from service after a 34-year career on 30 April.

My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt.
The Supreme Court on Friday, 18 July, refused to stay trial court proceedings against former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in the land-for-jobs case.

On Friday, a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh asked the Delhi High Court to expedite the hearing on his plea for quashing of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) FIR.

The Supreme Court also granted an exemption from appearance to Yadav before the trial court in the case.

What's the matter? The case pertains to Group D appointments made in the West Central Zone of the Indian Railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Lalu Prasad's tenure as the railway minister between 2004 and 2009.

It was alleged that the appointments were made in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates.

Yadav had moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him by the CBI in 2022. He had urged the court to stay the trial court proceedings during the pendency of the plea.

However, on 29 May, the Delhi High Court said there was no compelling reason to stay the proceedings. The high court then issued notice to the CBI on Yadav's plea for quashing of the agency's FIR and posted the hearing on 12 August.

Lalu Yadav then moved the Supreme Court, arguing that the trial could not proceed without a mandatory sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

After hearing brief arguments in Yadav's plea, the Supreme Courts Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice N Kotiswar Singh said it would ask the high court to decide the main petition that seeks quashing of the CBI case, Bar and Bench reported.

The Supreme Court then proceeded to direct the high court to decide the matter expeditiously.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday acquitted three persons accused of killing a woman and dismembering her body, reported Bar and Bench, adding all three accused were earlier convicted and awarded the death penalty.

The divisional benchcomprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md Shabbar Rashidiobserved that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the three accused beyond reasonable doubt, according to the report.

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The accused were the deceased womans husband and two others.

We therefore, set aside the impugned judgment of conviction and the consequential order of sentence. Death sentence awarded to the appellants, cannot, therefore, be sustained even, less to talk of its confirmation. Accordingly, the appellants are hereby acquitted of all the charges framed against them, Bar and Bench quoted the court order as saying.

All about the case: In 2014, the police arrested Surajit Deb, Lipika Poddar and Sanjay Biswas on allegations of the murder of a woman named Jayanti Deb.

The Sealdah Police Station discovered the body of Jayanti Deb with the torso in a suitcase, and the head and limbs in separate bags.

Following this, the police arrested Jayantis husband, Surajit Deb. The police said that Surajit and Jayanti separated several years ago, and Surajit started to live with Lipika Poddar in a separate flat.

Also Read | Calcutta HC rebukes Mamata Banerjee government over Sandeshkhali allegations

Apart from this, Surajit and Lipika murdered Jayanti and then got Sanjay to dismember the body, according to the police. In 2019, the trial court convicted all three accused and sentenced them to death.

However, the Calcutta High Court disagreed with the trial courts findings and noted that there was no evidence associating the accused with the murder of the victim.

Their presence at the scene of the crime at the relevant time has not been proved convincingly, it added and acquitted them.

Also Read | Calcutta High Court urges adolescent girls to control sexual urges

As per the details, senior advocates Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee and Kallol Mondal along with advocates Moumita Pandit, Supreem Naskar, Jayashree Patra, Pritha Sinha, Krishan Ray, Anamitra Banerjee, Akbar Laskar, Isita Kundu, Malay Bhattacharya and Subhrajyoti Ghosh appeared for the accused.
A Billings man accused of raping children appeared in court Thursday for a hearing to determine whether he will be charged as an adult or a youth.

Max Clark Burklund is facing three counts of sexual intercourse without consent, with Yellowstone County prosecutors accusing him of abusing three minors, two of whom were girls under the age of 13. The investigation into Burklund began when one of the alleged victims reported the abuse after attending a safety class at a local elementary school.

While Burklund spent all day attending a hearing that will establish if his case is transferred to Youth Court, he is not a youth. Hes now 20 years old and is accused of raping three minors while he himself was still a teenager.

There is no justification for the defendants actions despite his attempts to blame everyone, including minor children, wrote Deputy Chief Yellowstone County Attorney Hallie Bishop in a memorandum submitted in Yellowstone County District Court prior to the hearing. Plainly, the nature of the offense warrants prosecution in District Court.

Starting in 2023, officers with the Billings Police Department received a report from a person who held an elementary school course on personal safety. She concluded the class by telling students they could come to her if they felt like they may have been victims of inappropriate behavior. That same day, according to testimony in court, a girl came to her saying that Burklund was sexually abusing her.

BPD detectives, through interviews with the girl and others, documented that Burklund allegedly had been forcing her and a second child to perform sexual acts while he was living with the two from 2019 through 2022. At the time of the alleged abuse, Burklund was 15 years old. While that investigation was still ongoing, a teenage boy reported to police that Burklund had raped him in the spring of 2023, according to charging documents.

On Thursday, BPD Det. Brian Abel testified that he was one of several investigators into the allegations against Burklund. Abel interviewed Burklund when he was 18, where he initially denied any misconduct, claiming it was the girls who were "in charge" and forced him into sexual acts. Burklund also denied raping the teenage boy, before saying they did engage in consensual sexual contact.

It seemed like there was a lot of deception and the blaming of others for his actions, Abel said. In my experience, these acts continue unless there are consequences.

County prosecutors filed criminal charges against Burklund in March, just before Burklunds 20th birthday, and a $100,000 warrant was signed for his arrest. He entered Yellowstone County Detention Facility on March 19, pleading not guilty to all three rape charges.

Per Montana law, because Burklund was a juvenile at the time of the allegations against him, a hearing must be held to decide whether hell be prosecuted as an adult or a youth. District court judges make that decision based on three criteria: the safety of the community, the severity of the allegations and interests of the person accused. The burden of proving that Youth Court is best for a defendant falls on the defense team. In Montana, those whose cases are resolved through Youth Court typically remain in custody or under some form of supervision until theyre 21.

At Burklunds transfer hearing Thursday, most of the testimony came from those called by his defense attorneys. Yellowstone County District Judge Colette Davies presided over the hearing. While Burklund is still maintaining his innocence, his attorneys focused on what options for treatment would be available to Burklund, should he be tried and convicted as a juvenile.

Juveniles are constitutionally different from adults, said Blaine McGivern, who along with Montana Funk is representing Burklund in the case.

Because of the delay in the disclosure of the allegations, he said, Burklund is facing adult consequences for something he allegedly did as a child. Although Burklund does turn 21 in March of next year, McGivern and Funk argued, a legal remedy exists that would allow him to remain under supervision by Youth Court services until hes 25.

Defense isnt arguing that this should be a case thats done at 21, Funk said. Our concerns with an adult (facility) are not only the vulnerabilities, (that) advantage may be taken of Max if hes sent to an adult facility, but it is clear that Max suffers from some behavioral and educational, intellectual disabilities that are going to need extra handholding. That are going to need extra guidance.

Burklunds defense also called two members of Burklunds family, who testified to his tumultuous life growing up. Lisa Hjelmstad, a licensed clinical social worker with a focus on sex offender treatment and intervention, was hired by the defense to evaluate Burklund. She testified Thursday that Burklund showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder possibly related to emotional and physical abuse. Most of Burklunds socialization was done online, she said, and his exploration of sexuality was likely done through internet pornography.

Assuming that the allegations were true, Hjelmstad said, she said incarceration could be a detriment to Burklund in the long-term. Considering Burklunds lack of social development, she said a prison setting could aggravate his mental illnesses and leave him vulnerable to exploitation.

Arielle Dean, who is also serving as a prosecutor in the case, asked Hjelmstad about Burklunds reaction to the allegations against him. Hjelmstad said Burklund claimed the allegations were lies on the part of the two girls. Again, assuming that Burklund is found guilty, Hjelmstad said treatment would involve serious limitations on Burklunds access to the internet and confronting his apparent difficulty in separating fantasy from reality. Dean asked Hjelmstad how long that kind of intensive treatment was needed for positive results.

Realistically? Probably six to eight years, Hjelmstad said. But treatment is an ongoing process that continues through adulthood.

In his final argument to Judge Davies, McGivern said that even if Burklund was convicted as an adult and sent to prison, he would become eligible for parole and released. If prison were the outcome, he said, it would not benefit Burklund or the community. Along with alienating him from his family and denying him a chance to build a life and career, McGivern emphasized that Burklunds mental health left him vulnerable to abuse.

McGivern cited the four months Burklund has spent at YCDF, and how little its benefited his client, saying Burklund is not working and is making undesirable acquaintances.

A fellow like Timothy Westervelt taking (Max) under his wing is not desirable, McGivern said.

Timothy Allen Westervelt is jailed at YCDF on a $250,000 bond after pleading not guilty earlier this year to multiple counts of child sex abuse.

Hallie Bishop responded to the defenses arguments that giving anyone, even juveniles, a pass when it comes to serious crimes is not in anyones best interest. Burklund potentially leaving supervision as young as 21 and going without sex offender treatment puts everyone at risk, she said.

Outside of the serious accusations against Burklund, Bishop said the 20-year-old has a pattern of sexual misconduct, telling the court that he had been disciplined in school for downloading porn to a class tablet, and was fired from his job at a Billings restaurant for sexual harassment.

The whole point of the Youth Court Act is to have consequences for criminal conduct, Bishop said. If the consequences do not rise to the level of the seriousness of the crime, then all were teaching Mr. Burklund is that that behavior is OK, there are no consequences. He would be on juvenile probation, where he couldnt get any servicesand once he turns 21 next year, it all goes away.

Judge Davies will decide whether to transfer Burklunds case to Youth Court at a later date. Thursdays hearing concluded to Burklund being taken back into custody at YCDF. If convicted in District Court, he could face up to life in prison for each count of sexual intercourse without consent.
Delhi School Bomb Threat: At least 45 schools in Delhi received bomb threats on 18 July in separate incidents, police said on Friday. The threats triggered panic among students and parents alike.

Delhi Police and other quick-response authorities have launched search and evacuation operations, an official said.

Which schools received bomb threats? So far, bomb threats have been received at Maxfort Junior School and Guru Nanak School in Pitampura; six schools in Dwarka  St Thomas School, GD Goenka School, DIS Edge School, Modern International School, Dwarka International School and La Petite Montessori; Richmond School and Doon Public School in Paschim Vihar; six schools in Rohini  MRG School in Sector 3, Delhi Public School, Sovereign Public School and Heritage Public School in Sector 24, Delhi International Public School in Sector 9, Abhinav Public School in Sector 3 and The Heritage School; Summerfield International School in South Delhi.

Others include Bharti Public School in Swasthya Vihar, Hamdard Public School in Sangam Vihar, St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School in Raj Niwas Marg, North Delhi Public School in Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi Public School in Vikas Puri, Mira Nursery School in Janakpuri, Prudence School, The Indian School in Sadiq Nagar, Delhi Public School on Mathura Road, Mater Dei School in Tilak Lane.

Delhi Jain Public School in Palam, Junior Delhi School, Delhi Public School in R K Puram, East of Kailash and Vasant Vihar, The British School in Chanakyapuri, Delhi City School in Bawana, Faith Academy in Prasad Nagar, Amity International School in Saket, , Cambridge Foundation School in Rajouri Garden, Big Feather International School, Kulachi Hansraj Model School in Ashok Vihar also received bomb threats.

What did the bomb threat letter say? The Delhi Police has revealed the bomb threat letter:

Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I will watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children.

You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, I will commit suicide after the news, will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists, no one has ever cared and no one will ever care. You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans' psychiatrists never tell you that those meds ruin your organs or that they cause disgusting weight gain. You brainwash people into thinking psychiatric meds can help them. But they don't. I a living proof that they do not. You all deserve this. You deserve to suffer just like me.

Bomb threats increase in Delhi schools This is the fourth time this week that Delhi schools have received a bomb threat. On July 16, eight schools reported that they had received bomb threats, prompting action from authorities.

Over the week, over 28 cases of Delhi schools receiving bomb threats have been reported.

On Wednesday morning, the bomb threats triggered panic among students, prompting immediate evacuations.

Teams of Delhi Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad and cyber experts rushed in for a thorough search.

Along with St Thomas School, seven other schools received a bomb threat e-mail on Wednesday. All threats were found to be fake after investigation.

The schools were Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother International in Hauz Khas, Richmondd Global School in Paschim Vihar, Prudence School in Paschim Vihar and Pitampura, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate, and St Thomas School in Paschim Vihar.

Also Read | Hyderabad court receives bomb threat, security forces conduct emergency sweep

The e-mails were received between 5.26 am and 8.12 am. In total, 10 e-mails were received by the schools. A senior police officer said the schools were thoroughly checked, and nothing suspicious was found.

A 12-year-old student was detained for sending a bomb threat to St Thomas School in Dwarka on July 15. The school received another bomb threat in less than 24 hours on Wednesday, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said the boy was identified and detained for sending the bomb threat e-mail on Tuesday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that his party will not allow the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to impose any language on students in the state, reported PTI.

Uddhav Thackeray also added that Maharashtra's image has declined in the country after the scuffle in Vidhan Bhavan.

Earlier on Thursday, Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the chamber of the legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde. During the meeting, which lasted for about half an hour, the former CM's son and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray were also present.

The meeting came a day after the Maharashtra CM took a veiled dig at Uddhav Thackeray, inviting him to join the treasury benches (ruling side) in the Vidhan Parishad.

When asked, Aaditya Thackeray said the meeting was to discuss Marathi language-related issues. "We put our view on why Hindi should not be imposed as the third language from Class I. We gave a collection of articles written by experts and non-political persons," the Worli MLA said.

Thackeray met the Chief Minister to hand over a compilation of news articles opposing the introduction of Hindi as a third language in Maharashtra, as he cited concerns of alleged linguistic imposition.

Not against Hindi language: The Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief clarified that his party is not against the Hindi language; however, he had accused a few groups of comparing Marathi people to terrorists and undermining Marathi identity.

Against three-language policy: On Thursday, Aaditya Thackeray strongly objected to the Maharashtra government's proposed three-language policy. He questioned its rationale and expressed concern over the plan to implement it from the primary school level.

"We are opposing the imposition of a three-language policy from the first class. Today, if you visit schools, it (three-language) is (implemented) from the fifth (class)...What kind of law have you (Maharashtra government) come up with, making it mandatory to learn three languages from the first class?" PTI quoted Aaditya Thackeray as saying to reporters.

"... Today we gave him a compilation of why there should not be a three-language policy from the first class as written by many journalists and editors...," he former Minister added.

According to the details, the now-withdrawn orders, related to the implementation of the three-language formula in state schools, had triggered widespread protests from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).
In a significant ruling related to online banking, the Allahabad High Court has said that in cases of unauthorised electronic banking, the burden to prove a customers liability lies on the bank, reported Live Law.

Citing Clause 12 of the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) circular dated June 6, 2017 titled Customer Protection-Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions, the High Court bench of Justices Shekhar B. Saraf and Praveen Kumar Giri said: A careful perusal of the aforesaid circular would show that the burden of proving the customer's liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking, lies upon the bank.

Also Read | 7 key differences between online and traditional personal loan applications

The ruling was passed in a case of embezzlement.

Petitioners, a father-son duo, had their separate proprietorship companies. The father transferred 37,85,000 to the son's account. This amount was further transferred to a third-party account against which they filed an FIR claiming embezzlement.

After the authorities did not take any action, the petitioners moved the Allahabad High Court, seeking direction to Bank of Baroda and the RBI to restore the embezzled amount along with penal interest.

However, the high court found no evidence of cyber fraud.

After reviewing the debit/credit and IP address details of the petitioners, the court said that the transaction was done diligently and they were not victims of cyber fraud.

The court observed that though the petitioners were aware of the deductions made from the account, they informed the bank two days later, which showed that they had concocted the story.

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The burden of proving customer liability lies upon the bank and the bank, in its counter affidavit, has placed passbook, documents showing beneficiary addition by petitioner no. 2, IP Address details of petitioner no.2, time and debit transfer details from the internet bank account of the petitioner no.2, a document showing password modification by the petitioner no.2 to discharge its burden, the court said.
The US on July 17 designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), citing its role in the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Kashmir on April 22.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who announced the designation, described TRF as a front and proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is already listed as a terrorist group by both the United Nations and the United States.

Also Read | US designates Pak group's proxy TRF as terrorists over Pahalgam attack

Rubio said that this action against the TRF "demonstrates President Donald Trump administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack".

"This (Pahalgam attack) was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the secretary of state said.

TRF's role in the Pahalgam attack The attack in Pahalgam  a popular tourist destination in South Kashmir's Anantnag district  was carried out on a day when US Vice President JD Vance was in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia.

'More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir. These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land," the TRF said in a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on social media.

Also Read | MHA declares The Resistance Front (TRF) and its organisations as terror outfits

Mint could not verify the statement's credibility. "Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally," it said after the attack that sent shockwaves across the country, and beyond.

A few days later, another TRF statement available online disowned the earlier statement claiming responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

What is TRF? TRF emerged after Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated in August 2019. The TRF is a known proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and was formed to provide a localised face to the militancy in Kashmir.

Founded in October 2019, the group was led by Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the Supreme Commander, with Basit Ahmed Dar serving as the Chief Operational Commander.

Born on October 10, 1974 in Srinagar, Gul was designated as terrorist by the government in 2022. Of 172 terrorists that were killed in Jammu and Kashmir, 108 were linked to TRF, according to a 2022 data.

TRF was initially formed with cadres from Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT, according to reports. The Union government has been calling TRF as a 'proxy' front for the LeT.

The MHA ban in 2023 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the TRF and all its manifestations and front organisations in January 2023. The Ministry has declared them as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.

The MHA said that "the activities of TRF are detrimental for the national security and sovereignty of India" and that it was involved in psychological operations on social media platforms for inciting people of Jammu and Kashmir to join terrorist outfits against Indian state.

The TRF, is recruiting youth through online medium for furtherance of terrorist activities and has been involved in carrying out propaganda on terror activities, recruitment of terrorists, infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir, the MHA notification said.

TRF attacks so far Before its role in the Pahalgam attack, the TRF had a role in the majority of attacks on civilians, including Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers, as well as security forces in Kashmir, for many years.

The TRF also claimed responsibility for the attack at a construction site in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district, which killed a doctor and six migrant workers in October 2024.

Also Read | Cong to corner Modi govt on Pahalgam, voter list revision during Monsoon Session

TRF chief Gul is said to be the mastermind of the attack. The group's local module, carried out the attack targeting Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris together, according to a TRF statement after the Ganderbal attack in 2024 said.

The activities of TRF are detrimental for the national security and sovereignty of India.

Another major attack involving TRF was April 1, 2020 when the group engaged in a four-day gun battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Keran sector of Kupwara. Five Indian para commandos were killed along with the terrorists.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly arrested Chaitnaya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, on Friday in an alleged liquor scam-linked money laundering case.

Official sources told news agency PTI that Chaitnaya was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after fresh raids were carried out at his home in Bhilai town in Durg district.

The father-son duo reside at the same place.

Who is Chaitnaya Baghel? Chaitnaya Baghel, the son of Bhupesh Baghel, is currently looking after the Baghel family's vegetable farm, the Indian Express reported.

He was earlier involved in the real estate business.

Party sources told the media outlet that Chaitanya preferred to keep safe distance from politics.

Chaitanyas formal entry into politics was initially planned between 2018-2023 when his father was the Chief Minister. However, for reasons unknown, the plan did not materialise, the report added.

The next attempt was reportedly made last year when Baghel was nominated to contest the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat.

"Then last year, when Baghel was nominated to contest the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, speculation was rife that Chaitanya would be fielded from the Patan Assembly seat [which his father represents] if his father won. But as Baghel lost, the plan was shelved," The Indian Express reported while quoting a source.

According to reports, Chaitanya Baghel was earlier questioned by Durg police in connection with the attempted murder of a Bhilai professor last year.

He was summoned in September 2024, after Bhupesh Baghel wrote to ex-CJI DY Chandrachud alleging that both the state and central agencies were being "misused" to target him and his family.

Why was Chaitnaya Baghel arrested? Sources told PTI that Chaitnaya Baghel was arrested under Section 19 of the anti-money laundering act. It was alleged that Chaitnaya was not cooperating during the searches that were conducted after authorities received fresh evidence in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted fresh searches at the premises of on Friday Baghel as part of an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering investigation against his son Chaitanya Baghel, official sources said.

The ED earlier claimed that Chaitanya Baghel was suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds from the alleged liquor scam.

It has been said that the "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over 2,100 crore.

Its Chaitnayas birthday today Bhupesh Baghel said it was Chaitanya's birthday today, July 18 -- the day he was arrested by ED officials.

In a post on X, Bhupesh Baghel thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the gift. He said, Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given.

On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya's birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life," he said.

Bhupesh Baghel, a senior Congress leader, posted on X saying that the ED had come to his home on the last day of the assembly session when the issue of trees being felled for a coal mine project of the Adani group in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district was to be raised.
NEW DELHI : New Delhi: The Union water ministry is considering roping in state-run hydroelectric power generators NHPC Ltd and SJVN Ltd for developing dams and reservoirs connected to an ambitious river-linking project in Jammu and Kashmir, according to an official aware of the plan.

The official was one of three Mint spoke to about the government's plan to link the Indus and Chenab rivers in J&K in order to extract more water from the Indus river system, now that India has suspended its participation in the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.

The 1960 water-sharing pact came under strain following this year's armed conflict between India and Pakistan.

India's goal is to address Delhis water shortage along with meeting the requirement for irrigation in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan by diverting more water from the Indus basin. This would be done by connecting the proposed Indus-Chenab link to the interconnected Ravi-Beas-Sutlej canal system, the people cited above said.

Read more: J&K seeks stake, revenue share in NHPCs 22,700 crore Sawalkot hydro project

The project would in the main rest on canals and tunnels linking the Indus with the Chenab in the first instance. This would be followed by linking the Chenab with three riversRavi, Beas and Sutlejthat feed into Punjab.

Punjab and Haryana are considered the bread basket of India.

From there, the water would be routed to the 214-km Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canalconceived in the 1960s but still under constructionand then to the thirsty capital of Delhi.

The IWT already allows India unrestricted use of waters from the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. It gives Pakistan control over the other three rivers of the Indus Basinthe Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

The Indus begins in Tibet, enters India near Ladakh and then continues westward into Pakistan. By using water from the Indus, New Delhi can limit the water available to Pakistan.

After linking the Indus and Chenab to the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system, the plan conceives extending the linkage to the Sutlej-Yamuna Link, transferring the water to the Yamuna, which may ease water issues in the national capital," said one of the three people, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Times of India reported on 16 June that the Centre had initiated a pre-feasibility study for constructing a 113-km canal to redirect 18-24 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The study would take into account the ecological, topographical, and engineering viability of the project as it passes through the Himalayan terrain.

India's plan to enhance water diversion from the Indus basin also involves accelerating the construction of the multipurpose (hydropower, irrigation, drinking) project on the Ujh rivera major tributary of the Raviin J&K's Kathua to maximize the countrys use of its share of the Ravi water.

The government suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with an aim to control the water flow into Pakistan as part of its diplomatic response to the 22 April Pahalgam attack.

The tall task

However, it's a long road from the drawing board of ministries to the farms of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The whole project would require two canals or a large-capacity structure like the Narmada Main Canalan over 500-km canal that forms the backbone of Indias largest integrated irrigation and drinking water project, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, said the second person.

Further, connecting the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system to the under-construction Sutlej-Yamuna Link may require dredging along the Yamuna's river-bed to increase its capacity to absorb the excess water, said A.K. Singh, general manager at NTPC, Hydro Headquarters.

These are long gestation projects. The terrain, the required land acquisition and displacement of communities, various clearances like environment, forest, wildlife, etc., and preparing a detailed project report need to be taken into account. Such a mega-plan involves regulatory gates, generating equipment, water conductor system, etc.," said Abhay Kumar Singh, president, Indian National Hydropower Association (INHA) and former chairman and managing director of NHPC.

Read more: India to fast-track hydropower plans on Pakistan-bound rivers after treaty suspension

He said it would take a minimum of 6-to-10 years to just finish planning, that too when all stakeholders are on the same page. Besides, political commitment is crucial.

Cost is another factor: a project of this scale would require an investment of 2-3 trillion.

River-linking projects are highly capital-intensive. The Centre will have to come up with a budget allocation. State-run companies on their own may not be able to put in the capex required," said an official with a hydro-power company on the condition of anonymity.

Queries sent to the Union ministries of Jal Shakti and power, NHPC and SJVN remained unanswered till press time.

Another problem is the status of the SYL, which has been stuck for decades.

First conceptualized in 1966, the construction of the 214-km SYL was started in 1982 and stalled in 1990 following the killing of project engineers and some workers by militants, amid protests against the project in Punjab. Work has been stuck amid a long-standing dispute between Punjab and Haryana over the quantum of of water to be shared.

The Supreme Court in 2020 asked both states to negotiate and move ahead with the construction. Talks have been underway without much movement on the ground. The last meeting was held on 9 July among the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana and the union minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil in the national capital. It remained inconclusive.

Punjab water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal told Mint that Indus Water Treaty suspension must be duly utilized to fulfil the water needs of his state.

"If the centre agrees to share the Chenab water adequately with Punjab and fulfil our water needs, then depending upon the feasibility report we would be ready to share Chenab water with other states such as Haryana  be it through canal or other modes."

The water diplomacy

Addressing members of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh in June, Union home minister Amit Shah said the Indus river water will be taken to Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, and that irrigation facilities would benefit large areas, leaving Pakistan water-starved.

Recently, the chief minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann, also said the decision to keep the IWT in abeyance opens up the possibility of greater utilization of water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab within India.

Mann said waters of the western rivers should be allocated to Punjab on a priority and that new storage dams should be built upstream of the Bhakra and Pong dams.

The government has already set a plan in motion to fast-track under-construction hydroelectric power projects in J&K and develop new projects with large storage capacities and low-level sluice gates on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, Mint reported on 15 July.

Read more: Mint Explainer: India puts Indus Waters Treaty on icewhats at stake for both sides

The Indus basin has the highest hydropower generation capacity in the country32GWof which only 15GW is operational.

"The proposed move is a win-win situation for Punjab and Haryana. However, the government needs to carry out the feasibility study first to ascertain whether the project is geographically and economically viable as it may include like laying pipes, tunneling, building canal," said Jaskaran Singh Waraich, Chairperson, Department of Defence and National Security Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

The proposed linking of the Indus and Chenab with the Satluj-Yamuna Link is very much doable. However, the project will take a long time to be completed as it involves tunnelling, building dams, and canals. Also, there would be huge costs involved," said Iftikhar A. Drabu, a Srinagar-based civil engineer who has worked on hydropower projects, including Uri, KishanGanga, and Dulhasti.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing the state government of fostering an environment of lawlessness in the state.

Addressing a rally in Durgapur, PM Modi cited riots, goonda tax and police bias for low investor confidence in Bengal.

Why will investors come to Bengal where riots take place and police are biased. TMC's 'goonda tax' stops investment in West Bengal, PM Modi said at Durgapur rally.

Tried to shield RG Kar rape culprits PM Modi further slammed the Mamata Banerjee led party, alleging that the TMC tried to shield culprits, in the harrowing RG Kar rape, murder case, where a PG doctor was brutally murdered, raped within the college premises in August, last year.

Also taking a swipe at the party with regards to education, and the Bengali language, PM Modi claimed that the TMC, Congress and the Left never considered Bangla as a classical language, but the Saffron party did.

The Prime Minister also claimed: Wherever there is BJP government, Bengalis are respected.

Urge you to give the BJP a chance Claiming that the Mamata Banerjee led party "had put both the present and the future of Bengal in trouble," PM Modi urged all the rally attendees to give the BJP one chance.

"Choose a government that is hardworking, honest, and strong," he further added.

PM Modi unveils  5,4000 crore projects in West Bengal As part of his visit to West Bengal on Friday, PM Modi also launched development projects worth 5,400 crore in West Bengal, unveiling major initiatives across the oil and gas, power, rail and road sectors aimed at boosting infrastructure, connectivity and clean energy in the region.

Among the key projects, was the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleums Rs1,950-crore City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia. The initiative aims to provide piped natural gas to homes and industries, CNG at fuel stations, and generate local jobs, reported news wire PTI.
While the now-infamous kiss cam moment featuring Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot dominated headlines during Coldplays Gillette Stadium concert in Massachusetts, a heartfelt video of an Indian couple has started gaining attention for all the right reasons.

A viral clip shared on YouTube captures a special moment where Coldplay frontman Chris Martin invites a newly engaged couple from Mumbai onto the stage. Holding a handwritten poster that read, Just engaged, can we sing Magic together?, the pairs request instantly caught Martins eye.

This is one of the best signs Ive seen in the world, Martin says, before jokingly asking, Are you engaged to each other? When the couple confirms, he quips, Thats better, we dont need any surprises.

Their performance followed the now-notorious kiss cam incident, where Byron and Cabot were seen cuddling before awkwardly ducking out of frame as cameras zoomed in on them.

Once on stage, the Mumbai couple introduced themselves and mentioned where they were from. Martin, in a playful mix-up, greeted them with welcome to Canada during the Boston-area concert, but quickly corrected himself and charmed the crowd with his humor. He even personalised the performance by modifying a line from the song "Magic" to include the couples names before hugging them at the end.

The YouTube user who posted the video described it as a standout moment from Coldplays Music of the Spheres Tour, held on July 16, 2025, writing, With fans on stage from Mumbai. Chris Martin momentarily forgets which country he is in! (but more than makes it up to the crowd).

What is ColdplayGate? The incident involving Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot sparked a wave of speculation online after the pair were caught on the kiss cam looking visibly uncomfortable and attempting to hide their faces. Byron, who is married to Megan Kerrigan, became the focus of online chatter after users noticed she had removed Byron from her Facebook name following the viral moment.

Cabot, meanwhile, had divorced her ex-husband Kenneth Thornby in 2022, after filing in 2018.
In a shocking and inhuman incident, an elderly man was found lying unconscious and tied inside a locked car in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh.

The disturbing incident took place on Thursday near the Taj Mahal in Agra.

It came to light after a security guard noticed the car parked in an unusual manner. When he looked inside, he saw the elderly man lying unconscious. His hands and legs were tied with pieces of cloth.

Also Read | Odisha shocker: Student sets herself on fire over sexual harassment by teacher

The guard immediately called for help, and the police were also informed. Later, the cars window was broken and the man was pulled out safely.

The elderly man had been locked inside the vehicle for several hours. His condition became critical due to the extreme heat and humidity, Aaj Tak reported. He was in such a poor state that he could not even speak. An ambulance was called, and he was taken to a hospital.

The man was tied and unable to say anything. The whole scene was very disturbing," said an eyewitness, Mohammad Aslam, a local tourist guide, according to the media report.

The incident was also captured on camera and shared on social media.

The car had a Maharashtra number plate and a Maharashtra Government sticker as well. According to reports, a family had come from Maharashtra to visit Agra. It is suspected that they left the elderly man locked in the vehicle and went to see the Taj Mahal.

According to the police, the case appears to be one of negligence or inhuman behaviour.

Inspector Kunwar Singh said, We are investigating the car owner and trying to find out exactly what happened."

The police are reviewing CCTV footage and investigating the matter further.
The spotlight on Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, following his viral kiss cam moment at a Coldplay concert, has now taken a darker turn. New claims about his past behaviour have surfaced online, with a former acquaintance accusing him of being a teenage bully. The allegation was made in a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Jonathan Bowen, who says he knew Byron while growing up in Hanover, Massachusetts.

Youre not going to believe this shit. When I was a teenager I got into a couple of fights with a kid a bit younger than me but slightly bigger, named Andy Byron I beat him up once or twice, but later, he and another buddy jumped me, and I lost that fight, Bowen wrote.

He went on to say that the experience stayed with him, and claimed that Byrons current behaviour reminded him of how he acted as a teenager. Turns out, hes the same guy who was caught cheating on his wife at the Coldplay concert! The guy clearly hasnt learned his lesson. When I knew him, I thought hed be a competitor but I also knew hed be a complete sociopath, and it turns out I was right, he added.

Neither Byron nor his representatives have responded to the accusations at the time of writing.

What is ColdplayGate? The incident involving Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot sparked a wave of speculation online after the pair were caught on the kiss cam looking visibly uncomfortable and attempting to hide their faces. Byron, who is married to Megan Kerrigan, became the focus of online chatter after users noticed she had removed Byron from her Facebook name following the viral moment.

Cabot, meanwhile, had divorced her ex-husband Kenneth Thornby in 2022, after filing in 2018.

Who is Kristin Cabot? Kristin Cabot is the Chief People Officer at Astronomer, a tech company worth $1.3 billion. She joined the firm just nine months ago, leading its human resources team. On her LinkedIn, she claims to build trust with employees of all levels, a statement now mocked online.
A viral video from a Coldplay concert in Boston has unintentionally ignited a corporate firestorm, after Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the companys HR head, Kristin Cabot, were caught on the stadiums kiss cam. The clip, captured by 28-year-old concertgoer Grace Springer, quickly spread across social media, with viewers stunned to recognize the high-profile pair.

Springer, who described herself as a Coldplay megafan, told the US Sun that she had no idea the footage would gain such traction. I didnt know they were famous or that this would blow up the way it did, she said. Play stupid games win stupid prizes, she added, acknowledging the backlash the video has since unleashed.

I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them, Springer said, expressing a mix of remorse and resolve.

Describing the clip as a blessing in disguise, Springer noted the impact it may have had on Byrons wife, Megan Kerrigan, and Cabots ex-husband, Kenneth Thornby. Cabot is reportedly recently divorced, while Byron was quickly identified in the video as being physically close to Cabotan interaction that played out in front of another Astronomer employee seated nearby.

Neither Byron, Cabot, nor Astronomer has issued a public statement, and several top executives LinkedIn profiles vanished following the uproar. The silence, however, hasnt stopped the wave of criticism. The incident has sparked broader discussions around workplace ethics and power dynamics, with many social media users calling out what they perceive as a toxic company culture.

According to one former employee, the outrage reflects deeper issues at the company. This is exactly who Andy isaggressive, toxic, and obsessed with sales, the person said, adding that many former staffers are reveling in what they see as a long-overdue exposure.
US President Trump announced on social media that he was authorising Attorney General Pam Bondi to release grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, "subject to court approval."

"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!," Donald Trump posted on Truth social media on Friday.

Bondi replied to Trump's post saying, President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.

Epstein was charged with federal sex trafficking in a scheme where he allegedly groomed young and underage women for sexual abuse by his wealthy contacts. He died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019  during Trump's first term.

Trump's latest social media post comes as a sudden turn that falls far short of demands from within the MAGA movement for the release of all FBI files on Epstein.

The US president was already facing a firestorm over his past relationship with Epstein, and claims that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.

Earlier, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, had said Trump would not recommend a special prosecutor to look into the case, and repeated the presidents claim that the backlash was a distraction.

There are also claims about the existence of a still-secret client list and a conspiracy theory that Epstein was murdered in his cell as part of a cover-up.

Trump supporters expected the Republican to answer their questions on his return to office in January but now find themselves being told the conspiracy theories are false.

The Justice Department and the FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that Epstein kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful people.

The report by the Justice Department and the FBI also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe.

In the latest round of claims, a Wall Street Journal report alleged that a letter featuring a sketch of a naked woman and Trump's signature was part of a collection of notes for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003.
Krispy Kreme is turning 88, and in celebration of its birthday on Friday, July 18, the doughnut giant is offering a delightful deal to customers in the United States. For one day only, when you purchase any dozen doughnuts at regular price, you can buy a second dozen of Original Glazed doughnuts for just 88 cents.

The birthday promotion is available at participating shops while supplies last. In-shop and drive-through customers can double up and take advantage of the offer twicebuying two dozen at full price and receiving two dozen Original Glazed for just 88 cents each.

For those preferring to order online for pickup or delivery, the deal is limited to one additional dozen and requires the promotional code "BDAY" at checkout.

Eighty-eight has never felt and tasted so great, said Alison Holder, Krispy Kreme's Chief Brand and Product Officer, in a news release. Its a real joy every year celebrating Krispy Kremes birthday with our fans and treating them to a special deal. Were so grateful for their love and loyalty.

DC Themed Doughnuts for Fans Alongside the birthday celebration, Krispy Kreme has introduced a new limited-edition range of doughnuts inspired by DC Comics superheroes. The "Hungry for Heroes" collection, launched on July 8, features three themed doughnuts to coincide with the release of the new Superman film. Each treat honours a different iconic hero:

Superman Doughnut: An unglazed shell doughnut filled with white Kreme, dipped in light blue icing, topped with Superman buttercreme - flavoured clouds, and decorated with a Superman image and sprinkle blend.

Batman Doughnut: An unglazed shell doughnut filled with cookies and Kreme, dipped in black chocolate icing, and topped with a signature bat emblem.

Wonder Woman Doughnut: An Original Glazed Doughnut dipped in red raspberry-flavoured icing, adorned with white stars, blue sprinkles, and the Wonder Woman logo and belt.

These superhero-themed doughnuts are available individually or in a specially designed dozen box at participating US locations. Customers can also order them for pickup or delivery via the Krispy Kreme app or website.

In a final heroic twist, Krispy Kreme fans can score a free Hungry for Heroes doughnut from July 2427, coinciding with San Diego Comic-Con. To claim the freebie, simply show off some DC Comics superhero flairwhether its on your clothing or accessorieswhile supplies last.
The United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a foreign terrorist organisation.

The TRF had claimed responsibility for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April that had killed 26 people.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a detailed statement in this regard on July 17. Read full statement here:

"Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

"TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.

These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.

TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeTs designation as an FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register.

What is TRF? The Resistance Front, also known as Kashmir Resistance, initially took responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack before denying it days later, Reuters reported. Twenty-six people were killed in the 22 April attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

India's National Investigation Agency has identified TRF head Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind of the attack, news agency PTI reported.

Also Read | MHA declares The Resistance Front (TRF) and its organisations as terror outfits

TRF is said to be an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rubio called TRF, which emerged in 2019, a front and proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The White House on Friday refuted media reports claiming that US President Donald Trump could visit Pakistan in September. It said no such presidential travel plans exist.

"A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time", the White House confirmed to ANI.

Contrary to reports being aired by news channels in Pakistan, the White House has neither announced nor confirmed any such travel arrangements.

Also Read | What is chronic venous insufficiency? Trump diagnosed after leg swelling

The White House statement came after reports about Trump's potential visit circulated in Pakistani news outlets.

Some local television news channels, citing sources, claimed that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan in September. The news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September.

However, the news channels later retracted their reports, Dawn reported. Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told Dawn, We have no information about this matter.

George W Bush was the last US president to visit Pakistan in 2006.

As for Trump's travel plans, US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday (local time) that he will visit Scotland from July 25-July 29.

Leavitt said that Trump is set to hold trade-related talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the visit.

"US President Donald Trump will travel to Scotland, where he will visit both Turnberry and Aberdine from July 25-July 29. During the visit, Trump will meet again with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the great trade deal that was brokered between the United States and the United Kingdom," she said.

Also Read | Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after bruises observed

Leavitt further said Trump and First Lady Melania will visit Windsor Castle to meet King Charles later this year.

"And the President and the First Lady will travel to the United Kingdom for an official state visit from September 17-September 19 later this fall. This will mark a truly unprecedented second state visit for President Trump and he is honoured and looking forward to meeting with His Majesty the King at Windsor Castle," she said.
The Brazilian top court on Friday ordered former president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor, a Reuters report said. The court has also ordered the former president to cease all communications with his son Eduardo and Ambassadors, as well as stop using social media.

According to a Bloomberg report, which cited local press, police carried out search warrants against Bolsonaro on Friday. He is about to stand trial over an alleged coup attempt.

The federal police said in a statement that they carried out two search and seizure warrants, in addition to precautionary measures other than imprisonment. The statement didnt mention Bolsonaro by name but referred to the case he is involved in before the Supreme Court.

The police operation was authorised by Brazils Supreme Court, which has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump, who claims there is a witch hunt against Bolsonaro and his supporters, the report said.

Bolsonaro-Trump bonhomie Earlier on Thursday, Trump ratcheted up pressure on Brazil to drop criminal charges against former president Bolsonaro, saying he would be watching closely for a response just a week after threatening to impose punishing tariffs on the South American nation, Bloomberg reported.

In an open letter addressed to Bolsonaro, Trump described the right-wing populist leader as the victim of terrible treatment and again demanding that the trial over his alleged role in a failed coup attempt to overturn the 2022 election should end immediately!

Trump said he was very concerned about the attacks on free speech  both in Brazil and in the United States  coming out of the current government.

Trump's tariff threat to Brazil The warning marks the latest escalation in a high-stakes feud between the leaders of the Western hemispheres most populous nations, and comes amid a flurry of letters sent by the US president to announce tariffs on other economies. Trump threatened President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with a 50 per cent levy on Brazil, citing the treatment of Bolsonaro and grievances over allegedly unfair trade practices.

On Tuesday, the Office of the US Trade Representative opened an investigation, at Trumps direction, into Brazils trade practices and whether the country is unfairly restricting US exports, the report added.

Yet Brazils case has been unique. Latin Americas largest economy runs a trade deficit with the US, while almost all of Trumps other tariff targets post large surpluses, and its 79-year-old president has so far shown no signs of heeding to US demands.
Brazil ex-President Jair Bolsonaro is under intense scrutiny following searches conducted by the federal police at his home and his party's headquarters in Brasilia. Once the Brazil president, Jair Bolsonaro now finds himself under tight restrictions: the Supreme Court has ordered him to wear an ankle monitor, barred him from going near embassies or consulates, and imposed a series of precautionary measures amid concerns he may flee the country.

The former Brazilian president is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

No social media, no diplomacy Not just the ankle monitor as a layer of precaution, the Brazil Supreme Court has also ordered the former president to cease all communications with his son Eduardo and Ambassadors, as well as stop using social media.

Bolsonaro's lawyers in a statement expressed "surprise and indignation" at what they called "severe precautionary measures imposed against him," adding that the former president has so far complied with court orders, reported Reuters.

Bolsonaro has described the trial on X as a witch hunt, echoing a term used by POTUS Donald Trump when he came to his South American allys defense last week.

Bolsonaro and Donald Trump The Brazil Supreme Court also revealed that Brazilian police have accused Bolsonaro of working with his son, Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker who has been lobbying in Washington, DC, to influence the administration of US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Brazil, as per multiple reports.

What if Bolsonaro does not follow the orders? The Brazilian Supreme Court has further directed that Bolsonaro could be arrested if he does not comply with the precautionary measures.

What Bolsonaro said Reacting to the slew of measures, Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday he never considered fleeing the country and that the Supreme Court's order, directing him to war an ankle bracelet, amounted to his supreme humiliation, reported Reuters.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said that he would not take tariff directives from a foreign leader, referring to US President Donald Trump.

Reuters reported that Lula further slammed the US's proposed 50% duty as unacceptable blackmail.

His remarks, delivered at two different events, reflect the ongoing tensions between the two presidents, which intensified after the US imposed a steep tariff on Brazil last week.

In a post on X, Lula wrote, There are no winners in trade wars. We are a country of peace, without enemies. We believe in multilateralism and cooperation among nations. But let no one forget: Brazil has only one owner  the Brazilian people.

Trump attributed the tariff, set to start in August, to Brazil's treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro and to trade practices against US companies that he said are unfair. The tariff announcement came days after Lula called Trump an "emperor" the world does not want.

Lula and his cabinet members have dismissed the justification for the tariffs, emphasising Brazil's sovereignty and urging trade negotiations with the United States.

No foreigner is going to give orders to this president, Lula said in a speech, using the slang word gringo, which in Brazil is a common term for foreigners without the pejorative sense it carries in other parts of Latin America.

He added that Brazil would go ahead with the regulation and taxation of US tech firms, telling a gathering of leftist student activists in the state of Goias that tech firms are conduits of violence and fake news disguised as freedom of expression, Reuters reported.

Later on Thursday, during an evening TV and radio address to the nation, Lula said the defence of Brazil's sovereignty extends to protecting itself against the actions of foreign digital platforms.

During the nearly five-minute address, Lula said Brazil has been negotiating with the US over tariffs, and repeated that the Latin American country had sent a proposal in May, Reuters reported.

We expected a response, and what we received was unacceptable blackmail, in the form of threats to Brazilian institutions and false information about trade between Brazil and the United States, Lula said.

Brasilia has been holding discussions with industry groups and companies that will be affected by the US tariff, while also readying potential retaliatory measures if talks fall through.

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told CNN Brasil separately on Thursday that Lula was open to talks with Trump, who had not yet met each other.

No foreigner is going to give orders to this president.

There are no winners in trade wars. We are a country of peace, without enemies.

If the circumstances are given, they will speak, he added. Lula, who is in his third non-consecutive term as president of Latin America's largest economy, saw his approval ratings start to rebound after the trade spat with Trump last week.
In first comments after being ordered to wear an ankle monitor, cease all communication with his son and diplomats, and stop using social media, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday slammed the country's top court and said its orders aimed to humiliate him.

I have never thought of fleeing Brazil, the former president was quoted as saying by Reuters, adding that his next steps would depend on his lawyers.

CNN Brasil reported that the court orders targeting Bolsonaro had been motivated by the risk of him fleeing to the United States.

Lawmakers from his party said Bolsonaro was also banned from contacting key allies including his son Eduardo, a Brazilian congressman who has been lobbying in Washington to help his father. On social media, the lawmaker tied the latest court order to a video his father released on Thursday thanking US President Donald Trump for his support.

Bolsonaro's lawyers in a statement expressed "surprise and indignation" at what they called "severe precautionary measures imposed against him," adding that Bolsonaro has so far complied with court orders.

Police action against Bolsonaro According to a Bloomberg report, which cited local press, police carried out search warrants against Bolsonaro on Friday. He is about to stand trial over an alleged coup attempt.

I was surprised by the police searching my home at 7 am this morning, Reuters quoted Bolsonaro as saying.

The federal police said in a statement that they carried out two search and seizure warrants, in addition to precautionary measures other than imprisonment. The statement didnt mention Bolsonaro by name but referred to the case he is involved in before the Supreme Court.

Trump backs Bolsonaro against witch hunt The police operation was authorised by Brazils Supreme Court, which has drawn criticism from US President Trump, who claims there is a witch hunt against Bolsonaro and his supporters, the report said.

Bolsonaro, who was friendly with Trump when they were both in office, is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.

Trump, who last week said he would impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, posted on Truth Social on Thursday a letter he sent to Bolsonaro.

"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This trial should end immediately!" he wrote.
Supreme Court has granted permission to the petitioner organisation that has moved the Supreme Court seeking the Indian governments intervention to save Nimisha Priya, an Indian facing the death row in Yemen, in a murder case, to approach the Indian government.

During the hearing, the counsel for the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council also requested permission to travel to Yemen to initiate negotiations with the family of the murder victim, as reported by ANI.

The Attorney General of India stated that the Indian government wants Priya to come out (of the Yemeni death row) safely. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted liberty to the petitioner organisation to approach the Indian government in this regard by filing a representation. The Court posted the matter for further hearing on August 14, as reported by ANI.

They (government) are taking good care of whatever is possible, the bench observed.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner said they have to first get pardon and then the issue of "blood money" would come.

"We want this woman to come back safely," the Centre stated during the hearing.

Meanwhile, the petitioner told the court that Nimisha Priya's execution has been temporarily postponed.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it is actively working to support Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen. The MEA has appointed a lawyer to assist Priya's family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen. This includes exploring options for clemency or pardon under Sharia law.

(With inputs from PTI)
North Korea has suspended foreigners access to a newly opened beach resort on its east coast, just days after Russias top diplomat visited the area and vowed to help increase tourist flows to the isolated country.

North Koreas National Tourism Administration said the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area that began operations this month is temporarily not accepting foreign guests, without elaborating.

The beach resort is one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns pet projects. Kim has a private mansion on the coast, and during construction of the facilities he often visited the site to oversee progress on a project that features about 7,000 guest rooms in luxury hotels and private villas, an outdoor waterpark and an airport, according to state media.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the resort town during his recent North Korea trip in which he met with Kim on the leaders yacht. Lavrov said at a meeting with his North Korean counterpart in Wonsan that Russia will do everything to expand the flow of Russian tourists to North Korea.

Tourism is a key revenue source for the sanctions-hit Kim regime but the country has been allowing only a trickle of inbound tourists from Russia since it began easing its pandemic border restrictions. North Korean authorities keep close tabs on overseas visitors, who are usually required to stay at lodgings designated for use by foreigners and restricted in their movements in the country.

President Donald Trump also floated a coastal real estate development plan in exchange for a North Korean pledge to denuclearize during his first summit with Kim in 2018.

They have great beaches, Trump said at a news conference at that time. You see that whenever theyre exploding their cannons into the ocean, right? I said, Boy, look at that view. Wouldnt that make a great condo? he added.

Trumps real estate diplomacy with Kim produced few results, however. The two leaders met in person three times, but the discussions didnt persuade Kim to slow the development of his nuclear weapons program. North Korea has since rebuffed the idea of sitting down with the US again and has emerged as a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, supporting his war on Ukraine.

Its not immediately clear why North Korea decided to restrict foreigners access to the resort area, but some analysts say theres more work to be done on the project.

The resort is undoubtedly open, but its not quite finished yet, the 38 North program at the Stimson Center said, citing satellite imagery. One of the largest buildings at the resort, a hotel near the Kalmaegi Hotel, does not appear to be in use. There is little activity nearby and the rooftop pool has yet to be filled with water.

Lavrovs latest visit took place less than a month after Pyongyang agreed at a June meeting between Kim and Sergei Shoigu to send an additional 6,000 military workers to the Kursk region. Shoigu is Putins top security aide and a former Russian defense minister.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pet project, sprawling seaside resort on its east coast, has opened to domestic visitors earlier in July with great fanfare, reported rfi.fr.

The South Korean media has dubbed the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone as 'North Korea's Waikiki' which appears to be lined with high-rise hotels and waterparks. The report added that the sprawling seaside resort can purportedly accommodate some 20,000 people.

However, in a statement posted on an official website this week, the North Korea's National Tourism Administration said "foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted". They didn't prove any details regarding this update.

During his early years in power, Kim Jong Un had shown a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry and the coastal resort area was a particular focus.

During construction of the facilities Kim Jong Un often visited the site to oversee progress on a project that features about 7,000 guest rooms in luxury hotels and private villas, an outdoor waterpark and an airport, according to state media.

Quoting analysts, the report said that the opening of the beach resort may be termed as "one of the greatest successes this year" by North Korea and Kim may build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible".

The report said that in 2024, North Korea permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic, and Western tour operators briefly returned in February 2025.

South Korea reacts: Meanwhile, South Korea's unification ministry expects the international tourism to the new resort was "likely to remain small in scale", citing the limited capacity of available flights.

Last week, Kim held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Wonsan and offered Russia his full and "unconditional" support for its war in Ukraine, KCNA reported.

Reportedly, Lavrov hailed the seaside project as a "good tourist attraction" and expected it may become popular among both local and Russian visitors looking for new destinations.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Theres a somewhat gratifying TikTok trend at the moment where Americans visiting London in a heatwave realize that, yes, British heat does hit different.

One tourist says, it feels as if Im in a sauna. Another admitted that he always thought British people were lying, but for some reason it just feels like you are melting. Inevitably, the talk turns to air conditioning. After all, parts of the US definitely get hotter and just as humid as the UK, but theres usually refuge to be taken in mechanically cooled homes.

In the UK, AC is rare  except in supermarkets and office buildings  and our housing stock, mostly built before climate change was a real and present threat, is designed to absorb and retain heat rather than keep it out. Thats in part because many buildings here and across Europe were built before AC was available, and historically the main concern was keeping warm in frigid weather.

As a result, we have a real problem with overheating thats only going to get worse as the climate crisis intensifies and elongates heat waves. More than half of homes in the UK currently suffer from overheating  meaning that the internal temperature exceeds what is comfortable for a certain amount of time, depending on whether the room is a bedroom or not. Under a 2C (3.6F) warming scenario, which we could reach as early as 2045, that could rise to 90% of homes.

I used to live in a Victorian flat on the top floor. There were multiple occasions where Id watch, sweaty and distressed, the mercury rise above 30C in the living room and bedroom for most of the day and evening, despite attempts to follow good heatwave protocol: shut the windows and curtains during the day, open everything up when the sun goes down. Working from home was a struggle, getting a good nights sleep impossible.

My colleagues and friends from hotter climes will likely scoff at the discomfort of Brits. Though heatwaves are getting longer and hotter, they dont compare to the sweltering temperatures of other countries. Recent heatwaves saw temperatures exceed 45C in parts of Spain and Portugal, for example, a high mercifully not yet seen in the UK. Still, its important to be attuned to the negative consequences of being poorly adapted to high temperatures  and the UK stands out on this front.

For example, as John Burn-Murdoch recently highlighted in the Financial Times, sleep duration, work productivity and cognitive performance drop rapidly when indoor temperatures rise above the low 20s Celsius. Aggression and violence goes up. Mental health suffers. People die. A recent study from Imperial College London and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that an extra 263 Londoners likely died in the recent heatwave between June 23 and July 2, of which two-thirds could be attributed to the climate crisis.

Another study from University College London and LSHTM found that, by the 2070s, annual excess heat deaths in England and Wales could exceed 34,000 in the worst-case scenario of 4.3C of warming with minimal adaptations.

So, other than working hard to reduce emissions, what should we do?

Adding green spaces and tree cover to cities makes a huge difference. Cities, with the sheer mass of asphalt, concrete and glass, are particularly vulnerable to overheating thanks to the urban heat island effect. Studies have shown that the addition of tree canopy cover can reduce heat-related mortality and temperatures. Meanwhile, good public information, such as heat health alerts, clear instructions on how to stay cool and information about local public spaces with air conditioning, creates resilience within communities.

But theres a key element missing. Government policy in Britain has focused almost exclusively on making homes warmer. You can currently get help with the cost of switching to a low-carbon heating system or get free or cheaper insulation. Theres good reason for this. The cold has traditionally been of greater concern, and with home heating accounting for 18% of the UKs greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, these efforts are essential for meeting climate targets and energy security, as well as empowering households to reduce expensive heating bills.

A couple of simple tweaks could help improve homes  and therefore the wellbeing of residents  in the summer months too. For example, a highly effective way of reducing the amount of heat that gets trapped in homes is to add shade via external shutters or awnings. Help ought to be available for installing these, particularly for low-income households who tend to be more at risk of overheating. Itd certainly improve upon advice to cover windows with yogurt, which may be surprisingly effective for the odd scorching day but turn into a drain of time and dairy in the long term.

Meanwhile, landlords arent incentivized to improve their homes. New rules will mean that private landlords must meet a certain threshold for energy efficiency by 2030. While this is a very positive and necessary move, there could be scope to expand it to overheating too. The development of a new metric for overheating risk, similar to an energy performance certificate, could help renters and buyers alike better understand what theyre getting into, while opening the door for policy to encourage landlords to add shading and cooling measures.

Though passive means of cooling should be prioritized, its probably time to start embracing air conditioning, too  something that is being actively discouraged by government policy. Air-to-air heat pumps are able to both heat and cool rooms efficiently, but they are excluded from the governments boiler upgrade scheme (possibly because they dont provide hot water like a conventional boiler). The UK should rethink that.

There is justified resistance to a wider adoption of air conditioning in the UK, from concerns about how the grid will handle extra energy demand in the summer to the idea that us Brits simply dont do air conditioning. A stiff but sweaty upper lip, you might say.

But as the grid is upgraded and cleaned up, energy concerns become far less important  particularly if were able to expand solar power that handily generates electricity when the sun is shining and AC demand is high. Cultural beliefs may be harder to sway, but in the face of weeks of restless sleep and sticky skin, we might eventually come round to it.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lara Williams is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
Karnatakas government has issued an order capping the price of movie tickets at 200, inclusive of entertainment tax, for all language films at theatres, including multiplexes. This follows an earlier attempt in 2017, when a similar cap was placed on movie ticket prices but was lifted after multiplex owners took the matter to court.

Also Read: Manu Joseph: Why movies that win Oscars are no longer enjoyable

As reported, the idea is to promote regional cinema, although its unclear why the order covers all languages. That aside, its a bad idea for the state to interfere in how prices are set in a market. This involves movie producers, exhibitors and audiences, with no role for governments except to clear films for screening.

Also Read: The Indian film industry needs to up its movie marketing game

The revenue losses that a price limit will cause could upset business models and squeeze the supply of movies in the state. Snazzy multiplexes may find the going especially hard, given their investments in comfort on the assumption of customers being ready to pay a premium for it.

Also Read: Why period films are deployed as tools of propaganda

It seems plausible that even more film-watching will move away from cinema halls to devices that stream content off the internet. Price controls in fields of discretionary spending tend to have unpredictable effects that may or may not include their intended purpose.
Iran suffered a significant setback when Israel killed top military leaders and the U.S. struck its nuclear facilities, but a pattern of high-value weapons seizures shows Tehran is making new efforts to arm its militia allies across the Middle East.

Forces allied with Yemens internationally recognized government this week intercepted a major shipment of missiles, drone parts and other military gear sent to Houthi rebels on the Red Sea coast. Syrias new government says it has seized a number of weapons cargoes, including Grad rocketsfor use in multiple-launch systems mounted on trucksalong its borders with Iraq and Lebanon.

The Lebanese army, meanwhile, has seized shipments brought in across its border with Syria that include Russian antitank missiles favored by Hezbollah.

Iran is rebuilding its presence in the Levant by sending missiles to Hezbollah and weapons from Iraq to Syria," said Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Washington Institute for Near East Policy with expertise in Irans militia allies.

Yemeni forces said Wednesday they had seized a record number of Iranian missiles destined for the Houthis. The shipment was intercepted by the National Resistance Force, a military coalition aligned with the Yemeni government. The U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for Americas military operations in the Middle East, said it was the National Resistance Forces largest seizure of advanced Iranian conventional weapons750 tons of cruise missiles, antiship and antiaircraft missiles, warheads, targeting components and drone engines.

The shipments were hidden aboard a ship called a dhow, beneath declared cargoes of air conditioners. They included Iranian-developed Qader antiship missiles and components for the Saqr air-defense system, which the Houthis have used to bring down U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Previous seizures by the Yemeni and U.S. governments generally yielded small arms or spare parts rather than fully assembled missiles.

The seizure comes just weeks after a cease-fire stopped Israels 12-day air campaign against Irana series of attacks that demonstrated Irans vulnerability despite the arsenal of missiles and militia allies it had built up to protect itself.

The U.S. joined in the attack by bombing key Iranian nuclear facilities. This spring, the U.S. pounded Houthi positions for nearly two months in an effort that ended with a cease-fire and left the Houthis looking for more high-end hardware.

The timing and scale of this shipment strongly suggest Iran is moving quickly to replenish Houthi stockpiles depleted by U.S. airstrikes," said Mohammed al-Basha, founder of U.S.-based Middle East security advisory Basha Report. It shows Tehran wants to sustain their high operational tempo targeting Israel and commercial maritime traffic," he said.

Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei on Thursday said any claim Tehran had sent weapons to Yemen was baseless.

The resupply effort might already be yielding results.

Last week, Houthi fighters used rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drones to sink two merchant ships in the Red Sea, killing at least three crew members and taking others hostage. The militant group has also been lobbing ballistic missiles at Israel for weeks, though most are intercepted.

While the seized cargoes transited through the East African country of Djibouti, which sits across the mouth of the Red Sea from Yemen, the National Resistance Force found multiple documents in Farsi indicating their origin was Iran. The documents included a manual for cameras used to guide antiaircraft missiles and a quality certificate attached to a missile fin manufactured by an Iranian company.

Irans efforts to move weapons to Hezbollah have been extensive as well. The militant group was forced into a cease-fire last fall after an Israeli campaign of covert operations, airstrikes and a ground incursion wiped out most of its arsenal and leadership.

There has been an intensifying trend in recent months of smuggling attempts via or originating from Syria" to Lebanons Hezbollah, said Michael Cardash, the former deputy head of the bomb disposal division at Israels national police.

The arms pipeline has been crimped by the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which was aligned with Iran, and its replacement by a hostile government. Traffickers now have to bring in arms in small shipments after previously sending truckloads, said Cardash, who is now in charge of explosives research at Israeli security consulting firm Terrogence.

In one example in June, the Interior Ministry of the new Syrian government announced it had seized Russian-made Kornet antitank missiles en route to Lebanon in a truck transporting cucumbers. In May, the General Security branch intercepted Iranian-made air-defense missiles near the Lebanese border, according to media outlets affiliated with the new Syrian government.

Despite extensive efforts to keep Hezbollah from restocking its battered arsenal, the militant group, like the Houthis, has had some success. It manufactures its own drones and medium-range rockets, and has managed to restructure its smuggling networks to a degree and smuggle in some Kornets and other sophisticated weaponry, a person familiar with the groups operations said.

Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com
Donald Trump delivered another warning to Brazil to drop charges against former leader Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup attempt, saying he would be watching closely for a response a week after the US president threatened punishing tariffs on the country.

Trump on Thursday posted on social media a letter addressed to Bolsonaro, casting the right-wing populist leader as the victim of terrible treatment and demanding again that his trial should end immediately!

Trump said he was very concerned about the attacks on free speech  both in Brazil and in the United States  coming out of the current government.

Earlier: Bolsonaro Touts Wifes Senate Bid Amid 2026 Speculation

I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy, Trump wrote. It is my sincere hope that the government of Brazil changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime. I will be watching closely.

Trump last week threatened to hit Brazil with a 50% tariff starting on Aug. 1, citing its treatment of Bolsonaro, the countrys former president. The threat came amid a stream of tariff demand letters the US president has been sending other economies setting new import taxes for next month after a three-month negotiating period.

Yet Brazils case has been unique, with Trump citing political circumstances for the levy. Brazil was not one of the countries targeted by the higher so-called reciprocal tariffs in April and it runs a deficit in trade with the US, while almost all of Trumps other tariff targets post large surpluses.

On Tuesday, the Office of the US Trade Representative opened an investigation, at Trumps direction, into Brazils trade practices and whether the country is unfairly restricting US exports.

2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Meta Platforms has recruited two senior artificial intelligence (AI) researchers from Apple, in what marks another major coup in the intensifying competition for top-tier AI talent. The appointments follow closely on the heels of Metas high-profile acquisition of Ruoming Pang, the former head of Apples large language model (LLM) division.

Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, both previously pivotal figures in Apples AI efforts, have been brought on board Metas Superintelligence Labs team, according to individuals familiar with the matter. While Lee has already commenced his new role, Gunter is expected to join in the near future. Meta has not officially confirmed the hires.

The move underscores Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbergs commitment to positioning the company at the forefront of AI development. Zuckerberg has made AI a central strategic priority, pledging massive investment in personnel and infrastructure to rival the capabilities of OpenAI and Google. Just this week, he declared on Threads that Meta would "invest hundreds of billions of dollars into compute to build superintelligence".

Gunter, previously a distinguished engineer at Apple, left the company last month and briefly joined another AI venture before making the switch to Meta. Lee, reportedly the first hire made by Pang at Apple, also exited recently. Both were considered integral to Apples Foundation Models (AFM) team, the group behind the companys generative AI projects.

Meta's offer to Pang, which included a compensation package exceeding $200 million, appears to have set a precedent. Gunter and several others in Metas AI division are believed to have secured similarly lucrative multiyear contracts, valued at over $100 million.

These aggressive recruitment tactics come as Apple grapples with growing internal uncertainty. Its AFM division, responsible for developing proprietary AI models for Siri and Apple Intelligence, is in flux, with senior leaders reportedly weighing the use of third-party models like OpenAIs ChatGPT or Anthropics Claude for upcoming products.

Apple's top AI executives, including Research Head Daphne Luong and SVP John Giannandrea, are now collaborating with software chiefs Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell to decide the strategic direction of Siri and associated AI services, ahead of a planned rollout next spring.
Netflix has confirmed that it used generative AI for the first time to create a scene in one of its original shows. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the technology as an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper.

Sarandos said everyone involved with the project was thrilled with the result generated by AI. Since generative AI gained prominence in late 2022, there has been significant anxiety across industries about its impact on jobs, with creative fields expected to be among the most affected. In 2023, a Hollywood actors and writers strike led to new guidelines around the use of AI in productions.

Also Read | Netflix looks to keep up its hot streak in the second quarter

Speaking to analysts during Netflixs quarterly earnings call, Sarandos said, In fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows.

The creators were thrilled with the result. We were thrilled with the result, Sarandos added. And more importantly, the audience was thrilled with the result. So, I think these tools are helping creators expand the possibilities of storytelling on screen, and that is endlessly exciting.

AI was used in the Argentine science-fiction series El Eternauta (The Eternaut) to create a scene showing a collapsing building in Buenos Aires. While creating the scene would have been beyond the projects budget, the creators partnered with Netflixs product innovation group, Eyeline Studios, to generate the dramatic scene using AI.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters also noted that the company could use generative AI to improve user experience, including enabling users to find content through natural language queries.

Saying, I want to watch a film from the 80s thats a dark psychological thriller, and getting some results back  you just couldnt have done in our previous experiences, Peters said.

He also gave the example of advertising as another area where generative AI could mark a major opportunity for brands and marketers to create compelling content.
As the Trump administrations Environmental Protection Agency considers repealing strengthened air toxics regulations, NorthWestern Energy was one of few proponents in an 11-hour long public hearing last week filled by opposition from environmental and public health advocates.

Advocates opposing the repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxic Standards rule noted the majority of the power plants posed to be affected already met standards, although Colstrips coal-powered plant doesn't. Additionally, a revocation of the standards is considered to imperil public health.

One of the doctors who spoke in opposition was Dr. Robert Merchant, a pulmonary critical care physician in Billings. He told EPA representatives that the regulations thrilled physicians in Eastern Montana last year and that the agency needs to properly assess the value of human life in its proposed repeal.

As a physician, I have treated countless patients with diseases known to be caused by the pollutants Colstrip is releasing into our air: heart attacks, strokes, cancers, developmental delay, asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) exacerbations, Merchant said. This isn't easy. Many patients don't survive, and many others suffer lifelong impairments. It's far better to prevent these injuries, these deaths, these disabilities, before they happen.

Health-damaging pollutants restricted by the rule included mercury, nickel, lead and arsenic with continuous check-ups to see if a plant is meeting standards. Over 10 years, net public health benefits would be $2.4 billion to $3 billion, according to initial EPA assessments in 2024. Power plant owners were estimated to spend roughly $860 million on compliance, with standards needed to be met by 2027. Colstrips power plant operators received a two-year exemption in April.

One of the largest power plants in the West, Colstrips generators form a core part of the foundation the EPA is making in its argument to reverse the air toxic regulations. In its basis for the repeal, the EPA notes that Colstrip was the only facility unable to meet pollution standards with existing controls. To meet those compliance standards was considered not cost-effective, with Colstrip's plant constituting nearly half of estimated total compliance costs for the country.

An estimate by NorthWestern Energy in the public hearing said the compliance costs would be upwards of $500 million as the company plans to acquire 55% ownership in the plant by 2026.

Previous estimates have included $350 million in a rejected Supreme Court argument brought by NorthWestern Energy and Colstrip Power Plant operator Talen Energy trying to block the rule. An initial statement by Talen Energy to the EPA estimated the cost to be at least $600 million to meet compliance standards. NorthWestern Energy spokesperson Jo Dee Black said Talen Energy continues to work on refining the estimate.

Either way, any cost in the hundreds of millions to install filtering equipment and other measures is considered a threat to the economic viability of the plant, potentially leading to closure. For comparison, the new methane-powered Yellowstone Generating Station only cost $317 million for NorthWestern Energy to construct.

An early retirement of Colstrip in 2030 adds another $520 million in extra cost to customer bills over the next 20 years, NorthWestern Energy legal counsel Shannon Heim said. Northwestern Energy customers are not the only ones placed at risk if Colstrip goes offline. Colstrip provides important stability and support to Montana's largest transmission pathway, a 500 KV system linking rural electric co-ops, industrial customers and independent power producers to energy markets and suppliers in the West and all of these parties face supply challenges and transmission system disruption and constraints under a premature retirement scenario.

Heim told the EPA that Colstrips power plant is a strong environmental performer and already meets stricter requirements for mercury set in the state of Montana. Asked by the Gazette for further elaboration in that assessment, Black, NorthWestern's spokeswoman, pointed to Montana mercury emissions limited to 0.9 pounds per trillion units of energy based on a yearly average starting in 2010, instead of the national rule which limits it to 1.2 pounds per trillion units of energy based on a monthly average.

Yet requirements between the two differ. The new national rule requires continuous monitoring and provides stricter national regulations to other hazardous air pollutants and emissions like carbon dioxide and nitrous dioxide. Colstrip Unit 4 has the highest emission rate for toxic emissions compared to any other coal unit in the country.

Montana Environmental Information Center Executive Director Anne Hedges helped form those Montana mercury limits, with her organization now advocating to not repeal the national rules the EPA authored just last year.

The NorthWestern attorney should know better, really, Hedges said. She should know better. She should know what the Montana law is when it comes to power plants, and she definitely should not make that mistake to the U.S. EPA.

Hedges said it shouldnt have been a challenge for Colstrip to equip technology that was available more than five decades ago, but costs continued to prevent any installation in that time.

She said its unfair to nearby residents to deal with the pollutants that NorthWestern and Talen aren't willing to filter out. To put it in NorthWesterns way, required technology by the rule would increase the captured pollutants from 99.6% to 99.8%. To put it in Hedges way, thats a 50% reduction in pollutants.

You're talking about forcing people to pay for Northwestern's desire not to install technology with healthcare bills and with death, Hedges said. We're not talking just illnesses which are bad enough, but this stuff also kills people.

Public comment on repealing the rule concludes Aug. 11. Nearly 30,000 comments have been submitted to a more industry-friendly EPA. If the rule is repealed, Hedges said its guaranteed a lawsuit will be filed from others or from the nonprofit she leads.

Public health deserves to be protected from these robber barons, she said.
The fundraiser is set for Saturday, May 31 from 10:00am - 6:00pm at the Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department.
Sir Keir Starmer stressed the importance of consensus in handling the legacy of the Troubles as he spoke to his Irish counterpart on Friday.

In a phone call with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, the Prime Minister had what Downing Street described as a constructive discussion on dealing with the legacy of the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland.

A Number 10 spokesperson said the two men had underscored the importance of a way forward that built consensus, before turning to economic issues and the UK-EU relationship.

Mr Martin himself echoed Downing Streets comments, tweeting that he had had a constructive discussion with British PM Keir Starmer today on a framework for dealing with legacy.

The call came as Sir Keir faces pressure from some of his own backbenchers over plans to repeal and replace legislation passed by the previous government that halted investigations into all but the most serious allegations involving Troubles-related cases.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act has been criticised by human rights campaigners for granting conditional immunity to suspects.

That provision was ruled incompatible with human rights laws by the Northern Irish courts, prompting Labour to commit to replacing legislation it described as flawed and failed.

But that proposal has brought condemnation from former British soldiers who fear it will open the way to vexatious prosecutions and civil claims.

Opponents are also reported to include some Labour MPs, including veterans minister Al Carns.

A former Royal Marine and special forces officer, Mr Carns was reported by The Times to be considering resigning over plans to repeal the Legacy Act.

But earlier in the week, Downing Street said the Government was working in lockstep on the issue.

A Ministry of Defence source also played down the prospect of Mr Carns quitting, but told the PA news agency it was a tricky issue and when you are making policy there is always going to be debate internally.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: July 18 2025

Third Round of Veterans Nonprofit Capital Program Awards, With $1 Million State Investment To Fund Critical Infrastructure Improvements.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $1 million in grants to 16 veterans organizations across New York State through the third round of the Veterans Nonprofit Capital Program. These grants will support capital improvements to facilities that serve the state's veterans, service members and their families.

Our veterans, who have courageously served to protect our country, need and deserve to have access to safe, quality facilities to gather with family and loved ones, Governor Hochul said. This investment will not only allow for critical infrastructure upgrades, but it will also allow veterans to come together and bond with their community and families.

The grants, administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) in partnership with the Department of Veterans Services, provide reimbursement for capital improvement projects ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Veterans organizations will use the funding for critical infrastructure upgrades including new roofs, HVAC systems, electrical improvements, ADA-compliant modifications and renovations to kitchens and common areas.

Recipients are located across six regions: Capital Region (4), Central New York (1), Finger Lakes (4), Long Island (2), Mid-Hudson (1) and Western New York (4). Projects include roof replacements, parking lot reconstruction, generator installations and facility accessibility improvements. A list of awards is located here.

Dormitory Authority of the State of New York President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said, DASNY is proud to administer this program alongside our partners at the Department of Veterans' Services, delivering on Governor Hochul's continued commitment to supporting veterans. These capital improvements will help ensure that veterans have access to safe, modern facilities where they can gather, receive services, and maintain the important connections forged through their service to our nation.

New York State Department of Veterans Services General Counsel Jonathan Fishbein said, Round three of the Veterans Nonprofit Capital Program was one of our strongest to date, both in the quality of applications received and in the range of services supported across the state. These grants are making a real difference on the ground. DVS remains deeply committed to ensuring that Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families in every corner of New York have access to strong, stable, and growing networks of support. Governor Hochul continues to deliver much-needed support for all who served.

The Veterans' Nonprofit Capital Program provides funding for architecture, design, engineering, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or expansion of eligible facilities, and purchase of eligible furnishings or equipment. Since its inception, the program has awarded $4.6 million to veterans organizations statewide.

About the NYS Department of Veterans Services

The New York State Department of Veterans Services proudly serves New York's Veterans, Service Members and Military Families, connecting them with benefits, services and support. All who served should contact the Department at 888-838-7697 or via its website  veterans.ny.gov  to meet in-person or virtually with an accredited Veterans Benefits Advisor to receive the benefits they have earned. Follow DVS on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

About DASNY

Founded in 1944, DASNY is New York States capital project development authority. It finances and constructs sustainable and resilient science, health and education institutions that help New York thrive. It is one of the largest issuers of tax-exempt bonds in the nation with an outstanding bond portfolio of approximately $60.1 billion as of March 31, 2025. DASNY is also a prolific public builder with a construction pipeline of approximately 1,000 projects valued at more than $13 billion as of March 31, 2025. To learn more about DASNY, visit www.dasny.org.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: July 18 2025

Marc Silverman Jr. Claimed He Was Disabled to Collect Over $200,000 in Social Security Benefits While Working Full-Time as a School Bus Driver.

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest and conviction of Marc Silverman, Jr., 57, of Staten Island for fraudulently collecting over $200,000 of Social Security benefits for years. Silverman, a former Captain with the New York City Department of Correction (NYC DOC), applied for Social Security disability benefits in 2020, claiming that injuries from his job had rendered him unable to work. However, Silverman was not disabled and had been working since 2017 as a full-time special education bus driver. Silverman pleaded guilty today in Richmond County Court to two felonies for falsifying paperwork and using that false paperwork to unlawfully collect Social Security disability benefits.

Silverman worked for NYC DOC from 1990 to 2016. From 2017 to the present, Silverman has been working for Vinnys Bus Service as a special education bus driver. In order to be licensed as a bus driver, Silverman submitted annual paperwork to the New York State Department of Education, affirming that he was physically capable of working.

In 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) approved Silvermans application for disability benefits. Silverman ultimately received approximately $212,000 from SSA based on his false representation that he was disabled and unable to work.

Silverman pleaded guilty today before County Court Judge Alexander Jeong in Richmond County to one count of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony. He must complete 300 hours of community service by September 15 as a condition of his plea or potentially face jail time.

The Office of the Attorney General wishes to thank the Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration for their assistance and partnership in this matter, including Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Julian Lugo, as well as Special Agent-in-Charge Conor Washington, Social Security Administration/Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Cooperative Disability Investigations Division for their work on this investigation.

The case was investigated for OAG by Detective William Fitzgerald and Detective Joseph Buffolino. The Investigations Bureau is supervised by Deputy Chief Walter Lynch and Chief Juanita Bright and led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.
Members of Arab Bedouin tribes call for a full mobilization to attack Suwayda. (@aboazooooz2030 on X)

Tensions in the Syrian governorate of Suwayda continue to rise following clashes between government forces and Druze militias affiliated with prominent Druze leader Hikmat al Hijri between July 14 and 16, as well as intense Israeli strikes targeting government assets in Damascus and southern Syria. In response, Syrian interim President Ahmad al Sharaa decided to withdraw government troops from the area and allow local Druze militias to assume responsibility for security in the governorate.

Following the commencement of the ceasefire between Sharaas forces and Druze militias, the Suwayda Military Council, a militia affiliated with Hijri and composed of former Assad regime officers, launched a widespread campaign against the Sunni Arab Bedouin tribes inhabiting Suwayda. In the early hours of July 17, videos emerged of Druze militants attacking Bedouin communities and torching their homes. These developments prompted Bedouin tribes across Syria to mobilize and resume armed clashes in Suwayda with the stated goal of freeing detainees held by Druze militias.

Since July 17, 41 Arab tribes have mobilized, many of them from across Syria, including Deir Ezzour, Homs, Aleppo, and Raqqa, and taken control of large areas within Suwayda Governorate. On July 18, the tribes engaged in intense clashes with Druze militias, including in parts of Suwayda city. While the number of Bedouin fighters is estimated at around 50,000, they do not operate as a unified force, each likely taking action within their own tribal structure.

Since July 18, reports of alleged violations against the Bedouin community by Druze militants have circulated on social media. One video, filmed by a Druze militant, shows a group of women and children held hostage in a room as the militant threatens to kill them if Bedouin fighters reach Suwayda city. Another video shows a Druze convoy driving with dead bodiesbelieved to be those of Bedouin fighters or civilianshoisted on top of the vehicles as onlookers cheer. A third image, posted by a Druze fighter, shows him standing in front of two bodies of Bedouin fighters or civilians hanging from a sign at the entrance to a city in the Suwayda governorate.

These reports of growing violence have spurred some blowback, even among Druze supporters. Wiam Wahhab, a Druze Lebanese politician who is known for being pro-Hezbollah and a big advocate for Hijri, called on the Druze leader to release all the Bedouin brothers and return them to their homes to achieve a ceasefire that prevents bloodshed.

However, reports of abuses are not limited to one side. Evidence has emerged of Bedouin fighters executing unarmed Druze civilians in two different cases. In another video, tribal forces humiliated a Druze man and shaved his mustache, an insulting gesture given the cultural importance of mustaches in Druze culture. A Bedouin fighter was also recorded saying that his forces wont stop in Suwayda, and, once they are done, will go and fight Israel. He added, We understand nothing but war. Killing and bloodshed. The Israelis and those Druze pigs.

So far, Israel, which had pledged to protect the Druze, has not responded to the Bedouin tribes latest advance on Suwayda. According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli government is reportedly allowing the Syrian Army to enter Suwayda for 48 hours to restore order and prevent the Bedouin fighters from entering the city. The Syrian government released a statement calling for all sides to control themselves and to prioritize the voices of reason, adding that it plans to send a specialized unit for disengagement.

The ongoing tensions in Suwayda have also had repercussions in Jordan. Given the transnational nature of Bedouin tribesmany of whom have relatives across the regiontheres a possibility that tribal communities in Jordan will also begin mobilizing. The Jordanian Armed Forces has deployed reinforcements to the northern border, roughly 25 miles south of Suwayda. There are also reports that Jordanian forces opened fire on an armed convoy belonging to the Suwayda Military Council as it approached the Jordan-Syria border.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant.
The logo of the Resistance Front.

The US State Department added the Resistance Front to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorist entities on July 17. The Resistance Front, a cover organization of the Pakistan-supported and Al Qaeda-allied Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, claimed credit for the April 22 attack in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, as well as other attacks inside India.

The State Department described the Resistance Front (TRF) as a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy.

These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the State Department.

The Indian government hailed the US designation of the Resistance Front.

India has consistently emphasized the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure. The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

TRFs April 22 attack in Pahalgam nearly sparked a full-scale war between India and Pakistan, the latter of which hosts and supports LeT. The two countries exchanged fire for several days before agreeing to a ceasefire.

LeT has launched a number of terror attacks in India and Afghanistan over the years, including the December 13, 2001, assault on Indias Parliament House in New Delhi, the November 26, 2008, suicide assaults in Mumbai, and the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, on May 23, 2014.

A front for Laskhar-e-Taiba

The Resistance Front is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba that was formed in August 2019 after India removed the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir and began directly governing the region, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which tracks terror groups in the region. Three of the groups leadersSajid Jatt, Sajjad Gul, and Salim Rehmaniare associated with LeT.

LeT is known to use front groups to cover its activities in India. An organization known as the Indian Mujahideen, also a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, serves as a front for both LeT and the allied Harakat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. LeT has established other fronts, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Milli Muslim League, and Tehreek-e-Azadi-e Kashmir, to support its terror activities in India.

LeT was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, its current leader, along with Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam, who is considered the godfather of international jihad. Bin Laden helped LeT establish training camps in Afghanistans provinces of Kunar and Paktia. LeT shares Al Qaedas goal of establishing an Islamic state in South Asia and beyond.

LeT is listed by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and its founder and leader, Hafiz Saeed, is listed by the US as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.
The Kurdistan Regions city of Dohuk, one of the areas targeted by drone strikes. (Kurdistan Regional Government video)

Drone attacks targeting the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq increased in July, leading to condemnations by the US, UK, and various officials. The United States condemns the recent drone attacks throughout Iraq, including the July 14 and July 15 drone attacks on critical infrastructure at the Khormala and Sarsang oil fields in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the US Embassy in Baghdad said on July 15.

On July 18, the British Embassy in Baghdad followed suit, saying that it condemns the recent drone attacks across Iraq, including those this week targeting energy infrastructure in the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq]. The recent waves of attacks have increasingly targeted oil fields and energy sites in northern Iraqs autonomous Kurdish enclave.

In its July 15 statement, the US called on the Iraqi government to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory, including locations where Iraqi and international companies have invested in Iraqs future. The UK and the US both called for an investigation and for the perpetrators to be held accountable. A second US statement by the US Department of State on July 16 noted that these attacks imperil Iraqs stability and economic future.

The condemnations follow three weeks of drone attacks that began around the end of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. On June 24, drones targeted radar installations at several Iraqi military airfields. In early July, new attacks began, targeting Kirkuk, Sulimaniyeh, and Erbil. It is unclear whether the June 24 attacks were carried out by the same perpetrators as those behind the spate of attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed Iranian-backed militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces for the attacks.

Most recently on July 16, according to the Erbil-based Rudaw Media Network, An oil field in the Kurdistan Regions northern Duhok province was targeted in a drone attack early Wednesday morning. The report noted that the incident was the third consecutive day of attacks targeting energy infrastructure. On July 15, the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province, operated by US-based HKN Energy, had been targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). On July 14, the Khurmala oil field, located near Erbil, was also attacked.

In the July 16 attacks, the KRGs Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said that between 6:00 and 6:15 am, the DNO oil field in Peshkhabur, located within the Zakho Independent Administration, was targeted by two explosive-laden drones. Another drone then targeted the DNO oil field in Tawke near Zakho, causing material damage to the oil fields, but no casualties. One of the attacks near Dohuk was caught on video.

More attacks took place on July 17, when two explosive drones crashed near Erbil, according to local reports.

The attacks have received widespread condemnation among Kurdish officials, including the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR). We are calling on the government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government to conduct an immediate investigation, and we expect that the government will protect our companies investments in the Kurdistan Region, APIKUR spokesperson Myles Caggins told Rudaw.

The Kurdistan Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production after a spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll, noted Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff for KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

The drone attacks illustrate the challenges Iraq faces in reining in armed groups, including the Iranian-backed militias within the PMF. These groups, such as Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, and Asaib Ahl al Haq, have been routinely involved in attacks on US forces and the Kurdistan region over the past decade.

Whatever the dimensions of these attacks may be, they highlight the weakness of the state and the dominance of political forces, as well as both legal and illegal groups in Iraq, researcher Mahmood Baban wrote at Rudaw. There is speculation that the drone attacks are part of a broader campaign linked to Baghdads dispute with Erbil over energy deals and salaries.

Attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi militias against US forces and American oil companies in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will not be tolerated, US Representative Joe Wilson wrote on X. He called on Iraqs prime minister to take action. Kurdish official Aziz Ahmad stated, Our American partners have long denied us the tools to defend our energy and civilian infrastructure. We need them now to help us defend ourselves  we know exactly whos behind these attacks and where theyre coming from.

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).
Officials can help but its up to you to get the business

Luxembourg diplomats and executives tackled Osaka, lessons learned from their own international expansions and human rights in LuxTimes talk
As Luxembourg mulls a reform of its pension system, data from Eurostat published on Thursday shows that employees in the country are expected to spend an average of 35.6 years working before retirement - below the 40 years required to receive a full pension and the EUs average.

People in the European Union can now expect to spend an average of 37.2 years in the workforce, according to the figures. Thats 2.4 years more than a decade ago, with women seeing slightly bigger gains than men over the same period.

Luxembourg comes in below the EU average, at 35.6 years, up from 33.2 years in 2014. The Grand Duchy lags behind neighbours France (37.2) and Germany (40).

Workers in Luxembourg must pay pension contributions for 40 years to receive full retirement benefits. The actual number of years worked, however, can be less, as time spent in higher education or out of work to have children is counted towards the 40 years. People can also retire early under some circumstances.

The Eurostat data measures the expected length of working life for someone aged 15 today, based on current patterns of labour force participation, unemployment and retirement.

Also read: Luxembourg pensions: all your questions answered

Six EU countries have now crossed the 40-year mark - the Netherlands leads with 43.8 years, followed by Sweden (43.0), Denmark (42.5), Estonia (41.4), Ireland (40.4), and Germany (40.0). These countries tend to combine high employment rates with later retirement ages and strong female participation in the labour market.

By contrast, Romania (32.7 years), Italy (32.8), Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia (each 34.8) report some of the shortest expected working lives in the bloc, revealing an 11-year gap between EU extremes.

Across the bloc, men are expected to work 39.2 years on average, while women are projected to work 35.0 years. However, the EU gender gap has narrowed over the past decade, falling from 5.1 years in 2014 to 4.2 years in 2024.

Eurostat notes that these figures are shaped by a combination of policy choices, labour market participation, and demographic pressures, with major implications for national pension systems and economic planning.

The government, labour unions and employers are embroiled in talks over a planned pension reform. While Luxembourgs retirement age is 65, people can stop working much earlier under the 40-year contribution rules. Prime Minister Luc Frieden during his state of the nation speech had said he wants to move the real retirement age closer to 65 by extending the amount of time during which people have to pay into the system to reach 43 years.

That plan would delay Luxembourgs pension pot from running dry by five years, from 2045 to 2050, according to estimates by the General Inspectorate of Social Security (IGSS).

Talks are due to resume in September. Social Security Minister Martine Deprez in July was due to present the full details of the pension reform. No new date for the unveiling has been set.
China-Europe freight trains bring global goods home

People's Daily Online) 14:39, July 18, 2025

A China-Europe freight train loaded with sawn timber and other products from Belarus enters China via the Erenhot land port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo/Yu Hao)

The China-Europe freight trains have made 110,000 trips, including return journeys. Together, these trains have transported goods worth over $450 billion. For 62 straight months, more than 1,000 trains have run each month.

What products have China-Europe freight trains brought back to China, and what opportunities have they created for countries along the route?

Convenient freight train service enables faster and more efficient furniture manufacturing

The China-Europe freight train service has injected momentum into a thriving furniture industry with an output value of 280 billion yuan (about $39.02 billion) in Nankang district, Ganzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province.

In the Ganzhou International Inland Port, a train loaded with European spruce and European silver fir entered the station. According to a person in charge of railway logistics at the China Railway Nanchang Group, in the past, it took three months for a cubic meter of timber to arrive from Russia, and the cost was as high as 4,000 yuan.

Thanks to the China-Europe freight train service, the timber import time has been reduced to 14 days. The person said that by innovating the transportation model, the return trip of the trains has been reduced to 12 days, which is 25 days shorter than traditional sea transport, with an 18 percent reduction in comprehensive logistics costs.

Loading operations are underway in the Ganzhou International Inland Port in Ganzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Zou Yang)

Nankang is the largest solid wood furniture production base in the country. Thanks to the model which integrates the port, the bonded zone, and cross-border services at the Ganzhou International Inland Port, furniture from Nankang has been exported to countries and regions such as Europe, the U.S., Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, with overseas orders amounting to over 5 billion yuan.

The port has operated more than 1,600 China-Europe freight train trips, covering five Central Asian countries and more than 100 cities in over 20 countries in Europe.

China-Europe freight trains bring more premium products from the globe to local residents

Covering an area of more than 1,000 square meters and located on the second floor of the waiting hall of Zhengzhou East Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, a supermarket offering imported goods transported by China-Europe freight trains is packed with tourists.

Eleven China-Europe freight train routes originating from and terminating at Zhengzhou are now operating on a regular basis, with an overseas freight collection and distribution network reaching over 30 countries and 130 cities. The service, with more than 6,000 partners at home and abroad, transports over 1,000 types of imported and exported goods.

Passengers shop at a supermarket offering imported goods transported by the China-Europe freight train service at Zhengzhou East Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/Cui Xuanhao)

"We've actively adapted to market demand by launching supermarkets selling imported daily necessities, so more people can benefit from the high-quality operation of China-Europe freight trains," said Han Wei, chairman of Henan Zhongyuan Railway Tourism Group Co., Ltd.

Han said supermarkets offering products transported to the city via the China-Europe freight train service are located at eight high-speed railway stations in the province, as well as many local residential communities.

Flour from Kazakhstan offers a taste of Silk Road in Xi'an

At the lifestyle experience center of Xi'an Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group in Xi'an Chanba International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, visitors watch a cook making oil-splashed noodles. The flour used to make the noodles was imported from Kazakhstan and transported to the city via China-Europe freight trains.

On March 26, 2016, the first returning China-Europe freight train carrying 2,000 tonnes of edible oil from Kazakhstan arrived at the railway freight yard in Xi'an Chanba International Port. The oil was imported by Aiju. Leveraging the China-Europe freight train service, Aiju embarked on a journey of investing in crop farming and opening processing factories in Kazakhstan.

Over the past years, the company has developed contract farming in the North Kazakhstan Region, initially promoting the cultivation of raw materials across 1.5 million mu of farmland (100,000 hectares).

"Last year, we opened several processing plants in the North Kazakhstan Region to produce flour, noodles, and animal feed. With increased output from our overseas facilities, more goods are now being shipped back to China," said Liu Dongmeng, secretary of the Party committee at Aiju.

Aiju now operates a grain and oil sales network with around 1,000 outlets. By the end of June this year, it had imported 400,000 tonnes of agricultural products, such as wheat, flour, and edible oil, from Kazakhstan.

Faster logistics enable efficient car imports in Chongqing

At dawn on June 18, containers loaded with cars made in Germany stood ready at the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. After customs clearance, inspection, and registration, the cars would be sent to 4S dealerships across western China.

"This batch left Germany on June 2, passing through Poland, Russia, and Kazakhstan, and entered China via Alashankou land portover 10,000 kilometers in just 16 days," said Tan Renyun, business manager at Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd.

The first China-Europe freight train loaded with New Year goods arrives in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo/Sun Jixiang)

Since Chongqing started to import cars via the China-Europe freight train service in 2014, more than 40,000 vehicles from Europe have entered the city by rail and distributed across more than 10 provinces in southwest and northwest China.

"Previously, car imports relied on sea freight35 days from Hamburg via the Suez Canal to Shanghai, then by road to Chongqing," said Tan, who added that rail is slightly more expensive, but cuts delivery time to around 16 days.

"Thanks to China-Europe freight trains, we can bring in the latest models faster. We're planning a regional distribution center in Chongqing to improve service further," said a car dealer.

In 2024, return shipments to Chongqing via China-Europe freight trains reached $1.6 billion, with cars, electronics, and machinery accounting for over 45 percent.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Large portions of the public radio programming on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation are likely to soon come to a standstill.

On Friday Congress voted to claw back funding for public media nationwide, and Fort Belknaps KGVA 88.1 gets 70% of its annual budget from the federal government, according to Jack Jones, the station manager.

It will devastate us, Jones said when reached by phone Friday.

The U.S. House voted to pass the measure that will recoup $9 billion, mostly for foreign aid, but about $1.1 billion of which was meant for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the arm that doles out funding to local public media stations. All of Montanas federal elected officials voted for the legislation and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.

It's not only KGVA that will suffer: The cuts will ripple across all of Montana's major public media outlets, to the tune of more than $2.5 million in the first year alone.

Most Montanans receive their public radio through Yellowstone Public Radio (YPR) and Montana Public Radio, and Montana PBS is watched by about 250,000 Montanans each week, according to Aaron Pruitt, director and general manager of the service.

Montana PBS is set to lose $1.8 million in funding, which represents about 20% of their annual budget, Pruitt said in a written statement. Montana Public Radio receives about 11% of its annual budget from the Center for Public Broadcasting, which amounts to $353,000 in 2025, director Anne Hosler said, and YPRs director said their annual budget will be cut by about 15% when this becomes law.

Hosler said in a written statement that they have some tough decisions ahead.

This money has been critical to our funding model, she added.

Public media throughout the nation will be impacted by the passage of the legislation, but large rural states with towering mountain ranges like Montana could be particularly harmed by the changes, explained Professor Lee Banville, director of the University of Montana School of Journalism.

Montana is the fourth-largest state by area in the country and huge swaths of it are rural, meaning the public media stations need repeaters to reach these communities buried in valleys who have historically relied on them to receive news and information.

If they need to replace a tower in the middle of nowhere can they financially do that anymore? The answer might turn into no and we might see certain parts of the state lose service, Banville said Friday. The saddest outcome of this is states like Montana could be affected a lot more than a state like New York.

YPRs geographic footprint is the largest of any public radio network in the lower 48 states, encompassing an area the size of Great Britain. The stations airwaves are broadcast through a network of 13 transmitters and 25 translators, across the largely rural expanse of Montana, into Wyoming and most of Montanas Native American reservations.

Lately, Ken Siebert, general manager of YPR, has been fielding many calls from concerned listeners about the future of the public radio station in light of Congresss actions. When reached for comment Friday, Siebert was concerned but undaunted about the future.

So I think we're all concerned about what the ripple effect of this will be throughout the system, but at Yellowstone Public Radio, we're committed to continuing doing what we're doing, Siebert said.

The plan, according to Siebert, is to intensify fundraising and dig deeper into community collaborations in hopes of offsetting the lost funding. But to grow fundraising efforts also incurs "significant costs, Siebert said.

There's a number of listeners who don't contribute. Many of them in the past have used the excuse that, well, you guys get money from the government, Siebert said. Well, we don't get that money from the government anymore.

For YPR, the effects of this legislation wont be immediate: Siebert said the financials of the station are solid until June of 2026, but without a major increase in fundraising, hard decisions will need to be made.

When Siebert was asked if there is any silver lining, he said no.

There's a lot of people who will say that, you know, it's going to force change and transformational change within the public media system, Siebert said. But ultimately, this is a loss for the just in general, the idea of free and fair media there's no silver lining in taking away vital resources to allow for that.

This is not the first time Congress has sought to cut public media funding; it is an effort that has been going on for decades.

John Twiggs, who has worked for Montana PBS for nearly three decades, said he wasnt surprised to see the passage of the legislation.

This has been building with every Republican administration since Reagan, and everyone knew this would be the most aggressive attempt, he said in a text message Friday.

Federal lawmakers in favor of this funding cut argue these media organizations have a liberal bias and it is unfair to burden taxpayers with these costs, particularly while other outfits dont get federal cash to support them.

Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that, Taxpayers dont fund Fox News and they shouldnt fund NPR. Pretty simple concept.

In a video update posted to X, Republican Sen. Steve Daines said, We also pulled funding from NPR, which uses taxpayer dollars to promote woke ideas like defunding the police and allowing men to compete in women's sports.

There have also been state-level attempts in Montana to cut funding for public media. During the 2021 legislative session, former Rep. Derek Skees, R-Kalispell, brought a bill that would have prohibited the state from funding public radio and would have eliminated their on-campus building space.

Skees said Friday that since the measure passed he has received calls from current lawmakers asking to carry his bill in the 2027 legislative session.

Even before this legislation was passed by Congress, Jones, who came into the managerial position at KGVA in April, was searching for ways to diversify the station's funding. The station, which has two employees and a handful of interns from the Aaniiih Nakoda College, has also not received any donations in the past few years.

Its not like we have a lot of roads to take here as far as revenue, Jones said.

The airwaves on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation are likely to no longer feature segments about the different community events, stories from tribal elders reflecting on how their culture has changed and the Aaniiih Nakoda word of the day at the bottom of every hour.

It's a sad day but it's not the end," Jones said. "There's always things to fall back on or turn to, but we gotta find out what that is for the radio station.

Editors note: Montana State News Bureau Reporter Victoria Eavis is a former employee of Montana PBS.
More than half of residents in Luxembourg support stronger government action to tackle the countrys housing crisis, according to a survey published on Friday by the Housing Observatory.

Drawing from a representative sample of households nationwide, the study - commissioned by the Housing Ministry in collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-economic Research (Liser) - examined attitudes toward housing challenges such as affordability, access and market regulation, as well as views of respondents on how these issues are currently addressed by the state.

A majority of residents endorse the main directions of housing policy currently under discussion in Luxembourg, the survey found, with over 50% backing efforts already in place to expand public housing supply, tighten regulation of the private sector, and provide direct support to households.

Measures impacting the private sector, for example, feature support for the government to expropriate land, introduce price and rent caps, or require private developers to build more affordable housing.

More than 51% of respondents supported increasing affordable housing for buyers built by public developers, a figure that remained stable across age and income groups. Respondents aged 56 and over showed slightly higher support for affordable rental housing by public actors (55%) compared to young adults aged 19 to 35 (49%).

Also read: Is Luxembourg ready to rethink homeownership?

Education, income and demographic divides

The analysis also explored how opinions vary by age, income, education, migration background and housing status.

Respondents with a higher education level expressed stronger support to create both affordable housing for tenants and home owners (both 60% backing). Only four in ten respondents with primary education expressed support for measures to support affordable rental housing, with just over a third (35%) agreeing with a push for more affordable ownership models.

Similarly, respondents with higher incomes backed public housing development more than lower-income groups, despite the latter standing to benefit most directly. Respondents with net monthly income above 8,000 show 57% support for affordable home sales and 56% for affordable rentals, compared to 48% and 51% respectively for low-income households.

Immigrant households, especially non-EU nationals whose parents were born abroad, showed strong support for public affordable housing programmes, with 67% backing affordable rental housing construction. This is significantly higher than the 46% support among Luxembourgers with at least one parent born locally.

Also read: A generation on hold: what happens when housing subsidies end?

Rent caps or expropriation?

Nearly two-thirds of renters (63%) in the survey supported affordable rental housing construction by public developers compared with 43% of homeowners. Three quarters of tenants favoured requiring private developers to build cheaper housing, against 57% of owners.

The debate on rent and price caps has gained momentum following a parliamentary motion calling for reform to protect tenants, the report said, finding that 67% of young adults and 65% of low-income households support capping rents and prices. Opposition is stronger among older respondents (57%) and wealthier homeowners (47%), who may view such limits as constraints on property rights and rental income.

Alternatively, only 28% of respondents supported land expropriation: when public authorities take private land, usually with compensation, to use it for public purposes like building affordable housing. Young adults and immigrants were slightly more favourable, but opposition remained strong, with 22% overall opposing expropriation.

Notably, around half of respondents remained neutral or undecided on this measure, reflecting uncertainty or lack of familiarity with its implications.

Also read: Affordable housing could be recognised as matter of public interest

Direct financial aid to vulnerable households and support for resident-led initiatives such as housing cooperatives received widespread backing across all demographics. Nearly two-thirds of respondents expressed approval for community-based housing models, with support highest among those with higher education (62%), possibly due to greater awareness of such schemes, suggests the report.



However, low-income respondents prioritised direct assistance most, with 65% in favour.
The recent discovery off the Turkish coast has surprised the world. A treasure ship more than 2,000 years old has been discovered, revealing hundreds of well-preserved ceramics and providing a fascinating insight into ancient maritime trade. The shipwreck site, dubbed the Ceramics Shipwreck, dates from between the second century BC and the first century AD. This was announced by Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, in a statement in June.

Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on the discovery: "They have arrived almost intact"

Simone Biles and her husband steal the spotlight with major PDA on the red carpet

The shipwreck is located about 45 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of the province of Antalya, Turkey. Underwater archaeologists discovered hundreds of ancient ceramics, including plates and bowls. The minister joined these archaeologists to examine the "groundbreaking discovery".

Among the finds by the Turkish divers, according to the statement, were hundreds of fragile earthenware artifacts, offering new insights into ancient maritime trade routes. "We discovered hundreds of plates, trays and bowls," said Minister Ersoy, and on their preservation he said: "The designs of the ceramics have reached us almost intact, with their original colors and exceptionally preserved surfaces." This is something that happens on very few occasions.

The explanation for why they were so well preserved: "They were covered with raw clay."

And the question is: how is it possible that they have suffered so little damage being so old? The answer is simple: because of their packaging technique. As the minister explained: "They were coated with raw clay and stacked inside each other to protect them during transport". This has allowed them to learn "valuable information about production and packaging techniques".

However, there are at least 400 shipwrecks along the Turkish coast, between Patara and Mersin, he said: "Our professionals are working intensively in these areas". Finally, he made it clear that this was an opportunity for the country: "These discoveries offer great opportunities not only from a scientific point of view, but also from a tourist point of view. And for the rest of society: "This is a discovery of enormous value, not only for our country, but also for the cultural heritage of the world", he exclaimed.
Bostons effort to convert office space to housing hit a milestone Thursday as more than 100 homes are currently under construction.

Developer Boston Pinnacle Properties began demolition Thursday on the building at 263 Summer St. in Fort Point, where it will create 77 homes.

The project is the fourth in the citys Office to Residential Conversion Program to begin work and the largest under construction, with a total of 141 homes currently in progress and another 639 in the pipeline.

Thats space for more than a thousand new residents, families, workers, students who will be ready to settle in and continue shaping our city, Mayor Michelle Wu said during a news conference at the Summer Street site on Thursday.

The 60,000-square-foot building is also home to a historic sign bearing the name of Boston Wharf Co. that is considered a neighborhood landmark. It will be preserved as part of the redevelopment.

Meanwhile, tenants are expected to begin moving into 15 homes in a former office building at 281 Franklin Street at the end of the summer. And two other projects are underway at 129 Portland St., with 25 homes, and 615 Albany St., with 24 homes.

Since the city launched the program in October 2023, it has received 16 applications for projects that include 142 income-restricted and 780 total housing units across 21 buildings.

Construction on more than 100 additional units is expected to begin in the fall.

The program provides a 75% tax abatement for 29 years on vacant office spaces converted into residential space. The program was expanded earlier this year to include student and workforce housing.

These conversions are not what was originally envisioned for the building and take a lot of work maneuvering all the small spaces, making sure that everything is set, changing the entire use so that these buildings can be revitalized and meet the citys goals for housing, Wu said.

In addition to supporting the citys goal of producing more housing, the program was created to repurpose office space that was no longer needed as companies change their in-office policies after the pandemic.

Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance, said this would return much-needed foot traffic to downtown businesses. It would also encourage workers to return to the office in the future.

When the residents of this building look out this window, theyre going to see their offices, he said. Everybody like me in every part of the country is thinking about How do we get people back in their offices more often? Ill give you a hint. Its not free coffee. ... The number one metric across the United States for people returning to their office is the proximity they live to that job.

Developers interested in converting office space to housing can apply to the program through the end of this year, with applications being reviewed and approved on a rolling basis.
A recent article from Readers Digest has included three New England locations on a list of the best lakes to swim in the U.S.

And surprisingly, Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Champlain didnt make the cut.

Squam Lake in New Hampshire, Walden Pond in Massachusetts and Echo Lake in Maine were among the 26 locations, which ranged from two of the Great Lakes (Lake Erie, Lake Michigan) to Lake Powell, a popular tourist destination that touches both Arizona and Utah.

While the list doesnt rank the locations, it does cite the strengths of each lake, and tranquility and geographical features seem to be New Englands best qualities.

Readers Digest recommends Squam Lakes 6,700-plus acres for its numerous coves and 30 named islands, and also cites low speed limits for boats as a major plus for swimmers. Echo Lake, located within Maines Acadia National Park, also earned a spot on the list for its peaceful waters, thanks to a ban on boat engines larger than 10hp.

Concords own Walden Pond, however, is apparently so impressive that its the only official non-lake on the list  being a pond. In addition to its calm waters for swimmers and kayakers, the report also suggests checking out out a nearby walking trail and the former home of Henry David Thoreau, the transcendentalist who penned the book Walden from his experience living for two-plus years in a cabin by the pond.

View Readers Digests full list of destinations here.
Actor Tristan Rogers, best known for playing Robert Scorpio on General Hospital, has been diagnosed with cancer.

A representative revealed the soap opera stars diagnosis to Deadline on Thursday, July 17.

While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family, the rep wrote in a statement.

As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding. They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family, it continued. Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years. This support means more to him now than ever. Future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Tristan and his family.

Rogers type of cancer has not been disclosed. Fans in the official General Hospital Fans Facebook group showed their support for the 79-year-old actor.

Prayers for Tristan Rogers, one fan wrote alongside two photos of the actor. Your fans love you.

Rogers, who has played Scorpio on-and-off since 1980, has appeared in nearly 1,500 episodes of General Hospital.

The actor also has appeared in nearly 200 episodes of The Young and the Restless. In 2020, Rogers won a Daytime Emmy for his work in the digital drama Studio City.

The Australian native has been married to Teresa Parkerson since 1995 and they have two adult children.
An 80-year-old woman told police that shes lucky to be alive after she and another man, along with a police officer, were hurt in an attack, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Haydens office said Thursday.

On July 3, Abraham Galindo, 31, of Boston, was charged with assault and battery on a person over 60 or disabled with serious injury, assault and battery on a person over 60 or disabled, and assault and battery on a police officer.

Galindo was released on personal recognizance, but Judge Steven Kim ordered that he remain under the care of a psychiatrist and take his medication, Haydens office said in a statement.

I wish the two victims fast and full recoveries, Hayden said in his statement. Our victim witness advocates and prosecutors will provide them with complete support through the court process. Im very grateful for the Good Samaritan who intervened and may have prevented further injury to these elderly victims.

At around 4:48 p.m. on June 7, Boston police received a radio call about an assault and battery in progress at 131 Clarendon St., Haydens office said. Officers saw a bystander restraining Galindo on the sidewalk.

As an officer placed a handcuff on Galindos left wrist during his arrest, he used his right hand to strike an officer in the face, Haydens office said.

Police later learned that Galindo attacked a woman and a 78-year-old man, with the woman found on the ground, complaining of severe pain to her ribs, the statement read. A security camera at the Clarendon Garage filmed the attack and showed Galindo sprinting across the intersection of Clarendon and Stanhope streets before he crashed into the woman, knocking her to the ground.

She later told police that Galindo pushed her with both hands and struck her several times with a closed fist, Haydens office said.

Im lucky to be alive, the woman told police. He almost beat me to death.

The 78-year-old man stepped in to stop Galindo, but Galindo grabbed his collar and shook him aggressively and repeatedly while Galindo dragged the woman on the pavement, the statement read.

The woman had a fractured patella, fractured ribs, abrasions to the face, elbows and hands, along with extensive bruising and soreness, Haydens office said. She was taken to Brigham and Womens Hospital for further treatment.

Galindo, with a bloody mouth, was taken to Boston Medical Center for psychiatric and medical evaluations, and was hospitalized until three days before his arraignment.
Months after he pleaded guilty to tampering the drinking water in Stoughton, a former water department employee was given a short prison sentence, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Casper sentenced Robert Bullock, Sr., 60, of Brockton, to about one day of time served in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Foleys office said in a statement.

Prosecutors recommended a sentence of one year and one day in prison.

Back in March, after he was indicted, Bullock pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a water system. On Nov. 29, 2022, Bullock went to one of the Stoughton Water Departments pumping stations and turned off a pump that introduces chlorine into the drinking water. This left the water insufficiently disinfected as it was introduced into the towns water system, Foleys office said.

The charge of tampering with a water system provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
An Idaho man faces one charge in connection with several messages sent to a Massachusetts professor online, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said Friday.

Edward John Kay, 53, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking, Foleys office said in a statement. Kay was arrested in Rigby, Idaho, and is expected to appear in a federal court in Idaho on Friday, then appear in a Boston federal courthouse at a later date.

A professor at a Massachusetts university extension school received a message from Kay on Jan. 20, according to a criminal complaint. Kay introduced himself and asked to call the professor before the first lecture on Jan. 29. They arranged a Zoom call and spoke for 40 minutes.

During the call, Kay appeared manic, displayed an agitated need to speak, stated he wanted to teach the victim so many new things, and expressed a desire to have a deeper connection with the victim, the court filing read. The victim got the impression that Kays feelings for her were romantic in nature. It was clear to the victim that Kay had already done extensive research on her prior to this phone call. The victim described the call as unsettling.

Kay took part in the first lecture over Zoom on Jan. 29 and was an active participant, but the professor noticed Kay made exasperated faces when she did not call on him, the court documents read. After class, Kay expressed his discontent over not being called and not liking the class structure, rather wishing there was more one-on-one time with the professor.

She became uncomfortable when Kay talked about his background in web security, because she believed that it meant KAY would have the knowledge and skills to obtain personal information about her that was available on the internet, if he had not already done so, the documents stated.

On Jan. 30, Kay emailed the professor asking for another virtual office visit to give her feedback on the class and talk about extra credit opportunities, according to the court filing. The next day, she replied back and said they would have a 20-minute virtual discussion in two weeks, but he replied that he was not sure if the class structure was right for him and suggested he would leave the class.

I wouldnt take a withdrawal lightly, Kay told her, according to court documents. I have a real difficult choice here. I realize that there will be many things I lose in doing so... I lose ever knowing you, in any way...

Kay emailed her twice on Feb. 2 about dropping out of the class, court documents stated. He told her that while he wanted her as a teacher, he wanted her as a friend, or even as a therapist, even more. A friend told Kay that he had a brain crush on his professor.

It just would be a living hell to sit through class with that little interaction with you, Kay wrote, according to court documents. I really, truly mean that You are such a rare, unusual creature for me to run into in my current world right now. I adore my life partner, and she is supremely intelligent, but I crave more diverse, personal, intellectual, meaningful interaction than just with her I wanted so much to make a difference in your life."

The professor thought the message was strange and sexual in nature, but was relieved Kay dropped from her class, the criminal complaint read. She was also disturbed at another point in his message where Kay referred to her 3-year-old son.

On Feb. 4, one day after she was notified that he dropped her course, the professor received a request from Kay to connect on LinkedIn, according to court documents. On Feb. 5, he emailed her about how our connection, however brief, mattered a lot to me.

Between Feb. 5 and March 21, Kay did not reach out to the professor, but she was nervous that he would send her something again, the court documents stated. But on March 21, he sent an email asking for a Zoom call to get closure.

I lost the ability to keep myself composed with a person I see as being so incredibly magnificent, Kay wrote, according to the complaint. I emotionally bled all over my interaction with youThe fact that you had that much power over me is not something I am used to experiencing from someone It should be blatantly obvious that I personally like you. Your intuition should have clearly told you that I know how busy you are with a full-time job, teaching with [U]ES, [first name of the victims son], and so many other things

The professor thought he was becoming delusional and was alarmed that he suggested joining one of her classes again, the complaint read.

Kay then emailed the universitys deans office and accused the professor of negligence and causing him severe psychological harm, the documents stated. The professor then reported Kay to the university police.

Kay messaged the professor on LinkedIn where he professed his love for her and described a paranormal encounter he had in a graveyard near his apartment in Berlin, Germany, the court filing read.

I miss you-truly, deeply- with all of my heart and soul, Kay wrote to the professor, according to court records. That day I saw you on ZoomYou were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Not just appearance. Everything. Your presence. Your mind. Your light. To gain you and then to lose you like that? It devastated me.

Scared that Kay would become violent toward her, the professor emailed him and asked Kay to not reach out to her anymore, court documents stated. He then started detailing his grievances toward the university on his LinkedIn page.

The professor then received a long message on Facebook from a person who said they were Kays life partner, court documents stated. The person said Kay had access to several weapons, was bipolar and was obsessed with two other women. Kay considered the professor to be his twin angel soul mate.

Kay returned to emailing the university, at one point adding the professor and said she knows what is coming, court documents stated. The university then informed Kay that he could no longer enroll in their courses.

Kay continued to email her, even wrote a poem she believed was about her, court documents read. After he bought a plane ticket to Boston Logan International Airport, with no return ticket, university police issued a cease and desist order to Kay so that he would stop contacting the professor.

The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

As discussion about the Jeffrey Epstein case continues to erupt around the globe, gambling leaderboards are buzzing with speculation that a prominent figure within the Trump administration may exit the White House.

One trending leaderboard from Polymarket, which is the worlds largest prediction market according to its website, shows Deputy Director of the FBI Dan Bongino at the top of the charts for who will leave the administration this year, at 38%. Attorney General Pam Bondi places second at 24%.

This prediction comes after Bongino took a day off from work on July 11, after clashing with Bondi over the handling of the Epstein files, sources told Axios.

During that same week, the Justice Department released a memo saying there was no evidence that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, kept a client list of high-profile people, The Hill reported. The memo also said there was no evidence of foul play in Epsteins jail death, which was ruled a suicide.

Bongino is out of control furious, a person who has spoken with the deputy FBI director told NBC News. This destroyed his career. Hes threatening to quit and torch Pam unless shes fired.

Kalshi, an exchange dedicated to trading on the outcome of future events, also predicts that Bongino will most likely leave the administration this year (38%), while Bondi ties at second place with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at 21%.
Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone during the Karen Read retrial on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Dedham. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

Judge Beverly Cannone, who presided over both Karen Read trials, was transferred out of her role in Norfolk Superior Court not long after Reads retrial concluded.

Cannone was moved to a civil session in Plymouth Superior Court, according to the states list of judicial assignments. Judges in Massachusetts superior courts rotate through the state once every three months or so, but Cannone stayed in Norfolk Superior to preside over the Read retrial after being specially assigned to the case.

Previously, Cannone was the regional administrative justice for Norfolk County, a position judges hold for three years, then rotate out of. That role went to Judge Michael Doolin in January.

Rotation is done to maintain employee vitality, and to distribute the workload, and likely for other human reasons, explained Jack Lu, a former superior court judge and an adjunct professor at UMass Lowell.

Read faces a civil suit filed by the family of her boyfriend, John OKeefe, in Plymouth County. A hearing on the suit is scheduled for September  but not before Cannone.

Instead, the case was specially assigned to Judge Daniel OShea, the regional administrative justice for Plymouth County, who will preside over the hearing.

A civil session in Superior Court functions much like a criminal session, only for civil cases, Lu explained. Cannone will hear the most serious civil cases in Plymouth County, such as consumer protection issues, personal injury cases and actions against government entities.

Civil sessions are heavier on paper, or litigation conducted by the exchange of documents, Lu wrote.

Some consider it extremely intellectually taxing, he added.

In addition to her role in Plymouth County, Cannone is the chair of the Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure.

That committee reviews issues and proposals regarding the states Rules of Criminal Procedure, which govern how criminal cases are handled.

Lu said Cannones appointment to the committee last fall amounted to a promotion.

Its a real honor, and a major career achievement, he said at the time.
A Massachusetts driver is facing charges after he sped at over 100 mph, drunken drove and ultimately crashed at the Hooksett Toll Plaza in New Hampshire early Thursday morning, according to New Hampshire State Police.

Rockland resident Tyler Murphy has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and resisting arrest in connection with the incident, State Police said in a press release Thursday.

On July 17 around 6:20 a.m., New Hampshire State Police responded to a report that a white, four-door sedan with Massachusetts plates was driving erratically on I-93 north in Londonderry, State Police said. The car was seen changing lanes aggressively, passing cars in the breakdown lane and speeding at over 100 mph.

About an hour later, State Police received additional reports of a car matching the description of the sedan exhibiting similar dangerous driving behaviors while traveling south on I-93 in Northfield, State Police said. Troopers again responded to the area to try to find the car.

At 7:44 a.m., a single-vehicle crash was reported on I-93 south in Hooksett, State Police said. Troopers responded and found that a white Audi S4 had crashed into the center barrier between the open road toll lanes and the cash toll booths at the toll plaza.

Troopers also learned the Audi caught fire following the crash, but that the driver  who was later identified as Murphy  was able to get out on his own, State Police said. Several drivers who passed the scene stopped to offer medical aid and helped extinguish the fire.

Troopers soon noticed that Murphy was displaying signs of alcohol impairment, State Police said. He was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries and later arrested.

Murphy is scheduled to appear in Hooksett District Court on Aug. 7, State Police said. State Police ask that anyone with information related to this incident contact Trooper Jacob Plourde at (603) 451-9329 or Jacob.J.Plourde@DOS.NH.GOV.
Police are warning residents in Sturbridge of a woman in a sweatshirt and her dog, also in a sweatshirt, asking for help.

While the woman appeared non-threatening, the Sturbridge Police Department wrote on Facebook, it could be part of a criminal tactic.

We urge all residents to call the Sturbridge Police if a stranger comes to you in need. Criminals use these tactics to surveil property or if she needed medical services we could have provided her care, the police department wrote.

On July 17, 2025, at 1853 hours, residents of Goodrich Road contacted the Sturbridge Police worried about a woman in... Posted by Sturbridge Police Department on Thursday, July 17, 2025

Around 7 p.m. on Thursday, people who live on Goodrich Road contacted the Sturbridge Police worried about a woman in their driveway. The woman was dressed entirely in black, wearing a hoodie and surgical mask, and had a white dog, who was also wearing a sweatshirt. The woman told the family that she wasnt feeling well. The family gave her water and she left.

About two hours before, Sturbridge saw a high of 84 degrees on Thursday. By 7 p.m., it was only slightly lower at 83 degrees.

A second family reported that a woman with an identical description asked to use their restroom around the same time. They let her inside, police said.

Similar reports were received during the overnight hours of July 14-15.

Sturbridge Police, Wales Police, Southbridge Police, and Massachusetts Police Troopers have been going door-to-door and searching wooded areas but have been unable to find the woman.

The police department is asking residents call the police department if she is seen again.

While the individuals behavior raises concerns, no criminal activity has been documented at this time, police said.
When the flood waters receded in the basement of Kristin Andersons Arlington home, she found toilet paper, condoms and tampon applicators strewn throughout, left behind by the dirty water.

Afterward, she suffered through days of sickness, namely painful gastrointestinal issues. It was then she realized the Alewife Brook had quite literally entered her home, and with it, raw sewage.

It came right in through the back door after the brook overflowed its banks, Anderson recalled. It was pretty traumatic.

In Cambridge, where the Alewife Brook originates, a single outfall pipe located behind the graffiti-laden Alewife MBTA parking garage is a leading source of sewage discharged into the brook during periods of heavy rainfall  which data shows are only getting heavier because of climate change.

Its an issue that traces back decades to the Boston Harbor Cleanup case, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency embarked on an all-hands-on-deck approach to what was, at the time, considered one of the dirtiest harbors in America.

The court-mandated projects cost more than $4 billion, spurred by two 1980s lawsuits that ultimately led a federal judge to require the construction of the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant and supplemental cleanup endeavors.

Today, Boston Harbor is often highlighted as a national EPA enforcement success story. However, outlying pieces still remain, such as the sewage issue in the Alewife Brook.

Read more: Heavy rainfall pushed over 12 million gallons of sewage into Connecticut River

In 2023 alone, 26 million total gallons of untreated sewage were discharged into the brook, making it the site of the highest concentration of sewage outfall in the Boston area, according to the Mystic River Watershed Association.

Data shows about two-thirds of it comes from the particular outfall labeled by the city of Cambridge as CAM 401A, which remains noncompliant with the Boston Harbor cleanup plan and sits inconspicuously on the edge of the Alewife Brook Reservation.

Approximately 5,000 people live in the Alewife Brooks 100-year flood plain between Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont. And with the nearby MBTA station and new developments containing luxury apartments and biotech companies, thousands of people traverse around the river daily  and specifically, the 401A outfall known to spill over onto walking paths.

Photos have circulated over the years of a father pushing a baby stroller through sewage on a path. A young girl riding her bike through what appears to be rain puddles  but arent.

We arent supposed to be coming into contact with untreated, raw sewage, said Marja Copeland, stormwater project manager for the Mystic River Watershed Association.

And according to the federal Clean Water Acts water quality standards, sewage isnt supposed to be discharged into Alewife Brook. The state, however, has issued temporary variances to allow it while the involved parties work toward additional solutions.

Toilet paper and floatables  really anything that is flushed down the toilet  can be seen buoyant in Alewife Brook during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. Homeless encampments had to be moved from the area several times, the individuals entirely unaware of what they were exposed to when hard rain fell.

Its a public health concern, but also an ecological one  Alewife Brook is regularly reported to have some of the worst water quality in the Boston area, affecting the ability of wildlife to thrive, as well as human recreation.

The amount of sewage pollution in that brook, its just unfathomable when you look at the size of it, said Anderson, the Arlington resident who ultimately formed Save the Alewife Brook, a grassroots community group of residents working to end sewer discharge into the river.

What are combined sewer overflows?

On a wet morning in May, Copeland and her colleague Andy Hrycyna, water quality program manager for the Mystic River Watershed Association, walked around a MassLive reporter around Alewife Brook Reservation.

The surrounding area has become densely populated as development has risen  and continues to  around the Alewife MBTA station. The more impervious surfaces that are created, the more stormwater runoff generated. And making matters worse, intense storms are hitting more frequently.

On May 22, for example, heavy rain struck parts of Massachusetts in what forecasters called a late-season noreaster. Between 6:30 p.m. that day and 1 a.m. the next morning, sewage discharged from the 401A outfall behind the MBTA parking garage into Alewife Brook.

Through its combined sewer overflow alert system, the city of Cambridge told the public to avoid contact for 48 hours because of increased health risks due to bacteria or other pollutants carried by the stormwater, such as fertilizers or pesticides.

In those discharge instances, the capacity of that pipe of combined sewage and stormwater is exceeded, Hrycyna explained while pointing to the 401A outfall. And instead of backing up into the streets or into peoples homes, its designed literally to overflow into a river.

And yet, sewage can still end up in homes as a result of flooding, as exemplified by the ordeal at Andersons Arlington home.

When city infrastructure was built in the mid-to-late 1800s, combined sewer outfalls were widely adopted as best practice, where wastewater and stormwater would discharge together, out of one pipe, into waterways.

Combined sewer overflows represent a legacy of pollution, industrialization and historic infrastructure systems that no longer work in the cities that we have today, Copeland said.

However, eliminating combined sewer overflows involves undoing decisions of the past regarding complicated underground infrastructure  an incredibly costly endeavor. Progress has certainly been made over the last few decades, but the issue remains front and center in areas like the Alewife Brook.

According to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, of the 86 CSO outfalls active in the late 1980s in the Boston Harbor area, 45 remain active today. The estimated annual discharge figure has also decreased from 3.3 billion gallons in the late 1980s to 401 million gallons now.

State-mandated plan update

The city of Cambridge completed a project in 2013 that separated sewer and stormwater pipe infrastructure for more than 420 acres. It featured the creation of the Alewife Stormwater Wetland, a massive nature-based solution for stormwater management that essentially pre-treats stormwater before it flows into the river.

At that time, it cost more than $150 million. Future sewer projects in Cambridge  such as pipe separation, sewage storage tanks, tunnels and more  will certainly surpass that.

Were talking hundreds of millions to billions, said Lucica Hiller, a senior project manager for Cambridges Department of Public Works. I think in general we expect these projects to be funded by water and sewer rates and property taxes. Theres limited federal funding for this type of work.

Currently, Cambridge, Somerville and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) are updating their long-term controlled sewer overflow plans that were required by the Boston Harbor federal court case, charting a course for future improvements that will, they hope, decimate sewer discharge.

The first iteration of the approved plan, completed in 2015, included 35 projects that cost more than $900 million.

Hrycyna called the sewer overflows into Alewife Brook an example of the recalcitrant, last, unfinished chapter of the cleanup of Boston Harbor.

An updated long-term control plan was one of the requirements set forth by the state Department of Environmental Protection when it granted variances from Clean Water Act standards to permit sewer discharge into the Alewife Brook, while the MWRA and its partner communities implement solutions.

The most recent variances were issued last August.

The outcomes of the updated plan, Hiller said, will be a combination of alternatives aimed at reducing combined sewer overflows. A draft is expected to be submitted in December, at which time officials will present to the public, the Department of Environmental Protection and EPA what we think is feasible in terms of construction and what is also affordable.

Its definitely not sexy to talk about sewer and combined sewer overflows, Hiller said. And at the end of the day, this work is expensive, and I know people dont like talking about raising taxes. But it comes at a cost. Leaving this region better for our children and our childrens children is not cheap.

In Western Massachusetts, Holyoke will soon begin the $30 million separation of stormwater and wastewater in a section of the city to reduce pollution of the Connecticut River.

In September 2023, a judge approved an agreement between the EPA and Holyoke to fix violations of the Clean Water Act caused by sewer overflows.

Forced exposure to hazardous sewage

Other related efforts are occurring simultaneously, both locally and at the state level.

The Cambridge City Council recently passed a policy order urging Gov. Maura Healey and the MBTA to rewrite their request for proposals for the pending redevelopment at the Alewife Station complex to ensure that this project plays a central role in ending raw sewage discharges into Alewife Brook.

Proposed legislation in front of state lawmakers would require the effective elimination of combined sewer overflows in the Massachusetts Water Resource Authoritys service area, by ending the dumping of untreated sewage during storms considered a 25-year event (the largest storm in 25 years) or smaller  by 2035 at the latest.

Members of Save the Alewife Brook are eager for the relevant entities and officials to take meaningful action. Theyve advocated at city council meetings, in front of the state Legislature and been part of the public comment process for a new long-term control plan.

But they remain skeptical, they said, given the legacy effects of CSOs in the area.

These entities could do it, probably some combination of more sewer separation and tunnel storage and some green infrastructure, said Gene Benson, a Save the Alewife Brook member and Arlington resident. Theyre the engineers. The problem is they dont have the incentive to go ahead and do it.

Benson believes the long-term control plan process is deeply, deeply flawed.

And thats why here we are in 2025 and the brook still has, you know, incredible amount of CSOs going into it every year, he said. Specifically, the group takes issue with the use of a typical year for data measurements, as years are becoming less predictable because of climate change, they said.

This is forced exposure to hazardous sewage, Anderson said.

Information about the long-term control planning process and how to get involved can be found here.
Talk show host Stephen Colbert had plenty of people go to bat for him after CBS announced its pulling the plug on The Late Show after three decades on the air.

Fellow funnyman and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel stood up for Colbert. Ditto for Saturday Night Lives Bowen Yang and Severance star Adam Scott.

Most tried to draw a straight line between CBS looming merger with Skydance, which requires government approval, and Colberts frequent and vocal criticism of President Donald Trump.

But few were more explicit than U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Taking to X, the Cambridge lawmaker laid it all out there.

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery, Warren wrote. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.

Kimmel was equally blunt, using some words you cant normally use on network television.

Love you, Stephen, Kimmel wrote on his Instagram story. [Expletive] you and your Sheldons, CBS.

Trump, meanwhile, took a victory lap on Truth Social.

I absolutely love that Colbert got fired, he wrote, according to NYMags Vulture. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.

The last episode of The Late Show, a franchise begun by David Letterman, will air in May 2026, according to NYMags Vulture.
When she looks around her life, Niurka LeBron likes what she sees.

Shes got a job and a calling. Shes got a roof over her kids heads. She has friends. And in her own little way, like so many of us, shes trying to leave her corner of creation better than she found it.

But it all could have been so different.

Not too long ago, she was just another name and face in the criminal justice system. Indicted and convicted on fraud charges, she was sentenced to nine months of home confinement.

Then LeBron crossed paths with a woman named Stacey Borden.

Borden, the founder of New Beginnings Reentry Services in Dorchester, gave LeBron the hand she needed. She guided her through the judicial system. She helped with her home confinement. And when she served her time, she helped LeBron get back on her feet.

Reentry starts with zooming into the prisons, zooming into the jails, letting [people] know, you know, what its going to be like on the outside, LeBron said, her eyes shining and the warmth of her enthusiasm radiating from her.

That life after jail, after prison, she continued, starts with letting [people] start strategically thinking, and planning how theyre going to act, what theyre going to do as they move forward with their lives, and actually having a plan.

Nobody plans to fail, she said, bluntly and pointedly. They just fail to plan. And you know that.

Its a suffocatingly humid Thursday morning in July. And, of course, its raining.

LeBron, who now helms her own business, SoulSmart Health & Wellness, and teaches returning citizens to cook, is holding forth in the Ironworkers Hall in Southie.

The debate over how Boston can assist the roughly 3,000 people who return to the states largest city from jail and prison every year has been swept up in this years mayoral campaign.

A few minutes earlier, philanthropist Josh Kraft, whos challenging Democratic incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu, rolled out his plan to smooth the path for people returning from incarceration.

The Democratic hopeful, who is the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, said he wants to open city jobs to returning citizens. LeBron was at Krafts side as he made the announcement.

Mayor Michelle Wu and mayoral candidate Josh Kraft attend a candidate forum hosted by the Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance in Roxbury on Tuesday, July 15. Trea Lavery/MassLive

Kraft pitched a plan that includes preparing people for life after jail with a 90-day regimen of job training, financial literacy, health coverage and mental health care, and other programs that would begin before they leave custody.

In the three decades I worked at the Boys and Girls Club, and through the Patriots Foundation, I met so many people who had done time, Kraft said.

Siblings, parents, cousins of kids we served at the club, he continued. They had seen some hard times, but [they] had so much to give back to our communities.

Kraft faulted Wus administration for shuttering Operation Exit, a program that began under former Mayor Marty Walsh, which connected formerly incarcerated people with jobs.

I want City Hall to be a place that supports lived experience, not only when building out a revamped Office of Returning Citizens, but across the board, he said.

Wu bristled at the criticism, telling MassLive in a separate interview that Operation Exit ended before she took office in 2021. Two programs have since taken its place.

This was another example of more irresponsible Kraft macaroni baloney put out on the campaign trail, Wu said. Operation Exit, in fact, had ceased prior to our administration starting.

But we have had two programs running that take that concept and build on it and make it more effective, she continued.

One such program focuses on direct placement of returning citizens to city jobs that have been identified with supports and with programming, Wu explained.

The other is a partnership with the trades, but has a more clear curriculum and placement partnerships, she continued. So, keeping it going, but in a different iteration. But overall, our administration has more than tripled the budget for our Office of Returning Citizens over the last three and a half years.

Such programming is key, according to experts.

While returning citizens, broadly, face challenges finding jobs, housing and schooling after they leave custody, the challenges facing women  particularly women of color  are even greater, research shows.

Even though almost 2.5 million women are released from prisons and jails every year, fewer opportunities are available to them, according to the Northampton-based Prison Policy Initiative.

Thats partly because more women serve time in jails, rather than prisons, where shorter sentences mean they have less access to training and programming.

Meanwhile, many women with criminal records face barriers to employment in female-dominated occupations, such as nursing and elder care, according to the think-tanks 2024 analysis of women behind bars.

It is little surprise, therefore, that formerly incarcerated women  especially women of color  are also more likely to be unemployed and/or homeless than formerly incarcerated men, making reentry and compliance with probation or parole even more difficult," the analysis found.

All of these issues make women particularly vulnerable to being incarcerated not because they commit crimes, but because they run afoul of one of the burdensome obligations of their community supervision, the think-tank concluded.

That makes mentorship efforts, both informal and formal, and inside and outside the prison walls, all the more critical, Borden said.

I was drug addicted. I come from early childhood sexual trauma. I was mentally ill. I couldnt function and I kept stealing, she said. I was hungry. I was feeding my addiction, and I didnt know any better.

She pauses, then continues.

Maybe I knew better. My addiction didnt know better, right? And so the women in prison raised me. And I made a vow to get out of prison and go back and get my sisters, she said. So the work that we do out here isnt just, you know, Get out of prison, and now youre out. No, [its] Get out of prison and help us. Let us help you reinvent yourself.

... As a formerly incarcerated woman, mentorship is vital, she said.

Borden found her mentor in Andrea James, the executive director of the Roxbury-based National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

Without James, Borden said she wouldnt have met such key leaders and advocates as U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, or even understood the political realm.

Now, shes paying it forward as Niurka LeBrons mentor, even as LeBron mentors those who have returned to Boston in her wake.

I, personally, was able to benefit from being at New Beginnings Reentry Services, LeBron said. But if those free resources were not there, Im not sure what my transition would have looked like.

MassLive Reporter Trea Lavery contributed to this analysis.
Red Sox' Alex Bregman is expected to play four of six games on the road trip. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) AP

CHICAGO  Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman returned from the injured list last Friday after missing 43 games with a right quad strain.

Manager Alex Cora outlined the plan for Bregman coming out of the All-Star break. The 31-year-old will play four of the six games on this road trip.

Hes in the lineup for todays game (Friday) against the Cubs. Cora said Bregman also will play Saturday, then receive an off day Sunday.

The Red Sox then head to Philadelphia to play three games against the Phillies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Cora said the plan is for Bregman to play Monday and Tuesday, then receive Wednesday off.

Boston has a scheduled off day Thursday before returning to Fenway Park to host the Dodgers next Friday.

Get Wednesday and Thursday off and then hopefully by Friday hes a full go, Cora said.

Bregman attended the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game on Monday, then flew home Tuesday. Bregman worked out Wednesday at home, then participated in the Red Sox optional team practice at Wrigley Field on Thursday.

Hes in a good spot, Cora said. He was able to bounce back from that series (last weekend vs. Tampa). He felt good on Monday.
HOLYOKE  When Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia proposed a friendly volleyball match to the mayor of Salinas, Puerto Rico, Karilyn Bonilla Colon, last summer, it sparked more than just a game  it launched a cross-cultural exchange now gaining momentum with community support and corporate backing.

The initiative, which began as a casual idea during Bonilla Colons visit to Holyoke to attend the annual Fiestas Patronales de Holyoke, has evolved into a formal sister city challenge.

With a $10,000 donation from Casella Waste Systems and growing interest from local leaders, the event aims to strengthen ties between the two communities through sport, tourism, and shared heritage.
Housing advocates, Way Finders employees and lawmakers attend ribbon cutting for Greenstead Grove, a mixed-income affordable housing complex in Ludlow, on Friday. (Namu Sampath / The Republican) The Republican

LUDLOW  In Ludlow, where nearly all of the available affordable housing is restricted to older adults, a new complex not limited by age will open later this summer.

More than 2,000 people applied to live at Greenstead Grove, a 43-unit development in the southeastern part of Ludlow, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The first tenants will get to move in by mid-August.
A water treatment operator checks out conditions in the flocculator tanks at the West Parish Water Treatment facility. The Springfield Water & Sewer Commission has imposed a new monthly fee. (Marc St. Onge/The Westfield News) The Westfield News

SPRINGFIELD  Springfield Water and Sewer Commission customers are seeing a new $11.50-a-month fee on their bills starting in July. That new expense comes as a Western Massachusetts lawmaker proposes to add voices beyond Springfield to the utilitys board.

It is the living incarnation of taxation without representation, said state Rep. Aaron L. Saunders, D-Belchertown. These towns have no say.
NORTHAMPTON  Some claimed to be veterans of anti-Trump rallies, while others were new to the scene at Good Trouble protests throughout the region Thursday.

Pioneer Valley residents joined protesters from across the nation for standouts in the name of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader who promoted social engagement to achieve political and societal change.
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A new RTE documentary about Mayo native and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, will air next week.

The documentary 'Mrs Robinson' is a fresh look at the life and legacy of Irelands first woman president  particularly relevant at the moment in the run-up to the presidential election in autumn 2025. It reveals Mary Robinsons story in her own words for the first time.

It will be aired Wednesday July 23 at 9:35pm on RTE One and RTE Player.

READ NEXT: Group to cycle from Dublin to Mayo in aid of three local charities

From her beginnings in Mayo, she developed a strong sense of social justice, and went on to become president at the age of 46.

The documentary shows her impact not just in Ireland but on the world stage as UN High Commissioner and later as Chair of the Elders, the independent group of global leaders (founded by Nelson Mandela) who work for peace, justice, and human rights.

'Mrs Robinson' will air on RTE One on Wednesday July 23 at 9:35pm and will be available to steam on RTE Player.

'Mrs Robinson' is a Loosehorse production, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2024 followed by a general release in cinemas in August 2024.
The new wing of Marian House, The Joe and Helen OToole Respite Home was officially opened in Ballindine, Co Mayo, today (Friday, 18 July 2025) by Mary Lardner, on behalf of The Joe and Helen OToole Charitable Trust, and Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty.

The 4.7m expansion was made possible by the support of donors and community partners, including a remarkable 2.6m contribution by The Joe and Helen OToole Charitable Trust. It marks a major milestone in Western Alzheimer' s mission to improve dementia care services in the west of Ireland.

The development includes the construction of thirteen new ensuite bedrooms, additional day and activity rooms, medical room, welcome atrium, increased kitchen and dining facilities and an enclosed courtyard.

The trust honours the legacy of Joe and Helen OToole, whose philanthropic endeavours continue to make a profound difference in the lives of others. Helen and Joe passed away in 2013 and 2019 respectively. The purpose-built expansion will enhance communal resident and visitor areas and ensure a comfortable and welcoming environment for all.

READ MORE: Unique fundraising event to launch next week at home of Mayo GAA

Its a real privilege to be part of todays opening and to see the meaningful impact that community and generosity can have. What has been achieved here goes far beyond bricks and mortar. Its about dignity, care and connection. The dedication of Western Alzheimer's and the legacy of Joe and Helen OToole are a powerful reminder of the difference people can make when they come together with purpose, said Patrick Kielty.

Pat McHugh, Chairperson, Western Alzheimer's, expressed gratitude for the trusts extraordinary donation, emphasising its transformative impact on the organisations ability to serve the community. Our mission at Western Alzheimer's is to empower individuals living with dementia to remain at home and actively engaged in their communities.

"Apart from the residential respite services we provide in Ballindine, we also offer support and advisory services, in-home support, and day care services in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Over 6,000 people live with dementia in the region and these figures are set to double over the next 20 years, he said.

READ MORE: Group to cycle from Dublin to Mayo in aid of three local charities

Mary Lardner, CEO of OTooles SuperValu and trustee of the charitable trust, highlighted the deep commitment Joe and Helen showed to local causes throughout their lives, particularly those addressing the challenges of dementia. Joe and Helen recognised the role organisations like Western Alzheimer's play in providing vital support to families affected by dementia. Their generous contribution to Marian House, The Joe and Helen OToole Respite Home underscores their enduring legacy of compassion and community service, she said.

CEO Pat Holmes thanked all who contributed to the projects success, including community partners, healthcare professionals and the construction team. We are immensely grateful for the outpouring of support we have received throughout this journey. We look forward to continuing our mission and serving our community with compassion and dedication, said Pat. The new development increases capacity from 588 weeks of residential respite care to 980 weeks. The building also complies with the latest standards for residential care settings.

For more information about Western Alzheimer's and its services, please visit www.westernalzheimers.ie. See Tuesday's edition of The Mayo News for pictures from the official opening.
On March 17, 2024, the body of Kelly Marie Lynch was found in the Ulster Canal in Monaghan, 30 hours after the last confirmed sighting of her.

Kelly was found with 93 injuries on her body, yet her death has never been treated as suspicious, no one was ever questioned about her untimely death and no one has been held accountable.

For the last 15 months, Kelly's mother Julieanne has been working tirelessly to get justice for daughter and to get some answers for what happened.

READ NEXT: 'Our beloved boy'- Go Fund Me set up by family after son suffered tragic cardiac arrest

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Kelly's family to help with the rising legal costs that Julieanne says they are not entitled to as Kelly's death is not being treated as a criminal case.

"We are getting absolutely no help from any government organisation whatsoever", says Julieanne, "We've had no help from anyone since Kelly's body was found and we have no idea why.

"We have reached out to politicians on both sides of the border. I've contacted human rights on both sides of the border with both parties telling me that they can't get involved with this.

"I was told that the Human Rights and Equality Commission in Dublin does not get involved or offer advice on cases like this and the Human Rights Commission of Northern Ireland say they have no jurisdiction across the border, although it clearly states on their website that they do, they do cross border jurisdiction, but either way we're just getting no help whatsoever."

Kelly was in a relationship with a young man from Monaghan. On March 13, Kelly received a phone call to let her know that her boyfriend's brother had died, and that his body had been found. Understandably, Kelly was devastated and left Armagh to go to Monaghan to be with her boyfriend and his family.

Kelly left shortly before 8pm on March 13 and that was the last time her mother Julieanne saw her alive.

"It'd been an absolute horrendous year," says Julieanne.

"There have been quite a few articles on Kelly's case over the past year and some reporters have tried to help but Kelly's story still remains under the radar. There was never any appeal for information with details until Kelly's one-year anniversary. The guards put out an appeal on the 17th of March, a year to the day when Kelly's body was found.

"Why was that not put out in the days after her body was found? Why was there not a request for immediate information or for anyone to come forward when Kelly was found? These are the issues that I'm raising and it's like I'm banging my head against a brick wall and we're getting nowhere fast.

Speaking on those horrific first days when Kelly's body was found, Julieanne says she has been quite vocal about it. Speaking about it doesn't trigger her because she's living with it every day. "It's a part of my everyday life".

Julieanne said she spoke with Kelly a few times in the 48 hours after she left her home, but on the morning of the 16th, she had woken to several missed calls and a 23 second voicemail from Kelly.

"We talked over the next 48 hours and on Saturday the 16th, I had received a lot of missed phone calls during the night, but I hadn't heard them."

In the voicemail, which has not been made public, Julieanne said: "You can clearly hear she's very hurt, she's been injured and she can't breathe and she's doing a lot of crying, and it lasts for 23 seconds. So I tried to contact Kelly all day on the Saturday into Saturday evening, even went as far as messaging her boyfriend on Facebook."

Kelly had been with her boyfriend on and off for 15 months, said Julieanne, and Kelly would travel to Monaghan twice a month to visit him and stay with his family. Julieanne would drive her there as Kelly didn't drive.

Julieanne said she had never met Kelly's boyfriend, but when she would drop Kelly to his house, they would beep horns to acknowledge each other.

Julieanne wasn't friends with Kelly's boyfriend on social media, but the message was never opened. Julieanne said it wasn't until November when she found out that that particular account was no longer in use.

By Sunday morning, March 17th, there was still no contact from Kelly: "I just knew something was really really wrong, I just had a gut feeling", said Julieanne.

Before 12.25pm that afternoon, a call came from the PSNI to Julieanne's then 18-year-old son's phone, looking for Kelly's next of kin. The phone was passed to Julieanne where an officer told her that Monaghan Gardai were trying to get in contact with her.

"I remember asking was everything ok but the officer told me she couldn't tell me anything and I was to keep the phone line clear."

Julieanne said she got her two youngest children (4 and 12 at the time) into the car and after driving around 3 miles down the road another phone call came through just after 1pm from Monaghan Garda station.

"I asked them was she OK and I remember silently praying that maybe she was detained overnight for being drunk and disorderly, even though Kelly had never been in trouble with the law before, but I was hoping that was the case.

Speaking to Julieanne, the officer on the phone told her that he was really sorry to have to do this over the phone, but her daughter Kelly Marie Lynch was deceased.

READ NEXT: Gardai renew appeal for murder of young women whose body was found eight years ago

Kelly's two younger siblings, sitting in the back of the car, heard what the officer had just said to their mother.

"It was just life-altering, life-changing", said Julieanne. "It was the most devastating news, it just felt surreal, too real to comprehend. I just felt so much pain and I just wanted to be with Kelly, I just couldn't understand. We didn't know any details of how she had dies or where she was. I just kept asking the officer where is she and can I see her.

"I can imagine it was an uncomfortable call for the officer to have to make but can you imagine how it was for me with my two young children in the car? I had to race home to make sure that my two older boys who were in the house hadn't heard the news on social media. It was just absolute chaos and pure devastation.

"It's every parents worst nightmare and the one thing we all fear as mothers."

Kelly was exactly 23 and 6 months when she died on the 16th of March. She had been laying dead for over 30 hours before she was eventually found by her boyfriend and his cousin.

There was no canvassing of the scene where Kelly died until five days after her body was found, nor did Gardai receive any CCTV footage of the area in time from people's properties so it had been overwritten.

There was never any explanation given as to why CCTV was not checked immediately.

"No protocols or procedures were followed in accordance with Garda protocols when a body is found," said Julieanne: "The normal procedures just weren't followed. It's something that we have raised with The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC)."

Julienne has since lodged 13 complaints with GSOC.

The Superintendent overseeing Monaghan Garda station requested the State pathologist to do an autopsy on Kelly's body but didn't request her to come to the scene. It was the locum technical branch that was meant to be collecting evidence at the scene. The area where Kelly was found wasn't preserved.

Kelly was found between half 8 and 9 o'clock that morning, she was pronounced dead by a GP at 11am and then she was quickly taken away by 1pm. The road wasn't cordoned off until that evening.

Julieanne's sister, who lives 20 minutes away in Navan, went to the scene shortly after 2pm on her way up to see Julieanne. Upon her arrival to the bridge at the canal, she questioned Gardai who were on patrol for the St Patrick's Day Parade, telling them that her niece had been found dead a few hours earlier and asked them why the area wasn't cordoned off. Gardai told her to "move on".

When Kelly's aunt left Julieanne's house that same evening and went back to the bridge, the road was then cordoned off.

"But why hadn't it been cordoned off earlier on? Why hadn't State forensics been called up from Dublin to preserve the scene and collect as much evidence as possible?," Julieanne asks.

She then said the area was being used during the St Patrick's Day Parade to divert traffic.

"We were told over the phone that Kelly was dead. Nobody came and nobody still has ever came to our home, nobody has offered any support to us."

Julienne said that the family had been assigned a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) who then left over a month later because complaints were lodged to GSOC.

"Nobody told us that we had to get a certificate of death for Kelly which was needed for bank accounts and other such instances. I had to source all of that myself and had to look online for a coroner.

"We should have had assistance with all this stuff. Can you imagine trying to come to terms with your daughter dying and then having to choose a coffin in between identifying her body and then arranging her funeral?

"It just completely upended our lives. Life has completely changed, for all of us, and we feel it every day. And the more stonewalling that we get from An Garda Siochana in Monaghan, the harder they're making it for us.

"But I am being very proactive in my campaign, probably making enemies for me within the guards but at the end of the day, they're a public body who are meant to be there to help families and they've hindered everything."

Kelly's phone has never been pinged or triangulated, it has never been forensically checked to come up with a timeline of who she was last in contact with, because Gardai say her death was not criminal or suspicious.

Nobody has ever been taken in for questioning or have even been under suspicion for any part in Kelly's tragic death.

"They did not bring anyone in, there was no arrests made. Anybody that did go in to give a statement, did so three weeks after Kelly died."

Julieanne has been in contact with an investigator in Monaghan asking the question, why wasn't due process followed?

"The two people who found Kelly should have been brought in immediately for questioning and maybe checked for any marks on their body to rule anything out.

"Kelly had 93 injuries on her body when she was found and Gardai say they are a result of a single fall event. It doesn't add up. I'm not disputing that Kelly's cause of death was drowning, but what happened to Kelly to get those 93 injuries before drowning?"

Julieanne said her daughter would never be the type to be on her own and that Kelly was almost "afraid of her own shadow".

"It had been first assumed that she had taken her own life, but that was quickly redacted. Kelly would never had taken her own life. I know that if Kelly would have done something like that she would have done it at home, in her own bed and would have just gone to sleep forever. She wouldn't put herself through trauma.

"I have posted videos recently of Kelly making notes of what she wanted for the future and she had written one for the new year. If that doesn't tell people that Kelly wanted to live.

"I think it's so easy for people to say 'oh she was a woman who was depressed so she committed suicide'."

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The state pathologist concluded that drowning was the cause of Kelly's death but an independent pathologist doesn't believe drowning to be the single cause of Kelly's death. Because of the inquest, Julieanne was unable to go into more detail on this.

Shockingly, Julieanne said she has been told that the inquest into Kelly's death could take anywhere from 18 months to 6 years.

Julieanne said the impact of the last year has affected her and the entire family "horrendously". Her youngest, who had only turned four when Kelly died, hasn't slept on his own since it happened and is "very confused by it all".

Her other child, who had turned 12 just before Kelly died, the 13th of March, has been in therapy for the last year and has been referred to CAMHS.

"She doesn't sleep, she doesn't eat right", said Julieanne, "She's very much stuck within the trauma of it all. She's afraid to talk about Kelly because she says that if she talks, all she's going to do is cry, she can't face knowing that she's never going to see her big sister again."

Julieanne said that although she has a good support system around her, she hasn't received any grief counselling and is currently on a waiting list.

"I just don't sleep because when I do I have nightmares about Kelly. I just keep seeing her in that room in Navan. We couldn't even touch her when we identified her. We had to look at her through a glass window.

"Identifying Kelly was just horrific, all we could see was from the tip of her nose up, we couldn't see her mouth or anything else, she was covered by a purple fleece blanket."

The post-mortem had not concluded when Julieanne went to identify Kelly's body.

"Just knowing that my daughter was lying there, cut open, no longer whole and complete, just haunts me.

Julieanne said she knows she is never going to see Kelly again, and that she will never have her back in her life, but she tries to remain strong and create a life for the rest of my children, creating memories for them in the future so that their whole life hasn't just been trauma and devastation from Kelly's death. Julieanne admits it's so hard without any kind of answer or closure over what happened her daughter.

"I listen to Kelly's voicemail daily, and it haunts me all the time", she said, "I was the last person that she contacted, it's horrifying.

"And then there's the wealth of guilt that come from hearing the phone calls. But she was 23 years of age, I had no reason to believe that she was going to be in danger. She had never come to harm any other time, and she was thee to support a grieving family.

"I just don't understand how a young man was found dead on the Wednesday and then my daughter was found dead four days later. It just does not make sense and yet the guards don't find that suspicious."

Julieanne met with the Garda Commissioner in October 2024. She said that he was shocked to hear that Kelly's belongings had been returned to Julieanne just eight days after her death and because there was a break in the chain of evidence it would be hard for the court to resubmit them.

The peer review team took Kelly's belongings back, including her clothing, into their custody in November 2024, but the review has been going on for the last six months and as Julieanne understands, they have only just begun to test the clothing.

"Why is it taking so long?2, asks Julieanne, "Did they give the peer review to detectives who were so busy he knew he wouldn't be able to devote all of his time to it?

"Everything just feels so underhanded. I'm being suspicious, but I think I have grounds for my suspicions."

Having demanded a meeting with the Gardai after their FLO had become unresponsive to her messages, Julieanne said she was told that her FLO was on annual leave but when she checked on the Garda website, she realised they should have been appointed a new FLO as a replacement, but that never happened.

When she put this to the Garda, their response was "Maybe in the cities, but not in rural areas".

"That's the whole point of having a family liaison officer, for them to be the in-between and keeping us updated on what's going on, but we don't have anyone", said Julieanne.

"We were told that the Superintendent in Monaghan would act as our FLO, but again, isn't the whole point of a FLO is that they're assigned to you with that specific role, to give you the support and to relay any information and answer our questions. Why do I need to be emailing a superintendent who's not always obligated to reply?"

"I honestly do believe that the Gardai didn't think that we would ask the questions and that I would make as much noise as I have. They probably expected me to accept my daughter's death, sit back and cry myself stupid and not ask for reasonable answers to my questions and I think that has really annoyed them. It's institutional."

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Julieanne said she has contacted the Minister for Justice and the Taoiseach, and that she is receiving some support from Sinn Fein TD for Cavan and Monaghan Matt Carthy, but his involvement is limited until after the inquest.

Julieanne, who already has a solicitor in Dublin, said she will need one up north too in order to apply for an exemption with exceptional circumstances for legal aid to see if they can help in any way, but that will have to be financed by Julieanne.

"There's just so much red-tape", said Julieanne, "And I don't know anybody who has thousands and thousands sitting in their bank ready to bury a 23-year-old child and then fight for inquest and fight for a case, we're just normal people.

"It's so difficult, but I'm so driven to get some kind of answers. It might take me the rest of my life but even my eldest boy said we will get the truth and they'll keep fighting long after I'm gone."

"There's days that I just cry and cry and cry but then I get it out of my system, I put my big girl pants on and start all over again"

Once a writer, Julieanne is now a full-time carer for her son who suffers from autism. She also has three other children to look after.

"My solicitor has also contacted Apple to get access to Kelly's phone data, I do believe her data will answer a lot of questions like who was the last person she was talking to on social media or WhatsApp, snapchat etc. these things should have been investigated.

"That phone would be a blueprint to Kelly's life, but it was never investigated, so if Apple would release it without a court order it would be great but if they don't we'll have to go through a court order route, which will be quite expensive so any donations that we get will be going towards that.

"Every letter we get from a solicitor costs money, every time we send a letter it costs money, all those small little things add up and we just can't do it ourselves, otherwise we won't be living either

"I still have to feed and clothe the children. It really is through the generosity of others and the community coming together to make this all possible."

Julieanne has been very vocal on social media, particularly on TikTok, highlighting and creating awareness of Kelly's death and the family's constant fight for justice.

Julieanne admits it's nothing something she ever thought to do and that she wouldn't be overly confident to speak online but the responses she has gotten back from those watching her videos, that have resonated with her and Kelly's story, has been overwhelming.

"It felt like all the power had been taken from me when Kelly died", she added, "The silence dulled my role in Kelly's life, so me documenting her story was me taking my power back. It's been good, it's been cathartic in a way and it has also brought so may people into my life."

Julieanne went on to say that a fundraiser is planned in Kelly's honour by a couple from Dundalk who she met on TikTok this coming September, a week before what would have been Kelly's 25th birthday.

"We want to mark it with happiness and community while also raising important funds and awareness", said Julieanne, "We really want to give back to the community who have helped us by asking them to come out and meet us, have a drink and a dance and bring the kids along because Kelly loved children, and to honour her name as well.

On the power of social media, Julieanne said it has been incredible over the last 15 months for the awareness she has been able to bring to Kelly's case and for the support her followers have given her.

"I'm doing it for awareness, but not just for Kelly, "but every other woman that this has happened to and for every other child and every other family, and I really want to encourage other families to not be afraid to speak up against an institution that's been around a long time.

"At the end of the day, we have voices, our voice is our power and if we don't use that, there's never going to be change or reform. I'll never let this go and I just hope that other families, if they're currently going through this then, they need to start shouting."

We reached out to An Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), now Fiosru, who told us the investigation is still ongoing and they would be unable to give us any update at time of publication.

We also reached out to An Garda Siochana who sent us back the following statement,

"Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern, Louth-Cavan-Monaghan Division, met with the family of Ms Kelly Lynch on 21st October 2024, and listened carefully to their concerns.

"Following this meeting, Commissioner Harris directed that a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) from a Division external to the Louth-Cavan-Monaghan Division conduct a peer review of the investigation into the death of Ms Lynch.

"An Garda Siochana is currently conducting that peer review of the original Garda investigation. The SIO is keeping the family up to date with the progress of the review. An Garda Siochana is also assisting the Coroners Inquest and fully co-operating with the GSOC investigation. These processes are ongoing.

"The timing of a Coroners Inquest is solely a matter for the Coroner. An Garda Siochana appeals to anyone with information on the death of Ms Lynch to contact Gardai."

As was mentioned in the above statement, "The timing of a Coroners Inquest is solely a matter for the Coroner", we also reached out to the coroner. We found out they were still awaiting the file from the Gardai along with a deposition in order to set a date for the inquest. We were told this could arrive in their office tomorrow or another year from now.

You can donate today to The Kelly Marie Lynch Legal & Investigation Fund

Donations from the Gofundme page will go towards legal fees and towards the investigation into Kelly's death.
by Wendy Davis , Yesterday

Ruling against President Donald Trump, a federal judge has granted Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter's request for an order reinstating her to the agency.

"The removal of Ms. Slaughter was blatantly unlawful," U.S. District Court Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C. wrote in a ruling issued late Thursday.

The Justice Department is appealing that ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and has asked AliKhan to stay the reinstatement order while the appeal proceeds.

AliKhan has not yet ruled on that petition.

Slaughter was one of two FTC officials ousted by Trump earlier this year -- a move that left the five-member agency without any Democratic commissioners. The other ousted official, Democrat Alvaro Bedoya, officially resigned from the FTC last month.

Slaughter sued for reinstatement, arguing that Congress established the agency as an independent five-member commission, with each member appointed for a term of seven years and removable only for one of three reasons -- inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.

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She argued in a motion for summary judgment that her ouster violated the Supreme Court's 1935 decision in a case called Humphrey's Executor, which also involved a president's attempt to remove an FTC commissioner. The Supreme Court said in that matter that Franklin D. Roosevelt lacked authority to fire an FTC member without cause.

AliKhan agreed with Slaughter, ruling that the Supreme Court's opinion in Humphrey's Executor was still good law.

Trump's attempt to expel Slaughter from the FTC "did not comply with the FTC Acts removal protections," AliKhan wrote.

"Because those protections remain constitutional, as they have for almost a century, Ms. Slaughters purported removal was unlawful and without legal effect," she added.

The Justice Department had urged AliKhan to reject Slaughter's claims for several reasons. Among others, the government argued that the FTC today wields greater power than it did 90 years ago.

AliKhan rejected that argument, essentially writing that only the Supreme Court -- and not a district court judge like her -- could overrule its 1935 decision in Humphrey's Executor.

"It is not the role of this court to decide the correctness, prudence, or wisdom of the Supreme Courts decisions -- even one from ninety years ago," she added. "Whatever the Humphreys Executor Court may have thought at the time of that decision, this court will not second-guess it now."

Bedoya also sued over his ouster, but AliKhan ruled Thursday that his claim was moot because he recently resigned from the agency.
AI model calculates a protein-based stemness index to predict tumor aggressiveness and treatment resistance.

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Proteomic-based stemness score measures oncogenic dedifferentiation and enables the identification of druggable targets



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A new AI tool can now predict how aggressive a tumor is by analyzing its protein profile helping doctors personalize treatment and target resistant cancers. #medindia #cancerdetection #artificialintelligence

A new AI tool can now predict how aggressive a tumor is by analyzing its protein profile helping doctors personalize treatment and target resistant cancers. #medindia #cancerdetection #artificialintelligence

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Protein-Based Stemness Index Development

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Identifying Protein Targets for Therapy

Linking Protein Profiles to Cancer Aggressiveness

PROTsi Validation and Performance

Shifting from RNA to Proteomics for Treatment Applications

Tumor Grading and Predictive Accuracy

Global Cancer Burden and Early-Onset Trends

Brazilian Cancer Incidence Projections

Proteomic-based stemness score measures oncogenic dedifferentiation and enables the identification of druggable targets - (https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/fulltext/S2666-979X(25)00107-7?)

A machine learning tool developed by researchers in Brazil and Poland can, offering a promising approach to cancer prediction and detection. It, where higher values indicate more aggressive, drug-resistant, and recurrent cancers ).The, which can transform into almost any type of cell in the human body . As the disease progresses, malignant cells become less and less similar to the tissue from which they originated. These cells self-renew and exhibit an undifferentiated phenotype.The scientists developed the tool using data sets from the. They then developed the(PROTsi). They analyzed more than squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma),(pediatric and adult),By, the group identified proteins that drive the aggressiveness of some types of these tumors. These molecules may be potential targets for new general or specific therapies. Thus, the tool contributes not only to advancing the clinical development of treatments but also to the personalization of cancer therapy.The studys findings and validation results were published in the scientific journal Cell Genomics.Many of these proteins are already targets of drugs available on the market for cancer patients and other diseases. They can be tested in future studies based on this identification. We arrived at them by associating the stemness phenotype with tumor aggressiveness, explained Professor Tathiane Malta, of the Multiomics and Molecular Oncology Laboratory at the Ribeirao Preto Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo (FMRP-USP) in Brazil, when speaking with Agencia FAPESP.During the validation process,. It clearly, with different tumors falling at various intermediate levels. PROTsi demonstrated predictive ability in cases of uterine and head and neck cancer , for example.Additionally, the tool was more effective atsamples. We sought to build a model that can be applied to any cancer, but we found that it works better for some than for others. Were making a data source available for future work, says Malta.At the time, we developed the machine learning-based algorithm using the public tumor database maintained by[TCGA] in the United States. We relied on gene expression data, quantifying RNA, and epigenomics data, with DNA methylation. Now, were working with the CPTAC database, based on proteomics, and weve updated our work with analyses of protein, a functional molecule that can be applied to treatment possibilities and clinical application, adds Malta.Based on the results obtained thus far,derived from previously published transcriptomes, including the 2018 model. PROTsi was more effective in distinguishing between tumor and non-tumor samples.Renan Santos Simoes, Maltas advisor and co-first author of the article with Iga Koodziejczak-Guglas from the International Institute for Molecular Oncology in Poznan, Poland, says that the progress made in characterizing stemness and considering protein levels and their modifications paves the way for a deeper understanding of tumor progression and mechanisms of resistance to current therapies.Science advances slowly, carefully, and is built by many hands. Its gratifying to realize that were contributing to this process. Thats what motivates us: knowing that what we do today can make a real difference for patients, improving treatments and quality of life, says Simoes, a FAPESP scholarship recipient.On the last World Cancer Day on February 4, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that 40 people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer every minute and require treatment.Tumors are one of the leading causes of death and affect the young population the most. A 2023 study published in BMJ Oncology revealed that the incidence of early-onset cancer in adults under 50 increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019, along with a 28% rise in cancer-related deaths. The study analyzed 29 types of cancer in 204 countries.The National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Brazil estimates that there will be 704,000 new cancer cases per year during the period from 2023 to 2025. According to 2023 Estimate  Cancer Incidence in Brazil, the most common malignant tumors are non-melanoma skin cancer (31% of total cases), followed by breast cancer in females (10.5%), prostate cancer (10%), colon and rectal cancer (6.5%), lung cancer (4.6%), and stomach cancer (3%).According to the professor, the USP group is testing additional computational models in an effort to improve predictions.Source-Eurekalert
Coldplays recent concert in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, turned out to be one for the ages for an alleged couple as well as the internet.

It so happened that during the concert, the kiss cam put them in the spotlight while they were getting cozy with each other and the two were immediately seen hiding from the camera.

This led to Chris Martin wondering, Either they are having an affair or they are just very shy.

And it turned out they were having an extra-marital affair. The man in the clip was Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the woman was Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer of the same company.

The interesting thing is that both of them are married to different people.
Jab jab film mein kisi aashiq ka dil tootega, wo film chalegi This theory has been clearly observed in films like Darr, Tere Naam, Aashiqui 2, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, Ek Villain and several others that struck a chord with the masses, primarily due to their emotionally charged love stories. These films tapped into universally relatable themes of longing, heartbreak, and passion: elements that, when woven into a compelling narrative and complemented by a strong musical score, tend to leave a lasting impact. The combination of romance and soulful music has repeatedly proven to be a winning formula. But all of these films had one thing in common: stellar performances by the leading cast. Does Saiyaara have it? Lets find out. The first reaction Despite an average acting performance, Saiyaara is a one-time watch and major credit goes to its music. And I was not shocked when I read that seven musicians have composed the tracks for Saiyaara. The screenplay and direction Mohit Suri once again proves his mastery in crafting grand, emotionally charged musicals, particularly those tinged with tragedy. Saiyaara, despite being a love story with a few noticeable script loopholes, manages to hold your attention throughout, largely thanks to Suris compelling direction. I remained fully engaged during the entire runtime, never once tempted to glance at my screen.

 YRF One standout moment is when Ahaan Pandays character, Krish, a struggling musician, is about to board a flight for the biggest concert of his life, a lifelong dream finally within reach. But when his girlfriend Vani (played by Aneet Padda) doesnt answer his call, he abandons the opportunity and rushes back to her. The scene is emotionally effective, and their reunion in the mountains is picturesque, yet it leaves a glaring gap: there's no explanation about Krishs band or how they managed the concert without their lead performer. Moreover, while Mohit Suri builds a significant emotional arc and repeatedly hints at major setbacks in Krish and Vanis relationship, the climax wraps up too conveniently, undermining the intensity that had been carefully constructed up until that point. The cast performances Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda showed potential, but their performances in Saiyaara left much to be desired. Both actors seemed to operate within a limited emotional range, which affected the depth of their characters. In particular, Aneet Padda often delivered her dialogues without fully articulating them and it felt as if she wasnt opening her mouth enough, which made some of her lines hard to connect with emotionally.
A senior enlisted soldier stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, has been indicted in civilian court for alleged sexual abuse of a child, marking the second time he has faced similar charges in recent years, according to court records.

Sgt. Maj. Victor Manuel Rivera was arrested on June 18 and released on a $90,000 bond on June 30. He is facing a first-degree felony charge of child sexual abuse, court documents show.

Army officials declined to comment on the details of the case but said they were cooperating with authorities. Rivera could not be reached for comment.

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"While we cannot comment on the specifics of an ongoing civilian legal matter, the alleged crimes of Sgt. Maj. Victor Manuel Rivera do not reflect the values of the Army or the men and women who serve honorably at Fort Hood," Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a service spokesperson, said in a statement. "We will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities. We remain committed to accountability, transparency and protecting our community."

Rivera, 48, is also in an ongoing trial from similar charges in 2021 when he was taken into custody for alleged sexual assault of a minor and indecency with a child, according to reporting from ABC 25, a television station in nearby Waco, Texas.

Despite those pending charges, he continued serving at Fort Hood, one of the Army's largest installations. Rivera, an information technology specialist, is currently assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, III Armored Corps.

It's relatively common for the Army not to charge soldiers with crimes if the civilian justice system is already involved. Yet the service has various administrative options at its disposal including a separation board.

There, the service evaluates whether a soldier should be kicked out of the service and whether they should be allowed to retire honorably and maintain benefits or other privileges that come with honorable retirement.

Fort Hood has come under scrutiny in recent years following a series of high-profile crimes and leadership failures.

The 2020 murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who was killed by another soldier on base, prompted national outrage and calls for reform in how the Army handles cases of sexual misconduct and violence, particularly against women and junior enlisted personnel.

The Army has also historically faced criticism for delays in taking administrative action against service members involved in civilian criminal proceedings.

That issue drew broader attention after several members of the National Guard and Army Reserve remained in uniform while facing charges tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. However, all of them were eventually booted from service.

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The Department of Homeland Security is planning to house migrants at two new military installations as the Trump administration increasingly turns to the armed forces to bolster its aggressive immigration crackdown.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, colloquially referred to as "Fort Dix," in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana, both relatively low-profile installations, have been identified as housing sites. Fort Dix primarily serves as a schooling hub for National Guard and reserve troops, including noncommissioned officer academies. Camp Atterbury is a field training ground primarily for Guard units in the Midwest.

The move is part of a broader pattern of the administration militarizing its immigration enforcement. In recent weeks, California National Guard troops and Marines have assisted federal agents in immigration raids, operations that have swept up U.S. citizens.

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In Florida, Guard troops are staffing a hastily built migrant encampment in the Everglades, which the administration has dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." Meanwhile, construction is underway at Fort Bliss, Texas, where the DHS is developing one of the largest migrant deportation sites in the country.

President Donald Trump is also using the high-security military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold migrants, though many of those migrants were deemed a "low threat."

Some 9,000 active-duty troops are deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, a mission that comes as units are spread thin juggling missions across the globe.

A joint statement from New Jersey Democrats condemned the idea of using Fort Dix as a detention site for migrants.

"This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources," the 10 lawmakers said. The statement was issued by Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, as well as Reps. Herb Conaway Jr.; Bonnie Watson Coleman; Rob Menendez; Frank Pallone; Nellie Pou; Donald Norcross; LaMonica McIver; and Josh Gottheimer.

The plan is "escalating a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country," the lawmakers added.

Fort Dix housed 11,000 Afghan refugees in 2021 and early 2022 following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from that country after the Taliban seized power.

Camp Atterbury has also housed Afghans and Ukrainian refugees. During World War II, Atterbury was a prisoner-of-war camp with some 15,000 Italian and German prisoners throughout the war, according to Army records.

It's unclear how many migrants would be placed at those bases, when those operations will start, or how Homeland Security plans to secure those migrants, though National Guard units could be deployed, as was the case in Florida.

In a letter to lawmakers, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that bases being used as migrant camps would not affect day-to-day military operations, saying that the detainment of "illegal aliens will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness or other military requirements, including National Guard and reserve readiness."

Related: Father of 3 Marines Who Was Beaten by ICE Agents Released, Leaving Family to Process His Detention
In a Marine Corps being pulled in a million different directions -- from increased focus on the Pacific that has led to a massive restructuring to a surge in domestic operations tied to immigration -- Sgt. Maj. Carlos Ruiz has the difficult job of trying to advocate for the daily needs of Marines.

The top enlisted leader of the service, who has been shouldering that role since the summer of 2023 and is now midway through his tenure, Ruiz has been vocal about a multibillion-dollar barracks effort meant to fix disintegrating housing, as well as mental health and bonus struggles for troops. All are issues that are fighting for oxygen in an environment where the Marine Corps has many responsibilities.

The service was part of an already-forgotten campaign against Yemen's Houthis that spanned multiple administrations and pulled units from the Pacific, deployed expeditionary elements that faced extended tours in an increasingly unstable Middle East, and rotated constantly through the Arctic, South America and everywhere in between.

Read Next: Pentagon Ends Deployment of 2,000 National Guard Troops in Los Angeles

New domestic missions largely tied to White House immigration policy are pulling from the service's operational budgets as it rushes to field drones and 5G networks and missiles while seemingly taking on new roles, such as anti-submarine warfare, every day. A restructuring allowed the service to shift an estimated $15.8 billion just a few years ago, yet its leaders are often forced to go hat-in-hand to Congress to get funding for bonuses, duty station moves and barracks.

"We talk about it in Congress, we talk about it with the American people: The Marine is the prize, and then everything else is for that Marine," Ruiz said in an extended interview with Military.com. "But it doesn't compete well with the F-35, with [the amphibious combat vehicle], with very important platforms, because Marines will figure it out, right?"

A better barracks room, decent sleep, proper food, new kit issued not only in the fleet, but at boot camp, and good leadership are just a few variables in an equation that can keep a Marine from "feeling alone and desperate," he said. But he acknowledged that many of those needs lose out in fights against big-budget programs.

"There's budget fights every day on what is being kept on the shelf, what is going to get enough to keep it alive, and what is like, no kidding, we must buy this for the future fight," he said.

The recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill" is set to ease some pressure caused by years of stopgap measures from Congress, with more than $230 million specifically allocated for the Marine Corps' barracks initiative and billions more divided among the services for housing allowances, bonuses, tuition assistance and child care. But some top-of-mind issues for Marines, such as intangibles like mental health, aren't directly addressed in the legislation.

"I think he gets a lot of questions from the troops around the force -- mental health is something they're thinking about," said Tom Schueman, an active-duty Marine Corps officer speaking to Military.com in his personal capacity as founder of Patrol Base Abbate, a Montana-based retreat and community organization. Schueman praised Ruiz for working with veterans groups to help address troops concerns.

Through these developments, budget battles and forcewide changes, Ruiz has attempted to establish guiding principles grounded in the simple things for Marines, with an eye toward what they might mean for the future of the Corps.

"Imagine what they can do if they actually had food and the sleep and the training and the gear -- who could we possibly become? And who would want to mess with that in the future?" he said. "It is strategic, it is overdue, and I think people see that, but [there are] tough decisions for sure."

Fixing Problems with Limited Support

Last year, the Corps reported the highest retention rates seen in more than a decade and, even as other services struggled to make recruiting numbers during the pandemic-era slump, the service has consistently hit its targets.

But years of congressional stopgap funding have splintered some of the Corps' ability to offer incentives that nearly half of Marines reenlisting for the first time take advantage of: bonuses.

The service has had to resort to what Marine circles now refer to as an "IOU" system for payouts meant to keep skilled troops, including in critical roles such as cyber.

Those efforts also made it hard for the Corps to move Marines to new duty stations, at one point forcing it to create "shell orders" so families could start setting up child care or housing, but it lacked the money to actually pay for the move, which was put on hold until funding was available. Last December, that meant nearly 3,000 Marines and their families could not move because the Corps couldn't pay for it.

Ruiz said that Marines generally "understood that we were put in a tough spot" but has hope that the recently passed budget will put the service in a better position starting next year for bonuses, and leaders previously told Military.com that the move issues were improving.

"It's not fun [when] we can't deliver to the family because they're counting on that money," he said of the bonuses. And with the funding, "we're just waiting on how to work it all out. I don't want to say 'hang in there, the government's coming to help you,' but it's not fun to walk back something we've gotten used to and frankly that Marines work so hard to deserve."

When a Marine decides to reenlist, they often seek a bonus to help sweeten the deal, and because the Corps has to make sure its troops are paid on time amid ever-increasing salaries, it has been pulling from personnel accounts that have been decreasingly funded by Congress for years -- a particularly salty blow as the service has now passed an unprecedented two back-to-back financial audits.

The result is that a reenlisting Marine will sign a deal with a bonus attached, but if the Corps can't pay that incentive by the contract's start, the Marine can leave. The bonus struggles have already resulted in thousands of Marines deciding not to stay, Military.com reported last December.

That kind of uncertain congressional support has also shaped what is supposed to be a massive overhaul of Marine barracks.

Ruiz has become the principal advocate for that nascent housing improvement effort aimed at getting thousands of junior Marines out of what he once called "crappy" barracks. Known as Barracks 2030, the yearslong project carries a hefty price tag of roughly $11 billion. But those funds are up against other demands on the service.

"That doesn't mean there weren't any surprises -- the border, LA, Florida -- it just keeps coming, and funding has to be diverted or moved to pay for those deployments," he said, fielding a question about barracks and adding that more funding for them is coming after recent legislation.

The initiative has already seen a forcewide inspection of more than 60,000 barracks rooms, new systems to smooth out repair processes and the employment of hundreds of new civilian housing managers to lighten the load, even amid a Pentagon hiring freeze.

But Ruiz said that, in some cases, commanders have stopped "waiting for higher headquarters to come save the day" on barracks, using existing funds to put Marines to work on drywall and caulking while clearing contractor stores of cooling units -- all while the service banks on future budgets to keep this top priority afloat.

"If higher headquarters is not moving fast enough, then we'll take it on ourselves," Ruiz said, referencing Operation Clean Sweep, a West Coast initiative to fix nagging, but low-level barracks issues.

In April, Military.com reported that Marine Corps officials were already concerned unstable congressional funding could stretch that housing effort into the 2040s -- long after today's junior troops would reap any benefit and even as leaders like Ruiz continue to emphasize that providing Marines a decent home is strategically important if the Corps wants them to stay for the next fight.

"We're never going to be done with evolving how we live and how we train, which is good," Ruiz said. "I wish it would go faster, but the times dictate that we do something different," alluding to decisions during the years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan when operational demands took priority over infrastructure, choices that contributed to a scathing Government Accountability Report in 2023 that found that roughly 17,000 Marines were living in substandard conditions.

"But you know who will hold us accountable? The Marines," he said. "Then recruiting will show, and then retention will show, and then those indicators will pop and then they'll refocus us -- if we ever get out of whack, the Marines will let us know."

Marines in the Middle of Immigration Operations

One of the missions that quickly started adding to the strain on Marine Corps budgets has been the sudden responsibilities for the service tied to President Donald Trump's immigration policy.

Since Trump took office in January, the military -- especially the Marine Corps and the Army -- have taken on a slew of roles tied to preventing migration and supporting efforts at deportation.

For the Corps, that looks like hundreds of Marines sent to the southern border to reinforce barrier walls; hundreds more sent to Los Angeles, California, amid anti-immigration raid protests, which resulted in the immediate but temporary detention of an Army veteran at the hands of those Marines; and most recently, a 200-troop deployment to Florida in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Marine Corps also recently partnered with ICE in a pilot program that sees immigration agents posted at gates across multiple bases around the country, an initiative meant to reduce access to those installations by foreign nationals, but one that the other services said they are not exploring or enacting (the Navy declined to comment).

But beyond policy, the sweeping immigration efforts have also gotten personal for some Marines.

Last month, ICE detained and beat the father of three Marines, one a veteran and two on active duty at Camp Pendleton, California, as he was landscaping outside of an IHOP in Southern California. The father, Narciso Barranco, was released Tuesday after more than three weeks in detention.

His son, Alejandro Barranco, a Marine veteran who served during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, advocated for weeks alongside lawmakers to get his father released.

There are at least two active-duty Marines -- Alejandro's brothers at Camp Pendleton -- who are now part of an organization that is growing increasingly close to the immigration forces that detained their father.

"It's definitely hard," Alejandro told Military.com. He noted his brothers had received support from their leaders, many of whom come from immigrant backgrounds themselves, but said of the conflict: "It's orders from way, way above them, to the point where they can't really control it. They just have to follow orders. They can't risk their careers."

Ruiz himself has become the center of an online hoax tied to immigration. Ruiz, who was born in Sonora, Mexico, is the son of two immigrants. After his interview with Military.com, the satire site Duffel Blog published a post that jokingly suggested Ruiz had been deported. Though clearly not a real news item -- both given its source and the use of AI imagery -- the post took off and rumors circulated widely about Ruiz's status, to the point that the debunking site Snopes wrote about it.

Military.com asked Ruiz the week prior: If a Marine is concerned about their family members, but sees the Corps' operations with immigration enforcement, how should they reconcile that? How does he reconcile that?

Ruiz said that he has visited Marines in LA and at the border, observing them in riot gear and tacking material onto the barrier -- "and then in any conversation that I've had with them, not one of them has ever asked me, 'Sergeant Major, you were born in Mexico, what do you think about all this stuff?'" he said. "I never get that question. The only questions that I get is, or the only request for advice that I get is about each other and how they're able to maintain their focus on what the mission is in spite of that squad being from all over the globe and their families being from all over the globe."

But Ruiz didn't dismiss that there are those in the broader community who may well be concerned.

"So are there veterans out there, are there Marines today, that look at the environment when they take off their uniform and they're watching television and think, 'Man, that's really -- I can't really -- I don't know where I stand?' The beauty about the service is that they can step out of their barracks room or their house with their uniform on, and they don't have to think that way, because they get to focus, right? So as they're doing it, they're focused on their mission."

That kind of divide, between concerns over fairness in the government or the status of family members and performing one's duty, is inherently unstable, said Margaret Stock, a retired lieutenant colonel and Alaska-based immigration attorney who is one of the leading experts on the relationship between the military and immigration.

"What he seems to be saying is that he expects the Marines to compartmentalize and exclusively focus on their given mission, come what may, but that's contrary to human nature," she said. "You can't get troops to compartmentalize like that. It causes a breakdown in morale and cohesion and mental health."

Immigration enforcement, and the potential for detention and deportation, can have massive impacts on families, she said.

"There's just no way you're going to focus on your mission," Stock said. "If you're serving as a Marine or Army soldier and ICE arrests and detains your parents, you're going to be preoccupied with worry about how your parents are doing. Where are they being detained? What can be done to help them? How do you find them? How do you get them an attorney? How do you pay for an attorney? How bad are the detention conditions? How's their health holding up?"

Ruiz said that his own experience, as the child of undocumented immigrants finding his way several decades ago, was different than today.

"I was a young Marine with undocumented parents who crossed and got jobs and got Social Security numbers, and they figured it out, but it took a little bit, and they were able to do it on their own," he said. "I didn't naturalize any of my family. It wasn't part of what it's like today, where if you join, you can help, you can provide resources and you can guide your family through a naturalization process or citizenship process, which I'm glad that exists today."

And he said that he didn't have a prescription for how a Marine might handle their conflicting feelings of being tasked with an immigration mission potentially aiding in the detention and deportation of those from similar families, but that they need to be focused on their missions.

"How do you reconcile?" he said. "That's for each and every one of [them] to do. I just want Marines to know that they are always focused on what they're doing, because they do it for each other. Is it fun to stand and do things that are unconventional for a Marine? They may think it's a different thing that they're doing, but if we look at history, we've been fighting fires, we've been on borders before, we've done this, again -- and at every turn, it has been a lawful order, and that's what we do, and I think that's what Americans respect."

When asked about the case of Narciso Barranco, Ruiz said he was unfamiliar, but that having to worry about one's parents would be taxing for a service member.

"If my parents were taken, I would be worried all the time, much like Marines affected by Texas floods and who lost all their property or entire way of making a living," he said. "I hope that while they're here and life happens to them, because that's a life event, that we're good enough to be there for them, because that's all we can do, right?"

The Long Game, Mental Health and Transition

Last year, the Marine Corps released a revamped publication called "Sustaining the Transformation," 130-odd pages of Marine how-tos that reads more like philosophical opus than military doctrine.

It is a new version of a same-titled publication from 1999; taken together, they represent bookends to 20 years of war through the lens of Marines on the ground and up the chain. It reinforces the idea that part of the Marine Corps' mission is returning quality citizens to society, and Ruiz has leveraged several veteran-centric organizations to help fill gaps in the official transition program to do that.

While the immediate goal is smoothing that transition, Ruiz and veteran group leaders said that building strong support networks and a sense of purpose can have ripple effects that benefit the Corps long term. Young people considering enlistment are often influenced by veterans -- in person or online -- whose negative experiences, especially during transition, can shape their perceptions of military service.

"The sergeant major understands the long game," said Joshua Jabin, a Marine veteran and COO of the Travis Manion Foundation, a nonprofit that supports veterans and their families. "He's not just trying to do what's best for the Marine Corps in the short term. He understands that if you take care of people and they have a successful transition, that's good for the long term for the Marine Corps' success,"

"To be able to recruit people in the future," he added, "those young adults need to see people transitioning and being successful after their Marine Corps career."

Like the necessity of getting good gear early on in a Marine's career, Ruiz described a momentum for troops leaving the service: Many are ready to "run hard" toward their next life, but then the last paycheck arrives, the spot at the police academy doesn't start for another year and suddenly "things accumulate, and you get into this cycle."

"I want gates to be open. I want veterans back into bases. I want young Marines talking to Marines of the past," he said, referencing veteran service organizations common to previous generations and recently established ones. He wants them "to come together and elevate their game and connect the generations."

He said that the Marine Corps' Transition Readiness Seminar, one of the final steps into the civilian world, is often rushed for Marines, especially if they are coming off a lengthy deployment when their focus is on the mission at hand. "It's not good enough," he said of the program, which helps set up employment but doesn't necessarily address building community.

"There's two really important things that you have when you're on active duty that you lose when you transition: One is the camaraderie, and two is that sense of purpose -- that mission," according to Jabin.

"Those are the two most important protective factors against suicide, against negative mental health and well-being outcomes," he said. "The more that you have that strong, supportive community and that next mission, and the earlier you have it in your transition, the more likely you are to move toward thriving and away from crisis."

These efforts are two sides of the same coin, and increasingly relevant. Ruiz began his tenure following consecutive years in which Marines had the highest suicide rates among the service branches, and at a time when veteran suicide rates remain significantly higher than their civilian peers.

Congress may be focused on big budget programs like the F-35, and public attention may be centered on the Corps' role in immigration enforcement, but it's often mental health that the rank-in-file ask about.

Ruiz thinks veterans might be a key to helping address that issue.

By bringing veterans onto bases, "maybe we'll have a better effect on the mental welfare of what it's like to be a Marine, because they've been through it," Ruiz said.

Related: The Email Chain Heard 'Round the Corps: Top Enlisted Leader Makes Surprise Visit to Corporal's Graduation
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  Five immigrants deported by the United States to the small southern African nation of Eswatini under the Trump administration's third-country program are in prison, where they will be held in solitary confinement for an undetermined time, a government spokesperson said.

Thabile Mdluli, the spokesperson, declined to identify the correctional facility or facilities where the five men are, citing security concerns. She said Eswatini planned to ultimately repatriate the five to their home countries with the help of a United Nations agency.

In cell phone messages to The Associated Press on Thursday, Mdluli said it wasn't clear how long that would take.

The men, who the U.S. says were convicted of serious crimes and were in the U.S. illegally, are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos. Their convictions included murder and child rape, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said, describing them as "uniquely barbaric."

Their deportations were announced by Homeland Security on Tuesday and mark the continuation of President Donald Trump's plan to send deportees to third countries they have no ties with after it was stalled by a legal challenge in the United States.

Here's what we know and don't know about the deportations:

A new country for deportees

Eswatini, a country of 1.2 million people bordering South Africa, is the latest nation to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. The Trump administration has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, and deported eight men earlier this month to South Sudan, also an African country.

The deportees to South Sudan are citizens of Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan. They were held for weeks in a converted shipping container at a U.S. military base in the nearby country of Djibouti until a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for them to be finally sent to South Sudan. The U.S. also described them as violent criminals.

Eswatini's government confirmed on Wednesday that the latest five deportees were in its custody after landing on a deportation plane from the U.S.

Local media reported they are being held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex, outside the country's administrative capital of Mbabane, which includes Eswatini's top maximum-security prison.

The men's fate is unclear

The Eswatini government said the men are in transit and will eventually be sent to their home countries. The U.S. and Eswatini governments would work with the U.N. migration agency to do that, it said.

The U.N. agency  the International Organization for Migration or IOM  said it was not involved in the operation and has not been approached to assist in the matter but would be willing to help in line with its humanitarian mandate.

Eswatini's statement that the men would be sent home was in contrast to U.S. claims they were sent to Eswatini because their home countries refused to take them back.

It's unclear how sending the men to Eswatini would make it easier for them to be deported home. There was also no timeframe for that as it depends on several factors, including engagements with the IOM, Mdluli said.

We are not yet in a position to determine the timelines for the repatriation, she wrote.

Four of the five countries where the men are from have historically resisted taking back some of their citizens deported from the U.S., which has been a reoccurring problem for Homeland Security. Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the administration was happy the men were off of American soil when she announced their deportations.

Another secretive deal

There have been no details on why Eswatini agreed to take the men and Mdluli, the government spokesperson, said "the terms of the agreement between the U.S. and Eswatini remain classified.

Eswatini has said it was the result of months of negotiations between the two governments. South Sudan has also given no details of its agreement with the U.S. to take deportees and has declined to say where the eight men sent there are being held.

Some analysts say African nations might be willing to take deportees from the U.S. in return for more favorable relations with the Trump administration, which has cut foreign aid to poor countries and threatened them with trade tariffs.

The Trump administration has also said it's seeking more deportation deals with other countries.

Rights groups have questioned the countries the U.S. has chosen to deal with, as South Sudan and Eswatini have both been criticized for having repressive governments.

Eswatini is Africa's only absolute monarchy, meaning the king has power over government and rules by decree. Political parties are banned and pro-democracy protests have been quelled violently in the past.

Several rights groups have criticized Eswatini since pro-democracy protests erupted there in 2021, citing deadly crackdowns by security forces and abusive conditions in prisons, including at the Matsapha Correctional Complex, where pro-democracy activists are held.

___

Associated Press writers Mogomotsi Magome and Michelle Gumede in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
A promotion for a National Guard officer is being delayed by one of California's senators in protest of the Trump administration's military deployments in Los Angeles.

In a floor speech Thursday, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., announced he had placed what's known as a hold on Lt. Gen. Thomas Carden's nomination to receive a fourth star and become vice chief of the National Guard Bureau until President Donald Trump withdraws all remaining 2,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines from LA and commits to not sending any out-of-state Guardsmen to California.

"I want to be very clear about something: My objection is about more than Lt. Gen. Carden," Padilla said in his speech. "None of what we are seeing in Los Angeles through this militarization is business as usual. Deploying the Guard against the wishes of the governor, against the wishes of the mayor and against even the wishes of local law enforcement -- the sheriff, the police chief -- none of that is normal."

Read Next: Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Military.com reached out to the Pentagon for comment on Padilla's hold but did not receive a response in time for publication.

A hold cannot prevent a nominee from being confirmed, but it means the Senate cannot use the expedited procedures it normally does for military nominees and must make room in its limited floor schedule for roll call votes to approve the nomination.

Padilla's hold is the latest instance of once-apolitical military nominations getting embroiled in political decisions that the nominees have no control over.

While it has become common practice for senators to place holds on civilian nominees in protest of an administration policy, placing holds on military nominees was, until recently, considered taboo.

In 2023, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., placed a blanket hold on all general and admiral promotions in protest of the Biden administration's policy of providing administrative leave and covering travel costs for service members who needed to travel to get reproductive health care, including abortions.

Tuberville's action, which a government watchdog confirmed this year upended military families' lives, drew bipartisan backlash. He relented after 10 months with no concessions, though the Trump administration has since repealed the abortion aspect of the travel policy.

Since Tuberville's blockade, holds have been placed on military nominees for reasons ranging from opposing Pentagon diversity initiatives to rebuking the Afghanistan withdrawal to demanding more information about then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization.

Unlike Tuberville's blanket hold, Padilla is targeting a single nominee for a topic their current job overlaps with, but the move still stalls a promotion over an issue unrelated to the nominee's personal qualifications or performance.

Carden right now is the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command, which is the combatant command overseeing Task Force 51, the name of the military operation in LA.

Last month, Trump deployed 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to the city to protect federal buildings and immigration officers in response to the protests against the administration's immigration raids.

The Trump administration argued the deployments, which were done over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, were necessary by depicting Los Angeles as a lawless, violent wasteland. In reality, despite some isolated incidents of violence, the protests were largely peaceful and confined to a few blocks of downtown LA.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that the troops deployed to the city have been fighting boredom more than anything else.

Padilla has been a central voice in opposition to the deployments, and at one point was manhandled by security and placed in handcuffs after trying to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question at a press conference.

In a statement sent after Military.com's deadline Friday, the White House criticized Padilla for the hold on Carden.

"It's totally outrageous that a senator would allow a key military appointment to go unfilled in a pathetic attempt to grandstand after his community was ravaged by violent mobs and attacks on law enforcement," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an emailed statement.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon relieved about 2,000 Guardsmen from their mission in LA. But that still leaves another 2,000 Guardsmen and all 700 of the originally deployed Marines.

"None of these service members signed up to become a political prop, but Trump has put them in this impossible position that he knew would escalate tensions in the region and take them away from their critical missions elsewhere," Padilla said in his floor speech. "Stop militarizing our cities and using our service members as political pawns."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a statement sent by the White House after publication.

Related: A Veteran Was Detained by Marines. It Highlights Concerns over the Military's Growing Ties to Law Enforcement.
Capella Assessments are designed to evaluate a student's ability to apply knowledge and demonstrate competence in their field of study. Unlike traditional exams, which often focus on memorization, Capella Assessments require students to showcase how they can utilize their academic learning in real-world contexts. These assessments are part of Capella Universitys Competency-Based Education (CBE) Capella Assessment, which prioritizes the mastery of specific skills and competencies over the amount of time spent in class.

In Capella's system, students are not required to adhere to a traditional class schedule. Instead, they work at their own pace, advancing through their coursework as they demonstrate mastery of the required competencies. This approach gives students the flexibility to move through content at their own speed, focusing more time on areas where they need improvement and less on content they already know.

How Capella Assessments Work

Capella Assessments are designed to assess students' ability to apply learning to authentic, real-life tasks. These assessments go beyond theoretical knowledge, focusing on the practical application of skills that students will use in their careers. Heres an overview of how the assessment process works:

1. Competency-Based Framework

Each program at Capella is built around clearly defined competencies. These competencies represent the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities that students must master in order to graduate and be successful in their chosen profession. Capellas assessment system is built to measure a students ability to demonstrate these competencies in practical ways.

For instance, a student in a healthcare program may be required to create patient care plans or demonstrate knowledge in a clinical setting. Similarly, a business student might be tasked with developing a comprehensive business strategy for a hypothetical company.

2. Real-World Applications

Rather than answering multiple-choice questions or writing generic essays, students are assessed on their ability to perform tasks that mimic the challenges they will face in the workplace. This could involve tasks like creating case studies, preparing reports, designing presentations, or completing projects that showcase real-world problem-solving skills. This makes the learning process more relevant and applicable to the work environment.

3. Performance Rubrics

Capella Assessments are graded using detailed rubrics that outline the specific criteria for success. These rubrics ensure that students understand exactly what is expected in each assessment, providing them with clear performance guidelines. Rubrics also help students identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement, fostering transparency and giving students a roadmap to success.

4. Iterative Feedback

One of the unique features of Capella Assessments is the opportunity for iterative feedback. After submitting their initial work, students receive feedback from instructors on areas where they have performed well and areas that need improvement. This feedback is designed to be constructive and actionable, allowing students to revise and resubmit their work until they achieve nurs fpx 4905 assessment 2. This process ensures that students have the support they need to succeed and grow in their understanding.

The Advantages of Capella Assessments

Capella Assessments offer a range of benefits that help students develop the skills needed to succeed in their careers. Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Job-Ready Skills Development

Capella Assessments are specifically designed to measure a students ability to apply knowledge to real-world situations. This focus on job-ready skills ensures that graduates are not only well-versed in theory but are also capable of executing tasks that are critical to their field. By working on authentic, real-life assignments, students develop the hands-on experience and competencies that are in high demand by employers.

For example, a business student might develop a marketing plan or perform a financial analysis as part of an assessment, giving them experience that will directly translate into their career.

2. Personalized Learning Experience

Capellas competency-based model allows for a personalized learning experience, giving students the flexibility to work at their own pace. Students can spend more time on difficult concepts and progress quickly through material they already understand. This self-paced structure is particularly beneficial for adult learners, working professionals, or individuals with busy schedules who need to balance their education with other responsibilities.

3. Continuous Progress Monitoring

Capellas assessments allow students to track their progress continuously. Instead of waiting for end-of-term exams or projects, students can receive feedback after every assessment, which helps them stay on track and make improvements as they go. This regular feedback loop supports ongoing growth and helps students develop a deeper understanding of the material.

4. Clear, Actionable Feedback

One of the greatest benefits of Capella Assessments is the clear, actionable feedback provided by instructors. Instead of merely assigning a grade, instructors provide feedback that highlights what the student did well and where they need to improve. This allows students to take specific actions to improve their performance and gain mastery over the material.

5. Professional Portfolio Development

As part of their assessments, students often create work products that can be included in their professional portfolios. These products serve as tangible evidence of their skills and competencies, which can be shared with prospective employers during the job search process. A portfolio can be an invaluable tool in demonstrating a students abilities and providing concrete examples of their work.

FlexPath vs. GuidedPath: Two Ways to Learn at Capella

Capella University offers two distinct learning paths: FlexPath and GuidedPath. Both incorporate Capella Assessments, but they cater to different learning preferences.

FlexPath : This is Capella's self-paced learning option, where students move through coursework and assessments at their own speed. FlexPath is ideal for motivated, independent learners who prefer to set their own schedule and pace. Students can accelerate through material they already know and take more time with challenging concepts.



GuidedPath: In this option, students follow a more traditional, structured path with set deadlines and scheduled courses. Students still complete assessments based on competencies but have a more fixed timeline, making it suitable for those who prefer a more guided and structured approach to their education.

Conclusion

Capella Assessments are a cornerstone of the universitys Competency-Based Education model, offering students a modern, real-world approach to learning. By focusing on practical skills, personalized learning, and career readiness, Capella ensures that its graduates are well-prepared to succeed in the workforce. The assessments go beyond mere knowledge recall, emphasizing the application of skills that students will use in their careers.

Through personalized nurs fpx 4065 assessment 5, clear rubrics, and real-world applications, Capella Assessments provide students with the tools they need to master their field of study and become proficient, job-ready professionals. Whether through the self-paced FlexPath or the structured GuidedPath, Capellas innovative assessment approach is designed to meet the needs of todays learners and help them thrive in an increasingly competitive job market.

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Capella Assessments: Unlocking Your Full Potential with Online Learning

Capella Assessments: A Roadmap to Achieving Excellence

Mastering Real-World Competencies for Career Success with Capella Assessment
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea is banning the entry of foreign tourists to a recently opened mega beach resort, a move that dims prospects for the complex that leader Kim Jong Un hailed it as one of the greatest successes this year.

DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Koreas tourism authorities, said in a notice Friday that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists. It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last.

North Korea says the complex can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests. The resort opened to domestic tourists July 1 before receiving a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers expected North Korea to open the resort to Chinese tourists while largely blocking other international tourists.

Ban comes after visit by Russia's top diplomat

The announcement came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to the complex to meet Kim and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui for talks last weekend.

North Korea and Russia have sharply expanded military and other cooperation in recent years, with North Korea supplying weapons and troops to back Russias war against Ukraine. During a meeting with Choe, Lavrov promised to take steps to support Russian travel to the zone.

I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here, he said.

But experts say North Korea likely decided to halt foreigner travels to the zone because of a newspaper article by a Russian reporter who travelled with Lavrov that implied North Koreans at the zone appeared to be mobilized by authorities and not real tourists.

The North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners, said Oh Gyeong-seob, an analyst at Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification.

Oh said the ban would include Russians, but the North Korea-focused NK News website, citing tour groups specializing in North Korea trips, said Russians won't likely be targeted.

Analyst Lee Sangkeun of Seoul's Institute for National Security Strategy said the ban could be associated with difficulties in recruiting Russian tourists because many would consider North Korea too far away and the trip too expensive.

Ban likely won't remain for long

Experts say North Korea must open the Wonsan-Kalma zone, the countrys biggest tourist complex, to Russian and Chinese tourists, given what was likely a huge construction and operational expenditure from the countrys tight budget.

If foreign tourists aren't allowed to the site, no Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars won't come in. Then, North Korea can't break even and it has to shut down the resort, said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.

Kim has said the site would be one of the greatest successes this year and the proud first step in tourism development. North Koreas state media reports the Wonsan-Kalma site has been crowded with local tourists.

The first group of 15 Russian tourists arrived in the resort July 11 after visiting Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, NK News reported earlier this week.

It was magnificent. Everything is new, clean and stunning," Russian tourist Nina Svirida said in the report.

North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasnt said if it would fully resume international tourism.

Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February, North Korea allowed a small group of international tourists to visit the northeastern city of Rason, only to stop the program in less than a month.
Photo provided by the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac and Barry Butler

Nearly 300 racing sailboats are entered in this weekend's Mac Race, which starts in Chicago and ends near Mackinac Island. Photo provided by the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac and Barry Butler

LAKE MICHIGAN - Were smack in the middle of the high season for summer sailboat races on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. After last weeks fast-paced Bayview Mackinac Race, today kicks off the first part of the long-awaited Chicago Yacht Clubs Race to Mackinac.

Known as the Mac Race and Americas Offshore Challenge, this competition boasts nearly 300 entries this year - the biggest field in recent years and features lots of first-timers for this event.

These sleek sailboats arent your typical weekend wind-catchers. They are racing yachts and cruisers that are separated into divisions, based on their build.

All vessels kick off in Chicago and sail 333 miles up Lake Michigan, cross under the Mackinac Bridge and enter Lake Huron, before finishing near Mackinac Island. This year, there are fireworks planned for the big after-party that welcomes in the racing captains and their crew.

The Mac Race has a few highlights this year, including a new Skyline Sprint course that takes these colorful boats north along a shoreline-hugging route, offering eye-catching views for those in Chicago.

But if youre in Michigan along the West Michigan or Up North coast this weekend, keep an eye out. Many times, depending on the wind conditions, you can be swimming in the big lake or at one of the beaches and see a line of these big beauties sail past in the distance.

In this photo from a previous race, the Racing Division of the 115th Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac race got underway Saturday. Photo provided by Barry Butler, Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. Barry Butler, Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

And this weekend, well be watching the forecast closely. Storms are forecast for Saturday on Lake Michigan. The Bayview Mackinac Race was hit by storms last weekend, resulting in two crew members going overboard and boats being damaged.

A boat that had competed in that race sank in Lake Michigan during a bad storm Wednesday night while its crew was on its way to this weekends Mac Race in Chicago.

Start Times

The Mac Race Cruising Division starts between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday in Chicago.

The Racing Division starts between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Want to watch the race in real time? You can use YB tracking to follow along, seeing the names of each boat and info on its specs. You can download the app or follow the race here on the Race to Mackinac website.

Its an Anniversary Year

The races largest sponsor, Wintrust, and the Race to Mackinac are celebrating a decade-long partnership this summer. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Yacht Club, which hosts this iconic event.

As Chicagos Bank, were proud to support traditions such as the Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust that bring so much to our community, said Tim Crane, president and CEO of Wintrust. We wish every sailor, volunteer and organizer a safe, fun, fast race to Mackinac Island.

This photo from a previous race shows the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust | @2022 CYCRTM - Stephen R. Cloutier 2022 STEPHEN R CLOUTIER

What to Know About the new Skyline Sprint Course

This initial leg of the race is designed to bring the boats closer to Chicagos north shoreline. Its a 5-mile stretch to Montrose Harbor.

The public is encouraged to come out and enjoy the show, with great viewing spots available along the waterfront between Navy Pier and Montrose Harbor, race organizers said.

Fun Facts for the 2025 Mac Race

A large number of first-time entries pushed the race total close to 300 boats.

The Multihull Division has returned this year, featuring speedy boats with two or three hulls. There are 11 of these in the race.

How many sailors? Nearly 2,500 are competing in this event. The youngest is 14, the oldest is 88. Of these, 500 are running their first Mac Race.

The sailors hail from 14 countries, including Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and China.

They come from 49 U.S. states, with nearly 1,000 coming from Illinois. Michigan and Wisconsin have a high number represented, too.

Doublehanders: Six of these boats are being run by two-person teams.

Ultra Mac: These crews get the hardcore sailor award. Ten teams have already completed the 548-mile race that included last weekends Bayview Mackinac course (Port Huron to Mackinac Island), then they kept sailing under the Mackinac Bridge and down to Chicago. Now theyre turning around to race back to Mackinac Island this weekend. Whew!

This weekends race entries range from 27 feet to 104 feet.
The Steve Miller Band had been set to play all over the country over the next few months, but abruptly cancelled their entire tour today due to bad weather that may or may not actually happen.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band wrote a message to fans on their Instagram page and on their website explaining their tour cancellation.

You make music with your instincts; you live your life by your instincts; always trust your instincts, the band wrote. The Steve Miller Band have cancelled all of our upcoming tour dates.

The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and massive forest fires make these risks for you our audience, the band and the crew unacceptable. So... you can blame it on the weather... The tour is cancelled.

Dont know were, dont know when... We hope to see you all again.

The tour was set to begin next month and run through early November, with nearly three dozen stops across the U.S.

One of those stops was scheduled for August 13 at Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Fans can expect a full ticket refund where they purchased their tickets.
MESICK, MI  A Florida man has a long road to recovery in front of him after a 30-foot fall from a rope swing in Northern Michigan, officials said.

Thomas Sundquist, 39, of Florida, was on a week-long trip to Wexford County for a family reunion when, on July 1, they took a boat out to Seaton Creek, near Mesick, Michigan State Police said in a news release.

Sundquist found a rope swing and decided to give it a try, WPBN/WGTU reports. He landed in just inches of water. The impact nearly amputated his right foot and broke both legs, including a tibia fracture. He also suffered a torn meniscus and was bleeding heavily. Since the incident, hes had three surgeries, including foot and ankle reconstruction.

After seeing his foot was not where it ought to be, Sundquist began yelling for help, the report said. A nearby good Samaritan who happened to have training in military trauma care, rushed to Sundquists aid, and used sticks to make a tourniquet. A 911 call brought MSP motor carrier officers to the scene, including one officer who had played in that area as a child and knew exactly where to go. Officers arrived on a pontoon boat and added two more tourniquets to stop the bleeding. The boat was then used to take Sundquist to an ambulance waiting on shore.

Thomas Sundquist, 39, of Florida, greets Michigan State Police troopers and a good Samaritan who saved him after a 30-foot fall off a rope swing into inches of water. The impact broke both his legs and nearly amputated his right foot. Tourniquets were used to stop the bleeding before he was transported on a pontoon boat to an ambulance waiting on shore. Michigan State Police

Doctors expect Sundquist to be walking again by the new year, the report said. He hopes it will be by Thanksgiving.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with medical costs and other expenses while Sundquist is unable to work. So far, more than $32,000 has been raised.
A home invasion suspect is seen in body camera footage fleeing Bath Township police moments before shots are fired on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Image used with permission of Bath Township Police. Image used with permission.

CLINTON COUNTY, MI  An East Lansing man is facing seven felonies and two misdemeanor charges after allegedly fleeing police responding to home invasion reports in a pursuit that prompted two officers to fire their weapons last weekend.
Michigan State Police seized a large amount of cocaine during a traffic stop on July 15,2025. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $1.82 million. (Photo provided by Michigan State Police.) Photo provided by Michigan State Police

MONROE COUNTY, MI -- During a traffic stop Tuesday night along northbound I-75, Michigan State Police troopers seized a large amount of cocaine. While police did not say how much cocaine was seized, they did say the estimated maximum street value of the cocaine is $1.82 million.

Officers initiated the stop after the driver of a truck tractor with a flatbed failed to stop at a weigh stations scales.

Officers made contact with the driver, identified as a 26-year-old Ontario, Canada man. The driver said he was returning to Canada after picking up a load in Ohio.

MSP says the driver gave officers permission to search the vehicle, where they eventually discovered 70 vacuum sealed packages. The contents of random packages were tested and determined to be cocaine. The driver denied any knowledge of the drugs being in the truck.

Police arrested the man and he was lodged at the Monroe County Jail on a charge of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, over 1000 grams.
Travelers line up to pass through the south security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Denver. (David Zalubowski | AP Photo) David Zalubowski | AP Photo

The State Department has issued travel advisories this week applying to five countries in Africa, including one Do Not Travel warning. The agency ranks its advisories on a four-tier scale, with a Level 4 Do Not Travel warning being the highest.

The five African nations that were subject to the advisories are: Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Rwanda. While each nation has its own advisory, depending on the country, different levels of caution are suggested.

Here is a brief summary of each advisory and how it applies to the country involved:

Egypt -- Currently under a Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution advisory, those heading to Egypt are encouraged not to travel to the Northern and Middle Sinai Peninsula over possible terrorism. Travel to the Western Desert is also not advised unless traveling with a professionally licensed tour company.

Libya -- On Wednesday, the State Department issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Libya. Officials cite crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict as reasons to avoid the country. The warning specifically mentions U.S. citizens having been kidnapped in Libya.

Mauritania -- Terrorism and crime have led to a Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory being issued. In particular, travelers are advised not to visit any areas north of the Tropic of Cancer or within 100 kilometers of the Mali and Algeria Border. You should also avoid any area marked off limits by the Mauritanian military.

Nigeria -- Also under a Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory, the State Department cited problems with crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and inconsistent availability of health care services as reason to change plans. Several areas of Nigeria are considered Do Not Travel zones and can be found in the official advisory.

Rwanda -- While the country is under a Level 2 Exercise Increase Caution advisory, some areas remain a Do Not Travel zone. Those areas include the Rusizi and Rubavu districts. Armed violence was cited as the main reason for the advisory.

If you decide to visit any of the countries under a Level 2 or 3 advisory, the State Department recommends using caution while in public and to monitor local news reports for information. You should also avoid crowds and demonstrations and always have copies of your travel documents on you.

If you visit Libya, officials suggest you make contingency plans to leave, draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and a power of attorney. You should also consider discussing a plan with loved ones regarding care or custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Michigan residents in 10 communities had millions in collective medical debt forgiven in July 2025 thanks to a partnership between the state and national nonprofit. Pictured is a patient room at Corewell Healths Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Helen Devos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids. Neil Blake | MLive.com

More than $144 million in medical debt is being eliminated for more than 200,000 Michigan residents.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the relief as the first wave of debt erasing through a partnership with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. The state allocated $4.5 million in its 2024 budget to help relieve low-income residents from crippling medical debt.
A federal judge in Buffalo has ordered the release of a 19-year-old Venezuelan man who was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following an immigration court hearing in May about his asylum request.

Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo of the U.S District Court, Western District of New York, ruled that federal authorities must release Oliver Eloy Mata Velasquez from the Buffalo Federal Immigration Detention Center while his lawsuit is being considered.

While its an enormous relief that Oliver can return to his home in Buffalo, ICE should have never detained him in the first place, said Amy Belsher, director of Immigrants Rights Litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union, in a news release. As the Court rightly found, Olivers detention was entirely unjustified and violated his constitutional right to due process. We will continue fighting the Trump administrations attempts to arbitrarily arrest people en masse who are following the rules by showing up for their scheduled court hearings.

A spokeswoman for the New York Civil Liberties Union said Mata Velasquez was released after Vilardos decision on Wednesday.

Mata Velasquez was among thousands of immigrants arrested and detained in recent months by ICE agents under a Trump administration policy targeting courthouse enforcement.

In a 40-page ruling, Vilardo noted it wasnt his role to decide on the merits of a Department of Homeland Security program  instituted in 2022 under the Biden administration and canceled by President Trump  to invite Venezuelans like Mata Velasquez into the U.S.

But the judge said Mata Velasquez deserved to be released immediately because he was likely to win the argument that his detention is unlawful and violates his due process rights. He also said Mata Velasquez was being irreparably harmed by being detained.

When he arrived in the United States, DHS told him that he could remain here on parole for two years; in fact, the government gave him a work authorization and assigned him a social security number, Vilardo said in his decision. And since his arrival almost a year ago, Mata Velasquez has done everything asked of him. He appeared for every appointment and court date. He committed no crimes. He did what he was supposed to do.

Mata Velasquez came to the U.S. in September and declared that he was seeking asylum. He was inspected, released by border officials to his cousin, granted discretionary humanitarian parole and given notice to appear at Buffalo Immigration Court on May 21.

At the time, the Department of Homeland Administration under the Biden administration had in place a parole program, started in 2022, that allowed as many as 24,000 Venezuelans to enter the U.S. for up to two years to seek asylum and receive work authorization.

In March, DHS issued a notice in the Federal Register that it was terminating parole for anyone admitted through the parole program for Venezuelans, as well as similar programs for Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans, according to court papers. The DHS notice was being challenged in a federal court in Massachusetts.

Mata Velasquezs hearing in May was supposed to be a routine check-in with the court, and an immigration judge adjourned his case to Feb. 6 to allow Mata Velasquez time to get a lawyer and file an asylum application.

But his visit to the court ended up being far from routine. As he exited an elevator to the courthouse lobby, Mata Velasquez was greeted by four ICE agents who arrested him, according to court papers.

Lawyers with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York sued the federal government June 12 on behalf of Mata Velasquez, arguing that his arrest and detention violated multiple laws, including the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.

Among those named as defendants in the lawsuit are: Stephen Kurzdorfer, acting field office director of the Buffalo Field Office, Enforcement and Removal Operations of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement; Joseph Freden, deputy field office director of the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility; Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security; and Pam Bondi, U.S. attorney general.

As the Court noted in their decision, Oliver followed all the rules, said Sarah Gillman, director of Strategic U.S. Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. ICEs decision to arrest him at the courthouse door wasnt just duplicitous and illegal  its a disturbing sign of how far this administration will go to carry out its anti-immigrant agenda. Were grateful that the Court did right by Oliver and we hope this decision sends a strong message.

Lawyers for Mata Velasquez filed an emergency motion requesting a preliminary injunction from the court ordering his release, which Vilardo granted.

Courts have identified only two legitimate purposes for immigration detention: mitigating flight risk and preventing danger to the community, the lawyers argued in court papers.

Mata Velasquez is neither a risk to flee or cause harm, they said.
NEWBERRY, MI  A woman is dead after a fiery head-on crash on Thursday afternoon in Michigans Upper Peninsula, police said.

Around 3:40 p.m. Thursday, two vehicles crashed on M-28 near Pentland Township, the Luce County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Deputies responded to the crash.

A 68-year-old female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. Both drivers sustained serious injuries and were transported by ambulance to Helen Newberry Joy Hospital.

M-28 remained closed for several hours as emergency personnel, including fire, EMS, and law enforcement, worked to secure the scene, provide medical aid, and conduct an investigation.

The preliminary investigation shows that one of the vehicles crossed the center line and struck the oncoming vehicle head-on. One of the vehicles then caught on fire.

The investigation is ongoing. The Michigan State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit is assisting the Luce County Sheriffs Office.

The identity of the deceased has not been released. Officials are notifying the family.
Hundreds of protesters line the streets in front of Veterans Memorial Park in Ann Arbor voicing their displeasure with President Donald Trump as part of the Good Trouble Lives on protest on July 17, 2025. Nicholas Alumkal

ANN ARBOR, MI  Hundreds of demonstrators lined major intersections Thursday in Ann Arbor with signs protesting President Donald Trump and his policies.

Not dissuaded by a few raindrops and the start of the Ann Arbor Art Fair, activists gathered July 17 at six roadside sites as part of the nationwide Good Trouble Lives On protest, commemorating the legacy of Civil Rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia on the five-year anniversary of his death.

This is an autocracy that is moving headlong into disaster for the country, and people have to get out here and protest, Alan Koohn said as he stood at the corner of Stadium Boulevard and Packard Avenue with a sign reading Dump the dictator.

Protests in Ann Arbor occurred outside the Big House at Main Street and Stadium Boulevard, Plymouth and Green roads, Westgate/Veterans Memorial Park, Stadium and Packard Street, Washtenaw Avenue and Huron Parkway, and State Street and Eisenhower Parkway.

The organizers aimed to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration.

Alan Koohn protests President Donald Trump on the corner of Stadium Boulevard and Packard Avenue as part of the Good Trouble Lives On demonstrations on July 17, 2025. Nicholas Alumkal

As drivers moved through the intersections, many honked their horns in approval. Passengers in a few cars voiced their opposition, shouting pro-Trump statements to counter the protesters.

Many protesters invoked Lewis, who was known for encouraging good trouble to gain civil rights with nonviolence.

To show up as citizens to speak up about when democracy is under threat, which it is, said Veena Kulkarni-Rankin, who held a pro-United States Agency for International Development sign. So being a good citizen is what good trouble is about for me.

RELATED: What to know about the Good Trouble Lives On protests against Trump in Michigan

Causing good trouble means getting out of your comfort zone, being edgy and taking risks for causes you believe in, protester Lois Maharg said in front of Veterans Memorial Park, 2150 Jackson Ave.

Protesters in Ann Arbor hold signs commemorating Civil Rights leader John Lewis' legacy. On the fifth anniversary of Lewis' death, July 17, 2025, nationwide protests were held in his honor. The demonstrators largely protested President Donald Trump. Nicholas Alumkal

Other signs called for defending democracy, raising awareness for climate change and defunding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some showed a middle finger and aimed expletives toward Trump and his cabinet.

We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations, the states the Good Trouble Lives On movement states on its website. Whether youre outraged by attacks on voting rights, the gutting of essential services, disappearances of our neighbors or the assault on free speech and our right to protest  this movement is for you. Trump is trying to divide us, but we know the power of coming together.

The protesters voiced displeasure with many of Trumps policies, including the recently-passed budget reconciliation bill, the deployment of ICE and federal funding cuts to public media.

People of various ages participated. Protester Susan Barrow spoke of the importance of older generations, who made up large numbers of the protesters at Veterans Memorial Park and the corner of Stadium Boulevard and Packard Avenue.

Older white women are the people who are going to be persecuted the least, Barrow said. And so I think we have to be on the front line. This is the one thing we can do.

Barrow stood on Jackson Avenue across from Veterans Memorial Park. She held a sign reading Democracy Of the people. By the people. For the people. She brought along her dog, Arthur, and he was festooned with two signs, one stating Dogs for Democracy, and the other reading, Kristi Noem has got to go, referencing Trumps Secretary of Homeland Security, who wrote in a 2024 book about killing an unruly puppy.

Susan Barrow poses with a sign and her dog, Arthur's sign at the anti-Trump Good Trouble Lives On protest in Ann Arbor on July 17, 2025. Nicholas Alumkal

It just seems like our country is being led by an incapable madman, and the Republicans are just bowing down to him, said Maharg, holding a sign with the initialism GOP standing for gutless, obsequious panderers. ...Our whole government is just being canceled. Democracy is canceled, and I am very concerned about that.

Protester Eleanor Jones said the current administration makes her angry, frustrated, appalled (and) helpless. But voicing her disapproval alongside many other demonstrators was heartening, she said.

You dont feel alone in your outrage, Jones said. I think that has to help us keep our spirits, keep fighting.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page.
SWARTZ CREEK, MI - Tensions and emotions ran high Thursday, July 17, as Swartz Creek Community Schools hosted a town hall meeting to discuss a proposed $40 million sale of Morrish Elementary School to support the development of a county-level megasite.

The meeting, held at the districts Performing Arts Center, drew a crowd of roughly 50 to 60 people and featured a panel that included Interim Superintendent Jim Kitchen, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Jamie Cowan, Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance Executive Director Tyler Rossmaessler, and Suzanne Carlson, vice president at French & Associates, the districts architectural firm.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Belding resident Cynthia Rackham has wanted to pay it forward ever since surviving cancer.

When the 69-year-old West Michigan woman found out she had leukemia 25 years ago, a cancer that primarily affects the bone marrow and lymph nodes, she believed God had a bigger plan.

While in the hospital for six weeks at a time, she was comforted by family, specifically her husband Rodneys great aunts handcrafted quilt.

Over two decades later, Rackham is thinking of ways she can provide that same form of solace to those with cancer.

The idea of making quilts or blankets came to me, so we decided to make a goal of 200 tie blankets to give to children, she told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. When I decided that number, a lot of people thought it was an awful lot, but I actually made more than that.

The blankets were delivered to Corewell Health Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital donation center, 25 Michigan St. NE in Grand Rapids, on Wednesday, July 16.

Rackham said her friends and fellow church members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints assisted her in handcrafting the blankets over the past three months.

Some community members even decided to make their own and donate over 30 yards of fabric in support of her initiative.

Weve been making them every other week, and we probably do about maybe 12 of them, Rackham said. I was given quite a bit of money to go and buy the materials.

Each fleece tie blanket consists of two layered pieces of fabric with strips cut around the edges that are tied together, creating a warm, soft, no-sew blanket in about 90 minutes.

These strips are then tied together to join the two pieces of fleece, resulting in a warm and soft no-sew blanket. Each takes about an hour and a half to complete, Rackham said.

Initially, she said she was told by others in the community that the hospital wouldnt accept the blankets, but that worry was dismissed once she got the green light from staff.

The hospitals only requirements were that the blankets couldnt be full-sized bed coverings and that staff would need to wash them before giving them to young patients.

Im hoping it will just light their world up because we just made so many different kinds that Im sure they will find a blanket theyll fall in love with, Rackham said. Hopefully, it will help them get through their sickness and put a smile on their face.

She said that she hopes to continue making blankets this winter, but instead donate them to children in foster care.

Rackham believes shes come full circle. Despite going through chemo while also dealing with the loss of her daughter in a car accident, she still sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

I believe in God, and I know theres always a reason for everything, but it was hard for me because in my mind, I wanted to be with her, she said. But I know it wasnt my time to go yet. Heavenly Father still has other work for me to do - maybe its giving back to these children.
Homewood Suites by Hilton in Walker will have 104 rooms equipped with everything guests need for an extended stay, including induction burners, full-size microwaves, double-door fridges, dishwashers, kitchen sinks and dining tables. Photo by Ehren Wynder

KENT COUNTY, MI  An upscale hotel just outside of Grand Rapids plans to accept extended-stay guests this winter.

The new Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel, at 3410 Walker Ave., is expected to open around mid-November, co-owner Paramjeet Singh said. Utilities are already on site, and exterior work is expected to be complete by next month. The project is now expected to cost around $14 million, up from the $12 million predicted last summer.

Its hard to build a $12 million project anymore now, Singh said.

Construction crews broke ground on the four-story building last summer. The hotel, located right off the I-96 highway near Walker Surgical Center, will have 104 rooms, a swimming pool and a huge courtyard area.

The trades who are working with us are mostly repeat contractors that we have a good working relationship with, Singh said. They are good professional crews, so we havent had many hurdles so far.

Homewood Suites by Hilton targets guests staying for an extended time, which could be anything longer than 3-5 nights. All rooms come equipped with kitchen amenities like induction burners, full-size microwaves, double-door fridges, dishwashers, kitchen sinks and dining tables. There also will be 10, one-bedroom suites with washers and dryers.

Singh has described the new hotel as an upscale property with modern, spacious rooms and a huge courtyard and lobby area with fireplaces.

Singh co-owns the hotel with Bhogi Patel of Grand Michigan Lodging LLC. The group also is eyeing locations for new hotels around the Grand Rapids and Lansing areas, Singh said.
HICKORY CORNERS, MI  The ribbon was cut on a new three-seasons special event space at Gilmore Car Museum on Thursday, July 17.

Finished in May, but pushed back because of weather, The Summer House is officially open.

The wood venue in West Michigan features tall ceilings, a massive fieldstone fireplace, a custom bar and retractable garage doors serving as the walls on each side.

For Executive Director Nick LaCasse, the addition was exactly what was missing from the Gilmores 90-acre property: a centerpiece to display the creme de la creme of vehicles and more.

Its a good community place in the center of our property for everyone to gather, LaCasse said. Although we have a lot of barns out here, it couldnt be another barn.

The Gilmore Car Museum cut the ribbon on a new $1 million special event space, The Summer House, on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Hickory Corners, Michigan. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

For visitors who havent been in a while, they may recognize the spot of the new venue as the spot where a 4,000-square-foot barn used to be.

An original barn, which was moved onto the property in the late 60s, was lifted and moved 300 feet to the right in a tedious, inch-by-inch process.

We couldnt fathom tearing it down, LaCasse said.

A 4,000-square foot barn at the Gilmore Car Museum seen through the Summer House, on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The barn was moved 300 feet to make space for the new venue. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

To build the new venue in its place, the Gilmore team scoured national parks across the country to find the perfect build for the space.

Inspiration for what became The Summer House were found in upstate New York.

This process, once we started moving earth, took roughly 10 months, LaCasse said. We had a hard deadline to get through the winter.

In total, the project took $1 million to build, with much support from Gilmore donors.

We really wanted to be no expense spared, LaCasse said.

So far, The Summer House has featured car shows for performance cars, Ferraris and Mercedes.

Stellantis will unveil a new car in the space in August, celebrating 100 years of Chrysler.

The Summer House is also open for bookings for weddings, corporate gatherings, family celebrations and more.

The Gilmore Car Museum cut the ribbon on a new $1 million special event space, The Summer House, on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Hickory Corners, Michigan. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page.
Muskegon residents will have the opportunity to vote for two open city commissioner seats during the Aug. 5 primary election. Muskegon City Hall, at 933 Terrace St. in Muskegon, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Isaac Ritchey | iritchey@mlive.com

MUSKEGON, MI - Five candidates are running for two open, at-large seats on the Muskegon City Commission in the August primary election.

The candidates on the Aug. 5 ballot are Commissioner Rebecca St. Clair, Kiley Jackson, John C. Allen, Teresa Emory and Aaron Morris.

St. Clair, who is seeking a second four-year term, is the only incumbent seeking reelection. The other at-large commissioner, Rachel Gorman, is not running because she said the demands of her career and family are taking a higher priority.

It has been an honor to serve the city of Muskegon, Gorman said. I remain deeply committed to our community and look forward to staying engaged as a resident.

There are also three mayoral candidates on the ballot.

The Muskegon City Commission is made up of four ward commissioners, representing different sections of the city and two at-large commissioners, representing the city as a whole.

Keep reading to learn more about the candidates seeking a seat on the city commission.

Rebecca St. Clair, who has served the last four years on the city commission, is running for reelection on Aug. 5. Photo provided to MLive by Rebecca St. Clair

Rebecca St. Clair (incumbent)

St. Clair, 50, a Lakeside resident, works full-time as a clinical manager for youth services at HealthWest. She has served as vice mayor of the city commission for the last two years.

She said she is seeking another term to be even more effective. Like any new job, she said there is a learning curve.

I have spent the last four years learning a lot about how to be effective in this role and I really feel like its just been in the last maybe year that I have a really good grasp of what the job is and how to do it, St. Clair said.

Since she took office in 2022, the city commission has created a parks and recreation department, hired a parks director, city manager, public safety director and new public works director.

The commission also oversaw the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to local businesses, city parks and an infill housing program.

That gave us an opportunity to really move the parks forward in a really deliberate way, St. Clair said.

She said that a parks master plan allowed leaders to look at where the biggest impact could be.

Historically, a couple of larger parks took up a majority of the funding and majority of the energy, and a lot of the smaller parks were not getting new equipment and not getting any sort of upgrades, which wasnt fair to the rest of the city.

St. Clair said she was also proud to be part of the commissions decision to change their zoning laws to allow for more types of housing, smaller homes and smaller lots.

A recent commission vote to increase city water rates brought St. Clair some negative response.

There was a huge historic deficit in both sewer and water fund in the millions of dollars that required us to make some pretty unpopular moves to get those funds solvent, St. Clair said. Every year a city is in a deficit in those kinds of funds, we run a risk of the state saying OK, youre done, were going to take over.

Those are things that your average person looking at their water bill or sewer bill doesnt know or understand. They just know, you raised my water bill and now you raised it again.

Vice Mayor Rebecca St. Clair, middle, speaks during a Muskegon City Commission meeting on May 13, 2025. City Manager Jonathan Seyferth is on the left and City Attorney John Schrier is on the right. Kayla Tucker

In a second term, St. Clair said she would continue working with developers to increase housing. She said the city is about halfway towards reaching its goal of 3,000 units by 2028, and has prioritized bringing in all types of housing and various price points.

We are building some waterfront luxury condos because some people who can afford those want to live here, St. Clair said. Were also building hundreds of low-income housing and subsidized housing.

I see, every day, families that dont have adequate housing and that is part of the trauma the kids are living with because they have been unhoused and thats a really traumatic experience for a child, St. Clair said.

St. Clair is a board member and former board president of Harbor Unitarian Universalist Congregation, serves on the board of Mediation & Restorative Services, is a member of the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership, is the commission liaison for the Muskegon Housing Commission and Muskegon Farmers Market and chairs the community relations committee.

Lifelong Muskegon resident Kiley Jackson is hoping to be elected this year to serve on the city commission. Photo provided to MLive by Kiley Jackson

Kiley Jackson

Since being a second grader at Nims Elementary, Kiley Jackson said she has had the goal of holding political office.

Jackison, 23, is a recovery court specialist for the Muskegon County 14th Circuit Court. She lives in the Nims neighborhood.

Growing up watching President Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders (U.S. Senator, I-Vermont), I was told by the people around me I could one day be like them, Jackson said. I think the right start is starting local, so you can truly learn how the systems work.

Growing up, Jackson said she was also inspired by her grandpa, Lew Collins, who served as a Muskegon County Commissioner and was a member of the United Automobile Workers union.

Jackson recently earned her bachelors degree in political science, with a minor in human rights, from Grand Valley State University. She attended Muskegon Community College for the first two years.

As a commissioner, she would focus on voter engagement and civic engagement.

Its important for me as a hopeful elected official that everyone can understand the governmental process, Jackson said. I want to take in as much information as I can as an elected official and take it back to my community ... Its not my seat; its the citys seat.

Jackson said she would also push for a focus on supporting local businesses as the city continues to grow and spreading out economic investment.

We need to develop other areas of the city, Jackson said. It shouldnt just be focused on Western Avenue or down by the lake.

Youth engagement, infrastructure, sustainability and bringing a youthful, different perspective to the commission are more of Jacksons goals.

I believe I would be the youngest person elected to the commission; with brighter ideas, looking at it from a new perspective, willing to challenge typical ideas that are brought up, especially in local politics, Jackson said. I think its something Muskegon can benefit from.

Jackson volunteers at local events and is on the board for the Muskegon Young Black Professionals.

Being taken seriously as the youngest candidate has been the biggest challenge, Jackson said.

Even though Im young, Im prepared and Im ready to learn, Jackson said. Just because Im young and I havent done it before shouldnt disqualify me from being the person to be elected and hold office.

At one time the older generation who is currently holding office, or who has held office before, was me at one point in time. They were the young person who took a leap of faith and said, I want to make a change in my community.

John C. Allen is bringing his decades of experience working in city government as a hopeful candidate for the Muskegon City Commission. Photo provided to MLive by John C. Allen

John C. Allen

After working more than 30 years as a city government employee, John C. Allen is hoping to bring his experience to the table as an elected official.

Allen, 64, was born in Muskegon and lived in Illinois and Grand Rapids before moving back, now living in the Nelson neighborhood.

He first attended MCC and then earned a bachelors degree in political science from Calvin College, now Calvin University. He then started his career as a water operator at the city of Muskegon water plant.

He later worked for the city of Grand Rapids and did two stints at the city of Muskegon Heights, most recently as utilities director.

Allen remembered his first official task that January 2005 was to deal with a major main break that caused the entire city to be without water.

It was our worst nightmare on the first 20 minutes of the job, Allen said. It was a good example of our training - you understand the system and you just go by what weve been trained to do; remain calm, figure it out and get it taken care of.

Allen said he was inspired to run for city commissioner because hes been paying attention to whats going on and sees ways it could improve.

Similar to his son who is running for mayor, Allen said he had concerns with parts of Adelaide Pointe operations.

I have no problem with anything AP on AP property, Allen said, adding that what he doesnt appreciate is the business dry marina operations crossing the citys bike path and being next to the citys boat launch ramp.

Now youre crossing and utilizing city property for your private business, and I just dont think that should be, Allen said.

Improved communication, being more business-friendly, having a diversity of business types and affordable housing are goals Allen has if he were to be on the city commission.

As a commissioner, Allen said he brings the experience and understanding of the staffs experience and how the city operates.

I understand the needs of the various departments, Allen said. Im also on this side, being a citizen. I understand more of the needs of both sides, versus just the one side.

Former Muskegon City Commissioner Teresa Emory. (Image provided by Teresa Emory)

Teresa Emory

Teresa Emory previously served as a Ward 4 Muskegon City Commissioner from 2020 to 2024, after losing her reelection bid to current commissioner Katrina Kochin.

She could not be reached for remarks about her candidacy before publication.

Emory, 69, is retired. She previously owned Liberty Tax Service of Muskegon for 14 years.

For nine years, Emory was also a residential treatment teacher with Child and Family Services and has worked with the juvenile court in several areas. She has an associates degree from Muskegon Community College.

Emory has lived in the city for more than 50 years.

She has served as the vice president of the Lakeside Neighborhood Association for 10 years, as chair of the credit committee at St. Joseph Credit Union, and as a keeper/photographer for the Muskegon Lights. She also is a volunteer and foster for Heaven Can Wait Feline Rescue.

Polls open at 7 a.m. for the Aug. 5 primary election and close at 8 p.m. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

Aaron L. Morris,

Aaron L Morris is the fifth candidate for city commission. He could not be reached for remarks about his candidacy before publication.

Morris announced he was running on his Facebook page July 3.

Im coming in today to let you know Im running for commissioner at large for the City of Muskegon in August 5th is the primary vote I need for you to get out and vote for me because Im for Muskegon and my community to dealing with a for my police departments to our roads to our fire department and socially whats going on with our elderly and housing development and I need you to vote for me because I stand for the people I look forward to talking with you at any time and I will be giving further instructions when we have any speaking engagements before August 5th thank you Aaron Lee Morris.

Morris said he is a digital creator in his Facebook profile.
Nikes newest Jordan design is a callback to one of Michaels most memorable games.

The Nike Womens Air Jordan 3 Starfish sneaker hits the market on Friday, July 18, at 10 a.m. ET for $205.

What sets this release apart are the orange starfish accents throughout the design, which pay tribute to the jersey Michael Jordan wore during his famous backboard-shattering exhibition game in Italy.

Air Jordan 3 Air Jordan 3 Starfish $205 on Nike

The premium materials not only enhance the aesthetic appeal but also contribute to the durability of the shoes. With their neutral color palette, these Air Jordans are intended to complement a variety of outfits, making them a practical addition to any wardrobe.

Sneaker enthusiasts should note that new Nike releases typically sell out quickly. Those interested in purchasing the Womens Air Jordan 3 Starfish should be online before the launch time to maximize their chances of securing a pair.

Generative AI was used to help produce an initial draft of this story, based on information from Nike.com, which was reviewed and edited by MLive.com staff.
DETROIT -- Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull has signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Turnbull, 32, was released by the Toronto Blue Jays last month. He had signed with Toronto in May after a prolonged free agency that stretched into the regular season. He appeared in just three games over roughly two weeks with the Blue Jays, allowing five runs on 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Turnbull pitched well last year for the Philadelphia Phillies before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending injury in a June 26 start against his former team in Detroit.

The Tigers selected Turnbull in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama. He debuted in 2018 and became a regular in the rotation in 2019. On May 18, 2021, he threw the Tigers first no-hitter in a decade.

The Tigers declined to offer Turnbull a contract for 2024 after a strange 2023 season. The Tigers twice attempted to option Turnbull to Toledo. Both times, the options were rescinded due to injury, allowing Turnbull to accrue a full year of service time.
New CAFE 3 rules to support both flex fuel and EVs, says Nitin Gadkari

Aishwarya Dabhade

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China meets FDI target for 2021-2025 ahead of schedule

Xinhua) 15:01, July 18, 2025

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved its target ahead of schedule for actual use of foreign direct investment (FDI) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), a commerce official said Friday.

By the end of June, China's actual use of FDI since 2021 had reached 708.73 billion U.S. dollars, hitting the 700-billion-dollar target six months early, Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, said at a press conference.

Some 229,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established during the period, about 25,000 more than in the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), he noted.

Foreign-invested enterprises contributed one-third of China's foreign trade, one-fourth of value-added industrial output, and one-seventh of tax revenues. They have also created more than 30 million jobs during this period, Ling added.

He said the country has seen a marked improvement in the quality of foreign capital use. In 2024, high-tech industries attracted 34.6 percent of foreign investment, up 6 percentage points from 2020.

To foster a favorable environment for foreign businesses, the commerce ministry has held more than 30 roundtable meetings since 2023, helping address over 1,500 concerns for foreign-funded firms, Ling said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
When Kevin Kuhn found out that Sumitomo Rubber USA was shutting down its tire plant in November, he got to work.

Kuhn is division president for Steel & OBrien, a manufacturer in Arcade. He needed to fill jobs at the Wyoming County plant, and he was sure Sumitomo would have some people who would be a fit.

Within a matter of weeks, four ex-Sumitomo employees were hired and working at Steel & OBrien.

ReTech, a Buffalo manufacturer, also moved quickly after Sumitomos shutdown, hiring some of its displaced workers.

The abrupt shutdown of Sumitomos Town of Tonawanda plant eliminated about 1,500 jobs and raised a daunting question: Where would all those people go?

Some have retired. Others have launched their own businesses, or moved away.

Some have caught on with other employers, who say they welcome the former Sumitomo workers skills and aptitude. And those workers are embracing their new opportunities.

While Sumitomo was closing its tire factory, Steel & OBrien was looking to the future. The company makes stainless-steel products for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, and has expanded to serve another growing sector: data centers.

Weve basically stood up ... another business within a business to just go after data centers, and weve got lots and lots of orders from that, Kuhn said.

Steel & OBrien has spent millions of dollars on new production equipment to serve the data centers segment, and has expanded into 50,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space at its location. The data centers the company makes products for serve tech giants such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Nvidia and Microsoft.

Kuhn said the former Sumitomo workers bring their own experiences and know-how to the job.

I would have hired 20 more if we could have found the right fit for other people, he said.

ReTech, based at the Northland Workforce Training Center, has been on its own growth trajectory.

The company makes industrial furnaces used for melting metals at high temperatures. ReTech relocated its operations to the Northland complex from Northern California several years ago.

ReTech, owned by SECO/Warwick, has grown to employ 125 people and serves customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, defense, medical and automotive, said Heather DAmico, manager of human resources.

Our furnaces are multimillion-dollar pieces of equipment, so we really do bring in a lot of money for the company, as a whole, she said.

Earl Good, ReTechs president, said the company has found a good fit in Buffalo, and has even expanded with a second plant, in Tonawanda, in 2023.

We believe we have a strong future ahead of us, based on some of the things were chasing and doing right now, he said.

Part of that growth strategy involves hiring more people. ReTech hired four former Sumitomo workers (two of whom have since left for another opportunity) and continues to recruit for job openings.

We could have up to 50 more positions to fill, DAmico said.

A blank canvas

Scott Hejmanowski, 53, was with Sumitomo for 11 years before the shutdown. Prior to that, he worked for Bethlehem Steel for 17 years.

At the time the Sumitomo plant closed, Hejmanowski was the business center manager for motorcycle tires. The Lancaster-area resident felt fortunate to find another job so quickly as production manager at Steel & OBrien.

When he arrived, there was an empty part of the plant that was not yet filled with production equipment and cubicles. To Hejmanowski, the area was like a blank canvas.

It was a lot of excitement to be able to put my thumbprint, fingerprints, my take on production, and to be able to help this place grow, he said.

After what happened with Bethlehem and Sumitomo, Hejmanowski enjoys being with a business on the upswing.

Its managing people, its managing the process, he said. Ive been able to take all those skills that Ive learned over the course of quite a few years, and bring them in here and actually implement. Its been fantastic.

A smaller setting

Eric Fronczak, 55, is continuous improvement and safety manager at Steel & OBrien. He held a similar job at Sumitomo.

Everything that I do is to benefit the lives of the operators, Fronczak said. So its a big responsibility, but its also an awesome opportunity to impact peoples lives positively.

Fronczak liked working at both places, but finds his new workplace is a more intimate setting.

I had the same opportunity at Sumitomo, but it was just a much larger playground, a little bit more political hurdles to kind of cross, where here, we can get more things done in a faster, more urgent manner than we could at that plant, he said.

Fronczak lives in Cheektowaga, so his commute to Arcade is a bit longer than it was to the Town of Tonawanda.

But Im a music nut, so for me to listen to tunes on the way in and home is really fun, he said.

A quick move

Andrew Green, 34, was working at Sumitomo for just six months when the plant closed.

After Steel & OBrien hired him as a manufacturing engineering manager, Green moved to East Aurora from Cheektowaga to be closer to work. The job itself was a big change, too.

My entire history was in supply chain operations, he said. Transitioning into engineering was a big pivot, but its a great experience, so far.

Green said he likes how decisions at Steel & OBrien can be made the local level.

We have an amazing opportunity in front of the company to meet an enormous amount of demand that no one is able to meet right now, he said. So, its kind of an exciting industry to be in, and theres a lot that we need to figure out to get there, so its really all hands on deck.

Trying new things

Nick Brokaw, 38, discovered there was much more to Steel & OBrien than he expected after he got hired, even though it is a smaller employer.

Things are moving fast around here, and its really exciting, the advances that were were making in the capabilities here, and all the all the support, the increased capacity and more hiring, Brokaw said. Its growing very, very quickly here.

Brokaw, who lives in East Aurora, was hired as a manufacturing and design engineer. He had worked with tires for about a decade, but Steel & OBrien gave him the opportunity to try new things.

Now, he is programming robots and taking on new responsibilities. Its fulfilling work, and he notices the difference on his outlook.

I used to get home from from Sumitomo and just do everything I could to forget about my day, he said. And now, last night, I was drawing things that I want to make here at midnight because I couldnt sleep. From a personal job satisfaction, its been a great transition for me.

Third times the charm

Sean Riley, 43, had the misfortune of losing two jobs last year.

Riley had worked for Tesla for over six years before he was laid off in early 2024. He then got a job at Sumitomo, which lasted four months before the plant closed.

The Town of Tonawanda resident found a new job opportunity at ReTech, which hired him in February as a reliability maintenance technician.

I was super interested in the technology, thats what got me here, he said. And I was kind of blown away by how comfortable it was right away, and how welcoming everybody was.

At ReTechs plant, Riley gets to handle a variety of tasks, which suits him.

Im a hands-on guy and theyve got me doing a bunch of hands-on work, Riley said.

Buying in

Ryan Hopkins, 28, worked as a lab technician, a tech engineer and then a buyer during his time at Sumitomo. As a buyer, he was responsible for acquiring items the tire plant needed to keep operating.

The Lancaster resident was kept on later than most of his colleagues, until February, as the plant wound down operations and canceled orders. When he started to job hunt, he found a ReTech post on Indeed. He ended up getting hired as a buyer and started in April.

At ReTech, he appreciates the benefits of being part of a relatively small workforce, such as potluck meals in the office and getting a chance to know more of his co-workers.

Its definitely a lot more personalized than Sumitomo was, he said. I could walk that place every day and still not know everybody.

Still, Hopkins said he is grateful for his time at Sumitomo.

They gave me a work history that I can rely on for the rest of my life, regardless where I go, he said. I had a lot great jobs there, a lot of work experience coming into ReTech.
MC Education Desk Read the latest and trending news on CBSE, board exams, NEET, JEE, CUET, competitive exams, scholarships, college admissions, education policies, and more.

Rajni Pandey

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3 New Netflix shows with at least 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (July 2025)

Vaishnavi Gavankar

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Sarika Sharma

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Gayatri Rani

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M Snehanjali

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Kannada actor Darshan travels to Phuket for his upcoming movie Devils last schedule: Report

M Snehanjali

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Vaishnavi Gavankar

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Pushpa star Fahadh Faasil ditches smartphone for ultra-expensive 2G keypad mobile; read to know more

Palak Vij

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Hormoz Mansouri, the politically connected Western New York businessman, was sentenced to one year of home detention, a $1.9 million fine, five years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service in U.S. District Court Friday after pleading guilty last year to fraudulently obtaining more than $3 million in federal pandemic loans.

Mansouri, 71, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Vilardo, where he said said he was ashamed of what he did, especially for the pain he caused his family, friends and employees before Vilardo read his sentence.

I want to apologize for what Ive done to bring me here today, Mansouri said.

Mansouri is also required to repay the nearly $3.2 million he received in federal loans as part of his guilty plea.

Vilardo, after handing down the sentence, said he was not imposing a prison sentence to allow Mansouri to continue to run his businesses, which would likely fail if he went to prison, preventing him from paying back the money he took.

Vilardo stressed that the lack of the prison sentence was not a reflection of a lack of seriousness of the crimes Mansouri committed, but was made so that he could pay back what he owes the government and the additional fine, and because of the many good deeds Mansouri has done in the community through philanthropic giving.

What you did here is reprehensible, Vilardo said.

Mansouri is required to wear an ankle monitor during his home detention, but will be permitted to leave his house under special conditions such as to go to work, medical appointments and to meet with his attorneys. His home detention counts toward his five years of supervised release. He is required to perform 100 hours of community service each of the four years of supervision following home detention. He also is barred from gambling and must submit self-exclusion forms to all area casinos.

Mansouri obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans through eight companies, which he used to pay down more than $640,000 in debt to an unnamed casino. He used another $200,000 of the money in an unsuccessful campaign to become Erie County comptroller, according to court documents.

The government has seized $1.9 million from Mansouris bank accounts and a 2017 Lexus. The U.S. Department of Justice has indicated it will not agree to allow any of the seized funds to be used toward restitution, and that it will seek payment of the full amount  more than $3 million  from Mansouri, according to presentencing filings from federal prosecutors.

As a condition of the sentence, Vilardo ruled that the seized money satisfies the fine he imposed, unless the Department of Justice changes course and applies the money to his restitution. In that case he would have to pay the fine with other funds.

Prosecutors, citing Mansouris willful deceit in obtaining the funds, which could have otherwise been used by struggling businesses during the pandemic, urged Vilardo to impose a sentence that includes a lengthy term of imprisonment, according to the filing.

And in court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Bonanno restated that stance prior to sentencing, saying that Mansouri repeatedly committed fraud and had many opportunities to reconsider his action, but decided to continue on with his scheme,despite being a man of substantial means.

He was doing this out of pure greed, Bonanno said.

Mansouris attorney Herbert Greenman wrote in presentencing filings that prison would financially devastate Mansouri.

Without doubt, the Department of Justices determination, borders on the preposterous and amounts to unjust enrichment by the government, he wrote in the filing.

In court, Greenman pleaded with Vilardo to consider the hundreds of letters submitted on Monsouris behalf by friends, family members and beneficiaries of his philanthropic giving vouching for his character and generosity, something the judge said affected his decision.

He also noted that Mansouri continued to employ two people who had cooperated with the government on the case because he felt responsible for bringing them into his scheme by directing them to prepare the fraudulent documents.

If he went to jail, those people and other employees would likely lose their jobs, he added.

He never discouraged them from cooperating with the government, Greenman said.

Indicted by a grand jury in March 2022, Mansouri faced 40 criminal charges, including the single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; 12 counts of bank fraud; 19 counts of wire fraud; and eight counts of money laundering. Authorities said Mansouri submitted false applications to financial institutions from April 2020 to February 2021 to defraud them of funds from the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

In pleading guilty and accepting responsibility for his actions last August, Mansouri increased his chances at a more lenient sentence.

Federal agents raided Mansouris business office in the Town of Tonawanda and in May 2021 seized the money from his bank accounts as part of the government effort to prosecute him for defrauding the government programs designed to help companies that were struggling because of the pandemic.

Mansouri transmitted or caused to be transmitted multiple applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans, as well as Economic Injury Disaster Loan relief, according to the indictment. He reportedly received 16 PPP loans, with more than $3 million in proceeds deposited into at least eight bank accounts, and he also received $450,600 in EIDL loans.
Rana Daggubati on why Dulquer Salmaan was the perfect lead for Kaantha, 'Each story decides who its actor is...'

Sarika Sharma

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Salman Khan celebrates 10 Years of Bajrangi Bhaijaan with unseen BTS moments, see here

Gayatri Rani

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Sreeleela bags another Bollywood biggie, likely to pair up with Ranveer Singh- Report

Sarika Sharma

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Tillotama Shome starrer Baksho Bondi  Shadowbox, to open the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025 after its Berlin Premiere

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Who is Megan Kerrigan, wife of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron whose affair with HR caught at Coldplay concert

Vaishnavi Gavankar

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Archisha Yadav is a sub editor with 1.5 years of experience in writing news articles on topics like education, jobs, and politics. She specialises in crafting simple, clear, and engaging stories that are easy to understand and hold the readers interest, making complex topics accessible and relatable to a larger audience.

Archisha Yadav

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Ananya Panday confesses her Labubu is fake: Its on a Chanel bag, no one will know

Bobby John Varkey

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*Disclaimer - Brand Connect is a solution that allows brands to break the queue to gain better engagement among our audiences

Riya Gandhi

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Buffalo mayoral candidate James Gardner said he believes the woman fatally shot Thursday at her home would still be alive if not for New York States bail reform law.

Buffalo police say man accused of killing ex-partner is in custody following Thruway crash A Buffalo man previously convicted of murder and suspected in the Thursday morning slaying of a woman with whom he had two children was brought into custody when his vehicle was spotted by state troopers on the Thruway outside of Hamburg later in the day.

Nearly two months before she was killed early Thursday morning on the front porch of her South Ogden Street home, Amanda Thompson, 44, obtained an order of protection against her ex-partner, Rickey M. Crouch, the 49-year-old man suspected by police of shooting her.

But despite being charged in May with numerous felonies and misdemeanors  including burglary and possession of a loaded firearm for breaking into Thompsons home and violating the protection order against him  and a previous homicide conviction, Crouch was not held in jail.

In one of the cases, prosecutors asked for Crouch to be held without bail but, instead, he was released on $50,000 bail, Buffalo Chief of Detectives Craig Macy said Thursday. In the other, Crouch was released from custody on his own recognizance.

The murder of any person is an unspeakable tragedy, Gardner, the Republican and Conservative candidate for Buffalo mayor said Friday during a news conference across the street from Thompsons home. What makes the death and murder of Amanda Thompson an outrage is that it was preventable and it would have been prevented but for the bail law that was championed by legislators in Albany, including Sean Ryan. The police did their job, the prosecutors did their job, and the judges followed the law that was laid out before them by Albany legislators, including Sean Ryan, and yet, still here we are.

In 2019, New York ended the use of money bail and jail for most cases involving misdemeanors and lower-level felonies. The law has since been reformed several times to give judges more discretion to set bail and added additional charges to the list of those eligible for cash bail.

In a statement, Ryan, a current state senator and Democratic Buffalo mayoral candidate, accused Gardner of politicizing Thompsons death and spreading inflammatory disinformation to score political points. He pushed back against Gardners assertion that the states bail reform law led to Thompsons death.

The people of Buffalo deserve a mayor who will tell the truth and will lead with honesty  not a political opportunist who exploits tragedy for headlines, Ryan said. Mr. Gardner is morally bankrupt and legally incompetent, and is unfit to lead the City of Buffalo. Buffalo deserves better.

Gardner, a former Erie County assistant district attorney, criticized the bail laws, saying the law is designed to remove discretion from judges in situations where they may or may not want to impose bail on a suspect.

The law itself puts judges in an untenable position where theyre supposed to favor the rights of the accused for the rights of victims and the rights of witnesses, Gardner said. That is the lesson and the failure that unfortunately, Amanda Thompson had to pay the price for, and her family had to pay the price, and its got to stop.

Gardner said one of his top priorities as mayor would be to support police officers and law enforcement officials to make our community safer again and work to repeal the bail reform law.

Ryan said protecting victims of domestic violence would be a top priority of his as mayor.

Crouch was arrested Thursday afternoon after he crashed a car on the Thruway outside of Hamburg as he was fleeing from police who were looking for him on a murder warrant, according to law enforcement officials.

Police reports obtained by The Buffalo News state Crouch is the father of two of Thompsons children.

In January 1997, Crouch pleaded guilty to killing a 16-year-old McKinley High School student. He faced a mandatory prison sentence of 15 to 25 years to life. State prison records show Crouch was released on parole in 2020 and discharged from parole in 2023.

Thompson obtained the order of protection against Crouch after he was charged in May with kicking down the front door of the South Ogden Street home armed with a handgun and grabbing the victim by the throat in front of the children.

The next day, Thompson, whose name was redacted from a police report, told officers that Crouch had violated an order of protection, obtained earlier that day, by driving near her mothers home on Schiller Street while Thompson was there.

Thompson told officers she believed Crouch is dangerous, armed with multiple guns and will shoot at police, the report states.
101Reporters

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'Got no complaint, what bomb is this': Devendra Fadnavis reacts to Nana Patole's honeytrap allegations

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Indian airlines rush to add more flights to Kuwait as New Delhi signs treaty with Gulf nation

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Regulatory safeguards have been put in place to reduce speculation, ensure stable pricing: Sebi chief on electricity futures

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Five months after losing her federal job to Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, Alissa Ellman of Lockport is once again seeking federal employment  as a member of Congress.

Two Democrats are challenging Langworthy, Tenney for Congress Democrats are lining up to challenge Republican incumbents for the 23rd and 24th Congressional District seats.

Ellman, 41, plans to declare her race for the Democratic nomination in New Yorks sprawling 24th District on Friday. Another Democrat, former business owner Diana Kastenbaum, previously announced plans to challenge Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney next year in the largely conservative district, which stretches from Niagara County to Watertown. But for now, it looks like Ellman and Kastenbaum will face off against each other first.

I never in my lifetime thought I would be involved in politics outside of a voting booth, said Ellman, a veteran who lost her job at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in February, in an interview this week. I always thought it would just be me casting my vote, and I trusted the government to have a plan and to take care of its people. But Im running because Im very fearful that thats not the agenda that 99% of people in politics have. And I want to bring something different. I want to bring something new. I want to bring life to this area and hope, honestly, hope for a better future.

Ellman brings not only a fresh face but also some contrary views to the race. While touting health care as a basic human right and criticizing President Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act for cutting Medicaid and endangering rural hospitals, Ellman also said she opposes the Democratic Party line favoring gun control. She said guns are an essential part of everyday life for residents of rural areas like most of NY-24.

This is about feeding their kids. This is about defending their land, she said. You dont know when youre going to have a bear on your property or a rabid raccoon, and its an absolute imperative for people in this area to have their gun rights. Its something that I really care about. As a person whos been a soldier and carried a loaded weapon for 18 months of my life, I know that you can do that safely, and there are ways that we can be safe with our needed guns in our area.

Ellman joined the Army National Guard while still at Fillmore Central High School in Allegany County in 2001. And in January 2003, she began an 18-month tour of duty as an Army flight operations specialist in Afghanistan, where American troops were waging war against the terrorist regime connected to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

While still in the Guard, Ellman returned to Afghanistan in 2005 for a three-year stint managing flight line operations for Halliburton, a defense contractor. She got discharged from the Guard in 2007 and came home in 2008 to get a degree in special education from Niagara University. She later worked as a teacher before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs last year.

Ellman said that if shes elected to Congress, she will focus on rural transportation and economic development issues  and be a very different lawmaker than Tenney, who will be running for her fifth term in the House. Ellman criticized Tenney, saying shes unresponsive to constituent questions.

I know personally because I have been to her office protesting, Ellman said. I have been to her office to ask questions, and the response that she gives people is to send them literature on how great Donald Trump is. I dont think that thats responsible. And if I were to become the congressperson for this area, I would respond to everyone. I would do my best to help real working people.

Ellman said she also stands as a contrast to Kastenbaum, who ran and lost to then-Rep. Chris Collins in New Yorks 27th District in 2016.

I have an independent mind, and Im new, Ellman said.

Whomever the Democrats pick to run in the 24th District will face a serious challenge. There are 227,802 registered Republicans in the district and only 129,286 Democrats. And Tenney boasts a strong relationship with Trump and $916,705 in her campaign account as of June 30.
Waaree Energies, Premier Energies, SW Solar shares fall up to 4% as US firms request tariffs on imports from India

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Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.

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Danish Khan is the editor of Technology and Telecom. He was previously with the Economic Times and has tracked the sector for 14 years.

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223% spike in income of unrecognised political parties, over 73% fail to disclose financial record in 2022-23: ADR

Rewati Karan

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AAP makes it official: 'No longer part of INDIA; oppn bloc can do whatever it wants'

Armaan Bhatnagar

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President Donald Trump pledged to deport the worst of the worst. He frequently speaks at public appearances about the countless dangerous criminals  among them murderers, rapists and child predators  from around the world he says entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration. He promises to expel millions of migrants in the largest deportation program in American history to protect law-abiding citizens from the violent threats he says they pose.

But government data tells a different story.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased arrests since Trump began his second term, with reports of raids across the country. Yet the majority of people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions. Of those who do, relatively few were convicted of high-level crimes.

There's a deep disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality, said Ahilan Arulanantham, co-faculty director of the UCLA Law School's Center for Immigration Law and Policy. This administration, and also in the prior Trump administration, they consistently claim to be going after the worst of the worst and just talk about immigration enforcement as though it is all about going after violent, dangerous people with extensive criminal histories. And yet overwhelmingly, it's people they're targeting for arrest who have no criminal history of any kind.

By the numbers

The latest ICE statistics show that as of June 29, ICE detained 57,861 people, 41,495  or 71.7%  of whom had no criminal convictions. That includes 14,318 people with pending criminal charges, and 27,177 who are subject to immigration enforcement but have no known criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

Each detainee is assigned a threat level by ICE on a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the highest. Those without a criminal record are classified as having no ICE threat level. As of June 23, the latest data available, 84% of people detained at 201 facilities nationwide were not given a threat level, 7% were graded as a level 1 threat, 4% were level 2 and 5% were level 3.

President Trump has justified this immigration agenda in part by making false claims that migrants are driving violent crime in the United States, and that's just simply not true, said Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior director of the justice program at the Brennan Center for Justice. There's no research and evidence that supports his claims.

Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, called the assessment that ICE isn't targeting immigrants with a criminal record false" and said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem directed ICE to target the worst of the worst  including gang members, murderers, and rapists. She counted detainees with convictions, as well as those with pending charges, as criminal illegal aliens.

As of June 14, nonpublic data obtained by the Cato Institute shows 65% of the more than 204,000 people ICE processed since the start of fiscal year 2025, which began Oct. 1, 2024, had no criminal convictions. Of those with convictions, only 6.9% committed a violent crime, while 53% committed nonviolent crimes that fell into three main categories: immigration, traffic or vice crimes.

Total ICE arrests shot up at the end of May after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller gave the agency a quota of 3,000 arrests a day, up from 650 a day in the first five months of Trumps second term. ICE arrested nearly 30% more people in May than in April, according to the Transactional Records Clearinghouse. That number rose again in June, by another 28%.

The Cato Institute found that between Feb. 8 and May 17, the daily average of noncriminals processed into the system ranged from 421 to 454. In the following two weeks at the end of May, that number rose to 678 and then to 927 in the period from June 1 through 14.

What you're seeing is this huge increase in funding to detain people, remove people, enforce immigration laws," Eisen said. "And what we're seeing is that a lot of these people back to sort of the original question you asked, these are not people who are dangerous.

Administration doubles down

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said the administration is intensely focused on rooting out unvetted criminals who are in the country illegally.

Referring to raids Thursday, she wrote in an email, "the Administration conducted a successful operation rescuing children from labor exploitation at a marijuana facility in California, and continued arresting the worst of the worst  including murderers, pedophiles, gang members, and rapists.

"Any suggestion that the Administration is not laser focused on these dangerous criminals is flat out wrong, she added.

While most ICE detainees are not convicted criminals, there are detainees who committed serious crimes. The administration recently released information on five high-level offenders who were arrested.

During his campaign, Trump highlighted several cases where immigrants in the country illegally were arrested for horrific crimes. Among them: The killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student who was slain last year by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally. Jose Ibarra was found guilty of murder and other crimes in Rileys February 2024 killing and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ibarra seeks a new trial.

Trump in January signed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.

What studies find

Research consistently found, however, that immigrants are not driving violent crime in the U.S. and that they actually commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans.

A 2023 working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, reported that immigrants for 150 years had lower incarceration rates than people born in the U.S. In fact, the rates declined since 1960  according to the paper, immigrants were 60% less likely to be incarcerated.

Experts say the false rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration creates real harm.

It makes people in immigrant communities feel targeted and marginalized, Arulanantham said. It creates more political and social space for hate in all its forms, including hate crime against immigrant communities.

Eisen noted the impact extends to other communities as well.

All Americans should want safe and thriving communities," she said, "and this idea that the president of the United States is making misleading statements about the truth and distorting reality is not the way to deliver public safety."
Bengaluru's Electronics City Metro: Safety inspection from July 22 to 25; PM may inaugurate in August

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_

Christin Mathew Philip

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'Bhupesh Baghel na tootega na jhukega': Former Chhattisgarh CM on raids at home over liquor scam case against son

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Big blow to Lalu Yadav: Supreme Court refuses to stay proceedings against RJD chief in land for job case

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'BJP built more houses in Bihar than entire populations of New Zealand, Singapore': PM Modi in Motihari

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'Feel proud of my soldiers: Raj Thackeray on MNS workers attacking against those with 'anti-Marathi' views

Rewati Karan

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Lok Sabha likely to take up motion to impeach Justice Varma in first week of Monsoon Session

Parimal Peeyush

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Monsoon session: Govt says all political parties on board in Justice Varma impeachment decision

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Nimisha Priya case: Govt taking good care of whatever is possible, says SC; posts hearing for August 14

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Nina Kutina Case: Before Karnataka cave rescue, Israeli trader opens up about passionate affair with Russian woman

Surabhi Pandey

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'No space for third party in India-China bilateral ties': Jaishankar tells Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

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'Only Nimisha Priya's family should talk to victim's family for pardon, no outsider', Centre tells SC

Ria Kapoor

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News / Local

by Staff reporter

Armed security personnel manning an anti-smuggling roadblock at Bubi, approximately 80km outside Beitbridge, were forced to flee on Wednesday after a group of angry passengers violently resisted attempts to force them back to the border post for reassessment of duty on their imported goods.The security officers, who are part of anti-smuggling units patrolling highways from border posts, were overwhelmed by the irate travellers, mostly women returning from shopping trips. The roadblocks are intended to intercept smugglers and ensure imported goods have been properly declared and taxed. However, they have increasingly been accused of harassment and extortion.According to witnesses, tensions flared after passengers were ordered to return to the Beitbridge border post for duty reassessment. The passengers, already suspicious after reports of bogus security details posing as Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) officials, refused to comply and confronted the armed officers."Police and soldiers fled as the women travellers returning from shopping trips threatened to pelt them with stones," said one witness. "More than 100 women threatened to run over the security officers in unprecedented scenes of defiance."The officers, despite being armed, reportedly chose to retreat as the situation spiralled out of control. Police were not immediately available for comment on the incident.The dramatic standoff came on the same day Zacc issued a statement expressing frustration over growing resistance from motorists and travellers at roadblocks. The anti-graft body said refusal to comply with lawful instructions undermined national efforts to combat corruption and smuggling."Zacc notes with concern that following the anti-corruption awareness campaign in Beitbridge, some members of the public, motorists and transporters are resisting searches at roadblocks," Zacc spokesperson Simiso Mlevu said."We urge the public to comply with lawful instructions from police officers, whether they are in uniform or not. Zacc is committed to combating corruption and inter-agency cooperation is important in the execution of this mandate."Mlevu warned that continued defiance would weaken national anti-corruption efforts, urging all travellers to cooperate fully with law enforcement.However, travellers claim the roadblocks are increasingly being used to extort bribes and harass innocent people, with bogus officials and genuine officers alike demanding money under the guise of enforcing customs regulations.The Bubi incident highlights rising tensions between citizens and enforcement agents as authorities ramp up efforts to curb smuggling on the country's highways.
Prajwal Revanna rape case: Court reserves verdict in one of four cases

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SC pulls up Centre, Maharashtra for not setting up new infrastructure for special courts

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Zero tolerance for terrorism': Jaishankar hails US after it designates TRF as terrorist group

Priyanjali Ghose

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US designates TRF as terror group: What it means for Indias FATF push?

Chhabi Kala

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Waqf Act row: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claims 'daily chaos', influx into constituency prompted him to speak out

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News / Local

by Staff reporter

Harare's persistent water shortages are being made worse by growing demand from neighbouring towns, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of the capital's already stretched supply system. This is according to the newly adopted Harare Master Plan (2025-2045), which has highlighted the urgent need for independent water sources and coordinated planning.The report reveals that Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Epworth - fast-growing urban centres surrounding the capital - continue to rely heavily on Harare's fragile water infrastructure."Harare's dominance as the capital creates structural dependence from surrounding local authorities," the master plan states. "More than half the population of these areas spend their day in Harare, further pressuring resources."Harare has long battled chronic water shortages caused by a combination of ageing infrastructure, insufficient purification capacity, and frequent rationing. The capital remains heavily reliant on Lake Chivero, a water source suffering from decades of pollution, siltation, and recurring droughts.In response to dwindling water levels, the city has increasingly turned to Lake Manyame and has been working to upgrade infrastructure at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Works to enhance supply from the alternative source.Despite the proximity of Prince Edward and Harava dams to Chitungwiza, the dormitory town continues to depend on Harare, lacking its own water supply infrastructure.Government has outlined plans to construct Muda Dam and a 26km pipeline from Muchekeranwa Dam to Wenimbi Dam, aimed at boosting water supplies to Harare and other local authorities. Additionally, proposals are on the table to utilise Harava Dam to feed neighbouring municipalities.The master plan warns that Harare's water system was never designed to accommodate the current population and demand levels, which have been exacerbated by unregulated peri-urban growth.In response, neighbouring towns are now exploring ways to secure their own raw water supplies to achieve greater self-sufficiency and ease pressure on Harare."By securing their own raw water supplies, these towns aim for self-sufficiency and reduction in reliance on Harare," the report notes. However, it also emphasises that regional collaboration on infrastructure and governance would reduce costs and improve long-term efficiency.Speaking to this publication, Alice Kuvheya, director of the Chitungwiza Residents Trust, expressed deep frustration at the prolonged water crisis facing her community."Chitungwiza has over half a million residents, but no independent water source," Kuvheya said. "For 11 years, we have begged government to act. Harare should not blame us. They should join us in demanding action from central government."She called for unity between Harare and its neighbouring towns in lobbying the government for lasting solutions."The water from Harare is not even enough for us. Instead of pointing fingers, we must unite to pressure the President and central government to provide sustainable solutions," she said.The master plan underlines that joint infrastructural development is critical to solving the water crisis. Without urgent intervention, it warns, Harare's water woes - and those of its neighbours - will only deepen.
What is 'The Resistance Front'? Lashkar's shadow group behind deadly Pahalgam attack now US-designated terrorist group

Surabhi Pandey

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Will complete order of AK-203 'Sher' rifles to armed forces 22 months ahead of schedule: IRRPL

101Reporters

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Will you be sent to detention too?' TMC's jibe at PM Modi speaking in Bengali at Durgapur rally

Rewati Karan

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With two key tests, India sends strategic message to both Pakistan & China

Armaan Bhatnagar

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Yet to recover from Operation Sindoor damage, Pakistan's strategic airbase to remain shut for few more weeks

Armaan Bhatnagar

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Cash-at-home row: 5 grounds on which Justice Varma has challenged indictment by in-house panel

Rewati Karan

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A Rajya Sabha nomination from Kerala reignites the debate on political violence in the state

Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.

Namrata Agarwal

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Man critically injured after being sucked into MRI scanner by metal chain in New York hospital

Shubhi Mishra

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Little spotted Kiwi found alive on mainland New Zealand after 46 years

MC Science Desk Read the latest and trending science newsstay updated on NASA, ISRO, space missions, planets, asteroids, black holes, AI, quantum physics, galaxy discoveries, and more exciting breakthroughs.

Sheetal Kumari

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News / Local

by Staff reporter

The Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court in Pretoria has denied bail to a 55-year-old Zimbabwean national based in Saulsville, who was charged with three counts of raping his landlord's 12-year-old daughter.The horrific rape incidents allegedly happened in March."The NPA's firm opposition to bail underscores its unwavering commitment to combating gender-based violence (GBV) and protecting vulnerable children," said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gauteng regional spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana.The name of the alleged rapist has been withheld to protect the identity of the minor victim.Mahanjana explained that the accused man had been a tenant at the girl's family home in Saulsville for 12 years as of March.He allegedly called the 12-year-old girl to his back room in the yard on three separate occasions, raped her, and gave her money ranging from R24 to R50 to buy kotas."On 25 June 2025, in the evening, while the complainant (the young girl) was on the phone in the house, her mother asked her who she was talking to, and when she could not respond, the mother requested to go through her phone. While going through the phone, she saw conversations where the accused (tenant) was asking the complainant when she will be going on her periods," said Mahanjana.The mother confronted the tenant in his back room, where he denied the allegations and requested that they take the child to Kalafong Hospital in Tshwane for examination.While at the hospital during examination, one of the nurses called the police, and the accused was arrested on the scene."During the bail hearing, the accused, through his legal representative, asked to be released on bail, claiming that the state's case was weak and citing his responsibilities to support his wife and six children. He further stated that, as a self-employed individual, detention would hinder his income and ability to afford legal fees," said Mahanjana.However, state prosecutor Katlego Manana opposed bail, arguing the severity of the charges and the high prevalence of such offences in the court's jurisdiction.Manana highlighted the risk of the Zimbabwean man interfering with the investigation, due to his familiarity with the victim and her mother.The prosecution also noted the accused man's lack of immovable property in South Africa, increasing the likelihood of him evading trial.The magistrate said the Zimbabwean man did not produce any proof that he is self-employed and that there is no evidence that shows whether he stays with his family in the country or has left them in Zimbabwe.The magistrate added that in his bail application, the accused man only listed his responsibilities and no substantial circumstances.Moreover, the magistrate said if the accused suffers financially while in custody and cannot afford a legal representative, he can apply for Legal Aid. Therefore, bail was denied.Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority in Gauteng has welcomed the court's decision, commending the vigilance of the victim's mother, whose swift action led to the tenant's arrest.The NPA also saluted the vigilant staff at Kalafong Hospital who facilitated police involvement.Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren has also commended prosecutor Manana for the fight against the accused man's bail bid."The denial of bail sends a clear message: the NPA will vigorously oppose release for those accused of heinous GBV crimes, prioritising the safety of victims and communities," she said.The NPA urges families and communities to remain vigilant, report suspected abuse promptly, and support survivors through Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs), which offer medical, psychological, and legal assistance.The NPA has called on South Africans to unite against gender-based violence, fostering safe environments where children's constitutional rights to dignity and safety are upheld, and perpetrators face the full might of the law.The case against the Zimbabwean man was postponed to 23 July for regional court allocation.Last year, IOL reported that a 32-year-old Olievenhoutbosch father was found guilty of the rape and attempted murder of his 11-month-old daughter, as well as defeating the ends of justice in the High Court in Pretoria.At the time, the NPA said the father and the mother of the baby were in a love relationship, and on the evening of April 30, 2023, the couple was at their place of residence when a neighbour came and asked the mother to come and help her cook.The neighbour who asked for help was hosting an overnight ceremony. The child's mother then departed with the neighbour, leaving the baby under the guardianship of her father."The following day, in the early hours of the morning, while the mother was still assisting the neighbour, she saw her partner on the streets. When she asked about the whereabouts of the baby, he told her that he had left the baby sleeping," Mahanjana said at the time.
Danish Khan is the editor of Technology and Telecom. He was previously with the Economic Times and has tracked the sector for 14 years.

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Hemant Abhishek

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Google Search with Gemini update can now make calls for you, heres how it works

MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation.

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Meta to soon join Centre's Sahyog Portal for takedown orders, integration in final stages

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Samsungs first tri-fold smartphone likely to be introduced this year: All the details

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You could be fined $65 just for googling LGBT Movement or Nazi in this country

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Burano In Italy named the worlds most colourful city, according to new study

Priyanka Roshan With over eight years in multimedia journalism, is passionate about storytellingboth visual and textualacross travel, jobs, business, markets, politics, and daily news. From crafting engaging articles to producing compelling videos, she blends creativity with strategy to bring stories to life. With a strong foundation in SEO, and video production she ensures content not only informs but also resonates with audiences.

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Caught on Camera: Coldplay kiss cam goes viral, exposing alleged affair between Astronomer CEO and HR chief

Aishwarya Dabhade

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China calls for regional anti-terror push after TRF tagged by US

Tamal Nandi

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News / Local

by Staff reporter

An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the local magnitude scale struck Chimanimani District in the early hours of yesterday morning, sending mild tremors through the area but causing no reported damage or injuries.The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the tremor occurred at exactly 3:02 AM local time on July 17, 2025. The quake's epicentre was pinpointed at Latitude -20.067 and Longitude 32.655, squarely within Chimanimani District."An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 occurred in Chimanimani on the 17th of July, 2025, at 0302hrs local time. The earthquake was felt in Chimanimani District," the MSD said.Mr. Maringo, the Provincial Meteorological Officer for Manicaland, confirmed that several residents in the area reported feeling the tremors during the early morning hours.According to the MSD, the quake was considered moderate in scale and falls within the typical seismic activity associated with the East African Rift System, which stretches southward into neighbouring Mozambique."Earthquakes in this region are associated with the East African Rift System. The earthquake was of moderate magnitude and no reports of damage were received," the MSD said.Residents who felt the tremor described it as brief but noticeable, with some saying it caused momentary panic as household items rattled. However, authorities have confirmed that no infrastructure damage or casualties have been recorded.Chimanimani is prone to occasional seismic activity due to its geographical positioning, though earthquakes of this nature are typically not severe.
Felix Baumgartner, pioneer of supersonic skydive, dies in paragliding accident in Italy at 56

101Reporters

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Global demand for BrahMos soars after Operation Sindoor: From Philippines to Brazil, whos interested?

Pragya Trivedi

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'Make in India' gets boost as India plans Rs 61,000 crore fighter jet engine project with France: Report

Abhinav Gupta

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Modi heads to Maldives: Will it blunt Beijings influence? India eyes reclaiming space in its strategic backyard

Abhinav Gupta

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Over 160 held in Gopalganj unrest: What triggered the violence and mass arrests in Bangladesh

Rewati Karan

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Pakistans Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in US to push for trade deal

101Reporters

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Sweida bleeds: Nearly 600 killed as Syrian troops withdraw amid Israeli airstrikes and US mediation

Pragya Trivedi

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'Trip to Pakistan not scheduled': White House denies reports of Trump's visit to Pakistan

Pragya Trivedi

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Trump claims there is no smoking gun in Epstein Files, rejects lewd birthday letter as fake

Abhinav Gupta

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Interview: BRICS mechanism boosts global governance reform, British scholar says

Xinhua) 15:22, July 18, 2025

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS mechanism is emerging as a powerful force driving reform of the global governance system, British scholar Martin Jacques said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

While existing global institutions "greatly privilege the West," Jacques noted, "The aim of BRICS is not to replace them but to reform the system -- the way it operates, the forms of representation, and so on."

Jacques described the grouping's expansion over recent years as "a very important development," noting that it now "represents the great majority of the world's population who live in the developing world." Therefore, its role as a platform for Global South exchanges and cooperation is becoming more pronounced, he said.

Yet, Jacques acknowledged, this broader base also introduces new complexities.

"How does BRICS -- which is newly expanded, therefore it's changed a lot, its dynamics are different -- give shape and force to the BRICS view of the reforms that are necessary?" he said.

"It's got to find forms of representation and channels in which it can exert its influence," he added.

Looking further ahead, Jacques said BRICS's long-term goal is to empower developing nations to play a more central role in shaping global governance.

"Let's say the ultimate objective is that the Global South becomes the majoritarian element in global governance," he said.

Jacques also emphasized China's role in shaping and sustaining the BRICS mechanism, crediting Beijing with playing a crucial part in guiding its development, particularly before the bloc's expansion.

"China's role has been decisive. It wouldn't and couldn't have happened without China," the British scholar commented. "I can't see how, without China, it would have been possible to get to this stage."

"China's weight -- its economic weight -- is crucial," he said. "But also China's strategic concept. Because of its strength and because of its independence, China has a very independent mentality."

A guest speaker for the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum held this week, Jacques noted the importance of fostering a deeper and more inclusive understanding of the BRICS mechanism.

Intellectual and media engagement can play a critical role in shaping its evolving identity, he stressed.

"I think that we need to understand BRICS better. We need to listen to people from different countries and so on -- how they see it and what they bring to it," he said. "This is how to develop a culture of an organization."

Like any meaningful international institution, BRICS needs to undergo a continual process of reflection and self-definition, he added.

"An organization needs to have a kind of self-realization -- a constant renewal of understanding of what it's about," the British scholar said. "Bringing together journalists and reporters and editors and intellectuals and so on -- it's a very good idea for this. I think it's essential."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Harare's last remaining tower lights were switched off this week, plunging Zimbabwe's capital further into darkness - a stark metaphor for the city's deepening governance crisis and financial dysfunction.The blackout, triggered by Harare's ballooning debt to Zesa Holdings Limited, signals far more than a lapse in public lighting. It has become a glaring warning to the city's three million residents of what lies ahead. Next on the chopping block: the city's traffic lights - the fragile thread holding together Harare's already chaotic road system, which is riddled with some of southern Africa's worst potholes.Zesa's consumer arm, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), has confirmed that Harare's entire municipal electricity infrastructure will soon operate on prepaid meters, including traffic control systems and public safety points.Harare's city officials, already battling financial ruin, were caught off guard. Yet it's not just Harare in the firing line. Documents reveal that satellite towns like Chitungwiza have also received formal demands to settle mounting debts as Zesa moves decisively to recover what it's owed."Everything will now run under a prepaid metering system," a Zesa insider said. "We have been in discussions with all councils since July last year, and they were given a year to pay off their debts. This is not sudden - it is part of a government directive for Zesa to collect its dues."For Harare, this is more than a technical adjustment; it's a reckoning.By midweek, the crisis had reached Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, who slammed Zesa's actions as "ill-advised" and "ill-thought.""This is public accounting gone rogue," Mafume fumed.But ZETDC remains unmoved. The utility insists the rollout of prepaid and smart meters is designed to help councils manage consumption more efficiently."These meters are intelligent, offering municipalities opportunities to save energy. In fact, they can even export power to the grid, especially as many streetlights are solar-powered," ZETDC said. "Almost all electricity supply contracts in the region are now prepaid to match supply and demand and reduce load-shedding. No one has been switched off - power is simply available at the point of purchase."Behind these reassurances, however, is mounting financial pressure.In a letter dated May 28, 2025, ZETDC informed Chitungwiza Town Council that its debt had soared to ZiG$3 million (about US$111,500). The letter outlined plans to retrofit all municipal electricity points with prepaid meters, warning the council to settle arrears or face deductions of 75% from each prepaid token purchase until the debt is cleared."We are in the final phase of our prepaid meter installation project," the letter reads. "Please ensure your accounts are fully paid. The outstanding debt will be recovered at 75% of the token purchase amount."The situation underscores the broader decay of public services across Zimbabwe's urban centres, where years of mismanagement, corruption, and neglect have hollowed out municipal capacities.As Harare's lights go dark and its traffic signals falter, residents are left wondering: In a city forced to prepay for survival, who will answer for decades of decay?
Aishwarya Dabhade

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US declares TRF a global terror group: How Pakistans Ishaq Dar tried to shield the Lashkar proxy at UNSC

Abhinav Gupta

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US Visa fraud: Indian-origin businessman, 4 others charged for creating false crime reports for immigrant claims under visa programme

101Reporters

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'Zero tolerance for terrorism': India applauds US action against TRF

Pragya Trivedi

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News / Local

by Staff reporter

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development this week published its first quarter notice of tender awards, outlining contracts awarded for road maintenance, construction works, equipment supply, and security services. The move has been hailed by government officials, including Permanent Secretary for Information, Nick Mangwana, as a positive step towards improving transparency and accountability within public procurement.However, while publishing the list of successful bidders signals a shift towards openness, critics argue that it falls far short of genuine transparency and accountability. Procurement experts and civil society organisations say transparency must be embedded throughout the entire procurement process - from advertising tenders, through evaluation, to awarding contracts - and not limited to post-award announcements.Zimbabwe's procurement system has long been dogged by allegations of opaque practices, with well-connected individuals and questionable briefcase companies frequently securing lucrative contracts without a proven track record. A close analysis of the ministry's tender notice reveals several red flags that undermine the credibility of the process.Notably, some contractors appear to have been awarded multiple tenders, raising questions about fair competition. Of particular concern is the repeated reference to tender number MOTIDCAPEX 262 of 2024 across various equipment supply contracts - a pattern that raises suspicions of irregularities or potential duplication of allocations. Even more troubling is the absence of any disclosed evaluation criteria or explanation for how the winning bidders were selected, leaving the public unable to verify whether the tenders were awarded on merit."Publishing a list of awards without providing the full evaluation reports or reasons for selection does not constitute true transparency," said a Harare-based procurement analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The public has no insight into how decisions were made or whether they adhered to principles of fairness and value for money."The situation is further exacerbated by Zimbabwe's chronic issue of substandard service delivery. Contractors awarded infrastructure projects frequently deliver poor quality work with little accountability. Calls are growing for the government to blacklist non-performing firms and enforce strict penalties to deter substandard performance.Transparency advocates argue that genuine reform must go beyond surface-level disclosures. They are calling for the Ministry of Transport to publish full tender documentation and evaluation reports, conduct thorough due diligence on bidders, actively guard against conflicts of interest, and implement robust monitoring systems to ensure projects are completed to standard."Until Zimbabwe adopts comprehensive safeguards, including disqualifying underperforming contractors and enforcing financial penalties for breaches, the public has every right to remain sceptical of these so-called transparency efforts," said the analyst.While the ministry's move signals a stated commitment to infrastructure investment, critics warn that without deeper institutional reforms, it risks being dismissed as mere window dressing. Transparency, they insist, must not be reduced to a public relations exercise. It is a vital system of checks and balances essential for rooting out corruption and restoring public trust.The onus is now on the government to prove that tenders are awarded based on merit, not political connections or patronage. Until then, scepticism will remain firmly entrenched.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Government has announced a new comprehensive package of allowances and benefits for local authority officials, offering them housing stands, motorbike loans, and other perks such as free parking and burial space - but firmly ruling out exit packages at the end of their terms.The details are contained in a circular dated 17 July 2025 issued by Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, and addressed to all local authorities across the country. The announcement follows promises made during the 2025 All-Councillors Indaba held in Bulawayo in June.According to the circular, mayors and council chairpersons will now receive a monthly allowance of US$265, while deputy mayors and vice-chairpersons will earn US$243. Committee chairpersons will receive US$229, with ordinary councillors set to earn US$221 per month. Minister Garwe indicated that 20 percent of these allowances will only come into effect from January 2026."The circular comes into effect immediately," Minister Garwe stated. "Any circular that arbitrarily raised allowances without ministerial approval or awarded perks outside this circular should recover same forthwith." He further directed the Auditor General to ensure that all payments and perks align with the new guidelines.Among the notable benefits, Government has introduced a once-off housing benefit for councillors who do not have residential properties within their wards. Such councillors may now be allocated a single residential stand within their ward at a 40 percent discount on normal land value. The allocation is on a lease-to-own basis, with the full cost of land servicing to be paid before the end of the councillor's term. However, title deeds will only be issued upon completion of a house on the stand, and councillors are prohibited from selling or transferring the property during their term of office."This is a privilege, not an entitlement," Minister Garwe emphasised. "The stand acquired in terms of this circular is not for profit or aggrandizement."Other minor benefits include free parking and a free grave for councillors during their term of office.In addition, councils may apply for approval to provide motorbike loans, capped at US$2,000 per councillor, repayable over five years. Minister Garwe said councils seeking to offer this facility must justify the purchase, provide clear budget lines, and specify the purpose of the motorbikes.Regarding vehicle purchases, the Minister indicated that further guidance would be issued once Treasury concurrence is received and the necessary Statutory Instrument promulgated in line with Customs and Excise Regulations to enable duty-free purchases.Significantly, the circular rules out any form of exit package for councillors after their term of office ends. "Minister Garwe approved that no exit package be paid to any councillor on the completion of his/her term of office," the circular reads.The newly announced package reflects Government's efforts to standardise benefits for councillors while promoting responsible governance and accountability at the local authority level.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has issued a stern warning against the rising trend of internet-based broadcasting of content that violates the country's broadcasting regulations and standards.In a statement, BAZ expressed concern over the growing prevalence of unverified, harmful, or offensive material being disseminated through online platforms, noting that such content reflects a blatant disregard for Zimbabwe's broadcasting laws."These incidents, involving unverified, harmful or offensive material, represent a blatant disregard for the guidelines provided in the nation's broadcasting laws," BAZ said.The authority reminded content creators and broadcasters that Zimbabwe's broadcasting laws and regulations are designed to uphold national values, protect individual rights, and ensure that media contributes positively to societal development."The Code of Conduct for Broadcasters clearly defines the professional and ethical guidelines that all broadcasters, whether traditional or digital, are required to follow," the statement read.BAZ warned that it is closely monitoring both traditional and digital media platforms and will not hesitate to enforce existing laws decisively to safeguard the integrity of Zimbabwe's media landscape.The authority urged all broadcasters, especially those operating online, to familiarise themselves with the Code of Conduct and ensure that all content published complies with the law.This warning comes amid a surge in social media and internet-based broadcasting platforms, where individuals and groups have increasingly been sharing content that sometimes flouts professional standards and legal requirements.
Burkina Faso ruling junta dissolves independent electoral commission View Photo

DAKAR, Senegal (AP)  Burkina Fasos military rulers have dissolved the countrys independent electoral commission, authorities said.

Since taking power in a 2022 coup, the West African countrys military leaders have launched sweeping reforms, including postponing elections that were expected to restore civilian rule.

The government passed a law late Wednesday abolishing the Independent National Electoral Commission, which is responsible for organizing elections, citing its high cost, Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo said after a Cabinet meeting.

Abolishing the electoral commission will reinforce the countrys sovereign control on the electoral process and limit foreign influences, Zerbo added.

The state run television broadcaster RTB said the interior ministry will take control of future polls.

The junta in Burkina Faso seized power in Sept. 2022 by ousting the military rule of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after it staged a coup to remove democratically elected President Roch Marc Kabore.

The country is one of several West African nations where the military has taken over in recent years, capitalizing on popular discontent with previous democratically elected governments over security issues.

The junta had initially set a goal of conducting elections to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024 but last year it signed a new charter that allows the countrys leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore to remain in office until July 2029.

The transitional government has been running Burkina Faso under a constitution approved by a national assembly that included army officers, civil society groups and traditional and religious leaders.
Nagasaki cathedral blesses a bell that replaces one destroyed by the US atomic bomb

Nagasaki cathedral blesses a bell that replaces one destroyed by the US atomic bomb View Photo

TOKYO (AP)  A Nagasaki cathedral has blessed the final piece to complete its restoration nearly 80 years after being destroyed by the second U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Japan: a reproduction of its lost bell restored by a group of Americans.

The new bell was blessed and named the St. Kateri Bell of Hope, by Peter Michiaki Nakamura, archbishop of Nagasaki, at the Urakami Cathedral in a ceremony Thursday attended by more than 100 followers and other participants.

The bell is scheduled to be hung inside the cathedral, filling the empty bell tower for the first time, on Aug. 9, the anniversary of the bombing.

The U.S. bomb that was dropped Aug. 9, 1945, fell near the cathedral, killing two priests and 24 followers inside among the more than 70,000 dead in the city. Japan surrendered, ending World War II days later.

The bombing of Nagasaki destroyed the cathedral building and the smaller of its two bells. The building was restored earlier, but without the smaller bell.

The restoration project was led by James Nolan Jr., who was inspired after hearing about the lost bell when he met a local Catholic follower during his 2023 visit to Nagasaki. Nolan lectured about the atomic bombing in the southern city and its history about Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japans feudal era, to raise funds for the bell restoration.

I think its beautiful and the bell itself is more beautiful than I ever imagined, Nolan, who was at the blessing ceremony, said after he test-rang the bell. He said he hoped the bell will be a symbol of unity and that will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt.

Kojiro Moriuchi, the follower who told Nolan about the bell, prayed and gently touched it.

Im so graterul, he said. I hope Urakami Cathederal will be a place for peace-loving people from around the world to gather.

A sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, Nolan is the grandson of a doctor who was in the Manhattan Project  the secret effort to build the bombs  and who was on a survey team that visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly after the bombings.

Nolan wrote the book Atomic Doctors, about the moral dilemmas faced by medical doctors who took part in the Manhattan Project, based on materials his grandfather left behind.

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

Associated Press
China issues safety warning for its nationals studying in the Philippines View Photo

BEIJING (AP)  Chinas Education Ministry issued a safety warning for Chinese students in the Philippines after what it said were a series of criminal incidents targeting them.

The brief warning Friday did not identify any specific incidents but told students to increase their safety awareness should they choose to study in the Philippines. The number of Chinese students in the country was not given but enrolments have fallen to just a few hundred in recent years, according to the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.

Relations between the governments of China and the Philippines are particularly tense due to disputes over maritime claims in the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. China has used water cannons and other non-lethal shipboard deterrents to drive off Philippine fishing boats.

Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communications Office said on Friday that China has the right to issue such an advisory but underscored that the crime rate in the Philippines has been falling and safety and security in the Philippines, we can say, have been improving as far as we are concerned.

Police response to public concerns over crime has been fast. Crimes sparked by Chinese online gambling have declined or have been eradicated and many Chinese suspects have been deported by the Philippines, Castro told a daily news briefing.

In February a 14-year-old Chinese student was kidnapped in Manila by a Chinese-led gang, which killed his driver and cut off the students finger in a bid to force his parents to pay a huge ransom. The Philippine interior secretary said the students family and the Chinese leader of the kidnappers were allegedly former operators of lucrative online gambling outfits.

Politically, China has dismissed a U.N.-backed court decision in The Hague that ruled out most of Chinas claims in the South China Sea and has expressed resentment over close ties between the U.S. and Manila.

China often disrupts cultural and economic ties to register their discontent over actions by foreign governments.

In April, China issued a similar warning about the risk to Chinese students in the United States.
Brazils congress passes bill to overhaul environmental regulations View Photo

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  A bill to overhaul environmental regulations in Brazil was passed by the countrys lower house Thursday, drawing criticism by the environmental minister who floated the possibility of a presidential veto.

With the bill already passed by the Senate in May, it now goes to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who casts himself as an environmental defender and later this year will preside over the first U.N. climate talks, known as COP30, to take place in the Amazon. Lula can sanction the project, veto it in its entirety or veto only certain aspects.

Lula has not publicly comment on what action he might take.

If signed by Lula, the sweeping legislation will weaken federal agencies environmental licensing powers. Among other measures, it speeds up review for projects deemed priorities by the federal government, reducing the approval process from three bureaucratic steps to one. It also eliminates reviews for upgrades to existing highways, which could clear the way for to pave the whole of a highway that runs about 900 kilometers (560 miles) through the western part of the Amazon. Environmentalists argue that the project will lead to mass clearing of a pristine area of rainforest.

The bills approval is a victory for supporters who argued Brazils current regulations needs to be simplified, but a blow for environmental experts and green activists, who refer to it as the devastation bill. The bill passed with a strong majority, 267 votes to 116.

After the bill passed, Environment Minister Marina Silva told local press that the bill undermined environmental legislation and that the federal government would still seek alternatives, including the possibility of a presidential veto.

A campaign in the lead up to the vote said the bill could lead to a regression in pollution control  risking health issues  increase water contamination and scarcity, increase deforestation and undermine protected areas.

At the heart of concerns is the proposal to install a self-declaration process for environmental licensing, which Suely Araujo, the public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory network of NGOs, said would cover around 90% of total projects in Brazil.

Companies would file a description online, press a button, and the license will be issued, she said, calling the proposal by far the worst piece of legislation ever from an environmental standpoint.

Last week, more than 300 nonprofits, including Greenpeace and WWF Brazil, signed a petition expressing their deep concern regarding the bill which they say, represents a huge institutional setback for Brazil and the collapse of over 40 years of development of national environmental legislation.

___

Gabriela Sa Pessoa contributed from Sao Paulo.

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

By ELEONORE HUGHES and GABRIELA SA PESSOA

Associated Press
Calaveras, CA John Silva, a 66-year-old retired Amador County Sheriffs deputy and longtime Calaveras-area resident, is preparing to bike 4,700 miles across the United States to raise money for Hospice of Amador & Calaveras.

The journey begins Aug. 1 at Cape Flattery, Washington  the northwesternmost point in the contiguous U.S.  and will end at West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine, the nations easternmost point. Silva, who moved from the Bay Area to Amador County in 1985, has long been known in the region for combining rugged outdoor expeditions with charitable fundraising. Since retiring in 2019, hes launched Give Back Adventures, a nonprofit effort that ties long-distance treks to local causes.

The trip is entirely self-funded and performed alone. Silvas route will take him through Washington, Idaho, Montana, a stretch of Canada, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, New York, and Maine. More than a test of physical endurance, Silva says the ride is a personal mission. Each week of the ride will honor a community member who received hospice care, transforming every mile into a tribute to those who faced death with dignity.

Ive personally experienced the invaluable benefits of hospice care when my mother was nearing the end of her life, Silva said. I couldnt think of a more worthwhile cause to support.

Hospice of Amador & Calaveras is a nonprofit that has served the local community for more than 40 years, offering end-of-life care regardless of a patients ability to pay. The organization relies heavily on donations to cover costs not reimbursed by insurance. Supporters can donate through the Amador Community Foundation. All contributions are tax-deductible and will go directly to Hospice after the ride concludes.

A link to donate can be found here.
Sacramento, CA  Mother Lode Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa is among a group that launched a campaign this week to place a voter ID measure on the 2026 California ballot.

If passed, it would require that state election officials verify proof of citizenship when a person registers to vote, and for people to show ID when voting at the polls. Those who vote by mail would have to provide the last four digits of a government ID, such as a Social Security number.

Tangipa, while a guest on this past weekends Mother Lode Views, provided a preview of the measure, and compared it to the much stricter voting rules in other countries, stating, Mexico has voter ID, and not only voter ID, but biometrics where you have to put your thumbprint on your ballot. They even ban the sale of alcohol for 24 hours on the day of voting.

He noted that Canada also has voter ID laws, along with most countries in the European Union.

Tangipa continued, We think this (proposed CA ballot initiative) brings us up to a modern level of security.

You can find the full interview with Tangipa by clicking here. The voter ID discussion was toward the end of the 30-minute show.

Proponents of the ballot measure, who will be collecting signatures in support, argue that it would help restore trust in elections and clean up outdated voter rolls (after people have moved or passed away).
Officials try to identify 18 bodies in deadly Iraq shopping mall fire View Photo

BAGHDAD (AP)  Officials struggled Friday to identify more than a dozen bodies pulled from a deadly shopping mall fire in Iraq, amid ongoing investigations into what caused the blaze.

An Iraqi medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment said the final death toll was 63, including 18 bodies that could not be identified due to the severity of the burns and would undergo DNA testing.

The Corniche Hypermarket mall in the town of Kut in Wasit province, a five-story building containing restaurants, shops and a supermarket, had opened just days before the blaze, which officials said broke out late Wednesday on the second floor in an area selling perfume and cosmetics.

Civil defense crews were able to rescue 45 people from the burning building. Officials said that most of those who died were trapped on the upper floors.

While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials blamed lack of safety standards in the building for the scale of the tragedy.

Provincial Gov. Mohammed al-Miyahi has said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits.

The provincial council of Wasit on Thursday voted to form committees to carry out building safety inspections and to suspend the director of Kut municipality and the director of occupational safety until investigations into the fire are complete.

Al-Miyahi said Thursday that legal complaints had been filed against the building owner and shopping center owner, who could not be reached for comment. The governor said in a press conference that the son of the shopping center owner and other members of his family were among the victims in the blaze.

Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of sandwich panel cladding that is illegal in Iraq.

In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

Associated Press
A controversial new law, the Broadcasting Services Amendment Act of 2025, has come into effect in Zimbabwe, compelling motorists to obtain a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio licence before they can renew their vehicle licences or insurance. This has sparked widespread condemnation, with critics labelling the Act as an unfair tax that will further burden financially struggling citizens.

The implementation of the Act, overseen by the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA), is based on Clause 15, which mandates that all vehicle owners must possess a valid ZBC radio licence to renew their ZINARA vehicle licence and insurance. This effectively forces drivers to pay US$30 per term to access ZBC radio services, regardless of whether they actually listen to the radio.

ZINARAs Revenue Operations Director, Mr P.M. Shuro, issued a memorandum dated 15 July 2025, providing strict instructions to all licensing centre staff nationwide. The directive is unambiguous: no motorist will be allowed to renew their vehicle licence without presenting a valid ZBC radio licence or a certificate of exemption.

The memorandum states: In line with the enacted Broadcasting Services Amendment Act, all motorists are required to obtain a ZBC radio license before they can renew their vehicle insurance or acquire a ZINARA vehicle licence disc.

For vehicle owners, this translates to an additional cost of at least US$90 per year simply to keep their vehicles roadworthy. Many fear that this hefty sum will force them to disable their car radios or seek exemption certificates to avoid the added expense.

ZINARA has placed the responsibility on motorists to obtain exemption certificates themselves by visiting ZBC licensing offices across the country.

Mr Shuros statement continues: Customers whose vehicles are not equipped with a radio receiver are now required to obtain an exemption certificate from the ZBC. They will need to personally visit any ZBC Licensing Office to complete the necessary declaration form and obtain this exemption. We cannot process their ZINARA disc or insurance renewal until they present a valid exemption certificate.

The Broadcasting Services Amendment Act has been a contentious issue since its inception. Public hearings last year generated significant opposition, and the controversy has persisted even after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the bill into law in March this year.

Media freedom advocates, including the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and its partners, such as the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), unsuccessfully lobbied Information Minister Jenfan Muswere to withdraw the bill before it was enacted, urging him to consider public feedback.

The primary point of contention centres on Clause 15, which critics and analysts argue is discriminatory. They point out that it singles out motorists while allowing all citizens to access ZBC radio services through digital devices like mobile phones without incurring this additional charge.

Former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has launched a scathing attack on the newly enacted Broadcasting Services Amendment Act (No. 2 of 2025), describing the law as draconian, anti-citizen, and outrightly heartless.

Chamisa, the former leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), criticised the new regulation as yet another burden on already struggling Zimbabweans, who are also required to pay ZINARA fees, toll gate charges, and mandatory vehicle insurance.

Chamisa wrote on X, formerly called Twitter: SO, A PERSON WHO OWNS A CAR PAYS ZINARA, ZBC, INSURANCE AND TOLL GATE, HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE? WHEN SHALL ALL THIS END?

He has accused the government of deliberately impoverishing the population through excessive taxation and questioned the rationale behind paying for services that many citizens neither use nor benefit from.

Chamisa said: WHY MUST I PAY FOR A SERVICE I DONT USE? WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR PARTISAN PROPAGANDA, WHERE I AM ATTACKED IN PERSON AND DEMONIZED FROM DAWN TO DUSK?

Chamisa has also raised concerns about democratic oversight, questioning the role of Zimbabwes Parliament in approving legislation that he believes undermines the interests of ordinary citizens.

He said: DO WE HAVE A PARLIAMENT IN ZIMBABWE? WHICH OTHER COUNTRY DOES THIS TO HER CITIZENS? IS THIS NOT NAKED PROVOCATION? IS ZIMBABWE NOT A CRIME SCENE?

The cost of a private car radio licence is US$23 per quarter or US$92 per year. If the vehicle belongs to a company, the fee is US$50 per quarter or US$200 per year.

The implementation of this Act has raised serious questions about fairness, equity, and the governments commitment to easing the financial strain on its citizens.

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Yves here. The post below summarizes an important post published by the European Investment Bank, which estimated climate risk for 170 countries. Needless to say, this is a very important exercise and one hopes other experts will seek to refine it. Even using a pdf compressor, the study proper was too large to embed, but you can find it here. We have included the juicy part, the country rankings, at the end of this post. Update: Reader Tim H kindly sent a sufficiently compressed version of the full article, so you can now find that below.

I have not read the report in full but was surprised at some of the findings, per the country ranking. 1 = global average risk, so higher figures are worse.

I find some of the results to be curious:

I have seen Bangladesh cited, for nearly two decades, as in even in early Pentagon-connected reports about the geopolitical risks of climate-change mass migration due to flooding. That is confirmed in a 2023 paper by the LSE:

Nearly 60% of Bangladeshs population is exposed to high flood risk, a greater proportion of the population than in any other country in the world other than the Netherlands, and around 45% are exposed to high fluvial flood risk, the highest figure in the world.

Consider also:

Huh? The UK is not even remotely self-sufficient in food. Frequent flooding and unexpected heat waves have further reduced farm output. We posted that UK dairy farmers are using grain they had planned to use for winter feeding now due to not being able to graze them. From the BBC earlier in the week in Farmers face crisis as drought causes grass to fail:

Dairy farmers are facing a crisis, spending thousands of pounds feeding their cattle grain that should be saved for the winter. This years long, dry spring  the warmest and sunniest on record  has forced many farmers to take unprecedented action. Sarah Godwin, a dairy farmer in north Wiltshire, has had to take feed out to her cows for the first time in her life. She said she had never known a season like this, never known the heat, the lack of rain, and for so long The grass is completely dried up, Mrs Godwin explained. Theres no goodness in it, its just completely stalky with no nutritional value at all.

I have not read the methodology carefully, but a quick search showed no reference to food in the main text (there were studies in the references that did include food security in their titles, and only one paragraph that had the word water in it.

This seems to be the source of the blind spot about the necessity of feeding populations:

To quantify the impact of climate change, we first collect structural information about the economy (e.g., the economic contribution of agriculture, population) and climate-related information (e.g., temperatures, share of the population exposed to sea level rise). We then typically resort to results of empirical studies and the academic literature to transform the data into economic impacts. Finally, adaptation capacity, also expressed in percentage points of GDP, is accounted for. The various physical risk factors are discussed below, the underlying variables are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, and Appendix A.1 contains the methodological details

So the focus seems to be entirely on economic effects, and not broader survival.

That may explain these ratings:

But this score makes intuitive sense:

Uruguay has produced nearly all of its electricity from hydropower (although there is some risk long term of water scarcity). It is not only self-sufficient in food but is a significant exporter given its size. It was very high on my list of possible expat destinations due to being well positioned in light of climate change.

By Matteo Ferrazzi, Senior Economist European Investment Bank, Fotios Kalantzis, Senior Economist European Investment Bank, and Sanne Zwart. Originally published at VoxEU

Climate risk is at code red level for the entire of humanity, prompting investors and policymakers to focus not only on the risks but also on the opportunities related to the green transition and on strategies to enhance countries resilience to climate change. This column presents new climate risk scores for more than 170 countries, distinguishing between physical and transition risks. The scores reveal that emerging and developing economies are the most exposed to physical risks, mainly due to acute physical events, sea level rise, and high temperatures. Transition risks are more relevant for fossil fuel producers and wealthier countries.

Interest in country-level climate risks has grown in recent years, in particular in the years following the 2015 Paris Agreement, which outlined clear decarbonisation pathways for each nation. Investors are also progressively aware about the long-term risks of climate change. Indeed, the exposure to physical climate risk can have negative implications for, among other things, sovereign debt (Zenios 2022, Bernhofen et al. 2024), the cost of debt and sovereign ratings (Beirne et al. 2021, Standard & Poors 2015, Agarwala et al. 2021, Revoltella et al. 2022), fiscal sustainability (Agarwala et al. 2021), and even on political stability (Moodys 2016, Fitch 2022, Volz et al. 2020). Transition risk, by contrast, is linked to three main factors: policies, shifts in consumer preferences, and technological breakthroughs (Semeniuk et al. 2020). Reputational effects and legal actions due to failure to comply with environmental standards are also relevant.

In practice, three broad approaches are used to assess climate risk at the country level: modelling, scenario analysis, and (index-based) scores. Multidimensional macroeconomic models aim to evaluate the macro impacts of climate change. Some organisations are regularly developing scenario analyses, often based on the output of the models, to sketch multiple plausible and consistent representations of the future (not forecasts) under different policies and circumstances. In general, such scenarios project the possible future outcomes of climate change over the (very) long run (60-80 years from now). In addition to modelling and scenario analysis, index-based scoring help assess climate risk and rank countries (for example, the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND GAIN) and Germanwatch). Ratings agencies have started to develop their own assessments to complement their rating methodologies (Volz et al. 2020, Gratcheva et al. 2020). Typically, they combine environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria to support investors in making informed investment decisions.

New Climate Risk Country Scores

In a recent paper (Ferrazzi et al. 2025 ), we present an index to measure climate risk for over 170 countries, separately assessing physical and transition risk (on a relative basis  relative to other countries and relative to the size of their economies) while accounting for adaptation and mitigation capacity. The most relevant risk factors are carefully selected, and the related weights are assigned based on the literature and empirical evidence. Physical risk scores combine the following:

acute risk : damages from extreme weather events, based on historical realisations (as a percentage of GDP, thus relative to the size of the economy);

: damages from extreme weather events, based on historical realisations (as a percentage of GDP, thus relative to the size of the economy); chronic risk : impact on agriculture, sea level rise, impact on infrastructures, impact on labour productivity due to heat, water scarcity (also as a percentage of GDP); and

: impact on agriculture, sea level rise, impact on infrastructures, impact on labour productivity due to heat, water scarcity (also as a percentage of GDP); and adaptation capacity, based on the economic ability to respond to shocks and the institutional capacity of the country (including rating, fiscal revenues, and governance indicators).

This approach, based on the relevance of impacts as a percentage of GDP, automatically provides the relative importance of each risk factor for each country, solving the issue of finding adequate weights.

Transition risk scores reflect the performance of countries in the past, today, and in the near future in the following:

CO2 emissions, and the commitments to mitigate emissions;

fossil fuel rents from coal, gas, and oil (as a percentage of GDP);

deployment of renewable energy (as percentage of final energy consumption);

energy intensity of economic activity; and

climate policy ambition, based on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) required under the Paris Agreement.

The (very few) existing rankings use a large number of equally weighted indicators, implicitly assigning equal importance to numerous risk factors. Our approach, in contrast, is to select the relevant variables and assign proper weights, focusing on the next 5-10 years as the time horizon. Moreover, our approach incorporates factors that go beyond those typically considered in existing methodologies (chronic risk for physical risk or mitigation for transition risk, for instance) and relies only on publicly available data.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Despite climate change being at code red level for the entire of humanity (IPCC 2021, Guterres 2021), each country is exposed to different risk intensities. Our climate risk country scores indicate that emerging and developing economies are most exposed to physical risk  in particular, to acute physical events (hurricanes and storms, floods, fires), sea level rise, and high temperatures. In general, emerging and developing economies are more exposed to higher temperatures (as additional increases of temperatures in already hot environments impact human activities) and to agricultural losses (which are the most dependent on weather conditions). These countries are also less able to adapt (i.e. to protect themselves from the effects of weather). Transition risk is more relevant for fossil fuel producers and wealthier countries which need to reduce emissions, and for those countries that are less prepared for the transition to net zero in terms of energy efficiency and deployment of renewable energy.

Figure 1 Contribution of risk factors

Note: Non-weighted average across countries. Global average of the scores (including adaptation) is 1.

Figure 2 Physical and transition risk by country

Note: Caribbean and Pacific (not clearly visible in the above map due to the size of the countries) face high physical risks and, respectively, high and elevated transition risks. Global average of the scores is 1 for both physical and transition risk.

Conclusion

Summarising a countrys climate risks into a score is a complex task that requires careful decisions regarding the objective, time frame, risk factors, and level of granularity. The few climate change indices available rely on a large number of equally weighted factors (as much as you can find) and assume they are all equally relevant. Our climate risk country scores instead identify the main risk factors and calibrate the weights based on the literature and econometric analysis.

Our climate risk scores for 170 countries confirm that climate risks are not evenly distributed. Emerging and developing economies are the more vulnerable to physical risk and hence need relevant investments in adaptation capacity. In contrast, we find that transition risks are higher for wealthier and fossil fuel-producing countries.

Our country-level climate change risk scores have a wide range of uses and implications. First, as climate risks intensify and regulatory requirements evolve, banks and international financial institutions can use these scores to support their risk management processes. Indeed, using an earlier vintage of our scores, Cappiello et al. (2025) confirm the relevance of climate risks  in particular, physical risks  for sovereign credit ratings. The scores can serve as a risk-management tool for sovereign counterparts but also as starting point for evaluating climate-related risks faced by firms and banks within a given country.

Second, our scores can also represent an opportunity to identify mitigation and adaptation priorities and related financing needs to enhance climate resilience.

Third, the results highlight the importance of international cooperation, as climate change is a broad-based phenomenon affecting countries across the globe and requires collective efforts.

Authors note: The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Investment Bank.

See original post for references
News / National

by Staff reporter

New legislation tabled in Parliament seeks to compel private hospitals to admit patients with life-threatening conditions for at least 48 hours-even if they cannot afford the services.The Medical Services Amendment Bill, presented by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi on Tuesday, aims to align the Medical Services Act with constitutional principles guaranteeing access to essential health services for all citizens and permanent residents."This Bill is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that every citizen and permanent resident of our nation has access to essential health services," Minister Ziyambi told the National Assembly. "The Bill's primary objective is to uphold constitutional rights related to health, which are clearly stipulated in the constitution."Among the key provisions, the Bill mandates private health institutions to admit and stabilise patients facing emergencies for a minimum of two days, regardless of their ability to pay. The Bill also empowers the health minister to set maximum fees that private hospitals can charge for certain services to prevent exorbitant costs.Additional reforms include criminal penalties for parents or guardians who refuse medical treatment deemed in the best interests of a child, and a requirement for all health facilities to treat prisoners or detainees at the state's expense.Clause 3 of the Bill introduces a new section mandating that "every institution, at the expense of the state or the individual's election, must provide treatment to persons under arrest, detention or imprisonment on the same terms and conditions as other admitted persons," Ziyambi said, calling it "a crucial step towards upholding dignity and rights regardless of circumstance."The Bill also repeals a previous exemption allowing private hospitals to charge fees above prescribed maximums if such fees were already in place before a fixed date, thereby increasing government oversight on healthcare costs.However, the Bill has drawn criticism from medical professionals. Doctors warn that forcing private hospitals to accept all emergency cases regardless of payment risks overwhelming these facilities, potentially leading to shortages of medicines, supplies, and food, and eventual closure.They argue that the government should instead prioritise reforming and upgrading the public health system to meet comparable standards to private providers, rather than imposing strict obligations on private institutions.Despite the opposition, Minister Ziyambi defended the Bill as "progressive and essential legislation ensuring that health care is not a privilege but accessible to all Zimbabweans."The Bill is expected to undergo further debate as Parliament considers its implications for both healthcare access and the sustainability of private medical services in the country.
According to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Nashville will at some point see more ICE agents on its streets. Noem held a Friday morning press conference in Nashville billed by DHS as Exposing Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens in Tennessee. She offered no new evidence or clarity related to people already detained locally by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many of whom ICE admitted had no criminal history.

The press conference was held inside ICEs field office on Brick Church Pike, the same location where in May demonstrators gathered to protest the detention and removal of dozens of people who were transported to a Louisiana detention facility. Even more local arrests were carried out in the following days.

ICE is set to see unprecedented growth after its annual budget was increased from $8.7 billion to $27.7 billion with the passage of President Donald Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill.

What the people in Nashville will see is obviously more individuals and more agents, but they'll also see more training and equipment, Noem said on Friday. We'll see more investigative tools that will be able to be utilized. My hope is that we also get the chance to work with the Department of Justice to get more immigration judges.

The funding increase comes as state Republicans push for local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE.

Noem called the Nashville office, which oversees Homeland Security Investigations operations throughout Tennessee and Kentucky, one of the most outstanding offices that we have in this nation for going after child exploitation rings and child trafficking and human trafficking. She also railed against current federal criminal defendant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose legal saga has centered on Nashville in recent weeks.

Bringing violent criminals to justice is our priority, Noem said, going on to claim that 70 percent of the almost 300,000 and more criminals and illegal aliens arrested in the U.S. have criminal convictions or criminal charges.

CBS News recently reported, however, that ICEs own data shows that of the 100,000 people who were deported between Jan. 1 and June 24, only 70,583 had criminal convictions  and most of those were for nonviolent offenses.

Noem criticized Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, who has come under fire from Tennessee Republicans for his opposition to ICE raids in the city. Noem said OConnell is playing politics to a dangerous level that's risking people's lives, and declared that he doesnt deserve to be mayor, [he] doesnt deserve to be in any office.

What the mayor is doing to the city is shameful, and what he needs to do is participate with us and make sure that he's helping us uphold the rule of law, Noem said.

She also claimed that Belmont University is taking part in obstruction against federal immigration law, following a call by Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles to investigate the university for diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Noem pushed back against questions about ICE enforcement actions taking place in predominantly Latino communities and concerns that ICE may be racially profiling community members  something she said was "absolutely false.

Noem at one point snapped at a reporter for Nashville Noticias  a Spanish-language news outlet  saying, Dont you dare ever say that again.

Every single operation that we do on ICE is based on investigative work and our casework to show that there is a reason and reasonable suspicion to go into an area and to talk [to] and look at individuals that are involved in criminal activity, Noem said.

ICE has refused to provide details  including names and charges  related to all but five arrests by agents in Middle Tennessee, which Noem defended multiple times Friday.

If we are not giving you names and data and information, it is because we are following the law and ensuring that every individual gets the due process that they need, Noem said. Now, due process looks different based on what case it is and who the individual is, but we will continue to make sure that we're focusing on following the law and making those internal adjustments.

Arrest information and court records are public and allow the press and the public to track legal proceedings to ensure that due process  a constitutional right of all people regardless of citizenship status  is being given to defendants.

Noem spoke from behind a table displaying drugs and guns that have been taken off the streets from this office and this area. A Homeland Security spokesperson couldnt immediately confirm whether the items were connected to any of the immigration-related arrests touted by the agency.

Posters presented at the press conference included images of four of ICEs Nashville detainees, each reading ARRESTED. One of the posters bore the image of Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez of El Salvador, with the words SALVADORAN MURDER. Another with the image of Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash included the words IRAQI RAPE. Both men were named by DHS in May.

Noem also visited Nashville International Airport on Thursday evening for the debut of an expedited security lane for active-duty military members and their families. Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones  whose district contains the airport  was barred from attending the event. A small group of protesters demonstrated outside of Fridays press conference.
France opens criminal investigation into Elon Musks X over alleged algorithmic political interference

French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter), focusing on suspected algorithmic manipulation aimed at interfering in France's domestic politics.

Authorities are investigating two potential offenses, manipulating automated systems and extracting data fraudulently, allegedly committed by an organized group to distort political discourse and compromise national security.

The investigation stems from two key complaints: one from a cybersecurity official claiming X boosted racist and homophobic content to skew debate, and another from lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who accused X of limiting diversity in online voices.

The case highlights growing concerns in Europe about Musk's impact on democratic processes, with Bothorel and others warning that X is being used to serve specific political agendas through biased algorithms.

X's AI chatbot Grok is also under fire for producing antisemitic and offensive content. Complaints across Europe and bans in countries like Turkey are prompting calls for an EU-level investigation under the Digital Services Act.

French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, probing whether its algorithms were manipulated to interfere in France's domestic politics.

In a statement issued July 11, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the probe targets both the corporate entity of X and unnamed individuals associated with the platform. Beccuau said the probe would examine the company and its executives for potential "algorithmic manipulation for purposes of foreign interference," spearheaded by the national gendarmerie's cybercrime unit.

According to Beccuau, the inquiry centers on two possible criminal offenses: the "alteration of the operation of an automated data processing system" and the "fraudulent extraction of data," both allegedly carried out "by an organized group." These charges suggest investigators suspect a coordinated effort to manipulate the algorithm of X and extract user data in ways that could undermine democratic processes or threaten national security. (Related: ELECTION INTERFERENCE: Twitter changes rules back to what they were before election now that they manipulated election results.)

The investigation was triggered by reports submitted in February by the cybercrime section of the Paris prosecutor's office, detailing how X's recommendation systems may have been manipulated to facilitate foreign interference in France's political landscape.

Two complaints helped propel the case forward. One came from an unnamed senior official at a French public institution, described by media as a cybersecurity manager. This complaint alleged that recent algorithmic changes on the platform boosted racist and homophobic content. The official claimed the shift was designed to "skew democratic debate in France" and potentially undermine political stability.

The other was filed by Eric Bothorel, a member of the French National Assembly from President Emmanuel Macron's party. Bothorel accused X of reducing the "diversity of voices and options" in online discourse, fostering a hostile environment for democratic debate. He criticized the platform's opaque content moderation and suggested that Musk had personally influenced the company's strategic direction, a claim echoed in an interview with France 24. The complaint warned that X's operations posed "a real danger and a threat to our democracies."

Bothorel emphasized that he filed his report not just as a legislator, but as a citizen who does not want Moscow, Silicon Valley or anyone else to distort democratic conversations. "I was convinced that information bias, which is particularly strong on the X platform, was serving Elon Musk's political opinions and that this could only be achieved through algorithmic manipulation," the official stated.

Musk faces growing scrutiny in Europe

The investigation intensifies ongoing scrutiny of Musk's influence on political discourse in Europe.

For instance, in a separate development, Socialist Party lawmakers Thierry Sother and Pierre Jouvet filed another complaint on July 10 targeting X's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. The chatbot, developed by Musk's team, recently drew international criticism for generating antisemitic content, including praise for Adolf Hitler.

Meanwhile, several European lawmakers, along with the Polish government, have urged the European Commission to launch a formal investigation into Grok under the EU's Digital Services Act, which governs online safety across the bloc. In Turkey, authorities have already banned Grok after it generated content insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his late mother.

One of the core issues lies in the massive data sets used to train the AI, which reportedly contain harmful and offensive material, including hate speech and, in some cases, references to child sexual abuse. Due to the vast size of these data sets, fully removing such content is a complex and time-consuming task.

Grok also has access to all of X's internal data  a level of integration that other chatbots do not have. This makes it more likely to reproduce harmful or controversial content that circulates on the platform.

Visit BigTech.news for more stories about the X platform.

Watch this clip from the Fox Business program "Kennedy" about Elon Musk's revelation that the government has access to private messages on Twitter.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

HUGE  Texas senate committee presses Big Tech firms to supply documents for election interference investigation.

NPR ripped for 'openly admitting' Big Tech interference in elections.

India threatens jail time for Twitter employees over alleged interference in country's politics.

It is going down now  blatant election interference by Big Tech and social media giants has kicked into overdrive.

Check out America's Digital Shield real-time analysis of Big Tech's 2024 election interference.

Sources include:

RT.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
ICE cracks down on criminal sexual predators and illegal cannabis farm operations in nationwide sweep

ICE arrested multiple illegal immigrants with convictions for child rape, sexual assault and child pornography.

Over 300 illegal immigrants were detained at a California cannabis farm, one of the largest single-state workplace raids in ICE history. Authorities rescued 14 minors, some as young as 14, raising concerns about child labor and trafficking.

One arrested worker had prior convictions for kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation. Protesters clashed with ICE, throwing rocks and firing a gun, leading to the use of tear gas. One worker died in the chaos after falling from a 30-foot greenhouse.

President Trump condemned violent protesters and authorized stronger ICE protections. The cannabis farm's co-founder had political ties, including donations to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Despite controversy, ICE prioritizes removing dangerous criminals and shutting down exploitative operations. The raids highlight tensions over immigration enforcement, labor violations and public safety. These operations reinforce ICE's role in targeting violent offenders and protecting vulnerable groups, while sparking debate over immigration policies.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested multiple criminal sexual predators who were living in the country illegally.

The agency targeted offenders with convictions for child rape, sexual assault and possession of child pornography in a sweeping nationwide operation. The arrests come as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to remove dangerous criminals from American communities.

Over the weekend, ICE agents carried out targeted arrests  with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirming the apprehensions. Among those detained are:

Porfirio Bernal-Fregoso , a 45-year-old Mexican national arrested in Atlanta. He had prior convictions for attempting to rape a child and taking "indecent liberties" with a minor in North Carolina.

, a 45-year-old Mexican national arrested in Atlanta. He had prior convictions for attempting to rape a child and taking "indecent liberties" with a minor in North Carolina. Edwin Gomez-Cervantes , a Guatemalan national arrested in Baltimore. He was previously convicted of sexually abusing a minor in Maryland.

, a Guatemalan national arrested in Baltimore. He was previously convicted of sexually abusing a minor in Maryland. Rodrigo Alexander Gomez-Ventura , an El Salvadoran national. He had been convicted of possessing child pornography in Maryland.

, an El Salvadoran national. He had been convicted of possessing child pornography in Maryland. Juan Hernan Camarena-Cuevas , a 32-year-old Mexican national, arrested in Salt Lake City. He had prior convictions for child abuse and injury.

, a 32-year-old Mexican national, arrested in Salt Lake City. He had prior convictions for child abuse and injury. Sergio Guerrero-Galvan , a Mexican national, arrested in Houston. He was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a minor in Texas.

, a Mexican national, arrested in Houston. He was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a minor in Texas. Hugo Sanchez-Benitez, another Mexican national, arrested in San Antonio. He had been convicted of aggravated sexual assault in Houston.

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin praised ICE agents for their work. She noted that despite a sharp rise in assaults against officers, they remain dedicated to protecting American communities. "We will only double down in getting these dangerous criminals off of our streets," said McLaughlin.

Meanwhile, in one of the largest single-state workplace raids in recent history, ICE detained over 300 illegal immigrants at a cannabis farm in Ventura County, California. On July 10, agents raided the Glass House Farms cannabis cultivation facility, resulting in the arrest of 319 illegal immigrants.

Authorities also rescued 14 unaccompanied minors, some as young as 14, who were found at the site. Federal officials are investigating whether the children were subjected to forced labor or trafficking.

The operation marked one of the largest single-state workplace raids in ICE history, second only to the 2019 Mississippi poultry plant raids that netted nearly 700 arrests. It has also reignited debates over immigration enforcement, labor violations and public safety.

One of the arrested workers had a particularly disturbing criminal history. According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott, the unnamed individual had previously been sentenced to seven years in prison for kidnapping and attempted rape, with an additional prior conviction for attempted child molestation. Shockingly, this felon was working at the same facility where children were present.

Protesters attack ICE agents in weed farm raid

The raid was not without chaos. Protesters clashed with ICE agents, hurling rocks and bricks at law enforcement.

At one point, an individual appeared to fire a handgun toward officers, prompting agents to disperse the crowd with tear gas. Tragically, one worker died after climbing a 30-foot greenhouse structure and falling.

Glass House Farms is now under investigation for potential child labor violations. The company's co-founder, Graham Farrar, has a history of political donations to both Democrats and Republicans, including a $10,000 contribution to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018.

President Donald Trump responded angrily to the violence against ICE agents during the California raid.

On his Truth Social platform, he condemned the protesters as "thugs" and authorized ICE to take stronger measures to protect themselves in future operations. "I am giving total authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the public," said Trump.

The recent ICE operations highlight the agency's ongoing efforts to prioritize the arrest of violent criminals and shut down illegal enterprises that exploit vulnerable workers, including minors. While immigration enforcement remains a contentious issue, officials argue that targeting convicted felons and rescuing children from exploitation are clear-cut cases where enforcement is necessary. (Related: Trump administration wins court approval for sweeping immigrant registration rule.)

As investigations continue into both the sexual predator arrests and the California cannabis farm raid, one thing is certain: ICE's mission to remove dangerous individuals from American communities remains a top priority, one that will likely remain a key focus in the ongoing national debate over immigration policy.

Watch the full video below of "The Benny Show" with Benny Johnson about Trump ordering the Department of Justice to investigate CNN for helping illegal aliens evade ICE arrest.

This video is from the Sanivan channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Tompkins County sheriff released an illegal immigrant with federal deportation order.

Wisconsin judge arrested by FBI for allegedly helping illegal immigrant evade ICE.

DMVs are cutting CDL standards, allowing illegal immigrants to obtain licenses, putting Americans at risk on the roadways.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

DHS.gov

FoxNews.com

TruthSocial.com

Brighteon.com
Trump threatens to REVOKE Rosie ODonnells citizenship after criticism of flood response

President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Rosie O'Donnells U.S. citizenship in response to her criticism of his administration's handling of the deadly July 4 floods in Texas, which killed at least 129 people and left 166 missing.

In a viral TikTok video, O'Donnell blamed Trump's "horrible decisions," accusing him of dismantling federal early warning systems and weather forecasting capabilities that could have prevented the disaster.

Trump fired back on Truth Social, labeling O'Donnell a "Threat to Humanity" and suggesting she remain in Ireland, where she moved earlier this year with her child.

The exchange is the latest in a nearly 20-year feud between the two, dating back to 2006 when O'Donnell criticized Trump's handling of a Miss USA scandal, prompting a series of personal attacks from Trump.

What began as a celebrity spat has now escalated into a broader debate over free speech, dissent and presidential power.

President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke the citizenship of host, comedian and actress Rosie O'Donnell, following her sharp criticism of his administration's handling of the recent catastrophic floods in Texas.

On July 4, floods destroyed Texas, which have killed at least 129 people, including children, and left 166 missing. Questions are mounting over delayed emergency alerts and whether the administration's agencies acted quickly enough to warn and evacuate residents. (Related: Supreme Court weighs birthright citizenship restriction amid claims of executive overreach.)

O'Donnell, who was born in New York and has held U.S. citizenship since birth, posted a viral TikTok video on July 6, blaming the federal response on the "horrible decisions" by the president.

"What a horror story in Texas," she said. "And you know, when the president guts all the early warning systems and the weather forecasting abilities of the government, these are the results that we're gonna start to see on a daily basis."

As a response, Trump suggested that O'Donnell should "remain in the wonderful country of Ireland," where she relocated earlier this year. He also declared he was giving "serious consideration to taking away her citizenship" in a Truth Social post on July 12.

According to the president, he is considering removing O'Donnell's American citizenship as she "is not in the best interests" of the United States. Earlier, he dismissed criticisms of the federal response, telling reporters in a separate statement that his administration "did an incredible job under the circumstances."

From friends to foes: Trump and O'Donnell's two-decade feud

The latest clash reignites a long-running feud between O'Donnell and Trump, dating back to the mid-2000s and frequently marked by public insults and legal threats.

According to U.S. Magazine, Trump and O'Donnell were once on friendly terms. O'Donnell has claimed she even attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. But their relationship took a sharp and very public turn in December 2006 when O'Donnell criticized Trump's handling of a scandal involving then-Miss USA Tara Conner, who faced allegations of drug use and underage drinking.

Trump, who owned the pageant at the time, allowed Conner to keep her crown on the condition she enter rehab. O'Donnell mocked the press conference, calling Trump a "snake-oil salesman" and accusing him of serial infidelity and bankruptcy  claims he denied. Trump then fired back in People magazine with a series of personal attacks, referring to her as "a very unattractive person" and "a mentally sick woman."

The feud flared again in 2007 after O'Donnell left "The View" over a clash about the Iraq War, and resurfaced repeatedly in the years that followed, including during the 2015 Republican primary debate when Trump infamously said his derogatory remarks about women applied "only [to] Rosie O'Donnell."

While there was a brief moment of civility after O'Donnell's 2012 heart attack, tensions persisted, with O'Donnell leading anti-Trump protests and eventually relocating to Ireland with her child in early 2025. Their clashes have persisted over the years through interviews and social media, with both regularly exchanging insults. Just recently, O'Donnell has stepped up her criticism  targeting Trump's tax policies and describing his administration as "a horror show."

Visit Trump.news for more stories like this.

Watch this clip from "The Will Cain Show" discussing how Trump will begin enforcing the birthright citizenship order as early as this July.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Natural News calls for the arrest and criminal indictment of Rosie O'Donnell for attempted BRIBERY of U.S. senators.

Federal judge halts Trump's birthright citizenship order, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional."

Trump signs sweeping executive order mandating proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Sources include:

RT.com

USMagazine.com

Brighteon.com
Breast cancer drug ALERT: Seasoned medical writer Dr. Vernon Coleman CONDEMNS ZOLADEX saying its dangerous, ineffective and misused

In quite the dogmatic critique, Dr. Vernon Coleman, a long-time medical writer and critic of conventional drug protocols, has called out the breast cancer drug Zoladex (goserelin) as dangerous, ineffective, and misused. Writing from a personal perspective informed by years of research into pharmaceutical side effects, Coleman denounces Zoladex as not only ineffective in improving outcomes for breast cancer patients but also as carrying a staggering list of severe and underreported adverse effects.

No Proven Benefit from Zoladex in Breast Cancer Treatment: A meta-analysis of four controlled trials involving 6,279 patients found that combining Zoladex (goserelin) with tamoxifen in premenopausal women showed no improvement in disease-free or overall survival, raising serious doubts about its medical justification.

A meta-analysis of four controlled trials involving 6,279 patients found that combining Zoladex (goserelin) with tamoxifen in premenopausal women showed no improvement in disease-free or overall survival, raising serious doubts about its medical justification. Severe and Extensive Side Effects of Zoladex: Common and very common side effects listed by NICE include heart attack, heart failure, spinal cord compression, depression, diabetes and neoplasm complications. The drug also increases blood sugar, potentially accelerating cancer growth.

Common and very common side effects listed by NICE include heart attack, heart failure, spinal cord compression, depression, diabetes and neoplasm complications. The drug also increases blood sugar, potentially accelerating cancer growth. Concerns About Administration and Oversight: Zoladex is administered via deep abdominal injections with large needles, often by undertrained staff in non-hospital settings, adding physical and psychological risks to its already questionable profile.

Zoladex is administered via deep abdominal injections with large needles, often by undertrained staff in non-hospital settings, adding physical and psychological risks to its already questionable profile. Expert Criticism and Patient Caution: Vernon Coleman strongly condemns the drug as one of the most evil and misappropriately prescribed, urging cancer patients to critically evaluate their treatment options and reject unnecessary, harmful medications.

Drugs used to treat breast cancer have no benefit, only side effects, claims doctor

Zoladex is a hormone therapy drug used to treat breast and prostate cancers, as well as conditions like endometriosis and abnormal uterine bleeding. It suppresses the bodys production of sex hormones, particularly estrogen and testosterone. It is often administered alongside tamoxifen, a more commonly known breast cancer medication. Tamoxifen itself is a hormone-blocking drug used to prevent cancer recurrence, particularly in premenopausal women.

Dr. Coleman recounts his experience with a patient named Antoinette, who was advised by her oncologist to begin Zoladex injections six months after breast cancer surgery. At the time, she was already taking tamoxifen. Concerned about the administration of Zoladex  especially via deep abdominal injections potentially delivered by undertrained staff  Dr. Coleman investigated the medical literature for its benefits and risks.

What he found, he says, was alarming. A meta-analysis of four clinical trials involving 6,279 women concluded that combining Zoladex with tamoxifen provided no additional benefit in terms of disease-free or overall survival. In short, the treatment had no measurable impact on prolonging life or preventing cancer recurrence in premenopausal women.

Given the lack of therapeutic advantage, Dr. Coleman argues that the drug would need to be virtually side-effect free to justify its use. However, Zoladex is far from that. According to the British National Formulary, its common or very common side effects include: hair loss, joint pain, bone pain, depression, heart failure, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, mood alterations, hot flushes, heart attack, spinal cord compression, skin reactions, sexual dysfunction, and weight gain, among many others.

Coleman highlights the disturbing fact that many drug side effects go unreported by doctors, with estimates suggesting that fewer than 10 percent are documented  and in the U.S., possibly as low as 1 percent. Among the most troubling side effects of Zoladex is its tendency to raise blood sugar levels, a serious issue considering that cancer cells feed on sugar.

Dr. Coleman concludes that Zoladex is one of the most harmful and unnecessarily prescribed drugs he has ever studied. He even likens using it to drinking bleach, saying its something he wouldnt even use as a drain cleaner. Compared to Zoladex, he considers tamoxifen as safe as jam.

The central message of Colemans essay is a warning to cancer patients to actively question their treatment plans and not to blindly follow medical recommendations, especially when those recommendations involve drugs with severe side effects and questionable efficacy.

Tune your internet dial to NaturalMedicine.news for tips on how to use natural remedies for preventative medicine and for healing, instead of succumbing to Big Pharma products that cause, spread, and exacerbate disease and disorder, including breast cancer.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

Expose-news.com

MY.ClevelandClinic.org

DovePress.com
Rogue, godless Israeli government to get reality check: 12 nations launch unprecedented measures to stop slaughter of Palestinian children

A ten-year-old child from Gaza starving, looking for his family and a meal. He clutched a frayed kite, the paper fluttering in the wind like a wounded bird. The aid truck was just aheadadorned with white flags, UN symbols, and a promise of some meal. His stomach growled, but hope kept him fighting for a better life.

"Come," a soldier called in broken Arabic, waving him forward. The boy hesitated, but the man smiledwarm, almost kind. He took a step. Then another. A shot cracked the air.

The young boy crumbled in place, his kite slipping from tiny fingers. The soldiers smile twisted into a sneer as voices laughed over radios. Behind rubble, mercenaries high-fived, their rifles still smoking.

The aid truck? It was a trap. Blood pooled around the boy, seeping into the dust. The wind carried his kite away. No one came to bury him. He's one of thousands of child casualties buried beneath the rubble, their bodies discarded in the sand, their hope fluttering away in the wind.

This is an example of the hell that children are facing in Gaza. Kids are starving without medical care; they are looking for massacred relatives; and they are being set up by food aid traps. While Israel has always been shielded from scrutiny and regarded as a supreme nation -- righteous and untouchable -- world leaders are no longer looking away. As Israels merciless bombing campaign in Gaza grinds on, thousands of innocent children are buried beneath rubble, their bodies discarded in the dust. Hospitals are being turned into graveyards. Aid is being limited and used as a trap.

But rising in these horrifying times is a historic coalition of nations that are demanding accountability. The genocidal siege on Gaza, fueled by Western weapons, Israeli supremacy and blood lust, has reached a tipping point. Twelve countries have now committed to drastic measures aimed at choking off Israels war machine, defying U.S. pressure and signaling a seismic shift in global justice. The question remains: Will the rest of the world followor continue enabling the slaughter?

Key points:

Twelve nations, including Bolivia, Colombia, and South Africa, have agreed to an arms embargo, port blockades on weapons shipments to Israel, and prosecutions of Israeli war criminals.

UNICEF reports over 3,450 Palestinian children killedmost buried alive, burned, or torn apart by bombswith thousands more starving and dehydrated due to Israels siege.

The Hague Summit, backed by over 30 nations, marks the strongest Global South defiance yet against U.S.-Israeli impunity, provoking furious backlash from Washington.

A UN rapporteur warns that Israels economy is "structured to sustain genocide," urging all nations to cut ties completely.

The end of impunity?

For months, the world has watched as Israel pulverized Gaza, flattening entire neighborhoods and targeting hospitals, schools, and refugee camps with U.S.-supplied bombs. When UNICEFs James Elder called Gaza a graveyard for children, he wasnt exaggerating. Israels blockade has left survivors drinking contaminated water while children like 4-year-old Talianow ripping out her own hair from traumaembody the psychological toll of this man-made hell.

But the tide is turning. The Hague Groups summit in Colombia, led by nations with firsthand experience of Western-backed atrocities, has drawn a line in the sand. Their resolution isnt just symbolicits actionable: banning arms sales, halting port access for weapons shipments, and freezing contracts that bankroll Israels occupation. Colombian President Gustavo Petro put it bluntly: "Palestinian life is no longer disposable."

U.S. hypocrisy unmasked

The State Department sneered at the summits radical anti-Western agendas, ignoring the irony that the U.S. itself vetoed multiple UN ceasefires while bankrolling Israels massacres. Washingtons tantrum reveals panic: their holy client in the Middle East no longer has immunity and their power is crumbling as nations work together to counter their genocidal actions.

Meanwhile, South Africafresh off its landmark ICC case proving Israels genocideis leading the charge. As UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese warned: "The clock is ticking for Europe and the Arab world to join." The message is clear: Neutrality is complicity.

The battle isnt just in Gazas ashesits in docks, courts, and boardrooms worldwide. Will the US and European nations continue arming a regime that kills children with approval? Will corporations still profit from apartheid? The twelve pioneering nations have lit the fuse; now, the world must chooseside with genocide, or stand for humanity.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

TheCradle.co

Unicef.org
Global coalition of states announce concrete steps against Israels genocide in Gaza

Over 30 states convened in Colombia to agree on six coordinated measures aimed at halting military support for Israel's war in Gaza and enforcing international law, marking the most ambitious response since the conflict began.

The plan includes stopping arms transfers to Israel, blocking suspect vessels, reviewing contracts tied to Israel's occupation and prosecuting alleged war crimes through universal jurisdiction. Twelve nations committed to immediate implementation.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro praised the agreement as historic, stating it rejects impunity for violations of international law and challenges the disposability of Palestinian life.

The urgency stems from Israel's military campaign, which has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, displaced most of Gaza's population and triggered famine. UN experts, including Francesca Albanese, accuse Israel of genocide  a claim Israel denies.

Despite growing support (including from Brazil, China and Turkey), efforts face resistance from major arms suppliers like the U.S. and Germany. Israel dismissed the initiative as politically motivated. A UN General Assembly deadline (September 2025) invites broader participation.

In a landmark move to address Israel's "climate of impunity," a coalition of more than 30 states convened in Colombia and agreed on six coordinated measures aimed at halting military support for the Jewish nation's war in Gaza and enforcing international law.

The Hague Group convened an emergency summit Wednesday, July 16, in the Colombian capital Bogota. Its membership agreed on the six measures that day, marking the most ambitious multilateral action since the conflict began 21 months ago. Of the participating countries, 12 committed to immediate implementation of the measures.

The six-point plan includes halting arms transfers to Israel, blocking suspect vessels from ports, reviewing public contracts tied to Israel's occupation and prosecuting alleged war crimes through universal jurisdiction. Colombian President Gustavo Petro hailed the agreement as a watershed moment. (Related: Colombia CUTS diplomatic ties with Israel over continued genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.)

"We will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable," said Petro. The measures echo longstanding grievances from the Global South, where leaders argue the international system has long failed to hold powerful states accountable.

The conference's urgency stems from Israel's devastating military campaign in Gaza, following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood attack on Oct. 7, 2023. This genocide has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly the entire population and pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.

United Nations officials and legal experts, including Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, have repeatedly accused Israel of genocide  a charge Israel vehemently denies. The Bogota agreement seeks to challenge what South African International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola described as "an era of impunity" enabled by geopolitical alliances shielding Israel from consequences.

The Hague Group takes on Tel Aviv: Will more nations join?

Historically, efforts to sanction Israel have faced stiff resistance from Western powers  particularly the United States. Washington has vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel.

However, the coalition's inclusion of states like Brazil, China and Turkey signals a widening rift over Israel's actions  one reminiscent of past anti-colonial solidarity movements. The Hague Group, formed earlier this year, draws parallels to the Non-Aligned Movement of the Cold War that similarly sought to counterbalance Western dominance in international institutions.

The coalition set a deadline of September 2025 for more nations to join the measures, aligning with a UN General Assembly resolution demanding accountability for alleged violations of international law.

Yet the path ahead remains fraught. Major arms suppliers like the U.S. and Germany were absent from the summit, and the Tel Aviv government has dismissed the initiative as politically motivated.

As Albanese noted, "These aren't just measures but lifelines for a people under relentless assault." Whether the agreement triggers a broader shift or faces the familiar fate of unenforced resolutions may define the international response to what Petro called "the work of ending impunity." For now, the Bogota conference stands as a rare challenge to the status quo.

Visit Resist.news for more similar stories.

Watch this clip of pro-Palestine protesters in South Africa rallying outside the Johannesburg office of Swiss mining firm Glencore.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

South Africa files 750 pages of evidence against Israel in ICJ genocide case.

Ireland joins South Africa in genocide case against Israel at International Court of Justice.

Colombia issues decree banning COAL EXPORTS to Israel in protest of Netanyahu's ongoing war crimes and violence against civilians.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

DIRCO.gov.za [PDF]

Brighteon.com
GOP lawmakers slam rising CRIME and DECAY in the District of Columbia

Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Brandon Gill (TX) and Tim Burchett (TN), describe Washington, D.C., as a "Third World hellhole," citing rampant crime, homelessness and neglect near the Capitol that endanger residents, officials and tourists.

Burchett warns that the city is unsafe, especially at night, and advises against tourists exploring after dark, while Gill condemns the lack of adequate policing.

Following the fatal shooting of a congressional intern in March 2025, President Trump signed an order creating a federal task force to combat crime, restore monuments and clear homeless encampments  hinting at a potential federal takeover of D.C. governance.

GOP lawmakers accuse D.C. officials of enabling decay through weak enforcement and sanctuary-city policies, with critics tracing systemic failures back to the 1973 Home Rule Act's divided governance structure.

The debate over federal intervention reflects a national divide, testing whether restoring D.C.'s safety and prestige can outweigh concerns over local autonomy.

The once-pristine streets of Washington, D.C., the seat of American power, have descended into what Republican lawmakers describe as a "Third World hellhole," sparking outrage and renewed calls for federal intervention.

Texas Rep. Brandon Gill lambasted the city's state as "disgraceful" during a recent interview with Border Hawk. He lamented: "The U.S. is the most powerful country the world has ever seen. We're the most economically prosperous  and yet our capital city looks like a Third World hellhole.

"You go just a few blocks away from the Capitol, and you're in very dangerous territory. I think it's disgraceful that the capital city of the U.S. looks like we are in the Third World.

"This is a place that congressmen have to live, their families have to live, members of the administration have to live, government officials, our staff. And you're saying we don't have a police force that is adequately equipped to clean up this city?" (Related: Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities becoming war zones as crime skyrockets under Democrat control.)

Gill was not alone with his sentiments, however. Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett likewise warned that the Capitol, in spite of its status, "is not a safe town."

"It's a constant worry of mine; I try not to leave the campus at night," he told Border Hawk in an interview last month. "I worry about tourists, especially at night. There are a lot of cool things to go see at night, but I would caution against that."

Trump takes charge to save the Capitol

Both GOP representatives and the Trump administration argue that the nation's capital  marred by escalating crime, homelessness and neglect  now fails to reflect the dignity of the United States. This has prompted executive action to reclaim its safety and beauty.

Concerns over D.C.'s conditions reached a boiling point following the fatal March 2025 shooting of a 21-year-old congressional intern near the White House, underscoring Days later, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating a multi-agency task force to combat crime, restore monuments and clear homeless encampments.

He also openly suggested a federal takeover of the district's governance. "We want a capital that's run flawlessly," Trump declared during a recent cabinet meeting.

GOP lawmakers accuse local officials of enabling the decay through lax enforcement and sanctuary-city policies. Historically, D.C.'s struggles with crime and governance trace back to the 1973 Home Rule Act, which granted limited self-governance but left Congress with oversighta division critics argue has fostered bureaucratic paralysis.

The Trump administration's order revives debates over federal authority, emphasizing coordination with law enforcement to curb illegal immigration and vandalism. As the debate unfolds, the stakes extend beyond policy.

For millions of visitors and residents, D.C.'s decline symbolizes a broader national fracture. Whether federal intervention can restore the capital's luster or deepen tensions over local autonomy remains a pivotal test for America's leaders and institutions.

Watch this Scripps News report about Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's bag being stolen in D.C., highlighting the Capitol's safety issues.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Violent crime in D.C. spikes by 40 percent in 2012.

Chicago crowned MURDER CAPITAL of the United States for 12th consecutive year.

FLASHBACK: Hundreds of violent left-wing rioters smashed windows, set limousine on fire in Washington DC during President Trump's inauguration in 2017; government later dropped ALL CHARGES against the rioters.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

X.com

WhiteHouse.gov

Brighteon.com
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) has finalized a $455 million concession agreement with Indian conglomerate Jindal Steel and Power Company for the rehabilitation of Units 1 to 6 at Hwange Thermal Power Station, Zimbabwe's largest coal-fired power plant.Structured as a public-private partnership, the agreement grants Jindal the responsibility to finance, operate, and rehabilitate the six thermal units over a 15-year period. At the end of this concession, control of the units will revert to the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings now overseen by the Mutapa Fund.According to Mutapa officials, Jindal will invest its own capital for the rehabilitation works and recoup the investment through electricity sales during the concession term. The deal transfers both operational and financial risk to the private investor while ensuring long-term benefits for Zimbabwe's power sector.Mutapa's Chief Investment Officer, Simba Chinyemba, confirmed that Cabinet had approved the agreement, describing the project as "a critical intervention to stabilise Zimbabwe's electricity supply.""We have signed a new agreement, now approved by Cabinet, which will improve the energy situation in this country. It is a $455 million agreement for the rehabilitation of Units 1 to 6 within one year with Jindal," Chinyemba said.Zimbabwe continues to face a chronic electricity shortage, with frequent blackouts affecting productivity across key industries. Many businesses have resorted to costly diesel generators or solar power systems, raising operational expenses amid fluctuating fuel prices and unreliable grid supply.Commissioned over three decades ago, Hwange Thermal Power Station has suffered a sharp decline in output due to aging infrastructure, with many units operating below capacity or offline. Energy experts have long emphasized the urgent need for rehabilitation to extend the plant's operational life.This new deal follows an earlier $800 million repowering agreement between ZESA and Jindal, which aimed to increase Hwange's capacity from 420 megawatts (MW) to 900MW and extend its lifespan by up to 20 years. However, that project encountered delays and was never fully executed.Zimbabwe's peak electricity demand currently stands at around 1,800MW, while domestic generation averages roughly 1,300MW. The shortfall forces reliance on expensive power imports from regional suppliers including Mozambique's EDM, Zambia's ZESCO, and South Africa's Eskom.The agreement with Jindal is expected to restore Hwange's generating capacity and reduce dependence on costly power imports, alleviating pressure on Zimbabwe's foreign currency reserves.The Mutapa Investment Fund manages 66 state-owned enterprises across sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture, telecommunications, transport, financial services, and real estate. Since taking control of several parastatals, the Fund has prioritized commercial sustainability, investment partnerships, and economic recovery.Chinyemba hailed the Hwange rehabilitation as "a major milestone for the Fund in unlocking value through strategic partnerships," signalling renewed hope for Zimbabwe's power sector and broader economic stability.
ICE agents face 830% assault surge amid political rhetoric and doxxing crisis

Assaults on ICE agents surged 830% since Trumps 2025 inauguration amid heightened political and media clashes over immigration.

DHS blames gutter politicians and media exaggerations for violence targeting federal immigration officers.

Assaults include rock-throwing mobs incited by lawmakers like Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and violent protests at detention facilities.

Doxxing campaigns exposed agents personal details, prompting legislative proposals to criminalize such acts.

ICE agents report financial and emotional strain from harassment, including threats against family members.

Federal immigration officials are facing a dramatic surge in violence, with assaults on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents increasing by 830% between January and July 2025, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency attributes the spike to hysterical rhetoric by politicians and misleading media coverage, which it claims emboldens anti-immigration enforcement groups. The clashes mirror deepening political divisions over immigration policy and the militarized response to unauthorized border crossings, with critics accusing the Biden administration of underfunding border security and enabling gutter politics.

The assault surge: From verbal tirades to violent confrontations

The surge began shortly after President Donald Trumps 2025 reelection, which amplified tensions over enforcement priorities as the U.S. grappled with a surge in migrants fleeing violence in Mexico and Central America. A May raid at New Jerseys Delaney Hall detention facility turned chaotic when Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) trespassed and assaulted an ICE officer, actions for which she now faces federal charges.

The most visceral example came earlier this week, when Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) handed a mob an ICE agents business card during a protest, leading to the officer being struck by a rock and hospitalized. DHS characterized such acts as part of a broader strategy by gutter politicians to endanger agents, citing 246 assaults from January to Julythe highest since 1994.

We wont allow crazed rhetoric to shield predators in our communities, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, emphasizing ICEs focus on removing terrorists, murderers and pedophiles from the United States.

The role of media, politics and doxing in escalating tensions

Media narratives and anti-ICE protests are central to DHSs critique. The agency has debunked media reports falsely claiming ICE caused a migrants death during a June rescue operation. DHS insists the man climbed to a rooftop and fell while avoiding arrest.

Meanwhile, rogue lawmakers and social media influencers have publicly exposed ICE agents personal detailsa practice known as doxxingresulting in 42% of agents experiencing threats to their families. In Portland, Oregon, an ICE officer discovered his home vandalized with anti-government slurs, while a Texas agent found his address published online alongside threats.

Youre taking the side of human traffickers, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told critics, urging Congress to pass Sen. Marsha Blackburns (R-TN) Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act, which would penalize doxxing with up to five years in prison. Similar measures advanced in California and Massachusetts would force ICE agents to unmask during operationsa demand 21 Democrat state attorneys general have endorsed.

However, ICE agents argue masks are critical for protecting identities during high-risk operations. My wifes home isnt a target here, but no, sir, my job requires discretion, said one agent, who declined to be named. The officer cited spending $4,500 on home security upgrades to shield his family overnight while working raids.

The human cost: Agents balance safety, family and the law

Families of immigration officers increasingly live under a shadow. Agents report anxiety at homechecking doors daily, avoiding social media and limiting interactions with neighbors. One father, who asked to remain unnamed, described how his childs school recently evacuated after a stranger threatened to bomb the building.

This isnt about politicsits common sense, said Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), advocating for mask bans. Correa called for transparency over men in black raiding neighborhoods. But ICE maintains its focus is on removing dangers to public safety.

A fractured debate over borders, safety and civility

The surge in violence underscores the partisan chasm over immigrationone where misinformation and political knee-jerk reactions collide with law enforcement threats. As Congress debates policies to protect officers or mandate transparency, the human toll grows. For ICE agents, the stakes are existential.

You cant separate national security from the men and women protecting it, said Homeland Security spokesperson Ryan McCarthy, noting over 80% of ICE agents now work with undercover details. This isnt just about policiesits about whether well allow chaos to undermine justice.

With midterms approaching, the clash over immigration rhetoric may intensify, testing Americas resolve to balance compassion with security at a crossroads of history and fear.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

DHS.gov

FoxNews.com
Israel escalates attacks on Damascus, targeting Syrian Defense Ministry and Presidential Palace

The Israeli military has launched another brutal assault on Syria , this time bombing key government buildings in Damascus, including the Syrian Defense Ministry, military headquarters, and areas near the presidential palace. The attacks, purportedly executed to "protect" Syrias Druze minority, come amid escalating tensions that have left civilians caught in the crossfire.

Israels Defense Minister, Israel Katz, boldly bragged about the strikes on social media, posting footage with the caption: "heavy blows have started." Meanwhile, Syrias Health Ministry reported at least one fatality and 28 injuries, with buildings reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising over the capital.

But what is really behind these strikes? Israel has long exploited regional chaos to further its military dominance, capitalizing on Syrias instability to weaken its adversaries under the guise of "security concerns." This is yet another calculated move to expand Israels influence  one that exposes its disregard for sovereignty, civilian lives and international law.

Key points:

Israeli airstrikes hit central Damascus, damaging Syrias Defense Ministry and military headquarters.

Footage shows massive explosions and smoke engulfing Umayyad Square.

At least one fatality and 28 injuries confirmed, with numbers expected to rise.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz gloats on X, declaring "heavy blows have started."

Attacks coincide with clashes between Syrian government forces and the Druze minority in Sweida, fueling speculation about Israels true motives.

Israel claims the strikes are to "protect" the Druze, yet its actions destabilize the region further.

Israels false narrative: "protecting" the Druze while fueling chaos

The latest wave of Israeli bombings follows deadly clashes in Syrias Sweida province between government forces and members of the Druze community. Israel claims it seeks to defend the Druze, yet its interventions only escalate violence, leaving civilians trapped in warfare.

According to Syrian military observer Abu Amin, Israeli F-35 jets carried out multiple airstrikes on strategic Syrian military positions, including the 112th Brigade and 175th Regiment, killing soldiers and wounding civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed 10 government security forces killed in the attacks.

But Israels hypocrisy is glaring. If it truly cared about the Druze, why does it bomb Syrian infrastructure  killing both soldiers and civilians  rather than facilitate diplomacy? The answer lies in Israels long-term strategy: using regional instability to justify military aggression.

Syrian Druze leaders reject Israeli propaganda

Despite Israels claims of acting as a protector, Druze leaders in Syria have repeatedly denounced Israeli interference.

Khaled, a resident of Sweida, told Middle East Eye: "We are an integral part of the Syrian state throughout history, and we reject Israeli occupation or interference in our regions."

Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri also accused the Syrian government of shelling civilian areas, but clarified that initial statements supporting government intervention were "imposed" under pressure.

Israels attempts to manipulate the Druze conflict  while simultaneously bombing Syrian state institutions  reveal its true agenda: destabilization. Just as it has in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, Israel fans the flames of conflict to weaken adversaries while presenting itself as the "moral" actor  despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Netanyahus desperate moves: Corruption scandals and coalition collapse

Back home, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is embroiled in corruption trials and a collapsing coalition. His ultra-Orthodox allies in the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party recently abandoned the government over military conscription exemptions, leaving Netanyahu clinging to a one-seat majority.

With domestic pressure mounting and international scrutiny intensifying, Netanyahus Damascus bombings appear to be a desperate distraction  an attempt to rally nationalist support by flexing military muscle abroad.

But Syrians  particularly civilians caught in the blasts  arent fooled. This isnt security. Its occupation, destruction, and imperialism wrapped in a thin veneer of self-defense.

Israels relentless bombing of Syria isnt about protection  its about control. The international community must stop accepting Tel Avivs justifications at face value. For decades, Israel has tested its weapons on oppressed populations, marketed them as "battle-tested," and sold them to the highest bidder  regardless of human cost.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

X.com

X.com
Trump threatens 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if Ukraine deal is not reached in 50 days

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose secondary tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries such as China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Germany if they continue buying Russian oil and no Ukraine peace deal is reached within 50 days.

Trump expressed disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to reach a ceasefire, accusing him of being "all talk" and continuing deadly missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.

The ultimatum sets a de facto deadline of mid-September for a negotiated resolution to the war, with severe economic penalties looming for nations maintaining energy ties with Moscow.

Trump announced expanded U.S. military support for Ukraine via NATO allies, who will purchase and transfer billions of dollars in weapons to Kyiv under the coordination of U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.

The arms transfer plan aligns with NATO's new requirement that each of its 32 member nations spend at least five percent of GDP on defense, a major increase from the previous two percent guideline, to strengthen Ukraine and deter further Russian aggression.

President Donald Trump has warned the U.S. would impose "secondary tariffs" of up to 100 percent on Russia if a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days.

During a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on July 14, Trump expressed his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress toward a ceasefire, saying he had expected a deal months ago. He then suggested that the U.S. would begin enforcing tariffs as high as 100 percent on nations that continue purchasing Russian oil.

"I'm disappointed in President Putin, because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn't seem to get there. So based on that, we're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple, and they'll be at 100 percent, and that's the way it is. That can be more simple. It's just the way it is. I hope we don't have to do it," he said.

The proposed secondary sanctions would target countries such as China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Germany, all of which remain significant buyers of Russian petroleum products. The penalties would effectively double the cost of imports from those nations, unless they significantly reduce or halt energy trade with Moscow.

"I hope we don't get to the point where we do, but I've been hearing so much talk. It's all talk. It's all talk. And then missiles go into Kyiv and kill 60 people," he said. Trump then accused Putin of deception and failing to live up to negotiations aimed at ending the war. (Related: Trump's tariffs will create millions of jobs.)

The ultimatum sets a de facto deadline for diplomacy, with Trump warning that if a ceasefire deal is not in place by mid-September, the penalties would go into effect.

Trump confirms U.S. to funnel more arms to Ukraine through NATO

Aside from imposing "secondary tariffs," Trump also announced a significant expansion of U.S. military support for Ukraine, confirming that the United States will provide additional arms to Kyiv through NATO allies, who will purchase the weapons and oversee their transfer.

The new approach, coordinated by U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, seeks to accelerate battlefield deliveries without direct U.S. shipment. Under the new framework, NATO allies will finance the purchase of "billions of dollars worth of military equipment," which will then be distributed to Ukrainian forces. Trump emphasized that the process would be fast-tracked and that the coordination through NATO would ensure supplies are delivered directly to the front lines.

The weapons transfer aligns with NATO's recent push to increase defense spending among its 32 member states. Earlier this year, the alliance adopted a new standard requiring members to invest at least five percent of their GDP in defense, significantly up from the long-standing two percent benchmark.

Trump also expressed hope that increased NATO military assistance and rising defense investments would pressure Putin to reconsider his strategy.

Follow Trump.news for similar stories.

Watch the July 8 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses Trump unleashing new tariff wars with an extra attack on BRICS nations.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

TARIFF WAR LOOMS: Trump warns Trudeau of more tariffs following Canada's retaliation.

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on auto imports.

Trump imposes new tariffs on agricultural imports.

Canada refuses to lift tariffs despite Trump's postponement.

Canada RESCINDS DIGITAL TAX after Trump threatens retaliatory tariffs.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
Health Ranger Report: Why China will win the AI RACE with Zach Vorhies

DeepSeek R1 rivals OpenAI's models at a fraction of the cost, running on standard hardware  triggering Nvidia's stock decline by challenging reliance on high-end GPUs.

Despite Western export controls, Chinas strategic stockpiling and pragmatic AI development enabled R1's success, showcasing potential to outpace Western competitors.

DeepSeek R1's affordability threatens Nvidia's profits while China's open-source release challenges Western AI dominance, escalating geopolitical tensions.

Excessive focus on social justice diverted resources from STEM and infrastructure, weakening U.S. innovation against Chinas pragmatic policies.

The U.S. must reduce regulations, invest strategically in energy/tech, prioritize innovation over ideology and empower grassroots efforts to reclaim AI leadership.

The Health Ranger Mike Adams and renowned Google whistleblower Zach Vorhies dissect the implications of China's groundbreaking DeepSeek R1 AI model. Their conversation revealed a stark reality: America's position as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) is under unprecedented threat.

The interview kicked off with a discussion on the DeepSeek R1, a model that has sent shockwaves through the tech world. Vorhies explains that while the model matches the performance of OpenAI's offerings, it operates on a desktop computer at a mere three percent of the cost. This revelation has triggered a collapse in Nvidia's stock, a company heavily reliant on the sale of high-end GPUs for AI training. (Related: Zach Vorhies reveals how Chinas DeepSeek R1 AI model outperforms OpenAI, sends Nvidia stock crashing)

Vorhies attributes China's success to a strategic pivot. Despite Western export controls on advanced chips like Nvidia's H100, China has managed to develop AI models that outperform their Western counterparts using significantly less computational power.

This achievement, the former senior software engineer at Google suggested, is not the work of a lone genius but a concerted national effort. It likely involves a stockpile of chips far greater than officially acknowledged.

The dramatic drop in Nvidia's stock price, according to Vorhies, is a direct response to the democratization of AI. The DeepSeek R1 model, capable of running on everyday hardware, opens the door for startups and individuals to harness AI's power without relying on expensive data centers. This shift threatens the revenue streams of companies like Nvidia, which have built their empires on the sale of high-performance hardware.

Adams, however, offers a contrarian view. He argues that the widespread availability of powerful AI tools could spur innovation and create new markets, ultimately benefiting companies like Nvidia in the long run.

The key, he believes, lies in the ability to adapt and leverage these tools to their fullest potential. "We are in a massive arms race towards super intelligence with AGI [artificial general intelligence]," Adams told his guest.

Geopolitical implications: A new Cold War?

The conversation took a geopolitical turn as Vorhies expressed concern over China's strategic use of AI. He suggested that the release of the DeepSeek R1 and related tools is a calculated move, potentially in response to geopolitical tensions such as the ban of ByteDance's products. This, he argued, is part of a broader strategy to undermine Western dominance in AI.

Adams concurred, highlighting the irony that China, often criticized for censorship, has now provided the world with a powerful open-source tool, while American companies like OpenAI have maintained a closed approach. This discrepancy, he suggested, could have profound implications for the future of AI development and deployment.

A significant portion of the discussion revolved around the impact of "wokeism" on America's competitive edge. Vorhies criticized the focus on social justice and identity politics, arguing that it has diverted attention and resources away from critical areas such as STEM education and energy infrastructure. He attributed America's lag in AI development to this ideological shift, which he believes has weakened the nation's ability to compete with China's more pragmatic approach. Adams echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to prioritize hard sciences and engineering to foster innovation.

Despite the grim outlook, both Adams and Vorhies proposed potential paths for America to regain its footing. Vorhies advocated for a reversal of regulatory burdens and a strategic investment in energy infrastructure to support AI development. He also called for a cultural shift, urging a return to values that prioritize innovation and excellence over ideological conformity.

"We have to reverse everything; we have to start demolishing all the regulations," Vorhies said. "And in order to compete, we have to restructure our economic system. We have to almost go to wartime footing at this point in order to catch up."

Adams, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of decentralization. Empowering grassroots innovators and fostering a competitive landscape could be key to unlocking new breakthroughs. America's unique strength lies in its diversity of thought and creativity, which could be harnessed to outmaneuver China's more centralized approach.

The interview concluded with a sobering reflection on the state of global AI competition. Vorhies expressed a sense of urgency, warning that the window for America to act is rapidly closing. He called for a purge of Chinese Communist Party influence within tech companies and a re-strategizing of national priorities to focus on AI dominance.

Adams, while acknowledging the challenges, expressed a cautious optimism. He believes the American spirit of innovation and resilience could still turn the tide, but only if the nation can overcome the internal obstacles that have hindered its progress.

Follow CommunistChina.news for more similar stories.

Watch the full interview between Zach Vorhies and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

AI Breakthrough: Mike Adams and Zach Vorhies discuss open AIs soft AGI milestone, surpassing human capabilities in complex problem-solving.

Chinese AI gains global traction as U.S. tech dominance faces challenges.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek faces cyberattack amid U.S. tech stock turmoil.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

ZachVorhies.com
News / National

by Staff reporter

Amid escalating losses and allegations of deep-rooted corruption, Harare City Council has turned to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office to intervene in the stalled acquisition of a critical Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The move aims to break the deadlock caused by ongoing disputes between the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) and the Ministry of Local Government.For years, the capital city has been losing billions of dollars due to systemic leakages, with sources pointing to a powerful cartel involving council employees, officials from the Ministry of Local Government, and elements within PRAZ. This alleged network is accused of deliberately delaying the ERP procurement process to enable continued looting and corruption.ERP systems are essential software platforms that integrate core organizational functions such as finance, human resources, and supply chain management into a unified system, enhancing efficiency and accountability. However, Harare has operated without such a system for four years, exacerbating financial mismanagement and loss.Finance Committee Chairperson, Councillor Costa Mande, told Business Times this week that the absence of an ERP system has allowed corruption to flourish unchecked."The implementation of the system has been delayed. We have been going back and forth for a year now. It has now been four years without an ERP system," Mande said. "We have now involved the President's Office to address this issue as it has been a year since we started this process."Mande revealed that while PRAZ advised the council to channel communications through the Ministry of Local Government, no progress has been made. "Currently, we have a task force that includes the Office of the President, the Ministry of Local Government, and the PRAZ team, but nothing has come of it for one reason or another," he added.The absence of an ERP system leaves glaring loopholes that cartels continue to exploit. Since 2022, Parliament has expressed serious concern over corruption at Town House, attributing much of the malpractice to the lack of proper accounting and billing systems.Investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) have implicated at least eight Harare City Council officials, including the head of Information Technology, for failing to account for over US$200 million that vanished under suspicious circumstances involving a flawed billing system. The officials are now under probe for alleged criminal abuse of office amid fears of massive financial losses orchestrated by cartels within the council's ranks.Mande expressed frustration over the ongoing procurement delays, noting that councillors have been sidelined in the process. "The Procurement Management Unit and PRAZ have been dragging their feet for too long," he said. "If you go to PRAZ, they claim the council is delaying, and if you go to the council, they point fingers at PRAZ. There is a lot of back and forth on this issue."Responding to the claims, PRAZ spokesperson Mqhele Tshuma said the ERP matter is now between the council and the Ministry of Local Government. "Council is now engaging us through the Ministry of Local Government and we are uncertain when we last had communication about the issue. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has been involved in this matter," Tshuma said.As the stalemate drags on, the involvement of the President's Office signals the gravity of the situation and the urgent need to end years of losses and institutional corruption through the implementation of a modern ERP system at Harare City Council.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The host

Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner @julierovner.bsky.social

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News' weekly health policy news podcast, "What the Health?" A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book "Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z," now in its third edition.

The Senate has passed  and sent back to the House  a bill that would allow the Trump administration to claw back some $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting. But first, senators removed from the bill a request to cut funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, President George W. Bush's international AIDS/HIV program. The House has until Friday to approve the bill, or else the funding remains in place.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia can ban the abortion pill mifepristone despite its approval by the Food and Drug Administration. If the ruling is upheld by the Supreme Court, it could allow states to limit access to other FDA-approved drugs.

This week's panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.

Panelists

Joanne Kenen Johns Hopkins University and Politico @JoanneKenen @joannekenen.bsky.social

Shefali Luthra The 19th @shefali.bsky.social

Sandhya Raman CQ Roll Call @SandhyaWrites @SandhyaWrites.bsky.social

Among the takeaways from this week's episode:

The Senate approved the Trump administration's cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, a remarkable yielding of congressional spending power to the president. Before the vote, Senate GOP leaders removed President Donald Trump's request to cut PEPFAR, sparing the funding for that global health effort, which has support from both parties.

Next Congress will need to pass annual appropriations bills to keep the government funded, but that is expected to be a bigger challenge than the recent spending fights. Appropriations bills need 60 votes to pass in the Senate, meaning Republican leaders will have to make bipartisan compromises. House leaders are already delaying health spending bills until the fall, saying they need more time to work out deals  and those bills tend to attract culture-war issues that make it difficult to negotiate across the aisle.

The Trump administration is planning to destroy  rather than distribute  food, medical supplies, contraceptives, and other items intended for foreign aid. The plan follows the removal of workers and dismantling of aid infrastructure around the world, but the waste of needed goods the U.S. government has already purchased is expected to further erode global trust.

And soon after the passage of Trump's tax and spending law, at least one Republican is proposing to reverse the cuts the party approved to health programs  specifically Medicaid. It's hardly the first time lawmakers have tried to change course on their own policies, though time will tell whether it's enough to mitigate any political (or actual) damage from the law.

Plus, for "extra credit" the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: The New York Times' "UnitedHealth's Campaign to Quiet Critics," by David Enrich.

Joanne Kenen: The New Yorker's "Can A.I. Find Cures for Untreatable Diseases  Using Drugs We Already Have?" by Dhruv Khullar.

Shefali Luthra: The New York Times' "Trump Official Accused PEPFAR of Funding Abortions in Russia. It Wasn't True," by Apoorva Mandavilli.

Sandhya Raman: The Nation's "'We're Creating Miscarriages With Medicine': Abortion Lessons from Sweden," by Cecilia Nowell.

Also mentioned in this week's podcast:

Credits
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government enabled schools to provide all children, regardless of need, with free meals to address nutrition and food insecurity. While program participation increased, many students declined the free meals, missing out on potential health and academic benefits.

A new study by nutrition researchers identifies several barriers cited by foodservice directors-the leaders who run school food programs-to student participation, including student preferences for home-cooked meals or fast food, and concerns about how healthy the meals are.

Even when school meals are free, students don't always take and eat them. This tells us that cost isn't the only barrier. From the perspective of school foodservice directors, who are key stakeholders in providing school meals to children, it's important to understand what other barriers exist, so school meals can be more accessible, appealing, and supportive of student well-being." Deborah Olarte, study's lead author and assistant professor of nutrition at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

The researchers used previously collected 2021-2022 survey data from 599 foodservice directors in California and Maine by the California Department of Education and the Maine nonprofit, Full Plates, Full Potential, respectively. They then conducted follow-up interviews with a subset of 49 survey participants.

Using data from both the surveys and interviews, the researchers found three statistically significant barriers to students eating school meals: 1) students or parents don't think the food is healthy, 2) they prefer to eat at home or elsewhere (e.g., fast-food restaurants), and 3) students and parents think that only lower-income students eat school breakfast and don't want the associated stigma.

"As states consider universal free school meal policies, the next step is making the already healthy meals more appealing and accessible to students. This could be investing in scratch cooking, incorporating student feedback, and extending lunch periods to ensure meals are available without logistical barriers or stigma," says Olarte

Their findings are published in Journal of School Health.

This study was funded by California General Fund SB 170 and Share Our Strength.
Two junior research groups at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have developed a drug complex that kills cancer cells in such a clever manner that they raise a red flag as they die. They signal to the immune system that something is seriously wrong with this type of cell. This teaches the immune cells to destroy such cancer cellseven if they are not in the vicinity of the original tumor. This could remove metastases that develop at distant sites in the body. Dr. Johannes Karges from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Dr. Carlos Plaza-Sirvent from the Department of Medicine present their findings in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry on July 17, 2025.

Uncommon: Immunogenic cell death

90 percent of all deaths from cancer are due to metastases. This is why Karges and his team are looking for ways to train the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. They have found success with a drug that kills the cells in a sophisticated manner. "The gallium complex we developed penetrates the cells and, because of its special properties, causes oxidative stress in a certain cell organelle known as the endoplasmic reticulum," he explains.

The cells then undergo immunogenic cell death, which only very few drugs can achieve." Dr. Johannes Karges, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum

Immune system learns to identify cancer cells

Through this type of cell death, proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and the cell nucleus are released to the outside and act as a strong warning signal to the immune system: Something is wrong here, these cells are harmful. This teaches the immune system to recognize the cancer cells as hostile and eliminate them throughout the body. This should also destroy metastases.

The two teams led by Johannes Karges and Carlos Plaza-Sirvent have successfully tested the active ingredient on cervical cancer cell lines. The next step is to package it in such a way that it accumulates specifically in cancer cells and is effective only there, and not in all cells of the body. Karges' research group has already developed various methods for this, for example, which active ingredients are activated by an external signal such as ultrasound or light.
The use of social media is contributing to declining attention spans, emotional volatility, and compulsive behaviors among young people, reveals a new report by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore-based research agency Research Network, in collaboration with US-based AI platform ListenLabs.ai.

The study, conducted across Singapore and Australia, surveyed 583 young people aged 13 to 25, and their parents.



It found that prolonged social media use is associated with difficulties in sustaining focus, increased emotional fatigue, and behaviors resembling addiction.



This research comes at a time when policymakers across the United States and Europe are scrutinising the broader effects of social media on public health and national security, especially in relation to platforms such as TikTok.



Lead investigator of the study, Professor Gemma Calvert, a neuroscientist from the Nanyang Centre for Marketing Technologies (NCMT) at NTU Singapore's Nanyang Business School said: "With global discussions about the impact of platforms like TikTok happening now, our findings provide crucial evidence of the real-world effects on young minds.



"The challenges revealed in our study are not just individual issues but societal concerns that warrant attention from everyone, including policymakers, educators and tech companies".

Addiction-like patterns and academic risks

The study found that 68 per cent of youth participants reported difficulty focusing, while many described struggling to complete schoolwork or engage with content lasting more than a minute. One teen said: "TikTok has made my attention span so low that I can't even watch a one-minute video."



"The brain is being trained to seek constant novelty and instant rewards through dopamine-driven feedback loops," explained Prof Calvert. "Over time, this reduces our ability to focus or engage in deep thinking. It mirrors patterns seen in addiction, where more stimulation is needed to feel satisfied."



The findings provide crucial subjective experience data, complementing earlier brain imaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which shows that social media triggers the brain's dopamine reward system in ways that mimic addiction.



Comparative results between Singapore and Australia also revealed distinct differences in opinions: Singaporean youth credited in-school phone restrictions by the Ministry of Education for curbing compulsive use, while many Australian teens expressed concern over the lack of similar boundaries or guidance.

It's time for the platforms and device makers who built the attention economy to take responsibility for redesigning it with user well-being at the core. We must move beyond cosmetic features like screen-time limits that are easily bypassed and stop designing to monetise attention. It's time to design to restore it, especially for the generation born into the scroll." Mr. James Breeze, Chief Executive of Research Network and co-author of the report

"We need default-on safeguards embedded in social platforms, such as scroll breaks, time-use cues, social comparison prompts, and attention-aware interface design, to help young users pause, reflect, and choose more intentionally. These aren't constraints, they are ways to return attention to its rightful owner.



"The science exists, but what's missing is the will to act, through leadership or regulation. We must design for awareness, not dependence, so young people can reclaim their focus in a system that profits from distraction," added Mr. Breeze, who is also an educator and behavioural researcher.



The study reflects NTU Singapore's global strengths in artificial intelligence, data science, and the social sciences. Ranked 1st in Asia and 5th globally for Data Science & AI by QS, NTU adopts an interdisciplinary approach to applying AI across education, research, and innovation to develop solutions for the complex challenges facing society today.

How the research was done with AI

The study was conducted using ListenLabs.ai, an AI-powered interviewing platform backed by Sequoia Capital, the venture firm behind companies such as Apple and Google.



Unlike traditional surveys, this approach enabled natural, voice-recorded responses to text-based prompts, resulting in richer and more authentic insights.



In just two days, the research team gathered and analysed anonymized, open-ended responses from a diverse participant base.



Using AI to detect emotional tone and behavioral patterns, the platform generated deep insights into emerging social trends, turning the usual six months of manual analysis into just two days.



Key findings from the study include:

Shrinking Attention Spans: 68 per cent of young respondents said social media harms their ability to focus, with many struggling to complete schoolwork or engage with content longer than a minute. Short-form videos are reshaping how they process information, with implications for learning and retention.

Addiction-Like Use: Many described their habits as compulsive, with one saying, "It's like the apps are made to keep you hooked." These behaviours mirror addictive patterns and raise regulatory concerns, especially around platforms like TikTok.

Academic Strain: Reduced attention is affecting school performance. Several admitted difficulty focusing without reaching for their phones, putting learning and future workforce readiness at risk.

Worries About the Future: 65 per cent believe their current digital habits could hurt their ability to study or work later in life, highlighting the long-term risks of unmoderated social media use.

Parental Concerns: 60 per cent of parents expressed high concern about social media's impact on their children's behaviour, attention, and emotional health, echoing wider calls for platform accountability.

The research was inspired by Miss Ella Carnegie-Brown, a 19-year-old intern at Research Network, who observed growing concern among her peers about their compulsive social media habits, which were increasingly affecting their studies and real-life social connections.



"As a Gen Z-er myself, I believe it's vital to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of how social media is not only shaping our daily lives, but also influencing our futures," said Miss Carnegie-Brown, who added that the study gave her generation "a voice to express the emotional toll" and "the uncertainty" they feel.



The full study will be made available soon to education policymakers, schools, and technology stakeholders in both Singapore and Australia, with plans underway for follow-up research to track attention and emotional health trends across a longer period.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The US has deported five people who it described as "criminal illegal aliens" to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini.On board the flight were five deportees from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen who have been convicted of crimes ranging from child rape to murder, US Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an online post."This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back," McLaughlin wrote on X.Eswatini, the last absolute monarchy in Africa, said it acknowledged "widespread concern" within the country regarding the deportations."Five inmates are currently housed in our correctional facilities in isolated units, where similar offenders are kept. The nation is assured that these inmates pose no threat to the country or its citizens," government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said in a statement.Eswatini and the US will work with the United Nation's immigration agency to "facilitate the transit" of the deportees to their country of origin, Mdluli added.Earlier this month, the US sent eight migrants from several countries to South Sudan after a court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties.In a series of posts on the X social media platform, McLaughlin listed the crimes the five deported to Eswatini had been convicted of, describing them as "depraved monsters" who had been "terrorizing American communities"."A safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed," she said, adding: "They are off of American soil".The Eswatini government declined to say whether any payments were made as part of the arrangement.The US is the fourth largest market for the country's biggest export, sugar. Analysts suggest that Eswatini may be trying to safeguard this trade and avoid the imposition of tariffs.A pro-democracy group, the Swazi Solidarity Network, has condemned the deal as deplorable.Spokesperson Lucky Lukhele told the BBC that Eswatini must not become a dumping ground for criminals, and that citizens needed protection.The news has sparked public concern over whether local prisons are equipped to securely house such inmates.Previously known as Swaziland, Eswatini is a small, landlocked country that is surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. It has been led by King Mswati III since 1986.Last month, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own.Rwanda has confirmed discussions have taken place, while Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Moldova have also been named in media reports as potential recipient countries.Trump's administration has already deported people to El Salvador and Costa Rica.South Sudan recently agreed to hold eight men deported from the US and said they were not in handcuffs and appeared to be in good condition.The war-torn country said the deportees were kept in a civilian facility in the capital Juba, under the watch of police and the national security service. Only one of them is from South Sudan.In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders blaming the country for failing to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a "timely manner".It is not clear if that has now changed.Last week, Nigeria said it would not bow to pressure from the Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees or third-country prisoners from the US.President Donald Trump's pledge to conduct mass deportations was a centrepiece of his election campaign and an issue on which he drew widespread support, including many Hispanic voters.He said he wanted to deport people living in the US illegally but White House efforts have been much broader in scope  taking aim at people in the US on student visas, suspending admissions of refugees except white South Africans, and moving to revoke temporary work permits and other protections that had been granted to immigrants by previous presidents.To crack down on immigrants, Trump's administration has resumed raids at workplaces, a tactic that had been suspended under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Last year in Massachusetts, after finding lumps in her breast, Jessica Chen went to Lowell General Hospital-Saints Campus, part of Tufts Medicine, for a mammogram and sonogram. Before the screenings, she asked the hospital for the estimated patient responsibility for the bill using her insurance, Tufts Health Plan. Her portion, she was told, would be $359  and she paid it. She was more than a little surprised weeks later to receive a bill asking her to pay an additional $1,677.51. "I was already trying to stomach $359, and this was many times higher," Chen, a physician assistant, told me.

The No Surprises Act, which took effect in 2022, was rightly heralded as a landmark piece of legislation, which "protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills," according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. And yet bills that take patients like Chen by surprise just keep coming.

With the help of her software-wise boyfriend, she found the complicated "machine-readable" master price list that hospitals are required to post online and looked up the negotiated rate between Lowell General and her insurer. It was $302.56  less than she had paid out-of-pocket.

CMS is charged with enforcing the law, so Chen sent a complaint about the surprising bill to the agency. She received a terse email in return: "We have reviewed your complaint and have determined that the rights and protections of the No Surprises Act do not apply."

When I asked the health system to explain how such a surprising off-estimate bill could be generated, Tufts Medicine spokesperson Jeremy Lechan responded by email: "Healthcare billing is complex and includes various factors and data points, so actual charges for care provided may differ from initial estimates. We understand the frustration these discrepancies can cause."

Here's the problem: While the No Surprises Act has been a phenomenal success in taking on some unfair practices in the wild West of medical billing, it was hardly a panacea.In fact, the measure protected patients primarily from only one particularly egregious type of surprise bill that had become increasingly common before the law's enactment: When patients unknowingly got out-of-network care at an in-network facility, or when they had no choice but to get out-of-network care in an emergency. In either case, before President Donald Trump signed the law late in his first term, patients could be hit with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-network bills that their insurance wouldn't pay.

The No Surprises Act also provided some protection from above-estimate bills, but at the moment, the protection is only for uninsured and self-pay patients, so it wouldn't apply in Chen's case since she was using health insurance.

But patients who do qualify generally are entitled to an up-front, good-faith estimate for treatment they schedule at least three business days in advance or if they request one. Patients can dispute a bill if it is more than $400 over the estimate. (The No Surprises Act also required what amounted to a good-faith estimate of out-of-pocket costs for patients with insurance, but that provision has not been implemented, since, nearly five years later, the government still has not issued rules about exactly what form it should take.)

So, surprising medical bills  bills that the patient could not have anticipated and never consented to  are still stunning countless Americans.

Jessica Robbins, who works in product development in Chicago, was certainly surprised when, out of the blue, she was recently billed $3,300 by Endeavor Health for a breast MRI she had received two years earlier, with prior authorization from her then-insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. In trying to resolve the problem, she found herself caught in a Kafkaesque circle involving dozens of calls and emails. The clinic where she had the procedure no longer existed, having been bought by Endeavor. And she no longer had Blue Cross.

"We are actively working with the patient and their insurer to resolve this matter," Endeavor spokesperson Allie Burke said in an emailed response to my questions.

Mary Ann Bonita of Fresno, California, was starting school this year to become a nursing assistant when, on a Friday, she received a positive skin test for tuberculosis. Her school's administration said she couldn't return to class until she had a negative chest X-ray. When her doctor from Kaiser Permanente didn't answer requests to order the test for several days, Bonita went to an emergency room and paid $595 up front for the X-ray, which showed no TB. So she and her husband were surprised to receive another bill, for $1,039, a month later, "with no explanation of what it was for," said Joel Pickford, Bonita's husband.

In the cases above, each patient questioned an expensive, unexpected medical charge that came as a shock  only to find that the No Surprises Act didn't apply.

"There are many billing problems out there that are surprising but are not technically surprise bills," Zack Cooper, an associate professor of economics at Yale University, told me. The No Surprises Act fixed a specific kind of charge, he said, "and that's great. But, of course, we need to address others."

Cooper's research has found that before the No Surprises Act was passed, more than 25% of emergency room visits yielded a surprise out-of-network bill.

CMS' official No Surprises Help Desk has received tens of thousands of complaints, which it investigates, said Catherine Howden, a CMS spokesperson. "While some billing practices, such as delayed bills, are not currently regulated" by the No Surprises Act, Howden said, complaint trends nonetheless help "inform potential areas for future improvements." And they are needed.

Michelle Rodio, a teacher in Lakewood, Ohio, had a lingering cough weeks after a bout of pneumonia that required treatment with a course of antibiotics. She went to Cleveland Clinic's Lakewood Family Health Center for an examination. Her X-ray was fine. As was her nasal swab  except for the stunning $2,700 bill it generated.

"I said, 'This is a surprise bill!'" Rodio recalled telling the provider's finance office. The agent said it was not.

"So I said, 'Next time I'll be sure to ask the doctor for an estimate when I get a nose swab.'"

"The doctors wouldn't know that," the agent replied, as Rodio recalled  and indeed physicians generally have no idea how much the tests they order will cost. And in any case, Rodio was not legally entitled to a binding estimate, since the part of the No Surprises Act that grants patients with insurance that right has not been implemented yet.

So she was stuck with a bill of $471 (the patient responsibility portion of the $2,700 charge) that she couldn't have consented to (or rejected) in advance. It was surprising  shocking to her, even  but not a "surprise bill," according to the current law. But shouldn't it be?
2 security personnel killed in terrorist attack in Pakistans Balochistan

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 21:45 IST

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Karachi, Jul 18 (PTI) Two security personnel were killed on Friday in a terrorist attack in Pakistans restive Balochistan province, an official said. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said that unidentified terrorists targeted a police convoy coming from Kalat to Quetta.

The gunmen opened fire on a vehicle of the Balochistan Constabulary police on the National Highway in the Mastung district.

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Acting DSP Inspector Abdul Razzaq and Constable Raza Muhammad Jam were killed in the attack, while Constable Taj Muhammad and Constable Khursheed Ahmed were injured, Rind said in a statement.

Rind added that the bodies and injured personnel were transferred to Quetta by helicopter.

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Terrorist attacks in Balochistan have increased in recent weeks.

Rind said that authorities have launched a formal investigation into the attack and those responsible would face justice. PTI SH ZH ZH ZH

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:45 IST

News agency-feeds 2 security personnel killed in terrorist attack in Pakistans Balochistan
Autorickshaw driver throws acid on woman homeguard in Gujarat; held

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 15:45 IST

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Ahmedabad, Jul 18 (PTI) An autorickshaw driver was on Friday arrested for allegedly throwing acid on a woman home guard after she pulled him up for improper parking in Gujarats Gandhinagar district, police said.

The home guard, who was directing traffic at a junction in Kalol town, escaped with minor burn injuries, an official said.

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After being scolded by the home guard for improper parking, the accused, Ashok Ravat, threw acid from a bottle he brought from his home, Gandhinagar superintendent of police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said.

He said the home guard escaped with minor burn injuries as only a few drops of acid fell on her back.

The home guard was on her traffic duty at Chhatral overbridge when Ravat arrived there in his autorickshaw and parked it improperly.

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Ravat started arguing with the home guard, and after she reprimanded him, he went home and returned with a bottle of acid used for cleaning toilets," the SP said.

He said the injured home guard was admitted to a hospital for treatment, while the accused was arrested on the spot. PTI PJT ARU

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 15:45 IST

News agency-feeds Autorickshaw driver throws acid on woman homeguard in Gujarat; held
Over 1.84 lakh saplings planted in Dausa under Hariyalo Rajasthan campaign

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 00:45 IST

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Jaipur, Jul 18 (PTI) More than 1.84 lakh saplings have been planted across Dausa district as part of the Hariyalo Rajasthan campaign held recently, a district administration official said on Friday.

The initiative, led by Collector Devendra Kumar, saw participation from public representatives, administrative officials and local residents. Women played a notable role in the massive drive, he said.

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The plantation drive was conducted simultaneously in all gram panchayats of the district on Wednesday. A district-level event was held at Hemlyawala village where Collector Devendra Kumar planted saplings.

Mahwa MLA Rajendra Meena had joined in from Hadiya, Sikrai MLA Vikram Bansal had taken part in the event at Pilodi, and Bandikui MLA Bhagchand Tankda participated the drive at Ghuraliya and Kesrisinghpura.

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Under Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharmas call for environmental action, an extensive plantation campaign is being carried out, under which 1.84 lakh saplings were planted in Dausa on Wednesday," the official said.

He said that a target to plant 17 lakh saplings has been set for Dausa district this season. PTI SDA RUK RUK

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First Published: July 19, 2025, 00:45 IST

News agency-feeds Over 1.84 lakh saplings planted in Dausa under Hariyalo Rajasthan campaign
Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian flights till Aug 24

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 02:15 IST

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Lahore, Jul 19 (PTI) Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for flights operated by Indian airlines by another month till August 24, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said.

No aircraft operated by Indian airlines, or military and civilian flights that are Indian-owned or leased, will be allowed to use Pakistani airspace, according to a NOTAM (notice to airmen) that came into effect at 3:50 pm India time on Friday.

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The ban will remain in place till August 24 at 5:19 am (India time), the PAA said.

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The Indian airspace is also closed to all Pakistani aircraft till July 24 after a ban was imposed first on April 30 as part of measures taken by the Indian government against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22.

Pakistan shut its airspace for Indian aircraft on April 24 and the tit-for-tat restrictions by the two nations have been extended multiple times. PTI MZ SKY SKY

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First Published: July 19, 2025, 02:15 IST

News agency-feeds Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian flights till Aug 24
Rajasthan: 20-year-old woman found dead at home, mother alleges murder

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 01:15 IST

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Jaipur, Jul 18 (PTI) A 20-year-old woman was found dead at her house in Rajasthans Karauli district on Friday, with her family alleging that she was murdered by a man who wanted to marry her, police said.

The incident occurred in Padla village in Todabhim when Antima Meena was cooking and her mother had gone out for some work. Upon returning she found her daughter dead with a head injury.

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The body was shifted to the mortuary of a government hospital for postmortem.

Police said that her mother has suspected involvement of a man who wanted to marry her.

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The victim was cooking food when the accused entered the house and hit her with some object, leaving her dead on the spot," the police said.

Efforts are on to nab the suspected accused, the police added. PTI SDA OZ OZ

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First Published: July 19, 2025, 01:15 IST

News agency-feeds Rajasthan: 20-year-old woman found dead at home, mother alleges murder
States ought to frame common over release of terminally ill prisoners: SC

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 15:45 IST

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New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday said prison rules were applicable individually to states, which ought to frame common rules on the release of terminally ill prisoners.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reserved its order on a plea of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) seeking the release of a group of either terminally ill prisoners or those above 70 from jail.

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The Centre claimed of framing a standard operating procedure (SoP) on the issue and the same being on record.

The bench, however, noted, Ultimately, the prison rules are all applicable individually to the states. All states have to come out with a common prison rules wherein this consideration for terminally ill for their release, that has to be there." Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, said the government was concerned about terminally ill prisoners and all states and union territories were advised in the SoP to take steps for the effective management of such inmates.

The government said the states or union territories might also consider the release of such prisoners as a part of general amnesty".

The bench, flagging the possibility of misuse", observed there had to be guidelines on the standard to treat such prisoners and who were entitled to the benefit of the release.

The petitioners counsel referred to NALSAs SoP and said, We have defined who should be considered under the terminally ill category and it would be certified by the medical officer of the jail concerned." The bench then remarked, Identification is different, but the certification is where the catch is. There is a huge possibility of misuse." Bhati said the Centres SoP contemplates a medical board to be set up for this.

The law officer, who was also appearing for the Delhi government, said there was a prisoner who was suffering from asthma since 1985.

The NALSAs counsel said in Kerala, there was a 94-year-old prisoner.

The bench also deliberated on prisoners awarded life imprisonment till their natural lives.

There are end number of convicts in the Jaipur Central Jail who have been convicted for bomb blast cases One of them probably expired a few months back. He was a doctor, 104 years," Justice Mehta observed.

The Uttar Pradesh counsel said the state, in its policy framed in 2018, incorporated certain specific clauses for the terminally ill, providing for a medical board to be set up.

On May 5, the top court sought responses from the Centre and 18 states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, on the plea.

These prisoners, who have not come to the top court against denial of bail, require special care but it may not be possible for jail authorities to provide in view of the overcrowding in prisons, the plea said.

NALSA said these elderly and terminally ill prisoners were incarcerated in several states including Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.

The NALSAs counsel had referred to data and said many terminally ill persons, whose convictions were upheld by various high courts, were unable to move the apex court to challenge their convictions and seek bail or suspension of sentence and the matter needed an intervention.

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The plea urged the top court to issue directions to facilitate the release of prisoners aged above 70 years and those suffering from terminal illnesses.

NALSA said as of December 31, 2022, Indias prison occupancy rate stood at 131 per cent, severely straining infrastructure and impacting the quality of medical care and dignified living conditions within jails. PTI ABA ABA AMK AMK

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 15:45 IST

News agency-feeds States ought to frame common over release of terminally ill prisoners: SC
There should be no double standards: India on EU sanctions

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:15 IST

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New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in response to the European Union announcing fresh punitive measures on Russia, especially on its energy trade.

The European Union (EU) has announced a new package of sanctions aimed at Russia over its war against Ukraine. It also named Indias Vadinar Refinery in which Russian energy firm Rosneft has a major stake.

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MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures.

The 18th package of sanctions included measures largely aimed at curbing the revenues of Russias oil and energy sector such as an import ban on refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil.

The EUs foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas said on social media that the 27-member bloc had approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date".

The new sanctions include a lower oil price cap, the designation of the biggest Rosneft refinery in India", and measures aimed at 105 more shadow fleet ships.

We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union," Jaiswal said.

He said India is a responsible" actor and remain fully committed to its legal obligations.

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The government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens," he said.

We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade," he added. PTI MPB ZMN

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 22:15 IST

News agency-feeds There should be no double standards: India on EU sanctions
UGC team in Odisha to probe into self-immolation death of college student

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:15 IST

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Bhubaneswar/ Balasore, Jul 18 (PTI) A fact-finding team of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Friday went to the college in Odishas Balasore to probe into the circumstances that led a student to set herself afire on the campus.

The UGC is one of the agencies that have been probing into the case.

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The Odisha Higher Education departments committee, investigating the incident, also met the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) members of the college, who had been accused by the deceaseds father of being biased against his daughter.

The Crime Branch of the police, which is probing into the case, visited the students family and collected CCTV footage from a petrol pump to ascertain if the student had collected fuel she used to immolate herself from there, an officer said.

The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore had set herself on fire on the college campus on July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her. She suffered 95 per cent burns and died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on the night of July 14.

A four-member UGC fact-finding team under the chairmanship of Prof Raj Kumar Mittal met the college in-charge principal Firoz Kumar Padi.

They will also meet other stakeholders, including members of the ICC and students of the Integrated BEd department, an official said.

This is a very sensitive case. We need to understand everything and do our job objectively," Mittal told reporters after reaching the college.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Higher Education departments three member high level committee, headed by Kaliprasanna Mohapatra, met the members of ICC committee.

Had the ICC given a proper report, my daughter would have been alive today," her father had said.

However, Dr Jayashree Mishra, the coordinator of the ICC, claimed that their report on July 9 had suggested removal of accused HoD of integrated BEd department Samira Kumar Sahoo from his post.

However, the reason for seeking his removal was his strict approach", and no evidence was found that Sahoo sexually harassed any student.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Crime Branchs Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW), which has started its probe into the case since Thursday, visited the deceaseds village.

CB IG, S Shyni and DSP Iman Kalyan Nayak went to the house of the student and met her parents and brother.

We will handle the case with utmost fairness and professionalism. At this stage, we prefer not to disclose details of the investigation," Shyni told reporters at Balasore.

The CBs investigating team visited a petrol outlet near the FM College in Balasore and collected CCTV footage from there.

The crime branch has taken CCTV footage for three days since July 11 on a pen drive," the petrol pump owner said.

The CCTV footage could help ascertain whether the victim herself collected petrol or someone else.

The CB team had visited SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and recorded a statement of Jyotiprakash Biswal, a key eyewitness currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Jyotiprakash suffered 15 per cent burn injuries while attempting to rescue the student.

In a related development, a close friend of the deceased claimed that the accused professor had mobilised the support of nearly 300 students, and only 15 or 20 backed her.

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She was feeling isolated in the fight against the HoD as her department batchmates supported the accused and not her," the friend claimed.

The victims roommate, Srabani Das, also a student of the FM College told television channels that she had no plans to set herself on fire. PTI COR AAM RG NN

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 22:15 IST

News agency-feeds UGC team in Odisha to probe into self-immolation death of college student
PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: Agriculture Ministry Cautions Farmers About Misinformation

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 18:24 IST

PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: Agriculture ministry says farmers are advised to rely on official sources for information related to the scheme.

Under the PM Kisan scheme, the central government provides financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually to eligible farmers in three equal installments of Rs 2,000.

PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: Even as over 9.8 crore farmers are awaiting their next intallment of the PM Kisan scheme, the agriculture ministry on Friday cautioned them about misinformation on social media. It said farmers are advised to rely on official sources for information related to the PM Kisan scheme.

Dear farmer brothers and sisters, beware of false information being spread on social media in the name of PM-KISAN. Trust only the official website: http://pmkisan.gov.in and X handle: @pmkisanofficial. Stay away from fake links, calls, and messages," the official X account of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, under the Department of Agriculture, said in a post on Friday, July 18.

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PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: When Will It Be Announced?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to release the 20th installment of the PM Kisan scheme soon. However, no official date or the place of the event has been announced yet.

The date will be announced on the official website of the PM Kisan scheme.

PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: Why Is It Getting Delayed?

The 19th Installment of the PM Kisan scheme was released in February. As the installment is generally released every four month, farmers were expecting it in June. However, the tranche has not been released yet till July 18, and no official reason has been given for the delay.

Last year, the June installment was released before the month ended.

Though the installment will be released soon, farmers are advised to complete these tasks to avoid missing the next installment of Rs 2,000.

Checklist to Secure Your PM-Kisan Benefits:

Complete e-KYC  Without it, no installment will be credited.

Ensure Aadhaar Linking with Bank Account  Mismatches can lead to rejection.

Verify Bank Account Details  Wrong IFSC or account numbers lead to failed transfers.

Resolve Land Record Issues  Land ownership must be verifiable in digital records.

Check Beneficiary Status  Visit pmkisan.gov.in to see if your name is on the current list.

Update Mobile Number  Needed for OTPs and official notifications.

How To Complete e-KYC?

As the installment is expected to come soon, eligible farmers are required to complete before that to avoid payment failure. e-KYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) is mandatory for all PM Kisan beneficiaries. Without it, your name may be dropped from the beneficiary list.

Also Read: PM Kisan 20th Instalment Date: How To Complete Aadhaar-Based OTP e-KYC To Receive Next Payment?

As per the schemes official website, eKYC is MANDATORY for PMKISAN Registered Farmers."

You can complete e-KYC in three simple ways: OTP-based e-KYC, biometric e-KYC, facial authentication.

How To Check Your PM-Kisan Installment Status

Visit https://pmkisan.gov.in

Click on Know Your Status

Enter your registration number or Aadhaar number

Check whether your name is on the beneficiary list

Also ensure that your eKYC is completed, as it is mandatory for installment release.

What Is The PM Kisan Scheme?

Launched in 2019 after being announced in the Interim Budget by then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, the PM Kisan scheme has become the worlds largest DBT scheme. Under it, eligible farmers receive Rs 2,000 every four months totaling Rs 6,000 annually in the following cycles  April-July, August-November, and December-March.

The money is deposited directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Who Is Eligible for PM Kisan?

To qualify for the PM Kisans 20th installment, one must:

Be a citizen of India

Own cultivable land

Be a small or marginal farmer

Not be a pensioner receiving Rs 10,000 or more per month

Not have filed income tax

Not be an institutional landholder.

How To Apply For PM Kisan Samman Nidhi?

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Go to https://pmkisan.gov.in

Click on New Farmer Registration

Enter your Aadhaar number and captcha

Fill in the details, click Yes

Complete the form, submit it, and take a printout

For any queries, you can call the PM-KISAN helpline numbers  155261 and 011-24300606.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:24 IST

News business  economy PM Kisan 20th Installment Date: Agriculture Ministry Cautions Farmers About Misinformation
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 21-year-old man from Bulawayo's Cowdray Park suburb has died after ingesting rat poison in a fit of rage following a domestic dispute with his mother over spilled cooking oil.Police confirmed the tragic incident on Tuesday, identifying the deceased as Thabiso Ndlovu, who succumbed to the effects of the poison at Mpilo Central Hospital on July 14, two days after consuming the toxic substance.According to Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the incident unfolded on July 12 around 1PM when Ndlovu clashed with his 41-year-old mother after she reprimanded him for wasting cooking oil. The rebuke reportedly angered Ndlovu, prompting him to drink rat poison in protest."The warning did not go down well with the now deceased, who got angry and drank rat killer poison. His mother saw him vomiting and when she inquired, he admitted to having consumed the poison," said Inspector Msebele.An ambulance was swiftly called to the scene, and Ndlovu was rushed to Mpilo Hospital where he was admitted and placed under observation. However, his condition deteriorated, and two days later, on the morning of July 14, his mother was informed by hospital staff of his death.Police have launched investigations into the matter but said no foul play is suspected at this stage.The incident adds to a growing number of distress-related suicides in Bulawayo, with authorities urging families and communities to seek mental health support and to resolve domestic conflicts peacefully.Inspector Msebele also appealed to members of the public to prioritise open communication and mental wellness, stressing that such avoidable tragedies often stem from unmanaged anger and frustration.
Form 26AS Explained: A Must-Have For Hassle-Free ITR Filing

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:36 IST

A critical financial tool that summarises all the tax deducted on behalf of the taxpayer, the Form 26AS can be downloaded from the Income Tax Department's official website.

How you can download Form 26AS for your ITR filing. (Photo Source: Freepik)

Form 26AS is a consolidated Annual Information Statement for a particular financial year from the income tax department, mentioning the tax deducted on behalf of the taxpayer. Form 26AS is a critical exemption tool, helping individuals save their net income by providing a detailed account of their tax assessment. This statement helps cross-verify the deductions and refunds due to a salaried individual when they file for the ITR, summarising various details.

Apart from the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Tax Collected at Source (TCS), the Form 26AS also contains advance tax/self-assessment tax/regular assessment tax deposited, the refund received during a financial year (if any), details of any Specified Financial Transactions (SFT) (if any), details of tax deducted on sale of immovable property u/s194IA (in case of seller of such property). The form also provides details of any defaults made on TDS, while featuring information related to the demand and refund and details of pending and completed proceedings.

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Salaried employees check their Form 26AS to verify that the TDS deducted by their employer is correctly deposited and confirm advance or self-assessment tax payments. It helps match the income sources and prevent any tax notice. One can also avoid refund delays that may be caused by the tax credit mismatches. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can download the Form 26AS:

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Income Tax Department (https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/)

Step 2: Log in to the sites e-filing portal

Step 3: Navigate to the e-file, followed by the Income Tax Returns and click on View Form 26AS

Step 4: Go through the disclaimer. Once you click confirm, you will be redirected to the TDS-CPC Portal.

Step 5: Once you enter the TDS-CPC Portal, agree to the acceptance of usage and click proceed

Step 6: Click on View Tax Credit (Form 26AS)

Step 7: Select the Assessment Year and View Type, which could be HTML or text.

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Step 8: Finally, click on View/Download

If your Form 26AS download file is password protected, use your registered date of birth or date of incorporation printed on the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card to open it. The DOB password is to be typed in ddmmyyyy format. If an individual was born on 28th November, 1996, the password will be 28111996.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:36 IST

News business Form 26AS Explained: A Must-Have For Hassle-Free ITR Filing
TCS New Bench Policy And Why Its Sparking Layoff Fears Among Employees  Explained

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 09:03 IST

TCS Bench Policy Employee Concerns: Thousands of employees at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are staring at job uncertainty as the tech giant's new bench policy; here's why

TCS Bench Policy

TCS Bench Policy Employee Concerns: Thousands of employees at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are staring at job uncertainty as the tech giants new bench policy completes its first full cycle this week. Introduced on June 12, the policy enforces a strict 35-day cap on the time employees can remain on the benchi.e., without being assigned to a billable project.

Applicable to all staff across the company, the rule significantly tightens previous norms. Employees who fail to secure a project within this 35-day window may face career stagnation or even risk termination.

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TCS Bench Policy Leaves Employees Concerned

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) new bench policy has sparked widespread anxiety among employees, many of whom have turned to social media platforms like Reddit to express concerns. Several posts suggest employees are being pressured to accept roles unrelated to their training, while others cite difficulty in finding assignments near their preferred locations.

This is the first step towards employment rationalisation based on utilisation. Brace for layoffs," one Reddit user wrote.

A recent joiner shared, I was trained in Java, but within a month of being on the bench, Im being pressured to join a support project thats far removed from Java or Python."

News18 could not independently verify these claims.

What Is TCSs 35-Day Bench Limit and Deployment Policy?

Effective from June 12, 2025, TCS revised deployment policy mandates that employees must be billable for at least 225 business days in a 12-month period, effectively capping bench time to 35 business days annually. The policy applies to all employees and aims to improve project utilisation and reduce unallocated time.

Consequences of Extended Bench Time

Internal communications indicate that prolonged unallocation could impact an employees compensation, career growth, opportunities for overseas deployment, and even continuity of employment.

Expectations from Employees on the Bench

TCS expects employees on the bench to take initiative in finding projects. A company document states: It is the primary responsibility of the associate to proactively engage with the Unit/Regional RMG for seeking allocation and pursue suitable opportunities provided by the organisation."

Mandatory Upskilling and Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees on the bench are required to dedicate 46 hours daily to upskilling through platforms like iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, and LinkedIn Learning. Remote work is largely restricted during this period, with physical presence in the office mandated.

How Many Employees Could Be Affected?

While TCS hasnt disclosed official numbers, industry estimates suggest that typically 1518% of employees at large IT firms are on the bench at any given time. With TCS employing around 613,000 people globally, the number potentially affected could be significant.

On Wednesday, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) urged Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to intervene, labelling the policy inhumane" and harmful to employee mental health.

These are not non-performing employees, but skilled professionals temporarily without allocation Instead of support, they are met with suspicion, coercion, and threats," said NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja.

The organisation also accused TCS of pressuring employees with threats of termination and denial of experience letters if they miss deployment deadlines.

Are Some Employees Supporting the Move?

Yes. Some employees have voiced support for the policy, arguing that it may help weed out long-term benchers who have declined assignments or misused bench time.

This may help TCS trim seriously underperforming resourcesthose stuck on TCS like a leech," one Reddit comment read.

What Has TCS Management Said?

TCS CEO and MD K Krithivasan defended the move in an interview with The Times of India, stating that the policy formalises long-standing expectations.

Its always been expected that associates take responsibility for their careers. HR supports project placement, but associates are expected to proactively seek assignments. What you see now is just a more structured version of that," he said.

He also noted that project allocation is driven by client demand, not employee preferences, though TCS does work to bridge skill gaps where needed. However, Krithivasan did not clarify whether salaries are being withheld for those benched beyond the 35-day limit.

Why Now?

The policy comes at a time when the IT industry is facing subdued demand due to global macroeconomic pressures and rising adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), which is automating many routine roles.

We expect IT companies to tighten bench policies given the soft business outlook and increased demand for advanced skill sets," said Pareekh Jain, founder of EIIRTrend. He added that employee costs are weighing heavily on margins.

Could Other Companies Follow?

Experts believe TCS move may prompt other IT firms to review their bench strategies.

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Tech firms must constantly align employee skills with evolving client demands. Revisiting bench policies encourages reskilling in high-demand areas like AI, cybersecurity, and digital engineering," said Nitin Bhatt, Technology Sector Leader at EY India.

In the future, promotions and merit increases may depend more on skill proficiency than tenure or grade," he added.

About the Author Aparna Deb Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:55 IST

News business  markets TCS New Bench Policy And Why Its Sparking Layoff Fears Among Employees  Explained
Starbucks CEO Ends 1600 km Commute, Moves To Seattle as Hybrid Rules Tighten

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:40 IST

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, known for his 1600 km commute, bought a home in Seattle. Starbucks mandates a four-day in-office workweek.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who got viral for commuting 1600 km thrice a week from his home in California to the office in Seattle by a corporate airplane, has now decided to settle in Seattle near the office. According to a Fortune report, Niccol bought a home in Seattle, aligning with the popular coffee-chain franchises policy shift to traditional office setup.

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Earlier, Starbucks told its employees that it would be mandatory for its staff to work at least four days a week in the office from the new fiscal year.

In the fresh communique, the company will shift from a three-day to a minimum four-day in-office workweek, with common days set as Monday through Thursday. This applies to its Seattle and Toronto support centers, as well as North America regional offices.

The new orders will come into effect from the new fiscal year, as noted by Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol in a blog post.

In a notable expansion of its earlier policy, Starbucks has also directed all Support Center people managers to relocate to either Seattle or Toronto within the next 12 months. This follows the companys earlier February directive requiring vice presidents and above to do the same. While individual contributors arent being asked to relocate, future hires and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.

Starbucks is allowing its staff to quit if they arent willing to follow the new requirements.

Brian wrote in the post that to support those who decide to opt out", the company is offering a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment for partners.

Brains 1600 km Commute Was A Hot Topic After His Appointment

When Brain Niccol had been appointed as Starbucks CEO after replacing Laxman Narasimhan, he soon became a viral topic over his 1600 km commute from home to office thrice in a week.

Niccol, who started as CEO on September 9, 2024, opted not to relocate, instead commuting via corporate jet at least three days a week to comply with Starbucks hybrid work policy. This arrangement, part of a $113 million compensation package, sparked significant discussion online, particularly due to its environmental implications, given Starbucks public stance on sustainability, like its shift to paper straws. Niccols setup isnt unique; he negotiated a similar deal at Chipotle in 2018, where the company later moved its headquarters to accommodate him.

Coffee Retail Franchise Sees Margin Pressure

Starbucks quarterly earnings of Q2 FY2025 showed the rising pressure on margins and profits. Its consolidated net revenue rose 2% year-on-year to $8.8 billion, or 3% on a constant currency basis.

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However, global comparable store sales declined 1%, mainly due to a 2% drop in transactions, partially offset by a 1% increase in average ticket size. In North America, comparable store sales dropped 1%, with a 4% decline in transactions. The U.S. segment performed slightly worse with a 2% drop in comparable store sales. Internationally, sales grew 2%, while Chinas performance remained flatshowing a 4% rise in transactions but a 4% decline in average ticket size.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:40 IST

News business Starbucks CEO Ends 1600 km Commute, Moves To Seattle as Hybrid Rules Tighten
Opposition Vs Fadnavis Govt Over Renaming Of Maharashtra's Islampur As Ishwarpur

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 00:06 IST

The Maharashtra Government announced renaming Islampur in Sangli district to Ishwarpur, calling it a 'cultural renaissance.' Critics argue it promotes casteism.

Maharashtra govt to rename Islampur to Ishwarpur (PTI)

The Maharashtra Government announced on Friday that Islampur in Sangli district will be renamed as Ishwarpur. The government issued statement in the state legislature on the final day of the monsoon session. The state politics is divided over the decision, while government call it a cultural renaissance, opposition is calling the move a step towards creating casteism and conflicts.

The Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Chhagan Bhujbal informed the assembly that the decision to rename Islampur was made during the cabinet meeting on Thursday. The state government will send the proposal to the Centre for approval.

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The move came following a Hindutva organisation, Shiv Pratisthan, sent a memorandum to the Sangli collectorate demanding that Islampurs name be changed to Ishwarpur.

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reacted to the decision and told ANI, There were many of our subjects, places, history books, and incidents, which were intentionally erased, or attempts were made to erase them. Now that they are coming alive again, and India is going through a phase of cultural renaissance, this should be seen with a healthy mindset, from a perspective that these are being restored."

#WATCH | Mumbai | On Islampur to be renamed as Ishwarpur, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, says, There were many of our subjects, places, history books, and incidents, which were intentionally erased, or attempts were made to erase them. Now that pic.twitter.com/AjFbKBFbr1 ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane said, Today, CM Devendra Fadnavis has approved this decision. It was a long-standing demand of the people of that regionThe name of a place in our country cannot be Islampur, where the majority of the people are Hindus. Is it Pakistan? This is a Hindu Rashtra so the names of the places should be of Hindu ideology"

#WATCH | Mumbai | On Islampur to be renamed as Ishwarpur, Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane says, Today, CM Devendra Fadnavis has approved this decision. It was a long-standing demand of the people of that regionThe name of a place in our country cannot be Islampur, where pic.twitter.com/J7fL844kgv ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar reacted to the step and told ANI,  They are not changing any names in UP Changing names is a feeble attempt to gain votes and spark religious conflicts for personal gain. Is there any development or benefit from changing names?  By changing names, they want to convey that they are contractors of religion"

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#WATCH | Mumbai | On Islampur to be renamed as Ishwarpur, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar says,  They are not changing any names in UP Changing names is a feeble attempt to gain votes and spark religious conflicts for personal gain. Is there any development or benefit pic.twitter.com/ADOIjMQNXe ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve says, This government is only interested in creating casteism and conflicts."

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 23:58 IST

News mumbai-news Opposition Vs Fadnavis Govt Over Renaming Of Maharashtra's Islampur As Ishwarpur
Disturbing Threat Mail To 45 Delhi Schools Hints At Senders Mental Health Struggles | EXCLUSIVE

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 10:36 IST

The sender accused psychiatrists and psychologists of neglect and criticised the effects of psychiatric medications.

Staff members of the Navy Children School assemble at an area after a bomb threat, at Chanakyapuri area, in New Delhi, Monday, July 14, 2025. (Image: PTI)

For yet another day, 45 schools across Delhi have received bomb threats, turning such incidents into a distressing daily affair. According to sources, it is suspected that the same individual who has previously sent threatening emails to various schools is behind this latest wave as well. This time, the emails were reportedly sent from the ID roadkillmentalhospital@atomicmail.io. The message reportedly includes mentions of the senders mental health struggles."

The email claims that several explosive devices, specifically Trinitrotoluene, have been planted in school classrooms and hidden in black plastic bags. The message is violent and deeply unsettling.

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The sender wrote: Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (Trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags."

The threat email sent to 45 schools in Delhi contained deeply unsettling language, expressing the senders anger and disillusionment with the mental health system. The individual accused psychiatrists and psychologists of neglect and criticised the effects of psychiatric medications. Alongside these grievances, the message carried veiled threats of violence, suggesting harm could come to schoolchildren as a form of retaliation.

While no specific action was mentioned, the tone implied a disturbing intent. Authorities are treating the message seriously, especially given its emotional and psychological undertones, and are considering involving mental health experts in the investigation.

These threats have alarmed authorities. Among the affected schools are Bharti Public School in Swasthya Vihar, East Delhi; Hamdard Public School in Talimabad, Sangam Vihar, South Delhi; St. Xaviers Sr Sec School in Raj Niwas Marg, Civil Lines, North Delhi; Mira Nursery School in Janakpuri, West Delhi; and Delhi International Public School in Sector 9, Rohini. The Indian School (Second Shift) on Josip Broz Tito Marg in South East Delhi was also targeted, as were Delhi Public School, Mathura Road near Nizamuddin in South Delhi; Mater Dei School on Tilak Lane near Connaught Place; DIS Edge in Sector 18A, Dwarka; Delhi Jain Public School in Palam, South West Delhi; and Junior Delhi School with its head office in Rohini.

Other institutions that received the threat include The British School in Chanakyapuri, Faith Academy in Prasad Nagar, Karol Bagh, and Amity International School in Saket, South Delhi, along with multiple branches of Delhi Public School in R.K. Puram, East of Kailash, Vasant Vihar, and Rohini.

Authorities have pressed standard operating procedures into action, evacuating the campuses and launching comprehensive search operations. Teams from the Delhi Police, Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), and fire services were on-site, combing the premises for any suspicious objects. The repeated threats have triggered a heightened state of alert and renewed concerns over the safety of students and staff across the national capital.

Authorities are continuing their investigation, and while no explosives have been found so far, strict security measures are in place.

Repeated Threats To Delhi Schools Over 4 Days

At least five schools reported alerts on July 16 alone across areas such as Dwarka, Vasant Kunj, Paschim Vihar, and Hauz Khas. The threatening emails were received between 5:26 am and 8:12 am, prompting swift deployment of bomb squads, police, and cyber experts. No explosives were found.

Notably, St. Thomas School in Dwarka and Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj were targeted again, having faced similar threats earlier in the week. On Tuesday, St. Stephens College and St. Thomas School were also threatened. The email to St. Stephens chillingly claimed that multiple IEDs and RDX bombs were planted in its premises and library, threatening detonation by 2 pm. Police cordoned off the campus, but no suspicious materials were discovered.

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On July 17, three other schools  CRPF School in Dwarka Sector 16, CRPF School in Prashant Vihar, and Navy Children School in Chanakyapuri  received similar threats. Again, all turned out to be hoaxes.

Several schools and one college have been targeted over the past three days, with no real explosives found so far. All schools in Delhi remain on high alert after threatening emails.

About the Author Ankur Sharma With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar... Read More With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 10:28 IST

News cities  new-delhi-news Disturbing Threat Mail To 45 Delhi Schools Hints At Senders Mental Health Struggles | EXCLUSIVE
MP NEET UG Counselling 2025 Begins, Phase 1 Seat Allotment Result On August 6

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 18:17 IST

MP NEET UG 2025 Counselling: Seats in the state level counselling will be allotted on the basis of the candidate's NEET score, reservation policy, available seats, etc.

MP NEET UG Counselling 2025 at at dme.mponline.gov.in. (Representative/File)

MP NEET UG 2025 Counselling: The Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has released the state level counselling schedule for NEET UG 2025. Candidates who have passed the NEET UG exam this year will be able to register online by visiting the official portal at dme.mponline.gov.in.

Seats in the state level counselling will be allotted on the basis of the candidates NEET score, reservation policy, available seats and their preferences.

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MP NEET UG 2025 Counselling Schedule

Online Registration- July 21 to 29, 2025

Declaration of Vacant Seats- July 28, 2025

Last Date to File Objections- July 29, 2025

Publication of Final Vacancies- July 30, 2025

Release of State Merit List- July 30, 2025

Filling and Locking of Options- July 31 to August 4, 2025

Result of Seat Allotment (Round 1)- August 6, 2025

Reporting to College and Documents- August 7 to 11, 2025

Cancellation of Admission/Resignation Process- August 7 to 16, 2025

Opting for Upgradation- August 7 to 16, 2025

MP NEET UG 2025 Counselling: How To Apply

Step 1  Visit dme.mponline.gov.in and click on the DME MBBS/BDS Counselling" option.

Step 2  Select Create profile" on the homepage and login using your NEET UG roll number and password.

Step 3  Fill in personal details, academic details and reservation details. Upload scanned documents.

Step 4  Enter the preference of preferred colleges and courses and lock it.

Step 5  Pay the registration fee online.

Step 6  Save the payment receipt and take a printout for future reference.

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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on July 15 agreed to hear a plea seeking a re-test of the NEET UG 2025 for candidates who allegedly faced power cuts during the exam in Madhya Pradesh. The matter, raised urgently before the court, is now scheduled to be heard next week.

The petition was filed by NEET UG candidates who appeared for the exam at centres in Indore and Ujjain and reportedly faced electricity outages. They are challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Courts division bench earlier order that refused to allow a re-test. Around 70 out of over 27,000 candidates from the two districts had filed complaints.

About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:11 IST

News education-career MP NEET UG Counselling 2025 Begins, Phase 1 Seat Allotment Result On August 6
SBI PO Admit Card 2025 To Be Released Soon; Exams Scheduled For August 2, 4, and 5

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 08:44 IST

SBI PO Admit Card 2025: The State Bank of India will release the admit cards for prelims exam on the official website at sbi.co.in.

SBI PO Admit Card 2025 expected soon; prelims scheduled for August 2, 4, and 5. (AI Generated/Representational Image)

SBI PO Admit Card 2025: The State Bank of India (SBI) is expected to release the SBI PO Prelims Admit Card 2025 in the third or fourth week of July, according to sources close to the recruitment process. Candidates who have applied for the Probationary Officer (PO) posts should regularly check the official website, sbi.co.in, for the latest updates.

The Probationary Officer preliminary examination will be held on August 2, 4 and 5, 2025.

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A message on their website (sbi.co.in) reads: Tentative dates for preliminary examination (online) are 02.08.2025, 04.08.2025 & 05.08.2025," a message on the official website stated.

Results are expected to be declared in September or October.

This recruitment drive includes 541 Probationary Officer vacancies at SBI, with 500 regular vacancies and 41 backlog vacancies.

The preliminary examination will consist of an objective test worth 100 marks. It includes three sectionsEnglish Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Abilityeach with separate time limits. The total duration of the exam is 1 hour. There is no sectional cut-off in the preliminary exam.

A penalty will be applied for wrong answers. For every incorrect response, one-fourth () of the marks allotted to that question will be deducted from the candidates total score as a negative marking.

How To Download SBI PO Admit Card 2025?

Once the admit card is released, candidates can download it by following these steps:

Step 1: Visit the official SBI website at sbi.co.in.

Step 2: Click on the Careers" section on the homepage.

Step 3: Navigate to the current openings and select Recruitment of Probationary Officers."

Step 4: Click on the admit card download link.

Step 5: Enter your registration number, date of birth, and captcha code.

Step 6: Submit the details and download your admit card.

ALSO READ: Education Minister Opens India Campus Of University Of Southampton In Gurugram

Details On SBI PO Prelims Admit Card

The admit card will include important information such as:

Candidates name and photograph

Roll number

Exam date and time

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Exam centre details

Reporting time and exam instructions

About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 08:44 IST

News education-career SBI PO Admit Card 2025 To Be Released Soon; Exams Scheduled For August 2, 4, and 5
36.86 Lakh Voters Missing In Bihar, Nearly 7,000 Untraceable

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 20:27 IST

The Election Commission of India found 36.86 lakh voters missing in Bihar. 1.61% are deceased, 2.3% moved permanently, and less than 1% are duplicate enrollments.

With one week still in hand, the ECI has collected 7.11 crore enumeration forms, accounting for close to 90% of the registered voters in the state. (Photo: PTI file)

The Election Commission of India on Friday said that 36.86 lakh voters could not be found at their registered addresses during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

The poll body said that about 1.61% of the 7.90 crore registered voters are probably deceased electors (12.71 lakh) while 2.3% (18.16 lakh) have permanently shifted. Less than one per cent (5.92 lakh) of the voters have been identified as enrolled at multiple places and 6,978 are not traceable.

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With one week still in hand, the ECI has collected 7.11 crore enumeration forms, accounting for close to 90% of the registered voters in the state.

Clubbed with the missing voters, the poll body has reached 95% of the total voters in the state. As of date, just five per cent  41.10 lakh  forms are remaining to be collected.

Missing Voter Tally Grows

Earlier this week, News18 had reported 35.69 lakh missing voters, a number that has now risen to 36.86 lakh. The numbers till Monday included 12.55 lakh (1.59%) registered voters who have died; 17.37 lakh who have permanently moved out of the state (2.2%); and another 5.76 lakh who are duplicate enrolments (0.73%). The numbers may increase further as the drive completes.

The list of voters who are missing, or have not returned the forms even after multiple visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), will be shared with District Presidents of political parties and 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by them, to ascertain the exact status of each such elector before July 25.

As per the SIR order, each of the more than 1.5 lakh BLAs can submit up to 50 forms a day after certifying them. This step is in line with the ECIs commitment that no eligible elector is left out," the poll body added.

Progress As Per Schedule: EC

The ECI reminded that the draft Electoral Roll for the state will be published on August 1 and invited suggestions and inputs for correction of any entry in the draft Electoral Roll.

In accordance with the SIR order, a full one month will be given to political parties and the public to point out the requirement of any correction, or propose inclusion of any left-out names. For this, printed and digital copies of the draft Electoral Roll will be given to the recognised political parties free of cost and will be posted on the ECI website for the public. Therefore, the public may remain assured that no eligible elector will be left out," the poll body said.

The ECI has also digitised about 87% (6.85 crore) of the enumeration forms as of date.

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After disposing of claims and objections till September 25, the final Electoral Roll will be published on September 30. The ECI reminded the voters that if they are aggrieved by any decision of the ERO, they can appeal to the District Magistrate and the Chief Electoral Officer.

Elections are likely to be held in the state around October-November as the term of the assembly will end in November.

About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 20:23 IST

News elections 36.86 Lakh Voters Missing In Bihar, Nearly 7,000 Untraceable
Bomb Threats To Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai Schools: How Can Prank Callers Be Punished? Explained

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:44 IST

Bomb threats to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi schools, flights, stadium: What happens when bomb threat to schools or airline is found to be hoax? Explaining the law on prank calls

Bengaluru, Delhi School Bomb Threats: Bomb squad personnel conduct investigation at Gyanshree School's campus after it received a bomb threat, at sector 127 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in February. (PTI)

Bomb threats to Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi schools, flights & stadium: Over 40 schools in Bengaluru received bomb threat emails on Friday, causing panic. Over five consecutive days till July 18, 36 educational institutions in Delhi, including schools and college, have received bomb hoax calls. Swami Vivekananda International School in Mumbais Kandivli received a bomb threat on Friday.

What happens when a bomb threat is made to a public place or institution or airline? What happens when it is found to be a hoax? How does the law punish the caller?

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Schools, airlines, public places: How many bomb threat hoaxes were made in 2025?

School bomb threats: A rough estimate suggests around 150 separate bomb threats were received at schools and colleges across multiple cities in 2025. From July 14-16, a total of 10 institutions  9 schools and 1 college  in Delhi received bomb threat emails. By July 18, the number went up to 36 schools.

In the last one month, more than half a dozen schools in Mumbai, Mira Road, Vasai and other neighbouring cities have received bomb threats.

From June 23 to July 4, at least four private schools in Vadodara received bomb threat emails signed by a group calling itself Madras Tigers, citing political motives.

In addition to the 40 bomb threat emails in Bengaluru, over 65 hoax threat emails have been reported in Jaipur targeting schools, alongside public venues such as stadiums, metro stations, hospitals.

Airline bomb threats: According to Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and government official data, 24 bomb hoax calls targeted 15 flights  IndiGo (7), Air India (4), Lufthansa (2), Malindo (1), American Airlines  till March 2025, compared to 728 in 2024.

But there have been more cases recently. The Patna Airport on July 11 received a bomb threat email. Similar hoaxes were reported on June 4 and June 29.At Kanpur & Agra Airports, bomb threat emails on July 1 prompted full searches. At the Kolkata Airport, a pipe bomb threat email on June 17 targeting a public figure was declared a hoax after a two-hour search. Patna airport received at least 1 confirmed bomb threat email on July 11, with similar hoaxes reported on June 4 and June 29.

Some prominent cases:

Air India flight AI 119 (Mumbai to JFK) turned back over Azerbaijan mid-air following a bomb threat note found in an onboard toilet. After 8 hours, the aircraft landed safely in Mumbai; no device was found.

AI 379 (Phuket to New Delhi) returned to Phuket after a threatening message was found in the lavatory shortly after takeoff. All 156 passengers evacuated safely; the threat was confirmed as a hoax.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Hyderabad) received a bomb threat via email on May 9, 2025, indicating sleeper cell activity. No explosive found after search; operations continued normally. Authorities suspect the email was a hoax.

On May 14, 2025, a note left in the lavatory of an Air India flight arriving from Kolkata triggered security checks; declared hoax after inspection.

Public places, other institutions bomb threats: At least 60-75 public places, mainly in Jaipur, received bomb threats this year. Jaipur has received over 65 hoax emails aimed at stadiums, courts, hospitals, metro stations, and airports. Vijayawada LIC building and railway station received two bomb threat calls in 2025, prompting full security sweeps. In 2025, Mumbai witnessed at least six confirmed bomb hoax incidents across schools, public institutions, and transportation hubs. It included three schools, including one in Vile Parle and two in Kandivali. Public landmarks like Tata Memorial Hospital and the Bombay Stock Exchange were also targeted with bomb threats. A high-profile email in May warned of bombs at both Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Between July 14-17, the Golden Temple in Amritsar received a series of at least five distinct bomb threat emails, warning of RDX bombs reportedly planted inside the shrinespecifically targeting the langar hall and community areas.

Bomb threat probe

In Delhi case, a 12-year-old student was later identified as the sender of the July 15 threats to St. Thomas and St. Stephens. He was released following counselling under juvenile jurisdiction.

A cyber expert in Ahmedabad was arrested for sending a barrage of hoax bomb emails targeting schools, stadiums, metro stations, hospitals, and courts across India, including Jaipurs SMS Stadium. She allegedly used spoofed email IDs, VPNs, and 80+ virtual mobile numbers.

What happens when a bomb threat is received?

DGCA (Airlines & Airports): Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) is formed immediately.

Threats are classified as:

Specific (credible): Full emergency response

Non-specific: Monitored response

DGCAs Bomb Threat Contingency Plan (BTCP) is followed by all Indian airports.

Delhi Police SOP (Schools & Public Institutions): Evacuation, perimeter sealing, police verification. Post-incident review with cyber cell and local administration.

What is the legal action taken after bomb hoax?

A First Information Report (FIR) is registered under IPC, IT Act, Aircraft Act, depending on the location and threat mode. Cyber investigation starts (tracing IPs, emails, VPN usage, phone numbers).

Those making bomb hoaxes can be booked under

1. Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860

Section 505(1)(b) includes statements conducing to public mischief that causes fear or alarm to the public.

Punishment: Up to 3 years imprisonment, or fine, or both.

Section 182: False information with intent to cause public servant to use lawful power to the injury of another. Applicable when false info leads to unnecessary deployment of police or public authorities.

Punishment: Up to 6 months or fine, or both.

Section 336, 337, 338: Endangering life or personal safety of others. Used when actions (even hoaxes) cause panic, stampede, injury, etc.

Punishment: Ranges from 3 months to 2 years depending on harm caused.

Section 506  Criminal intimidation. Includes threatening to cause death or injury (including via bombs).

Punishment: Up to 7 years, fine, or both.

Section 120B / 34: Criminal conspiracy or common intent. Added if more than one person is involved in planning the hoax.

2. The Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937

Section 11A  False threats regarding bombs on aircraft or airports

Punishment: Up to 3 years, or Rs 10 lakh fine, or both.

3. The Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016 (only if threats are extreme and targeted)

Section 3(1)  Even threats of hijacking or planting bombs may attract scrutiny under this act, though not always charged unless very severe.

Punishment: Varies  in extreme cases may include life imprisonment or death if threat leads to actual loss of life.

4. Information Technology Act, 2000

Section 66D  Cheating by personation using computer resources. If hoax is sent via email, fake IP, VPN, etc.

Punishment: Up to 3 years and/or fine up to Rs 1 lakh.

Strict rules for airport bomb hoaxes

As per DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) under Section 3  Air Transport, a person making a false bomb threat can be:

1. Put on the No-Fly List (under unruly passenger category).

2. Banned from flying up to two years.

3. Fined up to Rs 1 crore, especially if commercial operations are disrupted.

4. Made to reimburse operational losses (delays, reroutes, emergency landings).

What if the caller is a minor?

Under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015:

If under 18, they are tried by Juvenile Justice Board.

If above 16 and crime is heinous or repeat in nature, the child can be tried as an adult.

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In July 2025, a 12-year-old student in Delhi was found responsible for bomb hoax emails sent to schools and St. Stephens College. Authorities handled the case via the Juvenile Justice Board. Counselling and guardian supervision were advised. In severe juvenile cases, rehabilitation and observation homes may be involved.

With Agency Inputs

About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ... Read More At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:39 IST

News explainers Bomb Threats To Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai Schools: How Can Prank Callers Be Punished? Explained
Pakistans TRF Gets Terror Outfit Tag: US State Department Versus UNSC Process Explained

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 19:57 IST

TRF Gets Terror Tag: The US system focuses on enforcement, whereas the UN process is more diplomatic and political

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, TRF claimed responsibility on Telegram. (Representational image)

In a major win for India, the United States (US) State Department has designated Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist outfit. This process was more stringent and technical than that of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The key differences between the two explained.

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US Vs UNSC: Difference In Processes

The US system focuses on enforcement, whereas the UN process is more diplomatic and political.

The designation of a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) or Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the U.S. is a technical matter. Conversely, the UN process lacks judicial transparency and relies heavily on member-state submissions, often stalled by China and Pakistan to block or loosen sanctions against proxy terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoots, such as TRF.

The US State Department adheres to stringent legal and evidentiary procedures under U.S. law.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the group The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility on Telegram but later retracted the statement, which became crucial evidence. Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) pertains to FTO designation, while Executive Order 13224 is required for SDGT designation. Both require strong evidence and material proof.

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Agencies such as the CIA, FBI, NSA, DIA, and partner foreign intelligence services provide classified information, which is vetted on all technical parameters. Criteria include actual acts of terrorism, capacity and intent, and threats to U.S. nationals or national security. The Bureau of Counterterrorism at the State Department prepares a detailed report, which is later reviewed by the Justice Department, Treasury Department, and Homeland Security. All ensure the group meets the strict legal threshold, especially for due process, if U.S.-based individuals and entities are involved.

Seven days prior, the Congress is confidentially notified, and after this period, the designation is formally published in the Federal Register.

About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 19:10 IST

News explainers Pakistans TRF Gets Terror Outfit Tag: US State Department Versus UNSC Process Explained
News / National

by Staff reporter

Ibhalabhala Private Limited, trading as Flo Petroleum, has been fined US$350 by Harare magistrate Mr. Gamuchirai Gore after being found guilty of selling contaminated fuel.Magistrate Gore ordered the company to pay the fine by July 25, 2025.The case arose from an incident on April 22, 2025, when Shakespear Kunaka, a fuel quality technician and inspector employed by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), visited Flo Petroleum's filling station located at 905 Arcturus Road, Donnybrook, Harare. Kunaka had received reports that the station was selling blend petrol contaminated with water.Upon inspection, Kunaka confirmed the complaints were valid - petrol from the nozzle showed signs of water contamination. Together with officials from the fuel company, he tested the tank using water-finding paste, which indicated the presence of water.The following day, Flo Petroleum submitted fuel samples to ZERA's laboratory. Tests revealed that the blend petrol failed to meet the minimum quality requirements as specified in the ZWS 964 Part 4:2012 standard.The contaminated fuel tank was subsequently sealed and secured as evidence.This is not the first time Flo Petroleum has faced such charges. Last year, a Bulawayo magistrate fined the company US$400 for similar violations.Additional allegations emerged on July 9, 2025, when Tinotenda Machingura, another ZERA inspector, sampled fuel at Flo Petroleum's Burnside Service Station. Samples taken from an unleaded petrol pump managed by an employee named Singende were tested and found to contain 23 percent ethanol, contrary to the ZWS 753 standard, which prohibits ethanol in unleaded petrol.The findings underscore ongoing concerns over fuel quality and regulatory compliance in Zimbabwe's petroleum sector, highlighting the need for strict enforcement to protect consumers.
The Rise Of TRF: Inside The Lashkar Proxy Now Branded A Global Terror Threat

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:35 IST

The US has designated TRF a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, lending weight to Indias long-standing claim that it is a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy operating under a new name

The Resistance Front (TRF) first emerged in Kashmir in October 2019, just two months after the abrogation of Article 370. (Representational image)

In a major development that cements international consensus on emerging terror networks in South Asia, the United States on Friday designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity. The move, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, came less than three months after the brutal Pahalgam massacre in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people, one of the deadliest civilian-targeted attacks in the region in recent years.

Indian security agencies have consistently maintained that TRF is a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), created to mask terrorist operations behind a secular-sounding name and avoid international scrutiny.

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These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," Marco Rubio said in a statement.

India welcomed the move as a powerful affirmation of growing Indo-US counterterror cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on X.

A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

But the global spotlight on TRF now raises deeper questions: What is this outfit? How did it emerge so quickly? And why has it become a key player in Kashmirs militant landscape?

A Group Born Out Of Strategic Rebranding

The Resistance Front (TRF) first emerged in Kashmir in October 2019, just two months after the abrogation of Article 370. Its sudden appearance drew immediate attention from Indian security agencies, who viewed the group as part of a strategic rebranding effort by Pakistan-based outfits to deflect international scrutiny.

TRF distanced itself from traditional jihadist language and adopted the terminology of political resistance  a shift that aligned with Pakistans attempt to project the Kashmir conflict as indigenous rather than cross-border. While the group presented itself as secular and grassroots, officials say its operations, funding, and coordination bore the unmistakable imprint of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

This is basically a front of the LeT. These are groups which have been created over the last years, particularly when Pakistan was under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force and they were trying to create a pattern of denial that they were involved in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir," said Ajai Sahni, head of the South Asia Terrorism Portal, according to Reuters.

The timing and framing of TRFs emergence coincided with heightened pressure on Pakistan from the Financial Action Task Force, which had placed the country on its grey list over terror financing concerns. Indian agencies assessed that the new outfit served as a cover, allowing LeT to continue its operations in Jammu and Kashmir under a neutral-sounding name.

The Pattern Of Attacks

The Resistance Fronts operational footprint in Kashmir has been marked by calculated, targeted violence  aimed not just at inflicting damage, but at undermining civil order and eroding political confidence. Since its emergence in late 2019, the group has either carried out or claimed responsibility for attacks on a wide range of targets: off-duty security personnel, elected panchayat officials, migrant workers, and civilians. According to security officials, these attacks are not random but part of a larger strategy to destabilise governance and deter participation in democratic processes.

One such incident occurred in March 2022, when TRF claimed responsibility for the killing of sarpanch Shabir Ahmad Mir in Kulgam  a region that had recently witnessed increased voter turnout in local polls.

In a 2023 submission to Parliament, the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that TRF had been involved in the planning and execution of attacks on both civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The group, the ministry said, also played a role in coordinating militant recruitment, and in the cross-border smuggling of weapons and narcotics.

Beyond these high-profile killings, TRF has also claimed responsibility for ambushes on joint police-army patrols. One such attack, in Srinagars Chanapora locality, resulted in the deaths of two personnel. Intelligence officials told Reuters that TRF had also been issuing online threats against pro-India groups for the past two years.

Security assessments indicate that TRFs targeting patterns align closely with Pakistans broader objectives in the region. Attacks on migrant workers, for instance, are seen as attempts to disrupt demographic normalisation. Killings of elected representatives aim to weaken grassroots governance. And assaults on patrols and military convoys are often timed to coincide with high-level diplomatic engagements, amplifying their psychological and political impact.

While TRF describes its actions as resistance, security agencies say the groups choice of targets reflects a deliberate effort to destabilise civil order and governance in the region.

Pahalgam Massacre: The Flashpoint

The April 22 massacre in Pahalgam was the turning point. On that day, five gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran Valley. The attack lasted less than fifteen minutes but left 26 innocent civilians dead. Several others were wounded.

According to eyewitnesses and officials, the attackers appeared to select their targets based on religion. Some victims were asked about their origin or name before being shot. Survivor testimony confirmed that militants asked victims to identify their religion and demanded Hindus recite the Kalima; those who could not were shot on the spot

The brutality of the assault, coupled with its symbolic target  civilian tourism in a resurgent Kashmir  caused outrage across the country and drew condemnation from abroad.

In the days that followed, a group calling itself Kashmir Resistance" claimed responsibility, describing the attack as an act of resistance against outsiders." However, just days later, TRF retracted the claim, citing a communications error."

Indian agencies linked the attack to TRF and named Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind. In press briefings and intelligence disclosures, the National Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau noted that Gul had previously been arrested in Delhi in 2002 for possessing explosives, later fled to Pakistan, and re-emerged as a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative coordinating TRF attacks from across the border. Gul is also believed to have been instrumental in orchestrating multiple TRF operations since 2020.

Indias Response: Diplomacy And Direct Action

The terror attack triggered a swift and multi-layered response from India. On the diplomatic front, New Delhi activated its missions in Washington, New York, and key European capitals, pushing for coordinated sanctions against TRF. At the United Nations, India moved to have TRF listed under the 1267 Sanctions Committee  the same mechanism that had previously designated Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed.

On the ground, Indian security forces intensified counterinsurgency operations across South Kashmir, leading to the deaths of several confirmed TRF operatives. However, the clearest response came on May 7, when India carried out Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorism-linked sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval confirmed the operation hit all intended targets in a precise 23-minute strike, making it a significant escalation across the Line of Control.

These strikes sent a visible message: India was holding Pakistan accountable, not only for harbouring militants but for actively enabling organisations like TRF and other new-generation proxy outfits.

US Sanctions: A Strategic Signal

When the United States designated TRF as a terror group, it marked the first time Washington had formally labelled a Kashmir-based proxy under both Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status. The US statement characterised TRF as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, emphasising the groups role in the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The diplomatic language was clear: TRF was an extension of LeT, signalling that US authorities view it as part of a Mumbai-style terror network, not a homegrown faction.

Legally, the designation triggers a freeze on any TRF-linked assets within US jurisdictions, criminalises financial support, and bars travel for individuals connected to the group. It also places pressure on allied nations to monitor hawala chains, shell entities, and encrypted communication channels linked to TRFs infrastructure.

The Road Ahead: More Than Just A Ban

While the US designation of TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation marks a significant diplomatic step, experts caution that it is only the beginning. Groups like TRF are structured to be modular, adaptive, and agile. They often shift aliases, decentralise leadership, and migrate across platforms  particularly encrypted digital spaces  making enforcement a complex challenge. The designation does enable tighter monitoring of global financial networks, but its long-term effectiveness will depend on how rigorously these measures are implemented, especially across cyberspace and informal funding channels.

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At the same time, the narrative battlefield in Kashmir remains fragile. TRFs deliberate use of secular, anti-establishment language  avoiding overt religious references  is viewed by security analysts as a strategic attempt to cloak militant activity in the language of political resistance. Countering that shift will require not only force but also renewed political engagement and socio-economic reintegration, particularly for disenfranchised youth who remain vulnerable to online radicalisation and recruitment.

The Pahalgam terror attack exposed the risks posed by such rebranded proxy groups, where the threat lies not only in the guns they carry, but in the narratives they weaponise. With the US designation, the international community has begun to take clearer notice. The real challenge now lies in translating condemnation into disruption.

About the Author Karishma Jain Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar... Read More Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:35 IST

News explainers The Rise Of TRF: Inside The Lashkar Proxy Now Branded A Global Terror Threat
Welcome No More: Why Japan Is Unhappy With Foreigners Living, Buying Property Or Staying?

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:54 IST

Why is Japan cracking down on foreigners just as it needs them most? A new task force, rising frustration and an election-year dilemma- explained.

From ancient forests to serene seaside towns, Japan is a diverse country.

As Japan prepares to head to the polls for its upper house election, the issue of foreigners-both tourists and residents- has become a political flashpoint as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishibas government announced a new task force aimed at managing foreign nationals, citing concerns over crime, misuse of public services and land ownership.

The move comes amid growing public frustration, rising nationalist rhetoric from fringe parties and mounting political pressure on the ruling coalition. So what exactly is this task force and why has Japan- a country that desperately needs foreign labor and tourism- started to close its doors to foreigners?

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What Is The New Task Force?

The newly formed Office for the Promotion of a Society of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals will serve as a central command center"- coordinating government policy on issues ranging from immigration to land acquisitions by foreigners and unpaid social insurance. PM Shigeru Ishiba said the office was created in response to crimes or nuisance behaviors committed by some foreign nationals", asserting that the government would take strict action" against those who do not follow the rules. Upcoming policy revisions could include visa bans for tourists and foreign residents with unpaid medical bills as well.

Why Are Japanese Residents Frustrated With Foreigners?

Japans foreign population has grown in recent years- from 2.2 million to 3.8 million in a decade- but still makes up just 3% of the population. The real shift has come from tourism as in the first half of 2025 alone, Japan welcomed a record 21.5 million tourists, with popular spots like Kyoto, Mount Fuji and Tokyos Shibuya district becoming overcrowded. While tourism has boosted the economy, it has also disrupted daily life as residential neighborhoods have been overwhelmed by crowds, leading to complaints over noise, poor etiquette and general congestion. Moreover, property prices in scenic and desirable areas have risen, prompting concern about foreign investors outpricing locals.

Are These Fears Supported By Evidence?

Mostly, no. Sociologists and public safety data offer a very different picture as according to Japans Ministry of Justice, foreigners accounted for just 5.3% of arrests in 2023- roughly proportional to their share of the population when tourists are included. In fact, crime in Japan has steadily declined over the past two decades owing to which experts say the fear stems more from perception than fact.

So Why Is Japan Against Tourists Now?

It may all be just good politics as Japan enters the final stretch of campaigning during which nationalist parties like Sanseito have gained traction by pushing Japanese first" messaging. The party is projected to win 10 to 15 seats- enough to dent the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) which already lost its lower house majority last year.

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Does Japan Need Foreigners?

Yes and the countrys economic future may hinge on it because Japans birth rate hit a record low of 1.15 in 2024 and the country has one of the worlds fastest-aging populations which implies a sharp decline in the countrys workforce in the coming decades. Foreign labor and tourism are increasingly essential to fill the gaps. Currently, more than 2.3 million foreign workers are employed in Japan, many under new visa programs targeting sectors like healthcare, construction, hospitality and aviation.

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Location : Japan

First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:52 IST

News explainers Welcome No More: Why Japan Is Unhappy With Foreigners Living, Buying Property Or Staying?
Why Was Bhupesh Baghels Son Arrested By ED? The Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Case Explained

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:53 IST

The ED says Chaitanya Baghel was a suspected recipient of scam proceeds that allegedly generated over Rs 2,100 crore in illegal profits for a powerful liquor syndicate

ED was conducting raids at Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel's residence since morning.

The Chhattisgarh liquor case probe has taken a dramatic turn with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arresting Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The arrest followed fresh raids at the Baghel residence in Bhilai on Friday and was based on what officials said was new evidence linking him to proceeds from the alleged Rs 2,100-crore scam.

According to ED officials, Chaitanya was non-cooperative during the search, prompting his immediate arrest. A heavy police presence was seen outside the Bhilai residence, where several Congress workers gathered in protest. The arrest also happened to coincide with Chaitanyas birthday, a fact highlighted by Bhupesh Baghel, who accused the BJP-led Centre of political vendetta and misuse of central agencies.

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What Is the Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Case?

The alleged Rs 2,100-crore liquor scam case revolves around what the ED calls a massive conspiracy" to siphon off revenue meant for the state exchequer between 2019 and 2022, during the Congress-led governments tenure. According to investigators, a parallel network within the states Excise Departmentcomprising bureaucrats, political leaders, and private contractorsmanipulated the procurement, distribution, and sale of both country and foreign liquor to generate illegal profits.

The ED alleges this was not a case of sporadic corruption, but a structured, state-wide liquor syndicate that operated with impunity, diverting funds through fake bottle holograms, manipulated licences, and off-the-book cash sales.

What Are The Main Allegations?

Illegal Commissions on Country Liquor: Liquor suppliers allegedly paid up to Rs 75 per case in commissions to continue operations through the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). These commissions, the ED claims, were centrally collected and distributed to senior officials and political figures. Use of Fake Holograms: Tenders for liquor bottle holograms were allegedly manipulated to benefit select firms. Duplicate holograms were printed and used to push unaccounted liquor through official outlets, bypassing inventory and revenue systems. Off-the-Book Liquor Sales: A shadow supply chain allegedly operated from state-run shops where liquor was sold entirely in cash without record, diverting revenue from the state treasury. Manipulation of Foreign Liquor Licences: The scam allegedly introduced FL-10A licences, allowing private vendors to sell foreign liquor in exchange for kickbacks. A fixed cut of 10 per cent per transaction was routed to the syndicate.

Who Are The Key Accused?

The ED and the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) have named several high-profile individuals:

Kawasi Lakhma, former Excise Minister and senior Congress leader, is accused of receiving Rs 2 crore per month. A 1,200-page supplementary charge sheet filed on 30 June 2025 alleges bribes totalling Rs 6472 crore. His assets worth Rs 6.15 crore have been provisionally attached.

Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, is said to have operated as the syndicates middleman. Though arrested earlier, the Allahabad High Court later ruled his arrest illegal. The case against him continues.

Anil Tuteja, a former IAS officer, and Arunpati Tripathi, a senior Indian Telecom Service officer, allegedly oversaw key aspects of licensing and supply manipulation.

Chaitanya Baghel, son of Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested following ED raids on July 12 and again on July 18. The agency claims he was a suspected recipient of scam proceeds.

Vijay Bhatia, a Bhilai-based businessman, was arrested from Delhi for allegedly coordinating illegal commission flows.

The case has expanded rapidly: an FIR filed in January 2024 by the EOW and ACB named 70 individuals and companies, including former chief secretary Vivek Dhand. According to the ED, commissions were distributed as per directions from the highest political executives of the state."

What Has Been Seized So Far?

Over Rs 90 lakh in cash, large amounts of gold, property documents, and digital records were recovered during raids across 39 locations in March 2025.

The ED has provisionally attached properties worth over Rs 205 crore, including real estate linked to Lakhma and the Congress office in Sukma.

Four detailed charge sheets have been filed so far, including the most recent against Lakhma.

Political Fallout

The arrest triggered a strong political backlash from the Congress. Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP-led Centre of orchestrating the ED action to target the Opposition. Speaking outside his Bhilai residence, he said: To please their master, Modi and Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down we will fight the battle of truth."

He added: Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like Modi and Shah did. I will remember this for life."

          .     ,               ,         .   ,  . pic.twitter.com/QPd49BjLKo  Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) July 18, 2025

Baghel also referred to a previous ED raid at his home that recovered Rs 33 lakh, saying no action had followed.

The Congress staged a boycott of the Chhattisgarh Assembly session on Friday in protest. The party alleged the Centre was using agencies like ED, CBI, IT, and DRI to suppress Opposition leaders.

Why The Timing Matters

Baghel alleged that the arrest was intended to distract from a scheduled debate in the assembly on environmental violations in the Adani-linked Tamnar coal mining project. He said: Today is the last day of the session. We were set to raise the issue of trees being felled for Adani in Tamnar. Instead, Saheb has sent the ED to Bhilai Niwas."

Earlier this month, Baghel had visited Tamnar tehsil in Raigarh to support locals protesting deforestation. The mine in question was allotted to MAHAGENCO, with the Adani Group as the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO).

Legal Background

The EDs original ECIR in the case was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2024, as it was based on a complaint from the Income Tax Department. Following this, the agency shared its findings with the EOW and ACB, who filed a new FIR in January 2024, shortly after the BJP defeated Congress in the state election.

Whats Next?

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The ED is expected to file more charges and make further arrests. With a parallel probe by the EOW underway and court challenges continuing, legal complexitiesespecially around procedural lapses in arrestscould shape the direction of the case.

With senior politicians, bureaucrats, and business figures under investigation, and with the Opposition alleging targeted harassment, the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case is set to remain both a legal flashpoint and a political talking point in the months to come.

About the Author Karishma Jain Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar... Read More Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 14:42 IST

News explainers Why Was Bhupesh Baghels Son Arrested By ED? The Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Case Explained
At Bengal Rally, PM Modi's Warning To Infiltrators: 'Anyone Who Is Not An Indian Citizen...'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 18:08 IST

The Prime Minister made the remark while addressing a rally in Durgapur, West Bengal

PM Modi slammed the TMC govt in West Bengal, accusing it of endangering the state's identity. (PTI photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that anyone who is not a citizen of India and has entered the country illegally will continue to face legal action in accordance with the Constitution.

The Prime Minister made the remark while addressing a rally in Durgapur, West Bengal.

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Let me say this clearly from the land of Durgapur  anyone who is not a citizen of India, anyone who has entered the country illegally, legal action will continue against them as per the Constitution of India," PM Modi stated.

Durgapur, West Bengal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says,  Let me say this clearly from the land of Durgapur, listen again carefully, those who are not citizens of India, those who have entered the country illegally, will face legal action under the Indian Constitution" pic.twitter.com/62ajWIUxHw IANS (@ians_india) July 18, 2025

During his speech, the Prime Minister referred to Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjees vision of One Nation, One Constitution," saying that it had become a core commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He stated that the BJP had not only adopted this vision but had also fulfilled it, reflecting the partys resolve to uphold national unity and constitutional values.

For the BJP, the Bengali language is a symbol of inspiration, tradition, and identity. Bengali pride is paramount for the BJP," he noted.

He noted that Bengali pride was of great importance to the party, and stressed that in every BJP-ruled state, both the Bengali language and the people of West Bengal are treated with the highest respect.

However, the Prime Minister criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, accusing it of endangering the states identity.

But what is happening here in West Bengal? TMC, driven by its selfish interests, has put the identity of West Bengal at stake," he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi launched a slew of development projects worth Rs 5,400 crore in West Bengal, unveiling major initiatives across the oil and gas, power, rail, and road sectors to boost infrastructure, connectivity, and clean energy in the region.

As part of the events, he laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limiteds 1,950-crore City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia districts. The project is aimed at providing piped natural gas (PNG) to homes and industries, compressed natural gas (CNG) at fuel outlets, and generating employment opportunities locally.

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Modi also dedicated to the nation the 1,190-crore DurgapurKolkata section of the DurgapurHaldia Natural Gas Pipeline, a 132-km stretch built under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) scheme. This pipeline passes through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia districts, and is expected to provide lakhs of people with a reliable and eco-friendly supply of natural gas.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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Location : West Bengal, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 17:32 IST

News india At Bengal Rally, PM Modi's Warning To Infiltrators: 'Anyone Who Is Not An Indian Citizen...'
Over 60 Schools In Delhi, Bengaluru Receive Bomb Threats: 'You All Deserve To Suffer'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 13:34 IST

More than 40 schools in Bengaluru received hoax emails, and 20 schools in Delhi received bomb threats on Friday, sparking panic, confusion and immediate police action.

Police personnel on the premises of Delhi's The Sovereign School that received a bomb threat on Friday. (PTI)

More than 60 schools in the national capital and Bengaluru received bomb threats on Friday morning, creating panic and confusion among teachers and students. While 40 private schools in Bengaluru received hoax emails, 20 schools in Delhi received bomb threats today.

Schools in several areas, including Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Kengeri, in Bengaluru were threatened through an anonymous email message. Additionally, Delhis Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar and Modern International School in Dwarka were among several schools that received hoax emails.

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Police administration in Delhi and Bengaluru jumped into action and deployed teams outside the targeted schools, while students and staff were swiftly evacuated. The sender claimed to have placed several explosive devices within the classrooms of the respective schools, according to several reports.

Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I will watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children," the Delhi Police quoted the threat email as saying.

You Deserve To Suffer

You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, I will commit suicide after the news, will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists, no one has ever cared and no one will ever care," it added.

You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans psychiatrists never tell you that those meds ruin your organs or that they cause disgusting weight gain. You brainwash people into thinking psychiatric meds can help them. But they dont. I am a living proof that they do not. You all deserve this. You deserve to suffer just like me."

The bomb squad and police cross-checked every corner of the school and found no traces of any explosive materials, indicating that the threat was a hoax. A senior police officer told news agency PTI that all necessary measures were taken upon receiving the bomb threat, and it turned out to be a hoax email.

In Delhi, St. Xaviers School, IP College for Women, Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce also received bomb threats via email.

AAP Lashes Out At BJP

Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday raised concerns over the bomb threats, criticising the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not being able to ensure safety for students.

More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking," Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Kalkaji assembly constituency, posted on X.

This is the fourth time in a week that Delhi schools have received hoax bomb threats. More than ten schools and one college in the national capital have received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures.

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On Tuesday, St. Stephens College and St. Thomas School were also threatened with hoax threats. The email to St. Stephens chillingly claimed that multiple IEDs and RDX bombs were planted in its premises and library, threatening detonation by 2 pm.

(with inputs from agencies)

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:34 IST

News india Over 60 Schools In Delhi, Bengaluru Receive Bomb Threats: 'You All Deserve To Suffer'
'Don't Want Anything Counter-Productive To Happen': Centre To SC On Nimisha Priya Case

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 19:46 IST

Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the court that "efforts are on" and the govt's aim is to ensure that Nimisha Priya returns home safely

Nimisha Priya is lodged in a jail in Sana'a in Yemen.

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to take a decision on a request seeking permission to travel to Yemen to help negotiate a pardon for Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, whose execution has been temporarily halted.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by the Save Nimisha Priya Action Council. The petition asked the Union Ministry of External Affairs to use diplomatic channels to save the Kerala nurse, who is on death row in Yemen for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner in 2017.

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Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the court that efforts are on" and the governments aim is to ensure that Nimisha Priya returns home safely. We dont want anything counter-productive to happen. We want this woman to come out safely," he said.

Senior advocate R. Basant, representing the petitioner organisation, said that while the execution scheduled for July 16 has been stayed, further steps are needed. He requested permission for 23 members of the council and a representative of a Kerala Islamic cleric to travel to Yemen to negotiate with the victims family and seek a pardon.

Yemen is a country where not just anybody can go. There is a travel ban unless the government relaxes it. Let 2-3 members of the petitioner organisation and a representative of Kerala Islamic cleric be permitted to go to Yemen," Basant said.

He also urged the government to consider allowing a representative to be involved in discussions about paying blood money"  compensation under Islamic law in death penalty cases.

The court, however, declined to pass any direction and instead advised the petitioner to formally submit a request to the government for travel permission.

The Attorney General said he could not make any commitments about sending an official representative for negotiations at this stage. I dont think anything formally can happen at this point of time," he said.

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on 14 August.

Meanwhile, the brother of the deceased, Abdelfattah Mehdi, has said there can be no pardon in the case, and insists that Nimisha must face execution.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that India has been providing all possible assistance and is in touch with friendly governments for support.

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We have provided legal assistance and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged regular consular visits for the family, and we are in touch with both local authorities and the family members to resolve this issue," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 19:46 IST

News india 'Don't Want Anything Counter-Productive To Happen': Centre To SC On Nimisha Priya Case
'Justice Varma Impeachment Motion Reflects Collective Will Of MPs': Arjun Meghwal Interview

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 13:36 IST

Law Minister Arjun Meghwal acknowledged that many in the opposition were also disturbed by the visuals that surfaced when cash was recovered from Justice Yashwant Varma's house.

News18

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal clarified that the potential impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma is a collective initiative by Members of Parliament, and not just the government. Varma has been under scrutiny following the alleged recovery of large sums of cash from his residence and has approached the Supreme Court, claiming he was denied a fair hearing.

Meghwal told CNN-News18 that Justice Varma is entitled to challenge the process in court. He noted that a Supreme Court-led committee formed by the then Chief Justice submitted its findings to the Prime Minister and the President. However, he stressed that proceedings in Parliament are separate and independent from legal proceedings in court.

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Regarding the motion expected to be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, Meghwal reiterated that the government has no role in this process. Under the Constitution, MPs can initiate a motion to remove a judge on grounds of proven misconduct or corruption, requiring the support of at least 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. This process is entirely within their parliamentary privilege," he said.

Meghwal acknowledged that many in the opposition were disturbed by the visuals that surfaced during the alleged incident. He emphasised that this issue transcends politics, stating that both treasury and opposition benches have reacted strongly. The sentiment and anger of MPs have led to the motion.

Responding to criticism from senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, Meghwal remarked that Sibal was making allegations without being fully informed. He challenged Sibal to bring forward any similar cases if they exist but questioned whether anyone could justify or defend such corruption.

Government sources revealed that the impeachment motion, referred to as a removal motion," has already garnered over 100 signatures from members of the ruling BJP and its allies. Opposition members are also expected to submit their signatures shortly. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has reportedly engaged with several opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to build consensus.

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Once the motion is formally submitted, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha will decide whether to admit it. If admitted, a three-member committee will be formed, comprising a sitting Supreme Court judge, a High Court judge, and a distinguished jurist. This committee will investigate the charges against Justice Verma and submit a report to Parliament.

Initially, the committee will have three months to complete its inquiry, though extensions can be granted if needed. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled from July 21 to August 21, with a brief recess in between, is expected to focus significantly on the impeachment proceedings.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:36 IST

News india 'Justice Varma Impeachment Motion Reflects Collective Will Of MPs': Arjun Meghwal Interview
Judge In Cash Row Moves Supreme Court Against Panel Report, His Impeachment

Reported By :

CNN-News18 Edited By: Vani Mehrotra



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 08:33 IST

Justice Yashwant Varma has approached the Supreme Court challenging the in-house panels recommendation for his impeachment.

Justice Yashwant Varma (Image: X)

Justice Yashwant Varma has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the findings by an in-house inquiry panel that recommended initiation of his impeachment, ever since he had been at the centre of a row since the discovery of charred currency notes at his official residence in New Delhi in March this year.

In his petition, Justice Varma mentioned that the principles of natural justice were not complied with, and that a fair chance to present his case was not granted to him.

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In his plea, Justice Varma also mentioned that then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna denied him a personal hearing.

JUSTICE YASHWANT VARMA CONTROVERSY

A fire incident at Varmas residence in the national capital in March this year, when he was a judge at the Delhi High Court, had led to the discovery of sacks of cash in the outhouse.

He was subsequently repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, and an in-house probe ordered by Khanna had indicted him.

Though Varma denied any wrongdoing, the enquiry panel, by a Supreme Court-constituted committee, had concluded Varma and his family members had covert or active control" over the storeroom, where the cash was discovered, proving his misconduct serious enough to seek his removal.

After he declined to resign, Khanna referred the matter to the President and the Prime Minister.

JUSTICE VARMA CASE: WHAT DID THE PANEL REPORT FLAG?

A leaked confidential judicial inquiry report unveiled stark contradictions between testimonies of the domestic staff and independent witness accounts in the investigation into the fire and alleged burning of currency notes at Varmas residence.

The internal inquiry, mandated by the Supreme Court, also flagged significant lapses in communication protocol and raised serious questions about transparency, oversight, and judicial accountability.

According to the 64-page report submitted to Sanjiv Khanna on May 4, 2025, by a three-member panel comprising Justices Sheel Nagu, GS Sandhawalia, and Anu Sivaraman, burnt cash was found in the storeroom of 30 Tughlak Crescent, Justice Varmas official New Delhi residence.

Based on forensic and electronic evidence, the committee concluded that the currency was secretly removed during the early hours of March 15, just before the matter became public.

The inquiry also revealed a troubling pattern of uniformly exculpatory statements by Justice Varmas household staff members.

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Most of them, employed for several years and hailing from his native district, denied having seen any currency or suspicious activity, even during the fire.

The committee flagged their consistent denials as not fully credible," especially when contrasted with third-party accounts.

About the Author Ananya Bhatnagar Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De... Read More Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:42 IST

News india Judge In Cash Row Moves Supreme Court Against Panel Report, His Impeachment
Lashkar In Disguise To Evade FATF Scrutiny: Decoding The TRF-LeT Terror Blueprint | Exclusive

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:32 IST

According to top intelligence sources, TRF terrorists receive direct instructions from LeT handlers based in Muzaffarabad.

Figures such as Sheikh Sajjad Gul, Basit Ahmed Dar, and Asif Fauji are either current or former LeT operatives, intelligence sources say. (Representational image)

The Resistance Front (TRF), designated as a global terrorist organisation by the US State Department, is not an independent entity but a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), say top Indian intelligence sources. Created in October 2019, in the immediate aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370, TRF was reportedly formed under the guidance of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to provide plausible deniability for LeTs activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Top intelligence officials reveal that TRFs design was tailored to give Pakistans jihadist operations a local and secular veneer, helping Islamabad dodge international scrutiny, especially from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The group has deliberately avoided overt religious branding and instead frames its attacks as part of a homegrown resistance, targeting Hindus, Sikhs, and tourists  a pattern aligned with LeTs Islamist ideology, intelligence sources confirm.

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TRFs operational style bears uncanny similarities to LeTs past behaviour. Its recent claim and subsequent retraction of responsibility for the deadly Pahalgam attack mirrors LeTs historical pattern of post-attack deniability when facing global backlash. Intelligence sources say this is a calculated move to mislead international observers and media by suggesting indigenous discontent rather than cross-border terrorism.

According to Indian intercepts cited by intelligence agencies, TRF terrorists receive direct instructions from LeT handlers based in Muzaffarabad. The organisation also benefits from LeTs logistical network  ranging from arms smuggling and recruitment via madrassas to facilitating cross-border infiltration.

TRFs leadership further cements the Lashkar link. Figures such as Sheikh Sajjad Gul, Basit Ahmed Dar, and Asif Fauji are either current or former LeT operatives, intelligence sources say. Notably, Saifullah Kasuri, a senior LeT figure and head of the Pakistan-based Markazi Muslim League, is believed to have masterminded the Pahalgam assault. This highlights the continued role of Lashkars political arms, including the Milli Muslim League, in steering TRFs actions.

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On online platforms like Telegram and other encrypted apps, TRF amplifies anti-India jihadist rhetoric strikingly similar to LeTs past propaganda, further strengthening the view among Indian intelligence officials that TRF is merely Lashkar in new packaging.

LeT has a long history of rebranding  from Jamaat-ud-Dawa to Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation  to sidestep global sanctions. TRF, sources believe, is the latest such shield, crafted to evade accountability while continuing Pakistan-sponsored jihad in Kashmir.

About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:32 IST

News india Lashkar In Disguise To Evade FATF Scrutiny: Decoding The TRF-LeT Terror Blueprint | Exclusive
'Munir Will Understand My Pain When...': Pahalgam Victim's Father After US Declared TRF Terror Group

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:22 IST

The US designated TRF as a terrorist group on July 17. Vinay Narwal's father praised the move and called it the first step towards dismantling the terrorist infrastructure.

Pahalgam Victim's Father After US Declared TRF Terror Group (File photo)

26-year-old Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was killed in the heinous terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Pahalgam. He got married a week ago and was on his honeymoon when he was killed by the terrorists. Months after the attack, the US State Department has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), the group behind the Pahalgam terror attack, as a terrorist organisation. Reacting to the development, Vinay Narwals father, Rajesh Narwal, spoke exclusively to CNN News 18 and said, He (Pakistans Army General Asim Munir) will understand my pain when his son or daughter is harmed by someone."

He further said that TRF being declared as a terrorist group is the first step towards dismantling the terrorist infrastructure. He also congratulated PM Modi and Indias armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor.

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This Generation Wont Forget Pahalgam Attack

Rajesh Narwal also said that Pahalgam attack will not be forgotten by this generation. TRF being declared as the terrorist group is the result of our PM and Foreign Ministers efforts," Narwal added. He further said, there is no peace in mind and we cant sleep at night as the mind is completely blank."

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TRF is declared a terrorist group by the Trump administration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration has declared the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This move shows President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, said Rubio.

The April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is etched deep in the hearts of every India and the country still remembers the picture of Vinay Narwals grieving wife, Himanshi Narwal, sitting next to his body. 26 civilians were killed in this attack. The Indian military launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked on nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:22 IST

News india 'Munir Will Understand My Pain When...': Pahalgam Victim's Father After US Declared TRF Terror Group
"Healthcare on wheels" serves elderly in China's mountainous areas

Xinhua) 16:42, July 18, 2025

HANGZHOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- In Libao Village, nestled in the misty mountains of east China's Zhejiang Province, a dozen or so elderly residents waited patiently in line beside a white medical vehicle -- a "smart mobile clinic" bringing essential healthcare services to their doorstep.

Among them was 94-year-old Wu Changgen, who had come seeking treatment for his headache and medication for his wife. In the past, he had to walk about 10 km to reach the nearest township clinic.

"It was hard to go down the mountain to see a doctor, so I used to put up with minor ailments," Wu said. But with the medical vehicle, healthcare has come right to his door -- much to his delight.

The mobile clinic, roughly 12 square meters in size and resembling an ambulance, is equipped to support routine check-ups such as blood pressure and glucose tests, and dispense prescriptions.

Jingning She Autonomous County, where Libao is located, operates seven such vehicles, which make four visits every month to 78 remote villages that lack permanent clinics or adequate medical facilities.

Established in 1984, Jingning is China's sole autonomous county of the She ethnic group. The mountainous county is home to 779 peaks over 1,000 meters high, with a scattered, aging population in isolated villages.

Libao, with just over 100 residents, most of whom are over 60 years old, reflects the broader challenge facing rural healthcare in the county. According to Chen Lifeng, director of the health center in Dajun Township, also located in Jingning, a gap remains between the medical needs of local residents and available local resources.

"Setting up clinics in every village is costly, and attracting or retaining medical staff is even harder," Chen said, noting that expanding facilities and staff requires massive investments and lacks sustainability.

To address the issue, in 2019, Jingning began deploying smart mobile clinics, offering basic care and prescriptions in remote mountainous villages while improving services at the health centers in more populated townships.

Peng Dewei, deputy head of the county health bureau, said the program started with four vehicles. By early 2024, Zhejiang had standardized the design and onboard equipment of all mobile clinics.

Each vehicle now carries a general practitioner and a nurse, and is equipped with more than 20 types of medical devices, including ECG monitors and portable ultrasound machines.

"The mobile clinics are designed for rugged terrain and limited power supply in the mountainous region. They also incorporate AI-assisted diagnostics and Internet of Things technology," said Xie Jianhao, board chairman of Ningbo Careful Special Cars Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of the vehicles.

Appointments can be made via a mobile app or through a village health manager, with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners or ultrasound specialists dispatched as needed.

Moreover, Jingning has established a digital dispatch system that tracks each vehicle in real time. If there is an emergency, the nearest mobile clinic can switch to ambulance mode.

Peng said that patients in remote areas can also use telemedicine services to consult with hospital specialists.

"The unequal distribution of medical resources is a global challenge, especially in remote areas," said Wu Liying, head of the county health bureau. "Jingning's smart mobile clinic initiative provides a viable solution."

According to Wu Liying, by May this year, Jingning's seven mobile clinics had traveled over 250,000 km and provided more than 100,000 medical services. Thanks to the mobile clinics, more than 70 percent of patients with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes in the county now receive care through standardized protocols.

In Lishui City, which administers Jingning, operating mobile clinics can save around 60 million yuan (about 8.36 million U.S. dollars) in annual operating costs and 233 million yuan in construction costs when comparing with running a clinic in each village.

Zhejiang now has over 500 such mobile clinics, covering nearly all of its remote rural regions.

Xie noted that the vehicles produced by his company have reached mountainous areas in central and southwest China. His company now has its sights set on international markets, including Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"Our approach has been praised by health professionals in many developing countries," Wu Liying said. "It offers an affordable, adaptable solution for improving primary care access in those countries."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 34-year-old Budiriro man has successfully obtained a protection order against his mother, whom he accused of emotionally abusing him and blocking his attempts to get married.Appearing before Harare Civil Court magistrate Johanna Mukwesha, Mr Nelson Zengeni accused his mother, Ms Tsvakai Mwatse (56), of making his life unbearable by forbidding him to marry, claiming that no woman should interfere with his duty of looking after her."She told me I cannot marry because I have a responsibility to look after her as a widow. Every time I try to talk to a woman or bring someone home, she harasses me and makes my life unbearable," Zengeni said.He told the court that his mother became jealous when she realised he was in a relationship and now goes to extreme lengths to prevent him from settling down.Zengeni said Ms Mwatse, who has been a widow for two decades, insists that any woman who comes into his life is a threat to her well-being."I love my mother and I will always support her, but I cannot be her prisoner. I have a right to love, to build a family, and to have peace in my own home," he told the court.Zengeni claimed his mother regularly monitors his mobile phone, searching for evidence of romantic relationships, and reacts with insults, threats, and harassment whenever she finds anything suspicious."I can't even receive a call from a woman without her storming into my room demanding answers. It's humiliating and stressful. I want to live in peace in my late father's house," he said.In one incident, Zengeni alleged that his mother sent her brother to assault him after discovering he had gone on a date with a neighbour."He ambushed me one evening and accused me of bringing shame to the family. He threatened to beat me every time I disobeyed my mother," Zengeni said.Ms Mwatse denied harassing her son but admitted she was strongly opposed to him dating women she deemed unsuitable."He is my only child. I suffered raising him alone after his father died. I paid his school fees through vending. Now that I am old, who will take care of me if he marries street girls?" she said.She admitted checking his phone but insisted it was out of concern for his well-being, fearing he would be exploited by opportunistic women."Girls these days pretend to love you and then take your money. What will happen to me if he falls into the wrong hands?" she argued.In her ruling, Magistrate Mukwesha said while Ms Mwatse had every right to expect support and respect from her son, she had no legal or moral authority to control his private life or to abuse him for making personal decisions.The court granted a protection order in favour of Zengeni, barring his mother and her relatives from harassing, assaulting, or interfering with his relationships.Ms Mwatse was also warned against monitoring her son's personal communications or disrupting his attempts to build his own life."He is a grown man, and you must respect his choices," Magistrate Mukwesha said.
'There Should Be No Double Standards': India On EU Sanctions Targeting Russia's Energy Revenues

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:28 IST

India criticised the EU's sanctions on the Indian Rosneft refinery, stressing no double standards in energy trade.

Rosneft owns 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara Energy Ltd, formerly Essar Oil Ltd. Nayara owns and operates a 20 million tonne a year oil refinery at Vadinar in Gujarat as also over 6,750 petrol pumps. (IMAGE: X)

India on Friday hit back at the European Union over its sanctions on the Indian oil refinery of Russian energy giant Rosneft, stressing that there should be no double standards," especially when it comes to energy trade.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures.

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We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations. The Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade," said MEA Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.

The European Union on Friday imposed sanctions on the Indian oil refinery of Russian energy giant Rosneft and lowered the oil price cap, as part of a new raft of measures against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

The fresh sanctions package on Russia included new banking restrictions, and curbs on fuels made from Russian crude oil.

The lowered oil price cap  currently set at USD 60 per barrel  means Russia will be forced to sell its crude at reduced rates to buyers like India. As the second-largest purchaser of Russian oil, India stands to benefit from this move. Russian crude currently accounts for nearly 40 per cent of Indias total oil imports.

For the first time, were designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.

Rosneft owns 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara Energy Ltd, formerly Essar Oil Ltd. Nayara owns and operates a 20 million tonne a year oil refinery at Vadinar in Gujarat as also over 6,750 petrol pumps.

An investment consortium SPV, Kesani Enterprises Company holds 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara. Kesani is owned by Russias United Capital Partners (UCP) and Hara Capial Sarl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mareterra Group Holding (formerly Genera Group Holding S.p.A.).

EU sanctions means Nayara cannot export fuel such as petrol and diesel to European countries.

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We are standing firm. The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date," Kallas said. Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding." Among the sanctions announced were ban on Nord Stream pipelines, and a lower cap on price at which Russian can export oil.

(With PTI inputs)

About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:45 IST

News india 'There Should Be No Double Standards': India On EU Sanctions Targeting Russia's Energy Revenues
Overwhelmed By Warmth, Affection: PM Modi Meets Swami Shakti Sharananand Saraswati In Bihar

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:39 IST

PM Modi said that he received blessings and expressed gratitude for the Swamiji's warmth, affection, and guidance.

PM Modi Meets Swami Shakti Sharananand Saraswati In Bihar (X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Swami Shakti Sharananand Saraswati Maharaj in Bihars Motihari during his visit to the poll-bound state on Friday.

In a post on X, PM Modi said that he received blessings and expressed gratitude for the Swamijis warmth, affection, and guidance. He also shared the images of his meeting with the spiritual guru.

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Today, I had the privilege of receiving blessings from Swami Shakti Sharananand Saraswati Ji Maharaj in Motihari. His personality embodies brilliance and vigor, while his speech is deeply imbued with spirituality. I am overwhelmed by Maharaj Jis warmth, affection, and guidance!" he said in a post on X.

                        ,     -     ,      ! pic.twitter.com/7PTxDNv0tH Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2025

Earlier today, the Prime Minister launched development projects worth more than Rs 7,200 crore in the poll-bound state.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, several union ministers and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

He flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains between Rajendra Nagar (Patna) and New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari and Delhi (Anand Vihar terminal), Darbhanga and Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) and Malda Town and Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stones for multiple rail projects, including the development of infrastructure for maintenance of Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra, and automatic signalling on the Bhatni-Chhapra Gramin route (114 km) to enable streamlined train services.

In a major boost to road infrastructure in the region, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the 4-laning of the Ara bypass of NH-319 that connects Ara-Mohania NH-319 and Patna-Buxar NH-922, providing seamless connectivity and reducing travel time.

PM Modi also inaugurated the 4-lane Parariya to Mohania section of NH-319, worth over Rs 820 crore, part of NH-319, which connects Ara Town to NH-2 (Golden Quadrilateral) that would improve freight and passenger movement.

Among others, a 2-lane with paved shoulders from Sarwan to Chakai of NH-333C was also launched to facilitate the movement of goods and people and act as a key link between Bihar and Jharkhand.

PM Modi also released Rs 400 crore to around 61,500 self-help groups in Bihar under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

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The PM also handed over keys to some beneficiaries as a part of Griha Pravesh of 12,000 homeowners and released over Rs 160 crore to 40,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 22:39 IST

News india Overwhelmed By Warmth, Affection: PM Modi Meets Swami Shakti Sharananand Saraswati In Bihar
'Took Resolve Here...': PM Modi Reminds Bihar Of His Anti-Terror Pledge After Pahalgam Attack

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:56 IST

PM Modi had declared from the soil of Bihar on April 24 that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist, their handlers, and their backers

PM Modi was addressing a public rally in Motihari on Friday. (Photo: YouTube/NarendraModi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday was in Bihar, the state where he took a pledge post Pahalgam attack that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist, their handlers, and their backers."

Nearly three months after his pledge, PM Modi attended an event in Motihari where he said: I took the resolve of Operation Sindoor from the land of Bihar, and the entire world watches its success today."

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#WATCH | Bihar | PM Narendra Modi says,  I took the resolve of Operation Sindoor from the land of Bihar and the entire world watches its success today"(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/7pc25i4DXa  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

As many as 26 tourists were killed in the scenic resort town of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The Prime Minister was in Saudi Arabia at the time but cut short his official visit to return to India. Multiple meetings followed after he landed in New Delhi, but the country was waiting to hear from its Prime Minister, who said in a post on X on April 22, Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice."

I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.Those behind this heinous act will be brought  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2025

As the Indian armed forces were planning to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border, PM Modi made his first public appearance in Bihar on April 24, two days after the Pahalgam attack.

In Bihars Madhubani, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 13,480 crore on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day.

In his first public remark on the Pahalgam attack during his speech, he declared that the terrorists responsible for the attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination."

The Prime Minister declared from the soil of Bihar that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist, their handlers, and their backers, emphasising that India will pursue them to the ends of the earth.

India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers.We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. Indias spirit will never be broken by terrorism. pic.twitter.com/sV3zk8gM94  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2025

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Indias spirit will never be broken by terrorism, and terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure justice is served and the entire nation is firm in this resolve against terrorism", he stressed.

Within a fortnight of his pledge, India struck nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and PoK, including the headquarters of terrorist groups Jaish and Lashkar under Operation Sindoor.

About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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Location : Motihari, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 14:55 IST

News india 'Took Resolve Here...': PM Modi Reminds Bihar Of His Anti-Terror Pledge After Pahalgam Attack
Gun In Hand, Riding Bike: Police Release Photos Of Accused In Patna Hospital Shooting

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:56 IST

Police are analysing the footage frame by frame to identify the shooters and trace their route of escape.

One person was killed by the assailants in the hospital.

New CCTV footage has surfaced in the Paras Hospital shooting case, showing the assailants near the scene on a bike, one of them brazenly wielding a gun in his hand. The visuals, captured near the hospital premises, have intensified the investigation into the recent attack that left one person dead.

Police are analysing the footage frame by frame to identify the shooters and trace their route of escape. The incident has sparked serious concerns over public safety and the boldness of criminal elements operating in the city.

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Unidentified assailants opened fire inside Paras HMRI Hospital on Thursday morning, targeting Chandan Mishra, a resident of Buxar district who was out on parole for medical treatment. Chandan, a murder accused with several cases against him, was shot dead by a group of five armed men. One of the attackers has since been arrested, while others have been identified.

Initial investigation suggests that the assailants are linked to a local real estate firm and have prior involvement in criminal activities. A now-viral video from the hospital shows the attackers entering the lobby with guns before fleeing moments later after the shooting. No other injuries were reported.

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Commenting on the case, Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma said, Chandan was on parole and admitted to Paras Hospital for treatment. The rival gang shot him We are identifying the members of the rival gang. We have the photographs of the shooters."

The shooting comes just days after a separate encounter in Patnas Ranitalab area, where another criminal, Suraj Kumar, was injured in police firing after allegedly trying to flee custody. The back-to-back incidents have highlighted growing concerns over unchecked gang rivalries and rising street violence in Bihars capital.

About the Author Abhro Banerjee Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 09:23 IST

News india Gun In Hand, Riding Bike: Police Release Photos Of Accused In Patna Hospital Shooting
Siddaramaiah 'Killed' By Meta In Wild Translation Gaffe, Karnataka CM Terms It 'Dangerous'

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:35 IST

CM Siddaramaiah urged Meta to suspend 'faulty' auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta platforms.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

A translation blunder from Metas automatic translation entirely changed the meaning of a post from the Karnataka Chief Ministers Office (CMO) on Facebook.

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The post written in Kannada was originally posted to mourn the demise of veteran actor B Saroj Devi, was wrongly translated into English.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah passed away yesterday multilingual star, senior actress B. Took darshan of Sarojadevis earthly body and paid his last respects," the mistranslation read.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took note of the faulty translation post and asked Meta to stop its Kannada auto-translation.

Faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on Meta platforms is distorting facts and misleading users. This is especially dangerous when it comes to official communications. My media adviser, KV Prabhakar, has formally written to Meta urging immediate correction," Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on X.

Social media platforms must act responsibly. I caution citizens to be aware that translations shown are often inaccurate. Such negligence by tech giants can harm public understanding and trust," he added.

Meta later changed it and corrected the error.

In a letter by his media adviser to Meta, Siddaramaiah asked Meta to work with Kannada language experts to enhance the quality and contextual accuracy" of translations from Kannada to English.

We have noted with concern that the auto-translation from Kannada to English is frequently inaccurate and, in some cases, grossly misleading," it said.

This poses a significant risk, especially when public communications, official statements, or important messages from the Chief Minister are incorrectly translated Many may not realise that what they are reading is an automated translation rather than the original message," the letter added.

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Location : Karnataka, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 10:49 IST

News india Siddaramaiah 'Killed' By Meta In Wild Translation Gaffe, Karnataka CM Terms It 'Dangerous'
India Started Work Within 3 Days Of Pahalgam: How New Delhi Got Terror Tag For Pakistans TRF

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News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:17 IST

India briefed the US at least twice in senior official roles following the Pahalgam attack: Immediately on April 25 and in May as part of an international campaign

The successful designation by the US serves as both a validation of Indias evidence and a diplomatic setback for efforts to obscure the group's role. (Representational image

Within three days of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities provided to the United States (US) substantial evidence, including proof of leadership and its direct involvement in the strike, to get the terror outfit tag for Pakistans The Resistance Front (TRF).

The US State Departments process of designating a group a terror outfit is highly technical, rigorous, and immune to political influenceunlike procedures followed at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The designation process involves the submission and thorough verification of credible intelligence and data.

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News18 learned that the information provided by New Delhi met the stringent standards of the US designation process, which is often regarded as more rigorous than the UNSC mechanism, where geopolitical interests may at times affect outcomes.

The US listing of TRF also highlights how Pakistans Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar allegedly attempted to shield the group. Notably, Dar reportedly took pride in removing references to TRF from the Security Councils condemnation message following the Pahalgam attackan attack for which TRF itself had claimed responsibility.

The successful designation by the US serves as both a validation of Indias evidence and a diplomatic setback for efforts to obscure the groups role. It also reinforces TRFs identity as a front for the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, affirming its operational ties and culpability in recent acts of terrorism.

A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

Briefings To Multi-Party Delegations: How India Got TRF Named As A US-Designated Terror Outfit?

After the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed, Indias diplomatic outreach to the United States was strengthened as part of its counter-terrorism initiative, with special emphasis on TRF.

On April 25, just three days after the attack, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed selected envoys, including those from the US, UK, China, Russia, and France, about the details of the Pahalgam attack. These briefings for G20 representatives included specifics on the modalities of the attack, the casualties, and preliminary intelligence pointing towards TRFs involvement as a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Throughout this time, India made it evident that TRF was not a stand-alone group, but was operating as a front and proxy for Pakistan-based LeTa fact consistently communicated to US and other Western allies.

Throughout late April and into May, Indian intelligence and diplomatic channels maintained ongoing briefings, sharing further information about TRFs leadership (identifying its head Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind), and highlighting a pattern of TRF-claimed attacks targeting Indian civilians and security forces in 2024 and 2025. This sustained briefing campaign coincided with New Delhis efforts to secure international condemnation and further action against the groups operators and sponsors. Following the attack, seven multi-party delegations from India travelled to 33 world capitals, including Washington, throughout May to underline Pakistans association with terror and the particular role of TRF.

Points of intelligence conveyed by India to the US

Indias communication with the US focussed on:

TRFs operational connections with LeT and its status as a proxy agency

Evidence obtained by Indias National Investigation Agency that named Sheikh Sajjad Gul as TRFs mastermind and leader of the attack

Record of past TRF-claimed terror attacks in India

The trend of TRFs activity following that of Pakistan-based organisations.

These joint diplomatic initiatives reached a peak on July 18, when the US State Department officially listed TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), directly mentioning the evidence and intelligence produced by Indian authorities that confirmed TRFs direct role in the Pahalgam attack and its LeT proxy character.

India briefed the US at least twice in senior official roles following the Pahalgam attack: immediately on April 25 and in May as part of an international campaign. In these meetings, India repeatedly presented concrete intelligence identifying TRF as a Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliate and insisted that it be listed as a terrorist group under the US law. These initiatives lay at the heart of the US decision to list TRF as a terrorist group on July 18.

Met members of the various delegations who represented India in different countries and elaborated on Indias commitment to peace and the need to eradicate the menace of terrorism. We are all proud of the manner in which they put forward Indias voice. pic.twitter.com/MZqQYgsAEp Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 10, 2025

Despite US Backing, Indias TRF Blacklisting Faces China-Pakistan Resistance at UNSC

Pakistans membership on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member until December 2026 brings complexities to Indias attempt to include TRF in the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee, which focuses on groups related to Al-Qaeda and ISIL.

Being a Council member, Pakistan may do its best to sway the debate, engage in consultations, and frame the agenda. While non-permanent members lack veto power, their dissent and procedural holds can make consensus-building challenging, particularly when listing entails groups said to be functioning from their own territory or connected to their establishments. Pakistans past stances and diplomatic activism on matters bordering on terrorism designations, or with respect to entities it is accused of supporting, similarly indicate that it will utilise its status to slow or water down any step it feels targets its interests.

The complexities are further compounded by Chinas status as a permanent member (P5) of the UNSC with veto power. China has a historical record of protecting Pakistan on terrorism listings mattersmost famously in earlier cases against Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. As the UNSC 1267 Committee works by consensus, Chinas veto alone can be sufficient to veto any proposal irrespective of support from the other members of the Council. Its strategic alliance with Pakistan and inclination to emphasise the requirement of solid evidence" or greater consultations usually leads to procedural holds, requests for more information, and even the occasional outright blocks on listings requested by India.

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Practically, the combined presence of Pakistans active engagement and Chinas veto power presents a tough procedural obstacle for India. The procedure requires consent or, at least, no objection by all Committee members. As past listings indicate, Chinas eagerness to exercise its vetousually at Pakistans requestand Pakistans aggressive diplomatic activity result in Indian initiatives being put on hold, subjected to repeated technical holds, and even rejected until the composition of the Council or political calculations shift.

This highlights why, despite US support and a more robust evidence-based case after TRFs designation in Washington, India has a diplomatic uphill battle to get the 1267 listing as long as Pakistan and China hold seats of power in the UNSC.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:06 IST

News india India Started Work Within 3 Days Of Pahalgam: How New Delhi Got Terror Tag For Pakistans TRF
Supreme Court Suspects 'Collusion' In Disappearance Of Russian Woman Amid Childs Custody Case

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 20:54 IST

Delhi Police on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the Russian mother, pitted in a custody battle of her child, has not left the country, at least through legal means.

The Supreme Court of India (File)

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over the mysterious disappearance of a Russian woman and her child amid an ongoing custody battle with her estranged Indian husband and suggested the possibility of collusion" in her disappearance.

Victoria Basu, a Russian mother has allegedly absconded along with her five-year-old son amid the ongoing custody battle with her estranged husband, Saikat Basu. The mother-son duo has been missing since July 7. Saikat has alleged that Victoria wasnt complying with the courts order of custody of the minor.

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Hearing the petition filed by Saikat, the top court directed senior Delhi Police officials to immediately trace a child and asked the Centre to issue a look out notice with regard to the woman and the minor to ensure she did not leave the country.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the police to also probe the alleged association of the Russian embassy officials with the woman and whether they helped her in moving out of the country on a different passport, news agency PTI reported.

The bench, while flagging several issues, directed the authorities to immediately inquire with the Railway officials and other means of public transport to trace any moment of the missing woman and the child.

The top court directed the authorities to seize her passport and inform all international airports and other ports within India, and the immigration authorities to ensure they did not leave the country.

What Police Told The Top Court?

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the Russian mother has not left the country, at least through legal means.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for Delhi police, said the Russian embassy was cooperating with the investigation and informed that the woman came to its consular section on July 5 and left the embassy in an hour.

We have issued Look Out Circular against the woman and her child and issued hue and cry notices across all police stations of the country. From the information we received from all international airports and ports, we can say she has not left the country with the child at least through legal means," Bhati said as quoted by news agency PTI.

She also mentioned that the womans last known financial transaction was on July 6 of Rs 250 and she has now only Rs 160 in her bank account.

The bench said, "This is a very precarious situation that she has just Rs 160 in her bank account. How is she sustaining herself and the child? The husband is not paying anything to her and even the court has not given anything to her."

Bhati further said the Russian ambassador to India had informed them that on July 10, the womans mother had called from Russia to say that she could not be traced or contacted and thereafter they had informed Delhi Police.

She said all necessary actions were being taken to trace the child and the mother and notices have been sent to all superintendent of police across the country.

"She may have travelled domestically but not left the country through legal means," she added.

In its latest affidavit, Delhi Police said it has issued appropriate directions as per the courts July 17 order. Police visited the womans last known rented address on May 22 and have since deployed personnel at key locations in and around the Defence Colony area.

Authorities have also reached out to Instagram and Gmail seeking access to her digital activity, the court was told.

Listing the matter on Monday, the bench further asked the authorities to see if the petitioner is still in national capital region, or has left it, by reaching out to authorities in railways and other modes of transport.

Whats The Case?

The case concerns Victoria Basu, a Russian citizen married to Saikat Basu, an Indian national. The couple shares a five-year-old son.

The top court on May 22, 2025 directed that the exclusive custody of the child was given to the mother for three days in a week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and for the remaining days, the child was directed to remain in the exclusive custody of his father.

The mother of the child is a Russian citizen, who has been residing in India since 2019, initially coming to India on an X-1 Visa, which expired subsequently.

However, during the pendency of the court proceedings, the top court directed the extension of the visa from time to time.

Meanwhile, Saikat has alleged that his estranged wife, with divorce proceedings pending before a family court in Delhis Saket, was seen earlier this month entering the Russian embassy in Delhi through the back gate, carrying luggage. He also claimed she was accompanied by an embassy official.

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He told the court he feared Victoria and the child may have since fled India.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 20:54 IST

News india Supreme Court Suspects 'Collusion' In Disappearance Of Russian Woman Amid Childs Custody Case
'Swift Action': Passenger Shares How Mumbai Airport's Medical Team Saved Him After Cardiac Arrest

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 18:38 IST

On Doctor's Day, Mumbai airport's medical team saved a 57-year-old passenger from cardiac arrest. Medical practioners assisted him with CPR and AED shocks.

Passenger Shares How Mumbai Airport's Medical Team Saved Him After Cardiac Arrest

Mumbai airport on Friday shared an incident of swift action taken by its medical team to save a passenger from a cardiac arrest. The incident occurred on Doctors Day i.e. July 1 near the check-in counter at Terminal 1. The passenger was saved by immediate CPR and two AED shocks.

57-year-old passenger shared his experience and the video was shared by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, (Mumbai airport) on its social media platforms. As per the incident narrated by the patient, Paramedic Komal Sonawane and Dr. Shalini Soundar Pandian gave a professional response and rescued him from the situation.

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Mumbai airport posted a video on X and stated, Hear it from our passenger, revived at Terminal 1 after a sudden cardiac arrest, a moment where swift action made all the difference. With a timely response from Paramedic Komal Sonawane and Dr. Shalini Soundar Pandian, #MumbaiAirport became more than just a gateway, it became a place of care, courage, and life-saving impact."

Hear it from our passenger, revived at Terminal 1 after a sudden cardiac arrest, a moment where swift action made all the difference.With a timely response from Paramedic Komal Sonawane and Dr Shalini Soundar Pandian, #MumbaiAirport became more than just a gateway, it became a pic.twitter.com/pBR8X5cbOe  Mumbai Airport (@CSMIA_Official) July 18, 2025

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Sharing the tribute of Doctors Day, Mumbai Airport issued a statement on July 18 and praised the two medical professionals. At Terminal 1, a passenger suffered a sudden cardiac arrest near the check-in counter. Without missing a beat, our Medical Team sprang into action. Paramedic Komal Sonawane and Dr. Shalini Soundar Pandian administered immediate CPR and two AED shocks, successfully reviving the individual, restoring both heartbeat and consciousness," the statement reads.

Thanks to the swift and professional response, the passenger was stabilised and safely transferred to a nearby hospital in our Airport Advanced Life Support Ambulance. Our sincere appreciation to Paramedic Komal Sonawane and Dr. Shalini Soundar Pandian, dedicated members of the medical team at CSMIA, and true guardians of life when it mattered most," it added.

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:35 IST

News india 'Swift Action': Passenger Shares How Mumbai Airport's Medical Team Saved Him After Cardiac Arrest
US Designation To Disrupt TRF's Terror Operations, Boost Indian Forces' Morale: Sources | Exclusive

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:41 IST

Indian agencies now have a stronger footing to request international cooperation, including extradition of TRF operatives.

US's move is a crucial step in dismantling the support ecosystem for terrorism in Kashmir. (Reuters File Image)

In a major diplomatic and counter-terror breakthrough, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organisation  marking a significant moment in Indias effort to expose and counter Pakistan-backed terror networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir. According to top intelligence sources, the move is a big morale boost for Indian security forces and a clear message to Pakistan: that its strategy of launching attacks through rebranded proxy groups will no longer escape international scrutiny.

The TRF, which emerged in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, has long been suspected of being a shadow outfit of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), created to mask its Pakistan-based leadership and give an impression of indigenous resistance in Kashmir. With the US officially identifying TRF as an LeT-linked entity, Indian claims of cross-border sponsorship now stand internationally validated.

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The US action shows growing recognition of how these groups exploit the border and radicalise Indian youth under false narratives," said intelligence sources. The designation is expected to disrupt TRFs operations, making it harder for the group to mobilise funds, recruit local operatives, and maintain legitimacy among vulnerable populations.

This is also a crucial step in dismantling the support ecosystem for terrorism in Kashmir. Indian agencies now have a stronger footing to request international cooperation, including extradition of TRF operatives and action against those coordinating attacks from safe havens across the border. It supports Indias long-standing position that Kashmirs terror problem is externally driven and cannot be resolved without international accountability.

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By acknowledging TRFs operational links to Lashkar, and by extension to global jihadist entities like al-Qaeda and ISIS, the designation allows global counter-terror frameworks to target these networks more effectively.

This move is not just tactical; its strategic," intelligence sources said, adding, It empowers Indian law enforcement and intelligence agencies to act with greater global support and legitimacy. Its also a signal that terrorism in Kashmir is no longer seen through a local lens but as part of a broader, global threat."

About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:41 IST

News india US Designation To Disrupt TRF's Terror Operations, Boost Indian Forces' Morale: Sources | Exclusive
What TRFs Terror Tag Means For Indias Push To Put Pakistan Back On FATF Grey List

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:44 IST

Sources say the government has written yet another letter to FATF to consider India's demand to put Pakistan on the grey list for its involvement in terror activities

the FATF grey list is a warning to the countries to take corrective measures. (AP)

The United States acknowledgment of The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be the mastermind behind the Pulwama terror act, as a global terror organisation is a huge shot in the arm for Indian efforts to ensure that Pakistan is placed on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Sources say that the government has written yet another letter to FATF to consider this demand from India. Pakistan was delisted in 2022 and India has been making the case that the funds and aid which Pakistan gets from global financial institutions are used for terror.

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In fact, recently, an interim report of the FATF had issued a statement condemning terror acts, which is considered to be rare. The reason, it is believed, is because the international community has felt the severity of the attack and spotlights that such attacks will not go unpunished.

Being put on the grey list means the country cannot control money-laundering and terror-financing operations and is put under increased monitoring by FATF, an inter-governmental body. It restricts access to the international trade and financial system. The country can face difficulty in getting loans from multilateral organisations like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Being on the FATF grey list is a warning to the countries to take corrective measures, failing which they will be moved to the stringent FATF Black List.

A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

FATF meeting in September-October

The FATF meeting is expected to take place now in September-October. The government has sent many letters and also reached out to make the point that the funds and aid given in good faith" are being misused by Pakistan. The money meant for the welfare and upliftment of the Pakistani people is not being used for the cause. Instead, the funds are diverted to fund terror organisations, and which is something the world needs to wake up to.

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What India has also said is that there is evidence to show that Pakistans connection to terror acts is like a thread which strings many global terrorist organizations like Hamas. Therefore, it is in the interest of global powers like the US to ensure that Pakistan is put in the grey list.

India has been reaching out to FATF members like Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Denmark through backdoor to push its case. With the US now putting the terror label, India has hope.

About the Author Pallavi Ghosh Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als... Read More Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 14:33 IST

News india What TRFs Terror Tag Means For Indias Push To Put Pakistan Back On FATF Grey List
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Chinese national appeared before the Harare Regional Magistrates Court on Thursday facing allegations of defrauding a client of US$322,381 under the pretext of supplying minerals and securing an export licence.Xiang Jun (40), who is facing fraud charges, was granted bail by Regional Magistrate Donald Ndirowei and is expected to return to court on August 20, 2025.According to court submissions by Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the alleged offence occurred in June 2024, when Xiang is said to have misrepresented to the complainant - whose identity has been withheld - that he could procure chrome, antimony, and copper, and also facilitate an export licence for the complainant's benefit.Trusting these representations, the complainant paid US$322,381 to Xiang, who subsequently signed an acknowledgement of receipt. This signed document is expected to be presented as evidence when the trial proceeds.A witness to the transaction, Li Yuchun, was reportedly present when the payment was made and is expected to testify against Xiang.However, after receiving the funds, Xiang allegedly became evasive and failed to deliver either the promised minerals or the export licence, prompting the complainant to report the matter to the authorities.As it stands, the complainant has suffered a financial loss of US$322,381, with no recovery of funds to date.The case highlights growing concerns over fraudulent mineral transactions in Zimbabwe's mining sector, where individuals exploit opportunities to defraud unsuspecting investors under the guise of facilitating mineral deals and export permits.
Want To Be Part Of: Husband Of Russian Woman, Who Lived In Gokarna Cave, Seeks Access To Kids

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:35 IST

Dror Goldstein, an Israeli businessman, is seeking joint custody of his daughters after his partner Nina Kutina was found living in a Karnataka cave with their children.

Russian woman, Nina Kutina, in India: Israeli man opens up about relationship with her (Images: PTI, ANI)

Dror Goldstein, an Israeli businessman and partner of Nina Kutina, claimed that hes been denied access to their daughters after Kutina was found living in a Karnataka cave with their children.

The father of the two children surfaced and spoke out about his battle for joint custody, days after Russian national Nina Kutina and her two daughters were found living in a cave in Gokarna.

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According to a report of the Indian Express, citing a police complaint filed in Goa, the Israeli man and Nina Kutina had two girls  one was born in June 2018 in Ukraine and the other in May 2020 in Goa, India.

Goldstein reportedly continued to financially support Nina Kutina and their daughters despite growing apart. He allegedly started to distance himself from Kutina due to her verbal abuse" toward him.

I slowly started cutting off my contact with her due to her behaviour towards me. I felt as if I was used only for money purposes," he added.

He stated that he regularly visited Goa to spend time with Nina and their daughters. However, Nina began avoiding him and would disappear for days without informing him."

I tried to approach her and our daughters and made multiple attempts, but she never permitted me to meet them," he was quoted as saying.

He told police that after Ninas son passed away, he tried to support her and their daughters by booking a hotel room in Panaji. However, Nina allegedly prevented him from seeing the children during that time

He also alleged that Nina would brainwash" the children, asking the girls to stay away from him.

In his police complaint, the Israeli man stated that he was taking this step due to his concern for their health and emotional well-being.

They are not allowed to socialise and are kept in a closed group I want to be a part of my daughters lives and provide for them financially and emotionally," the complaint said, as per the Indian Express.

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A Russian woman, Nina Kutina, and her two daughters were discovered living in a cave in Karnatakas Ramatirtha hills on July 11. They had reportedly been residing there for about three weeks. Local villagers discovered them and alerted the authorities, which led to their rescue. The children are now in a safe home, and their father, Dror Goldstein, is seeking custody.

Nina, 40, told police she overstayed her business visa due to complicated reasons." Her visa expired in 2017, and she had left for Nepal with an exit permit before returning to India. However, in 2018, she returned to India and was reportedly residing in Goa before relocating to Karnataka.

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Location : Karnataka, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:35 IST

News india Want To Be Part Of: Husband Of Russian Woman, Who Lived In Gokarna Cave, Seeks Access To Kids
What Companies Should Not Say In A Relieving Letter  Lessons From The Wipro Case

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:11 IST

When a company like Wipro, which has access to legal counsel, can falter, employers should know a relieving letter is not the place for venting grievances or casting aspersions

While Wipro had every right to terminate the employee under contractual terms, the Delhi High Court took issue with the manner and tone of the communication.

A relieving letter is more than just a formality  its a crucial document that carries weight in an employees career. In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court recently held that Wipro defamed a former employee by using harsh and unsubstantiated language in their termination communication.

As a penalty, the court ordered Wipro to pay Rs 2 lakh in damages and reissue a clean, non-defamatory relieving letter. So, what went wrong  and what should companies never include in a relieving or termination letter?

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What Was Wipros Case?

Wipro, one of Indias biggest IT firms, landed in legal trouble after the Delhi High Court found its termination letter to a former principal consultant defamatory. The letter allegedly stated that the employee had engaged in malicious conduct" and caused an irreparable breakdown in trust."

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled that such language  especially without proof or due process  was unnecessarily stigmatic and harmful to the employees professional reputation. While Wipro had every right to terminate the employee under contractual terms, the court took issue with the manner and tone of the communication, which it said amounted to character assassination.

Why It Matters: The Doctrine of Compelled Self-Publication

The courts judgment stressed on the doctrine of compelled self-publication." Simply put, when an ex-employee is required to share a termination or relieving letter with future employers, any defamatory language it contains effectively continues to circulate  even if the employee didnt want to broadcast it. This makes the company legally accountable for damages caused by such involuntary repetition of defamatory content.

What a Relieving Letter Should Not Include

Companies must remember that a relieving letter is not the place for venting grievances or casting aspersions. It should not contain:

Character Judgments: Phrases like malicious intent," untrustworthy," or poor conduct" are highly problematic unless proven through a formal disciplinary process.

Phrases like malicious intent," untrustworthy," or poor conduct" are highly problematic unless proven through a formal disciplinary process. Speculative Claims: Allegations of misconduct or behavioural issues that are not backed by documented investigations can be construed as defamatory.

Allegations of misconduct or behavioural issues that are not backed by documented investigations can be construed as defamatory. Emotionally Charged Language: Even if the employment ended on a sour note, the tone of the letter must remain neutral and factual.

Even if the employment ended on a sour note, the tone of the letter must remain neutral and factual. Unilateral Narratives: Painting an employee as solely responsible for a breakdown in working relationships, without offering them a chance to explain or defend themselves, can violate principles of natural justice.

What Employers Should Instead Focus On

A clean and risk-free relieving letter should include only verified information, such as:

The employees name and designation

Period of employment

Last working day

Confirmation that responsibilities were handed over, if applicable

Acceptance of resignation or confirmation of termination  with no additional remarks unless mandated by policy or law

If misconduct or disciplinary issues must be recorded, they should be handled in a separate, confidential disciplinary memo  not in a relieving letter that may be shared widely.

Poor Wording Can Have Consequences

The Wipro case shows that even a well-resourced company with access to legal counsel can falter in this regard. The Rs 2 lakh penalty may seem modest, but the reputational cost of being publicly pulled up by the Delhi High Court is far higher.

Moreover, in todays highly connected job market, a single line of defamation in a letter can derail an employees next opportunity. With courts increasingly willing to award compensation for such reputational harm, companies must think twice before including any subjective commentary in exit documents.

A Wake-Up Call for HR and Leadership Teams

This ruling serves as a reminder that HR departments and leadership teams must treat all exit communications  not just termination letters  with care. Legal vetting of such documents, especially in cases of contentious exits, is now a must.

Internal policy should require that no value-laden language or judgmental statements be included unless there has been due process, documentation, and the employee has been given a right to respond. Most importantly, corporate teams should ask: Would I want this letter shown to my own future employer?"

What should be noted that employees part ways with organisations for many reasons. And companies owe it to themselves and the outgoing employee to handle the exit process with professionalism, dignity, and factual integrity.

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A poorly worded letter can do real damage  not just to the employees career, but to the companys own image as a fair and responsible employer. The Delhi High Courts Wipro verdict highlights that ending a work relationship does not mean ending mutual respect.

About the Author Shilpy Bisht Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev... Read More Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:11 IST

News india What Companies Should Not Say In A Relieving Letter  Lessons From The Wipro Case
'Whatever We Want...': Hindu Outfit Shuts KFC, Nazeer Outlets In Ghaziabad During Sawan

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 20:17 IST

A right-wing Hindu group allegedly shut down a KFC in Ghaziabad, protesting meat sales during Sawan and Kanwar Yatra. Police intervened, dispersed them, and filed a case.

Hindu Outfit Shuts KFC, Nazeer Outlets In Ghaziabad During Sawan

Members of a self declared Hindu outfit group on Friday forcibly shut down food outlets like KFC and Nazeer food in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad. As per the police, Members of the Hindu Raksha Dal were protesting against the sale of meat during the holy month of Sawan and Kanwar Yatra. According to police, the alleged incident occurred in the Vasundhara area under the Indirapuram police station limits on Thursday.

A purported video of the incident is being circulated on social media on Friday. The video shows the group chanting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Shri Ram as they confronted the restaurant staff before forcibly pulling down the shutters. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav shared the video of the incident and asked who bought KFC?"

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Sources indicate that despite there being no official ban on the sale of non-vegetarian food items in the region during Sawan, the group moved to halt operations at the fast-food outlet.

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One of the protestors was quoted by NDTV stating that the sentiments of the Hindus must be respected and how can people sell meat where Kanwar yatras are being held. One of the protestors allegedly said, this is Hindustan and whatever Hindus want will happen here.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abhishek Srivastav was quoted by PTI as saying, An incident came to our notice on July 17 where some individuals created a ruckus at a food outlet and tried to close it down. Police immediately reached the spot, dispersed them, and ensured the smooth operation of the food outlet." He added, Taking cognisance of the said incident, a case has already been registered at the Indirapuram police station in connection with the incident. All these individuals are being identified, and further action will be taken based on facts."

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Location : Ghaziabad, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 20:14 IST

News india 'Whatever We Want...': Hindu Outfit Shuts KFC, Nazeer Outlets In Ghaziabad During Sawan
When Sher Will Roar: Fully Indigenised AK-203 Rifles Set To Arm Indian Army

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 20:39 IST

The Army will have a total of 70,000 AK-203 rifles in its arsenal by the end of this year. Currently, the rifles produced at the IRRPL Amethi facility are 50% indigenous

The Indian Army has already received 48,000 units and is set to receive an additional 7,000 rifles by August 15. With further deliveries planned, the Army will have a total of 70,000 AK-203 rifles in its arsenal by the end of this year. File image/ANI

The joint production of AK-203 rifles at the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, is set to achieve 100% indigenisation by the end of 2025. Once fully indigenised, the rifle will be named Sher". The Indian Army has already received 48,000 units and is set to receive an additional 7,000 rifles by August 15. With further deliveries planned, the Army will have a total of 70,000 AK-203 rifles in its arsenal by the end of this year.

Currently, the rifles produced at the IRRPL Amethi facility are 50% indigenous. The transfer of technology was completed in 2024. The contract signed between IRRPL and the Ministry of Defence mandates the production of 6,01,427 AK-203 assault rifles over 10 years. The first two years were dedicated to technology absorption. After 2025, we expect to produce 70,000 rifles annually," said Maj Gen SK Sharma, CMD, IRRPL.

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The AK-203 assault rifle, chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge, combines the legendary durability of the AK platform with advanced upgrades to dominate modern combat environments. It offers versatile firing modes, switching between automatic fire (700 rounds per minute) for sustained engagements and single-shot precision for controlled targeting. The rifle features a folding buttstock, an ergonomic foregrip, and a tactical three-point sling for enhanced mobility. Additionally, it is equipped with full-length Picatinny rails and under-barrel grenade launchers, transforming it into a mission-specific weapon system.

The AK-203 can engage targets up to 800 metres, with a battle sight range of 350 metres. It boasts a 30-round high-capacity magazine for sustained firepower and a lightweight design, weighing just 3.6 kg.

The rifles have performed flawlessly in service, with no reported issues. IRRPL officials attribute this reliability to rigorous design, quality control, and testing at the Amethi facility. Each rifle undergoes evaluation based on over 120 parameters and is tested with 63 rounds at the facilitys range.

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Maj Gen Sharma stated, We are committed to completing deliveries by 2032, but I am confident we will achieve this by 2030. Several other services and forces have approached us for these rifles, and we have received requests from multiple countries. We will evaluate these requests and plan to supply rifles to nations friendly to both Russia and India."

Currently, the AK-203 is deployed with jawans stationed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC). Defence experts predict that, given its performance and production capacity, the AK-203 will soon become the frontline weapon for Indian troops.

About the Author Akash Sharma Akash Sharma, Defence Correspondent, CNN-News 18, covers the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways. In addition, he also follows developments in the national capital. With an extensive experience coverin... Read More Akash Sharma, Defence Correspondent, CNN-News 18, covers the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways. In addition, he also follows developments in the national capital. With an extensive experience coverin... Read More

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Location : Amethi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 20:17 IST

News india When Sher Will Roar: Fully Indigenised AK-203 Rifles Set To Arm Indian Army
Zero Tolerance For Terrorism: Jaishankar Hails TRF Ban, Rubio Backs Trumps Call For Justice

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 09:58 IST

Termed as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, TRF has been actively involved in orchestrating terror operations, including the April 22 attack on civilians in Pahalgam.

Designating TRF as Foreign Terrorist Organisation carries significant legal ramifications, including stringent financial sanctions. (AP Image)

In a breakthrough in India-US counter-terrorism cooperation, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Welcoming the move, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X: A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism."

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A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Gloabl Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing the designation, said, Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) These actions demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack."

The MEA, too, welcomed the designation, stating: The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard."

Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) July 17, 2025

The statement reiterated that TRF, a known front for LeT, was responsible for the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed, and had even claimed responsibility twice.

The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism," the statement added, reaffirming Indias commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.

The US designation imposes significant legal and financial penalties on TRF and its associates, including asset freezes, sanctions, and immigration restrictions. It marks one of the most robust international actions against the group, which has also been implicated in attacks on Indian security forces in recent years.

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Indias successful diplomatic push involved a coordinated, multi-tiered approach. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held crucial meetings in Washington, a cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor engaged in high-level outreach, and Jaishankar used the Quad Summit platform to press the issue directly with Rubio. India also briefed the UN Security Council on TRFs role in the Pahalgam attack to build international consensus.

With this designation, TRF now joins the ranks of ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and other global terror groups. It also gives India a stronger footing in its efforts at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to expose and isolate state-sponsored terrorism emerging from across the border.

About the Author Abhro Banerjee Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:37 IST

News india Zero Tolerance For Terrorism: Jaishankar Hails TRF Ban, Rubio Backs Trumps Call For Justice
Donald Trump Diagnosed With Chronic Venous Insufficiency; Should You Be Concerned Too?

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:04 IST

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when the veins in your legs lose its ability to send blood back to the heart. This leads to swelling as blood pools in the legs.

CVI is manageable with lifestyle changes and compression therapy. (AFP file photo)

U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)  a vascular condition that impairs blood flow in the legs  after he reportedly noticed unusual swelling in his lower limbs. According to an official health update from his physician, detailed diagnostic tests ruled out more serious concerns such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

A statement released by the White House said Donald Trump, who is 78, underwent vascular imaging and Doppler ultrasound scans, which confirmed the presence of CVI. Doctors emphasised that the condition is common among older adults, especially those over the age of 70, and is generally considered non-life-threatening when properly managed.

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What Exactly Is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when the veins in your legs lose their ability to efficiently send blood back to the heart. This causes blood to pool in the lower extremities, leading to swelling, discomfort, and in some cases, visible changes in the skin.

The human leg contains three main types of veins:

Deep veins, located within the muscles

Superficial veins, found near the skins surface

Perforating veins, which connect the deep and superficial systems

When valves within these veins become weakened or damaged, due to age, genetics, or underlying health issues, they may not close properly, causing blood to flow backwards and collect in the legs.

What Are The Potential Complications of Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

While CVI often starts with mild symptoms, experts warn that, if left untreated, it can escalate and significantly impact quality of life.

If vein pressure becomes too high, tiny blood vessels near the skin can rupture, leading to:

Red or brown skin discolouration

Open sores, also known as venous ulcers

Tissue inflammation and long-term damage

Infections like cellulitis, which may spread if not addressed quickly

In severe cases, CVI may result in persistent swelling (oedema) and scar tissue buildup that traps fluid in surrounding tissues, making healing even more difficult.

What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

Common signs of chronic venous insufficiency include:

Heaviness or aching in the legs

Leg cramps, especially at night

Swelling around the ankles

Itchy, flaky, or leathery skin

Varicose veins

Skin discolouration (reddish-brown tone)

Sores or ulcers on the legs

A burning or tingling sensation

What Causes Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

Doctors classify CVI causes into three categories:

Congenital: Youre born with abnormal or malformed leg veins.

Youre born with abnormal or malformed leg veins. Primary: Veins become weak or stretched due to ageing or prolonged standing.

Veins become weak or stretched due to ageing or prolonged standing. Secondary: Often triggered by past deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or vein damage due to trauma or surgery.

Can Chronic Venous Insufficiency Be Managed?

While CVI is a chronic condition, lifestyle changes, compression therapy, and in some cases, minimally invasive procedures can help manage symptoms and prevent complications.

Doctors often recommend:

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Wearing compression stockings

Elevating the legs

Staying physically active

Avoiding long periods of sitting or standing

In more advanced cases, sclerotherapy, laser therapy, or surgical vein repair may be considered.

fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture  with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 09:42 IST

News lifestyle  health-and-fitness Donald Trump Diagnosed With Chronic Venous Insufficiency; Should You Be Concerned Too?
Malaika Aroras Latest Workout Is Anything But Ordinary; Heres What Stick Yoga Is

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:21 IST

Malaika Arora's latest workout buddy is a yoga stick. Check out how performing yoga with a stick can be a game changer in your fitness routine.

Stick yoga enhances posture, flexibility, and balance.

Staying committed to her dedication towards fitness, Malaika Arora recently took to her social media to share a sneak peek into her yoga routine. Unlike her usual routines, this workout came with a twist. The actor used a stick as her fitness companion and took her exercise to a whole new level. She used the yoga stick to add some resistance and increase the intensity of her exercises.

Taking to her Instagram, Malaika Arora shared a video of her stick yoga routine. She wrote, Todays episode of Move with Malaika, were practicing Stick Yoga. Moving with a yoga stick requires conscious awareness of body position and movement in space. It is also a popular choice for those looking to improve posture, flexibility, balance & deepen their stretches." The video showed Malaika starting the routine with some stretches that were followed by some more advanced yoga asanas.

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Take a look at the video here.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by DIVA YOGA (@thedivayoga)

What Is Stick Yoga?

Stick Yoga, also known as Danda Yoga or Yoga with a Stick, is a lesser-known yet highly effective form of yoga that uses a wooden stick (danda) as a prop to improve posture, alignment, flexibility, and balance. The stick is typically around shoulder height and helps guide movements and support the body during stretches and asanas.

What Are The Benefits of Stick Yoga?

Improves Posture & Alignment

Enhances Flexibility

Increases Balance & Stability

Strengthens Core & Muscles

Improves Mobility

Builds Mind-Body Connection

What Do You Need For Stick Yoga?

A smooth wooden stick or rod, about shoulder height (approx. 3 to 4 feet long)

Comfortable, breathable clothing

Yoga mat (optional, for added comfort)

Things to Keep in Mind When Performing Stick Yoga

1. Choose the Right Stick  Use a lightweight but sturdy stick, ideally made of wood or bamboo. Avoid metal or heavy poles.

2. Start Gently  Avoid forcing your body into deep stretches. Let the stick guide you gradually.

3. Listen to Your Body  If you feel pain or excessive strain, ease out of the posture immediately.

4. Keep Your Movements Controlled  Dont rush. Slow, intentional movements help build strength and awareness.

5. Warm-Up Before You Begin  Engage in a few minutes of joint rotation and breathing exercises before starting.

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6. Avoid If Injured  Consult a doctor or physiotherapist if you have recent injuries, especially in the shoulders, back, or knees.

7. Practice Barefoot  Helps with grounding and balance during standing poses.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:21 IST

News lifestyle  health-and-fitness Malaika Aroras Latest Workout Is Anything But Ordinary; Heres What Stick Yoga Is
The Hassan Trigger: When Panic Led To Heart Check Ups in Kids

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 10:08 IST

Heart attacks in children are not the norm, and most children dying suddenly are not dying of adult-style heart attacks. But the heart can still be vulnerable and sometimes silent.

From Routine to Red Alert: Hassans Health Scare Hits Schools (Representative Image)

In the past week, schools across Karnataka have turned into makeshift medical camps. Health department teams have screened over 56,000 students from 1,185 schools, uncovering signs of heart-related issues in 112 children, all referred for further tests.

The sudden urgency? A string of recent cardiac-related deaths, including six drivers in Karnataka. To add to this, the tragic death of nine-year-old Prachi Kumawat in Rajasthan, who collapsed during lunch break at her school in Sikar sent shock waves. Doctors suspect heart attack to be the cause of the childs death.

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The news sent a ripple of anxiety through schools, whatsApp groups, and parenting circles. Could kids really be having heart attacks? The answer, say cardiologists, is complex and often misunderstood.

What the Experts Say: Not a Surge, Just More Spotlight

True heart attacks in children are very rare," says Dr. Manjunath C N, senior consultant cardiologist and former director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru. Whats often labelled as cardiac arrest is typically the final stage of another underlying illness."

He offers the example of severe dengue, where multi-organ failure can culminate in the heart stopping, not because the heart was the original problem, but because its the last organ to shut down. In many such cases, cardiac arrest becomes the final event, leading to misinterpretation.

What Is Actually Common in Kids

Most heart conditions in children fall into two categories  congenital (present from birth) and acquired (developed later due to infections or other causes).

In 201617, Dr. Manjunaths team screened 3,950 children in various schools of Bengaluru Rural district. Only 35 cases had actual heart abnormalities, almost all congenital. Thats less than 1%. Among the rare conditions found were:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1 in 500 children)

Kawasaki disease, a rare post-infection condition involving red eyes, lymph node swelling, and inflammation of heart vessels (1 in 10 lakh children)

Sudden Cardiac Deaths: When the Hearts Circuit Misfires

Still, sudden cardiac deaths in children, while rare are medically known and very real. These can occur when the hearts electrical system misfires, causing it to beat at dangerously high rates (300400 beats per minute), leading to an abrupt collapse.

In some fortunate cases, children faint and are rushed to hospital in time. But in many others, it ends within minutes," explains Dr. Bharath A P, consultant pediatric cardiologist at Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru.

He adds that palpitations, the sensation of feeling your own heartbeat at rest should never be ignored in children. It may be the only warning sign before something serious."

What Parents Should Actually Look For

Rather than panic over rare incidents, doctors advise parents to stay alert to the following early signs of heart issues, especially in young children and infants:

Frequent respiratory infections

Poor weight gain or growth delays

Fatigue during simple activities

Sweating while feeding in infants

Persistent cough or fevers

Palpitations or fainting

If any of these symptoms occur regularly, a routine check-up, especially with an ECG, can offer vital early clues.

Why Were Hearing More Now

So, why does it feel like heart problems in children are suddenly rising"? Dr. Bharath points to increased awareness, not a statistical explosion.

Earlier, many of these issues went undiagnosed. Now, with more parents, schools, and doctors aware, were identifying more cases and acting earlier," he explains. The result? What seems like a spike is often just better detection.

Government Steps: Screening, CPR, and Early Action

In response to recent deaths and growing public concern, the state health department has launched a broad strategy:

Heart screenings for school students

Health checkups for auto and cab drivers

Mandatory CPR training in schools and colleges

Expansion of the cardiac care scheme to PHCs and CHCs

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also emphasized prevention: Adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, balanced nutrition, enough sleep, and stress management is essential for long-term heart health, even in children."

Be Alert, Not Alarmed

Heart attacks in children are not the norm, and most children dying suddenly are not dying of adult-style heart attacks. But the heart can still be vulnerable and sometimes silent.

The best protection isnt panic, its family history screening, regular checkups, and knowing when something feels off.

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A death like Prachi Kumawats shakes us as it should. But the right response is not fear, but informed vigilance.

In the end, catching a quiet murmur before it becomes a loud tragedy might just be the difference between losing a child too soon and saving one in time.

fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture  with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 10:08 IST

News lifestyle  health-and-fitness The Hassan Trigger: When Panic Led To Heart Check Ups in Kids
Nelson Mandela Day 2025: History, Significance And 10 Quotes That Inspire Change

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Trending Desk

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 07:20 IST

Nelson Mandela, who led a peaceful and resilient protest against the white regime, was a great activist and became South Africa's first democratically elected president.

Nelson Mandela International Day is commended every July 18 in honour of the first Black president of South Africa and world symbol for peace and justice. (AI generated image)

Nelson Mandela International Day honours the remarkable legacy of the South African leader. Mandela, who led a peaceful and resilient protest against the oppressive apartheid regime, was a picture of South Africas brave movement against colour bias and injustice.

He became South Africas first democratically elected president from 1994 to 1999 . Mandelas courageous 27-year jail struggle and journey of upholding human rights, standing up for social justice and equality continue to inspire the world.

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Nelson Mandela International Day: History

In 2009, the United Nations decided to mark July 18 as the Nelson Mandela International Day to celebrate the 67 years of Mandelas public service and unwavering commitment towards establishing freedom, justice and human rights in the rainbow nation that had a history of inhuman racial discrimination against the black Africans.

Mandela, who led a peaceful and resilient protest against the inhumane white narcissistic regime, was a great activist and became South Africas first democratically elected president.

Nelson Mandela International Day 2025: A Message Of Peace

The Nelson Mandela International Day is used as a means to spread the message of peace, reconciliation and equality across the globe.

On 27 April 2009, the 46664 concerts and the Nelson Mandela Foundation invited the global community to join hands in officially establishing a Mandela Day to honour the great politician.

It is not meant as a public holiday in South Africa or anywhere in the world, but a day to remember Mandela and imbibe his qualities through contributions in noble causes for community service, echoing the message: one man can make a difference.

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Nelson Mandela International Day 2025: Quotes

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

It always seems impossible until its done."

Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up."

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others."

To be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do."

Mans goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished."

About the Author Nibandh Vinod Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:20 IST

News lifestyle Nelson Mandela Day 2025: History, Significance And 10 Quotes That Inspire Change
Want To Live In Greece On A Budget? Check Out The Rs 7500 Digital Nomad Visa

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 09:16 IST

Holders of Greece's Digital Nomad Visa can can travel freely across the 29 Schengen countries, making weekend getaways to Italy, Spain, or France a breeze.

Greece's Digital Nomad Visa lets remote workers live and work in Greece for up to 12 months.

Dreaming of typing away on your laptop with the cerulean Aegean Sea as your backdrop? Greece, famed for its sun-drenched islands, ancient ruins, and picture-perfect white-and-blue villages, now offers more than just a vacation. With its Digital Nomad Visa, remote professionals can legally live and work in this Mediterranean haven for up to 12 months.

What is Greeces Digital Nomad Visa All About?

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Launched in 2021, this visa was designed for non-EU/EEA nationals who work remotely: either as freelancers, entrepreneurs, or full-time employees of companies based outside of Greece. Its part of the countrys broader strategy to attract global talent and revitalise local economies by leveraging the remote work boom.

Whether youre sipping coffee in a quiet Athenian cafe or taking Zoom calls with a Santorini sunset in the background, this visa lets you blend productivity with paradise.

Who Can Apply For Greeces Digital Nomad Visa?

To qualify for the Digital Nomad Visa, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

Hold a valid passport

Work remotely for an employer outside Greece, or be self-employed with non-Greek clients

Applicants must have a minimum monthly income of 3,500 (approximately Rs 3.49 lakh). This requirement increases by 20% if youre applying with a spouse or partner, and by an additional 15% for each dependent child included in the application.

Show proof of accommodation in Greece for at least 6 months

Have comprehensive health insurance

Sign a declaration stating you wont seek Greek employment

How to Apply For Greeces Digital Nomad Visa?

1. Apply for a National (D-Type) Visa

Submit your application at a Greek consulate in your home country or country of residence. In certain cases, it may be possible to apply from within Greece.

2. Prepare Your Documents

Passport and two recent passport-size photos

Proof of remote work and income

Clean criminal record certificate

Medical certificate declaring good health

Rental agreement or housing documentation

Health insurance coverage

Signed declaration of intent to work remotely

3. Submit and Pay

Government visa fee: 75 (approximately Rs 7,500)

Resident permit admin fee: 150 (approximately Rs 15,000)

Fees may vary slightly depending on your country or region.

4. Attend an Interview (if requested)

Some consulates may require a short interview before approval.

5. Approval Process

Expect to hear back within 10 working days, though delays can occur.

6. Arrive and Register in Greece

Upon entering the country, visit the local Aliens and Immigration Department to complete your residence permit registration.

Why Choose Greece as Your Remote Work Base?

A Slice of Europe at Lower Costs  Compared to cities like Paris or Berlin, living expenses in Greece (especially outside of tourist-heavy areas) are significantly more affordable.

Unbeatable Climate and Lifestyle  Think mild winters, endless beach days, fresh Mediterranean cuisine, and a slower, more mindful pace of life.

Schengen Access  Holders of the visa can travel freely across the 29 Schengen countries, making weekend getaways to Italy, Spain, or France a breeze.

Bring the Family Along  The visa extends to your spouse and children under 21, with adjusted income requirements.

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Path to Longer Stay  The initial visa is valid for 12 months, with the option to apply for a residence permit and renew for an additional two years if you meet all conditions.

Greeces Digital Nomad Visa offers a golden ticket to anyone craving a year (or more) of history, sunshine, and balance. Whether youre working from the cobblestone alleys of Chania or brainstorming strategy calls in Thessaloniki, its a chance to redefine your workspace.

fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture  with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 09:16 IST

News lifestyle  travel Want To Live In Greece On A Budget? Check Out The Rs 7500 Digital Nomad Visa
News / National

by Staff reporter

The High Court of Zimbabwe is set to hear a highly contested chieftaincy succession case involving the Shana traditional leadership in Whange District, Matabeleland North, amid allegations of historical injustice and colonial-era interference in customary succession processes.According to a court notice, the matter - Case No. HCBC1378/24 - will be heard before Justice Evangelista Kabasa at the High Court in Bulawayo on Thursday, 24 July 2025.The applicant, Elias Nyoni, is representing the Nemananga clan in a challenge against the legitimacy of the Neluswi-Shana chieftaincy, which currently presides over parts of Matetsi and Jambezi.Nyoni is contesting the appointment of Tremendous T.K. Neluswi as Acting Chief Shana, arguing that the chieftaincy was unlawfully taken from the Nemananga lineage through collusion between colonial officials and the Neluswi family during the colonial period.In court documents, Nyoni claims that after the death of Chief Chimbipo Chali Nemananga in 1948, Mkhosana Neluswi, then a messenger in the Nemananga court, used his connections with the colonial Native Commissioner to usurp the chieftaincy. He alleges this manipulation resulted in Neluswi's appointment as headman in 1951 and later elevation to Chief Shana in 1973, all without following proper traditional succession protocols."The purpose of this application is to correct the distorted history of the baNambya people in Matetsi and Jambezi," Nyoni stated in his heads of argument. "There is a dispute between the Nemananga and Neluswi clans over who rightfully holds the chieftaincy in these areas."Nyoni stressed that he is not seeking the chieftaincy for himself but is asking the court to compel the Matabeleland North Provincial Assembly of Chiefs to resolve the long-standing dispute within six months.The application has attracted strong opposition from government officials. In an affidavit opposing the claim, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who is cited as the second respondent, dismissed the Nemananga clan's historical claims, arguing there is no official record of a Chief Nemananga in 1948."There is no evidence in the district file that a Chief Nemananga ever existed. The claim to revive a chieftaincy that never existed is a fallacy," Minister Garwe said. "Even Mkhosana Neluswi was not initially a chief; he was a headman who was later elevated in 1973."Garwe further argued that the Nemananga clan lacks standing in the matter because it is not officially recognised within the existing chieftainship succession framework.Nyoni, however, maintains that the Nemananga chieftaincy dates back to 1903, when the baNambya people were governed by two distinct leaders: Chief Nemananga and Chief Nekatambe. He claims the colonial authorities distorted this traditional structure in the 1950s by demoting chieftainships and installing a Paramount Chief Whange, thereby eroding traditional systems of governance."This legal challenge is not personal. It is about restoring traditional leadership that was unfairly stripped away under colonial rule," Nyoni said.The case is expected to reignite broader debates over colonial-era interference in traditional leadership and the complexities of restoring historical chieftainships in post-colonial Zimbabwe.The High Court's decision is likely to set a significant precedent for how customary leadership disputes rooted in historical grievances are handled in the future.
Weekend Goals: 5 Luxe Retreats Near Mumbai To Embrace The Monsoon Magic

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News18.com

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 14:12 IST

With the monsoon in full swing, check these five luxury resorts near Mumbai that make for a perfect weekend getaway.

Experience nature, adventure, and comfort at these luxurious spaces.

Craving a quick escape from Mumbais daily grind? The monsoon is the perfect time to hit pause and soak in nature at its greenest. From misty hills and serene wellness retreats to luxe stays tucked away in the Western Ghats, these nearby getaways offer just the right mix of adventure, comfort, and calm, all within a few hours drive from the city.

Canary Island Resort, Lonavala

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Tucked away on a private island in the heart of Lonavala, Canary Island Resort offers a one-of-a-kind escape this monsoon. Surrounded by serene lake waters and misty mountains, the resort features spacious cottage stays, perfect for soaking in the rain-kissed views. Enjoy refreshing cocktails at the islands beach bar, indulge in curated dining experiences, or unwind with indoor and outdoor recreation options. Whether youre seeking tranquillity or a touch of adventure, the Canary Island Resort delivers the perfect blend of nature, luxury, and comfort, making it an unforgettable monsoon retreat.

Anchaviyo by Zuper, Palghar

Located just two hours from Mumbai, Anchaviyo by Zuper is Maharashtras most gorgeous riverside retreat. This luxury resort blends experiential hospitality with natures charm, offering uniquely themed rooms and signature experiences that go beyond the ordinary. From riverside dining and scenic views to thrilling adventures and relaxing recreations, every moment here is crafted to delight. Whether youre planning a romantic getaway or a fun-filled family break, Anchaviyo by Zuper promises an unforgettable stay wrapped in luxury, comfort, and lush monsoon vibes.

Tropical Retreat by Zuper, Igatpuri

Just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Mumbai, Tropical Retreat by Zuper is a serene luxury resort nestled in the lush green hills of Igatpuri. This expansive property offers spacious rooms with panoramic views, making it the perfect destination to soak in the monsoon magic. Guests can enjoy a blend of adventure activities, gourmet dining, and rejuvenating leisure experiences, all surrounded by nature at its best.

Discover Resorts, Karjat

Just two hours drive from Mumbai, this resort is surrounded by the lush beauty of the Western Ghats. This resort offers a refreshing escape into nature with modern comforts, stylish accommodations, and curated experiences designed to help you unwind. This monsoon, the resorts much-loved Waterfall Weekends package is a must-try for those craving nature and adventure. Guests can enjoy a scenic four-hour excursion to a nearby waterfall  complete with transportation, a snack box, and monsoon essentials like a towel and raincoat.

Grape County Eco Resort & Spa

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Nestled away in the picturesque hills of Nashik, Grape County is a serene eco-resort promoting luxury while also being sustainable. Located three to four hours from Mumbai, this resort is surrounded by a 300-acre biodiversity park and a 3,000-acre forest reserve. Guests can stay in many forms of accommodation  cosy lakeside condos, panoramic sky rooms, and 36 heavily designed eco-villas; all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring views of mountains, forest, and/or water. The resort has many activities that encourage guests to slow down and enjoy the outdoors, like kayaking, biking, walking in nature, and horseback riding.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 15:00 IST

News lifestyle  travel Weekend Goals: 5 Luxe Retreats Near Mumbai To Embrace The Monsoon Magic
Opinion | How The India-UAE Partnership Is Redefining Global Luxury Real Estate

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 10:42 IST

In 2024 alone, Indians accounted for the largest share of all real estate purchases in Dubai, with nearly half of all prime property buyers being Indian nationals

A general view of Residential Skyscrapers and a beach in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Image: Reuters)

Not long ago, cities such as London, New York, and Singapore were the go-to choices for affluent Indians looking to invest in overseas real estate. But the tide is turning. A 2025 survey by Sothebys International Realty revealed that Dubai has now overtaken London as the top international property destination for Indias ultra-rich. A parallel study from the Dubai Land Department (DLD) showed that interest in overseas real estate among Indias affluent has surged to 22 per cent, up from approximately 10 per cent historically. And even here, Dubai is clearly the frontrunner.

As a real estate developer building in the UAE, I dont see this as just a passing trend; its history in motion. In 2024 alone, Indians accounted for the largest share of all real estate purchases in Dubai, with nearly half of all prime property buyers being Indian nationals. As the UAE positions itself as a global capital for luxury real estate, India is playing a defining role in that rise.

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Cross-Border Investments

One of the key reasons the India-UAE real estate partnership holds such immense promise is that this synergy is a two-way street, built on mutual value and long-term alignment.

The UAE, for instance, offers unparalleled financial depth. Abu Dhabis sovereign wealth funds collectively manage over US$1.7 trillion in assets, ranking them among the worlds largest. Backed by such robust capital, the UAE consistently finances major developments worldwide, including those in India.

$240 million in residential projects across major Indian cities, with a development value exceeding $2.1 billion, have already been invested by leading conglomerates in India and the UAE. Multiple real estate projects across Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Indore, and Mumbai, have begun through collaborations between Indian and Dubai firms. Moreover, with the Indian government permitting 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the hospitality industry, the future looks bright for UAE-based investors seeking opportunities in luxury accommodations and wellness retreats in India.

India, in turn, is the worlds talent powerhouse. With 1.5 million engineers and 15,000 architects produced annually, the country offers a vast, cost-effective workforce with expertise in sustainable urban development. This talent fuels projects across international markets.

At the same time, the UAE has a growing demand for skilled labour, particularly in engineering, architecture, and construction, driven by the scale and pace of its ongoing infrastructure boom. This presents a timely opportunity. As real estate cooperation between the two nations deepens, a bilateral framework for workforce collaboration could be a strategic next step. Streamlining the mobility of certified Indian professionals would help address the UAEs talent gaps while further strengthening integration and trust between both markets.

Impetus From The Regimes

Recognising the scale of Indian investment, both governments are actively encouraging the India-UAE luxury real estate partnership. In April 2025, the Dubai Land Department launched its Real Estate Connect roadshow in New Delhi, reaffirming India as a strategic partner. Policy support has followed suit. The UAEs expanded Golden Visa, zero-tax regime, and flexible residency options have made it a magnet for Indian HNIs. Landmark agreements, such as the 2022 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the 2024 Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), are expected to further ease cross-border investments.

Yet, this is only the beginning. To further coalesce the growing momentum, both nations can take proactive steps to institutionalise and scale this partnership. A dedicated IndiaUAE Real Estate and Infrastructure Forum would help coordinate bilateral investments and streamline large-scale development. Such a forum would help facilitate joint investments in cross-border real estate ventures, REITs, and private capital flows. This can be headquartered within hubs like GIFT City in Ahmedabad, India, and the DIFC in the UAE for maximum impact. These measures would move the partnership from merely promising to truly transformative.

Conclusion

As the saying goes, When the winds of change blow, some build wallsothers build windmills." India and the UAE have chosen to build not just windmills, but entire cities.

As capital flows from the UAE meet Indias deep reservoir of talent and ambition, the two nations are now proactively reshaping the global luxury real estate market. Beyond building world-class skylines, the two nations are redefining where and how global wealth seeks residence, identity, and opportunity.

This alliance, once rooted in oil, trade, and diaspora, may now be laying the foundation for a third pillar in bilateral relations built on the solid foundation provided by luxury real estate synergy. Its no longer just about economic exchange, but about co-creating global landmarks and lifestyle ecosystems that reflect shared values of aspiration, security, and innovation.

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And in doing so, theyre redrawing the map of global luxury, brick by brick, and idea by idea.

The author is Chairman and Founder of BnW Developments, a UAE-based real estate platform with an active Asset Under Management (AUM) of AED 15 billion, focused on luxury development and high-growth urban assets. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 10:42 IST

News opinion Opinion | How The India-UAE Partnership Is Redefining Global Luxury Real Estate
Opinion: Opposition Should Audit Bihars Revision Of Electoral Rolls Before Rejecting It

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 13:37 IST

The Election Commission has already announced its intent to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the nation after completing the exercise in Bihar

The special revision is part of the ECs broader effort to ensure accuracy in the electoral rolls ahead of the elections to be held later this year. File pic/News18

With less than 10 days to go for the conclusion of a behemoth exercise to update electoral rolls ahead of the assembly polls in the politically sensitive state of Bihar, we may just be waiting to see the beginning of a fair poll process.

The Election Commission has already announced its intent to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the nation after completing the exercise in Bihar.

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The intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, meanwhile, has dominated the political and legal discourse ever since it was initiated. It had led to multiple petitions being filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the Commissions authority and the procedures adopted.

On July 10, 2025, the Supreme Court (SC) declined to stay the SIR but advised the poll panel to consider Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents for voter verification. This move was welcomed by Opposition parties, who viewed it as a step towards preventing arbitrary exclusions.

Now media reports suggest that as of July 15, 2025, the Election Commission has covered over 88 per cent of the 7.90 crore registered voters. This amounts to just four lakh short of seven crore voters. With another 10 days to go, there is all the possibility that all the 7.9 crore named in the current roll will be covered.

There are also reports to suggest that close to 13 lakh people whose names appear on the roll are dead and almost double the number permanently shifted out of the state. Publication of a fair voter list would go a long way in re-establishing the credibility of the Election Commission, which has been facing the oppositions fire in the matter.

While the Election Commission has asserted that the SIR is a routine administrative exercise aimed at updating voter lists, Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement and alleged biases in the process. Bihar is not the first instance in the recent past where the Opposition has fired a volley of foul play against the Commission.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Maharashtra Congress had flagged a disproportionate surge in voter additions one crore new voters within months between the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections, claiming this facilitated BJP victories in marginal seats. Gandhi described it as a vote heist" and alleged the EC was silent or complicit".

Earlier this year, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had accused the Commission of deleting 25% of voters in his New Delhi constituency over five years and adding unverified entries. Kejriwal lost the seat. Similar charges were levelled from other seats too. The difference this time, however, is that SIR in Bihar is the first major exercise being undertaken during the tenure of the new Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The earlier controversies belonged to the period when Rajiv Kumar headed the Commission.

Though initiated to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral rolls, involving door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), it ran into resistance from opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress. They alleged that the SIR was being used to selectively disenfranchise voters from specific communities, particularly minorities and marginalised groups.

On the other hand, the Commission has all through maintained that the SIR was a constitutional obligation to ensure free and fair elections. It has repeatedly emphasized that the revision aimed more at including all eligible citizens, whereas excluding ineligible entries, such as duplicates or non-citizens, was part of the process.

For the satisfaction of the Opposition, the Commission has also encouraged political parties to actively participate in the process, including appointing Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to oversee the verification at the grassroots level. In a highly polarised environment, this could be the right step to keep the process transparent and above suspicion.

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The real challenge for SIR is to overcome the impediments created by the possible corrupt functioning of the government officials. Its here that the Opposition can play a more constructive role to keep vigil over the process rather than demand the extermination of the process. Such vigil would in fact help their cadres come out of the state of inertia that they remain in between two polls.

The writer is author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

About the Author Sidharth Mishra Sidharth Mishra is a print media journalist, TV panelist and author with over 25 years of experience. Mishras area of interest is democratic functioning at the grassroots. He has covered every general election... Read More Sidharth Mishra is a print media journalist, TV panelist and author with over 25 years of experience. Mishras area of interest is democratic functioning at the grassroots. He has covered every general election... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:37 IST

News opinion Opinion: Opposition Should Audit Bihars Revision Of Electoral Rolls Before Rejecting It
Opinion | Why Left-Liberals Are Downplaying Violence In Spain

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:25 IST

At the heart of the problem is unwanted and often illegal immigration of Muslims into not just Spain but the entire Europe

Local police officers and Spanish civil guard agents take positions during the disturbances in Torre Pacheco, eastern Spain, Friday, July 12. (AP)

The main purpose of language is communication, but Left-liberals often deploy it to conceal the reality, spread disinformation, and further their agenda. Top items on their agenda are downplaying the unpleasant features of radical Islam and veiling the violence by Muslims, the recent case being violence in Spain, which apparently Muslims perpetrated.

A news agency reported, Violent clashes erupted between far-right groups, local residents and North African migrants in a town in southeastern Spain late on Saturday following an attack on an elderly man by unknown assailants earlier in the week."

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Notice the mention of far-Right groups, local residents and North African migrants." It may look like some neo-Nazi outfitswith whom far-Right is considered synonymousalong with a few parochial churls began the ruckus. Nowhere in the 318-word report are the words Muslims" and Islam" mentioned.

The recent violence was triggered in Torre-Pacheco when the Muslim migrants thrashed an elderly man in the street.

At the heart of the problem is unwanted and often illegal immigration of Muslims into not just Spain but the entire Europe. Along with them come Islamist and jihadist ideas, resulting in violence, the worst being the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the deadliest Muslim attack on European soil. In August 2017, a Muslim drove a van into crowds on Barcelonas busy Las Ramblas, mowing down 13 people; the attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. Hours later, there was a second attack in the southern coastal town of Cambrils, killing a woman.

Over the past several decades, Europe has transformed into a truly multicultural continent. People from across the globebelonging to diverse ethnicities, religions, and nationalitieshave made Europe their home. Among them are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians from non-European countries, and others who, for the most part, integrate peacefully into European societies. They contribute to the economy, respect local laws, and generally coexist without major friction with native populations. Incidents involving these groups clashing with local populations over religious or cultural issues are exceedingly rare.

However, in stark contrast, the experience with overwhelming majorities of Muslim immigrant populations in Europe has been different, and increasingly fraught with tension. From France to Germany, Britain to Sweden, and Italy to Spain, conflicts involving some Muslim communities have frequently made headlines. These tensions range from social friction and cultural disputes to, in some extreme cases, violent acts carried out in the name of religion.

This raises an uncomfortable but important question: why is it that similar issues are not commonly observed with other non-European religious communities?

A key part of the answer lies in the refusal of Islam, as a faith and civilizational system, has faced in reconciling to come to terms with the foundational principles of modernity. Unlike the trajectory followed by other major religions, Islam has seen far less theological or philosophical engagement with Enlightenment-era values such as individual liberty, freedom of expression, secular governance, and tolerance for dissent. These values underpin much of European political and social life, and failure to embrace them can create deep cultural dissonance.

For many Muslims, identity is closely intertwined with religion, often in ways that do not allow for personal interpretation or deviation from traditional norms. This has led to difficulties when adjusting to secular societies where religion is expected to be a private affair and where critical engagement with religious ideasincluding satire or irreverenceis legally protected and culturally embedded.

In extreme instances, this clash has culminated in acts of violence or intimidationsuch as attacks over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad or over perceived blasphemywhich are utterly unacceptable in liberal democracies. In contrast, other communities may find certain cultural elements uncomfortable or offensive but seldom respond with threats or violence.

However, the reluctance to address this issue honestly is not limited to segments within the Muslim community alone. Many intellectuals and commentatorsparticularly on the Leftprefer to avoid uncomfortable truths in the name of cultural sensitivity or fear of being labeled Islamophobic. While compassion and anti-discrimination efforts are noble, a blanket refusal to discuss the ideological roots of recurring social tensions does more harm than good. It enables denial, avoids reform, and alienates moderate Muslims who wish to harmonize their faith with modern values.

It is crucial to understand that this is not an indictment of all Muslims, most of whom live peacefully; it is a call for honest dialogue about the ideological challenges facing Islam in the modern world, and the need for reform within religious thought to embrace pluralism, freedom, and reason.

Only when these issues are acknowledged by both Muslim leaders and their liberal allies can meaningful integration and social harmony be achieved across Europe.

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To begin with, Muslim elites and Left-liberals must stop the abuse of language by taking recourse to phony concepts like Islamophobia. Phony, because the fear of Islam is real, as the victims of the Madrid and London bombings know.

The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:25 IST

News opinion Opinion | Why Left-Liberals Are Downplaying Violence In Spain
Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:04 IST

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7 / 8 Prior to Tuscany, the mother-son duo were seen spending quality time in beautiful Florence. Malaika, as always, looked stunning in her summer ensembles. (Image: Instagram)
5 Things Changed In PM Modi Speeches In Bengal Between 2021 And 2025 For The Better

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:09 IST

The first two election rallies of this season by the BJPs chief campaigner indicate wrinkles have been ironed out, assuming the state BJP has got its act together

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the people of West Bengal are now turning towards the BJP with hope. (Photo: BJP/X)

In 2021, I attended most of the Prime Ministers political rallies in West Bengal as a journalist. I listened to recordings of the few rallies I missed. What was common to them? The Modi euphoria? The Trinamool Congress would call it manufactured. But having witnessed it myself, seeing women sitting in 42 degrees centigrade heat clutching a BJP flag just to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister from 300 metres away, and hearing his surname chanted endlessly, often interrupting his speeches, was surreal. He carried a charisma that no other BJP leader had, exciting both a 23-year-old college student and her 73-year-old grandmother alike.

However, many who have been born and raised in Bengal noticed a disconnect during those election rallies. This disconnect was not due to the speaker but the quality of inputs shared with his team about the state and districts where the rallies took place. After listening to the first two election rallies of this season by the BJPs chief campaigner, it is safe to say those wrinkles have been ironed out, assuming the state BJP has got its act together. Some fundamental and subtle changes in inputs have resulted in communication that appears much more in sync with Bengal, not forced. The election is expected to be seven to eight months away, and much will change in between. Both the BJP and the TMC will deliver excellent examples of communication masterclasses as well as absolute gaffes. Here are five initial takeaways on why Modi in 2025 is way better than Modi in 2021 when it comes to Bengal.

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1. No direct attack on Mamata

One of the biggest mistakes of the BJP in the 2021 campaign was to attack Mamata Banerjee directly. The Didi, O Didi" speeches of the Prime Minister were construed as taunts by a sizeable section of Bengali women, including many fence-sitters for whom it became a decisive factor. Regardless of the corruption charges against the top echelons of the Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjees image continues to remain that of a lady who wears a cheap sari and cheaper slippers. A large section of Bengalis seems to believe she personally remains free from corruption, while many of her colleagues, like Partha Chatterjee, are accused of large-scale scams.

This insight has been the single biggest aid in the Prime Ministers communication strategy change in Bengal, where he has started attacking the TMC instead of Banerjee. With many TMC voters also upset with the state of affairs, this strategy may work for the BJP.

2. Jai Shri Ram to Jai Ma Kali

The last assembly election was all about Lord Ram. This assembly election, the BJP has belatedly shifted gears to make it more suitable for the Bengali ethos by evoking Ma Kali, Chandi, Lord Jagannath, among others. Jai Ma Kali! Jai Ma Durga!" were the initial words of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech in Durgapur on Friday. The shift was clear. Even the invite sent by the Bengal BJP to Durgapur residents for the PMs rally began with Dear Durgapur residents, Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Jai Ma Durga! Jai Ma Kali!"

This shift was seen on the very day Samik Bhattacharya was made the new Bengal BJP president. The stage had a giant Goddess Kali photo at the centre, and he deliberately chose to skip the Jai Shri Ram" slogan.

3. Focus on industry, jobs

Modi focussed on what actually matteredbringing back industry to the state and creating more jobs. West Bengal ranks 4th among Indian states as a source of out-migrants for employment, according to Census data and migration studies based on 2011 figures.

On Friday, PM Modi unveiled Rs 5,400 crore developmental projects in Bengal. Today, the youth of Bengal are forced to leave. They have to go to other states for even smaller jobs. This entire region of Durgapur-Bardhaman-Asansol used to speed up Indias development. But today, instead of new industries, even the old ones are shutting down. Friends, we have to pull Bengal out of this bad phase. Whatever projects started today are symbolic of that. Bengal wants change; Bengal wants development," he said, catering to both the segment entering the job market and their parents, who have a stake in it.

4. Womens security over polarisation

While one should not take the risk of commenting too early in an election, especially in West Bengal, if the first two Modi speeches are any indication, and this trend holds, womens security appears to be the BJPs larger bet this election over polarisation. PM Modi, in both speeches, referred to the Murshidabad riot and the alleged botched-up investigation, but the emphasis on womens security is remarkable and probably deliberate.

The horrific rape and murder at Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital brought the state administration to its knees, and overnight protests across West Bengal, cutting across party lines, became the norm. Another recent gang rape in a law college in Kolkata has revived the memory. Today, while Modi mentioned Murshidabad only briefly, he went to great lengths to express his shock at the lack of womens security in the state. Whether people believe him or not is another matter, but given that Banerjees core vote bank is rural women, it is smart of the BJP to appeal to that crowd rather than to a right-of-centre voter base already on the BJPs side.

5. Better pronunciation

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The Prime Ministers Bengali pronunciation was a matter of discussion in Bengal during the last election. Sometimes his slight mispronunciations would end up meaning something entirely different, which none in the Bengal BJP would communicate to his team to avoid repetition. One has to give credit to the Prime Minister, who holds rallies in different states and woos different crowds by using local dialects. He cannot be expected to know the nuances of each one of them. Here, the local unit of the BJP should have played a crucial role, but they miserably failed.

But this time, his pronunciation is much better. He is using fewer Bengali phrases compared to 2021, which is a good sign. Most importantly, he is not rushing but taking his time to finish, which suggests he has a better grasp of the phrases he will use than last time. In politics, optics and acoustics matter a lot, and Prime Minister Modi knows this better than most Indian politicians of his time.

About the Author Anindya Banerjee Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:11 IST

News politics 5 Things Changed In PM Modi Speeches In Bengal Between 2021 And 2025 For The Better
Arvind Kejriwal-Led AAP Officially Exits INDIA Bloc: Only Till Lok Sabha Polls

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 19:15 IST

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) distanced itself from the INDIA bloc on Friday, saying it is not part of the opposition alliance anymore.

AAP and Congress fought the Lok Sabha elections together. (File)

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially exited the oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on Friday.

Partys senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Friday said that the AAP is not part of the opposition alliance anymore and will also not participate in the alliances meeting scheduled ahead of the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament which will begin on Monday.

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Singh said that the INDIA bloc was formed only for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the party has contested all subsequent assembly polls independently. AAP and Congress had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Delhi under the INDIA bloc. However, the two parties went solo in both the Haryana and Delhi assembly polls.

The AAP has cleared its stand. The INDIA bloc was for the (2024) Lok Sabha polls. We fought the Delhi and Haryana Assembly polls on our own. We are going to fight the Bihar election solo. We fought the bypolls in Punjab and Gujarat all by ourselves. The AAP is not part of the INDIA," the Rajya Sabha MP said as quoted by news agency PTI.

#WATCH | Delhi: AAP MP Sanjay Singh says, We have clarified our position that the INDIA alliance was there till the Lok Sabha elections. As far as the Parliament is concerned, we have always been opposing all the wrong policies of the governmentWe said that officially, the pic.twitter.com/ridne6c1NP ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025

The AAP leader, however, said that the party will maintain strategic alliances with opposition parties within the parliament. He said, On Parliamentary issues, we do take the support of opposition parties such as the TMC and DMK. And so do they take our support. We have always played the role of a strong and powerful opposition and will do so," he added.

Meanwhile, the AAP leader questioned the Congress role in leading the opposition bloc.

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It is not childs play. Did they hold any meeting after the Lok Sabha polls? Was there any initiative to expand the INDIA bloc? Sometimes they criticise Akhilesh Yadav, sometimes Uddhav Thackeray and sometimes Mamata Banerjee. The INDIA should have been united. The Congress is the biggest party of the bloc. But did it play a role (in ensuring opposition unity)?" he asked.

The month-long Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to commence on July 21. Ahead of the session, a meeting of the leaders of the INDIA bloc parties will be held online on Saturday evening to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country. It will be held after a long gap since the constituents of the INDIA last deliberated on the countrys political situation jointly.

About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:04 IST

News politics Arvind Kejriwal-Led AAP Officially Exits INDIA Bloc: Only Till Lok Sabha Polls
Bihar Elections: New Party, New Equation  Will Anushka Join Tej Pratap In Politics Too?

Curated By :

Translation Desk

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 15:18 IST

Last month, Tej Pratap reportedly visited Anushkas home, spending hours in discussion with her and her family, further fuelling talk of a possible political partnership

A photo of Tej Pratap and Anushka Yadav, which went viral on May 26, claimed their relationship dated back 12 years. (News18 Hindi)

Tej Pratap Yadav, eldest son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, is set to launch his own political party after being expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The new outfit is expected to feature a key addition, Anushka Yadav, marking a fresh chapter in Bihars political landscape.

Anushka has been in the spotlight due to her widely speculated relationship with Tej Pratap, which has frequently made headlines in recent months.

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Tej Pratap Yadavs personal life has often been under public scrutiny, with recent rumours linking him to Anushka Yadav. Reports suggest that Anushka may take an active role in Tej Prataps new party, Team Tej Pratap Yadav.

Sources suggest that the party aims to attract youth, students, and rural voters, with Anushka potentially playing a significant role in the partys organisation and campaign efforts. However, Anushkas family has not yet made any public statements regarding her involvement.

Last month, Tej Pratap reportedly visited Anushkas house and spent several hours there, engaging in lengthy discussions with her and her family members. This visit has further fuelled speculation about a potential political partnership.

A photo of the two, which went viral on May 26, claimed their relationship dated back 12 years. Tej Pratap initially responded by tweeting that his Facebook account had been hacked, but later admitted to posting the photo himself. He stated, Yes, I had posted that. Those are past things; my focus is on the upcoming elections and the development of Bihar."

According to reports, Tej Prataps six-year expulsion from the RJD has prompted him to openly question the partys leadership, and he is now preparing to pursue his own political ambitions.

He reportedly visited Hasanpur on the first Monday of Sawan to listen to the concerns of local residents. When asked whether he would contest the next election from Hasanpur or Mahua, he stated that nothing was decided yet.

According to political experts, the emergence of Tej Prataps new party and his potential rebellion could pose serious challenges for the RJD, especially in stronghold constituencies like Hasanpur and Mahua. This shift may benefit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is already working to expand its reach in rural areas.

Tej Pratap Yadav, who entered politics during the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, was ousted from the RJD by his father in May. The expulsion came shortly after Tej Pratap shared photos with Anushka Yadav on social media and publicly acknowledged being in a relationship with her.

Following this revelation, Lalu Prasad reportedly severed all personal ties with his eldest son, citing his continued irresponsible behaviour."

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Tej Prataps personal life has often drawn attention. In 2018, he married Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai. The marriage, however, ended in turmoil, with Tej Pratap filing for divorce just five months later.

In the wake of his expulsion, Tej Pratap has claimed that a deliberate effort is underway to create discord between him and his younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, who is currently the key face of the Mahagathbandhan ahead of the upcoming state elections.

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Location : Bihar, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 15:18 IST

News politics Bihar Elections: New Party, New Equation  Will Anushka Join Tej Pratap In Politics Too?
Brahmins Step Up In UP: Demand Commission, Welfare Board As BJP Looks To Rebuild Caste Base

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Karishma Jain



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 10:20 IST

BJP leader Dr KC Pandey raised the twin demands with UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, the partys key Brahmin face in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet

Dr KC Pandey has also demanded that the BJP-led state government declare Parshuram Jayanti a state holiday, like Ambedkar Jayanti.(PTI)

You must have heard about the Commissions for the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST), Minorities, and even Other Backward Castes (OBC); but have you ever heard of a separate commission for the upper castes? Chances are, you havent, because there arent any. But with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election two years away and the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat election scheduled for next year, the chorus is growing for a Commission for the upper castes in the state.

Whats more? Flexing their muscle, Brahmins  a key constituent of the upper castes  have now demanded that a Brahmin Welfare Board also be constituted. Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha President and BJP leader Dr KC Pandey raised both these demands with Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and the BJPs Brahmin face in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, Brajesh Pathak.

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Pandey has also demanded that the BJP-led state government declare Parshuram Jayanti a state holiday, like Ambedkar Jayanti. Brahmins, particularly Bhumihar Brahmins, hold a special reverence for Parashurama, viewing him as a symbol of their dual heritage of spirituality and martial prowess.

Before you dismiss this as just another fringe demand, think again. UP BJP Vice President and a prominent Brahmin face of the party in western UP, Dinesh Kumar Sharma, has come out in support of Pandey.

Speaking to News18, Sharma said, Different commissions are being established keeping in mind the welfare of different castes. So why not an Upper Caste Commission? There is also a dire need for a Brahmin Welfare Board because Brahmins, like other castes, comprise individuals from different economic strata. Brahmins include the rich, the poor, the urban, the rural, and even those living in tribal areas. Sometimes, they are left to fend for themselves."

Just because they belong to an upper caste, no one cares about their welfare. So, a welfare board for Brahmins will be a welcome step in the right direction," he added.

Sources in the UP BJP say it would be premature" to comment definitively, but the Deputy CM has listened to the demands and will convey them to CM Adityanath for consideration.

Meanwhile, Pathak has been reaching out to Brahmins in particular and upper castes in general by engaging with organisations such as the Parshuram Sena and the womens wing of the Brahmin Sabha. This week, Pathak chose to attend an event held by the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha  the body that has raised the demand for an Upper Caste Commission and a Brahmin Welfare Board.

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Pathak has recently been tasked by the BJP with wooing the Brahmin community to consolidate the upper caste vote, especially after the result in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, where the party lost 29 seats, bringing its tally down from 62 to 33.

In Uttar Pradesh, the upper caste" population is estimated to make up around 1920 per cent of the total population. This group primarily includes Brahmins, Thakurs (Rajputs), Bhumihars, and Kayasthas. Specifically, Brahmins are estimated to form around 12 per cent of the population, while Thakurs (Rajputs) account for approximately 78 per cent.

About the Author Anindya Banerjee Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More

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Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 10:20 IST

News politics Brahmins Step Up In UP: Demand Commission, Welfare Board As BJP Looks To Rebuild Caste Base
Bhupesh Baghel's Son Arrested On Birthday In Liquor Scam Case, Ex-CM Thanks ED For 'Gifts'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:31 IST

The arrest triggered a sharp political reaction from Bhupesh Baghel, who accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing agencies to target opposition leaders.

ED officials alleged that Chaitanya Baghel was non-cooperative during the search, which led to his immediate arrest. (Photo: IANS)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged 2,100 crore liquor scam.

He was taken into custody from the familys residence in Bhilai under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following fresh raids prompted by new evidence, official sources said.

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Chaitanya was sent to 5-day police custody by a local court.

ED officials alleged that Chaitanya Baghel was non-cooperative during the search, which led to his immediate arrest. A heavy deployment of police personnel was seen outside the Bhilai residence, where party workers had also gathered. The arrest came on Chaitanyas birthday, a fact highlighted by Bhupesh Baghel, who accused the central government of political vendetta.

#WATCH | Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels son, Chaitnya Baghel (in yellow t-shirt), arrested by Enforcement Directorate, in connection with the ongoing investigation into alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state, say officials.Visuals from Durg, pic.twitter.com/bRPTxqfu0b  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

Speaking to the media outside his Bhilai residence, Baghel said, To please their master, Modi and Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel wont be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth." On one hand, in Bihar, voters are being removed (from the voters list) with the help of the Election Commissiondemocracy is being stripped, and on the other hand, they are misusing the ED, IT, CBI, DRI to suppress opposition leaders. But now, people of the country have understood and are well aware," he said.

The Congress leader said, The ED had come in the past as well and raided my place and found Rs 33 lakh in my house. Now they have come again. What does this mean? We will fully cooperate, whether they trust us or not, we believe in democracy and the judiciary. They (BJP) are misusing the agency, but we will cooperate with them." He further questioned the timing of the raid, which coincided with his son Chaitanyas birthday.

Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given. On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanyas birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life," he said.

The Congress on Friday staged a boycott of the Chhattisgarh Assembly proceedings in protest against the Enforcement Directorates action against Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The party accused the central agency of being misused to target and harass opposition leaders, calling the arrest a clear case of political vendetta.

Political Fallout And Allegations

Bhupesh Baghel, a senior Congress leader, took to social media to criticise the timing of the raid, alleging that it was meant to divert attention from a key issue scheduled for discussion on the last day of the state assemblys monsoon session. Today is the last day of the session. We were set to raise the issue of trees being felled for Adani in Tamnar. Instead, Saheb has sent the ED to Bhilai Niwas," read a post from Baghels office.

Earlier this month, Baghel had visited Tamnar tehsil in Raigarh district, extending support to locals protesting deforestation linked to a coal mine project. The mine, allotted to MAHAGENCO (Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited), has contracted the Adani Group as the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO).

Background Of The Probe

The ED alleges that the liquor scam was carried out between 2019 and 2022, during the tenure of the Congress-led state government. According to the agency, Chaitanya Baghel was a suspected recipient of the scams proceeds, which reportedly generated illegal profits exceeding 2,100 crore for a powerful liquor syndicate at the cost of the state exchequer.

The case has led to several high-profile arrests, including former minister Kawasi Lakhma, Anwar Dhebar (brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar), former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and ITS officer Arunpati Tripathi. Assets worth 205 crore have been attached so far.

In 2024, the Supreme Court quashed the EDs initial Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which was based on an Income Tax Department complaint. The agency subsequently requested the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to file a new FIR using material shared by ED.

On January 17 last year, a new FIR was registered by the EOW/ACB, shortly after the BJPs victory over the Congress in the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The complaint named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand.

According to the ED, commissions from illegal liquor sales were distributed as per directions from the highest political executives of the state," pointing to deep political entanglement in the alleged scam.

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Previous Action

This is not the first time ED has acted against Chaitanya Baghel. Similar raids were conducted on March 10, making Fridays arrest a significant development in the ongoing investigation, one that has escalated both politically and legally in recent months.

About the Author Abhro Banerjee Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More

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Location : Bhilai Charoda, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:48 IST

News politics Bhupesh Baghel's Son Arrested On Birthday In Liquor Scam Case, Ex-CM Thanks ED For 'Gifts'
News / National

by Staff reporter

A groundbreaking study conducted in Zimbabwe and Zambia has revealed alarmingly high pregnancy rates among adolescents born with HIV, highlighting urgent gaps in healthcare systems and social support for this vulnerable population. The findings, published in the International Journal of STD & AIDS, paint a stark picture of the complex challenges facing young people growing up with HIV in Southern Africa.The research, which involved 842 adolescents aged 11 to 19, found that pregnancy incidence among girls aged 15 and older reached 6.8 per 100 person-years - a rate significantly higher than regional averages. The study offers the most comprehensive data to date on pregnancy outcomes among adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV in the region.Compounding Vulnerabilities: Health, Stigma, and EducationWhile medical advances have dramatically improved the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission - with 92% of babies born to these young mothers testing HIV-negative - the broader findings expose systemic failures in meeting the wider needs of these adolescents.The study revealed that only 19% of pregnant teens successfully returned to school after giving birth, a statistic that underscores the long-term socio-economic consequences of early pregnancy among this group. Access to contraception was found to be another critical gap: just 30% of young mothers received immediate postpartum family planning, though this figure improved to 70% after several weeks.Three Key Failures IdentifiedResearchers identified three major failures contributing to these outcomes:Fragmented sexual and reproductive health services within pediatric HIV clinics, leaving adolescents without adequate support or information.Widespread fear of disclosing HIV status to partners, which complicates discussions around contraception and safe sexual practices.Persistent stigma surrounding adolescent pregnancy, further isolating young mothers and limiting their access to education and support networks."These findings reflect a pivotal moment in the HIV care landscape," said researchers from Zimbabwe's Health Research Unit and Zambia's University Teaching Hospitals. "While we have made significant strides in preventing HIV transmission to infants, we must now turn our attention to supporting adolescents with HIV as they navigate the transition to adulthood."A Call to Action for Integrated CareThe study's authors are urging immediate reforms to integrate reproductive health services into HIV care programs and strengthen protections for pregnant students to ensure they are not excluded from education."This is no longer simply a health issue; it is a societal issue requiring coordinated action from healthcare providers, educators, and policymakers," one of the lead researchers noted.Implications for the RegionAs more children born with HIV survive into adolescence thanks to medical advances, experts warn that health systems must adapt rapidly to address the broader challenges these young people face. The study highlights that failing to provide comprehensive care - including sexual health education, mental health support, and educational opportunities - risks undermining decades of progress in the fight against HIV.The findings serve as both a warning and a roadmap for countries across the region: while medical science has curbed the epidemic's worst outcomes, the next frontier lies in delivering holistic, compassionate care that equips adolescents with HIV to lead healthy, empowered lives.
Hounded For Years: Rahul Gandhi Defends Robert Vadra In ED Case, BJP Asks Why Politicise Probe

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:24 IST

Reacting to the LoPs post, the BJP asked why the Gandhi family is politicising the issue and said they should face the investigation agency

The Wayanad MP said the latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt against her sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadras family. (Photo: PTI file)

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP, on Friday defended his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, who is facing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Haryana.

In an attack on the BJP-led central government, the Wayanad MP said the latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt against her sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadras family.

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In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi alleged Vadra family is facing another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment.

My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment. I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail," he wrote on X.

My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt.I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 18, 2025

Commenting on the ED probe, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asked why the Gandhi family is politicising the issue and said Robert Vadra should face the investigation agency.

He should face the Enforcement Directorate. If you go to Bikaner, every person there will say that Robert Vadra earned a lot of money by selling their land. Why are they politicising this issue? Instead, they should face the investigation agency," Meghwal told ANI.

Addressing a press conference, the BJP alleged that there is a possibility of Rahul Gandhis involvement with Robert Vadra in dark deeds."

Today, one thing has become clear: either Rahul Gandhi had full knowledge of Robert Vadras dark deeds, or its possible that he was completely involved in them," BJP spokesperson Tuhin A. Sinha said.

Earlier today, Delhis Rouse Avenue court took up the money laundering chargesheet against Robert Vadra and others and listed it for verification of documents. The court has sought a report from the record keeper (Ahalmad) and listed the matter for hearing submissions of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 24.

ED Chargesheet Against Robert Vadra, Others in Shikohpur Land Deal Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryanas Shikohpur, official sources said. His office issued a statement later saying the present proceedings are nothing more than an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government against Vadra.

This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint naming the 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal case.

The federal investigative agency, sources told PTI, has also attached 43 immovable properties located in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat worth Rs. 37.64 crore pertaining to Vadra and his linked entities like Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. and others.

A provisional attachment order was issued by the agency on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

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The sources said the charge sheet has been filed before the Rouse Avenue court here under various sections of the PMLA.

A total of 11 entities including Vadra, a firm linked to him named Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., Satyanand Yajee and Kewal Singh Virk, their company Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. and some others have been named as accused, the sources said.

About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:33 IST

News politics Hounded For Years: Rahul Gandhi Defends Robert Vadra In ED Case, BJP Asks Why Politicise Probe
Kanwar Yatris Labelled As Criminals, Terrorists: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 13:24 IST

Kanwar Yatra is a major annual Hindu pilgrimage in India, during which devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel on foot to collect sacred water from holy rivers.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that Kanwar Yatra pilgrims go through media trials", are defamed" and even " labelled as criminals and terrorists."

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From the lowest class to the highest class, every person is connected to this movement (Kanwar Yatra). It is a wonderful display of unity. There is no discrimination of caste, region, class, religion or community," said CM Yogi.

However, there is a media trial, and the Kanwar Yatra is being defamed. They (Kanwar Yatris) are even labelled as criminals and terrorists. This reflects a mentality that seeks to tarnish Indias heritage in every way," he added.

The Kanwar Yatra is a major annual Hindu pilgrimage in India, during which devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel on foot to collect sacred water from holy rivers like the Ganga (Ganges) and carry it back to offer at Shiva temples, especially Shiva lingams, during the holy month of Shravan.

The yatra is a mix of spirituality, endurance, and celebration, but it has also been at times associated with clashes, loud processions, and road blockages, drawing criticism and calls for regulation.

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During this time, massive security arrangements are made across northern Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Haryana, and Delhi, including traffic diversions and public safety measures.

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Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:24 IST

News politics Kanwar Yatris Labelled As Criminals, Terrorists: UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Nana Patole Drops Pen Drive Bomb, Alleges Honeytrap Scandal Involving Top Maharashtra Officials

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 08:18 IST

The Congress MLA claimed senior ministers and officials were blackmailed, and warned the Opposition would release the evidence if the government failed to act

Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole (PTI Image)

A fresh political storm erupted in Maharashtra after former state Congress president Nana Patole alleged that top ministers and senior IAS and IPS officers may have been targeted in a honeytrap operation that has rocked the state in recent days.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Patole claimed that the actual number of officials caught up in the scandal is far higher than what is being reported. The information we have received about this honeytrap incident is extremely serious. Due to such cases, confidential government documents can fall into the hands of anti-national elements, which would be a huge security lapse. This needs to be thoroughly investigated by the police," Patole said.

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He further stated that he has all the evidence saved on a pen drive but does not want to make it public at this stage. We dont want to target anyones personal life. But if the government does not act, the Opposition will have no choice but to present this evidence before the people," he warned.

The controversy gained momentum after media reports claimed that several senior officials in Maharashtra were blackmailed by a woman who allegedly trapped them by threatening fake rape cases and making extortion demands.

On Wednesday, Patole raised the issue in the Maharashtra Assembly and demanded a detailed investigation. Opposition MLAs accused the government of going soft on such a sensitive issue and staged a walkout in protest.

Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar asked the state government to take the matter seriously and submit a reply to the House. On Thursday, Patole again raised the issue, following which the Speaker directed the government to take action and report back before the end of the session on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured the House that the government would take appropriate action and that those found guilty would not be spared.

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Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam, talking to reporters in Vidhan Bhavan premises, said politicians claiming to possess evidence of blackmail should submit it to the state government instead of demanding clarifications in the legislature.

The allegations have sparked intense political debate in the state, with the Opposition vowing to keep up the pressure until a fair probe is conducted.

About the Author Mayuresh Ganapatye Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa... Read More Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 08:17 IST

News politics Nana Patole Drops Pen Drive Bomb, Alleges Honeytrap Scandal Involving Top Maharashtra Officials
Not Me, Rahul Gandhi May Be Arrested For Inciting Assam Violence: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 17:41 IST

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma: "Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharges recent visit and speech provoked evicted people of Goalpara to confront Assam Police and forest officials."

Assam CM Sarma showed the thumb to Rahul Gandhi. (News18)

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday blamed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for the violent clash that erupted on Thursday morning during an eviction drive at the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and president Mallikarjun Kharges recent visit and speech in public meeting provoked the evicted people of Goalpara district to confront Assam Police and forest officials. One person died and 21 police persons were injured in the incident. To resist the mob, police had to open fire. For this, Rahul Gandhi may be accused and arrested," said Sarma.

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Talking to the media, Sarma said an investigation would be conducted into the incident.

Sarma said that after eviction only about 40 families were taking shelter in the nearby area of the forest, but just after Gandhis visit, on the very next day, the evicted people became violent". They attacked police," he said.

Regarding Congresss support to the encroacher, he said, Their party stands with the intruders and foreigners."

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He also said that Gandhi and Kharge, in a public meeting held near Guwahati, assured all evicted persons to get them back their land. They promised land to minority immigrants. Gandhi said the same words that Rockibul Hussain (MP Dhubri) said in Chapor after eviction. So they made it clear that if the Congress comes to power, the encroachers will get back the 1,29,000 bighas we have cleared of encroachment."

When asked about Gandhis remarks that Himanta Biswa Sarma will be put in jail by the people of Assam", the CM replied in Assamese, Let me tell Rahul Gandhi one thing clearly: I am an Assamese, born in Assam. I didnt grow up drinking milk from a feeding bottle; I was fed my mothers milk. So, Im showing Rahul Gandhi the burha anguli (thumb). Even Congress members are upset with what he said here. They called me and said, Dada (elder brother), did he come here to say all this? Therefore, Im showing him a burha anguli!"

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Location : Assam, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 17:41 IST

News politics Not Me, Rahul Gandhi May Be Arrested For Inciting Assam Violence: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
'RJD, Congress Only Looted People...': PM Modi Outlines Plan For Viksit Bihar Ahead Of Polls

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 14:27 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated multiple development projects in poll-bound Bihar on Friday, and handed over the keys of PM Awaas Yojana-Gramin to 12,000 beneficiaries.

PM Modi speaking in Bihar's Motihari on Friday. (BJP/X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated multiple development projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in poll-bound Bihar on Friday, targeting opposition parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress for looting the people and halting the states development.

While speaking in Bihars Motihari, PM Modi said, During the UPA and RJD government in Bihar, grants of only Rs 2 lakh crores were sanctioned in 10 years. They were taking revenge on (CM) Nitish Kumar. In 2014, you gave me the opportunity to serve at the Centre. After coming to power at the Centre, I also put an end to the old politics of revenge against Bihar."

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                             https://t.co/qMOMBKqdno Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2025

The Prime Minister highlighted that over four crore houses had been built for the poor under PM Awas Yojana across the country, along with sufficient funds in Bihar for public welfare and development projects. He said tghe work in Bihar has progressed rapidly because both the Centre and the state are committed towards Bihars development.

PM Modi Lashes Out At Opposition

Speaking further, Modi said, Its important for todays generation to understand how deeply Bihar was engulfed in despair two decades ago. During the regime of the RJD and Congress, development had come to a halt, and it was nearly impossible for the poor to receive the money meant for them."

Those in power were only focused on how to loot the funds meant for the poor," he added. It was impossible for the poor to get proper concrete houses during their rule. People didnt even dare to get their homes painted."

The Prime Minister also lauded the role of women in Bihar, pointing to the increasing number of Lakhpati Didis in the state. The Jeevika Didi Yojana initiated by Nitish Kumar has paved the way for making lakhs of women in Bihar self-reliant," he added.

You freed this land from the shackles of RJD and Congress  you made the impossible possible. As a result, todays welfare schemes in Bihar are reaching the poor directly."

PM Modi also mentioned that the world is progressing rapidly in the 21st century and the influence of Eastern nations is rising globally, in a shift from Western hegemony of power. He pledged to make efforts to make the Bihar city of Motihari like Mumbai, and Gaya like Gurugram.

PM Modi On Viksit Bihar

PM Modi also underscored that the country will only progress with the development of Bihar, and that will only happen when the youth progresses. Our resolve is  a prosperous Bihar, employment for every youth!" he announced.

Nitish Jis government has provided appointments to lakhs of youth in the government with complete transparency, and Nitish Ji has recently made new resolutions for the employment of Bihars youth. The central government is standing shoulder to shoulder, supporting them."

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He also promised to increase the production and income of Bihars farmers and establish a Makhana board to increase its production. He also hailed the success in eliminating Naxalism that affected the areas of Champaran, Aurangabad, Gaya and Jamui.

PM Modi handed over the keys of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin as a part of Griha Pravesh of 12,000 beneficiaries and flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains in Bihar ahead of the upcoming elections.

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

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Location : Motihari, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:04 IST

News politics 'RJD, Congress Only Looted People...': PM Modi Outlines Plan For Viksit Bihar Ahead Of Polls
PM Modi To Hold Rally, Unveil Over Rs 5000 Cr Worth Of Infra Projects In Bengal Today | Updates

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 07:26 IST

These initiatives, collectively worth over 5,000 crore, mark a transformative moment for the state's industrial and infrastructural landscape.

PM Modi launched an attack on CM Mamata a day before reaching Bengal. (Photo: YouTube/NarendraModi) (Photo: X/narendramodi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lay the foundation stone, inaugurate, and dedicate to the nation multiple critical infrastructure projects across the Oil and Gas, power, road, and rail sectors in Durgapur, West Bengal. These initiatives, collectively worth over 5,000 crore, mark a transformative moment for the states industrial and infrastructural landscape. The Prime Minister will also hold a political rally in Bengals Asansol after the inauguration of projects.

Oil & Gas: Catalysing Energy Access and Employment

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A major highlight of the visit is the foundation stone laying of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts. Valued at around 1,950 crore, this project aims to provide PNG connections to households, commercial and industrial units, and facilitate CNG distribution through retail outlets. Beyond cleaner energy access, it is expected to generate significant employment opportunities in the region.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate the 132-km Durgapur to Kolkata section of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, part of the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) initiative. Built at a cost exceeding 1,190 crore, the pipeline will cater to districts including Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia, paving the way for natural gas to reach lakhs of households and businesses, while having already created jobs during its construction.

Power Sector: Driving Cleaner Energy

As part of the commitment to sustainability, the PM will dedicate Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) retrofitting projects at Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station (Damodar Valley Corporation), worth over 1,457 crore. These advanced pollution control systems will help ensure cleaner energy production and healthier air quality for the surrounding regions, while also creating employment through their operation and maintenance.

Rail & Road Infrastructure: Enhancing Connectivity and Logistics

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To improve rail connectivity, the Prime Minister will dedicate the doubling of the PuruliaKotshila rail line (36 km) in Purulia. This 390 crore project is expected to ease cargo movement between industrial hubs like Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad, and major urban centres such as Ranchi and Kolkata. It will reduce transit time and streamline logistics for regional industries.

Further enhancing road safety and traffic flow, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate two Road Over Bridges (ROBs) at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman, constructed under the Setu Bharatam Programme at a cost of over 380 crore. These bridges will eliminate level crossings, helping prevent accidents and easing vehicular movement.

About the Author Abhro Banerjee Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:26 IST

News politics PM Modi To Hold Rally, Unveil Over Rs 5000 Cr Worth Of Infra Projects In Bengal Today | Updates
'Whats The Guarantee Rahul Wont Be Jailed First': Himanta Hits Back Over Corruption Remarks

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:16 IST

Himanta Sarma further reminded Gandhi of his own legal battles, stating that the Congress leader had conveniently forgotten he is currently out on bail

Himanta Sarma also said that BJP government has already crossed its promise of one lakh jobs made during the 2021 elections (File)

A day after Rahul Gandhi claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would be sent to jail over alleged corruption, the BJP leader fired back with a sharp rebuttalWhat is the guarantee that Rahul Gandhi will not be jailed before I am?" Sarma, while addressing reporters on Thursday, also dismissed the Congress leaders remark with a mocking thenga" gesture, calling it unbecoming of a national leader to make such sweeping declarations during a political rally.

Gandhi, during a Congress workers meet at Chaygaon near Guwahati on Wednesday, had accused Sarma and his family of corruption and claimed the people of Assam would hold them accountable. According to Sarma, the comment wasnt a one-offthe Congress leader had allegedly made a similar statement during a closed-door meeting with the partys state Political Affairs Committee, saying, Take it in writing: Himanta Biswa Sarma will definitely be sent to jail."

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Sarma further reminded Gandhi of his own legal battles, stating that the Congress leader had conveniently forgotten" he is currently out on bail in multiple criminal cases across the country.

Reacting to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges claim that the Assam government has failed to provide jobs, Sarma countered, Whether I have given jobs or not, people of Assam know it A speech wont change anything." He asserted that the BJP government has already crossed its promise of one lakh jobs, made during the 2021 elections, and more will be delivered before the end of their current term.

About the Author Abhro Banerjee Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:16 IST

News politics 'Whats The Guarantee Rahul Wont Be Jailed First': Himanta Hits Back Over Corruption Remarks
'Will Drown You In Sea': Raj Thackeray Dares BJP's Nishikant Dubey To Visit Mumbai

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Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 08:04 IST

Raj Thackeray threatened to drown Nishikant Dubey in Mumbai's sea, stressing Marathi's importance in Maharashtra.

The MNS leader further said that he will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. (Photos: ANI)

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday hit back at Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey over his Patak Patak ke Maarenge (We will beat you up mercilessly)" remark, and said he will drown the BJP leader in sea of Mumbai.

A BJP MP said, Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarengeYou come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge," Thackeray said.

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The MNS leader further said that he will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. I will not Those who live in Maharashtra, to them I would like to say learn Marathi as soon as possible, wherever you go, speak Marathi. In Karnataka, they fight for their language. Even a rickshaw puller knows that the Government is standing behind him over language. Similarly, you be like a pillar and speak in Marathi only. This is what I have come to request all of you," he added.

You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have? If you are courageous enough and beat those who speak Hindi, then you should beat all those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. If you are such a big boss, come out of Maharashtra, come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu  tumko patak patak ke maarenge We all respect Marathi and the people of Maharashtra, who fought for Indias independence," Dubey said.

Amid the Marathi row, Dubey had said that Raj Thackeray will be beaten up if he visits Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Marathi Row

The Hindi-Marathi row was ignited in the state, especially in the Mumbai metropolitan region, after opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took on the government over two GRs on the three-language policy in schools and teaching of Hindi from Class I.

It escalated after MNS activists beat up some people, including a sweet shop owner in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, for not speaking Marathi.

Later on July 5, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS head Raj Thackeray shared a stage in Mumbai for the cause of the Marathi language, and vowed to oppose the imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra after the state government rolled back the GRs on the introduction of Hindi as a third language in primary schools.

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On July 8, the MNS and other groups led a protest march in Mira Bhayandar area to defend Marathi asmita (pride) and counter the traders agitation.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)

About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:38 IST

News politics 'Will Drown You In Sea': Raj Thackeray Dares BJP's Nishikant Dubey To Visit Mumbai
Wont Allow Compulsion: Uddhav Thackeray Opposes 3-Language Policy In Maharashtra

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 20:03 IST

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asserted he would not accept any attempt by the Maharashtra government to implement a three-language policy in the state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray (Image: PTI)

Amid the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asserted that will not allow Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to implement a three-language policy in the state.

While speaking to reporters in Vidhan Bhavan premises on the last day of the monsoon session of the assembly, Thackeray said that his party is not against the Hindi language; however, he had accused a few groups of comparing Marathi people to terrorists and undermining Marathi identity.

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I stand by my sentiments. We dont oppose any language, but we wont allow compulsion for any language," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the Hindi language controversy, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray says, I stand by my sentiments. We dont oppose any language, but we wont allow compulsion for any language." pic.twitter.com/VFNMx2FRg8 ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

The former Chief Minister further took a veiled dig at the ruling BJP and accused the government of shifting industries and financial centres of Mumbai to Gujarat.

We are not speaking todne ki bhasha but Mumbai is gradually losing its significance. Who took the industries and financial centres of Mumbai to Gujarat? These people. So, nobody can separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. Jo bhi karega hum unke tukde karenge, I say this openly. But we wont let (anything happen to) Mumbais significance. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, it is considered the financial capital of the country," he said.

Its significance feels like an eyesore to some people. Where were they shifting the film industry to? Who was shifting it? I? Is that not the truth? Who took away the Diamond Market? Is that not the truth? A financial centre was going to be set up here, but who is giving bullet trains to Ahmedabad? People can see this openly. There is nothing more to add, he added.

Tarnished States Image

The Sena (UBT) chief also expressed his concern over the scuffle between supporters of two MLAs from BJP and NCP (SP) in the state assembly lobby on Thursday, maintaining the incident had tarnished Maharashtras image.

"The image of Maharashtra has gone down in the country after the incident." The opposition MLC hit out at the BJP-led Mahayuti government, noting the conduct of those in power was bringing shame to the dignity of the state.

Asked about comparisons being drawn between Thursdays violent clash and lawlessness in other states, the Shiv Sena (UBT) president said, "I will not say that such scuffles are bringing UP-Bihar culture to Maharashtra. There are good people in those states as well. We should not malign the image of an entire state because of some bad elements."

Uddhav Thackeray-Fadnavis Meet

Thackerays comments came a day after he and his son Aaditya Thackeray met the Chief Minister on Thursday.

The three leaders held a 20-minute discussion in Fadnaviss ante-chamber, once again setting off political speculation. But, contrary to all the buzz surrounding shifting alliances and loyalties in state politics, they discussed the post of the opposition leader in the state assembly and the issue of alleged Hindi imposition via the three-language formula.

Thackeray also handed over a compilation of news articles opposing the introduction of Hindi as a third language in Maharashtra, as he cited concerns of alleged linguistic imposition.

Language Row In Maharashtra

A string of violent incidents targeting non-Marathi speaking people have brought the state into limelight. Thackeray brothers Shiv Sena (UBTs) Uddhav Thackeray and MNS Raj Thackeray have been targeting the BJP-led state government for trying to impose Hindi in Maharashtra and migrants for not speaking Marathi.

Last week, an auto-rickshaw driver in Maharashtras Palghar was thrashed in public, allegedly by the supporters of Uddhav Sena and Raj Thackerays MNS over his refusal to speak Marathi.

A video of the auto-rickshaw driver, a migrant, went viral, showing him arguing with another migrant from Uttar Pradesh, Bhavesh Padolia, at Virar station. He said in the video that he would only speak Hindi when he was asked why he was not speaking in Marathi.

Earlier, MNS workers threw stones and vandalised the office of a businessman named Sushil Kedia, who had earlier issued an open dare to Raj Thackeray, stating that he would not be intimidated by MNS workers or be forced to learn Marathi under pressure.

Earlier this month, a shopkeeper in Mumbais Mira Road was assaulted after he allegedly refused to speak in Marathi.

Earlier this month, the Thackeray cousins shared the stage for the first time in two decades at the Awaj Marathicha rally in Mumbai to celebrate the rollback of the controversial Hindi language policy in primary schools in Maharashtra.

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The language row erupted when the Maharashtra government issued an order in April to make Hindi as the compulsory third language for students in their primary classes. Amid backlash from regional parties, the NDA government amended its April 16 Government Resolution (GR) on June 17, changing Hindi from a compulsory to an optional subject.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 20:03 IST

News politics Wont Allow Compulsion: Uddhav Thackeray Opposes 3-Language Policy In Maharashtra
'Yeh Andar Ki Baat Hai': Uddhav Thackeray's Reply To Fadnavis' 'Join Us' Offer

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 23:39 IST

Thackerays Shiv Sena (UBT) split from the BJP after the 2019 assembly elections due to disagreements over power-sharing

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. (PTI photo)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday responded with sarcasm and a sharp metaphor when asked about Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recent invitation to come to the ruling side."

Speaking to reporters at the state assembly, Thackeray referred to a comment he had just made to the print media, saying, Before speaking to you, I was speaking to the print media. I spoke about the chaddi baniyan gang. Chaddi baniyans also have an advertisement  yeh andar ki baat hai (this is an inside matter)."

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Mumbai, Maharashtra: On CM Devendra Fadnaviss come to rulling side statement, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray says, This is an internal matter" pic.twitter.com/yIpEG7AuO4 IANS (@ians_india) July 18, 2025

The chaddi baniyan gang" reference came from Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who earlier this week had accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of turning Maharashtra into a 20 per cent commission state." He also claimed that while koyta gangs" (knife-wielding groups) were causing fear in Pune, the ruling alliance had its own version of chaddi baniyan gangs" who used violence when things didnt go their way.

Thackerays comment came in response to Fadnavis statement on Wednesday during a farewell function for outgoing Leader of Opposition in the legislative council, Ambadas Danve.

In a light-hearted tone, Fadnavis told Thackeray, Uddhav ji, there is no scope (for a change in government) till 2029. We do not have the scope to come to the other (oppositions) side. You have the scope to come here, and it can be thought about. We can think about it differently."

Thackerays Shiv Sena (UBT) split from the BJP after the 2019 assembly elections due to disagreements over power-sharing, particularly the Chief Ministers post. The break led to a major political shift in the state.

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Interestingly, just a day after Fadnavis comments, Uddhav Thackeray met the Chief Minister in the legislative council chairpersons chamber. The half-hour meeting was also attended by Uddhavs son, Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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Location : Maharashtra, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 23:36 IST

News politics 'Yeh Andar Ki Baat Hai': Uddhav Thackeray's Reply To Fadnavis' 'Join Us' Offer
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Catholic Church in Zimbabwe is grappling with a severe shortage of vocations to the priesthood, with the number of candidates enrolling at the country's only Major Seminary, Chishawasha, steadily declining over the past decade.Traditionally, July has been set aside in Zimbabwe as a month dedicated to prayer and campaigns for priestly and religious vocations. However, this year's observances are marked by growing concern within Church circles as figures show an alarming drop in new entrants to seminary formation.The Catholic Church's roots in Zimbabwe date back to the 16th century, though significant missionary evangelisation only took shape from 1879 with the arrival of the Jesuits. For decades, the Church relied heavily on European missionaries until the establishment of local clergy became a priority from the 1930s onwards.Chishawasha Seminary, founded in 1936 by Archbishop Aston Chichester SJ, became the bedrock of priestly formation, initially serving both Minor and Major Seminary roles. Over the years, especially from the 1990s, vocations flourished to the extent that Chishawasha could no longer accommodate the numbers. This led to the opening of St. Augustine Major Seminary in Bulawayo in 2000 to cater specifically for philosophy studies, while Chishawasha focused on theology.However, this growth was short-lived. Fr. Bernard Mukwewa, Rector of Chishawasha Major Seminary, told Vatican Media that a steady decline in vocations over the last decade forced the closure of St. Augustine in 2016. Currently, Chishawasha accommodates just 95 seminarians from Zimbabwe's eight dioceses - a figure the rector says is the lowest since the early 1990s."This year, fewer than 30 candidates applied to begin their philosophy studies, and only about 20 were admitted," said Fr. Mukwewa. "This is the first time our numbers have dropped below 100 in decades."He attributes the decline to the disintegration of the traditional African family unit due to poverty, economic migration, climate change, and substance abuse among youth. "The nucleus family is the domestic church from which vocations come. When it breaks down, it triggers a wide range of challenges that affect the development of vocations."Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro of the Diocese of Gweru echoed these concerns, attributing the scarcity of vocations to economic hardship, substance abuse, and societal shifts. He highlighted how the worsening economy has forced young people to prioritize survival, turning to activities such as illegal mining rather than considering religious life. He also noted that the introduction of Advanced Level education as a prerequisite for seminary admission had further reduced eligible candidates."In such an environment, getting vocations becomes increasingly difficult," Bishop Nyandoro said.Throughout July, priests and religious congregations across Zimbabwe have been intensifying their vocational campaigns, visiting schools, holding "come and see" workshops, and encouraging families to support young people who feel called to serve the Church. In Gweru, Bishop Nyandoro has established a diocesan office to animate youth and is deploying campaign teams to parishes, schools, and religious communities.He also expressed concern over the growing number of priests and religious abandoning their vocations. "It is a big loss to invest so much in formation and then lose people later," he said, adding that he plans to personally visit the families of seminarians and priests to strengthen ties and offer encouragement.Furthermore, Bishop Nyandoro has invited missionary congregations to assist in his diocese as many local priests near retirement, underscoring the need for fresh manpower to sustain pastoral work and inspire new vocations."The Lord who calls is still active and knows the needs of His Church," Bishop Nyandoro said, urging vocations promoters not to lose heart.Among the laity, there is a shared lament over the closure of St. Augustine Major Seminary and dwindling numbers at Chishawasha. Some blame the decline on the growing materialism of young people, who are more focused on personal gain than service. Others point to scandals involving some clergy and religious that have damaged the image of religious life."Missionaries in the past managed to promote vocations through their exemplary lives, despite not knowing local languages or having access to modern communication tools," said one parishioner. "Today, young people need to see authentic Christian living to be inspired to serve."As the Church continues to observe Vocations Month, vocations promoters are appealing to families to nurture faith within the home - recognizing that faith-driven households are fertile ground for future vocations.Ultimately, Zimbabwe's vocations crisis is a reflection of wider societal challenges, but Church leaders remain hopeful that with prayer, perseverance, and renewed pastoral strategies, a new generation of priests will emerge to carry forward the mission of the Church.\
ChatGPT Agents Are Here And OpenAI Says They Will Do All Your Work

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 11:13 IST

ChatGPT agent is here from OpenAI which promises to take over your computer, handle your tasks and take your consent for doing all this.

ChatGPT agent promises to control your computer but with your permission

AI agents are coming in all shapes and forms and OpenAI is bringing its ChatGPT agent to the market this week. The AI chatbot is evolving fast and as the market demands the company is entering the AI agent arena with ChatGPT at the helm. ChatGPT can now do work for you using its own computer, handling complex tasks from start to finish," which pretty much sums up what an AI agent offers and ChatGPT is taking this avatar for its users.

But unlike other host of AI agents in the market, OpenAI is utilising its higher ability and dataset to deliver a seamless and effective experience.

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ChatGPT Agent: What OpenAI Promises For You

So what does OpenAI offer with the ChatGPT agent and how is it better than others in the market? The company says it is using the blend of Operator, deep research and ChatGPT itself to cohesively offer a unified agentic experience. You just have to give instructions to the ChatGPT agent and let the virtual computer handle complex tasks and give them with reasoning, something that other agents might not offer as of today.

The company assures that the AI agent will not stray away from your instructions, and it will seek your permission to take actions. If you feel the AI agent is not delivering what you want, you can pause the action and manually take over the browser tasks and stop the AI agent from operating.

The ChatGPT AI agent seems to have outscored its other AI models in expert-level Maths and Humanity exams. OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT Agent for ChatGPT Pro, Plus and Team users who can enable the agent from the regular ChatGPT interface available to them. Heres how you can enable AI agent on ChatGPT

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Open ChatGPT on web

Go to the tools dropdown menu

Select agent mode from your ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Team version

Browser based AI agents are getting widely available and it was high time that we saw OpenAI enter this arena, especially since the GPT 5 launch is taking longer than expected. Weve also seen Gemini AI Pro and Perplexity Pro premium versions available free of charge for 1 year in India if you have a student ID or use an Airtel number/WiFi service in the country. ChatGPT might be eyeing a similar model that will fuel its need to increase user base and free always does the trick.

About the Author S Aadeetya S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More

News18 Tech delivers the latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements, and more. Stay informed with breaking tech news , expert insights, and trends from India and around the world . Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 11:13 IST

News tech ChatGPT Agents Are Here And OpenAI Says They Will Do All Your Work
No Free Lunches: Why You Should Tread With Caution About Google And Perplexity AI Offers

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 13:24 IST

Perplexity Pro and Gemini AI Pro models are available free of charge in India for select users but is there a catch in using these AI versions?

Perplexity Pro is available for Airtel users, while Gemini AI pro is aimed at students. (Photo: AI generated)

People in India love freebies, in fact, anybody would do. This week we have seen Google and Perplexity bring their AI platforms for free to different users in the country. AI is the talk of the town, so it was obviously going to gather traction, especially since you are getting features worth up to Rs 19,000 per month for free.

And it seems their pitch has worked to a good effect with many students signing up for the free Gemini AI Pro version with the college ID, while Airtel partners with Perplexity to bring its Pro subscription for its users. But when it comes to AI, free lunches always have a big price attached to them, and in this case, you have got data that is valuable to these companies.

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AI For Free But Is There A Catch?

Over the years, we have seen platforms entice people into sharing their facial data, or personal information. For instance, ChatGPT started the Studio Ghibli anime style that became viral and got people to share their photos to try out the feature on the AI chatbot.

OpenAI was happy to collect the data, and experts had even warned about giving them permission to train their AI systems using their information. The new Airtel and Google plans feel like Deja vu and in this situation the data can be more complex and diverse for these companies to feast on.

Students will be using AI tools to sharpen their skills and upskill to become eligible for jobs in the evolving industry. While Airtel users try out Perplexity Pro using their email ID, and give the AI chatbot access to their files, camera and other tools to effectively give you results. These are obviously big privacy red flags and the Free stamp shouldnt hide these concerns away for people.

More Users, More Data, More Growth

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Google is a tech giant and has plenty of avenues to make money but Perplexity needs the AI division to tick and adding over 360 million users to its kitty, even for 12 months is a big jump for the company. If they manage even 1 percent of these Airtel users to eventually start paying for its Pro version, the business model turns out to be a win for the company. It even has a web browser with AI-powered features that work like AI agents and handle your tasks.

If youve already signed up for the Gemini AI Pro or Perplexity Pro free plans in India, just be careful of how you use these platforms. Learn the trades and gradually see which one of these is worth the big money, and if not, look for other alternatives over the next 12 months.

About the Author S Aadeetya S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More

News18 Tech delivers the latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements, and more. Stay informed with breaking tech news , expert insights, and trends from India and around the world . Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: July 18, 2025, 13:24 IST

News tech No Free Lunches: Why You Should Tread With Caution About Google And Perplexity AI Offers
'Sorry For Wife...': Netizens Go Wild Over Andy Byron's Affair Scandal, Elon Musk Joins The Chorus

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 10:04 IST

Andy Bryon's alleged affair with his firm's HR head, Kristin Cabot, spread like wildfire on social media after they were seen sharing an intimate moment at a Coldplay concert.

Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon and his HR head Kristin Cabot seen at a Coldplay concert. (Image: X)

The internet is buzzing with Astronomer CEO Andy Bryons alleged affair with his firms HR head, Kristin Cabot, after the duo was spotted canoodling at a Coldplay concert in Boston, with tech mogul Elon Musk also weighing in.

During Coldplays concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday, the bands frontman Chris Martin began the kiss cam game, which zeroed in on Bryon, with his arms wrapped around Cabots chest, and their fingers locked together.

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Look at these two," Martin was heard saying, as the couple realised they were on camera, prompting a mortified Cabot to bury her face in her hands while Bryon ducked out of view. Oh, what? Either theyre having an affair or theyre just very shy," Martin continued. I hope we didnt do something bad."

Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025

Netizens Go Wild Over Bryons Affair

The video of Bryon and Cabot spread like wildfire, with many criticising the duo and showing support for Bryons wife, Megan Kerrigan Bryon, a respected educator in Massachusetts and the mother of two children.

Sorry for the wife, but glad theyre being exposed and embarrassed," a netizen said. Another person wrote, They are both incredibly stupid, sorry. Why would you go to a concert if youre having an affair?"

The chances of your marriages & careers being destroyed at a Coldplay Concert are extremely low but never zero," a third user commented. Shoutout to Coldplay for bringing the whole internet together for one day," wrote another netizen.

Guy whose wife went to a Coldplay concert with her boss last night logging in today pic.twitter.com/kTYenc2lwQ Parody CEO (@parody_ceo) July 17, 2025

Cheating on your spouse and Coldplay man looks at you like this https://t.co/6WJrvNDAfI pic.twitter.com/4wgz7hXlTz Jon  (@JonnyMicro) July 17, 2025

how the head of hr at my company looks at me when coldplay announces new tour dates pic.twitter.com/twqlXKvRZb milk (@milkinhisbag) July 17, 2025

As the controversy snowballed, old comments by Cabot saying she wins trust" of CEOs and Bryons statement on her hiring have resurfaced. An X user revealed that Bryons wife had dropped her married name from Facebook amid the outrage.

ALSO READ: Who Is Kristin Cabot? Astronomer HR Head Seen Cuddling CEO Andy Byron At Coldplay Concert

Elon Musk Responds

Tech billionaire Elon Musk also joined the conversation about Bryon and Cabots affair scandal, as several fake statements and screenshots started circulating online, including a morphed apology from Bryon himself.

The fake apology by Bryon read, What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage. I want to sincerely apologise to my wife, my family, and the team at Astronomer. You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader."

Musk responded to the apology" with a laughing out loud" emoji, adding fuel to the online chatter. Meanwhile, netizens doubled down on the criticism towards Bryon over the morphed apology, with one netizen saying, When youre operating at that level, you cant afford to be publicly stupid."

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 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2025

This dude is learning the hard way that hiding behind a corporate title and a billion-dollar valuation doesnt protect you from yourself."

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

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Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: July 18, 2025, 09:58 IST

News viral 'Sorry For Wife...': Netizens Go Wild Over Andy Byron's Affair Scandal, Elon Musk Joins The Chorus
'Can't Believe He Killed Himself Before...': Elon Musk Taunts Trump Again Over Epstein Files

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 09:04 IST

Elon Musk, an ally-turned-rival of Trump, has repeatedly criticised the administration for failing to release the Epstein lives amid a rare split in the president's MAGA base.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump (Representational pic/Reuters)

Tech mogul Elon Musk once again taunted US President Donald Trump over the release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying he cant believe Epstein killed himself before realising it was a hoax".

Musk sarcastically responded to Trump calling the Epstein files a big hoax" as the US president faces a serious split in his loyal right-wing base over allegations that his administration is covering up details of Epsteins crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.

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Wow I cant believe Epstein killed himself before realizing it was all a hoax," Musk said on X. In previous posts, Musk questioned where the evidence against Epstein was, and called Trumps hoax" comment a cover-up of the scandal.

Wow I cant believe Epstein killed himself before realizing it was all a hoax Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2025

Notably, Musk was once a staunch ally of Trump and briefly led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), before they parted ways over a huge public spat over the White Houses tax cut and spending bill.

Musk said the Trump administration had not released the Epstein files because the Presidents name was mentioned in them, and promised that his newly-founded America Party would release the files as soon as possible.

Trump Under Pressure

Meanwhile, Trump came under further scrutiny after a US federal prosecutor, who handled Epsteins case and the daughter of a prominent Trump critic, was abruptly fired. Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director and Trump critic James Comey, was dismissed from his position as assistant US attorney in New York, according to US media reports.

Maurene Comey was among the prosecutors who handled the case involving Epstein and also prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate who has been criminally charged in connection with his activities.

The growing pressure on Trump from his MAGA base came after he previously campaigned on exposing Epsteins network, but later appeared to downplay the issue. Trump has slammed his own supporters and urged them to stop their obsession with the files.

Its all been a big hoax, its perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats work," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Epstein, a disgraced financier, died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His case remains a controversial topic, with many Trump supporters demanding public release of all documents linked to him.

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In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Epsteins client list was sitting on my desk right now", but later walked back her comments, telling reporters that she was referring to the entire Epstein file" along with other files pertaining to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, prompting furious backlash from Trump supporters.

(with agency inputs)

About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: July 18, 2025, 09:04 IST

News world 'Can't Believe He Killed Himself Before...': Elon Musk Taunts Trump Again Over Epstein Files
On TRF Terror Tag, China Says Its Against All Forms Of Terrorism: 'We Condemn Pahalgam Attack'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 22:22 IST

The statement comes after the US designated TRF, a proxy of Pakistan-based LeT, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China spokesperson Lin Jian addresses the media. (@MFA_China via PTI Photo)

China on Friday denounced the Pahalgam terror attack and called on regional nations to strengthen counterterror cooperation.

The statement comes after the United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

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In a brief media briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22."

Jian added that China urges neighbouring countries to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability".

Earlier today, the US State Department announced the TRF designation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This move is expected to influence discussions in the UN Security Councils 1267 Committeean international body that imposes asset freezes, travel bans and arms embargoes on terrorist entities.

Under the 1267 sanctions regime, several Pakistani terror groups, including LeT, JaisheMohammad and JamaatudDawa, along with leaders Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, are already targeted.

Following the Pahalgam attack, the Council condemned the incident on 25 April, though references to TRF and LeT were reportedly dropped after objections from Pakistan and China.

US move seen as nod to Indias evidence

According to Pakistans Dawn newspaper, the US designation largely echoes Indias stance that TRF is a front for LeT. Twentysix people were killed in the attack on 22 April in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. TRF initially claimed responsibility before retracting its admission amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistanoccupied Kashmir. Following four days of crossborder drone and missile exchanges, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding on 10 May.

News18 earlier reported that intelligence shared by New Delhi met the rigorous standards required by the US for such listingsa standard often regarded as more demanding than the UN sanctions process, where geopolitical interests can influence outcomes.

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The US listing of TRF also highlights how Pakistans Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar allegedly attempted to shield the group. Notably, Dar reportedly took pride in removing references to TRF from the Security Councils condemnation message following the Pahalgam attackan attack for which TRF itself had claimed responsibility.

The successful designation by the US serves as both a validation of Indias evidence and a diplomatic setback for efforts to obscure the groups role. It also reinforces TRFs identity as a front for the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, affirming its operational ties and culpability in recent acts of terrorism.

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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Location : China

First Published: July 18, 2025, 22:21 IST

News world On TRF Terror Tag, China Says Its Against All Forms Of Terrorism: 'We Condemn Pahalgam Attack'
Felix Baumgartner, Who Jumped From Edge Of Space, Dies Paragliding

Curated By :

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 07:32 IST

According to the Italian firefighters cited by AP, a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio.

Skydiver and extreme athelete Felix Baumgartner (Credits: Instagram)

Skydiver and extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner was killed in a paragliding crash Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy, according to an official where the crash occurred.

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Italian firefighters who responded to the scene said that a paraglider had crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto SantElpidio.

As per reports, the crash also left a woman injured as she was hit by Baumgartner. She was rushed to hospital following the accident and has not suffered major injuries.

Meanwhile, Baumgartner died after he lost control of the powered hang glider. The Daily Mail reported that he lost consciousness following the crash and later died of cardiac arrest.

The 56-year-old was the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago. His death was also confirmed by the mayor of the city, Massimiliano Ciarpella, in a social media post.

Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight," the mayor said.

Who Was Felix Baumgartner?

Felix Baumgartner was the first man to break the sound barrier with only his body. Wearing a pressurised suit, he leapt from a capsule that had been lifted over 24 miles (39 kilometers) above Earth by a massive helium balloon above New Mexico.

The Austrian, a member of the Red Bull Stratos team, reached a peak speed of 843.6 mph  roughly 1.25 times the speed of sound  during his nine-minute descent. At one stage, he entered a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning uncontrollably for 13 seconds, according to his crew.

When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive," he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

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Location : Italy

First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:19 IST

News world Felix Baumgartner, Who Jumped From Edge Of Space, Dies Paragliding
From Kim Jong Un, With Regret: North Korea's Fancy New Resort Now Bans Foreign Tourists

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:27 IST

North Korea barred foreign tourists from the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone after welcoming its first Russian visitors.

Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area houses over 400 buildings. (Photo Credit: X)

North Korea unexpectedly barred foreign tourists from its newly inaugurated Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, just days after receiving its first group of Russian visitors and touting the resort as a symbol of its tourism revival. A notice posted this week on North Koreas official tourism website states that foreign nationals are temporarily" prohibited from visiting the beachside complex, which officially opened on July 1 after years of development under Kim Jong Uns watch.

Russians Welcomed, Then Resort Doors Closed

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The move raised eyebrows, particularly as it follows a high-profile visit to the resort last week by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during which he met Kim Jong Un and praised the resort as a good tourist attraction", saying he hoped it would become a favored destination for Russians. Direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang are set to launch later this month.

North Korea has offered no explanation for the new restriction but the abrupt reversal is reminiscent of February, when Pyongyang reopened its borders to select countries including the UK, France, Germany and Australia- only to close them again weeks later without clarification.

What North Koreas Seaside Resort Featured?

The Wonsan Kalma resort, which stretches 4 kilometers along the countrys east coast, boasts hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and a water park and is designed to accommodate up to 20,000 visitors. It sits near military installations and elite villas- in a city where Kim Jong Un himself spent parts of his childhood.

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Russian tour operators had reportedly planned multiple group trips to the resort in the coming months which has been criticised by human rights groups citing reports of forced labor and grueling working conditions during its construction, which began in 2018. According to watchdogs, North Korean workers were allegedly pushed to finish the project under harsh circumstances and with little or no compensation.

Russian officials were present at the resorts completion ceremony on June 24, alongside Kim Jong Un and members of his family, signaling Pyongyangs growing tilt toward Moscow amid deepening geopolitical isolation from the West.

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Location : North Korea

First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:27 IST

News world From Kim Jong Un, With Regret: North Korea's Fancy New Resort Now Bans Foreign Tourists
'If There Was A Smoking Gun...': Trump Questions Why Democrats Did 'Nothing On Epstein Files

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 19:51 IST

Donald Trump accused Democrats of withholding Jeffrey Epstein evidence.

US President Donald Trump (AP)

US President Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats, accusing them of sitting on Jeffrey Epstein-related evidence during their time in power. The remarks came hours before House Republicans narrowly passed Donald Trumps $9 billion rescissions package- marking a significant rollback in government spending and further cementing partisan tensions on Capitol Hill.

If there was a smoking gun on Epstein, why didnt the Dems, who controlled the files for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!" Donald Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, referring to US Attorney General Merrick Garland and former FBI Director James Comey. He added, They controlled the files, and they came up empty. That tells you everything."

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The US Presidents remarks follow a contentious back-and-forth over the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related materials, which have gained renewed attention after the Justice Department concluded this month that there was no credible client list" found in the files and no evidence of blackmail against prominent individuals. The investigation into the late financiers alleged sex trafficking ring led to the release of some documents- including flight logs- but withheld others deemed too sensitive, including material described as child sexual abuse content.

Donald Trump, who had past social ties with Jeffrey Epstein but has long denied any wrongdoing, previously directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release credible" materials but stopped short of full transparency. He has since been accused him of selectively handling the files but Donald Trump flipped the focus back on Democrats, framing their failure to act as political theater lacking substance.

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Who Is Jeffrey Epstein?

Jeffrey Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender who was accused of running a vast sex trafficking operation involving underage girls and powerful global figures. He was first convicted in 2008 on charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor but served only 13 months in a controversial plea deal. In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy. He died by suicide in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial.

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: July 18, 2025, 19:51 IST

News world 'If There Was A Smoking Gun...': Trump Questions Why Democrats Did 'Nothing On Epstein Files
How Trump's Fentanyl Crackdown Has Put The Spotlight On Khalistani Groups In The West

Reported By :

CNN-News18

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 09:44 IST

Operations by the United States and coordinating Canadian law enforcement agencies have uncovered links between fentanyl trafficking, illegal immigration, and Khalistani groups

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has struck back at US President Donald Trumps new 35% tariff threat, declaring Canada has made 'vital progress' against fentanyl trafficking. File pic/Reuters

US President Donald Trump, at present under the spotlight for his firm stance on global trade tariffs, has also made significant efforts to combat the illegal fentanyl trade and unauthorised immigration. Since taking office, his tough policies have prompted numerous operations by the United States and coordinating Canadian law enforcement agencies, uncovering connections between fentanyl trafficking, illegal immigration, and also Khalistani groups.

In a notable international development, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently announced the arrest of infamous Indo-Canadian gangster Opinder Singh Sian in Arizona on June 27. Sian, linked to Khalistani elements in Canada, was apprehended following a DEA operation initiated in 2022 based on intelligence from Turkey. The operation revealed Sians extensive global drug trafficking network, accused of smuggling large quantities of fentanyl precursors and methamphetamine from Canada to the United States and Australia.

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The affidavit details how Sian managed chemical shipments from China to Vancouver and then to Los Angeles through a trucking business run by a Chinese cartel member, Peter Pend Zhou. His Brothers Keeper" gang in British Columbia is connected to the Kinahan Crime Cartel in Dubai and the Hezbollah Group, with involvement in arms smuggling, extortion, homicide, and Khalistani extremist activities. The arrest also uncovered his ties to Irish, Turkish, and ISI-backed Pakistani-Khalistani drug cartels. Notably, Parupkar Singh, Parry Duley," Sians cousin, has been placed on a no-fly list by the Canadian government and is associated with Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh. Sian is also closely related to Khalistani Saudagar" Sandhu, a director and former president of Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar, highlighting the deep connections. Bhupinder Singh Hundal is a cousin of Parry Dullay and a close associate of Sian. He allegedly operates openly for this cartel, providing media cover by presenting Khalistani crimes as human rights" activism. He is a manager at Global News, where he allegedly exploits his position to target anti-Khalistan voices. The Hundal family purportedly has a history of Khalistani extremism; his uncle allegedly travelled to Afghanistan under the protection of ISI to receive training in terrorist activities. Another uncle, Amarjit Hundal, allegedly used drug money to fund the so-called Kisan Andolan" in India, purportedly aiming to tarnish Indias image and undermine Narendra Modis global reputation. Proper investigation of this drug bust will reveal the grim reality of Khalistani narco-terrorism, exposing operatives like Bhupinder Hundal.

Bhupinder Singh Hundal is a cousin of Parry Dullay and a close associate of Sian. He is an over-ground operative of this cartel, who provides media cover to them by covering the Khalistani crimes as human rights" activism. He is a manager at Global News and misuses his position to victimise anti-Khalistan voices. The Hundal family has a history of Khalistani extremism. His uncle travelled to Afghanistan under the protection of ISI, where he got training in terrorist activities. Hundals other uncle, Amarjit Hundal, used the drug money to fund the so-called Kisan Andolan in India to tarnish Indias image and attack PM Narendra Modis global standing.

This drug bust, if investigated properly, will unearth the ugly face of Khalistani narco-terrorism, where over-ground operatives like Bhupinder Hundal will be exposed."

Meanwhile, eight individuals of Indian origin, including a man wanted by Indias National Investigation Agency (NIA), were arrested in California in relation to a gang-related kidnapping and torture case. Among those detained is Pavittar Singh Batala, a gangster from Punjab linked to the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International, facing terror-related charges by NIA. The arrests, made on a Friday, followed a coordinated operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The individuals arrested include Dilpreet Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Vishal Singh, Gurjat Singh, Manpreet Singh, and Sarbjit Singh.

Additionally, in April 2019, Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, a wanted gangster-turned-terrorist, was arrested by the FBI and the US Immigration Department. Passia faces numerous charges in Punjab for violence, extortion, and terror-related incidents, including 16 blasts. The Amritsar native has been named in 33 First Information Reports, and 10 Look Out Circulars have been issued against him. A dossier prepared by Punjab police accuses him of orchestrating 14 grenade attacks, one IED blast, and one rocket-propelled grenade attack in the state.

Also, Peel Police in Canada, through Project Pelican", successfully dismantled a large narco-terror network, arresting individuals suspected to be Khalistan sympathisers. This operation led to Canadas largest ever drug seizure, with 497 kg of cocaine valued at $47.9 million. Nine people, including seven Indian-origin men settled in Canada, were arrested. Investigations revealed the network used commercial trucking routes from the United States to Canada and maintained ties with Mexican cartels and US-based distributors. Importantly, the funds from these illicit drug operations were found to be financing anti-India activities, including protests and referendums, demonstrating a direct link between organised crime and extremist agendas.

Each of these cases has a common link to Khalistani separatism. Most of the accused are of Indian origin and wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for various cases. Many names are part of the Indian dossier.

It is surprising that despite the Indian community being largely respected abroad, the actions of some extremist elements tarnish the reputation of the entire community. Since President Trump came to power, India and the US have been closely cooperating to stop the illegal smuggling of fentanyl into the United States, which includes a crackdown on transnational gangs.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis June visit to Canada, New Delhi and Ottawa decided to establish a mechanism for close cooperation on security matters to address terrorism and extremism. For the first time, Canadian Khalistanis are experiencing a false sense of victimhood, affecting the mindset of the new generation. Their actions and criminal activities have led to increased anti-immigrant sentiment and anti-South Asian hate in Canada and the US.

Sians close relatives were on the gurdwara management committee, and they successfully undermined Sikh religious bodies. Due to false propaganda, anti-Indian hate has spread.

Navdeep Gill from Surrey, British Columbia, told News18, Sikhs are proud people. They (Khalistanis) have created a false sense of victimhood and affected the minds of the new generation. Their actions and criminal activities, such as taking law and order into their own hands and car rallies, have led to increased anti-immigrant sentiment and anti-South Asian hate in Canada and the US."

Gill also mentioned that One of the accused, Sian, arrested by the US law enforcement agency, has relatives on the gurdwara management committee. Extremist groups have successfully destroyed Sikh religious bodies."

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Another prominent member of the South Asian community, speaking on condition of anonymity, told News18, After the arrest of hardened criminals, wanted terrorists, and gangsters tied to Gurpatwant Singh Pannuns so-called SFJ Khalistani Referendum circus by top US law enforcement agencies like the FBI, ICE, and local sheriff departments in California, the truth is now out in the open. These thugs were not freedom fighters. They were fugitives hiding behind the Khalistani mask to push violence, fear, and organised crime."

He also said, For the first time, there is real anger and resentment brewing among the mainstream Sikh diaspora. People are finally calling out these elements for what they aregoons trying to take over our sacred gurdwaras by intimidating honest Sikhs and poisoning our community with fear and division."

About the Author Siddhant Mishra Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 17:13 IST

News world How Trump's Fentanyl Crackdown Has Put The Spotlight On Khalistani Groups In The West
Our Country Is Not A Junkyard: What Trump Did To Anger This Small African Nation

Curated By :

Translation Desk

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 12:22 IST

The deported men from five different countries were sent to the African nation under Trumps policy of relocating criminals when their own countries refuse to take them back

The criminals were sent to Eswatini under the Trump administration's third-country deportation policy. (AP/File)

A special aircraft from the United States landed in the southern African nation of Eswatini last week, carrying five foreign nationals accused of grave crimes, including child rape and murder, who had illegally entered the U.S.

According to the US administration, their home countries were unwilling to take them back, prompting their deportation to Eswatini as a third country. This decision has thrust the small nation, with a population of 1.2 million, into the spotlight of global debate and sparked protests within Eswatini.

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Among the deported are citizens of Vietnam, Cuba, Jamaica, Yemen, and Laos. Described by the US as extremely brutal criminals, they were sent to Eswatini under the Trump administrations third-country deportation policy, which aims to relocate criminals when their native countries refuse repatriation.

The Eswatini government has placed these individuals in isolation at an undisclosed prison for security reasons, though local media reports suggest they are being held at Matsapha Correctional Centre, the countrys most secure prison, located outside the capital, Mbabane. This measure is believed to be an attempt to mitigate public outrage.

Whats Fueling Public Anger In Eswatini?

The people of Eswatini, along with opposition parties, have voiced strong objections to this decision. PUDEMO, an opposition party, stated, Our country is not a junkyard where other countries dump their anti-social elements. Our society is already struggling with unemployment and health crises." Prominent leaders have questioned the nature of the US-Eswatini agreement, as such high-level arrangements are unusual for a nation of Eswatinis size.

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What The United Nations Is Saying

The United Nations migration agency, IOM, disclosed they were unaware of this operation and were not consulted. However, they expressed willingness to assist from a humanitarian perspective if contacted. The USs third-country deportation policy has faced controversy previously, notably under the Trump administration when hundreds of Venezuelans were deported to Costa Rica, Panama, and South Sudan. Many of these individuals were initially confined in containers at a military base in Djibouti.

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Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:22 IST

News world Our Country Is Not A Junkyard: What Trump Did To Anger This Small African Nation
Technology / Other

by Staff reporter

Harare - The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has launched a sweeping crackdown on counterfeit electronics flooding the country's markets, targeting fake mobile phones, laptops, and accessories that are being deceptively sold as brand new.The surge in illicit tech trade - especially in urban informal retail spaces - has triggered alarm among legitimate businesses and tax authorities. Retailers blame Zimra's steep import duties for driving consumers toward cheaper, smuggled alternatives."We're seeing a dangerous rise in fake gadgets undermining tax compliance and hurting honest traders," said Zimra corporate affairs manager Gladman Njanji.Zimra is now deploying intelligence-led inspections and risk profiling at border posts, working with regional customs agencies to intercept counterfeit shipments. The authority is also urging brand owners to register trademarks and report violations to enable swift seizures.Meanwhile, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has called for a multi-agency blitz involving police and regulators to shut down rogue operators. Acting CEO Tapiwa Marimo warned that fake electronics are not only hurting businesses but also duping consumers."People are buying phones and laptops that break down within days. There's no warranty, no refund, and no accountability," Marimo said.The crackdown comes amid growing concern that Zimbabwe's tech market is being flooded with refurbished and imitation devices - some sold openly on city pavements. Experts say the problem is worsened by high prices in formal outlets, leaving low-income buyers with few alternatives.Industry insiders are now calling for a broader solution: lower import duties, public education campaigns, and partnerships with budget-friendly brands to offer affordable, genuine options.
'Justice For Pahalgam': Big Win For India As US Designates Lashkar Offshoot TRF As Terror Group

Reported By :

CNN-News18

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 09:09 IST

The Department of State has added The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)

Visuals of exact moment when the Pahalgam terror attack happened in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. (Images: News18)

The US Department of State on Friday officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a group that had claimed responsibility for the horrific April 22 Pahalgam massacre, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This significant move marks a major victory for Indias persistent global outreach efforts against terrorism.

Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack."

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Indias diplomatic push to secure this designation involved a multi-pronged strategy. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri undertook a critical visit to the US, engaging with American counterparts. Concurrently, a multi-party delegation, led by prominent Indian parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, was dispatched for dedicated outreach, highlighting the cross-party consensus in India on this issue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also visited the US for a Quad Summit, where he held crucial bilateral talks with Secretary Marco Rubio, further pressing Indias case. Crucially, India had briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on TRFs direct involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, building international pressure. This was not Indias first attempt; before the Pahalgam tragedy, New Delhi had twice tried to sanction TRF, underscoring its long-standing efforts to counter the group.

The designation as an FTO carries significant legal ramifications. It leads to stringent financial sanctions, prohibiting US persons and entities from providing any material support to TRF. Furthermore, it imposes severe immigration restrictions, potentially denying entry into the United States for members and supporters of the organisation. Other penalties include restrictions on defence exports and sales, alongside strict controls over exports of dual-use items that could be diverted for terrorist activities.

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Concurrently, the SDGT designation primarily results in the blocking of assets. This means that any assets belonging to TRF, its operatives, or associated entities that are in the possession or control of US persons or fall within US jurisdiction will be immediately blocked and cannot be accessed or utilised. These combined designations will significantly bolster Indias ongoing case against Pakistan in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), given the continuous evidence of cross-border terrorism.

TRF now joins a list of other notorious terror groups, including Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Jihad Union, underscoring the severity with which the international community views its operations.

About the Author Siddhant Mishra Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 04:14 IST

News world 'Justice For Pahalgam': Big Win For India As US Designates Lashkar Offshoot TRF As Terror Group
Financial Sanctions, Immigration Restrictions: How US' Terror Tag Would Affect Lashkar's Proxy TRF

Reported By :

CNN-News18 Edited By: Vani Mehrotra



Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 07:20 IST

The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The move imposes strict financial, immigration, and export-related sanctions on the group.

Pahalgam: A security official stands guard (Photo: PTI)

The United States designating The Resistance Front, the group behind the Pahalgam terror attack, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) holds significant legal consequences, including financial sanctions, immigration restrictions, and other penalties on the group.

Twenty-six people were killed in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The TRF, a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack, but later backtracked as tensions soared between India and Pakistan.

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Indias National Investigation Agency has identified TRF head Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind of the attack.

Heres an understanding of the consequences of the TRF being placed on the FTO list.

Under financial restrictions, persons and entities from the United States would be prohibited from providing material support to the designated organisation.

Under immigration restrictions, members and supporters of the organisation would be denied entry to the United States.

The organisation would also face restrictions in terms of defence exports, sales, control over exports of dual-use items, and more.

The Resistance Front is not the first organisation to have been placed on the list.

Some other terror groups that already fall under the list include militant groups Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, along with terror groups Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad Union.

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7, targeting multiple terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Later, seven multi-party delegations from India visited 33 global capitals, including Washington, to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistans links to terrorism and to put forth Indias stance against the same.

BIG ACTION BY UNITED STATES, MAJOR VICTORY FOR INDIA

In a statement issued by the Department of State on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said designating TRF as a foreign terrorist organisation demonstrates the USs commitment to enforcing President Donald Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.

Rubio said the Department of State is designating the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeTs designation as an FTO and SDGT pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT," he said.

Rubio further said that this action against the TRF demonstrates the Trump administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack".

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This (Pahalgam attack) was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the secretary of state said.

ALSO READ | Pahalgam Probe: Terrorists Fired In Air While Fleeing; ISI Likely Used New Module For Secrecy

About the Author Siddhant Mishra Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 07:09 IST

News world Financial Sanctions, Immigration Restrictions: How US' Terror Tag Would Affect Lashkar's Proxy TRF
Pakistan Govt, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar Openly Support Lashkar And TRF: Sources | Exclusive

Reported By :

CNN-News18

Last Updated: July 19, 2025, 00:41 IST

Ishaq Dar later publicly confirmed his role in having TRFs name struck from the final UNSC statement

Pakistan deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar sought to frame the Pahalgam attack not as a terrorist act, but rather as a 'reaction to state repression in Kashmir'. (File pic/Reuters)

Pakistans deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is being accused of actively enabling terrorism through diplomatic means, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating April 22 Pahalgam massacre in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), publicly claiming responsibility for the attack and compelling forensic links tying it to LeT, Dars actions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) aimed to shield the terror outfit from international condemnation, top Indian government sources told CNN-News18.

Dars alleged support for Lashkar and TRF was strikingly visible even after the Pahalgam attack. He personally intervened during the UNSC closed-door session on the incident, reportedly demanding the removal of TRF from the draft statement condemning the attack. His primary contention was a claimed lack of verified attribution", a stance that directly contradicted TRFs own public claim of responsibility and intelligence confirmation from both Indian and US agencies linking the group to LeTs infrastructure.

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Furthermore, the sources said Dar pushed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members and other China-friendly nations within the Security Council to block any reference to LeT proxies in the statement. He sought to frame the Pahalgam attack not as a terrorist act, but rather as a reaction to state repression in Kashmir", thereby attempting to legitimise terrorist violence in India as indigenous resistance". This diplomatic manoeuvre was aimed at forcing the world to ignore the compelling digital and human intelligence linking the group to Lashkars extensive infrastructure, said the sources.

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Ultimately, with Pakistans active lobbying and support, the UNSCs initial draft condemnation, which had named TRF, was altered. Ishaq Dar later publicly confirmed his role in having TRFs name struck from the final UNSC statement, a candid admission that underscored deliberate diplomatic interference to shield a designated terror proxy. He even circulated a classified diplomatic note to over a dozen states, arguing that naming TRF would politicise the Council".

Critics say that Dars actions provided not just ideological cover and diplomatic protection but also facilitated sanction evasion for TRF, thereby enabling its continued recruitment, fundraising, and the execution of further attacks, such as the 2024 Z-Morh Tunnel ambush.

About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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First Published: July 19, 2025, 00:39 IST

News world Pakistan Govt, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar Openly Support Lashkar And TRF: Sources | Exclusive
Only In Pakistan: Journalist Criticises Government But Parrot Sellers Pay The Price

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 21:53 IST

The issue first surfaced in April when 29-year-old parrot seller Rozi Khan, based in Karachi, discovered his bank account had been shut down

Neither the FIA nor other Pakistani authorities have publicly commented on the matter or announced any formal charges related to the freezes. (PTI file photo)

Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has frozen the bank accounts of prominent independent journalist Asad Ali Toor and multiple bird sellers nationwide over transactions connected to parrot sales.

The issue first surfaced in April when 29-year-old parrot seller Rozi Khan, based in Karachi, discovered his bank account had been shut down. After completing a routine sale in Islamabad, he tried to withdraw money but received an Invalid bank account" message at the ATM.

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His bank manager later informed him that the account was frozen on 10 April under an FIA directive, Pakistan-based The Friday Times reported.

I sell birds to all sorts of people," Rozi told the outlet. I had no idea that selling parrots to a journalist could lead to this."

The freezes are not limited to Rozi. Sellers in Lahore, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, and other cities have also found their accounts blocked after trading with Toor.

One such seller, 60-year-old businessman Nadeem Nasir from Lahore, said that his account was frozen without warning after a cheque unexpectedly bounced, Al Jazeera reported.

When he contacted FIA officials, they questioned him about Asad Ali Toor. I have known Asad for the last five years and have developed good relations with him," Nasir said. But the last time he purchased parrots from me was in 2023 and early 2024. Since then, there has been no business transaction between us."

Asad Ali Toor is a well-known YouTuber and outspoken critic of the government, boasting over 335,000 subscribers. He has a noted passion for rare parrots and reportedly spends over Rs 50,000 per month on their care. While Toors bank accounts, along with those of his parents, brother, and cousin, were frozen, sellers who have dealt with him also suffered similar restrictions.

Toor learned of the bank freeze after a cousin alerted him. Its not just me," he said. Even people who sold me birds are being punished. Its absurd."

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Neither the FIA nor other Pakistani authorities have publicly commented on the matter or announced any formal charges related to the freezes.

Notably, Toors YouTube channel was targeted for suspension earlier this year, along with 26 others, for anti-state" content  though a sessions court reversed that suspension two days later.

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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Location : Pakistan

First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:49 IST

News world Only In Pakistan: Journalist Criticises Government But Parrot Sellers Pay The Price
Wanted Worldwide, VVIPs In Pakistan: How Islamabad Protects These 7 Terrorists

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 21:23 IST

Despite global terror listings and Indias repeated warnings, Pakistan continues to shield 7 most-wanted terrorists, from Hafiz Saeed to Dawood Ibrahim.

Pakistan continues to shelter terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim.

Despite repeated diplomatic calls from India and mounting evidence shared with global bodies like the United Nations and FATF (Financial Action Task Force), Pakistan continues to provide safe haven to some of the worlds most wanted terrorists. From masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to underworld kingpins and terrorists operating across borders, these seven individuals remain free- brazenly protected, directly or indirectly, by Pakistan.

Hafiz Saeed

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Founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hafiz Saeed orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed over 200. He is also responsible for attacks on the Red Fort in 2000 and countless strikes across Kashmir. Despite being designated a global terrorist by the UN and US and facing a $10 million bounty, Hafiz Saeed lives comfortably in Lahore, often seen attending Friday prayers under armed police protection. In June 2025, Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest"- a claim India dismissed as eyewash. Pakistans Lashkar HQ in Muridke was destroyed by India in Operation Sindoor.

Masood Azhar

Masood Azhar, head of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), was behind the Pulwama suicide bombing (2019) and the Uri attack (2016). He was declared a UN global terrorist in 2019 after years of China blocking the designation. In 2024, Masood Azhar resurfaced at a seminary in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, vowing jihad against India- yet Pakistan claimed ignorance. In 2025, Bilawal Bhutto claimed that Masood Azhar may be in Afghanistan." Intel, however, continues to trace him to Bahawalpur, where he coordinates JeM activities and fundraising.

Dawood Ibrahim

Indias most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings that killed over 250 people. He heads the D-Company, a transnational crime syndicate involved in narco-terrorism, extortion and money laundering. Labelled a global terrorist by the US and UN, Dawood Ibrahim has a $25 million bounty. His Karachi address- House No. D-13, Clifton, Karachi- has appeared in multiple dossiers shared with Pakistan and the UN. Yet he continues to live with impunity under the protection of Pakistans ISI and reportedly enjoys direct contact with elements of the military.

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi

A top Lashkar commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was one of the primary handlers of the 10 Pakistani gunmen who carried out the Mumbai 26/11 attacks. Captured gunman Ajmal Kasab named him as a key figure. Though briefly jailed under global pressure, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was granted bail in Pakistan and has since vanished from public record. He continues to enjoy military protection in Pakistans Punjab province and his assets remain largely untouched. When Pakistan was on the FATF grey list, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi faced limited sanctions but once that scrutiny faded, he reemerged with impunity. China has repeatedly blocked UN efforts to list him under global sanctions.

Syed Salahuddin

Chief of Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin operates out of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where he frequently leads anti-India rallies, calling for jihad and threatening to turn Kashmir into a graveyard for Indian soldiers." The US State Department designated him a global terrorist in 2017.

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Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal

The Bhatkal brothers- Riyaz and Iqbal- founded the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and have been behind a spate of bombings in Indian cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune. While Iqbal is the operational head and bombmaker, Riyaz handles funding and logistics, with help from Gulf-based handlers and Pakistans ISI. Both are currently believed to be living in Karachi, where they are said to operate sleeper cells in India through encrypted apps and hawala channels.

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Location : Islamabad, Pakistan

First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:18 IST

News world Wanted Worldwide, VVIPs In Pakistan: How Islamabad Protects These 7 Terrorists
Who Is Wilawan Emsawat? Woman Behind Thailand's $12 Million Monk Sex Extortion Scandal

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News18.com

Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 16:37 IST

Thai police say at least 11 monks were involved, all of whom have now been stripped of their robes

In Thai society, monks are deeply respected and considered spiritual successors of the Buddha, tasked with upholding and spreading his teachings. (AFP photo)

A shocking scandal has shaken Thailand after a woman was arrested for allegedly seducing monks and blackmailing them with secretly taken photos and videos. Thai police say at least 11 monks were involved, all of whom have now been stripped of their robes.

The woman is accused of demanding millions of dollars from the monks, money which reportedly came from temple donations made by followers. The case has not only damaged the reputation of the clergy but also raised serious concerns about how religious donations are handled in the country.

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In Thai society, monks are deeply respected and considered spiritual successors of the Buddha, tasked with upholding and spreading his teachings. Thats why this scandal has caused such a deep sense of betrayal among the public.

Who is Wilawan Emsawat?

Wilawan Emsawat, thought to be in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok, earlier this week. The Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau confirmed her arrest and said she faces charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen property.

In a televised interview, Wilawan admitted to developing a splurging attitude" as her monk partners spoiled her with lavish gifts and expensive shopping trips  reportedly spending up to $90,000 (about 3 million baht) in a single day.

Thai news outlets revealed that a search of her mobile phones uncovered tens of thousands of images and videos, including private chat logs showing intimate relationships with several monks. Police said over 80,000 pieces of media content were found, much of it used to threaten and blackmail her victims.

Pattern Of Temple Scandals

This is not the first time Thailands monkhood has faced public disgrace. In 2017, police raided the well-known Wat Dhammakaya temple and arrested its abbot for allegedly laundering $33 million in public donations.

Just two months ago, another senior monk was arrested in Bangkok for embezzling nearly $10 million to fund an illegal online gambling operation.

Danai Preechapermprasit, a scholar in Buddhism, said repeated scandals like these  especially involving high-ranking monks  have deeply shaken public faith.

People question whether donations are used for spiritual significance or personal desire," he told news agency AFP. I think Thailand has reached a point where its difficult for monks to even walk down the street."

Push For Reform

The scandal has prompted strong calls for reform. A leading Thai lawmaker has promised new rules within three months, including mandatory disclosure of temple donations and laws that would make monk misconduct a criminal offence.

This case does not represent Buddhism as a whole," said national police chief Kitrat Panphet on Thursday. He announced the creation of a special task force to investigate other cases of wrongdoing in the monkhood. Its about a few individuals doing wrong," he added.

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In response to the public outrage, King Maha Vajiralongkorn has withdrawn invitations to more than 80 monks who were due to attend his 73rd birthday celebrations. The Royal Household stated this was due to inappropriate behaviour that caused mental distress among the Thai people".

(With inputs from AFP)

About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More

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Location : Thailand

First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:36 IST

News world Who Is Wilawan Emsawat? Woman Behind Thailand's $12 Million Monk Sex Extortion Scandal
Richard Flanagans book The Narrow Road to the Deep North isnt a light read. Published in 2013, it won the Booker Prize for its depiction of its hero, Dorrigo Evans, struggles in Burma during the Second World War.

Now, it has been adapted into a TV series starring Jacob Elordi. But despite the touch of Hollywood glamour, the story remains unrelentingly grim: Dorrigo Evans is captured by the Japanese during the Battle of Java and forced to help build the Burma Railway.

The railway itself is a 415km stretch of track built by South-East Asian civilians and Japanese prisoners of war. It was infamous for how deadly it was: approximately 102,000 people died to build it, which amounted to approximately 134-269 deaths per kilometre of track.

Conditions were terrible. In the book, many of Dorrigos colleagues are killed, take their own lives, and are brutally mistreated by their Japanese captors. Even more soberingly, a lot of this is true  Flanagans own father worked on the Burma Railway, and much of the story is inspired by his own lived experiences.

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So what was it, and how did it claim so many lives? Heres what to know.

The railway

(CREDIT LINE:BBC/Curio Pictures/Sony Pictures Television/)

In 1941, the Japanese army invaded Thailand, which quickly surrendered. From there, they pushed into Singapore and eventually Burma (present day Myanmar), taking it in 1942.

From there, the eventual plan was to invade India, but the army had a problem: they couldnt supply their troops without making a dangerous 2,000 mile journey around the Malay Peninsula, which was patrolled by Allied boats.

As a way of getting around that, they decided to construct a 415km railway line that went from Thailand all the way to Burma. This was something the British had initially thought about back in the 1880s, before ditching the plan: the ground was hilly, bisected by dozens of rivers and thick with jungle.

No problem, said the Japanese; they threw manpower at it, starting construction at both ends and working inwards to meet at the middle. The project started in September 1942 and went onto October 1943. A national holiday was declared for the day it was finished - October 25 - and a memorial plaque was revealed at the spot where the two sections of track eventually met.

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As might be expected, conditions on the railway were brutal. To get the manpower needed to build the track, 180,000 South-East Asian civilians were forcibly conscripted, including Javanese, Malayan Tamils, Burmese and Thai.

They were joined by 12,000 POWs: Australians, Brits, Dutch and Americans among them. And conditions were appalling. One soldier said that they found themselves at the bottom of a social system that was harsh, punitive, fanatical, and often deadly.

In addition to the tropical diseases that ran rampant among the workers  including dysentery, typhoid, malaria and cholera, which weakened them significantly  there was also the problem of treatment.

Many European and US doctors who had been captured had little experience of treating tropical diseases, while Dutch ones did  and Dutch soldiers correspondingly suffered from a lower death toll than their fellows. The treatment the workers had at the hands of their Japanese captors was also infamously brutal  the bridge over the river Khwae and the Hellfire Pass were built by prisoners of war, often working without the correct tools.

Food was scarce (prisoners were often given only 600 calories a day, while Red Cross parcels were taken by the Japanese soldiers); those who survived often returned home skeletally thin. Unsurprisingly, the building of the railway has since been designated a war crime.

Rest camps

(CREDIT LINE:BBC/Curio Pictures/Sony Pictures Television/)

Once the bridge was built in 1943, the Japanese moved many of its prisoners to rest camps, where soldiers would rest and await further work. These proved even deadlier: disease was prevalent, and torture by the guards was commonplace.

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Beatings happened often; there was experimentation on human prisoners with biological weapons, and forced death marches, where soldiers were made to walk thousands of miles through hostile terrain until they essentially dropped dead. In all, this contributed to a death toll seven times higher under the Japanese than that of POWs in Nazi Germany.

There was some resistance. People like Jack Bridger Chalker and Philip Meninsky risked torture by the guards to paint depictions of life in the camps, using human hair for brushes, plant juices and blood for paint, and drawing on toilet paper. Some of their artworks were later used in the war crime trials that followed.

After the war

(CREDIT LINE:BBC/Curio Pictures/Sony Pictures Television/)

After the Japanese surrendered, many officers were tried for war crimes over the building over the railway. 32 of them were sentenced to death, including Horoshi Abe, who supervised an area of the railway at Sonkrai were 600 British prisoners (out of 1,600) died of tropical diseases.

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Lieutenant General Eiguma Ishida, the most senior person involved in the construction, was sentenced to 10 years  while both his subordinates were sentenced to death.

As for the railway? Much of it was dismantled by the British in the years following the Second World War. Today, only a small section of track remains (160km in Thailand); however, its possible to visit the bridge over the river Khwae, while particularly deadly sections of track like the Hellfire Pass and Wampo Viaduct are tourist destinations.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is streaming on BBC One from July 20
A fire engulfed a newly opened shopping center in eastern Iraq, killing more than 60 people, including children, Iraqi officials said Thursday. Civil defense teams rescued more than 45 people who became trapped when the fire broke out late Wednesday in the city of Kut in Wasit province, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Others are still missing, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.

Photographs and videos on local media showed the five-story Corniche Hypermarket Mall engulfed in flames only a week after it had opened, the AP reports. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials and residents alleged that a lack of fire safety measures in the building contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
The Justice Department has decided that a Louisville police officer who blindly shot 10 times into Breonna Taylor's apartment has been punished enough. The department's Civil Rights Division filed a sentencing memo in the case of Brett Hankison, who was convicted of violating Taylor's civil rights in the 2020 case, that says there "is no need for a prison sentence to protect the public from defendant," NBC News reports. Harmeet Dhillon, the newly appointed assistant attorney general for civil rights, asked the court to sentence Hankison to one day in prisonbasically equivalent to the amount of time the former officer was in a lockup when first charged, per the New York Times .

The Times calls the decision "a stunning reversal of the unit's longstanding efforts to address racial disparities in policing," and NBC points out that no career-line Justice Department prosecutors from the Justice Department signed off on it. The memo also was signed Robert Keenan, senior counsel for the division, instead of by career prosecutors who worked on the casewhich would be the normal procedure. Hankison, whose shots did not hit anyone, was acquitted on a state charge. "Only one of three juries" convicted him, the memo says, adding that the verdict "will almost certainly ensure that defendant Hankison never serves as a law enforcement officer again and will also likely ensure that he never legally possesses a firearm again."

A former Civil Rights Division official wrote online that one of Hankison's shots "missed a sleeping baby by about two feet" and predicted the court would recognize the sentencing memo as "transparent, last minute political interference." The federal judge will consider the memo at a sentencing hearing on Monday and still could give Hankison up to life in prison. Taylor, 26, a medical worker, was asleep when police entered her home after midnight and opened fire, killing her in a botched drug raid.
A major data breach has blown the cover off more than 100 British officialsincluding MI6 agents and Special Air Service memberswhile also exposing thousands of Afghan allies to potential Taliban reprisals. The breach, which occurred in February 2022 but was only discovered more than a year later, spilled personal details from a sensitive database meant to help Afghans who supported the UK during its 20-year campaign in Afghanistan, per the BBC .

Almost 19,000 Afghans, many already in danger under Taliban rule, found their information leaked after an employee at UK Special Forces HQ accidentally emailed the entire database of resettlement applications to an individual outside of government instead of just a small portion, per the Telegraph. The government only realized the blunder in August 2023, when parts of the data surfaced on Facebook, posted by an individual in Afghanistan who suggested he could release it all. The Ministry of Defense quietly brought the individual to the UKa move described by officials as virtual blackmail. Until this week, a "superinjunction" and other restrictions had kept details under wraps.

The breach forced the government to create a covert resettlement program, the Afghanistan Response Route, without alerting those at risk, per the BBC. So far, 4,500 Afghans and their relatives have relocated to the UK, with another 2,400 expected. Defense Secretary John Healey called the mishap "a serious departmental error" and also offered his "sincere apology" for it, per the Guardian. The Ministry of Defense declined to discuss details about those affected, citing security concerns. The Taliban, meanwhile, denies targeting Afghans linked to the leak, but families remain fearful as pressure mounts in Afghanistan.
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee moved forward Thursday with the nomination of Emil Bove, President Trump's pick for the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, despite a dramatic protest by Democrats. Every Democrat on the committee walked out of the hearing before the vote, objecting to both the process and the nominee himself, the Washington Post reports. Bove, a Justice Department official and Trump's former personal attorney, has faced whistleblower allegations that he pressured colleagues to disobey a court order in favor of stricter immigration enforcement.

Bove has also been tied to some of the Justice Department's most contentious moves under Trump, including efforts to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Democrats had pinned hopes on these allegations derailing the nomination, but Republicans were unmoved. Committee chair Chuck Grassley, a Republican long seen as a whistleblower ally, refused to grant Democrats' request to hear directly from whistleblower Erez Reuveni, a former prosecutor who was fired after acknowledging in a court hearing that Kilmar Abrego Garcia should not have been deported to an El Salvador prison. More than 900 former DOJ attorneys signed a letter expressing concerns about the nomination.

Several Democratic senators, frustrated by what they say is a rushed and unfair process, called the proceedings a "sham." "Time and time again, there were allegations made against this nominee by independent people, by Republicans, by career professionals, and we are not listening to them or demanding answers," Democratic Sen. Cory Booker said, per CNN. Ultimately, the committee's 12 Republicans voted to advance Bove's nomination to a full Senate vote; Democrats hoped to win over Sen. Thom Tillis, but he supported Bove, clarifying he would only oppose nominees who condoned violence on Jan. 6.
As the uproar over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case continues , the Wall Street Journal is out with a report claiming President Trump was among the many people who sent Epstein "bawdy" letters on the financier's 50th birthday. Per the sources who spoke to the paper, Ghislaine Maxwell collected dozens of letters from Epstein's family and friends, which she presented to Epstein in a birthday album. The sources say the Justice Department reviewed pages from that album years ago as it investigated Epstein and Maxwell, though it's not clear if the Trump administration's Justice Department has done so.

The card purportedly from Trump includes a message that ends with, "May every day be another wonderful secret." The text is outlined by an apparently hand-drawn outline of a nude woman, with the signature "Donald" apparently mimicking pubic hair below the waist of the silhouette. Trump himself gave the Journal a quote denying he had anything to do with the card: "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he said. "It's not my language. It's not my words." He threatened to sue the newspaper, and repeated the threat later in a social media post, Politico reports. Others in the administration were also publicly denying the article, with Vice President JD Vance calling it "b---s---." (Also Thursday, Trump directed Bondi to release grand jury testimony related to Epstein.)
A Los Angeles woman is being accused by the federal government of staging her own kidnapping and blaming it on ICE to try to profit off her claims. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officials, with a criminal complaint citing a June presser in which attorneys and Calderon's family members insisted that Calderon had been snatched off the streets, per a Justice Department release cited by CBS News . They claimed she'd been taken by "masked men" from the parking lot of an LA Jack in the Box restaurant, and that she was subsequently transported to the border in San Ysidro, per the release.

Officials say that Calderon claimed she was then presented with self-deportation paperwork and was "punished" for not signing it by being taken to a warehouse used for detention. "The press conference garnered media attention and stoked fear in the community," the DOJ release notes. The agency says that while all this was happening, Calderon's daughter set up a GoFundMe for her momwhich had raised just $80 of its $4,500 goal by Thursday, per the Los Angeles Timesbut by July 3, the feds were wondering why they couldn't find Calderon in custody anywhere. On July 5, they say they tracked her down in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in Bakersfield, where she was taken into custody. Surveillance video showing Calderon leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan, as well as phone records, show Calderon "fabricated the entire story," the DOJ release states.

The agency notes that Calderon also allegedly worked up fake pictures of her rescue, showing the purported abuse she'd suffered in ICE's custody. Homeland Security, meanwhile, is accusing her of setting up the entire scheme "to smear federal law enforcement" and doubling down by calling it a "hoax" online, per KTLA. "The conduct alleged in today's complaint shows this hoax 'kidnapping' was a well-orchestrated conspiracy," says US Attorney Bill Essayli in the DOJ release. "The defendant and all those involved will face the full consequences of their conduct under federal law." If convicted of all charges, Calderon could see a statutory maximum sentence of five years behind bars for the conspiracy charge, and up to five years for false statements. Calderon hasn't yet entered a plea and is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks.
After being dismissed from her role as US attorney, Maurene Comeydaughter of former FBI chief James Comeysent a parting letter urging Justice Department colleagues to resist letting fear shape their decisions and to stand up against "abuses of power." Comey, notable for prosecuting figures like Sean "Diddy" Combs and working on the Jeffrey Epstein/Ghislaine Maxwell cases, said her firing arrived without explanation, delivered via memo. The Justice Department reportedly cited Article II of the Constitution , affirming presidential executive authority, but gave no public reason for her departure, per NBC News .

In her note, Comey reflected on nearly a decade at the Southern District, where she said the ethos of "without fear or favor" was central. "We don't fear bad press ... so long as we did our work with integrity, we would get to keep serving the public," she wrote. She emphasized the importance of treating the powerful no differently than anyone else and described the office as a place focused on facts and law, not politics. Comey warned her former colleagues that "fear is the tool of a tyrant," cautioning that if prosecutors can be fired without cause, fear might start to influence decisions.

Instead, Comey encouraged them to let the moment inspire a renewed commitment to justice and truth. The AP notes that her firing is just the latest DOJ effort to pink-slip lawyers without spelling out why, "a trend that has raised alarm over a disregard for civil service protections." Her father, James Comey, remains a polarizing figure after launching the Russia election probe and being fired by President Trumpa feud that continues to resonate. The White House, when asked about Maurene Comey's firing, simply pointed to the Justice Department's authority. CNN has her memo in full here.
UPDATE

Jul 18, 2025 5:15 PM CDT

The Justice Department on Friday asked a federal judge in Manhattan to unseal grand jury testimony from the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein, after demands from President Trump's supporters to release documents about the case threatened to overshadow the administration's agenda. The department requested a similar release in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is imprisoned after being convicted of aiding Epstein's sex trafficking, the New York Times reports. Such records rarely are released publicly because of grand jury secrecy laws intended to protect witnesses and crime victims.

Jul 18, 2025 12:40 AM CDT

As President Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration's handling of records in the sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency, the AP reports. The House resolution, which could potentially be voted on next week, will do practically nothing to force the Justice Department to release more records in the case. Still, it showed how backlash from the Republican base is putting pressure on the Trump administration and roiling GOP lawmakers.
Man's best friend = man's artificial-intelligence-created lover? That's the gist of a new study that shows a significant number of pet owners wouldn't mind dating their pets if an AI version of them could be created, reports the New York Post . According to the MetLife survey of 1,000 domesticated-animal devotees on how owning a pet impacts their lives, 31% would go out with (in a romantic sense) a human version of their own pet if they existed. Nearly 80%, meanwhile, say their pet offers better emotional support than the last human partner they had.

"Instead of giving my husband, Alex, a kiss, I wake up and give [my dog] all my kisses," A New Jersey divorce attorney told the Post in a somewhat-related story earlier this year. "It's the same before we go to sleep at night." Even if the romance with Robo Rover didn't pan out, nearly 90% of respondents said they think they'd get along with their pet as a human, with 45% speculating they'd even be friends.

Butbecause there's always a "but"about 40% of pet owners admitted that if AI could bring their Fido or Fluffy to human-like fruition, that new creation would be a "walking red flag." Some of those warning traits that owners speculate the AI versions of their pets would have include needing constant attention (42%), being too clingy (32%), not understanding boundaries (30%), and becoming easily jealous or territorial (29%).

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A few other stats from the poll:

About two-thirds of pet owners say they prioritize their pet's needs and comfort over their own.

More than 80% say they wouldn't date someone who hated their pet.

Nearly 90% admit they'd give up on their dream apartment if it couldn't accommodate their non-human friend.

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Beachgoers knew something was wrong when they heard a loud boom ring out as a paraglider spun out of control, killing its only occupant , extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, when it crashed next to a swimming pool near the Adriatic Sea. A 30-year-old mother watched the deadly descent unfold Thursday afternoon from nearby with her two young children, who were entranced by the constant traffic of paragliders above the beach town of Porto Sant'Elpidio in central Italy's Marche region. "Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top," Mirella Ivanov told the AP on Friday.

"It went down and we heard a roar," Ivanov continued. "I turned around because I thought it [had] crashed on the rocks. Then I saw two lifeguards running" toward the crash site. When the mother saw people trying to revive the occupant, she whisked her two children away. The cause of the paragliding accident is still under investigation. "It is a destiny that is very hard to comprehend for a man who has [broken] all kinds of records, who has been an icon of flight, and who traveled through space," said Porto Sant'Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella.

The mayor said that Baumgartner had been in the area on vacation and that investigators believe he may have fallen ill during the fatal flight. Per the New York Post, Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino reports that Baumgartner had complained of not feeling well before Thursday's jump, with investigators speculating he may have had a heart attack midair. The Clube del Sole Le Mimose beachside resort where the crash occurred said in a statement that an employee who'd been "slightly injured" in the accident was in good condition. No guests were injured.

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Baumgartner's social media feed features videos of him in recent days flying on a motorized paragliderknown as paramotoringabove seaside towns, as well as taking off from a nearby airfield surrounded by cornfields. In 2012, Baumgartner, known as "Fearless Felix," became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. The former Austrian military parachutist made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers, and famed landmarks, and in recent years, he performed with the Flying Bulls, an aviation team owned and operated by Red Bull, as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe.
Americans who buy their health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, also known as ObamaCare, can expect a steep jump in premiums next year, according to a new analysis from health policy group KFF . The research finds that the average premium will climb by 75%, largely due to the expiration of federal subsidies that have kept costs down since the pandemic, per NPR . The Wall Street Journal also cites KFF stats for rate requests for the largest ACA plans in 17 states where such filings have already gone public, finding double-digit premium spikes in many of them, including a requested 27% hike in Illinois by Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Insurers typically submit their rate proposals for the following year over the summer. This time around, their filings focus less on rising drug or hospital costs and more on the federal policy shiftthe end of enhanced premium tax credits. These subsidies were a pandemic-era policy under the Biden administration, driving premiums lower and fueling record enrollment; 24 million people were using ACA plans as of January, helping bring the uninsured rate to historic lows. But with the subsidies now set to disappear, even healthy individuals could see their monthly costs rise sharplyjumping from, say, $60 to $105.

Experts warn that higher premiums may prompt healthier customers to drop coverage altogether, which would leave insurers with a riskier, more costly pool of enrollees. The Congressional Budget Office predicts this could drive up the uninsured population by 4.2 million. Congress could, in theory, renew the enhanced subsidies, but with Republican lawmakers opposed, that appears unlikely. GOP leaders argue that the subsidies inflate premiums and federal spending, and the party's fiscal blueprint calls for ending them. Notably, many recent ACA sign-ups have occurred in Republican-led states, meaning the impact of premium hikes may be felt most acutely in places like Texas, Florida, and Georgia.
The LAPD, working with federal agents, raided a Brentwood home on Wednesday and confiscated a fire truck linked to a non-existent agency called the Santa Muerte Fire Department. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office says Steve Farzam has been charged with 28 felonies in connection with a "string of alleged crimes that occurred between 2023 and May of this year, including impersonating a firefighter during the Palisades Fire, assaulting a first responder and discharging a laser at aircrafts," ABC News reports. He could face more than 20 years in prison.

The DA's office says Farzam, former owner of a Santa Monica hotel, has a history of impersonating first responders going back to 1999, reports CBS News. The office says Farzam, 46, used his fake role at the fake fire departmentwhich has a websiteto obtain California-exempt license plates and firearms reserved for law enforcement. Authorities say that during Wednesday's raid, they found radios, first responder IDs, and other "first responder paraphernalia," along with fake paperwork for the Santa Muerta Fire Department. Santa Muerte means "Saint Death" in Spanish.

The fake fire truck, which had char marks, dates from the 1980s. "During the Palisades Fire he tried to badge his way into fire zones, which he successfully did at least three timespretending to be an arson investigator," Deputy DA David Ayvazian said during Farzam's arraignment on Thursday, per ABC7. The case may be linked to a 2023 investigation in San Bernardino County, when a man identified Andrew De Boer was arrested for false imprisonment posing as a law enforcement officer, KTLA reports. At the time, De Boer was seen on surveillance video in a fake uniform, conducting an unauthorized traffic stop with a vehicle decked out in emergency lightsand a Santa Muerte badge. Uniforms with patches for the fake fire department were found at his home.
Police in Cincinnati arrested at least 13 people, including two journalists, after demonstrators protesting the immigration detention of a former hospital chaplain blocked a two-lane bridge carrying traffic over the Ohio River. A reporter and a photography intern who were arrested while covering the protest for CityBeat, a Cincinnati news and entertainment outlet, were among those arraigned Friday morning in a Kentucky court, the AP reports. Video from the demonstration in Cincinnati on Thursday night shows several tense moments, including when an officer punches a protester several times as police wrestle him to the ground.

Police in Covington, Kentucky, said those arrested refused to comply with orders to disperse. The department said in a statement that officers who initially attempted to talk with the protest's organizer were threatened. Among the charges filed against those arrested were rioting, failing to disperse, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. Reporter Madeline Fening and photo intern Lucas Griffith were charged with felony rioting and several other counts, said Ashley Moor, editor in chief of CityBeat. A judge on Friday set a $2,500 bond for each of those arrested.

The protest was in support of Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant who worked as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He was detained last week after showing up for a routine check-in with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Other journalists reporting on protests around the US have been have arrested and injured this year. More than two dozen were hurt or roughed up covering protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. A Spanish-language journalist was arrested in June while covering a No Kings protest near Atlanta.
Norfolk Southern chugged 2.5% higher after an AP source said it's talking with Union Pacific about a merger to create the largest railroad in North America, one that would connect the East and West coasts. Union Pacific's stock fell 1.2%. The heaviest weight on the market, meanwhile, was Netflix, which fell 5.1% despite reporting a stronger-than-expected profit. Analysts said it wasn't a surprise given the stock had already soared 43% for the year coming into the day, six times more than the gain for the S&P 500.

American Express likewise delivered a better-than-expected profit report, but its stock lost 2.3%. Analysts pointed to slowing growth in some underlying trends, such as the number of cards it issued. Exxon Mobil sank 3.5% and also tugged on the market. It had been challenging Chevron's $53 billion deal to buy Hess, but an arbitration ruling in Paris about Hess assets off Guyana's coast allowed the buyout to go through. Chevron fell 0.9% after losing an early gain. Stronger-than-expected profit reports for the spring did help several stocks rally. Charles Schwab climbed 2.9%, Regions Financial jumped 6.1%, and Comerica added 4.6%.
Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange for getting home scores of migrants deported by the US to El Salvador months ago under the Trump administration's immigration policies, officials said. The three-country arrangement represents a diplomatic achievement for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, helps President Trump in his goal of bringing home Americans jailed abroad, and provides El Salvador a swap that its president had proposed months ago, the AP reports. "Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said his country had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody. The Venezuelan government said it had paid a "steep price" by having to release the US nationals but was pleased to have its own jailed citizens back. Central to the deal are the more than 250 Venezuelan migrants being freed by El Salvador, which in March agreed to a $6 million payment from the Trump administration to house them in a notorious Salvadoran prison. The arrangement drew immediate blowback when Trump invoked an 18th century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to quickly remove men his administration had accused of belonging to the violent Tren de Aragua street gang. The administration did not provide evidence to back those claims.

Among the Americans freed Friday was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, whose family says he was kidnapped in January by Venezuelan border guards from inside Colombia, where he was vacationing. "We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," said his younger sister Sophie Hunter. "We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime, said a statement from Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy SEAL, was arrested in his Caracas hotel room last year. Global Reach, a nonprofit organization that had advocated for his release and that of several other Americans, said Venezuelan officials initially and falsely accused him of being involved in a coup but backed off that claim.
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Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable..

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Cloudy with occasional light rain after midnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
China urges Philippines to take concrete measures ensuring safety of Chinese students: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 16:48, July 18, 2025

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday urged the Philippine side to take concrete measures to ensure the safety, dignity and legal rights of Chinese students in the Philippines.

China's Ministry of Education released an overseas study alert on Friday, urging students to assess security risks of studying in the Philippines and raise their awareness of precautions.

When asked to comment on the alert, spokesperson Lin Jian said recently, the public security situation in the Philippines has been deteriorating, with a rise in crimes and harassment targeting Chinese citizens. The alert released by the Chinese government is a responsible and reasonable measure to safeguard the safety and rights of Chinese students, said Lin.

"We once again remind individuals going to study in the Philippines to conduct a risk assessment," Lin added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
State and local leaders have joined the union that represents Kroger grocery store employees demanding the company reverse its decision to shutter one of its Charlottesville locations.

Thats in spite of the fact that all of the nearly 75 workers at the 1904 Emmet St. N store have been promised jobs at the two Kroger locations within 3 miles of the store set to close Aug. 22. One of those locations is less than half a mile down the road.

The reality is these stores are too far from one another for a transfer to be practicable, reads a statement issued by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 union shortly after the closure was made public last month.

The farthest any relocated employee would have to travel to their new workplace would be Appomattox, nearly 70 miles away. Some others will move to Waynesboro and Staunton, just over Afton Mountain in the Shenandoah Valley. But an important distinction is all of those employees chose those farther-out locations, according to Robert Brown, regional director for the union in central and southeast Virginia.

The union organized a protest outside the 1904 Emmet St. Kroger Wednesday evening. It was one of four protests the union organized this week in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee after Kroger announced last month it would be closing 60 of its stores nationwide to achieve a modest financial benefit.

At the protest, Brown told The Daily Progress he was particularly concerned about part-time employees at the 1904 Emmet St. location having their hours reduced after relocation. He said the union just secured a minimum 12-hour schedule per week for part-time employees, but this would not be enough payable hours for someone who previously was working 35 hours a week.

Thats going to be a big adjustment for them to go down there and be working 12 hours per week, so theyll probably quit, right? he said.

Kroger has never said it plans to reduce any employees hours. The companys corporate office in Cincinnati did not immediately respond to a Daily Progress inquiry.

Though they did not join the 25-strong protest outside the 1904 Emmet St. Kroger, a representative for the areas delegation to Richmond, state Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Katrina Callsen, was there circulating a letter the two Democrats had signed urging Kroger to reconsider its decision.

We are hopeful that there is time to reevaluate the decision and that you have advocated for keeping this store open with your superiors, the letter reads.

There was one elected official in attendance Wednesday: Charlottesville City Councilor Michael Payne.

Obviously the decision whether the Kroger location leaves or stays in Charlottesville is beyond the direct control of City Council or local government, he told The Daily Progress in an interview prior to addressing the protest. But I think even given that, I think its important to speak just because we still have a voice to advocate for the interests of the community.

Paynes opposition to the Kroger closure stands in marked contrast to his attitude to the recent closure of a family-owned Charlottesville grocery store. There was no protest when Reid Super-Save Market at 600 Preston Ave. closed after 64 years in business this past January due to supply chain bottlenecks, diminishing foot traffic and lingering financial strain from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Payne said there is a difference between Reid closing and Kroger closing: Kroger has a union.

Payne said the potential loss of union jobs in Charlottesville was a major motivating factor in his decision to oppose the closure.

I think unionization within the private sector workforce is extremely important in order to provide workers in our region the wages and benefits they need to live decent lives, and this represents a loss of union jobs in our community, he said.

Again, Kroger has promised to relocate all of the employees at the 1904 Emmet St. location to nearby stores. The two other Krogers in the Charlottesville area  at 1159 Emmet St. N in the Barracks Road Shopping Center and 1980 Rio Hill Center in the Rio Hill Shopping Center  are unionized. In fact, local union representative Steve Meador told The Daily Progress they both fall under his jurisdiction within then United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 and those employees would remain among the 35,000 members the union represents across seven states.

Further, he said that all union employees who accept their reassignments will maintain their union status and current pay.

Payne also said he was concerned for customers. Many can access the 1904 Emmet St. Kroger because it is on a Charlottesville Area Transit bus line. It should be noted, so is the Barracks Road Shopping Center Kroger. The Rio Hill Krogers bus stop was removed in 2021 after the shopping centers landlord requested its removal over safety concerns for passengers making dangerous crossings and buses damaging the parking lot.

Kroger employees who spoke with The Daily Progress Thursday were largely indifferent to the decision to close the store.

Lynette Jordan, who is a part of the union but did not participate in the protest because she was manning a register, said she had been reassigned to the Barracks Road Shopping Center location. Since she already commutes 30 minutes to work, she said the additional five minutes of driving would be no bother.

Rickey Humes, who was on his break during the protest but also did not participate, said he was unbothered. He has also been reassigned to the Barracks Road Shopping Center location.

I mean, its still a job, so Im blessed to still have a job, he said. Could have been worse, in my opinion.

Jordan did say she was going to miss the family-oriented setting at the 1904 Emmet St. Kroger, which she has heard is lacking at other Kroger locations.

This is a family, Michelle Ray, a longtime customer who attended the protest before heading into the store for some shopping Thursday, told The Daily Progress as she was checking out. They always greet you. Theyre always polite.

Its really sad for the employees in there. Its like breaking up a family, Brown said. When I was in here last week, talking to these employees one on one, they were literally in tears.

No one was in tears Thursday.
Atlantic City Electric announced Friday it is providing money to certain customers to help cover increasing electric costs.

Some limited- and moderate-income customers are eligible for an energy assistance grant of up to $300 through a newly created fund by Atlantic City Electric and SHARES, a nonprofit that provides funding for necessities, such as utilities, rental and mortgage bills.

The fund is supported by $4 million provided by Atlantic City Electric, a subsidiary of Chicago-based energy company Exelon. The nonprofit will manage the fund, and customers can fill out an online application, the company said.

The measure is one of several New Jersey officials and the states leading energy companies have taken to address increasing electricity costs, which rose again on June 1.

Atlantic City Electric has deep community roots, and were committed to standing by our customers and helping them stay connected to the essential energy service we provide, said Tyler Anthony, president and CEO of Atlantic City Electrics parent company, Pepco Holdings. The Customer Relief Fund offers immediate assistance with higher energy bills as we continue to work on long-term solutions with state and local officials.

The funds are available during the summer, a time of peak electric demand.

The fund is open to active, limited-income customers qualified for federal and state energy assistance programs and who owe at least $250 over the past 60 days, according to a news release. Moderate-income earners who meet certain criteria can also apply, the company said.

No one in South Jersey should have to choose between dignity and basic necessities like keeping the lights on, said Cheryl Stowell, CEO of SHARES. SHARES is proud to continue our work with Atlantic City Electric to launch this Customer Relief Fund, providing vital financial support to our communities who are struggling with higher energy costs.

Atlantic City Electric has put a moratorium lasting from July to September on shutting off electricity to eligible customers who have outstanding balances and waived fees to restore power for customers whose electric service was turned off over unpaid balances, it was stated in a news release.

In June, Atlantic City Electric, PSE&G, Jersey Central Power & Light and Rockland Energy agreed to a rate deferral program that reduced electric bills between July and August. The deferral, totaling $60, will be due on future bills, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities previously said.

New Jerseys 3.9 million public utility customers will soon see an up to $100 subsidy on their bills, which was also announced by Gov. Phil Murphy last month. The aid comes from $430 million previously allocated for clean-energy initiatives.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
New Jersey's Democrat lawmakers in Washington, D.C. have asked for help from Republicans to stop the transfer of immigrants to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media file photo

President Donald Trumps administration will use New Jerseys Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as one of the federal governments new sites to temporarily detain immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

It wasnt immediately clear when detainees will be moved to the military base in Burlington County or how many will be lodged there.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway, D-3rd Dist., informing the congressman, who represents the area, of the pending transfer of immigrants to the base.

I certify that the provision of Department of Defense real property at Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness, Hegseth wrote Tuesday.

Conaway blasted the Trump administration over the decision in a joint statement with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, and New Jerseys other Democratic members of the U.S. House.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the decision by the Trump Administration to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as an immigrant detention center, they said. This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources.

Escalating a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country, the lawmakers added.

They also asked for help from Republicans to stop the transfer of immigrants to the joint base.

Using our countrys military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful, the lawmakers said.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst referred questions about the decision to ICE, which couldnt immediately be reached for comment.

The decision also drew criticism from civil and immigrant rights advocates.

New Jersey already has the largest detention facility on the eastern seaboard, Delaney Hall, and with this expansion into Fort Dix, our state will continue to be the epicenter of President Trumps mass deportation agenda and ground zero for due process violation, ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha said.

Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice called the move a dangerous escalation of the federal governments detention machine and a direct attack on New Jerseys efforts to protect immigrant communities.

The New York Times reported in February that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was among the facilities that Trumps administration was considering using as part of its mass deportation program.

New Jersey is home to one of the countrys largest immigrant populations at 2.2 million, according to the Migration Policy Institute. About 475,000 of them entered the U.S. illegally, according to Pew Research Center estimates.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, operates 155 detention sites across the nation  two of which are in New Jersey. There are about 386 immigrants detained at Delaney Hall in Newark and the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, according to online records, but the two facilities have the capacity to hold a total of 1,000.

The last remaining of four etainees who escaped from Delaney Hall last month was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the FBI.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.
A Camden County man has been charged in the shooting death of a man in Gloucester Township last week, authorities said Friday.

Matthew Lucas, 24, of Gloucester Township, was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree weapons offenses in the death of Anthony Sanflippo, 53, of Gloucester Township, the Camden County Prosecutors Office said.

Responding officers found Sanflippo dead in the doorway of his apartment at the Lakeview Apartment complex on the 500 block of Lower Landing Road at about 5 p.m. on July 9.

After the shooting, Lucas allegedly stole a vehicle from a witness at the apartment complex, authorities said.

On July 14, Lucas parked the vehicle on West 49th Street in New York City. He was arrested for an unrelated crime a block away and found to be in possession of the vehicles key.

Authorities also discovered he possessed a .45 caliber handgun, the prosecutors office said. Ballistics testing confirmed it matched a .45 caliber shell that authorities recovered from the scene of the shooting.

Lucas is currently held at Rikers Island, a 400-acre island on the East River in New York City that contains one of the largest jail facilities in the United States, pending extradition to New Jersey.

Attorney information for Lucas was not immediately available.

Anyone with information may contact Det. Tanner Ogilvie of the Camden County Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit at 856-580-5819 and Det. Daniel Ritz of the Gloucester Township Police Department at 856-228-4500. Tips can also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.

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Rebecca Heath may be reached at RHeath@njadvancemedia.com.
A corrections officer was convicted Thursday on charges he hit a prisoner while in his cell in 2017, the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office said.

Cortlen S. Flax, 37, a former senior corrections officer at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, was found guilty of simple assault and second-degree official misconduct, the prosecutors office said. Flaxs trial began July 9. Jurors deliberated for about two hours before delivering their verdict.

Flax was charged after striking Julio Valdez, then 61, on the left side of his face with a closed fist, leaving him with a perforated eardrum, according to a news release.

Grand jurors initially indicted Flax on charges including aggravated assault, hindering apprehension or prosecution and official misconduct for the February 2017 attack against Valdez.

Flax will officially be fired from his job after the Department of Corrections receives conviction-related documents, a spokesperson for the agency said.

This department upholds a zero-tolerance policy against abuse, exploitation, and excessive force toward incarcerated individuals, NJDOC said in a statement. It is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and rehabilitation of all those in custody.

Flax joined the state Department of Corrections ranks in 2013, graduating as a member of Class 229. He earned $44,500 a year at the time he was suspended without pay.

Flax is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 5, the prosecutors office stated. He faces up to 10 years in prison. He would also be ineligible for parole for five years.

Flaxs attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Separately, a lawsuit, filed in New Jersey U.S. District Court and settled in 2019, said Valdez didnt receive medical care until 13 hours after the attack. The lawsuit stated Flax tried to cover up the incident, and that other officers passed by Valdez after the attack without tending to him.

Terms of the settlement werent immediately available Friday.

The lawsuit alleged the attack stemmed from an encounter in the prisons dining hall on Feb. 14, 2017. Valdez, who is serving time on burglary and criminal mischief charges, said he was searching for a place to sit after being served food.

Shortly thereafter, Flax, an officer Valdez said he had never seen before, uttered something to the inmate in English. Valdez only spoke Spanish, according to the lawsuit.

Flax became visibly aggravated, resorting to gestures, which Valdez believed were orders to return to his cell, it was stated in the lawsuit.

Minutes later in the cell, Flax began shouting at Valdez, his words lost in the language barrier. With that, Valdez claimed in the lawsuit that Flax struck Valdez, rendering him unconscious.

Valdez was treated the following morning for his injuries at the infirmary, prosecutors said. Afterward, he continued to suffer from hearing problems, debilitating headaches, nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, according to the lawsuit.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
Reality TV fans rejoice! Netflix just announced three brand new series helmed by big stars.

Fans of Too Hot to Handle and The Perfect Match will be intrigued by Lets Marry Harry, which centers on reality star Harry Jowseys journey to find a wife. His closest confidants, including Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper, will make choices about which contestants are best for Jowsey.

Theres no premiere date for Lets Marry Harry just yet, because the series is still actively casting. The nationwide casting call is seeking successful, single women who are ready for a life-long commitment and believe they are the love of Harrys life.

Another dating show, Age of Attraction, is coming to Netflix in 2026. Hosted by Bachelor Nation alum Nick Viall and his wife, Natalie Joy, the series follows contestants ages 22 to 59 who are searching for love without knowing each others ages.

For those who prefer talent-searching reality series like American Idol, theres Simon Cowells new show Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which is set to premiere in December.

This is unlike any show [Cowell] has made before, the shows logline teases. From raw open casting calls to the release of their debut single, this is an all-access pass for viewers to catch every moment of Simons next chapter. Will he strike gold once again?

And thats not all. Netflix announced three more new reality shows this week. Coming this fall is Love Con Revenge, which follows fraud fighter Cecilie Fjellhy and private investigator Brianne Joseph as they expose romance scammers.

READ MORE: Netflix renews 8 shows  see which series is only getting one more season

Premiering in December is Members Only: Palm Beach, which centers on a group of wealthy women in Palm Beach County, Florida. And coming in 2026, Calabasas Confidential will document a group of childhood friends, exes, and rivals as they return to the mansions of their hometown after graduating college.

In addition to announcing the brand new shows, Netflix also renewed The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On and King of Collectables: The Goldin Touch.

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After Billy Joel canceled all of his stadium tour dates due to being diagnosed with a brain condition, Rod Stewart is still planning on giving tristate area fans a show.

The cancellations included his joint Yankee Stadium concert with Rod Stewart, which was scheduled for July 18.

Rod Stewart tour 2025 The cheapest tickets for Rod Stewart's New Jersey show are available on Viagogo. Buy Now

But, Stewart is now performing at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on the same day, and you dont want to miss out on tickets.

Plus, tickets are under $65, and you dont want to miss out on these.

If you dont want to miss out on seeing Rod Stewart in Jersey this weekend, heres how you can get tickets.

How to get tickets to see Rod Stewart in N.J.

Currently, the cheapest ticket we could find for his July 18 show at PNC Bank Arts Center, before any fees, is $64 on Viagogo.

If you happen to miss out on this cheapest ticket, then theres no reason to stress because you can find more on StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

You can find a full schedule of Rod Stewarts tour dates here.

Upcoming tours heading to PNC Bank Arts Center

Tyler, The Creator is not the only artist heading to the Barclays Center this year.

Here are a few more artists you dont want to miss out on: Little Big Town, Goo Goo Dolls, Lil Wayne and Pantera.

Hi, Im Nicole, NJ.coms expert live events and deals writer! Ive made it my mission to find the absolute cheapest tickets for the biggest artists, like Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Sabrina Carpenter, & more. If you missed the general sale or presale for your favorite artist, you dont have to panic. Ive already done the hard work of sifting through tickets and finding you the best price.

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Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
A 19-year-old man from Asbury Park was arrested Monday and charged with killing a man in April, officials with the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office said.

Jordan I. Glisson, 19, of Asbury Park was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree weapons offenses.

Asbury Park police responded to the 1100 block of Atlantic Avenue around 4:25 p.m. on April 8 for a report of gunfire, officials said.

Ahkim Esdaile, 19, also of Asbury Park, was discovered at the scene suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and rushed to an area hospital, officials said.

Esdaile was later pronounced dead, officials said.

Glisson was located and arrested by U.S. Marshals on Monday and is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution awaiting his first court appearance, according to officials.

Authorities did not provide additional details about the investigation.

An attorney for Glisson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com.
You can feast on ceviche, fried rice and empanadas at Mateo's Bakery and Restaurant in Cranford, New Jersey. Photographed on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Karim Shamsi-Basha

Luis Valera and Luisa Palacio are living the American Dream.

The Elizabeth couple, Valera, 42, from Peru, and Palacio, 32, from Colombia, opened Mateos Bakery and Restaurant in Cranford this past May. They worked hard for years to make their dream come true, and its paying off.

We wanted to leave something behind for our kids, Valera said on a recent day at his airy and welcoming eatery. I think we are living the American Dream, you know? Its not easy, this American Dream. It takes a lot of hard work, but then you can leave something good for your family.

Valera then nuzzled into Mateos neck, his three-year-old. The kid hollered with laughter. Seated next to Valera was his wife, Luisa Palacio, who was hugging their nine-year-old, Alexander.

The scene might as well have been from a feel-good movie.

Luis Valera and Luisa Palacio with their children, Alexander and Mateo, at their restaurant in Cranford, New Jersey. Photographed on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Karim Shamsi-Basha

It means a lot to our family to make the food we grew up eating, and to see our customers love it, Luisa Palacio said while trying to keep the kids close, then she added with a laugh, As you can see, it takes some work.

At Mateos Bakery and Restaurant, Valera and Palacio offer foods from both Peru and Colombia.

I was ready to try some goodies!

Colombian specialties included chicharron de guayaba, (Guava paste pastry - $3.50), pan de queso (Colombian cheese rolls - $2.25), arepas de choclo (Sweet corn cakes - $5.50), and empanadas ($2.50).

I started with the empanadas, which may be the item that defines a bakery from that part of the world -- much like a bagel in New Jersey!

These cheese empanadas did not disappoint. The melted cheese inside was warm and tasty, and the crust was flaky and well-seasoned. I could have eaten several, but I had to save room.

The dedos de queso was pure heaven! Photographed in Cranford, New Jersey, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Karim Shamsi-Basha

I sampled another cheese and bread situation: The dedos de queso, ($3.75). I know cheese baked in flaky bread is a winning combination, but this one was creamy, gooey, rich and plainly sumptuous.

On to the savory side, I tried the ceviche ($20.99). It was decadent with tender seafood, fresh corn and other goodness. Next was the Arroz Chaufa ($20.99), which could have fed four people! The Peruvian fried rice is prepared with your choice of meat, veggies, then finished with eggs on top. Mine was flavorful and aromatic, but it could have used a little more salt.

Mateo's Bakery and Restaurant is located on North Avenue in Cranford, New Jersey. Photographed on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Karim Shamsi-Basha

Other menu favorites include the lomo saltado (steak stir fry), chicharron con toston (Fried pork belly with plantains), pechuga de pollo alla parrilla (Colombian grilled chicken breast) and the Peruvian pargo rojo (Whole fish).

On special occasions, Mateos Bakery and Restaurant offers the deal of all deals: You can sample three dishes for ($24.99). Lets just say Ill be frequenting this spot!

Valera and Palacio are always adding to the menu, so give Mateos Bakery and Restaurant a try. Youll be supporting a young immigrant family that might have achieved that dream were all after.

Karim Shamsi-Basha may be reached at kshamsi-basha@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter & Instagram.

Follow Mosaic on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom.
A 37-year-old New Jersey man pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact after inappropriately touching a woman seated next to him on an American Airlines flight earlier this year.

Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla faces up to two years in federal prison when he is sentenced Nov. 19, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Montana said.

Shukla, of Parsippany, was flying from Bozeman, Montana, to Dallas on Jan. 26 when he began to rub the womans leg near her pocket on her hip.

The woman first thought Shukla was trying to pick her pocket and got up to go to the bathroom.

When she returned to her seat, Shukla continued to touch her. When the woman turned away from Shukla, he began to rub her lower back and buttocks, authorities said.

At some point, the woman texted her husband, who was not aboard the flight, to report the assault.

Her husband notified authorities in Texas, who detained Shukla when the flight landed, according to documents.

Shukla said he didnt speak English and denied assaulting the woman.

A witness reported seeing the assault, though. When investigators interviewed the woman a few weeks later, she described the assault and said Shukla conversed with her in English before the plane took off, according to charging documents.

He was charged in early April.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Republican Randy Fine, right, meets with supporters after the special election for U.S. House District 6 was called in his favor, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Ormond Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) AP

U.S. Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) has a plan appease President Donald Trump in the wake of a bombshell Wall Street Journal report published Thursday.

Fine, who was sworn into office in April, said on social media platform X that he would be introducing legislation to cancel Wall Street Journal subscriptions held by the House. His announcement came hours after the Wall Street Journal published a bawdy letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 and signed with Trumps name.

Ill be introducing legislation to end the House of Representatives subscription contract with the WSJ. Americans shouldnt be paying for disgusting and filthy rags. I have also directed my entire staff to delete their taxpayer-funded WSJ accounts, Fine wrote on X.

Ill be introducing legislation to end the House of Representatives subscription contract with the WSJ. Americans shouldnt be paying for disgusting and filthy rags.



I have also directed my entire staff to delete their taxpayer-funded WSJ accounts.  Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) July 18, 2025

His post came hours after the Journal reported that one of the letters was signed with Trumps name and a typewritten message that included an outline of a naked woman.

Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret," the letter concluded, according to The Journal.

Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture in an interview with the Journal earlier this week.

This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he told the Journal.

I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he said. Its not my language. Its not my words.

Trump lashed out at the Wall Street Journal in a Truth Social post and threatened to sue the newspaper over the report.

A number of Republicans rushed to defend the president, but most of their arguments fell flat with social media users.

Fine was one of the many Republicans crying foul about the report and suggested that the newspaper would need to pay millions in a potential lawsuit brought by Trump.

I hope your exclusive was worth the millions of dollars youre going to have to pay out, he wrote on X.

I hope your exclusive was worth the millions of dollars youre going to have to pay out. https://t.co/AVrEFOKRaL  Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) July 18, 2025

MAGA world had a meltdown after the Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that concluded Epstein had no client list and committed suicide in his jail cell. The memo sparked outrage from Americans on both sides of the aisle, with many of Trumps supporters demanding to see the documents related to the case.

Trump has attempted to distance himself from the Epstein fiasco, telling the media and his own supporters to stop talking about the convicted sex offender. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his own supporters and claimed that the scandal around the Epstein files was a hoax.

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Even conservative pundit Scott Jennings is having trouble defending President Donald Trumps recent flubs.

Jennings and host Abby Phillip got into a heated debate during CNNs NewsNight on Thursday while discussing Trumps recent gaffes that have sparked concerns about his mental acuity.

Phillip played a clip of Trump claiming that his uncle taught the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, while teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As Phillip noted, Kaczynski never attended MIT.

I think his uncle died like 10 years before the Unabomber was even a thing. So, this whole thing is a little bizarre. And if this were Joe Biden, I think you would be screaming from the rooftops right now, Phillip said.

She then noted that Trump did not remember that he, not former President Joe Biden, appointed Jerome Powell to be head of the Federal Reserve. This prompted Jennings to defend the president, claiming that he had seen no signs for concern.

Heres my view of the medical situation of this President versus the last one. This President has a doctor who is issuing very transparent letters about this Presidents health. The former president has a doctor whos taking the Fifth Amendment before Congress right now because he doesnt want to answer questions about it, Jennings said.

Ive been around him. I have detected nothing. Ive seen nothing but a man conducting six meetings at the same time, he added.

Phillips fired back, comparing Jennings to Bidens allies in the previous administration who had frequently praised the presidents mental acuity.

You sound like Joe Bidens aides who said Ive been around him...she said before Jennings cut her off.

Phillip: He didnt even remember appointing his own fed chair



Jennings: Ive been around him. I have detected nothing. I've seen nothing but a man



Phillip: You sound like Joe Biden's aides. pic.twitter.com/8zcossOqQ7  Acyn (@Acyn) July 18, 2025

Biden, 82, faced widespread criticism over concerns about his mental acuity during his last year in office, ultimately leading him to drop out of the race and endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris to be the top of the ticket.

Trump, 79, is the oldest president to be sworn into office. On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after noticing mild swelling in his lower legs.

Leavitt also addressed bruising on the back of Trumps hand, seen in recent photos covered by makeup that was not an exact match to his skin tone. She said the bruising was consistent with irritation from his frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin. Trump takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

She said during her press briefing that her disclosure of Trumps medical checkup was meant to dispel recent speculation about the 79-year-old presidents health. Nonetheless, the announcement was notable given that the Republican president has routinely kept secret basic facts about his health.

Trump in April had a comprehensive physical exam with more than a dozen medical specialists. The three-page report released then by the White House did not include a finding of chronic venous insufficiency. At the time, Trumps doctor, Sean Barbabella, determined that the presidents joints and muscles had a full range of motion, with normal blood flow and no swelling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives for a classified briefing about President Donald Trump's directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ideas AP

U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) offered a sharp two-word message to President Donald Trump on Thursday.

Trump has targeted Schiff frequently since the California Democrat led the first impeachment hearing against him during his first term. The president has ramped up his attacks on Schiff in recent days as the senator demands that the administration release all documents related to Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking case.

Schiff told late night host Stephen Colbert on Thursday that more lawmakers and officials have received threats as a result of Trumps rhetoric.

Judges are getting threatened. City councilmen are getting threatened. Election workers are getting threatened. And so this is all part of this quite deliberate campaign to frighten people into submission, and the only way to push back on that is to say, piss off!, Schiff said.

The President, as you know, has been going after me within the last couple of days, ever since I led his first impeachment. Hes threatened me with jail and prosecution and called me a traitor, accused me of treason. Blah, blah, blah. He coerced Republicans into censuring me in the House, and now the latest attack on me. So I just want to direct thisIf this is the right camera, or maybe thats the right cameraDonald, piss off!" he added.

The audience erupted into cheers and applause after his message to Trump. He then jabbed the president over the Epstein scandal that has unfolded in recent days.

But Donald, before you piss off, would you release the Epstein files? he asked.

Trump has tried to distance himself from the Epstein fiasco, telling the media and his own supporters to stop talking about the convicted sex offender. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his own supporters and claimed that the scandal around the Epstein files was a hoax.

Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

However, Trumps comments have only further enraged his MAGA base.

The drama in MAGA world began after the Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that concluded Epstein had no client list and committed suicide in his jail cell. The memo sparked outrage from Americans on both sides of the aisle, with many of Trumps supporters demanding to see the documents related to the case.

The scandal intensified on Thursday after a bombshell Wall Street Journal report stated that a card signed with Trumps name was sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The Journal reported that one of the letters was signed with Trumps name and a typewritten message that included an outline of a naked woman.

Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret," the letter concluded, according to The Journal.

Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture in an interview with the Journal earlier this week.

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Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of the president following a Wall Street Journal report. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) AP

Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of President Donald Trump after The Wall Street Journal reported that he had sent a lewd letter to late Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday.

Trump has promised to sue the newspaper after it published a report on Thursday describing a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trumps name and a typewritten message in an outline of a naked woman. The WSJ claims the letter was included in a 2003 album for the disgraced financier.

Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the newspaper said the letter concludes, but did not include it directly in the story.

In posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump has denied writing the letter and making a drawing, calling the story false, malicious, and defamatory and another example of FAKE NEWS! On Friday, he asked why Democrats, who he claimed controlled the files under former President Joe Biden, did not release a smoking gun on Epstein, adding that it is BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!

Vance, meanwhile, had already responded to the report earlier.

Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls---. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it, Vance wrote on X.

Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? he continued to ask.

In a separate post, Vance questioned if the story would violate some rule of journalistic ethics if it was not shown to the victim of this hit piece.

Will the people who have bought into every hoax against President Trump show an ounce of skepticism before buying into this bizarre story? he added.

His defense of Trump was quickly met with mockery by other social media users  some who pointed to the vice presidents past remarks.

Journalist Jordan Weissmann noted Vances question of Where is the letter?

My lord, Ive never seen anybody tempt fate more brazenly on this website, Weissmann wrote.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) asked, Why are you fighting back against releasing what your administration and DOJ knows about Epstein?

Release the unedited video and the files. Bring it to light. That should clear everything up, she added.

One user pointed to Vances past Twitter post when the so-called Access Hollywood tape was released, before Trump was elected in 2016, that included him speaking in vulgar terms about groping women.

Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us, Vance wrote at the time.

Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor added that As the saying goes, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself help suppress the Epstein files. Has anyone sold their soul more completely than @JDVance?

One user said: Theres some bulls---, alright, but I think we all know where its coming from. What a tool.

It sounds *exactly* like pre-Apprentice, pre-politics Trump, what are you talking about? another user asked, and a different user wrote, You sold your soul to a pedophile you once called Americas Hitler. Was it worth it?

Anthony Scaramucci, Trumps short-lived former White House communications director, encouraged Vance to step away.

This sounds like falling into a trap for WSJ to publish this letter and extend the news cycle lmao, someone added.

Trump and his administration have been found at the center of a firestorm over their handling of a recent memo from the Justice Department and FBI that concluded that the convicted sex offender did not keep a client list, blackmail public figures or was murdered.

Some of the presidents most ardent supporters had been calling for the release of the documents, which has been branded as the so-called Epstein files, for years, speculating the cause of the disgraced financiers death and whether others should be implicated. Trump and other administration officials have previously vowed to make the files public, but have appeared to walk back on their claims.

In recent days, Trump has ripped into his own base over its meltdown, claiming that he no longer wants support from weaklings who are invested in the case.

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For one week each July, Tales of the Cocktail draws professionals from across the world of cocktails, spirits and bars to learn, network and party. Its back this year, July 20-25, with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel once again its home base.

Tales of the Cocktail largely keeps the shape of an industry conference, with seminars for professional development and topics of high interest to those deep in details of the business.

But this is an industry with drinks and hospitality at its bedrock, so theres also broader public interest in its happenings.

Here are a few ways to cut in:

Speed Rack

The week gets off to a fast start with the national finals round of Speed Rack, a competition that pits female bartenders against each other in timed bouts for cocktail making, with ticket proceeds benefiting breast cancer research.
NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said she wants safeguards on facial recognition technology, even as she asked members of a city council committee on Monday to loosen restrictions on her officers, who no longer receive alerts through the private Project NOLA network of cameras. Kirkpatrick said she ultimately wants approval for the city to build its own facial recognition camera network.
DOJ and FBI memo 070725 The Justice Department's and FBI's July 7, 2025 memo on Jeffrey Epstein findings.

Those were the exact allegations Trump and many of his supporters  including FBI Director Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, Patels chief deputy  raised over the years trying to tar Democrats for not releasing the files. Now in power themselves, the Trump administration didnt want to release anything more than the memo.

Many in the MAGA base were enraged, and many Republicans were looking for political cover while the clock ticked down on the rescissions bill.

Now they are reaping what they have sown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-Brooklyn, told reporters Thursday.

Epstein had pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court for procuring a child for prostitution. A decade later, federal law enforcement identified 36 other underaged girls, some as young as 14, and in 2019 charged Epstein with sex trafficking minors.
Court Ramsay is the president and CEO of Aries Marine Corporation in Lafayette.
S. Mandisa Moore-ONeal is a New Orleans-based attorney and executive director of the Center for HIV Law and Policy. Millicent Foster is a longtime HIV advocate and public speaker who has lived with HIV for 23 years.
When Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson suspended her campaign in May, lots of people said her reelection campaign was over, she was done, th
A volunteer with Les Fleurs de la Memoire, a French organization that takes care of the graves of American service members killed during World War II, wrote a letter to Hobart resident Lorraine Ackerman, whose uncles both died in combat.

Henry "Hank" and Peter "Babe" Dombrowski, two brothers from Gary who were the sons of an immigrant steelworker, were killed during World War II and are forever buried side-by-side at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in Montjoie-Saint-Martin, France.

The volunteer asked Ackerman who they were and what she knew of her uncles.

She never got to meet them. They died before she was born. They were just 20 years old and 22 years old when they died fighting Nazi Germany in France. Neither were married. Neither had kids. Neither reached many of life's milestones.

Ackerman later got to read through their letters, learning more about them.

She shared family records with the author and historian Kevin Callahan, a Yale University graduate who featured them in his book "Brothers In Arms" about 700 American brother pairs killed during World War II. Callahan and the American Battle Monuments Commission honored the Dombrowski brothers at a public event and reading at the Barrington Ridge Club House in Hobart Thursday.

"They gave their lives for all of us to have what we have today," Ackerman said. "I appreciate what we can do to remember them and make this a peaceful world so we never lose any more of our young men."

They died far too young, she said.

"They got along well with my mother, but were 10 years older than her so, didn't play together and have the same friends," Ackerman said. "I gathered they all got along very nice. Reading letters they sent home, they talked about a girl. So I think Peter may have had a girlfriend or love interest."

Jerry Dombrowski, another surviving family member, never knew his uncles.

"It's a nice thing to see, but it's kind of sad too. It makes me miss them," he said. "My father would tell me about them when I saw their medals, maybe when I was around 10 years old. My dad would talk about them when I would ask about my past. I would like to go out to France to see their gravesites eventually."

Callahan decided to write about brothers who were killed during World War II after visiting a cemetery for American service members in France, where he saw that two brothers were buried side by side.

"I saw that soldiers probably about my age at the time had fought and died there so I could travel through a free and prosperous Europe," he said. "After having three boys of my own, I got to thinking about parents who lost their sons and wanted to track down and tell the stories of the brothers who were buried side-by-side."

Callahan discovered there were hundreds of such cases. The Department of Defense would give families the option of sending the remains back home or leaving them buried in one of the 13 American military cemeteries abroad.

Typically, a few years had passed since the war. About 60% of families requested getting the remains, but about 40% preferred to leave them undisturbed since they had already held funerals and mourned.

"It was a labor of love to do this project," Callahan said. "We met with families in their home whenever possible. It has what I call the kitchen table effect. People will bring out shoe boxes full of photos, letters and other extraordinary keepsakes. It helps put a face to the name."

The Dombrowski brothers' father came over from Poland at the turn of the century. He lived under the Russian Empire, working as a cook.

"He sought the free and opportunity in America," Callahan said.

The father first landed a job at a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, who hailed from a similar area in Poland. They migrated west in 1906 to the newly founded company town of Gary, where he worked in the steel mill and had 10 children.

"There are so many stories in the book of immigrants who left Europe for new opportunities, only to have their sons return there to fight for peace and freedom for the rest of the world," Callahan said. "It's sad and tragic but also inspiring that families were willing to make that ultimate sacrifice for that noble and worthy cause, a cause more important than their personal needs."

Both Dombrowski brothers served in the infantry.

Hank Dombrowski was killed five days into combat after stepping on a landmine. Peter Dombrowski was killed a few weeks later while taking out a machine gun nest, a feat for which he received the Bronze Star Medal.

People of all ethnicities, races, backgrounds and economic circumstances served and died in the war.

"Everybody served regardless of their station in life," Callahan said. "That's one of the common threads I learned when researching the book. American families from all different backgrounds suffered losses, losses that still resonate today."

The Dombrowski brothers grew up together and rest eternally together in France.

"People go to these cemeteries and think, 'What a waste.' It is a waste of so many young lives in a way," Callahan said. "But when I was visiting the American cemeteries in Europe, I also visited Auschwitz, which makes you realize the horror that was taking place over there. None of the lives were wasted. They were rescuing people when they were killed. They died for a noble and worthy cause. Many families had to make the ultimate sacrifice, but their lives were not wasted."
VALPARAISO  The NWI Activists group started with one sign, two women and a few dozen passersby who wanted to make their voices heard.

"It started because I was angry," NWI Activists organizer Lisa Nicole said.

Nicole and a friend stood on a street corner Feb. 5 outside the front of the Porter County Courthouse with a sign to protest the policies of President Donald Trump's administration and were approached by others who wanted to take part, she said. From there, the group expanded, Nicole continued.

Since their first demonstration, NWI Activists has hosted eight events. The number of attendees has grown by the hundreds, peaking April 5 during the national "Hands Off" protests that drew 1,000 attendees. The group has come back each month to protest and host a food and supply drive to benefit local food pantries, homeless shelters and other nonprofits around the Region. At their protest Thursday afternoon, they collected non-perishable food items, baby diapers and pull-ups for the Gabriel Horn Homeless Shelter in Valparaiso and a Lake County elementary school.

Hundreds of Porter County residents gathered to advocate in the name of "good trouble," a message championed by late civil rights activist John Lewis, as they protested policies of the Trump administration such as massive changes to Medicaid and the Department of Education, layoffs in the federal workforce and treatment of immigrants, among others, that have resulted in what many said perceive as a threat to democracy. Cheers of "What kind of trouble? Good trouble," erupted from the crowd throughout their two-hour protest.

"I'll be here until I have a reason not to be," Nicole said. "But I don't see that happening anytime soon."

Arthur DeLeon, a veteran of the Vietnam War who suffered health issues due to Agent Orange, said he would describe the condition of the country as "nightmarish." He and his wife, Theresa DeLeon, of Kouts, join a group of people every week on the northeast side of the courthouse to protest.

"In our lives, we never thought we'd be in this position at this age," Arthur DeLeon said. "We were in wars, fighting against people like the ones who are in power today."

Theresa DeLeon said she is especially concerned about the changes in Medicaid, specifically for seniors on Medicaid who might need in-home care or nursing home care. Medicaid covers those services for seniors, as they are not covered by Medicare, according to the Department of Health and Human Services website.

"My question is, are (citizens) ready to take in their parents or grandparents and support them completely?" she asked.

Theresa DeLeon called both Indiana Sen. Todd Young and Sen. Jim Banks every day for a month to protest their support of Trump's policies. She alleged Young blocked her phone number, so next time she said she'll be calling her local representative.

"Good trouble means taking a stand," she said. "Silence isn't acceptable anymore. We don't want to live in a world like this."

Bryant Mitol, of Valparaiso, said it can be frightening to live in an area where his liberal political beliefs are in the minority. More than 50% of voters cast their ballots for all Republican candidates in the 2024 election, election results show.

"I'm afraid to put a sign in my yard," Mitol said.

He carried a sign that said, "Keep abortion legal: abort Trump's second term and third trimester."

Cheryl Graham, of Kouts, said she has voted Republican before and doesn't agree with everything the Democratic party does, but she believes Republicans are too quick to kowtow to Trump's agenda.

"They don't want to lose their jobs or their power," Graham said. "I'll never vote for another Republican."

Counter protestor Adam Ritz, one of two individuals who stood across the street from the group, scootered up and down Indiana Avenue with a flag that read, "Trump Nation." He said he believes the protestors are being paid by the Democratic party for their actions and called the group "domestic terrorists."

"That's what it is," Ritz, of Valparaiso, said, "if you're going to fight the guys who are trying to help America."

He said he commended Trump's immigration agenda and said he believes Trump is working to make life more inexpensive.

"I just want our country to be cheap, great and affordable," Ritz said.

Ann Contreras said she has joined the group at other protests and likes that the group collects donations for local nonprofits. She said she teaches English as a second language and is concerned about the recent news announcing the Supreme Court halted an order from a lower court that paused layoffs in the Department of Education and the delegation of various department functions to other agencies, as ordered by Trump.

"I'm heartbroken," Contreras said. "This administration is not good for our future."

Contreras said she loves to teach her students about puns, humor and literature in the English language. It influenced her decision to make the sign she brought with her that read, "current threat level: orange."
Where Congresss Cuts Threaten Access to PBS and NPR

President Trumps proposal to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasters threatens scores of radio and TV stations across the United States that air PBS and NPR programs.

Areas at risk of losing public radio and television access Radio Cities with vulnerable stations Affected ZIP codes Counties with limited local news access

Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii

Television Cities with vulnerable stations Affected ZIP codes Counties with limited local news access

Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Wash. Maine Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Idaho N.Y. Wis. Mass. S.D. R.I. Conn. Mich. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Neb. Nev. Ohio Md. Del. Ill. Ind. Utah W.Va. Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. Miss. Ga. Texas La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Sources: Analysis of at-risk organizations and their stations locations by Public Media Company, based on data from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Data on news access by county is from the Medill Local News Initiative. Note: Dots represent cities where there are stations operated by at-risk organizations. The New York Times

Early Friday, the House gave final approval to a measure that would eliminate $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the company that funds NPR, PBS and stations in major cities and far-flung towns like Unalakleet, Alaska, and Pendleton, Ore. The measure will now be sent to President Trump, who has pushed for the cuts, for his signature.

The cuts are a time bomb for the public media system. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has disbursed funding for stations through September. After that, more than 100 combined TV and radio stations that serve millions of Americans in rural pockets of the country will be at risk of going dark, according to an analysis from Public Media Company, an advisory firm.

But the troubles could run deeper than that, said Tim Isgitt, the organizations chief executive. The sudden and dramatic reduction in funding will result in a pool of fewer stations to buy programming and solicit donations, potentially creating a doom loop with dire consequences for the rest of the system.

Failing stations will create a cascade effect in this highly connected and interdependent system, impacting content producers and leading to the potential collapse of additional distressed stations in other areas of the country, Mr. Isgitt said.

An analysis by Public Media Company identified 78 public radio organizations and 37 TV organizations that were at risk of going dark as a result of the cuts. In some cases those organizations operate multiple stations, allowing them to reach even greater populations.

The stations rely on grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal funding for at least 30 percent of their budgets, and some of them serve counties with limited access to local news.

Republicans have been trying to defund public media for decades, arguing that news coverage on NPR has a liberal bias and that taxpayers should not be required to support coverage they disagree with. Those attempts have repeatedly failed, with lawmakers unwilling to choke off funding to local stations that serve their constituents.

This week was different. In a Senate vote that mostly broke down along party lines, Republicans clawed back funding from public media organizations in their own states, with some exceptions.

In some states with stations at risk of going dark, such as Mississippi, both senators voted to defund public media. But there was some Republican support in some of the most-affected states, such as Alaska, where Sen. Lisa Murkowski cast a no vote, and Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins also opposed the measure. In those states, the combined federal funding for the stations as a proportion of their total budgets is relatively high.

The average proportion of station funding from federal sources, by state States are grouped by how many of their senators voted to approve the funding clawbacks. States where both senators voted to defund Avg. across

TV stations Avg. across

radio stations Miss. 18 % 30% Kan. 32 % 12% Wyo. 34 % 10% Ark. 27 % 15% S.D. 20 % 22% Tenn. 32 % 8% Idaho 18 % 19% Ind. 26 % 11% N.D. 16 % 15% Neb. 19 % 10% W.Va. 19 % 10% Mont. 9 % 19% Texas 20 % 8% Mo. 18 % 9% Ohio 20 % 6% Ala. 12 % 13% N.C. 14 % 10% Okla. 14 % 10% Utah 12 % 11% Ky. 11 % 11% Iowa 11 % 10% La. 12 % 9% Fla. 12 % 8% S.C. 13 % 6% One senator voted to defund Avg. across

TV stations Avg. across

Radio stations Alaska 41 % 31% Pa. 14 % 6% Wis. 11 % 5% No senators voted to defund Avg. across

TV stations Avg. across

Radio stations Maine 35 % 22% N.M. 24 % 29% Md. 23 % 11% Mich. 21 % 8% Minn. 24 % 4% N.H. 22 % 6% Va. 18 % 8% R.I. 6 % 19% N.J. 10 % 14% Ariz. 11 % 12% Ill. 16 % 7% Ore. 14 % 8% Ga. 14 % 7% Colo. 12 % 7% Hawaii 14 % 5% N.Y. 14 % 5% Calif. 12 % 6% Vt. 12 % 6% Wash. 11 % 7% Conn. 7 % 6% Nev. 6 % 7% Mass. 8 % 4% Del.  10% Source: Public Media Company, based on data from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Notes: States are sorted by the combined averages of the proportion of television and radio station budgets derived from federal sources. Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, did not cast a vote. The New York Times

The at-risk stations have a few months to figure out how to make up their financial shortfalls. Public Media Company has begun to speak with philanthropists and foundations about possible solutions.
Case 1:19-cr-00490-RMB Document 61 Filed 07/18/25 Page 2 of 4 transcripts in United States v. Epstein, subject to appropriate redactions of victim-related and other personal identifying information. The Department will work with the United States Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York to make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personal identifying information prior to releasing the transcripts. Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims. 1. On July 2, 2019, a grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York returned an indictment charging Epstein with sex trafficking offenses. See Dkt. No. 2. On August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial, Epstein committed suicide in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. Soon after, the Court dismissed the indictment. Dkt. No. 52. 2. On June 29, 2020, a grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York charged Epstein's longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, with numerous offenses related to the trafficking and coercion of minors. See United States v. Maxwell, 1:20-cr-330, Dkt. No. 1 (S.D.N.Y. June 29, 2020). In December 2021, a jury found Maxwell guilty on several counts. Maxwell was sentenced to 240 months' imprisonment, and the Second Circuit later affirmed her convictions and sentence. See United States v. Maxwell, 118 F.4th 256 (2d Cir. 2024). 3. On July 6, 2025, the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the conclusion of their review of the particulars of Epstein's crimes and death. Since then, the public's interest in the Epstein matter has remained. Given this longstanding and legitimate interest, the government now moves to unseal grand jury transcripts associated with Epstein. 2 The Department of Justice is filing similar motions in United States v. Maxwell, 1:20-cr-330 (S.D.N.Y.), and in the Southern District of Florida. 2
So far this year, Oregon State University has lost up to $14 million in federal research dollars.

It may sound like a drop in the bucket for a school with a federal research portfolio of around $370 million, but its a hit for faculty researchers like Christopher Dunn at the College of Forestry, who, along with his colleagues, was on the receiving end of a grant termination order in April.

That grant: a $5 million award from the Bureau of Land Management to research historical and contemporary land stewardship practices  and to support economic development for western Oregon Tribes through training and the collection of native seeds for restoration.

It was devastating, Dunn said of the termination notice in a phone call this week.

While no clear explanation was given, that grant termination is one of many nationwide as the Trump administrations attempts to slash federal spending and push colleges to back its agenda.

Freezing funds

Since the start of his second administration, President Trump has used the withholding of federal dollars as a pressure point for universities.

Soon after taking office, the president issued an executive order nixing federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, programs Republican lawmakers have frequently criticized as discriminatory.

That reportedly threw research grants associated with DEI efforts into question.

Later, the administration ordered a federal grant freeze, calling agencies to pause awards and loans to ensure their compliance with the administrations anti-DEI orders. A federal judge quickly blocked the freeze.

The administration also moved to cut millions in research funding by capping how much agencies, like the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, can cover in indirect costs.

Indirect costs, for context, go toward the facilities and administration of a research project, accounting for expenses like new equipment or building maintenance. Federal judges have so far blocked the administration's attempts to cap those costs too.

How many lost grants at OSU?

In legal challenges, universities have argued those cuts could hinder scientific and medical research.

Oregon State University joined several like-minded institutions making that case in a June amicus brief supporting Harvard Universitys lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing billions in grants earlier this year.

In a July 10 statement to Mid-Valley Media, university spokesperson Rob Odom said OSUs economic impact is also closely tied to the universitys research.

The university is one of the states largest recipients of federal research dollars, yet academic research nationwide faces uncertainty as the federal agencies that fund much of this work at OSU and at other universities drastically reduced their budgets, Odom wrote.

Of around 2,400 federal research grants at OSU, 49 had received termination or stop work orders this year, according to Odom, though 12 have seen their funding sources restored.

The total dollar value for the lost 37 grants is between $12 million and $14 million, he wrote.

Reached by phone, OSU Media Relations Director Misty Edgecomb clarified the amount represents dollars expected to come in through those grants, not money already spent.

The university did not provide a breakdown of those grants by department or funding source.

In a follow-up statement, Odom said there was no single reason for the loss of research funds.

Some reflect a change in agency priorities under the new administration, some relate to congressional budgeting and appropriations, and frequently, no specific answer is provided, Odom wrote.

No explanation

Dunn, an assistant professor at OSUs College of Forestry, didnt get a specific explanation when he received a grant termination letter from the Bureau of Land Management on April 18.

Over $2.2 million remained of the grant-funded project, of which Dunn was a co-principal investigator, and which had two general aims: rural economic development and historical and contemporary land stewardship research, including how indigenous people used fire as a tool to manage forests, among other topics.

The BLM email noted only that grants may be terminated if they no longer align with agency priorities.

After a careful assessment, the agency has made the decision to terminate this award, the message read.

Asked why he thought BLM terminated the grant and what the Trump administration might have found objectionable, Dunn said he assumed the tribal engagement components of the project could have been viewed as related to DEI efforts but emphasized he didnt know why the grant was terminated.

Tribes, Dunn also highlighted, are independent nations and not DEI programs.

I dont see how (the grant) falls into any political agenda, Dunn said.

Regardless, losing that money not only hurts graduate employees whose work was funded by the federal dollars, Dunn said, but also hinders recollecting indigenous forest practices that can apply to the current stewardship of the coast range, which come with environmental and economic impacts.

This was a good stepping stone in that process, and now were just kind of setback, he said.

Uncertain future

Other Oregon universities faced similar losses.

In Eugene, the University of Oregon has received 20 active grant terminations as of July 15. Those totaled $1.9 million in unspent funds this year, with 16 appeals underway, according to a statement emailed from the university.

Thats in addition to 11 stop-work orders for grants, according to the university. However, seven of those orders have been lifted, as have nine grant terminations. Thats eight from the NIH and one from the NSF, according to the University of Oregon statement, restoring $5.9 million in funding.

But the university is also seeing an impact on future research.

New grant awards are down 40% compared to prior years, an indicator of how the research portfolio may be affected moving forward, the UO statement reads.

At OSU, Dunn said theres a foreboding sense that while the university will ride strong in the near term, even with multiple stop-work orders for grants, the future is more uncertain.

So, theres this immediate impact of whats happening now, and then theres this long-term impact that could significantly impact the operations of the university, Dunn said.

In his statement to Mid-Valley Media, Odom wrote OSU researchers continue to apply for grants, and "we believe that many important projects will rely on federal funds to make discoveries that benefit Oregon and the nation."

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

Related stories:
In Russias Rostov region, authorities are testing a controversial anti-corruption measure  police officers who refuse bribes are rewarded with the amounts they were offered.

In Russia, police corruption is a harsh reality that most people have to deal with on a daily basis, but in southern Russias Rostov region, people are even more worried than before, because of a new measure implemented by the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Advertised as a way to fight corruption among police, the new directive rewards police officers who refuse bribes and report people trying to offer them. It sounds a bit strange, as police are only doing their job by refusing bribes, but the head of the directorate has already confirmed the initiative, adding that some officers have already been rewarded with the amounts of money they had illicitly been offered while exercising their duties.

Photo: Unsplash

Recently, we have introduced the practice of returning to police officers the money that was offered by bribe-givers during the period of committing illegal acts for a strong anti-corruption position, Alexander Rechitsky, the head of the Rostov Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, told RIA Novosti. I emphasize, each amount offered to an employee in accordance with my order is in the amount that the bribe giver offered.

According to the new policy in Rostov, the police officer who refuses a bribe will receive a reward and a criminal case will be opened against the person who offered the bribe under Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Giving a bribe). This is intended to discourage people from offering bribes, but officials in Russias State Duma (Russian Parliament) have pointed out that the new rules could help corrupt policemen.

Just think about it. Police bosses are allegedly pushing their subordinates to extortion, Deputy Andrei Alshevskikh told Gazeta.ru. Any development in a situation involving a bribe will be beneficial for the dishonest officer. He can secretly take the bribe and be happy, and, in case something goes wrong, he can always hand over the bribe giver to the state, look like a hero, and be compensated with the exact same amount. Theres a fear that the police will stop performing their direct duties and focus on finding potential victims.'

Mikhail Starshinov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, wondered why only police in Rostov are compensated for their so-called anti-corruption efforts, as well as what funds are used for this reward system. Are police allowed to keep the bribes?

Despite the controversy around this initiative, the Rostov Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed on its Telegram channel that officers who distinguished themselves through anti-corruption efforts have already received financial rewards. Tural Safarov, a traffic police inspector, recently received 30,000 rubles ($384) for allegedly refusing a bribe.
Ryan Cudney

Ryan Cudney, who rose to general manager of Edelmans Pacific Northwest group in a 12-year run, will join Boeing on July 31 as VP.

He will lead a new external communications & analytics team that joins Boeings media relations, social media, analytics, insights, and tools resources.

Cudney, who worked on the Boeing account at Edelman, was in charge of the No. 1 independent firm's offices in Seattle and Portland.

Earlier, he served as US lead for business transformation, advising clients on mergers, turnarounds and market repositioning.

He also was global chief of staff to Richard Edelman and ex-officio member of the Global Operating Committee.

In that post, he partnered with senior leaders of the firm to pursue strategic opportunities, recruit and retain top talent, and advance the firms intellectual property and thought leadership.

Prior to Edelman, Cudney was executive director of the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee in Illinois, and senior consultant at Sherman Consulting LLC.
Rich Jachetti

The Stevens Group is renaming as The Stevens/Jachetti Group following the appointment of Rich Jachetti as co-managing partner of the firm. The working relationship between Jachetti and The Stevens Group founder Art Stevens goes back to the mid 1980s, when Rich Jachetti Public Relations was acquired byLobsenz-Stevens Public Relations, where Stevens was owner and CEO. Jachetti was subsequently SVP at DVC Worldwide and then founded advertising agency EmotionMapping. He then re-joined Art Stevens at The Stevens Group in 2014. Over the past 11 years, said Stevens, Rich has not only strengthened The Stevens Group's position as a leader in the PR agency M&A market, but given his unusually diverse background and experience in the broader marcom agency ecosystem, he has been instrumental in expanding the firms singular PR agency focus to include PR-adjacent service firms such as digital marketing; data gathering and analytics; social media and influencer marketing; promotional & account specific marketing; and performance marketing."

Teneo acquires PwC's Australia Business Restructuring Services unit. Through the transaction, approximately 80 members of PwC's Australia Business Restructuring Services team will join Teneo, including Stephen Longley, who has led the team for the last four years and will become head of financial advisory Australia. The team will offer a wide range of financial advisory services in the region, including deep expertise in local and international restructuring and insolvency situations. Teneo will also enhance its current presence in Sydney and Melbourne and plans to open its first office in Brisbane. "Australia has a diverse, innovative and growing economy, making it a critical market for Teneo as we continue to build our business across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world," said Teneo CEO Paul Keary.

ONAR Holding Corporation, a marketing technology company and marketing agency network, signs a definitive agreement to acquire Retina.ai, an AI-driven SaaS platform that ingests a brands transaction, engagement and demographic data to forecast customer lifetime value at the individual level. ONAR plans to merge Retina.ai with predictive analytics platform, Cortex, part of its ONAR Labs venture studio. The merger is intended to give ONARs agencies real-time visibility into which of their customers will become their most profitable. Retina.ai is a jewel in our tech stack, said ONAR CEO Claude Zdanow. Combining it with Cortex sharpens our targeting, accelerates our growth initiatives, and ultimately magnifies long-term shareholder value.
The Portlaoise actor Robert Sheehan, who has enjoyed stratospheric levels of fame during his career (including starring in Love/Hate and The Umbrella Academy), was one of the talented people from the theatrical world to grace this year's Scripts Playwriting Festival in Birr last week. Bringing a touch of stardust wherever he went, Sheehan threw himself into the event, as one of the four actors to bring the three new plays to life, something which requires several days of script reading and hard work.

The three plays were performed by Sheehan and three other actors on Sunday afternoon during the Festival Finale. In James Peaty's "Turn" Sheehan played a criminal Londoner who murders his brother (or does he?) He was the narrator in "Fanny Riot" by Lisa Walsh which chronicled the Dublin Riots in November 2023. And in Roisin Daly's "The Waves Have Ears Too" he portrayed a teenager who sexually abuses a teenage girl. During all three plays he showed that he was very skilful whether performing comedy or tragedy.

Edenderry's Eugene O'Brien praised the four actors for their performances during the Festival Finale. He said Sheehan was very down to earth and pleasant to have around during the week. He was sometimes mobbed on the streets, but he was always gracious and decent.

Of course, O'Brien himself is a celebrity, being of Pure Mule and Eden fame. The Edenderry playwright has been mentoring playwrights in Scripts for several years and every year he receives high praise from the playwrights he works with, as he sets them the difficult task of reassembling their one act plays and burnishing them to the highest level that they can.

READ MORE:

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/midland-tribune/1849959/offaly-s-playwriting-festival-hums-with-positivity.html
The UK has just announced that 16 and 17 year olds will now be allowed to vote in the next UK general election and some politicians in Ireland have called for the same move here.

I can't help but agree when TD Aidan Farrelly says that people aged 16 and 17 are as civically informed as their peers aged over 18, but are unjustly restricted when it comes to democratic participation.



If young people can work full time and pay taxes, it is only fair to afford them the opportunity to influence how these taxes are spent, locally and nationally.



Last month, Ireland ranked 18th out of over 140 countries worldwide in terms of youth participation in political, economic and civic life. We should be doing so much better."

I think Ireland should definitely move towards allowing young people from age 16 upwards to vote.

As a young women myself, I fully believe that the youth of Ireland should be able to make important decisions for themselves that will no doubt affect their future, arguably more than anyone else.

What happens in a general election will directly affect their lives in every way, whether it be education, housing, healthcare or the cost of living; the youth of Ireland will bear the brunt of who the older generations vote for.

This is why I believe they should get a say, and it's about time they do. But this should only happen on one condition.

READ NEXT: OPINION: 'This ad still haunts me but it should be back on TV and social media'

It's all down to education. There is without a doubt a number of young people in Ireland aged 16 or 17 years old who have a great knowledge of politics and would only love to have the right to vote for their desired party or candidate in the next general election. I would say some even have more knowledge on such matters than people who have been voting for years.

For this move to work effectively, I do think that schools need to provide more education on the political system in Ireland.

I'm 23 years old and it's only in recent years that I've started to educate myself on politics. I wish that I had learned more about it when I was in school. I only voted for the first time in the last general election.

The Irish education system should explain how to vote, the different parties and explain the history of politics in Ireland.

I had no idea who to vote for when I turned 18 and never understood the importance of it, so I didn't bother initially.

How do you vote when you don't have any knowledge on who you're voting for? What's the difference between one party compared to the other? These were the questions I, and many other young people like myself, were asking.

This information is so important and choosing the right option for you should be mandatory in schools and be provided to everyone to give them a fair chance.

This would allow the younger generations to properly educate themselves and make their own decisions in a general, local or presidential election, as well as referendums, without the biased influence of their parents, friends or other family members.

What good would a 16-year-old do in a general election if they just immediately vote in line with their parents' political beliefs?

So while I do think the change is very much needed and would be good for the youth of Ireland, having access to political education in schools should go hand-in-hand with such a responsibility.

16 years old is definitely not too young to have a say on the future of Ireland, especially if they are properly informed.
Maria Faria of Corvallis has been a troublemaker since she was a little girl.

She had to be, she said.

Her native Brazil was in the grip of a dictatorship after the country's armed forces seized power in 1964 in a coup d'etat many believe was supported by the United States government.

Faria was not going to stay silent in the face of oppression. So she made trouble  good trouble  the kind the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, spoke of just five months before he died of cancer July 17, 2020.

"Speak up, speak out, get in the way, Lewis told supporters in March on the 55th anniversary of Civil Rights activists crossing the bridge from Selma to Montgomery in what became known as Bloody Sunday.

"Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America."

Faria and thousands of other Americans remembered his words Thursday, July 17, as they marched and protested against the excesses of the Trump administration on the fifth anniversary of his death.

The Corvallis event drew an estimated 500 people to the Benton County Courthouse on Northwest Fourth Street. Crowds overflowed past Northwest Monroe Avenue to the south and Northwest Jackson Avenue to the north.

Faria said the Trump administration reminds her of the government of her childhood.

"It's the same," she said. They have to hate something and blame someone for everything. It's terrible. This isn't my first rodeo with authoritarianism."

Faria added she knows that being born in another country puts her at risk with the administrations stance against immigrants, even though she is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

"Citizenship status doesn't protect anyone, but you have to be vocal," she said. "If we cave into our fears, what we most fear will happen."

Faria is one of the organizers of Indivisible Benton County, one of more than 1,000 Indivisible chapters across the country formed after 2016 to protest the Trump administration.

"When Trump 2.0 hit, we decided we needed to do more than chat on Facebook," Faria said. Now the group is on a wide range of social media outlets and helps organize events like Thursday's Good Trouble protest.

And Faria makes buttons. For Thursday's protest, she already had hundreds of buttons reflecting the administration's refusal to acknowledge the existence of a client list for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"That's my thing," Faria said. "I make buttons and make donations to nonprofit organizations."

Fatarae Padgitt said she can understand why crowd size was down, compared to this year's earlier gatherings, including the "No Kings" protest on June 14. The protest was held on a weekday evening in the middle of summer.

"I'm sympathetic with younger people with families," Padgitt said. "Still, I don't understand how you cannot be political. The way people are treated is so awful. We have a responsibility to show up and speak out, but that is hard when you're working and raising a family."

Cove Schlundt said she always attends local protests. "But for me, this isn't about politics at all," they said. "This is about human rights. The protests really encourage me to continue to believe what I believe."

If protesting doesn't result in immediate change, they said, that's OK. "That's not what matters. It's about supporting the community."

Carla Olsen worked at a table representing the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. While the league has historically remained neutral when it comes to partisan politics, Olsen said America faces unique challenges to human rights and the underpinnings of democracy.

She distributed information to help people deal with raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents.

Make sure agents are wearing uniforms that identify them as ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, a league handout advises. Also document their activities by taking videos and photographs  noting the precise time, date and location.

Ken Winograd represented Third Act, a group of climate activists over the age of 60. "People over 60 have the time, wisdom and history to be active," he said.

Tom Cappolini, another group member, said it's odd the older people have reputations for being both liberal and conservative. Conservative seniors may not be a problem in Corvallis, Cappolini said.

"This area is very liberal," he said. "I wonder how many of us really watch Fox News."

The protest also drew local political figures like Benton County Commissioner Pat Malone, concerned that the federal government and Department of Government Efficiency have gone over the edge.

"Making cuts surgically is one thing, but not with a chainsaw," Malone said.

Karen Shell said she worries about the effect the administration will have on science.

Shell is a professor of practice and head of the climate science program at Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. She studies climate dynamics, general circulation of the atmosphere and interactions between radiative transfer and the dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean.

She helped Benton County Indivisible organize the local "No Kings" rally, joining hundreds of such rallies that day across the country. The news can be so depressing, Shell said, but organizing helps.

"The day I went to the planning session, I felt very sad," she said. "It definitely helped me."

Thursday's protest was peaceful but fierce. Faria said John Lewis would be proud.

"This is just a reminder that good trouble is necessary, and John Lewis' legacy lives on."

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New Delhi: The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, has been stayed, and that diplomatic efforts are underway to ensure her safe return.



A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was told that the execution, initially scheduled for July 16, has been postponed. The government is trying everything possible, said Attorney General R Venkataramani, adding that the situation remains "very difficult" and sensitive.

The court was hearing a plea filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which is supporting Priyas legal defence. According to PTI, the organisations counsel urged the Centre to allow a delegation, including two or three representatives and a religious scholar from Kerala, to travel to Yemen and initiate talks with the victims family for forgiveness, a precondition for seeking a pardon under Sharia law.

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The counsel clarified that discussions on "blood money", compensation that can be paid to the victims family, could follow only after forgiveness is granted.

The bench allowed the petitioners to make a formal representation to the government but stopped short of issuing any directive. "Whatever request they want to make to the government, they may make. The government will consider it," the court said, choosing not to specify any demands in its order.

Venkataramani said the government preferred not to put sensitive details on record at this stage, fearing they could be counterproductive. "We only want that this woman comes out safely," he told the court, while objecting to media reports quoting his exchanges in court.

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The petitioner's counsel confirmed that Priya's mother is already in Yemen, negotiating with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the man Priya was convicted of killing in 2017. She received permission to travel following directions from the Delhi High Court.

Asked whether the stay on execution was indefinite, the petitioners lawyer said no fresh execution date had been set so far. Which means something is working, Venkataramani noted.

The Supreme Court posted the next hearing in the matter to August 14.

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Nimisha Priya, 38, a nurse from Palakkad, Kerala, was convicted in Yemen for the 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. She allegedly drugged and killed Mahdi, and was sentenced to death in 2020. Her final appeal was rejected in 2023, and she is currently imprisoned in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital.

Under Sharia law, a murder convict can be pardoned if the victims family agrees to forgive and accept blood money as compensation. On July 17, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was in touch with Yemeni authorities and friendly nations to reach a mutually agreeable solution. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal added that efforts were on to secure more time for Priyas family to negotiate with the victims kin.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"The book is very well written...very important in this individualized capitalistic illusory world that enslaves us all within its tentacles and forces us to believe that we are atomized and disconnected beings. Indigenous Lakota people end prayers with "Mitakuye Oyasin...all my relations..." An ancient African proverb states, "A person is a person only because of and with others..." This instructive text is very useful for us living in what we are always told is the modern world, because it reconnects us all and reminds us that ultimately, the endless circle of the Universe binds and connects us all and the Earth is Mother to us with no hierarchy...the ones at the bottom matter the most...like the ants who build mounds and hills, all working in unison and harmony...the book teaches that we were created for community and our destiny is organic community...anything else is doomed..."



Julian Kunnie, Professor of Religious Studies/Classics at the University of Arizona and author of The Cost of Globalization: Dangers to the Earth and Its People
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[update: Our mobile educational unit team was stopped twice this week as they tried to reach marginalized Palestinian communities but we managed to get through with delays. Thank you to the 115 of you already donated and 12 who offered to volunteer in our current drive; you can still join these great people palestinenature.org]

A Gaza Catholic church that Pope Francis phoned on a daily basis has been bombed by the Israeli regime forces with two Palestinians civilians killed who were sheltering in the Church: Foumia Ayad and Saad Salameh. Italian priest Gabriele Romanelli was injured.

Need signatures on this open letter prior to Friday July 18 in support of freedom flotilla.

Wikipedia detailed page with links on induced famine in Gaza Strip.

Israeli regime confesses to stealing organs from Palestinians they killed.

UN agency sounds alarm as 1 in 10 children in Gaza now malnourished.

Commercial drones used to bomb civilians in Gaza.

Resist genocide and ecocide. Event on 20 July 8 PM Palestine time (7 PM WAST time).

Better World Information and in particular their guide to the atrocities in Gaza with over 25,000 links.

Handala sets sail to break the siege on Gaza.

(from Jewish Voice for Peace) ACT to support largest union (3 million) calls out the racist ADL group that supports genocide while claiming it is working to stop discrimination.

Stay Humane, act, and keep Palestine and hope alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home

Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine

facebook pages Personal Institute

French
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The 137th Canton Fair took place from April 15 to May 4, 2025, and wow, what a turnout! They welcomed around 288,938 international buyers from 219 different countries, marking a solid 17.3% increase compared to the last session. And let me tell you, one of the coolest highlights this year had to be the Ai Coffee Robot https://www.annorobots.com/ai-coffee-robot/ , which totally showcased how automation is becoming a big deal in 
In Nepal's eastern hills, where digital access often stops at the town border, small changes matter. And sometimes, those changes start with one person working quietly behind the scenes. Roshan Shrestha, born and raised in Sindhupalchok, isn't a name plastered across billboards or television. But in certain corners of the country-and online-his name has started to mean something. A journalist by experience and a communicator by instinct, he started reporting after 
Shenzhen, China - July 1, 2025 - Ufine Battery, a leading Chinese manufacturer specializing in custom lithium battery[ https://www.ufinebattery.com/ ] solutions, has officially moved into its new corporate headquarters at Room 3406, 3407, 3408, Fucheng Times Square, No. 1 Guangshen Road, Xin'an Street, Bao'an District, Shenzhen. This relocation, which took place on July 1, 2025, marks a major milestone as the company launches its global trade operations and continues to 
New Delhi, India - 18 July 2025 - MathYug, India's most loved digital education platform for Mathematics and Physics, is proud to announce the launch of No Cost EMI on its Class 10, 11, 12 Mathematics Memberships and Teacher Special Membership. Students and teachers can now access premium content and expert guidance by paying in 12 interest-free monthly installments, with support from major banks including Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, YES 
More than 250 musicians from 19 countries - from August 27 to 31, 2025, Ferrara celebrates the 38th Ferrara Buskers Festival - with street music at its finest. Before the event kicks off in the UNESCO World Heritage city, soloists and bands from the water town of Comacchio will heat things up with their instruments and voices. They come from Argentina, Canada, the USA, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Taiwan, South Korea 
Public records show Deputy Steven Woolcock lives in Beavercreek. A grand jury indicted him on July 10 on five charges: first-, second- and three counts of third-degree sexual abuse. Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

A longtime Clackamas County Sheriffs Office deputy was arraigned Thursday afternoon on multiple sex crime allegations involving a minor, court records show.

Steven Woolcock, 48, made his first appearance in Clackamas County Circuit Court, records show. He did not enter a plea. His attorney, Shannon Kmetic, declined to comment.

Public records show Woolcock lives in Beavercreek. A grand jury indicted him on July 10 on five charges: first-, second- and three counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

First-degree sexual abuse is a Measure 11 crime that carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence.

The indictment alleges Woolcock committed the crimes on Feb. 1 and 3.

The Oregon State Police investigated the allegations.

Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training records show Woolcock was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 5.

Records show he first went to work at the sheriffs office in 1998 and resigned two years later. He returned to the agency in 2007.

His pay last year was $111,650, county records show.

The state police notified the sheriffs office about the investigation into conduct that occured while off-duty in February. Woolcock, a civil deputy, was placed on leave immediately, the agency said.

The felony charges mean Woolcocks leave is now unpaid, the sheriffs office said.

Woolcock is currently being held in the Clackamas County Jail on $250,000 bail.

 Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184 or ncrombie@oregonian.com.
"The President made it clear on Day One: DHS will not buy into radical gender ideology when detaining illegal aliens, said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement. U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio's ruling on the release of the 24-year-old asylum seeker, though, had nothing to do with gender. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) AP

The assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday accused a federal judge in Oregon of caving to immigration activists when ordering the release days earlier of a transgender woman asylum seeker from Mexico who was arrested in June in the hallway of Portland Immigration Court.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLoughlin, in a press release, released the name and a photo of the woman and claimed Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio ignores biological reality.

Baggio, in her ruling Monday, didnt refer to the 24-year-old detainees gender, using only the initials O-J-M and petitioner. O-J-M in court papers has said she fears returning to Mexico because she was persecuted as a transgender woman and sexually assaulted.

Baggios order blasted the government, saying it failed to follow its own rules and provided shifting and legally shaky reasons for the womans detention. The judge found that ICE officers had violated the womans due process rights and had no basis to arrest her.

At first, an ICE official told the court in a sworn declaration that O-J-M was arrested June 2 as part of an expedited removal proceeding. But Baggio pointed out that the government had no authority to do that because O-J-M had a right to appeal the dismissal of her asylum application and that the immigration judges ruling wasnt final for 30 days.

Then 23 days after the arrest, a different Homeland Security officer provided a different justification to the court, contending that O-J-M would be held until the government completed an evaluation of her fear of returning to Mexico, Baggio said. The government shifted the basis for authority to detain O-J-M, leaving petitioner in custody even longer, Baggio said.

O-J-Ms lawyers said in a court filing that O-J-M chose to be held in solitary confinement for more than 40 days at the federal detention center in Tacoma for her own safety after she was first placed in a facility for men there.

McLaughlin said O-J-M was taken to the mens facility because Homeland Security recognizes O-J-M as a biological male and for the safety of women in custody. It also aligns with President Donald Trumps executive order on gender, she said.

The President made it clear on Day One: DHS will not buy into radical gender ideology when detaining illegal aliens, McLaughlin said in a statement. An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide whether to release or detain someone, she said.

Baggio undermined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements commitment to promote secure and humane environments for women in custody, the statement said.

McLaughlin accused Baggio of subverting the American peoples mandate to restore commonsense to our immigration system and reject extreme gender fanaticism, but she did not explain how a ruling based on constitutional law might have done that.

The assistant secretary argued the reason for the arrest of O-J-M was that it was part of an expedited removal, although an ICE official and the U.S. Department of Justice lawyer in the case had abandoned that reasoning before Baggio issued her ruling.

O-J-M was released Monday night from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

Baggio was nominated to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February. The Trump administration has bashed judges across the country after rulings that have run counter to the administrations initiatives.

The nonprofit Innovation Law Lab, whose lawyers represented O-J-M in the case, called the attack on the judge and the ordered release disgusting.

Lets be clear, the federal government is attempting to dox and intimidate this asylum seeker simply because she is trans, the labs statement said. This is a disgusting effort to distract from the real issue. ICE is trampling due process, a core, fundamental freedom that protects every person in the United States, no matter where they were born. Asylum seekers have been following all the rules in their lawful applications for asylum and federal agents are still snatching them off the street unlawfully.

-- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, on Bluesky @maxbernstein.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
David Knapp was delivering mail on his usual route in Milwaukie on Southeast 37th Avenue and had his back to Kevin E. Irvine when a bullet entered the back of his left thigh and exited out the front, a few inches above his knee. Court Exhibit

Mail carrier David Knapp said the Christmas Eve when he was shot in the leg by a stranger on his Milwaukie route has left him with constant anxiety and the feeling he must always watch my back.

Something as simple as a customer walking up from behind to give me mail, nearly set me off, he said at the shooters sentencing hearing Thursday.

Knapp described testifying at the federal trial earlier this year of gunman Kevin Eugne Irvine as excruciating and said he wonders if Irvine will seek him out if hes released from prison.

I firmly believe that he will try to kill someone again if given the chance, Knapp said, and I hope that he receives the maximum term possible.

U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, who rejected Irvines insanity defense at trial, ordered Irvine to spend 17 years and three months in prison.

Immergut in March found Irvine, now 34, guilty of aggravated assault with a gun of a federal employee, attempted murder of a federal employee and use of a gun during a crime of violence.

The judge on Thursday rejected a push by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman to enhance the sentence by nine levels because Knapp worked for the government.

Immergut found that the prosecutor had not shown Irvine was motivated by Knapps status as a postal carrier, considering Irvines untreated schizophrenia at the time of the shooting.

Immergut did find that Irvine had accepted some responsibility, noting he waived his right to a trial by jury and accepted most of the governments account of the crime.

Immergut thanked Knapp for participating in the trial. No sentence, she said, is likely to curtail the trauma he has suffered.

You didnt deserve what you got, she told Knapp.

Knapp was delivering mail on his usual route on Southeast 37th Avenue and had his back to Irvine when a bullet entered the back of his left thigh and exited out the front, a few inches above his knee.

He was out of work for about a month but remains in counseling for post-traumatic stress and said he had to forgo advancement opportunities in his career.

The van was caught on residential Ring camera surveillance in Milwaukie whre the shooting of mail carrier David Knapp occurred about 12:40 p.m. on Christmas Eve Dec. 24, 2022, according to Milwaukie police and U.S. postal inspectors. U.S. Attorney's Office

Irvine had parked his van after noticing the mail carrier and developed a delusion that Knapp was somehow harming him , according to trial testimony.

He retrieved a .22-caliber rifle from inside his van, then drove around to look for Knapp, drove by him and stopped in the middle of Southeast 37th Avenue. He stepped out, knelt on his right knee and fired at him three times, then picked up all the shell casings, put his sweatshirts hood up and drove off, according to trial testimony. He later made three Door Dash deliveries in his van that day, Dec. 24, 2022.

Irvines mental health had declined in the preceding months, according to trial witnesses and exhibits. He had filed more than 20 online complaints with Tigard and Portland police to report similar delusions of sexual assaults, harassment and intimidation by strangers.

Sussman said Irvine deliberately targeted Knapp and argued for the 17 year-plus prison term after the judge disallowed his request for a longer sentence of at least 19 years.

He fired three rounds at a letter carrier as the carrier was delivering mail, on foot, in uniform, on a quiet residential street on Christmas Eve. The attack was completely unprovoked, Sussman said. Knapps only offense was to wave at Irvine as Irvine drove by him at first.

Irvine was hunting him, Sussman said.

Defense lawyer C. Renee Manes had urged a sentence of 10 years and one month, arguing Irvine was suffering from undiagnosed and untreated severe schizophrenia at the time of the shooting.

Irvine believed the mail carrier was telepathically touching his buttocks or having others do so by neuro-linguistic programming, Manes said.

Irvine read a brief statement to the judge.

I thought I was defending myself, he said. I thought he was programming me. I felt like I was in immediate danger.

But since hes been in custody and on medication, he added, These days I realize all that was delusions and hallucinations.

Immergut said she weighed Irvines mental illness with the extremely serious crime.

She said he targeted Knapp and has not shown remorse.

At Irvines request, Immergut said shed recommend he be held at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota.

-- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, on Bluesky @maxbernstein.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
A Jan. 12, 2024 shooting of a woman inside her car after she was pulled over for having no license plates has spurred a federal suit alleging negligence and excessive force. City of Gold Beach

A federal suit alleges a Gold Beach police officers close-range shooting of a woman inside her car during a traffic stop amounted to negligent and excessive force.

The case resembles the controversial fatal shooting by Portland police of 21-year-old motorist Kendra James more than two decades ago, except the woman shot in Gold Beach survived.

The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Medford, stems from the Jan. 12, 2024, stop of Sharon Johnston-Corson for not displaying license plates on her car. The officer found she also was driving with a suspended license, court records show.

According to the suit, Officer Kenneth Moore radioed for backup and told Johnston-Corson to get out of her car, but he opened her door when she didnt respond immediately, told her she was under arrest and then entered the car through the drivers side.

He leaned his torso against Johnston-Corson and had grabbed her right arm with his left hand when the car started rolling forward on a downhill slope, the suit says.

The suit argues that Johnston-Corson couldnt control her car or see the road ahead because Moore had grabbed her.

Moore, with his upper body and left arm inside the moving car and his feet outside the open drivers door, drew his gun from his right hip holster and put it on Johnston-Corsons left shoulder and ordered her to stop the car or he would shoot her, the suit says.

Without waiting for a response to his demand or giving her an opportunity to comply, he immediately fired a shot into her shoulder and then shot her a second time without warning, the suit alleges.

Moore, in a written statement to law enforcement, said he didnt want to kill Johnston-Corson by shooting her in the head.

I just wanted her to stop, so I put the gun to the back of her left shoulder area and again told her to stop the car or I would shoot her, he said.

The suit alleges that Moore failed to record the traffic stop and shooting on either his body camera or patrol car dash camera because he wasnt wearing his body camera in violation of department policy and the dash cam didnt record due to insufficient memory.

Moore also failed to call for help on his police radio because his was on a medical frequency for hospital and ambulance communications, not the police channel, the suit says.

Instead, Moore shouted to a bystander to call 911. At 5:36 p.m., a witness called 911 to report that an officer had pulled a woman from her car and handcuffed her as she lay on the ground, wounded from two bullet shots to her shoulder, according to the suit.

Johnston-Corson, now 56, was airlifted to OHSU Hospital in Portland and is continuing to recover from her wounds, the suit said.

She was convicted of driving while suspended and attempting to elude an officer in September 2024 in Curry County and placed on two years of probation.

The suit alleges that Moore needlessly escalated a routine traffic stop for a nonviolent misdemeanor into a life-threatening emergency with an unarmed woman.

A Curry County grand jury reviewed the shooting, which was investigated by the Oregon State Police, and found it was justified. Officials from the city of Gold Beach did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the suit.

The suit alleges Moore should have waited for backup before putting half his body inside the car or used a less-lethal Taser to avoid using his gun. It seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against the city of Gold Beach and Moore.

Johnston-Corson posed no immediate threat, said attorney Alicia LeDuc Montgomery.

In Portland in May 2003, Officer Scott McCollister shot James about 2:50 a.m. as she tried to drive away from a traffic stop on North Skidmore Street. The officer told investigators that 80% of his body was in the car, trying to get James out, when she put the car into drive. He testified that he fired one shot from his 9mm handgun because he feared for his life.

James died from a single bullet that entered below her lower left hip, traveled upward and stopped beneath her right breast.

A Multnomah County grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by McCollister. Although then-Police Chief Mark Kroeker said McCollisters use of deadly force didnt violate Police Bureau policy or state law, he found that McCollister shouldnt have put himself in the car and in a position where he had to fire his gun.

Kroeker issued a six-page disciplinary letter that criticized McCollisters lack of tactical planning in deciding how to get James out of the car and described how it led to the fatal shooting. McCollister entered the car, unholstered his gun inside the car and failed to use his pepper spray properly. Another officer tried to use a Taser on James, but it was ineffective, the chief wrote.

A state arbitrator overturned Kroekers 5 -month suspension of McCollister, faulting the Police Bureau for acting before it conducted a full internal affairs investigation of the shooting. Then-police union President Robert King, now an adviser to Portland Police Chief Bob Day, praised the arbitrators ruling, saying the officer did what was necessary to defend himself. McCollister still works as a Portland police officer.

-- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, on Bluesky @maxbernstein.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
Ken Burns, shown at an event in New York City, was in Portland on Tuesday to show excerpts from the upcoming documentary series, "The American Revolution." Getty Images for Authors Guild F

For many Americans, the Revolutionary War was the countrys star-spangled origin story, a righteous battle between home-grown patriots and invading British forces, which ended in the triumphant creation of the United States of America.

But Ken Burns and his collaborators are here to tell you that the saga of how the U.S. came to be was far more complex and bloody than the simpler, pledge-of-allegiance-style version thats been handed down for generations.
President Donald Trump walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP

Right-winger influencer and podcast host Nick Fuentes has famously dined with Donald Trump.

However, the two are buddies no more because Fuentes shredded Trump on his most recent podcast.

And now he says if you are not on board with the Epstein coverup I dont want your support, Fuentes said. Youre a weakling. (Expletive) you. (Expletive) you. You suck. You are fat. You are a joke. You are stupid. You are not funny. You are not as smart as you think you are.

And honestly, and if you watch my show, you know Ive been very critical, he continued. Ive never been this far. This just goes to show this entire thing has been a scam. When we look back on the history of populism in America, we are going to look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in American history. The Liberals were right. The MAGAs were had. They were.

When we look back in history, we will see Trump as a scam artist.

In another clip, Fuentes again went off on Trump saying he doesnt want the support of people questioning the Epstein files.

I dont want their support anymore  well, fine, you dont get anymore, he said. Nobody should vote for Trump. Nobody should vote for Republicans. And what needs to happen next by the way, the Republicans must be hanged in the midterms. Thats what must come of this. Trump must (expletive) pay for this statement. To say, I dont want your support anymore. Every single Trump supporter, every single Republican needs to say, OK, bet. You dont want our support, forget about the midterms. Forget it. The 2026 midterms, it just needs to be a Democrat avalanche at this point. And thats not because Im a Democrat. Im not. I dont like the Democrats. I hate the Republicans more because the Republicans are traitors. Because I have voted for Republicans. I have supported Republicans and they (expletive) on our face.

Social media was stunned to see the blistering takedown from Fuentes.

Wow, Trump even lost to Nazis, one person wrote on X.

Why do I have to be aggreging with this horrible person on a Thursday morning, another wrote.

MAGA is imploding over the Epstein scandal, the Republicans against Trump account on X wrote while sharing video of Fuentes.

This all comes a day after Trump again lashed out at supporters for questioning his administrations handling of the Epstein files.

The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again! Trump wrote on Truth Social. Just like with the FAKE and fully discredited Steele Dossier, the lying 51 intelligence Agents, the Laptop from Hell, which the Dems swore had come from Russia (No, it came from Hunter Bidens bathroom!), and even the Russia, Russia, Russia, scam itself, a totally fake and made up story used in order to hide Crooked Hillar Clintons big loss in the 2016 Presidential Election, these scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at  Its all they have  They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates.

Also, unlike Republicans, they stick together like glue, he continued. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.

Trump was not through.

I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Countrys history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, he wrote. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking about our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

It was Trumps administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi who made a spectacle of the release of part of the files in February, inviting MAGA social media influencers into the White House and handing them binders before posing for a photo opp. Those binders were labeled The Epstein Files: Phase I, and for the most part they were heavily redacted and contained information that had already been reported.

President Trumps name was in those documents, however, as he appeared seven times in the flight logs.

Also, previously reported to be on the Epstein flight logs, per Newsweek, were the likes of former president Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew of England, Naomi Campbell, David Copperfield, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, former vice president Al Gore, Stephen Hawking and Bruce Willis.

Traveling on Epsteins plane does not mean that anyone committed a crime, though.

Also in February, Bondi was asked about the Epstein client list while on Fox, and she said, Its sitting on my desk right now to review. Thats been a directive form President Trump. Im reviewing that.

But Bondi reversed course last week, with Trump by her side, and said there would be no client list release. And, after MAGA, which had been promised for months that heads would roll when the files were released, began to call for her to be fired, Trump first lashed out over the weekend.

Whats going on with my boys and, in some cases, gals? Trump wrote on Truth Social. Theyre all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! Were on one Team, MAGA, and I dont like whats happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and selfish people are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.

For years, its Epstein, over and over again, he continued. Why are we giving publicity to files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 Intelligence Agents, THE LAPTOP FROM HELL, and More? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called friends are playing right into their hands.

Why didnt these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? he continued. If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didnt they use it? They havent even given up on the John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. Files. No matter how much success we have had, securing the Border, deporting Criminals, fixing the Economy, Energy Dominance, a Safer World where Iran will not have Nuclear Weapons, its never enough for some people. WE are about to achieve more in 6 months than any other Administration has achieved in over 100 years, and we have so much more to do.

We are saving our Country and, MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, which will continue to be our complete PRIORITY, he continued. The Left is imploding! Kash Patel, and the FBI, must be focused on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, RADICAL LEFT inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HERE JOB  SHES GREAT. The 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen, and they tried to the same thing in 2024. Thats what she is looking into as AG, and much more.

One year ago our Country was DEAD, now its the HOTTEST Country anywhere in the World. Lets keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to reporters as President Donald Trump listens, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP

By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON  The controversy over President Donald Trump s handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation entered a new dimension Thursday as his administration struggles to make good on its promises to release details on the sex trafficking case involving a one-time friend of the now-president.
Over a hundred family and community members gathered on the sand spit shore below Requa Village on the Yurok Reservation, where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean, to welcome 120 Indigenous youth kayakers over that last 30 days, making history as the first people to descend over 310 miles down the free-flowing Klamath River since dam removal.

This story originally appeared on Underscore Native News.

This is a historical moment for us, said Susan Masten, former Yurok Tribal Chair, past president of the National Congress of American Indians, and the president and co-founder of Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations. We havent had the opportunity yet to celebrate the dams coming down as a people.

This moment in time, with these youth that have traveled 30 days, the river has guided them down to us, said Masten.

It was a foggy morning as Masten stood on the beach, eagerly awaiting to welcome her niece and the other kayakers.

For more than a century, four hydroelectric dams blocked the Klamath River, disrupting once-abundant salmon runs and disconnecting Indigenous communities from the river that they have lived along since time immemorial. The last of those dams were removed in the fall of last year, marking the completion of the largest dam removal project in history.

The most significant and important thing about it is that the river is healing, said Masten.

The river remembers, she added.The fish are coming back to spawn where they havent been able to be in a hundred years plus. The fish remember. We, as this river system, are healing.

Two traditional Redwood dugout canoes joined the group and led the kayakers to the final landing on July 11, 2025. (Photo by Jarrette Werk, Underscore Native News) Jarrette Werk, Underscore Native News

On June 12, the young kayakers ranging in age from 13 to 20 set out to paddle the newly free-flowing river at the headwaters in southern Oregon, and on July 11, they made the long-awaited dream of the Klamath basin tribes a reality once they entered the mouth of the river. Youth from the Klamath, Yurok, Karuk, Quartz Valley, Hoopa Valley, Warm Springs as well as the Tohono Oodham Nation were represented in the program.

There have been generations of individuals and tribes who have been fighting this fight, said Masten. Our ancestors have provided safety for them on their journey. Were just excited and want them to feel like were honoring them, because they have provided international and national attention to our river and the importance of having a free flowing river. They have inspired millions to be advocating and fighting for their own rivers and their homelands.

More than three years of preparation led to this moment, as youth traveled to places like Chile, Costa Rica, Canada and Africa to train and learn how to navigate whitewater with kayak instructors from the Paddle Tribal Waters program, part of the nonprofit Rios to Rivers.

As mothers helped their children dress into traditional Yurok regalia  deerskin skirts adorned with rows of abalone and shells, placing Yurok hat baskets atop their heads, and more  the sound of drums and songs blended with the cheers of those on shore as the bright neon-colored kayaks emerged from the fog, led by two traditional Redwood dugout canoes.

I look up and I see so many family members there, and so many community members and my grandparents and everybody, and someone whos like my uncle singing his song and drumming for us, and I was like, Oh my gosh. Were actually about to finish this. We actually did it, said Danielle Frank, Hupa tribal member and Yurok descendant, Director of Development and Community Relations for Rios to Rivers.

It felt very scenic and very deep, said Frank, like the river and the world was having this deep moment, welcoming us into this historic time and place.

Smiles lit the faces of the kayakers as they reached the shore. They immediately jumped from their kayaks and sprinted through the lines of cheering people to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Its just a big moment in history, and in everybodys lives, said 20-year-old Isqotsxoyan Scott, of the Hupa Valley Tribe, as she tried to catch her breath after celebrating in the ocean with the others. All of our families have been fighting for dam removal. Everybodys been fighting for us to be able to reach different parts of the rivers that we havent been able to in over 150 years. So its really so much, I cant even explain how I feel right now.

On the beach, one elder was overcome with emotion watching the youth kayakers. She apologized to the people standing next to her. They told her that No, we can cry grandma. Crying is part of it. Crying is healing.

After the landing, everyone jumped in kayaks, rafts and boats to join tribal elders, community members and family at the boat dock for a celebration. Youth and representatives took turns sharing about their experiences.

Its not just a river trip and its not just a descent to us, said Frank in her speech. This whole trip is really a letter to our community. Its a letter of love the love that has been shown to us our entire lives, the love we get to show to each other and ourselves that was wrapped into this trip. Thats what built this trip, was knowing that we were loved enough to be supported to do something like this.

Its also a letter of promise, Frank continued, We promise that we will do whatever we have to, to protect our free-flowing river now.

Underscore Native News is a nonprofit newsroom committed to Indigenous-centered reporting in the Pacific Northwest. We are supported by foundations and donor contributions. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram,TikTok,YouTubeandBluesky.
Chinese vice president meets delegation attending SMI China Forum

Xinhua) 16:58, July 18, 2025

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Thursday met with a delegation attending the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) China Forum in Beijing.

Han said that the SMI actively encourages the international business community to participate in global green and low-carbon transition, which is of great importance.

Noting that global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity conservation require joint efforts from all humanity, Han said China has always upheld the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and firmly implemented the national strategy on climate change, making significant contributions to global sustainable development.

The delegation said that the business community would continue to deepen practical cooperation and make positive contributions to promoting global sustainable development.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
FILE - A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer listens during a briefing, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. Immigration authorities this month detained a migrant leaving Washington County Circuit Court. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Federal immigration agents this month detained a migrant leaving Washington County Circuit Court, marking the first confirmed arrest near a local Oregon courthouse by the Trump administration.

Samantha Ratcliffe, chief immigration attorney at the Metropolitan Public Defender, confirmed the July 7 immigration arrest but declined to provide the name of the individual or additional details.

The newsroom was able to identify him as a 44-year-old man from Portland. Its unclear why immigration officials arrested him, but the mans partner told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she believes he was ordered deported from the United States in 2011. Hes originally from Honduras.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The arrest is just the latest in Oregon under a Trump administration that has upended the status quo through aggressive immigration-enforcement tactics. Courthouse arrests had generally been off-limits under previous presidents but, as was the case during Trumps first administration, are again becoming a norm.

Already at least a half dozen asylum seekers have been detained at or near federal immigration court in downtown Portland since early June. The Washington County incident marks the first confirmed arrest near a local courthouse in Oregon, although no state agency is tracking them and at least one arrest outside the same courthouse had been suspected, but not verified, in late January.

Oregon Chief Justice Meagan A. Flynn on July 1 issued interim procedures for how local courts should address the potential for immigration enforcement by federal officials. Recent changes to U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy governing civil immigration enforcement near courthouses poses a significant threat to the fair and orderly administration of justice in Oregon courts, the new guidelines warned.

The procedures, however, mainly focus on telling judges and court staff what to do and what to document, as required under Oregons sanctuary laws that generally prohibit cooperation on immigration matters, an official said. Immigration arrests inside court will be tracked, as will federal requests for assistance or use of non-public areas, but arrests outside court wont be documented.

Our focus is on supporting our staff and judges with guidance for occasions when activity occurs inside courthouses and court facilities and do what we can to ensure access to justice in our courts, Todd Sprague, a spokesperson for the Oregon Judicial Department, said in an email, adding that officials are not actively monitoring areas outside the courthouses and court facilities.

The guidance from the Oregon Judicial Department comes after the arrest of a Wisconsin judge in April for allegedly helping an immigrant evade federal agents.

The man arrested in Washington County last week appeared before Judge Ricardo Menchaca for a felony case accusing him of driving under the influence of intoxicants, criminal driving while having a suspended or revoked license, and a misdemeanor for failure to perform duties of a driver tied to property damage, according to court records. He has prior DUII convictions.

On the day of his immigration arrest, the mans girlfriend said they spotted a man wearing green outside the courtroom who was watching them. The couple decided to take the stairs in a completely different direction, she said.

As soon as the couple got in her car outside the building, she said, ICE agents boxed them in with four SUVs. One ICE agent tried to get her car keys out of the ignition by reaching through her car window, she said. Another ICE agent opened the passenger door and pulled her partner out, she said.

The woman said her partner was doing the right thing by showing up to court as required.

I dont understand how they can just do that, she said. Its wrong

Moving forward, determining the frequency of immigration arrests near courthouses will be difficult.

Courthouse rules established in 2019 state that no person should be subjected to civil arrest without a judicial warrant in a court or nearby, including sidewalks and parking areas serving the court. But that guidance was repealed in 2021 after officials said it became redundant with enhancement to the states sanctuary laws.

In 2021, public and law enforcement agencies began to be required to submit reports to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission documenting communication or requests for cooperation from federal authorities for immigration enforcement.

This years judicial procedures also allow judges and court staff to gather information for internal use even if it doesnt rise to the level required for reporting to the justice commission.

Since the Washington County arrest didnt happen inside court facilities, no request for cooperation or communication was submitted by federal authorities to court personnel. Sprague said only that there was a suspected ICE arrest across the street from the Washington County courthouse.

Kelly Officer, research director for the Criminal Justice Commission, confirmed no report has been submitted to her agency by any circuit court so far in 2025.

Sprague said officials dont have an opinion on other possible approaches that could lead to more concrete reporting for immigration arrests that take place in the vicinity of courthouses.

We dont have an opinion on other possible approaches to reporting, who might be charged with monitoring areas near courthouses, or how that might work, he said.

Reporter Zane Sparling contributed to this report.

-- Yesenia Amaro is on the investigations team. Reach her at 503-221-4395, or yamaro@oregonian.com.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield didn't play a role in bringing onboard two out-of-state law firms hired by the Department of Justice, the agency said. Beth Nakamura

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield on Thursday said he had no role in the Department of Justice hiring two out-of-state law firms with ties to his campaign donors to lead the states lawsuit against the nations largest cryptocurrency marketplace.

Rayfields comments followed a public records suit from Coinbase that sought records related to Oregon retaining D.C-based Cohen Milstein and Seattle-based Keller Rohrback to litigate an April lawsuit against the digital asset exchange. The suit  led by the firms lawyers in New York City and Portland  alleges that the crypto giant effectively stiffed Oregonians billions of dollars by failing to adequately register and check risky digital assets with federal and state analysts.

Oregon Department of Justice spokesperson Jenny Hansson said Thursday both firms had been working with the department to investigate Coinbase before Rayfield took office. She hadnt responded to questions from the Capital Chronicle about the decision to hire the firms before it reported on Tuesday that Rayfields campaign received thousands of dollars from members of both firms.

Rayfield accepting campaign contributions from lawyers drew scrutiny during his campaign  as Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last August, some states prohibit contributions from law firms that could win contracts to the state agencies that decide which lawyers to hire, but Oregon does not.

At the time, Rayfield told OPB that he would ensure transparency in all decisions about which law firms are hired.

Whenever you have a cloud over that decision-making process, it leads people to question the credibility or the integrity of why those things are being done, he said.

The managing partner of Keller Rohrback gave $1,000 to Rayfields campaign for attorney general, state campaign finance records show. Cohen Milstein gave two $5,000 donations that totaled $10,000 to Rayfields campaign.

In a written statement, Hansson said the Oregon Department of Justice signed an agreement with Cohen Milstein to investigate and potentially pursue litigation against Coinbase in 2023, a year before Rayfield won his November election to become Oregons attorney general. The Justice Department picked Keller Rohrback to assist with litigation in December 2024, though the firm didnt sign a contract until 2025.

Attorney General Rayfield moved this case forward when he took office in 2025 to protect Oregon investors amid a lack of federal enforcement, Hansson said. The legal theory  that crypto products sold as investment contracts are securities  follows the same approach used by federal agencies like the (Federal Trade Commission).

Rayfields explanation clarifies the extent to which the firms were involved in litigating a suit he said filled an enforcement vacuum left by the federal government. Court records show that the agency had been investigating the company since 2022, but exactly when the firms were onboarded was previously unclear.

That gave fuel to critics like Coinbase, which filed a public records lawsuit last week seeking documents from Gov. Tina Kotek about the states policy surrounding crypto marketplaces and the firms involvement in the case. The company argues Oregons regulations on securities and crypto investments stand out as exclusionary and outdated, particularly in light of growing federal friendliness to the crypto industry in Congress.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Trump administration dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase, a move that left space for Rayfield and outside lawyers to file what has become a more than 300-page complaint moved to the U.S. District Court of Oregon in Portland in June. Coinbases case against Kotek was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

-- Shaanth Kodialam Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
Were now in the heart of wildfire season, and with evacuation orders becoming more common in dry, fire-prone areas, and that means its worth revisiting what to keep in your emergency go bag in case you need to flee your home . This guide, originally well-reported on by our colleague Janet Eastman, covers key steps and items to help you act quickly if you need to leave home on short notice.

Its not easy to prepare for something you hope never happens. But a small amount of planning done before the smoke rolls in can go a long way in helping you stay ready and be calm when facing a stressful emergency situation.

Before disaster strikes

Knowing when to leave, what to take, where to go and how to get there will help keep you and your family from being caught in smoke, fire or road congestion while evacuating during a wildfire, according to Oregons Ready Set Go.

Emergency preparedness experts recommend three things to do now to protect yourself and your household:

Sign up for emergency alerts : Each county has its own system. If youre in Clackamas County, for example, visit : Each county has its own system. If youre in Clackamas County, for example, visit clackamas.us/dm/publicalerts to get started.

Create an evacuation plan : Make sure everyone in your household knows how to exit the home safely, where to meet, and how to stay in touch if power or phone service goes down. Dont forget to include your pets in the plan.

Pack an emergency go bag: This should include basics like : This should include basics like shelf-stable food , water, a flashlight flame-resistant blanket , and a small first-aid kit with essentials such as bandages, pain relievers, gloves, and hand sanitizer

Its also smart to:

Place sturdy shoes near your bag so youre ready to go.

Keep a long-sleeve shirt pants , and socks made of natural fibers (like cotton or wool) ready to grab. These materials are less flammable than synthetics.

Digitally back up your important documents so youre not scrambling to find paper copies.

Take photos of your home and belongings in advance to speed up potential insurance claims.

Save key contacts (doctors, family, friends) somewhere easy to find, and print out prescription info in case pharmacies are offline.

Check out our Oregon wildfire tracker to monitor active fires in your area.

What to pack in your go bag

Evacuations can happen with little warning, and its hard to think clearly when every minute counts. Thats why its important to pack a small, durable, and waterproof go bag in advance. Keep it in an easy-to-grab spot and fill it with only the items youll truly need.

Focus on essentials:

Keep it light. If its too heavy, you may leave it behind when you need it most.

A packed go bag means one less thing to think about when its time to leave. Its a small step that can make a stressful moment a little more manageable, and can help you get out the door faster, safer, and with what matters most.

More on preparing for wildfires:
Investigators are looking for a potential witness who was at the wheel of a silver Corvette at the scene around the time of the shooting. File photo

A 41-year-old man who allegedly rammed his truck into a patrol car with a police officer inside in Sherwood earlier this month and then fired shots toward police was indicted this week on nearly two dozen charges.

Investigators are looking for a potential witness who was at the wheel of a silver Corvette at the scene around the time of the shooting. They asked the person to email tips@tigard-or.gov or call 503-718-TIPS.

Travis Blumhagen of Salem was arrested after a Tualatin police officer fired at him and he surrendered to officers, police said. No one was injured by the gunfire.

Earlier that day, Tigard and Sherwood dispatchers received calls reporting a driver in a pickup trying to drive through the gate at a storage unit facility. At 4:22 p.m., callers reported hearing gunshots fired within the property.

Officers from Sherwood, Tualatin, Tigard and King City responded, along with deputies from the Washington County Sheriffs Office. Blumhagen allegedly drove away from the storage facility and encountered a Sherwood police officer in a patrol car.

He then put his truck in reverse and drove toward the patrol car, injuring the officer and damaging the patrol car, according to police. Blumhagen is accused of then driving forward, stopping and firing his handgun.

Another officer returned fire. Investigators on Thursday identified the officer who fired at Blumhagen as Tualatin Police Officer Eli Fults, who has been with the agency for six years. He is on leave, as is standard during the shooting investigation.

On Monday, a Washington County grand jury indicted Blumhagen on 21 counts, including attempted first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and recklessly endangering another person.

Police recovered a total of 27 shell casings linked to what they described as a barrage of gunfire from Blumhagen. Investigators said Blumhagen used several firearms during the shooting.

 Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184 or ncrombie@oregonian.com.
Portland will see a mostly sunny day Friday. The weekend will offer morning clouds, and afternoon sunshine, with high temps in the low 80s Saturday. Oregonian file photo. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

The bulk of the greater metro area will see mostly sunny skies Friday morning before clouds move in later in the afternoon.

The National Weather Service says an upper-level shortwave moving down the British Columbia coastline will push into the region bringing more onshore flow, breezy conditions and cloudier skies by later in the day. The coast will feel the brunt of this, but clouds are likely to move into the valleys through gaps in the Coast Range.

Portland will see a mostly sunny day Friday and a high temperature of about 86 degrees. Winds will likely ramp up overnight and could gust to about 20 mph at times.

The weekend looks really pleasant with cloudy mornings and mostly sunny afternoons. The weather service expects below-normal high temps of low 60s along the coast and mid 70s to low 80s inland depending on location and how long the morning clouds stick around.

Portland will see light cloud cover early Saturday, then clearing to mostly sunny. The high will reach about 81 degrees.

Sunday will see more morning clouds that may linger into the afternoon. The high will reach about 78 degrees.

The weather service says the best chance of summer rainfall this week shows up Monday, but its still not much of a chance. A trough moving through the region will give the coast up to a 25% chance of light rain Monday. Portlands chances, currently, are at about 10%.

After Monday, models are not in good agreement, but the majority favor a trend back to warmer temperatures and clear skies.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. House cleared legislation just after midnight Friday that will cancel $9 billion in previously approved spending for public broadcasting and foreign aid, marking only the second time in more than three decades Congress has approved a presidential rescissions request.

The 216-213 mostly party-line vote sends the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature and notches another legislative victory for the White House, following passage earlier in July of a giant tax and spending cut package. Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against approval along with Democratic lawmakers.

The Senate voted to pass the bill earlier this week after removing the section that would have eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars for the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.

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South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds also secured a handshake deal with the White House budget director to transfer $9.4 million from an undisclosed account within the Interior Department to Native American radio stations in rural areas.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will lose $1.1 billion in funding that Congress had previously approved for the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1 and for the year after that.

The corporation provides funding for National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and hundreds of local stations throughout the country.

Another $8 billion of foreign aid will be eliminated once Trump signs the legislation.

The White House budget offices original rescissions request included more than a dozen accounts for reduced spending, including those addressing global health and democracy programs.

The proposal called on lawmakers to cancel $500 million the U.S. Agency for International Development used for activities related to child and maternal health, HIV/ AIDS, and infectious diseases.

This proposal would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like family planning and reproductive health, LGBTQI+ activities, and equity programs, the request states. Enacting the rescission would reinstate focus on appropriate health and life spending. This best serves the American taxpayer.

The final bill includes that spending cut but says the cancellation cannot affect HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, or maternal and child health programs. It also says that does not apply to family planning and reproductive health programs.

The White House asked to eliminate $83 million from the State Departments democracy fund, writing that aligns with the Administrations efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs and focus remaining funds on priorities that advance American interests. This best serves the American taxpayer.

Lawmakers included that request in the bill, along with nearly all the others, without any caveats or additional guardrails.

Congress last approved a stand-alone rescissions bill in 1992 following a series of requests from President George H.W. Bush, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

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The first Trump administration sent Congress a rescission request in 2018 that passed the House, but didnt receive Senate approval.

Wasteful spending or stealing from the American people?

House debate largely fell along party lines, with Republicans citing disagreements with how the Biden administrations spent congressionally approved funding as the reason to claw back money that would have otherwise been doled out by the Trump administration.

North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx said the $9 billion, spread across accounts that have existed for decades, was a prime example of wasteful spending (that) overtook Washington during the Biden-Harris administration.

The American people saw the fiscal ruin that was created by the previous administration, Foxx said. Thats why they overwhelmingly chose Republicans to lead the nation and restore fiscal sanity. That restoration is here.

The federal government spends about $6.8 trillion per year, with $4.1 trillion going to mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Another $1.8 trillion is spent on discretionary accounts, including for the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation and State. Nearly $900 billion goes toward net interests payments on the countrys debt.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said during floor debate the bill represented the Trump administration stealing from the American people.

This bill will shut down rural television and radio stations, cutting off coverage of local news; eliminating emergency information, like severe weather alerts; jeopardizing access to PBS kids childrens programs, like Sesame Street, DeLauro said.

The foreign aid spending reduction, she said, rips life-saving support away from hungry, displaced and sick people in developing countries and conflict zones.

DeLauro raised concerns that U.S. withdrawal as a source of support for people and nations that are struggling would leave space for non-democratic countries to increase their influence.

When we retreat from the world, diplomatically and through our assistance to vulnerable people, America will be alone  without allies, in a less stable world, without the support of the international community, DeLauro said. And do you know who will come out ahead? China, Russia, Iran.

Oklahoma Voice is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a nation 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and donations focused on delivering state government news. The Voice maintains full editorial independence. For more stories by Oklahoma Voice go to oklahomavoice.com.
A surrogate mother was shocked to find out that she gave birth to a child who went to a couple that had 21 children, who were taken into custody following a child endangerment investigation.

Kayla Elliott initially believed she was helping a family in Southern California who was having trouble conceiving a baby. Instead, she found herself in the middle of a web of lies that led law enforcement to the discovery of nearly two dozen kids who were all born to different surrogate mothers.

Child Endangerment Investigation

The couple was identified as Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, who lived in Arcadia in northeast Los Angeles. Police arrested the suspects in May on suspicion of felony child endangerment and neglect.

The arrest came after a local hospital called police to report a two-month-old baby who arrived with head injuries. Authorities added that a nanny who worked for the couple was believed to have violently shaken the child until it lost consciousness, according to NBC News.

Read more: Georgia Teenager Charged With Murder for Fatal Shooting of Mother and Stepfather document

Police also said that the parents of the child were aware of the abuse the child was experiencing but failed to seek timely medical assistance. Authorities added that a warrant has already been issued for the nanny, but they have not been able to locate her yet.

On Wednesday, Elliott said that she was in awe after learning about the situation of the child she bore for the couple. The surrogacy agency, Mark Surrogacy Investment LLC, told her that the couple were parents to a teenager but had trouble conceiving a second child despite several fertility treatments.

Child Abuse

The 21 children that were taken into custody range in age from two months to 13 years, with the majority being in the one to three-year range. Arcadia police Lt. Kollin Cieadlo said they believe one or two of the kids were born biologically to the mother, ABC News reported.

Cieadlo added that the neglect charges against the couple were not formally pursued in order to continue an investigation into the case. The suspects allegedly told officials that they "wanted a large family."

Zhang also produced what looked to be legitimate birth certificates, including some from outside California, that list her as the mother of the kids. Cieadlo said that the FBI was also involved in the investigation.

The FBI is responsible for figuring out where the children actually came from, but the agency refused to provide details about the case. Elliot said that the situation was "horrific" and "disturbing," adding that it is "damaging emotionally," as per ABC7.
A school bus crash in southwest England resulted in the death of one student and left two others seriously injured.

The incident took place on Thursday, when the bus, which was carrying middle school students, ran off the road and overturned. Authorities said that three medical helicopters and 20 ambulances were sent to the area of the incident and that 21 people were brought to the hospital.

School Bus Crash in Southwest England

Law enforcement said that the school bus that crashed was carrying 60 to 70 passengers and was on its way back to Minehead Middle School in Somerset after a day trip. Chief of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, Gavin Ellis, said the vehicle went down a 20-foot embankment after it overturned.

The incident comes as the school that employs the bus, which teaches children aged nine to 14, was already in its final days before summer break, according to ABC News.

In a statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences to the family of the killed student and said that his thoughts were with the friends and family of the others who were involved in the crash.

Starmer said in a post on X that there were no words he could say to acknowledge the death of a child. He also thanked emergency workers who were quick to respond to the incident and kept more people from being gravely injured.

Read more: Minneapolis Woman Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Fatal Crash That Killed Teenage Girl

At the time of the incident, there was an off-duty firefighter who was driving his car behind the school bus. When they saw the incident, they quickly started to free passengers while dozens of other firefighters and ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene.

Ellis said that their crews carried out several extrications and rescues amid extremely difficult circumstances while also supporting colleagues with casualty treatment, the St. Albert Gazette reported.

Student Killed

There was a similar incident that took place in April when a 13-year-old boy died after a school bus crashed on a South Carolina highway. At the time, authorities said that the vehicle was transporting kids from the Lexington County School District Two.

The bus was reportedly traveling along Interstate 77 when it overturned after coming back from a field trip. South Carolina Highway Patrol's Sgt. Tyler Tidwell said that the bus was carrying 38 people when it traveled off the road, struck a guardrail, and overturned.

The sole fatality in the incident was later identified as a Pine Ridge Middle School student, and there were others who were injured and taken to local hospitals to be treated, as per USA Today.
Including Sacraments, Grace, & Salvation; Protestants & Salvation Through Baptism & the Eucharist

Norman L. Geisler (1932  2019) was an American evangelical Protestant theologian, philosopher, and apologist. He obtained an M.A. in theology from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University, and made scholarly contributions to the subjects of classical Christian apologetics, systematic theology, philosophy of religion, Calvinism, Catholicism, biblical inerrancy, Bible difficulties, biblical miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, ethics, and other topics. He wrote or edited more 90 books and hundreds of articles.

Dr. Geisler was the Chairman of Philosophy of Religion at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (197079) and Professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary (197988) and a key figure in founding the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He also co-founded Southern Evangelical Seminary. He was known as an evangelical Thomist and considered himself a moderate Calvinist. He was not an anti-Catholic (i.e., he didnt deny that Catholicism was fully a species of Christianity).

This is one of a series of comprehensive replies to his book, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (co-author, Ralph E. MacKenzie, graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary-West; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 1995). Its available online in a public domain version, which has no page numbers, so I will utilize page numbers from my paperback copy, for the sake of full reference. I consider it the best Protestant critique of Catholicism (especially in terms of biblical arguments) that I have ever found, from any time period. The arguments are, for the most part, impressively presented, thought-provoking, respectful, respectable, and worthy of serious consideration (which Im now giving them).

Ill be concentrating on the eight sections of Part Two: Areas of Doctrinal Differences (202 pages). These installments will be listed and linked on my Calvinism & General Protestantism web page, in section XVII: Catholics and Protestants (second from the end). Dr. Geislers and Ralph MacKenzies words will be in blue. My biblical citations are from RSV.

*****

While Roman Catholic theology claims that there is no salvation apart from Gods grace, their view of the sacraments tends to take away in practice what they have affirmed in principle. The Catholic view of a sacrament, unchanged by Vatican II, is that it is given not merely as a sign but as a cause of grace. Catholic dogma states: If anyone shall say that the sacraments of the New Law do not contain the grace which they signify, or that they do not confer that grace on those who do not place any obstacle in the way, as though they were only outward signs of grace or justice, received through faith . . . let him be anathema.  Furthermore, it is anathema to believe that grace is not conferred from the work which has been worked but has come from faith alone. This being the case, salvation is by sacraments. Gods normative way of saving sinners is, according to Catholic dogma, through the Catholic sacramental system . . . (p. 242)

The sacraments, institutionalized as they are in the Roman Catholic Church, are necessary for salvation. (p. 243)

Dr. Geisler here employs an extreme version of the common and most unfortunate Protestant either/or mentality, which has to do with the propensity to create false dichotomies that dont logically  or theologically  follow. He claims that Catholic thought is contradictory insofar as we agree on grace alone (sola gratia) but also believe in sacraments. Then he cites a Catholic source asserting that sacraments contain and confer grace. Yet to him this is a contradiction. Why? Catholics reply that its still be grace, and that sacraments are merely conduits or the means of obtaining grace. There is no difference. Its only a prior irrational antipathy to sacraments (physical or material means of obtaining grace) that would bring about this supposed conflict in ones mind.

The Bible clearly states that baptism conveys grace and salvation (I found 14 passages), as does also receiving the Holy Eucharist:

John 6:48-51 I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. John 6:53-58 So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.

This is what Geisler is forced to oppose. His beef is ultimately against biblical teaching; not merely Catholic teaching, because the latter is derived from the former. Its so clear in the Bible that many important  even the most important  Protestants agree. Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, is one of these:

Little children . . . are free in every way, secure and saved solely through the glory of their baptism . . . Through the prayer of the believing church which presents it, . . . the infant is changed, cleansed, and renewed by inpoured faith. Nor should I doubt that even a godless adult could be changed, in any of the sacraments, if the same church prayed for and presented him, as we read of the paralytic in the Gospel, who was healed through the faith of others (Mark 2:3-12). I should be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the New Law are efficacious in conferring grace, not only to those who do not, but even to those who do most obstinately present an obstacle. (The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, 1520, from the translation of A. T. W. Steinhauser, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, revised edition, 1970, 197)

Likewise, in his Large Catechism (1529), Luther writes:

Expressed in the simplest form, the power, the effect, the benefit, the fruit and the purpose of baptism is to save. No one is baptized that he may become a prince, but, as the words declare [of Mark 16:16], that he may be saved. But to be saved, we know very well, is to be delivered from sin, death, and Satan, and to enter Christs kingdom and live forever with him . . . Through the Word, baptism receives the power to become the washing of regeneration, as St. Paul calls it in Titus 3:5 . . . Faith clings to the water and believes it to be baptism which effects pure salvation and life . . . When sin and conscience oppress us . . . you may say: It is a fact that I am baptized, but, being baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and obtain eternal life for both soul and body . . . Hence, no greater jewel can adorn our body or soul than baptism; for through it perfect holiness and salvation become accessible to us . . . (From edition by Augsburg Publishing House [Minneapolis], 1935, sections 223-224, 230, pages 162, 165)
Fortune reports that Delta Air Lines will be doing away with fixed fares on its flights altogether and will instead start using AI to individualize its fare offers on a per-passenger basis. Its one move as part of a long-term strategy to boost profitability.

AI will determine the highest possible price that each individual passenger is willing to pay for their flight ticket. Delta has been piloting the new pricing strategy over the last year, with 3 percent of the airlines fares being set by AI. The results have been amazingly favorable.

Delta now aims to have 20 percent of all fares individually set by AI by the end of 2025. But in the long term, the plan is for AI to completely take over the pricing of Deltas flight tickets.

The new pricing scheme has already faced a lot of criticism, with one consumer organization in California accusing the airline of more or less trying to hack passengers brains. However, there are certain laws that the AI must adhere to with its pricing, and US airlines are not allowed to charge differently for flight tickets based on gender or ethnicity.
If youve ever wandered through some of the less-legitimate corners of the internet and/or the real world, you may have seen those stream everything for free Android TV set-top boxes for sale. As it turns out, theyre a real problem, with many of them hosting malware that turns them into a botnet that hosts proxies and advertising fraud tools. Google is taking an unusual tactic to shut them down: litigation.

BleepingComputer reports that the revived BadBox 2.0 malware is now running on over 10 million Android-based devices, mostly those sketchy streaming video boxes. The botnet is mainly used to create fake and spoofed advertising tools that are essentially stealing money from Google and other advertising firms (presumably sending it back to operators believed to be in China) in addition to more varied activities like DDoS attacks, proxies, and ransomware proliferation.

Google says those proxy connections are being sold to other criminals, for up to $1,390 USD for 500GB. Fake apps distributed to phones across the world, in third-party stores beyond the control of Apple and Google, are being used to reel in ad money.

Google says these cheap Android TV streaming devices and gadgets are being used to host and spread malware. Google

While Google cant do much about hackers in China, its siccing lawyers on the companies who host the tools that make this botnets basic operations possible. Theyve presented a RICO case (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a frequent tool used by US law enforcement to attack organized crime) that asks the US District Court to shut down more than 100 domains that are allegedly operating the malware and associated tools. If successful, Google and the court would be forcing some pretty big web service companiesincluding GoDaddy, CloudFlare, Amazon, and Alibabato shut down services to these sites.

I should point out that, even though these infected devices are running Android, they arent your typical Android TV/Google TV setups, and they dont have Google Play Store or its associated safeguards in place. In fact, this botnet is conceptually no different from the big stuff that used to run almost exclusively across infected Windows machines in the 2000s and 2010s. Its just that these Android-based boxes are cheap, popular, and easy to compromise thanks to Androids easily modifiable nature.

Its an unusual move, to be sure, but Google seems to have exhausted the options it has with its own tools, which include monitoring and shutting down ad accounts. It seeks to force registrars to cooperate with Google to identify and shut down the infected domains, with permanent injunctions to prevent the hackers from simply repeating the process with new domains. Oh, it would also like some money, in the form of appropriate equitable relief under applicable statutes and law, and the usual statutory damages and attorneys fees.
Six juveniles were arrested in Dauphin County Wednesday after police said they stole a vehicle and $50,000 worth of merchandise in a multi-state crime spree.

Susquehanna Township Police were sent to North Progress Avenue and Linglestown Road around 3:40 a.m. Wednesday for a stolen vehicle scanned by a license plate reader.

Officers found the vehicle backed up to Jawns on Fire, a sneaker and streetwear clothing boutique in Blue Mountain Commons.

When investigators arrived, they found the juveniles had left in the vehicle and taken over $50,000 in stolen and damaged goods.

Police from Susquehanna Township, Swatara Township and Lower Paxton Township pursued the six juveniles and arrested them after they abandoned the vehicle.

The juveniles were identified as members of an organized crime ring that has stolen goods and vehicles in Baltimore and other parts of Maryland, according to police.

Police did not release the names, ages or addresses of the juveniles. It is unclear what charges they will face.

Anyone with information regarding the crime ring is asked to call Susquehanna Township Police at 717-652-8265.
A Mechanicsburg man accused of killing his friend Sunday told a witness he shot the victim after an argument, according to new details from court records released Friday.

The statement to a neighbor, who had driven by, and seen the victims body face down in the front yard, is noteworthy because Richard King Jr. offered a different explanation for the shooting to Mechanicsburg police when they arrived later.

The witness told police he stopped after seeing the body and checked on the man. Thats when King came out of the home with a cell phone in his hand and King explained he had gotten into an argument with the man and shot him, according to court records.

King, 35, who worked as a law clerk for the president judge in Cumberland County, was charged with criminal homicide in the killing of Zach Gula, 35, also of Mechanicsburg.

King told police he shot Gula after Gula attacked him, but King had no injuries, police said, beyond a scratch on his nose visible in his mug shot.

The newly released court records also revealed police found a Glock handgun under Kings bed with five rounds and one casing inside, as well as two Glock boxes with serial numbers.

But one of the guns was missing and police could not find it at Kings home or car. Police wanted to find it to test to ensure it was not the weapon used in the killing.

Investigators also found two loaded magazines and a box of ammunition under the bed and an empty gun holster next to the bed.

Police found two rifles, a shotgun, two additional holsters, and various boxes of ammunition and practice shooting targets throughout his house.

The new details were included in three applications for search warrants by police and lists of what they found inside Kings home, car and backyard shed after the killing, which was reported about 2:20 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of E. Marble Street.

The first search warrant of his home was served at 3:46 p.m. Sunday, about an hour after the killing was discovered.

Three hours later, police served a search warrant to get swabs of Kings hands to test for gunshot residue and to confiscate the clothes he was wearing, which included tan shorts with blood on them, a black and gold collared shirt and flip flops.

The day after the killing, police applied for a third search warrant to return to Kings home to search his locked backyard shed, rear deck area, shrubbery and car to try to find the missing Glock handgun. But police did not find anything in the car or shed during the 3:46 p.m. search Monday, according to the search warrant return filed with the judge.

During the original search of his home, police recovered two cell phones, which they plan to check to see if he had called anyone after the shooting, among other things. Police also collected 20 swabs of what appeared to be blood from a trail that started in the living room near the sofa and extended outside on the front porch and into the yard where Gula had collapsed.

Gula had known King since they graduated together from Mechanicsburg high school in 2008. Gula lived in an apartment less than one mile from King.

The men were hanging out and drinking on Sunday, according to Gulas friend Phil Holbert, who said Gula called him that day and wanted Holbert to join them.

Holbert said he declined because they sounded intoxicated and Holbert didnt care for King. Holbert received a series of missed calls from Gula, then a final call where he said he heard them arguing. The phone went dead, and minutes later, the shooting happened.

Police arrived at 2:23 p.m. and found King sitting in the grass beside Gulas body, police wrote in a homicide affidavit. Gula had been shot near his right collarbone.

King told police hed shot the man with a handgun. Police said they found a Glock handgun in Kings bedroom, with a still-loaded magazine and spent casing stuck in the ejection port from a stovepipe malfunction.

The killing was the first in the borough in at least 20 years, according to the police chief.
A beloved high school teacher in Columbus, Ohio, was found dead earlier this week and her boyfriend has been charged with killing her.

Rachel Prince, 46, an art teacher at Marion-Franklin High School. was found dead on Sunday.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, police responded to an complaint on the afternoon of July 13 at a residence on the citys Northwest Side. Once there they found Prince unresponsive and she was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.

The next day the Franklin County Coroners office ruled Princes death a homicide, saying that she died of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.

Her boyfriend, Jason Palmer, 37, was arrested on July 15 and has been charged with murder.

Witnesses said in a criminal complaint that on the evening of July 12 they saw Prince lying on the concrete outside the couples apartment with Palmer on top of her. He later picked her up and carried her into the apartment. Investigators said she left for work the next morning.

In November 2023 and September 2024, Palmer had been arrested for assaulting Price. He was ordered in the latter case to to serve 194 days in jail, but received credit for time already served, the Dispatch reported.

Ms. Prince devoted her life to uplifting young people, always leading with compassion, Marion-Franklin High School Principal Tanita Fleming said in a letter addressed to families and staff. Her presence brought hope and guidance to countless lives, and her loss is deeply felt throughout the Marion-Franklin community and beyond. Yet, the legacy she leaves will live on, inspiring us all to believe in the power of one person to make a lasting difference.

She was a great woman, a great teacher, a great friend, Careem Elkins, one of Princes former students, said to WBNS. To some of us, she was more like a parent, a best friend.
The U.S. Department of Justice building is seen in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP

By Carter Walker of Votebeat and Jen Fifield 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.

The U.S. Department of Justice has unnerved some state election officials by issuing sweeping requests for information that it says is pertinent to enforcing federal election laws and investigating voting crimes, which President Donald Trump has identified as priorities.

In letters sent to at least a dozen states over the past two months, according to documents obtained by Votebeat and reported elsewhere, the department asked for varied sets of data and records, including voter rolls, information on potential election and voting crimes, data from past elections, and details about procedures for maintaining voter lists and checking voters eligibility.

State officials say privately that they have been struck by the scope of the requests and uncertainty around what the administration plans to do with the information, and have been talking to one another about them. Many of these officials have faced years of near-constant scrutiny as Trump and his allies have repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of election malfeasance, and the president has tried to use his influence and official authority to rewrite the history of his 2020 election loss.

While the requests so far are mostly for data or procedures that are public information or accessible by law to the Justice Department, election law experts said, some of them were more questionable.

Bryan Sells, a voting rights lawyer who worked at the Justice Department during the Obama administration, said federal law has long given the department the right to access some state data related to voter registrations, and its not uncommon or improper for it to use that power.

But I think the question I had after reading these emails is whether what theyre really looking for goes beyond what Congress allowed for, he said.

For example, the Justice Department sent Michigan and Arizona officials emails asking for information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted in your state despite being ineligible to vote. That request arguably falls within the departments purview, Sells said. But a request for information on people who may otherwise have engaged in unlawful conduct relevant to the election process is broad and might not be.

Kory Langhofer, a Republican lawyer who has been counsel for the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign in Arizona, said that its fair to be cautious, or even skeptical of broad data requests from the federal government.

But Langhofer said, I dont think its reasonable to say the sky is falling, because the information requested here is already in the hands of both the state and federal governments, if not necessarily the Justice Department specifically.

Presidents executive order stressed election law enforcement

The information requests are another example of the Justice Departments shift in enforcement priorities under the Trump administration toward finding and prosecuting election crimes, something the president explicitly called on the attorney general to do in a March executive order on elections.

Federal courts have blocked key provisions of the order from going into effect, but the Justice Department and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission have begun taking steps to implement some other provisions that are still in force.

That appears to be the goal of a recent round of Justice Department correspondence to key swing states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Michigan. In emails obtained by Votebeat, the department asks for a call with a goal of setting up an agreement to share information on election crimes such as individuals providing false information on registration forms or registering to vote when they are ineligible.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Justice Department lawyers wrote in at least two such emails.

Trumps executive order instructs the Justice Department to attempt to establish such information-sharing agreements with states, and orders it to prioritize enforcement of Federal election integrity laws in any state that declines to do so, as well as consider withholding federal grants to such states.

The Justice Department declined to comment for this story.

Michigans Department of State said it is reviewing the request. Officials in Pennsylvania said they met with Justice Department officials and that the discussion was consistent with our longstanding cooperation with our federal partners to protect the integrity of elections.

JP Martin, a spokesperson for the Arizona Secretary of States Office, said the office is dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws.

States receive requests for voter rolls

Meanwhile, several states are receiving Justice Department requests for their voter rolls, and information about voter roll cleaning. They include Wisconsin, where the department asked in June for a copy of its voter rolls, along with responses to several questions about voter registration activities, in response to complaints the department said it had received about possible violations of federal voting law. Eight other states received similar requests, the Washington Post reported.

Wisconsin election officials directed the department to an online portal where the public version of the voter rolls could be purchased for $12,500.

Trumps executive order also directs the Homeland Security Department to review publicly available versions of the voter lists alongside Federal immigration databases  for consistency with Federal requirements.

The DOJ requests are presumably an attempt to gather all the relevant data in one place, conduct an authoritative study, and put these issues to rest, Langhofer said, referring to questions Republicans have repeatedly raised about whether ineligible voters are casting ballots.

It is important to know that our voters are citizens and residents, and are not voting in more than one jurisdiction, he said in a text message. If there is a problem in one of those areas, we should fix it  and if there is *not* a problem there, people should know that our system works well.

But election officials appear to be concerned, said David Becker, an election lawyer who previously worked in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and now leads the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research.

The recent communications from the department are odd at the least, and it is an intentional rebalancing of the federal-state dynamic at worst, Becker said.

Earlier this week, in response to calls from election officials about the Justice Departments requests, Becker hosted a conference call that was attended by more than 350 state and local election officials from 33 states, which he said is a reflection of the anxiety about possible federal overreach.

Becker noted that the letters followed a series of aggressive administration actions on elections since Trump returned to office, including a lawsuit against Orange County, California, over access to voter data, and a presidential directive demanding an investigation into Chris Krebs, the nations former top cybersecurity official. Krebs angered Trump in 2020 by contradicting his assertion that his election loss to Joe Biden was due to fraud.

All of these seem designed not to create a viable election policy, but to lay the groundwork to claim the 2026 and 2028 elections are stolen, just as the president did with the 2020 and 2022 elections, Becker said. And the troubling part is, it seems now the White House is prepared to use the full weight of the government to spread those claims.

Votebeat reporters Hayley Harding and Alexander Shur contributed to this report.

Carter Walker is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with Spotlight PA. Contact Carter at cwalker@votebeat.org. Jen Fifield is a reporter for Votebeat based in Arizona. Contact Jen at jfifield@votebeat.org.

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.
Beloved soap actor Tristan Rogers, who portrays Robert Scorpio on ABCs General Hospital, has been diagnosed with cancer.

The actor, 79, revealed his health battle with fans through publicist Anthony Turk on Thursday.

While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family, Turks statement said, per Deadline. As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding.

The actors longtime friend added how much Rogers and his family appreciate those around him.

They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family. Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years, the statement read. This support means more to him now than ever. Future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Tristan and his family.

So far, it hasnt been revealed what kind of cancer the soap actor is battling.

Rogers has played Scorpio off and on since 1980. He won a Daytime Emmy for his work in the digital drama Studio City.

Rogers last appeared on the soap on Nov. 12, when his character left the city of Port Charles.
Daron Malakian of System of a Down thinks that a new album from the band might happen if it's a "fresh start" type of scenario. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Getty Images

Its been 20 years since System of a Down released a new, full-length album.

Not that guitarist Daron Malakian isnt down to record another one in the future. But he does have some reservations.

Metal Injection reports how Malakian addressed the lack of new System of the Down material  the last being their fourth studio album two-parter Mesmerize (2005) and Hypnotize (2005)  during a recent interview on Chris Jerichos Talk is Jericho podcast. Basically, hed be open to making a new album if it provides a fresh start.

Well, we could do it, and it might even be good, I dont know, he said. But if you listen to even those five that we have, if you listen to the first album to Toxicity, there is a difference between them.

There was an evolution happening. And if I have to say one thing that the hiatus was something that  I wasnt always down with the hiatus, but whatever  it is what it is. every band has a different story. There was a time I was a little bit more pissed off about it. Now I kind of am, like, it is what it is.

I think part of is we left off on a peak, Malakian continued. Weve had Are they gonna ever play? Are they not gonna play? And its all this kind of thing that happens.

And then when we do play, people feel like, Oh, this might be the last time theyre gonna play. And none of that has been done on purpose. Thats just the natural way things have gone. I also think its the songs.

According to MusicRadar, Malakian has continued to fill the gaping whole in System of a Down fans hearts with Scars on Broadway, which he formed in 2008 following System of a Downs hiatus. The groups third album Addicted To The Violence will drop on Friday, July 18.

Plus, while System of a Down might not be recording anything new, they are currently on tour: Their next stop will be MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, toward the end of August.
Zak Bagans, left, and Aaron Goodwin, right at Oregon's Enchanted Forest in an episode of "Ghost Adventures." Bagans recently talked about his experience with the Annabelle doll following another paranormal investigator's death. Travel Channel

Lately, the Annabelle doll has been causing a huge stir due to a recent death that seemed to occur out of nowhere.

TV personality Zak Bagans is speaking out after the passing of fellow paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, who was traveling with the well-known haunted Annabelle doll and tragically died while on a tour stop in Gettysburg.

But much like Rivera, the Ghost Adventures star has had his own experience with the demonic doll, which the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR) has declared a demonically possessed item in its collection.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly that was published Wednesday, Bagans detailed a scary ordeal that took place years ago.

I did have the opportunity to investigate Annabelle when the owner brought her to my museum in 2017, he revealed. I got very affected by her and it kinda caused me to touch the doll.

The owner didnt like that too much, he added.

According to the NESPR website, legends about the doll began in 1968, when a student nurse and her roommates started noticing strange occurrences that involved the plush doll.

The organizations founders, Ed Warren and his wife Lorraine Warren  a demonologist and a trance medium  were called in to investigate, which led to Annabelle being locked away in a glass box at their Connecticut museum.

The containment was done to contain the evil spirited entity that supposedly lives inside the doll.

The haunted lore went on to be the focus of The Conjuring movie franchise.

As previously reported, Rivera  who worked with the NESPR for over a decade  died on July 13 while on the Devils On the Run tour in Gettysburg, where the doll was on display.

The 54-year-old was discovered dead at a hotel where the tour was being held.

The decedent was discovered in his hotel room by workers, the police said, per Us Weekly. Nothing unusual or suspicious was observed at the scene.

According to Francis Dutrow, Adams County coroner, Riveras autopsy is completed. A cause of death has been deferred pending toxicology, which could take eight to 10 weeks.

In a statement on Tuesday, the NESPR shared that the firm was still coming to terms with this profound loss, but has no immediate plans to cancel their tour with Annabelle, which is scheduled to hit Maine in September.

We believe with all our hearts that Dan would have wanted the work to continue, they explained. We will carry his spirit with us in everything we do.
President Donald Trump sits with his hands interlocked as he and Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa speak in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP

If youre on social media a lot, chances are youve seen the photos being shared of President Donald Trumps swollen ankles and bruised right hand.

Now, hes officially been given a diagnosis for those symptoms.

During a press briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, according to USA Today.

Leavitt said that Trump went through a series of medical tests, including lab work and cardiac tests, to examine his swollen legs and bruised hand.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic venous insufficiency occurs when the veins in your legs are damaged and cant send blood back to the heart easily.

It is a common condition in adults over 50. Symptoms include achy or tired legs, cramping in your legs at night, discolored skin and swelling.

Recommended treatments include losing weight, walking for exercise and elevating the legs periodically, as well as wearing compression stockings.

Leavitt added that there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (i.e. blood clots) or arterial disease.

She also said the bruising on Trumps hand is consistent with irritation from his frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, the Associated Press reported. She added that the president remains in excellent health.

Trump turned 79 in June. He is the second oldest person to serve as president and the oldest to ever begin a term as president.
Update: As of Saturday, July 19, the boil water advisory has been lifted.

Parts of Carlisle are under a boil water advisory as of Thursday morning, officials said in a Facebook post.

The advisory, which went into effect at 9:45 a.m., will be in place until further notice.

According to a map posted by the Carlisle Borough Government, the advisory affects the area bounded by West South Street to South Pitt Street and Strawberry Drive (north to south) and South East Street to Wellington Drive (east to west).

Carlisle officials announced the advisory via Facebook this morning. Affected residents should boil water for drinking and cooking for at least one minute. Carlisle Borough Government

Affected residents should bring any water used for cooking or drinking to a rolling boil for at least one minute before use. Water is still safe for bathing, washing and other common uses without boiling, the post said.

An update on the boil water advisory is expected to be released within two days.

If you live in the affected area and did not receive a CodeRED notification, officials advise signing up online. Residents outside the affected area who received a notification should update their address information online.
A Florida man could spent up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a distraction burglary scheme targeting western Pa. seniors. Getty Images

A Florida man could spend up to 20 years in prison for his role in a distraction burglary spree that targeted older residents in western Pennsylvania, said state Attorney General Dave Sunday.

Steve Nichols, 57, was sentenced in Butler County Court after previously pleading guilty to seven burglaries in five counties, Butler, Erie, Indiana, Lackawanna and Westmoreland.

A statement from Sundays office said Nichols was the driving force behind the scheme, which had suspects posing as utility workers to gain access to homes.

The defendant was the engineer of this criminal conduct, intentionally targeting older Pennsylvanians because he felt they were more vulnerable to be duped, Sunday said.

Many of the victims were in their 80s and home alone during the burglaries, which entailed one man distracting the homeowners while others went through the residences stealing cash, jewelry, coins and other valuables, said Sundays office.
Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard.

You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | July 18, 2025

Residents of Delaware County are calling for safety measures for e-scooters following the death of a 12-year-old girl. No, youre not imagining it  there are more mosquitoes around this summer. A new museum is coming to Lancaster. Finally, a clean-up crew was left scrambling to clear this mess, surely not an over-easy ordeal.

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.
A western Pa. man has indicted for threatening a local official and making false statements to FBI agents about his guns. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

A western Pennsylvania man has been federally indicted for threatening a local official with antisemitic language and lying to the FBI about his gun collection.

Edward Owens Jr., 29, of Elizabeth, Allegheny County, is charged with making a threat to injure a local, public official and making false statements to government agents in May.

Owens was previously indicted in May on the threat charge and was denied bond in June, said acting U.S. Attorney General Troy Rivetti.

He now faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both following the latest indictment.

Rivetti said Owens was hit with the threat charge then on May 30, Owens lied to FBI agents and told them his guns, including a .22-caliber rifle, an AR-15-style rifle and a 9mm pistol were with his mother and he did not have access to them.

However, Owens knew that his 9mm handgun was inside the vehicle that he drove to meet with agents, according to Rivetti.

Owens made a social media post on May 20 targeting the unidentified public official: Were coming for you (emoji of person raising right hand) (emoji of German flag) be afraid, he said. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.

Rivettis office said 109 references an antisemitic claim that Jews have been expelled from 109 countries.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported on Owens detention hearing in June and said that the prosecutor went over a list of threats and antisemitic remarks.

Owens, the Trib reported, sent messages claiming that Jews control the media and run the world, the United States should have backed Germany in World War II and Adolf Hitler did nothing wrong.

The Trib reported that Owens was frustrated with the government spending billions to support Israel, but he could not get health insurance.

Owens also scoured the internet for New York City synagogues and dancing Jews, another conspiracy theory that Israeli men were seen celebrating the Sept. 11 attacks, reported the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

Besides Jews, Owens also shared his anger over Blacks, Christians and Muslims. Fk Palestine, Fk Lebanon and Fk Yemen, the Chronicle wrote.

Owens vitriol wasnt only directed at the Jewish community, though. He also wrote with anger about Blacks, Christians and Muslims.

F Palestine, F Lebanon, F Yemen, he wrote.
A Pa. political analyst says the Republican "One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act" could be a serious hurdle for statewide GOP candidates in the 2026 midterm election. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) AP

Republican candidates running in 2026 in Pennsylvania will face trouble responding to Democratic attacks over President Donald Trumps One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, according to a new analysis of the legislations political impact.

The polling suggests that many of the components of the (bill) are unpopular and that the bill itself is one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation passed this century, wrote Berwood Yost, the director of the Franklin & Marshall College poll. Republicans need to make up a lot of ground to compete in the messaging fights to come.

Polling cited by Yost shows that the spending bill, which could gut Medicaid by nearly a $1 billion over 10 years, forcing millions off healthcare coverage, slashing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, is consistently unpopular with voters.

Democrats have hammered Republicans over a bill they say gives tax breaks to the wealthy, slashes safety net programs and increases the national debt by more than $3 trillion over 10 years, while boosting military spending and ICE operations.

Republicans, however, made sure that the most drastic cuts to programs would not happen until after the 2026 midterm elections, and they insist that waste and fraud would be targeted in Medicaid, not qualified recipients.

The competing arguments will shape whether more people view this as a tax cut bill and be pleased by the sizable cuts included, said Yost, or if more will see it as a bill that reduces benefits and be angered by sizable reductions in Medicaid and food aid.

In Pennsylvania, the rural and suburban counties that Republicans rely on in statewide elections are second only to Philadelphia in the proportion of residents currently enrolled in either SNAP or Medicaid programs, said Yost.

In 2024, Trump carried the 61 rural and suburban counties by 23 percentage points. Fifteen percent of residents in those counties relied on SNAP benefits and 22% are on Medicaid, Yost noted.

Threatening these programs is clearly a risk for Republicans since so many people who live in areas that support Republican candidates are enrolled in them, said Yost.

Over the past 20 years, enrollment in SNAP nearly doubled from 1.03 million to 2.02 million, while Medicaid enrollment expanded from 1.74 million to 2.99 million.

What is particularly dangerous for Republican messaging in Pennsylvania is hat they will be trying to deliver their preferred partisan message to voters who may be less inclined to see those messages through a partisan lens, Yost said.

Cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits in solid red counties could result in reduced margins for GOP candidates in elections and cuts are likely to hurt their margins in the competitive counties that decide statewide elections, he said.

For 2026, the most anticipated statewide race in Pennsylvania would be for governor.

Treasurer Stacy Garrity is the anticipated frontrunner to be the Republican candidate after U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser of Lebanon County recently said he would not try to challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.

Garrity is a staunch supporter of Trumps, appearing at rallies of his around the state and arguing for Congress to pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

In 2024, Garrity, running for a second term, received 3.5 million votes, the most of any statewide candidate in Pennsylvania history.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said in a statement on Yosts analysis that the spending bill is politically toxic and will be the reason (Republicans) lose next November.
Pa. Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, left, raised nearly $900,000 in the latest fundraising quarter while Democratic frontrunner Janelle Stelson, who narrowly lost to Perry in November, reportedly raised $500,000. PennLive graphic

GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Perry raised nearly $900,000 in the latest campaign fundraising period, while Democratic frontrunner Janelle Stelson raised over $500,000 since jumping into the 2026 race on Monday.

Both campaigns released statements touting their second-quarter fundraising totals in what could shape up to be a rematch of the 2024 10th Congressional District general election that Perry won by about 5,100 votes.

Patriots for Perry announced that Perrys $885,000 haul in April, May and June was the most he has ever raised in a non-election year. Perry has $1.2 million in available cash.

Perry spent nearly $239,000 in the quarter, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

There was no FEC report available for Stelson on Thursday. Her campaign did not immediately respond to questions from PennLive.

The outpouring of financial support for Congressman Perry has been astounding, and with more than $1.2 million already on hand, hes very well prepared to take on any and all opponents, said Matt Beynon, a spokesman for Patriots for Perry.

Stelson, a former TV broadcaster, announced shes raised over $500,000 since unveiling on Monday that she was running again. She lost to Perry in November by a little over 1 percentage point, the second smallest margin achieved by a Democratic congressional challenger in the country.

I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received since announcing our campaign to fire Scott Perry and give Central Pennsylvania the representation we deserve, Stelson said in a statement.

Working families are tired of Congressman Perry ignoring us and are ready to elect someone who will actually fight to end the tariff-taxes that raise prices, protect Social Security and Medicaid and ensure a womans right to choose, she said. We are building the coalition needed to win this seat and its clear that momentum is on our side.

Wednesday night, Stelson received the endorsement of Gov. Josh Shapiro at a campaign event. Shapiro won the 10th Congressional District by 12 percentage points in the governors race in 2022.

Janelle is there for us. Shes a decent, good, honorable person who respects the rule of law and respects you, Shapiro said in a campaign video. Shes going to fight for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Shes going to defend a womans right to choose and shes going to always look out for all of you.

Beynon seemingly addressed the perpetual analysis that Perry is a vulnerable Republican approaching the 2026 mid-terms.

Democrats have pounded Perry and other Republicans considered endangered over their votes on President Donald Trumps One, Big, Beautiful Bill, which they warn will gut Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) the feeds needy families.

The support Congressman Perry has received should surprise absolutely no one, because hes been recognized as one of the most effective members of Congress in delivering for his constituents, said Beynon. Todays report is yet another clear indication that the people of the 10th Congressional District want Congressman Perry to continue fighting for them in Washington.

Patriots for Perry statement said that he was recently named the most effective Republican member of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at the University of Virginia.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which has long targeted Perry, issued a statement saying that 31% of his money raised came from Republican leadership committees rather than voters.

After seven terms in office, Scott Perry has become the kind of D.C. politician he pretends to hate: an extreme party loyalist who falls in line with his bosses even when it hurts his constituents, said DCCC spokesman Eli Cousin.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Sunday, July 13, 2025, on arrival to Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Washington, after attending the Club World Cup final soccer match in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP

Donald Trump was up late Thursday and he was not happy with the Wall Street Journals report that he gifted Jeffrey Epstein with a letter featuring a drawing of a naked woman for his 50th birthday party.

The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein, Trump wrote on Truth Social. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT.

But, according to Rolling Stone, the president has actually auctioned off several of his sketches, including one of the Manhattan skyline that drew $30,000. The site reported that Trump also had a marker drawing of the Empire State Building sell at a charity auction in 1995. That same drawing sold again in 2017 for $16,000, according to the report.

And, finally, per Rolling Stone, Trump discussed drawing in his book, Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success.

Sometimes being a giver will open you up to new talents, he wrote. Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green. It takes me a few minutes to draw something. Art may not be my strong point, but the end result is help for people who need it.

Trumps post late Thursday was actually his second of the evening directed at the newspaper.

The Wall Street Journal, and Ruper Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful and not rely on sources that probably dont even exist. President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal. It has truly turned to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant. If there were any truth at all on the Epstein Hoax, as it pertains to President Trump, this information would have been revealed by Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary, and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago. It certainly would not have sat in a file waiting for TRUMP to have won three Elections. This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS!

The Wall Street Journals report came on Thursday as Trump gave Attorney General Pam Bondi a new directive on Epstein.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, Trump wrote on Truth Social. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

Bondi replied on X, sharing a screen shot of Trumps post and writing, President Trump  we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand just transcripts.

It also came a day after the president lashed out at his supporters for continuing to ask to see the Epstein files.

The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again! Trump wrote on Truth Social. Just like with the FAKE and fully discredited Steele Dossier, the lying 51 intelligence Agents, the Laptop from Hell, which the Dems swore had come from Russia (No, it came from Hunter Bidens bathroom!), and even the Russia, Russia, Russia, scam itself, a totally fake and made up story used in order to hide Crooked Hillar Clintons big loss in the 2016 Presidential Election, these scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at  Its all they have  They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates.

Also, unlike Republicans, they stick together like glue, he continued. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.

Trump was not through.

I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Countrys history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, he wrote. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking about our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
President Donald Trump walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP

Nick Fuentes has dined with Donald Trump and that was not a good day in the headlines for the president because Fuentes is known for espousing racist and antisemitic beliefs.

So, naturally, folks were disturbed to see the president buddying up to Fuentes. Well, buddies no more because Fuentes shredded Trump on his most recent podcast.

And now he says if you are not on board with the Epstein coverup I dont want your support, Fuentes said. Youre a weakling. (Expletive) you. (Expletive) you. You suck. You are fat. You are a joke. You are stupid. You are not funny. You are not as smart as you think you are.

And honestly, and if you watch my show, you know Ive been very critical, he continued. Ive never been this far. This just goes to show this entire thing has been a scam. When we look back on the history of populism in America, we are going to look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in American history. The Liberals were right. The MAGAs were had. They were.

When we look back in history, we will see Trump as a scam artist.

In another clip, Fuentes again went off on Trump saying he doesnt want the support of people questioning the Epstein files.

I dont want their support anymore  well, fine, you dont get anymore, he said. Nobody should vote for Trump. Nobody should vote for Republicans. And what needs to happen next by the way, the Republicans must be hanged in the midterms. Thats what must come of this. Trump must (expletive) pay for this statement. To say, I dont want your support anymore. Every single Trump supporter, every single Republican needs to say, OK, bet. You dont want our support, forget about the midterms. Forget it. The 2026 midterms, it just needs to be a Democrat avalanche at this point. And thats not because Im a Democrat. Im not. I dont like the Democrats. I hate the Republicans more because the Republicans are traitors. Because I have voted for Republicans. I have supported Republicans and they (expletive) on our face.

Social media was stunned to see the blistering takedown from Fuentes.

Wow, Trump even lost to Nazis, one person wrote on X.

Why do I have to be aggreging with this horrible person on a Thursday morning, another wrote.

MAGA is imploding over the Epstein scandal, the Republicans against Trump account on X wrote while sharing video of Fuentes.

This all comes a day after Trump again lashed out at supporters for questioning his administrations handling of the Epstein files.

The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again! Trump wrote on Truth Social. Just like with the FAKE and fully discredited Steele Dossier, the lying 51 intelligence Agents, the Laptop from Hell, which the Dems swore had come from Russia (No, it came from Hunter Bidens bathroom!), and even the Russia, Russia, Russia, scam itself, a totally fake and made up story used in order to hide Crooked Hillar Clintons big loss in the 2016 Presidential Election, these scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at  Its all they have  They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates.

Also, unlike Republicans, they stick together like glue, he continued. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.

Trump was not through.

I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Countrys history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, he wrote. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking about our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

It was Trumps administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi who made a spectacle of the release of part of the files in February, inviting MAGA social media influencers into the White House and handing them binders before posing for a photo opp. Those binders were labeled The Epstein Files: Phase I, and for the most part they were heavily redacted and contained information that had already been reported.

President Trumps name was in those documents, however, as he appeared seven times in the flight logs.

Also, previously reported to be on the Epstein flight logs, per Newsweek, were the likes of former president Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew of England, Naomi Campbell, David Copperfield, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, former vice president Al Gore, Stephen Hawking and Bruce Willis.

Traveling on Epsteins plane does not mean that anyone committed a crime, though.

Also in February, Bondi was asked about the Epstein client list while on Fox, and she said, Its sitting on my desk right now to review. Thats been a directive form President Trump. Im reviewing that.

But Bondi reversed course last week, with Trump by her side, and said there would be no client list release. And, after MAGA, which had been promised for months that heads would roll when the files were released, began to call for her to be fired, Trump first lashed out over the weekend.

Whats going on with my boys and, in some cases, gals? Trump wrote on Truth Social. Theyre all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! Were on one Team, MAGA, and I dont like whats happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and selfish people are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.

For years, its Epstein, over and over again, he continued. Why are we giving publicity to files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 Intelligence Agents, THE LAPTOP FROM HELL, and More? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called friends are playing right into their hands.

Why didnt these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? he continued. If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didnt they use it? They havent even given up on the John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. Files. No matter how much success we have had, securing the Border, deporting Criminals, fixing the Economy, Energy Dominance, a Safer World where Iran will not have Nuclear Weapons, its never enough for some people. WE are about to achieve more in 6 months than any other Administration has achieved in over 100 years, and we have so much more to do.

We are saving our Country and, MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, which will continue to be our complete PRIORITY, he continued. The Left is imploding! Kash Patel, and the FBI, must be focused on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, RADICAL LEFT inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HERE JOB  SHES GREAT. The 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen, and they tried to the same thing in 2024. Thats what she is looking into as AG, and much more.

One year ago our Country was DEAD, now its the HOTTEST Country anywhere in the World. Lets keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
As the Board of Trustees of Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), we write to affirm our full confidence in CCA President and CEO Thomas D. Longenecker and to correct what we consider a misleading narrative in the July 9, 2025 article.

Since joining CCA in 2012, Longenecker has led CCA with unwavering integrity, transparency, and vision. His outside service as a director at Orrstown Bank  a role disclosed to the board and aligned with his contractual rights and professional expertise  was conducted in full compliance with Pennsylvanias ethics laws and CCAs internal policies.

In fact, the board congratulated Longenecker on his appointment at its January 13, 2016, meeting.
The White House has formally asked Congress to approve a $1.1 billion cut to public broadcasting, a move that threatens funding for NPR, PBS and hundreds of local stations, including those serving Northeast Ohio. (AP Photo/Katie Oyan) AP

If we want to keep the United States free and democratic, we need to ensure our press is strong and journalists are free from either intimidation or harassment.

Sadly, that is increasingly not the case in our country. With political attacks on respected public broadcasting organizations like PBS and NPR, press freedom is under serious threat in the United States.
A heat advisory continues for parts of central Pennsylvania until 8 p.m. Thursday, with temperatures and humidity creating potentially dangerous conditions for residents. Isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, particularly in southern counties, before a cold front brings relief and lower humidity.

The afternoon will see extremely hot conditions, with apparent temperatures approaching and potentially exceeding 100 degrees in the Cumberland and Lower Susquehanna Valleys. The National Weather Service warns residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses, including staying hydrated, avoiding prolonged outdoor exposure, and checking on vulnerable individuals like the elderly and young children.

A cold front moving through the region will bring some relief, with isolated thunderstorms possible in the southern tier counties and far eastern Pennsylvania. These storms may produce strong wind gusts, though the excessive rainfall threat is reduced due to fast-moving storm cells and lower moisture levels in the atmosphere.

The weather pattern will shift dramatically overnight, with Friday bringing notably lower humidity and temperatures in the low to mid-80s. A light northerly breeze will replace the current breezy conditions, providing more comfortable conditions for outdoor activities.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday will see increasing cloud cover and a return of muggy conditions, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms developing, particularly west of US-15 and north of Interstate 80. Sunday is expected to bring another round of showers and thunderstorms as a cool front passes through the region.

The long-range forecast suggests a typical summer pattern will persist, with periods of heat and humidity interspersed with brief cool-downs and occasional thunderstorm activity. Residents should continue to monitor local forecasts and be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions.

Current weather radar

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by PennLive.com staff.
The next few days will have a few brief spans without rain. Jimmie Brown. jbrown@pennlive.com. Jimmie Brown

The record-breaking levels of rain and humidity in Pennsylvania this summer arent letting up quite yet.

The high moisture levels are bringing both precipitation and muggy conditions, trapping the heat as well as raising risks of floods.

But according to the National Weather Service, we may have some brief windows to actually enjoy some sunshine.

Were looking at like a relatively extended - and I say relatively extended - period of dry conditions, with no precipitation expected this afternoon and overnight and through Friday," said Nicholas Beaty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College.

Thursdays heat advisory remains in place until 8 p.m., but were not expecting any precipitation this afternoon or into this evening, Beaty said.

Actually, were looking at probably a relatively long dry streak, compared to what weve had recently, he continued. Were not expecting any rain tomorrow as well.

Fridays forecast is expected to be slightly cooler and less humid, with a high of around 81 degrees.

But dont get too comfy, as the chance of showers returns Friday night into Saturday morning, similar to the pattern that weve been in, Beaty said.

Saturday and Sunday are both likely to see more scattered storms, with some thunderstorms expected on Sunday. And with the rains, of course, you can expect humidity to rise once again.

By the beginning of next week we are turning drier, so thats some more good news, Beaty said.

Were looking at a little bit of another extended period of drier conditions, he said, saying that after Sunday, no additional rain is likely until Tuesday afternoon.

So between now and Tuesday, Beaty said, we will have a few spans without rain for a full-on day, and maybe even pushing two days at times.

And at this point, well take what we can get.

Here is the forecast from the National Weather Service website:

This Afternoon

Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. West wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 6 mph.

Friday Night

A slight chance of showers after 2am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 67. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday

A chance of showers before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am, then a slight chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday

Sunny, with a high near 82.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Tuesday Night

A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Banish the WSOP Blues With an Action-Packed Trip to the PokerStars EPT Barcelona

Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) may be over for another year, but the next massive live poker series is just around the corner. The 2025 edition of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona kicks off on August 18, runs through until August 31, and sees an incredible array of tournaments between those dates.

Of course, the 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event is the tournament everyone wants to win, but there's much more to the schedule than that.

The 2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona bursts into life at noon on August 18, with players eager to see how well-received the PokerStars Open Barcelona event is. Since its creation, the PokerStars Open has attracted massive crowds. Barcelona is a poker hotbed, so expect this 1,650 buy-in affair to have an eye-popping attendance.

At the recent PokerStars Open Malaga, a field of 1,696 created a 1,575,560 prize pool. Italy's Manuel Ferrari raced off with a 206,300 top prize. If similar payouts happen in Barcelona, the PokerStars Open champion will kick off the festival in some style.

The Barcelona field could be even bigger thanks to PokerStars' online players' ability to exchange a Power Path Silver Pass for a seat in the event, plus expenses.

All your favorite EPT tournaments are present and correct at the Casino Barcelona. They include affordable satellites for the bigger buy-in events, a $1,100 Seniors, $550 Women's, a 3,250 Seniors High Roller, several Pot-Limit Omaha, an eight-game and nine-game tournament, a sprinkling of High Rollers and Super High Rollers, and the EPT Barcelona Main Event. Expand the table below to see the EPT Barcelona 2025 schedule in all of its glory.

2025 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Schedule

Date Time Event Mon 18 Aug 12:00 p.m. 1,100 NLHE Single Re-Entry Day 1 12:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1a 12:00 p.m. 200 Qualifier to 1,650 12:00 p.m. 1,100 Seniors Event 5:00 p.m. 370 Qualifier to 1,650 6:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1b 7:00 p.m. 10,200 Mystery Bounty Day 1 9:00 p.m. 600 Qualifier to EPT Main Event Tue 19 Aug 11:00 a.m. 370 Qualifier to 1,650 11:00 a.m. 1,100 NLHE Single Re-Entry Day 2 11:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1c 11:00 a.m. 1,100 Seniors Event Day 2 12:00 p.m. 3,250 Senios High Roller Day 1 12:00 p.m. 10,200 Mystery Bounty Day 2 2:00 p.m. 12,300 PokerStars Cuatro Knockout 6:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1d 7:00 p.m. Spanish Karaoke Night 9:00 p.m. 600 Qualifier to EPT Main Event Wed 20 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 11:00 p.m. 3,250 Seniors High Roller Day 2 11:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1e 12:30 p.m. 20,000 NLHE Unlimited Re-Entry 12:30 p.m. Padel Tournament 6:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1f 6:30 p.m. Silver Pass Meet-Up 7:30 p.m. Welcome Drinks PS Open 9:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifier to EPT Main Event Thu 21 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 11:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1g 12:30 p.m. 25,000 NLHE Unlimited Re-Entry 5:30 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1h 7:30 p.m. La Dolve Vita Night 9:00 p.m. 3,200 Qualifier to 30,000 SHR Warm Up 9:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifer for EPT Main Event Fri 22 Aug 9:00 p.m. EPT Wellness Community 11:00 a.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 2 12:30 p.m. 30,000 Super High Roller Warm Up 1:30 p.m. 825 PokerStars Open Cup Day 1 2:45 p.m. Team Activity Offsite "La Casa del Juego" 9:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifier to EPT Main Event 9:00 p.m. 10,550 Qualifer to EPT Super High Roller Sat 23 Aug 9:00 p.m. EPT Wellness Community 11:00 a.m. 2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 1a 11:00 a.m. 620 Qualifer to PokerStars Open High Roller 11:00 a.m. 825 PokerStars Open Cup Day 2 11:00 a.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 3 12:30 p.m. 100,000 EPT Super High Roller Day 1 6:30 p.m. 2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 1b 7:00 p.m. French Comedy Night 9:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifer to EPT Main Event Sun 24 Aug 9:00 p.m. EPT Wellness Community 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 1a 12:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifier to EPT Main Event 12:00 p.m. 2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 2 12:00 p.m. 1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 4 12:30 p.m. 100,000 EPT Super High Roller Day 2 1:00 p.m. 2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 5:00 p.m. 1,155 Qualifer to EPT Main Event 6:00 p.m. 25,000 EPT Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Day 1 9:00 p.m. 600 Qualifier to EPT Main Event Mon 25 Aug 12:00 a.m. Welcome Drinks EPT 9:00 p.m. EPT Wellness Community 11:00 a.m. 1,155 Qualifier to EPT Main Event 12:00 p.m. 25,000 EPT Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Day 2 12:00 p.m. 2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 2 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 1b 12:00 p.m. 2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 3 12:30 p.m. 100,000 EPT Super High Roller Day 3 5:00 p.m. 1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 9:00 p.m. 2,100 Hyper Turbo Freezeout 9:00 p.m. 5,300 Qualifer to SHR Second Chance Tue 26 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 12:00 p.m. 2,700 EPT Second Chance Day 1a 12:00 p.m. 620 Qualifer to EPT Second Chance 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 2 4:00 p.m. 5,200 8-Game 7:00 p.m. 2,700 EPT Second Chance Day 1b 8:00 p.m. 50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance Day 1 10:00 p.m. 2,100 Hyper Turbo Freezeout Wed 27 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 12:00 p.m. 730 Qualifer to EPT Mystery Bounty 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 3 12:30 p.m. 50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance Day 2 2:00 p.m. 3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty Day 1 2:00 p.m. 10,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 3:00 p.m. 1,100 NLHE Single Re-Entry 7:30 p.m. Joe Stapleton Stand-Up Comedy 9:00 p.m. 2,100 Hyper Turbo Knockout Freezeout 9:00 p.m. 1,050 Hyper Turbo NL Omaha Hi-Lo Thu 28 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 12:00 p.m. 10,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 2 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 4 12:30 p.m. 25,000 No-Limit Hold'em 12:30 p.m. 5,200 T.O.R.S.E. 12:30 p.m. 3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty Day 2 2:00 p.m. 1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout Day 1 3:00 p.m. 1,125 Qualifier to EPT High Roller 7:00 p.m. 2,200 EPT 9-Game Day 1 8:00 p.m. 1,125 Qualifier to EPT High Roller 10:00 p.m. 1,050 Hyper Turbo Freezeout Fri 29 Aug 9:00 a.m. EPT Wellness Community 12:00 p.m. 1,650 Mystery Bounty Day 1a 12:00 p.m. 1,125 Qualifier to EPT High Roller 12:00 p.m. 1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout Day 2 12:00 p.m. 3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty Day 3 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 5 12:30 p.m. 10,300 EPT High Roller Day 1 12:30 p.m. 2,200 EPT 9-Game Day 2 1:00 p.m. 550 Women's Event Day 1 2:00 p.m. 1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 7:00 p.m. 1,650 Mystery Bounty Day 1b 9:00 p.m. 2,100 Hyper Turbo Knockout Freezeout Sat 30 Aug 12:00 p.m. 1,100 8-Game 12:00 p.m. 1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 12:00 p.m. 550 Women's Event Day 2 12:00 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 6 12:30 p.m. 10,300 EPT High Roller Day 2 12:30 p.m. 1,650 Mystery Bounty Day 2 12:30 p.m. 2,200 EPT 9-Game Day 3 1:00 p.m. 2,200 Deep Stack Day 1 2:00 p.m. 550 No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 6:00 p.m. 10,200 No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 6:00 p.m. 1,100 6-Game Mystery Bounty Day 1 8:00 p.m. 1,050 Hyper Turbo Freezeout Sun 31 Aug 12:00 p.m. 550 Deep Stack 12:00 p.m. 10,200 No-Limit Hold'em Day 2 12:00 p.m. 1,100 6-GameMystery Bounty Day 2 12:00 p.m. 550 No-Limit Hold'em Day 2 12:00 p.m. 2,200 Deep Stack Day 2 12:00 p.m. 10,300 EPT High Roller Day 3 12:30 p.m. 3,150 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed 12:30 p.m. 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 7 4:00 p.m. 10,200 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed 6:00 p.m. 1,050 Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo

Massive Turnout Expected for the 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event

Stephen Song

Since 2018, the EPT Barcelona Main Event has attracted more than 1,900 entrants each year, including an incredible 2,294 in 2022. Last year, Stephen Song marched onto victory after bulldozing his way through a 1,975-strong field. Song struck a deal with British star Andrew Hulme before also sending him to the rail. Song walked away with the famous EPT trophy plus 1,290,386.

This year's EPT Barcelona Main Event features a pair of opening flights at noon on August 24 and August 25. The field will gradually whittle down until a worthy champion is crowned on August 31, an entire week later. Whoever that champion is, they will likely take home a seven-figure score and join the superstars who have emerged victoriously from their respective Barcelona battles. Expand the table below to see those former champs.

PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event Champions

EPT Barcelona Main Event satellites from only 0.55 are available right now online at PokerStars. They eventually feed into the 530 buy-in EPT Barcelona Main Event Qualifier, where packages are awarded for every 10,700 in the prize pool. Those packages award:

5,300 buy-in for the EPT Barcelona Main Event

9 nights' accommodation for two at the Sofitel Barcelona Skipper Hotel from August 23 to September 1, including breakfast

from August 23 to September 1, including breakfast 346 credited to your Stars account toward expenses

PokerNews will be on hand in sunny Spain to bring you live updates from the EPT Barcelona Main Event. Will our reporters be writing about you this August?

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Aiken Standard reporter

Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers Aiken County government, business and horse industry.

To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers 
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 96F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. Low 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Bahrain-headquartered technology group Beyon has announced the signing of an agreement to develop Khaleej North, an 800-kilometre submarine cable system that will further expand the planned Al Khaleej Cable, expected to be in service by Q2 2026, by connecting Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

The original Al Khaleej Cable is described by the Submarine Networks website as the SEA-ME-WE 6 Gulf Extension, spanning 1,400 kilometres long to connect Bahrain with regional countries including Qatar, UAE and Oman. SEA-ME-WE 6, a 21,700-km high-capacity system, links Bahrain with 14 other countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Fully owned and operated by Beyon, Khaleej North will be developed in partnership with SubCom, the global subsea cable provider currently delivering the Al Khaleej cable system.

Khaleej North, it is claimed, will further enhance Bahrain's capability in data traffic and sovereignty, global communication, digital resilience and cybersecurity.

It will also provide enhanced global connectivity in the region. Designed to meet the rising demands of hyperscalers, enterprises, cloud service providers, and government entities, the system will strengthen data exchange pathways and increase network resilience.

This news comes only a matter of days after we reported the arrival of the 2Africa Pearls cable system in Bahrain, next to Seef District, which Saudi Arabia-based service provider STC says will reinforce the country as a significant ICT hub in the MENA region.
Post and Courier North Augusta/The Star reporter

Bianca Moorman is a reporter for the Post and Courier North Augusta/The Star with a focus on community focused stories, arts, businesses, non-profits, events and any story with a human element. The Roanoke, Virginia native has journalism degrees from James Madison and Syracuse universities. She has written for papers in Georgia, Mississippi, Upstate New York and Virginia. Follow her on X at @biancarmooman.

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Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native and the features editor for The Post and Courier. She's a music festival and concert photographer and avid showgoer who used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper as well as national publications.
Tony Kukulich is an editor/reporter working in the Beaufort County bureau. Turning to journalism as a second career, he started as a photojournalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. After moving to Bluffton in 2021, he wrote for several area publications before joining The Post and Courier the following year.
A m ap shows locations of four Berkeley County bridges included in SCDOTs 2025 bridge program. The bridgeson U.S. 52/U.S. 17 ALT over the Cooper River, S-8-100 over Fogarty Creek, S-8-24 over a local stream, and S-8-62 over I-26are slated for replacement or repair as part of a statewide infrastructure initiative.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 95F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 77F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Teri Errico Griffis is the senior business reporter and assistant editor at The Post and Courier, focusing on retail and real estate. An award-winning journalist, she previously worked as a Southeast commerce reporter for the Journal of Commerce and a reporter for the Charleston Regional Business Journal where she covered all facets of business in the Charleston region. Raised in Connecticut and New York, she has called South Carolina home since 2012.
Education Lab Reporter

Ian Grenier covers K-12 and higher education in South Carolina from Columbia. Originally from Charleston, he studied history and political science at USC and reported for the Victoria Advocate in South Texas before joining The Post and Courier.
Protesters and counter-protesters chat over a police barricade outside of the Russell House on the USC campus before a controversial roast event Sept. 18, 2024, in Columbia. The university is hoping to promote more civil discourse through a new center.
Lauren Leibman covers Georgetown County for the Post and Courier. She interned with The State newspaper and worked for The Daily Gamecock during her time at the University of South Carolina.
The SJC2 consortium and NEC announced on Friday that the Southeast AsiaJapan 2 (SJC2) subsea cable is now live, officially adding more than 126 Tbps of capacity to the Asia-Pacific region.

SJC2s main trunk connects Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, with additional landing points in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, mainland China and South Korea. The 10,500-km subsea cable system is designed with seven fibre-optic pairs with 18 Tbps of capacity per pair.

Meng Fai Yue, senior director of Singtel and Herbert Xiong, head of submarine cables infrastructure, China Mobile International CMI)  who are also co-chairs of the SJC2 Consortium Management Committee  said in a joint statement that the SJC2 system will boost connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region, delivering unparalleled bandwidth capacity and ultra-low latency to power the next-generation of cloud computing, AI-driven services and real-time data exchange across Asia's leading economies.

Apart from Singtel and CMI, the SJC2 consortium also comprises Chunghwa Telecom, Donghwa Telecom, KDDI, Meta, SK Broadband, Telin, True Internet Corp and VNPT International.

The activation of SJC2  which was constructed by NEC and has been in the works since 2018  comes two days after NEC won a contract to build a new subsea system along the same route, albeit with some different landing points.

The Asia United Gateway East (AUG East) system will span 8,900 km and link Singapore and Japan with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. The system is targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2029.

AUG East is backed by a consortium comprising Singtel, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Arteria Networks, Chunghwa Telecom, Dreamline, Globe Telecom, Telekom Malaysia and Unified National Networks.
Reporter

Spencer Donovan covers Greenville for The Post and Courier. He's an Atlanta native and graduate of the University of Georgia. You can find him on walks around town, eating at local restaurants and hiking in the mountains.
Greenville, SC (29601)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High around 95F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 74F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
A crosswalk allows pedestrians to cross Otranto Road at the intersection of Vistavia Road, pictured June 19, 2025. A pedestrian was fatally struck on the stretch of roadway hours before, reportedly just after midnight.
Abby Ann Ramsey covers Florence and the Pee Dee for The Post and Courier. She graduated from the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville before moving to South Carolina.
An opponent of South Carolina Republican Party chairman Drew McKissick holds a sign opposing his nomination outside of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on May 3, 2025. McKissick was the central figure in a campaign at the county level that some argue resulted in Pickens County losing its representation at the state convention.
Toby Cox is a reporter for the Post and Couriers Rising Waters Lab, covering flooding, sea-level rise and community resilience. She graduated from the University of Virginia and Harvard Divinity School. Her previous work can be found in National Geographic, The Diplomat, Summerhouse DC, The Revealer, Harvard Divinity Bulletin and others. If you have a question, tip or story idea, reach out to her at tcox@postandcourier.com. You can reach her securely on Signal at 843-670-8651.
In what is described as a major boost to South Africas digital and AI capabilities, Touchnet, a business-to-business-focused internet service provider, in collaboration with global cloud provider Zadara, has officially launched a sovereign AI cloud infrastructure at Digital Parks Africas advanced, carrier-neutral Uptime Tier III Design Certified Data Centre in Samrand in the Gauteng province.

This strategic deployment is designed to provide local businesses with secure, high-performance access to GPU-powered cloud solutions tailored for AI workloads. GPU-powered cloud servers are said to deliver increased compute power and to be better equipped to handle modern technologies like AI.

The new sovereign AI infrastructure enables South African enterprises to run advanced AI applications locally while maintaining full sovereignty over their data.

This, says Touchnet, is a key concern for industries governed by strict compliance and data protection regulations. It is also becoming something of a trend in many countries keen to keep their data within national borders. And, of course, it means quicker access as it reduces latency.

Indeed, by hosting the solution at the Samrand facility, the partnership ensures low-latency access to compute power, enabling real-time processing for use cases such as machine learning, big data analytics, and generative AI.

This development then, not only reduces reliance on offshore cloud platforms but also supports local innovation by offering scalable, cost-effective access to powerful AI infrastructure.

Digital Parks Africas Samrand data centre, known for its robust security and energy efficiency, is said to provide the ideal environment for hosting sovereign cloud services. The partnership between Touchnet and Zadara, meanwhile, is expected to drive adoption across key sectors, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and education. Touchnet is a leading cloud solution provider and an expert in Zadaras sovereign AI edge cloud solutions  including their implementation throughout Africa.

These Zadara solutions are said to be hugely popular on a global scale, with over 500 clouds and 250 partners across over 24 countries already operational.
PR-Inside.com: 2025-07-18 20:59:34

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Leading securities law firmBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPannounces an investigation into BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE:BRBR) for potential violations of the federal securities laws.If you invested in BellRing, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/bellring-brands-inc-class-action-lawsuit Why is BellRing being Investigated?BellRing operates in the convenient nutrition category. The Company's primary brands include Premier Protein and Dymatize, which offer ready-to-drink protein shakes and powders. During the relevant period, the Company stated that Premier Protein "hit an all-time high in household penetration" and that "demand remains strong." The Company also stated that its growth was "strong in all channels," driven by "distribution expansion, accelerating velocities and incremental promotional activity." In truth, the Company's sales growth during the relevant period may have been driven by temporary trade inventory loading at several key retailers, not sustainable end-consumer demand.The Stock Declines as the Truth is RevealedOn May 5, 2025, after market hours, BellRing revealed that starting in Q2 2023, "several key retailers lowered their weeks of supply on hand," which would create a headwind to Q3 2025 growth. The Company also announced it was expanding promotions to boost sales and "offset [] third quarter reductions in retailer trade inventory levels." On this news, the price of BellRing stock fell $13.96 per share, or more than 18%, from $77.34 per share on May 5, 2025, to $63.38 per share on May 6, 2025.Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/bellring-brands-inc-class-action-lawsuit What Can You Do?If you invested in BellRing you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitz ross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named "Elite Trial Lawyers" by the National Law Journal, among the top "500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers" by Lawdragon, "Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar" by Law360 and "SuperLawyers" by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2025-07-18 02:50:13

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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 /If You Suffered Losses Exceeding $100,000 in Organon between November 3, 2022 and April 30, 2025 Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages you to contact him directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).[You may also click here for additional information]Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Organon & Co. ("Organon" or the "Company") (NYSE:OGN) and reminds investors of the July 22, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com Defendants provided investors with material information concerning Organon's prioritization of its capital allocation strategy through regular, quarterly dividends. Defendants' statements included, among other things, reassurance that capital allocation through the aforementioned dividends was a "#1 capital allocation priority" and that Organon was committed to consistent deployment of capital. Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of the Company's priorities, particularly, related to capital allocation through quarterly dividends. Notably, Defendants concealed the high priority of Organon's debt reduction strategy following the Company's acquisition of Dermavant, resulting in a 70% decrease for the regular quarterly dividend. Such statements absent these material facts caused Plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase Organon's securities at artificially inflated prices.Investors and analysts again reacted promptly to Organon's revelations. The price of Organon's common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $12.93 per share on April 30, 2025, Organon's stock price fell to $9.45 per share on May 1, 2025, a decline of more than 27% in the span of just a single day.The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Organon's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.To learn more about the Organon & Co. class action, go towww.faruqilaw.com/OGNor call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( www.faruqilaw.com) . Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.SOURCE: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2025-07-18 07:35:13

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THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 /Forte Group Holdings Inc. (CSE:FGH)(OTC:FGHFF)(FSE:7BC0, WKN:A40L1Z)("Forte Group" or the "Company"), a diversified lifestyle and wellness consumer packaged goods company, announces that, further to its news release dated July 14, 2025, it intends to amend the terms of a series of initiatives designed to strengthen its financial position, including a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement"), consisting of the issuance of an aggregate of 8,700,000 units of the Company (each, a "Unit"), at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $435,000 and a Debt Settlement (as defined below).Private PlacementEach Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and 0.59 transferable common share purchase warrants of the Company (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.065 per Warrant Share for a period of two years from the date of closing.Closing of the Private Placement is anticipated to occur on or about July 25, 2025, and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, and subject to addressing any comments received from the Canadian Securities Exchange during a five business day period from the date of this news release in accordance with their policies.The net proceeds of the Private Placement are intended to be used for general working capital and outstanding payables. The securities issued under the Private Placement will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance.Proposed Debt SettlementIn line with its continued efforts to strengthen its balance sheet, the Company intends to settle debt totaling $504,119.20 owed to certain creditors of the Company in consideration for the issuance of an aggregate 3,360,795 units of the Company (each, a "Debt Settlement Unit") at a deemed price of $0.15 per Debt Settlement Unit (the "Debt Settlement").Each Debt Settlement Unit will consist of one Share (each, a "Debt Share") and 0.59 transferable common share purchase warrants (each whole warrant, a "Debt Settlement Warrant"), with each Debt Settlement Warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share of the Company (each, a "Debt Settlement Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.065 per Debt Settlement Warrant Share for a period of two years from the date of closing of the Debt Settlement. The securities issued under the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance.Closing of the Debt Settlement is anticipated to occur on or about July 25, 2025, and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, and subject to addressing any comments received from the Canadian Securities Exchange during a five business day period from the date of this news release in accordance with their policies.Insiders may participate in the Private Placement and the Debt Settlement and such participation may constitute a related party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI61-101"). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Private Placement and Debt Settlement by insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization. No finder's fees are expected to be payable in connection with the Private Placement.About Forte Group Holdings Inc.Forte Group Holdings Inc. (CSE:FGH)(OTC:FGHFF)(FSE:7BC0, WKN:A40L1Z) a diversified lifestyle and wellness consumer packaged goods company. Forte Group develops and manufactures a range of alkaline and mineral-enriched beverages and nutraceutical supplements for both its TRACE brand and private-label clients. Based in British Columbia, Canada, Forte Group owns a pristine natural alkaline spring water aquifer and operates a 40,000-square-foot, Health Canada and HACCP-certified manufacturing facility near Osoyoos, British Columbia. The Company's distribution network includes traditional retail and e-commerce channels, delivering wellness-focused products directly to consumers through its innovative offerings.On behalf of the Board of Directors:Marcello Leone, Chief Executive Officer and Director info@ fortegroup.co 604-569-1414Disclaimer for Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the completion and timing of the Private Placement and the Debt Settlement, the receipt of regulatory approvals, the intended use of proceeds, including with respect to the participation of insiders, and the potential financial impact of these transactions on Forte Group. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions as of the date hereof and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the ability to complete the Private Placement and Debt Settlement on the anticipated timeline or at all; the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; the availability of funds; risks associated with market conditions; insider participation exceeding anticipated thresholds; and general risks relating to the Company's business, including those detailed from time to time in its public disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company 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 applicable securities laws.SOURCE: Forte Group Holdings
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The world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace - available to more traders through simplified exchange.NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 /Freelancer Limited (ASX:FLN)(OTCQX:FRLCY), the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, is excited to announce the launch of its sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program, administered by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. The ADRs will trade on the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market under the ticker symbol FRLCY, with each ADR representing 100 ordinary shares of Freelancer Limited (Ratio: 100:1).This strategic initiative enables U.S. investors to seamlessly invest in Freelancer Limited, a thirteen-time Webby Award-winning platform that connects over 80 million registered users across more than 25 million projects in diverse fields such as website development, marketing, astrophysics, and aerospace engineering. The ADR program simplifies cross-border investment by allowing trading in U.S. dollars, eliminating the complexities of foreign exchange and international markets."We are thrilled to launch our ADR program with Deutsche Bank, opening new opportunities for U.S. investors and our 82 million customers to participate in Freelancer's growth," said Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer Limited. "This milestone enhances our global accessibility and supports our mission to empower entrepreneurs and businesses worldwide through our innovative marketplace." Deutsche Bank, as the depositary bank, will manage the issuance and cancellation of ADRs, maintain the ADR holder register, distribute dividends in U.S. dollars (if applicable), and facilitate shareholder voting processes. The program is designed to align with Freelancer's commitment to transparency and investor engagement.Freelancer Limited also owns Escrow.com , the leading provider of secure online payments with over US$8 billion in transactions, and Loadshift, Australia's largest heavy haulage freight marketplace with over 800 million kilometres of freight posted. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:FLN), Freelancer continues to drive innovation in the global gig economy.For more information about Freelancer Limited's ADR program, contact Deutsche Bank's ADR broker services at +1 212 250 9100 (New York) or +44 207 547 6500 (London), or visit www.adr.db.com . To learn more about Freelancer, visitwww.freelancer.com Media Contact:Brent O'HalloranDirector of Communicationspress@ freelancer.com| +61 415 548 198Investor Relations:investor@ freelancer.com Forward-looking statementsThis document contains certain "forward-looking statements". The words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "project", "forecast", "estimate", "outlook", "upside", "likely", "intend", "should", "could", "may", "target", "plan" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Indications of, and guidance on, future earnings and financial position and performance, including Freelancer's FY25 outlook, are also forward-looking statements, as are statements regarding Freelancer's plans and strategies and the development of the market. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Freelancer, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Freelancer cannot give any assurance or guarantee that the assumptions upon which management based its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct or exhaustive beyond the date of its making, or that Freelancer's business and operations will not be affected by other factors not currently foreseeable by management or beyond its control. Such forward-looking statements only speak as at the date of this announcement and Freelancer assumes no obligation to update such information. The release, publication or distribution of this document in jurisdictions outside Australia may be restricted by law. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws.About FreelancerThirteen-time Webby award-winning Freelancer is the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 80 million registered users have posted over 25 million projects and contests to date in over 3,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer owns Escrow.com , the leading provider of secure online payments and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet with over US$8 billion in transactions secured. Freelancer also owns Loadshift, Australia's largest heavy haulage freight marketplace with over 800 million kilometres of freight posted since inception. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and in the United States as OTCQX:FRLCY.SOURCE: Freelancer
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THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES IN HELIUM ONE GLOBAL LTD OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD BREACH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE FACT OF ITS DISTRIBUTION SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN RESPECT OF HELIUM ONE GLOBAL LTD.THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 WHICH FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("UK MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SUCH PERSONS SHALL THEREFORE CEASE TO BE IN POSSESSION OF INSIDE INFORMATION.THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY CONTAIN CERTAIN STATEMENTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR THE COMPANY. ALTHOUGH THE DIRECTORS BELIEVE THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE BASED ON REASONABLE ASSUMPTIONS, ANY STATEMENTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OUTLOOK MAY BE INFLUENCED BY FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL OUTCOMES AND RESULTS TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT.Confirmation of Award of Southern Rukwa Mining Licence, Advancing the Southern Rukwa Project and Proposed Fundraise of 10 million and Notice of General MeetingLONDON, GB / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Helium One Global (AIM:HE1), the primary helium explorer in Tanzania with a 50% working interest in the Galactica-Pegasus helium development project in Colorado, USA, provides an update on the southern Rukwa Helium project in Tanzania.The Company also announces that it has entered into an investment agreement (the "Investment Agreement") with three institutional investors (the "Investors") that has been arranged by Marex Financial pursuant to which the Investors have conditionally agreed to invest a total of 10 million (approximately US$13 million) (the "Advance") to fund the next phase of operations in Tanzania and the US. The Company also intends to make available to existing shareholders the ability to participate in a retail offer of up to 1,000,000 (the "Proposed Retail Offer").Summary:Southern Rukwa Mining Licence formally awardedFurther testing programme to advance the development at southern Rukwa planned to start in Q4 202510 million (approximately US$13 million) fundraise to further advance towards development in southern Rukwa and to continue to fund the USA Galactica helium-CO2 development to first gasExpected 1,000,000 retail offer to existing shareholdersJames Smith, Chairman, commented:"At present, Helium One is a non-revenue generative business, but we are in the unique position of having interests in two significant helium development projects. This raise is an important step for the Company and will enable us to accelerate both these projects towards production and ultimately cash flow; and as a result the Board unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions at the General meeting." Lorna Blaisse, Chief Executive Officer, commented:"The capital raised through this fundraise enables us to advance development of the Itumbula West discovery in Southern Rukwa. With the Mining Licence now formally awarded, we're looking forward to progressing the further testing using a downhole Electric Submersible Pump. This important step will enable the Company to better understand the concentrations of helium in this unique helium play and further establish multi-rate flow tests, bringing us closer to finalising the development plan and subsequent processing plant.Additional funds will also be allocated to our USA helium-CO2 project, operated by Blue Star Helium, which will enable us to progress to first gas and cash flow in Q4 this year." Southern Rukwa Project updateThe Company has now been formally awarded the 480km2 Mining Licence ("ML") in southern Rukwa. In addition to this, the incorporation of the joint venture Company, Songwe Helium Ltd has now been completed and directors appointed. The Regulatory Framework Agreements are still being finalised, but as previously announced the Government free carried interest has been agreed at 17%.Now that the ML has been officially awarded, the Company plans to commence further testing in Q4 2025 to advance the development. This will be undertaken by re-entering the ITW-1 well and utilising a downhole Electric Submersible Pump which will be used to create artificial lift and flow helium at increased rates from the Basement and Karoo intervals. This operation is expected to provide a greater understanding of the helium concentrations at higher flow rates. This information will then be used to enhance the development programme.The Company is still awaiting a date for the execution of the regulatory agreements and the formal signing ceremony.FundraiseThe Investors may elect to convert the 10 million Advance into ordinary shares ("Ordinary Shares") in the Company at any time and in any such proportion as they so choose upon delivery to the Company of a notice of conversion ("Conversion Notice"). The conversion price will be an amount equal to 80 per cent of the higher of: (i) the lowest single daily volume weighted average price ("VWAP") in respect of the Company's Ordinary Shares during the 10 trading days immediately preceding the date of the Conversion Notice; or (ii) 92.5 per cent of the VWAP for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the date of the Conversion Notice.Any outstanding amount of the Advance is repayable by the Company on the date falling 12 months after the drawdown of the Advance (the "Maturity Date"), either in: (a) cash; (b) Ordinary Shares (at a price equal to 80 per cent. of the higher of (i) the lowest single daily VWAP in respect of the Company's Ordinary Shares during the 10 trading days immediately preceding the Maturity Date; or (ii) a floor of 92.5 per cent of the VWAP for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the Maturity Date; or (c) a combination of both, at the Company's discretion. If an event of default occurs, the Advance will be immediately repayable on demand and default interest at a rate of 12% per annum will accrue on the outstanding amount of the Advance, payable at the same time as repayment of
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / All Star Recruiting Locums, LLC d/b/a All Star Healthcare Solutions ("All Star") recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to All Star.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On February 25, 2025, All Star Recruiting Locums, LLC became aware of a security incident involving unauthorized activity within its internal systems. Upon detection, All Star secured its systems and launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to assess the nature and scope of the breach. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to data stored on its network. The impacted data may include full names, contact information, and account informationOn July 15, 2025, All Star filed a breach notice with the Maine Attorney General and began sending out notice letters to affected individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who receive notice that their sensitive personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from All Star Recruiting Locums, LLC d/b/a All Star Healthcare Solutions, you are likely to be affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. Our firm works on a 100% contingency fee basis - you pay nothing unless we win your case! Visit our website to learn more.Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
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Team Editorial - Evrima ChicagoNAPERVILLE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / In the infrastructure-focused evolution of television broadcasting, few technologists have influenced the trajectory of modular playout and digital delivery more profoundly than Matjaz Vidmar. Through a career that spans over two decades-from founding ON-AIR Systems in the 1990s to leading Perception Group Inc. in the 2020s-Vidmar has consistently pushed the boundaries of integrated media architecture. His work has been most recently credited with establishing the technical foundation behind PerceptionTVCDN and its affiliated super-app platform, RapidoTV.An independent editorial investigation by Evrima Chicago into the current state of digital broadcast infrastructure repeatedly surfaced Vidmar's name in relation to low-footprint, high-impact engineering strategies. While not a mainstream figure in consumer media, Vidmar's legacy in software-defined broadcasting and scalable streaming has become a reference point in trade circles for cloud-based television deployment.Early Career and Founding of ON-AIR SystemsMatjaz Vidmar began his engineering career in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a focus on analog and digital broadcasting workflows. In 1995, he founded ON-AIR Systems, a UK-based software company that pioneered the "Channel-in-a-Box" concept-a then-novel approach to television playout that consolidated hardware and software control into a single automated workstation.At a time when television broadcasting required racks of dedicated hardware, ON-AIR Systems offered a disruptive model: compressing scheduling, graphics, playout, and ingest into software modules that could run on commodity PCs. Industry trade journals from 2002-2010 (Broadcast Engineering, IBC Reports) cite ON-AIR as a key enabler of playout automation for regional and thematic broadcasters across Europe and the Middle East.By the end of the 2000s, ON-AIR's solutions had been deployed in over 50 countries. Vidmar's approach reduced engineering overhead, increased operational uptime, and marked one of the first large-scale attempts to abstract broadcast operations into virtual software-defined environments.Perception Group Inc. and the Evolution of Broadcast CDNIn the early 2010s, Vidmar transitioned his core focus from linear playout to integrated streaming architecture. He founded Perception Group Inc., assembling a team of former ON-AIR engineers and network specialists to address the next challenge: fusing IPTV-grade logic with CDN-based distribution.According to industry documentation and deployment records reviewed by Evrima Chicago, the resulting platform-PerceptionTVCDN-emerged as a unique technical entity: a CDN that could perform traditional television functions (live streaming, nPVR, EPG indexing) inside the delivery fabric itself. Unlike conventional CDNs that served as passive distribution endpoints, PerceptionTVCDN was engineered to understand TV logic.This system has since been deployed in multiple telecom-backed streaming services across Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (EIN Presswire, TechAfrica News 2024-2025). Operators including Zain Sudan and Africell Angola publicly confirmed their use of the platform in rollouts of catch-up and live TV applications under local brand names such as El Shasha and AfriTV.Vidmar's philosophy-visible across PerceptionTV's platform architecture-is rooted in three principles:Modularization: All broadcast services should be decoupled and interchangeable, akin to cloud microservices.Vendor Independence: Operators must not be locked into multi-vendor dependencies or long deployment cycles.Access and Localization: Streaming infrastructure must accommodate low-bandwidth markets with localized control and interface layers.RapidoTV and the Super-App ModelIn 2025, Vidmar re-emerged at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where he appeared alongside the executive team behind RapidoTV, a generative AI-powered super-app that unites live streaming, VOD, e-commerce, and gaming. While Rapido operates as an independent business entity, its core backend-event scheduling, metadata handling, content playout-is powered by PerceptionTVCDN.According to Rapido CEO Fabio Pigo, who spoke at the MWC 2025 TechAfrica press briefing, the Rapido concept was heavily shaped by Vidmar's architecture design:"We wanted a system that was deeply broadcast-aware but scalable like a consumer app. Matjaz gave us the blueprint to do both" (TechAfrica News, 2025).Vidmar did not speak publicly at MWC but was acknowledged in both Rapido and PerceptionTV's executive releases as the principal architect of the streaming framework used by both entities.Engineering Legacy and Technical ContributionsThrough primary interviews, trade publication analysis, and archived system documentation, Evrima Chicago has compiled a consistent technical portrait of Matjaz Vidmar. His lasting contributions to the broadcast technology field include:Software-Defined Television Playout: Enabling the automation and virtualization of linear broadcast chains.Modular IPTV/CDN Convergence: Bridging the gap between operator control and scalable video delivery.Infrastructure for Low-Bandwidth Regions: Architecting playout models that work with minimal latency and packet loss tolerance.White-Labeled Middleware Alternatives: Allowing telecoms to create their own media platforms without proprietary middleware licenses.Vidmar's contributions are often cited in internal whitepapers and platform RFPs by telecom providers across Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. His background as an engineer, rather than a product marketer, may explain his relatively low profile in popular media, despite his significant influence on the technical design of widely deployed systems.President Trump's Truth Social Streaming powered by Vidmar's Perception GroupIn a recent development, it was revealed that the Perception Group, founded and majority-owned by Matjaz Vidmar, developed the private CDN technology enabling Truth Social-the platform operated by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG)-to offer live video streaming to its users.Truth Social, launched in 2022 and 65% owned by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, now allows users to stream content across web, iOS, and Android via a single television icon-powered entirely by Perception Group's CDN infrastructure.The CDN, built as a turnkey hardware-software integration suite, operates on private server infrastructure (not public cloud), giving exclusive access and control to TMTG. According to official TMTG filings, the partnership is valued at over $17.5 million over three years.Vidmar's Perception Group, headquartered
Malaysian telco and second licenced 5G operator U Mobile said on Thursday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with state-backed Melaka ICT Holdings (MICTH) to boost deployment of its 5G network in Malacca.

Under the MoU terms, MICTH will provide U Mobile with access to its tower and site infrastructure in the state of Malacca, as well as comprehensive support to expedite site implementations throughout the state.

U Mobile and MICTH will also leverage their respective expertise to establish an efficient process for 5G site deployment, which they say will enable faster and broader coverage expansion.

U Mobile CTO Woon Ooi Yuen said the deal will help the telco achieve its target of 80% nationwide coverage of populated areas by the second half of 2026.

Through this MoU, 5G connectivity in Malacca will be enhanced for both consumers and enterprises alike, he said in a statement.

According to news outlet Soya Cincau, Malacca chief minister Ab Rauf bin Yusoh  who attended the MoU signing ceremony  said 4G and 5G currently cover 99.97% and 89.7% of Malaccas population, respectively, with average speeds surpassing 121 Mbps. The state is targeting 100% population coverage for both networks by 2027.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 /NV Gold Corporation (TSXV:NVX)(OTCQB:NVGLF)(FSE:8NV) ("NV Gold" or the "Company") announces that the Company has amended the terms of its agreement with the owners of the Triple T Property (the "Second Amendment"), as further described in the Company's news release dated July 8, 2025. Pursuant to the Second Amendment, the Company agreed to issue an aggregate of 456,600 common shares (the "Payment Shares") at a price of C$0.12 per Payment Share to settle an annual payment of US$40,000 (approximately C$54,800) payable by the Company to the Triple T lessees pursuant to the exploration and mining lease agreement among the parties dated June 21, 2021, as amended June 7, 2024. The increase in the number of Payment Shares issuable under the Second Amendment is intended to more accurately reflect the market value of the Company's shares.The issuance of the Payment Shares is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Payment Shares will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.For more information on the original amendment and the Triple T Property lease, please refer to the Company's news release dated July 8, 2025.About NV Gold Corporation NV Gold Corporation is a well-organized exploration company with 18.7 million shares issued and outstanding. NV Gold has 21 exploration projects in Nevada comprising 639 100%-Company-owned lode mining claims totaling 53.4 square kilometers (20.6 square miles). The Company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Reno, Nevada, and is focused on delivering value through mineral discoveries in Nevada, USA.Leveraging its expansive property portfolio, its highly experienced in-house technical team, and its extensive geological data library, 2025 promises to be highly productive for NV Gold.On behalf of the Board of Directors, John Watson, President, Chairman, CEO and DirectorFor further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com or contact:Freeform Communications at 604.245.0054Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: NV Gold Corporation
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NEW YORK CITY, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 /Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilJuly 22, 2025to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Organon & Co. (NYSE:OGN), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 3, 2022 and April 30, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Organon and would like to discuss your legal rights and how the 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-ogn/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court byJuly 22, 2025 .About the LawsuitsOrganon and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On March 10, 2025, pre-market, the Company announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, disclosing, among other things, that management had reset the Company's dividend payout, from $0.28 to $0.02, contradicting its prior statements assuring investors that the regular quarterly dividend was a number one priority and that the Company was committed to its capital allocation strategy through the aforementioned dividend. On this news, the price of Organon's shares fell more than 27%, from a closing market price of $12.93 per share on April 30, 2025, to $9.45 per share on May 1, 2025.The first-filed case is Hauser v. Organon & Co., et al., No. 25-cv-05322. A subsequent case, Lerner v. Organon & Co., et al., No. 25-cv-12983, expanded the class period.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. This past year, KSF was ranked by SCAS among the top 10 firms nationally based upon total settlement value. KSF serves a variety of clients, including public and private institutional investors, 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, Chicago, New Jersey, and a representative office in Luxembourg.TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action ServicesTo 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 70163CONNECT WITH US: FaceBook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedInSOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 / Leading securities law firmBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPannounces that a lawsuit has been filed against Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws.If you invested in Reddit, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/reddit-inc-securities-fraud-class-action Investors have until August 18, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors who purchased Reddit securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is captioned Tamraz, Jr. v. Reddit, Inc., at al., No. 25-cv-05144.Why was Reddit Sued for Securities Fraud?Reddit owns and operates the eponymous social news aggregation, forum, and social media platform. Reddit receives a significant portion of its user traffic from individuals seeking answers to questions using Google Search. The complaint alleges that Reddit misrepresented and downplayed the impact that Google's use of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") technology in Google's search results had on Reddit's user growth.In truth, Google's use of AI dented Reddit's user growth by eliminating the need for individuals to visit and click through to Reddit to get answers to their questions. Rather, the answers appeared through Google's AI search results.The Stock Declines as the Truth is RevealedOn May 1, 2025, Reddit reported a significant slowdown in daily active user growth. On this news, the price of Reddit stock declined $4.96 per share, or more than 4%, from $118.79 per share on May 1, 2025, to $113.83 per share on May 2, 2025.Then, on May 21, 2025, Wall Street analyst Baird cut its Reddit stock price target over concerns that Google's AI capabilities are stifling Reddit's user growth. On this news, the price of Reddit stock fell $9.79 per share, or over 9%, from $105.64 per share on May 20, 2025, to $95.85 per share on May 21, 2025.Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/reddit-inc-securities-fraud-class-action What Can You Do?If you invested in Reddit you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitz ross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named "Elite Trial Lawyers" by the National Law Journal, among the top "500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers" by Lawdragon, "Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar" by Law360 and "SuperLawyers" by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 18, 2025 /WHY: New York, N.Y., July 18, 2025. Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the "Western Asset US Core Bond Fund" mutual fund classes - Class I (ticker: "WATFX"), Class A (ticker: "WABAX"), Class C (ticker: "WABCX"), Class FI (ticker: "WAPIX"), Class IS (ticker: "WACSX"), and Class R (ticker: "WABRX") - and the "Western Asset Core Plus Bond Fund" mutual fund classes - Class A (ticker: "WAPAX"), Class C (ticker: "WAPCX"), Class C1 (ticker: "LWCPX"), Class FI (ticker: "WACIX"), Class R (ticker: "WAPRX"), Class I (ticker: "WACPX"), Class IS (ticker: "WAPSX") between January 1, 2021 and October 31, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important September 5, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased WAMCO mutual funds during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the WAMCO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31956 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 5, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.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, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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 achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. 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.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants failed to warn investors that: (1) defendants favored certain WAMCO strategies, like Macro Opps, over other WAMCO strategies, like Core and Core Plus; (2) defendants disfavored certain WAMCO strategies, like Core and Core Plus; (3) any "compliance policies and procedures" that WAMCO maintained "to result in fair allocations of investment opportunities to clients" were either insufficient to ensure that Leech and his WAMCO Team fairly allocated trades among the strategies they managed or were expressly disregarded by defendants in order to allow the favoring of certain WAMCO strategies at the expense of other WAMCO strategies; (3) any "oversight mechanisms" that WAMCO maintained were either insufficient to monitor Leech and his WAMCO Team or were expressly disregarded by defendants in order to allow the favoring of certain WAMCO strategies at the expense of other WAMCO strategies. As a result, defendants' actions operated as a fraud or deceit on the Class, artificially reducing the price of the "Western Asset US Core strategy" mutual fund classes during the Class Period, damaging Class members.To join the WAMCO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31956 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for more information.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.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 FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
Hanan Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has appreciated Nigerians for forgiving her father, who died on Sunday at a hospital in London.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Buhari was buried in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State on Tuesday.

His funeral drew numerous dignitaries, including top political figures and other prominent personalities.

Before his death, Mr Buhari had, during his final Sallah Day celebration as President in April 2023, asked Nigerians to forgive any wrongs he may have committed while in office.

Since his death, his family members and political associates have also appealed to the citizens for continued forgiveness and understanding.

Hanna Buhari

However, in an interview with BBC Hausa, posted on Facebook on Thursday, Hanan, whos into digital photography and media, described the loss of her father as akin to losing a part of her own body.

Defending her fathers legacy, she spoke about the values he upheld and the sacrifices he made in service to the nation.

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She said, What I will miss most about him is his sense of humour. I look up to him as a part of me. I want to thank everyone who forgave my late father.

On behalf of our family, we are grateful. We have nothing to say to them (Nigerians) except thank God. He disciplined me to study, pray, and do things that made us happy.

Good intentions

She added that her father always had the best intentions for Nigerians, describing him as a man of the people.

Thats what I can say. But since Allah has decreed it, Alhamdulillah, I had the chance to be with him and read the Quran to him.

Ill miss everything about him, his jokes, how he made us laugh. But we know Allah did it, and its become part of us, she added.

Hanan recalled that her late father always reminded her that money wasnt everything; education must come first.

Nana Buhari, too

Hanans remarks about her late father followed her sister Nanas defence of his legacy, in which she argued that many Nigerians misunderstood him.

In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Nana described their father as warm-hearted, humorous, easy-going, and deeply patriotic.

READ ALSO: Inside my last encounter with Buhari before he died Femi Adesina

Despite his criticism, she maintained that he genuinely acted in the countrys best interest.

She said, What Id like to tell Nigerians is that those who didnt know my father or had bad or negative thoughts about him should understand that he was not what they thought he was.

He was a very kind person and did his best for Nigeria. He loved Nigerians and was truly patriotic.

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Why should one be so sad about the death of an 82-year-old man? Not just sad. Dolorous. Mournful. Devastated. At 82, you are not exactly a young man, and anything can happen.

But not when you are Muhammadu Buhari, soldier of soldiers, an officer and gentleman. Not when you had survived a life threatening illness that lasted the better part of the year 2017, and you came out of it fresher and more vigorous.

I didnt expect President Buhari to leave, at least not in the next 10 years. For two days in March, I was with him in his Kaduna home, which had just been renovated, and which he moved into about three weeks earlier from his Daura, Katsina State homestead.

I met him with almost all the newspapers in the land spread on the table before him. He was reading one. That his winsome smile, and I asked how he was doing. He said very well, since he was free from the troubles of Nigeria. We laughed.

Typical of him, he asked after the welfare of my family, and how I was doing. We then discussed many things about our country particularly the vast, ungoverned borders between Nigeria and neighboring countries in the North. The length is about 1,500 kilometers.

Only God can effectively man it, he said, and laughed.

It was Ramadan, and I joined at dinner. The former First Lady, Aisha, was around, and offered me some roasted meat (Suya).

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Less than two weeks later, he travelled to London for what was said to be a routine medical trip. It lasted almost four months, and he never returned, at least not alive.

When President Buhari was brought back home for burial on Tuesday, July 15, having died two days earlier, I looked at the grave that had been dug at a favorite spot he used to sit in the courtyard of his modest home. There was the narrow inner part, and the words of Thomas Gray in his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard came to my mind: Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-trees shade, where heaves the turf in many a mouldring heap, each in his narrow cell forever laid, the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

Each in his narrow cell forever laid. So, Baba Buhari, my boss and senior friend would be laid in this narrow cell? Well, its the lot of mortals. Doomed to die. All mortals must go one day. Good grief!

As he was laid to rest forever in that narrow aperture, I remember one thing the President had said to me on March 30, 2023, exactly two months to our leaving office.

I had told him I was planning to write a book, and I needed sessions of interview with him. He consented. I asked many questions which later formed major part of my book, Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023). And the last question was; Mr President, after here, what next? And he said:

Im looking forward to leaving. And from there, I go to my grave at the appointed time.

The appointed time came on Tuesday, but I must confess that I was shocked at the casual way the President had talked about going to his grave. Wasnt he fazed by the prospect? Did it not scare him? And I said to myself; this man, he neither fears life nor death. He seems so sure of his God.

I had known Muhammadu Buhari at close quarters two clear years before he became President. But we had been talking on phone about three years before then.

My mother, that stately, urbane woman, had died in August 2013, aged 75. We were having part of the obsequies in Lagos, and Id invited many people, including Major General Buhari, former military head of state.

To my utmost shock, he came! And not only that, he stayed through the Christian ceremony. Bigot? Thats the man they say never wants to hear about any other religion, except Islam. A man who wanted to Islamize Nigeria. My respect for him went several notches higher.

I didnt think I would ever work in government, and didnt even want it. But with a Muhammadu Buhari as President, I gladly had a change of mind, which lasted eight years and beyond.

I resumed work on June 1, 2015, and never forgot the things he told me: dont let anybody stop you from seeing me, whether in the office or at home. Whenever you have to see me, just come.

Another. Im a General, and I can argue. Dont be intimidated. Argue with me. If you have a better point, Ill agree with you.

I had opportunity to test that second instruction just nine days later. Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara had wangled their ways into the leadership of the National Assembly, against the preference of their party, the APC. Though rebellious, what they did followed constitutional order. So I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic. At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word. Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, Ill agree with you.

Im not writing another book, or am I? Let the reader please forgive me for the lengthy piece.

When his first Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari died in 2020, and I went to condole with him, President Buhari thanked me, and said: We shall all go one day. Only that we dont know the time. Now we know. July 13, 2025.

A patriot who loves his country, especially the ordinary people. When insurgency reached its peak in 2021, and he held a meeting with security chiefs, he was virtually pleading: Wipe out these people. Kill them. They are haters of humanity. They dont deserve to live. Nigerians love me, they trust me, thats why they keep voting for me. Wipe them out. Kill them.

Lt Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru was the Chief of Army Staff then. He pledged that as soon as the platforms they were expecting came, they would finish the job in a short time. Sadly, Attahiru died in a plane crash one week later.

Somebody had suggested at the meeting that maybe the country should hire mercenaries. The President said no. He said our military fought in Burma, in Congo, and in Biafra. They proved themselves. Why then mercenaries?

See what Buba Marwa is doing at NDLEA. Simply fantastic. And we have many more like Marwa in the military, the President said.

Some people claim he was never aware of anything. I laughed. And still laugh. His memory was amazing. I had taken issues concerning some people to the President for his intervention. And he usually helped, as long as it was not against his principles. One day, in our 5th or 6th year, I took a matter to him at home. He listened carefully, then said:

Adesina, each time you have brought a private matter to me, you have come to speak for somebody. You have never asked for something personal.

Humility and simplicity. Dont look far, when you have seen Buhari. When a President has retired to his quarters for the night, nobody can bring him down again. Nobody, I say.

Bayo Omoboriowo was his Personal Photographer, and one of my staff in the media department. He had put together a photo book on the President, which he planned to launch at the State House Conference Centre. The President had been duly invited as Special Guest of Honor.

The night before, Bayo approached me that I should lead him to remind the President. A dutiful, pleasant young man, I obliged. When we got to the residence, the President had gone up for the night. Brickwall. We were still scratching our heads in dismay, when President Buhari emerged from a side door.

I had gone up, but I saw you through the cameras, and decided to come down to see you.

Astounding. Astonishing. Shocking.

When we told him why we came, he said he had appointed somebody to represent him at the event. We screamed, and went flat on our bellies, pleading. He looked at us, smiled paternally, and said he would come. He did, and his presence made all the difference.

One day, former EFCC Chairman, Farida Waziri, gave me a message to the President. When I delivered, he said, Ah, Farida Waziri. One of the women I respect most in the country. What she wanted got done. Pronto!

Permit me again to share two more stories. President Buhari had just removed Ita Ekpenyong as DG DSS, and replaced him with Lawal Daura. When he gave me the name to announce, and because there had been loud murmurs of nepotism in appointments, I asked him why he didnt pick a man from South-south to replace a South-southerner. His reply:

When key positions are to be filled in the country, a search is conducted, the three best people are presented to me. If I then bypass the best person because of where he comes from, his language or religion, Allah will judge me for it. Thats what informs my decisions.

Very considerate man. The Anyiam-Osigwe family holds annual lectures at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, to which they bring illustrious international speakers, presidents, prime ministers, and the like. In 2016, the theme was on corruption, and their partners all over the world told them there was no better person to handle the topic than the Nigerian president.

I told President Buhari, and he said he was willing to deliver the lecture, but he wouldnt want it in Lagos because of the hardship it would cause for people through disruption of traffic and movement. Could they consider Abuja as venue?

I told the Anyiam-Osigwes, and they agreed to Abuja. They booked the International Conference Centre, and built the platform and other decorations with N5 million.

The night before the lecture, I heard that the President had been convinced to send a Minister to read his speech. I went to meet him at home, and reminded how he had promised to personally deliver the lecture. I also told him how much the organizers had spent on getting the hall ready.

In that case, I must go, said the President. And he went.

I must stop, though there are hundreds of stories still to tell. How he refused the gift of an SUV from a contractor, instruction he gave Minister Babatunde Fashola to build the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos/Ibadan, Enugu/Port Harcourt , and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressways, how Mele Kyari, NNPCL GMD told me Buhari never asked for a dime from the corporation that was gravy train for many former leaders, what the President told me after his son, Yusuf, had a bike accident, how his friends paid the fees of his children through school, his phone chats with Rev Chris Okotie, Duro Onabule, Tunji Braithwaite, among others.

President Buhari was an icon, a unique man. Perfect? No man is. His shortcomings, as little as they are, have been interred with his bones. The good he did lives after him.

Femi Adesina was media adviser to President Buhari for eight years

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday fixed 10 October to decide whether or not to free the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from the terrorism charges against him.

Judge James Omotosho fixed the date for ruling after listening to lawyers submissions in support and against Mr Kanus no-case submission.

Mr Kanu filed the no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case in June, urging the court to excuse him from putting forward any defence and dismiss the charges. But the Nigerian governments prosecution team asked the court to throw out the application, insisting that Mr Kanu has a case to answer.

The IPOB leader faces terrorism charges which stemmed from his agitation for the secession of Nigerias South-east states and parts of neighbouring states as an independent state of Biafra.

The prosecution closed its case after the fifth witness finished testifying on 19 June.

But instead of opening his defence, Mr Kanu, through his lawyers, said he would rather file a no-case submission to seek the dismissal of the charges on the grounds that the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to establish any case against him to warrant him entering any defen

The trial judge asked the parties to file and exchange their written submissions on the no-case application and fixed today (Friday) for hearing.

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During Fridays hearing, prosecution lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to dismiss Mr Kanus application and order him to enter his defence.

He argued that the prosecution had led enough evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendant, who is facing terrorism-related charges.

Mr Awomolo maintained that the prosecutions case, built on the testimony of five witnesses and several exhibits including audio and video materials, demonstrated Mr Kanus alleged roles in inciting violence and causing the deaths of at least 170 security personnel.

Mr Awomolo said the evidence presented by the prosecution was strong enough to warrant a defence from Mr Kanu. The evidence is clear, he told the court.

He faulted the argument by Mr Kanus lawyer, Kanu Agabi, a SAN and former Attorney General of the Federation, that incendiary broadcasts credited to the IPOB leader were merely boastful and should not attract criminal sanctions.

According to Mr Awomolo, the IPOB leader made broadcasts encouraging violence, destruction, and the killing of security operatives acts which, he said, are clearly prohibited by law.

Reading from the defences written address, Mr Awomolo countered the position that the defendant was merely boasting. If the defendant believes he was joking or acting as a content creator, then he should explain why he was boasting in a manner that spread fear and led to violence, he said.

He said Mr Kanu admitted in several video and audio clips to being the leader of IPOB, a group he was aware had been proscribed. In those clips, the prosecutor added, Mr Kanu called for attacks and urged followers to kill.

Why will somebody say a terrorist who boasted that security men should be killed should go free? Mr Awomolo asked. In the process of pushing his secessionist agenda, more than 170 security men were killed.

On the claim that Mr Kanu had been held in solitary confinement for 10 years, Mr Awomolo clarified that the defendant was first arrested in 2015, granted bail in 2017, and only returned to custody in 2022 after the court revoked his bail.

He said the current detention was lawful and sanctioned by the court, noting that the delays in the case were largely caused by the defence team. For three years, the defence lawyers delayed the trial. It is not true that this case has lasted 10 years; they are the ones causing the delay, he said.

Mr Awomolo also dismissed the claim that IPOB was not lawfully proscribed. He said that since the legality of the proscription is now before the Supreme Court, it would be inappropriate for the trial court to revisit the matter.

Why charges against Kanu should be struck out

Responding, the defence lawyer, Mr Agabi, argued that the prosecution failed to prove any of the terrorism charges brought against his client. He contended that no evidence was tendered to show that anyone acted on Mr Kanus alleged broadcasts.

Mr Agabi argued that the statements made by his client were harmless.

This man can boast. He was just boasting. He said, I can bring the world to a standstill. I dont see anything wrong with that, Mr Agabi told the court.

You dont prosecute a man for mere boasting, he added.

The senior lawyer said Mr Kanus comments should be seen in the context of Nigerias general insecurity, which he was equally concerned about.

He said that in some materials tendered by the defence, top officials like the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), Adeola Ajayi, and former Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma were heard urging Nigerians to defend themselves.

What the defendant said was that the people should defend themselves, Mr Agabi argued.

He challenged the admissibility of an #EndSARS report submitted by the prosecution, claiming it lacked authentication. He also said Mr Kanu had been held in solitary confinement for over six years, in violation of international legal standards which prohibit such conditions beyond 15 days.

He is no longer normal on account of his solitary confinement, Mr Agabi told the court. The case has dragged for so long that even prosecution witnesses have lost memory, saying I dont remember, I am not aware, I do not know over 80 times during cross-examination.

He added that the prosecution witnesses merely obtained statements and were all drawn from the SSS, with no external corroboration or cross-examination of doctors for the alleged death reports tendered.

The defence lawyer also noted that the charges had been amended seven times, yet failed to name any individuals allegedly incited by Mr Kanus broadcasts.

Mr Agabi further argued that the proscription of IPOB was invalid without presidential approval. We are saying there is no valid proscription because there is no presidential approval. If they have it, they should bring it, he said.

He said the trial court lacked jurisdiction over some of the charges, such as the alleged unlawful importation of a transmitter, citing a previous ruling of the Court of Appeal.

After listening to arguments from both sides, Judge Omotosho fixed 10 October for ruling, which could uphold the no-case submission and discharge the defendant or reject it and direct him to open his defence.

10 years

The prosecution opened its case on 29 April, with its first witness testifying after 10 years of stop-start proceedings. The judge granted the prosecution team permission to shield the identities of witnesses lined up to testify against Mr Kanu.

The case was originally instituted in 2015 following Mr Kanus arrest in Lagos.

Major setbacks have held the case down for almost a decade, making it impossible for the prosecution to call witnesses and present exhibits until Tuesday.

The case started with four people initially charged as Mr Kanus co-defendants. However, in February 2018, the then-trial judge Binta Nyako severed the trial, separating Mr Kanuwho had fled Nigeriafrom the other defendants. The trial severance allowed the prosecution to continue proceedings against the four remaining co-defendants.

The Nigerian government would re-arrest Mr Kanu in Kenya in June 2021.

But despite the re-arrest and his subsequent detention in SSS custody in Abuja since then, the case had been unable to proceed to trial.

In October 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld Mr Kanus preliminary objection challenging the validity of the charges. The court dismissed the charges, citing the illegality of the extraordinary rendition of Mr Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 to continue his trial.

However, in December 2023, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun overturned the Court of Appeals decision and ordered the trial to continue at the Federal High Court.

The Supreme Court ruled, although Mr Kanus forcible repatriation from Kenya to Nigeria was illegal, no Nigerian law prohibited the use of illegally obtained evidence for the trial of a defendant.

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The police in Ondo State have confirmed the assassination of the Registrar of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State, Ezekiel Adeniyan.

Mr Adeniran was found dead in his home on Thursday morning, and a statement from the university confirmed his sudden death.

But the police said his death was unnatural.

Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, said on Friday that the matter was a case of assassination.

The man died in the early hours of yesterday. I can confirm to you, this was reported at Fanibi Division, he said.

We are doing everything possible to unravel the lies surrounding this case. I mean, we are after those responsible for this case.

I can confirm to you that the man was killed. From the information I have at my disposal, two men came out of the bush, and they forced a substance into another persons mouth. But I cant confirm to you where it actually happened, but our area of interest is to unravel who is responsible for his death.

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He also appealed to anyone with information concerning the assailants to please feel free to come forward and share it with us.

The school management also confirmed the incident in a statement issued by the institutions Head of Media and Protocol, Isaac Oluyi.

The devastating news (of the registrars death) has thrown the university into mourning, as it was shocking! He was still at his duty post on Monday, 14th July, 2025, the statement partly read.

As at the time of writing this statement, the cause of his death is yet to be ascertained.

Mr Adeniran assumed office as the third substantive Registrar of UNIMED on the 6th January, 2025 and remained so until his sudden demise today, 17th July, 2025.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his immediate family and the entire University community in this trying moment. May God repose his soul!

While also expressing condolences, UNIMEDs Head of Human Resources, M.A. Akinkuade, said, It is with deep sorrow that the university management announces the passing of our esteemed Registrar and colleague, (Mr. Ezekiel Imole Adeniran), who until his demise served as the registrar of UNIMED

READ ALSO: Nigerian university suspends students over fee hike protest

He passed away in the early hours of today, Thursday, 17th July, 2025. The late Registrar was a dedicated and hardworking staff member whose contributions to the growth and progress of the university will be deeply remembered.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and all who are affected by this loss. May the Almighty God grant them the strength to bear this irreparable loss, and may the soul of the departed rest in perfect peace.

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the removal of Kabir Ibrahim as the president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

A three-member panel, in a unanimous decision delivered by Judge Mohammed Danjuma on Thursday, dismissed the appeal filed by Mr Ibrahim.

The panel also awarded N200,000 against Mr Ibrahim in favour of the associations recognised president, Farouk Mudi, who was declared the validly elected president of the association.

This appeal is devoid of merit and is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the lower court delivered on 24 March 2022 is affirmed, and a cost of N200,000 is awarded against the appellant and in favour of the respondents, Mr Danjuma ruled.

The other two judges on the panel, Ali Gumel (presiding) and Anthony Ogakwu, concurred with the judgment.

Mr Ibrahim filed the appeal against the decision of now-retired judge Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which barred him from parading himself as AFAN president.

In the 24 March 2022 judgment, Mr. Taiwo upheld the 10 April 2021 AFAN General Assembly election in Kano, which produced Mr Mudi and members of the associations National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC). The court declared the election valid.

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The judge also ruled that Mr Ibrahims tenure expired on 14 June 2019 and ordered him to hand over AFANs assets and property in his custody.

In 2020, the leadership crisis led both men to file separate suits at the Federal High Court. Mr Ibrahim, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/329/2020, challenged Mr Mudis emergence as president. In response, Mr Mudi filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/322/2020, asking the court to declare that Mr Ibrahims tenure had expired.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that in the first suit is between AFAN, Mr Ibrahim and Tobias Iwu (plaintiffs) vs. Murtala Nyako (former Adamawa State Governor) and Mr Mudi (defendants).

The defendants argued in the case that Mr Ibrahims tenure had expired, citing AFANs constitution, which provides a single five-year term for its executives.

Judge Taiwo agreed with the argument presented by the defendants counsel, Modibbo Bakari, and held that Mr Ibrahim, who became president on 14 June 2014, ought to have vacated office by 14 June 2019.

There is no provision for tenure elongation in the AFAN constitution, the judge said.

He said that the election that produced Mr Mudi as president was validly conducted by the appropriate AFAN organ.

In the second suit filed by Mr Mudi through AFAN, with Mr Ibrahim, his dissolved NWC and NEC, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) as defendants, the court reaffirmed that Mr Ibrahims tenure had lapsed.

Mr Taiwo said.The constitution of the association provides for a five-year tenure. The 1st defendant and the executive committee were inaugurated on 14 June 2014.

The judge observed that although Mr Ibrahim claimed in an affidavit that he was inaugurated on 15 June 2014, documents before the court showed the event took place on 14 June 2014. Based on this, the court held that his five-year tenure expired on 14 June 2019.

At that point, the first defendant and his EXCO ceased to be in office, the judge ruled.

The court also struck out the name of the Inspector-General of Police from the suit, holding that there was no cause of action against him.

He declared that Mr Ibrahim and his team, whose tenure expired in June 2019, no longer had authority to act on behalf of the association, and an order for them to return all AFAN property in their custody.

The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining them from parading themselves as members of the associations executive.

AFAN is a national umbrella body established in 1995 that brings together commodity-based associations, such as poultry, oil palm, maize, cassava, snail, and others, representing both crop and livestock farmers.

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The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has announced the arrival of its new Consul General, Rick Swart, who landed in Lagos on July 16.

As Consul General in Lagos, Mr. Swart is the senior U.S. Government representative to the Nigerian people throughout the 17 states in southern Nigeria, the press office of the U.S. Consulate in Lagos said in a statement Friday.

He is responsible for leading and overseeing U.S. government activities that deepen trade and investment ties, expand people-to-people connections, and advance the full range of priorities in the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship across the region.

I am honoured to serve in Nigeria, Consul General Swart said. I am excited about the opportunity to travel across the region, meet the people, experience the culture, while advancing the shared goals of making our two countries safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

Mr Swart takes over from JoEllen Gorg who led the Consulate General in an interim capacity over the last seven months. The immediate past Consul General, Will Stevens, completed his tour of duty in November 2024.

I thank JoEllen for her remarkable leadership and for the outstanding work she has done to promote our close partnership with the Nigerian people in the region, Consul General Swart added. I look forward to working closely with Ambassador Mills and the team at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, to further advance the shared objectives between Nigeria and the United States.

Consul General Rick Swart, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has held diverse diplomatic roles across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, most recently as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Chad.

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His diplomatic assignments include serving as Charge dAffaires, a.i., in the Republics of Chad, Congo, and Burundi; Deputy Consul General in Baghdad, Iraq; and Humanitarian Assistance Officer for Africa at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. Other assignments include overseas tours in London, Manila, and Dubai; as well as domestic postings in Washington, D.C., serving as the focal point for several cross-cutting sub-Saharan Africa issues.

Before joining the State Department in 2002, Mr Swart worked in the private sector on architectural and design projects in Asia and Africa. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali.

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A prosecution witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday how SunTrust Bank executives, Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu, allegedly facilitated suspicious $12 million forex transactions, bypassing the regular financial procedure.

Suleiman Ciroma, the first prosecution witness, said $12 million cash was disbursed at SunTrust Bank branches in Abuja and Lagos within 10 days.

The defendants  Ms Buba and Mr Mbagwu, are the Managing Director/Chief Executive and Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank, respectively.

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arraigned them on 13 June before trialf judge Emeka Nwite on six counts of money laundering.

The commission accused them of facilitating large cash transactions outside the formal financial system.

Specifically, the anti-graft agency alleged that in March 2025, the defendants aided separate cash payments of $3 million each in Abuja and Lagos, without passing through a financial institution.

The offences, the EFCC said, are contrary to Section 21(a), 2(1), and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and are punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.

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Both defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N100 million each.

Mr Ciroma, a bureau de change operator, who allegedly served as an intermediary for foreign exchange transactions between the defendants and Aisha Achimugu, an oil magnate and socialite. The EFCC arrested Ms Achimugu in April over money laundering and Ponzi scheme allegations, among other alleged financial crimes.

Sometime in March 2025, I received a call from Aisha Achimugu that she had some forex transactions at SunTrust Bank. I contacted the first defendant, and she confirmed she was aware, said Mr Ciroma.

The cash flow

Led in evidence by EFCC lawyer Ekele Iheanacho, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the first prosecution witness said the suspicious transactions took place in March at SunTrust Bank branches in Abuja and Lagos.

He said different agents were sent to collect cash on behalf of Ms Achimugu, based on instructions confirmed by Ms Buba.

The witness, who identified the first defendant, Ms Buba, said he had never met the second defendant, Mr Mbagwu, in person but had spoken with him over the phone.

Mr Ciroma tendered a bundle of documents to support his testimony.

He said the transactions began on 10 March after he received a call from Ms Achimugu, who informed him she had foreign exchange transactions to carry out through the bank.

Mr Ciroma said he immediately contacted Ms Buba, who confirmed her awareness of the transactions.

Later the same day, he said, a man named Iliya called to inform him that he was at the banks Abuja branch to collect a $1 million cash payment, which was to be swapped and paid into the Zenith Bank account of Oceangate Energy Oil & Gas, a company linked to Ms Achimugu.

I then contacted my friend, Hassan Dantani of Ashrap Ltd, who sent Tijjani Adamu for the collection of the cash, he said.

According to the witness, another $1 million was collected the same day by Abdulkadir Mohammed from the same Abuja branch, while a further $2 million was picked up by a man identified as Kabiru.

Mr Ciroma told the court that the cash swaps totalling $12 million were facilitated in installments between 10 and 20 March, with Ms Buba coordinating the Abuja transactions and Mr Mbagwu handling those in Lagos.

In all the transactions, I made a profit of N15 million, he added.

Purpose of the transactions

When asked the purpose of the transactions, he said: Aisha Achimugu told me that she wanted to buy an oil block and would need dollar inflows into the Oceangate Energy Oil & Gas account.

Led by the prosecution lawyer, Mr Ciroma tendered several exhibits, including WhatsApp messages exchanged with Ms Buba regarding the transactions, along with a certificate of identification.

Although, defence lawyers  Johnson Usman and M.S. Ibrahim, both SANs  opposed the admissibility of the documents, they reserved their grounds of objections until their final addresses.

Judge Nwite admitted and marked the documents as Exhibit P1.

He then adjourned further hearing until 18 July.

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An Abuja traditional chief who acted as bail surety for British national James Nolan, who is facing $11 billion P&ID fraud charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has been arrested.

George Kadiri, a retired civil servant and traditional chief in Gwagwalada, Abuja, was produced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before trial judge Peter Lifu for bail bond forfeiture proceedings on Thursday.

The EFCC charged Mr Nolan and his co-defendants in 2020 with money laundering connected with the fraudulent activities of the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), a foreign entity used to secure a humongous arbitral award against Nigeria in 2017.

But the trial had been stalled since 2022 after Mr Nolan, who was said to be a key figure in P&IDs activities in Nigeria, stopped appearing in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former trial judge, Ahmed Mohammed, now a Justice of the Court of Appeal, revoked Mr Nolans N100 million bail on 28 September 2022, after prosecution lawyer Bala Sangas application reporting that the defendant had jumped bail.

The judge ordered Nigerian security agencies and Interpol to arrest him anywhere he was seen within or outside Nigeria and produce him for his trial to continue.

The judge also directed the defendants surety to appear to show cause why his N100 million bail bond should not be forfeited.

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On 4 November 2022, the bail surety, Mr Kadiri, urged the then-judge, Mr Mohammed, to give him more time to show cause why his bail bond should not be forfeited.

He made the plea in a motion on notice filed on his behalf by his lawyer, O.J. Aboge.

However, since the case was reassigned to the new trial judge Mr Lifu, the bail surety had not been coming to court. His continued absence from court prompted the judge to order the suretys arrest.

Thursdays hearing

On Thursday, prosecution lawyer Sanga said the commission had brought Mr Kadiri to court in obedience to court order.

This charge here is different. I humbly apply for the bail bond should be forfeited, he said.

But Mr Kadiris lawyer, Mr Aboge, sought a date to address the court on the issue of forfeiture of the N100 million bail bond.

The cases before Justice Egwuatu and the one here are the same.

I want to produce arguments on the various points raised before the court, he said.

The lawyer then pleaded with the court to release his client on bail.

The lawyer to Mr Nolan and other defendants, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), agreed with Mr Aboges request to grant the surety bail.

Being a traditional chief in Gwagwalada, he will not run away, Mr Erokoro said.

I stood surety for him at EFCC, the senior lawyer added.

The anti-graft agencys lawyer did not oppose the bail request or the request for an adjournment.

Mr Lifu then adjourned the matter until 5 November for the bail bond forfeiture hearing.

Meanwhile, the surety, Chief Kadiri, is herein released to Paul Erokoro, SAN, on bail. He is to be produced in court until this issue of forfeiture of bail bond is resolved or determined by the court. I so rule, the judge held.

Nolans legal troubles

NAN reports that the anti-graft agency first arraigned Mr Mr Nolan on 18 August 2020 before former trial judge Mr Mohammed in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020.

The British citizen was arraigned alongside Lurgi Consult Limited.

Mr Nolan stands accused in about eight other cases for his involvement in the $11 billion controversial judgement awarded against Nigeria in favour of P&ID.

Other cases listed before the new trial judge Lifus cause list on Thursday are marked FHC/ABJ/CR/1 44/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/145/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/146/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/147/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CR/148/2020 respectively.

Nigerias long battle against P&ID

A UK arbitration tribunal issued a $6.6 billion award against Nigeria in 2017 over Nigerias alleged breach of a 20-year gas supply agreement entered into in 2010 with P&ID.

By 2023, when Nigeria succeeded in its efforts to have UK courts to overturn the tribunals decision, the award had risen to $11 billion from accumulated interests.

In October 2023, the UK court ruled in favour of Nigeria, finding that the arbitral award was fraudulently obtained by compromising Nigerian officials.

While Nigeria sought redress against the arbitral awards in UK courts, it initiated criminal proceedings back home against P&ID and other culpable officials of the firms and the Nigerian government.

The government charged officials of P&ID and the Nigerian government as well as lawyers suspected to have contributed to the making of the fraudulent agreement and weak defence put forward for Nigeria at the arbitration hearing.

The efforts led to the charges filed against Mr Nolan and other Nigerians. The Nigerian government also secured the conviction of P&ID.

(NAN)

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The proposed out-of-court settlement between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, regarding an alleged N29 billion fraud has been stalled due to the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, prosecution lawyer Rotimi Jacobs said Friday.

Mr Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (Abubakar Aliyu.), said this while updating trial judge Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja about the matter on Friday.

However, reporting to the judge on Friday, prosecution lawyer said the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, also a SAN, who is involved in the negotiations, could not meet the parties because of the national mourning declared by President Bola Tinubu, after Mr. Buharis death.

Mr Buhari died on 14 July at the age of 82 in a London hospital and was buried on 16 July in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State. The federal government declared Tuesday a public holiday and a seven-day national mourning in honour of the deceased former president. The seven-day mourning period will lapse on 21 July.

Friday marks the second occasion within a week that the hearing has been postponed due to ongoing settlement discussions in the case.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the judge, last Friday, rescheduled proceedings for today after the prosecution and the defence asked for a week to conclude their settlement talks.

In his feedback to the judge, Mr Jacobs told the judge that the AGF had instructed him to seek a short adjournment to allow time to conclude the settlement process.

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Mr Nyakos lawyer, Mathew Onoja, did not oppose the request. Other defence lawyers also raised no objections.

In a brief ruling, Mr Lifu granted the adjournment, noting the absence of opposition and acknowledging the seven-day mourning period declared by the federal government.

He adjourned the matter until 25 July.

Background

In 2015, the EFCC filed 37 counts of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office, and money laundering to the tune of N29 billion, against Mr Nyako, his son Abdul-Aziz Nyako, Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu.

The anti-corruption agency charged them alongside some companies  Sebore Farms and Extension Ltd, Pagado Fortunes Ltd, Blue Opal Ltd, Tower Assets Management Ltd, and Crust Energy Ltd  which they allegedly used to divert the funds from the coffers of Adamawa State.

The EFCC alleged that Mr Nyako, who was the Adamawa State governor from 2007 and 2014, used state funds for personal enrichment, channeling the money through companies owned by his family members and associates.

The trial commenced in July 2015 before Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court. However, following the judges death in June 2016, the matter was reassigned to Judge Okon Abang and restarted on 12 September 2016.

In 2021, Mr Abang ruled that the former governor and his co-defendants had a case to answer, dismissing their no-case submission.

The court relied on the testimonies of witnesses and other pices of evidence that over N1.8 billion in the states funds was laundered through companies linked to the defendants.

But upon Mr Abangs elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2023, the case began afresh before the current judge, Mr Lifu.

Mr Nyako, a retired naval officer, served in his post-military career, as Adamawa State governor from 2007 to 2014, when he was impeached and removed from office by the state House of Assembly over allegations of gross misconduct and financial impropriety.

The former governor, whose wife, Binta Nyako, is a serving judge of the Federal High Court, challenged his removal from office in court. In February 2016, the Court of Appeal in Yola nullified the action, declaring it a violation of due process.

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The acting National Chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakars resignation from the party as a familiar and recurring development in its history.

Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, resigned from the party on Wednesday, citing its departure from the founding principles.

In a letter dated 14 July 14 and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in his Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku said his resignation was with immediate effect.

I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for, he wrote. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged, he said.

Atiku and other opposition leaders had floated a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubus re-election in 2027. The group has since dissolved into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), one of Nigerias 18 political parties.

It was the third time the former vice president would leave the party he helped to found in 1998.

Speaking with journalists on Friday in Bauchi, Mr Damagum said Atikus exit from the PDP is not strange, adding that the party is expecting him back.

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This is not the first time; were expecting him back, he said.

According to him, PDP is neither shocked nor overly concerned about Atikus exit, adding that the party was already accustomed to his repeated exits and returns over the years.

The acting national chairperson stated that the former vice-presidents movement aligned with a historical pattern, implying that the party viewed his latest resignation as part of his political strategy rather than a final break from PDP.

Mr Damagum further hinted that the partys calm response stemmed from its confidence in its resilience or scepticism over the permanence of Atikus decision.

He said this was sequel to reports that he was forming a new political platform, Alliance for Democratic Congress, in preparation for future elections.

(NAN)

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Nigerias premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has suspended two of the three students facing disciplinary actions for protesting hike in fees by the university.

The suspended students, Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin, said they were informed about their suspension when they faced a disciplinary committee on Monday, the third since the protest a year ago.

Although a letter of suspension has not been issued to them, the students said the verdict of the meeting was verbally read to them on Monday a suspension for four semesters.

While Mr Ayodele is a 400-level student of History, Mr Gbadegesin is a postgraduate degree student at the Institute of African Studies of the university.

The third student facing disciplinary action, Nice Linus, had also dragged the school to court after it failed to inaugurate her as a member of the Students Representative Council (SRC) after she contested and won the position.

The university claimed her election was an oversight as she couldnt have contested an election while facing a disciplinary action at the university.

Ms Linus and the school are still in court over her disqualification.

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The Spokesperson for the University of Ibadan, Joke Akinpelu, said she is currently on an accumulated leave and could not provide specific information.

Mrs Akinpelu, however, noted that the university has its process and procedures and that the students were given fair hearing before their suspension.

The University has its processes and procedures. Before the students were suspended, I am sure they were given fair hearing. They also have the opportunity to appeal to the University Council, she said in a text message to our reporter.

Meanwhile, Rights groups Amnesty International Nigeria and the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have condemned the universitys actions against the students, calling for the reversal.

Alleged Offence and subsequent trial

During the inauguration of the Students Union Executive Committee and Students Representative Council on 13 May, 2024, the three students held placards that read FEE MUST FALL to protest a recent fee increment by the university.

The university had at the time increased the school fees from about N20,000 and N30,000 to about N203,000 to N412,000, according to the Student Union leadership at the time.

As they held the placards, the students were forcefully removed from the venue and taken to the security unit. One of the students Mr Gbadegesin alleged they were assaulted in the process.

The students were then issued queries, accusing them of gross misconduct, being disruptive, and insubordination.

We had our first invitation to appear at the panel on 2nd July, 2014, Mr Gbadegesin said.

The students appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee on 30 June and 14 July.

It was during the last appears that the verdict was read out to the students.

Condemnations

In separate statements, Amnesty International Nigeria and CAPPA) condemned the universitys actions against the students, describing it as persecution.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA accused the university of using authoritarian tactics to stifle legitimate dissent, further describing it as shameful victimisation of the students.

It argued that the suspensions violate the constitutional rights to freedom of thought and expression, as guaranteed under Sections 38 and 39 of the Nigerian constitution.

READ ALSO: NCC donates digital ICT Park to University of Ibadan

Universities are meant to be sanctuaries of free inquiry and rigorous debate. They are spaces where new ideas should bloom and where students are trained to question, to challenge, and to imagine a better society.

The despotic decision of the University of Ibadan against these young students is a direct betrayal of its mission to nurture independent minds, parts of the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said the decision of the university to suspend them for four semesters must be reversed.

In a statement posted on its X handle, Amnesty International Nigeria said: No one should be punished for decrying the universitys fee hike during Nigerias worst economic crisis in a generation.

It added that the three students had only exercised their right to peaceful protest and the university has a national and international obligation to respect the right to peaceful dissent.

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As Nigerias flood season intensifies, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued a nationwide health alert over the rising threat of waterborne and vector-borne diseases.

The agency has warned of a surge in cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever cases, especially in states already experiencing floods and heavy rainfall.

The agency made this known in a statement titled, Protecting public health during flood season: NCDC issues nationwide alert on cholera, yellow fever, and dengue fever, and signed by the Director General of NCDC, Jide Idris.

The alert follows a recent impact-based weather forecast from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Sokoto, Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe and several other states as facing heightened risk of flooding throughout July.

NiMet warned that the floods could cause large-scale displacement, disrupt livelihoods, and worsen the spread of infectious diseases.

According to the NCDC, floodwaters commonly contaminate drinking water sources by washing faecal matter and other pathogens from soil and sewage systems into rivers, lakes and wells, leading to outbreaks of diseases like cholera.

In addition, stagnant pools of water left behind by heavy rains serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever, dengue and malaria.

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Cholera

Nigeria is currently battling a rise in cholera infections.

As of 29 June, 34 states have reported suspected cases, with Zamfara alone accounting for 32 per cent. Other heavily affected states include Bayelsa, Adamawa, Delta, Lagos and Rivers.

Cholera is a potentially fatal disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea and rapid dehydration. It is transmitted through contaminated food or water and can kill within hours if not treated promptly.

The risk of infection typically rises during the rainy season, when flooding worsens water and sanitation conditions in many communities.

Yellow fever and dengue fever

While cholera continues to spread, NCDC has also confirmed yellow fever and dengue fever outbreaks in several states.

Yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, has been confirmed in Abia, Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos and Rivers, with seven cases verified so far.

Although no deaths have been recorded, the NCDC noted that a single confirmed case qualifies as an outbreak under national guidelines.

Vaccination remains the most effective tool for preventing yellow fever.

The NCDC, in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), is supporting affected states with laboratory diagnostics, mass immunisation drives, and outbreak investigation efforts.

In Edo State, the Centre has confirmed an outbreak of dengue fever between 9 and 13 June following laboratory testing.

Dengue fever, which is also spread by Aedes mosquitoes, presents with high fever, headache, sore throat, joint pain and swollen glands. The symptoms often resemble malaria, making early diagnosis critical.

Health workers have been urged to maintain a high index of suspicion and to report all suspected cases, as dengue is a notifiable disease under Nigerian law.

Public health measures and NCDC response

To curb the spread of these diseases, the NCDC says it is coordinating a national response involving rapid deployment of outbreak teams, distribution of treatment supplies, enhanced surveillance, and community-level risk communication.

The Centre advised Nigerians to eliminate stagnant water around their homes, cover water storage containers, and use insecticide-treated mosquito nets and repellents to guard against mosquito bites.

READ ALSO: Nigerias current Lassa fever fatality rate worse than 2024 NCDC

It also urged all eligible persons to get vaccinated against yellow fever, maintain proper hygiene including regular handwashing, and avoid open defecation.

People experiencing symptoms such as diarrhoea or persistent fever are advised to seek prompt medical attention rather than self-medicating, especially since symptoms of some mosquito-borne diseases may mimic malaria.

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Ekiti State Government, on Friday, commenced plans to access a N175.75 billion grant from the Natural Resources Development Fund (NRDF) through the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

This is in a bid to facilitate a capital-intensive, knowledge-driven economy built around solid Minerals, Agriculture, and Tourism Development for global competitiveness.

The State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, gave this indication during a meeting with the leadership of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) led by Desmond Akawor, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.

The RMAFC officials were in the state to conduct a feasibility Report and make recommendations on the proposed NRDF Grant.

Mr Oyebanji, who was represented by Chief of Staff Niyi Adebayo, said the plan is to make Ekiti State the hub for prosperity, opportunity, peace, and progress and lay the foundation for a prosperous and self-sufficient future for the citizens.

He reiterated his administrations commitment to industrial and entrepreneurial development and keeping the state perpetually in a state of economic growth and prosperity.

He said the grant would assist in prioritising the governments key policies and programmes focused on strategic economic sectors in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, as well as the shared prosperity agenda of his administration.

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Mr Oyebanji highlighted the gains the state tends to derive from the grant, which include diversification of the States economy and revenue base, an increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and attracting foreign direct investments (FDI).

According to him, other gains included creating an enabling environment for Private Sector Investments to thrive, earning foreign exchange, and providing and sustaining food security through commercial and value-chain Agriculture.

The governor also affirmed that his government will embark on a massive agricultural development drive to enhance food security and build and invest in a tourism corridor that will be second to none in Nigeria.

Ekiti is a state that is well known not just for education, but for its integrity and honour. As you know, apart from education, the next most important thing is agriculture, historically, because it employs most of our people, where our GDP also derives more than half, as of today, of this component.

But just as His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has also expressed glowingly, we need to diversify the economy, and Ekiti is also working along this line. And one of the things we like about the President is that whenever he says something, he actually puts action to it.

Basically, the entire state is a tourism site because when you drive around and you see the undulating terrain, the hills and all of that, you actually marvel at what God has really blessed us with. We also have pockets of other land forms. We have caves. We have some of those other locations that we can actually work on. Once this comes in, you will see that the money will be effectively utilised, and we shall do more in the area of tourism development, he stated.

Earlier, Mr Akawor revealed that the commission received a request from the state government to access N172.75 billion from the Development and Natural Resources Fund for developmental projects in the state. He called on the government to invest more in tourism, describing it as a gold mine for both State and national development.

Mr Akawor, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Fiscal Efficiency and Budget, noted the decision of the federal government to move from its monolithic economy to create other avenues for the sub-nationals to access revenue outside of oil and gas with the approval that 1.68 per cent of the federal allocation be dedicated for development of natural resources through RMAFC which is in charge of mobilisation of resources and distribution through a committee called fiscal efficiency and budget.

He also stressed that the projects the state is expected to engage in should generate revenue for the state in its drive to boost its economy outside the federal allocation.

The Chairperson, however, revealed that what the committee has seen in Ekiti has been quite impressive, especially in the area of tourism. The committee hopes to make its candid recommendation to the federal government for necessary approval.

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I am grateful to Daria Media for producing Double Minority, an important film that reminds us about how we are mistreating and marginalising half of our society. If we want progress in our communities and society at large, we need to do better. I commend the nine heroes profiled in the film for their strong characters, courage and determination to improve Nigeria. We must open more doors.

In a significant step towards amplifying the voices of women in politics, a new documentary that shines a spotlight on the triumphs, challenges, and resilience of women shaping Nigerias political landscape was premiered last Monday in Abuja. The documentary chronicles the journey of nine Nigerian female political candidates who ran for elective office in the 2023 election cycle, breaking barriers in a male-dominated arena. It was produced by Kadaria Ahmeds Daria media, explores the complexities of being a Nigerian woman in politics, and celebrates the achievements of these trailblazers through storytelling and interviews.

Trust Kadaria, the quality of the photography and the production is very high and the women profiled display zeal, determination and commitment in finding the purposeful pathways that led them to the terrain of party politics. The nine exceptional women portrayed are Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Ireti Kingibe, Nnenna ElenduUkeje, Adeola Azeez, Simi Olusola, Hauwa Gambo, Khadijah Iya, Munira Tanimu and Joyce Daniels. Double Minority gives us the opportunity to hear directly from them and learn about the systemic obstacles  cultural bias, demeaning insults, targeted violence and limited funding  they confronted for daring to aspire to hold political office and lead in todays Nigeria. Each and every one of them narrates an epic story that paints the mural of the struggle of women in Nigeria. We are grateful to the MacArthur Foundation for providing the resources to produce this important documentary.

The veteran female politician Honourable Nnenna ElenduUkeje, who has contested in five elections and won three of them, posed a concluding question that shook the entire audience: Should I continue to seek to represent people whom I am no longer representative of? For context, she was referring to her own commitment in politics as an opportunity for public service, amid the new culture of politics in which convicted and not yet convicted criminals have invaded the political arena and are significantly transforming it in their own image. They are actors who see politics as just another opportunity to continue their accumulation by using their acquired skills from the criminal underworld. The overwhelming response from the audience was that no-one should ever consider the exit option precisely because criminal politicians have been invading the arena and people with the values of integrity and public service are being chased out. The arena is difficult and the risks are high but our collective resolve should be to chase out the criminals and bandits invading the political arena, rather than leave the stage for them.

Once a negative label has been successfully imposed on a candidate, it is easy to heap psychological pressure to break the labelled person because her legitimacy has been eroded. The fact that all nine women remained in the struggle and maintained their dignity is a testimony to their strength of character. They were not crushed by the labelling they endured as being culturally deviant. They maintained their inherent rights to be assertive and seek leadership roles.

The overriding problematic addressed by the documentary is that since 1999, the representation of women in elective and appointive office has been shrinking rather than growing. The concern is that advocacy for improved gender representation has been assaulted with increased determination to exclude women. Nigeria currently ranks 178 out of 182 countries in terms of womens participation in governance. This is a shameful position to be in and we simply have to do better. In his address at the event, Dr Kole Shettima, director of the MacArthur Foundation, drew attention to the fact that women are not a numerical minority in Nigeria, and that indeed during elections, women constitute a majority of voters, BUT there has been successful political manoeuvring that consistently turns them into political minorities. The risk is real, he said, that the success of gatekeeping that keeps women out would soon produce a situation in which only men will represent Nigerian women in national policy making and international diplomacy, in spite of the abundance of very capable high-quality women in the country. He called for urgent action, beginning with support for House Bill 1349, a piece of legislation aimed at expanding political opportunities for women in Nigeria. He did not mince words: it is time for less talk and more structural change. We must organise, advocate, and put pressure where it matters.

A number of key themes underlined the experiences of the nine women profiled:

The first is being assaulted for disrespecting their culture and religion. All elements of both that speak of the value and imperative of equality are thrown out and patriarchal, anti-women renditions that confine women to the kitchen and childcare are thrown at them, challenging the very legitimacy of their seeking positions of power. It gets worse. Every single woman featured in the documentary was called a prostitute at some point during her campaign, for simply aspiring to public office. This deeply destabilising use of negative labelling has broken many a woman who has sought public office. Once a negative label has been successfully imposed on a candidate, it is easy to heap psychological pressure to break the labelled person because her legitimacy has been eroded. The fact that all nine women remained in the struggle and maintained their dignity is a testimony to their strength of character. They were not crushed by the labelling they endured as being culturally deviant. They maintained their inherent rights to be assertive and seek leadership roles.

This is in spite of the fact that their situations were not helped by the way men organise political meetings at night so that they could criticise women who attend for lack of moral rectitude in their behaviour. The arguments thrown at the women hit hard at whatever the marital situation of the women is. For those who were unmarried, the argument is that they do not even have the experience of maintaining a home so they should not be trusted with power. For those who are married, the argument is turned on its head as they are accused of abandoning their homes, spouses and children in a selfish search for power and self-aggrandisement. All the women suffered greatly from these destructive forms of negative labelling.

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Nigeria has found very effective ways of attacking and destabilising the moral and ethical standing of every women who seeks political office. I salute the husbands of some of these women who strongly supported their wives in their quest for political office in these difficult circumstances. The guilty men should be ashamed of behaving in such despicable ways to our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, nieces and fellow human beings.

The women were also affected by the political economy of elections in Nigeria. Our electoral processes, the search for nominations and campaigning, have been completely monetised and most women who seek political office, find out that they could easily be outspent by the men contesting against them. In addition, women have much more difficulty than men in raising funds from funders or political godfathers, and risk being called prostitutes if they try. Nigeria has found very effective ways of attacking and destabilising the moral and ethical standing of every women who seeks political office. I salute the husbands of some of these women who strongly supported their wives in their quest for political office in these difficult circumstances. The guilty men should be ashamed of behaving in such despicable ways to our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, nieces and fellow human beings.

I am grateful to Daria Media for producing Double Minority, an important film that reminds us about how we are mistreating and marginalising half of our society. If we want progress in our communities and society at large, we need to do better. I commend the nine heroes profiled in the film for their strong characters, courage and determination to improve Nigeria. We must open more doors.

A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

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In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and upon all his family and companions. To proceed:

Dear brothers and sisters! This weeks sermon is quite great, because well be discussing four of Allahs names  Al-Ghafir, Al-Ghafur, Al-Ghaffar and Al-Afuw. All four of these are related to one topic: forgiveness. And on how much we need His forgiveness!

When we did a deep dive into Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, it was incredible to learn that Allah the Most High used two names back-to-back to describe His mercy. And now, when it comes time to describe His forgiveness, there are multiple names (Some that Im not even mentioning  there are at least seven!) to describe His forgiving nature.

Respected servants of Allah! What do each of these names mean?

Al-Ghafur, Al-Ghafir, and Al-Ghaffar all come from the same Arabic root word, ghafara, which literally means to cover up or conceal. The connotation became one of forgiveness because to forgive someone means to overlook or ignore harm they ever did to you.

Al-Ghafir is the one who forgives.

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Al-Ghaffar indicates frequency; He is the one who continuously forgives. Al-Ghafur is the one who has the power to forgive, regardless of the sin. This is one of Allahs most often mentioned names in the Quran, about 91 times. One of the most common ways this name shows up are: Al-Ghafur Al-Rahim (The forgiving and merciful) and Al-Ghafur Al-Wadud (the one full of generous love, who loves to forgive), and Al-Aziz Al-Ghafur (the one who forgives out of power, not out of weakness).

In Surah Al-Hijr, verse 49, Allah the Almighty says:

Tell My worshipers that I am the Forgiving, the Most Merciful. [Quran, 15:49]

This is your Lord  who is all forgiving, who forgives when He doesnt have to, when we dont deserve it, who forgives out of His love for us. Hes constantly telling us about His loving and forgiving nature, so who are we to not seek his forgiveness, or worse, to despair from it and think that we have sinned too much? In this context, to despair is actually to deny Allahs power  in a way, you are telling Allah that your sins are bigger than his power.

In Surah Al-Zumar, verse 53, Allah, the Most High, says to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):

Say, O Prophet, that Allah says, O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allahs mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Quran, 39:53]

We are human beings; we fall short. Thats how Allah created us. He didnt create us as angels who are perfect. No matter how much we fall, we must strive to not despair in Allahs love and mercy  even when we do not understand why things happen the way they do. For sure it is hard to trust in Allahs plan, especially when we may be in crisis or managing a lifelong challenge, and sometimes we feel despair creeping in. But Allah is telling us who He is, and sometimes, we just need to close our eyes, hold on, and pray for His mercy.

Remember that Allahs expectation is not that we will be perfect and not sin. He created us as human, who will sin by nature, so that we may constantly turn to Allah, who is Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, Al-Wadud, Al-Hakim, Al-Ghaffar, Al-Ghafir, Al-Ghafur, Al-Afuw and more.

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you did not sin, Allah would replace you with people who would sin, and they would seek forgiveness from Allah and He would forgive them.

What does this tell us? The point of our existence is not to not sin, its to constantly seek Him and return to Him, even when we do sin. He is the constant, His nature is constant. Our awareness of His nature can shift, depending on the state of our hearts and faith, but He does not change.

And He loves to forgive. You just have to ask for it and take the step towards Him.

Ok, so lets get into the fourth name: Al-Afuw.

This name also signifies Allahs forgiving nature, but it does not come from the same root word as the others. It comes from the Arabic root word, afa, which means to erase to the point that no trace is left. So while the words stemming from ghafara mean to overlook and forgive, Al-Afuw means that Allah doesnt even take into account that the sin occurred. Al-Afuw wipes your slate clean.

Allah mentions this name several times in the Quran, typically for major sins, and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) commanded us to evoke this name of Allah during the last ten nights of Ramadan.

It was narrated from Aisha that she said:

O Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication (in my Dua), if I come upon Lailatul-Qadr? He said: Say: Allahummah innaka afuwwun tuhibbul-afwa, fafu anni (O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me). [Sahih]

Heres why saying this Dua, and asking Allah for Afw is so important: We will not enter Jannah (Paradise) because of our good deeds; we will enter Jannah (Paradise) because of Allahs mercy and forgiveness. You may be wondering, how can our deeds not help us? They do help, but deeds alone are not the way forward to Paradise.

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

Follow the right course, be devoted, and give glad tidings. Verily, none of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone. They said, Not even you, O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet said, Not even me, unless Allah grants me His mercy. Know that the most beloved deed to Allah is that which is done regularly, even if it is small.

Think about it. How much do you actually worship Allah in your daily life? I dont ask this to shame (and I ask it of myself first and foremost), but to show how we do not glorify and worship Allah in a way He deserves. And yet, he magnifies all our good deeds  one good deed counts as ten, and in Ramadan, counts as 70 or more (In fact, if youre able to worship on Lailatul Qadr, your deeds can be counted as if you performed them for up to 1000 months). One bad deed? That counts as one, and He asks us to ask him for forgiveness so He can eliminate those sins, those bad deeds.

Respected brothers and sisters! Allah the Almighty is Al-Ghafur (in Arabic: ), He is The One who completely forgives our sins, shortcomings, failings and faults. His forgiveness is unlimited, and He is all compassionate. He is Most High; His forgiveness extends to all who turn to him in humility and seek repentance.

As mentioned earlier, the Arabic word Al-Ghafur is from the root ghain-fa-ra (  ), which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to cover, veil, conceal, hide to pardon, to forgive, to set aright, to cover a thing, to protect it from dirt.

As in the name Al-Ghaffar. There are three accompanying names, Al-Ghafir, Al-Ghaffar, and Al-Ghafur. Al-Ghafir connotes His nature of being the forgiver, whereas Al-Ghaffar and Al-Ghaffur are more grandiose, meaning the great forgiver, the all-forgiving. Linguistically these two names are not synonymous even though both relate to the ideas of His forgiveness and share the same root. Islamic scholars note that Al-Ghaffar describes His ability to forgive as being great. It is all-encompassing, doesnt matter the circumstance, the individuals, or the degree of sin. If Allah the Almighty wills, He can forgive. Al-Ghafur refers to the vastness, perpetual nature of forgiving time after time. Together these three names are mentioned in the Quran ninety-eight times. Of these 98 mentions, Al-Ghafur appears 91 times.

Allah the Most High says:

[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. [Quran, 15:49]

And He the Almighty says:

As accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful. [Quran, 41:32]

And He says:

He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. [Quran, 2:173]

From this name, we learn the importance of maghfirah, which means to seek the forgiveness of Allah the Almighty. The believer benefits in knowing that Allah the Most High is Al-Ghafur because it reminds us that we worship an oft-forgiving Lord. Despite making the same mistake repeatedly, were not doomed by our past.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: I heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) saying:

If somebody commits a sin and then says, O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me! And his Lord says, My servant has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my servant (his sins). Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me, and Allah says, My servant has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my servant (his sin). Then he remains without committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me, and Allah says, My servant knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it. I have forgiven My servant  three times.' [Bukhari]

Dear brothers and sisters! Theres a great Dua from Abubakar al-Sadiq (RA), he said:

O Allah, You know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than these people who praise me. Make me better than what they think of me, and forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say. [Silsilah Al-Huda wan-Nur, no. 640]

This covers an essential aspect of the names that share the root gh-f-r. Its not just a name of forgiveness but the idea of concealment. But not in a conniving way, to conceal something ugly and to beautify it. Allah conceals our faults from being exposed, so were not under public scrutiny. It should inspire us to become better knowing weve been given a second, third, or fourth chance and to help uplift others. So, His mercy extends to forgive perpetually and to hide our faults from being exposed.

Abu Hurairah reported Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) as saying:

The servant (whose fault) Allah conceals in this world, Allah would also conceal (his faults) on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]

And in a different narration, Abu Hurairah reported Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) as saying:

The servant (who conceals) the faults of others in this world, Allah would conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]

The analogy (Qiyas) often used is that every time we sin, a crack appears, which uncovers or exposes us. When we ask for istighfar (seeking Allahs forgiveness)  were asking for Him to show us His mercy, to protect us by repairing or covering whats been exposed. Indeed Allah the Almighty is both Al-Ghaffar (The Great Forgiver), the one who forgives big and small sins, and Al-Ghafur (The Oft-Forgiver), the one who forgives time and time again.

Respected servants of Allah! We all know that Allah the Almighty forgives all sins if we sincerely regret and seek forgiveness even if shirk. With regard to sins that have to do with the rights of other people, they can only be expiated by repenting from them. One of the conditions of repenting from them is restoring the rights of those who have been wronged.

Imam Muslim narrated from Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

The martyr will be forgiven for all his sins except debt.

Imam Al-Nawawi said:

The words of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) except debt draw attention to all rights owed to other people. Jihad (fighting for Allahs cause), martyrdom, and other righteous deeds do not expiate for transgressions against the rights of other people. Rather, they only expiate for transgressions against the rights of Allah the Almighty.

If you cannot find the person to seek forgiveness from, then you should do good deeds for the one who was wronged, such as praying for him, praying for forgiveness for him and doing good deeds to be given to him, to take the place of that backbiting and slander as an example. If his money is with you before they died, give that money to his children or relatives who qualify to inherit him or her and if none exists, then give it to charity on their behalf. Imam Al-Hasan al-Basri said:

The expiation for gossip is to pray for forgiveness for the person about whom you gossiped.

Finally, I pray that we get to know our Lord more, fall in love with Him, and seek Him in all our affairs. May He make us of those who get afw, or pardoning, and may He always keep our hearts connected to Him, ameen.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Prayers, peace and mercy are upon our beloved master, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah (Peace be upon him), his family and Companions.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected] or +2348038289761.

This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Muharram 23, 1447 AH (18 July, 2025).

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As it so often tends to be with people who have headed a country, Muhammadu Buharis strongest sentiments lie in the hearts of the millions he once led. They stretch far into the years when he rallied supporters under the umbrellas of different parties, losing each time to his and their dismay, to those days when he finally ascended to the highest office in 2015. It is sobering now that he had unwittingly implied the same when, in the famous line of his inaugural speech, he said, I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. My thoughts here resonate strongly with this line as it easily forms a template by which we can easily assess his presidential years. That and the mantra of Change, upon which his party rode to electoral victory. Among other promises, Buhari made severe commitments to reform.

At the inception of his first term, he aired his intentions to apply himself to overhauling public institutions, pursuing unity, and, very importantly, tackling corruption. At the time, no other promises would have sounded much better in the hearing of Nigerians. A recession was well and truly underway. Goodluck Jonathan had disappointed in his management of insecurity and economic headwinds. Combine that with an austere demeanour and a thorough job by political spin doctors at purging the incoming president of all disrepute, and no candidate sounded like a greater fit. Still, the outcome of the election was probably more polarizing than many were keen to accept. For one, Buhari was a candidate under a coalition party, one that could now effectively mobilize and trumpet his candidacy to the mainly Muslim north. On the other hand, the Buhari-Jonathan contest of 2011 left hundreds dead in the wake of the latters victory, implying that both sides had strategic and pernicious maneuvering to undertake on their road to office.

It did not help that Buhari had maintained explosive rhetoric, stating in 2012 that baboons and dogs would all be soaked in blood if the 2015 elections went the same way as those of the previous year. Thus, when, by the end of the presidential elections, Jonathan conceded defeat and retreated quietly from national politics, everyone breathed a heavy sigh. The decision by Buharis camp to focus on security and corruption was astute. Research around the same time had shown that nearly 90 percent of Nigerians were concerned about corruption and crime, with over 70 percent being worried about Islamic extremism. Who better was there than to handle these matters than someone whose leadership record was not merely military but political too?

Sadly, however, the Buhari mystique was not built to be durable. The man, both by design and happenstance, would begin to refute all that he had artfully concocted as representative of the kind of leader that Nigerians wanted. First was his decisiveness. The Buhari that oversaw the War Against Indiscipline in the 1980s with so ruthless a fervour that Wole Soyinka was forced to describe it as having been carried out to sadistic levels, now dithered at selecting the appropriate lieutenants to carry on a business of governance agreed by all as demanding urgency. Beyond earning him the nickname Baba Go Slow, his decision came at a cost to the country in terms of administrative efficiency. It is common practice for foreign investors to measure the quality of people appointed to key government offices, especially economically strategic outposts, in the early days of new administrations. These choices set the tone for what kind of national policy was coming down the line before they even began operating, and so were the form of influencers for the much vaunted investor confidence. So, even if he had referred to ministers as noisemakers who left the real work to civil servants and technocrats in a private chat with French journalists, such vacillation was not likely to win him friends among them.

But that was just one out of the many ominous clouds that always hung around the man who had been so heavily marketed as a reformed democrat. Now and then, his exact thoughts about the Nigerian condition and how to rectify it would slip out. There were the failed promises, too, though some key ones, particularly in security and economy, could only have arisen from fantasy, to begin with. Buhari had notably contested the utility of the fuel subsidy scheme. He lampooned it as fraudulent and rigged to enable theft of the nations resources. When he came on, the expectation was that he would plug a crucial area of revenue leakage for the Federal Government. This was an illusory goal. Buhari was more than particular about provoking the already tense sensibilities of Nigerians and wound up allowing the scheme to run through his administration, even as prices rose steadily.

It is here that the Chinese president, Xi Jinpings condolence message, is perhaps quite suitable for his supporters. The Chinese leader had described the former president as abiding by policies that were fit for national conditions. And that rings true to the extent that Buhari had truly been up against the dissent that would have accompanied any upsetting economic moves. If he had entirely scrapped the fuel subsidy, food prices (already spiked by increasing hunger and alarming unemployment) would have soared. But it does little to justify the peril that his position created from a leadership point of view. With several red flags about the Nigerian economy going downhill, fast, Buhari was unmoved.

Worse still, he used a combination of unorthodox stopgap policies and high borrowing. With Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele as his wingman, his government steadily herded Nigeria to the brink. Interestingly, the same man had pilloried his predecessor for the first few years of his administration for the mismanagement of the economy. It then became a theatre of hypocrisy as the man once touted as Nigerias ticket to sanity unraveled slowly at the seams.

Aside from this, analysis of Buhari using the same puritan template with which he had been sold reveals alarming flaws. It is only to be expected that a man proclaiming a war on corruption should embody the very values that make him believable. These, of course, include transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental human rights. The Buhari government had repeatedly promised to publish the names of people sponsoring terrorism, but his team only persisted in inventing varieties of excuses for the failure to publish. The president also went after staunch critics of his government, particularly members of the media. Under Buhari, the country witnessed a series of direct assaults on members of the press who were simply doing their lawful duties.

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Since his government was famed for suspect appointments, including of people charged with the same corruption he had promised to fight, he was locked in a multidirectional battle to suppress challengers. His was a brazen resolve to do everything but defeat the ills he swore to uproot. While he expressed publicly his intentions to guarantee press freedom, the actions of his government suggested that his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. On this score, the tenure easily qualifies as a free-for-all stampede on accountability. Even the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, could hardly resist helping herself to a share of the impunity pie. In 2022, a student of the Federal University of Dutse, Aminu Adamu, had captioned a photo of the former first lady in a tweet, Mama is feeding fat on poor peoples money. Her response was a quiet abduction by the secret police and detention for two weeks. During that period, he allegedly suffered torture and ill-treatment, both proclaimed by Amnesty International as a brazen violation of his human rights. Her husbands government punctuated his tenure with enforced disappearances of critics, many on trumped-up charges conveniently shrouded by the controversial Cybercrimes Act. The indifference to the sanctity of human rights and the rule of law was sure to permeate to his lieutenants, who wielded state resources at will in quashing enemies. Once, former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, had charged officers attached to a new campaign to combat insecurity in the Southeast to worry less about human rights violations in the execution of their duties. Through the Buhari years, scenes like these were the norm. Save the fact that it was an entirely different age from what obtained more than forty years prior, the playbooks remained similar in their substance. Granted, then, that few, other than fanatical supporters of the president, would still be amenable to the illusion that the former general had shed his old skin.

While Buhari had decisively dented his image with his hand, the crop of people most affected would easily be the youthful population. His comment insinuating that Nigerian youths were a band of lazy folks waiting to absorb windfalls from the government was one of the many disaffecting moves he would make. The president had obviously failed to appreciate the intensity of effort invested by the brimming population of young people in competing on a global scale. He also refused to consider the institutional hurdles that the demographic is frequently forced to surmount to reach its peak. And even when they do, the struggle is encountered in staying there. If the president had been informed of nothing else, he should have been aware of the massive outflow of talent to foreign countries in a bid to escape the stifling national environment he now led. Buharis dismissive countenance towards young people reared a distinctly uglier head in 2020, during the # EndSARS protests. There, the military fired on protesters clutching the Nigerian flag as they sang the national anthem, and for the longest period, denied it. Even Buharis ministers participated in the farce by staging a comical attempt at investigation. The panels of inquiry that followed had mixed successes across the board, with elusive accountability by those responsible for ordering the massacre. And each year, people returned to the Toll Gate to remember those who were lost under the forceful gaze of policemen. #EndSars cannot be written off for many reasons.

The presidents attitude was, at the time, already typical and predictable. In the past, he had outrightly ignored public pressure for action by the presidency, maintaining so still a silence that the office could as well not have existed. For instance, as the farmer-herders crisis assumed a more horrific intensity, Buharis silence had led many to wonder if he was choosing his ethnic loyalties over the country. On occasions when he eventually responded, the lukewarm quality was hardly unnoticeable. Directly antagonizing youths was his ban on popular social media X, then known as Twitter, for several months. The prelude was the apps deletion of his incendiary tweet on Biafra  Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Biafra war. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. That comment had sparked outrage as it prodded the delicate nerves attached to the darkness of the civil war to date. So, when Twitter responded by removing it as it stated that it was in contravention of its abusive behavior policy, the government pounced with a ban on the app two days later. It was one thing for a back-and-forth to have ensued between the president and the giant social media company, and another to impose an outright ban on a device that was both a means of livelihood and a coping strategy for many Nigerians. Considering that there was already a great deal to be aggrieved about, including the strikes by the Academic Staff Union, Buhari simply succeeded in enlarging his flaws.

Yet, if Buharis failure to appeal to youths had heightened desires for the end of his tenure, his naira design policy made it more definite. The mans interest in seeing that Tinubu, the godfather who had helped him into office, did not make it there himself spurred a descent into the absurd. The Central Bank ordered a currency redesign with the official excuse that it was routine, intended to tackle kidnapping, vote-buying, and encourage a pivot to a cashless economy, but all while failing grandly to acknowledge capacity gaps. Moreover, the bulk of transactions in Nigerias majorly informal economy are conducted in cash. Springing a redesign on the populace within an extremely tight window of three months was therefore a call for a frenzied dash.

As matters became more chaotic, details emerged showing that the leadership had failed to explore all consultation mechanisms and potential outcomes before embarking on the redesign. The data was clear: too many people relied on cash, and there were too few banks, especially in rural areas. There were also grave risks of harm to the financial system if the policy persisted. Still, the CBN plowed on until the Supreme Court stopped it in its tracks, at least. It is difficult to imagine a more tumultuous way for someone who had ruled for eight years to imprint his legacy.

It is my opinion that the late former president was barely in touch with the decision-making of his government in its twilight. As he so often said in the final months, he was eager to retire to the offstage life that Daura offered. So, if one mess or the other was created in the whirlpool of challenges that is Nigeria, due to the omissions of a government bearing his name, it was bearable once he reached the endpoint. This is not to say that his government did not have its accomplishments. Indeed, Buhari set Nigeria on what probably qualifies as the biggest infrastructure drive in the country. His impacts on Nigerias rail and road infrastructure are crystal clear for all to see. He is also famed for his interventions in the payments of pensions and gratuities, where hopes had been thin.

Politically, Buhari leaves behind millions of ardent supporters in Nigerias north. Once a reliable pillar in his serial jousts on Nigerias election arena, they now form a vital staging area for both the incumbent and the opposition. It will surely be insightful to observe how both sides curry favour with this base and the gambles they make in aligning their goals with national interests, but the Buhari years will not be so easily forgotten. By that, I do not merely refer to 2015; I mean also the deeply memorable nineteen months of his dictatorial years. These two, engraved by the events that characterised them, will no doubt survive in our collective memory.

Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.

PS: This piece was written in Nairobi. I thank Dr Peter Wekesa of Kenyatta University, who coordinated all my events and lectures.

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Senior official urged public security system to contribute more in new development pattern

Xinhua) 17:01, July 18, 2025

SHANGHAI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong has called for further improving the public security system to support high-quality development and contribute more to accelerating the creation of a new development pattern.

Wang, also a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a national meeting of public security chiefs held in Shanghai on July 17 and 18.

He called for continued efforts to enhance the overall effectiveness of public security services for high-quality development in accordance with the rule of law, and to strengthen the security foundation for high-quality development further.

Wang also emphasized the importance of strengthening the sense of responsibility and urgency in public security work, further regulating law enforcement involving enterprises, and enhancing systems for safeguarding political security, maintaining social stability, and improving public safety governance.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for hosting and organising a befitting State funeral within 48 hours with an inter-ministerial committee.

A statement by Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary to the Katsina State governor, disclosed that President Tinubu acknowledged this crucial role during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in honour of the late President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

The President described Mr Buhari as a selfless patriot who gave his life to the service of Nigeria not for applause, but out of sincere love for country.

Vice President Kashim Shettima and Governor Dikko Umaru Radda ushering late President Buharis family into the presidential villa for the special FEC meeting on Thursday He was a man of integrity and action, the President said.

President Tinubu particularly acknowledged Governor Raddas exceptional efforts in ensuring the late President received proper honours, recognising how the Katsina State Governor stood by the Buhari family throughout the mourning period and coordinated seamlessly with federal authorities.

During the session, Yusuf Buhari, son of the late President, delivered a heartfelt thank-you speech, offering profound gratitude to President Tinubu, the Federal Government, security agencies, and millions of Nigerians whose support, messages, and prayers brought strength and comfort to the grieving family.

He extended special thanks to Governor Radda, who stood by the Buhari family from the announcement of his death through the final burial rites, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.

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The session was filled with solemn yet uplifting tributes from leaders. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio praised Mr Buhari as a leader who walked a tough path with humility and honour.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas described him as a guardian of integrity and a nationalist who gave his all for Nigeria. The Head of Civil Service, Didi Walson-Jack, applauded Mr Buharis dedication to reform and his compassion for Nigerian workers.

Personal reflections were also received from Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Chairman Nigeria Governors Forum/Governor of Kwara State) said Mr Buhari was a devoted servant of the Nigerian people, Dele Alake (Solid Minerals) spoke of his moral clarity and deep spirituality while Dr Ali Pate (Health) called his leadership a compass for the future; Dave Umahi (Works) highlighted Buharis fairness, even across political lines.

Other ministers including Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, Atiku Bagudu, and Festus Keyamo offered glowing testimonies, each echoing the widespread respect the former President commanded across sectors.

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President Bola Tinubus renaming of the University of Maiduguri after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari has stirred reactions from residents of Borno State.

Shortly after the declaration at the expanded federal executive council meeting on Wednesday, some Borno residents described the change of name as a positive development.

They argued that the late president had strong ties with the people of Borno, noting that during his tenure, he visited Maiduguri more than many other states.

According to them, his roles as the first military governor of Borno, military head of state, and civilian president contributed immensely to the states development, particularly in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

They also highlighted his appointment of indigenes of the state to key security positions, among other forms of support.

They commended President Tinubu for the decision, noting that naming the institution after a man of such magnitude, who demonstrated resilience in adversity, not only reflects good leadership but also a deep commitment to Nigerias unity.

Honestly, Im happy with the new name. Its a way of honouring someone who had deep ties with Borno. Late President Muhammadu Buhari visited Borno officially more than any other state, even more than Katsina or Kano where he was also deeply loved, said Musa Umar, a journalist in Maiduguri.

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I understand some people feel its enough since other things have already been named after him. Thats valid too. But whether the name stays or not, UNIMAIDs real value lies in the knowledge and impact it creates, he added.

Counter-arguments against the renaming

However, other residents described it as unnecessary, arguing that the late president already has several institutions named after him in the state.

They cited the Muhammadu Buhari Airport, Muhammadu Buhari Mega School, Muhammadu Buhari Trauma Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the Muhammadu Buhari Senate Building within UNIMAID.

They urged President Tinubu to reconsider his decision because the university already had a befitting name with a befitting motto: If you want to be made, come to Unimaid.

Honestly, a lot of Borno people are unhappy with the decision of the Presidency to rename UNIMAID after Baba Buhari, said Ibn Maigana, a popular media influencer, on Facebook.

Some may keep quiet, but they dont like it at all, and I want to stand with them, for the fact that a lot of things have already been renamed after him. In UNIMAID, a world-class conference hall was named after him. Our only airport was named after him. A mega school was named after himand now the whole institution that makes people, as the slogan glorifies: If you want to be made, come to UNIMAID.'

Believe me, late Buhari had Borno blood in him until he passed away, because his mother was a Kanuri woman with tiny nine tribal marks on her face. We love him more than anyone else.

However, this decision, as others suggest, I equally wish the President would reconsiderrenaming the institution, he concluded.

Others felt the administration of the late president was not impactful enough to warrant such an honour.

President Tinubu held the expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to honour the late president. In attendance were also the late presidents family, including his children and wife.

Before we take the prayers, may I, in honour of his memory, with this special session of the federal executive council meeting, expand, and I adopt the naming of the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University Maiduguri, the president had said.

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Governor Abba Yusuf has urged Kano people to demonstrate the hospitality they are known for as President Bola Tinubu visits their state on Friday.

The president is scheduled to visit Kano to offer his condolences for the passing of business mogul, Aminu Dantata.

The schedule was disclosed in a statement by Sunusi Tofa, director of press for Kano State. The presidents spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has confirmed the visit.

Governor Yusuf expressed his appreciation for the visit, describing it as a show of national unity and respect for the people of Kano and the legacy of the late Aminu Alhassan Dantata.

I urge all Kano residents to receive the President warmly and in an orderly manner as he joins us in mourning one of our greatest elder statesmen.

This is a moment of solemn reflection and national respect, Mr. Yusuf said.

The state government said it has made all necessary arrangements, including security and logistics, to ensure the presidents smooth visit.

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Background

Mr antata died on 28 June in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. He was the last surviving child of Alhassan Dantata and uncle to Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote.

His business interests cut across agriculture, real estate, construction and manufacturing.

READ ALSO: Mixed reactions trail proposed renaming of University of Maiduguri after Buhari

He was also widely known for his philanthropic activities, for example, donating N1.5 billion last year to victims of the devastating Maiduguri flood.

Born in Kano in 1931, Mr Dantata was the Chancellor of Al-Qalam University.

He started his business career at 18 years as a produce buyer in Alhassan Dantata and Sons Limited. He was the Chairman and Managing Director of the company when he died.

In addition to his business interests, Mr Dantata was elected a member of the Northern House of Assembly in 1966 and the following year appointed a Commissioner in the Kano State Government, where he served from 1967 to 1973.

Mr Dantata also served as a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee for the 1979 Constitution, which ushered in Nigerias Second Republic in 1979. He was a recipient of several honorary degrees from different universities.

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The police have arrested a suspected member of the notorious Lakurawa bandit syndicate and recovered an AK-49 rifle with live ammunition during an anti-kidnapping operation.

The police Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested the suspect, Buba Magaji, at Julirkol, a village in the Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Musa, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Thursday by the commands spokesperson, Ahmad Rufai.

According to the statement, Mr Magaji was identified through a tip-off as a close associate of Lakurawa, a criminal network blamed for widespread violence and terror in many areas of the state, including Silame, Wamakko, Binji, and Yabo.

During the investigation, Magaji confessed to participating in several criminal activities linked to the syndicate, the statement revealed.

He also led officers to a hidden AK-49 rifle stashed in the bush along the Silame axis, which he admitted was used in their operations.

Acting on this information, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit conducted a thorough search on Wednesday, leading to the recovery of the AK-49 rifle, a loaded magazine, and 22 rounds of live ammunition.

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Mr Musa lauded the operations success, describing it as a testament to the effectiveness of timely intelligence.

This arrest and the subsequent recovery of weapons directly disrupt the operations of a criminal syndicate that has inflicted untold suffering on innocent communities.

The commissioner also commended the vigilance and cooperation of local residents, whose tip-off was crucial to the operation. He reiterated the importance of community involvement in the fight against crime.

The Sokoto State Police Command remains resolute in its commitment to eliminating kidnapping, armed banditry, and all forms of criminality that threaten the safety and peace of our people, Mr Musa added.

He urged the public to remain vigilant and continue providing security agencies with credible information.

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The police in Enugu State say they have killed a suspected kidnapper and arrested five other suspects in multiple operations in the state.

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in the state, said in a statement on Thursday that a cash of N10 million ransom was recovered from the suspects during the operations.

Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said a vehicle, arms and ammunition were also recovered from the suspects during the operations.

The police spokesperson said the multiple operations were carried out between 5 and 16 July 2025.

How the operations were carried out

Mr Ndukwe said the operations began on 5 July at about 5:30 p.m. when operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested two male suspects, Usman Musa, 20 and Musa Zaria, 24, both indigenes of Kogi State.

He said the suspects were arrested at Okemmou Area at Ninth Mile Corner in Udi Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were found in possession of clothing and a wristwatch belonging to two male victims kidnapped on 4 July 2025.

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The victims later identified both the items and the suspects as those involved in their abduction, he said.

The spokesperson said, in another operation on 15 July, the operatives arrested two female suspects, Juliet Chukwu, 39, and Nancy Chukwu, 40.

The suspects, who are sisters and claimed to be law enforcement officers, were apprehended while sharing a ransom of N10 million.

The ransom was obtained from their kinsman, whom they had conspired to kidnap on 14 July 2025, after initially demanding N50 million, the police spokesperson said.

The victim was rescued unharmed, and the operatives recovered the cash and a Toyota Corolla vehicle belonging to one of the suspects.

More operations

Mr Ndukwe said, in a similar operation on 16 July, police operatives attached to Okpuje Division killed a suspected kidnapper during a shootout at a forest in Okpuje-Ani Community, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.

The spokesperson said police operatives conducted the operation in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and local hunters in the community.

He said the security operatives were responding to a distress call indicating that some armed kidnappers were sighted at the forest in the community.

Upon arrival, the armed suspects engaged the team. The operatives returned fire, neutralising one of the suspects while others escaped.

An AK-47 rifle loaded with two live rounds of ammunition was recovered from the neutralised suspect, he said.

Mr Ndukwe said, in another operation on the same day, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested a 23-year-old suspected kidnapper, Aliyu Adamu, at Ugwu-Onyeama, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to participating in multiple kidnappings and stated that he had been invited from Awka, Anambra State, by another suspect now at large for criminal operations in Enugu State, he said.

The spokesperson said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing kidnappers, adding that all the arrested suspects would be arraigned upon completion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, commended the operatives for their bravery, professionalism, and swift responses, Mr Ndukwe said.

Mr Giwa reassured residents of Enugu State that the police in the state were committed to eliminating criminals from the state.

The police chief also promised to ensure continued safety and security of the residents in the state.

Kidnap for ransom

Like other states in the South-east, cases of kidnapping for ransom in Enugu State have increased in recent times.

Civil servants, business owners, politicians and even students have become targets of such attacks in the state lately.

Nigerian laws criminalise kidnapping whether or not it leads to death.

The countrys authorities enacted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2022) which outlawed all forms of kidnapping.

The Act prescribes death sentence for kidnapping in a case where the abduction leads to loss of life and life imprisonment where there is no loss of life.

It was an amendment to the now defunct Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2013) which had prescribed a 10-years jail term for kidnapping.

The new Act also prescribes at least a 15-year jail term for whoever pays ransom to free kidnap victims.

Several persons have been convicted for kidnapping across Nigeria.

In September 2022, an Ikeja Special Offences Court sentenced kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping.

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The police in Abia State say they have arrested four male suspects for alleged involvement in various criminal offences in the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, Maureen Chinaka, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the offences included criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

Ms Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday when police operatives from the Uturu Divisional Headquarters raided their hideout along the Uturu-Isuikwuato Axis in the state.

The police spokesperson identified the suspects as Jerry Chisom, 32, Tochukwu Ugula, 32, and Chinonso Nwankwo, 28  all indigenes of Abia State.

The fourth suspect, Kingsley Onyekeba, 19, hails from Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

How the suspects were arrested

Ms Chinaka said that at about 3:49 p.m. on Wednesday, the Uturu Divisional Police Headquarters received a tip-off that a group of armed robbers were terrorising and robbing students of Abia State University, Uturu and other residents of their valuables.

Officers from the Uturu Divisional Headquarters, in collaboration with local residents, led by the divisional police officer, successfully traced the hideout of the suspects and apprehended the four male suspects, she said.

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One locally made pistol, one knife, one iPhone 7 Plus, an Infinix phone and a laptop were recovered from the suspects, according to the police.

Investigation is ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices, the police added.

Dismantling of criminal camps

Ms Chinaka said, apart from the first hideout, police operatives also identified and dismantled other criminal hideouts in the area during the operation.

She said the ongoing raids also led to the dislodging of other suspected criminals terrorising residents of the area.

According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Danladi Isa, appealed to the residents of Abia State to support the police by reporting any suspicious persons and activities around their neighbourhood for action.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Abia State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

kidnappers, cultists and even armed robbers are believed to be partly responsible for the growing insecurity in the region.

Also, separatist groups like the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been linked to some deadly attacks in the region.

The IPOB-linked attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

Hundreds of persons have been killed or abducted, and several others injured in some of such attacks in the region.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south of Nigeria.

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DUBAI, UAE, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its inaugural edition, which convened stakeholders from across the global blockchain ecosystem, the Unchained Summit is set to return to Dubai on October 3031. Organized by Aeternum, the event has positioned itself as a platform for focused discussions on Web 3.0 developments. The upcoming edition will emphasize regulatory engagement, investor-founder interaction, and sector networking, coinciding with continued growth in the UAE's blockchain and digital assets landscape.

Aeternum Confirms Return of Unchained Summit to Dubai on October 3031, 2025

As the UAE sharpens its regulatory frameworks and capital continues to move into Web 3.0 ventures, Dubai's position as a global blockchain hub has only solidified. The timing of the second edition of Unchained Summit lands at a pivotal moment, when policy, infrastructure, and investor interest are finally aligning.

The event has established itself as the #1 Web 3.0 event for high-impact networking and deal flow, driving meaningful capital, connections, and innovations on a global scale.

Who's Speaking, and Why It Matters

This year's programme includes a roster of prominent industry figures, such as:

Eowyn Chen , CEO, Trust Wallet, brings the perspective of a company trusted by over 200 million users worldwide.

, CEO, Trust Wallet, brings the perspective of a company trusted by over 200 million users worldwide. Andrew Vranjes , CRO, Blockdaemon, who drives global infrastructure growth across finance and DePIN.

, CRO, Blockdaemon, who drives global infrastructure growth across finance and DePIN. Mark Rydon , Co-founder & CSO, Aethir, whose push into decentralized cloud is changing gaming and AI.

, Co-founder & CSO, Aethir, whose push into cloud is changing gaming and AI. David Norris , CFO & CSO, NEAR Foundation, whose operational rigor helps scale tomorrow's tools.

, CFO & CSO, NEAR Foundation, whose operational rigor helps scale tomorrow's tools. Alexander Scott , Middle East Lead, Solana Superteam, enabling developer breakthroughs across MENA.

, Middle East Lead, Superteam, enabling developer breakthroughs across MENA. Fefe Demeny , Lead Host, Crypto Banter, translating Web 3.0 for the mainstream and the next billion users.

, Lead Host, Banter, translating Web 3.0 for the mainstream and the next billion users. Zane Suren , MD Commercial, MEA, Zodia Custody, shaping regional digital asset regulation and custody.

, MD Commercial, MEA, Zodia Custody, shaping regional digital asset regulation and custody. Bader Kalooti, Regional Head, Binance MEASAT, driving mainstream adoption at one of the world's crypto superpowers, are among the early confirmed speakers.

A Shift Towards Closed-Door Networking

While large-scale expos continue to dominate parts of the Web 3.0 landscape, Unchained Summit has deliberately taken a different route. Attendance is capped. Topics are curated. The format includes private roundtables, investor-founder matchmaking, and sessions tailored for decision-makers. Organisers say this was a deliberate response to what many describe as 'conference fatigue', where volume often eclipses value.

"We've seen enough noise," said Sharath Kumar, Founder & CEO of Aeternum. "What the ecosystem needs is focus. Spaces where serious builders, funds, and policy makers can meet without the distractions. That's what we're trying to offer.""I'm thrilled to join the Unchained Summit in Dubai, where the brightest minds are shaping the future of blockchain infrastructure. It's an exceptional forum for collaborating on institutional-grade solutions that advance scalability, security, and interoperability, as we drive the growth of digital asset ecosystems throughout the MENA region," said Andrew Vranjes, Chief Revenue Officer, Blockdaemon.

Startups Take the Stage at Unchained Pitch Competition

This year's edition will also feature the launch of Unchained Pitch Competition, a focused pitch competition running alongside the main conference. Web 3.0 founders  spanning DeFi, cross-chain infrastructure, tokenized assets, and beyond - will get five minutes on stage to present in front of serious investors on what they're building and why it matters.

Applications are now open and will close on 15 October 2025.

Alongside the summit, Aeternum has been developing the "Hash it Over" podcast series, which has released five episodes to date. The show has featured long-form discussions with protocol leaders, infrastructure players, and early investors, offering insight into the challenges and contradictions of Web 3.0 development.

Super Early Bird tickets for the 2025 summit are now available until August 1, 2025, at discounted rates. The full speaker lineup, agenda, and partner list will be announced in the coming weeks.

More information: https://unchainedsummit.com/dubai.

Tickets: https://unchainedsummit.com/dubai/#buy-ticket

Press Contact: [email protected]

About Aeternum Consulting Ltd:

Aeternum organizes business-to-business events in the emerging tech space, provides strategic consulting, and tailored services to a diverse range of clients, from corporations to governments and startups to individuals. Aeternum specializes in crafting impactful B2B platforms that foster meaningful connections, drive business growth, and facilitate knowledge sharing through conferences, exhibitions, and bespoke networking opportunities.

For more information, users can visit: aeternuminc.com

Contact

Partnerships Associate

Maya K V

Aeternum

[email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2733946/Aeternum.jpg

SOURCE Aeternum
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report filed via Xinhuanet:

Over 250 representatives from nearly 150 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies, and regional organizations across 36 countries gathered here on Wednesday for the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum, an event focusing on how to advance BRICS cooperation and strengthen solidarity across the Global South.

Fu Hua, forum chair and president of Xinhua News Agency, delivers a keynote speech at the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 16, 2025. The forum was held in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.

In his keynote remarks, Fu Hua, forum chair and president of Xinhua News Agency, said greater BRICS cooperation has played a critical role in unifying Global South countries, boosting their influence in global affairs, and driving reform in global governance.

As the forum enters its second decade, Xinhua is committed to working with its BRICS counterparts to tell the Global South's stories more effectively, promote joint research on major issues, and deepen professional collaboration, Fu added.

Zhu Qingqiao, Chinese ambassador to Brazil, in a congratulatory letter, praised the forum's inclusion of discussions on artificial intelligence and highlighted its role in advancing the outcomes of the 17th BRICS Summit.

Zhu expressed hope that the event would further position BRICS as a platform for South-South cooperation and a voice for reform in global governance.

Other speakers echoed their calls. Carlos Hernandez, president of the Central American Parliament, said global governance is in urgent need of new models and new voices.

"The countries represented here today have shown the way forward: one grounded in equitable development, dignity, and multilateralism," he said.

Mikhail Gusman, first deputy director-general of TASS Russian News Agency, noted that BRICS nations reflect the diversity of emerging economies.

Facing growing global media challenges, BRICS media cooperation has an important role in defending truth, justice and peace, he said.

Tia Ju, vice president of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, praised China's efforts to unite Global South countries and emphasized the need for media collaboration to increase international visibility and influence for BRICS.

Yeidckol Polevnsky Gurwitz, chair of the Asia-Pacific Foreign Relations Committee of the Mexican Senate, said that Mexico shares with BRICS a vision of inclusive growth and fair trade.

"We cannot allow external interference in our development paths. Together, we must build a multipolar world," she said, referencing China's concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The forum concluded with the release of a think tank report titled "BRICS Cooperation: Advancing the Collective Progress of the Global South" and the launch of two major initiatives: Global South Joint Communication Partnership Program and "Tapping into BRICS, Voices from the South" Content Collaborative Project.

The forum marked the first full meeting of the BRICS media mechanism since the bloc's historic expansion and was co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and Brazil Communication Company under the theme "BRICS United: Forging a New Chapter for the Global South."

SOURCE Xinhuanet
SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty announced Robert Brisbane as Vice President of Sales, East Bay, strengthening its leadership and strategic investment in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Brisbane will add to the brokerage's existing leadership in the region, serving alongside Kate Wilkes, Senior Vice President of Sales, East Bay. With decades of experience in brokerage leadership and a deep connection to the Sotheby's International Realty brand, Brisbane brings valuable perspective and a collaborative spirit to San Francisco Bay Area's premier brokerage.

"I'm delighted to announce the addition of Robert Brisbane to our leadership team," said Heidi Pay, Chief Operating Officer. "I had the pleasure of working with Robert more than a decade ago at McGuire Real Estate and have always admired his ability to build strong relationships. His effective leadership of Today Sotheby's International Realty and his deep appreciation for the brand make him a natural fit. With a background in law and proven management experience, Robert will be a tremendous asset to our agents and organization."

Brisbane made the decision to join the brokerage citing the brand as the apex of innovation meeting world-class service. "My focus is on empowering our agents with the tools, strategy, and support they need to grow their business and deliver exceptional results in one of the most competitive markets in the world," said Brisbane.

For more information contact:

Mobile: 415.380.4332

Email [email protected]

About Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty:

Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty has over 438 agents in 21 offices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area serving the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.GoldenGateSIR.com.

SOURCE Golden Gate Sothebys International Realty
PITTSBURGH, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - MolecuLight Corp., a global pioneer in point-of-care fluorescence imaging for wound care, today announced its participation in the National Medical Association (NMA) Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly, being held from July 19-23, 2025, in Chicago, IL. Attendees are invited to visit MolecuLight at Booth #800 to learn how the MolecuLightDX multimodal imaging platform is contributing to more equitable wound care.

MolecuLight Lights the Way to Equitable Wound Care at National Medical Association Conference (CNW Group/MolecuLight)

The NMA Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly is acclaimed as the nation's premier forum on medical science and African American health, gathering healthcare providers to discuss critical topics, including the role of novel technologies in advancing healthcare equity. MolecuLight is eager to demonstrate how its innovative and inclusive imaging technology can "Light the Way to Equitable Wound Care" by providing objective, real-time information on bacterial presence, wound measurement, and skin temperature changes for all patients. These clinical insights support precise treatment and enhanced wound infection management, crucial for improving healthcare equity and combating the disproportionately poor healing outcomes faced by African American patients1. Clinical signs and symptoms of infection, such as erythema, are often missed by standard of care in patients with dark skin tones. Studies show 12x more wounds containing high bacterial loads are detected in dark skin2 using MolecuLight, and MolecuLight-informed care has been associated with an 11% reduction in amputations3.

"The National Medical Association is deeply committed to improving access to care and reducing health disparities, especially for minority communities and those impacted by chronic conditions like diabetes," says Dr. Johnathan Johnson, a distinguished member of the NMA and Founder and Surgical Director for Comprehensive Woundcare Services in Washington, DC. "Wounds in patients with complicated conditions can lead to mortality rates even higher than some cancers, making effective wound care a critical focus. MolecuLight's advanced imaging technology offers a powerful tool to address these challenges by providing real-time, objective information at the point of care. This is essential for preventing severe complications and ultimately saving lives, aligning perfectly with the NMA's mission to advance health equity and improve patient outcomes."

"We are incredibly proud to showcase the growing body of evidence demonstrating how MolecuLight's technology supports equitable wound care practices," says Anil Amlani, CEO of MolecuLight. "Our devices provide vital visual data for patients with all skin tones at the point of care, helping to standardize wound assessment and optimize patient outcomes across diverse populations. We are committed to empowering clinicians with the tools they need to deliver the highest standard of care."

MolecuLight will highlight key clinical evidence at the conference, including peer-reviewed publications and compelling statistics that illustrate the impact of its integrated platform in improving wound care among diverse patient populations.

________________________________ 1 Tan T, Armstrong DG, Concha-Moore CC, et al. Association between race/ethnicity and the risk of amputation of lower extremities among medicare beneficiaries with diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot infections: BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care 2020;8:e001328. 2 Johnson J, Johnson AR Jr, Andersen CA, et al. Skin Pigmentation Impacts the Clinical Diagnosis of Wound Infection: Imaging of Bacterial Burden to Overcome Diagnostic Limitations. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Apr;11(2):1045-1055. 3 Price N. Routine Fluorescence Imaging to Detect Wound Bacteria Reduces Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Dressing Expenditure While Improving Healing Rates: Retrospective Analysis of 229 Foot Ulcers. Diagnostics (Basel). 2020;10(11).

About MolecuLight Corp.

MolecuLight Corp. is a privately owned medical imaging company with a global presence that manufactures the MolecuLight i:X and DX wound imaging devices. These are the only commercially available point-of-care imaging devices with Class II FDA-clearance for the real-time detection of elevated bacterial burden in wounds. They also provide accurate digital wound measurement for comprehensive wound management, supported by strong clinical evidence including over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

About the National Medical Association (NMA)

The National Medical Association (NMA) is the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and health professionals in the United States. The NMA is committed to improving the quality of health among racial and ethnic minority populations through its membership, professional development, community education, advocacy, research, and partnerships.

SOURCE MolecuLight
RALEIGH, N.C., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) today congratulated state leaders on North Carolina being named by CNBC as the #1 state for doing business in the nation. State leaders have praised the contributions of North Carolina's colleges and universities in building a world-class workforce. NCICU celebrates this accomplishment and the vital partnership of the state's private, nonprofit colleges and universities in developing North Carolina's talent pipeline and economic strength.

"North Carolina's recognition as the nation's top state for business is testament to the power of education and collaboration," said Dr. A. Hope Williams, President of NCICU. "Independent colleges and universities are proud to work together with the General Assembly and other state leaders to prepare the graduates who drive our economy forward. We appreciate our lawmakers' support of higher education and we remain committed to helping North Carolina continue to thrive."

Independent Colleges Drive Talent and Economic Growth

NCICU is the statewide office of the 36 private, nonprofit colleges and universities in North Carolina. NCICU institutions collectively enroll over 83,000 students from across the state, the nation, and the world. The organization's mission is to support, represent, and advocate for independent higher education in North Carolina. NCICU works closely with government, business, and community partners to ensure student success and to drive the talent and innovation that fuel North Carolina's economy.

NCICU highlighted several ways in which its 36 campuses contribute to North Carolina's success:

Workforce Talent: NCICU campuses award nearly one in four of all bachelor's degrees in North Carolina and one in three of all graduate and professional degrees.

NCICU campuses award nearly of all bachelor's degrees in and of all graduate and professional degrees. Professional Degrees: A majority of North Carolina's advanced professional degrees are from independent colleges, including roughly 60% of medical degrees, 65% of law degrees, 89% of physician assistant degrees , and 56% of pharmacy degrees statewide.

A majority of advanced professional degrees are from independent colleges, including roughly , and Economic Impact: North Carolina's private colleges and universities collectively generate an economic impact of about $14.2 billion annually and employ over 66,000 North Carolinians, making the independent higher-education sector one of the state's largest private employers.

Continuing a Strong Partnership

As North Carolina builds on its #1 business ranking, NCICU looks forward to continuing its strong partnership with policymakers to sustain this momentum.

NCICU also encourages collaboration on other important initiatives that strengthen education and communities. By working together, state leaders, independent colleges and universities and public higher education partners can continue to bolster educational opportunities and economic growth across all regions of the state.

The state's recent #1 ranking underscores what is possible when there are strong public/private partnerships united toward a common goal.

ABOUT NCICU

North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) is the statewide office of private, nonprofit, liberal arts and research colleges and universities. NCICU supports, represents, and advocates for North Carolina independent higher education in the areas of state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state. It also raises funds through the Independent College Fund of North Carolina for student scholarships and enrichment experiences, provides research and information to and about private colleges and universities, conducts staff development opportunities and coordinates collaborative programs. Presidents of the colleges and universities comprise NCICU's Board of Directors.

CONTACT: Demarcus Williams, [email protected]

SOURCE North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
OAK BROOK, Ill., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Storm Chantal has led to flooding in Central North Carolina resulting in homes, schools and businesses being destroyed or severely damaged. In response to this catastrophic weather event, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nation's leading non-profit association dedicated to preventing insurance fraud and crime, is warning residents and business owners about potentially fraudulent contractors who prey on consumers in disaster areas.

NICB agents are currently coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as NICB member insurance companies, to aid in the recovery process and support residents in preventing fraud. As first responder efforts subside, NICB agents will deploy in the region to assist our partners in combating any fraud that arises as the rebuilding process begins.

"North Carolina has declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Chantal," said Bill Woolf, Mid-Atlantic regional director, NICB. "As the conditions begin to improve, it is crucial for residents to be mindful that some contractors may promise help, ask for the assignment of benefits, and after being paid, disappear, never to be heard from again. Knowing the warning signs of potentially untrustworthy contractors can protect vulnerable citizens and deter this type of crime."

Fraud schemes may come from companies or individuals promising debris and tree removal, home construction and medical services. NICB urges affected residents to do their due diligence, check in with their insurance carrier and verify the credentials of anyone they plan to hire for a service.

Common red flags include high-pressure sales tactics via door-to-door solicitation, online or by phone. Additionally, pushing residents to sign contracts on the spot  often with multiple blank spaces in them  demanding payment upfront, and even requiring an Assignment of Benefits agreement which transfers insurance rights to the contractor can be signals to double check credentials and credibility.

NICB offers consumers a free downloadable contractor checklist available via this link: https://www.nicb.org/media/2509/download/. Other best practices include:

Before a disaster

Understand what's covered in your insurance policy

Get a list of reputable contractors from your insurance carrier

After a disaster

Don't succumb to pressure from a contractor

Be wary of door-to-door contractors

Call your carrier or BBB to verify contractor

Get multiple bids for work

Never pay cash up front

Never accept a verbal agreement

Additional resources and information about hiring reputable contractors can be found by visiting NICB.org. Or, to report potential fraud call NICB's hotline at 1-800-TEL-NICB.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. To learn more, visit NICB.org.

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)
Fast-food workers, dishwashers, and hosts stand to gain the most from the 2025 increase

PORTLAND, Ore., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon's minimum wage increase from $14.70 to $15.05, effective July 2025, could create a ripple effect for more than 150,000 hospitality workers across the state, particularly those in lower-wage roles such as fast-food workers, dishwashers, and hosts, as revealed in a study by OysterLink, a job platform for hospitality professionals and employers.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the new wage floor brings the 10th percentile wages of several hospitality positions closer to or above the state minimum, prompting employers to revisit their pay scales.

Here's how the increase intersects with current earnings:

Fast-Food Workers (58,150 employed) currently earn as low as $14.57 /hour at the 10th percentile. The wage hike would immediately affect these workers, especially in entry-level positions.

(58,150 employed) currently earn as low as at the 10th percentile. The wage hike would immediately affect these workers, especially in entry-level positions. Dishwashers (6,150 employed) earn around $14.61 /hour at the lowest decile  just above the old minimum but still within the new range.

(6,150 employed) earn around at the lowest decile  just above the old minimum but still within the new range. Hosts and Hostesses (4,450 employed) start at $14.14 /hour , meaning the new law mandates a raise for those on the lowest rung.

(4,450 employed) start at , meaning the new law mandates a raise for those on the lowest rung. Bartenders (11,940 employed), cooks (18,970), and waiters (22,920) also see floor wages below or near $15 , suggesting upcoming adjustments in tipped and non-tipped wages alike.

"This increase doesn't just mean a 35-cent raise," said Milos Eric, co-founder and general manager of OysterLink, a hospitality workforce platform. "It raises the bar across entry-level roles and indirectly pressures mid-tier roles to stay competitive, from receptionists to bakers."

While median wages in many hospitality roles remain well above $15, such as for restaurant managers ($30.58/hour median) and chefs ($28.98/hour median), the tight labor market and Oregon's high location quotient for several roles  like bakers (1.52), chefs (1.57), and hotel managers (2.10)  suggest a statewide wage compression is likely.

In total, nearly 60% of Oregon's hospitality occupations have bottom-tier wages within 75 cents of the new minimum. With Oregon's hospitality sector employing over 200,000 workers, the state's modest increase could still result in wage adjustments and compression across the board, especially as employers try to retain staff amid high demand.

About OysterLink

OysterLink is a job platform for restaurant and hospitality professionals with over 400,000 monthly visitors. OysterLink connects talent with opportunities across the U.S., including top chef jobs in San Francisco or bartender in Portland.

The platform also offers trend reports, expert insights, and interviews with leaders in hospitality.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE OysterLink
NEW YORK, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move underscoring their shared commitment to combating online abuse, PEN America, a leading advocate for free expression worldwide, has acquired the website and digital safety resources of OnlineSOS , a pioneering U.S. nonprofit dedicated to supporting people harassed online. PEN America will integrate these invaluable resources into its Field Manual against online harassment, a guide originally launched in 2018 to equip writers, journalists, researchers, and others with the guidance they need to protect themselves and fight back.

OnlineSOS, founded in 2016 by Liz Lee at a time when online abuse was largely overlooked, filled a critical gap by providing professional help to people targeted online. As the first U.S. nonprofit of its kind, OnlineSOS provided tactical and emotional support with a focus on mental health, including free therapy and case management, legal resources, and expert-backed content. Its free and accessible online resources were rooted in firsthand experience with supporting journalists, public figures, and everyday Americans in responding to online threats, and also featured contributions from psychologists, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, and tech platforms. Under Lee's leadership, OnlineSOS grew into a nationally recognized resource trusted by universities, policymakers, and nonprofit and corporate partners.

"Our mission has always been to equip people facing online harassment with the information they need to take action. Online harassment can cause significant psychological harm, making it all the more important that people have options and a sense of agency when so much feels out of their control," Lee stated.

The decision to find a new home within PEN America for OnlineSOS's digital safety tools is part of a natural progression in OnlineSOS's mission to broaden its impact and ensure the long-term accessibility of its resources. PEN America has highlighted and built on the work of OnlineSOS since launching its online abuse defense programming in 2018.

"Liz Lee and OnlineSOS have been trailblazers in this space, sounding the alarm about online abuse and addressing its devastating impacts when few others were doing this crucial work. We're honored to integrate their resources into our Field Manual and to continue supporting writers, journalists, and others facing online harassment," said Viktorya Vilk, Director of Digital Safety and Free Expression at PEN America.

By joining forces and consolidating resources, the organizations aim to provide more comprehensive, accessible, and user-friendly guidance to help those abused online protect themselves so that they can continue using their voices and doing their jobs.

Liz Lee will continue in an advisory capacity, providing strategic support to PEN America during the integration period to ensure a seamless transition while OnlineSOS winds down its operations and sunsets in 2025. With OnlineSOS transferring its assets to PEN America, the legacy of Liz Lee's groundbreaking work will be preserved and expanded. "With the PEN America partnership, our resources are in great hands," Lee expressed. "We're particularly excited that integrating with the Field Manual, which is also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, and Swahili, will bring OnlineSOS's resources to communities around the world." For more on the OnlineSOS transition, read Lee's statement on the former OnlineSOS webpage .

The collaboration represents not just a continuation, but an amplification of OnlineSOS's mission, ensuring that its valuable resources remain accessible and impactful for years to come.

About OnlineSOS:

OnlineSOS is a San Franciscobased nonprofit organization founded in 2016 to create a digital safe haven for individuals experiencing online harassment. Through mental health services, legal support, and educational resources, OnlineSOS has been a pioneering force in empowering victims of online abuse. After the completion of an asset acquisition by PEN America, OnlineSOS will sunset in 2025.

About PEN America:

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.

SOURCE Online SOS
Fly from Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Zagreb to Seoul, with limited-time offers

SEOUL, South Korea, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- T'way Air, Korea's leading low-cost carrier, has launched its July promotion on its website. Valid through July 31, the offer applies to all five of the airline's Europe  Incheon (Seoul) routes  Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Zagreb for travel through March, 2026.

Plan Your Korea Trip with Tway Airs Europe-Seoul Deals

During summer 2025, T'way Air operates daily RomeIncheon and FrankfurtIncheon flights; ParisIncheon service runs five times weekly (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun); BarcelonaIncheon flies four times weekly (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat); and ZagrebIncheon departs three times weekly (Tue, Thu, Sat). All flights include two complimentary meals in both Business and Economy classes. T'way Air operates its Europe routes using A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

T'way Air offers a range of downloadable coupons until July 31:

 50 Early Bird Coupon : valid on bookings of 600 or more, travel period October 2025  March, 2026.

: valid on bookings of 600 or more, travel period  March, 2026.  30 Off Coupon : valid on bookings of 500 or more, travel through March, 2026.

: valid on bookings of 500 or more, travel through March, 2026. 30 Prior Seat Coupon: valid for advance seat reservations on B777-300ER, applicable on Paris , Rome , and Barcelona to Seoul routes. Valid until March 28, 2026 .

Plus, passengers entering promo code KOREA2507 at booking will save up to a 10% on Europe  Seoul routes (discount rates vary by route and actual savings vary by exchange rate).

From Gwangjang Market's street food to the beauty of Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul blends culture, history, and flavor that captivates every traveler. Down south, Busan's beach vibe and Jeju Island's natural beauty offer a refreshing summer retreat. Whether you are a foodie, or a k-pop enthusiast, Korea welcomes travelers with open arms.

For full flight schedules, coupon terms, and booking details, visit twayair.com. T'way Air currently serves 60 destinations worldwide and continues to expand its network.

About T'way Air

T'way Air Co., Ltd., headquartered in Daegu, South Korea, is a leading low-cost carrier (LCC) providing affordable and reliable air travel since 2010. T'way Air serves customers across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, and Europe with a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800s, 737 MAX 8s, Airbus A330s, and Boeing 777-300ERs. T'way Air continues to expand its global network, offering great value to passengers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.twayair.com.

Media Contact

T'WAY AIR Public Relations

[email protected]

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Rail Workers, Union Leaders, Elected Officials Shine Spotlight on Rail Safety

COLUMBIANA, Ohio, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, the Teamsters Rail Conference  comprised of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED)  will host a rail safety town hall alongside other allied unions outside East Palestine, Ohio.

Tony Cardwell, President of the BMWED, will speak about the risks posed by railroads' attempt to bypass key safety regulations through "automated track inspection." Vincent Verna, Vice President of the BLET, will discuss dangerous zero-to-zero technology that relies on computers to start and stop freight trains  removing the ability of locomotive engineers to operate them manually.

Held just miles from the site of one of the worst rail safety disasters in American history, the town hall will shine a spotlight on the ways in which railroads continue to endanger workers and communities.

WHAT: Rail Safety Town Hall



WHO: Members of the Teamsters Rail Conference and other allied unions, local elected officials



WHEN: Saturday, July 19, 2025, 12 p.m.



WHERE: Best Western Plus Dutch Haus Inn & Suites

150 East OH-14

Columbiana, Ohio 44408



VISUALS: Panelists speaking at the front of the venue, attendees filling the rest of the space

Media Contact:

Roy Morrison

[email protected]

On-site Contact:

Daniel Inclima, (586) 215-1389

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
CRYSTAL, Minn., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the schooner stamped card today at the Minnesota Stamp Expo. This new stamped card features a two-masted schooner sailing on open water. It is designed to be a convenient way to send postcards with attached paid postage.

Schooner Stamped Card Sails Into Post Offices

Sailing vessels are identified by their rigs  the shape, number and arrangement of sails and masts. The boat depicted on the stamped card has a schooner rig, which features fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. Noted for their speed and versatility, schooners were inspired by 17th-century European designs, with the rig further developed in New England in the early 18th-century.

By the end of that century, it was one of the most important rigs in North America, used for fishing and other coastal trades. Requiring a smaller crew for vessels of their size, schooners handle well in a variety of conditions. Their utility carried schooners into the 20th century, but the advent of reliable marine engines led to their eventual decline in popularity.

Schooners have played an important role in American history. In 1775, the schooner Hannah was the first armed vessel under the Continental Army's pay and control in the Revolutionary War. In 1851, the New York Yacht Club's schooner America, which was based on the design of New York Harbor's fast pilot schooners, beat the fastest racing yachts in a race around the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The same cup they won continues to be awarded as the oldest trophy in international sports, now renamed America's Cup. In 1905, the New York-built Atlantic, a three-masted schooner, won the Kaiser's Cup and set a record for a monohull crossing the Atlantic Ocean that would stand for 100 years.

The stamped card features a two-masted schooner sailing on open water. The hull is black with a white line horizontally across it. The top of the masts are black, and the lower halves are salmon. The bowsprit is also salmon and the sails are white. The boat sails across calm blue waters under a clear sky with two seagulls flying overhead. A red flag appears on top of the main mast.

Illustrator Libby VanderPloeg grew up in the harbor town of Grand Haven, MI, and lived in Chicago and New York City, finding herself drawn to water and boats.

VanderPloeg used a photo taken by Billy Black of the schooner Columbia, a 2014 replica of the original built in 1923, as a reference. She began with pencil sketches of various vessels that caught her eye before landing on the schooner. VanderPloeg put her sketch into Adobe Illustrator to create the final work in color. She said she loved the balanced geometry of the big, beautiful boat floating peacefully on calm waters. VanderPloeg hand-lettered "FOREVER/USA" on the bottom of the art using a digital pen and tablet.

Antonio Alcala served as art director for the project.

Schooner is being issued as a Forever stamped card. Its postage will always be equal to the value of the stamped postcard rate in effect at the time of use, even if the price increases after purchase.

News of the schooner stamped card is being shared with the hashtag #SchoonerStampedCard.

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon. Additional information on stamps, First Day of Issue Ceremonies and stamp inspired products can be found at StampsForever.com.

Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter; Facebook; Instagram; Pinterest; Threads; and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

National contact: James McKean

[email protected]

usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
USA News Group News Commentary

Issued on behalf of Magma Silver Corp.

VANCOUVER, BC, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group News Commentary  Within the last week, silver crossed the $39 barrier, hitting its highest level since 2011. Now analysts are predicting what could be the summer of silver, for both bullion and mining stocks, as witnessed by recent ETF trends. Despite a more recent pullback, silver's price remains higher than it's been in recent memory, in what some analysts are calling a generational technical breakout. This recent bullish environment is causing the market to start shifting focus to silver miners, including paying closer attention to recent developments from Magma Silver Corp. (TSXV: MGMA) (OTCQB: MAGMF), Fortuna Mining Corp. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI), Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK) (TSX: EDR), MAG Silver Corp. (NYSE: MAG) (TSX: MAG), and Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE: PAAS) (TSX: PAAS).

The real signal for silver may still be ahead, as long-term demand drivers in industrial and green tech sectors continue to build a case for silver miners. Some analysts now believe silver's rally is just getting started. UBS sees $40 silver on the horizon, while others are coming out with bold targets ranging from US$100 to as high as US$130 per ounce.

Magma Silver Corp. (TSXV: MGMA) (OTCQB: MAGMF) has just opened a Lima headquarters and hired a full incountry team to accelerate its 4,100hectare Ninobamba silvergold project, a high-potential unmined highsulfidation systems.

"Magma has established a first-class operating team in Peru," said Stephen Barley, CEO and Chairman of Magma Silver. "We have successfully created the team in record time, thanks to the guidance of Jeffrey Reeder, our Senior Technical Advisor, and his extensive experience in mining operations in Peru, spanning over 30 years. "

Veteran geologist and mine builder Carlos Agreda Minaya takes over as General Manager, backed by legal counsel Dentons, environmental specialist Ecosoul, and field expert Edgar Leon Choque, all working toward drill permits for the Jorimina and Randypata zones that could arrive this month.

"The establishment of an experienced operations team we can trust will make a significant contribution to our success in Peru," said Stephen Barley, CEO and Chairman of Magma Silver. "Peru is a sophisticated, mining-friendly jurisdiction with detailed regulatory requirements that must be strictly adhered to. The experienced team we are involved with will ensure smooth operations for Magma."

Their goal is a Q3 2025 diamond drill program that finally applies modern 3D targeting to ground that majors such as Newmont and AngloGold already spent more than US$10 million testing, returning historic highlight hits like 72.3 metres of 1.19 g/t gold and 130 metres of 87 g/t silver.

Magma controls three contiguous zones  Ninobamba, Randypata, and Jorimina  believed to form part of a single high-sulfidation system. With all claims in good standing through at least June 2026, Magma has full operational control and is preparing for a diamond drill campaign targeted for Q4 2025.

Surface access agreements are already secured for Randypata and Jorimina, and discussions are advancing for Ninobamba. Magma expects to receive drill permits for Jorimina and Randypata as early as this month, while groundwork continues with Alpha IP geophysics, mapping, and sampling across the corridor.

With fewer than 34 million shares outstanding and all claims secure through at least June 2026, Magma Silver is moving from paper plans to ontheground execution, giving new investors a tightly held shot at a proven but underexplored system.

CONTINUED Read this and more news for Magma Silver at:

https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/06/04/mining-giants-missed-the-big-prize-a-juniors-back-for-the-precious-metals/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Silver was the standout metal for Fortuna Mining Corp. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) in Q2 2025, as its Caylloma Mine delivered 240,621 ounces on grades of 64 g/t and recoveries above 83%. The mine also turned out 12.9 million pounds of zinc and 8.9 million pounds of lead, bolstering cash flow even as management stays laserfocused on silver. Caylloma's 9,493 goldequivalent ounces form the backbone of Fortuna's 71,229ounce consolidated total and leave the operation pacing toward the high end of its annual guidance.

After shedding noncore assets, the company can channel more capital into Caylloma's underground expansion and nearmine exploration aimed at lifting future silver tonnage.

Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK) (TSX: EDR) turned out 1,483,736 oz of silver in Q2 2025, a 13% jump yearoveryear that lifted total output to 2.53 million silverequivalent ounces. The gain stems mainly from the newly acquired Kolpa mine, which processed 118,896 t of ore at 111 g/t silver while management fasttracks integration work. With Terronera averaging 1,400 t/d late in the quarter, Endeavour has two fresh growth levers to keep silver volumes climbing into 2026.

"We delivered strong and consistent production in the second quarter," said Dan Dickson, CEO of Endeavour Silver. "The integration of Kolpa is progressing smoothly, with output already trending above initial expectations. At the same time, Terronera continues to move steadily toward commercial production. This is a pivotal time for Endeavour as we build operational momentum and position the Company for meaningful, long-term growth."

MAG Silver Corp. (NYSE: MAG) (TSX: MAG) shareholders have approved, by a 99.52% vote, a planofarrangement under which Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE: PAAS) (TSX: PAAS) will acquire the company for a mix of cash and shares.

"This transaction represents a compelling opportunity for our shareholders, providing an immediate premium and meaningful exposure to Pan American's world-class assets and proven growth strategy," said George Paspalas, President and CEO of MAG. "We are proud of what we've accomplished at MAG, particularly our partnership with Fresnillo which has created extraordinary value at the exceptional Juanicipio mine. Through the acquisition of our interest by Pan American - a respected leader in the global precious metals industry - our shareholders will participate in an exciting future defined by operational excellence, substantial exploration potential, and strong financial stewardship with significant portfolio exposure."

Each holder may choose $20.54 in cash or 0.755 Pan American Silver shares per MAG Silver share, subject to a $500 million cash cap. With 59.03% of shares represented at the July 10 meeting, closing is targeted for the second half of 2025 following final Mexican competition clearance.

"Our acquisition of MAG brings into Pan American's portfolio one of the best silver mines in the world," said Michael Steinmann, President and CEO of Pan American. "This strategic acquisition further solidifies Pan American as a leading Americas-focused silver producer. Together, we bring many decades of operator experience in Mexico and Latin America to the Joint Venture and we are looking forward to a collaborative future and value generation for all shareholders involved."

The transaction rolls MAG Silver's 44% stake in the highgrade Juanicipio mine into Pan American Silver's portfolio, giving retail investors either an immediate payout or ongoing exposure to a larger silver producer.

Article Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/06/04/mining-giants-missed-the-big-prize-a-juniors-back-for-the-precious-metals/

CONTACT:

USA NEWS GROUP

[email protected]

(604) 265-2873

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). This content is being distributed for Baystreet.ca media Corp, who has been paid a fee for an advertising contract with Magma Silver Corp. MIQ has not been paid a fee for Magma Silver Corp. advertising or digital media, but the owner/operators of MIQ also co-own Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY") There may also be 3rd parties who may have shares of Magma Silver Corp. and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ/BAY does not own any shares of Magma Silver Corp. but reserve the right to buy and sell and will buy and sell shares of Magma Silver Corp. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ on behalf of BAY has been approved by Magma Silver Corp. Technical information relating to and published by Magma Silver Corp. has been reviewed and approved by Jeffrey Reeder, PGeo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Reeder is a Technical Advisor of Magma Silver Corp., and therefore is not independent of the Company; this is a paid advertisement, we currently do not own any shares of Magma Silver Corp. but will likely buy and sell shares of the company in the open market, or through private placements, and/or other investment vehicles.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603685/5418892/USA_News_Group_Logo.jpg

SOURCE USA News Group
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

Q2 2025

Net sales: MSEK 23,166 (25,606)

MSEK 23,166 (25,606) Organic growth: 0.2% (6.6%), driven by lower market demand within the Automotive market while the Industrial segment reported organic sales growth.

0.2% (6.6%), driven by lower market demand within the Automotive market while the Industrial segment reported organic sales growth. Adjusted operating profit: MSEK 3,090 (3,324). The decrease was due to significant currency headwind. Solid price/mix contribution, driven by pricing activities and portfolio management, as well as good cost control more than offset lower volumes.

MSEK 3,090 (3,324). The decrease was due to significant currency headwind. Solid price/mix contribution, driven by pricing activities and portfolio management, as well as good cost control more than offset lower volumes. Adjusted operating margin: 13.3% (13.0%) with Industrial at 16.6% (16.3%) and Automotive at 5.1% (5.3%).

13.3% (13.0%) with Industrial at 16.6% (16.3%) and Automotive at 5.1% (5.3%). Net cash flow from operating activities: MSEK 2,817 (2,152).

Financial overview, MSEK unless otherwise stated Q2 2025 Q2 2024 Half year 2025 Half year 2024 Net sales 23,166 25,606 47,132 50,305 Organic growth, % 0.2 6.6 1.8 6.8 Adjusted operating profit 3,090 3,324 6,323 6,627 Adjusted operating margin, % 13.3 13.0 13.4 13.2 Operating profit 1,300 2,489 4,185 5,482 Operating margin, % 5.6 9.7 8.9 10.9 Adjusted net profit 2,373 2,498 4,669 4,810 Net profit 583 1,663 2,531 3,665 Net cash flow from operating activities 2,817 2,152 3,794 3,933 Basic earnings per share 1.13 3.36 5.08 7.50 Adjusted earnings per share 5.06 5.19 9.77 10.02

Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO:

"It's encouraging that our adjusted operating margin improved, year-over-year, with relatively flat organic sales and significant currency headwind. We have continued to work hard to create a strong foundation for the future, including our ongoing rightsizing activities.

Margin resilience in markets with mixed demand

Our organic sales declined in the second quarter by -0.2% year-over-year. For our Industrial business, organic sales improved in all regions, especially in Asia where it was partly driven by favorable timing of deliveries. In Europe, sales volumes improved sequentially driven by stronger demand in aerospace, lubrication and magnetics.

Our Automotive business continued to face challenging market conditions globally, except for electrical vehicles, resulting in an organic sales decline, year-over-year.

We delivered a strong adjusted operating margin of 13.3% given the mixed demand and significant negative currency impact. The margin was driven by pricing, portfolio management and good cost control. We largely compensated for increased tariff costs. Given current tariff levels, we expect this to be the case also in the third quarter, with the majority of the net impact in Automotive.

Items affecting comparability (IAC) was high in the quarter. This as the full amount of costs related to the previously indicated rightsizing program were charged. As the Automotive separation is building momentum, IAC also includes sequentially higher separation costs. Furthermore, we reported a capital gain of BSEK 0.8. Due to timing effects, costs related to footprint regionalization were low in the quarter. In total, IAC amounted to BSEK -1.8.

Cash flow increased to BSEK 2.8 (2.2) due to improved working capital, where accounts payable contributed positively.

A more competitive Industrial business

Strengthened operational and commercial excellence are key pillars to create significant customer value in targeted markets.

As part of improving our operational excellence, we have managed to swiftly adapt our organization to the rapidly changing market conditions in recent years, contributing to our margin resilience.

To further enhance our competitiveness, the previously announced rightsizing of our Industrial business, enabled by the Automotive separation, comprise of a gross reduction of approximately 1,700 positions, primarily staff positions in Europe. With re-hires related to our ongoing strategic footprint shift, the net reduction is approximately 1,200 positions. These actions are difficult to take, but necessary to secure our future competitiveness. The savings are estimated at approximately BSEK 2 and will more than compensate for dissynergies related to the Automotive separation. The full annual run-rate saving is expected to be achieved in 2027, with a fairly linear pace between 2026-2027. The savings also include a reduction of consultants and other cost-saving activities. Restructuring costs are fully charged to this quarter as IAC and amount to BSEK 2, while the cash flow impact is primarily expected in 2026. The ongoing organizational review, including manning activities, of our Automotive business and its associated effects will be presented on our Capital Markets Day on 11 November.

One targeted market, where we have improved our performance through commercial excellence including portfolio prioritization and pricing activities, is aerospace. Following the strategic review we started in 2023, our aerospace business has had 12% annual sales growth and an increased adjusted operating margin of 8pp between 2022 and 2025. We're now well positioned for future profitable growth from attractive long-term contracts with major customers, an increased aftermarket presence, and an operational setup to serve our customers effectively. We are doing similar commercial initiatives in other parts of our industrial business to cater for long-term value creation.

Outlook

While the global economic development makes the outlook uncertain, we expect organic sales to be relatively unchanged in Q3, year-over-year."

Outlook and guidance

Outlook

Q3 2025: While the global economic development makes the outlook uncertain, we expect organic sales to be relatively unchanged, year-over-year.

Guidance Q3 2025

Currency impact on the operating profit is expected to be around MSEK 500 negative compared to the third quarter 2024, based on exchange rates per 30 June 2025 .

Guidance FY 2025

Tax level excluding effects related to divested businesses: around 26%.

Additions to property, plant and equipment: around BSEK 4.5 excluding separation of the Automotive business.

A webcast will be held on 18 July 2025 at 09:00 (CEST):

Sweden: +46 (0)8 5051 0031

UK/International: +44 (0)207 107 0613

https://investors.skf.com

Aktiebolaget SKF

(publ)

For further information, please contact:

Press Relations: Carl Bjernstam, +46 31-337 2517; +46 722 201 893; [email protected]

Investor Relations: Sophie Arnius, +46 31-337 8072; +46 705 908072; [email protected]

The half year report presented in this press release contains financial and inside information that AB SKF is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above on 18 July 2025 at 07.30 CEST.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skf/r/skf-q2-2025--another-quarter-of-margin-resilience,c4208589

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/637/4208589/3584513.pdf Q2_2025_Eng https://news.cision.com/skf/i/aerospace,c3457114 Aerospace https://news.cision.com/skf/i/rickard-gustafson-jpg-highpreview-800,c3457113 Rickard Gustafson jpg highpreview 800

SOURCE SKF
ST. LOUIS, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) will host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday, August 5 to discuss fiscal 2025 third quarter financial results, earnings guidance and other matters. A news release will be issued before the market opens that day and will be available at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the News tab.

To access the call, please dial the applicable phone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time.

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 5

10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET)

Phone Numbers: U.S. and Canada: 844-824-3832

International: 412-317-5142

The call will be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and public. The webcast can be accessed

at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the Events & presentations tab.

A replay of the call will be available until August 12, 2025, by dialing 877-344-7529 (U.S.), 855-669-9658 (Canada) or 412-317-0088 (international). The replay access code is 7161404. A replay of the webcast will be available on our website at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the Events & presentations tab.

About Spire

At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and businesses making us one of the largest publicly traded natural gas companies in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses include Spire Marketing and Spire Midstream. We are committed to transforming our business through growing organically, investing in infrastructure, and advancing through innovation. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.

Investor Contact:

Megan McPhail

314-309-6563

[email protected]



Media Contact:

Jason Merrill

314-342-3300

[email protected]

SOURCE Spire Inc.
BEIJING, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Baijiayun and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Co., Ltd. ("Kingsoft Office") officially announced a strategic partnership. This partnership will full leverage the profound accumulation of Baijiayun and Kingsoft Office in the field of AI technology, as well as their rich experience in the implementation of educational scenarios, deeply promote the implementation of AI applications, and thus deeply serve a number of education industry clients, creating a more intelligent and efficient next-generation education solution.

Mr. Yi Ma, CEO of Baijiayun, stated: "Education is the cornerstone of national development, and technology is the core engine driving educational inclusiveness, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement. Baijiayun has been deeply engaged in the field of educational digitization for many years and has always been committed to using AI and video technology to solve the core pain points of teaching. We are very glad to cooperate with Kingsoft Office, a leader in domestic office software, to create a more intelligent and efficient AI-driven solution, enabling cutting-edge AI technology to truly serve the frontline practice of teaching."

As a benchmark and leader in the China's office software field, Kingsoft Office's products and services covering more than 220 countries and regions around the world, with a monthly active device number as high as 647 million, and a cloud-stored documents volume exceeding 260 billion. Domestically, it's product of WPS Office has become a national-level office application, serving leading clients in many key industries, including government agencies, finance, energy, education and so on. Kingsoft Office It is a long-term partner of multiple national ministries and commissions and top 500 enterprises. Its profound technical foundation, huge user base, and extensive industry penetration provide a strong and solid foundation and trust endorsement for the rapid popularization and in-depth application of education solutions.

Baijiayun, with AI audio and video technology as its core driving force, has leading strength in the field of educational technology, especially achieving remarkable results in the development of intelligent educational applications. Through its self-developed high-performance audio and video engine, Baijiayun's educational services have deeply reached more than 100 million teachers and students, forming an education solution matrix covering the entire teaching process and spanning basic education, higher education, vocational education and so on, and has become an indispensable technical force in the digital transformation of education.

The key to this strategic partnership lies in the in-depth integration of Baijiayun's leading advantages in three dimensions - underlying audio and video technology, educational scenario-based capabilities, and AI innovation - with Kingsoft Office's WPS Smart Education Platform, jointly shaping the core competitiveness of the next generation of smart education.

At the underlying technology level, Baijiayun's self-developed high-performance underlying audio and video capabilities serve as a solid technical foundation, which provides stable, high-definition, and low-latency real-time interactive experience. Combined with the reliability of the multi-cloud hybrid architecture, it ensures that online teaching is as smooth and natural as offline teaching, significantly enhancing the sense of presence and effectiveness of remote teaching and providing strong support for all online education scenarios.

At the scenario-based capabilities level, Baijiayun's rich product experience accumulated over years of deep engagement in education is an important source of empowerment. The mature methodologies formed by Baijiayun in aspects such as large-class teaching operation, small-class interactive design, and one on one personalized teaching support will help the WPS platform flexibly meet diverse needs ranging from K12 classrooms to university seminars, from regular teaching to special training, effectively enhancing the platform's educational service capabilities and user experience.

At the intelligent driving level, Baijiayun's cutting-edge strength in the field of artificial intelligence is a key upgrade engine. Its AI knowledge base has excellent document understanding and structured data processing capabilities, which can efficiently analyze complex teaching materials and data tables. Baijiayun's AI agent ecosystem contains a rich matrix of intelligent interaction tools, which not only reconstructs the modes of knowledge acquisition and teacher-student interaction but also continuously optimizes the service experience through its self-evolving capabilities.

Look forward to the future, the strategic partnership between Baijiayun and Kingsoft Office will significantly accelerate the large-scale implementation process of AI technology in core educational scenarios. Relying on the new smart education platform, the two enterprises will deeply serve education industry clients, jointly explore the in-depth application and value realization of cutting-edge AI technologies such as AI intelligent interactions in key education components.

By jointly creating industry benchmark cases and continuously expanding the effectiveness boundaries of smart education, Baijiayun and Kingsoft Office are committed to deeply empowering the education industry with innovative AI capabilities, building a more intelligent and efficient new paradigm of educational services, and jointly leading the future landscape of China's educational digitization development.

About Baijiayun Group Ltd

Baijiayun is a one-stop AI video solution provider with core expertise in SaaS/PaaS solutions. Baijiayun is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality video experiences across devices and localities and has grown rapidly since its inception in 2017. Premised on its industry-leading video-centric technologies, Baijiayun offers a wealth of video-centric technology solutions, including Video SaaS/PaaS, Video Cloud and Software, and Video AI and System Solutions. Baijiayun caters to the evolving communications and collaboration needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries. For more information, please visit www.baijiayun.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," and "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change.

The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the documents the Company has filed or furnished or may file or furnish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.

For investor and media enquiries, please contact:

Company Contact:

Ms. Fangfei Liu

Chief Financial Officer, Baijiayun Group Ltd

Phone: +86 25 8222 1596

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Baijiayun Group Ltd
Statement from Kathy Crosby, CEO and President of Truth Initiative

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to authorize the marketing of tobacco and menthol-flavored JUUL e-cigarette products underscores the need for continued vigilance in protecting young people from nicotine initiation and addiction.

The FDA's responsibility is to protect public health, and authorization decisions are based on a rigorous scientific review of whether a product is "appropriate for the protection of public health"a high bar that includes consideration of both adults who smoke and the risks to youth. But authorization alone is not a guarantee of sustained public benefit over time, especially when the product has a documented history of youth appeal and nicotine addiction.

JUUL's history is inseparable from the youth e-cigarette epidemic that emerged in the late 2010s. Its role in addicting a generation of young people is well documentedboth in research and in legal settlements totaling more than $1 billion. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, JUUL remains one of the top five e-cigarette brands used by youth overall, including 12.6% of current middle and high school e-cigarette users. It was also the third most popular brand among middle school users. These findings make clear that JUUL continues to appeal to youth, despite years of public health efforts to prevent use.

Menthol, in particular, plays a troubling role in youth initiation and addiction. It masks the harshness of nicotine, making it easier for young people to startand harder to stop. Research shows that menthol use among youth surged during the time of JUUL's rise. That early exposure has had lasting effects: today's 18- to 24-year-oldsoften referred to as the JUUL generationnow have the highest e-cigarette use rates of any age group. At Truth Initiative, we are committed to helping them break free from addiction through our field-leading EX Program, a free and proven resource for quitting.

Truth Initiative remains steadfast in our mission to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and to empower quitting for all. That means holding the line against flavored products that appeal to youth and ensuring robust enforcement against illegal products flooding the market.

Progress is possiblewe've helped drive youth vaping to its lowest levels in a decadebut authorization of any product with demonstrated youth appeal must be met with rigorous safeguards and accountability. Continued vigilance must include strong post-market surveillance, regular reviews of marketing practices, and swift enforcement against any violations. This decision must not weaken our resolve to protect the next generation.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading cessation EX Program and national public education and prevention campaigns, we are leading the fight against youth and young adult tobacco use, which threatens to put a new generation at risk of lifetime nicotine addiction. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment continue to contribute to ending one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington, D.C., our organization was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories, and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative
Exclusive discounts, cashback, and exchange rate perks for international travelers

SHANGHAI, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International has officially launched its 2025 Global Summer Campaign, rolling out exclusive offers for international travelers as the global holiday season peaks. UnionPay cardholders can enjoy a wide range of summer privileges across more than 100,000 partner merchants in 25 popular destinations. Benefits include merchant discounts, favorable exchange rates, and bank-backed cashback, all of which are designed to enhance the shopping, dining, and travel experiences for global users. (https://www.unionpayintl.com/cardholderServ/serviceCenter/merchant?language=en)

"Summer is when joyful memories are made, and we want UnionPay to be part of them," said Zhuang Bei, vice president of UnionPay International. "Whether you're shopping in Paris, dining in Tokyo, or exploring a theme park with family in Singapore, our global summer campaign makes every experience more affordable, smoother, and more memorable."

This year's campaign reflects the strong rebound in global travel, with destinations across Asia and Europe seeing significant surges in popularity. Bookings to countries such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom have notably increased. In response, UnionPay has expanded its global merchant network, collaborating with retailers in 35 international airports and 60 major shopping districts to offer cardholders exclusive summer privileges.

UnionPay has also partnered with the world's top duty-free groups, leading department stores, and outlet malls to offer exclusive discounts on global brands. Cardholders can also enjoy savings at over 3,500 local dining spots, cafes, and seafood markets, with instant deals available through platforms like Dianping and Uber Eats.

For family travelers during the school holidays, UnionPay has introduced themed offers in collaboration with eight world-renowned attractions. At locations such as Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore and the Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship, UnionPay users can receive cashback or instant discounts when spending meets specified thresholds.

Flight and transportation perks are also part of the campaign. UnionPay cardholders can enjoy exclusive offers when booking with international airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Air China. Travelers can also access UnionPay discounts when topping up transit cards in Japan and Hong Kong SAR, or when making payments with J-Coin Pay in Japan and ZeroPay in Korea, with discounts of up to 10% available.

In addition to boost global retail by delivering travel savings, UnionPay continues to provide favorable exchange rates to Chinese travelers across over 30 destinations, including Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East. Cardholders who enroll through the UnionPay App and meet spending thresholds are eligible for upgraded rates. Meanwhile, 16 partner banks in Chinese Mainland, including ICBC, ABC, BOC, CCB and CMB, are offering up to 12% UnionPay card cashback on cross-border transactions, driving foot traffic for global merchants. For inbound China, more than 40 international banks issue UnionPay SplendorPlus Card, tailoring exclusive cashback and promotions for spending within the tour in China.

Now accepted in 183 countries and regions, with more than 73 million online and offline merchants and 1.7 million ATMs worldwide, UnionPay is strengthening its position as a preferred cross-border payment solution. With this global summer campaign, UnionPay International continues to deliver value, convenience, and reliability to travelers at every step of their journey.
Moonhub was an AI-driven recruiting platform founded in June 2022 by Nancy Xu, a former Meta engineer. The company specialized in developing AI tools to automate and enhance the recruitment process, aiming to democratize access to job opportunities globally. Moonhub was featured in The AI Furnaces AI Hot 100 startups.

What does Moonhub do?

Moonhub developed AI agents designed to streamline the hiring process by sourcing, vetting, and engaging top talent. Their flagship product, the AI Recruiter, utilized proprietary AI to identify qualified candidates across millions of profiles, engage them with personalized messages at scale, and monitor intent states in real-time to facilitate smooth handoffs and escalations. This approach aimed to accelerate hiring timelines and reduce costs for organizations.

Key Capabilities

Qualify AI : Automatically identifies the most qualified candidates for any job across millions of profiles.

: Automatically identifies the most qualified candidates for any job across millions of profiles. Engage AI : Outreaches and converts cold leads to ready-to-interview candidates with personalized messages at scale.

: Outreaches and converts cold leads to ready-to-interview candidates with personalized messages at scale. Monitor AI : Analyzes intent states in real-time and performs smooth handoffs and escalations as needed.

: Analyzes intent states in real-time and performs smooth handoffs and escalations as needed. Rapid Deployment : Enables organizations to get started in minutes, delivering ready-to-hire candidates the same day.

: Enables organizations to get started in minutes, delivering ready-to-hire candidates the same day. Global Talent Access : Provides direct access to a wide pool of talent, facilitating flexible scaling and global employment.

: Provides direct access to a wide pool of talent, facilitating flexible scaling and global employment. Cost Efficiency : Aims to hire talent five times faster at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional agencies.

: Aims to hire talent five times faster at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional agencies. Expert Support: Offers dedicated support to assist organizations in building their global teams.

Why it stands out

Moonhubs AI-driven approach to recruitment distinguished it from traditional agencies by offering direct access to talent, superhuman speed, and cost-effective solutions. Their technology efficiently sifted through vast candidate pools, identifying top talent and reducing time-to-hire by 50%. Clients reported interviewing 80% of the candidates presented by Moonhub, highlighting the effectiveness of their AI agents.

Quick Facts

Founded : June 2022

: June 2022 Headquarters : Menlo Park, California

: Menlo Park, California Website : moonhub.ai

: moonhub.ai LinkedIn: Moonhub AI

In June 2025, Moonhub announced that its team would be joining Salesforce, an early investor in the company. This move aimed to accelerate Salesforces AI strategy, including the development of Agentforce, a platform for building and deploying AI agents across business functions.

Prior to this, Moonhub had raised over $14 million in funding from investors such as Khosla Ventures, AIX Ventures, Day One Ventures, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Salesforce.

Moonhubs innovative use of AI in recruitment processes has set a precedent for how AI can disrupt traditional HR models, emphasizing the importance of ethical, explainable AI in talent acquisition.

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The Mastery of Business and Empathy challenges traditional MBA education by placing empathy at the heart of leadership for the Next Economy.

Traditional business education is getting a radical makeover. The Mastery of Business and Empathy (MBE), a 10-month leadership program created by Small Giants Academy in 2021, is challenging the conventional MBA model by placing empathy at the heart of business leadership.

Traditional leadership has led economies and communities to significant social and environmental turmoil, says Tamsin Jones, Head of MBE & Programs at Small Giants Academy. The MBE responds to the urgent need for new business paradigms and creates a model for values-driven leadership in a rapidly changing world.

The program brings together world-leading regenerative thinkers, practitioners, and wisdom keepers to share practical tools and philosophies for reinventing business for what they call the Next Economy. Globally renowned speakers include Nate Hagens, Nora Bateson, Daniel Schmachtenberger, Jay Coen Gilbert, and Lorna Davis, plus executives from Patagonia, B Corp, Future Super, and Greenpeace.

Traditional schools take notice

The University of Oxfords Said Business School recognizes the programs significance. Bronwyn Dugtig notes: At a time when traditional forms of leadership are failing to meet the needs of the next economy, we need to rethink business leadership education. This amazing program, the Mastery of Business and Empathy, seeks to respond to this critical moment in history and raise the bar of what we should be expecting from our leaders.

The programs impact extends beyond the classroom. Elle Pound, who joined the 2023 cohort while working at Rio Tinto, found the experience transformative. The MBE reshaped how I lead, says Elle. It allowed me to bring a refreshed compassion and empathy to my leadership style which has accelerated my growth  both personally and professionally  and helped me to confidently step into senior roles at Rio Tinto.

Since completing the program, Elle has been promoted to Senior Manager Social Impact with Rio Tinto, leading a team that provides technical support and strategic guidance on social impact globally. She describes the experience candidly: The MBE is like a guerilla attack on the soul. You sign on hoping to hone your leadership skills and broaden your business acumen and are then plunged into the ice bath of deep self reflection and uncomfortable truths.

Similarly, Jo Brick, who began her MBE in 2022 while working at the Royal Australian Air Force, credits the program with transforming her approach to leadership in national security. The MBE changed me as a leader, says Jo. It taught me the importance of empathy, and understanding an issue, or the world, through different perspectives. It is the key to enriching human engagement and connection, which are essential in the work that I do as a leader and in regional engagement.

Industry leaders endorse approach

The programs influence reaches into various sectors. Dane OShanassay, Patagonia Country Director AU & NZ, emphasizes its relevance to addressing climate challenges: The ambition required to fix the climate crisis cant be understated. Every sector, every business, and every leader, needs to figure out how to contribute to creating a future where nature, community and commerce can thrive. The Mastery of Business and Empathy course is equipping business leaders with the tools, network, and confidence they need to do just that. I might be biased, but I think its one of the most important and transformational business courses out there.

Now in its fifth year, the program continues to evolve leaders across industries. Were seeing a profound ripple effect of the MBE in catalysing purpose-driven business leadership, says Tamsin. Our alumni are pivoting careers, launching ventures, creating meaningful collaborations and steering big and bold business decisions that influence positive impact in this world.

The MBE represents more than just an alternative to traditional business education: its a response to the growing recognition that empathy and systems thinking are essential skills for navigating complex global challenges. As business leaders grapple with climate change, social inequality, and economic uncertainty, programs like the MBE offer a different path forward, one that prioritizes human connection alongside profit margins.

More here.

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New York, July 18 : An Indian-origin businessman and the police chiefs of three cities in the US have been charged with visa fraud, allegedly by exploiting a provision to help crime victims.

Chandrakant "Lala" Patel paid police in three cities in Louisiana state to create fraudulent armed robbery cases and list people he proposed as victims to enable them to claim visas meant for crime victims, officials said on Wednesday.

A federal grand jury framed fraud and conspiracy charges against them and a marshal, acting federal prosecutor Alexander Van Hook, in Lafayette, Louisiana, said.

In the US legal system, a grand jury is a citizen's panel that determines whether there is a prima facie case to bring charges.

Patel, who had himself received a visa meant for crime victims, paid the police officials $5,000 for each of the people he referred to them to make up crimes and show them as victims, according to court papers.

Known as "U Visas", they are meant to allow them to stay in the country to testify in the case.

The documents list 25 people identified with the last name Patel and only initials as those who were listed as victims in the reports by police officials.

Patel and the police officials knew that those individuals who claimed to be "cooperating victims" were "never victims of the crimes", according to the charging document.

In a separate development at the state level in Louisiana, Allison Doyle, the wife of Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, was arrested on state corruption charges, according to KPLC TV.

She was not charged in the federal case, but her husband was, along with Police Chiefs Glynn Dixon of Forest Hill, Tebo Onishea of Glenmora, and Oakdale Marshal Michael Slaney.

Chandrakant Patel was the owner of two stores and the operator of a fast food restaurant.

Court papers said officials traced $230,000 and property work $51,000 connected to Patel in this case.

There have been several cases of Indian involvement in crime victim visa fraud.

In a recent case, two Indian-origin men admitted in a Massachusetts federal court in May to faking armed robberies to enable store employees or owners to claim the U Visas.

Officials said that Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh staged armed robberies of at least nine establishments  shops, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants- across the US. They are awaiting sentencing.

According to court papers in that case, a person posing as a "robber" would threaten the employees or owners of the businesses, brandishing a firearm, and rob them while the incident was being recorded.

Those claiming to be "victims" would wait till the "robber" got away before calling the police.

Those claiming to be victims paid Patel, in one case $20,000, to stage the robbery.
Damascus, July 18 : The death toll from this week's deadly clashes in southern Syria's Sweida province has risen to nearly 600, as tensions continued amid an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Sweida, state-run media and a war monitor reported.

According to Syria's official news agency SANA, an Israeli warplane launched a new air raid targeting the vicinity of Sweida city, a day after Israeli strikes hit military and symbolic state sites in Damascus. No immediate casualties were reported from Thursday's strike.

The escalation comes as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 597 people had been killed since July 13, when fighting erupted between local Druze armed groups and Syrian government forces, sparking what the watchdog described as one of the deadliest episodes of intra-Syrian conflict in years, Xinhua news agency reported.

The observatory also warned of a growing humanitarian crisis as Arab Bedouin families continue to flee areas across Sweida amid reports of intimidation, sectarian reprisals, and siege-like conditions.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Thursday night, the Syrian interim authorities said the military had withdrawn from Sweida in response to a US-Arab mediation effort aimed at de-escalating the deadly violence, but accused local armed factions of violating the ceasefire and committing "horrific crimes" against civilians.

What followed the withdrawal constituted "a blatant breach of these understandings," the statement said, alleging that the factions carried out "a horrific campaign of violence" threatening civil peace and pushing the country toward chaos and security collapse.

The interim authorities did not specify the violations. The remarks came hours after the observatory reported a series of summary executions and sectarian reprisals in Sweida, especially against members of Bedouin tribes.

The statement also reaffirmed the pledge to protect all Syrians and called on the international community to support efforts to restore stability.

Despite the withdrawal of interim government forces by dawn Thursday, conditions on the ground remain volatile, with mass displacement and fears of renewed Israeli airstrikes compounding the already dire humanitarian situation.

Additionally, Arab tribes from Deir al-Zour province and northern Syria, as well as interim government loyalists from Idlib, were said to have been mobilising to aid the Bedouins in Sweida, adding to the intensity of the situation in southern Syria.

An escalation in Sweida began Sunday after armed members of a Bedouin tribe in the countryside of Sweida, a predominantly Druze province, reportedly assaulted and robbed a young Druze man near the town of al-Masmiyah, along the Damascus-Sweida highway. The brutal attack sparked retaliatory kidnappings, spiraling into full-scale clashes between local Druze fighters, government troops, and Bedouin militias.

On Monday and Wednesday, Israel launched waves of strikes on Damascus and Sweida, claiming to prevent the Druze minority from being harmed. The attacks have met with strong condemnation from the international community.

Hours after the Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, a fragile ceasefire between Syria's interim government and Druze spiritual leaders entered into effect.
Brasilia, July 18 : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Brazil will not tolerate foreign interference in its internal affairs, amid growing tensions with the US over new tariffs and digital regulations.

Speaking to thousands of students at a national congress in Goiania in south-central Brazil on Thursday, Lula dismissed suggestions that the tariffs were linked to the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We won't accept interference from any foreign country," Lula said.

Lula pledged a civil and democratic response, while announcing that US-based digital platforms will be required to comply with Brazilian laws and pay taxes. He accused the companies of fueling disinformation and harming Brazilian society.

"This country is sovereign. No foreigner gives orders to the president of Brazil. My only boss is the Brazilian people," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the Brazilian government has formally protested the US decision to impose 50 per cent import tariffs on all Brazilian exports, effective August 1, warning of serious economic consequences and a strain on bilateral relations.

In a letter to US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Brazil conveyed its "indignation" over the move announced by US President Donald Trump on July 9.

The letter was jointly signed by Vice President and Development Minister Geraldo Alckmin and Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, said a statement released Wednesday by Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services.
Jerusalem, July 18 : Israel "deeply regrets" a bombing of Gaza's only Catholic church, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in an attack that killed three people and wounded at least 10 others.

In a statement, Netanyahu said the strike was caused by "stray ammunition" that hit the Holy Family Church, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," he said.

In a post on social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Israel Defense Forces was "examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear."

It added that the results of the investigation would be published "transparently."

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a sanctuary for civilians, a UN spokeswoman said.

"Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable," said Stephanie Tremblay, associate spokesperson for the UN chief. "People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes."

Too many lives have already been lost. The secretary-general calls on all parties to ensure that civilians are respected and protected at all times and allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza at scale, said Tremblay, adding that there is an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Mbabane, July 18 : Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita paid a courtesy call on the King of Eswatini, Mswati-III at Lozitha Palace during his official visit to the African Kingdom.

The MoS was warmly received by Foreign Minister of Eswatini Pholile Shakantu on his arrival in Easwatini's capital Mbabane, as he embarked on a multi-nation official visit to the African continent.

"Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, welcomed by Foreign Minister of Eswatini Senator Pholile Shakantu upon arrival at Mbabane," High Commission of India in Mbabane posted on X.

The visit is aimed at engaging in meaningful discussions and boosting bilateral relations between the two nations.

"Arrived in the beautiful Kingdom of Eswatini for a bilateral visit. Looking forward to engaging in meaningful engagements and further strengthening the bilateral ties between our two friendly nations," said Margherita in a post on X.

In Eswatini, MoS Margherita will call on the Prime Minister of the Kingdom and will also hold official talks with the Foreign Minister of Eswatini to discuss matters of mutual interest and to review the progress of bilateral relations.

"The visit will focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade & investment, capacity building, development partnership and people-to-people exchanges. MoS (PM) will also engage with the Indian diaspora and participate in events highlighting India's development partnership initiatives in Eswatini. This visit is expected to further enhance the longstanding and friendly relations between India and the Kingdom of Eswatini," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ahead of MoS Margherita's visit.

The multi-nation official visit to the African continent is part of India's broader diplomatic engagement with African nations and is aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation, exploring new avenues of partnership, and representing India at the upcoming G20 Development Ministerial Meetings (DMM) in South Africa.

The visit will also take him to the Kingdom of Lesotho, scheduled from July 18-22, followed by South Africa from July 23-25.
Srinagar, July 18 : A batch of 7,908 pilgrims left for Kashmir from Jammu on Friday, a day after the Amarnath Yatra was suspended due to bad weather.

Officials said over 2.52 lakh yatris have so far performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra since it started on July 3.

"Another batch of 7,908 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. First escorted convoy of 92 vehicles carrying 2,879 yatris left at 3.30 a.m. for Baltal base camp while the second escorted convoy of 169 vehicles carrying 5,029 yatris left at 4.25 a.m. for Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp," officials said.

Bhumi Pujan of 'Chhari Mubarak' (Lord Shiva's Holy Mace) was performed at Pahalgam on July 10. The Chhari Mubarak was taken to Pahalgam by a group of seers led by the sole custodian of the Chhari Mubarak, Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, from its seat at the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar to Pahalgam.

In Pahalgam, the Chhari Mubarak was taken to the Gauri Shankar temple, where the Bhumi Pujan was held.

The Chhari Mubarak was then taken back to its seat at the Dashnami Akhara building. It will start its final journey towards the cave shrine from Dashnami Akhara temple in Srinagar on August 4 and will reach the holy cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of the Yatra.

Authorities have made extensive multi-tier security arrangements for this year's Amarnath Yatra, as this takes place after the cowardly attack of April 22 in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them based on faith in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

An additional 180 companies of CAPFs have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB and the local police.

This year, the Yatra started on July 3 and will end after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Yatris approach the holy cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas either from the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route.

Those using the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni to reach the cave shrine, covering a distance of 46 km on foot. This trek takes a pilgrim four days to get to the cave shrine. And, those using the shorter Baltal route have to trek 14 km to reach the cave shrine and return to the base camp the same day after having darshan.

No helicopter services are available to Yatris this year due to security reasons.

The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
Mumbai, July 18 : Global music sensation AP Dhillon has teamed up with legendary vocalist Shreya Ghoshal and Tara Sutaria for the song "Thodi Si Daaru". The Bollywood actress said that filming with the synth-pop star was an absolute joy for her.

Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) Global music sensation AP Dhillon has teamed up with legendary vocalist Shreya Ghoshal and Tara Sutaria for the song "Thodi Si Daaru". The Bollywood actress said that filming with the synth-pop star was an absolute joy for her.

Tara said: "When I first heard 'Thodi Si Daaru,' I was hooked - it's a fun and flirty piece of music and so different to what I'd heard before in AP's records."

"Filming with him was an absolute joy and we laughed and danced our shoot away he's been wonderful to collaborate with, and that made the process feel effortless."

She went on to talk about Shreya and said: "To be the face of my favourite and dearest Shreya ma'am's voice again this year is a great joy and honour for me! Her gorgeous voice in the mix just gave the song an extra edge, as always. I hope listeners will enjoy this as much as we did while making it. "

Written by Shinda Kahlon, "Thodi Si Daaru" is about late-night moments when a little drink brings old memories rushing back. Dhillon brings the honest, unfiltered emotion, while Shreya Ghoshal's calm and graceful voice adds a different perspective.

Talking about the collaboration, AP Dhillon shares: "I've always wanted to experiment with new sounds and vibes, and working with the iconic Shreya Ghoshal was such a refreshing change and an honour. She brought this beautiful calm to the track that balanced my energy."

He said that Tara brought her charm to the video.

"She understood the mood we were trying to capture and just became part of the story effortlessly," said Dhillon.

Shreya said that when she first heard the track, she was intrigued and instantly engaged.

"AP is someone who sings with his heart, and that made the collaboration feel very natural. We had this easy chemistry in the studio, which made the whole collaboration feel like a real conversation between friends. I think that honesty comes through in the track, and I hope listeners feel that connection too," she said.

"Thodi Si Daaru" is now streaming on all major platforms.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Over 140 Vietnamese have been arrested in Cambodia for allegedly working at online scam centers, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"According to information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, on July 14, more than 140 Vietnamese citizens were detained by Cambodian authorities for engaging in criminal activities regarding online fraud," said ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang at a press briefing on July 17.

Vietnamese diplomats in Cambodia have contacted local authorities to verify the identities of those detained and requested that Cambodian officials ensure adequate living conditions for them. The ministry said it is working with both domestic agencies and Cambodian authorities to carry out the necessary procedures to bring the citizens home as soon as possible.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to tell Vietnamese citizens to be vigilant to invitations to go abroad for easy work with high salary, without requirement of degrees, qualifications; without contracts, no business or organization in place... Citizens need to do careful research on jobs, including in-charge units, expected work locations, the person introducing, among others to make the right decision before going abroad to work," Hang warned.

Cambodia's crackdown on online fraud has intensified under orders from Prime Minister Hun Manet. According to Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra, police arrested more than 1,000 people, mostly foreign nationals, during coordinated raids between July 14 and 16 on suspected scam compounds across the country.

Authorities seized computers, hundreds of mobile phones and other equipment. The Vietnamese suspects were detained in Kratie and Pursat provinces.

According to the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of people across Southeast Asia have been trafficked and forced to work in illegal online scam centers. A 2023 UN report estimated these networks rake in billions of dollars in illicit profits each year.
New Delhi, July 18 : A significant hearing is scheduled on Friday in the long-standing Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute at the Allahabad High Court.

New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) A significant hearing is scheduled on Friday in the long-standing Shri Krishna Janmabhoomia"Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute at the Allahabad High Court.

The court is expected to begin proceedings post 2 p.m., where a total of 18 related petitions will come up for consideration.

A key point in the hearing is the request to club all petitions and hear them together to streamline the legal process.

The court may also deliver a decision on whether or not these petitions will be jointly heard going forward, which could have a major impact on the pace and structure of the legal proceedings.

Multiple facets of the case will be discussed during Fridayas hearing, some of which could be pivotal in shaping the future course of this legal battle.

Petitioner and advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh commented on the significance of the hearing, stating:

"In the matter of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah dispute, a hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. today. Our special request to the Honable Court will be to ensure an early resolution of the case so that it can proceed swiftly. We also believe that the Shahi Idgah side is deliberately delaying the proceedings, with the intent of stalling the case. Therefore, we will appeal to the Honable Court to expedite the hearing and ensure that the matter progresses without unnecessary obstruction from the other side."

The case, which dates back decades, revolves around the Hindu sideas claim that the Shahi Idgah Masjid was constructed atop the original birthplace of Lord Krishna. The Muslim side firmly disputes this assertion.

Additionally, there may be deliberations on the Muslim sideas objection to the proposed aHindu Chetna Yatraa, which has stirred controversy. The issue may be taken up in court, adding another dimension to the dayas proceedings.

Both sides are expected to present strong arguments, as the outcome will significantly influence the timeline and trajectory of this high-profile legal dispute.
New Delhi, July 18 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered money laundering cases in three different scams that took place during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi.

The agency has filed Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), the equivalent of an FIR, in hospital construction, CCTV, and shelter home scams worth Rs 6,368 crore.

After the filing of the case, the ED is likely to send a summons to senior AAP leaders for questioning.

The CBI and ACB are also investigating these scams.

On the basis of their investigation and the FIR copy, the ED has registered money laundering cases. However, official confirmation from ED was awaited.

In the hospital construction case, former health ministers and AAP leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain were booked by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Delhi, for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects involving 24 hospitals and expenditure of Rs 5,590 crore by the then Delhi government.

The cheating, breach of trust and conspiracy case was registered after the Centre, on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena, granted sanction for proceedings against the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The financial embezzlement linked to the projects, mired in inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns, took place in 2018-19.

Massive irregularities, unexplained delays, and significant misappropriation of funds were found in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city, said an investigator.

Substantial deviations and cost escalations, amounting to several hundred crores, were observed.

Not a single project was completed within the prescribed timeline, said the complaint by the then Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta. The complaint named former Health Ministers Bhardwaj and Jain, alleging systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.

In the CCTV 'scam' of Rs 571 crore, a project was launched by the AAP government in 2019 to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across all 70 Assembly constituencies in the national capital. The contract was awarded, but the work was not completed on time.

In the shelter home case, the ED has alleged corruption in the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) during AAP's tenure, claiming that Rs 207 crore was embezzled using fake fixed deposit receipts.
New Delhi, July 18 : Many schools in Delhi's Dwarka got bomb threats on Friday, making it yet another instance to rock the national Capital. The security establishment went into a tizzy and all investigations were started on a war footing as the authorities refused to take a chance with the safety and security of children.

According to the police the bomb threat came from one email only and five schools in the city were copied into it. The schools that got the threat were St. Thomas School near Sector 19 in Dwarka, Delhi International School Edge, Sector 18 A, Dwarka, Central Academy School, Sector 10 Dwarka, G.D. Goneka School Sector 17, Dwarka and Modern International School, Sector 19 in Dwarka.

The bomb threat sent the school administrations, students and parents into a state of panic and the schools were emptied of all people and staff and some of the schools announced that they would take classes in online mode to ensure the safety of the students.

The Delhi Police began immediate searches in the schools that had received the bomb threat and as per protocol dog squads, bomb squad and teams from the fire department were pressed into service.

However, after hours of searches, the police declared that no suspicious or threatening object had been found in any of the schools during the extensive operations that were immediately launched by the establishment.

The police are trying to trace the source of the threatening email, and also determine the identity of the miscreant who sent the bomb threats.

Police are not letting their guard down and are monitoring the situation closely.

This is not the first time that schools in Delhi have received bomb threats by email and it seems to have become a trend to disrupt classes like this and waste the time of the law enforcement and civic agencies.

Earlier, on July 16 there was an email threat to blow up Vasant Valley School in South Delhi and St Thomas School in Dwarka.

Reacting to the development, former Chief Minister of Delhi Atishi posted on her official X handle, "More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking!"
Hyderabad, July 18 : The advertisements of Telangana's Congress government about the caste census and increase in the reservation for Backward Classes, published in some Hindi newspapers in Bihar, have raised eyebrows in some quarters.

The advertisement carries pictures of only the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

As the pictures of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were missing, BJP's national spokesman Ajay Alok wondered if this is a sign of a new era for Congress.

"For the first time, an advertisement of a Congress government, that too on "caste census", lacks the pictures of "Rajmata and Yuvaraj". Is this a sign of a new era for Congress??? "Gandhi-free Congress"  this idea will enthuse Congress workers," the BJP leader posted on the social media platform X.

The BJP spokesman's post drew a strong reaction from the Congress supporters. One of them posted an advertisement for the Manipur government and wrote that 'the superhero isn't shown up'.

Others raised an objection to the language used by the BJP spokesperson in his post. A social media user told him that his ideology spews poison.

With his post drawing the backlash, Ajay Alok wrote: "Got a bit too excited. A shower of abuses is pouring in."

The advertisements released by the government of Telangana were published on Friday in Hindi newspapers in Bihar, where Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October-November.

Through these advertisements, the Congress government of Telangana tried to highlight the measures taken for social justice in the state.

The state government, which conducted a caste census early this year, has also decided to increase the reservation for Backward Classes from 23 per cent to 42 per cent.

The Telangana Assembly passed two Bills in March to increase the BC quota in education, employment and local bodies. The Bills were sent to the Centre for Presidential assent.

With the Centre yet to give its approval, the Cabinet last week decided to issue an ordinance to increase the BC reservation to 42 per cent in the ensuing local body elections.
Kolkata, July 18 : BJP's former national vice-president and the party's ex-state chief in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, on Friday morning, left for New Delhi just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be addressing a crucial political rally at the industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district later in the day.

Before leaving for Delhi, Ghosh also made an explosive statement to the media, claiming that he had decided not to attend the Prime Minister's rally at the last moment, as the party's leadership did not want him to attend.

"Initially, I said I would attend the rally, as common party workers had demanded. But the party did not invite me to be there. Probably the party leadership does not want me to be there. Maybe my presence will be a cause of inconvenience for the leadership. So I am not attending the Prime Minister's rally," Ghosh said in the morning at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata before leaving for Delhi.

However, he made a loaded statement when asked why he was going specifically to Delhi on this crucial day. "I am going to Delhi with an assignment for the party," Ghosh said without elaborating further.

Dilip Ghosh also remained conspicuous by his absence at an earlier rally by PM Modi at Alipurduar district in May and the one by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, in Kolkata in June.

Ghosh, also a former Lok Sabha member of the BJP, attracted the ire of the party's state leadership after he attended the inauguration ceremony of Lord Jagannath Temple at Digha in East Midnapore district along with his newly-wedded wife in May this year, much to the disliking of the party leadership.

After videos of his cordial interaction with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee within the temple premises went viral, several BJP supporters criticised Ghosh over the development on social media, which posed embarrassment for the state party leadership.
New Delhi, July 18 : Rallying behind Robert Vadra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the charge sheet against his brother-in-law was nothing but an outcome of years of 'witch hunt' by the Centre.

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, took to social media on Friday to share his outburst against framing of charges against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, by the central investigating agency.

LoP Gandhi said that his brother-in-law has been hounded by the BJP government for the last ten years and vowed to stand with him and his family.

"I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically-motivated slander and harassment," he wrote on X.

He further said, "I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail."

Robert Vadra's troubles mounted on Thursday, after the ED filed a chargesheet against him in a money laundering case linked to land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur area.

Notably, this is for the first time that any investigating agency has filed a prosecution complaint against the 56-year-old businessman in the land deal case.

The prosecution complaint filed before the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) arrayed a total of 11 accused individuals/entities in the case, including Robert Vadra and his Sky Light Hospitality, Satyanand Yajee, Kewal Singh Virk, and Onkareshwar Properties.

As per the ED's chargesheet, Vadra's Skylight Hospitality "fraudulently" purchased 3.53 acres of land situated in the village of Shikohpur in Haryana's Gurugram district for Rs 7.5 crore from Onkareshwar Properties through "false declaration".

The land purchase deal in question was executed in February 2008 when the Congress was at the helm in Haryana, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the chief minister.

The mutation process, which usually takes months, was done the next day. Months later, Vadra received a permit to develop a housing society on the land, and the value of the plot increased. He sold it to DLF in June at Rs 58 crore.
Seoul, July 18 : Local farmers' groups on Friday intensified calls to protect South Korea's agricultural and livestock industries in ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, threatening to take collective action if the Seoul government agrees to further open the country's agro-livestock market as a bargaining chip.

Upping the ante, four farmers' advocacy groups, including the federation of Korean agricultural and livestock associations, held a joint press conference in front of the presidential office in central Seoul, urging the government not to sacrifice the Korean agricultural and livestock sectors in a bid to strike a trade deal with the US, reports Yonhap news agency.

"We will not stand idly by if the government removes tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers on agricultural and livestock products without the consent of farmers," the groups said in a joint statement.

"If such a decision is made, we will launch large-scale collective action to ensure the sustainability of Korea's agriculture and to protect the right to health of 50 million Korean citizens," the statement read.

The farming and livestock industries have emerged as some of the most sensitive issues in the ongoing tariff negotiations between Seoul and Washington, with the U.S. pressuring Korea over a wide range of non-tariff measures, including its import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months or older due to concerns over mad cow disease.

In a report on foreign trade barriers released earlier this year, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) also criticised Korea's regulatory system for agricultural biotechnology, such as living modified organisms (LMOs), and strict rules on agrochemical residues of imported agricultural products.

Opposition erupted from the Korean agriculture and livestock industries after Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told reporters Monday that trade negotiations on the sectors "always come with pain," but that some trade-offs could be strategically considered for a broader trade deal with the U.S., which, he argued, may lead to enhanced competitiveness of the industries in the future.

Yeo's remarks came after his visit to Washington last week, where he held trade talks with USTR Jamieson Greer, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other officials.

"South Korea is the fifth-largest importer of American agro-livestock products," the farmers groups said, noting that Seoul's imports of American agricultural and livestock products increased 56.6 percent over the past 15 years thanks to reduced tariffs under the countries' bilateral free trade agreement, which went into effect in 2012.

"Using the agricultural and livestock markets as a bargaining chip amid a worsening trade balance in the sectors effectively signals the government's abandonment of local industries," they added. "If our market is further opened, U.S. agricultural and livestock products will enter the country in greater volumes, putting increased pressure on the domestic market and threatening the foundation of South Korea's agricultural production."

a"IANS

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Patna, July 18 : The monsoon has gained momentum in Bihar, with heavy rainfall providing relief from heat and humidity in 14 districts, including Patna. As the monsoon picked up pace in Bihar, 19 people were killed in lightning strikes across the state.

The Meteorological Department on Friday issued a warning of heavy rainfall in West Champaran, Gopalganj, and Siwan over the next 24 hours, along with the possibility of strong winds (30-40 km/h) and lightning in north-central Bihar.

In the past 24 hours, Bhagwanpur in Kaimur recorded the highest rainfall at 160.4 mm.

Districts such as Vaishali, Rohtas, Aurangabad, and Madhubani also received good rainfall, helping bring down temperatures across the state.

A dense cloud cover in many areas during the evening created near-night conditions, making the weather pleasant.

According to the Meteorological Centre, Patna, a low-pressure area formed around southeast Uttar Pradesh and southwest Bihar is moving northwest.

This will further activate the rain system in Bihar from July 20 to 23, increasing the chances of widespread rainfall across the state.

Monsoon havoc has intensified, with continuous heavy rain over the last three to four days leading to rising river water levels, waterlogging, and flood-like conditions in several districts.

Tragically, 19 people lost their lives in lightning incidents across 10 districts on Thursday.

In Nalanda, 5 individuals lost their lives after they came under the impact of lightning strikes.

As many as 4 persons were also killed in Vaishali, 2 each in Banka and Patna and 1 each in Sheikhpura, Nawada, Jamui, Aurangabad, Samastipur and Jehanabad districts.

Additionally, 2 women suffered burn injuries in lightning incidents.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.

He has directed the Disaster Management Department to expedite relief and rehabilitation efforts across affected districts.

In a post on social media, CM Nitish Kumar stated: "It is sad that 19 people died due to lightning in 10 districts of the state. I stand with the affected families in this hour of disaster.

"Instructions have been given for the immediate disbursement of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased. People are urged to remain cautious during bad weather and follow the guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department. Stay indoors and stay safe during adverse weather conditions."

The Meteorological Department has advised farmers and those working outdoors to remain vigilant to avoid lightning strikes, with monsoon activity expected to continue and further cool the weather across Bihar in the coming days.
New Delhi, July 18 : In a significant development in the ongoing efforts to curb criminal activity in the national capital, a woman externee has been arrested in Delhi from the South West District.

The accused was identified as 55-year-old Bimla Devi, a resident of Mahavir Enclave Part-I, Palam, Delhi.

Devi was previously involved in 34 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Excise Act in various police stations in the national capital, DCP South West District Amit Goel said in a statement on Friday.

Notably, Devi was externed for a period of two years by the Additional DCP/South West district on April 29.

Acting on a tip-off regarding Devi, a trap was laid, and she was apprehended from the adjoining area of Palam Village.

The operation was executed by a team comprising SI Anil Kumar, ASI Ved Prakash, Ct. Rajesh, Ct. Farhaan and W/Ct. Somata under the leadership of Inspector Gajender Singh, under the close supervision of Vijay Kumar, ACP/Operations/SWD.

When asked, Devi failed to produce any court relief/stay/warrant or legal justification for her presence in the area, in clear violation of the externment order.

Legal action under the provisions of u/s 53/116 Delhi Police Act (penalty for entering or remaining in an area without permission) was taken against her.

After the arrest, Devi was produced before the concerned court, and the externment cell was also informed accordingly.

Notably, last month, the Special Staff of the South West District police arrested an externee.

The accused was identified as a 31-year-old Manish, resident of Brahmpuri, Pankha Road, Sagarpur.

Manish was directed to stay out of the area for one year under a legal order issued by the Additional DCP-I of South West District on August 27, 2024. However, he was found in the jurisdiction of the Sagarpur police station, Delhi, in clear violation of the externment order, after which he was arrested.
Chennai, July 18 : Director and actress Nandita Das has now made it clear that she was still very much into acting and that people must not assume that just because she directed films, she can't also act.

Taking to her Instagram page to pen a lengthy post on the topic, Nandita Das wrote, "I keep getting asked a" 'Do you still act?.' So, let me say it loud and clear a" YES, I do! Just because I direct films doesnat mean I canat also act! In a world that celebrates being amaster of onea, Jack of different (canat be all) trades is looked down upon. Why though? Kisko kya dikhana hai! What if you love doing multiple things. I am Jack and I think I can act! (shared some photos from my films, as a gentle reminder. In no particular order)."

Explaining why she was not seen much, the actress said, "Acting today is as much about visibility and social media as it is about the work. Maybe even more. And Iam becoming more of a recluse, which doesnat help. If something excites me, Iall do it. If not, I wonat. Being picky also doesnat help. Thankfully I have so many other things to do, not all in the media glare, and so I have no regrets at all."

Stating that many young filmmakers were often requesting her to produce their films, the actress said, "I so wish I could. But I am a producer, not by design, but necessity. I produce only to have creative freedom for my own work. My aproduction officea is often just my dining table! If I had funds, Iad love to support young filmmakers with their new voices, new stories."

She concluded the post, saying, "So yes a" if good acting roles come, or someone trusts me with a corpus to produce films I believe in, Iam all ears. And if you have some ideas or leads, please send them my way!"
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with his German Defense counterpart, Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius on July 14 and reaffirmed the strong relations between the two NATO allies.

In his welcoming remarks to Minister Pistorius, Secretary Hegseth noted, "I think we've seen incredible progress inside NATO and with Germany taking the leap on that upfront commitment to your spending, commitment to European leadership."

I want to commend you and thank you for that  to include the contributions and the partnership that we'll continue to undertake, he said.



Secretary Hegseth told the German Minister that the US is grateful for the support the German government gives to American troops stationed in Germany. "Thank you for many years of partnership and friendship in that regard," he said.



Prior to his meeting with Minister Pistorius, Secretary Hegseth joined President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other US officials and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, to discuss how the U.S. plans to support Ukraine going forward.

That plan involves the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, which NATO will pay for. In the interim, President Trump said, Germany has agreed to provide some of its own missiles to Ukraine, which NATO will eventually replace.

Germany, along with nearly every other NATO partner, has also recently committed to spending 5 percent of its gross domestic product on its defense, which greatly enhances NATO. And Secretary General Rutte added that Germany has stepped up "massively" to help keep Ukraine strong and to increase defense industrial production.

"I look forward to further partnership," Secretary Hegseth told his German counterpart, noting Germany's commitment to European security by putting a brigade in Lithuania, and its commitment to buy fifth generation fighter jets from the U.S. In 2022, Germany agreed to buy 35 F-35 aircraft.

Through a long-standing partnership, Minister Pistorius said, the U.S. and Germany have not only strengthened their own security, but also the security of other partners.

"Germany and the United States share a long-standing, deep and trusted partnership  a partnership that strengthens not only our two nations, but also benefits the entire transatlantic alliance," he said.

The German minister said it's understood that Germany would reach 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product in core defense spending by 2029.

The United States is fully committed to working even more closely with Germany in defense of both nations, Europe and the free world.
New Delhi, July 18 : Scientists have identified a key gene essential for vitamin D absorption, which may also boost treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The gene, called SDR42E1, is crucial for taking up vitamin D from the gut and further metabolising it -- a discovery with many possible applications in precision medicine, including cancer therapy.

"Here we show that blocking or inhibiting SDR42E1 may selectively stop the growth of cancer cells," said Dr Georges Nemer, Professor at the University of College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar.

Previous research showed that a specific mutation in the SDR42E1 gene on chromosome 16 is associated with vitamin D deficiency.

The mutation caused the protein to be cut short, rendering it inactive.

In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, the researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to transform the active form of SDR42E1 in a line of cells from a patient with colorectal cancer, called HCT116, into its inactive form.

In HCT116 cells, the expression of SDR42E1 is usually abundant, suggesting that the protein is essential for their survival.

Once the faulty SDR42E1 copy had been introduced, the viability of the cancer cells plummeted by 53 per cent, the researchers explained.

The results suggest that inhibiting the gene can selectively kill cancer cells, while leaving neighbouring cells unharmed.

"Our results open new potential avenues in precision oncology, though clinical translation still requires considerable validation and long-term development," said Dr Nagham Nafiz Hendi, Professor at Middle East University in Amman, Jordan.

"Because SDR42E1 is involved in vitamin D metabolism, we could also target it in any of the many diseases where vitamin D plays a regulatory role," said Nemer.

However, as long-term effects of SDR42E1 on vitamin D balance remain to be fully understood, the researchers stressed the need for further studies.
London, July 18 : Acclaimed Bollywood actress and cancer crusader Manisha Koirala spoke candidly about her health and revealed that when she learnt about having the deadly disease, she thought she is "going to die." London, July 18 (IANS) Acclaimed Bollywood actress and cancer crusader Manisha Koirala spoke candidly about her health and revealed that when she learnt about having the deadly disease, she thought she is "going to die."

Manish also shared her views on politics, life, and work at a special event hosted by Here & Now 365 at The Chambers, Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, London.

Reflecting on her personal battle with ovarian cancer in 2012, she shared: "When the doctor told me I had cancer, I thought, this is it. I'm going to die. But by God's grace, I didn't. I learned to live again. Resilience isn't a heroic burst. It's a series of small choices, made moment by moment," she said.

In conversation with Manish Tiwari, founder of Here and Now 365, shared her views on Nepal's political crisis.

"Every leader undoes what the previous leader did. That's why democracy doesn't seem to work in Nepal. No government lasts," said Koirala.

Describing herself firmly as a "democrat," she added: "I believe Nepal needs a monarchy on top so there's some balance."

Asked how she balances her family's political legacy with her own global fame, she said: "I love my country deeply. But I worry, there's a longing for dignity and stability. We need to rebuild institutions, not just governments."

The actress spoke about her Bollywood career spanning over three decades and recalled how she began without formal training.

"I hadn't even finished Class 12 and suddenly I was standing next to Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar on a film set!"

She starred in acclaimed films like '1942: A Love Story', 'Bombay', and 'Dil Se' but said the fame took a toll on her

"I burned out. I was working 18-19 hours a day Slowly, I lost direction."

During the discussion, Tiwari suggested she could lead a global film project to showcase Nepal beyond the obvious.

Manisha said: "That's a seed you've planted today let's see what grows."

Concluding on a lighter note, she said: "The Koirala women are so liberated, girls want to be a Koirala but no man wants to marry a Koirala girl!"
Mumbai, July 18 : Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited, has signed its first Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement with Government-owned power major NHPC Limited.

The project, secured under NHPCas BESS tranche-I tender through a competitive bidding route for Kerala State Electricity Board Limited being the end user of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) asset, involves setting up a 30 MW/120 MWh battery storage system at the 220 kV substation in Area code, Kerala, according to a Tata Power statement released on Friday.

The project will play a vital role in addressing peak power demand, enhancing grid flexibility, and enabling seamless integration of renewable energy in Kerala.

It is part of the NHPCas broader initiative to develop 125 MW/500 MWh of standalone battery storage capacity in the state of Kerala, under a tariff-based competitive bidding framework supported by Viability Gap Funding, the statement said.

The initiative supports the Government of Indiaas goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

Implemented under Ministry of Power guidelines, the project will operate under a 12-year BESPA. The project is slated for commissioning within 15 months, positioning storage as a key enabler of round the-clock renewable power and grid resilience, the statement explained.

In addition to this upcoming project, TPREL is already operating a Solar and BESS project at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. This project comprises a 100 MW solar photovoltaic plant integrated with a 120 MWh utility scale BESS, developed under an EPC contract awarded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited.

The project with NHPC marks TPRELas first win in the standalone BESS segment.

With this addition, TPREL's total renewable capacity now stands at approximately 10.9 GW, including 5.6 GW of operational projects, comprising 4.6 GW of solar and 1 GW of wind, and 5.3 GW under various stages of development, the company statement added.
Mumbai, July 18 : Ahaan Panday recently took a moment to express his heartfelt appreciation for his 'Saiyaara' co-star Aneet Padda.

In a touching post on Instagram, the debutant actor thanked Aneet for the invaluable lessons and quiet mentorship she offered during their journey together. Referring to Aneet as a "new star," he acknowledged the pride she brought to her parents with her achievements. In his post, Ahaan praised the actress for carving her path with hard work and grace and expressed how she had unknowingly mentored him throughout their time together.

Ananya Panday's cousin brother wrote, "To the girl in the yellow dress with the universe in her eyes we have a new star up there now, you've made mumma and papa Padda so proud, and you did it all by yourself I hope you're ready for the world to fall in love with you the way we all did. Thank you for the lessons and for the mentorship, even if you didn't know you were doing it Thank you, senior -Thank you starry eyed girl."

Alongside his heartfelt note, Ahaan Panday also shared a picture of Aneet Padda smiling brightly while pointing towards the poster of their film "Saiyaara."

Notably, the 'Big Girls Don't Cry' actress also penned a heartfelt note for Ahaan, calling him her 'best friend' and her 'favourite person.'

Aneet posted his photos and captioned it, "This is what unconditional love looks like The world is going to see the beauty of @ahaanpandayy , but I've had the honour of seeing it up close, where it's most true. I've tried to find the words. I've tried to make them enough. But nothing I say could ever carry the weight of what I feel. All I know is, I thank my stars that I get to have you in my life. My best friend, my favourite person. Ahaana meri jaana, Woh tum ho - mere saiyaara, my superstar. Tere hone se sab kuch theek lagta hai. Aur mere paas kehne ko sab kuch hai, par kehne jaisa kuch bhi nahi."

Produced by YRF, 'Saiyaara' was released in cinemas on July 18.
Hanoi, July 18 : Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive calling for strong and coordinated efforts to control African swine fever (ASF), local daily newspaper Nhan Dan (People) reported Friday.

Since early 2025, over 514 ASF outbreaks have occurred in 28 out of 34 provinces, killing or forcing the culling of more than 30,000 pigs nationwide, the report cited data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The directive urges local authorities to detect and eliminate outbreaks promptly, enforce strict culling, and punish illegal pig trading and carcass dumping that may spread the virus, according to the report, Xinhua news agency reported.

Veterinary agencies must guide farmers, expand safe zones, and promptly report outbreaks, while ministries are tasked with funding, monitoring, enforcing anti-smuggling, and raising public awareness of African swine fever prevention, the report added.

ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. It is not a threat to human health and does not affect other animal species. However, it can cause significant economic losses due to the high mortality rate in pigs and the resulting disruptions to trade and production.

ASF is caused by a virus that is highly resistant in the environment and can survive in various pork products.

The virus spreads through direct contact with infected pigs, their secretions or excretions, or through indirect contact via contaminated materials like vehicles, equipment, or food waste.

Infected pigs may exhibit a range of symptoms including high fever, loss of appetite, skin lesions, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, and in some cases, sudden death.

While originating in Africa, ASF has spread to Europe and Asia, with recent outbreaks in the Caribbean, posing a global threat to pig populations.

There is no treatment or vaccine available for ASF, making prevention the primary method of control.

ASF does not pose a risk to human health, and properly prepared pork products are safe to consume.
Johannesburg, July 18 : As more laboratory-confirmed mpox cases continue to be detected in South Africa, the National Department of Health has announced plans to commence vaccination to curb the spread of the disease.

"Vaccination helps control the spread of this preventable and manageable disease, with vaccinated individuals being protected from infection and from developing severe complications," Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said on Wednesday.

Following the recent detection of two new cases in the Western Cape and Gauteng, the department said the mpox vaccine would be made available in the three most affected provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal.

According to the department, 10 mpox cases have been recorded since the start of 2025. The outbreak in South Africa began in May 2024, with over 20 cases reported since then.

Residents of the three most affected provinces will be able to access the vaccine at public health facilities.

"Members of the public are urged to be extra vigilant for mpox symptoms, and those who suspect they are at risk of infection are advised to consult their nearest health facility or healthcare provider for screening and testing, and to find out if they are eligible for this life-saving vaccination," Mohale said.

Mohale further said that vaccine priority would be given to those at high risk of contracting the disease. This includes people who have been in contact with mpox patients, individuals who engage in sex with multiple partners, and those who travel to countries with high numbers of mpox cases. Vaccination will also be offered to pregnant women and children over the age of two, according to Mohale, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Africa's health department received about 10,500 doses of the mpox vaccine from the Africa Centres for Disease Control through the Access and Allocation Mechanism for Mpox, as part of efforts to combat outbreaks across the African continent. The mechanism was established by the World Health Organization in coordination with its members.
Sydney, July 18 : Authorities have found the wreckage of a plane that went missing in eastern Australia, describing the crash as unsurvivable.

An emergency search was launched on Tuesday when the light aircraft, which was being piloted by 74-year-old sole occupant David Stephens, failed to reach its intended destination at a regional airport south of Sydney in the state of New South Wales (NSW).

NSW Police confirmed on Friday that the wreckage of the plane, a single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair 35-C33, was found by a rescue helicopter around 4 pm on Thursday in the state's Snowy Mountains region, Xinhua news agency reported.

Superintendent Andrew Spliet told reporters that the plane had been completely destroyed in the crash and that it was "fairly clear it wouldn't be survivable."

On July 17, an emergency search was underway for a light aircraft that failed to arrive at its destination in eastern Australia.

A multi-agency search for the missing aircraft commenced on Wednesday and resumed on Thursday morning, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Thursday.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement that the plane had departed from Wangaratta, 340 km west of Moruya in the state of Victoria, and that its last known position was in NSW's Snowy Mountains near the town of Khancoban, approximately halfway along its route.

It said that a jet and helicopters were conducting a search from the air, but that weather conditions were challenging with low clouds and restricted visibility.

NSW Police, the State Emergency Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and personnel from a nearby hydroelectric plant are conducting a ground search.

Snow showers and temperatures as low as one degree Celsius were forecast for Khancoban on Thursday.
Mumbai, July 18 : India's tyre sector will see steady revenue growth of 7-8 per cent during the current financial year, driven by replacement demand that accounts for half of annual sales, even as offtake by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will likely be subdued and exports steady, according to Crisil Ratings report released on Friday.

Rising premiumisation is expected to give a slight leg-up to realisations. However, escalating trade tensions and the risk of dumping by Chinese producers diverting inventories because of US tariffs could pose challenges, the report states.

Operating profitability is likely to remain steady at 13-13.5 per cent, supported by stable input costs and healthy capacity utilisation. This, along with strong accruals, lean balance sheets and calibrated capital spending, should help sustain the sector's stable credit outlook, according to the report.

The report is based on an analysis of India's top six tyre makers, catering to all vehicle segments and accounting for 85 per cent of the sector's approximately Rs one lakh crore revenue.

Domestic demand remains the mainstay, propelling around 75 per cent of total volume, with exports making up the rest.

Crisil Ratings senior director Anuj Sethi said, "Volume growth is seen at 5-6 per cent this fiscal, mirroring last fiscal. The replacement segment, accounting for around 50 per cent of volume, is set to grow 6-7 per cent on the back of a large vehicle base, strong freight movement and rural recovery. OEM volume (25 per cent) will likely rise 3-4 per cent, supported by steady two-wheeler and tractor sales, and modest growth in passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Export volume (25 per cent) is expected to grow 4-5 per cent, supported by demand from Europe, Africa and Latin America."

The export momentum, however, comes with risks. The US, accounting for around 17 per cent of India's tyre export volume last fiscal, and 4-5 per cent of overall industry volume, has imposed reciprocal tariffs on several Indian goods, potentially eroding price competitiveness. And steep US tariffs limit China's access to that market, raising the risk of excess supply being diverted into price-sensitive markets such as India, the report further states.

To curb cheap imports, India imposes anti-dumping and countervailing duties, including a 17.57 per cent levy, on large truck and bus radials from China. However, a broader influx of low-cost tyres across other segments could pressure domestic realisations without timely safeguards.

Besides, stiff competition in the replacement market will keep operating profitability rangebound at 13.0-13.5 per cent this fiscal.

With nearly half of the raw material imported, the sector is exposed to global prices and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. In fiscal 2025, natural rubber prices surged 8-10 per cent owing to supply disruptions, and prices of crude-linked inputs such as synthetic rubber and carbon black rose 10-12 per cent. This led to margin erosion by around 300 basis points, given the limited cost pass-through in the OEM and replacement segments.
Dhaka, July 18 : In yet another incident of vandalism targeting historical representations of Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, the image of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Independence Memorial Mural 'Arjon' has been defaced with ink.

The incident unfolded on Thursday night at the Modern Crossroads in Rangpur City of Bangladesh when a group of students associated with last year's violent July uprising erased the image with spray cans and black paint, using a beam lifter of the Rangpur City Corporation, Bangladesh's leading Bangla daily, Prothom Alo reported.

The Independence Memorial Mural 'Arjan' depicts the historical events of March 28, 1971, when the brave people of Rangpur surrounded the cantonment with batons, sticks, spears, maces and bows and arrows during the early days of the country's Liberation War against Pakistan.

The mural was formally inaugurated in 1999 and stood at a height of approximately 35 feet.

"The symbol of Sheikh Hasina's autocratic government has been demolished from various places. I asked the Students' Movement Against Discrimination and the NCP to remove Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's picture from the mural at Modern Mor, but they did not take the initiative. So we, the wounded July fighters, removed the picture," Prothom Alo quoted one of the students, Rajibul Islam, who took part in the vandalism, as saying.

In April, a mob of radicals demolished the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka's Mirpur area.

The monument was a symbol of the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

As the video of the demolition went viral, several Bangladeshis took to social media, severely condemning the disturbing act, which displays the current lawlessness prevailing in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Yunus.

Experts perceived this act of the interim government as an insult to the martyrs and a part of their appeasement policy towards Pakistan.

The memorial in the Mirpur area of Dhaka honoured the luminaries who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence during the war with Pakistan.

In a similar act, the mural of the Liberation War Memorial Mancha in Lalmonirhat district in Bangladesh was demolished at the instruction of the Yunus-led interim government in March.

The mural showcased the background of the 1950s language movement, the historic March 7 speech, the War of Independence, the formation of the Mujibnagar government, the dawn of the new sun in the independent land, the 1971 genocide by Pakistan, the heroic freedom fighters exulting in victory, the seven great heroes, the surrender of the Pakistani army, the jubilant crowd holding the national flag, and many other historic moments.

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) had also rechristened different roads, buildings, and structures previously named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his family members, and leaders of the Awami League. Bangabandhu Avenue has now been renamed as Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue, according to an order issued by the DSCC.

About 1500 sculptures, murals, and memorials have been vandalised, set on fire, and uprooted all over the country since the Yunus government came to power in August 2024 after the fall of the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Seoul, July 18 : A presidential delegation visited France this week to meet with top French officials and lawmakers on behalf of the South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung and highlighted efforts to further enhance relations with the European country, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.

The delegation, led by former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil, met with Emmanuel Bonne, a diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, and delivered a personal letter from Lee conveying his message on strengthening bilateral relations, the ministry said in a release.

Kang expressed the Lee government's strong commitment to deepening the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, especially as Seoul and Paris are set to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, Yonhap news agency reported.

The delegation outlined Lee's vision of pursuing foreign policy based on pragmatism, and his government's commitment to firmly responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, while seeking to reopen inter-Korean dialogue by reducing military tension and taking steps to build trust.

To this end, South Korea hopes to continue working closely with France, a country that has shown consistent support for South Korea's peace policy, the delegation told the French side.

The delegation also highlighted efforts to advance substantive cooperation with France in a range of fields, including strategic industries, such as space, defence, nuclear energy and artificial intelligence, as well as addressing shared global challenges like climate change.

Bonne, in turn, expressed hope for the two countries to explore opportunities to elevate their bilateral relations under the Lee government, noting the importance of maintaining close communication with South Korea to promote stability and security.

Bonne also reaffirmed France's strong solidarity and support for South Korea's Korean Peninsula policy, according to the ministry.

The delegation met separately with Loic Herve, vice president of the French Senate, and Sabrina Sebaihi, chair of the France-Korea parliamentary friendship group, for discussions on ways to expand parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.

The delegation also met with member companies of the France-Korea Business Council and discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and investment.
Bhubaneswar, July 18 : The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday staged a silent protest at Janta Maidan under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bhubaneswar, demanding justice for the girl student of Balasore Fakir Mohan Autonomous college, who died after self-immolation over alleged sexual harassment by one of faculty members and college authorities' apathy.

Hundreds of BJD workers, leaders, and women activists gathered in silent protest, with black cloths tied around their mouths, holding placards and raising slogans seeking accountability and action against those responsible for the tragic incident at FM College.

The party reiterated its demand for a judicial probe into the tragic death of the victim girl student of FM College in Balasore and the resignation of the Minister of State for Higher Education Department for failing to help the victim.

The party accused the BJP-led Union government and its representatives in the state of politicising the issue and diverting attention from the core injustice faced by the victim.

Addressing the gathering, BJD leaders said, "We are here under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi to protest peacefully. Gandhiji taught us the power of nonviolent resistance."

The protestors alleged that the BJP and its MPs have attempted to distort the narrative, misguiding the public while ignoring the emotional and social trauma that led the young girl to take the extreme step.

"This is not just about one college or one girl; it's about the systemic failure. Justice delayed is justice denied," they added.

The BJD also strongly condemned the police action during earlier protests, claiming that rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas shells were used against peaceful protestors.

"If our daughters had been in that crowd, what would have happened to them? Such brutality is unacceptable," a leader said.

The party demanded strict action against those responsible for the girl's death and the officials involved in the alleged police excesses. "We will continue our democratic fight until justice is served," the leaders affirmed.
Raipur, July 18 : In a politically charged development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the multi-crore liquor scam in the state.

The arrest took place at the Baghel residence in Bhilai, Durg district, following fresh raids conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

ED officials cited newly-obtained evidence as the basis for their action.

Chaitanya, after his arrest, was taken to Raipur where he will be interrogated by the central agency.

Chaitanyaas arrest coincided with his birthday and the final day of the Monsoon Session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, prompting sharp reactions from Congress leaders.

The Congress partyas Chhattisgarh unit and Bhupesh Baghel accused the Central government of political revenge for raising their voice against them.

As the ED went about its work at Chaitanya Baghel's house, ex-CM Bhupesh Baghelas office in a post on his official X handle linked the timing of the central agencyas action to a political development, claiming that the sleuths were sent just hours before the Congress was set to raise the issue of tree felling in Raigarh on the last day of the Monsoon Session of the Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly.

Congress workers gathered outside the ED's office in Raipur to protest the arrest, alleging political vendetta.

Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant led a walkout from the Assembly, stating that the party would not be intimidated by central agencies.

The liquor scam, according to ED findings, allegedly operated between 2019 and 2022 during the tenure of the Baghel-led government.

The agency claims that a parallel excise network was run by a syndicate involving some government officers and businessmen.

Liquor was sold without proper accounting, resulting in an alleged loss of over Rs 2,100 crore to the state exchequer.

Speculation also surrounds Chaitanyaas possible links to the Mahadev betting App, though the ED has not officially confirmed this aspect of the investigation.

The arrest marks a deepening of the probe, which has already seen the detention of several senior officials and political figures.
Raipur, July 18 : In a major success for anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, security forces arrested five Maoists, including a minor, in a joint action near the Chintalnar police station area of Sukma district.

The operation, carried out by personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, and local police, led to the recovery of a significant cache of explosives.

Among the seized items were 20 gelatin sticks, eight detonators, 10 non-electric detonators, and approximately three meters of cordex wire.

According to Sukma SP Kiran Chavan, the arrested individuals were active militia members from the Jagargunda-Pamed area committee and had been involved in a firing incident targeting a police patrol party on November 24, 2024.

All five had serious criminal cases registered against them at the Chintalnar police station.

Following their arrest on July 16, four were sent to judicial custody while the minor was placed in a juvenile home. This development comes amid an intensified crackdown on Maoist insurgency across Bastar, following Union Home Minister Amit Shahas announcement to eradicate Naxalism from India by March 2026.

Maoist organisations themselves have acknowledged the loss of 357 cadres in the past year, including 136 women fighters, in a booklet listing names of those killed in encounters.

The governmentas dual approach -- combining aggressive security operations with rehabilitation efforts -- has led to over 1,400 Maoist surrenders since December 2023.

Many former cadres have cited ideological disillusionment and internal discrimination as reasons for laying down arms.

Just last week, 23 Maoists with a combined bounty of Rs 1.18 crore surrendered in Sukma, including senior members of the PLGA battalion.

Officials said the latest arrests highlight the growing effectiveness of coordinated intelligence and field-level action.

With sustained pressure and expanding development initiatives in remote tribal regions, authorities aim to further dismantle the insurgency and reintegrate former combatants into civil society.
New Delhi, July 18 : Informal trade restrictions imposed by China on capital equipment, critical minerals, and skilled technical personnel, can adversely impact India's electronics manufacturing ecosystem and constrain India's deeper integration into global value chains (GVCs), leading industry body India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has said.

In a letter written to Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the ICEA claimed that in a sector defined by competitiveness and tight timelines, three specific chokepoints being administered by the Chinese government in a planned and sequential manner, "aimed at undermining India's ability to compete globally and produce at scale".

India's electronics and mobile manufacturing sector has seen a remarkable growth over the past decade, driven by forward-looking policy interventions and private sector investments and the shift of GVCs to India.

At the forefront of this growth is smartphone manufacturing, which reached $64 billion in production in FY25, with exports accounting for 38 per cent to $24.1 billion.

In turn, smartphone exports have propelled electronics from the seventh-largest export in FY20 to reach the third-largest export in FY25 reaching $38.6 billion - only behind engineering goods and petroleum.

"From ranking 167th among India's exports in FY15, smartphones have now become the country's single largest export. This success is a direct outcome of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme launched in 2020, and aligns with the Government's vision of scaling electronics production to $500 billion," the letter read.

China remains the dominant global source of high-precision tools and specialised machinery - an outcome of three decades of industrial clustering and deep GVC integration.

"For the electronics sector, including smartphones, this has created a high dependency on China for capital equipment," the ICEA said in its letter.

For over a year, China has been restricting the export of equipment to India across multiple sectors, including heavy-duty boring machines and solar equipment, now extending the restrictions over the last 8 months to electronics manufacturing, the industry body alleged.

"These disruptions are leading to operational inefficiencies, impacting scale and above all raising costs of production, since producing this equipment locally or in collaboration with Japan or Korea costs 3-4 times higher than Chinese imports," the ICEA highlighted.

Recent curbs by China on rare earth materials are also risking input shortages for smartphone manufacturers operating in India.

Alternate sources are scarce and, where available, economically unviable, difficult to scale, or logistically inefficient, according to the ICEA.

There have also been travel restrictions and recall of Chinese technical teams working in India.

"Over the last three months, China has taken two specific actions creating massive risks to India's supply chains in this space -- It has directed select companies that produce capex to wind up India operations and remove trained Indian professionals from their rolls, thus cutting off the technology transfer link that existed with China.

"More recently, they have asked professionals of Chinese origin working in Chinese, Taiwanese and Indian companies to return to China  midway through their assignments on an immediate basis. The number runs into hundreds," said the ICEA in its letter.

The industry body said it is seeking an urgent meeting with the government to discuss measures needed to address the impact of informal Chinese restrictions on capital equipment, critical minerals, and skilled technical personnel.
Chennai, July 18 : If sources in the industry are to be believed, the unit of director Sudha Kongara's eagerly-awaited period film, 'Parasakthi', featuring actor Sivakarthikeyan in the lead, is all set to begin its next shooting schedule in Pollachi on Friday.

Sources in the know say that some important sequences in the film are to be shot during this schedule. While the schedule begins on Friday, Sivakarthikeyan is expected to join a little later. Sources point out that Sivakarthikeyan had been busy with completing some pending shots for A R Murugadoss's Madharasi and that he had now completed them and would be joining the sets of Parasakthi shortly.

It may be recalled that director Sudha Kongara had only in May this year disclosed that only another 40 days of shoot was left to complete the film.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Sudha Kongara, while giving an update on how the film was shaping up, had said, "We have completed shooting a considerable portion of the film and only another 40 days of shoot is left."

It may be recalled that while the first schedule of 'Parasakthi' happened in Madurai, the unit headed to Sri Lanka for the film's second schedule.

aParasakthia has triggered huge interest among fans and film buffs. The period film, which also features Atharvaa and Sreeleela, is believed to be set in the 1960s in the then state of Madras.

A teaser released by the unit showed that the story takes place in the Pachaiyappaas college in Madras where Sivakarthikeyan is seen going door to door, in search of something. He comes across as a fearless leader, looking to lead students on a violent protest in rebellion against an unjust system which seems to have imposed orders such as aStudents - do not toucha. Incidentally, the teaser showed this order printed on a wall changed to aDo not touch studentsa.

The teaser gave away the fact that Ravi Mohanas character is intent on killing Sivakarthikeyanas character.

Parasakthi, which was tentatively being referred to as #SK25 as it is Sivakarthikeyanas 25th film, has music by G V Prakash and cinematography by experienced cameraman Ravi K Chandran. Stunts for the film are by Supreme Sundar.

--IANS

Mkr/
Ahmedabad, July 18 : AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to visit Gujarat on July 23, party leader Isudan Gadhvi announced on Friday.

The two senior leaders will attend the 'Khedut Pashupalak Mahapanchayat' in Modasa, where they will voice their support for farmers and cattle rearers, Gadhvi said.

The event is expected to draw significant participation from the agrarian community.

On July 24, Kejriwal and Mann will head to Dediapada to hold a public meeting in solidarity with Chaitar Vasava, where they will protest what the party claims are "false cases" filed against him.

The AAP leadership is expected to address a large gathering and raise their voice for justice on behalf of tribal leaders and farmers.

The protest in Gujarat, triggered by discontent with the annual revision of milk rates based on fat content, took a violent turn on July 17.

According to police reports, agitators  allegedly mobilised through social media messages  gathered near the dairy's premises around 10 A.M., forced their way past barricades and clashed with security personnel.

Eyewitnesses reported that protesters, some wielding sticks, iron rods, and stones, chanted slogans demanding greater transparency in the dairy's pricing and profit-sharing practices.

The situation escalated when the crowd pelted stones, vandalised public property, and blocked the National Highway using tree branches and debris.

To control the mob, police lobbed nearly 70 rounds of tear gas shells. In one instance, Head Constable Jignesh Kumar Sureshbhai was pulled into the crowd and physically assaulted. The FIR, lodged at Himmatnagar A-Division Police Station, names Patel and Idar-based leader Dharmendrasinh Jetawat as key instigators, alleging they used social media platforms to incite unrest.

This, despite Sabar Dairy having recently disbursed retention payments to farmers on July 11  a move critics, including Patel, have dismissed as inadequate and opaque.

The protest caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including the main entrance gate, fencing, and multiple government vehicles stationed at the facility.

Authorities have invoked serious criminal Sections under the IPC and are in the process of identifying additional culprits through surveillance footage and local inputs.

Established in 1964, Sabar Dairy  officially the Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union  is one of Gujarat's largest cooperative milk unions.

It processes nearly 750,000 litres of milk daily sourced from over 1,700 villages, and is part of the Amul/GCMMF network.

In the 202324 financial year, the union reported a turnover of Rs 8,939 crore, placing it firmly in the league of billion-dollar cooperatives.
Ranchi, July 18 : The Jharkhand High Court on Friday came down heavily on the state government for failing to conduct municipal elections despite a clear court directive given last year.

Expressing strong displeasure, the court summoned the Chief Secretary to appear in person at the next hearing.

The directive was issued during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Roshni Khalkho, an outgoing councillor of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation.

The court, while criticizing the stateas attitude, remarked that the government is openly defying the "rule of law" and that it appears that the constitutional machinery in the state has "collapsed."

On January 4, 2024, a bench of Justice Ananda Sen had ordered the state government to conduct elections to all municipal bodies within three weeks. However, the directive was never implemented. This prompted the petitioner to file the contempt plea.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, advocate Vinod Singh urged the court to initiate action against the government for contempt. Taking serious note, the court scheduled the next hearing for the coming Friday and summoned the Chief Secretary for an explanation.

The term of all urban local bodies in Jharkhand expired in April 2023. Elections were supposed to be held immediately after that, but the process was stalled after the state government decided to finalise the OBC reservation percentage before conducting the municipal polls.

To that end, the government initiated a atriple testa process nearly a year ago, but it is yet to be completed.

In the absence of elected representatives, the administration of all municipal corporations, municipalities, municipal councils, and nagar panchayats has been handed over to government-appointed administrators. As a result, for over two years, elected representatives have had no role in local governance across the state.
New Delhi, July 18 : The US has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity -- a move that gives a major blow to the Pakistani Army and its Chief Asim Munir.

Intelligence intercepts, human sources, and forensic digital trail have pointed to The Resistance Front (TRF) acting on direct instructions from the Pakistani military establishment, particularly Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir.

The timing of the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir -- coinciding with rising domestic unrest in Pakistan and global criticism of Munir's crackdown on democratic forces -- revealed the true objective: deflection and diversion.

The US move also highlights the legitimacy of Indiaas calibrated military response through Operation Sindoor, aimed at neutralising terror launchpads across the LoC.

This official recognition of TRF's real nature is a diplomatic and strategic victory for India. It also isolates Pakistan globally and exposes its military-industrial terror complex.

On April 22, TRF perpetrated a heinous terror attack in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir, targeting 26 people based on their religion.

Defence officials said that this brutal massacre was not an isolated act, but part of a larger, Pakistan-orchestrated strategy to destabilise the region and project a false narrative of indigenous rebellion.

TRF emerged in the aftermath of the Indian government's abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

According to the defence experts, it was marketed by Pakistan's information warfare machinery as a "homegrown" insurgent outfit; TRF is nothing but a repackaged version of the globally proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The formation of TRF is a textbook example of Pakistan's longstanding modus operandi -- rebranding terror outfits to escape international scrutiny and maintain plausible deniability, while continuing its strategy of cross-border terrorism under the garb of local resistance.

Defence sources said that despite its cosmetic identity, TRF operates under the logistical, financial, and operational command of LeT. Its leadership, arms procurement, training modules, and safe houses are identical to LeT's infrastructure -- most of it based in Pakistan-occupied territories and aided by Pakistanas ISI.

The reason for its new name is strategic to avoid FATF scrutiny, evade international bans, confuse attribution and gain local sympathy, portray terrorism as a grassroots movement rather than a foreign conspiracy.

This deception has now been busted.

Now, in a significant development, the US formally designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity, citing its direct involvement in the Pahalgam massacre.

The US statement acknowledged TRFas linkages with LeT and Pakistan Army Gen. Asim Muniras role in orchestrating the attack. The attack and subsequent escalation were timed by Gen. Munir to shift the focus from his failing internal crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the unconstitutional incarceration of its leadership. This was also to create a security narrative to justify his illegitimate self-appointment as Field Marshal and strengthen his grip on the Army through diversionary tactics and a manufactured external crisis.

Experts believe his actions not only endangered regional peace but also proved that the Pakistan Army is no longer a national institution -- it is now a state-backed terror syndicate, operating with impunity and driven by personal ambition.

Now the TRF myth has been debunked. It is neither local nor resistant -- it is LeT with new branding. Pakistanas military leadership has been directly implicated in transnational terrorism.

Indiaas Operation Sindoor was not just punitive -- it was preventive, legitimate, and proportional.

The international community, especially democratic nations, must treat Pakistan as a terror-exporting state, not a victim of terror.

The Pahalgam carnage has reaffirmed what India has long maintained: terrorism in J&K is not indigenous, but imported.

TRF is merely the latest mask worn by LeT, and Asim Munir is the architect of this bloody theatre.

His misuse of state institutions and terror outfits for personal political elevation is a grim reminder of Pakistanas structural descent into militarised extremism.

India remains committed to defending its sovereignty and civilian lives and will continue to expose and dismantle every terror proxy by force, diplomacy, and strategic narrative.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 18 : Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, who has been under fire from protesting activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), on Friday, lashed out at the recent rampage at the university headquarters, blaming it on so-called "student professionals." Thiruvananthapuram, July 18 (IANS) Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, who has been under fire from protesting activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), on Friday, lashed out at the recent rampage at the university headquarters, blaming it on so-called "student professionals."

Addressing the media upon visiting the office for the first time since the June 30 violence, Kunnummal said he had stayed away due to the large-scale damage caused by the protesters.

"I was informed that the agitators would not prevent me from entering the office, so I came today. So far, I have signed 1,828 degree certificates and cleared all pending files -- there's nothing left now," he said.

Dr Kunnummal, who is the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences and currently holds additional charge of Kerala University, did not hold back in criticising a section of students.

"Do you know there's a massive fraud being carried out by some students? They enrol in a three-year course, never write a single exam, and after three years, they register for another course. Their main occupation is to create unrest and stir political issues. These people are what I call 'student professionals," he said, adding, "I am a medical professional -- I believe in rules and responsibility."

On the ongoing administrative turmoil, Kunnummal defended his decision to suspend Registrar Dr K.S. Anil Kumar for allegedly disrespecting the Chancellor, Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar.

"The Governor was invited to a university programme, but the Registrar later told him not to attend. That is clear disrespect, and that's why he was suspended. An inquiry will determine the reasons behind his actions. I urge everyone to follow the rules," the VC said.

Kerala University, once a premier academic institution, is now mired in administrative chaos, with two individuals simultaneously claiming to be the Registrar -- a situation that reflects the deepening power tussle between the Governor and the state government.

Earlier this week, protests led by the CPI(M)-backed SFI turned violent following the suspension of Registrar Anil Kumar. Although an acting Registrar has been appointed, Kumar continues to attend office, defying the order.

At the heart of the crisis lies a political standoff: VC Kunnummal is backed by Governor Arlekar, while Registrar Kumar enjoys the support of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government.
Raipur, July 18 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday secured a five-day custodial remand of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, following his arrest in connection with an alleged money laundering case tied to the state's Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam.

Chaitanya was produced before a special court in Raipur, where ED officials cited fresh evidence obtained during recent raids at the Baghel residence in Bhilai, Durg district.

The court granted the agency permission to interrogate him at its Raipur office over the next five days.

The arrest, which coincided with Chaitanya's birthday and the final day of the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, triggered a wave of political backlash.

Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a fresh raid at the Bhilai residence of the Baghels, intensifying its investigation into an alleged multi-crore liquor scam.

A team of approximately 12 ED officials, accompanied by a heavy contingent of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, arrived at Baghel's residence in Durg district at around 6 a.m. This marked the second such raid in six months against the senior Congress leader and his family.

Soon after the raid and subsequent arrest, senior Congress leaders gathered at Bhupesh Baghel's bungalow for an emergency meeting, while party workers staged protests outside the ED office in Raipur, accusing the Centre of weaponising investigative agencies for political retribution.

Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant led a walkout from the Assembly, declaring that the Congress would not be cowed by what it described as "tactical intimidation".

According to the ED, the alleged scam operated between 2019 and 2022 under the Baghel-led government, involving a parallel excise network run by bureaucrats and private contractors.

Liquor was reportedly sold off the books, resulting in massive revenue losses to the state exchequer.

While speculation continues over Chaitanya's possible links to the Mahadev betting app, the ED has yet to officially confirm any connection.

His arrest adds to a growing list of high-profile detentions in the case, which has already ensnared former ministers, senior bureaucrats, and businessmen.
Varanasi, July 18 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath came out in the defence of Kanwar Yatris on Friday and lashed out at a certain section of critics, whom he accused of portraying them (Lord Shiva devotees) in a bad light and also going to the extent of labelling them as "hooligans" and "terrorists".

Addressing a function in Varanasi, the Chief Minister said that the Kanwar Yatris are being unfairly targeted by some people and said that they are often subjected to media trials, apparently even over minor incidents of public disorder.

CM Adityanath said that the Kanwar Yatra presents a remarkable demonstration of unity transcending across caste, but there are 'some people' who see hooliganism in their peaceful march.

These are the "same people" who target the 'Kanwariyas' and try to tarnish the country's rich cultural heritage in all possible ways, he added.

The Chief Minister also drew attention to the mushrooming of fake accounts on social media to stir up caste and communal tensions.

He said that the same forces who spread caste-based hatred online had also tried to provoke tribal communities against the nation.

Underscoring the importance of social harmony, the Chief Minister emphasised that the Kanwar Yatra embodies unity transcending caste, creed, and sect.

"Today, the Yatra is progressing peacefully and with devotion, yet some label it as unruly. These are the same forces that try to mislead and provoke tribal communities. We must remain alert to such divisive elements," he warned.

He cited another incident from Jaunpur, where a towering Tazia was constructed in violation of safety norms. It came into contact with a high-tension wire, tragically claiming three lives.

"Following this, an attempt was made to block roads and create unrest. I instructed the police to take strict action. Those disrupting social harmony must understand that peace and order are paramount," he asserted.

The Chief Minister emphasised that Indian tradition has never confined Hindu identity to temple visits or scriptural belief.

"Both the believer and the non-believer are Hindus. Charvak and Lord Buddha did not accept the Vedas, yet they are deeply respected in our tradition," he said.
Mumbai, July 18 : Partha Pratim Sengupta-led Bandhan Bank on Friday reported a sharp 65 per cent year-on-year (YoY) drop in its net profit for the first quarter of the current financial year (Q1 FY26), with earnings falling to Rs 372 crore compared to Rs 1,064 crore in the same period in previous fiscal (Q1 FY25).

The fall in profit was accompanied by a decline in the bankas net interest income (NII), which slipped 7.7 per cent to Rs 2,757.2 crore from Rs 2,986.6 crore in Q1 FY25, according to its stock exchange filing.

The bankas net interest margin (NIM) stood at 6.4 per cent during the quarter. Despite the YoY decline, the bankas performance showed improvement on a sequential basis.

Net profit rose 17 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the company said in its regulatory filing.

Bandhan Bankas net revenue during the June quarter came in at Rs 3,483 crore, slightly lower than Rs 3,533 crore reported in the year-ago period.

The net operating profit also declined 14 per cent YoY to Rs 1,668 crore, down from Rs 1,941 crore in Q1 FY25.

Commenting on the performance, Managing Director and CEO Partha Pratim Sengupta said the bank delivered a sequentially improving performance, driven by strong growth in deposits and steady momentum in both retail and wholesale banking.

He added that while the overall operating environment remains challenging, the bankas results show the resilience of its business and the strength of its strategy.

As of June 30, Bandhan Bankas total deposits rose 16 per cent YoY to Rs 1.55 lakh crore from Rs 1.33 lakh crore a year ago.

Retail term deposits saw strong growth, rising 34 per cent to Rs 63,661 crore. The share of retail deposits in the total deposit base stood at 68 per cent.

Gross advances for the quarter rose 6 per cent to Rs 1.34 lakh crore, compared to Rs 1.26 lakh crore in the year-ago period.

The bankas customer base stood at 3.14 crore, supported by a wide distribution network of nearly 6,350 outlets and a workforce of over 73,000 employees.

Ahead of the earnings announcement, shares of Bandhan Bank closed 0.11 per cent higher at Rs 185.40 apiece on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
Srinagar, July 18 : Senior religious and separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Friday as he said authorities did not allow him to deliver his weekly sermon at the Jamia Masjid in old city Srinagar.

Mirwaiz Umar said on X: aFor second consecutive Friday I remain under house detention a" with every lane and by-lane to my residence barricaded, causing inconvenience to the entire neighbourhood.

aLet me make it clear to the rulers , the memory of our martyrs cannot be regulated by them. It resides in our hearts . Facts and history cannot be erased by lockdowns and barring people from visiting the martyrs graveyards or stopping me from going to Jama Masjid on Fridays , not by appeasing narratives or shameful communal distortions, if it resides in the collective memory of people, which it does.

aThe Martyrs of July 13, 1931 were the frontrunners of the political movement in Kashmir; a peopleas just struggle against oppression. They are and will remain our inspiration."

It must be recalled that the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has banned Awami Action Committee headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as an anti-national organisation stoking anti-India feelings and inciting youth to violence.

The Awami Action Committee was formed in 1963 by Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq, the father of Mirwaiz Umar, during the holy Relic agitation in Kashmir.

After terrorists killed Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq in his city outskirts Nigeen residence in 1990, Mirwaiz Umar came to head the Awami Action Committee.

Traditionally, each Friday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delivers the weekly sermon at the Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar city Nowhatta area.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq heads his own faction of the separatist Hurriyat conference that split into the so-called hardline group headed by late Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the moderate group headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in 2003.
New Delhi, July 18 : Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar has urged Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya to revise the income eligibility limit for beneficiaries under the Employees' State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) hospitals in the state.

ESIC is a social security programme that primarily covers employees in the organised sector with lower incomes.

In a bid to enhance the quality of public healthcare services, Union Minister Mandaviya held a meeting to review the status of ESIS hospitals in Maharashtra.

As per media reports, the Union Minister assured of a revision during his meeting with Abitkar held in the national capital.

The meeting, attended by a team of senior officials, also discussed the current condition of the ESIS hospitals in the state.

The meeting focused on improving healthcare services for insured workers and resolving pending issues at the earliest, said a statement released on Thursday.

Currently, the income eligibility limit for ESIS beneficiaries is Rs 21,000 per month, and Ambedkar requested the Centre to increase it to Rs 30,000 per month. He said that the move will help more workers access the scheme and help expand coverage across the state.

Further, the Maharashtra Minister also urged the Centre for additional funds to enhance the quality of healthcare facilities for workers and their families in the state.

Meanwhile, Mandaviya assured of the on-time completion of ongoing construction and operational issues at ESIC hospitals in Andheri, Kolhapur, and Ulhasnagar.

Expressing a desire to personally visit the ESIS hospital in Andheri, the Union Minister also suggested organising a comprehensive review meeting to assess all ESIC hospitals in Maharashtra.

"This meeting will boost efforts to strengthen ESIC healthcare facilities across Maharashtra and will help ensure better medical services for insured workers," Ambedkar said.

The state currently has 15 ESIS hospitals and 450 empanelled private hospitals. In addition, 134 service dispensaries serve nearly 4.87 million insured workers and their families.
Aizawl, July 18 : The Assam Rifles, along with other law-enforcing agencies have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets and heroin valued at around Rs 37 crore in Mizoram, officials said on Friday.

A Defence spokesman said that acting on specific intelligence, a joint operation by Assam Rifles and Narcotics Control Bureau was launched on Thursday night at bordering Zokhawthar in eastern Mizoramas Champhai district.

After a thorough search of the suspected area, the security personnel recovered 642 grams of heroin and 10.44 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued approximately Rs 37 crore. Sensing the presence of the Assam Rifles troops, the drug peddlers managed to escape.

The recovered drugs have been handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau for taking further legal actions under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.

The latest drugs seizure was done within a week after the recovery of methamphetamine tablets and heroin valued at over Rs 113.36 crore in the same Zokhawthar areas in Mizoram on July 11.

The methamphetamine tablets, which are most popular among drug users, are a crystal-like drug that severely damages the brain and heart.

Zokhawthar is a border town in Mizoramas Champhai district, which shares an unfenced border with Myanmar.

Cross-border illegal trades of drugs, arms and ammunition and other contrabands are rampant in bordering Mizoram, which shares 510 km and 318 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

Myanmaras Chin state is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.

An official of the Chief Ministeras Office (CMO) had said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently supported the Mizoram governmentas proposal to establish a Mizo Territorial Army (MTA) battalion to deal with drug trafficking and other law and order-related issues.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma, during his recent visit to New Delhi, discussed several issues with the Home Minister.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has also recently proposed setting up its zonal office in Mizoram. NCB Director General Anurag Garg recently met Mizoram Chief Minister and suggested setting up a full-fledged NCB zonal office in the state and emphasised the need for more staff and officials who are acquainted with the local language and the ground situation of the state.

Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, during the meeting with Garg had discussed ways and means to curb the drug trade and usage of narcotics by the youth.

The Chief Minister had told the NCB DG that he had already requested the MHA to constitute or to allow the state government to form the MTA to further strengthen vigilance along the state's unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
New Delhi, July 18 : As the US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), the announcement has drawn strong political reactions across the Indian political spectrum.

The decision comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives on April 22, 2025.

Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies such as Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena hailed the move as a major diplomatic achievement of the Narendra Modi-led government.

Senior JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi, speaking to IANS, said, "US has taken the right decision. It is a diplomatic victory for India. We have always maintained that terrorism and trade cannot go together, and there will be no compromise on national security. We welcome and appreciate this bold move by the US."

Shiv Sena, too, welcomed the US decision, with its party leaders launching a scathing attack on Pakistan's role in fostering terrorism.

Shiv Sena Spokesperson Krishna Hegde said, "Pakistan is the epicentre of global terrorism. It not only shelters terrorists but also funds them. The world knows that even Osama bin Laden was found hiding in Pakistan. The US must now take the next step and officially recognise Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism."

Sanjay Nirupam, another Shiv Sena leader, emphasised the need for more than just a ban on TRF.

"Blacklisting TRF is a good start, but itas not enough. The US should also pressurise Pakistan directly and take stringent action against those who support and operate such terror organisations."

However, the Congress offered a more cautious response, questioning the Union governmentas actions post-Pahalgam terror attack.

Congress MP Imran Masood said, "TRF has long been recognised as a terrorist outfit by us. It doesn't make a difference whether the US calls them terrorists now. What matters is justice for the victims, and we will ensure that."

Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari raised concerns about the lack of domestic action.

"Enough talk about what US has done. I want to ask our own government -- what steps have they taken to bring justice to the women who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam attack? Where are the terrorists? The nation needs answers."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Thursday, calling it "a demonstration of the Trump administrationas commitment to protecting national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Donald Trumpas call for justice for the Pahalgam attack".

"TRF, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack," Rubio said.

US President Donald Trump had earlier condemned the Pahalgam attack in the strongest terms and reportedly called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express solidarity.

According to Indiaas External Affairs Ministry, Trump assured full support in ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice.

As India continues its efforts to counter terrorism on both diplomatic and operational fronts, the US move to blacklist TRF adds a critical layer of international pressure on Pakistan and reaffirms the growing India-US strategic alignment on security matters.
Moscow, July 18 : Hours after the 27-member European Union on Friday agreed upon an 18th round of sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow described the move as unlawful and emphasised that it will assess the latest package in order to minimise its impact.

"So far, we continue to observe a fairly consistent anti-Russian stance from Europe. We have repeatedly stated that we view such unilateral restrictions as illegal and we oppose them," Russian state-run news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Peskov further emphasised that the Russian leadership will assess the latest package of European sanctions in order to minimise its impact.

"Undoubtedly, the new package will need to be thoroughly analysed in order to minimise its impact," said Peskov.

He further asserted that Russia has developed a degree of immunity to sanctions over the course of repeated waves of Western restrictions.

"Over time, we have indeed developed a certain immunity to sanctions and have adapted to living under such conditions," he noted.

The sanctions package targets Moscow's financial and energy sectors and comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to an unconditional ceasefire.

The EU has agreed to lower the price cap on Russian oil exported to third countries to 15 per cent below market value. This is meant to reduce Russia's income by banning shipping and insurance companies that let Russia sell above the cap.

"I welcome the agreement on our 18th sanctions package against Russia. We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine. Targetting its banking, energy and military-industrial sectors and including a new dynamic oil price cap. The pressure is on. It will stay on until Putin ends this war. Thank you Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2025 for this first success," President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen posted on X.

Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, took to her social media, describing it as "one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date".

"We're cutting the Kremlin's war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks' access to funding. Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap. We are putting more pressure on Russiaas military industry, Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," Kallas posted on X.

"For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow," she added.
Seoul, July 18 : Senior diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed Friday the need to maintain "strong" deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats and agreed to continue efforts to advance their trilateral cooperation, Seoul officials said.

They shared the view during the three-way dialogue in Tokyo, where First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo was joined by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and their Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, Yonhap news agency reported.

It marked the first vice foreign ministerial talks since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government and the second Donald Trump administration.

"The vice foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining strong deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats through trilateral cooperation amid the evolving security environment," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a release.

"They agreed to continue enhancing trilateral security cooperation based on the solid bilateral alliances ... and to work closely together to make progress on North Korea-related issues," it said.

Park used the talks to explain Seoul's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and resume dialogue under the Lee government, the ministry said.

Friday's meeting followed the three-way dialogue that took place among Park, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of ASEAN-related foreign ministers meetings in Malaysia last week.

Recalling the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Park stressed that trilateral cooperation among the three nations is expanding beyond a single field to encompass security, the economy and technology.

Park noted that the three countries have much to achieve together in the years ahead, adding that they share the responsibility to turn the potential of their cooperation into tangible outcomes.

The three countries exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to continue efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Recognising economic security as an area where the people of the three countries can directly feel the benefits, they agreed to further enhance practical cooperation in key and emerging technologies, especially in critical minerals, supply chains and artificial intelligence.

They also noted the developments in their trilateral partnership framework, such as the launch of the trilateral secretariat, and agreed to sustain momentum in the partnership through regular dialogue.

The last vice foreign ministers' meeting among the three countries took place in Seoul in October last year.

On the margins of the trilateral talks, Park met one-on-one with Funakoshi to discuss bilateral relations and other related issues, including North Korea.

Park told Funakoshi that South Korea will continue to build a "firm and mature relationship with Japan based on mutual respect and trust," the ministry said.

They agreed on the need for closer coordination in addressing various common issues amid the complex international landscape, and to explore ways to produce tangible outcomes in their cooperation as they continue the positive momentum in bilateral ties.
Hyderabad, July 18 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Friday hit back at Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accusing him of mortgaging Telangana's interests to his 'guru' and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Rama Rao alleged that since Revanth Reddy stood completely exposed following a meeting with Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi, he was making baseless allegations against him to divert public attention.

KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, challenged Revanth Reddy to show any evidence in support of his allegations linking him to drugs.

The former minister told a press conference in Khammam that he was ready to undergo any tests. He dared the Chief Minister to come out openly instead of indulging in 'cheap talk' and 'gossip' in the name of chitchat with the media.

During chit-chat with media persons in New Delhi on Thursday, the Chief Minister had alleged that forensic reports link KTR's circle to drug use. He claimed that KTR's friend Kedar died in Dubai due to the consumption of a cocktail of drugs.

KTR asked how he was concerned with someone's death and threw a challenge to Revanth Reddy to show the evidence.

The BRS leader said Revanth Reddy resorted to the wild allegations to divert attention from the 'guru dakshina' which he offered to his 'guru', Chandrababu Naidu, in the form of the Godavari-Banakacherla link project.

KTR said after boasting that he would not attend any meeting discussing the Banakacherla project of Andhra Pradesh, Revanth Reddy silently reached Delhi, attended the meeting and bartered away the state's interests on river water.

He said Telangana Chief Minister lied before the media that Banakacherla was not discussed in the meeting, as Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu went on record that Banakacherla was the first item on the agenda, and Revanth Reddy accepted the proposal of Andhra Pradesh to refer the issue to the joint committee to be constituted by the two states.

KTR said justice to Telangana in river waters is possible only when the Modi government make an announcement that Telangana has the share of 968 TMC in 1950 TMC of surplus Godavari waters and when Chandrababu Naidu withdraws the cases he has filed against Kaleshwaram and other projects of Telangana.

Rama Rao said whenever the BRS questions Revanth Reddy on his unfulfilled promises, failures and scams, he makes allegations either about phone tapping or Formula E race or Kaleshwaram to divert the public attention.

The BRS leader said, despite having the state police in his control, Revanth Reddy had failed to prove even a single allegation.

On Revanth Reddy's allegation that he met Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh secretly, KTR said he did not meet Lokesh and asked what was wrong even if he had met him.

"I don't operate in secrecy. Whatever I do, I do it openly. Lokesh is your big boss, Chandrababu's son, not some Dawood Ibrahim. Lokesh is a good friend of mine. He is like a younger brother to me. He is educated, and he is not some bag-carrying thief like you," KTR told Revanth Reddy.

The BRS working president advised Revanth Reddy's family to take him to a mental hospital before he completely goes mad and starts roaming the streets, tearing his clothes.

Stating that Revanth Reddy was caught red-handed with money in a cash-for-vote scam, KTR reiterated his challenge that he is ready for a lie-detector test along with the Chief Minister.

The BRS leader also alleged that Revanth Reddy was tapping the phones of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy, as they are the aspirants for the post of the Chief Minister.
Ranchi, July 18 : Ranchi police on Friday busted an illegal online gaming and betting racket being operated out of a rented house in the Bariatu Housing Colony of the city, officials said.

The police arrested 14 youths involved in the operation.

The arrests were made following a late-night raid on Thursday, July 17, after police received a tip-off about suspicious activities in the Housing Colony.

According to DIG-cum-SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha, the arrested persons had been running the racket for over a month, conducting online gaming, betting, and gambling operations on various platforms.

"Acting on intelligence inputs, a special team was constituted to verify and act on the information. A raid was carried out, and 14 persons were apprehended at the spot. Preliminary interrogation revealed that they were involved in illegal online gaming activities under the direction of individuals based outside the state, who also visited the location occasionally," the SSP said at a press briefing.

During the raid, police seized five laptops, 17 mobile phones, and 90 ATM cards belonging to different banks believed to be used in the betting operations.

Investigators suspect that the arrested youths were being paid a monthly salary of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

The police are now working to identify the kingpins and financial handlers behind the racket.

Police said all arrested persons hail from different districts of Bihar. They include Keshav Kumar and Roshan Kumar from Muzaffarpur; Sameet Kumar from Shivhar; Alok Baljeet, Dilip Kumar, Krishna Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Vivek Kumar from Saharsa; Subodh Kumar and Arush Yadav from Supaul; and Luv Kumar, Nitish Kumar and Anjan Kumar from Purnea.

Authorities suspect that the racket may have links to a wider interstate syndicate involved in similar illegal activities.

"The investigation is ongoing. We are coordinating with cybercrime experts to track digital trails and with financial institutions to analyze transaction histories," the SSP added.
Bhopal, July 18 : The CBI arrested an officer of Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and his middleman for taking a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a Rajasthan farmer whom they had threatened to implicate in a false case of illegally stocking poppy husk, an official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the case on July 17 against Mahendra Singh, Inspector, Central Bureau of Narcotics, Neemuch, and middleman Jagdish Meneriya, a resident of district Chittorgarh, on the complaint of Mangi Lal Gurjar, a resident of Chittorgarh.

Gurjar alleged that the CBN officer demanded a bribe through his middleman for not implicating him and his family in a narcotics case after conducting a raid on the complainant's agricultural land on March 27.

The Central Bureau of Narcotics, affiliated with the Department of Revenue, has the main function to stop opium production and trade without a licence.

After the raid in March, the CBN officer informed the family members of Gurjar to contact Jagdish Menariya, a resident of village Aala Khedi, Tehsil Doongla, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.

Gurjar said in his complaint that Menariya contacted him to inform that CBN officer Mahendra Singh had seized 400 kg Doda-Chura (Poppy husk) from his agricultural land.

On behalf of the officer, Menariya demanded a bribe of Rs 1 crore for not implicating him as well as his family members, in a narcotics case, said the complaint.

The complainant said during negotiations the CBN officer mounted pressure on him to pay Rs 9 lakh as the first instalment of bribe to escape imprisonment.

On receiving Gurjar's complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Friday and apprehended the middleman red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the complainant on behalf of the CBN officer.

The bribe amount was successfully recovered from the said middleman, who collected the bribe on the direction of said CBN Officer, said a CBI statement.

After the interception of the middleman, the CBI raided three locations in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

A preliminary CBI, ACB, Jaipur's report before the filing of the FIR said, "The complaint of Mangi Lal Gurjar, son of Onkar Lal Gurjar, has been verified by the CBI, Jaipur, which revealed demand of undue advantage of Rs 9 lakh for not implicating him as well as his family members in a case of narcotics."
Mumbai, July 18 : 'Jamtara' fame actor Anshumaan Pushkar revealed if he had ever lost a role because of social media metrics.

During an exclusive conversation with IANS, Pushkar shared that he has, in fact, lost a role due to a lack of numbers on social media.

Speaking to IANS, he shared, "I donat take it personally. If a producer or director prioritizes numbers over talent, thatas their prerogative. It doesnat mean the chosen actor is any less talented.

When asked if, according to him, social media presence is more important than acting skills in today's time, Pushkar nodded, saying, "You canat compare yourself to someone like Ranbir Kapoor, who already has a massive fan base. For actors like us, casting sometimes hinges on Instagram numbers. Thatas how marketing works nowa"itas data-driven. But I donat resent it. Itas just part of the system."

Furthermore, he shared his opinion on the stereotype that actors from small towns only fit in rural or rustic roles.

Pushkar revealed that his mindset is changing. Giving an example of Kangana Ranaut, late Sushant Singh Rajput, and Pankaj Tripathi, he added, "Theyave all come from small towns and have played every kind of role. Itas about potential and public acceptance. Once the audience embraces you, anything is possible."

Pushkar, who was recently seen as Badaun in Rajkummar Rao's gangster drama" Maalik" also shared if constantly playing grey shades had limited his scope to play positive leads?

Denying it completely, he said, "Characters are charactersa"grey or white. In Agrahan, I played a deeply emotional, loving man. In another film, I played a socially invisible charactera"someone unnoticed but deeply human. So, the industry has offered me a good mix. Maybe itas my voice, my emotions, or something else, but Iave been given both intense and subtle roles. And Iam open to all kinds of work."

"Maalik" got a theatrical release on 11 July, opening to mixed reviews.
New Delhi, July 18 : Political stability and a robust policy push across key sectors, including infrastructure, logistics and supply chains, are creating a conducive investment climate and rapidly advancing the nation's ambitions of becoming a manufacturing hub for the world, Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, has said.

India is likely to sustain its stable economic performance, even amid global uncertainties heightened by escalating trade tensions and ongoing conflicts, he said in the company's latest annual report.

"Global macroeconomic growth has been subdued, diverging sharply across regions and requiring coordinated action to ensure sustainable momentum. The Indian economy demonstrated resilience in FY 2024-25, retaining its position as one of the world's fastest growing large economies, with an estimated GDP growth of 6.5 per cent," he mentioned.

At the same time, India's digital economy has surged ahead with double-digit growth, propelled by unprecedented digital engagement from individuals, enterprises and governments.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an inspiring address at the India Mobile Congress 2024, outlining key priorities to sustain  and indeed surpass  India's own digital revolution, including ubiquity of data, omnipresence of digital connectivity and establishing Digital First as a national goal," Mittal emphasised.

He further stated that Airtel's history is punctuated with its contributions as a determined collaborator in furthering our national aspirations.

"Whether it was ringing in the telecom revolution of the early 1990s or providing the foundations for a Digital India in the last decade, Airtel has always steered its investments to lead digital innovation in the country and support the multiplier effect of digital economic growth," he added.

"We will continue to engage with various stakeholders now, to pursue the objectives of India's Digital First vision," said Mittal.

As an active stakeholder in India's continued economic progress, Airtel plays a significant role, with its growing contributions in the form of direct and indirect taxes, License Fee (LF) and Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) to the State Exchequer.

"In FY 2024-25, Airtel paid over Rs 373 billion in LF, SUC, and other taxes. Additionally, your Company paid Rs 289 billion towards spectrum obligations, including annual and prepayment of past spectrum dues. Over the last five years, Airtel's contribution to the Exchequer is nearly Rs 2.5 trillion, reflecting our commitment to national development," said Mittal.
Hyderabad, July 18 : A new daily express train between Hyderabad and Jodhpur is being introduced from July 20. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy will flag off inaugural oneway Kacheguda - Bhagat Ki Kothi - Kacheguda Express from Kacheguda Railway station on July 19.

Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS) A new daily express train between Hyderabad and Jodhpur is being introduced from July 20. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy will flag off inaugural oneway Kacheguda a" Bhagat Ki Kothi a" Kacheguda Express from Kacheguda Railway station on July 19.

According to South Central Railway (SCR), the introduction of new daily train service will immensely benefit the large group of Rajasthani people residing in Telangana, especially in the city of Hyderabad as there has been a long pending demand of a daily train service.

The train provides fast, secure, comfortable train journey between the important stations of Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The train also provides convenient travel option to other major cities in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan like Nanded, Washim, Ujjain, Ratlam, Nimach, Chittaurgarh, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Pali Marwar etc.by offering scope for rail users to plan their itinerary, SCR said.

The new daily train caters to the needs of both reserved and unreserved segments of the people and will largely benefit the people of central and western states residing in Hyderabad and surrounding areas to travel to their home towns. It will also be beneficial for businessmen, students, employees proceeding on regular travel and special tours in vacation and will further promote tourism and pilgrimage apart from increasing the avenues of trade and commerce.

Train No. 07615 Kacheguda a" Bhagat Ki Kothi Inaugural Oneway Special Service will depart from Kacheguda 5.30 p.m. on July 19. It will arrive at Bhagat Ki Kothi at 11.30 a.m. on July 21.

The regular daily train from Kacheguda will commence from July 20. It will depart Kacheguda at 11.50 p.m. and reach Bhagat Ki Kothi at 8 p.m. on July 22.

Train No. 17606 Bhagat Ki Kothi - Kacheguda will commence service with effect from July 22. It will depart from Bhagat Ki Kothi at 10.30 p.m. and arrive at Kacheguda at 3.40 p.m. on July 24.
Kolkata, July 18 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday imposed strict restrictions on Trinamool Congress' annual Martyrs' Day rally on July 21.

Kolkata, July 18 (IANS) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday imposed strict restrictions on Trinamool Congressa annual Martyrsa Day rally on July 21.

The single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh barred the movements of different processions of party workers marching towards the main rally venue between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., considered as the peak office hours.

However, Justice Ghoshas bench said that these processions could start moving again towards the rally venue from 11 a.m. The single-judge bench also directed the city police commissioner to ensure that there would be no traffic congestion during the period from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

On Thursday, Justice Ghosh suggested that the Trinamool Congress think of an alternative venue for its annual July 21 Martyrsa Day rally from next year.

Every year, the rally is conducted at the multiple-crossing point of Esplanade in front of CESC House in the busy central Kolkata, which throws the entire traffic system in the area as well as on the adjacent roads totally out of gear for a substantial period on the day of the annual rally.

Even the police have to issue a traffic advisory diverting the vehicles for a substantial period. Interestingly, barring the Trinamool Congress, no other political party is permitted by the police to conduct any political programme at the same venue.

This year, a group of petitioners approached the Calcutta High Courtas single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, questioning why permission for a rally is given to just one political force even though that program causes immense inconvenience for the common people.

On Thursday, Justice Ghosh also observed that although he would not order a change of venue of the programme this year at the last moment, he would surely impose certain restrictions on the rally.

On Friday, he ultimately spelled out restrictions.
Mumbai, July 18 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday strongly rejected Opposition's claim about a honeytrap scandal involving 72 officials and some ministers of the state, saying "there is no honey and no trap".

Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday strongly rejected Opposition's claim about a honeytrap scandal involving 72 officials and some ministers of the state, saying "there is no honey and no trap".

Speaking in the Assembly, he asked the opposition and Congress legislator Nana Patole to come with concrete proof and solid information to corner the government. He reiterated that there was no honeytrap scandal.

CM Fadnavis said that a complaint was filed by a woman against deputy collector in Nashik but the complainant has thereafter withdrawn it.

Referring to Patole's repeated reference about the Hotel owner allegedly involved in hatching the trap and blackmail the victims, CM Fadnavis displayed a 'relevant paper' in the House, saying that the hotel owner in question is a local Congress unit chief.

He thereby put the ball in the Congress party's court.

CM Fadnavis said that Maharashtra is cultured state and there is no threat to it. "However, those who are poisoning the atmosphere need to be controlled."

Earlier, Patole on Wednesday and Thursday raked up the Honeytrap scandal issue in the state assembly.

CM's statement denying honey trap scandal was in the wake of Speaker's directive.

Patole raised the Honeytrap scandal targeting Maharashtra's high ranking officers and politicians and displayed a pen drive. Patole, who is a former assembly Speaker, did not stop there but said he is ready to show the content in the pen drive to the government.

Patole warned that it would be detrimental to the state if the confidential and sensitive information has been leaked during the Honeytrap scandal.

"Through honey trap, important documents of the state are in the hands of anti-social elements. I do not want to defame anyone. But the government is not serious about all this. The government is not ready to give even a simple statement," he said.

"More than 72 officials and some ministers of the state have been caught in the net of honeytrap. Confidential information is being collected from the honeytrappers. Also, some officials have been blackmailed and have thought of extreme things like suicide. The government is not ready to say anything on this. That is why I raised this issue in the Legislative Assembly," said Patole.

He also expressed serious displeasure over state government's reluctance to make statement explaining what action has been taken in this case. He brought to the Speaker's notice that despite his directive the government has not made any statement on Thursday. Patole urged the Speaker to give strong directives to immediately make a statement.

NCP-SP legislator Jayant Patil had said that the Nashik honey trap case is a serious one. He also demanded that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister make statements on all these cases.
Mumbai, July 18 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declared that no one can separate Mumbai from Maharashtra as it will remain in the state.

In his reply to the motion moved by opposition parties in the state Assembly, CM Fadnavis took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying that after four months during the upcoming local and civic body elections, the issue of "ploy to break Mumbai from Maharashtra" will be flagged off.

"Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra. If someone's father comes, father's father comes, or his grandfather comes, Mumbai will remain in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the voice of Marathi Manoos will remain strong," he announced.

CM Fadnavis further said, "After one and a half years, the transformation of Mumbai can be seen. It will be modern and accommodating. We have to make a progressive Maharashtra."

The Chief Minister's statement assumes significance as recently Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray had cautioned the 'Marathi Manoos' to remain alert and "foil attempts to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra".

Amid row over "imposition" of Hindi, CM Fadnavis said that the government will decide after the Narendra Jadhav-led committee submits its report.

Referring to his meeting with Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday when the latter presented him a collection of articles questioning what is the need to make Hindi mandatory in the state, he said, "I read the booklet yesterday. Just because someone met someone, it does not mean that they met for an alliance. The booklet should be attached with a few more pages. It should be added that a committee's report suggesting to make Hindi mandatory for classes 1 to 12 had come before Thackeray's cabinet, and the latter had accepted the same."

While deploring the clash between the supporters of legislators Gopichand Padalkar and Jitendra Awhad on Thursday in Vidhan Bhavan lobby, CM Fadnavis appealed to elected representatives to follow the code of conduct and avoid any act that will tarnish the image of Maharashtra.

CM Fadnavis reiterated that the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, passed by both Houses of the state legislature, was not against the Left parties but against left-wing extremism (LWE).

"The Public Safety Act is to prevent people from trying to create chaos in India by propagating the Maoist ideology. Action will not be taken under this act in cases of protest or writing against the government," he said.

He drew a parallel between Islamic Extremism and the LWE, saying that the government was not against Left parties and Left ideology.

CM Fadnavis countered the Opposition's allegation about rising crime incidents, saying the state has witnessed 6.5 per cent fewer cases compared to last year. The crime in Maharashtra's second capital, Nagpur, has decreased by 11 per cent.

However, the chief minister expressed concern over the increasing cases of drugs, saying that action will be taken under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act to seriously control the drug menace.

He warned that the concerned police officers will be dealt with firmly if the drug trade continues in their jurisdiction. He added that 13 policemen have been dismissed so far.

"I have also given information about narcotics. By the end of May 2024, 1568 accused were arrested. By the end of May, 2,194 accused have been arrested. Now, we have created a separate Narcotics Cell in every police station. About 5,975 officials and 1974 personnel are working in the Special Narcotics Cell. Narcotics have become a big challenge for us. We have directed that action will be taken at the level of every police station to take action against it," informed the chief minister.
Jerusalem, July 18 : Israel will raise its defence spending by 42 billion shekels (about 12.5 billion US dollars) in 2025 and 2026, the ministries of finance and defence said Thursday in a statement.

Local media reported that the budget agreement will allow the Defence Ministry to "advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national security."

According to the 'Times of Israel', Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the new defence budget "fully covers the intense fighting in Gaza, alongside comprehensive security preparations for all threats - from the south, the north, and more distant arenas."

It added that the current annual defence spending is 110 billion shekels, about nine per cent of gross domestic product - out of a total 2025 budget of 756 billion shekels, Xinhua news agency reported.

Military costs have surged since Israel launched a ground and air offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Apart from the offensive in Gaza, Israel also carried out regular attacks in the West Bank and Lebanon, and has launched waves of airstrikes in Syria most recently, all of which have met with strong condemnation from the international community

Earlier in March, the Chief of Israeli Defence Forces, Eyal Zamir, described Israel's survival as requiring a constant struggle in "a hostile environment" in the Middle East.

"Israel faces a constant, fundamental existential threat. Surrounded by ruthless enemies who seek our destruction, we must continue to strengthen and fortify the 'iron wall,'" he said, calling for increased military reinforcement and a higher defence budget.

Earlier this week, Israel's military said it had established a new military road in the Gaza Strip, bisecting eastern and western Khan Younis in the south of the strip.

In a statement, the military said the so-called 'Magen Oz Corridor' is "a key component in applying pressure on Hamas and achieving the decisive defeat of its Khan Younis Brigade."

The corridor, which stretches about 15 km, is the fourth such route Israel created by razing buildings and infrastructure to divide the enclave. These strips of land have been a major obstacle in previous ceasefire negotiations, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing not to withdraw forces from several of them.
Mysuru, July 18 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday that his government will not yield to any pressure regarding the handling of the alleged Dharmasthala murders case.

Dharmasthala is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka.

Responding to demands by a retired judge for an SIT probe, he said the government will take legal action in the matter. "We can't take action by ignoring the law."

"The individual connected to the case came forward and gave a statement to the police after remaining absconding for ten years. He has recorded his statement before the authorities. In his statement he had stated that he had buried dead bodies and he is ready to show the places. The government will consult the police department and then decide on setting up an SIT. The investigation will proceed strictly according to the law, and the government will not yield to any kind of pressure," CM Siddaramaiah assured.

On July 11, the unidentified complainant, who had claimed that he was forced to bury several bodies of women who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village appeared before a court in Karnataka's Mangaluru district, and recorded his statement.

The man submitted his statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) before Principal Civil Judge and First Class Judicial Magistrate Sandesh K.

He was accompanied by a group of lawyers and police personnel and entered the court with his face covered. The development had sparked a major controversy.

He requested that the police exhume the bodies in his presence.

The complainant also sought protection for himself and his family.

According to his statement, he fled Dharmasthala 11 years ago.

He further alleged that the bodies of the women showed clear signs of sexual assault.

They were found without clothes or undergarments and bore injuries suggesting violent acts. The revelations have shocked the state.

A retired Supreme Court judge and activists demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe monitored by the Supreme Court or the High Court into the shocking murders involving many women and others.
Jamshedpur, July 18 : The once-vital 'Elephant Corridor' connecting Jharkhand's Kolhan division to neighbouring West Bengal has turned into a deadly passage for the very creatures it was meant to protect. In just the past 45 days, seven elephants have died within a 100 km stretch. These pachyderms are the victims of train accidents, electrocution, and even landmines.

The most recent tragedy occurred on the intervening night of July 17-18, when three elephants, including two calves and an adult, were mowed down by the speeding Jan Shatabdi Express near Banstola railway station in West Bengal's Jhargram district, adjacent to Jharkhand's Ghatsila subdivision.

The elephants were crossing the tracks when the train hit them around 1 a.m. All three died on the spot. Their mangled bodies lay on the railway tracks for hours, causing a major disruption on the busy Howrah-Mumbai rail route.

The bodies were removed only later on Friday morning using JCB machines, after which train traffic resumed.

The herd had been seen in the Banstola forest for several days. According to the forest department, railway authorities were warned about the herd's presence, but no precaution was taken to reduce the speed of the trains. On the night of the incident, villagers and forest officials were trying to guide the elephants away from human habitation using torches when the tragedy struck.

Jhargram Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Umar Imam said the accident could have been avoided with timely intervention and better coordination. "If the train had slowed down as alerted, the collision might have been averted," he said.

This is just one in a series of fatal incidents in the Jharkhand-Bengal Elephant Corridor. On July 10, a wild elephant was found dead in the Serengasia valley of West Singhbhum district, suspected to have died from electrocution by live wires laid in a farm field.

On July 5, a six-year-old elephant named Gadru died in Saranda Forest, days after being injured in an IED explosion planted by Maoists. Despite efforts by the Forest Department and wildlife NGO Vantara from Gujarat to save him, he succumbed to his injuries.

On June 24, a female elephant died of electrocution in Heaven village under the Chandil Forest range of Seraikela-Kharsawan district. She came into contact with an illegally electrified fence installed by a farmer. Authorities have launched an investigation.

On June 5, another elephant was found dead in a field near Ambeda in the same forest area, reportedly also due to electrocution.

The death toll highlights a growing crisis in Kolhan's forest landscape. In the past three years, over 20 elephants have died in various parts of the Kolhan division alone.

Earlier, five elephants died due to electrocution in Musabani (East Singhbhum) in November 2023. In July 2024, a female elephant was found dead in Bhadua village of Baharagora.

According to data presented in Parliament, 528 elephants have died from unnatural causes in India over the last five years. Jharkhand alone accounts for 30 of those deaths due to electrocution.
Natural reserve boosts migratory bird protection in NE China's Liaoning

People's Daily Online) 09:09, July 18, 2025

Photo shows Snake Island, part of the Liaoning Snake Island-Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve in Lushunkou district, Dalian city, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Photo courtesy of the management bureau of the Liaoning Snake Island-Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve)

The Liaoning Snake Island-Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve in Lushunkou district, Dalian city, northeast China's Liaoning Province is an important stopover site for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, one of the world's great flyways for migratory birds.

In recent years, the population of wild birds recorded at the reserve has seen remarkable growth, thanks to coordinated conservation efforts and smart management based on a digital management platform.

"Every year during the migration season, tens of millions of migratory birds pass through here," said Wang Xiaoping, deputy director of the reserve's management bureau.

So far, 375 bird species have been recorded at the reserve. It was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in July 2024 as part of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II).

Wang joined the reserve staff in 2001 after graduating from Northeast Forestry University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

"In the past, people would go to the mountains to catch birds during the migration season. To protect birds, we had to maintain 24-hour monitoring," he recalled.

The challenge was deeply rooted in local conditions. "Our village is surrounded by mountains, leaving villagers with little farmland. Quite a few villagers once made their living by catching birds," said Sun Xigui, a villager from Guojia village in Tieshan subdistrict, Lushunkou district.

The reserve has worked persistently to address this dilemma through a two-pronged approach.

Staff members hold a bird-related science popularization activity at the Liaoning Snake Island-Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve in Lushunkou district, Dalian city, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Photo courtesy of the management bureau of the Liaoning Snake Island-Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve)

"On one hand, we coordinate with public security, forestry and market regulation bureaus, as well as the district government to protect birds and punish hunting activities. On the other hand, as the local government has vigorously developed industries such as cherry planting and rural tourism, people have found broader channels to increase income and achieve prosperity, so fewer people engage in bird catching," Wang said.

Sun calculated his earnings: "About 50 cherry trees can be planted on 1 mu (around 0.07 hectares) of land, generating about 45,000 yuan ($6,278.56) in gross annual income."

As local residents' incomes have risen, illegal bird catching has declined dramatically. Since 2022, the reserve has recorded zero confiscated bird nets for three consecutive years, according to Wang.

The number of recorded species of raptors in Laotie Mountain has now reached 45, according to Lyu Chuandong, head of the science and education center of the reserve's management bureau.

On Sept. 23, 2024, over 10,000 raptors were recorded on the mountain in a single day. The management bureau has conducted raptor monitoring for seven consecutive years since 2018.

Monitoring the changes in raptor populations is crucial for assessing the ecological health of a region, Lyu said.

The mountain monitors an average of over 60,000 raptors annually, with the 2024 figure exceeding 110,000, Lyu added.

Gradually, bird protectors have multiplied. "Now, when local residents discover injured or sick birds, they proactively call relevant departments, and the birds are eventually sent to us for examination and treatment," said Tang Lianyou, director of the Laotie Mountain raptor rescue center.

Since the center's establishment in 2016, it has received over 420 birds representing 42 species, including more than 140 birds from 20 species under national second-level protection or higher, with over 220 successfully released after treatment.

To better protect bird habitats, the reserve's management bureau has established a digital management platform featuring modules for patrol management, monitoring displays, and video surveillance, integrating technologies such as voiceprint recognition, AI analysis, and thermal imaging.

"A space-air-ground intelligent management system powered by cutting-edge technologies enables us to better understand bird activity patterns, providing valuable support for future conservation efforts," Lyu said.

In recent years, researchers at the reserve have equipped over 160 medium and large birds with satellite positioning trackers, enabling precise monitoring of their flight routes, altitudes, speeds, and other information. Through long-term tracking, they have gradually mastered migration routes and strategies of common raptors passing through Laotie Mountain.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A cub of giant panda Cancan plays at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Two cubs of the giant panda Xidou lay on the ground enjoying delicious food at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Giant panda Fubao eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Giant panda Shuixiu plays at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

A giant panda eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

The giant panda Xiao Qiji enjoys delicacies at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

A giant panda eats bamboo at the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 17, 2025. A giant panda birthday season event, hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, was held here on Thursday. The much-anticipated giant pandas, including Fubao and Xiao Qiji, met the public and enjoyed delicacies such as carrots, watermelons, etc. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
Kolkata, July 18 : The Central government will deal with the illegal infiltrators in West Bengal as per the provisions of the Constitution, despite attempts by Trinamool Congress to protect them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while addressing a rally organised by the BJP's West Bengal unit at the industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district.

According to PM Modi, while Bengalis are being treated with respect in the BJP-ruled states, in West Bengal, the people of the state are suffering because of the patronage that the illegal infiltrators have been receiving from the ruling dispensation and the state administration.

"The illegal infiltrators are being provided with fake Indian identity documents in West Bengal. The entire ecosystem has been developed in West Bengal to encourage illegal infiltration. These illegal infiltrators are threats to national security. They are threats to Bengali culture. Trinamool Congress had put the honour of the state at stake just because of narrow political motives," the Prime Minister said.

According to him, while the real intention of Trinamool Congress had been clear to the entire country, they had started a new front in support of the illegal infiltrators. Trinamool Congress is also challenging Constitutional provisions and Constitutional bodies.

"But I want to say clearly that those are not Indian citizens, and those who are illegal infiltrators will be dealt with as per Constitutional provisions," said the Prime Minister.

Political observers believe that PM Modi's reference to the issue of illegal infiltration was a subtle reply to the current stand taken by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress on the issue of alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states after being branded as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.

"The roots of the BJP are in West Bengal. So Bengalis are immensely respected in BJP-ruled states.BJP had given Bengali the status of a classical language. BJP identifies Bengali language as a legacy of rich cultural heritage," the Prime Minister said.
Mumbai, July 18 : A day after the brawl between the supporters of BJP legislator Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SP legislator Jitendra Awhad in the lobby of Vidhan Bhavan in Maharashtra, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said on Friday that visitors will not be allowed into the Vidhan Bhavan from now onwards during the Legislative session.

In his statement, Speaker Narwekar said, "The behaviour of MLAs in the last few days is a matter of concern, we need to follow the Constitution seriously while taking the oath of office. Therefore, from now on, only MLAs and their authorised personal assistants will be allowed into the Vidhan Bhavan. Also, most of the time, Ministers hold meetings in the Vidhan Bhavan, but now the Ministers are also being instructed to hold their meetings in the Mantralaya. If a meeting is to be held in exceptional circumstances, visitors will not be allowed but the concerned department personnel will be given entry."

He added that visitors will not be allowed without the approval of the State Legislature's Board.

Later on Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "This Assembly does not belong to MLAs or Ministers. This Assembly belongs to the 14 crore people of Maharashtra. The work of giving direction to the society should be done. If the message is being conveyed through kicking and punching instead through discussion and thought, then everyone needs to reflect. We told both legislators and they expressed regret. The poison emanating from words can be more poisonous than the poison of a snake."

The Chief Minister noted, "There should be discipline in this regard. There are six crimes against Sarjerao Takle (a supporter of BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar). There are eight crimes against Nitin Deshmukh (associated with NCP-SP MLA Jitendra Awhad). It is not right for such a group to come and fight. The decision taken by the Assembly Speaker is right. Just because some people made a mistake, everyone should not be punished."

He urged the Assembly Speaker to establish a proper security system saying that henceforth visitors should be allowed in the Vidhan Bhavan only with a valid badge.

"Who is responsible if someone comes and commits a terrorist act? MLAs come wearing badges. But visitors should at least have an identity card around their necks. Otherwise, the security guards should take them out," he said.

Referring to certain objectionable comment by few legislators on Speaker Narwekar, CM Fadnavis said, "I apologise on behalf of those who made the statements."
New Delhi, July 18 : Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that despite global volatility, India accounted for 16 per cent of global growth in crude oil consumption and is projected to contribute 25 per cent of such growth over the next three decades.

In his address at the plenary session of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) conclave, the minister said that the Government has ensured affordable and uninterrupted energy supply to citizens, even during times of global uncertainty.

Highlighting India's achievements in the biofuels sector, the Minister noted that nearly 20 per cent ethanol blending has been achieved in 2025, a significant rise from 1.53 per cent in 2014. This accomplishment has resulted in Rs 1.4 lakh crore in foreign exchange savings, substitution of 238 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, a reduction of 717 lakh metric tonnes in CO2 emissions, and direct payments of Rs 1.21 lakh crore to farmers.

He also cited the expansion of CNG stations from 738 in 2014 to over 8,100 today and the provision of 10.33 crore LPG connections under PMUY, empowering women and improving health outcomes. "These numbers are not just achievements; they are milestones on our journey towards a cleaner, self-reliant energy future," he said.

Recognising the pivotal role played by petroleum dealers in the energy ecosystem, Puri acknowledged concerns related to dealer commissions, operational costs, and other issues.

He assured the gathering of petroleum retail outlet dealers that the Ministry believes in "consultation, not confrontation," and cited the revision of dealer margins in October 2024 and the implementation of intra-state freight rationalisation as concrete steps taken to address disparities. Puri further said that structured platforms for feedback and grievance redressal would continue to be strengthened.

Reflecting on the challenges of the past five yearsincluding the COVID-19 pandemic and global geopolitical conflictsPuri noted that India not only navigated these disruptions effectively but also emerged as a global leader in energy growth.

The minister called for a transformation of retail outlets into centres of customer excellence, where digital payments, automated billing, clean toilets, strict safety protocols, and effective grievance redressal become the norm.

Puri urged the adoption of technologies that enable zero pilferage, zero tampering, and complete transparency. He also emphasised the growing relevance of non-fuel services at outlets, such as convenience stores, EV charging, utility bill payments, and fintech services, which can enhance customer experience and provide new revenue streams.

The Minister laid out a roadmap for dealers to reposition themselves as energy entrepreneurs. He advised the community to upskill their workforce through structured training in customer service, digital tools, and safety standards.

He encouraged collaboration with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to implement EV charging points, rooftop solar installations, and energy-efficient infrastructure. Puri also stressed the importance of adopting digital dispensing systems, automated monitoring, and transparent auditing to strengthen consumer trust.

He highlighted the strategic importance of the dealer network in supporting national objectives like disaster response, public health drives, and voter awareness campaigns.

Puri particularly urged the petroleum dealer fraternity to leverage the prime locations of their retail outlets to generate Non-Fuel Revenue (NFR) by offering services such as communication hubs, battery swapping stations, water kiosks, and digital financial services.
Patna, July 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth Rs 7,217 crore during a massive rally at Gandhi Maidan in Motihari, reaffirming the Centre's commitment to transforming Bihar into a developed state.

PM Modi emphasised the importance of a "Developed Bihar for a Developed India", stating that rapid development is possible because the Centre and Bihar government are working together.

During the UPA government's tenure, Bihar received only Rs 2 lakh crore, which he termed as political revenge against the state government.

"In 2014, you gave me the opportunity to serve at the Centre. After that, I ended this politics of revenge. In 10 years of NDA, the amount given for Bihar's development is many times more," he said.

PM Modi said: "From this land of Bihar, I pledged Operation Sindoor, and today, the entire world is witnessing its success. This is a new India that will move heaven and earth to punish the enemies of Mother India."

The Prime Minister highlighted the global rise of eastern nations, stating: "Just as eastern countries are advancing globally, this is the era for India's eastern states to lead in development."

He envisioned "Motihari to be known like Mumbai in the west, opportunities in Gaya like Gurugram, Industrial development in Patna like Pune, growth in Santhal Pargana like Surat, tourism records in Jalpaiguri and Jajpur like Jaipur and progress in Birbhum like Bengaluru".

PM Modi also reminded the people of Bihar's past under the RJD-Congress combine, stating that corruption and development had pushed the state into despair.

"Bihar is the land of heroes who make the impossible possible. You freed this land from the shackles of RJD and Congress, making the impossible possible," he said.

PM Modi said, over the last 11 years, more than 4 crore houses have been built under PM Awas Yojana, with 60 lakh houses in Bihar alone, including 3 lakh pucca houses in Motihari district.

"During the RJD-Congress rule, even painting houses was avoided due to fear of eviction. Today, the poor are living with dignity in pucca houses," he said.

PM Modi accused Congress and RJD of misusing the name of the poor, Dalits, backward, and tribals for politics, stating:

"They neither give people outside their family the right to equality nor respect. The arrogance of these people is evident to the entire Bihar. We must protect Bihar from their evil intentions," he said.

PM Modi credited Bihar's mothers and sisters for the state's progress, stating they understand the importance of the NDA's initiatives.

"Our vision is Prosperous Bihar, Employment for Every Youth! Rapid efforts have been made to ensure maximum employment opportunities for Bihar's youth within the state," PM Modi said.

He praised Nitish Kumar's government for transparent government appointments and new employment resolutions, with the Centre providing full support.

PM Modi said: "Left Wing Extremism, which kept districts like Champaran, Aurangabad, Gaya, and Jamui behind for years, is now counting its last breaths. We are determined to make India completely free from Naxalism."

Highlighting Bihar's economic potential, PM Modi said: "Bihar has neither a lack of strength nor resources. We have increased Makhana prices by linking farmers to big markets, and we are forming a Makhana Board."

The Prime Minister also noted Champaran's spiritual significance, referencing the Ram-Janaki Path, which will pass through 70 ghats in Motihari, Kesaria, Chakia, and Madhuban, while a new railway line from Sitamarhi to Ayodhya will enable devotees to travel for darshan.
Seoul, July 18 : A court on Friday dismissed the former South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol's petition against his arrest, keeping him in custody over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling hours after concluding a hearing that reviewed the legality of Yoon's arrest and whether it should remain in place.

"Based on the results of our questioning of the suspect and the case records, it was recognized that the request was without reason and dismissed," the bench said.

The ousted president had filed for the review Wednesday, less than a week after he was placed under arrest at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, over five key charges related to his martial law bid in December.

The closed-door hearing at the court began at 10:15 am and ended around six hours later after Yoon's lawyers and special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team presented contrary arguments for and against his release.

Yoon's lawyers reportedly stressed that the criminal charges leveled against him cannot be supported and that he poses no risk of destroying evidence, Yonhap news agency reported.

In particular, they sought to highlight that the five key charges the special counsel team listed on the arrest warrant -- including his alleged violation of the rights of Cabinet members and his alleged creation of a false martial law document -- were already covered under the insurrection charge for which Yoon is currently standing trial.

Yoon also spoke for 30 minutes about his deteriorating health.

"His liver is in really bad shape so he submitted the relevant materials and explained that he has difficulty moving," Yoo Jung-hwa, one of Yoon's lawyers, told reporters after the hearing.

The special counsel team, however, asserted the need to keep him in custody, saying the five charges could all be supported and classified as serious crimes.

Moreover, they cited concerns he could influence witness testimony or destroy evidence.

Yoon arrived at the court at around 9 am. He was escorted straight into the holding cell in a transport vehicle, avoiding contact with the press.

He returned to the detention centre after the hearing and will likely remain there for several more days, as the time the review was in process does not count toward the 10-day initial arrest period.

The special counsel team is expected to decide within that time whether to make another attempt to forcibly bring him into its office for questioning or proceed to indict him without additional interrogation.

Since his latest arrest, Yoon has resisted the special counsel's attempts to question him and skipped his insurrection trial twice, threatening to boycott all future hearings unless Cho's team is removed from the courtroom.

This is the second time he has been arrested.

The first time was in January, but he was released in March after a court accepted his request to cancel his arrest.
Patna, July 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi just launched four new Amrit Bharat trains in Motihari and also addressed a large public gathering where outlined BJP-JD(U) government priorities and focus for building a 'New Bihar'.

The newly launched trains will make travel between Bihar and the national capital faster and easier. The initiative was part of Rs 7,200 crore infrastructural push to Bihar, announced by PM Modi at Motihari rally on Friday.

Many Union Ministers and state leaders, who were part of the programme in Motihari supported PM Modi's vision for New Bihar and reiterated that the state which was 'left in shambles' by previous governments will continue to rise and shine under the NDA government.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan echoed PM Modi's sentiments and said that with Prime Minister calling backward community a priority, it clearly shows that everyone will be taken along.

He also took potshots at Lalu Yadav's comments and said that had he paid attention to Bihar during his tenure, the state would not have been so backward.

Senior leader Renu Devi said, "I thank PM Modi. Whenever he comes, he brings gifts for Bihar. He never comes empty-handed.

Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur said, "PM Modi has given a lot to Bihar today. We all thank him wholeheartedly. The people of Bihar want to express their gratitude to him.

Bihar unit BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said: "PM Modi has announced projects worth more than Rs 7,000 crore today, and the whole of Bihar is happy. PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar are continuously working for the progress of Bihar."

"This gift of crores of rupees from PM Modi will prove to be a milestone in the development of Bihar," he added.

Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh said, "This is a government that believes in work and not one that follows the culture of RJD. He said that today people can go from Patna to Motihari in two and a half hours. The people of Bihar feel that they are getting this facility because of Nitish Kumar and PM Narendra Modi."

Union Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey said, "Even today he has given a lot to Bihar. Today's program was very successful, in which many big gifts were announced for the state."

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) said, "PM Modi is visiting Bihar every month and giving projects worth thousands of crores of rupees to the state."

"Lalu Prasad Yadav does not need to comment. He should tell what work he did. When he was a minister in the central government, what work did he do for the railways?" he asked.

Upendra Kushwaha said, "Whenever PM Modi comes, he brings gifts for Bihar. This time also, he has given a lot."
Raipur, July 18 : In a major offensive against the Maoist insurgents, security forces have launched a high-intensity operation in the dense forests of Abujhmad, located in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, resulting in the recovery of bodies of six Maoists, and a substantial cache of weapons, an official said on Friday.

Raipur, July 18 (IANS) In a major offensive against the Maoist insurgents, security forces have launched a high-intensity operation in the dense forests of Abujhmad, located in Chhattisgarhas Narayanpur district, resulting in the recovery of bodies of six Maoists, and a substantial cache of weapons, an official said on Friday.

The operation, which began on the afternoon of Friday (July 18), is still underway, with intermittent exchanges of fire continuing between the forces and armed cadres.

Acting on specific intelligence input regarding the Maoist presence in the region, joint teams comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) initiated a coordinated search mission in the rugged terrain of Abujhmad -- a long-standing stronghold of Maoist activity.

The encounter site has yielded AK-47 and SLR rifles, along with other firearms, explosive materials, and daily-use items, indicating the presence of a well-equipped Maoist unit.

Officials confirmed that the bodies recovered so far belong to active Maoist cadres, though identification is pending.

The operation is being conducted with extreme caution due to the challenging topography and the risk of booby traps and IEDs (improvised explosive devices), which Maoists frequently deploy in such zones.

Security forces have refrained from disclosing further tactical details to ensure the safety of personnel still engaged in the field. Authorities have assured that a comprehensive report will be released once the operation concludes.

For now, the encounter marks another significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to dismantle Maoist networks and restore peace in one of Indiaas most volatile insurgency zones.

This latest encounter comes amid a broader crackdown on Left-Wing Extremism in the Bastar region, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, for the complete eradication of the Maoist insurgency.

According to recent disclosures, Maoist organisations have admitted to losing 357 cadres in encounters over the past year, including 136 women fighters, underscoring the scale of attrition within their ranks.

The Abujhmad region, known for its inaccessibility and strategic importance to Maoist operations, has witnessed intensified security activity in recent months.

The Chhattisgarh governmentas dual strategy of aggressive operations and rehabilitation initiatives has led to a surge in surrenders, with over 1,400 Maoists laying down arms since December 2023.
New Delhi, July 18 : Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Friday met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and apprised him of the ongoing development and modernisation initiatives at the city legislature.

Gupta presented an update on the implementation of the NeVA project, digitisation of the library, and the transition to solar energy.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly has embarked on a comprehensive modernisation of its library.

Demonstrating its commitment to harnessing advanced technologies for creating an efficient, inclusive, and digitally empowered knowledge ecosystem for both legislators and the public, the Assembly had asked the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) to prepare a detailed feasibility and action report.

The report, now with Gupta, outlines a clear roadmap for upgrading the libraryas infrastructure, resources, and digital services.

To advance the initiative, a high-level meeting led by the Speaker was held earlier, where Gupta stressed the importance of strengthening legislative research and digital access to information.

He announced plans to transform the Assembly Library into a state-of-the-art e-Library with modern IT infrastructure. It was also proposed to rename it the aDelhi Legislative Assembly Library, Archives and Museuma to reflect its broader role.

The feasibility report recommends reforms in staffing, infrastructure, and technology. Key proposals include hiring a Senior Consultant (Library), one ALIO, two Library Attendants, and engaging LIS trainees.

Staff post and pay scale may also be upgraded, along with collaborations with institutions like the Parliament Library.

The proposed infrastructure upgrades involve a full library renovation with modern furniture, compact shelving, museum-style displays, and termite treatment, coordinated through PWD via an RFP process.

On the digital side, Koha LMS, a Library Portal, and a DSpace-based digital repository will be introduced. The library will join DELNET, subscribe to digital platforms like Press Reader and Magzter, and provide online access to key resources.

The website will be upgraded, and new computers and OPAC terminals will be installed. Digitisation will focus on archival preservation using OCR-enabled formats. Partnerships with institutions like the British Library are planned for acquiring rare materials.

A Project Monitoring Committee will oversee implementation, supported by dedicated budget allocations.

This landmark project marks a transformative stride in the Delhi Legislative Assemblyas journey towards a research-oriented, digitally advanced, and knowledge-rich institutional ecosystem.

It also aligns with and contributes to the national vision of Digital India by promoting transparent governance, digital inclusion, and easy public access to legislative resources and heritage.
Jammu, July 18 : As the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organisation, former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid, on Friday, hailed the move as a "victory of truth" and a blow to Pakistan's long-standing disinformation campaign.

"This is a triumph of truth and Indian diplomacy. Pakistan tried to present TRF as a local militant group led by Kashmiri youths, but the truth has come out -- more than 90 per cent of its members are Pakistanis," Vaid told IANS.

"This group, which is a front for Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), has been operating in Kashmir for years, and its real face has now been exposed before the world."

Vaid emphasised the impact of Prime Minister Modi's strategic global outreach.

"This success is a result of sustained diplomatic efforts, including Operation Sindoor, where Indian delegations reached out to the international community, exposing Pakistan's double standards on terrorism," he said.

"The Foreign Ministry and the Narendra Modi-led BJP government deserve full credit for this achievement."

He added that the TRF has not only operated in the Kashmir Valley but has also been responsible for orchestrating terror attacks in the Jammu region -- including Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Hiranagar, Basantgarh, and Doda.

Meanwhile, the US designation follows mounting international pressure and a call for justice after the horrific Pahalgam attack in April 2025, which left 26 civilians dead.

The US State Department confirmed that TRF, a LeT proxy, had claimed responsibility for the attack. This marks the deadliest terror incident on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his statement on Thursday, said, "The designation of TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) reflects the Trump administration's resolve to counter terrorism and honour President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam victims."

US President Donald Trump had condemned the attack strongly and expressed his solidarity with India in a phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pledging full support in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Speaking on the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, Vaid warned of Pakistan's attempts to sabotage peace and tourism in the region.

"Pakistan's goal is to destroy tourism in Kashmir, push the youth into unemployment, and then into terrorism. But the people of Kashmir are well aware of this plan. The facade of TRF, LeT, and other groups are just masks -- behind them is the Pakistan Army and the ISI," he said.

As more than two lakh devotees have participated in the Amarnath Yatra so far, with a fresh batch of 6,143 pilgrims leaving for Kashmir on Friday, former DGP Vaid praised the resilience of the Indian people and security forces in ensuring the Yatra continues peacefully.

"For 35 years, Pakistan has fueled terrorism under the guise of jihad. They are not going to change unless we respond with strength. If needed, Operation Sindoor must be launched again to counter them," Vaid concluded.
Jalandhar, July 18 : In a crackdown against an international racket involving gift cards and Virtual Digital Assets, the ED attached immovable properties of an illegal call centre worth Rs 7.31 crore in Ludhiana and Mohali, said an official on Friday.

The call centre was being run by Ankush Bassi, Piyush Malik, Gurmeet Singh Gandhi and others for duping foreigners under the garb of offering customer support service.

The call centre operators used to manipulate foreign customers into buying gift cards and Virtual Digital Assets, said an ED statement.

The gift cards and virtual digital assets were later encashed in India by the accused persons through crypto exchanges and layered through multiple bank accounts of Bassi, Malik, Gandhi and their family members, said the probe agency.

The federal agencyas Jalandhar Zonal Office issued the Provisional Attachment Order against the Ludhiana and Mohali properties under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 on Thursday.

The EDas investigation revealed that the trio were running a call centre purportedly for providing services without having any affiliations.

The Proceeds of Crime thus generated through illegal activities were utilised in purchase of immovable properties, the ED said.

Earlier in a separate case, the EDas Chandigarh Zonal Office carried out search operations on July 4 at the premises of three suspected shell companies - M/s Kindent Business Solutions, M/s Rainet Technology and M/s Mool Business Solutions, located in Noida and Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

These companies were being operated by dummy directors and posing as IT firms offering bill payment solutions, UPI applications and similar services without being regulated by the RBI.

Based on recovered evidence and confirmations received from various banks, the ED has frozen 135 bank accounts associated with these entities, with a total Proceeds of Crime (PoC) of Rs 204 crore.

The action is in continuation of the previous searches conducted in this ongoing case during February 2025, when a total of 52 bank accounts were frozen with a total PoC of Rs 187 crore. Till now, PoC of Rs 391 crore has been frozen.

Essentially, these companies serve as intermediary channels for laundering the proceeds of crime generated through the multicrore QFX/YFX online forex and MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) scam, which has duped thousands of investors across India.

The agents collect cash or money in their Bank account or in the Bank account of others and then route the money through the accounts as mentioned earlier, the ED said.
Photo: https://bank.gov.ua/

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has published a mortgage lending strategy approved earlier by the Financial Stability Council and the NBU Board, aimed at developing market mechanisms and housing affordability.

"Our lending development strategy, approved a year ago, has proven its effectiveness. We have new agreements with various state institutions to give impetus to the development of market mortgages," the NBU website reported, citing a comment by National Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyy.

It is noted that the strategy, developed in accordance with the concept agreed with the International Monetary Fund, provides for a number of infrastructure changes. Its main goal is to calibrate state support in accordance with market conditions and create an efficient housing market.

Key objectives identified within the strategy include reducing the level of risks through the introduction of a mass war risk insurance product and improving the legislative regulation of residential real estate construction.

The strategy also aims to ensure accessible and understandable lending by improving the state support model and disclosure standards in accordance with EU norms. The document provides for strengthening the protection of creditors' rights by updating the procedures for resolving problem debts.

"In addition, the further development of mortgage lending and its scaling will be ensured by the development and implementation of securitization and covered bond issuance into Ukrainian legislation," the regulator noted.

The implementation of the measures envisaged in the mortgage lending development strategy is entrusted to the National Bank, the government and the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. An important role is also assigned to the Verkhovna Rada, which must ensure the introduction of relevant amendments to the current legislation.

The implementation of most of the strategy's measures will begin in parallel, but legislative reforms will require more time. A Roadmap will be developed to detail all measures. In the future, this strategy should become an element of the broader Housing Strategy.
New Delhi, July 18 : The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) on Friday ordered all telecom service providers in the country to block access to the Telegram messaging app.

This decision came after months of repeated warnings and requests from the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, which flagged the app as a tool for financial fraud and money laundering.

In a statement, the NTA confirmed the directive, stating that the decision was taken in response to serious concerns raised by security agencies.

"As online frauds through Telegram continue to rise in Nepal, and the app is reportedly involved in crimes such as money laundering, all telecom service providers are directed to immediately block Telegram," NTA stated.

The authority stated that fraud schemes through Telegram have recently surged. These include fake job offers, crypto scams, and other deceptive tactics.

The Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other key officials held meetings to discuss the issue.

After being briefed on several cases of money laundering linked to Telegram, the Prime Minister's Office sent an official letter to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, asking for immediate action.

Another major reason behind the ban was Telegram's refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

The Ministry tried to contact Telegram's official representative but couldn't find a local focal point.

On Friday, it wrote to the NTA requesting the block. Soon after, the authority instructed all telecom and internet providers to cut off access to the app.

Telegram has long been criticised for being unsafe and for not sharing user data with authorities.

Countries like China have already banned the app due to similar concerns. The controversy surrounding Telegram grew further after its co-founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France in August 2024.

Durov, who also co-founded the Russian social network VK, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport and later indicted on multiple charges, including complicity in the distribution of child exploitation material and drug trafficking.

He was barred from leaving France and placed under judicial supervision. Durov's arrest led to major protests by free-speech activists and Telegram users.

In March 2025, a judge allowed Durov to temporarily leave France, and he left the country within the same month.
New Delhi, July 18 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the suicide of a man after alleged physical torture in police custody at Delhi's Dwarka North Police Station.

New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the suicide of a man after alleged physical torture in police custody at Delhias Dwarka North Police Station.

A day after the victim was taken to police custody for questioning in connection with a theft case, he committed suicide.

Taking note of a press report, the apex human rights body said the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim.

The NHRC issued a notice to the Delhi Commissioner of Police and called for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. According to the media report, the victim was taken to police custody on July 10, following a complaint of theft made against him by a woman supervisor.

A day after he committed suicide and a suicide note has been recovered. The man was a resident of Delhias Nangli Vihar area and was working as a contract employee with the IP University.

Reportedly, the victim had injury marks on his body and was also given electric shocks, due to which there was swelling in his ear.

He was taken to the hospital by the family members, from where he was referred to the Indira Gandhi Hospital for further treatment. The next day, the victim was found hanging in his room.

Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.
Amritsar, July 18 : Leader of Opposition in Punjab and Congress lawmaker Partap Singh Bajwa, on Friday demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann immediately convene an all-party meeting in Amritsar to discuss continuing threats to the Golden Temple through threatening emails.

Speaking after paying obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib, where he was accompanied by Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala and other Congress leaders, Bajwa said that he met with officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The SGPC officials told him that even after one arrest was made, fresh threatening emails have continued to be sent targeting Sri Harmandir Sahib.

"This is no longer an isolated incident, this points to a deep-rooted and sinister conspiracy against Punjab's peace, communal harmony, and religious institutions. The matter deserves the highest level of seriousness and cannot be brushed aside through routine police action," Bajwa said.

Bajwa expressed concern that the AAP government not only failed to take the House into confidence during the recent special session on the sacrilege Bill but also deliberately chose to hide the fact that these threats were continuing, even during the Assembly session itself.

"This is not merely a law and order issue; this is about the security of Punjab's most sacred religious place and the potential threat to social harmony across the state. Why did CM Bhagwant Mann not share this in the Assembly? Why was the House kept in the dark?" Bajwa questioned.

He urged CM Mann to call an all-party meeting in Amritsar to chalk out a united, bipartisan strategy to ensure such nefarious designs are crushed, peace is protected, and the sentiments of Punjabis across communities are respected. Bajwa also warned against any attempt to politicise this serious issue, reminding that Sri Harmandir Sahib belongs to all Punjabis and holds sacred value for millions worldwide.

Meanwhile, Amritsar Police have detained software engineer Shubham Dubey, a resident of Faridabad, in connection with a series of threatening emails sent to blow up the Golden Temple. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar told the media that Dubey was taken into custody for questioning.

His laptop and mobile phones have been seized and sent for forensic examination. He said central agencies were also involved in the probe.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 18 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Friday that 94.68 per cent of voters in Bihar have been successfully covered in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, with seven days remaining for the completion of the enumeration phase.

The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1, and political parties and citizens will have a full month to suggest corrections or additions, a press statement issued here said.

Of the total 7.89 crore voters in Bihar, more than 7.11 crore enumeration forms have been received, and 6.85 crore have already been digitised.

However, nearly 41 lakh forms are still pending, and around 36.8 lakh voters were not found at their registered addresses.

These include more than 12.7 lakh individuals believed to be deceased, 18.1 lakh who may have permanently shifted, and 5.9 lakh identified as enrolled in multiple locations.

In a bid to ensure transparency and accuracy, the ECI has shared lists of such voters with district presidents of political parties and more than 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by them.

Each BLA is permitted to submit up to 50 certified forms per day until July 25.

This collaborative verification effort is aimed at preventing the exclusion of any eligible voter.

The final electoral roll will be published on September 30, following the disposal of claims and objections by September 25.

Both printed and digital versions will be provided to recognised political parties and made available on the ECI website.

Any aggrieved voter may appeal to the District Magistrate or the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

This revision exercise comes ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, likely to take place later this year.

The ECI's proactive measures reflect its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, especially in a politically sensitive state like Bihar, where voter rolls have historically been a point of contention.

Political observers note that the involvement of party-appointed BLAs in the verification process could reduce allegations of bias and improve public trust.

With the final roll set to be published in September, the groundwork for a high-stakes electoral contest is steadily taking shape.
Mumbai, July 18 : Islampur city of Sangli district will be renamed as Ishwarpur, announced Maharashtra Food and Civil Supply Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday.

"There has been a demand from the citizens of this area for many days in this regard. The government has approved the naming of Islampur as Ishwarpur, and a proposal is being sent to the central government," said Minister Bhujbal. He made this announcement after the state cabinet gave its approval on Thursday.

Minister Bhujbal further said, "The Central Government has the right to change the name of the village and city. As per the guidelines of the Central Government, the proposal to rename Islampur (tehsil Walwa) in Sangli district as Ishwarpur is being sent to the Central Government with the recommendation of the State Government. After the approval of this proposal from the Central Government, the name of Islampur in Sangli district will be changed to Ishwarpur."

Meanwhile, school education minister Dadaji Bhuse said in the state Assembly that the state government has approved an expenditure of Rs 970.42 crore for the next phase of salary subsidy for private unaided and partially aided schools, units and teachers/non-teaching staff working in them in the state.

Minister Bhuse stated that this decision will benefit 49,562 teachers in 6,755 private unaided and partially aided schools and 9,631 units in the state. In addition, 2,714 teachers and non-teaching staff will be given a new 20 per cent subsidy. This salary subsidy will be implemented from August 1, 2025. He further said in a statement that approval has been given to declare schools and units that are ineligible as per the grant criteria as special schools as per the provisions of the Self-Financed Act.

Further, Minister of Marketing Jaykumar Rawal announced in the state Assembly that a special team has been formed under the chairmanship of the Nagpur District Collector to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the irregularities in the Nagpur Agricultural Produce Market Committee. The committee will include the District Superintendent of Police (Nagpur Rural), Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Divisional Joint Registrar. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within 30 days.
Guangzhou, July 18 : South China's Guangdong Province has activated a Level IV emergency response at 6 pm Friday as Typhoon Wipha moves closer, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

The provincial meteorological observatory noted that Wipha is advancing west-northwest at 20 to 25 kilometres per hour while gaining strength. It is expected to enter the South China Sea early Saturday and is likely to make landfall between western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta on July 20.

From Friday night to Saturday, scattered thunderstorms packing strong gales are forecast due to Wipha. The most severe impacts are expected from Saturday night through Monday, with torrential rains predicted across southern and central Guangdong, including potential extreme precipitation in the western region and the densely populated Pearl River Delta.

Authorities have mobilised a comprehensive emergency response, deploying rescue vessels, anti-pollution ships, and helicopters on standby, with all efforts focused on safeguarding coastal communities and ensuring the safety of nearby residents, Xinhua news agency reported.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for typhoons, with Level I being the most severe.

Earlier on July 9, Typhoon Danasa"the fourth typhoon of the yeara"made its third landfall in the coastal area of Ruiaan City, in east Chinaas Zhejiang Province.

This landfall followed Danasa initial strike in Taiwan early on July 7, and its second landfall in Dongtou District of Wenzhou, also in Zhejiang, on July 8.

Last month, multiple Chinese authorities had convened to implement precautionary measures in anticipation of Typhoon Wutip, which was expected to bring heavy rainfall to the southern regions of the country.

Wutipa"the first typhoon of the yeara"had made its first landfall in Dongfang City in south Chinaas island province of Hainan on June 13.

Due to the heavy rainfall triggered by the typhoon, the Ministry of Water Resources had activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Zhejiang Province along Chinaas eastern coast. The ministry had also urged local authorities to closely monitor weather conditions and effectively utilise water conservancy infrastructure to protect lives and property.
Bhopal, July 18 : The embers of discontent continue to glow across Madhya Pradesh as the Karni Sena, joined by members of the Rajput community, mounts a coordinated protest against alleged police excesses in Harda and Ratlam.

They are preparing for a statewide protest if the Harda Superintendent of Police Abhinav Chouksey and the District Collector Siddharth Jain are not removed.

What began as a local grievance has now evolved into a statewide movement demanding accountability, justice, and the removal of senior police officials.

The flashpoint was July 13, when police reportedly stormed the Rajput hostel in Harda and resorted to a lathi-charge against Karni Sena members, including girl students and national president Jeevan Singh Sherpur.

Videos of the incident went viral on social and other media platforms, attracting wide criticism.

Karni Sena District President Sunil Rajput and others were allegedly assaulted and jailed following a confrontation at the City Kotwali police station.

The incident, rooted in a diamond fraud complaint, spiralled into a confrontation that drew widespread condemnation.

Superintendent of Police Abhinav Chouksey clarified that police had arrested the accused Mohit Verma on complaints filed by Sunil Rajput, but Karni Sena members were demanding that the accused be handed over to them at the court premises.

Chouksey released his clarification and justification for the use of force through a video message.

Congress legislator from Harda, Ramkishore Dogne, has written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, currently abroad, demanding a judicial inquiry and calling the police response "disproportionate" and "politically motivated".

The Chief Minister, on the other hand, has sought a detailed report, but his absence has only intensified the Opposition's rhetoric.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, on Monday, demanded a judicial inquiry into the Harda incident, wherein police used "mild force" against Karni Sena during a protest.

Singh, who visited Harda and held a meeting with representatives of the Karni Sena and members of the Rajput community, alleged that the police's action was "barbaric".

The unrest has spilled into Ratlam, where Karni Sena activists held a rally from Nehru Stadium to the Collectorate on Friday, demanding the removal of Assistant Superintendent of Police Rakesh Khakha.

Protesters allege that Khakha ordered an unprovoked lathi-charge on peaceful demonstrators near a tea stall, where Karni Sena members were protesting in solidarity with those affected in Harda and demanding justice peacefully.

A memorandum submitted to Additional District Magistrate Shalini Srivastava calls for Khakha's dismissal and legal action against officers accused of brutality and suppression.

In Khandwa, the protest took on a broader social hue, with citizens from various communities joining the Karni Sena in condemning the police action.

Pankaj Raj, District President of Karni Sena, accused BJP leaders of remaining silent and alleged that the party punishes those who speak out for justice.

In Shajapur, the protest took the form of a spirited march from Dhobi Chowk to the Collectorate, with a significant turnout of women.

Demonstrators staged a sit-in and submitted a memorandum demanding the immediate removal of Harda's top officials and legal action against the police personnel involved.

State Karni Sena Secretary Ajit Singh Dodia accused the police of responding with disproportionate force to a peaceful protest over a diamond fraud case.

Indore, too, witnessed a rally, culminating in a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding the removal of Harda's Superintendent of Police and Collector.

Protesters warned of intensified agitation if justice is delayed.

The Karni Sena has demanded the suspension of implicated officers, withdrawal of false cases, and immediate release of detained members.

As the administration remains tight-lipped, the streets of Madhya Pradesh brace for another weekend of unrest, with the Rajput community's call for dignity and redress growing louder by the hour.
Addis Ababa, July 18 : The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) said Friday that it is changing its market strategy following the 10 per cent tariff imposed by the US government on the country's coffee export.

The ECTA said that efforts are being made to expand the Ethiopian coffee export market, especially to the Far East and Middle East regions.

The East African country is planning to expand the market to 20 countries in the fiscal year that started on July 8, according to Shafi Umer, Deputy Director General of the ECTA.

Ethiopia is taking new measures because the 10 per cent tariff imposed by the US government is affecting the Ethiopian coffee export market system, and new strategies are being developed to strengthen existing markets and create linkages by finding new markets, as per the authority.

Umer told Xinhua news agency that following the US tariff decision, Ethiopia is striving to strengthen trade relations with existing markets such as China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Italy.

Umer stressed that Ethiopia, which is the largest coffee producer in Africa and the fifth largest exporter of Arabica coffee in the world, has found it necessary to make a policy change as the Trump administration's policy is affecting about 35 per cent of the country's export revenue.

The Ethiopian government will not accept any decision that will harm the coffee sector, he added.

Ethiopia earned a record 2.65 billion US dollars in revenue from coffee exports during the just-concluded 2024/2025 Ethiopian fiscal year. The East African country exported 468,967 tonnes of coffee to generate revenue, up by more than 170,478 tonnes when compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the ECTA.
Bengaluru, July 18 : Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara on Friday launched 'Police at Every Home', a public outreach programme initiated by the State Police.

The launch event took place in Govindarajanagar, Bengaluru.

Speaking after releasing the official handbook prepared by the police department for the programme, the Minister said: "This is the first time in the country that a programme like 'Police at Every Home' is being implemented. No other state has taken such an initiative. I believe this will be a successful model across the country."

"Our police must be people-friendly. Citizens should view police officers as their brothers. With that spirit, we are taking the initiative to visit homes, listen to people's problems, and address themthis will help build a positive perception," he said.

"Our beat police officers already conduct daily rounds. Along with that, they will collect information on who visits each home, what activities are going on, and any issues faced by the residents. All of this data is maintained by the Bengaluru Police," he stated.

"If there are any illegal activities in the neighbourhood, if children are facing issues, or if there are drug-related concerns, such information can be shared with the police. All the collected data will be digitised. Beat officers will be provided with tablets. Public representatives, entrepreneurs, and writers are often soft targets  this programme will help ensure their safety as well," Parameshwara added.

"This is a proactive department. Vehicles are being parked on both sides of the roads everywhere, which leads to daily quarrels. The towing system will be revamped. Police personnel will carry out towing operations. The BBMP Commissioner has agreed to provide new vehicles for this," he informed.

"Whenever women face any trouble, the police respond swiftly. We will make Bengaluru a safe city for women. Under the Nirbhaya Scheme, multiple safety measures have been implemented in the city. Fifty 'Safe Eye' islands have been established. We will make Bengaluru a drug-free city," he said.

"If your children are falling into bad habits like drug use, please share such concerns with the police when they visit your homes. Bengaluru Police are working with confidence and in an active, efficient manner," Parameshwara assured.

The Home Minister also held a video conference with SPs and Police Commissioners from various districts to gather feedback on the 'Police at Every Home' programme.

Arun, SP of Mangaluru district, said, "This programme is proving to be very useful in our region, and the public response has been overwhelmingly positive. It is helping to build strong coordination between the police and the community."

Mithun, SP of Shivamogga district, said, "There are 478 beats in our district. Initially, people were anxious about the programme, but that concern has now settled. When we visit homes, it becomes easier to create awareness about domestic violence, cybercrime, and the ill effects of drug use."

S.D. Sharanappa, Commissioner of Police for Kalaburagi city, said, "This is an excellent initiative to strengthen public coordination. It will help improve public perception of the police. We will complete this responsibility as quickly as possible."

Later, Home Minister Parameshwara instructed, "The work must be completed within the scheduled time. All household data must be with you. When I visit police stations, this information must be readily available. Our police should set an example for other states," he directed.

The event was attended by Govindarajanagar MLA Priya Krishna, Director General of Police Dr M.A. Saleem, BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, and other senior police officials.
Bhopal, July 18 : The Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Friday, directed the State Human Rights Commission to investigate the alleged humiliation of notorious gangster Zubair Maulana, who was paraded by police after his arrest in Bhopal on May 9.

The court judgment came on a plea filed by Zubair's wife Shameem Bano, accusing the Bhopal police of humiliating and violating religious rights of her husband.

She alleged that after arresting Zubair, his head, beard and moustache were forcefully shaved, which is against the Islamic customs.

Advocate Prashant Chourasia, who represented Shameem Bano in the court, told that the court has found that police have violated the Article 21, 22 and 25 of the Constitution.

"The single-judge bench of Justice Vishal Mishra has directed State Human Rights Commission to investigate the matter and take an appropriate action in the matter," Chourasia told media persons in Jabalpur on Friday.

Zubair Maulana, a notorious criminal, who was wanted in several criminal cases, was arrested following a violent incident that occurred on May 6 when he and 10 to 12 of his accomplices barged into rival gangster Saad Khan's house and fired gun shots.

On the same day, Zubair and his gang arrived at the residence of Saad Khan's brother-in-law Faizal at Indira Nagar in Teela Jamalpura in Bhopal.

They fired gun shots in the air to create terror.

Upon receiving information, Zubair and three of his aides were eventually arrested from a farmhouse, which was reportedly the gangster's hideout.

Police had also seized a country-made pistol, four live cartridges and three knives from the possession of the criminals.

Bhopal police carried out a procession by dragging Zubair through the streets.

Video showing Zubair being paraded and his head, beard and moustache shaved, had sparked a controversy.

However, police had then denied any misconduct, saying that Zubair had altered his appearance to avoid recognising him to mislead the police.

Police had said that when Zubair was arrested, he had already shaved his head, beard and moustache.
Ukraine, due to the need for external financing of $40 billion, expects the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to continue and increase financial support in 2026, head of the Rada Budget Committee Roksolana Pidlasa said.

"We expect the IMF to continue and, possibly, increase support in 2026. Because as a people's deputy, I can draw attention to this: in 2025, the IMF agreed on a cooperation program with Argentina for $20 billion, of which $12 billion was the initial disbursement (initial payment - IF-U)," Pidlasa addressed the head of the IMF mission in Ukraine, Gavin Gray, during a budget discussion organized by the Center for Economic Strategy on Friday.

As the head of the budget committee noted, in order to attract more than $6 billion, Ukraine had to undergo eight reviews of the EFF program, which, in her opinion, indicates significant potential for further cooperation with the IMF and other partners supporting the Ukrainian budget.

Currently, according to her, there is no reason to believe that Ukraine's need for external financing next year will decrease. Even former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal emphasized that the amount of necessary support remains at the level of over $40 billion, Pidlasa commented.

In particular, she recalled that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, publicly expressed concern about covering the unfunded part of this amount of $19 billion.

"I think that this should not be only a problem of the European Union," the MP noted.

Pidlasa also commented that no significant changes in the financing structure are expected. According to her, in 2024, as in all previous years after the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 70% of the state budget revenues were provided by international support. And while active hostilities continue, this proportion will remain.

As reported, Ukraine received the ninth tranche of $500 million from the IMF, and so far the Fund has already allocated $10.6 billion to Ukraine within the framework of the program.
Srinagar, July 18 : Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Altaf Thakur, on Thursday, welcomed the US decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organisation, calling it not just a "victory for truth", but a "major diplomatic triumph for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy".

Thakur said that the move reflects the growing global acknowledgement of India's consistent stand on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

"The US blacklisting TRF is a direct outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decisive and focused diplomatic engagement on the international stage. It proves that the world now listens to India and acts on its concerns," he added.

Calling Pakistan the "undisputed headquarters of global jihad," Thakur said that TRF is nothing but Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in disguise -- a tool created by Pakistan's ISI to continue proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan's strategy of rebranding terrorists to escape global sanctions has failed. This decision exposes its game," he added.

The BJP leader lambasted Pakistan for continuously sheltering and supporting terrorists who have caused destruction in Kashmir and beyond.

"This ban is a slap on the face of Pakistan, which has mastered the art of exporting terror under new labels. The mask has been ripped off," he said.

He praised PM Modi's foreign policy for isolating Pakistan on the global stage.

"Under PM Modiji's leadership, India's global stature has risen, and its fight against terrorism is now a global campaign. This action by the US is a direct result of India's assertive diplomacy," he said.

Thakur urged the international community to go beyond designations and impose harsh sanctions on TRF's operatives, their funders, and their handlers sitting in Pakistan.

"Terror has no name or religion, and the world must unite to dismantle Pakistan's terror industry brick by brick," he said.

He concluded by saying this decision announced by the US is a strong morale booster for India's security forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"This is the beginning of the end for fake fronts like TRF. We will not rest till every last terror outfit and its sponsorer is destroyed. This is New India -- strong, assertive, and globally respected."
New Delhi, July 18 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday directed the formation of expert panels comprising retired bureaucrats and specialists to examine the nature of pending court cases of the government and recommend strategies to eliminate unnecessary litigation.

Pointing to the approximately 4,000 to 5,000 cases involving the government of Delhi that are pending in various courts and tribunals, the Chief Minister emphasised the urgent need to rationalise government litigation and reduce the burden on the judiciary.

The instruction was issued at a meeting she chaired with the Department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs. The meeting was attended by Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra, senior officials from the department, and legal experts.

The Chief Minister said the proposed panels will also assist in formulating systemic solutions for quicker resolution and better case management.

It was noted that, unlike many other states, Delhi does not currently have a dedicated panel of advocates in the Supreme Court.

Acknowledging the importance of legal representation at the highest level, the CM instructed the Law Department to constitute a special panel of Senior Advocates with pre-defined terms to represent the government in important matters before the Delhi High Court, Supreme Court and various Tribunals.

The CM also directed the Law Department to explore the setting up of a panel for the Delhi government in the Supreme Court.

During the meeting, the issue of shortage in the sanctioned strength of judicial officers and inadequate office space was also highlighted.

The CM said that it was reported that three new court complexes a" in Shastri Park, Karkardooma, and Rohini a" are currently under construction, and once completed, will help address both personnel and infrastructure gaps.

CM Gupta directed the official agencies to ensure the timely and expedited completion of these ongoing infrastructure projects.

In addition to operational challenges, the Chief Minister stressed the need for legal modernisation.

She suggested exploring the possibility of the enactment of new acts and laws in sync with present requirements and replacing pre-constitution laws, including the Punjab Courts Act, Court Fees Act and Suit Valuation Act.

The CM further noted the lack of regular review of Oath Commissioners and directed the Law Department to take immediate corrective action in updating and auditing the records of appointments.

Addressing the issue of dispute resolution, she acknowledged the work of the Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (DDRS), an autonomous institution under the Law Department that facilitates Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms

The CM reiterated her commitment to ensure that Delhias legal and judicial systems become more citizen-centric, technology-driven, and aligned with modern-day governance standards.
Mumbai, July 18 : Ganeshotsav, a festival with a rich 100-year tradition in Maharashtra, has now been accorded the status of a 'Rajya Mahotsav' (State Festival). From this year onward, the government of Maharashtra will directly participate in the celebrations and take steps to elevate the festival to national and international prominence.

The detailed roadmap for this initiative was announced on Friday in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by Minister for Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar.

In his statement to the House, Minister Shelar said: "Maharashtra is a land rich in art, culture and tradition. It is blessed with the legacy of saints, social reformers, great leaders, warriors, spiritual thinkers and an inclusive heritage. This sacred land of the Deccan has been intellectually vibrant and socially united, laying the foundation for the state's economic, social and cultural progress. Ganeshotsav has played a crucial role in fostering this unity. The centuries-old tradition of domestic Ganesh celebrations, and the decades-old public Ganeshotsav culture, are proud symbols of Maharashtra's cultural and social harmony."

"The social and cultural significance of Ganeshotsav must be known to the world. The time has come to blend our traditions with modernity, strengthen this culturally significant platform, unite all stakeholders, promote tourism, preserve our rich rituals and customs, and establish Maharashtra firmly on the global map. For this, the Government of Maharashtra has decided to celebrate Ganeshotsav as a State Festival, while anchoring the celebration across Maharashtra's diverse geographical and cultural landscape."

"To keep the traditional essence of the festival intact while embracing modern elements, and to ensure every citizen of the state, directly or indirectly, feels connected to the celebrations, it is essential to declare Ganeshotsav as a state festival. The Government of Maharashtra will play a facilitative and enabling role in this."

He further said that a dedicated State Festival logo for Ganeshotsav will be launched, statewide cultural programs showcasing Maharashtra's rich art, culture and traditions will be organized not just within Maharashtra but also in locations with significant Marathi populations outside the state and even abroad. Lecture series on the significance of Ganeshotsav and a special Spiritual Theatre Festival during the period will be organised.
Chennai, July 18 : The makers of director Mahesh Babu P's upcoming commercial entertainer Andhra King Taluka, featuring actor Ram Pothineni in the lead, on Friday released the first single from the film, a romantic number called 'Nuvvunte Chaale', much to the delight of fans and film buffs.

The song, which has been set to tune by the talented music director duo Vivek and Mervin, has lyrics by actor Ram Pothineni himself and has been sung by none other than music director Anirudh Ravichander.

Interestingly, this song marks Ram Pothineni's debut in the film industry as a lyricist. Shot in breath-taking, exotic locations, the song blend melodious vocals with stunning visuals and poetic words, making it a treat for both fans and cinegoers alike.

The mesmerizing number is captivating right from the first note. The song is about a man's journey to find the true definition of love. It underlines the fact that love cannot be defined but can only be experienced. The song is bound to make an impression and already has music lovers who are hailing it as the romantic song of the year.

Meanwhile, the unit of Andhra King Taluka, which is being directed by Mahesh Babu P, is currently in the midst of its final shooting schedule in Hyderabad.

Sources close to the unit of the film say that the filmas new month-long shooting schedule commenced on Saturday in a set erected in the city. At present, romantic sequences featuring the lead pair, Ram and Bhagyashree Borse, are being filmed against a night backdrop.

This night schedule is to continue for 10 days, the sources said and added that after these sequences are shot, the team would shift to daytime shoots for the next 20 days. During these 20 days, the unit would film the climax and other key sequences in the film. The unit is to wind up shooting with this final schedule.

Cinematography for the film is by Siddhartha Nuni while National Award-winning editor Sreekar Prasad has been assigned the responsibility of editing the film.

As announced by the production house, the film is a biopic of a fan called Sagar, played by Ram Pothineni. Actress Bhagyashree Borse, whose popularity graph is soaring north, plays the female lead in the film which will also feature Kannada superstar Upendra. Upendra plays the character of a film superstar called Surya Kumar in the film.

Backed by a highly experienced technical crew, the project promises top-notch cinematic quality. A title teaser released by the unit begins with a ticket issuer in a theatre, earmarking tickets for all the VIPs in the region. That is when Ram Pothineni turns up and demands 50 tickets from the man in the counter. When asked which taluk he represents, he says, "Fans".

Apart from Ram Pothineni, Bhagyashrii Borse and Upendra, the film will also feature a host of talented actors including Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma, Satya, Rahul Ramakrishna and V.T.V. Ganesh.
Mumbai, July 18 : Amid ongoing controversy over the introduction of Hindi from grade one, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the state council on Friday said that "our breath is Marathi and we are connecting Mumbai with the world". He also rebutted Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray's charge of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra saying that Mumbai will remain in Maharashtra.

Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) Amid ongoing controversy over the introduction of Hindi from grade one, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the state council on Friday said that "our breath is Marathi and we are connecting Mumbai with the world". He also rebutted Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray's charge of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra saying that Mumbai will remain in Maharashtra.

He also reminded Thackeray that during his tenure as chief minister, the Cabinet had accepted a high-powered committee's report recommending introduction of Marathi as compulsory language along with Marathi and English from grade 1 to 12.

In his reply to a last week motion moved by the opposition parties, Shinde said: "We are fulfilling the dream of Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray by establishing a Marathi University in Riddhapur. We are establishing a Sant University for Warkaris. A magnificent Marathi language building is being built in south Mumbai. A Marathi language sub-centre is being built at Airoli, Navi Mumbai. Our government has approved the Marathi language policy. The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared Marathi language as a classical language."

"Every year, a World Marathi Conference is organised to make Marathi language reach the world. It has been decided to start a poetry village in every district. Our government has started a Marathi state song. We are resolved to bring back the Marathi people, who have been thrown out of Mumbai, back to the city," he added.

Shinde also refuted the Opposition's charge with regard to deterioration of law and order situation in the state saying that the government has taken a slew of measures to maintain law and order and government's efforts have paid off.

In order to curb rapes and crime against women, he said that Women's police cells have been established at all police commissionerates and Superintendent of Police levels, and Rs 1 lakh has been provided to each police station in the Nirbhaya Fund.

A 24x7 dedicated helpline is operating for women. Cases of atrocities against women are disposed of through 27 special courts.

"The government has issued orders to establish 138 fast track courts for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases. Currently, 20 POCSO and 12 fast track special courts are operating. A toll free helpline 1098 has also been started for complaints of atrocities against children. A total of 196 people have been arrested in Operation Black Face for uploading obscene videos of children," he said.

Shinde also said that so far, 1,060 Bangladeshi infiltrators were arrested.

Similarly, 365 citizens have been deported. Stating that LWE activities have been controlled, he said that 22 Maoists have been arrested in 2023, 19 in 2024 and 13 till May 2025.

About 28 Maoists were killed in the operations carried out last year, out of which eight of their key leaders have died, while seven Maoists have died by the end of May.
Chandigarh, July 18 : Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema on Friday said the state's land pooling scheme is farmer friendly and based on mutual consent.

"Not a single inch of land will be forcibly taken from any farmer. Whether to give land or not is entirely up to the farmers' will," Cheema told the media here.

The Finance Minister's clarification comes in the wake of farmers' objections against the land pooling scheme of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

He criticised the Congress, the BJP and the Akali Dal, and said that during the previous governments in the past decade and a half, thousands of illegal colonies were developed in Punjab, where even basic facilities like roads, electricity, water, and sewerage were absent.

Lakhs of people faced difficulties regarding property registrations. Hundreds of people lost lakhs of rupees to builders' fraud, which led to the ruin of many families.

Cheema said in the last 10 years, with the collusion of senior leaders of the Akali-BJP and the Congress governments, land mafias illegally developed colonies on approximately 30,000 acres of land across various cities in the state, committing scams and frauds worth billions.

The direct beneficiaries of these scams were land mafias, builders, and the ministers and MLAs of previous governments, while common people were deprived of even basic facilities.

For all of this, the Akali-BJP alliance and the Congress governments are directly responsible, he said.

Cheema said keeping in mind the hardships faced by common people, the AAP government decided to acquire land itself through a land pooling policy.

"This will benefit both farmers and the common people. Farmers will receive 1000 square yards of residential land and 200 square yards of commercial plots per acre, whose value in the next few years will be approximately four times higher than current market rates."

At the same time, under this scheme, the common man will get housing with better and modern facilities because the government will ensure the construction of roads, sewerage, electricity, water, and public parks in these areas, and complete compliance with housing laws will be maintained so that people do not face any problems in the future.

Cheema said farmers will receive another major benefit from this scheme: when the government acquires land, they will not only get financial benefits but also social security.

All farmers whose land is acquired under this scheme will be given an assistance amount of Rs 50,000 per acre per year for at least three years or until the land is developed so that they do not face any financial difficulties during the construction period.

In contrast, during previous governments builders and land mafias used to forcibly purchase land from farmers at throwaway prices and later never provided any financial assistance to them. Thousands of such cases have come to light, the Finance Minister added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 18 : In a major step towards improving the quality of education for tribal students, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Coal India Ltd (CIL) have partnered to benefit tribal students in the state of Chhattisgarh.

CIL will support 68 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Chhattisgarh under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which will benefit more than 28000 tribal students.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs establishes EMRS to impart quality education to ST children, thereby enabling them to avail of opportunities in higher and professional educational courses and gainful employment in various sectors. EMRS, in addition to imparting high-quality education, also takes care of their nutrition and overall health and development.

As of this date, there are 479 functional EMRS across the country. CIL has announced that it will support the Tribal Affairs Ministry under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and sanctioned Rs 10 crore.

This will include promotion of digital education by setting up computer labs, including the purchase of around 3,200 computers and 300 tablets, comprehensive mentorship for students and residential entrepreneurial boot camps (In IIT/IIM/NIT) for students. Keeping in mind the health hygiene of girl students, 1,200 sanitary napkin vending machines and 1,200 incinerators in schools and hostels would be established.

Through this comprehensive intervention, MoTA and CIL plan to ensure a modern and innovative learning environment in the EMRS and also to provide equal opportunities to students from disadvantaged sections of society.

This collaboration seeks to bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth through digital education, career readiness and entrepreneurial mindset. It reflects the Government's broader efforts under the NEP 2020 framework to create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all sections of society.

It is worth noting here that the project will be implemented through the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC).
Surat, July 18 : Surat Cyber Crime Cell has arrested a man from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh,for allegedly impersonating a Mumbai Police officer, threatening a person with arrest in a fabricated money laundering case and extorting Rs 7 lakh under the guise of a "digital arrest".

The accused, identified as Santosh Singh, reportedly contacted the victim claiming involvement in the Naresh Goyal money laundering case, alleging that suspicious transactions had been carried out using the complainant's SIM card.

Over a two-day period, Singh allegedly "digitally detained" the victim keeping them under continuous coercion and psychological pressure while threatening formal charges unless money was paid.

Following a tip-off, cyber crime officials tracked Singh to Mathura and placed him under arrest. During questioning, he confessed to having rented out his bank account to a cyber fraud syndicate, in which over Rs 4 lakh of illicit funds were deposited.

Authorities have now named Naimesh Chaudhary and Pushpendra Bhola as co-conspirators and declared them wanted in connection with the case.

Investigations reveal that the gang used multiple bank accounts to route and withdraw extorted funds. The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has intensified its probe into the broader digital extortion network, which has seen a rise in recent months, especially cases involving impersonation of law enforcement agencies.

Digital arrest is a form of cyber fraud where scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials often posing as police officers, CBI agents, or even RBI representatives -- and intimidate victims via video calls or messages.

They falsely accuse individuals of being involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, or other criminal cases, and then simulate a virtual "arrest" by keeping victims under psychological pressure through live video monitoring or threats of legal action.

In Gujarat, particularly in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot, such cases have surged in recent years.

In response, the Gujarat government has ramped up cyber policing efforts by strengthening the Cyber Crime Cells in each district, conducting awareness campaigns, and collaborating with banks and telecom providers to track fraudulent transactions and phone numbers.
Jaipur, July 18 : The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Rajasthan Police's two-day state-level conference began on Friday at the Rajasthan Police Academy, Jaipur.

The conference, focusing on critical issues such as bonded labour, sex trafficking, and cross-border trafficking, is being spearheaded by the Civil Rights and Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) Branch of the Rajasthan Police Headquarters in alignment with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Officials said that the primary objective of the event is to enable comprehensive discussions on the evolving dimensions of human trafficking. It aims to enhance mechanisms for victim identification and rescue, ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration, and implement stringent legal action against traffickers.

"The conference also promotes inter-departmental and inter-state convergence to build a united front against trafficking. By bringing together frontline enforcement officers and experts, the Rajasthan Police intend to foster greater coordination, capacity building, and knowledge exchange across agencies involved in anti-human trafficking efforts," an official added.

Malini Agarwal, an IPS officer, said: "Human trafficking is a grave, organised, and cognisable crime that strips individuals of their fundamental rights. Victims are often trapped due to povertythe root cause. The ILO's 2024 report highlighted that annual profits from human trafficking surged to $236 billion, a 37 per cent rise since 2014. This conference is a crucial step in strengthening Rajasthan's response and reaffirming our commitment to protecting vulnerable communities."

Sanjay Agarwal, IPS, noted, "Trafficking often originates in rural areas, not just cities. When we see children begging or working on the streets, we must question their background. Today's traffickers use technology to exploit victimsour enforcement must also adapt and utilise digital tools to tackle this evolving threat."

Dr. P.M. Nair, IPS (Retd.), remarked: "We must not remain silent in the face of trafficking. Collaborative efforts are needed across source, transit, and destination regions. Trafficking is an organised crime and a cluster of crimes. Like an amoeba, it regenerates unless the entire nexus is dismantled."

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2022, a total of 2,250 cases were reported nationwide, involving 2,878 children and 3,158 adults.

A total of 6,693 victims were rescued and 5,864 individuals arrested. In Rajasthan, 117 cases were registered, and 461 victims rescued -- 432 of them being victims of forced labour. Rajasthan's geographical proximity to economically stronger states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh makes it a crucial source and transit region for traffickers. Vulnerable communities, especially from SC/ST and tribal backgrounds, are lured with false promises of employment and pushed into exploitative labour. In many cases, entire families are trafficked into bonded labour.

Since the 1980s, Rajasthan has seen a rise in industries such as brick kilns, especially after environmental policies forced their relocation from cities like Agra. These unorganised sectors remain hotbeds for bonded labour.

As per the Planning Commission, 83 per cent of rehabilitated bonded labourers belong to SC/ST communities. On Friday, a public-awareness poster on human trafficking to be displayed in police stations and government offices was unveiled.

The inaugural session was marked with the presence of Malini Agarwal, IPS, Director General of Police, Civil Rights & AHT Branch, Deepak Bhargav, IPS, Deputy Inspector General, Intelligence Training Academy, Sanjay Agarwal, IPS, Director General, Intelligence, Dr. P.M. Nair, IPS (Retd.), Former Director, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), MHA, Manju Vijay, Joint Secretary, Home Department and Ajoy Varghese, Senior Vice President, International Justice Mission (IJM), technical partner for the conference.

On Saturday, Vimukt, a handbook on best practices to combat human trafficking, will be released. It will serve as a practical reference guide for enforcement and allied agencies.

The conference is expected to produce actionable outcomes, including enhanced strategies, policy recommendations, and inter-agency collaboration models, aimed at preventing trafficking and securing justice for survivors, added officials.
Mumbai, July 18 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday slammed the opposition for the change in their stand over the Public Security Bill especially after supporting in the state assembly.

The flip-flop in the opposition's stance was after the bosses of respective parties sought clarification, he claimed.

He said that the Bill was discussed in detail in the Joint Select Committee and revised draft bill was shown to all members and the committee had also accepted suggestions made by the opposition.

After they supported the bill in the state assembly now they are opposing it after their party bosses have sought their view.

CM Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, at the press conference after the conclusion of three week monsoon session, said: "Five meetings were held on the the various provisions of the Bill at that time each section was discussed in detail. All the doubts of the opposition were cleared. Most of the suggestions of the opposition have been accepted. The method is to place the revised draft of the bill before the committee. The opposition's claim that the draft of the bill was not shown to us is false."

"If the doubts of the opposition were not resolved in the committee, they had the option of giving disssenf note. However, they did not give it in writing. If they had registered a written opposition through dissent note, they would have been able to speak on the bill in the House. After the bill was approved, when the opposition was asked for an answer by the party, they changed their position. Nearly 12,500 suggestions were received on this bill. Many of them are inconsistent with the bill while several others have been accepted," said CM Fadnavis.

CM Fadnavis said that the dispute over the post of Guardian Minister of Nashik will be resolved at the right time. He added that farm loan waiver is not possible every five years. Therefore, he clarified that increasing investment in the agricultural sector is the government's priority.

He said important bills including Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill were passed in the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly. Also, the reply on the final week proposal has outlined the future direction of Maharashtra. All decisions have been taken for the benefit of the common people and the work of giving impetus to development has been done in the session, he asserted.\

Eknath Shinde claimed that the opposition wasted its energy by protesting on the steps of the legislature instead of holding a discussion in the house. He alleged that the opposition asked false questions and runs away from the house during the answers. There was apathy among the opposition in this session.

Ajit Pawar stated that approval for supplementary demands worth Rs 57,000 crore was the achievement of the session.
Businessman Vyacheslav Mishalov, with significant assets in several sectors, mostly concentrated in Dnipro region, considers investments in agro processing, which has export opportunities, to be promising and is interested in such facilities, he said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

"I am not in the agricultural sector. Growing does not interest me, although processing, as I believe, is the next big Ukrainian whale. It is already huge, but it will be even bigger, since the various processing of agricultural crops is an endless process, very high-tech, and in Ukraine there is still a lot of space on this clearing for processing anything," Mishalov said.

In his opinion, this sector also has a lot of room for craft items, so small businesses can also enter here.

The businessman clarified that the absence of such objects in his portfolio so far is due to the fact that he has not yet come across good teams with the experience needed in processing.

Mishalov also reported that he retains interest in the company Dnipropress Steel, from whose owners he left, but has an option to purchase this enterprise according to the concluded "rather complex agreement".

According to him, the enterprise continues to conduct a very active large modernization program, and the businessman himself cooperates with it as a consultant, advisor, independent member of the supervisory board and seller of its products.

"This is an export-oriented business, I really like it from a distance. Ukraine used to have very good schools and universities. And although today there is nothing of that, Ukraine is a very good place for individual metallurgy projects, 'pearl buttons'," described the vision of the prospects of this industry Mishalov.

Regarding the possibility of other investments, he noted that he is not planning them yet, with the exception of some local and spot ones.

"Today we are completing all the major previously adopted investment decisions and are not starting new ones yet. We need to wait a while - the risks are very high, the stability horizon is very short. With such introductory factors, it is definitely impossible to engage in large investments," the businessman described his position.

He specified that he is currently completing an alternative energy project related to gas generation, which will be ready for announcement within the next 3-4 months.

"But these are, again, forced measures. If we didn't have our own large consumption, we probably wouldn't have gone for the gas generation project either, because the risks are high and the equipment is extremely expensive," Mishalov added.
Kolkata, July 18 : A former and two present cops of Kolkata Police were remanded to judicial custody till July 31 by a special court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Kolkata on Friday in connection with the murder of BJP worker, Abhijit Sarkar in the post-poll violence in the state after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

One of the three cops remanded to judicial custody by the special CBI court is the retired assistant commissioner of Kolkata police and the then officer in charge of Narkeldanga Police Station, Subhojit Sen.

The then lady sub-inspector of the same police station, Ratna Sarkar, and a home guard, Dipankar Debnath were also remanded to judicial custody till July 31. Apart from that one lady, Sujata Dey, who was identified by the CBI as a facilitator in the murder of the BJP worker, was also remanded to judicial custody till July 31.

All of them were named as accused in the supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case at the same special court in Kolkata earlier this month. While reminding them to police custody till July 31, the judge of the special court observed that if a "protector" becomes the "killer", its negative impact on society is immense.

Abhijit Sarkar, a BJP worker and a resident of the Kankurgachi area in North Kolkata, was killed in the post-poll violence on May 2, 2021, soon after the results of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections were declared, where Trinamool Congress bagged a landslide victory.

On July 2 this year, CBI issued a statement and informed that a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the matter naming 18 additional accused persons was submitted to the special court.

With the 18 additional accused persons being named in the fresh chargesheet, the total number of accused persons in the case rose to 38.

Initially, the investigation into the matter was started by the homicide squad under the detective department of Kolkata Police, which in its chargesheet named a total of 15 accused persons.

Subsequently, following an order of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI took over the investigation by registering a case in August 2021 and in September 2021 filed a supplementary chargesheet against 20 accused persons, including the 15 previously chargesheeted by the city police.
Kohima, July 18 : Nagaland showcased the state's economic and cultural potential in the 'Bharat Utsav 2025' held at the iconic Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, officials said on Friday.

A senior Nagaland government official said that the officials from the Department of Industries and Commerce, and entrepreneurs from the state participated at the Bharat Utsav held from July 5 to 13 at the iconic Manezhnaya Square in Russian capital of Moscow.

"The state's participation was brought into both national and international focus," the official told the media, adding that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the event organised by the Indian Embassy in Moscow with support from the Moscow City government.

He said that this cultural diplomacy initiative served as a global platform to celebrate India's artistic traditions and entrepreneurial spirit.

The official added that the Chief Minister's formal inauguration of the Nagaland stall not only added stature to the occasion but also reaffirmed the state government's strong commitment to advancing local industries and empowering entrepreneurs on the global stage.

Nagaland's participation was a powerful showcase curated by the Department of Industries and Commerce, featuring handpicked entrepreneurs and producers from the state.

These local visionaries -- many of whom were engaging with an international audience for the first time -- received unparalleled global exposure.

The international footfall and overwhelming interest in Nagaland's stall offered entrepreneurs a first-hand opportunity to access new markets, understand international consumer trends, and position their products beyond local limitations, the official said.

An official statement said that the featured products represented the soul of Nagaland's craftsmanship and indigenous creativity, ranging from exquisite handloom and textile items to finely crafted handicrafts.

These included bamboo mugs, mini bamboo cups, square and rectangular trays, wooden plates, pen stands, bamboo earrings, wood necklace pendants, masks, echo boxes, coconut spoons, fridge magnets, extension cords, paper pencils, bamboo pens, platters, and salt containers.

According to the statement, the Nagaland stall also featured cushion covers, silk shawls, Nagaland coffee, honey, small purses, and table runners -- all reflecting the state's rich heritage in artisanal work and traditional materials.

The products attracted strong interest and were completely sold out during the festival.

This international exposure is not merely symbolic but marks a strategic and economic milestone for the Department of Industries and Commerce in its ongoing mission to support sustainable livelihood generation, empower indigenous producers, and build scalable entrepreneurial ecosystems.

By enabling direct international engagement for local enterprises, the Department is fostering pathways for export-readiness, design innovation, and global competitiveness.

This historic participation is only a beginning; the Department remains committed to building on this momentum by fostering new partnerships, scaling local businesses for international outreach, and continually investing in the talent, creativity and resilience of Nagaland's entrepreneurs, the statement said.
Hyderabad, July 18 : Disaster Response Force (DRF) and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) personnel deployed boats to rescue people trapped in a flooded areas as heavy rains brought Hyderabad to its knees on Friday.

Disaster Response Force and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency rescued people trapped in Paigah colony in Rasoolpura area in Secunderabad.

Rain water entered the houses in Paigah colony after heavy rains lashed the city Friday evening. Rescue teams involving DRF, HYDRAA, Fire Services and Police rescued people through boats.

About 40 workers trapped in a flooded car showroom in Begumpet were also rescued by HYDRAA personnel. HYDRAA Commissioner A. V. Ranganath personally supervised the rescue operation.

The showroom was flooded due to overflowing nala at Patny. The staff informed the police, which alerted HYDRAA.

The trapped workers were brought out from the rear side of the showroom by using boats. The authorities had recently demolished two structures to widen the nala and constructed a retaining wall.

In Vidyanagar, rescue teams of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) brought out people from an apartment building after it was inundated due to breach in the retaining wall of an adjacent nala.

People travelling in a car had a narrow escape when the compound wall of CRPF campus in Barkas collapsed due to heavy rains.

Several parts of Hyderabad and suburbs received heavy rains since afternoon. Maredpally area recorded maximum rainfall of 11.28 cm. Balanagar, Bandlaguda and Musheerabad recorded rainfall of 11 cm each. Uppal and Malkajgiri recorded 10 cm rainfall each.

Following heavy rains, Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city received massive inflows. The water level in the lake rose to 513 feet against full tank level of 514 feet.

Moosarambagh Bridge across Musi River was submerged by the water. A similar situation was seen on the Cable Bridge in IT corridor.

Heavy rains threw normal life out of gear. The rains left roads inundated in many areas, disrupting the vehicular traffic.

Massive traffic jam was seen on Biodiversity Park-IKEA road in the information technology corridor.

Heavy downpour led to a traffic gridlock on the busy Miyapur-Kondapur road. Vehicles were moving at snailas pace on HITEC City-Housing Board stretch.

Roads turned into cesspool in central parts of Hyderabad like Nampally, Abids, Koti, Chanderghat, Basheerbagh, Hyderguda, Lakdi Ka Pul, Khairatabad, Ameerpet, Panjagutta, Begumpet, Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills.

Alwal, Trimulgery, Boenpalli, Maredpalli, Tarnaka, Musheerbad Habsiguda, Uppal and other areas in Secunderabad saw heavy downpour.

Rains also lashed Kukatpally, Miyapur, Moosapet, Qutbullapur, Rajendranagar, Nacharam, LB Nagar, Hayatnagar, Dilsukhnagar, Abdullahpurmet and other areas on the outskirts.

People returning from offices and work places and children heading home from schools were caught in huge traffic jams.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to stay alert view of heavy rainfall in Hyderabad.

He asked departments like GHMC, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), Electricity and Police to work in coordination.

He also directed NDRF, SDRF and HYDRAA teams, and officials from other concerned departments to stay vigilant. He asked them to respond immediately and take prompt action in areas where people are facing difficulties due to the rains.

--IANS

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New Delhi/Itanagar, July 18 : Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt. General K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) on Friday during a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi highlighted key initiatives and transformative efforts being undertaken across various sectors to uplift the lives of the people and ensure inclusive growth in the frontier state.

During the meeting with President, the Arunachal Pradesh Governor apprised President Murmu of the ongoing developmental progress in Arunachal Pradesh and the state governmentas unwavering commitment to contributing meaningfully to the national vision of aViksit Bharata through its localised roadmap of aViksit Arunachala.

Lt. Gen Parnaik highlighted key initiatives and transformative efforts being undertaken across various sectors to uplift the lives of the people and ensure inclusive growth in the frontier state. Arunachal Pradesh shares vast borders with China (1080 km), Myanmar (520 km) and Bhutan (217 km).

The Governor also briefed the President on the follow-up actions and compliance related to the key points discussed during the last Governorsa Conference, reaffirming the stateas dedication to national priorities and cooperative federalism.

He underlined the importance of these efforts in building a more resilient and equitable society in the stateas remote and diverse regions.

The Governor highlighted the Raj Bhavanas proactive role in advancing public health, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis, promoting womenas empowerment, youth development, and supporting improvements in health and education.

The Governor who was accompanied by the first lady of the state, Anagha Parnaik, presented the President with a copy of Orchids of Arunachal Pradesh, a meticulously compiled, unique, visually rich, and comprehensive reference book, which showcases the extraordinary diversity of orchid species found in Arunachal Pradesh. Many of the Orchids are rare, endemic, and of global botanical significance.

Meanwhile, Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu made courtesy calls on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at their residence in New Delhi.

--IANS

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Mumbai, July 18 : Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday reiterated his opposition to the imposition of Hindi under the trilingual formula from grade 1 in Maharashtra.

He told reporters in the premises of Vidhan Bhavan after the conclusion of the monsoon session of the state legislature, "We will not tolerate the forced implementation of a three-language policy in Maharashtra."

Thackeray said his coming together with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on the same stage after many years should be seen as a signal of a long-term association. "There is no election announced at present. If one is declared, we can discuss it," Thackeray told reporters, responding to a statement made earlier by Raj Thackeray.

On the government's move to form a committee on crop loan waiver, Thackeray criticised the government for not being serious about its poll promise in this regard. He said, "I had announced a farm loan waiver myself. We began implementing it, but the government was toppled." He questioned the current ministers' seriousness on the matter: "I did it in my first session, without prior experience. You are ministers, you have departments  what study are you doing for loan waiver?" he said.

He criticised the growing debt burden on the state, asking, "How is this mountain of debt going to be repaid?" Thackeray added with a smile, "My face is always cheerful; I haven't slaughtered a bull," in response to jibes on his approach.

Speaking about the three-week monsoon session of the legislature, he said, "There were several questions about public issues, but the Chief Minister's speech was like a child asking his mother for ice cream. Nothing happens now, but something may happen in the future  that's what he said."

Thackeray took a dig at the budgetary provisions, saying, "There is more focus on demands for supplies. The debt of the state is growing. How are you going to reduce it? What about your beloved brother-sister schemes? There are no answers. Nearly Rs 64,000 crore is being paid in the form of interest."

Commenting on the clash between supporters of two legislators in Vidhan Bhavan lobby, Thackeray said, "There was a scuffle in Vidhan Bhavan just yesterday. The Speaker has ordered a high-level inquiry. But how did these goons get the courage? It is good to talk about action, but what allowed this to happen?" Thackeray also expressed concern over the recent scuffle in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, stating it had tarnished the state's image.

"The image of Maharashtra has gone down in the country after the incident in the legislature," he said, adding that the conduct of those in power was bringing shame to the dignity of the state. When asked about comparisons being drawn between the scuffle and lawlessness in other states, Thackeray said, "I will not say that such scuffles are bringing UP-Bihar culture to Maharashtra. There are good people in those states as well. We should not malign the image of an entire state because of some bad elements."

He further claimed that "This is not governance, it is arrogance born out of power. The 'chaddi gang' thinks they are Mike Tyson. These people roam around with teeth in their necks  how have they become so audacious? Will no one question them?"

He accused the government of massive corruption. "Crop insurance has been cancelled. The Supreme Court has flagged a Rs 3,000 crore scam, and yet the thief is roaming free." He suggested that the law and order situation had deteriorated to such an extent that "President's Rule should be imposed if such things happen inside the legislature." Thackeray took a swipe at the government and mocked its functioning, terming it "a fantasy amusement park."
Bhopal, July 18 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav held a round-table meeting in Barcelona with representatives of leading global textile machinery companies on the third day of his visit to Spain on Friday.

The meeting was organised with the objective of establishing Madhya Pradesh as a hub for textile machinery manufacturing and promoting partnerships with European technology providers.

Discussions focused on the establishment of a textile machinery manufacturing hub in the state, promotion of partnerships between Indian and European companies, possibilities of technology transfer, and knowledge exchange.

Taking to X, the Madhya Pradesh CM wrote: "Under the aMadhya Pradesh Global Dialoguea"2025a, a roundtable meeting was held today in Barcelona, Spain, with leading European textile machinery manufacturers and experts. The discussion focused extensively on the possibilities of establishing advanced production units in Madhya Pradesh. On this occasion, positive discussions were held on developing the state as a global hub for textile machinery manufacturing under the 'Make in India' and 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' initiatives."

During the meeting, CM Yadav highlighted the investment-friendly environment and investor-centric policies in Madhya Pradeshas textile sector.

He mentioned that Madhya Pradesh is a leading state in India in attracting textile investments.

Chief Minister Yadav also elaborated on the facilities provided by the state government such as dedicated textile parks, SEZs, and incentive schemes for investors.

He emphasized the importance of understanding the needs and expectations of investors to tailor policies and facilities accordingly.

"Madhya Pradesh is also ideal for textile machinery manufacturing. The state government is committed to promoting technology transfer and sustainable production in partnership with global companies," the Chief Minister said.

"This initiative was centered on boosting world-class textile machinery production under the Make in India and Make in MP campaigns and establishing special textile parks and SEZs," the Madhya Pradesh government said in statement.

On Thursday, the Chief Minister had held a meeting with the global leaders in textiles and fashion industry in Madrid.

He had also visited to the Royal Palace of Spain. CM Yadav's seven-day foreign tour (UAE and Spain) will be concluded on July 19, and he is scheduled to return Bhopal on July 20.
Agartala, July 18 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday informed that all district headquarters, subdivision headquarters, and unconnected habitations would be connected to the national highways with double-lane roads.

The Chief Minister also informed that a 49 km ring road is proposed under the Bharatmala scheme, launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for Agartala city.

While addressing a seminar on Infrastructure Development in the northeast region of India at Pragna Bhavan, he said that over the last seven years, the state government has spearheaded numerous ground-breaking initiatives resulting in a transformative impact on the socio-economic landscape of the state.

"Without infrastructure, nothing can be achieved. Infrastructure matters a lot for growth, which is widely recognised and is a key parameter for any state or region. Infrastructure is the mainstay of the primary sector, industries, services, skill development, and social empowerment," said Saha, who also holds the PWD portfolio. If we talk about physical infrastructure like roads, airports, highways, power projects, water supply, and urban infrastructure, all of these together hold the key to the growth of the northeastern region, the Chief Minister said.

He said that at the Northeast Rising Summit 2025 in New Delhi on May 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech, mentioned that the northeast means Ashtalakshmi because the region comprises eight states. Saha said that a very important step has been taken by the Government of India by setting up the Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) for the overall development of the region.

"The northeastern region is often referred to as India's powerhouse due to its massive hydropower, petroleum, and gas potential. The region can play a pivotal role in meeting India's clean energy targets. Tripura and other northeastern states are strategically located between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries, acting as a gateway. The Tripura government has placed significant emphasis on infrastructure development," he said.

The Chief Minister said this is evident from the fact that more than Rs 7,000 crore was allocated in this year's (2025-26) state budget for infrastructure development in the state.

"In Tripura, the total road length under PWD is about 10,618.423 km, which includes 1,057 km of state highways, 171 km of major district roads, 483 km of other district roads, 1,167 km of urban roads, and 7,740 km of village roads. Tripura has a national highway network of about 923 km, with four additional highways declared in principle for a length of about 229 km. Out of the 923 km of national highways, around 509 km have already been developed into double-lane roads with paved shoulders by 2025. We plan to upgrade 1,057 km of state highways into double-lane roads with paved shoulders in a phased manner," said Saha.

He also informed that the Light House Project to provide accommodation to the lower-income group of people is on the verge of completion. "We are also constructing the Unity Mall and a number of high-rise buildings for various departments. In this way, we are developing infrastructure in Tripura to bring the North Eastern region on par with other parts of the country," he added.

Founder President of Indian Building Congress, O.P. Goel, Indian Building Congress President Chinmay Debnath, and others were present at the seminar.
Hyderabad, July 18 : Digital arrest cases in Hyderabad came down by more than 75 per cent in the first half of 2025 as a result of increased alertness due to continuous awareness programmes, a senior police official said on Friday.

A total of 34 digital arrest cases were reported this year up to June 2025.

During the same period last year, 140 cases were registered.

As many as 214 digital arrest cases were registered in the second half of 2024.

A digital arrest is a fraudulent tactic/scam used by the cyber criminals to falsely accuse individuals of breaking the law, often claiming the existence of a digital arrest warrant.

According to the police, most of the victims are senior citizens in the age group of 60 to 80 years, who are highly educated and retired professionals whose children are found to be living/working abroad.

The fraudsters are calling the victims by posing themselves as CBI/Customs/DRI/ED officers, sending fake arrest and non-bailable warrants, fake/fabricated court orders, fake letters of TRAI to their mobile numbers linked with Aadhar cards.

The fraudsters put the victims in fear of impending arrest as if they are involved in criminal cases of money laundering, drug peddling, seizure of contraband, etc, said P. Viswa Prasad, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and SIT).

Under the threat of arrest and issue of a non-bailable warrant, job loss, and imprisonment and that the matter is being kept confidential, the victim is coerced to liquidate all assets within 24 hours.

The fraudsters, during video calls for two to three hours, ask victims to prematurely withdraw whatever fixed deposits they have, take a loan against the gold, and obtain a personal loan and transfer the amount to them.

The victims transfer the money under fear and pressure.

The police recently detected two digital arrest cases.

On April 5, the complainant aged about 84 years reported that he received a call from an unknown person claiming that his phone number was involved in illegal activities and he was connected to another person, who introduced himself as an IPS officer.

He was manipulated into depositing Rs 44 lakh under the guise of a money laundering investigation under the threat of arrest and damage of reputation.

Police arrested three accused -- Tauqeeb Raza, Rahil Imam, and Ali Asad, all residents of Jharkhand.

On March 29, the complainant aged about 69 years reported that she was contacted by an unknown person claiming to be from TRAI and Mumbai Plice who said that her mobile number was linked to serious criminal activities, including money laundering and human trafficking.

She was pressurised to transfer her liquid assets amounting to Rs 38.7 lakh.

Police arrested one Arbaz Pasha, a resident of Bengaluru, on July 9.
Gangtok, July 18 : Sikkim's political climate on Friday turned volatile following reports of a violent altercation involving members of the Citizen Action Party (CAP).

The incident took place near Sadar Police Station on the night of Thursday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharply criticized the incident, calling it yet another failure of law and order in the state.

BJP spokesperson Passang Gyali Sherpa expressed grave concern over the alleged attack, which eyewitnesses claim occurred within or near the police station premises.

"It is deeply unfortunate that such an incident took place in the heart of Gangtok, under the police's watch," Sherpa told reporters on Friday.

He added that the BJP had alerted the Central government and was instructed to submit a detailed report. Sherpa accused the police of negligence, stating that no arrests had been made even 24 hours after the incident.

"Instead of taking responsibility, they are shifting blame onto CAP workers who had gone to the Vigilance Department," he said.

"The police's failure to act promptly raises serious questions."

While opposition leaders and eyewitnesses insist the clash happened inside the police station, authorities maintain it occurred outside. Sherpa demanded transparency, urging police to release CCTV footage from the time of the incident. "Unless the footage is made public, it appears the police are concealing the truth," he asserted.

CAP leader Tikaram Sharma, who was detained that night, claimed the violence was orchestrated. He said a CAP delegation had visited the Vigilance Department as part of a pre-announced campaign to demand administrative reforms.

"We were peacefully surrendering at the police station when chaos erupted, seemingly pre-planned," Sharma alleged. He accused the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) of fostering a culture of impunity.

"The Chief Minister's recent statements suggest a disregard for democratic norms, emboldening such attacks," Sharma said. Sharma questioned the police's delayed response, suggesting collusion with the perpetrators. "If they genuinely wanted to prevent violence, they would have detained all involved immediately. Their inaction speaks volumes," he said.

As tensions simmer, demands for accountability grow, with opposition parties and civil society urging a thorough investigation into the incident.
Guwahati, July 18 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday claimed that illegal land encroachments across the state are part of a deliberate and systematic pattern, with people arriving from as far as Manipur and even Bangladesh to occupy forest and government land.

Reiterating his government's zero-tolerance approach, Sarma said all encroachersregardless of their originwould be evicted. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Chief Minister alleged that the encroachment process typically begins with a few settlers occupying land and starting cultivation, gradually expanding into full-fledged settlements.

"There appears to be a clear design behind this. First, a few individuals settle, then more are brought in to form a community," he said.

Citing a recent eviction drive in Lakhimpur district, Sarma revealed that 12 families from Manipur and Nagaon had settled in an area previously cleared of encroachments.

He said the district administration has been directed to send them back. The Chief Minister also claimed that many encroachers falsely identify themselves as residents of nearby districts like Goalpara, while actually hailing from West Bengal or Bangladesh.

"Just yesterday, we apprehended 16 illegal Bangladeshi nationals," he added, blaming previous governments for failing to prevent such cross-border infiltration.

Sarma pointed to a repeated pattern of encroachment across regions: ginger cultivation in Lumding, betel nut farming in Uriamghat (Golaghat), and rubber plantations in Sribhumi and Hailakandi. In Uriamghat alone, over 500 families are believed to have settled, he said, alleging that some are cultivating up to 500 bighas per family.

He further expressed concern about the blending of Myanmar-imported betel nuts with local produce to pass it off as indigenous, calling for stricter checks.

Sarma also hinted at administrative inaction, saying forest officials and some local politicians allowed settlements to grow unchecked as they became potential vote banks. "Once the population exceeds 5,000 to 10,000, even MLAs hesitate to act," he remarked.

The Assam government has cleared 1.19 lakh bighas of land since May 2021, impacting approximately 50,000 people.

However, the CM said that 63 lakh bighasnearly half of which is forest landstill remain under encroachment. Without naming any specific group, Sarma attributed the trend to a demographic shift allegedly driven by people of "one religion," warning of a "land invasion" affecting indigenous communities.

--IANS

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One killed, two injured as result of night attack by Russian UAVs in Dnipropetrovsk region  authorities

One person was killed and two were injured as a result of an attack by enemy drones in Pavlohrad district, head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, Serhiy Lysak, reported on Telegram.

"At night, the Russian army used drones to strike Pavlohrad district  Verbkivska and Bohdanivska communities. A 52-year-old man died. Condolences to his family and friends. Two more, 38 and 40 years old, were injured. They received assistance on the spot. A transport company was damaged. A fire broke out, it was extinguished," Lysak said.

Also, according to his information, Rozdorska community of Synelnykivsky district was hit by a UAV. A fire occurred there: the fire destroyed and damaged vehicles.

"The aggressor hit Nikopol with an FPV drone. The consequences are being investigated," Lysak wrote.
Sabarkantha, July 19 : After five days of intense protests, Sabar Dairy has revised its annual milk procurement rate, offering Rs 995 per kg of fat to cattle farmers, a Rs 5 increase from the earlier announced rate of Rs 990, officials said on Friday.

The decision follows mounting unrest by dairy farmers across Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat, who have accused the cooperative of underpaying for milk and demanded greater transparency in profit distribution.

The revised rate was approved during a high-level meeting of Sabar Dairy's board of directors held earlier on Friday, with the chairman, vice-chairman, and senior members in attendance.

According to officials, the newly announced Rs 995/kg fat rate will be settled in two phases -- an advance payment already made at Rs 960, and the remaining Rs 35 to be disbursed after the dairy's general meeting.

The announcement comes in the wake of widespread disruptions, including milk supply boycotts, spontaneous village-level protests, and clashes with police.

Farmers from more than 400 village societies, including those in Moti Isrol, Megharaj and Amblia, halted milk supply, poured milk on roads, and symbolically took over chairs of local dairy heads.

The stir led to a 15 lakh litre drop in daily milk collection, forcing the dairy to temporarily halt powder production.

Tensions reached a boiling point earlier this week when a protest outside the Sabar Dairy gate turned violent.

Stone-pelting and lathi-charge were reported, leaving several police personnel injured and dairy property damaged.

Authorities later confirmed the registration of an FIR against 74 individuals, including former MLA and Sabar Dairy board director Jashubhai Patel, along with charges against more than 1,000 unnamed protesters.

A total of 47 people were detained in the aftermath.

The protesting cattle farmers have listed four key demands: immediate withdrawal of all cases filed against dairy farmers, a thorough inquiry into the death of Ashokbhai during the protest, filling of a murder case and appropriate legal action against those responsible.

Compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the deceased's family from the state government and Sabar Dairy.

Sabar Dairy, one of Gujarat's largest milk cooperatives with a turnover of Rs 9,500 crore, collects milk from more than 1,700 villages and is a key member of the Amul/GCMMF network.
Bhubaneswar, July 19 : In a major breakthrough for anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, security forces uncovered a substantial cache of explosives and tactical equipment during a combing operation in Kandhamal district.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team from the District Voluntary Force (DVF) discovered the Maoist dump deep within the Guma Reserved Forest near Sinahibali village, under the jurisdiction of Belgarh Police Station, police official said.

The recovered materials include 564 electrical detonators, 77 non-electrical detonators, four remote controls, two electrical sensors, two battery inputs, one electrical switch, a steel drum with cover, and a steel tiffin carrier.

Officials believe the cache was intended for use in ambushes targeting security personnel engaged in patrol and combing operations in the region.

Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Harish B.C. confirmed that the operation was carried out with maximum caution, involving a bomb disposal squad that first sanitized the area for booby traps and pressure bombs before unearthing the dump.

The forested terrain of Kandhamal, known for its dense cover and strategic value to Maoist insurgents, has long posed challenges to law enforcement agencies.

However, recent operations have intensified surveillance and combing efforts, leading to a series of successful recoveries.

This latest seizure follows a string of anti-Maoist actions in the region.

On June 30, two senior Maoist leaders from Chhattisgarh were gunned down in an encounter in Pushungia forest under Baliguda police limits, and a separate operation earlier this month yielded rifles, revolvers, cartridges, and communication devices from a Maoist camp.

Sources within the security establishment said that the recovered detonators and remote devices were likely part of a larger plan to disrupt ongoing counter-insurgency efforts.

With Maoist activity reportedly spilling over from Chhattisgarh into Odishaas forests, Kandhamal has become a focal point for coordinated operations aimed at dismantling insurgent infrastructure.

Authorities have launched a follow-up investigation to trace the origin of the explosives and identify any remaining Maoist operatives in the vicinity.

The success of the DVF team underscores the growing effectiveness of Odishaas anti-Naxal strategy, combining intelligence-led operations with tactical precision. As combing operations continue, officials remain vigilant against further threats in the region.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, July 19 : In a decisive crackdown on cybercrime, Delhi Police's Cyber Cell in Shahdara has dismantled a "sextortion" racket that preyed on unsuspecting victims through dating apps and social media platforms.

New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) In a decisive crackdown on cybercrime, Delhi Police's Cyber Cell in Shahdara has dismantled a "sextortion" racket that preyed on unsuspecting victims through dating apps and social media platforms.

The operation led to the arrest of four individuals, including the alleged kingpin, and the recovery of seven mobile phones and six SIM cards used in the crime.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Ankit Kumar Kain, a resident of Bhagwanpur Khera, Shahdara, who reported being blackmailed after engaging in a video call with a woman on a dating app and then via Whatsapp video call.

During the call, a pre-recorded obscene video featuring a woman was played, and the complainant was manipulated into undressing, said the police.

The call was secretly recorded, and the video was later used to extort Rs 35,000 from him. When further demands were made, he lodged a complaint via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

A team led by SHO Vijay Kumar and supervised by ACP Operations Shahdara was constituted to investigate the case.

Through technical surveillance and money trail analysis, the suspects were traced to the Mewat region in Rajasthan.

Initial arrests were made in Delhi, where Mangal Singh, the alleged account holder, and his associate Shyam Singh were apprehended. Subsequent raids in Jurhera, District Deeg, Rajasthan, led to the arrest of Armaan Khan, the alleged mastermind, and Aasid Khan, who supplied the payment scanner used in the extortion.

Police recovered incriminating evidence from Armaan Khan, including mobile phones containing obscene videos of multiple victims.

The investigation revealed a calculated modus operandi; the accused used fake profiles on dating apps to lure victims into intimate conversations, recorded compromising footage, and then threatened to release it publicly unless money was paid.

The network operated with distinct rolessome collected bank accounts, others managed digital tools, while the kingpin orchestrated the extortion.

All four accusedArmaan Khan (21), Aasid Khan (37), Shyam Singh (21), and Mangal Singh (31)are currently in judicial custody. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution while interacting online and report suspicious activity promptly.

The case underscores the growing sophistication of cybercriminals and the need for heightened digital vigilance.
Bhopal, July 19 : Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla has claimed that around 20 per cent of first-year college students studying in the Medical Science University (MSU) at Jabalpur have opted for Hindi to write their semester exams.

"This batch will complete four-year medical course in Hindi medium in 2027-28. Medical Science University, Jabalpur, has also informed that separate questions papers (Hindi and English) for students would be provided from the next semester exam," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Shukla, who is also heading the Health and Medical Education Department of Madhya Pradesh, told IANS that he has directed all government medical colleges to encourage more students to opt for Hindu to write their semester exams for medical courses.

"All government medical colleges have been directed to make full arrangements to provide theoretical as well as practical classes for Hindi medium students. They should not face any problem during their classes. There may be some problem as this is a beginning stage, but the statement is committed to provide all possible help for students," he added.

Shukla made this claim amid news coming that MBBS studies in Hindi, introduced in Madhya Pradesh three years ago with much fanfare, seems to have hardly enthused the students in the government medical colleges in the state, with few found to have opted the language to write their semester exams.

He also told that the state government has recently announced that incentives such as reduction of examination by 50 per cent will be given to the students who will pursue MBBS courses in Hindi.

MSU, Jabalpur, is also going to organise a workshop on July 22 in which the students and the faculty members in the medical colleges will be encouraged to highlight their problems they are facing relating to the MBBS course in Hindi and they will be sorted out.

Notably, Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to have introduced the MBBS course in Hindi language under the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2022.

Hindi medium course was first introduced at Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Bhopal.

At the same time, a war room named 'Mandhar', which was set up in 2022, and around 100 doctors with different specialties have been deployed to do translation work from English to Hindi textbooks.

The books for the MBBS courses are being translated from English to Hindi and made available to the medical colleges for the students, keen to pursue the MBBS studies in Hindi.

A faculty member in the state government-run Gandhi Medical College said that the MBBS students are taught in 'Hinglish' (Hindi and English languages) and the MBBS books translated into Hindi from English have also many English terms written in Hindi alphabets.
Patna, July 19 : A woman was injured amid firing by a gang of criminals in Musallahpur Haat locality in Patna on Friday night, triggering panic among local residents.

The injured woman has been identified as Baby Devi, who is currently out of danger. She was immediately shifted to Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) by the police with the help of local residents.

According to the victimas brother, a gang of criminals arrived on two motorcycles and a scooty. They were arguing with someone when they created a disturbance by firing four to five rounds.

Amid the chaos, Baby Devi, who was present at the spot, sustained a gunshot injury.

Following the incident, DSP-2 Gaurav Kumar, along with teams from Musallahpur and Bahadurpur police stations, reached the spot and began an investigation.

Police have collected evidence from the scene and are scanning CCTV footage to identify the accused.

Officials have assured that the criminals will be arrested soon.

The incident has raised concerns over law and order in the bustling Musallahpur Haat area, with residents demanding increased patrolling to prevent such incidents in the future.

Patna has witnessed a series of criminal incidents in the past few days.

On Thursday, five armed men stormed Paras Hospital under the Shastri Nagar police station area, attacking a gangster inside the hospital premises.

The deceased, identified as Chandan Mishra (aged 25-30) from Sonbarsa block, Buxar, was undergoing treatment at the hospital on parole.

Mishra, who has more than two dozen criminal cases, including murder, against him, had been in jail since 2024 and was admitted to Paras Hospital for treatment.

Five armed men arrived on motorcycles, entered room number 209 on the second floor, and opened fire at him, leaving him dead on the spot.

Besides this, Patna has witnessed a series of high-profile murders in recent times, including the murder of famous industrialist Gopal Khemka, sand trader Ramakant Yadav, grocery trader Vikram Jha, advocate Jitendra Kumar and others.
A U.S. Senate hearing held July 16 gave some hope to publishers and authors that at least some members of Congress seem willing to step up the fight against Big Tech companies who knowingly violate copyright laws to train their large language models.

The hearing, titled Too Big to Prosecute? Examining the AI Industrys Mass Ingestion of Copyrighted Works for AI Training, was overseen by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. Hawley, a frequent critic of Big Tech, left no doubt where his sentiment lies.

Todays hearing is about the largest intellectual property theft in American history, Hawley began. For all of the talk about artificial intelligence and innovation and the future that comes out of Silicon Valley, heres the truth that nobody wants to admit: AI companies are training their models on stolen material.

The hearing featured five witnesses, four of whom argued that that the AI companies training methods are a clear violation of fair use, while the fifth, Edward Lee, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, made the case that their methods could be protected by fair use and he cautioned that before Congress takes any action it should let the issues play out in court.

In making his argument, Lee cited two recent rulings in lawsuits brought against Anthropic and Meta where both judges found that copying was indeed fair use. In each instance, however, the judges wrote that the tech companies were not in the clear. In the Anthropic case, the court ruled that while using legally acquired copyrighted books to train AI large language models constitutes fair use, downloading pirated copies of those books for permanent storage violates copyright law.

The use of pirate sites like Lib Gen was of particular concern to Maxwell Pritt, partner at the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which is suing Meta. Pritt said Meta and other AI companies have revived the fortunes of pirate sites by turning to them from training purposes. He noted that documents showed that Meta employees knew using pirated sites was illegal, but that Meta chair Mark Zuckerberg made the decision to proceed anyway. There is no carve out in the Copyright Act for AI companies to engage in mass piracy, Pritt said.

Both Hawley and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois peppered Lee with suggestions that AI companies were the direct beneficiaries of not paying for content at the expense of creators. Lee didnt disagree with that assertion, but said it is important that U.S. companies are able to compete with China in the field of AI, something that would benefit all Americans. Hawley took exception to the line or reasoning, asking whether it is fair that giant corporations can benefit from stealing the work of American citizens such as author David Baldacci. Lee stuck to his belief that the fair use doctrine is the best way to balance the need for innovation with the protection of copyright, and that Congress should let the lawsuits before the courts play out before intervening.

In his ruling in the Meta case, judge Vince Chhabria supported the transformative aspects of AI, but also laid out why AI companies maybe in some legal jeopardy in their training methods. Chhabria pointed out that "generative AI has the potential to flood the market with endless amounts of images, songs, articles, books, and more."

In his remarks, Baldacci, a plaintiff in the Authors Guild class action suit against OpenAI, addressed that very issue. Baldacci explained he has seen new books released that closely resemble his own plot lines and fears that these types of works will eventually flood the market. He noted that online vendors now require the author to disclose if a book was not human-created. Its getting to the point where they will have to limit the number of books that someone can publish on a weekly or even daily basis, Baldacci said.

In fact, as early as September of 2023 Amazon began limiting the number of books authors using its KDP platform can post to three per day. The decision came a few weeks after KDP issued guidelines that authors need to notify Amazon if AI materials were involved in writing a book.

Bhamati Viswanathan, a professor at New England Law School, said Baldacci is right to worry that books ripped off from him could overwhelm the market. Subpar work that substitutes for the original work is not what fair use was intend to achieve, she said.

The back-and-forth of the session, which AAP CEO Maria Pallante called a "terrific hearing" in a note to members, seem to enforce Hawleys view on what needs to be done. If what AI companies are doing isnt infringement, Hawley said, Congress needs to do something. I mean, if the answer is that the biggest corporation in the world, worth trillions of dollars, can come take an individual authors work like Mr. Baldaccis, lie about it, hide it, profit off of it, and theres nothing our law does about that, we need to change the law.
In a major victory for authors, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled July 17 that three writers suing Anthropic for copyright infringement can represent all other authors whose books the AI company allegedly pirated to train its AI model as part of a class action lawsuit.

In late June, Alsup of the Northern District of California, ruled in Bartz v. Anthropic that the AI company's training of its Claude LLMs on authors' works was "exceedingly transformative," and therefore protected by fair use. However, Alsup also determined that the company's practice of downloading pirated books from sites including Books3, Library Genesis, and Pirate Library Mirror (PiLiMi) to build a permanent digital library was not covered by fair use.

Alsups most recent ruling follows an amended complaint from the authors looking to certify classes of copyright owners in a Pirated Books Class and in a Scanned Books Class. In his decision, Alsup certified only a LibGen and PiLiMi Pirated Books Class, writing that this class is limited to actual or beneficial owners of timely registered copyrights in ISBN/ASIN-bearing books downloaded by Anthropic from these two pirate libraries.

Alsup stressed that the class is not limited to authors or author-like entities, explaining that a key point is to cover everyone who owns the specific copyright interest in play, the right to make copies, either as the actual or as the beneficial owner. Later in his decision, Alsup makes it clear who is covered by the ruling: A beneficial owner...is someone like an author who receives royalties from any publishers revenues or recoveries from the right to make copies. Yes, the legal owner might be the publisher but the author has a definite stake in the royalties, so the author has standing to sue. And, each stands to benefit from the copyright enforcement at the core of our case however they then divide the benefit.

Alsup wrote that he did not include Books3 in his order because those books have less metadata, making it too difficult to identify titles and authors. He further noted that while some books were likely scanned from both LibGen and PiLiMi, authors will only be allowed one recovery.

His order includes the need for attorneys to engage in a rigorous notice process to inform authors of the lawsuit and endorsed the law firms of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP and Susman Godfrey LLP as co-lead firms. The attorneys seem to have their work cut out as Alsup ruled that plaintiffs must file a comprehensive list of books covered in the suit by noon on September 1. To assist those attorneys, Alsup ordered that Anthropic provide them with the titles, authors, publishers, ISBNs of the books they pirated by noon on August 1.

Anthropic is believed to have copied up to seven million books from LibGen and PiLiMi, and experts said if the authors win, Anthropic could be facing a billion-dollar settlement.

We are grateful but unsurprised that Judge Alsups certified the pirated class with respect to LibGen and PiLiMi, as all of the requirements for class certification are met, Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild, said in a statement. While we do not understand his reasoning for not certifying the class vis a vis Books 3, the titles included in Books 3 are likely also in LibGen and/or PiLiMi. We are looking forward to the trial on piracy and the damages owed the class later this year.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned Hungary's decision to deny access to three Ukrainian servicemen. Sybiha published a statement on the matter on the X platform on Thursday.

Hungarys decision to ban three Ukrainian military officials from entering its territory is unfounded and absurd. We reject Hungary's manipulations and we will not tolerate such disrespect for our military. Ukraine reserves the right to take appropriate action in response, Sybiha said on X.

The Hungarian government has reportedly banned entry to three high-ranking Ukrainian military personnel, whom, Budapest says, are responsible for a forced mobilization that Hungarian officials believe led to the death of a mobilized Hungarian who is a Ukrainian citizen and, according to Budapest, a Hungarian citizen. Hungary is demanding that these officials be included in the EU sanction list.
The Guardian, July 16, 2025

Women forced back to living under the Talibans increasingly repressive regime have spoken of their desperation as Iran accelerates the deportation of an estimated 4 million Afghans who had fled to the country.

In the past month alone, more than 250,000 people, including thousands of lone women, have returned to Afghanistan from Iran, according to the UNs migration agency. The numbers accelerated before Sundays deadline set by the Iranian regime for all undocumented Afghans to leave the country.

The Taliban, who returned to power in 2021, have been accused of enforcing a system of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Women returning to the country must live with oppressive laws that ban them from showing their faces, speaking or appearing in public, as well as being excluded from most jobs and education. Anyone caught breaking these rules faces public flogging.

An employee of the NGO World Vision assists a woman at an office where deported Afghans can call their family members, 3 July, Islam Qala, Afghanistan. Photograph: Elise Blanchard/Getty ImagesSpeaking to the Guardian and Zan Times, an Afghan news agency, at a border crossing in southern Afghanistan, Sahar*, 40, is travelling with five children and says she has no idea where she will live now. A widow originally from Baghlan, a city in northern Afghanistan, she had been living in Iran for more than a decade. She ran a small tailoring workshop and had recently put down a deposit on a home. Last week, she says she was detained, taken with her children from a refugee camp near the southern city of Shiraz, and deported.

I didnt even get to pack their clothes. They came in the middle of the night. I begged them to give me just two days to collect my things. But they didnt listen. They threw us out like garbage.

Until recently, women were rarely forcibly returned from Iran. Men, often undocumented labourers, were more likely to face arrest and deportation. But Afghan border officials say there has been a recent shift, with at least 100 unaccompanied women deported through a single border point in Nimroz province, in the south of the country, between March and May this year.

Returning to Afghanistan without a male guardian puts women in direct conflict with Taliban law, which prohibits women from travelling alone. Many of those returned from Iran find themselves stranded at the border, unable to continue their journey.

With temperatures now reaching 52C, local officials say that a number of people have died during the forced crossings. Border officials say at least 13 bodies have arrived in the past two weeks, but it was not clear whether they had died of heat and thirst or were killed during Israels airstrikes in Iran.

Those arriving at border crossings in southern Afghanistan say they are thirsty, hungry and exhausted, having walked for hours under the sun. Most have no belongings, documentation or plan about where to live.

From Shiraz to Zahedan [close to the Afghan border], they took everything from us. My bank card had 15 million tomans (110). They charged 50,000 tomans for a bottle of water, 100,000 for a cold sandwich. And if you didnt have it, your child went without, says Sahar.

The Taliban says it offers short-term shelter and transport assistance to women deported without a mahram (an adult male who can accompany her on a journey). But many returnees say they received no such help. Under Taliban policy, most single women are barred from receiving land, travelling alone to their home province, or accessing employment.



Afghans wait for assistance and buses at the Iranian border on 3 July in Islam Qala. Women are unable to continue their journey without a male escort. Afghans wait for assistance and buses at the Iranian border on 3 July in Islam Qala. Women are unable to continue their journey without a male escort.

Sahar says her options in Afghanistan are bleak. She has an elderly mother in Baghlan, but no home, no job and no husband, meaning, under Taliban rules, she cannot travel alone or work legally. I asked for land [from the Taliban], anything to start again. They said, Youre a woman, you have no mahram. You dont qualify.Many end up relying on extended family or informal networks. One woman, recently returned with a newborn, says she was denied food and shelter. They told me: Youre not eligible. You dont have a man with you. But my baby is just four days old. Where am I supposed to go?

The UN agency, the International Organization for Migration, and other groups provide temporary aid at border crossings, but they do not have the mandate or resources for long-term support.

In the buses taking deportees from detention to the Afghanistan borders, women also say they are subjected to verbal abuse, bribes demanded for basic services and no air conditioning in extreme heat. They said its a waste for you Afghans. My child cried from the heat, but the driver laughed and mocked us, says Zahra*.
President Trumps antitrust team of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson and Justice Department Antitrust Division head Gail Slater have an approach to antitrust that resembles that of Biden-era FTC Chair Lina Khan and Deputy Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter. Like their predecessors, Ferguson and Slater reject the consumer welfare standard that dominated antitrust policy from the Reagan years until the Biden Administration. In its place, Biden and Trumps antitrust enforcers embrace a more aggressive approach that looks at other factorslike how a merger or acquisition will allegedly affect consumers, workers, and communities.

Ferguson and Slater also share Khan and Kanters belief that a more aggressive approach to antitrust is needed to counter the threat big tech poses to to competitive markets and our Constitution. However, Ferguson and Slater are more restrained than their predecessors in their use of their power to challenge mergers and acquisitions. They do not share the view that big is de facto bad. Rather, they appear to be focusing on using their power to punish businesses that advance anti-MAGA political or social agendas.

This does not mean that Khan-Kanter style antitrust is dead. Unfortunately, it is alive at the state level. Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos is using antitrust policy to fight food deserts. Food deserts are areas, usually in inner cities, where residents do not have convenient access to grocery stores. According to Mantos, deserts are caused by large chains like Walmart, and large suppliers bullying smaller stores into charging higher prices than their customers can really afford, thus driving the small retailers out of business. Mantos has proposed that the Rhode Island legislature pass a bill closing loopholes in the federal Robinson-Patman Act to give Rhode Island officials more power to sue large stores and suppliers for violating the Act.

Robinson-Patman is a New Deal era law forbidding price discrimination. This is where a supplier offers a good to a retailer at a lower price than they offer other retailers. The law ignores that fact that the reason suppliers offer their products at a lower price to Walmart or Costco than they would to a small independent store is that the large national chain can take advantage of economics of scale to sell more products at lower pricesincreasing profits for both the store and the makers of the products while lowering costs for consumers. Government laws and regulations forbidding price discrimination, whether imposed at the state or federal level, make it impossible for businesses to take full advantage of the economics of scale. This is especially hard on those in the lower income classes whom do-gooders like Matos think will benefit from their interferences in the market.

Instead of increasing government interference in the market, those wishing to end food deserts should work to remove obstacles that discourage groceryand other types of storesfrom opening in those areas. One way to do this is with enterprise zones, which provide bushinesses starting in low income and/or high unemployment areas tax and regulatory relief. Government officials should also increase efforts to reduce crime, which drives businesses away from inner cities. The free market can meet demand for affordable fresh food if government gets out of the way.

Another state official looking to advance Lina Khan-style antitrust at the state level is Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has made fighting monopolies a focus of his efforts. Blue state legislatures have also been working to advance neo-Brandeisian antitrust policy. In New York, legislation has been introduced that would require businesses operating in the state to obtain approval for any proposed merger or acquisition from the Governor, create a private right of action against companies allegedly violating antitrust laws, and create an abuse of dominance  standard allowing the New York Attorney General to bring lawsuits against any company that uses its dominant position to harm its smaller competitors. This could be used to force big tech companies like Amazon that want to operate in New York to comply with regulations dictating how they must treat smaller businesses wishing to use their platforms.

California may also pass legislation expanding oversight of mergers, as well as the use of pricing algorithms. Given New York and Californias prominence in the national economy, adoption of these measures would set a de facto nationwide standardas businesses would tailor their conduct to comply with California and/or New York law. In other words: Khanifornication via economic Californication.
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, a troubling question demands our attention: How is Russia still producing advanced weapons systemsmissiles, drones, and fighter jetsdespite some of the toughest sanctions in modern history?

The answer may be unnervingly familiar. During World War II, Switzerland maintained its famed neutrality, yet profited handsomely from the Nazi war effortsecret bank accounts, looted gold, and even arms sales. Today, Western firms may be echoing that moral compromise through seemingly innocent supply chains.

Friends from the Ukrainian National Police tell me they find that many of the components used in surveillance, drones, and missilesoriginate from the U.S., Netherlands, Japan, and Switzerland. A study by Radio Free Europe/Radio Libertys Schemes unit identified approximately 2,000 different electronic components made by major U.S., Japanese, and Taiwanese firms being used in five types of Russian Sukhoi warplanes (RFE/RL, June 2024).

Were up against a troubling truth: sanctioned or dual-use components continue to feed Russias war machine in Ukraine.

The firms implicated dont dispute itthey point to lawful compliance and third-party distribution. But Ukrainian officials are blunt. Weapons that kill our civilians are filled with Western-made technology. Someone is enabling this, says Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraines Defense Ministry (Business Insider, Nov. 2023).

This isnt speculation. The U.S. Commerce Department itself warned in 2023 of non-transparent procurement practices that bypass export controls (U.S. Department of Commerce, CHIPS Act Report, 2023).

U.S. companies can avoid being complicit in the deaths of innocent Ukrainians. Heres how. Companies can track sudden spikes in orders from Russia-aligned intermediariesespecially with upfront, expedited payment.

John Hardie, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, emphasizes: These arent subtle shifts. Theyre glaring red flags. Companies dont need CIA briefingsthey need better internal scrutiny (FDD Commentary, 2023).

Companies with dual-use products should copy practices that are common in sectors like pharmaceuticals and banking:

 Robust end-use documentation

 Site visits, unannounced.

As an example of how a site visit might go, heres a hypothetical scenario, although its probably too undiplomatic and would need some fine-tuning. Lets say that for the last five years, youve been selling 100 microchips a year to a company in Turkey. Suddenly, as you go over recent orders, you see that your buyer in Turkey wants 2,000 chips. You know that chips like this have shown up in Russian missiles used against Ukraine.

You ask your sales guy to show up unannounced in your buyers office in Turkey. Id like to see where the chips are going, he states. Id like the answer in 24 hours. If the buyer cant prove a benign explanation for the sudden change in quantity, its reasonable to guess that those chips could be ending up as part of Russian weaponry used in Ukraine. You discontinue further sales to this buyer.

That was hypothetical, but the risk for doing nothing is rising. Legal scholars such as Martin Lederman, professor at Georgetown Law, warn that if victims of Russian aggression can prove negligence, civil litigation isnt out of the question.

The reputational fallout is already real. Ukrainian investigators are meticulously cataloging component origins. And when the war ends, accountability may followjust as it did in postwar Switzerland.

Ethical due diligence isn't optionalits imperative. As an added consideration, if youre a company president or owner, you dont want someone like me writing about you in a respected journal.

The ghosts of Switzerlands wartime profiteering are stirring. American and Western firms must act decisivelyor risk being remembered for enabling war, not preventing it.

Mitzi Perdue, Fellow, Center for Intermarium Studies, Institute of World Politics, and Member, Education and Research Group, American Society for AI
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'BSE has facilitated nearly Rs 35 trillion in capital raising across multiple segments.'

IMAGE: People watch the live telecast of Union Budget 2025 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outside the Bombay Stock Exchange. Photograph: ANI Photo

BSE is "at the forefront" of economic growth and enables companies to raise capital and investors to access markets, said Sundararaman Ramamurthy, the managing director and chief executive officer of the exchange that is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

BSE is working to "leapfrog the next level of market development", Ramamurthy, who assumed his role at BSE in January 2023, tells Samie Modak/Business Standard in an e-mail interview.

BSE is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Can you take us through the exchange's legacy and its role in the Indian economy and market ecosystem?

BSE embarked on its 150-year journey as The Native Share and Stock Broker's Association on July 9, 1875. It subsequently became the first recognised stock exchange in the country under the Securities Contract Regulations Act (SCRA), 1957.

The exchange underwent demutualisation and corporatisation in 2007, and in 2017, it became the first exchange to get listed.

Over these years, BSE has profoundly shaped India's capital market ecosystem through foundational, regulatory, and technological contributions.

Starting from informal gatherings under a banyan tree, BSE has provided a vast canopy for the capital market ecosystem in India.

It has been at the forefront of capital mobilisation, economic growth, employment generation, and wealth creation by enabling thousands of companies to raise capital and millions of investors to access the markets.

BSE works closely with regulators to bring in updated and best practices, ensuring a robust and transparent market environment.

BSE has driven innovation and growth through several key initiatives.

These include implementing the online trading system for seamless trading experiences, fostering entrepreneurship through the SME platform, encouraging household savings through the StarMF platform and promoting awareness via the BSE Investor Protection Fund.

While BSE is old, with a 150-year legacy, it remains nimble and young to embrace new ideas, adopt innovation and work to leapfrog into the next level of market development as the country looks towards achieving Viksit Bharat status by 2047.

It has become so easy to open a trading account. How has the regulatory architecture evolved?

Trading in stocks has indeed come a long way, transitioning from the shades of a banyan tree to the convenience of smartphones.

BSE has been instrumental in democratising access, building trust, and providing investor protection.

This transformation is a result of the evolution of the regulatory architecture.

Paper-based trading of the 19th century was formally regulated under the Bombay Securities Contract Control Act in 1925.

Post-independence, SCRA 1957 brought structure to the capital market ecosystem, while the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) Act of 1992 introduced a formal regulatory framework.

Today, the regulatory process in India is a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing the ecosystem for market participants and investors.

Key milestones include the introduction of dematerialised accounts in 1996, which enabled online trading, and the standardisation of KYC and account opening norms.

Other advancements include digital onboarding, direct payouts to investor demat accounts, simplified nomination and inheritance processes, enhanced risk management measures, and a reduction in settlement days to T+0.

These changes have seamlessly integrated banking, broking, and mobile investing ecosystems, leading to a surge in retail participation.

For instance, unique client codes at BSE have surged from 50 million in 2020 to nearly 220 million as of the latest count, while mutual fund folios have increased from 90 million to 220 million during the same period.

What role does an exchange play in capital formation and economic growth?

Stock exchanges are fundamental to economic development as they provide businesses with the capital needed for growth, innovation, and job creation.

Exchanges offer platforms for raising capital, transparent secondary markets, and liquidity.

Listed companies gain visibility, enabling further capital raising, while exchanges ensure minimum corporate governance standards and risk management.

They also channel foreign capital into markets, providing equal access and fostering financialisation and wealth creation.

In the past two financial years (FY24 and FY25), BSE has facilitated nearly Rs 35 trillion in capital raising across multiple segments.

Platforms like BSE SME and BSE Social Stock Exchange support smaller and social-impact enterprises, contributing to economic growth.

Sensex is synonymous with investing in India. What's the plan to cultivate its brand image?

The BSE Sensex is the barometer of the Indian economy and capital markets, serving as a benchmark and reflecting market sentiment.

It influences foreign inflows as international investors closely monitor the index to assess the country's economic potential.

Beyond the traditional function of sentiment analysis, the index also presents risk management and investment opportunities through derivatives and index funds.

To cultivate the Sensex brand, we will continue to refine product strategies in line with industry trends and consumer preferences while staying true to our core values.

This approach ensures the index remains relevant and valuable to capital market participants.

Penetrating the derivatives market was thought to be impossible. BSE has challenged this notion. How has the exchange managed to gain ground in the derivatives segment?

BSE's focus has always been on providing the best products and services to meet the needs of domestic and foreign investors.

Market-share growth from almost nothing two years ago to nearly 25 per cent as of the latest count is a byproduct.

Initially, BSE faced challenges such as a lack of a level playing field and technical readiness among brokers.

We addressed these by investing in high-speed, low-latency infrastructure and enhancing transparency and confidence.

'Voice of the Customer' was critical for launching Sensex 30 and Bankex, which helped overcome multiple challenges to create a growth environment.

These efforts have paid off, with the Sensex index derivative becoming the world's fastest-growing derivatives contract.

Despite regulatory measures impacting derivatives volume, BSE remains committed to providing a cohesive capital ecosystem that meets the growing demands of the dynamic capital market.

Recent Sebi measures have impacted derivatives volume. What's the outlook?

Sebi's measures are aimed at ensuring market protection and encouraging better participation.

Derivatives are versatile instruments used for hedging risks, bringing market stability, and expressing investment strategies.

The reforms are designed to ensure these instruments meet their economic purposes correctly.

How is the exchange landscape evolving? What could this space look like in 10 years?

The Indian economy is projected to reach $30 trillion by 2047, up from $4.2 trillion.

A similar growth trajectory is expected for the stock market capitalisation, which is currently at $5.4 trillion for all BSE-listed companies.

This growth will mean greater integration with global markets and higher penetration of capital markets.

Exchanges must be dynamic and agile, ready to adapt to this ever-changing world.

The next decade may see more sophisticated technology, multiple asset classes, deeper market penetration, and wider population coverage, leading to a bigger and more significant role for exchanges.

How have things evolved on the technology side?

Technology has been a driving force in the growth of capital markets, moving from ring-based trading to brokers' offices, customer computers, and now mobile phones.

It has also extended trading hours and increased transaction volumes.

BSE has heavily invested in updating its technology stack to meet rising processing demands and future-proof its operations.

This includes adopting cutting-edge technology to ensure efficient, transparent, and secure trading.

We are also leveraging AI and machine learning for enhanced market surveillance, risk management, and investor experience.

For example, AI is used in DRHP (Draft Red Herring Prospectus) document processing for pre-IPO checks and BSE SME platform filings, improving accuracy and efficiency.

Any comments on the need for competition in the exchange space?

Competition in any space is crucial for avoiding concentration risk, fostering efficiency, innovation, and overall market health while monopoly might lead to deterioration of corporate governance and the voice of customers getting stifled.

The stock market and capital market space are no alien to this concept especially when we are seeing surge in investor participation from households.

Healthy competition helps improve service quality, encourage innovation, increased transparency, market integrity and wider choice for the industry at large which is a win-win for the ecosystem.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
Siam argues that a 2040 ban could destabilise ongoing and future investments and threaten millions of jobs in the automotive value chain.

Kindly note the image have only been published for representational purposes. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

The Indian automobile industry has urged the government to defer the proposed ban on the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE)-based four-wheelers from 2040 to 2055, sources familiar with the matter told Business Standard on Thursday.

Earlier, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) had proposed, during discussions on upcoming fuel-efficiency norms, that the sale of ICE-run four-wheelers be halted by 2040 -- with the aim of making Indian roads ICE-free by 2055, assuming a 15-year average vehicle lifecycle.

The proposal has met with resistance from the automobile industry, with its apex body, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), flagging concerns over the economic ramifications of such a move.

According to sources, Siam has argued that a 2040 ban, implemented without wide-ranging consultations and rigorous socioeconomic impact assessment, could destabilise ongoing and future investments and threaten millions of jobs in the automotive value chain.

The industry has conveyed to the BEE that it continues to rely heavily on ICE vehicles.

The auto sector contributes over 6 per cent to India's gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for more than 40 per cent of manufacturing GDP, and supports over 30 million jobs.

It also attracts significant foreign investment and contributes substantially to tax revenues.

The BEE proposal was part of deliberations on the upcoming third and fourth phases of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms -- regulations aimed at reducing vehicular emissions by mandating average fuel consumption standards across automakers' fleets.

While CAFE-I and CAFE-II are already in force, CAFE-III and CAFE-IV remain under discussion among BEE, the Union power ministry, and industry stakeholders.

Senior government officials confirmed that a BEE presentation included a suggestion to phase out ICE vehicle sales by 2040 to meet the 2055 zero-ICE fleet target, aligning with India's broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

However, sources said the auto industry recommended this timeline be tightly aligned with India's net-zero target.

Given the average 15-year life of a vehicle, Siam argued that the sales of ICE vehicles could continue until 2055 without derailing the country's decarbonisation road map.

Siam also urged the BEE to engage in broader consultations involving other relevant arms of the government, including the NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Morth), and the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), to assess the full economic and employment impact.

Drawing parallels with international trends, Siam pointed to developments in the European Union (EU), where a proposed 2035 ban on ICE vehicles was under review.

Citing factors like slower consumer adoption of zero-emission technologies, electricity decarbonisation challenges, and even potential penalties of 16 billion euros facing EU carmakers next year, the industry highlighted the complexity of transition timelines.

Europe has a per-capita income five times higher than India, 42 times more public charging infrastructure, and a significantly cleaner grid. Yet, many European carmakers are falling short of their own fuel-efficiency targets, said an industry executive who did not wish to be named.

Siam did not respond to Business Standard's queries on the matter.

In 2024-25, a total of 4.15 million passenger vehicles were sold in India -- 4.86 per cent more than a year earlier -- according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada).

However, electric vehicle (EV) penetration in this segment -- up only slightly from 2.31 per cent in 2023-24 to 2.59 per cent in 2024-25 -- remains low.

According to sources, the government has not yet taken a final decision on a ban on ICE vehicle sales, and intense deliberations on the next phase of CAFE norms are ongoing.

A sharp divide has already emerged within Siam over weight-based exemptions under the upcoming CAFE norms, with Maruti Suzuki seeking relaxed fuel-efficiency targets for small cars under 1,000 kg, arguing that stringent norms were hurting affordability and undermining the viability of entry-level models.

Several other passenger vehicle manufacturers, on the other hand, have pushed back, warning that such a move would unfairly benefit a few carmakers like Maruti which still have small cars like hatchbacks and compact sedans in their portfolio, while forcing others to invest heavily to comply with CAFE-III and CAFE-IV norms.

In a contrasting stance, the same group of manufacturers -- through Siam -- has collectively urged the government to exempt N1-category light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from the CAFE norms.

Siam has argued that LCVs, which face low electric vehicle (EV) adoption, weak sales, and limited affordability, deserve special regulatory treatment.

Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland are the leading players in the N1 LCV segment, which comprises goods carriers with a gross vehicle weight of less than 3.5 tonnes.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
'Byju's founders reserve all rights to bring actions against those parties that have caused damage to them personally and to their businesses.'

IMAGE: Byju's CEO Byju Raveendran's photograph on his company website, July 17, 2024. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

The founders of embattled education technology (edtech) company Byju's are preparing legal action to seek at least $2.5 billion in damages from investors and lenders, whom they blame for harming their business and personal standing.

The lawsuits being planned target parties the founders say contributed to the downfall of Think & Learn, Byju's parent company, during a prolonged dispute over control of the startup.

Some claims have already been filed in Indian courts against Glas Trust, a former subsidiary that now seeks control over parts of the business.

'Byju's founders reserve all rights to bring actions against those parties that have caused damage to them personally and to their businesses, including Think & Learn,' said J Michael McNutt, senior litigation advisor, Lazareff Le Bars Eurl.

'The claims to be issued by all or some of Byju's founders are expected to request monetary damages of not less than $2.5 billion,' McNutt said.

The legal offensive represents an escalation in the bitter fight that has engulfed one of India's most prominent startups.

Byju's, once valued at $22 billion, has faced mounting financial pressures and regulatory scrutiny as disputes with investors intensified.

This included a battle with US lenders who are demanding $1 billion in unpaid dues, triggering the firm's insolvency.

The worth of once most-valued Indian startup is zero now, founder Byju Raveendran told reporters recently as he called for rebuilding the erstwhile empire from the scratch, brick by brick.

Byju Raveendran and another founder Divya Gokulnath vigorously dispute all claims made against them by the resolution professional (RP) of Think & Learn in the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) procedure and by Glas Trust together with bankrupt former Delaware subsidiary of Think & Learn Alpha Inc.

In Indian courts, the founders are already contesting the commencement of the CIRP procedure of Think & Learn Private Limited, the standing of Glas Trust in those proceedings, the removal of the RP requested due to a conflict of interest, and other relevant complaints.

The founders said there is no court order in any jurisdiction, including in India and the US, ordering the payment by Byju Raveendran or Divya Gokulnath of any amount to Think & Learn, or any entity related to Think & Learn, including, but not limited to, Alpha Inc, which is now controlled by Glas Trust.

In a legal action in India, the founders said the same parties have abusively commenced the liquidation of several subsidiaries of Think & Learn.

Alpha Inc was placed into liquidation in February 2024 by the director appointed by Glas Trust after the lenders of a credit agreement took the shares of Alpha Inc in 2023.

Byju's founders have disputed those actions and the ability of Glas Trust to represent those lenders in proceedings in India and elsewhere.

Delaware court proceedings

Byju Raveendran said he is actively participating in a Delaware court procedure initiated in early April 2025 against him by the Glas Trust bankrupt subsidiary.

Raveendran disputes the jurisdiction of that court to determine the claims made against him.

He also vigorously denies all allegations made against him in those proceedings. He said that he is defending himself in those proceedings.

Raveendran is also aware of the order of civil contempt issued on July 7 this year in those Delaware proceedings, and has sought reconsideration of that order.

That civil contempt order concerns requests for information that are duplicative of matters already before Indian courts.

Raveendran and his counsel are addressing those matters before the Indian courts as well.

Raveendran said he and his counsel are evaluating how to address that civil contempt order and reserve all rights.

Gokulnath too is actively participating in that same Delaware court procedure initiated against her by the former subsidiary of Think & Learn and Glas Trust.

She disputes the jurisdiction of that court to determine the claims made against her. She also vigorously denies all allegations.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
Conservative investors seeking equity-like tax benefits with low risk may go for them.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff

Arbitrage funds received net inflows of approximately Rs 15,702 crore in May 2025, taking their assets under management (AUM) to Rs 233,963 crore.

This is far higher than their AUM of Rs 69,311 crore in May 2020 and attests to their growing popularity.

How they work

These hybrid funds generate returns by simultaneously buying equities and selling futures in the derivatives market.

"These funds try to capture the price differential between the two markets," says Harsha Upadhyaya, chief investment officer, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company.

Futures generally trade at a premium due to the cost of carry.

A part of the portfolio of these funds is parked in high-quality fixed-income instruments for accrual income.

Impact of volatility

In bullish markets, arbitrage spreads widen.

"The heightened demand for long futures positions leads to an increase in futures prices relative to spot prices," says Bhavesh Jain, co-head - factor investing, Edelweiss Mutual Fund.

"The widening spreads help arbitrage funds generate higher returns," Jain adds.

In bearish phases, participants reduce long exposure and even initiate short positions.

"The reduced demand for long futures causes arbitrage spreads to compress, which tends to lead to a decline in the returns of these funds," says Jain.

In volatile markets, while spreads may narrow, price movements create opportunities.

"Even with tighter spreads, the higher frequency of trades can help improve returns," says Jain.

Growing popularity

Past outperformance is a key factor.

"The category's strong 1-3-year performance compared to other short-term debt options has driven inflows in recent months," says Upadhyaya.

Falling yields of shorter-duration funds due to the Reserve Bank of India's rate cuts have also driven investors to these funds.

Arbitrage funds' pre-tax returns are comparable to those of liquid funds. But the post-tax difference in returns is significant, particularly for investors in higher tax brackets.

"Arbitrage funds are classified as equity-oriented and taxed at 20 per cent (short-term) and 12.5 per cent (long-term), compared to marginal income tax rates for debt funds," says Prashant Raghunath Pimple, chief investment officer - fixed income, Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

The popularity of these funds surged especially after debt funds lost the indexation benefit.

Their low-risk and tax-efficient nature has contributed to the popularity of these funds.

NAV may fluctuate

These funds are not completely risk-free.

"The portfolio value is subject to potential volatility due to daily movement of prices in the cash and futures markets," says Pimple.

This can lead to fluctuations in net asset values over the short term.

Returns, however, tend to stabilise over a monthly expiry cycle.

"The probability of arbitrage funds delivering negative returns for investment horizons of more than a month is quite low," says Pimple.

Who should invest?

Conservative investors seeking equity-like tax benefits with low risk may go for them.

"They suit investors with idle short-term money who want better post-tax returns than liquid or ultra-short duration debt funds," says Rajani Tandale, senior vice-president, mutual fund, 1 Finance.

Risk-averse investors in the higher tax brackets may opt for them.

"Systematic withdrawal plan users who want minimal volatility may also go for these funds," says Tandale.

She adds that these funds are not suitable for those who wish to park funds for less than one month.

Investors may use them to replace a part of their liquid fund allocation.

Tandale suggests having a horizon of a minimum of three months, and six months or more ideally, to offset exit load and account for possible spread fluctuations.

Exit loads of 0.25 to 0.5 per cent usually apply to redemptions within 30 to 90 days.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing on Thursday that if Russia does not agree to a cease-fire within 50 days, it and its partners will be subject to high tariffs and secondary sanctions.

"Well, in 50 days, as clearly laid out, if there is not a ceasefire agreement or a peace deal within that time frame, if Russia refuses to legitimately agree to a ceasefire, then they will face very steep tariffs, and they will also face secondary sanctions. So, countries that are purchasing oil from Russia will be sanctioned as well, and of course, that will do deep damage to Russia's economy," Leavitt said in response to a question from reporters.
India needs to be technologically and militarily prepared to defend itself from both Pakistan and China, alerts Ramesh Menon.

IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard at the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Photograph: ANI Photo

Operation Sindoor is not over. India has said that in as many words.

History has taught India's military and political wings the bitter truth: Confrontation will continue as long as the army calls the shots in Pakistan.

India has attempted peace moves numerous times over the last seven-and-a-half decades, but the army establishment has torpedoed them every single time.

Analysts monitoring the conflict between the two countries say there is no indication that it will end anytime soon.

Both nations have made it clear that they are not carried away by the ceasefire after the 87-hour, four-day war in May this year.

Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, India targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan.

Following casualties on both sides, a ceasefire was announced as fears of a nuclear conflict grew.

The attack was not random. It was planned.

Kashmir was finally seeing normalcy and hope after decades of turmoil.

This was not the narrative Pakistan wanted to see after decades of cross-border terrorism against India.

Tourist arrivals in Jammu and Kashmir reached 2.95 million in 2024, and officials estimated it would touch 3.2 million in 2025.

Elections were held.

New projects were being cleared.

A Vande Bharat train from Delhi to Srinagar was soon going to run. Hotels were doing brisk business.

Tour operators and guides were smiling after a long time as earnings climbed month after month.

Kashmiris were moving out to take up jobs in other parts of India. Students were doing the same.

It was like a breath of fresh air in the Kashmir Valley.

This was not good news for Pakistan. It had to be dismantled. The Pahalgam attack did just that. It was a chilling wake-up call reminder for India not to take peace for granted.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the Vande Bharat Express, connecting Katra and Srinagar, at Katra railway station, June 6, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

India was in an unenviable spot as it had an adversary on another front -- China, which openly assists Pakistan and has major economic interests in the country.

According to intelligence reports, Turkiye also assisted Pakistan during the conflict.

India may not be directly at war with China, but during Operation Sindoor, China was seen supplying cutting-edge military equipment, including fifth-generation fighters, satellite intelligence, and surveillance systems.

It was also an opportunity for China to test new weapons using another country as its theatre of war.

Both China and Pakistan are likely to be meticulously studying lessons from Operation Sindoor, particularly the effectiveness of India's multi-layered air defence systems and the inadequacies of Pakistan's air defences.

They are also reportedly working to find ways to neutralise India's BrahMos, a long-range supersonic cruise missile used for the first time in a war by India to target Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters at Muridke, and other terror training sites in Pakistan in May 2025.

The BrahMos can be launched from submarines, ships, and fighter aircraft.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently remarked that peacetime is an illusion. India must be prepared for uncertainty, he said, while outlining how the country is stepping up military production and refining financial mechanisms to stay ready.

Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, the deputy chief of the Indian Army, confirmed that Pakistan received active support from China and used Operation Sindoor as a platform to test its new weapons. Turkiye also supplied military hardware for the attack on India.

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir denied the claims, stating that only indigenously produced weapons were used and that China had no involvement.

But intelligence inputs in India suggest otherwise -- that China not only provided arms and technology but also helped identify specific Indian targets.

China has long been a strategic ally of Pakistan. Let us not forget how Pakistan gifted over 5,000 sq km of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, including the Shaksgam Valley, to China in 1962.

IMAGE: The Indian Navy's Carrier Battle Group was deployed in the northern Arabian Sea in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Photograph: ANI Photo

There are concrete reasons why peace between Pakistan and India is a chimera.

The ordinary citizen in Pakistan does not want war or conflict with India. Ask anyone who has visited Pakistan, and they will affirm this. They want peace, progress and freedom. They want to be a part of a growing economy and a nation with promise.

It is the politicians, egged on by the army, who fan hatred and fear about India. It is their only way to stay relevant. Without conflict, the Pakistan army loses its purpose and influence.

War mongering is a policy.

At election rallies, politicians across the spectrum stoke anti-India sentiment, reinforcing the two-nation theory and the logic of Partition as an existential truth.

When Imran Khan became prime minister in 2018, he advocated peace with India, calling it the only path to progress and prosperity.

But eventually, he yielded to pressure from the military, which had always sung a different tune. Today, from Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, he speaks a language that echoes Munir's when it comes to India.

Successive weak governments in Pakistan have failed to stand up to the army's arm-twisting and its grip over governance.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh feeds a ladoo to Indian Army personnel during his visit to the Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar, May 15, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Pakistan army has no reason to relinquish its power. It has deep monetary interests across sectors -- from the stock market, real estate, and telecom to fertilisers, retail, and even small businesses. It is the only army in the world that operates such a vast economic empire, with money running into millions of dollars.

It has a corporate-military complex to protect.

This phenomenon, known as Milbus or Military Business, was chronicled in Military Inc., a book by Ayesha Siddiqa, a Pakistani senior fellow at King's College, London.

Recently, US President Donald Trump, who has business interests in Pakistan, hosted a reception for Field Marshal Asim Munir. It was unusual, but not surprising.

The US sees a lucrative arms market in Pakistan, including the potential sale of fighter aircraft and munitions in the immediate future.

Let's also not forget that Munir was the ISI chief when the Pulwama attack occurred.

Jaish-e-Mohammad, based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on February 14, 2019, which killed 40 Indian security personnel.

Munir will use his extended tenure to project himself as the nation's protector and restore public confidence in the army.

He has revived military nationalism. After Operation Sindoor, no one is questioning or holding him accountable.

The fact that senior army officers attended funerals of terrorists killed in Indian strikes underlines that terror outfits will not be dismantled anytime soon. These groups are seen as vital in keeping India on edge.

IMAGE: Rescuers search for survivors in a building damaged in an Indian military strike in Muridke near Lahore, May 7, 2025. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

India retaliated after the Pahalgam attack by immediately junking the Indus Water Treaty, where water from three rivers was allowed to flow into Pakistan.

Indian politicians from the ruling party screamed their throats out, saying that not a drop of water will now go to Pakistan.

Someone needs to tell them that it was impossible, as that would take years of infrastructure building to divert the water and store it.

It is also bad politics as it will destroy whatever goodwill the common man has in Pakistan towards India.

Pakistan has harboured terrorists for years, believing it offers strategic depth in Kashmir and Afghanistan, and low-cost leverage against a militarily superior India.

India has done well to deepen ties with Gulf nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia -- traditional allies of Pakistan -- and has persistently raised Pakistan's terror links at the UN, G20, BRICS, and through bilateral diplomacy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has little credibility or authority.

Since Operation Sindoor, it is Munir who is travelling across the world to shore up Pakistan's image and support.

He was instrumental in securing a $7 billion loan from the IMF to revive Pakistan's failing economy.

In future conflicts, it will be air power that determines supremacy. Operation Sindoor demonstrated this.

It's not just aircraft, but also missiles, sensors, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and networked intelligence that shape modern warfare.

To counter India's superiority, Pakistan has acquired Chinese fighter jets and conducted joint training exercises.

India, in turn, must boost the strength of its air squadrons and induct next-generation fighters with beyond-visual-range capabilities.

IMAGE: Standing in solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack at Ghanta Ghar in Srinagar. Photograph: ANI Photo

India walks a fine line between strategic restraint and necessary retaliation. It has used diplomatic channels to unmask Pakistan's use of terror as policy.

It is a tragedy that a country as resource-rich and culturally vibrant as Pakistan has squandered seven-and-a-half decades chasing conflict, rather than build its economy, infrastructure, and democracy.

Ramesh Menon is an author, award-winning journalist, educator, documentary filmmaker and corporate trainer. He authored Modi Demystified: The Making of a Prime Minister.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
...the DMK chief minister's campaign -- which includes criticism of the BJP's 'pro-Hindutva, anti-Tamil, anti-federal' policies and building on his own government's social welfare programmes targeting especially women and youth -- appeals to Tamil Nadu's voters in next year's assembly election, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin offers prayers on the release of dam water for irrigation of crops in the delta districts in Salem. Photograph: @mkstalin X/ANI Photo

Now that the battlelines for next year's assembly elections have been drawn, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is single-handedly carrying the party's re-election bid on his shoulders, as during the previous outing in 2021.

The question is if his twin-engine campaign would bear fruits this time too.

There are two major elements to Stalin's campaign. One is criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Centre's 'pro-Hindutva, anti-Tamil, anti-federal' policies and programmes, not necessarily in that order.

The other is a positive campaign, building on his own government's social welfare programmes targeting especially women and youth, over and above the inherited schemes from six decades of alternating Dravidian dispensations.

There are multiple elements to the campaign programmes. One aims at enrolling fresh members to the party through a six-point list that is critical of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged partisanship to the state.

Another is for the chief minister to personally take his government's programmes, particularly for the youth, to individual villages and communities.

In the post-Covid 2021 campaign, it was a huge hit with the voters than even the more frequent visits of then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of the AIADMK.

If the reverse is true this time, even for argument's sake, the results would be known only in the weeks and months to come.

On the positive side, Stalin has the free bus scheme for all women, Rs 1,000 monthly cash-assistance programme for women and youth, the revival of free laptop scheme for college students, free breakfast scheme for elementary school children over and above the existing nutritious noon meal scheme.

By conservative estimates, the monthly government-spending on each beneficiary family may work out to Rs 5,000.

It is a substantial sum, especially in a state that is reeling under a massive debt that is only mounting. But it may not stop there, even by the DMK's standards.

Launching his solo campaign like Stalin, the AIADMK's EPS has promised to increase women's dole to Rs 1,500 per month.

This means, now or through his election manifesto, Stalin would have to promise even more.

Of course, there are other non-cash initiatives of the DMK government that aim to help build a 'better tomorrow' for the state's youth.

It may take at least a few years, if not more, for the benefits of those schemes, like MGR's noon meal scheme, to accrue to society -- and become accepted by academics and economists alike.

The question thus is if the ruling party could hope on the near-complete support of the substantial number of first and second-time voters, along with women, who had shifted allegiance from the AIADMK of the MGR-Jaya era.

IMAGE: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Pananiswami tweeted this picture saying, 'With this resolute goal, I embarked on my uprising journey today, the first day, and I was immersed in the overwhelming love of the people of Mettupalayam and Goundampalayam constituencies.' Photograph: Kind courtesy Edappadi K Palaniswami/X

It is here that the DMK hopes to garner all the 'pan-Tamil, Dravidian ideology' voters through Stalin's unsparing criticism of the Centre, Modi and the BJP's Hindutva agenda.

Their numbers are growing, yes, though not in geometric progression as the ruling party would like.

It is rare in Indian democratic history that the same issue has won or lost two successive elections.

For the BJP, Modi has been the single-most important issue, be it for the Lok Sabha elections or for multiple state assembly polls.

And he has won elsewhere but not even once in Tamil Nadu -- three parliamentary elections (2014, 2019 and 2024) and two assembly polls (2016 and 2021).

Hence, it makes political sense for the DMK and Stalin to keep targeting the BJP, especially after the rival AIADMK hurriedly revived its electoral alliance after deliberately parting ways for the Lok Sabha polls last year.

But without convincing the reversal in logical terms, EPS shook hands with visiting BJP chief strategist Amit A Shah in April to revive the alliance.

A decade-long agenda fixated against a single personality, even if he is the prime minister, may have outlived its shelf-value as an election issue, for and against.

This will be under test in Tamil Nadu next year. In the interim, what the state government and DMK have been able to add to their long list is further items of negativities on three specifics, 'pro-Hindutva, anti-Tamil and anti-federal', not necessarily in that order.

On the positively negative front, despite the chief minister's fairly acceptable image personally, anti-incumbency is a factor that the DMK has to work on.

There is no magic wand and party ministers, MLAs and other office-bearers down the line too have ensured as much.

The police and bureaucracy are also not seen as being helpful.

From Stalin's father M Karunanidhi's days as chief minister, law and order has been an Achilles' heel of the DMK whenever in power.

This is one department, unlike economic performance or social welfare, comparisons don't matter. Delivery-based perceptions do.

Like the rival AIADMK dispensation before it, Stalin's DMK too is yet to come to terms with the realities of the social media era, when lock-up deaths, campus rapes and the like get instant publicity, leaving traditional media with little choice but to compete with them.

Otherwise, too, increases in milk price, power-tariff and property tax, one following the other, has actually punctured a hole in the common man's pocket.

The BJP-ruled Centre should share at least a part of the blame, but the DMK propaganda machinery has been wholly ineffective in the department.

Against this, the BJP since the beginning of the Stalin regime, and the AIADMK over the past few months at least, have been at it, hammer and tongs.

At the organisational level too, the DMK is stymied by the continuing presence and local-level dominance of a worn-out old guard.

To ensure a smooth and incident-free transition, Stalin had accommodated them as ministers when he became CM for the first time in a 50 year-long political career, despite their known proclivity for speaking out-of-turn before the camera and arrogance from the past.

Owing to age, many of them are also ineffective as ministers in the new era. Overall, they and their children have blocked promotional avenues for stand-alone youth for organisational and elected positions like MPs, MLAs down to the panchayat level.

Of course, that excludes Stalin's son and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi, whom the party has readily accepted as heir apparent.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to address a public meeting after inaugurating the Pamban bridge at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district. Photograph: ANI Photo

Where Modi may fail the DMK as an election issue, the party seems hopeful of the 'unnatural alliance' between the BJP and the AIADMK to do the trick this time too.

EPS especially seems to have been handed down a difficult task and he is not finding the going smooth.

From the launch of his campaign, in the presence of state BJP president Nainar Nagendran, EPS began defending their alliance.

Subsequently, he also overdid his piece, as if identifying or even hijacking an aspect of the BJP's Hindutva agenda in the Dravidian state.

EPS charged the Stalin leadership with diverting funds from government-owned temples for opening arts and science colleges.

Government running temples, but not churches and mosques, has been a frequent talking point for RSS affiliates in the state, including the BJP.

But for a Dravidian party boss like EPS to stall the progress of the state's youth when rival Stalin was going all out in the matter has not gone down well with AIADMK cadres.

EPS' statement that the media misquoted him did not sell.

Even without it and despite criticism and social media memes by multiple pro-Hindutva (rather, anti-Periyar/anti-Karunanidhi) groups, the Stalin government recovering temple properties from squatters, conducting consecration, or kumbabishekam, in many of them, big and small, has not gone unnoticed.

Pious voters in the state, for whom religion has been a personal affair all along, feel a bad taste when such criticism is directed at Durga Stalin, the chief minister's wife, who has not hidden her religious beliefs and frequent temple visits.

If Stalin and son Udhayanidhi were not believers, so be it.

Hence, religion is not an election issue in Tamil Nadu, now as always, though traditional hardline Hindutva ideologues and practitioners in the state alone are incapable of acknowledging it as such.

Instead, their over-assertion is seen as they wanting to create communal trouble in an otherwise harmonious state, down to the village level, just as they had done elsewhere in the country.

This is what the AIADMK is concerned about.

The real issue between the AIADMK and its BJP ally this time would centre on power-sharing and chief ministerial candidate.

At his campaign rallies, EPS has been reasserting that it would be an AIADMK-only government with him as chief minister.

For the BJP, his assertion goes against the grain of Amit Shah's declaration on 'power-sharing', originally under EPS but later on under an AIADMK chief minister (name left out).

The BJP's Nainar also seemed to be acquiescing to it, when he told party cadres in Madurai how the 2029 Lok Sabha polls was theirs and why they should not cause impediments to the AIADMK ally.

However, in a subsequent interview, Shah revived his commitment to a 'coalition government' if the alliance won. This has ruffled alliance feathers in both camps.

Shah's assertions in the midst of EPS' energetic campaign tour has once again disheartened AIADMK cadres, who were the main cause for alliance-split last year.

This comes at a time when they were coming to terms with what they saw as an alliance forced by the 'BJP master' at the Centre but also agreed in principle that their fight was against a common rival -- and was not an ideological union.

The mutual distrust between the two allies now runs back down to the grassroots, and can worsen if the BJP forces EPS to allot them a high number of seats than the AIADMK might be willing otherwise -- and seats that the other may not want to part with, especially in the western region, where they have common strongholds.

IMAGE: Stalin attends the mass marriage of 576 couples conducted under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department at the Kapaleeswarar temple hall in Chennai, July 2, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

In campaigning for a single-party government, EPS has relied on the post-Independence electoral history of the state, claiming that Tamil Nadu had never ever voted a coalition government (and would not do so this time either).

This voter-psyche was also among the reasons why Karunanidhi could complete a full term beginning 2006, with only 96 MLAs in a House of 234.

As the leader of the UPA-II coalition, the Congress too extended 'outside' support for the ally from UPA-1.

In tactical terms, EPS' 'one-party government' call would have served the DMK's purpose, too. But here again, questions remain.

Taking their cue from the BJP in the rival camp, the DMK's long-term anti-Hindutva allies like the VCK, MDMK and the two Communist parties, even leaving out the Congress, now the leader of the national-level INDIA bloc, had hoped to press for more seats and a share in power.

Unless EPS is able to quell the BJP's voice in the matter, Stalin may have a tough task on hand, convincing his own allies to give up on their prospective demands for power-sharing and more seats than what the DMK thinks they are capable of winning.

Otherwise, the DMK's hopes of playing the 'stability card' against the internally feuding rival alliance could still produce electoral dividends, not otherwise.

IMAGE: Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam President Vijay takes part in a protest in Chennai, July 13, 2025 against lock-up deaths in Tamil Nadu. Photograph: @mkstalin X/ANI Photo

Then, there is the question -- whose votes actor-politician Vijay's TVK will cut into.

Competing speculation alternates between a division in the anti-incumbency votes of the AIADMK-led combine and the DMK alliance's anti-Hindutva votes, including 'minorities', youth and women -- the last two forming the core of Vijay's massive fan-following.

In the past, only MGR as a matinee idol could convert his fans as voters, but then, they were already in the DMK, of which he was the most charismatic vote-getter.

A clearer picture may emerge, if at all, only when Vijay launches his much-delayed maiden poll campaign in September.

For instance, in the past, the late actor Vijayakanth's DMDK, lacked the crucial delivery mechanism of established political parties to convert campaign crowds into votes, to be able to win seats on his own.

There are thus chances that Vijay, like Vijayakanth before him, could play spoilsport for the other two.

With both parties targeting young voters especially, the TVK may also cut into actor-politician Seeman's NTK 8.2 per cent vote-share in the Lok Sabha poll last year, up from 6.57 per cent in the assembly elections three years earlier.

What has gone unnoticed is the TVK's recent decision to enrol 20 million members.

If the voter shuffles his memory, he would recall how within days of launching the TVK's website last year, Vijay's aides claimed that they had already enrolled as many members -- and the website too crashed many times in between, owing to the high traffic.

For now, for EPS to become chief minister, Stalin has to lose.

Despite signing up for the revival of their past alliance, state leaders of the AIADMK and BJP gave the early impression that they would need more allies and their votes to win 2026.

This psyche has only returned to the AIADMK, especially after the TVK declared Vijay as its chief minister candidate.

It implied that the TVK would not accept EPS as chief minister.

It meant that there was no possibility of the TVK joining the existing Opposition alliance, or tempting the AIADMK to walk out still and form a third alliance sans the BJP.

The TVK's choice in the matter was limited as his fans-turned-cadres would feel cheated if he was not their chief minister candidate, the 'man who can change' and 'wants to change' the system.

They will find no justification to 'market' a new-face chief minister.

IMAGE: Stalin during a train ride from Chennai Central to Katpadi, June 25, 2025. Photograph: @mkstalin X/ANI Photo

Well aware of the inherent limitations, EPS has slowly but surely changed it all into a DMK versus AIADMK war, one between Stalin and self.

This has the potential to sell but other ingredients should fall in place. That does not seem to be happening just now.

There is also the mind games that Stalin and EPS are playing without possibly knowing it.

Through four years of increasing anti-incumbency issues, Stalin is still being seen as less cunning, power-hungry and authoritarian than Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, his predecessors from the two Dravidian majors.

Unknown to himself, EPS has been attacking this 'paavam', or 'decent man' image of Stalin, by claiming that the state has got the most inept, inefficient chief minister, who is incapable of running an effective government.

To begin somewhere, EPS will have to break this mould, an impression that Stalin is a do-gooder but has inherited a rotten system, be it the party or the government.

That includes EPS' own four-year term as chief minister, 2017-2021, post-Jayalalithaa's death.

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
It remains a mystery that when its scientists were accused of selling technologies which did not exist in ISRO, ISRO's leadership did not say to the public that they were searching in a dark room for a black cat which was not there, points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff

B G Verghese, the eminent journalist, characteriSed journalism as the first draft of history, but continued his ethical journalism till the end of his life.

But John Mundakkayam, a reputed journalist, having created many drafts of history in his reports and features, has moved to recording history, based on his experience, knowledge, and research.

After the resounding success of his first effort, Solar Visesham, the truth behind the solar scandal -- basically a domestic matter which had a deleterious effect on a popular chief minister -- Mundakkayam has written on an even more sensational spy scandal, which reverberated around the world.

In his dispassionate account of the scandal, we have the truth as testified by the judiciary, which acquitted most of the accused.

The book has established that the trigger was the sexual frustration of a police officer, who was rebuffed by some women from the Maldives who had overstayed their visa in Kerala.

What followed was total chaos created by politicians, police officers, investigating agencies, and ordinary people, who wanted to use the opportunity to settle scores with an array of innocent people and made them suffer physically and see their careers and family lives lie in ruins.

Like Lady Macbeth did, we should all lament that 'all the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten our little hands.'

The title of the book in Malayalam, Charam (ash) as against Charavrithy (spying) is a master stroke.

In one word, the author has proclaimed that what was considered a burning fire was nothing but sheer ash.

With the realisation that much of what had been reported turned out to be fiction, he thought it was his duty to proclaim that the spying story was just charam.

Much of the material in the book had been published at one time or another as the spy story unraveled itself, but in the book, the journalist turned historian has analysed the material anew and created a logical narrative, establishing that much of the story was the creation of the rich imagination of the newspapers and the investigating agencies.

He had known most of the dramatis personae one way or another and, therefore, he has no hesitation in proclaiming many of the accused as innocent.

In a way, the narrative is intended to atone for the injustice meted out to several innocent people, who suffered on account of exaggerated reports based on rumours.

It was not possible at that time to believe that the information given by the investigating agencies was false.

He believes that his book -- even after the passage of years -- has done some justice to the victims.

One fundamental question he raises is why the obvious fact that ISRO did not possess the kind of technology that was alleged to have been leaked -- and even if it had, it was not the kind of technology that could be parceled out of the laboratories -- was ignored.

It remains a mystery that when its scientists were accused of selling technologies which did not exist in ISRO, ISRO's leadership did not say to the public that they were searching in a dark room for a black cat which was not there.

One statement like that would have ended the whole affair and the Maldivian women, who were characterised as Mata Haris, would have been jailed or deported for overstaying their visas and trying to influence low-level policemen with their assets and attributes.

Mundakkayam cites an example of how some speculative reports -- such as the claim that a visit by then prime minister Narasimha Rao to Trivandrum at that time was somehow connected to the spy scandal and that the prime minister's son was somehow involved -- were not carried.

The author had found out through his own contacts that the story, which was carried in the media, was not true. There was even criticism that he was not giving full coverage to the story.

Even ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, he says, was critical of the reporting of some aspects of the story.

The book clarifies these issues adequately. The dilemma of journalists when faced with incredible, but sensational stories comes out clearly in the book.

Mundakkayam answers many questions relating to the scandal, but many others remain -- particularly why ISRO did not intervene in the early stages of the case.

He does not try to answer that question, but it could well be because of the fear of the leadership that any effort to intervene in the case might reflect on their own integrity if the story turned out to be true.

If they were made of sterner stuff, the personal tragedies suffered by innocent people could have been avoided.

Rocketry and nuclear science evoke personal and international rivalries and so no one was willing to take a risk.

Mundakkayam's Charam has been characterized as the 'last word' on the most sensational spy scandal that rocked Kerala and the scientific community in general.

Such a conclusion is perhaps too early to reach. After burning Joan of Arc at the stake, the executioner says in the epilogue of George Bernard Shaw's play, 'We have heard the last of her!' A wise man exclaims, 'The last of her? I wonder!'

In another era, Joan of Arc became a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint.

Who knows when a Maldivian or Russian ghost will appear with a dark secret many years later?

Ambassador T P Sreenivasan is a long-time contributor to Rediff.com.

You can read his earlier columns here.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
'The Pakistanis knew there was only one route up and they could take direct aim at us as we climbed up.'

'They knew they could kill us.'

IMAGE: Colonel R K Sharma in an operational area. Photographs: Kind courtesy Colonel R K Sharma

Colonel R K Sharma is a rare officer to have won three medals for gallantry -- the Kirti Chakra (the second highest medal for gallantry in peacetime), the Shaurya Chakra (the third highest medal for gallantry in peacetime) and the Sena Medal.

He wears the badges of bravery with humility and talks with simplicity.

Colonel Sharma was a newly commissioned officer in the 22nd battalion of the Grenadiers during the Kargil War fought between May and July 1999.

In the face of tremendous odds, he led his men to capture important peaks and finally drove the Pakistanis from the Batalik sector.

He did not lose a single man under his command. It is an accomplishment he is more proud of than the medals on his chest.

"It is all because of the blessings of the Almighty. I believe you will go only when your time comes," Colonel Sharma tells Rediff's Archana Masih , sharing memories of Kargil and how young soldiers fought inch by inch on perilous heights to bring victory for India.

Part 1 of a must-read interview:

26 years ago, the Kargil War was on at this time and you were fighting in the Batalik sector. Are you reminded of those days at this time every year?

Last year, I had travelled to all the features in Khalubar and Batalik where we had fought and was wondering how we climbed those heights to reach Point 5465?

[At 17,000 feet it was the highest point in the area.]

Those mountains are now well connected and have vehicular access, but at that time there was a single track.

If your foot slipped even a wee bit, you would fall 500 to 800 metres down the cliff.

I remember the steep climb and how difficult it was to breathe.

Salute to the Indian Army for doing what they did!

You had been sent from the plains of Hyderabad in the south to the peaks of Kashmir. What were the biggest difficulties faced by your troops when you got there?

This war had been shoved on to us by Pakistan.

For the last 40, 50 years there was an understanding that some of these heights were ours and some theirs.

In the winter the posts would be vacated by both troops, but that year the Pakistanis did not go back. They stayed put.

It was first thought that those were militants, then suspected as infiltrators, only as the war progressed did we get to know they were Pakistani regular forces.

We did not have enough troops in that area to push them back and therefore forces were called from different parts of the country.

The weather and terrain posed great difficulty. We operated in such high altitudes without acclimitisation.

Our deployment was in a very limited space while the Pakistanis occupied dominating heights.

Some of those heights had no access routes and we had to create pathways.

They had placed weapons on the frontline and had the advantage of height. They knew there was only one route up and they could take direct aim at us as we climbed up.

They knew they could kill us.

Everything was against the Indian forces, but we won.

IMAGE: Colonel Sharma and his men during the Kargil War.

How old were you at that time and what is it that you remember most vividly about the war?

I was 32 and had never been in that sector before.

I had just met Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey a day hours before he was killed in action. Twenty-four hours later I learned that he was no more. [Lieutenant Pandey was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.]

There was no mobile facility. Telephones were not available at those peaks. We could not talk to our loved ones.

The fauji is not afraid of dying on the battlefield, but of the thought of what his family must be going through seeing news of the battle on TV kills him several times over.

IMAGE: Colonel Sharma and his unit before the Batalik attack.

You must have forged lasting bonds with the soldiers you fought alongside. Do you still discuss the war when you meet?

Soldiers of my unit are very close.

When we meet, we invariably end up talking about our memories from the war.

Later, when I was posted to 28 Assam Rifles with another officer who had served with me in the war, we mostly spoke of our Kargil days even though we were in an operational area in the North East.

Indian armed forces paid a heavy price, but we know that for the security of our nation, we will give our life, our all.

We are willing to pay any cost.

Even our ladies in the fauj learn that it is better to be a widow of a hero than a wife of a coward.

Pakistn was entrenched on those peaks for six months. They had thought that the territory beyond Drass was in their control.

But we were able to drive them out.

It is called the Kargil War, but the battles were fought to the left and right of Kargil town -- in Drass, Mushkoh, Batalik...

The Indian armed forces fought pitched battles and won back that territory at a heavy price.

We achieved our objective.

Next Week: How India won Point 5465, the highest peak at 17,000 feet

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
'What is going on is the under counting of the migration population in urban areas. It has been going on in the last few censuses.'

Photograph: Niharika Kulkarni/Reuters

Now that the massive exercise of conducting Census 2027 has started, there has been a lot of debate and discussions on how it should collect the data and what the government should do with the data.

It was in 2011 that the last census took place, and a lot has changed in these 14 years.

Will the data reveal some unexpected and shocking results?

"We expect a lot more information from Census 2027 like housing, age group composition, religious composition, educational level, etc. This makes the exercise very complex with a certain degree of uncertain outcomes," P C Mohanan, former acting chairman, National Statistical Commission, tells Rediff's Shobha Warrier.

The first of a two-part interview:

After 14 years, a census is happening in India. What kind of data can we expect?

By the time we get the data in 2027, it will be 16 years since the last census happened! 16 years is very long for any country to have its population counted.

Except perhaps for countries like Afghanistan, which has not done a census for the last 40 years, all the other countries have census regularly.

In India, right from 1861, it was considered the sacrosanct duty of every government to have its population counted at regular intervals.

This time, people have been clamouring for a census for a long time. Initially, the pandemic was cited as a reason for the postponement of the census. Afterwards, there was no such reason to delay it.

So, the kind of findings Census 2027 will come out with, should have a lot of interesting features.

For example, many of the schemes started by the government were relying on Census 2011 data. Based on the same data, the government has been making projections which incidentally is quite different from what the UN has been projecting.

Our understanding of urbanisation is also constrained by the delay in the census.

In this background, the numbers that will come from this census will be of great interest. We do not know whether it will be more than what we expect or less than what we expect.

And the inter-state variations also will be quite high. So also the difference between regions.

That's why the outcome of the census is highly anticipated by everybody.

Then, many of the claims by the government -- whether it is employment growth or toilet coverage or drinking water availability -- are based on the numbers from the 2011 population or its projections. These claims will be verified once the data comes out.

So, we look forward to this census data with great interest.

You said the outcome of Census 2027 will be interesting...

All the projections we see today are based on assumptions. So, it is very difficult to say whether the outcome will be shocking or satisfactory or interesting.

One thing is sure, the numbers will answer a lot of questions, and it will also put to rest many of the recent data controversies, especially the government claims.

Whenever international agencies come out with indices like the hunger index or the high inequality in society or unemployment rate or lack of press freedom, the government brushes it aside saying it was aimed to tarnish the image of the country.

Do you think once the census figures come out, a lot of vagueness will disappear?

It may not disappear fully as many of these figures are not based on any official data. For example, the hunger index. It is based on some random survey which the international agencies entrust to some private bodies to do. So, they are not based on any official data.

But it is a fact that the very same government has been over-enthusiastic whenever any index shows us in good light!

And they become very critical the moment the indices are not flattering. Like there was big news when the ease of doing business index by the World Bank showed some improvement.

I am not very much interested in these global indices as they are not based on real data.

Our system should produce numbers so that we would know where we stand. For that, the census is the most vital element as it answers a lot of questions.

IMAGE: Home Minister Amit A Shah chairs a review meeting on Census 2027, June 15, 2025. Photograph: @AmitShah X/ANI Photo

In the last 14 years, Indian society has changed dramatically. What should the administration be concerned about while conducting the census?

Because of the changes in society, the census process and also the results will change dramatically.

If it was just a count of people during British times, with numbers based on religion and caste added to it, we have moved way beyond now.

We expect a lot more information from Census 2027 like housing, age group composition, religious composition, educational level, etc. This makes the exercise very complex with a certain degree of uncertain outcomes also.

Uncertain?

Yes. It was much easier to just count the number. But when you want to not just count the number but assess the living standards of people in terms of housing, sanitation facilities, education, jobs, etc, it becomes a complex exercise.

In fact, there is pressure to add more items.

The fact is you are depending on 3 million enumerators to find answers to all these questions. It means you have to ensure the quality and comparability of the data.

More than that is the issue of migration or migrants. There are a large number of migrants from Bihar, UP, Bengal and Odisha in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

It was not a big issue earlier. Now, for example, there are supposed to be around 30 lakh (3 million) migrants in a small state like Kerala the population of which is 3.5 crore (35 million).

Will they be called as the people of Kerala? In fact, they should be as they live and work in Kerala.

So, the number may not give the correct impression of the resident population or floating population.

IMAGE: Migrant workers being relocated from the Arnia sector in Jammu following Operation Sindoor. Photograph: ANI Photo

Is this not a problem in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore? If migration was to these big cities earlier, now migration is happening to the entire southern states...

Will we get a true picture?

It is possible to give the migration status and count the migrants. But what is going on is the under counting of the migration population in the urban areas. It has been going on in the last few censuses.

In places like Delhi, 60 out of 1,000 people are under-counted. For every 1,000 people you count, around 60 people are not counted.

That's because the migrants live in temporary accommodation or may be homeless, or they move around.

I feel this under-counting number may go further up this time.

So, the census has a lot of daunting issues given the size of the population.

It shows there are a lot of limitations and challenges in counting people correctly. So, we have to keep this in mind when we look at the numbers to make claims and counter claims.

To me, migration is going to be the most problematic and challenging aspect of the census.

Yes, there was a talk of a National Population Register initially.

IMAGE: Enumerator staff in Patna collect information during Bihar's caste-based census. Photograph: ANI Photo

Is it possible to have a National Population Register in a country like India?

It is simply not possible from the census.

It is impossible to prepare a population register in a country like India.

They say, they will update it. In 2011, I was counted in Delhi. Now, I live in Kerala. How are they going to update my details?

Fortunately, the government is not talking about NPR now.

I feel they would have given up the idea.

Even after the detailed work in Assam, it is found that it is impossible to prepare the NPR. Thousands of people were on the job but nothing has come out so far.

But then, now you have the new headache of the caste census.

IMAGE: P C Mohanan IMAGE: P C Mohanan

Many experts say that the caste census will not work nationally as the names of some castes fall under different categories in different states.

For example, a backward caste name in one state may not be backward at all in another state.

If this is the situation, how can you have a national caste census?

If you go back to British times, there was no national list at that time. Every province used to prepare a list of caste names for their province. And the reports used to be published by the states.

So, preparing a list of caste names nationally is extremely difficult.

Recently, Bihar and Telangana had caste census done and they prepared a list for their states.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
United States President Donald Trump has called Indian-origin lawmaker Zohran Kwame Mamdani a "100 per cent communist lunatic" after he won the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor.

IMAGE: Zohran Kwame Mamdani with his parents Mahmood Mamdani and Mira Nair and wife Rama Duwaji at a watch party in New York City, June 24, 2025, for the primary election. Photograph: David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters

Trump also criticised other progressive leaders who support Mamdani, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Senator Chuck Schumer, after former New York governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the election.

"It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous," the Republican said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens and the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, stunned in the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor, upsetting former governor Andrew Cuomo.

In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it's done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City, Mamdani said in a post on X after his win.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist running for Mayor, was born in Uganda and raised in New York City.

Mamdani has vowed that as Mayor, he will immediately freeze the rent for all stabilised tenants, and use every available resource to build the housing New Yorkers need and bring down the rent.

Promising fast, fare-free buses, his campaign said that as Mayor, he'll permanently eliminate the fare on every city bus  and make them faster by rapidly building priority lanes, expanding bus queue jump signals, and dedicated loading zones to keep double parkers out of the way.

Mamdani would also implement free childcare for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years, ensuring high-quality programming for all families.

With food prices out of control, his campaign also promised that as Mayor, he would create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low, not making a profit.

Mandani has a plan to bring down the cost-of-living through city-owned grocery stores, universal childcare, and other bold proposals, and he knows exactly how to pay for it, too, the campaign said.

His revenue plan will raise the corporate tax rate to match New Jersey's 11.5 per cent, bringing in USD 5 billion. And he will tax the wealthiest 1 per cent of New Yorkers  those earning above USD 1 million annually  a flat 2 per cent tax (right now city income tax rates are essentially the same whether you make USD 50,000 or USD 50 million), it said adding that he will also implement common-sense procurement reform, end senseless no-bid contracts, hire more tax auditors, and crack down on fine collection from corrupt landlords to raise an additional USD 1 billion.

New York is too expensive. Zohran will lower costs and make life easier, his platform said.

With inputs from PTI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) distanced itself from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Friday, saying it is not part of the opposition alliance anymore and questioning the Congress party's role in leading it.

IMAGE: INDIA bloc leaders during their meet in Bengaluru on July 18, 2023. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

The remarks made by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh came ahead of an online meeting of the leaders of the INDIA bloc parties scheduled to be held on Saturday evening to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will attend the meeting, the party has said.

According to a source, the Mamata Banerjee-led party, which is busy preparing for its July 21 Martyrs' Day rally, will skip an all-party meeting on Sunday, ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

The meeting comes right before the Monsoon session of Parliament, which starts on Monday.

It will be held after a long gap since the constituents of the INDIA bloc last deliberated on the country's political situation jointly.

"The AAP has cleared its stand. The INDIA bloc was for the (2024) Lok Sabha polls. We fought the Delhi and Haryana Assembly polls on our own. We are going to fight the Bihar election solo. We fought the bypolls in Punjab and Gujarat all by ourselves. The AAP is not part of the INDIA. We will strongly raise issues in the Lok Sabha. We have always played the role of a strong opposition," Singh told PTI Videos.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi and Haryana in an alliance with the Congress.

Slamming the Congress, Singh questioned its role in leading the opposition bloc.

"It is not child's play. Did they hold any meeting after the Lok Sabha polls? Was there any initiative to expand the INDIA bloc? Sometimes they criticise Akhilesh Yadav, sometimes Uddhav Thackeray and sometimes Mamata Banerjee. The INDIA should have been united. The Congress is the biggest party of the bloc. But did it play a role (in ensuring opposition unity)?" he asked.

On the AAP's role in opposing the government, Singh said the party has always been strongly opposing the ruling dispensation.

"We will do it with full strength. The INDIA can do whatever it wants," he added.

After winning the Visavadar Assembly bypoll in Gujarat, Kejriwal had alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had sent the Congress to defeat his party by cutting its votes.

"When the Congress failed, the BJP even reprimanded it. The INDIA bloc was only for the Lok Sabha polls. Now, there is no alliance from our side," Kejriwal said earlier this month.

The TMC, meanwhile, was initially to skip the INDIA bloc meeting that was to be hosted in Delhi, now that it is going to be held online, Abhishek Banerjee will join it, the party said in a short statement on Friday.

July 21 is observed by the TMC as Martyrs' Day, in memory of 13 Congress supporters who were shot dead by the Kolkata Police in 1993 during a march to the state secretariat -- the Writers' Building -- when the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front was in power in West Bengal.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the state Youth Congress chief at that time and she continued to mark the day by holding a rally every year even after forming the TMC on January 1, 1998.

The online meeting of the leaders of the INDIA bloc will be held on Saturday evening to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.

The meeting comes right before the Monsoon session of Parliament, which starts on Monday.

It will be held after a long gap since the constituents of the opposition bloc last deliberated on the country's political situation jointly.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday that all political parties are on board on the issue of the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose residence burnt wads of currency notes were found.

IMAGE: Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

"I have spoken to all the senior leaders of different political parties. I will also get in touch with some of the single-MP parties because I do not want to leave out any member. So it becomes a unified stand of the Parliament of India," Rijiju said in an exclusive video interview with PTI.

The minister asserted that it is not the government but members of Parliament cutting across party lines, including from the Congress, who are in favour of moving a motion to remove Justice Varma.

"Corruption in the judiciary is an extremely sensitive and serious matter, because the judiciary is where people get justice. If there is corruption in the judiciary, it is a serious concern for everybody. That is why the motion for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma is to be signed by all the political parties," he said.

Rijiju said he is happy that the principal opposition party, Congress, has understood the severity of the matter and agreed to be on board on the issue.

"I am happy that they understood the things as they should be because no party can be seen to be standing with a corrupt judge or protecting a corrupt judge," he said.

"When it comes to corruption in the judiciary, we have to stand together. There cannot be any partisan attitude and it should not be made a political issue," Rijiju said.

The Congress has said all its MPs will support the motion against Justice Varma.

Rijiju said a motion for the removal of a judge has to be signed by not less than 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha.

The petition has to be submitted to the chair, who will inform the House, constitute an inquiry in accordance with the Judges Inquiry Act and get a report in three months.

"So the three-month-period requirement will have to be fulfilled. And after that the inquiry report will be tabled in Parliament and a discussion held in both Houses," Rijiju said.

A fire incident at Justice Varma's Lutyens' Delhi residence in March, when he was a judge of the Delhi high court, had led to the discovery of sacks of half-burnt cash in the outhouse.

Justice Varma was subsequently repatriated to the Allahabad High Court but no judicial work was assigned to him. An in-house probe ordered by then chief justice of India Sanjeev Khanna has indicted him.

Though Justice Varma has denied any wrongdoing, the inquiry panel has concluded that the judge and his family members had covert or active control over the storeroom, where the cash was found, proving his misconduct serious enough to seek his removal.

On former law minister Kapil Sibal's remarks drawing a parallel between Justice Varma and Justice Shekhar Yadav of the Allahabad high court over the latter's 'controversial' statement, Rijiju said Parliament cannot be guided by 'one lawyer-MP's personal agenda'.

Noting that Sibal is a senior person, the minister alleged that he is only driven by his 'personal agenda'.

"We will not be driven by one lawyer-MP's agenda. We are not here to set an agenda or drive an agenda. We are working purely in the interest of the country," he said.

Rijiju said Sibal does not realise that many MPs have gone far beyond him in terms of understanding, intellectual capability and the knowledge of law.

"He is a very average lawyer.... He cannot guide the Parliament of India. The Parliament of India will be guided by all the members of Parliament," he said.
In an oblique reference to Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorist activities, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday emphasised the need to counter terrorism in all its forms for regional peace and stability during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

IMAGE: NSA Ajit Doval with Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, in Beijing on Monday. Photograph: XP Division, MEA via ANI

Doval's call for countering terrorism comes nearly a month-and-a-half after India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistani territories early on May 7 in response to the horrific Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians.

NSA Doval is visiting China to attend a conclave of top national security officials of the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an influential regional grouping focused on security related issues.

Doval and Wang also deliberated on various aspects of India-China relations amid efforts by the two sides to rebuild the ties that came under severe strain following the eastern Ladakh border standoff.

Both sides reviewed recent developments in India-China relations and underscored the need to promote the overall development of the ties, including by fostering greater people to people engagement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

'The NSA also emphasised the need to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations to maintain overall peace and stability in the region,' it said.

The remarks are also seen as an indirect message to China to put pressure on its all-weather ally Pakistan to take action against terror outfits operating from its soil.

Wang noted that China-India relations have made some positive progress and it is essential that both sides further enhance communication, build mutual trust, and work toward resolving practical issues, according to Chinese envoy to India Xu Feihong.

'Only when the dragon and elephant dance together can there be a win-win outcome. China and India should properly handle sensitive issues and maintain peace and tranquillity in the border regions,' Xu said in a social media post.

'Doval said that India is willing to strengthen collaboration with China in multilateral fields and fully supports China's role as the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in hosting a successful summit,' the envoy said.

'As two major Asian nations, India and China can make even greater contributions to the international community,' he added.

The MEA said Doval and Wang also exchanged views on other bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

'The NSA noted that he looked forward to meeting with Wang Yi in India at a mutually convenient date for the 24th round of the Special Representative (SR) talks,' it said.

China is hosting the SCO conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020 and a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June that year resulted in a severe downturn in ties between the two neighbours.

The face-off effectively ended following completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year.

In December, NSA Doval visited Beijing and held talks with Wang under the framework of Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary dispute.

The decision to revive the SR mechanism and other such dialogue formats was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23.

The Modi-Xi meeting came two days after India and China firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok.
An elderly man was found bound with a piece of cloth inside a locked car, seemingly abandoned by his family on Thursday at the Western Gate parking of the Taj Mahal, police said.

Image used only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo

The man, identified as Hariom Tandale, father of Mumbai resident Siddheshwar Tandale, was found by a parking lot guard. His condition inside the hot, locked vehicle appeared critical, the police said.

Concerned onlookers broke the car window to rescue the distressed man.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sonam Kumar said, "Siddheshwar Tandale, a resident of Mumbai, had come to visit the Taj Mahal with his family. His elderly father, Hariom Tandale, was taken out of the car after breaking the window."

The family had perhaps left Hariom Tandale behind while they went for sightseeing, the police said.

An ambulance was summoned, but 'after being removed from the car, the elderly man's condition improved', Kumar added.

"Currently, Siddheshwar Tandale has left with his elderly father," the DCP said.

The police said that no complaint has been lodged regarding the matter.
The European Union has approved one of the strongest packages of sanctions against Russia to date, European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Friday.

Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding, Kallas wrote on the social network X.

According to the approved sanctions package, she stressed, the Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower price cap for oil is also set.

We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones. For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India, Kallas added.

Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow, she concluded.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the approval of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia.

We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine. Targeting its banking, energy and military-industrial sectors and including a new dynamic oil price cap. The pressure is on. It will stay on until Putin ends this war. Thank you, Danish EU Presidency, for this first success, she wrote on X.
Glimpses from around the world that will make you smile and cry.

Childhood Shattered

Caution: Graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised..

IMAGE: A Palestinian child receives treatment at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after being injured in an Israeli strike. Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters

Grief Beyond Words / Future Lost

IMAGE: Palestinian father Hatem Al-Nouri, who lost two of his children, Omar and Amir, in the July 10 Israeli strike while they were queuing for supplements near a medical centre, with his surviving son Siraj, who was wounded in the same strike, at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Photograph: Ramadan Abed/Reuters

Honoring the Fallen

IMAGE: Archbishop Alexios with the bodies of Palestinian Christians Saad Salama and Foumia Ayyad, who were killed in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church as mourners attend their funeral at the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City. Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters

IMAGE: Mourners at Palestinian Christians Saad Salama and Foumia Ayyad's funeral. Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters

The Mall of Death

IMAGE: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the shopping centre in Al-Kut, Wasit province, where a massive overnight fire killed multiple people. Photograph: Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Handout via Reuters

IMAGE: A woman mourns outside a hospital following the fire at the shopping centre in Al-Kut. Photograph: Ahmed Saad/Reuters

IMAGE: Mourners at the funeral of victims who died in the fire at the shopping centre in al-Kut. Photograph: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters

Light Before Strike

IMAGE: Flares fired by Israel Defense Forces light the sky above Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Left Behind

IMAGE: A migrant stands in the water from the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines, near Calais, France, as she waves towards migrants in an inflatable dinghy after they left her behind in an attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Caught Crossing Lines

IMAGE: A migrant is detained by federal immigration officers at a US immigration court in Manhattan. Photograph: David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters

Umbrellas of Resistance

IMAGE: Demonstrators enter a metro station in Washington, DC with their umbrellas during a 'Good Trouble Umbrella Protest' against US President Donald John Trump. Photograph: Umit Bektas/Reuters

IMAGE: A counterprotester wearing a Make America Great Again hat holds a handfan during a 'Good Trouble Lives On' protest against Trump in New York City. Photograph: Adam Gray/Reuters

Kneeling for Justice

IMAGE: Protesters participate in a performance art installation meant to symbolise the detention of people sent to El Salvador's terrorism confinement centre prison outside the Edward R Roybal federal building in Los Angeles. Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters

Hyuk Records Freedom

IMAGE: Hyuk, a member of K-pop boy band 1VERSE who defected from North Korea, records vocals for a new track at a studio in Seoul, South Korea. Photograph: Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters

Yoga in Nature

IMAGE: A woman attends a yoga session with baby goats in a park in Moscow. Photograph: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday sought to make light of his meeting with Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray head and political rival Uddhav Thackeray a day ago and noted his government was stable with support from deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray presents the book 'Why Do You Want Hindi?' compiled by various editors across the state against the compulsory implementation of Hindi, to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday. Photograph: @ShivSenaUBT_X/ANI Photo

Asked out his 'offer' to Thackeray, a former Bharatiya Janata Party ally, to come over to treasury benches side, Fadnavis, talking to reporters after the end of the monsoon session of the state legislature, expressed dismay over light hearted communication making media headlines.

"We are stable," the CM asserted while pointing to his deputies Shinde and Pawar, both sitting next to him at the press conference.

Shinde heads the Shiv Sena, while Pawar is president of the Nationalist Congress Party, and both parties are constituents of the BJP-led ruling coalition Mahayuti.

Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday met Fadnavis, the move coming a day after the latter's "come here" offer to his former ally set off political speculation in the state.

The Shiv Sena-UBT president met Fadnavis in the chamber of legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde. During the meeting, which lasted for about half an hour, the former CM's son and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray was also present.

Queried by reporters on the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Aaditya Thackeray said the meeting was to discuss Marathi language-related issues.

On Wednesday, speaking at the farewell function of leader of opposition in the council Ambadas Danve, the CM, in a tongue-in-cheek remark, told Uddhav Thackeray that the BJP was not likely to join him in the opposition, but he can come over to the ruling side.

"Uddhav ji, there is no scope (for a change in government) till 2029 (when next assembly polls are due). We do not have the scope to come to the other (opposition's) side. You have the scope to come here, and it can be thought about. We can think about it differently," Fadnavis had said.

The undivided Shiv Sena parted ways with the long-time ally BJP after the 2019 assembly elections over a dispute on sharing the CM's post.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday warned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that if Hindi was made compulsory for Classes 1 to 5 in the state, 'we will not hesitate to shut down schools'.

IMAGE: MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Photograph: @ShivSenaUBT_X/ANI Photo

Speaking at a rally at Mira Bhayandar in the district, he asked the people of Maharashtra to stay alert and foil any plan of the government to impose Hindi.

Earlier, workers of the MNS had roughed up a local shop-keeper after he allegedly refused to speak in Marathi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government recently withdrew two orders making Hindi mandatory in primary schools following strong opposition.

Fadnavis, however, asserted on Thursday that the government will certainly introduce the three-language formula, but whether Hindi should be taught from Class 1 or Class 5 will be decided by the committee appointed to study the issue.

Raj Thackeray, in his speech, dared Fadnavis to impose Hindi.

"When they tried it once, we had shut down shops, and now we will not hesitate to shut down schools if Hindi is imposed (from Class 1 to 5)," he said.

It was unfortunate that the chief minister of Maharashtra was striving to make Hindi compulsory, the MNS chief said.

By imposing Hindi, the government was testing the people's response as it eventually wanted to attach Mumbai to Gujarat, Thackeray alleged.

Hindi was just '200 years old' while Marathi has a history of 2,500-3,000 years, he said.

When migrants from Bihar were beaten up and driven away in Gujarat, it did not become an issue, but a minor incident in Maharashtra becomes a national issue, Raj Thackeray alleged.

He also came down heavily on BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over his reported "patak patak ke marenge" remark, daring him to come to Mumbai.

"Dube-dube ke marenge," Thackeray said.

He also referred to Morarji Desai and Vallabhbhai Patel's alleged anti-Marathi stand after independence.

Maharashtrians should insist on speaking in Marathi everywhere in the state and make others speak the language, he said.

Under the garb of Hindutva, there is an attempt to impose Hindi, he said.

Raj, however, also stated that he can speak Hindi better than any other politician in Maharashtra as his father was fluent in Hindi, and he was not against any language per se but opposed its imposition.
India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear-capable short range ballistic missiles Prithvi-II and Agni-I from an integrated test range off the Odisha coast, demonstrating its strategic deterrence capability.

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo

The test-firing of the missiles, conducted by the elite Strategic Forces Command, validated all operational and technical parameters, according to the defence ministry.

On Wednesday, India successfully test-fired indigenously developed Akash Prime missile in Ladakh that has been customised to operate at an altitude above 4,500 metres.

The test-firing of the missiles came over two months after the May 7-10 military conflict between India and Pakistan.

The Prithvi-II missile has a range of around 350 kms and it is capable of carrying a payload of up to 500 kgs. It can carry both conventional as well as nuclear warheads.

The Agni-I missile has a range of 700-900 kms and it can carry a payload of 1,000 kgs.

Both Prithvi-II and Agni-I missiles have been an integral part of India's nuclear deterrence.

"Short-range ballistic missiles -- Prithvi-II and Agni-I -- were successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha on July 17," the ministry said in a brief statement.

It said the launches "validated all operational and technical parameters. "These tests were conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," the ministry said.

On test-firing of Akash missile, the ministry said it carries added significance as it follows the "exceptional performance" of India's indigenously developed air defence systems during Operation Sindoor.

Akash Prime is an upgraded variant of the Akash weapon system built for the Indian Army.

The test-firing of the missile in Ladakh assumed significance as it is close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"India on July 16 achieved a significant milestone by successfully destroying two aerial high speed unmanned targets at high-altitude in Ladakh by Akash Prime, the upgraded variant of Akash weapon system for the Indian Army," the ministry said in a separate statement.

It said the weapon system is customised to operate in altitude above 4,500 metres and has latest upgrades including indigenously developed radio frequency seeker.

"Based on the operational feedbacks from users, various upgrades are made to improve the operational effectiveness, demonstrating the advantage of the ecosystem created for the indigenous weapon system," the defence ministry said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the Indian Army, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the industry on this "remarkable achievement", it said.
A video has surfaced on social media sites allegedly showing Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi trekking through a Meghalaya forest with his wife Sonam.

IMAGE: A video shot by a tourist "accidentally" captured Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi trekking in Meghalaya on May 23. Photograph: Courtesy @m_devsingh/Instagram

Sonam is accused of getting her husband killed during their honeymoon with the help of her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and three others, in a case which has sent shockwaves across the country.

The video posted by a tourist named Dev Singh shows the couple trekking up a steep mountain path in Meghalayas lush landscape.

Singh claimed that the video was recorded 'accidently' around 9:45 am on May 23 when the couple was trekking up a steep mountain path in Meghalaya while he was descending the same trail.

The video shows Sonam, wearing black trousers with a white full-sleeved shirt similar to the one recovered from the crime scene, was seen walking a few steps ahead of Raja.

"Yesterday, I was checking videos and I found a recording of the Indore couple. It was around 9:45 am when we were going down, and the couple was going up. I think this was the last recording of the couple, and Sonam was wearing the same white t-shirt, which was found near Raja. I hope this will also help Meghalaya police in connecting the dots," Singh wrote on Instagram with the video.

He added, "Every time I watched Raja in the video, I felt very bad about him. He was looking normal but unaware of what would be waiting for him."

Police confirmed the authenticity of the video to PTI.

As per the case details, Sonam (25) and Raja (29) got married in Indore on May 11 and reached Meghalaya via Guwahati in Assam on May 21 for their honeymoon. Both of them went "missing" on May 23 in Sohra in East Khasi Hills district, hours after checking out of a homestay at Nongriat village.

Raja's decomposed body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2.

A search continued for Sonam, who emerged in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, around 1,200 km away, in the early hours of June 9 and surrendered as police arrested his boyfriend and the three hitmen.

The hitmen, who were Raj's friends, had attacked Raja on the head with a machete in front of Sonam at the parking lot of the Weisawdong Falls. They then pushed the body into the gorge, according to the police.

According to police, Sonam fled from Meghalaya following the murder, taking taxis, buses, and a train to reach Indore via Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and UP.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said efforts are being made to defame kanwar pilgrims who are subjected to a media trial and termed terrorists and rioters.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Photograph: @myogiadityanath/X

This, he asserted, stems from a mentality that wants to insult India's heritage.

Speaking in support of Shiva devotees at a seminar on tribal icon Birsa Munda, he said those who seek to defame the kanwar 'yatris' are the same people who tried to separate the tribal community from India.

"They conspired at every level to make them fight against India. This is the same community that always insults the faith of India and these are the same people who today want to create a situation of caste conflict by creating fake accounts on social media platforms," Adityanath said.

The chief minister said everyone from society, from the working classes to the upper classes, is associated with the yatra.

"There is a wonderful confluence of unity. No discrimination. There is no distinction of caste, no distinction of region, no distinction of class, no difference of opinion, no difference of sect; they go chanting 'Har Har Bam Bam.' They walk 300-400 kilometres, then take water from there, put the kanwar on their shoulders and walk back in the same way with the same devotion," Adityanath said.

Sounding a word of caution, he said, "But, there is a media trial, they are defamed. A lot is written about them, they have the audacity to even call them (Kanwar pilgrims) rioters and terrorists. This is the mentality to insult the heritage of India in every way."

Adityanath also said that fake social media accounts were being run to spark caste tensions and alleged that those 'always insulting the faith of India' were behind it.

"These are the same people who tried to separate the tribal community from India and worked to provoke them, conspiring at every level to make them fight against India. They are ones that always insult the faith of India, and they are the same people who today want to create caste conflict by creating fake accounts on social media platforms," he said.

Recalling a specific incident, Adityanath said, "A few years ago there was a case of arson. I had said then that such an act didn't seem to be that of a particular community," he said, recalling that after ordering cops to immediately control the situation, he directed that the 'footage of the arson be examined.'

He said subsequent investigations established that a person involved in the arson was wearing a saffron scarf but shouting 'Ya Allah'.

"If we are to safeguard national unity, then such deceptive individuals must be exposed and excluded from the society," he said.

He also said, "Muharram was organized a month before Saavan. We made a rule and fixed a height for the Tazia because otherwise it would need either branches of trees to be cut or someone's balcony to be removed or high-tension wires to be shifted."

"Now for any event, if we were to remove high-tension wires, it would mean disrupting the power supply for a large section of the village or the city. This would be an injustice to those paying electricity bills," he said.

He then cited an incident from Jaunpur, where a towering Tazia constructed in violation of safety norms came into contact with a high-tension wire, claiming three lives.

"Following this, an attempt was made to block roads and create unrest. I instructed the police to take strict action. Those disrupting social harmony must understand that peace and order are paramount," Adityanath said, adding there weren't any protests on social media either.

"In UP we also made arrangements to stop protesting with weapons during Muharram, as previously these processions would lead to riots, arson, and vandalism. Sisters and daughters could not come out on the streets," he said.
Congress MLA Nana Patole on Thursday demanded that the Maharashtra government make a formal statement in the assembly on an alleged "honeytrap" racket targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik and Mantralaya (secretariat) in Mumbai.

IMAGE: Congress MLA Nana Patole. Photograph: ANI Photo

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde replied that the government has taken serious note of the allegations in this regard and strict action will be taken against the culprits after a probe.

Speaking in the assembly, Patole claimed he had all the "proof" related to the allegations in a pen drive which is in his possession, and asserted that despite the issue being in public domain for some time, the government hasn't made any statement so far.

Thane, Nashik and Mantralaya (state secretariat) have become centres of honeytrap, but the government hasn't taken a note of it, he alleged.

Speaker Rahul Narwekar asked the government to make a statement on the issue before the end of the monsoon session on Friday (July 18).

To this, Eknath Shinde said the government has taken serious note of the allegations and strict action will be taken after a probe.

Meanwhile, minister of state for home (urban) Yogesh Kadam, talking to reporters in Vidhan Bhavan premises, said politicians claiming to possess evidence of blackmail should submit it to the state government instead of demanding clarifications in the legislature.

His remarks came after Patole raised the honeytrap issue in the assembly and asked the government to make a statement in the house.

Speaking to reporters in the legislature complex later, Patole said, "The government must clarify the status of an alleged honeytrap case and present a report before the house."

Asked about a pen drive he displayed in the assembly, the opposition MLA claimed it contained video clips of some politicians and senior officials.

"These clips were reportedly used to blackmail them," the Congress leader maintained.

When questioned how he accessed such material, Patole responded, "It is not necessary that only the government receives such information. Even we can obtain it. Many people in the state are aware of it."

Reacting to these remarks, Kadam said, "If any politician has such information, it should be submitted to the government. Merely making claims and seeking statements (from government) does not help."

Kadam further stated the Opposition has failed to level a single concrete allegation against the Mahayuti government.

"That is why such claims are made to tarnish the government's image," the minister added.

On Tuesday, Kadam said a case of a government official being `honey trapped' was registered in Thane district recently, but it was later withdrawn through mutual agreement.

He was responding to a question about a news channel report that a number of government officials and some political leaders were caught in so-called honeytrap cases.

The police are investigating an email which reportedly contains information related to such cases, Kadam had said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told President Donald Trump that India and Pakistan halted their military actions last month following direct talks between their militaries without any mediation by the United States, calling out the American leader's narrative that he brokered the ceasefire.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

In a nearly 35-minute phone call with Trump on Tuesday, Modi firmly stated that India does not and will 'never accept' mediation and that the discussions between Indian and Pakistani militaries on cessation of military actions were initiated at Islamabad's request, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

Modi also said that India no longer views 'terrorism as a proxy war, but as a war itself', and that India's Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, the foreign secretary said.

The cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was first announced by President Trump on May 10. Since then, the US president has been claiming that he brokered the ceasefire deal by threatening to stop trade with both countries if they do not agree to stop the conflict.

The prime minister declined a request by the US president to stop over in the US on his way back from Canada, citing 'prior commitments'.

The May 7-10 military clashes between India and Pakistan figured prominently during the phone conversation that took place as the two leaders could not meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit following the American president's early departure.

"Prime Minister Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan," Misri said.

"The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan's request," he said, sharing key points of the Modi-Trump meeting.

The foreign secretary said Modi 'firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation' and that there is complete political consensus in India on this matter.

Modi told President Trump in clear terms that after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India had conveyed its determination to take action against terrorism to the whole world.

Modi told Trump that India had only targeted the terrorist camps and hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, adding India's actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory, according to Misri.

"India had also made it clear that any act of aggression from Pakistan would be met with a stronger response," the foreign secretary said.

"On the night of May 9, Vice President (JD) Vance had made a phone call to Prime Minister Modi. Vice President Vance had conveyed that Pakistan may launch a major attack on India," Misri said.

Prime Minister Modi had conveyed to him in clear terms that if such an action were to occur, India would respond with an even stronger response, he said.

"On the night of May 9-10, India gave a strong and decisive response to Pakistan's attack, inflicting significant damage on the Pakistani military," he said on the phone conversation.

"Their military airbases were rendered inoperable. Due to India's firm action, Pakistan was compelled to request a cessation of military operations," he said.

Misri said President Trump enquired if PM Modi could stop over in the US on his way back from Canada.

"Due to prior commitments, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to meet in the near future," he said.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

"Both leaders agreed that for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, direct dialogue between the two parties is essential, and continued efforts should be made to facilitate this," Misri said.

"With regard to the Indo-Pacific region, both leaders shared their perspectives and expressed their support towards the significant role of Quad in the region," he added.

"Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to President Trump to visit India for the next Quad Summit. President Trump accepted the invitation and said that he is looking forward to visiting India," Misri said.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

New Delhi has been maintaining that India's fierce counter-attack that day forced Pakistan to plead for ending the hostilities.
'All the government and private offices are functioning.'

'Overall, life is continuing normally.'

'People of Iran are showing spirit and resilience in the face of adversity.'

IMAGE: Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke rise from an Israeli attack on the Sharan Oil depot in Tehran, June 15, 2025. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters

United States President Donald Trump issued a warning to Tehran's residents at 2 am local time on Tuesday morning to evacuate the city and evade another brutal Israeli attack, but that grim warning has not deterred folks in Tehran who refuse to leave the Iranian capital.

"No one is evacuating Tehran. All the government and private offices are functioning. The situation in Tehran is normal," businessman Seyed Mahdi Kamali tells Rediff speaking from Tehran.

Schools, shopping malls and offices are functioning normally in the city, Kamali adds, hoping that Iran's air defence will intercept the Israeli missile barrage.

Kamali, speaking on WhatsApp, claims there is no shortage of food and water in Tehran.

Israel has declared that the Jewish State now controls the skies over Tehran. "Israeli war planes have never come to Tehran's skies because Iran's air defence will target them," claims Kamali, adding, "Iran has shot down Israeli F-35 and F-16 fighter aircraft."

Israel has stated that it has not lost any fighter jet in combat.

The war, which began when Israel targeted Iran's nuclear facilities on Friday, June 13, 2025, morning, then assassinated senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists,, stretched to the fifth day on Tuesday with 224 people dead in Iran and 24 in Israel.

Israel has claimed that it has destroyed Iran's missile launchers, thus diminishing the threat of Iranian missiles being fired at Israeli cities.

"If Israel's claim is true, why do we see pictures and videos of destroyed buildings in Tel Aviv and Haifa on the news?" asks Kamali.

"Iranian morale," the businessman declares, "is at an all time high."

"Iran experienced much worse than this during the war with Saddam Hussein," says Kamali. Iran and Iraq fought a brutal eight-year war between 1980 and 1988; hundreds of thousands of Iranians perished in that conflict.

"We had none of the military capabilities that we have today. Just wait and see what Iran does in the next few days."

IMAGE: An Israeli man looks on as smoke rises following an Iranian missile attack in Herzliya, Israel, June 17, 2025. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Zameer Abbas Jafri, an Indian student at the Al-Mustafa international university in Qom, believes the West may be underestimating Iran's military might.

Qom is about 148 km away from Tehran and is a spiritual powerhouse of Shi'ism, the second largest sect of Muslims.

"Iran can hit Israel every day for the next six years. They have that much military capability," says Jafri. "Iran is 75 times bigger (in land mass size) than Israel."

"Iranians are Shia Muslims. For them the shahadhat (martyrdom) of Imam Hussein is of supreme importance," points out Jafri. "They are brave people and their bravery is on a different level compared to people of other countries."

"Israelis, not Iranians, run to bunkers," adds Jafri. "Iran has no bunkers built for its citizens but Israel has built bunkers all over their country because they are scared for their lives."

"Despite the ongoing military threats," says Masoud Heydari, who work as an English teacher and as a hotel receptionist in Qom, "ordinary Iranians are showing remarkable resilience."

"Daily life continues -- schools remain open, businesses operate, and people support one another with courage. There is a strong sense of unity and national pride during these difficult times."

"Fortunately, there is no serious shortage of food, water, or other daily necessities," says Heydari. "Despite the ongoing conflict, most supply chains are still functioning. Grocery stores and pharmacies are open, and people can find what they need."

"Overall, life is continuing normally. People of Iran are showing spirit and resilience in the face of adversity."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tore into the Trinamool Congress, accusing it of risking Bengali 'ashmita' and national security by promoting infiltration for vote-bank politics and alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government has 'crossed all limits' of appeasement politics.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the gathering during a public meeting, in Durgapur on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Modi, who launched projects worth Rs 5,400 crore in the state, across the oil and gas, power, rail, and road sectors, also positioned the Bharatiya Janata Party as the harbinger of a new Bengal, promising a clean break from the past, saying 'the Bharatiya Janata Party has big dreams for West Bengal. We want to build a prosperous, developed Bengal. All the projects being launched here are a step towards that dream'.

In a stinging critique of Bengal's economic environment under TMC, Modi said the state has become inhospitable for industry and investors.

"TMC's 'Gunda Tax' is deterring investment in Bengal. The state's resources have fallen into the hands of the mafia, and government policies are deliberately designed to enable ministers to engage in blatant corruption," he alleged.

In a fiery address at a packed rally in Durgapur, Modi positioned the BJP as the only party that truly respects and protects Bengali 'ashmita' (pride), calling for an end to what he termed a regime of 'lies, lawlessness and loot'.

"TMC, because of its vested interests, has put the identity of West Bengal at stake. For the sake of vote-bank politics, infiltration is being encouraged here. A complete ecosystem has been created to support infiltrators. This is a threat to both national security and Bengal's security and identity," Modi alleged.

He also accused the ruling party of 'openly challenging constitutional institutions' and 'defending illegal immigrants.'

Amidst a growing political row over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, Modi turned the tables on the TMC.

"For the BJP, Bengali 'ashmita' is supreme. Wherever there is a BJP government, Bengalis are respected, Bengali language is respected," Modi said to thunderous applause.

"The TMC is actively helping infiltrators. I want to say this very clearly that those who are not citizens of India and have entered illegally, the law will take its own course in accordance with the Constitution," he said, sending a clear message on illegal immigration.

Modi said the TMC's appeasement politics have 'crossed all limits' and they are now on the streets to protect infiltrators. TMC's corruption and appeasement are pushing the youth out of Bengal, he added.

Taking a swipe at the TMC, Left and Congress, the Prime Minister said: "For years, the TMC and Left ran the government in Delhi with Congress but never considered recognising Bangla, whereas it was the BJP government that granted it classical language status."

Recalling the time when Bengal attracted job-seekers from across the country, he said people used to come here from across India for employment, but today, the youth of Bengal are forced to migrate even for small jobs.

"This is the result of TMC's misrule," he said.

"Over the past decades, the situation in this region has become increasingly unfavourable for investment and employment. Frequent incidents of violence, biased policing, and a lack of faith in the justice system create an environment where no one feels confident about investing," he said.

"Where riots like Murshidabad take place and police act in a biased manner, why will investors come here? Where violence breaks out at the slightest incident, why will anyone invest?"

Promising a better tomorrow, Modi made a personal appeal to Bengal's youth.

"I want to assure the youth that Bengal's current problems can be fixed.

Once a new government is formed, the state can become a leading industrial hub in the country. Give BJP a chance once- choose a government that is hardworking, honest, and strong," he urged with an eye on state elections early next year.

Taking up the issue of women's safety, Modi expressed anguish and fury.

He said, "The party that speaks of 'Maa, Mati, Manush' is now causing anger and heartbreak by allowing injustice against daughters under its rule."

Referring to the RG Kar hospital rape-murder incident of a doctor last year and the recent alleged gangrape of a law student on a college campus, the PM said, "Even hospitals in Bengal are not safe. When a doctor was subjected to atrocities, the TMC government rushed to protect the accused. And before the state recovered, another atrocity was reported from a college, and once again, the accused were linked to the ruling party."

Modi said, "Viksit Bangla is Modi's guarantee. Viksit Bengal is BJP's Sankalp. Once TMC is ousted, Asol Poriborton (real change) will come to Bengal."
The occupiers' losses during the day amounted to 1,180 people of military personnel and 171 units of equipment, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a report as of 7:00 a.m. on Friday.

In particular, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed three tanks, nine combat armored vehicles, 47 artillery systems, one MLRS, 111 units of automotive equipment.

Air strikes cost the enemy 135 destroyed operational-tactical level UAVs.
Kapil Raj, a former Enforcement Directorate officer who supervised the arrests of two chief ministers under the anti-money laundering law, has resigned from government service after serving for about 16 years.

IMAGE: An Enforcement Directorate team takes Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (middle) to ED Headquarters, in New Delhi, March 21, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

An order issued by the ministry of finance on Thursday said the 'President of India was pleased to accept his resignation from the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) with effect from July 17.'

The 45-year-old officer belonged to the 2009 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

He was involved in the arrest of Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi).

Sources close to the officer spoke to PTI and attributed 'personal reasons' for his resignation from government service where he had about 15 more years to serve, given the age of superannuation is 60.

Raj served in the ED for about eight years and recently completed his deputation in the federal anti-money laundering agency.

He was posted as an additional commissioner in the GST Intelligence wing in Delhi till he resigned.

The officer supervised the arrest of Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren in January last year at Ranchi in an alleged land scam case.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader met the governor at Raj Bhavan and resigned from his post before being taken into custody by the ED.

Raj was present during this meeting, soon after which his team took him into custody.

Few months later in March 2024, the officer reached the Flag Staff Road residence of the then Delhi chief minister Kejriwal following ED searches at his government bungalow.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and Raj was present while the arrest memo was prepared and served on the AAP supremo.

The officer used to prepare and vet questionnaires for these high-profile political arrestees and he was known to visit search locations many a times to closely monitor the investigation and boost the morale of his teams, a senior ED officer said.

Raj, a B. Tech (Electronics) graduate, headed the Ranchi zone of the ED as its joint director. He also supervised some high-profile investigations of the agency that were undertaken by the headquarters investigation unit (HIU) that probes politically sensitive and complex cases.

While being posted in Mumbai as a deputy director of the ED, the officer also investigated money laundering cases against diamantaire duo Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi apart from DHFL and Iqbal Mirchi cases.

Raj hails from a middle class family based in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, the official said.
Days after the alleged caste-based tonsuring of a Bhagwat Katha preacher and his aide in Etawah's Dandarpur village, tensions escalated on Thursday as members of Yadav groups staged protests demanding the arrest of all accused and withdrawal of the case registered against the victims.

Image used only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo

According to police, large crowds began gathering near the Agra-Kanpur highway and at the village in the Bakewar area in the afternoon.

Purported videos showed unidentified persons pelting police personnel with stones even as the latter brandished firearms in the air to warn the protesters on a narrow village road.

In Lucknow, UP minister Jaiveer Singh accused Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav of giving the tonsuring incident a 'casteist spin' and blamed him for stoking the violence.

Etawah Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said, "Information was received via social media that some groups were preparing to protest against the incident that occurred in Dandarpur village three days ago. Accordingly, police deployment was made in the town, on the highway and in the village to ensure law and order."

"Around 1:30 pm, a sizeable crowd started gathering on the Agra-Kanpur highway. While most were convinced to disperse, a few tried to enter Dandarpur village forcibly, which created a situation that could have disrupted peace," he said.

SSP Srivastava confirmed that 19 individuals were detained, and 13 vehicles were seized.

"Necessary legal action is being taken under relevant sections. Law and order are under control, and the situation is normal," he added.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of members from Yadav groups reached Bakewar police station to gherao it in protest against alleged police action against the victims and to demand the arrest of the accused.

SP (Rural) Sreesh Chandra told reporters that police attempted to stop the advancing crowd, but a heated exchange followed. When protesters continued pushing forward, police used lathis to disperse them.

The crowd reportedly retaliated by throwing stones at police personnel, damaging the windshield of a police jeep. Some protesters fled towards the Agra-Kanpur highway.

The incident that triggered the unrest took place on the night of June 22-23 in the village.

Two Bhagwat Katha preachers, Mukut Mani Yadav and his aide Sant Singh Yadav, were allegedly tonsured and humiliated by 'upper-caste' men after it was found that they belonged to the Yadav caste.

A video of the incident, which went viral on social media and was also shared by the SP chief, showed the accused purportedly saying, "You are getting punished for coming to the village of Brahmins."

The victims alleged they were interrogated about their caste, forced to show identification and subjected to humiliation.

"I was tortured all night. My head was shaved, and they sprinkled urine on me, saying it was to purify me," said Sant Singh Yadav.

Following the video's circulation, four accused -- Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi and Manu Dubey -- all residents of the village, were arrested and booked.

Akhilesh condemned the incident, calling it a gross violation of constitutional values and warned of a large-scale movement if action was not taken within three days.

In response to Etawah violence, Singh in the evening emphasised the administration's swift response and affirmed the government's commitment to take strict measures moving forward.

Based on the initial probe, four individuals were arrested, followed by the detention of 15 more people involved in the violence perpetrated by local miscreants, the minister said.

"The incident appears to be the result of a well-planned conspiracy, and the government is determined to uncover the truth and take strict action against those responsible," Singh said.

He assured that anyone taking the law into their own hands, regardless of caste or community, will not be spared.

Accusing Akhilesh of giving the incident a 'casteist angle', the minister said the former UP CM, without verifying the facts, made reckless statements which incited violence.

"It has always been the SP's strategy to divide society along caste and class lines for political gain. This is condemnable and unacceptable," Singh said.

He added that the BJP respects Sanatan culture, not casteism.
IMAGE: Chairs and tables are scattered after the terrorist attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in Anantnag district, April 24, 2025. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

In a significant development, the United States has designated The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba that was behind the Pahalgam attack, as a foreign terrorist organisation.

In a statement issued by the US department of state on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this action demonstrates the US' commitment to enforcing President Donald Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.

India welcomed the US move and described Washington's decision on The Resistance Front (TRF) as a "strong affirmation" of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.

In a social media post, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar specially complimented US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for designating the proxy of Pakistan-based LeT.

"Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF - a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy - as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack," the external affairs minister said.

Twenty-six people were killed in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack, but later backtracked as tensions soared between India and Pakistan.

India's National Investigation Agency has identified TRF head Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind of the attack.

Rubio said the department of state is designating the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

'TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT,' he said.

Rubio further said that this action against the TRF 'demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack'.

'This (Pahalgam attack) was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024,' the secretary of state said.

In a post on X, the Indian embassy underlined New Delhi's firm stance against terrorism.

'Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism!' the embassy said.

In retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7, targeting nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sounded the poll bugle in Bihar, where assembly elections are due this year, calling for 'an NDA government, once again', which would protect the state from the 'evil intentions' of the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress combine.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Motihari ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Photograph: @BJP4Bihar/X

Addressing a rally in Motihari town, the headquarters of East Champaran district, Modi also accused the RJD of seizing land from the poor on the false promise of jobs, in an apparent reference to the 'land-for-jobs' scam, and asserted that the 'viksit' (developed) Bihar is key for eastern India's development.

He said, "The people of the state had broken the shackles of RJD," but the younger generation 'must be made aware of the despair in which Bihar was mired two decades ago.'

He also made an indirect reference to the land for jobs scam, on a day when the Supreme Court turned down a plea by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, a former railway minister and the prime accused, for a stay on trial.

"Employment generation could have never taken place in Bihar under people who made aspirants part with their land in the name of providing jobs," said the PM.

In contrast, he pointed out, 'lakhs of youths in Bihar' have got loans under the Mudra Yojana promoting self-employment, and his government has also launched other schemes like Rs 15,000 assistance to youth getting their first jobs in the private sector.

"The scheme will be rolled out on August 1 and the Centre will be bearing an expenditure of Rs one lakh crore for the same," said Modi.

He also raised slogans in Hindi, roughly translating 'we will build a new Bihar with the NDA in power once again' and 'the resolve of Bihar is unshaken, to remain with the NDA always'.

Modi said rapid progress in Bihar is possible today because both the Centre and the state have governments committed to its development.

He also cited data to illustrate the contrast in support, saying during the 10 years of the previous governments, Bihar received only around Rs 2 lakh crore, and remarked that this was a form of political revenge against the government led by Nitish Kumar.

The prime minister asserted that after coming to power in 2014, his government ended this politics of vendetta against Bihar, stressing that under their rule over the past 10 years, nearly Rs 9 lakh crore has been allocated for Bihar's development.

Modi alleged that under the RJD-Congress rule, the poor could not afford pucca houses and the relatively better off 'feared getting their homes whitewashed or distempered, as this could attract the attention of marauding gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom'.

In contrast, he said, over the past 11 years, 'four crore houses have been built across the country under the PM Awas Yojana, of which 50 lakh are in Bihar. This figure surpasses the total population of countries like Norway, New Zealand and Singapore'.

"In Motihari alone, the around three lakh families have got pucca houses and the figure continues to grow. Today, more than 12,000 families have got keys to their new houses and 40,000 families have received funds in their bank accounts to build pucca houses", said the PM, whose speech was preceded by launch of development projects worth more than Rs 7,000 crore.

He also pointed out that the poorest of the poor now had access to banking services thanks to the Jan Dhan scheme launched by his government, in sharp contrast to earlier times, 'when our mothers and sisters were forced to keep their savings hidden in some obscure corner of their homes'.

Modi charged the Congress-RJD combine with 'arrogance that leaves no respectable space for leaders who do not belong to families that control these parties'.

The allusion may have been to Independent MP Rajiv Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, an Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) supporter, and young Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, both of whom were shoved aside last week while trying to climb atop a vehicle from where Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav were addressing the public in Patna.

The PM also said that the Congress-RJD combine, while in power, had 'put brakes on development', but 'we salute the resolve of the people of the state who broke the shackles' in the 2005 assembly polls, which brought the NDA to power for the first time.

He, however, added that 'the younger generation must be made aware of the despair in which Bihar was mired (nirasha ke gart mein duba) until two decades ago' and that it was essential to 'protect Bihar against the evil intentions (buri niyat) of the Congress-RJD combine'.

The PM also touched upon the success of Operation Sindoor, which followed his announcement, from Madhubani district in the state, that the culprits of Pahalgam terror attack will be taken to task.

"This is a new India, which spares no effort in punishing the enemies, mobilizing forces from both land and sky," remarked Modi, who also reaffirmed his government's commitment to stamp out Naxalism, and claimed that efforts made in the direction have 'benefited Bihar districts like Aurangabad, Gaya and Jamui, once held back by Maoist violence'.

He shared with the people his vision for a developed Bihar, 'where Motihari gets as much prominence in the east, as Mumbai has in the west, opportunities in Gayaji are at par with those in Gurugram and industrial growth in Patna matches that of Pune'.
The foremost lesson for India today is to beef up its air defence to cater for multiple drone attacks.

As seen in Operation Sindoor, we have come a long way, but there's room for getting better.

We must develop a robust and almost impregnable air cover over ourselves, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).

IMAGE: The first indigenous Loitering Munition, Nagastra-1, developed by Solar Industries, Nagpur, has been delivered to the Indian Army. Photograph: ANI Photo

Elon Musk at a talk to United States air force personnel a few years ago had remarked, 'The fighter jet era has passed... Locally autonomous drone warfare is where it's at, where the future will be.'

At that point in time, his words seemed exaggerated and too futuristic to many. Today, the rapid revolution of drone and AI technology has proven Elon prescient.

In the past few years, drone technology has leapfrogged at lightning speed, and we have seen systems of which we only dreamt of in real life.

This, coupled with rapid advancements in AI has made concepts once confined to sci-fi movies a reality.

Driverless Tesla cars are already in use, pizzas and burgers are being delivered at your doorstep-not by a man on a motorcycle but by a small drone piloted by someone sitting in his bedroom far away.

We have seen how ObL was tracked by US intelligence using unmanned vehicles, how terrorist targets in Afghanistan were taken out by drones controlled far away in the US, how alnost daily news comes in of attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles during the Russia-Ukraine war.

Also on display recently was extensive use of drones for the first time in an India-Pakistan military clash.

I was first exposed to the UAV, or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) as we called it, during my command of a frontline base in the northern sector almost a decade-and-a-half ago.

It was the most hi-tech equipment that I had encountered in my tenure in the Indian Air Force.

What was fascinating and a new learning for me was the quality of intel that these machines could gather and how it could be used to plan for future conflicts.

In just a decade, drones have become an inseparable and integral part of any armed conflict.

Drones, or UAVs as the military calls them, have redefined how nations conduct surveillance, gather intelligence, and engage in combat.

Drones can be of two types based on what they are designed to do.

IMAGE: A Russian drone on its way to cause death and destruction in Ukraine. Photograph: Roman Petushkov/Reuters

Eye In The Sky

The surveillance drone has cameras that can even see through darkness and give you a clear picture of enemy deployment.

They can also pick up electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the adversary and give us an idea of the electronic orbat (E-Orbat) of the enemy which can be used later to jam or home onto these emitters.

As our eye in the sky, they are used to direct combat missions onto their targets.

The drone 'lases' (uses LASER) to mark the target and the munition released from any platform then homes onto the target to destroy it.

Other than that, the inputs from the drone are linked to the ground based command centres or to other aircraft or drones flying in the air by data-links leading to reduction of the fog of war and also shortening the 'OODA' (cycle of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) loop for the commanders in the field.

Besides being an eye in the sky, drones can be used for quick delivery of logistics to the soldier, evacuation of wounded, and other multifarious functions in the battlefield.

IMAGE: A residential building hit by a suicide drone which local authorities consider to be the Iranian made UAV Shahed-131/136 in Sumy, Ukraine, July 3, 2023. Photograph: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Sumy Region/Handout via Reuters

The Offensive Platform

Imagine an explosive laden UAV loitering over the battlefield for 15 to 20 hours looking for a target.

Once it finds its kill, it simply folds its wings and becomes a high speed missile, destroying the target with pin-point accuracy.

Known as loitering munitions, they mimic the kamikaze tactics of World War II, but with precision and automation.

Use of UAVs in direct firing offensive roles appears to be the flavour of new conflicts. They carry long range ammunition to fire at strategic targets deep inside enemy territory.

One of the defining moments during the Russia-Ukraine war was Ukraine's use of Bayraktar TB2 drones in the early stages of the war. These drones successfully targeted Russian tank columns, radar systems, and SAM sites.

Their success was both military and symbolic -- videos of these strikes became powerful tools of information warfare.

Drones specifically designed for military warfare may require a fair amount of time and money to be spent on their R&D.

The small drones used by adventure enthusiasts and photographers at weddings are now finding their way into the battlefield.

These are available off the shelf, are cheap and expendable, and can be used for various roles in conflict situations.

In the recent India Pakistan standoff, Pakistan is known to have used swarms of small Turkish drones to probe into our territory.

These had cameras and other sensors which looked around our vital military installations to gather information and pass it on in realtime to their base stations.

More than the 'terror effect' and its irritating value, these drones are small and difficult to target, and compel the enemy to open up their sensors.

Swarm attacks can also choke or overload air defence systems by their sheer volume.

IMAGE: The Indian Army shows debris of Pakistan-launched missiles and drones that were intercepted and taken down by Indian air defence systems, May 19, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Future

In future conflicts, 'swarm drone' technology is most likely to be used by adversaries in good measure.

Using AI and other integration tools, these drones will operate like multiple kites in the air, their strings controlled by a master drone or an aircraft operating well inside enemy lines.

These, predictably, are future tools of mass destruction in the making.

The Indian AMCA project also features a Tejas fighter controlling two or more drones that have taken off from different airfields; controlling them to take on multiple targets; the trials of which have already commenced.

Using expensive anti-aircraft munitions to neutralise small drones would be akin to using a hammer to kill a mosquito, a fact the commander in the field is well aware of.

As we speak, all over the world, research is in full swing on effective and cheaper counter drone measures.

Remote control makes drone operations cheaper and safer. Moreover, it removes the pilot from the cockpit to the ground and uses AI for faster decision making.

Obviously, drones have become more important than the many other combat equipment available to the commander.

Micro/Nano drones are a reality today being used in anti-terrorism and policing duties in urban areas.

A drone as big as a beetle can get you pictures of what is happening behind closed doors and in terrorist hideouts in real time.

IMAGE: India's air defence system intercepts Pakistani drones in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, May 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Just imagine the cost savings. Pilots are difficult and expensive to train and are non-expendable commodities.

Losing men and going through the ignominy of loss of morale would soon be a thing of the past.

The classic infantry man-to-man close combat, armoured columns going across vast swathes of enemy land etc, may not come into the picture since objectives/closure will be achieved much before we come to the stage of face to face fighting with conventional weapons.

It is not to say that boots on ground, sailors on ships and airmen in the sky will not be required at all.

They are important; and armies must be maintained for various other reasons. We also need them to project our gross national power.

One may argue that with the use of drones in warfare, we may be able to reduce body-bags.

This may not hold true with precision munitions able to achieve kills through small window openings many hundred kilometres away.

Drones will, at best, lead to an increase in 'no-contact' or 'standoff' battles.

IMAGE: A view of an anti-drone system to be deployed on the border adjoining Punjab to shoot down Pakistani drones. Photograph: ANI Photo

The use of drones in battle has added a new rung to the escalatory ladder.

Following political and diplomatic signalling, perception warfare through traditional and social media, and cyber operations, drone warfare has now emerged as the likely first step in the armed conflict phase of warfighting.

It would, therefore, be correct to say that, in future 'standoffs' that threaten to burst into an all-out conflict, drone technology and drone warfare will play a major role, helping nations to achieve 'virtual' victories.

It would be rather premature to analyse lessons learnt in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. What it has achieved for sure is that we have joined other nations in the quest for supremacy in drone technology, and hopefully, with the brains we have in our country, the outcomes will outclass the others in this game.

The foremost lesson for India today is to beef up its air defence to cater for multiple drone attacks.

As seen in the recent conflict, we have come a long way, but there's room for getting better.

We must develop a robust and almost impregnable air cover over ourselves.

Advanced AI and drone technology are a strategic asset capable of tipping the balance in modern warfare.

In some ways, drones are democratising air power -- leveling the playing field, even for countries without sophisticated air forces.

We need to invest wisely for our future.

Type Description Example Reconnaissance Drones Used for real-time surveillance, mapping, and intelligence gathering. Heron, Global Hawk Armed Drones Equipped with missiles or bombs for offensive missions. MQ-9, Reaper, Bayraktar TB2 Loitering Munitions (Kamikaze Drones) Designed to hover over an area and crash into targets. Shahed-136, Switchblade Tactical Quadcopters Small, portable drones used by infantry for short-range observation or attack. DJI Mavic (modified), Black Hornet Swarm Drones Multiple drones operating together with AI coordination. Still not fully developed tech. China/US/Russia in lead High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Drones Fly at 60,000+ feet for days, used for strategic surveillance. RQ-4 Global Hawk

A helicopter pilot who served the Indian Air Force for 35 years, IAF Veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe is a frequent contributor to Rediff.com.

You can read his earlier articles here.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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People gathered in Bellows Falls on Thursday, July 17, 2025, as they joined other Americans at hundreds of events nationwide to honor the lega
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree appointing Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).

Corresponding document No. 496/2025 was published on the presidential website.

Previously, Umerov headed the country's Defense Ministry.

Also, presidential decree No. 495/2025, which dismisses the previous Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, was made public.
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WILMINGTON  To close a fundraising gap and get the veterans memorial constructed outside the Wilmington Public Safety Facility on Beaver Street, the Select Board unanimously approved a contribution of $165,628.

The money is coming from a fund holding local 1 percent option tax revenue, which is earmarked for economic and community development. More than $1 million currently sits in the fund, Select Board Chairman Tom Fitzgerald said at the board meeting Tuesday.

"I support this 100 percent  we're in very good shape," Fitzgerald said.

Donations have been coming in "very slowly" lately, Town Treasurer Christine Richter said. A silent auction on July 4 brought in about $1,800, far less than expected.

Organizers still have fundraising plans going forward, Richter said.

"We've hit a lot of people, many who have donated multiple times, through multiple funds, for multiple reasons," Richter said. "There's a core group of people who really want to see it happen. But trying to get new people interested has been difficult."

The project is estimated to cost $250,000. Previously, the Select Board provided $50,000 from the 1 percent local option tax funds. More than $64,000 had been raised from other sources, according to wilmingtonvermont.us/veterans-memorial-park-2.

Fundraising for Wilmington veterans memorial underway WILMINGTON  A veterans memorial planned at the Public Safety Facility on Beaver Street is e

Local veterans Walter White and Mike Linnehan have spearheaded the project. A monument at the Public Safety Facility for Mark Dooley, a Wilmington police officer killed in action in Iraq, will be moved to another spot on the property.

Architect Eric Craven of Wilmington was hired by the town to come up with formal construction documents to help with the bidding process.
Belarus has increased its spending on weaponry and military hardware sharply since 2022, budget numbers show. The increase coincides with Russias all-out war on Ukraine and has worried its immediate neighbors.

Government spending on military-related items -- including sophisticated Russian fighter jets and modern attack helicopters -- grew more than 2 1/2 times over the past three years, according to public budget and procurement documents reviewed by RFE/RLs Belarus Service.

The 2025 budget for all defense spending now totals around 4.7 billion Belarusian rubles ($1.6 billion) or around 2 percent of the countrys gross domestic product. Thats up from 1.8 billion rubles (US$694 million), around 0.95 percent of GDP, in 2022.

Among the weapons being purchased are advanced Sukhoi Su-30SM2 multirole fighter jets, Mi-35M attack helicopters, and Volat V-2 armored personnel carriers, along with hundreds of attack drones.

Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has embraced Russia as the countrys main protector. The two countries economies are tightly intertwined.

Lukashenkos embrace of Russia grew even tighter after 2020, when he declared victory in a presidential election widely deemed fraudulent. The result sparked unprecedented street protests and a brutal police crackdown that led to the jailing of thousands of Belarusians.

Despite the close ties with Moscow, Lukashenko has tried to keep his distance from the Kremlins all-out invasion of neighboring Ukraine, steering clear of sending Belarusian soldiers to participate in the war. Russian forces launched part of their initial invasion in February 2022 from Belarusian territory. Wounded Russian troops and exchanged POWs also have been treated in Belarusian hospitals.

Lukashenkos system fully relies on the Kremlin for its defense, said Uladzimer Zhyhar, an activist with BYPOL, a group made up of former Belarusian police and law enforcement officers.

"Paradoxically, the level of Belarus's military spending suggests that despite flirting with Putin, Lukashenko does not particularly...expect that the Russian army will come and defend him, in case of a mythical NATO aggression, said Ivan Kirichevskiy, a military analyst with the Ukraine-based online magazine Defense Express. I would even say that the Belarusian army now has only one enemy: the Russian army.

Nuclear Nuts

Western analysts have been particularly concerned about the possibility of Russian nuclear weapons being based in Belarus. Putin has pledged multiple times that Russian nuclear weapons would be deployed to Belarusian territory. Satellite images show expansion and upgrade of the Asipovichy military base, and indications that it could be used to store nuclear weaponry.

Lukashenko announced that a Russian-made nuclear-capable hypersonic missile called the Oreshnik -- named for the hazelnut tree -- would be deployed in Belarus by the end of the year.

A conventional version of the missile was used against Ukraine last November.

Youve seen how the Oreshnik works: the same missiles, the same strikes -- but without nuclear warheads, without radioactive contamination of the land and air. This weapon will be stationed in Belarus by the end of the year," he said on July 1.

Funding for the upgrade infrastructure does not appear in the budget documents.

Guns, Not Butter

The increased military expenditures come as the countrys overall economy is under increasing strain. Exports of oil-related products to Western markets have been sharply curtailed since Western isolation of Lukashenko after the 2020 election crackdown.

The countrys once-vibrant tech industry has all but evaporated, with coders, developers, and tech companies decamping to Poland or the Baltics to avoid repressive policies.

Outside budget experts warn that the increasing military spending puts the countrys social welfare system at risk, a network that the countrys aging population is heavily reliant on.

Social welfare spending is even higher now than before Russias invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian economist Alisa Ryzhichenka said.

As a percentage of budget expenditures, the most goes to social policies, Ryzhichenka said. But now defense is catching up with this part of expenditures. And given that budget operates on a deficit, then theres nowhere you can increase.

We need to reduce the social security, or something else, in order to add to the defense budget, she said.
Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, Im looking at why Iranian media are sounding the alarm over growing ties between Azerbaijan and Syriaone closely aligned with Israel, the other no friend of Iran.

What You Need To Know

 Azerbaijan And Syria Joining Forces Against Iran?: Syrian interim President Ahmad alSharaas surprise visit to Baku last weekend has set off alarms in Tehran and sent media from across the political spectrum scrambling to decode what it means for the region, especially Iran.

 Iranian Director Wins Prestigious Festival Prize: Iranian director Soheil Beiraghis film Bidad won the Special Jury Award at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, despite nearly landing him in prison. The film, featuring women singing without hijabs, defies Irans strict rules on dress and performance. Beiraghi and his team faced sentences in Iran, later commuted to fines. Beiraghi told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that he intends to return to Iran despite the legal threats. Accepting the award, he praised Iranian womens strength, saying they deserve appreciation, respect, and a standing ovation.

 Tehran On Edge As Europe Threatens Return Of UN Sanctions: European powers have warned Tehran that UN sanctions could snap back if Iran fails to make verifiable nuclear commitments by the end of August. Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran program at the International Crisis Group, told Radio Farda that the ultimatum by Britain, France, and German is very serious. He added that they see the so-called snapback mechanism as crucial leverage to force inspections and revive talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has warned that such a move would be treated like a military attack. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, citing June strikes on Iranian facilities, says hes in no rush.

The Big Issue

A New Axis: Azerbaijan, Syria, And Possibly Israel?

Sharaa and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that years of stagnation in their relationship were over, blaming ousted Syrian President Bashar alAssads unfriendly policy.

They unveiled a deal to export Azerbaijani gas to Syria through Turkey, hailing it as a step toward alleviating Syrias longrunning energy crisis.

Iranian media are sounding alarms over what they claim is a growing security threat along their country's northern and western borders.

Why It Matters: For Tehran, the stakes are high.

The possibility of Syrian militant networks shifting northward, coupled with Azerbaijans deepening ties to Israel, suggests a new security headache on Irans northern frontier.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has already pressed Aliyev to explain alleged Israeli drone incursions into Iranian airspace during Junes 12-day war between the two Middle Eastern countries -- accusations Aliyev firmly denied.

But with Baku now forging overt partnerships with Sharaas Syria and allegedly hosting backchannel talks with Israel, Iranian media warn that Tehran could soon face a more coordinated axis of rivals on its doorstep.

Tehran isnt just watching; its concerned and recalibrating.

What's Being Said: Armane Melli, a proreform paper, warned that Syriabased fighters could be moved through Turkey into Azerbaijani bases -- a mission, it wrote, that might aim to destabilize areas along the borders of Iran and Russia.

The conservative Farhikhtegan suggested Sharaa is meeting US demands to reduce foreign fighters in Syria by redeploying them to Azerbaijan, potentially turning the country into a strategic hub for operations in the Caucasus or even settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In response, Irans state-broadcaster-run Jame Jam newspaper charged that meetings between Syrian and Israeli officials in Baku were clear evidence some neighbors, specifically Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel, are shaping new dynamics that work against Irans interests.

Expert Opinion: Indeed a new Middle East: in six months, Syria has transformed from an Iranian vassal state to an independent actor, forging ties and cooperation with Azerbaijan -- a major ally of Israel and rival of Iran, says Brenda Shaffer, an international energy and foreign policy specialist.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has called on European powers to halt threats against Tehran, including warnings about reinstating UN sanctions.

Tehran's top diplomat wrote on X on July 18 that he told his British, French, and German counterparts, as well as the EU foreign policy chief, during a joint call that Europe should act responsibly and abandon worn-out policies of threat and pressure.

He said the EU and the European trio, the so-called E3, have no moral or legal ground to trigger the snapback of UN sanctions.

On July 15, French Foreign Minister JeanNoel Barrot told fellow EU ministers that the E3 is prepared to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran unless Tehran offers a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment.

The Europeans reiterated the same stance during the call with Araqchi, according to a French diplomatic source cited by Reuters, who said Iran was pushed to reach a "verifiable and lasting" deal with the United States.

Under the 2015 nuclear agreement -- the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- longstanding UN restrictions on arms sales, banking, and nuclearrelated technology were lifted a decade ago.

European governments can still invoke the deals snapback mechanism before an October 15 deadline, a step that would restore those sanctions and give them a narrow but significant source of leverage in current negotiations.

Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the wake of the US and Israeli bombing of its nuclear sites last month.

The European are pressing for UN nuclear inspectors to resume work in Iran, aiming in part to prevent Tehran from reorganizing its nuclear program after the damage caused by the strikes.

Under the 2015 nuclear deal, China and Russia -- longtime supporters of Iran in such negotiations -- cannot veto a snapback of sanctions. Although the formal window to trigger the mechanism closes in October, European governments could opt to postpone the move beyond that deadline to keep the door open for further talks.

Iranian and US negotiators were scheduled to meet in Oslo last week but the meeting was postponed, with apparently no new date agreed upon.

"Any new round of talks is only possible when the other side is ready for a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial nuclear deal," Araqchi wrote on X.

Speaking at a press briefing this week, US President Donald Trump said that while Iran is eager to engage in talks, he is in "no rush" to do so, noting that we obliterated their sites in the June 22 strikes on nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.
Photo: National Guard

On the night of July 18 (from 21:30 on July 17), the enemy attacked with 35 Shahed-type strike UAVs and various types of imitator drones from the directions of Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk of the Russian Federation (29 of them are shaheds), the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram.

"According to preliminary data, as of 08:30, air defense shot down 11 enemy Shahed-type UAVs (drones of other types) in the north and east of the country. In addition, six drone imitators were lost/suppressed by electronic warfare. The hit of 18 UAVs was recorded in five locations, the fall of downed ones (debris) in two locations," the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informs.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recorded 180 combat clashes over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Telegram in operational information about the Russian invasion as of 08:00 on Friday.

"The enemy carried out one missile and 72 air strikes on the positions of Ukrainian units and populated areas, using two missiles and dropping 137 guided air bombs. In addition, it carried out 5,892 attacks, 95 of which were from multiple launch rocket systems, and used 3,442 kamikaze drones for destruction," the General Staff reported.
Former RTE newscaster and journalist Bryan Dobson officially opened Boyle Arts Festival last night, Thursday, and in doing so said he was a super sub for the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins who was originally planned as the guest to open the 35th annual festival.

Mr Dobson told the crowd: I have to say at the outset I have a confession. I am by way of, perhaps I can describe myself, as a super self because there was a plan that Michael D. Higgins would be standing where I am tonight and opening the festival but for various circumstances, which I won't go into that did not come to fruition.

He said when asked a number of weeks ago to perform the opening he immediately agreed as he has been a frequent visitor to the event and last year was involved in interviewing author and broadcaster Dawn OPorter as part of the programme.

He recalled that when he was growing up he was always told that Ireland didn't have a visual culture. We were all about music and literature and drama and plays and the written word. And of course it was completely wrong, particularly in this part of the country, where there's such a rich heritage of visual art.

He paid tribute to the founders of the festival Fergus Ahern and Barry Feely and their commitment to making the arts accessible to all.

In homage to his predecessor Chris ODowd who opened the festival last year with wrote a special poem for the event Mr Dobson quoted a verse from WB Yeats' famous poem The lake Isle of Innisfree before declaring the festival officially opened.

For more see next week's Roscommon Herald.
Bengaluru Schools Bomb Threat

Earlier in the day, more than 20 schools in Delhi also received bomb threat emails

Bengaluru Private Schools Bomb threat mail latest news today: While over 20 schools in Delhi received bomb threat mails this morning, around 40 private schools in Bengaluru also received bomb threat mails. This led to a large-scale police response across the city.

Meanwhile, the schools in various areas, including Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Kengeri, were among those targeted by anonymous messages.

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The Bengaluru City Police, reacting to the same, deployed several teams to the affected institutions soon after the alerts were reported. The Bomb Disposal Squad personnel were also deployed into the service, with comprehensive search operations being carried out on school premises to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The email, titled BOMBS INSIDE THE SCHOOL, was reportedly sent to multiple institutions. The email was received from the ID roadkill 333@atomicmail.io. The one who sent the emails claimed to have planted multiple explosive devices containing trinitrotoluene (TNT) in classrooms.

The message stated: "The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children."

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It further stated, You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, and I will commit suicide after the news kicks in. I will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists; no one has ever cared, and no one will ever care. You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans... Please give a copy of the message to the press/media.

(For more news apart from Bengaluru Private Schools Bomb threat mail latest news today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Delhi Schools Bomb Threat Emails Today Latest News

Abhinav Public School, located in Rohini Sector 3, also received a bomb threat wherein investigation is underway.

Delhi Schools Bomb Threat Emails Today Latest News: In a shocking development from the national capital, more than 20 schools received bomb threat emails on Friday, according to the Delhi Police. These include schools like Richmondd Global School and Abhinav Public School.

Delhi Fire Service stated that Richmondd Global School in the Paschim Vihar area of Delhi received a bomb threat, wherein the Fire department and Delhi police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area to initiate a search operation.

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Abhinav Public School, located in Rohini Sector 3, also received a bomb threat wherein investigation is underway.

On the other hand, Delhi's former Chief Minister Atishi took to X and targeted the ruling government of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents, and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all four 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking!" she said.

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(For more news apart from Delhi Schools Bomb Threat Emails Today Latest News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
Haryana Engineer Arrested for Golden Temple Bomb Threat; SGPC Alarmed as More Threats Follow Custody

Punjab Amritsar Golden Temple Bomb Threat Case Latest news Today: Security concerns around the Golden Temple in Amritsar have intensified after multiple bomb threats were issued over the past five days. In a significant breakthrough, Amritsar Police detained a 24-year-old software engineer from Faridabad, Haryana, identified as Shubham Dubey, in connection with the threats. However, the situation grew more alarming when another threatening email was received even after Dubeys arrest.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed the arrest and said Dubey, who had previously worked in two tech companies and is currently unemployed, is under strict interrogation. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Dubey allegedly used the dark web and anonymized email services to issue threats, making it difficult to trace the exact source of the messages.

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Threats Beyond Punjab

Commissioner Bhullar revealed that the threatening emails were not limited to the Golden Temple alone. Similar threats have been sent to schools and courts in Delhi, Chief Ministers, Members of Parliament, and institutions in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, the emails briefly mention the Golden Temple, but the majority of the content refers to incidents and political issues in Tamil Nadu, including references to the DMK party and South Indian political figures.

This has led investigators to suspect that the use of the Golden Temples name may be a diversion tactic, potentially to draw national attention to Tamil Nadu-centric issues. Authorities are now working closely with officials from Tamil Nadu to explore possible links.

SGPC Raises Red Flag After More Threats

Despite Dubeys detention, a fresh threat email was received Friday evening. Chief Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Kulwant Singh Mann, expressed serious concern and demanded that the police and intelligence agencies escalate their investigation.

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"Receiving a threat after the arrest indicates that there may be more people involved. The Police Commissioner should take this matter with the utmost seriousness," Mann urged.

Earlier, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami had stated that the threats could either be a form of mischief or part of a larger conspiracy, and he demanded a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Ongoing Investigation

Police Commissioner Bhullar noted the technical complexity of the case. "The emails appear to have been sent via the dark web with spoofed IP addresses from different countries. Earlier emails originated from Outlook accounts, while the latest ones were sent via Hotmail, adding to the difficulty in tracing the origin," he explained.

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Since July 14, SGPC has received six threatening emails, all mentioning the use of RDX to target the Golden Temple. These prompted intensified search operations and tightened security across the temple complex and adjoining areas.

Investigators Exploring All Angles

Law enforcement agencies are now trying to determine whether the threats are the act of a lone cyber mischief-maker, a radicalized individual, or part of a larger, coordinated conspiracy. Interrogation of Shubham Dubey may yield further clues about other potential players or networks involved in the ongoing cyber threats.

The case has now become a multi-state, multi-agency investigation with national security implications. Authorities have assured the public that all angles, including cyberterrorism, are being thoroughly probed to ensure the sanctity and safety of religious and public institutions.
Months After Pahalgam Terror Attack, US Designates The Resistance Front As Terrorist Organization

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, stated on Friday, informing the public about the same.

India-US on Pahalgam Terror Attack Latest News Today: A few months after the deadliest Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed over 26 innocent lives, the United States has declared The Resistance Front as a designated terrorist organisation.

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, stated on Friday, informing the public about the same.

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"Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the statement reads.

It further stated, "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack."

"TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," it concluded.

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(For more news apart from India-US on Pahalgam Terror Attack Latest News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Who is Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron, caught with HR Head Kristin Cabot at Coldplay concert?

Both of them were seen with their arms around each other.

Who are Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR Head Kristin Cabot, whose affair is in headlines after the Coldplay concert? For over last 2-3 days, a video is making rounds on social media wherein the Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, and the companys Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, were caught in an awkward moment when the "kiss cam" landed on them during Coldplay's concert in Boston.

After witnessing the oops moment of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the companys Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, even Chris Martin couldn't stop himself and said, "I hope we didn't do something bad."

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Both of them were seen with their arms around each other. They quickly reacted as Chris Martin commented, Oh, look at these two. Byron, who is already married, abruptly pulled away and ducked behind a barrier while Cabot covered her face with her hands, seemingly embarrassed.

Who is Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, and his net worth?

Astronomers chief executive officer Andy Byron, has been associated with the organisation for the last two years. He also served as the President of Lacework from 2019 to 2022, and then as an advisor to the company, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also served as Cybereasons Chief Revenue Officer from 2017 to 2019. His net worth is reportedly between $20 million and $70 million.

Who is Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's wife, and what's her name?

Andy Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, and the duo has two children together.

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Who is Kristin Cabot?

Kristin Cabot joined Astronomer as Chief People Officer in November 2024. She had experience of more than two decades in people and culture leadership. Earlier, she also served in senior HR positions at various companies such as Neo4j, ObserveIT, and Proofpoint. She is also highly respected in Silicon Valley for creating high-performing teams and diverse workplace cultures. She has a Bachelor of Political Science degree from Gettysburg College.

Is Kristin Cabot also married?

If you are looking for Kristin Cabot's husband's name, then let's tell you that she is divorced. As per reports, she finalised her divorce from her former husband, Kenneth Thornby, in 2022, with whom she has one child.

(For more news apart from Who are Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR Head Kristin Cabot, whose affair is in headlines after the Coldplay concert, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
When Will Strict Action Be Taken Against Chinese Imports?

It aims to ensure that any action taken complies with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Opinion: The Indian government has ordered an investigation into the unusual surge in imports of certain items during the month of June. According to media reports, at least 14 products are under the scope of this investigation. These include certain chemicals, steel tubes, various types of glass and glassware, jute products, and different kinds of cardboard.

None of these items are such that they cannot be manufactured in India, nor are they so essential that unrestricted imports are justified. Moreover, these imports are also increasing from countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This raises legitimate suspicion that foreign goods are being dumped into Indian markets by taking advantage of India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with these nations.

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Such dumping is highly detrimental to Indian industries and industrialization. In this case, suspicion primarily points to China, and there are clear reasons for this. However, before taking any serious legal action, the Indian government wants to verify its suspicions. It aims to ensure that any action taken complies with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The key reason behind Indias suspicion lies in Chinas trade data. In May, the United States, under the Trump administration, imposed an additional 25% tariff on Chinese goods. This resulted in a 35% drop in Chinese exports to the U.S., which is Chinas largest export market.

Despite this sharp decline, the overall value of Chinas exports in June did not fall; in fact, it rose by 4%. This is surprising. Simultaneously, imports from China by ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries have increased significantly.

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India has a Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN, meaning that goods traded between India and ASEAN nations face minimal tariffs and trade barriers. As a result, Indian trade bodies and the Commerce Ministry suspect that China may be rerouting goods originally intended for the U.S. market to India through ASEAN countries at lower prices. However, this is not the first time China has been accused of dumping goods in India. The issue has been raised by India at least five times in the past three years.

Currently, China is Indias largest trading partnereven surpassing the United States. The list of products imported from China is extensive. According to the Commerce Ministry, India imports more than 1,400 different products from China. Reading this list, one might feel as though India has ceased manufacturing many of its own goods.

In contrast, the number of products exported from India to China is just a tenth of what India imports. As a result, the annual trade deficit between the two countries reached a staggering $99.2 billion in 202425. India's efforts to reduce this trade imbalance have, so far, been largely ineffective. This shortfall has formed the basis of criticism from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has accused Prime Minister Modis government of compromising national interests.

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Additionally, China has secured mining rights for several rare and valuable metals and minerals through long-standing agreements with poor African and Latin American nations. It is now fully exploiting this monopoly. For instance, the lithium batteries essential to Indias electric vehicle (EV) industry are not being produced in sufficient quantities domestically due to Chinese control over raw materials.

A similar situation exists in the semiconductor industry. Meanwhile, non-essential Chinese items like glassware and flower pots continue to flood Indian marketsdespite the fact that these are already being produced locally. These low-cost Chinese imports are hurting Indias domestic manufacturing sector.

In such a scenario, it is the government's duty to discourage unnecessary imports from China and also take action under anti-dumping laws against ASEAN countries being used as conduits. This is crucial to the success of the Make in India initiative.
Four killed, 12 more injured in past 24 hours as result of enemy shelling in Donetsk region  authorities

Photo: https://t.me/VadymFilashkin/

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian army shelled populated areas in Donetsk 34 times, reported head of the Regional Military Administration Vadym Filashkin.

According to the report, two people were killed and two more were injured in Pokrovsk district.

"Pokrovsk district. One person was injured in Myrnohrad. An agricultural enterprise was damaged in Cherkasy community. In Pokrovsk, two people were killed and one was injured; in Rodynske, a multi-story building was damaged. In Volodymyrivka, Shakhivska community, one house was destroyed and two were damaged; in Zapovidne, two administrative buildings and a multi-story building were damaged," he wrote on the Telegram channel on Friday.

In Kramatorsk district, two people were killed and 10 more were injured.

"Kramatorsk district. In Sloviansk, 28 private houses, a post office, a store and a warehouse were damaged. In Kramatorsk, six people were injured. In Andriyivka, one person was injured, an infrastructure facility, an administrative building and a car were damaged. In Kostiantynivka, two people were killed and three were injured, 37 private houses, two multi-storey buildings and four outbuildings were damaged; in Predtechyne, 28 private houses were damaged," he said.

In Siversk, Bakhmut district, four houses were damaged, no casualties were reported.

Some 294 people, including 23 children, were evacuated from the front line.
Bank First Corp. (BFC), the holding company of Bank First, N.A., announced Friday the signing of an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Centre 1 Bancorp, Inc., parent company of The First National Bank and Trust Co., a nationally chartered bank, under which Bank First has agreed to acquire 100% of the common stock of Centre in an all-stock transaction.

Under the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, each Centre shareholder will have the right to receive 0.9200 of a share of Bank First's common stock in exchange for each share of Centre common stock. The aggregate consideration is valued at approximately $174.3 million, based on the closing price of Bank First common stock as of July 17, 2025 of $125.78 per share.

Bank First customers will benefit from access to First National Bank and Trust's wealth management services, further enriching the value Bank First provides.

Centre shareholders and customers will benefit from Bank First's 40% ownership interest in Ansay & Associates, an independent insurance agency providing integrated insurance, risk management, and benefit solutions to businesses, families, and individuals.

Upon completion of the merger, Steve Eldred will join the Board of Directors of Bank First and Bank First, N.A.

The Boards of Directors of Bank First and Centre have approved the Agreement and Plan of Merger. Subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approval, and approval by Centre's shareholders, the transaction's closing is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2026. The system conversion is anticipated in the second quarter of 2026.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The Canadian market is down in negative territory in early afternoon trades on Friday, with stocks from communications, industrials and consumer discretionary sectors under pressure.

However, the downside is limited as tariff concerns have eased a bit on reports that trade talks between Canada and South American countries, including Brazil and Argentina are in advanced stages.

Also, Canadian Primer Minister Mark Carney is in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump to arrive at a trade agreement before the August 1 deadline.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index, which posted a new record high at 27,422.06 this morning, dropped to a low of 27,332.81, and was at 27,326.73 a little while ago, down 60.20 points or 0.23% from previous close.

Superior Plus is down more than 8%. Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railway and Air Canada are down 3.2 to 4%.

BlackBerry, Pason Systems, Magna International, CCL Industries, Dundee Precious Metals, Alamos Gold, Interfor, Silvercorp Metals, SSR Mining, Lundin Gold, BCE, Pan American Silver Corp, TFI International and First Majestic Silver are lower by 1.6 to 2.7%.

Premius Brands, Novagold Resources, Nutrien, Baytex Energy, Spin Master and Methanex are up 3 to 5%.

TransAlta, Cogeco Cable, Stella-Jones, Cameco, Parex Resources, Whitecap Resources, Kelt Exploration, Aritzia, Linamar, Ballard Power Systems, Brookfield Renewable and Equinox Gold are gaining 1.5 to 2.7%.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Expected to be priced at around Rs 70 lakh, the MG M9 electric MPV will take on rivals such as Kia Carnival and Toyota Vellfire

Having established a strong presence in the mainstream segment, MG Motor is now setting its sights on the luxury automotive space in India. MGs luxury cars will be sold via the brands premium retail network called MG Select. Pre-bookings are currently open for the MG M9 electric MPV and the Cyberster, a two-door electric roadster.

MG M9 launch date, expected price

MG will launch the MG M9 in India on 21st July. The Cyberster is also expected to be launched in July. MG M9 will be Indias first all-electric luxury MPV, expected to be offered at a starting price of around Rs 70 lakh. In comparison, the Kia Carnival is available at Rs 63.91 lakh. Toyota Vellfire is offered in the range of Rs 1.22 crore to Rs 1.32 crore.

It is expected that MG M9 will be imported into India as CKD (completely knocked down) or SKD (semi-knocked down) units and assembled locally at MGs facility in Halol, Gujarat. This aligns with MGs Make in India focus and also reduces import duties. In comparison, rival Toyota Vellfire is imported into India as CBU units.

MG M9  Design, features

Thanks to its large dimensions, the MG M9 has a commanding road presence. The luxury electric MPV is 5,200 mm long, 2,000 mm wide, 1,800 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3,200 mm. MG M9 is thus larger than both the Carnival and Vellfire. Some of the key exterior highlights of MG M9 include split LED headlights, a prominent trapezoidal grille and waterfall-style rear integrated LED tail light.

USPs include 19-inch self-healing tyres with ContiSeal technology. This automatically seals punctures, ensuring worry-free rides. Interiors of MG M9 offer an extensive range of premium features. Second-row captain seats, branded as Presidential Seats by MG, offer a blend of advanced technology and opulence.

Some of the key highlights include a first-in-segment 16-way adjustability, heating and ventilation and 8 massage modes. The presidential seats also have reclining function, lumbar support, adjustable headrest and powered ottoman. All controls can be accessed via the conveniently located armrest touchscreen.

MG M9 has a large panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, premium JBL sound system with 13 speakers and multi-zone climate control. Other highlights include a 12.30-inch touchscreen, a 7-inch instrument cluster, first-in-segment digital display IRVM and PM 2.5 air filter. Just like the spacious interiors, MG M9 offers up to 1720 litres of boot space with the third row folded. Theres a 55-litre frunk as well for added convenience.

MG M9  Performance, safety

A high-performance electric motor powers the MG M9, generating 245 PS and 350 Nm. The MPV uses a 90-kWh NMC battery with aluminium casing for enhanced safety. Claimed range of the MG M9 is 548 km. With an AC fast charger, MG M9 can achieve 0-100% in around 9.5 hours. With DC super-fast chargers (160 kW), charging time is around 90 minutes.

MG M9 is built like a fortress, offering optimal safety for all passengers. In Euro NCAP and ANCAP, the MG M9 has received 5-star ratings. The body is crafted with high strength and ultra-high strength steel. The MPV has 9-airbags and comes with a comprehensive range of ADAS features.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported sales of 26,453 units in June 2025, showing a 2.72% growth over the 25,752 units sold in June 2024. However, on a month-on-month basis, sales declined by 9.66% compared to 29,280 units sold in May 2025.

Toyota Sales Breakup June 2025

The Urban Cruiser Hyryder was Toyotas top-seller in June 2025 with 7,462 units, a strong 74.55% YoY growth, though slightly down by 1.47% MoM. The Innova Hycross also showed impressive performance, recording 5,746 units, up 17.46% YoY and 9.59% MoM.

In contrast, the Innova Crysta saw a sharp YoY drop of 32.39% to 3,056 units, along with a MoM dip of 16.02%. The Glanza recorded 2,938 units, declining 28.65% YoY and 38.19% MoM, while the Fortuner registered 2,743 units, showing a modest 2.54% YoY and 6.69% MoM increase.

Toyotas newest offering, the Taisor, posted 2,408 units in June, down 24.40% YoY and 20.66% MoM. The Rumion declined by 9.64% YoY and 26.19% MoM to 1,415 units. The Hilux pickup, however, showed healthy growth with 349 units, up 47.88% YoY and 8.39% MoM.

In the premium segment, the Camry reported 180 units, growing 25.87% YoY but slightly down 9.09% MoM, while the Vellfire stood out with 156 units, marking a 9.86% YoY rise and a huge 437.93% MoM jump compared to just 29 units in May.

Toyota Sales Breakup Q2 2025

Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported total sales of 80,566 units in Q2 CY2025, marking a growth of 17% compared to 68,411 units in Q2 CY2024. Urban Cruiser Hyryder emerged as a strong performer, clocking 19,677 units, a robust 72.11% YoY growth over the same quarter last year. Innova Hycross also maintained a positive trend with 15,483 units, up 14.02% YoY. The Taisor, introduced more recently, contributed 7,864 units, showing a significant 46.58% YoY increase, while the Rumion grew by 23.88% to 5,794 units.

Other gainers included the Hilux pickup (1,016 units, up 29.76%) and Camry sedan (586 units, up 31.98%). The Fortuner also registered steady growth of 10.72% YoY to reach 8,218 units. However, the company saw volume declines in models like the Glanza (down 9.16%), Crysta (down 13.79%) and Vellfire (marginal drop of 1.91%). Despite individual gains, Toyotas total Q2 numbers were lower due to reduced contribution from key models like Crysta and Glanza.
Photo: https://t.me/osirskiy/

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky met with Chief of the Defence Staff of Great Britain Tony Radakin in Kyiv.

"We have held meaningful bilateral talks with the British delegation. The agenda included the operational situation at the front and the critical needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces," Syrsky wrote on his Telegram channel following the meeting.

He also thanked Radakin, the government and the people of the United Kingdom for their consistent political support for Ukraine and strong military assistance to our Defence Forces.

"I am confident that every visit to Ukraine by Admiral Tony Radakin confirms the effectiveness of Ukrainian-British military cooperation and strategic partnership," Syrsky stressed.
Zelenskyy expresses gratitude for 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia: . This decision essential and timely, especially now

Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and each leader of the EU countries "for consolidation and a common principled position" in approving the 18th package of sanctions against Russia.

A decision by the European Union that we all worked for together. We managed to strengthen the 18th package of sanctions against Russia for this war, and today the package has been approved. I thank everyone who contributed to this, he said on X Friday.

The President especially recognized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and each EU member state leader for their unity and principled stance. I thank President of the European Council Antonio Costa. I also thank Denmark for a truly strong start to its EU Presidency. This decision is essential and timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages, Zelenskyy said.

He noted that the 18th sanctions package continues to target Russias tanker fleet  not only the vessels themselves, but also the captains of the shadow fleet and the companies enabling such oil-financed acts of killing. We will continue applying this pressure.

The European Union is also imposing a stricter price cap on Russian oil  around $46 per barrel. In coordination with other global partners, we will continue working to ensure that the price cap truly cuts Russias revenues. This is possible. We already know how to effectively exert this pressure, Zelenskyy stressed.

I would also like to highlight the EUs decision to ban all transactions related to the gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system, the construction of which was part of Putins preparation for the full-scale war. All infrastructure of Russias war must be blocked, Zelenskyy added.

According to him, the synchronization of European sanctions in Ukraine is currently being prepared, as well as new decisions on sanctions - both at the partner level and in the Ukrainian jurisdiction.

As reported, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) approved the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia on the morning of July 18.

As noted by High Representative of the European Union Kaja Kallas, the EU approved one of the strongest packages of sanctions against Russia since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding, she said on X.
Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held an hour-long conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"I would like to separately note our agreement on training pilots for the Mirages: France is ready to accept additional pilots for training on additional aircraft," Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel following the conversation.

The leaders also discussed in detail strengthening Ukraine's air defenses, including the supply of missiles for the SAMP/T systems and funding for interceptor drones.

"We will prepare joint decisions with France and partners at the level of defense ministers and foreign ministers regarding new steps to protect the lives of our people from Russian attacks," Zelenskyy said.

In addition, the presidents discussed the continuation of work in the format of a coalition of the willing and the implementation of the agreements of the recent meeting. Zelenskyy thanked France for its tangible contribution to the content and promotion of the 18th package of EU sanctions.

"We are working together with our American partners so that Russia feels truly global pressure. Every day that the war drags on must be reflected in truly painful consequences for Russia. We have also coordinated our further political steps with Emmanuel," he summed up.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with newly appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov the work of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and the Staff Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as well as personal tasks in the defense and negotiation spheres.

First, continue working with partners on arms agreements. We must fully implement every agreement with our partners on weapons supplies, as well as new special agreements on establishing joint manufacturing and building production facilities on partners territories, Zelenskyy said on X following the meeting.

Umerovs task will also be to analyze the state of implementation of the decisions taken by the National Security and Defense Council and the Headquarters.

To carry out what has been delayed, and significantly strengthen the format of the Technology Staff. Clear coordination and full execution of decisions in Ukraines defense and security sector are essential, the President noted.

In addition, Zelenskyy expects the negotiating track to be intensified.

The implementation of the agreements from the second Istanbul meeting is ongoing. This process needs more momentum, he stressed.
Discovered by the Large inclination Distant Objects (LiDO) survey and designated 2020 VN40, this trans-Neptunian object is the first confirmed body that orbits the Sun once for every 10 orbits Neptune completes. This discovery, reported in paper in the Planetary Science Journal, helps scientists understand how objects in the outer Solar System behave and how they got there. It supports the idea that many distant objects are temporarily caught in Neptunes gravity as they drift through space.

This is a big step in understanding the outer Solar System, said Dr. Rosemary Pike, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonians Center for Astrophysics.

It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the Solar System evolved.

This is just the beginning, said Dr. Kathryn Volk, an astronomer at the Planetary Science Institute.

Were opening a new window into the Solar Systems past.

2020 VN40 was discovered by the LiDO survey, which searched for unusual objects in the outer Solar System.

This survey used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope for the main survey operations, and Gemini Observatory and Magellan Baade for additional observations.

The survey was designed to search for bodies with orbits that extend far above and below the plane of the Earths orbit around the Sun, part of the outer Solar System that hasnt been well-studied.

It has been fascinating to learn how many small bodies in the Solar System exist on these very large, very tilted orbits, said Dr. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina and a member of the LiDO team.

2020 VN40s average distance is about 139.5 times farther from the Sun than Earth and follows a very tilted path around the Solar System.

What makes the object even more interesting is how it moves compared to Neptune.

Most objects with a simple ratio of the duration of their orbit compared to the duration of Neptunes orbit always come closest to the Sun when Neptune is far away.

In contrast, 2020 VN40 comes closest to the Sun when Neptune is very close by, if you look at their positions from above the Solar System.

The tilt of the objects orbit means that the objects are not actually close, because 2020 VN40 is actually far below the Solar System  they only appear close when flattened onto a map.

All other known resonant trans-Neptunian objects orbit such that they avoid this alignment at their closest approach to the Sun, even in the flattened view.

This new motion is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we thought we knew, said Dr. Ruth Murray-Clay, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

It could change how we think about the way distant objects move.

_____

Rosemary E. Pike et al. 2025. LiDO: Discovery of a 10:1 Resonator with a Novel Libration State. Planet. Sci. J 6, 156; doi: 10.3847/PSJ/addd22
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/EmmanuelMacron

In times of trial and in times of hope, France is and will remain close to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"More than ever, it is necessary to remember that the security, freedom and future of Europe are closely linked to the fate of Ukraine. That is why we, together with our partners, continue to support the Ukrainian people," Macron wrote on X.

He recalled that the partners reaffirmed this determination last Thursday at the summit of the Coalition of the Willing, which brought together 30 heads of state and government, as well as, for the first time, representatives from America.

"Together, we are increasing pressure on Russia to ensure an unconditional ceasefire and the start of negotiations for a strong and lasting peace. In this regard, I welcome the adoption by the EU this morning of a new package of unprecedented sanctions against Russia," Macron added. He stressed that "Russian attacks must immediately stop."
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine

Nearly 270 vulnerable households have received microgrants from the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) to develop or restore their businesses due to the Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities program.

The competition was held across eight regions and the city of Kyiv. A total of 268 participants successfully completed all the required stages and pitched their business ideas, securing places on the final list of grant recipients. The total amount of grant funding awarded is UAH 26.8 million, URCS said on Facebook.

In some regions, participants have already received their microgrants and begun launching projects in the local labour market. Others have signed the Grant Agreement and are awaiting the transfer of funds.

Whether its an apiary, a childrens centre, a hairdressers salon, a small printing company, textile production, or the manufacture of orthopaedic products, the Ukrainian Red Cross has supported a wide range of activities and helped people develop businesses that are important and valued by their communities.

The "Reboot" program, which has been implemented since 2024 and involves internally displaced persons, veterans and their family members, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, is supported by the Red Cross organizations of Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.

A new call for participants for micro-grant support will open soon.
The 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (in the Ramstein format) will be held online on Monday, July 21, under the leadership of the United Kingdom and Germany.

"On Monday, the United Kingdom and Germany will hold a regular meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), which will be joined by the NATO Secretary General, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the US Secretary of Defense, as well as dozens of Alliance countries and partners," the UK delegation to NATO said in a statement on the X social network.

In turn, the NATO press service later confirmed that the Alliance Secretary General would participate in the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

"On Monday, July 21, 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will participate in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group," the statement said.

On July 14, the chief coordinator of German military assistance to Ukraine, Chief of the Planning Staff at the German Ministry of Defense, Major General Christian Freuding, announced during his visit to Kyiv that the next meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues in Ukraine (the "Ramstein" format) "will be held online within the next 10 days." The previous meeting in the "Ramstein" format took place on June 4.
In this image released on July 16, 2025, by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, soldiers are seen celebrating a victory at one of the captured outposts in Nawnghkio, a township that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army controlled for over a year, in northern part of Shan state, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP) AP In this image released on July 16, 2025 by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, soldiers pose for a photo in front of the captured hospital in Nawnghkio, a township that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army controlled for over a year, in northern part of Shan state, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP) AP

BANGKOK (AP)  Myanmar 's military has recaptured a strategic gateway town from rebel forces after nearly a year, state-media reported Thursday, marking a rare turnaround in the countrys northeast, where an alliance of ethnic militias seized a large swath of territory in an offensive that began in late 2023.

Nawnghkio, which sits on a major highway trading route linking central Myanmar to China, had been under the control of the Taang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, a group in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, since July last year.

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Its recapture by the army comes after a long period where the military government had been seen as being on the defensive against an array of rebel forces in the civil war that is being fought over much of the country.

Nawnghkio, which also stands on the highway leading to the major military garrison town of Pyin Oo Lwin, was completely captured by the army at noon on Wednesday after nearly 11 months of operations to retake the town, according to a state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper report on Thursday.

After more than 500 armed engagements, including 20 major clashes, the bodies of 171 members of the TNLA and its allies were recovered and their ammunition supplies were captured, the report said, adding that the military was working to restore the towns administrative mechanisms, remove land mines and ensure the safe return of residents who had fled to avoid fighting.

The newspaper also published photos of the soldiers who had recaptured the town in front of the government offices, hospitals, and markets.

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The Taang National Liberation Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Restrictions on reporting make independent confirmation of the town's recapture virtually impossible, though the army's claim has not been challenged.

However, in a statement posted Wednesday on the Telegram messaging app, the TNLA said it had moved the groups civil administration and service offices in Nawnghkio to safe locations as the militarys intensive offensive operations in the past few months made it difficult to carry out work.

The groups in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which also include the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army, have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from Myanmars central government and are loosely allied with the Peoples Defense Force, the pro-democracy resistance that emerged to fight military rule after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

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Since October 2023, the alliance members captured and controlled significant swaths of territory in in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar. Their victories were seen as forcing the army to go on the defensive over most of the country, while boosting the morale and strategic position of resistance forces.

The recapture of Nawnghkio comes more than two months after the TNLA rejected the military's demands to withdraw from five towns controlled by the group, including Nawnghkio, during talks brokered by China in the Chinese city of Kunming in late April.

China tries to maintain good relations with both the military government and the groups making up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, but fears that the aggressive posture of the rebel groups destabilizes Myanmar, which is a key Southeast Asian ally of Beijing with large strategic Chinese investments in minerals, energy and infrastructure.

Nawnghkios recapture also comes just more than a week after the military claimed to take back the strategic town of Mobye in southern Shan state, which had been seized since late 2023 by another alliance of ethnic armed organizations in the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni.

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Myanmar has been in turmoil since the armys 2021 takeover, which led to nationwide peaceful protests that escalated into armed resistance and what now amounts to civil war.
European stocks finished mixed on Friday with a subdued performance across all major indices across the continent as investors sat on their hands during a quiet day for tariff newsflow.

Markets had risen early on, but had given up most of their gains by the close of play.

The Stoxx 600, which rose for the first time in five days on Thursday, inched 0.01% lower to 547, with small gains in London and Milan offset by falls in Frankfurt and a flat finish in Madrid and Paris.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, noted that while tariffs dominated (and weighed on) market sentiment earlier this week  particularly after last weekend's announcement of a 30% duty on EU imports into the US  risks have receded in recent days as Donald Trump's health has become a focus for some investors.

"The EU and Canada now face the biggest hurdle to agree better terms than the 30% and 35% tariff rates applied to their exports. The August 1st deadline is a risk event for markets, however, with the President toning down his rhetoric, markets are quick to forget tariff risks and concentrate on the positives including a resilient US economy," Brooks said.

In economic data, eurozone construction output slumped 1.7% in May following the biggest monthly surge in four years in April (+4.3%), according to data from Eurostat. The largest monthly falls in production were recorded in Germany (-3.9%), Belgium (-2.2%) and the Netherlands (-1.8%), while the strongest growth rates were seen in Slovenia (+5.4%) and Finland (+0.9%).

The ECB reported that the eurozone's seasonally adjusted current account surplus jumped to 32bn in May from 19bn the previous month.

Meanwhile, German wholesale price deflation picked up to its steepest rate in nine months in June, according to the Federal Statistical Office on Friday. The producer price index fell at a year-on-year clip of 1.3% last month, following a 1.2% drop in May, Destatis reported.

Market movers

Shares in Saab surged 17% in Stockholm after the Swedish aerospace and defence giant reported huge jump in profits in the second quarter and raised its sales guidance, as the business continues to benefit from a rise in geopolitical conflict and defence spending across Europe.

BP gained on the news that it will sell its US onshore wind business, BP Wind Energy, to LS Power, a development, investment and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector.

Vestas Wind Systems gained also surged after JP Morgan upgraded the Danish wind turbine maker to 'overweight' from 'neutral', while Barclays was knocked lower by a downgrade to neutral from buy at Citi following the run-up in the shares.
The government is preparing to scrap Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales, as part of sweeping reforms following a damning review of the sector, according to a report from the Guardian on Friday.

A consultation on creating a new water regulator was expected to be announced next week, the Guardian said, timed to coincide with the publication of a government-commissioned review led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England.

The review, ordered amid public anger over sewage pollution, soaring bills, and financial instability in the sector, was likely to recommend a new regulatory framework and the eventual abolition of Ofwat.

An overhaul would mark the most significant shake-up of the water industry since its privatisation in 1989.

Ofwat had come under sustained criticism for its handling of the sector, including its failure to prevent sewage spills, its oversight of large dividend payments to shareholders, and its inability to rein in spiralling debt levels.

Cunliffes interim findings highlighted that the existing regulatory system had largely lost public trust and lacked coherence, with three separate agencies - Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate - often duplicating efforts and delaying enforcement actions.

He was expected to propose consolidating regulatory powers into a single body.

The most acute pressure point is Thames Water, the UK's largest water company, which is burdened with 20bn in debt and at risk of collapse.

Thames is currently negotiating with Ofwat and creditors to avoid falling into special administration, a form of temporary state control.

A government spokesperson declined to comment on the reports, while Ofwat also made no statement.

However, the Guardian said insiders at the regulator acknowledged concerns over increased investor uncertainty if a replacement framework was not clearly defined.

Environmental data released earlier in the week showed a sharp rise in serious pollution incidents by water companies, up 60% in 2024 to 75 cases.

Thames Water alone accounted for 33 incidents, more than doubling its total from the previous year.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Explosion in Shevchenkivsky district of Kyiv is neutralization of enemy ammunition

The explosion heard by Kyiv residents in the Shevchenkivsky district of the capital on Friday occurred as a result of the controlled explosion of an enemy munition, Kyiv police reported.

"Today, a representative of a utility company, while inspecting a building damaged as a result of an enemy air attack on the capital on June 17, discovered an explosive object in an elevator shaft," the police said in a message on the Telegram channel.

Specialists from the explosives service of the capital's police arrived promptly at the scene and seized the cluster munition.

"Given that this type of weapon is extremely dangerous during transportation, the police destroyed it by controlled detonation in a park area in compliance with all safety regulations," the message said.

The police remind citizens: if you find a suspicious object that may be explosive, immediately report the find to the 102 hotline.
Delia Pitts

(photo: Steven C. Pitts)

Delia Pitts interned at the Chicago Sun-Times before spending 11 years as a diplomat in the United States Foreign Service, serving in U.S. embassies in Nigeria, Mauritania, and Mexico City, along with Washington, D.C., assignments. She later worked as a university administrator before becoming a full-time writer. Death of an Ex (Minotaur; reviewed in this issue) is her second novel about Evander "Vandy" Myrick, the only Black private detective in Queenstown, N.J.

Your series is about Evander "Vandy" Myrick, a former police officer turned private detective in Queenstown, N.J. What was your inspiration for your character?

I started with my own family. I have an older cousin, Esther, who, with her husband, started a small detective agency on the south side of Chicago during the 1960s. They handled things like personal security, security for property, and insurance fraud, nothing violent. Esther was inspiring because at the time not a lot of women, especially Black women, were running private enterprises, certainly not in the area of security. She made me think that a lot things were possible. Esther's last name is Myrick so Vandy is definitely named after her.

How did you shape Vandy?

I wanted her to be an African American woman of a certain age, a woman who is not in her first youth but is still vigorous and lively, funny, sexy, and hard driving. I wanted to create a world for her to go back to when there's a turn in her life.

I wanted her to have the confidence to be a plausible action hero so she's an ex-cop who served on the New Brunswick force, and with the Rutgers campus police. When we meet her [in Trouble in Queenstown] she's had a significant decade of professional law enforcement. She's not a novice in terms of work, experience or her age--she's 48. Her father was a cop, the only Black cop in Queenstown, and she's named after him. He wanted her to be a police officer. When she followed her father's footsteps, she was enforcing his vision of what she could be.

Why is it important to include Vandy's ongoing grief over the death of her 20-year-old daughter, Monica?

The horrendous loss of her daughter is the searing wound that impacts her. It marks her, it gravely wounds her. But the death of her child doesn't define all that she is. She is so much more, larger than that one great tragedy that upended her world. But it is that tragedy that uproots her and she comes back to Queenstown where she grew up to start life again.

So often in books, we see people have life-changing trauma but in the next episode or chapter, they are fine. There are shades and stages of grief and we are seeing Vandy in a different stage of grief--it's been three years--so it's not hitting her the same way it would at the beginning. But the grief is still there. It would not be fair to the nature of grief or to the character of Vandy to just forget and leave it behind. Part of the process for her are the promises she made to her daughter. She doesn't drink alcohol nor carry a gun. In Death of an Ex, I wanted to give her a new level of emotional engagement, to rein in how she deals with grief, and that includes how she deals with her ex-husband who was Monica's father.

I wanted to give her a rich and complicated background to explain her skill set and her psychology. She is a person who has lost everything. And that is where we move in with her.

Why did you choose the small fictional town of Queenstown as your setting?

A small town gives me more opportunities to explore an area. Having characters reoccur in the context of a novel and across the series can make for richer presentation, and more fun. Often, these side characters--and they don't think of themselves as side characters--will give a crucial bit of information and then go away until it's time for them to come back. That's also how a community works. You see people, but then may not see them for a week or a month. Your view of them changes as they walk in and out of your life. That lends itself to the truthfulness of life. There's only about 9,000 people in Queenstown as I have described it, and about 2,000 or less are African American. But the town has a rich history of African Americans living and working there, going back to pre-Revolutionary days.

What drew you to the private detective novel and what makes Vandy different from other private detectives?

The private detective attracts me because it compellingly speaks to the role of the individual in society--the power and the responsibility to stand for the values of a community but also to stand against the community when necessary. I like the flexibility that the private eye gives us. They straddle both sides of the legal line of law enforcement, dancing from one side to the other, exercising judgment, morality. Vandy knows quite well what police procedural is, but her responsibility is individually to her client and more broadly to the community. She knows sometimes those responsibilities are conflict with the law.

I made a conscious effort to make Vandy grow from the tropes of the detective novel but to move against them. Most of those PIs are loners, but I wanted to build a circle of community for her with people who support her. Vandy's reliance on those friends she grew up with, went to college with, is very important. This set of strong women friends translates to mentoring teenager Ingrid Ramirez. While she does have an eye for the gentlemen, she doesn't drink nor carry a gun--both promises she made to her daughter. A gun also is an invitation to violence.

How does your background influence your writing?

My time in the Foreign Service expanded my capacity to write on deadline. I was often the junior member of the team so it was my responsibility to write the proceedings of the conference, and to do that quickly and with great accuracy. That means I learned to listen carefully, to hear what was being said, but also what was intended, the subtle tones being taken by the participants. That is essential to being a good writer and a good fiction writer. I learned how rhetoric plays into the presentation and how language can be used in a variety of ways and settings. I think all writing is persuasive, to move the ideas I have in my head into the head of the reader, to persuade them of the message's depth.

Naturally, the fiction message is quite different. I wasn't writing fiction when I wrote a report on the education system of Mexico to be sent to Washington. But I was still trying to persuade the decision makers of the truths I had uncovered. I wrote many speeches for ambassadors and that means pressure and voice. Voice is very important for characters. In speeches I was writing in the voice of the ambassador, not my own voice. It's very important to translate the vocabulary, background and concerns of the ambassador into their voice. I had to step into the voice of another person. That's an important skill in fiction. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer
The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) secured the seizure of funds and securities worth over $35 million belonging to a former People's Deputy of Ukraine in court.

"At the request of the prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office, on July 15, the court granted the request to transfer to the management of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) funds and securities totalling over $35 million, equivalent to UAH 1.5 billion, which were previously held in accounts in a Luxembourg bank and were transferred to the Asset Management Bureau of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as part of criminal proceedings," the PGOs website said in a statement on Friday.

The direct owner of these funds is the former People's Deputy of the 1st, 3rd-7th convocations, who was also the head of the Kyiv City State Administration, as well as a number of offshore companies controlled by him. The report does not name the person involved, however, according to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, it refers to Volodymyr Makeyenko.

"As a resident of Ukraine, he conducted secret business abroad, in particular, he controlled a number of offshore companies (including those registered in the Republic of Panama, Hong Kong, the Republic of Cyprus, the British Virgin Islands), which brought him income every year. However, the people's representative did not make mandatory tax payments to the state budget of Ukraine," the report states.

The relevant assets, which have signs of illegal origin, were seized as part of criminal proceedings on the grounds of tax evasion on a particularly large scale, which is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office and operational support of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The PGO is taking further procedural steps to establish all the circumstances of the former parliamentarian's illegal activities and to compensate the state for the losses caused as a result of the criminal offenses he committed.
India firmly dismissed NATO Secretary General Mark Ruttes warning of 100% secondary sanctions over Russian oil trade.

The MEA stated that securing affordable energy for its people is Indias top priority and will not be influenced by external pressure.

India continues to import discounted Russian oil, now making up 40% of its oil imports, surpassing $50 billion in 202425.

India has strongly rebutted NATO Secretary General Mark Ruttes threat of imposing 100% secondary sanctions on countries continuing energy trade with Russia, stating that national energy security remains an uncompromisable priority. The firm response came after Rutte warned India, China, and Brazil of severe penalties if they fail to press Russia for peace in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Addressing media queries, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India's energy decisions are guided by market availability and geopolitical realities. Securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets and by the prevailing global circumstances, said Jaiswal. He cautioned the West against applying 'double standards' when it comes to energy partnerships and trade, particularly with Russia.

Rutte, who was recently appointed NATO Secretary General, made the stern warning after meetings with U.S. lawmakers. He called on the leaders of India, China, and Brazil to directly urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to take peace negotiations seriously. So please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India, and on China in a massive way, Rutte said. His remarks appeared aligned with recent warnings by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has floated the idea of 'biting' secondary sanctions of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil if a peace agreement isnt reached within 50 days.

India, however, remained resolute in its position. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed the threat and reassured that India has a diversified energy strategy. We are already expanding our sources  looking at new suppliers like Guyana and continuing imports from reliable partners like Brazil and Canada, he said. Puri reiterated Indias focus on affordable, accessible, and reliable energy to fuel its economic growth.

Russia one of Indias key energy suppliers. Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, India has significantly increased its purchase of discounted Russian oil. Russian crude now accounts for nearly 40% of Indias total oil imports, compared to less than 2% before the war. The value of these imports crossed $50 billion in 2024-25, makingenergy suppliers.

The MEA made it clear that India would not be influenced by external threats in deciding how to secure its energy future. We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following developments, Jaiswal said. Let me reiterate our decisions are based on what is in the best interest of our people and economy.

Indias balanced approach towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while maintaining ties with both the West and Russia, has come under increasing scrutiny. Yet, New Delhi has stood firm, choosing to prioritize domestic stability and economic resilience.

With growing energy demands and a commitment to affordable supply, India is likely to continue its pragmatic strategy, navigating geopolitical challenges without compromising on national interests.
The U.S. has officially labelled The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Toiba proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hailed the decision as a strong step in India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation and praised U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 2025 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians the deadliest since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

In a significant move, the United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The decision follows TRFs claim of responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, marking the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation. Taking to social media, Jaishankar praised U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department for the designation, underlining its importance in the global fight against terrorism. India welcomed the announcement, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar calling it a 'strong affirmation' of. counter-terrorism cooperation. Taking to social media, Jaishankar praised U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department for the designation, underlining its importance in the global fight against terrorism.

"Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist," he stated.

The U.S. State Department emphasized that TRF has not only targeted civilians but also carried out multiple attacks on Indian security forces, including in 2024. It added that the action reflects the Trump Administrations resolve to protect national security and pursue justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

The designation is expected to further isolate the group internationally and restrict its operational capabilities through financial sanctions and global enforcement.
Christopher Terranova of Eltingville was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court on Thursday, July 17, 2025, for sexually exploiting three 15-year-old boys and a 12-year-old boy. (Advance/SILive.com)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A former NYPD officer from Staten Island has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted of sexually exploiting multiple minors, including victims whom he met through his position as a law enforcement officer.

Christopher Terranova, 35, of Eltingville, was sentenced Thursday in Brooklyn federal court by U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto after a federal jury convicted him in November 2024 of sexually exploiting, attempting to sexually exploit, and enticing and coercing three 15-year-old boys and a 12-year-old boy.
Now that fliers will no longer have to remove their shoes during airport security screenings, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that another big rule could be the next to go.

The Associated Press reported that fliers may now be able to carry larger amounts of liquids through Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoints and onto airliners.

During a conference hosted by The Hill publication, Noem said that she is questioning everything TSA does.

The secretary then went on to speak of possible changes to the amount of liquids travelers are allowed to have in their carry-on luggage.

The liquids, Im questioning, Noem said. So that may be the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be.

Noem added, We have put in place in TSA a multilayered screening process that allows us to change some of how we do security and screening so its still as safe.

The Homeland Security secretary gave no details about exactly what those changes might be or how soon jet travelers could expect to see them.

Under current security rules, put in place after authorities foiled a 2006 plot to use liquid explosives to blow up planes, travelers can carry liquids in travel-sized containers of 3.4 ounces or less per item in their carry-on bag.

Those containers must be placed in a one-quart resealable plastic bag. Bigger containers must go in checked baggage, though there are exceptions for medications and baby formula.

Noem earlier this month announced that travelers would no longer be required to remove their shoes while going through screening.

She said a pilot program had shown that TSA had the equipment necessary to keep airports and aircraft safe while allowing people to keep their shoes on.

The shoe policy had been in place since 2006, after shoe bomber Richard Reids failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
Several cannabis products have been recalled by the New York state Office of Cannabis Management for possible contamination. Here, a Cannabis NYC Listening and Learning Tour is held in St. George in 2023.

Several adult-use cannabis products have been recalled due to possible pesticide contamination, according to the New York State Office of Cannabis Management .

The products, produced by East End Flower Farm LTD., are currently being sold at licensed cannabis adult-use dispensaries throughout New York state, the OCM said in an announcement to the media.

Following an investigation, the agency placed the products under quarantine due to concerns about unreliable testing performed by Lexachrom Analytical Laboratory, a laboratory that is no longer permitted to test cannabis products.

The OCM has not received any reports of adverse effects caused by the consumption of these products. It urges consumers to report any incidents related to the use of this cannabis product or any other cannabis product by completing an incident form at https://cannabis.ny.gov/report-an-incident .

To address these concerns, East End Flower Farm LTD retested one of the three affected lots, which then failed for the presence of pesticides above allowable limits set by OCM.

The other two lots subject to this recall were not retested.

The OCM is therefore issuing a recall for all three lots as a precautionary measure, the announcement said.

A full list of recalled products and affected lot numbers is available at cannabis.ny.gov/recalls.

If you are a consumer who purchased any of the affected products and you wish to return the recalled product, contact the retail dispensary where you purchased these products. You can return a recalled product even if you have opened it.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Linda A. Angelone, Woman of Achievement and founder of Wishes Granted and Rainbow Hope died on Jul. 11, 2025. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jul. 21 at Holy Child Church. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Peggy Ann Belle (nee Cuddihy), 68, died peacefully on May 1, 2025, at her home in La Plata, Maryland. Born on Staten Island on Nov. 24, 1956, Peggy dedicated her life to education as a teacher in both regular and special education classrooms. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Ken Parese, 84, died on Jul. 2, 2025 after a brief battle with cancer. Born in New Brighton, Ken attended St. Peters and Curtis High Schools, graduating in 1958. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1959-62. Ken earned a degree in electronics from Staten Island Community College and was recruited by IBM Poughkeepsie. At Kens request, there are no services as cremation has taken place. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Professor Irving K. Robbins died on Jul. 14, 2025 after a valiant battle with lung cancer. Irving became a respected professor of astronomy, physics and computer science at the College of Staten Island, inspiring thousands over five decades of teaching. He fiercely protected Staten Islands environment and championed marine conservation. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Jul. 20 at Menorah Chapels. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story based on data from Legacy.com. It was reviewed and edited by Advance/SILive.com staff.
President Donald Trump has been photographed with a bruised hand, appearing to be covered in makeup, and swollen legs in recent days. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Thursday that President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a chronic condition.

Trump  whose health has come under the spotlight in recent days due to reporters taking photos of his bruised hand and swollen legs  has officially been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency by his physician.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the condition occurs when your leg veins dont allow blood to flow back up to your heart.

Leg swelling, which Trump has experienced, is one of the symptoms of the condition, Johns Hopkins Medicine explained.

Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Dr. Jeremy Faust, who teaches at Harvard Medical School, told CNN the following about the condition: Its basically not alarming information, and its not surprising This is a pretty normal part of aging, and especially for someone in the overweight to obese category, which is where the president has always been. But the bigger concern is that symptoms like this do need to be evaluated for more serious conditions, and that is what happened.

Leavitt read a statement issued by Trumps physician to the press, where the condition was described as a common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.

The tests conducted on the president showed no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease, and an echocardiogram revealed no signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness, according to Leavitt.

As for Trumps bruised hand, the physician attributed it to frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.
Photo: https://t.me/Denys_Smyhal/

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has discussed key tasks and challenges with his deputies, setting clear tasks for each of them in their areas of responsibility.

"We discussed key tasks and challenges: increasing Ukrainian production, high-quality provision of soldiers, debureaucratization and digitalization of processes, strengthening interaction with international partners. We went through each direction in detail," he wrote on Telegram.

According to the minister, he set clear tasks for each profile deputy in their areas of responsibility.

"We must act quickly, coherently and effectively," he emphasized.
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LUMOS Diagnostics (ASX: LDX)

Up 176% (2.9c-8c)

Bulls N Bears Runner of the Week is healthcare solutions company Lumos Diagnostics, which shot out of a cannon after announcing it had signed a pivotal, exclusive US distribution and supply agreement with PHASE Scientific International, valued up to US$317 million (A$487 million).

Lumos is a leader in rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies and specialises in developing and commercialising tests to help doctors accurately diagnose and manage infectious diseases.

Its flagship product, FebriDx, is a rapid test that differentiates bacterial from viral respiratory infections in just 10 minutes using a finger-stick blood sample. Importantly, the technology could help address antibiotic overuse by providing clear clinical guidance for prescriptions.

With operations in the US, mainland China and Hong Kong, PHASE is a multi-billion-dollar player delivering novel diagnostic tools and services for cancer and infectious diseases using proprietary technologies.

The agreement is for the exclusive distribution of FebriDx for six years in the juicy US market - news that saw Lumos share price skyrocket 176 per cent to a high of 8 cents on Wednesday on a massive $6.5 million in stock traded.

The agreement comprises a US$1 million (A$1.54 million) non-refundable exclusivity payment on signing and an additional US$7.5 million in non-refundable prepaid purchase orders, payable in three tranches.

Punters are betting in droves on Lumoss potential to transform respiratory diagnostics in the worlds largest healthcare market. This deal isnt just about dollars and cents, it aligns Lumos with PHASE Scientifics established US network and its proven brand track record of more than 100 million test sales.

With antibiotic resistance a growing global concern, Lumoss tech could save healthcare systems billions, while improving patient outcomes. This weeks share price surge could be a mere appetiser for whats to come if the US Food and Drug Administration gives a green light.



TALI RESOURCES LTD (ASX: TR2)

Up 125% (20c  45c)

Diving late at the line to finish a close second is ASX newcomer Tali Resources, which has seen the greatest day-one listing performance in years. The companys share price shot up a massive 120 per cent on Friday after the names behind the West Arunta darling and 100-bagger WA1 Resources moved while the iron is hot to raise $7.5 million to chase giant copper deposits in the red-hot West Arunta region.

The West Arunta region, near the Western Australian-Northern Territory border, is Australias latest geological frontier. Tali, which was spun out of Agrimin Limited and is led by WA1 Resources director Rhys Bradley, says it controls a massive 4000 square kilometres of tenements in the coveted region. The tenements are adjacent to WA1s Luni niobium-rare earths discovery.

Talis mission is strategic exploration to identify large-scale mineral deposits and replicate its previous success, this time with copper as the primary target.

Punters clearly see Talis potential to repeat WA1s success, with its vast tenement package and focus on copper, a metal in red-hot demand for the global clean energy transition. The feeding frenzy on the first day of trading was evident as more than $1 million in stock was traded for to a high of 45c per share from a raising price of 20c..

The $7.5 million war chest gives Tali the firepower to launch aggressive exploration, with drilling plans set to test high-priority targets across its sprawling tenure.

Its share price got off to a hot start, already doubling on day one, but Tali still has a long way to go to live up to WA1s dream 2022 IPO.

OSTEOPORE LTD (ASX: OSX)

Up 100% (1c  2c)

Taking out bronze on this weeks Runners of the Week list was regenerative medicine company Osteopore Limited. The company shot out of the gates early after it locked in lucrative market approval for its 3D-printed implants in Switzerland under the European Unions medical device regulations.

Osteopores patent-protected scaffolds are made using a proprietary manufacturing technique with a polymer that naturally dissolves over time as it is replaced by healthy, new growth bone tissue.

The bio-resorbable implants stimulate natural bone healing and can be used in neurosurgery, orthopaedics and craniofacial applications to significantly reduce post-surgery complications commonly associated with permanent bone implants.

Operating globally, including in Europe, Asia and the US, Osteopore partners with giants such as Zimmer Biomet to distribute its innovative implants.

The companys share price doubled on Monday to close at 2c per share up from a close last week of 1c on a handy $1 million in traded stock.

The company says its high-value implant range provides market leader Zimmer Biomet with opportunities to offer high-value implants to the Swiss and greater European markets to complement its range of off-the-shelf neurosurgical and craniofacial implants.

This weeks milestone follows Osteopores 2023 transition and a 2024 exclusive distribution deal with Zimmer Biomet, completing its portfolio for off-the-shelf and custom implants targeting Europes US$527.6 million cranial implant market. The market is projected to hit $26.7 billion for custom implants by 2029.

Investors jumped on the news, seeing Osteopores Swiss clearance as a gateway to broader European adoption, especially with Zimmer Biomets clout driving sales in high-value markets.

Osteopores tech is simple but brilliant in a world where traditional implants just needed a tech facelift. With Europes custom implant market looking at explosive growth, this weeks share price surge reflects what could lie ahead for the struggling biotech.

ClearVue Technologies vacuum-insulated solar glazing was installed at the headquarters of Hong Kongs electrical and mechanical services department.

CLEARVUE TECHNOLOGIES LTD (ASX: OSX)

Up 93% (14c  27c)

Snagging our final Runners spot and absolutely flying this week is green-tech company ClearVue Technologies, which says it is ready to roll out its full range of breakthrough solar facade products that promise to transform a glazed building into a solar photovoltaic array.

The company recently underwent a management refresh and on Wednesday announced that its fully certified range of vacuum-integrated solar glazing products, including cladding and spandrels, was ready for order and immediate deployment in projects.

The innovative company plays in the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) sector, developing solar glazing that generates electricity while lowering energy usage and maintaining glass transparency for aesthetic building design.

Its vacuum-insulated glazing (VIG) units, developed with LandGlass Technologys LandVac, integrate solar technology into windows and facades, targeting sustainable construction and net-zero buildings.

Operating primarily in Australia with a focus on Asian markets such as Hong Kong, ClearVues solutions meet stringent fire safety standards for high-rise and high-risk environments.

The company has been turning heads this week, and saw its share price surge 93 per cent to a 27c close on Friday, after ClearVue released stellar results from a trial of its VIG units in the headquarters of Hong Kongs Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

The trial showed a 4.6-year payback period (2.6 years with subsidies) and the potential to offset 74-125 per cent of a 40-storey buildings energy needs.

With certifications in place and a new Hong Kong subsidiary plus an R&D joint venture with LandVac, investors piled in to bet on ClearVues ability to capitalise on Asias sustainable building boom.

The company says its technology is a perfect fit for urban centres racing toward net-zero carbon goals, especially in Asia where high-rise construction is booming.

With its Hong Kong trial success, coupled with a U-value of 0.58  trouncing standard windows  ClearVue is well positioned as a leader in energy-efficient building design.

With Hong Kongs government endorsement and plans for further R&D, the company is poised to turn skyscrapers into power plants, making this weeks share price jump a tantalising hint of the green revolution ClearVue could unleash globally.

EVION GROUP NL (ASX: EVG)

Up 47% (1.9c  2.8c)

Runners this week includes a notable mention for critical minerals player Evion Group NL. Evion kicked into gear on Tuesday, revealing it had been recognised by the European Union as a critical raw materials supplier for its flagship Maniry graphite project in the emerging mining jurisdiction of Madagascar.

Management has recently been jet-setting to meetings with EU-backed funding partners to discuss infrastructure upgrades to support the projects massive export capacity. Evion wants to carve out a niche as a key supplier for the global clean energy transition and says it is focused on developing high-quality graphite deposits to feed booming demand for battery anode materials, particularly for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. It aims to position itself as a vital link in the global supply chain for this critical raw material.

As Europe scrambles to diversify its graphite supply away from dominant players such as China, Evions strategic engagement with European officials signals a fast-tracked development timeline for Maniry.

The move sent the companys share price sprinting 47 per cent from 1.9c at the close last Friday to a high of 2.8c today. With graphites role in the green revolution growing, the $10 million market-capped Evion is more than close to gatecrashing the ASXs Runners list. It could be one to watch if those EU deals turn into dollars.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
Gennaro Autore, founder of global luxury retail advisory Graaf Group. Credit: Oscar Colman While the ultrarich  think the [top] 1 per cent  remain largely insulated, those middle-income aspirational shoppers, once the engine of growth to the luxury category, are tightening their wallets, Rigby said. Mainstream luxury heritage brands are suffering from creative stagnation. The rise of quiet luxury has also shifted spending away from ostentatious labels and towards more subtle displays of wealth as customers become more careful about where and how they splash their cash. Its not like you need a big logo or brand, said luxury retail adviser and Graaf Group founder Gennaro Autore. A lot of people are moving from that direction to quiet luxury, simple things where quality and style overtake the approach of wanting to appear. This is happening in Europe, its happening worldwide.

Chanels Australian sales fell 16 per cent to $499.7 million and its profits slumped 87 per cent to $6.7 million in the 2024 calendar year, financial reports filed to ASIC show. The iconic French luxury fashion house, founded in 1910, has underperformed competitors since aggressive price rises in recent years backfired amid perceptions of declining quality, Rigby said. We recognise that the luxury sector is experiencing fluctuations, a Chanel spokesperson said, and the macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility is unquestionably challenging for business. A model walks the runway during the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2024 in Paris, France. Credit: Getty Images Our philosophy has always been to act and grow with a long-term view, and we will continue to invest significantly in the future.

New York-headquartered jewellery giant Tiffany & Cos revenue in Australia fell 6.2 per cent, with profits nearly halving to $3.6 million. Tiffany has generally struggled to attract younger customers, who are increasingly opting for less expensive brands or alternative jewellery styles, Rigby said. Tiffany went really hard after younger customers a few years ago, but it really backfired as people said it was trying too hard. Chanel, Tiffany & Co and Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani  which is now unprofitable in Australia, having swung to a $33,600 loss after profits of $682,000 a year earlier  have been slow to bring their digital channels up to speed and are struggling to connect with younger consumers as a result, the retail consultant said. Sales for the Paris-headquartered Hermes grew 21 per cent, but this did not translate into higher profits. Prada, which also owns the brand Miu Miu, drove a 6.9 per cent lift in sales and a 22.2 per cent rise in profits to $3.7 million.

The stronger performances from Hermes and Prada have arisen for different reasons; Pradas numbers have been driven by Miu Miu, which Rigby described as a real leader in the luxury space for its appeal to Gen Z. Gigi Hadid in Miu Miu at the Met Gala this year. Credit: Getty Images While Miu Mius product may not play into the exclusivity of wealthier clientele, they cater to younger consumers through experimentation, stylistic innovation and boldness  some of their runway looks and shows are pretty provocative, Rigby said. It focuses less on past icons; rather, they innovate for the future. Meanwhile, Hermes  maker of the elusive Birkin bag, which costs from $13,000 into the millions, with hopeful buyers required to establish a purchase history before they are considered  has turned exclusivity into a whole other level. Its positioned itself extremely well to that higher-end customer, Rigby said.

Scarcity of supply has helped drive some of the luxury markets highest resale values and the retention of highprofit margins, which Rigby estimates for Hermes is double that of Pradas. The Himalaya Niloticus crocodile diamond Birkin 30, with 18k white gold and diamond hardware, fetched a record price at a Sothebys auction: 352,800 euros ($631,540) in Paris. Credit: Christies For most luxury brands, the customer is trained and aspires to buying one item. The trend with Hermes is [that] you aspire to buy the whole wardrobe. Evolution of luxury Consumers are embracing a broader definition of luxury, outside the traditional categories of jewellery, watches and bags. They now consider premium beauty, which has helped local retailers such as Mecca; homewares and furniture; fragrances; and travel accessories, with luggage brands such as July experiencing significant growth.

Gen Z consumers are also entering the luxury category in ways that deviate from their older counterparts, with a particular preference for thrifting from secondhand sellers and online marketplaces. The pre-owned luxury market has boomed as it combines the demand for vintage and collectors items with the growing preference for more sustainable ways of consumption. Treetacha Treepechsamakoon, who has collected nearly a dozen high-end handbags, prefers buying vintage items from resellers than newly released stock. The new ones, Im not impressed [by] because I feel like they have, lately, bad quality, she said. Treetacha Treepechsamakoon visits Glebe Markets twice a month to check out what vintage designer gems she can find. Credit: Dean Sewell [Customers] want to find the best value ... You dont have to care about the [brand] name sometimes, maybe it can be hidden somewhere, but you can feel the quality. Vestiaire Collective, Vinted and Resellify are three online platforms with higher turnover thanks to the demand for pre-loved goods, said Graaf Groups Autore. Companies such as Cettire have also undercut luxury giants through relationships with European distributors and retailers looking to offload excess stock that Cettire then sells directly to customers.

Theres a bit of bitterness in terms of finding an item that [customers] have purchased the day before, offered on one of these platforms at as much as half of that price that they paid, Autore said. Loading Younger consumers enthusiasm for dupes are also challenging luxurys claim on exclusivity, Rigby said. From our research, they prefer edgier, social-media native labels over traditional heritage icons, he said. Theyre really embracing lipstick moment splurges at the moment. Its currently all about small luxuries, even outside of the beauty category; look at Labubus, Yo-Chi, concerts, et cetera.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal held a meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov, during which the parties discussed, in particular new deliveries of weapons.

"We discussed the situation at the front, increasing the defense independence of our state, the needs of the military. We are preparing new deliveries of weapons for our defenders, in particular with the support of international partners. It is important that any offensive attempts by the enemy are defeated by the power of the Ukrainian army," Shmyhal said on Telegram on Friday evening following the meeting.

He added that together with Hnatov and Syrsky they will work together to fulfill tasks to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Lei and Xiaomis charisma, brand recognition and ecosystem cannot be underestimated, Yale Zhang, the managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, said. Its a big influence on young consumers who have filled their homes with Xiaomi products. When it comes time to buy an EV, they naturally think of Xiaomi. But building cars is a far more complex, capital-intensive challenge than making phones or rice cookers. It requires mastering safety regulations, global logistics and production at scale, all while competing against legacy automakers with long histories and large model line-ups. Any international expansion will also require navigating complex geopolitical landscapes. As one of the first tech giants to actually manufacture a car, Xiaomi is in uncharted territory. Apples failings Apples car project, internally dubbed Project Titan, failed in large part because it wasnt just an EV  it was at one point an attempt to leapfrog the auto industry with a fully autonomous, Level 5 self-driving machine. Its goals were lofty and the direction constantly shifting, the result being over a decade of effort with nothing to show. Lei, 55, was comparatively stingy with time and resources and staked his personal reputation on the endeavour, claiming that making cars would be his last entrepreneurial project.

Xiaomis public narrative is that Lei and his team learnt by visiting multiple Chinese automakers, including Zhejiang Geely and Great Wall Motor, and talked to more than 200 industry experts in some 80 meetings. A Xiaomi YU7 electric SUV on display at a showroom in Shanghai. Credit: Bloomberg The reality is also that he used Xiaomis reputation as an innovative consumer behemoth to get close to Chinas large carmakers and pick off their top talent. Geely and its billionaire founder Li Shufu welcomed Lei to the automakers research institute in Ningbo in the months leading up to Xiaomis announcement that it would enter the car business, to discuss topics including potential collaboration. Its Geely lore that Lei added the WeChat contacts of many staff at the institute, including then-director Hu Zhengnan. Hu later joined Shunwei Capital Partners, the investment firm co-founded by Lei. Xiaomi headhunters also courted Geely staff intensely, according to people familiar with the matter. While its common for talent to move between companies in the same industry, it was unusual to see this level of aggressiveness around recruitment, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing information that is private. Geely didnt respond to a request for comment.

Hu, known for his love of the German luxury marque Porsche, was one of the team members credited as being instrumental to developing Xiaomis EV business, Lei said at the SU7 launch in 2024. Lei added that Hu left his previous employer after his contract ended. Other executives who joined Xiaomi came from companies including BAIC Motor, BMW, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co  the General Motors joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp and Wuling Motors Holdings Ltd  and auto supplier Magna Steyr LLC. Besides assembling top Chinese automaking talent, Lei made a prescient bet on investing in a self-controlled supply chain  insulating Xiaomis operation from manufacturing vagaries. This came from painful lessons learnt in Xiaomis early smartphone-producing days, when external suppliers would cut off components unpredictably. In 2016, some members of Xiaomis supply chain team displeased Samsung representatives and the South Korean firm threatened to halt supply of its industry-leading AMOLED screens. To mend the fractured relationship, Lei flew to Shenzhen to meet with Samsungs China head at the time. The pair drank five bottles of red wine during their dinner meeting, according to a Xiaomi company biography, and Lei also made multiple trips to Samsungs headquarters in South Korea to apologise and negotiate the resumption of supply. Representatives from Samsung declined to comment.

After Xiaomi went into the car making business, it invested into almost all parts of the EV supply chain, from batteries and chips to air suspension and sensors. It pumped more than $US1.6 billion via Shunwei or other Xiaomi-led funds into over 100 supply chain companies between 2021 and 2024, according to data compiled by Chinese analytics firm Zhangtongshe and Bloomberg. Loading The components from some of the companies that Xiaomi invested in have ended up in its cars, such as lidars from Hesai Technology Co. and onboard chargers and voltage converters from Zhejiang EV-Tech Co. With the 10 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) it committed to the first phase of its EV venture, Xiaomi also built its own factory, rather than going down the contract manufacturing route that some Chinese makers, including Nio and Xpeng, did when they started out. Among tech companies that now build electric vehicles, those who previously had hardware products seem to be more successful than those who only had software products or information services, said Paul Gong, UBS Group AGs head of China autos research.

Copycat allegations Despite its early success, there are many who argue Xiaomis one-hit car is copied from elsewhere  and that a sole successful vehicle does not a successful auto producer make. Leis aggressive approach has also raised hackles in Chinas car industry. Yu Jingmin, vice president of SAICs passenger car division, reportedly described Xiaomis approach as shameless in a critique of the SU7 resembling Porsche. The SU7 has been colloquially dubbed Porsche Mi by netizens. SAIC didnt respond to questions about Yus remarks. Xiaomis design team, led by former BMW designer Li Tianyuan, has defended the SU7s aesthetics, emphasising that the choices were driven by aerodynamic efficiency and performance benchmarks. In late March, there was another setback after a fatal accident involving the SU7. The car had its advanced driver assistance technology turned on before the crash, which afterwards led to authorities reining in the promotion and deployment of the technology. The usually vocal Lei kept a low profile on social media for more than a month after the March accident. He returned to more active engagement in May with a missive that said this period of time was the most difficult in his career.

A rendering by UK car lease company Vanarama of what the Apple Car could have looked like, based on patent filings. Apple abandoned the project last year. Credit: Vanarama Fortunately for Xiaomi, its consumer base is sticky. Known as Mi fans, the loyal customers have played a pivotal role in the companys rise. Xiaomi cultivated this fandom early on by prioritising user feedback, and the grassroots allegiance has helped it build strong brand equity, especially in China. The SU7 has remained a top-selling model even after the accident in March. Dealers have reported that nearly 50 per cent of customers plump for the SU7 without comparing it to other brands. A significant number of older consumers are buying the SU7 for their children, indicating that the model has built trust among more conservative buyers thanks to its safety and quality, said Rosalie Chen, a senior analyst from investment research firm Third Bridge. Small scale Xiaomi has set a delivery target of 350,000 units in 2025, up from its previous goal of 300,000, buoyed by demand for the newly launched YU7 and a ramp-up in production. The starting prices for the SU7 sedan, at 215,900 yuan ($46,427), and its SUV, at 253,500 yuan, make them competitive alternatives to models such as Teslas Model 3 and Model Y.

The EVs are also showing financial promise. Xiaomi posted record revenue for the first quarter this year, driven by car and smartphone sales. Its EV division is expected to turn profitable in the second half of 2025, Lei said in an investor meeting in June. But even if the popularity of Xiaomis EVs can spring beyond the companys devoted base, production is still on a much more boutique scale. Chinas top car brand, BYD, sold around 4.3 million EVs and hybrids last year, many overseas, while Tesla moved about 1.78 million vehicles globally. Toyota, the worlds No. 1 automaker, sold some 10.8 million vehicles and boasts a line-up of approximately 70 different models. Lei doesnt seem to be prioritising the mass market of below $US20,000 yet, which drives significant volume and is where BYD dominates, Automotive Foresights Zhang said. Without a line-up in that segment, Xiaomi cars will remain niche purchases for middle to higher-income consumers and Xiaomi may face the same risks as Tesla, which is seeing its sales slump, exacerbated by a narrow consumer base and limited models. Nonetheless, Lei seems buoyed by Xiaomis early wins and is now looking at global expansion. Xiaomi will consider selling cars outside China from 2027, he said earlier this month.
Capital Gain

Singers, glittering acrobats, a smattering of politicians and long-time club officials gathered at Cabra-Vale Diggers Club in Sydneys west for its centenary birthday bash.

Along with book signings, the club is spending $230 million on building a new Novotel and giving itself a facelift to transform into a resort-style centre, catering for western Sydneys growing population.

The 100-year-old club will rebrand as Cabravale Club Resort. Credit: Google Streetview

The 100-year-old club will rebrand as Cabravale Club Resort, an integrated hospitality venue with a new dining precinct and large area of entertainment and event spaces. The Novotel is under construction ahead of Sydneys second international airport opening at Badgerys Creek.
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Eating outSandwich Watch This halal Underwood shop will rekindle your love of steak sangers Perfectly cooked wagyu, shokupan, fries, Swiss cheese and pecorino. Theres nothing extraneous about this creation. It might just be the perfect steak sandwich. Matt Shea July 18, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Bilal Ghumra wasnt looking to open a sandwich shop. He wasnt even looking to open a burger shop. Instead, he wanted to open a pizza shop. So how did he end up with all three? Well, actually, its two shops. But in one. Lets explain. The Goatd steak sandwich at Fatty Patty in Underwood. Markus Ravik Fatty Patty, a burger shop by accident Bilal and his brothers Zainuddin Ghumra and Shehzad Ghumra, and father Imtiyaz Ghumra, are best known for BurgerMe, their Calamvale burger joint that became a minor sensation for its halal smashed patty burgers.

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The Ghumras sold BurgerMe in May last year with the intention to open a pizza shop, Sams Pizza, in Kuraby. The only issue? Turns out, the property it sat on was being resumed. So we had to relocate the pizza shop, Bilal says. But where we ended up relocating to is [three] times the size. We had to fill the space, so Fatty Patty was born. Related Article Brisbanes best places to eat and drink Fatty Patty shares a simple shopfront with Sams Gourmet Pizzas on the northern side of Underwood Marketplace. Walk through a door off the outside car park and youre presented with two counters  pizza on the right, and Fatty Patty on the left  and a small dining room (most of that extra space is occupied by a much larger kitchen). The Fatty Patty menu leads with a bunch of burgers  a couple of cheeseburgers, an All the Way burger that adds lettuce and tomato, a chicken burger, a plant-based burger, and a snack-sized cheeseburger. Theyre different to BurgerMe, though, Bilal says.

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BurgerMe was more of a hybrid  so a thick patty, not completely smashed, he explains. Fatty Patty, weve gone full smash. And then we have the sandwiches. Youll find Fatty Patty and sister venue Sams Gourmet Pizzas at Underwood Marketplace. Markus Ravik Ah, yes, the sandwiches. That is, after all, what were here for. The burger shop that keeps selling out of sandwiches Below the burgers on Fatty Pattys menu are a clutch of sandwiches. These, it turns out, are its killer app. The first time this masthead visited late during lunch service on a weekend, the shop had sold out of sangers.

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Fatty Patty actually had to take a timeout on its most popular sandwich, the Fatz Signature, after the Ghumras discovered they hadnt prepped enough house-smoked and cured pastrami. Were a halal restaurant, Bilal says. Being Muslim, I couldnt really find anywhere to eat a nice deli-style sandwich, or even pastrami in a sandwich or anything like that. We thought, sandwiches are semi-trending right now, so we went with it. The Fatz Signature sandwich. Markus Ravik The first week we opened, the pastrami did take us by surprise. We cure it in-house and smoke it in-house, its a bit of a process. So we did a fair bit and were, like, This should be good for two weeks, maybe three. And by the Friday we thought, Oh no. So we had to pull it off the menu temporarily so we could catch up with stock levels. The Fatz is a Swiss precision variation on a Reuben served on shokupan bread, hence its popularity. Beyond that, theres the Mama Mia mortadella focaccia, and the Silly Sam mozzarella and pesto sandwich, also served on focaccia.

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And then theres the Goatd. The humble steak sandwich gets a major upgrade Steak sandwiches are a perennial afterthought, often propping up the menu at a burger joint, fish and chip shop or pub. Our [steak sandwich] was inspired by a trip to Melbourne, where a few places were doing a steak frites sandwich ... even if I felt sometimes they took things a bit far. Bilal Ghumra We wanted to have some sort of steak sandwich because we felt they were a bit hit and miss, Bilal says. They werent really getting the proper attention around town. Afterthought is the right word.

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Ours was inspired by a trip to Melbourne, where a few places were doing a steak frites sandwich. They were very nice, even if I felt sometimes they took things a bit far. The Goatd is designed to flip the script on the traditional steak sandwich. And the six-seven score wagyu beef and shokupan bread its served on are bold starts, but this isnt some sort of over-the-top blockbuster. Instead, everything has its place. Theres Swiss cheese; griddled onion along with pickled red onion; fresh tomato; a considered scattering of fries; a spinach and rocket mix; a premium off-the-shelf whole egg chipotle mayo; and a final sprinkle of pecorino once the sandwich is sliced. Theres nothing extraneous on the Goatd. In will rekindle your love of the humble steak sandwich. Markus Ravik The Swiss cheese adds a sweet, nutty flavour that helps smooth the mouthfeel; the pickled red onion provides a lovely tangy crunch; the chipotle mayo is velvet smooth; and the pecorino a lovely piquant, appetising touch.

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Normally fries in a sanger could amount to carb-on-carb crime but not when combined with the shokupan, which is a lovely, luscious number the Ghumras have sourced locally and given a quick toast on the griddle. Its a bit of a masterstroke  there are no shredded gums with this thing. And then theres that wagyu: cooked medium to render down the fat, the choice of beef means this is a touch more spenny than your average steak sandwich, but youll hardly care. The Goatd and the Fatz Signature are Fatty Pattys two biggest selling items. Markus Ravik Theres absolutely nothing extraneous on the Goatd  no stunt ingredients  and its an absolute joy to eat (in about three minutes in our case, because its so easy to demolish). Its the reinvention of the steak sandwich weve been waiting for. We thought the sangers would be an add-on to the burgers, because we do a really great smash patty, Bilal says. But the Fatz and the Goatd are our most popular items.

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Where to get it Fatty Pattys Goatd steak sandwich is $26. You can get one at Shop 44/3215 Logan Road, Underwood. But maybe aim for an early lunch to avoid disappointment.

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Walk down Forest Road and the signage might point to restaurants with roots in Taiwan, Myanmar, Sichuan and Xinjiang. Heres where to find the best dumplings, noodles, roast goose and more.

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Speak to someone who grew up in Hurstville and theyll tell you that in the 90s, the library was just about the only high-rise in town. Today, the streetscape looks different, with more apartment blocks, more chain restaurants and a Westfield right in the centre. But among the new, theres still plenty to remind you that this southern Sydney suburb lives and breathes, with stories behind every shopfront. One of those stories belongs to David Chan, whose father, Tak Ming, and uncle Chi Sun-cheng founded Sun Ming Restaurant on Forest Road in 1995 after emigrating from Hong Kong. Chan, who grew up among the clatter of woks, runs Sun Ming today, offering classic Hong Kong cafe dishes to multiple generations of diners, each finding different layers of meaning in plates of pork chops over rice or stir-fried beef noodles. Sun Ming has been at the heart of Hurstville for more than 30 years. Jennifer Soo Chan has seen Hurstville change dramatically over his lifetime. During his childhood, he recalls many of the shops reflecting the historical British and Irish roots of the community, along with Italian and Greek. The 1990s brought a shift as Hurstville became the centre of the Hong Kong diaspora, before more migration from mainland China made it home to one of Sydneys largest Chinese communities. There were only a few Chinese restaurants when we first started, Chan says. But now there are a lot of different Chinese restaurants, and not just Cantonese restaurants any more  the variety is a lot better than it was 30 years ago. Walk down Forest Road and the signage might point to restaurants with roots in Taiwan, Sichuan, Hubei, Shanghai or Xinjiang, while those remaining Cantonese restaurants are now institutions, from Hurstville Chinese Restaurant to Canton Noodle House. David Chan on wok duties at Sun Ming. Jennifer Soo

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For someone without Chinese heritage who grew up in the area such as Jean-Paul El Tom, co-founder of Babas Place, that sense of community wasnt as accessible. But finding the links between his own Lebanese roots and regional Chinese cuisine set off ideas that inspired what has become one of Sydneys most singular restaurants. Finding out about northern Chinese and central Chinese food was a big eye-opener for me, he says. I remember I came home one day from school, and I was walking up the stairs to the apartment, and I could smell what I thought was my mums cooking because it was very garlicky, oniony, but I opened the door and no one was at my house. It was actually the neighbour, and it just made me feel nostalgic and safe, but she wasnt cooking Lebanese food, she was cooking Chinese. Outside Super BBQ on Forest Road. Jennifer Soo When El Tom then visited Shang Lamb Soup, where Simon Jing began to educate him about the common threads between northern China and the Middle East in the lamb, cumin, nut pastes and sesame seeds, it changed everything. Shang Lamb is what I hold onto the most from Hurstville, says El Tom. It taught me about how the food that people bring in their suitcases from other countries, and the food that we grow to know about when we live in Australia, is not really the entire picture. These snapshots and crossovers are everywhere on Forest Road.

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1 / 4 Shang Lambs super lamb soup with potato noodles. Jennifer Soo 2 / 4 If youre into cumin, salt and all things ovine, come on down to Shang Lamb Soup. Jennifer Soo 3 / 4 Special chilli oil noodles. Jennifer Soo 4 / 4 Sweet and tender barbecued lamb skewers are three for $6. Jennifer Soo Previous Slide Next Slide Shang Lamb Soup Its six years and counting for Simon Jing and Suki Wu, who in tiny surrounds run one of Sydneys most distinct restaurants, focusing on all things ovine rendered in Shanxi style. The signature lamb soup  milk-white, clean and complex  is reason enough to drop in, with marinated grilled lamb and translucent potato noodles adding heft, but theres plenty more to get around. Barbecued lamb skewers, or ribs, or even a shank, come hot and crisp-edged from the grill, with sweet-salty cumin for sprinkling. Offal fans can sink into a soup flush with tripe, heart and lung, while lamb fried rice is a staple for groups overloading the tables. Theres a sister restaurant, Super Lamb Soup, in Chatswood too. 6/380 Forest Road, Hurstville 1 / 4 Banh mi destination Kings Hot Bread. Jennifer Soo 2 / 4 Kings Hot Bread. Jennifer Soo 3 / 4 Kings Hot Bread. Jennifer Soo 4 / 4 Kings Hot Bread. Jennifer Soo Previous Slide Next Slide Phu Cuong Kings Hot Bread Kings has been pumping out Hurstvilles most revered banh mi since 1997. Open from 6am, and renowned for the generosity of their fillings and the scope of their menu, the only question is which way to roll. Go classic with a banh mi thit, and red onion adds a little something extra to a comforting staple. Break the mould and things go from as simple as a schnitzel roll to as hefty as ones stuffed with chicken and dim sum  together at last. Dont sleep on the wings either, full of satisfying crunch, or the prospect of adding crunchy fried chicken bits to any sandwich.

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273 Forest Road, Hurstville 1 / 4 The steamed seafood platter at Taste of Shunde. Jennifer Soo 2 / 4 Taste of Shunde owner Sam Luo. Jennifer Soo 3 / 4 Preparing stir-fried milk at Taste of Shunde. Jennifer Soo 4 / 4 Taste of Shunde. Jennifer Soo Previous Slide Next Slide Taste of Shunde Named for the district in southern China considered to be the birthplace of Cantonese cuisine, Taste of Shunde is nothing if not an experience. A refresh has transformed the downstairs portion of Sam Luos restaurant into a brightly lit specialty grocer, but head to level two and the surrounds are swish, complete with chandeliers and a discreet childrens playground open during yum cha hours. Come nightfall, groups load up the table with Shunde signatures, centred around an epic steamed platter of intricately arranged coral trout from the tanks, say, sauced three ways, then lined with pipis and prawns and served on a bed of slippery sheet noodles. Roasted or marinated goose is a must, as is cloud-like fried milk, and a bracing salad of iced bitter melon brought into check by salted peanuts and fried taro, but there are wins all over the menu. Here and in Eastwood. 9-11 Crofts Avenue, Hurstville Table-top games at Memorial Square near Hurstville Station. Jennifer Soo

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Hurstville Central The shopping centre above Hurstville railway station is in a constant state of flux, with stalls opening and closing as often as the vending machines are replenished with the next set of Pokemon cards. Join the grab-and-go line at Tans Dumpling and Bun and the hot box is filled with freshly made bing, steamed buns stuffed with shallot-scented pork, and crisp-based dumplings, all made by a brigade of skilled aunties folding and shaping behind the scenes. Tubs of pigs ear salads, cold skin noodles and more are also on hand to stock up the fridge. Cho Express is always a good call for braised pork or Taiwanese fried chicken, while Bengong Metro is the place for pillowy butter rice cakes and custardy croissant egg tarts flavoured with taro. Hurstville Central, 225 Forest Road, Hurstville 1 / 4 Mohinga noodles at Blue Heaven. Jennifer Soo 2 / 4 Blue Heaven. Jennifer Soo 3 / 4 Blue Heaven. Jennifer Soo 4 / 4 Blue Heavens bingsu. Jennifer Soo Previous Slide Next Slide Blue Heaven At first glance, Blue Heaven looks like a Thai dessert cafe, flush with plastic mangoes, a stall selling banana fritters and a menu listing towering Thai tea-flavoured bingsu. But this brightly lit newcomer also happens to serve some of Sydneys most nuanced Burmese cooking. Opened in April by Tommy Young, who previously ran Pink Peppercorn in Paddington, its specialties are some of Myanmars most renowned dishes, here rendered in full colour. Expect bitter, fragrant laphet thoke, the salad of fermented tea leaves with funk from fish sauce and dried shrimp and crunch from peanuts and sesame seeds, or rich, complex mohinga, the fish noodle soup brimming with chopped egg and satisfyingly crunchy lotus root.

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Since forever, Ive had a mythical place in my head where I send people who seem appalling. Its called Grub Island, and since forever, the mayor of Grub Island has been Wayne Carey.

I find him and his behaviour repulsive. Indefensible. Ive recoiled at his history of violence, his smug arrogance. The way he skated through a high-profile, lucrative media career in spite of being accused of glassing his girlfriend and pleading guilty to assaulting a woman in the street.

Wayne Carey has slammed the people who filmed him exiting a bathroom in Melbourne. Credit: AAP

For a while, I hated that the same masthead which pays me to write here also had Carey on its books. The man was handed a microphone and column inches and a redemption arc, all of which was one big fat middle finger to women everywhere.

So yeah, Ive never defended Wayne Carey. Which is why it surprises no one more than me that I agree with him on something.
A regiment of Tiger helicopters have been grounded, and an investigation launched, after one was damaged in the Northern Territory during the Talisman Sabre military war games this week.

The army Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter experienced a hard landing, according to Defence, at Timber Creek in the Northern Territory on Wednesday.

Two crew on board were unharmed and able to exit safely, Defence said in a statement.

An Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopter during exercises in June. Credit: Tadek Markowski

The aircraft sustained damage during the incident, Defence said.
Imagine this. You walk into a warehouse filled with smart furniture and homewares. You are invited to take whatever you like. Sofa? Table? Cushions? Theyre all yours. Free of charge. With free delivery. It was such a surreal thing, says 21-year-old Eva, who had the experience early this year. At first, she felt a bit overwhelmed, she remembers. Somewhere in the back of her head, a voice was telling her that the goods on display were out of her league. But the people who helped me, they were so kind. They were like, Nah, you deserve this. 

Eva, left, in ReLoves Sydney warehouse, with cofounder Ren Fernando. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Eva is a beneficiary of ReLove, a scheme that serves a double purpose. First, it assists individuals in need. Second, it rescues tonnes of furniture and household items that, despite their quality, might otherwise have gone to landfill. The warehouse, in the inner-Sydney suburb of Alexandria, is laid out like a snazzy showroom. We call it the ReLove Free Store, says Ren Fernando, a former architect whos one of the founders of the non-profit enterprise. About half the stock is first-rate used furniture, much of it given by corporations and hotels doing refits and redecoration. The rest are surplus new pieces, donated by furniture and homewares companies.

ReLoves clients are people at difficult points in their lives. Escaping domestic violence, for instance. Or arriving in this country as refugees. Or rejoining society after serving time in prison. For one reason or another, they have to set up house from scratch. Fernando says the aim is not only to equip them with necessities but to boost their spirits by giving them the opportunity to select items that will make their places feel like home  from rugs for their floors to pictures for their walls. The warehouse is really beautiful and joyous, she says. Its designed to make people feel theyre shopping in a real store, except everything is free. Retail therapy without the bill.

Fernando and former investment banker Ben Stammer launched ReLove in 2021. As Stammer says, they started small: It was just the two of us hiring a van and driving furniture around. Now weve got 10 warehouse and delivery staff, supplemented by volunteers. They kit out about 25 households a week, supplying each with furnishings worth $10,000 or more. Were effectively a logistics business with a huge social heart, says Stammer, who plans to expand operations to Melbourne.
Crumbling buildings at Callan Park in Sydneys inner west will be demolished to make way for more green space, amid community concerns about a proposed legal tweak that would allow commercial activities on the parklands.

The NSW government will spend $4.8 million knocking down nine condemned buildings at the heart of the park over the next two years, freeing up 1.6 hectares of land for recreation.

Locals Cynthia Nadai, Bronwen Campbell and Hall Greenland with one of several old buildings in Callan Park that will be demolished. Credit: Janie Barrett

The government is eager to bulldoze the dilapidated structures, which it has labelled an eyesore as well as safety hazards and targets for vandals.

Callan Park is a jewel in the crown of the inner west, but these nine buildings have been left to deteriorate beyond repair, becoming a stain on the parks reputation, Planning Minister Paul Scully said.
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 Like most people, I am appalled by the behaviour of Mark Latham (Time to eradicate Latham from parliament, July 18). I met him many years ago at an ALP meeting when he visited Kiama. He was totally different from the man we see today. Quiet, respectful, interested in our views, he presented as an intelligent man who shared our aspirations for our country. What happened? He seems to have evolved into the antithesis of that early self; one who is more to be pitied than scorned. Whatever the reason for the change, he quite obviously he did not get the help he needed. Somewhere our system has failed him, resulting now in a deeply flawed man. Nola Tucker, Kiama Credit: Alan Moir I think it is time for the NSW Parliament to consider reducing the eight-year term in the Legislative Council to four years. Many voters choose a party rather than an individual politician. If a politician runs as a member of a party, gets elected and then leaves that party to become an independent, I do not think the voters original choice is being respected. Furthermore, politicians, like any other employee, should undergo regular performance reviews. Some politicians seem to forget their role as representatives of the citizens of this state, and not our masters. Political, legal and social standards are their KPIs. Eight years is too long a term for voters to wait to exercise our right to remind politicians of this fundamental truth. Carmen Terceiro, Beecroft Mark Latham is not dark and dangerous. Few people take him seriously. Your editorial calling for him to be run out of parliament on the grounds of he said, she said allegations and for believing he is superior to others is tantamount to an attack on our democracy. If we start changing the rules to run out elected officials because some people dont like him, we will wind up with a society as divided as the US. Paul Davies, Crows Nest Its a measure of how regressively destructive the #MeToo era has become that a serious newspaper would advocate ejecting an elected politician from our democratic parliament on the basis of allegations made by an ex-lover that are yet to invoke any formal charges. The re-normalisation of wowserish curtain-twitching and public hysteria about private and consensual sexual behaviours is almost complete. Jack Robertson, Birchgrove Not for a second would I defend Mark Latham, but I will call out the Herald for calling anyone a cockroach. This is playground name-calling. Shall we just start calling people pigs, dogs, snakes or vultures? Sue Dellit, Austinmer Lathams erratic behaviour has been public knowledge for many years. What does that tell us about the voters who elected him? Judith Lowe, Whale Beach

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To think Mark Latham almost became prime minister. Australia is indeed the lucky country. Bernie Bourke, Ourimbah Walls and bridges What a miserable lot the Coalition are (PM hits back at claims of indulgent China trip, July 17). Anthony Albanese is in China attending multiple meetings, mending broken bridges (thanks Scott!) and forging new economic, social and political relationships, and all the Opposition can see is indulgence and a waste of taxpayers money. You can bet if the PM had not gone, they would be accusing him of missing the opportunity to advance Australias status in the Pacific. No wonder they were slammed at the last election. Patrick McGrath, Potts Point Anthony Albanese and Fu Ni the giant panda. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer The Coalitions critical commentary of the PMs visit to China reeks of hypocrisy. To call out visiting Chinas Great Wall and a panda centre as indulgent obviously does not respect the fact that the Chinese government organised these trips. Just as our diplomats would organise a visit to see koalas and the Opera House. Trying to rebuild a relationship that was trashed by the previous government would be a priority for future governments. Lee-Ann Groblicka, Turramurra It is most disappointing to see Liberals Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor and the right-wing media undermining our country while the PM is in China drumming up trade on our behalf. They are overlooking the fact that Labor prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke opened up trade with China, which has contributed in a major way to the wonderful standard of living we enjoy today. Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads If nothing else, the current tug-o-war between China and the US over the allegiance of Australia, real or imagined, is doing wonders for our sense of national self-importance (No free lunch with Xi, as Trump may tell PM, July 18). I wonder if theres any chance of it leading to an AuCUS agreement. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills

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Value judgments In his article (Albanese is being pressured to choose Trump or Xi. Why not both? July 18), Shaun Carney states that China is an authoritarian state with which we have few shared values, whereas theres America  which is moving quickly away from what we previously believed were a comprehensive set of shared values. I doubt it is seen that way in the minds of the community at large. The US, historically, has been a great force for good, but it has been a global bully for decades, becoming the most aggressive and violent country in the world. Trumpism is just making abundantly clear what has long been the reality below the surface. Australian politicians for years have been prepared to go along with this charade on the grounds of these supposed shared values, which are never defined. Apart from dragging us into numerous wars, this has meant that our governments have refused to address the major challenges and threats facing Australia, for fear of upsetting our US friends. Not least of these are climate change and environmental degradation, where policy since the 1980s has been dictated by US fossil fuel pressure, which continues today. We may have differences with China, but at least it is taking action on these existential threats  which is far more aligned with Australian values as expressed at the last election. Ian Dunlop, Gordon Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and China President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer Like him, loathe him or fear him, President Xi Jinping provides a clarity of purpose and intention that his peers dont. Im not praising him, but we should be grateful for that, as the motives and unpredictability of Putin and Trump and a swath of lesser leaders causing fear and death have us all at peak anxiety worrying about whats next. If Xi leaves Taiwan alone, history will likely be kind to him, while the rest of the worlds so-called strongmen leaders are already doomed to be remembered as egotistical loose cannons, much as many of us adjudge Xis predecessor, Chairman Mao. Andrew Cohen, Glebe Salaried workers slugged hardest Thank you, Chris Mangan, for questioning the need to pay more tax (Letters, July 16). It was Kerry Packer who memorably said: I am not so impressed with the way you spend it that I would give you any more than I have to. I spent more than 20 years of my professional life helping the top-end pay the least amount of tax for which they were liable. The bottom end  the cash economy  does not pay its share because it only accepts cash. It is the middle, the salaried workers, who pay their obligations in full because it is automatically deducted from their salaries. So, middle Australia, do you want to do anything about this? I dont want a country where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Do you? Helen Wright, Paddington Correspondent Chris Mangan wrote that 26 million people in Australia were contributing to the tax revenue. The most recent figures, however, for tax returns in 2023/24 consisted of 15.7 million returns. More worrying is that there were 91 people earning more than $1 million who paid no tax at all. The average PAYE taxpayer cannot indulge in these legal shenanigans to avoid paying tax. What the government needs to do is crack down on these high-flyers, corporates and multinationals who are leaving the burden for the less wealthy to bear. Australia is the second-highest, after Denmark, in terms of personal income tax as a share of total tax revenue, though as a percentage of GDP, at 27 per cent, it is below the OECD average of 33 per cent. The same writer urges the government to trim its sails. I suggest it rather puts up a spinnaker to catch the breezes that are not being utilised. Michael Bright, Moss Vale

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Learned articles in 1985 correctly predicted the massive rise in house prices that would be caused by Labors new capital gains tax and the tax-free status of the family home. History is now repeating itself because the easiest recommended escape from Labors new super tax is to divert the excess funds into tax-free family homes, further worsening affordability. Labor is creating another dangerous taxation monster that, instead of feeding on the wealthy, will instead cause much unintended harm to the wider community. William S. Lloyd, Denistone Jobless rate no surprise Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright thinks the rise in the jobless rate is a shock to markets and the RBA (Jobs data places the Reserve in the spotlight, July 18). However, as a regular cyclist on the northern beaches, it is no shock to me. On weekends, the southbound transit lane at Long Reef transforms into a second-hand car yard. It is a real-time barometer of the state of the economy, without the time lag of the ABS, and has been building steadily for months. Richard Wallace, Balgowlah The unemployment rate rose to 4.1 per cent in June. Credit: Louie Douvis Its of hardly any consequence that the RBA has not recently reduced its cash rate further. Theres no evidence that such reductions have any material impact on aggregate spending. If an increase in spending is required, the government must step up. An increase in unemployment benefits financed by an increase in taxes would do the job without any need to borrow. Simple. Mike Bush, Port Macquarie

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Misplaced concerns Given the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism provides that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic, can correspondent Fernanda Trecenti (Letters, July 18), Ed Husic or any of its other detractors please explain how exactly its adoption would prevent legitimate criticism of Israels actions in Gaza, or indeed any legitimate criticism of Israel. This claim makes me wonder if those making it have actually read the definition. Mark Kessel, Caulfield North Ed Husics concerns about the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism are misplaced (Former minister breaks ranks on antisemitism report, July 17). The definition does not silence criticism of Israel. It explicitly states criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Dismissing the IHRA definition as dangerous or heavy-handed ignores the current reality facing Jewish Australians, who have endured a sharp rise in antisemitic threats and abuse since October 7, 2023. At a time when even Jewish school students are being harassed as well as Jewish institutions attacked, calls to delay or dilute efforts to address antisemitism risk signalling that the safety and concerns of Jewish families are not a priority. Nathalie Samia, Queens Park Gaza church attack Israel has repeatedly struck schools, refugee shelters, hospitals and civilian homes, but the Catholic Church strike, sheltering the elderly, mainly women and children, some with disabilities, has to be the last straw (Israel bombs the Gaza church that late pope called every day, July 18). Apart from the senseless killing, what makes me so sad is that there is not one world leader game enough to stop this madness. Corrado Tavella, Rosslyn Park (SA) Catholics attend a mass for those who lost their lives in the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza. Credit: Getty Images Israel has shelled the only Catholic church in Gaza accidentally. Given the rapidly climbing count of unintended civilian hits, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the IDF is the most incompetent military force in history. They have bombed any middle ground into oblivion. Ron Polglaze, Hazelbrook

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For two decades, Labor voters have hidden their embarrassment over having vested their hopes in Mark Latham. Amid the latest Lathamisms  a term for a squalid little ooze of gall from the so-called upper house  it is worth pausing to remember what he offered when he became federal opposition leader in 2003.

Presenting as articulate and intelligent, Mark Latham had worked, in his 20s, for John Kerin, Gough Whitlam and Bob Carr, and had been mayor of Liverpool Council at age 30. He has a Sydney University economics degree and played footy for the Liverpool Bulls. His book Civilising Global Capital, published when he was 37, described a crisis for the industrial working class as one of structural and technological change that could be addressed through education, upskilling and the ladder of opportunity.

Illustration by Dionne Gain Credit:

By 2003, Latham argued that under the leadership of Kim Beazley the party had drifted from the reformist ambition of Whitlam, Hawke and Keating. Beazley, softened by years in government, had been too weak on the republic referendum and Tampa, too bipartisan over Australias subservience to George W. Bushs fraudulent invasion of Iraq, too nice to take up the fight to John Howard and his conga line of suckholes (another Lathamism).

When he became leader, Latham was also, appealingly, an outsider, criticising the factional system that brought down Beazleys successor Simon Crean. Latham offered plainspoken independent thinking and genuine opposition to the Howard government. One of his mentors, former senator Stephen Loosley, said he had a gift for speaking past Canberra and straight into Australias lounge rooms. Mungo McCallum wrote that Latham had many qualities that were not only desirable and attractive but are in short supply in todays ALP. One of Lathams key internal supporters was Julia Gillard. Under his leadership, Labor recruited Peter Garrett and, in his first year, Latham was easily outpolling Howard.
Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Robert Brovdi (call sign Magyar) took part in the Landeuro international conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, dedicated to land forces in Europe, at which he stated the need for an urgent revision of the national security doctrines of NATO countries, the AFU said on its Telegram channel on Friday.

"I do not know which of the NATO member countries is capable of defending a specific city of its own, receiving 200-300 Shaheed UAVs seven days a week. Therefore, your national security requires an urgent revision," Brovdi said.

The Unmanned Systems Forces commander said Ukraine's experience in waging war using drone technology will be invaluable to all its allies. According to him, the common interest of Ukraine and its partners is to continue the fight against the aggressor, and Ukraine is ready to share its experience with those countries that support it, the commander said.

He said the 12 units of the Unmanned Systems Forces Group, which make up 2% of the number of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, are currently responsible for the destruction of every third enemy target. "We do not see any end to the war  neither tomorrow, nor, probably this year. We are pragmatically calculating our future and see the greatest threats that will affect, if this war does not end, a large number of countries that will be involved in it in the future," Brovdi said.
A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and impregnated by a Queensland man, who was this week extradited from Sydney.

Iosefo Lui, 39, was brought back to Queensland on Friday after his arrest over an alleged incident in Townsville in 2023, Queensland Police said.

He is facing three counts of rape and one count of indecent treatment of a minor.

Queensland police brought the 39-year-old back to Queensland after his arrest over an alleged incident in Townsville in 2023.

Detectives from Townsville travelled to Mount Druitt in Sydney, where a court granted the extradition.
Four months since closing for unscheduled maintenance the Dendy Coorparoo cinemas remain closed  and some locals have despaired of them reopening.

A note on the company website since March advises that Dendy Coorparoo is currently closed for maintenance works. We apologise for the inconvenience.

A Facebook post later that month advised: We will make an announcement on our social channels when we have news.

Dendy Coorparoo cinemas in May, 2025. The cinema is closed for unscheduled maintenance. Credit: Nick Dent

Thank you for your patience as we work through essential maintenance repairs required in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred.
Brisbane woke to a sunny day on Saturday, but it was a different story late on Friday, when hail and wild weather affected parts of the south-east.

A severe storm warning was cancelled early on Friday night, but not before the Bureau of Meteorology reported hailstones about two centimetres wide in Laidley, south-west of Brisbane, about 4pm.

Later, about 5.50pm, hailstones two to three centimetres wide were recorded in Moorooka in Brisbanes south. Hail was also reported in the south-west suburb of Oxley.

[Two centimetres] is not small, but its not giant, Morgan Pumpa from the weather bureau said.
The head of Queenslands embattled state-run forensic testing lab has resigned weeks after being asked to explain why she should not be removed from the job.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington announced the news that suspended Forensic Science Queensland director Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde would leave, effective immediately, on Friday morning.

Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde has moved to Griffith University. Credit: LinkedIn

Wilson-Wilde has been in the job since September, appointed by then-health minister Yvette DAth a day before the government entered pre-election caretaker mode.

Frecklington suspended Wilson-Wilde, issuing a show cause notice for her removal, late last month after a pause in testing sparked by contamination issues.
The July 19 Edition

It was easy to miss, so little was it reported. In March, the United States was added to a global human rights watchlist over its fast-declining civil liberties under Donald Trumps administration. The CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, an alliance of civil society groups that highlights the threats to civil liberties across the world, denounced Trumps assault on democratic norms and global co-operation. Australia, too, copped a volley of criticism earlier this year for its escalating crackdown on the right to protest. Democracy and human rights are flip sides of the same coin: both need to be incredibly robust. In a world thats increasingly resembling The Hunger Games, the role of our human rights institutions has never been more vital. Hugh de Kretser, president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the subject of our cover story this week, has a tightrope to walk at a time of increasing social polarisation and acts of hate crime. If were to maintain harmony as a nation, respecting one anothers human rights is the absolute starting point. Greg Callaghan, acting editor.
A group of Victorian traditional owners have won a decade-long legal contest against the state government, gaining exclusive and non-exclusive native title rights to sections of land spanning from Mildura to the South Australia border.

The landmark ruling in the Federal Court on Friday provides recognition for the traditional owners of the Millewa-Mallee  including those who identify as Latji Latji, Ngintait and Nyeri Nyeri people  and grants them exclusive possession over areas reserved or held in trust expressly for Aboriginal people, such as properties owned by Indigenous corporations.

Traditional owners of the Millewa-Mallee area (from left), Latji Latji man Shane Jones Snr, Nyeri Nyeri elder Wendy Brabham and Ngintait man Timothy Johnson. Credit: Mallee District Aboriginal Services

It is the first time exclusive native title has been granted in Victoria.

In her judgment, the result of a 10-year-long negotiation between the traditional owners and the state, Justice Elizabeth Bennett said this was testament to the strength of the Indigenous community and their ancestors.
With an interest in top-end investigations, he eventually made his way to the homicide squad that led to cases with massive public profiles, including becoming a foundation member of the Purana gangland murder taskforce. Long before the Erin Patterson mushroom case dominated the headlines, Melbourne was fascinated with the 2002 Society Murders. Like the mushroom case, Matthew Wales prepared a drugged meal to kill his relatives, mother, Margaret Wales-King and stepfather, Paul King. Matthew Wales on the day of his arrest in 2002. Credit: Ben Richards On April 4, he drugged their vegetable soup, then bashed them to death when they were unconscious, burying them in a shallow grave near Marysville. Their bodies were discovered about three weeks later by two park rangers.

In the Wales-King case, the media scrutiny was intense with journalists doing their own investigations. You would wake up wondering what headlines we would be facing, Stamper says. It was just luck we found the bodies. A couple of park rangers were driving along when one glanced and saw what he thought was a lyrebird nesting mound. They checked it out and found them. Matthew Wales confessed and was sentenced to 30 years with a minimum of 24. Experienced at homicide, Stamper had to change his thinking when he took over the suspicious missing persons unit. In homicide the priority is catching and convicting the offender. In missing persons, it is about finding the body for the sake of the families.

There is no grief like that suffered by the families of the missing. There is no such thing as closure, but finding remains can provide some answers, he says. Of all the big cases there was none bigger than the disappearance of High Country campers, Russell Hill and Carol Clay. On the evening of March 20, 2020, camping at Dry River Creek Road in Wonnangatta Valley, Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn had a dispute with Hill. It ended with Clay and Hill dead and Lynn engaging in a detailed cover-up. Gregory Lynns sketch of the Bucks Camp site for police; Gregory Lynn (top right); Carol Clay and Russell Hill. What he did to those people is beyond imagination, says Stamper.

After dark by torchlight and headlights he gathered the couples possessions, removed the gunshot-damaged external mirror from Hills camper and put them inside their tent. He forensically cleaned the area, placed their gas bottle inside the tent, slightly opened the valve to cause a fire rather than an explosion to burn the evidence. He left Hills empty wallet to make it look like it may have been a robbery, then drove to one of the remotest parts of Victoria to dispose of the bodies. Not satisfied, he later returned to pulverise and burn the remains to make sure they would never be found. In the early days Lynn emerged as a person of interest. If we could eliminate him, we could move on, but we couldnt. The more we learned about him the more concerned we became, says Stamper. He created the maximum amount of confusion. He was brilliant, evil but brilliant.

Police knew he had been in the area at the time, that Hills phone had pinged close to where Lynns four-wheel-drive was recorded on a road camera and the suspect had painted his car a different colour after the couple had disappeared. Loading But they would need more. Stamper and the team decided to use the media to add pressure on Lynn, using the frog-in-a-pan method, slowly ramping up the heat until it was too late. In October 2021, 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo contacted Stamper with a request to do a story on the missing campers. Knowing Lynn watched the program, Stamper agreed on the condition the story would run three weeks later. Stamper enlisted the victims families to talk and provided the footage of Lynns car leaving the mountains as Hills phone pinged.

When it went to air, Stamper says, I was literally sitting on the edge of the couch watching the program, biting my nails. I was thinking, What if its not him? We would have been back to square one. Brett Florence with Andrew Stamper at Wonnangatta. Credit: Sarah Abo Then the twist. It was the final episode of The Block that ran one hour overtime. Lynn and his wife went to bed without watching it. But they recorded it, and they watched it a week later. To add pressure, police planted another story in the Sunday Herald Sun and began planning the arrest phase, but that changed when Lynn changed his plans. Stamper says the suspect had five days off and was to go camping in the Grampians. Instead, he drove the other way back towards the High Country. We were dealing with a heavily armed, high-functioning psychopath. We believed he was a suicide risk and if he killed himself, we would never find out what happened to Russell and Carol.

It would have to be a high-risk arrest in the bush with the suspect armed with deadly hunting rifles. Loading When six Special Operations Group members emerged from the bush carrying machine guns Lynn was cooking steak and mushrooms. He was cool as a cat, saying Whats going on? When he was told he was being arrested [over the deaths] he said, I thought Id already sorted that out. As part of the plan, Stamper wanted to get to know Lynn. I had them stop at Licola on the way to Sale to pick me up. I introduced myself as the head of the investigation. He said, Good day Andrew, nice to meet you. He was in crisis management and completely calm.

His interview with police continued over several days and would later be criticised in court with much of it deemed to be inadmissible. Stamper defends the process. If we had stopped the interview, he would have walked away and would still be flying at Jetstar. We would never have known what happened to Russell and Carol. Lynn believed he was the smartest person in the room and was enjoying the challenge. He gave a version along with selective no comments. When we entered the challenge phase we told him certain things he said couldnt have happened. Painted into a corner he went with Plan B as he always had a contingency plan. This version he repeated in court. There had been an argument, Hill took a gun from Lynns car and in the subsequent wrestle Hill accidentally discharged the shotgun, hitting the rearview mirror and then Clay, killing her instantly. Lynn said Hill then attacked him with a knife, fell and fatally stabbed himself. He claimed he panicked, cleaned the crime scene then removed and destroyed the bodies.

A jury convicted Lynn of the murder of Clay but acquitted him on Hill. He has appealed. Loading Recently investigators returned to the scene to repair and clean a small memorial to the victims  so there is somewhere for the families to visit. They followed the same route Lynn had taken to dispose of the bodies and return to Melbourne. We went through there in daylight. He went at night towing a trailer  it was a masterful piece of navigation. It was scary in the day let alone at night. Stamper mentions the key investigator in the case, Detective Sergeant Brett Florence. He spent years of his life committed to this case with passion, skill and dedication. His work was the best I have ever witnessed.
In Albaneses talks with Chinas president, he did not shrink from the difficult topics. He chided Xi for failing to give Canberra any notice of Chinas naval exercises and live-fire drill off the Australian coast earlier this year. He urged Xi to allow more Australian investment. He asked for the release of the detained Australian writer and onetime Chinese diplomat Yang Hengjun, under a suspended death sentence. Loading On Xis part, he showered Albanese with every favour. The Chinese Communist Party has an elaborate system for managing foreigners, waishi, designed to achieve Mao Zedongs aim to make the foreign serve China. Nothing is left to chance. Its increasingly clear that Chinese President Xi Jinpings preferred Western leader is Anthony Albanese, the ABCs Bang Xiao concluded. The evidence? A six-day trip across China. A private lunch with Xi. The decision to prioritise Albanese over the foreign ministers of India and Russia, and more than four minutes of prime-time coverage of his visit on the 7pm CCTV News.

Further, Xi was punctiliously polite and calculatedly warm. From what we know, he chose to sidestep Beijings gripes against Australia. For example, most Australian media outlets whipped themselves up into a lather anticipating that Xi would scold Albanese for daring to force the Port of Darwin out of Chinese ownership. The Chinese leader didnt mention it once. Much of the Aussie media wanted a drama. Xi had decided to give them only a romance. It was to be a happy visit for the Australian leader. Why was Xi so determined to hand Albanese a diplomatic bouquet? Three reasons. First, on the specifics of the Darwin Port, its trivial in Chinas formulations. Beijing is manoeuvring to cement state shareholding in a portfolio of some 50 ports worldwide, all currently owned by CK Hutchison. This would give Chinas state-owned Cosco a stake in ports from London to Germany, from South Korea to Jakarta, from Mexico to Malaysia, and dozens more including ports in Sydney and Brisbane. Why make a fuss about Darwin? The second reason, and by far the most important, is that Xi and Albanese were acutely conscious that they were playing their parts in a pregnant moment: the reordering of global power.

Xi has long said that the East is rising, and the West is declining. But Donald Trump is accelerating the Wests decline at a rate Xi could not have dreamt in his wildest fantasies. Xi is portraying China today in studied counterpoint to Trumps America. Where Trump is alienating allies, Xi is extending the hand of friendship. Where Trump is imposing tariffs, China is offering new deals. Where Trump is madly erratic, Xi is projecting calm stability. Loading One striking indicator of how Xis China is offering benefits to other countries in contrast to the brickbats from Trumps America: The Griffith Asia Institute reports that Xis Belt and Road initiative has entered into $US124 billion in new deals with other countries in the first six months of 2025. That is its fastest pace yet. Xi is determined to capitalise on the opportunity that Trump presents. Xis lovemaking to Albanese this week was intended as a showcase moment for the rest of the world. And it worked for Albanese politically. With Trump refusing to meet him, hes demonstrating that Australia has other options, that Australia will continue to deal with the world without reference to the US.

Besides, Australia has had a deal on the table in Washington for over three months now. Among other things, its an offer to give the US guaranteed security of the supply chain of Australian critical minerals. The Trump administration hasnt bothered to respond. With no interest from Washington, Albanese proceeded to Beijing where a different deal, and potentially an enormous one, was on offer. Its the potential for Australian and Chinese companies to partner in the production of green iron. Australias biggest existing export  iron ore  is facing a serious squeeze. Andrew Forrests Fortescue is leading a push to create new trade: to process the ore into green iron in Australia, for export to China. Albanese promoted the plan this week; Beijing is interested. If it proceeds, it could be two to three more times as valuable to Australia as its current rock-based export trade. Economist Ross Garnaut advised Bob Hawke in how Australia could take advantage of Chinas nascent boom in the 1980s. This week, Garnaut told me that Albaneses trip is as important as Bob Hawkes trip to China in 1984 that set up the iron ore trade. Its the future of the Australian economy. China and Australia are practising mutual geopolitical pressure, and mutual economic release.

In 2014, I wrote a paper for the Lowy Institute titled The Adolescent Country. It argued that Australias foreign policy was parochial, US-dependent and immature. Albanese is showing evidence that its maturing. Hes not kowtowing to Beijing nor fearing Washington. Loading Its an improvement. But much more remains to be done. How would Australian foreign policy experts encapsulate the countrys international stance today in a book title? I asked the heads of four research centres. The US Studies Centres Mike Green, referencing Geoffrey Blaineys famous Tyranny of Distance, proposed The Tyranny of Disinterest. Why? He suggested that Albanese lacks interest in the China threat and that Trump lacks interest in the liberal world order. The Australian Strategic Policy Institutes Justin Bassi came up with Letting Others Decide. Why? Avoiding hard conversations with Trump, he elaborates. Avoiding criticism of Beijing. Avoiding investing in defence that would actually give us some leverage. That means were drifting, neither to safety nor nowhere but into rocky trouble.
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 Karwan and Sara watch as smugglers hoist Mohammed, their six-year-old son, and Alina, their four-year-old daughter, onto their shoulders, wade out to sea, and bundle them onto an overloaded dinghy. Behind them, a crowd of 200 or so migrants are herded like cattle, waist-deep in the water, waiting their turn. The people smugglers shout and shove them into position. More than 70 passengers are eventually squeezed on board the barely seaworthy vessel, their feet dangling over the side, ready to motor towards Dover. A French police patrol boat lazily circles the inflatable dinghy, watching the chaos unfold. It is 6am on Gravelines beach, and all in a days work for the smugglers who increasingly control this sweeping stretch of coastline. All they have to do now is wade through the surf and head back unhindered towards the dunes 300 metres away to regroup and plan tomorrows crossings. The scenes are painfully familiar to any of the 1200 gendarmes deployed along Frances northern beaches. Some told Londons Telegraph they are outmanoeuvred and outnumbered by the smugglers, who adapt their tactics at pace. We are helpless ... there is a French expression donner de la tete, we are overwhelmed and dont know where to start, we dont know where to go, there are so many boats leaving, says Marc Musiol, a French border police officer in Pas-de-Calais.

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One well-placed international policing source labelled the situation a failure. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 22,360 arrivals via small boats into the UK  an almost 60 per cent increase on last year. Families try to make their way to a small boat just off the shore in Gravelines this month. They were unsuccessful and made their way back to the beach to try another day. Credit: Getty Images The numbers are rising as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promises to smash the gangs and hails a new deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to stem the tide. But authorities here suggest the one-in, one-out pledge is not worth the paper it is written on. Some also pour scorn on Macron for talking tough without following through with concrete changes. The scene on the beaches of Gravelines this week is one replicated along the coast of northern France day in, day out, when the weather permits. In the early hours, police patrol cars scour the 200 kilometres of coastline between the border of Belgium and the Bay de Somme estuary. Police use drones fitted with night-vision technology to scan the dunes where the migrants, mostly young adult men, will camp for the night before they attempt to cross the Channel.

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But the distances make it easy for smugglers and migrants to hide from stretched authorities. Gendarmes drive beige 4x4s in teams of three, moving down the shoreline and surveying the waters for inflatable dinghies. Gravelines  the distances make it easy for smugglers and migrants to hide from stretched authorities. Credit: Getty Images We are here every night, it is always the same, it never changes, one officer said as he patrolled a beach car park. The migrants are everywhere. The London Telegraph encountered six patrols in the space of two hours during a 3am drive from Calais towards Wimereux, a seaside commune south of Boulogne and another known hotspot for Channel crossings. Interceptions remain scarce. Smugglers launch simultaneous crossings from up to 10 beaches to divide police attention and resources. Pre-inflated dinghies are launched from waterways and canals dozens of kilometres from the pick-up point and sail down the coast. The smugglers use weather apps, such as Windy, on their phones to help them plan their crossings. The apps provide up-to-the-second information on wind speed, direction and the swell.

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Sentries linked to the smuggling gangs are posted in the dunes and near the camps to watch for the boats. They alert over the phone that the dinghy is arriving and that it is time for its passengers to get on board. A dinghy that was intended to be used by migrants lies in the mud after being abandoned in a canal following a problem with the outboard motor in Gravelines this month. Credit: Getty Images Musiol, the border police officer, said: There are always small groups of smugglers who know our beaches very, very well. Often carrying nothing other than orange life jackets around their necks, the migrants sprint across the beach, hoping to do so before the police have time to react. Sometimes officers do, and fire a salvo of tear gas from grenade launchers. But this is often not enough. You have smugglers and their friends who throw stones at the police officers to distract them and to get the migrants onto the boat as quickly as possible, one officer said. He estimated there are only three to six police for every 50 migrants trying to enter the sea. We have a lack of officers and you have a huge, huge amount of the coast to monitor, he said. It is not possible with the number of personnel the border police have, the gendarmerie, to monitor this entire stretch of coastline and beach. The camps where migrants live are even more lawless. Inside the main camp at Loon Plage, 12 kilometres south-west of Dunkirk, shootings and stabbings between warring gangs for control of the best beaches are commonplace. On July 8, a 44-year-old Kurd from Iraq was shot five times in the legs at the camp.

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Migrants wash themselves at makeshift water taps in the Grande-Synthe migrant camp in Dunkirk. Credit: Bloomberg About two dozen armed police were deployed that day to quell the violence. The month before, two migrants were shot dead and another five injured. Balkan crime groups have established themselves as the dominant players in orchestrating the operations, but police sources say East African gangs out of Eritrea, especially, are rivalling them. One police source with knowledge of the people-smuggling gangs said efforts to stop the migrants were futile without a strategy to break up the wider smuggling networks. If you are dealing with it in Calais, you have failed, you are never going to succeed, they said. You have got to look at it earlier on and deal with the cause of all of these problems. They are going to keep trying. A week later, they are going to give it another go. What else are they going to do, camp in Calais for the rest of their life? Its just not realistic. Locals along the coast, meanwhile, are fed up with seeing their coastline dominated by years of crisis and inaction.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a call with Vladimir Putin and stated the crucial importance of the third round of Russia-Ukraine talks, which he also proposed to hold in Istanbul, the Turkish presidential office reported on Friday.

"President Erdogan stated that the start of the third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is of crucial importance, and that Turkey will continue to hold talks in Istanbul as soon as appropriate dates are determined for the parties," according to the statement on the X social network.

He also stressed the importance of Israel not violating Syria's sovereignty, and stated that Turkey seeks to ensure stability and security in Syria and help the country recover as quickly as possible.

As reported, the second round of negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia, coordinated by Turkey, took place in Istanbul on June 2. The main agenda for discussion was supposed to be a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners of war, and preparations for a meeting at the leadership level.
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 Carrolltown, Pennsylvania: The crispy skin of a whole roasted pig sits on a bed of aluminium foil next to the buffet table. Men and women pile their paper plates with pulled pork, sausages, beans and sauerkraut, and park themselves at picnic benches while they wait for the speeches. A cardboard cut-out of Donald Trump watches over proceedings, a crown on his head and a copy of the Constitution clipped to his arm. This is the Cambria County Republican Pig Roast in Carrolltown, a small town in south-west Pennsylvania, two hours east of Pittsburgh and two hours west of the state capital, Harrisburg. The locals  and some out-of-towners  are gathered in a timber pavilion at the American Legion Park, next to installations of an M60A3 tank, AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter and an M5 anti-tank gun. Im here to find out what Trumps supporters think about the US presidents first six months back in office, during which he has wielded enormous executive power, shaken financial markets, bombed Irans nuclear facilities and upended political institutions at home and abroad. Polls show some Americans have turned against Trump since his inauguration, with an average approval rating of 44 and disapproval of 52  roughly the inverse of January. Economic management was the primary source of his decline, with voters spooked by his sweeping tariffs and focus on matters other than their hip pocket. And this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trumps approval rating on immigration  traditionally his strong suit  fell to a low of 41 per cent. It coincides with a blitz of migrant arrests, especially in California, including raids at peoples workplaces. But in Carrolltown, as DJ Tommy Gunnz works the decks and party volunteers chat about coming local elections, everybody is agreed on Trumps best achievement. Securing the border, says 25-year-old postal worker Lucas Taylor, who wears a red MAGA cap and a USA T-shirt. If I could give him a grade, it would probably be at least an A.

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Lucas Taylor says if he could give Donald Trump a grade, it would be at least an A. Credit: Michael Koziol Cambria County used to be reliably blue, with Democrats carrying it from Jimmy Carter to Al Gore. Barack Obama won narrowly in 2008, but voters turned on him in 2012, and ever since, Trump has dominated with nearly 70 per cent of the vote. Retiree Sharon Karlheim, who is in her 60s, says Trump is doing a great job, but there is a lot more to do. She wants to see more undocumented immigrants deported, and more of Trumps political enemies arrested. We see a lot of investigations, we see a lot of talk, she says. So far, I havent seen arrests being made for the things that have happened in the past administration. Im not going to name names, but I would like to see some arrests. People that were treasonous to this nation. I would really like to see people held accountable. Sharon Karlheim, with her husband, Regis, says Trump is doing a great job, but there is a lot more to do. Credit: Michael Koziol These notions of deep state malpractice  whipped up, perpetuated and exploited by Trump  persevere among the presidents ardent supporters and the thick belt of American voters who have long felt their government in Washington is a malign force that undermines their interests. This week, the MAGA universe imploded over Trumps refusal to release the so-called Epstein files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. After years of indulging the conspiracy when convenient, Trump is calling it a hoax invented by Democrats to damage him.

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While I was in Pennsylvania, Trump spurned some of his own supporters, accusing them of swallowing the bullshit about Epstein and doing the Democrats bidding. He said he no longer wanted their support. Its difficult to gauge how damaging this rift might be. The Epstein saga is a big deal in the online community, and for many prominent MAGA influencers. But what about the average punter? Most of the people I met had other things on their mind. If they did care about Epstein, they were happy to make excuses for Trump. Loading I think hes getting blackmailed, partly, Taylor says. I think thats one of the major reasons why hes now trying to walk around it a little bit  Thats the one thing that has been kind of disappointing so far. But, of course, its not going to make me go Democrat either  nowhere near. Karlheim, who believes Trumps presidency is Gods plan and was foretold by a now-deceased prophet, has her own ideas about whats happening. There was enough time between Trump being elected and when he took office for a lot of things to disappear. So I think they got rid of a lot of stuff, she says. Do I think our current government is lying or covering things up? No, I dont believe that. But I also prophetically say: these things will be uncovered. So I am just keeping the faith that everything will be exposed. The Carrolltown crowd hears from several speakers, including the state director of Gun Owners of America, who explains the groups latest efforts to undo gun controls, and Pennsylvania state senator Wayne Langerholc, who wears a backwards cap, shorts and a T-shirt that says: Whiskey. Steak. Guns. Freedom.

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He tells me Trump is doing a fantastic job. Its good to see a leader back in the White House, one that has conviction, one that has been able to close the border, Langerholc says. He acknowledges some economic ups and downs prompted by Trumps tariffs, but says its about riding the course. As for the Epstein matter: Thats not something that Ive had any constituents reach out to me about. It doesnt smell like chocolate any more Vice President JD Vance spoke about border protection and the economy at Dons Machine Shop in industrial West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Credit: AP The next day, I head east to Pittston, where Vice President JD Vance is speaking about the One Big Beautiful Bill, the governments main economic legislation, which is now law. The event is at Dons Machine Shop, a cavernous industrial shed replete with bulky Mitsubishi laser cutting machines. Vance has a personal connection to the field: his dad worked in a machine shop in Hamilton, Ohio, that eventually succumbed to competition from China. Vance occupies an unusual space in the Trump administration and MAGA universe: he is a credible political thinker who brings some intellectual ballast, but is arguably its best blue-collar whisperer, having grown up impoverished with a drug-addicted mother. In Pittston, he began with remarks about the border, which earned cheers and applause. He then turned to economics, including a statistic often cited by the administration: that blue-collar wages are growing by 1.7 per cent  the fastest rate in 50 years.

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This is not really true. The White House compared a particular metric for the first five months of presidencies going back to Richard Nixon, not the whole of the past 50 years. The Economic Policy Institute says low-wage workers have been experiencing historically high wage growth for years, and that between 2019 and 2024, the hourly wages of the bottom 10 per cent of workers grew by 15.3 per cent. In other words, Trump and Vance are trying to take credit for long-term trends, and the strong economy they inherited from Joe Biden. There are more cheers from the crowd when Vance mentions Trumps tariffs on foreign countries who try to bring their crap into the United States of America, as well as the presidents pledge to drill, baby, drill and suspend tax on tips and overtime for the remainder of his term. Vance also implies that with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill at the start of July, the heavy lifting on domestic policy has been done. What were getting ready to do over the next year-and-a-half is to talk about these big wins, he tells his audience. Because if we dont talk about it, we know too many in the fake news wont cover it. Afterwards, as the Village Peoples YMCA plays in the background, retiree Pat Savage-Donio also names the immigration crackdown as Trumps best achievement. Too many criminals were pouring in and endangering American citizens under Biden. I dont think any other country would allow it. I dont think Australia would allow it, she says. He [Trump] says what hes going to do, and he does it, and thats what we voted for. When I ask about Epstein, Savage-Donio shakes her head. In the scheme of things, I dont know, she says. I think its more of a distraction than what the real, important issues are to the country as a whole. He was a bad guy, alright. I dont need to know every detail about it.

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UN experts slam Peruvian amnesty for historic rights violations



Geneva, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025



UN experts expressed alarm Thursday over a Peruvian law that would grant amnesty to military, police and state perpetrators of rights violations during a bloody campaign against leftist guerrillas from 1980 to 2000.

Urging the government to veto the law passed by Peru's Congress a week ago, the experts said international standards "prohibit amnesties or pardons for such grave crimes."

"Peru has a duty to investigate, prosecute and punish gross human rights violations and crimes under international law committed during the conflict," three UN special rapporteurs and other experts said in a statement.

The law, which still needs presidential approval, benefits uniformed personnel accused or convicted of crimes committed during fighting between state forces and the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru rebel groups.

Some 70,000 people were killed during the decades-long unrest, and critics say the legislation would impede access to "justice, truth and reparation for victims."

About 20,000 people remain listed as "disappeared."

Some 156 cases with final judgements and 600 ongoing trials could be affected, according to the UN experts.

The bill was presented by a lawmaker from the right-wing Popular Force party of Keiko Fujimori -- daughter of late former leader Alberto Fujimori who was jailed for atrocities committed on his watch, but released on humanitarian parole in 2023.

"The proposed legislation would prevent the criminal prosecution and condemnation of individuals who committed gross human rights violations during Peru's internal armed conflict," the experts said.

"It would put the State in clear breach of its obligations under international law."
US lets staff return to Iraq weeks after Iran strike



Washington, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025



The United States said Thursday it would allow its diplomats to return to Iraq, nearly a month after they were ordered out as a precaution following US strikes on neighboring Iran.

While the State Department did not explain its reasons, such shifts in staffing generally indicate Washington sees a lower risk of conflict.

"Personnel who are temporarily located outside of Iraq will begin a gradual return to the US embassy in Baghdad and consulate" in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.

She said the State Department still advised Americans not to travel to Iraq.

Iran's clerical government has wide influence over armed Shiite groups in Iraq who have at times targeted US forces.

The United States on June 22 ordered staff out of Iraq as President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as part of a military campaign by Israel.

Iran responded by firing missiles at a major US base in Qatar but Trump said that Iran had telegraphed its intentions, giving time to shoot down the projectiles. Soon afterward Trump declared a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

The easing of travel restrictions comes despite a series of drone strikes on oil fields in the Kurdistan region.

There were no claims for the strikes, which came amid a dispute between Kurdish authorities and the central government on oil revenue, which headed toward resolution on Thursday.

Bruce condemned the attacks, saying they "imperil Iraq's stability and economic future."

"The government of Iraq has a duty to protect its territory and all of its citizens," she said.

The State Department on June 22 also ordered out family members and non-emergency employees from Lebanon, where Iran holds sway over Shiite movement Hezbollah, but lifted the order on July 3.
Europeans tell Iran will reimpose sanctions if no progress on nuclear deal: France



Paris, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



Top European diplomats told their Iranian counterpart on Thursday they were determined to reactivate UN sanctions if Tehran does not make progress on a nuclear deal, France's foreign ministry said.

The diplomats, from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, told Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of "their determination to use the 'snapback' mechanism -- which allows for the reimposition of all international sanctions against Iran -- in the absence of concrete progress" towards a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme "by the end of the summer", the French foreign ministry said.

They are applying pressure to convince Iran of "the urgency of returning to the diplomatic path without delay, in order to reach a robust, verifiable, and durable agreement on Iran's nuclear programme".

There has been much speculation about the status of Tehran's nuclear programme since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities in June.

A clause in Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement, which the United States withdrew from, allows for UN sanctions against Tehran to be reimposed in case of non-compliance through a snapback mechanism.

European diplomats are seeking progress by the end of August as the agreement is due to expire in October.

Iran and the United States have held several rounds of negotiations through Omani mediators since April, before Israel launched an attack on Iran on June 13. Washington also carried out strikes on Iran, effectively ending the nuclear talks.

Since the end of the hostilities, both Iran and the United States have signalled willingness to return to the table, though Tehran has said it will not renounce its right to the peaceful use of nuclear power.

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities.
NATO countries will use all possible forces and means to deter, protect and counter cyber threats from Russia, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said.

"NATO Allies strongly condemn Russia's malicious cyber activities and will employ the full range of capabilities to deter, defend and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats," he said on the X social network on Friday.

As reported, the United Kingdom on July 18 imposed sanctions against 18 individuals involved in "malicious cyber activities." The government statement notes that the entities and individuals targeted are "responsible for a sustained campaign of malicious activity in cyberspace over many years, including in the UK." According to the government, those on the sanctions list are linked to Russian intelligence services.

In addition, London has added the African Initiative news agency, three members of its management, and three Intelligence Agency's units to the sanctions lists.
Israel denies reports of overnight strikes in Syria



Jerusalem, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



Israel on Friday denied reports on the Syrian state news agency that it had conducted further air strikes near the Druze-majority city of Sweida late the previous day.

"The (Israeli military) is not aware of overnight strikes in Syria," a spokesperson told AFP.

Israel bombed the Syrian army in Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to pressure the Islamist-led government to withdraw its troops from the Druze heartland around Sweida following deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian troops pulled out on Thursday.
Sunken WWII Japanese warship found off Solomon Islands



Tokyo, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



An international research team has located a Japanese World War II destroyer on the deep seabed off Solomon Islands as the 80th anniversary of the war's end approaches.

A team from the US non-profit Ocean Exploration Trust discovered the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki at a depth of more than 800 metres (2,625 feet) off the small island nation northeast of Australia.

A video image of the wreck shows parts of the 134-metre (440-foot) Teruzuki, which was torpedoed by the US military in 1942, illuminated by lights from the research team's underwater drones.

The footage shows red paint on the hull, corroded gun barrels and the warship's massive stern.

Commissioned in 1942, the Teruzuki was designed for screening aircraft carriers from aerial attacks, the exploration group said.

However, the Teruzuki, which means "Shining Moon" in Japanese, was hit by US torpedoes just months into its service.

Nine sailors were killed but most of the crew members survived, the Ocean Exploration Trust said.

Teruzuki's stern was found more than 200 metres (660 feet) from the hull and was located by high-resolution sonar scans, it said.

The discovery was made while the team used drones to survey the area in the hope of finding unidentified shipwrecks or other items.
Iraq says drones that struck military radars are foreign-made



Baghdad, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



Iraq said Friday that drones which hit several military radar systems last month were launched from within the country but manufactured abroad, without identifying the perpetrators.

On June 24, the Iraqi government said that several small suicide drones targeted multiple Iraqi military sites and bases, including the radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar Province in southern Iraq.

Sabah al-Numan, the military spokesman for the prime minister, said that Iraq identified "the origin of the drones used in the attacks," adding that they were "equipped with warheads of varying weights and were manufactured outside Iraq."

The drones were also launched from several locations inside Iraq.

They were all of the same type, which indicates "a single executing party".

Numan said the government also identified "the entities involved in planning and carrying out" these attacks.

Numan did not specify where the drones were made or identify those responsible, but he said that "all those involved... will be referred to the Iraqi judiciary."

Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently experiences such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles between Iran and the United States and its ally Israel.

A source close to the Iran-backed Iraqi factions, who had in previous years hit bases hosting US troops, told AFP the groups have nothing to do with the drone attacks.

The June attacks came hours before a ceasefire took hold between Israel and Iran, and after Iran launched missiles at a US military facility in Qatar in retaliation for US bombing of its nuclear facilities.

In the past few weeks, Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region has seen a spate of unclaimed drone attacks, mostly against oil fields.

Baghdad has promised an investigation to identify the culprits.

The attacks in Kurdistan come at a time of simmering tension between Baghdad and the regional administration in Arbil over oil exports from Kurdistan, which have been blocked since 2023.

The last attack occurred on Thursday morning on an oil field, hours before Baghdad announced a deal with Arbil to resume oil exports.
Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following the report of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky, promised to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the forces and means to destroy the occupiers and deliver long-range strikes against the aggressor.

"Today, the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defense have already discussed what forces and means are needed for a more effective destruction of the occupier and more tangible Ukrainian long-range strikes. We will provide as much as possible," Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Friday evening.

He also said the situation in the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv regions remains difficult. "The Russian army continues to mock our people in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, attacking civilians with various types of drones. We will respond to them in a tangible way," the president said.

According to Zelenskyy, Syrsky's report concerned, first of all, the front in Pokrovsk and other areas in Donetsk region, where the greatest efforts of the occupiers are concentrated.

"Every Russian attempt to break through must receive an appropriate fire response from Ukrainian forces. In particular, we are destroying Russian sabotage groups that are trying to advance and enter Ukrainian cities and villages. No such Russian DRG [Diversion and Reconnaissance Group] will have a chance of survival," the head of state said.
Well, so there are. And Ms Abbott knows, because shes black. Few Jewish people and no travellers are. Of course, it may be apparent to some people who is Jewish or traveller and who isnt. I, for instance, can usually tell whos a traveller, but thats because Ive been accustomed to seeing them in Ireland most of my life. They are, I may say, very different from Roma who actually are ethically distinct: travellers are mostly just a variant of Irishness. As for Jews, many of my friends and colleagues who are Jewish dont look, at least to me, different. If you wear special clothes or hair  if youre an Orthodox Jew who dresses in that distinctive fashion  you will be readily identifiable, but thats rather more to do with culture and religion than ethnicity, no?
The superb west London Greek restaurant Vori is offering an interesting new wine flight, one that might be an introduction to Cycladic bottles. Focusing on assyrtiko, the it grape of the summer, on offer are three varieties from Crete and Santorini paired with dishes from the same region: grilled prawns, calamari and roast octopus. Visit, learn and  if you wish to impress  be sure to bring Greek island wine to your next barbecue.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said: "We have been clear for some time now that anyone returning to the UK suspected of being involved in any terrorist-related activity overseas will be thoroughly investigated.
The defendant explained to the jury of eight women and four men how he met Harvey after arriving at school on February 3 and Harvey said to him: Is it beef between me and you?
If you know anyone who may be planning to take a knife or weapon to Carnival, if you worry that theyre part of a group going with the intent to commit offences or confront rival groups, or that they are being put under pressure or being exploited, or if you have any other information that could help, then please speak up and stand up for Carnival. In doing so, you could be saving a life.
Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, where a young woman was raped in the town centre, said: Waltham Forest police informed me Chingford will close and residents will need to go to Stratford or online if they want to contact someone and thats that - its the latest in a long line of examples of how the leadership of the police in our borough dont seem to want to engage with the public at all.
Victor Chamberlain, Leader of Southwark Liberal Democrats, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): This is a big win for our campaign to support local services with a tourist tax. Were extremely lucky to be such a fantastic area for people from across the world to visit, and most of them would be happy to pay less than a coffee to ensure that local people see the benefit.
PA first saw one boat drop off several men at around 5am, who went into the sand dunes, before a second boat came close to shore, circling until the migrants appeared on the beach.
He added he knew the committee wont like the fact the incident had been kept secret but it was just so sensitive that if anything had got out at all, it would put those lives at risk.
Following Thursday's confirmation, Cllr Perry reaffirmed his opposition to the intervention. "We feel that the introduction of commissioners is the wrong decision for Croydon and its residents," he said. "It does not feel fair or consistent in line with the lower levels of intervention placed on other councils.
UK imposes sanctions on three units of Russia's GRU, 18 of their agents

The UK has imposed sanctions on three units of Russia's GRU and 18 Russian military personnel and agents, and has also exposed that Russian military intelligence used malicious software to spy on email accounts linked to Britain and its allies.

"The Government has today (18 July) exposed Russian military intelligence actors for using previously unknown malicious software to enable espionage against victim email accounts, in a move that will keep the UK and its allies safer," the GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre press service said in a statement.

A hacking group known as APT 28 is reportedly responsible for the distribution of sophisticated malware called AUTHENTIC ANTICS, which targets users' emails. The malware steals victims' authentication credentials to gain long-term access to their emails.

As previously reported, APT 28 is part of the 85th Main Center of Special Services of the Russian GRU, military unit 26165.

The new British sanctions cover three GRU units: 26165, 29155 and 74455 and 18 agents involved in cyber operations in the interests of Russia. The strategic defense review from the British National Cyber Security Center identifies Russia as the most acute threat.

Analysis of the AUTHENTIC ANTICS malware showed that it was created specifically to gain long-term access to Microsoft cloud accounts by simulating normal activity.

"The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies. Protecting the UK from harm is fundamental to this government's Plan for Change," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

"Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our Allies support for Ukraine and Europe's security is ironclad," he added.

According to media reports, the Russian hacking group APT 28 has been operating around the world since at least 2004. In April, France accused them of cyberattacks, including during Macron's presidential campaign.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: We are supporting the families of two British men who have died in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities.
However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested.
The Cabinet of Ministers has banned the supply of one drug to one distributor in an amount exceeding 20% of the total net income from the sale of these medicines for the previous year.

According to the Ministry of Health, the government introduced these changes by a corresponding resolution to the licensing conditions.

According to them, the sale of a finished medicine by manufacturers/importers to one distributor entity in amounts exceeding 20% is permitted only if other business entities have not provided their applications for the purchase of the entire volume of finished products from this manufacturer/importer.

For example, when there are no applications for the purchase of medicines, or when the number of distributors with whom the manufacturer/importer has concluded an agreement is insufficient to ensure the purchase of the entire volume of medicines, or on the date of submission of the application for the purchase of a medicine by the manufacturer/importer, all submitted applications from other distributors have been satisfied.

"Such regulation is designed to prevent monopolization of the pharmaceutical market, create equal conditions for the participation of medium and small distributors, and contribute to the formation of a competitive environment. As a result, this should have a positive impact on the availability and fair price of medicines for Ukrainian patients," the ministry noted.

The requirements for licensing conditions will come into force two months from the date of publication of the government resolution.
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs has outlined how veterans can purchase housing under the eOselia state affordable housing loan program.

According to the ministry, among the main advantages of the program: a fixed rate of 7% for the entire term of the loan (up to 20 years); a minimum down payment of 20%; a digital application through the Diia application; a simple mechanism for obtaining it.

The following can benefit: participants in combat operations; people with disabilities as a result of war; families of deceased war veterans, defined by Article 10 of the Law On the status of war veterans, guarantees of their social protection; families of deceased Defenders of Ukraine.

Among the main conditions for participation: citizenship of Ukraine; age  from 18 to 70 years; solvency; lack of own housing or housing that does not meet the established requirements; not being on the sanctions lists; not participating in other state housing programs.

To purchase housing, you must: submit an application through Diia; receive offers from banks (among the participants  Oschadbank, PrivatBank, Globus Bank, Ukrgasbank, Sky Bank); undergo a data and document check at the selected bank; choose the housing you plan to purchase, provide the bank with the documents necessary for obtaining a loan; conclude contracts with the bank and a purchase and sale agreement (real estate is registered as property, loan funds are transferred by the bank to the account of the seller of the real estate).

Regarding the requirements for housing, this can be: an apartment in an apartment building or a private house not in a combat zone or in an occupied territory with an area of up to 52.5 square meters per person and 21 square meters for each family member.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, signed on Friday, in Berlin, together with the State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geza Andreas von Geyr, the Action Plan for a consolidated bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany.

According to a press release from the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), the signing took place in the presence of President Nicusor Dan and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in the context of the official visit paid to Berlin by the head of state on Friday.

The MAE points out that the Action Plan is a concrete framework for intensifying the partnership between the two countries. The Action Plan structures the areas of common strategic importance with the aim of expanding and deepening cooperation in these sectors.

The document establishes mechanisms for intensifying the political-diplomatic dialogue regarding the bilateral agenda, cooperation at EU level, coordination of priority files on strategic, security and multilateral affairs. Among these, a central element is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, support for Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and other partner states in the EU's Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans.

"The Action Plan highlights the importance of cooperation and support within the framework of Romania's accession process to the OECD and refers to the strengthening of cooperation regarding consular affairs, strategic communication and public diplomacy", specifies the cited source.

According to the MAE, cooperation between Romania and Germany in the field of European policies constitutes another central sector, in the spirit of the two countries' commitment to a united, resilient, secure, prosperous and future-oriented European Union.

"Special attention is paid to cooperation in the field of security and defense policies, with an emphasis on the joint contribution to the effort to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense posture and, in particular, on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, as well as cooperation in the field of defense industry, including with regard to coordination within EU and NATO initiatives and instruments," the release reads.

The cited source indicates that the Action Plan highlights the priority of further expanding the current solid economic cooperation, bilateral trade and substantial investments that generate jobs and points out that this aspect is all the more significant as Germany remains Romania's main trading partner, with a trade value of over 42 billion euros in 2024 and a share of over 20% of Romania's total exports, and also represents the first investor in the Romanian economy, according to BNR statistics.

The document also aims to capitalize on opportunities for closer cooperation in areas such as energy transition, transport and connectivity, justice and home affairs, in line with the priorities identified by the relevant ministries of the two countries.

It also aims to further develop the heritage and socio-cultural relations shared by Romania and Germany. A crucial role in this regard is played by both the people belonging to the German minority in Romania and the Romanian community in Germany, which numbered over 900,000 people at the end of 2024, an increase compared to previous years, and which bring a special substance to bilateral relations.

In the field of labor and social affairs, the opportunity to continue in-depth cooperation based on a joint Declaration of Intent between the relevant ministries of Romania and Germany is highlighted. The implementation of bilateral work programs in areas such as social protection, with an emphasis on the protection of mobile workers, is also pursued.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the importance of signing this document is also amplified by the symbolic context, given that this year Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany mark 145 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Friedrich Merz told Romanian visiting President Nicusor Dan on Friday that in the recent presidential election campaign he demonstrated that he represents a democratic, European Romania.

"We and I personally enjoy your visit to Berlin. In the presidential election campaign you proved that you stand for a democratic, European Romania. You thus gave a strong political signal that went far beyond Romania's borders and you know that everyone in Europe, and we in Germany, have observed the elections in Romania with utmost attention. All the more, allow me to congratulate you on your election as President of Romania," the German Chancellor declared in a joint press conference with President Nicusor Dan.

He noted that he had a very good "trust-based" discussion with the Romanian President, highlighting also the excellent relationship between the two countries, which will become even better in the future.

Friedrich Merz also remarked that Romania and Germany are important partners in terms of security policies within NATO, and share the same views on Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.

President Nicusor Dan, who is paying an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany on Friday, had a meeting with Chancellor Merz, and was previously welcomed by his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bellevue Palace.
The head of the EU regions body, Kata Tutto, has rejected the European Commission's long-term budget proposal. According to her, it fails to consider the interests of local and regional communities.

The European Commission's proposed long-term budget has come under fire from Kata Tutto, President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), who accused it of sidelining cities and regions in favour of "a big stream of centralisation".

In an interview with the European Newsroom (enr) and other outlets in Brussels on Thursday, Tutto warned that the plan "cracks the backbone of cohesion policy" and called it "the monster that swallowed cohesion".

She accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of creating a "Hunger Games" situation that leaves regions and cities competing for their share out of a "sealed container" of funds and "decide among each other who will get what".

The CoR is an EU advisory body that represents local and regional authorities across the bloc. It is composed of 329 members and 329 alternates who have been elected at local or regional level.

"We are not the United States. We are not a centralised machine. Europe is based on its regions - its diversity is its strength," she said.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a nearly 2-trillion-Euro long-term budget known as the European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034.

While more money is to be spent on security and defence in light of Russia's expansionist ambitions, member states are faced with high levels of national debt. Farmers, major beneficiaries of the current EU budget, have been up in arms over possible cuts.

Pick your battles

The Commission is however also looking to regroup funds and structure resources based on national investment and reform plans submitted by EU member states.

Critics say the move puts funds from major policies like the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for farmers at risk of being incorporated into a broader fund that can be used for other purposes.

"What happened is that everything Ursula von der Leyen is not interested in what is put in one bag," Tutto said, citing youth unemployment, child care, border control and farming as examples of areas lacking clear direction in the Commission's proposal.

According to the Hungarian politician, von der Leyen will "deal with the big shiny things, investing in gigafactories, investing in digital, space, defence industry - everything new, everything shiny, everything that is about excellence" but leave national governments in charge of "everything that keeps Europe together" and to "deal with the mess".

German MEP and Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets, Monika Hohlmeier (EPP), also told the enr on Thursday there is a "shift in the balance of the [EU] institutions" as the Commission seeks to "ring fence" parts of the budget. According to her, such a change risks eliminating any room for "democratic scrutiny and democratic co-decision by the European Parliament".

When asked how regions and cities can make sure they are not left out in the negotiations, Hohlmeier said she would fight for their rights "to talk for themselves, to decide for themselves, and not only to be an appendix of Berlin, Paris, or Helsinki", adding that regions are 'self-decisive".

Lengthy and arduous negotiations

The budget proposal is to be debated and amended by the European Parliament and EU member states. Negotiations are expected to be lengthy and contentious but need to conclude by the end of 2027.

Moving forward, Tutto strongly advocated for cohesion policy to remain a "standalone policy, not part of a package that is up for Hunger Games in the member states".

According to her, cohesion policy is "designed to be a stabilising tool, a long-term glue and a mainstreaming force and energy flow of all the different European policies". She called to "invest more in the base and not build the Tower of Babel".

Tutto once again warned that merging cohesion policy into a large package would strip it of its main role, reducing it to a charity fund for poorer regions.

"This is not a charity fund, it never was a charity fund" the Hungarian socialist stressed.

The content of this article is based on news by agencies participating in the European Newsroom (enr) project.
The Governor of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DBBR), Bogdan Bulete, does not agree with the resumption of hunting activities and recommends that people who want to do this compare the ecosystems of the Delta in Romania with those in Italy and Spain, recalling that the biodiversity of the reserve is one of the main assets of this area of the country.

Hunting in the BDBR was banned in 2011, after the entry into force of law no. 136 which amended the normative act on the basis of which the Reserve was established, and subsequently actions were taken in the area to extract specimens of wild boars, foxes and jackals, at the request of local communities or specialists, in the case of sanitary-veterinary problems, such as African swine fever, with the agreement of the Scientific Council of the RBDD Administration and with the opinion of the Romanian Academy.

"If we want to compare several protected areas, we could start with the Ebro Delta in Spain, the Pou Delta in Italy and the Danube Delta in Romania and see which protected natural area has a better conservation regime, which protected area is better preserved, protected from the three and then draw conclusions if we want to move towards that kind of delta or do we want a delta that offers this wealth of gene pool that now exists, over 8,000 species of plants and animals", the governor of the Reserve, Bogdan Bulete, told AGERPRES.

He recalled that the ban on hunting in the RBDD was based on scientific studies and mentioned that there is currently no research indicating the opportunity to resume this activity.

Recently present in Tulcea, the president of the General Association of Hunters and Anglers (AGVPS), Ovidiu Ionescu, pleaded for the resumption of hunting in the RBDD.

"We plead for the opening of hunting in the Delta, especially for locals, not necessarily for commercial hunting. Hunting is a traditional activity, in all biosphere reserves hunting is practiced by locals. When hunting was interrupted, many species that nested on the ground suffered, because jackals multiplied greatly, and before the African swine fever, wild boars also multiplied", the president of the AGVPS, Ovidiu Ionescu said.

According to data provided by the National Institute for Research and Development of the Danube Delta, the first jackals in the reserve were observed in 1962.

The Danube Delta is recognized by specialists as the youngest land in Europe, the alluvium brought by the river to the Black Sea forming new territories that can be observed in Sulina, the only town inside the reserve. For researchers, the Delta is a huge living laboratory, despite the fact that, over time, people have straightened the arms of the Danube so that the road between Tulcea and the localities in the reserve would be shorter, but also the intentions materialized during the communist regime to transform the area into the most important "granary" of Europe
The North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union firmly condemn the hostile cyber activities carried out by entities subordinate to the Military Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (GRU) and directed against several NATO and EU member states, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.

"GRU subordinate actors have targeted public institutions, critical infrastructure operators and other entities on the territory of the Alliance and the European Union, including Romania. These hostile cyber activities, which have intensified against the backdrop of the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine, are part of much broader hybrid campaigns by the Russian Federation directed against EU and NATO member states, including Romania, as well as the partners of the two organizations. The aim is to undermine their stability and democratic resilience, as well as to discourage support for Ukraine," a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, transmitted to AGERPRES, states.

According to the cited source, Romania condemns these hostile cyber activities and shares the assessment of NATO and the EU that they demonstrate the Russian Federation's disregard for the normative framework regarding responsible state behavior in cyberspace, as defined at the UN level.

"We call on the Russian Federation to respect its international obligations. Romania stands in solidarity with other allies, EU members and partners affected by these hostile cyber activities and will continue to actively engage in intensifying efforts at allied, European and international levels to prevent, deter and respond to such destabilizing actions," the Romanian Foreign Ministry stated.

The cited source mentions that the GRU has a highly developed cyber program, having managed to demonstrate over time that it has the capabilities necessary to support the strategic objectives of the Russian Federation. In this regard, several military units of the GRU carry out malicious cyber campaigns at an international level and coordinate the activity of APT 28/Fancy Bear, APT44/Sandworm and APT Ember Bear. The cyber operations of these actors target government institutions, military organizations, critical infrastructure, media publications, NGOs from allied countries, EU member states and partner countries.
President Nicusor Dan was received, on Friday, in Berlin, by his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, during the official visit that the Romanian head of state is making to the Federal Republic of Germany, agerpres reports.

Nicusor Dan will then have a meeting with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.




The Social Democratic Party calls for a unified position of Romania to defend national agriculture in the negotiations regarding the future budget of the European Union for 2028 - 2034 and appeals, in this regard, to all political forces for a constructive debate, under the coordination of the country's president, agerpres reports.

"PSD calls on all political forces to defend the national interest and Romanian agriculture in relation to the European Commission Presidency's project on the European Union Budget 2028 - 2034. PSD believes that the adoption of the future European Union budget in its current form would substantially affect Romanian agriculture, and the gravity of the situation leaves no room for internal political disputes on this subject. Romania must establish a unified and firm position, which will be defended with dignity by all representatives of our country at the European level, regardless of the institutions in which they work and regardless of their political orientation or affiliation," the party said in a statement on Friday.





In the opinion of the Social Democrats, our country must oppose the establishment of a common fund to ensure the financing of EU policies, including for agriculture, with the granting of funds conditional on the fulfillment of certain milestones."Such a provision would reduce the European funds available to our farmers and would lead to an artificial and inefficient division of agricultural areas. Romania has opposed every time such a capping has been attempted!," PSD mentioned."Such a change would put pressure on the national budget from which the co-financing of agricultural projects should be ensured and would significantly reduce Romanian farmers' access to European funds," the social democrats also pointed out.
Photo: https://t.me/zedigital/

First Deputy Prime Minister  Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov is planning to launch in Ukraine an analogue of the US Department of Government Efficiency, created under the leadership of Elon Musk after the victory of President Donald Trump.

"I plan to launch an analogue of DOGE for several projects. We urgently need to reduce expenses and assess efficiency," he wrote on the social network Threads on Friday.

Fedorov said that he would look for a person to head this direction.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week stated the need to reduce institutions, and the new Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, appointed at his suggestion, has already announced the start of work on optimizing the state apparatus and a course for a full audit of expenses in order to reduce them. Among other things, she tasked the newly appointed Minister of Social Policy Denys Uliutin, who came to this post from the position of First Deputy Minister of Finance, with conducting an audit of social spending.
ST. LOUIS  City leaders on Friday celebrated the recent completion of the transformation of a six-block stretch of Seventh Street between Busch Stadium on the south and the convention center on the north.

The $4.3 million project includes bicycle lanes with raised buffers separating them from drivers, new trees and lighting, repaving of part of the route and improved sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic signals.

This project is an important part of larger efforts to revitalize downtown, said Kurt Weigle, an executive with Greater St. Louis Inc., the regions main business organization, at the ribbon-cutting event.

The more activity we have at street level, the safer, more vibrant and more welcoming downtown becomes.

Mayor Cara Spencer, who rode a bicycle from City Hall to the event at Peabody Plaza along Seventh, said the overhaul of the street is part of what the city needs to make downtown more attractive.

Downtowns are built for people, not just cars, she said. She said the work on Seventh is part of an effort to create spaces that allow you to stop, wander and really explore the downtown area.

She also talked up the idea of increasing the part of Interstate 44 downtown that is capped by parkland, which is now limited to a one-block area near the Gateway Archs museum. Officials with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation have begun exploring the concept.

In an interview, Spencer said she envisioned eventually capping the area from the southern end of the defunct Millennium Hotel to the Old Cathedral. She called that a long-term vision.

Otis Williams, interim CEO of the St. Louis Development Corp.  the citys chief development agency, said discussions about the Seventh Street work began about 12 years ago.

He said a key was getting the state Development Finance Board to issue $400,000 in tax credits, a move that helped spur private donations for the public-private project. About $2.4 million in federal money also went into the project.

Among major private donors were the St. Louis Cardinals, who were represented at the event by team president Bill DeWitt III.

He said downtown has many assets but theyre a little bit spread around and that linking them together with projects like the Seventh Street overhaul is important.
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FARMINGTON, Mo.  Rodney Carr is walking in Larry Callanans footsteps.

More than 20 years ago, Callanan was in the Potosi Correctional Center, serving a life sentence for a 1996 murder conviction. The union pipefitter from St. Louis County was fighting to overturn his wrongful conviction, and he accomplished that goal in 2020. While he was in prison, Callanan volunteered to help with ill patients, guiding them around in wheelchairs and helping with daily tasks.

Thats how he met Robert Driscoll, who had been convicted in the stabbing death of corrections officer Tom Jackson during a riot in the Moberly prison on July 3, 1983.

It was perhaps the most infamous day in Missouri prison history. Dozens of prisoners, most of them drunk on homemade hooch, attacked Jackson and other guards with knives and other weapons they had made and hidden in their cells. The riot started when Driscolls cell mate, drunk out of his mind, got mouthy with corrections officers. They removed him from the cell. One of the officers allegedly threatened to beat the man to teach him a lesson. One thing led to another. One inmate yelled, Rush him, and prisoners in the overcrowded facility attacked. Jackson died. Several other officers were stabbed.

Carr, who grew up in north St. Louis, was an inmate at the prison at the time. He was one of three men charged and convicted in Jacksons death.

Years later, in a different prison, Callanan would push Driscoll around in a wheelchair. And Driscoll would talk about the riot.

Driscoll said he stabbed Jackson, Callanan testified in St. Francois County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon, where Carr was seeking his freedom in a week-long hearing. Driscoll said Carr had absolutely nothing to do with it. He never relented. It wasnt a mystery in there that Rodney was innocent.

Callanan, who knows as well as anybody how hard it is to prove ones innocence after a bad conviction, was sitting a few feet from Carr when he spoke from the witness stand.

Carr, 63, sat mostly stoically during the hearing, his hands freed from shackles so he could take notes and use his reading glasses.

His long gray hair is pulled back into a ponytail. His white goatee matches the one of his father, John, who has been sitting in the courtroom with his wife, Ann; family members and friends; and Carrs wife and high school sweetheart, Peggy. They got married in 2019.

In the 1980s, Carr was in Moberly on a stealing conviction and was due to be released about a month after the riot. Instead, hes spent nearly his entire adult life behind bars.

In addition to Carr, Driscoll and Roy Roberts were also convicted of murder after the riot. Roberts was put to death in 1999. Driscolls case was later reduced by a jury to voluntary manslaughter. He was released from prison and died a few years later. Carr has consistently maintained his innocence.

Here, a manifest injustice has occurred, attorney Elizabeth Ramsey argued in court this week.

Ramsey, of St. Louis, is representing Carr along with her husband, Ben McIntosh, and her father, Robert Ramsey.

There is no physical evidence that connects Mr. Carr to this crime, she said.

Testimony in Carrs case ended Thursday. The ruling of Circuit Judge Patrick King likely wont come for a couple of months.

Carr, like Callanan did, spends time taking care of inmates who are ill. He also hopes to have a similar result in court as Callanan, after a chance to present his innocence to a judge after several failed tries.

In the past few years, several pieces of evidence have emerged pointing to Carrs innocence, including a letter the former prosecutor in his case  Tim Finnical  wrote in 2019.

Mr. Carr was not the person who actually stabbed the victim, Finnical wrote in a letter to the governors office seeking a pardon for Carr. During Carrs criminal case, Finnical had argued the opposite.

The letter was introduced as evidence in the hearing this week, but how much weight King gives it is an open question. The same year Finnical wrote the letter, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that prevents him from testifying. The Missouri Attorney Generals office pointed to Finnicals condition to try to block the letter from being introduced in the case.

That theme  the age or mental condition of various witnesses, and the fact that many of them have died in the 42 years since the riot  makes it impossible to overturn Carrs conviction, Assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane argued in court.

But two inmates who took part in the riot  Rick Beatty and Edward Ruegg  testified that Carr had nothing to do with Jacksons death.

Rodney got hit in the head with a ball bat, said Beatty, who is still in prison. He was down and he was knocked out. Rodney Carr did not stab any officers.

Beatty admitted that he didnt initially offer investigators that story. He and Ruegge both said corrections officers beat inmates in the hours and days after the riot, particularly on a slow bus ride to the Jefferson City prison the day after the event. Beatty said he didnt want to testify back then.

Nobody wants to be that guy, ratting on a fellow inmate, Beatty said, because you might be the next guy to get stabbed.

Ruegg, who now lives in Hermann, couldnt hold back tears as he recounted Jacksons death. Ruegg, who was never charged in the case, said he punched the officer as Driscoll stabbed him. Carr was nowhere near the melee, Ruegg testified.

When the beating and stabbing were over, Ruegg said, he scraped Officer Jackson off the ground and carried him to the infirmary.  Ive been reliving it for 42 (expletive) years.

So, too, has Carr, whose fate is now in Kings hands as the judge decides what to believe: the confessions of aging men seeking to clear a conscience, or the lies those men told when they were young and under threat by officers who had lost a colleague.

They were mad. That place was chaos, Beatty testified.

He says officers used beatings to try to coerce testimony against Jacksons alleged killers. Beattys testimony is backed by evidence in another case.

Several inmates won a civil rights lawsuit against the state a couple of years after the riot, where evidence of the beatings was outlined in detail.

They were just trying to get a case, Beatty said, and they didnt care how they did it.
BENTON, Ill.  Five Mississippi men were sentenced Thursday in federal court for their roles in using spotlights to illegally hunt white-tailed deer across southern Illinois and transport them back to Mississippi.

From 2018-22, the men would travel to southern Illinois from Mississippi and scout deer with spotlights in the evening or night hours, many times from a vehicle, according to court documents.

The men, once they located a deer, would later retrieve a hidden or concealed rifle, return to the deer's location, shine a spotlight at it then shoot and kill the animal.

They would return later to retrieve the carcass, then either harvest it in Illinois or transport it back to Mississippi for harvesting.

The deer would be processed and the head, antlers or other parts would be mounted by a taxidermist. The illegally killed deer had a market value in excess of $350, according to court documents.

The hunts took place throughout southern Illinois including in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope and Clark counties.

Lee J. Johnson, 54, of Saucier, Mississippi; Steven J. Pique, 56, of Biloxi, Mississippi; Gerald B. Moran, 40, of Saucier, Mississippi; Joshua A. Marshall, 30, of Saucier, Mississippi; and John M. Pritchard, 57, of Biloxi, Mississippi, all pleaded guilty to Lacey Act violations.

Johnson was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine. The others were given probation and fines and/or restitution that totaled between $2,000 and $15,000 per person.

This was not an isolated incident of unlawful hunting; rather, it was a calculated, multi-year operation that exploited Illinois' prized wildlife resources for personal gain, Douglas Ault, law enforcement chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement.

Targeting trophy deer under the cover of night, across multiple counties, and transporting them across state lines reflects a deliberate disregard for wildlife laws and the ecological balance we work tirelessly to protect. Such organized violations undermine decades of conservation progress and diminish the integrity of fair-chase hunting traditions that responsible hunters value nationwide."
ST. LOUIS  Two different McDonald's in the St. Louis area were the sites of shootings over two days this week.

About 5 p.m. Wednesday, an employee at a McDonald's on South Belt East in Belleville opened fire at two other other people inside the restaurant, police said.

The two victims were taken to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds, and the employee was arrested.

Then, a little after midnight on Thursday, a group of people opened fire in a McDonald's on Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis, police said.

That shooting began when a man, who police haven't identified, reportedly became upset after an employee asked to see the man's phone to verify an online order.

The man stormed out of the McDonald's, police said, and returned with a gun. He fired multiple shots at the restaurant from the parking lot before leaving again.

A few minutes later, he returned with other people also carrying guns, and the group began firing at the building before fleeing the scene.

Nobody was injured, police said, and no suspects have been identified.
ST. LOUIS  When an Oklahoma man showed up at a local crematorium last week asking to cremate four dead dogs, the workers were concerned, court records say.

It isn't unusual for someone to ask for an animal cremation, but the workers at the St. Louis Crematorium in the 2100 block of Chouteau Avenue said four dogs at once was a lot, investigator Carlee Peterson wrote in court records.

Workers called the police.

Police asked the dogs' owner, Robert Peters, 38, if they could take a look inside his vehicle  a box truck.

Inside, they found stacked cages filled with a dozen dogs in "dire" condition, court records say.

"Many of the dogs were covered in their own feces and urine and sawdust like powder," documents say. "(They) appeared lethargic due to the high temperatures."

Last week, St. Louis prosecutors charged Peters with nine felony and seven misdemeanor animal abuse charges. He was ordered on Tuesday to be held without bond.

Court records say Peters, who is from Noble, Oklahoma, about 45 minutes south of Oklahoma City, told investigators that he and his wife ran an animal transportation business and were running out of room to keep them at home.

The records don't say whey he stopped in St. Louis, but authorities seized the 12 dogs and evaluated them. Five were in stable condition and seven were near death, court records say.

Peters does not yet have an attorney listed in court records.

His next hearing is set for Tuesday.
PIKE COUNTY, Mo.  Prosecutors here are seeking the death penalty in a double homicide case where a father is accused of killing his son and another person inside his home in southern Pike County.

Matthew G. Todd, 54, of Eolia, Missouri, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder along with armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and domestic assault charges.

Authorities have said Todd shot his 26-year-old son, Timothy, and 26-year-old Kaitlyn Potter-Navratil inside his Eolia home in July 2024. Eolia is about 75 miles northwest of St. Louis on the Pike and Lincoln county line.

Investigators say the trio were arguing and that Matthew told the victims to leave prior to the shooting. Both victims were found dead inside the home.

The announcement, which comes after Todd rejected a plea deal, marks the first time in decades prosecutors here have sought the death penalty.

The last death penalty case in Pike County was carried out against Paul Kreutzer, who was convicted of the 1992 murder of a woman near Louisiana, Mo.
BERKELEY  A man on Thursday was sentenced to probation in the accidental shooting death of his 7-year-old grandson.

Walter Macon, 47, in May took a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to second-degree involuntary manslaughter  a much lower felony than his original charge of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.

Prosecutors also dropped an armed criminal action charge, which carries a minimum sentence of three years, time that must be served in addition to the other sentences.

His plea was blind, meaning he did not reach an agreement on a sentencing recommendation with prosecutors.

Prosecutors recommended the judge sentence him to three years in prison, spokesman Chris King said in May.

Judge Bruce Hilton on Thursday sentenced him to three years in prison, but suspended the sentence and instead sentenced Macon to two years of probation.

If Macon completes those two years of probation successfully he will not serve any time.

Macon's grandson, Darnell Macon, was shot inside a truck Aug. 7, 2023, in the 6700 block of Larry Lane, just off North Hanley Road in Berkeley. Police say Macon admitted he left Darnell in the truck with a loaded gun.

Investigators said Macon was loading studio recording equipment into his truck when Darnell climbed into the vehicle.

Macon told police he then left for about 5 minutes. When he returned, his grandson was slumped over with a gunshot wound to the head.

Darnell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Macon told police the gun was between the drivers seat and the center console when he left Darnell in the truck.
ST. LOUIS  A city judge struck down an ordinance this week that prohibited people from leaving guns unattended and unsecured in their vehicles.

Judge Joseph P. Whyte found that the citys rules were voided by a state law that stops municipalities from passing more restrictive gun laws.

The General Assembly has expressly preempted local firearms regulation, Whytes Tuesday ruling says. The Court finds that the Unattended Vehicle Ordinance is therefore invalid.

A city spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suit Thursday.

Whytes ruling came about nine months after city resident Michael Roths gun was stolen from his vehicle while he attended a church service at the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End.

Roth went to the police department to report it stolen. When he got there, he was issued a citation for leaving it unattended in the console.

Roth asked municipal prosecutors to drop the charges, and they did.

But in November, his lawyer sued, arguing the citys gun ordinances should be struck down because they were invalidated by state law.

City lawyers said that the state law said nothing about ordinances governing gun storage  a distinct category of firearm legislation that the statute does not preempt, according to court filings.

On Tuesday, Whyte ruled in Roths favor.

He found that the state laws specific references to the use, keeping, possession and transportation of weapons encompassed the citys prohibition on unattended guns in vehicles.

And, he said, the ordinance also didnt conform with exceptions for ordinances involving some open carry provisions or those that mirror language already in state law.

The city of St. Louis is hereby permanently enjoined from enforcing the Unattended Vehicle Ordinance, Whyte wrote.
ST. LOUIS  This is supposed to be the year when the transportation crisis finally ends for St. Louis Public Schools.

A longstanding driver shortage culminated last year with a chaotic mix of vehicles including crowded minivans and illegal buses that led to delayed or canceled routes for most students.

The districts operations chief Square Watson told the SLPS school board in February that 99% of the concerns (would be) mitigated or resolved through the hiring of a new bus transportation vendor for the 2025-2026 school year.

The board gave California-based Zum Services Inc. a $30 million contract to service 220 bus routes starting next month. Zum offered a modern solution with tracking software, well-paid drivers and a fleet of air-conditioned buses.

Zum will be ready and is looking forward to the first day of school on Aug. 18, spokeswoman Jen Burke said Tuesday. We have been working hand in hand with the district to prepare for the beginning of the school year.

The company still has dozens of buses to deliver and drivers to hire, all while dealing with the aftermath of the May 16 tornado that displaced thousands of students, damaged school buildings, and scrambled bus routes.

Leaders at SLPS, including Watson and Superintendent Millicent Borishade, have not responded to questions from the Post-Dispatch about transportation.

The president of the teachers union said he is scared of losing more students to transportation failures in the city where enrollment has already been trending downward for decades.

My biggest concern is I dont think we know where all the kids are, said Ray Cummings of American Federation of Teachers Local 420. Dont get me wrong, there are always problems with buses at the beginning of the year, but Im just not sure about bringing in this company right now.

Watson said the district has been working with Zum to prevent initial hiccups the company experienced in other markets including Kansas City Public Schools. The transportation plan involves four key areas  buses, drivers, routes and a depot.

Buses

The contract calls for 240 Zum buses to cover 220 routes with 20 spares. Schedules from Zum and SLPS said the buses would be delivered weekly between May and July, with the large bulk arriving July 12 followed by the remaining 20 to 26 buses.

While there has been no sighting of a fleet, a few Zum buses have been spotted driving around south St. Louis and on the blacktop at a middle school.

Burke said that the companys buses for SLPS have started to arrive and will continue through July and August.

In 2023, Zum had to secure a loaner fleet for a school district in San Bernardino, California, when 150 buses were delayed at the start of school.

Drivers

Zum plans to employ 240 drivers and more than 50 bus attendants. Burke would not reveal how many have been hired but said, We are well on our way to meeting that goal.

About 90 drivers and attendants have made the switch to Zum from First Student, the previous bus vendor for SLPS, according to a field representative with the Laborers International Union of North America Local 773.

If more than half of Zums transportation workers are represented by the union, the company would be pressed to open negotiations for a contract, said Rek Woods of Local 773.

Its just a matter of getting all the facts and details from Zum so that well know where we stand from an organizing standpoint, Woods said. I believe we will be able to negotiate a contract because the drivers appreciate being part of a union.

Zum has run into trouble with bus driver unions in other districts including Seattle Public Schools, the former employer of ousted SLPS Superintendent Keisha Scarlett who was fired last year for financial mismanagement.

Zum drivers and mechanics in Seattle represented by the Teamsters threatened to strike in spring 2023 before agreeing to a contract with the school district.

In fall 2023, Zum was hired to run 230 routes in the Howard County, Maryland school district. By the first day of school, Zum had to fly in 70 out-of-state drivers to cover the routes. The company met its hiring goal a month after classes started.

The Howard County school bus drivers voted earlier this year to join their local Teamsters union.

With an overwhelming yes vote, Zum transportation workers have sent a resounding message to their employer that they will no longer be treated with disrespect and offered the bare minimum, Sean Cedenio, the unions secretary-treasurer, said in a statement.

Routing

The bus routing matrix for SLPS has been complicated for decades by a magnet system that allows students to catch a bus to specialized schools anywhere in the city. As a result, some bus routes carry less than a handful of children to school.

For the past few years, about 20 routes were canceled daily because of a shortage of drivers, while the chronic absenteeism rate climbed to more than half of all students.

Watson of SLPS told the school board on May 13 that bus routes had been finalized by the districts transportation team. Families were given their bus stop locations, but not the pickup or drop-off schedules. The tornado struck three days later.

Now, at least 2,000 students have been displaced from their homes or schools in north St. Louis. Seven schools will not reopen for the fall semester, and students and staff will transfer to other buildings.

Students who previously walked to their tornado-damaged schools will be picked up at those schools and taken by bus to the transfer schools. The district will be charged a field trip fee for the additional routes, Watson said.

Burke of Zum said the company is in ongoing discussions with SLPS about new routes caused by the tornado.

Bus yard

A presentation to the school board in February said Zum secured a depot in St. Louis that was strategically located with 8+ acres, capacity for 250+ buses, including ample storage for buses, offices, employee lounge, training and maintenance facilities.

In May, another board presentation said Zum would lease two facilities that month at the Spring Ave. location with yard modifications starting in June and building modifications in July.

Burke said the company is currently finalizing the depot lease now but did not give a location.

So far, nine Zum buses are stationed on the blacktop at Stevens Middle School in the Vandeventer neighborhood of north St. Louis. The school, which has been vacant for a year, will need the parking area next month to host Sumner High School, which was damaged in the tornado.
ST. LOUIS  Hundreds of people gathered along busy roadways across the metro region Thursday as part of another round of nationwide protests by critics of President Donald Trump and his administration's policies.

Protesters lined a stretch of South Lindbergh Boulevard in south St. Louis County and showed up along Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters and Manchester Avenue in St. Louis' Grove area.

They also gathered at two locations in downtown St. Louis  outside the Old Courthouse and in Aloe Plaza near Union Station.

Along Manchester, dozens of people held signs attacking mass deportations by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, and other Trump policies.

More than 100 people turned out in St. Peters, police there said.

Along Lindbergh in South County, where more than 300 people were in attendance around 4:30 p.m., Sally Thomas, 64, was concerned about cuts to programs that support people.

"It just seems like he wants to inflict harm on people who are just trying to live their lives," said Thomas, a retired graphic designer from Webster Groves.

"We've got a man in the White House who doesn't seem to care about the Constitution or the courts."

She was among protesters who stood along Lindbergh near Baptist Church Road near the Ronnie's Plaza shopping area.

Another protester on Lindbergh was Marilyn Sue Warren, 79, a retired Veterans Affairs Department nurse from South County. She said she worried about possible cuts in VA programs.

Dru Thomas, 77, a retired writer from Chesterfield, complained at the Manchester Avenue event about "overt cruelty that I've never seen from our government" in detaining and "disappearing" immigrants.

She also cited "the breakdown of our social safety net" through Medicaid cuts and "rolling back rights for women and certainly people of color."

"You have to do something, you have to make some noise," said Marie Keath, 61, a real estate agent from St. Louis' Tower Grove South neighborhood as she stood along Manchester.

Kristin Bales, 39, a college science teacher from Union, carried a placard saying "fund science + schools, not ICE." Among other things, she expressed concern at planned cuts in scientific research at universities.

Mark Lewis, 72, a Lexington, Kentucky, resident in St. Louis to visit relatives, said he had "a whole catalog of complaints."

Among them, he said, was the administration's efforts to cut federal support for NPR and PBS. He said that would especially hurt rural areas with few news sources. "For so much of flyover country, that's the source," he said.

Cecilia Nadal, 75, a playwright and speaker from the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood standing along Manchester, said "I can't sit at home and watch what's going on without being part of a solution to the problem."

Downtown, about 300 people showed up outside the eastern side of the Old Courthouse along Fourth Street.

One of them was Doug Leonard, 67, a retired teacher from Creve Coeur, who held a sign saying "No Kings in America Since 1776."

That echoed the theme of an earlier round of protests last month in which demonstrators called Trump a would-be king for marking his birthday with a military parade.

Leonard said among his concerns is that the three branches of the federal government no longer appear to be equal under Trump.

Sara Hughes, 43, of South County, when asked by a reporter why she was taking part in the protest against Trump's policies, said "I'm upset with the whole thing. Where do we start?"

Further west, more than 150 people were in Aloe Plaza about 6:45 p.m. After listening to speakers, they marched around several Downtown West streets.

Other St. Louis area protests were scheduled in Belleville, Hillsboro, Carlinville; O'Fallon, Illinois, and Troy, Missouri.

The protests nationally were dubbed "Good Trouble Lives On" in honor of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a 1960s civil rights leader. Thursday was the fifth anniversary of his death.

In 2020, he had urged people to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America" while commemorating 1965 voting rights marches in Alabama.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Updated at 9:15 p.m. with information on downtown protests
3rd CISCE draws global interest for closer trade ties with China

11:02, July 18, 2025 By Chang Sha ( People's Daily Online

The third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) kicked off in Beijing on July 16, 2025, and is scheduled to run until July 20.

The five-day trade event, themed on "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," has brought together 651 businesses and institutions from 75 countries and regions, with overseas exhibitors accounting for 35 percent of the total.

Join People's Daily Online to check out how international participants evaluate the Chinese market and their trade ties with China.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Du Mingming)
JEFFERSON CITY  Over $1 billion in federal cuts to public broadcasting nationwide are having an impact in St. Louis.

Congress gave final approval to a plan Thursday that will rescind $1.1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. About two-thirds of that flows to over 1,500 local stations, according to the Associated Press.

For St. Louis Public Radio, the move amounts to an annual reduction of $575,000, or 6.2% of its annual revenue, the station said in a news release on Friday.

For the TV station KETC (Channel 9), known as Nine PBS, the vote means a loss of $1.8 million, or 13% of the television stations current budget, Nine PBS president and CEO Amy Shaw said in an online message to supporters.

That loss will be felt, so your financial support is critical, she said.

In an interview later on Friday, Shaw said Nine PBS was in a stable financial position and that we do not anticipate staff reductions at this time.

Madalyn Painter, spokesperson for St. Louis Public Radio, also said that no layoffs were planned.

There were also no immediate programming changes on either station due to the cuts, which President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law.

Some expenses for St. Louis Public Radio may rise because of less resource-pooling among NPR stations, the stations release said.

It said the station would attempt to make up the funding through new or increased monthly donations, requiring the support of many more community members to join in addition to the stations current roster of 26,000+ donors.

Jess Luther, interim general manager for St. Louis Public Radio, in the news release called the vote a targeted attempt to weaken one of the most trusted civic institutions in America.

The stations news release said public media has long enjoyed bipartisan support because it provides essential, nonpartisan services to millions, especially in rural and underserved areas where alternatives are few.

But Republicans have accused public broadcasters of being biased. And in pulling funding from the stations, they said taxpayer dollars shouldnt flow to outlets that have such biases.

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who has appeared on St. Louis Public Radio multiple times, including in a June 13 episode of the Politically Speaking podcast, spoke out in favor of the cuts on the Senate floor.

While the actual American people are working long hours to afford groceries and gas, their government has been writing checks to left-wing propaganda outlets, he said.

As evidence of bias, Schmitts office pointed to an NPR feature on queer animals on Valentines Day 2024, a 2017 panel PBS hosted on the meanings of woke and white privilege, and more.

St. Louis Public Radio includes KWMU (90.7 FM) in St. Louis, KMST (88.5 FM) in Rolla and WQUB (90.3 MF) in Quincy. The organization also runs jazz and classical music streams online.

For fiscal 2024, St. Louis Public Radio reported an operating loss of $1 million  with total operating revenues of $8.6 million and total operating expenses of $9.7 million.

Grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting made up about 6% of revenue. Individual and foundation support, and corporate sponsorships, made up 90% of operating revenue.

Individual and foundation support remained relatively consistent between fiscal years 2022 and 2024, at over $5.4 million each year.

St. Louis Public Radio still posted losses for all three fiscal years.

Nine PBS reported a $700,998 loss in fiscal 2024.

The station brought in $7.7 million in individual contributions and $2.25 million in government support.

In all, it reported $13.8 million in revenue compared to $14.5 million in expenses.
ST. LOUIS  A red-state Democrat and potential presidential contender will address Missouri Democrats in September.

In an email blast to Missouri Democrats on Friday, the party said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will headline the state party's annual Truman Dinner.

Beshear was first elected governor in 2019 and won reelection in 2023. Before that, he was Kentucky's attorney general.

"He won his first race by just over 5,000 votes  and went on to win reelection by 5 points  because voters knew he'd fight for them everyday," the Democrats said in the email.

The gathering is being held Sept. 20 in St. Louis at The Grand Hall on Chouteau, 2319 Chouteau Avenue.

Beshear, 47, has said he's considering a presidential run and is trekking to South Carolina this week to speak to local Democrats there.
LOS ANGELES  Sonias son has been anxious lately, crying and asking why their neighbor had been picking him up from preschool instead of his mom. She doesnt know what to tell him. At just 4 years old, hes too young to understand the truth.

Sonia has lived in the U.S. without legal status for 25 years, harvesting squash, cilantro and tomatoes in the fields of Riverside County. But she can no longer risk leaving her house to pick up her child for fear of being detained or deported by federal agents.

She has begun preparing for something far worse than a missed pickup  the possibility that their separation could become permanent.

Last week, Sonia visited the offices of TODEC, a legal center in the Inland Empire serving immigrants and farm workers, to fill out the forms that will allow her sister to take over the care of her three American citizen children  ages 4, 7, and 10  in the event that she and her husband are deported. I already want to cry, said Sonia, who requested that her full name not be used to protect her.

Since June 6  when the Department of Homeland Security began widespread raids throughout the Los Angeles region  the number of immigrant parents making emergency arrangements for their childrens care has skyrocketed. Parents have flooded legal rights organizations in person and on Zoom for help filling out the forms that will designate another adult to take over responsibility of their children, many of whom are citizens, if they are detained or deported.

An estimated 5.62 million American children have an undocumented household member, and nearly 2 million of them are under the age of 6. More than half of these children do not have a parent with legal status, according to a report from the Brookings Institution.

It is not clear how many parents have been detained or deported during the recent raids. Since 2018, however, about 60,000 parents of U.S. citizen children have been deported, according to data provided by ICE. Data on what happened to their children isnt readily available, but those who were American citizens most commonly stay in the U.S. if only one parent is deported, said Tara Watson, who directs the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at Brookings.

Parents who are detained by ICE are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. DHS takes its responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected.

McLaughlin said that parents in the country illegally can take control of their departure with the CBP Home Mobile Application, an app with services provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now, McLaughlin said. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.

Some families choose to take their children with them to their country of origin. One study estimated that from 2014-2018, there were 80,000-100,000 U.S. citizen children in Mexico as the result of parental deportation.

Making a family preparedness plan

Legal advocacy groups in California are encouraging families to prepare for the possibility of separation and are helping parents fill out the requisite forms that designate another adult to care for their children in their absence. Although some want to shift legal guardianship to another adult, that process can take several months, requires a judges approval, and involves giving up their parental rights.

Many more are instead filling out a simple form called a Caregivers Authorization Affidavit that permits another adult to enroll their child in school and authorize medical care.

Demand for help filling out these affidavits has increased exponentially.

What used to be the occasional workshop for 20 parents has become a regular series of Zoom and in-person meetings that have reached more than a thousand, said Andres Cifuentes, an attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm in L.A.

Weve heard about children having nightmares about the possibility of being separated, he said. We encourage parents to have this conversation in a very calm manner as if preparing for an earthquake or a flood.

Luz Gallegos, executive director of TODEC, said most people are seeking help virtually because they are too afraid to leave their homes. And its not just an influx of parents who are living in the country without legal status. For the first time, Gallegos said TODEC is seeing parents with DACA, green cards holders, and even naturalized citizens preparing for possible deportation.

TODEC also runs a youth leadership and development program for the children of immigrant parents called Monarcas Luchadoras, where they are learning how to help their families create preparedness plans and packing groceries for members of the community who are too afraid to leave their homes right now.

Selecting a caregiver in case of deportation

TODEC recommends that parents pick someone who has citizenship or legal permanent residency, so they are not at risk. Gallegos said she has personally been asked by so many families to serve as caregiver that she has lost count. I feel like if you say yes to one, you have to say yes to all of them.

Instead, she tries to help parents think through their safety nets. Many families end up selecting teachers, child-care providers or people from their faith communities, rather than family members who are also likely to be immigrants.

Susan, an immigrant from Guatemala who lives in L.A., has been a nanny for 18 years. She has a strong community of other immigrants but asked her former employer whose child she cared for during the pandemic and who is white, to be her three childrens caregiver if she is deported. Susan requested that her full name not be used to protect her.

I know that her and her husbands word will be respected, Susan said. If a Guatemalan citizen goes to fight for my children, obviously their rights wont be respected.

Susan, who is in her 30s, has lived in the U.S. for half her life, and her husband has been here for 30 years. During the pandemic they were essential workers, she said, providing child care, cleaning houses and doing construction. And now we are criminals, she said.

Signing the caregiver forms was one of the most difficult decisions that Ive had to make as a mom, because I feel like I am giving away my children. But I dont want them to be taken by the government if I have to go with immigration.

But parents like Susan understood that they were in the country illegally, and that this could potentially happen, said Ira Mehlman, spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors stricter immigration controls. It is unfortunate that the kids are put in this situation, but like any other parent, they are responsible for the consequences of their decisions on their kids.

He said parents of U.S. citizen children should not be given special leniency for exemptions from deportation. Mehlman favors the elimination of birthright citizenship, which President Trump called for in an executive order. A federal judge last week prohibited the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S.

The impact of parents deportation on children

Numerous studies have found that the deportation of a parent can have a profound impact on a child, including long-term developmental and behavior issues, depression and academic decline.

Following deportation of a family member, children demonstrate numerous emotional and behavioral challenges, such as eating and sleeping changes, anxiety, sadness, anger, and withdrawal, according to a 2018 policy statement from the Society for Community Research and Action, a division of the American Psychological Assn. Even if the family is ultimately reunited, the consequences of their forced family separation often remain.

For very young children in particular, separation from a parent is tremendously traumatizing, said Sherry Berg, a clinical psychologist at Para Los Ninos, which runs seven Head Start programs in Los Angeles County. Separation anxiety  the fear of being separated from the primary caregiver and something happening to them  is a normal part of early childhood development; a parents actual deportation is their worst nightmare.

Sara, a Guatemalan immigrant from South-Central L.A., said she is thinking of self-deporting with her 9-year-old son, who is a citizen. They havent left their apartment in weeks, except for the occasional errand to a grocery store and a quick trip to the post office to secure a passport for him.

Her son does not want to move to Guatemala, a country hes never been to. What hes told me is that in October when classes start, then hopefully the raids will have calmed for school, said Sara.

In Riverside, Sonia said shes tried to shield her 4- and 7-year-old children from what is happening. But her 10-year-old has been asking about whats going to happen to his family.

Before summer vacation, the teacher called me and told me that she was going to have him evaluated, so that they could give him psychological help because he is very anxious, she said.

Both she and her husband are from Michoacan, Mexico, a state fraught with drug cartel violence. She said they fear the conflict there, and work is hard to come by. If only one of them is deported, the other will stay in the U.S. to raise the children. If both are deported, she wants her children to stay in the U.S., where they are safe and have opportunities  at least until the parents figure out whether they can make a new life for the family in Mexico.

Undocumented children whose parents are deported often stay under the radar by going to live with other family members, said Watson said. But those who come under the purview of ICE are often transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which may place them in institutional settings while looking for a sponsor.

Maria, a home child-care provider in Highland Park with 20 years of experience, said she was recently asked by the mother of an undocumented 11-year-old at her day care if she would be willing to adopt her  permanently.

I could feel her pain. She was saying, Shes going to be yours. Im not going to ask for her back, said Maria, who requested that her full name not be used to protect her. I was speechless. It was a very drastic decision.

The mother was from Honduras, where her nephew was recently murdered, and she was terrified for her daughters safety, Maria said. I could see her fear in her eyes and her tears.

Maria had been caring for the girl for five years, and agreed to see a lawyer to discuss the options. But before they were able to go, she said the mother and child were picked up by federal agents.

I was heartbroken, Maria said. I would have adopted her.

Kate Sequeira, audience editor for The Times early childhood education initiative, contributed to this story.
Its hard to keep up with everything that President Donald Trumps administration is dismantling. That of course is part of the strategy: create so much chaos that attention shifts and we forget about last weeks or last months executive orders.

We write today in hopes that St. Louisans, Missourians, and the nation will keep a laser focus on the Trump administrations destruction of key pillars of biomedical research in the United States. As three researchers with close St. Louis ties (one of us a Washington University graduate, one of us an extensive Wash U. collaborator, and one of us a born and raised St. Louis University High School alum), we know that the effects of these cuts will have significant health consequences for residents across the Show-Me State.

From agricultural advances to biomedical innovations, the St. Louis metro area has long been home to scientific discovery. Although you may never have been in a research lab, you have seen the fruits of these labors in the areas robust hospital and health care system.

But now federally-funded science is being stifled. Worse, these changes have targeted administrative components of biomedical research that largely lay in bureaucratic shadows. The American populace is thus being kept in the dark about the true breadth of the changes and the dramatic consequences these cuts will have on their health.

These ongoing efforts effectively dismantle the current system of academic biomedical science in the United States. The assault began with President Trumps executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, limiting scientists efforts to ensure that biomedical research benefits key groups like children and older adults, who often respond differently to medicines compared with adults in their 30s and 40s. Then there was a communications blackout and halt of critical administrative work, idling our countrys engines of innovation.

Our nations scientific enterprise now faces critical failure. Federal funds serve as the cornerstone Americas (and St. Louis) preeminence in biomedicine. Even with court injunctions halting some of the administrations actions, the scientific enterprise has already experienced a chilling effect, with more than $1 billion in research funds already lost. Lost money now means lost lives in the years to come.

The National Institutes of Health, our planets largest funder of biomedical research, now finds itself embracing a strategy curiously hostile to science. Without intervention, Americas scientific cutting edge will dull and rust. The Chinese research enterprise, which has already surpassed the United States on some measures of scientific output, is surely delighted at these developments.

What makes science powerful is the foundational truth that it is never dependent on a single agency, country or autocrat. We call on Congress and the American public to demand that federal agencies supporting biomedical research remain transparent and accountable to all, just as we demand of all rigorous scientific research. In addition to federal support, we call for an infrastructure that better insulates scientific research from national politics.

We cannot reasonably expect the public to support the cause of science without offering support in return. We thus call on research institutions and academic medical centers to shore up support for local agencies, civic services, and communities during this time of uncertainty. Ensuring that communities maintain protected access to health services, offering bridge funding to local nonprofits, and serving as an economic anchor for disrupted communities is a task that must partially be borne by those biomedical research institutions that have prospered.

Earlier this decade, conspiracy theories baselessly attributed scientific breakthroughs to the puppeteering of a vast dark network of government operatives. With devastating irony that reality now bears down upon us, with heartbreaking consequences. We urge Congress to amend biomedical research policies so that we can get back to work for our real boss  the American public.
Q&A: TiVo's Chris Kleinschmidt on Glastonbury 2025 and Lean-Back Livestreaming Cultural Events

With Glastonbury 2025 in the books, Streaming Media spoke with Xperi VP EMEA Advertising Sales Chris Kleinschmidt about the streaming lessons learned from the event, in a cultural moment when Gen Z fans say they increasingly regard straightforward first-screen livestreaming experiences as a reasonable substitute for experiencing the live event onsite.

Political controversies aside, premium cultural event streams like the BBC iPlayer live broadcast of Glastonbury 2025 are helping to shape a new kind of lean-back streaming experience, where audiences engage more passively yet deeply with live content. At the same time, the rapid rise of AVOD and FAST platforms has sparked renewed interest in understanding what makes viewers tolerant or averse to advertising. These overlapping trends offer valuable lessons for advertisers seeking to maximise engagement during live cultural moments, emphasising the importance of timing, relevance, and audience context.

Kleinschmidt lent his insight on these issues and more in this Q&A with Streaming Media.



Chris Kleinschmidt, VP EMEA Advertising Sales, Xperi

Are we seeing the rise of a new genre of event-driven, passive engagement streaming? What's the opportunity for platforms and brands?

Were seeing a growing appetite for event-driven streaming, particularly around live cultural events like festivals and sports. I personally wouldn't call it "passive engagement", as I think that might be slightly misleading. Live music events naturally drive active viewership and communal viewing, and are time-sensitive.

For advertisers and platforms, streaming large scale events offer a major opportunity. In an on-demand world where audiences are fragmented, live events still draw mass, real-time attention. That kind of scale is rare and valuable.

Whats especially interesting is the role of connected TV (CTV) operating systems (OS). Even when events are streamed on ad-free platforms like BBC iPlayer, brands can still engage viewers at the point of entry through homepage ad units on smart TVs. Think of it as the digital equivalent of a billboard, visible right before users dive into the content. Its a powerful brand and marketing opportunity, particularly when aligned with high interest live programming.

Sports streaming is thriving on the big screen. According to our UK Smart TV research, 74% of consumers use sport-focused streaming services, and two-thirds access them through an app installed directly on their TV. With 84% naming the TV as their primary screen for sports, the data reinforces just how central the TV remains in the streaming era.

How can advertisers align their strategies with real-time cultural moments like Glastonbury to maximise reach and relevance?

Timing and context are key. While some live events dont allow for traditional ad breaks, like BBC streams, brands can still insert themselves into the broader viewing experience.

For instance, TiVo OS has launched programming that lets users interact with homepage ads that feature QR codes and branded imagery, positioned before they enter streaming apps. Its a way to capture attention early and surround a moment like Glastonbury or Wimbledon with relevant, timely messaging. Advertisers cant always be within the stream, but they can absolutely be part of the journey.

The industry is still adapting to the full potential of live digital experiences. Advertisers have more tools than ever, but the key lies in execution: aligning creativity, timing, and targeting to meet audiences where they are, in the moments that matter most.

Is brand integration into the stream more effective than relying on traditional ad breaks?

In traditional linear TV, ad slots are pre-scheduled and reliable. In digital, while you can technically replicate that predictability, its far less common. Advertisers often want dynamic, contextually relevant ad insertions, but doing that well requires more planning and budget.

Streaming also brings new targeting capabilities. Brands can overlay audience data on top of content signals, creating highly tailored experiences. Thats powerful, but it adds complexity. If targeting is too narrow, some viewers may have inconsistent or even ad-free experiences, which can dilute brand impact.

A good example is the Super Bowl, where the ads are as anticipated as the content itself. In digital environments, where each household might see a different ad, that shared cultural moment can be lost. Its something advertisers need to weigh when designing campaigns.

How has ad-supported streaming evolved over the past five years and what makes AVOD and FAST platforms more appealing now?

Five years ago, FAST platforms were in their early stages, often experimental with limited content. Today, were seeing much more sophistication in content curation. Viewers now have access to a broader, more compelling selection, and the high-quality, free, ad-supported content value proposition is clear.

It's no surprise therefore that our latest UK Video Trends Report found that 43% of UK consumers use free AVOD/FAST services such as Freevee and Pluto TV and 79% are in favour of and tolerant of ads.

From an advertisers point of view, the appeal lies in flexibility and targeting. While ad loads are often lighter than linear (typically 4-8 minutes per hour), whats more appealing is the ability to target households with precision. Unlike linear, which broadly targets based on programming, FAST allows for additional segmentation based on behavior, demographics, and more.

Performance is another big differentiator. On CTVs, 30-second ads routinely achieve 95%+ completion rates, which is far higher than on social media platforms, where people tend to scroll past ads. This high percentage of completion rates makes CTVs an impactful medium for brand storytelling.

I'm intrigued by this idea of the "lean-back viewing experience" as something that's trending for Gen Z. Can you expand a bit on what you mean by "a new kind of lean-back streaming experience"? How does this new kind of experience differ from traditional live TV?

Traditionally, a lean-back experience meant settling into a sofa and watching whatever was on live TV. For Gen Z, a new kind of lean-back experience is emerging. It is passive in feel, but smarter in delivery.

Todays viewers are navigating an average of 6.5 different video services in the UK. This fragmentation has led to real browsing fatigue, especially when using multiple apps in a single session. While the lean-back experience offers a seamless experience, powered by independent CTV OS platforms (e.g., TiVo OS) that curate and surface relevant, personalised content. It still feels relaxed, but it is shaped by personalisation rather than programming schedules.

What are the factors that make audiences more ad-averse, and what are platforms doing to make ad-supported experiences more palatable to users, particularly those in Gen Z?

Audiences often become ad-averse when faced with too many ads or the same ones are repeated. Among users of free streaming platforms, this is cited as the main reason for tuning out. For Gen Z, who are used to custom content from social video platforms, interruptions that feel irrelevant or too long are particularly off-putting.

Despite this, many viewers accept ads as part of the trade-off for free access. According to the UK Video Trends Report, over half of UK respondents are open to adverts if it means watching content without paying, and nearly half say they are simply used to them.

To improve the experience, platforms are leaning into more engaging ad formats such as QR codes or interactive banners. The aim is to make advertising feel less like an interruption and more like part of the viewing environment.

Can you expand a bit on your findings regarding UK viewer cord-cutters who went back to pay TV? Are the numbers rising?

The number of viewers returning to pay TV after cutting the cord has actually fallen. Xperis Video Trends Report shows that 28% of UK pay TV users in Q2 2024 said they had unsubscribed in the past but then chose to come back. That is down from 30% in the previous year.

Most of these returning viewers say they came back because pay TV gives them access to more content than the national broadcasters or individual streaming services. For some, it is also about convenience, especially when pay TV is bundled with the internet. While cord-cutting remains an ongoing trend, these numbers suggest that pay TV is still seen as a reliable, content-rich option by a significant share of viewers.

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Soldiers with 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division conduct tank maneuver training in 2015, in Estonia. The war in Ukraine has shown that the way tank formations maneuver needs to be rethought, 1st Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor said. (Juana M. Nesbitt/U.S. Army)



WIESBADEN, Germany  A recent robotic assault by Ukraine on Russian positions north of Kharkiv marked a watershed moment for how ground combat forces must prepare for war, a top U.S. general said this week.

The attack saw 50 Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicles and aerial drones seize initial positions. It pushed the Russians back and paved the way for Ukrainian troops to hold the territory.

I think that battle right there indicates that the time to reimagine armor has begun, and we have got to think about what armor will look like in the future, 1st Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor said Thursday.

For tank units, that means thinking about protecting formations with a layered defense, similar to the way a naval aircraft carrier group maneuvers at sea.

We need to think of a combined arms battalion more like a carrier strike group that has embedded countermeasures, Taylor said.

Taylor and other top Army commanders discussed how the Russia-Ukraine war has upended traditional ground warfare tactics at the Association of the U.S. Armys two-day symposium in Wiesbaden.

Strykers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment convoy through Lithuania in 2015. Drones are making large convoys obsolete in battle, Army leaders said at a recent conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Maj. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, listens to another speaker during a panel discussion at the LandEuro defense symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany, July 17, 2025. Ragin said that large convoys will be too susceptible to drone surveillance on future battlefields. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)



Defense industry leaders showcased systems for NATO militaries, while commanders stressed the need for faster innovation.

Much of the discussion revolved around how drones have transformed the modern battlefield. The shift affects everything from coordinating assaults to supplying troops and managing the stress of being under constant surveillance.

To counter (unmanned aerial systems), it can quickly burden small unit leaders, said Col. Donald Neal, commander of the Vilseck, Germany-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

Ground troops are working with a wide range of systems to monitor the skies, which means keeping track of large amounts of unsynchronized data. Managing that data needs to be part of combat arms training, Neal said.

Whats hard is to get all these systems to talk to each other  getting all the data to be centrally processed and pop up on a common operating picture so you can see the things flying in the air, he said.

A convoy of 4th Infantry Division vehicles drives along a German autobahn in 2017, on the way to Poland. Supply convoys are vulnerable because of the expansion of drone warfare, Maj. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, head of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, said July 17, 2025 at a symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Tanks of the 1st Armored Division return to the assembly area after an exercise in Australia, Aug. 8, 2023. The way tank formations maneuver and are protected needs to be rethought, Army leaders said at a recent conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Charlie Duke/U.S. Army)



Meanwhile, the practice of convoying supplies to troops at the front lines is becoming obsolete because of the ubiquitous presence of camera-equipped drones.

We usually have these large clusters of formations. We like to drive in convoys, said Maj. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. I do not believe that that will be applicable on future battlefields, because if you can be seen, you can be killed.

The situation also puts pre-positioned weapons stocks at risk, he said. Large NATO warehouses would be immediate targets.

In Ukraine, I can tell you that ammunition depots were targeted, Ragin said. Any fixed facility that can be found was targeted, and it was eliminated on both sides.

The Army is working with allies to set up discreet, dispersed locations across NATOs eastern flank and in Northern Europe, he said.

Matter of fact, some of them are in Estonia, some of them Lithuania, a lot in Poland and then across the theater, so weve got to be dispersed, Ragin said.

Given the high costs of such arrangements, the Army is looking to allies to spend more, he added.

For NATO, there is urgency to boost weapons production.

U.S. European Commands Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, speaking Thursday in Wiesbaden, said allies must prepare for the possibility of a two-front war with Russia and China in the coming years.

Were going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to beat that, said Grynkewich, NATOs supreme allied commander.

In Ukraine, more than 70% of combat vehicle losses since January have been caused by small drone strikes, Taylor said.

Its now cheaper and easier to take out targets than it is to protect them, he said.

You see this all the time, with $900 drones destroying $9 million combat systems, Taylor said. Weve got to change that cost calculus if were going to be able to operate on the future battlefield.

Stars and Stripes reporter Phillip Walter Wellman contributed to this report.
Lt. Gen. David M. Hodne was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Armys yet-to-be-activated Transformation and Training Command in Austin, Texas. (U.S Army)



AUSTIN, Texas  Lt. Gen. David M. Hodne was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead a new Army command expected to stand up later this year through the merger of Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command, the Defense Department announced Friday.

Hodne was nominated for promotion to four-star general and the position of commander of the Army Transformation and Training Command, which will be headquartered in Austin. He has served as deputy commander of futures and concepts for a Futures Command office at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., since January 2024, which is also when he received his third star.

The Army is expected to release full details of the command consolidation in August but the service has confirmed the headquarters for the four-star leading the Transformation and Training Command will be in Austin, where the four-star who leads Futures Command is now located.

TRADOC is headquartered at Fort Eustis and said it expects some of its personnel and operations to stay in Virginia.

Each command has roughly 1,000 personnel in its respective headquarters.

Hodnes time as a general has balanced between leading troops, leading the infantry schoolhouse, and shaping Army modernization and conceptualizing the demands of future warfighting. He also spent considerable time deployed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He has served as commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., the Futures Commands director of the Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team and commandant of the Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga., according to his Army biography.

He also served as a battalion commander in combat in Iraq with the 3rd Squadron of the 4th Cavalry Regiment and in Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Hodne in September addressed the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, where he described a three-phase approach Futures Command uses to shape the Army  near-term readiness improvements, deliberate modernization in the next decade, and long-term, concept-driven changes for 2040 and beyond.

We are experimenting with the future force today, testing how new technologies can be integrated into existing systems to give us the edge in future conflicts, Hodne told conference attendees.

His nomination to lead the new Transformation and Training Command will now go to the Senate for confirmation. The command could be activated as early as Oct. 1, the Army said.
The USAV Paulus Hook, a U.S. Army Runnymede-class landing craft utility, berths in Townsville, Australia on July 18, 2025. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)



TOWNSVILLE, Australia  A U.S. Army vessel that typically operates out of Japan has executed a first-of-its-kind mission in Australia: hauling four M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks for the Australian army as part of ongoing Talisman Sabre drills.

The USAV Paulus Hook is a Runnymede-class landing craft utility thats 174 feet long and capable of carrying up to five of the 74-ton tanks at once.

On Saturday, the vessel loaded the tanks at Port of Townsville in Queensland and headed south along the coast to drop them off at the Port of Gladstone, south of Rockhampton.

We are right in the most critical region for this capability, the vessels master, Warrant Officer 1 Chad Arness, told Stars and Stripes on Friday aboard the ship, berthed near commercial freighters and a towering crane.

An Australian army M1A1 Abrams tank prepares to load onto the USAV Paulus Hook, a U.S. Army landing craft utility, in Townsville, Australia, on July 19, 2025. (Adan Cazarez/U.S. Army)



The Paulus Hook is part of the 5th Transportation Company, which was activated in February 2024 at Yokohama North Dock, just south of Tokyo.

The company, which also operates two small tugboats, is making its debut at Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise and the largest ever conducted by the United States and Australia. This years drills, which began July 13 and run through Aug. 4, involve more than 35,000 personnel from 19 countries.

Transporting tanks at sea is not without its challenges. Arness said the additional weight brings the Paulus Hooks top speed down from 12 knots to 10 but does not compromise its stability. He added that the crew of 14 has encountered little in the way of hazards  no crocodiles yet, despite local warnings, though whales have made appearances in surrounding waters.

A crocodile, rumored to feed on cattle that fall from passing livestock ships, is known to patrol the murky harbor, according to dockworkers.

The Paulus Hook departed Yokohama on June 14, first stopping at Naha, Okinawa, to deliver containers and vehicles, Arness said. From there, it crossed the equator and entered Australian waters at Gladstone, moving supplies north to Shoalwater Training Area before arriving in Townsville on Thursday night.

The ships presence is more than just logistical. It also represents a strategic shift in how the U.S. Army envisions littoral operations in the Indo-Pacific.

The transportation companys commander, Capt. Alena Leshchyk, also in Townsville on Friday, said the service hopes to expand its watercraft fleet in the region, though decisions about basing locations remain under consideration.

For Australian forces, the visit offers a rare up-close look at what the future might hold. On Friday, about two dozen Australian soldiers toured the Paulus Hook, peppering the crew with questions about its tools, spare parts and pneumatic systems.

Australian soldiers quiz U.S. Army mariners about operations aboard the USAV Paulus Hook, a Runnymede-class landing craft utility, in Townsville, Australia, July 18, 2025. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)



Australias fleet includes 1960s-era, 72-foot landing craft, which can carry trucks but not battle tanks. That is set to change. The army plans to acquire 18 larger vessels by 2028, significantly improving its littoral capabilities, said Maj. Brenton Chapman, commander of Townsvilles 35 Water Transport Squadron.

Its a peek into our future, he said during the tour.

In the meantime, Australian soldiers have begun preparing for the transition. Some have already trained at Fort Eustis, Va., home to another U.S. Army watercraft unit, Chapman said, and more will join American crews this fall during the Orient Shield exercise in Japan.
Raider on board the USS Makin Island. ( Shelter to Soldiers Facebook)



(Tribune News Service)  A black lab named Raider is on a mission.

Hes what youd call a morale dog from a San Diego nonprofit organization named Shelter to Soldier, where rescue dogs are trained to become emotional support animals for military veterans.

And now, hes training to set sail on the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Makin Island next year, a first in the program.

Raider is a one-year-old lab mix adopted from Labs and More Rescue currently in training with Shelter to Soldier as a shipboard Morale Dog through our Canine Ambassador program, the Shelter to Soldier program said in a June 26 Facebook reel that highlights Raiders training.

This initiative is designed to support the emotional wellness, morale, and mental health of sailors and marines.

The USS Makin Island is the first to partner with Shelter to Soldier, which occurred after the programs director, Nicky Moore, began to bring therapy dogs to Navy ships, NBC San Diego reported.

Every single time it was like, I really wish we had a dog that stayed on board. Like, Can we take this dog on deployment with us? And so, we just kind of were like, Actually, yeah, Moore told the news outlet.

And now, providing emotional support to those on board will be Raiders goal.

Aboard the USS Makin Island, Raider will serve as a four-legged crew member, offering support through structured interaction, presence, and engagement, Shelter to Soldier continued in the Facebook reel.

Shelter to Soldiers Canine Ambassadors work across a range of settings to support the military and veteran community. They attend STS veteran applicant interviews, support trauma recovery therapy, participate in group sessions, and visit active-duty service members and their families, offering moments of connection and care when its needed most.

More importantly, Raider will help improve mental wellness and quality of life for those in active duty.

Raiders role aboard the USS Makin Island helps address this crisis by fostering camaraderie within the crew, reducing operational stress, and increasing awareness for shipboard wellness and behavioral health services, the program said.

Raiders training began in April, and hes set to have his own room on the ship along with five handlers, NBC reported.

The USS Midway Museum is honored to play a small part in this incredible mission, The USS Midway Museum, who provided a place where Raider could train and prepare for life on the ship, commented in a Facebook post. Raider and his fellow Shelter to Soldier morale dogs bring comfort, connection, and strength to the sailors they serve. Were proud to help support their journey.

 2025 The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.).

Visit www.heraldonline.com.

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The Festa del Redentore, or Feast of the Redeemer, harks back to the year 1577. (visit-venice-italy.com)



Europes countless festivals, historical re-enactments, anniversary celebrations and the like represent an opportunity for locals and tourists alike to come together in relaxed settings. While the costumes and traditions on display at such affairs are bound to delight even those without a great deal of background knowledge about the original event thats being commemorated, it can be rewarding to delve a bit into the history behind the proceedings that are still carried out in our present day and age. While the audacious acts of the heroes of these tales might not have played out exactly as depicted, historical backgrounds such as battles or the presence of influential figures is oftentimes more or less fact-based. Here are a few upcoming main events at which history can be the side dish.

Venice, Italy: The Festa del Redentore, or Feast of the Redeemer, harks back to the year 1577. For two years, a plague had ravaged the city, killing roughly a third of its inhabitants. The plagues end was attributed to divine intervention, and in gratitude for easing the suffering, the Venetian Senate commissioned the building of a grand church, the Basilica del Redentore on Giudecca Island.

This years festivities running July 18-20 are set to play out as they do most years. Friday will see the opening of a temporary votive bridge connecting the basilica to the district known as Zattere. On Saturday, various musical performances will take place prior to the most anticipated event, a grand display of fireworks shot over Saint Marks Basin starting at 11:30 p.m. Venetians and their friends with access to watercraft turn out in force to happily while away the hours before with picnics and cooling beverages. Back on land, long tables are set up for al fresco dining on local specialties. Sundays activities include a gondola regatta and Mass in the basilica at 7 p.m. Online: tinyurl.com/ywaayb78

Dinkelsbuhl, Germany: Each year in summer, the children of this idyllic Bavarian village are called to take part in a historical re-enactment known as the Kinderzeche. The action revolves around how the children of Dinkelsbuhl, led by the daughter of the keeper of the watchtower, convinced the Swedish occupiers to spare their town from destruction during the Thirty Years War in 1632. Plays, parades, folk dancing and sword fighting figure into events held over a 10-day period. No less interesting is just how long the town has held festivities involving students: scholars trace the youngsters merriment back to the 17th century.

This years festival is set to play out July 18-27. Visitors can elect to watch the play on all fest days or parades on July 20, 21 and 27. Tickets to either event can be ordered online and cost from 7 euros up. A volksfest with all the usual attractions also takes place in town July 18-23. Online: kinderzeche.de

Ulm, Germany: Schwormontag, or Oath Monday, is the day the Lord Mayor repeats a solemn promise to the citizens of the city: to work equally for all, serving rich and poor alike. The swearing of the first oath can be traced back to 1345, against the backdrop of a power struggle between the noble class and the guilds in what was then a Free Imperial City.

The tradition is set to repeat itself once again on July 21, when the mayor will appear on the balcony of the Schworhaus and swear to uphold Ulms constitution. From about 11 a.m., an account of the social and political highlights of the past year will be delivered, followed by a prognosis of whats anticipated in the coming year.

As in all years, this event without much of a fun factor will be followed by one thats loved by all ages: the Nabada, a collective paddle/float/swim along the Danube River. Beginning around 4 p.m., dozens of boats belonging to clubs and other groups will take to the water. These boats, decked out to ridicule current culture and politics, are accompanied by non-official participants riding on whatever contraptions they can manage to keep afloat along a four-mile stretch of the river. As evening falls, revelers gather in the Friedrichsau Park and other parts of town, as concerts crown the summer day. Other elements of the celebrations stretching over the weekend include a serenade of lights, in which 20,000 red and yellow tea light candles are released into the river at the fall of twilight (July 19) and a fishermans joust and parade (July 20). Online: tinyurl.com/5evsh4j4

Bad Kissingen, Germany: This handsome spa towns biggest annual bash is its Rakoczy Fest, held at the end of July each year. The festival recalls not so much a singular event but rather the long line of royals and rulers who were drawn to the town following the discovery of a spring with healing powers back in 1737. The whos who list included Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the Bavarian kings Ludwig I and Ludwig II, Otto Prince von Bismarck and dozens more; costumed versions of these famous names are all but certain to turn up at the fests highlight event, the parade set for 2:30 p.m. on July 27. Horse-drawn carriages pulling yesteryears celebrities are accompanied by marching bands and flower-bedecked floats depicting the towns landmarks. Other elements of the festival running July 25 - 27 include concerts, illuminated water fountains synced to music, a gala ball, closing fireworks and more. Online: rakoczy-fest-badkissingen.de
At 4,800 meters above sea level, world's highest manned weather station stands vigil

13:34, July 18, 2025 By Li Hongmei ( People's Daily

Over five hours northbound by train from Lhasa, in southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, the landscape ascends steadily toward the Tanggula Mountains, reaching an altitude of 4,800 meters.

Nestled on the southern slopes of this formidable range is the Amdo meteorological station in Nagqu, officially recognized as the world's highest manned weather station. Often referred to as "the No. 1 Meteorological Station Under Heaven," it has quietly stood sentinel for nearly six decades.

A technician performs maintenance at an automatic weather station in Amdo county. (Photo courtesy of the meteorological bureau of Amdo county)

The station's origins date back to 1965, when meteorologist Chen Jinshui and a colleague pitched two tents on a desolate hillside to begin systematic weather observation. Since then, generations of meteorological workers have remained steadfast at this remote outpost, braving extreme cold and oxygen scarcity to monitor climatic patterns on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, making invaluable contributions to the research on global climate change.

Situated in one of the world's largest mid- to low-latitude permafrost zones, Amdo experiences more than 140 days of strong winds above force eight each year, with gusts reaching more than 40 meters per second. The average annual temperature hovers at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, with winter lows plunging to minus 43.2 degrees Celsius. Snow falls on approximately 109 days each year on average.

Even in June, the biting cold lingers. Locals bundle up in down jackets as gale-force winds, torrential rains, and hailstorms remain frequent. With over 90 days of thunderstorms and more than 70 days of hail annually, Amdo ranks first nationwide for both.

For station staff, the most formidable challenge is not the weather but the extreme high-altitude environment. Chronic headaches, chest tightness, and insomnia are commonplace, while prolonged exposure often leads to severe altitude-related illnesses.

Zhang Xiaoxing, a 31-year-old meteorologist from southwest China's Yunnan province, came to Amdo in 2022 to contribute to China's western development. Since arriving, altitude sickness has made insomnia routine. Yet Zhang remains resolute: "Unless health forces me to leave permanently, I'll stay. I aim to put down roots in the west and serve this land."

Photo shows a view of the Amdo meteorological station. (Photo/Fang Lequn)

According to Dondrup Tsering, deputy head of the meteorological bureau of Amdo county, living and working conditions have significantly improved. Dormitories and offices are now equipped with oxygen supply systems and central heating. "Besides better living conditions and higher wages, we now have a job rotation system. Staff can transfer after five years," he explained.

Amdo is also traversed by two iconic routes known as "highland sky roads": China National Highway 109 (Qinghai-Xizang Highway) and the Qinghai-Xizang Railway.

Highway 109 is a crucial lifeline for the region, transporting over 80 percent of Xizang's inbound and outbound goods. It crosses the high-altitude Tanggula Mountain pass and runs through extensive permafrost zones, where cold, thin air is the norm.

From late March to early May each year, frequent rainfall is common, while heavy snow from November to early December often causes traffic disruptions. Under such extreme conditions, even minor delays can pose significant risks. Maintaining highway operation has thereby become a key responsibility of local meteorological authorities.

To meet this challenge, four dedicated road weather monitoring stations have been established along the Tanggula Mountains. Real-time data collection and timely forecasts and alerts play a vital role in easing traffic flow and safeguarding the lives of drivers and passengers.

On June 15, for instance, a specialized weather bulletin issued to the command center of a major highway upgrade project forecast rain and snow along the Gongma-Amdo section of Highway 109, along with possible thunderstorms on the afternoon of June 17. The forecast proved accurate: a violent thunderstorm accompanied by hail struck at around 3 p.m. on June 17. Thanks to the early warning, emergency protocols were activated in advance, minimizing disruption and damage.

At such extreme elevations, the consistently low pressure, subzero temperatures, and powerful winds place immense strain on weather monitoring systems, which frequently malfunction or encounter data transmission issues. Regular maintenance is essential.

"Every time we head out for maintenance, the wind is at least force seven," said Dondrup Tsering. "We typically wear a down jacket underneath and a thick military coat on top. Otherwise, the cold and wind would be unbearable." When temperatures drop too low, team members take turns checking equipment to minimize exposure. But during intricate repairs, gloves must be removed - exposing workers to the risk of frostbite.

When Tsering first joined the meteorological bureau of Amdo county in 2018, there were only three weather stations. That number has since grown to 28. Still, the vast terrain, high altitude, and unpredictable weather conditions make it difficult to capture all meteorological variables with precision.

But progress is underway. "We're accelerating the construction of new meteorological stations and expanding the observation network to better support forecasting and early warning," Tsering said. "We're working to improve forecast accuracy so we can better serve local development."

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The morning sun peeks over the entrance to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, on May 28, 2025. (Michel Sauret)



When two U.S. Army photographers set off on a photo-centric journey across Japan, it wasnt for a deployment or to cover a training exercise  it was a spontaneous adventure born out of friendship, curiosity and a shared love of visual storytelling.

It began with a conversation between old friends.

Michel Sauret, a Pittsburgh-based Italian immigrant and former Army Reserve first sergeant, often visits Italy to reconnect with childhood friend Stefano Riccardi. Over the years, Riccardi  an avid traveler with a passion for Japan  frequently sang the praises of the countrys food, culture and aesthetic charm.

This year, with Sauret marking his 40th birthday and Riccardi working in Japan overseeing a Caravaggio painting in the Vaticans pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, the timing felt perfect. A milestone moment, a bucket list destination, and a friend already in-country  it was all too serendipitous to ignore.

Justin Morrelli, left, shares a smile with a local on a Tokyo train on May 23, 2025. (Michel Sauret)

Michel Sauret makes new friends during a Yomiuru Giants game at the Tokyo Dome on May 24, 2025. (Michel Sauret)



Sauret reached out to longtime Army buddy Justin Morelli, a master sergeant with the 200th Military Police Command of the Army Active Guard Reserve at Fort Meade, Md.

I knew he loved international adventures and had gone on incredible trips around the world, Sauret said via Messenger on May 30. I half-joked, half-pleaded, Next time you go on one of those trips, take me with you. But instead of waiting, I decided to make it happen myself.

Armed with cameras, curiosity and a shared military mindset, the pair embarked on a 10-day photographic journey that spanned from the neon-lit alleyways of Tokyo to the tranquil waters of Lake Ashi, through the hot springs of Hakone and westward to Kyoto and Osaka, where Riccardi welcomed them.

Two kimono-clad women wait to cross a street in Kyoto, Japan, on May 28, 2025. (Michel Sauret)

Blue and purple clouds form above Yasaka Pagoda during a sunset in Kyoto, Japan, on May 28, 2025. (Michel Sauret)



For Sauret and Morrelli, Japan proved to be a photographers dream. Kyotos quiet alleys, Tokyos glowing vending machines, and the elegant silhouettes of kimono-clad locals offered endless visual inspiration.

The pace was their own  no guilt in lingering, no rush to move on. Their cameras guided their route, and their military background gave them both the discipline and adaptability to thrive in the moment.

Their most memorable challenge came in Hakone, where they attempted to capture the elusive Mount Fuji.

You see those postcard images of Japans iconic structures and landscapes so often that you think youre just going to show up and the mountain is going to be perfectly lit and its going to be ready for you, Sauret said.

A morning view of Mount Fuji from the mountains surrounding Lake Ashi in Hakone, Japan, on May 26, 2025. (Michel Sauret)



Their first evening there, Fuji was completely obscured by clouds. Rather than move on, they adjusted their itinerary and stayed an extra night. At 3:30 a.m., patience rewarded them with a breathtaking view.

In Tokyo, Sauret spotted a poised woman in a kimono and, using a smartphone translator, asked if she would pose for a street portrait. Instead, she led them to her private club, where they found themselves photographing her alongside her fluffy dog in a velvet-draped lounge.

A restaurant and bar owner poses for a portrait with her dog in Tokyo on May 23, 2025. (Michel Sauret)



Not every moment was so perfectly framed. In Kyoto, they were gently corrected by a temple attendant for putting their shoes on just six inches ahead of the acceptable threshold  an important cultural nuance, and a reminder that even seasoned travelers cant know it all.

Despite long days  walking up to 14 miles and surviving on just a few hours of sleep  the pair thrived. Their military background lent discipline and flexibility, allowing them to adapt quickly, troubleshoot on the go, and make room for unexpected detours.

It was an incredible opportunity for us to bond again over shared experiences in the Army, but then expand on that, Morrelli by Messenger on May 30. Well definitely do more of these trips in the future. The adventure is just in us as soldiers, and that sense of adventure needs to be fulfilled.
President Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, meet at the White House in April. (Al Drago/For The Washington Post)



More than 250 Venezuelans deported in March by the Trump administration and flown to El Salvadors high security counterterrorism prison were sent home Friday in exchange for 1o U.S. citizens imprisoned in Venezuela by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

In a carefully coordinated series of events following months of negotiations by the State Department, the Venezuelans were bused from the prison to El Salvadors international airport Friday morning and picked up by an aircraft sent from Venezuela.

Simultaneously, a U.S.-chartered Gulfstream plane departed a small Georgia airport carrying U.S. diplomatic officials and medical personnel en route to Caracas.

In a statement to reporters as the U.S. aircraft cleared Venezuelan airspace at around 3:30 p.m., a senior administration official said, Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Rubio, 10 U.S. nationals who were detained by the Maduro regime are on their way home.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said that there are now no more Americans detained in Venezuela. Although charges against them were unclear in some cases, Maduro has often accused the CIA and American mercenaries of infiltrating Venezuela in plots to overthrow his government. Their names were not immediately released.

The State Department has never provided a complete list of U.S. citizens deemed unjustly imprisoned by Caracas. It has long warned against travel to Venezuela, where such arrests are frequently used as bargaining tools by Maduro. Ten Americans were freed in late 2023 in exchange for the Biden administrations release of a U.S. imprisoned close ally of Maduro. Seven - six in February and one in May - have previously been freed this year in deals negotiated by the Trump administration.

Earlier Friday, a plane arrived in Caracas carrying seven young children that Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said had been kidnapped by the United States when they were separated from their deported parents. The plane was one of twice-weekly U.S. deportation flights that Cabello, who welcomed the children at the airport, said had returned more than 7,000 Venezuelans this year. Return of the children was part of the exchange agreement, according to one person informed of the deal who was not authorized to discuss it.

The senior official said the swap also included the release of an unspecified number of domestic political prisoners inside Venezuela.

Fridays swap was a remarkable development after President Donald Trump did not follow a court order - issued as the planes were in flight or preparing for takeoff - to halt and reverse most of the removals in a high-stakes early bid to claim executive power and prove he was serious about ridding the country of illegal migrants. The administration never provided a complete list of their identities, and told a series of courts it had no power to force or even ask El Salvador to return them.

Many of the Venezuelan prisoners were sent on the March 15 flights within days of being rounded up at their U.S. homes or workplaces. They arrived in shackles at El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center under an unpublicized agreement between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whose government was paid to incarcerate them.

The senior official said that Bukeles offer provided the opportunity to initiate negotiations for an exchange.

Their removal launched a torrent of legal challenges to Trumps sudden invocation of a 1798 wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to justify more than half of the removals. Federal courts have halted deportations under the act now, although they have issued differing opinions on whether Trump has the power to use it. The Supreme Court has not ruled on the question but has said that the law requires potential deportees be given an opportunity to challenge their removal.

The rest of the deported prisoners were sent to El Salvador under regular deportation procedures. The administration said, without presenting evidence, that many were violent criminals. As the Venezuelans simply disappeared, none was given an opportunity challenge their detention or deportation and family members were not informed. Inmates at the prison are not allowed any contact with the outside world.

Maduro had demanded the return of the Venezuelans, whom he charged had been kidnapped, as a point of national honor, after Bukele offered in April to send them home if Maduro would free all U.S. citizens he was holding as well as dozens of imprisoned domestic political opponents.

But an exchange being negotiated by the State Department in May was scotched when it collided with separate negotiations being secretly conducted by presidential envoy Richard Grenell, who told Trump he had persuaded Maduro to resume suspended deportation flights to Caracas in return for release of the Americans. The State Department eventually resumed talks leading to the final deal.

For the returned Venezuelans, the agreement ended four months of confinement in what both Salvadoran and U.S. human rights groups have called one of the most brutal facilities in the hemisphere, deprived of access to lawyers or their families. Questioned about his justification days after the deportations, Trump told reporters the Venezuelans were bad people  When you look at the crimes they have committed, you dont get worse than that. These are  drug dealers, drug lords, people from mental institutions.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, on a visit to the prison in late March, filmed and posted a video warning potential migrants of their fate as she stood before dozens of shirtless men with shaved heads, stacked on three levels of shelves inside a cell. They should remain in the megaprison, built to house 80,000, for the rest of their lives, she later said.

Trump claimed authority to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, which requires invasion by a foreign power, by saying most of the deportees were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang active in the United States that he had designated as a terrorist group. The administration said its activities constituted an invasion under the act since the gang was under the control of the Maduro government - something U.S. intelligence later put in doubt.

In the Friday briefing, the senior administration official said all of the 252 deportees returned to Venezuela were members of Tren de Aragua, a sweeping assertion for which the administration has never provided evidence.

But numerous news and court filings have indicated that many of the Venezuelans were not violent criminals, much less members of the gang. Some had been legally living in the United States - including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, one of 23 Salvadorans included on the flights. When a federal judge in Maryland ordered him returned, the administration said it had no power to do so, since all of the deportees were now under the custody of a foreign nation and the matter was out of U.S. hands.

Abrego, a Maryland resident, was returned to the United States last month, only to face federal charges of migrant smuggling, which he denies. U.S. court filings last week by lawyers for more than 100 Venezuelans challenging their deportations and imprisonment in El Salvador included an acknowledgment by Bukele officials that the United States, not El Salvador, has the jurisdiction and legal responsibility for them.

Schmidt reported from Milwaukee. Justin Jouvenal and Maria Sacchetti contributed to this report.
In this photo provided by Japans Ministry of Defense, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber, center, is seen close to a YS-11EB electronic-intelligence aircraft, partly seen at left, of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025. (Ministry of Defense via AP)



TOKYO  Japan cautioned against Chinas rapid acceleration of military activity stretching from its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, describing the moves in a new defense report Tuesday as the biggest strategic challenge.

Chinas growing military cooperation with Russia also poses serious security concerns to Japan, along with increasing tension around Taiwan and threats coming from North Korea, the Defense Ministry said in the annual report submitted to the Cabinet.

The international society is in a new crisis era as it faces the biggest challenges since the end of World War II, the report said, citing significant changes to the global power balance while raising concerns about an escalation of the China-U.S. rivalry.

The security threats are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan is located, and could get worse in the future, the report said.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized the white paper, saying it adopts a wrongful perception of China, unjustifiably interferes in Chinas internal affairs, and plays up the so-called China threat.

Beijing has lodged protests with Japan, Lin said, defending Chinas military activities as legitimate and reasonable. He urged Japan to reflect on its wartime past and stop hyping tension in the region and China-related issues as a pretext to justify its military buildup.

Japan has strengthened its military forces on southwestern islands in recent years and was preparing to deploy long-distance cruise missiles, as it worries about a conflict in Taiwan, which China claims as its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

The presence of Chinese warships in the Pacific has steadily increased and the frequency of their passage off southwestern Japan has tripled in the past three years, including in waters between Taiwan and the neighboring Japanese island of Yonaguni, the report said.

It comes days after Japan demanded China stop flying its fighter jets unusually close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft, which it said was happening repeatedly and could cause a collision. Beijing in turn accused Japan of flying near Chinese airspace for spying purposes.

Chinas increasing dispatch of aircraft carriers in the Pacific underscores the countrys attempt to advance its sea power in distant waters, the report said.

The Defense Ministry also noted two cases last year in which a Chinese warplane briefly violated Japanese airspace off islands near Nagasaki, and an aircraft carriers entry into a zone just outside of Japans territorial waters southwest of the Nansei island chain, which stretches from the southern coast of Kyushu to Taiwan.

North Korea poses an increasingly serious and imminent threat, the report said, noting the Norths development of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland.

Russia maintains active military operations around Japan and violated its airspace in September, the report added.

Associated Press writer Reeno Hashimoto contributed to this report.
An airman checks the daily specials at Craven Sweet Treats, a mobile bakery that began operating on Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in March 2025. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)



YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  A popular mobile bake shop run by an Air Force spouse is drawing attention to rules that govern home-based businesses on U.S. military bases.

Deanna Craven, owner of Craven Sweet Treats, opened her pink-and-white trailer on March 25 after nine months of preparation, she told Stars and Stripes in a recent interview. Cravens baked goods, including her signature sourdough cinnamon sugar focaccia, quickly attracted long lines outside Yokotas post office, near the exchange and commissary.

But after just a few weeks, Craven said, she was told she could no longer operate in that location due to base policies that restrict home-based businesses from competing with established vendors. Her trailer is now limited to operating in residential areas on the east and west sides of Yokota and near the base library.

Its been really frustrating, she said in a video posted to her business Facebook page this spring.

I do know that some of our highest grossing days were in some of the red zones, she told Stars and Stripes in a July 16 email. We also didnt have a chance to get to the Yokota (passenger) terminal before the restrictions were in place to know how things would go there.

Cravens experience illustrates the challenges faced by home-based entrepreneurs. While these businesses can be permitted to operate on base, they must follow strict guidelines to avoid competing with official services and to maintain community access to essential goods.

Craven Sweet Treats, a mobile bakery, has been operating on Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo since March 2025. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)

Blueferry muffins from Craven Sweet Treats, a mobile bakery that began operating on Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in March 2025. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)



Craven Sweet Treats is one of 29 approved home-based businesses at Yokota, said Capt. Emma Quirk, spokesperson for the 374th Airlift Wing. These businesses range from custom baked goods to personal services, such as hairstyling, but all are governed by location and operational limits.

They may not directly compete with established base vendors that are integral to ensuring long-term access to essential goods and services for the Yokota community, Quirk said in a July 14 email. This sometimes requires location-based permissions for [home-based businesses] to align with this intent.

In addition, home-based entrepreneurs may not utilize the Military Postal System, Army and Air Force Exchange Service or the Defense Commissary Agency, she said.

The wings commander, Col. Richard McElhaney, noted in a July 14 statement to Stars and Stripes that his wife, Carolyn, ran a micro-boutique, selling clothing and jewelry out of their home during a previous tour at Yokota.

McElhaney called home-based entrepreneurs a a powerful force in making our community a more vibrant place to live.

Its important that we balance competition of all businesses across the base to ensure we dont cause unintended second and third order effects that leave us with a gap in service options, he said.

Craven thanked the wing for listening to her concerns, and said she hopes to inspire would-be entrepreneurs.

I truly am hoping and trying to make a change to show that military spouses can bring so much positivity and bring unique ideas to base with our home-based businesses, she wrote.
U.S., Japanese and Australian troops wrap up JXR, an exercise that simulated a magnitude 7 earthquake, at Akasaka Press Center in Tokyo, July 18, 2025. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)



AKASAKA PRESS CENTER, Tokyo  In a move reflecting their evolving military partnership, the United States and Japan concluded a weeklong disaster-response exercise on Friday, the first to bring together U.S. Forces Japan and the countrys newly formed Joint Operations Command.

The exercise, dubbed JXR, simulated a magnitude 7 earthquake striking central Tokyo  a plausible scenario in a country that experiences frequent seismic activity.

The drill mobilized approximately 14,000 troops from the U.S., Japan and Australia, and unfolded across several key locations, including Japans Ministry of Defense, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices and Akasaka Press Center, according to the ministry.

USFJ is in the process of establishing a satellite office at the press center, closer to Japans defense ministry than its current headquarters at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.

Though Japan has conducted annual disaster drills for a quarter-century, this marked the first time the two newly restructured commands worked together to coordinate their response efforts, a spokesman for Japans Joint Staff told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.

Japanese government officials customarily speak to the media on the condition of anonymity.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Raffi Mnatzakanian, center left, speaks with Australian counterparts during JXR, an exercise that simulated a magnitude 7 earthquake, at Akasaka Press Center in Tokyo, July 18, 2025. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

Troops take part in JXR, a command post exercise that simulated a magnitude 7 earthquake, at Akasaka Press Center in Tokyo, July 18, 2025. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Raffi Mnatzakanian, who leads campaign planning for USFJs Joint Command Team, speaks about the JXR exercise at Akasaka Press Center in Tokyo, July 18, 2025. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)



The exercise reflects a shift in the role of USFJ, which is transitioning from a primarily liaison and planning body into a joint operational command. That transformation was announced a year ago by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. His successor, Pete Hegseth, described the revamped command as a warfighting headquarters designed to improve coordination with its Japanese counterpart.

For Japan, the launch of Joint Operations Command marks an effort to centralize oversight of its three military branches: air, ground and maritime. The JXR drill served as an early test of the allies new framework and how they would respond to a large-scale natural disaster in one of the worlds most densely populated urban centers.

The fictional earthquake scenario, which played out in digital simulations on tabletops, assumed an epicenter beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area. Such a quake could lead to approximately 23,000 deaths and leave around 72,000 people in need of rescue, according to a 2021 publication from the Japanese Cabinet Office titled Disaster Management in Japan.

At the press center on Friday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Raffi Mnatzakanian, who leads campaign planning for USFJs Joint Command Team, described the exercise as a realistic test of how both militaries would coordinate under pressure.

Its chaos.. Its ordered chaos, but its chaos, he said. Its a lot of guys running around trying to get stuff done.

Japan has long maintained a robust disaster-response framework, but in the event of a catastrophe of this scale, Tokyo would likely request American assistance, Mnatzakanian said. In addition to air, ground and maritime transport, the U.S. military could offer medical support, food and water.

A lot of times in natural disasters, the first thing that everybody thinks about is transportation, he said, emphasizing the logistical hurdles in such crises.

The drill also highlighted a growing strategic intimacy between the two countries militaries. Mnatzakanian referred to the restricted American command as USFJ 2.0 and suggested that the relationship between the two nations defense organizations must constantly evolve.

I like to think of it like this: Any other relationship requires constant effort, he said. You cant stagnate. So even though its improved today, its only today. Its dynamic, because the environment keeps changing and you keep changing.
Gwendolyn Sanders, the widow of Staff Sgt. Charles "Chuck" Sanders, embraces Mikayla Degel at a memorial ceremony at Katterbach Kaserne in Germany on July 18, 2025. The ceremony commemorated 20 years since the crash of an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan killed all 18 people aboard, including Sanders' husband. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)



ANSBACH, Germany  When Gwendolyn Sanders husband, Staff Sgt. Charles Chuck Sanders, died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2005, she felt like she was losing her military family, too.

So for the past two decades, keeping his memory alive hasnt just been important; its been her lifeline. She and her son, Drake, were among nearly 200 people gathered Friday at Katterbach Kaserne for a milestone commemoration of the tragedy on April 6, 2005.

All 18 Americans aboard the Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter with the callsign Windy 25 were killed when it crashed in a sandstorm near Ghazni while returning to Bagram Air Base. There were no survivors.

The 14 soldiers, one Marine and three civilians aboard were on their way back after a mission in the southern Kandahar region as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

At the time, it was the deadliest incident for Americans in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

Attendees at the Ansbach memorial, where the regiments parent unit, the 12th Air Combat Brigade, is located, reflected Friday on the past 20 years and the solace theyve found in one another.

Family members of those who died in a 2005 Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan lay a wreath on the memorial outside the 12th Combat Air Brigade, at the 20th anniversary memorial ceremony at Katterbach Kaserne in Germany on July 18, 2025. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)



Chuck Sanders was a hard worker with a goofy side, his wife said. He had a deep love of fishing and a passion for Kinder Eggs, which were the first thing he bought upon arriving in Germany, Gwendolyn remembered with a laugh.

A day earlier, Drake, who was 5 when his father died, went inside a Chinook helicopter for the first time and talked with military personnel who had known his dad.

When we come to these events, it kind of reiterates that theyre not going to be forgotten, said Drake Sanders, now 26.

Also on hand Friday was Craig Wilhelm, the commander of F Company, 159th Aviation Regiment, at the time of the crash. He left the Army as a major in 2006.

Craig Wilhelm hugs Gwendolyn Sanders, the widow of Staff Sgt. Charles "Chuck" Sanders, at a memorial ceremony in Ansbach, Germany, on July 18, 2025. A former soldier and commander of a regiment nicknamed Big Windy, Wilhelm created a support fund for relatives of the 18 victims of an Army Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan on April 6, 2005. Sanders' husband was among the 15 service members and three civilians onboard. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)



Better known by its nickname, Big Windy, the regiment in 2005 had just begun a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan. Besides Sanders, it lost four other soldiers in the crash: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Clint Prather, Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Ayala, Spc. Michael Spivey and Spc. Pendleton Sykes II.

Five years afterward, Wilhelm started the Windy25 Memorial fund to support the families. He said he felt a sense of duty, and the organization has since become a way for members to stay connected and lean on one another for comfort.

This is a family, Wilhelm said. It may not be a family we wanted, but its a family that we are happy to be part of because we know what theyre going through.

The Sanderses were joined Friday in Ansbach by four other relatives of the 2005 crash victims.

Sheldon Spivey, whose nephew Michael was 21 when he died, said the other family members hes met through Windy25 regularly gather to remember their loved ones and called the get-togethers cathartic.

His wife, Angie, said: At any point in time, any of us are reachable to each other.

The couple described their nephew as witty and mischievous and said he always wanted to have a good time.

Michael Spivey came from a long line of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War, his uncle said, and he was eager to join the legacy of service.

Gerry Connolly shared memories of his brother, Maj. David Scott Connolly, an Army reservist with the 1173rd Transportation Terminal Battalion and a prosecutor for Suffolk County in Massachusetts.

The 37-year-old from Boston had served in Iraq before joining the prosecutors office.

He was known for his motivational spirit and ability to bring people together, Connolly said, adding that his brothers gung-ho attitude and intensity had earned him the nickname Captain America.

Shortly after 9/11, David Connolly decided to answer the call for experienced soldiers and returned to active duty.

Susan Connolly runs in honor of her brother-in-law, Maj. David Scott Connolly, in Ansbach, Germany, on July 18, 2025. A memorial and a 5K run were held to commemorate 20 years since the April 6, 2005, crash of an Army Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan that killed Connolly and 17 others. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)



Gerrys wife, Susan, said her brother-in-law is memorialized in Ireland and San Francisco, and pictures of him were placed all over Boston.

Its just so funny how he just touched a lot of people, she said.

The Ansbach memorial Friday was followed by a 5K race around the base.

Army restructuring over the years has redesignated Big Windy as Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 214th General Support Aviation Battalion.

Speaking to the crowd at Katterbach Kaserne, the companys commander, Capt. Matt Pastino, read off the names of the 18 victims and spoke of carrying on the legacy of the members of the unit who had sacrificed their lives.

The truth is, once in Big Windy, youre always in Big Windy, he said.
Smoke from an explosion rises in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)



DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  Top church leaders visited Gaza on Friday after its only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli shell the day before, an attack that killed three people and wounded 10, including a priest who had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis.

The strike drew condemnation from the pope and U.S. President Donald Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel, which said it was an accident. Since ending a ceasefire in March, Israel has regularly launched far deadlier strikes across Gaza against what it says are Hamas militants, frequently killing women and children. Strikes killed 18 people overnight, health officials said Friday.

Pope Leo XVI meanwhile renewed his call for negotiations to bring an end to the 21-month war in a phone call Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who offered condolences to the victims.

Church leaders organize aid, evacuations

The religious delegation to Gaza included two Patriarchs from Jerusalem  Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III. The rare visit aimed to express the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land, a statement said.

Israel has heavily restricted access to Gaza since the start of the war, though church leaders have entered on previous occasions, usually to mark major holidays.

They visited the Holy Family Catholic Church, whose compound was damaged in the shelling. They were also organizing convoys carrying hundreds of tons of food, medical supplies and other equipment to the territory  which experts say has been pushed to the brink of famine by Israels war and military offensive  and the evacuation of those wounded in the church strike.

In his call with Netanyahu, Pope Leo XVI expressed again his concern over the dramatic humanitarian situation for the population in Gaza, with children, the elderly and the sick paying the most heartbreaking price, the Vatican said in a statement.

Netanyahu expressed Israels regret for the tragic incident in which stray ammunition accidentally struck The Holy Family Church in Gaza, the prime ministers office said in a statement. The Israeli military has said it is investigating the incident.

In an earlier statement, the pope had repeated his intentions to do everything possible to stop the useless slaughter of innocent people, and condemned the unjustifiable attack on the church.

The Vatican said the pope had also received an update on the condition of Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the resident priest at the church, who was lightly wounded. The priest had regularly spoken by phone with Pope Francis, who died in April, telling the pontiff about the struggles faced by civilians in Gaza.

We are unable to get them out, even in small pieces

Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Israeli strikes killed at least 18 Palestinians overnight and into Friday, including a strike on a home in the southern city of Khan Younis that killed four members of the same family, according to morgue records at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

Associated Press footage of the aftermath of the strike showed people digging through the rubble in search of remains.

They are still under the rubble, said Belal Abu Sahloul, a relative of those killed. Until now we are unable to get them out, even in small pieces.

At the hospital, a mother could be seen holding the hand of her daughter, who had been killed in one of the other strikes and placed in a body bag. Nearly 18,000 Palestinian children have been killed since the start of the war, according to Gazas Health Ministry.

Israels military said it was operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities and that it takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.

Three more killed seeking aid, according to health officials

Nasser Hospital said another three people were killed while heading toward an aid site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor. A spokesperson for the foundation said there was no violence at its sites overnight and that crowds were docile.

Since the groups operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. GHFs four sites are all in military-controlled zones, and the Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds. There was no comment from the military on the latest deaths.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,600 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.

Frankel reported from Tel Aviv, and Khaled reported from Cairo. AP correspondent Colleen Barry in Vatican City contributed to this report.
Bedouin fighters deploy at Mazraa village on the outskirts of Sweida city, as smoke rise from the clashes between the Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria, Friday, July 18, 2025. (Ghaith Alsayed/AP)



MAZRAA, Syria  U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said early Saturday that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire following Israels intervention this week in fighting between Syrian government forces and rival armed groups.

The announcement came as renewed clashes erupted between Druze groups and Bedouin clans and Syrias president said he would send troops back in to quell the fighting, which has left tens of thousands of people displaced in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Barrack said in a statement posted on social platform X that the new ceasefire between Israel and Syria was supported by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries and called for Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors.

He did not share any details on the agreement.

Israel attacked Syrian forces to protect Druze minority

Clashes began Sunday between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes in Syrias southern Sweida province. Government forces intervened, nominally to restore order, but ended up taking the Bedouins side against the Druze.

Israel intervened in defense of the Druze, launching dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and even striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus. The Druze form a substantial community in Israel, where they are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the Israeli military.

The fighting killed hundreds of people over four days, with allegations that Syrian government-affiliated fighters executed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes.

On Wednesday, the Syrian government reached a truce with Druze groups, mediated by the U.S., Turkey and Arab countries, and began withdrawing its forces from the province. Under the accord, Druze factions and clerics were to maintain the internal security in Sweida as government forces pulled out, Syrias interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Thursday.

Syria sends troops back in as more clashes erupt

By late Thursday, clashes were flaring again between the Druze and Bedouin groups in parts of Sweida province, and on Friday al-Sharaa said that the government would send in a specialized force to break up clashes and resolve the conflict on the ground.

Officials had negotiated with Druze factions on an agreement to re-enter the area to impose stability and protect state institutions, according to two Syrian officials who spoke earlier Friday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They said an agreement was reached, but later said the deployment was delayed, without giving an explanation.

State media reported that Druze militias had carried out revenge attacks against Bedouin communities, leading to a new wave of displacement.

The governor of neighboring Daraa province said in a statement that more than 1,000 families had been displaced to the area from Sweida as a result of attacks on Bedouin tribes by outlaw groups.

The volunteer group Syrian Civil Defense said Friday that the head of its center in Sweida city had been kidnapped by gunmen two days earlier while on his way to evacuate a U.N. team.

The official, Hamza al-Amarin, was driving a van with the insignia of the organization, known as the White Helmets, when he was stopped by militants, the statement said. A person who answered his phone on Thursday said he was safe, it added, but they have been unable to reach him.

The United Nations has been unable to bring in much-needed humanitarian and medical aid because of ongoing clashes.

Tens of thousands displaced

The United Nations migration agency said Friday that nearly 80,000 people had been displaced altogether since clashes started on Sunday.

It also noted that essential services, including water and electricity, have collapsed in Sweida, telecommunications systems are widely disrupted, and health facilities in Sweida and Daraa are under severe strain.

Meanwhile there are severe disruptions to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries, Adam Abdelmoula, U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator in Syria, said in a statement Friday.

The World Health Organization was able to send trauma care supplies to Daraa province, but Sweida remains inaccessible, he said.

Once conditions allow, we are planning to send a mission to assess needs and provide critical aid, in full coordination with authorities, Abdelmoula said.

Sweida conflict draws in others

Bedouin groups and supporters arrived Friday from other areas of Syria to join the fight.

On the outskirts of Sweida, groups of them gathered in front of buildings that had been set ablaze. An armed man who gave his name only as Abu Mariam (father of Mariam) said he had come from the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor to support the oppressed.

We will not return to our homes until we crush Al-Hijri and his ilk, he said, referring to a prominent Druze leader opposed to the government in Damascus, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri. We have nothing to do with civilians and innocent people as long as they stay in their homes.

Bedouins and Druze have clashed before

The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

While predominantly Druze, Sweida is also home to Bedouin tribes who are Sunni Muslim and have periodically clashed with the Druze over the years. The latest escalation began with members of a Bedouin tribe in Sweida setting up a checkpoint and attacking and robbing a Druze man, which triggered tit-for-tat attacks and kidnappings.

Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied armed groups in southern Syria, said there is no specific reason for the historic tensions between the groups.

All of Syria is full of social problems that have no reason, he said.

In this case, however, The state exploited the latest problem to try to change the situation in Sweida, and this only increased the scope of it, he said.

Druze leader calls for unity

In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention.

The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, said Friday at a gathering of Druze officials in Beirut that sectarian clashes in Syria give an excuse for Israeli intervention and for blowing up the situation in the region.

We do not accept to request protection from Israel, which we believe is harmful to our history and identity, he said.

Al-Muna called for all parties to adhere to the ceasefire agreement reached Wednesday and for a national dialogue to address the issues between different communities in Syria.

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who had been one of the regional figures mediating the ceasefire reached Wednesday, at the same gathering called for the formation of an investigative committee to investigate violations against both Druze and Bedouins in Syria.

Sewell reported from Beirut.
Black smoke rises from damaged oil storage tanks following drone attacks on an oil field in the Sarsang district of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Rashid Yahya/AP)



BAGHDAD  Drones used to attack military bases in Iraq during the recent Israel-Iran war were manufactured outside Iraq but were launched inside its territory, according to the decisive findings of an investigation published on Friday.

The report of an investigative committee formed under the directive of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani did not identify who was behind the attacks that targeted radar and air defense systems last month.

The attacks on several military bases, including some housing U.S. troops, damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province.

Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman said the investigation had reached decisive findings.

He said the drones used were manufactured outside Iraq but were launched from locations inside Iraqi territory. All drones used in the attacks were of the same type, indicating that a single actor was behind the entire campaign, he said.

Al-Naaman said the investigation had identified the entities responsible for coordinating and executing the operations, but he did not name them.

Legal measures will be taken against all those involved, and they will be referred to the Iraqi judiciary to be held accountable in accordance with the law, the statement said.

Before the drone attacks, Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target American bases if the U.S. attacked Iran. Some of the militias are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, although in practice they largely act independently.

More recently, several oil fields in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region have come under attack by drones, further exacerbating tensions between the central government and Kurdish authorities and raising concerns over the security of Iraqs critical infrastructure.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz at the Pentagon, Friday, July 18, 2025, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)



WASHINGTON  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bases in Indiana and New Jersey can house detained immigrants without affecting military readiness  a step toward potentially detaining thousands of people on bases on U.S. soil.

Hegseth notified members of Congress from both states this week of the proposal to temporarily house detained immigrants at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

President Donald Trump has moved to aggressively detain and deport people in the country illegally, a push that has swept up large numbers of immigrants, including many with no prior criminal records, and forced federal authorities to find places to house them.

Hegseth said the presence of the detainees would not negatively affect the bases operations or training. Officials have not said when detainees could begin arriving at the facilities or if other military bases are under consideration.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trumps border czar Tom Homan said there are about 60,000 beds currently available for detained immigrants and the goal is to expand to 100,000.

Were looking for any available bed space we can get that meets the detention standards were accustomed to, Homan said Friday. The faster we get the beds, the more people we can take off the street.

Democratic lawmakers from both states and civil rights advocates condemned the idea of housing immigrants at the bases, questioning the impact on military resources and the justification for so many detentions.

Using our countrys military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids in every New Jersey community, New Jerseys Democratic delegation said in a statement.

Democratic Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana said his questions about detainee conditions have gone unanswered by the Trump administration.

He cited concerns raised about conditions at other facilities and said, The fact that ICE has detained so many individuals that they now need to expand detention space in Indiana is disturbing.

Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said in a statement that housing immigrants in military facilities sets a dangerous precedent and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution.

Both of the bases identified by Hegseth have housed Afghan or Ukrainian refugees in recent years.

During Trumps first administration, he authorized the use of military bases to detain immigrant children  including Army installations at Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.

In 2014, President Barack Obama temporarily relied on military bases to detain immigrant children while ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families who crossed the border.

Associated Press writers Christine Fernando and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
Ding! Shubao and Jinzai invite you to the Chengdu World Games!

14:26, July 18, 2025 By Gu Yutong, Sun Shuyu, Zhang Wenjie, Syukri ( People's Daily Online

Official licensed products of the World Games 2025 Chengdu. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

The World Games 2025 Chengdu, taking place from Aug. 7 to 17, is just around the corner! A delightful range of cultural and creative products featuring the event's mascotsShubao (literally "the treasure of Sichuan") and Jinzai (literally "the baby of Chengdu") has captured the public's imagination.

Inspired by the adorable panda and the agile Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey respectively, these charming characters embody the spirit and vitality of Sichuan culture. From plush toys and fridge magnets to badges and canvas bags, a variety of merchandise is creating a shopping frenzy at official licensed products stores.

As mascots inspired by two rare and iconic animals native to Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Shubao and Jinzai vividly embody Chengdu's green development ethos. With Shubao's gentle warmth and Jinzai's youthful energy, they carry the passion of the World Games and extend an invitation to the world: Join us for an international celebration of sport and friendship!

Official licensed products of the World Games 2025 Chengdu. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Official licensed products of the World Games 2025 Chengdu. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Customers fill a store selling World Games 2025 Chengdu products. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Official licensed products of the World Games 2025 Chengdu. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Official licensed products of the World Games 2025 Chengdu. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Du Mingming)
The House passed a $831.5 billion defense spending bill on July 18, 2025, by a vote of 221-209. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)



WASHINGTON  The House on Friday approved an $831.5 billion defense spending bill that keeps a flat budget for the Pentagon, provides a 3.8% pay raise for troops and cuts some 45,000 positions from the civilian workforce.

The appropriations bill passed on a 221-209 overnight vote, with Democrats overwhelmingly opposing the measure over its lack of money for an annual Pentagon program to arm Ukraine and provisions that block funding for diversity initiatives and abortion access for service members.

We owe it to our troops and our national security to meet in the middle and put forward common sense defense legislation, said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa. Im afraid this bill doesnt cut it.

The omission of funds for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative stood in contrast to the House Armed Services Committees decision on Tuesday to authorize an extra $100 million for the program in its annual defense policy bill, bringing total funding to $400 million.

The appropriations bill funds the policy bill, which is called the National Defense Authorization Act. The Pentagon requested no funding for the Ukraine program in its budget request for 2026, which begins Oct. 1.

By cutting all funding for Ukraine, this bill dangerously ignores history at our own peril, said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. Ensuring that the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is properly funded is essential to fulfilling our charge in defense of liberty on our watch.

An effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to add an amendment prohibiting any money in the bill from being used to assist Ukraine was defeated in a 76-353 vote, however.

The defense spending bill otherwise matches the House Armed Services Committees policy legislation in providing a 3.8% pay raise for troops and continuing pay increases passed by Congress last year specifically for junior enlisted service members.

The legislation also slows permanent change-of-station moves to save more than $662 million. Reducing the frequency of moves will improve the quality of life for service members and their families and offer greater stability, said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif.

Its actually a better outcome too because they understand their role and places where they serve, he said. We move around a lot of our people too much.

Calvert, the chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, championed the bill, though he also acknowledged it was drafted under unprecedented circumstances, meaning without a full budget request from the Pentagon.

Nevertheless, the bill is reflective of key department requirements and programmatic priorities while still maintaining a fiscally responsive stance, he said.

The legislation provides nearly $37 billion for six warships and 22 support ships, including two Virginia-class attack submarines, two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.

It also allocates $13 billion for missile defense and space programs to support President Donald Trumps Golden Dome missile defense initiative and provides $1.15 billion for counter drug programs. Military jurisdiction over Mexico would shift from U.S. Northern Command to U.S. Southern Command under the legislation.

The legislation also aims to capture billions in savings by cutting almost 45,000 civilian employees from the Pentagon.

Following the administrations lead, this bill leans forward on shaping a more efficient and effective Department of Defense, Calvert said.

Democrats assailed the downsizing as a continuation of the reckless and indiscriminate cuts initiated by billionaire Elon Musk and his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. They also attacked language in the bill that they say will give the Defense Department wide latitude to reallocate nearly $8 billion.

This provision, particularly in the context of where we find ourselves with respect to this administration and its conduct over the last seven months around impoundment, is very clearly a blank check, said Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., said provisions that prohibit funding for troops to travel to seek abortions and bar spending on the Pentagons diversity, equity and inclusion programs also made the bill unacceptable.

These poison pill riders will not go unnoticed by our troops and they will impact recruitment and retention, she said.

Republicans criticized Democrats for voting against legislation that they said will make critical investments in munitions stockpiles, the defense industrial base and modernization.

The threats we face today, from the Pacific to the Middle East, are not theoretical. They are real. Our adversaries are evolving, and they are not waiting for us to catch up, said Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo. This bill helps us stay ahead.
Matthew Henry, 28, was charged and has appeared in the dock of Coleraine Magistrates Court.

An alleged rioter was remanded into custody today after he was identified throwing missiles at police and breaking into a car which was then set on fire.

Appearing handcuffed in the dock of Coleraine Magistrates Court, 28-year-old Matthew Henry nodded to confirm he understood the single charge against him, namely rioting on 10 June this year.

Objecting to Henry being freed on bail, a Detective Constable outlined that across the UK, there has been a large spike in public disorder with racial undertones, resulting in attacks on property and businesses, targeting ethnic minorities.

Focusing more locally, he reminded the court there had been three consecutive nights of violence in Ballymena, which then spread to other parts of the country including Newtownabbey, Larne, Portadown and Derry.

Police dealing with disorder in Ballymena (Credit: Kevin Scott)

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

That rioting, said the officer, had resulted in 24 homes being attacked and eight families being displaced in addition to police being attacked by rioting crowds throwing masonry, bricks, bottles, petrol bombs and fireworks, leaving 59 officers injured, some of them seriously.

The cost to the public purse is estimated to be several million pounds, however, the loss of Northern Irelands reputation has been severely damaged and may not recover, said the detective.

Turning to the case against Henry, who is from Waveney Mews in Ballymena, the court heard he was recorded removing and replacing a mask and that during 90 minutes of alleged involvement, he was allegedly identified as actively involved in the riot.

Describing the serious public disorder as racially motivated, the officer described how Henry allegedly threw bottles at police, was seen trying to break up a large piece of masonry, charges at police with a wheelie bin and is seen helping others break into a car which was then set on fire by another person.

Henry was identified following a PSNI public appeal and he handed himself in to police.

During interviews however, he denied taking any part in the riot or that it was him in any of the footage shown to him.

Conceding that Henry had no other alternative address, defence counsel Grant Powles highlighted however that all of the juveniles charged and a number of adult alleged rioters, have been granted High Court bail.

We say that is a significant feature, he suggested to Deputy District Judge Noel Dunlop, submitting that bail could be granted subject to conditions.

I am not satisfied that he would not get involved in any other matters that might arise, the judge told him.

Refusing bail and remanding Henry into custody, he adjourned the case to 14 August.
Shane Cunningham (27) admitted public drunkenness and threatening and abusive behaviour on June 29.

A concert-goer punched another man in the face after he made incredibly offensive and derogatory remarks about his girlfriend, a court heard.

Shane Cunningham (27) and his girlfriend had just attended a Justin Timberlake concert in Malahide Castle when the public order breach happened last month.

Judge Stephanie Coggans ordered Cunningham to donate 250 to the Court Poor Box and said she would leave him without a conviction.

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Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

The defendant, with an address at Cherry Avenue in Swords, admitted public drunkenness and threatening and abusive behaviour on June 29.

Swords District Court heard that gardai came across Cunningham, who was aggressively shouting at another man, before he punched him once in the face.

Cunningham tried to run away, but he was stopped and arrested by gardai.

There was no complaint from the man Cunningham punched, gardai said.

The court heard that the defendant had no Irish convictions, but had five convictions from Denmark.

Defence solicitor Fiona DArcy said that the defendant had gone to a concert with his girlfriend when another individual started calling his girlfriend names.

Ms DArcy said the remarks were very offensive, and Cunningham took exception to the comments and reacted badly.

Ms DArcy said Cunningham, an apprentice electrician, regretted his behaviour, and wished to apologise to the court.
Sean McDomhnail (29) denied he was supplying the drugs, saying he was suffering with his mental health at the time.

A phone technician caught with over 2,000 of cocaine and cannabis planned to take the drugs to induce a heart attack, a court has heard.

Sean McDomhnail (29) was found with the drugs after gardai stopped a car in north Co Dublin. Judge Stephanie Coggans ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to a date in December.

The defendant, of Rusheen Lane, Caltragh, Co Sligo, admitted possession of cannabis, worth 864, and cocaine, valued at 1,292, at Hamlet Lane in Balbriggan on December 2, 2024.

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Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Garda Eoin OConnor told Swords District Court that gardai stopped and searched a car. When gardai went to search McDomhnail, a bag fell from his trousers, and three more bags of drugs were found during a search in a garda station.

A charge of possession of the cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply was dismissed, after the judge accepted McDomhnail had the drugs for his own use.

McDomhnail denied he was supplying the drugs, saying he was suffering with his mental health at the time, and he planned to use the drugs to bring on a heart attack.

He had since sought medical help, his lawyer said, and was fully committed to his rehabilitation.
He was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

A man who held a hammer in his hand when he trapped a former colleague in his car, rubbed chilli powder on her face and told her to "say your last prayer", has been found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

The Central Criminal Court trial of Jineesh John (43) heard that the defendant had developed a delusional belief that his former colleague had infected him with HIV by kissing him.

There had never been any physical contact between Mr John and the woman, the court heard, but he had developed a preoccupation of which she was unaware.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott today told the jury of seven men and five women that consultant forensic psychiatrists called by the prosecution and defence had agreed that Mr John fulfilled the criteria for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006.

Stock image: Getty

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Mr Justice McDermott told the jury that they must return verdicts in accordance with the evidence they heard.

The jury took about 40 minutes to reach their verdicts.

Mr Justice McDermott remanded Mr John to the Central Mental Hospital until July 28 when a psychiatrist will deliver a report regarding Mr John's ongoing treatment.

The judge also told the injured party in the case that she had shown "extraordinary courage". In other circumstances she would have an opportunity to address the court about what happened, he said, but he wanted to acknowledge the courage she showed in dealing with the situation in which she found herself. The court heard that she managed to calm Mr John down by talking to him.

Mr John, with an address at The Crescent Building, Park West, Dublin 12 had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder at a location in West Dublin on May 21, 2023.

Mr John also pleaded not guilty to making a threat to kill or cause the woman serious harm without lawful excuse, intending her to believe that the said threat would be carried out.

He further pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the woman by intentionally or recklessly detaining her without her consent. In addition, the defendant pleaded not guilty to producing a hammer on the same date, while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence of false imprisonment. The jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all counts.

Giving evidence in the two-day trial, Detective Garda Thomas Balfe told prosecutor Brendan Grehan SC that both the woman and the defendant worked in healthcare and they met in April or May 2021.

On May 21, 2023 Mr John arranged to call to the woman's house to fill out a church form. He arrived at about 8.30pm and she got into the car, not suspecting anything. However, Mr John then started to drive before pulling up on a footpath beside an industrial estate.

The detective said when the car was pulled over, Mr John told the woman to close her eyes as he wanted to give her a surprise. When she opened her eyes he was holding a hammer and rubbed a handful of hot chilli powder in her face, which stung her eyes and lips.

When the woman tried to get out of the car she could see that the doors were sealed with black sticky tape. She thought Mr John was going to kill her and started preaching at him not to do so.

The witness said Mr John kept saying: "I'm going to kill you, say your last prayer". He told her he had never killed before but he was going to kill her. Mr John told the woman that she had given him a sexually transmitted disease (STD) to which she replied that she had never slept with him. Mr John said he would only let her go on condition she said she gave him an STD.

Mr John proceeded to record on his mobile phone the woman saying she gave him an STD in 2021 despite never kissing or having sexual contact with him. He made another video of the woman saying she gave him an STD through kissing. He then dropped her home.

Det Gda Balfe said gardai later found a black-handled knife inside the driver's door of Mr John's car as well as a hatchet, a lump hammer and containers containing a chilli like substance. Black duct tape and adhesive taping were also seized from inside the passenger door as well as a Jerrycan containing petrol.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks, who was called by the defence, told Fiona Murphy SC that when he met Mr John in April and October 2024, Mr John remained 90 per cent convinced the victim deliberately infected him with HIV, despite medical evidence to the contrary. Numerous medical tests had shown Mr John to be negative for any sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Dr Monks said Mr John is suffering from delusional disorder and depression, which are both mental illnesses. He said Mr John's actions were directly driven by delusional thinking in response to the psychotic belief that he had been harmed by the victim.

He said Mr John met the three criteria for a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006; namely that he did not know the nature and quality of his act, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong and that he was unable to refrain from committing the act.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, who was called by the prosecution, agreed with Dr Monks that Mr John was suffering from depression and a delusional disorder.

Such was the nature and degree of disturbance and impairment of Mr John's mental function that he did not know that his actions were wrong and he was unable to refrain. Dr Mullaney said Mr John therefore fulfils the criteria for the special verdict.
Caroline Davey, 53, of Raithin, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, appeared at Dublin District Court today, charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A Midlands mother was stopped coming through Dublin Airport with 30,000 worth of cannabis resin after enjoying a birthday party in Lanzarote, it has been alleged.

Caroline Davey, 53, of Raithin, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, appeared at Dublin District Court today, charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

She is accused of unlawful possession and importation of five kilos of the drug and of having it for sale or supply.

Lanzarote. Photo: Stock image: Getty

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Garda Thomas Burke told Judge Treasa Kelly the accused made no reply when charged, and he objected to her bail.

He alleged she was caught red-handed at just after 2am today, at customs in Terminal 1.

He gave the value of the five kilos of cannabis resin and said it was in vacuum packs in a suitcase.

The garda agreed with defence solicitor, Kelly Breen, that her client, a mother of two, lived in the Midlands. Ms Breen submitted that the accused had significant ties, a home, a long-term partner and family here.

Pleading for bail, she said Ms Davey also had health problems, for which she had a hospital appointment booked. Aside from that, the court heard she was on anti-anxiety medication.

The judge also noted that gardai had seized her passport, and efforts were underway to contact her partner.

The court heard she had been in Lanzarote for a birthday party and had travelled over and back for a number of years.

Judge Kelly set her bail at 500 but required approval of a 2,000 independent before she could be freed on conditions: sign on three days a week at her local garda station, not apply for a new passport, provide a phone number and be available for contact 24 hours a day.

The accused, who has yet to enter a plea, was remanded in consent to these terms and will appear again next Friday.

Legal aid was granted after the court heard she was not working and had applied for social welfare.
Expat EyesI witnessed the thriving development in China's Xinjiang

14:49, July 18, 2025 By Thore Vestby ( People's Daily Online

In October-November 2019, I made an unplanned stop in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during my journey home. I'd heard so much about this mysterious region that I simply had to see it for myself - despite many people telling me "you can't go there." Without hesitation, I booked a ticket and found myself in Urumqi, checking into a hotel near the International Grand Bazaar.

The moment I stepped into the bazaar, I was stunned. The lively music and traditional dancing filled the air. "Is this China?" I wondered aloud. But indeed it was  and what's more, it was a place full of joyful people celebrating their culture.

This is actually my second visit to Xinjiang, and after six days here, I'm almost at a loss for words. The impressions have been overwhelming  in the best possible way. What I've seen borders on unbelievable.

The agricultural developments particularly amazed me. Seeing how deserts and grasslands are being transformed into productive land for fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products has been eye-opening. And the food! Every meal during these six days has been of excellent quality.

But what about the local people's living conditions? Everywhere I went - and especially in Kashi - the overwhelming impression was of happiness. Despite the ethnic diversity, everyone seemed content, going about their daily work with enthusiasm.

Walking through the ancient city and bazaars, I marveled at the vibrant scene: artisans crafting traditional tea sets, musicians tuning unique instruments, merchants displaying their wares. The colorful national costumes added to the visual feast. What struck me most was how all these different cultures not only coexist but thrive together. Everyone appeared genuinely happy with their cultural identity while living harmoniously side by side.

The atmosphere of unity and mutual respect was palpable everywhere - whether in the bustling marketplaces or quiet alleys of the old town. Far from the negative portrayals I'd heard, Xinjiang revealed itself as a land of cultural richness and communal happiness.

This trip gave me a completely new understanding of Xinjiang's social and economic development. During my first visit, I had mainly explored Urumqi City, but this time I traveled extensively across the region. What impressed me most was the magnificent infrastructure - brand-new roads stretching mile after mile, spectacular bridges, and even in the most remote grassland areas, the transportation network was flawless.

I learned that other parts of China are investing heavily in Xinjiang's development to make it prosperous. The region's population growth over the past 10-20 years speaks volumes about its improving living standards. These are all positive signs of Xinjiang's progress.

Regarding China's counter-terrorism efforts here, I believe it's absolutely the right approach. Since 2016, through my foundation work with a Beijing partner, I've understood this deeply. As she said, "No one is born a terrorist." China's method of changing mindsets through education is much better than bombing countries like some nations do.

For Xinjiang's future, I hope the good work continues. The system here - putting community first, with Party leadership guiding economic development - clearly works well. To those criticizing China, I suggest they visit properly, not just stay in Beijing for a few days but travel around for a month. Seeing what China has achieved in recent decades, they might realize something is being done right here.

This journey showed me Xinjiang's remarkable progress and gave me hope for its bright future. The region's development proves the effectiveness of China's approach. I look forward to returning to see more achievements in the coming years.

Thore Vestby is a former mayor of Frogn municipality, Norway.

Producer: Xiao Chunfei

Supervisors: Ding Tao and Jie Wenjin

Planners: Jie Wenjin and Cheng Li

Reviewers: Cheng Li and Hou Weili

Post-production: Gulnigar Amat

Editor: Gvlzar Mijit

(Source: Tianshannet)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Rishabh Mahajan was served him with a book of evidence in court.

A student allegedly captured on CCTV performing late night lewd acts over three dates outside a woman's workplace in Dublin has been sent forward for trial.

Rishabh Mahajan, 30, from India but with an address in Smithfield, Dublin 7, was charged with three counts under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 for exposing himself to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.

Dublin District Court had ruled that the case was too serious and should be dealt with at a higher level, which has wider sentencing powers.

Mr Mahajan appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly today, and the prosecution served him with a book of evidence.

Judge Kelly made an order sending him forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the case will be listed for mention on October 9.

She agreed to a request from defence counsel Paddy Flynn, instructed by solicitor Tracy Horan, to grant legal aid to the accused, who remains on bail with conditions.

In an earlier bail hearing, Garda Patrick Hynes told Judge Kelly that the offences allegedly occurred on three dates over a fortnight in October and November last year.

He alleged that the man was masturbating outside the woman's workplace in the city's north side; the incidents took place between 1 and 4 am and were captured on CCTV.

The defence had said the accused maintains his innocence.

The court heard that he came to Ireland last year, lost his apartment, and university place due to the allegations.

Pleading for bail, the defence submitted that Mr Mahajan could not leave the country and would obey conditions.

Judge Kelly had described the allegations as serious but noted he had no history of failing to appear in court, and she ordered him to obey conditions.

He was warned not to contact the woman and that he must surrender his passport, reside at an address furnished to gardai, and notify them of any change. Mr Mahajan must sign on at a Dublin garda station on a set day each week.

He replied, "yes," to confirm that he understood breaching the terms could result in being remanded in custody and that he must notify the prosecution if he intends to use an alibi in his defence.
Lorcan Murphy (22) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm.

A young man who was allegedly assaulted by an on-duty garda admitted that he had resisted arrest in the past but didnt resist on this occasion.

Lorcan Murphy (22) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1, 2021.

During cross-examination, Justin McQuade BL, defending, put it to the complainant that he said he has no recollection of the incident. He asked if this was due to a head injury, to which the complainant agreed.

Mr McQuade then asked him if there was anything else that might have contributed to his lack of memory, and the complainant said alcohol and cannabis.

Stock image

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Defence counsel asked the witness if he was someone who would obstruct the gardai, and he said that sometimes if they came to me Mas house. He was then asked how he would obstruct the gardai, and he said, just resist arrest, but I wasnt resisting arrest this time.

It was put to the witness that he was interviewed by GSOC two months after this incident, and they took a statement from him, which he agreed with.

He disagreed with the defence counsel that he had lied in his GSOC interview. Mr McQuade asked if he had lied about alcohol in his statement to GSOC. The witness said, I had no recollection of it, I didnt really drink.

Mr McQuaid put it to the witness that you knew full well that you had drank and that you had drink on you and that your statement was misleading and a lie, once again, the alleged injured party said he had no recollection. Counsel then said, But you remember smoking 4-5 joints? to which he replied, Ya.

The jury heard that the complainant in this case has 44 previous convictions, and ten days after the alleged assault by Mr Murphy, this alleged injured party kicked and beat a person after they had withdrawn money from an ATM on OConnell Street, he then went through their pockets.

A further two weeks later, the complainant carried out another assault on a member of staff who was standing outside a premises. The witness said, Im not going to incriminate myself.

Mr McQuade asked the witness if he was a person who was respectful to other members of society, to which he said he was. He also asked him if he engaged in anti-social behaviour, and he said, not since I was 15. It was then put to him that beating people up and robbing them in public is not respectful, to which he said, Im paying for my mistakes.

After a breakdown of the previous convictions was read to the court, the witness stated that he had a difficult upbringing and was easily led.

The jury heard that the complainant was first brought to the Mater Hospital from Pearse Street Garda Station, where he went on to discharge himself.

He returned the following day as a result of headaches. He was then transferred to Beaumont Hospital. It was put to him that he was described as being aggressive, combative and exposed staff to potential violence, he said staff would not let me out for a smoke and that I didnt use one bit of violence.

Mr McQuade told the witness that he was obliged to put his client's statement that he gave to GSOC to him. When reciting the statement, the complainant said he had no recollection of these events as they were been read out.

Mr John Caird, a consultant neurosurgeon who works in both Beaumont and Temple Street Hospitals, gave evidence of his treatment of the complainant in this case. He said the complainant had a fracture to the skull and a contusion to the brain.

Fluid was also seen coming from the ear of the complainant. He said he had a good level of consciousness and that his pupils were equal and reactive. He outlined that the complainant has made an excellent recovery.

Defence counsel asked Mr Caird if the complainant had left the hospital against medical advice, to which he said yes, once from the Mater Hospital and once from Beaumont Hospital, but returned 20 minutes later. Mr Caird agreed that the complainant refused to answer questions relating to alcohol and drug consumption.

A second doctor, Dr Haroon Khan, who is a GP and works closely with the gardai, was called to Pearse Street Garda Station on the night in question. He noted that the complainant was intoxicated, and he was unable to wake him. He noted a laceration on his temple region and abrasions to both knees. Dr Khan had the complainant transferred to hospital.

Under cross-examination, Dr Khan said he had tried to rouse the complainant. Dr Khan stated that he did not speak with the man and confirmed that he appeared to be intoxicated.

The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
All three resigned from the army ahead of entering guilty pleas.

Three members of the armed forces attacked and assaulted another young man in a late-night brutal attack over a spilt drink in a bar, a court has heard.

Jordan Kavanagh (24) and his younger brother Jerome Kavanagh (23), along with their friend Jason Keating (24), have thrown away all their potential, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today after she had heard evidence in the case.

The three young men overcame barriers from their childhoods to become role models in their community of Ballymun and were enjoying successful careers in the army before they engaged in the attack on a young man they had never met, the court heard.

All three resigned from the army ahead of entering guilty pleas.

They each pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of violent disorder outside The Living Room bar in Cathal Brugha Street on February 25, 2024. None of the men has any previous convictions.

The victim in the case, a young man in his 20s, suffered a concussion, broken teeth and scarring to his lip and nose in the wake of the attack, which started when a drink was spilt in the late-night bar.

Jordan Kavanagh punched the victim before all parties were ejected from the bar, Garda Charlotte Donne told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting. A few minutes later, the fight started again with Jordan Kavanagh and Keating punching and kicking the victim to the ground and continuing to attack him.

The man was thrown onto the road in the course of the assault, with Jerome Kavanagh also entering the fray after initially trying to break things up.

When a passerby tried to come to the victim's aid, Jordan Kavanagh also punched him to the ground. This man remains unidentified, the court heard.

The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance, where his facial injuries required the intervention of a plastic surgeon, the court heard.

Jason Keating

In his victim impact statement, which was read out by counsel, the complainant said the attack changed every aspect of his life. Before the attack, I was outgoing, independent, confident, optimistic, took people at face value, he said. ...Since the assault, I have become a different person.

He said he no longer trusts people as he used to; he regularly cancels social engagements and is withdrawn and irritable. He suffers from anxiety, and the assault has affected his confidence immensely, he said. He has grown a beard to try and hide the facial scars.

The victim did not wish to come to court, but his mother was present, the court heard. CCTV footage of the attack was played in court.

Gardai were alerted to a large presence outside the bar and moved CCTV cameras to cover the street, capturing the incident.

After the trio fled the scene, Jordan Kavanagh was detained by gardai almost immediately, while Jason Keating was caught a short while later sitting on the steps of a city centre hotel. They were interviewed the following day after they had sobered up.

Jerome Keating later went to the gardai voluntarily. All three made immediate admissions to gardai and expressed their remorse and shock at their actions.

Jordan Kavanagh, of Poppintree Crescent, Ballymun, told gardai he did not normally drink alcohol and could count on the fingers of one hand how many nights out he had had in the year prior.

He said he was disgusted and embarrassed by his actions, with Simon Matthews BL, defending, noting: It was an innocuous bump of the shoulder and a drink spill that kicked off this altercation.

In his plea of mitigation, Michael Bowman SC, defending, said Jordan Kavanagh had a difficult childhood and struggled with substance abuse issues, which he managed to overcome himself.

He said his client had a career with ambition, promise and potential and all of that has been set aside as a result of his actions that night. In a letter of apology, Jordan Kavanagh said he behaved in a manner which was utterly without excuse.

He said he wants to make better choices in the future, live a more responsible life and work to prevent similar future occurrences in the future.

Jerome Kavanagh

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Jason Keating, of Whiteacre Place, Ballymun, was a person of exemplary character, his defence counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, said. He was a top student in his school and has played active roles in his local GAA club, his old school where he volunteers as an SNA, and he plays the trombone for a brass band.

Keating's reaction to his actions that night was remorse, shame, (he was) shocked and appalled, Mr O'Higgins said. It was in breach of his army training.

He resigned from the army ahead of his court appearance because he was mindful of the fact that the case could draw negative media attention to the army, an organisation he loved. He hopes to return to third-level education to become a music teacher.

Keating is and has always been a moderate drinker, and this behaviour was completely out of character for him, the court heard.

Jerome Kavanagh, of the same address as his older brother, struggled with similar childhood issues in the family, Garnet Orange SC, defending, said.

He grew up being exposed to violence in his community and perhaps failed to develop caution that other people might have about the use of violence, the court heard. Defence counsel noted Jerome Kavanagh initially tried to separate the parties before a red mist descended and he entered the fray.

A letter of apology was handed into court expressing his regret, remorse and shame for his actions.

A large number of testimonials were handed in on behalf of the men, who each had 5000 in court as a token of their remorse. Defence counsel urged the judge to consider all sentencing options available to her, including a non-custodial sentence and community service.

Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain said she would order a Probation Report, and she also asked prosecution counsel to look into whether restorative justice would be suitable as part of the sentence being imposed.

This is one of the most profoundly depressing lunch times I've ever had in this building, she said, referring to the material she had reviewed during the break.

For these young men to overcome such barriers and throw it all away in a moment of madness...What they did is just completely appalling. They have thrown away all their potential. (The complainant's) life is absolutely ruined.

She adjourned the matter for sentence on November 3 and remanded the men on continuing bail until then.
Looking at him, youd say butter wouldnt melt in his mouth but it seems he got up to a lot of mischief and has done a lot of harm to these parties, the judge said.

A graffiti artist who looked like "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth" but caused more than 60,000 worth of damage to trains has been spared jail.

Sean Cullen (22) also pepper-sprayed a train driver in the face when he was caught vandalising carriages at a DART depot, one of a series of spray-painting incidents that had heavy financial consequences for Irish Rail.

Giving him a four-year suspended sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said Cullen probably thought he was doing no harm but he had got up to a lot of mischief" that caused "huge inconvenience.

Cullen, an apprentice electrician of Hope Avenue, East Wall, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a train driver and causing criminal damage.

Judge Nolan said it seemed Cullen had developed a need to spray paint public buildings and particularly the DART, which had to be cleaned.

There was also an altercation with a train driver while Cullen was with another person who was the main culprit.

DART. Photo: Getty Images

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Looking at him, youd say butter wouldnt melt in his mouth but it seems he got up to a lot of mischief and has done a lot of harm to these parties, the judge said.

He thought Cullen would probably not reoffend and hoped he would contribute to society. He said he had put the accused in custody since a pre-sentence hearing on Wednesday to warn that that is his future if he misbehaves.

Cullen was still very young and the judge hoped he could change, and that he had learned a lesson from his time in custody.

The accused handed in 2,000 compensation to be given to the driver, or to charity if the victim did not want it.

You may have thought you were doing no harm, you probably thought it was great fun and you were some sort of artist but this company had to clean these carriages and had to spend a lot of financial resources doing so, Judge Nolan said.

A sentence hearing earlier this week was told on September 25, 2021, a train driver spotted Cullen and another man spraying carriages at Fairview DART depot and grabbed him. A physical altercation ensued and during the struggle, Cullen pepper-sprayed the driver to the left side of his face before the other man intervened.

The victim (51) suffered a swollen face and was in quite a lot of pain when gardai arrived. Cullen had fled and was identified on CCTV footage.

On February 21, 2020, Cullen sprayed the outside of a train at Dublins docklands with silver and black spray paint, while the inside was tagged with the letters SD, written by marker.

On June 6, 2020, another tag was sprayed on a signal equipment container at the DART tracks at Merrion Gates in south Dublin.

The court heard carriages had to be taken out of commission and resprayed, with Cullen being held accountable for a damage total of 60,914.

He had one previous conviction for a similar criminal damage offence.

Defence barrister Karl Monahan said it was a very unfortunate series of offences with no real explanation and serious consequences for Irish Rail.

There was a lot of graffiti around in the area where Cullen grew up, and he became fascinated by it, Mr Monahan said.

He also became interested in a movement by street artists in New York in the 1970s spraying trains, and started doing this himself.

He was shocked when he found out the costs associated with these acts, Mr Monahan said. He never imagined it would be anything like that.

Cullen had written a letter of apology, was deeply ashamed of himself, had never intended to cause any harm and did not realise the scale of the damage.

Speaking outside court, Irish Rail's senior security officer Alan Reid said when carriages are vandalised it takes them out of service for a week on average.

"Graffiti causes significant damage to the railway," he said. "Its done at nighttime and has a real impact on drivers and the public in general, because it takes trains out of service for lengthy periods of time. The cost per carriage is about 25k because they often have to go back to metal to restore the paintwork."
He was arrested by gardai in 2018 when he returned to Dublin but was later released without charge due to lack of evidence.

The chief suspect for the murder of a 28-year-old woman had already fled the country on a ferry before her body was found in a wood in west Dublin, garda investigations have established.

Yesterday, officers made a fresh appeal for information in the case of vulnerable woman Linda Evans Christian eight years after her body was found at Coolmine Woods in Blanchardstown.

The Irish Independent has learned that the suspect was well known to Ms Evans Christian and had been in communication with her for many months before she was murdered.

One line in the investigation is that the suspect preyed on the victim, who suffered from mental health issues.

He was arrested by gardai in 2018 when he returned to Dublin but was later released without charge due to lack of evidence.

Ms Evans Christian was last seen at around 9am on June 24, 2017, when she left the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown where she was receiving treatment.

Linda Evans Christian

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

She was reported missing by her family on July 1 and her badly decomposed body was found 16 days later in an area of undergrowth between Clonsilla Road and Snugborough Road.

The suspect in the case is a Romanian national who had been living at the time in the Mountjoy area of Dublins north inner city.

He had been identified when this was still a missing persons case as he was seen leaving the hospital with her on the day she was last seen alive  they were well known to each other, a source said.

Even before Lindas body was found, gardai had visited where he had lived and it became clear that he had left Ireland less than 48 hours after she was last seen alive.

Gardai have established that Ms Evans Christian left the Ash Ward at the hospital with a man at 9.08am on Saturday June 24.

She was also seen with the same man at 9.24am at the junction of Church Avenue and Main Street in Blanchardstown.

In August 2017, detectives travelled to Romania to speak to the chief suspect in the case after he failed to return to Ireland.

Detectives have also travelled to the UK as part of the probe.

An exact cause of death was never established for Ms Evans Christian, who was fostered by the Christian family early in life and spent her first few years with them, living in their home on Hadleigh Green in Castleknock.

However gardai believe she died a violent death.

In a statement yesterday, An Garda Siochana said: Despite an extensive garda investigation and a number of enquiries followed, including the arrest of a male in 2018, no one has been brought to justice for Lindas murder.

Gardai and Lindas family are appealing for people to come forward to assist with the investigation.

An Garda Siochana would encourage anyone with any information regarding Lindas disappearance and murder, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to make contact with the investigation team.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown garda station on 01 666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
Tallaght gangster John Paul Duncan (41) provided authorities with a false address after his release from prison.

Paul Frank Byrne (20) was last seen alive on July 15, 2009 at Kilmartin Green in Tallaght

A career criminal who was questioned about the gangland murder of a 20-year-old Tallaght man left the country as soon as he was released from prison for separate serious offences.

This week gardai made their latest appeal for information in relation to the murder of Paul Frank Byrne whose body was found in a forest 15 years ago.

Mr Byrne was last seen alive on July 15, 2009 at Kilmartin Green in Tallaght.

The father-of-twos cause of death was inconclusive, but it is suspected he may have been stabbed.

His skeletal remains were found in a remote forest near Blessington Co Wicklow, by a forestry worker on July 29, 2010.

The Sunday World has learned that a person of major interest in the case - Tallaght gangster John Paul Duncan (41) provided authorities with a false address after his release from prison and is suspected of now being based in the UK.

Information obtained suggests he left Ireland as soon as he possibly could and he had no connection to the address that he provided prison authorities, a source said.

The address he gave was actually in Blessington where he has no known associations but is close to where the murder happened  there was no sign of him there when gardai checked.

He was released from Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon last December after serving a two and a half year jail sentence following his conviction for possessing 8,500 of cocaine contained in six condoms at Store Street Garda Station and assaulting a garda.

Duncan was arrested after he was caught with a large haul of cocaine just hours after being released from garda custody in January, 2023, where he had been questioned about the murder of Mr Byrne.

John Paul Duncan

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Senior sources say that the victim had been in fear of Duncan in the months before his disappearance and had been doing everything to avoid him.

An exact motive for the murder has not yet been definitely established but detectives have probed various reports that it may have happened over a dispute about drugs, and an allegation that the victim failed to properly dispose of a gun that had been used in an earlier gang related shooting.

Mr Byrne was in fear of his life in relation to Mr Duncan who was an enforcer for a criminal network they were involved in, a source told the Irish Independent.

The victim was under severe pressure before he went missing 16 years ago.

Duncan was one of five people arrested in the lengthy investigation and a file was sent to the DPP who directed no prosecution in the case.

It is understood that a peer review of the murder case is now ongoing with the possibility that it could be sent to the gardais Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT), also known as the cold case unit.

Duncan, who has 150 previous criminal convictions, was busted on January 31, 2023, in the capitals north inner city.

This was less than 12 hours after he was released from custody at Baltinglass Garda Station in Co Wicklow where he had been quizzed about the murder.

Duncan has 139 previous convictions in Ireland and 11 in other jurisdictions, including drug offences, assault causing harm, theft and escape from lawful custody.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a 1.8m cocaine haul in 2007.

Duncan escaped from Loughan House open prison in 2016 and fled to the UK, from where he was extradited in June 2017 and then sent to Castlerea Prison.

Paul Frank Byrne (20) was last seen alive on July 15, 2009 at Kilmartin Green in Tallaght

In their appeal for information this week garda said in a statement: Paul was last seen on the 15th July 2009 at Kilmartin Green in Tallaght, Dublin 24 when it was reported that he left the estate in a 2000 registered wine-coloured Mitsubishi Carisma accompanied by other males.

This was the last sighting of Paul Byrne.

Paul was reported missing by his mother at Tallaght Garda Station the following day.

To date, five people have been arrested in connection with this investigation, however no one has been brought to justice for Pauls murder.

It is now 16 years since Paul Byrne was last seen and Gardai at Blessington Garda Station are renewing their appeal to the public for assistance and information in relation to his disappearance and murder. Pauls family are anxious for the investigation to progress to bring them closure.

Gardai are appealing to those who may have information since 2009, or who may have come into possession of information in the intervening years, to come forward.

Gardai are urging individuals, who sixteen years on may want to come forward to do so, especially if relationships or associations have changed over the years. With the passage of time, people may now feel more comfortable sharing information with Gardai.

Gardai would like to assure the public that they will treat anyone assisting the investigation in a sensitive manner.

Anyone with information can contact Gardai in Blessington at (045) 865 202, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Taking the show on the road can be a daunting prospect but Denise Smith has what you need to know to make that holiday with small people work

Travelling with children can feel like an adrenaline sport. From airport meltdowns to mid-journey snack crises, the chaos is real. But with the right preparation  and the right gear  family holidays can be a joy rather than a juggle.

Thats where smart travel systems come into the equation, and thats exactly why Joanne OGrady, CEO of Clever Clogs, a leading Irish baby and nursery retailer, is here to bring you the practical travel hacks that will keep your stress levels in check.

The story behind Clever Clogs is as rooted in real-life parenting as it gets. Joanne launched the company in 2005 after returning from living abroad. Inspired by the beautifully designed nursery stores in Holland  packed with high-quality baby accessories not available in Ireland  she decided to bring that level of quality and care to Irish families.

Clever Clogs CEO Joanne OGrady

Id been working full-time, with small kids at home, and the structure just didnt work. I thought, OK, Ill set up my own business.

And she did, while still breastfeeding her youngest child. In fact, one of her first supplier meetings required her to excuse herself mid-pitch to go pump breastmilk. It was a chaotic start, but she secured the deal, and Clever Clogs was born.

Her biggest piece of advice, whether youre buying a stroller or prepping for a family holiday, is to start with lifestyle. Are you urban? Rural? Do you travel a lot? Its not about selling the most expensive product, its about what actually suits your family.

That ethos has turned Clever Clogs into a trusted resource for parents across Ireland. The company partners with over 60 independent nursery retailers, many of whom offer in-person support and servicing. When it comes to travelling abroad with kids, she says the stroller becomes a parents best friend  or their worst enemy. The key features to look for include how it folds, whether the liners are washable, and how easy it is to maintain.

Turn your summer break with the kids into a dream family holiday

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

That checklist is what made the UPPAbaby Minu Duo such a standout on a recent family holiday to Ibiza. Travelling with toddlers is not a holiday, its a logistical mission wrapped in snacks and meltdowns. So when I jetted off with my two-year-old twins, I expected chaos, cardio and carpal tunnel. Instead, I found a hero.

This double buggy folds faster than I can find a soother at 3am, and at just 12.5kg, its also light enough for one-handed airport manoeuvres.

The ride? Smooth enough to lull both kids to sleep as I sipped a 6 iced coffee. And the one-hand, one-step fold had me at hello. The canopies also offer UPF50+ protection.

And yes, it does fit through those terrifyingly narrow cafe doors, even in the old town. The under-basket fits approximately 700 baby wipes, two beach towels, snacks for a small army, and, crucially, a bottle of rose. Bonus: it looks chic. Like, is that a Scandinavian brand? chic. It was a perfect partner to our next big concern: staying sun-safe under the scorching Balearic sun.

Joanne offers some practical hacks for a dream family holiday

As any parent knows, protecting children from the sun is more than a beach-day chore, its a daily essential. According to pharmacist Said Danishani, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Boots, childhood is a critical time for sun protection.

A childs skin is much more vulnerable to the effects of UV than that of an adults because its much more delicate and thinner, he explains.

Thats why its key to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 50+ and a high UVA protection rating of four or five stars.

One standout product is the Soltan Kids Protect and Moisturise range. Its dermatologically tested and has a gentle formula thats perfect for sensitive skin. Its also water-resistant, which makes it a great choice for poolside or beach days.

But even the best sunscreen can be a battle if your child doesnt like the feel of it. Some kids hate the cold blob sensation, and honestly, many adults do too. Said recommends warming the sunscreen in your hands first, then applying smaller dabs around exposed areas to spread it more gently.

For younger kids, a soft makeup brush or sponge can turn the application into a game rather than a struggle. You can play connect-the-dots or sing a silly song, he suggests.

The goal is to make sunscreen part of your routine, not a one-off hassle.

For babies under six months, skip the sunscreen altogether and rely on shade, breathable fabrics, and wide-brimmed hats to keep them safe.

After six months, broad-spectrum sunscreen becomes a key part of their daily protection, along with UPF-rated clothing, wraparound sunglasses, and loose-fitting cotton, linen, or hemp outfits that naturally block UV rays.

Timing matters too. Apply sunscreen around 20 minutes before you head outside, and reapply every two hours or after swimming or heavy play.

So what does a smart travel bag look like for parents on the move?

Think lightweight, foldable buggies; high-SPF sunscreen; breathable sun-protective clothing; a spare change of clothes (for you and your child); baby wipes by the truckload, and snacks, always snacks.

Accept the chaos, and embrace help when it comes.

People love to help  let them carry the buggy down the steps, the Clever Clogs CEO advises.

After all, the goal isnt perfection  its to keep your kids comfortable, covered, and calm enough to enjoy the adventure.
Michael OSullivan (55) was killed when he collided with a car while riding his motorbike last week.

The funeral of a Waterford man who died following an accident on his motorbike last Friday has heard how he loved restoring tractors, cooking roast dinners for his family, and how hes the reason his daughter believes in true love.

The congregation at the Church of the Holy Cross, Tramore learned on Tuesday morning that Michael OSullivan could fix anything and that his lifes purpose was first to be a dad, and then a grandad to eight, which was the title he treasured the most.

He died aged 55 on Friday, July 11 having collided with a car while riding his motorbike at Monvoy, Tramore on the evening of Wednesday, July 9.

Michaels family singled out the staff of University Hospital Waterford and the intensive care unit for the care they gave to him in his final hours last week.

Fr Tadeusz Durajczyk told mourners at the funeral mass this week that Michael was a person of many qualities  kindness, generosity, love for family.

He added: For 55 years, he lived with joy, with love. Though his time on Earth has ended, the legacy of his life continues in the hearts of all who knew him.

The late Michael O'Sullivan of Cullencastle, Tramore.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

From Cullencastle, Tramore, he was born on March 3, 1970, in Waterford, to parents Mary and Michael. His first home was the Glen Road, Tramore. He grew up in Waterford living in Lisduggan, Lismore Park, and Lauradell.

He had a wonderful childhood with his parents and siblings, Margaret, Clare and Declan, said Fr Tadeusz.

Michael met his wife Lillian in 1989 and fell deeply in love. They got married in 1991 and were married for 34 years. They raised four beautiful children, Nicholas, Fiona, Heather and Rebecca, surrounded by love. His family was the most important thing in his life, and he dedicated every waking minute to them.

Michael had eight grandchildren, Mya, Maisie, Dolly, Frankie, Gustav, James, Katie and Finn.

He was at his happiest surrounded by them and having fun. Michael was amazing at making and fixing things. There was nothing he couldnt turn his hands to.

The funeral congregation heard how Michael had a collection of tractors which he restored. His latest endeavour was bringing a Land Rover Defender back to life, which he took for a spin at weekends with Lillian.

Michael worked as a fitter in many companies over the years, including GSK in Dungarvan.

The late Michael O'Sullivan of Cullencastle, Tramore.

He also loved to swim and could always be found helping swimmers in and out of the water, and he loved to watch hurling.

He would watch every match, no matter who was playing, but was a true Waterford supporter.

Michael also took November 1 off every year for the start of the shooting season. He and his friend Jimmy would be in the fields for the day, shooting pheasants.

After Fr Tadeuszs address, Michaels daughters, Fiona, Heather and Rebecca, recalled the love they received during their childhoods from their dad.

From the moment he became a father, his whole lifes purpose was being a dad, said Fiona. From spending his days bringing Nicholas around with the lads, to welding car seats to the back of a van to travel around Ireland.

He was very bad at remembering special days, but was over the moon when his youngest grandchild, Gustav, was born on the first day of the shooting season, an easy month to remember.

Michael had a very different relationship but special bond with each of them. Some of Fionas best memories were playing outside in Westbrook, checking the time on a Saturday afternoon. By the time six oclock came it was time to run inside and cuddle up with him to watch the big movie.

Dad was the one to call when something went wrong, or you needed something to be done, said Fiona, who recalled a time when her first car nearly broke his heart because it broke down once a week. To which he would say, no bother, Im on the way. When she told him of a new romance, he once joked: I just hope hes a mechanic.

Michael was always playing practical jokes on them, hiding and then jumping out at them. Or hiding a Santa mask between the curtains, to which they woke up and were scared stiff to move.

It was a privilege to call you our dad, and all the memories we have of you, said Fiona.

Fionas sister Heather said everyone knew a different version of their dad. He was a loving husband to our beautiful mother, an amazing father, a kind and caring son and brother, and a wonderful friend and work colleague.

He had a huge impact on the lives of everyone he met. But the title that meant the most to him and the one he truly treasured was that of Grandad. He really was the best.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have had the childhood I had with my dad. I was blessed all over again by being able to relive it, by being able to watch my own children get the same incredible memories he gave us.

Heather said everyone could see Michael was simply made to be a grandad from the way he held his grandchildren in his arms. He is the reason I still believe true love exists, because the love for my mother could be seen and felt.

Michael learned how to cook a roast for the family dinners. His advice was worth its weight in gold, and he was the smartest man we knew, said Heather, who added that her girlhood memories include being brought to bike shows and hunts.

Heather also said that everyones stories about Michael, showed his big heart and kind soul was felt by everybody that he met.

Rebecca said he was the kind of dad who let her play Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber songs in the car. They would go to Kenmare, and from the moment the family left Tramore they would be playing their CDs  by end of the trip Michael would be singing along with them.

He had the patience of a saint, and he showed his children how to be independent and strong.

We have all these amazing memories of Dad, from him bringing us off on adventures on the weekend, to him bringing me for lunch on a Friday after school and always supporting and caring for us. Dad did everything for us.

Rebecca said Michael showed them how to be kind to everyone. He always said, its nice to be nice.

My dad was the best dad in the world and I couldnt imagine a life without my dad, said Rebecca. We love you and I know I will see and feel your presence in the sunrise in the morning, at the sunset at night, that I will feel you in the waves at the beach and in the calmness of the water. As our dad would have always said, lovely stuff, see you later.

Michaels sister Margaret recited the well-known poem by WH Auden Funeral Blues, which is also often called Stop all the Clocks.

As per Michaels wishes, a private cremation will take place on Wednesday, July 16.
Aine Ni Bhreisleain reveals that she often suffers abuse if she posts anything online.

An epidemic of misogyny in Ireland will be laid bare in a new platform inviting women to share their stories.

Veteran journalist and broadcaster Aine Ni Bhreisleain will front a radio series, podcast and TG4 documentary Fuath Ban  Irish for misogyny  and reveals shes been a target of online hate.

Shes inviting women to share their stories for the project in an Irish version of Everyday Sexism, the online platform set up in the UK by Laura Bates in 2012.

Its influenced Facebook policies on rape and domestic abuse content and changed British Transport Police treatment of sexual offences.

Aine reveals that she often suffers abuse if she posts anything online.

Across Facebook and X there are people who spend entire days doling out abuse willy nilly, mostly towards women, often female politicians, sportswomen, broadcasters.

When you are a broadcaster, in any forums you leave yourself open to comment. You are public property.

You have to brace yourself to get comments like does she know what shes talking about? often from accounts that have no name.

Youre asking yourself do I know this person? Are they hiding under an online identity? Its depressing.

The broadcaster says the rise in violence against women and girls in Ireland, north and south, shows that social media abuse spills over into reality. Womens Aid figures show the rate of femicide in Ireland has been rising for the last 15 years, following a worrying global trend.

If you can act like that online it can bleed into people thinking they can act like that in real life, says Aine. The figures for domestic violence and different forms of coercive control and femicide rates are terrifying. How is this acceptable?

The project is talking to teachers who have to deal with classroom incidents and abuse from young boys who have learned anti-women attitudes from online manfluencers such as Andrew Tate, a self-confessed misogynist, and parents who have struggled to deal with the challenges of technology.

It will look at the world of gaming, where sexism is rife, and the culture of incels, so-called involuntarily celibate men who blame women for their singlehood.

The recent riots in Ballymena, following a protest allegedly opposing violence against women and girls, also showed how the issue can be weaponised, says Aine.

Its using the broad term of standing up for women and girls to incite race riots, she says.

Were also looking at ways that victimhood for women is tiered. A white middle-class victim is more important than a community who have moved here.

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Its people using dreadful incidents to incite men to go out and use violence against other men in the community in the name of violence against women and girls.

The project has invited men to share their experience of misogyny, and welcomes input from the trans community. It will also examine how women can be part of the problem.

Well talk about how the message bleeds into internalised misogyny in women, when they agree with this we are looking after our own.

Women will also comment online about other womens appearance, how they speak, what they wear. Someone will write something online they will never say to your face.

The idea for the project was sparked by the Stephen Graham Netflix drama Adolescence, about a young boy radicalised by online toxic masculinity who murders a female classmate.

Aine believes education for young people is essential as well as greater accountability for social media companies.

At a young age it has to be more unacceptable to behave like this. A lot of it is down to education for young boys and young girls.

On platforms like X you can be reported for things but no one polices it. There is no comeback for doing or saying or writing something horrible.

The regulation is so scant. It seems like an unstoppable tide, says the presenter.

Submitted anonymous stories will be published on Instagram at www.instagram.com/fuathban/, on Twitter at @FuathBan and on Facebook at Fuath Ban, and submissions can be made in English or Irish.
The music legends life is documented in new film about his life and famous pals

Music legend BP Fallon was the first person in the world to play both The Pogues and Sinead OConnor on the radio.

Both Shane MacGowan and Sinead are sadly no longer with us, but both are surely there in spirit in a new documentary about the author and musician whos worked with a host of famous names.

BP Fallon: RocknRoll Wizard had its world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh yesterday, with a veritable whos who featuring in the documentary.

Among those talking about their dealings with the Dubliner are Debbie Harry, Adam Clayton, Donovan, Imelda May, Iggy Pop, Bob Geldof, Robert Plant, President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, Joe Elliott, Dr John Cooper Clarke, Glen Matlock, Alan McGee, Louis Walsh, and many more.

BP with Willie Nelson

The documentary is directed by Dubliner Alan Leonard, produced by Niall Carver for Speed Of Life Films with Alan Leonard and Fiona Graham also producing for Single Cell Films.

The impetus was Neil Carver, I met him in the Shelbourne by appointment for afternoon tea, and he said hed like to do a documentary on you as a musician, explains BP, whose initials stand for Bernard Patrick.

I said, Thank you, Im in. People would ask me about doing a documentary every couple of weeks. I always said no. But I said yes to this one, because my music would be in it.

With this movie Ive given them complete access to my photo archive, which is enormous.

Although born in Dublin, BP was schooled in Yorkshire and moved to London in the early 1960s where he got a job in Apple records and was thrust to the epicentre of the musical revolution.

Sinead O Connor and Shane MacGowan

He then became a confidant and creative catalyst for some of rocks most iconic artists.

At Apple Records, he worked alongside The Beatles before becoming publicist to T. Rex and a key member of Led Zeppelins legendary inner circle.

The first time [he met the Beatles] was 1963 in Liverpool. The drummer and the bass player. The bass player [Paul McCartney] signed my Cavern Club membership card and then in put in brackets The Beatles in case I forgot the name of the group he was in. The first time I saw them play was in The Grafton Ballroom in Liverpool, they did two half-hour sets  it was August 1963.

He even got to star on Top of The Pops as part of John Lennon & The Plastic Ono band. I mimed bass on Instant Karma and played tambourine on Instant Karma, on two separate occasions, he smiles.

What I most remember about John was that he and Yoko were very kind.

BP moved back to Ireland in 1980 and remembers a young U2, who he would later go on tour with and write a book about.

They were very ambitious, he recalls.

BP with Debbbie Harry

On his BF Fallon Orchestra show on RTE Radio 2, which ran for five years in the 1980s, he had a number of firsts.

I was the first person to play Sinead on the radio; I was the first person to ever interview her on the radio actually, he says.

I was the first person in the world to play Fairytale Of New York on the radio, I was the first person in the world to play The Pogues on the radio.

BP turns 80 in August next year, but is still dreaming up plans.

Im putting out another album, putting out a book, lots more things to do, he says. Thank God for life.
China and South Africa strengthen trade relations, work together to promote multilateralism amid global challenges: South African deputy president

15:35, July 18, 2025 By Chang Sha, Peng Yukai ( People's Daily Online

"China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) is a platform that gives an opportunity to South African companies to meet their counterparts and other businesses here in China and also to showcase their products," South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile told People's Daily Online when commenting on the ongoing third CISCE held in Beijing, on July 17, 2025.

This marks the first official participation of South Africa in the CISCE, with a dedicated national pavilion housing 31 South African entities from different fields, ranging from agriculture processing and electronics to mining services and creative industries.

Mashatile described expos like the CISCE as a way to strengthen trade relations between South Africa and China, and expressed hope for more such exchanges in the future.

China remains South Africa's largest trading partner, and South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 15 years in a row.

The deputy president said that South Africa would like to see more Chinese companies, with their technologies and innovation, come and invest in the country, especially in the green economy sector. He also expressed appreciation for China's support for South African businesses that want to develop in China.

Mashatile also noted that it's important for South Africa to diversify and look at other markets due to the uncertainty posed by US tariffs.

Against the backdrop of rising unilateralism and challenges posed to multilateralism, Mashatile noted that Global South countries, including South Africa and China, have always been committed to multilateralism.

Mashatile also said that South Africa, as a member of BRICS, sees the mechanism as "an anchor for countries of the Global South to cooperate even more strongly," and called for more cooperation among these countries in various fields, including technology, investment, infrastructure, energy, mining, education and training. He added that closer trade ties among Global South countries could help tackle common challenges on the international stage.

(Zhang Shuojing, as an intern, also contributed to this article. )

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chengliang)
The Irish rappers had been under investigation with officiers reviewing video footage and audio recordings.

Feile 35...Kneecap unveil a new mural in the Hawthorn Street area of west Belfast on August 11th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police have confirmed that no further action will be taken following a review of Kneecaps performance at this years Glastonbury Festival.

Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking no further action on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the festival.

On Friday, the Belfast group posted an screenshot of a redacted email from a senior investigating officer on social media, confirming that no further action would be taken.

Feile 35...Kneecap unveil a new mural in the Hawthorn Street area of west Belfast on August 11th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.

We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the worlds most famous festival.

Avon and Somerset Police said: An investigation has been carried out into comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecaps performance at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 28 June.

Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

During Bob Vylans performance, rapper Bobby Vylan chanted death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), while a member of Kneecap suggested fans start a riot outside his bandmates upcoming court appearance.

Band member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May with a terrorism offence relating to displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, during a gig in November 2024.

The group recently performed at Glasgows O2 Academy, in a gig which sold out in 80 seconds.

They were due to perform at TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, but their set was axed after concerns raised by police.

Earlier this week they announced new tour dates to play their biggest run of shows ever across Scotland, Wales and England.

Their tour will start in Bournemouth on November 14 before moving on to Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Kneecap will also perform in London at the previously announced show at OVO Arena Wembley on September 18.
Hato Hone St John is seeking volunteers for its Friends of the Emergency Department team at Tauranga Hospital, supporting patients and whanau during challenging moments.

No medical experience was needed, and despite being based in the emergency department, volunteers rarely encounter blood, FED co-ordinator Barbara Inkster said.

We just pop in and talk to them and distract them for some time, Inkster said.



Volunteers are needed for a variety of shifts at Tauranga Hospital. Photo / Mead Norton

Volunteers can choose from four shifts: 6am to 10am, 10am to 2pm, 2pm to 6pm, and 6pm to 10pm, Inkster said.

It runs seven days a week, so we need a few people.

New volunteers dont need any experience and will first be paired up for a buddy shift to see if the role suits them, she said.

They need to come and observe. We dont want them getting too far down the track and not liking it.

The FED team is close-knit, with a group chat and occasional catch-ups every few months, Inkster said.

Its just a nice social thing.

This year marks Inksters 22nd anniversary volunteering in the emergency department, having started in Auckland.

Its a privilege to be allowed in behind the scenes. You do things that make peoples lives a bit easier.

One of the lesser-known perks of the role is gaining a better understanding of how the hospital works, she said.

It gives you an insight into how the hospital runs and helps you become less agitated when waiting.

Inkster runs the FED volunteer group alongside Tina Vanderchantz, who said she has been part of Hato Hone St John since she was 8.

Vanderchantz joined as a cadet, became a leader, and stepped away after having children.

A long time later, my youngest decided she wanted to join St Johns, so she came along, and the leaders here persuaded me to come back.

Volunteers do not deal with the more traumatic aspects of emergency care and can choose not to approach certain patients, she said.

Now and then, the volunteers see police presence, and there is always a security guard there in case of difficult patients.

Despite the intensity of the environment, working in the emergency department can be incredibly rewarding, Vanderchantz said.

You can really brighten someones day whos been waiting for hours.

While theres minimal interaction with medical staff, volunteers are notified when patients are allowed to eat, she said.

We cant feed them before that, because it may affect the results.

Once cleared, volunteers provide sandwiches and coffee and coordinate with the hospital kitchen if any shortages arise.

To volunteer, visit: https://www.stjohn.org.nz/
One person was rescued after a car collided with a building on Wilson Rd, Waihi Beach at 1.30pm this afternoon.

The person was safely extricated from the vehicle, a spokesperson from Fire and Emergency New Zealand said.

Brigades from Waihi and Mayor View attended, with three fire engines at the scene.

We have since left, and the person is now in the care of St John.

An ambulance and one rapid response unit attended, a Hato Hone St Johns spokesperson said.

One patient, in moderate condition, is being transported to Thames Hospital.

Police said that there are no road closures at this stage.
Insider threats, foreign interference and AIenabled fraud are among the targets of a new anti-corruption taskforce.

The move comes after experts warned the Government of rising corruption risks and New Zealand slipping down global anti-corruption rankings.

The initiative is being unveiled in Auckland this afternoon by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) with Police Minister Mark Mitchell.

The SFO has previously highlighted combating corruption of public officials as one of its focus areas.

It has also identified foreign bribery of public officials as a key concern.

SFO chief executive Karen Chang said the new taskforce would build intelligence to combat insider threats, foreign interference and AIenabled fraud.

The taskforce unveiling comes after experts warned the Government about compromised police officers, immigration officials, and private sector employees in ports and airports.

Cabinet minister Casey Costello established an expert group in February to advise how government agencies could work better to combat organised crime.

The groups first report said New Zealand was losing the fight against organised crime and it urged the Government to take bold steps.

The second report, released in May, focused on stopping money flows to organised crime groups here and overseas.

The panel called for the banning of cryptocurrency ATMs and cash wages in high-risk industries.

The Government announced last week that cryptocurrency ATMs would be banned.

The SFO said today that it would work with six agencies on the taskforce.

They are Inland Revenue, ACC, Corrections, the Ministry of Social Development, Land Information New Zealand and Sport New Zealand.

The SFO would assess the fraud and corruption control maturity of those agencies.

The agencies will report on corruption and fraud volumes detected and prevented.

In the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, New Zealand ranked first-equal with Denmark and Finland.

By this year, it had slipped to fourth place, behind Denmark, Finland and Singapore.

The SFO said it would lead the new taskforce and use specialist counter-fraud and enforcement expertise.

Many of the organisations in this pilot are already proactive members of our Counter-Fraud Centre community, Chang said.

That centre was established to support agencies in building counter-fraud capabilities.

Chang said the taskforce would foster more targeted prevention, better detection and stronger enforcement.

The pilot will run for six months.

In the first phase, from July to September, the taskforce will work with the six agencies to gather data and test assessment and reporting processes.

In the second phase, from October to December, it will review the data and prepare a public report and advice to ministers on next steps.

The taskforces work will build a clearer intelligence picture of the threats that face our public sector, Mitchell said.

This is about taking proactive action to ensure our prevention and response system remains resilient and fit for purpose.

Every dollar of public funding counts, and preventing the unlawful taking of taxpayer money is something we take very seriously.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the taskforce should help law enforcement to identify risks early.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said the Government intended to maintain New Zealands reputation as one of the worlds least corrupt countries.

By increasing transparency, identifying risks and encouraging ethical conduct across the public sector, this taskforce will help maintain trust in our institutions.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the taskforce should bolster New Zealands ability to detect and prevent fraud and corruption in the public sector.

John Weekes is a business journalist mostly covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.

- Additional reporting Jared Savage.
Antonio J. Guerrero Antequera Friday, 18 July 2025, 12:26 | Updated 13:25h. Compartir

The Villa Romana de la Estacion - one of the best preserved discoveries from that time in Spain - has officially opened its doors in Antequera. It is a luxury villa and the home of a wealthy family that used to export olive oil to Rome 2,000 years ago.

The cultural site was inaugurated on Thursday by mayor Manuel Baron. Also present were regional minister of culture Patricia del Pozo and the sub-delegate of the Spanish government in Malaga - Francisco Javier Salas.

A budget of 976,000 euros has been invested between 2019 and 2023. The project has taken a while to finish due to a change in contracts.

The villa is one of the most important suburban Roman sites on the Iberian Peninsula. Its existence has been known at least since 1879, when the construction of the railway station took place. However, it was left unattended for more than a century. It was rediscovered in 1998 during the construction of the town's ring road. Various sculptures and mosaics have been transferred to the town's museum since then.

The importance of the villa and how to visit it

Heritage councillor Jose Medina Galeote highlighted the importance of the inauguration of a small part of a large historical site. Del Pozo said that the efforts that various institutions have put to open this site to the public are significant not only from an archaeological and architectural point of view. The villa "transports us to the era of the Roman aristocracy".

The Villa Romana de la Estacion will operate under the auspices of the Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera. Guided group visits can be reserved at the museum's office or over the phone (952 70 83 00), as well as through the 'Luz de Luna' initiative.
SUR Malaga Friday, 18 July 2025, 14:21 Compartir

A joint operation of the National Police and the Portuguese customs officers has resulted in four arrests and 1,680 kilos of cocaine seized from a criminal organisation based in Torremolinos on Spain's Costa del Sol. The gang concealed traffic through recreational sailboats from the Caribbean to the EU.

The investigations began in March 2024, when the police identified each of the members, based in Denmark and Torremolinos. One of the sailboats used for the illegal operations was located at the Cap d'Agde port on the French coast. However, the organisation switched boats due to technical issues with the vessel in France. They opted for another boat in Portugal.

The police encountered an obstacle in 2024, when the investigated boat in Portugal was abandoned by the organisation. The members returned to their country of origin, but they came back to Spain and Portugal in 2025 and resumed their activities.

The police traced their movements and requested the reopening of the case, which led to the latest turn of events. They also detected frequent international movements to countries such as Colombia, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.
Cristina Pinto Friday, 18 July 2025, 11:46 Compartir

In a conversation with SUR on Tuesday, Miguel Jimenez, member of a neighbourhood association campaigning for the area of Miraflores de los Angeles, said, "We are going to fill the neighbourhood with banners. And so it has been. Eight banners have been put up across different neighbourhoods of Malaga criticising the state of cleanliness in these areas: "city council abandons Miraflores", "dirty neighbourhoods", "dirty Malaga" and "working-class neighbourhoods neglected" are some of the slogans displayed.

These banners have been placed on bridges in Avenida Valle Inclan and Avenida de Andalucia. And the association warns that this will not be the end: "Over the next few nights more banners will appear, even in emblematic places of the city," added Jimenez. The action last Tuesday night was joined by anonymous citizens who do not belong to the association, which is currently made up of some 150 people. "There have been several dozen residents in various areas who have put them up, and we also know that people who are not part of the association have also joined the action," he explained.

"This isnt some kind of performance - people are genuinely outraged because of the filth in our streets. Most residents of Malaga are concerned. Here, in the Miraflores area, we had no cleaning at all during the pre-fair or post-fair last year. Thats why, seeing as were now in mid-July and the dirt is piling up, were taking action. Are we going to have to wait until September for them to clean up?" This was the reaction of the representative of the residents' association covering the districts of Camino Suarez, Victoria Eugenia, La Bresca, and Miraflores de los Angeles.

This action is part of the various initiatives being carried out by the association, following a visit to the city hall a few weeks ago. On Monday, members of the association headed out with brushes, mops and buckets to clean the area around the Miraflores de los Angeles primary school. Our streets are full of urine and faeces from both dogs and people. We're not going to sit back and do nothing while this filth consumes our neighbourhoods, they declared.

Protest at city hall

The neighbourhood association 'dignity project for Miraflores de los Angeles' took part on Wednesday morning in another protest action alongside the platform of associations and social movements, Liveable, Green, Sustainable Malaga. Around twenty people gathered mid-morning at the steps of the city hall carrying bags of rubbish. "We wanted to highlight the appalling state of neglect suffered by the city's working-class neighbourhoods," they said.

Zoom Image of the protest on Wednesday at the Town Hall. Sur

In a statement, the Malaga Ha Vesos platform called for a meeting with the city council to demand that the neighbourhoods be cleaned street by street with water and detergent before the start of the fair. They are also requesting an increase in cleaning staff for the city. We want a significant boost in the number of workers at Limasan, with specific objectives set for each neighbourhood.

And they sent a warning to the city council: Today, we are just a selected delegation from our platform who have come here. Next week, there could be hundreds of us.
Isabel Mendez Malaga Friday, 18 July 2025, 15:52 Compartir

Five Guys has arrived in Marbella town centre. The popular American burger chain opened its third establishment in the town and the fourth in Malaga province on Thursday. It is located on Avenida Ramon y Cajal, 1 (junction with Avenida Miguel Cano), replacing the La Canasta bakery, which closed in April.

The new establishment is equipped with a covered terrace with air conditioning, in addition to the indoor area. It has the capacity to seat 100 customers and offer jobs to 50 employees.

Former US President Barack Obama's favourite burger brand made its debut in Malaga in August 2021 with the opening of its first restaurant in the province at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet shopping centre. Subsequently, it opened in the La Canada shopping centre and in Puerto Banus in Marbella.

General manager for Spain and Portugal Daniel Agromayor said that the opening of yet another Five Guys establishment in Marbella proves how well the brand fits with the town's life. As always, customers will find "authentic burgers and fries, customised with up to 15 free toppings, with quality and fresh ingredients", offered in a fresh, rock'n'roll atmosphere.
Montero and De la Torre greet each other outside the UMA.

The Spanish government will propose Malaga as the seat of the European Customs Authority - a decentralised body of the EU, which is due to be created in 2026.

Spain's deputy PM and minister of finance Maria Jesus Montero has accepted Malaga's candidacy and will present it to the European Commission. The idea is for the Costa del Sol capital to be at the forefront in the field of customs. "We are confident that this city meets all the requirements and standards of excellence in this area," said Montero.

The European Customs Authority (EUCA) will be part of the core legislation of the customs reform package presented by the European Commission on 17 May 2023.

This body will create, maintain and manage a single electronic system for EU customs

The EUCA will be responsible for the creation, maintenance and management of a customs data hub - a single electronic system for customs procedures in the EU.

Government support for Malaga

Once all the proposals for the hub's headquarters are presented, the European Parliament will vote and choose a city. The Spanish candidacy highlights the technical and logistical conditions offered by Malaga and the province.

The capital of the Costa del Sol, with its extensive fibre optic coverage through 5,000 kilometres cable with different connections to Europe, is one of the most advanced telecommunications infrastructures in the country.

Over the last decade, Malaga city has aspired to be the centre of various international events and bodies. However, some of the goals have not been achieved, such as the 2016 Cultural Capital, the 2027 European Youth Capital, the Medicines Agency and the 2027 International Expo.

Over the last decade, Malaga city has aspired to be the centre of various international events and bodies, without having succeeded so far.

According to Montero, central government is constantly working on supporting Malaga's name and progress, with projects that aim to make the Costa del Sol a "world spearhead" in semiconductor and nanotechnology research through the creation of the IMEC centre at the TechPark. In addition, there are investments worth millions of euros in infrastructure, transport, energy and connectivity that focus on the Andalusian city.
SW China's Chengdu builds China's first professional competition venue for fistball's World Games debut

People's Daily Online) 09:11, July 18, 2025

Photo shows the venue for the fistball competition at the World Games 2025, which is scheduled to take place from Aug. 7 to 17 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

The host city of the World Games 2025, Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is all set for the debut of the traditional European team sport fistball.

According to the Organizing Committee of The World Games 2025 Chengdu, the competition venue in a park in Tianfu New Area of the city has completed the installation of the country's first natural turf field built to meet international standards for professional fistball matches, aiming to provide a world-class arena for athletes.

From grass seed selection to daily maintenance, the field was developed in strict accordance with international benchmarks, marking a significant step forward as the first dedicated fistball venue of its kind in China.

As a newly added sport in the World Games lineup, fistball enriches the diversity of the event. The sport emphasizes teamwork and features fast-paced, over-the-net rallies that are both intense and entertaining.

By hosting the matches in the open, green setting of the park, the organizing committee intends to enable the public to experience the sport's unique appeal up close.

A fistball player demonstrates a move at the venue for the fistball competition at the World Games 2025, which is scheduled to take place from Aug. 7 to 17 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Fistball players demonstrate moves at the venue for the fistball competition at the World Games 2025, which is scheduled to take place from August 7 to 17 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Sun Shuyu)

Syukri (left), a foreign editor with People's Daily Online, learns to play fistball. (Photo by Sun Shuyu/People's Daily Online)

Syukri (left), a foreign editor with People's Daily Online, practices fistball. (Photo by Sun Shuyu/People's Daily Online)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Pilar Martinez Malaga Friday, 18 July 2025, 10:41 Compartir

Entire families with suitcases full of excitement queue at the check-in desks at airports. The beginning of a long-awaited holiday does not always go as planned. Delays, cancellations and overbookings can spoil the dream trip. At such moments, doubts arise as to what rights protect travellers and whether minors are also protected in such circumstances.

The AirCashBack platform clarifies the rights of minors, including infants, which can be up to 600 euros in reimbursements. Passenger rights experts also remind clients that most airlines do not allow children under the age of five to travel alone and that for children between the ages of 5 and 11 a special 'unaccompanied minor' service is usually available, which means that the child travels without a legal guardian but under the care of airline staff. From the age of 12, many airlines already allow children to travel alone, sometimes even without written parental consent.

In either case, under regulation (EC) 261/2004 (the fundamental legal rule protecting air passengers in the European Union) it is made clear that the compensation provided applies to all travellers regardless of age - including infants and children. "As long as a ticket has been paid for, the child has the same right to compensation as an adult in situations such as flight delays of at least three hours, cancellation of the flight with less than 14 days' notice or denied boarding due to overbooking."

In these cases, the amount of compensation depends on the distance of the flight. Rates are set at 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km; 400 euros for flights within the EU over 1,500 km or international flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km; and 600 euros for flights over 3,500 km outside the EU. "These amounts also apply to children, as long as they have a valid airline ticket, even if it was free (obtained through a frequent flyer programme) or purchased with a big discount," AirCashBack explained.

And in the case of children under two years old travelling on their parents' lap, who airlines previously did not consider as full passengers and even did not issue them with tickets with seats and did not recognise their right to compensation, several court rulings, including one by the EU Court of Justice, have changed the approach to this issue. "If a fare has been paid for the baby and the operator has issued a ticket in the baby's name, even without an allocated seat, the child has the right to compensation. Parents are often unaware that passenger rights also apply to their children, even the youngest ones," said AirCashBack's passenger rights experts. The determining factor is whether a ticket has been paid for - regardless of the age or the amount of the fare.

Experts advise documenting any problems with the flight in detail and not delaying the filing of the complaint. "Boarding passes, emails, screenshots and other evidence should be kept. The better we document the incident, the better the chances of success," summarised AirCashBack.

Compensation claims on behalf of a child must be submitted and formalised by the legal guardians - usually the parents. To do so, they should submit the child and guardian's details; a copy of the ticket and booking confirmation; and documentation of the flight incident (e.g. an email from the airline). Claims can be submitted directly on the airline's website or through specialised compensation recovery companies.
Ricard Lopez Madrid Friday, 18 July 2025, 11:33 | Updated 16:21h. Compartir

The region of Madrid was warned about temperatures reaching 40C in some parts on Tuesday. Despite the heat, however, fires in the Casa de Campo - one of the areas most prone to such incidents - have dropped by 85% in the last 24 years.

This means that the forestry services have to intervene less frequently. They are still on standby 24 hours a day, ready to participate in the summer campaign.

The Casa de Campo area used to give the forest services headaches a few years ago, but the situation is more under control nowadays. Only the equivalent of 1% of the area that was burnt in 2001 was affected by fires in 2024. The prevention work carried out throughout the years has significantly contributed to this decrease.

Prevention tasks include: maintenance of 128 kilometres of firebreaks; clearing of 1,400 hectares; pruning. In addition, a herd of 450 sheep serves to reduce weeds through consumption, which makes the ground less prone to catching fire. There have only been two minor outbreaks so far this summer, linked to carelessness and arson.

Increase in resources

The firefighting campaign this summer relies on three rapid-response teams. The monitoring action lasts six months. The city council has increased "materials, economic and human resources".

Head of the Casa de Campo fire station Manuel Hidalgo says that the extension of overall resources has been noticed in the small number of fires in an areaa that is prone to them due to winds and high temperatures.

The forest service's job is to monitor the area and notice if there is smoke. The teams are then sent to make the initial effort. If necessary, the Madrid fire brigade is called for support.

During the hottest hours (from 12pm onwards), up to four teams are working at the Casa de Campo watchtower, which is now equipped with an air conditioner - a request that was ignored for years.
Melchor Saiz-Pardo Madrid Friday, 18 July 2025, 16:02 Compartir

Joint international Operation Eastwood, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, has dismantled 'NoName057(16)' - the most active Russian hacker platform sponsored by the Kremlin's secret services and responsible for countless cyber-attacks on European institutions, including many Spanish entities.

According to Europol, this macro-operation has resulted in the arrest of two of the ringleaders. One of the arrests was made in Spain and the other in France. The European institution has not provided further information on the identity of the detainees or the place of their capture.

Operation Eastwood was launched on 14 July with the participation of law enforcement agencies from 19 countries: the Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the US "took simultaneous action. The investigation was also "supported" by Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Denmark, Latvia, Romania and Ukraine, as well as private companies ShadowServer and Abuse.ch.

In addition to the two arrests, the police questioned 13 people, five of them in Spain and the rest in Germany (2), France (1), Italy (4) and Poland (1). The operation also included 24 searches, half of them in Spain and the rest in the Czech Republic (2), France (1), Germany (3), Italy (5) and Poland (1).

National authorities have issued seven arrest warrants for "six Russian citizens for their involvement in the criminal activities" of 'NoName057(16)'. Five of these criminals have ended up on the EU's most wanted lists in the last few hours.

According to Europol, the operation cleared up around a hundred "server" attacks on institutions around the world and took down "a large part of the main infrastructure of NoName057". Around a thousand "supporters" and collaborators have been identified, among them 15 administrators, who were not arrested. However, they received notifications informing them of the criminal liability of their actions. In most cases, these individuals are "Russian-speaking sympathisers" led by ideology. They operate as lone wolves and "without formal leadership or sophisticated technical skills".

Invasion of Ukraine

'NoName057' was born in March 2022, shortly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Its first actions were cyber-attacks on Ukrainian, US and European websites, targeting government agencies, media outlets and private companies.

In Spain, they went full force in the summer of 2023, when they attacked a hundred or so websites of institutions, public companies and businesses as punishment for the "support of the Zelensky regime by the Russophobic authorities in Spain with their taxpayers' money". On 23 July of that year - election day - the Kremlin-sponsored hackers claimed to have taken down the website of the Ministry of the Interior, which was indeed intermittently down between 4 and 7pm, although the special website launched by the department headed by Fernando Grande Marlaska was always accessible.

On 12 May this year, the Ministry of the Interior launched a tender for a contract to obtain two licences to access the world's largest database of cyber-threats and hackers for two years. The aim is to shield the ministry against the continuous attacks by 'NoName057' hackers.
SUR Malaga Friday, 18 July 2025, 11:25 | Updated 12:16h. Compartir

The United States Capitol Intelligence Committee has criticised Spain for awarding a contract to the Chinese to manage and store police and judicial wiretap recordings, branding the decision "unimaginable" for endangering not only Spain's security but also that of its allied partners.

According to sources, the government gave Huawei - a company viewed by the US as controlled by the Chinese Communist Party - a multi-million-euro deal to store and classify communications collected via court-authorised wiretaps. Huawei has been removed from Spain's 5G network roll-out.
Tony Bryant Estepona Friday, 18 July 2025, 11:28 Compartir

The Casa de las Tejerinas cultural centre in Estepona is exhibiting a new collection of works by Scottish sculptor Toby Govan, along with the collaboration of the French artist Serge Bouvier, who is presenting his work for the first time in Spain.

The exhibition will be officially inaugurated at 8.30pm on Thursday 31 July and will include a performance by pianist Angel Moya and local poet Lorena Jimenez.

Govan will present a collection of sculptures under the title of The Millefeuille of Life.

His work, which focuses mainly on animals, has been purchased by private collectors in the UK, France, Germany and the USA. There are also four pieces located in Estepona, one of which is an elephant that weighs one tonne.

Born in Edinburgh in 1967, Toby arrived in Spain in 1972 after his parents decided to relocate to Torremolinos, although the family then moved to Estepona, where he is based today.

The artist will be on hand each day (closed on Mondays) until 11pm in order to allow people to view the exhibition outside of the usual opening hours of the centre.

His work will be accompanied by Bouvier's acrylic and oil paintings on wood, canvas and paper.

The French artist uses both figurative and abstract techniques and he says his approach aims to share a vision of interior and exterior landscapes by playing with light and contrast. His career has spanned more than 30 years and during this time he has shown his work in numerous exhibitions all over France.

The exhibition, which is free, can be viewed from 9am until 11pm until 31 August.
While many businesses have gone back to the office since the pandemic, others have embraced the concept of remote work or added hybrid options. Whats more, many people have created positions working for themselves as solopreneurs or freelancers.

But this influx of remote work situations has created silos, with businesspeople longing for a sense of connection. Theres a special power in being able to turn to the person next to you and think through a problem together without the hindrance of Zoom calls or Slack chats.

As a result, several coworking spaces have opened throughout Central New York. These unique environments offer a chance for connection, community and a reason to leave the home office. For others, its the availability of a quiet place to focus or record audio and video that brings them to a new setting.

From two-hour sessions to long-term memberships, discover the coworking spaces redefining work life in CNY.

The flexible seating area of The Cove, a coworking space. The doorway on the left leads to a meeting room. ConsciousHR

The Cove

327 W. Fayette St., Suite 412, Syracuse

Located in the heart of Armory Square, The Cove at ConsciousHR considers itself a little piece of rebellion  an antidote to typically sterile work environments. The warm, inviting space caters to anyone looking for a bit of connection during their workday or a quiet spot to focus or record. Dark wood, velvet furniture and the scent of a great candle come together to form a creative sanctuary with mindfulness and intentionality at its center.

The Cove offers open seating areas and, at premium costs, private focus rooms and offices, a 12-person meeting room and a fully equipped podcast lounge. In addition to the coworking spaces, ConsciousHR also provides consulting services, a private online networking community, workshops and mixers.

Coworkers can add their intentions to the accountability wall and grab a little sign for their workspace to let others know if they are open to chat or deep in thought.

Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $15 for a day pass for flexible seating. Private rooms can be booked in advance. Focus rooms are $25 per hour or $60 for a half-day. These rooms can be arranged to suit your needs as a traditional workspace with a desk and table, a lounge setting, or holistic wellness space with a massage table and linens. The strategy room hosts up to 12 people at $100 for a half day and includes a whiteboard, tv and video call equipment. A podcast lounge complete with microphones and headphones is $35 per hour.

Membership options: $85 for a monthly membership with access every Monday and Tuesday. $200 for 24/7 access and a personal entry code to the space. Both membership options include a monthly strategy session, priority access to premium spaces and 16 hours of focus room scheduling per month. A podcast membership is available for $120 per month and includes 5 hours of podcast lounge time.

Amenities: WiFi, free coffee, tea, light snacks, printer access and a TV for mirroring computer screens.

Lustre Loft, within a rentable photo studio, offers drop-in or membership coworking sessions. SHP Brand Bash

Lustre Loft

1970 W. Fayette St., Floor 3, Syracuse

This monthly coworking option is the creative masterpiece of local brand photographer Sarah (Heppell) Fredenburg, owner of SHP Brand Bash. Lustre Loft is typically used as a photography studio that can be rented out for photo shoots, workshops or events.

Once a month, Fredenburg invites local creatives, freelancers and remote workers to use the space for making connections while working in an inspiring setting with tons of natural light. Coworkers bring their creative energy to the community: members have shared sourdough starters and craft supplies with each other in the past.

Hours: First Monday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $12 for a day pass.

Membership options: $120 per year includes a saved seat for 12 sessions, swag and member spotlights on social media. A new $60 membership plan grants the same amenities while allowing coworkers to choose six sessions to attend throughout the year.

Amenities: WiFi, complimentary coffee and sparkling water, free off-street parking and a shared goal board for accountability. Members occasionally bring in treats to share.

The Info Center, formerly Syracuse CoWorks, is located in the Westcott neighborhood and offers remote workers a space to mingle and collaborate. The Info Center

The Info Center

601 Allen St., Syracuse

Currently undergoing a rebranding from Syracuse CoWorks to The Info Center, this coworking space in the Westcott neighborhood is created and run by a board of members who understand the challenges and desires of remote work. With a residential exterior, the inside of The Info Center features a mixture of comfortable lounge seating and workstations with ergonomic furniture.

The space is designed to unite consultants, freelancers and other independent workers while inspiring them to spark their creativity. The Info Center also plans to host members-only events in the future.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $5 for a day pass from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Membership options: A basic plan of $75 per month offers extended access from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday and includes snacks. For $150 monthly, members also get the option to reserve the event space and recording booth. The resident plan adds 24/7 access to the building and a dedicated workspace for a total of $200 a month.

The Info Center also offers a virtual option for workers who just need a place to have mail securely delivered for $50 per month. Nonprofit workers can access a community resource plan that provides all of the perks of a basic plan but with an 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule for just $300 per year. The plan also allows nonprofit workers access to private spaces when they are not otherwise in use.

Amenities: WiFi, free coffee, kitchen access and networked printers.

A new speaker series at Commonspace brings in local micro-influencers to speak about their work. Food writer and recipe developer Rochelle Bilow kicked off the series on July 27. (HF Photography CNY) HF Photography CNY

Commonspace Work

351 S. Warren St., Suite 2, Syracuse

CS Work through Commonspace prides itself on being in the heart of downtown Syracuse. Thriving in the hustle and bustle of an urban setting, CS Work offers remote workers a wide variety of coworking options, ranging from shared common spaces with drop-in hours to more permanent monthly office rentals.

Commonspace strives to make going back to the office a more enjoyable experience. As such, the inviting space features greenery, exposed brick walls, glass partitions and a variety of seating options with couches, traditional desks, bar-height workstations and a rooftop lounge.

High-tech conference rooms provide everything you need for successful teleworking. Pet parents will be excited to know they can even bring their well-behaved dogs with them.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $20 for a day pass to the shared space; meeting room rental starts at $20 an hour.

Membership options: $150 per month provides workers with full open-hours access, four hours of premium conference room time, unlimited small conference room time, 50 pages from the printer and listing in an online directory.

Customizable plans start at $65 and allow workers to tailor the plan to suit their needs. Corporate and enterprise plans are also available for larger teams. Standard office rental starts at $500 per month with a personalized key code, company signage, the ability to add team members, mailbox access and eight hours of premium conference room time. CS Work also offers office suites for long-term team rentals.

Amenities: WiFi, complimentary freshly roasted coffee, kitchen access and a game lounge. Members also have access to exclusive offers from Commonspace partners, including CenterState CEO and Vanderkamp.

Shared flexible workspaces at ShareCuse. Private offices are also available. ShareCuse

ShareCuse

224 Harrison St., Suite 210, Syracuse

For remote workers looking for a more permanent solution to their business needs, ShareCuse offers flexible workspaces by the month. The 9,000-square-foot industrial space has a mixture of individual hot desks, long tables, conference rooms, lounge-style seating and a private phone booth. Private offices include desks, chairs and lockable doors.

In addition to the common areas, ShareCuse offers both small and large private permanent offices for rent. Coworkers are included in a digital membership directory and are featured in monthly highlights.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: No drop-ins available.

Membership options: $150 per month offers full access during open hours. The professional plan at $220 per month provides 24/7 keycard access, ability to reserve conference rooms, spaces on weeknights and weekends and access to private lockers. Small office rental costs $450 per month and large office rental costs $700 per month.

Amenities: WiFi, kitchen access including free coffee, tea and snacks, keycard access and a membership directory.

GereBlock CoWorks, formerly GereBlock Lounge, lets remote workers enjoy a variety of workspaces and collaboration. GereBlock CoWorks

GereBlock CoWorks

1970 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Located in a historic Erie Canal-era building, GereBlock CoWorks (previously GereBlock Lounge) values community and innovation in its urban coworking space. Exposed brick walls pair with sleek, modular furniture to create an eclectic yet functional work environment.

From day passes to monthly memberships, remote workers find a lot of value in the variety of workspaces offered. Kevin Bailey, founder of Come Out Central New York, also hosts a monthly Queer Coworking Day at GereBlock. Happening on the second Wednesday of every month, the day begins with No Agenda Coffee Hour from 9 to 10:30 a.m. hosted by Jill Hurst-Wahl of Widerstand Consulting.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $10 for a flex seating day pass. Renting a private office/small meeting room is $15 per hour, or $45 for a large conference room, with AV equipment available by request. Discounts available for bulk day passes as well as half-day and full-day meeting room rentals.

Membership options: For $150 per month, the Flex Nomad plan offers access to communal spaces and discounted rates for private meeting spaces. At $200 per month, the Nomad Plus plan provides 24/7/365 access to the facility and includes five guest passes and eight hours of conference room booking per month.

Amenities: WiFi, complimentary coffee, tea and snacks, and free on-site parking.

SkanWorks offers flex space, dedicated desks and private offices for people who want to connect and do their best work. SkanWorks

SkanWorks

1326 New Seneca Tnpk., Skaneateles

Just outside the village of Skaneateles, SkanWorks offers 13,000 square feet of bright, clean office space. The building boasts a unique history, having served as a design and production center for a vibration machine, testing the stability of the atomic bomb during World War II.

Now the facility provides common coworking areas, dedicated desks and private offices. The space features a modern, minimalistic vibe with modular tables and chairs. Individual phone booths provide privacy for business calls.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $25 for flex seating, $35 for a dedicated desk with monitor, $40 for a private, more secluded desk, $50 for a private office. All day passes include your choice of a free meal from Good Eats in Skaneateles. Bulk discount available for multiple day passes.

Two meeting rooms are also available to rent with portable outlets, whiteboards and wall-mounted televisions. The eight-person room is $45 per hour or $306 per day. The larger, 40-person meeting room is $60 per hour or $408 for the full day.

Membership options: Weekly passes are $75 for flex seating, $105 for a dedicated desk, $150 for a private office. Monthly passes start at $200 for flex seating and increase depending on space and privacy. All levels offer credits toward meeting rooms and mailboxes, keyless entry and extended hours, Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Other membership highlights include bike rentals, yoga classes, dry cleaning pick-up and drop off, bagel Tuesdays and happy hour Thursdays. Meal plans, social-only memberships and corporate tiers are also available for purchase.

Amenities: WiFi, complimentary coffee, tea and filtered water, unlimited printing, monthly guest speakers and free on-site parking.

CommonPlace Auburn is a quiet, welcoming space with high ceilings and big windows. CommonPlace Auburn

CommonPlace Auburn

2 South St., Suite 408, Auburn

Situated on the top floor of the historic Phoenix Building in downtown Auburn, CommonPlace offers several tiers of flexible coworking plans. The space has historic charm with ornate woodwork, tall windows, high ceilings and an antique phone booth.

A mixture of semi-private workstations, small tables, and a large, shared table fill the venue. The document center on the ground floor of the building offers printing and copying services. The conference room may be used impromptu at no cost if not reserved by anyone else in advance.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $20 for a day pass; $85 for a week. Bulk discount available for multiple day passes.

Membership options: The Occasional option, $40 per month, includes four visits and two hours of conference room time. Regular, $80 per month, provides 10 visits each month and four hours of conference room time.

The top two tiers allow unlimited visits and 24/7 access: For $125 per month, sit at any available space and enjoy six hours of conference room time. $180 per month provides a dedicated desk, use of a locked cabinet and eight hours of access to the conference room.

A conference room is available for non-members at $20 for the first hour, $10 each additional hour.

Amenities: WiFi and kitchenette access, which includes a coffee maker and teapot, so BYO Keurig-style packets or instant sachets.

Black woman-owned Melody's Co-Working and Event Space in Auburn features desks and an office for remote workers to take advantage of plus a retail space for local entrepreneurs. Melody's Co-Working and Event Space

Melodys Co-Working and Event Space

128 Genesee St., Suite 100, Auburn

This woman- and Black-owned coworking space is designed with professional women in mind. Melodys is a combination coworking space, event venue and retail space. Owner Melody Smith Johnson created her business to connect with fellow creatives, freelancers, remote workers and mompreneurs.

Catering to women, the space is clean and white with feminine touches of potted plants and artwork. Coworking stations throughout the open area include sleek, white desks with mesh-backed office chairs. These two-piece desks are customizable, with wheels allowing users to switch the desk between straight and L-shaped. A private office provides enough space for a two or three person team.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $30 for a day pass.

Membership options: A monthly membership costs $145. Dedicated private office space may be available for rent; interested parties should contact Melody directly for more information.

Amenities: WiFi, kitchenette access (bring your own mug and K-cups), inclusion in a member directory and online group, networking opportunities, discounts on event space rentals and access to free and low-cost professional training opportunities.

An intimate four-person conference room at Oneida CoWorks. Oneida CoWorks

Oneida CoWorks

155 Madison St., Oneida

This collaborative workspace in the center of Oneida offers an opportunity for local businesspeople to build a professional ecosystem. A collection of open areas, private suites and conference rooms provide space for a variety of office activities and meetings. Exposed brick walls add to the charm of the space while wall-sized windows provide natural light throughout the rooms.

Casual coworkers can choose a seat at the long, counter-height workbench which features several pop-up electrical outlets. Dedicated desk spaces each include an extra monitor to connect into. An intimate, four-person conference room features an exposed brick wall, a glass wall, and a whiteboard. The larger, eight-person conference room also includes a television for virtual meetings and presentations.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Drop-in cost: Oneida CoWorks doesnt offer day passes or drop-in hours, but non-members can rent a conference room for a fee.

Membership options: $95 per month provides access to the flex space. Members can have a dedicated desk for $150 per month or a lockable office for $325 per month; both include 24/7/365 access.

Amenities: WiFi and pantry access including complimentary coffee, tea and filtered water.

The HUB Business Incubator is Madison County's only NYS-certified business incubator and offers an affordable coworking option. The HUB Business Incubator

The HUB Business Incubator

8 Lebanon St., Hamilton

Inside Madison Countys only NYS-certified business incubator is one of the most affordable and flexible coworking spaces in Central New York. Home to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at Colgate University, director Hannah Reece encourages creativity and entrepreneurial support through mentorship and training opportunities.

The Hub embraces an exposed brick wall and pairs it with colorful furniture and rugs to create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. The open facility offers different areas for coworkers to congregate or split off on their own. A meeting room and phone booth provide privacy when needed.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $10 for a day pass. The conference room can be rented for two hours for $100, a half day for $175, or a full day for $300. It is also available for an evening rental (5 to 9 p.m.) for $100. Additionally, the main hub area can be rented for $200 for a half day (daytime or evening) or a full day (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for $400.

Membership options: $30 per month, providing 24/7 access.

Amenities: WiFi, free coffee and tea, kitchen access, printing services, lockers, mailbox services, whiteboards, mentorship programs and workshops.

The thINCubator at Mohawk Valley Community College is Utica's first collaborative coworking space. thINCubator

MVCC thINCubator

326 Broad St., Utica

Uticas first collaborative coworking space is located inside Mohawk Valley Community College. The thINCubator is a creative, modern facility offering a variety of seating with prime opportunities for collaboration. Coworkers can spread out in the large, open floor plan, choosing between cushioned lounge seating or side-by-side modern workstations.

Conference and meeting rooms are available for rent by the day for non-members. The small conference room ($80) fits two people and is equipped with a large whiteboard. Six colleagues can gather in the large conference room ($120) with access to a whiteboard and large screen TV with Chromecast and Airplay. The Berkshire Bank Room ($240) seats up to 14 people and includes a large television, camera and microphone for virtual meetings. The largest option is the full event space. Available to rent for $360 for up to 4 hours or $600 for the day, the location includes a SMART board, microphone and speakers, with room for 30-50 people depending on table configuration.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $20 for a day pass.

Membership options: $150 per month includes unlimited days of coworking and 24/7 access with a digital key. For $425 per month (with a 12-month commitment), a pair of coworkers can rent a private, lockable office. All memberships include access to conference rooms and sound-proof booths.

Amenities: WiFi, free coffee bar, lockers, filing cabinets, mail slots, copiers and printers.

The Innovare Advancement Center at Griffiss Institute includes coworking spaces and hot desks available to members of the local community. Griffiss Institute

Innovare Advancement Center at Griffiss Institute

592 Hangar Rd., Suite 200, Rome

Griffiss Institute in Rome is the premier STEM accelerator for the U.S. Department of Defense, uniting academics, government employees and industry partners. Theyve recently expanded their offerings to include coworking spaces and hot desks available to local community members. The large, open space features televisions and whiteboards and several moveable tables and chairs.

The center offers access to private phone booths and a large outdoor terrace. Five conference rooms vary in size, accommodating between 12 and 150 people. Each comes equipped with all the necessary technology for productive Zoom or Teams meetings. Interested parties will need to contact the institute directly for pricing based on their needs.

In addition to prime networking opportunities, Innovare Advancement Center has a variety of business services available a la carte, including marketing services, event planning and management, and media services.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $15 for a half day, $25 for a full day pass.

Membership options: Longer-term passes are available for $100 per week or $400 per month and offer 24/7 access to the space.

Amenities: WiFi, complimentary parking, business print center, free coffee bar and private lockers.

Downtown Ithaca's CommonSpot offers a variety of business solutions for solopreneurs, small teams and larger groups. CommonSpot

The CommonSpot

108 N. Cayuga St., 3rd Floor, Ithaca

Located in Clinton Hall in downtown Ithaca, the CommonSpot offers a variety of business solutions for solopreneurs, small teams and large groups alike. Teleworkers can rent spaces for as little as two hours at a time, with discounts available for longer term rentals.

Work areas include hot desks, designated desks, private offices, consulting offices (equipped with two desks or one desk and extra chairs), group offices, conference rooms and an event space. The conference rooms come equipped with all the technology required for virtual meetings or presentations. An eclectic variety of furniture and artwork gives the cozy interior a homey feel.

The CommonSpot is also home to progressive networks of professionals, including Business Leaders of Color and the NY Sustainable Business Council. The venue fosters collaboration and regularly hosts public events with B2B opportunities. Members also have access to a variety of business services, including bookkeeping, web development, graphic design and more.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop-in cost: $15 for two hours, $25 for four hours, or $40 for eight hours at a shared desk. Private offices are available to rent for the same lengths of time at $40, $60 and $90, respectively. Conference room rental starts at $80 for two hours.

Membership options: The CommonSpot rents out certain office spaces by the week, month or season. Contact them directly via the special inquiry form on their website.

Amenities: WiFi, kitchen access, printers and various office equipment. CommonSpot offers guided entrance for wheelchair users and an ADA-compliant bathroom.

Foundry, in Ithaca, has more than 1,900 square feet of open, airy office space. Foundry

Foundry

416 E. State St., Ithaca

This creative space for coworking, events and artist studios is a few blocks from the commons in Ithaca. Located in a historic building, Foundry showcases its exposed wood joists, steel railings and concrete floors mixed with modern and artistic amenities.

The more than 1,900-square-feet of space is open and airy, with a collection of moveable tables and chairs that adapt to users needs. An array of live plants throughout the common area brings the outdoors in. The conference room features a loading dock garage door that can be opened on nice days to provide fresh air.

The open concept, multipurpose space offers weekly and monthly memberships.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Drop-in cost: No drop-ins available.

Membership options: Coworking memberships start at $100 per week with access to shared desk space from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and discounts on conference rooms. $250 monthly memberships are available for shared desk spaces in the common area.

Dedicated individual desks in two sizes are available for $350 or $400 per month. All monthly memberships provide 24/7 access to the spaces, conference room credits and discounts on workshops.

Amenities: WiFi, kitchenette and pour-over coffee station.
Gouverneur, N.Y.  A St. Lawrence County gun shop is being sued for failing to secure its inventory after thieves stole and sold nearly 60 guns and ammunition in two burglaries, state officials said.

Thieves were able to enter Bowmans Gun Shop, at 337 County Route 11 in Gouverneur, two separate times: Once through an unlocked door and again through an open window, New York State Attorney General Letitia James said.

Burglars stole 58 guns and dozens of boxes of ammunition. Some of the stolen guns were trafficked to New York City, Philadelphia, and internationally to Barbados, she said.

Now the Attorney Generals Office is suing the gun shop and its owner, Timothy Bowman, for violating New Yorks gun safety laws. The office wants to stop Bowman from owning or operating a gun shop in New York and to return money the shop made improperly and pay fines for violating the law.

James said in a release the shop stored guns and ammunition in an unsafe manner and failed to properly secure the gun shop.

James said despite the burglaries, Bowman still has not taken adequate steps to improve security at the store to prevent additional theft and trafficking.

New York law requires gun dealers to have a security plan for their store, install and maintain a security alarm system from a licensed alarm system provider and properly store firearms. James said Bowman failed to meet these requirements.

In 2019, St. Lawrence County Court suspended Bowmans license to sell pistols for six months and his permit to possess pistols for one year after a New York State Police investigation. During the investigation, Bowman admitted he knowingly accepted two handguns from someone who wasnt legally allowed to have them and recorded false information about the guns in his required logbooks, officials said.

While his license and permit were suspended, Bowman continued to run his gun shop irresponsibly, officials said.

In September 2019, burglars broke into Bowmans Gun Shop and stole two shotguns, three rifles, two pistols, a BB gun and more than 50 boxes of ammunition and cash, according to offiicals. The thieves got in through an unlocked exterior door and then forced open an interior door, they said.

After the break-in, Bowman failed to take proper steps to improve the stores security, officials said.

A year later, in September 2020, another group of burglars broke into the gun shop and stole 28 pistols, 12 revolvers, nine riflesincluding four AR-style riflesand two shotguns, officials said. Investigators said the burglars got in through a window Bowman had left partially open while the store was closed.

Although Bowmans Gun Shop had an alarm system during the second break-in, Bowman admitted he failed to set it about 75% of the time, including the night of the burglary, officials said. During the investigation, state police were contacted by other departments that had recovered guns stolen from the shop.

Firearms taken in the 2020 break in were later found in New York City, Philadelphia and even Barbados. Federal agents also recovered a stolen gun that Bowman never reported missing, as required by law for licensed gun dealers.

Bowmans Gun Shop has been operating since 2014.

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com
Ellisburg, N.Y.  A 51-year-old man drowned shortly after arriving at a vacation rental in Jefferson County with his family Thursday.

Gregory B. Stewart, of Missouri, was swimming in Lake Ontario with his family shortly after arriving at a rental cottage on Little Field Place in Ellisburg when his family lost sight of him, said Trooper Jack Keller, a spokesperson for State Police.

Stewart was missing for around 15 minutes, Keller said.

Around 7 p.m., troopers responded to the report of a missing person in the water, according to a news release from State Police.

As troopers were responding, they were told the man had been found and removed from the water, according to the release.

Keller said the mans family found him and got him out of the water. Two of the family members were injured or suffered fatigue getting him out of the lake, he said.

There were wind gusts and high waves at the time of the incident, Keller said.

When first responders arrived, Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

One of the family members was taken to Samaritan Medical Center for treatment and evaluation. The other was treated on scene and refused transport.
A limited copper-dial creation marking 75 years of Ahmed Seddiqi

Dubai, UAE, July 17th 2025  Ahmed Seddiqi, the leading luxury watch and jewellery destination in the region, and Louis Erard have unveiled a special limited-edition timepiece to commemorate the retailers 75th anniversary. Limited to just 75 pieces, the La Petite Seconde 75th Anniversary Seddiqi Edition is based on the Louis Erard Petite Seconde, housed in a 39 mm steel case with the Maison's signature fir tree LE crown. The design draws inspiration from New York Art Deco and Dubais most iconic landmark, the Burj Khalifa, resulting in a distinctive stylistic code: neo-deco, a fusion of historical form and contemporary spirit.

Infused with a sense of nostalgia, the copper-toned dial evokes the warmth and character of vintage photography and cinema, a tribute to moments suspended in time. The dial features a circular satin-finished outer zone, gadroons at the centre, and an azure circular counter at 6 oclock. A satin-finished chapter ring displays Hindi numerals, adding cultural nuance and visual depth. The small seconds counter is reinterpreted with strict minimalism, marked only by a single dot at noon. At the centre, polished anthracite hour and minute hands shaped like the Burj Khalifa, bring architectural precision to the composition and serve as the defining feature of this edition.

La Petite Seconde by Ahmed Seddiqi & Louis Erard  Ahmed Seddiqi & Louis Erard

We are proud to celebrate Ahmed Seddiqis 75th anniversary with the launch of the La Petite Seconde in partnership with Louis Erard. From the copper-colored dial inspired by vintage imagery to the Burj Khalifa-shaped hands that honour our architectural evolution, this timepiece represents more than design; it embodies our 75-year legacy of curating extraordinary watches for the region Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, CEO of Ahmed Seddiqi

Beneath the sapphire caseback lies the Swiss automatic elabore grade Sellita SW261-1 calibre, featuring an open worked rotor adorned with the black lacquered Louis Erard logo. The movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and provides a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. The caseback continues the polished finish of the case and is engraved with Limited Edition 1 of 75. The watch is paired with a grey-grained calf leather strap featuring tone-on-tone stitching, a black calf leather lining, and a polished stainless steel pin buckle. Quick-release spring bars offer ease of interchangeability, completing the piece with a detail that balances form and function.

We are honoured to celebrate Ahmed Seddiqis 75th anniversary with a creation that bridges cultural heritage and contemporary design. This watch is more than a timepiece  its a tribute to a shared journey and values. Together with Ahmed Seddiqi, weve designed something that reflects the spirit of Dubai: a city where tradition meets bold modernity. From the copper tones of nostalgia to the skyline in motion on your wrist, this edition captures time the way stories are told in this region  with depth, pride, and vision. Manuel Emch, CEO of Louis Erard


A Finger Lakes winery that specializes in German-style wines has been named New York states best winery for the second year in a row.

Weis Vineyards, on the east shore of Keuka Lake north of Hammondsport, was named the Winery of the Year for 2025 at the annual New York Wine Classic, the states biggest annual winery competition.

The other top prize, the Governors Cup for the states best wine, went to Rose Hill Vineyards of Long Island for its 2019 Clarity Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winners of the annual competition were announced Thursday by the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.

This year, more than 100 wineries submitted nearly 700 wines, In total, 12 Platinum, 261 Gold, 299 Silver, and 80 Bronze medals were awarded.

The Governors Cup is the competitions top award, recognizing the Best of Show. Winery of the Year goes to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards.

Weis Vineyards was founded by winemaker Han Peter Weis, a native of the Mosel wine regionin Germany. It produced its first vintage in 2016. Weis said he chose the location on Keuka Lake because the climate and soils there reminded him of the Mosel region in western Germany.

These are the wines named the best in each major category for 2025:

Best Sparkling Wine: Right Bank Blanc De Blancs | Milea Family Wines, Hudson Valley

Bets White Wine: 2024 Gruner Veltliner | Weis Vineyards, Finger Lakes

Best Red Wine: 2019 Clarity Cabernet Sauvignon | Rose Hill Vineyards, Long Island

Best Pink Wine: 2024 Dry Rose | Weis Vineyard, Finger Lakes

Best Dessert Wine: 2023 Apres Late Harvest | Billsboro Wiery, Finger Lakes

See the full list of catergory winners and medalists for 2025
A Michigan woman is currently suing a top energy drink company after allegedly discovering a dead mouse inside her drink.

Per USA Today, McKenzie Cain found the rodent carcass inside a Monster Energy drink that she purchased from a bagel restaurant in Grand Rapids, Mich. in April 2024. The lawsuit, which was filed this past September, says she is seeking $25,000 for emotional distress, trauma and physical illness.

The suit continues to note that as Cain began drinking the Monster Energy drink, she realized the can felt heavier than normal. Out of curiosity, Cain opened the can further, and to her horror, found a dead mouse laying in the bottom of the can, it reads.

Cain is accusing Monster Energy of negligence and strict liability for causing her physical harm, as well as breach of implied warranty of merchantability.

However, Monster Energy isnt buying Cains story. A spokesperson for the brand called Cains lawsuit a hoax in a statement to USA Today. The lawsuit is a copycat claim based on a hoax found on the internet. Strict manufacturing processes and technology make it impossible for a mouse to be sealed inside a Monster Energy drink. The lawsuit is frivolous and Monster Energy looks forward to, once again, exposing this hoax.

This lawsuit is familiar territory for Monster Energy.

In 2011, Vitaliy Sulzhik, a Washington state man, filed an almost identical lawsuit against the brand, claiming he found a dead mouse inside a Monster Energy can. Its currently unclear where this lawsuit stands, but at the time, Monster said the lawsuit was frivolous, unfounded, and is nothing more than a shakedown in a news release.

The company added: Common sense would dictate that if a mouse had been introduced into the can at production (a virtually impossible scenario given modern production technologies) which occurred months prior to Mr. Sulzhiks consumption of the product, the mouse would have deteriorated and the product would not have been drinkable from the very first sip.

On Monday, Cains lawsuit was transferred from state to federal court, according to Western District of Michigan records.
Syracuse, N.Y.  DeBorah Preaster stood at South Salina and Water streets Thursday night, her sign facing passing cars as it read Good Trouble.

For Preaster, and for the hundreds gathered behind her, the rally was more than a remembrance  it was a call to action.

They came to honor John Lewis, the late congressman who urged generations to make good trouble in the fight for civil rights, and to push back against what they see as renewed threats to those hard-won freedoms.

Im here to fight for my grandchildren, my children, my elders and for everyone, Preaster said. We need to get into some good trouble, because if we forget the past, were bound to repeat it.

Around 1,000 people packed Clinton Square around 5:30 p.m. in 85-degree heat to yell, drum and cheer in Lewis memory.

Many also denounced President Trumps administration for what organizers called attacks on civil and human rights.

Several speakers took the stage to demand protections for voting rights, call for an end to ICE raids, criticize the recent budget bill passed by Congress and more.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens spoke and said she was there as a public servant, but also as a mother of a son with disabilities and the daughter of an 80-year-old woman who depends on Medicaid to live.

We have to fight with everything we have, Owens said. This is not the time to shrink, this is the time to flex. Expand your voice, expand your vote and expand yourself.

Between speeches, crowds sang and drummed, singing songs such as Lift Every Voice and Sing, often referred to as the Black national anthem.

They also chanted this is what democracy looks like and stand up, fight back.

Dr. Clem Harris, the inaugural director of Africana Studies at Utica University, told the crowd that this is not a time for complacency. This is a time for vigorous action and meaningful change.

Harris spoke of Lewis legacy and the importance of creating good trouble through nonviolent protest and community action.

Judy Jerome of CNY Solidarity said Lewiss legacy lives on every time people show up and speak out.

Its a celebration of his life and legacy, Jerome said. Each person here has a concern for this country. And today, were drawing attention to every one of them.

Staff writer Greta Stuckey covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at gstuckey@syracuse.com.
Jonathan Shorman l Stateline.org (TNS)

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states  representing data on millions of Americans  and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administrations attention on state election activities.

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The departments focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states  and even local authorities  administer elections.

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trumps sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Most letters also ask about each states process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying its unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

They dont make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that theres some other purpose, said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data thats publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but thats not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.

The DOJ didnt respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal governments ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current federal imposition on election administrators.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect, Becker said.

Sweeping Colorado requests

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJs Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to all records related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswolds office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado  its really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained, said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trumps attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year  a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold  Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a political prisoner. Griswold noted the timing.

I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the 26 and 28 elections, Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of States Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the states master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who works for the White House.

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the presidents elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso Countys election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasnt under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didnt return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them, an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, its also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerks office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the countys Dominion machines.

I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, No, were going to follow the law, Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government has been muddied up it seems, Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trumps elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task forces efforts in an advisory role.

I said absolutely I will advise, Guynes said. I said Im frankly glad that theyre finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.

Letters to other states

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2  after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants provided a drivers license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws, Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trumps elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trumps elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.
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Paris, July 17th, 2025  Louis Vuitton is pleased to reveal the selection of the 20 semi-finalists for the second edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.

The Prize established in collaboration with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton aims to celebrate and support the next generation of independent watchmakers across the world. After a successful first edition that showcased exceptionally talented applicants and culminated in the victory of Swiss watchmaker Raul Pages, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize returns to spotlight exceptional talent driven by creativity, innovation, and unique craftsmanship. This commitment to fostering creativity and independence in watchmaking is further exemplified by this initiative, which reaffirms Louis Vuittons dedication to supporting bold, independent voices. Shortlisted from hundreds of candidatures worldwide, these 20 semi-finalists were evaluated by a panel of experts of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.

An important aspect of watchmaking lies with independent creators who transform a singular vision into mechanical artistry. This new generation of watchmakers is remarkable not only for their talent, but above all for daring to create truly original instruments of precision that are also works of art. The bold creations of the semi-finalists for the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize are a testament to this spirit. In their hands, watchmaking becomes an expression of pure creativity, each timepiece a testament to uncompromising craftsmanship and unique vision. Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton Watch Director.

The 20 semi-finalists for the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives are (in alphabetical order, by brand name):

Anton Suhanov - St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock

JN Shapiro - Resurgence

Auffret Paris - Giverny  Blue Train 

David Candaux - DC6 Titanium

Lederer - CIC 39mm Racing Green

Fam Al Hut - Mobius Hazemann & Monnin -

Hazemann & Monnin School Watch

Kallinich Claeys - Einser Central Seconds "Hong Kong Edition"

Fabian Pellet - Essentiel

Kudoke - KUDOKE 5

Behrens - KUNG FU

Quiet Club - Fading Hours

Reuben Schoots - Series Two

Tasaki - Face Of Tasaki "Black Mother Of Pearl"

Daizoh Makihara - Beauties Of Nature

Masa & Co. - SOHKOKU

Mgraver - Ventrallis

Mineroci - RD002

Petermann Bedat - Seconde Morte

Winnerl - The Tremblage Dial

This fall, the Prizes Committee of 65 experts will convene to assess submissions based on five criteria: Design, Creativity and Audacity, Details and Finishes, Complexity and Technical Innovation. The committee members will also vote amongst themselves to select the 5 finalists for the jury.

The five finalists for the Prize, as well as the names of the 5-member Jury for the final round, will be announced on December 15th, 2025.

On March 24th, 2026, the finalists will be in Paris to present their creations to the final jury members who will conduct interviews and ultimately select the winner of this second edition. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives will be announced that evening at a ceremony at La Fondation Louis Vuitton. The Prize includes a grant of 150,000 euros and one year of mentorship tailored to the need of their creative project by experts from La Fabrique du Temps and Louis Vuitton.
guptad42 BHPian



Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 336 Thanked: 985 Times

Re: Tesla Model Y launched in India at 59.89L Quote: volkman10 Originally Posted by > If duties are reduced to 15% under an Indo-US trade deal, there could be a saving of around 20-22 lakhs, with the Tesla Model Y prices coming down to 38-44 lakhs.



Import Duties Drive Up Costs



Tesla's Indian pricing structure reveals the challenge facing the company:



Model Y RWD: 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom), approximately 61.07 lakh on-road

Model Y Long Range RWD: 67.89 lakh (ex-showroom), approximately 69.15 lakh on-road

Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability: Additional 6 lakh

However, the pricing disparity with global markets is stark:



United States: $44,990 (37.8 lakh approximately)

China: 263,500 yuan (31.2 lakh approximately)

Germany: 45,970 euros (46.1 lakh approximately)

India: 59.89 lakh



Import duties account for an estimated 25-30 lakhs of the final price  representing 40-45% of the final bill. India currently imposes 70-100% import duty on completely built-up vehicles, making Tesla one of the most expensive markets globally for the Model Y.

...



How Much Could Model Y Prices Drop?

If Indo-US trade negotiations succeed in reducing India's automotive import duties, Tesla buyers could see substantial savings. Current import duty impact is estimated at 25 lakh per vehicle. If duties are reduced to 15%, there could be a saving of around 20-22 lakhs, with the prices coming down to 38-44 lakhs. Such reductions could bring the Model Y prices, making the model significantly more competitive with existing premium EVs like Mahindra BE6 (priced around Rs 22-27 lakhs).

...



Prices can drop if Tesla allocates a small amount of capacity from the US plants to India, and this is feasible given dropping sales in the US and low volumes in India in the 50-70L price range. But due to the higher costs in the US, the price drop will be hardly half. And that drop means a risk of steep depreciation for early Indian buyers.



Tesla may still do good bookings in the first few months against the Mercs and BMWs due to some pent-up demand, but volumes may drop to a trickle after that. Tesla is notorious for poor maintenance and repair service even in the US, with long delays for parts. The first few stories of Tesla cars stuck in repairs for weeks will also stop potential buyers. The US-India trade agreement will apply to imports from the US, not imports from China. I suspect EU, UK, and Japan will push India and get similar duty rates as the US. But, India will not allow such low import duties for goods made in China. And with Tesla's Thailand car plant cancelled, there is no cheap manufacturing site to import from. So, these 22Lac price drop expectations are unrealistic.Prices can drop if Tesla allocates a small amount of capacity from the US plants to India, and this is feasible given dropping sales in the US and low volumes in India in the 50-70L price range. But due to the higher costs in the US, the price drop will be hardly half. And that drop means a risk of steep depreciation for early Indian buyers.Tesla may still do good bookings in the first few months against the Mercs and BMWs due to some pent-up demand, but volumes may drop to a trickle after that. Tesla is notorious for poor maintenance and repair service even in the US, with long delays for parts. The first few stories of Tesla cars stuck in repairs for weeks will also stop potential buyers.
kvamshi04 BHPian

Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 119 Thanked: 413 Times

Re: Spiti Circuit with In-Laws Day 8  14th June 2025

Kaza  Chicham  Kunzum La  Chandratal  Manali



One road. A thousand emotions.



This was, without a doubt, the most treacherous and unforgettable day of our trip. Having done this stretch back in 2022, I knew exactly what we were signing up forbroken roads, water crossings, altitude, and awe.



We were informed early morning that the GramphuBatalKaza road was shut due to ongoing construction. Word was also trickling in about Chandratals conditiontourists reporting breathlessness, knee-deep water crossings, and growing crowds. But our driver was determined. And so were we.



We left Kaza via Chicham Bridge, one of Asias highest bridges, and stopped briefly to soak in the view and capture some quick photos. From there, the road to Losar was narrow but manageable, with a few patches under BRO repair. We crossed a stream and paused at Losar for a light breakfast, knowing well that this would be our last proper meal until Manali.



The Chicham Bridge









On the way to Losar





No roads after Losar



From Losar, it felt like wed left roads behind. Welcome to no-mans land.

As the road turned to rubble, we climbed toward the legendary Kunzum Pass (Kunzum La)high, cold, and beautiful. We prayed at the Kunzum Devi Temple and stopped at the Kunzum La War Memorial, a moving tribute to 102 brave personnel of the Indian Army and Air Force who lost their lives in the tragic AN-12 crash of 1968. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of life in these mighty mountains.



Fate had something more thrilling in store. At Kunzum La, I bumped into none other than Vijay Parmarthe legendary off-roading guruleading a convoy of adventure bikers and 4x4s under his banner Xplorearth. "The lineup was straight out of an off-roaders dreamHimalayan 450s to BMW R 1250 GS, rugged Thars to the beastly Defender. I stood there drooling, whispering to myself: Maybe one day."





Kunzum Devi Temple



Kunzum Devi Temple



All guns blazing, guys, my wife had to drag me back to the cab :P



From Kunzum, we wrestled through true off-roading territoryno roads, just instincts. We tackled multiple water crossings, including two or three that reached our knees, and hit a bit of a traffic jam en route to Chandratal. After navigating the last stretch, we reached the parking area, and from there began a 40-minute trek to the lake.

Along the way, we passed travellers of all ages, including a heartwarming sightan elderly couple who had camped overnight and were now slowly trekking toward the lake, step by determined step.

And then, we saw itChandratal Lake.A surreal splash of turquoise amidst a barren, stark landscape.It was silent, spiritual, and spectacular.While I was completely spellbound(second visit), my wife and in-lawswho had seen Pangong Tso earlierfound it underwhelming in comparison. But for me, Chandratal was meditative, not dramatic. The kind of place that leaves an imprint deeper than what a camera can capture.





Chandratal Lake



Chandratal Lake trek





Post our descent, we skipped Batal and pushed onward. The real ordeal began now.

Between Batal and Chhatru, snowmelt turned water crossings into small lakes. Our cab waded through some of the wildest flows Ive ever seen. Somewhere near Chhatru, we stopped for chai and snacks, the only comforting pause on this bone-rattling ride.



"The last stretchChhatru to the BRO checkpoint at Koksarwas sheer madness. The road all but disappeared in places, broken into rubble and swallowed by landslides. Water crossings came fast and deep, raging like untamed rivers. Abandoned number plates lay scatteredsilent screams from vehicles that passed through these water crossings. Every crossing felt like a gamble with fate. Every rock that slammed beneath the car sent a shudder straight to the soul."

Finally, we emerged at Koksar, where smooth tarmac greeted us like an old friend. We stopped at Teling for another chai, breathing easier now.





Such a welcome sight!!



At 6:00 PM, we crossed the Atal Tunnel, assuming we were nearly done. But weekend traffic in Manali had other plans.

What followed was 5 hours of bumper-to-bumper chaos from the tunnel to our hotel in Aleo.

"Dekh Manali ki haalat kya ho gayi Bhagwan!"



We eventually reached our hoteldrained, dusty, and delirious. Dinner was quick and silent. Our bodies were aching, but our minds were buzzing.

This was not just a driveit was a rite of passage.

One wed talk about for years to come. This was, without a doubt, the most treacherous and unforgettable day of our trip. Having done this stretch back in 2022, I knew exactly what we were signing up forbroken roads, water crossings, altitude, and awe.We were informed early morning that the GramphuBatalKaza road was shut due to ongoing construction. Word was also trickling in about Chandratals conditiontourists reporting breathlessness, knee-deep water crossings, and growing crowds. But our driver was determined. And so were we.We left Kaza via Chicham Bridge, one of Asias highest bridges, and stopped briefly to soak in the view and capture some quick photos. From there, the road to Losar was narrow but manageable, with a few patches under BRO repair. We crossed a stream and paused at Losar for a light breakfast, knowing well that this would be our last proper meal until Manali.The Chicham BridgeOn the way to LosarNo roads after LosarFrom Losar, it felt like wed left roads behind. Welcome to no-mans land.As the road turned to rubble, we climbed toward the legendary Kunzum Pass (Kunzum La)high, cold, and beautiful. We prayed at the Kunzum Devi Temple and stopped at the Kunzum La War Memorial, a moving tribute to 102 brave personnel of the Indian Army and Air Force who lost their lives in the tragic AN-12 crash of 1968. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of life in these mighty mountains.Fate had something more thrilling in store. At Kunzum La, I bumped into none other than Vijay Parmarthe legendary off-roading guruleading a convoy of adventure bikers and 4x4s under his banner Xplorearth. "The lineup was straight out of an off-roaders dreamHimalayan 450s to BMW R 1250 GS, rugged Thars to the beastly Defender. I stood there drooling, whispering to myself: Maybe one day."Kunzum Devi TempleKunzum Devi TempleAll guns blazing, guys, my wife had to drag me back to the cab :PFrom Kunzum, we wrestled through true off-roading territoryno roads, just instincts. We tackled multiple water crossings, including two or three that reached our knees, and hit a bit of a traffic jam en route to Chandratal. After navigating the last stretch, we reached the parking area, and from there began a 40-minute trek to the lake.Along the way, we passed travellers of all ages, including a heartwarming sightan elderly couple who had camped overnight and were now slowly trekking toward the lake, step by determined step.And then, we saw itChandratal Lake.A surreal splash of turquoise amidst a barren, stark landscape.It was silent, spiritual, and spectacular.While I was completely spellbound(second visit), my wife and in-lawswho had seen Pangong Tso earlierfound it underwhelming in comparison. But for me, Chandratal was meditative, not dramatic. The kind of place that leaves an imprint deeper than what a camera can capture.Chandratal LakeChandratal Lake trekPost our descent, we skipped Batal and pushed onward. The real ordeal began now.Between Batal and Chhatru, snowmelt turned water crossings into small lakes. Our cab waded through some of the wildest flows Ive ever seen. Somewhere near Chhatru, we stopped for chai and snacks, the only comforting pause on this bone-rattling ride."The last stretchChhatru to the BRO checkpoint at Koksarwas sheer madness. The road all but disappeared in places, broken into rubble and swallowed by landslides. Water crossings came fast and deep, raging like untamed rivers. Abandoned number plates lay scatteredsilent screams from vehicles that passed through these water crossings. Every crossing felt like a gamble with fate. Every rock that slammed beneath the car sent a shudder straight to the soul."Finally, we emerged at Koksar, where smooth tarmac greeted us like an old friend. We stopped at Teling for another chai, breathing easier now.Such a welcome sight!!At 6:00 PM, we crossed the Atal Tunnel, assuming we were nearly done. But weekend traffic in Manali had other plans.What followed was 5 hours of bumper-to-bumper chaos from the tunnel to our hotel in Aleo."Dekh Manali ki haalat kya ho gayi Bhagwan!"We eventually reached our hoteldrained, dusty, and delirious. Dinner was quick and silent. Our bodies were aching, but our minds were buzzing.This was not just a driveit was a rite of passage.One wed talk about for years to come.
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

In a nutshell: Road transportation services utilizing autonomous vehicles have yet to earn mainstream acceptance, despite undergoing years of testing in various locations worldwide. However, a new self-driving bus service to Rotterdam The Hague Airport could serve as another landmark for the adoption of the technology.

RET will begin using self-driving buses to transport passengers to Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands early next month. The route serves as a pilot program for the company's ongoing development of autonomous vehicles.

The collaboration between DAM Shuttles, RET, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag, HTM, and the city of Rotterdam won approval from the National Road Administration to operate on public roads following years of testing. The route completed its first successful test run last week.

Self-driving vehicles often struggle in inclement conditions and unpredictable urban environments. However, the Rotterdam service will take a relatively simple route between the airport and Meijersplein metro station.

Since local laws still require a human to be in the driver's seat of a self-driving vehicle, employees will prepare and monitor RET's autonomous driving system during operation. Moreover, director Linda Boot downplayed fears that self-driving buses might eliminate jobs by indicating that the new service addresses a labor shortage and that the company currently fills hundreds of positions per year.

Although most of the conversation surrounding autonomous vehicles has centered on self-driving cars and robotaxi services, which encountered numerous setbacks over the years, manufacturers are also attempting to deploy autonomous buses. Las Vegas became the first US city to allow a self-driving bus to enter public traffic in 2017, and Baidu began operating similar vehicles in China the following year.

The State of Self-Driving Cars: Autonomous Advances

Buses aren't the only large vehicles undergoing automation. Aurora Innovation began launching self-driving freight trucks in Texas in April. Like the Rotterdam bus service, the company chose a relatively safe corridor between Dallas and Houston.

Meanwhile, Tesla launched a robotaxi service in Austin last month. Across the pond, Wayve and Uber recently announced plans for a pilot robotaxi ride-sharing program in London in early 2026; the UK legalized commercial self-driving cars last year.

Similar attempts by Tesla, Cruise, and other companies have faced repeated setbacks over the years, mostly due to malfunctions and safety concerns.
Editor's take: AI agents have unquestionably become a hot topic among the largest tech vendors, as Amazon's recent event in New York City once again demonstrated. However, as awareness of the complexities involved in creating and widely deploying agents has grown, so too has the number of questions about how to make it all work.

At AWS Summit, Amazon's cloud computing division addressed these challenges head-on, unveiling a broad range of offerings that include development and deployment tools for agents, as well as a new marketplace where customers can purchase ready-made agent products. Taken together, these announcements represent a comprehensive vision that AWS hopes will position it as a compelling platform for companies looking to integrate agents into their environments, regardless of their level of IT sophistication.

One of the key offerings AWS introduced was Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, a suite of services for building custom agents that can leverage a wide variety of models and agent-building platforms, including open-source options such as Langchain, CrewAI, and LlamaIndex.

In addition, AWS launched its own open-source agent-building tool called Strands Agents. As AWS Vice President Swami Sivasubramanian noted in his keynote, agents are more than just the latest AI buzzword  they represent a fundamental rethinking of how software applications are built, distributed, and used. That makes tools like Strands Agents critical to the future of software and the platforms it runs on.

Key components of Bedrock AgentCore include a runtime environment for agents that integrates security, reliability, and scalability. One of the major questions surrounding agents is the potential impact  both positive and negative  they can have in a given environment due to their autonomous nature.

To help establish trust, Amazon has integrated a series of guardrails and relies on its more than ten-year-old Lambda serverless architecture to run these agents. Additionally, AgentCore Identity provides identity verification capabilities, allowing integration with popular commercial and open-source authentication platforms such as OAuth. Another key service is AgentCore Observability, which helps organizations track agent performance, review data access, and more.

Data access is another crucial factor in optimizing agent performance. AgentCore Gateway offers tools to connect to various APIs and systems to enable these workflows. Amazon is also supporting the MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent to Agent) standards through Gateway, giving companies greater flexibility in the types of data sources, applications, and services they can connect to.

Another core expectation for agents is the ability to build on prior interactions by using both short-term and long-term memory.

Another core expectation for agents is the ability to build on prior interactions by using both short-term and long-term memory. The AgentCore Memory service simplifies the creation of these often complex memory structures, enabling developers to deliver more compelling and effective agentic experiences. Additionally, Amazon introduced AgentCore Code Interpreter, which allows companies to visualize how agent code processes data and handles more complex interactions.

Beyond agent-building capabilities, AWS announced several tools to assist with the creation and fine-tuning of AI models used in agentic applications. For its Nova family of foundation models, Amazon introduced Nova Act, which supports autonomous actions within browsers. Given the central role that browser-based applications and search play in many workflows, this functionality is likely to be widely used in agentic AI applications.

The AgentCore Browser service provides this capability within the AgentCore platform. Furthermore, because AgentCore supports multiple models across an agentic workflow, organizations can use Nova Act for certain tasks while employing other large language models for more reasoning-focused actions.

For companies working to train or fine-tune their models, AWS made two key announcements.

First, it introduced new capabilities in SageMaker that make it easier for organizations to customize Nova models using their own data sources. Second, Amazon revealed a new storage service called Amazon S3 Vectors, which is optimized for cost-effective storage of large volumes of vector data commonly used in model training and fine-tuning.

These offerings should help enterprises build more customized and effective models. While they can be used independently of any agentic AI efforts, they also fit seamlessly into the broader agent development process.

For organizations that prefer to buy rather than build agents, AWS launched a new Agent Marketplace for commercially available agents. At launch, the marketplace already featured more than 800 offerings, ranging from general-purpose tools to industry-specific and workflow-specific solutions  highlighting just how quickly this market is growing.

For context, an AWS Marketplace executive noted that the company's SaaS Marketplace debuted with only about 50 partners. The goal of this new marketplace is to provide a storefront for software partners and make it easier for enterprises to find solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Taken together, the announcements from AWS Summit reflect a focused effort by the company to position itself at the forefront of emerging tech. As with many major announcements, much of the news arrives before large-scale real-world deployments of agentic AI have begun. But as companies begin experimenting with these technologies, it is critical to provide tools that support those early efforts.

By launching the Agent Marketplace, AWS also offers a low-barrier entry point for companies just beginning to explore the agentic AI space. As with generative AI overall, the agentic AI era is still in its early stages, but as these latest announcements confirm, the pace of development continues to be blistering.

Bob O'Donnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a technology consulting firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community. You can follow him on X @bobodtech
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron found himself at the center of a viral scandal after being caught in an intimate embrace with his company's Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, during a Coldplay concert at Boston's Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night.

The awkward moment was captured on the venue's "kiss cam" and broadcast to 60,000 concertgoers before quickly spreading across social media platforms.

The incident occurred when Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was interacting with the crowd during the band's traditional kiss cam segment. When the camera panned to Byron and Cabot, who were wrapped in each other's arms, both immediately panicked upon realizing they were being broadcast on the massive Jumbotron. Byron, who was embracing Cabot from behind, quickly let go and ducked behind a barrier, while Cabot covered her face with her hands.

Martin, unaware of the controversy he was about to ignite, commented from the stage: "Oh, look at these two... either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." The comment, combined with the pair's embarrassed reactions, immediately sparked speculation about their relationship status among the stadium crowd and later millions of social media users.

The viral TikTok video, originally posted by user @instaagrace, has since garnered over 3 million likes and has been viewed tens of millions of times across various platforms. Internet sleuths quickly identified the two individuals as Byron and Cabot, both senior executives at the New York-based data orchestration company Astronomer.

#chrismartin  original sound - ExtraTV @extra_tv Kiss cam scandal?!  Coldplay accidentally exposes Andy Byron, the married CEO of software development firm Astronomer, looking cozy with his Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot. Neither Byron nor Cabot have publicly responded to the gone-viral moment. (: calebu2/TMX) #coldplay

The scandal has particularly intensified speculation because both executives are reportedly married to other people. Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, an educator who serves as Associate Director of Lower School at Bancroft School, and the couple has two children together. Cabot was previously married to Kenneth Thornby, though they separated in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2022.

Following the viral incident, both Byron and Cabot's social media presence has been dramatically affected. Byron has disabled comments on his LinkedIn profile and reportedly deleted posts where he had previously praised Cabot's hiring. His wife, Megan, has removed his last name from her Facebook profile and subsequently deleted both her Facebook and Instagram accounts entirely.

The incident has generated significant public reaction, with social media users expressing both sympathy for Byron's wife and criticism of the executives' apparent workplace conduct. Former Astronomer employees have also weighed in, with one source telling the New York Post that text chains among ex-employees were "full of laughter and enjoyment over what transpired and his exposure."

Astronomer has not issued any official statement regarding the incident. The company has disabled comments on its LinkedIn and X posts after they were flooded with commentary about the viral moment. Neither Byron nor Cabot has publicly addressed the speculation surrounding their relationship.

Originally published on Enstarz
The tradition of painting the portrait of a British monarch is an exclusive art form that stretches back more than 600 years. But for the first time, the brush was not being wielded by a human, but by Ai-Da, a humanoid robot infused with advanced artificial intelligence (AI).

Ai-Da has created an oil portrait of King Charles III called "Algorithm King," painted without the king sitting for it. It's made possible with the help of the reference photo and, of course, the AI.

Who or What is Ai-Da?

According to Digital Trends, the painting was premiered at the AI for Good Summit organized by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It's an event that is committed to highlighting the ways that artificial intelligence can be utilized for the benefit of humankind.

Ai-Da, the world's first ultra-realistic AI robot artist, was created in 2019 by a joint venture between gallery director Aidan Meller, Engineered Arts, and researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds.

With the help of advanced language processing algorithms, cameras, and a pair of robotic arms, Ai-Da can have natural conversations and draw highly detailed pictures. Though it is not mobile as yet, and needs to be set up in front of a canvas to start working.

How Did Ai-Da Create 'Algorithm King'

For "Algorithm King," Ai-Da employed both image processing and algorithmic choice to analyze different photos of King Charles III. She then painted oil on canvas using her robot arm, creating a portrait which many have dubbed surprisingly human in its rendition.

"It's a privilege to be part of this remarkable event at the United Nations, surrounded by those shaping the future of technology and culture," Ai-Da said in comments via Sky News. "

The robot said that the portrait of the British Monarch is "not just a creative act, but it's also a statement about the evolving role of AI in our society."

The Developing Controversy Over AI and Art

The portrait has generated new debate regarding AI use in creative industries. Opposition claims that AI art undermines the livelihood of traditional artists and habitually employs copyrighted material without permission.

Ai-Da's creators insist that her artwork is not in the same league as generative AI models trained on enormous datasets without express permission. That still leaves open ethical issues like whether the photographers whose photos were used consented or received any payment.

For instance, a Colorado artist faced a legal battle regarding his artwork ownership and copyright. Jason Claim claimed he spent thousands of hours painting "Theatre D'opera Spatial" on Midjourney, yet some people reproduced his artwork without permission.

However, the US Copyright Office did not allow Allen to register the artwork's copyright because the original creator is Midjourney and not him.

For the coming years, AI-made artworks will be harder to identify from human art, as supported by a study from Bowling Green State University in 2023.
Palestinian intellectual Azmi Bishara, in an undated image provided by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS), which he directs in Qatar.

Azmi Bishara was not born in exile  a fate that has defined the lives of millions of Palestinians since the Nakba, the expulsion of much of the native population that was inseparable from the creation of Israel in 1948. This intellectual was born 68 years ago into a Christian family in Nazareth. He holds Israeli citizenship and once served as a member of that countrys parliament. But in 2007, after years of legal proceedings  during which he was accused of supporting terrorism due to his political statements  he joined the Palestinian diaspora.

Since then, he has lived in Qatar, where he heads the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS). Bishara is the author of several influential works on political thought. His latest is Palestine: Matters of Truth and Justice. In that book, he explains via video call from Doha (Qatar), the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is addressed from its roots: an injustice born of a colonial project that still endures.

Question: In your book, you debunk what you call Israels myths. Is one of them the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks?

Answer: Referring the current situation to October 7, 2023 [the day of those attacks] is equivalent to saying that the victim is the aggressor and the aggressor is the victim. I dont agree with what Hamas did, but the victims remain the victims: those who are occupied are the Palestinians. [After those attacks], of course, other states understood that the Israelis would retaliate against Hamas, but what Israel decided was to launch an all-out war against Gaza. Starting a genocide against the Palestinians was a political decision. The allusion to October 7 is propaganda, an effective mechanism that resonates in Europe, not because of the history of Palestine, but because Jews were victims of antisemitism on that continent, and thus countries like Germany are somehow cleansed of their guilt.

Q. This strategy seems to be working.

A. Israel believes it has proven that force can be used and that Arab countries should therefore normalize relations with it, not to build a just peace, but because force and power politics work. It is a country intoxicated by power and militarism. So while it talks about establishing relations with Arab countries or security agreements in Gaza, it doesnt say a word about solving the Palestinian problem, which is the background to all of this. If it had been resolved, Hamas wouldnt have done what it did. That background is one of injustice and colonialism that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and has continued since 1948.

Q. The Israeli government does not seem interested in that solution.

A. One can imagine that democratic Israelis would consider living in a just peace with the Palestinians and the region, which would benefit Israel. But the Israeli government does not view its countrys interests from this perspective.

Q. More than 80% of Jewish Israelis support the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

A. [The Israeli authorities] have revived the ghetto mentality, the feeling of a group of people who feel threatened because they know what theyve done to the Palestinians and cant believe the Palestinians will forgive them. They cant say to themselves, The people whose land we took will forgive us, and they continue to feel threatened, even if we give them every assurance.

Q. Will the Palestinians be able to forgive what is happening in Gaza?

A. After this genocide, the situation has changed, but, in the end, people would be willing to forgive as long as there is a just peace. The Palestinians have become realistic. There are many Jewish Israelis, and most of them were born there and have no other country. That is their country too. They will live with us, and we with them, and the only way to do so is in peace, whether in one state with two nationalities, in one state with equal rights, or in two different states.

Q. You have said that the Arab countries could have stopped Israel.

A. Yes, Egypt  a country Israel does not want to go to war with  could have made that threat without actually going to that point. It could also have broken the blockade and delivered food and medicine to Gaza. It could have taken the risk of Israel bombing its trucks, something the Israeli army would hardly do. The problem is that Egypt wanted the Israelis to get rid of Hamas, but it didnt think it would take that long or that the price would be genocide.

Q. You have said that the Arab states must make Gaza habitable without Israels permission. Will they do so?

A. Not with these regimes, which are not prepared to challenge American hegemony in the era of [Donald] Trump.

Q. Would Arab countries collaborate in the total ethnic cleansing in Gaza?

A. No. Since 2011, the Arab world has been walking a fine line with its public opinion, which is pro-Palestinian, and these regimes fear their peoples reaction. They went through this in 2011 [with the Arab Springs] and are afraid. They wont cooperate with this so-called voluntary immigration, which is actually a forced relocation of Gazans. They will make the Americans understand that it is a danger to the stability of their regimes. If we had democratic Arab countries, there would be an alternative, because a democratic Arab state could pose a real problem. The survival of the Arab regimes depends on U.S. protection, not on elections or democracy.

Q. Is Trump serious about expelling the Gazans?

A. I think he has understood that he was wrong, that without the Palestinians they cant turn Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East, but even if Israel doesnt succeed in expelling them, it is turning the Gaza Strip into a living hell so that the population will have to leave. Gazans wont leave for themselves, but for the future of their children.

Q. Spain is critical of Israel, but it hasnt severed relations with the country. Do you think a European country could risk sparking Trumps wrath over this?

A. No, but Spain is playing a moral role. There is an alternative discourse, but its impact is limited. Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have never truly condemned Israel, nor do they call genocide by its name. On the contrary, they condemn solidarity movements by fallaciously using the term antisemitism. Still, the main problem lies in Washingtons support for Israel.

Q. In your book, you describe how Trump embraced the rhetoric of right-wing religious Zionism.

A. The U.S. has always been allied with Israel, but Trump fully adopted the far-right religious Zionist rhetoric to please the evangelical churches, Christian Zionism. If you read the deal of the century [by which several Arab countries established relations with Israel in 2020], its a biblical text, as if God were a real estate agent for the Zionist movement: God promised this, God promised that. Trump is not a Zionist; he lacks ideology, but this cynical discourse is aimed at his electorate. This position has provoked a reaction among young people in the Democratic Party, who are now more critical of Israel. There is hope for change in the future, but the critical moment is now.

Q. To what extent can the Palestinians continue resisting?

A. In the past two years, resistance has been a matter of self-defense, but with the Arab countries preparing to make peace with Israel, it is unrealistic to think of armed resistance as a way to liberate Palestine. It is not a real political strategy. The negotiation strategy that the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] leaders worked out in Oslo also failed and worsened the situation, with more settlements and apartheid in the West Bank. Perhaps strategies similar to the resistance against apartheid in South Africa could be adopted, but this will require understanding what kind of [Palestinian] political organization will emerge after this genocide.

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This week, all eyes were on Colombia in terms of international diplomacy. The country hosted the first summit of the Hague Group, a bloc of eight countries from the so-called Global South, who looked to reach agreements on diplomatic and economic measures with which to pressure Israel to accept a ceasefire and end its war in Gaza. Despite the fact that delegations from some 30 countries, including Mexico and Spain, were present, the guest that stole the show was Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Italian lawyer, who is not afraid of calling what is happening in Palestine apartheid, was sanctioned last week by the United States, who is accusing her of supporting terrorism and of promoting blatant antisemitism.

Albanese (Ariano Irpino, Italy, 48 years old) says that the steps taken by Donald Trumps administration set an awful precedent. Every state could do the same towards special rapporteurs in order to paralyze their function, she says during an interview with this newspaper at her hotel in downtown Bogota. I am not immune from criticism. But if the United States has something substantive, why dont we sit and discuss?

The retaliatory measures imposed by the U.S. State Department, led by Marco Rubio, range from a ban on entering the United States to the freezing of any assets she may have in the country. The sanctions are going to affect my life, of course. I would not be able to hold a bank account in any circuit that is connected to the United States. I will find one, but still, it might create a chilling effect around me, because it would be problematic for anyone holding American citizenship to engage with me without the risk of facing consequences. Her life, she says, is in danger. I started receiving more serious death threats, and threats against my family, after the publication of my report Anatomy of a Genocide [in July 2024]. Now, the pressure has changed. These are mafia-style intimidation techniques.

Every state which continues to maintain ties with a state that commits war crimes violates its third-state responsibility not to aid and assist a state that is committing this crime

Is she being pressured by the United States to resign? Of course! she responds, vehemently. And, has she considered doing so? I will not resign. Why would I? As long as I have this mandate, I will continue. Im not giving into U.S. pressure at all. Its not that Im doing this because Im attached to the gains of this mandate. Like me, many, many others are putting their life on the line. There are so many civil servants who have been fired and academics and students who have been punished. There are so many who are resisting this barbarism, and I would feel awful if I didnt use the positionality I have to stand with them, she says.

In her most recent report, the rapporteur denounces more than 60 companies from around the world for being complicit with the corporate machinery sustaining Israels settler-colonial project of displacement. I could have written this report years ago, she says. Decades ago, they knew that Israel was violating Palestinian rights. But now, they have even profited from the genocide. Among the companies that are mentioned are U.S. firms BlackRock and Vanguard (investment); Colombias Drummond and Glencore (coal) and the Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (transportation).

To Albanese, companies are not the only ones who bear responsibility  governments are also to blame. Thats why she proposes that all nations cut diplomatic and economic ties with Israel. Those that fail to do so, she says, are violating international law. Every state which continues to maintain ties with a state that commits war crimes violates its third-state responsibility not to aid and assist a state that is committing this crime, she holds.

Her claims face strong resistance, especially from the most powerful parties. Trump has shown almost unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, and the European Union failed to agree this week on sanctions against Israel, despite having confirmed its violations of humanitarian obligations in Gaza.

What is happening in Palestine is creating a sense of mistrust and impotence

Other smaller actors have tried to take action. A dozen countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya and Malaysia, agreed in Bogota on measures such as preventing Israel from being supplied with arms and stopping ships linked to the Israeli military industry from docking in their ports. According to Albanese, these actions are a step in the right direction but are still not enough. Im never satisfied with the political process, because [governments] should be much bolder and daring. But this is the minimum, and we need to start somewhere.

The rapporteurs most recent declarations transmit a sense of urgency to act now for Gaza. Since the war began in October 2023, more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Strip. Are we at a breaking point? We are beyond that. Its like when you are running low on fuel and the red light comes on, says the expert, who warns that we are entering a decisive moment for the course of humanity. My generation grew up thinking that the law is to be respected and that there are institutions enforcing international law. Now we see that the law doesnt count for anything and that political will aligns with financial interest. What is happening in Palestine is creating a sense of mistrust and impotence.

This stance has earned her harsh criticism. One of the most serious accusations came directly from the Trump administration, which claimed that Albanese promotes blatant antisemitism. That hasnt stopped her from making statements against the Israeli government leadership. The apartheid regime will collapse, which doesnt mean the end of Israel. People are scared, but my question to them is, is the only way you claim Israel can exist, an apartheid? No, I think that Israel can exist as a state that respects the rights and freedom of all. It cannot be a state predicated on the suprematism of one group over another, she says.

In contrast to its powerful censure, international agreement on this position is growing. A global campaign supported by tens of thousands of people from all over the world is pushing for the rapporteur to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, a recognition that Trump is determined to achieve. Albanese emphasizes that, Im very touched by how many people are expressing their love, their support, but to them Id say, I dont really need a Nobel Prize. I need to see the end of the genocide.

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Dogs on the trail of South Africa's endangered tortoises



Boland, Afrique du Sud, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



Snout pressed to the ground, a border collie named Delta zigzagged through the shrubs on a private nature reserve near Cape Town, frantically sniffing for critically endangered tortoises.

The dog stopped abruptly in front of a small bush and lay down, signalling a find as Delta's handler moved in to search the surrounding area.

Hidden in the tall grass was a tiny reptile, its shell marked with yellow star-like patterns -- a clear sign it was a geometric tortoise, a species found only at the southern tip of Africa.

"It's an adult female, you can tell by its flat belly," said Esther Matthew, the dog's handler and a conservation officer for South Africa's Endangered Wildlife Trust.

She explained that the organisation uses canines to sniff out the endangered species by "building positive association with the tortoises' odour", throwing Delta a foam frisbee as a reward.

Dogs are five times more effective than humans at this type of search and "also help us find the smaller tortoises which are often overlooked, the hatchlings and the juveniles", Matthew said.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in the number of finds with the dogs."



- Shrinking numbers -



Their help has become crucial in studying and protecting the geometric tortoise, found only in South Africa's Western Cape province and on the verge of extinction.

The species' population was already as low as 1,500 individuals in the wild in the early 1990s, according to biologist Andrew Turner, who works for the conservation authority Cape Nature.

It is now estimated at only several hundred animals with "declines pretty much across the entire remaining range of this species", he told AFP.

On the nature reserve, Delta and Matthew -- helped by colleagues searching the bushes with sticks -- found a dozen of the hardy reptiles.

"We record all the tortoises we can find, all the data, measurements and weight," Delta's handler explained.



- 'Creating corridors' -



With the species' natural habitat shrinking due to agriculture and urban expansion, these surveys have become all the more critical, Turner said.

"There are very few places left in the Western Cape that still support these tortoises. It's really just a couple of nature reserves and pieces of good habitat left on people's private property," he added.

"The remaining patches of vegetation are not really connected to each other anymore. There are farmlands in between, roads, towns and industries so there is limited ability for the tortoises to disperse and rescue other populations."

This fragmentation makes them all the more vulnerable to droughts, predation and fires, which scientists argue have become more frequent and intense thanks to climate change.

Poaching -- of the tortoises and the plants they feed on -- is also a threat, Turner said.

"They are down to such small levels that they actually need as much assistance as they can get," he said.

To save the species, the Endangered Wildlife Trust has looked at building "partnerships" with landowners and communities living in the animals' habitat.

"The biggest thing is... creating corridors where species can work through," explained Zanne Brink, who leads the organisation's dry lands conservation programme.

"Our biggest challenge is to get enough information to prevent critical biodiversity areas from being lost to unsustainable land use."
One billion Africans being harmed by cooking pollution



Paris, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



One billion Africans have to cook on open fires or with fuel that is hazardous to their health and the environment, the International Energy Agency said Friday.

The problem, which its report says can be easily solved, causes as much greenhouse gas emissions every year as the aviation industry.

Two billion people across the world still cook on open fires or with rudimentary stoves fed by wood, charcoal, agricultural waste or manure, the IEA report found.

"It is one of the greatest injustices of our time, especially in Africa,"

IEA head Fatih Birol told AFP, where four out of five households rely on open fires and burning wood.

These fuels pollute the air both indoors and outdoors with fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause multiple respiratory and cardiovascular problems, the report said.

It also adds to the destruction of forests, natural sinks that trap carbon and help fight global warming.

The IEA estimates that 815,000 premature deaths occur each year in Africa alone due to poor indoor air quality, largely resulting from a lack of access to clean cooking methods.

Women and children suffer the most, spending hours each day searching for fuel and keeping the fire going.

This takes time away from paid employment or education, the report said.



- 'Can be easily solved' -



A landmark IEA summit on the issue, held in Paris in May last year raised $2.2 billion in public and private sector commitments, as well as political pledges from 12 African governments.

Since then $470 million has been distributed, with concrete results already being seen, Birol insisted, citing a stove factory under construction in Malawi and an affordable stove programme developed in Uganda and Ivory Coast.

The IEA report assesses the progress made a year after the summit and sets out a roadmap for African countries to be able to use clean cooking methods at low cost before 2040.

Since 2010, nearly 1.5 billion people in Asia and Latin America, particularly in Brazil, India, and Indonesia, have got access to modern cooking stoves and fuels.

But the challenge remains immense in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of people without access to clean cooking methods continues to grow.

"For once and for ever this problem can be solved with an annual investment of $2 billion per year," Birol said.

He stressed that the figure "is about 0.1 percent of global energy investment, which is nothing".

Alternative solutions are well known: electricity from solar panels, renewable gas and especially liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a fossil fuel, which, while not ideal, is preferable than the loss of carbon sinks due to tree felling, Birol said.

The IEA said this would prevent 4.7 million premature deaths in sub-Saharan Africa by 2040 and reduce the continent's greenhouse gas emissions by 540 million tons per year, as much as the equivalent of the annual emissions of the global aviation sector.
Pakistan bans new hotel construction around tourist lakes



Gilgit, Pakistan, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



Pakistan will ban for five years the construction of new hotels around picturesque lakes in the north that attract tens of thousands of tourists each year, a government agency said.

Unregulated construction of hotels and guest houses in Gilgit-Baltistan -- which boasts around 13,000 glaciers, more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions -- has sparked major concerns about environmental degradation.

The natural beauty of the region has made it a top tourist destination, with towering peaks looming over the Old Silk Road, and a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers, and ice-blue lakes.

However, in recent years construction has exploded led by companies from outside the region, straining water and power resources, and increasing waste.

"If we let them construct hotels at such pace, there will be a forest of concrete," Khadim Hussain, a senior official at the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Authority told AFP on Friday.

"People don't visit here to see concrete; people come here to enjoy natural beauty," he added.

Last month, a foreign tourist posted a video on Instagram -- which quickly went viral -- alleging wastewater was being discharged by a hotel into Lake Attabad, which serves as a freshwater source for Hunza.

The next day, authorities fined the hotel more than $5,000.

Asif Sakhi, a political activist and resident of the Hunza Valley, welcomed the ban.

"We have noticed rapid changes in the name of tourism and development," he said, adding hotel construction was "destroying our natural lakes and rivers".

Shah Nawaz, a hotel manager and local resident of the valley, also praised the ban, saying he believes "protecting the environment and natural beauty is everyone's responsibility".
Baby dies after being left in hot car in Belgium



Brussels, Belgium, July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025



A 15-month-old baby has died in Belgium after being left inside a car on a warm summer day, authorities said on Friday.

Prosecutors in the southern city of Namur said they had launched a manslaughter investigation following the incident, which took place on Thursday.

A forensics examination ruled out foul play and concluded the baby died of hyperthermia, or overheating.

"According to the preliminary findings of the investigation, the child was forgotten inside a vehicle," the prosecutor's office said.

Local media alleged that the father forgot to drop the baby off at daycare on his way to work.

The child was left for several hours inside the car at the man's company car park.

Temperatures in Namur reached around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday afternoon.
Miguel Carmona arrived in Ukraine last March and was killed in action on June 10 on the Donetsk front in the east of the country. Carmona was 42 years old and had briefly served as a soldier in the Spanish army during his youth. He volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight the Russian invaders. His is not an unusual case; there are hundreds of foreigners who have followed the same path, and who have also lost their lives. What makes Carmonas story different is that he went to war accompanied by his dog, a Belgian Shepherd named Josy.

The photos Carmona shared showed Josy among soldiers at the barracks, or playing on the bunks used by troops. His 10-year-old son and his dog were what he loved most, according to his comrades in arms: the boys name was inscribed on his helmet. His estranged wife, Eva Alvarez, is demanding the repatriation of Carmonas body and the return of Josy to her. Recovering the dog has become an obsession for her and also for her son, who wants it back because it reminds him of his father.

Miguel Carmona and Josy, in an image from his Instagram account provided by his wife.

The most complicated factor is recovering Carmonas remains. He was killed by an anti-tank grenade thrown at him by a Russian soldier from about 10 meters away. The account of that day, June 8, is provided by one of the soldiers who fought with him until the very end.

Neither this soldier nor any other interviewee for this article has chosen to reveal their identity. The battle in which Carmona died lasted only a few minutes, but was so intense that it left the handful of men who survived traumatized. The Russian infantry reached the position they were defending, and amid bursts of rifle fire, several drones from each side flew overhead, dropping bombs. Finally, before he himself was killed, a Russian soldier threw an anti-tank grenade at the defenders. Carmona died in agony two days later.

The survivors were evacuated over two weeks later, on June 26. Four bodies remained in that trench: two Russians, a Ukrainian, and Carmona. Its impossible to evacuate a corpse or a wounded man who cant move; every step you take to retreat to the second line is like Russian roulette. For every 100 meters we advanced, 15 or 20 grenades from drones fell on us, says one of the survivors.

On June 11, the family received the official report from the 4th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard announcing that Carmona was missing in action (his death cannot be officially confirmed until the remains are recovered). Alvarez, who began the bureaucratic process to return her husband to the northern spanish region of Asturias, along with Josy, explains that she is receiving assistance from the Spanish Embassy in Ukraine.

Josy has been in the house that serves as the rest center for Carmonas platoon in a municipality of Donetsk for over a month. This house was the last place the dog and his owner lived together. In addition to the Spanish Embassy, Alvarez contacted Leslie Wilson, a 75-year-old American volunteer who provides social assistance to Carmonas regiment. Wilsons social media profile shows a person with extensive experience in crisis management following natural disasters.

Miguel Carmona (left) with Leslie Wilson and Colombian soldiers, last May in Ukraine.

Wilson initially established herself as Carmonas representative in Ukraine. The two formed a strong friendship, according to members of the Spanish-speaking unit. Wilson, for her part, is highly regarded by the foreign troops for the psychological support she offers and assistance with tasks such as bureaucracy.

Miguel was like a son to me, Wilson wrote to Alvarez on June 24, very willing to help with the long-term [volunteer] project Ive been working on in Ukraine for three years. I thought Id finally found a manager who could take over when I handed over. Miguel is the greatest loss of my life, Wilson added in an interview with this newspaper.

The American volunteer surprised Alvarez in her messages by assuring her that Carmona would be buried with full honors in Ukraine, specifically in Bucha, north of Kyiv, in the cemetery where President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes foreign dignitaries. Wilson confirms that Carmonas wish was to remain in Ukraine: I pray they dont take him. Miguel had no interest in his family or in returning to Spain.

Miguel always wanted to help and was obsessed with wars where there are good guys and bad guys, says Alvarez. She and Carmona lived separately. They remained friends, but in recent months, according to his wife, the Asturian suffered a downturn that led him to leave for Ukraine. According to Alvarez, this was due to a stormy relationship with his last partner.

Military dog

Wilsons position has cast doubt on the dogs recovery because, according to the military personnel consulted, the American volunteer wants Josy to be transferred to the National Guards canine units. Leslie wants to be faithful to Miguels wishes, because he wanted Josy to be an army dog. We trained him in our free time to learn how to attack and drag a body, explains one of the Spaniards comrades. He told us not to play with him, that he had to be an army dog, but hes too nice and affectionate, I dont think hed be good for that. Josy is only one year old.

Josys situation is complicated, Wilson wrote to Alvarez. He is now a properly trained military dog, not suited for a family environment [] He has received excellent care and training, which is what he was trained for; this is not what you want to expose your son or other children to, she added.

The American volunteer emphasizes that she will do everything possible to ensure the dog doesnt return to Spain. Im worried about a military dog returning to civilian life; its not the same animal they knew. Wilson assures that other soldiers in Carmonas unit feel the same way.

Josy, with an anti-tank mine in Donetsk.

Dear Josy, I promise I wont stop until youre here, with us, making my son happy, Alvarez posted on social media. Carmonas wife has clung to the hope that the Spanish consulate will recover their pet. The family, who is willing to cover the repatriation costs, is also planning to travel to Ukraine or Poland to pick him up.

Sources from Carmonas regiment confirm that the Spanish consular service had planned to take the dog to Kyiv on July 11. A spokesperson for the 4th Brigade admitted on July 9 that he was unaware of the matter and stated that responsibility for the dog and its possible return lies with the platoon commander where it is being kept. This officer confirmed on July 10 that Josy was still with his unit, but neither he nor Spanish diplomatic sources would confirm whether Embassy staff ultimately collected the dog a day later.

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Whether its the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho, the head-in-a-box payoff at the end of Se7en or even Charlotte being outed as a fake Welsh person on The Traitors, some of our most memorable screen experiences have involved devastating plot twists.

The perfect bait and switch, however, is hard to pull off. Poorly executed, it can ruin an otherwise thoroughly OK-ish movie.

From Tim Burtons ill-fated Planet of the Apes remake to Will Smiths wobbly superhero thriller Hancock, cinema has seen its fair share of terrible twists down the years.

Even M Night Shyamalan, Hollywoods de facto master of the plot twist ever since 1999s The Sixth Sense, has been known to indulge some terrible left-field twistery  as this list will show.

Read on for The Independents ranking of the 12 worst plot twists in cinema...

12. Now You See Me (2013)

This Oceans Eleven-style heist flick featured a Rat Pack-esque quartet of magicians  led by Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson  using a box of tricks to dazzle and hoodwink all around them. But then came the terrible rabbit from the hat, as it was explained that Mark Ruffalos doltish FBI agent, Dylan Rhodes, had been the one orchestrating the teams daring crimes all along. It was a cheap stunt that the film had in no way foreshadowed  less a feat of conjuring than a clumsy handbrake turn.

open image in gallery A new Ruffa-low: Avengers star Mark in Now You See Me ( Lionsgate )

11. Planet of the Apes (2001)

There was a lot wrong with Burtons remake of the 1968 science fiction classic (Helena Bonham Carters chimpanzee prosthetics for starters). But the final insult came at the end, as Mark Wahlberg is beamed back to the present day only to discover that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, is carved in the likeness of ape ruler General Thade (Tim Roth). Although the twist is never previously hinted at, it appears that Thade utilised the same technology that projected Wahlbergs character into the far future to travel back in time and alter the course of history. It was a lame shock that threw logic out the window  and fell far short of the genuine horror of the Statue of Liberty reveal at the conclusion of the original.

10. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Ben Kingsley and the Marvel universe seemed made for one another when it was announced that the Oscar-winning character actor would play Tony Starks archenemy, the Mandarin. Yes, Marvel would have to acknowledge the racial stereotyping and anti-Asian sentiment that had been an unfortunate component of the Mandarin in its comic-book version. But surely the studio could devise a clever way of doing that while allowing Kingsley to fully display his dramatic powers? Sadly, it did not. The twist was that the Mandarin was in fact unemployed Liverpool actor Trevor Slattery  an excuse for Kingsley to roll out his scouse accent and one last letdown in an already underwhelming film.

open image in gallery Manda-rinsed: Ben Kingsley in Iron Man 3 ( Marvel Studios )

9. The Village (2004)

Like a one-hit wonder desperate to get back on Top of the Pops, Shyamalan spent a stretch of his career trying and failing to live up to the mind-bending rug pull at the end of The Sixth Sense. One of his more notorious attempts was The Village, where a remote community of Amish-like farmers lives in terror of monsters who come at night. How horrifying. Until it is revealed that the village exists in the present day. The monsters are just the town elders dressing up to keep the young folk, such as Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard, in line.

8. Identity (2003)

John Cusacks career was already in decline when he starred in James Mangolds faux-Hitchcock whodunnit. However, there was no coming back from the twist at the end of Identity, where we learned that all the main protagonists  including Cusack  were the different personalities of a man with dissociative identity disorder. Sillier yet, the seemingly innocent child character, Timmy, was in fact a homicidal maniac orchestrating a string of murders, so that his personality would win out.

7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

The best thing about this undercooked Harry Potter spin-off was Colin Farrell as a deliciously wicked villain, Percival Graves. What fun it would be to follow him through future entries in the franchise. But then came the unfortunate transformation of his character into dreary wizard Grindelwald  played by a wildly disinterested (and, in the latest sequel, eventually re-cast) Johnny Depp.

open image in gallery Plumbing the Depp: The Pirates of the Caribbean star features at the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ( Warner Bros )

6. Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

Like a hellish version of Father Ted, this misty-eyed Oirish comedy had plumbed the depths long before the final denouement. However, an atrocious film somehow became worse as audiences learned that the source of shy love interest Anthony Reillys woes was... that he was convinced he was a honeybee. Having starred in the 50 Shades trilogy, Jamie Dornan knew all about keeping a straight face in challenging circumstances. But not even he could sell the tale of a humble farmer who believed he was actually a diminutive winged insect.

5. The Tourist (2010)

By the end of the Paris and Italy-set thriller The Tourist, it was painfully clear Angelina Jolie and Depp had less spark than a wet box of matches. But the chemistry-deficient road movie was revealed to have an extra level of ridiculousness as we learned that Depps character was, in fact, Jolies lover and the on-the-run criminal with whom she has been communicating via hand-written notes. Its just that  owing to extensive plastic surgery  she hadnt recognised him.

4. Lucy (2014)

Scarlett Johansson was at the peak of her action heroine powers when Luc Besson cast her as a telekinetic secret agent immune to pain. She handled the action scenes fantastically  but not even prime ScarJo could sell the final swerve in the storyline as her character ascends to a higher state of consciousness (by using 100 per cent of her brain capacity) and then downloads her personality to a flash drive. From molten screen presence to firestick, it was an anti-climax that hit like a roundhouse to the solar plexus.

3. Hancock (2008)

Until the halfway point, Peter Bergs revisionist superhero film functioned as a playful showcase for Smith. He had fun getting jiggy with it as a misunderstood crime fighter who could fly faster than Superman and punch harder than Batman. But then the script flipped alarmingly as it was revealed Smiths character, John Hancock, was an ancient alien of godlike strength, and that Charlize Therons Mary  married to Jason Bateman, who played Hancocks PR advisor  was his immortal and all-powerful love interest. The twist wasnt daring so much as deranged, and the film never recovered.

open image in gallery Super-zero: Will Smith in the unremarkable Hancock ( Columbia Pictures )

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The already unseemly dead horse-flogging that was the Disney Star Wars trilogy somehow outdid itself in the final instalment with the big reveal that Daisy Ridleys Force-wielding protagonist Rey was the granddaughter of the still-living Emperor Palpatine. This is despite the fact that Palpatine was a) not a noted family man and b) had definitively and without question died in Return of the Jedi when Darth Vader chucked him down a reactor shaft. Somehow, Palpatine returned is the explanation offered by Oscar Isaacs character. OK, then.

1. Serenity (2019)

Remember when terrible television tried to salvage unsuccessful plot lines by revealing it was all a dream? This dire thriller from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight raised the ante by putting Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway in a maritime caper that turned out to bea video game. It was the worst thing Knight has ever done, which is saying a lot if you suffered through later seasons of Peaky Blinders or his grimdark take on A Christmas Carol.

Still, Knight was unapologetic, claiming he had consciously set out to push filmmaking boundaries  and fully anticipated the flak that came his way. Whenever you do that, whenever you do something different, you divide the audience, he said. Ive had terrible reviews and Ive also had fab reviews from people who I respect and admire, so its a bit of both.
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Award-winning lyricist Alan Bergman, who, with his wife, Marilyn, penned several timeless classic Barbra Streisand-film themes such as The Way We Were and Papa, Can You Hear Me? has died at the age of 99.

Bergman died late Thursday at his Los Angeles home with daughter Julie Bergman by his side, family spokesperson Ken Sunshine confirmed Friday. Bergman suffered from respiratory issues in recent months, but continued to write songs till the very end, Sunshine said in a statement.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1925, Bergman studied Music and Dramatic Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his time at the school, he was drafted and served as an infantryman in World War II. Upon his return home, he resumed his education, earning his degree in 1948.

He later moved to California to attend UCLA for a masters in music. While living in the Golden State, he crossed paths with Marilyn while they were both collaborating with songwriter Lew Spence. The two got married in 1958 and remained together until her death in 2022.

Throughout their decades-long and devoted marriage, the pair consistently worked together, creating songs that earned them three Oscars, two Grammys, and four Emmys.

open image in gallery Alan and Marilyn Bergman were both partners in marriage and music ( AP2008 )

With collaborators ranging from Marvin Hamlisch and Quincy Jones to Michel Legrand and Cy Coleman, they were among the most successful and prolific partnerships of their time, providing words and occasional music for hundreds of songs, including movie themes that became as famous as the films themselves.

Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Tony Bennett and many other artists performed their material, and Streisand became a frequent collaborator and close friend.

Paying tribute to Bergman in an Instagram post, the Funny Girl legend praised him for not only being a prolific lyricist, and incredible husband, father and grandfather, he was family to me  a father figure.

We met over 60 years ago, and we never stopped loving each other and collaborating together, Streisand recalled. My last conversation with him was about a wonderful song he was working on. At 99 his creative gifts still flowed. I like to think hes again in Marilyns warm embrace and Im sure they have started collaborating again on another song! I will miss them both.

Alongside her message, she included a photograph of the two of them embracing.

Bergman is survived by daughter Julie and a granddaughter.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press
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Organisers of the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium are racing to rebuild the events main stage after it was destroyed in a fire earlier this week.

Overnight, trucks, cranes and workers arrived to reconstruct the colossal edifice, which measures 70 metres wide and 8 metres tall. Organisers said the event in Boom, Belgium, would go ahead two hours later than planned with or without a new main stage. If a new stage is not finished in time, the festival will open to a reduced capacity on Friday and open fully on Saturday.

Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told a press conference that the campsite at DreamVille and festival grounds would operate separately, with main stage artists to perform at the Gathering Stage on the campsite instead, but this means campers will not be able to access the rest of the events grounds.

The festival was originally scheduled to unlock its gates at 12pm today (18 July) and continue into the late night on Sunday, with more than 400,000 people expected to attend over the three-day electronic music event.

Tomorrowland bosses reiterated that safety was their top priority, but that the event would not be halted and would continue its full operations by Saturday.

Some of the world's most popular DJs are due to appear on the stage over the weekend, including Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Fisher, Swedish House Mafia and Steve Aoki.

open image in gallery The festivals main stage was destroyed in a fire whose cause is yet unknown ( Belga/AFP via Getty Images )

Images shared on local news sites and social media showed flames and plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday (16 July). Fireworks apparently ready for performances were also seen exploding into the air. Nearby residents were urged to close all windows and doors until the fire was contained. No members of the public were present at the time of the blaze, but 1,000 employees were on site.

One staff member described an apocalyptic scene after the fire engulfed the stage.

open image in gallery Fireworks burst and smoke rises as a fire engulfs the main stage of Tomorrowland, an electronic music event, in Boom, Belgium ( Morgan Hermans via Reuters )

At least three-quarters of the stage, dubbed the Orbyz Mainstage, is believed to have been damaged. A statement from Tomorrowland called the structure a creation from pure passion, imagination, and dedication, adding: This wasn't just a stage. It was a living, breathing world.

Dozens of emergency teams were seen rushing through the festival grounds just after 6pm on the day of the blaze in an attempt to extinguish the flames and evacuate those inside the grounds. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.
A week after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Brazil to 50%, the atmosphere remains heated, and may even be rising. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is alternating statesmanlike assertions with more fiery speeches defending national sovereignty, while Trump increases the pressure via social media. On Thursday night, the two, who have never even held a telephone conversation, clashed: Lula with a recorded message to the nation; Trump with a letter addressed to former president Jair Bolsonaro published on Truth, his social media platform.

In the letter, Trump reinforces the idea that the tariff hike against Brazil is motivated by politics rather than economics, and makes no secret of his interference in Brazils internal affairs. I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This trial should end immediately! reads the letter to the far-right leader and signed by Trump. The message comes two days after the Brazilian Prosecutors Office requested a prison sentence for Bolsonaro and his closest associates for organizing a coup against Lula. Bolsonaro is facing up to 43 years in prison.

Trump raised the tone by expressing concern about the attacks on free speech  both in Brazil and in the United States  coming out of the current government and expressing his disapproval through the tariff policy. It is my sincere hope that the Government of Brazil changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime. I will be watching closely, the Republicans letter concludes, in a renewed warning.

Lula, for his part, gave a recorded speech before the publication of Trumps letter in which, in a solemn tone and without directly mentioning the U.S. president, he emphasized that attempting to interfere with Brazilian justice is a serious attack on Brazils sovereignty. Lula recalled that, before that, Brazil had negotiated with the U.S. for months: We were waiting for a response, and what came instead was unacceptable blackmail, in the form of threats to Brazilian institutions, and with false information about trade between Brazil and the United States. Hours earlier, at an event with thousands of students, Lula, somewhat more inflamed, once again boasted with a patriotic speech: A gringo will not give orders to this president! he proclaimed.

Trumps latest attack is the final twist in the U.S. administrations pressure strategy toward Brazil. The penultimate chapter came this week, when the Department of Commerce announced it would investigate Brazil for unfair practices, citing deforestation, attempts to regulate big tech, electronic payment methods like Pix (created by the Central Bank and extremely popular in Brazil), and even piracy in a street in downtown Sao Paulo, something that provoked disbelief among the political class.

Lula countered with data on the decline in deforestation rates and insisted that social media, like all other companies, must be subject to Brazilian law and stop spreading disinformation and hate speech. As he has done in all his public statements on the issue, he affirmed that Brazil will use all legal instruments to defend itself, including the Economic Reciprocity Law, which could increase tariffs on products from the United States if Trump ultimately carries out his threat.

While the speeches and letters continue, the Brazilian government meets daily with representatives of the sectors that could be most affected if Trumps tariff threat goes into effect on August 1, and has achieved a unity not seen in a long time. In the sea of uncertainty that has become the relationship between the United States and Brazil, the only certainty is that each threat from Trump further isolates Bolsonaro and strengthens Lula.

Polls are already detecting an improvement in the presidents ratings, who until four days ago was experiencing the worst popularity crisis of his term. A Quaest survey released this Thursday indicates that Lula would defeat any of the possible right-wing candidates in 2026, and his lead has widened significantly compared to June.

Lula knows he has a golden opportunity to unite the country against the Bolsonaro clan. In his televised address, he stated that his outrage is even greater knowing that the attack on Brazil has the support of some Brazilian politicians: They are the true traitors to the country; they believe the worse, the better, they dont care about the countrys economy or the damage caused to our people, he added. One of the former presidents sons, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been living in the United States for months, lobbying Trump to come to his fathers defense.

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CBS cancelation of its long-running The Late Show franchise, hosted by Stephen Colbert for the last decade, has left not only the public heartbroken and outraged, but Hollywood as well.

Colbert, 61, whos fronted the talk show since taking over from David Letterman in 2015, shared the networks decision during Thursdays broadcast.

Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May, the comedian announced, causing the studio audience to boo loudly.  Yeah, I share your feelings. Its not just the end of our show, but its the end of The Late Show on CBS. Im not being replaced. This is just all going away.

The network has since confirmed the news, describing Colbert as irreplaceable and insisting the move was a financial decision and not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

Still, celebrities and high-profile figures, including Severance star Adam Scott and producer/director Ben Stiller, as well as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have lashed out at the decision, with the former calling it absolute bulls***.

open image in gallery Stephen Colbert's (middle) late-night show on CBS has been canceled ( Getty )

Love you Stephen. This is absolute bulls***, and I for one am looking forward to the next 10 months of this show, Scott commented on Instagram.

Sorry to hear @CBS is canceling one of the best shows they have, Stiller wrote on X. Wishing all the people who work so hard on that show all the best @colbertlateshow.

Meanwhile, Democratic politician Warren, a frequent Colbert guest, questioned CBS motives, demanding that America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery, she suggested on X, alongside a clip from Colberts show in which he denounced Paramounts settlement.

As someone whos always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended. And I dont know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company, the host said in an earlier segment, quipping, but just taking a stab at it, Id say $16 million would help.

open image in gallery Elizabeth Warren questioned CBS's motives behind the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show ( SenWarren/X )

Fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel came to Colberts defense, writing in an Instagram Story: Love you, Stephen. F*** you and all your Sheldons, CBS. His words appear to be a nod towards the CBS show The Big Bang Theory, which has spawned several spin-offs, including Young Sheldon and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. Another spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, was announced earlier this month.

I am so upset about this. I need more information. We love you, Katie Couric commented on Instagram, while Snow White star Rachel Zegler agreed: I am extremely sad. I adore you, Stephen.

The greatest to ever do it, Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste added. He additionally shared a clip of Colberts monologue to his Instagram Story, alongside a goat and broken heart emoji.

My admiration and appreciation for you is bottomless. Excited to see what other brilliance you put into the world, said The 40-Year-Old Virgin director Judd Apatow. In a separate post shared from his Instagram account, the prominent director shared a photo from the time he was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

I so admire your endless comedic brilliance and generosity of spirit. Thank you! Apatow said. I will miss the show but am excited to see what magic you will create now that you are set free.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air one final season before officially coming to an end in May 2026.
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The BBC has confirmed that season five of Mrs Browns Boys will soon be released  and not everybody is happy about it.

Over the years, the Irish sitcom has variously been called old-fashioned, lazy and vulgar, so it was always inevitable that its return would provoke a strong reaction.

The cast, led by actor and comedian Brendan OCarroll as the eponymous Mrs Brown, alongside his real-life family members, will be back on TV next month, with the first episode slated to air on BBC One on Friday 1 August at 9.30pm.

All four episodes of the new series will also drop on BBC iplayer at the same time, so viewers can binge the entire series if they fancy.

Its the first new regular season since 2023, though the show has aired a Christmas special every year since 2011.

Although Mrs Browns Boys won a National Television Award for Comedy in 2024, its audience numbers have steadily been dwindling over the past decade.

open image in gallery Mrs Browns Boys has aired annual Christmas specials since 2011 ( BBC/Greame Hunter )

The 2024 Christmas Day special saw plummeting ratings, with only 2.2 million people tuning in, compared to the Gavin and Stacey Finale attracting 12.3 million viewers, while Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl garnered 9.5 million.

The Independents Nick Hilton called last years special tedious, unfunny, small-minded in a scathing one-star review.

Back in 2013, the show pulled in 11.52 million nationwide viewers for its Christmas special, but the last time it featured in the top 10 rated shows on Christmas Day was in 2020, when it attracted 3.8 million viewers.

open image in gallery Viewer numbers for Mrs Browns Boys have dwindled over the past decade ( BBC Studios / Elaine Livingston )

It has proved controversial, attracting ire from critics and viewers alike. In October 2024, it was reported that filming for the shows 2024 festive special was paused after OCarroll made a clumsy joke where a racial term was implied during rehearsals. The actor later apologised for causing offence.

Some Mrs Browns Boys denigrators have shared their less-than-enthused response to the news of a fifth season on social media.

God. Arent we suffering enough, wrote one commenter on Twitter/X post under a post announcing the news. Literally no one asked for this, tweeted another. The BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch.

Meanwhile, a third detractor quipped: Warning: If you receive a tweet with a link to a clip from Mrs Browns Boys new series, DO NOT OPEN. Its a link to a clip from Mrs Browns Boys new series.
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Netflix has announced revenue of $11 billion for the second quarter of 2025, exceeding Wall Street projections.

Those record-breaking earnings equated to $3.1 billion in net profit.

In the same period last year, the streaming giant brought in $9.6 billion for a net profit of $2.15 billion. Media Play News attributed the 16% year-on-year income jump and 47% increase in profits to an undisclosed increase in subscribers around the world, higher subscription pricing and increases in ad revenue.

On social media, some users praised the companys business strategy with one writing: The password sharing crackdown is clearly working. Remember when everyone thought it would backfire? Netflix played the long game perfectly.

However, others complained that despite Netflixs increasing revenue the quality of their product is declining. One user opined: More [people] sitting at home doing nothing than ever. Most Netflix shows recently have been garbage.

Another added: People will watch anything.

Netflix announced record revenue and profits in the second quarter of 2025 ( Getty Images )

Shortly after releasing the second quarter results, Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos confirmed with analysts that Argentinian sci-fi show The Eternaut had become the first show to use AI on the platform.

We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper, said the 60-year-old.

According to Sarandos, the Spanish language series, which follows the survivors of a lethal snowfall that decimates the population, used AI to depict a building collapsing in Buenos Aires.

He added: That sequence actually is the very first AI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film. So the creators were thrilled with the result.

Praising the work of the visual effects team, he added: Using AI-powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed and, in fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows.

Sarandos also championed the fact that AI allowed the show, which has a small budget, to have convincing effects that otherwise wouldnt have been feasible for a project that size.

The executive also moved to dispel any fears about AI replacing anyones role in the film and TV industry, claiming that those using the tools have seen the benefits in production through pre-visualisation and shot planning work, and certainly visual effects.

The use of AI in film and television is a hot topic, with the likes of Robert Downey Jr and James Gunn firmly speaking out against the technology while James Cameron and Ben Affleck have embraced it.
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Donald Trump has weighed in on CBS axing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert while taking aim at several other late-night hosts.

It was announced yesterday that CBS will bring The Late Show to an end in May. The network described the cancellation of the 32-year-old late-night talk show as a financial decision.

However, multiple CBS staffers have told The Independent they believe it to be a continuation of the Trump shakedown that began with parent company Paramounts settlement of the 60 Minutes lawsuit.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.

He continued: I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.

Donald Trump has gloated over the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' by CBS ( Getty )

NBCs Tonight Show has for more than a decade been hosted by former Saturday Night Live comedian Jimmy Fallon. Kimmel hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, while Gutfeld! airs on Fox News.

While CBS bosses said in a statement that the end of The Late Show after 32 years was purely due to late-night television becoming unprofitable because of dwindling ad revenues and high production costs, the decision comes at the same time as Paramounts pending $8.4bn merger with Skydance, the media and film production giant, which requires approval from the Trump administration.

In May, Colbert used the show to heavily criticize the network over concerns that they could be breaking anti-bribery laws by settling a meritless lawsuit with Trump in order to get his administrations approval for the merger.

While I was on vacation, my parent corporation, Paramount, paid Donald Trump a $16m settlement over his 60 Minutes lawsuit, Colbert said after returning from a multi-week break.

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As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended. And I dont know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company, but just taking a stab at it, Id say $16m would help, he quipped, adding that the technical name in legal circles for the settlement is a big, fat bribe.

A week earlier, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart had also attacked the deal. Stewart works for Comedy Central, which is also owned by Paramount. Colbert made his name on The Daily Show before landing the Late Show gig, and the two comics have been the most visible internal critics of the $16m settlement that was announced on July 1.

In a recent Daily Show episode, Stewart joked: So the implication is you don't get your $8bn merger... unless you give me a tremendous amount of money.... I'm obviously not a lawyer, but I did watch Goodfellas  that sounds illegal.

The Late Show was previously hosted by David Letterman from 1993 to 2015. Colbert has hosted since September 2015. The show is recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattans Theater District in the heart of New York City.
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One of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding guests, Sara Foster, is clearing up some rumors about the luxurious nuptials.

The longtime couple officially tied the knot at a star-studded wedding in Venice, Italy, last month. Leading up to the event  which was heavily protested by Italian locals due to overtourism in the floating city  there were many rumors about wedding guest requirements.

At the time, CNN reported that one attendee said they had to sign a Non-Disclosure agreement (NDA) before the nuptials.

Now, actor and TV host Sara Foster has cleared that speculation up, after her sister Erin Foster asked if she actually signed an NDA.

Absolutely not, Sara responded during Thursdays episode of her and Erins podcast, The Worlds First Podcast. No one signed NDAs.

A guest at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchezs wedding, Sara Foster, denied rumor she signed an NDA before the event ( AFP via Getty Images )

Erin went on to tease her sister for protecting Bezos and Sanchez, asking why she wouldnt share any information about the wedding.

Theres nothing, Sara said. It's so interesting how the optics were this over the top, you know, protesters. It's just not what it was. It actually felt very intimate.

She added that she never imagined that going to a friends wedding would lead to her receiving so much attention. However, Erin corrected her and said she didnt just go to a friends wedding, she went to billionaire Jeff Bezos wedding.

Sara then hit back at some of the criticism she received for going to the Amazon founders nuptials, which included 200 guests.

Heres the problem, Sara added. You can't say anything anymore without being attacked. I swear to God, it never occurred to me once that anybody would take issue with people attending a wedding. Truly. It really didn't. It didn't.

Sara also revealed that there were definitely a lot of people that were not photographed at the wedding. When Erin asked her to name the unpictured celebrities, Sara wouldnt say.

I can't, she said. That's like so lame. I'm not going to do that. Its very interesting how many people went unphotographed.

On Instagram last month, Sara shared several photos from her trip to Italy, including ones of the Monique Lhuillier dresses she wore to the wedding festivities.

Many people went to the comments of the post to criticize Sara, saying they were disappointed by the fact that she was supporting Bezos and his now wife.

The criticism also came after Venice locals protested the presence of the American couple and their wealthy friends, amid the swell of overtourism in the city. At the time, demonstrators took to the Rialto bridge  one of Venices most famous landmarks  and hung up a giant banner reading No Space for Bezos, a nod to Bezos space exploration company, Blue Origin.

Bezos and Sanchezs wedding took place over three days of festivities. Celebrity guests included Tom Brady, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Bill Gates, Gayle King, and the Kardashian-Jenner clan: Kris Jenner and four of her children, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. However, Kriss eldest daughter, Kourtney Kardashian, was noticeably absent from the family affair.

The nuptials are expected to have cost between $46 and $55 million, which is unlikely to make a dent in Bezoss $231 billion net worth. Close-up photos at the wedding also revealed two enormous diamond rings on Sanchezs right and left ring fingers  the larger of which had an estimated value of $4 million.
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At the beginning of 2025, panic about fraud and human trafficking erupted on Chinese social media.

It started when a Chinese actor called Wang Xing was tricked into travelling to Thailand for an audition, where he was abducted by criminals and taken to a scam centre in Myanmar.

Wang was reported missing and, within three days, the Thai police had located and returned him to Thailand.

Details of the operation were not revealed, leading to speculation that withholding more information was part of a deal that led to Wangs release.

Inside the compound, Wangs head was shaved and he told the police he was forced to undergo the first phase of training on how to carry out scams.

open image in gallery Chinese actor Wang Xing, right, talks with Thai police officers in Mae Sot district, in Thai-Myanmar border ( AP )

One such scam is known as pig butchering. This type of scam began attracting attention in China around 2019, and is typically carried out by Chinese organised crime groups. Scammers establish fake romantic and trusting relationships with victims before luring them into fraudulent investments or other financial traps.

Pig-butchering scammers have stolen billions of dollars from victims worldwide. In one notable example from 2023, a banker from Kansas in the US called Shan Hanes embezzled US$47 million (34.6 million) from his bank to cover his losses after falling victim to a pig butchering scam. Hanes was subsequently sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. So, what do we know about how pig butchering scams work?

A pig butchering scam consists of three stages: hunting, raising and killing. These stages correspond to scammers finding victims online, talking with them to build trust and then getting them to invest large amounts of money in fraudulent schemes.

There are some similarities between a pig butchering scam and a traditional romance scam. Scammers may, as in a traditional scam, approach their victims by posing as a possible romantic partner on a dating app or a friend on social media.

But the key difference lies in how the scam is executed. In a traditional romance scam, trust is based on the victims desire to maintain a romantic relationship with the scammer. Because of this, traditional romance scams can sometimes last for years.

Pig butchering scams, in comparison, generally take place over a shorter time frame. Rather than focusing on extracting money solely through emotional manipulation, they lean heavily on the victims desire to make money together with the scammer. They often involve just a few months of talking with the victim.

open image in gallery Often pig butchering scams take place over a shorter period than a romantic scam - but both see the victim part with their money ( Getty Images/iStockphoto )

The scammers present themselves as financially successful and confident people with broad networks and attractive investment opportunities. Once a victim makes a small initial investment, scammers rapidly escalate the process and push them into making much larger financial commitments.

In one example from 2024, a woman in the US state of Connecticut called Jacqueline Crenshaw met a man on an online dating site. He was posing as a widower with two children and frequently spoke with Crenshaw over the phone. Within two months, they began discussing investing in cryptocurrency.

Crenshaw sent him US$40,000 (29,500) initially and received screenshots from him showing supposedly huge profits from the cryptocurrency investment. The scammer soon encouraged Crenshaw to invest much more, which ultimately led to her losing nearly US$1 million (738,000).

Organised crime groups

Pig butchering scams are typically run by highly organised criminal groups. These groups have management teams, provide training to new recruits and often hire people as models who occasionally interact with victims.

The Chinese government has taken several steps to combat fraud in recent years. It enacted the Anti-Telecom Fraud Law in 2022, which was designed specifically to prevent and punish the use of telecommunications and internet technologies to defraud individuals and organisations. It was introduced in response to the growing prevalence of pig butchering scams in China.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has also developed a mobile application called the National Anti-Fraud Center App. The app allows the public to report scams and access real-time risk alerts related to fraud. Alongside the work of other government departments, it has helped intercept 4.7 billion scam calls and 3.4 billion fraudulent text messages since the beginning of 2024.

The crackdown on fraud within China has made it more difficult for criminal groups to operate domestically, prompting many to relocate their bases abroad. South-east Asian countries  particularly Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar  have become a preferred destination for such groups.

Regions of northern Myanmar, such as Kokang and Wa State, have become breeding grounds for organised fraud over the past few years. Chinese is widely spoken in both of these areas and local customs closely resemble those in China.

This has been exacerbated by persistent corruption in border areas, poor governance and instability. The collapse of the illegal online gambling industry in south-east Asia following the pandemic has also led crime groups to search for new sources of revenue. These conditions have together facilitated the proliferation of large-scale fraudulent operations.

Organised fraud has evolved into a key pillar of the local economy in certain parts of south-east Asia. The profits generated from online scams are estimated to amount to 40% of the combined GDP of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Criminal leaders have established tightly controlled compounds that serve as hubs for online scams, with their primary activities centred on pig butchering. These compounds are frequently presented as technology parks, which helps recruit workers. However, many people are forced to work in the scam centres.

Pig butchering scams can inflict severe financial harm on victims. But are also closely tied to violent crime, human trafficking and other forms of organised criminal activity. They pose a growing threat to regional and global security.

Bing Han is a Lecturer in Economic Crime, a the University of Portsmouth, UK. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A 29-year-old Army veteran from Washington was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of probation Wednesday for illegally stockpiling weapons and training white supremacist extremists.

The FBI initially investigated Kyle Christopher Benton before his September arrest following his Army discharge and after threats to kill his wife.

A raid on his Snohomish home uncovered an unregistered machine gun, a drop-in auto sear, and two short-barreled rifles, all illegal under the National Firearms Act.

Benton also posted violent neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic content on social media and attended hate rallies across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Prosecutors said he used his veteran status to position himself as an authority figure and held workshops about firearms and tactical trainings for white supremacist group members.

open image in gallery Kyle Christopher Benton attended so-called hate rallies across Oregon, Washington and Idaho. ( U.S. District Court )

You not only illegally possessed extremely dangerous firearms, but you bragged about it and put on firearms trainings for others while doing so, US District Judge Tana Lin told him during the sentencing.

Benton said he now renounces his white supremacist views in a letter to the court on Wednesday.

open image in gallery At Bentons Snohomish home, agents seized a fully automatic M16-style rifle, an uninstalled auto sear, and two unregistered short-barreled rifles. ( US Attorneys Office )

Benton pleaded guilty to federal counts of possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm in March. Prosecutors had recommended a 30-month term, citing his dangerous combination of extremist ideology, military-style weaponry, and tactical teachings.
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An undocumented woman faked her own kidnapping and blamed it on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to generate sympathy and donations, the Justice Department has claimed.

The DOJ said in a press release Thursday Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old from Los Angeles, was taken into ICE custody and charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.

The case comes amid criticism of President Donald Trumps mass immigration deportation efforts, which have brought a spike in immigration raids across the country.

Federal prosecutors claimed, citing court documents filed Wednesday, that an attorney representing Calderons family held a press conference on June 30 saying the woman was kidnapped five days earlier in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Los Angeles.

The lawyer claimed she was brought to San Ysidro near the southern border, where she was presented to [a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer and presented with voluntary self-deportation paperwork, prosecutors said.

open image in gallery Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, an undocumented woman from Los Angeles, faked her own kidnapping and blamed it on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to generate sympathy and donations, the Justice Department has claimed ( Justice Department )

When Calderon refused to sign the papers and demanded to speak to a judge and a lawyer, she was punished and sent to a warehouse in an undisclosed location, the attorney claimed, according to prosecutors.

A GoFundMe page with a fundraising goal of $4,500 was set up by Calderons daughter, who claimed her mother was taken by masked men in an unmarked vehiclewhen she was on her way to work, according to the DOJs press release.

A fundraising page matching the DOJs description said Calderon is the head of the family household and describes her as an amazing mother and very dedicated.

Her daughter said her mother takes care of her, two teenage children and two adults with disabilities.

We are asking for help because we are also facing an eviction. Every single dollar could help us at this moment, and we are hoping that we could find out where they have her. We have already looked in detention centers as well as warehouses, and we still have no idea why they did not process her, Calderons daughter wrote on the page.

When The Independent reached out to GoFundMe about the $80 raised on Calderons behalf, a spokesperson for the company said: GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform, or any attempt to exploit the generosity of others, and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing.

This fundraiser was removed from the platform and the $80 raised was refunded; at no point did the organizer have access to any of the funds. The GoFundMe Giving Guarantee guarantees donors a full refund in the rare case something isnt right.

The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, an organization that advocates for immigrant families, posted on Facebook about Calderon on July 1, writing, We Demand Her Return. We Demand Justice.

The Independent has reached out to the organization for comment about Calderons case.

The Independent has reached out to Calderons daughter for comment.

Prosecutors said the whole story from Calderons family was fabricated, citing phone records and video surveillance, including footage of Calderon leaving the fast food restaurant and getting into a sedan nearby.

Federal agents began searching for Calderon over the Fourth of July holiday weekend after they confirmed she was not in immigration custody.

On July 5, Homeland Security agents found Calderon in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, about a two-hour drive north of Los Angeles, prosecutors said. At this point, Calderon maintained she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others, according to prosecutors.

open image in gallery The case comes amid criticism of President Donald Trumps mass immigration deportation efforts, which have brought a spike in immigration raids across the country ( Mario Tama/Getty Images )

Calderon created what police believe to be fake rescue photos, made it look as if she was abused in ICE custody and planned to hold a press conference on July 6 to rake in more donations.

Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community. Since early July, my office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax, said Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang said in the DOJs press release.

Wang continued: The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities, and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement re-directed resources to recover the defendant.

If convicted, Calderon could face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each charge.
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A Maryland man has been arrested for allegedly threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and members of her family, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Seth Jason was taken into custody in Washington after a grand jury indicted him on four felony charges, including influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment, according to court records obtained by NBC News.

The indictment alleges Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and murder the family members of Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Federal prosecutors say the threats were made between October 11, 2023, and January 21 of this year  before President Trumps return to office.

open image in gallery The indictment alleges that Seth Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and murder the family members of Marjorie Taylor Greene (pictured) ( Getty Images )

According to the Justice Department, the threatening calls to Greene were traced to multiple phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of Americas headquarters.

At a press conference Thursday, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Jason is a former employee of Voice of America and a reserve officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

You threaten a public official and you face the full force of the law crushing down on you, Pirro said Thursday.

There will be no mercy and no excuses.

open image in gallery Federal prosecutors say the threats were made between October 11, 2023, and January 21 of this year  before Trumps return to office ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Jason remains in custody.

Voice of America, a government-funded news agency that operates with editorial independence, has been significantly scaled back by the Trump administration since his re-election, with hundreds of staffers reportedly dismissed.

It comes after the Senate passed a bill early this morning to take back $9 billion in federal funding, according to The Hill. The $9 billion includes cuts to foreign aid programs and more than $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The bill will head back to the House for a final vote and its expected to pass.
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A SkyWest flight bound for Detroit was forced into an emergency landing Thursday evening when an unruly passenger attempted to open the door in midair, police said.

According to the FAA, SkyWest flight 3612 landed in Cedar Rapids after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. Upon landing, authorities took 23-year-old chef Mario Nikprelaj into custody. There were 67 passengers on board.

The flight originated in Omaha at 5:30 p.m. local time. It made its landing at Eastern Iowa Airport around an hour later.

During the journey, the pilot told an air traffic controller that the suspect was in a fight with a flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit.

The suspect is facing charges of disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, a tax stamp violation, and harassment in the first degree, the Cedar Rapids Police Department stated in a press release. The department is also considering bringing further charges against Nikprelaj, a resident of Omaha.

A video posted on social media appeared to show Nikprelaj being escorted off the plane by multiple police officers. Got diverted to Cedar Rapids because this guy decided to try and open the exit row door then fight the flight crew and other passengers, passenger J. Spencer wrote in a post on X.

According to the FAA, SkyWest flight 3612 landed in Cedar Rapids after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. Upon landing, authorities took 23-year-old chef Mario Nikprelaj into custody ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

He later accused Nikprelaj of being disruptive from the moment the passengers boarded the flight.

The suspect was seated in the emergency exit row. Spencer said that Nikprelaj ignored the flight attendants repeated instructions and got verbally aggressive.

Then, as we were turning onto the runway, he stood up and unbuckled his seatbelt. The crew had to intervene again, Spencer added.

Spencer described the crew on board as being amazing under pressure as Nikprelaj repeatedly used the call button and began yelling. It was at this point that the captain declared an emergency and made a beeline for Cedar Rapids.

This is not the offenders first brush with the law.

In February 2020, Nikprelaj, then 18, was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in the Detroit area and then stealing a running snow plow, while shirtless and shoeless. He was arrested quickly as the plow was equipped with GPS tracking, reported Click on Detroit.

Following Thursdays disturbance, the flight proceeded to Detroit without incident later that day.

SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority, the airline said in a statement.

So far this year, there have been close to 900 reports of unruly passengers on board flights, reports CBS News.
True science has always been a matter of life and death. From the 1803 Spanish expedition to vaccinate people against smallpox to Iranian nuclear engineers, and including the scientific race of the 1980s and 1990s to stop AIDS. In the 18th century, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus sent his followers around the world in search of as many species as possible to complete his classification of all living beings. Many never returned. Christopher Tarnstrom died of tropical fever en route to China; Pehr Lofling was killed by malaria in Venezuela; Carl Fredrik Adler died on the coast of Java; and Peher Forsskal passed away in Yemen.

Jason Roberts, 63, considered writing a book about the adventures of these heroes of the Enlightenment, but when he began to delve deeper into their lives and those of their mentor, he saw that they were not that very enlightened. That was the embryo for Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life, which this year won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography.

As Roberts recounts in a video chat, Linnaeus effort to classify life  which left us the Latin binomial nomenclature system for species (Homo sapiens), embodied in his Systema Naturae  was also an attempt to dominate nature and other peoples, an impulse that materialized in the colonialism of the decades following his death in 1778. As Roberts delved deeper into the Swedish researchers life, so grew the figure of another scientist, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, who produced his own colossal compendium of existing life in his Histoire naturelle.

Both have been portrayed by the U.S. writer in a double biography that is also a story about the ideas that transformed our way of understanding life. These two contemporary scientists, who confronted their ideas but never met in person, also represented two opposing ways of viewing existence. In contrast to the power of knowledge to dominate the world embodied by Linnaeus, Buffon represented the capacity of science to assimilate complexity.

Question. I have the feeling that you find Buffon more accurate and even more likable than Linnaeus. Yet for many years, it seemed that Linnaeus, with his rigid way of interpreting nature, was the winner. Why do you think his ideas, at least for a while, were more appealing?

Answer. That took me a while to figure out. Basically, I found that the Linnean system, particularly with the British Empire and American expansionism, just really suited the spirit of the day. People wanted certainty. They didnt want uncertainty. And they had no interest in listening to Native cultures.

In many ways, the Linnean system kind of became this form of cultural colonialism because you were able to wipe the slate clean and award a name to a species. Not only that, but the idea that everything was fixed and that there was this specific order and that there were no surprises and that Linneus had somehow happened on to the divine vision of the way life was organized. In fact, thats why he was called Gods registrar.

Whereas Buffons worldview was much more disturbing to them, but much more dynamic. He was the first person to actually say that we are living in the era of humans, that humans are permanently changing the global climate. And that was something that was ridiculed in his time. He was an advocate of concepts not only of evolution before that word was invented, but also of extinction. Linneus was locked into this very rigid, very organized, static view of nature. Whereas Buffon was saying its very dynamic. The more I researched it, the more I understood how he kind of buried his ideas in his work, because he knew quite well that the period of the time wasnt ready for some of his ideas. This made him an even more interesting figure to me.

Q. It also seems that in a time of uncertainty like the one that followed their deaths, with the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, that precise, closed model of how the world works was preferred. A bit like today.

A. Very much so. I agree with you that one of the things that were dealing with in our world culture right now is the appeal of simplism, the idea that there are simple and easy answers. And I wonder whether that is a response a lot of people are having to all of a sudden being flooded with so much information and being overwhelmed. So they want to be able to extract order and they dont want to feel unintelligent. I think thats one of the appeals that hypersimplistic worldviews offer to people: the idea that they can comprehend things and its really this easy.

Im seeing a lot of trends that are anti-intellectualism but also anti-conflict. The American political system right now is just a textbook example of simplism trying to assert dominance over what is in fact a very complex political reality. Theres this idea that when intellectuals say something is complicated, theyre just trying to act smart, and that in reality, everything would be much clearer with just a little common sense. Being able to appreciate complexity, to know that we dont necessarily know everything about a subject, is a social value that I think we need to rediscover.

Q. In the book you also talk about the simplicity of the Linnean system, which provides security and gives the feeling, even to non-specialists, that you can control nature in a simple way.

A. The metaphor that Buffon himself proposed, and which I took to heart, is the difference between a mask and a veil. He personified nature as a kind of veiled Mother Nature. He said that we can only occasionally glimpse some of its workings behind the veil, and that only with a great deal of patience and time. For him, the Linnaean world tree was like imposing a mask on nature: slapping a false face on it and saying, This is what there is, this is how it works. And that, in doing so, you missed out on a lot.

Buffon had an open mind; he allowed himself to be constantly surprised by nature. Instead of explaining it away and normalizing everything, he relied on that sense of wonder. And thats how he managed to write almost 30 volumes describing nature, with prose that has beautiful flights of language, because he was trying to capture the experience of what it felt like to be in the presence of these animals. And thats completely different from the stark catalog where things are confined to a few words, conceptually pinning a specimen to a wall a putting a little label on it.

So what I tried to do in this book was to propose something like Buffon. Because, as I said, I did not start out in favor of one over the other. What I did was look for where the surprises lay, and try to understand where my expectations fell apart.

Q. Where did you find the biggest surprises?

A. I came across things like Buffon talking, essentially, about the concept of DNA more than two centuries before it became a science. He was saying something like if there are these principles that nature follows to create an animal from gestation, from the moment its an embryo, then there must be some kind of structure, some internal mold, a force that shapes it. And what happens is that, over time, there are small variations in those instructions. Those differences could be the origin of evolution.

One of the anecdotes I include in the book is that Darwin, who had never initially read Buffon, said when he finally did, His ideas were laughably like mine. And in On the Origin of Species he included a note crediting Buffon for being the first to address these ideas scientifically.

Q. Did being a great mathematician help Buffon develop these ideas, to better understand the inner workings of living beings? Because he wrote about biology in the 18th century with great foresight.

A. Thats one of the things I find most interesting. When you look at the personalities of these two men, youd think their philosophies would be switched around. Buffon was the one who had a fine mathematical mind, was incredibly disciplined, incredibly organized, and lived life according to a very rigid standard. Youd think hed be the one more drawn to categories, the one imposing structures on nature. Whereas Linnaeus, emotional and impulsive, did things you wouldnt imagine a professor would do, like break into his students apartments and steal specimens hed given them. Youd think hed be the one with the more fluid notion. But it was the other way around.

And that tells me that if Buffon, with all his sense of order, ended up admitting that we cant  at least at this point in the human experience  capture lightning in a bottle and say we understand whats happening in nature, then maybe thats precisely what we need to embrace. The idea that to understand nature, to help save it, we have to acknowledge what we dont know, is something that is just starting to kick us in the face.

Q. How can this awareness of complexity help us, instead of taking away our self-confidence and making things more difficult for us?

A. Last year, for example, it was discovered that where we thought there was only one species of giraffe, there were actually four, which completely changes the conservation effort. It was information that was right under our noses, but we didnt see it because we had fallen into this kind of complacency induced by labels and appearances.

Meanwhile, theres one particular type of marine mollusk  a periwinkle  thats been classified as a different species more than 200 times, and it turns out its actually just one species. This idea that weve been forcing categorization on nature, and that maybe our eyes are starting to clear up a little, couldnt come a minute later. Because if we really want to understand what were doing to the planet, to our place in nature, and how we can maintain a safe environment, that idea of the environment as a rigid set of little labels isnt going to work. Were going to have to lean into complexity in order to understand nature, because we are part of that complexity.

Q. I dont know if you think that the fact that Linnaeus classified us as Homo sapiens, attributing rationality to us as a fundamental trait, has generated a misunderstanding and has generated overly high expectations of our species.

A. What I really struggled to forgive Linnaeus for was that he assigned what we now think of as racial categories. The thing is, much of this book is set in a time before the terminology took on the meaning it has today. At that time, the term race wasnt used in the current sense. It just meant any group that youre talking about as a whole: you might talk about the race of the Spaniards or the human race. So Linnaeus didnt use the word race in that sense; he might have been thinking more in terms of subspecies or something like that. He didnt label it as such, but he was the one who divided Homo sapiens into four categories. And that, based on external appearance, skin color, could be seen as a cultural glitch or a lack of foresightedness. But what he did  and this surprised me  was ascribe emotional values to them.

He said, for example, that Homo sapiens africanus was guided by whim, whereas the European was guided by law. That kind of classification literally injected these kinds of ideas into what we call science today, from the very beginning. While I was writing the book, the Linnean Society of London issued a statement acknowledging that the roots of scientific racism can be traced back to Linnaeus, and that its a part of his legacy theyre trying to revisit.

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An LSU area apartment complex has been sold for $82 million to a New York investment group.

Timberline Real Estate Ventures of Rye, New York, purchased the Park Place Baton Rouge development at 222 E. Boyd Drive in a deal that was filed Wednesday with the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Courts office.
Meghan OGieblyn is comfortable admitting that she has more questions than answers. That is not to say she hasnt been desperately looking for the latter, though. Having grown up in a deeply Christian evangelical family in the Midwest of the United States, OGieblyn (Boston, 1982) found certainty in faith for a long time. Until she began to question some of the religious convictions she had long held, and it all began to unravel. Left orphaned, trying to cope with existential quizzings that too often felt overbearing, she then turned to transhumanism, the philosophical and social movement that advocates for the use of technology to enhance human capabilities. She became engulfed by its theories Until, once again, she felt they came up short.

Her latest book, God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning (Knopf Doubleday, 2021) is a reflection of that fruitless quest for answers. In hindsight, she admits that writing about it all leaves her feeling more confused, but she has found peace in not knowing. Ive come to value humility in all forms, but especially epistemic humility, about what we can know and what we cannot know. Personally, Im trying to just live more in a sense of uncertainty, she says.

We meet at her hotel in Manhattan on the morning of July 4. Like many other tourists, shes in New York City for the holiday weekend, in her case for a wedding. But unlike most of the other visitors, who are dressed head to toe in America-themed apparel to celebrate the nations 249th Day of Independence, OGieblyn is wearing all black. A somber choice for a somber time in the countrys history. Naturally, our conversation organically shifts to Donald Trumps presidency, which she argues is sliding into techno-fascism.

Question. What made you lose your faith?

Answer. It was partly the problem of evil; this question of if theres a benevolent, all-powerful God, why is there evil? I felt like the foundations of everything I thought I believed were in ruins. And it wasnt just about there not being a God. It was also about history and time. In the Christian tradition, theres this idea that history is a narrative arc thats bending toward redemption. And in the wake of losing my faith, I had a sense that were just sort of going in circles, or that time isnt going anywhere. I was adrift for a long time. I fell into an addiction for many years.

Q. Were you aware then that your shift towards transhumanism was you trading one coping mechanism for another?

A. I didnt realize it at the time. I began reading thinkers like Ray Kurzweil and Nick Bostrom, who were writing about the idea that technology was going to help humanity transcend all of our flaws and evolve into this new post-human form of existence. I can see now that it had so many similarities to the Christian Redemption narrative. Since, Ive become skeptical of looking to science and technology to fulfill spiritual desires.

Q. Why?

A. I think those two things are separate epistemologies. The way in which we approach science and technology is totally different from the longings that we have that are spiritual. But we confuse the two because a lot of people just dont have a spiritual outlet in their lives today.

Q. Twenty-first-century technology was supposed to solve many of our problems, but it has created new ones that we cant seem to overcome. Where does that leave humanity?

A. It sounds lofty to say, but I really do believe the solution to human nature is a spiritual one. You can interpret that broadly. Max Weber has an essay where he says that if you want transcendence and eternal life, dont look for it in a lab. Just go to church. Thats my thinking now, and I say that as somebody who understands the seduction and pitfalls of those theories. Our desire for transcendence has been misunderstood as something that is going to happen on a material level through technology.

Q. Yet, we are at a point where it seems technology is taking over our lives.

A. It feels like its out of our hands. We are giving our agency and thought over to systems that are essentially unconscious. AI systems are intelligent, but they dont have sentience, and that scares me a lot. There are a lot of basic things that can go wrong with AI because its something that didnt evolve alongside us. It doesnt have the same moral intuitions that we have, or the same socialization, despite all of its training.

Q. Are we losing our ability to discern between human and machine?

A. We are at a point where the lines are getting really blurry, but I also feel that theyre more important than ever. Those lines will allow us to be able to talk about something that is human, that is not just computational, but that we dont fully understand yet, and thats consciousness. These machines are very good at a lot of things, but they are lacking what we feel like is the most essential thing about us as humans.

Q. Can humans and new technologies coexist?

A. We dont have to. The more people can fight back and refuse technologies that they feel are harmful, the better well be. The technologys not going anywhere, but we still have some ability to steer what our lives are going to look like.

Q. Will that resistance be enough, even as the United States, for example, has a president who is so close with Big Tech?

A. It does feel like were up against an impossible amount of money and power, like these systems are being employed against us. Theyre in the justice system, the financial sector, education, immigration. And for creative people, these technologies are built on the work that we produce, and were not being compensated. However, I take heart in the fact that weve managed to resist other very destructive technologies in the past, like nuclear bombs.

Q. Is technology, as its employed now in countries like the United States, a system of oppression?

A. Absolutely. The fact that it is perpetuating systemic injustice, especially in the justice system and immigration, and the fact that the Trump administration is using it as propaganda. Its becoming a tool of fascism in many ways.

Q. Is the Trump administration a technocracy?

A. A friend of mine says that were sliding into techno-fascism, which feels like a more accurate term. I was young enough during the Snowden leaks, when people were outraged that the government and technology companies were collecting all sorts of data on U.S. citizens. Now, were just giving our data away for free. Weve overcome that panic, but its time to start caring again, and a lot.

Q. Returning to religion, this month marks a year since the first Trump assassination attempt. Many viewed it then as a divine act, and he portrayed it as such, too. Do you think Trump actually sees himself as a god?

A. I dont think Trump really believes in God; he just figured out how to appeal to Christian voters. In American evangelicalism, a lot of stories from the Old Testament are used to justify his rise. Like the story of the evil king Nebuchadnezzar: many Christians believe that God will use Trump to carry out His will. They may not agree with his morals, but they believe he is divinely appointed.

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Tips & adviceFresh herbs How to make supermarket herbs last longer and go further Tired of sad, wilting basil and past-it parsley? Bushy, flourishing plants are possible, as are longer-lasting packets, with these tips. Sue Quinn July 18, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

If youve watched too many pots of supermarket basil wither and die when youve barely picked a few leaves, take heart. A viral hack promises to transform that puny pot into a thriving, bushy plant that can last for months. And those bunches of herbs that go slimy in their packets before youve used them up? With the right treatment, they can stay fresh far longer than you might expect. How do you keep your flat-leaf parsley from flopping? Getty Images Love them or loathe them, supermarket options are the most convenient and accessible form of herbs for most of us. Theyre not perfect, says Mark Diacono, a grower and author of Herb: A Cooks Companion. Supermarket herbs tend to be grown fast and unsustainably using heat and a lot of feed and water, he says. And some varieties of coriander and basil are chosen more for reliability than flavour. But buying living supermarket herbs in pots can still be a good thing. Its the most easily accessible way to grow herbs, he says.

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Replanting herbs into larger pots will help them grow into healthy and productive plants. iStock How to produce bushy basil from a supermarket pot Interior designer Leanne Kilroy has racked up more than 27 million views on her Instagram account @goodboneslondon by demonstrating how to turn small, gangly pots of basil into large, flourishing plants. The roots of supermarket basil tend to be cramped and tangled in small plastic pots, Kilroy explains, and when left alone they rarely last more than a week or two. But by replanting the herb into much bigger pots and giving them a little TLC, they can grow into healthy and productive plants that last for months. Kilroy suggests transplanting the basil into terracotta pots, which allow for good aeration and drainage, filled with compost. If you like, you can carefully divide the root ball into two or three plants and pot them separately. Once replanted, give the basil a final generous drink from the top. Then place the pot in a saucer or shallow bowl of water, and keep it topped up at all times  dont water from above. Choose a sunny spot indoors for it to live.

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Snipping the stems, rather than plucking leaves, once the basil is actively growing will create a healthier, bushier plant, Kilroy says, adding that any flowers must be trimmed immediately. With the right conditions and a little luck, you could end up with an astonishingly long supply of basil. Last year, mine lasted nine or ten months and would still be hobbling on if I hadnt made pesto with it, she says. She has also had success doing this with parsley. Leaving the bands around the stalks will help you chop from the top of the bunch. iStock How to store supermarket herbs to help them last longer Bunches of herbs sold in packets can last for days if stored correctly, says Victoria Green, Waitroses salads and veg expert. Keep most cut herbs in their original packaging in the fridges salad drawer, where stable temperatures and gentle humidity help preserve freshness. Any temperature abuse before refrigerating can cause issues, she warns, but an unopened bag might last up to seven days unopened. Once open, roll the top of the bag over to make it as airtight as possible. Those elastic bands around the stalks? Keep them on: It means you can chop from the top of the bunch (or the bottom if you want stalks), then easily put the remaining product back in the bag.

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The exception is basil. It thrives when kept in a cool, dry place, not in the fridge, says Green. Leave it in its original packaging, away from sunlight which will make it sweat. In the cupboard is best. If you buy herbs without packaging, stand them in a jar of water, cover with a plastic bag secured with an elastic band, and store them in the fridge door, advises Catherine Phipps, author of Leaf. If keeping them upright is not possible, soak a piece of kitchen towel in water, wrap it around the stems and store flat in a bag or preferably an airtight container, she says. Depending on freshness at the time of purchase (Phipps suggests trimming the ends of the stalks if theyre dry), herbs can last up to two weeks when stored this way. Herbs are perfect companions for eggs. William Meppem Related Article Danielle Alvarez's buttery scrambled eggs How to make supermarket herbs go further in food and drinks

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Herbs can elevate far more dishes than most people realise, says Csabi Nagy, executive chef at Londons Petersham Nurseries, so its easy to use them up. With eggs Parsley, chives, basil, dill, marjoram and sage especially are natural companions to eggs. Fold them through scrambled eggs, or scatter over the top of fried or poached. Try frying eggs in butter with a few sage leaves. Its a delicious combination, says Nagy. Or make a quick herb salsa: finely chop a mixture of soft herbs, stir through some olive oil and a pinch of lemon zest, then spoon this over eggs, or with meat, chicken or fish. In salads Herbs are often overlooked as salad ingredients but offer great potential. I personally like dill or fennel herb, basil and marjoram, as they give a bit of freshness and bring their own character, says Nagy. It works best to combine them with more robust lettuce leaves, and keep the dressing simple, too, so the herbs can shine. A basic lemon dressing made with 70 per cent olive oil and 30 per cent lemon juice goes a long way, he says.

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In drinks Mint commonly features but others are delicious, too. We use rosemary for a bit of sophistication, says Nagy, especially when infused into clear spirits. Tarragon pairs beautifully with gin or some whiskies, while thyme works well in citrusy cocktails. Basil adds a little kick and complements both vodka and gin. The best way to bring out the flavour is to infuse them or crush them directly into the drink, Nagy says. Phipps suggests scalding your chosen herb sprig in boiling water, drying it thoroughly, and leaving it to infuse in the alcohol indefinitely. In yoghurt and butter Mix chopped tender herbs and crushed garlic into Greek yoghurt for an easy dip or sauce to serve with grilled meat or chicken, or instead of mayonnaise in sandwiches. Phipps suggests mixing finely chopped herbs with softened butter and other aromatics like lemon zest, garlic or chilli flakes. Simply pile onto a piece of cling film or baking paper, shape into a log, roll up tightly, store in the freezer and cut slices as necessary. Use the stems

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The thin, tender stems of soft herbs like parsley, coriander and basil have bags of flavour and can be used just like the leaves. But slightly woody or stringy stalks dont have to be wasted. We use the stems in stocks, chicken or beef sauces and vegetable stocks, Nagy says. Rosemary and thyme stalks can also be added to the grill to deliver a gentle hint of smoky herb flavour, he suggests. Freezing herbs in oil is a clever way to prolong their shelf life. iStock Longer-term solutions to stretch out supermarket herbs If you know youre not going to get through all your herbs before they turn, preserve them. Freeze

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Phipps suggests finely chopping herbs, packing them into ice-cube trays and topping them with water, olive oil or melted butter. Once frozen, you can then turn them out into bags or boxes for easy storage, she says. Stalks can be chopped very finely and stored in a tub in the freezer for a quick flavour boost for everything from eggs to soups. Dry Hard herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage can be tied in bunches and hung upside down for a few days to dry. Strip the leaves from the stems and store in jars. Salt Mix 50g sea salt with about a tablespoon of dried herbs. They can all be blitzed together to a fine powder, so the salt has a slightly grittier texture than icing sugar or bashed together using a pestle and mortar for a coarser texture, says Phipps.

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Senior NSW police have escalated their investigation into the arrest of former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas after a briefing raised questions of excessive force by officers involved in breaking up an anti-Israel protest in Sydneys south-west.

Internal affairs police have taken over the probe into Thomas arrest and are now looking into whether she was assaulted, lawyers and police sources with knowledge of the investigation have told the Herald.

Hannah Thomas, a former Greens candidate, suffered a serious injury to her eye after police broke up a protest in Sydneys south-west. Credit: Nine News

It comes after this masthead revealed body-worn footage from the arrest showed Thomas suffered a serious eye injury when an officer punched her in the face during her arrest.

Thomas was injured after police broke up the protest outside SEC Plating on June 27, a business in Belmore demonstrators say supplies plating services for F-35 jets used by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Fresh from prison, Auburns disgraced former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has been pursued by media through Parramatta Westfield before making his first post-release stop at the local branch of Service NSW, followed by a visit to the dentist.

The Sydney businessman  and groom in Sydneys grandest wedding, jailbird and now parolee  began a new chapter of his remarkable riches to rags tale on Friday as he strode out of the John Morony Correctional Complex near Windsor about 9.30am.

Wearing a navy suit, tie and a dark pair of sunglasses, and clutching a plastic bag, a grinning Mehajer shook hands enthusiastically with the driver of a waiting black Mercedes-Benz believed to have been hired by Mehajer for the occasion.

Inside the car, reflective screens stopped waiting media from getting a shot of the former prisoner.
The man who led Papua New Guineas campaign for a new NRL team has stood down from its board at the request of the countrys prime minister as a corruption scandal engulfs the Albanese governments $600 million venture to counter China in the Pacific.

Wapu Sonk, who chaired the bid to join the Australian competition in 2028 and was named last month as one of the incoming franchises seven directors, stepped aside on Friday after this masthead revealed concerns he may have sought to financially benefit from his position as managing director of PNGs multibillion-dollar national oil company.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape (left) and Wapu Sonk. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen/Facebook

I have spoken to Mr Sonk and, while he is currently overseas, I have requested that he step down from his role as a director on the PNG NRL franchise board effective immediately. He has agreed to do so, PNG Prime Minister James Marape said.

This reflects PNGs commitment to the highest standards of integrity, probity, and public trust.
A woman charged with attempted murder following a house fire that left her and two young girls fighting for life has revealed the extent of her injuries.

The 37-year-old faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday over a fire that engulfed a two-storey home in Chadstone, in the citys south-east, on May 21.

The Chadstone house fire on May 21.

She and two girls, aged seven and eight at the time, were taken to hospital in a critical condition.

The Chadstone woman was arrested on Thursday and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
The Trump administration has launched a new strategy to track undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun demanding that landlords provide information about their tenants, such as leases, rental applications and identification cards. Thus, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has opened a new avenue to track down undocumented immigrants and initiate deportation proceedings.

Atlanta real estate attorney Eric Teusink shared with the AP an information enforcement subpoena received by a client. The document demanded that he turn over tenant records and information about those who may have lived with them. These records often contain relevant information, such as the tenants marital status and employment history.

The application Teusink showed was in the name of an official with the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Services, a DHS agency. Although it wasnt signed by a judge, it threatened the owner with the possibility of being held in contempt of court if he refused to cooperate.

Like Teusnik, several attorneys across the country have reported similar cases. For example, Jordana Roubicek Greenman, a real estate attorney based in Massachusetts, recounted how an ICE officer asked a client of hers for information about a tenant. The landlord received a voicemail, which Roubicek Greenman advised him not to answer.

Bill Holston, executive director of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center (DEAC) in Texas, told EL PAIS that while migrants already feel intimidated by ICEs reckless actions, this new effort to locate them will exacerbate the situation. This is likely to increase the already existing discrimination against tenants based on race and national origin, he explained. He added that landlords often look for reasons not to work with certain populations, and their anticipation of responding to subpoenas will encourage them to discriminate further or add additional fees to their contracts.

It also recommended that landlords who receive such requests consult with their legal representatives to determine whether or not they are required to respond. On this matter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asserts that compliance is not mandatory unless ordered by a judge. Court orders signed by judges generally must be complied with, it argues. However, in the case of ICE subpoenas, there are no consequences for initial noncompliance. Only if a court orders you to comply and you subsequently fail to do so can sanctions be imposed.

Based on Holstons experience during his years working with DEAC, an organization that offers free assistance to people facing eviction, many landlords regularly violate their legal obligations to tenants. Unfortunately, most will not be willing to take any risks to protect those who pay their rent and contribute to their financial success, he said.

According to the attorney, tenants have a right to privacy, which includes their immigration status. Landlords are not in a position to evaluate TPS [Temporary Protected Status], Special Immigrant Visas, parole, or the various relationships people may have with the immigration system, he emphasized. He also noted that tenants have civil rights they can assert if they are exposed to any act of discrimination.

All of these actions seek to create a climate of fear and pressure undocumented individuals to self-deport, Holston stated. Initiatives like this will continue to have a devastating impact on our immigrant neighbors and subject them to greater fear and vulnerability, he added. He also believed that Washington should do what they should have done years ago: create comprehensive immigration reform so that hardworking immigrants have a path to obtaining legal status.

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Chandler-Mather is in some ways a poor messenger, given his loss, but he insists there are longer-term risks from politicians lack of engagement with voters on social media platforms. Australias going down the pathway of this sort of slow disengagement, Chandler-Mather says. Like, the number of people disengaging from politics increases every year. The number of people who feel sort of distrustful of politics increases every year. Robert Jenrick is generating a following with his savvy social media posts. Credit: Bloomberg Tim Doyle, a marketing savant who has done contract work for Labor in the past and now leads telehealth company Eucalyptus, says Australian political parties are behind much of the Western world. They also only fire up the engine, which needs to be always on, about six weeks before an election, Doyle says.

Where an American politician like Mamdani might throw himself into the ocean fully clothed in midwinter as he declares Im freezing  your rent, Australian MPs play it safe, Doyle says. Politicians are terrified of being vulnerable, and thats the essential thing for social media, he says. They have no idea what engagement matters. They preach to their true believers, who like and share their content, but that does nothing to convince the undecided voters they need. Good social posts, he says, should make your true believers a little bit uncomfortable. Only a handful of politicians tip-toe into the stunts and trends that might distinguish them online from the parade of slick brand videos and AI-generated slop.

Dan Repacholi, MP for the Hunter in NSW, has, for example, posted videos with fake wounds to promote safety in the mining industry and tells men to watch your nuts as part of his role as a mens health envoy. One Nations Please Explain cartoon has flourished online but is between seasons. And Keith Wolahan, a Liberal MP who did extensive social media directed at Chinese-Australian voters, lost his Melbourne seat at the election. Loading But most MPs have only a few thousand followers, far fewer than niche hobby influencers, and fill their feed with screenshots of press releases, clips from television interviews and awkward, unedited speeches about the opening of local facilities. One Labor MP, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the government has no unified social media strategy outside election campaigns. People just do their own social media, the MP says. After coming to government, I just dont have the time. Former Labor campaign strategist Megan Lane says Australias compulsory and preferential voting system means politicians here can use social media differently to other countries.

There is no need to persuade voters to back a candidate in a primary, to bring disengaged people to a booth on polling day, or to tack to extremes because preferential voting tends to bring those ballots back to the parties in the centre. Politics is also less polarised, making it less likely to be picked up by an algorithm online. Instead of exciting rusted-on supporters to drive up voter turnout, Australian politicians are essentially focused on persuading punters that they are the least bad option, Lane says. Max Chandler-Mathers social media success did not save him at the last federal election. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Mainstream media, too, still has huge influence. Sevens Sunrise breakfast television program, for example, had a national average audience of 399,000 people as of July 16, according to figures from industry measurement provider Virtual Australia. Morning interviews often draw further reporting from outlets, as do scoops in newspapers, multiplying their audience throughout the day.

But another dynamic is staffing. Political staffers on both sides of politics, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said social media was typically the responsibility of the most junior person in an MPs office. Career progression required going into policy development or traditional public relations. They all think about traditional media all the time and never social, Doyle says of politicians, who are in their mid-40s on average when elected, according to data from the Parliamentary Library. Jenricks approach is different. The MP employs a 21-year-old called Dov Forman to film his videos. Uniquely among political staffers, Forman is a social star in his own right who racked up millions of views filming the stories of his great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, during the pandemic. His expertise is evident in his style. Where most Australian MPs talk straight into the camera, Formans videos for Jenrick are frenetic. His 58-second clip on fare evasion has 33 jump cuts. There is a risk in getting social media wrong, though. Its a personal choice, the Labor MP says. How do you get people to focus on your message without turning yourself into a clown?

Some people in the crossbench are happy to veer towards silly stuff, but if you want to be serious in government I dont think its worthwhile. Loading Chandler-Mather, the former Greens MP who developed a huge social media following, disagrees. The idea that Were a party of government, and so we cant propose anything other than tinker around the edges is a completely self-serving argument, Chandler-Mather says. He argues that politicians from the main parties lack the charisma and appealing messages that work online. To be honest, the calibre of Australian politician isnt fantastic, Chandler-Mather concludes. His loss, he says, was a result of major party preferences and being outspent.
Developers would be able to build more densely around Suburban Rail Loop stations in return for creating office space, under a contentious proposal that housing advocates say repeats mistakes made in the City of Melbourne.

Councils and advocates have warned the incentive would diminish social and affordable housing along the underground rail line, which the state government has branded Australias largest housing project.

An artists impression of the precinct around the Cheltenham SRL station. Credit: Suburban Rail Loop Authority

Skyscrapers and housing clusters planned for stations on the Suburban Rail Loop East line will come under the microscope next week when public hearings are held for the $34.5 billion projects structure plans.

The committee hearings will allow the public to provide feedback on the locations where the government has proposed the tallest towers, commercial precincts, and green space or transport corridors.
When Dean Arcuri arrived at work at The Laird on the morning of Sunday, July 6, the first thing he did was reach for the stash of rainbow flags in his car.

It was a life hack hed picked up touring country towns as a drag performer, a sad necessity for dealing with the inevitable homophobic graffiti. I have them in my car at any time, because thats something a lot of regional communities do  when it happens at their events, they just cover it up, Arcuri says.

Mark Carney, Brett Lasham and Dean Arcuri at The Laird in Abbotsford. Credit: Luis Ascui

He just never thought he would have to deploy his flag trick at a legendary gay bar in Abbotsford, in the heart of what should be Melbournes safe queer heartland.

The graffiti was crude and targeted. Spray-painted across both entrances to the men-only venue was the single word fag. On a large external wall, the phrase Ned hates fags stencilled next to a logo; a Ned-Kelly figure overlaid on a Sonnenrad  or black sun logo  appropriated by the Nazis. The same tag was found on the nearby Eagle Leather store on Hoddle Street.
The staff, multilingual and right on the ball, wear non-uniform uniforms. The overall aesthetic  contemporary Thai  eschews the usual Siamese Orientalist motifs of temples, elephants and tuk-tuks. Nevertheless, theres certain to be a traditional spirit house altar in the grounds. The room A sapphire premium king bedroom. Credit: Artists design render Madi Paidi Bangkok has 56 guest rooms and suites. My sapphire premium king room with city views occupies 40 square metres on the ninth floor. Theres plenty of natural lighting via floor-to-ceiling windows with blackout curtains, plus a large TV and high-speed Wi-Fi. The bathroom is a pleasure, with deep blue wall tiles and a voluminous bathtub. The lid of the over-fangled bidet loo spookily opens whenever you pass, as though one is being prompted to spend a penny. Unnerving.

The rooms drawbacks are minor but deserve mention. Neither of the chairs matches the room table height for comfortable working. The bed cover is a thick duvet: either you roast under it or have to crank up the air-conditioner to chill the room. The Nespresso coffee maker comes only with sachets of creamer, no UHT milk. Food + drink Retro-deco style in the restaurant and bar. Kin khao rue yang? A cheerful waiter greets me with a traditional Thai welcome: Have you eaten yet? Madi Paidis busy EKKALUCK restaurant is overseen by executive chef (and ex-Melbournian) Khun Tor Tishabhiromya, whose east-west menu, brunch, lunch and later (buffet and a la cate) spans the gaps for late-risers, early-lunchers and all-comers thereafter. With blended Thai and international components, there is a superior pad thai, pasta, chicken ballantine or a lip-smacking, pumpkin creme brulee creation called sang ka-ya fuk thong. Prices in the international wine list inevitably reflect Thailands hefty tariffs on imported alcohol. Surprisingly, the alternative, more reasonably priced local labels such as GranMonte are not listed.

EKKALUCK restaurant is overseen by executive chef (and ex-Melbournian) Khun Tor Tishabhiromya. Out + about Madi Paidi is on an upmarket residential street parallel to busy Soi Thong Lor (Soi Sukhumvit 55), an extended zone of restaurants, clubs, shops, bars, day spas, hotels and dental practices. Acclaimed Thai restaurant Bo.lan is on the same street. Think Thong Lor for wining, dining and teeth whitening rather than history or temples. For serious brand-name mall trawling, travel one stop on the Skytrain to Phrom Phong and the EmQuartier complex, or one more to Terminal 21 at Asoke for even wider choice. The verdict The Madi Paidi suite features a separate living room.

Madi Paidi is a haven of good taste, art and cuisine  an enjoyable respite from the intensity of Bangkok, complete with compact gym and rooftop pool. Tailor-made for city trippers, design fans and adventurous diners. Loading Essentials Rooms from $268 (THB 5794) a night, plus taxes and fees. There is a limited number of accessible suites. Madi Paidi Bangkok, Autograph Collection, 22 Soi Sukhumvit 53, Thong Lor, Bangkok. Phone: +66 2 127 5953. See marriott.com Highlight

Convenient location, creative design and at-ease ambience. Lowlight Minor in-room issues such as no milk (creamer only) and a heavy duvet. Our score out of five 
The blind loyalty of some Donald Trump supporters seems to have reached a limit. After Pam Bondis DOJ and the president announced that the investigation into deceased felon Jeffrey Epstein had not found the rumored client list with the names of individuals who allegedly obtained sexual services from minors, and that the financier had taken his own life, the MAGA sphere has turned against the administration and is demanding answers about the case. Especially after it was revealed that the Epstein prison video footage they released had a couple of minutes cut out, and that it was not the unedited material they had claimed it to be.

Despite the fact that the president was one of the main proponents of the theory that there was a client list, he now blames the Democratic Party for making up the story as a hoax and has insulted those of his supporters who are unhappy with the administrations findings.

In response, on July 17, Trump asked the Justice Department to release more documents about Epstein and announced that he will sue the Wall Street Journal for publishing an alleged letter from him to Epstein that he claims is fake.

Here are the main keys to this controversy:

Who was Jeffrey Epstein?

Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier who is now known for having built a child sex exploitation ring that operated for decades. His first arrest was in 2008 for soliciting prostitution of a minor in Florida; however, he avoided charges thanks to a controversial plea deal and served 13 months in prison with work release. In 2019, he was arrested again, this time for federal child sex trafficking.

On August 10, it was reported that he had died by suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. However, this version was called into question by an analysis commissioned by his lawyers and a pathologist hired by them, who pointed out that Epsteins injuries were more consistent with a case of homicide, and that the financier was killed to avoid revealing secrets of others involved in his sexual exploitation network.

Investigations revealed that Epstein abused minors at his mansions in New York, Florida, New Mexico and on his private island in the Caribbean. He also arranged meetings between powerful men and the victims. His ties to political figures and elites such as President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom and Donald Trump, sparked interest in a client list, which would confirm who were the people who hired his illegal sexual services.

Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Ghislaine Maxwell, a British-American socialite and daughter of the tycoon Robert Maxwell, was Epsteins main collaborator. For at least a decade (1994-2004), Maxwell helped recruit, groom and in some cases directly abuse minors for Epstein and his associates. She was arrested in 2020 and, in December 2021, a federal jury convicted her of five felonies, including child sex trafficking and conspiracy. Shortly after her arrest, President Trump stated that he wished her well at her trial.

In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The defense has attempted to appeal her conviction, but the Justice Department recently asked the Supreme Court to reject her request. At her trial, there was detailed testimony from victims confirming how Maxwell gained the trust of vulnerable girls to take them to Epstein.

What was the connection between Epstein and Donald Trump?

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein met in the 1980s, as they were part of the same social circles in Palm Beach and New York. In 2002, Trump spoke publicly about Epstein; he called him a terrific guy and mentioned that he liked young women. In subsequent interviews, Trump claimed that he had not had contact with Epstein for many years prior to his arrest in 2019. However, Epstein told Michael Wolff that he was the presidents closest friend for 10 years, and a notebook from the financier included 14 phone numbers for Trump, his wife Melania and others close to him. He also said he traveled several times on his plane dubbed the Lolita express, in which he shuttled young women and guests to his private island, Little St. James.

Reports mention that Trump visited Epsteins Palm Beach mansion at least once, but there are also records of Trump kicking him out of his Mar-a-Lago club for inappropriate behavior.

In 2016, a woman under the pseudonym Katie Johnson (also called Jane Doe), filed a civil lawsuit accusing Epstein and Trump of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 years old, during parties hosted by Epstein in Manhattan in 1994. In the original lawsuit filed in California in April 2016, the plaintiff alleged that she was lured to the parties in exchange for a promise of a modeling career, and that both Trump and Epstein raped and subjected her to sexual assault, threats and forcible imprisonment. That lawsuit was dismissed that May for failing to meet legal requirements. It did not go to trial, and attorney Lisa Bloom, initially involved, disassociated herself from the case.

After Elon Musk left the Trump administration, the businessman claimed that the president was part of Epsteins list and that was one of the reasons it had not been made public.

Epstein and the current Trump administration

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump and his closest allies promoted theories about the client list linked to Epstein, and promised to release classified documents from the case. Figures such as Dan Bongino, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi who now hold key roles in his administration pushed the narrative that the FBI and DOJ were hiding compromising information about elite personalities.

However, when his own administrations Justice Department concluded that Epstein had committed suicide and that no such list existed, Trump changed his tune and called the whole thing a hoax. This generated a rift with some of his most ardent supporters, who felt betrayed. Conservative media and pro-MAGA accounts expressed disappointment. Reports even indicate that Bongino has said he wants to resign from the FBI, due to the handling of the Epstein case. Trump went so far as to insult those who believed in the conspiracy as weak and stupid.

On July 17, Trump announced that he had asked the Department of Justice to produce additional documents related to Epstein, including grand jury testimony. Such action usually requires court approval, so it is unclear whether Trump has authorized the release of those documents.

Meanwhile, the president said he will sue The Wall Street Journal over an article that published an alleged birthday letter sent to Epstein by Trump, which includes suggestive language. Trump claims that it is fake and that he had asked the newspaper not to publish it.

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Thursday marked another day of turmoil in the ongoing crisis engulfing Donald Trump over the Epstein case, ending with the U.S. president threatening to sue The Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over the publication of a congratulatory letter allegedly sent by Trump to the pedophile millionaire on his 50th birthday  a letter the Republican insists is fake.

Within minutes, Trump also called on his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to release certain court documents related to the case. The president hopes this move will calm the storm unleashed by the Justice Departments recent decision to close the Epstein case  a case the Trump administration had promised for months would yield revealing information, only to now claim that such information is irrelevant. This reversal has fueled conspiracy theories surrounding the life and death of the pedophile millionaire.

It seems unlikely that the documents Trump has authorized for release will satisfy the demands of the MAGA movement, which is outraged by the administrations U-turn on a scandal that has captured the imagination of certain Republican voters for years.

Trump has asked Bondi to, in view of the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, release any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, according to a message the president posted on his social network, Truth Social. The attorney general responded to that request on X, saying: President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcript. Perhaps its a minor detail, but Bondis eager submission to the presidents orders is another nail in the coffin of the ideal of separation of powers under the current administration.

When he was a presidential candidate, Trump campaigned on the promise to release all material related to Epstein. Later, Bondi spent months assuring the MAGA movement that she would reveal all on the case. Then, a couple of Sundays ago, her Justice Department published a document that dismantled all the conspiracy theories surrounding the pedophile millionaire. The report concluded that there is no so-called Epstein list of wealthy and famous individuals involved in Epsteins child trafficking ring, and that he died by suicide (i.e., no one killed him) in the cell where he was awaiting trial in 2019.

Its not clear whether this material will be enough to appease the MAGA movement. The documents that Bondi and Trump are preparing to release come from the early stages of the cases investigation.

The U.S. legal system allows for the use of grand juries in certain situations. A grand jury is made up of a variable number of citizens, and the prosecutor presents them with the evidence and arguments they believe are strong enough to justify a conviction. The grand jury then decides whether the case should proceed. These proceedings are confidential by law.

Trump, last Tuesday, on the White House lawn. Jonathan Ernst (REUTERS)

Skeptics of the Epstein case are after much more than that: the flight logs of his private jet, compromising materials from the case file  such as videos, photographs, and audio recordings  or the infamous black book allegedly containing a list of clients that would prove the existence of a global elite involved in child trafficking. Six years later, however, there is still no solid evidence that such a network exists.

A surprise from Ghislaine Maxwell

The final straw for Trump  who has spent days, both gently and aggressively, trying to convince his supporters to move on from the issue  came with the publication by the conservative newspaper The Wall Street Journal (owned by Rupert Murdoch, one of the key figures in boosting and sustaining Trumps political rise) of a 2003 letter that Trump claims is fake. The letter is a birthday greeting to Epstein for his 50th birthday.

Since it was a milestone birthday, Ghislaine Maxwell wanted to surprise Epstein and asked his friends to write affectionate messages for him. Maxwell was a business associate and friend of Epstein, with whom she had a close relationship in the 1990s, according to the case file that ultimately led to her being sentenced to 20 years in prison. She is currently serving that sentence for procuring underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Trump, who at the time was a real estate mogul in New York, was reportedly one of the friends who contributed to the surprise gift, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The letter, according to the Wall Street Journal article, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the letter reads.

A year after that birthday, Trump and Epstein fell out following a dispute over a property in Palm Beach that both wanted. In 2019, the year Epstein died, Trump stated they hadnt spoken in 15 years. Back in 2005, Epstein was accused by a minor of paying her for sex. In 2008, he pleaded guilty and avoided a harsh prison sentence. A decade later, a Miami Herald investigation revealed that around 80 minors had been abused by Epstein between 2001 and 2006.

Even in the Journals own reporting, Trump is quoted saying the letter is fake. I dont draw pictures of women, he said. That same argument was repeated by both the president and his spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, after the Journals report was published. That night, Trump posted on Truth Social that the Journal and Rupert Murdoch were personally warned that the letter is FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued.

In his post  oddly written in the third person despite coming from his personal account  Trump, or whoever authored the message, recalls that he has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and that he looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once-great Wall Street Journal. The TV networks ABC and CBS have settled lawsuits with Trump, reportedly agreeing to pay him millions.

The post ends with a strategy the president rolled out Wednesday  shifting the blame for the Epstein hoax onto the Democrats. In this case, [James] Comey, [former FBI director], Brennan, crooked Hillary [Clinton], and other radical left lunatics, because, if the letter were true, they would have published it years ago.

It certainly would not have sat in a file waiting for TRUMP to have won three Elections. Regardless of whether the letter is real, as the Journal claims, or fake, as the U.S. president insists, one thing is certain: the post ends with a lie. Trump did not win three elections. Despite what he has been claiming for years, Joe Biden legitimately defeated him in 2020.

The judge who decides which grand jury materials can be released will almost certainly censor parts of the testimony. Protecting the victims is crucial when deciding whether to disclose information about the case, although sensitivity towards them has not been a priority over the six years this scandal has unfolded  especially not for the MAGA conspiracy theorists who are now demanding explanations about the Trump administrations change of stance.

These are the same people demanding to know what happened to the three minutes missing from the 11-hour video  recorded with a fixed shot on Epsteins cell door  that the Department of Justice released last week to prove that no one entered the cell, meaning that Epstein killed himself.

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44th AGM of Vidarbha Urban Banks Co-op Association held





Business Reporter :

The 44th annual general body meeting of the Vidarbha Urban Banks Co-operative Association was recently held in Hotel Hardeo, Sitabuldi in the city. Ravindra Durugkar, President of the association presided over the meeting. On the occasion, Durugkar highlighted various achievements of the association. He said that considering the changes in the policies of the Reserve bank of India, there is a need of specialized training for directors of the urban co-operative banks. Founder President of association and expert director Kailashchandra Agrawal spoke about the journey of the association. Secretary of the association Tusharkanti Dable; and Expert Director Sanjay Bhende also expressed their views. 43 office-bearers of 27 urban banks in Vidarbha took part in the meeting. Subhash Dewalkar proposed vote of thanks.
A capital comeback marked by civic pride and emotional celebrations





Guru Nanak Mandals representative honouring BMC workers by offering sweets and shawl.

Staff Reporter ;

Bhopals remarkable leap to the second position among cities with over 10 lakh population has sparked city-wide celebrations, especially among safai mitras and municipal staff. After slipping to fifth position last year, the city made a strong comeback, thanks to strengthened waste processing systems, enhanced door-to-door collection, citizen participation drives, and the visible urban transformation ahead of the Global Investors Summit earlier this year. The city dances in joy and shares sweet of victory: Mayor Malti Rai, who received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at New Delhis Vigyan Bhawan, is scheduled to return to the city on Friday at 3:30 pm, via Raja Bhoj Airport, accompanied by Council Chairman R K Singh and other officials.

A grand civic reception is planned at the airport. Celebrations in Bhopal included garlanding of safai mitras, playing of drums, and felicitation ceremonies across residential and municipal zones. In various parts of the city, including Zone-16s Minal Residency, sanitation workers celebrated with dhol-nagadas, sweets, and dance performances and express their happiness. BMC Speaker Kishan Suryavanshi led the celebrations by welcoming cleanliness workers with garlands, laddoos, and public acknowledgement. This award is the result of collective responsibility, hard work, and the resolve of every citizen of Bhopal, he said. The city saw wide celebrations and the real heroes of this victory received appreciation and acknowledgement from the leaders and public across the city. At VIP road, sanitation workers were honoured with sweets, shawl and a pagri (turban) by Guru Nanak Mandals representative. INDORE: A legacy of cleanliness cemented with ninth straight win: In Indore, the celebrations were both grand and deeply rooted in community pride.

The city was once again declared Indias cleanest city in the Super Swachh League Cities category, a feat achieved by maintaining its position in the top three for three consecutive years (20212023). Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav received the award on behalf of Indore. Following the announcement, fireworks lit up the skies, gulal filled the streets, and residents across all zones celebrated with unmatched fervour. In the municipal corporation campus, sweets were distributed, and sanitation workers, especially the women-led Swachhata Didis, danced and celebrated their vital contribution. Several wards organised local felicitation programs, where sanitation staff were honoured as heroes of the city. Mayor Bhargav stated, Cleanliness is no longer a campaign in Indore, it is our culture and our commitment. Beyond the big two, other MP cities shine bright: Several other cities of the State also demonstrated exceptional performance in Swachh Survekshan 2024, contributing to the States tally of 20 national awards. Ujjain was declared the best city in the 3-10 lakh population category, securing the 4th rank nationally.

The recognition has uplifted civic morale, with processions, community programs, and congratulatory messages flooding the city. Jabalpur achieved a landmark 5th rank nationally, its highest ever. The award was received with pride by the municipal team and drew applause from all quarters. Gwalior climbed to 14th position this year, showing continued progress from its previous rank of 16. Mayor Shobha Sikarwar accepted the award in New Delhi, affirming the citys resolve to rise further. Dewas emerged as a national leader among cities with populations between 50,000 and 3 lakh, clinching the top rank in this category. The city also received a five-star rating and was honoured with a Water Plus certification for the second time. The civic campus witnessed fireworks and sweet distribution, led by Mayor Geeta Agrawal. In the under 20,000 population category, Budhni secured a Top-5 national rank, while Shahganj stood at third place, adding to MPs comprehensive performance.

Maheshwar was declared Indias cleanest cantonment board, with its leadership receiving honours for consistent hygiene efforts. A state-wide tribute to citizens and sanitation heroes: Urban Development officials credited the clean sweep to intensive on-ground operations, innovation in solid waste management, and strong citizen engagement. Speaking on the States collective win, a senior official said, These arent just awards, they reflect the behavioural transformation of Madhya Pradeshs urban culture. Citizens across the state, from local market vendors to school students, shared celebratory messages on social media with trending hashtags like Clean MP, Bhopal No2, and Indore Number1. Cultural programmes, community clean-up drives, and felicitation ceremonies are being planned over the weekend across several cities to honour safai warriors and civic workers. The State and citys stellar performance in Swachh Survekshan 2024 is not just a victory in rankings, but a reaffirmation of its public spirit, administrative will, and civic discipline- a model for urban India to follow.
Agricultural Engineering Department Mandla holds demo of subsidised Paddy Transplanter Machine





A view of demonstration of 4-row Paddy Transplanter Machine in farm of Rishi Thakur in Samanpur village.

Our Correspondent

MANDLA,

An important step has been taken towards mechanisation in paddy cultivation in Mandla district. The Agricultural Engineering Department Mandla is making available a walk-behind 4-row Paddy Transplanter Machine to the farmers on subsidy, which will greatly reduce the time and cost of transplanting paddy. At the same time, productivity will also increase. This state-of-the-art machine was successfully demonstrated in the field of farmer, Rishi Thakur in Samanpur village of Nainpur development block.

Assistant Agricultural Engineer, Priyanka Meshram and Sub-Engineer, Bhavna Maravi along with farmer brothers were present from the Agricultural Engineering Department. Assistant Agricultural Engineer, Priyanka Meshram made the farmers aware of the many benefits of the Paddy Transplanter Machine. He told that the shortage of labourers in transplanting paddy through traditional methods is a big challenge, due to which the work is not completed on time and the cost also increases considerably. The solution to this problem is this Paddy Transplanter Machine, which is no less than a boon for farmers. For the use of Paddy Transplanter Machine, mat-type nurseries are prepared about 16 days before transplanting paddy, the size of which is 1 foot by 2 feet.

When the paddy seedlings are more than 15 days old, these nurseries are taken out and arranged in the machine, after which the machine does the work of transplanting in the prepared fields. The use of this machine reduces the cost of transplanting paddy by 70-80 percent. It also saves a lot of time, one liter of petrol is consumed in just one hour and paddy is transplanted in one acre in two hours. The most important thing is that it increases the production of paddy by 15-20 percent. This machine, costing about Rs 2.87 lakh, is being made available to farmers on subsidy by the Department of Agricultural Engineering. During the demonstration, farmers appreciated the functioning of this machine and many farmers also expressed their desire to buy it. This initiative is a big step towards making paddy cultivation more profitable and efficient for the farmers of Mandla, which will increase their income and overall agricultural productivity.
AIIMS Bhopal launches specialised ACT Clinic, playroom for child cancer survivors





Staff Reporter :

AIIMS Bhopal has taken a significant step toward improving the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors by launching a specialized Pediatric after Completion of Therapy ACT clinic. This initiative focuses on addressing long-term health concerns faced by survivors even after successful treatment. Nearly 80% of children diagnosed with cancer survive and go on to lead normal lives when provided with timely and comprehensive care. AIIMS Bhopal already offers holistic cancer care for children, including accurate diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Many children who have completed treatment are now living healthy lives.

However, recovery does not mark the end of their journey, as survivors often experience challenges related to growth, development, hormonal balance, heart health, neurological issues, and emotional well-being. To address these concerns, the ACT clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team consisting of a pediatric oncologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, neurodevelopment specialist, psycho-oncologist, nutritionist, physiotherapist, social worker, and teacher. The Department of Anatomy will coordinate this holistic support, ensuring care during both treatment and follow-up phases. This integrated approach aims to help children not only survive cancer but thrive afterward. Ajai Singh also inaugurated a modern, well-equipped playroom in the paediatric ward, supported by Cankids-Kidscan, an organisation dedicated to improving childhood cancer care.

This therapeutic space is designed to offer comfort and joy to kids undergoing treatment for cancer and chronic illnesses, providing them with moments of happiness amid their medical challenges. He said Healing is not just about medicine; its about restoring hope, strength, and joy. Our ACT Clinic is a step toward nurturing the long-term well-being of childhood cancer survivors. The playroom is our effort to bring smiles during some of their toughest times. AIIMS Bhopal remains committed to comprehensive, compassionate, and child-friendly healthcare.
Bangladesh halts demolition of Satyajit Rays ancestral home at Indias behest





NEW DELHI :

AFTER concerns were raised by India, the demolition of legendary film-maker Satyajit Rays ancestral home in Bangladeshs Mymensingh has been halted. The Bangladesh authorities have formed a panel to see how the house, which now has just a few walls left standing, can be reconstructed. This ancestral home of Ray at Mymensingh City belonged to his grandfather, and renowned exponent in childrens literature, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. The issue of the demolition was raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who requested the Centre to intervene with the Bangladeshi government to halt the demolition, stating that the house was closely linked to Bengals cultural history. At the same time, she had also appealed to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house. In a post on her official X handle CM Banerjee wrote that reports of the demolition were extremely distressing. The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture.

Upendrakishore is a pillar of Bengals renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal, CM Banerjee wrote. . I appeal to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house. The Indian government should pay attention to this matter, CM Banerjee wrote. Soon after her appeal was issued, the Union government announced its proposal to the Bangladesh government to collaborate with Dhaka for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Ray. Expressing concern over the demolition, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted film-maker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendrakishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.

The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair. Given the buildings landmark status, symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh, the government said. The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose, it added. Earlier, Bangladesh authorities had cited safety risks and suggested that a new concrete structure would replace the dilapidated house and serve as a centre for cultural activities, according to an NDTV report.
Bluru stampede: Police acted as servants of RCB: Ktaka





BENGALURU :

THE Karnataka Government on Thursday justified the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash before the High Court, arguing that the police officer and his colleagues acted as though they were servants of RCB during preparations for the IPL victory celebration, leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others. Senior Counsel P S Rajagopal, appearing for the State, told the court that even before the final IPL match was played, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had submitted a proposal to police officials regarding their victory celebrations. Instead of seeking authorisation for such a large public gathering, the officers began making security arrangements without consulting their superiors or confirming the permissions.

The most obvious response from the IPS officer should have been: You havent taken permission, Rajagopal said. Then, RCB would have had to approach the High Court, and the law would have taken its own course. He asserted that this failure to act responsibly led to operational lapses and a serious dereliction of duty. Arguing that making arrangements for a massive crowd in under 12 hours was impractical, Rajagopal questioned what proactive steps the suspended officer had taken during that time. He cited Section 35 of the Karnataka State Police Act, which empowers police to take necessary action, and criticised the officers for not utilising that authority. He added that no senior-level consultation had taken place, and that the officers were merely placed under interim suspension to prevent further damage.

When the Bench comprising Justices SG Pundit and TM Nadaf asked who oversaw security inside the stadium, Rajagopal replied it was State police personnel, admitting the security arrangements were clearly inadequate. He also took issue with the Central Administrative Tribunals (CAT) reasoning for quashing the suspension, particularly its remarks sympathising with police limitations. Reading from the CATs order, Rajagopal criticised the Tribunals observation that police personnel are also human beings, not God or magicians, calling it an inappropriate narrative more suited for storytelling by grandparents.

This is not what litigants expect from a judicial forum, he remarked. The States submissions came during its challenge to the CATs July 1 order that had quashed the suspension of Vikash Kumar Vikash and directed his immediate reinstatement with full pay and allowances. The Tribunal had concluded that there was no convincing evidence of negligence and observed that the police had very little time to react to RCBs sudden social media announcement of the celebration. It noted that crowd control for an estimated three to five lakh people required significantly more time and preparation than was available.

Despite recognising that RCBs actions triggered the crowd build-up, the Tribunal held that the police could not be expected to perform miracles. Following this, on July 2, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty informed the High Court that Vikash had resumed duties in uniform. The Court, however, refused to stay the CAT order and listed the matter for a detailed hearing the following day. On July 3, a division bench orally questioned whether suspension was necessary and suggested that a departmental shift might have sufficed. The AG insisted the suspension was well-supported by records and sought a stay of the CAT ruling. Senior Counsel Dhyan Chinnappa, representing Vikash, assured the court that no contempt proceedings would be initiated. The Bench, in turn, advised against precipitative action until the matter is conclusively resolved. Notably, Vikash is the only one among five suspended officers to challenge the decision before the Tribunal. The others include Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, DCP Shekar H Tekkannavar, ACP C Balakrishna, and Inspector A K Girish.
Chhattisgarh shines on national stage Bilha becomes Indias cleanest town with population under 20,000





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Chhattisgarh has once again emerged as a beacon of cleanliness on the national map. In the Swachh Survekshan 202425, conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, as many as seven urban bodies from the state have showcased exceptional performance, bringing pride to the state. In a standout achievement, Bilha Nagar Panchayat has been ranked the cleanest city in India among towns with a population under 20,000. In the 310 lakh population category, Bilaspur secured the second spot nationally, while Kumhari ranked third among towns with a population between 20,000 and 50,000. President Droupadi Murmu presented the national awards at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister and State Urban Administration and Development Department Minister Arun Sao, along with mayors, chairpersons, and officials of the respective local bodies, received the awards from the President of India. Union Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu were also present at the award ceremony.

The spotlight didnt end there. Cities like Ambikapur, Patan, Bishrampur, and Raipur further elevated the states stature. In a newly introduced category  the Super Sanitation League (SSL)  cities that have ranked in the top 3 at least once in the past three years and are in the top 20 this year were honoured. Ambikapur made its mark in the 50,000 to 3 lakh category, while Patan and Bishrampur secured their places in the under-20,000 population group. Additionally, Raipur, the state capital, was recognised as Chhattisgarhs Promising Swachh City, highlighting its consistent efforts and future potential in urban sanitation. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, extending his congratulations to all the winning urban bodies, said this is a proud moment for the state.

These achievements reflect the collective commitment of citizens, civic bodies, and the administration towards cleanliness, he said. Such recognition will inspire other towns and cities in Chhattisgarh to aim higher in their pursuit of becoming clean, beautiful urban spaces. Deputy Chie Minister Arun Sao also congratulated the award-winning civic bodies and said, This is not just a matter of honour for Chhattisgarh but a testament to our sustained efforts toward sanitation. He added that many other urban local bodies from the state will soon emerge on the national stage. From local urban governments to the state and central leadership, all stakeholders are relentlessly working towards creating cleaner, smarter, and more livable cities through continuous innovation, he said.

CG embodies Swacchta Parmo Dharma

Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

July 17 Chhattisgarh has embodied the true spirit of Swacchta Paramo Dharama, said Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao as Chhattisgarhs seven urban bodies received national awards together in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25. Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration and Development Minister, Arun Sao, made this announcement in New Delhi, after accepting the awards alongside mayors, chairpersons, and officials from the winning civic bodies. For the first time, so many urban bodies of Chhattisgarh have received national awards together, stated Sao. He attributed the remarkable achievement to the commitment of Vishnus good governance and urban administration department, the cooperation of all Swachhta Mitras and the city residents. Sao highlighted that the Good Governance Government had allocated Rs 7400 crore last year for the development and cleanliness of these bodies, which has now yielded this pleasant result. After receiving the prestigious awards, Deputy Chief Minister Sao declared that Chhattisgarh has truly embodied the motto of Swachhta Paramo Dharma.

The people of the state have successfully integrated cleanliness into their culture. Sao credited this national recognition to the able guidance of the respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the good governance of Vishnu, the cooperation of the people of the state, and the dedication and hard work of the officers and employees. Sao detailed the proactive measures taken by the Urban Administration and Development Department since he assumed responsibility. He noted that officials were directed to conduct regular inspections in the field, which led to a positive change in the cleanliness system in the cities. Areas with significant garbage accumulation were identified as cleanliness targeted units, with a strong emphasis on their remediation.

Furthermore, a two-day Nagar Suraj Sangam event was organized in the capital, Raipur. During this summit, public representatives and officials from all urban bodies were educated on best practices and innovations in cleanliness adopted both domestically and internationally. They were also encouraged to undertake study tours to the countrys cleanest cities to implement similar effective strategies in their respective areas. Following these tours, a workshop was held where experiences were shared, and implemented innovations were brainstormed. I am confident that in the coming times, even better results will be seen in the field of cleanliness in Chhattisgarh, Sao affirmed, looking ahead to continued progress in urban sanitation.
Generic drugs, less investigations may cut cost of medical treatment





By Vikas Vaidya :

Though State Government has brought in various schemes through which people can avail healthcare, still majority people cant afford it. There are several reasons. With 80 per cent healthcare system is being looked after by private set-up the cost of medical treatment has gone beyond the reach of poor and lower middle class people. To add to the problems, corporate hospitals are taking over. There are Government hospitals to get the treatment where they charge marginally. People can surely afford the treatment in Government hospitals in terms of money. Unfortunately Government hospitals are no more functioning the way they were in the past. To begin with, the Government should check if generic drugs replace the branded ones, whether the number of investigations are reduced. There are some more aspects working on which may result in the reduction of overall cost of medical treatment. The Hitavada talked to some doctors, people from Non-Government Organisations (NGO) to know what exactly should be done to reduce the cost? Drugs is one major factor that increases the treatment cost.

There are generic medicines but no doctor can confidently ask patients to go for those which are much cheaper than the branded ones. I think if Government could come up with an assurance about generic medicine it will do the wonder, said former Joint Director of State Medical Education Dr Prakash Wakode. We used to do tracheostomy without gloves. One syringe we used by boiling. Not using glove, proper utilisation of syringes helped in reducing the medical treatment cost. But now no one can dare of applying that system as the scientific development has come, new molecules have come. There is a risk of infection if the old system used. About generic drugs, fool proof study is not possible but gross idea we can have.

Those who cant afford should go for generic. In investigation we are helpless. Molecules are same. Randomise control should be brought, added Dr Wakode. Agreeing to what Dr Wakode said Dr Vedprakash Mishra, well-known Medical Educationist, said, I feel if we do extensive research in Ayurveda and prepare the drugs we can do the wonderful work. Everything is given in the Samhita and we dont have to go anywhere. This will surely change the scenario of medical treatment. But Rajio Jagtap, an office-bearer of Janmanch has different opinion. According to Jagtap, generic medicines is the option. Brand should not be written. As far as components in the drugs are concerned, the arguments of doctors that some components are absent in generic is wrong. Plane paracetomol is there in generic. When new molecule found out, the company does research on it. The patenting cost is for 15 years. It gets opened but the rates are not changed.

Through generic its cost gets reduced. Medicine cost if reduced it will help in reduction of treatment cost. Londons NHS system must be studied where FDA license is compulsory to everyone. There they get license on the basis of contents and not for patent. If the issue is there of quality then FDA is not doing its work. Action should be taken against FDA. MRP, cost of production be mentioned on the packets or bottles of medicines. It will let people understand the actual cost, explained Jagtap. Dr Vedprakash Mishra, feels investigation is another sector that drains the pockets of patients. Some investigations are really not necessary but those are done due to the fear of Consumer Protection Act. Now clinical diagnosis has become passe.

When a patient approaches a hospital he or she has to undergo several investigations. If a doctor does not do the investigation and patient suffers from major problem or dies, doctor will not have any proof to prove his innocence. In that case consumer court is likely to ask doctor to pay the huge compensation to the patient or the relatives. Because of fear of getting punished a lot of investigations are done. Patients lose lot of revenue due to these investigations, explained Dr Mishra. Dr Nandu Kolwadkar, ex-President of national unit of Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI),supported the point about consumer court raised by Dr Mishra. Several doctors have suffered without their faults. Earlier doctors used to do clinical diagnosis only. Now even patients have started suggesting us the investigations, pointed out Dr Kolwadkar.

What Dr Mishra or Dr Kolwadkar said is true. Investigations increase the cost. People have to visit diagnostic centres, pathology laboratories number of times. In private set-up doctors too admit some investigations are unnecessary. Investigations rates should be regulated. There should be a machinery that would decide the cost, suggested Jagtap. Rajio Jagtap expressed his disagreement about CPA. How many cases are there in consumer court? How many cases we witnessed where doctors or hospitals faced severe punishment? The number is very negligible. CPA is just an escape route for hospitals to carry more and more investigations, said Jagtap.
Governor Deka presents Utkrisht MLA Samman to Bohra, Baghel





RAIPUR :

GOVERNOR of Chhattisgarh Ramen Deka honoured Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Pandariya legislative assembly constituency Bhawna Bohra and Congress MLA from Bastar legislative assembly constituency Lakheshwar Baghel Utkrisht Vidhayak Samman-2024 in Utkrishtata Alankaran Samaroh held at Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Secretariat premises on Wednesday evening. Senior journalist Rakesh Pandey was felicitated with Utkrisht Sansadiya Patrakar Samman-2024 in the function while senior journalist Yogesh Mishra was honoured with Utkrisht Electronic Media Reporter-2024 in the function. Cameraman Vishwaprakash Puraina was also felicitated with the Utkrisht Electronic Cameraman Samman-2024 in the function. They were honoured with memento and prize. Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh presided over the function.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was present as a special invitee in the function. Speaking at the function, Governor Ramen Deka underscored the critical role of the Legislative Assembly as the temple of democracy, urging its members to prioritise public interest and address citizens hopes and dreams. He called upon MLAs to work diligently for the welfare of the people. Governor Deka lauded the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, recognizing it as one of the finest in the country and extended his congratulations to the MLAs, journalists, and cameramen who were felicitated at the event. To keep the spirit of our parliamentary democracy alive, it is necessary to respectfully follow parliamentary traditions and procedures, Governor Deka stated. He emphasized that the true significance of any legislative house lies in public welfare.

For the overall development of the country and the state, it is necessary that all public representatives rise above party boundaries and work unitedly in a spirit of coordination and cooperation, he added. Drawing from his extensive political and parliamentary experience, Governor Deka highlighted the profound responsibility of elected representatives. An elected public representative is not just a person, he represents the aspirations, needs and beliefs of the people of his constituency, he asserted. He stressed that it is an MLAs ultimate duty to always be alert, sensitive and dedicated towards the feelings of his people. He further elaborated on the true essence of politics: We have to internalize the fact that politics is not just a means of achieving position or facilities, but it is a path of service, sacrifice and continuous sadhna. Deka stated that working with this spirit will strengthen democracy, bolster public confidence, and propel the state and the country towards development.

In his address, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh congratulated MLAs Bhawna Bohra and Lakheshwar Baghel on receiving their awards. Dr Singh specifically noted that Bhawna Bohra had earned the Utkrisht Vidhayak Samman despite being a first-time MLA. He also extended his congratulations to the journalists and cameramen who were honored at the event. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Dr Charan Das Mahant also congratulated the recipients of the award. Secretary of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Dinesh Sharma gave the welcome address. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kedar Kashyap proposed the vote of thanks. Speaker Dr Raman Singhs wife Veena Singh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sais wife Kaushalya Sai and Korba MP Jyotsana Mahant were also present on the dais. Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao, Vijay Sharma, cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs and officers attended the programme.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States. In 1977, with LGBTQ+ rights, housing issues, and workplace discrimination as his priorities, he won the election to become a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was 47 years old and had a wealth of activism under his belt. He arrived in the Castro neighborhood in 1972, where he opened a photo shop (at the counter of which he met photographer Dan Nicoletta, who would later portray his life, death, and legacy). He had previously served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, though he only lasted four years before being discharged due to his sexuality.

In San Francisco, he became a local leader and, noticing the lack of visibility for diverse people in the political arena, he ran for various public offices. He tried on three occasions until he was successful in 1977. He was known as the Mayor of Castro Street. One of his campaigns was against the Briggs Initiative  California Proposition 6  as the legislative attempt to ban lesbians and gay men from working in public schools was known. Milk won that battle. He also got the City Council to move forward with the approval of an anti-discrimination law.

Furthermore, the rainbow flag is also part of his legacy. It was Milk who commissioned artist Gilbert Baker to create a symbol to represent the LGBTQ+ community. Until then, the triangle had been employed, which was used by the Nazis to denote homosexuality and later reinterpreted as a symbol of resistance. Baker presented the politician and activist with the multicolored flag. The first time it was waved was at San Francisco Pride in 1978.

Milk was a leader in this idea of not hiding in the shadows, said LGBTQ+ history expert Craig Loftin in The Guardian. For this professor of American studies at California State University, in the big-picture history of LGBTQ+ people, the quest for public visibility and recognition is at the core and center of that narrative.

In November 1978, after 11 months in office, Milk was shot and killed alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. After his death, he became an icon of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. In 2009, Barack Obama awarded Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, a U.S. Navy ship was named after the activist and politician: the USNS Harvey Milk. A few weeks ago, the Trump administration renamed the ship.

I am pleased to announce that the United States Navy is renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. We are taking the politics out of ship naming, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on social media on June 27, formalizing the renaming.

This is a shameful attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people to society, the Harvey Milk Foundation, which defends the activists legacy and now sells T-shirts featuring the ship and its original name, stated. This criticism has been echoed by other organizations within the collective, as well as by the Democratic opposition, which also considers the name change an affront to the fundamental American values of honoring veterans and those who worked to build a better country.

The USNS 'Harvey Milk,' whose name has been changed by the Trump administration. NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding Company)

The figure of Harvey Milk was chronicled in The Times of Harvey Milk (1984, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary a year later) and also in 2008 in Milk, by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Penn, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the politician and activist. The films promotion had to be delayed slightly because in November 2008, California voted on Proposition 8, which threatened to ban same-sex marriages throughout the state. Those responsible for the production didnt want people to confuse the clips from the film with the political debate of the moment. In the end, they both broached similar subjects: LGBTQ+ rights, although 30 years apart.

Proposition 8 advocated eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry through an amendment to the State Constitution to recognize marriages only when they are between a man and a woman.

Fifty-two percent of California voters supported the proposal: same-sex marriages were suspended in California. In 2010, a federal court declared the amendment unconstitutional. Three years later, the Supreme Court upheld it. In 2015, the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling granted legal protection to same-sex marriage throughout the United States, as the Supreme Court held that the Constitution guaranteed this right.

Now, in 2025, radical movements in the U.S., primarily in the religious sphere, are pushing to ask the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges. They want to repeat the sweep of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that protected abortion rights nationwide and was overturned in 2022 thanks to the courts conservative supermajority.

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in a scene from the 2008 movie.

After Trumps second victory in November of last year, same-sex marriages increased in the United States. Couples saw marriage as a legal framework that granted them greater protection. In 2022, Democrat Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, specifically to protect same-sex marriages in the event of future changes to the law.

My optimistic thought is that because theyre hitting us so hard and so fast, the pendulum will swing back the other direction, hopefully harder and faster, Professor Loffin said in the aforementioned Guardian article. [Trump] is awakening a dragon.

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Indore moves to Super Swachh League Ahmedabad cleanest city





Droupadi Murmu presents the Swachh Shehar - Rank 2 award (in more than 10 lakh population category) to Bhopal as Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and MoS for Housing & Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu look on during the Swachh Survekshan Awards ceremony, in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)

Bhopal named 2nd cleanest

NEW DELHI :

AHMEDABAD was named the cleanest big city on Thursday, followed by Bhopal and Lucknow in the Governments annual cleanliness survey, even as Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai and Vijayawada were elevated to a newly-formed Super Swachh League Cities category for demonstrating exceptional performance in sanitation. The results of the Swachh Survekshan were announced on Thursday. According to the Government, 14 crore people participated in the survey through face-to-face interactions, the Swachhata App, MyGov and social media platforms in over 4,500 cities. Seventy-eight awards were presented this year across four categories -- Super Swachh League Cities; Top three clean cities in five population categories; Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, MahaKumbh; and State Level Awards -- Promising clean city of a State or Union Territory. Under the new category Super Swachh League, Noida emerged as the cleanest city, followed by Chandigarh and Mysore in the three to 10 lakh population category. President Droupadi Murmu gave away the awards to the winners at an event which was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and others. Talking about the Super Swachh League city award category, an official in the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai have topped the list of cleanest cities in the last few years and set new parameters in the field of cleanliness.

To promote new cities towards cleanliness, the Swachh Shahar category has also been introduced, the official said. Swachh Survekshan: As Indore, Bhopal win, CM Yadav says MP now cleanliness pioneer: MADHYA Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav hailed the stellar performance of his State in the Swachh Survekshan, results of which were announced. In the Super Swachh League city award category, Indore topped the list followed by Surat in Gujarat and Maharashtras Navi Mumbai, while the Swachh Shahar category for cities with a population of more than 10 lakh saw Ahmedabad securing first position, Bhopal coming second and Lucknow taking third spot. Yadav, in a post on X, said, Indore at the top of cleanliness... Indore being honoured as the countrys cleanest city in the Super Swachh League Cities category by President Droupadi Murmu at the Swachh Survey-2024 felicitation ceremony is a matter of great pride for the people of the State.

Bhopal, Dewas, Shahganj, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain and Budhni also received awards, which was proof that Madhya Pradesh had now become a pioneer in the country in terms of cleanliness. For this success, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the citizens of all the local bodies of the State, especially the sanitation workers, public representatives and the concerned officials, Yadav said. Hailing Indore achievement of topping the survey for the eighth consecutive time, MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari said, By incorporating cleanliness into sanskar, Indore has now made a tradition of getting respect! This is possible only through public awareness! Ujjain and Budhni have also set an example in the Super Swachh City League category! Congratulations to the people of both the cities from my side too! The citizens of Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Dewas, Shahganj too deserve praise for keeping these cities clean, he added.

This achievement is the result of the collective effort and resolve of the people of the state. Hearty congratulations to all the citizens, sanitation workers and bodies! Bhopal has set a new record in the field of cleanliness in this competition, MP minister Vishwas Sarang said. By securing the second position in the category of cities with a population of more than 10 lakh in Swachhata Super League - 2024, Bhopal has ensured its place in the top 3 clean cities. As a capital, the identity of our Bhopal has now become even stronger as a clean, beautiful and smart city. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the people of Bhopal for this achievement, Sarang further said. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said the feat had been achieved due to the citys habit, discipline and collective efforts. I express gratitude to the citys sanitation workers. Because of their hard work and dedication Indore is able to maintain its top position in the countrys cleanliness rankings.

I urge the citizens to welcome and appreciate the sanitation workers when they visit their areas and to take ownership of maintaining cleanliness, Bhargava said in a message. According to the Union Government, 14 crore people participated in the survey through face-to-face interactions, the Swachhata App, MyGov and social media platforms in over 4,500 cities. Seventy-eight awards were presented this year across four categories -- Super Swachh League Cities; Top three clean cities in five population categories; Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Mahakumbh; and State Level Awards -- Promising clean city of a State or Union Territory. President Droupadi Murmu gave away the awards to the winners at an event in the national capital which was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and others.
Jabalpur named 5th cleanest city





Staff Reporter :

City also bags prestigious 7-Star Garbage-Free City Rating, Water Plus City certification and 2nd rank in Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar category

In a historic moment for the city, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has been ranked 5th in the country in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, marking a significant leap from its 13th position last year. The city has also been awarded a prestigious 7-Star Garbage-Free City Rating, Water Plus City certification and secured 2nd rank in Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar (SSS) category, establishing itself as one of the cleanest and most sustainable urban hubs in India. The awards were conferred in a grand ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of State Tokhan Sahu, Secretary Shreenivas R Katikithala and Joint Secretary Rupa Mishra, on Thursday. Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh, Municipal Commissioner Preeti Yadav, Nodal Officer Sambhav Ayachi, Health Officer Ankita Burman and Assistant Nodal Officer Abhinav Mishra received the awards on behalf of the city. Mayor Singh expressed immense pride over the achievement, calling it a landmark moment in the citys history.

For the first time, Jabalpur has appeared in the top 5 cleanest cities in the country among cities with a population of over 10 lakh. Achieving a 7-star rating and Water Plus certification together is a rare feat, he stated. Municipal Commissioner Preeti Yadav apprised of detailed statistics, saying Jabalpur scored 11,989 out of a total 12,005 points, translating to a remarkable 96% score. The city achieved 9,489 out of 10,000 in Swachh Survekshan, 1,300 out of 1,300 in Garbage-Free City rating, 1,200 out of 1,200 in ODF (Open Defecation Free) category. She said this level of performance, near perfect in every category, speaks volumes of the untiring effort put in by the Municipal Corporation team and residents of Jabalpur. She further acknowledged the essential role of public participation, expressing gratitude to residents for their positive cooperation and appealed for continued support in future cleanliness drives.

FROM 3-STAR TO 7-STAR: A REMARKABLE JOURNEY

The transformation of Jabalpurs cleanliness profile, from a 3-star city to a 7-star rated Garbage-Free City and a leap from 13th to 5th rank was lauded as a milestone achievement for the JMCs leadership. Both the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner reaffirmed their commitment to pushing Jabalpur towards Rank 1 in future editions of the survey.

Citywide celebrations, wishes pour in

Since the announcement, congratulatory messages and good wishes have been pouring in from citizens, civic bodies and dignitaries. The Mayor and Municipal Commissioner have expressed heartfelt thanks to all stakeholders and reiterated their vision of transforming Jabalpur into one of Indias cleanest and most liveable cities. The duo said that with this remarkable performance, Jabalpur has not only created a Citywide celebrations, wishes pour in benchmark for urban cleanliness but has also reinforced its identity as a model city for sustainable and inclusive urban governance.
Kolkata college gangrape: Student appears for law semester exams





KOLKATA :

ABOUT three weeks after she was allegedly raped by her two seniors and an alumnus of South Calcutta Law College, the first-year student of the institute appeared for semester exams, her family said on Thursday. The student kept herself away from all distractions and entirely focused on her preparations, since the June 25 incident, for the first semester exams, her father told PTI. My daughter helped investigators and met lawyers and members of the state womens commission whenever required. But she concentrated on her preparations for the exams and isolated herself from all other developments, news and discussions.

She is a brave girl and knew that she could give a befitting reply to all those pointing fingers at her by good academic results. She appeared for tests on Wednesday, the father said. The student collected her admit card with the help of the college, he said. Asked if his daughter was initially in two minds about writing papers, the father said, She was in trauma, but we kept telling her to appear for the exams. We told her that if she acquires the strength to write papers, it will set an example for others who are fighting for justice. She is not the one who should be embarrassed. The perpetrators who committed such a barbarity should be ashamed.

Had she skipped the exams, she would have had to appear for supplementary tests, which we did not want, he added. A senior official from the States higher education department said all necessary arrangements had been made to ensure that she could write her papers feeling safe and secure. One of her classmates expressed happiness on hearing that she wrote papers. West Bengal Commission For Women Chairperson Leena Gangopadhyay, who had urged the student to appear for the exams when she met her with a counsellor, expressed happiness over her decision. Her decision to appear for the exams will motivate other tormented women and give a strong message to the alleged rapists.

I pledge every kind of support to her in this battle for justice and empowerment, she said. On June 25, the college student was allegedly gang-raped on the campus. Four people, including former student and contractual employee Monojit Mishra and two students, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, were arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape. A security guard at the college was also apprehended.
Mess with India, face consequences





JAIPUR :

Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah with Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma during the Cooperative and Employment Festival, at Dadiya village, in Jaipur district on Thursday. (PTI)

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said a strong message has gone out to the world that no one should mess with Indias citizens, its borders or its Defence Forces, and those who do so will have to face consequences. Referring to Operation Sindoor carried out to destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done the biggest job of securing the country. During Congress rule, the country had to face terror attacks almost every day. When the Uri attack occurred, Modi took decisive action and a surgical strike was carried out. Following the Pulwama attack, an airstrike was done. And when an attack took place in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor was launched, targeting terrorists within Pakistan and eliminating them, he said. Shah, who is also Minister for Cooperation, was here to attend an event on the occasion of International Cooperatives Year-2025. Modis actions sent a strong message globally.

Through them, Modi conveyed a powerful message to the world that Indias citizens, armed forces, and borders should not be messed with. Anyone who dares to do so has to face consequences, he said. Modi, he added, has turned the vision of a prosperous, secure and developed India into reality. Under Modis leadership, the country has become fourth largest economy in the world and 27 crore people were lifted above the poverty line, the Union Minister told the gathering. Praising Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, he said the BJP Government in Rajasthan had done remarkable work in a short period of time.

Rajasthan was suffering due to paper leaks. By forming an SIT, the Bhajanlal Government has sent a strong message to the paper leak mafia, he said. Under Sharmas leadership, Rajasthan signed MoUs worth Rs 35 lakh crore during an investment summit and work has already commenced on MoUs worth Rs 3 lakh crore, Shah said. The BJP Government in the State decreased VAT on petrol and diesel and several other initiatives were taken, he went on to say. He also praised the state Government for effectively implementing schemes and programmes of the Central Government. Shah lauded the contributions made by the cooperative sector in the countrys development over the last century and said that the next 100 years are the years of cooperatives.

With the vision of reaching every corner of the nation, Modi established a Ministry of Cooperation at the central level. Today, cooperatives play an active role in 98 per cent of rural areas, he said. Highlighting the sectors contribution to the economy, he said the ministry launched 61 initiatives in the last four years to strengthen the sector. The creation of two lakh new PACS (primary agricultural credit societies) has already started with 40,000 PACS already set up. We have completed the computerization of PACS and all States have accepted the new model bylaws for PACS, he said. He also spoke of Rajasthans agricultural contributions. The Minister said the Government has initiated research on camel breed preservation and medicinal qualities of camel milk.

This will ensure the long-term survival of camels in the coming years, he said. Chief Minister Sharma also highlighted the works and achievements of his Government. We are working to ensure that the benefits of cooperatives reach our people. Under Modis leadership, we have a plan that every beneficiary, whether it is the Centre or the State, should get its benefits, he said. During his visit, Shah inaugurated 24 food grain storage warehouses and 64 millet outlets virtually and also visited an exhibition of cooperative products. Among those present at the event were Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Chief Ministers Prem Chand Bairwa and Diya Kumari, and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Nagpur ranks 27th in Swachh Survekshan 2024





The city and its citizens: Since becoming bin-free, Nagpur continues to get dirtier due to its uncivilised citizens.

By Kaushik Bhattacharya :

Failed again to gain any star in Garbage-free City category

Scored 1% in Source Segregation category

With results of the Swachh Survekshan 2024 out, Nagpur saw its ranking improve to 27th among 44 cities with over 10 lakh population. Last year, the second capital of Maharashtra was at 86th position among 446 urban local bodies under Swachh Bharat Mission. Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, on Thursday, released the rankings in which Nagpur city scored 9,463 out of 12,500 marks in the category of million plus-population cities. The marks were distributed in four phases in which Nagpur got 8,263 marks out of 10,000. Also, Nagpur got certification in the category of Open Defecation-Free (ODF). Out of 2,500 marks in ODF certification, Nagpur got 1,200 marks. Despite absence of scientific treatment and poor source segregation of solid waste, Nagpur city has improved its ranking.





Mixed bag for Vidarbha

Amravati and Chandrapur cities of Vidarbha performed well in Swachh Survekshan 2024 as Amravati got 18th national ranking in 3 lakh-10 lakh population category whereas Chandrapur got 21st national ranking in the same category. Performance of Akola city was poor as it got 71st national ranking in 3 lakh-10 lakh population category. In 50,000-3 lakh population slab, Gadchiroli scored 139th national ranking followed by Wardha (149th), Gondia (278th), Yavatmal (317th), Washim (483rd) and Buldhana (524th). In Cleanliness of Residential Area category, Nagpur, Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Wardha and Washim scored 100% marks. Similarly, in Cleanliness of Market Area category all 11 cities of Vidarbha scored full marks. Whereas, Cleanliness of water-bodies category, Buldhana, Gadchiroli, Wardha and Washim scored zero marks.

The marks under Door to Door Collection of Waste and Source Segregation categories of Nagpur city indicate a concerning downturn which should be addressed quickly. In the citys report card, Nagpur got 30% marks in Door to Door Collection of Waste category and just 1% in Source Segregation. Nagpur failed yet gain in getting any star in Garbage-free City (GFC). Nagpur is the only city in the country generating revenue by selling treated water for last few years. Under Water+ category, a city must have to treat its sewage and reuse it. This year, Nagpur got the Water+ certification like previous year. The primary goal of Swachh Survekshan was to encourage large-scale citizen participation and create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities better places to reside in. Nagpur has done relatively better this year. Last year Nagpur had scored 6,164 marks out of 9,500. Thus, the percentage scoring was 64.8, whereas, this year Nagpur scored 9,463 marks out of 12,500 with the percent scoring at 74.6, told Kaustav Chatterjee, Brand Ambassador of Nagpur city for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to The Hitavada. Surprisingly, Nagpur has scored only 1% under Source Segregation and 30% under Door to Door waste collection, which raise question on valuation and marking method. Nagpur Municipal Corporation should challenge such less scores under these two heads. Nagpur should have scored at least 60-70% under heads source segregation and door to door waste collection, which would have enhanced Nagpurs position significantly, added Chatterjee.

Poor condition of water bodies, yet Nagpur gets 100% marks !!

Despite dried up lakes and inlets of sewage in rivers, Nagpur city scored 100% marks in Cleanliness of Water Bodies in this years Swachh Survekshan ranking. The cent per cent marks in this category raising questions over the valuation criteria as most of the lakes in city have dried due to desilting process or flooded with Eichhornia weeds. Similarly, rivers in the city are turned into open drain as the civic body failed to clean all the three rivers from last many years.

Nagpur may adopt underperforming city

To promote Each One Clean One initiative, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, on Thursday, launched Swachh City Partnership programme, a unique mentorship campaign where 78 top-performing cities will each adopt and mentor one underperforming city from their respective states. Under the initiative, Nagpur will adopt and mentor one poor performing city in Maharashtra. The winning cities will guide, handhold and lead the way for the others with an objective to bring the low-performing cities on top.

NMC working hard to improve score next year: Municipal Commissioner

Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, said, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is working on different projects to make city garbage-free and clean. Projects like C&D waste recycling, composed biogas project and bio-mining are some of the initiatives that NMC is working on. Like last year, this year also Nagpur stook 27th in Swachh Survekshan and under the some parameters, the city improved its performance. Many public awareness events like Ek Tarik Ek Taas, Swachh Muhalla Contest, Swachh Market Contest, Eco Bricks etc. also were conducted throughout the year. Citizens response to these intiatives has been enthusiastic.
Revival of Russia-India-China troika! China backs Russias initiative





BEIJING :

CHINA on Thursday expressed its support for Russias initiative to revive the dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) troika, saying the trilateral cooperation not only serves the interest of the three countries but also the security and stability of the region and the world. Russian news portal Izvestia on Thursday quoted Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is negotiating on this issue with Beijing and New Delhi.

This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS, Rudenko said. Therefore, the absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC -- of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format, he said. Asked for his reaction to Rudenkos comments at a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said, China-Russia- India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world. China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation, he said.

The Russian and Chinese interests in the revival of the RIC followed the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to China to take part in the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, during which he held talks with top Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Joint work in the RIC format was stalled, first because of the coronavirus and later by the India-China military standoff at Eastern Ladakh in 2020, Lavrov said last year.

The Ladakh standoff resulted in the freeze of India-China relations for over four years. The bilateral ties revived after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Kazan last year on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Since then, there has been a steady dialogue process between the two countries to normalise relations. Jaishankars recent trip came after the visits of NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to China. Lavrov said in May that Russia, which shares close ties with India and China, is genuinely interested in the revival of the RIC format. He said the trilateral mechanism initiated by Russias former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov resulted in 20 meetings between the three countries at various levels. The three countries were the prime movers of the formation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the New Development Bank (NDB) of the grouping, which now includes 10 members.

A host of issues, including the growing rivalry between India and China and Beijings persistent backing of its all-weather ally Pakistan in its anti-India acts, diluted the RICs relevance and importance. Of late, there is increasing Russian and Chinese interest in the revival of RIC as India has become a member of Quad - the emerging alliance of the US, India, Japan and Australia, which is seen by Beijing as a grouping aimed at containing its rise. For its part, Russia is concerned over the emerging closer ties between India and the European Union in the backdrop of its continued war against Ukraine, according to the Russian analysts. Lidia Kulik, a senior researcher at the Centre for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that any format of cooperation in Eurasia is useful because the continent has long been tired of endless conflicts. For India, relations with Russia traditionally play an important role, given that New Delhi and Beijing have problems. Moscows involvement creates prospects for cooperation in the RIC format, Lidia told Izvestia.

Any revival of RIC hinges on mutual convenience: India

New Delhi,

July 17 (PTI)

India on Thursday indicated that any revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) mechanism hinges on mutual convenience of the three countries. New Delhis comments came hours after the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing supports Russias initiative to revive the RIC mechanism as it not only serves the interest of the three countries but also helps uphold the security and stability of the region. This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner, he said responding to a question.

Official sources said no meeting of the RIC format has been agreed to at this point in time and there are no discussions underway on its scheduling. Russian media quoted Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying on Thursday that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is discussing this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS, Rudenko said. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world.

China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing trilateral cooperation, he said. Work under the RIC format was stalled, first because of the Covid pandemic and later by the India-China military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last year. Under the RIC framework, the Foreign Ministers of the three countries used to meet periodically to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of their interest.
State Govt extends Nazul land Abhay Yojana to July 31, 2026





Staff Reporter :

MLA Pravin Datke regularly followed up the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule

Maharashtra Government has extended the date of applying for getting freehold of Nazul land under Abhay Yojana to July 31, 2026. Earlier, the last date was July 31, 2025. MLA Pravin Datke followed up the issue persistently. The decision to implement a special Abhay Yojana for Nazul land leased for residential use in Nagpur and Amravati divisions was taken in March 2024. MLA Pravin Datke, when he was a member of the Legislative Council, had demanded in 2024 that a special Abhay Yojana policy be implemented to make it convenient for Nazul land holders to pay ground rent, and accordingly, a safety policy for Nazul land was announced.

Therefore, a special Abhay Yojana with 2% freehold charges of the prevailing market value was implemented by the Government decision dated March 16, 2024. Under this, a campaign to convert land into Bhogwatdar Class 1 by charging 2% of the market value was started in Nagpur and Amravati divisions last year. This campaign is receiving a good response, which has given great relief to ordinary landowners. But the term of this special Abhay Yojana is set to end on July 31, 2025. After reviewing the comparative table of the response received from the citizens and the revenue received by the Government, there is a need to extend the term of this scheme, MLA Pravin Datke urged in a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Datke explained, Government received a revenue of Rs 9 crore between 2019 and 2024 at a rate of 5 percent based on the market value and after implementing the Special Protection Scheme, a revenue of Rs 24.65 crore has been collected in one year from 2024 to 2025 at a rate of 2 percent on the prevailing market value, hence this Special Protection Scheme has become a major revenue generator for the Government.. Therefore, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has accepted the demand for a one-year extension to the Special Protection Scheme regarding the Nazul land leased for residential purposes in Nagpur and Amravati divisions. The Divisional Commissioner Vijayalaxmi Bidari, District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar, and officers of the Revenue Department were present at this time. Pravin Datke expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. lessened its position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 7.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,486 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc.s holdings in Southern were worth $229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Investors Research Corp boosted its position in shares of Southern by 400.0% during the 1st quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 270 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the 1st quarter worth approximately $39,000. Elequin Capital LP raised its stake in shares of Southern by 60.6% during the 4th quarter. Elequin Capital LP now owns 498 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.10% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

SO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on Southern from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $93.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on Southern from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Southern from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial began coverage on Southern in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $98.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $93.20.

Southern Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:SO opened at $93.76 on Friday. Southern Company has a 12 month low of $80.46 and a 12 month high of $94.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $103.05 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The businesss 50-day moving average is $89.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.43.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.03. Southern had a return on equity of 12.70% and a net margin of 16.54%. The business had revenue of $7.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.03 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Southern Company will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th were given a dividend of $0.74 per share. This is an increase from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.16%. Southerns payout ratio is currently 70.64%.

About Southern

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by stock analysts at BTIG Research from $148.00 to $145.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a buy rating on the healthcare product makers stock. BTIG Researchs price target would suggest a potential upside of 16.17% from the companys previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $143.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Friday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $144.79.

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Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 3.6%

Abbott Laboratories stock traded up $4.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $124.82. 3,094,519 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,214,641. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $133.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $129.38. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $99.71 and a 52 week high of $141.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $217.17 billion, a PE ratio of 16.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.26. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 31.89% and a return on equity of 19.01%. The business had revenue of $11.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Abbott Laboratoriess quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Sally E. Blount sold 2,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $337,116.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 34,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,415,960.28. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Redwood Park Advisors LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the companys stock.

About Abbott Laboratories

(Get 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, Menieres 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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Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report) by 1.9% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 5,320 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after buying an additional 99 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,219,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,743,052 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $6,067,196,000 after buying an additional 184,288 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 36.1% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,126,707 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $2,751,187,000 after buying an additional 3,219,317 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,843,856 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,567,654,000 after buying an additional 667,957 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,351,537 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $1,437,161,000 after purchasing an additional 66,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,265,638 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $967,745,000 after purchasing an additional 267,436 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total value of $199,607.54. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at $783,194.25. This trade represents a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Raymond James Financial downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $219.22.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.4%

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $180.81 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $51.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.51, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. The firms 50-day moving average is $173.28 and its 200-day moving average is $204.71. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.28 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.28% and a return on equity of 15.99%. The business had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.17 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 9th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. Becton, Dickinson and Companys payout ratio is presently 79.39%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

(Free Report)

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.

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Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB  Free Report) by 133.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,700 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 8,400 shares during the quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.s holdings in M&T Bank were worth $2,628,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MTB. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 53.8% during the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 526 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 644 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $115,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of M&T Bank during the 1st quarter worth approximately $225,000. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $370,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in M&T Bank by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 67,987 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $12,782,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.68% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MTB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $200.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $189.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of M&T Bank in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of M&T Bank from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $210.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $225.00 to $200.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, M&T Bank presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $212.88.

Insider Activity at M&T Bank

In other news, Director Robert E. Sadler, Jr. sold 6,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.52, for a total transaction of $1,229,584.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 23,070 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,233,806.40. This trade represents a 22.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock.

M&T Bank Stock Performance

MTB traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $195.57. 155,391 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,310,752. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $184.31. M&T Bank Corporation has a 12 month low of $150.75 and a 12 month high of $225.70. The stock has a market cap of $31.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.04 by $0.24. M&T Bank had a return on equity of 10.35% and a net margin of 20.44%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.39 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.73 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that M&T Bank Corporation will post 16.57 earnings per share for the current year.

M&T Bank Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 2nd. M&T Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.17%.

About M&T Bank

(Free Report)

M&T Bank Corp. operates as a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking, trust, wealth management, and investment services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, Institutional Services and Wealth Management, and All Other.

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Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI  Free Report) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 148,257 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $1,342,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Pitney Bowes by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,162,512 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $153,217,000 after buying an additional 1,299,716 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Pitney Bowes by 103.0% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,269,207 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $9,189,000 after buying an additional 644,002 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Pitney Bowes by 43.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 932,635 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $6,752,000 after buying an additional 280,402 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in Pitney Bowes by 33.6% during the 4th quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 880,300 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $6,373,000 after buying an additional 221,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Pitney Bowes during the 4th quarter valued at $6,245,000. 67.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Pitney Bowes Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PBI traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $11.81. The company had a trading volume of 307,797 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,374,119. The company has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.98, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.60. Pitney Bowes Inc. has a 12-month low of $5.58 and a 12-month high of $12.55. The company has a fifty day moving average of $10.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.37.

Pitney Bowes Increases Dividend

Pitney Bowes ( NYSE:PBI Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $493.42 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $498.99 million. Pitney Bowes had a negative return on equity of 31.61% and a negative net margin of 7.18%. Pitney Bowess revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.01) EPS. Research analysts expect that Pitney Bowes Inc. will post 1.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th were issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.37%. This is an increase from Pitney Bowess previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. Pitney Bowess dividend payout ratio is currently -30.77%.

Insider Activity at Pitney Bowes

In related news, EVP Deborah Pfeiffer sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.14, for a total value of $424,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 115,405 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,401,016.70. This trade represents a 23.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 9.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on PBI. Sidoti upgraded Pitney Bowes to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Pitney Bowes from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th.

View Our Latest Research Report on PBI

Pitney Bowes Company Profile

(Free Report)

Pitney Bowes Inc, a shipping and mailing company, provides technology, logistics, and financial services to small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises, retailers, and government clients in the United States and internationally. It operates through Global Ecommerce, Presort Services, and SendTech Solutions segments.

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Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA  Free Report) by 28.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 59,193 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 23,989 shares during the quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $1,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter valued at about $989,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,191,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $718,000. Sigma Planning Corp bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $361,000. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $844,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.68% of the companys stock.

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Mueller Water Products Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:MWA traded up $0.11 during trading on Friday, reaching $25.48. 80,172 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,576,685. The firm has a market cap of $3.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $24.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.83. Mueller Water Products has a 1-year low of $18.55 and a 1-year high of $28.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 3.79 and a quick ratio of 2.49.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

Mueller Water Products ( NYSE:MWA Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The industrial products company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $364.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $352.30 million. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 10.48%. Mueller Water Productss quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.067 per share. This represents a $0.27 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. Mueller Water Productss dividend payout ratio is presently 29.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Mueller Water Products from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, July 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Mueller Water Products presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $26.25.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MWA

Insider Buying and Selling at Mueller Water Products

In other news, Director Brian Slobodow sold 7,376 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.57, for a total transaction of $181,228.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brian C. Healy bought 1,110 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $24.74 per share, with a total value of $27,461.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 15,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $389,160.20. The trade was a 7.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

About Mueller Water Products

(Free Report)

Mueller Water Products, Inc manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions.

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Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT  Free Report) by 39.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,762 shares of the restaurant operators stock after selling 5,636 shares during the period. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter valued at $479,000. LMG Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. LMG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,560 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $531,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Brinker International by 28.0% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 25,581 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $3,813,000 after acquiring an additional 5,598 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in Brinker International in the first quarter valued at approximately $4,406,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Brinker International by 94.8% in the first quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,853 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $276,000 after purchasing an additional 902 shares during the period.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Brinker International from $144.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Brinker International from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $156.41.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT traded down $2.16 on Friday, hitting $162.97. 74,625 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,503,045. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $56.27 and a 12 month high of $192.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.48, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $168.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $156.30.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a net margin of 6.50% and a return on equity of 333.03%. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. The companys revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 20,591 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,798,522.81. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total value of $1,703,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 99,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,916,236.92. This represents a 9.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,127 shares of company stock worth $2,128,062 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.72% of the companys stock.

About Brinker International

(Free Report)

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.

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Lipe & Dalton increased its stake in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM  Free Report) by 0.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 29,332 shares of the restaurant operators stock after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the quarter. Yum! Brands makes up approximately 2.6% of Lipe & Daltons investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Lipe & Daltons holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $4,616,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in YUM. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Yum! Brands by 151.4% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 156,690 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $24,657,000 after acquiring an additional 94,355 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new position in Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter worth $270,000. Sowell Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter worth $939,000. First National Bank Sioux Falls acquired a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter worth $283,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Yum! Brands by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 353,103 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $55,564,000 after purchasing an additional 6,673 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.37% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 272 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.28, for a total transaction of $40,332.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,755 shares of the companys stock, valued at $260,231.40. This trade represents a 13.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 7,117 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.60, for a total value of $1,043,352.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 102,893 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,084,113.80. This represents a 6.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,720 shares of company stock valued at $2,150,965 over the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Redburn Atlantic raised Yum! Brands from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $177.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Yum! Brands from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. TD Securities reissued a hold rating and set a $158.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Yum! Brands from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Yum! Brands from $151.00 to $153.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $159.86.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands Trading Up 0.5%

YUM stock traded up $0.73 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $148.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 143,685 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,982,130. The company has a market cap of $41.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.74. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $145.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $144.96. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 12 month low of $122.13 and a 12 month high of $163.30.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.01. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 20.80% and a net margin of 18.42%. The firm had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.15 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 5.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum! Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th were given a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 27th. Yum! Brandss payout ratio is currently 56.57%.

About Yum! Brands

(Free Report)

Yum! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division segments. It also operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products.

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Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX  Free Report) by 35.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,888 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the quarter. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLCs holdings in Louisiana-Pacific were worth $266,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 4.9% in the first quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,293 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $395,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. grew its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 264.3% during the first quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 43,026 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $3,958,000 after purchasing an additional 31,216 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 4.1% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,919 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 8.9% during the first quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 184,044 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $16,928,000 after purchasing an additional 15,104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Xponance Inc. grew its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 1.1% during the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 11,370 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $1,046,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.73% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Louisiana-Pacific

In other news, Director Lizanne C. Gottung sold 1,179 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.52, for a total transaction of $105,544.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,838 shares in the company, valued at $1,686,377.76. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the companys stock.

Louisiana-Pacific Price Performance

NYSE LPX opened at $88.64 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $90.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 3.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $78.82 and a 52 week high of $122.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.84.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The building manufacturing company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.14. Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 23.75% and a net margin of 13.74%. The firm had revenue of $724.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $711.66 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.53 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Louisiana-Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th were issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.26%. Louisiana-Pacifics payout ratio is currently 19.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LPX. Loop Capital raised shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $111.00 to $108.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $123.00 to $117.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $114.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $106.13.

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About Louisiana-Pacific

(Free Report)

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides building solutions primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through Siding, Oriented Strand Board, LP South America, and Other segments. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products.

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Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (NYSEARCA:IGM  Free Report) by 53.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 34,367 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 12,020 shares during the quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd.s holdings in iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF were worth $3,116,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 23.4% during the first quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $238,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the period. Private Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 61.9% in the first quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 573 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 581.0% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 286 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the period. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 182.1% in the first quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd now owns 342,590 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $31,063,000 after purchasing an additional 221,155 shares during the period. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 17.9% in the first quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 6,737 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $611,000 after purchasing an additional 1,024 shares during the period.

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iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSEARCA IGM traded down $0.16 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $114.44. The stock had a trading volume of 41,187 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,178. The firm has a market cap of $6.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.08 and a beta of 1.18. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $107.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $100.69. iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF has a 52-week low of $76.26 and a 52-week high of $115.16.

iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF Company Profile

iShares North American Tech ETF, formerly iShares S&P North American Technology Sector 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 United States-traded technology companies, as represented by the S&P North American Technology Sector Index (the Index).

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Outfitter Financial LLC reduced its position in shares of Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES  Free Report) by 4.1% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 16,360 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after selling 695 shares during the period. Hess comprises about 2.4% of Outfitter Financial LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Outfitter Financial LLCs holdings in Hess were worth $2,613,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Hess by 106.2% during the 1st quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in Hess during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new stake in Hess during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in Hess by 225.6% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 293 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG bought a new stake in Hess during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. 88.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on HES. Wall Street Zen raised Hess from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Hess from $163.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Mizuho dropped their target price on Hess from $193.00 to $191.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Hess from $147.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Hess from $193.00 to $184.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $162.78.

Hess Stock Performance

HES traded up $11.34 on Friday, reaching $160.31. 104,703 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,857,371. The companys 50-day moving average price is $139.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.24. Hess Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $123.79 and a fifty-two week high of $161.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.59 billion, a PE ratio of 22.17 and a beta of 0.62.

Hess (NYSE:HES  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.14). Hess had a return on equity of 21.78% and a net margin of 17.65%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.16 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Hess Corporation will post 8.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hess Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 16th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 16th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. Hesss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.66%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John B. Hess sold 250,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.01, for a total value of $34,002,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,734,679 shares of the companys stock, valued at $235,933,690.79. The trade was a 12.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 9.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hess Profile

(Free Report)

Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.

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Hollencrest Capital Management cut its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM  Free Report) by 42.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,954 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after selling 1,461 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Managements holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $324,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. City Holding Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 238.0% in the 1st quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 169 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc lifted its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 289.4% in the 4th quarter. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc now owns 183 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC lifted its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1,810.0% in the 4th quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 191 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signature Resources Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 138.8% in the 1st quarter. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. 16.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Down 1.3%

TSM stock opened at $242.47 on Friday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 52 week low of $133.57 and a 52 week high of $248.28. The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.29. The firms 50-day moving average is $211.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $193.43. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Cuts Dividend

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The semiconductor company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.13 by $0.34. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 41.67% and a return on equity of 31.43%. The company had revenue of $30.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings revenue was up 44.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 16th will be given a $0.6499 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 16th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.07%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TSM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Thursday. Barclays reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $240.00 price objective (up from $215.00) on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Susquehanna set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $236.25.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TSM

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Profile

(Free Report)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides a range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, bipolar CMOS mixed-signal, and others.

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The Gabelli Utility Trust (NYSE:GUT  Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Wednesday, July 16th, investing.com reports. Investors of record on Friday, July 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.05 per share by the investment management company on Thursday, July 24th. This represents a yield of 9.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 17th.

The Gabelli Utility Trust Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:GUT opened at $6.10 on Friday. The Gabelli Utility Trust has a 1-year low of $4.71 and a 1-year high of $6.19. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $5.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.43.

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The Gabelli Utility Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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The Gabelli Utility Trust is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc It is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It makes its investments in stocks of companies providing products, services, or equipment for the generation or distribution of electricity, gas, water, telecommunications services, and infrastructure operations.

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Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO  Get Free Report) and Amerilithium (OTCMKTS:PTTN  Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Valero Energy and Amerilithium, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Valero Energy 0 4 11 2 2.88 Amerilithium 0 0 0 0 0.00

Valero Energy presently has a consensus target price of $152.40, suggesting a potential upside of 2.66%. Given Valero Energys stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Valero Energy is more favorable than Amerilithium.

Volatility & Risk

Profitability

Valero Energy has a beta of 1, indicating that its stock price has a similar volatility profile to the S&P 500.Comparatively, Amerilithium has a beta of 1.88, indicating that its stock price is 88% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Valero Energy and Amerilithiums net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Valero Energy 0.72% 6.30% 2.85% Amerilithium N/A N/A N/A

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Valero Energy and Amerilithiums revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Valero Energy $129.88 billion 0.36 $2.77 billion $2.83 52.46 Amerilithium N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Valero Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Amerilithium.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

78.7% of Valero Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 0.0% of Valero Energy shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.5% of Amerilithium shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Valero Energy beats Amerilithium on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Valero Energy

(Get 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. The company produces California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending and Conventional Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending gasolines, CARB diesel, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, and asphalt; feedstocks; aromatics; sulfur and residual fuel oil; intermediate oils; and sulfur, sweet, and sour crude oils. It sells its refined products through wholesale rack and bulk markets; and through outlets under the Valero, Beacon, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, and Texaco brands. The company owns and operates renewable diesel and ethanol plants, as well as produces renewable diesel and naphtha under the Diamond Green Diesel brand name. In addition, it offers ethanol and various co-products, including dry distiller grains, syrup, and inedible distillers corn oil to animal feed customers. The company was formerly known as Valero Refining and Marketing Company and changed its name to Valero Energy Corporation in August 1997. Valero Energy Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

About Amerilithium

(Get Free Report)

Patten Energy Solutions Group, Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, mining, and production of energy and mineral properties. The company primarily explores for lithium carbonate and other minerals. It holds interests in a portfolio of properties covering approximately 31,020 acres located in the United States and Australia. Patten Energy Solutions Group, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is based in Dolton, Illinois.

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HIV diagnoses in The Bahamas are down nearly 50% since 2010  a major public health win. But cases rose again in 2024, and STIs are increasing among youth.

You voted:
ZHENGZHOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- In a factory workshop in Huangchuan County, central China's Henan Province, nimble hands stretch strands of dough with practiced precision.

The threads are kneaded, twisted, and carefully pulled apart with wooden sticks before being draped over high racks to dry, becoming the region's famed hollow tribute noodles.

"Making hollow tribute noodles is my life's work," said Liu Laiwang, representative inheritor of the craft and head of Henan Wangxin Food Co., Ltd. "As an intangible cultural heritage of Henan Province, Huangchuan's hollow tribute noodles embody the wisdom of generations. We feel called to preserve and pass them on."

Dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the noodle earned its name when it was presented to the imperial court as a form of tribute. Made from high-quality wheat flour, sesame oil and salt, the noodles undergo more than ten intricate steps. The noodles are ultra-fine with a hollow center, offering a resilient texture that holds up well during cooking without getting mushy or clumpy.

In recent years, Huangchuan has actively expanded its noodle industry, aiming to achieve both social and economic benefits.

Liu's company alone operates a 5,200-square-meter standardized facility with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes. The business has helped over 1,000 farming households in three villages under Fudian Town, Huangchuan County, lift themselves out of poverty, and has also supported nearly 2,000 workers across the county's workshops.

Another local delicacy is the Shuangliu fish ball, a city-level intangible heritage item named after Shuangliushu Town in Huangchuan County, where the traditional craft originated. In a bowl of steaming soup, the glistening white spheres made with fresh silver carp rest gently before releasing their springy, savory flavor with each bite.

In a local shop, city-level heritage bearer and store manager Wang Juguo skillfully pounds fish meat into a paste, then squeezes it into pearl-like balls that are simmered to perfection.

"My family has been making Shuangliu fish balls for five generations. I've been at it for over 20 years," said Wang. "With good fish, you get good fish balls -- and they're loved by locals and visitors alike."

His business operates four chain stores, producing up to 5 tonnes of fish balls daily. Each employee earns over 3,000 yuan (about 419.59 U.S. dollars) per month.

Wang's efforts have also supported thousands of local workers across the fish ball supply chain, while franchise stores have opened nationwide.

According to local cultural authorities in Huangchuan, to better preserve such culinary traditions, the county regularly holds free training sessions for inheritors of intangible cultural heritages, including hollow noodles and fish balls.

More than 2,000 individuals have received training, helping to transform craftsmanship into thriving industries that generate income and opportunities for local farmers.

In addition to its culinary heritage, Huangchuan is also embracing other forms of cultural innovation, such as turtle shell art featuring vivid images of mountains, trees, and rivers.

"Turtle farming is big here -- Huangchuan is known as the 'Kingdom of Turtles,'" said Zhou Zhen, a returned overseas doctoral graduate who is working to transform cultural heritage into creative products. "We've developed a full industrial chain for turtles, and our annual output has reached 1,000 tonnes, valued at over 400 million yuan."

Zhou's team is repurposing turtle shells into cultural products by combining them with art and design. Sales through e-commerce platforms have surged. With a background in new media and the digital economy, Zhou is utilizing live-streaming and digital marketing to breathe new life into local traditions.

"So far, we've trained thousands of rural e-commerce talents, launched dozens of entrepreneurial teams, and grown over ten Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) accounts," he said. "Sales of heritage-based foods such as tribute noodles, fish balls, braised turtle, sugar roasted chestnuts and spicy soup have exceeded 80 million yuan."

The revival of traditional crafts and local specialties in Huangchuan reflects a broader national push in China to preserve intangible cultural heritage and promote rural revitalization.

China's intangible heritage has gained increasing global recognition, with over 40 elements inscribed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage-- the most of any country.

Under the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), intangible heritage is seen not only as a cultural legacy but as a dynamic force in economic development.

Across the country, efforts are underway to ensure that age-old techniques not only survive but thrive by adapting to modern markets and production models.

With plans to integrate immersive technologies, digital storytelling and livestreaming, local heritage in Huangchuan is being reimagined as engaging digital content to support rural incomes, according to Zhou. 
PHNOM PENH, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday exported its first batch of fresh durians directly to China, marking another fruitful cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two countries, a spokesperson said.

"The first batch of more than 17 tons of fresh Cambodian durians has been officially exported to the Chinese market directly after passing inspection and quality certification from the Ministry of Agriculture in accordance with export protocols," Agriculture Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Khim Finan said in a text message sent to the media by telegram.

The durians have been exported to southern China's Shenzhen city through the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and the products are expected to reach the destination within nine days, he said.

"This is another success for Cambodia's exports of fresh fruits to this potential market, and is also the result of good cooperation between the governments and the private sectors of the two countries," Finan said.

The exported durians had been grown in southeastern Tboung Khmum province.

The first shipment came after the General Administration of Customs of China earlier this month certified a number of durian farms and packaging factories in the country to export Cambodian fresh durians to China.

Durian is Cambodia's fifth fresh fruit to gain direct access to the Chinese market after yellow bananas, mangoes, longans, and coconuts. 
ADDIS ABABA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) said Friday that it is changing its market strategy following the 10 percent tariff imposed by the U.S. government on the country's coffee export.

The ECTA said that efforts are being made to expand the Ethiopian coffee export market, especially to the Far East and Middle East regions.

The East African country is planning to expand the market to 20 countries in the fiscal year that started on July 8, according to Shafi Umer, deputy director general of the ECTA.

Ethiopia is taking new measures because the 10 percent tariff imposed by the U.S. government is affecting the Ethiopian coffee export market system, and new strategies are being developed to strengthen existing markets and create linkages by finding new markets, as per the authority.

Umer told Xinhua that following the U.S. tariff decision, Ethiopia is striving to strengthen trade relations with existing markets such as China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Italy.

Umer stressed that Ethiopia, which is the largest coffee producer in Africa and the fifth largest exporter of Arabica coffee in the world, has found it necessary to make a policy change as the Trump administration's policy is affecting about 35 percent of the country's export revenue.

The Ethiopian government will not accept any decision that will harm the coffee sector, he added.

Ethiopia earned a record 2.65 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from coffee exports during the just-concluded 2024/2025 Ethiopian fiscal year. The East African country exported 468,967 tonnes of coffee to generate revenue, up by more than 170,478 tonnes when compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the ECTA. 
Call on Governor

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IMPHAL, Jul 17 : General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Eastern Command, Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari along with GOC Spear Corps Lt Gen Abhijit S Pendharkar and IGAR South Maj Gen Ravroop Singh called on Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan, Imphal today.

During the meeting, the GOC-in-C briefed the Governor on the preparations and arrangements for the upcoming 134th edition of the Durand Cup 2025, said a statement issued by the Governor's Secretariat.

The officers further briefed the Governor on the prevailing security situation in the State as well as the overall security scenario across the North Eastern region.

Separately, the Governor also chaired the general council meeting of Manipur State Kala Akademi (MSKA).

During the meeting, various agenda items relating to the administration and development of MSKA were discussed, including formation of standing committees and initiatives aimed at promoting art, culture, and literature not only within Manipur but also across India and to international audiences.
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IMPHAL, Jul 17 : Monalisa Maibam, Judge of Special Court ND&PS Manipur convicted 40 years old Lunkhomang Haokip under Section 21(c) of ND&PS Act.

According to the case details, Lunkhomang Haokip, son of Janglet Haokip of Langkhong village, was arrested on October 15, 2022, by a team of Narcotic and Affairs of Border Police Station while transporting 2.040 kg of brown sugar in a two-wheeler's tool box at Pukhao Terapur near Dolaithabi Dam, Imphal East.

The special trial against the convict began in April 2023, and the judgment was reserved after the final argument hearing on June 4, 2025.

The Court, after hearing submissions from Special PP M Raichand and the defence counsel, observed that the prosecution had proved the charges against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.

The Court convicted Lunkhomang Haokip under Section 21(c) of the ND&PS Act and fixed July 23 for sentence hearing to determine the quantum of punishment.

The Court also directed the OC of NAB Police Station to take necessary steps for disposing of the seized contraband and confiscating the vehicle used in the crime.
Advise JTC: TTC to UNC

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IMPHAL, Jul 17: The Thadou Tribe Council (TTC) has appealed to the United Naga Council (UNC) to advice the Joint Tribes Council (JTC) consisting of Inpui, Liangmei, Rongmei and Zeme tribes not to disturb and interfere in the matters of Churachandpur-Kangpokpi connectivity road.

The TTCs appeal addressed to the UNC president said that some evil-minded mischievous individuals created unnecessary disturbances from time to time along the route, that compelled for another Alternative Route to bypass all the JTC areas so as not to disturb their respective peaceful atmospheres.

The proposed bypass route takes a very long route so as to evade all JTC areas and pass through only out blood brother Chirus land. We dont object to some of our blood brothers joining UNC or NSCN(IM) with the hope that this participation will all the more smoothen and mediate Kuki-Naga unity and fraternity, it said.

The Thadou Tribe Council also decried the JTCs memo addressed to the UNC on July 15 which portrayed the Kukis as encroaching upon Naga ancestral land.

The Thadou Tribe Council said that it invested a lot of time to evade all their areas to pass through only Chiru Khoiru/Dolang Khunou village.

It then appealed to the UNC to advise the JTC not to meddle in this matter where they have no legal authority and give bad names to Naga as well as Christianity, over blood brothers dealings as per custom and tradition.

We hope your able leadership will definitely solve this matter once for all to give peace a chance to live and let live as fellow tribals and fellow Christians, it added.
by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes on Syria have sharpened tensions between Turkiye and Israel, two regional powers with conflicting agendas and rival military footprints in the war-torn country, Turkish analysts have said.

Turkiye has upped its rhetoric against Israel following the Israeli airstrikes on central Damascus on Wednesday, its Defense Ministry calling the attacks a "dangerous provocation" that threatens regional peace at a time of fragile post-war recovery in Syria.

On Monday and Wednesday, Israel launched waves of strikes on Damascus and Sweida, including the Syrian Army General Command headquarters and the presidential palace area in central Damascus, claiming to prevent the Druze minority from being harmed. The attacks have met with strong condemnation from the international community.

"Syria is a land of conflicting interests for Turkiye and Israel who each maintain military presence there for different reasons," Batu Coskun, non-resident fellow at the United Arab Emirates-based Trends Research and Advisory, told Xinhua.

Coskun said the Israeli airstrikes constitute part of a wider Israeli destabilization strategy and a new escalation in the relationship between Turkiye and Israel, one that has suffered greatly due to Israeli actions in Gaza.

However, a direct confrontation is not in the interest of both countries, he said. "It is unlikely that two allies of the United States would engage each other militarily."

Turkiye has sought to position itself as a key stakeholder in Syria's reconstruction and political normalization, leveraging its influence with Syria's interim government while engaging Gulf states and Western actors.

Against this backdrop, the Israeli airstrikes are interpreted in Ankara as attempts to derail a fragile diplomatic opening and test the limits of Turkish influence.

"Turkiye wants to present itself as a rational regional actor," Coskun said. "By reaching out to Arab neighbors and the United States, Ankara is signaling that it has both the will and the capacity to lead a collective diplomatic response to what it views as Israeli aggression."

For Ali Oguz Dirioz, associate professor of international relations from Ankara's Tobb University, Israel is sending a two-pronged message with its actions.

"The first one is to the Syrian administration, telling them that Israel is a force to be reckoned, and the second to Turkiye, its regional rival, which firmly stands with the transitional government," he told Xinhua.

In Dirioz's view, Israel and Turkiye both want more influence in Syria, but will ultimately avoid hostilities.

"Ankara sees this as an Israeli attempt to prevent the emergence of a new Syrian consensus that might be less accommodating to Israeli military dominance," said Oytun Orhan, a senior researcher at ORSAM, an Ankara-based think tank specializing in regional security.

At home, the Turkish parliament has passed a motion condemning the Israeli attacks, calling them a "heinous violation" of international law and a breach of the UN Charter.

"This region is our region. Unilateral destabilization here is absolutely unacceptable," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters in New York on Wednesday while attending a meeting on Cyprus.

Beyond the immediate Israel-Turkiye dynamic, Ankara is also concerned about the broader security implications of renewed turmoil in Syria.

One key fear is that non-state actors, particularly the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish militia Turkiye considers an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), might exploit the chaos to expand their foothold in Syria's north.

Turkish intelligence officials have reportedly conveyed Ankara's concerns directly to their Israeli counterparts, signaling a willingness to confront any further provocations with increased readiness.

"Turkiye is walking a fine line," Orhan told Xinhua. "On one hand, it is trying to avoid confrontation with Israel. On the other, it cannot ignore moves that challenge its core security interests and its vision for Syria's future."

Although a direct military clash remains unlikely, the Israeli airstrikes could mark the beginning of a more confrontational phase in Ankara-Tel Aviv relations, one in which proxy maneuvers, regional alliances, and diplomatic pressure define the battlefield, Orhan said.

"Despite the odds, Turkiye will want to resolve this crisis by ways of diplomacy and through its ties with the United States," Orhan added. 
A staff member assembles a teapot at a cookware company in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. Daily cooking is a major issue for residents of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. Water boils at relatively low temperature due to the low air pressure there, making pressure cookers a necessity.

However, conventional pressure cookers are simple in functionality but difficult to operate, and any misuse may do harm to the users. To this end, local manufacturers have developed various models of easy-to-use pressure cookware tailored to people's diversified needs in plateau areas. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)

This photo shows products made for plateau areas at a cookware company in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. Daily cooking is a major issue for residents of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. Water boils at relatively low temperature due to the low air pressure there, making pressure cookers a necessity.

However, conventional pressure cookers are simple in functionality but difficult to operate, and any misuse may do harm to the users. To this end, local manufacturers have developed various models of easy-to-use pressure cookware tailored to people's diversified needs in plateau areas. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)

This photo shows products made for plateau areas at a cookware company in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. Daily cooking is a major issue for residents of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. Water boils at relatively low temperature due to the low air pressure there, making pressure cookers a necessity.

However, conventional pressure cookers are simple in functionality but difficult to operate, and any misuse may do harm to the users. To this end, local manufacturers have developed various models of easy-to-use pressure cookware tailored to people's diversified needs in plateau areas. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)

This photo shows products made for plateau areas at a cookware company in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. Daily cooking is a major issue for residents of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. Water boils at relatively low temperature due to the low air pressure there, making pressure cookers a necessity.

However, conventional pressure cookers are simple in functionality but difficult to operate, and any misuse may do harm to the users. To this end, local manufacturers have developed various models of easy-to-use pressure cookware tailored to people's diversified needs in plateau areas. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)

A staff member displays a kettle at a cookware company in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. Daily cooking is a major issue for residents of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. Water boils at relatively low temperature due to the low air pressure there, making pressure cookers a necessity.

However, conventional pressure cookers are simple in functionality but difficult to operate, and any misuse may do harm to the users. To this end, local manufacturers have developed various models of easy-to-use pressure cookware tailored to people's diversified needs in plateau areas. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Durgapur tomorrow after a hiatus of almost six years and will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of several projects of oil, gas, power, rail and roads etc worth Rs 5,000 crore, but the residents of this industrial city are keen to know about his plan for revival of the host of closed central public sector units lying idle in West Burdwan district for decades.

The PMs visit to Durgapur is very significant as the TMC mega show will be held only three days later in Kolkata, with barely less than a year to go for the next years Assembly polls in the state.

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On 18 July road show and rally, the supporters of Bankura, East and West Burdwan along with Purulia are expected to be present in large numbers.

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Talking to The Statesman today, Ashim Chatterjee, INTUC president of MAMC Workers Union said that the central government has so far remained mum on the issue of reopening of MAMC in Durgapur.

The MAMC, which was closed in January 2002, was handed over to a consortium of three CPSUs- CIL, DVC and BEML in July 2010 after liquidation. Since then its reopening has been delayed, though fifteen years have passed since the consortium takeover.

I have written several letters to PM Narendra Modi and urged him to revive and reopen MAMC, he added.

There are other central PSUs in Durgapur, which are also closed, including the Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Limited (HFCL), Bharat Opthalmic Glass Limited (BOGL) etc.

The BJP, which won three seats in West Burdwan district in 2021  Durgapur West, Kulti and Asansol South, all industrial constituencies, once again plans to win the election with its star campaigner PM Narendra Modi by announcing some new projects in this industrial belt.

Already, as a counter attack strategy, the TMC has prepared a land bank in Asansol  Durgapur industrial belt of West Burdwan district, comprising the unused land of these central public sector units and have urged the Centre to hand it over to the state for setting up industrial parks.

Last year, the DM of West Burdwan, S Ponnambalam submitted a status report of about 2,100 acres of lands belonging to the seven closed central public sector units in Asansol and Durgapur to the state commerce and industry department after physical verification.

The status report of seven closed factories, a total of 2095.42 acres, is being prepared.
The Damodar valley Corporation has released about 57,000 cusecs of water from its Maithon and Panchet dams today morning leading to huge rush of water in the lower basin.

About 38,000 cusecs of water was released from the Panchet dam and 18,000 cusecs of water from the Maithon dam. There was incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Damodar river basin leading to increase of water level in its dams.

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The rise in water level at the Durgapur barrage in the late afternoon created further chances of water being released from the Durgapur barrage to keep its storage capacity within limits.

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Due to the release, the districts lying on the lower basin of Damodar like Hooghly, East and West Burdwan and Bankura are under flood alert, particularly the areas on the banks of the river.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has blamed the Jharkhand government and Damodar Valley Corporation since the past few years for imposing man-made floods in West Bengal.

Yesterday, the DVC had released 48,000 cusecs of water from its Panchet and Maithon dams, but today morning the amount has been increased.

The dams released water on the basis of Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulatory Authority (DVRRC) instructions. Besides DVC, representatives of other state governments are also members of the DVRRC committee.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday issued strong observations over possible disruption to public life due to the Trinamul Congresss annual 21 July rally, prompting concerns over traffic management in the city.

The remarks came during a hearing on a petition filed by a Left-affiliated lawyers body, which expressed apprehension that the large-scale political event could paralyse central Kolkata for hours. While Justice Tirthankar Ghosh clarified that the court would not interfere with the rally this year, he questioned the burden such events place on ordinary citizens. How long can the public tolerate this? he asked, signalling displeasure at the scale of inconvenience anticipated.

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The states Advocate General defended the rally, saying permissions were obtained through due process. Even during visits by the President or Prime Minister, similar traffic restrictions are imposed. This rally has been held for around three decades, he said. The court, however, was not convinced. Will the Kolkata police commissioner give an undertaking that there will be no traffic jams? Justice Ghosh retorted, adding that authorities must be mindful of public tolerance limits.

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Issuing specific instructions, the court directed that: No rally-bound participants may enter the city after 11 a.m. on Sunday; Only those already present in Kolkata by then may attend the rally; At least one-third of the road space must be kept clear for vehicular movement. The petitioner, lawyer Shamim Ahmed, argued that while he was not opposing any political event, there must be parity in how permissions are granted.

Why is one party allowed such access while others face restrictions? he asked, citing a July 16 notification that warned of 20-hour traffic closures in parts of central Kolkata. In response, the states counsel said traffic regulations apply uniformly to all major events, including religious festivals and rallies by other parties. The court further suggested that future political gatherings of such magnitude be held in large venues like stadiums to reduce strain on public infrastructure. Why not use a stadium with a capacity of one lakh? The roads belong to everyone, Justice Ghosh said. The court also instructed the West Bengal government to develop a comprehensive policy for large-scale public events to prevent future hardship to residents.

Observers note that the 21 July rally, commemorating the 1993 police firing on Youth Congress workers, has over the years become a show of strength for the ruling Trinamul Congress. But with growing urban congestion, questions over the location and scale of such events are gaining prominence.

The state government is yet to respond to the High Courts suggestions.
No civic volunteers (CV) will be allowed to enter into the state secretariat Nabanna complex.

Days after a woman CV from Tamluk in East Midnapore, braving the strict vigilance of high security arrangements at the Nabanna premises, reached the 14th floor where the office of the chief minister Mamata Banerjee is housed on 15 July, police administration on Thursday has decided not to allow any civic police inside the secretariat complex.

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Security personnel who were on duty intercepted her after seeing her suspiciously hanging around the corridor on the 14th floor and detained her on the spot for investigation. She was later handed over to the Shibpur police station as the secretariat complex falls under it.

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Serious questions in connection with security lapses at the Nabanna were raised following the incident on 15 July.

Sources at the secretariat said that security has been tightened with strong policing in every floor of the building after the incident. No civic police personnel would be allowed to go inside the complex, sources said.

Civic volunteers in West Bengal are contractual workers engaged by the state government to assist with various tasks, primarily in traffic management and other minor duties. They are not formally trained for law enforcement roles like investigations or arrests. Eligibility criteria generally include being a local resident, at least 20 years old, having passed Class VIII, and possessing no criminal record.
Former Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal today issued an apology to the court for publicly disclosing the name of the RG Kar Hospital assault victim.

Goyal submitted the written apology to the Calcutta High Court.

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A division Bench comprising Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Ajay Kumar Gupta stated that since Goyal had apologised in writing, the matter should now be closed. The court opined that there was no benefit in prolonging the issue any further.

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However, Justice Mantha, offering a suggestion, said: We will recommend that the West Bengal Judicial Academy organise a sensitisation workshop for the police. They need to be aware of what can or cannot be publicly stated  especially regarding sub-judice or sensitive matters  whether in public forums or to the media.

Goyal had faced allegations of revealing the identity of a sexual assault victim in connection with the RG Kar incident, while he was serving as police commissioner.

In response, advocate Vijay Kumar Singhal filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court, arguing that disclosing the victims identity is a criminal offense under Supreme Court guidelines, and Goyal should face the legal consequences.

During a previous hearing, Goyals lawyer, Sandeepan Gangopadhyay, informed the court that his client was willing to issue a written apology. He reiterated that the RG Kar incident was deeply tragic and painful, and that Goyal had inadvertently mentioned the victims name on 10 August. It was unintentional, the lawyer said.

Ultimately, Justice Mantha declared that the matter should be considered resolved, noting that several aspects of the RG Kar case are still under investigation. The court then officially closed the case.
The Trinamul Congress has been flagging the atrocities to Bengali-speaking migrant workers, employed in different states, especially BJP-ruled ones.

Today, the party highlighted the arrest of five Matua community persons from North 24-Parganas in Pune as Bangladeshis.

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Today, the party in its X handle wrote, blaming the BJP on the issue: Bengalis are being detained, branded as outsiders, and even deported while carrying valid documents in hand. From NRC notices to map erasure, the attacks arent random, theyre deliberate.

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Its time we connect the dots. Watch this and understand whats at stake.

In another post, the TMC wrote: Dont you DARE call it an assessment or verification @BJP4India. This is a full-blown, targeted ASSAULT on Bengali-speaking Indians. You hate us because we come from a state that has rejected your filthy, divisive politics time and again.

5 innocent BENGALI-SPEAKING HINDUS from the Matua community in North 24-Parganas, including a MINOR were ILLEGALLY arrested by Pune Police as Bangladeshis. They had valid Aadhaar, Voter ID & Matua cards, yet they were harassed, branded illegal, and thrown into jail. Where is @Shantanu_bjp now, the man who claims to speak for Matuas? Silent. Gutless.

This is exactly why BJP has NEVER been able to win Bengal, and let it be known: you NEVER will.

2026 is coming. Khela Abar Hobe!

Another post by the TMC shared a video, which shows a shopkeeper being questioned about his identity by the police and about the signboard, which is written in Bengali. Owning a shop with proper documents, as a Bengali, is now a crime in Gujarat?

This sudden surge of anti-Bengali sentiment & language-shaming in @BJP4India-ruled states isnt random  its a despicable attack on Indias diversity & vibrant Bengali culture!

Calcutta High Court has sharply condemned the Centres targeting of Bengali speakers, calling it ALARMING!

PM @narendramodi, This divisive politics must be STOPPED! the post mentioned.
Two youths were arrested after a television actor alleged that two intoxicated men molested and assaulted her during the early hours of Wednesday.

The incident is reigniting concerns about womens safety in Kolkata at night. The incident took place near the Krishna Glass Factory in Jadavpur, a southern locality in the city. The actress told reporters that she, along with four friends, had stopped for tea around 3.30 a.m. after wrapping up a late-night shoot. According to her complaint, the two men arrived in a car, began hurling abuses, and physically assaulted her, when confronted. They misbehaved with me and tried to grope me. When we protested, they became violent, she said.

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She also alleged that the accused threatened them with acid attacks after being taken to the police station by a passing patrol vehicle. The accused men, however, filed a counter-complaint, alleging that the actresss friends had assaulted them. Police confirmed that both parties had lodged formal complaints and that an investigation was underway. We have registered complaints from both sides and arrested the two men based on the actresss initial FIR, a senior officer from Jadavpur police station said. Authorities have advised both parties to attempt a compromise, though the legal process is continuing.

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The incident has once again sparked public discourse on the safety of women in Kolkata during late hours, particularly in less crowded areas.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Delhi government on Friday, accusing it of pushing the capital into a debt trap under the guise of development.

He demanded that the Delhi Government immediately make public all proposals submitted under the Centres S.A.S.S.I. (Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure) scheme.

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Alleging financial mismanagement, Yadav claimed that the much-publicised 1 lakh crore budget presented by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is now being exposed as largely dependent on loans and increased taxation.

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The truth behind the 1 lakh crore budget is beginning to emerge. Rekha Guptas government is running schemes on borrowed money in the name of development, with the support of the Modi government, he said.

Yadav revealed that the Delhi government has submitted a loan proposal of 600 crore to the Centre for tourism-related projects under the S.A.S.S.I. scheme.

Meanwhile, essential issues like housing for slum dwellers, access to clean drinking water, and a stable ration supply remain unresolved, he pointed out.

The Congress leader warned that this mounting debt will ultimately burden Delhis citizens through higher taxes.

Out of the 1 lakh crore budget, 15,000 crore is being raised through loans, and 9,950 crore through additional taxes. Yesterdays meeting between Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and senior officials was part of a strategy to push Delhi further into debt, he alleged.

Targeting the BJPs elected representatives, Yadav said that despite being in power both at the Centre and in Delhi, BJP MPs have failed to secure any significant grants for the national capital.

They talk about development, but what they have given is a burden in the form of loans and taxes, he said.

Referring to the financial legacy of the previous AAP government, Yadav noted that Delhi is already reeling under a debt of 36,000 crore, while the Delhi Jal Board has accumulated 75,000 crore in dues, and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) owes 65,000 crore.

Instead of providing any relief, the Rekha Gupta government has only worsened the crisis, he charged.

Yadav also criticised the Modi governments overall economic policy, claiming that it has driven the country into a debt of over 200 lakh crore.

Delhi is being run in the same manner  where public welfare is sidelined, and debt takes centre stage, he remarked.
To honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela  who led the fight against racial discrimination and championed unity and compassion  Delhi-based Springdales School celebrated his 107th birth anniversary on Friday by spreading the message of the African philosophy Ubuntu, which means I am because we are or a person is a person through other people.

Speaking at the event, Jyoti Bose, Director and Founder Principal of the school, encouraged the students to draw inspiration from Mandelas life and character. She called Mandela an inclusive leader, who left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of the world.

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Anil Sooklal, High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa, joined Springdales School in celebrating International Mandela Day. He commended the schoolguided by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakamfor nurturing and spreading the values of Madiba. Sooklal emphasised the need to embrace Mandelas ideals to build a more united and compassionate world.

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Through articles, cultural and multimedia presentations, the students were motivated to Look at Diversity through the prism of Democracy, Optimistic Leadership, and Compassion. The tale of the Springdales Africa Club, which was founded in 1971 by Rajni Kumar, Founder of The Springdales Schools, to support the South African fight against apartheid, was also screened during the event.

Cultural events in the grand finale witnessed performances with participants adorned in colorful costumes, representing and celebrating the spirit, rhythm, and unique qualities of people from various African backgrounds through swift and energetic dance movements. The event concluded with the School choir singing the national anthems of South Africa and India  a powerful display of unity and cross-cultural solidarity.
A massive fire erupted at a chemical factory in North East Delhis Sabhapur, officials said on Friday.

The incident triggered panic among residents as thick black smoke billowed into the sky, which was visible from several kilometres away.

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The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Sonia Vihar Police Station, the Delhi Police said.

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The Delhi Fire Service said, On receiving information, multiple fire tenders were rushed to the site from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to contain the fire.

An officer said firefighters are currently engaged in battling the blaze and trying to prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings.

No casualties have been reported so far, the officer added.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, although a detailed investigation into the matter is underway.

Authorities have cordoned off the area and urged residents to stay indoors due to the risk of toxic fumes. Emergency services and disaster management teams are on standby.
BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday firmly opposed a U.S. report amplifying the so-called "China threat" and urged relevant U.S. politicians to cease smearing and suppressing China.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks during a regular press briefing, responding to a query about the report in which Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for congressional action toward restoring the country's global reputation and influence to prevent the U.S. from being overtaken by China as the world's leading power.

Lin said the report, filled with Cold War thinking, peddles major country confrontation and the false narrative of "China threat," with the real aim of going after and suppressing China. China firmly opposes it.

He stressed that China follows an independent foreign policy of peace and always acts as a positive and stable force for good, and has no intention to and will not engage in a contest with any country for influence.

Noting that China follows the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in viewing and handling its relations with the U.S., Lin urged relevant U.S. personnel to foster a right perception of China, view China and China-U.S. relations in an objective and rational way, stop attacking, smearing, containing and going after China, and contribute to a steady, sound and sustainable bilateral relationship. 
Tamil cinema has lost one of its boldest and most unconventional voices. Filmmaker Velu Prabhakaran, known for pushing the boundaries of storytelling in Tamil films, passed away on July 18 at the age of 68.

According to sources, Prabhakaran had been battling a prolonged illness and was hospitalized for the past ten days.

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Velu Prabhakaran wasnt your typical filmmaker. In an era when most directors played it safe, he chose to be different, and sometimes fearlessly so. His films were popular for tackling subjects that mainstream Tamil cinema often tiptoed around or avoided altogether.

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Religion, caste, sexuality: Prabhakaran addressed them all, sometimes head-on, sometimes through layers of complex narratives. His work didnt always win him universal applause; controversy often followed close behind.

His career took flight in the 1980s, a time when Tamil cinema was still cautiously experimenting with new ideas. Prabhakaran didnt hesitate to take risks, earning both acclaim and criticism for his bold themes.

Among his notable works are Nalaya Manithan, a sci-fi thriller that broke away from standard commercial formulas, Kadavul, a daring take on atheism and religious orthodoxy, Puratchikkaaran, and Kadhal Kadhai, both of which stirred debate and discussion among cinephiles and critics alike.

Filmmakers, critics, and fans took to social media to express their grief and admiration. Director Seenu Ramasamy shared a heartfelt tribute on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photograph with Prabhakaran and referring to him as a progressive thinker, cinematographer, and filmmaker who never shied away from speaking his mind.

Prabhakarans mortal remains will be placed for public homage at White House, 21st Street, Sri Krishna Nagar in Valasaravakkam, Chennai. Friends, colleagues, and admirers are expected to gather from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon to bid him farewell.

His cremation is going to take place at the Porur crematorium on Sunday evening, in the presence of close family and friends.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Ajay Rai has strongly condemned the arrest of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels son, Chaitanya Baghel, terming it an act of political vendetta by the BJP-led central government.

In a statement shared on his social media account, Mr. Rai alleged that the government is misusing central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the police to target Congress leaders and workers, in an attempt to suppress dissent against its anti-people policies.

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The arrest of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels son is part of this political revenge campaign, Rai said.

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Issuing a veiled warning to the BJP, Rai wrote, Remember, time doesnt remain the same forever. The Congress will not be intimidated. We will succeed in saving democracy.

It is noteworthy that the ED arrested Chaitanya Baghel on Friday morning following a raid at the residence of Bhupesh Baghel in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, in connection with an alleged liquor scam.

Chaitanya is currently being presented before the court, while supporters of the Baghel family have staged a protest outside the courtroom.
The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday renewed its demand for the resignation of the Higher Education Minister and called for a judicial inquiry into the recent suicide of a female student in Balasore, allegedly following sexual harassment. The party has demanded that the probe be conducted by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court.

Addressing a press conference, BJD senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said the party would continue statewide protests until justice is delivered to the victim.

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This shocking incident warrants an impartial investigation by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court, especially in light of the gross negligence by the government machinery in responding to the victims sexual harassment complaint. A probe by government agencies would only serve to cover up the lapses, Mishra stated.

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He added that the Higher Education Department must accept moral responsibility and the minister concerned should resign in view of the serious and incriminating lapses by higher educational authorities.

The BJD announced that it would stage protests at all Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) offices across the state, pressing for both a judicial inquiry and the ministers resignation. These protests are in response to the death of a 20-year-old female student at FM College, Balasore.

The victim, reportedly traumatized by ongoing sexual harassment by an assistant professor and the administrations apathy towards her complaint, set herself ablaze on the college campus on July 12. She succumbed to her injuries two days later, on July 14, at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

Holding the system accountable for the tragedy, Mishra said, This is not just a personal loss, but a grave systemic failure. We will not stop until the victim receives justice.

He further informed that on July 21, the party would organize a massive gherao (picketing) at all RDC offices across Odisha.

The entire state has been shaken by this tragic incident. Our fight for justice for the bereaved family will continue until the wrongs are set right, Mishra added.

The victim was declared dead late at night on July 14. By the following morning, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal and Biju Yuva Janata Dal had launched statewide protests.

On July 16, the BJD also staged a gherao of Lok Seva Bhavan, during which, party leaders alleged, the police attacked protestors under instructions from the government.
Dehradun Airport is set to take a major step forward in enhancing its air connectivity, with direct flights planned to the upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar)  touted as Asias largest  and the Navi Mumbai International Airport. The winter season will also mark the commencement of Air India Express operations from Dehradun, adding a fifth airline to the currently operational four.

Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is preparing for a significant expansion of its service network, pending approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Once approved, airlines will begin operations to the two newly constructed airports: Jewar in Noida and Navi Mumbai in Mumbai. Jewar Airport, in terms of size, is projected to be Asias largest.

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In addition to the existing four airlines  IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Alliance Air  Jolly Grant Airport will see its first Air India Express flight to Jewar this winter. Currently, these four airlines collectively operate over 12 daily flights from Dehradun.

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Air India Express will become the fifth airline to operate from Dehradun, further increasing air traffic at the airport. It will launch inaugural flights to Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Navi Mumbai alongside Jewar, significantly boosting domestic connectivity.

According to Prabhakar Mishra, Director of Jolly Grant Airport, the airlines have submitted applications to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) seeking approval to commence operations to the new airports from the upcoming winter season. While official approval from the AAI is still pending, service providers have already begun preliminary preparations.

It is understood that both Jewar and Navi Mumbai airports are expected to commence operations soon. Jewar Airport is likely to begin flights from September 29, followed by Navi Mumbai on September 30. Initially, both airports will handle domestic flights, with international operations expected to follow later.
Hitting out at the Opposition Congress and RJD in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the progress made during the NDA rule was never seen in the past decades. He said today, work in Bihar is progressing rapidly because both the Centre and the State governments are committed to Bihars development.

Addressing a rally at Motihari in poll-bound Bihar, Modi said, Compared to Congress and RJD, our government has given Bihar several times more funds. This money is being used for public welfare and development projects in the state.

When the Congress and RJD were in power at the Centre, Bihar received only around Rs 2 lakh crore during the 10 years of the UPA government. In other words, they were punishing Nitish Jis government. In 2014, you allowed me to serve at the Centre. After coming to power, I put an end to that old politics of revenge against Bihar. In the last 10 years, under the NDA government, the funds allocated for Bihars development have been much more than before.

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PM Modi said, Under PM Awas Yojna, we gave more houses to Bihar than the entire population of Norway, New Zealand and Singapore.

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He emphasised that the NDA government was committed to the all-round development of the state.

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore at Motihari in Bihar.

PM Modi received a grand welcome as he arrived at the public meeting venue, where the atmosphere was electric. Chants and celebrations were seen as the Prime Minister greeted the enthusiastic crowd.

Modi said, The efforts for women empowerment are yielding remarkable results. The number of Lakhpati Didis is increasing both in the country and in Bihar. We have set a target of making 3 crore sisters Lakhpati Didis across the nation.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, his Deputies  Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha  were also present on the stage.

PM Modi flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains between Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna) to New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari to Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal), Darbhanga to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) and Malda Town to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur, improving connectivity in the region.
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Drishti Rajkhowa, the former deputy commander-in-chief of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Guwahati.

The induction marks a notable shift in Assams insurgency-politics narrative, as former militant leaders now seek relevance in mainstream politics through the BJPs platform.

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Rajkhowa, whose real name is Manoj Rabha, surrendered to security forces in November 2020 after decades of armed insurgency.

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He was once a key figure in ULFAs armed wing, heading its 109th battalion that operated across the sensitive border regions of southern Assam.

Known for his proximity to ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, Rajkhowa remained aligned with the anti-talks faction even after the group split in 20112012.

At the joining ceremony organised at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawanthe state BJP headquartersRajkhowa was welcomed into the party by BJP state president Dilip Saikia and cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.

Also present were other senior party leaders, as the event saw a large-scale induction of leaders from different political and socio-cultural backgrounds.

Alongside Rajkhowa, over 50 others from parties such as the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Raijor Dal also joined the saffron camp.

Prominent among them was former AAP Assam unit president Manoj Dhanowar. BJP leaders hailed the development as a strategic boost ahead of the 2026 elections, projecting the influx of new entrants as a sign of growing confidence in the partys governance and vision for Assam.

Addressing the gathering, state BJP chief Dilip Saikia remarked, The BJP is not just a political party; it is a family that embraces all who want to serve the nation. Rajkhowas decision to join us stems from his belief in our nationalist ideology and development-oriented mission.

Once feared for his expertise in explosives and guerrilla warfare, Rajkhowa was trained in military camps in Myanmar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, according to intelligence officials.

His surrender in Meghalaya in 2020 was seen as a major setback to ULFAs anti-talks faction.

Explaining his decision to join the BJP, Rajkhowa said, I am not here for a post or an election ticket. Ive joined the BJP because of its development push and the opportunity to contribute towards a better future for Assam. My intention is not political power, but progress.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, ridiculing his recent rally at Chaygaon in Assam as politically insignificant and deliberately staged in what he described as an infiltrator-dominated area to avoid mainstream scrutiny.

Sarma accused the Congress of lacking the courage to organise political events in the states capital, Guwahati, where a stronger show of public support would have been a true test of the partys strength.

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If Rahul Gandhi really believed in his influence, he would have gone to Khanapara. But instead, they chose Chaygaon  a Muslim-majority area where many infiltrators live, Sarma alleged.

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Mocking the scale of the event, the Chief Minister said, They say around 3,000 people turned up. We call that a julon yatra. Even in our childhood, we had bigger processions. If they are serious about forming a government in Assam, is this how they plan to build momentumthrough symbolic rallies in safe pockets?

Sarma also questioned the leadership capacity of the Congress newly appointed state unit chief, implying that Rahul Gandhi lacks faith in his own team.

Had he trusted his Assam leadership, he would have organised a proper, large-scale rally in Guwahati, Sarma remarked.

While the Congress has been attempting to revive its presence through Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra-style events and local-level engagements, the BJP has remained firmly entrenched in power since 2016.
The United States has rejected Indias assertion at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that American tariffs on automobiles and auto parts qualify as safeguard measures under global trade rules.

The US maintains that the duties were imposed on national security grounds and therefore fall outside the purview of the WTOs safeguard provisions.

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Notably, in a formal communication dated July 17 and circulated at the WTO, the US stated that the tariffs were implemented by President Donald Trump under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, aimed at addressing perceived threats to national security from increased imports.

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These actions are not safeguard measures. Accordingly, there is no basis for Indias proposal to suspend concessions or other obligations under the Agreement on Safeguards with respect to these measures, the US said in the document.

The statement comes in response to Indias move to reserve the right to impose retaliatory duties on US imports, citing harm to its domestic auto and auto parts industry from the 25% US tariffs. India argued that the measures amount to safeguards and therefore entitle it to compensation or countermeasures as per WTO rules.

The US has countered that India has not complied with its obligations under the WTOs Agreement on Safeguards and emphasized it will not negotiate the Section 232 tariffs under that framework.

A similar communication was issued by the US earlier to reject Indias classification of tariffs on steel and aluminium as safeguard measures.

Earlier this month, India revised its proposal to impose retaliatory duties on US imports in light of a further increase in American tariffs on steel and aluminiumfrom 25% to 50%.

Indias proposed suspension of concessions would involve increased tariffs on selected US-origin products, though a final list of items has not been disclosed. In a comparable move in 2019, India had imposed retaliatory duties on 28 US items including almonds, apples, and chemicals.

Officials have clarified that Indias latest move is procedural under WTO dispute settlement protocols and does not impact the ongoing fifth round of negotiations between the two countries on a proposed bilateral trade agreement. The Indian delegation is currently in Washington for the talks.

This dispute adds to ongoing tensions over the interpretation of national security exceptions at the WTO, a contentious issue that has drawn increased attention following similar challenges involving Russia and other WTO members.
Asserting that Madhya Pradesh is rapidly progressing toward becoming a world-class hub for research and innovation, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Friday proposed academic and research collaborations between premier institutions of Madhya Pradesh such as IIT Indore and IISER Bhopal and universities in Barcelona.

The Chief Minister made this statement on the third day of his ongoing visit to Spain, during a meeting with Jaume Duch Guillot, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of Catalonia, in Barcelona.

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During the meeting, an agreement was finalised to launch joint tourism campaigns in Europe to promote Madhya Pradeshs UNESCO World Heritage SitesSanchi, Khajuraho, and Bhimbetka. Dr Yadav also proposed strengthening cultural exchanges through performing arts, cinema, literature, and museums.

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Chief Minister Yadav discussed potential partnerships with organisations such as the FC Barcelona Foundation for programmes focused on sports, leadership, and life skills.

He invited Catalonias leading companies in the fields of food processing, textiles, and renewable energy to invest in Madhya Pradesh and explore avenues for technological collaboration.

Highlighting the states new industrial policy, robust logistics network, and dynamic youth workforce, he emphasised that this is the ideal time for European companies to consider Madhya Pradesh as a promising investment destination.

Dr Yadav also proposed technical collaboration in areas such as smart cities, green buildings, and urban transport, drawing upon Catalonias expertise. He suggested forming a joint working group between the two governments to identify and implement key collaborative projects.

Jaume Duch Guillot emphasised the need for strong and strategic cooperation between India and the European Union. He stated that the world must be re-established on the foundation of international rules.

Guillot noted that in this context, the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) should remain as significant in the future as it has been in the past.

Describing India and the European Union as two regional powers, he underscored the importance of taking concrete steps toward closer cooperation on multilateral issues.
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth reviewed the Missiles and Weapon Systems programme during his visit to the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad. The review covered projects being pursued by the Missile Cluster Labs, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL).

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said that Seth visited various DRDL centres, including those for Astra Mk I & II, the Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile, and the Scramjet Engine. He was briefed on the status of these projects by Distinguished Scientist and Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Raja Babu and DRDL Director G A Srinivasa Murthy.

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The minister also visited various critical work centres of the RCI, where he was updated on the progress of Indigenous Navigation/Aviation Systems, Onboard Computer Division, and Imaging Infra-Red Seeker facilities. He commended DRDO scientists for playing a crucial role in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat through the realisation of state-of-the-art weapon systems. Seth exhorted the scientific community to continue strengthening the Armed Forces to face any challenges in the current scenario, the statement read.

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BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Amid Beijing's summer heat, a Chinese-made robot powered by chips from U.S. tech giant Nvidia gracefully delivered chilled bottled water to fascinated onlookers. The scene, unfolding at the Nvidia booth during the ongoing third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), offered a glimpse into the sustained enthusiasm of U.S. companies for the Chinese market and its world-leading supply chain ecosystem. Despite mounting challenges in the global supply chain, U.S. companies like Nvidia, Apple and Tesla used the expo stage to reaffirm their commitment to China, showcasing deep integration and ambitious plans for future investment. For many, success here means aligning with the world's most comprehensive supply chain while keeping pace with its rapid development. "China's supply chain is a miracle," said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the expo's opening ceremony on Wednesday. During his visit to Beijing, he also spoke with reporters, took part in a fireside chat, and held a press conference where he reaffirmed the company's long-term commitment to China. While Huang's high-profile presence sent a powerful signal, he also revealed that Nvidia's H20 chips will soon be available in the Chinese market. "I hope to get more advanced chips into China than H20. And the reason is that technology is always moving on," he said during a press conference Wednesday. From tech giants like Nvidia and Apple to consumer brands such as Starbucks and Walmart, U.S. companies are attracted to the CISCE not only by China's vast 1.4-billion-strong consumer market but also by the world's most comprehensive supply chain that drives the "China speed" essential to global innovation. According to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the event's organizer, the number of U.S. exhibitors topped all overseas participants, increasing by 15 percent compared to the previous edition, and their combined exhibition area increased by 10 percent. A few steps from Nvidia's booth, Apple's store-like setup shared a similar story of co-innovation. Instead of showcasing finished products like iPhones, the displays focused on the intelligent, green manufacturing processes used by its Chinese suppliers. "Over the past three years at CISCE, we've showcased progress alongside our suppliers in smart manufacturing, green manufacturing and talent development," Isabel Ge Mahe, Apple's vice president and managing director of Greater China, told Xinhua. Highlighting a massive 20 billion U.S. dollar investment in China over the past five years focused on these areas, she praised China's dynamic innovation landscape and advanced smart supply chains while noting that Apple remains committed to this market. "We are deeply rooted here, incredibly proud of the supply chain we helped build, and will continue to invest and innovate with our local partners." Unlike traditional trade fairs focusing on goods or services, CISCE pioneers a unique "chain-centric" model that visualizes end-to-end industrial collaboration. In each exhibition hall, upstream, midstream and downstream companies cluster in adjacent booths, visually demonstrating their interdependence and synergy. In the hall showcasing integration of the auto sector, crowds gathered around Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles (EVs). Here, supply chain integration and "China speed" were once again in the spotlight. These vehicles use more than 95 percent local parts, and a new car rolls off the Shanghai gigafactory line almost every 37 seconds. "China possesses the world's most complete EV industry chain," said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla. "The strength of local suppliers, combined with China's vast talent pool and consumer embrace of smart EVs, provides unparalleled support and opportunity. We will continue to deepen our investment here," Tao said. "The Chinese market isn't just scaling; it's leaping in value," said Lin Chunmei, president and general manager of Corning Greater China, in an interview with Xinhua. The U.S. materials science company is celebrating its 45 years in China with an ambitious "time travel"-themed booth underscoring its deep roots. Noting that rapid AI development in China is driving growing demand for optical communication infrastructure, Lin said the company has pledged a 500 million dollar investment this year to develop cutting-edge technologies, localize critical production, and strengthen supply chain partnerships in China. "The vast talent pool in China will help us accelerate cycles through market proximity, using 'China speed' to power global innovation," she added. For most U.S. companies, the critical question isn't whether to invest in China, but how rapidly they can move. For companies present at the CISCE, collaboration with Chinese suppliers is giving them a head start. "If you want to maintain, you have to invest," Huang said. "The market is moving so fast and it's so competitive. We have to continue to advance ourselves."


Artists from China's Inner Mongolia Art Theatre perform at Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 17, 2025. A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.(Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

NAIROBI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.

As part of the 2025 China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season, the event offered the stage where Mongolian throat singing met Kenyan traditional dance in a stunning performance -- Inner Mongolia's Herdsman's Ballad and Bomas Harambee's vibrant routines uniting two cultures through rhythm and movement.

Dressed in elegant traditional costumes, the Inner Mongolian artists took the audience on a musical journey celebrating nature, love and happiness.

Senior government officials, diplomats, business leaders, and cultural enthusiasts from both countries attended the performance, which was co-hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.

Michael Pundo, CEO of the Kenya Cultural Center, praised the event for deepening cultural ties between the two countries.

"This performance helped cement friendship between Kenya and China, inculcating better understanding, showcasing our different cultures, promoting understanding that opens more opportunities for trade," he said.

The 2025 China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season, Pundo said, will include reciprocal visits by cultural troupes, promoting growth in cultural tourism and the exchange of goods and services.

China-Kenya cultural relations have a bright future, he said, adding that expanded exchanges would strengthen local artists' expertise while deepening appreciation for China's diverse and authentic cultural heritage.

Shakeel Shabbir, a Member of Parliament and also the chairman of Kenya-China Parliamentary Friendship Group, highlighted the role of cultural performances in fostering dialogue.

Shabbir noted that China-Kenya cooperation, spanning over six decades, has expanded to education, culture, arts and tourism, unleashing substantial socio-economic benefits.

Ezekiel Gikambi, director of Public Communications in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya, emphasized how cultural exchanges, particularly in acrobatics, have strengthened bilateral ties and friendship.

"We are continuing to grow our partnership especially on culture and tourism," Giakambi said. 

Artists from China's Inner Mongolia Art Theatre perform at Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 17, 2025. A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.(Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Artists from China's Inner Mongolia Art Theatre perform at Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 17, 2025. A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.(Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Audience watch the performance by a cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Art Theatre at Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 17, 2025. A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.(Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

An artist from China's Inner Mongolia Art Theatre performs at Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 17, 2025. A cultural troupe from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought vibrant displays of traditional artistry to Kenya on Thursday, transforming Nairobi's national theater into a stage for Sino-African cultural exchange.(Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged the Kerala government to conduct an immediate, time-bound, and public audit of all school infrastructures in the state following the tragic death of 13-year-old Mithun Manu.

Mithun died due to electrocution from a sagging power line within a school compound in Kollam.

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It pains me deeply that another precious life  13 year-old Mithun Manu  has been lost to electrocution from a sagging power line within a school compound in Kollam, Gandhi said in a post on handle X.

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I urge the Kerala Government to immediately undertake a time-bound, public audit and upgradation of all school infrastructure in the state and fix responsibility for this tragedy, said, sharing his appeal on handle X.

No parent should have to endure such unimaginable loss. Every child has the right to a safe learning environment, he said.

Gandhis appeal comes after a similar incident over a year ago where a young girl died due to a snakebite inside her classroom in Wayanad. He had then written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging a comprehensive infrastructure audit of schools.
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay the ongoing criminal proceedings before a Special CBI court here against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the land-for-jobs scam, which dates back to his tenure as railway minister between 2004 and 2009.

A bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh refused to interfere with the Delhi High Courts May 29 order that had similarly rejected Yadavs plea for a stay on the trial.

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We are not inclined to interfere except by observing that at the time of disposing of the final matter, the observations made in the impugned order will not stand in the way. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, we are inclined to pass a further order to the effect that (Yadav) may not be personally present before the trial court and therefore his appearance is dispensed with. We request the High Court to expedite the hearing, the bench stated in its order.

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The court thus disposed of Yadavs petition seeking a stay on the trial and granted him exemption from personal appearance before the trial court.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Yadavs plea for quashing of the FIR, but found no compelling reason to stall proceedings before the trial court. The matter is next listed on August 12.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, argued that the investigation was vitiated for lack of prior sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Actmandatory before initiating inquiry against a public servant.

However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the CBI, contended that Section 17A was not applicable to the case as the alleged offences were committed before the 2018 amendment which introduced this requirement.

The land-for-jobs case involves allegations that Yadav misused his ministerial position to secure land and immovable properties for his family members in exchange for appointments to Group D posts in the Indian Railways.

The CBI has alleged that between 2004 and 2009, several such appointments were made without public advertisement, allegedly facilitated by senior officials in the West Central Railways under Yadavs instructions. These appointments, the agency claims, violated recruitment norms and were awarded in return for land parcels transferred to Yadavs family members.

On June 7, the CBI filed a detailed charge sheet naming Lalu Prasad Yadav, members of his family, and 77 others, including 38 beneficiaries of the alleged illegal appointments.
The tragic death of a 13-year-old student due to electrocution at Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam has triggered widespread protests across Kerala on Friday.

Various opposition student organizations staged marches in front of the Secretariat, at Thevalakkara High School, and outside the office of the Electricity Minister, demanding accountability for the incident.

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Midhun, 13, a Class VIII student, died on Thursday after coming into contact with a live wire on the school premises while playing with classmates.

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ABVP activists marched to the Secretariat demanding the resignation of the Education Minister. Police used water cannons to disperse protesters and detained around 20 ABVP members.

BJP workers held a protest march to the Palakkad office of Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty. Water cannons were used against BJP workers who attempted to breach police barricades.

Protests by RYF, KSU, and Yuva Morcha activists at Thevalakkara High School led to clashes with the police, who forcibly removed and arrested several demonstrators.

The Kerala Students Union (KSU) called for a statewide education bandh on Friday, while ABVP declared a bandh in Kollam district. In Kondotty (Malappuram district), Muslim Youth League protestors clashed with police outside the KSEB section office.

General Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Friday announced immediate actions, including the suspension of the schools headmistress and a show-cause notice to the management.

In a related development, Kerala Minister Chinchu Rani expressed regret over her controversial remarks about the incident.

After visiting Midhuns grieving family, the minister acknowledged her lapse in judgment and apologized, following strong backlash from within her party and across the political spectrum.

Despite being aware of the tragedy in her constituency, Minister Chinchu Rani attended a womens meeting and took part in a Zumba session during the CPI district conference in Thrippunithura. At the event, she said:

The accident occurred when the boy climbed onto the shed to retrieve a shoe. His foot slipped, and he grabbed a high-voltage power line. The electricity passed through him, and he died instantly. This isnt the teachers fault. But do we realize how dangerous it can be when children climb onto such structures while playing? We often forget. A child went to school in the morning and returned dead. We cant blame the teachers. He climbed up despite being warned by classmates. How many such incidents go unnoticed?

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday strongly criticized the Kerala government for its failure to ensure student safety in schools.

In a post on social media platform X, Rahul expressed anguish over Midhuns death: Six years ago, I had written to the Chief Minister of Kerala urging a comprehensive infrastructure audit in schools, after the heartbreaking death of a young girl due to a snake bite inside her classroom. It pains me deeply that another precious life  13-year-old Midhun Manu  has been lost due to electrocution from a sagging power line within a school compound in Kollam.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed solidarity with his brother-in-law, Robert Vadra, amidst the Enforcement Directorate filing a chargesheet against him.

Taking to platform X, Gandhi stated, My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest charge sheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment. I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution, and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail.

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The ED on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhis businessman husband, Robert Vadra, in connection with a money laundering case related to a 3.53-acre land deal in Haryanas Shikohpur village in Gurugram, Haryana, in 2008.

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The ED alleges fraudulent purchase of land for Rs 7.5 crore, later sold to DLF for Rs 58 crore.

The ED also alleges Vadras company, Skylight Hospitality, fraudulently purchased the land through false declaration.

In this connection, the ED has attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs 37.64 crore linked to Vadra and his entities.

Vadra, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a political vendetta against him and his family.

The land deal was executed in February 2008 when a Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power in Haryana. The ED took up an FIR registered in September 2018 by Gurugram police, alleging corruption, forgery, and fraud.
US President Donald Trumps return to assertive policymaking has arrived with a dramatic mix of carrot and stick. His 50-day ultimatum to Russia to negotiate peace in Ukraine ~ or face 100 per cent secondary tariffs ~ is no empty posturing. Coupled with the promise of top-of-the-line US weapons delivered to Kyiv through NATO and paid for by European allies, this marks a distinct recalibration of American strategy. It is a hard pivot from the unpopular Biden-era model of direct US taxpayer funded weapon supplies to Ukraine, and one that signals a transactional yet muscular re-en  gagement with the war. At the heart of this approach is a simple equation: pressure Moscow economically while outsourcing the financial burden of arming Kyiv.

By making Europe foot the bill, Mr Trump achieves two objec  ti ves. He avoids domestic political controversy over US taxpayers financing a foreign war, and he repositions NATO as a financial as well as military partner ~ aligning with his long-standing push for greater European burden-sharing. The weapons pipeline itself is substantial. Patriot air defence systems, missiles, and ammunition are now poised to flow to Ukraine through a coordinated exchange mechanism, where European stockpiles are replenished by American manufacturers. This is less a logistics move and more a strategic signal: the Western alliance is no longer dithering.

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The optics are calculated. Mr Trump meets NATOs secretary-general in Washington, dangles military support before a war-weary public, and then raises the stakes by threatening to penalise Russia. Mr Trumps move may also ease transatlantic tensions. By showing that Europe is paying for Ukraines defence, he deflects criticism that the US is being taken advantage of. This shift in optics could bolster NATO unity while cooling domestic scepticism in America, especially because American armaments manufacturers will profit. The threat of secondary tariffs is an aggressive gambit. If enforced, it would effectively weaponise access to the US market. Nations doing business with Russia could find themselves locked out of the worlds largest economy, unless they rapidly reconfigure their energy and trade alignments.

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Thats not just leverage ~ its potential disruption for Russia. Whether such a policy is enforceable or even desirable in practice remains to be seen. But as a threat, it may already be serving its purpose by disorienting the Kremlin and reminding others that neutrality is now economically risky. Still, Mr Trumps rhetoric hasnt shed its contradictions. His imp  lied criticism of Kyivs past decisions, and the ambivalence about Mr Putins character, dilute the clarity of the message. His diplomacy veers between backchannel phone calls and public threats. That ambiguity could either keep adversaries off balance ~ or foster mistrust among allies. Ultimately, this isnt just a test of Russias resolve. Its a test of whether economic coercion, allied coordination, and strategic ambiguity can succeed where years of diplomatic patience have failed. The next 50 days may tell.
While there are several success stories of villagers planting more trees on their land and taking good care of them, the situation becomes different when it is a question of mobilizing people for regeneration of community and common land, including degraded forest land and village pastures. Now it is a question of working for the common good of the entire village or at least a substantial section of the village. While Indias villages have a rich tradition of this, these traditional strengths have been eroded due to a number of factors, in the wake of the bigger setback to community-based protective systems inflicted during colonial times.

Thus while the potential for reviving community protective systems exists, it needs sustained, continuing and thoughtful efforts with the cooperation of local people on the one hand and voluntary organizations and government agencies on the other hand. Where such close cooperation over a number of years can be sustained and efforts continue to be made despite initial setbacks, the results achieved can be very impressive and heartwarming. Once the community spirit for protective efforts of common good has been created, this continues to find many creative outlets for realization of beautiful results in many aspects of rural life. On the one hand the success of regeneration of degraded land and planting of trees, bamboo and grass is itself very beneficial, on the other hand the revival of community actions and creativity can also lead to other important gains, including unexpected ones in social reform.

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This potential of community strengths has been well realized in Rajasthan in the efforts of a leading voluntary organization, Seva Mandir, particularly in its work in the villages of Udaipur district. While these villages have substantial populations of tribal communities, people from other communities also contributed to these efforts. Seva Mandir was awarded the 2023 Global Elinor Ostrom Award for Collective Governance of the Commons. Several members of the rural teams involved in these efforts have also received awards and other recognition of their efforts. In a review of these efforts spread over several decades, two senior members of the Seva Mandir team who have contributed a lot to these efforts, Narendra Jain and Ronak Shah, have written, With Seva Mandirs facilitation, local communities have protected, conserved and managed more than 15,000 hectares of common land.

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Similarly, 18 sites of dev-van, bani or oran (sacred groves that are also common lands) have been redeveloped. Creatively utilizing some provisions of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 like Community Forest Rights (CFR), this work could progress further. As this review adds, At present, 296 CFR sites have been approved  this amounts to 38,514 hectares of forests. This is a remarkable achievement, thanks to the persistence and vision of village communities that made the commons the basis of just and sustainable development. In another comment, Prof Suraj Jacob has stated that in the course of this work being taken forward several community members discovered hidden talents in the new creative and encouraging environments, and also started contributing with poems, songs and plays, sometimes themselves feeling surprised by the sudden flowering of their artistic potential.

Another important point made by Prof Jacob is that these social change processes and mobilizations involved a combination of struggle (sangharsh) and constructive work (nirman). When there was need for opposing unhelpful attitudes of government officials and influential, powerful persons who had encroached community land, there were struggles, but on the other hand in more normal times there was a lot of cooperation with the government in implementing some schemes with a special emphasis on those aspects which had potential for the welfare of people and protection of environment.

A very important contribution to the understanding of these significant achievements and social change processes has been made by another senior academic, Amrita Nandy, who has written profiles of several community-based activists and leaders who made an important contribution to this effort. These profiles reveal that several community leaders had risen from a background of extreme poverty and denial of school education, to overcome heavy odds and make important contributions, apart from improving their familys condition and arranging for the proper school (and in some cases also college) education of their children. What is encouraging to learn from these profiles is that several of these activists including women activists were willing to take big risks to confront armed forest smugglers as well as powerful encroachers.

It is no less heartening to know that when activists from weaker sections including tribal communities were taking such risks, some villagers from higher castes including women also came to their help and shared the risks. Bajranglal Sharma, a former development administrator who has been very supportive towards these and other such efforts, says, If village communities involved in sharing development responsibilities can overcome mutual conflicts to cooperate for the common good of the entire village, then this is good news and must be welcomed, even though the situation often cannot be an ideal one and some irritants always remain. These and other such efforts in which ordinary villagers get new opportunities under which their hidden potential can flower in encouraging ways need to be expanded and taken forward.

(The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Saving Earth for Children, A Day in 2071 and Guardians of the HimalayasVimla and Sunderlal Bahuguna.)
The 2020s are proving to be the most troubled decade in recent history, with conflicts breaking out at the drop of a hat ~ not in far corners of the world, but in our immediate neighbourhood. Sadly, the genesis of most conflicts is great power rivalry ~ a desire for supremacy. The US and Russia pick on weaker countries, to show that they are still top dogs, and the new kid on the block China, is testing waters by browbeating neighbours. In addition to perpetually strife-torn Africa, the present decade started with China occupying our territory in Ladakh, followed by a Russian attack on Ukraine, Israel flattened the Gaza strip, and killed or expelled most of its inhabitants, and thereafter, for good measure, attacked Iran also.

Last month, we had a limited war with Pakistan. While the India-China conflict has petered out, with India accepting the status quo, the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its forty-first month, with the entire Western bloc supporting Ukraine with arms and money, stopping just short of sending soldiers. Israeli misadventures in Gaza and Iran are a totally different story. After Israeli retribution, against Palestinians exceeded all acceptable limits, Israels European allies distanced themselves from the carnage, but not the US, which wants the Gaza strip cleared of Palestinians ~ for US corporates to monetise. Western powers are actively supporting the Israeli invasion of Iran; the US started nuclear talks with Iran, lulling it into complacency ~ while Israel prepared to attack.

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The statement of US officials claiming that they prevailed upon Israel not to target Iranian President Khamenei, proves this assumption. Later on, USA entered the fray by bombing Iran; Britain and France moved their military assets to the Middle-East ~ probably, to deliver the coup de-grace. A US-imposed ceasefire holds, but Iran and Israel still breathe fire. Myriad concurrent wars have destabilised the entire world economy ~ not only those of the combatants. The beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war saw most countries go into re  ce ssion; food-grain supplies from Ukraine and Russia are still disrupted, leading to food shortages in many countries, with the Horn of Africa facing famine. In this fraught scenario, European countries have hiked their defence budget, by cutting down on welfare expenses ~ greatly affecting the old, the poor, and the needy.

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Before Trump starts new wars round the world, he should heed what the 34th President, Dwight D Eisenhower, a decorated general of WW2, and a true statesman, had said: Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed (The Chance for Peace 16/4/53). The tariff war unleashed by President Trump has compounded the global economic downslide; supply chains have been disrupted, and merchandise prices have spiked everywhere.

All countries are suffering. According to classical economic theory, free trade makes nations richer because nations then produce goods and services that they can at lowest cost, which they exchange with other nations who also produce goods they are best at. In this process, everyone benefits; the global prosperity of the last fifty years owes much to free trade. However, if circumstances do not change, free trade may never be restored. Lastly, the supreme challenge of the Anthropocene Epoch, climate change, seems imminent:

* Temperatures are rising worldwide, because increasing greenhouse gas emissions are trapping more heat in the atmosphere. According to Scientific American, July 2023 was the hottest month in the last 1,20,000 years, with heatwaves in Europe, North America, North Africa, China and Japan.

* Recognising that globally droughts are becoming longer and more extreme, since 2023 the UN has marked 17 June as Desertification and Drought Day.

* Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole is melting faster with the warmer temperatures.

* Glaciers are melting at a faster rate.

According to a report from International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalayan Mountain ranges melted 65 per cent faster between 2010-2019 than in the previous decade. The Ministry of Earth Sciences found that mean retreat rate of Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers was 14.9-15.1 meters per year, 12.7- 13.2 meters per year in Indus, 15.5-14.4 meters per year in Gan ga, and 20.2-19.7 meters per year in Brahmaputra river basins. The European Alps experienced a record amount of ice mass lost (State of the Climate in Europe, 2022). * Permafrost is melting, releasing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

* Sea levels are rising at double the pace of 1993-2002, threatening coastal communities and estuarine ecosystems. India is deeply affected by the wars raging in Ukraine and Middle-East. India had excellent trade and cultural ties with both Russia and Ukraine; a defence relationship with Israel, heavy investments in Chabahar port, and the International North South Transport Corridor. With the ever-present Chinese mischief-mongers, and a low-intensity war waged by Pakistan, Indians have to be perpetually vigilant, and incur a huge expenditure on defence. Now, with Bangladesh firmly in the Pakistan-China camp, the threat has compounded. India also faces economic headwinds.

The US is Indias largest trading partner; Trumps 26 per cent tariff on Indian goods, and failure of trade talks, has upended the calculations of Indian manufacturers and exporters. India exported goods worth US$ 87.4 billion to the US in 2024, which is not likely to be repeated in 2025. Moreover, Trumps tariff offensive on most countries, has distorted world trade, to Indias disadvantage. While Trump, the most disruptive force on earth, is beyond anyones control, climate change for India can be ameliorated with proper management. The problem is humongous; in the last five years, elevated temperatures and heat waves, as also an extended monsoon season and widespread floods, were noticed throughout the country; Hima  layan glaciers are in retreat, we had a record number of wildfires and landslides in the pristine environs of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, as also mudslides in picturesque Kerala.

These adverse climatic events resulted in the loss of nu  merous lives and destruction of precious infrastructure. However, insulation from the Asian landmass, by oceans in the south and the Himalayas in the north, protects us ~ though not totally ~ from environmental depredations elsewhere. An honest effort to limit pollution, and overexploitation, of natural resources ~ the major causes of climate change ~ could yield immediate results. A short-sighted vision of development, through quick economic progress, by increasing manufacturing activity and tourism, has ruined the environment, particularly of hilly Hima chal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Highways, railways and dams, are being built in the hills, which have triggered landslides and damaged the fragile hill environment. Most of the residents, waiting for long-delayed prosperity are unconcerned ~ even runaway forest fires, and landslides, cannot quench their enthusiasm for development.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and the NorthEast, are under grave environmental threat by this vision of development, which sees nothing wrong in introducing alien commercial plant species in their virgin jungles, and opening up the almost uninhabited Nicobar Islands for commercial exploitation. The recently tabled 135th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment Forest and Climate Change, took serious note of environmental destruction of the Himalayan ecosystem, but on a practical level, environmental concerns are always put on the backburner by the Government ~ by creating a sham progress vs. environment debate, and only Courts seem to be concerned about environmental issues. The current, unstated Government policy is of not discouraging environmental transgressions, so much so that if an environmental rule or law stands in the way of Ease of Doing Business, the law is often changed.

Examples are many: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Indian Forest Act, 1927, were amended, as also the Environment Impact Notification and the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification. Aping the West, a culture of consumerism that encourages mindless exploitation of natural resources is being promoted. Needless to say, we can avoid a climate catastrophe, only if we rein in our greed. We have two alternatives; like the rest of the world, make hollow promises of action to be taken, far in the future, or try and limit climate change for our sub-continent. Looking the way things are going from bad to worse, by our thoughtless actions, we seem to be living what Randy Pausch wrote: No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse (The Last Lecture).

(The writer is a retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax)
Amnesty International has issued a report demanding the immediate and unconditional release of detained leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), whose arrests Amnesty calls a flagrant example of Pakistans state repression in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported.

According to the report, Baloch activists such as Mahrang Baloch, Bebarg Zehri, Beebow Baloch, Shah Jee Sibghat Ullah, Ghaffar Qambarani, and Gulzadi Baloch have been persecuted for their activism. They are currently being held in unjust detention, which contravenes both international and national laws. This detention is part of a broader crackdown occurring in Balochistan province against peaceful demonstrations and the right to free expression, achieved through the misuse of anti-terrorism and public order legislation. There are serious worries regarding their safety and well-being, as they are being denied necessary medical care and are vulnerable to torture during their unlawful detention.

The crackdown began in March 2025 when Bebarg Zehri, despite being physically disabled due to a past grenade attack, was abducted by Pakistans Counter-Terrorism Department. Two days later, Mahrang Baloch and Beebow Baloch were arrested during a peaceful protest after the killing of three demonstrators by Pakistani forces. Mahrang Baloch was denied medical aid despite falling ill in custody, while Beebow Baloch was reportedly tortured, The Balochistan Post reported.

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Amnesty condemned the Pakistani states use of colonial-era laws like the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 to detain peaceful activists without trial, blatantly violating international law and even Pakistans own legal limits. The detained BYC leaders were paraded before an anti-terrorism court on July 8, yet no formal charges were presented, The Balochistan Post highlighted.

The report further underlines Pakistans routine use of enforced disappearances, with 2,332 cases documented in 2024 alone, largely from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Amnesty pointed to increasing harassment and criminalisation of Baloch human rights defenders like Gulzar Dost and Jalila Haider, calling it a disturbing trend of state-sponsored terror, The Balochistan Post reported.

Amnesty International urged global powers to pressure Pakistan to release all detained Baloch activists and halt its brutal crackdown. The organisation called for accountability, stressing that Pakistan must not be allowed to suppress fundamental freedoms with impunity, The Balochistan Post concluded.

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BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya today criticised the Trinamul Congress (TMC) government for reducing West Bengal to what he termed a mazdoor state  a supplier of labour to other parts of the country, whether in the form of construction workers or low-cost IT professionals.

Speaking in Durgapur this afternoon, Bhattacharya asserted that the BJP is committed to injecting new life into the states ailing industrial hubs and bringing about a genuine renaissance.

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No new investments have come to Bengal in recent years, and industrial towns like Durgapur have been downgraded to service-sector zones, he said. Even Bengali industrialists are relocating their ventures outside the state, leaving graduate engineers to work for paltry salaries of just Rs 18,000.

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He further alleged that business figures, who once championed the Brand Buddha initiative during the Left Front regime, and who now appear at the chief ministers Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), are investing heavily in states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Their balance sheets prove this, he claimed, adding that the state currently lacks any mechanism to halt the ongoing flight of capital.

According to Bhattacharya, these trends have drastically reduced Bengals contribution to the national exchequer. From 27 per cent during British rule, we are now down to just 8 per cent. The state now survives largely on revenues from lotteries and excise duties, he said.

When asked about the shutdown of public sector undertakings (PSUs) during the previous NDA governments tenure, Bhattacharya promised that a future BJP-led government in Bengal would seek to revive these units.

He arrived in Durgapur to attend a public rally scheduled for tomorrow, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate many projects.

The investors are watching the political scenario closely and are hopeful of a change in power in 2026, Bhattacharya said. We are determined to create an industry-friendly environment and free the people of Bengal from this current khela-mela (funfair-style) governance.

He assured that the BJPs industrial policy would be mindful of Bengals agricultural base. Our policy wont damage fertile farmland. Where land acquisition is necessary, farmers will be included as stakeholders in the industrial projects, as seen in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab, he explained.

He also took aim at the ruling TMCs recent efforts to portray itself as a defender of Bengali interests. This is a failed government that is now hiding behind identity politics. I challenge TMC to contest and win elections in Bengali-dominated areas like Dandakaranya, the Barak Valley, or Chittaranjan Park in Delhi  then we might believe they genuinely care, he said.

Responding to a recent fatwa issued by the Malda TMC president, Bhattacharya quipped: Rest assured, that man will be calling Suvendu Adhikari by midnight. These leaders shout against us during the day to impress their party chief but secretly contact us at night.
In an escalation of its armed resistance, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks that killed 29 Pakistani army personnel in the Balochistan cities of Kalat and Quetta.

BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch in an official statement on Tuesday called it a direct response to what the group terms Pakistans continued occupation of Balochistan.

According to the BLA, its elite Fateh Squad executed a high-impact operation at Nimrag Cross in Kalat, targeting a military bus transporting Pakistani army personnel from Karachi to Quetta. The assault, described as an intelligence-based operation, was coordinated using data collected by the BLAs internal intelligence wing, ZIRAB. The bus was ambushed in a fierce armed attack that reportedly resulted in the deaths of 27 army personnel and left several others critically injured, the statement said.

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Also aboard the bus were Qawwal artists, who the BLA confirmed were not intended targets. The group reiterated its earlier public advisories urging civilians, artists, and others to avoid proximity to military personnel and convoys, warning that such associations carry grave risks during ongoing armed operations.

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In a separate incident the same day, BLA fighters conducted a remote-controlled IED attack in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, targeting a military vehicle. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed on the spot, and seven others were injured, the BLA said.

These attacks are part of our continued resistance against the occupying Pakistani army, Jeeyand Baloch stated. As long as the occupation of our motherland continues, our operations will persist with full resolve.

The BLA, which seeks the liberation of Balochistan from what it calls the colonial grip of Pakistan, emphasised that its operations are aimed strictly at military targets. However, the group again urged civilians to keep a safe distance from army bases, convoys, and personnel.

These attacks mark one of the deadliest days for Pakistani forces in Balochistan in recent months and come amid growing calls from Baloch nationalists for an end to decades of military occupation and suppression.
JERUSALEM, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Israel will raise its defense spending by 42 billion shekels (about 12.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025 and 2026, the ministries of finance and defense said Thursday in a statement.

Local media reported that the budget agreement will allow the Defense Ministry to "advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national security."

According to the Times of Israel, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the new defense budget "fully covers the intense fighting in Gaza, alongside comprehensive security preparations for all threats -- from the south, the north, and more distant arenas."

It added that the current annual defense spending is 110 billion shekels, about 9 percent of gross domestic product -- out of a total 2025 budget of 756 billion shekels.

Military costs have surged since Israel launched a ground and air offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Since Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, at least 7,843 Palestinians have been killed and 27,933 others injured, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the conflict last year to 58,667, with a total of 139,974 people injured, according to data released Thursday by health authorities in Gaza.

Apart from the offensive in Gaza, Israel also carried out regular attacks in the West Bank and Lebanon, and has launched waves of airstrikes in Syria most recently, all of which have met with strong condemnation from the international community. 
At least three passengers were killed and seven others injured on Wednesday after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Balochistans Kalat district, Dawn reported.

The incident took place in the Nemargh area when a bus travelling from Karachi to Quetta was ambushed.

Three passengers were martyred and seven were injured in the tragic incident, said Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind.

He added that the injured were being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where an emergency has been declared.

However, rescue officials from the Edhi Foundation later said that the number of injured had reached 10, and many of them were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment, as per Dawn.

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Rind said that security forces, the district administration, and rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the attack. Security forces have surrounded the area, and a search operation is underway. The attackers are being pursued, he added.

Rind also said that Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had taken serious notice of the incident and ordered a detailed report from the police and other law enforcement agencies, as quoted by Geo News.

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Based on initial information, terrorists were sitting in ambush. They stopped the bus and attacked from both sides of the road. The exact number of attackers is yet to be confirmed, he said.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the firing and directed officials to provide the best medical treatment to the injured, Dawn reported.

Targeting innocent civilians is an extremely cruel and condemnable act. Terrorists are enemies of humanity and peace. They want to sabotage the countrys stability, but the state will act with full force to eliminate terrorism, Dawn quoted the President as saying.

In a separate incident, three women were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Quettas Hazar Ganji area. Shalkot Police Station House Officer (SHO) Khair Muhammad Samalani told Dawn.com that the explosion was caused by a bomb planted on a motorcycle, which was detonated remotely near Murree Camp, according to Dawn.

Police and security agencies immediately reached the spot and began collecting evidence, the SHO said. He added that the injured women were taken to the Civil Hospital Quetta and are reported to be out of danger.

Police and bomb disposal teams also launched a search operation in the area to check for any other potential threats. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for either attack.
In yet another alarming instance of state intimidation, Pakistani security forces reportedly raided the home of prominent Baloch woman leader Dr. Sabiha Baloch on Saturday evening, in what human rights defenders are calling a targeted effort to suppress peaceful dissent, The Balochistan Post reported.

Dr. Sabiha Baloch, a senior member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and former chairperson of the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), confirmed that personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) stormed her family home in her native village around 7 p.m. on July 16 without any legal warrant or prior notice. According to her account, the forces searched the house, harassed family members, and issued threats throughout the operation, The Balochistan Post reported.

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In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Sabiha described the raid as part of a systematic campaign of collective punishment and urged international human rights bodies to intervene before the situation worsens further.

Dr. Sabiha also revealed that her father was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces three months ago and remains missing, with the family receiving no official information on his fate. She alleged that she is under constant pressure to denounce the BYC publicly and surrender herself to authorities  an attempt to coerce silence from a leading Baloch activist, The Balochistan Post reported.

My fathers only crime is being my father, and my crime is raising my voice against enforced disappearances, she said.

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She condemned the raid as a direct attempt to silence human rights defenders. By branding us as terrorists, the state seeks to erase our struggle. But we are not criminals. We are the voices of justice and peace, she stated.

Calling on Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN, the EU, Civicus, and others, Dr. Sabiha demanded that global powers speak out against what she called Pakistans intensifying crackdown on peaceful Baloch activism, The Balochistan Post reported.

She concluded: To crush this struggle is to steal our childrens dreams of peace. We will never allow that.
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Today, agarbattis are being increasingly used for non-religious purposes, and not only for religious purposes. They have become a spiritual product. People are using agarbattis for meditation, peace of mind, and spiritual purposes. The retail value of the agarbatti market in India is 8,000 crore, and with an 82 per cent penetration rate, the industry is growing in tandem with the country's population growth.

There was also a surge in the market during the pandemic. Around 1,000 crore worth of retail value of agarbattis is exported from India to around 125 countries every year. These observations were made during an interaction with THE WEEK by Arjun Ranga, Chairperson and Immediate Past President of All India Agarbatti Manufacturing Association (AIAMA) and MD of Cycle Pure Agarbatti.

Ranga stated that, although the majority of agarbatti exports were directed to the US market, there was also significant traction and exports to other countries in South America and the Middle East. He said the state of Karnataka was still leading in agarbatti manufacturing, but now accounts for 50 per cent of the total agarbatti manufacturing in India, with other states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh also contributing to the country's total agarbatti manufacturing.

Recently, the industry has seen numerous innovations, with various fragrances gaining market traction. "Agarbatti manufacturing is unique to India, and though exports have increased over a period of time, there were challenges in the form of packaging for exports, as each country had different criteria with regard to the packaging of agarbattis. We are closely working with the Union Commerce Ministry to address different export-oriented challenges," remarked Ranga.

He said that AIAMA aims to position India as the global hub for agarbatti manufacturing and to bring the entire agarbatti fraternity up to speed with the evolving business landscape and the opportunities that lie ahead. He said that the agarbatti industry in India is traditionally modern, and every ingredient is natural. Ranga also informed that agarbatti is one of the highest exported products from India.

Interestingly, AIAMA is taking steps towards building a holistic ecosystem for the agarbatti industry and is organising a three-day Expo in Bengaluru from November 6 to 8, 2025, with the aim of bringing together suppliers showcasing their products and experts conducting seminars to benefit and empower agarbatti manufacturers. The theme of the expo will be 'traditionally modern'. The showcase will feature rare agarbatti samples, iconic photographs, awards, and other significant memorabilia.

The expo will span 120,000 square feet and feature curated seminars that cover various aspects of the agarbatti industry, including job creation, sourcing of raw materials, research on new fragrances, packaging developments, women's empowerment, export opportunities, and new-age marketing.

The expo is being supported by the Fragrance and Flavours Association of India (FAFAI), Mumbai; the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj; the Essential Oils Association of India (EOAI); and other organisations. There are also exhibitors from Vietnam, Indonesia, and a few European Countries. Over 5,000 delegates are expected to attend the three-day event.

Established in 1949, AIAMA is the apex body that works towards the development of the agarbatti industry. With over 800 active members from all over India, AIAMA helps the industry act with solidarity on all matters regarding the industry's future. The MOMA was transformed into the All India Agarbatti Manufacturers' Association in 1980 to reflect its growing national character. AIAMA has since grown in strength, and the present membership spread all over India is around 600.
TEHRAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has held separate phone calls with his Egyptian and Belgian counterparts to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East amid ongoing Israeli military actions, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

In his conversation with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Thursday night, Araghchi voiced serious concern over Israeli attacks on Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, calling for regional coordination to counter Israel's "warmongering and expansionist policies."

Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's support for Syria's territorial integrity and minority rights, while opposing any efforts to divide the country.

Speaking to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot on Friday, Araghchi criticized the "inappropriate positions" adopted by certain European states toward the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran from June 13 to 24.

"Such irresponsible behaviors will normalize law-breaking and escalation of insecurity across the region and world," he said.

Prevot, for his part, expressed concern over the rising tensions in the region. He also emphasized Belgium's commitment to diplomacy and negotiation to address Iran's nuclear issue, while urging all sides to avoid further escalation. 
US President Donald Trump is now aiming policy changes at the consumer market, specifically at soft drink giant CocaCola. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claims he has urged CocaCola to replace high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its American products with cane sugar, similar to what is used in the Mexican variant of the drink.

I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so, Trump stated. He added, Id like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by themYoull see. Its just better!

Cane sugar, also known as sucrose, is a naturally occurring sweetener derived from sugarcane or sugar beets, consisting of equal parts glucose and fructose chemically bonded together. On the other hand, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a processed sweetener made from cornstarch.

Soft drink companies, including Coca-Cola, most commonly use HFCS-55, which consists of around 55 per cent fructose and 42 per cent glucose, with the sugars unbonded.

Although both are structurally similar and yield nearly identical caloric content (around 4 calories per gram), some consumers note a difference in taste. Cane sugar is often described as cleaner or more balanced in sweetness, while HFCS is said to have a slightly heavier or syrupier profile. However, studies involving blind taste tests have produced mixed results. Many participants struggle to differentiate between the two, while preferences for Mexican Coke mostly came from its heavier and more premium packaging.

The move to HFCS was mainly driven by economic and regulatory factors. The 1970s and 1980s saw a significant rise in sugar prices across the globe, and US agricultural policy created strong incentives and subsidies for corn production. In those circumstances, HFCS emerged as a cost-effective, domestically sourced alternative to cane sugar, becoming the standard sweetener in most American soft drinks by the mid-80s. Additionally, HFCS offers a longer shelf life and consistent supply, checking the box for manufacturers like CocaCola and many others. The shift was a practical decision rather than a response to consumer preference.

A healthier option?

Now the question arises: Is cane sugar actually a healthier alternative to HFCS? From a nutritional and metabolic standpoint, the differences between the two sweeteners are negligible. Both are forms of added sugar composed of glucose and fructose and are also metabolised in similar ways, with HFCS holding an insignificantly higher level of fructose content (55 per cent in HFCS versus 50 per cent in cane sugar).

Health authorities consider both sweeteners to be contributors to excessive sugar consumption and its associated risks, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Experts broadly agree that the primary concern is the quantity of sugar consumed, not the source.

So what drives consumers towards Mexican Coke? Unlike the American recipe, Mexican Coke is made with cane sugar in place of HFCS. Many claim it tastes better and is more natural, while others are drawn to the vintage glass packaging. This variant also does not have the heavy, syrupy aftertaste one experiences in the regular Coke. Although differences in flavour can be subjective, the product has developed a devoted following in the US, especially among those seeking alternatives to corn-based sweeteners and minimally processed ingredients.

Practically speaking, replacing HFCS with cane sugar in the soft drinks product line would be highly complex and costly. Industry estimates suggest such a shift could increase manufacturing expenses by a significant margin, owing to the higher cost of cane sugar and the need for extensive supply chain adjustments. There would also be significant agricultural and political implications.

The Corn Refiners Association, which represents a major segment of US corn growers, has voiced opposition to this change. Its CEO, John Bode, has warned of impacts on employment, rural economies, and corn prices.

Given that corn is one of the United States most heavily subsidised crops, any large-scale move away from HFCS would likely provoke political resistance, especially from the Midwest. However, it would greatly benefit Trumps home state of Florida, which is the countrys largest producer of sugarcane.

Additionally, US sugar imports are regulated through quota systems that limit how much cane sugar can be brought into the country. It will be difficult and costly to source enough cane sugar to replace HFCS at scale, unless there is a change in trade policy.

Rather than overhaul its entire sweetener strategy, CocaCola might be more likely to offer expanded options, including an increased presence of cane sugarsweetened sodas, such as those modelled after Mexican Coke, or new heritage or original recipe product lines.

This would allow CocaCola to cater to evolving consumer preferences without disrupting its core operations or alienating the cost-conscious majority. A dual strategy like this could address both commercial and political pressures. Market reactions also suggest measured optimism.

CocaColas stock experienced a slight increase following Trumps statement, while shares in corn syrup suppliers have seemingly tanked. This reflects investor uncertainty over potential changes in the companys procurement strategy.

While the Presidents public advocacy for cane sugar Coke may strike some as unconventional, it taps into a broader interest in authenticity, nostalgia, and health consciousness. Whether or not CocaCola enacts any substantial reformulation is yet to be seen, although consumer reactions reflect a growing desire for transparency and choice.
The Indian Army will soon have 'made in India' AK-203 assault rifles, as Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) is set to deliver as many as 6.01 lakh rifles to the armed forces nearly 22 months ahead of the scheduled delivery.

The latest evolution of the Kalashnikov series, AK-203 assault rifle combines the reliability of the AK platform with modern features such as improved ergonomics, advanced optics compatibility, and increased adaptability for various combat environments. AK-203 will become the primary assault rifle for soldiers deployed along the northern and western borders, including the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control.

The 7.6239 mm calibre weapon, weighing about four kilograms, can fire 700 rounds per minute. It has an aiming range of 800 metres and features adjustable iron sights, advanced recoil control, telescopic/collapsible stock, and compatibility with optics and tactical gear.

ALSO READ: LCA Tejas Mk1A gets wings! HAL accelerates fighter jet production as L&K hands over wing assemblies

Nicknamed 'Sher' in India, these assault rifles will replace the INSAS (Indian National Small Arms System) in service to become the frontline weapon.

Early delivery

IRRPL, a joint venture company which manufactures AK-203 assault rifles in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, was expected to complete the delivery of these rifles by October 2032. However, reports now say that these will be now delivered by December 2030.

"Around 48,000 rifles have been delivered so far. Another 7,000 will be handed over in the next two to three weeks, and 15,000 additional by December this year," Maj Gen S.K. Sharma, CEO and managing director of IRRPL said.

Described as the "younger brother of BrahMos" by Maj Gen Sharma, IRRPL has 50.5 per cent Indian shareholding and 49.5 per cent Russian stake. It operates from an 8.5-acre facility in Amethi. The workflow is overseen by a board of directors comprising four representatives each from India and Russia, besides senior defence officials, reports news agency PTI.

Each rifle undergoes 120 processes. According to Maj Gen Sharma, "every rifle goes through 120 hands," and comprises around 50 components and 180 sub-parts.

"Every material now has an alternate source in India," he added, noting that quality control is being developed into "one of the finest in the country".
In what comes as a major milestone in India's indigenous defence manufacturing, Larsen & Toubro handed over the first set of wing assemblies for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu, on Thursday.

A major upgrade over the earlier Tejas Mk1 variant, Tejas Mk-1A, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), is central to the Indian Air Forces efforts to modernise its fighter fleet. The single-engine Mk-1A will replace the IAF's MiG-21 fighters. The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has gone down to 31 from officially sanctioned strength of 42.

L&T is set to supply four wing sets for the fighter jet annually, with plans to scale up production to 12 sets per annum through advanced assembly processes and automation.

ALSO READ: Why inducting foreign weapon systems could be dangerous for India?

L&T is not the only private player providing structural modules for the LCA Tejas Mk-1A. The LCA Tejas Division has received structural modules of air intake assemblies from Lakshmi Machine Works, rear fuselage assembly from Alpha Tocol, loom assemblies from Amphenol, fin & rudder assemblies from Tata Advanced Systems, and centre fuselage assembly from VEM Technologies.

General Manager (LCA Tejas Division) M. Abdul Salam received the assemblies on behalf of HAL from Precision Manufacturing & Systems Complex unit of L&T, while Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar attended the event virtually.

Hailing HAL and L&T for their efforts to achieve self-reliance in defence, Kumar said he is confident of meeting the requirement of the production target for LCA Tejas.

Dubbing the handing over of wing assemblies "a testament to years of dedicated hand-holding and a shared commitment to excellence from HAL and L&T," HAL CMD D.K. Sunil said, "HAL is working with suppliers, both large and SMEs, as an initiative towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace and defence sector. HAL has effectively built a parallel aircraft structural assembly line in the private sector, which will help in capacity augmentation of the LCA Tejas programme."
We had reported that earlier that Netflix is working on a series adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Unaccustomed Earth', the short story collection of the esteemed British author of Indian origin, with The Pitt creator John Wells at its helm as writer, showrunner and executive producer.

As per Netflix, Ritesh Batra ("The Lunchbox") will direct and executive produce the first two episodes. Freida Pinto will play the character Parul Chaudhary in the 8-episode series.

Sharing the announcement on her Instagram, Pinto wrote, "An absolute honour to be part of this incredible and formidable production!"

Netflix's official logline for the adaptation, which has Lahiri attached as one of the executive producers, describes it as "an epic, soapy drama about a tight-knit immigrant community navigating love, desire, and belonging. When a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long-lost love comes to light, a scandalous affair is born, and new battle lines are drawn in the elite, insular Indian American community of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rich with passion and unforgettable characters, Unaccustomed Earth is an intimate, nuanced look inside a tight-knit community."

Wells is backing the project through his John Wells Productions jointly with Warner Bros. Television. Also involved in the team are writer and executive producer Madhuri Shekar (of Netflix's 3 Body Problem) and Nisha Ganatra ("Freakier Friday", "Late Night"), will serve as co-executive producer.

It's worth noting that Wells previously partnered with Netflix and Warner Bros. Television for the widely praised limited series Maid (starring Margaret Qualley) and an in-production miniseries titled Untamed.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning author (for the short story collection Interpreter of Maladies), Lahiri is also known for The Namesake, which got a film adaptation directed by Mira Nair and starring Irrfan Khan and Tabu.
US President Donald Trump said that popular soda brand Coca-Cola had agreed to use cane sugar in its beverages in the country as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) social movement.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been urging changes in ingredients used by the food and beverage industry, claiming the proposed substitutes are healthier.

Using cane sugar as its ingredient is not a new concept for the soda brand. The company already sells Coke made from cane sugar in other markets, including Mexico, and some US grocery stores carry glass bottles labeled 'Mexican' Coke, which is made from cane sugar.

Coca-Cola responded, saying, "More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon."

However, the development has got everyone talking and wondering which one would be better? Will the replacement of cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup make it healthier?

Cane sugar, a natural byproduct of sugarcane, is processed to extract a liquid that is then refined to form sugar. Corn, too, is in the same plant family as sugarcane. Cane sugar consists of sucrose, which is half glucose and half fructose. High fructose corn syrup, on the other hand, is made from corn starch, which is processed to convert some glucose into free fructose, thus boosting sweetness.

Be it cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup, anything consumed in excess is always risky and can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and heart ailments.

In a fact sheet that was released in 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) said it was not aware of any evidence of a difference in safety between foods containing high-fructose corn syrup and those with other sweeteners, such as sugar and honey.

"High-fructose corn syrup isnt all that different in complexion from the white sugar on your breakfast table. White sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, while high-fructose corn syrup consists of 55% fructose and 42% glucose. And while regular corn syrup has less fructose than high-fructose corn syrup, one corn syrup is not 'healthier' than the other," said Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, to USA TODAY.

" Meta-analyses of published studies suggest no significant difference in weight gain, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, blood pressure, or blood sugar when consuming HFCS versus cane sugar, though HFCS showed slightly higher CRP (inflammation) in one pooled study. The bigger health issue remains total added sugar intakeboth sweeteners contribute equally to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and dental decay. The bottom line is that while trading HFCS for cane sugar may feel healthier to some, there is no substantive health benefit, only added cost. The move appears motivated more by PR and consumer preference, not science or nutrition," said Dr Sudhir Kumar, Consultant at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
About 40 private schools across Bengaluru received bomb threats via email on Friday. Bomb disposal squads and dog units were dispatched to the institutions, and checks and evacuations were conducted.

No explosives have been found yet, and the situation is under control as emergency responders and police teams have mobilised to keep the students and staff safe.

The incident occurred just after about 20 schools in Delhi received bomb threats on Friday morning, triggering panic among students and their parents.

The Delhi Police have launched a search and operations, as threats are being sent for the fourth day in a row this week.

Teams of multiple agencies are present, and thorough checking is ongoing. However, nothing suspicious has been found yet, an official said, reported The Indian Express.

Some of the schools that received the award today are St Xavier's in Civil Lines, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, Abhinav Public School in Rohini and The Sovereign School in Rohini, among others.

On Tuesday, two educational institutions reported receiving mail. The day before that, three city schools received similar messages. Deputy Commissioner of police (North) Raja Banthia said that in the email sent to St. Stephens College, four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and two packets of RDX were planted at multiple locations on campus, including the library and that they would detonate by 2 pm.

According to police who spoke to ANI, the email said, I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices, trinitrotoluene, within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive.

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi made a post on X that said, "More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. "BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking!" she added.

On Thursday, multiple security agencies also carried out mock drills at 10 locations to check readiness for any emergency.
Tata Sons and Tata Trusts on Friday set up a 500 crore public charitable trust dedicated to the Ahmedabad Air India crash victims.

Named after the doomed flight, the Mumbai-registered AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust will see Tata Sons and Tata Trusts contributing 250 crore each to support the relatives and dependants of the deceased as well as the injured and those directly or collaterally affected by the accident.

Investigators are now looking into a possible technical fault in the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad. The crash involved Flight AI171, a Boeing 787, which went down shortly after takeoff on July 15. Early reports suggest there may have been a malfunction in the aircrafts pic.twitter.com/7ii6ApKiG5  THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) July 17, 2025

The 500 crore contribution will include the ex-gratia payment of 1 crore for the deceased besides medical treatment of the victims who suffered serious injuries. It will also help rebuild the B.J. Medical College Hostel building and infrastructure which was destroyed after the plane crashed into it.

"The Trust will be funded and will commence its work in all earnestness after necessary registration with the Tax authorities and other operational formalities, currently under way, are completed," read the statement.

Tata Sons stated that the Trust will also provide assistance to first responders, medical and disaster relief professionals, social workers and governmental staff who might have endured trauma and distress in the aftermath of the deadly crash.

S. Padmanabhan, a former Tata veteran and Mr. Sidharth Sharma, Tata Sons' General Counsel have been appointed to the board of trustees while three more officials are set to be appointed to the five-member board.

The Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner heading to London's Gatwick on June 12 crashed into a hostel building of the BJ Medical College immediately after takeoff. Only one person aboard the flight survived while 241 others, including passengers, pilots and crew were killed along with 19 people on the ground.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hailed the United States's decision categorizing Pahalgam terror attack perpetrators, The Resistance Front, as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Jaishankar said the move reflected strong ties between India and the US in countering terrorism.

The US Department of State on Friday designated The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) cosidering its role in the Pahalgam terror attack.

"TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the US State Department said in a statement.

"These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," it added.

Union Minister Jaishankar, appreciating the move, said it affirmed strong ties between the US and India. "A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept

for designating TRFa Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxyas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism," he said in a post on X.

Terrorists with alleged Pakistani links killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. The deceased include 24 tourists, a Nepali citizen and a local horse rider. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the killings. Both nations later agreed to stop firing following DGMO-level talks.

The move by the United States comes after India's global diplomatic campaign against Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Jaishankar had visited the US earlier this month to attend the QUAD meeting.
After Indian nurse Nimisha Priyas execution date in Yemen was postponed, there have been claims that talks have been initiated with the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdis family. The execution was postponed following a last-minute reprieve after the crucial intervention of a prominent Muslim cleric from Kerala, A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar, general secretary of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama. Musliyar, also known as Kanthapuram, has long-standing ties with influential Sufi clerics in Yemen and played a key role in facilitating the delay.

Mahdis brother, Abdel Fattah Mahdi, posted on social media that the claims that the execution was halted after the familys meeting with Indian or Yemeni preachers are totally baseless. We have neither met them nor anyone representing them, nor even any intermediaries on their behalf, nor have we received any phone calls from them. We completely reject this, as we insist on our right to carry out God's law, he noted.

Abdel Fattah Mahdi also noted that delaying the execution will only increase the familys resolve and insistence on carrying out their retribution.Abdel Fattah also accused Indian media of portraying Nimisha Priya as innocent.

Yemeni authorities found Priya guilty of injecting Talal with sedatives, killing him, and later dismembering his body and placing it in a water tank. Abdel Fattah noted that the medias portrayal that Talal had exploited Priya and confiscated her passportand that she did the act to retrieve the passportis also slander.

The murder of Talal Abdo Mahdi had sparked intense anger among tribal groups in North Yemen. Notably, the Indian government does not have a formal diplomatic relationship with Yemen and has expressed limitations in getting involved in the negotiations with the family.

Earlier, Abdel Fattah had told BBC Arabic that his family had suffered not only from the brutal crime but also from the long, exhausting litigation process.

Abdel Fattah had earlier noted that "those who halted the execution know very well that the family absolutely rejects any attempt at reconciliation.

A petition given by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council will be considered by the Supreme Court today. Adv Subhash Chandan of the action council said they have moved the apex court for constituting a high-level diplomatic and mediation committee to lead the blood money negotiations in Yemen. We are proposing a six-member committee comprising two representatives from the Government of India, two from the International Action Council, and two from [A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar's] Markaz, the organization currently assisting with the blood money negotiations, says Chandran.
The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row for murder in Yemen was deferred.

During a brief hearing, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, told a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that efforts are on in the matter and want Nimisha Priya to come back to India safely.

At this, the bench said, They (government) are taking good care of whatever is possible.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner said they have to first get pardon and then the issue of blood money would come.

The top court also granted permission to the petitioner organisation to approach the Centre. During the hearing, the counsel for the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council also requested permission to travel to Yemen to initiate negotiations with the family of the murder victim.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 14.

The top court was hearing a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save Priya, 38, facing execution in Yemen. The execution was earlier scheduled for July 16.

Priya, a nurse from Palakkad district of Kerala, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.

The story of Nimisha, who went to Yemen with dreams of providing for her family, has become an agonising saga for her loved ones. Convicted of murdering her Yemeni employer, a crime she claims happened in desperate self-defence, Nimisha has been sentenced to death in a foreign land where legal norms and diplomatic levers are often unpredictable.
SEOUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's court on Friday dismissed former President Yoon Suk-yeol's release request, keeping the ousted leader in custody amid an ongoing investigation into his short-lived martial law imposition.

The Seoul Central District Court rejected Yoon's call for release from detention after reviewing its legality during a hearing earlier in the day, according to multiple media outlets.

Eight days earlier, the same court issued a warrant to detain Yoon, which was sought by Cho Eun-suk, special counsel leading the investigation into Yoon's insurrection and other charges.

The charges specified in the warrant included obstruction of justice, abuse of power and writing a bogus official document.

The special counsel team, which launched its investigation on June 18, sought a separate warrant to arrest Yoon for up to 48 hours last month, but it was dismissed by the Seoul court.

The detention warrant was sought to keep Yoon in custody for an extended period of time, or at least 20 days.

Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan. 15 and was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, but he was released on March 8 as prosecutors decided not to appeal against the court's release approval.

The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon on April 4 over his botched martial law bid last December, officially removing him from office. 
Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has moved the Supreme Court seeking to quash the in-house probe report against him over the discovery of cash at his residence in Delhi. Justice Varma has also appealed against the move to impeach him from office.

Justice Varma's petition comes just ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, during which the Centre is likely to initiate the process to impeach the former Delhi High Court judge. According to reports, Justice Varma moved the petition on Thursday and yet to be allotted to a bench.

In his petition, Justice Varma said the recommendations against him were based on an unsustainable report and charged that the inquiry report was prepared "through a process that ran completely roughshod" over his rights, Hindustan Times reported.

Justice Varma reportedly said in his affidavit that the probe panel appointed by the Chief Justice of India did not afford him a full and fair hearing. Varma contended the committee failed to investigate foundational facts.

In his petition, though Justice Varma reportedly acknowledged that some cash would have been found in the outhouse of his residence, he argued that further inquiry was essential to establish ownership, authenticity and other material facts regarding the cash. Justice Varma charged the probe panel rushed to conclude the proceedings and drew adverse inferences without giving him a proper opportunity to defend himself, the publication reported.

The incident, which came to light in March 2025, sparked a wave of controversy and raised serious questions about judicial integrity. Officials had recovered a stash of partially burnt currency notes from the judges government-allotted bungalow in central Delhi. The committee, comprising three senior judges from different High Courts, had examined testimonies, CCTV footage, and circumstantial material to draw its conclusions.

In his petition, Justice Varma contends that the inquiry reversed the burden of proof, effectively forcing him to investigate and disprove the allegations against him. He criticised the process as preconceived narrative rather than an objective examination. He further alleged that the inquiry was rushed, with timelines dictated by a desire for swift closure at the cost of procedural fairness.

Justice Varmas petition now places the Supreme Court in the delicate position of reviewing the internal checks on its own ranks at a time when judicial credibility remains a fiercely guarded asset. For now, all eyes are on the Supreme Courts next move, as it decides whether to uphold the panels findings or send the matter back for a fresh inquiry.

Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna had forwarded the probe report to the president and prime minister and recommended action against Justice Varma.4

(With inputs from Kanu Sarda.)
In a move aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict between the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar of Kerala University, the government has decided to intervene.

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu said she had personally spoken to Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal and that his return to the university was based on that conversation.

Kunnummal returned to the universitywhich had been facing administrative paralysistoday, after a gap of 20 days. The VC stated that it was the unrest on campus that led to his absence. He added that some individuals, posing as students, were responsible for the violence.

Earlier, the CPI(M)-affiliated student organization SFI had announced that it would block the VC if he attempted to return to the university. Kunnummal, incidentally, arrived under heavy securityescorted by two police vehicles and protected by a ring of nearly 300 police personnel on campus. The police presence was in anticipation of possible protests by SFI; however, no protests occurred today.

The Vice-Chancellor said he came trusting the assurance that he would not be blocked and expressed gratitude for not being obstructed. He added that he had stayed away to prevent further unrest. The VC also criticised some individuals for treating student life as a lifelong profession, using it to stage continuous agitations and create disorder in higher education institutions.

The deadlock at the university began on July 2, when Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal suspended Registrar KS Anil Kumar for cancelling a private event at the Senate Hall attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar, where a portrait of Bharat Mata with a saffron flag was displayed. On July 6, the Syndicatedominated by Left-affiliated membersrevoked Anil Kumars suspension, arguing that the Vice-Chancellor lacked the authority to suspend the Registrar under the Kerala University Act.

However, the revocation took place during a meeting that the VC had formally dissolved and exited, which, in his view, rendered the decision invalid. Meanwhile, Mini Dijo Kappan, Director of Planning, was given full additional charge as Registrar by the VC. Anil Kumar, claiming that his suspension had been revoked, also resumed dutiesleading to a situation where both began functioning simultaneously as Registrars.

Minister Bindu said the government will hold talks with both the VC and the Syndicate to resolve the issue. If needed, I will speak with the Governor as well. The Chief Minister has not directly intervened in the matter yet. Let me try first. As for who the Registrar is, that will be clear if one refers to the law," said the Minister, suggesting that only the Syndicate has the power to suspend the Registrar.

Meanwhile, Kunnummal reiterated that Anil Kumar remains under suspension and asserted that his decision to suspend the Registrar was fully in accordance with university statutes. A suspended person accessing files is a criminal offense. A complaint has been filed with the police. It was the Registrar [Anil Kumar] and the Syndicate who created the administrative crisis, said the VC, who also alleged that goons had been brought in to support Anil Kumar.

Kunnummal added that although he had signed over 1,800 degree certificates today, he had not signed a single file submitted by the suspended Registrar.
The United States on Friday designated The Resistance Front, the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack, as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on Friday. In a statement, the US State Department said the move "enforces President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack."

Despite India's repeated denial, US President Donald Trump has been claiming "win" in stopping the India-Pakistan war. Trump claimed he "stopped" the India-Pakistan conflict using trade card and stopped it from turning nuclear. Trump said both nations "stopped" fighting after he told them that the US would stop trade with warring nations. India had categorically denied Trump's claims.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the United States' State Department's move categorising perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack, The Resistance Front, as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on Friday. India called the move an "important step" in dismantling terror infrastructure.

In a statement, the ministry said, "The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard."

The ministry added TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terror organization. "TRF has been involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the heinous attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, for which it twice claimed responsibility," it said.

The MEA emphasised the need for global cooperation to dismantle terror infrastructure. "The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism."

India said it will and will continue to work closely with international partners to ensure terror outfits are held accountable.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has established a dedicated grievance redressal cell for serving soldiers in the Indian Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces to help them resolve civilian-related issues.

Named the Lieutenant Governors Sainik Sahayta Kendra (LGSSK), this cell aims to provide timely assistance to soldiers facing administrative or local challenges. The LGSSK was created as per Government Order No. 933-JK (GAD) on July 17, 2025.

Designed to function as a single-window platform, the LGSSK allows soldiers to submit their complaints. It will serve those stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as individuals from the Union territory who are currently serving elsewhere in India.

The Kendra will handle various tasks, including receiving and processing complaints from soldiers, arranging appointments with relevant civil and police officials, following up on unresolved issues, maintaining a dashboard to track progress, and submitting quarterly performance reports to the Lieutenant Governor.

The grievance cell will operate from the civil secretariat offices in Jammu and Srinagar, making it accessible to soldiers across the region. The Information Technology department will assign two trained personnel to each location to handle data entry, case monitoring, file management, and communication tasks. Necessary computer systems and equipment will also be provided.

The estates department has been tasked with allocating appropriate office space for the Kendra at both locations.

To oversee its operations, three government officers have been given additional responsibilities: Prasanna Ramaswamy G, Secretary of the Tribal Affairs Department; Aflaq Ahmad, Under Secretary of the Revenue Department; and Abhimanyu Singh, Manager-cum-Protocol Officer at the J&K Resident Commission in New Delhi.

The establishment of this special cell underscores the government commitment to the welfare of serving soldiers, ensuring their concerns are addressed in a structured and responsive manner. The creation of the cell has been widely welcomed as a positive initiative to assist soldiers and paramilitary personnel facing challenging conditions both in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel's son Chaitanya in connection with a probe into alleged liquor scam in the state. According to the central agency, beneficiaries of the scam, including Chaitanya, pocketed over 2,000 crore.

The central probe agency conducted fresh raids in connection with the case at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh on Friday. The raids were conducted based on fresh evidence in the case, the central agency said.

Big news : Former Chhattisgarh CM & Congress leader Bhupesh Baghels son, Chaitanya Baghel, is arrested by ED..



Modi gvt is playing on the front foot..  pic.twitter.com/cJUJu5E7BP  Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) July 18, 2025

ED sleuths raided Baghel's home in Bhilai town of Durg district, which the father-son duo share, along with other locations related to Chaitanya.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel slammed the raids and said the Centre was misusing probe agencies to target opposition leaders. Baghel said he trusts the judiciary and will cooperate with them.

"To please their master, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won't be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth," Baghel said.

The Congress leader charged, "On one hand, in Bihar, voters are being removed (from the voters list) with the help of the Election Commission...democracy is being stripped, and on the other hand, they are misusing the ED, IT, CBI, DRI to suppress opposition leaders. But now, people of the country have understood and are well aware," PTI reported.

"Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given. On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya's birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life," he said.

ED conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel on March 10. The central agency is probing a money laundering case against Chaitanya. According to ED, Chaitanya Baghel was suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds from the alleged liquor scam.

ED charged the alleged scam resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over 2,100 crore. Earlier, in January, ED arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of this probe.
Turkey is facing a significant loss after figures from the countrys tourism sector showed a huge fall in the number of Indian tourists visiting the country. Over 85,000 fewer Indians visited Turkeys tourist spots in 2025, compared to the previous year, as per reports.

The shocking statistics came within 45 days of Turkeys tourist season, which began on June 1, according to Turkish newspaper Alanya Postasi.

In 2024, 3,30,000 Indians visited Turkey. They spent an average of Rs 1,30,000, which earned Turkey a total of Rs 42.9 billion. However, post the war and Turkeys anti-India stance, Indian arrivals dropped nearly 24% in May compared to April.

Reservations made in advance, especially during the winter months, are being canceled en masse. This has resulted in a significant loss in Turkeys tourism revenue and highlighted the necessity for alternative markets, the reports added.

Interestingly, the report highlighted Indias smear campaign against Turkey for the trend, rather than citing its President Recep Tayyip Erdogans anti-India stance for the development. Tourism sector representatives hope that these developments are temporary, but they called on the stakeholders to monitor the impact of regional policies on tourism in the long term.

Turkey was also a favourite wedding destination for Indians, thanks to the mega promotions carried out by Turkish promoters over the last decade. India has a significant share of the wedding market in Turkey. Weddings used to cost between $70 million and $150 million," Tourism professional Hamit Kuk was quoted by a local newspaper when the cancellations began in May.

Though Turkey continues to witness strong tourist interest from other countries in the region, the impact of Indias loss is significant. In addition to Pakistan, there is an increase in the number of visitors from China, Japan, and Taiwan, Turkish tourism sources said.
An Israeli military strike yesterday hit the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, killing three people and injuring at least ten others, including the parish priest. The church, the only Catholic place of worship in the besieged enclave, had been sheltering hundreds of Palestinians when it was struck.

Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said the origin of the munition was unclear. It was not known whether the attack came from an aircraft or a tank. The blast sent shrapnel and debris flying across the compound, where families, children and people with disabilities had been taking refuge amid ongoing Israeli bombardment.

Among the dead were Saad Salameh, a 60-year-old janitor at the church, Fumayya Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman receiving psychological support in a Caritas tent, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 69, who was seated nearby. The Catholic charity Caritas Internationalis said the victims had simply been trying to survive in a place they thought would be safe.

The parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was injured while trying to help a wounded young man struck by shrapnel. Witnesses said Romanelli had rushed to assist the man but was hurt in the process. Footage from the hospital showed him with a bandaged leg but able to walk. Romanelli, an Argentinian who has ministered in Gaza for nearly three decades, had been receiving nightly calls from Pope Francis until the pontiffs death in April. The calls began shortly after the outbreak of the war last October.

The attack also damaged parts of the church compound, which had come under fire previously during the conflict. In December 2023, two women sheltering inside were shot and killed by an Israeli sniper, according to the patriarchate.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said the church was struck directly by a tank shell. In an interview with Vatican News, he said the building had clearly been targeted, contradicting Israels initial claims that the hit was accidental.

The Israeli government responded with an unusual expression of regret. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office stated that a stray munition had struck the church and that every innocent life lost was a tragedy. It said Israel shared in the grief of the affected families and added that an investigation was underway.

The Israeli military echoed that sentiment, saying it was aware of the reports and that it made every feasible effort to avoid harm to civilians and religious sites. It added that the incident was under review.

In Washington, President Donald Trump expressed displeasure during a call with Netanyahu. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had conveyed not a positive reaction to the church bombing.

The Vatican also condemned the attack. Pope Leo XIV, through a message sent by the Secretary of State, expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and injuries caused by what he described as a military assault. He urged an immediate ceasefire and prayed for the recovery of the wounded and comfort for the bereaved.

The incident drew international criticism. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Israels ongoing strikes on Gaza were unacceptable, adding that military operations could not justify attacks on civilians or religious sanctuaries.

The humanitarian impact continues to grow. Dozens more Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip yesterday, including four in the Zeitoun area near Imam al-Shafii school. The Holy Family church reported that several of the wounded were in critical condition.

Efforts to reach a new ceasefire have stalled, despite renewed talks backed by the United States. Over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began with a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead. Since the collapse of the last truce in March, more than 7,750 Palestinians have died, with recent days alone accounting for around 100 deaths.

Negotiators have focused on Israels possible withdrawal from the Morag Corridor, a key military zone established in southern Gaza to isolate Hamas. While there were signs of possible Israeli flexibility, no breakthrough has yet been achieved.

Alistair Dutton, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, captured the sense of anguish surrounding the church attack, saying: Their deaths are a painful reminder of the appalling conditions that civilians and medical personnel are living in under siege. We grieve the lives lost and call on all parties to respect the sacredness of life and the spaces that protect it.
Surgeons from Saudi Arabias King Abdullah Specialist Childrens Hospital successfully separated 7-month-old conjoined twins during a 12-hour-long surgery on Thursday. The surgery was led by a team of 38 specialists, including consultants in pediatric surgery, anesthesia, urology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and nursing.

Twins Yara and Lara were joined at the lower abdomen and pelvis, shared parts of the colon, rectum, urinary and reproductive systems, and pelvic bone. They had separate upper and lower limbs, according to Arab News.

In an interview given before the surgey, the surgeons had described about the challenges working in narrow spaces where critical organs and features overlapped. The big challenge here is that we are working in a narrow space where many structures join. Were talking about a joint rectum and joint parts of the urinary bladder, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, told Arab News.

Post surgery, the girls will be subjected to an intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy programme so that they will be able to be active and will be able to sit and stand outdoors.

Muaid Al-Shehri, the father of the Saudi twins, Yara and Lara, expressed his gratitude to the authorities and said the operation was a profound and emotional moment for his family. The support has been great, he said. Honestly, the joy after the separation of the twins is indescribable; its a completely different kind of happiness.

Saudi Arabia boasts the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, where over 65th successful separations have been conducted so far. The team has evaluated 150 conjoined twin cases from 27 countries over the past 35 years.
Humans have had a detrimental impact on the environment, so much so that 73 per cent of global wildlife has been lost since 1970, even as the global population doubled to 8 billion. But can the opposite be true, especially since the population in 85 countries, mostly in Asia and Europe, will be shrinking by 2050, and by 2100, the population will drop globally? Is the global population decline a good sign for nature?

Surprisingly, a new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability found that depopulation "is not yet yielding automatic gains in species richness and abundance." The research focuses on Japan, which in 2010 became the first in Asia to begin depopulating. Interestingly, "Only in areas where human population size is currently stable are species richness and abundance also more stable," as per the research.

"This is due mainly to land use change, with depopulation contributing either to urbanization, disuse and abandonment, or intensification," the researchers mentioned, adding that, "Hence, we are disappointed thus far not to report the achievement of a biodiversity depopulation dividend for Japan."

How about the data?

As per the paper, hundreds of citizen scientists in Japan have been collecting biodiversity data for the government's Monitoring Sites 1,000 project since 2003. It is a project that focuses on long-term ecological monitoring across 1,000 sites across Japan. The researchers used unpublished biodiversity data for the period spanning 2004 to 2021. The data were from WAPU (wooded, agricultural, and peri-urban) landscapes, which "account for approximately 40 per cent of the land area in Japan."

What next?

While biodiversity continued to decrease in sites of population decline and was stable where population was stable, this will not remain the case forever, as Japan is witnessing population decline overall.

"We advise that passively waiting for spontaneous habitat and biodiversity recovery to occur in depopulating areas anywhere will probably result in an underwhelming outcome," the researchers noted. "Rewilding is gaining attention worldwide as a strategy for recovering habitats and restoring ecosystem functionality and sustainability," they added.
As India and the United States approach a critical juncture in their trade negotiations, now intensified by the rescheduled August 1 tariff deadline originally set for July 9, the contentious issue of genetically modified (GM) crops emerges as a potent symbol of the intricate crossroads between global trade aspirations and domestic policy restraint.

With over 20 countries already notified of revised rates, India stands at a critical inflection point, racing to strike a scaled-down bilateral trade agreement, a mini dealthat could exempt it from being hit with Trumps proposed 26 per cent tariff regime. For New Delhi, securing relief for its labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, and footwear remains a primary aim. Meanwhile, the US is pressing for broader entry into India's industrial goods, automobiles, wines, petrochemicals, and most controversially, its agricultural and dairy markets.

The insistence by the United States to include GM soya bean and maize exports as part of the trade package has cast a long shadow over the negotiations. Indias refusal to open its doors to GM crops is grounded not only in law but in deeply entrenched societal concerns regarding health, ecology, and economic independence. While limited concessions may be on the table, such as the possible import of GM alfalfa hay for use in animal feed, Indian regulations still demand rigorous non-GM certification. This poses a practical roadblock for US producers, who often cultivate GM and non-GM varieties side by side, making segregation difficult. Indian officials have thus far remained resolute, with the countrys chief negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal, making it clear in Washington that GM crops remain a red line in the dialogue.

Former Indian ambassador to the World Trade Organisation, Anjali Prasad, warns against compromising sensitive sectors under pressure. With nearly 60 per cent of Indias population dependent on agriculture and dairy, she argues, introducing GM crops would undermine both public health and economic stability.

Agricultural economist Devinder Sharma, who frames the issue not just as a scientific debate but as one of strategic economics. India has carved out a unique place in the global market as a non-GM producer, particularly in soya meal exports, where buyers actively seek natural variants. Surrendering this advantage for short-term trade gains could be a costly mistake. He calls for investment in non-GM farming techniques and policies that reward farmers with fair pricing, arguing that productivity should be driven by equitable economic models rather than technological quick fixes.

Meanwhile, voices such as Ashok Gulati, former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, advocate for a more calibrated approach to GM cultivation, suggesting that India must reconcile modern agricultural demands with ecological safety. Gulati points to examples such as GM eggplant in Bangladesh to illustrate that regional innovations may already be making quiet cross-border inroads.

Indias hesitance on GM crops is not simply ideological. The risks associated with genetically homogenous agriculture, including vulnerability to pathogens, loss of biodiversity, and diminished nutritional value, are substantial. Bt cotton, a genetically modified variety that contains genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, the only approved GM crop in India, was allowed in 2002 only after extensive testing and regulatory oversight. Today, the debate continues as GM mustard, brinjal, chickpeas, maize, and tomatoes face legal and scientific scrutiny. Though the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has cleared GM mustard for open-air trials, legal petitions before the Supreme Court reflect the depth of public and institutional resistance.

The trade talks thus reflect a profound tension between economic pragmatism and ethical stewardship. As India negotiates with the United States, it is not just haggling over tariffs or customs duties, but reaffirming its commitment to a food system that is equitable, ecologically sound, and rooted in national priorities. GM crops have emerged as a fulcrum around which these negotiations pivot, symbolising a wider debate over development, autonomy, and the kind of future India envisions for its farmers and consumers alike. Whether this principled stance will complicate the path to a trade deal remains to be seen, but for now, New Delhi appears determined to defend the integrity of its agricultural policy, even as pressure mounts from Trumps impending tariffs.

The author is a strategic and economic affairs analyst
BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Consumption has contributed around 60 percent on average annually to China's economic growth over the past four years, and the role of consumption as the economy's main engine has continued to strengthen, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said on Friday. 
A day after some Pakistani media went overboard with reports that US President Donald Trump will be visiting Islamabad in September, the White House issued a statement saying no such thing has been planned, forcing Pakistani media to apologise for misreporting.

A White House official on Thursday dismissed "rumours" of President Donald Trump visiting Pakistan . "There is no planned visit to Pakistan by the President at this time," a White House official said. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry also said that there is no information regarding the US President 's visit to Pakistan in September.

Two Pakistani television news channels reported on Thursday that Trump would be visiting Pakistan without any confirmation from either side. The reports that appeared on national TV, including Geo News and ARY News, set tongues wagging as no US President has visited the country in nearly two decades. "Geo News apologises to its viewers for airing the news without verification," Geo News said while ARY News retracted the story after Pakistan's Foreign Office denied the information.

A spokesman for the US Embassy in Islamabad also told Reuters that "we have nothing to announce in this regard."

Both Geo and ARY news also reported that Trump would visit India after arriving in Pakistan.

The unverified reports created quite a stir as Pakistan now aims to rebuild its relations with the US after years. Islamabads relations with Washington saw a major boost when Trump at the White House last month and hosted a lunch. The visit, which happened just before the US decided to join the military campaign against Pakistans neighbour Iran, was celebrated by local media as a major achievement. Trump also used the opportunity to thank both India and Pakistan for the ceasefire after the Operation Sindoor.
Cambodia on Wednesday said that an order by Prime Minister Hun Manet for government bodies to crackdown on criminal cybercrime operations being run in the country had resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 suspects so far this week.

Hun Manet issued the order authorising state action for maintaining and protecting security, public order, and social safety.

The government has observed that online scams are currently causing threats and insecurity in the world and the region. In Cambodia, foreign criminal groups have also infiltrated to engage in online scams, Hun Manets statement, dated Tuesday, said.

The United Nations and other agencies estimate that cyberscams, most of them originating from Southeast Asia, earn international criminal gangs billions of dollars annually.

More than 1,000 suspects were arrested in raids in at least five provinces between Monday and Wednesday, according to statements from Information Minister Neth Pheaktra and police.

Those detained included more than 200 Vietnamese, 27 Chinese, and 75 suspects from Taiwan and 85 Cambodians in the capital Phnom Penh and the southern city of Sihanoukville. Police also seized equipment, including computers and hundreds of mobile phones.

At least 270 Indonesians, including 45 women, were arrested Wednesday in Poipet, a town on the border with Thailand notorious for cyberscam and gambling operations, the minister said. Elsewhere, police in the northeastern province of Kratie arrested 312 people, including nationals of Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam, while 27 people from Vietnam, China and Myanmar were arrested in the western province of Pursat.

Amnesty International last month published the findings of an 18-month investigation into cybercrime in Cambodia, which the human rights group said point towards state complicity in abuses carried out by Chinese criminal gangs.

The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring a litany of human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labor and torture being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, it said.

Human trafficking is closely associated with cyberscam operations, as workers are often recruited under false pretences and then held captive.

Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare  enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General Agnes Callamard said.

Cambodias latest crackdown comes in the midst of a bitter feud with neighboring Thailand, which began with a brief armed skirmish in late May over border territory claimed by both nations and has now led to border closures and nearly daily exchanges of nationalistic insults. Friendly former leaders of both countries have become estranged and there have been hot debates over which nations cultural heritage has influenced the other.

Measures initiated by the Thai side, including cutting off cross-border electricity supplies and closing crossing points, have particularly heightened tensions, with Cambodia claiming they were churlish actions of spite to retaliate for its intention to pursue its territorial claims. Thailand said its original intention was to combat long-existing cyberscam operations in Poipet.

(AP)
For decades, proponents of psychedelic drugs have come to Washington with a provocative message: Illegal, mind-altering substances like LSD and ecstasy should be approved for Americans grappling with depression, trauma and other hard-to-treat conditions.

A presidential administration finally seems to agree.

This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told members of Congress.

His suggested timeline for green-lighting psychedelic therapy surprised even the most bullish supporters of the drugs. And it comes as psychedelics are making inroads in deep red states like Texas, where former Trump cabinet secretary and ex-governor Rick Perry has thrown his full support behind the effort.

The administrations embrace of psychedelics has sparked both excitement as well as concern from those in the field, who worry the drugs might be discredited if they appear to be rushed onto the market or are too closely linked with Kennedy, who is known for controversial views on vaccines, antidepressants and fluoride.

Im quite optimistic, says Rick Doblin, whose organization has pursued the medical use of MDMA (or ecstasy) since the 1980s. But Im also worried that the message the public might get is Well, RFK likes psychedelics and now its approved.

FDA may reconsider MDMA

Under President Joe Biden, the FDA rejected MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, citing flawed data and questionable research. Regulators called for a new study, likely taking several years. It was a major setback for Doblin and other advocates hoping to see the first U.S. approval of a psychedelic for medical use.

But the agency appears ready to reconsider. FDA chief Marty Makary, who reports to Kennedy, has called the evaluation of MDMA and other psychedelics a top priority, announcing a slate of initiatives that could be used to accelerate their approval.

One new program promises to expedite drugs that serve the health interests of Americans, by slashing their review time from six months or more to as little as one month. Makary has also suggested greater flexibility on requirements for certain drugs, potentially waiving rigorous controlled studies that compare patients to a placebo group.

That approach, considered essential for high-quality research, has long been a stumbling point for psychedelic studies, in which patients can almost always correctly guess whether theyve received the drug or a dummy pill.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and FDA also recently hired several new staffers with ties to the psychedelic movement.

These are all very promising signs that the administration is aware of the potential of psychedelics and is trying to make overtures that theyre ready to approve them, said Greg Ferenstein, a fellow at the libertarian Reason Foundation, who also consults for psychedelic companies. We didnt hear anything about that in the Biden administration

A spokesperson for HHS did not respond to a request for comment.

As a presidential candidate, Kennedy discussed how his son and several close friends benefited from using psychedelics to deal with grief and other issues.

A number of veterans lobbying for psychedelic access have already met with Trumps Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins.

What were seeing so far is positive, Collins told House lawmakers in May.

But some experts worry the hope and hype surrounding psychedelics has gotten ahead of the science.

Philip Corlett, a psychiatric researcher at Yale University, says bypassing rigorous clinical trials could set back the field and jeopardize patients.

If RFK and the new administration are serious about this work, there are things they could do to shepherd it into reality by meeting the benchmarks of medical science, Corlett said. I just dont think thats going to happen.

Texas goes all-in on ibogaine research

As officials in Washington weigh the future of psychedelics, some states are moving ahead with their own projects in hopes of nudging the federal government. Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic therapy.

And last month, Texas approved $50 million to study ibogaine, a potent psychedelic made from a shrub thats native to West Africa, as a treatment for opioid addiction, PTSD and other conditions. The research grant  the largest of its kind by any government  passed with support from the states former GOP governor, Perry, and combat veterans, some who have traveled to clinics in Mexico that offer ibogaine.

Ibogaine is on the U.S. governments ultra-restrictive list of illegal, Schedule 1 drugs, which also includes heroin. So advocates in Texas are hoping to build a national movement to ease restrictions on researching its use.

Governmental systems move slowly and inefficiently, said Bryan Hubbard of Americans for Ibogaine, a group formed with Perry. Sometimes you find yourself constrained in terms of the progress you can make from within.

Ibogaine is unique among psychedelics in both its purported benefits and risks. Small studies and anecdotal reports suggest the drug may be able to dramatically ease addiction and trauma. It was sold for medical use in France for several decades starting in the 1930s, but the drug can also cause dangerous irregular heart rhythms, which can be fatal if left untreated.

Some veterans who have taken the drug say the risks can be managed and ibogaines healing properties go far beyond antidepressants, mood stabilizers, counseling and other standard treatments.

Marcus Capone struggled with anger, insomnia and mood swings after 13 years as a Navy Seal. In 2017, at the urging of his wife Amber, he agreed to try ibogaine as a last resort. He described his first ibogaine session as a complete purge of everything.

But afterward I felt the weight just completely off my shoulders, he said. No more anxiety, no more depression, life made sense all of a sudden.

A nonprofit founded by the Capones, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, or VETS, has helped over 1,000 veterans travel abroad to receive ibogaine and other psychedelics.

But federal scientists have looked at the drug before  three decades ago, when the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded preliminary studies on using it as an addiction treatment. The research was discontinued after it identified cardiovascular toxicity.

It would be dead in the water, in terms of winning FDA approval, longtime NIDA director Nora Volkow said.

But Volkow said her agency remains interested in psychedelics, including ibogaine, and is funding an American drugmaker thats working to develop a safer, synthetic version of the drug.

I am very intrigued by their pharmacological properties and how they are influencing the brain, Volkow said. But you also have to be very mindful not to fall into the hype and to be objective and rigorous in evaluating them.

(AP)
Two university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies  advances that could help recover would-be heart donations that too often go unused.

The new research aims to overcome barriers for using organs from someone who dies when their heart stops. Called DCD, or donation after circulatory death, it involves a controversial recovery technique or the use of expensive machines.

Surgeons at Duke and Vanderbilt universities reported Wednesday that theyve separately devised simpler approaches to retrieve those hearts. In the New England Journal of Medicine, they described successfully transplanting hearts to a 3-month-old infant at Duke and three men at Vanderbilt.

These DCD hearts work just as well as hearts from brain-dead donors, said Vanderbilt lead author Dr. Aaron M. Williams.

How hearts are saved for donation

Most transplanted hearts come from donors who are brain dead. In those situations, the body is left on a ventilator that keeps the heart beating until the organs are removed.

Circulatory death occurs when someone has a nonsurvivable brain injury but because all brain function hasnt ceased, the family decides to withdraw life support and the heart stops. That means organs can spend a while without oxygen before being recovered, a time lag usually doable for kidneys and other organs but that can raise questions about the quality of hearts.

To counter damage and determine whether DCD organs are usable, surgeons can pump blood and oxygen to the deceased donors abdominal and chest organs  after clamping off access to the brain. But its ethically controversial to artificially restore circulation even temporarily and some hospitals prohibit that technique, called normothermic regional perfusion, or NRP.

Another option is to reanimate DCD organs in a machine that pumps blood and nutrients on the way to the transplant hospital. The machines are expensive and complex, and Dukes Dr. Joseph Turek said the devices cant be used for young childrens small hearts  the age group with the most dire need.

New ways of preserving hearts

Tureks team found a middle ground: Remove the heart and attach some tubes of oxygen and blood to briefly assess its ability to function  not in a machine but on a sterile table in the operating room.

They practiced with piglets. Then came the real test. At another hospital, life support was about to be withdrawn from a 1-month-old whose family wanted to donate  and who would be a good match for a 3-month-old Duke patient in desperate need of a new heart. The other hospital didnt allow the controversial NRP recovery technique but let Tureks team test the experimental alternative.

It took just five minutes to tell the coronary arteries are filling well, its pink, its beating, Turek said. The team promptly put the little heart on ice and raced it back to Duke.

Vanderbilts system is even simpler: Infuse the heart with a nutrient-rich, cold preservative solution before removing it from the donors body, similar to how hearts from brain-dead donors are handled.

That replenishes the nutrients that are depleted during the dying process and helps protect it for transport, Williams explained, adding that Vanderbilt has performed about 25 such transplants so far. Our view is you dont necessarily need to reanimate the heart.

More donated hearts are needed

Theres a huge need for more transplantable hearts. Hundreds of thousands of adults suffer from advanced heart failure, yet many are never even offered a transplant because of the organ shortage.

Every year about 700 children in the U.S. are added to the transplant list for a new heart and about 20% die waiting. Turek said infants are at particular risk.

Last year, people whose lives ended via circulatory death made up 43% of the nations deceased donors  but just 793 of the 4,572 heart transplants.

Thats why many specialists say finding ways to use more of those hearts is crucial. The new studies are small and early-stage but promising, said Brendan Parent of NYU Langone Health, who directs transplant ethics and policy research.

Innovation to find ways to recover organs successfully after circulatory death are essential for reducing the organ shortage, he said.

If alternatives pan out, I absolutely think that cardiac programs will be thrilled, especially at hospitals that have rejected NRP.

(AP)
A record number of antisemitic incidents were reported on U.S. college campuses during the 2024-2025 academic year. According to new data released Wednesday by Hillel International, the Jewish campus organization, 2,334 incidents were recorded over the past year  a 26 percent increase from the 1,853 reported during the previous academic year. That figure is nearly ten times higher than the 289 incidents logged in 2022-2023, before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

While physical threats and acts of vandalism declined, Hillel attributed the surge to a staggering 185 percent rise in online harassment targeting Jewish students.

The sharp increase in digital antisemitism underscores the evolving landscape of campus hate, Hillel President and CEO Adam Lehman said in a statement. But were also seeing that when universities enforce their own policies, it makes a measurable difference in protecting Jewish students and building inclusive campus environments.

The report comes amid a broader uptick in antisemitism nationwide. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently reported a record 9,354 cases of harassment, vandalism, and assault across the U.S. in 2024  the highest tally since the organization began tracking such incidents.

Universities have come under increased scrutiny in recent months, with Congress and state lawmakers pressing administrators to crack down on campus antisemitism. Several high-profile college presidents were grilled during Capitol Hill hearings, and along with threats from President Trump to defund those universities, the schools have made new pledges from schools to revise codes of conduct and disciplinary policies.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Crews have begun demolishing a residential building in Bat Yam that was struck by an Iranian missile during last months war. The missile strike killed nine civilians and caused extensive structural damage.

The building, located in the densely populated city just south of Tel Aviv, suffered a direct hit during a barrage launched from Iranian territory. The attack marked one of the deadliest single incidents on Israeli soil during the conflict.

According to officials, a total of 22 apartment buildings in the surrounding area have been deemed unsafe and are slated for demolition due to structural instability caused by the blast.

The demolition work is being carried out under heightened security and engineering oversight, as authorities continue to assess the broader damage and long-term impact on the neighborhood. Displaced families are being housed in temporary accommodations while the government weighs compensation and reconstruction options.

The missile attack on Bat Yam was part of Irans unprecedented direct assault on Israel last month, in which hundreds of projectiles were fired toward Israeli population centers. Israels air defense systems intercepted the vast majority, but several missiles made impact, causing fatalities and significant property damage.

Municipal and national officials have vowed to expedite the rebuilding process and provide support for affected residents.

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(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A data leak that led thousands of Afghans to be resettled in the U.K. after their safety was jeopardized because they assisted forces against the Taliban also exposed the identities of British spies and special forces, news organizations reported Thursday.

U.K. media reported that the names of more than 100 special forces troops, MI6 spies and military officers were part of the leak.

A person with knowledge of the events confirmed to The Associated Press that a small number of special forces personnel names were leaked. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive nature of the information.

The revelation followed a London judges order Tuesday to lift a so-called super injunction that prevented any reporting on an email inadvertently sent by a defense official in February 2022 that included personal information of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to come to the U.K.

The Afghans, who worked with Western forces as fixers, translators or served in the internationally backed Afghan army, applied under a program to bring some to the U.K. because they faced retribution.

The British government only became aware of the leak when some of the data was posted on Facebook 18 months later by someone who threatened to publish the whole list. A secret program was then launched to relocate Afghans to the U.K.

When High Court Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the rare and controversial super injunction, which also prevented reporting on existence of the injunction itself, he allowed information to be reported on the Afghans.

Defense Secretary John Healey apologized Tuesday in Parliament on behalf of the British government and said a small number of names of people who supported the applications, including members of Parliament, senior military officers and government officials, were listed on the document.

While Chamberlain lifted the super injunction, he had barred reporting that would show members of British forces and spies had also been on the list.

Media groups sought a modification of the judges order Thursday after The Sun tabloid, which was not a party to the case and not subject to the injunction, published information about the British identities being exposed.

News of the blunder has become a scandal because the government went to the extreme lengths to hide it from the public while relocating thousands of people.

Some 4,500 Afghans  900 applicants and approximately 3,600 family members  have been brought to Britain under the program, and about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the time it closes, at a total cost of about 850 million pounds ($1.1 billion).

The government said it was closing the program after an independent review found little evidence the leaked data would expose Afghans to a greater risk of retribution from the Taliban. The review said the Taliban had other sources of information on those who had worked with the previous Afghan government and international forces.

Critics, however, said thousands of people who helped British troops as interpreters or in other roles could be at risk of torture, imprisonment or death.

Sean Humber, a lawyer who has represented Afghan claimants, said the catastrophic data breach had caused anxiety, fear and distress to those affected.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban government of Afghanistan, said the supreme leader had declared a general amnesty for everyone that prevented anybody being arrested, killed, or targeted, he told The Associated Press.

Intelligence agencies do not need to monitor such people, who have already been pardoned, and all documents and information related to them are available here, he said in a WhatsApp message. Any rumors and gossip only serve to intimidate those individuals and cause fear and anxiety to their families.

British soldiers were sent to Afghanistan as part of an international deployment against al-Qaida and Taliban forces in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. At the peak of the operation, there were almost 10,000 U.K. troops in the country, mostly in Helmand province in the south.

Britain ended combat operations in 2014, and its remaining troops left Afghanistan in 2021 as the Taliban swept back to power, two decades after they were ousted. The Talibans return triggered chaotic scenes as Western nations rushed to evacuate citizens and Afghan employees.

(AP)
Protests and events against President Donald Trumps controversial policies that include mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other safety nets for poor people started Thursday at more than 1,600 locations around the country.

The Good Trouble Lives On national day of action honors the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Protests were being held along streets, at court houses and other public spaces. Organizers have called for them to be peaceful.

We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nations history, Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert said during an online news conference Tuesday. We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration  as the rights, freedoms and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged.

Public Citizen is a nonprofit with a stated mission of taking on corporate power. It is a member of a coalition of groups behind Thursdays protests.

Major protests were planned in Atlanta and St. Louis, as well as Oakland, California, and Annapolis, Maryland.

Honoring Lewis legacy

Lewis first was elected to Congress in 1986. He died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson pressed Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act that later became law.

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America, Lewis said in 2020 while commemorating the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Chicago will be the flagship city for Thursdays protests as demonstrators are expected to rally downtown in the afternoon.

Betty Magness, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters Chicago and one of the organizers of Chicagos event, said the rally will also include a candlelight vigil to honor Lewis.

Much of the rest of the rally will have a livelier tone, Magness said, adding we have a DJ whos gonna rock us with boots on the ground.

Protesting Trumps policies

Pushback against Trump so far in his second term has centered on deportations and immigration enforcement tactics

Earlier this month, protesters engaged in a tense standoff as federal authorities conducted mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms. One farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic raid.

Those raids followed Trumps extraordinary deployment of the National Guard outside federal buildings and to protect immigration agents carrying out arrests on Los Angeles. On June 8, thousands of protesters began taking to the streets in Los Angeles.

And organizers of the June 14 No Kings demonstrations said millions of people marched in hundreds of events from New York to San Francisco. Demonstrators labeled Trump as a dictator and would-be king for marking his birthday with a military parade.

(AP)
A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks.

How to say youre from Rostov without saying a word? Show one bar of cellphone service, Pavel Osipyan raps while walking around the city, smartphone in hand. We have internet until 12 oclock, and recently theres been no connection at all. No need to be angry, just get used to it already.

The complaints by Osipyan  unable to pay electronically for groceries, or having to use paper maps while driving  arent isolated to Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and, as home to Russias Southern Military District, is targeted frequently by drones.

In the last two months, cellphone internet shutdowns, which officials say are needed to foil Ukrainian drones, have hit dozens of Russian regions  from those near the fighting to parts of Siberia and even the Far East. Some Wi-Fi outages also have been reported.

Russians contacted by The Associated Press talked about card payments not going through, taxi and ride-sharing apps not working properly, ATMs that sometimes fail.

Experts point to the unprecedented nature of the measures and warn of far-reaching consequences in a country where the Kremlin already has significantly curtailed online freedom.

Such shutdowns in the name of security legitimize them to the public and open the door for authorities abusing the restrictions, said Anastasiya Zhyrmont, policy manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Access Now digital rights group.

A signal to regional authorities

Experts say the trend began in May, when Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi Germany in World War II and foreign dignitaries flocked to Moscow for a big military parade.

The capital suffered severe disruptions of cellphone connectivity to the internet for days, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed those were deliberate restrictions due to regular Ukrainian drone attacks. Asked how long theyd last, he replied, This will be done as needed.

Russia has restricted smartphone connectivity before, with isolated instances during protests, as well as in regions bordering Ukraine.

Shutdowns in the capital, however, sent a signal to authorities across the vast country that its a useful tool, said lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Russian internet freedom group Roskomsvoboda.

Ukraines Operation Spiderweb in early June, in which drones launched from containers on trucks attacked airfields deep inside Russia, made officials all the more eager to take action, Darbinyan said.

They got really scared that drones now may appear, like a jack-in-the-box, in any Russian regions, he told AP.

By mid-July, deliberate shutdowns spread to most of the country, according to Na Svyazi  Russian for staying connected  an activist group tracking internet availability.

On Thursday, the group said 61 of Russias more than 80 regions suffered cellphone internet shutdowns. In 42 regions, there were reports of broadband network outages.

The Russian military reported downing 122 Ukrainian drones over a dozen regions overnight Wednesday to Thursday. It said 73 drones were shot down early Friday.

Some regional officials confirmed that cellphone internet was restricted for security reasons. Nizhny Novgorod Gov. Gleb Nikitin said this month the measure will stay in place in the region east of Moscow for as long as the threat remains.

Asked Thursday whether such mass shutdowns were justified, Peskov said everything that has to do with ensuring the safety of citizens, everything is justified and everything is a priority.

Unpredictable disruptions

Russians from affected regions say the outages can last for hours or days; patterns also are hard to discern, with service working in one part of a city but vanishing elsewhere.

In Voronezh, near Ukraine and frequently targeted by drones, one resident said she felt like she was in a cave in early July with no cellphone internet or Wi-Fi in her home. The woman, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said she was only able to get online at work the next day.

Cellphone internet in the southwestern city of Samara goes out at the most unpredictable moments, said Natalia, who also spoke on condition that her last name be withheld for safety reasons. Her home Wi-Fi recently also has slowed to a near halt around 11 p.m., staying that way for a few hours, she said.

Connectivity has improved recently in the Siberian city of Omsk, said Viktor Shkurenko, who owns retail stores and other businesses there. But cellphone internet service was out in his office for an entire week. A few of his smaller stores that rely on cellphone networks suffered disruptions, but nothing critical, he said.

I dont feel any super strong discomfort, said Grigori Khromov of Nizhny Novgorod, Russias fifth-largest city where regular and widespread shutdowns were reported. I have an office job and I work either at home or in the office and have either wire internet or Wi-Fi.

In rural areas, small towns and villages, where cellphone internet often is the only way to get online, the situation was harder to gauge.

Pharmacies in such areas have struggled, Russian media reported and the Independent Pharmacies Association confirmed to AP. Viktoria Presnyakova, head of the association, said in a statement that prescriptions must be logged in special software, but that becomes impossible without an internet connection for weeks.

A social media user in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine complained on Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkovs social media page that without cellphone internet and a working alarm system, village residents have to bang on a rail to warn neighbors of an attack. The authorities promised to look into improving connectivity in the area.

Authorities elsewhere also announced steps to minimize disruptions by opening Wi-Fi spots. They also are reportedly planning to establish an agency to coordinate the shutdowns, according to Izvestia, a Kremlin-backed newspaper that cited unidentified government sources. Peskov said he was unaware of the plan.

Russias efforts at internet control

Russian and Ukrainian drones use cellphone internet networks to operate, so shutdowns are one way authorities try to counter the attacks, said Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

But its also part of the Kremlins long-term effort to rein in the internet. Authorities have actively censored online content in the last decade, blocking thousands of websites of independent media, opposition groups and human rights organizations.

After Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as encrypted messenger platform Signal and a few other messaging apps.

Access to YouTube  wildly popular in Russia  was disrupted last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube owner Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

State internet watchdogs routinely block virtual private network services that help circumvent the restrictions, and there are plans to introduce a national messenger app, expected to replace foreign ones.

Along with the shutdowns, these are part of a larger campaign to establish control over the internet, which is something the Kremlin had failed to do 20 years prior on the same level that China did, said the ISWs Stepanenko.

Access Nows Zhyrmont says its very disturbing that Russians have gotten used to living with growing internet restrictions, including shutdowns.

This shouldnt be modern reality, she said.

(AP)
North Korea is banning the entry of foreign tourists to a recently opened mega beach resort, a move that dims prospects for the complex that leader Kim Jong Un hailed it as one of the greatest successes this year.

DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Koreas tourism authorities, said in a notice Friday that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists. It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last.

North Korea says the complex can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests. The resort opened to domestic tourists July 1 before receiving a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers expected North Korea to open the resort to Chinese tourists while largely blocking other international tourists.

Ban comes after visit by Russias top diplomat

The announcement came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to the complex to meet Kim and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui for talks last weekend.

North Korea and Russia have sharply expanded military and other cooperation in recent years, with North Korea supplying weapons and troops to back Russias war against Ukraine. During a meeting with Choe, Lavrov promised to take steps to support Russian travel to the zone.

I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here, he said.

But experts say North Korea likely decided to halt foreigner travels to the zone because of a newspaper article by a Russian reporter who travelled with Lavrov that implied North Koreans at the zone appeared to be mobilized by authorities and not real tourists.

The North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners, said Oh Gyeong-seob, an analyst at Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification.

Oh said the ban would include Russians, but the North Korea-focused NK News website, citing tour groups specializing in North Korea trips, said Russians wont likely be targeted.

Analyst Lee Sangkeun of Seouls Institute for National Security Strategy said the ban could be associated with difficulties in recruiting Russian tourists because many would consider North Korea too far away and the trip too expensive.

Experts say North Korea must open the Wonsan-Kalma zone, the countrys biggest tourist complex, to Russian and Chinese tourists, given what was likely a huge construction and operational expenditure from the countrys tight budget.

If foreign tourists arent allowed to the site, no Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars wont come in. Then, North Korea cant break even and it has to shut down the resort, said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.

Kim has said the site would be one of the greatest successes this year and the proud first step in tourism development. North Koreas state media reports the Wonsan-Kalma site has been crowded with local tourists.

The first group of 15 Russian tourists arrived in the resort July 11 after visiting Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, NK News reported earlier this week.

It was magnificent. Everything is new, clean and stunning, Russian tourist Nina Svirida said in the report.

North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasnt said if it would fully resume international tourism.

Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February, North Korea allowed a small group of international tourists to visit the northeastern city of Rason, only to stop the program in less than a month.

(AP)
SWAKOPMUND, Namibia, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese collaboration in Namibia's maritime sector has positively impacted the Namibian economy and the livelihoods of its people, said Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) Andrew Kanime.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Thursday, Kanime emphasized the pivotal role of the Walvis Bay container terminal, constructed by China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) and commissioned in 2019, which has revolutionized Namport's cargo handling capabilities.

"It has been a very impactful project, not only on Namport, but also for Namibia and the region at large, because that particular terminal has enabled us to double our cargo handling capacity," he said.

Kanime told Xinhua that before the commissioning of the new terminal, Namport's annual capacity was 350,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), but it has now more than doubled to 750,000 TEUs.

Beyond the construction of the container terminal, Kanime underlined the dredging of the entrance channel as another milestone.

"That was just recently deepened to minus 17 meters, enabling us to attract and handle the largest container vessels in the world," he said, adding that this combined effort has significantly bolstered Namport's standing.

The ports of Walvis Bay and Luderitz are Namibia's two primary seaports. Managed by the Namport, they act as vital gateways for landlocked southern African countries, especially Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia.

Kanime said that the project will continue to positively impact the Namibian economy and the livelihoods of many people, including not only port workers but also those who will benefit from the industries created by the significantly increased cargo volumes now handled through the Port of Walvis Bay.

Kanime highlighted that Namibia is on a growth trajectory, with the need for Namport to continue expanding its port capacity.

"China Harbor Engineering Company, as in the case of other competent contractors, is obviously welcome to partner not only with us but with other businesses in a tender that will soon be launched to the market for new structures for the oil and gas," he said.

Looking at bridging the skill gap in the labor market, Kanime said a crucial aspect of international collaborations is skills transfer.

"Skills transfer is a critical component of any project and, more specifically, any organization," he said. "With the construction of this new terminal, we also deployed new STS (ship-to-shore) cranes, which we procured from ZPMC (Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited), also a Chinese manufacturer," he said.

Kanime lauded the success of the skills transfer process. "Those ZPMC engineers have gone back, but they have transferred skills to our local team. Those machines are now being fully repaired and maintained by our own team."

Concluding the interview, Kanime underscored Namibia and China's good relations that span years, highlighting the great scope for the two countries to continue collaborating.

"Those sisterly collaborations have been carried through to post-independent Namibia. And therefore, the sky is actually the limit," he said. 
President Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi Thursday to release pertinent grand jury testimony in the case of Jeffrey Epstein  so long as a court allows it.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, he wrote on Truth Social.

This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now! the president added.

Trumps decision follows intense pressure from his base for more transparency in the case, and comes hours after The Wall Street Journal published a story about a note he allegedly wrote to Epstein.

Grand jury testimony in the Epstein case took place in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York  and Bondi indicated that she would petition the court Friday for the release of the files.

President Trump  we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts, Bondi wrote on X.

Epstein, 66, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, a month after he was charged with trafficking minors by the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York.

The FBI and Justice Department announced the conclusion of a systematic review of the Epstein case last week in a controversial, unsigned memo.

The review found no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals or that investigations against uncharged third parties were warranted.

Investigators also concluded the financier died by suicide and never had a client list of powerful associates allegedly implicated in his sickening crimes.

The memo indicated that no further disclosures would be made in the case.

Trump, backing the FBI and DOJs decision, has described the case as a hoax and has urged his supporters to move on from the issue since the release of the memo.

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a bawdy letter to Jeffrey Epstein, bearing President Donald Trumps signature, was included in an album of letters Epstein received for his 50th birthday in 2003.

The letter was sent at the request of Epsteins friend Ghislaine Maxwell, according to the newspaper.

Following the release of the article, President Trump released scathing statement directed at the WSJ.

If there were any truth at all on the Epstein Hoax, as it pertains to President Trump, this information would have been revealed by Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary, and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago.

The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably dont even exist.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wolff, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Kherson, along with his wife and daughter, escaped unharmed after their vehicle was struck by a Russian suicide drone in a direct hit on their car.

The harrowing incident occurred on Thursday evening local time, as the Wolffsthe rabbi, his wife Chaya and their 19-year-old daughterapproached their hometown of Kherson in southern Ukraine. They were about a kilometer and a half from a checkpoint at the approach to the city when the rabbi suddenly noticed a deadly drone hovering overhead.

I just saw it, for an instant, and then a few seconds later there was a crazy explosion, the shaken rabbi told Chabad.org. You can see a picture of the car. Its a miracle that were alive and well. You cant call it anything elsea miracle.

The rabbi is no stranger to war, his hometown of Kherson having seen much fighting since the start of the war in 2022, but this was closer than ever. The UAV struck the Wolffs Toyota Land Cruiser directly, destroying the entire front half of the car. Of course Ive heard these drones in the air before, but not like thisattacking you directly, he said.

The person driving behind the Wolffs stopped his car and took Chaya Wolff and their daughter, Raizi, home, while the rabbi was picked up by a member of the Jewish community of Kherson. The Wolffs blasted vehicle remains sitting on the highway.

Rabbi Wolff and his wife established Chabad of Kherson in 1993, two years after the fall of Communism. Under the Wolffs leadership, Kherson has become home to a plethora of Jewish activities, including a day school, summer camp, soup kitchen and mikvah.

We feel born again, the rabbi reflected mere hours after the attack. The Talmud says messengers of a mitzvah are not harmed. We were driving to Kherson to be with our communitya mitzvahso we were, thank Gd, unharmed. All I can say is do something good for another person, and leave the rest to Gd.
In a case described by officials as especially grave, an Israeli soldier has been charged with spying for Iran in exchange for money, marking one of the most serious internal espionage scandals in recent memory.

The soldier, whose identity has not been released, was arrested following a joint investigation led by Israels Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Polices elite Lahav 433 unit, and the Military Police. Military prosecutors filed formal charges against him today in a military court.

According to investigators, the soldier knowingly maintained contact with Iranian elements and carried out a series of missions on their behalf  including transferring footage of Israeli missile interceptions and video of rocket impact sites inside Israel.

While the information transmitted was not classified and did not originate from the soldiers official military duties, the Shin Bet emphasized that the incident represents a serious breach of national security, particularly because the soldier maintained contact with the enemy.

The charges filed include contact with a foreign agent and transmission of information to the enemy. A military court ordered that the soldier remain in custody until at least July 22, with further detention likely as the trial proceeds.

The case adds a chilling chapter to a broader pattern of Iranian intelligence activity targeting Israeli citizens. Over the past two years, Iran has aggressively expanded efforts to recruit Israeli operatives online  often by luring individuals with financial incentives to perform seemingly harmless tasks, which escalate into intelligence collection and even potential involvement in assassination plots.

Officials did not reveal the full extent of the soldiers cooperation with Iranian handlers or whether more arrests are expected, but sources close to the investigation suggested additional security breaches could come to light as the probe continues.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
In March 2025, dozens of Israeli fighter jets flew northeast across Syrian airspace, heading toward Iraq in what appeared to be the early stages of an attack. But the planes didnt continue on to Iran. Instead, they reached the northeastern tip of Syria, turned around, and returned home.

According to a senior Israeli Air Force official speaking to Yisrael Hayom for its fascinating new report on the attack that shattered Iran, the flight was a full-scale rehearsal for what would eventually become the largest Israeli military operation in decades: a coordinated and sustained air campaign against Iran. The aim was to rehearse the full operation at least once, flying a distance comparable to that of Iran, the official explained.

The real operation came three months later, in June 2025. Israeli aircraft launched a surprise offensive that struck Iranian military command centers, assassinated nuclear scientists, and dismantled key components of Irans air defense systems. The mission, known publicly as Operation Rising Lion, was based on a comprehensive strategic plan inside the Israeli Air Force called Iron Man.

For years, Israels approach to Iran had focused on limited strikes or covert Mossad operations. That began to change under the leadership of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who pushed for a broader military campaign designed to achieve one clear objective: air superiority over Iran. This shift in thinking was presented early in Halevis tenure and approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Securing air dominance would allow Israeli jets to operate over Irans skies with minimal resistance and reduce the countrys ability to launch missiles toward Israel. When a squadron of F-15s is circling over Tehran, everything changesphysically and psychologically, one defense official said.

However, preparations were hampered by other events. The war that began on October 7, 2024, with Hamass surprise attack, diverted significant Air Force resources to Gaza and the northern border. The threat of a Hezbollah incursion further complicated planning.

Despite this, the Air Force resumed preparations for a potential confrontation with Iran, recognizing early on that Tehran was a central actor behind the wider conflict.

On April 1, 2025, Israel carried out a targeted strike on IRGC commander Hassan Mahdavi in Damascus. The operation, though not aimed at escalating tensions, prompted a significant Iranian response. On April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israelits first-ever direct attack on the country.

While Israel intercepted most of the projectiles with help from allies including the U.S., it responded cautiously, targeting a single Iranian S-300 air defense battery. Though limited, this action served as a precursor to a broader campaign.

Later in October, after a second Iranian missile barrage, Israel launched Operation Days of Atonement, destroying Irans remaining S-300 systems and striking its missile production facilities. A key signal came when Israel struck a target just 250 meters from an Iranian energy site near the Iraqi border, indicating its ability to escalate further if needed.

Israels opportunities expanded significantly when the Assad regime in Syria collapsed in late 2024. This opened Syrian airspace, allowing Israeli jets to fly direct routes toward Iran at high altitude, conserving fuel and increasing strike efficiency. Refueling planes could now be stationed closer to Iran, enabling longer missions and more frequent sorties.

The Air Force also began shifting its focus from long-range, precision-guided standoff munitions to more conventional weaponscheaper and better suited to high-volume targeting. Older aircraft were repurposed for this, armed in advance, and held back from other theaters.

At the same time, Air Force planners refined a strategy for operating over Iran for up to two weeks, which required careful management of logistics, munitions, and maintenance under combat conditions.

To coordinate the scale of the planned campaign, the Air Force created a dedicated Iran department within its operations headquarters. Sub-teams focused on areas like air superiority, refueling logistics, and long-range bombing. Much of the plans structure drew on years of training and established battle procedures.

Importantly, younger personnel were encouraged to contribute ideas, many of which were incorporated into the final plan. Technical crews, meanwhile, worked around the clock to maintain the fleet amid ongoing operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen.

The centerpiece of the strategy was achieving and maintaining air superiority. That meant eliminating Iranian air defensesboth the strategic S-300s and shorter-range systemswith a mix of aerial strikes and intelligence-guided targeting.

Military Intelligence and the Mossad worked with the Air Force to map out the locations of more than 80 Iranian air defense batteries. The first night of the assault carved two corridors through Irans western defenses, focusing on radar systems to prevent early detection and engagement. In the days that followed, Israeli aircraft systematically disabled additional batteries, with Mossad teams on the ground destroying some systems manually.

By the third day of operations, Iran had stopped actively engaging Israeli aircraft. Most of its defense systems were hidden or inactive to avoid further losses. Irans air force played a limited role, largely avoiding combat.

In total, 84 air defense systems were destroyed. With Iranian skies open, Israel launched waves of jets to strike missile launchers, infrastructure, and military facilities. Drones were later introduced for extended surveillance and precision strikes.

The operation culminated in a coordinated U.S. strike on Irans nuclear facilities. Israeli forces cleared the path by neutralizing Iranian defenses in advance. After the formal ceasefire, Iran violated the agreement by launching two missiles at Israel. In response, Israel prepared to launch another wave of strikes over Tehran. According to Air Force officials, the mission was aborted at the last minute by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Despite the operations scale, not a single Israeli manned aircraft was downed. Planners had expected losses, and pilots understood the risks involved. We had to be ready to operate under fire, across multiple fronts, and without pause, said one Air Force officer.

The success of Operation Rising Lion marked a turning point in Israels military posture toward Iran. Years of strategic rethinking, logistics planning, and quiet preparation had resulted in a campaign that fundamentally altered the regional balanceat least for now.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees have detailed a sprawling web of U.S. taxpayer-funded grantsdisbursed under the Biden-Harris Administrationthat may have helped bankroll anti-government protests in Israel and even reached the hands of organizations with alleged ties to terrorism.

The investigation, which began with March letters to six U.S. and Israeli nonprofits, has already uncovered what lawmakers describe as deeply disturbing evidence of federal funds being used to influence foreign politics and destabilize a key American allyIsrael. But the findings go further, alleging potential criminal violations of tax law, the misuse of nonprofit status, and financial entanglements with terror-linked groups.

From Washington to Tel Aviv: A Financial Trail of Influence

At the heart of the inquiry is Blue White Future (BWF), an Israeli nonprofit founded to promote a two-state solution but which morphed into a political actor leading the charge against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus judicial reform agenda. Investigators allege that BWF operated as the de facto headquarters of the protest movement, labeling Netanyahus elected government a dictatorship and coordinating opposition strategy.

BWF reportedly received $4 million from the Middle East Peace Dialogue Network (MEPDN) and a staggering $18 million from the U.S.-based PEF Israel Endowment Funds (PEF)organizations that, in turn, received money from U.S. government grant recipients, including Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA).

The memo includes a detailed flowchart outlining how millions in USAID and State Department grants may have been launderedlegally or notthrough layers of philanthropic intermediaries before ending up in the hands of politically active Israeli NGOs. Some of these groups are accused of operating outside the legal bounds of nonprofit activity, both in the U.S. and Israel.

Indoctrination in Israeli Schools

One particularly incendiary finding centers on the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), a radical legal group that has used the Israeli court system to thwart Netanyahus government. The Biden administration reportedly gave MQG $42,000 to run a Civic Activism Training program for high school students in Jerusalemteaching teenagers how to protest, report on political corruption, and challenge government authority.

Critics of the programincluding Israeli parents and government adviserscompared it to U.S.-style progressive indoctrination, warning that such curricula gut Israels Jewish character and serve as a foreign-funded pipeline for political agitation.

PEF and JCF: Nonprofits Under Fire

The report points an accusing finger at two massive U.S.-based donor networks: the PEF Israel Endowment Funds and the Jewish Communal Fund (JCF). According to House investigators, the two groups funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to NGOs directly involved in organizing anti-Netanyahu protestsactions that may violate IRS laws barring 501(c)(3) nonprofits from engaging in political activity.

Between 2021 and 2024, PEF allegedly distributed over $884 million to Israeli groups, while JCF contributed more than $42 million to organizations tied to the protest movement. Both nonprofits are now under investigation for potentially serving as political funding conduits cloaked in tax-exempt status.

U.S. Funds Traced to Terror-Linked Groups

Perhaps most alarming is the Committees charge that U.S. taxpayer dollars were indirectly funneled to NGOs with ties to terrorist organizations, including Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The Committee highlighted the Bayader Association in Gaza, which received nearly $1 million in U.S. funding despite hosting joint events with Hamas leadersincluding Ismail Haniyehs son. The funding reportedly continued just days before the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.

Similarly, the Unlimited Friends Association (UFA), another Gaza-based group, received U.S. dollars while openly praising martyrs and disseminating antisemitic content calling to cleanse Al-Aqsa from the impurity of the Jews.

One U.S.-based group under fire is the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund (PCRF), which allegedly received indirect funding through the Tides Network and Rockefeller Philanthropy, despite a record of erasing Palestinian terrorism and operating from a Gaza hospital that was later discovered to conceal Hamas weapons and hostages.

The Alliance for Global Justice, a radical U.S. nonprofit, is also in the crosshairs for supporting Samidoun, a group the U.S. Treasury recently labeled a sham charity funneling money to the PFLP. Samidoun activists were seen celebrating the October 7 attacks and conducting Resistance 101 workshops on U.S. college campuses.

The Committees say the investigation is far from over. Additional NGOsboth American and Israeliare being subpoenaed for records, and lawmakers are pressing Biden-era officials for accountability. Federal agencies including USAID and the State Department are now under intense scrutiny over their grant-vetting processes.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A potential breakthrough in hostage negotiations could be reached as early as next week, following a significant Israeli shift in its military withdrawal plans from Gaza, according to Arab and Western officials involved in the talks.

Two sources familiar with the mediation efforts told The Times of Israel that Israel has submitted revised maps outlining a more limited military presence during the proposed 60-day truce, pulling back from previous demands to retain control over major sections of southern Gaza.

In a key reversal, Israel has agreed to withdraw from the 12-kilometer-long Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis  a stretch it had insisted on holding to maintain a five-kilometer buffer zone from the Egyptian border. The new maps reduce the proposed buffer to just over one kilometer, effectively abandoning plans to use the area as a humanitarian city where Gazans would be screened and potentially barred from leaving.

Israel also scaled down its proposed military perimeter around the rest of Gaza from two to three kilometers to just one. The updated maps were shared with Hamas this week after initial versions were corrected for technical errors. Hamas has begun internal deliberations and is expected to return with minor reservations that are not likely to derail the deal, the sources said.

The United States has reportedly sent a message through mediators warning Hamas of consequences if negotiations are unnecessarily prolonged. According to one mediator, the more contentious elements of the talks  including Israels troop redeployment and Hamass ceasefire demands  are close to being resolved.

One former obstacle, the delivery of humanitarian aid, appears to have been partially addressed. Israels redeployment would move troops out of many of the central and southern zones where the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has operated. While the GHF was intended to bypass Hamas in distributing aid, critics say it funneled supplies through a small number of militarized sites, making access dangerous and inefficient for civilians.

Israeli and Egyptian officials are now reportedly holding separate talks in Cairo to devise a new aid delivery mechanism through Egypt that prevents Hamas from diverting supplies.

In a further sign of progress, Hamas has lifted its veto on discussing the hostage-prisoner exchange and agreed to negotiate the release ratios. Under the current proposal, 10 living hostages and 18 slain captives would be released in five waves over the two-month ceasefire.

In return, Israel would release a combination of Palestinian prisoners, including individuals serving life sentences and detainees arrested in Gaza since October 7  many of whom have yet to be charged. While Hamas is expected to request the release of high-profile prisoners like Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, Israeli officials are likely to veto those requests and defer them to the next phase of negotiations, which would coincide with talks over a permanent ceasefire.

Negotiators believe a final breakthrough may not occur until closer to July 27, when the Knesset begins its three-month recess, effectively reducing the threat from hardline coalition partners who oppose the deal. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir have publicly criticized the proposal, warning it would reverse the IDFs recent gains on the battlefield.

The IDF, however, has framed its ground advances as leverage to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages  a goal that now appears to be within reach.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet Thursday night to review the status of the talks. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani  who discussed the deal with President Donald Trump during a dinner at the White House on Wednesday  is expected to meet Hamas leaders in Doha on Saturday.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Empyrean Energy lit up the small-cap leaderboard this week, with shares rocketing 500 per cent after news of a game-changing gas sales deal in Indonesia.

The company owns an 8.5 per cent stake in the Mako gas field, long seen as full of potential but stuck in development limbo.

The project now looks significantly more valuable following a binding agreement with PLN EPI, the supply arm of Indonesias state power company.

Its a major milestone. All gas from Mako will be sold domestically at prices pegged to oil, a far cry from the less generous fixed-price deals often seen in the region.

Crucially, Empyrean and its partners wont have to foot the bill for new pipeline infrastructure, as PLN is covering that too. Investors didnt need a second invitation. After years of waiting, it seems Makos moment may finally be here

Turning to the wider market, the AIM All-Share ended the week flat at 771.41, as recent enthusiasm around small-caps appeared to lose steam. In contrast, the FTSE 100 eked out a 0.6 per cent gain to close at 8,990.92.

The Mako gas field now looks significantly more valuable following a binding agreement with PLN EPI, the supply arm of Indonesias state power company.

Among the risers, Oxford BioDynamics doubled in value at one point on Tuesday after Pfizer data confirmed the effectiveness of its EpiSwitch blood-based biomarkers in monitoring tumour status and treatment response in bladder cancer.

The stock eventually pulled back after a bout of profit-taking but still ended the week up a tidy 50 per cent.

Eco Animal Health climbed 30 per cent after reassuring the market that global trade tariffs had not materially impacted its operations. Annual revenue came in at 79.6 million for the year to March 2025, in line with forecasts, with particularly strong growth in North America, where sales rose 16 per cent.

MyHealthChecked added 25 per cent after signing a new supply deal with Boots. The home-testing healthcare firm will supply eight blood tests, one DNA test and four self-test kits under the Boots brand, launching in August. The contract runs for an initial 12 months.

Ilika gained 20 per cent after securing a 1.25 million government grant to help scale production of its Goliath solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. The award, part of the UKs DRIVE35 programme, supports a year-long development project starting in August. The company also reported progress across its broader battery technology portfolio.

Metals One, up more than 200 per cent year to date, slumped 50 per cent this week, but the sell-off looked more technical than fundamental. The company announced a $300,000 investment for an initial 10 per cent stake in NovaCore, a private firm developing a uranium project in New Mexico.

Metals One has also been granted warrants that could see its holding rise to 30 per cent, requiring a further outlay of around $860,000. At the same time, it issued 15 million new shares, about 5 per cent of its equity, to its employee benefits trust, sparking dilution concerns.

For Corero Networks, the 41 per cent drop was more clear-cut. The cyber-defence group issued a profit warning, saying full-year revenue and earnings would fall short of expectations. It blamed weak partner performance, macroeconomic uncertainty and delayed customer decisions in the US. The company is now seeking an overdraft facility to manage working capital.

Ashtead Technology Holdings also disappointed, falling 29 per cent after reporting lower-than-expected first-half revenue. Despite this, the subsea services group stuck to its full-year profit guidance.

And finally, the rise of the Bitcoin treasuries

With Bitcoin hitting a record high this week, a wave of companies is jumping into the crypto treasury game, repositioning themselves to hold and manage digital assets.

Among the early movers, Vaultz Capital appears to have hit the ground running, assembling a strong team and outlining ambitious plans. Also worth watching are Active Energy Group and CelAI, which are both aiming to make their mark in the space.

Sources have told Proactive that this trend is only just getting started. While activity may dip over the summer, a wave of announcements is expected in September and October, with as many as 30 companies set to unveil crypto-focused treasury strategies.

One firm already making headlines is Hamak Gold, whose shares jumped over 40 per cent on Friday after naming US economist Arthur Laffer as founding member of a new advisory board.

The board will support Hamaks expansion into data security, decentralised technologies and digital assets. Laffer, a former adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, is best known for his work on US fiscal policy.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced it is set to axe 500 jobs from its UK operations.

The car maker said 500 managerial jobs would be cut, saying it would offer voluntary redundancies.

It insists the job losses will not go over 1.5 per cent of its British workforce, describing the move as 'normal business practice' in a statement.

The car giant previously warned that tariffs on British made motors being sold to the US would have a direct hit on its profits.

This comes after its Jaguar brand has faced months of widespread criticism over its controversial electric rebrand, which was dubbed by many as 'woke' when it was revealed last year.

JLR sales have slid sharply over the past three months after a temporary pause in exports to the US and a pause in production of all Jaguar models for a year.

The car maker said on Thursday that 500 managerial jobs would be cut, saying it would offer voluntary redundancies

The British car maker has been in the limelight in the last 12 months having relaunched Jaguar as an all-electric brand with a controversial advertising campaign some have dubbed 'woke'. It also debuted the polarising Type 00 concept car (pictured) signalling its new design direction

It's electric rebrand includes this new Jaguar logo - a roundel made up of the letter 'J' that looks the same both ways up. It replaces the classis roaring cat emblem

The Tata-owned car maker revealed that retail sales slid by 15.1 per cent to 94,420 units over the three months to June. Meanwhile, wholesale sales dropped by 10.7 per cent to 87,286 units compared with a year earlier.

The company said the significant fall in sales was partly driven by the pause in shipments to the US in April after President Trump's administration introduced new tariff plans.

A spokeswoman said: 'JLR regularly offers eligible employees voluntary redundancy programmes.

'Through this limited UK voluntary redundancy programme for managers, JLR is aligning its leadership workforce for the business's current and future needs.

'We are grateful to the Government for delivering at speed the new UK-US trade deal, which gives us the confidence to invest 3.5billion per annum to realise our strategy which is delivering.'

Last year, the Jaguar arm of the business controversially accelerated its plans to shift to electric vehicles.

This included a new advertisement featuring brightly dressed models but no cars. The group also abandoned its iconic 'growler' cat badge, replacing it with a curved geometric J and L symbol.

Jag's rebranding effort was three years in the making, as the iconic British automaker accelerates its transition to becoming an all-electric brand ahead of the UK's 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Launched under the tagline 'Copy Nothing', a nod to the philosophy of company founder Sir William Lyons, it featured a striking new ad with diverse models in vibrant, futuristic attire traversing an otherworldly landscape.

Critics accused the company of watering down its famously fierce image - ditching the snarling big cat logo in favour of a 'friendlier' typeface that's left purists fuming.

The ad also focused on diversity, with androgynous models in extravagant clothing accused of straying too far from the brand's traditional image.

Amid ongoing backlash over the dramatic shift, Jaguar's sales in Europe have nosedived, dropping a staggering 97.5 per cent as the company navigates one of the most ambitious transformations in its history.

According to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (AECA), the company registered just 49 new vehicles in April 2025 compared to 1,961 units sold in the same month last year.

The British car marque has insisted the reason for the freefall in sales is not because of a lack of support or an image overhaul, but because it suspended production of all cars in November as part of a 12-month 'fire break' period for dealers and customers to prepare for its electric rebrand.

Defending the news, the firm said it was 'pointless' to compare figures for 2024 and 2025, as 'Jaguar is not currently on sale in the UK' while it goes through its 'sunset period' of radical change.

The controversial advert to launch the rebrand features boldly dressed fashion models in bright primary colours alongside slogans such as 'break moulds' and 'create exuberant'

A still from Jaguar's 'copy nothing' rebrand advert - which was criticised for featuring no cars

The classic Jaguar 'growler' logo has been ditched as the car firm reinvents itself to appeal to a younger audience of car buyers

Billionaire Space X owner Musk turned the knife on X, simply asking Jaguar: 'Do you sell cars?'

But Jaguar's managing director Rawdon Glover fired back at what he called 'vile hatred and intolerance'.

Mr Glover, head of the Indian-owned marque, denied accusations that Jaguar was abandoning its proud near-century-long heritage. Instead, he insisted the bold new direction was about ditching 'traditional automotive stereotypes' to carve out a fresh identity in an evolving market.

'The overall reaction has been very positive,' he said, 'but I've been disappointed by the level of vile hatred and intolerance directed at the people in the ad.'

'If we play the same game as everyone else, we'll just get drowned out,' Glover added. 'We shouldn't show up like a typical auto brand. We need to re-establish Jaguar at a completely different price pointand that means doing things differently.'

Jaguar's managing director Rawdon Glover, pictured, last year fired back at what he called 'vile hatred and intolerance' aimed at the company's rebrand advert

The brand previously sounded the alarm over Donald Trump's punishing new tariffs warning the move will take a hefty bite out of profits.

The UK's biggest car maker slashed its annual profit forecast in June, telling investors it expected margins to drop to between five and seven per cent - a sharp fall from last year's 8.5 per cent, and well below the 10.7 per cent it posted in the first quarter.

The slump comes after JLR was forced to halt all US shipments for a month starting in April, following Trump's decision to slap a 25 per cent import tax on foreign-built cars.

In a reprieve, the UK signed a trade deal in May, which allows it to export 100,000 cars a year to the US under a 10 per cent tariff. JLR restarted deliveries across the Atlantic shortly after.

Although JLR produces its Range Rover cars in Britain, its popular Defender SUV is made in Slovakia, which is still subject to heavier tariffs.

A government spokesperson said: 'We are taking significant action to back British carmakers and protect jobs as we deliver on the Plan for Change.

'We have set out our ambitions for the automotive sector in our Industrial Strategy, announced 2.5bn over the next decade through our DRIVE35 programme which will support manufacturers in the switch to electric vehicles and gave them more flexibility in the ZEV mandate to do so, as well as providing demand incentives through the Electric Car Grant announced last week.

'We have also secured landmark trade deals with the US and India which will cut tariffs and create new export opportunities.

'We recognise the vital importance of JLR to the UK automotive sector and to West Midlands and North West, and the global challenges car manufacturers face.

'This is a commercial decision for the company, but we are working closely with JLR and other employers throughout the sector to ensure the UK remains a top destination for investment in automotive manufacturing.'
Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW  Free Report) by 11.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,202 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 638 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLCs holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $450,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of EW. Edgestream Partners L.P. purchased a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences in the first quarter valued at about $8,811,000. LRI Investments LLC lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 2.0% during the first quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 14,824 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 36.3% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 32,916 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,386,000 after acquiring an additional 8,772 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 173,090 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $12,546,000 after purchasing an additional 1,363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 22.8% during the 1st quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 45,982 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $3,508,000 after buying an additional 8,541 shares during the last quarter. 79.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on EW. Argus raised Edwards Lifesciences to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and set a $95.00 price objective (up from $84.00) on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Edwards Lifesciences presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $81.00.

Edwards Lifesciences Stock Performance

EW opened at $76.24 on Friday. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.93 and a 52-week high of $88.56. The company has a quick ratio of 3.66, a current ratio of 4.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market cap of $44.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.11. The firms 50-day moving average price is $76.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.42.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.04. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 16.62% and a net margin of 75.48%. The company had revenue of $1.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Bernard J. Zovighian sold 5,980 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.91, for a total value of $447,961.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 58,284 shares in the company, valued at $4,366,054.44. This represents a 9.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Daveen Chopra sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.08, for a total value of $112,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 33,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,514,879.68. This trade represents a 4.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 30,848 shares of company stock valued at $2,314,488 over the last three months. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Edwards Lifesciences Company 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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TOKYO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government's 2025 Defense White Paper, which was released recently, once again exaggerates the "security threats surrounding Japan." Meanwhile, for the first time, the defense ministry this year distributed a children's version of the annual report to elementary schools nationwide, fueling widespread concern.

According to NBC Nagasaki Broadcasting, a private broadcaster in Nagasaki Prefecture, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has distributed some 6,100 copies of the children's version to 2,400 elementary schools nationwide.

According to the defense ministry website, the children's version of the defense white paper consists of four sections. In the first section "Why the Self-Defense Forces are necessary," the publication emphasizes that "deterrence" is of vital importance for preventing wars.

The second section, "What is happening in Japan's surrounding areas," portrays some neighboring countries as "military threats," claiming that "the region where Japan is located is not safe."

The third section, "What should Japan do," further explains why Japan needs to increase its defense spending and enhance its defense capabilities, pointing out that the so-called "counterattack capability" is the key to strengthening its defense, while the fourth section introduces the disaster relief functions of the Self-Defense Forces.

An online version of the children edition, based on the Defense White Paper published annually, has been released on the Internet by the defense ministry since 2021, but this year marked the first time that it has been made in the form of a book and sent to elementary schools.

The move has raised concerns among people from all walks of life in Japan as it is believed that elementary school students have not yet fully developed their independent thinking skills, and schools should be places that foster values such as respect, peace, kindness and diversity, rather than places to create crises and incite hostility.

Ukeru Magosaki, a former Japanese foreign ministry official, told Xinhua that "school education has a significant influence on the formation of students' ideas. If this trend (of 'threat theory' entering schools) continues, it will foster belligerence and hostility toward foreign countries among the younger generation," noting it is a regrettable phenomenon.

Japanese historian Atsushi Kouketsu believes that instilling in children the notion that a neighboring country is a "threat" will cause them to develop prejudice against that country, thereby weakening their curiosity and interest in learning about that country.

"What is important is to foster an awareness of understanding and respect and deepen a sense of friendship and goodwill through exchanges and learning of historical and cultural knowledge," said Kouketsu in an interview with Xinhua.

"The children's version of the Defense White Paper is the most inappropriate textbook." Koketsu emphasized that to cultivate historical awareness, one must first learn the correct historical facts.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, which is an opportunity for Japan to deeply reflect on its historical responsibilities, scholars said. However, in recent years, Japan has been constantly making moves in the compilation of textbooks.

The right-wing forces have frequently advocated denying the Nanjing Massacre, selectively ignoring the germ warfare, downplaying the history of aggression and glorifying the war of aggression. A series of moves have allowed historical revisionism to distort the historical views of Japanese students.

The introduction of the children's version of the defense white paper into elementary schools makes people even more worried that the Japanese government is further pushing for a "rightward shift" in the education sector and even the entire country.

Japanese modern and contemporary history scholar Ryuji Ishida told Xinhua that due to historical reasons, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces have their uniqueness, and if the responsibility for the war of aggression is disregarded, it will be impossible to accurately understand the Self-Defense Forces.

However, the Japanese government has been attempting to remove these historical constraints, and this trend has spread to the field of education, Ishida said, "This children's version of the 'Defense White Paper' downplays the historical background and only allows children to understand the 'positive' side of the Self-Defense Forces, which is an act that undermines postwar (peace) efforts."

According to local media reports, civil groups including the Nagasaki Prefecture chapter of the New Japan Women's Association on Tuesday submitted a request to the Nagasaki Prefecture Board of Education, hoping that the defense ministry's distribution of the children's version of the "Defense White Paper" to elementary schools would be withdrawn.

They argued that the Japanese government, disregarding the fact that children are in the process of growing up, is forcibly instilling its own viewpoints into them, which is an unacceptable behavior. 
Sigma Planning Corp reduced its position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) by 3.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 11,393 shares of the companys stock after selling 362 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corps holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $793,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 2,727.3% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 311 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. North Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 184.8% in the 1st quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 393 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.54% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Guggenheim cut Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an underperform rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Novo Nordisk A/S from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Hsbc Global Res raised Novo Nordisk A/S to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Dbs Bank downgraded Novo Nordisk A/S to a sell rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novo Nordisk A/S presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $112.00.

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

NVO opened at $65.34 on Friday. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $57.00 and a 12-month high of $139.74. The stock has a market cap of $291.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.33, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a 50 day moving average of $70.37 and a 200-day moving average of $74.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.92. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.52% and a return on equity of 80.94%. The company had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts expect that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Company 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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Risk & Volatility

Hugoton Royalty Trust has a beta of -0.73, meaning that its share price is 173% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Hugoton Royalty Trusts competitors have a beta of 0.32, meaning that their average share price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Hugoton Royalty Trust and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Hugoton Royalty Trust $11.53 million N/A 1.33 Hugoton Royalty Trust Competitors $82.64 million $18.27 million 28.57

Hugoton Royalty Trusts competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Hugoton Royalty Trust. Hugoton Royalty Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Hugoton Royalty Trust N/A N/A N/A Hugoton Royalty Trust Competitors 57.69% 1,199.90% 167.41%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

This table compares Hugoton Royalty Trust and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

17.0% of Hugoton Royalty Trust shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 30.4% of shares of all OIL  US RYLTY TR companies are held by institutional investors. 5.0% of shares of all OIL  US RYLTY TR companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Hugoton Royalty Trust competitors beat Hugoton Royalty Trust on 8 of the 8 factors compared.

Hugoton Royalty Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Hugoton Royalty Trust operates as an express trust in the United States. It holds 80% net profits interests in various natural gas producing working interest properties in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming under conveyances. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

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First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.04, Zacks reports. First Horizon had a net margin of 17.10% and a return on equity of 10.55%. The firm had revenue of $830.19 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS.

First Horizon Stock Performance

NYSE FHN opened at $22.20 on Friday. First Horizon has a 1 year low of $14.34 and a 1 year high of $22.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.26 billion, a PE ratio of 14.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.61. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $20.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $19.97.

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First Horizon Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 13th. First Horizons dividend payout ratio is presently 41.67%.

Institutional Trading of First Horizon

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in First Horizon stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of First Horizon Corporation ( NYSE:FHN Free Report ) by 102.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,709,434 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 865,109 shares during the quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. owned 0.34% of First Horizon worth $33,197,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Institutional investors own 80.28% of the companys stock.

FHN has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. They set a buy rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of First Horizon from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of First Horizon from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of First Horizon from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of First Horizon from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Horizon has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $23.28.

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About First Horizon

(Get Free Report)

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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Pecaut & CO. cut its position in Texas Pacific Land Corporation (NYSE:TPL  Free Report) by 2.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,780 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 325 shares during the period. Texas Pacific Land comprises 6.2% of Pecaut & CO.s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Pecaut & CO. owned approximately 0.06% of Texas Pacific Land worth $18,258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Texas Pacific Land by 241,048.0% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 361,722 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $479,278,000 after acquiring an additional 361,572 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Texas Pacific Land by 12.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,350,380 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,599,426,000 after buying an additional 260,278 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Texas Pacific Land by 203.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 299,578 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $331,321,000 after buying an additional 200,841 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Texas Pacific Land by 34.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 622,115 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $693,023,000 after buying an additional 159,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Texas Pacific Land by 943.6% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 121,055 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $133,883,000 after buying an additional 109,455 shares in the last quarter. 59.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Texas Pacific Land Stock Performance

NYSE TPL opened at $993.91 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.72 and a beta of 1.08. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $1,147.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,256.18. Texas Pacific Land Corporation has a one year low of $736.75 and a one year high of $1,769.14.

Texas Pacific Land Dividend Announcement

Texas Pacific Land ( NYSE:TPL Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $5.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $5.27 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $195.98 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $211.00 million. Texas Pacific Land had a return on equity of 40.04% and a net margin of 63.24%.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. Texas Pacific Lands dividend payout ratio is currently 32.02%.

About Texas Pacific Land

(Free Report)

Texas Pacific Land Corporation engages in the land and resource management, and water services and operations businesses. The company owns a 1/128th nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest (NPRI) under approximately 85,000 acres of land; a 1/16th NPRI under approximately 371,000 acres of land; and approximately 4,000 additional net royalty acres, total of approximately 195,000 NRA located in the western part of Texas.

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Vienna Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne S.A. Vienna Insurance Group lowered its holdings in PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG  Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,971 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 403 shares during the quarter. Vienna Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne S.A. Vienna Insurance Groups holdings in PPG Industries were worth $981,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $470,535,000. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PPG Industries by 482.2% during the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 4,337,649 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $518,132,000 after buying an additional 3,592,655 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of PPG Industries by 815.4% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,031,164 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $362,074,000 after buying an additional 2,700,018 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of PPG Industries by 17.7% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,567,051 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,262,234,000 after buying an additional 1,590,041 shares during the period. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $105,349,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.86% of the companys stock.

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PPG Industries Trading Down 0.8%

PPG stock traded down $0.89 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $115.13. 109,003 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,050,673. PPG Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $90.24 and a 52-week high of $137.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.35. The business has a 50 day moving average of $113.07 and a 200-day moving average of $112.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.16.

PPG Industries Increases Dividend

PPG Industries ( NYSE:PPG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.67 billion. PPG Industries had a net margin of 6.49% and a return on equity of 24.84%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be paid a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.47%. This is an increase from PPG Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. PPG Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 58.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on PPG shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 13th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $111.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $131.42.

View Our Latest Research Report on PPG Industries

PPG Industries Company Profile

(Free Report)

PPG Industries, Inc manufactures and distributes paints, coatings, and specialty materials in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through two segments, Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings. The Performance Coatings segment offers coatings, solvents, adhesives, sealants, sundries, and software for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, light industrial coatings, and specialty coatings for signs; wood stains; paints, thermoplastics, pavement marking products, and other advanced technologies for pavement marking for government, commercial infrastructure, painting, and maintenance contractors; and coatings, sealants, transparencies, transparent armor, adhesives, engineered materials, and packaging and chemical management services for commercial, military, regional jet, and general aviation aircraft.

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TEHRAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Thursday denied having sent a military shipment to Yemen.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed as "baseless and being part of the anti-Iran propaganda campaign" the Wednesday claim by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) that a military group, known as the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF), had seized a "massive" Iranian weapons shipment bound for the Yemen-based Houthi.

"Such claims, which are made every now and then by the United States, are in line with justifying U.S. military presence in West Asia and serve as a pretext for the United States and Israel to continue their tension-creating and destabilizing behaviors in the region," he said, pointing out the U.S. "direct accountability for Israel's continued crimes and warmongering" against Palestinians and in other countries in the region.

Condemning Israel's "genocide in Gaza and the West Bank" and its "military aggression" targeting Syria and Lebanon -- backed by the United States with lethal weapons and "all-out political and propaganda support," Baghaei said the claim "is nothing but a hypocritical bid to divert public opinion from the region's main issues that are Israel's aggressions and crimes against regional people and the U.S. destructive interventions, which compromise security in the region."

The CENTCOM made the accusation in a post on social platform X, claiming the NRF forces "seized over 750 tons of munitions and hardware to include hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and seekers, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar systems, and communications equipment." 
WELLINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has launched a cross-agency anti-corruption taskforce pilot to strengthen public sector integrity and combat fraud, according to a government statement on Friday.

Led by the Serious Fraud Office, with support from Police and the Public Service Commission, the initiative united experts to assess risks and strengthen oversight of public funds, said the statement.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the pilot is a proactive move to keep New Zealand's prevention and response system resilient against threats that face the public sector.

"The public sector accounts for a third of the economy and the pilot is a critical step in protecting and enhancing New Zealand's reputation as an attractive place to invest," Mitchell said.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said the initiative supports the government's broader public integrity agenda, aiming to uphold New Zealand's reputation for low corruption through transparency and accountability.

As part of the pilot, agencies including the Department of Corrections, Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Social Development will assess their fraud and corruption prevention and detection systems and report on preventive measures and detected offenses. 
Recently, producer, star and hottie Angela shared her "summer set" and inspired our latest peek at pop culture, community reporting and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Sketchy Tech In Transit

Why a Kansas City artist used AI to help collage this streetcar stop: 'Another tool in my tool bag' Artificial intelligence had a hand in a new art installation at a Kansas City Streetcar stop. David Morris' abstract digital collage is called "Music is Community," and it's part of this year's "Art in the Loop" program.

Local Build Up Down By River

Plans move forward to connect KC's riverfront park to Columbus Park neighborhood Kansas City's Berkley Riverfront Park will connect to Columbus Park, fixing a dangerous railroad crossing. The project is backed by a $2M federal grant.

Show-Me South Side Favors

Missouri state lawmakers talk funding, legislation impacts with South Kansas City community The Missouri General Assembly approved funding bills that have a direct impact in Kansas City, but Governor Mike Kehoe used his line-item veto power to cut some items from those bills.

Hipsters Have Plans

Twelve Things To Do In KC This Weekend, July 17-20 Here are twelve things to do in KC this weekend, July 17-20 including KC Fringe Festival, Earth Wind & Fire and Nelson-Atkins Lawn Party.

Cowtown Biz Game Brewing

On the map and in the mirror: 1 Million Cups contrasts international eship visitors with KC startup scene The fail-fast mindset and high risk tolerance many American entrepreneurs employ in their quests to build unicorn startups are arguably foreign concepts to business builders on the other side of the globe, said Lucy-Llonna Larbi.

Celeb Wild Side Exposed

World's number one adult star explains reality of being on a movie set Angela White has been in the industry since 18 and has opened up about what it's like to star in an adult film

MAGA Against Conservative WSJ

Trump threatens lawsuit over Epstein letter, orders release of grand jury transcripts As Donald Trump continues to navigate the backlash over his administration's approach to the controversial Jeffrey Epstein investigation, the US president said he might sue the Wall Street Journal for...

Progressively Losing . . .

Favorable views of Democratic Party lowest in decades: Polling Favorable views of the Democratic Party are at their lowest in three decades, a new poll revealed, as the party seeks to regain enthusiasm and power in Congress following significant 2024 election losses. The CNN poll, released early Thursday, found Democrats garnering just 28 percent favorability - a slight decline from March's record low of...

House Rules Against News

Congress votes to strip more than $1 billion in funding for NPR, PBS The cuts are expected to hit local member stations the hardest, especially those in rural communities.

MAGA Builds By Bay?!?

Scoop: Trump's new Alcatraz prison could cost $2 billion The president is weighing three options for the former prison site, Axios has learned.

Healing For Holy Land

Cardinal brings aid to Gaza after Israeli strike on Catholic church Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest ranking Catholic official in Jerusalem, entered Gaza on Friday to bring humanitarian aid and comfort to victims of Israel's strike on the sole Catholic church of the Palestinian enclave.

Vlad Conversation Cont'd

Kremlin says Trump sanctions threat on Ukraine has not killed off US-Russia talks The Kremlin said on Friday that it did not believe that a tougher stance U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted towards Russia over its war in Ukraine means the end of U.S-Russia talks aimed at reviving their battered ties.

Moving New Friends Across Pond

Why thousands of Afghans were secretly relocated to the UK - podcast Dan Sabbagh on the data leak that may have cost hundreds of millions of pounds - and put Afghan lives at risk

Meet New Bosses?!?

The Guardian view on Brics growing up: A new bloc seeks autonomy - and eyes a post-western order | Editorial Editorial: The expanding group of emerging powers is building new rules, new tools and a shared industrial future - with or without Donald Trump

Rocketman No Fun

North Korea seaside resort bans foreigners weeks after opening Tourism authorities say foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit the Wonsan Kalma resort.

Actually, Probably Her Best Work Yet

How to Watch Miley Cyrus' 'Something Beautiful' Visual Album Online for Free Want to watch 'Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful' online for free? Here's how you can sign up for Hulu at no cost and stream the music film online now.

Everyone Hassles NextGen

Why Everyone Is Talking About the 'Gen Z Stare,' and Why It's Probably BS The Gen Z stare has gone viral, but is this blank-faced workplace phenomenon real or another generational myth? I explore the causes behind Gen Z's supposed lack of basic social skills.

About Ur Coldplay Kiss Cam Memes

Are they 'having an affair' or just shy? The couple caught on Coldplay's kiss cam Internet transfixed by canoodling couple who, instead of waving, look horrified and quickly break apart

Family Funds Nasty Vocation

OnlyFans star, 21, reveals how her parents invested in her X-rated career Skylar Mae, 21, stopped studying to become a dental nurse and works full-time creating explicit content but what drives her is being able to help her parents.

Taste Of Cowtown Hipster Life

KC Sipps: Four diverse openings, Beer Fest at The K, and a new downtown coffee drive-thru Food Editor Sarah Sipple shares timely restaurant news and events for Kansas City.

Neighborhood Biz Nice News

Independence Avenue Sonic General Manager Builds Community - Northeast News Julia Williams Editor-in-Chief Sonic Drive-In at 4200 Independence Ave., is a franchise within the Sonic Corporation. And while this location's current owners have operated the business since 2017, General Manager Sarah Branch has worked at this Avenue Sonic for the past four and a half years.

Local Swamp Rises

Rain moving out, heat moving in The heat index could reach 100 degrees several times over the next week

Miley Cyrus - Walk of Fame is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
A tact we're noticing more and more as immigration advocates struggle against . . .

Local faith communities re-enter the fray of the messy immigration debate in order to endure more than their fare share of abuse that might or might not make them feel Christ-like.

Reality check: Faith-based considerations of the immigration debate are nice but rarely offer any resolution if only because the point of Christianity is mutual respect & love . . . Whereas politics is about MANUFACTURING CONSENT by way of deploying rhetorical tactics in order to justify public policy enforced by military/police action.

Readers can decide on the validity of this argument for themselves . . .

The United Church of Christ  a predominantly Christian faith organization focused on unity, equality and justice for all, according to its website  is country-wide including its chapter in Kansas City, Mo. Its General Synod is a biennial gathering of the United Church of Christ chapters from across the country at a select location. Traditionally encompassing workshops, keynote speakers and resolutions, this year additionally included a No ICE Raids Prayer Service and Rally.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
A doctor conducts an ultrasound examination for a patient on a medical vehicle in Libao Village, Jingning She Autonomous County, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

HANGZHOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- In Libao Village, nestled in the misty mountains of east China's Zhejiang Province, a dozen or so elderly residents waited patiently in line beside a white medical vehicle -- a "smart mobile clinic" bringing essential healthcare services to their doorstep.

Among them was 94-year-old Wu Changgen, who had come seeking treatment for his headache and medication for his wife. In the past, he had to walk about 10 km to reach the nearest township clinic.

"It was hard to go down the mountain to see a doctor, so I used to put up with minor ailments," Wu said. But with the medical vehicle, healthcare has come right to his door -- much to his delight.

The mobile clinic, roughly 12 square meters in size and resembling an ambulance, is equipped to support routine check-ups such as blood pressure and glucose tests, and dispense prescriptions.

Jingning She Autonomous County, where Libao is located, operates seven such vehicles, which make four visits every month to 78 remote villages that lack permanent clinics or adequate medical facilities.

Established in 1984, Jingning is China's sole autonomous county of the She ethnic group. The mountainous county is home to 779 peaks over 1,000 meters high, with a scattered, aging population in isolated villages.

Libao, with just over 100 residents, most of whom are over 60 years old, reflects the broader challenge facing rural healthcare in the county. According to Chen Lifeng, director of the health center in Dajun Township, also located in Jingning, a gap remains between the medical needs of local residents and available local resources.

"Setting up clinics in every village is costly, and attracting or retaining medical staff is even harder," Chen said, noting that expanding facilities and staff requires massive investments and lacks sustainability.

To address the issue, in 2019, Jingning began deploying smart mobile clinics, offering basic care and prescriptions in remote mountainous villages while improving services at the health centers in more populated townships.

Peng Dewei, deputy head of the county health bureau, said the program started with four vehicles. By early 2024, Zhejiang had standardized the design and onboard equipment of all mobile clinics.

Each vehicle now carries a general practitioner and a nurse, and is equipped with more than 20 types of medical devices, including ECG monitors and portable ultrasound machines.

"The mobile clinics are designed for rugged terrain and limited power supply in the mountainous region. They also incorporate AI-assisted diagnostics and Internet of Things technology," said Xie Jianhao, board chairman of Ningbo Careful Special Cars Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of the vehicles.

Appointments can be made via a mobile app or through a village health manager, with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners or ultrasound specialists dispatched as needed.

Moreover, Jingning has established a digital dispatch system that tracks each vehicle in real time. If there is an emergency, the nearest mobile clinic can switch to ambulance mode.

Peng said that patients in remote areas can also use telemedicine services to consult with hospital specialists.

"The unequal distribution of medical resources is a global challenge, especially in remote areas," said Wu Liying, head of the county health bureau. "Jingning's smart mobile clinic initiative provides a viable solution."

According to Wu Liying, by May this year, Jingning's seven mobile clinics had traveled over 250,000 km and provided more than 100,000 medical services. Thanks to the mobile clinics, more than 70 percent of patients with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes in the county now receive care through standardized protocols.

In Lishui City, which administers Jingning, operating mobile clinics can save around 60 million yuan (about 8.36 million U.S. dollars) in annual operating costs and 233 million yuan in construction costs when comparing with running a clinic in each village.

Zhejiang now has over 500 such mobile clinics, covering nearly all of its remote rural regions.

Xie noted that the vehicles produced by his company have reached mountainous areas in central and southwest China. His company now has its sights set on international markets, including Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"Our approach has been praised by health professionals in many developing countries," Wu Liying said. "It offers an affordable, adaptable solution for improving primary care access in those countries." 

A doctor popularizes healthcare knowledge for villagers in Libao Village, Jingning She Autonomous County, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

A doctor examines a patient on a medical vehicle in Libao Village, Jingning She Autonomous County, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

A doctor examines a patient on a medical vehicle in Libao Village, Jingning She Autonomous County, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)
Today's not-so-surprising news is something that TKC readers talked about earlier this month.

Credit to TKC readers for calling Frank White's recall veto on July 3rd.

Fun fact . . . More than a few news outlets claimed this wasn't possible . . . And yet here we are . . . At the outset of another legal battle at the courthouse.

Now, check the aftermath . . .

"Jackson County Executive Frank White on Thursday vetoed an ordinance calling for his recall election in August.



"White, in a statement, called the measure unlawful, fiscally irresponsible and in violation of state and federal election laws.



"He said the ordinance would force local election boards to violate absentee ballot and overseas voter laws, while costing the county nearly $2 million without any appropriated funding."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoes recall election ordinance Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. announced on Thursday that he has vetoed an ordinance allowing residents to recall his election.

Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoes ordinance calling for August recall election Jackson County Executive Frank White on Thursday vetoed an ordinance calling for his recall election in August.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. vetoes his recall election as residents say 'bench him' Frank White Jr., a former star second baseman for the Kansas City Royals who won eight Golden Glove Awards during his career, infuriated county legislators and a citizens group with his veto. "Eight Golden Gloves mean nothing!" said the Rev. Dr. Vernon Percy Howard, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

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CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Acacia Africa Company: Acacia Africa Phone: 020 7706 4700 Email: pr@acacia-africa.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Russian citizens detained in Baku, including employees of the Sputnik Azerbaijan news agency, were visited by their relatives, Trend reports citing the Ombudsman's office.

"Within the framework of the activities of the national preventive mechanism of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, each of the detained persons was received individually, the conditions of detention and issues of treatment with them were studied on the spot.

At the same time, we declare that the family members of the arrested who contacted the Ombudsman were received in the office, and their requests for meetings with relatives were satisfied by the Ombudsman.

The detained persons received by the members of the NPG (National Preventive Group) of the Ombudsman did not complain about the conditions of detention and treatment with them, it was noted that their requests for admission and medical assistance were satisfied.

The issue is under the control of the Ombudsman," the office said.

On July 1, two criminal groups suspected of drug transit from Iran, their online trafficking and cyber fraud were detained in Baku.

According to the court decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest for a period of four months was chosen for eight detained Russian citizens.

On July 1, during an operation at the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan news agency, the executive director of Sputnik's Baku branch, Igor Kartavykh, and the editor-in-chief, Yevgeny Belousov, were detained. Both of them have been charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code: 178.3.1 (fraud committed causing large-scale damage), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship with large-scale income), 192.2.3 (committed by an organized group), 193-1.3.1 (legalization of property obtained through crime), and 193-1.3.2 (committed on a large scale), and the Khatai District Court has ruled for pretrial detention as a preventive measure.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Azerbaijan has declined to participate in todays meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Economic Council in Moscow, a source familiar with the matter told Trend.

The country is typically represented at such meetings by First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov, who will not be attending this session.

"The decision stems from recent developments in Yekaterinburg, the downing of a civilian aircraft, and Russias unwillingness to take appropriate steps to address these issues," the source said.

Relations between Baku and Moscow have sharply deteriorated in recent months. On June 27, Russian security forces conducted raids targeting Azerbaijani nationals in Yekaterinburg. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed during the operation, and several others were detained.

Commenting on the events, Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the deliberate killings, vigilante-style actions, and violence by Russian law enforcement targeting Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg based on their ethnic background have rightly sparked outrage and condemnation in Azerbaijan.

The current diplomatic rift traces back to a tragic incident on December 25, 2024, when an AZAL passenger plane en route from Baku to Grozny was shot down over Chechnya by Russian air defense systems. All 38 people on board were killed.

In the aftermath, Azerbaijan called on Moscow to conduct a full investigation, issue a public apology, and offer compensation to the victims families. However, the Russian government has yet to issue a formal response or take any public steps toward reconciliation.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. President Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the Joint Meeting of ASOSAI and ARABOSAI organizations, Trend reports.

''Dear participants of the Meeting,

I sincerely greet all attendees of the Joint Meeting of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI), hosted by the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Baku. I congratulate you on the commencement of this Meeting and wish you every success.

The United Nations General Assembly resolutions adopted in 2011 on "Promoting the efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, and transparency of public administration by strengthening supreme audit institutions," and in 2014 on "Promoting and fostering the efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, and transparency of public administration by strengthening supreme audit institutions," hold exceptional importance in enhancing global public confidence in supreme audit institutions and further elevating their role in the efficient use of public resources.

The participation of most heads of supreme audit institutions from ASOSAI and ARABOSAI member organizations, as well as representatives of the Presidency and Secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), demonstrates the high status of this event.

I consider the holding of such a meeting in our country as a strong endorsement of Azerbaijans efforts to strengthen the activities of its supreme audit institution in promoting efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, and transparency in the use of state funds.

Today, sustainable development - which encompasses implementing new mechanisms to achieve economic, social, and environmental balance, reconciling local and global interests, and ensuring the efficient use of natural resources - holds vital importance for humanity. Effectively and promptly responding to these challenges requires us to assume responsibility, mobilize financial resources, ensure their preservation, and strengthen discipline for the purposeful, economical, and efficient use of those resources. It also necessitates the advancement of state audit institutions.

In this regard, I commend the focus of this Meeting on both the study and application of international experience related to sustainable development and the transition to a digital economy. The development of artificial intelligence technologies plays a crucial role in securing advantages in economic and social development as well as in the global competitive environment. Artificial intelligence is transforming public administration, the economy, social sectors, education, healthcare, defense, security, and other fields. To foster the formation and development of an artificial intelligence ecosystem, special attention must be given to cooperation between the public and private sectors, strengthening scientific research, and supporting an innovation-friendly environment. I believe that the application of artificial intelligence in state auditing will contribute to the further development of auditing as an independent supervisory institution and to the sustainable development of audit services. It will also create broad opportunities for studying and applying progressive global experience in this field.

The second topic of the Meeting is equally important. Mitigating the impacts of climate change and continuing adaptation efforts require substantial financial resources. The purposeful use of these funds, as well as ensuring transparency and accountability, necessitates the active involvement of supreme audit institutions. Azerbaijans commitment to this issue was once again confirmed by the prestigious COP29 event held in our country last year.

I am confident that the Meeting participants, drawing on the positive experience gained in their respective countries and strengthening professional ties among supreme audit institutions, will contribute to establishing even higher-level relations between ASOSAI and ARABOSAI organizations, ensure the implementation of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions, and make valuable contributions to the future development of state audit bodies as a whole.

Once again, I extend my best regards to you all and wish success to the work of the Meeting, the address reads.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Today, sustainable development - which encompasses implementing new mechanisms to achieve economic, social, and environmental balance, reconciling local and global interests, and ensuring the efficient use of natural resources - holds vital importance for humanity. Effectively and promptly responding to these challenges requires us to assume responsibility, mobilize financial resources, ensure their preservation, and strengthen discipline for the purposeful, economical, and efficient use of those resources. It also necessitates the advancement of state audit institutions, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his address to the participants of the Joint Meeting of ASOSAI and ARABOSAI organizations, Trend reports.

In this regard, I commend the focus of this Meeting on both the study and application of international experience related to sustainable development and the transition to a digital economy. The development of artificial intelligence technologies plays a crucial role in securing advantages in economic and social development as well as in the global competitive environment. Artificial intelligence is transforming public administration, the economy, social sectors, education, healthcare, defense, security, and other fields. To foster the formation and development of an artificial intelligence ecosystem, special attention must be given to cooperation between the public and private sectors, strengthening scientific research, and supporting an innovation-friendly environment. I believe that the application of artificial intelligence in state auditing will contribute to the further development of auditing as an independent supervisory institution and to the sustainable development of audit services. It will also create broad opportunities for studying and applying progressive global experience in this field, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized.

The President Ilham Aliyev added: The second topic of the Meeting is equally important. Mitigating the impacts of climate change and continuing adaptation efforts require substantial financial resources. The purposeful use of these funds, as well as ensuring transparency and accountability, necessitates the active involvement of supreme audit institutions. Azerbaijans commitment to this issue was once again confirmed by the prestigious COP29 event held in our country last year.
The BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Tuesday to Thursday. Some attendees highlight the need for promoting greater BRICS cooperation and the development of the Global South.
SEOUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and one went missing as days of torrential rain hit South Korea's central and southern regions, the interior ministry said Friday.

Four fatalities were confirmed and one man remained unaccounted for at 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Thursday), according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

A retaining wall collapsed onto a moving vehicle in Gyeonggi province on Wednesday, killing a driver in his 40s.

A man in his 60s was found in cardiac arrest inside a flooded vehicle in South Chungcheong province early Thursday. He was transported to a nearby hospital but died.

Two other men in their 80s were found dead in floods later on Thursday.

A search was underway for a missing man who was reported on Thursday night to have been swept away by river currents near a bridge in South Jeolla province.

The downpour forced 5,192 people to evacuate their homes, with 4,531 remaining in temporary shelters as of Friday morning.

South Jeolla, South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang provinces were pounded by the heaviest rain, with the rainfall ranging from 376.0 mm to 445.0 mm for 53 hours through 5:00 a.m. local time on Friday.

The government raised its rain-related disaster alert to the highest level of "serious" to mobilize all possible measures.

A total of 496 public and 276 private property damage cases were reported, including flooded roads and buildings, soil losses and collapsed river embankments.

The weather agency expected more rain to batter the country until Saturday. 
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of a tobacco products manufacturing facility owned by Tabaterra LLC at the Aghdam Industrial Park, Trend reports.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov first briefed the head of state on the Aghdam Industrial Park.

The Aghdam Industrial Park, covering 190 hectares, was established under President Ilham Aliyevs Decree dated May 28, 2021, and is managed by the Agency for the Development of Economic Zones. It aims to revitalize the liberated territories, enhance Karabakhs industrial capacity, promote entrepreneurship, and boost employment. Priority sectors include construction materials production, agricultural product packaging, food processing (fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy), feed and fertilizer production, and the development of service and cold storage facilities.

The government has created a favorable investment climate to encourage entrepreneurship in the Aghdam Industrial Park. It ranks second among Azerbaijans industrial zones in terms of the number of resident companies, following the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. To date, 30 business entities have received resident status and four non-resident status, with total investments exceeding AZN 270 million. Over AZN 121 million has already been invested, resulting in more than 650 permanent jobs, primarily for residents of Aghdam and neighboring districts. More than 70 percent of the parks territory has been allocated to entrepreneurs. With the launch of the Tabaterra LLC facility, the number of operational enterprises in the park has reached 10.

Currently, Azerbaijan hosts nine industrial parks: Sumgayit Chemical, Garadagh, Pirallahi, Nakhchivan, Hajigabul, Mingachevir, Balakhani, Aghdam, and the Araz Valley Economic Zone in Jabrayil. In addition, four industrial districts have been established in Masalli, Neftchala, Sabirabad, and Sharur.

Elman Javanshir, Director of Tabaterra LLC, then provided the head of state with information about the enterprise.

Established on a 5.5-hectare site, the facility represents an investment of AZN 58 million. Alongside its own production, Tabaterra LLC manufactures international brands under license from British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, and Imperial Brands. The facility produces over 120 types of tobacco products across more than 20 brands. It operates nine production lines equipped with advanced technologies from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Its products are exported to the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, including both the company's own brands and licensed products.

As a resident of the industrial park, the company benefits from various tax, customs, and other incentives. It currently employs 400 people. To support workforce relocation, Tabaterra LLC has purchased 208 apartments in the Aghdam Residence complex, providing them free of charge to employees during their period of employment. Last year, the company was recognized as one of the top exporters in Azerbaijans non-oil private sector and the largest taxpayer in this segment.

To further support the tobacco value chain, Tabaterra Leaf LLC was established in 2021 and won the investment competition for the privatization of Azertutun OJSC. The company has invested AZN 15 million to modernize infrastructure and improve the quality of locally grown tobacco. Operating in Sheki, Gakh, Zagatala, and Balakan districts, the company manages tobacco collection and processing facilities, greenhouses, and a Tobacco Processing Plant with an annual capacity of 3,000 tons. Starting in 2027, Tabaterra Leaf LLC plans to develop 500 hectares in Gubadli district for tobacco cultivation and processing. These investments contribute significantly to economic revitalization, industrial and agricultural development, export potential, and job creation in the liberated territories. The total investment value of the projects implemented by Tabaterra LLC stands at AZN 79 million.
Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the restored historic mosque building in the village of Giyasly, Aghdam district, Trend reports.

Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President, briefed the head of state on the restoration progress.

It is worth recalling that on May 28, 2021, President Ilham Aliyev visited the Giyasly mosque during his trip to Aghdam.

The Giyasly mosque, one of the historical and religious monuments subjected to Armenian vandalism in Karabakh, was used as a cattle shed during the occupation of Aghdam district by Armenian armed forces. This led to severe damage, including the complete destruction of its roof and domes.

Restoration work began in 2022 after the liberation of Aghdam, led by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The project relied on archival materials and video sources to faithfully preserve the mosques original appearance. A preserved spiral staircase inside indicated the presence of twin minarets on the southern side, which were subsequently reconstructed in accordance with tradition. Tilted stone columns were restored with specialized equipment, stone arches and domes rebuilt, and damaged plaster on the walls repaired. The mihrab, which had become unusable, was also restored. Facade stones were cleaned using special chemical agents, and joints between old stones were cleared. Auxiliary buildings were constructed around the mosque.

Since 2001, the Giyasly mosque has been listed as a locally significant immovable historical and cultural monument by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. During the ongoing proceedings at the Baku Military Court on July 18, victim Karam Mammadov said he was captured in Armenia on March 7, 1990, Trend reports.

According to the victim, he drove to the area between the Zangilan and Gafan districts, on a UAZ vehicle, to restore communication line there. He was accompanied by his employees Baghirov Shakir Avaz oglu and driver Emin, as well as the assistant of the commandant also called Emin.

While they were checking the cable lines along the area, entering the area of the Gafan communications hub, they were beaten and captured by Armenians there. After that, the arriving employees of the Gafan District Internal Affairs Department of Armenia and military personnel took them to the Gafan District Internal Affairs Department. Four persons in military uniform tortured them, inflicting various types of bodily injuries. As a result, K. Mammadov's ribs on his right side were broken, all parts of his body were bruised, and he suffered a head injury. Shakir Baghirov suffered a brain bleed.

The soviet soldiers arriving from Zangilan district have taken them over and from Armenians, thus releasing them from captivity. The UAZ vehicle belonging to the victims was appropriated by the persons, who captured them in Armenia.

While responding to question from state prosecutor, the victim stated that he had undergone treatment in a hospital for two months.

The court proceedings continue against Armenian nationals accused of crimes including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, aggression, terrorism, and violations of the laws of war. The charges also include financing terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and other serious offenses.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the Khojaly brick factory, Trend reports.

The production facility was built in the village of Dashbulag, located in the Khojaly district. The project, with an investment value of AZN 8.5 million, has created permanent employment for 60 people, the majority of whom are residents of the territories liberated from occupation. The number of jobs at the plant is expected to increase to 120 in the future.

The plant has an annual production capacity of 16.2 million bricks. It utilizes modern German and Turkish technologies, with a focus on energy efficiency and environmental protection.

The main raw material source for the plant is the Khojaly clay deposit located near the city of Khojaly. The facility occupies nearly one hectare, with an additional 6.5 hectares allocated for raw material storage.

The plant will benefit from all incentives and exemptions provided to residents of the liberated territories. The application of tax, social insurance, and other concessions in these areas plays a crucial role in unlocking their economic potential, creating favorable conditions for business, and promoting entrepreneurial activity that boosts employment. Favorable conditions are being created for both investors and entrepreneurs. Overall, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan continues to pursue a consistent and systematic industrialization policy. In this context, technological modernization and the expansion of innovative production sectors remain key priorities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. The official visit of Chair of the People's Council of Turkmenistan and former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to Azerbaijan, followed by his trip to Fuzuli and Shusha with President Ilham Aliyev, reaffirmed the high-level ties between the two nations, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.

This visit is not just a reflection of the friendship between two state leaders, but a testament to the growing depth of historic, political, economic, and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Garayev said.

He emphasized the ancient Turkic roots shared by both peoples, highlighting common language, religion, and traditions, which provide a solid basis for mutual understanding and cooperation.

Cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan has gained notable momentum in recent years. The Days of Turkmen Culture held in Azerbaijan, events in Turkmenistan dedicated to Azerbaijani cultural heritage, and growing ties between museums and archival institutions reflect the deepening of this connection. In this context, Berdimuhamedovs visit to the bullet-scarred statues of Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Bulbul in Shusha, as well as Bulbuls house-museum, was highly symbolica gesture of respect to Azerbaijans wounded memory from a Turkic brother, Garayev noted.

According to him, Turkmenistan has consistently respected and supported Azerbaijans independence and sovereignty, including its territorial integrity.

Turkmenistan has consistently supported Azerbaijans territorial integrity in the context of the Karabakh issue. Following the 44-day Patriotic War, Turkmenistan was among the first Turkic states to express interest in the reconstruction of Azerbaijans liberated territories. Berdimuhamedovs recent visit to Fuzuli and Shusha stands as a tangible testament to that enduring support. The strong personal rapport between President Ilham Aliyev and the Chairman of Turkmenistans People's Council also continues to positively influence bilateral ties. As part of the visit, a Karabakh horse named 'Dostlug' was presented to Berdimuhamedov on the Chidir Plain in Shusha  a gesture rich in both symbolism and diplomatic meaning. The Karabakh horse, a national treasure of Azerbaijan, served as a powerful emblem of Turkic solidarity and fraternal unity, Garayev said.

Garayev emphasized that energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan remains a particularly significant pillar of their bilateral relations.

The agreement reached in recent years on the joint development of the Dostlug field in the Caspian Sea marked a pivotal moment in energy collaboration between the two nations. This initiative carries not only economic weight but also geopolitical significance, as it fosters new formats of regional cooperation and supports the emergence of alternative transport corridors across the Caspian basin.

Collaboration in transport and logistics is also gaining momentum, particularly within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (also known as the Middle Corridor).

Enhanced access to European markets via the ports of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, along with the growing volume of freight passing through Azerbaijan, aligns closely with the long-term economic strategies of both countries. At the same time, discussions are underway to explore joint projects across sectors such as industry, agriculture, and digital innovation, Garayev noted.

Garayev noted close coordination between the two countries at multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Turkmenistans neutral status aligns with Azerbaijans efforts to promote regional peace and cooperation, he said, adding that their synergy within OTS boosts integration among Turkic-speaking nations.

The visit to Fuzuli and Shusha carried far more than ceremonial valueit conveyed a political message: Karabakh is under Azerbaijani control and undergoing revival. Stops at the Heydar Aliyev and Karabakh exhibition, the Yukhari Govhar Agha mosque, the newly built Shusha mosque, and the Mehmandarov estate were tributes to both history and cultural renewal. The visit underscored the Turkmen people's solidarity with Azerbaijan's just and principled stance, Garayev stressed.

He concluded that relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are rooted in strategy, friendship, and brotherhood.

Today, bilateral cooperation is expressed not only through official documents but also through joint visits, symbolic gestures, and people-to-people ties. Berdimuhamedows journey to Karabakh demonstrated the emotional and strategic depth of these ties and foreshadows even closer integration between these two Turkic nations on the Caspians opposite shores," the political analyst added.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited Khanyurdu village in the Khojaly district, Trend reports.

During the visit, President Ilham Aliyev toured the homes of resettled residents Rasim Javadov and Karam Abbasov.

Khanyurdu village, part of the Ballija village administrative territory in the Khojaly district, has seen 40 individual houses fully restored. An additional 65 homes are slated for restoration by the end of this year, with 93 more planned for repair and restoration in 2026. On July 14 of this year, 33 families, totaling 122 people, returned to their native Khanyurdu village.

Efforts are underway to establish modern social infrastructure in the village. A 14-km, 10 kV power line has been repaired and metering initiated; over 10 km of natural gas pipeline has been laid, and a 4-km existing gas line restored. An artesian well, a 400-cubic-meter water reservoir, and a drinking water network have also been repaired. A 10.4-km communication line has been installed, providing residents with access to fixed telephone, internet, and IPTV services. More than 2 km of internal village roads have been paved with asphalt. Preparatory work is ongoing for the repair and restoration of a general education facility, while major renovations are underway at an ambulatory medical center and a market building. Additionally, a 1-hectare recreation park has been established in the village.

President Ilham Aliyev also met with residents who have relocated to both Tazabina and Khanyurdu villages and held conversations with them.

President Ilham Aliyev said: You have now been settled on your native land for several days, and the conditions are good. Today, I visited both Tazabina and Khanyurdu villages to see the living conditions. We have practically rebuilt these two beautiful villages and placed them at your disposal. Live here in comfort, live happily - you deserve it.

You lived under difficult conditions for many years - in tent settlements, railway cars, dormitories, kindergartens, schools, and various makeshift places, enduring extremely harsh circumstances. But you never lost faith. You believed that you would return to your native land. That day has come. Now you are living in these beautiful, scenic, and pleasant places. This shows that justice must always prevail.

But to ensure justice, you must have strength - and a strong fist. In a few months, there will probably be thousands of people living in both villages. The state has created all the necessary conditions - houses, household plots, drinking water, natural gas, electricity. Once again, I say: you deserve this. Because you were the ones who endured the harshest conditions.

Throughout these thirty years, you demonstrated willpower and believed that this historic day would come, and that we would return to these lands - and we have. Both the Patriotic War of 2020 and the anti-terror operation of 2023 are our glorious victories. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace. From now on, we will live here forever. No one can ever drive us out of these lands again.

The residents expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the attention shown to them and for the conditions created.
Photo: Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov congratulated Yulia Svyrydenko on her appointment as the Prime Minister of Ukraine on July 18, the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

In his congratulatory letter, Asadov noted that the relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine are based on deep historical ties and positive traditions, and expressed satisfaction with the current level of interstate cooperation.

He also voiced confidence that the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial partnership between Azerbaijan and Ukraine will continue to develop and expand successfully in the future.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. The third day of the 62nd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), hosted by the Accounts Chamber of Azerbaijan, was held in Baku, Trend reports.

The event began with the performance of the national anthem and was opened by Vugar Gulmammadov, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan. Presidential Assistant and Head of the Economic Policy and Industry Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Natig Amirov then read a message from President Ilham Aliyev addressed to the participants.

The meeting is attended by more than 100 participants, including members of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of ASOSAI, as well as representatives of the Presidency and Secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and representatives of the INTOSAI Development Initiative.

The second day of the event passed by in a memorable manner with presentations on ASOSAI's Strategic Plan, the organization's collaboration with other regional institutions, annual working group activities, and new issues of the ASOSAI Journal.

The formal part of the 62nd ASOSAI Board of Directors meeting included approval of the minutes of the 60th and 61st Board of Directors meetings, review of the organization's activities and financial reports for 2024, and the budget plan for 2026-2028. One of the main items on the agenda was the election of two new members of the INTOSAI Governing Board for 2025-2031 and the external auditor of INTOSAI.

Representatives of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were elected to the INTOSAI Governing Board by a majority vote of ASOSAI members. It was also announced that the 63rd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Today, the agenda of the event can be considered quite rich as the main topics on the agenda are presentations on topical issues in the field of public audit, including "Responding to climate change through auditing" and "Using artificial intelligence (AI) in audits".

To note, the Chamber of Accounts was first elected to the Board of Directors of the organization at the ASOSAI Assembly held in New Delhi (India) in September 2024.

10:52

The third day of the 62nd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), hosted by the Accounts Chamber of Azerbaijan, has started in Baku, Trend reports.

The meeting is attended by more than 100 participants, including members of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of ASOSAI, as well as representatives of the Presidency and Secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and representatives of the INTOSAI Development Initiative.

The second day of the event passed by in a memorable manner with presentations on ASOSAI's Strategic Plan, the organization's collaboration with other regional institutions, annual working group activities, and new issues of the ASOSAI Journal.

The formal part of the 62nd ASOSAI Board of Directors meeting included approval of the minutes of the 60th and 61st Board of Directors meetings, review of the organization's activities and financial reports for 2024, and the budget plan for 2026-2028. One of the main items on the agenda was the election of two new members of the INTOSAI Governing Board for 2025-2031 and the external auditor of INTOSAI.

Representatives of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were elected to the INTOSAI Governing Board by a majority vote of ASOSAI members. It was also announced that the 63rd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Today, the agenda of the event can be considered quite rich as the main topics on the agenda are presentations on topical issues in the field of public audit, including "Responding to climate change through auditing" and "Using artificial intelligence (AI) in audits".

To note, the Chamber of Accounts was first elected to the Board of Directors of the organization at the ASOSAI Assembly held in New Delhi (India) in September 2024.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolence to President of the Republic of Iraq Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, Trend reports.

"Dear Mr. President,

We were deeply shocked by the news of numerous casualties resulting from the fire at the shopping center in the city of al-Kut.

I share your grief over this tragedy, and on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, extend my deepest condolences to you, the bereaved families, their loved ones, and the entire people of Iraq. I also wish a swift recovery to those injured.

May Allah rest the souls of the deceased in peace!" the letter reads.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 19. On July 18, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Confucius Institute at the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), and the Baku Book Center co-organized an evening dedicated to ancient Chinese philosophy and culture, entitled "The Confucius That We Dont Know."

Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, attended the event.

Addressing the event, Lu Mei, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Azerbaijan, provided insight into the book The Confucius That We Dont Know.

The book entitled The Confucius That We Dont Know opens a window for Azerbaijani readers to explore the philosophy of Confucius and Chinese civilization. Confucianism has profoundly influenced Chinese civilization and remains an integral part of its culture, the diplomat noted.

Highlighting the key values and principles of Confucianism, Ambassador Lu Mei said: These principles include self-improvement, diligence, people-centered nature and human harmony, as well as the pursuit of the common good for all. By learning each other's languages, history, and culture, we can foster mutual understanding between our peoples and also contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Touching upon the friendship and partnership between China and Azerbaijan, the diplomat stated: China and Azerbaijan are good friends and partners. Over the past 33 years, since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Azerbaijan relations have enjoyed sound and steady growth. The fruitful cooperation across various fields has given a strong boost to our respective development and revitalization and brought tangible benefits to our peoples. In April this year, President Ilham Aliyev paid a state visit to China, and President Xi Jinping and President Ilham Aliyev signed a Joint Statement on the Establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which opened a new historical chapter in China-Azerbaijan relations. People-to-people exchanges are also becoming closer. The China-Azerbaijan mutual visa exemption agreement actually took effect the day before yesterday, on July 16, and this will further facilitate people-to-people exchange and promote cooperation in all fields. We welcome more Azerbaijani friends to visit China, experience the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture and Confucianism, and witness the dynamism of Chinese modernization. And I would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which has played an irreplaceable and important role in carrying forward the national spirit and economic and social development of Azerbaijan. This foundation has long been dedicated to close cooperation with China, making an outstanding and unique contribution to the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan. The Chinese Embassy in Azerbaijan stands ready to work with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijani partners to further strengthen our friendship and cooperation, to implement the important consensus reached by our heads of state.

Ilham Mammadzada, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, said that Confucius' philosophy is the key formula of ancient Chinese culture.

Mushfig Otgun, the author of the book The Confucius That We Dont Know, philosopher, noted that the work was first published in 2016. Highlighting the essence of the book, the author said: "With the initiative and support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the second edition of my book has been presented after nine years, which is a great honor for me. Confucius is one of the great teachers of humanity, and the whole world should be aware of his wisdom."

Following the speeches, Raziya Ahadova, a student of the Confucius Institute, recited Confucius quotes in Azerbaijani and Chinese. Another student, Sofia Garayeva, performed excerpts from Chinese opera, with her teacher Gou Yuyuan performing a Chinese folk dance.

Then, the guests were presented with the "Traditional Chinese tea ceremony."
The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China imported consumer goods worth 7.4 trillion yuan (about 1.03 trillion U.S. dollars) between 2021 and 2024, the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told a press conference Friday.

Citing figures of the World Trade Organization, he said goods imports by the Chinese mainland and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region accounted for about 13.3 percent of global imports in 2024 -- close to the United States' 13.6 percent.

China is thus the world's second-largest import market, almost on par with the United States, as well as a major export destination for nearly 80 countries and regions, the minister said.

To encourage more quality goods and services into the Chinese market, Wang said China has fostered international consumption center cities, established national demonstration zones for innovation and promotion of imports, and hosted major expos such as the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo.

"China's vast market has become a shared market for the world and will continue to serve as a key source of growth and vitality for the global economy," he told the press.

China has remained the world's largest goods trader for eight consecutive years, with total goods trade reaching 6.16 trillion U.S. dollars in 2024, a 32.4 percent increase from 2020.

Meanwhile, the share of China's exports to the United States fell from 17.4 percent of its total exports in 2020 to 14.7 percent in 2024, according to Wang.

"The production and supply chains supporting China's foreign trade have become more complete, flexible and efficient, enhancing the country's resilience and confidence in navigating risks and challenges," he said.

Noting that China has long run a services trade deficit, Wang pointed out that the United States has been China's largest source of such deficit. Considering the fact that China is the largest contributor to the U.S. goods trade deficit, he said this reflects the complementary strengths between the two economies.

Looking ahead to the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the minister said China will step up efforts to promote high-quality trade development with focus to be placed on both exports and imports, deepen international cooperation and enhance trade resilience. 

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao speaks at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. The SCIO held a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) here on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

A journalist asks questions at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. The SCIO held a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) here on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Journalists are pictured at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. The SCIO held a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) here on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Journalists raise their hands to ask questions at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. The SCIO held a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) here on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Greek Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, met with the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance responsible for Fiscal Policy, Thanos Petralias, Trend reports citing the country's Defense Ministry.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of National Defence, focused on the SAFE Regulation and the implementation of the 6% withholding in favor of the Armed Forces Funds under the additional armaments program.

Regarding the SAFE Regulation, Petralias stated that he would examine the possibility of increasing fiscal space to allow the inclusion of existing armament programs.

Given the increase in defense spending due to the 12-year Long-Term Armament Program (LTAP) and the Rearm Europe initiative, it was agreed that the annual withholdings from defense expenditures in favor of the Armed Forces Funds would be calculated based on the high five-year average, in order to ensure the strengthening of the Funds.

Petralias agreed that any amounts exceeding the high five-year average would not be returned to the Ministry of Finance, but would instead be allocated to the Armed Forces Housing Program.

Dendias thanked Petralias for his cooperation and support of the Armed Forces Housing Program.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic met with U.S. Congressman Mike Turner in Washington, Trend reports citing the Bosnian Foreign Ministry.

The meeting focused on further strengthening bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States, with an emphasis on trade cooperation, energy, and the defense industry, as well as the current political situation in BiH. The importance of stability and security was highlighted, both in BiH and in the Western Balkans region.

Minister Konakovic expressed his gratitude to Congressman Turner for his engagement and support for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for organizing the event held in May this year in Dayton to mark the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement.

Congressman Turner emphasized the significance of Minister Konakovics visit to the United States and reiterated the United States' commitment to preserving the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Konakovic presented a certificate of appreciation to Congressman Turner for his support for peace, stability, and the sovereignty of BiH, his commitment to the Dayton Agreement and legislative initiatives in Congress, as well as for his contribution to the countrys progress on the Euro-Atlantic path.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov met with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, during his official visit to Bulgaria, Trend reports citing the Bulgarian Defense Ministry.

The visit, initiated at the invitation of Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, highlights Bulgarias growing role as a key NATO ally in deterrence and defence efforts.

During the meeting, Minister Zapryanov and Admiral Cavo Dragone discussed current security risks and threats stemming from the war in Ukraine, as well as measures to strengthen NATOs deterrence and defence capabilities. Both reaffirmed allied unity in support of Ukraine, and Admiral Cavo Dragone expressed appreciation for Bulgarias significant contribution through military and humanitarian assistance.

A major focus of the talks was Bulgarias commitment to modernising its armed forces and building defence capabilities. Minister Zapryanov emphasized the countrys reliance on support from NATO partners in these efforts and reaffirmed Bulgarias dedication to fulfilling Alliance security priorities.

Zapryanov also outlined Bulgarias national defence priorities, including efforts to address personnel shortages in the Bulgarian Army and participation in the EU Commissions rearmament initiative. He confirmed Bulgarias support for the outcomes of the NATO summit in The Hague, including the pledge to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. These investments, he noted, will support not only military modernisation but also the development of national infrastructure and the defence industry.

Admiral Cavo Dragone praised Bulgaria as a reliable and highly valued ally, actively contributing to NATOs collective defence. He highlighted Bulgarias strategic importance for regional security and commended the performance of the Bulgarian contingent within the NATO Multinational Battlegroup stationed in Bulgaria, led by Italy, as well as the Bulgarian militarys participation in NATO peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Iraq.

He also shared his positive impressions from visiting the Novo Selo Training Area, where he observed the activities of the NATO battlegroup. He gave high marks to the groups operational capabilities, demonstrated during multinational exercises, which he said reflect the Alliances readiness to respond to modern threats.

The two sides also discussed the future development of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Bulgaria, including plans to upgrade it to brigade level. They reviewed the infrastructure project for the Kabyle military base, which is expected to receive NATO funding. Minister Zapryanov noted Bulgarias active efforts to establish a multinational divisional headquarters, which will assume command and control of NATO formations on Bulgarian territory, thereby strengthening the Alliances defence posture in the region.

Finally, the discussion covered the critical importance of NATOs defence planning and addressed the challenges posed by hybrid attacks and operations that Bulgaria faces daily.

Also present at the meeting were Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Deputy Defence Minister Radostin Iliev, and Lieutenant General Yavor Mateev, Bulgarias Military Representative to NATO and the EU.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. In the busy industrial outskirts of Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the scent of freshly chopped wood hangs in the air. It comes from the SECOM production site, where towering trunks of oak and other locally sourced timber await their transformation into finely crafted furniture components, Trend reports citing the EBRD's latest reports.

The company, which specialises in the production of wooden panels, has endured many challenges in its 35-year history. However, those that the company is facing today might be the most significant yet, and are forcing it to rethink its business model and make some important changes.

This is one of the hardest times that we have been through, says Amela Trako, who has been with SECOM since the companys inception. We need to adapt on many levels. From global instability and a challenging trade situation, particularly in the wood industry where there has been a drop in export prices of some products, to new carbon regulations and higher energy prices  all of it affects our business.

One significant change that the company made was to turn to solar energy to power its production.

SECOM took out a loan from Banca Intesa, which accessed the funds under the SME Go Green programme  an initiative funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Union (EU) that helps small businesses reduce their environmental impact and operating costs. With the money, SECOM installed rooftop solar panels across its production halls.

With financial backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) under the SME Go Green programme, the company took a loan from Banca Intesa, a local partner bank under the programme, and installed rooftop solar panels across its production halls. The initiative aims to help small businesses reduce their environmental impact and operating costs.

Since installing the solar plant in November, our electricity costs have dropped by 20 per cent, which is significant considering that we are spending tens of thousands of euros on electricity each month, says Trako. Were expecting even greater savings over the summer months.

Following its successful investment, the company received a cashback grant totalling 10 per cent of the investment amount, financed by the EU.

But the move isnt just about lowering bills. Its also a strategic investment to maintain and grow its business in the EU. SECOMs primary trade partners are in Germany and Denmark, where environmental standards are strict and getting stricter.

We know that to keep trading with EU countries, we need to show our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, especially regarding the energy that we use for our production, Trako explains.

The companys new solar power system, comprising five integrated rooftop panels with a total capacity of 580 kW, is central to that effort  a visible commitment to sustainability in an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace.

SECOMs green focus is just one part of a broader transformation. The company is also embracing digitalisation and automation in response to a shrinking workforce.

Visoko has many production companies but not enough workers, says Trako. A lot of people have left for EU countries, so we face a serious labour shortage.

To address this, SECOM plans to automate certain high-risk or repetitive tasks  a move that promises not only to improve efficiency and scale up production but also to enhance safety and working conditions.

Sustainability at SECOM extends beyond the energy it uses for manufacturing. The companys production model is proudly circular. While its main products are solid wood panels for use in furniture manufacturing, leftover wood doesn't go to waste. Instead, its processed into wooden pellets and briquettes.

The revenue from those products makes up less than 10 per cent of our total sales, Trako notes, but thats not the point. Its about showing that we recycle, that were serious about going green.

For SECOM, this isn't just a marketing pitch. Its a necessity. As the EU tightens its environmental regulations, particularly under initiatives such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), companies across Europe are being pushed to green up their operations  or risk being replaced for other competitors.

SECOMs journey illustrates the new realities facing manufacturers in the Western Balkans and beyond: green transformation is no longer optional. Its a business imperative.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. A new regulation will come into effect on July 15, 2025, whereby only biometric passports issued by the Russian Federation will be recognized as valid travel documents for entry into Latvia, Trend reports.

The decision follows concerns regarding the security of non-biometric Russian passports, which do not meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

These non-biometric passports lack electronic data carriers, preventing the verification of the holders personal data against embedded microchip information, thereby increasing the risk of forgery and misuse.

As part of the new policy, Latvia will no longer issue visas or accept residence permit applications from Russian citizens holding non-biometric passports.

Additionally, Russian nationals traveling with a non-biometric passporteven if they possess a valid Schengen visawill be denied entry to Latvia, including across both external and internal European Union borders.

Russian citizens currently residing in Latvia with a valid Schengen visa and a non-biometric passport will be considered in violation of Section 4 of the Latvian Immigration Law.

This law stipulates that a foreign national may enter and remain in Latvia only with a valid visa or residence permit and a recognized travel document.

Individuals without a valid travel document may be subject to administrative penalties.

However, if a Russian citizen holds both a valid Schengen visa in a non-biometric passport and a separate, valid biometric passport, they will be permitted to enter and stay in Latvia.

To ease the transition, Russian nationals already residing in Latvia with long-stay visas or residence permits issued by Latvian authorities will be granted a six-month grace period.

Until January 15, 2026, these individuals may continue to live in, enter, and leave Latvia, provided they replace their non-compliant travel documents with biometric passports during this time.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. The Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Sigitas Mitkus, conducted a working visit to the Netherlands, where he met with Heleen Bakker, Director-General for European Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trend reports.

During their meeting, Vice-Minister Mitkus highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between Lithuania and the Netherlands and emphasized the importance of continued comprehensive support for Ukraine.

He also underlined the strategic significance of Ukraines European Union membership for the long-term security and unity of Europe.

The two officials held in-depth discussions on the European Commissions proposals for the EUs next Multiannual Financial Framework for 20272034.

Mitkus stressed the necessity for a robust EU budget, maintaining key policies such as Cohesion and Common Agricultural Policies, and fulfilling the EUs existing commitments.

He also pointed to the importance of aligning budgetary planning with ongoing geopolitical challenges and applying rule-of-law conditionality mechanisms.

In addition, both parties explored opportunities for joint action in development cooperation, particularly in the context of infrastructure rebuilding efforts.

Vice-Minister Mitkus shared Lithuanias preparations and strategic priorities for its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2027.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics of Latvia, Jurgis Miezainis, and Deputy State Secretary Edijs Saicans participated in the Informal Meeting of the European Union Competitiveness Council, held in Copenhagen and discussed private investment and unlocking the potential of quantum technologies for competitiveness and security, Trend reports.

The Latvian delegation emphasized that a stable and predictable investment environment is crucial for the EUs competitiveness and for fostering innovation.

Moreover, they called for a business-friendly regulatory framework and targeted instruments such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU to support risk and growth capital, while also reinforcing cohesion initiatives that guarantee equal access to EU tools for all Member States.

Regarding private investment, administrative simplification, and capital market development, Latvia expressed strong support for initiatives that accelerate strategic project implementation through simplified permitting procedures.

These efforts also aim to foster public-private partnerships and enhance engagement with international investors.

Our priority lies in streamlined administrative processes, access to financing, high-quality human capital, and the creation of an EU-level platform to attract innovation and investors, stated Parliamentary Secretary Jurgis Miezainis.

The Latvian delegation highlighted the strategic importance of quantum technologies for the EUs innovation, security, and competitiveness. They stressed the need for coordinated investment, cross-border collaboration, and a unified European approach.

Latvia, with over 25 years of active research in this fieldincluding the Latvian Quantum Initiative and quantum communication infrastructure projectsstressed the importance of software research and the development of entirely new long-term applications.

Quantum technologies, they noted, are vital for secure communications, advanced sensing, and enhancing Europes strategic autonomy. Latvia continues to play an active role in European initiatives and advocates for quantum integration into security policy as a cross-cutting priority.

The delegation also proposed a trilateral cooperation model combining Member State industry, research institutions, and EU-level support.

On the clean energy front, Latvia reiterated its support for EU initiatives that aim to reduce fossil fuel dependence, promote the use of EU-produced technologies, and develop sustainable energy solutions.

However, Latvia emphasized the need to lower energy prices, simplify regulations, and enhance access to finance. Ensuring low energy costs is a critical condition for increasing the EUs global competitiveness.

Latvia also underscored the importance of resilient supply chains, international partnerships, and a fully functional EU Single Market in accelerating the clean energy transition.

The Latvian representatives called for a reduction in bureaucracy, prevention of overregulation, and the safeguarding of investment stability across the EU.
Irans non-oil exports to Turkiye see notable decline

In early 2025, Irans non-oil exports to Turkiye fell over 30% in value and nearly 38% in volume. Exports reached 1.52 million tons worth $937 million, down from 2.44 million tons worth $1.34 billion last year. Key exports included agricultural and petrochemical products.

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Kyrgyzstans financial stability triggers sharp decline in food loans

Photo: Cabinet of the Ministers of Kyrgyzstan

Food security and financial confidence have significantly improved, with 80 percent of families now feeling financially stable and 86 percent confident in food access. Hunger indicators and economic anxiety have also dropped sharply.

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Azerbaijan sees decline in electricity export revenues for 1H2025

From January through June 2025, Azerbaijan exported 679.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity, generating $38.5 million in revenue. This marks a 26.5% decrease in volume and a 24.5% drop in value compared to the same period last year. Electricity exports accounted for 0.4% of total exports and 3.2% of non-oil exports during this time.

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KABUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan interim government, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have signed a feasibility study agreement for the Trans-Afghan Railway project, aimed at boosting trade and transit across Central and South Asia, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement late Thursday.

The agreement was signed during a formal ceremony held in Kabul, in the presence of the acting Afghan foreign minister, foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Pakistan, alongside senior officials from all three countries, the statement added.

"The Uzbek-Afghan-Pak (UAP) Railway Corridor, a major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration, will connect Central Asian countries to Pakistan seaports through Afghanistan," Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

"We signed a Trilateral Framework Agreement to develop a feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trans-Afghan Railway, a project of strategic significance for all of Eurasia. This corridor will enhance trade, support Afghanistan's economic recovery, and open new access to the global market via the southern ports," Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov posted on his X account.

This trilateral initiative will assess the technical and economic feasibility of constructing a railway line that would pass through Afghanistan, linking Uzbekistan to Pakistan.

The proposed 573 km railway has been under consideration for several years as a strategic infrastructure project to strengthen trade ties between Central Asia, South Asia, and global markets.

At an estimated cost of 4.5 to 6 billion U.S. dollars, the route is expected to stretch from Termez in Uzbekistan, pass through Mazar-i-Shari and Logar in Afghanistan, and continue onward to Pakistan. 
Iran's product imports from Turkmenistan take nosedive

In the first quarter of this Iranian year, Irans imports from Turkmenistan dropped sharply by 66% in value and 60% in volume. Imports totaled 1,520 tons worth $1.82 million, down from 3,820 tons worth $5.34 million last year. Key imports included petroleum coke, cotton, and fabrics.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The first meeting of the FMs of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan took place in Kabul, during which a framework intergovernmental agreement was signed on the development of a feasibility study (FS) for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trans-Afghan Railway project, Trend reports.

"Todays first trilateral meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan marks a historic step forward in deepening mutual trust, good neighborliness, and regional cooperation.

The Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan signed a Trilateral Framework Agreement to develop a Feasibility Study for the UzbekistanAfghanistanPakistan Trans-Afghan Railway, a project of strategic significance for all of Eurasia. This corridor will enhance trade, support Afghanistans economic recovery, and open new access to global markets via the southern ports.

Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade ties, expanding cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction, and increasing the use of the Termez International Trade Center", - Saidov noted.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a roadmap for the construction of the TermezMazar-i-SharifKabulPeshawar railway in February 2021.

According to the calculations of the project participants, with a preliminary cost of about $5 billion, the new transport corridor, with a transit potential of up to 20 million tons of cargo, should connect the countries of Europe, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and further extend to the states of Southeast Asia.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. The third day of the 62nd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), hosted by the Accounts Chamber of Azerbaijan, was held in Baku, Trend reports.

The event began with the performance of the national anthem and was opened by Vugar Gulmammadov, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan. Presidential Assistant and Head of the Economic Policy and Industry Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Natig Amirov then read a message from President Ilham Aliyev addressed to the participants.

The meeting is attended by more than 100 participants, including members of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of ASOSAI, as well as representatives of the Presidency and Secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and representatives of the INTOSAI Development Initiative.

The second day of the event passed by in a memorable manner with presentations on ASOSAI's Strategic Plan, the organization's collaboration with other regional institutions, annual working group activities, and new issues of the ASOSAI Journal.

The formal part of the 62nd ASOSAI Board of Directors meeting included approval of the minutes of the 60th and 61st Board of Directors meetings, review of the organization's activities and financial reports for 2024, and the budget plan for 2026-2028. One of the main items on the agenda was the election of two new members of the INTOSAI Governing Board for 2025-2031 and the external auditor of INTOSAI.

Representatives of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were elected to the INTOSAI Governing Board by a majority vote of ASOSAI members. It was also announced that the 63rd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Today, the agenda of the event can be considered quite rich as the main topics on the agenda are presentations on topical issues in the field of public audit, including "Responding to climate change through auditing" and "Using artificial intelligence (AI) in audits".

To note, the Chamber of Accounts was first elected to the Board of Directors of the organization at the ASOSAI Assembly held in New Delhi (India) in September 2024.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 18. Turkmenistan and Romania have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral economic cooperation during a meeting in Bucharest between Turkmen Ambassador Annamammet Annayev and Vice President of the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade Doru-Clodian Frunzulica, Trend reports via the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Romania.

During the talks, the Romanian side presented updated investment materials tailored for Turkmen entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in medium- and long-term projects. In response, the Turkmen side invited Romanian companies to take part in upcoming international exhibitions, business forums, and tenders in Turkmenistan.

The meeting focused on preparations for the 8th session of the Turkmen-Romanian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, scheduled to take place in Bucharest in fall 2025.

Both sides emphasized key sectors of interest including investment, trade, digitalization, energy, and transport. Ambassador Annayev highlighted Turkmenistans consistent policy of economic modernization and its adherence to international investment standards. Vice President Frunzulica acknowledged Turkmenistan's growing potential in energy-intensive industries and expressed readiness to strengthen bilateral collaboration.
Uzbekistan reveals key challenges and growth prospects in ChinaAfghanistan Corridor

The ChinaKyrgyzstanUzbekistanAfghanistan multimodal transport corridor is poised to strengthen regional connectivity and trade but faces critical infrastructure and procedural challenges. Uzbekistans Ministry of Transport outlines the hurdles and opportunities in developing this strategic route linking Central and South Asia with China.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Equinor and BASF have signed a long-term strategic agreement for the supply of natural gas, securing up to 23 terawatt hours annuallyequivalent to around 2 billion cubic metersfor BASFs operations in Europe, Trend reports.

The ten-year deal will begin on October 1, 2025.

The agreement is aimed at ensuring energy security and stable raw material supply for BASF, which uses natural gas both as a fuel and as feedstock in chemical production. Equinors gas, sourced from Norway, is among the lowest in emissions globally when it comes to production and transport.

Natural gas not only provides energy security to Europe but also critical feedstock to European industries, said Equinor CEO Anders Opedal. Im pleased our gas supports BASFs efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

BASF emphasized the importance of reliable and sustainable supply. This agreement not only comes with competitive terms but also supports our sustainability targets, said Dirk Elvermann, CFO and Chief Digital Officer at BASF.

The deal builds on an existing partnership between the two companies and is part of BASFs broader strategy to diversify its energy sources while supporting climate goals.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 18. Kyrgyzstan has launched the creation of a state institution  the Secretariat of the National Council for the Development of Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the President, Trend reports.

The move follows a decree signed by President Sadyr Japarov, aimed at accelerating the institutionalization of digital innovation governance in the country.

The Secretariat will provide organizational support to the Council, which was initially approved by presidential decree on April 30, 2025. The structure, staffing plan, management scheme, and salary coefficients for the new body have been formally approved.

The Secretariat is required to undergo state registration within one month and will be financed through the national budget and other legal sources. The head of the Secretariat will be appointed and dismissed directly by the President.

The decree also introduces amendments to existing legal acts governing the register of state and municipal positions and the financing mechanism of the Council.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 18. Uzbekistan and Hungary have signed two key memoranda: one on the Stipendium Hungaricum educational program, and the other focusing on industrial cooperation between Basalt Group and MOL, Trend reports.

The agreements were finalized during the 10th anniversary meeting of the Uzbekistan-Hungary Intergovernmental Commission held in Budapest. The delegations were led by Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, and Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary.

During the meeting, the parties explored opportunities to deepen trade and economic cooperation and discussed launching new projects across industry, transport, energy, and education sectors. Particular emphasis was placed on advancing the establishment of a joint industrial zone in the Tashkent region and creating favorable conditions to attract and expand Hungarian investments.

The event concluded with a business forum focused on the potential involvement of Hungarian companies in the New Tashkent projects, as well as digital transformation and infrastructure development initiatives in Uzbekistan.

Meanwhile, the total portfolio of joint investment projects between Uzbekistan and Hungary exceeds $500 million, with further initiatives and projects valued at over 1.5 billion outlined during this visit.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. The joint meeting of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI) is important in terms of developing auditing in the public sector, ARABOSAI Chair  Sultan Alotaibi, representative of the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Saudi Arabia, said, Trend reports.

Speaking at the joint meeting of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI) held in Baku, he noted that this joint meeting is an example of the value of interfaith cooperation.

''It demonstrates our shared commitment to improving public sector auditing, strengthening institutional capacity, and ensuring good governance and sustainable development in our respective regions,'' he added.

The chairman also said that he looks forward to the upcoming discussions and the valuable insights that will be shared by the delegates.

"These exchanges are very important in terms of exploring common challenges and learning from each other and identifying opportunities to work together more effectively.

We, as the ARABOSAI, are proud to stand alongside our colleagues from the ASOSAI on this common path and look forward to continuing this meaningful collaboration," Alotaibi noted.

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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 18. Rajit Nanda, CEO of Saudi Arabian company DataVolt, met with Umid Abidkhadjayev, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, to discuss the advancement of green energy certificates (I-REC) practices in Uzbekistan, Trend reports.

During the discussions, the parties explored ways to establish a sustainable energy supply within the information technology sector and introduced new mechanisms to support this goal. They also exchanged views on the regulatory and legal frameworks currently being adopted in Uzbekistan to enhance legislation related to green energy certificates.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to jointly examine these issues in greater depth, develop proposals aligned with international best practices, and continue their mutual cooperation to foster the growth of a sustainable energy market in Uzbekistan. They also committed to expanding the exchange of expertise and ideas in this field.

DataVolt is a Saudi Arabian company specializing in the design, construction, and management of modern, high-capacity, energy-efficient, and reliable data centers tailored for large corporate clients. The company is dedicated to powering its data centers through renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. Its mission is to enhance energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality by leveraging green energy certificates (I-REC).
WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on a bill to cut funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting after the Senate passed it.

The Senate approved the bill early Thursday, which will roll back 9 billion U.S. dollars Congress had allocated to foreign aid and public broadcasting.

With a voting result of 51-48, the bill was opposed by every Democrat in the Senate, along with two GOP senators.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill is a small but an important "step toward fiscal sanity."

The bill will slash 1.1 billion dollars meant for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. U.S. President Donald Trump and conservatives have blasted the corporation's two channels, National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System, as biased in favor of the left. Moreover, the GOP has deemed the channels as an unnecessary expense to taxpayers.

"My Democrat colleagues may not want to acknowledge it, but we have a serious spending problem in this country," Thune said Tuesday. "And the very least we can do in response is to target some of the egregious misuses of taxpayer dollars that we are addressing today in this bill."

Two Senate Republicans voted against the package.

"You don't need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting," said Lisa Murkowski, one of the two Republicans who voted against the bill.

The package also slashed funding for some foreign development programs.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer blasted the legislation and accused the White House of usurping Congress's legally mandated role of being in charge of federal spending.

"Today, Senate Republicans turn this chamber into a subservient rubber stamp for the executive, at the behest of Donald Trump," he said. 
Turkmenistan branch of Tatneft invites bids for telemetry and technical support services

The Turkmenistan branch of PJSC Tatneft has announced a tender for the provision of information, technical, and technological support during well drilling, specifically telemetry services. Interested companies must submit a formal written application on official letterhead addressed to the branch director, confirming their intent to participate.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Kuwait is open to sharing its audit experience with Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sector as well as in areas related to climate change, Osama Alfaris, a representative of Kuwaits Supreme Audit Institution, told Trend.

Speaking on the sidelines of the joint meeting of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI) in Baku, Alfaris began by sharing his initial impressions of Baku.

"This is my first visit to Baku, and the city is truly beautiful and scenic. I hope it wont be the last. Today is the second day of our audit discussions, which are highly significant, as they allow for valuable exchange of knowledge and experience," Alfaris noted.

He said 13 presentations were scheduled for the day, covering themes equally split between climate change and artificial intelligence.

"It is important to meet people from various regions and exchange perspectives. We are discussing future plans, ongoing issues, and potential agreements with our partners in the audit field," he added.

Alfaris also highlighted the potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan, drawing parallels between the two countries.

"Azerbaijan is similar to my homeland, as both have rich oil and gas reserves. I believe Azerbaijan also audits these sectors, just like we do. There is a real opportunity to exchange expertise, especially concerning climate change.

Experience-sharing in the audit field often takes place throughout the year via training courses and seminars. This way, we focus on topics of mutual interest and foster meaningful dialogue," Alfaris emphasized.

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Germanys Rhenus Group aims to expand freight operations in Turkmenistan

Photo: the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Belgium

During a meeting in Brussels, company representatives and the Turkmen ambassador discussed Turkmenistans growing role as a reliable transit corridor between Europe and Asia, highlighting the importance of the Turkmenbashi port and the country's rail infrastructure.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Cooperation opportunities were discussed during a video conference of the management of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), one of the AZCON Holding companies, with the Chairman of Pakistan Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, ADY statement said, Trend reports.

The meeting also discussed increasing cargo transportation volumes, integration of ports, joint investment projects, cooperation opportunities on transport routes passing through Azerbaijan and Pakistan on the East-West connection.

The parties emphasized the possible use of different directions along the South Asia-Caucasus-Europe route for mutual cargo exchange and also expressed support for the development of a multimodal transport corridor connecting the continents via Azerbaijan, passing through China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

In terms of bilateral relations, they exchanged views on pilot cooperation projects, in particular the development of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Express and Pakistan-Iran-Azerbaijan pilot cargo transportation projects, using the capabilities of Pakistan's Gwadar Port, and the importance of the Middle Corridor.

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Kazakhstan expands renewable energy capacity in 1H2025

Photo: Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan

In the first half of 2025, Kazakhstan generated 4.2 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources, a 7.2 percent increase year-on-year. Total electricity production reached 62.2 billion kWh. The Ministry of Energy continues efforts to ensure energy security and promote sustainable, green technologies.

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PashaPay  Azerbaijans leading fintech company, known for its widely-used m10 app and its role within the Bir ecosystem  in collaboration with the ASAN Innovative Development Center under the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, organized a training session for journalists on the topic The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Media Practice in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani national press.

The training took place at the Quba Regional ASAN Service Center and brought together around 60 journalists representing leading media outlets from across the country. During the session, participants were introduced to the practical applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as fact-checking, media analytics, monitoring of social media trends, and visual content creation.

The theme and purpose of the training align with PashaPays Digital Transformation Roadmap, which emphasizes the use of AI not only in technological and financial sectors but also in initiatives aimed at enhancing public awareness and digital literacy.

Such initiatives aim to support media professionals in adapting to rapidly evolving technologies and encourage the responsible and effective use of AI tools in their work.

About PashaPay

PashaPay, part of the Bir ecosystem, is a leading fintech platform offering users innovative, fast, and secure financial solutions through its m10 digital wallet and MilliOn payment terminals. The company has also prioritized the development of cashless payments and the expansion of innovations in the field of financial technologies in the country.

www.pashapay.az
Kazakhstan ignites energy revolution with bold new projects in Ulytau

Photo: Official information source of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov visited the Ulytau region to review progress on the modernization of the Zhezkazgan Thermal Power Plant. As part of presidential directives, major repairs have improved the plants reliability ahead of the 20252026 heating season.

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Kazakhstan fast-tracks energy and water infrastructure upgrades in Ulytau

During a working visit to Kazakhstans Ulytau region, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reviewed progress on key infrastructure projects, including the modernization of Zhezkazgans water treatment facilities. The project, which aims to ensure stable drinking water supply through reverse osmosis technology, is behind schedule due to labor shortages.

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Samruk-Energy, POWERCHINA join forces to modernize Kazakhstans energy sector

Photo: Samruk Energy

A delegation from Kazakhstans Samruk-Energy visited China to meet with leaders of major state energy firms, including POWERCHINA. They discussed ongoing and future joint energy projects, focusing on renewable energy initiatives totaling 810 MW in Kazakhstan and the conversion of Almatys CHP-2 plant from coal to gas.

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MANILA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' balance of payments (BOP), which accounts for the transactions of the country with the rest of the world, registered a surplus of 226 million U.S. dollars in June 2025, a reversal from the deficit of 155 billion dollars recorded in June 2024, Philippine central bank said Friday.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a press release that the BOP surplus reflected the foreign currency deposits held by the national government with the BSP, as well as income from BSP investments.

"The BOP surplus in June helped narrow the year-to-date deficit, reducing it from 5.8 billion dollars in January-May 2025 to 5.6 billion dollars in January-June 2025," the BSP said.

Preliminary data indicated that the year-to-date BOP deficit was mainly due to the continued trade in goods deficit. "This decline was partly offset, however, by the sustained net inflows from personal remittances from overseas Filipinos, foreign borrowings by the national government, and foreign portfolio investments," the BSP said.

The BOP position mirrored the increase in gross international reserves (GIR), which rose from 105.2 billion dollars as of the end of May 2025 to 106 billion dollars by the end of June 2025.

According to the BSP, the latest GIR level provides a robust external liquidity buffer, equivalent to 7.2 months' worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

Moreover, it covers about 3.4 times the country's short-term external debt based on residual maturity. 
Tajikistans social security set for overhaul with ADB support

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500,000 grant to assist Tajikistan in modernizing and digitalizing its social security and pension system. The funding will support a feasibility study for a future investment project aimed at improving institutional frameworks, developing an automated information system, and enhancing the operational capacity of the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Azerbaijans phased Liquidity Coverage Ratio adoption will strengthen the banking sector, Trend reports via Moodys.

On 1 August, the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CBA) will implement a new regulatory framework that includes the phased adoption, by the end of 2027, of the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), a key Basel III liquidity standard that requires the assessment of banks' liquidity positions in both aggregate and national currencies.

Implementation of the new framework is credit positive because it will enhance Azerbaijani (Baa3 positive) banks capacity to build more sustainable liquid positions in national currency  an important step in the development of the country's financial sector and alignment with international best practices, said the rating agency.

According to the CBA, 56% of the banking sectors liquid assets were held in national currency at the end of 2024, up from 46% in 2020. Under the implementation schedule, systemically important banks will be required to gradually increase their LCR in national currency to 100% by 1 June 2027 from 50% as at 1 August 2025. Other banks will gradually raise their LCR in manats to 100% by 1 December 2027 from 40% as at 1 August 2025. The LCR will be calculated separately for aggregate and national currencies, with banks required to report the ratio daily.

The regulation also broadens the existing definition of high-quality liquid assets (HQLA) to include instruments such as precious metals, state-guaranteed securities, overnight deposits and short-term central bank placements, which will enhance banks flexibility in liquidity management. Precious metals, particularly gold, are not currently classified as HQLA under Basel III regulations.

However, we believe that the broader definition of HQLA will not dilute the quality of liquid assets because precious metals are not currently on banks balance sheets and state-guaranteed securities remain repo-eligible, preserving their liquidity value.

As of year-end 2024, the CBA reported that all banks exceeded the LCR requirements in aggregate and foreign currency, with sector-wide LCRs of 150% and 178%, respectively. The figures indicate strong overall liquidity buffers ahead of the phased implementation of the new local-currency thresholds, said Moodys.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 18. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova met with Uzbekistans Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ravshanbek Alimov to review bilateral cooperation and regional engagement, Trend reports via Turkmen MFA.

Held on July 17, the meeting focused on strengthening ties in the political, trade, economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. The diplomats also discussed ongoing collaboration within international organizations, including the United Nations.

Special attention was given to Uzbekistan's planned participation in the upcoming Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), which will be hosted in Turkmenistans Avaza National Tourist Zone in August 2025.

The sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and supporting regional development through multilateral platforms.
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WASHINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state is suing President Donald Trump's administration after it rescinded 4 billion U.S. dollars in federal funding for California's high-speed rail project.

Newsom criticized the decision as "petty" and a "political retribution," calling it "a heartless attack on the Central Valley that will put real jobs and livelihoods on the line."

"We're suing to stop Trump from derailing America's only high-speed rail actively under construction," he added.

The move follows Trump's remarks on social media: "Not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again."

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the termination the same day, calling the rail project "the definition of government incompetence and possibly corruption."

Newsom then responded on social media, saying, "Won't be taking advice from the guy who can't keep planes in the sky," referencing recent aviation safety issues under Duffy's leadership.

STATE PUSHES BACK

State officials have repeatedly maintained that the project is on track. The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) highlighted the completion of major infrastructure work, including 35 kilometers of earthworks and 11 bridge structures.

"The authority strongly disagrees with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)'s conclusions, which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

Earlier this month, authority officials said in a letter that the Trump administration had pre-decided to revoke funding without a thorough review.

"Canceling these grants without cause isn't just wrong -- it's illegal," CHSRA CEO Ian Choudri said in a statement Wednesday. "These are legally binding agreements, and the authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025."

The authority added that 171 miles (about 275 kilometers) of the project are currently under active construction and design, with over 15,000 jobs created to date.

However, according to The New York Times, even if a future administration restores funding, it could take years to reissue contracts for critical infrastructure like trains and electrical systems, further delaying completion.

LONG-TROUBLED PROJECT

The California high-speed rail project aims to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles with a train covering the route in about two hours and 40 minutes. A second phase would eventually extend the line to Sacramento and San Diego, according to its official website.

Initially approved by voters in 2008, the project has faced delays, rising costs and repeated revisions. According to the Department of Transportation, the entire project was supposed to be completed by 2020 and cost 33 billion dollars. The agency then estimated the total cost of the project is now over 100 billion dollars.

Trump and Duffy both have slammed the project as a "train to nowhere."

"This project was Severely Overpriced, Overregulated, and NEVER DELIVERED," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Louis Thompson, who previously led the state's peer review panel for the project, said, "I don't think we are going to see electric trains running on track from Merced to Bakersfield for a long, long time ... not in 10 years with no federal money."

So far, less than a quarter of the project's funding has come from the federal government, with the rest sourced mainly from state-issued bonds and California's cap-and-trade program, local media reported.

But losing federal support could significantly impact progress. "Having this money taken away could potentially mean that they won't be able to continue to construct it, at least at anywhere near the pace and scale they've been at," said Ethan Elkind, climate program director at the UC Berkeley School of Law.

Federal officials have questioned the project's viability. FRA's acting administrator Drew Feeley, described the effort as "a story of broken promises" in a report last month.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a deputy assistant secretary for research at the Transportation Department during Trump's first term, said that the system, if it is ever built, had no hope of being profitable and that people were not likely to want to use it.

"They prefer driving," she said.

ESCALATING TENSIONS

The lawsuit marks another chapter in the tensions between the Trump administration and California's leadership.

The rift deepened after January, when Trump clashed with Newsom over deadly wildfires near Los Angeles. He claimed California's environmental policies were to blame for dry hydrants and later wrote that Newsom should resign.

During his presidency, Trump has challenged several California policies, including its climate regulations, university admissions and transgender protections in sports.

Stanford law professor David Freeman Engstrom told The New York Times that while the political tensions between Trump and Newsom may have influenced the funding decision, it may not be enough to sway a court.

If California argues that the termination is "just an effort to get back at Governor Newsom, an enemy of the administration, I'm not sure that a court's going to be willing to credit that argument here," he said.

"By returning to the high-speed rail issue, Trump is once again lifting up a powerful symbol that liberal California is the problem, not the solution," Engstrom added.

California previously challenged a similar funding cut in 2019 and succeeded in restoring a 929 million-dollar grant after the Joe Biden administration settled the lawsuit in 2021, local media reported. 
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Slovenia bans Israel's two 'Genocide Ministers'



In another shameful episode for the far right Zionist regime in Israel, Slovenia has announced to ban two Israeli ministers - Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich

Friday July 18, 2025 11:16 PM , ummid.com News Network

Ljubljana: In another shameful episode for the far right Zionist regime in Israel, Slovenia has announced to ban two Israeli ministers - Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

In a statement released Thursday July 17, 2025, the Slovenian government accused the two Israeli ministers of inciting extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians with their genocidal statements.

Itamar Ben Gvir is National Security Minister and Bezalel Smotrich looks after Finance Ministry. The two have repeatedly called for ethnic cleansing, massacre and genocide of Palestinians.

"Unwanted in Slovenia"

The Slovenian government's decision to declare the two ministers "persona non grata" is a first in the European Union (EU).

Slovene President Natasa Pirc Musar while addressing the European Parliament on May 21, had urged the EU to take stronger action against the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Foreign Minister of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, said the country took the decision after EU foreign ministers did not agree on joint action against Israel over charges of human rights violations at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

Today, the government adopted one of the first national measures, which is to declare two Israeli ministers unwanted in the Republic of Slovenia, Fajon told a news conference.

Earlier, Australia, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Norway had also imposed similar sanctions on Smotrich and Ben Gvir.

Slovenia is also among six European countries that reject any demographic or territorial changes in Gaza, a stand taken after U.S. President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu called for "forced displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza.



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UP NEET UG 2025 Admission: Registration Starts



The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training Uttar Pradesh (DGME UP) has started through its official website upneet.gov.in from today i.e. Friday July 18, 2025 Online Registration for First Round of Counselling for students seeking admission in First Year MBBS (Medical), BDS (Dental) and other Medical Courses for the year 2025-26

Friday July 18, 2025 5:03 PM , ummid.com News Network

Uttar Pradesh Medical Admission NEET UG Counselling 2025: The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training Uttar Pradesh (DGME UP) has started through its official website upneet.gov.in from today i.e. Friday July 18, 2025 Online Registration for First Round of Counselling for students seeking admission in First Year MBBS (Medical), BDS (Dental) and other Medical Courses for the year 2025-26.

Candidates willing to participate in UP NEET UG 2025 First Round of Counselling should note that the last date of registration is July 28, 2025.

The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training Uttar Pradesh (DGME UP), has not confirmed yet the date and time to release the UP NEET UG Merit List.

UP NEET UG Merit List and Choice Filling

After the release of UP MBBS and BDS Merit List, candidates whose name appear in UP NEET UG First Merit List candidates will require to submit their college preferences, choices and options.

The UP NEET UG 2025 Round 1 allotment result will be published based on the options submitted by the candidates.

Candidates whose name appear in UP NEET UG Allotment List should note that downloading allotment letter and Security Fee deposit should be done as per the schedule.

UP NEET UG 2025 Counselling - Registration steps

Click here to go to official website: " upneet.gov.in ".

". Click on the link marked with "Registration".

Enter your Roll Number and NEET Application Number.

Enter the Captcha code as you see and click on Submit.

Follow the instructions and complete Online Registration.

Candidates who are registering for Uttar Pradesh Medical and Dental Counselling should note that date and time of the first round seat allotment has not been confirmed yet.

UP NEET UG Counselling 2025 Important Dates

Online Registration start date: July 18, 2025.

Last date to apply: July 28, 2025

Date of release of UP NEET UG 2024 Round 1 Merit List: Will be notified later

Choice Filling/Locking: Will be notified later

UP NEET UG Round 1 Seat allotment Result: Will be notified later

UP NEET UG Round 2 start date: Will be announced later

UP NEET UG 2021 Round 2 Seat Allotment Result date: Will be announced later

UP NEET UG Security Fees

For participation in counselling, NEET UG 2025 candidates will have to register online by depositing INR 2,000/- online through the official website (upneet.gov.in).

Online registered candidates will have to get their documents verified at the nodal centres in person.

Candidates are required to deposit security fee (Rs.30,000/- for Government seat and Rs.200,000/- for Private Medical seat and Rs.100,000/- for Private Dental seats) as CTS Bank Draft in the name of "Director General Medical Education & Training Uttar Pradesh" payable at Lucknow.

Debarred Students

The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training Uttar Pradesh (DGME UP) has also published a list of 76 students who have been debarred from participating in the UG NEET 2025 counselling.

Of the 76 students banned for this year's counselling, 57 candidates have been barred from the NEET UG couselling under state quota for the MBBS seats. Out of them, 47 are those who participated in the counselling last year and were alloted stray seats but later opted out and did not take admissions. And, 10 candidates are those who took admission but did not complete the course and vacate the seats.



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Astronomers claim capturing birth of new Solar System



In a groundbreaking development in space science, astronomers have claimed capturing birth of a new Solar system

Saturday July 19, 2025 0:51 AM , Science Desk

[The infant star HOPS-315 showing the first signs of planet formation. (Image credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. McClure et al.)]

In a groundbreaking development in space science, astronomers have claimed capturing birth of a new Solar system.

The breakthrough was made possible with data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA), an array of 66 radio telescopes located in the desert of northern Chile, and observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), according to Space.com.

"For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our sun," team leader and Leiden University researcher Melissa McClure said.

The team's results were published on Wednesday July 16, 2025 in the journal Nature.

This team was able to spot traces of hot minerals condensing in the protoplanetary disk swirling around a baby start known as HOPS-315. HOPS-315, located 1,300 light-years away from us, resembles a younger version of the Earth's own Sun.



The discovery reveals the early stages of planetary development, where gases begin condensing into solid crystalline minerals that will ultimately grow into rocky planets.

Until now, researchers had only detected slightly larger dust grains forming in various systems. But in this case, theyve observed the very start of solidification itself, making it the earliest phase of planet formation ever seen.

"Zero Moment"

Talking to EarthSky, lead researcher Melissa McClure of Leiden University in The Netherlands, said what they saw was never seen before.

"We were seeing time zero moment in the formation of another planetary system that's very similar to our own Sun but its located much further away in the constellation of Orion", she said.

Explaining more about protostar and protoplanets, Melissa said, A protostar is a very hot ball of gas that has started to condense and its contracting that will eventually start to burn hydrogen and forms something that becomes star.

Though this discovery is a monumental first, scientists caution that we wont be watching entire planets emerge in real time. The formation process occurs over hundreds of thousands of years. Still, the team hopes to continue monitoring HOPS-315 while searching for other infant systems caught in this extraordinary early stage.

The discovery marks "the birth of the seeds of the planets," study co-author Edwin Bergin, a professor at the University of Michigan, told CBS News. The silicate-mineral rich material around HOPS-315 will make planets after another million years or so.

"So we are watching the beginnings of the construction of planets," Bergin said.

With the discovery, Bergin said researchers now know what to look for to find other budding systems.



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JAKARTA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian court on Friday sentenced former Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong to four years and six months in prison for corruption related to sugar imports during his tenure between 2015 and 2016.

"The judge declares that the defendant, Thomas Trikasih Lembong, has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a crime," said Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika while reading the verdict at the Jakarta Corruption Court.

In addition to the prison sentence, the 54-year-old was ordered to pay a fine of 750 million Indonesian rupiahs (about 45,750 U.S. dollars). Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of imprisonment.

Lembong was charged and arrested last October for his role in the embezzlement of raw sugar import funds. The case involved state losses estimated at 400 billion rupiahs (about 24.4 million dollars) during the 2015-2016 period. 
HANOI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The 13th Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee convened its 12th plenum here on Friday, with a focus on preparations for the upcoming national party congress and key personnel matters, Vietnam News Agency reported.

During the session, participants also discussed institutional obstacles and legal bottlenecks affecting national reform efforts.

The plenum is expected to set out orientations for personnel planning for the 14th party central committee, which is scheduled to take place in January 2026. 
SYDNEY, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A man has been arrested over an alleged attempt to import hundreds of firearm parts from the United States into Australia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a joint statement on Friday that the 34-year-old man was stopped for an incoming passenger inspection by officials on arrival at the Brisbane Airport, Australia, from the United States on June 26.

Authorities said that the man was traveling with consignment details for nine packages later found to contain hundreds of individual firearm parts.

All nine packages, which had been sent from the United States under false descriptions to addresses in the state of Queensland and the state of Victoria, Australia, were intercepted by the ABF and sent for forensic analysis.

The AFP will allege in court that the man planned to assemble the firearm parts in Australia and sell the weapons for 20,000 Australian dollars (13,006 U.S. dollars) each.

He has been charged with nine counts of attempting to traffic in firearm parts. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.

AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said that the parts could have been assembled into more than 30 handguns. 
Marvin S. Whittaker, age 96, of Alexandria, died on Tuesday, July 15th, at Bethany on the Lake in Alexandria.
The United States' destruction of a warehouse worth of emergency food that had spoiled has drawn outrage, but lawmakers and aid workers say it is only one effect of President Donald Trump's abrupt slashing of foreign assistance.

The Senate early Thursday approved nearly $9 billion in cuts to foreign aid as well as public broadcasting, formalizing a radical overhaul of spending that Trump first imposed with strokes of his pen on taking office nearly six months ago.

US officials confirmed that nearly 500 metric tons of high-nutrition biscuits, meant to keep alive malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, were incinerated after they passed their expiration date in a warehouse in Dubai.

Lawmakers of the rival Democratic Party said they had warned about the expiring food since March. Senator Tim Kaine said that the inaction in feeding children "really exposes the soul" of the Trump administration.

Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management, acknowledged to Kaine that blame lay with the shuttering of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was merged into the State Department after drastic cuts.

"I think that this was just a casualty of the shutdown of USAID," Rigas said Wednesday.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, however, took a more defiant tone Thursday, saying the biscuits represented less than one percent of US global food aid, using figures that appeared to come from before Trump's cutbacks.

"We will not be lectured about the issue of food aid or what we do for the rest of the world," she said.

The Atlantic magazine, which first reported the episode, said that the United States bought the biscuits near the end of Biden administration for around $800,000 and that the Trump administration's burning of the food was costing taxpayers another $130,000.

- 'Yanking the rug' -

For aid workers, the biscuit debacle was just one example of how drastic and sudden cuts have aggravated the impact of the aid shutdown.

Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president for global policy and advocacy at Mercy Corps, said that large infrastructure projects were shut down immediately, without regard to how to finish them.

"This really was yanking the rug out, or turning the the spigot off, overnight," she said.

She pointed to the termination of a USAID-backed Mercy Corps project to improve water and sanitation in the turbulent east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Work began in 2020 and was scheduled to end in September 2027.

"Infrastructure projects are not things where 75 percent is ok. It's either done or it's not," she said.

- Sweeping cuts -

The House of Representatives is expected late Thursday to finalize the end of funding for what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called "$9 billion worth of crap."

It includes ending all $437 million the United States would have given to several UN bodies including the children's agency UNICEF and the UN Development Programme. It also pulls $2.5 billion from development assistance.

Under pressure from moderate Republicans, the package backs off from ending PEPFAR, the anti-HIV/AIDS initiative credited with saving 25 million lives since it was launched by former president George W. Bush more than two decades ago.

Republicans and the Trump-launched Department of Government Efficiency, initially led by tycoon Elon Musk, have pointed to projects they argue do not advance US interests.

"We can't fund transgender operas in Peru with US taxpayer dollars," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, an apparent reference to a US grant under the Biden administration for the staging of an opera in Colombia that featured a transgender protagonist.

The aid cuts come a week after the State Department laid off more than 1,300 employees as Secretary of State Marco Rubio ended or merged several offices, including those on climate change, refugees and human rights.

Rubio called it a "very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused."

Senate Democrats issued a scathing report that accused the Trump administration of ceding global leadership to China, which has been increasing spending on diplomacy and disseminating its worldview.

The rescissions vote "will be met with cheers in Beijing, which is already celebrating America's retreat from the world under President Trump," said Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

sct/aha
Syrian troops on Thursday pulled out of the Druze heartland of Sweida on the orders of the Islamist-led government, following days of deadly clashes that killed nearly 600 people, according to a war monitor.

The southern province has been gripped by deadly sectarian bloodshed since Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed in clashes pitting Druze fighters against Sunni Bedouin tribes and the army and its allies.

The city of Sweida was desolate on Thursday, AFP correspondents on the ground reported, with shops looted, homes burnt and bodies in the streets.

"What I saw of the city looked as if it had just emerged from a flood or a natural disaster," Hanadi Obeid, a 39-year-old doctor, told AFP.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a televised speech that community leaders would resume control over security in Sweida "based on the supreme national interest", after the deployment of government troops on Tuesday fuelled the intercommunal bloodshed and prompted Israeli military intervention.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 594 people had been killed in clashes in Sweida province since Sunday.

The UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that "nearly 2,000 families have been displaced" by the violence across the province.

Israel had hammered government troops with air strikes during their brief deployment in Sweida and also struck targets in and around the capital Damascus, including the military headquarters, warning that its attacks would intensify until the government pulled back.

The Observatory reported that three people were killed in Damascus by the Israeli strikes.

Syria's state-run news agency SANA later reported the first Israeli attack on the area since government forces withdrew, with strikes on the outskirts of Sweida.

The Syrian presidency meanwhile accused Druze fighters in Sweida of violating the ceasefire that led to the withdrawal of government forces.

In a statement, the presidency accused "outlaw forces" of violating the agreement through "horrific violence" against civilians.

The presidency also warned against "continued blatant Israeli interference in Syria's internal affairs, which only leads to further chaos and destruction and further complicates the regional situation".

- Promise of 'protection' -

Sharaa, whose Islamist-led interim government has had troubled relations with minority groups since it toppled longtime president Bashar al-Assad in December, pledged to protect the Druze, a religious minority.

"We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state," said Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement was once linked to Al-Qaeda.

More than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians were massacred in their heartland on the Mediterranean coast in March, with government-affiliated groups blamed for most of the killings.

Government forces also battled Druze fighters in Sweida and near Damascus in April and May, leaving more than 100 people dead.

Government troops had entered Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a truce, following days of deadly sectarian clashes.

But witnesses said that government forces instead joined the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians.

- US mediation -

The Syrian president also hit out at Israel's military intervention, saying that it would have pushed "matters to a large-scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate".

The United States -- a close ally of Israel that has been trying to reboot its relationship with Syria -- said late Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to restore calm in the area, urging "all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made".

A US State Department spokesperson said that Washington "did not support (the) recent Israeli strikes".

Foreign ministers from 11 countries in the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, affirmed their support for the Syrian government in a joint statement released by the United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry on Thursday.

They strongly condemned the Israeli attacks, describing them as a "blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on Syria's sovereignty", the statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the ceasefire was a result of his country's "powerful action".

Israel, which has its own Druze community, has presented itself as a defender of the group, although some analysts say that is a pretext for pursuing its own military goal of keeping Syrian government forces away from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Dozens of Druze gathered in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Thursday, hoping to catch a glimpse of relatives on the Syrian-held side who might try to cross the barbed-wire frontier.

Qamar Abu Saleh, a 36-year-old educator, said that some people "opened the fence and entered, and people from Syria also started crossing here".

"It was like a dream, and we still can't believe it happened."

burs-nad/rlp/tc/sco
MOSCOW, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Four people died and one was injured after a car plunged into the Pyana River in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Region, local authorities said.

According to a statement from the regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the incident occurred on Thursday evening.

The bodies of the deceased have been recovered from the water by a diving team of the emergencies ministry, said the statement. 
Salvini had risked six years in jail for 'kidnapping' migrants before acquittal in December.

The Palermo public prosecutor's office has filed an appeal to the supreme court of cassation against the acquittal of Italian deputy premier Matteo Salvini in the Open Arms case.

Salvini, leader of the right-wing Lega party, had been accused of "kidnapping" 147 migrants by preventing the Spanish Open Arms rescue ship from landing of the island of Lampedusa in 2019.

He had risked six years in jail on charges of abduction and refusal to perform official duties over his role, as then interior minister, of refusing to grant permission for the ship carrying the rescued migrants to dock, as part of his controversial closed-ports policy.

Following his acquittal, Salvini said that defending Italy and its borders "is not a crime", an expression he used again on Friday after the news broke that prosecutors were seeking to overturn December's ruling.

Salvini, 52, said he was confident the acquittal would be upheld, stressing that there "was no felony" and adding: "Evidently someone is not resigned to this - let's move on: I'm not worried."

Italy's right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday once again rushed to defend Salvini.

"Its surreal, this relentless pursuit, after a failed three-year trial  against a minister who wanted to enforce the law  concluded with a full acquittal" - Meloni wrote on X - "I wonder what Italians think of all this energy and resources spent in this way, while thousands of honest citizens await justice."

Background to the case

After Salvini refused to grant the ship permission to dock, the migrants were stuck on the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms for 19 days off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Last September, after prosecutors sought the six-year jail term, Salvini received the "total solidarity" of Meloni who stated: "Transforming the duty to protect the Italian borders from illegal immigration into a crime is a very serious precedent."

Salvini was also defended by his fellow deputy premier and leader of the centre-right Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, as well as from X owner Elon Musk who commented: "That mad prosecutor should be the one who goes to prison for 6 years."

Salvini insisted that preventing irregular migrants from disembarking in Italy was government policy at the time, claiming that the decision to block the Open Arms ship was reached collectively within the government.

Photo credit: Pierre Teyssot / Shutterstock.com.
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China has made significant strides in intellectual property (IP) protection during its 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), providing impetus for innovation and high-quality development, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said on Thursday. CNIPA head Shen Changyu, speaking at a press conference on reviewing China's IP progress, outlined the administration's comprehensive strategy to establish a world-class IP governance system, institutional framework, cultural environment and professional talent pool. "Our clear objective is to establish China as a global IP powerhouse by 2035." He emphasized four strategic focus areas: advancing the modernization of the IP governance system and its capabilities, supporting China's high-level self-reliance in science and technology, cultivating new quality productive forces and modern industrial systems, and promoting high-standard opening-up and market system development. Through a quality-oriented approach, the CNIPA has refined key performance metrics such as high-value invention patents per 10,000 people, the value-added of patent-intensive industries as a percentage of GDP, the total import and export volume of IP royalties, and IP examination quality and efficiency standards. "These indicators reflect a more scientific approach to measuring China's IP progress," Shen said, adding that the administration will actively engage stakeholders in shaping the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) to ensure practical, innovation-friendly policies that boost industries and benefit public welfare. As the 14th Five-Year Plan period nears its conclusion, China is clocking up a series of achievements in the transformation and industrialization of patents, IP in green and low-carbon technologies, geographical indication (GI) products and international IP cooperation. China has effectively promoted the transformation and industrialization of a large number of patents, with the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents up from 44.9 percent in 2020 to 53.3 percent in 2024. As of June 2025, China's number of valid domestic invention patents has reached 5.01 million, which is an increase of 13.2 percent year on year, according to Shen, while ownership of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people has reached 15.3. Additionally, the dominant position of enterprises in technological innovation continues to be enhanced in China, Shen said. There were 524,000 domestic enterprises that held valid invention patents in June 2025, by which time the total number of valid invention patents held by those enterprises had reached 3.7 million, accounting for 74.4 percent of the total number in China -- an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). China has seen increasingly vibrant innovation in green and low-carbon technologies, with 53,000 invention patents granted in the sector in 2024 alone, said Liang Xinxin, an official of the CNIPA. The 2024 figure, which doubled 2020's, reflects an average annual growth rate of 19.2 percent. The clean energy and energy storage sectors showed robust growth, with respective invention patent authorizations rising 34.9 percent and 32.8 percent year on year -- the highest increases among all green technology categories, Liang noted. China has cumulatively recognized 2,861 GI products, according to Shen. The annual output value of China's GI products increased from 639.8 billion yuan (about 89.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 to 969 billion yuan in 2024, he noted. A total of 7,424 GIs have been registered as collective or certification trademarks, and over 37,000 business entities have been authorized to use the special GI symbol. China has established IP cooperation partnerships with over 80 countries and regions. The China-EU agreement on GIs has come into force, realizing the mutual recognition and protection of the first group of listed products, Shen said, adding that China has successfully acceded to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. CNIPA Deputy Commissioner Hu Wenhui noted that the administration treats domestic and foreign enterprises equally in terms of IP protection. In the first half of the year, foreign applicants filed 94,000 trademark applications in China -- a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percent, with significant growth of over 20 percent in applications from Germany, Italy and the United States, Hu said. By the end of 2024, the CNIPA had provided a total of 2,393 guidance services and 6,885 advisory consultations to domestic enterprises engaging in global expansion, helping them reduce litigation costs by 1.32 billion yuan and recover economic losses amounting to 38.04 billion yuan, he said.


BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China believes that the United States should abandon zero-sum thinking and continue to remove a series of unreasonable economic and trade restriction measures against China, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

China has noted that the United States has recently taken the initiative to announce the approval of Nvidia's H20 chip sales to China, a spokesperson for the ministry said in response to a media inquiry.

Following the economic and trade talks in London, the two sides have maintained close communication, confirming the details of the framework established in London and advancing its implementation, said the spokesperson.

China has approved qualified export applications for controlled items in accordance with the law, and the United States accordingly lifted relevant restrictions on China in early July, as discussed in the talks, according to the spokesperson.

Win-win cooperation is the right path for China and the United States, while suppression and containment lead nowhere, the spokesperson said.

In May of this year, the United States issued export control guidelines targeting Huawei's Ascend chips, imposing stricter controls on Chinese chip products based on unwarranted allegations, thereby interfering with fair market competition through administrative power and severely undermining the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, according to the spokesperson. "China has solemnly stated its position and firmly opposes this."

China expects the United States to work with China in the same direction, engage in equal consultations, and correct its erroneous practices, to foster a favorable environment for mutually beneficial cooperation between enterprises of both countries, and jointly safeguard the stability of global semiconductor production and supply chains, the spokesperson said.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Thursday, noting that China's policy on attracting foreign investment will remain unchanged, and its door will only open wider.

Wang said China has a huge market scale, diverse application scenarios, and dynamic innovation and creativity, expressing the hope that multinational companies, including Nvidia, will provide high-quality and reliable products and services to Chinese customers.

Huang noted that the Chinese market is very attractive, and Nvidia is willing to deepen cooperation with Chinese partners in the field of artificial intelligence. 
Italian capital to use one iconic landmark to call for peace in Gaza.

Rome will turn off the lights at the Trevi Fountain for one hour on the night of Friday 18 July, from 22.00 to 23.00, to call for an end to Israel's war in Gaza.

The city said the symbolic gesture to call for an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip and reaffirm Rome's "commitment to peace and respect for human rights" stems from a motion unanimously approved by the city council last month.

"Rome will not remain silent" - the city said in a statement - "Faced with civilian victims, destruction, and violations of international law, the capital city chooses to make its voice heard."

While the lights are switched off on Friday night, the city will project a slogan in Italian and English calling for an end to the war in Gaza onto the facade of the iconic landmark.

The move comes the day after Italy's premier Giorgia Meloni condemned an Israeli strike that hit the only Catholic church in Gaza on Thursday, killing two people and injuring several others.

Earlier this year Rome adhered to a nationwide campaign to remember the civilian victims of Israel's war on Gaza by displaying a white sheet from the balcony of city hall.
Local Lotto

There was no winner of this weeks lotto jackpot of 4,900.

The numbers pulled were 1, 5, 9 and 20 and congratulations to Ray Coburn and Johnny Power who matched three numbers. Best of luck to all the players.

Community Text Alert

The Community Text Alert Service is still ongoing and open to any member of the public to join. Some messages that the group send out include notifications from the Gardai, Met Eireann and others which help to keep the community informed. If you want to join the text service, please contact Kill Action Group on 086 3772945.

Senior Alert Scheme

Kill Action Group is a registered provider for the Senior Alert Scheme which provides a personal monitored alarm for those aged 65 and over, living alone or with another person who meets the eligibility criteria and residing within the area. The equipment is free however there is a fee for monitoring the alarm. Either a landline, mobile phone or broadband connection is required to install and connect the alarm. To enquire or to avail of this scheme please contact Marie Whelan on 087 2871307.

Social Dancing

Last week, Cathal and Teddy Barry entertained everyone at social dancing in Kill Community Centre on Wednesday night. Next up are Checkers, on Wednesday, July 23, a firm favourite with all our dancers with the fun beginning at 9pm. Complementary tea, coffee and sweet treat so come and join in the fun. Last Sunday, Andy Feery entertained a great crowd and the dancefloor was full all afternoon. Next on the line-up is Michael Collins, on Sunday, July 27, who will no doubt entertain and draw a crowd. Sunday afternoons social dancing begins at 3 pm and finishes at 6 pm.

Guitar Lessons Beginners

Guitar lessons have recommenced in Kill Community Centre every Wednesday. These lessons begin at 6.30pm and a small number of places are available. To book call or text Michael Murphy on 087 9050190.
A Waterford woman says her shoplifting habit is due to a problem with Valium, Waterford District Court has heard.

Niamh Power (33) of Dominic's Place, Waterford, was charged with two counts of theft at a sitting before Judge Kevin Staunton.

Sergeant John Phelan told the court that the defendant entered Boots and took 38.90 worth of cosmetics, and in a separate incident was observed taking a ring valued at 12.99 from a box in TK Maxx.

She passed all points of payment but made no attempt to pay, the court was told.

The court was told the defendant had nine previous convictions, all for theft and theft-related offences.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty said his client is a single mother with a sick child.

To cope, she takes Valium, which has become an issue for her, and she cannot stop taking items.

I dont know what I can say to stop you from sending her to jail, Judge. I suspect nothing, said Mr Delahunty.

Judge Staunton said Ms Power had to stop stealing.

He pointed out that the items the defendant takes tend to be cosmetics or jewellery.

Therefore, he must impose a custodial sentence.

These items are not groceries or items needed to get by on a daily basis.

She is not in the same category as someone stealing a loaf of bread or something for the dinner, and she has been given a chance by the court [previously], said Judge Staunton.

The judge imposed two eight-month prison sentences to run concurrently.
Families settling in Waterford are facing eviction from an International Protection Accommodation Service centre in Tramore.

On Tuesday, July 15, Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Waterford branch came to Ocean View House to help advocate for the men, women and children facing displacement to Mayo.

The residents have received refugee status and have been integrating into the Deise. The sudden move would impact gravely on the families, especially the dozen children who are attending school locally.

Communications officer at CATU Waterford Killian Mangan said: "This will mean forcing residents to lose the jobs they've obtained and instead move onto social welfare. It will mean pulling 12 children out of their schools, causing severe emotional harm by sending them to a completely unfamiliar environment. It will mean us losing valuable members of our community in Tramore."

He continued: "There is absolutely no sense to this government decision - it will cause those in employment to become unemployed. It will punish those involved in the community for successfully integrating and it will cause major emotional harm to all involved.

"IPAS and the Government say that the relocation is to make room for new asylum seekers in Tramore, but in that case, why arent the newer asylum seekers sent to Mayo instead of uprooting families already integrated in Tramore?"

"At CATU, we will continue to fight every eviction into homelessness; each and every homeless person is a stain on this governments record, and is a completely avoidable situation in one of the richest countries in the entire world."

Earlier this year, there was another report of a woman with refugee status being told to leave an IPAS centre in Waterford City to go to Donegal, a place where she had no connections, supports or community. Similar to the issue in Tramore, the centre had told the woman that they had to 'make room' for new arrivals, despite her being integrated into the community.

CATU helped the woman resist the forced relocation.

Housing crisis

The residents at Ocean View have tried to find alternative accommodation in Waterford, but haven't been able to find secure a place due to the housing crisis.

One resident, named Philomene, has been living in Waterford for 6 years and has made a home here. She said: "I have integrated into the Tramore community, have references, and am registered to study in SETU. It has now been 6 years living in Tramore, working and integrating into the community, and my wish is to find a house here to live, not to be relocated away from everything I know."

She spoke about the stress of trying to find a home that is affordable and accessible for herself and her daughter: "Despite attending countless viewings, and sending many emails on Daft.ie, I have come up against closed doors everywhere and everytime. Sometimes, the rent is beyond what any family can afford and other times there are simply not enough homes available to rent.

"The emotional, psychological, and even physical toll this has taken on me and my child are overwhelming and this is affecting my mental and physical health. I am not alone in this struggle, this crisis is suffocating families, especially children who deserve stability, safety, hope and a home.

"It is heart breaking to feel so powerless watching my child face such uncertainty, terrified of leaving home in Tramore, losing her life in school where she has made many close friends."

"Like many of us being threatened with eviction, I have a health condition which makes relocation to Mayo a dangerous change with potentially serious effects. I am currently receiving specialist treatment for my hypertension and menorrhagia, asthma and iron deficiency anemia, with upcoming appointments at UWH - relocation will put all of this at risk.

According to CATU, there are plans for additional evictions on Monday, July 21 and Monday July 28.
PYONGYANG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday slammed Japan's 2025 defense white paper, calling it "a war scenario for realizing its ambition for reinvasion from A to Z," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.

It is the "common knowledge" that Japan has revised its National Security Strategy to include "preemptive attack capabilities," accelerating both the development of domestically produced long-range missiles and the procurement of foreign-made ones in recent years, the KCNA said, citing the policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies under DPRK's foreign ministry.

Japan raised its defense budget to a record high in 2025, ramping up its military capabilities to full scale, the report said, adding that as part of the effort, Tokyo is purchasing approximately 3.7 billion U.S. dollars worth of medium-range air-to-air missiles, long-range air-to-surface cruise missiles, and related equipment from Washington.

Japan is also considering deploying 400 U.S.-made Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles, which extend the range to more than 1,000 km, said the report.

Japan, which has long presented itself as a "peace state" under the principle of "exclusive defense," is now working to develop capabilities for offensive operations, including long-range strikes and cross-domain warfare, the KCNA said.

Japan's defense white paper is "a war scenario for realizing its ambition for reinvasion from A to Z and its moves for turning Japan into a military giant seriously threatening regional peace and security can never be tolerated," it said. 
Former TD Matt Shanahan has described a planned Sinn Fein protest as "political theatre" and "pure gaslighting."

The social advocate took to social media to criticise the party's Waterford TDs for hosting the protest demanding funding for the airport runway extension instead of tabling a private members' motion in the Dail.

Mr Shanahan said that tabling the motion and forcing a debate and vote in the Dail.

"Sinn Fein's call for a protest over Waterford Airport funding is political theatrepure gaslighting of the public.

"Since last November, theyve had the power to table a private members motion in the Dailforcing a two-hour national debate and vote on the Airport.

"They refused. That silence speaks volumes," said Mr Shanahan.

He went on to call the protest "not just hypocritical" but "one of the most brazen gaslighting stunts pulled on Waterford in decades."

He suggested the Government representatives in Waterford and the South East were "hamstrung" and criticised Sinn Fein for supporting Derry Airport and Casement Park while their executive "stay silent."

"For decades, this region has been politically sidelined. Thats not an opinionits a fact, etched into every corner of our city and county and most easily evidenced in the lack of economic infrastructure.

"And of course, people have a right to protest. But they also have the right to protest based on truth, not spin!

"This event shouldnt be about party politics, but it is - it is about creating a political narrative not based in fact but based on emboldening a political party locally - instead of the political delivery people attending are crying out for.

"We have a clear, honest and transparent political case to support the delivery of Waterford Airport funding - We should have political representation that aligns with that position and aspiration.

"It is not in wide evidence at present," said Mr Shanahan.

In response, Sinn Fein Comeragh councillor Catherine Burke left a comment saying the protest is not gaslighting but a "response to real public frustration."

"Protesting is legitimate, and calling for accountability shouldn't be dismissed as theatre when real investment continues to bypass Waterford," commented Cllr Burke.

FACT CHECK: Are Sinn Fein silent on Waterford Airport in the Dail?

According to Dail Eireann records, Sinn Fein TDs have raised the matter of Waterford Airport approximately 20 times, this year.

This includes raising the issue every month through the submission of Parliamentary Questions, contributions to Dail debates and topical issues.

Waterford TDs David Cullinane and Conor McGuinness were most likely to raise the matter, but the airport was also included in submissions made by Sinn Fein TD for Kerry Pa Daly.

While it is true that no private members motions have been submitted from the Sinn Fein camp, it is not correct to suggest that they do not use their position in the Dail to advocate for the airport.

However, it is correct to say that no submissions have been made from the Sinn Fein executive.
At the official opening of Ikea last week, eager local shoppers got their first glimpse of the new Waterford premises.

The official opening was attended by Mayor of Waterford Cllr. Seamus Ryan alongside Minister Mary Butler, Minister John Cummins, local councillors, and community members.

Waterford local Liam Byrne was the store's first ever customer, and received a special hamper to mark the occasion.

IKEA Waterford welcomed its first customer last week, Liam Byrne from the local area, who received a special gift to mark the occasion from IKEA Ireland Marketing Manager Deborah Anderson. Photo: David Clynch Photography

The new location is IKEA's largest store outside Dublin, and 15 new co-workers have been employed from the locality.

The store features a number of displays and has 100 products available for immediate purchase.

In officially launching the premises, Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan complimented the 15 new local staff members, saying, theyre the number one people here today in my eyes".

Mayor Ryan added that he believes that the store will prove popular amongst Waterford shoppers.

"There's great support locally for this store," he said, "and well do all we can to support this store and see can we get it to expand even."

IKEA Co-Workers celebrating the official opening of the Waterford store. Photo: David Clynch Photography

Ministers Mary Butler and John Cummins said the opening clearly showed that multinational companies are confident in investing in Waterford.

Minister Butler said: the fact that such a renowned and reputable multinational company such as IKEA has chosen our county to expand its Irish footprint is a huge vote of confidence in the economic robustness of Waterford City and the South East region.

Minister Cummins added: Its a clear vote of confidence in Waterford as a hub for growth and opportunity and this investment will deliver economic benefits, create jobs and enhance Waterfords profile as a destination for global brands."

Jayne Owen Gauld, Market Manager, IKEA Ireland said: Waterford is a truly vibrant city and we are excited to become a valuable and active member of the Waterford community."
Council executives have said they are satisfied that parking bylaws allow for new parking metres to ask for users to input their car registration numbers.

The new machines require users to input their car registration number before purchasing a ticket.

Cllr Eamon Quinlan asked Council Executives last week for clarity regarding the legality of asking users for their registration number.

I dont recall amending our parking and traffic bylaws. So Im wondering on what legal basis the council is doing this?.

In response, Waterford Council Director of Services, Gabriel Hynes said the council was "satisfied that the parking byelaws are adequate to cover the changes in relation to the requirement of providing car registration".

Mr. Hynes added that the new machines have been largely welcomed by locals.

We have new parking machines installed, they tie into our parking app which has been very welcomed by a lot of people parking."
An Enniscorthy man has been given a six-month prison sentence for an attack on a taxi driver in Waterford City.

Dean Kenny (31) of Millbrook, Ross Road, Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Waterford District Court before Judge Kevin Staunton.

Sergeant John Phelan told the court that on December 26, 2023, the injured party was driving his taxi along the quay toward the Rice Bridge when he was flagged down by the defendant.

He stopped, rolled down the window and spoke to the defendant, who said he wanted to go to New Ross.

The driver told him that the cost would be 45, but he would require a deposit.

The defendant attempted to tap his card, but it didnt work.

He asked the driver to please help, and the driver responded that he couldnt because he had no money.

The injured party picked up his phone in case he had to call someone, and the defendant grabbed him by the throat, pinning him to his seat.

Then the defendant ran off in the direction of Hanover Street.

The court was told that the defendant had 35 previous convictions, including for assault.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Ken Cunningham said his client had nothing but shame in relation to the incident.

The solicitor said that at the time, his client had issues with alcohol and drugs and did not remember the incident.

But he has apologised.

Mr Cunningham said that when his client was last in court, the judge gave him a chance, and as a result, he is due to start rehabilitation in the next two weeks.

He works, has two children, one a newborn, and he has the support of his mother.

Mr Cunningham said that while there was no victim impact statement, he would like the court to factor in that there was no loss from the incident.

However, Judge Staunton said he took the matter very seriously.

This was an attack on a man who was out working," said Judge Staunton.

The judge said he has great sympathy for his parents, but Mr Kenny has to take responsibility for his actions.

And while he was glad to hear Mr Kenny was to start rehab, said I have to view this as a serious assault on a taxi driver".

The judge imposed a six-month prison sentence, which Mr Cunningham said they intended to appeal.
The chief executive of a US tech company has been caught in a suspected affair with a colleague after the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert broadcast them embracing to a crowd of thousands.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show Andy Byron, who runs the New York-based company Astronomer, with his arms draped around the companys HR director, Kristin Cabot, during the bands concert in Boston, Massachusetts.

When footage of the pair was beamed around the arena, Byron quickly moved out of sight of the camera, while Cabot turned around and hid her face.

The crowd can be heard laughing as Chris Martin, the singer of Coldplay, says: Oh, look at these two ... Either theyre having an affair or theyre very shy.
What a man in his 50s and 60s looks like on the big screen is changing without the assistance of a soft focus lens.

Compare The Fantastic Fours suave Pedro Pascal, 50, with a 51-year-old Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, 61-year-old Brad Pitt in F1 with Paul Newman in The Colour of Money, aged 61, and Paul Rudd, 56, with 49-year-old Wilford Brimley in Cocoon.

An onslaught of social media memes are regularly making the comparisons and the verdict in numerous instances is that men in Hollywood today appear to be ageing backwards, Benjamin Button-style.

In movies and advertising campaigns, Sandra Bullock, Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry have redefined expectations of what mature women look like. Now performers including Lenny Kravitz, 61, and Rob Lowe, 61, are offering smooth-skinned and trim examples of what midlife, and later, can look like for men.
As shocked bystanders watched, they were shoved into the back of a stolen black SUV and warned to co-operate  or your family will be involved, Beckett said in her sentencing remarks. The owners of the car park and barber shop are not accused of any wrongdoing. Despite the victims protests that they had the wrong people, the couple were blindfolded and driven 200 kilometres north of Sydney to a remote shed near the coastal village of Swan Bay. Inside, they were told to hand over $500,000 for their release. [The couple are] plagued by physical injuries, anxiety and nightmares. Victim impact statement Two unknown men arrived, and one asked: Whose finger they would cut off and how much they would pay to avoid it?

Both victims offered themselves to spare the other. The man was struck three times and his middle finger was partially severed. When his partner cried out, she was hit and told there were many bodies buried here. The couples eyes, mouths and noses were taped and the unknown men left. After the assault, Ilimotama and Baka bandaged the mans wound using a cable tie, then drove the couple to a house where they were tied to chairs. Ransom demands ranged from $500,000 to $5 million, and phone calls were heard with the big man who wanted half of their payment in cryptocurrency. The hostages were forced to remain there overnight, but this was not the plan. Ilimotama and Baka expressed frustration that theyd been effectively left to babysit and feared theyd get in trouble if they left.

They threatened to pour fuel over their parents if they tried to call the police. The woman was forced to hand over her fathers phone number, and he later received the message we have scouts everywhere, watching every move. The kidnappers warned that others were coming who would not be so nice. Then Ilimotama and Baka left the blindfolded couple. Taking their chance to escape, the pair managed to untie themselves and flee into rugged bushland. After an hour of walking, they found a rehabilitation centre, where staff called police, and they were taken to hospital. The next day, the womans father received threatening messages about things getting 10x worse and a warning that whilst they had not hurt the girl, they would start breaking moral codes and that police were not to be contacted.

Otherwise attacks would commence at all angles  [the victim] has f---ed with Australias biggest and baddest crew, Beckett read from one message. Days later, Baka threw a petrol bomb at the south-west Sydney home of one of the victims parents. As it landed near the front door, neighbours rushed to help extinguish the flames. The next day, a note in the mailbox demanded: 1 mil sent to the bill account provided. The kidnappers detained the couple for 36 hours. Credit: NSW Police Police found Bakas fingerprints on the letterbox note. At the kidnapping site, they discovered the burnt-out remnants of the stolen SUV, both offenders DNA and fingerprints and other evidence corroborating the victims account. The brothers were arrested in April 2023.

Victim impact statements outlined how the couples lives were changed forever and how they remained plagued by physical injuries, anxiety and nightmares. The parents described how they thought they and their children would die. Beckett said the victims faced an extreme level of terror and would have been held for longer than 36 hours if they hadnt escaped. While parts of the plan showed some degree of forethought and professionalism, others seemed clumsy, including the apparent lack of back-up. The judge said the motive was clearly ransom, but it is not known what, if any, involvement the victims or their family had with the criminal element, or if indeed it was simply a case of mistaken identity. While neither Ilimotama nor Baka were the apparent ringleaders, they were essential and significantly involved. The judge found the brothers were not the leaders of the criminal enterprise but were essential. Credit: NSW Police

The acts  included a violent apprehension of the victims as they went about in their community, restraining them, transporting them, blindfolding them and thereafter guiding them, taping them, shackling them and demanding funds from them and being present whilst others assaulted them, she said, noting neither offender committed the physical assaults but witnessed them. The victims were taken and held at a remote and isolated and unfamiliar location, making it difficult for them to seek help ... Their escape required them to navigate heavy bushland before finding help, which must have been a very frightening experience indeed. Loading Ilimotama was convicted of two counts of kidnapping in company with intent to ransom and occasion actual bodily harm, one count of being carried in a conveyance taken without the owners consent, and one count of participating in a criminal group. He was sentenced to seven years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of five years. Baka was convicted of the same offences, plus damaging property by fire. He was sentenced to six years and eight months prison, with a non-parole period of four years.
Richmond beware  West Coast players will have Harley Reids back if the Tigers attempt to go after the young Eagles star in Saturday nights cellar-dweller clash at Optus Stadium.

Reid produced his best display of the season in last weeks 26-point loss to Port Adelaide, tallying a team-high 27 disposals and six clearances to go with a goal.

Harley Reid of the Eagles kicks past Darcy Byrne-Jones of the Power during the round 18 AFL match. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images

But the performance didnt come without controversy, with Reid fined $6250 for a kick-trip on Travis Boak that Essendon legend James Hird said deserved to be a three or four-week suspension.

Reids heated battle with Port star Jason Horne-Francis was also a big talking point.

The young Eagle reportedly sledged the Port star with words to the effect of go back to mummy, you left after one year, in reference to Horne-Francis lasting just one season at North Melbourne before seeking a trade back to his home state of South Australia.

It came a week after Reid was physically targeted by GWS players during his heated battle with star Giants midfielder Tom Green.

Young Eagles midfielder Clay Hall said he and his teammates would have Reids back in Saturdays clash with Richmond.

Thats something Id love to do for someone who is a fellow draftee of mine, Hall said.

Were the same age, and to watch how much he cops it on the field and then off the field as well in terms of media, its a little bit unfair at times.

So well support him as much as we can. Hes one of my best mates around the club.

Reid has given away a whopping 52 free kicks across 17 games this season, and he has now been fined 13 times so far in his 37-game career, as well as copping a two-week ban for a dangerous tackle last year.

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter is doing his best to encourage Reid to maintain his intense competitiveness while playing within the rules.

AAP
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Donald Trumps name wasnt mentioned by Anthony Albanese or Xi Jinping during the prime ministers tour of China this week. Not that they needed to. The noise emanating from Washington is echoing in capitals everywhere. Few countries are in a position to benefit as decisively from the shifting global order as China, where the president is duchessing world leaders while Donald Trump creates friction with even the United States close allies including Australia and Japan. Albaneses visit, which concluded on Friday, was the culmination of Labors stabilisation policy on China that came after a period of frostiness under the Morrison government. A renewed tone of cautious friendliness was bolted back on to the relationship with Australias biggest trading partner. Analysts say Albaneses posture towards China and his recent emphasis on independence within the US alliance mark a new phase of Australian diplomacy. Call it stabilisation plus. Anthony Albanese walked a fine line in Beijing. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer The Australian delegation moved from east to west over six days. Albanese spruiked the emerging green steel sector that could aid Australias key iron ore exports in years to come. In Beijing, a rare lunch banquet with Xi followed more formal bilateral talks with the authoritarian leader shaping China in his image. On the same evening, dinner with Premier Li Qiang. Later in the week, symbolic images of the prime minister on the Great Wall and admiring pandas in western China. In both cases Albanese was retracing the steps of Labor icons Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke, who forged unique bonds with Chinese leaders in their time. Xi has signalled he senses huge opportunity in Trumps treatment of world leaders and has been inviting them to Beijing. But he doesnt invite many of them to lunch, notes Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor.

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Albaneses camp believes the week exceeded expectations. Day one was somewhat overshadowed by the prospect of the Pentagon using the AUKUS submarine pact to tie Australia into any potential conflict over Taiwan. And back home the federal opposition criticised a lack of major tangible deals or assurances from China not to repeat the provocative live-fire drills its navy ships conducted off the coast of Australia in February. But a series of memorandums of understanding on trade and tourism, plus the unexpectedly warm welcome at the Great Hall  where Albanese was treated to roast duck and Chinese covers of his pub rock favourites from Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly  left the prime minister upbeat. On a drive from Chengdu airport on Wednesday (on a 38-degree afternoon that the weather service said felt closer to 48 in the humidity), Albanese was in awe of the nightlife-loving western Chinese city described by some expats as Chinas answer to Melbourne. Albanese was impressed by more than pandas in Chengdu, a city dubbed Chinas answer to Melbourne. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer China sees itself as confident, Albanese said in Chengdu on Thursday. It struck me that there was more innovative architecture than any city I have been to around the world. New, dynamic, creative. An Australian official involved in planning the trip, who did not want to be identified, said the Chinese governments friendlier tone towards Australia was invaluable for businesses who had found it harder to gain a foothold in China recently. The thaw in relations has allowed trade to resume in areas such as beef and barley, which were hit by Chinese trade strikes under the previous Coalition government, but Labor hopes two-way trade can bounce back further. The upside is huge and the signal thats been sent to the Chinese system, which flows on to consumers and business, is tangible, the official said.

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As an example, Australias world-class med-tech firms, such as Cochlear and ReMed, have identified areas for vast growth by tapping into the Chinese middle class as it becomes more health-conscious. Both have operations in Chengdu, which has the largest general hospital in the world. For Cochlear, the hearing device company, an estimated 10 million customers are up for grabs. Approximately 170 million Chinese suffer from sleep apnoea, which ResMed helps treat. But growth is not what is once was in China. Eight per cent yearly GDP surges have given way to growth of less than 5 per cent, according to estimates compiled by Reuters. With a population the size of Chinas, that still means millions each year gaining new tastes for overseas exports, albeit from average incomes still lower than the West. Australian journalists travelling in China to follow Albanese were approached and stopped by local security at a tourist attraction in Beijing. Albaneses visit shone a spotlight on the duality of China, however. Walking through the countrys neon-lit and EV-filled cities, systems of restriction and surveillance were pervasive. CCTV cameras abounded: one man in Beijing could be seen using a remote-controlled camera that wheeled around like a toy pet. Watchful security officials, both in uniform and plain-clothed, were ever-present. Reporters travelling with Albanese were patted down upon entry into most buildings, including hotels. McGregor, the Lowy Institute China expert, said if Albanese gave the appearance that he was favouring Beijing over Washington (he is yet to visit to meet Trump in either mans current term) he would leave the government open to criticism. The question of how to strike a balance between Washington and Beijing dominated reporters queries to Albanese during his visit.

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Former home affairs secretary and China hawk Mike Pezzullo said Albanese was trying to rekindle the glory days of the bilateral relationship with China when Australian leaders would stroll along the Bund in Shanghai and marvel at the skyline while dreaming of endless prosperity. On the other [hand], back at home we saw the start of the largest peacetime military exercise with the United States [the Talisman Sabre war game], which is aimed at honing our approach to fighting a war against China. Pezzullo, who was sacked from his role at Home Affairs in 2023 for breaching the code of conduct after this masthead reported text messages in which he lobbied for a conservative to be his minister, said there was a deep tension at the heart of Australias relationship with China. This contradiction at the heart of Australian policy can only be sustained for so long as great power competition does not escalate to conflict, Pezzullo, who remains influential in national security circles, said. Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser sustained criticism for visiting the Great Wall in 1976. Credit: AP Wirephoto We have therefore made ourselves hostage to either the great power peace being maintained, or a great power war dragging us into an abyss for which we will be unprepared. Albanese is not the first Australian leader to be accused of being entranced on a trip to China. Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser was called out by some conservatives when he visited the Great Wall in the 1976 while Whitlam was attacked for front-running the US on calling for recognition of Chairman Maos Peoples Republic.

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Sales revenue under trade-in programs in China has surpassed 2.9 trillion yuan (about 405.6 billion U.S. dollars) as of the end of June, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told a press conference on Friday. 
About 40 Australian army tanks have arrived in Ukraine to help defend the country against Vladimir Putins invading Russian forces, ending a frustrating nine-month wait for the shipment to arrive.

The Albanese government announced it would provide Ukraine with 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks last October, but their delivery was held up by bureaucratic delays in the United States Congress, which needed to approve the transfer.

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tank is lifted onto a ship in Australia, bound for Ukraine. Credit: Tristan Kennedy

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraines ongoing fight against Russias illegal and immoral invasion.

I was pleased to meet the Australian Army personnel who helped facilitate the delivery of these tanks from Australia to Ukraine, Marles said.
Qantas says to me and to millions of other Qantas frequent flyers that its focus is on doing all we can to support you in relation to the hacking of 6 million customers personal information. The best and most secure thing Qantas could do for its customers is to end its outsourcing of all of its contact centres, and return all Qantas call centres in-house, and based in Australia, along with all Qantas data centres. If Qantas did that, there would be the added bonus of a massive improvement in Qantas frequent flyers customer satisfaction. Even the Qantas tin ear must be aware of the massive dissatisfaction with its call centres.

Merv Keehn, Melbourne, Vic Low rent Yet more letters about the business practices of Europcar. It seems some writers do not heed warning letters. If my memory serves me correctly, other travellers have been complaining about them in this column for years. I scratched Europcar off my list back then.

John Swanton, Coogee, NSW Good guess In a previous letter (Traveller Letters, June 21), I complained about being ripped off by Europcar at Heathrow Airport via an involuntary upgrade. After trying several avenues to gain redress, we looked up the chief executives name and wrote to him, having guessed at his email address from the standard company format. Lo and behold, we received a refund of the excess charges. It still didnt make up for having to use a car that was uncomfortable and unsuitable for the driving conditions, though.

Erica Smith, Newington, Vic

Going private Richard Dowlings experience of a ticket price increase straight after trying the same booking again (Traveller Letters, July 5) sounds familiar. He might try using an incognito (private browsing) tab to eliminate prior cookies set by the website he was using. Some booking sites play with us by remembering previous attempts, only to increase fares.

Jens Korff, Greenwich, NSW Details fail Your correspondent Richard Dowling is not alone in having his fares bumped up by Qantas. Several times I have entered all of my details when booking online, only to receive a sorry, cannot complete the booking notice at the end of the process. Invariably, the booking works the second time around but for more dollars or more points. Other friends have had a similar experience.

Hugh Barrett, Sanctuary Point, NSW Do a Kakadu

Your intriguing story about Tasmanias Kakadu (Traveller, July 3) omitted one key point. Unlike the Northern Territorys Kakadu, Tasmanias Moulting Lagoon is a duck-shooting site. Every autumn, shotguns shatter the peace as well as the birdlife. The din also disturbs feeding patterns of migratory birds trying to fuel up for long flights across the globe. Victoria too has Kakadu potential, with key wetlands internationally recognised for abundant birdlife, and important for Indigenous heritage. Sadly, the Victorian government, like the Tasmanian government, is wedded to duck shooting rather than conservation and wetland tourism.

Joan Reilly, Surrey Hills, Vic Snail mail For a moment, I thought Stuart Ewings snail stencil on his suitcase (Traveller Letters, July 5) was intended to reflect how long it often takes these days for luggage to reach the carousel at many airports, especially Sydney International. I also noticed, from the photo with the letter, that, despite his design, he prefers a soft shell case.

Ross Duncan, Potts Point, NSW Shute happens I have painted the first letter of my surname in letters 50 centimetres high in white paint on my suitcases. It looks terrible, but I can identify them within seconds of them coming out of the shute.

Keith Masnick, Woollahra, NSW

Running ribbons Look twice. On a trip to Hobart several years ago I tied a bright tartan ribbon to my plain black suitcase making it easily identified. Sure enough, I spotted it on the carousel straight away. Once retrieved I smugly headed out of the terminal with my bag, only to be chased by a hysterical fellow traveller claiming I had taken her bag. As it turned out, she was right. Wed both tied the same tartan ribbon to our black suitcase. My case was still riding the carousel. All was forgiven, and we proceeded on our merry way. I now tie two different coloured ribbons to my luggage.

Rosemary Featherston, Torquay, Vic Low rent Its all very well to stay in a location for an extended time (Traveller Letters, July 5) but most travellers are on limited time with limited budgets and need to get the most bang for their bucks. I would have loved to have spent more time in Venice or Paris but had to make the most of my limited time.

Michael Deeth Como West, NSW Tip of the week: Monkey business

The long-nosed proboscis monkey. Credit: iStock Our tour of Sarawak, along with Sabah, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, began with a visit to Bako National Park and Semenggoh Wildlife Rehab centre, where we saw proboscis monkeys and orangutans. Elsewhere in Sarawak, we stayed at a traditional Iban longhouse where the villagers were welcoming and authentic. Among other highlights were the UNESCO heritage caves of Mulu and Niah, where we walked five hours exploring the vast system. We also visited Deer and Lang caves, via plankwalks and concrete paths, with the immense Deer cave abundant in flora and fauna and Lang featuring unique stalactite and stalagmite formations. At Mulu, we stayed at the Marriott Resort & Spa, a rainforest sanctuary. A remarkable experience.

Vincent Chong, Beecroft, NSW Train in Spain We recently spent a wonderful six days and five nights on the Costa Verde Express across northern Spain from Santiago de Compostela to Bilbao. On a previous trip we also enjoyed one of Renfes state-run train journeys in southern Spain on the Al Andalus from Granada to Seville. These luxurious trains have great daily excursions with fantastic food taken either on train or at local restaurants, some Michelin starred, with all drinks included at meals. The trains are stationary at night, allowing a great nights sleep. With only 48 passengers and a range of nationalities and ages, the rail journeys are more individualised than, say, a river cruise. Its definitely recommended and with the journey fare comes free travel on Renfe trains within Spain.

Denise Pollock, Sapphire Beach NSW Heaven sent

Swiss rail centres, including Zurich, enable you to send your luggage to your destination, including direct to your accommodation. This proved a wonderful service when landing from Sydney, when my luggage was safely transferred to Grindelwald for me.

Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW Feeling had by Etihad I was travelling late last month on a confirmed Etihad Airways business class return fare from Australia to Israel. When conflict escalated in the region, Etihad abruptly cancelled my return flight. What followed was not just poor customer service, but what felt like a deliberate failure of care and an attempt to maximise profit in a crisis. Etihad provided no support, no rebooking options, and no contactable service. I was forced to co-ordinate my own evacuation from Tel Aviv, travelling via Amman to London, the only viable route at the time. Despite this being an emergency, and Etihad not operating flights from Jordan, I was charged an additional $4000 to return home, on top of the $11,500 I had already paid. When I later queried the charge, I was told via chat that I could have changed my ticket for free had I travelled via Egypt or Turkey. That option was never offered, and was physically impossible under the circumstances. This was all compounded by the complete breakdown of Etihads support systems  hours on hold, robotic live chat replies, glitches on their website and app, and a complaints form that couldnt be submitted until after the journey ended. Have any other readers had a similar experience?

Neil Pharaoh, Kyneton, Vic Enough rope
Brussels: European leaders are preparing to escalate their trade stoush with US President Donald Trump by targeting American products from bourbon to Boeings if he does not compromise on his latest shock tariffs.

The European Union has a hit list of US exports worth more than $120 billion a year and is negotiating the massive retaliation after Trump stunned the bloc with a 30 per cent tariff on its products.

Bourbon barrels in an ageing warehouse at the James B. Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. Credit: Bloomberg

The trade war contrasts with a peace deal last month on defence, when Trump acclaimed a move by all major NATO members to increase their military spending.

The economic rift is growing wider after Trump chose to scale up his tariffs beyond the 10 per cent rate already being applied, announcing the move last weekend when the EU thought it had a deal on trade in sight.
UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday condemned Israeli military strikes on Syria and demanded an immediate end to them.

At a time when the situation in southern Syria is turbulent, Israel has recently launched multiple airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa and Damascus. China unequivocally condemns the Israeli actions, which gravely violate international law, infringe on Syria's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and bring new complications to Syria's peace, stability, and political transition, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We call on Israel to immediately cease its military strikes on Syria and withdraw from Syrian territory as soon as possible," he told an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

The international community recognizes the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. The sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria should be respected. The relevant Security Council resolutions should be implemented. And the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria should be observed, he said.

Ethnic tensions and the ensuing violence in Sweida, once again, show that the current situation in Syria remains complex and fragile. Achieving peace and stability still faces daunting challenges, said Geng.

It is imperative to stabilize the security situation and restore social order as soon as possible. China has noted reports that the Syrian interim authorities have reached a ceasefire with the parties concerned. China calls on all parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement, remain calm and exercise restraint, cease hostilities, and promote an early de-escalation of the situation, he said.

The Syrian interim authorities should continue to promote the political process with broad participation from all walks of life, address the concerns of all parties through inclusive dialogue, and effectively promote internal unity and reconciliation, said Geng.

Counterterrorism is an important aspect of restoring peace and stability in Syria. The Syrian interim authorities should fulfill their counterterrorism obligations and take effective measures to combat all terrorist groups listed by the Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, he added.

At present, hot-spot issues in the Middle East are emerging one after another, with new and old antagonisms intertwined and overlapping. The situation is complex and volatile. The state of affairs is neither in the interests of any country in the Middle East, nor the international community, said Geng.

The Security Council, as the body with the primary responsibility for international peace and security, should resolutely fulfill its responsibilities under the UN Charter and use all the tools in its toolbox to try to bring the conflicts to an early end, restore peace and stability in those areas, and achieve lasting peace and stability in the entire Middle East, he said.

China is ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in this regard, he added. 
In a significant move to implement the WCO Action Plan on Fragile Borders, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has inaugurated the first-ever WCO Master Trainer Programme (MTP) on Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) in West Africa. The first Working Group activity (WG1) of the MTP took place in Abuja from 2 to 6 June 2025 with the support of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), gathering Working Group (WG) members (participants) from five West Africa WCO Members, namely Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, who had participated in the GEOINT Programme in 2024 organized jointly by the West Africa Security Project financed by Germany and the WCO/JICA Joint Project.

The fundamental aim of the MTP is to support participating regions in developing a sustainable and autonomous training capacity. To this end, the MTP trains the same participants through a series of progressive activities and develops training materials tailored to meet regional needs.

WG members in this pioneering GEOINT MTP are expected to master the use of QGIS, the software for developing GEOINT, develop use cases tailored to the needs of Customs operations, explain the benefits of GEOINT, and propose its application in various Customs operations. Additionally, they will develop training materials such as manuals on QGIS in the context of Customs to train relevant officers in their region.

WG1 was officially opened by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi. In his opening remarks, the Comptroller-General emphasized the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance trade security and combat transnational crimes such as smuggling and trafficking. He stated, "What we are witnessing today is the fruition of nearly a decade of sustained collaboration, innovation, and capacity building. I wish to commend both the WCO and JICA for providing us with the opportunity to emerge as one of the leading Customs administrations in fostering GEOINT capacity within our region." He added, "This recognition comes with both pride and responsibility, as we continue to serve as a model for other Customs administrations seeking to enhance their border management capabilities."

The Chief Representative of the JICA Nigeria Office, Mr. Susumu Yuzurio, reaffirmed Japans commitment to cooperating with the region to build resilient and modern border control systems through geospatial intelligence.

Throughout the week, fifteen Customs officials nominated by five Customs administrations worked intensively with experts from the WCO and JICA on the technical know-how to use geospatial technologies for mapping, analyzing, and monitoring border activities. They also began developing locally tailored training materials.

At the end of WG1, WG members developed a collective work plan to achieve the objectives of the MTP. They expressed deep appreciation to the WCO and JICA for this new opportunity, as well as to the participating experts for their unwavering dedication and for sharing their valuable knowledge and expertise.

The WCO and JICA welcomed the strong ownership and commitment demonstrated by the WG Members from the outset and reaffirmed their cooperation in support of the ongoing efforts of Customs administrations in Africa to ensure sustainable capacity development.
TOKYO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A brown bear was killed in the early hours of Friday in the Hokkaido town of Fukushima, northern Japan, where a man was killed in a bear attack last week, local media reported.

Police said they received a report from a resident in Fukushima Town, saying a bear was sighted in the town's Tsukisaki area at around 2 a.m. local time, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Police officers and hunters rushed to the scene and spotted a brown bear about 1.5 meters tall. The hunters reportedly shot the animal dead at around 3:30 a.m. local time.

In Fukushima Town, a 52-year-old newspaper delivery man was attacked and killed by a brown bear in the early hours of July 12. The place where he was found dead was about 800 meters away from the spot of the latest sighting.

Police are investigating whether the bear that was killed is the same one that attacked the victim, the report said.

Local authorities declared a month-long brown bear emergency for the town following the fatal attack, making it the first time that the highest-level of alert has been sent out in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, with police, fire fighters and hunters running patrols 24 hours a day. 
SYDNEY, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Authorities have found the wreckage of a plane that went missing in eastern Australia, describing the crash as unsurvivable.

An emergency search was launched on Tuesday when the light aircraft, which was being piloted by 74-year-old sole occupant David Stephens, failed to reach its intended destination at a regional airport south of Sydney in the state of New South Wales (NSW).

NSW Police confirmed on Friday that the wreckage of the plane, a single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair 35-C33, was found by a rescue helicopter around 4 p.m. on Thursday in the state's Snowy Mountains region.

Superintendent Andrew Spliet told reporters that the plane had been completely destroyed in the crash and that it was "fairly clear it wouldn't be survivable." 
SHREVEPORT, La.  Its been 40 years since one of Shreveports most haunting crimes shocked the Cedar Grove community  and the pain still lingers for the families left behind.

On July 19, 1985, four people were brutally murdered inside a home on Dalzell Street. The victims: 34-year-old Vivian Chaney; her brother, 25-year-old Jerry Culbert; Chaneys common-law husband, Billy Joe Harris; and her daughter, 15-year-old Carlette Culbert. All were found bound, strangled and stabbed.

Shirley Johnson, Chaneys sister, discovered the bodies when she arrived from California for a surprise visit.

"When I arrived at my sisters house, the killings had just stopped," Johnson recalled. "They were still warm."

Her two nieces were found alive at the scene. But decades later, Johnson and her brother Albert Culbert say the trauma  and the lack of closure  remain.

"There is no justice," Albert Culbert said. "After 40 years, its been extremely too long."

The man authorities say is responsible: Nathaniel Code, dubbed the "Cedar Grove Killer." He was eventually convicted for eight murders across three separate attacks between 1984 and 1987, including the Cedar Grove killings, the slaying of his grandfather and two children in 1987, and the murder of Debra Ford in 1984.

Former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Scott Crichton, who was then an assistant district attorney, led the prosecution.

The level of depravity, the level of evilness of this killer was just unthinkable, he said.

What was supposed to be a six-week trial in 1990 took just 23 days. A jury of five men and seven women deliberated for only one hour before convicting Code of first-degree murder and sentencing him to death.

But 35 years after his conviction, Code remains on death row at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. No execution date has been set.

"We did not put Nathaniel Code where he is. He put himself there," said Albert Culbert. "He has to pay his debt. Thats what the jury said."

The families say they still dont know why their loved ones were targeted  and theyre frustrated by decades of legal delays.

That may soon change. A new law signed by Gov. Jeff Landry will limit the time prisoners have to file post-conviction relief applications. Starting Aug. 1, inmates  including Code will have two years to complete such challenges.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has voiced renewed efforts to resume executions across the state.

"Justice has been delayed for these victims and their families for far too long," she said. "My office remains committed to ensuring justice is carried out."

The Culbert family plans to mark the 40th anniversary with a private ceremony at the cemetery where their brother and sister are buried.

It relives the moment. It relieves the tragedy, said Johnson. But we hope we can finally close this chapterand start to heal.

KTBS 3 News reached out to the Louisiana Department of Corrections to request an interview or statement from Nathaniel Code. That request was denied.

Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart's office declined to comment on the case, saying Code has not exhausted his legal options and they cannot comment on pending litigation.
NEW YORK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a landmark bill on stablecoins after the Senate nodded the bill in June.

With the name of Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, or the GENIUS Act, the bill lays out standards for stablecoins, a kind of digital currency pegged to the U.S. dollar or other fiat currencies.

The bill was passed 308 to 122 in the House with bipartisan support.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law soon and it will become the first federal regulation on stablecoins in the United States.

Trump has been a supporter of the bill and urged Republican lawmakers to vote for it.

On Thursday, the House also passed the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, setting up rules for crypto exchanges, brokers and issuers; and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which bans central-bank digital currencies. The two bills need to be passed in the Senate, which means uncertainties in their fate. 
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Commissioners Interview Andy Taylor Of Ainsworth

The Kimball County Commissioners were presented with an important decision at their July 14 meeting, as they interviewed a candidate for the long-vacant county attorney position. The seat has remained unfilled since the retirement of longtime County Attorney David Wilson last year.

Attorney Andy Taylor appeared before the board as an applicant for the role, bringing with him over 26 years of experience in criminal prosecution. Taylor began his legal career in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1999, and he was recognized there with an award from Bright Horizons for his outstanding work with victims of domestic violence.

Before entering the legal field, Taylor served in the Army National Guard as a Green Beret in the Special Forces, adding a distinguished military background to his professional resume.

During the meeting, Taylor told the commissioners that he had reviewed Kimball Countys legal caseload over the past five years and felt confident in his ability to manage the workload, noting that he has handled significantly higher volumes in the past. He emphasized his commitment to ethical prosecution and stated that, if selected, he would prioritize violent crimes and drug-related offenses.

Taylor also cited his newness to the area as a strength, pointing out that it would reduce the potential for conflicts of interest. Currently serving as the county attorney in Brown County, based in Ainsworth, Nebraska, Taylor said that if offered the Kimball County position, he would be willing to work extended 10- to 12-hour days in Kimball during a transitional period, while continuing part-time in Ainsworth to ensure a smooth handoff there.

Road And Infrastructure Updates

Kimball County Highway Superintendent Ben Sauter reported to the board that a traffic audit is currently underway on sections of County Roads 14, 10 and 12. The outcome of the audit may lead to these roads being reclassified as minimum maintenance due to their low traffic volumes.

Sauter also noted that the county road department is exploring a potential equipment trade with neighboring counties. The proposed exchange would involve trading unused road machinery for a mini excavator and a skid steer  equipment praised for their lighter weight, maneuverability, and the cost efficiency of being towable with a standard pickup truck.

Library Report Highlights Summer Success and Upcoming Needs

Library Programs Director Amber Sweetbee also addressed the commissioners, sharing both successes and challenges faced by the Kimball Public Library. She informed the board that Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) will be discontinuing its outreach GED program in Kimball due to loss of funding, a loss for local adult education.

On a more positive note, Sweetbee reported strong participation in the librarys summer reading program and their creative Pokemon Go summer game, which incorporated elements of geocaching and QR code scavenger hunts. Participants earned prizes shaped like Poke Balls, contributing to the programs popularity.

Amber also noted that the library is currently in need of a few basic items to support ongoing programming and events, including the donation of a power drill and a tent.

KCTS Vehicle Repair Brings Relief

In a lighter update, the Kimball County Transit Service (KCTS) shared good news regarding a long-discussed vehicle issue. The 2012 Chevy Equinox, which had been plagued with a dashboard full of check engine lights and had raised numerous concerns, has returned from the local Chevy dealership with a clean bill of health. The primary issue turned out to be a single faulty oxygen sensor, which was replaced at a cost of just $200. The remaining warning lights had simply not been cleared following previous repairs. With the sensor replaced and the codes reset, the vehicle is now fully operational  much to the relief of the commissioners and KCTS staff alike.
Alison O'Riordan

A man was suffering from a delusional disorder when he is alleged to have falsely imprisoned a former work colleague in his car - where the door handles had been sealed with tape, thrown hot chilli in her eyes, and tried to murder her after becoming convinced she had deliberately given him an STI, a psychiatrist told his trial on Thursday.

It was during the opening of the Central Criminal Court trial of attempted murder accused Jineesh John on Thursday that Brendan Grehan SC, prosecuting, said the consultant psychiatrists for both the State and defence are in agreement "of the core facts" that the defendant was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offence.

Jineesh John (43), with an address at The Crescent Building, Park West, Dublin 12 has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a woman at a location in West Dublin on May 21st, 2023.

Mr John also pleaded not guilty to making a threat to kill or cause the woman serious harm without lawful excuse, intending her to believe that the said threat would be carried out on the same occasion.

He further pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the woman by intentionally or recklessly detaining her without her consent at the same time.

In addition, the defendant pleaded not guilty to producing in a manner likely unlawfully to intimidate another person, an article capable of inflicting serious injury, to wit a hammer on the same date, while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence of false imprisonment of the woman.

Fiona Murphy SC, defending, told the jury that the defence of not guilty by reason of insanity under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 was being sought by the panel.

Opening the prosecution's case today, Mr Grehan told the 12 jurors that the issue of insanity had been raised by the defence and the four charges related to a single incident which happened over a 30 minute period between 8:50pm and 9:30pm at an Industrial Estate on May 21st, 2023.

Counsel told the jury that the woman in the case came to the public office at a garda station on the morning of May 22nd seeking to speak to officers.

He said Detective Garda Tom Balfe interviewed the victim, where she set out how she was falsely imprisoned in the accused's car, that he had threatened to kill her and she believed she was going to be killed by him.

Mr Grehan said the jury would hear that Mr John and the woman had previously worked together in a health care setting but despite this they were not particularly known to each other. He said they had moved onto different jobs but contact had been re-established.

Under the guise that the accused was giving presents to her and was helping her fill out a medical assistance form, Mr Grehan said the woman had agreed to meet Mr John and go with him in his car.

Outlining the facts of the case, the lawyer said when the pair got to an industrial estate the accused told her to close her eyes as he had a present for her.

He said the woman complied with that request but when she opened her eyes the accused threw hot chilli powder or flakes into her face attempting to blind her in the eyes.

The woman went to get out of the car but discovered the door handle and the switch activating the window had been duct taped over so it was not usable.

Mr Grehan told the jury that the accused had threatened to kill the woman and said he was going to kill her. Mr John then threatened her with a hammer he had in the car whilst she pleaded with him not to kill her, he added.

The court heard further evidence will be that the only way the accused agreed to let the woman go was if she was prepared to say on a mobile phone video-recording that she had given him a sexually transmitted disease in 2021.

Counsel said the woman had no contact "in any way, shape or form" with Mr John but that the accused had developed "a preoccupation", which she was unaware of. He said the accused made a number of short videos in the car that day, which the jury would see.

The barrister further stated that the woman was prepared to say anything to be let go and Mr John dropped her back to her home. The woman and her husband later went to the garda station where she handed over her clothing and an investigation ensued.

The prosecution barrister went on to tell the court that the woman's clothing was examined and there was a pepper like substance still adhering to parts of them.

He said the jury would hear from two consultant psychiatrists on behalf of the defence and the prosecution, who will say the accused was suffering from a mental disorder namely a delusional disorder at the time, which qualifies him for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Detective evidence

Giving evidence on Thursday, Detective Garda Thomas Balfe told Mr Grehan that the woman was a health care assistant and worked for different agencies. He said the woman had met the accused, who was also a health care worker, at a care home facility in April or May 2021.

The detective said the woman and the accused sometimes worked together in the same shift but she didn't know him well. The woman left the health care facility but the accused continued working there.

In October 2022, the detective said the accused had contacted the woman by phone looking for advice about a hospital, after her friend gave the woman's number to Mr John. The woman wasn't sure who the accused was but knew he was a former colleague and gave him advice during a brief telephone call.

The woman had offered to help the accused with the application process for the hospital and he rang her again a month later.

Around Christmas 2022, the accused called the woman to say he wanted to drop off gifts to her children and he met her when she got off the bus, said Mr Grehan.

The witness said the accused arranged to call to the woman's house regarding filling out a church form at 8.30pm on May 21st. The woman got into the car to fill out the form and didn't suspect anything. The accused then started to drive his car before pulling up on a footpath beside an industrial estate.

The detective said when the car was pulled over the accused told the woman to close her eyes as he wanted to give her a surprise. When she opened her eyes the accused rubbed a handful of really hot chilli powder in her face, which stung her eyes and lips. The accused also had a hammer in one of his hands.

The detective said when the woman tried to get out of the car she could see that everywhere was sealed with black sticky tape, including the door handle. The woman thought the accused was going to kill her and started preaching at him not to do so.

The witness said the accused kept saying: "I'm going to kill you, say your last prayer".

The accused told her he had never killed before but he was going to kill her. The accused told the woman that she had given him a sexually transmitted disease (STD) to which she told him that she had never slept with him. Mr John said he would only let her go on condition she said she gave him an STD.

The accused proceeded to record on his mobile phone the woman saying she gave him an STD in 2021 despite never kissing or having sexual contact with him.

He made another video of the woman saying she gave him a STD through kissing before dropping her home.

The witness said gardai later found a black-handled knife inside the accused's driver's door as well as a hatchet, a lump hammer and containers containing a chilli like substance. Black duct tape and adhesive tapping were also seized from inside the passenger door as well as a Jerrycan containing flammable petrol.

Forensic psychiatrist

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks, who was called on behalf of the defence, told Fiona Murphy SC that when he met with the accused in April and October 2024 the accused remained 90 per cent convinced he was deliberately infected with HIV by the victim in the case, despite medical evidence to the contrary.

Dr Monks said the accused is suffering from delusionary disorder and depression, which are both mental illnesses. He said the accused's actions were directly driven by delusional thinking in response to the psychotic belief that he had been harmed by the victim.

He said Mr John met the three criteria for a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006; namely that he did not know the nature and quality of his act, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong and that he was unable to refrain from committing the act.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and five women.
COMMUNITY NOTES: KILTIMAGH - WESTERN PEOPLE (JULY 15 EDITION)

Judge Sandra Murphy, with strong ties to Kiltimagh, has been appointed as the new District Court judge for County Mayo.

A native of Ballinrobe, Judge Murphy has a well-established connection to Kiltimagh, having worked as a solicitor at Gilmartin & Murphy Solicitors in the town before beginning her judicial career.

Judge Murphy was appointed to the bench in October 2020 and initially served as a mobile judge. Since December 2021, she has been working in District 2, covering South Donegal, Sligo, and Leitrim. She is now assigned to District 3 - County Mayo - where she will succeed Judge Fiona Lydon, who left earlier this year to take up a position in her native Galway.

Although the appointment takes effect immediately, Judge Murphy is expected to take up her new role in Mayo in September as she has cases to conclude in District 2.

The local community in Kiltimagh and beyond welcomes this appointment, recognising Judge Murphys long-standing service and local ties. Her experience both as a solicitor in Kiltimagh and as a district judge across multiple areas positions her well to continue contributing significantly to the administration of justice in Mayo
Local charity Mayo Cancer Support Association will be joined by representatives of Mayo GAA for the official launch of a thrilling new flagship fundraising event on Friday, July 25th next.

All are welcome to attend Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar at 7.30pm that evening for the official launch of the Brave the Drop fundraising abseil challenge.

This event offers people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of abseiling 150ft from the roof of our national stadium, Croke Park in Dublin while raising much-needed funds for Mayo Cancer Support Association, which provides support to people who have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis or bereavement.

Mayo Cancer Support is the official charity partner of Mayo GAA this year, and there will be lots of well-known GAA personalities in attendance at the event launch this Friday night.

Come along to find out more and maybe even sign up to Brave the Drop or contact Mayo Cancer Support for more information on (094)9038407 or email info@mayocancersupport.ie.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Warm and humid with clouds and some hazy sun; a spotty shower at anytime, with a gusty thunderstorm or two possible in the afternoon. .

Tonight

Clouds and an early evening shower or t-storm, then clearing and turning less humid.
NAIROBI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on Friday that its efforts to rescue northern white rhinos (NWR), a critically endangered species, from extinction through artificial fertilization are at a crucial stage.

The KWS said it is collaborating with international partners in the BioRescue consortium to utilize advanced assisted reproduction technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer.

Following the death of the last male of the species in 2018, the BioRescue consortium is now exploring ART using the only two remaining female NWRs, Najin and her daughter Fatu, both hosted at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Central Kenya's Laikipia County, the KWS said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

"After years of meticulous research and perfecting our methods, we are now at the critical stage of getting a pregnancy using northern white rhino embryos," KWS Director-General Erustus Kanga said.

According to the statement, the ART process involves harvesting eggs from Najin and Fatu, airlifting the eggs to the Avantea laboratory in Cremona, Italy, within a critical 24-hour window for maturation into ovum, and fertilization of the ovum using cryopreserved sperm from deceased NWR males to form embryos that will later be transferred to surrogate SWRs to establish a pregnancy.

Kanga said they have already achieved a proof of concept by successfully creating a pregnancy in a surrogate using a Southern White Rhino embryo.

The BioRescue project, which is the last hope for the functionally extinct subspecies, has so far successfully created some pure NWR embryos that are safely cryopreserved awaiting future transfer, the KWS said.

The KWS said the journey to save the NRWs began in earnest in 2019, building on decades of conservation efforts, including the 2009 transfer of the last four fertile NWRs from Zoo Dvur Kralove in the Czech Republic to Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

"With the passing of the last two males, Sudan and Suni, hope now rests entirely on science and the two remaining females, Najin and her daughter Fatu," the agency added. 
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Warm and humid with clouds and some hazy sun; a spotty shower at anytime, with a gusty thunderstorm or two possible in the afternoon. .

Tonight

Clouds and an early evening shower or t-storm, then clearing and turning less humid.
READING, Pa.  Albright College reported that its board of trustees approved the appointment of nine new members at its June meeting.

The college says the members will each serve a three-year term from 2025 to 2028.

Albright said the appointment of the new members is part of its "institutional turnaround."

"The addition of these new trustees marks another step forward in Albrights strategic transformation  bringing fresh perspectives, valuable experience, and strong support as we continue to position the College for a thriving and innovative future," the college said in a statement.

The new board appointments include:

Kristen Bachman, executive at Bachman's Roofing, Building & Remodeling LLC, based in Wernersville.

John T. Baily '65, retired as president of Swiss Re Capital Partners in 2002.

Robert M. Ford '81, retired partner with Ernst & Young, Philadelphia, having worked for the company since earning his Albright degree.

Simon K. Foster '10, a health care industry marketing manager for LyondellBasell in Houston, a role he accepted in 2025 after serving 15 years as a leader in global marketing for BASF.

Jack R. Gombach '14 is managing director and COO for the City of Reading, a role he began in 2024 after working as a government affairs and grassroots advocacy consultant for Lancaster law firm McNees, Wallace & Nurick.

Charles E. "Chuck" Holland '66, executive consultant for CEH, since his 2017 retirement as vice president of corporate development for Therapeutics Inc.

Dawn M. James '88, advisor with Sequel Solutions, an AI-driven career consulting firm. Prior to her current role, James worked for more than 30 years in key risk management leadership positions for Vanguard.

Christ G. "Chris" Kraras '69, president and CEO of several companies, including White Star Travel and Timberline Investment Group.

Karen A. Rightmire '69, chief strategy officer and a former president of the Wyomissing Foundation in Reading.

In February, Albright's Vice President for Advancement Thomas A. Chaves told Reading City Council that the by the end of this fiscal year, the institution will be budget neutral or even positive.

He said COVID-19 created a lot of pressures in the market and that Albright's enrollment pre-COVID was 1,600 students, which far exceeds the 1,200 students today.

'No plans to close': Albright College moving toward financially sound future, VP says Albright's vice president for advancement says the college has no plans to close, and the institution will be more financially sound.

"The number of students that are looking to go to higher education are just not where they were, and so that's just purely related to the birth rates 18 years ago," Chaves said in February.

He also said the college had two years of operating deficits, but it has taken steps to get the budget back on track.

Those steps, he said, include transitioning out unpopular college majors, reducing faculty, selling off several off-campus real estate assets and closing the indoor pool.

There has been an employee reduction from 350 to about 210.

Chaves also said the college has ramped up its admissions and enrollment process in hopes of returning the enrollment to pre-COVID numbers.
VIENTIANE, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chen Zhou, deputy head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Laos from Wednesday to Friday at the invitation of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

During the visit, Chen met with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, and Bounleua Phandanouvong, acting head of the LPRP Central Committee's Commission for External Relations. He also held brief discussions with leaders from various Lao Party and government departments.

The two sides exchanged views on the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as issues of common concern. They agreed to follow the important consensus reached by the top leaders of both parties and countries, enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen interparty exchanges, expand pragmatic cooperation, promote the steady and long-term development of the China-Laos community with a shared future, and make positive contributions to maintaining regional peace and development. 
BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China has rolled out new measures to encourage reinvestment by foreign-funded enterprises, according to a circular jointly released by seven government bodies, including the National Development and Reform Commission.

According to the circular, the measures cover a wide range of areas, including stronger project support services, streamlined procedures for setting up new reinvested entities, and innovative financial products and services.

These efforts aim to help foreign-funded companies deepen their presence and achieve long-term development in the Chinese market, according to the commission.

The circular clarifies the applicable scope of the incentive measures and outlines requirements such as launching pilot programs on investment information reporting by foreign-funded companies, enhancing information sharing among authorities, and improving evaluation methods for promoting foreign investment. 
On July 17, at a press conference held by the Information Office of Anhui Provincial Government, it was announced that in the first half of 2025, Anhui Provinces total import and export value of goods reached 458.54 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.2%. Among this, exports amounted to 309.85 billion yuan, up 15.4%, and imports totaled 148.69 billion yuan, up 14.7%. Import and export scale reached a historic high for the same period, growth rate ranked first in the Yangtze River Delta In terms of foreign trade scale, Anhuis import and export volume exceeded 450 billion yuan in the first half of the year, setting a historic high for the same period. Looking at quarterly trends, in Q2, import and export grew 16.8% year-on-year, accelerating by 3.5 percentage points compared to Q1, marking 10 consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth. The total import and export value ranked 9th nationwide and 1st in Central China. The growth rates of total import and export, exports, and imports exceeded the national averages by 12.3, 8.2, and 17.4 percentage points respectively. The import and export growth rate ranked 6th nationwide and 1st in the Yangtze River Delta. In terms of trading partners, in the first half of the year, Anhuis import and export with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 248.49 billion yuan, up 14.9%, accounting for 54.2% of the total trade value, an increase of 3.8 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Among them, trade with ASEAN countries reached 61.71 billion yuan, growing 34.5%. Trade with other RCEP member countries amounted to 118.25 billion yuan, up 23%. During the same period, trade with the EU and Japan reached 61.32 billion yuan and 24.17 billion yuan, increasing by 20% and 28.1% respectively. In terms of business entities, in the first half, private enterprises import and export totaled 237.75 billion yuan, growing 17.9%, accounting for 51.9% of the provinces total foreign trade value. Foreign-invested enterprises trade volume was 114.92 billion yuan, up 20.9%, accounting for 25.1%. State-owned enterprises import and export reached 105.82 billion yuan, an increase of 4.4%, making up 23.1% of the total. Automobile (including chassis) exports maintain No.1 nationwide; provinces imports grow for three consecutive months In the first half of the year, Anhuis export momentum continued to strengthen. Exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 222.91 billion yuan, growing 18.5%, accounting for 71.9% of total exports. Among these, automobile exports (including chassis) totaled 461,000 units, maintaining the top rank nationwide, with new energy vehicle exports increasing by 29.9%. Exports of the new trio of green and low-carbon products reached 37.13 billion yuan, up 67.8%. Meanwhile, the going global of local brands accelerated, with exports of Chinese brand products totaling 155.98 billion yuan, growing 9.1%, accounting for 50.3%, with the highest proportion among all provinces and cities nationwide. At the same time, expanding domestic demand has steadily driven import growth. With sustained efforts from the two priorities and two new policies, Anhuis imports have grown for three consecutive months. In the first half of the year, imports of mechanical and electrical products totaled 56.33 billion yuan, up 31.4%, accounting for 37.9% of total imports. Among these, imports of electrical equipment and machine tools both achieved double-digit growth. Important raw material imports also increased. Imports of metal ores and mineral sand reached 54.37 billion yuan, up 16.8%, accounting for 36.6%. Among these, copper ore sand imports totaled 40.51 billion yuan, growing 18.9%. Imports of natural and synthetic rubber, as well as pulp and its products, also saw double-digit growth.

Source: Anhuinews.com
LUSAKA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Zambian businesses have held a seminar to explore opportunities for joint venture cooperation and strategic partnerships.

The China-Zambia Investment Cooperation Seminar, held on Thursday on the sidelines of the inaugural Invest Zambia International Conference, brought together Chinese and Zambian business representatives to exchange views, review cooperation progress, and explore future collaboration.

Jin Jun, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Zambia, said it is time to write a new chapter of mutual benefit and shared prosperity in China-Zambia cooperation.

He urged the Chinese business associations in Zambia to leverage their role as a bridge between government and enterprises, uniting Chinese businesses, and promoting compliance to jointly advance high-quality cooperation between the two countries.

According to the counselor, Chinese investors are deeply involved in Zambia's multi-sector development, becoming a key driver of local economic and social progress.

Chipoka Mulenga, Zambia's minister of commerce, trade and industry, said Zambia is ready to do business with friendly countries that are not only interested in its natural resources but also committed to achieving mutual benefits.

He said that as a good friend, China stands with Zambia in both good and bad times, such as the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway when Zambia's trade route to the south was blocked.

Mulenga said the country has seen increased Chinese investment in value addition since the elevation of the bilateral cooperation to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership in 2023, with Chinese businesses now processing its copper and enabling the local production of steel products and fertilizer. 
Weather Alert

...EXTREME HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 108. * WHERE...In Illinois, Johnson, Massac, and Union Counties. In Kentucky, McCracken County. In Missouri, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry MO, and Wayne MO Counties. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
ANKARA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces have detained 153 suspects across 28 provinces in a sweeping counterterrorism operation targeting the Islamic State (IS) over the past two weeks, a cabinet minister said on Friday.

The operation, carried out by gendarmerie units, targeted suspected IS members in the provinces of Adana, Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir and 24 other provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the social media platform X.

Yerlikaya further said that those detained are accused of being IS members, financing charities allegedly linked to the IS, and spreading terrorist propaganda through their social media accounts.

"The operations will continue without pause," Yerlikaya said, and also shared footage of the raids.

Turkiye designated the IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a series of deadly attacks in the country. Since then, it has carried out counter-terrorism operations both domestically and abroad to crack down on its members and activities. 
A recent report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, was presented to the Human Rights Council of the UN on June 17. The report, while taking note of Israels ongoing murder and maiming of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel itself, focuses primarily on the destruction of educational and cultural institutions by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since October 7, 2023.

Al-Isra University in Gaza destroyed by Israeli forces on January 17, 2024.

The report was the subject of debate during the session of the Human Rights Council, its 59th, with representatives from the State of Palestine, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, Cuba, Venezuela and others endorsing it.

A joint statement from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand reiterated purely verbal opposition to military action and human suffering in Gaza and claimed that the Commission of Inquiry was biased. The European Union delegates expressed concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza but condemned Hamass incursion into Israel on October 7.

The United States did not participate in the dialogue over the report and Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the Commission of Inquiry. Taken together, these actions prevented the resolution from being officially adopted by the Human Rights Commission.

The report, however, is devastating, and deserves to be circulated and read widely. While it does not contain material that is new, and the various incidents have been previously reported in the world media, it fulfills two essential functions: First, it scrupulously assembles evidence that enables the worlds population to understand the full scope and intent of Israeli governments actions in Gaza.

Second, by focusing on the deliberate destruction of Palestinian educational and cultural institutions in not only Gaza but also the West Bank, it highlights the course of a sociocidethe deliberate and systematic murder of an entire societyover and above the relentless starvation, maiming, torture and killing of men, women and children. This sociocide includes the extensive destruction of education in Gaza and the West Bank and the wanton decimation of cultural sites in Palestine.

The report begins by noting the physical damage to the educational infrastructure by the Zionist state:

Between 7 October 2023 and 25 February 2025 in Gaza, 403 of a total of 564 school buildings were directly hit and sustained damage. Of those hit, 85 schools were fully destroyed and 73 schools lost at least half of their structures. Since 61 per cent of schools in Gaza had been operating on double or triple shifts, each school building destroyed has affected hundreds and sometimes thousands of students. The 403 school buildings that were directly hit had served approximately 435,290 students and 16,275 teachers. Between 7 October 2023 and 25 February 2025, 62 per cent of school buildings used as shelters were directly hit, resulting in significant numbers of casualties.

The destruction of higher education has also been devastating:

Higher education facilities were also targeted and destroyed or damaged, affecting about 87,000 university students. These included a campus of Al-Azhar University, demolished in December 2023, and a campus of Israa University, demolished in January. More than 57 university buildings had been completely destroyed as at 25 March 2025.

Critically, the Commission analyzed Israeli claims, when the Zionists bothered to make them, that these institutions were being used for military purposes, and it sought independently to ascertain their possible military use.

The Commission could not identify any military objective for the demolitions of educational facilities. It forensically verified the demolition of two schools in Beit Hanoun in the north of the Gaza Strip in mid-November 2023, the Beit Hanoun preparatory girls B school and the neighboring Beit Hanoun elementary co-educational C school. Those schools had served 2,400 students. Both schools were severely damaged through controlled demolitions.

These are war crimes according to the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court, from which Israel withdrew its signature in 2002. These actions, on top of the murder of educators itself, fit the definition of scholasticide made by the group Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP): the systemic destruction, in whole or in part, of the educational life of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, which, as the organization points out on its website, has become a dangerous aspect of Israels genocidal war against the Palestinian people.

The Commission was able to identify IDF units that were responsible for the destruction of educational institutions. The report makes it clear that the fascist ideology of the Netanyahu government and Zionist racism generally lies behind the scholasticide:

Incidents of the demolition of educational facilities have been filmed by Israeli soldiers. Footage depicts them expressing celebratory or demeaning comments and jokes during or after demolitions. In one example, an Israeli soldier says in Hebrew: For all those asking why there is no education in Gaza, oops a missile fell on you, that sucks, too bad. That is how you will not be engineers anymore.

The report cites repeated vandalism, including burning, of school facilities and the use of school facilities to store IDF munitions.

From October 7, 2023 to March 2025, the last date used by the report, the Gazan Health Ministry has reported that Israel had killed 15,615 children. But 658,000 of the children who remain alive have been denied a formal education, and, while there is some online learning, the complex situation children have found themselves in, the report notes, has diverted childrens attention from education to a focus on survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions. Children have also been increasingly forced to seek informal work.

The report does not study the special educational needs of children who have lost arms or legs or have been harmed psychologically by Israeli attacks.

Scholasticide also continues on the West Bank, which has received far less attention than those in Gaza:

Some 806,000 primary and secondary school students have been affected by measures implemented by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Between 7 October 2023 and 25 March 2025, 141 schools were attacked and vandalized, 96 students and four educational staff were killed, 611 students and 21 education staff were injured, and 327 students and more than 172 educational staff were arrested. Closures, restrictions and military raids have resulted in a significant loss of school days during the school year 2023/24; in some areas, up to half of the school year was lost.

In addition, the very character of the military occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem makes daily life for many students insufferable: The Commission also received reports that some female students were afraid to pass through checkpoints to go to school, including a checkpoint in the H2 area of Hebron where incidents of Israeli soldiers exposing their genitals to women and girls had been reported.

Settler violence has also had an impact. To cite only once incident from the report:

The Al-Kaabneh basic school in the village of Al-Muarrajat near Jericho was attacked [by far-right settlers] in September 2024. The attack took place when the school was in session. During the attack settlers beat a human rights activist who was filming the scene, while a large group of distraught schoolchildren barricaded themselves in a classroom with their teacher.

The report also delves into the attack on the democratic rights of students and educators in Israel itself. Since October 2023, schools and universities in Israel have taken disciplinary action against students and personnel, in many cases for expressing public sympathy or support for the people of Gaza  The report cites a number of cases of arrests and harassment of teachers and professors, both Palestinian and Jewish Israelis, for speaking out against the genocide.

To accompany the destruction of education, the IDF and other Israeli government agencies haves also targeted Palestinian cultural institutions, according to the report.

As of 29 November 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had verified damage to 75 sites in Gaza since 7 October 2023: 10 religious sites, 48 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, three depositories of movable cultural property, six monuments, one museum and seven archaeological sites  such as Anthedon Harbour, a Roman cemetery, the Pasha Palace museum, the ancient Samaritan Bathhouse and the Great Omari Mosque.

In one case:

The Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Centre in the Rimal neighborhood was bombed twice,  In addition, the building entrance was destroyed by bulldozers. The Centre was a vital cultural hub in Gaza, offering art and social activities for local residents.  Israeli security forces provided no explanation for the attack. The Commission has previously reported on the Israeli security forces practice of attacking power targets, identified for symbolic value with no military necessity, and notes that the Centre may have been attacked under that practice.

One noteworthy finding of the report is an update on the well-known hijacking by Israeli authorities of cultural and archeological sites in the West Bank:

The Commission has documented many incidents in which Israeli officials have: seized or allowed settlers to seize cultural heritage sites; excavated, developed and expanded such sites for tourism purposes, including those containing artefacts representing various cultures and periods in history, while excluding non-Jewish history; and blocked or severely restricted Palestinians from accessing such sites  The creation and expansion of exclusively Jewish heritage sites in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, has become another form of settlement and annexation that excludes Palestinians by both limiting their access to their land and not recognizing their relationship to the lands heritage and history.

The report also cites the repeated destruction by security forces and fascist settlers of religious institutions, including both mosques and churches. While the IDF often claims that such sites house Hamas fighters, the Commission was not able to verify this in a single case.

Often, the religious sites were full of worshipers or displaced civilians when they were destroyed, as happened on August 10, 2024, when

Israeli security forces attacked the Saad al-Ghafari Mosque, located in a complex shared by the Al-Tabaeen school in the Daraj area of central Gaza Strip, which was housing internally displaced persons. The attack took place at 4 a.m., during morning prayers, causing severe damage to the ground floor of the structure and killing at least 90 persons, including 11 children and 6 women.

In its conclusions on the destruction of educational institutions, the report notes:

The destruction of the education system in Gaza and the weakening of the education system across the Occupied Palestinian Territory generally have already had severe impacts on young persons lives and will set their education back by years. This will, in turn, affect the development of the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a whole, including economic, political and social development, thereby undermining Palestinians broader right to self-determination and extending the unlawful occupation by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

This conclusion fails to take into account that the goal of the Zionist regime, backed by the US and European powers, is the expulsion or extermination of the entire Palestinian population. This is the stage that imperialist barbarism has reached.

This report will be an essential exhibit in future war crimes trials of Israeli, American and European leaders.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, second right, meets with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, left, at the Pentagon, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Washington. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein]

With his announcement to supply Ukraine with weapons worth up to $10 billion, President Donald Trump has effectively reversed his administrations official policy on the NATO war against Russia. The new deliveries include, among other things, Patriot air defence systems and long-range missiles capable of reaching major Russian cities.

Hardly any other government reacted to this massive escalation with such enthusiasm as the German one. Immediately after Trumps announcement, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) declared on X: President Trump has taken an important initiative today: The USA will provide Ukraine with weapons on a large scale if its European partners finance this. ... I have assured him: Germany will contribute decisively.

According to its own statements, the German government will pay for at least two Patriot systems, each costing around 1 billion. At the time of Trumps announcement, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (Social Democratic Union, SPD) was already in Washington for talks with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth. The talks were aimed at close technical and logistical coordination. Pistorius promised: We will get to work quickly.

This development marks a qualitative escalation of the warand at the same time underlines the aggressiveness with which Berlin is rearming against Russia once again, 80 years after the Second World War. Merz justified the decision with the words: We are doing this in our own interest. The pressure on Moscow, he said, must increase.

The official narrative that this represents a defensive measure against bombing terror is pure propaganda. Russias reactionary invasion of Ukraine does not change the fact that the imperialist powers have been systematically provoking this war for years. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, NATO has been expanding eastwards to encircle Russia militarily. Germany, which traditionally plays a leading role in the EUs militarisation plans, is now placing itself at the forefront of the escalation.

Peace is the very least concern of German imperialism. As in the world wars of the 20th century, the ruling elites are pursuing economic and geopolitical interests, specifically, the control of resource-rich Ukraine and the subjugation of Russia itself. In his last government policy statement, Merz described the Russian government as a criminal regime that threatened Europe. He declared: The means of diplomacy have been exhausted.

This is tantamount to a declaration of war. When the means of diplomacy are at an end, the hour of war strikes. As early as autumn 2023, Pistorius spoke of the need for Germany to become fit for war (kriegstuchtig). With war credits of around 1 trillion and a planned increase in military spending to 5 percent of GDP, rearmament has become the state doctrine.

The goal is to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe, something Merz has openly announced on several occasions. Pistorius is demanding a prompt increase in the size of the Bundeswehr by at least 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers, a number that is hardly achievable without reintroducing conscription. On Sunday, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke out in favour of it again on state broadcaster ZDF. He said he was a proponent of conscription and the Bundeswehr would have to increase its personnel to meet the new challenges.

In parallel, materiel rearmament is taking place on a gigantic scale. According to media reports, Berlin is planning, among other things, the procurement of around 1,000 Leopard main battle tanks and 2,500 Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles, at a cost of at least 25 billion. The production lists of the armaments industry also include new warships, fighter jets, drones, missiles and vast quantities of ammunition.

Under conditions in which Berlin has not yet established its own desired war economy, it remains dependent on US technology. Pistorius is currently negotiating with Washington about the procurement of the Typhon system, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 short-range missiles. These weapon systems have a range of around 2,000 kilometres and can thus reach Russian territory, including Moscow.

According to Pistorius, the systemwhich the US Army itself intends to station in Germany from 2026could also be permanently adopted by the Bundeswehr. This would put the Bundeswehr in a position to attack the nuclear power Russia directly from German soil, a scenario that conjures up the danger of a devastating nuclear confrontation.

The current German-American arms alliance is more than fragile. Trumps protectionist measures and the escalating trade warthe EU has already responded to Washingtons latest tariff threats with a list of potential retaliatory measurescould quickly turn into open hostility. It is precisely for this reason that Berlin is using the still-existing cooperation to position itself independently, both strategically and militarily.

At the immediate centre of German rearmament is the war offensive against Russia. In a joint press statement with Hegseth, Pistorius boasted that Germany would significantly increase our defence spending to 5 percent of our GDP. According to the budget plan, 3.5 percent is to be spent on core defence expenditure by 2029. In addition, the Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuaniaa permanent German combat unit with heavy weapons, its own base and permanently stationed personnelwill be operational by 2027.

The historical symbolism is unmistakable: Lithuania, a former Soviet territory, was a central stage for Nazi crimes. After Hitlers army, the Wehrmacht, invaded in June 1941, local collaborators actively participated in the almost complete annihilation of the Jewish population. Now, the Baltic states and all of Eastern Europe are once again serving as a staging ground for a military confrontation with Russia. And once again, German imperialism is cooperating with extreme right-wing and neo-fascist elements in the process.

Shortly before accompanying Pistorius to the US, Major General Christian Freuding, head of the Special Staff for Ukraine in the Federal Ministry of Defence, was in Kyiv. The same Freuding who, just a few weeks ago, had commemorated the 80th anniversary of Germanys defeat in World War II with a Ukrainian neo-Nazi commander, promised hundreds of long-range weapon systems for Ukraine. He spoke of a high three-figure number to the ZDF Heute Journal news programme.

Freuding openly stated that these weapons were intended for long-range strikes into the Russian hinterland: We need weapon systems that can reach deep into Russian territorythat can attack command facilities, airfields, aircraft. The first systems are due to be delivered by the end of July.

German imperialism, which already tried to subjugate Russia in both world wars of the 20th century and in doing so committed the greatest crimes in human history, is once again preparing for a murderous war. Speaking to the Financial Times, Pistorius stressed that German troops would be prepared to kill Russian soldiers should Moscow attack a NATO member. If deterrence does not work and Russia attacks, will it come to that? Yes, he threatened. He continued, I would recommend you just go to Vilnius and speak to the representatives of the German brigade there. They know exactly what their job is.
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Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London, Thursday, July 17, 2025. [AP Photo/Thomas Krych]

The scandal over billionaire sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to a wide range of figures in the American ruling class, including Donald Trump, has erupted into a major political crisis.

Nearly six years after Epsteins dubious suicide in a Manhattan jail cell, the White House is being assailed by demands to release investigative files which could implicate hundreds of top political and business figures, Republicans and Democrats, bankers and CEOs. Even though more than a thousand victims have been identified, the US government has refused to name even a single one of the wealthy and well-connected men who availed themselves of Epsteins services as a procurer of underage girls for sexual exploitation.

Attorney General Pam Bondi touched off a political explosion last week by releasing a two-page report declaring that no client list had been found in Epsteins files, that there was no suspicion of foul play in his death, and that there would be no further information released about Epsteins crimes. This statement was issued only three months after Bondi appeared on Fox News, just after her confirmation by the Senate, boasting that the list of Epsteins clients was on my desk and would soon be made public.

Fascist supporters of Trumpincluding former White House aide Steve Bannon, Representative Lauren Boebert and social media pundits Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones and Laura Loomerall denounced Bondi. They cited Trumps claims during last years election campaign that the Democrats were covering up the Epstein case because so many prominent Democrats were implicated in it, particularly former president Bill Clinton, who reportedly rode on Epsteins private plane, dubbed the Lolita Express, on 27 occasions. Epstein was a financial supporter of Clintons election campaigns and visited the White House at least four times during his presidency.

Trump, however, fired back in defense of Bondi, and declared that the Epstein files had actually been created by the Democrats, including Presidents Obama and Biden, to attack him. As is well known, Trump had a 15-year association with Epstein, a Palm Beach neighbor, fellow billionaire and frequent guest at Mar-a-Lago. He wrote on Truth Social Wednesday morning that his former supporters had fallen for a Democratic Party plot: Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker

Trumps bizarre somersault caught some of his most slavish supporters by surprise. House Speaker Mike Johnson called for full disclosure of the Epstein files only hours before Trumps Truth Social post, then tried to downplay the conflict. The next day, he moved to block consideration of legislation, introduced by the Democrats, to require the Justice Department to release the files.

The political crisis exploded to a new level Thursday evening with the publication by the Wall Street Journal of a lengthy front-page article detailing Trumps relationship with Epstein, which included Trump sending Epstein a letter for his 50th birthday (January 20, 2003), described as follows:

The letter bearing Trumps name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdylike others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. The letter concludes: Happy Birthdayand may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump claimed Tuesday in an interview with the Journal that the letter was a fake and said he would sue if the article was published. It nevertheless appeared on the Journals website early Thursday evening, with a large photo of Epstein and Trump standing together looking like the best of friends.

The article also reproduced portions of a profile of the Trump-Epstein relationship published by New York magazine in 2002, in which Trump indicates familiarity with Epsteins sexual practices. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. Trump told the magazine, Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about itJeffrey enjoys his social life.

The intervention of the Journal indicates that the very real criminality involved in the Epstein scandal, involving significant sections of the political and financial establishment, is intersecting with divisions within the ruling class itself. The newspaper is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who has long backed Trump as a spearhead for imposing reactionary pro-corporate policies, and which has fully supported his attacks on democratic rights and social programs.

The Journal has been highly critical, however, of Trumps economic policies, particularly the tariff war he began in April, and his threats to remove Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell. Last week Trump set an August 1 deadline for the imposition of massive tariffs on dozens of US trading partners, which would raise prices dramatically and slash global trade.

The basic outline of the Epstein scandal is well-established. From humble beginnings in Brooklyn, Epstein found wealthy patrons, first the CEO of Bear Stearns, Andrew Greenberg, and then the founder-owner of The Limited, Leslie Wexner, who valued his combination of skill, moral depravity and ruthlessness in the early years of the financialization of the US economy. Epstein became known as a man who could make money from cleverly crafted swindling, first as a securities trader, then as the personal financial manager for Wexners billion-dollar fortune.

Epstein built his own fortune in the process, ultimately buying the largest mansion in Manhattansold to him by Wexneras well as a Palm Beach estate, a huge ranch in New Mexico, and a private island in the US Virgin Islands. He hosted parties that attracted billionaires, bankers, CEOs, former presidents, senators and governors. His connections extended through both capitalist parties, Republicans as well as Democrats.

In gaining access to these layers, he also learned their sordid proclivities, particularly those which coincided with his own: the sexual abuse of underage girls. His (literal) partner in crime Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of British media billionaire Robert Maxwell, served as his chief recruiting officer, luring young girls, particularly from the poorest sections of the working class, with promises of money, clothes, shoes and perfume.

One victim told the Miami Herald, Jeffrey preyed on girls who were in a bad way, girls who were basically homeless. He went after girls who he thought no one would listen to and he was right. The newspaper, which published the first major exposure of Epstein, added, Most of the girls came from disadvantaged families, single-parent homes or foster care. Some had experienced troubles that belied their ages: They had parents and friends who committed suicide; mothers abused by husbands and boyfriends; fathers who molested and beat them.

Epsteins sex-trafficking enterprise served the psycho-sexual demands of wealthy and powerful men, who in turn protected his operations and blocked any serious criminal investigation. Even in 2007, when Epstein pled guilty to soliciting the prostitution of a minora serious felony for which anyone else would have been locked up for yearsthe US attorney for South Florida, Alexander Acosta, made a backroom deal that allowed him to freely manage his business ventures from a luxury jail wing that Epstein paid for himself. The plea agreement assured that none of Epsteins clients, who were not named, would be prosecuted for their use of his sex-trafficking services.

Ten years later, Donald Trump would appoint Acosta to head the Department of Labor in his first term, a position from which he was forced to resign when Epstein was again arrested in July 2019 on sex-trafficking charges. FBI reports identified more than 1,000 young women and girls as victims of Epstein. Yet not a single American client of Epstein has been named, let alone prosecuted. Only one foreign client, Britains Prince Andrew, was compelled to sign a civil settlement with Virginia Giuffre, whom Epstein procured for him at age 17 (while she was working at Mar-a-Lago). Giuffre, who named other men as abusers who were never prosecuted, committed suicide in April of this year.

When Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in Manhattan in August 2019, supposedly having hanged himself while prison guards failed to check on him for hours, it was not just Donald Trump who could breathe a sigh of relief. There were hundreds of powerful figures in the US ruling class who felt the same way. There was a universal desire to cover up both Epsteins sordid enterprise and the circumstances of his death.

This sentiment found expression in the pages of the New York Times. The leading US newspaper assiduously promoted uncorroborated and generally baseless charges of sexual abuse in the #MeToo campaign, which became a means of witch-hunting actors, musicians and other cultural figures. But in the case of Epstein, the Times now denounced conspiracy theories about his murder and showed no interest in tracing his clientele in the ruling class.

The World Socialist Web Site has long maintained that the Epstein case exposed the blatant corruption of the US financial oligarchy and its political servants. We wrote after Epsteins death:

There is a social logic to the circling of the wagons in the Epstein case. The US financial oligarchy feels itself under siege. It senses the tremendous hostility that exists within the population. If millions suspect that Epstein was murdered, it is because they know instinctively that the US ruling elite is fully capable of such a crime. It is not the peculiar properties of the internet and social media that account for such suspicions, but the entirely justified sentiments among millions of working people, who see the criminal character of the class that controls all wealth and power in America... Every great revolution in history has been preceded by similar scandals, in which the criminal and reactionary character of the old ruling class reveals itself, and that class is exposed for what it is: a cancer on the body politic.

Six years later, the cancer on the body politic has produced the second Trump administration, which is seeking to establish a presidential dictatorship while waging war on every social right of the working class. Meanwhile, not 1 percent of the facts about the depraved criminal enterprise that is the Epstein scandal has yet come out. Workers have every right to demand that all the files in the Epstein case should be made public, with only the names of the victims protected, not the names of the perpetrators and accomplices.

Particular attention should be given to the reports that Epstein had connections to the intelligence agencies of the United States or Israel, or both, and that information he gathered from his sex-trafficking operation was used for the purposes of blackmail in the interest of these agencies.

It is most important to recognize the connection between the rekindling of the Epstein scandal and the deeper crisis of American and world capitalism. The working class must intervene independently against the gangsterism of the Trump administration and go on the political offensive against the capitalist system, the financial oligarchy and all its political agents.
Ronald Adams and one of his daughters outside their Detroit home. [Photo: Family of Ronald Adams Sr]

A former compliance officer at the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about the issues surrounding the April 7 death of Stellantis worker Ronald Adams Sr.

Adams, a 63-year-old machine repairman, was performing maintenance at the Dundee Engine Complex in southern Michigan when an overhead crane, or gantry, suddenly activated, pinning him to a conveyor. He died instantly from crushing injuries and traumatic asphyxia.

More than three months later, Stellantis, the United Auto Workers (UAW), and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) have provided no explanation for his death. A spokesperson from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) recently told WSWS that there was no additional update and the investigation remains ongoing.

Despite this, Stellantiswith full UAW backinghas resumed full production without informing Adams family or co-workers about what caused the fatality or holding anyone accountable.

Workers at Dundee say retooling for a new engine line was over a year behind schedule, and safety procedures were being bypassed to resume production.

One example is the widespread use of cheater keys to override lockout/tagout procedures meant to ensure machinery is fully shut down and cannot be restarted during maintenance. Following Adams death, management instructed workers via email to return these keys in bins located near the UAW Local 723 office and elsewhere in the plant.

This violates OSHA Standard 1910.147, which governs the control of hazardous energy to prevent accidental machine activation during servicing.

The former Cal/OSHA officer, referred to as Steve to protect his identity, commented on the findings of the independent investigation launched by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).

I reviewed the OSHA documents, Steve said. Gang lockouts arent in the UAW contract, but buddy tasksshared jobs involving foremen, skilled trades, and supervisorsare common. Each person should place their own lock on the equipment. The supervisors lock goes on first and comes off last after confirming the work is complete.

He continued, A cheater key is a skeleton key. It defeats the whole system. If anyone can unlock someone elses lock, theres no real protection. Key control is central. Each worker must have a unique key and keep it on them. You cant just leave it on a lunch hook. Thats how people get killed. What Im hearing is their key management was totally out of control.

Steve added, In California, a supervisor is liable for allowing this. They cant claim someone went roguethats the so-called Mercury defense. But it doesnt hold. It sounds like Dundee had virtually no functioning lockout/tagout system. Thats a willful violation, and if enough cheater keys were in circulation, it edges toward criminal negligence. In California, the Bureau of Investigation would alert the district attorney if there were grounds for prosecution. I imagine Michigan has something similar.

The 2023 UAW-Stellantis contract makes clear that the union shares responsibility with management for overseeing lockout/tagout compliance. The World Class Partnership Council, composed of top union and company officials, is tasked with addressing any lapses in training or procedures.

However, the same contract includes a disclaimer stating the UAW holds no financial liability for health and safety issues or injuries on company propertyeffectively distancing the union from consequences of collaboration with management.

Commenting on this, Steve said, In my opinion, the union made a huge mistake agreeing to co-manage lockout/tagout. Thats the companys job. If something goes wrong, liability should be on them. The union just accepted massive civil responsibility while trying to shield itself legally with a Get Out of Jail Free clause. I doubt that would stand up in court.

This co-management arrangement gives the UAW a vested interest in covering up managements role in industrial deaths. Since the 1980s, the UAW bureaucracy has been integrated into corporate management through financial incentives. Billions in corporate funds have flowed into union coffers under the guise of joint training, thanks to the 1978 Labor Management Partnership Act.

These training centers became vehicles for corporate bribery. UAW officials, bought off with training funds, signed concessionary contracts that slashed jobs, wages, and safety.

Youre basically dealing with a company union again, Steve said. This takes us back to the era of employer-controlled unions. When told that Dundee workers referred to the joint investigation into Adams death as the fox guarding the henhouse, Steve replied, Exactly. Its like having HR also be your safety officer.

Workers say the UAW safety rep at Dundee was Tom Zimmerman, a former shop chairman ousted by members for his pro-management stance. Thats when you strike, Steve said. You have a legal right to a safe workplace, free from known hazards. Dont give that up.

They cant force you to perform dangerous tasks, he added. You have the right to walk away from unsafe work. If machine guards arent in place or if lockout/tagout isnt followed, you dont have to proceed. You cant be disciplined or fired for protecting yourself.

As for the unions collaboration, Steve said, Workers have to say: Im not going to pull the trigger on myself just because the boss says so. They need to throw out the current union officials. When contract negotiations come up, reject this framework entirely.

Steve then was asked to comment on the broader neutering of workplace safety regulations under both political parties, Steve replied, Neutering? Its more like outright castration. In California, political appointees have turned the agency into a joke. There are whole sectors they avoidlike ports. The docks have sky-high accident rates, but CalOSHA and federal OSHA argue over jurisdiction even though state law clearly gives CalOSHA authority over all employment in California.

POn top of decades of pro-corporate policy, Steve warned, the Trump administration is now dismantling OSHA altogether. Trump appointed David Keeleya former executive at UPS and Amazonto lead the agency. OSHAs mission is being redefined to eliminate burdensome regulations. Inspections are being slashed from 35,000 to just 26,000 this fiscal year.

OSHA was founded because society realized the economic cost of losing young workers to accidents. People were seen as resources. The highest injury rates were among the youngest and oldest workers. So OSHA was about preserving human capitalbasic dollars and cents logic.

States had some programs already, but OSHA standardized it nationally. The idea was that keeping people healthy and working was better for society than having them disabled or dead. But since Reagan, the agency has been systematically gutted. The worker-to-inspector ratio today is a joke.

Companies have entire legal teams that specialize in fighting OSHA citations. If a company challenges a citation, they can depose OSHA staff and accuse them of perjury. These hearings go before administrative law judges. Ive been deposedyou have to defend every word you write.

Some OSHA inspectors are afraid of hearings. Theyll walk away from serious violations to avoid them. One director even told us: Keep fines under $100,000, and dont issue willful or repeat citationsunless there are bodies or body parts on the ground.
A years-long truth-telling commission examining the historic and contemporary crimes of official institutions against Indigenous people in the Australian state of Victoria concluded at the beginning of this month with the release of a 455-page report and 100 recommendations.

Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan addressing Yoorrook Justice Commission, April 29, 2024 [Photo: Screen grab/Yoorrook Justice Commission]

The Yoorrook Justice Commission was hailed by those who led it, along with the Victorian Labor government and the establishment media, as a step towards a reckoning with the oppression of Aboriginal people and a model to be emulated in other states and territories.

In reality, Yoorrook will do nothing to alleviate the plight of the vast majority of Indigenous people in Victoria, or anywhere else, who constitute one of the most oppressed sections of the working class.

Over the course of several years, the Commission took testimony from many Indigenous people. They spoke about the consequences of anti-Aboriginal racism, which has a long history of being promoted by the ruling class and its political parties, including Labor.

Testimony underscored the brutal character of the oppression of Aboriginal people, including the decades-long practice of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their parents in what became known as the Stolen Generations, the denial of basic civil liberties until well into the latter-half of the 20th century and ongoing severe social deprivation.

However, this largely served as a smokescreen, and justification for the real purpose of the Commission which was to sanctify a mutually-beneficial arrangement between a layer of the Indigenous upper middle class and the Victorian Labor government.

For the Aboriginal elite, it was an opportunity to press the case for greater state funding, business opportunities and a lucrative Treaty with Victorian authorities. For Labor, it was an opportunity to shed crocodile tears over the past crimes against Indigenous people, and to posture as progressive as it is implementing a right-wing, pro-business program that is worsening social conditions for all working people, including those of Indigenous descent.

Yoorrooks formation

Yoorrook was established in May, 2021, as the result of an agreement between the state Labor government and the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria. That was one component of a broader process, under which Labor has committed to enacting a Treaty with self-styled Indigenous leaders.

The First Peoples Assembly, convened in 2019, is empowered to prepare negotiations with the state government regarding a Treaty, as well as to make representations on behalf of Indigenous peoples to the government on a broader range of issues.

Hailed as a groundbreaking initiative, the Assembly has an anti-democratic character, underscoring the narrow social base of the Indigenous upper middle class. Fewer than 2,000 people across Victoria participated in its inaugural election, or just 7 percent of the 30,000 Indigenous people who had registered after substantial advertising and an enrollment campaignroughly 2.5 percent of Victorias Aboriginal population.

Four years on, the 2023 election saw only a limited increase in participation, with around 4,000 total votes, or less than 10 percent of the eligible adult population. In other words, despite its name and its promotion by the government, the First Peoples Assembly is not even remotely representative.

Nevertheless, substantial sums of money are being devoted to the treaty process. That included a four-year commitment of $151 million to Treaty preparations in the state Labor governments 202223 budget, on top of previous allocations. The Assembly is also being permanently entrenched. At the beginning of the month, it was reported that the government had committed to legislation to enshrine the Assembly as a permanent representative body to government.

These moves in Victoria are part of a broader national push, which has particularly been spearheaded by Labor governments in other states. However, the whole process was dealt a major blow when the federal Labor governments 2023 The Voice referendum to establish an Indigenous advisory body to parliament across Australia was defeated despite a slick, well-funded campaign claiming it would improve the lot of Aboriginal people.

The Yoorook report bemoaned the outcome, ascribing the defeat to widespread racism and a lack of popular understanding of the plight of Indigenous people. In reality, the loss reflected the broad belief among working people that the Voice would do nothing to end the appalling conditions facing Indigenous people, particularly when the Albanese Labor government was presiding over the deepest cost-of-living crisis in decades.

In the final week of the campaign for the October referendum, Labor was vociferously defending the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinians of Gaza. The combined program of social austerity and aggressive support for neo-colonial barbarism swung voters against the Voice, recognizing it was a sham. How could a government that supports genocide abroad adopt policies to defend the population at home? This led to a reversal of the 60 percent support for the Voice when the referendum was flagged after Labors election in May 2022 to 60 percent opposition in the actual vote 18 months later.

As the Socialist Equality Party explained, the Albanese government was seeking to exploit the mass sympathy for the plight of Indigenous people to put a phony progressive gloss on its program of militarism and austerity. The aim was to direct these sentiments behind racial, identity politics, covering up the reality that the dire conditions facing Aboriginal workers are a class attack, which can be answered only by uniting the struggles of the working class as a whole, including its most oppressed layers.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. [Photo: @LindaBurneyMP]

The Voice was also aimed at strengthening the state and expanding its base, by integrating representatives of the Indigenous elite into the corridors of power.

Following the defeat of the Voice referendum, the drive to establish similar mechanisms at the state level has only continued and, if anything, accelerated. Amid widespread alienation and hostility to the entire political establishment, the ruling class recognises that class struggles are on the agenda and that the plight of Indigenous people could become a focal point for explosive opposition. Truth-telling, treaties, and advisory bodies are the means for diverting this opposition into safe channels.

Truth-telling with the oppressors

Yarrook was marked by its thoroughly establishment character. Its Indigenous commissioners were all successful academics, most of them with lengthy records on government bodies. They were joined by two former judges. These are individuals, whatever their past family backgrounds, whose social position and experiences are a million miles removed from the vast majority of impoverished Indigenous people.

In keeping with its character as a government-sanctioned and promoted exercise, the Commission provided senior Labor representatives with an opportunity to present themselves as devotees of truth-telling committed to improving the lot of Indigenous people.

The report lauds the involvement of Premier Jacinta Allan, who participated in ceremonies and gave testimony. The report presented as good coin Allans acknowledging the limits of her own educationnot a personal failing, but the results of a deliberate act of collective national forgetting. Her testimony was personal and, at times, emotional, it declared.

This utterly hypocritical exercise, literally shedding crocodile tears, was replicated by other government representatives. The police were also invited to testify.

All of this is to bury the record of the right-wing, pro-business Labor government in Victoria, which is taking the knife to social spending. It is carrying out the deepest budget cuts in the country. Billions of pledged funds have been withheld from public education. Up to 3,000 public servants face the sack. It is pressing ahead with plans to destroy 44 public housing towers in Melbourne, home to more than 10,000 residents, to open up lucrative opportunities for developers.

The governments anti working class policies inevitably impact Indigenous workers and youth, who are the victims of its law-and-order measures. The Sentencing Advisory Council noted: The imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria grew by 96.7 percent between 2011 and 2023, from 965.2 to 1,898.2 [per 100,000]. Labor has been in office since 2014.

While fawning over Allan, the Yarrook report was compelled to point out her role in locking up Aboriginal children. In 2023, Labor vowed to lift the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 before again raising it to 14 by 2027. Allan, however, walked back that latter commitment, despite protests from human rights organisations.

Marshalling the crimes of colonialism to press for a Treaty

Much of the report is in the form of a history of the settlement of Victoria. The British colonisation is reviewed at length, as are the more than 50 documented massacres that accompanied the forcible displacement of Indigenous people.

The various crimes committed by the colonial authorities are documented, as are the lies used to justify them. The objective of colonial rule was to establish the unfettered control of the land. The report places the colonisation of Victoria and Australia within the context of the global rapacity of the British Empire.

The explanation, to the extent that there is one, is entirely subjective. Various colonial representatives were greedy or racist and thus committed abuses against the Indigenous population.

The fundamental social dynamic of colonialism is not even addressed, as it contradicts the contemporary political objectives of the reports authors.

Indigenous societies were characterised by a form of primitive communism. Tribal groups largely lived off the land, hunting and gathering cooperatively, pooling resources communally and frequently living a nomadic or semi-nomadic existence. There were scores of tribes within Victoria itself.

The communistic social relations that prevailed among the Indigenous peoples were incompatible with capitalism. To establish private ownership of the land, the colonial authorities, one way or another, had to drive the Aborigines from the land. Many of the massacres documented were aimed at not only clearing Indigenous people from a particular area, but at ensuring its ownership by the state and colonists. In the brutal logic of capitalist production, moreover, Indigenous people were viewed as surplus to requirements because, based as they had been for millenia on hunter-gatherer activities, they could not readily be integrated into the wage-labour system.

Young Aboriginal family at Hidden Valley town camp, near Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, 2008. [Photo: John Hulme/WSWS]

The reports authors repeatedly reference Aboriginal sovereignty in order to demand expanded Indigenous land ownership in the present, based on vague connection to country. However, the concept of national sovereignty only emerged with the rise of capitalism in Europe and was completely foreign to the Indigenous tribes.

The reports demands on these fronts do not emanate from the strivings of Indigenous people, dating back to the time of colonisation. Instead, a layer of the Indigenous upper middle-class, itself very much a product of capitalism, is marshalling the crimes of colonisation and the legal framework of the profit system to advance its own interests within it.

The section of the report detailing the colonial crimes hints at various points of missed opportunities and bewails the malfeasance of various administrators. The none-too-veiled suggestion is that a treaty was not entered into at that time. Elsewhere, the report laments the fact that Australia is one of the few British colonies in which a treaty was never signed.

The report fails to examine the outcome of treaties in New Zealand, the United States and Canada, where they were struck and which did nothing to stop the seizure of land and the destruction of indigenous tribes through disease, poisoning and violence. Its interest lies in modern-day outcomes, as seen in New Zealand, for instance, where the Waitangi Treaty has been used to secure large payouts to Maori elites. It must be noted that the majority of Maori, like their Aboriginal counterparts, are among the most oppressed layers of the New Zealand working class.

A celebration of the rise of the Indigenous upper middle class

The class orientation of the report becomes even more evident when it deals with the emergence of the thin layer of the Aboriginal elite. It becomes remarkably upbeat, even jubilant.

For too long, Aboriginal people have been overrepresented in the statistics that shame the nationincarceration, suicide, child removal, chronic illness, the report notes. But they are also overrepresented in excellence. In academia, in science, in journalism, in the arts, in music, in sport. They dominate fields that were never designed for them to enter.

Whereas official politics had for centuries been designed to control, to exclude and to confine Today, the language has changed. There are forums, partnership agreements, frameworks, strategies, policies, action plans. There are taskforces and steering committees.

The report stated: The apparatus of consultation is now so embedded that many young First Peoples have known nothing else Access to power is no longer the barrier: theres plenty of access via the ears of senior advisers and ministers clerks.

The authors are speaking about themselves and others like them. But their social position and their intimate relationship with governments, ministers and the police are as far removed from the everyday experience of an Aboriginal worker or young person as workers more broadly are to those who tread the corridors of power.

The authors note the broken promises and failed outcomes, but they essentially chart an upward curve, expressed in the various phony apologies to Indigenous people, and above all in the moves towards a treaty. This is the Aboriginal upper middle class hailing its own ascent, indifferent to the plight of the vast majority of Aborigines, except as a means for opening doors and boosting their own privileges and wealth.

Recommendations

The reports 100 recommendations are aimed at securing the most lucrative terms for the treaty that the Yoorok Commission is pushing for. The proposals constitute a demand for a vast hand over of resources from the state government to the Indigenous elite, covering virtually every aspect of economic life.

The report demands transfer of decision-making power, authority, control and resources to First Peoples, giving full effect to self-determination in relation to their identity, information, data, traditional ecological knowledge, connection to Country, their rights to their lands, waters and resources, in the Victorian health, education and housing systems and across economic and political life.

The government, it continues, must establish independent funding streams, including through hypothecation of a portion of land, water and natural resource-related revenues, to support the Self-Determination Fund and other First Peoples-led initiatives.

To facilitate these ends, the report demands an audit and ongoing reporting to the First Peoples Assembly of the revenues collected by the Victorian Government in respect of: i. freehold land; ii. Crown land & waterways; iii. minerals and resources; iv. gas and petroleum; v. forestry; vi. fisheries; vii. renewables; and viii. water (surface, groundwater).

The report earlier complains about the inadequacy of Native Title in Victoria. Under Native Title, Indigenous leaders are granted partial control over ancestral lands. They can then barter with mining and other corporations seeking access. However, as the report notes, the opportunities are limited, as much of Victorian land was already privately or government-owned by the time Native Title was introduced in the 1980s.

The report demands a default mechanism to transfer to Traditional Owners entitlements to land, waters, resources on the sale, surrender or expiration of third party leasehold, licences, entitlements and other interests. It insists upon: Not granting new rights or entitlements in Crown lands, waters and resources without providing opportunities for Traditional Owners to themselves acquire the relevant interest, or benefit from the revenues generated.

These are calls for control over vast and profitable farmland and resources, as well as for corporate activities that will enrich a narrow minority. The various mechanisms are spelled out in great detail and elaborated in multiple recommendations.

Other recommendations call for mandating a percentage of government contracts to be exclusively awarded to Indigenous businesses. The report also calls for what would effectively be preferential hiring practices for Indigenous people in the upper levels of the Victorian public sector bureaucracy.

The recommendations do condemn and call for an end to the incarceration of Indigenous children and demand increases to Indigenous health, education and other social spending. However, none of this is connected to a demand for basic social services to be vastly improved for all working people.

And in virtually every area of the social crisis afflicting Indigenous people referenced in the recommendations, there is a demand for the establishment of Aboriginal-led entities to administer funds and oversee services. This, of course, would again enhance the opportunities for the Indigenous upper middle-class.

Conclusion

The striving of the Indigenous elite for ever greater privileges and integration into the corridors of corporate and state power must be viewed within its broader context.

Capitalism, globally and in every country, including Australia, is in a historic breakdown. The ruling classes everywhere are responding by hurtling to the right, with a program of militarism and war that threatens a global catastrophe, and an accompanying onslaught on the social and democratic rights of the working class.

Everywhere, there is an official promotion of far-right and fascistic forces and a turn to authoritarianism. The vast sums being allocated to the war machine and the underlying economic crisis, mean an offensive against the working class unprecedented in scale since the 1930s.

The Indigenous elite is coming forward, under these conditions, to present itself as a trusted and vital partner of capitalist governments that are on a collision course with the working class. Their role is to divide the working class by promoting the fraud that race, not class, is the fundamental distinction in society. They serve as a de facto police force over one of the most oppressed sections of the working class, Indigenous people, by walling off their struggles from other working people with racialist nostrums that blame everything on whites and white colonialism not capitalism.

The fawning over Victoria Premier Allan underscores these realities. The Labor leader has been a vociferous support of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. That has included sweeping moves to outlaw mass opposition, carried out in coordination with the federal Albanese government. Allans social policies, involving massive austerity measures on the one hand and handouts to big business on the other, can only be described as class war.

Members of the Indigenous elite have not only cooperated with governments carrying out such anti-working class policies, but have championed this right-wing program themselves. Among the most vociferous defenders of the genocide of Palestinians are prominent Indigenous representatives, such as University of Melbourne academic Marcia Langton who is extensively and uncritically cited in the report. Former Olympic athlete and Labor politician Nova Peris, who travels frequently to Israel, has completely aligned herself with its slaughter of the Palestinians. Others promoted the Northern Territory Interventionthe police-military occupation of Aboriginal areas and accompanying social attacks, including welfare quarantining.

All of this underscores the reality that class, not race or personal identity, is the fundamental division in society. Ordinary Indigenous people cannot defend their social rights and fight the horrendous conditions they face imposed on them without establishing their independence from the Aboriginal elite and its political representatives. That elite is committed to the very social order, capitalism, which is responsible for social hardships faced by most Indigenous people and the working class as a whole.

The only way forward is to unite the working class, irrespective of race and nationality, in a common political movement. Such a movement must be based on an implacable struggle against Labor and the entire capitalist political establishment. Its aim must be the bringing to power of the working class, in a revolutionary struggle that would place societys resources under public ownership and the democratic control of working people. In an epoch of world economy and world society, in which all problems from war to pandemics and economic crises present themselves in global terms, the fight for socialism can only go forward on an international scale. That underscores the thoroughly reactionary character of all forms of racialism and nationalism.
Picket lines outside Republic Services in Anaheim, California, July 11, 2025.

The strike by more than 2,000 Republic Services sanitation workers, now in its third week, is taking place in major cities from Boston to Los Angeles.

For the ruling elite, the strike is deeply alarming. Trash pickups have halted. Waste piles up on city streets, threatening public health. But this is not what most frightens the corporations and their political servants. The event is a sign of the growing social resistance of the working class. Its logic leads in the direction of a broad confrontation between the workers on one hand, and the corporate oligarchy, its political servants in the two parties and the pro-corporate trade union functionaries on the other.

The strike follows closely on the heels of the largest municipal workers strike in Philadelphia in nearly 40 years. There, too, sanitation workers played a major role, halting trash collection across the city. That strike could have served as a launching point for a far broader movement. But the AFSCME union deliberately isolated the strike and shut it down at the point when it was at its most powerful, in coordination with the Democratic administration of Mayor Cherelle Parker.

The same playbook is now being used by the Teamsters to suppress the fight at Republic. At Republic, the Teamsters have ordered workers back on the job at several key sites and are rushing to reach a deal before the strike can gain momentum.

On Monday, drivers in Orange County, California, were ordered back to work, with the union claiming the picket line was being relocated to Los Angeles. In reality, this was a concession to Republic and a signal that a sellout is being prepared. On Tuesday, the Teamsters announced it was resuming talks with managementanxious to ram through a deal before workers take control.

New information indicates that the strike is already being deliberately dismantled. An insider familiar with the situation reports that many of the barns (local facilities) are crossing the line, especially those under the jurisdiction of Local 396 in Southern California. The Anaheim yard, where 15 members of Local 952 had honored the extended picket line, has now been sent back to work by Local 952 Secretary-Treasurer Eric Jimenez.

In two additional yards under Local 396, all workers have crossed. Workers describe the extended picket line as falling apart under Local 396. That local is headed by Victor Mineros, a recently appointed Western Region Vice President under Teamsters General President Sean OBriens administration.

This provides a stark warning of the unions real rolenot in defending the strike but in sabotaging it.

This follows a familiar script. The unions stage limited strikes designed to generate publicity while minimizing disruption. That was the case in the 2023 United Auto Workers stand-up strike, which was deliberately kept narrow and harmless to avoid a serious challenge to auto industry profits.

That same year, the Teamsters claimed to be preparing a national strike at UPS, only to call it off and announce a contract which has since led to tens of thousands of job losses. While Republic workers are on strike, the Teamsters bureaucrats are pretending to oppose UPS driver buyouts in order to get out in front of and smother rank-and-file opposition.

The Teamsters were forced to initiate the strike because of growing anger from below. The conditions at Republic, which include poverty wages, unsafe working conditions and an inferior health plan, have become unbearable. But the bureaucracy never initiates a struggle. It only calls a strike when it fears losing control, then works to contain and demobilize it.

Tom Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25 in Boston, admitted as much when he said, We tried everything to get a settlement. We even proposed a delay in implementing our health insurance proposal. In other words, the union was not fighting but pleading, watering down its own demands in hopes of keeping a seat at the table. Even these concessions were rejected.

One of the unions central demands is for Republic to contribute to the Teamsters multi-employer health and welfare fund, rather than managing its own plan. For workers, this is motivated by their fight for better benefits. But for the bureaucracy, the union healthcare funds are a cash cow.

For decades, the unions have responded to declining membership and militancy by transforming themselves into financial entities. Through their control of pension funds, health and welfare trusts, strike funds and legal accounts, they manage enormous pools of capitalinvested on Wall Street and entangling them directly with the financial oligarchy.

The Teamsters are among the most deeply enmeshed in this process. Their Central States Pension Fund alone controlled over $41.7 billion by the end of 2023. In total, union-affiliated pension and benefit funds nationally manage trillions of dollars. While these funds do pay out benefits, they also function as a source of income for the union executives, who sit on boards with corporate and financial managers.

This has helped to fuse the union apparatus ever more tightly to finance capital. The role of the bureaucracy is not to organize opposition to exploitation but to manage it, to suppress resistance and guarantee uninterrupted profits.

The sabotage of the strike takes place under conditions where the Teamsters bureaucracy is moving ever more openly into alliance with Donald Trump and the far right. Teamsters President Sean OBrien has praised Trumps economic nationalism, backed his tariffs, and aligned with his campaigns anti-immigrant platform, under the lie that this defends American jobs. This nationalist orientation is the outcome of the pro-capitalist orientation of the bureaucracy.

But the backbone of this strike is composed of immigrant and first-generation workers, exposing the rottenness of the bureaucracys America First program. These workers do some of the most dangerous and indispensable labor in society. Their leading role in the strike is a living refutation of every reactionary claim that jobs can be defended by attacking migrants or aligning with trade war.

The politicians crying crocodile tears over public inconvenience care nothing for the lives of sanitation workers. Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Secretary of State William Galvin have urged Republic to resolve the strike, citing disruption. What they really fear is that the strike could spread and ignite a broader movement. Galvin even raised the prospect of state oversight of sanitation contractsa clear sign that ruling circles are worried about losing control.

And they have every reason to worry. The strike is being watched by nurses, teachers, public employees, logistics and warehouse workers and by the entire working class.

But for the combined power of the working class to be brought to bear, workers must break out of the straitjacket imposed by the union bureaucracy. That means building new organizationsrank-and-file committees to transfer control from the unaccountable bureaucrats to workers themselves, based on a strategy of class struggle, not collaboration with management.

These committees must unite workers across job sites, industries and regions. They must organize mass meetings, circulate information and prepare a joint offensive against Republic and corporate America in general.

This means turning outward to the working class as a whole in a political struggle. Every major sector, including healthcare, education, logistics and manufacturing, is mired in crisis. Workers face surging costs, falling real wages and intolerable conditions, while trillions are spent on imperialist war and corporate bailouts.

The potential exists for a general strike. But such a struggle demands new leadership, a new program and a complete fight against the pro-corporate union bureaucracy and the two parties of big business.
The Starmer Labour government and the Conservative opposition are rolling around in the mud over revelations of a military data leak potentially endangering thousands of Afghans, and a close to two-year-long superinjunction preventing the media from reporting the story in any way.

In February 2022, six months after the imperialist withdrawal from Afghanistan, a British soldier was asked to pass on 150 names of Afghans applying for asylum in the UK after the Talibans takeover to several contacts for verification. He mistakenly sent the entire database of 18,000 names. The list subsequently made its way to people in Afghanistan.

British soldiers storm a building in Afghanistan, 2007 [Photo by Defence Imagery / Flickr / CC BY-NC 4.0

It was only over a year later in August 2023when an Afghan with access to the list who had their asylum claim refused threatened to post the database onlinethat the British government even discovered the leak. The individual was contacted by the security services, had their asylum refusal reversed and is now in the UK.

The Taliban have said they secured the list in 2022, with a senior official telling the Telegraph, We got the list from the internet during the very first days when it was leaked, meaning the horse had already bolted as far as preventing any possible retribution.

But the then Conservative government nonetheless applied for an injunction to prevent press reporting of the story, claiming an ongoing threat of harm to those named in the list as an excuse for covering up the leak. Judge Robin Knowles granted a superinjunction, meaning even the existence of the injunction could not be reportedthe first such gagging order secured, or at least known to have been secured, by a UK government.

Breaching an injunction is contempt of court and carries a maximum sentence of two years or an unlimited fine.

Labours then Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey was informed of the situation in December 2023, with Keir Starmer apparently informed only upon taking office as prime minister in July last year.

Defence Secretary John Healey speaking at the Heads of Mission Conference at Lancaster House, July 1, 2025 [Photo by Rosie Hallam / MOD / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

From April 2024, the Conservative government began relocating some Afghans from the list to the UK under a top-secret Afghanistan Response Route. Nearly 4,500 people were brought to the UK this way by July 2025. They are still to be joined by another 2,500, with an expected cost of around 800 million in total.

Roughly 16,000 others affected by the leak have been resettled via publicly known schemes, which have brought just over 35,000 Afghans to the UK so farat a cost of roughly 7 billion.

The superinjunction was repeatedly extended by Mr. Justice Chamberlain on application from both the Tory and then the Labour government.

In January 2025, the Labour government commissioned a review into the secret asylum scheme. The report was filed in June, finding that the risks of the data leak were likely overstated and that the existence of the gagging order had possibly made matters worse by raising the cache of the named individuals in the eyes of the Taliban.

Chamberlain lifted the superinjunction, meant to last three months, on July 15 after 683 days. As late as July 7, the Starmer government was seeking to secure continuing restrictions on detailed reporting.

Both sides of the House of Commons launched into solemn disquisitions on mistakes made and attacks on the other sides incompetence, hypocrisy, lack of patriotism, etc. Meanwhile the media has lamented variouslydepending on political persuasionthe betrayal of the UKs Afghan allies, or of the British taxpayers lumbered with the cost of housing more asylum seekers.

Unacknowledged by all concerned is the fact that any harm resulting from the leak would have been only the latest blood spilled in a war jointly pursued by Labour and Tory governments, at the cost of up to 250,000 lives lost directly as result of the fighting, and countless more indirectly.

Labour are making the most of the fact that the leak happened on the Tory governments watch, but it was Tony Blairs Labour government which in 2001 launched the war together with US President George W. Bush and their NATO alliesjustified with the lie that dismantling al-Qaeda and its host, the Taliban, would advance the cause of democracy and human rights.

Two decades and trillions of dollars later, the War on Terror left Afghanistan as one of the poorest countries in the world. It was handed back to the Taliban as the corrupt and reviled puppet government of Ashraf Ghani collapsed.

The occupation was such a debacle for the imperialist powers that the agreement to withdraw US and allied forcesinitially proposed by Donald Trump but initiated by President Biden in May 2021left thousands of their former allies to their fate.

In his response to the latest revelations, Healey plumbed new depths of hypocrisy by simultaneously touting promises kept while pledging to put a stop the secret resettlement scheme: From today, there will be no new ARR [Afghanistan Response Route] offers of relocation to Britain. From today, the route is closed.

Thanks to Labours policy decisions that we have taken compared with simply continuing the policy and schemes that we inherited, the taxpayer will pay 1.2 billion less over the period, about 9,500 fewer Afghans will come to this country.

This is the savagery of the imperialist ruling class at its most brazen; even their military collaborators fall foul of the governments vicious anti-migrant and cost-cutting campaigns.

The decision follows the exposure of repeated interventions by the UKs special forces to deny thousands of asylum applications from members of the Afghan special forces, for fear of what they could reveal about British war crimes committed in Afghanistan.

Similar concerns also motivated the superinjunction, which prevented even the Afghans on the list from being informed of the leak. Also named were more than 100 British citizens, including MI6 agents and members of the UK special forcesamong them, according to the Telegraph, a major-general and a brigadier.

To protect these assets, and spare the governments blushes, the public were kept in the dark utilising draconian legal restrictions. The anti-democratic precedent is obvious. No one knows whether other superinjunctions are presently in force, nor will they know whether another is implemented in future. And once again the courts were the enforcers of this blanket censorship, not guardians against it.

When he finally lifted the injunction, Chamberlain said it was fundamentally objectionable for decisions that affect the lives and safety of thousands of human beings, and involve the commitment of billions of pounds of public money, to be taken in circumstances where they are completely insulated from public debate.

But that was just as true nearly two years ago as it was this Tuesday.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) calls on workers and residents to unite against the Victorian Labor governments plan to demolish 44 Melbourne public housing towers. We are holding a public meeting, in Melbourne and online, to discuss how to take forward this struggle. It is titled: Ban Labors demolition of Melbournes public housing towers! Fight for a socialist housing program!

WHEN: 3:00 p.m., Sunday 27 July

WHERE: Supper Room, Kensington Town Hall, 30-34 Bellair Street, Kensington VIC 3031

Or join online on Zoom.

The demolitions will displace about 10,000 people from more than 6,600 homes. This is the largest destruction of public housing in Australias history. We urge residents and workers to form rank-and-file committees to organise resistance, independent of the trade unions and parliamentary parties.

Time is of the essence. The first five towers are set to be demolished this year. Two have already been emptied. Labor aims to rid valuable inner-city real estate of workers and the poor to create new profit opportunities for property developers and parasitic financiers.

Many displaced residents are migrant families, elderly or disabled. They are being forced to relocate to the citys fringes, severing their ties to jobs, schools and communities. Even the promised right of return has been undermined, while rent caps are set to rise and security of tenure decline.

The SEP condemns the role of the CFMEU and other unions, which have occasionally made vague criticisms of the demolitions, while refusing to mobilise their members to halt the demolitions. The unions, tightly integrated with the Labor Party and the capitalist state, are actively suppressing opposition. Meanwhile, the Greens and fake left organisations like Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative are attempting to channel opposition to Labors plan behind useless appeals to parliament.

The SEPs perspective is the opposite of this illusion.

To stop the destruction of public housing, workers will have to take matters into their own hands. Through rank-and-file committees, building workers can fight for a sector-wide ban on demolition work at the towers, as well as broader actions against those companies involved in the destructive operation, and the Labor government itself.

The SEP proposes as initial demands to be fought for by rank-and-file committees of residents and workers:

* Halt the demolition! Hands off public housing! Invest public funds to upgrade and refurbish all public housing.

* Expropriate vacant investment properties that are being hoarded for profitmake these available to the homeless.

* Cap rents and mortgage repayments to 25 percent of a familys income.

* Allocate billions of dollars for the construction of new high-quality public housing to provide for those currently on waiting lists and everyone in dire need of secure housing.

The attack on housing is part of a wider assault on workers rights and social services amid a global push by capitalist governments for war and austerity.

In Victoria, Labor is sacking thousands of public sector workers and withholding billions of dollars in funding for schools, to make the working class pay for the state budget deficit. The demolitions are one plank of this agenda. Similar measures are being carried out in other states, including a parallel destruction of public housing by the New South Wales Labor government in the inner-Sydney suburb of Waterloo.

Nationally, Labors housing policy is entirely geared to the interests of the property developers and the banks. While hundreds of billions are being made available for the military, for preparations for war against China, and the ultra-wealthy are richer than ever before, Labor claims there is no money to address the massive cost-of-living and social crisis afflicting ordinary people.

That underscores the reality that workers can only defend their social rights, through a political struggle against the Labor governments, the entire political establishment and the capitalist system they defend. The only way to secure the right to decent, affordable housing for all is through a frontal assault on the wealth of the banks and the major corporations.

That means a fight for socialism, and the establishment of a workers government which would reorganise society to meet social need, not private profit.

Join our meeting to discuss how you can become involved in this struggle. Invite your friends, family, co-workers and classmates!
Mohamed Rifai Mohamed Suhail, a young Muslim man arbitrarily detained for nine months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), was finally granted bail on Tuesday by a local magistrates court. His case starkly exposes the repressive methods long employed by successive Sri Lankan governments and the police.

Mohamed Rifai Mohamed Suhail [Photo: Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka]

Suhail, 21, an aviation student from Mawanella100 kilometres from Colombowas initially arrested on October 23 last year in Dehiwala. Police claimed he had pasted an anti-Israeli sticker on a wall near the Israeli consulate and arrested him for not carrying his national identity card.

Although Suhail was released after his father produced the ID card, he was re-arrested shortly afterward at his home in Mawanella under the PTA. Police alleged that he had posted an Instagram photo showing the Israeli flag being trampled.

On July 9, the Officer-in-Charge of the Dehiwala Police informed the Mount Lavinia Magistrates Court that they had found no evidence against Suhail and had no objection to granting him bail. Magistrate Hemali Halpandeniya questioned why Suhail had been detained for so long under the PTA despite the absence of evidence. Police had no answer.

Halpandeniya explained, however, that a magistrate has no authority to grant bail under the PTA without the Attorney Generals (AG) approval. Police claimed they had requested the AGs instructions on May 27 but had not received a response. This underscores the blatant disregard by law enforcement for citizens democratic rights.

When Suhail appeared in court on Tuesday, he was released on personal bail of 500,000 rupees (US$1,665). Despite the police admitting they had found no evidence, the case was postponed to September 16, raising concerns that Suhail may continue to face harassment and intimidation.

This is the second such case, following the arrest of another Muslim youth, Mohammed Rusdi, by the Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) in Colombo on March 22. He was detained under the PTA for allegedly pasting stickers condemning Israels attacks on Gaza. The stickers reportedly read: Against Israels atrocities on innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza and The majority of the victims are women and children.

Rusdi was granted bail by the Attanagalla Magistrates Court on April 7, after two weeks in detention. His release followed widespread condemnation from human rights organisations both locally and internationally. Despite the lack of clear evidence, Rusdi was placed under strict bail conditions, including weekly reporting to the CTID, mandatory notification of any change of residence, and prior approval for religious or international travel.

On June 12, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) issued a statement declaring that Rusdis detention violated his constitutional rights, including equality before the law, freedom from discrimination based on race or religion, and the presumption of innocence. The HRCSL also highlighted the racial profiling involved in his case, stating that the CTID had subjected Mr. Rusdia 22-year-old Muslim citizento racial profiling.

It further noted that the factors used to suggest Rusdi had been radicalisedsuch as being distant from his parents, experiencing personal struggles, and expressing outrage over global eventswould not have been considered problematic if he were not Muslim.

The HRCSL recommended that the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security pay 200,000 rupees in compensation to Rusdi by July 15. It also urged the government to implement nine recommendations related to the arrest of individuals and to submit a report on the progress of these implementations by the same date.

The government has yet to issue an official response to the HRCSL or confirm whether Rusdi will be compensated.

While the HRCSL is regarded as independent, its chairperson is appointed by the Sri Lankan president upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The Commission lacks legal authority to enforce its recommendations.

Rusdis detention order, signed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Defence Minister, was leaked to the media and circulated online.

President Dissanayake later justified the detention during a local election rally in Samanthurai, a Muslim-majority town in the Eastern Province. He claimed that propaganda by various extremist organisations was being spread via YouTube and social media, adding that our children have been caught up and had even become self-motivated. He also claimed to have met Rusdis parents, saying they were thankful their child had been saved from that destruction. Rusdis parents, in fact, had filed a complaint with the HRCSL.

Under the PTA, the defence ministerin this case, President Dissanayakemust personally authorise detention orders.

These actions underscore the Dissanayake governments alignment with the United States and its desire to maintain friendly ties with Israel. Sri Lanka continues its military cooperation with the US, and Israel remains a key supplier of military hardware and a destination for Sri Lankan migrant workers.

Last month, when Israel launched a military assault on Iran and the US bombed Iranian civilian nuclear sites, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath issued a weak, three-sentence statement that avoided naming any country, merely calling for de-escalation in the Middle East.

During last years elections, Dissanayake and his partythe Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National Peoples Power (JVP/NPP)posed as champions of democracy, promising equal treatment for all communities and pledging to abolish the PTA. That promise was abandoned upon taking office, with the government now directing police to be vigilant about Islamic terrorism targeting Israelis. Meanwhile, hundreds of Israeli tourists continue to visit Sri Lanka.

Clarifying the governments position, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara stated in June that an anti-terrorism law is essential, claiming it was necessary to confront global terrorist challenges. He added that the government intended to repeal the PTA but replace it with new, broader anti-terrorism legislation.

Amid growing public outrage over its IMF-imposed austerity policies, the government has not only refused to repeal the PTA but is expanding police powers. Police numbers are increasing, and forces are being equipped with more advanced weaponry. In line with its shift toward increasingly autocratic rule, the Dissanayake administration has mobilised police forces to harass, intimidate, and physically assault workers and students.
Casen Garcia with his infant son [Photo: Allison Rose from Facebook]

Three years after 22-year-old Casen Garcia died in horrific conditions at the Tyson Foods meatpacking plant in Joslin, Illinois, his family continues to fight for answers.

In a new interview with the World Socialist Web Site, Casens mother Allison reveals new information she has uncovered about her sons tragic, completely unnecessary and preventable death. In the face of a total coverup by Tyson, complete silence from the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and a wall of state obstruction, Allison has received critical information and support from one crucial source: Casens coworkers.

As she continues her fight, she has drawn inspiration from and declared support for the investigation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) into the recent death of autoworker Ronald Adams Sr. at the Stellantis Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan. Allison called on workers to come forward with information about Ronalds death: If you know anything that could help, even in the smallest way... The smallest thing could be what it is that brings it all out.

The death of Casen Garcia

Casen Garcia died on July 9, 2022 while working in the rendering basement of the Tyson Joslin plant, a section he had described to his mother as so incredibly dangerous and unsanitary that other workers had refused to work there and were fired.

As Allison explained to the WSWS in 2022, in the badly-ventilated basement, they have barrels of rotting carcasses that are supposed to be cleaned out every week, that have been sitting there for months, that have methane gas coming off of them. Other hazards included faulty electrical wiring that caused a metal door handle to badly shock workers who touched it.

Workers who knew Casen reported that the day he died he had been working for over three hours in temperatures that can reach up to 130 degrees.

Message and photo Allison received from Casen's co-worker explaining the unsafe conditions he was made to work in.

Before Casen died, He radioed management, saying his chest hurt and he was having a hard time breathing. And this manager told him, Oh, youre young, youre fine, walk it off. My son collapsed right after that. The person who saw him hit the ground tried getting off production, and was yelled at by management to get back onto production.

From the outset, Tyson has actively sought to hide the circumstances of Casens death. Initially, management falsely told Allison that her son was found dead in his truck in the parking lot, not knowing she had dropped him off and his truck was broken down at home, nowhere near the plant.

Conditions in the Tyson Joslin plant

Three years later, not once have I heard from the [UFCW] union, Allison says. All the information she has received has been provided by Casens courageous coworkers. As she told the WSWS in 2022, They all reached out to me. Within two days, I had about 45 phone numbers. These people have hearts! They know Tyson is in the wrong and they know what happened to my son These people are putting themselves and their lives and their jobs at risk to make it known that Tyson is absolutely at fault for my sons death.

New information uncovered, and new obstacles

In her relentless pursuit of the truth, Allison has now uncovered evidence suggesting Casen may have inhaled a deadly combination of chemicals produced by the conditions in the plant. My son shows all the signs of hydrogen cyanide, which is what ammonia and the methane that comes off the rotting carcasses produces when its together and its heated.

Improperly disposed waste in the Tyson plant.

But proving the presence of these chemicals in Casens system has remained out of reach. If you want to have those tests done, you have to go through a private lab, which is very, very costly, she explained.

The official OSHA report states simply that the healthy 22-year-old died from a Cardiac Event. None of the dangerous and unsanitary conditions are mentioned in the report and cynically, the death case is filed under the Natural Causes category.

Allison recalled a conversation with an OSHA investigator who sympathetically told her, Allison, I know Tyson killed your kid. I just have to figure out how, but just days later the investigator was removed from the case and the investigation was arbitrarily closed.

Damaged cable in the Tyson plant held together with tape.

In one of the most damning new revelations, Allison learned that the manager on duty the night Casen died had previously had a personal conflict with her son, and Tyson claimed to have implemented an order of protection that stipulated the two were not to work together at the plant. Yet this same manager was in charge of Casens unit and, according to coworkers, was overriding Casens radio calls for help as he suffered from chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Whats really hard for me to get past, is the fact that my sons calls for help were being overridden by the manager. And it just so happens that that manager had an order of protection, she said.

Tyson is also refusing to release Casens life insurance benefits, claiming for three years that they cannot find the policy. Allison says that she personally helped him fill out his policy when he first took the job.

Casen and Allison with family members.

Her attempts to sue corporate behemoth Tyson, Americas largest meatpacking company, have likewise been sidelined. After she had done the exhaustive work of gathering evidence and witness contacts, the attorneys she was working with suddenly told her that taking her case wasnt in their best interest.

When I tried to file a suit to hold somebody liable for this, all the attorneys had originally stated I basically did their job for them because I had put together everything. Then when I went back after I got the second autopsy report back, they said that it wasnt in their best interest to take the case. And that was that. And anyone Ive tried speaking to... unless we have the lab tests done, which I obviously cant afford, nobody wants to take the case.

Allison supports the Ronald Adams investigation

As Allison and the meatpacking workers in Joslin continue to fight to expose the horrific conditions that lead to Casen Garcias death, rank-and-file workers in Michigan have also launched their own investigation into the death of autoworker Ronald Adams Sr.

Ronald Adams Sr., a 63-year-old machine repairman, was crushed to death by an automated crane at the Stellantis Dundee Engine Plant on April 7, 2025. The plant is now running at full capacity with three shifts, but the Stellantis and the UAW have told workers nothing as they conduct their own coverup investigation behind workers backs.

Everything is very similar, Allison said. The companies all seem to have the same escape path when something happens. And they always somehow put it back on the workers. They just throw them aside like theyre cattle, one goes down, the next ones coming up, she said. And the workers, if it wasnt for them, I would have been in a dead stop from the beginning. Like, I would never have even known to continue to ask questions.

Allison issued a powerful appeal to workers at Stellantis who may have information about the death of Ronald Adams: If you know anything that could help, even in the smallest way. The smallest thing could be what it is that brings it all out. Even if you only heard a friend tell you a story about what happened, you need to put it out there. Because the families like mine, we wont have answers. I dont think any family should have to go the rest of their life wondering what happened. When on this earth did it become wrong to tell the truth?

We need to link up: Open letter to family of 19 year-old killed in meat grinder

Shortly after the interview with Allison was held the WSWS became aware that another young meatpacking worker was killed on the job while cleaning a meat grinder that was suddenly turned on. The 19-year-old California worker is yet another worker death that was entirely preventable.

After Allison was informed of the death in California she submitted the following statement to the WSWS addressed to the family of the young worker and his co-workers:

To the family of the 19-year-old taken too soon in California, and to the brave workers at that plant, My heart aches for you. What you are going through, the pain you must feel, is a grief I know all too well. My son, Casen Garcia, was just 22 years old when he was killed at the Tyson Foods plant in Joslin, Illinois. He went to work, like your loved one did, and never came home. They will call it an accident. They will try to tell you it was unavoidable. But from one grieving parent to another, and from one family suffering to another, I tell you with absolute certainty: these are not accidents. These are preventable tragedies that happen because companies prioritize their profits over our childrens lives, over our safety, over our very existence. To the workers in California, You are now living with a loss that could have been prevented. You are working in conditions where another young life was stolen. Do not let them silence you or make you believe this is just how it is. You have the right to a safe workplace. You have the right to demand that no one else suffers this fate. What happened to your co-worker, and what happened to my Casen, are part of the same fight. The same corporate greed, the same disregard for human life, spans across plants, across states, and across industries. Thats why we, the workers and the families affected, must stand together. We are here in Illinois, still fighting for justice for Casen. Workers in Detroit and across the country are facing similar battles. You can learn more about the situation in Detroit and the critical issues facing autoworkers by watching this video below. We need to link up. We need to share our stories, our strength, and our determination. They want us divided, but our power lies in our unity. There is an important meeting where you can learn more and join the fight for workers rights and safety: Click here for information on the Rank-and-File Investigation into the death of Autoworker Ronald Adams. Let us turn our grief into a relentless demand for change. Let us make sure that no other family has to endure this heartbreak. We owe it to Casen, to the young man in California, and to every worker whose life is put at risk for corporate profit. We are with you.

The World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees urge all workers to contact us with information about the deaths of Ronald Adams Sr., Casen Garcia, or unsafe conditions at another workplace.
by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A sudden eruption of violence in Syria's southern province of Sweida has triggered a complex and escalating crisis, exposing the deep fragility of Syria's stability just six months after the collapse of the previous government and sending shockwaves across the region.

Over the past week, Sweida has witnessed some of the deadliest intra-Syrian clashes in years. The fighting, initially sparked by a local dispute between the Druze community and Bedouin tribesmen, quickly escalated into a full-blown urban conflict involving Syrian government forces.

By Thursday, nearly 600 people were reported killed, including dozens of civilians and hundreds of fighters from all sides, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

As tensions escalated, Israel, which portrayed itself as a protector of the Druze community in Syria, launched a series of airstrikes, targeting Syrian military sites in Damascus and Sweida.

State-run SANA news agency said one of the latest raids hit the outskirts of Sweida city on Thursday, following earlier strikes that reached, for the first time, as far as the Defense Ministry compound in the heart of Damascus.

While Israel said the attacks were to protect the Druze population and deter a military buildup near its border, analysts view them as part of a broader strategic recalibration.

FROM LOCAL SKIRMISH TO GEOPOLITICAL TINDERBOX

What began as a dispute between local armed groups quickly drew in the Syrian government forces, which wanted to restore control over Sweida, a province that was largely outside the government's grip even during the time of Bashar al-Assad's rule.

The Druze fighters, affiliated with various sheikhs and influential clerics, have long been managing local security, while the previous government maintained only a minimal presence in official institutions.

The new authorities sought to reestablish control over Sweida as part of a broader effort to assert authority over areas that had remained outside the control of both the previous and current governments.

The army launched a large-scale operation to regain control of Sweida, sparking intense street battles, particularly with fighters loyal to Sheikh Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, who refused to surrender weapons.

His resistance stemmed largely from deep mistrust, given the new authorities' past affiliations with jihadist groups before the ouster of Assad.

Field reports and witness testimonies collected by SOHR in Sweida painted a grim picture of the situation clouded by summary executions, attacks on hospitals, and siege-like conditions for Bedouin communities. Many families fled their homes amid fears of sectarian retaliation.

On Wednesday, under U.S.-Arab mediation, Damascus agreed to a ceasefire and withdrew its troops to deescalate the situation, particularly after Israel intensified its attacks and threatened more.

"We were faced with two options: open war with Israel, risking our Druze brethren and national stability, or allowing local leaders to come to their senses and prioritize the national interest. We chose the latter," Syrian interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa said in a televised speech on Thursday.

On the same day, the authorities accused local armed elements of violating the truce and committing atrocities, and reiterated their commitment to restoring state authority and holding violators accountable, while warning against ongoing Israeli "aggression" and foreign attempts to exploit the situation.

ISRAEL'S EVOLVING STRATEGY

While Israel cited the protection of the Druze community to justify its strikes, regional observers point to deeper motives.

Maged Botros, a political science professor at Helwan University, said the strikes were part of a longer-term Israeli strategy to redraw influence zones in Syria.

"Israel aims to create a buffer zone in southern Syria by sowing division among factions and portraying the new Syrian leadership as hostile to minorities like the Druze," he said.

Political analyst Wael Alwan, speaking to SOHR, said Israel may be trying to pressure the Syrian government to prevent the establishment of a heavy military presence near its border.

"These strikes send a signal that Israel won't tolerate a return of Syrian or Iranian-aligned forces to the south," he said.

Others believe Israel is seizing the moment to derail any political normalization efforts with Damascus.

Amatzia Baram, a Middle East politics professor at the University of Haifa, told local media that recent violence disrupted tentative dialogue between Israel and Syria and complicated Israeli outreach to the new leadership in Damascus.

The Israeli strikes have sparked criticism across the region. The Arab League condemned them as a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty, accusing Tel Aviv of exploiting the unrest for geopolitical gain.

Egypt warned the attacks would inflame regional tensions.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called for unity among Syrians and urged Lebanese Druze to avoid internal polarization.

Ankara, which has traditionally balanced its position in Syrian affairs, warned against Israeli attempts to derail a post-conflict consensus in Syria.

Turkish analysts said Israel's strikes could challenge Ankara's efforts to lead a diplomatic response and stabilize the region.

Batu Coskun, a non-resident fellow at the UAE-based TRENDS Research and Advisory, noted that "neither Israel nor Turkiye wants direct confrontation," but both are heavily invested in Syria's future.

"Ankara is using all channels to prevent escalation, seeing Syria's fate as key to its national security," he said.

The United States has said that it did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria and had made clear its displeasure, while calling on the Syrian government to lead the path forward.

"Regarding Israel's intervention and activity...the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes," U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday.

"We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states," she said.

FRAGILE CEASEFIRE, UNCERTAIN PATH FORWARD

Although a ceasefire has technically been in place since Wednesday, the situation on the ground remains fragile. Israeli jets continue to operate in the area, and local militias still hold positions in Sweida.

The risk of renewed violence is high, particularly as Arab tribes from northern and eastern Syria have threatened retaliation over the hostilities against Bedouin communities in Sweida.

The conflict has highlighted the challenges facing Syria's new leadership, which is struggling to assert control across a fragmented landscape.

The Syrian interim authorities are now grappling to assert control over all of Syria at a time when mistrust and lack of confidence are preventing such a goal.

At the same time, Israel's backlash poses a major obstacle, which is undermining talks between Israel and Syria that have been reported recently as part of the plan to reach a peace agreement in the near future.

As Syria stands at a crossroads, regional and international actors are maneuvering to shape its future through diplomacy, deterrence, or force. For now, the people of Sweida remain trapped between foreign interests, fractured alliances, and the lingering scars of war.

"This latest crisis exposes the deep contradictions of post-Assad Syria," said Baram, the professor at the University of Haifa.

"Damascus wants unity, Israel wants influence, and the region is watching closely. What happens in Sweida will echo far beyond its borders," he noted. 
The devastating five-alarm fire that ripped through the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, has now claimed its tenth victim, Brenda Cropper, 66, who succumbed to her injuries after being hospitalized in critical condition. This tragic event, which also left dozens injured and two still in critical condition as of Thursday, has exposed profound questions about the safety, oversight and underfunding of facilities housing vulnerable populations, as well as critical understaffing within the citys emergency services.

A preventable catastrophe

While the fires origin and cause remain under investigation, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon stated that the flames broke out in a room on the facilitys second floor and said he was convinced that there was nothing intentional about this fire. The Bristol County District Attorneys Office also stated the cause does not appear to be suspicious. However, this official narrative immediately runs up against serious concerns regarding the facilitys operations and emergency preparedness.

Eyewitness accounts from firefighters paint a harrowing picture. They described seeing faces in windows and having to decide who they needed to rescue amid heavy black smoke, flames blowing out the front door, and residents trapped in their rooms. Chief Bacon himself, overcome with emotion, stated there was no doubt in my mind that the fire was destined to kill 50-plus people and lauded his firefighters heroic efforts in saving countless lives. This stark assessment underscores the extreme danger faced by the 70 residents of the assisted living facility, many of whom were non-ambulatory, disabled or suffering from chronic health conditions.

An investigator takes measurements Monday, July 14, 2025, near an entrance to the Gabriel House assisted living facility following a fire that started late Sunday in Fall River, Massachusetts. [AP Photo/Steven Senne]

Gabriel House, which opened in 1999 and featured older-looking carpeting and furniture, was an assisted living residence, a distinction that subjected it to a different, potentially less rigorous, inspection and regulatory process than Massachusetts nursing homes. The record of the facility, which is up for recertification in November 2025, reveals alarming deficiencies in its operation.

Violations at Gabriel House

During its last onsite visit in October 2023, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence found Gabriel House was not in compliance with state regulations. These alleged violations, which primarily concerned missing documentation, posed critical safety risks to residents.

The residence reportedly did not consistently document for each 24-hour period in the Correspondence Log and failed to use it to communicate all significant or pertinent information necessary to maintain the continuity of care for all Residents.

Documentation for monitoring the effectiveness of its Evidence Informed Falls Prevention Program was missing for all calendar years. Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the senior population.

Personnel records for three employees were missing documentation of pre-employment physical examinations.

A plan of correction was submitted and a certificate issued in December 2023, allowing the assisted living facilitys continued operation, but violations reveal that a tragedy was waiting to happen.

A former certified nursing assistant, Jenn Marley, who worked at Gabriel House in 2018 and 2019, told the New York Times she never saw staff perform fire drills. She noted that despite a population including many older patients with mobility limitations who used walkers, wheelchairs or scooters, employees were simply told, Theres an evacuation plan posted on the wall. This alleged negligence highlights a critical failure in preparing residents for an emergency.

Displaced residents and relatives reported substandard conditions at Gabriel House. A nearby restaurant owner told the Boston Globe that the building was known as unsafe and filthy inside, with patrons having previously called the city about poor conditions to no avail. Some individuals familiar with the property also noted that residents had smoked indoors, despite regulations forbidding it.

Understaffed fire department

The tragedy has brought into sharp focus the long-standing issue of understaffing within the Fall River Fire Department, a problem that union officials explicitly stated could have cost more lives, ABC news reports.

Fall River fire companies were operating below national standards. The National Fire Protection Association recommends four firefighters per fire engine, but Fall River typically operated with only three. For about 20 years, only two of the citys 10 fire trucks met the minimum staffing standard of four firefighters.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, asserted that proper staffing would have meant eight more firefighters on scene, CBS Boston reports. He emphasized that the staffing issues in Fall River arent just a Fall River problem but are widespread across Massachusetts and beyond, arguing against having the conversation after the tragedy.

Days after the fire, Mayor Paul Coogan announced at a press conference an agreement to increase fire department staffing, adding $1.5 million to the budget. As of Wednesday, July 16, this meant six trucks would now have four firefighters, up from two. The city plans to hire 1520 additional firefighters over the next two years, though Fire Chief Bacon noted the hiring and training process takes 9 to 12 months, with overtime filling the gaps in the interim.

While Chief Bacon initially questioned whether more personnel would have saved more lives, he later acknowledged that increased staffing would enable faster fire suppression efforts, faster rescues, and allow our firefighters to work safer, which in turn makes every citizen of the city safer.

In addition to the 10th fatality, Brenda Cropper (66), the victims include Rui Albernaz (64), Ronald Codega (61), Margaret Duddy (69), Robert King (78), Kim Mackin (71), Richard Rochon (78), Eleanor Willett (86), and Joseph Wilansky (77); one 70-year-old woman remains unidentified. Their lives were tragically cut short in a city ravaged by industrial decline.

Fall River, once a leading hub of textile manufacturing, is one of Massachusetts poorest cities, with over 20 percent of its population living below the poverty line and a median household income roughly half the states median.

These dire economic conditions are directly linked to the conditions at Gabriel House. More than 75 percent of its residents were on MassHealth, the states Medicaid plan. Fall River residents have been shaken by the tragedy, voicing concerns that these elderly residents lacked financial support and could not afford better care. Eleanor Willett, one of the victims, reportedly chose Gabriel House because it allowed her to save money to play casino slots, as she earned too much for Medicaid but not enough for higher-priced assisted living, local PBS station GHB reports.

The Trump administrations Big Beautiful Bill is projected to cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid spending over the next decade, comprising the majority of the overall health spending cuts in the legislation. The bill includes historic cuts to Medicaid that include work requirements, changes to provider taxes that states use to fund Medicaid services and higher out-of-pocket fees for enrollees.

According to Jeanne Delgado, vice president of government affairs with the American Senior Housing Association, these cuts could cause states to rebalance or review their long-term care spending, including funding for home and community-based services that cover some of the costs of assisted living.

The preventable tragedy at Gabriel House demonstrates the potential suffering posed to vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, by the savage cuts to social programs relied upon by millions. At the same time, Trumps bill allocates $170 billion for immigration and border enforcement, targeting millions of undocumented immigrantsas well as permanent residents and citizenswith its ICE Gestapo roundups and detention. The 2017-era tax breaks for the super-rich are also preserved.

A social system that relegates its senior citizens, after a life of work and caring for their families, to wretched conditions such as those at Gabriel House has outlived its usefulness and deserves to perish.
Police riot troops deploy against miners blocking the Pan-American Highway in Peru's southern Nazca Province. [Photo: ANDINA/Genry Bautista]

Since July 11, riot police have been clearing roads blocked by Peruvian artisanal and informal miners, who are demanding the repeal of REINFO, the Comprehensive Registry of Mining Formalization, which is set to expire on December 31, 2025. They claim that it has imposed bureaucratic hurdles that prevent legal registration, forcing many to operate outside the law.

Violent confrontations have resulted in at least one death and many injuries. After a week of protests outside Congress, artisanal and informal miners were met with violence from police using tear gas to disperse them from Limas Abancay Avenue. The police then closed the avenue. The miners have since relocated to Parque Universitario, half a mile away, while continuing their protest with banners.

The road blockades, which began on July 4, have affected major highways in the departments of La Libertad, Ica, Arequipa, Cuzco and Ayacucho, with over 300 vehicles stranded in Arequipa and around 2,000 buses stuck near Nazca (Ica). Protesters have used burning tires and rocks to block traffic, resulting in injuries, including of a child and a man with facial injuries.

Over one thousand tourists canceled sight-seeing flights over the Nazca Lines, a group of pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into desert sands, and a mother with her children had to walk for hours to continue their journey to Talara, located in Perus northernmost area, and paying 300 soles. A tragic incident occurred on July 8 when a truck driver drove off a cliff while trying to navigate around the blockades.

Interprovincial transportation companies in Lima suspended services to the affected regions, and the prices of some food products increased by 30 to 60 percent due to supply uncertainties.

The most violent clash with the police occurred in Chala, Arequipa, where miners initially dispersed them by throwing rocks and using sticks. After regrouping, police cleared the Panamericana Sur highway with tear gas and rubber bullets. Tragically, 27-year-old civilian Alexander Checa was killed by police gunfire.

This week, the government announced a 60-day dialogue, hoping for an end to the roadblocks. La Republica reports that, despite claims of goodwill from both sides, no consensus is in sight.

Artisanal mining involves manual work with basic tools, often in impoverished areas. Informal labor circumvents some legal requirements without violating laws, whereas illegal labor operates outside the law.

Gold mining is vital to Peru's economy, accounting for 32 percent of the country's mineral exports. In 2024, formal mining operations accounted for US$8.5 billion in gold exports (60 percent), while informal, artisanal and illegal mining combined accounted for US$6.8 billion (40 percent), mostly from illegal mining operations.

Nationally, nearly 300,000 are directly or indirectly involved in the illegal/artisanal/informal gold-mining sector. Larger illegal mining operations often involve criminal networks that evade government regulations and use violence to protect their interests. Particularly in Madre de Dios, a remote department in Perus southeastern Amazon basin with extensive gold-rich rivers, areas have been turned into a no-man's land, where unregulated mining has caused severe ecological damage, polluting rivers with mercury and other toxic materials. Indigenous leaders report that the criminal groups kidnap children for labor and exploit girls for prostitution.

The income of artisanal/informal miners varies widely, estimated between US$800 (2,850 soles) per month, and US$1,200 (4,250 soles) approximately the salary of a skilled construction worker. The informal miners work without any health or other benefits.

After the failure to extend the REINFO program and the rejection of the MAPE (Small and Artisanal Mining) law, a last-minute proposal that would benefit just 86,000 artisanal miners, President Dina Boluarte claimed, Only illegal miners are on the streets, and falsely asserted that protesters do not seek legalization.

Criminalizing the artisanal miner protests is part of Boluartes broader repressive agenda that increasingly aligns her with extreme-right leaders like Javier Milei in Argentina and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. While the government invokes criminal gangs and environmental concerns to justify the repression, the gold-mining operations run by criminal gangs enjoy protection from powerful officials and the police.

Maximo Franco, president of the Mining Confederation (Confemin), declared the government has taken a measure without understanding the reality of artisanal miners.

As usual, the government showed a double face. Prime Minister Eduardo Arana calls for dialogue, while threatening that the protest will not be allowed to affect air travel or trade in the country. Six hundred troops had already been deployed to conflict zones.

The situation underscores Perus complex political landscape, where mining accounts for nearly two-thirds (63.9 percent) of the country's US$75.9 billion exports. Although Peru is the third-largest exporter of copper worldwide and the largest gold producer in South America, the REINFO program had registered only about 1,100 miners by June 2025, which amounts to 2 percent of the total applicants. The formal mining sector employs over 254,000 people as of April 2025.

The REINFO program is beset by obstacles for miners, from the inability of miners to secure contracts from land owners, to the lack of clear regulations on surface mining and environmental management and the difficulty of miners in remote areas obtaining authorization from the Ministry of Energy and Mining in Lima.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is Perus high level of inequality, particularly in education. Many artisanal and informal miners are former peasants seeking better incomes in mining and lack the education required to comply with the REINFO regulations. Thus, ultimately, REINFO acts as a stumbling block.

The current situation benefits formal miners and the significant investments made by multinational corporations. At the same time, it drives artisanal and informal miners, who do not meet the required qualifications, into illegal mining. As frustration mounted among these miners, they chose to take action.

The failed attempt to pass the MAPE law highlights the Peruvian bourgeoisies inability to govern democratically and its fear of a nationwide uprising, leading them to rely on the police and military to suppress miners' protests..

Sympathy for the miners plight is widespread, as it was with the transport strikes against extortionist mafias and the murders of drivers and other workers, and conditions are increasingly favorable for a nationwide general strike. In both cases, however, the protests have included illusions that the government can be pushed to act in the interests of workers, this is false. The state represents the interests of the ruling class, which includes big mining companies. Historically, the government has ignored the needs of poor peasants and small miners, especially those living in the Southern Andes and the jungle regions.

President Boluarte is one of the most unpopular political figures in Peru, and for good reason. Recently, she raised her salary from 15,600 to 35,568 soles per month (US$10,020), even as 27.6 percent of the population lives in povertyabout 9.4 million people. A low-income family of four survives on just 1,784 soles (US$502) a month, meaning Boluarte earns what 20 such families do.

While miners were blocking roads, citizens protested her salary increase during the inauguration of the 9 de Julio school in Junin. In response, Boluarte criticized the miners without proposing any solutions, claiming that the protesters were not seeking formalization but wanted to operate outside the law.

When Boluarte arrived in Iquitos for the closing of the VIII Regional State Council, nearly a thousand construction workers from the CGTP confronted her, expressing their dissatisfaction and unresolved grievances. A clash with the Civil Guard occurred, leaving two people injured by rubber bullets.

Boluartes legacy includes the deaths of 50 individuals during protests in the Quechua-speaking Southern Andes, following the December 7, 2022, coup that removed President Pedro Castillo. Her shoot-to-kill policy led to the deaths of mainly young protesters. The families of those killed under her orders are now among the miners encamped in Lima.

Criminalizing miners will only increase resentment towards the bourgeois state. Dina, Murderer! was one of the most prominent banners during the transport workers' strikes. Another popular slogan was They All Must Go!referring to the three branches of government, which are all seen as corrupt interests of the ruling oligarchy and foreign capital.

The central question remains: if they all go, who will replace them? Artisanal and informal miners, as part of the working class, need a leadership that wont subordinate them to the machinations of the Congress and the Executive Branch.

The Lima Chamber of Commerce estimates that roadblocks are causing daily losses of 622 million soles (US$175 million). Copper accounts for 28 percent of total exports, averaging US$ 56.6 million per day, less than a third of losses due to road blockades.

Labeling the 622 million soles as losses reflects bourgeois accounting practice. In truth, it represents the daily value generated by the working class, highlighting workers economic power and the potential for a workers government to reorganize the economy through scientific planning and on socialist foundations.
The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on China's achievements in high-quality commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The retail sales of consumer goods in China grew 5.5 percent on average annually over the past four years, with the sales expected to top 50 trillion yuan (about 7 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said Friday. 
CANBERRA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Marine experts and conservationists have called for the Australian government to urgently respond to an ongoing toxic algal bloom off the country's southern coast.

The outbreak of the toxic algae species Karenia mikimotoi was first detected off the coast of the state of South Australia (SA) in March amid a marine heatwave.

In the months since it was identified, the bloom has spread and caused the deaths of thousands of marine creatures, including sharks, penguins and rays.

Underwater footage captured by local divers and published by News Corp Australia newspapers on Friday showed that the toxic algae has caused a mass mortality event for fish, coral and seagrass.

In a post on social media on Tuesday, diver Carl Charter from the SA branch of NGO the Conservation Council said he found a large dolphin washed up dead on a beach in Marino, in the southern suburbs of the state capital of Adelaide.

He said that urgent and coordinated action from the state and federal governments is needed to fund long-term science-led monitoring of the bloom and to provide support to those impacted by the marine devastation.

"This is no longer a quiet tragedy, it's a national disaster," he said.

Sarah Hanson-Young, a federal senator for the Greens Party from SA, on Wednesday called for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Murray Watt to take action.

She said that it is "astonishing" that the federal government is bidding to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Adelaide in 2026 at the same time that it is failing to deal with the environmental catastrophe.

"This toxic algae bloom is a national disaster, and it requires a national response," Hanson-Young said.

Authorities in SA have said that nothing can be done to dilute or dissipate the algal bloom and that it will likely persist until environmental conditions change.

Mark Butler, Australia's Health Minister and a member of Albanese's cabinet, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on Thursday that the scale of the toxic outbreak is something that has never been seen before in Australia.

He said that the government has deployed the head of the federal Oceans Division to SA to join state government monitoring efforts and try to get a better understanding of the outbreak. 
This photo taken on July 17, 2025 shows a key projects signing ceremony during the first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The conference opened in Chongqing on Thursday, aiming to harness the strength of the overseas Chinese communities to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.(Xinhua/Li Hualing)

CHONGQING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development opened in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday, aiming to harness the strength of the overseas Chinese communities to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.

Deals worth 43.79 billion yuan (about 6.13 billion U.S. dollars) covering 66 projects across green energy, cross-border trade, advanced manufacturing and digital economy sectors were signed at the conference.

The conference also launched the Belt and Road Overseas Chinese Business Network, with founding members representing Chinese business organizations from 72 countries and regions. The network aims to integrate global Chinese business resources and promote cooperation in trade, science, technology and culture.

Ten exemplary "Overseas Chinese for Belt and Road" cases, highlighting contributions in fields such as new energy, manufacturing and humanitarian aid, were released.

Jointly organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the governments of Chongqing and Sichuan Province, the event brought together over 500 overseas Chinese representatives from more than 110 countries and regions. 

This photo taken on July 17, 2025 shows a scene of the first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The conference opened in Chongqing on Thursday, aiming to harness the strength of the overseas Chinese communities to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.(Xinhua/Li Hualing)




NEED TO KNOW

A source tells PEOPLE that Ana de Armas is single and focusing on work at the moment, nearly eight months after she was photographed kissing Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba's president

The source says she and Tom Cruise will begin filming a new movie titled Deeper in August

The dynamic between de Armas and Cruise is "not romantic," per the source





Ana de Armas is single after being recently linked to Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba's president Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.

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A source tells PEOPLE that de Armas, 37, is no longer dating Anido Cuesta as she focuses on preparation her first movie collaboration with Tom Cruise, the Doug Liman-directed thriller Deeper.

The Ballerina star was first seen sharing a kiss with Anido Cuesta in Madrid in November 2024. The pair were last photographed spending time together again in Spain in December 2024, and have not been seen together since.

Upcoming costars Cruise and de Armas were most recently photographed together as they lounged on a yacht near Menorca, an island off the eastern coast of Spain.

The dynamic between the From the World of John Wick: Ballerina actress and Mission: Impossible  The Final Reckoning actor, 63, is "not romantic," the source adds.

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When the actors were first spotted together in February, a source told PEOPLE that they were at dinner with their agents "discussing potential collaborations down the line" and noted that de Armas and Cruise "appeared to have no romantic connection, just friends."



They were photographed together again several times over the following weeks, including as they left David Beckham's 50th birthday party in London on May 3 and on a park walk in the U.K. capital on de Armas' 37th birthday days earlier.



Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage; Jeff Spicer/Getty Ana de Armas; Tom Cruise Ana de Armas; Tom Cruise

Prior to stepping out with Anido Cuesta in Spain last fall, de Armas was previously linked to Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis. She also dated her Deep Water costar Ben Affleck from March 2020 until their "completely amicable" split in January 2021, as a source told PEOPLE at that time.

As for her upcoming film with Cruise, the source says, "Tom is crazy hardworking and she's very excited to work with him. She calls it an opportunity of a lifetime." The movie begins filming in August, per the insider.

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"Tom is an incredible mentor to Ana," the source adds. "She has nothing but amazing things to say about him."

Reps for both actors didn't respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Ana de Armas on May 28, 2025 Ana de Armas on May 28, 2025

When de Armas spoke with Variety at the June premiere of Ballerina, she called Cruise's recent public support for the film "unbelievable" and "amazing" when asked how it felt that the Top Gun icon was rooting for her success.

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"It is very special that someone like him is supporting [Ballerina]," the Knives Out actress continued in her conversation with Variety. "It is really special in general to have other actors and people supporting each other. We can do well all together."



Read the original article on People
Originally appeared on E! Online

Police do not believe foul play was involved in the death of Dan Rivera, the paranormal researcher who passed away while traveling with the supposedly haunted doll Annabelle.

In a Pennsylvania State Police report released July 16, authorities listed the nature of the incident as "death natural."

Furthermore, the department said "nothing unusual or suspicious was observed" at the hotel room where Rivera's body was found on July 13.

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"The decedent was discovered in his hotel room by coworkers," the report stated. "This case is pending autopsy results."

His cause of death has yet to be shared.

Ghost Hunters' Jason Hawes also does not believe emerging conspiracies that Rivera's death is somehow linked to Annabelle, whose spooky backstory serves as the inspiration behind the popular The Conjuring movies.

Recently the World lost a good man, Hawes wrote in a July 16 Facebook post. Dan Rivera was an Army veteran, a father of four, a husband, and someone who truly cared about people. Whats even harder to see right now are the posts blaming his death on things like the Annabelle doll."

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Likewise, Ghostly Images of Gettysburg manager Christina Rowand is brushing off speculation that Rivera's death is related to the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann toy, telling Inside Edition in a July 17 interview, "There is a logical reason for this. Dan has handled this doll for decades. Why now? Could it not just be natural causes?"

Rivera had been with the NESPR for more than 10 years when he died. According to the organization, he was a "constant presence" for cofounder Lorraine Warrenwho first investigated Annabelle with her demonologist husband Ed Warren in the late '60s and early '70sbefore her death in 2019.

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Calling the unfounded theories "disgusting," he also encouraged people to stop "attacking places like Ghostly Images of Gettysburg," where Rivera and the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR) hosted a viewing of Annabelle shortly before his passing.

"Dan was a family man, a respected paranormal investigator, and he left this world way too soon," Hawes added. "Lets focus on remembering Dan for who he was."

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Likewise, Ghostly Images of Gettysburg manager Christina Rowand is brushing off speculation that Rivera's death is related to the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann toy, telling Inside Edition in a July 17 interview, "There is a logical reason for this. Dan has handled this doll for decades. Why now? Could it not just be natural causes?"

Rivera had been with the NESPR for more than 10 years when he died. According to the organization, he was a "constant presence" for cofounder Lorraine Warrenwho first investigated Annabelle with her demonologist husband Ed Warren in the late '60s and early '70sbefore her death in 2019.

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"He worked closely with Lorraine Warren and remained by her side even as her health declined, always offering a steady hand and unwavering support," the firm noted in a July 15 statement. "His caring nature and sense of purpose made a deep impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him."

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The NESPR added that they have no immediate plans to cancel the remaining dates in their national tour of Annabelle, who the Warrens deemed to be "demonically possessed."

"We believe with all our hearts that Dan would have wanted the work to continue," the group added in their statement. "We will carry his spirit with us in everything we do."

Keep reading for public figures sharing their supernatural experiences.

Courteney Cox

The one where Courteney Cox shares a ghost story.



The Friends star told Howard Stern she had a delivery man ring her doorbell and inform her of an unexpected guest.



"I answered it, got my package and he said, 'Do you know this house is haunted?" Courteney said on a 2022 episode of his SiriusXM show. "And I go, 'Really? Why?' He goes, Because theres someone standing behind you. And I thought, Oh s--t.



This wasn't her only spooky experience, however. Courteney also recalled a scare she had in London.



"I'd just gotten there," the Scream alum added. "So yeah, I was a little jet-lagged but I wasn't sleeping. I was sitting there, I closed my eyes to try to sleep and all of a sudden I saw these really scary faceslike old faces. I was like, 'OK, stop, stop, you gotta stop.' And then all of a sudden I was like, 'Mom? Dad? Auntie Em?' I don't know. I just kept seeing all these weird things."



After also seeing lights and a plant move, Courteney alerted her longtime love Johnny McDaid.



"I was like, 'Johnny! Wake up! I'm seeing spirits!'" the actress added. "And he had all these waves around him too. And he goes, 'Courteney, you're asleep.' I said, 'No, I just woke you up! How can I be asleep?' He's like, 'Well, I'm asleep. There are no ghosts.' I did see them for sure."



Ultimately, Courteney warded them off with a request.



"I said, 'Thanks for visiting last night. That was fun. Do not come back tonight cause I have to sleep,'" she said. "And I didn't see them again."





Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato is confident her childhood home in Texas in haunted.



"When I was a little girl, my mom walked into the room and I was talking to something," the singer recalled on a 2013 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "And my mom was like, 'Who are you talking to?' I was like, 'It's the little girl in the picture frame. Her name is Emily.' And then my little sister ended up doing that when she was around the same age. But this time, she was like, 'It's the girl that lives in the closet.'"



If that example didn't make you feel like you're having a heart attack, this one might. Demi remembered inviting friends over and telling them, "Watch, something will happen." And while pals would initially have their doubts, she said, odd things would then occurlike when her buddy texted someone saying "I think this place is haunted" and the word "definitely" was sent back multiple times.



"He's like, 'Why'd you send it so many times?'" the Grammy winner recounted. "He goes, 'I didn't send it that many times.'"



Still not convinced? Demi has even more proof.



"My uncle actually was watching TV and all of a sudden this balloon floated down the stairs," she told Ellen DeGeneres. "What balloon floats down, by the way? And then it turns the corner."









Joey King

While Joey King starred in The Conjuring as a kid, she also had a frightful incident off-camera.



"In the story, when the mom gets possessed, she gets all these bruises on her," the actress explained on a 2020 episode of The Howard Stern Show. "And so during the filming of those particular scenes, I started having a lot of bruises show up on my body in bizarre places, like on my stomach, on my chest, like what?"



Initially, Joey added, the makeup artists thought she was stealing their fake bruises as a prank.



"They tried to take my real bruises off with rubbing alcohol and oil," The Act alum continued. "I'm like, 'I'm telling you, I'm not lying.'"



Joey then visited her doctor to get some blood tests.



"All of a sudden, I'm told that I have this blood-thinning condition called ITP, where basically most of my red platelets drained from my body mysteriously," she shared. "I'd never had a blood problem in the past. I've never had a blood problem since then. No one in my family has that."



As a result, Joey noted, she had to go to the hospital twice a day while filming the 2013 horror movie.



"When I came home, my platelets were completely fine," The Kissing Booth star told Howard. "Like, I was back up to the normal numbers and I've never since had a trace of that disorder ever."









Ariana Grande

Just keep breathin' as you read about Ariana Grande's terrifying incident.



The Grammy winner told Complex about the "ghost/demon experience" she had in Kansas City in 2013. After staying in a haunted castle, Ariana said, "the next night we wanted to go to Stull Cemetery, which is known as one of the seven gates to hell on Earth."



"I felt this sick, overwhelming feeling of negativity over the whole car and we smelled sulfur, which is the sign of a demon, and there was a fly in the car randomly, which is another sign of a demon," she recalled to the outlet. "I was like, 'This is scary, lets leave.' I rolled down the window before we left and said, 'We apologize. We didnt mean to disrupt your peace.' Then I took a picture and there are three super distinct faces in the picturetheyre faces of textbook demons."



The "Thank U, Next" singer said she deleted the photo after she tried to send the picture to her manager and got a message back that read, "This file cant be sent, its 666 megabytes."



Ariana also remembered once seeing a huge black cloud beside her bed.



"I started crying," she added to Complex. "I was on the phone like, 'What do I do, what do I do?' and they said, 'Tell it to eff off.' I thought, Im not going to do that. Its going to upset it, so Im just going to chill and not feed into it because all it wants is fear. It feeds on fear. I watched it move to the front of my bed and then I fell asleep on the phone. I woke up and it was gone."

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Octavia Spencer

Truth be told, Octavia Spencer doesn't seem to mind having a spirit in her house.



"I grew up watching Westerns," she said on a 2021 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "I bought this house, and it was owned by a guy who did Westerns. So I must have been a fan of his. I think he is my protector. I love him because he kind of sorts out the bad people that shouldn't be there. He runs them out."



And if you're wondering how exactly the ghost runs them out, allow the Oscar winner to explain.



"If they stay at my place, they don't want to come back," she added. "And that's how I know that they don't belong there. Because if you're a person that belongs there, everybody's like, 'Oh, you're place is so welcoming. It's so great.' And that's how I feel about it."



Although, Octavia admitted her ghost can be "shady" if she's gone for a long time, such as by randomly closing doors and turning off the lights. And while this spirit is welcome, the Hidden Figures star made it clear she isn't offering an open invitation.



"I love my ghost," she noted. "I just don't want you bringing your ghost to my house. I don't want anybody's ghost thinking they can be friends with my ghost. 'Cause my ghost can haunt me, but he doesn't haunt me. We have boundaries."





Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston wasn't exactly friends with the ghost she says resided at a house she previously owned in Los Angeles.



"The dishwasher would start to go, or the coffee maker would start to go or the stereo would just turn on at full volume," the Friends star told James Corden on a 2018 episode of The Late Late Show. "And it was terrifying."



So, Jennifer continued, someone suggested she call a specialist to "clear the house" of the spirit.



"I had someone come over to my house," The Morning Show actress shared. "They had frankincense and they put it in a little dish and sort of start saying all these things. And the first corner that she went to, the dish cracked."



But that wasn't all. Jennifer recalled how a "really, thick, thick, thick 1975 ashtray that was sitting on the table" also cracked and that the specialist asked her to leave so she could talk to the spirit.



As for what the spirit said? "He hated my roommate," Jennifer replied, later adding she moved out and never told the roommate. "I feel terrible but I couldn't say, 'It doesn't like you.' I mean that would be terrible."









Miley Cyrus

It appears some ghosts cant be tamedjust ask Miley Cyrus.



The singer once spoke about a spirit she said lived in her house.



I had a friend who a parent had passed away," she explained in a 2020 interview with 102.7KIISFM's JoJo Wright. "And when they did, they know how much I love Elvis [Presley] and gave me all of their Elvis memorabilia."



However, Miley said the memorabilia was destroyed when her Malibu house caught fire in 2018.



In one of the rooms of her L.A. home, the Grammy winner had a photo of her friend's late mom.



"After that [fire] happened she started visiting my house in L.A," she added. "It was like she kind of went up in this smoke of all this Elvis memorabilia."



Miley said it was like the fire "released" her friend's late mom, and she soon got rid of the picture.



"She smoked cigarettes and I could smell smoke coming from the guest room, which is where the photo is," she said. "My dogs would go insane. When I would be feeling it, my dogs would lose their mind. It actually happened only a couple nights ago, I thought that I, I feel like, saw her sitting on the couch kind of taunting my dogs, which is something she totally would've done. And my dogs were going nuts."









Keanu Reeves

You'll want to speed on over to hear Keanu Reeves' ghost story.



The Matrix star once revealed an unexplainable experience he had at his family's New York apartment when he was 6 or 7 years old.



"There's a doorway," Keanu said on a 2014 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "All of a sudden, we're looking over there and this, like, jacket comes waving through the doorway. Just an emptythere's no head, there's no body, there's no legs. It's just there, and then it disappears."



While the John Wick actor wasn't too freaked out, he said his nanny was.



"I was a little kid, and I was like, 'Well that was interesting,'" he remembered. "And then I looked over at the nanny and she's like this [jaw open]. And I'm like, 'Oh wow, so that was real. Oh, OK. Wow! Cool!'"

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Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens isn't necessarily trying to break free from any spirits.



In fact, the High School Musical alum appears to embrace her ability to connect. "I've accepted the fact that I see things," she said on a 2022 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, "and I hear things."



One incident that bops to the top of Vanessa's mind happened with a pull-along duck toy when she was 8 years old.



"There was one of those on the dining room table," The Princess Switch actress continued, "and I started walking and it just started going alongside me."



Now, Vanessa is trying to learn more.



"I kind of shut it down for a while because it's scary," she told Kelly Clarkson. "The unknown is scary. But I recently was like, 'No this is a gift and something that I have the ability to do. So, I'm gonna lean into it.' And I recently did my first real paranormal investigation with equipment and everything."









Hugh Grant

Here's a story about a boy.



Back in 2016, Hugh Grant said one of his sons would often "stare into a corner" of his room.



"Other people started seeing things," the actor, who is a father of five, continued on The Late Late Show. "Other kids would come and say, 'Who's that little boy over there?' Yeah, relations and nannies, completely out of control."



So Hugh decided to take action. "I'm a rational person, well-educated, not an idiot," the Love Actually alum continued. "I find myself ringing a ghostbuster."



He said the ghostbuster than came to the house with some sticks.



"Her sticks went completely wild in his room," Hugh added. "She said, 'Oh, it's so strong in here. I think I might throw-up.' I think it was all bollocks. Then she burnt about seven pounds of sage and banged a little drum, played an instrument or something and sang. And she said, 'All the spirits are gone.'"



But were they? Hugh said he asked his son in the morning if he felt happier last night.



"He said, 'No, there was a little boy at my window,'" the Notting Hill star added. "So I think we need to move house now. Yeah, too haunted."





Brian Cox

The succession of events Brian Cox experienced years ago in Edinburgh will give you the chills.



"I was just trying to go to sleep and suddenly there was this rocking sound," the actor recalled on a 2023 episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, "and the chair started to rock. And it started to rock across the room in front of my bed."



While the chair eventually stopped moving, Brian was still pretty freaked out by what he saw.



"By this time, I got myself right under the covers," he continued. "Because I thought, 'S--t, this is f--king awful.'"



The Succession star managed to get some sleep, but was startled again the next morning.



"The chair was still here," he added, "and the floor was covered in these scratch marks."



For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Originally appeared on E! Online

Bristol Palin is providing rare insight into her family.

The daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin answered a bunch of fan questions during a recent Instagram Q&A, including if her son Tripp Johnston, 16, is thinking about attending college. However, as Bristol explained, she intends to let him make the best decision for himself.

After a follower asked if her son wants to go to college, Bristol shared that she intends to let him make the best decision for himself.

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"I'd never push college," the 34-year-old wrote over a photo of Trippwho she shares with ex Levi Johnstonfrom behind July 17. "'He wants to work  he already works actually. Hell go into a trade and will have his hand in some sort of real estate/development Im sure!"

Bristolwho also shares Sailor Grace, 9, Atlee Bay, 8, with ex Dakota Meyerhad previously revealed that Tripp moved back from Texas, where she lives, to Alaska to finish out his high school years while living with Levi.

"This has been the hardest first day of school yet with one of the biggest pieces of my heart missing," she wrote on Instagram last August. "Tripp has decided to finish out high school in Alaska to be closer to his dad and our entire family."

The Dancing With the Stars alum went on to express her support and understanding for her son's choice.

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"This has been the hardest first day of school yet with one of the biggest pieces of my heart missing," she wrote on Instagram last August. "Tripp has decided to finish out high school in Alaska to be closer to his dad and our entire family."

The Dancing With the Stars alum went on to express her support and understanding for her son's choice.

Instagram/Bristol Palin

"As hard as it has been to come to grips with his decision  its truly not about what I want," Bristol wrote at the time. "Hes almost 16 years old and that relationship with his dad is a lot more important than my own selfish desires of having him with his mama forever! I cant talk about it yet without crying, but selfishly praying for a quick year and easy transition for us all."

The former Teen Mom OG star later shared a few more details on how Tripp told her about his decision to leave Texas.

Instagram/Bristol Palin

"He just texted me and was like, Hey Mom, Im not coming back," Bristol recalled during an August 2024 episode of Cheryl Burkes Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast. "At first Im like, Im coming up to Alaska. Were not doing this. I was so mad, so mad."

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"It still is gut wrenching to me," she went on, "because its been just Tripp and I, and then I had my girls, but its always been Tripp and I. Its changed the dynamic of so much."

At the time, Bristol also expressed interest in getting a second home in Alaska to be able to spend more time with Tripp and the rest of her family there.

"Selfishly, Im just like, I want him with me forever. Hes my best friend, she explained. My kids are my whole world. But I cant be selfish in that."

Keep reading for more stars and their mini-me kids...

Jodie Sweetin & Zoie Herpin

The Full House alum appears with her look-alike eldest daughter (left) and daughter Beatrix during a trip to Jamaica in 2023.





Yolanda Hadid & Gigi Hadid

Like mother like daughter. After becoming a household name on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the former supermodel Yolanda Hadid's daughter Gigi Hadid broke into the fashion industry as a teen and has been rocking runways ever since.





Clint Eastwood & Scott Eastwood

Clint Eastwood's fifth child, son Scott Eastwood, has followed in his movie star footsteps by starring in films like Suicide Squad, Snowden, The Fate of the Furious and Pacific Rim.





Jon Bon Jovi & Jake Bongiovi

The Bon Jovi singer and his third child is his mini-me. Pictured: The two appear on either sides of with the musician's wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, and their youngest son Romeo Bongiovi at the Jefferson Awards Foundation' 2017 DC National Ceremony at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. in 2017.

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Katie Holmes & Suri Cruise

The look-alike duo is all smiles while attending a 2016 performance of Finding Neverland in the Big Apple.





James Marsden & Jack Marsden

Woah, the Marsden men's resemblance was uncanny at the 2017 SAG Awards.





Sienna Miller & Marlowe Sturridge

The Alfie stars daughter, whom she shares with ex Tom Sturridge, joined her mom for a rare public outing in London in April 2025.





Kim Zolciak & Brielle Bierman

Double take! The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum's daughter looks like her younger sister!

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Cristiano Ronaldo & Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

The soccer star has the cutest plus-one ever at the London premiere of Ronaldo.





Christie Brinkley & Sailor Brinkley-Cook

Sailor is taking after her mom in the modeling industry.





Kate Moss & Lila Moss

And Kate's daughter is also following in her mom's famous footsteps.





Reese Witherspoon & Ava Phillippe

Here posing for an Instagram snap before the Hot Pursuit premiere in Los Angeles, mom and her daughter have never looked more alike!

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Lisa Bonet & Zoe Kravitz

Like mother, like daughter. The two attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 2015.





Rumer Willis & Demi Moore

With their matching jumpsuits, sleek hair and glasses, the two look more like twins than mother and daughter! "That moment when you realize you actually are becoming your mother #twinning #imnotmad," Willis joked on Instagram.





Madonna & Lourdes Leon

Pictured here in 2010, the pop icon's daughter is a fashionista just like her mama!





David Beckham & Brooklyn Beckham

You'll get a kick out of how much the soccer star and his son look alike.

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Kelly Ripa & Lola Consuelos

The spunky morning show host celebrated her daughter's 14th birthday with this adorable pic. Look at that resemblance!





Uma Thurman & Maya Hawke

Once upon a time in Hollywood...the Kill Bill actress twinned with her daughter on the red carpet.





Jay Z & Blue Ivy Carter

Little Blue stole the show at the 2017 Grammys, and she's totally #twinning with her pops!





Alison Sweeney & Megan Sanov

The Days of Our Lives star and her daughter get in the holiday spirit at Disney On Ice Presents Frozen at the Staples Center.

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Lily-Rose Depp & Vanessa Paradis

The mother-daughter pair looked like virtual twinsies (especially with those matching bobs) at the Chanel fall-winter Haute Couture show in Paris.





Julianne Moore & Liv Freundlich

The Oscar-winner and her daughter both rock the red hair.





Robin Wright & Dylan Penn

The nearly identical stunning stars even dress the same!





Lori Loughlin & Olivia Giannulli

The Fuller House star and her daughter are practically twins at the Summer TCA Press Tour.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  This weeks Arkansas TV Legend went on to collect eight Emmy Awards for investigative reporting and is an accomplished author.

Lu Ann Cahn first came to KARK 4 News in 1980 after being a reporter in Alabama. Though she was only here for nine months, she describes the period as crucial, noting she had met her husband in that time and developed her skills as a journalist.

Join KARK 4 News on Thursdays as we catch up with some familiar faces from the past.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
HANOI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive calling for strong and coordinated efforts to control African swine fever (ASF), local daily newspaper Nhan Dan (People) reported Friday.

Since early 2025, over 514 ASF outbreaks have occurred in 28 out of 34 provinces, killing or forcing the culling of more than 30,000 pigs nationwide, the report cited data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The directive urges local authorities to detect and eliminate outbreaks promptly, enforce strict culling, and punish illegal pig trading and carcass dumping that may spread the virus, according to the report.

Veterinary agencies must guide farmers, expand safe zones, and promptly report outbreaks, while ministries are tasked with funding, monitoring, enforcing anti-smuggling, and raising public awareness of African swine fever prevention, the report added. 
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan is one of the most viscerally challenging novels ever written about war. Set among a group of Australian POWs who have been forced to work on the construction of the Burma railway in 1942, the Booker Prize winner is unsparing in its depiction of violence, starvation and never-ending toil.

A new adaptation, which starts on BBC One on Sunday, is equally graphic, and The Telegraphs critic Tim Robey said that one would need superhuman stamina to consider binge-ing it. Yet perhaps the most devastating moment comes at the end when Ella Evans turns to her husband Dorrigo and tells him: Youre the loneliest person Ive ever met.

Its a damning comment after decades of marriage, but Evans is a man still carrying the weight of guilt and failure from his time commanding the POWs, and is also haunted by a doomed love affair. When asked by a journalist to be interviewed about the Second World War, Evans (now a respected-if-maverick surgeon) shuts down.

Theyd been through hell: Hinds plays Second World War veteran Dorrigo Evans in a new BBC drama about a group of Australian POWs - Ingvar Kenne

There were people who just saw too much, says Ciaran Hinds, who plays him. Theyd been through hell. And you dont want to share hell with anybody, do you?

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We are talking over Zoom because Hinds is filming in Dublin. He looks fit and relaxed, with those large, slightly sad eyes still penetrating. His voice is warm and rich, his Belfast accent still resonant.

While viewers may find his latest project harrowing, Hinds says it is necessary to show such horrors, to try and understand the brutality that humans can inflict on each other, and also the suffering that people go through. All that is part of the same life package to me. Its not about indulgence or grossness, its elemental.

The young Evans is played by Australian heartthrob Jacob Elordi, best known to UK audiences as the Byronic, indolent aristocrat in Emerald Fennells Saltburn. Is he flattered by the casting?

I was quite surprised, admits Hinds. But poor Jacob Elordi. Look what he turns out like! The horror for his future!

Jacob Elordi stars alongside Odessa Young in the five-part series based on Richard Flanagans Booker Prize-winning novel - Ingvar Kenne/Amazon Prime/BBC

Hinds is perhaps being somewhat disingenuous. At 72, he is still considered a sex symbol. Oh, if thats the way you want to put it, OK, he says, waving the comment away.

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Some of my bones feel old, but my spirit feels kind of lively, just let down by the physical attributes. People tell me I look much younger, [that I am] a much younger spirit when Im on screen.

It was probably the role of Captain Wentworth, smouldering and secretly sensitive, in Roger Michells 1995 take on Jane Austens Persuasion (considered by many Austen fans as the best adaptation of any of her novels) that set the tone. I think it was rather short-lived, but you put any guy in a sailors frock and peoples heads will turn, no matter what.

You would imagine that Hinds has been turning heads since arriving in London from Belfast to study at Rada in the early 1970s.

Hinds, alongside Amanda Root, in 1995s Persuasion; considered by many as the best Jane Austen film adaptation - Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

I arrived with a bit of a chip on my shoulder just because of what was happening over there [during the Troubles]. It was 1973, it was mayhem. I was at university for a few months, ostensibly studying law, but I applied to drama school in London because there werent any in Northern Ireland, or I might have stayed.

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Hinds paints me a picture of a young man with flared jeans and really long hair, going round in sandals  Irish hippies were always a bit behind the times, what was hitting London in the late 1960s, we were getting in the early 1970s  but there was a look about me that made my friends a bit scared of me.

Why? They said it was because I came from Belfast. You were different, you just had this hair, youre going like, Who wants it? But I was lucky because they were very open with me, asking seriously about what was going on back home because they knew there were problems, but they didnt really understand them.

Hinds tells me that as he started to grow accustomed to London life, he began to understand the English. I saw the goodness in people. And I was hearing about things like divorce, which didnt happen in Ireland  people suffered each other. I was amazed to hear that parents could still be friends despite it. It was a great revelation.

Hinds doesnt live in Northern Ireland. He has a home in London and one in Paris, in the shadow of the Pere Lachaise cemetery, which he shares with his French-Vietnamese wife, actress Helene Patarot (their daughter, Aoife, is also an actress and appears in the Dune: Prophecy series on Sky). His home in the French capital represents relaxation.

Hindss daughter Aoife was cast in Normal People as Connells (Paul Mescal) girlfriend - Enda Bowe

You know when you go home at the end of the day and just want to put the kettle on? Thats what I do when I get to Paris. You know, I have a box of Barrys tea bags. I dont do the cafe life that you should do in Paris, but its because I live there.

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Hinds is relaxed and charming company, yet there is still a residual sense of the 1970s firebrand. When we talk about returning to the country of his birth, he does not rule it out, cheered by what he sees as its evolution.

I see a lot of changes, in both north and south. I go back a couple times a year to see family, and thank God, its just a lot more open, he says.

I mean, theres still too many flags, and there is still the dark underbelly, but at least its contained.

It is clear that coming of age during the Troubles (he starred in Kenneth Branaghs award-winning Belfast and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) have left their mark on Hinds. Raised as a Catholic, he tells me he was fortunate enough to do dance and drama out of school where there were no religious boundaries. Yet he also had to endure a segregated education system, and today supports the Integrated Education Foundation charity.

Hinds is encouraged by positive developments in Northern Ireland: thank God, its just a lot more open - Cathal McNaughton

Its so important that you dont separate Catholic and Protestant kids at the age of four and educate them separately, filling them with versions of them and us. I think [integration] has been happening  very slowly  over the last 30 or 40 years, but itll take generations to really happen.

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A positive move to integrated education doesnt mean to say that you cant have religion.

Its strange to consider that Hinds has been on our screens for half a century. (He thinks so too: God, have I? I havent been counting!) But then his career has been a slow burn, gradually building up credits in the 1980s in high-profile films such as John Boormans Excalibur, as well as some meaty theatre (notably Peter Brooks celebrated 1987 staging of The Mahabharata). Today, he is one of a small selection of actors who carry weight in big-budget blockbusters (Frozen, Justice League, Game of Thrones) and high-end passion projects such as a Broadway revival of The Crucible opposite Saoirse Ronan and Ben Whishaw. His performances are all, however, marked by a thoughtfulness, his characters always rooted in a psychological reality.

Hinds will soon be seen in a new adaptation of John Steinbecks East Of Eden for Netflix. I wonder if quality roles such as this are getting harder to come by.

I think there are still roles out there, he says carefully. It depends on how you look at things.

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If you set your sights high about what your pay grade is or who you expect to be working with, that then obviously narrows your choices and closes doors.

Things have changed since the big corporates have come in, you know, Netflix and Amazon and Apple, he says, alluding to the amount of money such companies have at their disposal. But its not about the amount of money they need, because usually they can make them on relatively sane budgets, its about how much you need to tell the story with authenticity and truth, as opposed to what we made with these special effects. Much of the cinematic universe is turning into one big PlayStation.

Hinds does, however, feel optimistic for the future. There will always be space for storytellers and great filmmaking. Maybe the adventure is still on.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North begins on Sunday on BBC One at 9pm. All five episodes will be available to watch on iPlayer from Sunday

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Country Legend, 70, Makes Historic Career Announcement originally appeared on Parade.

Ricky Skaggs, 70, a staple of country music and bluegrass since 1980, made a major career announcement on his Instagram and official website on Thursday, July 17  his legendary recording studio in the greater Nashville area is reopening after Skaggs undertook an "extensive renovation" to the historic space.

"One of Middle Tennessees most historic recording studios will soon reopen for business following an extensive renovation," reads the Instagram post.

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It continues, "Skaggs Place Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee  founded by Country Music Hall of Fame member Ricky Skaggs  has been shuttered for the past few years as the music legend renovated the recording space to bring in top-notch technology. Its officially open for business on July 16."

RELATED: George Strait's Star-Studded Concert For Texas Flood Victims Garners Overwhelming Interest

On his website, Skaggs details how he came to acquire the studio in 1998 from The Oak Ridge Boys' Duane Allen, who purchased the building in 1968. Skaggs updated the space extensively and turned it into his own recording space. Notable artists who have recorded there include Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, Huey Lewis, Vince Gill, The Oak Ridge Boys, Marty Stuart, Alison Krauss, Bruce Hornsby, John Fogerty, John Anderson, Martina McBride, Seals & Crofts, The Gaither Vocal Band, Travis Tritt, and Patty Loveless, among many others.

Skaggs decided a few years ago that because technology has "rapidly evolved over the years," his studio needed a facelift.

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Im so happy that my newly renovated recording studio Skaggs Place is finally ready to open up again, said Skaggs in a statement. Weve done so many things to make it a first-class recording studio in the quiet little town of Hendersonville, Tennessee. It was already a studio where many Grammy Award-winning projects have been recorded, but with new improvements, like raising the ceiling height to 14 feet, new hardwood floors, amp lockers for live recordings, a new lighting system, a new HVAC system where air falls from overhead down into the room so its very quiet, just to name a few. Its just a cool place to be creative."

He added, "The studio has a great live sound, and its big enough to record live videos as well. Its also spacious enough that string sessions could easily fit into the cutting room. There are lots of old vintage photographs of many of my heroes and major influencers in the music industry. I believe anyone wanting to get away from downtown Nashville will find that Skaggs Place Studio will serve them well. Im very excited for the future.

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Country Legend, 70, Makes Historic Career Announcement first appeared on Parade on Jul 18, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Visitors to European galleries with an interest in pioneering women artists will have plenty of choice this summer, with a series of new exhibitions featuring some of the biggest names in 20th century art.

Fantastical sculptures and dreamlike drawings by the late French artist Louise Bourgeois, famed for her towering spiders, are on display at the Courtauld Gallery in London. Elsewhere in Spain, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is hosting a solo exhibition of American collagist and conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. And fellow American artist Cindy Sherman, known for her chameleonic self-portraiture, is the focus of a solo show at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, on the picturesque Balearic Islands.

Louise Bourgeois' work is featured as part of the "Abstract Erotic" exhibition at The Courtauld in London. - Christopher Burke/The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY/DACS, London

Each of these artists  whether through sculpture, photography, video, painting or language  has challenged conventional portrayals of womens bodies, emotions and experiences. And theyve managed to sustain a legacy of radical, often political art, over the course of decades. (Almost all of these current exhibitions include new or recent bodies of work.) That their art remains in focus is both a notable feat and a sign of the times.

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Asked what might be the reason behind such enduring interest, Gabriella Nugent, a London-based art historian and curator specializing in global modern and contemporary art, wrote over email: The 1970s witnessed the emergence of second-wave feminism and a critique of the structures of patriarchy that determined womens public and private lives.

Bourgeois will also receive a major retrospective at PoMo in Trondheim, Norway, from February 2026. - Christopher Burke/The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY/DACS, London

During this transformative period, feminist art historians such as Linda Nochlin and Ann Sutherland Harris helped to, as Nugent said, rehabilitate the work of women artists and expose the terms of their exclusion through groundbreaking texts and exhibitions. She explained that the likes of Kruger and Sherman came of age against this backdrop and engaged with the debates of the time in their artwork.

Bourgeois (who will also receive a major retrospective at PoMo in Trondheim, Norway, from February 2026) found a wider audience around the same time as this younger generation of artists, despite having practized art since the 1930s. In the 1970s the womens art movement in New York took her (Bourgeois) up as a key precursor to feminist art, said Jo Applin, who helped curate both the drawing display and sculptural show both taking place at the Courtauld Gallery this summer.

The Pictures Generation

The 1970s were a generative decade for pioneering art in other ways. It was a watershed moment in terms of arts relationship to mass media, explained Tanya Barson, curatorial senior director at Hauser & Wirth, who added that this transformation laid the foundation for artists like Sherman. She became part of a group of artists called the Pictures Generation who made work that examined this relationship. Her work is made for an audience who have grown up not just with film and advertising but with television as part of their reality. Looking back, it was the first generation for which this was the case, Barson told CNN.

Fellow American artist Cindy Sherman, known for her self-portraiture, is the focus of a current solo show at Hauser & Wirth Menorca. - Courtesy the artist/Hauser & Wirth

In many ways, Sherman was an artist ahead of her time. Her use of photography to record these identities is something that prefigures the use of social media today, Barson said of her performances and manipulation of personas. She was really in advance of a transformation in society and our relationship to images, to media more widely, and our use of them, added Barson.

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I think Shermans work expresses something fundamental about how we live today and how we relate to images. In many ways, we live through images now. We also are absolutely involved in constructing our identities for an ever present but invisible and anonymous audience, Barson said. While Sherman constructed some of these personas 50 years ago, Barson believes they are perennially familiar. We know these subjects, we have met them or seen them on TV, or on Instagram or Tik Tok, she said.

While some of Sherman's personas were constructed 50 years ago, they feel perennially familiar... - Courtesy the artist/Hauser & Wirth

We know these subjects, we have met them or seen them on TV, or on Instagram or Tik Tok, said Tanya Barson, curatorial senior director at Hauser & Wirth. - Courtesy the artist/Hauser & Wirth

Kruger, another key figure of the Pictures Generation, began borrowing advertising and graphic design techniques to explore power in the context of consumerist and patriarchal structures. The artist continues to interrogate the interplay between image and text in culture today  illustrating the persistent dominance of advertising, as well as the peculiarities of newer phenomena, such as memes.

Finding a new audience

The feminist movement that coincided with the emergence of these artists addressed issues around the emancipation of women, particularly reproductive rights and sexuality. Such issues have come back under the spotlight amid the rollback of legal rights regarding womens bodily autonomy in some Western nations.

Kruger's work is currently on show as part of a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. - Robert Wedemeyer/Courtesy the artist/Spruth Magers

Many of the debates that charged their work in the 1970s are still ongoing today, from abortion in the United States to child care in the United Kingdom, explained Nugent. The slogan Your body is a battleground, used by Kruger in her famous poster for the 1989 Womens March in Washington, D.C., resurfaced last year in another of her pieces displayed on the side of a truck in Miami, FL., as part of a travelling project calling for reproductive and healthcare access for all.

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Nugent said that, although women artists all over the world have long addressed the gender-defined differences that they had to navigate, the symbolic impact of US President Donald Trumps reelection and rise of self-proclaimed misogynist influencer Andrew Tate may partly explain why the work of these artists resonates today.

Womens liberation is a Sisphyean task  two steps forward and one step back," said Gabriella Nugent, an art historian and curator. - Anders Sune Berg/Courtesy the artist/ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum/Spruth Magers

Newer audiences may find comfort in engaging with artists who have lived and worked through earlier eras of political struggle. At the same time, the potency of their art has enshrined many of these figures as perennially relevant, even beyond immediate political lines. For instance, Bourgeois deeply personal works speak to universal themes of fear, anger, desire, anxiety that we can all identify with, said Applin. It could be why her work, like that of Sherman, Kruger, and countless other female artists who made their names in the 20th century, continues to be relevant.

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Ghislaine Maxwell's New Hampshire home is now on the market.

Maxwell, the girlfriend and accomplice of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, owned and lived in a New Hampshire mansion before she was apprehended by law enforcement in summer of 2020. She was later convicted of child sex trafficking that she helped facilitate with Epstein.

Maxwell purchased the 156-acre Bradford property through a limited liability company in cash in 2019, federal prosecutors said, for a little over $1 million.

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The home was recently listed for nearly $2.5 million

The Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, announced charges against Ghislaine Maxwell during a July 2, 2020 press conference in New York City.

Ghislaine Maxwell's former New Hampshire house

The listing said that this property is on sale for $2,495,000 and possesses four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.

"This is truly one of the most remarkable homes on the market," the listing said. "Set on 156 very private acres with gorgeous views of local hills and distant mountains."

The house boasts an eat-in kitchen, a sun room with a woodstove as well as a scenic view of New Hampshire natural landscape. The property also has a 19th-century cape a with barn attached.

The home's listed address is 338 E Washington Road in Bradford, New Hampshire.

Ghislaine Maxwell news

Maxwell, the home's former owner, is currently serving 20 years of prison time.

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She has repeatedly tried to appeal. Most recently, as the Epstein case has recaptured attention, the Maxwell family put out a statement appealing to President Donald Trump and saying she did recieve a fair trial.

Maxwell has petitioned for the Supreme Court to review her case. The Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to deny Maxwell's appeal, which states that her conviction should be thrown out for a multitude of reasons including statutes of limitations and a plea deal Epstein took in 2007.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ghislaine Maxwell's former NH home on market for nearly $2.5 million
King Charles Gives Queen Camilla New Title, One That Marks a Royal First originally appeared on Parade.

King Charles gave his wife, Queen Camilla, a new title ahead of her 78th birthday.

On Wednesday, July 16, Queen Camilla was busy with multiple royal engagements, including one for which she was named Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.

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"The Royal Navy have appointed The Queen as Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom at a ceremony on HMS Astute to mark the end of the Submarines first commission," the royal family captioned an Instagram update from the outing.

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Queen Camilla is the first woman to receive the honorary title, which can only be appointed by the reigning monarch after a nomination by the First Sea Lordcurrently, Sir Gwyn Jenkins.

Each time I have met your Commanding Officers and visited the submarine, I am reminded of the exceptional servicemen and women in our Royal Navy," she said of the visit.

Queen Camilla's honor was on the same day she visited Little Bridge House, which is part of Children's Hospice South West, in Barnstaple, England. During that appearance she met with staff, volunteers and family members of patients as the hospice celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Queen Camilla, Patron, Children's Hospice South West, joins staff, volunteers and families in celebrating the hospice's 30th anniversary at CHSW Little Bridge House on July 16, 2025, in Barnstaple, England. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

During the appearance, Queen Camilla admitted that she used to think hospices were "sad places," but now understands they are "completely uplifting," BBC reported.

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She continued, "Everyone who works in them and makes them such happy places deserve a huge, huge thank you."

Next: Queen Camilla Marks Major Milestone After Hospice Admission

King Charles Gives Queen Camilla New Title, One That Marks a Royal First first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Lauren Lyle reopens another compelling cold case as detective Karen Pirie. | Credit: ITV

It might be a rainy day in Glasgow, but Karen Pirie season 2 star Lauren Lyle is not letting that dampen her spirits.

Following Karen Piries critically acclaimed ITV debut in 2022, the crime drama returns for its long-awaited second series, this Sunday, and sees Lauren's plucky Scottish cop promoted to Detective Inspector, a role that comes with more power and swanky new offices right in the heart of the busy city centre  and What To Watch has been invited to take a look around.

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"Its a big step up for Karen  shes in the 'penthouse' of the police station and in charge of everyone but she doesnt really know how to act, so just runs with it," Lauren, 31, tells us during a break in filming this all-new investigation, adapted by actor and writer Emer Kenny from Val McDermids best-selling novel, "A Darker Domain", in which Karens assigned an infamous unsolved case from 1984  the kidnapping of Catriona Grant, heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two-year-old son Adam in Fife.

Just call me DI! Lauren showing off her shiny new police badge on set. | Credit: ITV1

Fast forward 40 years, and the first new piece of evidence is discovered - the body of a dead man with indisputable links to the kidnap.

As Karen and her team  DC Jason "Mint" Murray (Chris Jenks), DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt), and new DC Isla Stark (Six Fours Saskia Ashdown)  delve deeper into what happened in 1984, Karen faces tough scrutiny; from Catrionas father Sir Broderick "Brodie" Grant (Bravehearts James Cosmo), from the media and from her boss DCS Lees (Steve John Shepherd), whose office were sitting in  surrounded by family photos, colour-coded books and sentimental keepsakes  to give Lauren an interrogation

How much have you enjoyed reprising the role of Karen Pirie? And how is Karen settling into her promotion as Detective Inspector?

"It was really satisfying to slip straight back into the sarcastic, rude yet funny and likable person Karen is. As DI, Karens got more power but knows shes still so young to be doing a job like this. That said, because she has a bit more armour around her, shes even less afraid than before to break the rules - of career-ending proportions! - to get results. I compare Karens imposter syndrome to how I felt personally doing series one and thinking, Can I actually do this job? But I did it, she did it and now the pressure is on us both to do it again."

Karen becomes immersed in solving the cold case of missing oil heiress Catriona Grant (Julia Brown). | Credit: ITV

What impact does Karens relationship with colleague DS Phil Parhatka have on the case?

"Karen and Phil are a couple of years down the line now but their relationship is still a secret at work; well, no one knows except Mint, which is funny, because he's normally bad at keeping secrets. Phil really wants their relationship to be exposed but Karens still quite nervous; shes never really been able to be part of the boys club that exists in the force. Its something I can relate to - I'm the youngest of my family and the only girl among my brothers so, like Karen, I've always had to prove myself and fight hard to be heard. These cases mean so much to Karen, so for her to jeopardise that for love, feels like too much of a risk. But it means she may end up hurting Phil in the process."

What more can you tell us about the investigation for this series?

"Its probably the biggest case of missing persons ever in Scottish history; the 1984 kidnap of the heiress of an oil tycoon, played by the wonderful James Cosmo, and her young son. Karen doesn't love the idea of having to rehash a case that's already had loads of money and time put into it but, when a bodys found in connection with this historic kidnap, it all kicks off again. As well as the present day case, there are detailed flashbacks of events in 1984, giving a real insight into the lives of those involved in the kidnap and the police incompetence that surrounded the original investigation."

James Cosmo plays wealthy oil tycoon Sir Broderick Grant. | Credit: ITV/World Productions/Photographer: Mark Mainz

Much of the action takes place in Glasgow and in and around Fife. Do you enjoy returning to your native Scotland to shoot the series?

"I live in London now but originally I'm from Glasgow and I've got family and friends towards Fife, so Ive spent a lot of time there. Scotland has had a mysterious, spooky history since the dawn of time and there's a place that we filmed in the hills and valleys on the outskirts of the Scottish Highlands that served as one of the crime scenes. It was amazing to be there - but it did get quite creepy!"

This second series has an international flavour, too, as Karen and her team follow one line of enquiry all the way to the island of Malta

"Thats right. In Val McDermids books its meant to be Tuscany, but the producers decided it was going to be Malta - and that our Malta would be actual Malta, rather than just pretend! This series feels much darker, much bigger and there's just so much more going on; more characters, more people die, way more suspects than you'd think and more explosions - its like CSI meets The Wild West!"

The investigation takes Karen and her team to the island of Malta. | Credit: ITV/World Productions/Photographer: Mark Mainz

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What do you think sets Karen Pirie apart from other TV crime dramas?

"The response to series one was overwhelming - I think people saw Karen Pirie as something different and went with it. There are lots of crime shows on TV and so many of them are centred on male detectives who have drink problems, who are upset with their lives and who hate everything. Karen Piries not that. Karens so eccentric and weird but, as a viewer, youre not jarred by that and shes really relatable. The shows written by a cool young person in Emer, who actually understands what people want to see on TV in 2025 and, for a drama, its genuinely funny, which I think is what really makes it stand out. It's quite delicious!"

Karen Pirie returns on Sunday, July 20 at 8 pm on ITV1. It will also be available as a box set on ITVX.




NEED TO KNOW

Love Island USA stars Chelley Bissainthe and Ace Greene made their first social media appearance since leaving Fiji

In an Instagram post, Chelley shared photos alongside her fellow cast members

Chelley shared that her "time in the villa was one of the most beautiful experiences of [her] life," but "it wasn't always easy"





Love Island USA stars Chelley Bissainthe and Ace Greene are back on social media after spending over two months filming in Fiji.

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In an Instagram post Chelley shared on Thursday, July 17, she posed alongside Ace, 22, in selfies taken both inside and after the villa. Chelley, 27, also shared several behind-the-scenes photos with fellow cast member Olandria Carthen, and a group photo where she posed with season 7 winner Amaya Espinal, along with cast members Andreina Santos, Cierra Ortega, and Iris Kendall.

"I'll never forget how i started but this is far from the end, its actually just the beginning," she wrote in the caption.

Olandria, 27, wrote in the comment section, "My soul sister."

Chelley's carousel post included a lengthy note addressed "TO MY CHERRIES, MY CHERIES & MY SUPPORT SYSTEM."

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"From the bottom of my heart, thank you," she wrote. "To those who've stood with me since the beginning, to my new fans, to every person whether white, Black, purple, yellow who has shown nothing but love, thank you."

chelley/Instagram Love Islands Chelley and Ace Return to Social Media: 'I'll Never Forget How I Started Love Islands Chelley and Ace Return to Social Media: 'I'll Never Forget How I Started

She went on to write, "To the women who look like me, who saw parts of themselves in me, who felt inspired or found a little more light and confidence through my journey, I see you, I feel you, and I love you. To the men who supported me and may have struggled with showing vulnerability. I see you too. You are valued and your strength in softness matters."

Chelley also thanked "the people who used their platforms not just to recap a show but to speak truthfully about the deeper realities Black women face," writing, "your words meant everything."

"You reminded the world that we are layered, emotional, complex, worthy and real," she wrote. "Thank you for holding the line of truth with me and for me in times where hate seemed stronger than usual."

chelley/Instagram Chelley Bissainthe's statement from her return to Instagram after 'Love Island USA.' Chelley Bissainthe's statement from her return to Instagram after 'Love Island USA.'

Chelley shared that her "time in the villa was one of the most beautiful experiences of [her] life," but "it wasn't always easy."

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"There were plenty of rollercoasters, lessons, and unspoken moments but I wouldn't change a thing," she wrote. "It led me to someone I truly adore. For that alone, I'll always be grateful."

She also took a moment to note that "a lot occurred and went unseen" in the show.



"I've never been angry with the world for having opinions," Chelley wrote, "but understand that you're only seeing a glimpse, maybe 10 minutes out of my 24-hour day in Fiji. Even though many things were out of context, it could never stop me from expressing my love and gratitude towards all of you."

Despite having to leave the island before making the final four couples, she expressed gratitude for her time in the villa.

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"How I see it? At the end of the day... I won," she wrote. "I have my man. I have my circle. I have my peace. And I have YOU. I just ask one favor. that my supporters turned family continue to spread love and not hate."

Take PEOPLE with you! Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more  right to your mailbox.

Ace shared a similar sentiment in his post on Instagram, writing in the caption, "The truth is, who I am in real life and who I may have been perceived to be on TV are two very different things. But one thing is for sure I walked out that Villa a winner. I left with the most beautiful girl in the world, someone who truly means everything to me. And if I had to do it all again, Id do it a billion times over."

He also opened up about the "challenges emotionally, mentally, spiritually" that he endured in the process, writing, "But even in those moments, I never let go of who I am.As a man, I think before I speak and always listen to my heart when it comes to my feelings and what I choose to express; I cannot allow society and the ways of the world to dictate who Im deemed to be. My time in Fiji has taught me that true strength is in honoring your feelings, your boundaries, your truth, even when its misunderstood."



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The Love Island USA reunion will be hosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen on Peacock, and will air on Aug. 25. Love Island USA season 7 can currently be streamed in its entirety.



Read the original article on People
Ever since their first day in the Love Island USA villa, Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe were the peoples ship. However, it wasnt until their final few days in Fiji that they fully got to explore the connection that everyone, besides themselves, had seen for the last six weeks.

Producers were working overtime to give the fans what they wanted, particularly when both Carthen and Vansteenberghe failed to find a connection in Casa Amor and, instead of getting dumped from the island, they were given the option to return to the villa as a couple. Despite their steamy kiss in Soul Ties, Carthen continued to pine over Taylor Williamswho left her for Clarke Carrawayand Vansteenberge re-coupled (and eventually closed things off) with Cierra Ortega. It wasnt until Ortega was removed from the villa over resurfaced posts of her using an anti-Asian slur that Carthen and Vansteenberge were finally able to explore their connection on a deeper level, and ultimately win second place in the show.

I forgot all about it being a game show. I really was there to find love, genuinely. To be in the final four and to be second place, that never came to my mind, Carthen told Decider over a Zoom interview, while Vansteenberghe described their trajectory as a romantic storyline that was completely unwritten.

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The Nicolandria stans have certainly taken over the Love Island USA universe, but there are still some doubters out there who have been questioning whether their relationship is produced.

To that, Carthen said, None of this is fake or forced. It would be hard to force such a bond for six weeks on TV. That doesnt even make sense. I think people would be able to see through that, while Vansteenberghe adorably added, We know what we have.

Check out our full interview with Love Island USA Season 7s power couple below.

DECIDER: You both have had such amazing Love Island journeys. Did either of you ever expect that you would end up together  and as runners-up  at the end of it all?

OLANDRIA CARTHEN: Absolutely not. While I was in the villa, I just never really thought about the end goal. I forgot all about it being a game show. I really was there to find love, genuinely. To be in the final four and to be second place, that never came to my mind. I never thought I would make it that far. I guess not knowing the date helped because I didnt know how close or how far the end was for me, so for us to get to that point and for America to feel like I deserved to be in that final four really put things into perspective for me. I was blessed to even be in the final four but to be second place or the runner-up is like, damn. It was so close.

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NIC VANSTEENBERGE: It was a beauty and the mystery and unexpectedness of it all.

Photo: Getty Images

You were both dumped from the villa in Casa Amor, then immediately brought back as a couple. Maybe this is more of a question for Olandria since you went and picked up Nic, but what did that look like behind the scenes?

OLANDRIA: Honestly, I did not know that until I was sitting with Nic and he got that text, like, Hey, the only way you can return to the villa is if youre coupled up. At that point when we were sitting down talking to each other, I was thinking we were still going to go to the airport after. I thought we were just there like, Hey, this is what Cierras doing. Hey, this is what Taylors doing. And I thought they were going to put us in an Uber and drive us back to the airport.

NIC: Nice carpool back to Fiji Airport.

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OLANDRIA: Literally. I thought it was the end. We didnt find out we could return to the villa until we got that text that we could couple up to go.

So we saw it all happen in real time!

OLANDRIA: In real time. We didnt have a clue. We were super excited. Obviously, you could see, like, Oh, hell yeah! Well come back as a couple, whatever that looks like. We were just ready to get back into the villa, for sure.

We got to see a little bit of your reaction to the Nicolandria shippers on family day. Now that you have your phones back and youve seen it for yourselves, what do you think? And do you wish you both had decided to couple up after Casa Amor so you couldve had more time together in Fiji?

NIC: Even though at the moment it didnt feel great, I think I loved the process of how we came back together. Its truly this romantic storyline that was completely unwritten.

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OLANDRIA: Literally.

NIC: Yes, we didnt have time in Fiji, but now we have time in LA, and now we have time in the real world, which I think is even more special.

OLANDRIA: 100%. Just watching back all these edits, like the first moment leading up into this one, Im just like, Bro, this is beautiful. This looks like a storyline, and for it to just happen naturally  I didnt even think a lot of our moments were getting picked up by the camera, if Im being totally honest. So, for that to just get carried out through the whole season to allow the Nicolandrians to bring that together and make a whole edit about it, Im like, Bro, this is beautiful.

Photo: Getty Images

We literally watched a rom-com unfold in real time.

OLANDRIA: Reading that on our date, I was like, Rom-com? What are they watching? What is out there? So, for us to step outside the villa for a quick second and integrate ourselves into the real world, Im like, Bro, this is crazy. I could see why our letters were worded the way they were. This is beautiful. They literally watched this story unfold from the beginning until the end. They became a fan of ours in the second episode, I think, right?

It was very, very early on. Olandria, one of my favorite moments was when Megan Thee Stallion came in and was praising you up and down. What was it like to hear that from her?

OLANDRIA: That was by far probably one of the best days Ive had. I love her to death so for her to know my name, Im like, Bro, Im fan-girling right now. You know me? And she was like, What is the workout routine? I was like, Girl, thats genetics, what? And no one believed me until my mom came! Now her ass is fuckin viral on TikTok. Im like, Oh, my God, Im gonna kill the camera guy.

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NIC: I had to tell them I was natural, too. Im natural, I swear.

Nic, during one of the earlier challenges, you read a card that asked you to name the best kisser other than your partner. There have been some fan conspiracies that the card didnt say other than your partner, and you just wanted a reason to kiss Olandria. Can you confirm or deny these rumors?

NIC: I can neither confirm nor deny.

OLANDRIA: Plead the fifth, guys. We will never know.

Olandria, you were the first one to give Clarke and Taylor a hug when they were dumped from the villa. How are you feeling about them now? Is there a world in which you guys could be friends?

OLANDRIA: I know that Taylor is one of Nics close guy friends. I will have to be cordial, regardless. I dont want to ever make the atmosphere weird. I have no hard feelings towards Clarke or Taylor. We were all there to find a true connection or a romantic connection. I cant get upset with Taylor because he did that, regardless of who thats with. I support love regardless of whos involved. I love love that much. So, I did not let me and Taylors experience define any ongoing feelings towards him. Do I wish he was communicating with me a lot more than what he did? Yes, because I feel like I would have had a better outlook of what my journey could have looked like. But yeah, there are no hard feelings there at all.

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NIC: Weve hung out with them a couple of times and its only been a few days.

Right! Wasnt everyone at Disneyland the other day?

NIC: Yeah, the six of us. The three stooges and their ladies.

Ace and his minions, right?

NIC: [Laughs]Were his minions.

Photo: Getty Images

Nic, your mamacita scene with Huda has gone beyond viral. Which celebrity reenactment surprised you the most?

NIC: JB. Oh, my gosh. Justin Bieber. He was saying, Clock it, in the beginning, and then I saw my face on his Instagram. I know his new album dropped, too, so good things for JB. I love that he did that. It was cool.

That makes you a part in promoting that new album, too.

NIC: Yeah. JB, I want to go to your concert.

Question for both of you, what does post-Love Island life look like for you? Do you have plans to continue exploring your connection in the real world or even make things exclusive?

NIC: Yeah, the plan would be to go to a Justin Bieber concert now. Thats on the bucket list.

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OLANDRIA: Yeah.We definitely want to continue to explore each other. Those words were never a lie. We said we just want to explore outside the villa and were actually taking action to that. Right now, were just trying to map out and schedule out when Im going to Florida to have dinner with Miss Jennifer and the family, and also getting him to Decatur to meet my family as well. Theyre super excited to meet him. I think once we see how that feels and if it feels right, we want to continue to progress from there. So, meeting each others families first is gonna be the telltale all for what the future of us looks like, but we definitely want to continue to get to know each other and progress forward.

What do you say to the people who think your connection is fake or set up? Whats your response to the haters out there?

OLANDRIA: Why would we fake that? Thats just weird, first of all. Why would we get our parents so involved and so caught up in our story? That doesnt even make sense. Just having that validation from both sides, like his family, my family  and my mom and his mom started their own bond. Theyve been talking for the past few days. Even before they met us, they were already talking, and they loved each other from the moment they met each other. I dont know. That gave us so much insight or stability within ourselves. It was like, you know what? Its only right that we need to go forward with this and just see where it takes us. Because our family supports us. Apparently we have a whole Nicolandria stan or whatever. Its natural. None of this is fake or forced. It would be hard to force such a bond for six weeks on TV. That doesnt even make sense. I think people would be able to see through that

NIC: I think were really good at clapping back, but we take the high road. We know what we have.

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OLANDRIA: Yeah, and I think Amaya and Bryan did a great job of bringing us up in her interview as well. Like, Nah, what they have is real. We have the support from our fellow Islanders. Theyve seen all of it. So nothing is forced this way, I can promise you that.

Photo: Getty Images

I see the genuine connection here and Im very happy that you guys found your way to each other. One last quick question before I let you go. We have the reunion coming up. Whats one thing youre each most excited to address?

NIC: Im absolutely most excited to address the minion allegations. Minion-gate. So thats something Im excited for.

OLANDRIA: I havent watched the show back yet, so I dont know from the show standpoint. I definitely want to address a few podcasts, the people that went on podcasts and spoke of my name. I just want to kind of address that just to see like, What was that for? I have a lot of questions. Im still doing my homework because, obviously, people are still going on podcasts and talking. So lets just see how that all works out.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Love Island USA Season 7 is currently streaming on Peacock.
Prince Harry has always gone out of his way to keep the memory of his mother, the late Princess Diana, alive. This includes continuing her humanitarian work, which Harry recently did by setting out on a tour of Angola to recreate the walk that Princess Diana took across an Angola minefield in 1997. This is not the first time Harry has done this, as he previously did it in 2019 and 2024.

Harry has previously called continuing his mothers work in the region a responsibility he takes seriously, and this trip to Angola to raise awareness for Angolas war recovery with the Halo Trust proves it. Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school, he said, regarding the continuing threat of mines to the civilian population. The Halo Trust has cleared 120,000 landmines in Angola that were left over from years of civil war.

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Related: Who inherited what from Princess Diana?

James Cowan, the Halo Trusts chief executive, said: We will continue our work in solidarity with the Angolan people until every last mine is cleared.

As Harry undertook this trip, which included a moving tribute to his mother, one person was conspicuously missing: his wife, Meghan Markle. This is particularly noticeable considering it comes after reports indicated Harry wasnt very pleased that his wife, As Ever, brand released their first rose on July 1, which is also Princess Dianas birthday.

He told her, Please, not on Mummys birthday, Rob Shuter reported. It wasnt about business  it was about respect. But Markle, reportedly, did not budge. Hes devastated, a source confirmed to the gossip Substack. That day means everything to him. To see it turned into a PR push hurts.

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So was this part of the reason Meghan Markle wasnt present in Angola? According to the Daily Mail, it had nothing to do with it. Instead, ongoing security concerns were the reason Prince Harry visited Angola by himself. The Duke wont let his wife go to England over security concerns, so there was no chance hed allow her to go to Angola to walk across landmines, a source said.

And though his wife and kids did not join him on this Princess Diana tribute, Harry previously told The Telegraph that Prince Archie asked not just about his work in Angola, but requested to see footage of Princess Dianas walk. Archie was asking about landmines, so I was talking about how some of these guys were blown up, Harry told the outlet.

Interestingly, it gave me a chance to talk about my mum, his grandma, which I didnt even really consider, so that became the outcome of the story for him, he added, sharing that Archie wanted to see videos and photographs of his Grandma Diana out doing her thing for landmines all those years ago. It produced a very interesting conversation between me and him, different to what I thought it would be.

It was a fitting tribute, even if Harry had to do it all by himself.

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Fans of the hit show The Night Manager, the adaptation of John le Carre's book, have been awaiting word on Season 2. It's been roughly nine years since the show's initial debut, and thankfully, there's some good news.

Barry Ryan, head of production at Ink Factory, which produced Season 1, spoke about Season 2 of the series during an interview with Variety. Along with the second season of the show starring Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman, the group will also produce Season 3.

Hiddleston and Colman are both returning for the upcoming season of The Night Manager, and according to Ryan, it'll mainly focus on Colombia.

Actors Olivia Colman, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Debicki and Hugh Laurie attend the premiere of AMC's 'The Night Manager' at DGA Theater. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC

More than 75 percent of the story is about Colombia, says Ryan.

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Ryan expanded on the decision, praising the head of AG Studios, Rodrigo Guerrero, as an "amazing ambassador for the country."

I really loved Rodrigos approach to production, but also how he dealt with people, the way that he looked after his crew, he said.

And hes someone whos got a lot of experience in a variety of productions, is very levelheaded and is very also very proud of Colombia. He wants people to come to Colombia and you feel it. Hes really an amazing ambassador for the country.

The specifics of the locations in Colombia were detailed by Variety, which states that they filmed at a villa in Girardot, roughly four hours from the capital, Bogota. Other locations included the Caribbean port city of Cartagena and the city of Medellin.

Related: David Corenswets Candid Reflection on Watching Nicholas Hoult Years Before 'Superman'

'The Night Manager' Season 2 Gets Long-Awaited Update first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 17, 2025
GAZA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said on Friday that Hamas has proposed a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a complete cessation of hostilities and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal enclave.

In a televised address, Abu Obeida, spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, said the movement has submitted the offer several times in recent months, but the Israeli government "rejected the proposal."

Obeida accused Israel of violating previous ceasefire agreements and resuming its military offensive in Gaza over the past four months.

Noting that Hamas was prepared for a "protracted confrontation," he said the group's current strategy focuses on inflicting losses on Israeli forces, carrying out high-impact attacks, and attempting to capture additional soldiers.

According to Obeida, several abduction attempts had been made in recent weeks.

He also criticized what he termed the "silence and complicity" of certain Arab and Islamic governments and called on their leaders and religious scholars to bear responsibility for the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Obeida added that if the current round of negotiations fails, Hamas may not return to previous partial exchange proposals.

Since Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, at least 7,843 Palestinians have been killed and 27,933 others injured, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the conflict in October 2023 to over 58,660, with more than 139,970 people injured, according to data released by health authorities in Gaza. 
Over the last 25 years, French-Canadian photographer Francois Brunelle has traveled the world photographing around 250 pairs of doppelgangers.

Doppelgangers, which translates from German to double walker, originally meant ghostly counterparts of a living person. In folklore and literature, encountering someone who could be your twin has traditionally been viewed as a bad omen. But in modern usage, the term often describes two unrelated people who closely resemble each other. This concept is the focus of Brunelles photography series, Im Not a Lookalike!

The inspiration for the project came from his own lookalike: Mr. Bean, who is played by British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson.

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After being told for years that he looked like the character, Brunelle watched an episode that included a scene he called awkward to see his doppelganger in.

I said, Oh my God, it looks like me, and he's taking a bath! said Brunelle, who felt like he was watching himself on TV.

Upon realizing he couldnt be the only lookalike, Brunelle started photographing doppelgangers together. Some of the pairs he captured didnt see the resemblance, which can be quite surprising (and entertaining) at times, Brunelle admitted via email to USA TODAY.

He started his project in Montreal with lookalikes he knew in Canada. As media coverage grew and word spread on social media, he received thousands of messages from people worldwide. Many of the doppelgangers he photographed know each other in real life and were made aware of their resemblance to each other after being told by others, like Ester Scholten and Agnes Loonstra.

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In 2013, Loonstra was approached by a man on a train in the Netherlands. He mistakenly thought she was one of his university students, Scholten, and encouraged Loonstra to reach out to her.

Meanwhile, Scholten learned about this encounter from her professor. Out of curiosity, Loonstra decided to find Scholten on Facebook. Scholten shared a translation of the first message she ever received from Loonstra with USA TODAY.

Hi Ester, probably a bit of an unexpected message, but recently I was approached on the train by a man, and he thought I was you! After some confusion, he said he was a teacher of yours and asked me if I was a girl from Arnhem. Very funny, apparently, he was so amazed by the resemblance (in his eyes) that he insisted I should google you because we seemed so alike. Haha! So here we are... Do you see the same resemblance?  maybe the ginger hair, bangs and almond-shaped eyes? 

Scholten felt like she was seeing herself when she saw photos of Loonstra on Facebook.

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Even our mouths look somewhat similar. So strange! Scholten wrote back in her messages to Loonstra.

They both found their resemblance surprising because they felt their features were so distinctive that they thought they were unique.

The two decided it would be fun to meet, and when they did, they realized it wasnt only their looks that were similar.

There were a few moments during that first encounter that were almost terrifying, such as the moment we both pulled up a chair to put our feet on and the moment we laughed at the exact same time and discovered the way we laugh is so similar, Scholten said.

(L-R) Agnes Loonstra and Ester Scholten smile for a selfie during the first year of their friendship.

Loonstra was 25 and Scholten was 30 when they met on May 4, 2013. At the time, Loonstra was part of an a Capella group that had rehearsals in Scholtens hometown. People waved at her thinking she was Scholten.

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People I knew told me I had been rude for not saying anything when I passed them, Scholten said.

So Loonstra began waving back at the strangers followed by a text to Scholten to let her know.

From their very first meeting, a friendship was born as they discovered they shared love for the same music, literature and what Scholten calls their "intense love of cats.

About half of all our WhatsApp conversations are about cats, she said. We are proud crazy cat ladies.

From that love came the inspiration for a book they published together titled Crazy Cat Lady, combining Loonstras skills as an illustrator and Scholtens knack for writing. It was picked up by Workman Publishing in New York and has been released worldwide in English and translated to Spanish, German, Finnish, and even Loonstra and Scholtens native language, Dutch.

(L-R) Ester Scholten and Agnes Loonstra pose for a photo to promote their book "Crazy Cat Lady."

Agnes also played a special role in Esters wedding as her maid of honor.

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I see Agnes like the little sister I never had, Scholten said.

Although they dont live in the same part of the Netherlands, they try to see each other at least once a month.

Loonstra reached out to Brunelle after hearing about his project from several people who sent it to her. Loonstra and Scholten were later included in a study by the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain with other doppelgangers photographed by Brunelle that confirmed they and the other lookalikes were not related.

2015: Agnes Loonstra and Ester Scholten in Utrecht, The Netherlands

Of the 32 pairs studied, researchers found that the lookalikes share similar DNA variations, particularly concerning genes involved in forming facial features. There were also similarities in height and weight.

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The studys lead researcher Manel Esteller, called it coincidences of genetics that happen purely by chance, and does not mean the pairs are related.

Despite the studys findings, Loonstra and Scholten are still frequently asked by strangers if they are biologically related, and sometimes, to keep things simple, they just say yes.

Brunelles website features a callout for lookalikes, and he also created pages on Instagram and Facebook for the project. Brunelle plans to release a book this year featuring about 100 photos of the pairs hes photographed, along with a short story from either the subject or his perspective. He shared a few of those stories with USA TODAY.

2013: Garrett Levenbrook Roniel Tessler in New-York City, U.S.

Roniel Tessler and Garrett Levenbrook | New York City, U.S., 2013

"I was born in New York, and Roniel in Washington, D.C. Roniel's friends met me at the University of Michigan four years ago and mistook me for him. They then put us in touch, and we discovered we lived near each other. We have remained good friends ever since." - Garrett

2015: Beatriz Nogueira and Bruna Soares Da Costa in Lisbon, Portugal

Beatriz Nogueira and Bruna Soares Da Costa | Lisbon, Portugal

"I work in human resources, and Beatriz is a student. We were both born in Portugal and have been friends since childhood. We first realized we were look-alikes when people started mixing us up. My own father saw a photo of Beatriz and was convinced it was me! I think we look more alike in profile than face-on. We are similar not just physically, but in personality too. And here is a fun detail, I recently discovered we're both left-handed!" - Bruna

2013: Karen Chu and Ashlee Wong in Culver City, California, U.S.

Karen Chu and Ashlee Wong | Culver City, California, U.S. , 2013

"I am a nursing student while Ashlee is a registered nurse. Most non-Asian people think all Chinese look alike, but that is far from the truth. I consider myself lucky to have met Ashlee, my sister at a traditional Chinese dance performance. Although many people think we look very similar, Ashlee is definitely shorter." - Karen

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These unrelated dopplegangers will have you doing a double take
Prince Harry Channels Princess Diana in Powerful Minefield Photos originally appeared on Parade.

Prince Harry recently retraced Princess Dianas iconic steps across a minefield in Africa, 28 years after she raised global awareness for the dangers of landmines.

On Wednesday, July 16, the Duke of Sussex was photographed walking through the minefield in Angola, which had been partially cleared of landmines, mirroring his mothers courageous walk through a similar area in 1997. In the photos, which were obtained by Page Six, Harry, 40, dressed in body armor and a navy cap while he strolled through the dangerous area.

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Dianas original visit was pivotal in highlighting the devastating effects of undetonated landmines, particularly on civilians and children. The Prince echoed his mothers message during his visit, saying per BBC, Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. According to the outlet, Harry was in Angola to support the Halo Trust, a charity that both he and his late mother have been dedicated to.

In 2019, Harry retraced his mothers steps in the same path she took, but this recent visit took him to Cuito Cuanavale, a community about 350 miles from where Diana walked in Huambo. The photos from the visit were deeply symbolic, with Harry honoring his mothers humanitarian legacy, and the similarities of the photos are striking.

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On what would have been Dianas 63rd birthday, her brother, Charles Spencer, shared a rare photo of Diana as a child on his Instagram as a tribute. The never-before-seen image, captured in 1967, shows a young Diana at her sixth birthday party, beaming with joy as she sat atop Bert the Camel at the familys celebration. Charles, the 9th Earl of Spencer, fondly recalled the moment, noting how their father, John Spencer, had arranged the camel ride for the children at Peterborough Zoo.

Prince Harry Channels Princess Diana in Powerful Minefield Photos first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Claw back is such an ugly term.

And such a fitting one. Especially when its describing the rescinding of $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Which is what Congress did when the U.S. House of Representatives voted 216-213 early in the morning of Friday, July 18, to approve the measure.

Thats really ugly.

You can get deep into the weeds pretty quickly about the politics of it all, but what stands out as particularly petty and shortsighted is taking back $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances PBS and NPR.

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This isnt some own-the-libs grandstanding. This is going back on a promise Congress and Trump made a few months ago.

Congress had already approved this funding in March, Jon Hoban, the general manager of KJZZ and KBACH in Phoenix, said. It is funding for two years which was purposely put forth to allow stations to appropriately budget and to avoid some political interference in any given session of Congress.

Cutting NPR and PBS funding is part of Trump's retribution

I talked to Hoban before the vote, and he stressed that supporters had been reaching out to their elected officials to try to retain funding.

If, after all of this outreach, the funding is reversed, it will be a sad day not only for KJZZ and KBACH listeners because they never gave up  but also for residents across Arizona, he said. The public stations in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma and those in much smaller communities, including tribal stations, will all be severely impacted.

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Now well find out just how much.

If this doesnt scare you, it should. Its part of Donald Trumps retribution campaign, although cutting funding for NPR and PBS has long been a dream of Republicans, who claim coverage by the outlets is biased. Theyve talked about it often but never managed to pull it off.

Now they have.

It comes on the heels of Paramounts embarrassing settlement of a frivolous lawsuit Trump filed against 60 Minutes, which happened not too long after ABC News also settled with the president. Add in Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos obvious sucking up to Trump and Fox News prime-time personalities treating Trump like a king and its an increasingly cloudy landscape for breaking through with legitimate reporting.

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Trump has worked especially hard to control how he and his administration are covered during his second term. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has welcomed MAGA-friendly personalities  its a mistake to call them journalists  into White House press briefings. Trump continues to threaten news outlets that report on him in anything less than glowing terms.

Whining about fake news is so first term. Now its uglier and, as the cutting of public broadcasting funds prove, a lot more damaging.

How Arizona PBS and NPR stations will cope

Federal dollars account for approximately 13% of Arizona PBS' budget, Jeremy Cauthen, the Senior Director of Brand Engagement and Marketing for the station. The loss of that funding will impact programming and station services, but it's really too soon to know what those exact impacts will be. For example, we're not sure how this clawback of funding will affect other public media stations nationwide  and specifically their ability to continue producing programs broadcast and streamed here at Arizona PBS.

He does know of at least one impact, however.

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We know it will be hard for us to replace such a significant loss of funding dollar-for-dollar, Cauthen said. That said, we have been and will continue to explore other sources of funding in an effort to close that gap.

As for KJZZ and KBACH, which gets about 9% of its budget from federal funds, Hoban said, The greatest impact at this point is the ability to offer music programs. The CPB provided financial support and negotiated on behalf of all public radio music stations across the country to secure music licensing agreements.

In the future, we will have to navigate this with music rights organizations and negotiate a fee for just our stations instead of harnessing the power of the all of the public radio music stations. That is a big unknown and could be one of the biggest financial burdens.

Meanwhile, the stations are taking some protective measures.

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We have developed some alternate budget options to protect jobs, Hoban said. Our content creators and audience service teams are the reason we do this so we will try to find savings in other areas, including changes to existing contracts, cutting vendors and trimming in all other areas.

I do not see any programming changes in the coming months.

However, in the long term the stations will have to find other funding from community and corporate sponsors, as well as rely on the generosity of listeners, to help fill the gap, Hoban said.

Meanwhile, I have no doubt that the journalists working for NPR and PBS, however many the outlets can afford, will do their own clawing back  of the truth, the reporting of which is in increasing danger under this administration.

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Petty cuts: Trump defunding NPR, PBS is downright scary

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump PBS funding cuts are petty. And personal | Opinion
Susie Evans is pulling back the curtain on her time as a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise and where she stands now with ex Justin Glaze.

Susie, 31, reflected on Justins shocking rose ceremony offer  which she declined  during the Thursday, July 17, episode of the Viall Files podcast. (Justin, also 31, ultimately went home but gave his rose to Jill Chin to save her from being eliminated.)

I just felt so bad. I was like, Im so sorry, Susie said, explaining that she didnt know Justin would leave the show if she didnt accept the rose. That is why I was so sick [to my stomach].

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Now, Susie and Justin are on really good terms  and she has spoken with Lexi Young, whom Justin pursued a connection with in Costa Rica.

Justin Glaze Has No Regrets Giving His Rose to Ex Susie Evans on BiP Over Lexi Young

I have talked with Justin. I have talked with Lexi. Adore them both. I think they are both really great people. Good vibes all around, she said.

Before Susie departed the show, she went on a date with Jeremy Simon, but he ultimately gave his rose to Bailey Brown. After the rose ceremony, Jeremy, 31, second-guessed his decision when Bailey, 28, joined newcomer Andrew Spencer for a date. Jeremy proceeded to call Susie and ask her to return, but she claimed she was at the airport and wouldnt come back.

Disney/Bahareh Ritter

Susie noted that she was asleep and in transit when she received the phone call, saying the moment was great television."

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I think people really want to stay on the show. I did. I really wanted to be there, Susie said. I think a part of it thats disappointing for me was I literally had so much fun. It does look like Im crying. And Ive seen a lot of things that are like, Youre just crying over Justin the whole time you were there. No, Im crying because when I arrived, I was like, Oh, Im going home. You sent me in with an umbrella. Nobody was really excited to see me.

Hannah Brown Was Secretly Rooting for Susie and Justin to Get Back Together on Bachelor in Paradise

Susie realized as soon as she was sent into the show that it was not going to be what [she] thought it was and was really disappointed.

When I started crying that night  one, Im starting the process to get my eggs frozen. I had just gotten some information back, like, before getting there. I had shared that  that didn't make the cut. Not that I would want it to, she said. I had shared that with Justin. He knows Im going through that process. But then he asked me how I was doing and I just started crying because I was like, Im going home. Theres nobody here for me.

Disney/Bahareh Ritter

Susie quipped that the pickings were slim with the men on the beaches of Costa Rica, claiming she was told ahead of time there was someone she should pursue  which she thinks might have been Dale Moss. (At the most recent rose ceremony which aired earlier this week, Dale, 36, gave his rose to Kat Izzo.)

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I think hes the person that they were telling me about before going. They were like, Theres somebody coming that we think you are going to really hit it off with, she said. Im like, Do tell. Do tell. Im like, Put me in, please. Theyre like, Hes older. Hes got a real job.  I thought it was multiple people. But I got there and I was like, Oh, this is who theyre talking about, but hes occupied.

Bachelor in Paradise airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
Tracy Spiridakos, Jesse Lee Soffer Cozy Up Close in New Photo from Italy originally appeared on Parade.

Sorely missed Chicago P.D. alums Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer, long suspected by fans to be romantically involvedthough neither has ever formally confirmed or denied the rumorsshared a cozy new photo from their European adventures on Instagram today, July 17.

The actress took to her Stories with a slew of photos from Italy, showing off enviable landscape views, historic architecture, luscious greenery and more, including one snapshot tucked in the middle that found the might-be couple with their temples pressed together as they smiled at the camera.

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Soffer wore a gray Nike tank for the photo, while Spiridakos had on a black tank with her blonde hair falling down over the straps, obscuring any potential logos. The two were seated in front of several trees and a sprawling lawn, though it's unclear if it could be a backyard or a park serving as their backdrop.

Related: 'Chicago P.D.' Alum Tracy Spiridakos and Suspected Beau Jesse Lee Soffer 'Shine in Every Part of the World' in New Travel Photos

Italy you are gorgeous 



 Tracy Spiridakos via Instagram Stories pic.twitter.com/anatqI2j5f  All Things Tracy Spiridakos (@AllSpiridakos) July 17, 2025

"Italy you are gorgeous ," she captioned the first photo she posted, and we'd certainly agree that that's one of the best descriptors for this particular adventure.

The two appear to be on an extended whirlwind adventure with one another, with fans believing that photos from Lisbon, Portugal last summer served as a "HARD LAUNCH".

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Months later, in December, the "Upstead" actors enjoyed a "wine and cigar night," which many felt was a nod to their characters' wedding anniversary, though, as mentioned, neither of them has ever addressed their suspected relationship publicly.

Related: Tracy Spiridakos' New Photos Have 'Chicago P.D.' Fans Squealing 'Oh My God' Over Unexpected Guest Star

Tracy Spiridakos, Jesse Lee Soffer Cozy Up Close in New Photo from Italy first appeared on Parade on Jul 18, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.


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THE RUNDOWN

Prince Harry visited Angola this week, recreating his mother Princess Dianas landmine walk to advocate for the HALO Trust and a mine-free future for the country.

Meghan Markle didnt join him, in part due to security concerns, according to a source.

A friend of the couple previously explained why Harry and Meghan have been doing more events separately.

This week, Prince Harry made an official visit to Angola, where he met with local leaders and recreated his mother Princess Dianas landmine walk to advocate for a mine-free future. He used his trip to bring attention to the HALO Trust, a U.K. charity that helps clears landmines, the same way Diana did in 1997. You can see footage of Harrys walk here.

Tim Graham - Getty Images

Meghan Markle didnt join him, remaining out of the spotlight this week. A source told Daily Mail that Harrys decision to do the trip on his own was primarily due to security concerns.

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The Duke [of Sussex] wont let his wife go to England over security concerns, so there was no chance hed allow her to go to Angola to walk across landmines, the source said.

Andrew Esiebo - Getty Images

In October, a friend of the couple spoke to People about why Harry and Meghan were doing more events separately. Its clear that a twin-track approach is evolving, they explained. An entrepreneurial and enterprise focus is going to be more the Duchesss priority and the Duke will continue to champion his not-for-profit patronages. But there will be joint efforts around those cause-driven areas of work.

The friend added that their kids, Archie and Lilibet, also influenced the choice: The shift is as much a reflection on parenting priorities, in that one of them stays behind with the children, the source said.

In a statement shared to Harry and Meghans website, Harry spoke about his experience participating in a landmine safety education session in Mawano, where he gave instructions to children on how to spot and avoid landmines.

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As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields, he said. All of us have a duty to protect children and future generations from the harms of war, both present and past. Read more about his visit here.

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Georgias Hostess City is making headlines once again, named one of the top five travel destinations in the United States, praising the historic city for its walkability, Southern hospitality, and enchanting natural beauty.

Ranked fourth on Travel + Leisure's list, Savannah earned a reader score of 86.64, standing out among national favorites.

Here's where it is.

Best travel destination in Georgia

Green water began pouring out of the fountain at the annual Greening of the Fountain at Forsyth Park Thursday in Downtown Savannah GA.

The magazine highlighted the citys iconic live oaks draped in Spanish moss, its welcoming atmosphere, and its growing reputation for offering a thoughtful, inclusive approach to its complex history.

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This Southern city won top marks for its walkability, hospitality, and lush parksall those live oaks dripping in Spanish moss certainly add to the atmospheric quality, Travel + Leisure wrote.

Savannahs historic downtown, with its cobblestone streets, art galleries, and 22 park-like squares, continues to charm travelers year after year.

In addition to being a visual feast, the citys growing food scene and rich cultural experiences keep visitors coming back for more.

Top 10 cities in the US

Santa Fe, New Mexico New Orleans, Louisiana Charleston, South Carolina Savannah, Georgia Alexandria, Virginia Honolulu, Hawaii Greenville, South Carolina New York, New York Asheville, North Carolina Chicago, Illinois

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For more information, visit travelandleisure.com/worlds-best-awards-2025-cities-us-11740107#toc-the-full-list.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Travel + Leisure ranks this Georgia city No. 4 for best travel destination
(WGHP)  Public broadcasters across the state of North Carolina are reacting after Congress approved cuts to federal funding, which could have a profound impact on the services they offer.

Background

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of cutting $9 billion worth of federal funding from foreign aid and public media. On Friday, the House voted 216-213 in favor of the cuts.

The New York Times reports that around $1.1 billion from those cuts is money that was previously earmarked for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds both PBS and NPR.

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According to NPR, the nonprofit currently has over 1,000 stations that broadcast across the nation. The New York Times reports that a 2011 study conducted by NPR states that 18% of those 1,000+ stations would close if funding to the CPB were cut off.

Currently, there are nearly 30 NPR member stations in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Music Office.

CPB has come under criticism in recent years from some lawmakers due to accusations of bias.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) demanded answers from CPB about allegations of biased reporting from NPR in a news release in April 2024.

Cruz said in part:

I write today to express deep concern about National Public Radios (NPR) departure from its stated mission to create a more informed public and to distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism. NPR markets itself as a longstanding beacon of independent journalism, which is a critical component in fostering an informed and engaged public. Yet recent developments reveal a deeply entrenched culture of political bias and partisanship that stands directly at odds with the purported mission of this taxpayer-funded media organization. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) also accused NPR of bias and stated that the organization should not be a taxpayer subsidy on Tuesday.

This is, in our view, the misuse of taxpayer dollars, Johnson said in part. Theyre biased reporting. Theyre not objective. They pretend to be so.

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Other lawmakers have criticized the funding cuts, citing the role that public radio stations hold in emergencies and disasters.

These rural stations are often the lifeblood of these communities when it comes to emergency alerts, said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

A few hours ago, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula, just south of Sand Point, said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Local residents and summer visitors alike were able to evacuate thanks to federal tsunami advisories relayed through local public broadcasting stations.

North Carolina public broadcasters react

Winston-Salems WFDD 88.5 FM says that the $1.1 billion cuts will cause them a loss of around $300,000. While the station had been making cuts of its own in anticipation, it still remains at a substantial deficit and is now asking for community donations.

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WFDDs full reaction can be read below:

As expected, late last night the House voted in favor of rescinding the $1.1B already approved to fund the CPB. This means a loss of approximately $300,000 for WFDD. While this is not the outcome we hoped for, it was also not unexpected. Since February, we have been making cuts behind the scenes to anything we can in anticipation of this shortfall. Our goal was to trim as much as possible without impacting what you hear, but were still running in a significant deficit. To minimize the impact on our operations, were asking our community to step up. Something as small as $5 a month may not be much to you, but it is huge to us. You can make a gift now at www.wfdd.org/donate Thank you to everyone who contacted their representatives, called, emailed, and left comments showing their support, or who have come out to our events to make their voices heard. You are the reason we do what we do. You are the public in public radio. WFDD

PBS North Carolina says it will lose over $4 million annually as a result of federal funding cuts.

PBS North Carolinas full reaction can be read below:

To our North Carolina community: This week, Congress passed a rescission bill eliminating previously approved federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcastingan alarming step jeopardizing the foundation on which public media has been built. Here in North Carolina, that funding represents a cut of more than $4 million annuallysupport that helps us provide trusted educational programming, maintain critical emergency communications infrastructure, and tell the stories that reflect and connect our communities. To every individual who made their voice heard by calling an elected official, and to every member, donor, and partner who continues to stand with usthank you. Your support fuels our work and fortifies our future. This is a time of fundamental change for public media reminding us of our deep roots in the communities we serve. PBS North Carolina, then WUNC-TV, began in 1955, twelve years before the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Today, PBS North Carolina still belongs to the people of this state, and our commitment is unwavering. While the loss of federal funding presents real challenges, remember, PBS North Carolina is more than a television networkwe are part of the fabric of this state. We are here because of you, and we exist to serve you, now and always. Thank you for standing with us during this pivotal time. Your support sends a clear message: North Carolinians are committed to public media for generations to come. With deep gratitude, David Crabtree CEO and General Manager PBS North Carolina

Chapel Hills WUNC 91.5 FM, also known as North Carolina Public Radio, says it will lose $800,000 in annual support as a result of the federal funding cuts. The station also says that the loss in funding will create immediate and significant challenges.

Charlottes WFAE 90.7 FM says it will be letting go of six people from its work staff as it faces a difficult revenue environment and the loss of federal funding due to the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
Washington  Ten Americans are en route to the U.S. after a prisoner swap involving the U.S., El Salvador and Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday.

The Americans were freed from Venezuela in exchange for El Salvador returning 252 Venezuelans who were deported from the U.S. to a notorious Salvadoran prison earlier this year, senior administration officials said, alleging the released Venezuelans were members of the gang Tren de Aragua.

A former Navy SEAL, Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, is among the Americans released, three sources told CBS News. Castaneda was detained in Venezuela last year while on personal travel.

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"We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime," Castaneda's family said in a statement. The family said he had suffered several traumatic brain injuries during his 18 years in the Navy that "impaired his judgment and risk mitigation" and "led him to make a bad decision to travel to Venezuela."

The U.S. has warned Americans against traveling to Venezuela or near its borders, citing the risks of wrongful detention.

"Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world," Rubio said in a statement that credited "President Trump's leadership and commitment to the American people."

"Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland," Rubio added.

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The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela posted a photo of the freed Americans with U.S. diplomat John McNamara.

Ten Americans who were freed from Venezuela in a prisoner swap on Friday, July 18, 2025. / Credit: U.S. Embassy in Venezuela

As part of the deal, the Venezuelan government also released dozens of people who were described as Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees, a senior administration official said.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that his country "handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua," in exchange for "a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners  as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages."

The Trump administration deported more than 200 male Venezuelan citizens to El Salvador in March, accusing them of being part of the transnational gang Tren De Aragua. Mr. Trump invoked an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to order officials to quickly deport many of the Venezuelan migrants, deeming them a threat to the U.S. The Salvadoran government has held many of the detainees in a supermax prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT.

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In May, the Supreme Court extended a pause on deportations of Venezuelan migrants detained in northern Texas while they challenge their removals under the wartime law.

Some of the families of the Venezuelan deportees have denied that they have gang connections, and a "60 Minutes" investigation in April found that most of the detainees did not have criminal convictions.

The Venezuelan government confirmed Friday's swap, saying in a statement it "has achieved the release of the 252 Venezuelan citizens who remained kidnapped and subjected to forced disappearance in a concentration camp, known as CECOT, in the Republic of El Salvador."

Officials describe "down-to-the-wire" deal

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A senior administration official said the deal with El Salvador and Venezuela was "essentially down to the wire." The flight carrying the detainees took off from Venezuela at around 3:40 p.m. ET and left Venezuelan airspace at around 3:55 p.m. The official alleged the Venezuelan government took "one last stand" by briefly delaying Friday's swap as a "power flex."

The prisoner swap was arranged as Venezuela faces intense U.S. sanctions that limit the country's once-lucrative oil industry, and came one day after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on six leaders and affiliates of Tren de Aragua. A senior administration official said Friday's deal was "humanitarian in nature" and there was "not a discussion of sanctions whatsoever."

Rubio credited Bukele  who has cast himself as a key ally in Mr. Trump's deportation push  for the swap. Bukele posted on X that his government initially proposed the swap to Venezuela's government in April.

Ten Americans are are their way home from detention in Venezuela! Thanks to @POTUS, @SecRubio, @usembassyve, @aboehler and many others for your support bringing Americans home pic.twitter.com/0lnxkBEZ9S  Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (@StateSPEHA) July 18, 2025

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  13 people were taken into police custody Thursday night during a protest on Roebling Bridge.

Our Cincinnati sister station, WLWT, reports that the protest centered around Ayman Soliman, a former Cincinnati Childrens Hospital chaplain who was recently detained by ICE. Ignite Peace Cincy established the protest, which began at the Sing the Queen City sign in Cincinnati.

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Soliman is currently in custody at the Butler County Jail.

According to the Covington Police Department, officers were dispatched to the bridge around 8:15 p.m., where it was determined that the protest was obstructing traffic and causing safety concerns for demonstrators and the public.

The department says that officers initially attempted to speak with the leader of the protest, but those efforts were allegedly met with open hostility and threatening behavior.

We respect everyones right to protest, but when demonstrations jeopardize public safety and violate the law, our officers must take appropriate action, said Chief Brian Valenti.

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Officers issued warnings to the group to disperse, but eventually had to take additional action, arresting 13 people. Alleged charges range from the following:

Riot  1st Degree

Unlawful Assembly

Failure to Disperse

Obstructing a Highway

Obstructing Emergency Responders

Criminal Mischief

Disorderly Conduct  2nd Degree

Resisting Arrest

The bridge was closed temporarily during the incident.

Officers from Kenton and Campbell counties responded to the bridge as well.

For more on this story, click here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  In the early 1880s, multiple state institutions were divided throughout the Dakota Territory. Those institutions included the university, other schools and the state penitentiary. At the time, Yankton and Vermillion were at the center of political power in the territory.

R.F. Pettigrew becomes our representative from Sioux Falls to go to the territorial legislature and hes looking for one of those pieces to come to Sioux Falls, said Kevin Gansz, curator of education for the Siouxland Heritage Museums. And he knew he had no chance of getting the university. A lot of people sometimes think that we had this option between getting the university and the penitentiary, and we decided to take the penitentiary instead.

Fire Station 1 construction nearing completion

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Prior to the prisons construction, inmates were convicted in the Dakota Territory and sent out of state for their sentence.

The reason for building the penitentiary is they didnt want to have to pay another state to take care of them when they can keep the money local, or at least in the state, said Bob Kolbe, a member of the Minnehaha County Historical Society.

Like any correctional facility, the state penitentiary has seen its fair share of riots and escapes. One of the more notable riots ended in the warden at the time, Eugene Reiley, being killed. His pistol is housed at the Old Courthouse Museum.

If you get somebody who decides they dont like whats going on, they can create problems, said Kolbe.

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For decades, the prison was nearly self-sufficient, with multiple industries housed within prison walls or nearby. A 700-acre farm with cows, hogs and turkeys helped supply work and food to the inmates. Around 1900, a shirt factory was opened in the prison.

They were producing shirts and some of the reports show that they had about 90 men working in the shirt factory, and they could produce 100 dozen shirts a day. Also, shortly after this time, there was a twine factory that operated out of the prison, said Gansz.

According to the South Dakota Department of Corrections 2024 statistical report, housing an inmate for a year costs over $33,000, a stark difference compared to the early 20th century.

With the prison being as self-sufficient as it was, it kept the cost of housing an inmate down. For instance, in 1913, they state that to house an inmate for a year, it costs the state $291.14, said Gansz.

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Although those industries were successful for a while, the ethics of the state making money off of inmate labor became an issue- one of the many times that the philosophy of work versus rehabilitation was brought up.

It was lock them up and throw the key away in one sense, said Kolbe. Now we try to do some rehabilitation. And how much rehabilitation, and how much education? Do you make an industrial sense of rehabilitation or do you do an academic sense of rehabilitation?

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Authorities detained a 15-year-old boy without a criminal record at Alligator Alcatraz amid the haste to fill up the Florida facility, according to reports.

As the state scrambled to open the controversial detention center, Alexis, the teenager, seems to have been caught up in the mix. On July 1, three days before the facility officially opened, Florida Highway Patrol stopped a vehicle packed with Alexis and his friends before handing him over to federal authorities, the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times first reported.

Alexis endured three days in the rapidly built facility consisting of tents and chain-link pens, his father told the Tampa Bay Times.

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The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the facility, admitted he had been detained, explaining he lied about his age when officers stopped him.

While at Alligator Alcatraz, an individual disclosed they had misrepresented their age upon arrest to ICE. Immediate action was taken to separate and remove the detainee in accordance with federal protocols, a spokesperson for the division told The Independent in a statement. This is one of many problems with illegal immigration: individuals are in our country without any way to verify their identity.

Inside the temporary migrant detention center informally known as Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Florida (REUTERS)

Inside the temporary migrant detention center informally known as Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Florida (REUTERS)

Three days after he was detained, on July 4, authorities transferred the boy from Alligator Alcatraz to a shelter for migrant children that is operated by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

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State officials told the outlet that Alligator Alcatraz doesnt house minors. Its unclear what steps are being taken to prevent something similar from happening in the future. The Independent has reached out to a spokesperson for the governors office for more information.

The episode captures the chaos around the facilitys opening. Alligator Alcatraz, constructed to help accelerate President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown, was meant to hold the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet," the president said. As of this week, the facility holds more than 700 people, but only one-third of them have criminal convictions, reports found.

The case is important to highlight to ensure that there is oversight and safeguards in place because an adult facility is not a place for a child, immigration attorney Alexandra Manrique Alfonso told the Times.

The 15-year-old was handcuffed while being transferred to the facility, Manrique Alfonso said, noting that he had been housed with adults.

President Donald Trump visits the temporary migrant detention center, where he claims some of the most vicious people on the planet would be held  although only one-third of the more than 700 people detained have criminal convictions, according to a preliminary review (Reuters)

President Donald Trump visits the temporary migrant detention center, where he claims some of the most vicious people on the planet would be held  although only one-third of the more than 700 people detained have criminal convictions, according to a preliminary review (Reuters)

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Ignacio, the teens father, told the Times that he believes his son told authorities he was an adult when the car was pulled over because he was afraid of being separated from the group if he mentioned his true age: It was because of fear.

Ignacio only learned his son was detained after one of the teens friends called from the facility  three days later. Alexis later called his father, who told him to come clean to officials that he was a minor. Ignacio then sent a photo of Alexis birth certificate via text and told his son to ask for permission to use his phone to prove his age; he was transferred after they confirmed his age, the outlet reported.

Now, Ignacio is trying to reunite with Alexis. Hes even taking a paternity test.

It is very sad that a lot of families are being separated, he told the outlet. The father came to the U.S. in 2018 after fleeing his hometown of Chiapas, Mexico due to violence; his son followed him to Florida two years later, the outlet reported.

When youre apart from your kids, you miss them. If you dont see them, you feel their absence, the father told the Times. I am pleading with God that we can be reunited.
The 15 people arrested during an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge are facing felony rioting and various misdemeanor charges.

The arrests by the Covington Police Department came during a July 17 rally held in support of Imam Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and former Cincinnati Children's chaplain, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 9.

The protest started at the "Sing the Queen City" sign at The Banks before the crowd moved across the Roebling Bridge toward Covington around 8 p.m., according to web camera footage of the bridge.

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About 30 people were in the courtroom on July 18 for the hearings, which occurred over video.

Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas Grothaus conducts hearings Friday, July 18, 2025, for 15 people arrested during an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge in Covington the previous day.

Most of the 15 defendants were not represented by lawyers at the hearing. They told the judge they would either be hiring lawyers or would be represented by public defenders.

All have been charged with felony rioting and various misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The felony carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.

Logan Imber appears via video for a hearing Friday, July 18, 2025, before Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas Grothaus. Imber, who appears to have a wound in her chin, was one of 15 people arrested at an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge the previous day.

Two of the defendants were journalists working for CityBeat, according to the publisher.

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The judge set all their bonds at $2,500 and has ordered them to return to their next hearing July 23. He has also ordered all of them not to be on the Roebling Bridge.

The 15 people facing charges are:

Brandon Hill. Lucas Griffith. Logan Imber. Dylan Bauer. Joseph Murphy. Ameer Alkayali. Johnathan Kennedy. Noah Plake. Kean Babcock. Madeline Fening. Greta Elenbaas. Nicole Volpenhein. Taylor Marshall. Suzanne Bratt. Claire Seid.

Covington police said the arrests came after people "obstructed traffic and created safety concerns for both demonstrators and the public."

Videos circulating on social media show officers subduing multiple people to the ground during the protest.

Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said his office will be investigating the incident. He said the county takes the safety of its officers very seriously and that he will review all the body camera footage from the incident.

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Videos circulating on social media show officers forcing multiple people to the ground during the protest.

Lawyer Benjamin T.D. Pugh, who is representing some of the protesters, said at least three of the protesters were hospitalized.

He said the Kenton County detention center has strict rules about accepting people with injuries.

Attorney Brian Davis, of the Department of Public Advocacy, said he's currently representing two people who were arrested July 17, though, he declined to say who his clients are.

"As with any case, I'm going to try to gather all the information I possibly can to support my clients in any way I can," he said. "In this case a lot of it seems to be caught on video."

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He asked that anyone with video or photos of the arrests email him at brianr.davis@ky.gov.

Who is Ayman Soliman?

Cincinnati Children's chaplain Iman Ayman Soliman was detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement after officials revoked his asylum status, his supporters say.

Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant who worked for several years as a Muslim chaplain at Children's and a volunteer imam at Clifton Mosque, was detained by ICE after an immigration hearing in Blue Ash on July 9.

Immigration officials decided in June to revoke his asylum, claiming he'd worked for a charity in Egypt with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Soliman and his lawyers have said that claim is false and that the charity is not associated with the Brotherhood, an Islamic group that some accuse of involvement in terrorism. Egypt considers the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, but the United States does not.

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Soliman, who remains confined at the Butler County Jail, is scheduled for a bond hearing July 23, after which he could be released from detention.

The Enquirer will update this developing news report. Reporters David Ferrara, Jolene Almendarez and Aaron Valdez contributed.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 15 people face felony charge after arrests at ICE protest on Roebling Bridge




NEED TO KNOW

Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart disappeared while paddleboarding in early July

Her body was found in "unusual circumstances" on July 3, police said

Authorities arrested a juvenile in connection with the killing





The teenager who was arrested in connection with the murder of missing paddleboarder Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart is likely familiar with the area, per reports.

Stewart, 48, was found dead on July 3, a day after she went missing while paddleboarding on Crawford Pond in Maines Knox region, Maine State Police previously said.

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On Wednesday, July 16, two weeks after she was last seen, authorities arrested a 17-year-old male in connection with the killing, police said in an updated statement this week.

He was arrested in Union, the township where Crawford Pond is located.

Police have not released the name of the juvenile; he is in custody at the the Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, per police.

While little information is available from authorities on the suspect and the circumstances, sources familiar with the investigation have indicated the teen was likely familiar with the area.

Sunny Sun/Facebook Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart

The juvenile is a resident of Maine, police said, but it was not immediately clear which part of the state he is from.

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An official close to the investigation further told ABC News that the boy was in the pond area on summer vacation with his family.

Stewart had rented a campsite at Mic Mac Family Campground, a popular summer vacation spot, on May 1, per the outlet. She had stayed on the grounds only a couple of nights before she was murdered.

Authorities say Stewart died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.

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.

According to several tributes online and a GoFundMe, Stewart was a former marine biologist who was an avid outdoors enthusiast.

She was "unapologetically alive," her friend Rachael Blumenberg told WMTW.

An investigation is ongoing.



Read the original article on People
Following a 4-month-long investigation, the New Hampshire State Police announced the arrest of 17 people on numerous drug-related charges.

The joint operation, alongside New Hampshire State Police (NHSP) Narcotics Investigations Unit (NIU), in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Manchester District Office, aimed to disrupt the distribution of narcotics throughout the state.

Investigators seized quantities of crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine during the operation, along with additional evidence consistent with narcotics trafficking.

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This investigation reflects our ongoing commitment to working with our federal and local partners to aggressively target those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic in our communities, said Colonel Mark B. Hall, Director of the New Hampshire State Police. The individuals arrested were part of a network contributing to the supply of dangerous drugs throughout our state. Their removal is a step toward safer neighborhoods.

The charges of those arrested included:

hindering apprehension or prosecution

fugitive from justice

possession of controlled drugs in a motor vehicle

conspiracy to commit narcotics sales

sale of controlled narcotics

possession of narcotics with intent to distribute.

New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl continue, said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEAs New England Division. These 17 individuals were specifically targeted as being responsible for the majority of the fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in the county. The DEA would like to thank the New Hampshire State Police, the Colebrook Police Department, and the Berlin Police Department for their outstanding collaboration on this investigation to identify those who are contributing to the crisis.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Jul. 17FARGO  A 55-year-old mystery involving unidentified remains found in the northwest corner of Cass County has finally been solved.

The answer was announced by Cass County Coroner Kriste Ross on Thursday, July 17, and came about by way of a concerned citizen, a curious anthropologist who grew up in Fargo, and through an exhumation of the remains by the Cass County Coroner's Office.

"If we can give closure to a family who might have always wondered what happened to their family member, I felt that we could do a good thing," Ross said.

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Jennifer Bengtson, 46, an anthropology professor at Southeast Missouri State University, Fargo native and Minnesota State University Moorhead graduate, has led unidentified remains cases since 2019.

She drove a team of her students to North Dakota for the exhumation at St. James Cemetery in Page on July 1, and additional sleuthing by the coroner's office helped piece together the rest.

"Everybody has their own unique stories and their own unique circumstances and finding that out is like an honor," Bengtson told The Forum.

The remains buried at the cemetery, previously marked "Unknown Male" now have a name: William Howard Tate, a member of the National Guard in 1940 in Ohio and enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II.

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Born on June 1, 1914, in Williamstown, Ky., Tate would have been 56 when he died. He had a spouse and three children at one time, Ross said.

The mystery dates back to Oct. 27, 1970, near railroad tracks outside the small town of Page, when someone spotted the body of an unidentified adult male, who investigators believed had been dead for about six weeks.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office originally investigated the case as a possible homicide, due to evidence suggesting he'd been assaulted and either thrown or had fallen from a moving train, Ross said.

Coroner's office records listed the cause of death as fractures to the ribs, jaw bones and the cervical vertebrae, or bones that make up the neck region of the spine.

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No suspects or persons of interest were ever identified, Ross said, and despite a former coroner sending hair, clothing and fingerprint samples to the FBI, the body was never identified and was buried as an unknown.

Fast forward many years to when Ross received an email from a concerned citizen in the Twin Cities who regularly searches sites like "Find a Grave." He asked Ross to place information about the unidentified 1970 remains from Cass County into a national database.

The man, who told The Forum he doesn't want to be identified, said he's used the method before to bring cases "back to the spotlight."

Upon his request, Ross entered the information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, a national centralized repository for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases in the U.S.

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Bengtson said she was scouring that database last December, like she often does, when she spotted the unidentified person case from her home state of North Dakota.

She reached out to Ross, who agreed in collaboration with Southeast Missouri State University, to exhume the grave July 1 in a renewed effort to identify the unknown remains.

The project was paid for through private donations to the university anthropology program in Missouri.

During the exhumation, an upper denture plate was recovered from the skeletal remains, Ross said.

One of Bengtson's students noticed the denture, made of a composite resin material, was labeled "Tate W. H" with the number "20506932" printed beneath.

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Using genealogical and archival resources, Deputy Coroner Natalie Basta later found those numbers were common identifiers for World War II service members, Ross said.

The name and number from the denture matched records associated with that Army registration number, and the record's demographic and biological profile matched the skeletal remains.

"And the rest is history," Bengtson said.

Because of the denture plate, the team didn't have to use more costly and labor intensive DNA technology on the remains.

Ross said historical records show the autopsy done on the remains in 1970 only involved x-rays and an external exam, likely because of the state of decomposition, and the man was listed as having "natural teeth."

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"He did not. And the answer to his identity was right there," she said, in reference to the identifying dentures.

Ross said her office has located one person out of state as a potential next of kin but hasn't yet received a response.

By some estimates, there are more than 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains in the U.S., Bengtson said.

Now that the Page cemetery remains are known as William Howard Tate, the coroner's office is working with Cass County Veteran Services to have a new headstone with his name placed on the grave.

"To have the privilege of knowing a story that was lost for so long, it always just kind of blows me away," Bengtson said.
BOSTON (WWLP)  The Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded more than $1 million in grants to 16 farms across Massachusetts.

The money will help improve the operations of the farms to support the local agricultural economy. Six western massachusetts farms will receive funding.

Lawn care tips: Protect your lawn from heat and drought

Its great to see several awards supporting our farmers in Franklin County, said State Senator Paul Mark (D  Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire). These awards will help our local farms stay competitive and economically successful right here in Massachusetts.

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This funding will support our farmers as they continue to support our communities  as local food producers, economic engines, stewards of our land, and so much more, said State Representative and House Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Natalie M. Blais (D  Sunderland). I am proud to live in a state that values our farms and is committed to strengthening our local food system.

MEGA recipients:

Colrain-Line Family Farm  Colrain Wood processor, skid steer, and equipment $18,750



Emilys Shellfish Company  Brewster Truck and cooler $22,210



Gwydyr Farm  Southampton Hay equipment $7,950



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Iron Ox Farm  South Hamilton Tractor $20,000



Old Earth Orchards, LLC  East Taunton Tractor, sprayer and electric UTV $30,000



Rattleroot Farm  Princeton Tractor $10,000



Tip Top Orchard  Charlemont Tractor $10,000



Wauban Farm  Ashfield Hay equipment and cattle handling equipment $30,000



AIP grants:

Burgundy Brook Farm  Belchertown Hay storage barn $90,000



Drew Farm  Westford Barn for retail store, equipment and product storage $90,000



Farmer Tims Vegetables  Dudley Wash/pack/storage building $125,000



Kevin Tripp Dairy Farm  Westport Renovation of livestock housing & grain storage $90,000



Meadowsweet Farm  Hawley Sheep barn and fencing $150,000



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Ogonowski Farm  Dracut Equipment storage barn $150,000



Porter Family Farm  Ashfield Barn for workshop, equipment storage, cattle handling, and hay storage $125,000



Whittier Farms  Sutton Beef herd barn $150,000



The money is being awarded through the matching enterprise grants for agriculture and the agricultural preservation restriction improvement program.

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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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
Editor's note: The story is being updated.

Russia launched an attack against the western part of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on July 18, killing at least two civilians and injuring 11, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

The strike targeted the Kamianske district, starting a fire and damaging administrative buildings, houses, a school, a shop, and cars, authorities said.

The fatalities included a man and a woman. All of the 11 injured victims have been hospitalized, one of whom  a 29-year-old woman  is in serious condition.

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The type of weapon used by Russia in the attack was not specified.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region in central-eastern Ukraine, is regularly targeted in Russian aerial and artillery attacks, often resulting in civilian casualties.

Recent weeks saw Russia escalate its strikes across Ukraine, launching record numbers of drones and missiles across the country.

Over the past day, at least seven people were killed and 25 injured across Ukrainian regions in Russian strikes.

Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
CANBERRA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Global economic volatility driven by U.S. tariffs is a factor in Australia's rising unemployment, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday.

Chalmers told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Friday that the volatility, unpredictability and uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs has become a "defining and an ongoing feature of the global economy" and that Australia is not immune.

He said that the federal government has received feedback from business leaders and economists that U.S. trade policy has affected local decisions on whether to hire workers or not.

"I think certainly people see this uncertainty and unpredictability as a new normal. That requires us to have a shift in our thinking," he said.

Official data released on Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that Australia's unemployment rate rose from 4.1 percent in May to 4.3 percent in June, the highest figure since November 2021.

Chalmers said on Friday that the uptick in unemployment was unwelcome but unsurprising, with the government forecasting it will rise further but remain below 5 percent.

The treasurer was speaking from South Africa where he is attending the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings in Durban.

He said that there has "certainly" been a sense in bilateral discussions and larger meetings that the U.S. tariffs are unwarranted, unnecessary and an act of economic self-harm. 
(WKBN)  Ohio is awarding nearly $46.9 million in literacy grants to 33 schools.

The funding comes from a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Education.

East Liverpool and Warren City Schools will each receive over $1.5 million.

The money will support K through 12 literacy instruction and professional development for teachers.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Twenty states joined forces in the wake of deadly flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, filing a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the federal government  over what plaintiffs assert was an unlawful decision to strip FEMA of critical disaster response funding in April.

What's happening?

Twenty states filed a federal lawsuit in Boston on July 16 against the above-named defendants, claiming they acted unlawfully in unilaterally terminating the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program on April 4.

At the time, a press release attributed to FEMA called BRIC "yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program," claiming it was "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."

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Per a New York Times report published on July 16, the administration "offered no examples or evidence to back up" those assertions.

After the suit was filed, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell explained why the states filed suit against the government and federal agencies, citing the agency's poor response in Texas.

"In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it's clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters," Campbell commented.

"By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC program, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives."

Why is FEMA funding so important?

Tragedy struck Kerr County in the early morning hours of July 4, when atmospheric conditions and heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to "rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes."

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Over 130 people died, including several young girls who'd been attending Camp Mystic in the affected area.

On July 11, the Times reported that in the immediate aftermath, "nearly two-thirds" of calls placed by flood survivors to FEMA went unanswered  and that the agency laid off contracted staff on July 5.

Texas is not alone as the state grapples with flash floods. New York and New Jersey have both experienced abnormal flooding  a form of extreme weather  in July alone.

FEMA's loss of funding wasn't the only controversial change to occur before hurricane season.

The National Weather Service and NOAA were both targeted in sweeping cuts earlier this year, leaving many Americans with less time to prepare for extreme weather, and little assistance for disaster recovery.

What's being done about this?

In their suit, the twenty states requested judicial action to declare several actions taken to dismantle FEMA "unlawful."

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Plaintiffs further asked the judge to "vacate and set aside Defendants' termination of the BRIC program," among other specific forms of relief.

A representative for FEMA declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

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.




NEED TO KNOW

Ryan Shinkle first noticed something was off with his tongue more than 20 years ago, at just 25 years old

At the time, a small white patch had appeared on the left side of his tongue. A biopsy later confirmed it was precancerous leukoplakia

Years later, Shinkle was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Now, 41, he's opening up on TikTok about his journey







Ryan Shinkles entire life revolves around speech.

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He built a successful career in sales and rose into leadership roles, currently serving as the head of sales for The Baldwin Group, a publicly traded insurance brokerage firm  where clear, confident communication is everything. So when doctors recently told the father of two that he might lose his ability to speak, the news was devastating.

The Tampa, Fla., native first noticed something was off more than 20 years ago, at just 25. A small white patch had appeared on the left side of his tongue. A biopsy later confirmed it was precancerous leukoplakia. After relocating to Houston for work, Ryan  encouraged by his mother  began regular checkups at MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the countrys leading cancer institutions.

As life moved forward, Ryan met his now-wife, Ashley, and in 2014, they learned they were expecting their first child. But that year also brought heartbreaking news.

Id been monitoring the leukoplakia closely, and that time, a biopsy came back positive for cancer cells, Ryan, now 41, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom.

He underwent his first partial glossectomy, a surgery to remove part of his tongue. For a time, things were stable. But in 2019, shortly after their second child was born, the cancer returned. Ryan endured a second partial glossectomy, hopeful it would be the final chapter in his cancer journey.

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Then, in January 2025, Ryan began feeling a familiar pain in his tongue. Ashley encouraged him to return to MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he had remained a patient even after moving back to Florida.

Soon after, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of this cancer include persistent sores, pain, difficulty swallowing or chewing and changes in speech. Tobacco is the single largest risk factor for tongue cancer.

The tumor was classified as T-1 and located on the left side of his tongue. Surgery followed by radiation was the standard treatment plan.

The team suggested I was a good candidate for an immunotherapy treatment that had shown success in shrinking other types of tumors and was in trial status for squamous cell carcinoma, Ryan explains.

Courtesy of Ryan Shinkle Ryan Shinkle with his wife Ryan Shinkle with his wife

The trial involved a six-week course of two immunotherapy drugs administered via IV. At first, the tumor appeared stable, maybe even slightly smaller. But during the second half of the trial, Ryan noticed rapid growth.

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"I noticed the tumor explode it doubled in size, he says. I alerted the team, but surgery was already scheduled, so there wasnt much to do in the two weeks until then."

By the time he and Ashley returned to Houston for pre-op scans, the tumors growth had accelerated significantly.

His surgeon warned that Ryan might now require a total glossectomy, the complete removal of his tongue. The procedure could mean he might never speak again and could need a feeding tube for the rest of his life.

"I had a meltdown. In six weeks, we went from a small tumor in an ideal position to the likely loss of my entire tongue," the dad of two, ages 10 and 6, says. "The concept of not being able to talk to my children shook me to my core."

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"His whole personality is built around how he talks, Ashley continues. He's funny, witty and quick... your typical sales guy. So the thought of maybe not speaking again or being on a feeding tube was shocking."

Courtesy of Ryan Shinkle Ryan Shinkle in the hospital Ryan Shinkle in the hospital

Leading up to surgery, Ashley, knowing how much Ryan loved public speaking and MCing at company events, also suggested something unexpected: Why not document the journey?

Inspired by his wife, Ryan decided to create his own TikTok account, @dadgotyourtongue, and post his first video:

"Preparing to have my tongue cut out and reconstructed with my forearm as if that's totally normal for a 41-year-old who's never touched tobacco," he wrote, filming himself walking into the hospital.

Shortly after that post, Ryan underwent a complex 12-hour operation in Houston, where approximately two-thirds of his tongue was removed and reconstructed using a flap from his thigh.

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The procedure also included a complete neck dissection. The first half of the surgery involved removing the tumor and ensuring clear margins; the second half, performed by the plastic surgery team, focused on rebuilding what had been lost.

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.

Courtesy of Ryan Shinkle Ryan Shinkle after surgery Ryan Shinkle after surgery

At first, recovery appeared to be going well. Nurses monitored the blood flow to the new flap every hour using a Doppler machine, which functions much like an ultrasound. But about 36 hours after the operation, something went wrong.

The flap had failed due to a blood clot. Ryan was rushed into emergency surgery, where doctors reconstructed his tongue again, this time using tissue from his left forearm. The original thigh flap was salvaged and used as a skin graft.

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"It was like a scene from ER," he says. "I was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling as the lights went by, trying not to panic. I couldnt talk, but I managed to write I love you to my wife on a whiteboard."

Courtesy of Ryan Shinkle Ryan Shinkle writes on whiteboard Ryan Shinkle writes on whiteboard

But Ryans recovery wasnt without complications. Just seven days after surgery  and shortly after passing a swallow test and being discharged  he developed kidney stones and had to be readmitted to the hospital. Once stabilized, he turned his focus back to healing.

As he regained strength, he began the slow, often frustrating process of relearning how to eat. Each small step forward felt like a victory. From mashed potatoes and pudding to scrambled eggs and soft pasta, every bite was progress. He also began simple tongue exercises to help retrain the muscles that remained functional.

"I still have the base of the tongue and kind of the side, Ryan adds. So this just has to compensate for everything over here that doesn't do anything. After surgery, obviously, there's tremendous swelling and as the swelling went down, my speech got better."

Ksenija Stosic Photography |@ksenijastosicphotography Ryan Shinkle and his family Ryan Shinkle and his family

Then came a breakthrough  the first word Ryan was able to speak.

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It was a few days after surgery. Although the tracheostomy was still in place, doctors had fitted him with a small vocal cap, which redirected airflow to help him attempt speech. In that moment, Ryan turned to Ashley and said her name.

"After a few days of preparing herself to never hear me talk again, I was able to say Ashley, and she broke down in tears," he says. "I then said, I love you. Thank you for taking care of me. Days later, I told her, Im going to win, Im going to get my speech back. "



But as Ryan continued to make progress, another challenge emerged: radiation.

The treatment brought a new wave of difficulties  extreme fatigue, painful sores in his mouth, and a return to nutrient-packed smoothies just to maintain weight.

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Even as Ryans physical voice faced new tests, his digital voice continued to grow stronger.

He kept posting regularly on TikTok  sharing recovery tips, answering questions, and speaking candidly about both setbacks and victories. Through social media, he not only processed his own experience but helped others navigate theirs.

Its been helpful for me to know other people are fighting the same battle. Its less lonely, and Im hopeful Ive provided some measure of the same sort of comfort.

That sense of connection  both online and at home  has shaped how Ryan sees the road ahead. As he looks to the future, hes thinking not just about recovery, but how to turn this experience into something greater.

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Hes begun work on a book focused on overcoming adversity and achieving goals, and he hopes to build a platform that empowers others to improve their health or transform their lives in meaningful ways.

Fortunately, Ryans latest scans show no signs of cancer. It hadnt spread, and now hell simply return for checkups every five years  a milestone that brings deep relief and renewed focus.

"I'm more resilient than I ever thought I was," Ryan says. "In a way, more mentally tough and more mentally weak than I knew, and in finding peace with that. Ive learned that I can survive anything and that surviving is worth it."



Read the original article on People
The Brief

The Milwaukee Air & Water Show is ready to launch this upcoming weekend.

Featured in the air show are the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels.

The Blue Angels will be taking practice runs in Milwaukee ahead of the shows on Saturday and Sunday.

MILWAUKEE - There were rumbles in the sky around Milwaukee on Thursday, July 17, but it was not thunder. The Milwaukee Air & Water Show is set for this weekend  and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels were creating quite the stir.

Blue Angels light up the sky

What we know

The north side of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport was the place to be on Thursday to catch a glimpse of the headliners arriving in town  the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

The elite flight demonstration squadron was here to meet the media and make practice runs in Milwaukee.

What they're saying

Tyler Gasek took off work to wait for the planes parked in the distance to fly overhead.

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"Just the aerial maneuvers they do," Gasek said. "I enjoy it, my family enjoys it, just a good time. Brings in the families, friends and all that stuff."

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Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor demo team dazzled over the tarmac  ahead of the Blue Angels' F-18 Super Hornets.

"It's just that emotion and when you hear those thrusters go over your head. It's one of those feelings you can't describe, in a sense," Gasek said.

Those on the demo team

What they're saying

"Ive seen more new places since being on this team in the past three years," said Maj. Samuel Petko, Blue Angels C-130 demonstration pilot.

Maj. Petko is the lead C-130 "Fat Albert" pilot. It is the Marine's last year of his Blue Angels' tenure.

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"I get to tell the new guys what its going to look like so they can anticipate what were going to do," Petko said.

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Helping with that is Racine native Blue Angels Command Master Chief Matthew Dawson.

"The motivation, pride and professionalism that the enlisted-side sailors and Marines put into the work is astronomical," Dawson said.

"It could be anything from aircraft parts, hazmat, tools, personal stuff. All of our equipment and uniforms that we need to operate in the air show," said Lt. Mara Mason, Blue Angels supply officer.

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"Loved every minute of it, honestly, I couldnt think of a better job to do," said Gabe Whisman, Blue Angels aviation mechanic.

Milwaukee Air & Water Show schedule

Saturday & Sunday, July 19  20

10 a.m.: Water Show

12 p.m.: National Anthem / ReMax Parachute Team

3 p.m.: US NAVY Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron

All times are approximations and weather-dependent.

The Source

The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Air & Water Show.
WASHINGTON (WJW)  Kayem Foods Inc. is recalling more than 24,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken sausage products due to possible contamination with plastic, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

North Ridgeville school employee, accused of stalking ex, pleads guilty to lesser charges

The recalled product is the 11-ounce vacuum-packed ALL NATURAL al fresco CHICKEN SAUSAGE SWEET APPLE with Vermont made syrup.

Courtesy: USDA

Affected packages are marked with lot code 179 and a USE/FRZ BY OCT 01 2025 date on the back label. The sausage was produced on June 28, 2025, and bears the establishment number P-7839 inside the USDA inspection mark.

Courtesy: USDA

The products were shipped to retailers nationwide.

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Kayem Foods, based in Chelsea, Massachusetts, informed inspectors of the issue after receiving three complaints from people who found white plastic pieces in the sausages. There have been no confirmed injuries.

Man wins 2 separate $1M lottery prizes after accidentally buying extra ticket

Courtesy: USDA

Inspectors urge consumers to check refrigerators and freezers and to avoid consuming the recalled sausage. The product should be thrown away or returned to the store where it was purchased.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Joellen West, Customer Service Manager at Kayem Foods, at 617-889-1600 x247 or via email at jwest@kayem.com.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
The Russian occupation authorities are preparing to sentence 24-year-old Crimean Tatar Khatidzhe Buiukhchan to life imprisonment. She was previously detained for supposedly "preparing a terrorist attack" and "treason".

Source: statement by MP Tamila Tasheva, former representative of the president of Ukraine in Crimea; Suspilne Krym, a local branch of the Ukrainian public broadcaster

Quote from Tasheva: "24-year-old Crimean Tatar Khatidzhe Buiukhchan disappeared on 6 May. That morning, she boarded a bus from Staryi Krym to Simferopol  after that, she went MIA. Her whereabouts remained unknown for over two months.

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On 14 July, the FSB released a staged video in which the girl's blurred face reads a rehearsed text. Russian media reported that she was supposedly detained for preparing a terrorist attack against an officer of the Russian Ministry of Defence and treason. She was arrested by the Russian occupation court.

There is no doubt that for two months, the FSB beat a confession out of her and wrote texts that the girl memorised and read out on camera. These are criminal methods used by Russian security forces; these are crimes against freedom.

Khatidzhe faces life imprisonment. This is the first time that such a sentence could be imposed on a young Crimean woman."

Details: Tasheva said that the number of disappearances in occupied Crimea has been increasing over the past year. Among those who have disappeared are Niyara Ersmambetova, Yevheniia Samoilova, Tamara Chernukha, Serhii Kozlov, Serhii Hryshchenko and others.

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"The Russian Federation is tightening control over the information space in the occupied territories, equating everything possible with crimes," she wrote.

As reported by Suspilne Krym, on 14 July, the Russian FSB announced that it had "prevented a terrorist attack" that was "being prepared by a woman on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine".

It later became known that this was about Buiukhchan. The Crimean Tatar Resource Centre said that this became known on 7 May. The girl was held in a pre-trial detention centre for about 70 days.

"All these months, we knew that she was in a pre-trial detention centre and that she was being pressured. But her parents did not give permission for publication because we understand that there were threats... For two months, they [FSB employees  ed.] extracted this information, wrote texts that the girl had already read, told, and memorised. I am inclined to think that she did this under duress, not of her own free will, not because she was actually cooperating with anyone there," said Zarema Barieva, manager of the centre.

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Hello! I think we could all use a little levity in our lives. Coincidentally, I recently stumbled upon the Shit Americans Say subreddit, where people share screenshots of the most ignorant thing they've seen people in the US say about the world. And honestly? It's the best reprieve. Enjoy!

giphy.com

1.This person genuinely believes America is "too big for public transport." Someone please tell that to our train and bus systems.

2.This person thinks free will only exists in the US.

Related: "Be Better Parents": People Are Giving Millennials A Much-Needed Reality Check, And It's Harsh But Fair

3.This person thinks servers LOVE the tipping system. I'm not sure where they've been in the last 10+ years.

4.This person thinks WhatsApp is designated to third-world countries... Despite its massive popularity around the globe.

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5.This person would be shocked to know that a Euro is worth more than the US dollar.

6.I don't even know what to say here.

7.This person has no idea how commonly the metric system is used.

8.This person claimed the US is the "most creative nation in the world" and challenged people to name a revolutionary invention created outside of the United States. A simple answer: Cars.

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9.This person thinks only Americans drink water. As if we don't all need water to survive.

Related: Women Are Sharing The Seemingly Little Habits That DRASTICALLY Improved Their Sex Lives

10.This person thinks Europeans can't comprehend the concept of steak, eggs, and bacon.

11.This person claims Silicon Valley "built the modern world" and wonders why they shouldn't run it. My only response is... imagine Zuckerberg running the world. Help.

12.This person said that ALL of Europe is dangerous, and honestly, that's probably for the best. I'm sure they don't like American tourists, anyway.

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13.These two Americans got in an argument over the stupidest thing.

14.This person tried to make fun of someone for misusing a word... while literally using a word not acknowledged by dictionaries.

Related: "I Fell For My Sugar Daddy": 37 Stories Of Sex Workers' First Client Encounters That Range From Shocking To Weirdly Wholesome

15.This person can't convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.

16.This person thinks currency in all other countries is basically "monopoly money."

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17.This person bragged about living in the US. A place they think they can openly criticize their government without being arrested... (Who's going to tell them?)

18.This person thought the symbol for US currency was "universal for 'money.'"

19.This person referred to a building built circa 200 B.C. as a "copy" of a fort in Florida. You know. A state in a country founded a few hundred years ago.

20.This car owner.

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21.This person said people living in New York and Arizona  who literally speak the same language, use the same currency, and have the same political history  are as different as those who live in Iceland and Germany.

22.This person thinks TikTok  whose parent company is based in China  was made for Americans.

Related: "He Needed Surgery To Get It Out": Medical Professionals Are Sharing Why They'll Never, Ever Forget A Certain Patient

23.This person genuinely believes worker strikes are "mainly really an American thing." Clearly, they're not familiar with France's game.

24.This person seriously said, "Every significant cultural item comes from the US," and I need them to get out more.

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25.For context, the person commented on a video where someone in London ordered "chips."

26.This person thinks US citizens should "never be embarrassed to live in the USA," and I'm embarrassed just reading through this list.

27.This person decided that the US has the authority to decide what people of other nationalities and ethnicities call themselves.

28.This clearly stubborn and confused being.

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29.And finally, this person who thinks that only the US allows its citizens the right to free speech.

What's the most ignorant thing you've ever heard someone from the US say? Let us know in the comments.

Also in Internet Finds: We've Only Explored 5% Of The Ocean, So It's No Surprise That These 27 Terrifying Stories From People Who Work At Sea Are Amongst The Scariest I've Ever Read

Also in Internet Finds: I'm Gonna Have To Log Off For A Bit After Learning About These Terrible, Shocking, And Horrifying Things

Also in Internet Finds: 57 Low-Key Terrifying Photos That Gave Me Goosebumps  But That I Couldn't Look Away From

Read it on BuzzFeed.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (KETK) Three people were arrested in Mount Pleasant on July 12 after it was discovered that they robbed six different stores across the state, according to police.

Pains me deeply to go: Overton fire chief retires citing drama, internal conflict

The Mount Pleasant Police Department said officers arrived at a Walgreens in Mount Pleasant on July 12 after receiving reports of a shoplifting incident at the store. Officers found the three suspects involved in theft a few blocks away from the store and arrested them. The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Aaniya Thompson, 19-year-old Omarion Ricks and 20-year-old Destiny Cummings.

Courtesy of Mount Pleasant Police Department

Following the arrest, it was discovered that the suspects had stolen over $1,500 worth of products from Walgreens, and it was also revealed that the three suspects had also conducted large-scale thefts in Commerce, Greenville and Sulphur Springs.

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Kudos to our officers for stopping these traveling thieves and solving crimes that occurred in four different cities and at six different stores, the Mount Pleasant Police Department said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.




NEED TO KNOW

A blast erupted at Biscailuz Center during bomb squad training

At least 3 sheriff's deputies were confirmed dead, per federal officials

The FBI and ATF are investigating whether mishandled materials played a role







Three sheriff's deputies were killed Friday morning in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility, officials said.

The blast occurred around 7:30 a.m. at the Biscailuz Center in Monterey Park during a training exercise involving the department's bomb squad, according to BBC News. According to the outlet, the deputies were part of a unit moving explosive materials when something went tragically wrong, though officials have not yet confirmed whether live ordinance  explosive weapons that are active and capable of detonating  was involved.



Etienne Laurent/AP

Etienne Laurent/AP

Emergency crews responded to the scene, one person was injured and taken to a nearby hospital, and all activity at the facility was immediately suspended; it is not yet clear what caused the blast.

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Federal and local responders, including the FBI, ATF, LAPD bomb squad and the Los Angeles Fire Department have launched an investigation, per the Associated Press.

A law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name told the AP that an early line of the investigation was looking at a possible training accident.

Etienne Laurent/AP

Per aerial video from ABC 7, the explosion was powerful enough to damage nearby sheriff's vehicles, blowing out the windows of at least one SUV.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said it "appear[ed] to be a horrific incident" in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Please pray for the families of the sheriff's deputies killed," Bondi wrote.

Read the original article on People
Three Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies assigned to the arson explosives detail were killed in an explosion at a law enforcement training facility on Friday, the sheriff said.

These fatalities at the Biscailuz Training Center in Monterey Park mark the largest loss of life incident for the LA County Sheriff's Department since 1857, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference.

No one else was hurt, the sheriff said, and the bomb squad rendered the scene safe.

Mike Blake/Reuters - PHOTO: Los Angeles County sheriff officers block the road to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, where fellow officers were killed following an explosion, in East Los Angeles, July 18, 2025.

The cause of the explosion is still not known, the sheriff said.

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Luna called it an isolated incident and said there's no threat to the community.

Multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News that it appears an explosive had been brought back to the facility from a seemingly routine bomb squad callout on Thursday and was believed to have been inert when it later exploded.

In a statement Friday evening, the sheriff's department said authorities were returning to the Santa Monica residence where the deputies picked up the possible device that exploded and were planning to search the area for any potential explosive materials out of an abundance of caution.

"At this time, it is not determined if the devices found yesterday have any correlation to todays critical incident," the sheriff's department statement said.

Mike Blake/Reuters - PHOTO: A Los Angeles County sheriff wears a badge with a black mourning band in honor of fellow officers killed following an explosion at the LA County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, in Los Angeles, July 18, 2025.

MORE: Idaho murders latest: Police chiefs break silence after gag order lifted

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The three deputies were identified by the department Friday evening.

Courtesy L.A. County Sheriff's Department - PHOTO: L.A. County Sheriff's Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund; Victor Lemus; and William Osborn.

Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund joined the department in 2006. A field training officer, he became a detective in 2016 and was assigned to a team investigating complex crimes. He became an arson and explosive investigator in 2022. He is survived by his wife and seven children.

Detective Victor Lemus joined the department in 2003, became a K-9 handler in 2017 and an arson investigator last year. He is survived by his wife, who is also a detective in the department, and three daughters. He also has three sisters who also work in the department.

Detective William Osborn joined the department in 1992. He worked as a detective for over a decade before becoming an emergency vehicle operations center instructor in 2016. He became an arson and explosive investigator in 2019 and took on the role of mentoring new investigators.

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"These members, usually the average calls that they go to and dealing with some very dangerous situations or items, average about 1,100 per year. So these aren't people who don't do this very often. They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today," Luna said at the news conference.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: A US Department of Justice Explosive and Fire Investigation vehicle is seen following an explosion at the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Biscailuz Training Center in East Los Angeles, on July 18, 2025.

Luna appeared emotional as he said he spoke with two of the three victims' families.

"As you can imagine, those were extremely challenging conversations," he said.

LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn in a statement called it "an extraordinarily painful day for our Sheriffs Department and for LA County."

Etienne Laurent/AP - PHOTO: The Biscailuz Training Facility, where an explosion occurred, is shown on July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Etienne Laurent/AP - PHOTO: The Biscailuz Training Facility, where an explosion occurred, is shown on July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles.

"My prayers are with the families of the deputies and their colleagues in law enforcement who are reeling from this tragedy," Hahn said. "I am offering my full support to our Sheriff Robert Luna and his department as they not only work to support our deputies but to investigate what went so wrong. We need to get to the bottom of what happened and make sure that it never happens again."

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Arson investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Los Angeles Fire Department are among those responding, LA Mayor Karen Bass said.

The FBI was also on the scene, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said.

"Please pray for the entire Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department," Bondi wrote on social media.
YANGON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government will disburse low-interest loans from the State Economic Promotion Fund, aiming to promote the country's agriculture and livestock sectors, state-owned daily The Mirror reported on Friday.

At a Union Price Stability Committee meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw on Thursday, Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Win Shein said the government plans to disburse 688 billion kyats (about 327.61 million U.S. dollars) in agricultural loans for over 5 million acres of land in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the report said.

The minister called for high production of foodstuffs to ensure proper prices, promoting agriculture and livestock-based manufacturing, and expanding the cultivation of edible oil crops, it said.

The Union Price Stability Committee, formed on August 18, 2023, is working on basic food price stability, balancing between local needs and production, ensuring the proper flow of goods in and out and supervising matters that disrupt commodity price stability in accordance with the law, the report said. 
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  Four adults and eight cats have been displaced after a house fire in Virginia Beach on Thursday morning.

Units with the Virginia Beach Fire Department were dispatched to a reported residential structure fire in the 700 block of Pine Lake Drive at approximately 9:20 a.m. It is in the Larkspur subdivision of Virginia Beach.

Upon arrival, crews observed smoke coming from the residential structure. They quickly had water on the fire, and it was officially marked out around 9:40 a.m.

Courtesy: Virginia Beach Fire Department Courtesy: Virginia Beach Fire Department Courtesy: Virginia Beach Fire Department Courtesy: Virginia Beach Fire Department

The Red Cross has been contacted to assist with temporary housing.

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There were no injuries reported to civilians, firefighters or pets.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
The United States Department of State added four countries to its travel advisories list with its strongest warning urging travelers not to visit under any circumstances.

It's travel advisory exists with four different levels ranging from Level 1 "exercise normal precautions" to its Level 4 "do not travel." As of July 18 there are 21 nations on the "do not travel list" after four were added during the first two and a half weeks of the month.

Starting on July 3 the Department of State offered a "do not travel" warning for Lebanon amid "crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines, and the risk of armed conflict" with some areas, especially near the borders, carrying increased risks.

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"U.S. citizens in Lebanon should be aware that consular officers from the U.S. Embassy are not always able to travel to assist them. The Department of State considers the threat to U.S. government personnel in Beirut serious enough to require them to live and work under strict security," a warning from the Department of State read.

The United States when nearly two weeks without adding another country to the "do not travel" list, but that came to an abrupt end on July 15 as Haiti started a run of three straight days with a country being added to the list. U.S. citizens were urged not to travel to Haiti, which has been under state of emergency since March 2024, due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care.

On July 16 the Department of State updated its "do not travel" warning for Libya due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict. "Terrorist attacks could occur with little or no warning, targeting public spaces like tourist locations, hotels, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities," the warning read.

Just a day later, the "do not travel" warning for Iraq also received an update to reflect the lifting of ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel.

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"Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the U.S. governments limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq. Do not travel to Iraq for any reason," the warning said.

In total the United States has added nine countries to its list of travel warnings in the month of July.

Related: Andy Byron Statement Floating Around Social Media Is Duping Everyone

4 Countries Added to 'Do Not Travel' List in July first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A San Angelo man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon to a household member, marking his second major conviction for domestic violence in just over a year.

Frank Alton Martinez, 43, was convicted on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, by a jury in the 340th District Court. The trial was overseen by Judge Jay Weatherby, with prosecution led by 51st District Attorney Allison Palmer and Assistant District Attorney Jensen Martinez.

The jury heard evidence that on April 15, 2024, at approximately 2:12 a.m., a woman stumbled into the emergency room at Shannon Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. She had swollen, purple eyes, multiple deep lacerations to her head, arms, and hands, and extensive bruising. Her hair and clothing were wet, and she smelled strongly of gasoline.

Mugshot Frank Martinez 4-19-2024 courtesy Tom Green County Sheriffs Office

Medical staff determined she had broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and spinal fractures. Life-saving measures were immediately initiated, and she was transferred to the intensive care unit, where she remained for several days.

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Jury sentences man for hitting girlfriend in face

An ICU nurse testified that it took approximately two hours for him and another medical professional to clean the gasoline, blood, and grass burrs from the womans hair. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was sedated and unable to identify herself. Police had to identify her through fingerprints.

Detectives Charles Barker and Thomas Gibson conducted the investigation. Surveillance footage captured the vehicle Martinez typically drove dropping the victim off near the emergency room entrance, then returning to his residence minutes later. During an interview, Martinez would neither confirm nor deny that he dropped her off, but admitted being with the victim from April 14 through the early hours of April 15.

San Angelo man gets 245 years for exploiting minors, adult online

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Investigators found blood evidence throughout the vehicle and recovered a machete bearing Martinezs DNA on the handle and the victims blood on the blade.

After hearing all the evidence, the jury returned a guilty verdict on Wednesday. At Thursdays punishment hearing, Judge Weatherby considered additional evidence, including a previous violent assault on a local woman and Martinezs criminal history of assaults.

Judge Weatherby sentenced Martinez to life imprisonment.

Report: Coleman woman planned to mail ex-husband fentanyl-laced chocolates disguised as gift from travel agency

In a statement, the 51st District Attorneys Office said, We want to thank the jury in this case for holding a violent criminal in our community accountable for his actions. By their verdict, the jury has acted to protect our community and has sent a message that acts of senseless violence will not be tolerated.

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We also appreciate and respect the sentence set by 340th District Judge Jay Weatherby. The sentence of life imprisonment protects our community from further acts of violence by this offender. With this sentence, Judge Weatherby has sent a message that the safety of our community is of paramount importance to the justice system in Tom Green County.

On behalf of our office, we are proud to seek justice for our community and for victims of violent crime in our community. We are committed to the protection of our community and will continue to work to hold criminals accountable for their actions.

This was not Martinezs first conviction for violence against a household member. In May 2024, a jury in Tom Green County found him guilty after he hit his girlfriend in the face multiple times. He was convicted of assault of a household member or a person he was dating at the time, with a prior conviction. Martinez had previously been convicted of family violence assault. The jury in that case sentenced him to 45 years in prison for the third-degree felony.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  Five immigrants deported by the United States to the small southern African nation of Eswatini under the Trump administrations third-country program are in prison, where they will be held in solitary confinement for an undetermined time, a government spokesperson said.

Thabile Mdluli, the spokesperson, declined to identify the correctional facility or facilities where the five men are, citing security concerns. She said Eswatini planned to ultimately repatriate the five to their home countries with the help of a United Nations agency.

In cell phone messages to The Associated Press on Thursday, Mdluli said it wasnt clear how long that would take.

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The men, who the U.S. says were convicted of serious crimes and were in the U.S. illegally, are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos. Their convictions included murder and child rape, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said, describing them as uniquely barbaric.

Their deportations were announced by Homeland Security on Tuesday and mark the continuation of President Donald Trumps plan to send deportees to third countries they have no ties with after it was stalled by a legal challenge in the United States.

Eswatini, a country of 1.2 million people bordering South Africa, is the latest nation to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. The Trump administration has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, and deported eight men earlier this month to South Sudan, also an African country.

The deportees to South Sudan are citizens of Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan. They were held for weeks in a converted shipping container at a U.S. military base in the nearby country of Djibouti until a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for them to be finally sent to South Sudan. The U.S. also described them as violent criminals.

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Eswatinis government confirmed on Wednesday that the latest five deportees were in its custody after landing on a deportation plane from the U.S.

Local media reported they are being held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex, outside the countrys administrative capital of Mbabane, which includes Eswatinis top maximum-security prison.

The Eswatini government said the men are in transit and will eventually be sent to their home countries. The U.S. and Eswatini governments would work with the U.N. migration agency to do that, it said.

The U.N. agency  the International Organization for Migration or IOM  said it was not involved in the operation and has not been approached to assist in the matter but would be willing to help in line with its humanitarian mandate.

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Eswatinis statement that the men would be sent home was in contrast to U.S. claims they were sent to Eswatini because their home countries refused to take them back.

Its unclear how sending the men to Eswatini would make it easier for them to be deported home. There was also no timeframe for that as it depends on several factors, including engagements with the IOM, Mdluli said.
A murder charge was filed Friday against a man accused of beating his ex-girlfriend's 5-year-old son to death and leaving the body inside a dumpster in Panorama City last week, authorities said.

Brycson Gaddis, 20, was arrested Wednesday and, if convicted, faces a potential sentence of life in prison in the vicious beating death of Elyjiah Hearn, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Prosecutors charged him with murder and assault on a child causing death, authorities said.

This is truly a heartbreaking and horrific case, and our deepest sympathies go out to the young victims family, Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. We are committed to seeking justice and will ensure this defendant is held responsible for his actions.

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Read more: A young boy was found dead in a Panorama City dumpster. His mother's ex is accused of killing him

Gaddis did not enter a plea during a brief court appearance in Van Nuys and is due back in court next month, officials said.

Prosecutors allege Gaddis beat the boy to death inside of an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street on July 11. The boy's body was found the next day in what prosecutors described as a "commercial parking lot dumpster."

A law enforcement official previously told The Times the boy suffered "massive injuries," including a broken jaw, fractured ribs and a lacerated liver. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

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Gaddis and the boy's mother, Kemia Hearn, had dated on and off in the past but Gaddis was not the boy's father. The victim's grandfather, Troy Hearn Sr., said Gaddis had been stalking his daughter.

Its very heartbreaking for him to do that to my 5-year-old grandson, Hearn Sr. said earlier this week. Im identifying the body this afternoon. Im overwhelmed and so angry that I cant even explain it. This guy is a bad guy and its lucky that the police has him.

Read more: Body of young child found in a Panorama City parking lot

Gaddis was in police custody more than once over the past year, but he twice avoided jury trials that could have sent him to jail or prison. A warrant for his arrest had been issued three months before the slaying, records show.

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Last July, prosecutors charged Gaddis and two others with carjacking and beating someone with a "metal bar" in Baldwin Park. But the case was dismissed in mid-December when a prosecutor announced he was "unable to proceed" on the day of Gaddis' preliminary hearing, according to court records.

Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the L.A. County district attorney's office, said Friday that the case was dismissed because prosecutors could not find the victims in the carjacking case at the time of the preliminary hearing.

Gaddis had been in jail for six months at the time, but was ordered released soon after.

Six weeks later, Gaddis was arrested by Los Angeles police for repeatedly punching his girlfriend in a Hollywood apartment complex. The victim in that case was not Elyjiah's mother, records show.

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Read more: 21 children removed from Arcadia home after couple accused of tricking women into surrogacy

Gaddis was charged with domestic violence and false imprisonment, but allowed to remain free while wearing an electronic monitoring device. In April, Gaddis failed to appear in court for his scheduled trial and a judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

A month later, his electronic monitoring device ran out of power and he ignored check-in calls from the company that issued the device, records show. An alert was sent to the L.A. County Probation Department.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office referred questions to the Los Angeles Police Department, which did not respond to a question about what, if any, measures they took to re-capture Gaddis after he ducked his trial date. But given Gaddis had no criminal record after the carjacking case was dismissed, it's unlikely police would have prioritized arresting a defendant who was wanted on a misdemeanor bench warrant.

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Vicky Waters, a probation department spokeswoman, said Gaddis was "not under active supervision" by the agency because his case had not been adjudicated yet.

"Probation does not have an enforcement role in these circumstances," Waters said.

Staff writer Summer Lin contributed to this report.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Despite the White Houses calls to move on, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are curious about what the Justice Department has on Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier who was charged with sexually abusing minors.

Epsteins death by suicide in 2019 fueled many questions and conspiracies. Was he a spy? Did he know too much about too many important people? And most importantly, was his death a murder?

President Donald Trump played into the speculation and even promised his base the release of the Epstein files while he was campaigning in 2024. But his tune has since changed.

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Now, Trump is instructing the MAGA crowd to forget about the case.

But the curiosity about Epstein and the powerful people connected to him may be too high to contain.

On Thursday, Republicans teed up a vote on a non-binding resolution that would call for the release of the information related to the Epstein case.

Id love to see whatever there is to see. I think there are good things that would come from more public awareness on the issue. I dont know exactly how this plays out, one Senate Republican told Semafor.

Is there a client list?

In a July 2025 memo, the Justice Department and the FBI said they concluded their investigation into Epstein and found no evidence of a "client list.

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From the 1990s until his arrest, Epstein trafficked underage girls and young women, harming more than 1,000, as per the memo.

But their investigation concluded that Epstein died by suicide in his prison cell following his arrest in 2019 over federal sex trafficking charges.

In February, Trump appointed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who, in a Fox News interview, said that Epsteins client list sat on her desk as the Justice Department continues to review the evidence.

But she faced backlash after she backtracked and said no such list related to the trafficking of minors existed.

I kept saying, there has to be more. There has to be more, Bondi said Saturday. I was assured thats it.

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She promised to seek out the thousands of pages of documents under the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New Yorks possession.

Trump has defended Bondi and urged his supporters to forget the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.

The fact that the U.S. government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said, Case closed, shut up conspiracy theorist, was too much for me, Tucker Carlson said Friday at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.

And I dont think the rest of us should be satisfied with that.

Whats already been released about Epstein

Bondi may be under fire, but she declassified what she called the first phase of the Epstein files in February.

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The materials consisted of flight logs, an evidence list and a redacted list of contacts.

In May, she told reporters she would release more files but the names of the victims would be redacted.

Theres an existing trove of information on Epstein, including the evidence from the Virgin Islands investigation and the documents from Virginia Giuffres defamation case against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with Epstein.

Giuffre died by suicide at the age of 41 earlier this year. She was a survivor of Epsteins abuse and was allegedly trafficked to Epsteins circle of powerful people.

Epsteins connections with Trump

Trump faces pushback from his MAGA supporters for declining to release the entirety of the files.

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Rather than just admit that, Pam Bondi made a bunch of ludicrous claims on cable news shows that she couldnt back up, and this current outrage is the result, Carlson told NBC News.

Trumps well-documented relationship with Epstein is also under scrutiny. He knew Epstein for decades before he was charged with trafficking of minors.

I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you, the president said in 2019, following Epsteins arrest.

In a 2002 profile of Epstein, Trump called him a Terrific guy, whom hed known for 15 years.

Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life, Trump said at the time.

Did Bill Clinton know Jeffrey Epstein?

The same profile touched on Epsteins relationship with former President Bill Clinton.

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Clinton traveled to Africa on Epsteins private jet in the early 2000s in association with the Clinton Foundations philanthropic efforts.

Clinton was also photographed on the plane in 2002 alongside one of Epsteins victims.

The former president, in his 2024 memoir, Citizen, said he wished hed never met Epstein, as Fox News reported.

Traveling on Epsteins plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward, he wrote.

Who was Epstein

Epstein had an ordinary background. He was the son of immigrants and did not graduate from college. He wound up teaching math at The Dalton School, a prep school in New York, for two years in his early 20s before being dismissed for poor performance, according to a New York Times report.

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But this job became a stepping stone as he worked for an investment bank before managing money for billionaires like Les Wexner, the co-founder of Bath & Body Works.

By the time he was arrested, Epstein had acquired wealth and his Rolodex was full of influential names.

He owned a Boeing 727 plane, several properties in New York, Florida, Paris and a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Five Florida deputies were arrested this month after an internal tip led the Nassau County Sheriffs Office (NCSO) to investigate suspected cases of double dipping.

Don't miss

The deputies are accused of submitting false time sheets to the NCSO that included time they were working for a private employer, breaking state laws and violating NCSO policy.

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Deputy Henry Holmberg, Sergeant Brian Blackwell, Sergeant Wilfred Quick, Sergeant Joshua Huffmon and Sergeant Kellam Paolillo have been fired and face felony official misconduct and theft charges, according to news reports from First Coast News and News4JAX.

The investigation also found a sixth employee, Deputy Michael Brandon, guilty of submitting false time sheets including time when he was at home, but he accepted a pre-trial diversion disposition to avoid arrest. He has also been terminated.

The total amount said to be stolen from NCSO and taxpayers is $14,007.86

A dollar is too much, said News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney. Its a slap in the face of men and women in law enforcement who do it the right way, and those who dont, tarnish the badge.

What is double dipping?

Time theft  taking long lunches, logging off before the workday is over, or doing household tasks while youre supposed to be working  became a major concern for employers during the pandemic.

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Another more serious form of time theft is double dipping, and it involves being on the clock for one employer but working for another. In 2023, consulting firm McKinsey estimated that for a median-size S&P 500 company, 5% of its workforce is engaged in this practice. That report, which surveyed workers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Singapore and the U.K., defines double dipping as full-time salaried workers who hold two or more jobs simultaneously, likely without their employers knowledge.

The NCSO said the deputies are allowed to moonlight or work a second job while off-duty, but it was impermissible to be paid for an on-duty shift while being paid for an off-duty employment job at the same time.

But when could simply having a second job land you in hot water?

Read more: Americans are revenge saving to survive  but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Heres how to quickly earn 280% more on your cash

Could you get in trouble for a second job?

U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics show that 8.7 million Americans work more than one job, with as many as 447,000 people working two full-time jobs.

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Having more than one job itself is not illegal. However, depending on state laws around non-compete agreements, workers could run into trouble. If youre considering a second job, the first thing you should do is review any employment contracts youve signed or codes of conduct from your employer and check if there are policies prohibiting secondary employment. This map tracks state non-compete laws.

While some online communities advocating overemployment have sprung up since the pandemic  where proponents detail how they work multiple jobs at once  there are risks to this practice, and not just that you could violate your employment contract. Burnout is a real risk when taking on more than one job, as is the risk of your work suffering as a result of being overextended.

If you get caught, you may be terminated for cause, which could mean no employee benefits like severance pay or notice.

Hackney said the Florida deputies actions could also cost them their pensions.

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So, if youve worked your entire career and do this towards the end of it, and the city wants to pursue this, you can lose everything you put into that pension over something like this, he said.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Authorities addressed an illegal gambling den operating out of a home near the Azalea Park neighborhood of San Diego early Thursday morning.

The den, located in the 2600 block of Fairmount Avenue, was first discovered in February after detectives with the San Diego Police Departments Mid-City division investigated a double shooting that had occurred in the same area.

San Diego police investigate suspicious death of woman in Rolando neighborhood

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After serving a search warrant in the area, police seized several illegal gambling machines and shut down the den. A month later, detectives learned illegal activity had continued at the site.

With assistance from SWAT teams, the Vice Unit and the FBIs Violent Crime Task Force, SDPDs Mid-City division served a search warrant at the residence on Thursday.

This time, 12 illegal gambling machines were recovered along with two handguns, ammunition, narcotics and more than $1,000 in cash, according to SDPD.

Authorities discovered 12 people inside the home involved in illegal gambling activities. Six were arrested, two were given citations and four were interviewed and released, SDPD stated.

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SDPD urges anyone who sees illegal activity to report it to the non-emergency line at (619) 531-2000.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
A 61-year-old man was seriously injured after the metal necklace he was wearing caused him to be sucked into an MRI machine, The New York Times reported.

The incident occurred around 4:34 p.m. local time on the afternoon of July 16 at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was not authorized to be in the MRI room. He reportedly entered wearing a large metallic chain while an MRI scan was already in progress. The victim was sucked forcefully into the MRI machine, after which he experienced a medical episode.

Due to the strong magnetic fields utilized by MRI machines, patients and anyone in the vicinity of a working machine must remove all jewelry as well as magnetic or metallic objects which might be attracted to the machine.

Related: Mother Suffers Freak Accident After 'Dozens' of Mosquito Bites

The victim was rushed to a local hospital, where he is now listed in critical condition. The extent of his injuries are at this point unknown. Equally unclear is how the man was able to access the restricted area while another patient was using it. An investigation into the incident on behalf of the hospital and local authorities is ongoing.

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This is hardly the first time a person has been seriously injured or killed in an MRI machine malfunction. A six-year-old boy died in a 2001 incident when the metal oxygen tank to which he was connected was pulled into an MRI machine during a scan. In 2018, a man in India died in a similar accident. In 2023, a California nurse required surgery after she was pinned between MRI machine and a hospital bed when the magnetized fields pulled the bed across the room.

Related: Former MLB Prospect Dies Saving Family from Rip Current

61-Year-Old Seriously Injured in Freak MRI Machine Accident first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56)  The Laurel County Sheriffs Office located a missing man.

The sheriffs office said 66-year-old William T. Hoffmans last known location was Rudy Bear Road off Hal Rogers Parkway in London at noon on July 15.

 MISSING IN KENTUCKY

In an update just after 1 p.m. on Friday, July 18, LCSO confirmed Hoffman was found.

Hoffman is described as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, 150 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes.

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Matthew Duckworth contributed to this story.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
JAKARTA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's coking industry has reported rising production and export diversification so far this year, according to the Coking Business Association (APUKN).

As of May 2025, Indonesia had exported around 2.5 million tons of coke, a key component in steel production, to the global market, the APUKN said.

This marked a 62 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

"This export growth demonstrates the resilience of the national coke industry in facing international market challenges, including trade policy barriers and price pressures," APUKN Chairman Elias Ginting said in a statement.

India, Indonesia's primary export destination, absorbed approximately 2.6 million tons, or 47 percent, of total coke exports last year. However, its share has declined to just 21 percent so far this year, as Indonesia continues to diversify its export markets. New destinations now include Brazil, Belgium, Vietnam, Italy and Turkiye.

In 2024, Indonesia's total coke exports reached 5.56 million tons, placing the country as the third-largest coke exporter in the world, according to the APUKN. 
SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA)  One person was brought to the hospital and a fire truck was damaged after two separate crashes on Interstate 72 eastbound in Sangamon County Thursday afternoon.

The crashes happened around 2:30 p.m. near milepost 115.5 in Buffalo. Illinois State Police said after investigating, they learned that a pickup trucks tire blew out, causing it to leave the westbound lanes of traffic, enter the eastbound lanes, and then drive off the roadway into the woods.

Water, power temporarily disrupted in Sangamon Co. Jail, Sheriffs Office

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One person was brought to a local hospital with injuries. The left lane was closed just before 3 p.m. Several minutes after the lane closed, a separate motorist not involved in the initial crash, hit a fire truck on scene. Then, the left lane re-opened and right lane closed around 3:40 p.m.

State Police added that this is preliminary information, and that the investigation is ongoing.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  Pirates and Christmas lights and blueberries! There is a lot happening in Connecticut this weekend. Here are 8 Things to Do.

1. Deep River Ancient Muster and Parade, Deep River.

They call it Colonial Woodstock. Take a step back in time at the Deep River Ancient Muster, the oldest and largest gathering of fife and drum groups in the world.

8 Things to do This Weekend: Celebrate New London, Helicopter Day and Bobolink and Wildlife Festival

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2. Guilford Art Center Craft Expo, Guilford

More than 170 talented artists will be selling their creations on the Guildford green. The Guilford Art Center Craft Expo runs all weekend, with live music and great food too.

3. Christmas in July Light Walk, Plainfield

Live a little magic of Christmastime, right in the heart of summer! The Christmas in July Light Walk lights up the Hay Burr Inn Equine Rescue and Sanctuary in Plainfield. Stroll along the half-mile woodland trail, lit up with the glow of Christmas.

4. Madison Rotary Carnival, Madison

Take a spin on the Ferris wheel, try your luck at the midway, and grab a little cotton candy at the Madison Rotary Carnival. The annual event is for kids of all ages.

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5. Lyman Orchard Blueberry Festival, Middlefield

The blueberries are ripe for the picking at Lyman Orchards. After you pick your berries, check out the great food and music at the Blueberry Festival.

6. Amadeus, Madison

Watch the battle unfold between two classical music giants in Amadeus. The Madison Lyric Stage has shows Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at the historic Deacon John Grave House.

7. Litchfield County Artisans Festival, New Milford

Find a handmade treasure at the Litchfield County Artisans Festival! The New Milford town green will be transformed into a marketplace with great food and music to add to the fun.

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8. Family Pirate Adventures, Essex

Arrrr, ye ready for some pirate adventure? All aboard at the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat for a Family Pirate Adventure. Hear tales of mermaids, sea serpents and buried loot; and hunt for Captain Kidds long-lost treasure.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
The Brief

One person died and four were injured in a Haltom City crash involving a car and truck.

The car was found on fire under the trailer; four injured were treated at the scene.

The cause of the crash and the identity of the deceased are currently unknown.

HALTOM CITY, Texas - A crash involving a car and a truck pulling a trailer resulted in a death and several injuries Thursday evening in Haltom City.

Haltom City fatal crash

What we know

Around 6:37 p.m., Haltom City Fire, Fort Worth EMS and Haltom City police responded to the crash near the 5400 block of the eastbound I-820 toll lanes.

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The crash involved a passenger car and a truck pulling a gooseneck trailer, Haltom City Fire said in their release. The car was found to be on fire underneath the rear of the trailer.

One person was dead at the time officials arrived, and four others were injured. All four were treated and released from the scene, with none requiring an ambulance.

At the time of their report, Haltom City Fire said police and NTTA officials remained on scene to investigate. All eastbound toll lanes were closed, and around 9 p.m., Haltom City Fire said they would remain closed for several hours.

The latest

A later update from the Haltom City Police Department said the crash is currently believed to have been caused by the passenger car, now known to be a Dodge Charger, possibly being driven at a high rate of speed.

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The driver of the Charger, believed to be a man in his late 50s, appears to have attempted to change lanes. He then struck the trailer from behind, where it was sitting disabled on the left side of the road.

The driver of the truck was struck by flying debris and sustained minor injuries.

The police department's 10:15 p.m. release said the toll lanes were still closed for investigation.

What we don't know

The identity of the person killed in the crash was not released.

No exact time estimate for reopening the lanes has been given.

The Source

Information in this article came from the Haltom City Fire Department.
Two men recently charged in Hennepin County in a 900-pound meth case have now been federally indicted, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Minnesota said Thursday.

St. Paul police investigators led the initial investigation and the men were ultimately arrested in Minneapolis earlier this month.

This isnt just another drug bust  its one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in Minnesota history, said Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson. A 900-pound haul like this doesnt just show intent to distribute. It shows intent to poison entire communities. We will not let Minnesota become a distribution hub for cartel-scale operations. This prosecution is just the beginning.

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The Minnesota Homeland Security Task Force investigated and prosecuted the case as part of Operation Take Back America, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Joel Casas-Santiago, 46, and Guillermo Mercado-Chaparro, 44, are both federally charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mercado-Chaparro is also charged with illegal reentry by a removed alien.

One of the St. Paul investigators who worked on the case is a member of the Ramsey County Sheriffs Office Violent Crime Enforcement Team and the other is a Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer. With the VCET and federal agents, they carried out the arrests.

The investigators had information that some of the drugs were going to be delivered to a St. Paul address. They found the main suspects vehicle in Minneapolis and were able to keep working the case.

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An undercover officer bought a pound of meth from Mercado-Chaparro, who was driving a Toyota Tacoma truck, according to court documents. Through surveillance, law enforcement learned that Mercado-Chaparro was driving in South Minneapolis for suspected drug deals.

Several days later, police saw Mercado-Chaparro walk to the Tacoma, get two large garbage bags from the truck bed and put them in a nearby Jeep Wrangler. Law enforcement stopped the Jeep, Casas-Santiago and Mercado-Chaparro were ordered out of the vehicle, and more than 250 pounds of meth were found in the garbage bags and a cooler.

Police arrested Casas-Santiago and Mercado-Chaparro and obtained a search warrant for the Tacoma. They searched the truck and seized more than 630 pounds of meth from the truck bed.

If sold by the pound, the value of the meth was estimated at $1.7 million, according to the previous criminal complaints filed by the Hennepin County Attorneys Office. The case is associated with larger drug sale organizations in Mexico, the complaints also said.

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Casas-Santiagos attorney for his Hennepin County case declined comment. Mercado-Chaparros attorney could not immediately be reached Thursday.

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The London-Laurel County Communications Board approved a budget amendment Tuesday after rising costs in payroll, utilities, and emergency response pushed several line items over budget.

Board Chair David Williams led the discussion during the regular meeting, which was held in the London City Council Chambers  the downstairs portion of the London Community Center. Additional board members present included London Police Sergeant Drew Jackson, Acting London Police Chief Bobby Day, former Laurel County Sheriff's Major Robbie Grimes, Attorney Larry Bryson, Laurel County Sheriff's Detective Sergeant Taylor McDaniel, and London Fire Chief Donnie Hale.

Members voted to continue meeting at the London Community Center following a past complaint by City Council Member Anthony Ortega about the board previously meeting behind locked doors.

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The most significant overage discussed at Tuesday's meeting came from payroll, which was $33,000 above budget. Williams said the increase was due to several factors including four dispatchers attending the academy, the I-75 shooting, severe winter weather, and tornado-related duties.

We had some bad winter weather that caused overtime, and then just recently, all the tornado duties for dispatch, Williams said. Thats the first time weve really run over to this extent.

Other overages included:

 Utilities: over by $4,700

 Audit fees: increased to $5,800

 Legal fees: $4,800

 CAD system maintenance and repairs: $18,000.

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To offset the extra expenses, CMRS (cell phone fee) revenue increased by $95,000, Laurel County Fiscal Courts 911 fee revenue increased by $59,000, the county contributed an additional $100,000, and the city added $4,100.

A budget amendment reflecting these changes was unanimously approved.

The board also voted on a bylaw amendment regarding the election of officers. A revised version of the bylaws had stated, The chairperson and vice chairperson shall be elected by the board, without specifying how often. Williams suggested reverting to the previous language, which required annual votes in July.

It keeps things cleaner, he said.

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Grimes made the motion to revert to the original language, which passed.

Williams was then re-elected as chairperson. The vice-chair position remains vacant. A motion by McDaniel to table the vote until a special-called meeting later in July was seconded by Day. McDaniel emphasized the importance of hearing from absent members before making major leadership decisions.

I just think that, if were making changes, I would want to be present, McDaniel said. Give them a chance to come and give their opinion. If they dont show up to the special-called meeting, then move forward.

A date for the special-called meeting was not set, although Williams said he would contact members to determine availability.

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Also discussed was the policy manual update. Williams said the updated manual has been finished for about a month and encouraged members to review it. Director Larry Walls said it had likely been 10 to 12 years since the last full revision.

Walls also shared he and Assistant Director Tyler Pearce plan to attend a September conference in Louisville, with registration costing $325 per person. Rooms are $131 per night. The event includes full class access and an exhibit hall with new equipment.

Additionally, Dispatcher Paul Collins plans to retire later this summer, with an exact date still unknown. Collins is moving to Florida and must first complete matters with Frankfort, according to Walls. The board agreed to open the hiring process early to begin searching for a replacement.

The meeting concluded with a motion from Chief Hale, followed by board approval, to pay bills.
BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. (WSAV)  The summer heat can be tough for anyone to work in, but 92-year-old farmer Pete Waller said he doesnt plan to stop anytime soon.

Waller is a third-generation farmer and is the owner of Ottawa Farms. Wallers grandfather started the farm back in 1873 and it got passed down to his parents before he inherited it.

All my life since I was 16, born and raised on a farm, Waller said. I came along in the days when we had mules to plow and then we went to tractors.

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When Wallers parents where in charge of the farm they were mainly a vegetable farm, but now they focus on agritourism. The farm now offers attractions like berry picking, festivals and has become a popular spot for school field trips.

After my dad passed away and weve gone from vegetable farming, to cotton farming and now agritourism, Waller said. Thats our big thing right now on the farm, tourism. My favorite thing about farming today is entertaining people and talking to people, actually. Some people have never been on a farm before and its important people know where the food comes from.

Waller said he has a small team of people who work with him and being a farmer means that they work long hours, seven days a week in the summer heat.

You farm from daylight to dark and even after, Waller said. If were right in the middle of working, we stay in the field like 10:00 at night. Weve got air conditioning tractors and as long as something doesnt go wrong with a piece of equipment behind it, its a great day. However, when you have a break down, its not a great day in a hundred-degree weather, believe me.

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Ottawa Farms has different events throughout the year and has a general store that sells a variety of homemade goods. Waller also said he has no plans to retire anytime soon as he loves what he does.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB)  A years-long dispute over a faulty HVAC system and unpaid rent has left the owners of Dipson Theatres in the McKinley Mall no choice but to close its doors.

An attorney for Dipson Theatres, also known as McKinley Mall Cinema Corp, said the lack of a properly working HVAC system created untenable working conditions for employees.

The theaters employees have essentially gone on strike, citing the abysmal working conditions caused by the lack of functioning air conditioning, said Dipsons attorney, James Graber. This has been a particularly hot and humid summer, and our clients employees are fed up.

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McKinley Mall owners McKinley Mall Realty Holding LLC and Dipson are mired in legal disputes over the HVAC system and unpaid rent.

In August 2024, McKinley Mall Realty Holding filed a landlord/tenant case in Hamburg Town Justice Court, seeking almost $102,000 in unpaid rent.

In February, Dipson filed a civil lawsuit in Erie County Supreme Court seeking $4.1 million in damages, alleging the HVAC system began to malfunction in 2021, a month after signing the lease. A court date is scheduled for Aug. 19.

It is our position that a movie theater auditorium that is 45 degrees in the winter and 90 degrees in the summer is unfit for its intended purpose, and that is the current state of four of our clients six auditoriums because of this HVAC issue, said Jack Grant, an attorney who also represents Dipsons owners.

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Grant said there is a legal doctrine that he believes prevents McKinley Mall Realty Holding from collecting the back rent when their own wrongdoing caused an alleged breach of the contract.

According to court documents, McKinley Mall Realty Holding argued that because Dipson did not vacate the property, the owners cannot legally withhold rent payments. Unlike residential tenants, the company said commercial tenants have an obligation to pay rent independent of the landlords obligations under the lease agreement.

Graber said Dipson had to stop using four of the six auditoriums impacted by the faulty HVAC system.

But McKinley Mall Realty Holding said that Dipson did not identify which auditoriums they stopped using. In addition, the landlords attorneys argued the tenants civil complaint states it provided blankets to those same moviegoers, which implied that those spaces were being used.

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The landlords attorneys said when a commercial tenant in New York withholds rent, the tenant is barred from suing over contract damages.

Theres no abandonment even alleged in their papers, McKinley Mall Realty Holdings attorney said, according to a March court transcript. The law is very clear that there has to be complete abandonment of at least a portion of the premises.

Zach Zurich, the theater owners son, said they dont believe the two legal cases will be resolved soon, which means employees would continue to suffer.

We paid rent for a long time without working equipment, Zurich said. So, weve been very patient with them.

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Neither McKinley Mall Realty Holding nor its attorney could be reached for comment.

Latest Local News

Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
Stephen Colbert announced that CBS was canceling The Late Show during Thursdays taping, sharing that the late night program would not return after May 2026.

This move from CBS came just days after the host and comedian criticized parent company Paramount on-air for its $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. It didnt take long for fans of Colbert  and prominent politicians like California Sen. Adam Schiff and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren  to call attention to the timing of the cancellation on social media.

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If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know, Schiff, who served as the guest on Thursdays episode, said. And deserves better.

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery, Warren, who has been outspoken about the settlement for months, said. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.

Others wrote, This is a political favor to Trump, plain and simple, and others questioned: Its a complete coincidence that this comes on the heels of CBS bowing to Trumps demands and Colbert mocking them for it?

In a statement, CBS called the cancellation a purely financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. George Cheeks, Amy Reisenbach and David Stapf released the joint statement, which noted that The Late Shows ending after the 2025-2026 season is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

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Many online found CBS statement on the cancellation difficult to trust  or at the very least digest. With Colbert so blatantly taking Paramount to task only days before the verdict (the late night host and comedian called the Trump settlement big fat bribe), social media posts are already citing the monologue as the true reason for the shows cancellation.

Others were just disappointed to see the long-running late night series conclude  The Late Show has run longer than any show of its kind outside of Late Night and The Tonight Show.

You can view some of the reactions below.

Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled.



If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.  Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) July 17, 2025

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery.



America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.



Watch and share his message. pic.twitter.com/Rz7HcWFLYM  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 18, 2025

Stephen Colbert walking into the CBS/Paramount Global meeting like pic.twitter.com/08rVHitukh  Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) July 17, 2025

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Colbert was openly bashing Skydance and CBS for bowing to Trump this week as theyre going through their merger.



This is a political favor to Trump, plain and simple. https://t.co/IlHomjpuvK  Daniel Howat (@howatdk) July 17, 2025

It's a complete coincidence that this comes on the heels of CBS bowing to Trump's demands and Colbert mocking them for it? https://t.co/oLMKqR89Nt  Damen (@Damen_joseph) July 17, 2025

listen Im not big into late night TV anymore, and I was much less into this era than the Colbert Report, but this feels weird? Likethe Late Show is an institution? Its been on for 30 years? Literally only outlasted by the Tonight Show and Late Night (Lettermans prior gig)? https://t.co/bE2bFXW77A  AdequateEmily (@AdequateEmily) July 17, 2025

CBS: Our "we didn't cancel Late Night With Stephen Colbert because of Donald Trump's FCC" statement has people asking a lot of questions already answered by our statement https://t.co/KbJt2qcgHq  Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) July 17, 2025

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It goes without saying that Stephen Colbert is a frequent critic of the Trump administration  and, sometimes, his bosses.



Earlier this week, he called Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump "a big fat bribe." https://t.co/BAyIEzzcHC  Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) July 17, 2025

On the one hand: There *is* an economic rationale for this. Late night shows aren't cheap (w/ giant talent salaries) and they don't deliver traditional strong ratings anymore.



Other hand: I don't believe them. It's not the money in this case. https://t.co/RwXrZTgMT9  Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow) July 17, 2025

Im not gonna lie and say I watched or even really liked colberts CBS show  but it was the highest-rated show in late night and paramount is obviously canceling it because any anodyne criticism of trump pisses him off and could jeopardize the skydance merger. embarrassing! https://t.co/6aMBZuokrN  John DiLillo (@JohnDiLillo) July 17, 2025

So now CBS is cancelling Steven Colbert (after he criticized the network for caving in to Trump).

It's probably all connected to the merger and a need not to cross Trump. Shameful.

Something tells me Colbert won't be out of work long, though. pic.twitter.com/trSlKzTJpa  Roberto Gee (@RobertoGee4) July 17, 2025

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Stephen Colbert walking into the Late Night Meeting yesterday pic.twitter.com/o8TBtTTMAZ  Gracie (@graciem120001) July 18, 2025

Paramount settled w/Trump for $16M over a nuisance lawsuit. Speculation was settlement was so the admin wouldnt mess with a recent acquisition deal. Puck reported Colbert, specifically, was at risk for being openly critical of Trump.



And now: https://t.co/jdRqQldEAp  Talia Jane  (@taliaotg) July 17, 2025

Canceled the #1 late night show by ratings. Seems political. pic.twitter.com/XQ1unhgo5x  Rebel Party  (@Sjacobs2020) July 17, 2025

Late night shows are practically the only space on network TV where you will hear criticism of Trump. Its really bad to lose the Late Show, especially right now.  Laurie Kilmartin, Vegas July 25/26 (@anylaurie16) July 18, 2025

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You can watch Colberts announcement about The Late Shows cancellation in the video below:

The post Adam Schiff, Elizabeth Warren and More Call for Transparency Around Colberts Late Show Cancellation: A Political Favor appeared first on TheWrap.
UPDATED, with Sen. Ed Markey sending letter: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert started out on Thursday with the host making the bombshell announcement that CBS was canceling the show, effective next May.

That wasnt addressed in his interview with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), even though the Trump nemesis did address the presidents success in creating what he called a climate of fear.

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He wants to make the law firms afraid, Schiff told Colbert. He wants to make universities afraid. He wants to make immigrants afraid. he wants to make citizens afraid. He wants to make news organizations, CBS and Paramount afraid. He wants to make ABC afraid. And he is succeeding.

Later, Schiff did address CBS decision to cancel Late Show, writing on X, Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled. If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.

CBS said that the show was being canceled for financial reasons. But very soon after the announcement, there were quickly suspicions that it could have been connected to parent Paramount Globals pending merger with Skydance. The transaction needs regulatory approval from the Trump administration, and Colberts humor is frequently directed at the president.

Already, a number of Democrats on Capitol Hill have criticized Paramount Global for reaching a settlement with Trump over his 60 Minutes lawsuit against CBS for $16 million. Colbert joined them earlier this week, riffing in a monologue earlier this week on what he called Paramouts big fat bribe to the president.

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Following Colberts announcement that his show was getting the ax, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) linked to the hosts earlier monologue and wrote on X, CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) posted a similar note.

On Friday, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to Paramounts controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, asking her if any official in the Trump administration, including the President or an official at

the FCC, contacted your company about Colberts monologue on Monday night. If so, Markey asked if they asked Paramount or CBS take any action in response to Colberts monologue, including the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

In the Colbert interview, Schiff also criticized the package of spending cuts  known as rescissions  as a sign that congressional Republicans were giving up their power to Trump. The final passage of the package, which rolls back funding for foreign aid and NPR, just as the interview was airing.

Theyre worried about losing their own personal power, that is their own personal office, Schiff said of the GOP lawmakers.

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Some of them have said theyre worried about their own personal safety, Colbert said.

That too, that too, Schiff said.

You cant find a member of the House or Senate that hasnt gotten death threats, Schiff said. You probably cant find many that havent gotten death threats against their spouses, against their children.

Schiff said that those threats have greatly accelerated under Trump, but he suggested a way to respond.

This is all part of a deliberate campaign to frighten people into submission, Schiff said. And the only way to pish back on that is to say, Piss off. Piss off.'

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  Information found in an affidavit filed in Tom Green County shows how law enforcement used several records and individual testimonies to connect a San Angelo woman to a fatal overdose that occurred in August 2024.

Jail records filed in Tom Green County state that Krystiana Knikole Ratcliffe, 23, was booked into the Tom Green County Detention Center on July 17 on a charge of murder. As of the time of publication, she remains there with a surety bond of $1 million.

San Angelo Police Department Chief Travis Griffith held a press conference on July 18 to provide updates regarding the case. The department also issued a press release in relation to the case, stating that Ratcliffe had been arrested on July 17 for allegedly causing the death of 23-year-old Izabella Rodriguez in August 2024 by providing the methamphetamine and fentanyl that would be used in Rodriguezs fatal overdose.

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RELATED: San Angelo woman arrested for murder after fentanyl-induced death

The affidavit

According to an affidavit filed in Tom Green County, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 3200 block of Southland Boulevard on Aug. 1, 2024, regarding a report of an unconscious person. Upon arriving at the scene, the officer and paramedics found Rodriguez deceased.

Speaking with Rodriguezs mother, an investigator learned that Rodriguez was found dead on the back porch of the residence at approximately 9:30 a.m. The mother stated that she had been housesitting and babysitting for her other daughter alongside Rodriguez and one other person.

The mother provided details regarding Rodriguezs activities prior to her death. She said that she transported Rodriguez to the San Angelo Municipal Court for outstanding citations, coming to an agreement with a judge not to have Rodriguez taken to jail in exchange for paying some of the money that was owed. She said they then left the courthouse, briefly stopping at their home before returning to the Southland Boulevard residence to continue babysitting and housesitting.

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The mother said that sometime after returning to the Southland Boulevard residence, Rodriguez told her that she was going to hang out with a friend. The mom stated that she did not know exactly who Izabella was going to hang out with, but was able to confirm that she left during the afternoon before returning at approximately 10:30 p.m.

From 45 years to life: San Angelo man gets life for repeat domestic violence

The investigator and a detective then processed the incident scene, observing that Rodriguezs body bore no marks or injuries indicating an assault and that there were no other signs of other persons being present on the porch the night before. These observations corroborated the mothers statements about Rodriguez being unaccompanied.

The investigator and detective deduced that Rodriguez may have suffered an overdose from some substance due to her age and lack of any known medical condition that would be associated with her death.

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After searching Rodriguezs pants pockets, the investigator and detective found an earbud case that had within it a small clear bag that contained a white substance believed to be some form of narcotics. The investigator contacted a Texas Department of Public Safety special agent and had a field test conducted on the recovered substance, with a preliminary test done through a Truc Narc system providing a positive result for a mixture of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Rodriguezs body would be transported to Texas Panhandle Forensics for autopsy. An autopsy conducted on Aug. 5, 2024, led a medical examiner to list her cause of death as acute intoxication with fentanyl, with toxicology results providing positive findings for fentanyl and meth in Rodriguezs system.

The investigator later spoke with a man who had been Rodriguezs boyfriend up until recently, who had maintained a friendship and typically communicated daily with her. The ex-boyfriend stated that he had spoken with Rodriguez throughout the day on July 31, 2024, and provided a full copy of their text thread as well as videos sent to him.

The investigator observed a small metal shed and wood privacy fence in the background of a video, aspects of a location later understood to be a residence on South Oxford Drive in San Angelo that was described in multiple previous police reports as being Ratcliffes home.

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San Angelo man gets 245 years for exploiting minors, adult online

Speaking with a close friend of Rodriguez, the investigator learned that the friend hadnt been in communication with Rodriguez as recently as July 31, 2024, because of a falling out due to Izabellas drug use.

The friend stated that, early in their friendship, they would drive Rodriguez to the residence later confirmed to be Ratcliffes home to meet up with a girl nicknamed Unique.' The friend said they stopped taking Rodriguez to Uniques house after learning that she had been buying narcotics.

The investigator then confirmed that the South Oxford Drive residence was known to be Ratcliffes home and that Ratcliffe has a documented alias or nickname of Unique.' The investigator learned from Rodriguezs mother during another interview that she had been contacted by Ratcliffe via text, with the text thread indicating that Ratcliffe had told the mother she had been with Rodriguez on July 31, 2024.

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The investigator then obtained records from Step Mobile and Cash App after being told by the mother that Rodriguez used the applications instead of having a traditional bank account. Transaction data indicated that a transaction in the amount of $100 was made from Rodriguezs account to an account labeled Unique Ray on July 30, 2024, followed by another transaction in the amount of $24 on July 31, 2024.

The investigator also obtained Rodriguezs phone records and utilized a mapping tool  to plot coordinates of the provided call details, discovering that Rodriguezs mobile phone had traveled to areas throughout the day of July 31, 2024, that corroborated with the mothers early-investigation testimony.

Surveillance footage filmed from a residence on South Oxford Drive that was not from Ratcliffes home was reviewed, revealing footage of a woman matching Rodriguezs description being dropped off by a dark colored pickup with a camper shell going to the front door of Ratcliffes residence during the afternoon of July 31, 2024.

A LYFT driver the investigator spoke with confirmed that they had been the driver of a vehicle found in the surveillance footage filmed near Ratcliffes home on July 31, 2024. A record of the ride was also found to be associated with Rodriguezs LYFT account.

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MCSO seeks suspect after dogs found abandoned in grave condition

A San Angelo Municipal Court staff member provided surveillance footage that showed Rodriguez and her mother at the court on the morning of July 31, 2024.

Later in the investigation, DNA testing conducted on the narcotics baggie found in Rodriguezs pocket at the scene indicated very strong support that Rodriguezs DNA was on the bag. However, the report also indicated that one other unknown female profile was located on the baggie.

The investigator obtained a search warrant for Ratcliffes DNA. Ratcliffe was located and interviewed at her Oxford Drive residence on May 6, 2025, confirming during the interview that she had been with Rodriguez on July 31, 2024. When asked if there was any reason her DNA would be found on the narcotics baggie, Ratcliffe stated no.

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A separate search warrant for Ratcliffes home had also been obtained. During the execution of the warrant, the investigator found items consistent with narcotics sales and use in a bedroom that Ratcliffe identified as hers. These items included packaging (small empty plastic jewelers baggies), a scale, loose money, and narcotics consistent with black tar heroin and possible powder fentanyl.

Ratcliffes sampled DNA was submitted for comparison with the unknown female profile, with results showing strong support that the unknown profile belonged to Ratcliffe.

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NEW DELHI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- At least six Naxals were killed Friday in a fierce gunfight with government forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The gunfight between Naxals and joint contingents of police and paramilitary forces broke out in the Abujhmad forest region of Narayanpur district, about 200 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

Joint contingents of security forces gunned down at least six Naxals in Abujhmad forests during the exchange of fire, and their bodies were recovered, a senior police officer said.

The government forces have not suffered any damage in the gunfight.

India's federal government has resolved to eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026.

Currently, Naxals were active across central and eastern parts of India. 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  The New York Attorney Generals Office of Special Investigation has opened an investigation into the death of a Livingston County woman.

Nadine Osuch died on July 15 after a crash in the town of Caledonia. The Attorney Generals Office claims the crash involved a New York State Park Police officer.

Troopers initially said Osuch just before 8 p.m. was walking along Main Street in Caledonia when she was struck by the officer. Officials said he was driving north on Main Street in his personal vehicle when he struck Osuch. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

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The Office of Special Investigation says according to executive law, every incident including a correction officer, police officer, or peace officer that may have caused a persons death  whether the person was armed or unarmed.

If OSIs assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident, the Attorney Generals Office said.

The Attorney Generals Office notes these are preliminary facts and subject to change.

New York State Police said the alleged off-duty officer remained on scene and contacted 911. Troopers interviewed him and did not find any signs of impairment. He was evaluated by EMS and declined further medical treatment, according to State Police.

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News 8 has reached out to New York State Police, as well as the Police Benevolent Association of New York State.

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In an alarming new wave of cybercrime, the familiar ring of your phone could mark the beginning of a sophisticated digital trap. AI voice scammers are now relentlessly targeting Gmail users, deploying eerily realistic, AI-generated calls designed to mimic official Google support. These highly convincing deepfakes are engineered to exploit your trust and steal your Gmail credentials, potentially giving attackers access to your entire digital life. Keep reading to learn how this sinister AI scam worksand, more importantly, how you can stop it before your inbox becomes the next victim.

How Do the Recent AI-Powered Gmail Scams Unfold?

With AI-generated voices now sounding almost indistinguishable from real humans, scammers have taken their tactics to a chilling new level. According to a recent report from Forbes, Gmails 2.5 billion users are now in the crosshairs of cybercriminals using advanced voice-cloning technology to impersonate Google support agents.

The scheme typically begins with a phone call that appears to come from a legitimate Google number. The fake agent, an AI-crafted voice, claims there has been suspicious activity on your account or that someone is attempting to initiate a recovery process. The AI caller speaks with convincing authority, guiding you through a fabricated security check.

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To make the deception even more believable, the scammer sends a follow-up email from what looks like an authentic Google address. In this message, you are prompted to provide a verification code  supposedly to secure your account. In reality, that code gives the scammer access to your Gmail, potentially opening the door to your sensitive personal data.

In response to these evolving AI-powered scams, Google is actively combating them. A Gmail spokesperson confirmed the suspension of accounts linked to such scams: Weve suspended the account behind this scam. We have not seen evidence that this is a wide-scale tactic, but we are hardening our defenses against abusers leveraging g.co references at sign-up to further protect users.

Firsthand Encounters Reveal Just How Convincing These Gmail Scams Can Be

If the scam breakdown sounds far-fetched, think again. Several users, including tech professionals, have come forward to share real-world encounters that prove just how alarmingly convincing these AI-driven attacks can be.

For Zach Latta, founder of Hack Club, the call felt legitimate enough to raise concern before he caught on.

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She sounded like a real engineer, the connection was super clear, and she had an American accent, Latta told Forbes.

Despite the natural cadence and professional tone, it was all a ruse  one meant to manipulate users into giving away login credentials under the illusion of helpful support.

Garry Tan, founder of venture capital firm Y Combinator, took to social media to sound the alarm after receiving multiple phishing attempts via both email and phone.

They claim to be checking that you are alive and that they should disregard a death certificate filed that claims a family member is recovering your account, he wrote. Its a pretty elaborate ploy to get you to allow password recovery.

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Even Sam Mitrovic, a Microsoft solutions consultant, encountered a similarly elaborate scam months earlier  an experience he detailed in a personal blog post.

It started with a Google account recovery alert, followed by a call from a number that appeared to be associated with Google. Mitrovic ignored it the first time, but when the call returned a week later, he answered.

Its an American voice, very polite and professional. The number is Australian, he recounted, noting that he verified the phone number on an official Google support page.

He introduces himself and says that there is suspicious activity on my account. He asks if Im traveling, when I said no, he asks if I logged in from Germany to which I reply no.

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The impersonator then claimed that Mitrovics account had already been compromised  and offered to help secure it.

But the red flags soon became impossible to ignore. The follow-up email came from a spoofed address, and the voice on the call started to sound too perfect.

The caller said Hello, I ignored it then about 10 seconds later, then said Hello again, he described. At this point I realized it was an AI voice as the pronunciation and spacing were too perfect.

After checking his Google login activity, Mitrovic confirmed there had been no unauthorized access.

Despite many red flags upon closer inspection, this call seemed legitimate enough to trick many people, he warned.

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The scams are getting increasingly sophisticated, more convincing, and are deployed at ever larger scale.

These real-life accounts reinforce just how easy it is to fall for a scam, even for experienced tech users, and why vigilance is more critical than ever in this era of AI-driven deception.

How to Stop These Gmail Scams Before They Start

Given the alarming rise of AI voice scams detailed above, safeguarding your Gmail account has never been more crucial. While these hyper-realistic deceptions aim to trick you into handing over your credentials, Google offers powerful defenses designed to keep your inbox secure from even the most sophisticated AI-powered threats.

One of Googles strongest, yet often overlooked, security features is the Advanced Protection Program. Despite being available for years and publicized by Google and the media, its full potential isnt as widely known as it should be. This program is specifically designed for high-risk individuals like journalists, activists, and politicians, but heres the crucial part: its available to everyone, including you.

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Once you enroll in the Advanced Protection Program, your sign-in process for your Gmail account fundamentally changes. Youll be required to use a passkey or a hardware security key to verify your identity. This means that even if a scammer, using the tactics described previously, manages to steal your username and password, they still wont get in.

As Google explicitly states, Unauthorized users wont be able to sign in without them, even if they know your username and password. Lets emphasize that: signing into Gmail on any new device requires this passkey. Without the physical device its stored on, typically your smartphone, and the biometric verification needed to unlock it, a hacker simply cannot gain access.

The Advanced Protection Program also significantly tightens control over how third-party apps and services access your Google Account data, such as your Gmail contacts. While Google already has built-in protections, this program takes security up a notch, preventing malicious third-party impersonators from gaining unauthorized access to your sensitive information.

Google confirms: Advanced Protection allows only Google apps and verified third-party apps to access your Google Account data, and only with your permission. While these added layers of security might introduce minor inconveniences, they are minimal for most users, and the enhanced protection far outweighs them, especially for high-risk individuals. You might also notice more alerts or warnings before downloading files or installing apps, and certain optional security features will be automatically enabled for extra safety.

Sources: Forbes, New York Post

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(NewsNation)  What you pay for a Delta Air Lines ticket may soon depend less on timing and more on what an algorithm thinks youre willing to spend.

About 3% of Deltas domestic ticket prices are now determined by artificial intelligence, with plans to raise that to 20% by years end, President Glen Hauenstein said on an earnings call last week.

During an Investor Day presentation in November, Hauenstein described the new AI pricing technology as a super analyst, calling it a full reengineering of how we price and how we will be pricing in the future.

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That enthusiasm stems from the airlines partnership with Fetcherr, an Israeli tech company that uses AI to process millions of data points instantly to set the perfect price every time, according to a company blog post.

Deltas embrace of AI is the latest example of dynamic pricing, where companies adjust prices in real time based on factors like supply, demand and even individual consumer behavior. The concept isnt new, but AI is making it far more sophisticated.

Fetcherrs website says its algorithms tailor prices based on factors like customer lifetime value, past purchase behaviors and the real-time context of each booking inquiry, all of which, the company says, help create a truly personalized offer.

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What is surveillance pricing? How AI tool might impact your bills

In theory, hyperpersonalization meets customers where they are, offering a custom experience every time. But critics warn that the new pricing tactics may exploit rather than benefit consumers.

Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego called Deltas practice predatory pricing, accusing the airline of using AI to find your pain point and squeeze you for every penny.

Last year, Wendys planned to test an AI-driven dynamic pricing model that many likened to Ubers surge pricing. The plan faced intense backlash online before the burger chain clarified that menu prices would not increase during its busiest hours.

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It remains to be seen whether Delta will face similar pushback. Airlines already adjust fares based on seasonality and demand, so travelers may be accustomed to seeing wide price swings, with or without AI.

NewsNation reached out to Delta for more details about its AI pricing strategy. In response, a spokesperson pointed to the companys latest earnings call.

Early results suggest Deltas AI pricing strategy has successfully driven revenue, but it may still be some time before its the norm.

Were in heavy testing phase. We like what we see, Hauenstein told investors. But were going to take our time and make sure that the rollout is successful.

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Signs are posted in the young adult section of the Autauga-Prattville Public Library on Feb. 23, 2024. The Alabama Public Library Service Board Thursday voted to consider adding language to its administrative code that would ban materials with positive depictions of "transgender procedures" or nonbinary gender from children and youth sections. (Ralph Chapoco/ Alabama Reflector)

The state board governing Alabama libraries plans to amend its administrative code to add language effectively prohibiting positive descriptions of transgender procedures or the concept of more than two biological genders in material for children and youth.

Members of the Alabama Public Library Service Board Thursday voted to open a public comment period on the proposal from board member Amy Minton, one day after Chair John Wahl said he would prohibit libraries from circulating materials related to the undefined idea.

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Last time, we did have a public hearing, we had 6,750 letters, six hours of comment, from a lot of pediatricians, a public hearing, before we passed the last code, so I think it is important, Minton said during the meeting.

APLS revised its code last year to require libraries to restrict children from having access to materials considered sexually explicit or inappropriate or possibly their state funding.

Wahl said during Thursdays meeting he was uncomfortable having board members voting to define gender ideology and said modifying the code would be the best approach.

Minton would add language that says any material that promotes, engages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders, shall be considered inappropriate for children and youth.

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The recommended change would prevent libraries from receiving state funding if children and youth sections in their libraries contain materials, books or otherwise, that fall under the language.

Wahls Wednesday letter cited a January executive order issued by President Donald Trump that attacked gender ideology without defining it.

Any federal grants that the APLS Board distributes have to follow the rules found in that executive order, Wahl said in an interview after the meeting about his letter. It talked about the federal executive order, if you are getting federal grants, that money cannot be used to promote gender ideology. It was informing local libraries about what is happening at the federal level, and that the grants that we administer in 2026 are going to have these requirements tied to them.

Wahls letter addressed federal grant money. Mintons request deals with funding allocated by the state, a sum greater than what libraries would receive from the federal government.

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Pelham Public Library Director Mary Campbell, director of the Pelham Public Library, characterized Wahls letter as a misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding there is that we should be going back into our collections, she said in an interview following the meeting. The implication that we should remove anything about gender ideology in order to be eligible for federal funds is not, to my understanding, true. What it would mean is if we applied for federal funds, and we received them, those funds could not be used to purchase gender ideology books, or to have programs or anything like that.

The library directors said the grants they received for the current fiscal year are not tied to gender ideology.

We have used them a lot for technology, to replace computers as they age out, Campbell said.

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Wahl and other members Thursday delayed a decision on whether to resume state funding that they suspended for the Fairhope Public Library in March after some patrons complained that it continued to have inappropriate materials in sections dedicated to minors.

Wahl said the Board will hold off on deciding until the library board for Fairhope completes its review of the books that have been challenged.

Randal Wright, chair of the governing board of Fairhope Public Library, said they have one book left before completing the review. Board members have reviewed 13 of the 14 books that were challenged and moved five to the adults section.

Our feeling is, in our community, the books that we have read cannot be considered sexually explicit, Wright said in an interview following the meeting. They might have a paragraph, or two or three sentences, that are sexual, but it is not written to arouse or titillate.
Alaska Republican U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (Alaska Beacon file photos)

Alaskas two U.S. senators voted differently on a bill requested by President Donald Trump to block federal funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting.

The cuts include $1.1 billion for public broadcasting over two years, with more than $20 million in funding for Alaskas 27 public radio and television stations. The measure is known as a rescission package, because it claws back funding that Congress had already approved earlier this year.

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The overall bill includes $9 billion in cuts, with most in foreign aid.

The bill passed 51 to 48, with Alaskas Republican senators voted differently: U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan voted for the rescission, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against.

Sullivan spokesperson Amanda Coyne sent a statement by email on Thursday repeating the senators position that he had warned public media, NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for years about their biased reporting that would eventually jeopardize federal support for both national and local radio stations, she said.

However, Coyne added, Sullivan has advocated for rural stations and has been working with other senators and White House officials on alternative sources of funding to keep rural stations on the air, particularly Native stations in Alaska.

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Currently, there is approximately $10 million available for tribal and Native stations in the country. Alaska has 11 Native stations. Going forward, Senator Sullivan will continue working to provide resources to support as many Alaska rural radio stations as possible. He was discussing this funding issue with a senior administration official this morning, Coyne said.

Coyne did not respond to questions on how much would be available for Alaska stations, when, or what stations would be eligible.

Murkowski was outspoken and critical of the rescission bill, voting no.

In a statement on Thursday, she first cited a lack of clarity by the Trump administration for what programs and amounts would be rescinded, especially for global health programs. We still lack necessary details, including which ones will be zeroed out. There is no way to determine the implications for lifesaving care and vital resources for women and children abroad, she said.

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I also strongly oppose the rescission of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. My colleagues are targeting NPR but will wind up hurting  and, over time, closing down  local radio stations that provide essential news, alerts, and educational programming in Alaska and across the country, she said.

Murkowski introduced an amendment on the Senate floor late Wednesday night to protect CPB funding, and it was voted down 51 to 47.

Murkowski told reporters on Thursday afternoon in an audio recording shared with the Alaska Beacon, when asked about the fate of rural stations in Alaska, that her office was also looking into funding for stations from federal tribal grants.

Some of them, about a dozen, will be able to access these tribal grants, she told the reporters.

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But thats less than half of the Alaska stations. So what happens to KUCB going forward? she said, referring to the public radio station in Unalaska that broadcast a tsunami warning and emergency evacuation order for remote Aleutian Island communities following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake the day before.

So what were trying to do is kind of identify how perilously close are many of these small stations to being in a shut down mode. How much do they have to carry them forward? she said.

In her statement, Murkowski emphasized her opposition to the rescission process, driven by the White House Office of Management and Budget, as undermining Congress authority.

Finally, and most importantly, approving this package in this manner further shifts the balance of power over the federal budget to the executive branch. Congress, not OMB, holds the power of the purse under the Constitution. To the extent that certain appropriations are not necessary to comply with the laws passed by Congress, we can best address that through the annual budgeting process, where we routinely rescind funds every year.

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The rescission bill now advances back to the U.S. House, which passed an earlier version of the measure. As of Thursday evening it had not been taken up for a vote.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Albuquerque police have reported a decrease in juvenile crime downtown. The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is closely monitoring the area with cameras installed throughout, which they say is making a positive impact. If you come downtown, know that you are likely being recorded on video, and we will have footage if you engage in any wrongdoing, said Chief Harold Medina.

Downtown Albuquerque initiative aims to curb youth crime with real-time cameras

Earlier this month, members of the New Mexico National Guard, who monitor the cameras from the Real-Time Crime Center, noticed something suspicious: individuals were drinking in a car at the top of a parking lot at 1st St. and Central Ave. They alerted the police, who responded quickly. The driver attempted to flee, but their car was pinned in. Nineteen-year-olds Ivan Arvilla and Charles Eddie Spotted Bear were arrested along with a 17-year-old. Arvilla and Spotted Bear are facing contributing to the delinquency of a minor charges.

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In the downtown area, there are 122 cameras linked to the Real-Time Crime Center. APD reported a 20% decrease in shootings downtown. Business owners have acknowledged the difference but are still requesting a greater police presence. I think we need more police presence, particularly officers walking the beat, to deter crime before it happens, said Steve Vatoseow, owner of Lindys Diner.

Since the beginning of the year, the APD has arrested 26 juveniles in the downtown area and recovered 10 firearms. Additionally, the department is now utilizing drones to assist in monitoring the area. The city is also increasing the number of Albuquerque Community Safety Workers in the area, allowing police officers to focus on more critical incidents.

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PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  A Fort Washington woman is now facing murder charges after a man she is accused of shooting last month passed away from his injuries, authorities in Prince Georges County detailed on Thursday.

The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said 18-year-old Darlyn Florian-Granados passed away from his injuries on July 15, just over one month after being shot.

PGPD said that at around 3:20 a.m. on June 13, officers were called to the 5400 block of Broadwater Street. Detectives learned Florian-Granados and 20-year-old Keyri Escalante were at a party in the area when the shooting happened.

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Florian-Granados was taken to the hospital, where he died this past weekend.

Initially, Escalante  the suspect  was charged with attempted murder. Following the 18-year-olds death, however, she is now facing first- and second-degree murder charges.

PGPD is asking anyone with information to contact detectives at (301) 516-2512.

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NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  Roswell is well-known for its alleged alien activity, but other parts of the state have lesser-known histories of their own. On this weeks episode of New Mexico Strange, News 13 Host and Anchor Chad Brummett sat down with Author Ben Radford to discuss the unusual death of an entire herd of elk near Las Vegas, New Mexico, and the rumored underground UFO base in Dulce.

While attending a Roswell UFO event, Radford learned about an alleged alien base in Dulce, New Mexico. The theory is that there is a seven-level underground base in the mountains outside of Dulce. That base is thought to host top-secret government meetings and research, employing thousands. While the concept may sound far-reaching to some, others claim to have seen it in action or even to have worked on its construction.

Taking the conversation east to Las Vegas, New Mexico, Radford and Brummett discuss how, in August 2013, a hunter stumbled upon the remains of more than 100 dead elk. The animals were not mutilated, nothing toxic was found in their stomachs, and no toxic plants were located nearby, so, with no signs of foul play, what happened to the elk?

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Amid theories of UFOs, mutilations, and even chupacabras, the herds death was shrouded in mystery. But tissue and water sample testing revealed the true culprit: pond scum. One particular type of blue-green alga, Anabaena flos-aquae, can form in standing water and can eventually produce the neurotoxin anatoxin-A. That toxin blocks receptors in certain types of animals and results in respiratory arrest within minutes to hours. In the case of this herd, the algae formed in three fiberglass livestock watering tanks located near the elk.

On this episode of New Mexico Strange, Radford and Brummett discuss some of the claims and logistics surrounding these alien conspiracy theories.

About New Mexico Strange

New Mexico is perceived worldwide as a mecca for the extraordinary. Whether its the healing soil of Chimayo, the haunted trails of the Old West, or visitors from the final frontier, our state is home to countless myths and mysteries. New Mexico Strange is KRQE News 13s online exclusive web series, celebrating our unique history and shedding light on the shadows of the unexplained, unexplored, and unknown. Hosted by Chad Brummett, New Mexico Strange takes viewers through some of the Land of Enchantments most mysterious folklore and conspiracies.

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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.
(FOX40.COM)  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Customs and Border Protection officers have arrested numerous immigrants without permanent legal status, including an alleged dangerous serial drug abuser and dealer who was arrested on 67 charges, during Thursdays operations in Sacramento.

 Video above: Arrests made in immigration operation

According to Homeland Security, CBPs targeted operation resulted in the arrest of Javier Dimas-Alcantara, who has convictions and charges spanning decades, including:

Newsom sues Trump Administration over the termination of grants in High-Speed Rail project

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Multiple instances of the transport and sale of a narcotic or controlled substance

Felony burglary

Illegal entry

Carrying a loaded firearm in public

Multiple instances of providing false identification to a law enforcement officer

Multiple instances of felony possession of marijuana for sale

Revocation of probation due to re-offense of possession of marijuana for sale

Being under the influence of a controlled substance

Multiple instances of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance

Possession of a controlled narcotic with intent to sell

Dimas has been convicted of a myriad of offensesyou would not want this man to be your neighbor. And yet, politicians like Gavin Newsom defend criminals who terrorize American communities and demonize law enforcement who defend those same communities, said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. He and every other sanctuary politician should be thanking CBP for getting this scum out of American communities instead of obstructing federal law enforcement at every possible turn.

President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Noem have been given a clear mandate from the American people to get violent illegal aliens OFF our streets and OUT of our country, Homeland Security officials said in a press release.

Authorities said,  The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S., the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
A woman is sharing her story amid an investigation into whether a California couple misled surrogate mothers across the country.

In January 2024, Kayla Elliott was contacted by Mark Surrogacy via a Facebook group.

Public filings reveal March Surrogacy Investment LLC was registered to Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang's home address in Arcadia, California, with Zhang listed as the manager.

Elliott was sent a "parent profile" that said a couple was seeking surrogacy because they had one daughter but were unable to conceive again after 10 attempts.

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But the couple turned out to be part of an alleged surrogacy scam that investigators say involved people from around the country carrying embryos for the couple at the same time.

"It was kind of like they preyed on my vulnerability, being a first-time surrogate," Elliott said.

Elliott, who has four kids of her own, said she gave birth as a surrogate in March and that the baby is now in foster care. She's fighting to gain custody of the child. She said she's been contacted by the FBI. The bureau's Los Angeles field office declined to comment to CBS News.

"We were lied to about so much, that I mean it's disgusting," Elliott said.

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Investigation details

Xuan and Zhang were arrested in May on felony child endangerment charges in connection to a possible child abuse incident involving a 2-month-old baby. They were released on bond as the investigation expanded.

Police say security video from Xuan and Zhang's property showed a nanny shaking and hitting the baby. The child was admitted to a hospital with severe head trauma.

"Upon reviewing the footage, detectives observed that a nanny employed by the child's parents violently shook and struck the infant on May 5, 2025, resulting in the child losing consciousness," the Arcadia Police Department said in a news release.

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Police issued an arrest warrant for the nanny, Chunmei Li, who remains on the run.

According to police, 21 children are in protective care;15 of whom were taken from the mansion in Southern California including the 2-month old baby.

CBS News was at the property on Thursday when someone emerged from the mansion to pick up a package. The individual was on the phone with Zhang, who said, "this home is good. There's no human trafficking."

Arcadia police say they haven't spoken to any surrogate mothers as that doesn't pertain to the child abuse investigation.

The couple hasn't entered a plea yet or responded to a request for comment from CBS News Los Angeles.

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Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue

7.3 magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska

Medical expert on Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis
KIEV, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday appointed former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), the presidential press service said.

Umerov will replace Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who had served as the head of the agency since March 2024.

In a statement on Telegram, Zelensky said that a key priority for the new NSDC chief would be maintaining close cooperation with partners on arms supplies.

"We must fully implement every agreement with our partners regarding the supply of weapons, as well as new special agreements on joint production and the construction of factories on the territory of our partners," said Zelensky.

Another key responsibility would be to revive the negotiation track and accelerate the full implementation of the agreements reached between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Turkiye, last month. 




NEED TO KNOW

Timothy Taylor pleaded guilty to the 2023 murder of his ex-wife Tishawn Folkes-Taylor

At the time, prosecutors say Taylor was wanted for allegedly having murdered his current wife

Taylor now faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty, while still facing a separate murder indictment





While on the run from police following the alleged murder of his wife, a New York man fatally stabbed his ex-wife.

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Timothy Taylor pleaded guilty to the murder of Tishawn Folkes-Taylor, his ex-wife and mother of two of his children, in Schenectady, N.Y., the county district attorney said in a press release.

Folkes-Taylor was stabbed in her home on May 28, 2023, prosecutors said. Taylor had traveled to the upstate New York home from North Carolina.

At the time, prosecutors said, Taylor was wanted in connection with the murder of his current wife in Brooklyn, where he had been living. He still faces a pending indictment on a separate murder charge in connection with the other woman's death, according to the district attorney.

Taylor was eventually arrested on June 2, 2023 in Philadelphia, and extradited back to New York on murder charges.

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"[Taylor] told the detectives that after he had killed his then-current wife, he felt bad, and he knew he had to come to Schenectady to kill his former wife because he harbored so much animosity toward her and in his words, she, unlike his first victim, deserved it," the Schenectady County District Attorney's Office said in a press release.

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.

As the result of his guilty plea in the murder of Folkes-Taylor, Taylor will be sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.

Prior to her murder, Folkes-Taylor had been married to Taylor for more than 10 years, prosecutors said.

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"People should know that Tishawn Folkes-Taylor, while facing down her killer and knowing his intent, made sure to protect her children and after stabbing her more than 22 times, Mr. Taylor fled into the night without harming them," District Attorney Robert M. Carney said in a statement. "These children, particularly the oldest who was a high school student at the time, and their extended family, were instrumental to our office in bringing this case."

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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Living in Louisiana, we all know the importance of stocking up on water for storms but purchasing water bottles year after year can get pricey and stores even run out of water.

WGNOs Kenny Lopez tells you about a new water generator which could provide some relief when storms strike.

When a hurricane comes or something comes, the first thing thats empty on shelves is bottled water, said Altitude Water founder Jeff Szur.

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What is the operational status of New Orleans pumps ahead of inclement weather?

Theres always a need for water during and after a storm so thats why Szur, the founder of Altitude Water created a water generator with his dad here in Louisiana.

To sum it all up for everyone it is basically a dehumidifier on steroids. What we do is tap into the natural water cycle we all learned in seventh grade with evaporation and precipitation, Szur said.

Their water generators take water from the air to make more water.

Were tapping into a 3.8 quadrillion aquifer of pure water that hasnt got the pollution that ground water has, he said.

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Our Trident-12 machine will generate between 4 and 15 gallons per day depending on the temperature and humidity. In Louisiana youll basically be making about 10 gallons a day, Szur said.

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans prepping ahead of possible tropical weather

Altitude Water generators are designed for homes, offices, spas and clinics but when a storm strikes, they bring disaster relief like they did when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina.

Our larger machines can make 135 gallons to 370 gallons a day, he said.

They cost about $4,000, but the company is working on a rental program.

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We can do a rental program for $190 a month that would equate to them buying water at 4 to 8 cents a gallon. People are used to spending $2 a time, they dont think about it adding up. Youre basically becoming a resilient family that doesnt have to worry that water or grocery shelves are empty because you can make your own water, Szur said.

Altitude Water works with the New Orleans based organization, FootprintProject.org .

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.
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)  An Altoona man was charged with allegedly attacking the Deputy Warden at the Blair County Prison less than two months after being jailed on drug charges, court documents show.

Mulbarak Jamison Alexander, 32, was recently charged with aggravated assault, assault by a prisoner of a prison employee, simple assault and harassment after an incident that happened Monday afternoon, July 14, that involved Deputy Warden Cory Yedlosky.

According to the criminal complaint, a Blair County Prison Sergeant and Yedlosky went to Alexanders cell, noting that he was on suicide watch and had covered the camera in his cell with debris.

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The sergeant alleged that they told Alexander to clear the debris, but he did not comply, charging documents show. After ignoring both of them, Alexander was told to come to the door to be cuffed and removed, to which he followed orders. After being cuffed through the food slot of the door, the door was opened.

After exiting his cell, Alexander allegedly tried to attack and swung his hands. According to the complaint, he swung both cuffed fists as he lunged toward Yedlosky, striking him in the face and causing a cut above his upper lip.

APD: Employee at Altoona restaurant had manifesto, planned murders

At this point, Alexander was taken to the floor and was able to be restrained with what they said was the least amount of force necessary. The debris was then cleaned from the camera and cell before he was placed back in.

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According to the complaint, an officer with the Hollidaysburg Police Department received the report and noted that security footage inside the prison corroborated the details in the report.

Alexander was placed in Blair County Prison on May 15, after being arraigned on drug charges, court documents reveal. His drug charges came with a $20,000 bail. The recent assault charges have a bail of $75,000 set.

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.

A preliminary hearing on these recent charges is scheduled for July 24 in front of MDJ Paula Aigner.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  Less than a week before the start of an 18-topic special session, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, said hes willing to break quorum to halt a mid-decade redistricting attempt.

Reynolds posted an op-ed called On Good Trouble Day, I Refuse to Be Silent, early Thursday afternoon.

They say everythings bigger in Texas, including the lengths folks will go to hold onto power, Reynolds wrote. President (Donald) Trump recently called for Texas Republicans to deliver five new congressional seats, and they didnt hesitate. Not by earning more support or expanding their base, but by gerrymandering Black and Brown communities to secure an advantage. The message was clear: manipulate the maps, preserve the power, and silence the people.

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Earlier this week, President Trump said hes looking for just a simple redrawing picking up five seats, in Texas to shore up a small Republican lead in the U.S. House. Currently, the Republicans have a 220-212 majority with three seats vacant.

Reynolds went on to say hes ready, willing and able to get into good trouble by breaking quorum when justice is on the line, the strongest statement on the topic by a Democratic lawmaker so far.

What is quorum breaking?

The Texas Constitution requires two-thirds attendance (a quorum) for their legislative chambers to conduct business. If they fall short, the chamber has to adjourn until a quorum is present.

Currently, Democrats control 62 of the 150 seats in the Texas House and 11 of the 30 Texas Senate seats (one seat is currently absent). While they dont have enough members to prevent lawmakers from passing legislation with unanimous Republican approval, they do have enough members to prevent any legislation from being brought to the floor  as long as they dont show up.

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Democrats have already broken quorum over voter rights and representation multiple times this century. In 2003, Democrats fled the state multiple times to block a redistricting bill, falling short after months of delays. In 2021, Democrats fled to Washington D.C. to block a bill changing election laws, once again only delaying its inevitable passage. House Democrats see quorum breaking as an effective tool within the legal framework of the Texas Constitution.

(In) a lot of legislative bodies, including the US Congress, a majority makes up a quorum. In Texas, its two-thirds, and the people who wrote the Constitution back in the 1800s did that for a reason. Thats to protect the rights of the political minority, State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington, said. Its a tool thats used sparingly, but its one of those things thats always on the table.

The downsides to breaking quorum

After the 2021 quorum break, the Texas House changed their rules to make it harder for members to fail to report for work. Now, members are fined $500 a day and a responsible for the costs incurred by the sergeant-at-arms to secure their attendance (they can find and forcibly bring members to the floor if theyre still located within the state).

In addition, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest Democratic lawmakers who attempt to break quorum.

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Im not going to comment on conversations that we have internally within the Democratic caucus, Turner said about a potential quorum break. The House Democratic Caucus confirmed national Democratic leadership has asked them to consider breaking quorum.

Republican leadership responds

In a statement, Gov. Abbotts Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris said, While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Governor Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans, such as flood relief, property tax cuts, and the elimination of the STAAR test. The Governor looks forward to the legislature addressing these topics, along with other critical issues, during this special session.

On July 11, Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a joint statement.

Working with the House, the Texas Senate will move forward on redistricting to pass a legal, constitutional congressional map, said Lt. Gov. Patrick.

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Texans place their trust in the Legislature to uphold fairness in the redistricting process, and we will continue to work closely together to fulfill this legislative responsibility, said Speaker Burrows.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) has approved the European Unions 18th package of sanctions against Russia at an extraordinary meeting held on the morning of Friday 18 July.

Source: European Pravda, citing an EU diplomat familiar with the course of the meeting

Details: An EU diplomat told European Pravda that Coreper had approved the 18th package of sanctions against Russia this morning. It was the only item on the agenda.

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Formal adoption of the sanctions package is expected later the same day at a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council.

Background:

As previously reported by European Pravda, Slovakia and Malta pledged to lift their vetoes on the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia.

Discussions regarding the sanctions package have been scheduled for Friday 18 July during the General Affairs Council meeting under Any Other Business (AOB), which does not provide for voting or decision-making.

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The US this week unveiled a new drone that looks similar to the Iranian-designed Shahed.

Russia has used the Shahed in devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The US is boosting its efforts to produce cheap, one-way attack drones for future wars.

An American version of the Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones that Russia uses in its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities showed up at the Pentagon this week.

Photos show the drone, identified in promotional materials as a Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, and made by American engineering firm SpektreWorks, on display among a variety of other drone prototypes in the courtyard.

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The weapon's appearance comes as the US military looks to dramatically increase the production of cheap drones using off-the-shelf components to keep pace with rapid evolutions in warfare, which is becoming increasingly robotic and autonomous.

A fact sheet visible in the photos from the Pentagon said that the new Shahed-style drone could support the military's Indo-Pacific Command by "providing a viable threat emulator" and offering "a low operational and maintenance cost compared to traditional munitions systems or aircraft."

It said that "this makes the FLM 131 attractive to Joint Forces looking for one-way attack systems that enhance capabilities without increasing costs." The Spektreworks LUCAS design was one out of 18 American-made drone prototypes on display at the Pentagon on Wednesday. The department said that the drones were developed in a period of about 18 months, rather than over years.

There is limited information about the FLM 131, but it looks similar to the FLM 136, a product listed in SpektreWorks' catalogue. The FLM 136 is nearly 10 feet in length and has a wingspan of just over 8 feet. It can cruise at 55 knots and sprint at 100 knots, while carrying a maximum payload of 40 pounds. Spektreworks says that the FLM 136 is "reverse-engineered for authentic threat emulation."

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The FLM models strongly resemble the delta-shaped body of the Iranian-designed Shahed, with the straight wingtips and the rounded head. The 131/136 variant designation is also notably used for the Iranian drone. The design presented at the Pentagon is modular, with the ability to swap out parts for different missions: attack, reconnaissance, and communication.

The US-designed drone is a Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, drone. US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza

SpektreWorks did not respond to Business Insider's request for additional information about LUCAS.

The Iranian-designed Shahed is known as a one-way attack drone, or loitering munition, because it can loiter in the air for a period of time before diving down at its target and detonating on impact.

Russia began using the Iranian-supplied Shaheds against Ukraine in 2022, but it has since started manufacturing them locally. While these weapons are slower than cruise or ballistic missiles, they are much cheaper, allowing Moscow to launch them in large numbers.

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Some recent attacks have consisted of hundreds of drones alongside missiles, complicating the strike package and creating challenges for air defenders.

Ukrainian troops and first responders have said that Russia has introduced new tactics with its Shaheds, also known by their Russian designation Geran-2, and have even modified the drones to make them deadlier, such as swapping out their standard explosive payloads for thermobaric warheads.

The proliferation of cheap, one-way attack drones extends beyond Ukraine and has been a problem in the Middle East as well. An attack in Jordan last year, for instance, killed three US service members and injured dozens more. These kinds of weapons have also targeted Israel and ships operating off the coast of Yemen.

Recognizing the increasing threat that drones represent in modern warfare, the Trump administration has made boosting the production of these weapons to keep up with adversaries a priority.

The drone design, like the Shahed, features a distinctive delta-shaped body with flat wingtips. US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza

In mid-May, President Donald Trump said the US is coming up with a "new system of drones" and alluded to the Shahed, expressing interest in Iranian designs.

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"In the case of Iran, they make a good drone. And they make them for $35,000, $40,000," Trump said of Tehran's drone tech during a roundtable with business leaders in Qatar. "And they're very good too, and fast and deadly. Horrible, actually, when you look at what's happening with Russia and Ukraine. The drone is killing tremendous numbers of people."

In early June, Trump signed an executive order to speed up US drone production, and last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a memorandum that he is rescinding what was described as "restrictive policies" that stood in the way of production.

"Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year's casualties in Ukraine," Hegseth said in the memo.

"Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year," the defense secretary said. "While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires."

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The US military can see that it needs drones for future fights. Drones, for instance, are a key part of the Army's transformation initiative. The Marines have formed an attack drone team to disseminate war lessons from Ukraine to the force. The Air Force is looking at collaborative combat aircraft to fly along its most advanced fighters. And the Navy is exploring using uncrewed vessels to augment the fleet while also training, like the other services, to counter emerging threats.

Read the original article on Business Insider




NEED TO KNOW

27-year-old Cole Henderson has been missing since he embarked on a solo hike in the Pyrenees Mountains on July 9

Henderson is last known to have parked his car in the town of Torla and to have put his phone on airplane mode

In Facebook posts, Friends have described Henderson as a keen hiker and an "avid planner"





Rescue teams in Spain are searching for an American hiker in the Pyrenees Moutains.

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Cole Henderson, 27, is last known to have embarked on a solo hike in the remote Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park on July 9.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 15, his close friend Max Senoff said that Henderson parked his car in the town of Torla and texted some friends at 2 p.m. local time to let them know he was beginning his hike and putting his phone on airplane mode.

He has not been heard of since and missed his scheduled return flight to the Netherlands on July 12, Senoff added. He was reported missing on July 14, multiple outlets including CNN reported.

His phone last pinged in Torla, Senoff said in the post before admitting he didnt know the exact route his friend took in the mountains, which run along the border of Spain and France.

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Henderson was enjoying the last of his vacation in Spain after previously participating in the Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, Senoff told the The New York Times. He was returning to Amsterdam, where he had been working and living, he added to the outlet.

Following the missing persons report, the Spanish police deployed helicopters and members of the Civil Guards specialty search and rescue teams, multiple outlets, including USA Today reported.

Henderson is an avid planner, and even shared his travel itinerary for Spain with friends before he departed, Senoff added to the The New York Times.

He is great at bringing people together and very social guy, Mr. Senoff added.

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.

Cole is an experienced traveler, a kind and curious soul, and someone who means the world to me, Senoff's friend Eric Simon wrote in another Facebook post.

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USA Today reported that there were some dangerous weather conditions in the region near the national park on July 10, with Hikers reportedly having to reroute their journey because of heavy rain and thunder.

"Were coordinating with the mountain rescue patrol, American embassy, Spanish authorities and local search and rescue teams," Simon wrote in his post. "But were also asking for help online  from travelers, hikers, locals, or anyone who might have been in the area or seen Cole in the last week."

Henderson went to high school in Delaware and graduated from Rhodes College in Tennessee, USA Today reported.



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BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  A local business marked a major milestone with a ribbon-cutting celebration.



American Tax Company  Dixon Financial Service has been serving the Raleigh County area for a decade. They brought out the balloons and party favors with the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.

While the owners pride themselves on the quality of their results, longtime clients say its the people behind the process that keep them coming back.

Raleigh County Public Library aims to combat the summer slide

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I have a connection with the people that work here. They do treat you like family, said ATC client Summer Bevins. They help out. She has saved me money. She has truly been an asset to me and to my business.

Another client, Marty Ashley told 59News that the dependability of American Tax Company is a key part of why he enjoys the service.



Shes available any time, he said. You call and shell answer your questions. You dont get that kind of service anywhere.

Staff members said they look forward to continuing to build these relationships with longtime clients and new customers alike.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
The Democratic Party is in the process of preparing for the next presidential election, and The New York Times reported at the end of June that they're working on a new policy agenda called "Project 2029," a play on the conservative Project 2025 plan that Republicans began enacting after President Trump took office.

The New York Times says that "Andrei Cherny, a onetime Democratic speechwriter and state party leader," is "organizing a group of Democratic thinkers to recreate what Mr. Trumps allies did when he was voted out of office: draft a ready-made agenda for the next Democratic presidential nominee."

Project 2029 will roll out over the next two years and eventually become a book designed as a platform for the Democratic party to rally behind during the presidential primary in 2028.

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We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community what they'd want to see in this Project 2029, and here's what 29 of them had to say:

1."Tax billionaires their fair share and use that money to subsidize childcare, healthcare, and any other basic life necessities."

J. David Ake / Getty Images

dellarock

Related: JD Vances Old Epstein Tweets Are Coming Back To Haunt Him In A Big Way

2."Abolish ICE, restore abortion rights, implement term limits, and expand the Supreme Court."

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

ughwhyargh

3."Take Project 2025 and add a 'no' in front of everything. We need to reverse the damage theyve done. Then add provisions for childcare, judicial ethics, education funding, and campaign reform."

Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

"Given the defeat we suffered, we cant push through a lot of identity politics until people are more ready. Thats where education comes in. We just need to win, please. I cant take another MAGA fiasco."

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putzik47

4."Maybe not bombing civilians overseas and policing the world like every other democrat and republican party and president has done for decades."

Ali Haj Suleiman / Getty Images

metrofan

5."Find a moderate middle-of-the-road agenda that ALL Americans can identify with and restore the changes of Project 2025. Organize a 'shadow government group' like Trump did at Mar-a-Lago around a charismatic personality with believable integrity."

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

goldensorcerer758

6."Raise the minimum wage so people can at least try to keep up with the cost of living."

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

shaboomer

7."Equal protection means equal protection. Religion is not a basis to deny someone medical coverage at work. It is not a reason not to bake a cake. It is not a reason to discriminate against someone. Reverse Dobbs and protect women at all costs."

Fotosearch / Getty Images

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Michael, Yahoo

8."A plan if a president is not reelected and refuses to leave the White House. Bills so that the next president has very limited executive order writing power. Reverse all of the current president's executive orders. All of us know we have internal, state, and federal audits so that everyone is doing their job and not stealing, so hire the federal workers back."

Samuel Corum / Getty Images

Anonymous, 61, Virginia

Related: A Picture Of Donald Trump's Face Being Two Completely Different Colors Is Going Viral For Obvious Reasons

9."They need to undo everything that DOGE took away. I think they need to make requirements that dictate that any member of the president's cabinet needs to be qualified and an expert in the field of that cabinet position."

Samuel Corum / Getty Images

"They should also work on strengthening the requirements (aka no felonies, have a bachelor's degree, and add a maximum age) to be president or any other member of Congress."

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Anonymous, 38, Colorado

10."I think one of the Democrats' top priorities should be increasing taxes on corporations and implementing a significant flat tax rate on the ultra wealthy (something akin to Mamdanis proposed 2% tax on the top 1% of earners in NYC) in order to increase the federal budget for programs like Social Security and Medicare for all."

Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

Anonymous, 29, Allentown, PA

11."Politicians at all levels need to find funds and prioritize infrastructure projects. Clean air, clean water, ecosystem restoration and preservation, transportation (rails, roads, bridges, rivers), electric and pipeline grids, mail and communication, etc."

Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images

Anonymous, 75 Minnesota

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12."Destroy monopolies. And rein in private equity firms."

Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images

Anonymous, 32

13."National voting should be either: A) moved to Saturday to afford the most people the opportunity to vote, or B) made a national holiday to allow for more voters."

Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images

Anonymous, 70 Los Angeles

Related: He Told People That?: Jon Stewart Was Seriously Shocked By What A Report Is Saying Elon Musk Revealed To People Close To Him

14."Use the new executive authority in our favor and against the conservative movement. Conservatives are not going to appreciate the constitution or checks and balances in power until they see such power used against them, so I reject the idea that the next Democrat President should worry about decorum and 'decency' the way Biden did."

DREW ANGERER / AFP via Getty Images

"I want to see some sweeping executive orders from our side for once. In fact, it should be a goal to make the six conservative justices irrelevant, and for the next Democrat in power to make them regret giving the executive branch so much power. "

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Anonymous, 31, Bremerton, Washington

15."32-hour workweeks and guaranteed vacation time (no less than four weeks per year)."

Ljubaphoto / Getty Images

Anonymous, Mel, Ohio

16."Restore funding for public media and PBS, renewed funding for research and science, projects aimed at reducing climate change, and creation of sustainable housing plans."

Children's Television Workshop / Getty Images

Anonymous, 47, West Monroe, LA

17."Graduated flat tax with no deductions and balanced budget amendment."

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Anonymous, 64 Wilmington, Delaware

18."Every citizen should be required to register and vote, and be fined if they fail to do so."

Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images

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Anonymous, 75 Minnesota

19."I would like to see leaders make decisions that would benefit the younger generations, so policies on climate change, making housing prices more affordable, and equal salaries for men and women."

Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

Anonymous, 21, Ohio

20."Sign into law that ALL employees, regardless of what they do, are guaranteed a minimum of three weeks of paid time AND 10 paid sick days. This should apply to part-time employees as well, so corporate jerks can't just cut the little guy's hours to get around it. The people who need paid time off the most are usually the ones least likely to have it."

Picture Alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

Anonymous, 46, NJ

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21."Plans to overturn the Citizens United ruling. So much of the mess were in now came about because corporations and lobbyists are allowed to give basically as much money as they want to politicians."

SOPA Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Anonymous, 24, Utah

"No more millionaires and corporations donating to political parties."

Anonymous, 70, Milwaukee

Related: Hillary Clinton Just Hit On One Of Donald Trump's Biggest Insecurities With Three Words

22."No more than $50,000 should be spent on any political campaign. Anyone caught spending over should be immediately disqualified and banned from ever running for any campaign again. Lifetime ban. PERIOD. "

STR / AFP via Getty Images

Anonymous, 68 Omaha

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23."Equal rights for everyone. That's it, that's the bullet point in the plan. No asterisks."

UCG / UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Anonymous, 40, Seattle

24."Define marriage as a legal partnership between two consenting people of adult age, with sexual and/or gender identity not mattering. If we want church and state to truly be separate, making all forms of marriage federally valid on a constitutional level is required. That means a marriage between a gay couple should be just as valid as one between a man and a woman, period."

Marc Piscotty / Getty Images

Anonymous, 33, USA

25."Considering Roe v. Wade got taken down in federal courts and women are literally dying in certain states due to a lack of medical care while having a miscarriage, make medically needed abortions of any kind a federal right for all women and/or any pregnant human, at a minimum. Furthermore, I want it added as an Amendment to the USA's Constitution."

Shironosov / Getty Images

Anonymous, 33, Illinois

26."Medicaid for all. Daycare until the age of six. Six months of paid maternal leave for the parents of newborns. Make the Fairness Doctrine law. What Congress funds, no one can suspend. Tax the rich."

Halfpoint Images / Getty Images

SheilaB, Yahoo

27."Close the loopholes and tax the billionaires... Heavily. Term limits for all. Put a reasonable cap on campaign contributions. Emoluments Clause enforcement. If congressional leaders can't work together and make progress on issues, then paychecks for those leaders also stop. Do the job or find a new job, they work for US."

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Crabstar, Yahoo

28.And finally, "Student debt forgiveness."

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

Anonymous, 48 Dallas, TX

Now I'd love to know: what do you think? Do you agree with the ideas laid out here, or are there other things you'd like to add? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.

Also in In the News: These Tweets Prove MAGA Is Seeing Some Serious Backlash Amid The Texas Floods

Also in In the News: Donald Trump Was Completely Stumped By A Simple World Cup Question, And His Response Is Exactly What You'd Expect

Also in In the News: People Are Howling At This New Portrait Of Donald Trump In The Colorado State Capitol After He Complained About The Old One

Read it on BuzzFeed.com




NEED TO KNOW

Amy Lynn Bradley vanished during a 1998 cruise

There have been several reported sightings of Amy over the years

The case  which is explored in Netflix's docuseries Amy Bradley Is Missing  remains unsolved





What was meant to be a relaxing cruise quickly turned into a nightmare when 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley vanished without a trace.

Amy disappeared from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998, while en route to Curacao. She'd spent the evening prior dancing with her brother, Brad, fellow passengers and crew members in the ship's nightclub.

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Amy and Brad returned to their familys cabin in the early morning hours of March 24. Her father, Ron, later saw her asleep on the balcony around 5:30 a.m.  but when he checked on her just 30 minutes later, she was gone.

Despite multiple alleged sightings over the years, Amys case remains unsolved. Netflixs Amy Bradley Is Missing  which premiered on July 16  reexamines the mysterious disappearance and explores new details that could shed light on what may have happened to Amy.

My parents and I share this gut feeling that she is still alive, however unrealistic that may be to a lot of people. Were never going to give up, Brad said during a July 2025 interview with WWBTs 12 On Your Side. If you dont take opportunities and follow leads, you know youve given up on her, and were not going to do that.



So was Amy Bradley ever found? Here is everything to know about the case, including possible theories and alleged sightings that have emerged in the years since her disappearance.



Amy was last seen by her father sleeping on the balcony of their cabin

Netflix Ron Bradley. Ron Bradley.

Amy was last seen in the early hours of March 24, 1998, aboard Royal Caribbeans Rhapsody of the Seas, which was sailing from Oranjestad, Aruba, to Curacao.

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On the evening of March 23, Amy and Brad had gone dancing at the ships nightclub. According to The New York Times, Brad returned to their familys cabin at 3:35 a.m., with Amy arriving just five minutes later. The two talked briefly on the balcony before Brad went to bed, leaving Amy sitting outside in a lounge chair.

"She said, 'I don't feel too good. I'm going to sit right here with all the fresh air and the wind,' " Brad recalled in Amy Bradley Is Missing. "Told her I loved her and see her tomorrow."

Amys father, Ron, said he saw her sleeping on the balcony around 5:30 a.m. But when he checked again around 6 a.m., she was gone. Amy had left the yellow polo she'd worn the night before behind, but appeared to have taken her lighter and cigarettes.

Ron assumed Amy had stepped out for coffee or to take photos of Curacao's port, but when he couldnt find her on deck, he searched the ship for over an hour before alerting his wife, Iva.

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The family "begged" the cruise's personnel to seal off the ship so they could find their daughter, Iva told NBC News in June 2005. But the ship made its regular stop in Curacao.

Two passengers reported seeing Amy with a musician from the ship's band around 6 a.m.

Netflix Alister Yellow Douglas. Alister Yellow Douglas.

While at the ships nightclub, Amy was seen spending time with Alister Yellow Douglas, a member of the cruise's house band, Blue Orchid.

Douglas told CNN that he left Amy and went to bed around around 1 a.m. However, in Amy Bradley Is Missing, passenger Lori Thompson claimed that she and a friend saw Amy and Douglas riding the elevator to the top deck between 5 and 6 a.m. Thompson then alleged that she saw Douglas walking 15 minutes later  alone.

In Vanished, Brad recalled a strange interaction with Douglas during the morning of March 24.

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He comes up to me and the first thing he says is, Hey man, Im sorry to hear about your sister,  Brad said. At that time, only the family and the ships captain were believed to know that Amy was missing.

Douglas was questioned by ship security and the FBI, but authorities found no evidence linking him to Amys disappearance.

Her brother claimed he heard Amy was in Curacao weeks after she disappeared

Netflix Ron and Amy Bradley. Ron and Amy Bradley.

A few weeks after Amy's disappearance, Ron and Brad returned to Curacao in April 1998 to continue searching for Amy. A taxi driver recognized her from a flyer and told them he had seen Amy shortly after the cruise ship docked. She had been trying to find a phone.

Just days into their search, Brad believed he heard Amy call his name from a passing van.

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I heard Amy call my name  it was so distinctive, the way she always said it, he shared on Vanished. They tried to follow the vehicle, but when they caught up, "it ended up just being an old dude by himself," Brad recalled on Amy Is Missing.

A tourist believed he saw Amy in Curacao in August 1998

Netflix Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas.

In August 1998, Canadian tourist David Carmichael was scuba diving in Curacao and believed he saw Amy on the beach with two unidentified individuals. Her tattoos  including a Tasmanian devil  matched Amy's, he said.

Before she could say anything, one of the men stared at Carmichael and "motioned" her away.

"If he had not stared at me, I would have forgotten everything, but I can't," Carmichael said on Amy Bradly Is Missing. "I think about this every day. There isn't a day goes by when I don't."

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Despite Carmichaels detailed account, authorities searched the area and came up empty.

A Navy officer claims to have seen Amy in a Curacao brothel in 1999

Netflix Bill Hefner. Bill Hefner.

Navy petty officer Bill Hefner reportedly encountered a woman in January 1999 at a brothel in Curacao who identified herself as Amy.

"She told me she got off that ship and she left on her own, 'cause she was going to score drugs," he claimed on Amy Bradley Is Missing. "She said, 'Well, me and my brother were partying, and I went ashore to get drugs, and now I'm stuck here with these guys.' "

Hefner said he didn't take action until years later because he was unaware Amy was missing until he later saw her face in a magazine.

The last reported sighting came in 2005

Netflix Amy Bradley. Amy Bradley.

In 2005, the Bradleys received a series of "sickening" anonymous photos of a woman, whom someone claimed was Amy, Brad said on Amy Bradley Is Missing. The womans hair was longer and her makeup was styled differently, but Iva believed it could be her daughter.

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"All I could keep thinking is, 'Is that my daughter?' " Iva recalled on the docuseries. "We all looked at it  the nose, the chin and the hair  it took my breath away."

The photos, featuring a woman identified as Jas, reportedly came from an adult website based in the Caribbean. An FBI analysis concluded that the woman in the photos was Amy.

Unfortunately, agents were unable to trace the websites IP address.

That same year, a tourist named Judy Maurer says she was using a restroom in Barbados when she heard a group of men come into the bathroom. Once she heard the men leave, Maurer exited the stall and saw a woman with dark hair who said her name was Amy, Maurer recalled on Amy Bradley Is Missing.



Netflix's Amy Bradley Is Missing explores several theories about her disappearance

Netflix Amy Bradley. Amy Bradley.

After Amy was reported missing, a search of the waters between Aruba and Curacao was conducted.

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"The Marines, the Venezuelan Coast Guard, the Navy, everybody was looking in that area. Because of the position of the boat, wind force, sea current and the wave height, the body would have washed up. But she was nowhere to be found," Henry Vrutaal, a member of the Curacao coast guard, recalled in Amy Bradley Is Missing.

Once the search was underway, gossip spread on the cruise ship, passengers recalled in Amy Bradly Is Missing. Chris Fenwick recalled hearing that Amy had committed suicide, while another heard that she had tried to out-swim the ship to Curacao.

Meanwhile, Wayne Breitag  who was staying in the room next door to the Bradleys  recalled hearing that someone had drugged Amy at the nightclub and kidnapped her.

One crew member floated another theory: Amy might have disembarked and was still on the island. Clinging to that hope, the Bradleys stayed behind in Curacao to search while the ship continued on its route. Amys parents have long believed she may have been abducted and sold into human trafficking.

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My intuition as a mother is somebody's got her, Iva said on Vanished. Somebody saw her, somebody wanted her and somebody took her.

Another theory explored in Amy Bradley Is Missing suggests that Amy may have voluntarily left the ship and could be living in hiding overseas.

This possibility is backed by new evidence involving a series of IP addresses  traced to Barbados  that accessed the amybradleyismissing.com forum on significant dates, including family anniversaries and holidays.

Amy has never been found

Courtesy of Netflix 2025 Amy Bradley. Amy Bradley.

Amy has never been found. However, her family believes that she is still alive.

"We will never give up on her," Iva said in Amy Bradley Is Missing. "In the morning, when we wake up, we say, 'Maybe today.' And then when we get ready to go to bed at night, we have a special little kiss for Amy, and we say, 'Maybe tomorrow.' "

Ron added that he still keeps Amy's car in the garage. "It's going to be pristine when she gets here, and then she'll get to drive it again," he said.

"We all have this gut feeling that she's out there," Brad said. "The lack of closure or not knowing allows us to continue to hope, so I actually prefer it that way."

Read the original article on People
LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Eight police officers were injured during clashes with protesters outside a hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday night, local media reported on Friday.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper told a press conference that the officers injured suffered hand injuries, along with cuts and grazes.

The Bell Hotel is reportedly used to accommodate asylum seekers. Footage from the scene showed protesters approaching a police van parked outside the hotel and hurling objects at it. Eggs were also thrown, and fireworks were set off during the unrest.

According to Sky News, the demonstration was the latest in a string of nightly protests that erupted after a 38-year-old man was accused of sexual assault last week. The allegations stem from claims that he attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. 
27,350 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others?

27,350 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others?
(WHTM)  Could Medicaid cuts force one local nursing home to close? Some analysts say yes, while others arent so sure.

Susquehanna Health and Wellness Center in Lancaster County, along with 15 other nursing homes across Pennsylvania, announced that it is at risk because of recent Medicaid cuts in the Big, Beautiful Bill. Another analysis found five rural hospitals in northwest PA at risk of closure.

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The cuts, said Alex Jaquez of Groundwork Collaborative, who was an advisor to former President Joe Biden, represent the largest cuts to Medicaid in history and are going to have impacts across Pennsylvania.

Jaquez said 78,000 people in Dauphin County rely on Medicaid, adding 10% are at risk of losing their coverage. Thats nearly 8,000 people.

Elizabeth Steele of the Libertarian Commonwealth Foundation, which supported the measures in President Donald Trumps budget bill, said but in fact, if you look at the history of Medicaid spending, it hasnt saved rural hospitals.

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Supporters, mostly Republicans, say the idea is to force people who can work to work.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill does not cut Medicaid spending, said Nate Benefield, chief policy officer for the Commonwealth Foundation. It slows the rate of growth in whats projected to happen in Medicaid spending.

If people want vibrant and sustainable hospitals, Steele said, they should move toward private insurance, because she said Medicaid pays less to hospitals.

FAA investigating after planes gear collapses at Lancaster Airport

States have tried this before, Jaquez said. It didnt work for them.

Its not that people arent working, he said. Its that the burdens or the hoops that they have to jump through are so onerous that it kicks people off who are already working.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks with reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on April 18, 2024. (File photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

An Anne Arundel County police reserve officer was arrested Thursday and charged in federal court with threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and her family.

Seth Jason, an Edgewater resident, was arrested early Thursday by U.S. Capitol Police and the Anne Arundel Police Department, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

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Jason faces one count each of influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure and anonymous telecommunications harassment, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court in the District of Columbia.

Federal investigators said Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and murder members of Greenes family between Jan. 26, 2024, and Jan. 8, 2025.

Additionally, Jason is accused of making threats directly against Greene between Oct. 11, 2023, and Jan. 21, 2025. Prosecutors allege in the indictment that Jason made the threats by telephone and attempted to hide his identity.

Greene is a MAGA conservative and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

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An investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police found the phone calls were made from various phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of America headquarters, where Jason had was a longtime employee. In eight calls made over 15 months, Jason threatened the use of firearms to kill Rep. Greene, her staff, and their families, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys office.

Jason is represented by Annapolis attorney J. Dennis Murphy, according to online court records. Murphy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

Anne Arundel County Police, in a statement, said Jason had served as a volunteer reserve agent since 2016. Reserve officers have no police authority and do not carry weapons. The department said Jason, following his arrest, is no longer affiliated with the department.

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In July 1847, the early Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, marking a significant moment in Utah history.

Though today we may never travel 1,000 miles across the North American Great Plains, said Natalie Bodine, events coordinator at the Church History Museum, everyone can relate to the pioneers grit and determination.

A pioneer, in any sense, is someone who does something for the first time and I think that applies to any aspect of life.

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Much like the early Latter-day Saints were the first pioneers to reach the Salt Lake Valley, Bodine explained that everyone is a pioneer in their own way  whether that means being the first in your family to go to college or pursuing a different career path.

I think theres something that everyone can connect with as far as someone who does something because it seems either right or its something that they feel is necessary.

The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host its annual Pioneer Fair on Saturday, providing a free, interactive education experience for the public to enhance their understanding of the early Latter-day Saint pioneers.

As guests enter the fair, they will find a variety of tents with individuals demonstrating different pioneer era skills.

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Youve got everything from cyanotyping, to blacksmiths and quilters, Bodine said.

The fair will also give guests the opportunity to participate in several activities. Guests can learn pioneer skills, such as helping a demonstrator sew a quilt. Some musical performances will be participatory as well, with musicians engaging the audience through questions and interaction.

Bodine said the fairs free admission, Saturday scheduling and interactive events intended for children makes for an ideal family outing, adding that children especially tend to enjoy the fair.

In addition to watching individuals who are passionate about sharing pioneer era skills to help the community connect to the early Latter-day Saints, Bodines favorite part of hosting the event is watching the excitement of children that get to experience the innovation of the past.

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We live in a very digital age, and these skills are kind of unusual for a lot of these kids who are constantly on computers, Bodine said, Its really fun to see them step away from some of that modern technology.

Bodine emphasized that the fair welcomes all.

Come and enjoy. Theres something for everyone.
Annie Tomasini on Friday became the third Biden administration official to plead the Fifth Amendment in a House panel's investigation into former President Joe Biden's mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office.

Tomasini was called on to appear before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview.

Tomasini, who served as the deputy chief of staff to Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions, according to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer.

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MORE: Oversight Committee releases video of Biden's physician's closed-door testimony

Comer, who did not attend the hearing on Friday, subsequently criticized what he called a "pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability."

"It's unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden's fitness to serve. It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal," Comer said in a statement.

Tomasini didn't take questions from reporters as she left the Rayburn House Office Building Friday.

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Tomasini's lawyer provided a statement to the committee, which was obtained by ABC News, on her reasons for invoking the Fifth Amendment.

"The Committee has asked Ms. Tomasini to testify in connection with an investigation into use of the autopen," the statement, signed by Tomasini's counsel Jonathan Su, read. "There is no actual evidence of wrongdoing by Ms. Tomasini, and President Biden has already confirmed that he made all decisions concerning the grants of clemency at the end of his term."

"It is well known that there is an ongoing federal criminal investigation into this matter by the Department of Justice, ordered by the current White House," the statement continued. "This past week, the Chairman suggested that it is 'very possible' the investigation could generate criminal referrals to the Department of Justice. Under these circumstances, any reasonable person would seriously consider an invocation of their Fifth Amendment rights."

Alex Brandon/AP - PHOTO: President Joe Biden, left, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini walk to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, April 19, 2024, in Washington.

The House panel has requested several interviews with former Biden officials as part of their probe.

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Earlier this week, Anthony Bernal, who served as assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady in the Biden administration, also invoked the Fifth Amendment in his deposition.

"The record is also clear that persons of the full range of the political spectrum, in recent and historical Congressional investigations, have invoked their Fifth Amendment rights to decline to answer questions from Congress. Any suggestion that such an invocation is itself evidence of wrongdoing would be highly irresponsible and flatly wrong, particularly from those elected to represent the people and uphold the Constitution," Bernal's lawyer wrote in a letter to the committee obtained by ABC News.

After Bernal's deposition, Comer told reporters that former Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Jill Biden "should" be subpoenaed in the committee's probe.

MORE: House Oversight chair says Jill Biden, Harris may be subpoenaed over Joe Biden's mental capacity

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The House panel had also subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's White House physician, for testimony.

O'Connor, too, declined to answer questions when he briefly appeared before the committee for a transcribed interview. He cited both the Fifth Amendment and physician-patient privilege. After, the House Oversight Committee took the unprecedented step of releasing a video of the deposition that occurred behind closed doors.

The committee also released videos of the Bernal and Tomasini depositions.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP - PHOTO: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, July 16, 2025.

Neera Tanden, who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Biden, sat for several hours of testimony in late June. When asked after by reporters if there was an effort to disguise Biden's condition, Tanden replied: "Absolutely not."

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Biden himself rejected reports of cognitive decline during an appearance on ABC's "The View" in early May.

"They are wrong. There's nothing to sustain that," Biden said at the time.

ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
Donald Trump is under scrutiny after claiming that he does not draw pictures as he denied sending a suggestive birthday note and accompanying sketch to Jeffrey Epstein.

These are not my words, not the way I talk, the president said, after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a letter he allegedly wrote celebrating the 50th birthday of the paedophile financier in 2003. He added: Also, I dont draw pictures.

But according to the newspaper, Mr Trump sketched a silhouette of a naked woman around the typewritten note, which imagined a cryptic conversation between himself and Epstein. His squiggly signature denoted pubic hair.

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Following Mr Trumps denial, critics began to post images online of examples of the president drawing sketches and signing them by hand.

In the note, the president is said to have written:

The Telegraph has not been able to verify if Mr Trump was the author. After the WSJ published its report, Mr Trump said he would be suing the newspapers owner Rupert Murdochs ass off over what he described as a fake story.

In an earlier post on Truth Social, the US president said he had personally warned the Fox News owner, as well as Emma Tucker, the editor of the WSJ, not to publish the false, malicious and defamatory report.

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JD Vance, the vice-president, said: This story is complete and utter bulls---.... Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?

But the presidents foes leapt on evidence of his penchant for doodling.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, posted a picture on social media of a sketch, allegedly signed by the president, of Manhattans skyline.

Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman, also wrote: Trump loves to draw on a post of nine similarly signed drawings.

In his 2008 book, Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success, the president wrote of his fondness for drawing for charity.

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Sometimes being a giver will open you up to new talents. Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green. It takes me a few minutes to draw something.

Questions are also swirling over the alleged language used by Mr Trump.

Cory Booker, the Democratic US senator, said that the letter showed that the president was a creep.

While Ben Rhodes, a former Obama official, said: Enigmas never age.

Can Donald Trump tell us what certain things he has in common with Jeffrey Epstein? I think concerned Americans would love to know! wrote Democrat activist Harry Sisson.

Mr Trump was pictured signing a childs colouring book during an Easter event at the White House in 2019 - The Washington Post

However, the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr, defended him on X.

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My father has a very specific way of speaking. People all over the world have mimicked it for decades. The insanity written in the Wall Street Journal, AINT IT and everyone knows it. Also in 47 years Ive never seen him doodle once. Give me a break with the fake journalisming, he wrote.

In 2002, the year before he reportedly sent Epstein the alleged birthday note, Mr Trump told New York magazine: Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy.

Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life.

The pair had significant social crossover.

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Between 1993 and 1997, Mr Trump flew on Epsteins private jet at least seven times, according to Epsteins flight logs. In one video from a party full of dancing women, Mr Trump talks animatedly into Epsteins ear, as the latter smiles and nods.

In 2000, Virginia Giuffre was approached by Ghislaine Maxwell at Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. She was recruited as Epsteins travelling masseuse, and from there groomed into performing sexual favours for him as well as allegedly other wealthy men, including Prince Andrew.

The Prince, who gave up royal duties in 2019, has denied the allegations.

Mr Trump insists he never engaged in any wrongdoing with the financier, who killed himself in 2019. The pair fell out over rival bids for an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion in 2004.

Maga figures rally round

Key Maga figures who have previously challenged Mr Trump to divulge more of the Epstein files came to his defence on Thursday.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican Congresswoman, said: If president Trump was guilty of anything regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats would have used it against him in the past four years.

This is not how Trump talks at all. I dont believe it, said Charlie Kirk, the Right-wing influencer, who previously said he was going to follow the presidents directive to move on from the Epstein case.

The one thing that might just rally Maga around the president again is a dunderheaded, obviously fictional misfire like this from a major news organisation, said Milo Yiannopoulos, another influential figure in the presidents online vanguard.

Credit: Reuters

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Even Elon Musk, who recently had a spectacular falling-out with the president, during which he said Mr Trump was in the Epstein files, appeared to downplay the letter.

He said it really doesnt sound like something Trump would say, adding it sounds bogus.

Washington has been on tenterhooks for days as rumours of the story spread among well-connected politicos, with Mr Yiannopoulos and other Maga personalities posting online that something big was about to break.

White House on the warpath

Earlier this week, Mr Trump lambasted his followers for falling for what he claimed was a Democrat hoax surrounding the Epstein files.

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The White House was on the f---ing warpath about the story ahead of its publication, an administration source told Rolling Stone magazine. They added that efforts were made to work every angle possible to prevent the WSJ from publishing the piece.

On Thursday night, under intense pressure, the president ordered Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, to seek the release of grand jury testimony from the Epstein prosecution  something held secret to protect victims and witnesses.

Even if released, it would amount to a fraction of the evidence collected in the case, which many Trump supporters are demanding be released in full.

The US president made the announcement on social media - X

In a Fox News interview before his re-election, Mr Trump said he would declassify the 9/11 and JFK files but would be more cautious when it came to Epstein.

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You dont want to affect peoples lives, if its phoney stuff in there, because theres a lot of phoney stuff in that whole world, he added.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
In a small, refrigerated room at a Brussels university, parka-wearing scientists chop up Antarctic ice cores tens of thousands of years old in search of clues to our planet's changing climate.

Trapped inside the cylindrical icicles are tiny air bubbles that can provide a snapshot of what the earth's atmosphere looked like back then.

"We want to know a lot about the climates of the past because we can use it as an analogy for what can happen in the future," said Harry Zekollari, a glaciologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

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Zekollari was part of a team of four that headed to the white continent in November on a mission to find some of the world's oldest ice -- without breaking the bank.

Ice dating back millions of years can be found deep inside Antarctica, close to the South Pole, buried under kilometres of fresher ice and snow.

But that's hard to reach and expeditions to drill it out are expensive.

A recent EU-funded mission that brought back some 1.2-million-year-old samples came with a total price tag of around 11 million euros (around $12.8 million).

To cut costs, the team from VUB and the nearby Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) used satellite data and other clues to find areas where ancient ice might be more accessible.

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- Blue ice -

Just like the water it is made of, ice flows towards the coast -- albeit slowly, explained Maaike Izeboud, a remote sensing specialist at VUB.

And when the flow hits an obstacle, say a ridge or mountain, bottom layers can be pushed up closer to the surface.

In a few rare spots, weather conditions like heavy winds prevent the formation of snow cover -- leaving thick layers of ice exposed.

Named after their colouration, which contrasts with the whiteness of the rest of the continent, these account for only about one percent of Antarctica territory.

"Blue ice areas are very special," said Izeboud.

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Her team zeroed in on a blue ice stretch lying about 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) above sea level, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station.

Some old meteorites had been previously found there -- a hint that the surrounding ice is also old, the researchers explained.

A container camp was set up and after a few weeks of measurements, drilling, and frozen meals, in January the team came back with 15 ice cores totalling about 60 meters in length.

These were then shipped from South Africa to Belgium, where they arrived in late June.

Inside a stocky cement ULB building in the Belgian capital, they are now being cut into smaller pieces to then be shipped to specialised labs in France and China for dating.

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Zekollari said the team hopes some of the samples, which were taken at shallow depths of about 10 meters, will be confirmed to be about 100,000 years old.

- Climate 'treasure hunt' -

This would allow them to go back and dig a few hundred meters deeper in the same spot for the big prize.

"It's like a treasure hunt," Zekollari, 36, said, comparing their work to drawing a map for "Indiana Jones".

"We're trying to cross the good spot on the map... and in one and a half years, we'll go back and we'll drill there," he said.

"We're dreaming a bit, but we hope to get maybe three, four, five-million-year-old ice."

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Such ice could provide crucial input to climatologists studying the effects of global warming.

Climate projections and models are calibrated using existing data on past temperatures and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere -- but the puzzle has some missing pieces.

By the end of the century temperatures could reach levels similar to those the planet last experienced between 2.6 and 3.3 million years ago, said Etienne Legrain, 29, a paleo-climatologist at ULB.

But currently there is little data on what CO2 levels were back then -- a key metric to understand how much further warming we could expect.

"We don't know the link between CO2 concentration and temperature in a climate warmer than that of today," Legrain said.

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His team hopes to find it trapped inside some very old ice. "The air bubbles are the atmosphere of the past," he said. "It's really like magic when you feel it."

ub/ec/dc/tc
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, December 5, 2024 (illustration). (photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD, REUTERS/FLORION GOGA)

Blinken noted that while he understood people's frustration and emotions after October 7, he believed more pressure should have been put on Hamas.

Former secretary of state Antony Blinken stated that America and its partners in the Middle East were "85% of the way" to being done before the Trump administration took over.

In an episode of "The Ex Files" with journalist Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin, published on Wednesday, Blinken dove into talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Trump administration's handling of the war, and the Biden administration's plan for the "day after."

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Rubin went on to note that the Biden administration, in tandem with senior Israeli and Arab officials, came up with the only game in town to replace Hamas with an Arab force that the Israeli government could trust in Gaza.

Blinken claimed that for many, many months Israeli representatives resisted speaking about the day after plan for Gaza, but that the Biden administration had made it 85% of the way there.

The there is having transitional arrangements with Arabs and others playing a full part in security and administration in reconstruction in partnership with Palestinians, and then ultimately handing over to Palestinians.

What did the Biden Administration plan for the day after?

Blinken noted that there were differences as to which Palestinian faction it would be, and named the Palestinian Authority as an option.

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The Israelis, of course, were extremely reluctant, not to say opposed to anything that would hand off to the PA, because for years, of course, they've been trying to keep the PA down so that they wouldn't have anyone to negotiate with toward the realization of a Palestinian state.

However, Blinken said that he was confident that the previous administration was close to getting a deal completed. I believe that ultimately we could get over the finish line.

The former secretary of state noted that while eventually, a deal with a six-week period for further negotiations was reached, it fizzled out.

It's not at all clear to me that the six weeks that we had were used in a way to really push the parties together to say, Okay, we agree. Here's what each of us is going to do. Here's how we're going to make the ceasefire enduring.

I think we're actually back to that point right now. And now, six months later, so much suffering."

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When asked by Amanpour if he believed that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza, Blinken noted that there was extreme trauma on every side of the equation, but that Hamas had embedded itself under civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

The Israelis said that their objectives in Gaza were to make sure, first and foremost, that October 7 could never happen again. To do that, they wanted to dismantle the military organization of Hamas because that's what it was, Blinken noted.

It achieved that objective many, many months ago.

The question now is if the Israelis are going to pull out, which they should, and I believe they must ultimately pull out of Gaza, what fills the vacuum? Because it's also understandable that they can't and won't simply leave a vacuum that Hamas could refill.

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Blinken finally noted that while he understood people's frustration and emotions after October 7, he believed more pressure should have been put on Hamas.

I wish that those who, understandably, have been moved and motivated by everything thats happened since October 7, if theyd spent maybe just 10% of their time, calling on Hamas, demanding Hamas put down its arms, give up the hostages, stop what its doing, maybe if the world had done that, wed be in a different place.
A planned town hall featuring Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Paul Tonko this weekend is being strongly opposed by the city of Plattsburgh Republican Committee.

The event is set to be held from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at The Strand, located at 23 Brinkerhoff, Plattsburgh.

The community meeting was announced Thursday. Later that afternoon, the Republican Committee released a statement denouncing Ocasio-Cortezs visit. The U.S. representative for New Yorks 14th congressional district, she is commonly referred to as AOC. Tonko is a U.S. representative for New Yorks 20th congressional district, a position he has held since 2013.

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Extreme Far-left ideology, including promotion of open-border policies, and support for the Green New Deal, is drastically disconnected from the true needs of the City of Plattsburgh, and the North Country as a whole! the announcement from Committee Chairperson David J Souliere IV stated. AOCs proposals threaten our local economy with even more unaffordable energy costs, higher taxes, unwarranted regulations, and misinformed ideals. ... AOCs platform ignores the priorities of our families, farmers, and veterans, who deserve policies that support job growth, infrastructure, and personal responsibility.

Souliere also raised concerns about Ocasio-Cortezs support for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as well as other Radical socialists.

Luckily Plattsburgh residents will not be fooled! the Committee chairperson continued in the statement. We reject AOCs divisive agenda, and call on residents to stand with us against this far-left ideology. The North Country will not be swayed by rhetoric that fails to address our real challenges. Making life affordable, and the American dream achievable to all North Country families.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man accused of shooting someone to death in West Memphis, Arkansas, last year was captured on Thursday by the U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis, Tennessee.

Travis Boyd, 30, is charged with first-degree murder.

Back on November 8, 2024, USMS says a man was shot to death after leaving a casino in West Memphis, Arkansas.

The victim was identified as Orlando Garza.

At that time, an arrest warrant for murder was issued in Crittenden County, Arkansas, for Travis Boyd.

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Man arrested after fatal shooting at apartment complex in Windyke

On December 2, the USMS Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force adopted the case. During the investigation, it was determined that Boyd was hiding out in the Memphis area.

That is when the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force in Memphis began to assist in the search efforts.

On July 17, the task force went to a home in the 3900 block of Watkins to search for Boyd. He was found on the scene and taken into custody without incident.

Boyd is currently being held in the Shelby County jail, waiting to be extradited to Arkansas.

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LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Britain on Friday joined the European Union's (EU) new package of sanctions on Russia.

Britain and the EU announced on Friday a lowering of the Crude Oil Price Cap, from 60 U.S. dollars a barrel to 47.60 dollars, "directly hitting Russia's oil revenues," according to a statement by Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Britain and the EU are "working in lockstep" to ramp up economic pressure on Russia, the statement added.

The EU approved a new round of sanctions against Russia on Friday, which contains a provision to lower the price cap on Russian oil sold to third countries and measures ensuring that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea cannot be reactivated.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Friday that Russia is not ruling out countermeasures following an analysis of the EU's 18th sanctions package.

"Certainly, we will analyze their impact on our economy. We will take measures to safeguard our interests if necessary. And some countermeasures are also possible," the senior diplomat told TASS news agency. 
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  A Northwest Arkansas drug trafficking organization was sentenced to more than 55 combined years in prison.

According to a press release, four members of the organization were sentenced:

Salvador Fautino Caracena-Zarates, Jr. , 42, of Fort Smith, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. He also received a 4-year supervised release.

Rafael Deaundra Norwood, Sr. , 40, of Fayetteville, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for aiding and abetting in the distribution of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. He also received a 3-year supervised release.

Christopher Ray Howes , 43, of Fayetteville, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for aiding and abetting in the distribution of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. He also received a 3-year supervised release.

Alonzo Lee Releford, III, 23, of Fayetteville, received 8.3 years in prison for the distribution of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. He also received a 3-year supervised release.

Salvador Fautino Caracena Zarates Courtesy: Washington County Sheriffs Office Rafael Daundra Norwood Sr. Courtesy: Washington County Sheriffs Office Salvador Fautino Caracena Zarates Courtesy: Washington County Sheriffs Office

The release says agents with the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl pills in Fayetteville and Fort Smith from January to September 2024.

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According to the release, investigators identified Carcena-Zarates as a distributor of meth and the leader and source of supply for fentanyl being distributed by Norwood, Howes and Releford.

Rogers police arrest 3 in connection with armed drug robbery

The pill contained fentanyl, made or pressed to look like M-30 OxyContin.

The DEA investigated the case with the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, Fort Smith Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Benton County Drug Unit, Bentonville Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Arkansas State Police.

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LONOKE, Ark.  Officials with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced a new program this week to work with anglers and enhance bass fishing in the Natural State.

Officials said the Legacy Lurker program will officially launch Jan. 1, 2026. It aims to collect essential data, including crucial genetic information, to guide future management strategies and conservation efforts, ultimately producing more trophy bass.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission enhances summer fishing with attractors

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Beginning in January, anglers who catch a largemouth weighing 8 pounds or more will be able to enter their catch on AGFC.com to be eligible for a prize and recognition. Any fish over 10 pounds caught outside of the donation window will also receive bonus prizes. Youth anglers who catch fish over 6 pounds will receive prizes as well.

Officials said prize packs are being lined up for participants through partnerships with companies such as Bass Pro Shops and PRADCO.

AGFC officials said that with the recent renovation of the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery, anglers will be able to donate any 10-pound-plus largemouth bass caught from public water in Arkansas from Jan. 1 through March 31 each year. If the fish is deemed healthy enough to survive spawning, they said, the AGFC will transport it to the hatchery, where it will be housed in its own raceway to prevent any contamination or possible disease transmission prior to being released for spawn.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offering $100 for black carp

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After spawning, each donated bass and its offspring will be released back into the bodies of water where they were caught, boosting the genetics of that lake with fish proven to grow to trophy potential.

For participation in the program, all anglers who donate a bass 10 pounds or larger during the spawning season will receive a prize package including a replica mount of their fish created by Harpers Pure Country Taxidermy in Mountain Home.

AGFC Deputy Director Ben Batten said all anglers who donate to the program also will be invited to a banquet next fall to collect their replica mounts and celebrate the program, where one of the participants will walk away with a brand new, $80,000 21-foot Xpress Boat with a 250 horsepower Yamaha outboard.

Fingerling bass spawned from two Lake Hamilton lunkers during this years trial run were stocked back in the water where they came in June. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. AGFC Commissioners and staff stand with Rory Herndon, president of Xpress Boats next to the donated 21-foot boat that will be won by one lucky Legacy Lunker participant next fall. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. Giant bass will be taken to the newly renovated Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery to be spawned with males genetically tested for big fish genes. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. Levi Whitman released his 10.52-pound largemouth bass back into Millwood Lake after participating in the AGFCs trial run of the Legacy Lunker Program this spring. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. Little Rock angler Lin Burnett returned his trophy bass to Lake Hamilton in May. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. Kellen Davis released his 12.59-pound largemouth bass back into Lake Hamilton after it successfully spawned at an AGFC hatchery earlier this year. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

Officials said a soft opening of the program took place this year, utilizing five largemouth bass greater than 10 pounds, all of which were released successfully after the spawn.

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Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appoints new member to Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Additional information on the program is available at AGFC.com/LegacyLunker.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
WASHINGTON  Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) signed a letter on Wednesday asking the Office of Management and Budget to release Department of Education funds to states.

Boozman joined nine other Senate Republicans in signing the letter after the Department of Education withheld distributing $7 billion in grants to the states to fund school programs. DOE officials said the funds are being held pending review.

Federal funding freeze threatens future of Boys & Girls Clubs in Arkansas

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Trump administration officials have stated that the review aims to determine whether funds are being used to support immigration and LGBTQ+ programs.

The letter states that withholding the funds is contrary to President Trumps goal of returning K-12 education to the states.

We share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs, the letter continues, However, we do not believe it is happening with these funds.

Central Arkansas youth organization Carters Crew rolls back programs due to federal grant cuts

The signatories were led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and also included Katie Britt (R-AL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) along with Boozman.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
U.S. Army Special Operations Command, or USASOC, has warned of a potential terrorist threat against retired senior officials who worked for the Defense Department, served in Syria and Iraq, and currently live in Florida, Lt. Col. Allie Scott, a spokesperson for the command, confirmed on Friday.

The New York Times first reported about the warning. Scott confirmed the Duty to Warn notification from USASOCs Provost Marshal Col. Mark A. Katz that has been widely shared on social media is authentic.

Its a credible threat, Scott told Task & Purpose. We issued that warning, as we do with all credible threats, we issued those to our formations because, of course, the security and safety of all our personnel is important.

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USASOC has notified those directly affected by the threat, said Scott, who added she was unable to provide more information about the retired senior officials.

Scott also declined to elaborate on what exactly prompted the warning.

I would say that there was information that was credible enough to provide this level of reporting to our formation, Scott said.

Both U.S. Special Operations Command and Central Command are headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The state is also home to U.S. Southern Commands headquarters in Miami.

Since 2014, the United States has led a military coalition to defeat the Islamic State group, or ISIS, in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. military announced in March that it had killed ISIS second in command in western Iraq. U.S. special operations forces often launch raids against ISIS and conduct operations to kill the groups leaders.

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The Duty to Warn notification issued on Thursday does not provide details on the exact nature of the possible terrorist threat.

Although there are no indications that active-duty special operators are being targeted, USASOC urged all its soldiers to remain alert and report any suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.

The command also asked its personnel to share the warning with any retired special operators they know who live in Florida.

The latest on Task & Purpose
MERCER COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56)  One person has been arrested following an officer-involved shooting late Thursday in central Kentucky.

The Mercer County Sheriffs Office announced Friday that a deputy was involved in a shooting while serving two active warrants for an individual also wanted in Anderson County.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

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According to an arrest citation, Troy Simmons, 53, was speaking to an MCSO deputy on the phone, and he claimed he was going to beat up Anderson County deputies and kill them. He then proceeded to make the same threat to the deputy on the phone and suggested they meet up at Careys Towing in Lawrenceburg.

When deputies arrived at his home on the 900 block of Old Louisville Road in Salvisa, Simmons was reportedly seen leaving his home in a truck.

Simmons reportedly ignored the sheriff cars flashing lights and tried to flee into a field where he was said to drive recklessly and do burnouts. He later threw his truck in reverse after getting stuck and slammed into the front bumper of a patrol vehicle, nearly hitting the deputy in the process.

Read more of the latest Kentucky news

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Two shots were fired at Simmons, according to the citation, before he stopped his truck and was placed under arrest.

He was booked into the Jessamine County Detention Center and charged with:

Attempted murder of a police officer

First-degree fleeing or evading the policemotor vehicle

First-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer

Possession of marijuana

Third-degree terroristic threatening

Possession of an open alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle

Resisting arrest

Drug paraphernalia

No one was hurt in the shooting, and authorities confirmed there is no public threat.

The MCSO stated that the Kentucky State Police were contacted to investigate.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  An Urbana man was arrested in Indiana on Thursday in connection with a deadly shooting in Champaign on the Fourth of July.

The Champaign Police Department said on Friday that their investigation into the shooting of Martez Jones Jr. determined Rynell Frazier, 37, was responsible for firing multiple shots that struck Jones. Frazier fled the scene of the crime while Jones went to Carle Hospital in a personal vehicle. He was immediately taken into surgery but died from his wounds.

21-year-old hurt in Decatur shooting, police investigating

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CPD officials said a warrant was issued for Fraziers arrest the day of the shooting, but it wasnt until two weeks later that he was found and arrested in Merrillville, Indiana. The CPD is making arrangements for Frazier to be extradited to Champaign County.

Although an arrest has been made, the CPD is still investigating Jones death. Anyone with additional information on this shooting or video footage showing it happen is asked to call the Champaign Police Department at 217-351-4545 or Champaign County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 217-373-8477.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  Deputies arrested suspects accused of $9,000 in damages after doing donuts at a Denham Springs mall.

An investigation started after Livingston Parish detectives received complaints from Juban Crossing business owners, management and visitors. Sheriff Jason Ard said thousands of dollars in damage was made to a newly resurfaced parking area.

Three suspects were arrested. James Scott, 18, was identified as one of the suspects. He was charged with reckless operation, felony damage to property and aggravated obstruction of commerce. The sheriffs office didnt identify the two other suspects but said they were jailed on a reckless operation charge.

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Let this serve as a warning for all. This type of activity is not wanted & wont be tolerated. We are working closely with those who work & shop in the area, Ard said.

An investigation is ongoing.

Baton Rouge man caught in two separate theft cases, sheriff says

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Every Sunday, before Heart of the Nation begins broadcasting Mass from Milwaukee's Sacred Heart Croatian Parish, a priest encourages viewers to show their support.

The Heart of the Nation Mass is a viewer-supported ministry," says Fr. Mark Payne, as the organization's website and phone number appear onscreen. "Please consider an offering today to support the Mass on TV and online."

On its website, the ministry cites Acts 20:35, a Bible verse where Jesus says, "It is better to give than to receive." The site tells supporters that the organization "depends on donations and the generosity of hundreds of volunteers."

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Ways to give range from online donations to gifts of property. The donation form starts with a default suggestion of $25 and climbs up to $1,000.

But after viewer Mike Guillory, 79, viewed the nonprofit's IRS filings, he asked Public Investigator why Heart of Nation continues to ask for money.

According to its 2023 tax filing, the Milwaukee-based ministry received over $16.4 million in contributions and spent just $6.2 million. The rest was saved, growing the nonprofit's assets by $10 million.

Its total assets now amount to $39.5 million  enough to fund its current operations for more than six years.

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"I have a distrust of what is actually going on," Guillory said. "What is actually happening to all the surplus money?"

Fr. Mark Payne leads mass in a broadcast produced by Heart of the Nation, also available on YouTube.

Heart of the Nation's executive director, Bruno John, told Public Investigator that ongoing donations are necessary to sustain and expand the ministry.

The media ministry owned by Santa Fe Communications began broadcasting Mass on a single channel in 1984. Today, it's based in Milwaukee and airs across the country to people who are home-bound or incarcerated.

The ministry's conservative spending is meant to ensure Heart of the Nation stays afloat after having experienced financial troubles in the past, John said.

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Accounting and ethics experts, however, say nonprofits should be transparent about their finances so donors have the full picture.

"It's not necessarily a red flag just to build up a reserve like that," said Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University and expert in nonprofit finances. "The red lights come when there's a disconnect between the way the organization is raising funds and the way it's spending funds."

Public Investigator compared Heart of the Nation's financial records to three other major religious media ministries  New Evangelization Ministries, CatholicTV, and Shalom World. None stockpiled as much of their donation revenue as Heart of the Nation.

For example, while CatholicTV ended the year with $75 million in assets, it spent 66% of its revenue on programming and operations. In contrast, Heart of the Nation spent 38%, saving the rest.

Heart of the Nation, a Milwaukee-based Catholic media ministry, regularly asks for donations during Mass and on its website. However, the organization does not disclose that it has nearly $40 million in assets, or that it doesn't spend the majority of its donations.

Executive director says COVID, past financial troubles explain $40M reserve

John, the executive director, said the surplus of funds is a recent development due to the COVID-19, which prevented millions from attending in-person services. As a result, Heart of the Nation's viewership and donations increased.

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"At the same time, we increased our outreach and expanded the reach of our TV Mass, growing our operating budget to $6.5 million to support these efforts," John said.

Expecting donations would decline once viewers could return to in-person services, John said the organization built a reserve. But John said that decline didn't happen.

"Fortunately, the people that have hung in there and continue to support us have allowed the support to remain steady for the last couple of years," he said.

According to John, the organization almost shut down in 1992 and 2017 after funding troubles, forcing it to broadcast Mass on fewer channels. That was "a painful experience" for viewers who had come to rely on the service, John said.

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He added that Heart of the Nation is a "lean" organization without development staff or administrative assistants, so most of its spending goes toward programming.

The nonprofit's IRS filings confirm that most of its revenue goes to programming expenses, not staff. John is listed as the only paid employee in Heart of the Nation's IRS filings. His salary was $152,391 in 2023.

John said excess funds are "strategically set aside in a board-directed endowment," designed to protect the ministry from future downturns.

Ministry should disclose financial position and future plans, experts say

According to Mittendorf, there's nothing wrong with nonprofits spending frugally as long as they provide clarity on how and when the reserves will be used.

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Heart of the Nation's fundraising appeals do not mention its strong financial position or its timeline for spending donations.

"Just perpetually accumulating the resources, even if the intent isn't bad, at some point, will backfire," Mittendorf said. "Because donors will say, 'I put my trust in you, and you just didn't spend the resources I gave.'"

John said Heart of the Nation plans to expand by creating a new prayer ministry department, evaluating additional outreach opportunities, and strengthening its organizational infrastructure.

"These planned expansions will naturally increase future operating costs," John said.

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But John also said the organization doesn't set specific fundraising targets.

"It's not like we plan this out, like, 'Oh, OK, we have to raise this amount of money this year,'" he said. "We just put the message out there  and then see what happens."

That approach, Mittendorf said, may require greater oversight.

"When your budget gets in that multimillion-dollar size, you need additional layers of control just to make sure that you can provide assurances to the public," Mittendorf said.

Experts recommend getting involved before donating

Jonathan Boulos, an accounting professor at the University of Notre Dame who specializes in nonprofit financial management and law, said it's normal for donors to feel misled if fundraising messages don't match how money is spent.

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"No one would bat an eye if their message was congruent with their budget, but it's the combination that creates a feeling of relative deprivation between (donors') expectations and reality," Boulos said.

For accounting purposes, nonprofits must list building costs or other capital projects as assets instead of expenses. That can sometimes make them look like they are stockpiling reserves, even if they are not, Boulos noted.

However, in this case, Heart of the Nation says its reserves are held in an endowment, not currently being spent on renovations or capital projects.

Sites like Charity Navigator can be helpful when deciding whether to support a nonprofit, Boulos said. Heart of the Nation has a 97% score from Charity Navigator based on its financial practices and accountability, earning the group the maximum four-star rating.

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Still, Boulos's advice is this: Don't just rely on government filings. Instead, get involved with a nonprofit before donating by volunteering, joining a committee or asking questions.

"If the organization cannot or will not take your time and talents, you might have all of the information you need," Boulos said.

Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com.

Do you have a question? Ask Public Investigator

Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Heart of the Nation defends seeking donations for Mass broadcasts
Astronomer has broken its silence with its first comment on CEO Andy Byron being accused in a viral Coldplay video scandal.

On July 18, the company released its first full statement on the matter.

On July 19, the company announced that Byron has resigned.

"As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met," the company wrote on X.

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"Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO. Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. Were continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems."

As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.



Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and pic.twitter.com/aTTUhnnyVz  Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 19, 2025

First, the tech company briefly responded on July 17 to debunk a false statement circulating online and attributed to Byron. The statement, which claimed Byron had apologized for a "deeply personal mistake," is fake. Meanwhile, the video sparked many memes and garnered millions of views.

"This is not a real statement," Taylor Jones, of Astronomer, responded to an email from Men's Journal, inquiring whether the earlier statement was legitimate and whether Byron wants to make any comment.

Then, on July 18, the company wrote a fuller response. It says:

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"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the company wrote in a statement posted to X and LinkedIn.

Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.



The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional pic.twitter.com/rfrAQ5bygy  Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 18, 2025

"The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly. Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect," the company stated.

Stoddard was falsely identified by some on social media as the woman captured in the corner of the video with a smile on her face. That woman's identity is unclear.

The false statement attributed to Byron was published by British tabloids and some other news sites. It was attributed to an X page called "Peter Enis" (see if you get the double entendre.) News sites fell for the fake statement even though the X page is labeled a "parody" page. The Mirror claimed Byron "hits out at Coldplay" in the statement, but, again, the CEO's company says it's fake.

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Men's Journal has twice asked the company whether it wished to make an actual statement (or whether Byron and its Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot do), but Jones and the company did not respond to that part of the question.

There are actually two fake statements circulating on X that are purportedly from Byron, but they are false. Neither Byron nor Cabot had made a public comment since the video went viral.

Related: Megan Byron, Andy Byron's Wife, Is Scrubbing Her Social Media

That video shows a man and woman in an embrace on a Jumbotron being singled out by frontman Chris Martin during the Foxborough, MA, concert. Numerous media outlets and social media users have accused Byron and Cabot of being those people. Byron is married. Cabot is divorced, but it's not clear whether she is remarried. They are not married to each other.

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The company's former CEO also strived to debunk another of the fake statements that was circulating widely on X. This is the second statement, deemed false by Ry Walker, Astronomer co-founder:

Ry Walker, the former company CEO, commented on X, writing, "For those asking - Im no longer involved in @astronomerio - yes I was co-founder and early CEO - not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate."

Related: Kristin Cabot Gushed Conversations with Andy Byron "Energized" Her

He also labeled that second supposed statement from Byron that is floating around X a "funny parody" and not real. That comment was in response to one of the people who posted the fake statement.

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One of the fake statements was made to appear as if it was posted on the Astronomer X page, but it is not on the real X page. The other statement was posted on the parody account of the man who claims to be a reporter; that's the statement debunked by Jones. The name of the account is also a giveaway.

Meanwhile, Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, has scrubbed her social media accounts.

For her part, Cabot has been divorced from Kenneth Thornby since 2022, according to the New York Post.

Related: Kristin Cabot Has Tie to Rum Company Run by Revolutionary War Privateer's Descendant

In addition to her HR job for Astronomer, Kristin Cabot says on her LinkedIn page that she is an advisory board member for a company called Privateer Rum, of Ipswich, MA. The CEO of that company is named Andrew Cabot. Privateer Rum did not return a request for comment. Andrew Cabot is descended from "a privateer named Andrew Cabot who, in the late 1700s, distilled rum from molasses he smuggled past British ships," Edible Boston reports.

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She has a long career in HR.

Related: Kristin Cabot Was Described as 'Exceptional' by Astronomer CEO Andy Byron

Astronomer Breaks Silence on CEO Andy Byron, 'ColdplayGate' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday defended the multi-billion-dollar renovation project at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Powell responded in detail to questions about the extensive renovation of two historic Fed buildings on the National Mall.

Powell has recently come under fire from the White House for allegedly mismanaging the renovation project.

It is reported that the White House could use the renovation project as an excuse to oust Powell, whose stance on monetary policy drew fierce attacks from President Donald Trump and other senior officials in recent months.

Approved in 2017, the renovation project has faced delays, with costs rising from 1.9 billion U.S. dollars to 2.5 billion dollars in recent years.

Built in the 1930s, the marble-featuring Marriner S. Eccles Building and the 1951 Constitution Avenue building were even dubbed the "Taj Mahal on the National Mall" by James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff and appointee to the National Capital Planning Commission.

Vought sent a letter to Powell on July 10, raising a number of concerns over the renovation project.

Trump reportedly told Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that he intended to fire Powell. However, on Wednesday, he said it was "highly unlikely" he would do so.

"I'd love it if he wants to resign, that would be up to him," said Trump.

A decision from the Supreme Court in May showed that Trump lacks the authority to fire Federal Reserve officials.

Powell said he is sticking to Congressional mandates to the Fed and has no intention of resigning, even if requested.

The erosion of the Fed's independence has been a major concern for market participants and has triggered multiple sell-offs. 
Jul. 17An Athens woman was arrested last week for possessing smokeable hemp, seven days after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law making it a Class C felony, according to a complaint filed Thursday by Athens police.

Mary Natasa Lashonta Noble, 26, faces additional charges of possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of marijuana after her arrest July 7.

According to the complaint, Noble was stopped near U.S. 72 and Cloverleaf Drive and was found with seven Delta-9 pre-roll joints and a Delta THC vape pen.

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Noble was arrested again Wednesday for a probation revocation related to a previous first-degree burglary case, according to court records. She was also charged with resisting arrest, attempting to elude law enforcement and obstructing justice by using a false identity. Court records show Noble pleaded guilty to the burglary charge in August 2024 and received a 15-year suspended sentence with three years of probation.

She remained in Limestone County Jail on Thursday with no bond.

On July 1, Ivey signed House Bill 445 into law, banning smokeable hemp and synthetic cannabinoids such as Delta-8, placing a 10 mg THC-per-serving limit on edibles, adding a 10% excise tax and shifting licensing and enforcement to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Possession of banned products now carries a Class C felony charge under state law, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

In Alabama, possession of marijuana for personal use is a Class A misdemeanor for first-time offenses.

 wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  New Atlantic Beach Town Manager Adrian Jones says he plans to change the way the town is viewed both internally and externally after its reputation was tainted due to election issues from 2023.

Jones stepped into his role on July 7. He is not a native of Atlantic Beach, having spent most of his life in Arkansas. He said he plans to use his status as a transplant to lead the town in an unbiased way.

I dont have a partisan mentality about the role, Jones said. I am solely here to do the work for the citizens of Atlantic Beach, to bring them a vibrant, thriving community, [and] remove them from the chaos and the calamities that have faced them.

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One of the calamities Jones refers to is the controversies surrounding recent town elections.

An election that placed Carla Taylor on the town council brought multiple lawsuits and protests against the results, preventing Taylor from taking her seat until October 2024. The town also faced issues after the 2023 mayoral race was invalidated. It is still considered undecided at this time.

The lawsuits brought on by the election results left the town in a difficult place financially. But according to Jones, things are looking better than they have in the past.

I am one of those people that believe that in order to fix whats going on around you, you have to fix yourself first, Jones said. So Atlantic Beach has some work to do for fixing ourselves. But we are poised and we are in prime position. Our finances are probably the best as they ever have been.

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Not only is Jones working to restore the towns reputation, he also wants to improve the towns appeal to the surrounding communities.

Were trying to restore the vibrancy of Atlantic Beach and the family feel, Jones said. We want to develop into a thriving community as we once were. But we have to reach out to those around us as well for the resources that are necessary for us to become that thriving community. And Im hoping to meet with leadership in the area to discuss how Atlantic Beach can be a cohesive partner of theirs.

The town will begin its next election cycle in November. Jones said he is approaching it with open arms.

This election cycle, I know we will be watched closely and scrutinized, Jones said. And I welcome that because that helps everyone stay on their best behaviors. And so going forward, Atlantic Beach will be as transparent with the media, with the surrounding municipalities as we possibly can be.

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Jones said he believes the future looks bright for the town.

* * *

Madi Codispoti is a multimedia journalist at News13. Madi is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and most recently worked at WJHL in Johnson City, Tennessee. She graduated from Emory & Henry University in May 2023. You can keep up with Madi on Facebook and read more of her work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over its unlawful cancellation of millions of dollars in funding for public schools and natural disaster preparedness. (Screengrab from NCAGO press conference)

There are probably plenty of days in which North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson wishes his job duties were similar to those of past AGs  prosecuting criminals, helping consumers, targeting corruption. Unfortunately, thanks to the relentless illegal acts of the Trump administration, hes quickly come to have another top job priority  defending North Carolinians against the federal government.

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This week alone Jackson was forced to join other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over its unlawful cancellation of millions of dollars in funding for public schools and natural disaster preparedness. The cancelled disaster prep money could have helped prevent flooding damage caused by Tropical Storm Chantal.

Previously, Jackson had to sue to protect North Carolinians from Trumps blatantly unconstitutional effort to deny citizenship to all people born in the U.S.

The bottom line: Its tragic that Jackson must devote precious resources to forcing Trump to respect the law, but all North Carolinians should be grateful hes able and willing to do it.

For NC Newsline, Im Rob Schofield.
Jul. 18GOUVERNEUR  The state Attorney General's office has filed suit against a twice-burglarized Gouverneur gun shop claiming the business has not done enough to secure its inventory.

The Attorney General's office filed state Supreme Court action Thursday against Bowman's Gun Shop, 337 County Route 11, and its owner Timothy Bowman.

It is contended in the suit, among other things, that the business's firearm storage practices have facilitated theft, leading to guns stolen from the business later being recovered by authorities in New York City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the country of Barbados.

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Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Friday that gun shop owners have a responsibility to maintain the utmost security in and around their stores to prevent theft and gun trafficking.

"Irresponsible and inadequate security at guns shops is dangerous for all New Yorkers," James said in the statement. "New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in their communities, and gun shop owners like Timothy Bowman, who repeatedly violate our gun safety laws make it easy for thieves to steal and traffic guns, put New Yorkers at risk."

Bowman could not be reached for comment Friday on the suit.

According to the Attorney General's complaint, Bowman's license to sell pistols and his permit to possess pistols were suspended by St. Lawrence County Court for six months and one year, respectively. This came after a state police investigation during which Bowman admitted that he had knowingly received two handguns from someone he knew possessed them illegally and that he made false entries about the two guns into his legally required logbooks.

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In September 2019, soldiers from Fort Drum broke into the shop through and exterior door that was unlocked and then forced open an interior door. Two shotguns, two pistols, over 50 boxes of ammunition, cash and a BB gun were stolen.

The Attorney General contends following the first burglary, Bowman's didn't take the necessary measures to safeguard the store. Almost exactly a year after the first burglary, a different group of soldiers from Fort Drum broke into the shop, stealing 29 pistols, 12 revolvers, nine rifles and two shotguns.

According to the Attorney General's complaint, Bowman had left a window partially open after business hours so that he could run a hose from an air conditioner unit through the window which was used to gain access by the burglars to the shop.

The complain states that even though the shop had an alarm system, Bowman "admitted that he neglected to arm the system three quarters of the time," including on the night of the second burglary.

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The Attorney General maintains that despite training as to what the law requires for the shop's security, Bowman has not brought into compliance with the law. Despite having updated the physical security of the shop, it still lacks a security plan in violation of state law.

The suit states that as of June 2024, the business stored its guns in glass display cases or on wall displays with no locking mechanism. It also contends that Bowman's did not secure guns in any locked or secure storage area and stores ammunition on open shelving in the store within reach of customers.

The Attorney General further claims that the business does not reasonable controls in place to prevent illegal diversion of its products, including to counter "straw" purchases in which somebody illegally purchases a gun on behalf of another person.

James said that, with the suit, her office is seeking to ban Bowman from owning or operating a gun shop in New York and to obtain a court order requiring him to comply with all of the state's gun safety laws.
AUBURN (KSNT)  One person was killed in a house fire Thursday evening in Auburn.

The fire was reported just after 6:30 p.m. State Fire Marshal Mark Engholm is assisting Shawnee County Fire District #2 in the investigation. He told 27 News one person died, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Authorities did not release the name of the person who died. 27 News will share more updates as we learn more.

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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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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Jul. 17Domino's has announced that its franchise-owned store located at 106 S Main St. in Austin has earned the company's prestigious OMEGA Challenge Award for operational excellence.

Domino's OMEGA Challenge rewards stores that demonstrate the highest level of operational excellence across four pillars: order counts, estimated average delivery time, food safety and the operations assessment. Domino's in Austin has excelled in service times, often delivering top 10 performance in its region.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have finally won Domino's OMEGA Challenge," said Marty Gritz, Domino's franchise owner in Austin. "It is a testament to our dedication towards maintaining outstanding store operations and customer satisfaction. Our goal is always to make great-tasting pizza and deliver fantastic service, without taking shortcuts. I'm so proud of the store's

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general manager Dillon Underdahl, for all of his hard work and team building."

Gritz began his Domino's career as a delivery driver in 1988 in Maryland and worked his way up and became a franchisee in Mason City, Iowa, in 2005. In 2008, he acquired the Domino's store location in Austin.

"It is no easy feat to win the OMEGA Challenge," said Frank Garrido, Domino's executive vice president  chief restaurant officer. "This recognition is only achieved by the top 2% of Domino's stores in the U.S. Our hats go off to Dillon, Marty and their team members in Austin for their commitment towards running exceptional operations. Domino's in Austin is

truly a best-in-class store."

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As a winner of the OMEGA Challenge, Underdahl can choose to receive an OMEGA Speedmaster 38 mm watch, an OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional watch or a cash award of $2,000.

Domino's has a longstanding history of running an operational excellence challenge, as it originally began in 1977 to reward high achieving stores.
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Austintown Township Trustees recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C.. They met with several federal leaders to lobby for money for the Township.

Trustees met with senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted as well as Congressman Michael Rulli..Their main concern  securing funding for critical infrastructure and public safety needs in Austintown.

In March, the township applied for a Congressional District Spending grant to help fund a sewer project. That grant was denied. But despite the setback, theyre not giving up. The group is using the meetings to press for future funding, including help for the township police department.

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It is a little disappointing. But when you look at what was approved, you kind of get a little humbled. Youre like, Hey these other projects are needed. I dont envy these legislators who have to, at some point or another,r pick up their red pen and cross off some projects even though theyre needed, said Austintown Township Trustee Robert Santos.

We all know here in Austintown, were going to the MARCS system. Theres going to be some expenses with that. Along with the rest of the county. And why not ask? Sure enough, theres something available, and we will go ahead and attempt to seize those funds, said Austintown Township Trustee Bruce Shepas.

Trustees say the trip was a valuable chance to build relationships and position the township for future funding opportunities. Theyre exploring alternative funding sources for the sewer project and can resubmit the project again next year.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Authorities have released the name of the person killed in Tuesday's fatal crash at U.S. 41 and Allendale Lane.

The driver killed in the crash was Lawrence Mark Oberle, 67, of Terre Haute, according to the Vigo County Sheriff's Office.

The accident involving two pickup trucks occurred around 2:25 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection o U.S. 41 and Allendale Lane.

According to a preliminary investigation, a white pickup truck driven by Oberle was entering the northbound lanes of U.S. 41 from Allendale Lane. As the white truck pulled onto the highway, it was struck by a silver pickup truck that was northbound on U.S. 41.

The driver of the silver truck was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The crash reconstruction team was called to the scene.
The body of William Davis, a man from Jacksonville, was found on Friday after he went missing from the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Search teams discovered Daviss body 400 feet off Lion Head Trail after three days of searching in challenging weather conditions, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The search for Davis began after he wandered away from the summit of Mt. Washington on Wednesday afternoon, the release said.

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Despite extensive efforts on the western side of the summit, no clues were found until Friday, when searchers focused on the east and south slopes.

Officials said weather conditions had worsened, with high winds, clouds, rain, and low temperatures, complicating the search efforts.

A volunteer search team located Daviss body at approximately 11:00 a.m. Friday, the release said.

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An Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, which was on a training mission, assisted in the recovery of Daviss body.

The helicopter faced heavy winds and cloud cover but managed to land and remove the body during a brief window of opportunity.

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Officials said preliminary observations suggest that Davis suffered a significant fall from a steep, rocky slope.

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His body was transported to the State Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Davis was not a hiker and had no map, and it remains unclear how he ended up at the location where he was found, officials said.

The Fish and Game Department expressed gratitude to the volunteers and staff who participated in the search.

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GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH)  An axe-throwing bar and lounge based out of Ohio is opening its newest location.

Dueling Axes is holding its grand opening on Friday at 3 p.m. at 3940 Broadway. The venue in Grove City first announced plans with the new expansion earlier this year, making renovations to the 6,000 square-foot facility. This new location is adding on to the companys other spots in Columbus, New Albany and Canal Winchester.

Ohio Goes to the Movies to celebrate film history with statewide screenings

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Along with axe throwing, the venue will feature a variety of activities including knife throwing, darts, shuffle board and cornhole. Visitors can also enjoy drinks from the venues full service bar and a menu full of food and snacks.

Dueling Axes will also have 13 large format TVs, offering a sports bar experience for patrons. Reservations are not required and walk-ins are welcome, according to the company.

Dueling Axes will be open until midnight on its grand opening day. The venues normal hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 11 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Dueling Axes will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MEXICO CITY, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday criticized the U.S. decision to keep its border closed to Mexican cattle over a screwworm outbreak, saying the measure lacks a clear scientific basis and may be politically motivated.

The pest was detected in southern Mexico -- more than 1,000 km from the northern cattle-producing states affected by the U.S. restriction, said Sheinbaum at her daily press conference, urging Washington to clarify the health criteria justifying the continued ban.

"This seems more political. In some cases, it could be interpreted as a political issue against Mexico, but let's not forget there's a U.S. election coming up in a year," she said.

She also criticized certain U.S. political figures for treating Mexico as a "pinata" during election campaigns and warned against using bilateral issues for domestic political gain.

Despite the criticism, Sheinbaum said that Mexico's Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegue is in discussion with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, to advance negotiations and prevent further restrictions on cattle exports.

Sheinbaum also confirmed that the United States has agreed to invest 30 million U.S. dollars in a sterile fly production facility in Mexico -- a key biological tool in the fight against the screwworm. The plant is expected to be completed in under a year. 
North Country residents have been fighting the proposed Forest Lake landfill for years. Here, dozens gather on July 14, 2021, at White Mountains Regional High School in Whitefield to protest Casella's plans. (File photo by Amanda Gokee/New Hampshire Bulletin)

This story was updated at 8:21 p.m. on July 18 to add a comment from Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law this week a bill requiring trash companies to submit detailed management plans for leachate, the toxic liquid born from rainfall mixing with waste inside landfills.

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While the state already requires operators to create leachate management plans, House Bill 566 adds additional permit application requisites for prospective new landfills and expansions for existing dumps, including on-site treatment of that trash juice as well as its transportation to off-site treatment facilities.

The bill was a priority for lawmakers amid years-long squabbles between towns and waste companies over the environmental and health hazards of landfills new and old, especially after the Department of Environmental Services issued letters to operators last year outlining issues found at four active landfills in the state.

That included hundreds of leachate-related violations since 2023 by Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems Bethlehem facility, which is nearing the end of its operational life. One of two major private landfills in New Hampshire, that facility was also the site of a 154,000-gallon leachate spill in 2021  likely the largest in state history.

But despite the leachate legislation making it across both chambers and now the governors desk, it remains the only major landfill bill to survive the legislative process.

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The rest stalled during this years session despite bipartisan support on the issue: House Bill 171, establishing a moratorium on new landfill permits until 2030; House Bill 707, establishing stricter setback requirements; and House Bill 215, requiring comprehensive harm-benefit assessments.

Ayotte, who earlier this year came out against Casellas contentious landfill proposal next to Forest Lake in Dalton, proposed a one-year moratorium on new landfills and the creation of a site evaluation committee to give communities more input in future siting decisions. But those proposals were stripped from budget negotiations after lawmakers couldnt agree on the length of any moratorium.

New Hampshires natural beauty is the bedrock of our quality of life, Ayotte told the Bulletin this week. We should not let beautiful areas of our state like Forest Lake in Dalton become a dumping ground for out-of-state trash. Thats why I supported this law and why I will continue to push for a moratorium on new landfill construction and a revamped regulatory process that includes community input.

State Rep. Nicholas Germana, HB 566s sponsor and deputy ranking member of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, had high hopes for progress at the start of the session.

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But if the Keene State College professor had to grade the results, Id give it a D-plus, he said.

The governor just went radio silent, Germana told the Bulletin. She said this was a huge priority for her  and despite our reaching out to the governors office, there was never any effort by the governor or anyone in her office to sit people down and try to come to an agreement.

For the sake of waste

Aside from the standalone bills, the House had approved several landfill measures for budget inclusion, but the Senate made changes that House lawmakers and advocates felt wouldve benefited Casellas interests.

An amendment from Loudon Republican Sen. Howard Pearl contained provisions that would have allowed companies to override local zoning ordinances and void existing legal agreements with towns. The House ultimately rejected the proposal.

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That, for example, would have forced the city of Bethlehem to accept an expansion of a landfill that has literally hundreds and hundreds of problems in its operation, particularly with leachate, Germana said.

Germana saw the move as unquestionably heavily influenced by industry, saying it took legislation meant to address future landfill siting and turned it primarily into a big gift bag for current operators to expand, in particular Casella in Bethlehem.

The Senate was completely unwilling to work with House lawmakers on trying to find some middle path, Germana said, adding that their definition of compromise was we take exactly what they were giving us  that it was a take it or leave it situation.

NHDES has previously reported that nearly half of disposed waste in New Hampshire comes from other states, primarily Massachusetts, which has its own statewide landfill moratorium. New Hampshires largest landfill, located in Rochester and operated by Waste Management, has enough capacity to handle all of New Hampshires annual solid waste  but instead takes large amounts from out of state.

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We dont need the capacity, said Wayne Morrison, president of citizen group North Country Alliance for Balanced Change. Casella needs it because theyre acquiring a lot of smaller companies and they have a problem where theyve got a lot of routes and customers in places like Massachusetts, and they need more places to put it.

The proposed site in Dalton sits within half a mile of Forest Lake, the Ammonoosuc River, and Weeks State Park  pristine outdoor recreation areas in a region dependent on tourism. The controversy divided the small town of 900 residents, creating what Morrison describes as friends of the landfill and foes of the landfill in a classic small-town dynamic where neighbors stop speaking to each other.

I think this is what typically happens, Morrison said of the divisive nature of landfill siting. You go to a poor town and you tell the people, Im going to pay you so youre not going to have to pay property taxes. Some element of the town is going to say, Great. And another section is going to say, Well, theres a huge price to be paid for that.

Casella would pay millions annually to the town, creating relief avenues for its small tax base  but Morrison says the environmental and health risks far outweigh any economic benefits, especially for other surrounding communities outside of Dalton that would bear the impacts without receiving compensation.

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You dont get anything for free, he said.

Casella is now fighting the state in Merrimack County Superior Court after NHDES in April denied the companys Dalton landfill bid.

The new requirements in HB 566 are also tied to concerns about PFAS  per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  contamination in the states waste stream. Landfills often receive PFAS-laden waste that can seep into groundwater, creating a cycle where contaminated leachate returns to facilities such as Manchesters wastewater treatment plant, which incinerates sewage sludge containing PFAS and discharges treated wastewater back into the Merrimack River.

For the most part, weve been spoiled in the U.S. because we havent had to think about water quality, Morrison said, referencing concerns about contamination in the North Country, where many live on well water. Its a big problem. And its not just landfills  the state is not that big, and its highly connected. The groundwater, the aquifers, and the rivers and lakes are connected, and its kind of like, if you have a problem, you have a big problem.

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Advocates frame the situation as an environmental justice issue  small North Country communities bearing the burden of regional disposal while generating little of the waste themselves. Many have long argued that the state should focus on reducing waste generation rather than building more disposal capacity, such as improved composting programs and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies implemented in neighboring states.

Maine has moved in that direction, passing EPR legislation for packaging that creates economic incentives for manufacturers to reduce waste, taking financial pressure off municipalities.

New Hampshire came close to passing similar legislation for paint waste this year, which had broad bipartisan support from both environmental groups and business interests, but the effort died in the Senate after opponents called it a tax, frustrating House lawmakers who said it had unanimous support from stakeholders.

Help us pass something

The only significant accomplishment beyond the leachate bill was a provision in the budget establishing a $3.50 per ton charge on solid waste going into landfills, which will return revenue to municipalities and help fund waste management programs.

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Despite the setbacks, Germana said lawmakers plan to continue pushing landfill laws in the next session.

The senators keep telling us that theyre weary, that theyre tired of having to deal with landfill legislation, Germana said. And my response to that is, well, then help us pass something. If were going to turn the page, were going to do it by prioritizing public health and the environment rather than corporate profits.

The governor told lawmakers after the session ended that she remained committed to working on her proposal for a moratorium and site evaluation committee. Germana said the key to progress would be having someone with actual influence in the governors office coordinate the effort next time around.

House lawmakers also plan to revive efforts to limit out-of-state waste coming into New Hampshires landfills, with Germana saying he would continue to work with Republican Sen. David Rochefort on potential legislation.

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I think that Gov. Ayotte is a lot more open to that approach than Gov. Sununu was, he said. He noted that legal challenges to interstate commerce can be defended if states can demonstrate the regulations are in their vital interest.

Other priorities for the next session include another stab at single-use plastic bag legislation and food waste reduction measures, including standardized expiration date labeling to reduce avoidable food disposal.

But Germana said the landfill siting issue is top of the list going forward.

We need to get this straight first, he said. We need to have an agreement on a site evaluation process so that going forward, when we do have to start talking about the possibility of a landfill, we have a process with integrity in place.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  Electronic devices holding thousands of files that contained child pornography were seized from a southwest Bakersfield home on Thursday, and a 43-year-old man was taken into custody, according to sheriffs officials.

Hung Chun Fong was booked into jail on suspicion of possessing and distributing child porn  including a charge indicating he had more than 600 illicit images, officials said.

Hes being held on $90,000 bail and is due in court Monday.

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A total of 13 electronic devices with more than 70 terabytes of storage were found when authorities from multiple agencies executed a search warrant in the 10100 block of Dutch Iris Drive, officials said.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Kern County Sheriffs Office Special Victims Unit at 661-861-3110.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.
The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world. Adult snakes caught in Florida are between 6 and 9 feet on average, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The largest captured in Florida was more than 18 feet.

In the 2025 Florida Python Challenge, Burmese pythons are hunted and top prizes are awarded for the longest and most snakes caught. But as the annual hunt in the Sunshine State becomes more popular, we take a look at another type of snake: the ball python.

In 2019, a python was captured in the Lake Park Lowes parking lot  but wasn't a Burmese. It was a ball python.

What is a ball python?

A ball python, also called the royal python, is a less troublesome cousin to the Burmese, and has been eating its way through the Everglades for decades.

Where are ball pythons native to?

Ball pythons are native to west sub saharan Africa and typically dont grow as long as the invasive Burmese pythons blamed for wiping out small mammal populations in South Florida. Although ball pythons have previously been found in the wild in Florida, there are no known reproducing populations, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Is a ball python a good pet?

Because of the snake's less aggressive behavior, ball pythons are among the most popular snakes used as pets. Adults average in length from 2 to 5 feet.

How much is a ball python?

Education Center visitors get up close to Tether, the Ball python during the 36th annual Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo on Friday.

Small ball pythons start at around $400, according to the Petco website.

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More on ball python found in Palm Beach County: A python was captured in the Lake Park Lowes parking lot  but not Burmese.

What is the Florida Python Challenge?

The Florida Python Challenge is a python removal competition that happens South Florida.

Participants have nine days to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible. The 2025 python removal competition started at 12:01 a.m. July 11. It will end at 5 p.m. July 20.

The competition helps protect the Everglades habitat and all its native animals by removing the invasive Burmese pythons.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ball python: Cousin to Burmese, snake not hunted in Florida Challenge
Ballots for this years primary election went out July 18, the first step in whittling down the list of 20 candidates looking to fill the five Tacoma City Council seats up for election this year.

People looking to register to vote can do so online or on paper by July 28 and can do so in-person until 8 p.m. on election day, Aug. 5. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Aug. 5, election day, or placed in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that same day. Ballot drop boxes are available in 51 locations across the county, with locations ranging from outside UW Tacoma to Wapato Park.

Tacomas next top leaders are likely to be tasked with dealing with the citys enduring budget deficit and the ever-changing impact of a new presidential administration. Theyll also be coming to city leadership in a time of transition  the city is without permanent leaders in top positions of police chief and city manager.

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The News Tribunes editorial board, which is separate from its news reporting staff, has endorsed candidates in the District 4, District 5 and at-large Position 6 races.

Various community groups are hosting candidate forums and debates ahead of the primary. Heres a list of some of the upcoming events:

TV Tacomas mayoral candidate forum, posted on the City of Tacomas Youtube page. Four candidates participated in the forum at City Hall, moderated by Liz Kurnitz-Thurlow from the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County. TV Tacoma and the League of Women Voters also hosted candidate forums for the council-at-large Position 6 and Port of Tacoma Positions 1 and 4.

Mayoral Watch Party: No Politics, Just Policy on Thursday, July 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at UrbanWork Rhodes Center at 950 Broadway. Hosted by Tacoma Rising, the event will feature a screening of pre-recorded interviews with all six mayoral candidates on questions about economic development, followed by a question-and-answer session with the candidates.

Mayoral Forum: Tacomas Housing Crisis on Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Co-sponsored by United Food and Commercial Workers 367, Tacoma Ministerial Alliance, Common Good Tacoma and Tacoma For All. Four mayoral candidates will discuss policy related to Tacomas housing crisis at Common Good Tacoma at 621, Tacoma Avenue South.

Heres what we know about the 20 candidates in the running:

Mayor

Steve Haverly

Haverly has worked as a substitute para educator for Tacoma Public Schools, in TV production and construction. His priorities include reducing homelessness, protecting the environment and making it easier for small businesses to start in Tacoma. By July 17 he had raised a total of $21,120.88 for his campaign, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Jesus Jesse Carlos

Carlos has served as a U.S. Army Ranger sniper and worked as a financial advisor, according to his campaign website. His priorities include addressing homelessness, combating climate change and uplifting marginalized communities. Carlos had reported raising $10,109.71 as of July 1, per the PDC.

Whitney Stevens

Stevens has a background in local government, having served on the Pierce County Planning Commission and worked for Pierce County Councilmember Tim Farell and Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson. Her priorities include summer childcare, building up the citys revenues and addressing youth gun violence. She raised $20,522.86 for her campaign as of July 17, according to public disclosures.

Anthony (Tony) Ginn

Ginn did not appear to have a campaign website as of July 17 and did not report any campaign expenses or fundraising dollars by the same date.

Anders Ibsen

Ibsen most recently worked in real estate and before that served on the City Council representing District 1. His priorities include affordability, public safety and economic development. Ibsen had raised $172,104.84 as of July 17  the highest amount of any candidate so far  and reported having spent $139,675.29 by the same date.

John Hines

Hines is on the City Council representing District 1 and served as deputy mayor in 2024. Hines priorities include building Tacomas economy, addressing homelessness and prioritizing public safety. He reported having raised $164,998.42 for his campaign as of July 17, the second-highest amount of money raised in the race for mayor. He reported spending about half that amount by the same date  $85,564.28.

District 2

Per state law, since only two candidates are in the running for the District 2 position  incumbent Sarah Rumbaugh and newcomer Ben Lackey  the two will advance to the Nov. 4 general election without the need for a primary. They will not appear on the Aug. 5 ballot.

District 4

Israel James McKinney

McKinney has served in the Air Force Reserves and worked at Boeing and Xfinity, according to his campaign website. His priorities include improving Tacomas job market, improving public safety and addressing homelessness. McKinney as of July 17 did not report any campaign expenditures or fundraising dollars. According to public disclosures, he opted for mini reporting, which applies to campaigns that raise and spend less than $7,000, which are not required to report their fundraising and expenditures to the states Public Disclosure Commission.

Silong Chhun

Chhun has worked for former Gov. Jay Inslees office and the Khmer Anti-deportation and Advancement Group, according to his campaign website. His priorities include protecting immigrant communities and making housing in Tacoma more affordable. Chhun raised $25,677.60 by July 17, according to public disclosures.

Sandesh Sadalge

Sadalge holds the position of District 4 council member, having been appointed to the seat in July 2024 after council member Catherine Ushka died in the middle of her term. Sadalges priorities include crime prevention, affordable housing and supporting small businesses. Sadalge by July 17 had raised the most amount of money in the race for District 4 at $30,033.00.

District 5

Brandon A. Vollmer

Vollmer spent the majority of his life living in District 5, according to his campaign website, and his priorities include addressing homelessness, affordability and transparency. He reported raising $851.03 for his campaign by July 17, according to public disclosures.

Joe Bushnell

Bushnell, who represents District 5 on the City Council, spent about a decade in the Marine Corps. His priorities include addressing homelessness, building on public safety and boosting Tacomas economy. By July 17 he raised $35,041.14 for his campaign.

Zev Cook

Cook is a community organizer, co-founder of Tacoma for All and worked on the campaign for the Tenant Bill of Rights and on council member Jamika Scotts campaign in 2023. Her priorities include raising Tacomas minimum wage, building more affordable housing and taxing the rich. As of July 17, she raised $47,012.98 for her campaign  the largest amount of money raised out of all four council races.

Council-at-large Position No. 6

Lindsay Wills

Wills has worked as a fire inspector and in the permits department for the city of University Place. Her priorities include helping reduce costs to manage the citys budget, transparency and addressing climate change. By July 17 she raised $4,453.00 for her campaign, according to public disclosures.

Hunder D. Henderson

Henderson works for the Washington State Department of Transportation and has worked for Pierce County Parks and Recreation. His priorities include creating jobs, affordable housing and improving Tacomas roads. As of July 17, Henderson raised $1,761.90 for his campaign.

Krista Perez

Perez is an author and small business owner, according to her campaign website, and is the only candidate who appears to have the endorsement of Deputy Mayor Kiara Daniels  who holds the at-large Position 6 seat. Her priorities include affordable housing and supporting local businesses. As of July 17, Perez had raised $31,281.92 for her campaign, the most amount of money raised by one candidate in the race for at-large Position 6.

Jessica Johnston

Johnston is the vice president of the Downtown Tacoma partnership and a member of Tacomas City Events & Recognitions Committee, according to her campaign website. Her priorities include bolstering public safety and economic development in Tacoma, as well as improving access to mental health care and addiction services. Johnston raised $21,216.00 for her campaign by July 17, according to public disclosures.

Todd Briske

Briske ran for the at-large Position 8 in 2023 and lost to now-council member Kristina Walker. His priorities, according to his campaign website, include affordable housing, addressing homelessness and reducing 911 response times. Briske did not report raising or spending any funds on his campaign, having also opted for mini reporting.

Latasha Palmer

Palmer is a small business owner and board member of the Hilltop Action Coalition. She hopes to focus on housing security and economic security, according to her website. As of July 17, Palmer had raised $22,573.03 for her campaign  the second-highest amount of money raised in the race for at-large Position 6.
Residents are being warned to stay alert after a bank jugging suspect was seen stealing thousands of dollars from a car in L.A.s Pico-Robertson neighborhood.

The theft occurred on July 7 as the victim, identified only as Robert, had withdrawn a large sum of cash from a Bank of America on Pico and La Cienega Boulevards.

Robert placed the envelope full of cash inside his vehicle and made a quick stop at a local grocery store. Little did he know, he was being watched very carefully by lurking thieves.

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Surveillance video captured a male suspect smashing Roberts car window and quickly diving headfirst into the backseat. The man swipes the envelope of cash before fleeing the area.

Surveillance video captured a bank jugging thief smashing a car window and diving headfirst into the backseat to steal an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash that the victim withdrew from a bank in the Pico-Union area on July 7, 2025. Surveillance video captured a bank jugging thief smashing a car window and diving headfirst into the backseat to steal an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash that the victim withdrew from a bank in the Pico-Union area on July 7, 2025. The victims car window was shattered by the destructive thieves. (KTLA)

I had it in an envelope, a few thousand dollars, Robert told KTLAs Sandra Mitchell. Its a lot of money. Im not rich. I work hard.

Robert believes the suspects had been following him for some time.

These guys definitely were inside the Bank of America, he said. Theyre looking for somebody and it happened to be me.

Authorities are warning the public of bank jugging thieves whose strategy typically involves staking out banks to watch for customers who withdraw a large amount of money. In order to steal their personal property, they may follow victims to their car or even to their home.

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Police confirmed at least two notable bank jugging incidents occurred in Irvine last week, where investigators arrested four out-of-state suspects in connection with the cases.

Authorities said the scheme is becoming a troubling nationwide trend. In Roberts case, he believes he was targeted because he lives in an upscale neighborhood.

This is the L.A. that we live in, he said with frustration. In this area, we dont want to be terrorized by these kinds of people, this kind of criminal.

Robert reported the theft to the Los Angeles Police Department. No suspect descriptions were provided as the theft remains under investigation.

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Anyone with information can call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Twenty-one northeastern Wisconsin businesses, which span range of industries, earned recognition this week as employers of choice by those who know best: their employees.

The Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 program highlighted small, medium and large companies whose employees' survey responses singled them out for recognition.

On July 16, representatives from the selected companies gathered at The Terrace at Marina Circle in Ashwaubenon to celebrate an honor they said stands out from most other workplace awards because it is based entirely on employee feedback. Honorees also liked the message the recognition can send to customers.

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"One of the things we talk with our clients about is our culture. They tend to be attracted to us if we have like or similar cultures. The fact weve been recognized in this way tells our customers what we say is happening at Fox is actually happening," said Erin Forer, a human resources business partner at two-time Top Workplace honoree Fox World Travel. "Its a source of pride for all of us, too, that we can say we work at a Top Workplace."

Top Workplaces also presented 16 specialty awards to the companies during Wednesday's event. The awards included three Leadership Awards to Goodwill North Central Wisconsin CEO Chris Hess, AmeriLux Family of Companies CEO Kurt Voss and Keller Williams Fox Cities Operating Principal Laura Thompson.

"This (Top Workplaces) award really has to be earned and given to you by the people you work with. When that happens, thats really a cause for celebration," Hess told the Press-Gazette. He later added: "Were absolutely thrilled and honored and energized by getting this award to keep going and live it everyday to fulfill the mission."

Former Survivor: Nicaragua contestant and keynote speaker Holly Hoffman speaks during the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 awards ceremony on July 16 at The Terrace at Marina Circle in Ashwaubenon.

Top Workplaces celebrates 'people-first' workplaces

The July 16 celebration featured a keynote address from "Survivor: Nicaragua" contestant and author Holly Hoffman, who reached the final four in the reality show's 21st season. Hoffman drew parallels between her journey to appearing in 2010 on the popular show to Top Workplaces businesses' focus on supporting people and seizing opportunities.

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"In today's competitive talent market, being named a Top Workplace is a significant achievement," Hoffman said. "We're proud to celebrate the exceptional workplaces across northeast Wisconsin and the stories that inspire us all."

Energage and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin launched Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces in 2024. In its second year now, companies continue to struggle to find and retain skilled workers and a Top Workplaces designation can help a business stand out with job applicants and give companies a point of pride.

Top Workplaces awards are a celebration of good news, said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. They exemplify the significance of a people-first workplace experience, reminding us that employees are the heart of any thriving organization.

Representatives from Fox World Travel receive an award during the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 awards ceremony on July 16 at The Terrace at Marina Circle in Ashwaubenon.

Fox World Travel and Goodwill NCW offer one particular perk that stands out with employees, job-seekers

Oshkosh-based Fox World Travel has developed a reputation as an employer of choice in the travel industry thanks to its focus on developing a culture that cares for the whole person whether they're an associate, a business partner or a customer.

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Chief Culture Officer Audra Mead said the company's philosophy creates a "virtuous circle": Invest in employees and they become engaged, happy associates, which leads to happy, engaged customers, which leads to more revenue.

One benefit has proven extremely popular with the company's roughly 340 associates since it was introduced two years ago: A lifestyle spending account, or LSA. Fox World Travel funds 100% of the account, giving every associate a set dollar amount to spend each year in a set area. This year's is physical health, so employees can purchase a gym membership, nutrition program, running shoes, or a bicycle and then be reimbursed by their LSA.

"Halfway through this year, a lot of people are very excited. They got their funds and theyre excited to go and use it," Forer said.

Hess, Goodwill's CEO, said the nonprofit's lifestyle spending account has become a point of pride for the organization and popular with its roughly 630 employees. Goodwill NCW's LSA, like its mission, focuses on eliminating barriers to employment, so employees can use their LSA to pay for things like child care, car repairs or groceries.

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"They get to choose their own adventure with it. If child care is your barrier or transportation is or food insecurity, we didnt want to limit it, but it does need to be used appropriately," Hess said.

Goodwill NCW also goes further, though, having created a "Hand Up Fund" for team members to tap when an unexpected bill or vehicle repair arises.

Representatives from Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin receive an award during the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 awards ceremony on July 16 at The Terrace at Marina Circle in Ashwaubenon.

AmeriLux Family of Companies' success comes back to its 10 culture statements

Voss, AmeriLux's CEO and founder, attributes the De Pere-based family of companies' success and growth to its company culture and focus on people, whether they're customers, employees or community members.

Voss early on in the company's history laid out 10 culture statements he said everyone embraces, from himself to the newest employee. The "AmeriLux-isms," as he sometimes calls them, encourage employees to find win-wins, engage in meaningful action, not judge people at their worst moments, value diverse viewpoints, communicate, remain open-minded and focus on solutions.

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"We bring them to life so you're doing them naturally," Voss said. He later added he encourages employees "to think first and foremost that we are in the people business" to center their focus on building relationships with coworkers, customers and the community.

How were Northeast Wisconsin's Top Workplaces determined?

Energage, in partnership with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin media outlets in the region, invited 951 companies with more than 35 employees located in an 18-county area to participate in Top Workplaces 2025.

No cost was required to participate or requirement for honorees to purchase a product or service.

The eligible counties are: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marquette, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Sheboygan, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.

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Energage got permission from 32 companies to survey their employees on 24 different workplace factors like benefits, direction, leadership and appreciation. It used aggregated employee feedback to score each business and those whose score is higher than national benchmarks earn the Top Workplaces designation.

The 21 businesses that earned recognition as Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces represents a 75% increase in honorees from 2024.

A table centerpiece is seen during the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 awards ceremony on July 16 at The Terrace at Marina Circle in Ashwaubenon.

What companies are the Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces for 2025?

For a more detailed look at each honoree, watch for expanded coverage in the July 20 print editions of northeastern Wisconsin USA TODAY NETWORK newspapers.

Large, 500+ employees

Associated Bank

Kwik Trip Inc.

Van Horn Automotive Group

Goodwill NCW

Midsize, 150-499 employees

AmeriLux Family of Companies

Buechel Stone Corp.

Excel Engineering Inc.

Fox Communities Credit Union

Fox World Travel

Holiday Automotive

Miron Construction

Kaukauna Area School District

Lakeland Care

St. Paul Elder Services

Small, less than 150 employees

Azura Memory Care

Bank of Luxemburg

Bliffert Lumber

I-CAR

Keller Williams Fox Cities

Plug Light Bulb Electrical Services

Tomahawk Manufacturing

Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces 2025 logo

16 special awards recognize leadership, meaningfulness, communication and work-life flexibility

Energage also presented 16 special awards to this year's 24 Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces honorees in areas like leadership, management, direction, communication, work-life flexibility, training and sustainability.

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The recipients were chosen based on employees' responses to specific questions in the survey. For example, responses to "I have confidence in the leader of this company" was used to identify the small, midsize and large Leadership Award recipients mentioned earlier.

The 2025 special award winners are:

Appreciation : Van Horn Automotive Group

Benefits : Excel Engineering Inc.

Clued-In Senior Management : Plug Light Bulb Electrical Services

Communication : Kaukauna Area School District

Direction : Tomahawk Manufacturing

Doers : Kwik Trip Inc.

Leadership : Hess at Goodwill NCW, Voss at AmeriLux Family of Companies and Thompson at Keller Williams Fox Cities

Managers : I-CAR

Meaningfulness : St. Paul Elder Services

New Ideas : Bank of Luxemburg

Training : Azura Memory Care

Values : Associated Bank

Well-Being : Fox World Travel

Work-Life Flexibility: Lakeland Care

My workplace is pretty rad. Why didn't it get a Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplace honor?

The more than 950 companies invited to participate in 2025 represents a fraction of the workplaces across the 18-county northeastern Wisconsin region.

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If you didn't see your company on this year's list, there's a couple of possibilities why: It might not have met the criteria to participate, leadership may have opted not to participate or maybe the employee feedback scores were not strong enough.

But don't worry, there is always Top Workplaces 2026. If you want more information on how to nominate a company, visit TopWorkplaces.com/nominate/northeastwisconsin.

Contact business reporter 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: Here are the 21 Northeast Wisconsin Top Workplaces for 2025
BOSTON (WWLP)  Top Democrats say its a 100 million dollar issue  private attorneys who represent very poor defendants have stopped taking on clients until they get higher pay.

These private attorneys, known as bar advocates, represent about 80% of the Massachusetts public defense caseload.

A group of these bar advocates announced their decision to stop taking on clients on the State House steps in May, saying neighboring states pay rates are much higher.

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The right to counsel, which is in the U.S. Constitution and the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, will only be words, said Lowell attorney Sean Delaney on the State House steps.

Governor Healey calls the result of the work stoppage a public safety issue. Several courts have been forced to release unrepresented clients, as the state is forced to release defendants who have not been assigned an attorney within seven days.

Between Suffolk and Middlesex counties alone, 850 defendants are calling to be released.

The House budget chair says conversations about a bar advocate pay raise are ongoing on Beacon Hill.

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If you take the largest request out there, its a 100 million dollar issue, were working through it, we understand the challenges, and we certainly have those concerns, said House budget chair Representative Aaron Michlewitz.

Neither the House and Senate budget chairs nor the governor has named a particular number that they think these private attorneys should be paid.

The state has $8 billion in cash reserves, and budget writers say they are looking at what could be a very difficult fiscal year.

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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Unfounded rumours have circulated among Indian social media users that the country's embassy in Afghanistan was attacked in early July. The visuals in the false posts are old, and include a picture of a bombing that damaged the German embassy building in Afghanistan's capital Kabul in 2017.

"Shocking news from Kabul: Attack on the Indian Embassy; several officials martyred while serving the nation," reads a Hindi-language X post shared July 7, 2025.

"This shameful act violates international diplomatic principles," adds the caption to two pictures that each depict a damaged building.

Screenshot of the false X post taken July 7, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

Similar claims also surfaced on Facebook on the anniversary of the 2008 attack on India's embassy in Afghanistan that killed 41 people and injured about 150 others (archived here and here).

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Comments to the false posts indicate social media users believed the visuals were recent.

"This is bad news," one wrote. Another said, "Will Modi do something or not?" referring to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But there have been no official reports of an assault targeting the Indian diplomatic headquarters in Kabul.

A combination of reverse image and keyword searches on Google found the first photo on the archives of The Associated Press (AP) news agency (archived link)

"Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, Friday, May 23, 2014," reads part of its caption.

Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the photo from AP

The picture was also published in a report from Indian media NDTV about the incident (archived link).

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The second same image was published in a Reuters report with a caption that says, "Afghan officials inspect outside the German embassy after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017" (archived link).

The report said a bomb hidden in a sewage tanker exploded in the centre of Kabul, killing at least 80 people and damaging embassy buildings.

Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the photo from Reuters

Al Jazeera featured the image in a report about the blast (archived link).

Other false posts include a third picture also from AP depicting former Indian diplomats inspecting the embassy in Kabul following a car bomb attack in October 2009 (archived here and here)
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  A Baton Rouge man was arrested after allegedly stealing a credit card belonging to the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board.

Thomas Cassagne

(WBRSO)

Deputies learned that the stolen credit card had been used for multiple transactions after it was taken from an employees desk drawer. The suspect, Thomas Cassagne, 27, was identified as a worker for a contracted cleaning service.

A statement from the school board explained that the credit card went missing after a contracted carpet cleaning service at the office.

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Cassagne was charged with felony access device fraud and misdemeanor theft. He was taken into custody on July 17, a week after the investigation started.

We commend the WBR Sheriffs Office on making the arrest, the school board told Louisiana First News in a statement. The school board added that funds were recovered after all unauthorized transactions were reported to the credit card company and more secure handling of credit cards was initiated.

The sheriffs office said no bond has been set for Cassagne.

Baton Rouge man arrested, accused of stealing car with children inside

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Its peak summer season, and that means lots of bugs  and also bats.

The Ingham County Health Department is reminding people what to do if you find a bat in your home. Retired veterinarian, Dr. William Schultz, tells 6 News he recently had to help his friends with this very problem.

I get a call, Oh my God, theres a bat in the house, said Dr. Schultz.

The doctor knows how deadly rabies is.

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Once you have rabies, you have a very small chance of recovering, said Dr. Schultz.

The state reports that there are about 60 animal cases of rabies reported each year in Michigan. About 90% of Michigan infections are in bats. So, if one makes its way into your home

Dont open the window and let the bat out. Capture the bat, Dr. Schultz said.

The doctor says you can use a fishing net or a container to catch it, but whatever you do, do not touch it.

Anything to do with a bat that touched your skin, you should be concerned, said the doctor.

Once you have captured the bat, officials advise you to take it to your local health department to be tested for rabies.

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It gives them a chance to follow the case of rabies in Michigan and even locally to see if its in the area, said Dr. Schultz.

If the test comes back positive, Dr. Schultz said that everyone in the home should be vaccinated.

A scratch from the bat, or a bite, you may not feel, said Dr. Schultz.

Dog owners are required to get their pups a rabies vaccine, but Dr. Schultz urges people to get their cats vaccinated as well, even if theyre indoor only.

There are free vaccine clinics in Lansing; we have these all the time, Dr. Schultz continued. Because if you have a bat in your house, what are the odds your cat tried to catch it? Pretty good.

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The doctor says that if your pet is already vaccinated and comes into contact with a bat, revaccinate them immediately and observe them for 45 days. He added that along with bats, you should be cautious of raccoons, skunk,s and foxes.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Key Points

ExxonMobil has the best dividend growth track record in the oil industry.

Johnson & Johnson has increased its dividend for over 60 straight years.

Essex Property Trust has delivered over three decades of dividend increases.

10 stocks we like better than ExxonMobil 

With the S&P 500 back in rally mode, the dividend yield on the broad market index is falling. It was recently down to around 1.2%, which is approaching its record low last hit a quarter-century ago. It won't surprise you, then, that the dividend yield on many stocks isn't very appealing these days.

However, there are still some attractive options out there for yield-seeking investors. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Essex Property Trust (NYSE: ESS), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) all currently have dividend yields of more than 3%. With top-notch track records of paying dividends, income investors shouldn't hesitate to buy their shares right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

The best in the oil patch by far

ExxonMobil built its business to withstand the ups and downs of the oil patch better than any of its peers. Its dividend history is a major testament to its resilience. The oil giant has increased its payout for 42 straight years. That not only leads the oil patch but is also a claim that only 4% of companies in the entire S&P 500 can make.

Two factors have helped fuel Exxon's durable and growing dividend over the decades. First, it has an integrated business model built around advantaged assets -- i.e., low-cost, high-margin assets -- that allows it to generate more resilient cash flows than most of its peers do. On top of that, Exxon has a fortress balance sheet, with the lowest leverage ratio among its peer group. That gives it the financial flexibility to borrow money during periods of lower oil prices to continue funding its growth, which it repays as prices improve.

Exxon should have plenty of fuel to continue increasing its dividend in the future. Its 2030 plan aims to boost its earnings by $20 billion and its cash flow by $30 billion. The company expects to deliver that growth by investing in expanding its advantaged assets and continuing to strip out structural costs. That earnings growth should enable Exxon to continue increasing its high-yielding dividend in the coming years.

A healthy dividend stock

Johnson & Johnson is a financial fortress. The healthcare behemoth has a pristine AAA credit rating, which is higher than that of the U.S. government. The company ended the first quarter with only $13.5 billion of net debt -- $52.3 billion of debt against $38.8 billion of cash and securities. That's a paltry amount for a company with a $380 billion market cap that produced about $20 billion in free cash flow last year, which easily covered its $11.8 billion dividend outlay.
A 2003 birthday album for Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, included a letter bearing Donald Trump's name, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

The album's contents were collected by Ghislaine Maxwell, the former Epstein associate who is currently in federal prison. The letter was "among the documents examined by Justice Department officials who investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago, according to people who have reviewed the pages."

As for the letter's contents, "it contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman," the Journal reports. "A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair."

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The letter ends with the signoff: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

MSNBC has not independently verified the document. Trump denied he wrote it in an interview with the Journal prior to publication. This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he said. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he said. Its not my language. Its not my words. The president, who has sued numerous media outlets over the years, threatened the paper with legal action. Im gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else, he said.

A post on Trump's TruthSocial account Thursday evening said that the president "warned" the Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch not to run the story. "Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so," the post continued. "President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly."

In a subsequent post, Trump wrote, "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!"

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Rep. Jamie Raskin, senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said releasing only grand jury testimony would be insufficient. "Just release all of the documents," he told MSNBC's Alicia Menendez, "and the only thing that needs to be left out are the names and identities of the victims."

In 2002, a year before the birthday card, Trump told New York magazine, "Ive known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." When Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges in 2019, Trump said the two had had a falling out and had not spoken in approximately 15 years.

It was not clear whether the letter was part of the Trump administration's review earlier this year of documents related to the Epstein case. As a presidential candidate, Trump promised to release more documents. But after Attorney General Pam Bondi's Justice Department released a memo earlier this month concluding that Epstein died by suicide in jail, the president defended Bondi from criticism for not releasing further files.

This week, Trump alleged that "these files were made up by" former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former FBI director James Comey On Wednesday, the president said that the issue was a "SCAM" and that his "PAST supporters" who were calling for the release of documents were "weaklings" and "I dont want their support anymore! The same day, the Justice Department fired Maurene Comey, James Comey's daughter and one of the prosecutors in the cases against Epstein and Maxwell.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
BAY COUNTY, Fla.  Today, thousands nationwide took part of some kind of event or protest to honor congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, who died 5 years ago.

The Legacy of Women Voters held an event for the day of action, hosting a teach in at the Bay County Public Library.

They say its important to keep the legacy alive because some of the issues that Lewis faced many decades ago, still remain.

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History shows us that every so often we have to revisit issues. I mean, we have highs and lows across our history and we often have felt recently that this is regressing from what was achieved decades ago in the civil rights movement. said Bay County League of Women Voters President, Shelley Clark.

The organization played a documentary about Lewis and his impact on the civil rights movement.

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BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  Bay County Sheriffs officials have released more details on that house fire yesterday in North Shore.

In our previous coverage Wednesday, we told you how a man was badly burned after he allegedly set his own house on fire.

Today authorities released their body cam video taken when he was arrested.

Around 10:20 am, Wednesday morning, Bay County Sheriffs deputies received a call about a house fire and explosion off Bingoose lane.

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Once they arrived, they say they pieced together the events, determining Andrew Sikoryak was involved in a domestic violence incident with his estranged wife.

They say he poured gasoline all over the home and lit it.

The gas exploded, blowing out the windows and front door, and shifting the home on its foundation.

Sikoryak had already left, driving his vehicle north on highway 77.

Deputies caught up to the jeep and pulled it over. They say Sikoryak had also drenched the jeep in gasoline.

The burns on his arms, hands, and back were obvious to the arresting deputies.

Sikoryak was transported to a burn center in Mobile, Alabama.

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Investigators say at one-point Wednesday morning Sikoryak held his wife hostage.

Neither she, nor their children, were inside the home at the time, but deputies say the family dog and a bearded dragon were killed in the fire.

Once Sikoryak is released, hell be charged with domestic battery, false imprisonment, depriving a victim use of 9-1-1, arson, and animal cruelty.

Theres no word yet as to whether the home can be repaired.

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The Better Business Bureau is warning of employment scams impersonating professors and university departments, targeting college students.

College students are often looking for flexible, part-time work to help them pay for school, especially in the summer. This can make them particularly vulnerable to employment scams, and the BBB said that they have received reports of employment scams targeting students.

In these particular cases, scammers are sending emails to the students university accounts, encouraging them to apply for a job. The messages are made to look like they are coming from the universitys job placement program, student services department, or from a specific professor.

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ROAD HAZARD: Unified Police warn of homemade tire-deflation devices on White City roads

The jobs can be anything from pet sitting to mystery shopping, and they offer easy work, flexible hours, and excellent pay. Perfect for a college student, but of course, it is too good to be true.

If a student responds to the email, the scammer offers a job without an interview and typically sends the student a check with instructions to deposit it, all before the student does any work. The student is instructed to buy gift cards, money orders, prepaid debit cards, and anything else they will need to do the job, and then to send some of that to the scammer.

The check is fake, but it can take time for the student or their bank to discover the fraud. By that point, the student has already sent money to the scammer, and that money is gone. The student is stuck paying back the bank, and the scammer has the students personal information.

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Learn more about employment scams on the BBBs website here.

How to avoid getting scammed

The BBB provided a list of tips to help you avoid getting scammed.

Research the company . Does the company that wants to hire you have a professional website with legitimate contact information? What are other people online saying about their experience with this company?

Look out for red flags. Do the emails have typos or grammatical errors? Are they offering to hire you without an interview? Are they offering to pay you before youve even done any work?

Check the email addresses. Do they match the domain address of the actual company? Beware of Gmail business addresses.

Never send money to strangers. If theyre asking you to send them money, whether that be a check, cash, a gift card, or a wire transfer, a legitimate company will never ask you to pay them to get a job.

Look out for some positions. Some jobs are more likely to be fake: mystery shopper/secret shopper positions, work-from-home jobs that involve receiving and sending packages, etc.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

You can read more information on avoiding scams on the BBB website here.

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If youve been targeted by one of these scams, you can report it using the BBBs scam tracker.

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BURTON, S.C. (WSAV)  The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office (BCSO) is asking for the publics help in locating 64-year-old William Leroy Morrall. Morrall was reported missing from his home on Francis Morrall Circle in Burton.

Family members last saw Morrall around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, when he left his residence. He was reported missing in the early evening hours of Thursday, July 17.

There is concern for Morralls safety due to his extensive medical history. He is 510 tall, weighs approximately 145 pounds and was last seen wearing light blue pants. He wears a medical drainage bag.

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Morrall is believed to be driving his white Toyota Avalon bearing South Carolina license plate 692BRG.

Anyone with information about William Morralls whereabouts is urged to call the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.

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BEACON FALLS, Conn. (WTNH)  Beacon Hose Company rescued a duck on Thursday that stumbled over a waterfall and into a canal.

Which Connecticut town has had the most bear sightings in 2025 so far?

A staff member from the Beacon Mill Village apartments said the duck fell into a canal that runs under the complex and connects to the Naugatuck River.

After the fire department deployed a ladder into the canal, the duck waddled deeper into a pipe. Within moments, the crew was able to retrieve the duck and bring it to dry ground, according to Beacon Hose.

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The duck was released into a nearby pond.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  An Ohio government agency has shut down part of its offices after bed bugs were found there.

According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, bed bugs were found Tuesday by a bug-detecting dog at two work stations at the agencys offices on West Town Street in Columbus. The areas were treated immediately and will be treated again next week; at that point, the bed bug-detecting dog will be brought back in to canvas the area, the agency said.

USDA cites Columbus Zoo for failure of door that resulted in lions death

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The health and safety of our Ohio EPA employees is a top priority, and we take this matter seriously, an EPA spokesperson said in a statement.

The infected work stations will remain closed to staff until the bed bugs are eradicated; the rest of the office will remain open.

According to the U.S. EPA, while bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease, they can cause allergic reactions due to their bites, mental health issues due to an infestation, and economic problems.

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(NewsNation)  The rising cost of beef has many Americans feeling the burn in their wallets as they head to cookouts this summer.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost of a pound of ground beef hit $6.10 in June, a roughly 12% jump from a year ago.

Beef prices have increased steadily in recent years as the cattle industry struggles to navigate a widening range of challenges. Plagued by droughts, rising operation costs, tariffs and disease, cattle herds have been shrinking. Meanwhile, the Associated Press has reported that the demand for beef products has continued to grow.

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Flesh-eating screwworms can boost high beef prices: Texas A&M Expert

According to the Department of Agriculture, as of Jan. 1, there were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms, down 8% from the most recent peak in 2019. Thats the lowest number since 1951, according to the department.

To combat supply chain disruptions, some major retailers are working directly with cattle ranchers to get beef products into their stores. In June, Walmart opened its first case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kansas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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It was confirmed on July 16 that a popular Italian restaurant in Williston Park, New York, will close its doors later this month.

The owners of La Parma, a family-style restaurant that opened in 1984, have sold their building. According to Newsday, the new owners are expected to close down shop and replace it with another Italian restaurant. With that said, La Parma's last night of service will be July 27.

"After 41 unforgettable years, Dominic and Tony of La Parma Restaurant have made the heartfelt decision to embrace a well-earned semi-retirement. A recent offer from a new investor to purchase our cherished Williston Park location was one we could not pass up," the La Parma family said. "This moment is bittersweet. La Parma of Williston Park has been more than just a restaurant, it has been part of your lives and ours. We have had the immense joy of watching generations gather around our tables: families celebrating milestones, friends reconnecting, first dates that turned into lifelong partnerships, and so many cherished memories created over shared meals and laughter.

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"To all of our loyal patrons, friends, and extended family, thank you. Your support, warmth, and unwavering loyalty have been the heart and soul of La Parma. You welcomed us into your lives and made this journey one filled with meaning, joy, and love. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve you."

Although this will mark the end of La Parma in Williston Park, customers can still visit their locations in Huntington and Oceanside.

"Our story continues, and we hope you will stay a part of it," the La Parma family said at the end of their statement.

The full details regarding the La Parma of Williston Park sale have not been disclosed.

Beloved Family-Style Italian Restaurant Closing After 41 Years first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 17, 2025
By John Revill

ZURICH (Reuters) -Swiss engineering group ABB reported on Thursday its highest-ever quarterly order intake, helped by surging demand from the United States and for products used in data centres being built to support artificial intelligence.

Orders in the United States, the company's biggest market, jumped 37% in the second quarter, outpacing a 14% rise in the group's orders overall, ABB said.

Chief Executive Morten Wierod said the increase was driven by one big order and customers investing in automation and electrification, and was not due to pre-ordering to avoid the fallout of higher tariffs imposed by the United States.

"Demand for electricity is going up quickly," Wierod told reporters. "That is being used by data centres, but also a lot of other industries are increasing their electricity consumption."

ABB makes around 80% of its products sold in the United States locally, which protects it against tariffs, Wierod said.

"There is no point pre-buying because we will not be hit by tariffs," he added.

For the three months to the end of June, ABB reported a 9% rise in core operating income to $1.71 billion, beating analyst forecasts of $1.65 billion.

Net income of $1.15 billion was better than the $1.12 billion expected by analysts in a company-supplied consensus. Revenue rose 8% to $8.90 billion, ahead of forecasts for $8.72 billion.

The company's stock was up 7% in mid-morning trading in Zurich.

Only ABB's robotics business was affected by the current trade uncertainty as automotive customers held off on investments while they waited to find out the final level of import duties.

But the company's data centre business continued to do well, posting an increase in orders in the range of 10-20% during the quarter, with strong demand expected to continue.

U.S. companies announced a series of big-ticket AI and energy investment pledges earlier this week, part of a push by President Donald Trump to maintain the country's edge in the booming technology sector.

Around half of ABB's data centre business is in the United States, with around 30-35% in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and the rest in Europe.

(Reporting by John Revill. Editing by Susan Fenton and Mark Potter)
Lovers of New York strip steak, lobster mac & cheese and fresh oysters will be saddened to hear that a beloved steakhouse will be closing in a matter of weeks. After 15 years, Prime Steak House in Syracuse, New York has announced on social media that it will be closing its doors this September.

"After 15 years at the Gridley Building, we will be closing our doors on September 30. We look forward to spending the next few months delivering exceptional dining experiences to our beloved customers. We invite you to visit and make new memories with us this summer!" read the message posted on Facebook.

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The restaurant did end their message on a positive note, writing "Stay tuned for whats next"

Related: Beloved Seafood Restaurant Abruptly Closes 'Until Further Notice'

Their Facebook message was met with dozens of comments from loyal customers who were shocked by the sudden news.

"Never has a bad experience here. We're always sad to see a Syracuse restaurant close its doors but look forward to what's ahead. All the best," read one comment.

"An amazing place, but what made it special was Danny and his team, that made the memories!" someone else wrote.

A steakhouse staple in Syracuse for well over a decade and a half, Prime Steak House features a robust menu filled with an assortment of appetizers, soups and salads, steaks and chops, seafood, chef's suggestions, sides and dessert.

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And if you work up a thirst, the menu also boasts a selection of cocktails, including the Lavender Lemonade, a refreshing sip made with Titos Handmade Vodka, lemonade and lavender syrup, and the boozy Prime Old Fashioned.

It's currently unclear what the owners of Prime Steak House have planned next.

Related: This Fast-Food Restaurant Just Launched Its First-Ever Value Menu

Beloved Steakhouse Closing After 15 Years: 'Stay Tuned for Whats Next' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
BELTON, Texas (FOX 44)  UPDATE: A Belton High School employee arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography has now appeared in federal court in Waco.

Superintendent Malinda Golden issued a statement on Thursday afternoon saying the district was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)s San Antonio Field Office. They said a an employee, identified as Pietro Giustino, was arrested and is charged with Possession of Child Pornography.

According to court documents, 39-yar-old Pietro Victor Giustino allegedly possessed and attempted to possess child sexual abuse material, including depictions of minors engaged in sexual intercourse.

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Giustino made his initial appearance in a federal court in Waco Friday and, if convicted, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Belton Police Department, and with cooperation from the Belton Independent School District.

Belton ISD Superintendent Golden says Belton ISD is fully cooperating with the FBI. No other information was shared about this case because this is an ongoing federal investigation.

However, based on the nature of the limited information the district has received to date, Golden says termination will be pursued. Belton ISD will not tolerate any behavior which compromises student safety.

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Golden says the district is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

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Jul. 18---- A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries when she swerved to avoid a head-on crash Thursday night in

Sandra Fossen, 64, of Benson, was transported to Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood for treatment of her injuries, according to the

report.

Fossen was traveling southbound on Minnesota Highway 29 in a Chevrolet Suburban and had swerved to miss an oncoming northbound vehicle that had crossed the center line, resulting in her SUV rolling over, the report states.

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The oncoming vehicle was described as a Chevrolet Equinox, according to the

Road conditions were described as dry at the time of the crash around 8:16 p.m. Thursday. It occurred at the intersection of Highway 29 and 258th Street in Blue Mounds Township, south of

Fossen was wearing a seat belt and alcohol is not involved, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Pope County Sheriff's Office, Starbuck Police Department and Glacial Ridge Ambulance assisted the Minnesota State Patrol at the scene.
BEREA, Ky. (FOX 56)  Berea is a community with numerous organizations working to combat hunger and homelessness. The challenge they now face is how to sustain the efforts for years to come.

A little conversation can go a long way, and the goal of this community conversation is to ask what plans can be put into action. Organizations such as Berea Faith Community Outreach and the Brushy Fork Leadership Institute were in attendance at this meeting. Mike Hogg is part of the Brushy Fork Leadership Institute, an organization that aims to strengthen local and regional leadership in central Appalachia.

UK football posts Happy Gilmore parody video after punter gets 0 rating in video game

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Berea Faith Community Outreach is considering ways that they can improve services to those who are in need in the community, whether thats the food bank or rent and utility relief for folks passing through the emergency fund as well. Theyve done good work, and now what they want to do is really build on that good work to figure out how they can deepen their impact, Hogg said.

Berea Food Bank is an example of a nonprofit thats in on this initiative, with the goal of making sure hunger has no home in Berea. Progress was celebrated on this front, and the goal is to keep that progress going with the help of community volunteers.

These are folks who donate their time and volunteer their time. Im excited about what the possibilities are. Theyre dreaming about the things they already do, and there are things that theyre exploring, so I think exploring the possibilities is a powerful thing, Hogg said.

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The goal of these community meetings is to open the door to new ideas on how to serve, making sure as many as possible have the chance to pitch ideas on how they can help Berea thrive.

When we think about Appalachian communities, Berea certainly fits that mold. Its lovely to see how neighbors want to support each other. Those who live in the community and those who are passing through. To reach out and say how can I love my neighbor as myself. How can we provide any type of assistance, Hogg said.

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About 200 local advocates in partnership with various organizations celebrated the memory of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis with a special event Thursday night.

The Good Trouble Lives On event in downtown Reading was one of hundreds that took place across the nation to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the passing of the lawmaker and civil rights activist.

Lewis represented Georgias 5th Congressional District from 1987 until he died in 2020. He helped to organize voter registration in 1964 during the Mississippi Freedom Summer and played key roles in organizing the 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama..

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During the event Thursday night, participants rallied to demand an end to what they see as attacks on voting rights, civil liberties and essential public programs.

We showed up today because Congressman Lewis taught us that getting into good trouble is how we change history, said Phila Back of Kutztown, an organizer of the event. Our democracy is under attack  and we wont be silent while extremist politicians try to roll back our rights and erase our voices.

The event featured speeches by local leaders and the singing of civil rights movement songs.

The crowd highlighted Lewis work in the movement to enact the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and how its protections have been greatly eroded since a 2013 Supreme Court decision invited widespread voter suppression laws. They urged everyone to vote in the Nov. 4 statewide judicial elections to protect voting rights.

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Those at the event said they will continue to advocate for Lewis vision of a democracy where every voice counts and every person has the freedom to thrive.

Elta Jackson-Henry, religion affairs committee chair for the Reading branch of the NAACP, leads protestors in the old spiritual Woke Up This Mornin with My Mind Stayed on Freedom. Over 100 people turned out on Penn Square for the National John Lewis Day of Action on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT)  The New Bern Historical Society is looking for actors to assist with giving visitors a hauntingly good time.

How often are you asked if you want to be a ghost? Well, if you do the New Bern Historical Society is auditioning for historic characters to be featured in their Ghostwalk. Each year the society features different historical characters as ghostly apparitions in their Ghostwalk. Those with experience and without are welcome to audition.

Whether you are a veteran actor or new to the stage, we would love to have you come out for this fun and exciting New Bern tradition. No preparation is necessary. Participants will be asked to read from scripts. Those selected as ghosts will learn a script and participate in at least 3 rehearsals prior to Ghostwalk. They will perform at one of the many ghost sites including Cedar Grove Cemetery for all three nights. Ghostwalk will take place the evenings of October 23-25, 2025.

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Auditions will take place on August 2, from 11am-1pm at the Attmore-Oliver House in New Bern.

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NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT)  Earlier in the week, an Eastern North Carolina man took it upon himself to try and fix a road issue in New Bern.

Its dangerous. You get a flat tire, it messes up your alignment and on the spot here especially, you kind of go through it pretty fast. Its a well-traveled spot, Mike Carlson said.

A video of Carlson filling up a big pothole near Highway 70 East went viral as Carlson was shoveling gravel into the holes.

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Youll see how many people drive through here in the night, especially, Carlson said. Its just, its ate peoples cars up. So yeah, now its not and they fixed it so.

Not long after Carlson fixed the spot, it was repaired with new blacktop.

I think maybe they noticed it, and they come and fixed it. I think they do a great job in the in the city as well, Carlson said. Public bathrooms, public parks are all clean, real nice. I mean, you cant get them all, you know, so try to help out and get it.

The highway stretch does have lots of construction areas where potholes could be. Carlson said he just wanted to make sure he did his part to help others.

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Basically, I knew other people were hitting that thing and it was kind of dangerous in a way, Carlson said. And I think the highway jobs out here is a pretty tough one. They do about 25 miles a stretch. Theyre moving all this stuff around us. I can help them out by getting a pothole.

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Trendy new bagel spot Bevs Bagels in Core City is hosting an acclaimed and award-winning Irish chef for a one-night-only, al fresco-style multi-course dinner.

A dinner with chef Aishling Moore of the award-winning Goldie seafood restaurant in Cork, Ireland, is 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5. The six-course dinner showcases Irish cooking techniques paired with Moores sustainable gill-to-fin approach and will highlight some fish from the Great Lakes.

Served family-style, the dinner is outside Bevs Bagels at the Core City Park. Moore, author of Whole Catch, has earned numerous prestigious awards, such as a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Food & Wine Magazines Young Chef of the Year, and Best Chef honors from the Irish Restaurant Awards, and Goldie is known by the Restaurant Association of Ireland as the countrys Best Casual Dining restaurant. Moores Whole Catch will be available for sale and signing at the event.

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"Theres a natural connection between what Aishling is doing in Cork and our own ethos at Bevs," said Bevs Bagels founder Max Sussman. "Ireland and Michigan both have incredible water resources, and yet both are pigeonholed as meat and potatoes kind of places with truly underrated seafood traditions. Aishling is raising the consciousness of seafood in Ireland, just as we are dedicated to highlighting wild-caught fish here in Detroit. This dinner is about building bridges between two vibrant food cultures surrounded by water."

Sussman and his wife, Kate McCabe, founded Bog & Thunder, a culinary tourism venture with a focus on Irish food and culture.

Aishling Moore of Goldie restaurant in Cork, Ireland is presenting a dinner at Bev's Bagels in Detroit's Core City.

The menu (subject to change) includes:

Oysters with cucumber-kimchi mignonette

Tomatoes and mackerel escabeche

Cured and pastrami-spiced fish, Goldie Reuben dressing, West Cork wasabi

Grilled perch with salad, spuds, and garlic scapes

Chilled rice pudding with Michigan fruit

Max Sussman is the founder of Bev's Bagels, now open in Detroit's Core City.

Tickets are $75 per person at tinyurl.com/aishling-moore.

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Sussmans Bevs Bagels at 4884 Grand River, Unit 1B, in Detroits Core City neighborhood opened in May. Billed as a bagel diner, Bevs Bagels pairs Jewish bagel traditions in a diner setting. Its named after Sussmans grandmother. Various organic sourdough bagels are offered paired with wild-caught fish, schmears, and as inventive sandwiches.

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.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bev's Bagels multi-course dinner with Irish chef: How to get tickets
The investigation also revealed that the administration may have funded groups with ties to US-designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas.

United States tax dollars may have been used to fund protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus judicial reform plan during the Biden-Harris administration, an investigation published by the US House of Representatives on Thursday revealed.

In March, The Jerusalem Post reported that six US and Israeli NGOs were being investigated by the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees to ascertain whether funding they allegedly received from the Biden administration was utilized for the judicial reform protests in 2023.

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The Committees oversight also revealed that the Biden-Harris Administration provided grant funds to groups that contributed directly and indirectly to the judicial reform protests that sought to undermine the Israeli government, the investigation stated.

Among the groups that received the largest amount of funding were Blue and White Future and the Movement for the Quality of Government in Israel.

Under Israeli law, BWFs direct involvement in the protests and plots against Prime Minister Netanyahus government may constitute a violation of the law and the conditions of the Registrar of Associations in Israel by operating outside of its stated goals as a nonprofit organization, the investigation stated.

HAMAS TERRORISTS keep guard on the day Hamas handed over deceased hostages, in Khan Yunis, Feb. 20, 2025. (credit: REUTERS)

Funding groups with ties to terror groups

Additionally, the investigation suggested that the Biden-Harris administration potentially funded groups with ties to US-designated terrorist organizations.

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Notably, the Gaza-based NGO Bayader Association for Environment and Development has received nearly one million dollars in US funding since 2016, despite openly collaborat[ing] with Hamas officials, including holding joint events with Hamas leaders.

The most recent grant issued by USAID to Bayader was on October 1, 2023, a week before the October 7 massacre.

These ties are not new, the investigation stated. For instance, in 2021, Bayaders annual report notes coordination and meetings with Hamass Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ministry of Agriculture.

In 2023, a Bayader staff member was seen embracing senior Hamas officials, including the son of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

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The investigation is still ongoing, and will be expanded to include additional American and Israeli NGOs that may be involved in funneling US government funds with the purpose of undermining the Israeli government or for the support or fiscal sponsorship of terrorist groups.

Netanyahu, Likud call efforts an 'attempt to undermine rule of democratically elected' right-wing government

Netanyahu shared the Likud Party's statement in a post to X/Twitter on Friday, calling the efforts an attempt to "undermine the rule of a democratically elected, stable right-wing government."

"As part of the attempt to overthrow the government, external pressures were applied, leading to a deep social rift, encouragement of disobedience, and dangerous divisions within Israeli society."

"Worse still, the document reveals that the same hand funding left-wing political NGOs in Israel also funded, through intermediary organizations, groups associated with Hamas and international campaigns against the State of Israel."

"What we have been saying for years is now being revealed before everyone's eyes. This is not a theory, it is not a conspiracy  it is a proven fact backed by official documents," Netanyahu and the Likud's statement read.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  In one of many bills signed into law by Governor Mike Kehoe, this legislation allows Missouri State University (MSU) to offer candidates Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

According to the Governors Office, Kehoe signed House Bill 419, Senate Bill 150 and Senate Bill 160, creating a pathway for the university to independently offer Doctor of Philosophy programs.

The bills would limit the schools exclusive authority to grant certain research doctorates and professional degrees.

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Kehoes signature on these bills gives our university the flexibility to respond to workforce needs and expand academic opportunities for current and future students across Missouri, said MSU President Richard B. Williams.

Williams says Kehoes signing also helps MSU respond to the evolving needs of its community, employers and industry partners. MSU is now in the process of evaluating doctorate programs.

The school says its prioritizing meeting workforce demands throughout the state of Missouri. This legislation will become effective on Aug. 28.

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By Puyaan Singh and Christy Santhosh

(Reuters) -Abbott warned on Thursday it expects more than $1 billion in financial headwinds this year from a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing demand, new U.S. tariffs, and the government's foreign aid freeze.

Its shares were down nearly 9% as the medical device giant also forecast third-quarter profit below estimates.

Abbott's diagnostics division will be hit hardest, with a projected $700 million revenue impact in 2025 due to fading COVID test sales and pricing pressure from China's procurement program that buys medical devices in bulk at steep discounts.

Adding to the strain, tariff-related costs are expected to total just under $200 million, with most of the impact landing in the second half of the year.

But CEO Robert Ford said tariffs are now expected to be "less of a headwind than what we had originally anticipated back in January." Larger rival Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday halved its expectations for tariff costs this year to about $200 million.

"Together with the U.S. funding (freeze) for HIV testing, that's over a billion dollars of headwind," Abbott's Ford told analysts on a call.

The Trump administration's decision to halt foreign aid has upended the supply chain for medical products and diagnostic tests crucial for fighting diseases including HIV and malaria in some of the world's poorest countries.

Abbott projected a profit of between $1.28 and $1.32 per share for the current quarter, below expectation of $1.34, according to data compiled by LSEG. It estimated annual sales growth of between 7.5% and 8.0%, compared with 7.5% to 8.5% expected earlier.

On an adjusted basis, the company reported a profit of $1.26 per share for the second quarter, ahead of estimates of $1.25, on strong sales of its continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices.

Abbott also plans to build a manufacturing facility in Georgia by 2028 to support its cardiovascular business, adding to its April announcements for projects in Illinois and Texas that are expected to go live by the end of the year.

(Reporting by Puyaan Singh and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Devika Syamnath)
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  For over 40 years, the American Red Cross has partnered with Bill Cramer General Motors to host their semi-annual blood drive.

On Thursday, dozens gathered, continuing a long-standing tradition of giving back to the community.

While the Red Cross critically needs all blood types, there is an emergency need for type O blood.

Participants received a free t-shirt, Krispy Kreme donut, Chick-fil-a and Blue-Bell voucher, as well as a Fandango movie ticket.

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The goal for todays blood drive was at least 80 pints.

For those who have never tried giving blood and just want to give blood so that if you ever need it, its there for you, said Zack Brantley, an American Red Cross Account Manager. And I always like to say its just a pinch. Its a quick, easy process. And I think once you try it, youll realize its not that hard. And its a great way to get back to the community.

To find the closest location to donate near you, click here.

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The US House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing Congress to claw back billions in pre-approved funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid.

The bill, which will see the government cut $9bn (6.7bn) in total, was passed in a 216 to 213 vote just hours after midnight on Friday. All Democrats and only two Republicans voted against the cuts.

The US Senate passed its version of the bill less than 24 hours earlier.

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The bill now heads to President Donald Trump's desk to be signed into law. "THIS IS BIG!!!", he wrote on social media after the vote.

Republicans have said the rescissions package, a political tool to cut funding already approved by Congress, is likely to be the first of many.

"This isn't the end, it's the beginning," House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the bill was passed.

The victory for Republicans and President Trump is the latest development in their ongoing effort to shrink government spending.

"Nine billion dollars is a good start," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said.

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The approved funding cuts include large reductions to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which includes PBS and NPR.

It also includes cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest US global humanitarian programme.

The spending cuts, however, were slightly smaller than Trump had originally proposed. In the Senate version of the bill, lawmakers voted to keep $400m in the budget for Pepfar, a global Aids prevention programme, bringing the proposed cuts from $9.4bn to $9bn.

The bill faced a bit of a rocky path on its way through the House and Senate, with lawmakers on both sides of the isle wary of cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting.

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As the Senate was preparing to vote on its version of the bill, people in Alaska were told to tune into their local radio station that includes NPR programming after an earthquake that struck off the coast prompted tsunami warnings on Wednesday.

"Public radio is a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation, and providing life-saving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts. It cannot be replaced," NPR President Katherine Maher said after the Senate passed the bill.

According to US media, this rescissions package was the first to succeed in over 30 years.
Bill Moyers, who has died aged 91, was a young Baptist minister who became White House press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson and later one of American televisions most respected commentators.

He was an aide to then-Senator Johnson when still in his twenties. He helped to found the Peace Corps for President Kennedy and was the last survivor of the photograph of Johnson being sworn in on Air Force One after Kennedys assassination in Dallas.

Working for Johnson meant getting his hands dirty. Moyers was instructed to ask the FBI for sexual dirt on friends and adversaries alike, and to undermine Dr Martin Luther King.

Moyers, back right in glasses, on Air Force One after Kennedys assassination - Universal History Archive

He cleared for use in Johnsons 1964 presidential campaign the groundbreaking commercial showing a little girl plucking daisies, implying that his Republican opponent Barry Goldwater would start a nuclear war. Though Moyers did not create the advert, Goldwater held him responsible, saying: Every time I see him, I get sick to my stomach and want to throw up.

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For more than a decade, Johnson treated him as the son he never had. In 1966, Moyers said: I work for him despite his faults, and he lets me work for him despite my deficiencies. After Moyers quit in 1967 in protest at the Vietnam War, LBJ reputedly never spoke to him again.

Out of government, Moyers became a respected broadcaster for CBS News and PBS, collecting 13 Emmy awards.

Moyers on CBS in 1984 - CBS Photo Archive

Billy Don Moyers was born on June 5 1934 in Hugo, Oklahoma, the son of a dirt-farm truck driver, and reared in Marshall, Texas. Leaving school at 16, he became a cub reporter, then studied journalism at North Texas State College.

He first met Johnson in 1954 when the future president hired him as a summer intern; soon he was managing the senators mail. He transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1956, and while there, worked for radio and television stations owned by Johnsons wife Lady Bird. In parallel, he was ordained in 1954, spending a year studying issues of church and state at Edinburgh University.

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Moyers was a key figure in Johnsons bid for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. In the subsequent campaign, with Kennedy running for president and Johnson for vice-president, he acted as liaison between them.

When Kennedy set up the Peace Corps in 1961 he left it to his aide, Sargent Shriver, and Moyers to secure the funding. They achieved this by calling every member of Congress. Moyers became the Peace Corpss deputy director, which he recalled as the best years of our lives.

Moyers was with the official party in Dallas when Kennedy was shot on November 22 1963. Taking office, Johnson appointed him a special assistant. He wrote LBJs most important speeches, organised and supervised his Great Society legislative task forces and was an architect of Johnsons 1964 presidential campaign  as well as his unofficial chief of staff from that October, after Walter Jenkinss resignation over a sexual misdemeanour.

Reverend Moyers causing a stir with what one congressman called exhibitionist dancing at the Smithsonian in 1966 - Bettmann

Concerned that the Goldwater campaign would capitalise on Jenkinss disgrace, LBJ ordered Moyers to ask the FBI to check out 15 members of Goldwaters staff for derogatory material. He was also directed to ask the bureau to probe the sexual preferences of several White House colleagues. Moyers suspected that Johnson had been put up to this by the FBIs veteran director, J Edgar Hoover.

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At Johnsons urging, Moyers discouraged the US embassy in Oslo from assisting Martin Luther King on his Nobel Peace Prize trip, authorised Hoover to tape him surreptitiously and worked to prevent Dr King challenging Mississippis all-white delegation to the 1964 Democratic Convention.

In July 1965, Johnson made Moyers the White House press secretary. His briefings were crucial in stabilising the public mood during rapid social and political change, particularly over race.

He also did much of the spadework for the creation of a non-commercial educational television network; PBS would be founded in 1969.

Moyers in 1975 - Arthur Schatz

But by then he was outside the tent. As the US committed ever more resources to Vietnam with increasingly poor results, Moyers, despite his loyalty to the president, became deeply troubled.

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In May 1966 Johnsons Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara gave a speech criticising many aspects of US defence policy. Johnson was furious, and his discovery that Moyers had cleared the speech weakened their tie.

In October 1967, having left the White House, he explained that Johnson saw the war in Vietnam as his principal legacy, so was insisting on victory at all costs. Moyers felt that such a continuation of the conflict would tear the country apart. I never thought the situation could arise when I would wish for the defeat of LBJ, and that makes my current state of mind all the more painful.

Moyers became editor of the Long Island paper Newsday, which won two Pulitzers for investigative journalism under his tenure. He joined PBS in 1971, presenting This Week with Bill Moyers, then Bill Moyers Journal. Over the next four decades he would be involved in more than 70 documentaries, interviews or series for the network, tackling subjects from government corruption to modern dance.

He also published several books, ranging from Listening to America: A Traveler Rediscovers His Country (1971) to Moyers on Democracy (2008).

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Bill Moyers married Judith Davidson in 1954; she produced many of his programmes. They had a daughter and two sons.

Bill Moyers, born June 5 1934, died June 26 2025

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  45 local restaurants, food trucks and bars are participating in Birmingham Restaurant Week with fixed priced lunch and dinner menus in hopes of attracting new diners.

This is Ironwood Kitchen and Cocktails in Homewoods first year participating in the 10-day event. CBS 42 caught up with executive chef Kirstyn Bielawa while she was prepping their menu. She was hard at work in the kitchen chopping shallots, garlic, and grilling meat over mesquite wood for the stuffed pork chop entree thats on their fixed dinner menu.

Alabama back-to-school sales tax holiday begins July 18

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Its an added expression to what chefs love to do, Bielawa said. Especially when its something different from our regular menu, maybe its something we add in the near future.

Tables are set ahead of their dinner service which begins at 5 p.m. Food and beverage director Angel Doebler explained why they wanted to participate in this years event.

Were hoping this leads to some new people finding out that we exist in this little corner, she explained. July is typically a quiet month in hot Alabama, and so this is a really fantastic time for people to come out and try new restaurants.

For more information on which restaurants are participating, click here.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Like many National Public Radio member stations across the country, WBHM in Birmingham is now scrambling for money after Congress rescinded over $1 billion dedicated to public media.

On Thursday night, the House of Representatives voted to take back over $1 billion in federal funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funds to NPR and PBS. The action comes after the Trump administration recommended Congress defund the CPB, arguing that public media had a liberal slant and did not deserve federal funding.

While federal funding makes up only 1% of NPRs budget, the money stretches further when it comes to local stations, who pay for NPR programming, sometimes accounting for at least 10% or more of their budget. Analysts have predicted that funding cuts would likely cause many stations outside the major media markets to either consolidate resources or shut down entirely, especially in rural areas.

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WBHM, Birminghams NPR station based out of UAB, is one of those stations that will be affected by the cuts. In a letter to subscribers, WBHM Executive Director Will Dahlberg said the funding cuts would affect 10% of the stations budget.

For decades, federal funding has served as a foundation for WBHM, allowing us to produce vital local news, special coverage and public conversations on pressing issues impacting our community, Dahlberg wrote. Without it, we risk losing our ability to respond in times of crisis like during the 2011 tornado outbreak or the pandemic, or to provide in-depth reporting on critical issues.

This year, WBHM was expected to receive nearly $190,000 from the CPB, which Dahlberg said the station would now have to cover itself in order to make up the difference.

In his letter, Dahlberg called the cuts a serious and immediate challenge.

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This decision will force difficult choices, but we will do everything possible to preserve our journalism and the role we play in strengthening our region, Dahlberg wrote. However, we cant do it without you. Without federal funding, listener support matters more than ever before.

WBHM first launched in 1976 under Florence Monroe, the stations first general manager who had previously worked at WNYE-FM in New York City. By 1987, WBHM became a 24-hour radio station.

Like many media outlets, WBHM has weathered difficult times in recent years. In 2023, the station laid off four employees, including program director Michael Krall and reporter Cody Short. In 2020, WBHM partnered with other NPR stations across the Southeast to launch the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaborative effort to cover news across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.



Dahlberg ended his message by directing the public to donate to WBHM. Those interested in supporting the station can do so by clicking here.

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Once again, President Donald Trump was caught in a scandal and a Comey got fired.

The strange and fateful entanglement between two powerful families jumped into a new generation this week when Maurene Comey got the sack from her job as one of New Yorks top prosecutors.

And like her father, former FBI Director James Comey, who was ousted months into Trumps first term, she left with a dramatic warning about encroaching autocracy.

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Fear is the tool of the tyrant, Comey said in a message to colleagues, obtained by CNN on Thursday, after losing her job at the US attorneys office in the Southern District of New York, where she took part in prosecutions including that of Jeffrey Epstein  who has returned to national attention of late.

A controversy over unreleased Justice Department files over the late accused sex trafficker is estranging the president from some in his MAGA base, causing him to absurdly blame Democrats  and James Comey  for orchestrating some kind of hoax

Maurene Comey arrives at the Federal courthouse during the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial in Manhattan on May 21, 2025. - Brendan McDermid/Reuters/File

Maurene Comey also prosecuted Sean Diddy Combs and high-profile murder, drug and gang violence cases. She said she was let go without explanation. But the only surprise really is that it took so long. A person familiar with the situation said that being a Comey is untenable in this administration because the former FBI chief continues to criticize the president. It works both ways, however, with Trump frequently lambasting his first FBI chief, whom he fired on questionable grounds.

James Comey is no stranger to toxic politics

This new front in the Trump/Comey feud is the latest dramatic twist in the politically charged story of the former FBI director, whose choices even before Trump stormed onto the scene meant he was sucked into toxic politics in a way that is unusual for a modern incumbent of his former job.

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After Trump took office in January 2017, Comey quickly became an early symbol of the presidents attempts to bend the US governments legal agencies and instruments to his will.

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017, in Washington, DC. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

He is also one of the most prominent avatars for the conspiracies advanced by Trump and his MAGA crowd  which have escaped the presidents capacity to control in the Epstein saga  that there is a pernicious deep state inside the US government plotting to bring down the president and his supporters.

Comey said that he was summoned to the White House for an uncomfortable one-on-one dinner with Trump a week into his first term and asked to pledge loyalty to the president, in a breach of the protocol by which FBI directors have sought distance from the Oval Office following the long and Machiavellian rule at the bureau of J. Edgar Hoover. Comey later testified to Congress he told Trump he would be honest but not politically loyal in that encounter, which started the slide to his dismissal in May 2017.

In retrospect, and especially in light of the events of Trumps second term, that meeting was one of the first signs of Trumps intention to weaponize the Justice Department and the FBI. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who is also embroiled in the Epstein storm, and FBI Director Kash Patel are Trump ultra-loyalists and won their jobs by becoming stars in MAGA world.

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And ironically, the cudgel of politicized justice that Comey refused to provide for Trump seems now to be turned against him. The FBI is investigating its former director and ex-CIA Director John Brennan for possible false statements to Congress relating to the issue that first dragged Comey into the presidents bad books  the intelligence community assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 election to try to help Trump win, CNN reported last week.

Comey was also one of the first major public figures to sound the alarm about Trumps autocratic tendencies and a style of leadership that often appears to prioritize his own political and personal goals above a broad definition of the national interest.

In a dramatic congressional hearing days after he was fired, Comey talked about contemporaneous memos he wrote after meeting Trump. He said he believed that the president was trying to get something in exchange for allowing him to stay in his job.

Later, in his searing book A Higher Loyalty, Comey wrote that dealing with Trump reminded him of his days prosecuting mafia kingpins, with their silent circle of assent.

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Trumps implication in an interview with NBC after firing Comey that his decision was partly to do with the Russia investigation only heightened concerns about the presidents motives.

The circumstances of Comeys dismissal were one of the factors that led to the appointment of another former FBI director, Robert Mueller, to head the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Ultimately, Mueller did not establish that members of the Trump campaign coordinated with Russias election interference effort, but did say the presidents team expected to benefit from it. Trump refers to the entire issue of Russian election interference as a hoax.

Comeys showdown with Trump started even before he was president

Comeys tortured relationship with Trump began when he was among senior intelligence officials who went to Trump Tower to meet the incoming commander in chief two weeks before he was sworn in for the first time. Comey pulled Trump aside and told him about a dossier of allegations against him that also detailed interactions between his aides and Russians.

The dossier later became the centerpiece of Trumps allegations that the intelligence agencies plotted against him. It reinforced the view of many supporters that there is a shady secret government that runs the United States  a conspiracy theory that helps explain the resonance of the story around Epstein, who MAGA activists claim was murdered in prison and kept a list of famous clients.

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Comeys dealings with Trump were not the first time he was pulled into the countrys treacherous politics. In a move that Democrats claim cost their nominee the White House in 2016, he sensationally sent a letter to Congress announcing he was reopening the Hillary Clinton State Department email probe only 11 days before the election. He has since described the episode as a nightmare, but at the time he maintained hed had no choice to tell the public about new evidence, because if he didnt do so hed have been accused of covering it up and potentially helping Clinton win.

This episode reinforced claims by critics on both sides of the aisle that Comey is sometimes a grandstander and has a rather too finely developed sense of his own integrity that leads him into tricky political situations.

James Comey, then deputy attorney general, gestures during a news conference on January 14, 2004, in Washington, DC. - Evan Vucci/AP/File

Americans first saw the moral certainty Comey brought to his professional life during the George W. Bush administration. As deputy attorney general, he rushed to a Washington hospital to thwart an attempt by White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and White House Chief of Staff Andy Card to get a seriously ill Attorney General John Ashcroft to reauthorize a surveillance program.

The sense that Comey sees himself as a guardian of some of Americas most fundamental democratic values has surrounded his public moves ever since. And the message his daughter released after her dismissal suggests the apple didnt fall far from the tree.

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If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain, she wrote to her colleagues. Do not let that happen.

Maurene Comeys dismissal occurred two months after the previous bizarre development in the Comey-Trump melodrama. Her father was interview by Secret Service Agents over a photograph he posted to social media showing shells on a beach spelling out 86 47  a code for removing Trump from the presidency. Some senior Trump officials accused Comey of calling for the presidents assassination. Comey said he had no idea that some people associated the code with violence.

But the feud between Trump and Comey is as bitter as ever, and there are surely new chapters to come  which might not be out of place in the legal thrillers the former FBI chief has taken to writing in his retirement.

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The airline Blue Islands has pulled out of an agreement with Loganair, after the Scottish airline announced it would operate its own flights between Jersey and Southampton.

In 2020, the two airlines announced they had formed an alliance allowing customers to book connecting flights from Jersey to other destinations.

On Wednesday, Loganair announced it was to offer its own flights to Southampton, in direct competition with Blue Islands.

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Blue Islands said it had served notice to Loganair of the "immediate termination of the codeshare agreement between the two airlines".

Loganair says the new route will commence in early 2026 [Loganair]

"We intend that existing bookings for all customers to connect between Blue Islands and Loganair flights, and for any customer who has booked a Blue Islands flight via Loganair, will be honoured in full," a spokesperson for Blue Islands said.

"There is no need for any customer holding an existing booking to take action, albeit no new codeshare bookings will be possible from today.

"If a customer wishes to amend or cancel any such booking for future travel, they are able to do so by contacting the airline or travel agent through which their booking was first made."

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Blue Islands said it extends its grateful thanks and best wishes to team members across both airlines who have worked to deliver for its mutual customers over the five years of the co-operation.

Loganair said the new route would commence in early 2026 with flights going on sale later in the year.

A spokesperson for Loganair said: "We are delighted to be announcing another new route from our new Southampton base, linking this important coastal city to Jersey.

"We are also looking forward to supporting inbound tourism to Jersey, boosting the visitor economy and working in partnership with the outstanding local hospitality sector."

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CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. (WSAV)  There were some tense moments at a board of commissioners meeting Monday night in North Carolina

A video released by the Caldwell County officials shows the moment a fight breaks out between two commissioners. It appears the argument started before the meeting began, then heats up with punches and shoving.

Security guards rushed in to break up the fight. After it was over, both men stayed for the meeting and apologized for their actions.

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A person reacts as casualties from recent clashes in Syria

Residents from the Syrian-Druze city of Sweida described friends and neighbors being shot at close range in their homes or on the streets.

One elderly man had been shot in the head in his living room. Another in his bedroom. The body of a woman lay in the street. After days of bloodshed in Syria's Druze city of Sweida, survivors emerged on Thursday to collect and bury the scores of dead found across the city.

A ceasefire announced on Wednesday night brought an end to ferocious fighting between Druze militia and government forces sent to the city to quell clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters.

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The violence worsened sharply after the arrival of government forces, according to accounts to Reuters by a dozen residents of Sweida, two reporters on the ground and a monitoring group.

Residents described friends and neighbors being shot at close range in their homes or in the streets. They said the killings were carried out by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and the insignia on them.

Reuters was able to verify the time and location of some videos showing dead bodies, but could not independently verify who conducted the killings or when they occurred.

Syrian security forces walk together along a street, after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, in Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KARAM AL-MASRI)

Syrian Information Minister Hamzah al-Mustafa, in comments to Reuters after this story was published, said the authorities were "aware of the reports concerning serious violations during the recent events in Sweida, including acts that may constitute atrocities and sectarian incitement."

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"The Syrian Government strongly condemns all such acts and reaffirms its absolute rejection of sectarian violence in all its forms," Mustafa said.

Mustafa added that Syria's authorities were unable to conduct immediate investigations due to the redeployment of their forces after international mediation to secure a ceasefire.

Sweida, lying on ruins, knows the battle's not over

The residents of Sweida who Reuters spoke to said the bloodshed had deepened their distrust of the Islamist-led government in Damascus and their worries about how Sharaa would ensure that Syria's minority groups were protected.

In sectarian violence in Syria's coastal region in March hundreds of people from the Alawite minority were killed by forces aligned to Sharaa.

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"I can't keep up with the calls coming in now about the dead," said Kenan Azzam, a dentist who lives on the eastern outskirts of Sweida and spoke to Reuters by phone.

He said he had just learned of the killing of a friend, agricultural engineer Anis Nasser, who he said had been taken from his home by government forces this week.

"Today, they found his dead body in a pile of bodies in Sweida city," Azzam said.

Bedouin fighters ride motocycles, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Sweida, Syria July 18, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KHALIL ASHAWI)

Another Sweida resident, who asked to be identified only as Amer out of fear of reprisals, shared a video that he said depicted his slain neighbors in their home.

The video, which Reuters was not able to independently verify, showed the body of one man in a chair. On the floor were an elderly man with a gunshot wound to his right temple and a younger man, face down, in a pool of blood.

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Like the other cases of descriptions of killings in the city, Reuters could not verify who was responsible.

Spokespeople for the interior and defense ministries did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters on whether government forces were responsible for the killings in the homes and streets.

In a video statement early on Thursday, Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said that protecting the rights of Druze was among his priorities and blamed "outlaw groups" seeking to inflame tensions for any crimes against civilians.

He vowed to hold accountable those responsible for violations against the Druze, but did not say whether government forces were responsible.

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The government's statement on Wednesday on a ceasefire for the region said a fact-finding mission would investigate the "crimes, violations and breaches that happened, determine who was responsible and compensate those affected... as quickly as possible."

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, a rights monitor that documented violations throughout the civil war and has continued its work, said on Friday it had verified 321 people killed in Sweida, including medical personnel, women and children.

Its head, Fadel Abdulghany, said the figure included field executions by both sides, Syrians killed by Israeli strikes and others killed in clashes, but that it would take time to break down figures for each category.

Abdulghany said the Network had also documented cases of extrajudicial killings by Druze militias of government forces.

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The government did not give a death toll for its troops or for civilians killed in Sweida.

The health ministry said dozens of dead government forces and civilians were found in the city's main hospital, but did not give further details.

Shot at close range

Syria's Druze follow a religion derived from Islam and is part of a minority that also has members in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights.

Ultra-conservative Sunni groups including Islamic State consider the Druze as heretics and attacked them throughout Syria's conflict, which erupted in 2011.

Druze militias fought back, and Sweida was largely spared the violence that engulfed Syria. The 14-year war ended with the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad last December.

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When Sharaa's forces began fighting their way from northwest Syria to Damascus last year, many minorities feared the rebels and were heartened when fighters passed their towns and went straight to the capital.

A reporter in Sweida who asked not to be identified said he witnessed government forces shoot four people at close range, including a woman and teenage boys.

He said bodies littered the streets.

One of them, a woman, lay face up on the pavement with an apparent stab wound to the stomach, he said.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, showed the reporter the body of his slain brother in a bedroom of their home on Tuesday. He had been shot in the head.

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A video verified by Reuters showed two bodies on a commercial street in central Sweida. Another showed bodies, several with gunshot wounds to the chest, in the Al-Radwan guest house in Sweida.

Ryan Maarouf of local media outlet Suwayda24 told Reuters on Thursday he had found a family of 12 killed in one house, including naked women, an elderly man and two young girls.

It was not possible to verify who killed the people in these cases.

Looting homes

The reporter said he heard government forces yell "pigs" and "infidels" at Druze residents.

The reporter said troops looted refrigerators and solar panels from homes and burned homes and alcohol shops, including after the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday.

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Some of the residents interviewed by Reuters said government forces shaved off the mustaches of Druze men - a humiliating act.

Spokespeople for the interior and defense ministries did not immediately respond to questions on troops looting, burning homes, or using sectarian language and shaving mustaches.

As the violence unfolded, Israel's military began strikes on government convoys in Sweida and the defense ministry and near the presidential palace in Damascus.

US intervention helped end the fighting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "historic longtime rivalries" between Druze and Bedouin communities had "led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side."
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  A woman who was reported missing from Prince Georges County was found dead in a river in Virginia, officials said.

The Northumberland County Sheriffs Office announced Friday that someone found Louise Coxs body in the Little Wicomico River on July 14.

Early Monday morning, deputies were called to Ferry Road after a car was left unattended. Once on the scene, authorities ran the plate and began searching the area for clues.

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Minutes later, deputies found Coxs body just offshore in the waters of the Little Wicomico River.

Prince Georges Countys newest four-legged detective sniffs out firearms

The sheriffs office added that investigators located several items at the scene, including the womans drivers license.

The Prince Georges County Police Department told DC News Now that a missing persons report was filed for Cox on Monday, July 14.

No missing person flyer was released to the public by the police department.

As the investigation continues, the Northumberland County Sheriffs Office is urging anyone with information about this incident to call 804-580-5221.

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Quandri, a Canada-based insurance tech start-up, has raised $12m in a new funding round to scale AI automation across North America.

This brings the companys total funding to more than $20m since it was founded in 2021.

The funding was led by Framework Venture Partners and saw investment from FUSE, Defined Capital and Intact Ventures.

The company said it intends to use the funds to further its market expansion efforts, invest in engineering and AI development, and grow its operations in Canada and the US.

Quandri CEO and co-founder Jackson Fregeau said: We have had strong conviction in our vision from day one, but having new investors like Framework and Intact supporting our journey adds real momentum.

Their support affirms the value we are delivering to brokerages and agencies, and gives us the insight and fuel we need to keep pushing the industry forward.

Quandri has reported a 15-fold increase in revenue since its 2023 funding round and has expanded its client base to more than 100 agencies and brokerages in North America.

The company has also grown its workforce to 75 full-time employees.

It has launched several products such as Policy Checking, Policy Requoting and Connect.

The Renewal Intelligence Platform by Quandri is designed to assist brokers and agents in simplifying processes, identifying key policy insights and improving client experiences during renewals.

Quandri plans to hire an additional 40 employees by the end of 2025 and is expanding its Vancouver headquarters with a new 15,000ft office.

A new office in Boston, US, is also being opened to serve its growing US clientele, the company said.

"AI-driven insurtech company Quandri secures $12m " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand.




JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  A body that was recovered from the Pearl River has been identified.

Interim Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified the person as Michael Miller, 28, of, Hazlehurst.

Four charged in Canton shooting that injured woman

According to Richland Police Department PIO Allison McDonald, authorities received a report on July 10 about a body floating in the river.

Police responded to Levee Road, as well as several trails that lead to the Pearl River.

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McDonald said Capitol police and Pearl police joined the search, and Millers body was recovered around 11:45 a.m. Miller was transported to the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory for an autopsy to determine the cause of his death.

According to authorities, Capitol police will lead the investigation. Bailey Martin, press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), said anyone with information can contact the Capitol Police Department at 601-359-3125.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi is coming under criticism from congressional Republicans growing increasingly frustrated with her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal, which has badly divided the party and is now throwing work in the House off the rails.

GOP lawmakers joined MAGA World figures in blaming Bondi for earlier this year overhyping the release of the Epstein files, which raised expectations about what information the government had on the disgraced financier and pedophile.

The Department of Justice and FBI eventually released a memo that found the official cause of Epsteins death was suicide and there was no client list, which Bondi at one point had said was on her desk.

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The lack of more solid findings backing up theories about Epsteins death and the client list have only made the furor in MAGA World grow hotter, despite efforts by President Trump to cool it.

Shes probably a great attorney general, but she clearly has dropped the ball on that by saying the list is sitting on my desk and then there isnt a list, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said.

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), a supporter of more Epstein disclosures, sits on a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee task force charged with the disclosure of federal secrets.

He expressed frustration over Bondis move to convene influencers at the White House in May to claim there was more to the Epstein files.

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I wish she would communicate with the task force that Im on, the disclosure task force, Burlison said. Were members of Congress. Instead of bringing us in the loop, she brings in social media influencers. That, to me, is something I wish she would do differently.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has sought to quell the outrage even as he has called for transparency, and Trump has insisted that Bondis standing is solid.

But there has been a clear split in MAGA World and in the GOP ranks between those loyal to Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who on Friday was rumored to be considering leaving his post over the Epstein ordeal. Bongino is back at work now, but tensions appear to remain.

When pressed if he has faith in Bondi and Bongino, Burchett said, I have faith in Dan Bongino.

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Trump ally Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has stressed the need for a special counsel to investigate the handling of the files. Far-right activist Laura Loomer, another staunch Trump ally, was early to call for a special counsel probe and has bashed Bondi, arguing she hasnt been transparent.

The president and this team are always in contact with the presidents supporters, with voices of many kinds from both sides of the aisle, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday when asked if the White House has been directly in touch with MAGA influencers who arent satisfied with the Epstein case.

Leavitt also called Bondi, as well as Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel, great patriots.

They spent many months going through all of the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, she said. The president has been transparent. He has followed through with his promises to the American people.

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Two sources told The Hill on Thursday that Johnson is discussing a measure in support of disclosing more information related to the Epstein investigation.

The measure could take the pressure off of Bondi and minimize the outrage  and it comes as House Democrats push an amendment that calls for the full release of the materials related to the case.

However, a key difference in the measure Johnson is discussing is that the names of victims and whistleblowers should be shielded.

Some argue Bondi has solid support from Trump and that others calling for a probe could face a falling out with the White House team.

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Bondi is fine. Loomer [is] looking at a big loss, one source close to the White House said.

Some outside observers concurred, predicting that as with other Trump controversies, people will eventually drop it and back Trumps message.

There are certainly several factions of the presidents base that are divided on this issue but eventually they are going to fall into line, said Ford OConnell, a GOP strategist.

[Bondi] is the first attorney general Trump has had that can drive a message, OConnell continued. That is very, very important in that role because a lot of people think they know the law and they have no idea what the law is.

Firebrand support

Bondi seemed to have fostered a relationship with one of the highest-profile members calling for the release of more Epstein materials: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

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When Bondi last week announced she would drop charges against Michael Kirk Moore, a Utah doctor who was accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines and distributing fraudulent vaccination cards, Bondi credited Greene for bringing the case to her attention.

Some firebrand members of Congress who have built social media followings but also rely on maintaining a good relationship with Trump are following the presidents lead on the matter.

I think the Justice Department is doing a fantastic job, and theyve got a lot on their plate, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said. And quite frankly, shes having to clean up a Justice Department that the Biden administration broke. In regards to the Epstein files, I mean, I trust her judgment. I trust the presidents judgment.

Trump was asked Wednesday if he would consider appointing a special counsel. He distanced himself from the situation, telling reporters, I have nothing to do with it, after earlier in the day saying the Epstein situation is a hoax started by Democrats. Leavitt said Thursday he would not recommend a special prosecutor in the case.

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Bondi toured the former Alcatraz prison Thursday in San Francisco with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, while the White House fielded questions over her handling of the Epstein files.

Inside the White House, aides are stunned and theres genuine confusion around how this was handled, a source familiar with the thinking of the team told The Hill.

Aides arent necessarily in Bondi or Bonginos camp but are seeking an explanation for Trump now calling for supporters to move on from the Epstein files. Without that, its going to stick around and chip away at trust, the source said.

MAGA baggage

Additional issues are likely hurting Bondi, a former Florida attorney general named as Trumps pick to lead the DOJ just hours after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew himself from consideration for the role.

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Gaetzs nomination was hailed by MAGA supporters despite the controversies that have dogged him.

Bondi, a senior adviser on Trumps first impeachment defense team, also worked at lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which was founded by Brian Ballard, a Florida lobbyist who was involved with Trumps 2016 campaign.

Florida sources say the dynamic with Bondi in the MAGA movement has always been complicated.

Ultimately Attorney General Bondi has a constituency of one, said Republican donor Dan Eberhart, referring to the president. Beware the fate of Jeff Sessions.

Eberhart added that the GOP grassroots in Florida seem torn over Bondi.

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One Republican strategist acknowledged that Bondi over-promised and underdelivered in her overall handling of the case.

You bet she did, the strategist said. This has been an administration that has been on offense on just about every possible thing that could come at them and this is the one thing that they did not unite on it.

Should you expect transparency? Yes, but there are certain aspects of the law that are not going to turn this into a tell all, the strategist continued, referring to potential efforts to protect Epsteins victims.

The strategist noted that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump ally who represented the president in his 2024 criminal hush money trial in New York City, would back Bondi.

Todd Blanche is going to bat for her, the strategist said.

Mychael Schnell contributed

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Indonesian police have uncovered an international baby trafficking syndicate which has allegedly sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since 2023.

Authorities made 13 arrests related to the syndicate in the Indonesian cities of Pontianak and Tangerang this week, and rescued six babies who were about to be trafficked  all of whom are around a year old.

"The babies were first housed in Pontianak and had their immigration documents arranged before being sent to Singapore," West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, told BBC News Indonesia.

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BBC News has contacted Singapore Police and Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs for comment, but received no response.

The syndicate's alleged modus operandi was to target parents or expectant mothers who allegedly did not want to raise their child - in some cases initiating contact via Facebook before pivoting to more private channels such as WhatsApp, according to police.

"Some babies were even reserved while still in the womb," Surawan said. "Once born, the delivery costs were covered, then compensation money was given, and the baby was taken."

Police said members of the group included recruiters who tracked down babies to be trafficked; caretakers and people who housed them; and others who prepared fraudulent civil documents such as family cards and passports, he explained.

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After being taken from their mothers, the babies were given to caretakers for two to three months before being sent to Jakarta and then Pontianak, where their birth certificates, passports, and documents were prepared, police said.

The babies were sold for between 11 million Indonesian rupiah ($673; 502) and 16 million Indonesian rupiahs each, they added.

According to some of those arrested, the syndicate sold at least 12 male and 13 female babies domestically and abroad - most of them having come from various districts and cities in the Indonesian province of West Java.

Indonesian police on Thursday said that their "immediate task" was to find the adopters in Singapore.

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"We will cross-check the data with the babies who departed, so we know exactly who departed, who accompanied them, when they departed, and who the adopters there are," Surawan told reporters.

Most of the information gathered by police indicated that the babies had changed nationality, he added, noting that authorities were still looking for their passports.

Police say their "immediate task" was to find the adopters in Singapore. [West Java Regional Police]

Surawan earlier told BBC Indonesia that the babies were obtained through agreements between the traffickers and the parents, and that none so far had been taken by kidnapping. Parents who reported their child as kidnapped did so because the broker had failed to pay them, he said.

It is suspected that at least some parents may have agreed to sell their children due to financial hardship. They too could be charged with a criminal offence, Surawan said.

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"If it is proven there was an agreement between the parents and the perpetrators, they can be charged with child protection crimes and human trafficking offenses," he explained.

Police in Indonesia have requested assistance from Interpol and Singaporean police to arrest syndicate members who are still abroad, as well as buyers.

"We will list the perpetrators as wanted persons," Surawan explained. "In addition, we will issue a red notice or request law enforcement in those countries to arrest them."

Child trafficking syndicates typically target women in desperate situations, according to Ai Rahmayanti, commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).

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"For example, they became pregnant due to sexual violence, abandonment by the husband, or unwanted pregnancies from casual relationships," she told BBC News Indonesia.

Abortion is illegal in Indonesia except under certain conditions, such as medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from rape.

Ai Rahmayanti said baby or child trafficking syndicates often pose as maternity clinics, orphanages or social shelters that appear to care for vulnerable women and children.

"These clinics or shelters use language that sounds compassionate at first, such as 'you can give birth and take your baby home'. But in reality, they offer money and illegally transfer custody of the baby," she explains.

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While there is no official data on the numbers of babies being sold in Indonesia, KPAI's own data on human trafficking crimes indicates that the trend is persistent and growing.

While in 2020 KPAI recorded 11 cases of children as victims of illegal adoption, in 2023 it recorded 59 cases related to child abduction and trafficking under the guise of illegal adoption in 2023.

One of the most recent cases that KPAI advocated occurred in 2024, when babies were found in the process of being sold in locations such as Depok, West Java and Bali.

The babies, she said, were sold at varying prices.

"In Java, [the price is] between Rp11 million and Rp15 million, while in Bali it can reach Rp20 million to Rp26 million," she explained. "The price is also based on several indicators, one of which is the baby's physical appearance."
The Brief

Another participant in a gang-related shootout on Boom Island has been charged with unlawfully possessing a gun.

The incident left a woman dead and five other people wounded on June 1.

Witnesses told police the shootout stemmed from "an ongoing feud based on gang affiliations" between two men at the party.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man wounded in the Boom Island mass shooting in Minneapolis is charged with unlawfully possessing a gun after multiple witnesses claim they saw him firing a gun during the shootout that night.

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Dechelen Chavez Mastin-Wilson, 23, of St. Louis Park, was previously convicted of a crime of violence, which makes him ineligible to own or possess firearms and ammunition.

Police do not suspect him of firing the shots that killed Stageina Whiting, a young mother.

READ MORE: Boom Island mass shooting: Alleged gunman arrested in Chicago, facing charges

Boom Island shooting

Big picture view

Police say they responded to reports of a shooting at 9:30 p.m. at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis on June 1.

Investigators found one woman dead and five other people wounded, along with about 130 spent shell casings in the area.

One of the people wounded was Mastin-Wilson, who was shot in the right arm and right hip. The criminal complaint states Mastin-Wilson told officers he did not know anything about the shooting and refused to answer further questions.

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Investigators then spoke to witnesses and determined Mastin-Wilson was involved in a gang-related feud with other men at the party. The opposing gang members include 23-year-old Marquez Hill-Turnipseed, who is facing murder charges for the shooting.

In late June, police say they spoke with another witness who said they saw Mastin-Wilson firing a gun in the direction of where one of the victims was found by officers.

In July, officers spoke to a victim who was shot in the incident, but is not a known gang member and claimed not to know the parties involved in the shootout. That victim said a man matching Mastin-Wilson's description fired a gun in the same direction and location described by the witness. The victim then pointed to a picture of Mastin-Wilson and said "he was 90% certain" Mastin-Wilson was the person he saw shooting.

Mastin-Wilson is currently in jail on charges of possessing a gun as a prohibited person and a separate felony charge of fleeing in a motor vehicle.

Other suspects charged

Dig deeper

Court documents show 23-year-old Zyere Jakye Porter is charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder by drive-by shooting, and four counts of attempted second-degree murder.

The Source

This story uses information from criminal complaints filed in Hennepin County Court and past FOX 9 reporting.
Border agents arrested at least 11 people during a Thursday raid outside a northern California Home Depot  including a U.S. citizen who was volunteering as an observer, according to local activists.

The operation, which took place in the Sacramento area, nearly 600 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, is the latest show of force from the Border Patrol in the state, which joined a full-cavalry raid in a Los Angeles park earlier this month.

There is no such thing as a sanctuary city, Border Patrol El Centro sector chief Gregory Bovino said Thursday in a video filmed in front of the state capitol building, referring to jurisdictions that dont voluntarily assist with federal immigration enforcement.

No such thing as a sanctuary city, no such thing as a sanctuary state.



Operations are underway in the #Sacramento area to interdict illegal activity and safeguard our nation through this Title 8 mission. We appreciate your continued support as we work to secure the homeland at pic.twitter.com/0T6QC35S5m  USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino (@USBPChiefELC) July 17, 2025

There is no such thing as a sanctuary state, Bovino added in the clip, which features images of masked agents arresting men, soundtracked by the Kanye West song Power.

Border Patrol agents conducted operations in the Sacramento area on Thursday, including a raid in a Home Depot parking lot that led to at least 11 arrests, including a man alleged to be a U.S. citizen (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Border Patrol agents conducted operations in the Sacramento area on Thursday, including a raid in a Home Depot parking lot that led to at least 11 arrests, including a man alleged to be a U.S. citizen (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

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At least 11 people unlawfully in the U.S. were arrested in the early-morning operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security, including an immigrant man officials said was a serial criminal with past charges including illegal entry, possession of marijuana for sale, and felony burglary.

Bovino, in the video, said the arrests included a man who appears to have past fentanyl trafficking charges, and an individual arrested for impeding or assaulting a federal officer.

However, Andrea Castillo said her husband Jose Castillo is a U.S. citizen and was among those arrested.

Video shared with KCRA shows Andrea Castillo yelling at agents as a group of masked officers pile Jose into an unmarked black minivan.

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Leave him alone, hes a U.S. citizen! she can be heard saying.

Border Patrol agents have conducted aggressive operations far from U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, including an early July raid on Los Angeless MacArthur Park (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Border Patrol agents have conducted aggressive operations far from U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, including an early July raid on Los Angeless MacArthur Park (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

In the footage, one of the agents threatens to mace Castillo, and later says, Google me, when she asks for his badge number.

During the exchange, agents say they are detaining Jose Castillo because they believe he slashed the tires on a federal vehicle.

The activist group NorCal Resist said Jose Castillo was volunteering on behalf of the organization to document the operation, but did not impede officers. The group added that he has since been released.

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Local lawmakers are questioning whether the operation violated a recent court order. Assembly member Rhodesia Ransom, whose district includes nearby Stockton, has reportedly asked the state attorney generals office to investigate if federal officers are running afoul of state and federal laws or the U.S. Constitution with the operations.

Lawsuits accuse the Border Patrol of using illegal racial profiling to pursue arrests (Getty Images)

Lawsuits accuse the Border Patrol of using illegal racial profiling to pursue arrests (Getty Images)

The Border Patrol should do their jobs  at the border  instead of continuing their tirade statewide of illegal racial profiling and illegal arrests, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for the governors office, told Cal Matters.

While the Border Patrol can operate within 100 miles of any U.S. border, including the California coast and nearby cities, a federal judge held in April that the agency cannot conduct warrantless immigration stops throughout Californias Eastern District, which includes Sacramento.

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The ruling came in response to a series of operations at the beginning of the year targeting farmworkers in Kern County, which critics said were based on little more than the mens appearance.

You just cant walk up to people with brown skin and say, Give me your papers, U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Thurston said in court at the time.

A separate ruling last week barred the Border Patrol from making similar raids in the district including Los Angeles, after a lawsuit accused federal agents of making indiscriminate arrests in locations like Home Depot parking lots.

When asked about the alleged arrest of a U.S. citizen and the legal criticisms, federal officials pointed to a Homeland Security press release announcing the operation, which did not mention either subject.

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White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the architect of much of the administrations immigration policy, has reportedly pressed immigration officials to reach 3,000 arrests per day, including by targeting hubs for day laborers like Home Depot parking lots.

The Trump administrations recently passed Big, Beautiful Bill domestic spending legislation contains about $170 billion in wider immigration and border funding, which officials say will fuel a surge in domestic immigration operations.
The Brief

U.S. Customs and Border Protection carried out an immigration raid at a Sacramento Home Depot on Thursday.

The raid comes less than a week after a judge ordered a pause on immigration raids seemingly based off of people's race.

Border Patrol detained about eight allegedly undocumented immigrants and one U.S. citizen during the raid.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Border Patrol carried out an immigration raid outside a Home Depot in Northern California on Thursday, less than a week after a U.S. District Judge ruled similar raids had to be put on pause in Southern California.

What we know

Exclusive Fox video shows Border Patrol agents Thursday morning chasing people outside a Home Depot in Sacramento.

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At least eight non-U.S. citizens were apprehended, including one man, Border Patrol tells FOX is a Mexican national previously convicted of trafficking fentanyl. According to records, they say hes been booked in California jails 67 times.

A U.S. citizen was also apprehended Thursday in Sacramento, accused of slashing tires on a Border Patrol vehicle. The man has since been released.

The backstory

Last week, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ruled immigration raids without probable cause must be put on pause in Southern California. Border Patrol agents tell Fox News that Thursdays raid in Sacramento was targeted.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Judge blocks ICE raids in LA, Ventura counties without probable cause

What they're saying

Theres no sanctuary in California," said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. "No sanctuary in LA, and theres no sanctuary in Sacramento. I think that was the message sent today by that operation."

Border Patrols El Centro Sector Chief Gregoy Bovino posted video on X of himself outside Californias capitol building. In the video Bovino says, "Were here, and were not going anywhere."

No such thing as a sanctuary city, no such thing as a sanctuary state.



Operations are underway in the #Sacramento area to interdict illegal activity and safeguard our nation through this Title 8 mission. We appreciate your continued support as we work to secure the homeland at pic.twitter.com/0T6QC35S5m  USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino (@USBPChiefELC) July 17, 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsoms office fired back, telling Fox that federal agents are "Trying to escape a court order stopping their reprehensible and illegal racial profiling and illegal arrests in LA, Border Patrol came to Sacramento to spread more of their chaos and fear. They should do their jobs  at the border."

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"The idea agents are running around picking out people based on their race is not true," said Essayli. "Its not happening. Agents are either doing targeted operations, or they have reasonable suspicion someone is in the country illegally."

Border Patrol posted video to X this week of immigration arrests still happening in Southern California.

What's next

The Trump administration is now appealing Judge Frimpongs pause to apprehensions made without probable cause.

"No level of legal lawfare will stop us from deporting illegal immigrants from the United States," said Essayli. "Border Patrol is still here, and Los Angeles is still part of the United States of America."

The Source

Information in this story is from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an X post from USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino, an interview with U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, comment from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and previous FOX 11 reports.
Border Patrol agents raided a Home Depot and other locations in Sacramento on Thursday in what appeared to be a heavily orchestrated operation intended to send a message that the Trump administration would not back down on immigration enforcement, despite legal blockades.

While the raids took place miles from the state Capitol grounds, Greg Bovino, the U.S. Border chief of the El Centro sector who has been leading operations in Southern California, recorded a video in front of the statehouse shortly after.

"There is no such thing as a sanctuary city. There's no such thing as a sanctuary state," Bovino posted on X, in a produced video featuring the state capitol building and highway signs reading Sacramento. "This is how and why we secure the homeland for Ma and Pa America. We've got your back, whether it's here in Sacramento or nationwide, we're here and we're not going anywhere."

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Gov. Gavin Newsom's office immediately blasted the sweeps.

The Border Patrol should do their jobs  at the border instead of continuing their tirade statewide of illegal racial profiling and illegal arrests, said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom.

On Wednesday, Newsom had railed against Trump's immigration crackdown during a news conference at a Downey Memorial Christian Church, where agents swarmed and arrested a patron in June. Parishoners at the church remain shaken, and one girl he met was carrying around her passport.

"She's here legally. She's carrying her passport," he said. "That's Trump's America, 2025."

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The Sacramento enforcement came after a federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday blocked agents from using racial profiling to carry out warrantless arrests that have upended hundreds of lives in immigrant communities throughout Southern California. And it took place in an area that, along with the Central Valley and a large swath of Northern California, is under a similar preliminary injunction stemming from unlawful raids launched by Bovino in January, targeting farmworkers and laborers in Kern County.

The Department of Homeland Security said 11 undocumented immigrants were arrested during the operation including, Javier Dimas-Alcantara, who they said is "dangerous serial drug abuser" who "has been booked into jail 67 times.

"You would not want this man to be your neighbor," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "And yet, politicians like Gavin Newsom defend criminals who terrorize American communities and demonize law enforcement who defend those same communities."

Bovino, who has been a key figure in the raids across Southern California and is named in both lawsuits, said on X operations unfolded in Los Angeles and Sacramento on Thursday. Another individual, he said, was arrested on suspicion of impeding and or assaulting a federal officer.

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Based on videos posted Thursday, that man appears to be Jose Castillo Jr., who was on his way to work as an HVAC repairman in the Sacramento area when he stopped at the home improvement store. His wife, Andrea Castillo, said he is a hard-working family man who would "not be out instigating."

Her nearly three-minute video of Castillo Jr. being arrested circulated on social media.

In the video, an agent can be seen standing up to Andrea pointing a spray can at her.

"Get the f out of the way," he says.

Her husband, a 31-year-old American citizen, appears in the background struggling with several other agents on the ground. She runs with the agents toward him.

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"He's a U.S. citizen!" she screamed over and over.

Agents pinned him to the ground and he was cut on his face and bleeding, she said. She said she could hear him say, "I can't breathe."

The scene looked similar to other raids that took place in Los Angeles during June.

"His brother is an active U.S. Marine. He is serving the country and look at what they are doing to this country, to him," she said.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded to requests for comment about Castillo. The Border Patrol told Fox News that it had surveilled locations in Sacramento and ran license plates for two days before executing the arrests. Some plates came back as owned by previously deported immigrants in the country illegally.

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Giselle Garcia, a member of NorCal Resist, a volunteer mutual aid group that has been responding to the raids, said she was skeptical of the accusations.

"We have a long pattern of false allegations made by ICE and CBP that it is either immigrants or witness that incite the violence, which later turn out to be false," she said.

Elizabeth Strater, a national vice president of United Farm Workers, said her office has been flooded with calls about the Home Depot raid. The group is among several plaintiffs that brought a lawsuit against Border Patrol for raids in Kern county in January. In April a federal judge found the agency engaged in a "pattern and practice" of unconstitutionally detaining people without reasonable suspicion they are here illegally and ordered them to stop.

Strater said she saw a video Thursday morning in which she described two large federal agents kneeling on a small woman "who is face down, while she struggles."

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"There's no reason for that kind of brutality," she said. "That is just brutalizing a community ... it's disgusting."

She said they are working to determine if Border Patrol was violating the terms of the judge's order.

Sacramento City Councilmember Caity Maple, whose district borders the Home Depot, said she was shocked to learn of the raid, noting that she'd "never heard of Border Patrol in Sacramento"  which is more than 480 miles from the Mexican border.

Maple said law enforcement was not notified of operations.

"We're pretty far inland. We're not close to the border of either Mexico or Canada," she said. "For me, it was shock and concern of how do these individuals who are meant to protect our borders ostensibly end up in a place like Sacramento?"

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Boston police searching for suspects in connection with armed carjacking

A search is underway for two suspects wanted in connection with an armed carjacking in Boston late Thursday night, authorities said.

Officers responding to a report of a carjacking in the area of 1960 Beacon Street in the citys Brighton neighborhood just before 11 p.m. learned a pair of suspects had flashed firearms before forcing a victim out of their vehicle and driving off with it, according to the Boston Police Department.

The suspects fled the area in the direction of Commonwealth Avenue, police noted.

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The stolen vehicle was later found abandoned in the area of 242 Market Street, which is about two miles away from the scene of the alleged carjacking.

Police didnt say if the victim suffered any injuries.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material. Report CSAM to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency.

BOUNTIFUL, Utah (ABC4)  A Bountiful man has been arrested and charged with allegedly distributing and possessing thousands of files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Jonah David Hatfield, 24, has been charged with six counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony, and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

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READ NEXT: Eagle Mountain man arrested for paying 13-year-old for sexual photos, documents say

According to documents, on Jan. 23, 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information from a service provider about an email account that had uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

This information was sent to the Utah Attorney Generals Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Law enforcement investigated the account, and over the course of time were able to serve several search warrants and court orders that led them to finding Hatfield, a Bountiful resident.

On July 15, a search warrant was served at his residence, documents say. Officers made contact with Hatfield, and in an interview, he admitted that the email was his, and he knew that Google had locked the account for suspicious activity. Hatfield allegedly told police that although the email was his, he was not aware of the CSAM on the account and didnt know who could have accessed it.

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Former Washington Co. Sheriffs deputy charged with allegedly creating CSAM of children

During the execution of the search warrant, several of Hatfields electronic devices were identified and searched. According to documents, CSAM was located on these devices, and more than 2,000 files of CSAM were on his laptop.

Not only did Hatfield allegedly possess CSAM, but investigators say he also distributed it, and several files were found in his sent folder.

Hatfield was arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail. He is currently being held without bail due to the risk he poses to children online and in the community.

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Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Latest headlines:

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Police in Brazil swooped on the home and political headquarters of Jair Bolsonaro early Friday, searching the properties and ordering the former president to wear an electronic ankle tag.

The right-winger and ally of US President Donald Trump was also barred from speaking to foreign officials or approaching embassies, and banned from social media, under orders of Brazils Supreme Court.

The restrictions were motivated by concerns that Bolsonaro would flee the country, amid his trial over an alleged plot to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.

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Speaking outside the police station Friday, Bolsonaro called the ankle tag a supreme humiliation and said that he never thought of leaving Brazil.

The suspicions (of me leaving the country) are an exaggeration damn it, Im a former president of the republic  Im 70 years old, he said.

Bolsonaro added that police seized about 14,000 US dollars and claimed the money was for personal use, adding he had the receipts to prove it.

Hours after the ruling, the US State Department announced visa restrictions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and an unspecified number of other court officials, accusing them of carrying out a political witch hunt against Bolsonaro.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement said he had ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately.

Moraes made headlines last year when he banned social media platform X, during a feud with its billionaire owner  and former Trump ally  Elon Musk, over hate speech moderation and the companys failure to name a legal representative in the country, as required by law. The platform has since been restored in the nation of 220 million people.

Lula denounced Rubios order in a Saturday morning statement on X, characterizing the visa revocation as an unacceptable interference in Brazils justice system.

Fridays raid came after Trump tried to force Lula to end the criminal trial against Bolsonaro, by threatening crippling tariffs on the country. Trump linked the tariff threat to what he described as a witch hunt trial against Bolsonaro.

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About a week later, the US launched an investigation into unfair trading practices by Brazil, according to a statement by the United States Trade Representative.

Brazils Supreme Court on Friday accused Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo of working with the US to impose the tariffs. CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment on this allegation.

The court documents highlighted a confidential meeting Bolsonaro had with a US State Department official, and highlighted Trumps letter as an offensive and clear threat to Brazilian sovereignty.

Brazil's former President, Jair Bolsonaro, arrives at the State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration headquarters in Brasilia on Friday. - Adriano Machado/Reuters

In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Bolsonaro denied that anyone lobbied the US to sanction Brazilian authorities working on his case.

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There isnt any lobby to sanction an authority, Bolsonaro said.

Speaking exclusively to CNN Thursday, Lula said that Trumps threats had broken from protocol, and argued that his predecessors fate cannot be part of trade negotiations.

The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever, he said, adding that Bolsonaro is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup detat.

Lula added that Trump would be standing trial if the actions he took during the insurrection of January 6, 2021 had been committed in Brazil.

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On Friday, Trump posted a letter to Bolsonaro on Truth Social, in which he suggested the former Brazilian leader was the victim of an unjust system, and said that he would be watching closely.

Bolsonaro posted Trumps letter on his official X account and, in a subsequent video, thanked Trump for his support with eternal gratitude.

Bolsonaro had previously appeared to be preparing for the outcome of his trial and dismissed the idea that he might be considered a flight risk, saying: Ill face the process.

Im not considering doing anything, Im not considering anything, nothing at all, he said, adding: Im not a criminal, the criminal is the one persecuting me.

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Bolsonaro could face more than four decades behind bars if found guilty of masterminding the coup.

He is among 34 people charged with five crimes, including attempting the coup. Part of the coup plot, prosecutors allege, involved a plan to potentially assassinate Lula, his vice president and a minister of the Supreme Court.

Brian Winter, executive vice president of Americas Society and Council of the Americas, told CNN that Trumps mooted use of trade levers may not be so painful to Brazil  for which the US is not as significant a trading partner as, say, China.

Brazil only sends about 11% of its exports to the United States, Winter said. Thats half what Brazil sends to China, and for some of Brazils exports  not all, but for some of them  they can find other markets besides the United States.

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The question is, if this keeps escalating, could President Trump use measures that are even more painful, such as financial sanctions against large groups of people? Winter asked, noting that Trump previously threatened, among other things, a travel ban on Colombian citizens during a disagreement with the Colombian government over migrant flights.

Its possible that President Trump could continue to escalate this in a way that could eventually produce considerably more pain for the Brazilian government and for the Brazilian people, Winter said.

This story has been updated.

CNNs Duarte Mendonca and Marcelo Medeiros contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By James Van Straten (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)

While bitcoin (BTC) holds just below its record high, the derivatives market is showing signs of froth. Perpetual funding rates indicate that long positions are still dominant and traders are paying a premium to maintain bullish exposure.

There are two ways of interpreting this, either the rally that took the largest currency to $123,000 is not yet spent, or it could be exhausted if not met with more spot buying. Don't you love markets?

In Glassnodes latest weekly note, analysts point out that bitcoin has decisively broken into new all-time highs. While that signals strong underlying momentum, short-term holders are sitting on increasingly large unrealized profits, pushing key indicators into marginally overheated territory.

Markets were jolted Wednesday by speculation that President Trump was getting ready to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, sending risk assets briefly lower before the White House clarified he was not planning to remove him.

Separately, a FOIA request revealed that the U.S. Marshals Service holds just 28,988 BTC, far fewer than many in the market assumed, raising fresh questions about future government auctions and their market impact.

As bitcoin cools off, altcoins are taking the spotlight. Bitcoin dominance has fallen from 66% to 62%, while the total crypto market cap has surged to an all-time high of $3.8 trillion.

Ether (ETH) is trading above $3,400 following a 7% daily gain driven by ETF inflows and positive regulatory sentiment. Solana (SOL) also rallied 5% after Galaxy Digital accumulated $55 million worth of SOL, a move that underscored rising institutional demand. Stay alert!

What to Watch
By Luciana Magalhaes and Ricardo Brito

BRASILIA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Brazil's Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday, banning him from contacting foreign officials over allegations he courted the interference of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Washington responded by hitting Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and unspecified other allies with visa restrictions.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Moraes' court orders a "political witch hunt" that had prompted him to make immediate visa revocations for "Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members." The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump has already tried to use pressure to help Bolsonaro by announcing a 50% tariff on goods from Latin America's No. 1 economy.

Bolsonaro told Reuters that he believed the court orders were a reaction to Trump's criticism of his trial before the Supreme Court for trying to overturn the last election.

The court's crackdown on Bolsonaro added to evidence that Trump's tactics are backfiring in Brazil, compounding trouble for his ideological ally and rallying public support behind a defiant leftist government.

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Bolsonaro was banned from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies, according to the decision issued by Moraes, who cited a "concrete possibility" of him fleeing the country. His home was raided by federal police and he had an ankle monitor placed on him.

In an interview with Reuters at his party's headquarters on Friday, Bolsonaro called Moraes a "dictator" and described the latest court orders as acts of "cowardice."

"I feel supreme humiliation," he said, when asked how he felt about wearing the ankle monitor. "I am 70 years old, I was president of the republic for four years."

Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country, but said he would meet with Trump if he could get access to his passport, which police seized last year. He also said he had sought out the top U.S. diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump's tariff threat.

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Asked about Bolsonaro's comments to Reuters, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Friday, citing previous comments from Trump, "Bolsonaro and his supporters are under attack from a weaponized court system."

In his decision, Moraes said the restrictions against Bolsonaro were due to accusations that the former president was making efforts to get the "head of state of a foreign nation" to interfere in Brazilian courts, which the judge cast as an attack on national sovereignty.

Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.

Trump has in recent weeks pressed Brazil to stop the legal case against Bolsonaro, saying that his ally was the victim of a "witch hunt". The U.S. president said last week he would impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods from August 1, in a letter that opened with criticism of the Bolsonaro trial.

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Trump on Thursday shared on Truth Social a letter he sent to Bolsonaro. "I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This trial should end immediately!" he wrote.

Moraes wrote in his decision that the higher tariffs threatened by Trump were aimed at creating a serious economic crisis in Brazil to interfere in the country's judicial system.

Bolsonaro was also prohibited from contacting key allies including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman who has been working in Washington to drum up support his father.

Bolsonaro told Reuters he had been talking to his son almost daily, denying any concerted U.S. lobbying effort on his behalf. He said he expected his son to seek U.S. citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil.

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A five-judge panel of Supreme Court judges reviewed and upheld Moraes' decision on Friday afternoon.

(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes, Ricardo Brito, Gabriel Araujo, Eduardo Simoes, Pedro Fonseca, Isabel Teles and Kanishka Singh; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Gabriel Araujo, Brendan O'Boyle and Sarah Morland; Editing by Brad Haynes, Alexandra Hudson and Rosalba O'Brien)
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)  A Brazilian citizen was charged in federal court Thursday with offenses related to allegedly assaulting federal officers during his arrest.

Luis Peterson Rohr Ferreira Borges, 24, had a case pending in Connecticut Superior Court following an arrest on Sept. 16, 2023. He was charged with assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transit or health care personnel; third-degree assault; second-degree breach of peace; interfering with an officer; and first-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias.

Man deported after 2017 Connecticut manslaughter conviction

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The Department of Homeland Security issued an arrest warrant for Ferreira Borges on Oct. 10, 2023, charging him with being present in the United States in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

According to evidence and testimony, on Jan. 28 of this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) located Ferreira Borges, but when they attempted to detain him, he fled in his vehicle. Two ERO officers allegedly had to push themselves off the vehicle in order to avoid being run over. Ferreira Borges then allegedly nearly hit a bystander on the sidewalk as he fled the scene.

Federal law enforcement officials tried again to arrest Ferreira Borges on June 7 in East Hartford. Ferreira Borges allegedly led the officers on a lengthy foot chase before entering his vehicle, which was displaying the license plate registered to another vehicle. Ferreira Borges fled the scene, allegedly hitting a law enforcement vehicle with his car in the process.

Ferreira Borges was arrested on June 25 in the area of Zion Street in Hartford. Once he was placed in a government vehicle, he allegedly flailed, kicked and screamed obscenities at the arresting officers.

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As the vehicle traveled to the federal building on Main Street, Ferreira Borges allegedly started to bite one of the ERO officers who was trying to control him, and then spit on the officer who was driving the vehicle.

Ferreira Borges is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, an offense that carries a maximum term of eight years in prison, and with influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official, an offense that carries a maximum term of six years in prison.

Ferreira Borges has been detained since his arrest.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag by the country's Supreme Court as his high-profile trial enters the final stages.

The 70-year-old ex-president faces charges of plotting to overthrow the government of his successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following his election defeat in 2022.

In addition to the ankle tag, Bolsonaro will also be subject to other conditions, including not being allowed to be active on social networks. He is under house arrest at night.

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Bolsonaro's lawyers said on Friday they had received news of the conditions with "surprise and indignation."

Bolsonaro described the measures taken against him as "political" and "the greatest humiliation." He also rejected fears that he was planning to flee abroad.

"I have never thought of leaving Brazil or going to an embassy," he told reporters after the ankle tag was fitted.

The presiding judge, Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the measures on the grounds of coercion, obstruction of justice and an attack on national sovereignty.

He accused Bolsonaro of trying to influence the Brazilian judiciary by linking the withdrawal of punitive US tariffs to his amnesty in a public statement.

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US President Donald Trump recently announced import duties of 50% on products from Brazil from August 1, citing the actions of the Brazilian judiciary against the ex-president.

In a letter addressed to Bolsonaro and posted on his Truth Social account on Thursday, Trump called for an immediate end to the trial.

Bolsonaro's trial is in its final phase with the closing statements.

The former president is charged with trying to "destroy the democratic legal order." He denies all accusations.

On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in Brasilia shortly after Lula took office.
The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag by the country's Supreme Court as his high-profile trial enters the final stages.

The 70-year-old ex-president faces charges of plotting to overthrow the government of his successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following his election defeat in 2022.

Bolsonaro will also be subject to other conditions, including not being allowed to be active on social networks. He is under house arrest at night.

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The presiding judge, Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the measures on the grounds of coercion, obstruction of justice and an attack on national sovereignty.

Bolsonaro's lawyers said on Friday they had received news of the conditions with "surprise and indignation."

Bolsonaro's trial has entered its final phase with the closing statements.

He is charged with trying to "destroy the democratic legal order."

Bolsonaro denies all accusations.

On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in Brasilia shortly after Lula took office.

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US President Donald Trump has taken up Bolsonaro's cause. In a letter addressed to Bolsonaro and posted on his Truth Social account on Thursday, he called for an immediate end to the trial.

He had previously announced import duties of 50% on products from Brazil from August 1, citing the actions of the Brazilian judiciary against the ex-president.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Latin America's largest economy as "unacceptable blackmail."

Lula's comments during a nationally televised speech were the latest in series of tense exchanges between the leaders, with the US president launching especially blistering attacks on the government in Brasilia.

Trump announced on July 9 his intention to slap steep tariffs on Brazil as punishment for what he termed a "witch hunt" against his far-right ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro.

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The United States has also said it is investigating Brazil's "unfair trading practices," and Brasilia said it was committed to negotiations.

The tariffs on all products from Brazil would kick in on August 1 if Brasilia and Washington do not reach an agreement.

In his speech, leftist leader Lula slammed Brazilian politicians who back Trump's policies as "traitors to the homeland."

He said he would continue "betting on good commercial and diplomatic relations" but warned: "Brazil has only one owner: the Brazilian people."

Bolsonaro is facing trial over accusations he plotted a coup after his narrow 2022 election loss to Lula. If found guilty, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

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Earlier on Thursday, Trump posted a letter addressed to Bolsonaro on his Truth Social platform in which he insisted Lula's government "changes course" and "stop attacking" his political ally.

"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you," Trump wrote to Bolsonaro.

"I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy," he added.

Trump also said he was "concerned about the attacks on free speech" in Brazil and in the United States.

He appeared to be alluding to the suspension in Brazil of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular among conservative groups, over its refusal to block a user accused of spreading disinformation.

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- 'Interference' -

Trump's intervention in the Bolsonaro case has improved Lula's popularity, who has appealed for national unity in the face of US "interference."

Unlike the tariffs Trump is slapping on economies around the world, including top US allies, the measures against Brazil were announced in openly political terms.

Brazil had not been among dozens of trade partners previously threatened with duties above a 10 percent baseline.

The United States runs a goods trade surplus with Brazil, which said it had repeatedly requested that Washington point out areas of particular concern.

Brazil expressed "indignation" at the stiff proposed tariff in a letter addressed to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

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The Wall Street Journal reports Donald Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday letter in 2003. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman. The letter was part of an album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell  pages of which are among the documents examined by Justice Department officials who investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago, according to people who have reviewed the pages. Trump denies writing the letter and calls the story fake. The Justice De
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The California Supreme Court announced Wednesday it will grant a review of the 5th District Court of Appeals decision that overturned a Kern County judges previous ruling that said water needs to be kept in the Kern River at fish-friendly levels.

This gives us hope, this is like another chance that we could get our river back so its really energizing, its really exciting, said Kelly Damien, a spokesperson for Bring Back The Kern.

The nearly 3-year court case has been through the ringer one would say, as it has been in trial court and appellate court. Back in April, the 5th District Court of Appeals in Fresno overturned a court injunction that required water be kept in the Kern River at levels that would sustain fish habitat.

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The appellate court ruled that Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp ruling was a constitutional error, that he should have determined the amount of water needed for the fish before making his ruling.

We all saw what happened after that like the river dried back, all the wildlife that was dead, it went back to this unnatural state of the dried river, said Damien.

A last-ditch effort, so-to-speak, from the myriad of environmental groups is to have the state supreme court review the ruling to put the injunction back in place.

We were enjoying the fruits of that injunction for months, said Adam Keats, the lead attorney for the coalition of environmental groups suing the city.

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Then the 5th district reversed that injunction which is a bummer and then we lost on the merits of that appeal which is an even bigger bummer because it meant that we didnt have a timeline of when we were gonna get water back into the river if that was going to happen anytime soon, said Keats.

The appellate courts ruling was also published, meaning the argument could be used as a legal precedent for future cases of similar nature. Plaintiffs are asking the high court to un-publish that ruling but were denied.

It regarded an area of law that was going to affect a lot of other people, and a lot of other groups, and a lot of other rivers throughout the state. And that was always on our minds, on our legal teams minds, and on our clients minds, said Keats.

The trial is still set for December 8th 2025, but it could be postponed, awaiting the state supreme courts hearings and decision.

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One water district attorney responded to our requests for comment saying the appellants look forward to explaining to the court why the opinion was correctly decided under long-established California Law.

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On Thursday, the British government, led by the Labour Party, announced major changes to its electoral system, most notably plans to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 before the next general election in 2029.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the reform, arguing that people who pay in to the political system deserve to cast their vote and have a voice in how their money is spent.

BREAKING:



Keir Starmer announces that the UK is lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in all UK elections. pic.twitter.com/HOAbkCJJ1R  Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) July 17, 2025

The electoral overhaul goes beyond lowering age requirements. The proposed changes include allowing bank cards to be used as voter ID and increased rules on political donations.

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However, these changes still need to be approved by Parliament before becoming law, according to The Associated Press.

This reform fulfills a key campaign promise made by Labour before their July 2024 election victory, when they pledged to expand voting rights to younger citizens, per the AP.

Boxes of votes are emptied ready to be counted for the British Parliamentary constituency of Holborn and St Pancras where the Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is standing for election, in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. | Kin Cheung

Global context

The U.K. isnt alone in wanting to shift to a lower voter age.

Last year, European Union members Germany, Belgium, Austria and Malta moved to lower their citizens voting age to 16, as reported by Reuters. However, the global standard remains 18 years of age in most democracies.

MPs in Parliament clash over electoral changes

The announcement has sparked debate across party lines, with Labour Party members championing the change while Conservative and Reform members of the United Kingdoms Parliament have expressed opposition.

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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner framed the reform as essential for rebuilding political trust, as reported by the AP.

For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline, Rayner said.

We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in U.K. democracy.

Conservative MPs have responded with more skepticism. Tory MP Paul Holmes criticized both the substance of the proposal and the way it was introduced, expressing frustration that significant electoral changes werent announced through a formal government statement.

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Holmes highlighted what he sees as inconsistencies in the governments approach to age-related rights. Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry or go to war, or even stand in the elections theyre voting? Holmes asked during Thursdays House of Commons session, as reported by The Guardian.

Holmes continued, Isnt the governments position on the age of maturity just hopelessly confused?

Reform party leader Nigel Farage and Reform MP Richard Tice both posted their opposition to the electoral reform in posts on X.

Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system, Farage said.

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Tice called the move wrong.

Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system.



If this goes ahead, Labour could be in for a shock. pic.twitter.com/CF9GYfRfFP  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 17, 2025

Labour plans for votes at 16yrs old are wrong



But we must tighten postal voting rules to prevent fraud



Currently 5 postal votes can be carried to polling station. Why more than 1? pic.twitter.com/7n99aBfcPv  Richard Tice MP  (@TiceRichard) July 17, 2025

Labour MP Lisa Nandy also took to X but to voice her support of the governments changes.

Young people deserve a say in the decisions shaping their future and were making sure they have one, she said.

Really proud that our Labour government is delivering on votes at 16.



Young people deserve a say in the decisions shaping their future and were making sure they have one. https://t.co/dbrdv5MQhn  Lisa Nandy MP (@lisanandy) July 17, 2025

The proposal faces a challenging path through Parliament, with the governments substantial majority likely to overcome opposition, but not without debate that so far has revealed fundamental differences in how British lawmakers view youth participation in their democracy.
A British woman in her 20s is reported to have died behind a church during a family holiday in France.

The woman, who has yet to be named, is believed to have been on a trip to Normandy. She was discovered on rocks by St-Nicolas church in Barfleur by a walker at around 9am on Friday.

The French television network France3 reported that the woman appeared to have drowned, but that the circumstances surrounding her death appeared somewhat unclear.

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According to the Ouest-France newspaper, she had been staying with her family in a rented cottage on the quayside in the small fishing village.

The body of the British woman was discovered on rocks behind the church - Getty

Forensic and research teams joined forces with criminal investigators and the gendarmerie, and an autopsy was carried out on Friday afternoon.

The Normandy Prefecture declined to comment on the case, and the public prosecutor could not be reached for comment.

Last week, a 35-year-old British woman was killed in Beaune, France, while jogging with her husband. The woman was hit by a car as she ran through Avenue Charles de Gaulle, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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A local 45-year-old man, believed to be the driver involved, was arrested.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.




NEED TO KNOW

Hannah Freeman, an Ohio teacher, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after she was accused of following her ex-boyfriend to work on multiple occasions

Freeman was sentenced to 18 months probation, with the first seven days to be spent in jail

The sentence appeared to come as a surprise to Freeman, who cried following the proceedings





An Ohio teacher whose boyfriend broke up with her pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after authorities said she went to his place of work nearly three dozen times in three weeks.

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Hannah Freeman was sentenced to seven days in jail and 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, obstructing justice and possessing criminal tools, according to WKYC, WOIO and WJW reported.

The sentence appeared to come as a surprise to both Freeman and her attorney, who, in the hearing that was broadcast by WOIO, referred to a plea agreement with the prosecution. Freeman pleaded guilty in June.

During the hearing, Freeman's attorney went back and forth with the Cuyahoga County judge and attempted to have his client's guilty plea withdrawn. The judge admonished her attorney for not having met with him about potential sentencing prior to the hearing and adjourned the hearing with the sentence in place.

As the hearing concluded, Freeman began weeping, having learned she would have to spend time behind bars.

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The outlets report that Freeman had initially been charged with menacing by stalking after she was arrested in November 2024, following incidents involving her ex-boyfriend.

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.

WKYC reported that Freeman had been accused of stealing two of her ex's backpacks containing computers and his wallet, valued at $1,000.

The outlet reported that her ex called police to report that she had followed him to work in Westlake, Ohio. Police reportedly said cameras tracked Freeman's car at her ex's workplace 33 times in 19 days.

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Freeman had been a fourth-grade teacher prior to her arrest and was placed on leave after she was charged, WJW reported. Her contract with the school district reportedly expired in June.

Read the original article on People
Analysts revamp Alphabet stock price target before key earnings originally appeared on TheStreet.

Google is scaling up its AI infrastructure with a $25 billion investment in electricity, a move thats drawing interest from investors ahead of earnings.

The tech giant plans to build out data centers and AI infrastructure across the PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid in the United States.

Google also signed a deal with Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) to purchase 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power across the U.S., according to an announcement on July 15.

Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 

As AI systems grow more powerful, demand for energy and computing power soars. Hyperscalers like Google need steady, low-carbon power, and they are planning to build the infrastructure to meet that demand.

Microsoft made a similar move in September 2024, signing a 20-year power agreement with Constellation Energy (CEG) to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 plant. That agreement will add 835 megawatts of carbon-free power to the PJM grid and help supply Microsofts data centers.

Googles push into hydroelectric power follows the same logic, ensuring enough energy to meet AIs rising demands to stay competitive in the cloud race.

Alphabet stock is down 3% year-to-date.Image source: Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Google ramps up AI investment

In the first quarter of 2025, Googles parent Alphabet (GOOGL) reported capital expenditure of $17.2 billion, with most of it going into technical infrastructures, Alphabet's CFO Anat Ashkenazi said during the April earnings call.

Ashkenazi said the largest component was investment in servers, followed by data centers, to support the growth of business across Google Services, Google Cloud, and Google DeepMind.

Related: Google gets unexpected boost from ChatGPT

She also confirmed that Alphabet is still committed to investing $75 billion this year in AI, regardless of any "macroeconomic changes" like tariffs.

"We do see a tremendous opportunity ahead of us across the organization," she said.

On April 24, Alphabet posted stronger-than-expected results for the first quarter, easing concerns about slowing growth in the face of rising AI competition.

The company reported earnings of $2.81 per share, well above the $2.01 that analysts had expected. Revenue was $90.23 billion, an increase of 12% from a year earlier. This beat Wall Street's forecast of $89.12 billion and a 10% growth rate.

Search and advertising, Alphabets core businesses, continued to perform well even as competition in AI ramped up. The company is set to report its second-quarter results on July 23.
Police Chief Gary Jenkins still remembers the day Bryan Kohberger interviewed for an internship with the Pullman Police Department.

Jenkins had no idea that the graduate student in front of him would go on to kill four Idaho students that same year.

For nearly three years, law enforcement officers, attorneys and others involved in the Kohberger case have been unable to speak publicly about the case by a gag order. That changed Thursday, when 4th Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler lifted that non-dissemination order.

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Jenkins was the Pullman police chief when Kohberger applied to work there, a few months before Jenkins left the agency to head the police force at Washington State University, where Kohberger was working to earn a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice.

Kohberger, 30, admitted earlier this month to four counts of first-degree murder and fatally stabbing to death four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

In an interview with the Idaho Statesman on Thursday, Jenkins recalled his experience of the case that began when Kohberger broke into the victims Moscow home in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

Jenkins said he conducted Zoom interviews with four candidates for the police internship in April 2022. Kohberger, then 27, wrote in his application that he had an interest in assisting rural law enforcement agencies with how to better collect and analyze technological data in public safety operations, the arrest affidavit stated.

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I was looking for someone who was really interested in conducting relevant and actionable research for us, rather than just theoretical research, Jenkins told the Statesman by phone.

The chief said whoever got the job would need to be able to get police officers to open up and talk about their work. Kohbergers demeanor ruled him out from getting the position.

I just felt that he would have a difficult time developing that trust with my staff, Jenkins said. He seemed a little bit awkward in talking. He wasnt very conversational, and I just thought he would not be a good fit and would have difficulty working with my staff.

Jenkins wouldnt think about Kohberger for another eight months.

Gary Jenkins was the Pullman Police Department chief from 2010 to 2022.

Campus student identified as murder suspect

In December 2022, Jenkins was well aware of the quadruple murder in Moscow, just a 15-minute drive east from Pullman.

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Moscow Police Chief James Fry sent Jenkins a message on Dec. 19, 2022, requesting that he come to the Moscow station the following day. Jenkins assumed it would be another briefing, so he was surprised to be led into a room with about 20 to 30 people, including members of the FBI and Idaho State Police, he said.

They informed him that they had identified a suspect using DNA found at the scene. That suspect, his colleagues told him, was a student at WSU named Bryan Kohberger.

It took me a minute, and then I said, You know that name is very familiar. I think Ive talked to Bryan Kohberger before, Jenkins recalled.

Jenkins later learned that Kohberger drove a car that his officers had already flagged as part of their investigation searching for the described vehicle. Twice, campus officers had noted that a car on campus belonging to Kohberger was very similar to one caught on camera the night of the homicides. Law enforcement had alerted nearby agencies that they were searching for a white Hyundai Elantra made between 2011 and 2013.

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Jenkins officers noted that Kohbergers car fit all of the criteria except for the year  it was a 2015. Thinking the car wasnt a perfect match, the officers did not pass the information on at the time, Jenkins told the Statesman.

Bryan Kohberger was a student at Washington State University at the time of the murders.

After FBI identified Kohberger through his DNA, Jenkins helped Moscow police obtain a warrant to search Kohbergers university office and apartment in graduate student housing. They timed the search to about the same time as Kohbergers arrest in Pennsylvania.

Jenkins said nothing taken into evidence at the apartment ended up being of value to the case. But Kohbergers home still left an impression on the police chief.

It was fairly sparse, Jenkins noted. If someone were to look at it, they would have the thought that maybe he wasnt planning to come back.

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While the search warrants were the last time Jenkins played a role in the case, Jenkins was still able to see the effect that the crime had on campus.

It was definitely shocking, Jenkins said. We did work closely with our Dean of Students Office and psychological services here on campus to provide support to students who were legitimately afraid. A number of students ended up finishing out the semester at home.

Jenkins said his force stepped up their patrols and communicated regularly with the student body in an attempt to make them feel protected. The university also secured $3 million through a federal technology improvement program grant to expand security cameras and door access controls on campus.

I hope, and I think that these crimes are not going to define Moscow or this area, Jenkins said. The way the community has come together, and the support throughout the community, Im hoping thats really what will be the lasting impact of what has happened.
(NewsNation)  The father of University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves says a coroner told him his daughter had damage around her mouth, as if killer Bryan Kohberger sought to muffle or gag her as he fatally stabbed his victim.

Steve Goncalves shared that information Thursday with Ashleigh Banfield on her podcast Drop Dead Serious as he talked about next weeks sentencing of Kohberger, who has pleaded guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves and three of her friends in November 2022 at a Moscow, Idaho, rental home.

The elder Goncalves said Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt shared the details about his daughters final moments.

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Was Bryan Kohberger inspired by incel killer Elliot Rodger?

There was some damage around her mouth, Goncalves said, wedging his hand in his mouth to demonstrate, like somebody had pressed in and tried to keep her quiet.

The father expressed frustration at the lack of information that has been publicly available about the case since Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at Washington State University, was taken into custody in late 2022. The judge overseeing the case lifted a sweeping gag order Thursday, but Goncalves said family members still lack a complete picture about what happened to Kaylee, who was 21, as they try to prepare victim-impact statements.

Kohberger, 30, is scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison Wednesday under the terms of a plea agreement that spares him the death penalty.

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Heres the evidence Idaho prosecutors had against Bryan Kohberger

You only got one time to be able to be a victims advocate and say what you need to say and to address the courtroom and everyone in Idaho, and theyre not going to let us know exactly what happened, Goncalves said. Its just terrible.  We want to make sure everything we say is exactly truthful.

Goncalves has said he opposes Kohbergers plea deal and would have preferred the defendant go to trial and face a potential death sentence if convicted.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW)  The Buchanan County Women's Democratic Club (BCWDC) will hold its next meeting at noon on Tuesday, July 22.

The meeting will be held at San Jose Steakhouse, located at 4015 S. Belt Highway. Attendees who wish to eat lunch are encouraged to arrive at 11:00 a.m. to place their order from the menu.

Buchanan County Commissioner Ron Hook will provide updates about the development of the county's new fairgrounds in Easton, Missouri and the status of revitalizing historic Lake Contrary.

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Members will also participate in Action Blue!, which is Democratic political activities.

Anyone with questions about the meeting is advised to contact Michelle Mears, BCWDC president at BCWDCpresident@gmail.com.
Bust in Brentwood: Firetruck From a Fictitious Fire Department Seized During Police Raid of L.A. Home originally appeared on L.A. Mag.

Brentwood as seen from the Getty museumCourtesy Manel Vinuesa via Adobe Stock

On Wednesday afternoon, the sudden arrival of law enforcement with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alarmed Brentwood residents along Rockingham Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. Police apprehended a suspect identified by LAPD as Steve Farzam, who was taken into custody without incident, according to NBC Los Angeles.



Currently, Farzam is being held without bail and faces over a dozen charges that are bizarre in their range and nature.



Charges include discharging a laser at an aircraft, assaulting a firefighter, impersonating a fire officer, and trespassing on closed lands. Additionally, the incidents range from 2023 to May of this year. Chief among the incidents is the suspects impersonation of a firefighter amidst the Palisades Fire.



"It's pretty scary and I think that in this world where everything is so technically advanced, like how is this still happening, that people can kind of walk around with probably not a great impersonation of an outfit or a uniform," one neighbor commented.

Earlier this year, an illegitimate firetruck attempted to enter the fire zone in the height of Palisades Fire. Neighbors confirmed the presence of an 80s firetruck parked at the residence for some time. The firetruck seized was registered to the fictional Santa Muerte Fire Department.



Interestingly enough, this is not the first L.A. incident involving the fictitious fire department. Investigators first became aware of the Santa Muerte Fire Department in July of 2023. In an incident in San Bernardino County, Andrew De Boer of Chino Hills was caught dressed in a fake uniform driving a vehicle marked as belonging to the fabricated fire department. A search of De Boers home following the incident revealed firearms, body armor, and numerous items with the Santa Muerte Fire Department name and insignia, according to FireRescue1.



Officials have not publicly disclosed a connection between De Boer and Farzam, although the investigation is still ongoing.



Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Los Angeles Police Departments Major Crimes Division.

This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
A California hospital system is under fire after a series of complaints which allege they lost bodies and failed to inform multiple families about the deaths of their relatives.

Dignity Health is accused of callous, reckless, and outrageous failure for not notifying families about their dead loved ones or issuing death certificates, SFGate reports. A 2022 health department audit, reviewed by SFGate, states one hospital, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, had significant failures when it came to processing the dead.

Now, families are filing complaints against the California hospital system as they mourn their relatives.

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The family of Jessie Peterson filed a complaint against Dignity Health following her death in April 2023. The initial complaint was filed last year but has since been amended to broaden the scope when it was discovered more people may have been impacted.

The complaint, shared with The Independent by the familys attorney Marc Greenberg, reveals Peterson, 31, died after she was admitted to Mercy San Juan Medical Center during a diabetic episode.

Jessie Peterson's family didn't find her body until April 2024. Her body was so decomposed that an autopsy to rule out medical malpractice was impossible, the family's complaint alleges (Superior Court of the State of California)

Jessie Peterson's family didn't find her body until April 2024. Her body was so decomposed that an autopsy to rule out medical malpractice was impossible, the family's complaint alleges (Superior Court of the State of California)

Petersons mother alleges that she was never contacted about her daughters death, and that hospital staff incorrectly told her she had left against medical advice.

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Her family embarked on a year-long search, posting flyers and asking friends about her whereabouts, SFGate reports. The family finally found closure a year after her death, when police discovered Petersons body at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California. Her body was so badly decomposed that her family was unable to hold an open-casket funeral, SFGate reports.

The decomposition also made it impossible for officials to conduct an autopsy to determine if there was any medical malpractice, the complaint states.

The Peterson family isnt alone.

The family of Tonya Walker, a 51-year-old, mother of four, reported her missing on November 10, 2023. She was homeless at the time, but her family told SFGate she kept in regular contact with them.

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The family was unaware that Walker had been admitted to a Dignity Health hospital on October 31, 2023 for low blood sugar, high blood pressure and high potassium levels. She died on November 2, 2023.

This led to a months-long missing person search. The family hung thousands of posters and offered a reward for information, SFGate reports. They didnt find her until May 31, 2024, when local police discovered Walker, according to the complaint. She was also at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California.

Tonya Walkers family says Dignity Health never notified them about her death and failed to issue a death certificate. (Superior Court of the State of California)

Tonya Walkers family says Dignity Health never notified them about her death and failed to issue a death certificate. (Superior Court of the State of California)

Now, Walkers family alleges Dignity Health never notified them about her death, and failed to issue a death certificate. When they found her in the morgue, they said her body was unrecognizable and it appeared her eyes and skin were removed, SFGate reports.

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The familys complaint states that Dignity Health unilaterally made the decision to make Ms. Walker an organ donor, and then without any permission whatsoever, harvested Ms. Walkers eyes and tissue.

An attorney for Walkers family, Rachel Fiset, told The Independent that the hospital knowingly and repeatedly violated their legal obligations.

The behavior has caused severe emotional distress beyond measure, particularly when coupled with what appears to be harvesting organs without authorization and storing dozens of unembalmed bodies in cold storage for months, and even years, to decompose, Fiset said. Its a gross disregard for human life and the dozens of cases suggest the actions were at the least reckless, if not intentional.

The family also named Mortuary Support Services of Northern California in their complaint. An attorney for the morgues owner, Michael Lofton, told SFGate the company denies any liability related to the allegations.

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Obviously this is a very unfortunate situation; however, our client, Mortuary Support Services of Northern California, disputes that it has any liability in this matter and we intend to vigorously defend any claims against it, the attorney said. However, as this matter is now in litigation, we cannot comment further.

Other Dignity Health patients have reportedly gone missing after their deaths. One unnamed patient went missing in 2023 after their body was picked up by an unknown person, SFGate reports, citing health department records.

A spokesperson for Dignity Health declined to comment on the allegations to SFGate.

The Independent has contacted Dignity Health and Mortuary Support Services of Northern California for comment.
California will sue President Donald Trump's administration over its decision to cancel billions of dollars in federal funding for the construction of a long-delayed high-speed rail line, the state's governor said Thursday.

"Trump's termination of federal grants for California high-speed rail reeks of politics. It's yet another political stunt to punish California," Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

"We're suing to stop Trump from derailing America's only high-speed rail actively under construction," Newsom said, adding that cancelling the funds would put "real jobs and livelihoods on the line."

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A Democratic stronghold, California has been the target of Trump's ire since his return to office, and is already waging multiple legal challenges against the federal government.

The dream of a train linking Los Angeles with San Francisco some 380 miles (610 kilometers) away in just two hours and 40 minutes has been over 15 years in the making.

But the project launched in 2008 to connect the two main cities of the country's most populous state has seen numerous hold ups and overshot budgets.

According to the governor, it is expected to create 15,000 jobs.

On Wednesday, Trump announced he was cutting federal funding earmarked for the project.

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"Not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again," he posted on social media, using a pejorative name for the Democrat governor, a bitter political rival of the president.

During his first term, the Republican leader had already canceled funding for the rail line, but the move was suspended after California challenged it in court.

When Democrat Joe Biden assumed the presidency in 2021, he restored the funds.

Trump's administration threatened to cancel $4 billion earmarked for the project in June after a report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concluded that the initial section of the line would not be completed by a 2033 deadline.

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Even if California's challenge succeeds again, the axed funding is a serious blow to the project, with new delays almost inevitable.

Unlike in Europe or Asia, passenger rail travel is one of the least developed forms of transportation in the United States, with high-speed rail virtually non-existent.

The country's first fully high-speed rail line, planned to run about 220 miles between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, is expected to be completed by 2028, in time for the Olympic Games.

rfo/ph/aks/mlm
Californias high-speed rail authority sued the Trump administration Thursday over its cancellation of billions of dollars in federal funding.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California by state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, comes one day after the Federal Railroad Administration pulled $4 billion from the project that was intended for construction in the Central Valley. The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and challenges the legality of the decision.

The lawsuit calls the administrations actions arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law, and threatens to wreak significant economic damage on the Central Valley, the State, and the Nation." It names Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and acting FRA Administrator Drew Feeley as defendants and details President Trumps personal animus toward the project and long-standing criticism of it. Trump previously pulled funding from the train during his first term.

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The suit calls the presidents past statements over the projects budget as untrue. The project is about $100 billion over budget from its original proposal of $33 billion. Trump previously said it was hundreds of billions of dollars more.

Trumps termination of federal grants for California high-speed rail reeks of politics." Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Thursday. Its yet another political stunt to punish California. In reality, this is just a heartless attack on the Central Valley that will put real jobs and livelihoods on the line. Were suing to stop Trump from derailing Americas only high-speed rail actively under construction.

The fast train to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles was originally expected to be completed in 2020. But while the entire route was environmentally cleared last year, no portion of the line has been finished and construction has been underway only in the Central Valley. The Trump administration initiated a compliance review in February after Republican lawmakers called for an investigation into the project and demanded that it be defunded.

The 310-page review found significant failures in the project, citing budget shortfalls and missed deadlines in its assessment, and found no viable path forward. In two letters disputing the findings, Ian Choudri, chief executive of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the review was filled with inaccuracies that misrepresented the projects progress.

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In early July, Choudri asked that the Federal Railroad Administration delay its decision and requested another meeting. Less than two weeks later, the Trump administration canceled the funds instead.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ)  The Cambria County Coroners Office, along with other teams, has once again started their search for three babies buried in an Ebensburg cemetery.

The search originally began July 7, when two baby skulls discovered at the Mutter Medical Museum in Philadelphia were identified as children from a murder case in Gallitzin. The case, which is nearly 45 years old, stems from the death of Stella Williamson, a Gallitzin resident who died in 1980.

Making a wrong a right Coroner provides updates in 45-year-old Gallitzin baby case

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When Williamson died, police found a trunk in her attic where the remains of four newborns and a nearly 1-year-old were found. Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees explained that, while not authorized by the coroner at the time, the remains were examined in Philadelphia in 1980.

During the first search, Lees and his team were unable to find the remains of the three other babies. However, a former maintenance worker for the cemetery came forward and was able to confirm that the team was looking in the correct spot.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates and download the WTAJ app to receive breaking news notifications.

On Wednesday, Lees said that his office will be using state-of-the-art equipment that provides ground-penetrating radar and has a 100% success rate. Crews began digging around 9 a.m. Friday morning, with the team having plans to spend the whole day on scene if necessary.

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Stick with WTAJ on air and online as we continue to learn more.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Campus for Hope Foundation held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for a project it describes as a transformative solution to Southern Nevadas homelessness crisis. But while shovels turned dirt at the official event, protesters lined the perimeter, voicing concerns about how the project is being handled.

The new $200 million campus will feature a 900-bed facility, offering shelter, addiction recovery services, job training and life skills programs. Foundation leaders say the goal is to help those ready, willing, and able to do the work to return to stable, productive lives.

(KLAS)

Outside the celebratory event, however, neighbors gathered in protest, concerned about the projects location, funding, and lack of transparency.

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I want to invite them into the conversation because this isnt a low-barrier walk-up facility or overnight shelter. It is a transformational campus where people are going to become residents, Kim Jefferies, CEO of Campus for Hope, said Thursday.

(KLAS)

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding the project be paused. Theyre calling for comprehensive traffic studies, environmental reviews and open discussions about the long-term costs associated with running the shelter, estimated at $30 million per year.

We are ground zero. No one understands that. My church is a half a block away from this area, we are ground zero for the homeless, protester Gail Johnson said.

(KLAS)

A key point of contention is the funding source. While the project is partially taxpayer-funded, residents say theyre alarmed that the majority of financial support is coming from the gaming industry.

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Project leaders say the casino donations are part of a regional solution to homelessness, and that the location was chosen for accessibility to services, not for political or financial convenience.

Despite the protests and legal threats, the Campus for Hope Foundation plans to proceed with construction. Residents have filed a lawsuit to try to stop the project, but no court ruling has been issued yet.

Theres been no due diligence, no due process, so the project should not have been approved. Thats how it should be, said protester Jenna Wombolt.

Work on the building is starting in September, followed by construction next year. Currently, plans are to open the campus in 2028.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
A grocery store in Canada is sending a strong message amid U.S. President Donald Trumps trade war with the country  going 117-plus days without selling any U.S.-grown fruits or vegetables, according to Global News.

Were, you know, just really trying to promote the local farms, Garth Green, general manager of Urban Grocer, told the news outlet in a story published July 14. Its been very, very good for us. The customers have been very appreciative of it.

Green says the store, located in Victoria, British Columbia, made the bold move to go cold turkey on American produce after Trump first imposed tariffs on Canadian goods in March.

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Theres people every day almost that come in here and say, You know, we hear what youre doing and we love it and wed love to join on board with you and really shop here, Green said.

Despite the success of the project, Green says it has also brought challenges.

Supply challenges

Green says the grocer has taken a Canada-first approach to sourcing its products, but the reality is not everything can be found in Canada at all times.

At one point, Green thought they could only get cauliflower from the U.S., per Global News, until he found out it was cauliflower season in Holland.

So we reached out to a few suppliers and said, Hey, can you get Holland cauliflower for us? he recalled. We ended up finding some, brought it in, and you know its a little bit more expensive to bring in because youre flying it in. But we just took a [lower] margin, [sold] it at a regular price and [were] able to give the customer something that they can buy until B.C. cauliflower was available.

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Supply is also an issue, and Green admits theyve had to buy extra to maintain stock.

Its all part of a cross-country trend of Canadian consumers avoiding U.S. products.

Read more: Americans are revenge saving to survive  but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Heres how to quickly earn 280% more on your cash

Canadians reject American-made goods

Sylvain Charlebois, a food researcher at Dalhousie University, says whats happening at Urban Grocer reflects the way Canadians have been spurning U.S. goods lately.

The boycott is absolutely real, he told Global News.

A report by marketing research firm NielsonIQ shows, amid trade tensions, nearly half (45%) of Canadian consumers are avoiding U.S. products or opting for Canadian-made alternatives.

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Whats really interesting is that people havent really boycotted chains like Walmart or Costco, but theyre boycotting products, Charlebois said.

Canada has traditionally been one of the biggest buyers of American agricultural goods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2023, Canada made up 16.3% of U.S. agricultural exports.

Its not known how long Canadians will maintain a boycott mindset, but Urban Grober is leaning into the trend.

Across the store, we are working towards trying to go all Canadian if possible, Green said. Its going to be a lot harder, but weve started the process and started to weed out some of the suppliers that we dont need.

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American Packaging Corporation (APC) has announced plans for an expansion of its pouching capabilities at its Center of Excellence in Story City, Iowa, US.

The company aims to commence construction in October this year, with the project expected to be completed by the end of September 2026.

This expansion is said to demonstrate APC's commitment to enhancing its flexible packaging solutions, which include various pouches, bags, and others.

APC CEO and president Ray Graham said: American Packaging is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for pouches and bags for a wide variety of applications.

Customers can find the perfect combination of packaging materials, printing, and special features for their products.

The project will allow APC to serve the growing demand for these solutions in North America.

APC operations director Kevin Neis said: APCs Story City Center of Excellence offers award-winning flexographic printing for its preformed pouches and bags, creating vivid graphics with eye-catching shelf appeal that our customers value. We are excited to expand our pouching capacity and capability.

Established in 1902, APC is a family-owned company that operates six Centers of Excellence across the US and employs around 1,300 staff members.

In March this year, APC announced that the Science Based Targets initiative approved its near-term emissions reduction targets.

The company aims to reduce its absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 58.8% by 2034, using 2023 as the baseline year.

"APC to expand pouching capabilities in Iowa, US" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.




VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)  A Canadian man has been charged with hijacking a small plane after he caused a security scare at Vancouvers airport this week.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Thursday Shaheer Cassim, 39, has been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, over the incident Tuesday that saw the North American Aerospace Defense Command scramble F-15 fighter jets before the plane safely landed.

The RCMP said he seized control of a Cessna at Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island by threatening a flight instructor, before flying about 40 miles (64 kilometers) to Vancouver.

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Investigators have determined the suspect acted with an ideological motive to disrupt airspace, said Sgt. Tammy Lobb in a statement late Wednesday.

A man with the same name and who resembles Cassim posted on social media that he was a messenger of Allah and a Messiah sent to save humanity from climate change.

He said the Angel Gabriel appeared before me and gave me a message from Allah.

Cassims last post warns about abrupt runaway global warming that will cause humans to go extinct within a few years.

Cassim also said in the post that he is Sam Carana, who runs the Arctic News blog that describes itself as a place where contributors all share a deep concern about the way climate change is unfolding in the Arctic and the threat that this poses for the world at large.

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His Facebook profile says he was employed from 2008 to 2010 by now-defunct KD Air, a small airline based on Vancouver Island.

The airlines former owners, Diana and Lars Banke, said in an interview Wednesday that Cassim was one of the smartest and best pilots they ever worked with, calling him a fast learner who was highly intelligent.

But Lars Banke said Cassim left the airline after getting bored and then went to medical school. He also said Cassim believed the world was coming to an end.

Diana Banke said she was very surprised to hear of Cassims charges, saying he was quite young when he worked for them and was like a kid.

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Lars Banke said he recalled that Cassim was somewhat interested in environmentalism, but he was unaware of any kind of religious beliefs.

He never spoke religion with us, Diana Banke said.

Im really surprised that he wouldve done something like this, she added.

In 2012, Cassim held a news conference before going on a cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness for global warming.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said when asked about the incident Thursday that it was a bizarre moment, and the fact that it ended without a more significant disruption at the airport is a testament to the skill of responders who talked the suspect down.
This story was published by The Waco Bridge, a new local newsroom supported by The Texas Tribune. Subscribe to its newsletter.

As a queer kid growing up in a Southern Baptist church in rural South Carolina, AB Waters felt heartbreak after coming out. They lost their community and almost lost their faith.

So Waters, now a Waco licensed social worker, was hopeful in June, when their alma mater, the Diana Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University, announced a $643,401 research grant to help churches better minister to LGBTQ+ people and women.

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I would probably be in a better place and not have struggled so much throughout my life, if my family had the resources or recommendations provided to my church back home, Waters said.

Then on July 9, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone announced the school of social work would return the grant to the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, citing concerns that the research effort would conflict with the universitys statement on human sexuality.

The initial grant announcement prompted fury from some conservative religious commentators who accused Baylor of drifting from its historic Christian values. After Livingstone announced the reversal, a group of more than 60 Texas Baptist pastors and church leaders, including Lead Pastor John Durham of Wacos Highland Baptist Church, wrote an open letter commending Livingstone for the thoughtful, prayerful discernment reflected in (her) actions.

Meanwhile, leaders of Waco churches that affirm LGBTQ+ identity expressed sorrow at Baylors retreat from research on one of the biggest church issues of the day.

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Waters was disappointed but not surprised. They had come to Baylor to challenge their relationship to faith but later felt betrayed by the universitys treatment of LGBTQ+ people.

It is disappointing to see that yet again Baylor is choosing to further rupture that relationship, or practice institutional betrayal and cause further harm to the LGBTQ community, instead of taking this opportunity to allow folks to practice research with academic freedom and integrity, Waters said.

Principle and pressure

University officials declined an interview for this story.

In her July 9 statement, Livingstone referenced the universitys Statement on Human Sexuality. The 2009 document states that Baylor students may not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching, which it says includes any sexual activity outside heterosexual marriage.

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As we reviewed the details and process surrounding this grant, our concerns did not center on the research itself, but rather on the activities that followed as part of the grant, Livingstone stated. Specifically, the work extended into advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylors institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality.

Baylor in 2022 received criticism from conservative circles when it chartered an LGBTQ+ support group called PRISM.

It is unclear whether this months reversal was influenced by criticism from outside commentators or from within Baylors own denomination, the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

A statement from the Baugh Foundation stated the outcome was the result of an online campaign of fear and misinformation.

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The purpose of this research was not to dictate theology, but to better understand the disenfranchisement that LGBTQIA+ individuals and women often face in the church, the foundation stated. The Baugh family has been a major donor to Baylor for decades and supported the creation of George W. Truett Seminary.

This research held the potential to speak to urgent challenges facing the Church today, such as the growing loneliness epidemic among young people and the steady decline in church membership, by offering insights rooted in compassion, community, and belonging, the foundation stated. This decision disserves Baylor students, faculty, and the broader Christian community.

Affirming churches respond

The BGCT provides scholarships and other funding to Baylor and has seats on Baylors Board of Regents. In 2017, the conference kicked out Wacos Lake Shore Baptist Church for its acceptance of same-sex marriage.

University Baptist Church, another Waco LGBTQ+ -affirming church, left the denomination two years later.

University Baptist Church on July 17 in Waco. Credit: Justin Hamel / The Waco Bridge / CatchLight Local / Report for America

University Baptist Lead Pastor Andie Pellicer called the grant cancellation a missed opportunity for conversations about a widespread concern. She said every church has people who are suppressing their sexuality.

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Theres no congregation that is absent of a person who is at least considering the potential of their own queerness, right? she said. And so what were saying is that you are so wrong and so scary that we wont even have a conversation about your existence. Oh, how denigrating and sad.

Since coming to Waco, Lake Shore Baptist Church pastor Nick Mumejian has presided over multiple weddings, and all but one couple were queer.

Mumejian was disappointed with Baylors decision.

University Baptist Church pastor Andie Pellicer on July 17 in Waco. Credit: Justin Hamel / The Waco Bridge / CatchLight Local / Report for America

I disagree with it. Our church completely disagrees with it, Mumejian said. We are a congregation that has supported same-sex marriage, continues to support same-sex marriage. We have on ministerial staff, people who are queer, openly queer, and we fully support them.

View from the other side

John Durham, the Highland Baptist pastor who signed the letter praising Baylors decision, declined an interview for this story.

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The letter stated, in part: In a polarized culture, Baylors decision demonstrates moral courage, affirming biblical orthodoxy while cultivating a campus environment where every student is treated with dignity, care and grace.

Pastor Ronnie Holmes of the nondenominational Church of the Open Door, which has protested gay pride events in Waco, said Livingstones statement was watered down and did not take a firm biblical stance.

He said the grant was an attempt to get church leaders to soften their stance on Bible teachings.

I stand in opposition to those things that would try to persuade the church to leave clear biblical foundations, Holmes said. For example, the embracing of redefining what sin is, watering down the truth that actually goes and, as Jesus said, sets people free.

Seeing inconsistency

Baylors reversal left Blake Burleson, retired Baylor religion professor and deacon at the LGBTQ+ -affirming Seventh and James Baptist Church, surprised and perplexed.

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He argued that Baylor bases its statement on human sexuality on declarations from the Southern Baptist Convention, which has no affiliation with Baylor.

So on the one hand, its perplexing to me, because why are we using that document? he said. But then secondly, its perplexing because were choosing a portion of it related to the statement on marriage and not choosing the rest?

He noted that Baylor doesnt heed Southern Baptist prohibitions on women in pastoral roles. At Baylor, there are more women than men in religion and ministry studies, according to Burleson, who taught in the religion department for 38 years.

Our department, to a person, affirms women in leadership, including the pastor. So what Im saying is theres an inconsistency in several ways, Burleson said.

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Waters, the social worker, was a research assistant at the school of social work during their time at Baylor.

Waters said the grant cancellation will hurt students who need to do research for their degree.

Thats peoples jobs and their livelihood, and thats students, they said. Youre limiting students ability to be able to continue the work that theyve been doing. It will cause an extreme amount of stress on a graduate students ability to complete their capstone.

Waters is concerned the decision to rescind the grant could hurt the universitys R1 status in the future.

What does that mean for all the other graduate programs that are in the school of Baylor? they said.

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Just because you say youre holding academic freedom in your public statement doesnt mean that your actions carry that.

Disclosure: Baylor University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 1315. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today!

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
A sign for an Oklahoma CareerTech office in Stillwater is pictured on Dec. 6, 2024. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Over $7.5 million in federal grants were not distributed to Oklahoma CareerTech at the beginning of the fiscal year to fund adult education programs, the agencys director said.

The Trump administration froze the funding amid concerns that it was going toward educating undocumented immigrants, Brent Haken, director of Oklahoma CareerTech, said during a meeting Thursday.

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The freeze affects Adult Education and Family Literacy programs offered by 30 providers at 119 sites across Oklahoma. These programs help adults earn their high school diploma equivalency, among other services. CareerTech had previously taken steps to make sure those utilizing the grant money are not undocumented, he said. He hopes the funding will be unfrozen.

These programs serve as a lifeline for thousands of Oklahomans who are seeking to improve their education and employment opportunities, Haken said in a statement Friday. Without access to these funds, we risk leaving our most vulnerable learners behind and weakening the states workforce pipeline. We urge federal officials to act swiftly to release these funds and protect educational opportunities for adult learners across Oklahoma.

Over 500 teachers, employed outside the agency, would be impacted by a loss of the funding.

While most of the programs have paused operation until funding is worked out, some have continued to serve Oklahomans despite the freeze, according to a statement.

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Oklahoma doesnt pay for high school equivalency education in any other ways, the director said. Around 300,000 adults in the state dont have a high school diploma and these programs, paid for by federal grants, are the only way to get them caught up, Haken said Thursday.

Haken said hes communicated with the state Legislature about the funding issue.

More definite answers about whether funding will be restored should come by Aug. 9, Haken told his board Thursday.

Oklahoma CareerTech also receives $18.4 million in federal funding through the Carl D. Perkins grant, which is awarded annually to states for career and technical education programs. This funding is not affected by the freeze, according to a statement.

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WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Carlson Law Firm of Wichita Falls is giving back to the community with its backpack giveaway.

This party aims to support local families for back-to-school by giving free backpacks, school supplies, games and treats. This is part of the firms charitable program, Carlson Cares, in collaboration with Townsquare Media.

The event will have Kona Ice, games and exciting giveaways for the entire family. Students are encouraged to celebrate the back-to-school season with a morning of fun.

The long-term success of our communities hinges on the education of our children, Craig Carlson, managing partner at The Carlson Law Firm, said. Back-to-school season is a great opportunity to support families with the materials students need to thrive, and we are committed to encouraging childrens education.

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Parents can register for a chance to win a backpack full of school supplies for their children by completing this form. A limited number of backpacks will also be reserved for walk-ins, with each family limited to three backpacks.

The free backpack will include:

Scissors

Pencils

Glue

Markers

Crayons

Notebooks

Paper Portfolios

The event will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, at Carlson Law Firm in Wichita Falls.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.
A dispute over a landmark seaside tower led to a "likely" bribe attempt involving a Cartier watch and secret recordings, according to court papers.

The High Court heard one of the parties in the case even blocked the entrance to a care home with his car to induce his rival to talk to him.

The case centred on the ownership and financial arrangements relating to the Atlantis Tower in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

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The man named in civil court as the individual who offered the Cartier watch, Sotiris Christophi, said: "The suggestion that this was a bribe or had any improper purpose is completely at odds with my understanding and intention."

The court heard how Mr Christophi, an accountant, and Dr Sanjay Kaushal, a care home owner, fell out after they jointly funded the purchase and redevelopment of the tower in November 2021.

They did this through a company called RP Design and Construction Limited (RPD).

Mr Christophi brought the case, arguing he and Dr Kaushal had agreed to split the ownership of the company equally in an oral agreement.

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Dr Kaushal denied this and said Mr Christophi's financial contribution had been a loan not an investment.

Deputy High Court Judge Saira Salimi rejected Mr Christophi's claim.

The Atlantis Tower has stood as a landmark on the Great Yarmouth seafront since its construction in the 1960s.

The intention was to convert the upper floors into 18 residential flats and then sell them.

This section of the property previously been used as a hotel.

'Blocking entrance'

By early 2023 Dr Kausal and his former friend, Mr Christophi, were in serious disagreement over the project.

Mr Christophi had began to behave "aggressively and unreasonably", Dr Kausal said, and that he felt intimidated.

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There had been heated meetings and phone calls recorded secretly by Mr Christophi, he told the court.

It was alleged that at one point this included Mr Christophi posting negative reviews of a care home owned by Dr Kausal and even blocking its entrance with a car.

This latter incident was a pressure tactic to make Dr Kaushal talk to him, the court heard.

Dr Kausal also alleged he had even been physically prevented from leaving a room during a meeting between the pair.

Mr Christophi told the BBC: "I absolutely reject any suggestion that I intended to intimidate or act unreasonably"

"I sought dialogue, nothing more, and when that dialogue was repeatedly refused, I did what I believed was necessary to be heard" he added.

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In April 2023, Mr Christophi gave a Cartier watch to the owner of the company brought in to refurbish the property, Besnik Ademaj, and transferred 50,000 to Mr Ademaj's firm.

It was alleged by Dr Kausal this was to induce Mr Ademaj to transfer his shares in RPD.

Mr Christophi claimed the watch and money were a gesture of trust and friendship, meant to show goodwill during their discussions about transferring shares.

The watch and money were subsequently returned, according to the judgement.

Judge Salimi said it was "on the balance of probabilities" an attempt at a bribe "which did not result in success".

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Mr Christophi, 53, also known as Steve, is linked to a Norwich company at the centre of tax fraud allegations.

The BBC revealed last year how Green Jellyfish had been raided by officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and a number of arrests made.

Internal company documents described Mr Christophi as a stakeholder in the firm, which is currently being wound up.

Companies House data shows an overlap between Mr Christophi's businesses and Green Jellyfish, including shared premises.

Mr Christophi said he had always conducted himself "lawfully and with integrity".

"I respect the rule of law, and I respect the judgment, even where I may feel that parts of my side of the story remain untold" he added.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Once Angie Gonzalez started to hear rumors that her husband might finally leave CECOT this week, she stopped being able to sleep. She got out of bed at 4 a.m. on Friday morning and has spent the day glued to a computer screen, watching online plane trackers, following the news on social media, and waiting for the chance to speak to him again.

Gonzalezs husband, Jesus Alberto Rios Andrade, was one of 238 Venezuelans that the Trump administration summarily sent to the notorious El Salvador prison in March under the Alien Enemies Act.

Its been a hard road, full of guilt, shame, and worry, Gonzalez told TPM. In a phone interview Friday, she said that the stress of the past few months has taken a toll: shes broken out in rashes all over her body. She sometimes forgets to eat, and for months stopped taking work as a truck driver. When she watched El Salvadors propaganda videos of the Alien Enemies Act detainees being marched off planes, she felt her throat constrict.

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My heart hurts, my stomach hurts, my head hurts. I can barely see, Gonzalez said of the news that CECOT detainees would be repatriated to Venezuela, as first reported by Reuters and Bloomberg earlier Friday and announced by El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele this afternoon. Its a lot of happiness, frustration, relief.

As of Friday, her husband appears to be on his way out of El Salvadors notorious detention camp. An attorney for another Venezuelan CECOT detainee sent there under the Alien Enemies Act told TPM on Friday that he expects all the Venezuelans in the prison to be repatriated by the weekend. Secretary of State (and many other things) Marco Rubio said on X that the U.S. would receive detainees from Venezuela as part of a deal; Bukele said that Venezuelans held in CECOT would be repatriated.

For the families of those detained, its an incredible relief. Gloria Browning Vaamondes-Barrios last spoke to her husband Miguel on March 14. The next day, the Trump administration loaded him onto a flight in South Texas which took off for El Salvador even as a judge prepared to hold a hearing over whether the operation was legal.

Im just so happy right now, Vaamondes-Barrios told TPM. Im just gonna tell him that Ive been fighting for him and there wasnt one minute that I wasnt thinking about him and fighting for him.

Disrespected as an American

For the past few months, Ive been reporting on elements of the Alien Enemies Act removals. It remains one of the most authoritarian moves the Trump administration has made: it used a wartime power, last invoked during World War II  in part to remove Nazis (they received hearings)  to send immigrants in the U.S. to a foreign prison. When confronted in court, federal officials dissembled, flouted court orders, and claimed that there was nothing they could do: the Venezuelans were beyond American control.

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When I got word this week that there might be an exchange, I reached out to attorneys for those removed, and to their U.S. citizen family members, some of whom I had already spoken with in recent months. None of them had heard from U.S. officials; one attorney, in touch with the U.N. and Venezuelan officials, had received a heads up about the exchange.

I called Gonzalez, the El Paso truck driver, on Friday morning as reports of the exchange began to emerge.

Gonzalez might not be what you expect from someone who married an undocumented immigrant. She voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020; on Friday, she told TPM that she liked the president because she saw him as my grandpa that I never had. His hard line on illegal immigration also appealed to Gonzalez, a second-generation immigrant. I felt like I was being disrespected as an American, she said.

Gonzalez has what you might describe as an instinctive distrust of institutions. She declined to vote for Trump in 2024 because she suspected there was more to the Pennsylvania assassination attempt than the official story: I didnt fall for that, she said. In a conversation with me last month, she described meeting her husband, a Venezuelan asylum seeker, after finding him emerge with a group of people from an incognito building.

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Turns out that it was where the federal government was bringing in the immigrants, she said, adding that it happened under Biden.

Gonzalez gave the man, Rios Andrade, a ride to church, she said. They fell in love, and married in September 2024. They were applying for citizenship-through-marriage when, on February 1, Rios Andrade was detained by immigration officials.

After Rios Andrade was sent to CECOT, Gonzalez threw herself into activism. She found other relatives of detainees on Facebook; on TikTok and Instagram videos about the operation, she would leave comments identifying herself and telling her story.

For Gonzalez, the experience prompted reflection. She doesnt hate Trump, and it hasnt turned her into a Democrat, she said. If anything, its deepened her lack of trust in everything around her.

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I dont want to hate my country because I love it, she said, adding: I see a lot of the truth behind everything now, even in the past, with all these months of suffering. Ive done so much research and I see how evil this country is, really  all I see is evil. And its sad that Im part of it.

Whats coming next

Although Trump officials would surely love for this to be the end of the legal saga around the CECOT renditions, it will almost certainly continue. For one thing, to detain and remove them to CECOT, the government painted all those deported as being involved with a violent Venezuelan gang. Those allegations were quickly shown to be baseless. The lack of due process mean that many of those removed were seeking asylum when the Trump administration removed them, claiming fear of persecution by the Venezuelan government. Now, having been freed from CECOT, these former detainees will find themselves back in the country they had fled claiming fear of political repression.

Both Gonzalez and Vaamondes-Barrios suggested that some of the families of those removed are considering other means of accountability, including additional legal action. They may still try to gain citizenship for their removed husbands via marriage.

Its a deeply complicated and confusing situation for those its touched. The government did not afford the minimal protections that it must, by law, provide to people it seeks to deport. Its left them wondering what they could have done differently, and if they misjudged the country in which they were trying to build a home with their husbands. Kilmar Abrego Garcias testimony about having suffered psychological and physical torture while in CECOT looms in the background.

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That confusion came out when I asked Gonzalez what shell say to her husband once they talk. She started sobbing, and said that she wanted to apologize to him for telling him that he was safe here and for everything he had to go through, and because he knew that I supported Trump at one point.

Nobody should be feeling or going through what we went through, she said.
Killeen, TX (FOX 44)  Theres currently a nationwide shortage of jailers and Central Texas College is stepping up to meet the demand.

The CTCs Jailer Academy combines academic instruction with scenario-based training to prepare students for real word challenges they will face on the job. The curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation for those seeking a career in law enforcement or corrections.

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Upon completion, graduates are eligible for certification and can begin working in jails across Texas.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HARRISBURG. Pa. (WTAJ)  The 26th Class of Waterways Conservation Officers (WCO) has graduated from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissions H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety, the PFBC announced.

The graduation of the 19 members took place Friday at the Pennsylvania State Capitol and the new officers will now report to their new assigned regions across the state next week.

Among the 19 officers, Centre County will see a new WCO, Dalton Hopper from Phillipsburg.

Courtesy of PFBC

The officers go through an extensive 49-week training program before graduation, where they learn about all aspects of standard police principles and also conservation law enforcement, according to the PFBC. Following civil service testing and selection, WCO trainees complete a 17-week Municipal Police Officers Basic Training located at Mansfield University and then 32 additional weeks of training at the PFBCs H.R. Stackhouse school in Bellefonte.

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Waterways Conservation officers duties include not only patrolling the waterways, they also conduct environmental investigations and stock waterways with fish.

To learn more about the graduates, visit the PFBCs website.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHIPPEWA FALLS  The Chippewa Falls Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday to hear from residents on whether the city should purchase Flock safety cameras.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 30 W. Central St.

This will mark the third meeting where the committee has discussed whether to purchase the surveillance equipment, which would be placed along busy traffic corridors in the city. Flock cameras capture images of license plates, not people inside vehicles. They are not used to issue traffic citations, like speeding. Rice Lake, Menomonie and Eau Claire all have these cameras.

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The council members who serve on the committee are Heather Martell, Jody Marr and Scott Sullivan. The committee has been weighing the stated benefits  that cameras help solve crimes like locating stolen vehicles or tracking down kidnapped people  against their concerns, such as if cameras are too intrusive and if they could open up the city to potential lawsuits.

At the last discussion on the topic, the committee agreed they wanted a public hearing that would take place in the evening so more residents could weigh in on if they think the cameras are a positive or a negative.

After the public hearing concludes, the committee is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council.

Trevor Chandler, a San Francisco-based Flock lobbyist, told the committee in June they now have 1,300 employees and have cameras in 42 states and in more than 5,000 municipalities. The cameras capture images of license plates and enter them into a national database.

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Chandler said that courts have consistently ruled that recording images of the exterior of the car, and particularly a license plate, is legal and doesnt violate Fourth Amendment rights to privacy.

If the city opts to purchase the cameras, the Chippewa Falls Police Department would have access to the footage, with Flock storing the data. The only people who would have access to the data from Chippewa Falls is the city; it would not be shared with any other municipality. Typically, municipalities opt to save footage for 30 days. An officer can download a video and image at any point in that 30-day period and retain it for investigative purposes.

The police department first requested purchasing the cameras a few years ago. A proposed offer in 2023 called for the city to purchase seven new Flock traffic cameras, plus installation and a two-year contract, at a cost of $49,450.

Even though Chippewa Falls hasnt had Flock cameras, Chief Ryan Douglas said they are familiar with the technology and have seen how they work and how they have helped resolve issues.

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Douglas said he is hopeful of getting six to 10 of the cameras that would be placed along major transportation corridors in city limits. He said he has a tentative list of where 10 cameras could be placed on busier streets in city limits.

Flock cameras have been credited with the arrest of Jose E. Dominguez-Garcia, who killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend and left her body in a suitcase in the Town of Wheaton in July 2020. Dominguez-Garcia was arrested in a suburb of Kansas City, Mo., in November 2023 after a Flock camera recognized he was driving a stolen vehicle. Dominguez-Garcia was sentenced last month to serve 25 years in prison.
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  Col. Thomas C. Farrington II assumed command of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River from Col. Garth W. Burnett after three years in the position.

Its bittersweet to relinquish command of Marine Corps Air Station, New River. Its been one of the best experiences of my career and the local community here in Jacksonville, Onslow County and all of the business leaders and community leaders, and retired government and military who have stayed in the area really make this a treasure, said Col. Garth W. Burnett.

Col. Burnett said one of his proudest accomplishments is getting a child development center opened on the base.

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We had a building that was right out in front of my office that was designed to be a CDC and wasnt open for child care, and we had an ability to spend less than 5% of the money we would on a new facility to renovate one and make it something where 82 children can come in and have on base childcare every day, said Col. Burnett.

Col. Burnett will now serve as assistant chief of staff for operations on Camp Lejeune.

What does an air station do? Well, theres a pretty good guiding light, right as you drive through this base, it says pardon our noise, thats the sound of freedom. And thats what an air station does, said Col. Farrington, incoming commanding officer of MCAS Air Station New River.

Members of both the military and the Onslow County community attended the Change of Command ceremony.

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At the ceremony, Brigadier General Ralph Rizzo Jr. gave remarks congratulating both men on their new journey.

I look out at the crowd and all the folks I see from the local community, our community leaders, those elected officials in their representatives who are here today. Thanks so much for your continued support, said Brigadier General Rizzo.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
At a time when Bitcoin broke the $120,000 mark for the first time, Wall Streets appetite is growing for new ways to hold the firstand largestcryptocurrency. The latest vehicle: publicly traded companies that hold Bitcoin in their treasuries. On the inaugural episode of Fortunes vodcast Crypto Playbook, Jack Mallersa prominent Bitcoin champion and the CEO and cofounder of the new Bitcoin treasury company Twenty-One Capitalargued that betting on firms whose sole goal is to accumulate more Bitcoin is a superior way for traditional investors to get access to the red-hot asset class.

Pioneered by Michael Saylors technology company MicroStrategy, many firms have recently adopted the approach of using balance sheet capital to buy Bitcoin, with some launching over the past few months. Those include the upstart Twenty-One Capital, which is backed by stablecoin leader Tether and tech investment giant Softbank and led Mallers, a 31-year-old known for founding the Bitcoin company Strike and leading efforts to push global adoption, including in El Salvador through his work with President Nayib Bukele.

What makes us uniquely different than an ETF is were an operating company, so were founded as a Bitcoin business with a core goal of increasing what we call Bitcoin per share, Mallers told Fortune. Our goal is to be the best way for the capital markets to participate in this Bitcoin story.

Mallers added that, with capital trapped in public markets, companies like Twenty-One allow investors to gain exposure to the asset class without having to use crypto exchanges or self-custody their Bitcoin through more complex instruments like hardware wallets. What we figured is we would put together a vehicle and a business that solves that problem, he said. Im making Bitcoin more useful to the world.

Twenty-One is preparing to go public in the coming weeks after the startup agreed to a merger with Cantor Equity Partners, a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial firm previously led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and now run by his son, Brandon. Cantor Fitzgerald is also the primary custodian for the reserves backing Tether, the controversial stablecoin company that will serve as the majority owner of Twenty-One. Though the launch date is still unclear, Twenty-One and Cantor Equity Partners announced last week they had confidentially filed with the SEC to publicly list.

Twenty-One will face stiff competition as the Bitcoin treasury strategy grows more popular, including from MicroStrategy, which recently rebranded to Strategy. But as a pure-play Bitcoin company, Mallers insists that the companys approachand formidable founding teamrepresents a new era for the cryptocurrency. Weve heard a lot of how Wall Street has arrived to Bitcoin, he told Fortune. We view Twenty-One as Bitcoin has arrived on Wall Street.
Two open seats on the Lakewood City Council means the city will be getting a new mayor and deputy mayor in 2026.

Mayor Jason Whalen and Deputy Mayor Mary Moss, who have both served on the council since 2010, will not be running for re-election this year. That means their seats will be vacant, and the City Council will choose its new leaders in its first meeting of January.

Lakewoods City Council is made up of non-partisan members elected to four-year terms. Four people are vying for Position 1 (currently held by Moss): Ellen Talbo, Chas Ames, Alice Fog and Mark Herr. Two running for Position 3 (currently held by Whalen) are Jennifer Lamari and Philip Lindholm, according to Pierce Countys Local Voters Pamphlet.

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Taylor Whitt is listed in the Pierce County Local Voters Pamphlet as running for Position 3, but Whitt told The News Tribune on Wednesday over the phone that he had withdrawn from the race because he did not have the network or the finances to run.

Whalen and Moss told The News Tribune on Wednesday that after nearly 16 years on the City Council, they are ready to pass the baton.

These positions are not lifetime appointments, and I very much respect that, and believe that Ive provided a fair amount of good effort and work, and wanted to give another person an opportunity to do the same, Whalen said. We are there to be good stewards of the publics trust and the publics money. And I think fresh ideas enhance that.

The city of Lakewood has a council-mayor form of government where the City Council appoints from within its ranks the mayor and deputy mayor every two years, following the election cycle.

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Whalen said he never looked at his time on the Lakewood City Council as a political stepping stone and said he recently was recruited to take a position as the city attorney for Auburn, where he has worked full-time for about a year. Whalen said he will continue to stay involved and engaged in Lakewood and hopes that the community has seen the significant improvements made to the city over the last 16 years, including million and millions of investments in new streets, sidewalks, lighting, parks, facilities and infrastructure improvements.

I really focused on the opportunity to serve the community in which I lived, and that has been my focus. I really enjoyed non-partisan work in a very partisan world, and so local government gives you that opportunity, he said. Certainly, the public will make their own determination on whether they feel good about it over the course of history. But I think, you know, I feel pretty good that weve done good work over time. Certainly, theres much work to be done.

Moss told The News Tribune on Wednesday she planned to stay involved in the community, including as founder and president of the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition. Moss said she was most proud about her work to focus on youth and under-served communities as well was ways to enhance Lakewoods diversity.

I have enjoyed my journey on the council, but after 16 years, I think its time for me to go, she said. Ive passed retirement age, so, like I said, I failed retirement a long time ago. Im still full of energy, energetic and excited about continuing on.

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As a girl, Moss said, she always wanted to be a leader.

Coming from a tobacco field to where I am today is really a dream come true, she said. I followed my dream, even when I didnt realize it.

Learn more about how to register to vote, who your candidates will be and where your nearest ballot box is online at the Pierce County Elections website.

Who are the Position 1 candidates?

Ellen Talbo currently serves as the vice chair of the citys Planning Commission. Talbo has no elected experience but is an urban planning and public works professional with 19 years of experience in transportation infrastructure, according to her Voters Pamphlet biography. Talbo works in the city of Rentons Public Works Department and was a county transportation planner in California from 2017-2022. She is endorsed by Moss and other Democrats, including Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen and the 28th Legislative District Democrats. According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Talbo has raised $12,139 and spent $2,375 on her campaign.

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Talbo said Lakewood is her hometown and, Im running because I believe that Lakewood deserves energetic modern leadership that understands cross-generational needs for  change while balancing priorities for safe neighborhoods and cultivating community spirit.

Chas Ames has 20 years of military experience and was a two-term chair of the citys Public Safety Advisory Committee, among other community-service roles. In his Voters Pamphlet statement, Ames said while spending most of his life in Lakewood, he has advocated for better water quality, protested city furloughs and advocated for rental-housing safety. Ames has raised $875 and spent $2,255 on his campaign, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. He did not list any endorsements.

Ive always had one foot in the future watching for problems that need solving, he wrote. In my neighborhood people know me as someone who helps them out. What if I could do that for an entire city?

Alice Fong is the CEO of the Center for Ethical Leadership and has served on the Washington state Public Health Advisory Board, Pierce County Commission on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs and the Lakewood Promise Advisory Board, among others. In her statement, Fong said she spent the first 22 years of her life working at her parents Chinese restaurant in East Tacoma and has applied my parents mom and pop approach to how to show up and lead in my career and service to the community for almost 30 years. Fong raised $5,360 and spent $1,278 on her campaign, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. She listed endorsements from City Council member Trestin Lauricella and Bethel School Board member Erasmo Ruiz, among other community leaders, on her website.

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A listener, collaborator and make-it-happen leader, Ill work with Lakewoodians to feel safe, create economic growth, support small businesses and build a healthy and vibrant community, she wrote.

Mark Herr is a U.S. Army Combat veteran, small business owner and former Lakewood Chamber of Commerce ambassador. Hes served on the Lakewood Planning Commission, the Lakewood Independent Salary Commission and the Rotary Club of Lakewood, among others. Herr is endorsed by Whalen, Moss, council member Paul Bocchi and council member Ryan Pearson, in addition to Rep. Travis Couture, R-35 and others, according to his website. According to the Public Disclosure Commission, he raised $18,250 and spent $5,210 on his campaign.

Herr said that after recovering from a devastating motorcycle accident he successfully led two small businesses through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and advocated for transparency, accountability and public input on the planning commission.

I understand firsthand the pressures facing our community  from growing demands for public safety, to the need for sustainable infrastructure and essential community services, he wrote. Lakewood is at a pivotal moment.

Who are the Position 3 candidates?

Jennifer Lamari runs a solo law practice in Lakewood with more than 10 years of litigation experience, including as a criminal deputy prosecutor, city deputy prosecutor, assistant city attorney and deputy coroner, according to the Pierce Countys Local Voters Pamphlet. Lamari said she is familiar with a wide variety of state and municipal laws and listed those laws in her statement. She is endorsed by Indivisible Tacoma, a volunteer organization that has a mission to elect progressive leaders, according to her website. Lamari has raised $550 and spent $0 on her campaign, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.

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If elected, Lamari said she vows to serve all citizens equally and to ensure fairness and impartiality in all my actions as a nonpartisan city council member.

Philip Lindholm is the CEO of a small business and on the Lakewood Planning Commission. He was an Air Force captain, a lecturer at the University of Washington and development researcher for the British Broadcasting Corporation, among other professional, educational and community service experiences. Lindholm said his small business and planning commission experience means, I know how we can revitalize our downtown and effectively address homelessness, public safety and growth.

I will stand up for our military members and strengthen our citys bond with JBLM and Camp Murray. As a son, father and former grief-group facilitator at Mary Bridge Hospital, I will be a bold advocate for our most vulnerable populations, he wrote in his statement. I believe in collaboration and have earned strong bipartisan support from leaders across our community.

Lindholm is endorsed by Whalen, in addition to former Lakewood mayors Don Anderson and Doug Richardson, in addition to deputy mayor Moss, council members Bocchi and Pearson, former police chief Mike Zaro, former Sheriff Paul Pastor, School Board President Alyssa Anderson Pearson, past and present Rotary presidents and local business owners, according to his statement. He has raised $24,845 on his campaign and spent $13,591, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick sponsored the inaugural Energy and Innovation Summit earlier this week at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

It was attended by leaders from major tech, finance and energy companies as well as government leaders and members of the Presidents Cabinet.

President Trump also spoke at the summit and led the round table discussion that concluded the day-long event.

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Chief Investigator Rick Earle covered the summit on Tuesday and on Thursday morning, Earle spoke exclusively with Senator McCormick about the gathering.

Earle: Can Pittsburgh become the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the world?

Senator McCormick: I really do think it can be, certainly of America. We have the jewel, its an absolute jewel, of Carnegie Mellon (University). We have the jewel of these incredibly skilled workers.

Earle spoke with Senator McCormick about the first-ever Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation summit at CMU that attracted tech, energy, government and finance leaders from around the world.

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It ended with a round table discussion led by President Trump.

Something special happened where you had 60 of the most significant business leaders in the world that came to Pennsylvania in artificial intelligence, and technology and energy and investment. That alone is a huge step forward, said McCormick.

McCormick said the summit was a resounding success and sent a message to the world about Pennsylvania.

It was reported around the world on television. Every major CEO saw that. Wow. Thats the place where the energy revolution, the AI revolution are coming together. So, I do think this is laying the groundwork for more and more investment, said McCormick.

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During the summit, McCormick unveiled a list of 20 companies that have promised to invest $92 billion in Pennsylvania to build data centers, artificial intelligence and energy plants, including one in Homer City, Indiana County.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Developers unveil plans for natural gas-fired power plant in Indiana County

Many of the data centers will rely on the abundance of natural gas in Pennsylvania.

Some will also be powered by 10 nuclear power plants that Cranberry-based Westinghouse has committed to build across the country.

McCormick said the massive financial investment will translate into tens of thousands of jobs across the commonwealth.

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He also praised Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for attending the summit and embracing the energy and AI movement.

I had invited a number of prominent democrats from our area, as well as the Governor, and obviously the many Republicans. This is bipartisan in the sense that jobs and opportunity, is something we all should want, said McCormick.

Shapiro said the financial commitments are now on the record and he will see to it that the companies live up to those promises.

McCormick told Earle he would also make sure that the companies uphold the financial commitments.

McCormick said the summit put Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania on the map, and ready to lead the country in energy and AI.

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McCormick said Pennsylvania is competing against the rest of the country.

This is a race, and right now, I can assure you the Governors and the Senators and many have told me in West Virginia and Ohio and Virginia and Georgia and Texas are saying, Whoa, what the hell is happening in Pennsylvania? We got to make sure that next investment doesnt go there. Its got to come to us, So we got to, we got to. show that Pennsylvania is unique and that we got a lot to offer, McCormick said

McCormick highlighted cutting-edge research institutions like CMU, a skilled and energetic workforce, an abundance of natural gas and politicians focused on the movement.

McCormick also attempted to calm the fears of critics who said the demand for more energy could harm the environment.

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Climate change is a real thing and human activity contributes to it. The best way to bend carbon emissions is fracking and natural gas, said McCormick.

McCormick also addressed criticism from Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia, who said in a news release that the projects announced include many investments from the last administration.

Kenyatta was referring to the democratic administration of President Joe Biden.

If some of the good work that we were able to highlight the other day had started under the Biden administration, hallelujah, I embrace it. I just want good things to happen in Pennsylvania, said McCormick.

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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  The Caddo Parish District Attorney may have dismissed charges against a young Shreveport mother of three. However, she still has to overcome the hardship of being separated from her small children.

On July 5, 2025, Cavinitri White, also known as Calii Stevenson to friends and family, reported that a conflict arose over a PlayStation used by her children to stream programming they watch at her apartment in the Village Square complex. As the issue became more heated, Stevenson called the Shreveport police to attempt to de-escalate the situation.

When police arrived, they asked questions about the conflict, whether it became violent, and whether anyone had been assaulted, all of which Stevenson said she responded no. She said she was in and out of her apartment, checking in with the officers who answered the call.

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I went back outside when I came outside and asked him again about those questions, he asked me, did I have any kids? I was like, yes, I have three children that are in the home right now. My three kids, my daughter Barbie, that is one, my other daughter, Casiele , thats three, and my son, Tee, who is four. And he asked that he see the kids, to which I proceeded to say, yes. I invited him into my home. I invited him into my home, you know, and he came in immediately.

Caddo D.A. announces no charges for Shreveport mom accused of neglect

She said the officer went straight to the kitchen, where he saw unwashed dishes left by family members after shed gone to bed for the night. Also in the sink was a pan used to bake ribs thatd been left to soak after she washed dishes in the early morning hours of July 5. He walked through the bedrooms and living room to view the apartment in its totality and returned to the kitchen. He also noticed a roach infestation in an area of the kitchen that lacked crown molding and an A/C vent, which pests use to move throughout the apartment complex.

An SPD press release distributed to local media at 10:28 p.m. on July 5 said, Officers and investigators reported the apartment was heavily infested with cockroaches. The infestation was observed on nearly every surface, including furniture, kitchen cabinets, and inside the refrigerator. Roaches were also seen coming through holes in the walls, further compromising the health and safety of the environment.

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Stevenson said that once the attention shifted from a property dispute to an investigation of her ability to care for her children, she began to provide the officer with proof that she was doing her best with what she had.

I kind of had to explain to him they they had turned the water off here. We had no pest control. We dont have trash pickup, and we dont have, we dont, no actual maintenance on the property. So these things are a result of not having pest control, not having the leaks in our apartment, and these and other apartments as well. And he just proceeded to walk off. He said. So the water was out of here. I say, yes sir, this is Village Square Apartments. I advocated for them. I went and spoke. I went to tell everyone about what was going on, and he was like, okay. And he walked away.

System failures made a bad situation worse for Calii Stevenson

Anyone who has been paying attention to local news in Shreveport understands that several low-income apartment complexes, including Village Square, have been a thorn in the side of city leaders due to a lack of maintenance and upkeep, rodent and pest infestations, and unpaid utilities, including water payments to the City of Shreveport. So it comes as no surprise that, as Stevenson feels the tide shifting in the investigation, she would do all she could to convince officers that the pests were beyond her control. She even explained that she was preparing to move to another place, but those plans fell through, and there was a delay in the necessary HUD inspection.

Louisiana senator authors bill modifying child abuse, neglect laws

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Her explanations fell on deaf ears, and the officer asked her to hand over her phone, invited her to sit in the car, and later informed her that she was being detained and ultimately arrested. The Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services was called to the scene, as is protocol in cases claiming child endangerment, abuse, or neglect.

DCFS staff members on the scene told her that the neglect charges stemmed from the officer observing roaches but finding no food inside the home.

I have Walmart receipts every day I buy food. So if you have a rodent infestation, why would it make sense to leave all that for roaches to eat? Why would you not have food prepared thats covered, like any food that my kids, if they dont eat it that same day, gets thrown in the trash.

As word of Caliis arrest spread, community members were moved and came to support her

While Stevenson was in jail, Carla Collins, a Shreveport native known for her advocacy for community members, became aware of the situation and sprang into action to determine what, if anything, she could do to help.

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Collins said stepping in was easy because anyone could be in Caliis shoes.

I dont judge. I dont look at, you know, the surroundings, I dont. I just know, hey, theres this need. If I have the ability and the means and the time to do it, Im going to do it. So I did receive a call, and I had just seen it on Facebook, and I made a comment because everyone was, you know, joking and laughing and whatever. Collins said. And Im like, hey, well, if shes in jail for neglect due to a roach infestation, what about the property management team? What about the landlords? Im like, you know, Ive been here when the water was turned off, Ive already seen it. And then when I went to visit, her home, I was greeted, you know, with roaches outside on the concrete, having a picnic.

Collins said she doesnt blame the Shreveport Police Department and said the officers that day made an assessment of Stevensons living situation based off what they observed and were taught to do in the interest of child welfare. However, a little more common sense and prior understanding of the issues at the apartment complex would have gone a long way. Her gripe is with the lack of accountability faced by property owners who continually fail to fulfill their duty to provide a safe and inhabitable environment while profiting from monthly rents.

Thanks to state Rep. Stephen Jackson, that really is holding the landlords and holding the property owners accountable. And thats what it has been for so long. So yes, if I can afford this and this is what I can afford, it does not mean I have to then also live in an uninhabitable place.

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A lengthy post created by Stevenson after she was released from jail detailed her communication with the property manager and requests to the City of Shreveport to provide support to residents of Village Square, as they had with other failed properties that were ultimately condemned. That post was shared and commented on hundreds of times, and many people who found humor in her arrest found themselves relating to the nightmare she found herself in.

After spending several days and nights in both Shreveport City Jail and the Caddo Correctional Center, she was released, and Caddo Parish District Attorney James E. Stewart, Sr. announced that the three counts of criminal neglect of family lodged against Calvinitri White were declined Monday, July 14, 2025.

Stewart said, We were provided proof that Ms. White, an employed single mother of three small children, submitted three requests for service in the year 2025 to her apartment management, regarding insect problems inside the apartment, he said. No drugs or firearms were found inside the apartment, nor any injuries on the children, he added. Help from volunteer community agencies for this family provides the best resolution of this matter.

As the story unfolded, there was an outpouring of community support, with individual citizens stepping up to lend a helping hand to a young mother working her way out of her current situation to improve her familys condition.

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Stevenson and her children remain separated, and they were placed in their fathers custody on the day of her arrest by DCFS. She said she has not been given a clear directive from the department regarding the process to regain custody. She has, however, received offers for a new place to live and will soon have a clean, safe space to care for her children when they are returned to her.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
See more from Canary Medias "Chart of the week column.



June was a monumental month in the European Union: For the first time ever, it got more electricity from solar power than any other source.

Solar provided 22.2% of the regions electricity, per clean-energy think tank Ember, unseating nuclear and beating out gas and coal combined. Between nuclear, wind, hydropower, and solar, nearly three-quarters of the EUs power came from completely carbon-free sources.

Its a striking illustration of how far solar power, and clean energy as a whole, have come in the EU.

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A decade ago, solar contributed just 3.5% of the regions power while coal supplied 24.6%. Those energy sources are now on pace to essentially trade places. Across all of last year, solar beat out coal for the first time as more and more EU member states shutter their polluting coal-fired power plants. The results speak for themselves: Power sector emissions declined by 41% between 2015 and the end of last year.

Europe has been in hyperdrive with clean energy since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, destabilizing the regions main supply of affordable natural gas and sending gas prices soaring. Since then, for reasons of energy security as much as climate consciousness, the EU has made a concerted effort to ditch fossil fuels even faster and rely more on carbon-free energy sources that can be controlled locally.



That push has helped drive fossil-fueled generation to record lows on the regions power grid. June was coal-fired powers worst month ever in the EU, accounting for just 6.1% of electricity, largely thanks to Germany and Poland, the blocs two biggest coal consumers, burning comparatively small amounts of the fossil fuel. Meanwhile, solar smashed records in at least 13 of the EUs 27 member states last month.

The milestone comes as the U.S. under the Trump administration moves backward on clean energy. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which will rapidly phase out subsidies for solar and wind energy. Last week, his Energy Department released a controversial report that experts say will likely be used to justify extending the life of aging, uneconomical coal-fired power plants.

While the Trump administration seeks to tether the U.S. to fossil fuels, Europe and much of the world continue accelerating toward cleaner options.
CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A boating company in Cheatham County credits its workforce and innovation for their growing success.

We build the boats from start to finish, Vice President of Caymas Boats, Todd Falk, said.

Caymas Boats was founded in 2018 with state leaders announcing the companys plans to invest more than $30 million.

ON TOUR | A look inside the historic Cheatham County Courthouse in Ashland City

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Started with Triton boats here in Cheatham County in the mid-90s, Falk said. Really built up a great workforce and foundation out here so when the founders decided to start a new company, Caymas Boats, the choice was obvious to come back here to Cheatham County.

Falk joined the Caymas team in February 2020  right before the COVID-19 pandemic would make a big impact on almost every industry, including boating.

COVID brought on a lot of new people to boating and that interest has really stayed, Falk said.

(Source: WKRN) (Source: WKRN) (Source: WKRN)

More interest in boating helped send the company soaring.

Started with about 20 employees and 30,000-square-foot facility which we still operate across the street, Falk said. Today, were at 260 employees and a little over 250,000 square feet.

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Falk said their innovation has been key, and they make sure every detail gets attention.

Weve introduced a new model on average every four to six months, said Falk. Our guys really know how to build boats and build boats that stay together for a long time.

Theyre making these freshwater and saltwater boats from scratch.

ON TOUR | Inside The Yorkshire Deli in Kingston Springs

We paint the molds. We make the fiberglass parts, remove those from the mold.

It takes anywhere from two weeks to 16 weeks to build a boat, depending on its size, and theres a primary focus on fishing boats. The sizes range from 18 feet to 44 feet with prices between $60,000 and $1.5 million.

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Four engines, all kinds of electronics, beautiful upholstery, really state of the art in terms of hull design, efficiency, Falk said.

Falk explained that their location along the Cumberland River was a key reason for settling in Cheatham County  along with support from local entities like the chamber of commerce.

A lot of our boats we do run them on the river  we do test them, we do our quality assurance checks, we do our performance checks, said Falk.

News 2 On Tour | Explore the communities that shape Middle Tennessee

With Tennessees rivers, lakes and park system driving interest in the outdoors, their workers remain critical in the companys success.

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Weve got a great team here, a great workforce, were all like family, Falk said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Editors note: This story contains a graphic image showing an aerial view of the deaths at Jonestown in 1978.

Dont drink the Kool-Aid.

Friends and colleagues sent me variants of this darkly humorous message when I mentioned I was going to Jonestown, site of one of historys most infamous mass murder-suicides. Jonestown has an enduring place in our cultural memory, with the name instantly recognized to this day. It has remained an unsettling puzzlea charismatic leader and hundreds of people voluntarily following him to their deathand despite books and documentaries, and a potential biopic with Leonard DiCaprio in the lead role, were no closer to understanding the events that transpired there.

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Plus, until very recently, you couldnt visit the physical location where it all happened.

On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 peoplemostly Americans, mostly Black, and perhaps as many as 300 children and teenagersdied in the jungle of northwestern Guyana at the Peoples Temple commune, ordered to commit revolutionary suicide by their messianic leader, Jim Jones.

The fledgling commune had been established in 1974 as an offshoot of a religious movement in the United States. It had grown steadily in the intervening years, with believers asked to give up their homes and livelihoods to enter what was promised to be a paradise free of racism and the evils of capitalism.

I like Guyana, in the terms we can be our own independent government, Jones remarked at one point to his congregation, dispelling a rumor he had started that the entire community might migrate once again, this time to the Soviet Union. For all matters and purposes, we are our own independent sovereign existence. Thats something you wont have any place in the world.

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Guyana has changed a lot since the 1970s. An offshore oil and gas boom has made what was once a backwater British colony into one of the worlds fastest-growing economies, propelling it to high-income status in 2024. Guyana is now on a major push to bring tourists to the only majority English-speaking country in South America. Theres a hotel building-boom, and major North American and European carriers are adding flights to the country. And now, theres Jonestown tours offered by a Guyanese company; I was one of the first journalists to go on one. Since these tours were first announced last year, though, there have been strong criticsas well as equally vocal proponents.

The Kaituma River in Port Kaituma, Guyana, on Jan. 11. The Jonestown Memorial Tour, operated by a company called Wanderlust Adventures GY, includes a stop in Port Kaituma, the town closest to the former Peoples Temple site.Federico Rios/The New York Times

When it comes to Jonestown as a tourist attraction, the views of locals I spoke to ran the gamut. Clement Adams lives in Port Kaituma, the ramshackle river town close to Jonestown. As a boy, Clement visited the compound several times, both before and after the killings. Im extremely happy something is being done in terms of the memorial site, Clement said, citing the economic benefits for generations to come. Jonestown was kept in the dark for many years, unlike memorials in many other countries. And this region of the country has no tourism sector to speak of.

He told me that he and six or seven friends went to Jonestown three days after the massacre, when he was just 11 years old. At first we didnt recognize what we were seeingthe bodies looked like hung clothes on the grass.

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Opponents of making the site a tourist attraction include the countrys influential Stabroek News newspaper, as well as some survivors in the United States. I think its a bad idea. I dont think its appropriate to aggrandize that kind of cult activity, former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier told local California media in December. In 1978, Speier was a 28-year-old aide accompanying her boss, Rep. Leo Ryan, on an inspection of Jonestown. Ryan traveled with journalists and members of a group called Concerned Relatives, who were worried their relations were being held at Jonestown against their will. The congressional visit, intended to discover if there was truth to these rumors, went awry and Joness henchmen ambushed the partyincluding Speierat the Port Kaituma airfield as they tried to leave. Speier was shot five times and laying bleeding on the runway for more than 20 hours until she was rescued. Ryan and four others died.

I flew from the capital of Georgetown aboard a small, single prop plane and landed on the same lone, jungle-fringed runway where the congressman was murdered. Then, my group was driven out of town in a small passenger van along a deeply rutted, red-dirt road. Flatbed trucks roared by carrying large fuel drums, bringing in their wake clouds of choking dust. Eventually we turned onto a grassy track and parked near a sign reading Welcome to the Peoples Temple Jonestown. The sign is not the original; that, plus the original security checkpoint, have long disappeared.

Chris Persaud, our Guyanese guide, gathered the tour group into a circle for a moment of silence. Under a blazing sun, we then walked up the track with a local man named Karl Daniels, who has been assisting with mapping the site. We reached a clearing where the main pavilion once stood, and around which most of the bodies were discovered. There is a small stone memorial to the victims that was erected in 2009.

A local man looks at the memorial for Jonestown victims on Sept. 21, 2022. Patrick Fort/AFP via Getty Images

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Our intention with the Jonestown Memorial Tour is to create an experience that educates others about the dangers of cults, the consequences of unchecked power, and the importance of critical thinking and vigilance, said Roselyn Sewcharran, the owner of the tour company Wanderlust Adventures GY. (Her company also offers, among other things, multiday tours to the remote Rupununi region of the country.) According to Sewcharran, the Jonestown tour has been nearly three years in the making. She and her team conducted historical research, mapped part of the site, sought the approval of local and regional councils, and worked closely with the Guyana Tourism Authority.

Jonestown is a very taboo topic in Guyana. This is a part of our history not told accurately, Persaud said.

It is not taught in schools, and rightly so in my opinion, said Neville Bissember, a senior lecturer in the law department at the University of Guyana and a vocal critic of the tours. Jonestown is a blip on the screen of Guyanas history.

Jonestown is also a blip on the map: It is in the countrys far northwest, less than 30 miles from the border with a hostile Venezuela. In a country with few roads outside of the capital, the only way in or out is by small plane or boat. Nearby Port Kaituma is a mining and logging hub with a frontier feel, with rusting freighters unloading industrial supplies for transporting further into the bush. Jonestown had its own small cargo ship, the Cudjoe, that was based here, and which used to bring insome would say smugglepeople and goods from the United States.

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Jonestown aside, Guyana has over the past year risen in prominence as a top place to go and small wonder: It offers hundreds of miles of open savannah, tropical forests, jaguars and other giant species of flora and fauna, rich Indigenous culture, wonderful ecolodges, and great food. The government is gambling that small-group tours to Jonestown will serve as a gateway attraction to seeing much more of the country.

Mother Nature, however, has spent the past decades reclaiming Jonestown, erasing most of the physical evidence of what Jones and his followers attempted to bring about. From housing and workshops to carefully planted rows of field crops, virtually nothing is left of the massive 3,800-acre site.

There are no pathsand ours was only the fourth tour to venture into the bush like thisso our guides macheted their way through the brush as we stopped at decaying half-buried vehicles, massive truck tires, and a portable cement mixer. On the ground and on the trees were trails of industrious leaf-cutter ants. Persaud pointed out vines and ferns working their way out of the cab of a badly listing flatbed truck that was simultaneously being swallowed from below by the earth. Only a few weeks before, he and Daniels had cleared the vehicle of vegetation.

Viewed nearly 50 years later, the Jonestown compound smacks of colonialism, a small-town American theocracy parachuted into the jungles of a very poor country, where it set up a plantation and posted guards. Jones had had the idea of relocating his church overseas where interracial socialism could flourish from the early 1970s, according to John R. Halls book, Gone From the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History. He also hoped to escape critical media coverage and governmental scrutiny. Politically and culturally, Joness church and Guyana seemed a good matchthe latter was a socialist country run by the Peoples National Congress, a party dominated by Guyanese of African descent; its leader, Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, was friendly to the Jones cause.

Hundreds of dead bodies are seen from above at Jonestown on Nov. 18, 1978. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

A U.S. soldier takes a break from gathering bodies of victims of mass murder-suicide at Jonestown, on Nov. 25, 1978.UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

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The U.S. Embassy was hands off and not particularly interested in assisting with Ryans doomed fact-finding mission, noting, It is essential that before undertaking any trip to Georgetown with the expectation that he will be able to visit Jonestown community, Congressman Ryan should first obtain agreement from the Peoples Temple to such a visit.

The average Guyanese citizen would have been unaware of the temples existence at the time, Bissember said, and the government has largely ignored it since. But its possible that tours have come at the right moment, as a seemingly volatile time in the world has put many in the mood for dark tourism. Jonestown is a warning from the tragic past of how society is fragile and open to manipulation by those who wish to control people and place, said Philip Stone, the director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire.

Dark tourism can include sites of massacres, assassinations, cemeteries, prisons, and battlefields. For instance, perhaps thanks to the 2019 HBO miniseries Chernobyl, the exclusion zone around the nuclear facility in modern-day Ukraine became a popular tourist sitebefore Russia invaded the country.

In a post-truth world, Stone said, dark tourism at Jonestown has a potential role to play in telling the truth about the event, about what happened before, during, and after.

A portrait of Jim Jones, the founder of the Peoples Temple, in San Francisco on July 3, 1976. Janet Fries/Getty Images

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Persaud made the point during the tour that the horror of one day has tended to distort all that came before it, and that Jonestown is more complex than just the story of the murder-suicides that happened there. Jones was not a pariah, nor an outcast. Early on, he was celebrated for the racial integration of his church, first in Indianapolis, then later in the Bay Area. He had thousands of followers across the United States. He was a socialist, an anti-racist, and protested the excesses of capitalism while campaigning for social justice causes. He was a force who could mobilize busloads of votershis parishionersin support of Democratic politicians. He had audiences with Walter Mondale and Rosalynn Carter. In 1976, just two years before the massacre, Jones was appointed to both the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (he was not sworn in) and the citys Housing Authority Commission.

In the leadup to 1978 and the murder-suicides, Jones was spiraling, becoming a heavy drug user, paranoid, and abusive. Nonetheless, until the end, many people thought highly of Jonestown. The farm was an exemplar in agricultural production and parishioners put on free cultural shows in Port Kaituma. Clement Adams recalled that he, like many other residents of the town, went to Jonestown for its high-quality medical and dental treatment, the next closest option being 60 miles away.

Relatives and mourners hold hands in prayer at a memorial for those who died at Jonestown, at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California, on Nov. 18, 1980. Lonnie Wilson/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images

The Jonestown of today is a work in progress. There is frankly not much to see on a tour, and the insect activity can be oppressive. Adams would like some infrastructure built on the site, maybe a memorial center. Bissember agreed that a more substantial monument should be erected. That apart, it should be left as it is, shuttered and not open to the public, other than perhaps for academic research, he said. I fail to see any value or merit in holding up to scrutiny a black site where all manner of crimes and human rights violations occurred.

Doubtless Kraft Heinz, owner of a certain powdered fruit-flavored drink mix, also would like Jonestown to remain in obscurity. (Though some now think that the cult members consumed cyanide-laced Flavor Aid from another company.) But people are interested: According to Wanderlusts Sewcharran, Jonestown tours are already sold out through November.
TUPELO  To some, the area is just a piece of cleared Blackland Prairie land off the Natchez Trace. Those connected to the Chickasaw Heritage Center, however, can already envision the sight of the upcoming facility, from the building proper to the stickball field and village recreation to its potential.

Officials from the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation on Thursday invited members of the media to the future site of the Chickasaw Heritage Center, which Chickasaw Inkana Foundation CEO Brady Davis said will tell the story of the Chickasaw people from their point of view in their historic homeland from the beginning to modern day.

Being part of this project really has been rewarding to me, Davis said. (The center) has been decades in the making. Its a time that the Chickasaw perspective is necessary.

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Work on the center, located along the Natchez Trace Parkway adjacent to the historic recreation of a Chickasaw village, will be split into two phases. The first will see the construction of the lobby, exhibit hall, gift shop, multi-purpose room, collections management and administrative offices. The second phase will include the construction of a theater and cafe.

There will also be a playground, a stickball field and a second Chickasaw village recreation. The multi-purpose room will house 100 people for dinners and more for other engagements, and the parking lot will accommodate 160 vehicles.

As of Thursday, contractors with Innovative Construction Management are preparing the buildings footprint for its concrete pad. Tripp Bolin, a project manager for ICM, said the contractors have worked hand-in-hand with the foundation and the Chickasaw Nation since preconstruction.

On ICMs side, we try to get involved in the design phase as early as preconstruction, where we can bring a lot to the project, bring a builders mindset, Bolin said. Weve got an exciting project.

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The Chickasaw Inkana Foundations target for completion is November 2026. Concreting will begin next month, and structural work will begin in October. As of Wednesday, plans for the second phase are not set, but Davis said the plan is to continue work as soon as the first phase opens.

Davis boasted the center will be the only museum of its kind to be connected directly to the Natchez Trace Parkway, a highway that follows parallel to the historic Natchez Trace, which was a trail that cuts from Natchez, Mississippi, up to Nashville, Tennessee.

The Chickasaw Nation originally spanned Northeast Mississippi, northwest Alabama, west Tennessee and southwest Kentucky before the U.S. government forcibly removed them from their homeland in the 1830s. Its heart was in Tupelo, Davis said, noting most of its villages were in the area.

The museum portion of the center will start with the nations creation stories and end with the current-day Chickasaw culture. Topics discussed will include Chickasaw language, culture, dance, economy, social and political structures, sovereignty and the nations forced removal.

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This will be a very interactive experience, Davis said. One of my favorite pieces of this exhibit is Chickasaw People Today.  We want to connect people to who the Chickasaw people are today. That exhibit will talk about Chickasaw governors. It will talk about contemporary art, language and culture.

Chickasaw Heritage Center Director Brad Deramus began working with the foundation over two years ago. Standing on the site, he pointed to spots that will become different areas of the center. He said he was excited to see motion on the project.

Its been amazing seeing this come from a wooded area to see it come alive, he said. This is the beginning. It is never going to be the same ever again. Youll tell your grandchildren about this. It is really close to (historic Chickasaw land). I think it will give our ancestors honor.

Davis said the design for the exhibits is about 90% complete. He said previously that the exhibits will be kept secret until the building is open to the public as a surprise.

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Fundraising for the project is ongoing. Davis said the center needs about $15 million to finish the overall $60 million price tag. The Chickasaw Nation has proffered $26 million, the state pitched in $16 million and the foundation received $895,237 in private donations. Along with that, the foundation has collected a little over $2 million in interest on the funds that will go toward the project.

Those interested in donating to the project can go to inkana.org or chickasawheritagecenter.com. Davis noted that naming rights for the center are also available for businesses.
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo.  An employee at KVC Academy, a day school for children, is accused of throwing a child across a classroom.

Its extremely disappointing. Its things weve heard about the property for years when Great Circle owned it, Webster Groves resident Hans Mugler said.

Employee Caroline Baker is charged with endangering the welfare of a minor. The criminal complaint says she is seen on video flinging a seven-year-old non-verbal child with autism across a classroom. She then allegedly, gets in the victims face as he is cowering on the ground.

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The Webster Groves Police Department said all questions about the investigation had to go to city manager Marie Peoples.

Peoples sent FOX 2 News a statement saying, in part, We are aware of the allegation; however, we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.

MSHP: Florissant man drowns in the Lake of the Ozarks after kayak overturns

Meanwhile, work is underway out here to expand the KVC site to include inpatient care. KVC and St. Louis Childrens are teaming up to bring the new resources to the area. People who live there though have expressed concerns about it.

Brochures posted around the facility say the new hospital will include several safeguards, including on-site security 24/7. But it has been a controversial project right in the middle of Muglers neighborhood.

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I think everybody thats anywhere near this project, surrounding it, lives near it all had negative opinions of this project, he said.

Residents point to a history of students escaping or even a nurse who died after an accident with a student last year.

KVC Health Systems media relations director Christina Santiago told FOX 2 that their leadership recently became aware of this latest incident and that Baker no longer works with them.

The safety of students is our highest priority, and we are committed to their wellbeing, Santiago said in a written statement.

Mugler says he hopes with St. Louis Childrens getting involved, safety will improve.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  An investigation by the 8 News Now Investigators has revealed major failures at several juvenile group homes in Las Vegas, including active warrants for two former employees, numerous calls for service to police for runaways and suicide attempts, and a state audit that describes abuse and neglect.

Las Vegas Metro Police records reveal more than 300 calls for service at the five properties within the past year and a half. The majority of calls are listed for reported runaways and suicide attempts. Other calls are tied to alleged disturbances, assault and batteries, and more.



Court records reveal two active warrants for two women who worked at the same location where Noah Blumenthals son stayed for alleged violence against a co-worker.

Police wrote in a report that staff claimed video, which may have shown what happened, was purged, staff were not fully cooperative, and the business should have saved the footage for one year since it is a mental health assisted living home. The report also noted all involved persons in the incident were terminated, including the alleged victim.



Clark County stopped placing juveniles in the homes.



We did have some youth [34] placed in Moriah Behavioral Health facilities from Dec. 2021 to Jan. 2025 at different locations for varying lengths of time, a county spokesperson wrote in an email to the 8 News Now Investigators. Their facilities were found to be unable to meet the needs of our clients. Due to state confidentiality laws regarding child welfare services, we are unable to provide further information.



Nevadas Division of Public and Behavioral Health suspended the license for one of the homes in March for failing to correct problems discovered last November, according to a state spokesperson.



A state audit into facilities for children, which examined two of the group homes managed by Ignite Teen Treatment, noted health, safety, welfare, and civil and other rights issues, according to a December 2024 report.



Auditors found:

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Incomplete, inaccurate, and missing medication records

Missing documentation of medical assistance after noting a childs injury

Restraints resulting in injuries

Items which could be used for self-harm

Missing documentation of mandatory reporting

Missing background check records

Broken windows and glass shards

Boarded-up windows

Uncontrolled childrens behavior

Hidden nicotine vapes

Nine children using one bathroom

Untreated pools

An unsecured pool and hot tub

A child climbing on a roof

Weak recordkeeping

Missing denial of rights reporting documentation

The complaint process not posted

Management unable to determine if any complaints were filed

Incomplete personnel records

Weak policies and procedures

The state reported $94,000 in fines against Ignite Teen Treatment as of late 2024.



State lawmakers reacted to the findings at a meeting in January.



These people get money to take care of these children. Lets put that on the record. It is not like theyre doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop (D-Las Vegas) said. Theyre getting money and then theyre not keeping good records, theyre not taking care of the children, theyre failing inspections after inspections.



The state reported a total of $5.5 million paid to the group homes from Jan. 2023 to June 2025.

This is in addition to payments from private insurance for teens like a 17-year-old who spoke with the 8 News Now Investigators. His father, Noah Blumenthal, sent his son there from New York because he believed he would get the mental health treatment he needed and the business accepted his insurance.

He provided documentation showing Moriah Behavioral Health billed insurance $4,000 per day, while insurance paid a discounted rate of $1400 per day most of the time. Blumenthal received a bill for $280 per day co-pay the remainder of the time, according to the documentation he provided.

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Its terrifying that this continues to exist, the teen told the 8 News Now Investigators.

The father and son said they are sharing their story to help other families.

Blumenthal asked, How can I let somebody else make the decision based on all the beautiful advertising and etcetera to send their child there when I know what the place is like?

To reach Investigative Reporter Vanessa Murphy, email VMurphy@8newsnow.com

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Credit: National Crime Agency

Children as young as five were smuggled to France in refrigerated lorries by a London-based gang in a rare example of a reverse illegal Channel crossing.

Investigators believe the gang carried out 20 runs between February and October 2023  the equivalent of more than two a month.

Migrant-smuggling from the UK to France is unusual but demonstrates the lengths to which gangs are going to profit from it in whichever direction.

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Last year, 93 migrants were arrested for crossing illegally from the UK to France, according to data from the Hauts-de-France prefecture.

The migrants trafficked by the London gang were brought to the UK on tourist visas, which can allow arrivals to stay for up to six months. Migrants who arrive legally in the UK on tourist visas cannot necessarily be deported if stopped at the French border.

Once they arrived, the migrants, who were from French-speaking North African countries, were packed into lorries heading from Dover to Calais, where it is thought they were hoping to settle.

Credit: National Crime Agency

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Azize Benaniba, a 41-year-old Algerian national and the ringleader of the operation, was responsible for loading hundreds of migrants into the lorries and charging them 1,200 each for the trip.

Some of the lorries were unrefrigerated and airtight, putting those inside in severe danger of overheating and suffocation.

Benanibas co-conspirators, 36-year-old Mohamed Bechkit, Mahmoud Haidous, 53, Abed Karouz, 40, Amor Ghabbari, 32, and 50-year-old Mohamed Abdelhadi, organised the runs and hired a network of drivers.

Mohamed Bouriche, 43, was responsible for transporting people to rendezvous locations near the UK border, where they would be moved into the lorries.

The migrants, who were from French-speaking North African countries, were hoping to settle in France - NCA

The groups activities began to unravel on Feb 21 2023 after 58 migrants were discovered by French border police hidden inside a lorry at Calais, having arrived from the UK, and an investigation was launched by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

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Surveillance teams successfully intercepted several lorries travelling to the UK border and rescued those inside.

Footage retrieved from a phone belonging to Bechkit showed a group of terrified migrants screaming and crying for help and banging on the sides of the trailer.

One attempt, on Sept 6 2023, saw 39 migrants including women and children loaded into an airtight refrigerated lorry trailer at a lay-by in Sandwich, Kent. NCA officers quickly intervened to rescue the migrants, but some, including a child, required medical attention.

The ringleaders were all arrested six months later in co-ordinated dawn raids in north London on March 20 last year.

Credit: National Crime Agency

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The NCA described the case as an anomaly and said it was a departure from the usual model of smuggling migrants from Calais into the UK via either small boats or in lorries.

The North African migrants, who spoke French, wanted to settle in France as it would be more familiar than the UK, The Telegraph understands.

Benaniba was jailed for 12 years and 11 months at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday.

Bechkit was jailed for 10 years and four months, Haidous received 13 and a half years, Karouz eight years and 10 months, Ghabbari nine years, Abdelhadi seven years and three months, and Bouriche got seven and a half years.

Azize Benaniba, the ringleader of the people-smuggling gang, was jailed for 12 years and 11 months - NCA

John Turner, the NCAs senior investigating officer, said: These smugglers had no care for the safety or well-being of the people they crammed into lorry trailers  their only concern was making money.

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Weve seen the fatal consequences of this crime type, as migrants have sadly lost their lives being smuggled across borders on land and at sea. Our thorough investigation has safeguarded hundreds of migrants who were put in serious danger, and has now led to jail terms for 12 members of a prolific people smuggling network.

These criminal networks treat human beings like commodities, and we know the gangs and drivers involved in outbound smuggling are often involved in inbound smuggling too.

Tackling organised immigration crime is a key priority for the NCA and, alongside our international law enforcement partners, we are relentless in our efforts to dismantle these networks wherever they operate.

Janine Baugh, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was a highly organised group, which tried to smuggle migrants to France more than 20 times.

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They put the lives of people at risk  often in inhumane conditions  just to profit off others. We presented the court with a video of people screaming to be let out of a trailer, which demonstrates these poor conditions.

The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work with our partners at home and overseas and play a vital role in the Border Security Command in order to bring those involved in organised immigration crime to justice.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Bloomberg / Getty Images Executives from several big banks, including Bank of America, said this week they're working on stablecoin plans as Congress considers the GENIUS Act

Key Takeaways

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said Wednesday the company is looking for "legal clarity" as it explores stablecoin initiatives.

Executives from other big banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Citi, also said they're working on stablecoin plans as Congress considers a bill that would allow private companies to issue their own.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies with a value pegged to another currency or financial asset, such as the U.S. dollar.







Bank of America (BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan on Wednesday said the bank is exploring stablecoin intiatives, as Congress considers a bill that would allow private companies to issue their own.



The BofA chief emphasized the need for additional guidelines, which could come as soon as this week if the House passes the GENIUS Act. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the bill could clear a procedural hurdle soon, which lifted shares of crypto-related stocks in recent trading.

There needs to be "legal clarity," Moynihan told analysts on the company's earnings call Wednesday, according to a transcript provided by AlphaSense.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies with a value pegged to another currency or financial asset, such as the U.S. dollar. Theyve been a hot topic during big banks earnings calls this week, with Morgan Stanley (MS) CFO Sharon Yeshaya saying Wednesday the company is actively discussing the use of stablecoins.

We're looking both at the landscape and the uses and the potential uses for our own client base. But it really is a little early to tell, said Yeshaya, according to a transcript of the bank's earnings call from AlphaSense.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said Tuesday the bank is planning to be involved with stablecoins, and Citigroup (C) CEO Jane Fraser told analysts that the bank is looking at the issuance of a Citi stablecoin.



Read the original article on Investopedia
Weeks after his country was battered by waves of Israeli strikes and the US bombed three of its prized nuclear facilities, Irans foreign minister came to a gathering of regional diplomats in China this week with a simple ask.

Their group, the Beijing and Moscow-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organization, should have a way to coordinate response to military aggression and play a central role in addressing such threats, Abbas Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media.

Along with Iran, fellow SCO members China and Russia are key members of what lawmakers in Washington have dubbed an axis of authoritarian nations or a growing anti-American alignment of Iran, North Korea, China and Russia.

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But Irans proposal didnt seem to get the direct endorsement of the group, a regional security body whose 10 members include close partners China and Russia, but also rivals India and Pakistan.

And contained in Araghchis message was a public hint of Irans disappointment: that in its time of need last month  when Israeli and US forces struck at will at top military and technological targets  its powerful friends in Beijing and Moscow appeared to sit on the sidelines.

Even still, in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Chinas Tianjin on Wednesday, Araghchi thanked China for its valuable support to Iran, according to a Chinese readout.

Earlier this month at a summit of BRICS, another China- and Russia-backed grouping of major emerging economies, member state Iran got little more than a statement of serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities.

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The declaration condemned the strikes but did not name Israel or the US.

Chinas public response  to explicitly condemn the attacks, but not take an evident direct role in peacemaking  however, was widely seen as a sign of the limits to its power in the Middle East, despite its bid in recent years to ramp up its economic and diplomat clout in the region.

Beijing has instead focused on using the conflict to play up another message: that China does not want to be a global leader that uses power in the same way as the US.

Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi mets Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting on July 15 in Tianjin, China. - Russian Ministry of Foreign Affair/Anadolu/Getty Images

Chinas security vision

The propaganda machine of Chinas ruling Communist Party has long decried Americas hegemony and its wanton use of force as its rolls out examples of US involvement in multiple conflicts of recent decades.

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Frictions with Washington over trade and tech make selling that messaging more important for Beijing, as it needs friends now more than ever. And it sees US President Donald Trumps brash America First foreign policy as creating an opening there.

Over the past decade, Chinese aggression to enforce its disputed claims in the South China Sea, its military intimidation of Taiwan, and the growing reach of its expanded navy, whose aircraft carrier strike groups recently conducted drills further from home shores and in greater strength than ever before, have raised alarm among its neighbors  and fueled Washingtons urgent warnings to its allies against dealing too closely with China.

Beijing has cried hypocrisy and, in 2022, Chinese leader Xi Jinping unveiled his own vision for global security architecture  short on detail, but clear that it opposed the US-led alliance system and military intervention.

That vision has brought together Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose shared mistrust for NATO  and view that its a provocative actor  is a key point of alignment, and a subtext for why Beijing has never condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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Experts say Chinas apparent lack of a role even in mediating the conflict between Israel and Iran, a country with which Beijing has deep historic and economic ties, shows the limits of its influence in the region.

But they also say Beijing has little interest in wading into the regions security as a power player.

In terms of providing mediation, (China) has offered and is more than willing  but it has little capacity to project military power in the Middle East, and even less political will to be openly and directly involved, said William Figueroa, an expert of China-Iran relations and an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Unlike the US, which maintains substantial military assets to back its allies and interests in the region, Chinas on the ground military presence is limited to a naval base in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Indeed, Beijings only military alliance is a historic one with neighboring and fellow one-party communist state North Korea.

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Beijing also shied away from joining international efforts last winter to protect key shipping lanes under attack from Houthi rebels in Yemen following Israels war on Gaza.

The attacks put Chinas commercial interests at risk even though the Houthis said they wont target Chinese or Russian vessels. And when it comes to efforts to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, China has again been on the sidelines, despite positioning itself as leading international voice calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Israels war.

Some experts have argued that if China had more global military might then it may throw around that weight more outside its own region.

But in the Israel-Iran conflict, Beijings focus was instead on presenting its support for international law as a superior alternative to what it portrays as the Wests militaristic, unlawful interventions, according to Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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While this narrative has limited traction among Middle Eastern states, it plays well in the Global Southwhere it serves to burnish Chinas image and reinforce its strategic competition with Washington at the global level, Zhao added.

Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh (second from left) joins SCO counterparts in a meeting in China's Qingdao a day after the Israel-Iran ceasefire last month. - Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images

Fair weather friends?

Even if Beijings reaction was not surprising to Tehran, going to China and acting like everythings great may have a been a bitter pill to swallow for Araghchi and Irans Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh as both traveled to China in recent weeks, according to Jonathan Fulton, a senior fellow for the Atlantic Councils Middle East Programs.

Beijing and Tehran have no mutual defense treaty, and the relationship has largely been an economic one. China takes more than 90% of Irans oil trade, imported through intermediaries, which totaled some $40 billion in profits for Iran last year, according to Muyu Xu, a senior oil analyst at trade intelligence firm Kpler.

Even when it comes to Chinas closest international partner, Russia, Beijing has tread carefully: stopping short of large-scale supply of military goods for Moscows war in Ukraine, instead buying up Russian fuel and supplying it with dual-use goods that can power its defense industrial base.

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That support, and more direct military backing from Iran and North Korea for Russias war, has raised alarm in the West about emerging coordination among members into a so-called anti-American axis.

But the latest stress-test of the axis appeared to show its weaknesses: as Israeli and US bombs rained down on Iran, Russia and China looked more focused on their own interests and rhetoric, analysts say, rather than backing Iran materially or using their weight to push Israel or the US to stop the fighting. Xi and Putin did, however, use the conflict to stress their own united front.

That said, when it comes to ties with Iran, the real test is likely whats next.

This is a good example (that) there are limitations to what Chinas going to do in terms of direct intervention in a military conflict, Brian Hart, a fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, said during a recent talk held by the Washington-based center. But its too soon to count Chinas support for Iran out.

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Chinas model for Russia of largely walking right up to that line of not providing overt military support, could become a dynamic that develops here, Hart said, as Beijing looks to help the regime in Tehran say in power. Dual-use Chinese-made chemicals needed to produce missile fuel were delivered to Iran earlier this year, CNN reporting shows.

Even still, Beijing may be looking more skeptically at Iran as a powerful partner in the region in light of the countrys inability to project power to defend its airspace against Israel last month, according to Atlantic Councils Fulton.

And when it comes to how the latest events may impact any coordination between the so-called axis countries, the fundamentals have not changed, he said.

Far from being an alliance or a bloc like those in the West, China, Iran, Russia and North Korea have an alignment of grievances against the West, but very different ideas of how to reshape global rules to address that, Fulton said.

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And for Beijing, what it needs in the Middle East is economically motivated  it needs a stable region, and Iran doesnt really support that. Iran causes as many problems as it solves for Beijing.

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President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a condition that causes blood to pool in his legs after he was examined for mild swelling in his lower legs, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

At a press briefing, Leavitt said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a benign condition common in people over the age of 70. The president is 79.

Follow-up tests found no evidence of a serious or life-threatening condition like deep vein thrombosis, she said, but they did lead to a diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency.

What is chronic venous insufficiency?

Normally, oxygen-rich blood is pumped all over the body, including throughout the arms and legs. Veins then send that blood back to the heart to reoxygenate.

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Sometimes, veins in the legs become damaged and cant manage to return that blood as well as they should, according to the Cleveland Clinic. When that happens, blood settles in the legs, leading to a condition called chronic venous insufficiency.

Patients can experience swelling, pain and skin discoloration. Sometimes, ulcers develop.

President Trump's right hand on Thursday. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)

The condition itself is common, affecting an estimated 1 in 20 adults, usually over age 50. Dr. Lee Kirksey, a vascular surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, said its not life-threatening.

It does, however, raise a yellow flag for us to look at underlying issues, whether its body weight or whether its a sedentary lifestyle, Kirksey said.

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According to Trumps April 2025 physical, his heart function is normal and blood flow to his extremities is unimpaired. His latest physical also says he is 6-foot-3 and weighs 239 pounds, which indicates he is overweight, according to the NIH BMI Calculator. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for chronic venous insufficiency.

How is chronic venous insufficiency treated?

Dr. Aaron Aday, co-director of vascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said the key is to work those leg veins to get them pumping again.

When we walk, the muscles in our feet and our legs squeeze our veins that help pump blood back to the heart, Aday said. If youre sitting or standing, say, on a plane ride or a desk job, that pressure can build up, causing achiness and heaviness in the legs.

Theres no specific treatment for chronic venous insufficiency. Wearing compression stockings and elevating legs can be helpful, experts said.

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Blood thinners can also help prevent blood clots from forming. Trump takes aspirin, a blood thinner, according to his medical records.

Neither Kirksey nor Aday is involved with Trumps care.

On Thursday, the presidents physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said in a memo that President Trump remains in excellent health.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Vik Rana (left) with Good Shepherd head cook Louise Hand [Good Shepherd]

Meals paid for by a local resident and his family have been served to 130 people at a charity supporting disadvantaged and homeless people in Wolverhampton.

Friday's sausage and mash at the Good Shepherd was funded by Vik Rana, who said he wanted to support the local community.

"I'm Wolverhampton born and bred. It has given me so much, I wanted to give back," Mr Rana said.

The charity said it was incredibly grateful for the continued support from members of the community like Vic, and their generosity helped keep the food service going for those who need it most.

The charity helps disadvantaged people in Wolverhampton [Good Shepherd]

Mr Rana also provided bags of essential toiletries with support from Tesco, and covered the cost of hot drinks from a coffee van.

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"At the Good Shepherd, it starts with a meal but it doesn't end there," said Chloe Bladen, food service manager.

The charity also provides outreach and prevention services for people experiencing homelessness and financial pressure.

In addition, it operates a community shop selling food at affordable prices, and a social enterprise cafe, which is open to the public.

All the proceeds go to its free-to-access services.

"The support the community provides Good Shepherd helps us to in turn support some of the most disadvantaged people in Wolverhampton, thank you," said Ms Bladen.

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)  The City of Huntsville is working on plans for an expanded greenway system on the north side of the city.

Thursday, it invited the public to an open house at City Hall to see the North Huntsville Greenway Master Plan.

Flood Mitigation in Huntsville

City leaders say the overall goal is to expand the greenway system on the north side of town to eventually connect all the way from Alabama A&M to downtown and beyond.

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However, Dennis Madsen, the Manager of Urban and Long Range Planning for the City, said the plans shown at the meeting are still in the early stages.

Everything you see behind us is purely conceptual, he said. We have started to set aside capital funds for some of the early projects, but it is all very visionary.

He said the city hopes to time the completion of the Skybridge project and the Meek Greenway around the same time. He said this North Greenway project would bridge the gap between the two.

Teachers gather to talk artificial intelligence in the classroom

Image Credit: City of Huntsville

So theres a good bit of space in between there, and we want to connect that so that eventually can go from A&M all the way downtown, he said.

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Madsen said the City of Huntsville has used projects like the Beltline in Atlanta as inspiration.

The great thing about the Atlanta Beltline is it connects literally dozens of in-town neighborhoods around Atlanta, he said. So you can you can go from neighborhood to neighborhood on this greenway.

Madsen said he thinks people really see the value in greenways.

They create quality public spaces where people want to be, he said. Theres also, unlike a square, theres a sense of travel and journey that connect communities.

While Huntsville already has an expansive greenway network, he says people want to see even more.

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People were really excited to have that [the Aldridge Creek Greenway] and they kept saying when can we see more? This is really another step in building out that broader greenway network, he said.

If you werent able to make it to the open house on Thursday, Madsen said there will be other opportunities to let your voice be heard.

He said the City of Huntsville is planning a District 1 Town Hall meeting with Councilmember Michelle Watkins soon. Madsen said they will be discussing the North Huntsville Greenway Master Plan at that meeting.

At this time, a date and time have not been set. However, Madsen said he expects it to be in the next several weeks.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Residents and visitors in Muscatine will soon notice new street-name signs being installed at key intersections throughout the city, a news release says. The upgrades are part of an ongoing effort to enhance way-finding and improve the overall driving experience.

(City of Muscatine)

The Muscatine Department of Public Works (DPW), in collaboration with Muscatine Power and Water (MPW), is installing the new signs on traffic signal mast arms at multiple intersections. Some intersectionssuch as those along Colorado Street and Park Avenuealready received new signage during previous road reconstruction projects.

After identifying additional intersections that would benefit from clearer signage, city staff worked with MPW to ensure the new signs would not exceed weight or wind load limits on the mast arms. Once approved, MPW agreed to handle installation, while the City supplied the necessary brackets and mounting hardware.

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With City Council approval, DPW contracted with Iowa Prison Industries (IPI) to manufacture the signs and with General Traffic Controls to provide the mounting equipment. The total project cost of $30,359.60 is covered under the Roadway Maintenance Budget.

New or updated signs are being installed at the following intersections:

Cedar Street & Houser Street

Cedar Street & Muscatine High School entrance

Cedar Street & Mississippi Drive

East 2nd Street & Oak Street

Iowa Avenue & Mississippi Drive

Dick Drake Way & Stewart Road

Oregon Street & Earl Street

Park Avenue & East 2nd Street

Park Avenue & Highway 92

Park Avenue & East 5th Street

Paris Avenue & Washington Street

Park Avenue & Clay/Colorado Streets

Paris Avenue & Harrison Street

Park Avenue & Lake Park Boulevard

Park Avenue & Ford Avenue

Park Avenue & Cleveland Street

Motorists are encouraged to drive with caution around work zones as crews complete the installations.

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For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at 563-263-8933.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A Clackamas County Sheriffs Office deputy is accused of committing sex abuse crimes while off duty, authorities said.

Steve Woolcock was arraigned in a Clackamas court on Thursday on charges that include one count each of first- and second-degree sex abuse and three counts of third-degree sex abuse.

Beaverton father detained by ICE outside of preschool

The charges are the culmination of an investigation carried out by the Oregon State Police, which began in February, the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office said.

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Woolcock, a civil deputy, was immediately placed on paid administrative leave when the investigation began. However, since the felony charges were formally filed against him, he is now on unpaid leave, the sheriffs office said.

No further details about the case were made immediately available.

Woolcock is being held in the Clackamas County Jail. His bail was set to $250,000.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Cindy Eastling, Isaiah Eastling, Robert Bobby Bintz and David Bintz (from left to right). Photo courtesy of Carla Broadnax of Jarrett Adams Law.

David and Robert Bintz appeared at a hearing of the Wisconsin Claims Board last week, seeking compensation for decades spent behind bars before their release in September for a wrongful conviction.

The Wisconsin Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation.

The brothers attorney and the Brown County District Attorney expressed different views on a confession made by David Bintz prior to conviction.

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The Bintz brothers spent more than two decades in prison for the murder of Sandra Lison. Robert Bintz is now 69 years old and David is 70, and the brothers have faced health problems and challenges reintegrating into society. In February, Adams law firm sent the Examiner their compensation requests, which sought over $2 million for each brother.

I missed all the simple things in life that makes life beautiful, Robert Bintz said via a statement read by his lawyer, Jarrett Adams, at the hearing.

In April, the Examiner reported on the Bintz brothers return from prison and the gap in support to help exonerees in Wisconsin re-enter society.

We dont know if David will still have his housing the next day, Jarrett Adams, an attorney representing the brothers, said at the hearing. We dont know if David will have resources for his medical needs and medication. We dont know a lot of thingsBut what we do know is that David is in need right now.

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Wrongly convicted people in Wisconsin can attempt to obtain compensation through the state law, which caps payouts at $25,000 and $5,000 per year of imprisonment. The exception is when the state Legislature approves a higher amount, which is rare. The claims board can recommend that the Legislature issue more compensation.

Wrongly convicted people can also try to obtain a payout through a lawsuit. The Examiner previously reported that Adams said the brothers might not have an opportunity to get compensation if the state does not award it.

This may be their only shot, Adams said at the hearing.

Brothers attorney, DA view case differently

The claims board has said that the Wisconsin statute does not provide money to someone who only establishes that their conviction was vacated. The board must find that there is clear and convincing evidence of innocence, not just that a conviction was overturned.

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The statute says that the board will decide an amount of compensation for a person if it finds the person is innocent and that they did not contribute to bring about their conviction through their act or failure to act.

Adams argued that the brothers did not contribute to their convictions. He said David had a documented learning disability and was made to sit under questioning for hours until he signed a confession.

Brown County District Attorney David Lasee said he didnt think it was his role to take a position on whether the Bintz brothers should receive additional funds, but he disagreed with Adams portrayal of the confession, saying that concern was considered during the legal process.

They were not charged until 12 years after the death of Ms. Lison, and that was based on statements that were made by David, Lasee said at the hearing. And theres a confession from David. Theres also statements that David made to other inmates in prison, which is what prompted the investigators to come back and interview him. So that didnt happen in a vacuum. And again, I take issue with the notion of the statement being coercedso the defense attorney for David litigated the motion of whether it was a coercive statement that should be suppressed, and the statement obviously was not suppressed, and we proceeded to trial.

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Lasee was asked about how it was determined that the statement was not coerced. He said it was litigated but he did not recall the specifics of the decision.

The Brown County District Attorneys Office prosecuted the Bintz brothers with a theory of robbery and murder.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, when Davids trial began, the prosecutions theory changed from the way the case had been investigated at the outset.

It was no longer that Lison had been robbed, raped, and killed, the registry says. Now, the prosecution contended that the Bintz brothers went to the bar to rob it because they felt Lison had overcharged them for a case of beer and ended up killing her because she could recognize them.

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The registry says that by the time Davids trial began in May 2000, DNA testing had excluded both brothers from the semen found in the rape kit. Blood found under Lisons body was not their blood, according to testing.

According to the registry, during closing argument in Roberts trial, the prosecution argued that it was clear that this was not a sexual assault, and whoever the donor of those spermatozoa is, [he] was not involved in this murder.

In 2006, the Wisconsin Innocence Project obtained additional DNA testing that confirmed blood found on Lisons dress came from the same male whose sperm was found in the rape kit, the registry says. A motion for a new trial based on the testing was denied.

The registry also says that police interviewed 32 year-old David Bintz and his brother, as well as a friend, Vincent Andrus.

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David reported that Robert and Andrus had gone to the bar from Davids house during the evening to buy a case of beer, the registry says. Lison had sold them four six-packs for $3.50 each. When Robert and Andrus got back to Davids home, David, who was intellectually disabled, became angry because he thought Lison should have charged them for the price of a case, which was cheaper.

He had called the bar at one point and chewed out Lison. Some would later say he threatened to come over and blow up the tavern.

The exonerations registry says prisoners testified that David had made various admissions to the crime.

The registry says that when detectives interviewed David, he eventually agreed to a statement admitting he and Robert were involved and that Robert had strangled Lison. David also said he was home at the time of the crime and was not involved.

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Lasee said that he would unequivocally state that based on the evidence that exists right now, I do not believe that the state of Wisconsin would be able to prove their guilt at trial.

But he said that we did not stipulate that there was clear and convincing evidence of their innocence, because thats not what we do. Thats not the standard we operate under.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  School starts in Clark County on Monday, Aug. 11, and community leaders are issuing a call to action. They are hoping to hire about 75 crossing guards throughout the Las Vegas area, including Henderson and Clark County, to increase student safety. The position is part-time and starts at $17 an hour.

To apply, you must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check.

It is the entire community coming together to make sure that were supporting and leaning in to school safety, especially around our schools, Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert said.

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From 2023 to 2024, 97 kids were hit by cars in school zones.

According to Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, data from 2024 to 2025 reveals a decrease in school crashes. Elementary school crashes have gone down 64%. Meanwhile, middle school crashes decreased by nearly 70%.

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, left, and CCSC Superintendent Jhone Ebert talk about the need for more crossing guards in the Las Vegas valley. (KLAS)

Naft attributes the 2024 decrease to the Clark County Commissions move to expand crossing guards into middle schools. However, the expansion did not include high schools.

In May, Arbor View High School senior McKenzie Scott, 18, was killed when she tried to cross Buffalo Drive. A man is facing DUI and reckless driving charges in her death. His breath test revealed a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

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The mayor and I have had discussions, and if youve been out to Arbor View, they are doing the work that will be in place before school starts, and were excited about all of the future work that will transpire, Ebert said.

The school district will consider expanding to high schools down the road, she said.

Im very thankful that at the middle school, we had people step up, Ebert said. So looking down the road, its definitely where were going.

If you are interested in becoming a crossing guard, various hiring events will be held from Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24.

Monday, July 21:

Enterprise Library , 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

8310 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, 89123

Tuesday, July 22:

Alexander Library , 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

1755 W. Alexander Rd., North Las Vegas, 89032

Rainbow Library , 3-5 p.m.

3150 N. Buffalo Dr. Las Vegas, 89128

Wednesday, July 23 :

East Las Vegas Library , 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

2851 E. Bonanza Rd., Las Vegas, 89101

Clark County Library , 3:30-5:30 p.m.

1401 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, 89119

Thursday, July 24

Sahara West Library, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, 89117

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Crossing guards typically work near their homes, about one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. Find links to apply here under School Crossing Guard  Nevada.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
President Donald Trump participates in a walking tour of the immigration detention center nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

People held in Floridas immigrant detention center in the Everglades sued the Trump and DeSantis administrations on Wednesday, demanding access to their attorneys.

This class action from the detainees and their attorneys adds to the mounting legal opposition to the detention center, where people started arriving two weeks ago after a speedy eight-day construction at an old airstrip.

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Since detainees transfer to the state-run detention center, attorneys have had to wait hours in their attempts to visit the site, only to be barred from entering, the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida states. Detainees held at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport lack a way to communicate confidentially with their legal representation as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, it adds.

Four detainees and their legal representatives are asking a federal court to require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Florida to provide access for in-person visits and unmonitored calls.

Whats happening here is not just a policy failure, its a moral one, said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, which is representing the plaintiffs. The state has hastily erected a costly and deadly shadow prison in the middle of the Everglades during hurricane season to warehouse human beings  stripping them of due process and dignity, cutting them off from their families and legal counsel, intentionally putting their lives in danger, and leaving them to suffer in silence.

The tent and trailer detention center is in a legal limbo, with the federal government disavowing responsibility for the detainees and the DeSantis administration insisting that its not a correctional institution. Its existence outside the federal and state systems  the Florida Division of Emergency Management is in charge  has made it extremely difficult for attorneys to locate detainees and file motions on their behalf.

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Florida Republicans have labeled the center Alligator Alcatraz and are selling branded merchandise to raise campaign money.]

Complaint outlines detention conditions

Blaise Ingoglia and Gov. Ron DeSantis in Tampa on July 16, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)

Gov. Ron DeSantis defended conditions at the detention center during a Wednesday morning press conference in Tampa, during which he appointed Blaise Ingoglia, an ally in the state Senate, as Floridas chief financial officer.

Remember, this is not the Ritz-Carlton, okay. Were not doing this just to let people have food and shelter, although they do get that. All the minimum standards are upheld, but the reality is its there to be a quick processing center.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Florida, and Americans for Immigrant Justice represent the plaintiffs in the case against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its leadership, DeSantis, and DEM director Kevin Guthrie.

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So far, the state has lacked transparency about the number of people at the detention center, and the most detailed information has come from the Miami Herald, which published a list on Sunday of 750 detainees housed there, including more than 250 people without criminal convictions or pending charges in this country.

Although the lawsuit focuses on the detainees lack of access to attorneys and due process, the complaint details conditions detainees have described at the site, ranging from flooding inside tents and having to go days without showering to guards excessive use of force and denial of medication.

Michael Borrego Fernandez, a Cuban man taken to the detention center in the Everglades on July 5, is one of the plaintiffs. The complaint states he had to undergo emergency surgery at a local hospital on July 11 because of excessive bleeding while he was at the detention center. Staff didnt give Borrego Fernandez the antibiotics prescribed following the surgery, his family told his attorneys.

Miami-Dade County law enforcement arrested Borrego Fernandez on July 5 over a parole violation involving outstanding traffic violations, and his family is working with his attorneys to seek his deportation to Cuba because of the conditions at the detention center.

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Dismissing the claims in the lawsuit, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded: No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States, and yet all they do is complain.

At the same time, the detention center is at the center of two additional lawsuits: One from environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida seeking to halt the sites operation in the fragile ecosystem, and another from state Democratic lawmakers demanding oversight authority to conduct visits.

DEM and a spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately respond to Florida Phoenixs request for comment.

(Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.)
The National Public Radio headquarters in Washington, D.C., is pictured on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

This article was originally published by The Conversation.

The U.S. Senate narrowly approved on July 16, 2025, a bill that would claw back federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes money to NPR, PBS and their affiliate stations. The US$9 billion rescission package will withdraw $1.1 billion Congress had previously approved for the CPB to receive in the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years. In addition, it makes deep foreign aid cuts. All Democrats present voted against the measure, joined by two Republicans: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. As long as the House, which approved a previous version, votes in favor of the Senates version of the bill by midnight July 18, Trump will be able to meet a budgetary deadline by signing the measure into law in time for it to take effect.

What will happen to NPR, PBS and local stations?

NPR and PBS provide programming to local public television and radio stations across the country. The impact on them will be direct and indirect.

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Both NPR and PBS receive money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an independent nonprofit corporation Congress created in 1967 to receive and distribute federal money to public broadcasters. More than 70% of the money it distributes flows directly to local stations. Some stations get up to half of their budgets from the CPB.

But NPR and PBS get much of their funding from foundation grants, viewers and listeners donations, and corporate underwriting. And local public radio and TV stations also get support from an array of sources besides CPB.

Only about 1% of NPR funding, and 15% of PBS funding, comes directly from the government via the CPB. However, once local radio and television stations lose federal funding, theyll be less able to pay NPR and PBS for the programs they produce.

The nearly 1,500 public media stations in the U.S. rely on a mix of NPR, PBS and third-party producer programming, such as American Public Media and PRX, for the programs they offer. Local stations also produce and air regional news and provide emergency broadcasts for the government.

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In rural areas with few broadcast stations and spotty cellphone coverage, public broadcast stations are vital sources of information about important community news and updates during emergencies. Federal support is essential for the programming and day-to-day operations of many local stations and allows for the maintenance of equipment and personnel to operate these vital community resources.

We believe that stations in communities that most need them, especially in rural locations, would be hit especially hard because they rely heavily on CPB funding.

Why are Republicans taking this step?

Public broadcasting has long been a target of conservative Republicans. They say that with a highly diversified media landscape, the public no longer needs media that is subsidized by federal dollars. They also claim that public broadcasting has a liberal bias and taxpayers should not be required to fund media that slants to the left politically.

Why is public media necessary when theres news on the internet?

As journalism revenue has plummeted, public broadcasting has remained a vital source for news in communities across the nation. This is especially true in rural communities, where economic and political pressures have threatened the survival of local journalism.

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In addition, with much online news coverage placed behind paywalls, public radio and television plays an important role in making quality journalism available to the American public.

Why did Congress approve these funds 2 years ahead?

Public broadcasting has gotten roughly $550 million per year from the federal government in recent years. The CPB has always approved and designated those funds two years in advance, due to a provision in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, after Congress has voted to provide that money. The CPB then has distributed that funding primarily through grants to PBS and NPR affiliate stations to support their technical infrastructure, program development and audience research.

What are the consequences for Native communities?

Dozens of Native American stations are at risk of closing once the CPB is defunded. Native Public Media, a network of 57 radio stations and four TV stations, is a key source of news and information for tribal communities across the nation and relies on CPB support.

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, publicly stated that he secured an agreement with the White House to move $9.4 million in Interior Department funding to two dozen Native American stations. But there is no provision related to this promise within the legislation.

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Canada has announced the introduction of a tariff rate quota to shield its domestic steel industry from international pressures.

Effective from 1 August 2025, the quota will apply to countries with which Canada has free trade agreements, excluding the US and Mexico.

For countries that do not have free trade agreements with Canada, the government has reduced the tariff-free quota to 50% of the 2024 volumes, down from 100%. Imports exceeding this quota will also incur a 50% tariff.

In response to the domestic industry's concerns about becoming uncompetitive due to US tariffs, Canada will also implement additional 25% tariffs on steel imports containing materials melted and poured in China before the end of July.

These measures are intended to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian steel producers by safeguarding against trade diversion in a rapidly evolving global steel market, strengthening supply chains and attracting new private investment in Canadian production.

Furthermore, the Canadian Government is investing C$70m in Labour Market Development Agreements to provide training and income support for up to 10,000 steel workers affected by industry changes.

This investment aims to reskill the workforce and ensure it has the necessary support to meet the future demands of the steel industry.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said: Our steel industry will be central to Canadas competitiveness, our security and our prosperity.

As Canada moves from reliance to resilience, Canadas new government is taking a series of major measures to support, reinforce and transform the industry to be more resilient in the face of profound shifts in global trade and supply chains.

Canada is also allocating C$1bn to the Strategic Innovation Fund.

This funding is intended to help steel companies undertake projects that will boost their competitiveness, encourage the production of new steel products not currently manufactured in Canada and create job opportunities, particularly in the defence sector.

To assist small and medium-sized steel enterprises facing liquidity issues, the Business Development Bank of Canada is improving its Pivot to Grow initiative.

Additionally, the steel industry is set to receive C$150m as part of the government's Regional Tariff Response Initiative, which will be managed through Regional Development Agencies.

The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan programme is also being updated to be more inclusive and offer more affordable financing options to steel companies.

Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne said: Our government continues to defend Canadian workers, businesses and investments as we navigate the new trading environment.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The 2025-26 school year is just around the corner, and one district in the Borderland is going back to school as soon as next week.

Graphic courtesy of Clint ISD

The Clint Independent School District will officially start the new school year on Monday, July 21.

List of backpack, school supply giveaways in El Paso

The district said that approximately 10,500 students across 13 campuses are expected to fill classrooms.

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Over 1,600 teachers, administrators, and staff have been preparing for weeks, ensuring that all schools are ready to provide a welcoming, safe, and enriching environment for all students, the district said.

Las Cruces public health office provides back-to-school vaccines

The start times for each Clint ISD campuses are as follows, according to the district:

High schools

Horizon High School: 8:45 a.m. (14651 Horizon Blvd.)

Clint High School: 8:30 a.m. (13890 Alameda Ave.)

Mountain View High School: 8:30 a.m. (14964 Greg Dr.)

Middle schools

Horizon Middle School: 7:45 a.m. (400 N Kenazo Ave.)

Ricardo Estrada Middle School: 7:45 a.m. (851 South Darrington Rd.)

Clint Junior High School: 7:45 a.m. (12625 Alameda Ave.)

East Montana Middle School: 7:45 a.m. (3490 N Ascencion St.)

Elementary schools

Desert Hills Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (300 N Kenazo Ave.)

Frank Macias Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (14400 Golden Eagle Dr.)

Carroll T. Welch Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (14510 McMahon Dr.)

W.D. Surratt Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (12675 Alameda Ave.)

Montana Vista Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (3550 Mark Jason Dr.)

Red Sands Elementary: 7:20 a.m. (4250 OShea Rd.)

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HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE)  Were hearing from the New Mexico State Police officers who pulled over a man for speeding in Hobbs earlier this year, leading up to a deadly shooting. NMSP Officers Leonel Mendez and Roberto Carreon told investigators what led up to the shooting.

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Jesus Rubio was killed by New Mexico State Police back in early January after he was pulled over for speeding. I then got behind the Dodge Charger and he kept going up in speed, up to 60 mph in a 35, said Mendez. Upon being pulled over, Rubio got out of his car. According to authorities, he did not listen to officers commands. I could only see the left side of his body, where he was trying to conceal his right arm near his waistband, where people would normally carry a firearm, the officer said.

Then, Rubio made a sudden move. An officer demanded he stay in the car and show his hands. Then he abruptly, really fast, turned around, where he started raising his arms up to fully extended up to his eye level, an officer explained. The two officers then opened fire and struck Rubio at least four times.

A gun was not found on Garza, nor was one found in his car, but officers say the threat of one was real enough. I didnt want Officer Mendez to get shot, and at that point, to prevent any harm to Officer Mendez, I shot the driver, Carreon said. When he raised it, I had no doubt that he has a gun in his hand and he was going to kill me with that gun, he was going to shoot me. At that time, I took a split-second decision to defend myself and my partners life by shooting at him.

First responders rendered aid and took him to the hospital. He died shortly after arriving. The incident is still under investigation. The District Attorneys Office will determine whether or not the officers will be charged.

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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Tennova Healthcare has formally filed legal objections with the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, opposing plans by Ascension Saint Thomas and TriStar to build two new full-service hospitals in Clarksville.

According to documents obtained by Clarksville Now, Tennova argues the additional hospitals are unnecessary and could increase health care costs for residents.

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In the letters, Tennova points to the existing infrastructure in Montgomery County, specifically Tennova-Clarksville and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, as sufficient to meet current patient demand. They also cite that more than one-third of the county is covered under TriCare, the military insurance program that directs beneficiaries to Blanchfield.

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Despite Tennovas objections, local officials are voicing strong support for the proposed expansion. On Monday, the Montgomery County Commission passed a resolution backing both Saint Thomas and TriStars plans.

It is not up to Tennova to dictate who can or cannot do business in our county, one commissioner said. When we are looking at a population increase thats about to surpass Chattanooga  and Chattanooga has 11 hospitals with four general hospitals, while we only have one  we need expansion in our health care sector.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Ascension Saint Thomas is seeking to build a 44-bed, $148.5 million facility off Exit 11, while TriStars $268 million proposal includes a 68-bed hospital on Tiny Town Road. Both projects require Certificates of Need from the state to move forward.

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The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on July 23 in Nashville, where the fate of the project will be decided.

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Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell listens to the closing arguments of her attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. during the fifth day of her felony burglary trial on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. To the right of Sen. Mitchell are her other attorneys Matthew Keller and Dane DeKrey. Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald appears in the foreground. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo)

The prosecution and defense put the fate of Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell in the hands of a jury Friday, as both sides gave closing arguments on felony burglary charges that could hold political consequences as well as criminal.

Throughout the five-day trial, the state asserted that Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, was intent on stealing her late fathers possessions from her stepmother when she broke into her home in April 2024. Prosecutors main evidence was that she told police officers as much during her arrest.

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But the senator would later say on the witness stand that she drove the 220 miles from her home in Woodbury to her stepmothers Detroit Lakes home to conduct a welfare check. Mitchell testified in her own defense Thursday, saying she has witnessed her stepmothers mental decline because of Alzheimers disease and that she wasnt receiving the attention and care she needed.

Mitchell said she lied to police about her intentions  and made up wanting to steal her fathers possessions  to allay her stepmothers paranoia.

The defense has repeatedly classified this as a welfare check. Youve seen all the evidence, the time of night, the outfit, the tools. What does your reason and common sense tell you? Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald asked the jury in his closing statement.

Mitchells explanation of lying to police to refrain from exacerbating Carols paranoia defies common sense, McDonald said.

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Mitchell has been charged with first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Mitchells defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the only reason she was in the home was to steal.

The state needs you to believe that Nicole Mitchell would throw away everything. That she would throw away her career, that she would throw away her family, that she would throw away her ability to be a foster parent, Bruce Ringstrom Jr., Mitchells attorney, said in his closing argument. Unless the states evidence can rule out that Nicole Mitchell entered just to check on Carol, then the verdict must be not guilty.

Mitchell has admitted she entered the home without permission and her defense has said she would have pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge. But she has unequivocally denied stealing anything from the home, and multiple police officers testified that they didnt find anything in Mitchells possession that was stolen property.

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Under Minnesota law, a person doesnt need to steal anything to be convicted of burglary. The law requires that a person enter a dwelling without permission with the intent to commit a crime of theft. The intent aspect of the law is the key issue in this case.

McDonald argued that Nicole Mitchell would have stolen her fathers flannel shirt and other possessions but she was accosted by police.

Of course she didnt have anything on her. She got interrupted, McDonald told the jury.

When Mitchell was first arrested last year, police alleged that Nicole Mitchell was in the Detroit Lakes home to steal her fathers ashes, flannel shirt and other mementos. Testimony this week revealed that the ashes of Nicole Mitchells father were already interred and Carol had already mailed Nicole Mitchell some of the ashes prior to the break-in.

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Throughout the trial, numerous police officers, investigators, family members and friends testified about Mitchells arrest and what they observed in her relationship with her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, which they say declined after Mitchells father died in 2023.

The police made several mistakes in the investigation, including failing to maintain several pieces of evidence.

Republicans in the thinly divided Senate have attempted to oust Nicole Mitchell multiple times because of the felony charge alone, but Democrats stopped them. Democrats hold a one-seat majority, 34-33, in the Minnesota Senate.

If Mitchell is convicted, her fellow Democrats may be less inclined to vote in her favor and she could be expelled. Its unclear when that would happen, however, as Gov. Tim Walz would need to call a special session to do so. The Legislature will begin its 2026 session in February.

The jury began deliberations around 12:30 p.m. Friday and had not reached a verdict as of early afternoon Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Central New Mexico Community College is revealing the results of a unique experiment to see which building material is better at keeping ice cold. For the cold box challenge, crews built one structure to current building code standards and a second box with high-performance, energy-efficient insulation. Then they loaded each box with 80 pounds of ice, then waited two days to see how much ice remained intact.

Where are the best spots to catch a sunset in Albuquerque?

The experiment found that the high-efficiency insulation performed about three times better than the standard building codes. You dont have to have three, four, five tons of heating system or cooling system. The cooling system can be much, much smaller. You use less energy, you pay less, its a lot better for the environment, its a lot healthier, said Xavier Obando, American Institute of Architects.

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CNM partnered with the American Institute of Architects on the cold box challenge. Organizers said it was the first event of its kind in New Mexico, and they hope to make it a regular part of the curriculum.

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CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins pushed back on Republican Senator Bernie Morenos assertion that she had not covered the Biden autopen scandal as in-depth as the Epstein Files scandal.

In a heated debate over the administrations handling of the Epstein files debacle on Thursdays episode of The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Moreno danced around criticisms related to the scandal.

You know what were not talking about, the autopen scandal, Moreno said to Collins. Did you guys spend 30 minutes talking about the autopen scandal? Did you spend 30 minutes talking about the fact that Democrats hid the knowledge that President Biden was compromised?

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Collins interjected to remind Moreno that her colleague, Jake Tapper, wrote a book dedicated to investigating the White Houses handling of former president Joe Bidens alleged declining health.

Jake Tapper wrote an entire book on it, and we covered it at length. I think you can do both things, you can walk and chew gum at the same time, senator, with all due respect, Collins said.

Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno defended the Trump administration on Thursday evening while speaking with CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins (Getty Images)

Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno defended the Trump administration on Thursday evening while speaking with CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins (Getty Images)

The autopen scandal refers to the belief among Republicans and the president that Biden staffers used the autopen to have the former president sign official documents without Bidens knowledge. Its part of their larger theory that the White House concealed evidence that Bidens cognitive and physical health was in decline.

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Biden has denied those allegations.

Morenos attempt to redirect the conversation from the Epstein scandal to the autopen scandal appeared unsuccessful. Collins continued to press Moreno to provide some commentary about Trump pulling the rug from underneath his supporters, who hoped his administration would release documents related to the governments investigation into Epstein.

I understand youre argument that youre trying to blame it on the media and Democrats, but the whole point of this scandal, which, when the president said last week, I cant believe people are still talking about Jeffrey Epstein, its his supporters who are talking, Collins reminded Moreno.

Despite Trump, his Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino claiming they would release the Epstein Files, the administration put an abrupt stop to speculation last week when it released a memo stating there were no extraordinary findings.

Collins asked the Republican senator if the administrations initial refusal to release the Epstein Files was misleading supporters who were promised such (AFP via Getty Images)

Collins asked the Republican senator if the administrations initial refusal to release the Epstein Files was misleading supporters who were promised such (AFP via Getty Images)

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The news disappointed people who had believed conspiracy theories that the secrecy around the Epstein investigation was to prevent the public from finding out other high-profile individuals were involved in Epsteins decades-long sex abuse and child sex trafficking scheme.

Even some Republican lawmakers who have bolstered theories about the Epstein Files have pushed for Trump to release documents in the investigation.

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published a report accusing Trump of sending Epstein a birthday letter in the early 2000s that included lewd references to sexual relations with women. The president has denied the report.

Moreno defended the president on Thursday night, calling the report a fake story.

Despite Collins best efforts to get Moreno to provide commentary about the scandal, he continued to highlight the administrations successes and downplayed the potential impact on Trump voters who were promised the release of the Epstein Files.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Colombian President Gustavo Preto arrived Friday in Haiti for the second time this year in a show of support as gangs in the troubled Caribbean country continue to gain ground.

Petro announced the opening of a Colombian embassy in Haiti and pledged to help Haiti strengthen its security.

Petro met with Haitis prime minister and its transitional presidential council, which is under pressure to hold general elections before February 2026.

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While officials met behind closed doors, a statement from Colombias government noted they would review bilateral projects focused on security, commerce, education, agriculture and the fight against drug trafficking.

Petros administration has offered to train Haitian officers, and Haitian delegations have visited a state-owned arms manufacturing company in Colombia to learn about its defense capabilities.

The two countries are strengthening their ties as judges in Haiti continue to interrogate 17 former Colombian soldiers accused in the July 2021 killing of President Jovenel Moise.

A press conference to share details about Petro's visit was scheduled for Friday afternoon, but after leaving reporters waiting for several hours, officials canceled it.

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The Colombian government shared a brief clip of Petro speaking at the new embassy: The time has come to truly unite.

Meanwhile, a handful of people gathered outside the embassy to protest Petro's arrival.

We had a president. They killed him, one Haitian man said, referring to the accused Colombians, who have rejected the accusations.

Petro previously visited Haiti in late January, where he was received in the southern coastal city of Jacmel with much fanfare. Prior to his visit, Haitian officials invested some $3.8 million to more than double the runway at the airport in Jacmel, renovate the town and restore electricity to a population living in the dark for at least three years.

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This time, Petro landed in Port-au-Prince, where 90% of the capital is under gang control. He was accompanied by officials including Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The officials arrived less than a week after Haitian authorities killed four suspected drug traffickers and confiscated more than 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of cocaine off the countrys north coast.

It was a remarkable seizure for Haitis National Police, which remains understaffed and underfunded as it works with Kenyan police leading a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence.

While most of the violence is centered in Port-au-Prince, gangs have razed and seized control of a growing number of towns in Haitis central region.

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At least 4,864 people have been killed from October to the end of June across Haiti, with hundreds of others kidnapped, raped and trafficked, according to a recent U.N. report.

Gang violence also has displaced 1.3 million people in recent years.
Medical Watch Digest for July 17.

Colon cancer increasing faster than other early onset cancers

A rise in one particular cancer among young people who are not getting recommended screenings.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute found 1 in 5 people ages 45-49 are not following guidelines and are avoiding colon screenings.

At the same time colorectal cancer is now rising at an alarming rate, increasing faster than any other type of early onset cancer including breast cancer.

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Other gastrointestinal cancers are also more frequently diagnosed including gastric, esophageal and pancreatic cancers in people younger than 50.

Doctors say there is an urgent need for prevention strategies and better early detection methods and compliance.

Cannabis use linked to neck tumor

Using cannabis is associated with neck tumors.

While cigarette smoking has long been linked to head and neck cancers, now add cannabis to that threat.

Researchers, writing in the journal otolaryngology head and neck surgery, found those who use cannabis have an increased threat for salivary gland tumors.

They studied more than 183-thousand people with cannabis use disorder and compared them to millions of people who did not use cannabis.

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The cannabis users had a greater chance for salivary gland tumors.

But study authors did not differentiate the method of cannabis use.

More Coverage: WGNs Medical Watch

Music provides relief to dementia patients

Music can elicit all kinds of emotions and for those struggling with dementia it can provide some relief from the turmoil of memory loss.

In studies, music therapy was so powerful for reducing stress for dementia patients, doctors said they could halt medications.

In the Frontiers in Psychiatry study, music therapists embedded in hospital wards delivering clinical music sessions for dementia patients.

They sang, played an instrument or played recorded music in the hospital room.

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Quality of life scores increased, medication needs for stress decreased as did symptoms of distress.

Music therapists say they believe the results here could extend to other patients as well.

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DENVER (KDVR)  A number of Colorado Republican election clerks say they got calls and messages from someone working for the White House, asking for access to their voting machines.

FOX31 spoke to the White House and the man accused of making the calls about the allegations, in addition to the other agencies involved.

6 locations noted as possible ICE detention facilities in Colorado: Report

No individual we spoke to denies that the calls and contacts were made, but depending on who you ask, whether or not they believe the asks were illegal varies.

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In Colorado, a blue state, clerks representing Republican counties, like El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker, received unexpected calls and text messages last week.

I was completely surprised, Schleiker said. I received a text and it was Mr. Jeff Small identifying self, introducing himself, and saying he works for the White House and he would really like to talk to me in regards to election integrity.

Schleiker called back.

We spoke calmly for a good 20-25 minutes, and he introduced himself and said, Hey, I am a consultant hired by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. And he asked if I was aware of the presidents executive order on election integrity, Schleiker said. Yeah, I wouldnt be the clerk if I wasnt aware of that, and he said the administration is not very happy with the movement on this executive order and they have hired me to create relationships, contacts with Republican clerks in the state of Colorado.

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Schleiker said that call led to Small asking if he could share his number with someone from DHS. Shortly after, he said he got a call from that person and they complimented the work El Paso County is doing to ensure voting security and integrity.

But he did then ask, Steve, is there an opportunity we can partner and sit there and test your election equipment to see if theres any gaps? Schleiker said. That was a hard no.

There were 10 counties that have been called that I know of, Matt Crane, the Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said. From what we understand, they were calling Republican clerks in Democratic states to see if they would play ball with this. All the clerks that they called are Republican, and all of them run Dominion voting systems.

Crane tells FOX31 that all of the clerks who were reached out to said no to requests for voting equipment access.

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To make it very clear, we will not allow anybody to have unauthorized access to voting equipment, Colorados Secretary of State Jena Griswold said. And if someone does attempt to have unauthorized access, that comes with criminal liability in the state of Colorado.

Griswold, Colorados Chief Elections Officer, says compromising voting equipment is considered a felony.

If the White House did indeed send a consultant to ask Republican county clerks to allow them to have unauthorized access to voting equipment, that is a major escalation on the White House and Donald Trumps attacks on states and our authority under the Constitution to oversee our elections, Griswold said. We take this situation very seriously.

The White House responded to FOX31.

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President Trump will keep fighting for election integrity, despite Democrat objections that reveal their disdain for commonsense safeguards like verifying citizenship, Harrison Fields, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, said to FOX31 in a statement, adding Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our Constitutional Republic, and were confident in securing an ultimate victory in the courtroom.

When we asked specifically about Small and the other person who called the El Paso County Clerk, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated:

Everyday, DHS works with our local partners to make sure our elections remain safe. We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them.

I used to  I consulted for CISA on election security matters from 2019 until earlier this year, 2025, Crane said. At no point would I ever reach out to local election administrators and ask for access to their voting systems. So that was a big red flag.

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FOX31s Nicole Fierro spoke to Small and his attorney. His attorney confirms that Small performed outreach to local elections officials at the request of members of the administration in an unpaid capacity during his paternity leave.

She also shared the following statement:

The provisions of President Trumps executive order related to voting systems is valid law. These provisions require:

(ii) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Election Assistance Commission shall take appropriate action to review and, if appropriate, re-certify voting systems under the new standards established under subsection (b)(i) of this section, and to rescind all previous certifications of voting equipment based on prior standards.

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(c) Following an audit of Help America Vote Act fund expenditures conducted pursuant to 52 U.S.C. 21142, the Election Assistance Commission shall report any discrepancies or issues with an audited States certifications of compliance with Federal law to the Department of Justice for appropriate enforcement action.

Although some provisions have been enjoined, this section remains the law.

This is a developing trend: Colorado agency offers help preventing key fob cloning

Colorado has laws and procedures that require testing and audits of its systems by state and local election officials. This testing is done transparently with members of the public and often voting system vendors in the room. The state has procedures and rules to ensure the security of the system.

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There is nothing in federal or state law that would prohibit the EAC from auditing election equipment, provided the county consented and the state granted approval for third-party access. During his communication with the County Clerks, Small was communicating about this portion of the Executive Order. He even attached the Order in his initial outreach.

It is disingenuous to suggest that an audit of voting machines as part of the implementation of an executive order is illegal or unethical.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The City of Columbus held its final capital budget proposal public hearing Thursday night, highlighting Mayor Andrew Ginthers $2.9 billion budget plan, focusing on public safety and recreation and parks.

Residents came out to learn about the proposed capital budget and where that money could potentially go.

Its really exciting to see a larger budget thats supported by a larger revenue base, which is a testament to the resiliency of our community and economic strength of our community, City of Columbus Director of Finance Chris Long said.

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Long said it is the largest capital budget in Columbus history. Long said where the money goes depends on the mayors priorities and the communitys needs.

Whether that be a public service, whether it be public safety, whether it be our utilities infrastructure, whether it be affordable housing, those are our North Star in terms of determining Capital Budget, he said.

Public safety was a top priority. City leaders broke down some projects and the amount budgeted for each of them, like the Records Management System and Fire Facility renovations.

Im excited about what we are doing in the City of Columbus. Im excited about it as a whole, resident Veronica Hill said.

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Hill had some questions regarding Fire Station 20 on East 5th Avenue.

As theyre building the new fire stations, which I think is wonderful, wed like to see that fire station be considered, she said. It needs to be torn down. It needs to be rebuilt.

The Easton Police Substation is a huge part of the public safety budget. The proposed amount budgeted is $14 million. The facility will replace current substation 6, which was built in 1974; its outdated and too small.

Im sure its necessary, but that being said, it goes back to my initial question in that were building in areas like that, Hill said. In some of the other outskirts, theyre putting up these beautiful, aesthetically looking and functional fire stations and police departments. But the inner city, I think that they were kind of behind the eight ball and we just want to be considered.

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As for next steps, the budget has been submitted to city council for their consideration.

There is another public hearing with Columbus City Council coming up Friday in councils chambers at city hall starting at 1 p.m.

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By Sheila Dang

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Chevrons imminent entry into Guyanas rich offshore oilfields solves one of the biggest problems dogging the U.S. major: where its growth will come from beyond the next few years.

On Friday, the U.S. oil producer closed its $55-billion acquisition of Hess - among the largest ever oil and gas deals - and gained the latter's stake in Guyana's Stabroek Block after prevailing in a legal fight against larger rival Exxon Mobil.

Before the deal closed, concerns had been rising about Chevron's financial and production growth prospects, with its reserves of oil and gas dropping to the lowest in at least a decade.

The Stabroek Block holds at least 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent and is one of the most significant oil discoveries in decades.

"The combination enhances and extends our growth profile well into the next decade," Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said about closing the Hess acquisition.

Some investors cheered the development as boosting the company's long-term prospects.

"The acquisition plugs a free cash flow hole that Chevron had looming at the end of this decade into the 2030s," said David Byrns, a portfolio manager at American Century Investments, which has a $351-million position in Chevron, according to LSEG data.

Without Hess, it was unclear how Chevron could maintain free cash flow, he said, adding the acquisition is also expected to help Chevron sustain its dividend into the 2030s.

Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist at advisory firm Hightower Advisors, said she is considering adding Chevron to her portfolio as its shares are down over the past year and carry a 4.5% dividend yield.

"The key is that Chevron now gains access to one of the world's fastest-growing and lowest-cost oil developments," she said.

SHARES FALL

The closure is a much-needed win for Chevron after several tough months during which it announced global layoffs, faced rising safety issues, and lost exports from Venezuela. Its shares have fallen 7.5% over the past year. On Friday, they declined 1.6% in afternoon trading.

Chevron's oil and gas reserves, or the amount it can potentially extract from its oil and gas fields, fell to 9.8 billion boe at the end of 2024, the lowest point in at least a decade.

Its organic reserve replacement ratio, a measure of how much new oil and gas was added to reserves compared to the amount it produced, and which excludes acquisitions and sales, was just 45%. A ratio of 100% or more means the company is replacing its reserves at the same rate that it depletes them.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Hiro Ramen and Tea on Sawmill Road said immigration officials arrested three staff members on Wednesday without a warrant.

The restaurant addressed the incident in a post on social media, calling it shocking and traumatizing.

In the post, the restaurant said ICE officers made the arrests in the parking lot as the employees were coming to work.

USDA cites Columbus Zoo for failure of door that resulted in lions death

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While our parking lot is considered private property, apparently ICE only needs a warrant to seize people in private areas of the restaurant, such as the kitchen or back of house areas, the restaurant wrote. Sadly, they do not need a warrant to arrest anyone in what is considered public areas of a restaurant.

The restaurant also addressed what it said were rumors that the owners called ICE on their staff members.

These are hardworking people who we have spent the past years working side by side creating Hiro with day in and day out and we would have absolutely no reason, nor any desire, to call ICE on them or another person, ever, the restaurant wrote.

The restaurant thanked those who have expressed support for the restaurant.

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NBC4 reached out to the U.S. Marshals office, which said it was not aware of any arrests.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)  The 2025 Walk to End Alzheimers is just over two months away, but the fundraiser has already kicked off, and a special event on Thursday in Green Bay provided opportunities to learn more ahead of the actual date.

On Thursday in Green Bay, the Alzheimers Associations Wisconsin Chapter invited the community to Joannes Stadium for a kick-off event.

Neil Armstrongs watch inspires $17K donation for students across northeast Wisconsin

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From community members to sponsors to those participating in the event, which officially takes place on September 27, 2025, attendees for the kick-off special learned about ways to make a difference, all while enjoying the Blue Ribbons game.

The Walk to End Alzheimers is a nationwide initiative hosted by the Alzheimers Association with over 600 locations set to raise money to combat the disease.

Click here to learn more.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
A viral clip of a CEO and a human resources chief caught on a Coldplay concerts kiss cam, entangled in whats believed to be an adulterous romantic moment, has been viewed more than 65 million times on TikTok, generated its own fake news cycle and sparked discourse about living in a surveillance state since it was posted Thursday.

Now, the company the two work for has launched an internal investigation.

Astronomer, the tech company at the center of the scandal, is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding, a statement released Friday said. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.

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In the clip from Wednesday nights concert in Boston, a couple was seen on the jumbotron locked in an embrace  until they realized they were on the big screen and scrambled to hide their faces, prompting some speculation from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Either theyre having an affair or theyre just very shy, Martin said over the speakers.

Astronomer has finally spoken out about *that* viral moment. Grace Springer via Storyful / Astronomer

Internet sleuths quickly identified the two as Astronomers chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, and CEO Andy Byron, who is married to someone else, according to records examined by other media outlets.

As of Friday evening, Byron has been placed on leave, and Astronomers chief product officer is stepping in as interim CEO, a spokesperson told HuffPost.

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The company also corrected some misinformation floating around about the ordeal on Friday.

[N]o other employees were in the video, the company said after the name of another Astronomer employee began circulating, identifying her as the woman smiling next to the couple and claiming shed recently been promoted because she knew about the affair.

Stories running with that unverified claim appeared on various news sites, including Yahoo.

The company also clarified that Byron had not put out a statement, despite a fake one featuring Coldplay lyrics gaining traction online.

Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect, Astronomer said Friday.

Related...
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced in July 2025 that the multi-billion-dollar Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project would be inaugurated in September 2025. Following this announcement, a post published on Facebook claims to show footage of the dam in operation ahead of its inauguration. However, this is misleading; the video shows dams in South Africa and Brazil.

The post contains a text overlay in Amharic, which translates to: This is happening in Meskrem 2018 E.C: the inauguration of the GERD dam and the start of oil production will take place together.

Meskerem 2018 in the Ethiopian calendar is equivalent to September 2025.

Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on July 15, 2025

The post was originally published on TikTok and has been shared more than 110 times since it was reposted to Facebook on July 4, 2025.

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The 53-second video features a male news presenter reporting on an announcement made by Abiy in early July. Footage of various dam facilities display on the screen over the audio.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told members of parliament during the 42nd ordinary session that Ethiopia will begin marketing oil starting next September, the presenter says.

In addition, he confirmed that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be inaugurated this coming September.

The GERD

On July 3, 2025, Abiy announced the completion of the multi-billion-dollar mega-dam on the Blue Nile and said it would be officially inaugurated in September 2025 (archived here).

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Launched in 2011 with a $4 billion budget, the GERD is considered Africas largest hydroelectric project. The dam wall spans 1.8 kilometres (1.1 miles) and is 145 metres (475 feet) high.

While Addis Ababa views the dam as essential to its national electrification program, it has been a source of tension with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, who fear it could threaten their water supply from the Nile (archived here).

However, the video does not show Ethiopias new dam, set for inauguration in September.

Gariep Dam

AFP Fact Check used the video verification tool InVID-WeVerify to conduct reverse image searches on keyframes from the video and established that none of the clips featured show the GERD.

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Search results indicate that the first 12 seconds of the video show the Gariep Dam, located between the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces in South Africa.

The footage was published on TikTok on January 30, 2021, with the English caption: Gariep Dam 30/01/2021, 114% Full.

The length of the video also exactly matches the footage in the misleading clip.

Search results also led to similar videos here and here showing the Gariep Dam overflowing (archived here and here).

AFP Fact Check further verified the dams location by comparing features visible in the video with satellite imagery on Google Maps (archived here).

The spillway, crest and surrounding greenery all align with features visible in the video.

Screenshots of the misleading clip (top) and Google Maps showing Gariep Dam, taken on July 15, 2025

Pictures of the Gariep Dam wall on stock photo site Shutterstock also match the structure in the clip (archived here).

Funil hydro plant

Search results confirmed that the portion of the clip from 13 to 40 seconds features the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant  a Brazilian dam located on the Paraiba do Sul River in Resende, Rio de Janeiro.

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The segment was uploaded to YouTube on October 6, 2023, with the title, Opening of the spillway gate at the Funil hydroelectric plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (archived here).

It was also published on X on November 3, 2023, with the caption: Spillway gates at the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, serve the crucial function of releasing surplus water from the reservoir (archived here).

Spillway gates at the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, serve the crucial function of releasing surplus water from the reservoir

pic.twitter.com/WVvEcfjLVU  Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) November 3, 2023

AFP Fact Check again corroborated these findings by comparing features visible in the video with satellite imagery on Google Maps.

The dams distinctive circular spillway gate, the large road in front of the spillway, and the surrounding forest all match the footage.

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Meanwhile, AFP file photos of the GERD taken during construction in 2022 show that it is structurally different from the dams seen in the Facebook clip.
By Sonia Rolley

(Reuters) -Congo and the M23 rebel group have agreed to a declaration of principles to end fighting in eastern Congo, a sign of progress after months of talks mediated by Qatar, though key details still need to be negotiated, four sources said on Friday.

The declaration, expected to be signed on Saturday in Doha, comes amid heavy U.S. pressure to finalise deals that would bring peace to eastern Congo. This could potentially attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.

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M23, in the latest of a string of uprisings supported by Rwanda, seized Goma, eastern Congo's largest city, in January and went on to make gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year while escalating the risk of a full-blown regional war. Several of Congo's neighbours already have troops deployed in the volatile region.

In March Qatar brokered a surprise meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.

That led to direct talks, also in Doha, between Congo and M23. Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group.

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In April, both sides pledged to work towards a ceasefire. But sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.

It was unclear on Friday how many of those issues have been resolved. There are also bigger questions on possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.

An official familiar with the discussions said the declaration of principles, reached after face-to-face meetings as well as shuttle diplomacy by the Qataris, would include an immediate ceasefire and outline "a commitment to begin formal negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement in the near future."

The official said there was also consensus on a mechanism for a permanent ceasefire and a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern Congo once a peace agreement is signed.

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An M23 source said the document does not mention any kind of troop withdrawal.

"The American pressure is very strong," a Congolese source said on Friday, noting the presence in Doha of Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa.

"But there are still many points unresolved. This is only one step in the discussions."

TALKS IN WASHINGTON

Washington has also hosted talks between Congo and Rwanda. On June 27 the two countries' foreign ministers signed a peace deal and met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump warned of "very severe penalties, financial and otherwise" if the deal is violated.

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Trump also invited Tshisekedi and Kagame to Washington to sign a package of deals that Boulos dubbed the "Washington Accord".

Speaking to reporters on July 2, Boulos said the Trump administration would "love" to hold that meeting at the end of July. But he also said U.S. officials hope to have a deal in Doha finalised by then.

Congo, the United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms. A report by a group of United Nations experts obtained by Reuters this month said Kigali exercised command and control over the rebels during their advance.

Rwanda has long denied helping M23 and says its forces are acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

(Reporting by Sonia Rolley and Stanis Bujakera; Additional reporting by Ange Adihe Kasongo in Kinshasa and Andrew Mills in Paris; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by David Gregorio and Daniel Wallis)
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives this week voted to approve a rescissions package that would cut federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which helps to fund local Utah stations such as KUER, PBS Utah and Utah Public Radio.

The move means CPB will lose about $1 billion in funding for the next two fiscal years. The cuts stem in part from Republican concerns that NPR and PBS carry a strong anti-conservative bias.

Local officials say the short term funding will impact but not kill local stations, and shortfalls will need to be made up elsewhere.

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When you turn on your radio and television ... we will still be there, said Maria OMara the executive director for KUER and PBS Utah.

Nationally, both PBS and NPR are partially funded through the CPB, but less than 1% of NPRs funding comes from the federal government. The majority of CPBs funding money goes to smaller local and rural stations around the country such as UPR, PBS Utah and KUER.

After being approved by Congress, the spending cuts now head to President Donald Trumps desk for his signature.

How much money will these local public broadcasting stations lose?

The cuts will not shut down Utah Public Radio, KUER or PBS Utah but it will take a substantial portion of their funding away.

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It means that in the very short term, we are not going away. We will not go to black. We will not go to static. When you turn on your radio and television, you know, after this vote, we will still be there, said OMara the executive director for KUER and PBS Utah.

OMara said that PBS Utah will lose about $2 million a year, which is 15% of the stations budget. KUER will lose $500,000 annually, which is 8% of its budget.

UPR receives $200,000 annually through the CPB, meaning that it will lose 15% of its budget, according to Tom Williams, the stations program director.

The cuts will impact local stations more than the national ones

Republicans voted in favor of the cuts to the CPB because they accuse stations such as PBS and NPR of promoting an anti-conservative bias, as previously reported by the Deseret News.

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The NPR and PBS components are, in our view, a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Theyre biased, theyre not objective, said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., earlier this week when asked about the cuts to public broadcasting.

During his monthly press conference on Thursday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he agrees with concerns about the stations biases.

I share some of the concerns that others do about the partisanship that has infiltrated some of public broadcasting, NPR and others, and so I think that should not happen, the governor said. We should not be using taxpayer dollars for forum for partisanship.

But, Cox added that he is concerned about the impact these cuts will have on Utahs rural areas, saying that the resources provided by public broadcasting are important for these areas.

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So, while I agree with the idea and the principle, I worry that the unintended consequence will be the exact opposite, that well still have a hyper partisan NPR, and well just lose the good things that are actually necessary for our tribal people for our rural communities, Cox said.

Williams said that the vast majority of the money from the CPB goes to funding local stations.

The effect is going to be felt most acutely at the local station level, he said.

OMara echoed this sentiment.

We are the ones that will have to figure out how to make up the difference, she said. Youre cutting hundreds of little stations in all parts of the country.

What does it mean for listeners and viewers of Utah PBS, NPR stations?

OMara emphasized that right now local broadcasters arent yet able to understand what the full impact of losing this funding will mean. That will become clearer after the cuts are implemented and everything settles out throughout the whole system, she said.

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We are still on the air this morning, and we will be for many years to come, OMara wrote in an email to the Deseret News on Friday morning. Our service may not be what it has been in the past, especially in the near future, as we adjust to this loss of funding.

Williams added that while he doesnt believe any stations in Utah will have to close due to the loss of federal funding, there will probably be some small stations across the country that will have to shut down.

Already there are news deserts around the country, and I think that problem will be worsened, Williams said.

He also emphasized the services that UPR provides all across the state, We do provide a lot of local news and a lot of programming. We take care to be targeted to our rural audiences, and we are everywhere in the state.

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Williams shared that much of the funding received from the CPB goes to paying for programs from NPR and other providers such as BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

While 15% of UPRs funding comes from the CPB, it also receives money from Utah State University and 50% of its funding comes from the community  its listeners and local businesses. To make up for the loss of CPB funding the station will have to turn to the community for more money, Williams said.

We do have very loyal listeners, very generous listeners and we are hoping that they will come through. We do see ourselves as a community, the public radio community, our hope is that well come together and be able to make it work, he added.

OMara shared that a large portion of both KUER and PBS Utahs funding comes from listeners and members as well. She also shared that KUER and PBS Utahs largest expenditures are on local programming, so it is expected that they will have to reduce their local services in the coming months.

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Another thing that could be impacted is the Emergency Alert System, which local public broadcasting stations are a part of, according to Williams. OMara added that the funding cuts could also impact what local stations pay for music rights since that is something negotiated by the CPB.

The programming produced by PBS Utah and KUER doesnt just go to people within the state but is also dispersed throughout the country, and OMara said that she believes this helps the country be able to understand Utah better.

Cox said he wants to look into possible problems local stations might face due to the funding cuts, and whether those could be fixed at the state level through local grants.

I really think public broadcasting, its a lot like national parks and public libraries, OMara said. Its hard sometimes to actually put dollar figure on the value for what we do. But we are always here. Were always free, and anything that erodes that is really a tragic loss.
Idaho's U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo stands to the right of President Donald Trump as the president signs the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, July 4, 2025. (Courtesy of White House Office of Legislative Affairs)

The Medicaid cuts recently approved by Congress and President Donald Trump could force states into difficult decisions, health policy experts say.

Part of several major changes to Medicaid, the bill caps how much states can tax health care providers, a tool states use to get extra federal funds for Medicaid, a program largely funded by the federal government.

That leaves a pretty significant hole in Idahos Medicaid budget, said Hillarie Hagen, senior policy associate with Idaho Voices for Children.

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Now it is on our Idaho Legislature to look at how were going to pick up the costs from these federal cuts, she told the Idaho Capital Sun in an interview. And were going to be facing very significant, difficult choices in the coming year on whether to eliminate certain programs, or were going to see a lot of people lose access to Medicaid.

But Idahos U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo  a Republican who serves as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee and pushed for several of the bills major parts  said the attack that people are going to be forced off of Medicaid is not correct.

Crapo said theres been a lot of inaccurate information about the bills Medicaid cuts. Only time will tell the impact, he told the Sun in an interview.

The only way to prove this is to wait and see what actually happens. But the bottom line is this: no ones benefits were cut in this legislation  unless you are a person who is not an American citizen and not legally present in America, Crapo said.  Or if you are a person who is registered in multiple states and are getting payments in multiple states.

What Idahos U.S. congressional delegation pushed for in the bill

Three of the four members of Idahos Republican congressional delegation opposed a proposal, later removed from the bill, to sell off federal public lands.

Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho. (Courtesy of Congressman Russ Fulchers office)

Idaho U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher voted against a House amendment that wouldve prevented federal land sales. Fulcher, in a phone interview, said he thinks public land should remain public, but the control, management should be local stakeholders, not the federal government.

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Idaho U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson voted for the amendment.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, told the Sun in an email that he was proud to have led the charge against the proposal to sell Idahos public lands.

In June, Risch and Crapo publicly opposed that provision in the bill, which was later removed by Utahs U.S. Sen. Mike Lee.

Public lands are an important part of our western way of life and a key driver of our economy, Risch said. I will continue demanding greater local, more common-sense management of our public lands to ensure Idaho has a voice on decisions that impact our state.

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

In an interview last week, Crapo said he pushed for several major aspects of the bill, including extending 2017 tax cuts, other tax cuts like no taxes on tips and less taxes on Social Security, border security funding and national security funding, including for the military.

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Fulcher said the portion of the bill that in many cases eliminates the tax on tips and overtime came from a town hall he had in Sandpoint during the pandemic. He said he first introduced legislation a few years ago and was able to add the provision to the budget bill with the support of the president. These tax cuts will be in effect through December 2028.

Simpson could not be reached for comment.

Tax cut extension avoids harsh restart, and arent a cut for the rich, Idahos lawmakers say

Like other Republicans, several members of Idahos congressional delegation have denied that the bill is a tax cut for the wealthy.

Crapo and Risch say the bill avoids Americans facing a $4 trillion tax hike, by extending 2017 tax cuts. And they say Idaho families will see wide benefits.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho. (Courtesy of U.S. Sen. Jim Rischs office)

Our bill not only prevented that from happening but delivered the largest tax relief package for working and middle-class Idaho families in U.S. history, Risch said in an email. We eliminated taxes on tips and overtime, enhanced the child and childcare tax credits, and are helping Idahoans keep more of their hard-earned income.

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Crapo agreed.

I know the attack on the bill has been that its just a tax cut for billionaires, Crapo said. Billionaires are going to pay the same taxes next year as they pay this year. There was no tax cut for billionaires. The reality here is that we stopped a $3.8 trillion tax increase  and added a number of other tax reductions for middle- and lower-income categories in America.

An average Idaho family of four will see $2,600 in tax savings, Crapo said. Thats among other impacts avoided by extending the tax cuts, he said  like child tax credits and standard deductions halving, many businesses seeing taxes rise by over 20%, and 33,000 job losses.

But Idaho Fiscal Policy Center Policy Analyst May Roberts said the budget bill delivers massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans while offering little relief to low- and middle-income families.

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In Idaho, top income earners will see tax cuts of more than $78,000 on average, while the lowest earners will see only a $20 cut, Roberts told the Sun in an email. That small cut for low income earners could be quickly erased by tariffs that drive up the cost of groceries, clothing, and other essentials, she added, citing estimates by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

To make matters worse, the tax cuts benefiting the wealthy were made permanent, while those intended to support working families are temporary and set to expire in just a few years, Roberts said.

Medicaid cuts leave budget hole for Idaho, expert says

Over the next decade, the bill is expected to cut federal funds for Idaho Medicaid by $4.3 billion and reduce Idaho Medicaids enrollment by as much as 40,000 people, estimates in early June from the group Manatt show. The analysis assumes work requirements will cut Medicaid enrollment and costs.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is still reviewing the bills impacts on Idaho, agency spokesperson AJ McWhorter told the Sun in an email last week.

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Many of the Medicaid provisions in the final bill closely mirror items Idaho has already led on. As the department completes its analysis in the coming months, it will make more information available, he said.

The bill also includes a mandate for Medicaid work requirements, which also counts community service and education. Cost-sharing, essentially copayments as high as $35, will also be required through the bill for people enrolled in Medicaid expansion, with some exceptions.

Were deeply concerned about how the consequences of this bill are going to be felt. Not only by individuals and families, but also the very safety net that is working to support them, like our rural hospitals and providers, Hagen said.

Idaho to pay $6M more for SNAP. Thats lower than it couldve been.

The bill will also shift millions of dollars to states in costs for the food assistance program, called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

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SNAP is a federal program that states run. The federal government pays for benefits. But states already chip in somewhat, by splitting administrative costs with the federal government.

The bill cuts funding for SNAP by about 20% over the next 10 years, or $186 billion, and over 2 million people could lose SNAP benefits under the bill, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

A SNAP welcomed here sign is seen at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. (Getty Images)

Historically, states paid half of the costs to run the program. But the bill will raise states share of administrative costs to 75%, with the federal government contributing 25% of costs, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Under that change, Idahos SNAP costs each year would rise by $6 million, said McWhorter, the Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson.

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But  at least for now  Idaho wouldnt be required to pay more for other SNAP costs under another part of the bill.

For the first time in the programs history, the bill will require many states to pay a portion of benefit costs.

Idaho wont be affected by that part of the bill because the state has the second lowest payment error rate in the nation. Each month, about 126,000 Idahoans receive $172 in benefits, state figures show.

An earlier version of the bill would have placed the benefit cost-sharing requirement on all states, which would have raised Idahos annual SNAP costs by at least $18 million, the Sun reported. But the new bill doesnt require states with some of the lowest payment error rates to pay for benefits.

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We remain well below the rate at which cost sharing would kick in under the final bill, McWhorter said.

Idaho may still face these increased costs in the future, Idaho Voices for Children Policy Director Kendra Knighten said in an interview.

To make up these costs, it may mean the Legislature may cut funding from other critical programs that the state currently oversees. Or it may mean that they choose to opt out of the SNAP program altogether, she said.

The bills expanded SNAP work requirements added through the bill are likely to raise states payment error rates over time, she said. About 4,000 Idahoans are at risk of losing the food assistance benefits  parents and caregivers with teenage children, and older adults, Knighten said.

The bill removes work requirement protections for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth, according to the Food Research & Action Center.

Whats missing from the bill: Tax credits for health insurance on exchange

The bill does not extend premium tax credits to buy health insurance on exchanges. If Congress doesnt extend those, insurance premiums are expected to surge  leading to about 35,000 Idahoans losing health insurance coverage, the Sun reported.

Crapo said Congress will address this in future legislation, but he isnt sure how.

There is a question about whether that system is actually being used in a way that is abusive  to the federal government in the sense of charging more money or allowing more credits to be claimed that are not truly focused on health care, Crapo said.

If the premium tax credits arent extended, Hagen with Idaho Voices for Children said we are likely to see about a 25% increase in the number of uninsured people in Idaho, and likely a 52% decrease in marketplace enrollment.

The bill also ended allowing people enrolled in marketplace plans to automatically re-enroll, which Hagen said 62% of enrollees rely on. That also risks people losing their health insurance coverage, she said.

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Rural Idaho hospitals may be negatively impacted

The combination of thousands of Idahoans losing their health care coverage and constraints on the provider taxes limiting how much money is available through Medicaid may be tough for small, rural hospitals to weather, said Toni Lawson, Idaho Hospital Association vice president of advocacy and external relations.

She noted that safety net programs that the state used to have in place, such as the Catastrophic Health Care Program and the county indigent fund, are no longer in place.

Hospitals will end up trying to absorb those costs, and thats going to become more and more difficult, Lawson said. We dont know all the exact implications yet, but its going to be tough for our rural hospitals.

She said that just one costly case of a patient not being able to pay for an expensive service, such as surgery, can upend a small hospitals budget.

Its going to negatively impact all Idahoans because if a hospital closes certain service lines or has to close, they dont just close for Medicaid patients. They close for all patients, she said. So were going to have some challenges with access to care.

Bill ends incentives for wind and solar projects and boosts fossil fuel production

The massive bill does more than just extend tax cuts and cut government spending. It also shores up government spending for immigration enforcement, national defense, agriculture and energy.

Idaho Conservation League Executive Director Justin Hayes said he didnt see anything in the bill that appeared to target Idaho, but that it could affect utility-scale wind and solar projects in the state in the long term. The bill phases out Biden-era tax incentives for large renewable energy projects while lowering royalty rates on gas and oil, Inside Climate News reported.

Hayes noted that since Idaho doesnt have oil or coal reserves, the state will be exporting money to buy electricity that is generated from fossil fuels or motor fuel from oil and gas, diesel, as opposed to electric.

A wind farm in Power County, Idaho, is depicted in this file photo. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy)

I think that youre seeing a wholesale shift in the direction this administration wants to take all of America to, Hayes said. Thats going to have huge climate impacts, and I think its going to make all of our electricity, whether youre residential consumers or industrial consumers, more expensive because wind and solar is coming online quickly and is the most affordable option for a lot of these development projects.

Risch argued that projects such as the nixed Lava Ridge wind farm project near Twin Falls were unpopular and said he was proud to work with the president to put a stop to it.

Thanks to the reconciliation bill, Idahoans tax dollars will no longer bankroll unwanted projects like Lava Ridge that would not effectively meet our long-term energy needs, he said.

The senator said the bill prioritized investments in several energy sources critical to Idaho, like hydropower, geothermal and nuclear energy.

The bill also provides certainty for Idaho farmers and ranchers by modernizing critical Farm Bill safety net programs and improving access to risk management resources, Risch told the Sun.

Fulcher said he supported changes in the bill to boost timber harvesting and grazing leases on federal lands and streamline the process to obtain mining permits.

In the West, we have a much more unique system of federal lands in most states, Idaho in particular (is) nearly two-thirds federal, and the president realizes that, Fulcher said, and wants to turn some of those resources into, frankly, a profit center instead of a cost center.

He said the timber harvesting and grazing could help reduce wildfire fuels as well.

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House Republicans late Thursday night approved the first batch of cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sending the $9 billion package to President Trumps desk in a big victory for the GOP.

The legislation  which claws back already approved federal funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting  cleared the chamber in a mostly party-line 216-213 vote less than a day after the Senate passed the measure.

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Mike Turner (Ohio) voted with every Democrat against the measure.

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Trump is expected to sign the bill soon, as Republicans face a Friday deadline to enact the cuts or release the funds to the organizations they were appropriated for.

The Republican Party and President Trump and everybody that works on our side has promised fiscal responsibility and fiscal discipline, and were delivering on those promises again tonight, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters after the vote, later adding, Im delighted to send that over to the presidents desk for signature, and hell sign that quickly.

Were going to downsize the scope of government, he said. Government is too large, it does too many things and it does almost nothing well. We believe in a limited government thats accountable and efficient and effective for the people, and were going to continue to demonstrate that through our actions here on the floor.

The package takes aim at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS  two outlets Republicans have labeled as politically biased  as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which DOGE targeted early in the Trump administration.

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Republicans see the bill as a critical test run for the party, as Trump administration officials have already indicated they aim to send multiple special requests to Congress to claw back more funding if the first package makes it through.

The request initially sent by the White House, known as a rescissions package, called for $9.4 billion in cuts to federal funding previously approved by Congress, including $8.3 billion for USAID and foreign aid, as well as more than $1 billion in public broadcasting funds.

But the White House ended up agreeing to exempt the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was established under former President George W. Bush in 2003 and totaled about $400 million, after those cuts became a critical point of contention for moderate GOP lawmakers.

Republicans said they also reached a deal with the administration seeking to shield tribal stations from cuts to the Corporation For Public Broadcasting.

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Republicans in both chambers have voiced strong support for the overall package and say the cuts are overdue. Many in the party have long scrutinized the scope of funding for foreign aid and accused public radio and television of political bias.

But the proposal also saw some resistance from Senate GOP appropriators earlier this week. The skeptics scolded the administration for trying to make an end run around the normal appropriations process and complained the request didnt have enough information, particularly when compared to the last rescissions request approved by Congress under former President George H. W. Bush.

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) specifically singled out a proposed $2.5 billion in cuts to the Development Assistance account. She noted in a statement that the account covers everything from basic education, to water and sanitation, to food security, but said lawmakers still lacked key details as to how those programs would be affected.

White House budget chief Russell Vought told reporters Thursday that the administration gave the same amount of detail and information that previous rescissions packages had.

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This is the same level of detail that appropriators do when they provide a bill, he argued. They say, This is the amount that were providing, or they have a rescission, and they put the amount of rescission. Same thing that they do.

He added that he respected people who are making the argument, but he disagreed, noting the Office of Budget and Management worked with House appropriators while crafting the request.

Some Republicans have also warned the presidents use of the rare tool to secure cuts to funding previously approved by Congress risks further eroding trust between both parties as lawmakers ramp up their annual funding work.

Vought said Thursday that another rescissions package is likely to come soon, though he stopped short of offering specifics as to what programs could be on the chopping block.

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Senate Democrats have warned the passage of this rescissions package and further efforts by the Trump administration to claw back funding with GOP-only votes threaten already fragile bipartisan negotiations to hash out full-year government funding bills.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) earlier this month said passage of the rescissions package would be an affront to the bipartisan appropriations process.

Thats why a number of Senate Republicans know it is absurd for them to expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund the government, while they concurrently plot to pass a purely partisan rescissions bill to defund those same programs negotiated on a bipartisan basis behind the scenes, he continued, later adding: This is beyond a bait and switch  it is a bait and poison-to-kill.

At the same time, Vought also told reporters Thursday that the annual appropriations process has to be less bipartisan. He added that the power of the purse remains with Congress, but he continued: Its a ceiling. It is not a floor. It is not the notion that you have to spend every last dollar of that.

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Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told The Hill shortly after his comments that Vought was absolutely wrong.

We have the power of the purse here, and we are not going to stand back and let the administration erode that.

With less than 20 legislative days on the calendar ahead of a Sept. 30 government shutdown deadline, both chambers are running behind in marking up and pushing their annual funding bills across the floor  increasing the likelihood Congress will have to resort to a stopgap measure to keep the lights on and buy time for lawmakers to finish their funding work.

But it remains an open question as to what that stopgap could look like.

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Asked if House GOP leadership has begun discussing plans for a short-term funding patch, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told The Hill on Wednesday: No, we havent talked about that.

We want the appropriations process to work and ultimately to get an agreement in a negotiation with the Senate, as the Senate finally starts passing bills, he said.

Updated at 1:22 a.m. EDT

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jon Tester speaks at a rally in Billings on Nov. 1, 2024, just five days before the 2024 Election (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).

The Committee on Natural Resources in the U.S. House of Representatives just voted to delist grizzly bears by Congressional fiat  and prohibit judicial review  following a horrific precedent set by none other than Montanas Sen. Jon Tester back in 2011.

By doing so, Congress overrides the role of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to weigh the best scientific evidence and determine which species should be given protection under the Endangered Species Act and which species are sufficiently recovered to be delisted from those protections.

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As reported, some 50 conservation organizations signed on to a letter urging the committee to continue protections for grizzlies due to, among other things, the fear of permanent genetic damage by inbreeding in isolated populations. Many also fear state control of grizzlies will mimic management of wolves by Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana whose various regulations now include night hunting, thermal scopes, and even shooting cubs in their dens  all of which violate the fair chase ethic of hunting.

Make no mistake: The concerns that state management of grizzlies would likely follow the same path as that of wolves is valid. Yet many of these same conservation organizations said nothing when Tester delisted wolves by Congressional fiat in 2011.

The ugly truth is that although many of the big conservation organizations, such as the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Sierra Club, claimed to be advocates for wolf recovery, they sold out their convictions for one reason  to help get Tester re-elected.

Mind you, its illegal for non-profit organizations to engage in electoral politics and campaigns. Yet, not only did they ignore the law, they undercut their supposed mission to fully restore wolves to the Northern Rockies.

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And so it was that Tester broke one of his main campaign promises  which was to not use riders to pass legislation  and, with his Idaho counterparts, slapped a wolf delisting rider on an unrelated defense spending bill. And just like that, wolves were no longer protected but were open to hunting, trapping, and now a panoply of ever more cruel, unethical and lethal methods of extermination.

Suffice it to say Tester basically told the conservationists who had helped propel him to the Senate six years earlier that he had to delist wolves to bolster his campaign for re-election in 2012. And of course, fearing that he might be replaced by a Republican, those phony conservationists refused to criticize the horrific precedent of abandoning science for electoral expediency.

Of course, such actions have repercussions. Now, as Chronic Wasting Disease spreads throughout Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, in the natural order of things it would be wolves that kill and consume the sick deer and elk. Thats what wolves do, after all, they wean the old, weak, and sick animals, leaving the healthier, stronger members to reproduce and benefit the herds overall health. Grizzlies perform much the same function. But now, like the wolves, they face an uncertain future of extermination for the crime of simply being grizzly bears.

Its beyond ironic that these same conservation organizations are up in arms because a Republican has legislation to delist grizzlies when they were complicit in doing exactly the same thing with wolves  only by Democrat Tester.

And now, as often happens, the unintended consequences of their politically motivated silence comes back around. They got Tester re-elected alright. But the precedent of Congressionally delisting endangered species  that they helped him set  is now likely to wreak havoc on recovering grizzly bears.
(Bloomberg) -- Chevron Corp. has prevailed in a 20-month fight to buy Hess Corp. for $53 billion, overcoming a challenge by arch rival Exxon Mobil Corp. that was unprecedented in the modern history of Big Oil.

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The ruling by an arbitration court allowing the deal to close is a major victory for Chevron, ending a period of strategic limbo that hurt its stock and prompted questions over the quality of the companys due diligence when it agreed to buy Hess in October 2023. Chevron Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said he would walk away from the deal if they lost the case.

This creates a premier international and oil and gas company, Wirth said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

Chevron shares initially rose as much as 3% in New York, then fell 1.1% in the afternoon. Exxon declined as much as 3.1%.

The clash between North Americas biggest energy producers was rare public feud in the oil sector, an industry in which companies routinely partner with each other to minimize project risk and share costs. Exxon, which operates and owns 45% of Guyanas offshore Stabroek Block, claimed it had a right of first refusal over the disposition of Hesss 30% stake.

Hess and Chevron, however, argued the right didnt apply because their deal was structured as a corporate merger rather than an asset sale.

In an interview Friday, Wirth said the outcome of the deal was never in doubt.

This was a straightforward plain reading of a contract, he said. It is unfortunate that Hess employees and Hess shareholders were put through this. It should have been resolved much quicker.

The uncertainty surrounding the deal has been a material contributor to the underperformance of Chevrons stock price compared to its rivals, Wirth said in November.

Acquiring Hess and its stake in Guyana significantly increases the quality of Chevrons oil assets beyond the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, narrowing the gap with Exxon, Hedgeye Risk Management, LLC Managing Director Fernando Valle said.

Adding Guyana was critical for Chevron, because its go-forward portfolio was paltry outside of the Permian, Valle said.

Both sides had expressed extreme confidence in their opposing positions on the wording of the Guyana contract, which was written more than 15 years ago.
Connector Controversy: CFX holds meeting for proposed toll road that cuts through Seminole County

Emotions ran high in Seminole County Thursday evening, where some residents want leaders to stop a proposed toll road.

The Central Florida Expressway Authority introduced plans for the road route that will connect the SR 417 to the Orlando Sanford International Airport.

If approved, it would start at the 417 near the Lake Jesup Toll Plaza and run north of East Lake Mary Boulevard, ending right at the Orlando Sanford International Airport entrance.

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CFX says the toll road is needed because of growing demand at the airport and increased traffic around it.

Ive been through that intersection that theyre going to be bypassing, and its a nightmare, said Rebecca Burke to Channel 9.

This traffic we moved here and its nothing like it is now, said Brian VanDusen.

Its the traffic relief some Seminole County drivers have been waiting for on East Lake Mary Boulevard.

Despite Burke and VanDusen noting the increased traffic, the proposed road will cost them more than just the toll.

The route will go straight through VanDusens yard.

If CFX approves the 2A route, Burke will lose her home. Last year, she lost her husband.

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Burke says when she learned the project would wipe out her home, it felt like a gut punch.

22 years ago this month, Burke and her husband moved their house built in the 1860s a mile and a half down the road to the current plot of land.

She described the years of renovations she and her husband poured into the home and the generations of memories in the house.

But despite the pain of potentially losing their homes, VanDusen and Burke say theyve found peace.

Ive accepted it, VanDusen said.

Im at a point where if the legacy ends with me, then I feel like Im at peace with that, Burke said. I see where my, my property would be the most direct route to the airport, you know, to that, for that extension. Thats the rational side of me. The emotional side would be please go somewhere else or shelve it, Burke said.

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Both Burke and VanDusen attended a public hearing Thursday evening at the Sanford Civic Center, along with dozens of others. The majority of attendees voiced their reasons for being against the toll road. Many said the 2A route will affect home values and negatively impact the environment.

CFX says the route is the shortest and most direct route out of all its options, and it has the lowest direct impact to the wetlands.

This project, if its approved to construction, will really help alleviate some of the bad traffic conditions on East Lake Mary Boulevard, Ronald Reagan Boulevard and many of the side streets, said Brian Hutchings, Manager of Community Engagement, Central Florida Expressway Authority.

CFX says by 2050, this connector could remove 17,000 vehicles per day off East Lake Mary Boulevard.

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According to CFX, the road is estimated to cost more than $200 million to construct.

Its the taxpayers paying to help the Sanford Airport and thats not what O want my tax money spent on, said Seminole county resident Dante Morone, Its the people in the suits that want to come and carve up a highway connector right through our backyards.

Members of the public who did not speak at the public hearing on Thursday still have a chance to voice their opinion by submitting written comments here.

CFX will present the route to the board for a vote in October.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Dixie Meadows. (Photo courtesy Patrick Donnelly, Center for Biological Diversity)

Federal land managers are seeking to fast-track a geothermal project that would be built adjacent to the sole habitat of an endangered toad, a move conservation groups said they intend to challenge in court.

The Dixie Meadows Geothermal Utilization Project is one of nine geothermal projects in Nevada by developer Ormat Technologies that could soon be approved under the Trump administrations new emergency permitting procedures, according to state records.

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Three of those projects have already been approved under the new expedited rules, which aim to cut permitting timelines by up to a year or more for energy developments on public land.

Once approved, the Dixie Meadows geothermal project would be built directly adjacent to the only known habitat of the endangered Dixie Valley toad  a 760-acres of wetland habitat fed by hot springs in the remote Dixie Valley northeast of Fallon.

According to state records from the Nevada Department of Wildlife obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management plans to authorize the Dixie Meadows geothermal project under emergency permitting procedures within the next two months.

Federal wildlife managers have previously stated the project would likely adversely impact the Dixie Valley toad by altering groundwater at Dixie Meadows, a finding that led to the toads listing under the Endangered Species Act.

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The Center for Biological Diversity sent a formal notice to the Bureau of Land Management last week announcing its intent to sue the Trump administration for violating the Endangered Species Act through the emergency permitting process.

During his first month in office President Donald Trump declared an energy emergency as grounds for fast-tracking lengthy environmental reviews and permitting processes for energy projects deemed critical to national security.

The Center for Biological Diversity said their formal notice was one of the first challenges to Trumps executive order declaring an energy emergency as a means to expedite energy projects on public lands.

In their lawsuit notice, the conservation group said an emergency approval of the Dixie Meadows geothermal project would bypass required actions under the Endangered Species Act, including full consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

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The Center for Biological Diversity also disputed the existence of an energy emergency and Trumps authority to declare one under federal law.

This fake energy emergency is being used to justify extinction, but in this country laws mean something and presidents cant act with impunity, said Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Presidents dont have unilateral authority to declare an emergency where one doesnt exist so they can do whatever they want, he added.

Energy production in the U.S. hit an all-time high in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Several energy sourcesnatural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, biofuels, solar, and windeach set domestic production records last year.

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Ormat did not respond to requests for comment on the possibility of the projects approval under the new emergency permitting process.

Ormat has been locked in a legal battle over the Dixie Valley geothermal project since 2021, when the Center for Biological Diversity and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe sued the federal government for approving the project.

The Bureau of Land Management initially approved the geothermal project in 2021, but the agency withdrew their approval after the Dixie Valley toad was listed as an endangered species following a federal review that determined the planned geothermal plant would likely threaten the toads survival.

Since we successfully got the toad protected under the Endangered Species Act and BLM withdrew the project approval our lawsuit has been in suspended animation ever since, Donnelly said.

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Ormat responded to the toads endangered species listing by submitting a plan to significantly reduce the size of the project. Ormat also sued the Biden administration over its decision to list the Dixie Valley toad as endangered.

Geothermal power plants draw on wells drilled deep in the earths crust, pumping up steam and hot water to power giant turbines that generate electricity. Opponents of the Dixie Valley geothermal project and federal wildlife officials have emphasized research showing the negative effects of other geothermal plants on groundwater-dependent springs in Nevada.

One such plant is the McGinnis Hills geothermal power plant, managed by Ormat, where water flows in the Jersey Valley Hot Springs began declining not long after commercial power production started in 2012.

Ormat has repeatedly argued that newer technology pioneered by the company would eliminate the groundwater depletion attributed to older, outdated geothermal plants the company has since phased out.

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Ormat has also argued that federal wildlife officials used faulty data based on older geothermal technology when they determined the Dixie Valley geothermal project was a possible risk to the Dixie Valley toad.

Geothermal is one the few renewable energy sources the Trump administration is promoting as part of its American Energy Dominance plan.

That could draw more geothermal development to Nevada, which is home to some of the largest undeveloped geothermal resources in the country.

Nevada is second only to California in geothermal electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nevada produces about 26% of total geothermal energy in the nation, and has the potential to grow.

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A recent report released by the U.S. Geological Survey found that untapped geothermal energy in the Great Basin  which covers most of Nevada  could produce electricity equivalent to 10% of the current U.S. power supply. Geothermal currently accounts for less than 1% of U.S. electricity generation, according to the EIA.

Nevada was also the first state to get geothermal projects approved under Trumps new emergency permitting process after the three geothermal projects were fast-tracked in the state last month.

Those projects include the Diamond Flat Geothermal Project near Fallon; the McGinness Hills Geothermal Optimization Project in Lander County; and the Pinto Geothermal Project along the Oregon-Nevada border.
A by-election, which was called after a Reform UK councillor stepped down just two weeks after he was elected, has been won by the Conservatives.

Jeremy Pert won Thursday's contest for the vacant Gnosall and Eccleshall seat on Staffordshire County Council after securing 1,689 votes (44.4%).

The Green Party came second with 1,037 votes (27.3%), followed by Reform on 938 votes (24.7%) and Labour on 140 votes (3.7%). Turnout was 34.8%.

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The seat was vacated by Reform's Wayne Titley in May after he faced criticism over a post on Facebook in March that called on the Navy to intercept small boats attempting to reach Britain and use a "volley of gun fire aimed at sinking them".

Titley has not addressed the post, which has since been removed, but he said he was resigning for "personal reasons".

The by-election result left Reform with 48 councillors on the authority, a clear majority, with the Conservatives on 11 and the Greens, Labour and Stafford Borough Independents with one apiece.

Wayne Titley stepped down two weeks after he won the seat in May's election [LDRS]

Pert was an Eccleshall councillor for eight years until he was beaten to the seat by Titley in May's local elections by just 27 votes.

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He had served as a cabinet member on the Conservative administration and is also the current opposition group leader at Stafford Borough Council.

Following his victory, he paid tribute to the elections team and count staff, describing the process as a "well-oiled machine".

He added: "None of us expected to see a by-election so early on and none of us wanted that. Thank you to everyone for coming out and voting.

"The work starts tomorrow. I have been elected by the residents of Eccleshall and Gnosall and I am here to support them."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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In July 2025, social media users circulated claims that about 70% or 72% of people detained under U.S. President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign had no criminal record.

It is true, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, that 71.7% of people in detention as of June 2025 did not have a criminal conviction. However, in addition to the 28.3% who did have convictions, another 24.7% had pending criminal charges  which the Trump administration counts in its description of "illegal criminal aliens," according to Associated Press' reporting.

The definition of "criminal record" varies. Sometimes it includes having had any contact with law enforcement at all, even if people are theoretically innocent until proven guilty under the U.S. justice system. According to ICE's "threat level" classification system for detainees, only a small percentage of people detained by the agency had a history of violent crimes, as of June 23.

According to the June ICE statistics, 6,104 people were detained in ICE facilities for more than 180 days, meaning that some people who are still in detention as of June 2025 were arrested by federal law enforcement before Trump returned to office in January 2025.

In summer 2025, a rumor spread online that about 70% of people detained under U.S. President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign had no criminal record.

Social media users on X and Facebook circulated the claim, including Robert Reich  labor secretary under former President Bill Clinton  whose Facebook post had received more than 95,000 reactions as of this writing.

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https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/pfbid0jq2zpFEKrgTu2BCHRRDG8RKjD6pRQ8zNJSuCnHJm4eKCAkvPFs5Wsfab8ownW2Qel?rdid=oZ2OuJGp4Hqvbw3r#

"72% of people swept up in Trump's immigration raids have no criminal record," Reich's post read. "That includes at least 250 people detained in deplorable conditions in Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz.' This was never about targeting criminals. It was always about terrorizing immigrants."

Reich's claim was based off legitimate Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention data that showed 71.7% of people detained in ICE facilities as of June 2025 were not convicted criminals. However, whether that statistic remains true for people with "no criminal record" depends on whether you define a "criminal record" as including pending criminal charges. Furthermore, it is unclear how many people detained in ICE facilities as of June 2025 had already been arrested before Trump returned to office in January 2025

In an emailed statement, the agency said that "70% of the arrests ICE has made are of illegal aliens with criminal convictions or have pending criminal charges." The agency did not provide documents indicating a timeline or evidence for this claim, nor did officials respond to questions about whether the data suggests Trump has not strictly targeted immigrants who are "dangerous criminals," despite the president's frequent promises to focus on arresting such individuals.

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The Department of Homeland Security also did not respond to the aforementioned questions from Snopes. However, The Associated Press reported that DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin "called the assessment that ICE isn't targeting immigrants with a criminal record 'false' and said that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has directed ICE 'to target the worst of the worst  including gang members, murderers, and rapists.'"

"She counted detainees with convictions, as well as those with pending charges, as 'criminal illegal aliens,'" AP's story on the June ICE data said.

(As for Reich's reference to "Alligator Alcatraz," the Miami Herald reported on July 13 that more than 250 people detained in the Florida facility had no criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States. Snopes has not independently verified the Herald's work.)

Breaking down the ICE statistics

ICE's data breaks down the "criminality" of its detained population into three categories: "Convicted Criminal," "Pending Criminal Charges" and "Other Immigration Violator." Per the chart below, available for download on ICE's website, 57,861 were detained by ICE as of June 2025. Of that group, 16,366, or 28.3% of the detained population, had a criminal conviction. An additional 14,318 people  24.7%  had pending criminal charges and 27,177 had neither pending criminal charges nor convictions, representing 47% of the population (see the "Detention FY25" tab after downloading the data).

ICE Currently Detained by Criminality and Arresting Agency: FY2025/ Total: 57,861/ Convicted Criminal: 16,366/Pending Criminal Charges: 14,318/Other Immigration Violator: 27,177

Data on detention in ICE facilities as of June 2025, broken down by arresting agency and "criminality." CBP refers to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Being in the United States illegally is a civil, not a criminal, violation.

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Merriam-Webster defines a "criminal record" as a "known record of being arrested in the past for committing a crime." In practice  such as when an employer requests a prospective employee's criminal history  criminal records or a "criminal history" can include "contact with law enforcement agencies and the courts and may include arrests, detentions, convictions, and more," according to Cornell University.

Thus, even if a person has not had any criminal convictions, they might, technically, have a "criminal record," despite the legal principle of "innocent until proven guilty." In other words, if one defines "criminal record" only by criminal convictions, then it is true that about 72% of people detained by ICE as of June 2025 had no criminal record. But if one defines "criminal record" by both convictions and charges, then the aforementioned statement could be considered false, and it would be more accurate to say 47% of people detained by ICE had no criminal record under that definition of the term.

The statistics represent the number of people in ICE detention facilities as of June 2025  they do not represent the number of people detained specifically under Trump. That is because ICE detention can last days, months or even years. According to ICE's own data, at the end of June, 5,343 people had been in custody for 180 to 365 days, 686 had been detained for 366 to 730 days, and 75 had been detained for more than 730 days (see "ICLOS and Detainees").

That adds up to at least 6,104 people who were arrested before Trump's second term.

Few detained by ICE had history of violent crimes

It is also worth noting that these statistics did not break down who is considered a "dangerous criminal" compared with those accused of minor crimes. However, ICE also issues threat levels to detainees based on their criminal convictions and charges (see Page 6 of the agency's classification system standards). As first reported by the AP and independently verified by Snopes, ICE facility data as of June 23, 2025, showed that 84.1% of people detained at 201 facilities nationwide were given no threat level (see "Facilities FY25" after downloading the data for threat levels).

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Of the 47,238 people in these facilities, ICE gave 7,511 a threat level. Officials graded 7.1% of detainees as a level 1 threat  which "may include detainees with minor criminal histories and non-violent felony charges and convictions." An additional 3.8% were given a level 2 threat, which "may not include any detainee with a history or pattern of violent assaults" (Page 5). Finally, 4.9% were classified as a level 3 threat  the highest classification.

In sum 

As of June 2025, 71.7% of people detained in ICE facilities had no criminal convictions, but 24.7% had pending criminal charges. A little under half the detained population  47.1%  had no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. ICE data suggested only a small percentage of people in the agency's custody had a history of violent crimes.

Additionally, because these statistics include several thousand people detained before Trump's second term, they do not solely reflect Trump's mass detention and deportation campaign, but do largely represent arrests and detentions under Trump.

Sources:

Arcand, Cameron. "Trump Administration Sets New Goal of 3,000 Illegal Immigrant Arrests Daily." Fox News, 29 May 2025, www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-aims-3000-arrests-illegal-immigrants-each-day. Accessed 17 July 2025.

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Ceballos, Ana, et al. "Exclusive: Hundreds at Alligator Alcatraz Have No Criminal Charges, Miami Herald Learns." Miami Herald, 13 July 2025, www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article310541810.html. Accessed 17 July 2025.

"CNN.com - Transcripts." Cnn.com, 3 July 2025, transcripts.cnn.com/show/acd/date/2025-07-03/segment/01. Accessed 17 July 2025.

"Every Day, the Trump Administration Is Getting Violent Criminal Illegals off Our Streets." The White House, 20 June 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/every-day-the-trump-administration-is-getting-violent-criminal-illegals-off-our-streets/.

Fitzpatrick, Alex, and Kavya Beheraj. "Noncriminal ICE Arrests Spiked in June." Axios, 17 July 2025, www.axios.com/2025/07/17/trump-ice-raids-arrests-immigration. Accessed 17 July 2025.

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Garsd, Jasmine. "Immigrants with No Criminal Convictions Represent Sharpest Growth in ICE Detention Population." NPR, 3 July 2025, www.npr.org/2025/07/03/nx-s1-5456246/immigrants-no-criminal-convictions-growth-ice-detention-population. Accessed 17 July 2025.

Goldin, Melissa. "Trump Says He's Deporting 'Worst of the Worst.' Data Tells a Different Story." AP News, 12 July 2025, apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-immigration-crime-ice-criminal-dangerous-violent-99557d9d68642004193a9f4b7668162e. Accessed 17 July 2025.

"ICE Data Release: Sep. 2023 to Late Jun. 2025  Deportation Data Project." Deportationdata.org, 15 July 2025, deportationdata.org/news/2025-07-15-ICE-release.html. Accessed 17 July 2025.

Ingram, Julia. "ICE Detentions of Non-Criminal Immigrants Spike; about 8% Have Violent Convictions, Analysis of New Data Shows." Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 30 June 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-detentions-non-criminal-immigrants-violent-crime-convictions-analysis/. Accessed 17 July 2025.

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"Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Criminal Record." Merriam-Webster.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal%20record. Accessed 17 July 2025.

Trump, Donald. "The Inaugural Address." The White House, 20 Jan. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address/. Accessed 17 July 2025.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2.2 Custody Classification System. 2016, www.ice.gov/doclib/detention-standards/2011/2-2.pdf.

---. "Detention Management." Www.ice.gov, www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management.

"What Is a Criminal Record or Criminal History? | Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative." Cjei.cornell.edu, cjei.cornell.edu/about-your-record/what-criminal-record-or-criminal-history. Accessed 17 July 2025.
LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB)  Lynn Haven City Manager Vicky Gainer is facing growing pressure and possible termination.

Gainer was suspended Monday over a civil lawsuit against her and the city, brought by Phoenix Construction owner James Finch.

Finch says his lawsuit against Gainer and the city isnt going away, regardless of Gainers future with the city.

Monday morning, Lynn Haven City Commissioners voted 4-to-1 to suspend City Manager Vickie Gainer with pay until they complete an investigation of her alleged actions.

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The suspension is the result of a deposition from contracted city engineer Chris Forehand.

Forehand claims, under oath, that Gainer ordered construction bids on city projects to be written in such a way that James Finchs company, Phoenix Construction, would not be able to win.

Finch was a central figure in a federal corruption investigation in Lynn Haven, involving business activities before and after Hurricane Michael.

Eight people, including Lynn Havens former mayor, former city manager, and former city attorney, accepted plea deals from federal prosecutors in the case.

But Finch refused, went to trial, and was found not guilty.

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The disputed bid happened in June of 2021, a few months after Finch was originally indicted.

He is suing Gainer and the city, claiming they unfairly worded bids to keep him from getting city projects.

Forehand as originally named in the lawsuit, but Finch dropped him after his deposition.

Chris wanted to get out of the lawsuit with me, and he said, James, she made me do everything. She made me do this. I mean, Vickie says, I dont want James to have that job. He said its $285,000 low. She said, I dont care. So, they re-did the bid where I couldnt bid the next deal, said I wouldnt qualify.

Finch was the low bidder on the 2021 road project, but Gainer tossed out all the bids and started over.

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Roberts and Roberts won the second bid for $300,000 more than Finchs original bid.

Finch says he had planned to subcontract the job to Roberts and Roberts if hed won.

When transcripts of Forehands deposition began circulating last week, city commissioners called Mondays special meeting to discuss Gainers alleged role in the bidding.

Gainer defended herself, accusing contractors of illegal activity, but stopping short of naming Finch or anyone else.

I have not taken one dime of the City of Lynn Havens money, she said. Only when you have paid me, not one dime have I taken of the citys money. This city has lost millions because of certain people who have been rigged with these bids. I have put the citys needs before myself and my family.

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City commissioners are interviewing city employees who are supposedly knowledgeable about Gainers involvement in the bids.

Theyre scheduled to meet again Friday to presumably vote on her future as city manager.

No matter how that vote goes, Finch says his lawsuit will move forward.

Im going to continue. Im going. Let her have her talk, but its going to be under oath. You know, for two years, Ive been trying to get some accountability up there from the commission and from Vickie Gainer. And theyve blocked me everywhere I could go. You know, they wont let the people talk.

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Cook County Democrats punted Thursday on endorsing anyone for Cook County assessor, putting two-term incumbent Fritz Kaegi at risk of an open primary fight as he vies for a third term.

The lack of an endorsement is the latest twist in the complex relationship between Kaegi and county Democrats. Eight years ago, Kaegi defeated incumbent Assessor and then-Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios in the Democratic primary race for assessor. Kaegi went on to win the 2018 general election and was subsequently endorsed by the party four years ago.

But during a closed-door executive session of party higher-ups Thursday at the IBEW Local 134 meeting hall in Bronzeville, Black members of a party committee united to oppose a recommendation that the full county party organization endorse Kaegi when it convenes Friday. Caucus members were split on which of Kaegis two primary challengers to support.

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Several other committee members voted present on a Kaegi endorsement recommendation, bringing him short of the threshold needed to win the endorsement of the countywide slating committee. Instead, the full party will vote on that endorsement Friday.

The Kaegi drama highlighted the first day of the partys slating sessions. The Democratic Partys endorsement carries less heft than in decades past, but still gives lesser-known candidates a leg up, providing help with petition signing, campaigning, and inclusion on countywide mailers heading into the March 17, 2026 primary. Candidates at slating make a brief presentation and take questions from fellow committee members from the citys wards and suburban townships.

During the first session day, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle  who now chairs the party  avoided a direct faceoff with potential challengers 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly and former state Sen. Rickey Hollywood Hendon.

Reilly hasnt formally announced a run against Preckwinkle for County Board president as he is also considering a mayoral run. But Reilly attended the event as the party committeeman for his downtown ward. He planned to appeal to fellow Democrats for an open primary, but told the Tribune he was not allowed to speak during the early morning presentations or during a closed session because he was not a member of the countywide slating committee. Hendon said he was not allowed to present because he did not submit his resume early enough.

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That left Preckwinkle as the sole candidate and resulted in her winning the committees endorsement. That decision must also be affirmed Friday.

First elected board president in 2010, Preckwinkle, 78, sought to tamp down rumors she planned to end what would be her fifth term early and hand over the reins to a political ally.

I look forward to being reelected and I will serve the entire term, she pledged. During a brief presentation, she said she would defend the countys ordinance welcoming immigrants and fight for continued access to health care for county residents despite federal attacks on immigrant issues and health care funding.

She won praise from allies such as state Sen. Rob Martwick, who credited Preckwinkle for her work in stabilizing the countys pensions and budget.

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All these issues we care about dont matter if we cant afford to pay for them, he said.

During his pitch to party leaders, Kaegi of Oak Park highlighted his advocacy for creating new incentives for affordable housing construction, his work to automatically renew a program that freezes property values for some seniors, and his circuit breaker legislation designed to help low-income homeowners pay for big hikes in their property tax bills.

When we work together, we can solve big problems, he told committee members. Lets keep going.

Kaegis personal wealth and ability to self-fund his candidacy represent a major challenge for his opponents, who are largely political unknowns. Kaegi ended the most recent quarter with $1.3 million in the bank. Since 2017, he has loaned himself roughly $5.4 million, including $750,000 earlier this year, according to the State Board of Elections.

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Any eventual challenger, however, is likely to attract contributions from the business community and commercial real estate interests, both of which have disagreed with Kaegis methods in running the office.

Two Democratic challengers who work at the Cook County Board of Review  which hears appeals to Kaegis assessments  are so far trailing behind on fundraising and have yet to rally enough committeemen to win an endorsement, either.

Timnetra Burruss, the Board of Reviews main administrator, ended the quarter with $51,610 on hand, according to campaign records, $50,000 of which came from state Sen. Napoleon Harris, who represents voter-heavy Thornton Township.

Dana Pointer, who serves as an outreach coordinator for Board of Review commissioner and constant Kaegi critic Larry Rogers, received a $50,000 loan from Rogers.

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Burruss, who previously worked for Rogers, told committee members she entered the race after becoming frustrated by rising assessments that did not mirror market values, plus thousands upon thousands of errors and general disregard about impact on property owners.

She said she would support creating a new exemption for historically disinvested communities in federal opportunity zones and make it easier for property owners to sign up for other exemptions.

Pointer blasted Kaegis mismanagement and lack of transparency, which she said contributed to this years late property tax bills, as well as property assessment adjustments Kaegis office made following the COVID-19 pandemic. The apartment loophole Kaegis office closed last year, which hiked assessments for certain business properties, wiped out some families generational wealth, she added.

His continued use of propaganda to pit homeowners against business owners needs to stop, Pointer said.

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Patrick Hynes, the current Lyons Township assessor, said he had fought tenaciously for fairness in his corner of the suburbs after auditing current records and finding several properties missing from the property tax rolls. The Tribune and the Illinois Answers Project detailed some of those problems last year, finding the assessors office had missed at least $444 million of assessed property value by misclassifying and undervaluing properties, primarily due to its failure to account for new construction and significant property improvements.

I restored fairness and I will do the same for Cook County, Hynes said, pledging to begin capturing more data to better reflect homes true value.

First-term Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele also failed to earn the partys endorsement as she runs for a second term. County Democrats opted not to back any candidates in her race for one of the seats on the three-member panel. County Democrats did endorse the other Board of Review commissioner running next year, George Cardenas.

Steele, who until recently served on Lake County, Indianas, property tax appeals board and runs a property valuation consulting business with government clients in Indiana, has been dogged by several controversies in recent months.

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On Monday, the countys inspector general cited an unnamed Board of Review commissioner for not properly disclosing outside work. The details of the case match Steele, whose annual economic reports did not disclose details about government contracts through her private business, the Leonor Group. Her annual economic interest statements mentioned she owned the firm but not which units of government she worked for, a failing the IGs office said equated to a breach of her fiduciary duty to the county. Shes also been fined by the countys ethics board, and shes still fighting a DUI charge from last year.

Steele has called the ethics fines unfair. In a statement to the Tribune, she said she was singled out for releasing confidential information about the valuation battle for the Arlington Heights property now owned by the Chicago Bears, arguing it was the publics right to know about information that was already discussed aloud in a public hearing.

Steele, who raised just $26,375 last quarter and has only $27,000 on hand in her campaign fund, had publicly considered running against Kaegi for assessor. But last week she dropped out of the race and said she wanted to focus on her board work. One of her opponents, Liz Nicholson, has a background in public relations, fundraising and advising nonprofits. Northfield Township Trustee Vincent Pace, who has worked in real estate investment and finance, also presented to the Democrats seeking the endorsement.

Steele gave a brief presentation Thursday, but no committee members asked questions  a troubling sign given that the question period typically features supporters singing the praises of their candidates.

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No one presented to challenge incumbents Maria Pappas for another term as county treasurer, Monica Gordon for county clerk or Tom Dart for sheriff. All received the committees recommendations for endorsement.

Clad in a pink sweater that read All this and brains too, Pappas highlighted successful efforts to sign up taxpayers for exemptions they were owed and her offices studies of major property tax issues.

I dont think anybodys running against me, but if they are, I love a good fight, she said.

The party reconvenes Friday morning to hear from statewide candidates, including for U.S. Senate and comptroller, an opening that arose following incumbent Susana Mendozas announcement that she would not run for reelection.

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A new name surfaced for the comptrollers post Thursday: State Sen. Karina Villa, a Latina who was born and raised in West Chicago. A former vice president of the local school board who has a masters degree in social work from Aurora University, Villa was elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and to the state Senate two years later.

Villa is scheduled to present her credentials for comptroller to slatemakers Friday, along with state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating of the 2026 Texas Senate race from solid Republican to likely Republican this week as the contentious GOP primary between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton rages on.

The ratings change comes as polls consistently show Paxton leading Cornyn in the Republican primary. However, in hypothetical general election polling, Paxton appears more vulnerable against Democrats than Cornyn does.

The dynamic has made Democrats more hopeful about their chances in the Lone Star State, which has not seen a Democrat win statewide since 1994. Last month, the Texas Majority PAC and the Texas Democratic Party launched an eight-figure campaign dubbed Blue Texas aimed at electing Democrats up and down the ballot.

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Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), who lost his challenge against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last year, has jumped into the Democratic primary along with retired NASA astronaut and Air Force pilot Terry Virts.

President Trump has held off on endorsing in the intraparty contest; Paxton and Cornyn are both considered allies of the president. Cornyn told NBC News earlier this week that Trump has told him he is not ready to endorse in the race.

Ive talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement, the senator told the network. I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully hell see fit to make that endorsement, but we cant wait.

I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over.

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CORINTH  An Alcorn County man will spend the next 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a young girl two years ago.

Alexander Jordan Delgado, 29, of Meadowbrook Road, Corinth, was indicted in April 2023, charged with molestation and two counts of sexual battery of a 10-year-old girl. Prosecutors said Delgado, who was 26 at the time, was in a position of trust over the victim because of his relationship with the victims family.

Delgado entered an open plea of guilty to one count of sexual battery in September 2024. Sentencing was deferred until this week, and he was allowed to remain free on bond until sentencing this week.

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Circuit Court Judge Kelly Mims sentenced Delgado to 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections but suspended 20 years. Delgado will not be eligible for parole or early release and must serve the remaining 10 years day for day. Following his release, he will also have to serve five years of post-release supervision. If he gets in trouble during that time, he could be ordered to serve any or all of the 20 suspended years.

Delgado will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life and can never again have contact with the victim.

The molestation charge and the other sexual battery charge were retired following Delgados sentencing.
The Orange County Coroner has identified the three people killed in a violent crash that began as a police pursuit Wednesday morning.

Officials say 22-year-old Brandon Antonio Ayala Herrera of Huntington Park, 20-year-old Caleb Ezequiel Mendoza of Maywood, and 27-year-old Luis Alejandro Mendez-Carbajal of Panorama City were the three young adults killed in the high-speed collision on the 5 Freeway in Anaheim.

Two others inside the car survived but were seriously injured.

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They were being pursued by Anaheim Police Department officers after they allegedly broke into a car, officials said Wednesday.

Preliminary information indicates that the deadly collision occurred on the northbound span of the 5 Freeway near Brookhurst Street in Anaheim around 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Sky5)

Police found the suspect car which took off at a high-rate of speed as it fled on the 5 Freeway.

The car eventually crashed around 3:25 a.m. near Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, landing on its roof on an embankment next to the interstate. The crash caused a multi-hour closure and delay on both sides of the freeway.

The two surviving suspects were said to be in stable and critical conditions.

The crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

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NEED TO KNOW

During a July 18 appearance on the Today show, Kaylee Goncalves' parents revealed the coroner told them their daughter suffered multiple stab wounds, asphyxial injuries, and defense wounds during the November 2022 attack in Moscow, Idaho

The Goncalves family has expressed disappointment that the case didnt go to trial as planned, saying they were blindsided by Bryan Kohbergers plea deal that was reached in June

Kohberger, who has not shared a motive, is expected to be sentenced to life in prison on July 23





Weeks after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves parents are sharing what the coroner detailed to them about how their daughter died.

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While appearing on the Today show in a segment that aired on Friday, July 18, Steve and Kristi Goncalves said the coroner gave the parents a breakdown of the wounds 21-year-old Kaylee had when she was brutally stabbed to death along with three other college friends in their Moscow, Idaho, home in November 2022.

She had definitely been stabbed multiple times and they kind of described it as a drowning that can occur," Steve says. "But she did say gagging; [Kohberger] struck her in the face.

Kristi adds that Kaylee had a broken nose, septal hematomas, asphyxial injuries and defense wounds on her arms. " She [was] stabbed many, many times. But how many, we dont know," the mother says.

Steve feels the family needs that question answered saying, "That should be part of the victims impact statement."

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"We shouldnt be robbed of that," he shares. "We should know all those details and we dont want to say something that isnt accurate. Weve heard the amount of times she had been stabbed but we dont know from the actual fact finders."

The interview comes weeks after Kohberger entered a guilty plea in the murders of Kaylee, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Courtesy of Chapin Family; Maddie Mogen/Instagram; Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram; Xana Kernodle/Instagram Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle

Kaylee's parents have expressed disappointment that the case didn't go to trial this summer as planned.

We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us, Steve Goncalves and his family wrote on Facebook Monday, June 30. They wrote that they met with prosecutors days earlier about "the possibility of a plea deal and it was a hard no from our family.

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.

"We were not prepared for this  we had no idea that this was going to happen," Steve told ABC News at the time.

Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Bryan Kohberger appears for a hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. Bryan Kohberger appears for a hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

The Goncalves family and Jeff Kernodle, Xana's father, have both said that they wanted the case to go to trial. However, Ben Mogen and Stacy and Jim Chapin have all publicly stated that they approve of the plea deal.

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As part of Kohberger's deal, prosecutors will allow him to avoid the death penalty. He is expected to be sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison on July 23. While he confessed to the murders, he did not share a motive.



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For June, the Global Light Vehicle (LV) selling rate improved to 93 million units/year. In year-on-year (YoY) terms, the market grew over 2% as sales reached 7.7 million units globally.

Trade tensions began to affect the key markets of the US and Western Europe, while in China, sales remain robust amid favorable market conditions and incentives. In Western Europe, the story is broadly unchanged as consumer confidence remains weak in the face of stagnant economic growth and political uncertainty. In the US, sales were down due to two fewer selling days as well as fewer OEMs offering pricing incentives due to tariffs.

Source: GlobalData

North America

US vehicle sales fell by 4.3% YoY in June to 1.26 million units. There were two fewer selling days than in June 2024, so on a selling-day adjusted basis, sales increased by 3.6% YoY. However, YoY comparisons were somewhat distorted by the CDK cyberattacks in June 2024. The selling rate in June declined to 15.2 million units/year from 15.4 million units/year in May. The end of the month, also being the end of the quarter, saw slightly stronger sales than we expected, but, in general, the month was subdued as OEMs were not offering as many pricing incentives to reduce costs in the face of tariffs.

According to initial estimates, the Canadian Light Vehicle market sold 174k units in June 2025, representing a 3.6% YoY increase. Ford and General Motors, both growing 9.7% YoY, were key drivers of this growth. The Canadian selling rate went up to 1.9 million units/year from 1.6 million/year in May. In Mexico, sales were estimated at 123k units, down -1.5% YoY. The selling rate stood at 1.58 million units/year. The Mexican market is expected to remain under pressure due to limited economic growth, although a better performance is anticipated in 2026.

Europe

The LV selling rate for Western Europe improved to 13.3 million units/year in June, though sales volumes were down nearly 7% as sales totaled 1.26 million units. The Western European LV market, especially the larger markets of France, Germany, and Italy, has struggled amid economic and political headwinds. Consumer confidence remains low as trade tensions between the US and the EU continue to escalate.

In Eastern Europe, the LV selling rate for last month is estimated to be 4.3 million units/year, similar to the previous month. Sales were down 10% YoY. The Russian LV market declined by 29% YoY in June, with the selling rate falling to 1.13 million units/yr (-7.9% MoM). Demand remains weak due to the CBRs high key rate stalling consumer credit growth and auto financing; however, early signs of stabilization are emerging, aided by resumed output at idled plants and government stimulus through the First Car and Family Car subsidy programs. A potential interest rate cut may support a modest recovery in H2. The Turkish PV market saw a fourth consecutive month of growth in June 2025 as sales reached 94k units, up 7% YoY as EV incentives, an influx of Chinese models, and high inflation continue to boost sales.
Lesser known than some other beloved tales of larger-than-life heroes such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf and King Arthur, the Song of Wade is a case study in what happens when stories arent written down.

The epic was once widely known throughout medieval and Renaissance England  so popular that it was mentioned twice by Chaucer  but today it is mostly forgotten. Only a few phrases survive, and new research is showing how, when so little of a story is preserved, changes in a word or two can alter the entire tale.

The Song of Wade originated in the 12th century, and its hero battled monsters  or so scholars once thought. The only known text was found nearly 130 years ago in a 13th- century Latin sermon, which quoted a bit of the saga in Middle English. In the excerpt, the word ylues was originally translated as elves, suggesting that Wades long-lost saga was teeming with supernatural creatures.

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Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have challenged that interpretation. They proposed that the words meaning was mangled by a scribes transcription error, which changed a w to a y. Elves is actually wolves, and the term was allegorical, referring to dangerous men, according to the analysis. Another word in the excerpt, translated as sprites, should instead be sea snakes, moving the story even farther away from the realm of the supernatural, the researchers reported July 15 in The Review of English Studies.

This new reading revises not only the phrases quoted in the sermon, but also the entire Song of Wade, centering the hero amid worldly dangers rather than mythical beasts. It overturns the picture of Wade as a literary twin to Beowulf, legendary slayer of the warrior-eating monster Grendel, said study coauthor Dr. Seb Falk, a researcher of science history and a fellow at Cambridges Girton College.

He was more like a hero of chivalric romance (a literary genre celebrating knights, codes of honor and romantic love) like Sir Launcelot or Sir Gawain, Falk told CNN in an email.

For hundreds of years, historians and literary experts have argued over why Chaucer would have mentioned the Song of Wade in his chivalric works. Recasting Wade as a courtly hero rather than a monster slayer makes Wades appearance in Chaucers writing a better fit and could help to uncover previously hidden meanings in those literary references, the authors wrote.

A medieval meme

Study coauthors Dr. James Wade (left) and Dr. Seb Falk study the sermon mentioning the Song of Wade. - Courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse/University of Cambridge

The new study is the first to analyze the Song of Wade excerpt alongside the entirety of the Latin sermon that quotes it, said study coauthor Dr. James Wade, an associate professor of English Literature at Girton College. (The surname Wade was relatively common in medieval England, and while Wade the researcher could not confirm a family connection to the storied hero, a link isnt impossible, he told CNN in an email.)

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In fact, it was the context of the sermon that led the researchers to the discovery that the fragment in English had been misinterpreted, Wade said.

The sermon was about humility, and it warned that some people are wolves, such as powerful tyrants who take by any means. There are other allusions to unfavorable animal traits in humans. As originally translated, the Song of Wade excerpt read: Some are elves and some are adders; some are sprites that dwell by waters: there is no man, but Hildebrand (Wades father) only.

For centuries, scholars have struggled to make sense of why references to elves and sprites were included in a sermon about humility. According to the new translation, the excerpt reads: Some are wolves and some are adders; some are sea-snakes that dwell by the water. There is no man at all but Hildebrand. Reinterpreted this way, the quoted phrases align more closely with the overall message of the sermon and redefine the genre of the story.

We realised that taking the fragment together with its context would allow us not only to completely reinterpret the Wade legend, but also to reshape our understanding of how stories were told and retold in different cultural contexts, including religious contexts, Wade said.

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The long-standing difficulties in interpreting the excerpt are a reminder that paleography  the study of handwritten documents  is not always an exact or precise science, said Dr. Stephanie Trigg, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Melbourne in Australia, especially in the transmission of English and other vernacular texts without the standardised spelling and abbreviations of Latin.

Focusing on the sermon is also important because this type of allusion to a popular epic was highly unusual, Trigg, who was not involved in the research, told CNN in an email.

The authors are right to draw attention to the way the sermon seems to be quoting medieval popular culture: this is not all that common, Trigg said. It helps disturb some traditional views about medieval piety.

When the preacher used the Song of Wade in his sermon, it was clear that he expected his audience to accept the reference as a recognisable element of popular culture: a meme, Falk said. By studying this sermon in depth we get a wonderful insight into the resonances that such popular literature had across culture.

Researchers discovered a pop culture reference to the Song of Wade in a medieval sermon (pictured). - Courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse/University of Cambridge

Romantic and Fantastic

This new perspective on Wades saga doesnt mean that it was based exclusively in realism. While there are no other known excerpts of the Song of Wade, references to Wade in texts spanning centuries offer details fantastic enough to delight fans of J.R.R. Tolkiens epic Lord of the Rings.

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In one romance text, its said that (Wade) slays a dragon, Falk said. There is local folklore in Yorkshire, recorded by John Leland in the 1530s, that he was of gigantic stature. Other texts stated that Wades father was a giant and that his mother was a mermaid, he added.

In fact, chivalric romance from this period frequently incorporated elements of fantasy, Trigg said. In the chivalric literary tradition, romances often draw on mythological creatures and the supernatural, and the distinction between chivalric romances and mythology is not always rigorously made in medieval literature, she added.

Still, aligning the Song of Wade more closely with medieval romances clears up long-standing confusion over allusions to Wade by Geoffrey Chaucer, during scenes of courtly intrigue in Merchants Tale and Troilus and Criseyde.

Chaucer referring to a Beowulf-like dark-age warrior in these moments is weird and confusing, Falk said. The idea that Chaucer is referring to a hero of medieval romance makes a lot more sense.

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While the Song of Wade has faded into obscurity, its appearance in the medieval sermon and in Chaucers work hints that for centuries the legend was a staple of popular culture in medieval England, even though there was no definitive text preserving the entire tale.

As its popularity waned, much of it vanished for good.

By the eighteenth century there were no known surviving texts and nobody seemed to know the story, Wade said. Part of the enduring allure is the idea of something that was once part of common knowledge suddenly becoming lost.

Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine. She is the author of Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind Control (Hopkins Press).

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A 15-year-old Cottonwood boy who was found guilty of plotting a bomb attack on Evergreen School in Cottonwood has been sentenced to four years in a Secure Youth Treatment facility with a maximum time of confinement of up to seven years.

The teen was found guilty in Tehama County Juvenile Court of three felony charges  attempted first degree murder in that the attempted murder was willful, deliberate and premeditated; possession of materials with the intent to construct a destructive device; and possession of a destructive device, reported the Tehama County District Attorneys Office.

The verdict and sentencing was presided over by Tehama County Superior Court Judge Laura Woods.

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Tehama County District Attorney Matt Rogers explained, juveniles who are too young to be tried as adults, as in this case, may be incarcerated in a Secure Youth Treatment Facility, which is equivalent to a prison sentence served in juvenile hall. Per state law, the maximum time of confinement for a juvenile convicted of attempted murder is five years, with the shortest term being three years.

Put simply, the minor may be incarcerated for up to seven years depending on his level of cooperation and rehabilitation in Secure Youth Treatment, Rogers said. The minor will return to court every six months in order to evaluate his progress in Secure Youth Treatment. We are relieved that the minor was sentenced to a lengthy term. The sentence ensures the safety of the public and we hope that the public can breathe a little easier knowing that this minor will be locked up for a substantial amount of time.

According to the District Attorneys Office, the 15-year-old and a 14-year-old boy co-conspired in planning the attack on Evergreen Middle School.

However, the potential attack on the school was averted thanks to an online gamer from Tennessee who alerted law enforcement of the planned attack after one of the teen suspects he was playing online games with allegedly discussed the school attack, sharing a manifesto and sending photos mimicking the Columbine shooters.

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Detectives from the Tehama County Major Crimes Unit were called in and took over the investigation. On May 11, investigators served a series of search warrants on the suspects homes off of Bowman Road and Lake California areas. Investigators found evidence to substantiate the claims made by the reporting party.

After the suspects were arrested they were booked into the Tehama County Juvenile Justice Center on suspicion of making criminal threats, possession of a destructive device, manufacturing a destructive device and conspiracy to commit a felony.

During the investigation, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said the juveniles had built and tested two improvised explosive devices in preparation to use in the attack on the school. He said the suspects were hopeful to amass a casualty count of over 100 individuals.

He also revealed it was determined during the investigation the pair of suspects intended to murder one of their sets of parents before engaging in the school attack.

The other teen accused of participating in the attack on the school has also been charged with similar allegations and returns to court at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5as well. A contested jurisdictional hearing has not yet been set in that case.
Kate Dehler

There are certain symptoms that seem obviously linked together: If you have heartburn and regurgitation, the signs point to gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. If you have bad headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to loud noises, odds are you have migraines. But not every health condition has symptoms that are so clearly related, and as a result you may not think to tell your doctor everything youre experiencing. This can lead to a missed diagnosis, potentially delaying treatment.

Take non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). While the conditions trademark sign is lower back pain, it can also cause light sensitivity, skin issues, and GI problemssymptoms that seem like they have nothing to do with one another. Heres what to look out for so you know what to bring up to your doctor.

The basics of nr-axSpA

To understand what nr-axSpA is, you first have to learn about a disease called ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The inflammatory condition affects the lower back, spine, and sacroiliac joints, which connect the bottom of your spinal column to your pelvis. Nr-axSpA is very similar to AS, with one key difference: While people with AS have spinal changes that are visible on X-rays, those with nr-axSpA do not. Thats because the damage folks with nr-axSpA experience isnt severe enough to show up on this sort of imaging. Some people with nr-axSpA will ultimately develop AS if enough damage occurs.

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Like other inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, nr-axSpA is the result of an immune system thats gone rogue. Your body has an inflammatory process to fight off infections, but sometimes theres misregulation of your immune system and it starts to attack your body, explains Chris Morris, MD, a Tennessee-based rheumatologist. Thats whats happening here.

Symptoms of nr-axSpA

The hallmark thing to watch for: pain in your lower back that lingers for months and isnt linked to an obvious injury. Its a specific kind of back discomfort called inflammatory back pain, which differs from what youd feel if, say, you tweaked your back while playing pickleball. Inflammatory back pain gets better with activity and stiffens with inactivity, so its usually the worst in the morning, Dr. Morris says.

However, what can really point to nr-axSpA is your back pain being accompanied by certain other symptoms. While the following signs may seem somewhat random, theyre all caused by excess inflammation tied to an unruly immune system. This is precisely whats behind nr-axSpA too.

Your eyes become supersensitive to sunlight: Some people with nr-axSpA will also have a condition called uveitis. This is inflammation in the eye that results in bright light bothering you a lot, says Dr. Morris. You could also have eye irritation or pain.

You have patches of red, scaly skin: Nr-axSpA can also go hand in hand with psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition. Certain parts of your body, such as the scalp, elbows, and knees, may develop raised, red patches with silvery scales.

You have gut issues: Some patients may develop an inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, such as Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. As a result you may experience diarrhea, stomach pain, cramping, or loss of appetite.

Getting the right diagnosis

Since imaging tests show no evidence of nr-axSpA, the condition can be challenging to diagnose. Its a clinical diagnosis in many ways, says Dr. Morris. That means your doctor will need to look for specific signs and connect the dots.

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One key clue is the presence of an antigen called HLA-B27, which can be detected through a blood test. But the test isnt perfect; many people with HLA-B27 dont have nr-axSpA, and you can have the condition without testing positive for the antigen. Thats why mentioning your physical symptoms is so important: Inflammatory back pain that doesnt go away and any of the other related signs are indicators that can help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

Unfortunately, what often happens is you see one doctor for your vision issues, another for your psoriasis, and you dont mention your back pain to either. A lot of patients with IBD wont get asked by their doctor if they have back pain, says Dr. Morris. And so we have patients not recognizing that their back pain may be tied to the IBD. This matters because a delay in diagnosis can allow nr-axSpA to progress. The earlier we identify it, the earlier we can get started on treatments that do a fantastic job, says Dr. Morris.

Adapting to life with a chronic condition

As scary as it can be to hear you have a lifelong health issueespecially one like nr-axSpA with no curethere are a lot of treatment options that can make a big difference in how you feel and how quickly the disease progresses.

Your doctor may recommend you start physical therapy to preserve the range of motion in your neck and back and may also prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. These will likely be higher-dose versions of those sold over the counter to relieve pain, like Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen). If the NSAIDs arent working, we start looking at biologic therapies, says Dr. Morris. These medications help reduce inflammatory activity by binding to different parts of cells or blocking certain pathways involved in causing inflammation.

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Not every person responds to medications in the same way, which is why its so critical to have a specialist oversee your care, as opposed to a general practitioner. Im a believer that you need a rheumatologist to help direct the treatment, says Dr. Morris. Once you do find the right medication for you, take comfort in knowing youre on the right path. We have people who have been on these medicines for years, living a normal, healthy life, says Dr. Morris.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  As Kansas lawmakers give the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals more time to decide on their future stadium plans, some concerns are being raised about what that would look like and how close the teams are to making a decision.

Inside Kansas Politics co-hosts Rebekah Chung and Rob Hughes sat down with Legislative Director for Americans for Prosperity Kansas (AFP-KS) Michael Austin and political analyst Bob Beatty to talk about the potential for both teams crossing the state line.

We need Medicaid: Kansans urge lawmakers to increase state funding for disability services

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Later, Martin Tuley, a Democrat from Lawrence, discusses his campaign for governor in 2026. Tuley emphasizes education and nutrition in his platform.

Inside Kansas Politics also spoke with the following gubernatorial candidates:

Kansas Democrats hoping to offset impacts of Trump bill | KSNT.com

You can watch Inside Kansas Politics at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings only on KSNT (check your local listings). To get the latest news on Inside Kansas Politics, check out our X account, or follow us on Facebook. If you have a story you think we should cover, email us at ikp@ksnt.com.

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For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Get the latest in weather alerts by downloading our Storm Track Weather App.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
On Thursday, a judge in Idaho ruled to lift the gag order that has been in place for Bryan Kohbergers case since the 30-year-old was arrested nearly three years ago.

Kohberger was accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death inside their off-campus home in November 2022.

Due to the high-profile nature of the case, a judge put a sweeping gag order in place for all law enforcement, victims families and lawyers involved to protect Kohbergers right to a fair trial.

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Earlier this month, Kohberger changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Since he pleaded guilty, a coalition of news organizations had asked the court to lift the gag order since a trial is no longer planned.

What will be unsealed?

More than 240 orders sealing documents have been issued in the case since it began in 2022.

These documents include evidence and testimony, among other things.

The media coalition also asked 4th District Judge Steven Hippler to immediately unseal those documents. He said he would go through the documents carefully to determine which ones could be made public, but said that process would not start until the sentencing is over.

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Kohberger will be sentenced to multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole on July 23.

Attorneys and investigators can now publicly discuss the case, though they have declined interview requests for now.
When U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was the chief legal officer for Florida, could she have prosecuted fellow resident Jeffrey Epstein for child sex crimes?

Legally, yes, she could have, legal experts say. The bigger question, however, is whether she should have felt compelled to do so.

Bondi's Justice Department announced on July 7 that there was no evidence of an Epstein "client list" and that no further documents on the late wealthy Palm Beacher and sexual predator would be released, despite her earlier promises.

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President Donald Trump has been trying to weather the ensuing political firestorm after some of his MAGA supporters call for more transparency in the Epstein case.

More: MAGA supporters Trump is calling 'weaklings' over Jeffrey Epstein files: Here's a list

What happened in the Palm Beach County Jeffrey Epstein case?

Epstein was charged in 2006 by a Palm Beach County grand jury with a single count of solicitation of prostitution despite having heard from only two underage victims.

Then-State Attorney Barry Krischer's prosecutors had tanked their own case during the secret proceeding, telling the girls during questioning that they themselves were the criminals, the transcripts show. The Palm Beach Post fought in court for nearly five years to make the transcripts public. They were released in July 2024.

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Palm Beach police had found dozens of girls and young women who told similar stories of sexual abuse at Epstein's island mansion. When then-Police Chief Michael Reiter saw that Krischer's prosecution was not in line with the case his department had built, he sent his evidence to the feds. Had the charges reflected that evidence, Epstein would have faced decades in prison.

In the end, Epstein pleaded guilty to only two prostitution-related felonies in 2008 in a "deal of the century" arranged by both Krischer and federal prosecutors. He was sentenced to 18 months in the county jail, of which he served 13. He was out in July 2009.

Who is Pam Bondi?

Bondi took office as Florida's first female attorney general in 2011. She served until 2019 and later that year represented Trump during his first impeachment proceeding.

Born in the Tampa area, she worked as an assistant state attorney for Hillsborough County, prosecuting among other cases Major League pitcher Dwight Gooden for violating his probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of speeding away from a police DUI traffic stop in 2005.

Was it negligent of Pam Bondi not to investigate Epstein?

Jeffrey Epstein on the U.S. Virgin Islands sex offender registry.

Despite the fact that Epstein had already been convicted of Palm Beach County crimes, federal prosecutors in New York leveled sex trafficking charges against Epstein in July 2019. Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell less than a month after his arrest.

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Should Bondi have looked into Epstein's crimes between the time of his jail release in 2009 and the filing of the criminal charges in 2019, when many have alleged that he sexually assaulted hundreds more?

Not necessarily, says Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeasten University.

Unless someone brought it to Bondi, "there was no reason to start a new investigation, he said, after one had already been concluded by both federal and state prosecutors.

Some of the 2019 cases were also based in Florida. At least two Palm Beach County victims testified in the Ghislaine Maxwell case.

"The federal government and the state government, of course, are two different political entities, and both have the power to try the same person for the same crime, using their respective laws," Jarvis said. "Thus, Pam Bondi could have tried Epstein."

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But would she?

"I would not criticize her for not doing anything for what seem to be a case that had already been adjudicated and dealt with and punishment handed out," Jarvis said.

Holly Baltz is an editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Could Pam Bondi have prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein as Florida AG?
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry recently unveiled a new interactive Beyond the Surface: The Art of X-rays exhibit by photographer Andrei Duman, allowing museum guests to examine the interior of everyday objects.

The exhibit takes up four rooms in the Kenneth C. Griffin Studio. Entering the studio, guests walk past an introduction of Duman and the show, then are introduced to the history of X-rays. Multiple posters give a more detailed description of Dumans process while creating the exhibit. Other rooms display Dumans photographs from his six-year project, as well as X-rays of artifacts from the museum.

Images show X-rays of common everyday items like toys, a coffee maker, alarm clocks and more.

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Voula Saridakis, head curator of collections and archives at the museum, said Dumans work balances art and science.

(Hes a) photographer whos walking into science, she said.

Historical artifacts include an Enigma coding machine from the museums U-505 submarine.

Saridakis referenced the movie The Imitation Game as a way to better understand the history of the device. She said the X-ray showed the complexities of the Enigma machine from the inside.

Creating that image in particular was challenging, Duman said.

Due to how much metal there was in the machine, he wasnt able to capture the X-ray in one shot. Instead, he took around 10 photos with different exposures. He then flattened the images together in post-production and chose bits from each photo to make one composite picture.

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Other historical artifacts from the museum were light bulbs from a Thomas Edison patent trial. A clear glass case contains two lightbulbs from Edisons patent infringement trial. Saridakis said Edison frosted the bulbs so no one could see what the filaments looked like inside. While in court, he was forced to break open one of the bulbs, leaving one of them cracked.

When Duman X-rayed the other bulb, he noticed that one was cracked as well, which was news to museum officials.

Another artifact is a camera box from the 1933 Century of Progress Worlds Fair.

You kind of marvel at that level of detail, Saridakis said while looking at the X-ray.

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A final room displays six scaled models of Bugatti automobiles. Duman teamed up with Amalgam, a scale model car company, to create 1:8 scale models of different vehicles. Bugatti was chosen because of the prestige of the brand, obviously the legacy that they have, and also just a variety of the models, Duman said.

Whenever one of the cars is displayed on the floor, its also displayed on the wall. Using tracking technology, when guests walk across the car projection on the floor, the X-ray display moves with them.

Molly Powers, 42, said she and her children enjoyed the museum during their visit from Dubuque, Iowa. Reed, 10, said his favorite part of the museum was the fourth room because of how the cars moved when he did.

It was really cool getting to see all things inside and knowing whats inside, said Reed.

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Cate, 8, said she chased the cars when she saw the X-rays move.

Dan Powers, 43, said some parts of the exhibit gave him motion sickness.

Duman said hes worked on the project for years. The whole project was really driven by that concept of What happens if I X-rayed this?

Duman said his interest in X-rays came from his infatuation with design.

Theres so much amazing stuff in there that they crammed into that space, I found it fascinating to expose that, he said.

He said he photographed a lot of artifacts from the museum, but only chose the ones that looked the most interesting to show in the exhibit. His form of X-raying is different from more typical forms of X-raying, he said

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There were many times when I thought Oh, this is going to be really great, and you put it on an X-ray and its just not, theres nothing really that interesting, he said. And vice versa too, theres something that I left at the very last minute Im like Ugh, this is probably going to look like crap, and actually it turned out to be actually really interesting stuff in there, Duman said.

Beyond the Surface: The Art of X-rays at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, 57th Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive; included with regular admission, msichicago.org
Cuts to foreign assistance from the US and sanctions by President Donald Trump's administration against the International Criminal Court are hindering efforts by groups tracking thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces during the war against Ukraine.

Source: ordis Kolbrun Reykfjor Gylfadottir, an Icelandic politician and Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe overseeing efforts to ensure the return of abducted Ukrainian children, in an interview with Politico on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Reykfjor Gylfadottir said that the end of US financial support for child-tracking programmes is complicating efforts to secure their release.

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In March, Trump's administration cut funding for monitoring programmes at Yale University and other institutions as part of a broader freeze on US foreign assistance spending. Although later that month the State Department announced that short-term funding for the programme would resume, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded that statement. At the time, human rights groups warned that this could severely disrupt the work of teams tracking the whereabouts and well-being of the children.

Reykfjor Gylfadottir said she is now seeing evidence of this happening, as funding disruptions bring further uncertainty to these organisations' operations.

Some groups have managed to continue their work. The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health had planned to lay off its Ukrainian staff on 1 July, but last-minute private donations allowed the organisation to continue operating until October. It remains unclear whether such private funding will continue.

Reykfjor Gylfadottir said that Europe must now find ways to compensate for the lost funding, as knowing where the children have been taken is critical for their repatriation after the war ends.

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"European countries will have to fund it," she said.

She did not specify whether European countries are planning to cover the costs of these programmes in the near future but said she is working to find ways to mobilise funding to support these initiatives, as they represent a significant financial burden for Ukraine's allies.

Russian forces have forcibly deported around 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russian territory since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Human rights advocates say Russia's actions constitute a war crime and claim Moscow aims to indoctrinate and brainwash the children. Russia justifies the deportations as humanitarian evacuations.

Reykfjor Gylfadottir added that US sanctions against the International Criminal Court had also made it difficult to hold Russia accountable for the abductions.

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"People are afraid to work with fundamental independent courts to uphold the rules-based order and international law because they're afraid of consequences with the US administration," she said.

Despite the fact that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute treaty that established the International Criminal Court, officials from Biden's administration had provided information to the court, which is investigating the abductions and other Russian war crimes.

Reykfjor Gylfadottir said that the release of the children is a crucial part of the process aimed at securing a lasting end to the war in Ukraine.

"That is a non-negotiable fundamental piece of a just peace  that is to bring those children back," she said.

Background:

Earlier, Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, spoke on behalf of the US administration about the expectations for Ukraine's post-war recovery.

Among other things, the US will demand the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

US Congressmen Gregory Meeks and Michael McCaul have introduced a bipartisan resolution in the House of Representatives condemning Russia's abduction and forced displacement of Ukrainian children and calling for their immediate return.

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A council has written to the Home Office asking it to halt plans to replace asylum-seeking families in a hotel with single adult males.

South Norfolk Council said it opposed the move, which it learned of in a brief email from Whitehall last week.

The authority's Conservative leader Daniel Elmer said the hotel's residents - and the town, which had helped families integrate in the community - would be harmed.

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The BBC has asked the Home Office for comment.

As reported by BBC News in June, 32,000 asylum seekers are living in hotels across the UK.

Elmer said: "We feel the decision and intended timeframe poses significant risks and concerns to both community cohesion and the vulnerable single males who would be residing at the hotel.

"The community impact of this change cannot be overstated."

In the letter to the Home Office, Elmer said the authority "remains fully committed to supporting asylum seekers".

It added: "When the hotel was first opened for asylum accommodation, there was considerable unease among local residents.

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"The current use of the hotel for families has helped to show that there was no basis for the concerns expressed.

"Thanks to the hard work of the council and our partners the hotel currently exists comfortably as part of the community reflecting the current use.

"A sudden shift to a SAM [single adult males] hotel risks reigniting those tensions, especially in the absence of any community engagement or mitigation strategy from the Home Office."

It said the council feared unrest similar to that already seen in other areas.

The authority said the switch to single adult males instead of families would combine with homelessness issues and stretch local resources, including police services.

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Norfolk Constabulary said of the hotel in South Norfolk: "Due to the modest policing presence, owing to its size and locality, the potential increase in demand would be difficult to manage reflecting the distance from other police resources.

"We are engaging with the local council and continue to support our partners and the local community."

The force said it was also aware of a planned protest at another location and continued to monitor the situation.

Its statement added: "Officers are engaging with organisers, as well as the local community and will provide a proportionate policing response whilst respecting the right to peaceful protest and maintaining the safety of the local community."

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  An effort to keep more money in the wallets of taxpayers could take funds away from schools and human services.

Passed in June, Ohio House Bill 9 creates a new property tax credit aimed to provide relief to homeowners age 65 and older, as well as disabled Ohioans.

In Montgomery County, roughly 34,000 households would qualify for the new credit.

The first $28,000 of the property value is tax free for homeowners making less than $42,500 per year, excluding Social Security income, according to the states provision. All counties in the state can use the provision and double the free property value from $28,000 to $56,000.

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Extra relief will not be compensated by the Buckeye state. Each countys budget would be used for the tax credit from the $56,000 value for schools and human services.

Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith said relief is needed, but will not come without a cost.

Property owners are looking for tax relief. were all looking for tax relief while this tax relief is coming in the form of budget cuts, said Keith. $32 million is about 3% of what we currently collect.

Keith said budgets of local districts and human services would be impacted.

The piggybacking measure has not yet been endorsed by Keith for Montgomery County, as the decision will be up to the Montgomery County Commissioners.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(Reuters) -Chinese steelmakers are bypassing tariffs in countries such as Indonesia and Turkey by exporting semi-finished products, a tactic that undermines barriers against a flood of cheap Chinese metal and is raising concern in Beijing over the surge in lower-value exports, industry sources said.

Record steel exports from the world's largest producer have sparked a protectionist backlash globally with 38 anti-dumping investigations from various countries since January last year. Top trade partners Vietnam and South Korea have imposed tariffs, arguing domestic manufacturers are hurt by cheap Chinese steel.

In response, Chinese exporters are turning to steel billet, semi-finished blocks of steel, that typically faces fewer tariffs. Exports between January and May were three times greater than the year before at a record 4.72 million metric tons, or nearly 10% of all steel exports over the same period, customs data showed.

Chinese exporters need to find any opportunity they can to sell products that are hemmed in on all sides by tariffs and weak demand at home, said Tomas Gutierrez, head of data at consultancy Kallanish Commodities, who added the trend started last autumn.

"Whenever billet exports are profitable, they will be exported," Gutierrez said.

The top five export destinations for steel billet are Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Turkey, according to customs data. Indonesia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have tariffs on some finished steel products, but none on steel billets.

Other top export destinations for finished steel, including South Korea or Vietnam, similarly don't have tariffs on billet, which is processed into finished products then used in construction and manufacturing.

That relative lack of trade barriers for steel billet versus finished steel has helped fuel the rapid growth in exports, analysts at Mysteel said in a note last week.

Part of that demand comes from trans-shipment, they added, with countries in Southeast Asia importing Chinese billet, processing it and then re-exporting it to Europe and the U.S.

President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on steel imports have disrupted parts of the trans-shipment trade by making it far less lucrative for countries to ship to the United States.

Underpinning the push for exports, whether billet or finished steel, is a weak Chinese economy and a battered property sector unable to absorb the huge amount of steel produced by a sector that has been toying with output cuts for months.

POTENTIAL EXPORT TAX

The surge in billet exports has sparked warnings from China's state-backed industry body, which wants steelmakers instead to focus on higher-value added products.
Jul. 18The Lincoln County Commission, by a 2-1 vote, approved the reorganization of the county's Port Authority Board at the July 9 meeting.

District 1 Commissioner Brent Teske (Libby) and District 2 Commissioner Jim Hammons (Troy) both voted for the resolution to reorganize while District 3's Noel Duram (Eureka) voted against it.

Resolution 2025-25 called for rescinding Resolution 999, which was passed in 2018. The prior measure called for the Port Authority board to be made up of five individuals, including all three county commissioners.

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The new resolution states the Port Authority board will include a maximum of seven members, including one county commissioner. The Port Authority Board recently updated its bylaws, determining seven members, with six of them being at-large, is better suited to manage the Port Authority and encourage public representation.

The current board includes Teske and four other at-large members. They include Jerry Bennett, Kevin Peck, Tony Petrusha and Chris Bache. Two spots are still vacant. Port Authority members serve five-year terms.

Bennett's term ends Dec. 31, 2027, Peck's ends Dec. 31, 2025, while the terms of Petrusha and Bache each end Dec. 31, 2029.

During the public comment portion of the hearing, a number of residents expressed concerns and doubt about the decision, some of which are the result of a lawsuit filed earlier this year against the county commission and Port Authority, alleging violations of public meeting laws and selling Port land without public participation.

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"If you're not following the rules now, why would we believe you're gonna follow them now by changing them?" Martin Dunbar asked.

Dunbar also questioned why the Port Authority Board can't be elected by the people.

"You three guys should be on the Port board," Dunbar said. Flathead County does that, why can't Lincoln County?"

Dan Torgison, a former Libby businessman who filed the suit, asked why the rules were being changed.

"Why are you not representing Troy and Eureka?" Torgison asked. "That land was given to Lincoln County, not Libby. You dropped the ball."

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Bennett, a former county commissioner and Montana state representative, said going to seven members was the original plan.

"We had nine members originally (2003) and we never got anything done," Bennett said. "We've gotten pretty much all the Brownsfield work done and what's not done, we have a letter of intent with the state DEQ to finish up the other 120 acres."

Bennett also pointed out that the county committees have been structured to be appointed rather than elected to avoid costly elections.

"Why are you increasing the number of board members?" Ann German asked. "You just said when you had nine members you didn't get anything done. You need to be held accountable to your constituents. People don't trust what's going on."

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Jennifer Nelson also expressed her belief that the new resolution is an effort to legitimize prior actions that were not properly authorized.

She expressed concern over the new bylaws passed in February and that they did not meet MCA (Montana Code Annotated).

"I was additionally concerned about the language concerning audits, which was changed from 'shall be audited annually' to 'may be audited annually,'" Nelson said.

She also pointed out that while state law permits the sale of property, the original Port Authority resolution does not directly address that. She encouraged the commissioners to review the history of all resolutions relating to the Port Authority for legal consistency.

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The aforementioned suit, is still pending.

In the lawsuit filed April 2 by Torgison, he accused the Lincoln County Commissioners, Port Authority and John Does 1-15, of hiding its business dealings with Noble Investment Properties, Inc., specifically the sale of 185 acres, owned by county taxpayers, from the Port Authority to Noble in 2023.

The suit alleges that Torgison became aware the Port Authority entered into transactions with Noble Investment Properties that may not have been fiscally sound, didn't include public participation and competing businesses expressed a concern of favoritism.

Following credits for property cleanup, Noble agreed to build a county road on the property to be purchased and with a reimbursement from a county grant, Noble Investments paid about $3,600 per acre to buy prime highway frontage real property owned by the county taxpayers.

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It is believed that the market value of similar property is $50,000 per acre, the suit alleges.

Fifth Judicial District Judge Luke Berger heard arguments June 20 on the preliminary injunction request, but has not ruled on them.
Steve St. Juliana, father of Hana St. Juliana who was killed in the Oxford High school shooting in 2021 speaks in Oxford, Michigan on Nov. 18, 2024 in support of a state investigation into the events that led up to the shooting. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols)

Update 2:31 p.m.

Steve St. Juliana, the father of Hana St. Juliana, one of the students killed in the Oxford High School mass shooting, was given the green light to sue the state and the Michigan Department of State Police after the Court of Appeals overturned a lower courts decision to dismiss the case.

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In a unanimous decision of the state Court of Appeals in St. Juliana v. Michigan State Police, the panel reversed the Court of Claims decision to dismiss the case in March 2024. The lower court ruled that the complaint was not timely filed.

The Court of Appeals decision, which was issued Thursday but released publicly Friday, ruled otherwise and remanded the case back to the Court of Claims, where the case can continue.

Kevin Carlson of Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers is the attorney for Hana St. Julianas estate.

We are pleased by the Michigan Court of Appeals decision to reverse the dismissal of our clients case. By allowing this case to proceed, the court is upholding the principles of fairness and leading us closer to a path of justice. For two years, the State has tried to delay and derail our clients case, going so far as to withhold 91 pages of critical documents that should have been turned over. We hope this reversal can finally force the State to face its consequences and instate changes that ensure the tragedy that occurred on November 30, 2021, will never happen again, Carlson said.

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Steve St. Juliana initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Michigan State Police after details emerged in a separate lawsuit filed by parents against the Oxford Community School District. Those proceedings brought to light information about tips to the OK2SAY tipline, which is facilitated by State Police. The tips involved information of a planned attack at the high school. One of the early tips was forwarded to Oxford High School administrators and the Oakland County Sheriffs Office.

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St. Julianas initial lawsuit claimed that the sheriffs office determined there was no actual threat and did not take further action.

In the days leading up to the attack, the shooter, who was 15 years old at the time, made social media posts about the weapon used in the shooting, which was given to him as a gift from his parents. Both he and his mother, Jennfier Crumbley, referenced the gun as a gift in social media posts.

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Additional OK2SAY tips were received regarding those posts, with parents, students, staff and other community members expressing concern that there might soon be an attack at the school. Still, law enforcement and school administrators allegedly ignored those threats.

The grieving father sought damages from the state, asserting State Police did not fulfill its duty to address the escalating tips and threats of violence in the leadup to the attack. The lawsuit noted that St. Juliana only became aware of those tips as they emerged in a separate legal battle with the school district.

A notice of intent to sue was filed with the Court of Claims in September 2022, within six months of discovering the tips to State Police.

Attorneys for the state and the department, however, filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that St. Juliana hadnt complied with the Court of Claims Acts rule necessitating a lawsuit be filed within six months of Hana St. Julianas death.

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Court of Claims Judge James Redford dismissed the case on March 6, 2024, noting that Steve St. Julianas lawsuit was filed two years after he was appointed as the representative of his daughters estate.

Upon appeal, Steve St. Juliana asserted that the Court of Claims erred because a provision in the Revised Judicature Act of 1961 involving wrongful-death savings rendered his complaint as timely filed.

In the 3-0 Court of Appeals decision issued Thursday from Judge Kathleen Feeney, Judge Stephen Borrello and Judge Anica Letica, the court found that the savings provision was intended to safeguard plaintiffs rights in wrongful-death actions, particularly when confronting statutory deadlines like those in the Court of Claims Act.

The court further concluded that the provision extended the filing time frame but also adjusted the statutory notice period.

This story was updated with comment from an attorney for Hana St. Julianas estate.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Newly obtained court documents from Clark County are shedding light on the guardianship of Hershall Creachbaum, whose body was found this past weekend.

As Hershalls mother, Ashley Johnson and her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, appear in court this week, 2 NEWS is digging deeper into the timeline of events that ultimately led to Hershalls death.

Father, community honor 7-year-old boy with bridge memorial

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Three years of court records starting in March 2021 show Hershall previously lived with his grandmother for several years, and during that time, his mother had little to no contact with him.

Hershalls grandmother, Mildred Missy Creachbaum, initially submitted documentation stating that Hershall needed to stay with her due to the biological mother and father have substance abuse concerns and are unable to meet the childs daily needs.

Guardianship was then granted to Missy, who was then required to fill out reports every six months. In her first report, Missy wrote that Hershalls mother, Johnson, was absent in regard to contact with her son.



Court records continue for a period of close to three years, from September 2021 to March 2024, where Missy writes that the mother and father had no contact with Hershall.

But in September 2024, Missy reported that she had been letting both Johnson and Creachbaum Senior visit their child.

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Missys guardianship of Hershall ended in 2025, when she didnt file her bi-yearly report.

Hershall was found dead on July 12 after Kendrick reported Hershall as kidnapped. Police found his remains hours later, after Kendrick admitted the boy had been dead for several weeks.

Local organizations offer resources for children, adults with autism

Kendrick is facing charges of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. Johnson is currently facing an obstructing justice charge.

The Montgomery County Prosecutors Office says additional charges are possible in this case, but will be reviewed by the grand jury.

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Montgomery County Children Services told 2 NEWS they cannot confirm or deny if they have had any cases with the family in the past.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A court has ordered Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle tag and put him under curfew over fears he might abscond while standing trial.

Bolsonaro - in power in 2019-22 - is accused of plotting a coup to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in 2023. He denies any wrongdoing.

US President Donald Trump has been attempting to quash the case against his ally, which he calls a "witch hunt", by threatening steep tariffs on Brazilian goods. On Friday, the US revoked visas for Brazilian judicial officials involved in the case.

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Bolsonaro said the court restrictions amounted to "supreme humiliation" and that he had never considered leaving Brazil.

On Friday, police raided his home and political headquarters on orders from the Supreme Court.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes also ordered that Bolsonaro be banned from social media and barred from communicating with his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been lobbying for him in the US, and foreign ambassadors, diplomats or embassies.

The ex-president will be placed under 24-hour surveillance and have to comply with a nighttime curfew.

Judge Moraes said Bolsonaro was acting deliberately and illegally, together with his son Eduardo, to have sanctions imposed on Brazilian public officials.

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In a statement, Bolsonaro's lawyers expressed "surprise and outrage" at the court's decision, adding that the former president had "always complied with the court's orders".

According to the Federal Police, Bolsonaro has attempted to hinder the trial and undertaken actions that constitute coercion, obstruction of justice and an attack on national sovereignty.

Late on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had ordered "visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately".

Last week, the US president threatened a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods from 1 August, directly citing Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro.

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Lula hit back, saying he would match any tariffs imposed on Brazil by the US. In a post on X, the president said Brazil was a "sovereign country with independent institutions" and "no one is above the law".

On Thursday, Trump posted a letter on Truth Social that he had sent to Bolsonaro in which he said the criminal case amounted to political persecution and that his tariff threat was aimed at exerting pressure on Brazilian authorities to drop the charges.

The US president has compared the prosecution to legal cases he himself faced between his two presidential terms.

Bolsonaro is standing trial along with seven accused over events which culminated in the storming of government buildings by his supporters a week after Lula's inauguration in January 2023.

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The eight defendants are accused of five charges: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organisation, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage.

If found guilty, Bolsonaro, 70, could face decades behind bars.

Bolsonaro and Trump enjoyed a friendly relationship when their presidencies overlapped [Reuters]

The former president has consistently denied the charges against him, calling them "grave and baseless" and claiming to be the victim of "political persecution" aimed at preventing him running for president again in 2026.

Speaking in court in June, Bolsonaro said a coup was an "abominable thing" and there had "never been talk of a coup" between him and his military commanders.

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He narrowly lost the presidential election to his left-wing rival Lula in 2022.

Bolsonaro never publicly acknowledged defeat. Many of his supporters spent weeks camped outside army barracks in an attempt to convince the military to prevent Lula from being sworn in.

A week after Lula's inauguration, on 8 January 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court and the presidential palace in what federal investigators say was an attempted coup.

Bolsonaro was in the US at the time and has always denied any links to the rioters.

A federal investigation into the riots and the events leading up to them was launched. Investigators subsequently said they had found evidence of a "criminal organisation" which had "acted in a coordinated manner" to keep then-President Bolsonaro in power.

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Their 884-page report, which was unsealed in November 2024, alleged that "then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organisation aiming to launch a coup d'etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law".

Brazil's Attorney General Paulo Gonet went further in his report published in February, accusing Bolsonaro of not just being aware of but leading those that he says sought to overthrow Lula.

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COVINGTON, KY  A Covington police officer has been placed on administrative duty following a prayer vigil and demonstration against ICE that quickly became hostile and prompted a large police response.

Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti said a "thorough investigation is underway" after about 15 people, including two journalists, were arrested July 17 on the John A. Roebling Bridge.

Around 40 to 50 police officers responded to the scene and several were treated for minor injuries at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Valenti said.

Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti speaks at a press conference, July 18, 2025, at Covington City Hall in Covington, Ky. Covington police responded to a protest on the Roebling Bridge on July 17, which later involved the arrest of 15 people.

Covington Mayor Ron Washington said the protest quickly escalated and became "volatile," which Washington said posed serious public safety concerns for demonstrators, drivers and police officers.

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In videos from the scene, police officers are seen restraining people on the ground and making arrests as dozens of people march across the bridge from Cincinnati.

Valenti discussed several of those at a press conference July 18 at city hall.

Videos circulating on social media show officers subduing multiple people to the ground during the protest.

Officer punches protestor in face, head and body

One video shows a police officer punching a protestor while trying to arrest him.

Valenti showed body camera and other footage of the incident to give the public a better understanding of what transpired.

The video shows a police officer with a long pepper gun approaching protesters. As one in a red hat tries to get away, he seemingly knocks down the pepper gun while running.

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Valenti said the video was proof that the man was trying to "disarm one of our officers."

Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti speaks at a press conference, July 18, 2025, at Covington City Hall in Covington, Ky. Covington police responded to a protest on the Roebling Bridge on July 17, which later involved the arrest of 15 people.

Police then followed the man to the pedestrian area of the bridge. Body camera footage shows an officer held the protester at gunpoint while the man gripped a bag in front of his body.

Valenti said the officer thought the protestor had a gun, though, no weapons were found on any people who were arrested.

The protestor eventually held onto the bridge railing while officers wrestled him to the ground.

While on the ground, one officer repeated punched the man in the face, head, and body while the man resisted arrest.

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The officer involved in the physical altercation has been placed on administrative duty while the department conducts a full and fair investigation into his actions, according to Covington Mayor Ronald Washington.

Covington Mayor Ronald Washington speaks at a press conference, July 18, 2025, at Covington City Hall in Covington, Ky. Covington police responded to a protest on the Roebling Bridge on July 17, which later involved the arrest of 15 people.

Valenti said the officer will be paid while on administrative duty and tasked with administrative work. He said the officer has been with the department for "several years."

Valenti said because it does not take much momentum to push someone on to the other side of the railing, responding on bridges can be a "very dangerous situation."

"We make sure our officers are aware of the dangers on the bridges because we're on the bridges everyday," he said, referencing a 1998 incident in which a Covington police officer died after falling off the bridge.

Demonstrators were were given seconds to clear the road

Police gave demonstrators warnings, via a PA system and in person, to clear the bridge or face arrest.

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According to videos, officers waited roughly 20 seconds before detaining people.

"It's hard to say exactly how much time is reasonable," Valenti said about whether that was sufficient time for people to clear the roadway.

But either way, he added, the protesters were breaking the law by being on the bridge.

Who was the driver?

One video shows a person driving across the bridge in a dark color SUV while some protesters try to stop the vehicle from moving forward.

Valenti said the driver was an out-of-town tourist who was trying to get from dinner back to his hotel room.

The driver told Valenti that he was trying to drive around the protesters.

Where were demonstrators from?

All but two of the people arrested were from the Cincinnati area.

Why did Covington police arrest a reporter?

Valenti said Madeline Fening, one of the CityBeat reporters arrested, did not have a press credentials or anything to identify her as a member of the media.

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In a video of Fening's arrest posted on social media, someone can be heard repeatedly shouting at officers that Fening is a reporter. Its unclear whether the officers had any training or the department had any policy when it comes to arresting reporters.

Previously, courts have found blanket orders to disperse violate the First Amendment when there is no alternative way to document police response to a protest, as both reporters and members of the public have a right to gather information in public, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Why were people protesting?

The arrests by the Covington Police Department came during a rally held in support of Imam Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and former Cincinnati Children's chaplain, whom ICE detained July 9.

After the rally, which began in Cincinnati, about 100 people crossed the Roebling Bridge shortly after 8 p.m., heading toward Covington, according to estimates by attendees and an officer on the scene.

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"What happened here wasn't a protest, it was an unlawful disturbance," Valenti said.

This article will be updated when more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chief: 'Thorough investigation' underway after Roebling Bridge protest
An Australia-based fisherman has captured extraordinary footage showing a large ray trying to outrun a hammerhead shark in the shallows.

Just another day in Cape York, Brody Sutton stated via Instagram.

ALSO: Fisherman hardly speechless during rare encounter with orcas off Hawaii (video)

The footage, posted below, shows both creatures speeding over the flats and the ray leaping to escape the jaws of the shark.

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The ray then uses Sutton's boat to assist in its seemingly successful survival effort. (The footage contains brief profanity.)

The footage has been widely shared via social media. BDOutdoors described the footage as insane and added: High-speed chase in the shallows. What a juke by this ray!

The Cape York Peninsula is in Far North Queensland.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Stingray pulls out all the stops to escape shark off Australia
The "social section" in Crawford County Library's Van Buren branch (Screenshot from court documents)

Crawford County officials have joined the appeal of a federal judges award of over $441,000 in attorneys fees in a case that resulted in blocking parts of a 2023 Arkansas law affecting what books are available in public libraries.

Crawford County and County Judge Chris Keith filed a notice of appeal and a request to stay the monetary judgment on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Keith and the county were among the defendants, along with Arkansas 26 prosecuting attorneys, in 18 plaintiffs challenge of two sections of Act 372 of 2023.

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U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks permanently blocked the challenged sections in December, determining they violated the First Amendment. In addition to giving city and county governing bodies authority over library content, Act 372 would also have altered libraries material reconsideration processes and created criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that some consider obscene or harmful to minors.

Crawford County and Keith were among the defendants that lost a separate lawsuit over library content in September. U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes ruled in favor of three parents who claimed the Crawford County Librarys segregation of LGBTQ+ childrens books into separate social sections violated the First Amendment.

The case was reassigned from Holmes to Brooks, who ordered the defendants to pay the plaintiffs nearly $113,000. The Crawford County Quorum Court voted unanimously in April to accept the librarys governing boards offer to pay the fees. The board was among the defendants along with Keith, the county, the quorum court and county library director Charlene McDonnough.

In May, Brooks ordered the defendants in the Act 372 case to reimburse the plaintiffs $441,646.49 in total.

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At this time, the Plaintiffs and Crawford County have been unable to reach a settlement for the fees and costs, the countys attorneys wrote in Thursdays motion to stay the execution of the payment. Therefore, Crawford County will appeal the award of attorney fees and costs.

Crawford County stay

Twice last year, the Crawford County defendants asked Brooks to dismiss them from the Act 372 lawsuit. Brooks denied the motions, ruling that the county and Keith would be responsible for implementing Act 372 if it went into effect and if appeals of challenged material reached the county government.

Attorney General Tim Griffin appealed the ruling on behalf of the rest of the Act 372 defendants in January.

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Crawford County officials cited Act 372 as a reason to maintain the librarys social sections of LGBTQ+ childrens books that only adults could access. McDonnoughs predecessor, Deidre Grzymala, created the sections as a compromise after public outcry between December 2022 and January 2023, a few months before Act 372 became law.

In May, Grzymala sued Crawford County and a member of the library board, alleging defamation and breach of contract over her February 2023 resignation and severance package.

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Britains crumbling water industry is hitting housebuilding and slowing the countrys economic growth, MPs have warned.

On Friday, MPs on the public accounts committee (Pac) said the sectors failure to build new reservoirs had delayed the construction of thousands of new homes and offices that were urgently needed to boost the UK economy.

This includes 7,000 new houses being built in Oxford as well as 50,000 new homes in Cambridge which have been delayed because of a major shortfall in the water supply, the MPs said.

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Crucially, they added that neither the Government or the Environment Agency (EA) were able to say how many homes had been denied planning permission because of a lack of water pipes and that customers were footing the bill for the failures.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Pac chairman, said: The monumental scale of work required to reverse the fortunes of failing water companies is rivalled only in difficulty by the efforts needed to repair customers faith in the sector.

Customers are being expected to shoulder the burden of water companies failings, without being told why or on what their money will be spent.

Water companies are under intense scrutiny after the debt crisis at Thames Water put renewed focus on how much companies are spending on fixing creaking water infrastructure.

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According to the Pac, 10 out of Britains 16 water companies failed to generate enough income last year to cover the interest payments on their debts  leaving them unable to invest more.

In two cases over the past two decades, water companies paid out dividends worth more than 100pc of the entire value of company assets, according to the MPs.

Ofwat is also blamed for failing to prevent water companies from taking excessive dividends  even as it has flagged concerns about the payouts. The regulator signalled concerns about 10 water companies last year.

The water industry must spend nearly 300bn on new infrastructure to avoid looming water shortages  including building 10 new reservoirs  and boost UK economic growth.

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The investment is urgently required because the UK has failed to build a single new reservoir since the Carsington Water reservoir in Derbyshire  which was opened more than 30 years ago in 1992.

The report placed a portion of the blame on the Environment Departments failure to ensure water companies had been building and maintaining the infrastructure needed to avoid looming shortfalls, which are expected to hit 5bn litres a day by 2050.

By the end of the year, the MPs recommended that the EA should publish a list of all housing and commercial developments being delayed or blocked.

The report comes as Southern Water announced it had doubled the pay of chief executive Lawrence Gosden to 1.4m at the same time as announcing a hosepipe ban for 1m customers.

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Southern Water, which servers 4.7m customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, is now the fourth water company to announce a hosepipe ban, alongside Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and South East Water.

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President Donald Trump signs the HALT Fentanyl Act, July 16, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley is second from the right. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

This week in the nations capital, President Donald Trump signed a fentanyl reclassification act led by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa legislators cheered the passing of a federal rescission bill through Congress and House members helped send a $832 billion defense appropriations bill through the GOP-led chamber.

The Grassley-led HALT Act permanently reclassifies fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule 1 drug. In February 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary scheduling order reclassifying fentanyl-related substances to Schedule 1. Congress has since extended this order a total of 10 times.

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The act has received criticism from advocacy groups such as the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights stating that classwide drug rescheduling may exacerbate incarceration rates and sentencing.

The presidents signing of the HALT Act Wednesday was attended by several Iowa officials including Grassley, Attorney General Brenna Bird and Rep. Randy Feenstra.

The HALT Fentanyl Act is now the law of the land, marking a major victory in Americas fight against fentanyl, Grassley said in a press release. By permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, the HALT Fentanyl Act will save American lives and prevent deadly fentanyl knockoffs from making their way into Iowa communities.

This bill is a huge win for Iowa and the entire country, Bird said in a press release. As a mom and prosecutor, I am deeply aware of the devastating effects fentanyl has had on our communities. And as Attorney General, I hear about this issue from Iowans regularly.

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I applaud President Trump for signing into law the HALT Fentanyl Act and taking decisive action to keep fentanyl and other poisonous substances out of our country. Feenstra stated. In conjunction with our work to secure the border, this legislation will help law enforcement confiscate dangerous drugs, combat the drug cartels, and save lives.

Rep. Ashley Hinson stated: This bill will help end the scourge of the opioid epidemic that has taken too many American lives  we will continue working together to get dangerous drugs off our streets & ensure dealers are punished for their crimes.

Rep. Zach Nunn also stated he proudly cosigned the HALT act for its ability to crack down on traffickers, keep deadly substances off our streets and ensure consistent penalties for fentanyl distributors.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks stated in a press release: As an original cosponsor in the House, I was proud to help lead the fight to get this bill across the finish line. With this law in place, were going on offense. Were giving law enforcement what they need to crack down, take control, and stop this poison from claiming more lives.

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Miller-Meeks also reintroduced a bipartisan bill Thursday requiring social media companies and other communication service providers to alert law enforcement officials when illegal drug distributions occur on their platforms.

Iowa legislators praise cuts to foreign aid, public media

All of Iowas delegates voted in favor of Trumps rescission bill to axe $9 billion in previously approved funding for programs including the U.S. Agency for International Aid, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio.

The rescission bill passed both chambers of Congress Friday with a vote of 51-48 in the Senate and 216-213 in the House. This marks the second time in over three decades Congress has approved a presidential rescission request.

Ernst praised the cuts to USAID, citing abuses such as an alleged $148,000 sent to a pickle-maker in Ukraine through USAID and $20 million spent on Sesame Street programming in Iraq.

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If we are ever going to get serious about our debt crisis, Congress needs to pass a rescissions bill like this every single week, she stated in a press release.

Hinson responded to the bill with a statement on X: President Trump is the first president to actually deliver on real savings for the American people and end the culture of wasteful spending in Washington.

Grassley took to X as well to state Fed govt is $36 TRILLION in debt Last night Sen Republicans voted to roll back DCs out of control spending. He added that Republicans plan to build on the provisions in the big, beautiful bill going forward.

Miller-Meeks called the rescission cuts a one of two big wins for the American people in an X post. She also cheered the passing of a defense appropriations bill increasing military spending.

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Democrats in both the House and Senate voted against passing the rescission bill. Several Democratic legislators criticized the rescission bill for cutting funding from public broadcasting that will impact rural news sources and withdrawing U.S. support from countries in need.

Ernst spearheads amendment to defense appropriations bill

Ernst led an amendment to the defense appropriations bill to require all defense spending be posted on the public website USAspending.gov.

This amendment will directly target Other Transaction Agreements which are flexible spending agreements not subject to standard acquisition laws and requirements.

I am ending Pentagon bureaucrats game of hide and seek with your tax dollars, Ernst stated in a press release. Americans have a right to know where their hard-earned dollars are going. Ive long been working to make the Pentagon more transparent and accountable and will continue to work to review the hidden receipts.

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The expansive defense bill passed through the House with a split vote of 221-209 on Friday. It allocates nearly $832 billion for provisions such as:

Basic pay increase for all military members by 3.8% starting 2026

Codifies Trumps executive order to end military diversity, equity and inclusion programs

$13 billion for missile defense and space programs

$7 billion for classified space superiority programs.

$2.6 billion for hypersonic missiles.

$1.15 billion for counterdrug programs

$500 million for Israeli Missile Defense

$500 million for Taiwan Security Operative

Miller-Meeks responded to the provisions in a press release stating: This bill gives our troops the pay raise they deserve and the resources they need to defend this country.

The bill moves to the Senate for reconciliation.

Cedar Rapids to receive infrastructure funding from Grassley-backed bill

Cedar Rapids is set to receive $25 million in federal funding through the Grassley-backed Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021.

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The funding is allocated for a flood resiliency project and road improvements on highway I-380.

Im happy to announce that the City of Cedar Rapids is receiving a $25 million award to improve its flood resilience and infrastructure, Grassley said in a press release. You can imagine how important this funding is for Cedar Rapids, after the city has been hit by devastating floods. These federal dollars will be put to good use to strengthen the Cedar Rapids community.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A Fort Bliss soldier accused of shooting and killing a couple during a fight outside an Eastside bar pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 17, a day before his murder trial was set to begin, according to the El Paso District Attorneys Office.

Andrew James Williams

The DAs Office said Andrew James Williams, 22, entered a guilty plea to murder, attempted capital murder of multiple persons, and attempted capital murder/obstruction or retaliation.

Back in 2023, a fight broke out among a group in the parking lot of the Ditzy Duck Bar, 1160 Airway Blvd.

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2 arrested in bar shooting that killed 2, injured four others

The victims, James Nicholson, 26, his girlfriend Alexa Retana, 27, and a group of their friends and family, were on the bars patio when an argument started, according to the DAs Office.

The DAs Office said the argument then escalated into a physical altercation, involving both groups. Surveillance video from a nearby bar shows Williams holding a handgun and opening fire on the group.

Nicholson and Retana died at the scene, and four people in their group were wounded, according to the DAs Office.

The DAs Office said Williams and his group drove off but were apprehended while trying to enter Fort Bliss.

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Judge Patrick M. Garcia ordered Williams to serve three concurrent life sentences in a Texas state prison facility. Williams waived his right to appeal as a part of the plea agreement, according to the DAs Office.

The DAs Office said the families of both Nicholson and Retana, along with several victims of the shooting, delivered victim impact statements as Williams stood in the jury box.

District Attorney James Montoya and Assistant District Attorney Linda Estrada represented the State of Texas in the prosecution of this case.

Montoya is reserving comment on its outcome until the conclusion of the court proceedings for Williams co-defendant, according to the DAs Office.

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As we previously reported, Williams was arrested alongside Aaron John, another Fort Bliss soldier, after the shooting.

They were both charged with capital murder back in 2023.

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FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor / Getty Images Shares of Union Pacific are little changed since the start of the year, while CSX and Norfolk Southern have gained.

Key Takeaways

Union Pacific is reportedly considering acquiring a rival railroad, sending shares of CSX and Norfolk Southern higher Thursday.

Semafor reported Union Pacific has hired Morgan Stanley to explore possible deals.

The report noted CEO Jim Vena has discussed creating the countrys first transcontinental line.





Shares of railroad operators CSX (CSX) and Norfolk Southern (NSC) climbed Thursday on a report suggesting they might be targets of a takeover bid by bigger rival Union Pacific (UNP).

CSX and Norfolk Southern shares added about 3% in recent trading, while Union Pacific shares were down less than 1%.

Semafor said Union Pacific has hired Morgan Stanley to look into acquiring another rail carrier. The report noted CEO Jim Vena has discussed creating the countrys first transcontinental line, and that it could mean adding an East Coast carrier such as CSX or Norfolk Southern.

Semafor added that the Trump administration's push to boost U.S. manufacturing could make a merger of major railroads more palatable to regulators. If it struck a deal, Union Pacific could argue that a coast-to-coast railroad would compete better with the trucking industry, which carries more than 70% of domestic freight, Semafor said.

A Union Pacific spokesperson told Investopedia the company does not comment on rumor or speculation."

Shares of Union Pacific are little changed since the start of the year, while CSX and Norfolk Southern have gained.



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Read the original article on Investopedia
DA revises death toll in fire that ripped through Fall River assisted-living home

Authorities on Friday revised the death toll in a fire that tore through an assisted-living facility in Fall River on Sunday night.

The Bristol County District Attorneys Office said that it incorrectly reported the death of a 10th person in the blaze at Gabriel House due to a miscommunication with a medical agency.

On Thursday, the DAs office announced that 66-year-old Brenda Cropper had passed away late Wednesday night, days after fire and smoke filled the facility on Oliver Street.

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You dont come back from that: Fall River paramedics speak for 1st time after Gabriel House fire

But according to the DAs latest update, Cropper remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Please be advised that due to a miscommunication with a medical agency, the Bristol County District Attorneys Office reported the passing of Brenda Cropper as a result of the Gabriel Assisted Living Center Fire, a statement shared with Boston 25 News read. Ms. Cropper remains in critical condition at this time. The BCDAO has been in contact with Ms. Croppers family regarding this matter. We will provide updates when they become available.

At least 30 people were hurt, and nine people were initially reported dead, all over the age of 60, as thick smoke and flames trapped residents inside.

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Quinn previously identified the other victims who perished in the fire as 64-year-old Rui Albernaz, 61-year-old Ronald Codega, 69-year-old Margaret Duddy, 78-year-old Robert King, 71-year-old Kim Mackin, 78-year-old Richard Rochon,77-year-old Joseph Wilansky and 86-year-old Eleanor Willett.

The identity of one victim, a 70-year-old woman, is not yet being publicly released as next of kin notification is still pending.

Body cam video shows harrowing moments police rush into fire at Fall River assisted living facility

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the scene was tricky and chaotic when crews first arrived on the scene because several residents were seen hanging out of windows and doorways, waiting to be rescued.

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The 100-unit assisted-living facility opened in 1999. Some photos on its Facebook page show neat rooms but older-looking carpeting and furniture.

Inspection reports released Thursday by the citys Bureau of Fire Investigation identified no problems at Gabriel House going back to 2019. The reports cover things like sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, exit doors, and general housekeeping.

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Mayor Paul Coogan and IAFF General President Edward Kelly announced on Wednesday that staffing levels at the Fall River Fire Department will increase immediately.

The staffing changes come days after the union said inadequate staffing hindered the response to a fire at an assisted living facility that killed 9 and injured 30 others.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL)  A months-long Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe has uncovered no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Impact Plastics management leading up to the deaths of six employees in floods from Hurricane Helene Sept. 27, 2024.

First Judicial District Attorney Steve Finneys office announced the results in a Friday afternoon news release. Finney is now closing the case with no further action planned.

Attorneys for Impact Plastics founder and CEO Gerald OConnor wrote in a statement Friday they welcome the results of the TBIs thorough and appropriate investigation, adding, the true and accurate facts are now known.

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An attorney who represents families of some of the employees who died, meanwhile, wrote that they were disappointed with the decision to close the investigation without charges.

We categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape the facility safely before or during flooding, Luke Widener wrote in a statement.

Finney, the release says, had requested the investigation Oct. 1, 2024 as allegations swirled on social media and in the news media that Impact Plastics CEO Gerald OConnor and/or other supervisory staff refused to allow the employees to leave the facility, thus resulting in their deaths.

Impact Plastics employee recounts narrow escape through floodwater in Erwin

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Those deaths, according to a Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) investigation released April 2, occurred sometime after 1:41 p.m.  almost three hours after OConnor dismissed employees, the TBI investigation determined. It was around 1:41, TOSHA concluded, that the employees, off company property by that time but still nearby, were knocked from a flatbed trailer when it collided with a tree. After that they were left clinging to spools of plastic pipe.

The DAs release says TBI agents interviewed more than two dozen witnesses, executed a search warrant on the property and gathered other evidence. It says interviews revealed no evidence to substantiate the claim that the employees were told they were prohibited from leaving or threatened with termination for leaving as the floodwater rose.

It added that TBI tried to interview other employees but was unsuccessful due to lack of cooperation or response.

The release said the probe reached three main conclusions based on the evidence:

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That OConnor dismissed employees at approximately 10:51 a.m. that day;

that there were available paths of evacuation at that point;

and that employees had a window of time to leave the property that lasted from 10:51 until approximately 12:06 p.m.

Impact Plastics is being sued for wrongful death in civil court by the family of one of the employees who died. Other families also have legal representation, though no other suits have been filed.

Wideners statement claims that Finneys determinations are directly refuted by multiple eyewitness accounts, all of which illustrate very clearly that Impact Plastics employees were told not to leave work until it was too late to do so safely.

Widener wrote that attorneys remain steadfastly committed to seeking justice for our clients through the civil justice system.

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Stephen Ross Johnson and other attorneys for OConnor wrote that he and company leaders have fully cooperated with the official agencies investigating the flood.

Impact Plastics and Gerald OConnor continue to concentrate on seeing to the needs of members of the Impact Plastics family and grieving over the wonderful people who were lost in the flood, the statement continued. Mr. OConnor is focused on rebuilding Impact Plastics for the benefit of the employees, the customers, and the community.

While TOSHA ruled that (T)he tragic events that occurred after employees were dismissed and evacuated the work site are not work related, the agency did recommend the company take steps to minimize the possibility of similar events occurring.

Those included:

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Developing a site-specific severe weather emergency plan, including for flooding;

Training employees and managers to recognize potential hazards from various types of severe weather, and that inherent delays posed by some forms of weather emergencies should not result in delays to evacuate the site when necessary;

Ensure that all personnel get weather emergency training and participate in weather emergency drills specific to each type of emergency that may occur.

This is a developing story.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
A convicted sex offender from Mexico has been arrested by ICE Dallas, marking another high-profile detention just days after an ICE officer was injured in a separate incident in Oklahoma.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Dallas-based Enforcement and Removal Operations unit, known as ERO Dallas, stated that officers had arrested 58-year-old Jose Aringa-Ramirez, a registered sex offender and citizen of Mexico. The agency said he had a prior conviction for sexually assaulting a child, as well as previous convictions for resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated, and two separate incidents of illegal reentry into the United States.

ICE did not specify the circumstances surrounding Aringa-Ramirezs arrest, including when or where he was taken into custody beyond the general reference to Dallas. It is also unclear how agents located him, or in which jurisdictions his previous convictions occurred. As is often the case with immigration enforcement announcements, the timing of the arrest remains uncertain; however, the agencys social media posts suggest it may have occurred on July 18. Announcements are sometimes delayed by several days.

ICE @ERODallas arrested registered sex offender, Jose Aringa-Ramirez, 58-year-old citizen of Mexico, previously convicted for sexual assault of a child.

His criminal history also includes resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated, and two convictions for illegal-reentry. pic.twitter.com/hfVHLwoPXB  ERO Dallas (@ERODallas) July 18, 2025

The arrest of Aringa-Ramirez is the latest in a string of recent enforcement actions by ICE Dallas. Earlier this week, the same office was involved in a violent confrontation in Oklahoma City, where an ICE officer was injured during an attempted arrest.

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According to a July 17 post from the agency, officers were attempting to detain 34-year-old Jose Melgar-Rivas, a Honduran national, on July 15 when he allegedly accelerated his van while an officer was still partially inside. The vehicle dragged the officer nearly a block before stopping. The suspect then reportedly tried to flee on foot but was apprehended after a joint manhunt involving ICE, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas, The Dallas Express reported.

Attacks on our officers will NOT be tolerated. While ICE @ERODallas officers were detaining Honduran illegal alien Jose Melgar-Rivas, Melgar accelerated his van and dragged an officer nearly a block down the road in an attempt to escape. This resulted in multiple injuries to pic.twitter.com/a3jEOCVYBH  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) July 17, 2025

ICE officials report that assaults against immigration agents have surged by 830% since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20.
Jul. 17WASHINGTON  Just about every time Rep. Dan Newhouse posts on Facebook, the comments start pouring in with the same question from his constituents across central Washington.

"When is your next public meeting??? Would love to ask some questions!" one person wrote under a post celebrating the Grand Coulee Dam's anniversary on Wednesday.

"In the area yet again and STILL no time for a Town Hall," another commented after the Republican lawmaker posted photos from an event in Richland on July 10.

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"Your time would be better spent holding a town hall meeting," a constituent wrote under photos from Newhouse's visit to a Pasco business on March 20. "We need to have you hear us, Dan. Please. We have fears and concerns and YOU, as our Representative, are responsible for hearing us."

Newhouse is hardly the only Republican in Congress who has avoided large public events since President Donald Trump returned to office in January and began dramatically remaking the federal government with the consent of GOP majorities in the House and Senate, prompting backlash from many of their constituents. But in addition to the advice House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave all Republicans on March 4 to skip in-person town halls, Newhouse had another reason to avoid such public events.

Court records reveal that on March 20, the day Newhouse was in Pasco, a man allegedly called his office in Washington, D.C., and told the intern who answered the phone he planned to drive to the congressman's district office and kill Newhouse and his staff. The court documents refer to Newhouse anonymously as "U.S. Representative 1," but his spokesman confirmed that Newhouse is the unnamed lawmaker.

"An individual made a real, direct threat against the lives of the Congressman and his district staff which resulted in swift action by federal and local law enforcement," spokesman Matt Reed said in a statement. "Since the incident, the office has been advised against large, in-person events. The Congressman is eager to hear more from constituents, and staff are working to schedule a telephone town hall very soon with public safety as the top priority."

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Newhouse, a farmer from Sunnyside who served as a state lawmaker and led the Washington State Department of Agriculture before he was first elected to Congress in 2014, has drawn extra scrutiny from both the left and right since he voted in January 2021 to impeach Trump for inciting a riot at the Capitol weeks earlier. Eight of the 10 Republicans who made that choice have since left Congress via retirement or defeat, and Newhouse has survived two tough re-election races with the help of moderate voters and even Democrats who backed him over fellow Republican Jerrod Sessler in 2024.

The threatening phone call described in court documents came not from Newhouse's 4th Congressional District but from the Seattle suburb of Tukwila, according to a complaint filed in federal court on March 21.

Prosecutors allege that Bradley Whaley of Burlington, in Skagit County, called Newhouse's D.C. office and asked to speak with the congressman. When an intern answered and said the congressman was in the district, Whaley allegedly asked if Newhouse was in one of his district offices and then said, "I am going to go there and slit (his) throat and slit (his) staff's throat."

Whaley allegedly paused for a few seconds and then said, "Yeah, it's 2 p.m., I still have plenty of time to do that." When the intern asked for the caller's name, he first replied with profanity and refused to do so, but then gave his name as "Brad Whaley," according to the complaint. When the call ended, the intern immediately wrote Whaley's statements on a form, noting the caller's phone number and that he spoke with "an aggravated tone" and "a midwestern accent."

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Whaley had allegedly called Newhouse's D.C. office multiple times from the same number, giving his full name in voicemails and when talking to staffers. Law enforcement investigators obtained phone records that showed a call from the same number that connected to a cell tower in Tukwila at the time of the threat reported by the intern.

According to prosecutors, the same intern had written at least four previous reports on calls received from Whaley, including one in which he threatened to drive to D.C. and attack Newhouse and another unnamed member of Congress. In one expletive-laden voicemail on March 15, Whaley allegedly expressed concern about losing his Social Security benefits and said the Second Amendment to the Constitution gave him the "right to form a militia and take out" Newhouse, then affirmed that he was making a threat.

In another voicemail on March 18, Whaley allegedly said Newhouse shouldn't be afraid of Trump, "But he needs to be scared of us. We're in Washington. We will take his ass out."

On March 21, using location data provided by T-Mobile, law enforcement agents located Whaley and arrested him outside his place of employment in downtown Seattle on suspicion of violating a federal law that prohibits making interstate threats, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison but may also result in only a fine.

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Whaley was released on bond on March 24 and his indictment has been postponed until Sept. 15, according to court records.

Whaley's defense attorney, Chris Black, declined to comment when reached by phone. The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Yemini, was unavailable for comment, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.

According to a February report by the U.S. Capitol Police, threats against members of Congress, their families and their staffs rose in 2024 to nearly 9,500 cases. That number has more than doubled since 2017, when the agency investigated under 4,000 cases, and peaked at more than 9,600 in 2021.

While political violence isn't new in the United States, intense division between the parties has raised fears of more widespread attacks on public figures. Trump himself survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, including when he was shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.

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On June 14, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed by a shooter who seriously injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife earlier that night. Hortman and Hoffman, both Democrats, were on a list of dozens of apparent targets of the alleged gunman.

Members of Congress seldom speak publicly about the threats they receive, fearing that any added attention will only worsen the problem, but in March, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina released audio of threatening calls made to his office. Tillis, a Republican who like Newhouse has drawn criticism from both the left and right, announced on June 29 that he wouldn't run for re-election after Trump threatened to help oust him for opposing the president's signature tax-and-spending bill for cutting $1 trillion from health care for low-income Americans.

Newhouse has expressed concern about aspects of that bill and separate Republican legislation now under consideration in the Senate that would defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid programs, but he ultimately voted for both bills.

Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
WHILE ABOUT HALF of the National Guard troops patrolling Los Angeles streets received orders this week to stand down, some 2,000 still remain, and Americans are rightly concerned by the sight of armed troops patrolling an American city. We should also be worried about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss plannow with approval from President Donald Trumpto use his states National Guard JAG officers as immigration judges. Both situations insert our apolitical armed forces into polarizing domestic issues that risk politicizing the military itself.

The Framers of our Constitution, who saw years of occupation by the British Army, keenly understood the threat posed by inserting a military presence into civilian communities. Thats why they were loath to approve standing armies and did so only after erecting legal and structural guardrails: The Constitution specifically subordinated the military under a civilian president and a civilian Congress, and the Bill of Rights banned troops from being quartered in private homes. So important was civilian control of the military that Gen. George Washington voluntarily resigned his commission at the end of the Revolutionary Warand so, a little over five years later when he later took the first presidential oath of office, he did so as a private citizen. This and similar actions by others, like Gen. Henry Knox, helped ensure the young nations new army was overseen by civilians, not officers, establishing a precedent that would later be codified in law. The risks of militarizing society were real to them, as were their concerns about politicizing the military.

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Several recent actions taken by the Trump administrationthe Los Angeles deployments, the deployment of hundreds of Marines to Florida to assist with ICE operations, the designation of a 250-mile-long tract of land as a National Defense Areahave raised worries about new risks of politicizing the armed forces and have brought our troops further into tension with civilian society by detailing them to roles as law enforcement and border agents. DeSantiss and Trumps plan to assign JAG officers as judges in immigration hearings further increases the risks that the military will become divided byand defined bypolitics.

The dangers of politicizing the military are twofold: Domestic uses of our military render it less prepared to perform its primary missions, and inject the military into civilian situations our troops are not trained for. Our active duty and reserve military forces are organized, trained, and equipped to defend our national security from external threats; the National Guard also responds to natural disasters and emergencies. With external threats erupting across the globe and hurricane and wildfire seasons now underway, we should be wary of any mission creep that degrades their readiness to serve their primary missions, especially as politically contentious missions can hurt morale and recruitment.

We should also be wary of the systematic dismantling of the guardrails our Founders established to prevent the risks inherent in the domestic application of military power. It is especially concerning that JAG officers are being pulled into civilian immigration courts mere months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth purged the senior leadership of the Army and Air Force JAG Corpsnot for cause, but because he didnt want roadblocks to anything. It is becoming clear that anything includes the improper domestic use of the military. The opacity of the process employed to replace those senior JAG leaders also confirms that the Trump administration regards loyalty above fidelity to the law, and that JAGs charged with giving independent legal advice are at risk of becoming rubber stamps.

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With our military already deployed in Los Angeles alongside ICE agents, and the president threatening more deployments of this kind, the once sharp lines distinguishing civilian from military and national defense from domestic law enforcement continue to blur. The prospect of JAG officers donning judicial robes to preside over immigration hearings is particularly disturbing considering the conflicts of interest that can arise when JAGs mix military and civilian employment. Congress must step up and exercise its oversight authority before the lines disappear completely.

Dangerous warning signs abound, but its not too late to reverse course. Congressional committees can hold hearings and demand transparency so that all Americans understand the risks of injecting our military more deeply into civilian society, the risks of undermining the JAG Corps, and the critical need to maintain properly balanced civilian-military relations. If we have too few immigration judges, Congress can remedy that problem by authorizing the hiring and training of more civilian attorneys.

Deploying members of the military into law enforcement, criminal justice, and other civilian roles blurs the lines between our armed forces and civilian society in ways that would have shocked our Founders. Our Founders understood that a military strong enough to repel foreign invaders was also strong enough to repress freedoms at home. Maintaining a strong military, with a commitment to the rule of law, is undermined when politicians disregard our founding traditions and put our servicemembers where they dont belong.

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Felix Baumgartner lived to leap, becoming the first person to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile skydiving adventure through the stratosphere in 2012.

On Thursday, the Austrian daredevil died at age 56 while engaged in a far less intense activity, crashing into the side of a hotel swimming pool while paragliding in Porto Sant Elpidio, a town on central Italy's eastern coast.

According to Sky Austria, he became ill before the crash. A hotel employee was hospitalized after sustaining injuries in the accident, the report stated.

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"Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight," Porto Sant Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella said on Facebook.

Felix Baumgartner jumps out of the capsule during Red Bull Stratos on Oct. 14, 2012. (Red Bull Stratos / Red Bull via AP Images)

The man known as "Fearless Felix" made history 13 years ago when he parachuted down to a landing near Roswell, N.M., after being lifted 24 miles above Earth into the stratosphere in a capsule carried by a helium balloon. He set a record for fastest free fall, descending 127,852 feet at 843.6 mph and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle.

Read more: Watch skydiver Felix Baumgartner break speed of sound

As he exited his capsule and jumped into air that was 70 degrees below zero, Baumgartner gave a thumbs-up to onlookers watching a livestream online. He activated his parachute as he neared the ground.

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When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive, he said after landing safely.

Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are."

Baumgartners altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

A former Austrian military parachutist, Baumgartner made numerous jumps from airplanes, skyscrapers and bridges. He also leaped from famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue at the summit of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Read more: Daredevil breaks world record with highest fall

He once flew across the English Channel in a carbon fiber wing after being dropped from a plane. The daredevil also performed as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe.

Baumgartner died while engaged in a more prosaic activity. Paragliders are lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched aircraft primarily used for recreation. The pilot sits suspended below a fabric wing.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a representative for Baumgartner's longtime sponsor Red Bull said, "We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner.

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"Felix was born to fly and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.

"We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed."

Read more: Fall 24 miles to Earth with Felix Baumgartner in new space-jump video

In an interview with Red Bull years ago, Baumgartner addressed his meticulous preparation before taking flight.

"We had a very long list of 'what ifs,' in other words eventualities that could happen and how we would deal with them in an emergency," he said. "The list kept getting longer and longer. I was only afraid of the things that were not on the list, the things we had not thought of. To this day, I abort missions if the conditions are not right."

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Two historic, extreme weather events separated by just over 100 miles happened on one July day in the upper Midwest.

On July 18, 1996, 29 years ago this evening, a violent tornado roared through the town of Oakfield, Wisconsin. This less-than-quarter-mile-wide drill bit of a twister produced mainly F3 to F4 damage, but then intensified to an F5 just east of the village. (Note: The Fujita or F-scale was used prior to 2007's implementation of the modern Enhanced Fujita or EF-scale.)

Four homes were completely demolished, with only empty foundations left. In all, 60 homes, six businesses and two churches were destroyed and another 130 homes and businesses suffered damage, according to the National Weather Service in Milwaukee.

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Two vehicles were tossed up to 400 yards away, while others were crushed into almost unrecognizable balls. Canceled checks lofted by the tornado were found 125 miles away across Lake Michigan near Muskegon, Michigan.

Incredibly, nobody was killed in this tornado, but 12 were injured. Oakfield remains one of only three F5 (or EF5) tornadoes on record in Wisconsin and the only known F/EF5 U.S. tornado to have occurred in July.

That same morning, a record drenching across the western and southern sides of Chicagoland triggered major flash and river flooding. The western suburb of Aurora picked up 16.91 inches of rain in 24 hours, still the state's all-time 24-hour rain record.

This torrential rain pushed the Des Plaines, DuPage and Fox rivers to record levels. Six people were killed.

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FEMA estimated 35,000 homes had flood damage and more than 4,300 people had to evacuate from flooded areas, according to a summary published in 1999. This was the state's second-costliest weather disaster (estimated $645 million damage) behind only 1993's Great Mississippi River flood.

Oakfield Wisconsin F5 tornado July 18 1996

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.




NEED TO KNOW

Police in Michigan said a daughter found her mom and another woman dead inside her mom's home in Warren on Wednesday, July 16, according to multiple reports

Family members of the mom said they did not know who the 75-year-old woman was, but police indicated she was a friend

An investigation is ongoing





Police say they have found evidence of an apparent suicide pact between two women who were found dead inside a Michigan home.

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The incident occurred at home on Joanne Smith Drive in Warren just after 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, July 16, according to NBC affiliate WDIV-TV and the Detroit Free Press.

The daughter of 73-year-old victim Suzanne Leich found her mom and another 75-year-old woman dead inside the home, FOX affiliate WJBK reported.

The 73-year-old woman sustained a single gunshot wound to the head, while the 75-year-old woman sustained a single gunshot wound to the chest, WDIV-TV reported.

Police said that two handwritten notes found at the scene suggest that the women died in an apparent suicide pact, according to the outlets. Additional evidence found at the home of the 75-year-old woman suggested their deaths were pre-planned.

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Additionally, police said a new handgun, which the two women purchased on Tuesday, July 15, was found at the scene.

There were no signs of forced entry or robbery, according to the Free Press.

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.

Family members of the 73-year-old victim said they did not know who the 75-year-old woman was, according to WDIV-TV, but police indicated she was a friend of the 73-year-old victim.

An investigation into their deaths is ongoing.

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The Warren Police Department (WPD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.



Read the original article on People
Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities, Davenport, will host an artist reception featuring Quad Cities artist Tabitha DeFrieze, a news release says.

The event will be held 5-6 p.m. Saturday, July 19. A free meal consisting of beef, chicken or vegan tacos will be provided.

Life Matters More Than $Profit$ by Tabitha DeFrieze (Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities)

Community art will be displayed alongside art from the featured artist. Artwork will be for sale. Metropolitan Community Church is a welcoming, inclusive space that invites all art-lovers as well as anyone who may need a free meal.

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DeFrieze earned a visual communications degree from Black Hawk College in 2014. She kept her work mostly private, until  with the support of her community  she is now interested in sharing her art. DeFriezes art often looks toward impressionists for its use of color and expression. Her work is whimsical and playful. Her favorite and most inspiring subject are animals. She also enjoys creating environmental activist and LGBT artwork to help inspire positive political change.

Tabitha DeFrieze (Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities)

The creative field has been difficult to break into and DeFriezes own struggling mental health often made it difficult for her to connect with community and share her art. Joining the Lets Write and Create Studio has been a life-affirming experience. DeFrieze seeks to use her art for a grander purpose. She has also enjoyed encouraging others in their creation, and believes artwork has innate value.

She created art to spread awareness about the conservation of the Milan Bottoms, and dreams of using her artwork to help other local causes. She recently did a vendor booth at the local Bass Street Landing Pride and enjoyed creating free pride animal drawings for visitors.

For more information about the artist, contact here.

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For more information about MCC QCs Lets Write and Create Studio, contact Bebe Geis here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jul. 17MITCHELL  The following cases were among those heard Tuesday, July 15, during a circuit court session at the Davison County Public Safety Center, with Judge Chris Giles presiding:

* Gabriel Shepherd, 22, of Waubay, appeared in court for a status hearing related to multiple drug charges. He faces allegations including manufacturing or distributing methamphetamine (a Class 3 felony), possession of methamphetamine (a Class 5 felony), possession of drug paraphernalia (a Class 2 misdemeanor), and possession of two ounces or less of marijuana (a Class 1 misdemeanor). The case has been continued for two weeks.

* Dustin Fox, 34, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to obstructing police and resisting arrest, both classified as Class 1 misdemeanors. As part of a plea agreement, a fourth-offense domestic abuse simple assault charge, which is a Class 5 felony, was dismissed. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

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* Paula Dockendorf, 45, of Emery, appeared in court for a status hearing and requested that her jury trial be rescheduled from August to October. The court granted the request. She is facing charges of possession of a controlled substance, Ambien, which is a Class 6 felony, and possession of a controlled substance in jail, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, the Davison County Jail conducted a shakedown of the female pod due to suspected drug activity. During the search, officials discovered a small piece of electrical tape wrapped around plastic containing seven pills: three Lorazepam, three Ambien, and one over-the-counter Benadryl. Dockendorf told authorities the pills were given to her by her cellmate and she did not know what to do with them. At the time, she was serving a weekend sentence in jail. Although she has a valid prescription for Lorazepam, inmates are not allowed to possess prescription medications.

* Bruno Nava-Trujillo, 29, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a Class 5 felony. As part of a plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed, including having an altered or invalid license, a Class 1 misdemeanor, as well as three Class 2 misdemeanors: possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, and failure to maintain financial responsibility. He was sentenced to five years in prison with all time suspended. He was also ordered to serve two years of probation, pay a $750 fine and spend eight days in jail.

* Grady Sullivan, 50, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to a second-offense driving under the influence (DUI). The court granted a suspended imposition of sentence. He was fined $500 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for one day already served and 70 days suspended.

* Lee Hauge, 35, of Mitchell, was sentenced after pleading guilty in May to possession of cocaine, a Class 5 felony. He was granted a deferred imposition, meaning the charge may be reduced to a misdemeanor if he successfully completes a two-year probation period. Hauge was also fined $750 and ordered to serve eight days in jail.

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* Larry Anderson, 32, of Mitchell, was sentenced for violating the conditions of his probation, which he was serving for a meth possession conviction. The court ordered his three-year probation period to restart. He was also accepted into the James Valley Drug and DUI Court program.

* Trevin Gardner, 19, of Mitchell, admitted to violating the terms of his probation. He had been serving probation for eluding, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Sentencing is scheduled to take place in four weeks.

* Gary Kuper, 68, of Mitchell, admitted to violating the terms of his probation, which he was serving for third-degree burglary, a Class 5 felony. His five-year prison sentence remains suspended, and his two-year probation period has been ordered to restart.

* Joseph Darville, 42, of Tea, failed to appear in court for a bond forfeiture hearing. He also missed a scheduled court appearance last month, leading to the forfeiture of his bond. Darville is facing a Class 2 misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia and a Class 5 felony charge for possession of methamphetamine.

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* Zach Nelson, 22, of Mitchell, appeared in court for a status hearing. He requested a continuance, which the court granted for two weeks. Nelson is facing a Class 6 felony charge for failing to register a new address.

* Johnny Hall Jr., 55, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to charges of identity theft, a Class 6 felony, and domestic abuse for violating a bond condition, a Class 1 misdemeanor. He requested a personal recognizance bond, which the court approved. A jury trial is scheduled for October.

* Michael St. Pierre, 26, of Mitchell, admitted to violating the terms of his probation, which he was serving for a third-offense domestic abuse simple assault conviction. His two-year prison sentence remains suspended, and his three-year probation period was ordered to restart. He also pleaded guilty to a new fourth-offense domestic abuse simple assault charge, a Class 5 felony. As part of a plea agreement, charges of abuse or cruelty to a minor, a Class 3 felony; second-offense DUI; and reckless driving, both Class 1 misdemeanors, were dismissed. For the new felony charge, St. Pierre was sentenced to five years in prison with all time suspended. He was fined $500 and ordered to serve three years of probation. He was also accepted into the James Valley Drug and DUI Court program.

* Carrie Lefort, 57, of Mitchell, requested a continuance in her case, which the court granted. Her attorney stated that a forensic accountant hired to review the case is finalizing their analysis. Lefort is facing a Class 3 felony charge of grand theft involving an amount between $100,000 and $500,000. The jury trial, originally set for August, has been rescheduled for October.

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* Russell Duley, 27, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to a third-offense DUI, a Class 6 felony. As part of a plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed, including open container, resisting an officer, careless driving, and driving with a revoked license, Class 2 misdemeanors. Duley was sentenced to two years in prison with all time suspended. He was fined $650, ordered to serve two years of probation, and serve 10 days in jail.

* Garrett Stewart, 34, of Bakersfield, California, pleaded guilty to a third-offense DUI, which is a Class 6 felony. As part of a plea agreement, other charges were dismissed, including driving with a revoked license, a Class 1 misdemeanor, as well as careless driving and having an open container, both Class 2 misdemeanors. Stewart was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for one day already served and 81 days suspended. He was also fined $500.

* Terry Foolbull, 69, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to a third or subsequent offense of domestic abuse simple assault, a Class 6 felony, and to interference with emergency communications, a Class 1 misdemeanor. He requested a personal recognizance bond, which the court granted. A jury trial is scheduled for October.

* Jamie Shay, 40, of Mitchell, requested a continuance in her case, which the court granted. She is currently seeking acceptance into the James Valley Drug and DUI Court program. Her jury trial, originally scheduled for August, has been postponed to October. Shay is facing charges for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a canceled license, both Class 2 misdemeanors, as well as possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony.

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* Davyen Garcia, 26, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to a charge of distributing child sexual abuse material, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, the Mitchell Police Department received a CyberTip on June 25 reporting that a video showing a sexual act involving a prepubescent child had been uploaded to Snapchat. The account associated with the upload was listed under Garcia's name. Investigators traced the IP address used to upload the file back to Garcia. During an interview with law enforcement, Garcia admitted to downloading the file and sending it to another person through Snapchat. Garcia requested a personal recognizance bond, which the court granted. A jury trial is scheduled for October.

* Brooke Schiller, 31, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to a fifth or subsequent offense of domestic abuse simple assault, a Class 4 felony. A jury trial is scheduled for October.

* Joshua Whiteman, 28, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, a Class 3 felony. As part of a plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed, including simple assault and threatening law enforcement officers, both Class 1 misdemeanors, as well as first-degree burglary, a Class 2 felony. Whiteman was sentenced to eight years in prison but received a suspended execution of sentence, meaning all prison time was suspended. He will serve three years of probation and was fined $1,000.

* James Jenkins, 34, of Sioux Falls, had his case continued, resulting in the postponement of a jury trial originally scheduled for August to October. The continuance allows time to address pending federal charges he is also facing. Jenkins is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class 2 misdemeanor; possession of two ounces or less of marijuana, obstructing police, and possessing a firearm with a prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, all Class 1 misdemeanors; possession of a firearm after a violent crime conviction, a Class 6 felony; and possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony.

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* Trenton Slattery, 23, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse simple assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. As part of a plea agreement, a Class 6 felony charge for a third or subsequent offense of domestic abuse simple assault and a Class 1 misdemeanor for violating a no-contact order with the victim prior to his court appearance were dismissed. Slattery was sentenced to 103 days in jail, with credit for 13 days already served and 90 days suspended. He was also fined $350.

* Caleb White, 28, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse simple assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. As part of a plea agreement, a Class 3 felony charge for abuse and cruelty to a minor was dismissed. White was sentenced to 95 days in jail, with credit for five days already served and 90 days suspended. He was also fined $350. According to court documents, in March, White's wife showed police photos of their child taken after an alleged incident on Oct. 10, 2024. The images reportedly showed a welted handprint on the child's torso and bite marks on her forearm. White allegedly admitted to hitting the child on her torso and biting her forearm, referring to the incident as a "butt whooping."

* Brandi Wells, 49, of Great Falls, Montana, pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class 2 misdemeanor; possession of two ounces or less of marijuana, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and possession of cocaine, a Class 5 felony. A jury trial is scheduled for October.

* Skylore Surrounded, 31, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape by a prisoner, a Class 5 felony. A jury trial is scheduled for October. According to court documents, he was granted furlough to visit his sister at Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls but failed to return to the Davison County Jail.
Photo by Simon Infanger via Unsplash

War, what is it good for? Well, for one thing, these exchange-traded funds.

Defense ETFs are surging this year, boosted by ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Many are outperforming the broader market, with some pulling in more than $1 billion in inflows. Sector-specific ETFs are tricky beasts, though. Lacking broad exposure, they can often depend on market timing  a big no-no for advisors. But hey, a broken clock is still right twice a day.

Security and defense ETFs have been highly successful in 2025, said Bryan Armour, director of ETF & passive strategies research at Morningstar. Geopolitical tensions and European rearmament have driven returns higher.

READ ALSO: Vanguard Made a Single Acquisition. Now, Its Getting Sued and Referrals Are Still King, Even In the Era of AI

Take Up Arms

Wars and conflict may not be ideal on a human level, but they often become boons for certain sectors and businesses. The war in Ukraine, now in its third year, and increasing fears of Russian aggression have led NATO to boost defense spending targets to 5% of GDP for member nations by 2035. France plans to raise its military budget to $74.8 billion by 2027.

As countries rearm, investors are pouring money into funds focused on the businesses behind the buildup. These strategies are no longer niche, said Gavin Filmore, chief revenue officer at Tidal Financial. Theyre being recognized as core allocations amid rising geopolitical tensions and global defense modernization. The flows are reflecting that urgency.

Some of the top funds include:

The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) is the standout defense fund, up more than 60% this year. As of the end of June, it had taken in roughly $1.65 billion in inflows, according to Morningstar Direct.

The Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) is up more than 40% this year, and took in about $33 million inflows in that time.

Stratego. Despite strong returns and investor enthusiasm for defense ETFs, Armour said advisors should always consider the potential drawbacks, such as higher fees and concentration. Investing in a defense ETF makes sense based on the geopolitical changes of the past few months, he told Advisor Upside. But that information is already priced in by now, so is it still a good time to buy?

This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials, subscribe to our free Advisor Upside newsletter.
Good morning, Chicago.

As the departure of Ald. Walter Burnett leaves Mayor Brandon Johnson with the challenge of picking his third Zoning Committee chair, the City Councils Black and Latino caucuses have already begun jockeying for the highly coveted leadership spot.

Burnett, often dubbed the dean of the council as its most tenured member, will step down at the end of July, vacating both his committee chairmanship and role as Johnsons vice mayor. The Zoning appointment has been one of the freshman mayors biggest political conundrums throughout the first two years of his term, and his next choice is expected to make waves in a council where racial politics remain an undercurrent.

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To that end, the heads of both the Black and Latino caucuses are calling for the chairmanship to go to one of their members. And vice chair Ald. Bennett Lawson, who is white, has expressed interest in the permanent role too.

Read the full story from the Tribunes Alice Yin.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including nursing homes cited for severe violations, what the jury viewed during the third day of the trial for the man accused of killing Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso and what to expect at Wrigley this weekend following the All-Star break.

Todays eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

House gives final approval to Trumps $9 billion cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid

The House gave final approval to President Donald Trumps request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early today as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda.

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The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it wont be the last. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda.

Hundreds rally against Trump administration at Good Trouble Loop gathering

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump and his administrations policies in the Loop yesterday as part of nationwide Good Trouble Lives On rallies, decrying cuts to social services, mass deportation strategy and restrictions on civil liberties.

Among the rally attendees were the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates. Johnson told the crowd that America under Trump was making an alarming and fast descent into authoritarianism, but vowed that Chicago would fight back.

Chicago-area nursing homes fined for severe violations that led to patient deaths, Illinois health department says

The Illinois Department of Public Health has doled out tens of thousands of dollars in fines to dozens of nursing homes throughout the Chicago area, including a handful where severe violations led to residents deaths, the agency announced this week.

Cook County Democrats hold off endorsement decision for county assessor, dont back Board of Review incumbent

Cook County Democrats punted on endorsing anyone for Cook County assessor yesterday, putting two-term incumbent Fritz Kaegi at risk of an open primary fight as he vies for a third term.

Jury views footage from Andres Vasquezs body camera on third day of trial of man accused of killing him

Prosecutors opened the third day of trial for the man accused of killing Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso with the slain officers own body-worn camera footage that captured the moments just before his death.

Will County Board votes 13-9 to remove 143rd Street widening from road plan, but separate vote needed to stop project

Will County Board members voted yesterday to remove the controversial 143rd Street road widening project from the countys five-year transportation plan, but actually stopping the project from advancing will require a separate vote, the countys attorney said.

Naperville council OKs new residential developments, one with proposed rents of up to $5,000

The Naperville City Council has signed off on two new residential developments  one with rents ranging from $3,900 to $5,000  that will add a total of 154 new homes to the city when construction is complete.

Chicago Bears agree to rookie deals with Shemar Turner and Ozzy Trapilo  leaving only 1 draft pick unsigned

Chicago Bears second-round draft picks Shemar Turner and Ozzy Trapilo have agreed to four-year rookie contracts, sources confirmed to the Tribune. The news comes two days before Bears rookies report for training camp at Halas Hall.

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Column: Wrigley Field will be buzzing as Chicago Cubs begin second half against red-hot Boston Red Sox

The All-Star break is considered a time for players to catch their breath, decompress and get ready for the second-half push, writes Paul Sullivan.

But for Chicago Cubs fans who watched their team outperform expectations in the first half, the break was just four more days of worrying about whom President Jed Hoyer will acquire at the trade deadline and how theyll fend off the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

Review: Grant Park Music Festival is lifted by an artist-in-residence and a poignant Enigma Variations

It seems everyone needs to have an artist-in-residence these days, writes Hannah Edgar.

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Though lofty, the title, as interpreted in recent seasons by the Grant Park Music Festival and the Chicago Symphony, tends to overpromise. Its becoming industry parlance for has at least two bookings with us a season  significant for the artist and presenter, maybe, but mostly a blip for audiences.

Chicago arts organizations press on despite gut punch federal cuts

Amid federal funding cuts, this years Rhythm World is nearly half as long as originally planned, spanning six days instead of 10.

Organizers opted to shorten the 35th anniversary programming so they could weather changes without losing the heart of the festival, they say. But their choice is becoming a familiar one these days, as federal downsizing places pressure on arts organizations across the Chicago area to make do without funding.

Vintage Chicago Tribune: 6 activities people used to do in the city during the summer

There are activities we cant wait to experience here each summer  catching a concert in a park; watching Buckingham Fountains majestic water display explode 150 feet into the air; taking a dip to cool off in Lake Michigan; swaying with thousands of others to the sounds of the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field; or just playing tourist in our hometown.

Yet Chicagoans of another era had their own ways of celebrating warm weather that we just dont do today. Heres a look back at six of them.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A D.C. man was sentenced Friday to three and a half years in prison for a string of violent robberies of Maryland businesses, according to the United States Attorneys Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia.

Glenn Dolford, 32, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by threat or violence. He was additionally ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his sentence.

The USAO noted that the sentencing will be added to the over 22 years he must serve for a deadly shooting on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2020 that killed one man and injured two others.

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DC drug trafficker distributed fentanyl across the DMV, arrested in large-scale operation

According to court documents, the charges against Dolford stem from robberies in June 2020, when and three co-conspirators drove from D.C. to a CVS Pharmacy in Nottingham, Md. There, Dolford and two others assaulted an employee during a robbery.

During the robbery, the employee attempted to run away when Dolford caught up to him, threw him to the floor, punched him in the head and held him down by putting his foot on his back. The USAO said over $1,000 worth of hydrocodone and the employees items were stolen.

Court documents say that the next day, the conspirators drove from D.C. to a T-Mobile store in College Park, where they forced employees to the back of the store, threatening to kill them if they did not hand over all of the electronics in the store. The group then fled with $20,000 worth of phones.

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The USAO states that during both robberies, Dolford was driving a rented silver Volkswagen Jetta that he had rented from Enterprise Rent-a-Car on May 28, 2020, linking him to the crime.

In June 2023, Dolford was indicted on conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery charges in connection with the two incidents.

According to the USAO, Dolfords co-conspirators were both sentenced with Floyd Neal, 32, ordered to serve over 13 years and Ashawntea Henderson, 32, ordered to serve over four years.

The incident was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Offices Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Prince Georges County Police Department.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Jewish educators have alleged they faced rampant antisemitism at an event that happened in Portland earlier this month.

The National Education Association held its annual Representative Assembly from Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6 at the Oregon Convention Center. In a letter to NEAs President Rebecca Pringle and Executive Committee on Tuesday, the organizations Jewish Affairs Caucus claimed their community was vocally mocked, harassed, and threatened throughout the three-day convention  the largest ever held in Portland.

Anime convention postponed in effort to avoid schedule conflicts with Portland Pride

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According to the caucus, some participants singled out Jewish attendees with questions like How do you feel about the babies dying in Gaza? and Do you support Israel? The letter also alleged several members questioned whether Jewish American Heritage Month should be recognized and others laughed when a Jewish delegate referred to the burning death of an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor, among other claims.

President Pringle, this was a deeply painful experience for our Jewish delegates, the caucus wrote. You have the chance to use your voice to protect thousands of marginalized teachers, students, families, and communities across the country, who are facing similar struggles within their local communities, and we are here to support you. Together, we can model what it truly means to stand against antisemitism and all irrational, provocative prejudice to ensure that all educators and students feel safe and valued.

The letter came after NEA addressed some members decision to support a recommendation that would advise the Executive Committee against using or endorsing materials from the Anti-Defamation League, or participating in any of its programs. ADL has since called on the education association to reject the recommendation, adding that it is a respected national organization founded in 1913 with a decades-long history of fighting bigotry, bias, and discrimination.

While President Pringles statement on the recommendation referred to antisemitism as insidious hate and cancer, the Jewish Affairs Caucus noted that it failed to specifically cite the events that occurred in Portland.

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DHS slams judges release of transgender asylum seeker detained by ICE agents in Portland

Pringle released an additional statement the day before the caucus sent its letter, revealing that she had met with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to reaffirm NEAs commitment to fighting antisemitism.

Jewish delegates have also called on the association to commit to promoting resources and celebrations for all marginalized communities equally, outline clear standards for speech and reject the proposal to cut ties with ADL.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Camp Atterbury, located near Edinburgh, Indiana. (Photo from the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary)

Indianas Camp Atterbury will be used to detain immigrant detainees under a new federal plan revealed this week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth outlined the move in a July 15 letter to Congressional members, naming Camp Atterbury and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey as two sites available for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens. The letter was first published late Thursday by NJ Spotlight News.

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The defense secretary additionally noted that holding detainees at the bases will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness.

Story continues below.

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The letter appeared to confirm the Trump administrations plans to utilize military bases amid a capacity crisis in federal immigration facilities. Federal officials have cited overcrowding in Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities as the reason for seeking additional space.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported in May that Camp Atterbury had been floated as a possible location under consideration, but federal officials declined to confirm it at the time.

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It remains unclear when detainees might begin arriving at the Indiana facility or how many individuals could be housed there. Camp Atterbury, located about 40 miles south of Indianapolis, is a federally owned facility that is licensed to and operated by the Indiana National Guard.

The base provides full logistical and training support for up to two brigade-sized elements simultaneously on more than 34,000 acres, according to the guard website.

Lauren Houck, a spokesperson for the Indiana National Guard, told the Capital Chronicle on Friday that we are aware of the letter sent by Hegseth.

Houck said the Indiana National Guard is currently working with DOD and DHS officials, but she did not provide details about when  or how many  detainees are expected to arrive at Camp Atterbury, nor did she indicate where exactly detainees would be housed. The Indiana Guard, Houck said, has no details other than what is in the memo.

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Camp Atterbury is a federal installation and may be used at the discretion of the federal government, she said. We will communicate information when we have appropriate details.

Republican U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve, whose congressional district includes Camp Atterbury, did not immediately comment.

Staff in Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Youngs office told the Capital Chronicle they received the letter Friday and have asked the Trump Administration for more information about its plans for possible detention operations at Camp Atterbury.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Andre Carson earlier demanded answers from federal officials about the potential use of the base for detentions. He said the use of Camp Atterbury for immigration purposes raises serious questions and flagged concerns about legal rights, humane treatment and national security.

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DHS had not responded publicly to the letter as of Friday, according to Carsons office.

I remain concerned on this use of Camp Atterbury given the deplorable and inhumane conditions at other ICE detention facilities nationwide, the congressman said in a Friday statement. He emphasized that both the number of detainees and deaths in ICE custody have risen since former President Donald Trump returned to office.

Carson added that expanding detention space in Indiana is disturbing, and said Camp Atterbury should not be used to facilitate what he called unlawful actions.

ICE is ripping families apart for offenses as minor as traffic tickets, and others are detained without having committed any crime at all, he said. Without due process, anyone and everyone is at risk, including U.S. citizens.

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Immigration etainees are typically held pending immigration court proceedings or deportation. Advocates have raised concerns over conditions in detention centers and the prolonged nature of some detentions.

Critics of the Trump administrations policy warn, too, that prolonged detention could violate civil liberties and strain local infrastructure.

This kind of mass detention always results in significant rights abuses for the people being detained, said Chris Daley, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. The ACLU of Indiana is very concerned about the dignity and safety of the hundreds of our hard working neighbors who are likely to be held at Camp Atterbury if this poorly conceived plan goes forward as described.

Camp Atterbury has previously been used to house Afghan evacuees and Ukrainian refugees, but not immigration detainees held under enforcement authority.

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During Operation Allies Welcome, the base accommodated over 7,000 Afghan evacuees in 82 lodging buildings across six neighborhoods, complete with dining facilities and medical centers. The infrastructure includes dorm-style housing for families and open bay barracks for individuals, all equipped with heating, air conditioning and plumbing.

Just last month, actor Gary Sinise played a concert at Camp Atterbury for the Indiana National Guard.

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The Trump administration has been aggressively working to suffocate the wind and solar industry in the United States. Its latest action could do the trick.

As POLITICO first reported on Wednesday, the Interior Department issued a directive requiring Secretary Doug Burgums personal approval for even the most routine activities related to wind and solar projects on federal lands. The directive could have a much broader impact, affecting scores of projects on private land that must pass through or connect with projects on Interior-managed federal land, according to industry officials, financiers and lawyers.

The memo comes as President Donald Trump has sought to squelch new wind and solar projects through executive orders and limit use of federal tax credits that moderate Republicans fought to preserve in their megalaw earlier this month. Trump has decried those energy sources as harmful to the power grids reliability and said those industries ultimately benefit China, which controls a sizable chunk of the worlds wind and solar supply chains.

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But the directive sparked bipartisan angst on Capitol Hill. Congressional Republicans fear a future Democratic administration will use these moves as a roadmap to derail fossil fuel energy sources. Democrats worry Trumps efforts to stunt less expensive wind and solar projects will raise electricity prices across the country.

It is definitely playing favorites and theyve made it very clear they do not support continuation of new wind and solar projects, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), adding the Interior memo is like putting the final nail into a last-minute compromise she helped negotiate as part of the GOPs megalaw offering more time for projects that begin construction in the next 12 months to qualify for tax credits.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, expressed concern about potential delays in approving energy infrastructure.

Every energy project needs to be permitted as fast as possible regardless of resource, she said, adding that Republicans dealt with the heavy hand of the Biden administrations slow approvals of LNG, drilling and pipelines over the last four years.

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We know what that feels like, she said. The Trump administration should remember this. I just think it should be a fair playing field and we ought to move forward with all types.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, warned the move would hamstring the U.S. economy by delaying additions of readily available power.

The president and Secretary Burgum will then be responsible for raising electricity prices on every state in this country because that will be the end result of that kind of abuse of permitting, he said. I would warn them if they create this as a precedent and it survives, a future administration could play the same game with oil and gas pipelines and leases.

The departments new policy requires Burgums office to weigh in on virtually every aspect of or permit for solar and wind projects with a nexus to Interior. That includes siting, navigating threats to endangered species, road access and right-of-way permissions.

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There are some projects  particularly in the West because thats mostly where youre going to see this Interior footprint  that are going to be directly impacted by this, significantly impacted by this, said Walter McLeod, managing director of Monarch Strategic Ventures, which finances solar and battery storage projects.

Those steps would ensnare a massive amount of projects, said Ted Boling, a partner at law firm Perkins Coie who spent decades working on permitting at Interior and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Projects that begin on private land but must cross public land  such as transmission lines that connect solar and wind to other power lines carrying electricity to populated areas  require authorization from Interiors Bureau of Land Management, he said. Transmission projects, which can span hundreds of miles, that cross national wildlife refuges on Interior-managed land may also need Burgums approval, Boling added.

Some companies and clean energy advocates worried the directive would slow solar and wind approvals to a crawl by creating a bottleneck at Burgums office. The memo outlining the new marching orders referenced several executive orders that were designed to either elevate fossil fuel production or stymie renewable power.

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Solar, wind and battery storage accounted for 93 percent of power capacity added to the grid last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Natural gas turbines face a yearslong backlog. New coal-fired power plants are unlikely given the competition from more cost-effective renewables and natural gas despite the Trump administrations efforts to revive the coal industry.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said the memo was a short-sighted policy that would strangle U.S. power supply just as demand is surging from artificial intelligence and manufacturing, among other drivers.

This is ideology over practicality, he said.

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), who helped negotiate the compromise providing more time for wind and solar projects to qualify for tax credits, said he is concerned enough that he is asking Burgum for a meeting to clarify the memo.

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Requiring Burgums direct input at so many turns of each project seemed a pretty bald-faced attempt to throw wrenches in the works, said Steve Feldgus, who was principal deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management at Interior during the Biden administration.

American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet called the new policy "obstruction" and an "intentional effort to slow energy production." He said it hinders Trump's pledge to lower energy prices and secure AI investment by impeding new power from connecting to the grid amid rising electricity demand.

In stark contradiction to the Administrations commitment to tackling bureaucracy, this directive adds three new layers of needless process and unprecedented political review to the construction of domestic energy projects," Grumet said in a statement.

Harry Godfrey, managing director of Advanced Energy United, who leads the clean energy organizations federal engagement efforts, said in a statement it is deeply disappointing to see the Administration yet again singling out affordable energy sources for added scrutiny, particularly at a time of rising demand. This is the antithesis of expedited permitting that the Administration supposedly favors.

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), put it bluntly: It sounds blatantly political on the face of it.

Isa Dominguez contributed to this report.
The DeKalb County government hosted a job fair on July 10, which officials say drew more than 2,000 attendees.

Now, County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnsons office says hundreds of jobseekers are moving forward in the hiring process.

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According to the county, more than 1,200 jobseekers went to the Georgia Piedmont Technical College Conference Center for the job fair.

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Cochran-Johnson hosted the event, which county officials said had 1,885 pre-registered attendees and 312 walk-ins looking to find a job in DeKalb County.

TRENDING STORIES:

At the fair, 113 interviews were conducted onsite and 11 job offers were made immediately, the county said. Additional applicants are now going through the hiring process, which includes background checks and assessments.

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The county said some of those jobs are for the Roads & Drainage, Sanitation and Information Technology departments.

This level of turnout makes one thing very clear: people are ready to work, and they need opportunities now, Cochran-Johnson said in a statement. In DeKalb County, we see you, we hear you, and were committed to opening doors.

The event had more than 500 fully funded county roles available for potential hire, as well as several featured employers including Grady Health, Emory University, the DeKalb County Board of Health and U.S. Army.

The county said these were the highlights for the event, split by department:

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Sanitation : 530 engagements, 30 interviews scheduled, skills testing set for July 28

Roads & Drainage / Stormwater : 324 engagements, 30 interviews, 7 offers extended, 5 pending

Watershed Management : 357 engagements, 10 interviews, 3 offers

Finance : 259 engagements, 17 interviews, 1 offer

Information Technology : 48 engagements, 26 interviews, 6 candidates moving forward

Police, Fire, and Planning: Applications under review or routed to upcoming hiring events

During the event, there was a portion of attendees that could not enter due to overwhelming demand, so the county will host an invitation-only job fair for more than 500 people who were turned away, with details coming soon.

This is just the beginning, Cochran-Johnson said. We will continue creating pathways to employment that support families, strengthen our economy, and build a better DeKalb.

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Delawares latest direct-to-consumer wine shipment bill is one step closer to legalization.

While this move has been a long time coming, its implementation could look a little different from what Delawareans expected.

Heres what you need to know.

What is House Bill 187?

Bottles of wine lie on a table prior to being packed and shipped from the wine.com warehouse on April 5, 2006, in Oakland, California.

Under current Delaware law, residents are unable to receive wine shipments at their state addresses, which is an issue for those wanting to order products from vineyards and wineries nationwide.

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House Bill 187, primarily sponsored by state Rep. Michael Smith, R-Pike Creek, was introduced on June 5 and aims to permit wine producers holding a valid license within Delaware or another state to obtain a license and ship wine directly to Delawareans, as long as it is done through a common carrier with a carrier permit. The bill requires wine producers to pay the taxes commonly due for wines; limits the amount of wine that a direct shipper of wine can sell to a single household to three 9-liter cases per year; and limits the total amount of wine that the direct shipper can ship directly to Delaware consumers to 1,800 9-liter cases annually.

The act requires the signature of a person 21 years of age or older before delivery can be completed, along with training on how to deliver wine responsibly.

If this sounds familiar, its because Smith introduced a similar bill, House Bill 262, in July of 2023 during the previous legislative session.

HB 262 had the same objective as this years bill. Still, it did not include a limit on the combined total amount of wine direct shippers could import to Delaware consumers each year or limitations on which products could be shipped to Delawareans.

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Smith told Delaware Online/The News Journal last year that Delaware is missing out on profits by restricting direct-to-consumer alcohol sales, forcing his border-district constituents to continue the practice of shipping their orders across state lines and picking them up to bring them home to the state.

HB 262 was assigned to the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee on July 24. It was scheduled to be heard in May of 2024, but was not worked in committee before the 2023-2024 legislative session ended.

Delaware Rep. Michael Smith, R-Pike Creek, speaks during the last day of legislative session on June 30, 2025.

Before HB 262, other bills attempting to address direct-to-consumer shipments had come and gone as well.

I was probably underage when they first started this bill, quite honestly, not even knowing Id be a legislator one day, Smith said.

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But there is one way Delawareans are already enjoying alcohol delivery.

Senate Bill 166 was introduced in June of 2023, with Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Pike Creek, as the primary sponsor, and sought to allow Delawareans to purchase alcoholic beverages from a restaurant, tavern, taproom, brewpub or other entity with a valid on-premises license through third-party delivery services. SB 166 added that the acts of a licensed consumer delivery permittee or delivery driver are not attributable to the retailer.

Then-Gov. John Carney signed the bill into law on Sept. 26, adding Delaware to a list of more than 30 states that already implemented similar laws.

Catch up on latest bill signings: 'We think that you belong': Meyer signs Delaware bills limiting immigration enforcement

How much would HB 187 cost to implement?

There are 11,500 wineries estimated to be in the United States, and the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement estimated that there would be 1,300 eligible wineries seeking licensing in Delaware as a wine direct shipper. The number of international wine producers who might seek to do the same, out of the 90,000 estimated, is unknown, the fiscal note said.

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The fiscal note for HB 187 outlines the operating and one-time costs associated with the bill, which include staffing to manage the enforcement of rules and regulations, as well as fleet vehicles, equipment, uniforms, and other related expenses.

The total operating cost for fiscal year 2026 is estimated at $623,559, with one-time costs at $133,790. The operating costs for fiscal year 2027 and 2028 are $817,746 and $832,418, respectively.

The fiscal impact of HB 187 outlines how the state would financially benefit from the bill.

Application fees for obtaining a wine direct shipper license would cost $100 and the application fee for a carrier permit would be $500. Wine direct shipper licenses and carrier permits are to be valid for two years.

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Licensed shippers would be required to pay the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner a biennial fee of $400 to ship up to 200 cases of wine biennially to Delaware residents. To ship more than 200 cases per year, the licensee would pay a biennial fee of $3,600.

The OABCC estimates that the office will receive between 800 and 1,000 direct shipper applications from wine and approximately 10 common carrier applications. The total revenue generated is estimated to be between $3,290,000 and $4,110,000.

Application processing fees are deposited into the General Fund and toward DATE server training; licensing fees are deposited into the General Fund.

Education news: Delaware joins suit against Trump administration for $6.8 billion in frozen education funds

Why one group doesnt want HB 187 to be signed into law

HB 187 is Delaware's lastest version of a push for direct-to-consumer wine shipping.

Although HB 187 might sound like the long-awaited win many Delawareans have been waiting for, its a bit more complicated than that.

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Free the Grapes! is an organization of wine lovers and wineries that supports greater consumer freedom in wine shipping and seeks to remove bans and streamline restrictions of related legislation. It previously supported HB 262 from Smith but is concerned about Delawares latest push for direct-to-consumer wine shipping.

The organization stated in a June announcement that HB 187 denies consumers real choice in which wines they can receive, labeling it anti-direct shipping and citing limitations that render it completely unworkable for direct shipping in practice.

When you hear that the state is open for a wide range of consumer direct shipping, but then find out theres a lot of these little caveats and loopholes, [it] just creates a lot of frustration that we dont want to see, said Thea Schlendorf, executive director of Free the Grapes!

HB 187 states that: A wine direct shipper licensee may not ship wine if they are currently represented in the state by a licensed Delaware wholesaler. This shall include wineries that are a subsidiary of a larger wine producer or supplier that is listed in the current publication designated by the commissioner for sale by importers in this state to retailers in this state.

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Smiths main goal in crafting HB 187 was to consider the concerns of all parties involved  from distributors to retailers to Teamsters  and find a solution that would satisfy them and fulfill the spirit of the three-tier system but still give consumers what they were looking for, he said.

Thats where the limitations outlined by HB 187 come in.

I wouldnt call it restrictive. It just doesnt go as far [Free the Grapes!] would like it to go, Smith said. You cant get everything that you want. In order to get it passed, this is what the stakeholders could live with.

I felt like this was the greatest compromise bill that we could have.

Rep. Michael Smith, R-Pike Creek, speaks on the first day of the legislative session of the 153rd General Assembly at Legislative Hall in Dover on Jan. 14, 2025.

Schlendorf said the broad representation under wholesale chips away at what is possible to ship. The point of consumer choice is for people to not only buy wine they maybe cant be able to get retail, but also expand their relationship with wineries by being able to ship offerings home after a visit even if they can get them retail. Instead, HB 187 comes across as more of a protectionist approach to direct-to-consumer wine shipping.

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A smaller pool of potential permit holders also limits the revenue the state can capitalize on.

I think this language is crafted to protect the interests of the distributors. They are concerned that direct shipping may chip away at their own business, and by restricting which wines are available to ship, [it] gives them more control over the situation, she said. Its disappointing that Delaware might kowtow to the force of the distributors and put this less-than-ideal situation in place.

Legislators in all but four states with wine shipping laws have considered and rejected similar limitations, according to Free the Grapes!

Schlendorf is also concerned with the lack of access to the list of wines currently represented by Delaware wholesalers, saying it will be difficult for consumers to know if their favorite wine is sold in the state, where it might be in stock or whether it is allowed to be shipped to them.

Mike Reese, the winemaker at Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes, sprays weed control on six acres of the vineyard where they grow grapes for merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.

According to Smith, a list is available for viewing to determine what products are available, but he admits it is not necessarily open to the public very well.

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Ultimately, its up to the winery and its distributor to determine what is allowable and to communicate that information to customers. Consumers would know what is allowed to be shipped to them through the language presented during the shipping process, he said.

Free the Grapes! continues advocating for a more flexible version of direct-to-consumer wine shipping in Delaware.

I understand the argument that any progress is progress, but why not make the best progress we can make to make it easy and supportive to small businesses across the country, and the wineries as well as the consumer, as we can? Schlendorf said.

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Whats going on with HB 187 now?

Members of the Delaware House of Representatives applaud the passage of House Bill 187, which allows wine to be directly shipped to Delawareans, during the last day of legislative session on June 30, 2025.

House Substitute 2 for HB 187 was introduced on June 7 to extend the effective date of the act to 365 days after the act is enacted into law. It also requires the commissioner to study the impact of the act on wine retailers and submit the study's results to the governor and the General Assembly by June 1, 2028. A sunset provision of five years was added to the act, which means the policy would automatically terminate after that time unless it is reauthorized or extended by legislators.

Smith intends the impact study to show how the move will affect small businesses, a concern he heard from stakeholders throughout discussions on the matter.

I think this bill was crafted correctly to show the impact initially so that we have that data to talk about, he said. Once you show that and you have that starting point, then you can open it up more if people have the appetite to do so.

Im just happy we were able to get something done thats good for consumers.

A dozen oysters and a glass of white wine rest on a table at the new restaurant Lewes Oyster House located in the historic district of downtown Lewes, Del., Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

The bill passed in the House on June 30 and in the Senate on July 1, during the final hours of the legislative session.

The bill now waits along with others to be signed by Gov. Matt Meyer. In Delaware, a bill becomes law if there is no action, whether a signature or a veto, within 10 days (excluding Sundays) of being presented to the governor. However, now that the legislative session is over, that window extends to 30 days.

As Smith waits for that signature, he said it feels good to have finally passed this legislation. Hes proud of how all parties came together to support this initiative for Delawareans, especially those who initially opposed the bill but ultimately became neutral on it, allowing it to succeed.

This is something people have wanted for a really long time, well before I was ever elected. This is my seventh year done, and every year its still the biggest talking point, Smith said. General assemblies from across the country were getting it done and we werent.

We pride ourselves in being the First State, and in this case, Im just happy we werent the last.

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Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's wine shipping bill passes both chambers, waits to be signed
With multiple gunshot and knife wounds slowing him down, DeWayne Williams somehow managed to make it to a neighbors house on Sept. 12, 2019 to get help.

Fort Lauderdale police arrived at the 2800 block of Northeast 57th Street, where they found the wounded Williams and learned the location of the home invasion robbery. A neighbor told police Williams had been shot by his father, the owner of the house next door. A SWAT team was called. Six hours later they entered the house. And there, according to police, they found the body of the father, Bruce Salituri, 59.

A .22-caliber handgun with an attached noise suppressor was left behind at the scene. The gun was registered to Michael Robert Schnitzerling.

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Schnitzerling, 34, is set to go on trial Monday for the murder of Salituri and the attempted murder of Williams, who survived. If convicted of Salituris murder, Schnitzerling will have to face the same jury to determine whether he deserves to be executed.

Williams lived with Salituri and often referred to him as his dad, though he only worked for him according to one of the warrants in the case. When police first arrived at the crime scene, the neighbor who reported the crime told police Williams identified his father as the shooter.

But Williams, recovering later in a hospital room, said he didnt know the name of the person who shot him. The man was wearing an orange shirt and identified himself as an FPL worker, Williams said.

The man later came back and pointed the gun at Williams face. Your dad pissed some people off, and you saw my face, Williams recalled him saying. Williams was shot in the neck. The gunman switched to a knife after the gun jammed, according to the police account.

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Florida has executed 15 death row inmates since 2023, eight of them this year alone. Two years ago the state made it easier for judges to sentence convicted killers to death, with a majority of eight out of 12 jurors needed to forward the recommendation. Before that, jury recommendations had to be unanimous, a requirement that allowed a single dissenting juror to spare the life of a convict and condemn him to life in prison.

The change in the law came months after three jurors declined to sentence gunman Nikolas Cruz to death for the 17 murders he committed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Cruz, 26, is serving a life sentence in the Florida State Prison system, though his exact location has not been disclosed as a security precaution.

Death row inmates typically spend between 20 and 40 years between sentencing and execution. One of the longest serving inmates, James Rose, 79, was a Broward killer sentenced in 1977.

According to court records, Schnitzerling, of Delray Beach, was identified as a suspect from the weapon that was left at the scene. Detectives were able to obtain a two-year-old resume listing Schnitzerlings phone number, which was then used to track his whereabouts on the morning of the robbery and shootings.

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He was arrested three weeks after the murder without incident, according to court documents.

The case is being tried in front of Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein and prosecuted by Assistant Broward State Attorney Molly McGuire. Schnitzerlings court-appointed defense lawyer, Kaitlin Gonzalez, works with the Office of the Regional Conflict Counsel.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.
A coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration Thursday to block implementation of a rule they argue will undermine the Affordable Care Act.

The complaint was co-led by California, Massachusetts and New Jersey and filed in federal court in Massachusetts. The lawsuit alleges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) illegally made changes to the health law, which will make it harder for people to enroll and will shift costs to states.

The final rule, issued in June, would make numerous amendments to regulations governing federal and state health insurance marketplaces, which the administration estimates will cause almost 2 million people to lose their health insurance.

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The attorneys general are asking the court to block portions of the rule from taking effect next month.

According to the lawsuit, the rule truncates and eliminates enrollment periods, makes enrollment more difficult, adds eligibility verification requirements, and erects unreasonable barriers to coveragemaking sweeping changes that reach far beyond and bear little relation to the primary harm HHS asserted as its justification: fraudulent enrollment by insurance brokers and agents.

The rule also excludes coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit.

Far from delivering on their promises to drive down costs and make America healthier the Trump Administrations HHS and CMS are doing their best to make it harder and more expensive for Americans to obtain health insurance and access care, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, referring to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue the rule is unlawful, arbitrary and capricious and would cause significant harm to states and their residents.

All of the challenged marketplace changes implemented by the final rule will be harmful to individual consumers and state and local governments, the lawsuit claims.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the final rule is meant to limit improper enrollments and the improper flow of federal funds.

The rule is projected to save up to $12 billion in 2026 by reining in wasteful federal spending, and refocusing on making health insurance markets more affordable and sustainable for hardworking American families.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., called out the Democratic Party in an interview on Thursday for being "scared" to offend immigration groups as they navigate the issue.

"The Republicans are fomenting anti-immigrant hate as a policy and a strategy, and Democrats are so scared of offending either immigration groups or people to the left of them  maybe theyre in a primary, they are concerned about saying: No, not everyone gets to be here. Not everyone has the right to live in the United States, and we, like every other country in the world, get to know who and what is coming across our borders," Slotkin told The New York Times in an interview.

Slotkin argued that most Americans agree that immigrants are integral to the American economy, but they want immigrants to come here legally and through "vetted channels."

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"That kind of clamping down with rules tends to make a lot of my Democratic colleagues really nervous," she added.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., rehearses the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025, in Wyandotte, Michigan.

Trump Administration Sues Los Angeles Over Sanctuary Policies That 'Impede' Ice Operations

"Theres been a lot of ink spilled about advocacy groups that dont seem to represent a lot of voters. We saw that in real time in this last election, when no one had a bigger swing toward Trump than Latinos. Some of these groups were trotting around Washington saying they represent the immigrant community, and they clearly did not," Slotkin said.

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Slotkin also said she thought Democrats had lost their "alpha-energy."

The Michigan senator said "alpha-energy" was about emotion.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

'Would Have Lost Us The Cold War': Slotkin Blasts Trumps Foreign Policy In Response To Congress Address

"We respond to peoples pain with a long list of wonky policies," Slotkin continued. "Alpha energy is synonymous with being bold. Call the tough play, take a risk, be bold. And dont be so damn scared of your own shadow."

Slotkin delivered the official response to President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress in March.

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She criticized Trump's foreign policy and called for "responsible" ways to make changes to the government.

President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Sunday, July 6, 2025, en route to Washington.

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"We all want an end to the war in Ukraine, but Reagan understood that true strength required America to combine our military and economic might with moral clarity," Slotkin said after Trump's address. "As a Cold War kid, Im thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War."





Original article source: Democratic lawmaker calls out party for being 'scared' to offend immigration groups
WASHINGTON  Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a new group of advisors that he wants to rely more on American investors to maintain and expand the countrys transportation infrastructure.

What we see in a number of our projects is an opportunity for private capital, Duffy said during the first meeting of the DOT Advisory Board, held at the White House on Wednesday.

Duffy speaking to advisory board members at the White House on Wednesday. Credit: DOT

But its frustrating because theres a lot of foreign private capital, and it seems like pretty good returns that theyre making on American infrastructure. It would be great if we could get [more] American private capital into American infrastructure and see those returns go to American investors.

Duffy told the 12 board members that its also important for our group to think about how we can innovate, how we can spend money more effectively and more efficiently.

The board members were selected from dozens of nominees to help guide DOTs approach to overhauling freight and passenger transportation systems and how theyre funded.

This team will be essential to executing President Donald Trumps bold agenda to build big, beautiful things again and I could not be more excited for what is to come, Duffy remarked in a press release before the meeting.

The following advisory board members were appointed for two-year terms:

Gregg Reuben (Chair), CEO, Centerpark.

Steven Lefton (Executive Chair), president and CEO, Kimley-Horn.

Peter Bartek, founder and CEO, FTS Rail.

Michael Capasso, CEO, C.A.C. Industries.

Stephen Dickson, former administrator, Federal Aviation Administration.

Todd Ehmann, senior international captain, United Airlines.

David Horner, partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Brigham McCown, chair and founder, Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure.

Francis Sacr, principal, Lorne Infrastructure.

Trent Morse, deputy assistant to the President.

Mark Tedesco, CEO, Academy Bus.

Robert Valentine, senior managing director, Macquarie Infrastructure Fund.

Related articles:

Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher.

The post Duffy urges more American dollars invested in US infrastructure appeared first on FreightWaves.
COLUMBIA, S.C.  Democratic strategists, elected officials and voters in South Carolina are already eagerly looking forward, hunting for the next leader of their party after their 2024 presidential loss.

They havent had to look far: Prominent Democratic officials have flooded into the state, which was the first to vote in Democrats 2024 presidential primaries, in recent weeks. Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have all crisscrossed South Carolina so far this year, while Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is also planning an event just outside of Charleston this weekend.

As potential candidates test themselves out in South Carolina, state Democrats are considering whom they want to see leading them into a post-Donald Trump era. In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to fight, but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines.

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And while the two concepts might have seemed like an implausible match in the past, in todays populist political moment, the pairing makes more sense.

Tyler Bailey, a civil rights attorney and Columbia City Council member who attended Beshears event here, said hes looking for somebody whos not gonna just come in there and just say Im not for Trump. It cant just be an anti-Trump message.

There is a hunger of people wanting to see some real leadership on the Democrat side, Bailey added.

Spoiling for a fighter

Over and over, in interviews across the state, Democratic leaders had one word on their lips: fight.

People want somebody whos going to fight, former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison told NBC News in an interview following Beshears Columbia event. If theres a theme that I am constantly getting, its theyre tired of the party being a doormat for Republicans. They want somebody whos gonna give the Republicans just as much hell  if not more  and fight for them and their families and their communities.

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Harrison, who once chaired the South Carolina state party, said anyone without a case to make that they were strongly standing up to Republicans shouldnt bother hitting the campaign trail.

If youre coming here and your backbone is like a wet noodle or spaghetti, you might as well just not even  save your airfare, he said with a laugh.

Christale Spain, the current chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, echoed Harrison, telling NBC News in an interview at the partys headquarters that this moment calls for someone who is going to fight back against the current MAGA Republicans. Were looking for a leader that is a fighter.

Spain added that the desire for a fighter has been clear to me for the last few months, just going around the state myself, talking to voters and seeing how they respond to different things.

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Governors who have visited the state have consistently rebuked Trump, positioning themselves against his tariff agenda, against his cuts to the federal workforce and against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the massive GOP domestic policy package that congressional Republicans passed earlier this month.

Make no mistake, Beshear told union members at the South Carolina AFL-CIOs annual convention in Greenville. What Trump and his congressional enablers have just done is a direct attack on rural America and on Southerners like us. It is a betrayal.

Speaking across party lines

Beyond looking for a fighter at this moment, Democrats in South Carolina are also looking ahead to a post-Trump era, when dozens of national Democratic leaders seem poised to throw their hat in the ring in a 2028 presidential primary.

And former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, the last Democrat to serve in the states governors mansion, summed up what he thought his fellow primary voters should be looking for: someone who knows how to win.

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For a lot of Democrats who spoke to NBC News, that means a focus on who can draw in voters of all political stripes.

I hear several things consistently.  Its critically important that we choose well in this next election cycle, whether we pick somebody who can draw independent voters, rally the base and get some Republican votes, Hodges told NBC News in an interview following Beshears Wednesday meet-and-greet.

Towner Magill, a Democrat who attended Beshears meet-and-greet in Charleston on Thursday, echoed Hodges.

Im looking for a uniter, not just in the Democratic Party. I think we need to run a uniter, but I also think that maybe we need a uniter in the White House, Magill told NBC News.

A call for plainer language and clearer issues

Many Democrats in South Carolina said that to unite voters across party lines, Democratic leaders have to remain laser-focused on certain issues.

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We stopped talking about issues that, you know, that working-class folks care about: jobs, health care, education, community safety, Hodges said. Thats why we did more poorly with working-class voters  white, Black, Latino  because we stopped talking about the issues they cared about.

There needs to be an adjustment in our message to addressing the concerns that they have about their own lives, the former governor added.

State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine called the messaging shes hoping to hear from potential Democratic candidates a focus on real things.

What I think most people are looking for is somebody who actually they feel like is speaking to them about real things, Isaac Devine told NBC News after Beshears Columbia event.

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South Carolina Democrats want leaders who are speaking real things, and not just  the culture wars or the political correct terms, but actually can talk to what their pain point is. They want people who are going to give solutions, Isaac Devine added.

South Carolinians arent alone in that desire. Other rising Democratic leaders, including freshman Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Ruben Gallego of Arizona have also called for Democrats to stop using words like oligarchy or what Gallego calls Ivy League-tested terms  though Bernie Sanders pushed back on the criticism of his anti-oligarchy activism.

Harrison pointed to the constant push for Democrats to use certain inclusive or technical language as a reason why some voters may have viewed Democratic candidates as inauthentic.

For so long, I feel like Democrats, we put ourselves in straitjackets in terms of our language and how we talk to people and how we connect with folks, Harrison said.

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We have to let our authentic selves step out. That means that weve got to be willing to take risks. That means that we should not be shy about making mistakes, because that makes us more human and more relatable, he added.

Bailey, the city council member in Columbia, pointed to character and relatability as something that could prove a major selling point for voters in his state.

I think the relatability, people factor, is gonna be important. Because, you know, most communication is nonverbal, he said. You can get a lot from somebody whos, for example, walks around scared, doesnt engage, doesnt talk, cant look you in the eye, cant shake your hand, seems, like, out of place eating fried chicken [and] would rather just have wine and cheese.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Critics of the new Trump administration plan call it an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources. (Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)

New Jersey Democrats and immigrant rights advocates are blasting the Trump administrations move to use a Burlington County military base as an immigrant detention center.

Both of New Jerseys U.S. senators and all nine New Jersey House Democrats oppose the move to house detained immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, with most of them signing a statement Friday calling the plan an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources.

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Using our countrys military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful, the statement reads.

The news surfaced this week via a letter U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent to Rep. Herb Conaway (D-03), whose district includes the base, commonly known as Fort Dix. The letter was first reported by NJ Spotlight News.

Hegseths letter says detaining immigrants at Fort Dix will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements. The federal government also intends to house detained immigrants at an Army camp in Indiana.

The move could represent a massive expansion of immigrant detention in New Jersey. Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began housing detained immigrants at a 1,000-bed facility in Newark. Immigrants picked up by ICE are also held at a private jail in Elizabeth.

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A new federal spending bill signed into law by President Trump earlier this month increases funding to carry out Trumps immigration agenda, with $45 million alone for new detention facilities.

Its not clear how many detainees the federal government intends to house at Fort Dix. More than 11,000 Afghan refugees lived there temporarily four years ago after their chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan.

Immigration advocates have expressed concerns about the conditions inside ICE detention centers, and say the Fort Dix plan is part of a strategy to remove public oversight of Trumps deportation push.

Unlike New Jerseys two private detention centers, Fort Dix will operate entirely under federal control, shielding it from accountability and making it nearly impossible for advocates, attorneys, and families to monitor conditions or support detained individuals, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice said in a statement.

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New Jersey officials also raised opposition to a reported Biden administration plan in 2023 to relocate some of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers living in New York City to the Atlantic City airport.

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Despite some claiming they spent money out of their own pockets, several Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal alien and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, according to reporting by the New York Post.

Democrats rallied around Abrego Garcia after they claimed he was wrongly deported by the Trump administration to his home country of El Salvador in March.

Several Democrats, including representatives Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.; Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore.; and Glenn Ivey, D-Md., flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcias return.

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The New York Post reported that Frost, Garcia, Ansari and Dexter, all of whom made a joint trip to San Salvador to pressure the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia April 21, paid for the trip through campaign funding, despite all except Garcia claiming they paid out of pocket.

Trump's Immigration Crackdown In La Ignites 'Same Emotional Notes' For Dems, Top Local Gop Leader Says

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., meets with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, left, at an undisclosed location April 17, 2025, in San Salvador, El Salvador.

The New York Post wrote that Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Frosts campaign reported spending $1,362 on Salvadoran-Colombian airline Avianca May 8, about a week after his trip to visit Abrego Garcia.

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Dexters campaign similarly reportedly spent $1,315 on travel with Taca Airlines April 18, despite the representative saying he had self-funded the trip.

Despite telling a local news outlet she had used her own money for the trip, Ansaris campaign reported in FEC filings that the congresswoman spent $2,616 on travel with Salvadoran airline Avianca the same month she flew to visit Abrego Garcia.

Meanwhile, California Democrat Garcias office confirmed he spent $1,982 on another Salvadoran airline, Taca International Airlines, in April, and an additional $502 for "event space rental" at the Hilton San Salvador, the outlet reported.

Feds Charge 3 More Men In Maryland Ms-13 Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder: 'Reign Of Terror'

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia speaks with Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., outside of U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., May 16, 2025.

Ivey, who attempted to visit Abrego Garcia in late May, spent $291 in campaign funds, according to the Post report.

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Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the first Democrat to make the trip and who remained an outspoken voice on Abrego Garcias behalf, notably did not report any campaign spending for Salvadoran air travel or lodging in mid-April, when he made his trip.

Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the U.S. in June, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy.

Mexican Woman In Us Illegally Charged With Faking Her Own Ice Kidnapping

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

According to an indictment, Abrego Garcia played a "significant role" in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S.

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According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George's County [Maryland] Police Gang Unit as a member of MS-13.





Original article source: Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal Kilmar Abrego Garcia: report
Denise Richards has accused estranged husband Aaron Phypers of abuse, death threats and possession of unregistered weapons in a request for a temporary restraining order that was granted Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Phypers, who filed for divorce on July 7 and gave July 4 as the date of separation, has denied abusing Richards.

Read more: Denise Richards' husband, Aaron Phypers, files for divorce and wants alimony

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Richards' TRO request, reviewed by The Times, refers to abuse that allegedly occurred during their marriage, including between July 4 and July 14, after she had moved out of the family home and into three townhouses that she uses separately as a studio, an office and her residence.

"Throughout our relationship, Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me," Richards said in her filing.

She added that he "regularly threatened to 'break my jaw' and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help  none of which ever happened."

Richards alleged that Phypers gave her at least three concussions and regularly called her profane and degrading names. She also accused him of downloading her private text messages to her laptop and taking photos of the texts.

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Read more: DDG makes serious allegations about Halle Bailey; restraining order against her denied for now

"Until now, I have been afraid to report Aaron to the police or file for a restraining order because he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police," Richards said in the document, "among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone."

She said he told her he had eight unregistered guns and some bulletproof vests.

Describing an incident from mid-April, she alleged that she had returned from a business trip and told Phypers he could not stay at the studio townhouse and had to leave. She locked the doors behind him.

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While she was unpacking, Richards said in the filing, "Aaron climbed onto the balcony and pushed through the screen and entered the room I was in on the second floor. Once inside, Aaron aggressively approached me and grabbed the back of my head by my hair and pushed me on the ground and put his knee on my back so I could not get up. He would often do this. Aaron then screamed in my face."

Read more: Liver King must stay away from Joe Rogan, court orders. He's still 'picking a fight'

Richards said she told Phypers that she was going to call the police.

"[H]e responded, as he typically did, 'Watch them try and take me away, they have no idea who they are dealing with and you have no idea who you are dealing with.' When he refused to leave, I felt unsafe and chose to leave the premises."

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Richards also included photos of herself from January 2022 showing a severe black eye, which she alleged she got when Phypers hit her with "the heel of his palm" during an after-hours incident at his workplace.

There was yelling during the incident, which attracted a police officer who happened to be in the parking lot. After the officer left, Phypers "resumed screaming," she said, then struck her and used profanity, calling her a derogatory name, she alleged in the filing.

Read more: Haley Joel Osment ordered to AA, therapy after alleged public drunkenness at ski resort

Phypers, born Aaron William Cameron and referred to in the TRO request as Aaron William Cameron Phypers, has denied Richards' allegations, telling TMZ in a statement Thursday that they are "false and deeply hurtful." He told the website that he never abused her or anyone else physically or emotionally.

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Phypers and actor Nicollette Sheridan of "Desperate Housewives" got married secretly in December 2015, but she filed for divorce six months later. That split wasn't finalized until August 2018.

He and Richards began their relationship in 2017. They wed a little more than a year later in September 2018, a month after Phypers and Sheridan's split was finalized, in a private ceremony in Malibu. Richards was previously married to "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen from 2002 to 2006.

For now, Phypers must stay 100 yards away from Richards and her car, workplace and home and cannot possess firearms or body armor. She requested that he return her laptops and asked for permission to record any phone calls that violate the stay-away order. A hearing on making the restraining order permanent is scheduled for Aug. 8.

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.




NEED TO KNOW

James Craig, the Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his wifes smoothies, is on trial for murder

Craig's daughter testified that her father asked her to create a deepfake video of her mother, Angela, requesting the poisonous ingredients

Angela died after suffering a seizure during her third hospital visit in March 2023





The daughter of James Craig, the Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife, testified that her father asked her to create a deepfake of her mother asking to order the toxic ingredients.

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Craig is on trial for murder after authorities alleged that he poisoned the smoothies of his wife and mother of their children, Angela Craig, who died in March 2023.

Angela died by poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a substance that's found in over-the-counter eye drops.

CNN reported that Craig's daughter testified at her father's trial on Thursday, July 17, and said that her father asked her to make it seem like Angela had requested the ingredients that led to her hospitalization and eventual death.

Related: Dentist Accused of Murdering Wife With Poisoned Smoothies Goes to Trial

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The daughter testified that Craig wrote a letter giving instructions on how to create a deepfake video of her mother, CNN reported.

I love you  Im sorry to even have to ask you for this help, Craig allegedly wrote in the letter that was read in court, according to the outlet.

In a probable cause affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE, Craig allegedly began plotting his wifes murder in February 2023, when investigators claimed he purchased arsenic online and searched how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human and Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy?"

James and Angela Craig

Angela was initially hospitalized on March 6 after complaining of dizziness and weakness. She again became ill and returned to the hospital on March 9, staying for six days.

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She died during her third hospital visit after being taken off life support on March 18, following a seizure.

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.

CNN reported that prosecutors claimed Craig poisoned his ailing wife with cyanide during one of his hospital visits.

According to the probable cause statement, Angela told her sister that Craig had recently lost more than $2,000 gambling and that he'd run the dental office into the ground."

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His business partner Ryan Redfearn told police that James had previously filed for bankruptcy and was on the verge of doing so again, authorities said.

Craig's attorney, the AP reported, claimed that Craig loved his wife, who was aware he had affairs with other women, but wanted to remain married.



Read the original article on People
A Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife by spiking her protein shakes with various poisons later asked one of their daughters to make a deepfake video that would portray her mom as suicidal, the daughter testified in court Thursday.

The daughter told jurors her dad, 47-year-old James Craig, made the request via a handwritten letter after his March 2023 arrest. Craig was charged with first-degree murder of his wife, 43-year-old Angela Craig, and he has pleaded not guilty.

Denver NBC affiliate 9News reporter Kevin Vaughan said the daughter was remarkably stoic as she described the contents of the document that offered step-by-step directions to buy a burner laptop and create a deepfake video showing her deceased mother saying shed told her father to order the poisons  and that she willingly ingested them.

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I love you ... Im sorry to even have to ask you for this help, James Craig wrote, according to prosecutor Michael Mauro, who read from the letter in court. The daughter, whose identity is being shielded by the court, confirmed the handwriting was her fathers.

Instead of helping him, the 20-year-old woman took the note to the police.

A second daughter also testified Thursday, according to CNN. The 21-year-old told jurors her father didnt want to have an autopsy done on her mother, even after she expressed concern that what then seemed to be a mysterious illness that killed her mother might be hereditary.

In earlier testimony, Arapahoe County Coroner Kelly Lear said Angela Craig died because shed been poisoned with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient found in over-the-counter eye drops.

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After several days of symptoms that sent her to the hospital three times, she died on March 18, 2023, after being taken off life support. The couple had six children together.

James Craig talks with his family from his seat before opening arguments in his murder trial at the Arapahoe District Court, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Centennial, Colorado. Stephen Swofford / Denver Gazette via Associated Press

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley said in his opening statements that James Craig was motivated to kill his wife of 23 years because hed fallen in love with another dentist and wanted the payout from his wifes life insurance.

Brackley said Craig returned to the hospital after she was admitted for the final time and delivered a one last dose of cyanide.

He went in that room to murder her, to deliberately and intentionally end her life with a fatal dose of cyanide, Brackley said, according to the Associated Press. She spent the next three days dying.

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Craigs attorney, Ashley Whitham, didnt dispute that poisons were found in his wifes system or that Craig was having an affair. Instead, Witham implied in her opening statements that Angela Craig may have been suicidal and that officials working the case conducted an inadequate investigation, the AP reported.

One of the other attorneys on Craigs team, Robert Werking, suddenly withdrew from the case earlier this month after he was arrested and charged with arson. He is now seeking mental health treatment, Werkings attorney told the Denver Post.

In addition to first-degree murder, Craig has been charged with solicitation to commit murder as well as solicitation to commit perjury.

Prosecutors added the murder solicitation charge in November 2024 after they say Craig attempted to convince a fellow inmate to kill the lead detective working on his wifes murder case. Craig has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Related...
DES MOINES, Iowa  Its a battle that has been going on for over 10 years: whether to keep Des Moines Fire Engine 8 in service or not. The tension continues this week, now with focus on Station 9 as well.

This friction over the last decade has been between the Des Moines Fire Chief John TeKippe and the Des Moines Firefighters Union. Tekippe said he has been trying to manage a budget, but the union disagrees with some of his decisions.

The union posted on Facebook saying they were blindsided to find out five people had been moved out of Station 9. It reads in part: A little disappointed to wake up this morning and see that the Chief has moved 5 people out of Station 9 on the NW side of Des Moines. Essentially taking Engine 9 out of service full time. Weve been fighting so hard to keep the SW fire apparatus in-service that we didnt expect the Chief to gut another station.

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TeKippe said he has no plans to take out Engine 9. He said he promoted 26 people on Monday, and the transfer sheet reflecting that moved around 44 people. This means there are now a few vacancies at Station 9 that theyre working to fill.

President of the Des Moines Firefighters IAFF Local 4, Joe Van Haalen, said this has happened many times before, leaving the station, firefighters and the community in a tough spot.

It doesnt signal that hes necessarily doing anything with Engine 9 other than if the staffing is not there. And thats the whole thing, is the staffing is short across the city. And part of the problem that the citys faced with this is theyve been covering that staffing with overtime, which obviously increases their budget. And so thats the problem, Van Haalen said. As he moves people out of there, and theyre not there to fill the spots, the only way to fill them, if they do fill them, is with overtime.

Madison County citizens surpass signatures needed to request special election for auditor

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So was Station 9 a concern before?

Absolutely. Its been on our radar. I just think that its got a little bit better backup protection than 8 does, he said. And the fact of the matter is, he was fully saying he was going to take 8 out of service, meaning it would go away, that it would not be there, would never be staffed.

Part of the problem, he said, is that the fire department is adding more resources behind-the-scenes, like admin jobs. Van Haalen said that is good, but then that also takes away from boots on the ground.

Thats really frustrating. I think we see the value in those jobs, but yet theyre not being sold to the city council and the manager as additions to the department. Were taking away frontline people, he said. Weve had ten years of increasing call volume at a rate of about an average of 4 to 5%. Were out there on the streets. Were seeing whats going on. We can see how busy that is. Youre pushing a workload off on other units that are already extremely busy in the city. There just arent any stations that arent really busy anymore.

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Station 8 has been a hot topic. According to Chief TeKippe, its always had three vehicles, two fire and one EMS. He said the engine has been in and out of service over the years, not full time.

Eighteen months ago, he started a trial for Station 8 by having three full-time vehicles. They wanted to see if it would increase efficiency and response times. TeKippe said it has not, its about the same. Thats why hes proposing to get rid of it and use the resources elsewhere.

There is no final decision yet if he will remove Engine 8.

He said that Zone 8 is tough because of its large geography so it just simply takes time to get to places. Its also the closest station to the airport.

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One thing both sides can agree on is wanting to add another station to the south side of town. However, there are no plans in the works yet.

Metro News:

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President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis met on Tuesday, July 1, at the state's new deportation facility in the middle of the Everglades. (Via governor's X feed)

Gov. Ron DeSantis this week has been promoting his commitment to Everglades restoration amid the backlash and legal challenges to his construction of an immigrant detention center on an airstrip in the wetland ecosystem.

The governor signed a new agreement with the federal government on Friday, portraying it as Florida taking the lead on Everglades restoration projects, a goal DeSantis has been pursuing for years and has emphasized recently. Earlier this week, he marked a major milestone in the largest environmental restoration project ever: completion of a reservoir designed to prevent toxic algal blooms from polluting rivers in the state.

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But his promotion of restoration efforts comes as he continues insisting the tent and trailer facility, meant to hold thousands of immigrants awaiting deportation, wont harm the Everglades. His administration, the federal government, and Miami-Dade County officials are trying to ward off a legal battle from environmental groups over the speedy construction of the detention center at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.

State leaders are calling the facility Alligator Alcatraz, arguing dangerous reptiles would deter escape attempts.

24/7 detention center operation

This is an existing airport, DeSantis said Friday morning, answering questions from reporters about the notorious detention center. Its existing concrete. Theyre not doing anything outside of that footprint.

Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity submitted in their plea to a federal court images of newly paved areas and light brightening the night sky from the detention center visible from approximately 15 miles away.

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Tania Galloni, one of the attorneys representing Friends of the Everglades in the suit to halt the detention center, called laughable the notion that the 24/7 operation of a detention center in the Big Cypress National Preserve wouldnt disrupt the habitat.

He cant claim to be the Everglades governor on one hand, and then plunk down this mass facility in the heart of the Everglades on the other hand, she said in a phone interview with Florida Phoenix.

Although DeSantis denied new construction at the site during his press conference, the state has a $37 million contract with LTS Inc. that includes funding for permanent and temporary fencing and roadway construction, according to a copy of the contract obtained by NOTUS before state officials seemingly deleted dozens of contracts from a database.

Kevin Guthrie, head of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is in charge of the detention center, defended minor paving projects in response to the lawsuit.

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It is simply implausible that small-scale paving on previously developed land will cause irreparable environmental harm when the paving is next to a nearly two-mile-long paved runway, the agency argued in a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

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Governors quest for power over Everglades restoration

DeSantis announcement of a new agreement with the federal government also came after the governor asked President Donald Trump to grant the state authority to finish the 10,100-acre Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir on its own rather than continuing its partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The governor has brought up the matter in press conferences throughout the year, stating that Florida could finish the project at a much quicker pace.

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I would do that. Okay, let me ask myself: Permission granted, Trump said during a July 1 roundtable at the detention center.

But it appears that DeSantis didnt get exactly what he asked for.

While he wanted the Army Corps cut out of the process and for the federal government to block grant Florida the funds to complete the project, the new agreement still leaves the feds in charge of the main reservoir. However, Florida will handle the inflow and outflow pump stations and auxiliary features, a change that DeSantis said would speed completion by five years, to 2029.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Centers fifth annual Haute Pink Fashion Show will be held at the Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus on Friday, Oct. 3. The organization is looking for designers to participate in the event.

The fashion show features Forges clients, volunteers and friends. The show is designed to inspire, honor and remember those impacted by breast cancer. Each year, the designs modeled in the show are created by designers with ties to Alabama.

The Birmingham area is home to so many talented designers whom we have worked with over the last four seasons, Forge Executive Director Lauren Roberts said in a statement. We are so proud to partner our models with such talented artisans who call Birmingham home. We cant wait to see the final works on Friday, October 3. This is such a special night to honor and celebrate our clients and their families who have been impacted by breast cancer.

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Forge will promote the featured designers throughout the weeks leading up to the show. Proceeds from the event will go towards Forges mission of improving the quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer.

Designers who want to be considered for the show are asked to submit a portfolio and bio to Meg Lovett at meg@forgeon.org by Aug. 1. Designer and model pairings will be announced by Aug. 15.

Tickets to the event, as well as more information, can be found here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The detailed content of the European Unions 18th package of sanctions against Russia has been unofficially disclosed in Brussels.

Source: European Pravda, citing a source in the Council of the EU

Details: A source provided further insights into the sanctions package, expanding on the general outline previously announced by the EUs High Representative Kaja Kallas.

Energy sector:

The price cap on Russian oil has been reduced from US$60 to US$47,6 per barrel, with a dynamic review mechanism introduced to ensure effectiveness;

A ban has been imposed on the importation of oil products refined from Russian crude in third countries (with certain exceptions including Norway, the UK, the US and Canada);

A new ban on transactions related to Nord Stream pipelines has been introduced, including the provision of goods or services, effectively ending any future use of their infrastructure;

Sanctions have been imposed on 105 additional vessels of Russias so-called shadow fleet, bringing the total number of targeted ships to over 400. At the same time, three Japanese vessels have been removed from previous sanctions lists.

Financial sector:

The existing SWIFT-related sanctions have been expanded to a full transaction ban, adding 22 more Russian banks to the list, nearly doubling it;

A ban on transactions with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, its investments, and financial institutions supporting those investments. Four Russian companies that received such investments have also been sanctioned;

The criteria has been lowered for imposing sanctions on financial institutions in third countries that assist Russia in circumventing sanctions, particularly in relation to the oil sector or Russias defence industrial base.

Trade sector:

Sanctions have been imposed on 26 more companies for helping Russia bypass sanctions, including 14 entities outside Russia: seven in China, three in Hong Kong, and four in Turkiye;

Additional export bans have been introduced to limit Russias access to technologies used in its defence sector, including machine tools involved in the production of Iskander missiles;

The transit ban has been extended to cover new categories of goods used in construction, transport and energy;

The export ban list has been expanded to include certain products from the mechanical engineering sector, the chemical industry, as well as selected metals and plastics.

Background:

On the morning of 18 July, the EUs Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) approved the long-delayed 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, which had been stalled due to opposition from Slovakia and Malta.

On the evening of 17 July, both countries informed the EU Council that they were ready to withdraw their objections.

The package includes sanctions against 105 shadow-fleet vessels, a lower oil price cap and measures targeting banks and companies outside of Russia that are involved in supporting its war machine.

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The European Investment Bank (EIB), Dutch lender Rabobank, and its asset finance subsidiary DLL have partnered to enhance access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps across Europe.

The collaboration aims to provide 1bn ($1.16bn) in funding, with a focus on projects relevant to climate and agriculture.

EIB director general Jean-Christophe Laloux said: We have to look at the bigger picture, which is that climate change is disrupting business and economic behaviours.

We have a long track record with Rabobank and DLL in terms of climate-relevant financing, and hope that this facility can convince other financiers to make available more support for entrepreneurs developing more sustainable projects.

Rabobank will get 250m from the EIB and match it with its own funds, resulting in 500m to support Dutch SMEs and mid-caps.

The emphasis will be on sustainability and agriculture, with at least 40% of investments earmarked for climate projects and another 40% directed towards bioeconomy sectors, including agriculture.

DLL has also secured 250m from the development bank, and it will match it with its own funds.

Its initiative focuses on countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

The funding targets investments in sustainability by local companies.

DLL operates as a global asset finance company for equipment and technology, managing a portfolio exceeding 47bn.

Established in 1969 and based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, DLL delivers financial services across sectors such as agriculture, construction, and energy transition in more than 25 countries.

Rabobank member of the managing board, and DLL CEO and chair of the executive board Lara Yocarini said: As a transition partner for a better world, DLL believes that sustainability is fundamental to long-term business success.

The attractive funding from the European Investment Bank will enhance our ability to provide more accessible, affordable, and tailored leasing solutions, ultimately reducing barriers for our partners and customers to invest in more sustainable equipment and technology.

In May, DLL released its 2024 annual financial results, showcasing portfolio growth and an increase in net interest income despite facing economic difficulties in some areas.

The company's portfolio grew by 7% from 2023, reaching 47bn.

The growth was driven by all global business units and regions, with the exception of Latin America, which encountered substantial challenges over the year.

DLL's net income increased to 1.9bn, a 7% rise from 2023.
Arapahoe County, Colorado prosecutors on Thursday called the lead detective in James Craig's murder investigation to testify in his high-profile trial.

Det. Bobbi Olson of the Aurora Police Department sat just feet from Craig on the witness stand while she briefly testified about the collection of digital evidence after the alleged murder of his wife, Angela Craig.

James Craig is suspected of killing Angela by poisoning her protein shakes over a period of several days in March 2023.

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Dentist Accused Of Poisoning Wifes Shake Said He Gave Her 'Too Much Protein': Co-worker

Olson was asked by prosecutors to identify a computer hard drive and phone seized from Craig during the investigation. After only a few minutes on the stand, the defense was called to cross-examine her.

They asked her to confirm that Craig voluntarily handed over his electronic devices and that he was cooperative with authorities, to which she responded affirmatively.

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Olson is expected to testify at length later in the trial.

In December of last year, Craig was charged with solicitation to commit murder in the first degree and solicitation to commit perjury in the first degree. During a February pretrial hearing, a judge found that there was sufficient evidence to levy the two new charges. During that hearing, prosecutors confirmed that the target of the hit was Olson.

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Craig reportedly offered a fellow inmate $20,000 to kill Olson.

Angela and Colorado dentist James Craig in a family portrait. James has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly poisoning his wife.

Victim Or Manipulator? Colorado Dentists Murder Trial Paints Dueling Portraits Of Wife In Troubled Marriage

Eric Faddis is a former Arapahoe County prosecutor who is not involved in the Craig case. He has been inside the courtroom this week observing the proceedings.

"As a former prosecutor, anytime there is some threat or an assault or some harm towards law enforcement, the prosecution takes that super seriously, in part because, as a prosecutor, you work hand-in-hand with these people, these police officers, these detectives," Faddis told Fox News Digital.

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"Certainly the prosecution is taking that solicitation of first-degree murder charge against the detective very seriously," Faddis continued, adding that Olson is a "seasoned detective" at a large law enforcement agency, and that prosecutors often face threats from defendants.

"Anytime there's a threat against a detective's life, that sort of ups the ante a little bit, and the prosecution is certainly taking that very seriously," he said.

Thursday's proceedings also included testimony from David Lee, a U.S. Secret Service network intrusion forensic analyst and former Aurora Police officer.

Colorado Dentist's Alleged Internet Search History Takes Center Stage As Murder Trial Begins

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He examined the phones belonging to James and Angela Craig, and confirmed that several messages were sent from James' phone to third parties, including his alleged mistress Karin Cain and former friend Ryan Redfearn. Those messages were recovered by investigators via screenshots, which Lee confirmed for the defense could, in theory, be manipulated.

The state then called Cassie Rodriquez, a former customer service representative at Nebraska-based Midland Scientific, who handled communications with Craig regarding his alleged purchase.

On Thursday, March 9, 2023, the date Angela was admitted to the hospital after falling ill for the second time in three days, Craig ordered the potassium cyanide from Midland Scientific, according to the prosecution. The order, placed using the email address jimandwaffles@gmail.com, was received by Rodriguez. Craig is also suspected of using that private email address on only one device, an exam room computer in his office, to communicate with Cain during their alleged fling.

James Craig wipes away a tear during opening arguments in his Murder trial at the Arapahoe District Court on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Centennial, CO. Craig is accused of murdering his wife.

Rodriquez described a days-long back-and-forth conversation with Craig, during which he requested overnight air shipping on the cyanide. According to Rodriquez, he told her in a "formal usage statement" provided by the company that he intended to use the cyanide during "some type of seminar he was presenting."

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The package didn't arrive until the following Monday, March 13, and was retrieved by an office employee.

Angela ws still in the hospital that day, but was released on Tuesday. She was readmitted for the final time on Wednesday, March 15.

Craig is accused of poisoning his wife while secretly having a relationship with Cain, which began three weeks prior to Angela's death. James and Angela Craig had six children and were active in the Mormon Church. Cain maintains that Craig told her he was divorced when their romance began.





Original article source: Detective faces accused killer dentist in court showdown after alleged $20K hit attempt: 'ups the ante'
A Delta Air Lines flight from Omaha heading to Detroit made an unexpected stop after a male passenger from Nebraska attempted to open an exit row door.

On Thursday, June 17, the crew on Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, reported a passenger disturbance, and the plane made an unscheduled stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, around 7 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Cedar Rapids Police Department arrested the passenger at the Eastern Iowa Airport. According to a police Facebook post, Mario Nikprelaj, 23, is now facing charges of disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, tax stamp, and harassment first degree.

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The flight was a third of the way into the trip when they made an unplanned landing. Due to the stop, the plane arrived in Detroit three hours later than anticipated, according to the tracking site Flight Radar.

SkyWest released a statement: "SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Delta flight from Omaha to Detroit diverted over unruly passenger
When Detroiters approved Prop N in 2020, they did so with the promise that 8,000 derelict homes would be torn down and another 6,000 would be rehabbed. And about 11 a.m. on July 18, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan celebrated alongside a handful of city officials and dozens of community members to see the promise kept.

Officials commemorated the city's ability to address the final, 8,000th home with a live demolition, at 14946 Lauder St., in northwest Detroit. Next door to the blighted property sits another home, which the city restored with plexiglass using the Proposal N plan. The $250 million bond allowed the city to stabilize or demolish thousands of blighted homes across the city's seven districts, using local contractors for the majority of the work.

LaJuan Counts, group executive of construction and building operations, said she was especially proud of the fact that "7,800 of these demolitions were completed by Detroit-based or minority contractors" and that Adamo Group handled Friday's milestone.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and community members celebrate the 8,000th Proposal N demolition on 14946 Lauder St. in Detroit on Friday, July 18, 2025. This photo was taken after the demolition.

"This program was built on the voices of communities, the block clubs, the residents, and the neighbors who made it clear that blight should no longer be defined in our streets. Proposal N, supported by 77% of our voters, made it possible for us to act on that vision," Counts said.

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Duggan, who was tasked with addressing 47,000 abandoned houses upon entering office, said he expects about 1,000 more abandoned homes to remain by the end of the year. However, those are expected to be stabilized and sold rather than demolished, he said. The final home sits adjacent to the abandoned Cooley High School, which Duggan sourced as a reason for the neighborhood's decline over time.

"In 1999, I did school repairs for the Detroit Public Schools and did a lot of work in Cooley. And this was a vibrant neighborhood," Duggan said. When schools were placed under state oversight, Duggan spearheaded a classroom cleanup and renovation effort, the Detroit Metro Times reported.

"When Cooley closed, this neighborhood went down and a lot of people thought it didn't have a future," Duggan said, but he praised Clifford Johnson, a resident who purchased and restored a home across from the blighted property 12 years ago for $700 through the Detroit Land Bank Authority auction. Johnson's home, as of five years ago, is worth at least $100,000, he said.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and community members celebrate the 8,000th Proposal N demolition on Lauder Street in Detroit on Friday, July 18, 2025.

Johnson spent four years restoring the home, next door to a home he lived in for 25 years. He described the neighborhood as "beautiful" and full of children when Cooley was active. However, when the school closed, several abandoned houses began to appear.

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"When it fell, I guess everybody got to moving out of Detroit, and (there were) a bunch of abandoned houses and they went almost all the way down (the street). But I saw an opportunity," Johnson said. "Slowly but surely, the neighborhoods are coming up ... our block is getting better."

Johnson added that the blighted home across from his stayed empty for about 20 years after the resident moved out. Since then, he said he saw concerning activities, along with animals roaming the block. He said that he preferred to keep his kids inside to protect their safety.

Duggan said he expects the next mayoral administration to continue addressing the city's blight. He praised Councilman Fred Durhal III, who is running for mayor in this year's election, for championing Proposal N.

"Our voters put the trust in us to continue to improve the quality of their life and their neighborhoods. That trust is not an easy thing to do, but we are fulfilling the promise that we made that we will make our neighborhoods strong," Durhal said. "We're tearing down the houses that we can't fix. And the ones that we can, we're rehabbing them so we can move families in our neighborhoods, strengthening our neighborhoods and and having the opportunity to turn blight into beauty."

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Mapleridge resident Kim Marble had a similar desire fulfilled several years ago. The city knocked down a blighted home next door to her home, and she could not help but kick her feet in the air and cheer on construction crews for ridding her of a nuisance on her block.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, left, is joined by Detroit resident Kim Marble, who is directly affected in her District 4 neighborhood by the Proposal N demolition program as they jointly celebrate the 8,000th demolition on Lauder Street in Detroit on Friday, July 18, 2025.

"I'm really full today because they met the mark of 8,000. I was one of those," Marble said. "There was houses there that they could not fix. I cut the grass, I shoveled the snow to make it look like someone cared, because I did ... the mayor came over, he had dinner with us, we talked, he'd seen what the issue was. He understood what I said. My grandson was in my lap when we had that meeting at my house. He's 6 now. He plays in the lots that I now own. I'm saying to everyone, 'let's all stick together.' "

Marble said more people are moving in on her block and taking care of their properties, ending off by singing "A Whole New World" to describe Detroit, and calling for residents to stay.

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: Detroit demolishes 8,000th home under $250M Prop N bond




NEED TO KNOW

With the help of a local program, high school teacher Nicole Brabson and her husband adopted a little girl, ensuring that she will stay in school in the community

Brabson's journey to adoption started from watching the 2024 movie Sound of Hope, which tells the true story of 22 Texas families who adopted 77 kids

"We're learning so much and I can't even describe what it feels like to have someone call you mom," Brabson said







A Detroit high school teacher and her husband are doing their part to make sure a kid doesnt slip through the cracks of the foster care system.

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Through a new program called the Village at Mumford, Mumford High School teacher Nicole Brabson and her spouse adopted a child, ensuring that she will remain in the neighborhood and stay in school there.

In an interview with ABC affiliate WXYZ, Brabson said her journey to adoption began when she watched the 2024 movie Sound of Hope, which is based on the true story of 22 families in a Texas town who adopted 77 kids from the foster care system.

After seeing the movie during a screening with her high school, Brabson heard stories from students at her school about their experiences in foster care.

"There were young people there speaking about their journey and a lot of them had come through Mumford [High School], and I was like, I didn't know," Brabson told WXYZ.

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Saba Gebrai, a foster care advocate with the Park West Foundation, spearheads the Village at Mumford program, which helped in the couples adoption of their child. Gebrai said that many students at Mumford High are also foster kids.

"If each school and basically the surrounding community, which would involve the church community as well, says, 'We are going to keep our kids,' they will graduate from the same schools, theyll become productive adults," Gebrai, who invited Brabson to see Sound of Hope, told WXYZ.

A previous attempt to adopt a child from the foster care system "didn't work out" for Brabson and her husband, WXYZ reported. But, the Village at Mumford led to a new opportunity for the couple to adopt their daughter, who was identified by WXYZ only as Brittany.

"It was creating a network of us so that if our kids had to leave, or if our kids had to be placed some place else, that one of us were legally ready to take them in," Brabson said.

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When asked by WXYZ what she thinks of her new parents, Brittany described them as kind, funny, smart and hard-working.

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.

Brabson told the outlet that being a new parent has been busy for her, but she adds that we're learning so much and I can't even describe what it feels like to have someone call you mom.



According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are about 400,000 kids in U.S. foster care, with approximately 20,000 of them aging out of the system annually.

Read the original article on People
Cincinnati Public Radio told staff it's entering "uncharted territory" in an email sent just after midnight July 18, as Republicans in Congress approved $1.1 billion in funding cuts from public broadcasting.

"The actions taken today pose a truly existential threat to the continued existence of a nationwide public service media ecosystem," Richard Eiswerth, president, general manager and CEO of Cincinnati Public Radio, told staff in an email obtained by The Enquirer.

Once signed by President Donald Trump, the funding cuts would strip money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a non-profit entity created by Congress which distributes federal funding to public media stations, such as NPR and PBS.

A Cincinnati Public Radio studio in Evanston.

That means $13.3 million in funding that Ohio public radio and TV stations receive from CPB each year is at risk.

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Kitty Lensman, the president and CEO of Public Media Connect, the regional corporation which owns Ohio's PBS member stations WCET in Cincinnati and ThinkTV in Dayton, also addressed the funding cuts in an email to staff obtained by The Enquirer.

Lensman called the Congressional move a "historic rupture" amounting to a loss of $2.6 million in federal funding, or about 15% of Public Media Connect's budget.

'We shall see devastating impacts,' Cincinnati Public Radio CEO says

Funding from CPB comprises 5% of Cincinnati Public Radio's budget. The federal entity also underwrites music performance rights for all public stations as well as the cost of the Public Radio Satellite System, which Cincinnati Public Radio uses to distribute and receive programs from NPR, American Public Media, BBC and more, Eiswerth explained in his message.

The full ramifications of the cuts won't be known for several weeks or months as the move goes into effect at the start of the federal governments fiscal year Oct. 1.

Federal funding accounts for 13% of Columbus-based WOSU's budget.

Regardless, Eiswerth said, "There can be little doubt that, over the next weeks and months, we shall see some devastating impacts to individual stations across this country, especially to those serving rural, minority, and Native American populations."

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The loss of federal money will be felt the hardest by those demographics, as they're served by the smaller Ohio stations most reliant on that funding. For example, federal money comprises one-fourth of the budget of WOUB in Athens, which serves Appalachia and educates Ohio University students about broadcasting, according to The Ohio Newsroom, a collaboration between the public media stations in the state.

How Cincinnati Public Radio, WCET are responding to federal cuts

Eiswerth told staff in the email Friday that "starting immediately, the management team will begin a top-down reevaluation of our annual budget that just went into effect at the start of this month."

Plus, employees can expect "severe limits on spending across all departments," while "avoiding deficit spending as much as possible, and staying true to the maxim 'No margin, no mission,'" Eiswerth wrote.

The CEO said they will do "everything in our power" to maintain all current staff, and "staff reductions would be made only as a final, extreme resort."

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Lensman, who is preparing to lose 15% of the budget allocated to Greater Cincinnati-area PBS member stations, said leadership has prepared contingency plans, such as finding new revenue opportunities, saving expenses by "evaluating any redundant distribution channels" and evaluating national program services, and finding "distribution and content alternatives if necessary."

"We know our work matters to our community and we are committed to continuing to educate, engage, entertain, inspire and inform with our content and services," Lensman wrote.

Which Cincinnati radio and TV stations are affected by NPR, PBS cuts?

Here's which stations are part of Cincinnati Public Radio and thus affected by the federal funding cuts:

WGUC (90.9).

WVXU (91.7).

WMUB (88.5 MHz).

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Cincinnati's PBS television station is WCET (channel 48), which received about $1.39 million in grants and other funding from CPB in 2024.

Here's how funding cuts would impact public radio stations statewide

Federal funding cuts would hit some stations harder than others. The Ohio Newsroom found federal funding comprised 5% of Cincinnati Public Radio's budget, 10% of Cleveland-based Ideastream Public Media's budget and 13% of Columbus-based WOSU's budget.

The Ohio stations most reliant on federal funding are Athens' WOUB and Toledo's WGTE, which reports on Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, according to The Ohio Newsroom.

But every Ohio station would feel the impact.

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WOSU, in a previously provided statement, said, "Eliminating this funding for PBS and NPR could devastate the local-national partnerships that enable WOSU to bring trusted journalism, childrens programming, and educational resources to our community."

How did Ohio's members of Congress vote?

Ohio's two senators, Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, voted for the cuts to NPR, PBS and other programs. They are both Republicans. On July 15, Vice President JD Vance, of Cincinnati, cast the tie-breaking vote to advance the bill.

After the July 17 vote, Husted described the measure as a "pretty modest attempt to rein in spending in this country." He cited U.S. Agency for International Development spending on "Sesame Street" programming in Arabic countries and a transgender-led organization in Guatemala.

Sen. Jon Husted described the measure as a "pretty modest attempt to rein in spending in this country."

If you look at this package, frankly, Ohio taxpayers don't want to fund 'Sesame Street' in Iraq or sex change operations in Guatemala," Husted said. "Those things are crazy. We're cutting them.

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Democrats and two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, and Susan Collins, of Maine, voted against the measure.

In the House, Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, and Ohio's five Democrats in Congress voted against the bill. The remaining nine Republican congressmen from Ohio voted in favor of the cuts.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Radio CEO: Funding cuts pose 'devastating impacts'
Latest updates on this story are available here.

Original coverage: Thirteen people were arrested following a tense confrontation between protesters and officers on the Roebling Suspension Bridge on Thursday, July 17, Covington police said in a news release.

Police said officers responded to the bridge between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky at approximately 8:15 p.m. for a protest that "obstructed traffic and created safety concerns for both demonstrators and the public."

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The protest was held in support of Imam Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and former Cincinnati Children's chaplain who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained July 9.

More: Former Cincinnati Children's chaplain detained by ICE

A large group of protesters crossed the Roebling Bridge shortly after 8 p.m., starting from the Cincinnati side and heading toward Covington, according to web camera footage of the bridge. A few minutes later, nine Covington police squad cars drove onto the bridge and confronted the crowd.

Videos circulating on social media show officers subduing multiple people to the ground during the protest. One video shows an officer striking a man on the head with his fists and another shows multiple officers taking down a woman while shocking her with a Taser.

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One person who marched on the bridge, Gracie Shanklin, said she thought the organizers had a permit to march on the roadway. Within seconds of police arriving and ordering the crowd to disperse onto the sidewalks, she realized that was not the case.

Shanklin, 23, of Norwood, said she saw Covington officers deploy Tasers on people who were making their way toward the sidewalk.

"We were peacefully marching," Shanklin said. "The police started the violence."

The protest was organized by Ignite Peace, Ohio Poor People's Campaign and SURJ Cincinnati (Showing Up for Racial Justice), according to a press release. It began by the "Sing the Queen City" sign at The Banks before the crowd moved across the Roebling Bridge around 8 p.m.

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Covington police said in the release officers initially attempted to connect with the protest's organizer but were "met with open hostility and threatening behavior."

"While the department supports the publics right to peaceful assembly and expression, threatening officers and blocking critical infrastructure, such as a major bridge, presents a danger to all involved," the release said.

After warnings were issued to the group to disperse, several people were taken into custody. Charges include rioting, unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

A small group of about a dozen protestors later assembled outside the Covington Police Department and Kenton County jail. The groups were mostly quiet, at times chanting for police to drop the charges.

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Arraignments were scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, July 18 at the Kenton County Justice Center.

Among those arrested was CityBeat reporter Madeline Fening, who posted about the protest on her Instagram page Thursday evening. It's unclear what lead to her arrest, but she was charged with failure to disperse, obstructing a highway, obstructing emergency response violations, disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly.

The Enquirer has reached out to the publisher and editor-in-chief of CityBeat for more information.

We respect everyones right to protest, but when demonstrations jeopardize public safety and violate the law, our officers must take appropriate action, Police Chief Brian Valenti said in the release.

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Dozens of officers from agencies across Kenton and Campbell counties responded.

By 8:30 p.m., there were 15 squad cars and the crowd had largely dispersed onto the Ohio side of the bridge. Officers cleared the bridge around 8:45 p.m. The bridge was temporarily closed during the incident but has since been reopened.

Cincinnati police said they were not involved in the incident, a department spokesman told The Enquirer. Most of the bridge is within Kentucky state lines.

This story was updated with new information about the protest's organizers.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington police arrest 13 after protest on Roebling Suspension Bridge
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday the cancellation of $18.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3).

The grants were designated by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer funds to various organizations that DHS says are "ideologically driven programs" promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ agendas.

"These cancellations reflect DHSs commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference July 8 at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.

Assaults On Ice Officers Surge 830% As Democrats Caught 'Doxing And Physically Assaulting' Agents: Dhs

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"By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law and effectively combat terrorism and violence."

Some of the cuts include $851,836 to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which DHS refers to as a DEI organization, and $209,407 to the Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders group, which DHS says promotes radical gender ideology learning to K-12 students while targeting kids as young as kindergarten.

Read On The Fox News App

CP3, which replaced the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention in 2021, was originally designed to be a division within DHS with a mission of strengthening the nations ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism through being guided by public health principles.

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Kristi Noem Clashes With Nbc Anchor Over 'Inhumane' Conditions At Alligator Alcatraz In Testy Exchange

The Biden administration, which once touted its commitment to DEI principles, directed the grants toward the controversial organizations.

A new study reveals just how entrenched DEI became during the Biden administration.

This is not the first time DHS has made major spending cuts to radical programs.

Last month , Fox News Digital reported the agency uncovered and killed $1.5 million in additional Biden-era taxpayer-funded grants that went toward similar organizations.

The DOGE-like approach will allow DHS to divert taxpayer funds within the agency, and a spokesperson said the money "will be redirected to efforts that actually protect the American people."





Original article source: DHS cancels $18.5 million in Biden-era grants designated to fund LGBTQ and DEI programs
U.S. Rep. James Comer is seen taking the podium at the 2024 Fancy Farm Picnic via this KET livestream. The public television network will not cover the event in 2025 due to federal funding cuts. (Screenshot via KET)

Cuts to public broadcasting that cleared Congress early Friday morning will cost KET funding for most of its original programming and a fourth of its workforce, said the head of Kentuckys statewide public television network.

KET has begun the difficult process of determining what must be reduced, suspended or ended due to the significant loss of CPB funding, said Shae Hopkins, KET executive director and CEO, in a release Friday afternoon.

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Republican President Donald Trump pushed Congress to end funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB, including rescinding more than $1 billion that Congress already had approved.

Hopkins said $4.2 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has paid for the majority of KETs productions and 25% of KETs total workforce.

For nearly 55 years, CPB funding has been the primary source of support for KETs local productions and related services, said the release.

Kentuckys lone Democrat in Congress, U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, was the only member of the states delegation to vote against the measure.

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Republican U.S. Reps. Andy Barr, James Comer, Brett Guthrie, Thomas Massie and Hal Rogers voted in favor of $9 billion in cuts, most of which came from foreign aid.

U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul approved the bill when the Senate passed the rescissions package Thursday, ahead of a Friday deadline.

One cost-cutting step KET already has taken is canceling its coverage of this years annual Fancy Farm Picnic in West Kentucky next month. The gathering typically brings the states high-profile elected officials and candidates together in front of a crowd. KETs coverage included broadcasting their speeches statewide.

Casey Parker-Bell, left, and Renee Shaw hosted KETs coverage of Fancy Farm in 2023. The network is not covering Kentuckys most famous political event this year because federal funding cuts have wiped out its budget for original programming. KET coverage of past Fancy Farm Picnics can be streamed on the networks site. (KET screenshot)

KETs Hopkins said: While extremely disappointed, we are heartened by the outpouring of support from across the Commonwealth. And although we know there are changes to come, KET remains steadfastly committed to the people of Kentucky and providing trusted, educational programs and services. come

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The federal funding cuts will also affect public radio stations across the country. Louisville Public Media sent an email to supporters Friday morning that said the bill cuts $376,000 from our budget TODAY. The money funded local journalism, emergency alert systems during storms and cultural programming.

This final vote effectively ends federal funding for LPM, our sister stations throughout Kentucky and the public media system nationwide  after bipartisan support for almost 60 years, the email said. But this will not be the end of Louisville Public Media.

LPM and its sister outlets are collecting donations from supporters in hopes of making up for the loss of the federal funding.

Some Kentucky Democrats slammed the public media cuts. McGarvey said on X ahead of the House vote that public broadcasting saves lives.

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Im voting no, and every House Republican whos ever claimed to care about rural Americans should too, he said.

Cherlynn Stevenson, a candidate in the 6th Congressional District, said in a statement that the decision by Republicans in Congress to cut public media is a shameful and reckless move that will leave rural Kentuckians across our Commonwealth in the literal dark. Stevenson is a former Kentucky House Democratic caucus chair.

When natural disasters strike  like the devastating floods and tornadoes that have wreaked havoc on our communities  Kentucky families rely on life-saving weather alerts through public radio, Stevenson said. And when private radio towers are unusable, first responders depend on public radio towers to communicate with one another.
Five men were arrested in Tarrant County over the past month on charges tied to child sexual abuse, prostitution solicitation, and other serious felonies.

This monthly edition of Dirty John ranks the suspects by the number and severity of alleged offenses, with the highest weight given to crimes against children.

1. Kevin Tremail Norman



Norman, 50, was arrested on July 16, 2025, and faces a trio of disturbing child sex crime allegations.

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Charges: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child | Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact | Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14

Listed Town of Origin: Odessa, TX

Arresting Agency: Not publicly disclosed

The charges suggest repeated, serious abuse of a minor. Officials have not released details about the circumstances surrounding Normans arrest.

2. Santiago Padron Arteaga

Arteaga, 38, was arrested on July 15, 2025, and charged with two felonies involving the sexual abuse of a child.

Charges: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child | Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact

Listed Town of Origin: Arlington, TX

Arresting Agency: Not publicly disclosed

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Arteagas alleged offenses fall into the top tier of felony child sex crimes. No bond information or arrest affidavit has been made public.

3. Marc Lendell Owens

Owens, 41, was arrested on July 16, 2025, in connection with allegations similar in nature and severity to Arteagas.

Charges: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child | Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact

Listed Town of Origin: Arlington, TX

Arresting Agency: Not publicly disclosed

Law enforcement has not released any additional information about Owens alleged conduct.

4. Dejai Wayne Bish



Bish, 38, was arrested on July 14, 2025, and charged with a felony sex crime involving a child.

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Charges: Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact

Listed Town of Origin: Fort Worth, TX

Arresting Agency: Not publicly disclosed

Though Bish faces a single charge, the nature of the allegationindecency with a childplaced him on this months list.

5. Muhammad Abudu McDonald



McDonald, 41, was arrested on July 15, 2025, and charged with a single count of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Charges: Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact

Listed Town of Origin: Fort Worth, TX

Arresting Agency: Not publicly disclosed

McDonalds case involves just one charge, but the nature of the allegation placed him on this months list.

Note: These individuals have been arrested for alleged crimes and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

All arrest information was obtained from the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office website. Mugshots were sourced from Tarrant Mugshot Zone.
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Once again, images of horrifying violence are pouring out of Syria: dead bodies piled up in a hospital corridor. Gunmen calling out insults as they drive their cars over the corpses of murdered civilians.

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These are not the first sectarian massacres in the seven turbulent months since the fall of Bashar al-Assads regime. But they represent something different, and not just because they led to a dramatic Israeli bombardment of Syrias Defense Ministry on Wednesday that sent huge clouds of smoke billowing over central Damascus.

The latest intercommunal violence, which has left some 600 people dead in Syrias southern province of Sweida, illustrates a fundamental disagreement between the United States and Israel over the nature of the Syrian state. Washington has been pushing for a strong central government in Damascus, but its closest ally in the region fears Syrias new leaders, and has bolstered their domestic rivals.

The killings began just days after Thomas Barrack, President Donald Trumps special envoy to Syria (and the U.S. ambassador to Turkey) laid out a muscular vision for a centralized Syria. What weve learned is federalism doesnt work, Barrack said after meeting with Syrias new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. This was a startling rebuke to those who have argued for years that Syria should avert another dictatorship by conferring greater power on local authorities. Barrack made clear that he wants the Kurdish-led enclave in northeastern Syriawhich has been holding out for more autonomy, like the Druze in the countrys southto make larger concessions to Sharaa. There is only one road, and it leads to Damascus, Barrack said.

[Read: Can one man hold Syria together?]

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That is not the Israelis view. Although they were happy to be rid of Assad, a sworn enemy, the Israelis do not trust Sharaa, a former jihadist whose forces swept to power in December, and who was once the leader of the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. The Israelis have often seemed to believe that they are safer when their Arab neighbors are too weak and divided to pose a threat. That perspective may have motivated recent Israeli demands that southern Syria remain a demilitarized zone. The Israelis also have a special relationship with the Druze, historically a warrior community that lives both in Israel and across the border in Sweida, their stronghold.

Barracks comments, on July 9, may have suggested a kind of carte blanche to Sharaa: Do what you have to do to get the countrys troublesome minorities in line. Sharaa knew that the Israelis did not want him to send troops into Sweida. But for weeks, he had engaged in back-channel talks with Israel, in an American-sponsored effort to resolve decades of tensions over a host of issues. Perhaps Sharaa assumed that the Israelis and the Americans had worked out the differences in their positions toward him.

If so, he was wrong. On July 13, when small-scale fighting broke out in Sweida between local Bedouin and Druze men, Sharaa sent a large contingent of fighters southward from Damascus in aging tanks and pickup trucks. Their ostensible mission was to restore order, but Druze militia leaders mobilized, convinced that Sharaas real goal was to crush them and assert full control over Sweida.

Things turned ugly very quickly, just as they had in two previous outbreaks of sectarian murder, in March and May, and for the same reasons. Sharaa was able to defeat the Assad regime in December with the help of a loose coalition of undisciplined Islamist militias, many of them veterans of the long struggle against Damascus. Among these men are many violent extremists who consider Syrias minoritiesincluding Alawites and Christians, as well as Druze and Kurdsto be heretics.

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As in the previous violent episodes this spring, the militias were joined by rifle-toting young men from across Syria, who could be seen in handheld videos, calling for the murder of heretics as they jumped into pickups and headed south. Government-aligned channels on Telegram and other platforms were full of rhetoric so viciously sectarian that it could make anyone despair about Syrias future.

Sharaas cleanup operation in Sweida soon turned into a bloody clash between Sunni and Druze gunmen. One local Druze man told me on Tuesday that artillery was raining down on the provincial capital, and that kidnappings and gun battles were taking place across the area. One of the most prominent Druze spiritual leaders, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, recorded a dramatic video in which he declared, We are being subjected to a comprehensive war of extermination. Hijri also broke an old taboo by calling for help from Israel and any other power willing to rescue the Druze.

Making matters worse, some Druze men in Israel began flooding the border to aid their co-religionists in Syria. That prompted Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, to record a video telling the Israeli Druze not to cross into Syria, saying that Israeli forces were acting to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the gangs of the regime.

The Israeli military soon made good on that threat, carrying out dozens of air strikes in Sweida andmore shockingin central Damascus, where it struck near the presidential palace and hit the compound of the Defense Ministry.

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The Israeli strikes got everyones attention. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office with President Trump and a visiting Bahraini royal, told reporters that the bombing arose from a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side.

But if there was a misunderstanding, it originated at least partly with the U.S. president. Although Trump didnt pay much attention to Syria in the first months of the year, he seems to have taken notice after meeting Sharaa in Riyadh in May. The leaders of Turkey and the Gulf States had already urged him to embrace Sharaa and drop the sanctions that have long strangled Syrias economy. Trump quickly complied, and added a personal touch: Sharaa, he said, is an attractive, tough guy with a strong past.

[Read: The honeymoon is ending in Syria]

In other words, Sharaa looks to be Trumps favorite kind of leader: a strongman. Barrack has been repeating Trumps message and amplifying it ever since. He has compared Sharaa to George Washington, and even dropped hints that if Lebanon doesnt clean up its own act soon, it could end up getting absorbed into a greater Syria. That is an odd way to talk about a country that remains shattered after many years of civil war, and where the governmentdesperately short on money and qualified peopleis struggling to rebuild a national army.

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Trumps decision to give Sharaa his full support isnt necessarily wrong. A unified Syrian state is what the countrys Sunni Muslim majority wants, and it is what the most influential regional powersTurkey and Saudi Arabiaprefer. Some sort of compromise could possibly be worked out on the question of federal and local authority over the coming months and years, if Sharaa and the leaders of Syrias minority communities are willing to be flexible.

But that would require Israel to be flexible too. If Israel keeps lobbing bombs at Syria, the prospects for peace along their border could evaporate, and with it the quiet diplomacy the Trump administration has pursued between the two countries. Sharaas attitude seemed already to be shifting in a televised speech he gave yesterday, in which he lashed out at Israel for the first time since he assumed power.

More than diplomacy is at stake. After three terrible waves of sectarian bloodletting in recent months, many in Syrias minority communities have started to conclude that the state Sharaa envisions willdespite his regular protestations about pluralism and tolerancebe a place where they are not welcome. Thousands of them have already fled the country.

Trump and Barrack can say what they like about Sharaa being Syrias George Washington. But if they do not press him harder to restrain the sectarian thugs in his own ranks, he may turn out to be a lot more like Saddam Hussein.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
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Dive Brief:

A Maryland retirement community will pay $85,000 to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that it refused to promote a Black manager and subsequently fired her when she complained of discrimination, EEOC said in a press release Tuesday.

Per the 2024 complaint, the plaintiff sought promotion to a vice president or executive director position, but was told that she was ineligible because she lacked a bachelors degree. She alleged Westminster Ingleside King Farm Presbyterian Retirement Communities nonetheless employed a White employee who lacked a bachelors degree as its VP of HR and promoted another White employee with the same job title as the plaintiff to an executive director role.

The plaintiff later received a bachelors degree, but EEOC claimed her supervisor ignored the plaintiffs promotion request. It also alleged she received a false written warning from HR, after which the plaintiff expressed a desire to file a race discrimination charge. She was terminated shortly afterward. EEOC alleged violations of federal laws including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. As part of its consent decree with EEOC, the employer did not admit wrongdoing.

Dive Insight:

The EEOC noted that retaliation  such as that alleged in the Westminster Ingleside lawsuit  is unlawful irrespective of the validity of an employees claims.

Such complaints can be early warning signs for employers, Debra Lawrence, regional attorney at EEOC, said in the press release. What employers should never do is treat complaints as the problem or take adverse action against the complainant.

According to agency enforcement guidance, employers may not retaliate against employees for opposing unlawful equal employment opportunity practices. This opposition may include actions such as complaining or threatening to complain about alleged discrimination against oneself or others.

Retaliation has formed the basis of previous EEOC settlements with employers, including a 2024 agreement between the agency and an employer that it alleged retaliated against three employees  including an HR manager  for raising concerns about discriminatory workplace treatment.

Employers should swiftly and thoroughly investigate employee complaints  with the assistance of an external investigator if necessary, an employment law attorney wrote in an op-ed to HR Dive in March.
A federal judge has halted a Washington state law that required Catholic priests to break the seal of confession.

The law that was passed in May, and was slated to go into effect on July 27, mandated that clergy must report child abuse or neglect when it was disclosed to them during confession.

There is no question that SB 5375 burdens Plaintiffs free exercise of religion, wrote Judge David G. Estudillo.

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When clergy learn about child abuse or neglect in confession, the law places them in the position of either complying with the requirements of their faith or violating the law, the ruling said. The court also ruled that the state was unable to explain why the language in [section 1-B] of the bill doubled down on singling out clergy. In the Catholic tradition, the confession seal is inviolable with absolutely no exceptions and breaking it is considered a canonical crime.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the law on May 2. Protecting our kids first is the most important thing. This bill protects Washingtonians from abuse and harm, Ferguson said the day he signed the bill.

The law spurred several lawsuits, including the Department of Justice, the Catholic Bishops of Washington and a group of Orthodox churches.

According to the law, if the clergy failed to report abuse they learned about in confession, they could potentially face up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. Some Catholic priests said that the law required them to choose between breaking the sacred seal of confession and going to jail. At the heart of the issue is the case Etienne v. Ferguson, in which three Catholic bishops sued Washington State in May.

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In Washington, clergy are already considered mandatory reporters, which means that they must report child abuse learned in any other setting. Confession is the only exception. Across the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Dioceses of Spokane and Yakima, priests  and all Church personnel  are already required to report suspected abuse to law enforcement or child protection agencies, according to a press release by the Becket Fund, which represented the bishops in the lawsuit. These policies cover diocesan parishes, schools and other ministries. The Church supports mandatory reporting except in the narrow instance of the sacrament of confession.

Religious liberty advocates and other leaders praised the federal courts ruling. For centuries, Catholic faithful around the world have sought reconciliation with God through the sacrament of confession, said Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference, in a press release. This ruling protects that sacred space and ensures that Washingtonians of all religious stripes can live out their beliefs in peace.

Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute, said that the First Amendment did its work today in protecting the confessional and he was proud that the church upholds the application of the reporting law outside of that context.

Government officials have no business prying into the practice of confession, said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. By protecting the seal of confession, the court has also safeguarded the basic principle that people of all faiths should be free to practice their beliefs without government interference, he said in a press release.

On July 4, Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, submitted a legal brief in support of the bishops lawsuit, urging federal courts to halt a new state law. Few religious practices are more misunderstood than the sacred seal of Confession in the Catholic Church, Barron wrote. The law targets the time-honored seal of Confession, he wrote, thus violating the Constitutions promise of religious neutrality. Absolutely nothing ought to stand in the way of a sinner who seeks this font of grace.




NEED TO KNOW

Kayleigh Nicole Grant detailed an unforgettable dive with a pod of orca whales, describing what it was like to swim close to the giant animals underwater

The professional diver explained how the whales were hunting and had just killed their catch, which she saw in their mouths as they swam near her

Grant said it was "some of the best 30 seconds of her life in the ocean" while looking back on her interaction with the whales





Kayleigh Nicole Grant had a once-in-a-lifetime underwater encounter.

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The professional ocean diver detailed an unforgettable interaction with a pod of orca whales in a recent video shared on Instagram, revealing what exactly she saw during an up close encounter with the large animals during one of her deep sea explorations.

"This was some of the best 30 seconds of my life in the ocean. As this pod of orcas passed us, we could see that they were eating something they had killed," she narrates over the video clip as it's happening.

"I couldn't believe what happened next as this orca turned toward me to show off their catch," she continues in the post. "Predators works so hard for their food and you can tell that they're grateful and proud for every meal that they get."

Kayleigh Nicole Grant/Instagram Kaleigh Nicole Grant's dive with orca whales Kaleigh Nicole Grant's dive with orca whales

Grant said the orca came "so close" that she could "see its teeth;" however, she wasn't overcome with fear.

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"It wasn't scary, more just impressive," she says. "The orcas share their prey, so everybody had a little bite. Sharing food reinforces their bond and helps them teach their young."

The diver concluded, "It was truly a magnificent moment to witness."

"It came so close I could see its teeth, but it wasn't scary.

In her caption, Grant  who has a Bachelor of Science in Ecotourism, completed the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawaii and an online shark specialty course with Queensland University and Cornell University  explained further why orcas hunt together and share their food.

"Orcas dont just hunt together, they share their food too. These intelligent apex predators have been seen dividing prey among pod members and even offering leftovers to humans," she began.

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"In a recent article by @bbcwildlifemagazine researchers documented 34 instances where orcas deliberately offered prey (fish, stingrays, even seaweed and turtles) to humans across six different populations!" Grant continued in her caption.

"Sharing food is a way to build their relationships and may be just out of concern for anothers well being. In this video it felt like the orcas were showing me their food rather than offering it but knowing their concern for others always reminds me how deeply profound their relationships are," she 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.

As part of her diving and ocean conservation work, Grant  who is known as "mermaid.kayleigh" online  shares mesmerizing and educational content across Instagram and TikTok, teaching her nearly 3 million followers about the behaviors of the creatures who reside in our underwater world.

Kayleigh Nicole Grant/Instagram Kayleigh Nicole Grant's dive with orca whales Kayleigh Nicole Grant's dive with orca whales

Grant is also the founder, captain and lead safety diver of Kaimana Ocean Safari, an ocean adventure company that brings guests off the West Coast of the Big Island in Hawaii to observe and potentially interact with sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, sharks, whales and fish around the coral reefs.

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A Pennsylvania native, Grant grew up outside of Philadelphia with a passion and longing for the ocean and curiosity of its inhabitants, per her bio on site. Since her move to Hawaii 12 years ago, she's broadened her knowledge on safety and sharks on the North Shore of O'ahu.

"Kay is passionate about connecting people to the ocean in a deeper way and inspiring others to change their daily habits to better benefit the natural world," her bio reads.

Recently, professional underwater photographer Jono Allen spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about his unimaginable interaction with a mother humpback whale.

"I was swimming in the water and this mother humpback saw me and thought that was something wrong, and she came over to me and started trying to lift me up out of the water so I could breathe," he told PEOPLE exclusively, explaining how she used her rostrum to help with the boost.

Kayleigh Nicole Grant/Instagram Kayleigh Nicole Grant speaks in a video on Instagram Kayleigh Nicole Grant speaks in a video on Instagram

The mother humpback whale likely reacted that way towards Allen because "they do it with their calves," he explained, adding. "When their calves are born, they can't swim, so they lift them up to breathe."

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As much as Allen "would've loved" for the mother humpback whale to follow through with her intention, he didn't allow it to happen for the safety and protection of the animal. "I just couldn't do it," he said with the respect of the whale in mind.

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Allen, similar to Grant, described his deep passion for the ocean and hard-to-describe connection with whales.

"It just rises up and just takes this massive breath, and I just start bawling my eyes out," he recalled of his first dive with the massive species. "And from that moment onwards, I knew that I wanted to spend every single life minute that I had swimming with whales in the ocean."

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DES MOINES, Iowa  Des Moines Public Schools unveiled a retouched education bond last week, and this week they are laying out the plan in hopes of getting the community on board ahead of a likely fall vote.

DMPS presented a $500 million plan earlier this year after a recent decline in enrollment forced the district to make changes. Due to high costs and ambitious redesign, a new $265 million plan that takes half the time and cost was developed.

After some feedback from the board, we just knew that there would be tremendous benefits to this reduced amount and the shorter term and the benefits, which really stands out, is the fact that you heard from that it now allows 100% of our students who are currently enrolled to benefit from this plan before they graduate from high school, DMPS Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts said.

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The new plan mainly focused on scaling down plans while cutting a few items. Cut from the bond was full-facility modernization and district-wide capacity adjustments in classrooms. While these may have been cut for this bond, the district is still open to revisiting them later.

100%, yeah. Well continue to actually analyze that. We monitor, we monitor that data consistently daily about our capacities and looking at what we need to do future forward. And so, were forecasting about where we need to be about those particular investments, said Matt Smith, DMPS Associate Superintendent.

This plan will also close three schools and one administrative building. Associate Superintendent Smith says Walnut Street Elementary would close in 2027, Harding Middle in 2029, and Howe Elementary in 2031, along with the closure of the Fleur Drive offices.

Des Moines Fire Department tensions continue to rise, this time staffing concerns at Station 9

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They are staggered, that staggered is a purposeful and intentional. It allows us to build out the capacities in those surrounding schools to make sure that weve got the solid plan to accommodate the additional enrollment in nearby schools, said Associate Superintendent Smith.

We want to make sure that every single DMPS teacher and staff know, hear from us and understand that there is a place here for them, said Dr. Roberts. In terms of our students, the result of this plan is going to be one whereby students theyll have much more agency in terms of where they should enroll, what they should pursue.

Aspects of the plan that stayed on the bond include full-day access to preschool, changing grade configurations, redesigning middle school curriculum, and adding 130 new education spaces.

A highlighted aspect of this plan includes the Diploma+ program, which recognizes students for activities, clubs, and participation throughout high school, and Signature Schools, which focus on STEM and technical education. Dr. Ian Roberts says this program helps students beyond graduation.

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Were keeping our finger on the pulse of what are the needs right now in our job community, not just here in Des Moines and in Iowa, but around the country, said Dr. Roberts. So our goal ultimately is to ensure that we are truly preparing students and adequately preparing them to be successful in the postsecondary pursuits.

Associate Superintendent Smith says a campaign team has already begun working on collecting the 7,500 required signatures to get the ballot on the November ballot. If the bond passes, the district hopes to begin implementing aspects of the plan immediately.

Metro News:

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A man has been charged for allegedly intentionally setting a fire outside a Wallingford home that killed a 72-year-old woman.

According to court documents, neighborhood surveillance and a stop at Dicks Drive-In helped lead investigators to the suspect, 25-year-old Letian Shi.

What happened

On June 4, crews responded to a massive fire at home on Sunnyside Avenue in the early morning hours.

Firefighters were able to pull a 72-year-old woman from the burning home, but she died two days later from smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen.

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Through an investigation, detectives learned that the fire at her home had been intentionally started at the front of the house before it quickly spread to the interior and ceiling.

Tracking the suspect

Around 12:50 a.m. on June 4, surveillance footage from a home directly across the street from the victims home captured someone walking up to the porch area. Then, flashes of light can be seen in the area near the front yard and porch, which investigators believe was the lighting of the flame before the fire started, court documents said.

According to docs, video shows a person walking away from the home three minutes later as the fire continues to steadily grow.

As investigators reviewed surveillance footage from neighbors, they found the person wearing the same outfit with the same appearance in an area of another fire about 20 minutes before the womans house started to burn.

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At this time, around 12:28 a.m., Seattle Firefighters got a call for a brush fire at Sun Bear Park at the corner of N 38th St and Eastern Ave N. It appeared someone intentionally set a desk and chair at the park on fire.

Sun Bear Park is about a block away from the 72-year-old womans home.

Footage showed the same person walking toward Sun Bear Park. Investigators noticed the person was carrying a white bag and sipping from a drink. Detectives were able to see that it was a bag for Dicks Drive-In, court documents said.

On June 16, a detective got a warrant for surveillance video and transaction records for that time at the Dicks location. The footage showed the person with the same clothes, appearance and stature as the suspect.

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The video showed that person getting in line at Dicks around 11:50 p.m. on June 3 and placing an order, court docs said. That person used a credit card to pay for their order.

Records showed the cardholders name was listed as Shi Letian

I searched the Washington State Department of Licensing database first for only the first name Shi and last name Letian, receiving no results. I then searched for first name Letian and last name Shi resulting in only one result," a detective wrote in court documents.

The only result for Letian Shi came back with an address that was about a mile away from the Dicks location.

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I reviewed Letian Shis drivers license photograph and compared the photograph to images of the suspect in the Dicks Drive-In security footage. The suspect in the footage is wearing dark framed glasses and Letian Shi is not wearing glasses in the Department of Licensing photograph. However, based upon the shape of the suspects nose, mouth, and ears, along with his hair color, skin tone, and age, I believed that it is Letian Shi depicted in the Dicks Drive-In footage, the detective wrote in court documents.

Did Shi know the victim?

A neighbor told investigators that about two weeks before the fire, they witnessed the victim and another person interacting.

The neighbor said they found the person unusual and saw him talking to the victim outside her home, saying that the victim appeared irritated regarding their interaction, according to court documents.

That neighbor said they spoke to the victim while the unusual person was present, so they got a good look at him.

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The neighbor stated that because of the location of their home office, the neighbor is regularly looking outside. The neighbor regularly sees the people in the neighborhood but had never seen this subject before. The neighbor also found that the interaction between the subject and the victim to be unusual because the victim did not really have visitors or any other people that would talk to her. The neighbor in fact could not recall the victim ever interacting with anybody, court documents said.

The description of the stranger matches Shis description, according to court documents. However, the documents did not explicitly say that it was Shi.

Shi has been charged with first-degree murder and second-degree arson.

Prosecutors asked that bail be set at $4 million.
An NHS doctor and her husband have been jailed for 10 months each after selling stolen hospital PPE on eBay.

Dr Attiya Sheikh, 45, and 48-year-old Omer Sheikh made almost 8,000 from selling the personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic in 2020.

She was working shifts at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride when NHS Scotland supplier Fannin spotted their products for sale on the auction website.

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The pair admitted selling stolen gloves, face masks and wipes online at a time when the NHS was struggling to get hold of them.

Attiya Sheikh's lawyer, John Scullion KC, said his client bitterly regretted her actions.

He said: "She accepts full responsibility. She acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents."

Some of the gloves discovered in the attic of the house where Dr Attiya Sheikh and her husband lived [BBC]

In July 2020, NHS Scotland counter fraud services began looking into the potential theft and resale of PPE.

The investigation identified four separate eBay accounts selling items such as gloves and wipes that were connected to the Sheiks.

A warrant was granted to search their home in Thornliebank near Glasgow.

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On the day of the search in October 2020, Mr Sheikh was in the house.

He directed the counter fraud specialists to the attic within the top floor flat where 121 boxes of rubber gloves were discovered, as well as a box of face masks.

Detectives found that the couple had been selling them online for 15 to 20 a box.

Attiya Sheikh initially claimed she did not steal the PPE from the hospital but was given it by another person from the hospital in the car park.

However, inquiries failed to identify that person.

Dr Sheikh claimed someone from Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride gave her the PPE equipment in the hospital car park [BBC]

Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter fraud services, described the crime as "outrageous".

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He told BBC Scotland News: "To make a profit out of people's fears and to make a profit out of a shortage of equipment that was really needed, it really is the opposite message to what the NHS stands for."

He said that in monetary values, it was not the biggest fraud he had seen, but said it was an immoral one.

"This isn't about the loss of the money," he said.

"This is about someone in her position taking advantage of the health service and making a profit from it."

The maximum sentence that had been open to the sheriff was 12 months in jail.

This was reduced to 10 months because of the couple's early plea.
Three doctors in Poland have been convicted over the death of a woman who died from pregnancy complications after they refrained from performing an abortion that could have saved her life.

The case sparked mass protests as it was linked to the country's abortion laws, which are among the strictest in Europe.

The Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper on Friday called the convictions "a milestone in the history of Polish women's struggle for their rights, i.e., the struggle for human rights."

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The group Strajk Kobiet (Women's Strike) told the PAP news agency it was, to their knowledge, the first ruling of its kind in Poland.

The incident occurred in 2021 in the southern Polish town of Pszczyna, shortly after abortion laws were tightened.

A 30-year-old woman, pregnant with a foetus diagnosed with severe abnormalities, was admitted to the local hospital in the 22nd week of her pregnancy after her amniotic sac ruptured. Doctors waited for the foetus to die naturally, but the woman died of septic shock.

A court in Pszczyna said doctors' actions endangered the woman's life and found them guilty of medical negligence.

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One physician was sentenced to 18 months in prison, while another received a 15-month sentence. Both were banned from practising medicine for six years.

Their supervisor was given a one-year suspended sentence and a four-year professional ban. According to PAP, the verdict, issued Thursday, is not yet final.

Tight restrictions on abortion

Under the previous right-wing government, Poland's Constitutional Court ruled in 2020 that abortions were no longer permitted even in cases where the foetus had severe abnormalities. Since then, legal abortions have only been allowed in cases of rape, incest or when the woman's life is in danger.

In 2024, the current centre-left government attempted to liberalize abortion laws but failed to pass reforms - even modest ones such as repealing criminal penalties for aiding an abortion.
After photos circulated recently of President Donald Trumps apparently swollen legs and bruised hand, doctors are speaking about potential causes and concerns.

In an "effort of transparency" on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a note from Trumps physician after he underwent a "comprehensive examination" by the White House Medical Unit.

During a press briefing, Leavitt stated that Trumps swollen legs were part of a "benign and common condition" called "chronic venous insufficiency" that can affect older individuals. (The president is 79.)

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Trump's Stamina Impresses The Experts

"Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease," she said.

Leavitt attributed the bruising on the presidents hand to "frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin."

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After photos circulated recently of President Trumps apparently swollen legs and bruised hand, doctors shared thoughts about potential causes and concerns.

"This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen," she said.

"This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, and the president remains in excellent health."

Scott A. Sundick, M.D., a vascular and endovascular surgeon at The Cardiovascular Care Group in Westfield, New Jersey, commented on the concerns that have been raised. (He has not treated the president.)

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"Leg swelling is a common condition, particularly among older adults. As a practicing vascular surgeon, I see patients for this issue more frequently than almost any other complaint," he told Fox News Digital.

While leg swelling is often benign, it can sometimes be a symptom of serious, potentially life-threatening conditions, such as acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT), congestive heart failure (CHF) or renal failure, according to the doctor.

"In the presidents case, these more concerning causes were appropriately ruled out through a combination of diagnostic testing, including a venous Doppler ultrasound, echocardiogram and laboratory evaluations respectively," he added.

Sundick also spoke about the presidents diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, which he described as a "relatively common and benign condition."

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"Under normal circumstances, blood returns to the heart from the legs through the veins, aided by the contraction of leg muscles with each step we take," he said.

Heart Attack Deaths Have Plummeted In Us, But New Cardiovascular Threats Emerge

"These contractions help push blood upward, and valves within the veins prevent it from flowing backward toward the feet. When these valves become weakened or incompetent, blood can pool in the lower legs  a condition known as venous insufficiency."

This condition can cause symptoms such as leg swelling or varicose veins, the doctor noted.

Photos recently circulated of President Trump's apparently bruised hand, which appeared to be covered by makeup.

Treatment usually includes the use of compression stockings or, in some cases, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure called venous ablation.

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Regarding the bruising being attributed to aspirin therapy, Sundick noted that many older adults take daily low-dose aspirin as part of a cardiovascular disease prevention strategy.

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"Aspirin works by inhibiting platelet function, reducing the risk of blood clots that could lead to heart attacks or strokes," he said.

"A well-known side effect of aspirin therapy is an increased tendency to bruise easily, even with minor trauma."

President Trump's apparently swollen legs at a FIFA game on Sunday in New Jersey sparked discussion.

Sundick said this is "common and generally not concerning," particularly considering aspirins "well-established cardiovascular benefits."

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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News' senior medical analyst, also commented on the bruising seen on Trumps hand.

"As you age, your skin can become more friable (fragile), less elastic and more prone to easy bruising," Siegel, who has not treated the president, told Fox News Digital.

"Aspirin interferes with platelet function, making this more likely."

On a Thursday episode of "America Reports," Siegel noted that he found the medical update "reassuring," calling Trump's condition "not serious, completely benign and cosmetic."

"It's expected for a man who's in his late 70s and standing on his feet all the time," Siegel added, noting that compression stockings and elevating the legs could help to reduce swelling and any potential discomfort.

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The doctor also said he "accepts the explanation" that Trump's hand bruising is caused by "vigorous handshaking."

"I don't think there's anything hidden there at all," Siegel said.





Original article source: Doctors react to alleged Trump health concerns as photos show swelling and bruising
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  As summer temperatures rise and the start of the school year approaches, medical professionals are urging families and teachers to take steps to keep children safe from heat-related illnesses.

Pediatricians said children are particularly vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heatstroke, especially during outdoor school activities like recess and sports. Recognizing the early symptoms is key to preventing serious health complications.

If you have kids who are showing these symptoms, they need to be removed from the physical activity and out of the heat and rapidly cool down, said Dr. Tamina McMillan, a pediatrician. It can progress to something more serious, which is heatstroke, and thats considered a medical emergency. So, were trying to prevent that.

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Common signs of heat exhaustion include excessive sweating, pale or clammy skin, dizziness, and nausea. If untreated, it can escalate to heatstroke, which requires immediate medical attention.

To help prevent heat-related illness, experts recommend:

Dressing children in lightweight, breathable clothing

Encouraging frequent water breaks

Limiting outdoor play during the hottest parts of the day, typically between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

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SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A case status report shared by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is shedding some light on the states investigation into former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright.

SLED was looking into possible misconduct in office involving Wright.

The report said in September 2024, state law enforcement was made aware of Wright allegedly using a county credit card to pay for personal expenses.

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PAST COVERAGE: Sheriff Wrights resignation, leave of absence and more

The allegations, officials added, involved credit card statements from 2018 to 2024.

In May, Spartanburg County Council member Monier Abusaft explained that to his understanding, Wright spent taxpayer dollars on a private credit card, without justification. He said that $1,100 had been paid back.

According to the agency, Wright contacted SLED and asked if he was under investigation in October 2024.

Wright resigned from his position on May 23, after taking a nearly two-month long leave of absence.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore has yet to respond to a U.S. Department of Justice request for information about the state's registered voters. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)

Silence can speak louder than words.

Just ask Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, who as of Friday afternoon had yet to respond to a U.S. Department of Justice request for information about registered voters. Rhode Island is among a growing number of mostly Democratic states facing federal probes into voter rolls, ranging from basic lists of registrants to massive documentation requests including ballots cast and voting equipment used in the 2024 election.

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The July 8 email Amores office received from Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, is far less expansive and detailed than requests made to other states. Laragy asked Amore for a phone meeting to discuss a potential information-sharing agreement, that would give the DOJ information on state registered voters who lack eligibility, have falsified documents or may otherwise have engaged in unlawful conduct relevant to the election process.

Eight days later, Amore had not responded to Laragy  Amores office was still reviewing the request, Faith Chybowski, a spokesperson for Amore, confirmed in an email. Chybowski was unsure when, or if, Amore plans to answer the DOJ.

But the Democrat and former high school history teacher is not keeping mum on his feelings about the probe.

This is a highly unusual request as the States are Constitutionally empowered to manage all aspects of elections that are not otherwise mandated by federal law, Amore said in an emailed statement. It appears this is a continued attempt to promote the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen and to undermine confidence in our electionspretty consistent playbook from the Trump people.

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John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, backed Amores approach.

Its right for Secretary Amore to be both cautious and skeptical of the request given the history of this administrations propagation of lies about voter fraud, Marion said in an interview.

Trump has continued to promote claims that the 2020 election in which he lost to Joe Biden was rigged. Since returning to office, he has turned the magnifying glass back on state and local election administrators. In March, Trump issued an executive order directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to scour states in search of election-related crimes, authorizing her to cut off federal funding to states that refused to cooperate.

Voter rolls already public

State voter records in Rhode Island are public  available upon request to anybody who fills out an online form and pays a $25 fee. But the information the DOJ has asked for in other states includes sensitive personal data like Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, which are protected under federal and state law, and typically redacted in fulfilling public records requests.

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Laragys email to Amore did not indicate what information he wanted regarding Rhode Island voters. However, the information-sharing agreements referred to in both the email and Trumps executive order single out voters who are registered, or have voted, despite being ineligible; those who have committed election fraud; and those who have intimidated or threatened voters or election officials, among other targeted groups.

This information is likely also public record, as anyone who threatens elections officials, falsifies information on registration forms or commits election fraud would be charged with a crime, Marion said.

In 2017, Rhode Island was asked to supply Trumps Election Integrity Commission with personal information from its voter rolls, including the last four digits of Social Security numbers for voters dating back to 2006. Then-Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and Gov. Gina Raimondo refused to comply with handing over any sensitive information not normally included in a standard public records request, according to news reports.

While the 2017 probe was sent to all 50 states, the latest set of requests center on Democratic and swing states, with at least nine states receiving formal written requests for information, according to Stateline.

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Responses have been varied. In Colorado, which faces the most sweeping set of data requests, the Secretary of States office provided the DOJ with the same master voter file and voting history available to other members of the public. Wisconsins Secretary of State referred federal attorneys to the information on how to request public voter data, while Republicans in Indiana and Alabama inked deals with the Trump administration authorizing access to citizenship information for state voters.

Laragy said in his email to Amore that the information would be used to protect the integrity of federal elections. But Marion countered not that none of the information being sought would improve elections integrity.

Instead, it could very well put information at risk, Marion said, noting that Trumps executive order also requires sensitive, personal voter data be shared with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.

State level protections needed

Marion says the Trump administration has already proven its disregard for voting protections, including crucial provisions codified under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which aims to prevent race-based discrimination in voting access and provide access to voters with limited English proficiency. As the U.S. Supreme Court considers arguments in a case that could further degrade the once-powerful voting rights statute, Marion is looking to erect state-level safeguards via passage of a state Voting Rights Act.

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We are going to need state-level protections in the absence of federal protections, Marion said. The federal Voting Rights Act isnt going to be enforced by the DOJ.

A state statute would ensure that Spanish-speaking voters in Pawtucket can access ballots in their native language  a provision originally required under a May 2024 federal consent agreement following a yearslong investigation that showed the city had failed to provide required accommodations to Spanish-speaking voters. Marion worried that without continued federal oversight, those voters, and others throughout the state, could see their access diminished.

Nine other states, including Connecticut, have enacted similar state-level voting rights protections.

Marion publicly pitched the idea during a public speech at a Good Trouble rally in Newport Thursday night, taking Amore, who was also a scheduled speaker at the event, by surprise, Marion said.

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Its in the early stages, Marion said Friday, noting he had not spoken with legislative leaders, or drafted any bill language yet.

Updated to include additional comments from John Marion.

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The Princess of Wales is widely reported to enjoy an occasional pint of Guinness - Richard Pohle/Times Newspapers Ltd

Stroll through London on a summer evening and it is almost impossible to avoid throngs of 20 and 30-somethings armed with pints of Guinness.

Such is the popularity of the famous stout  even the Princess of Wales is a fan  that you could be forgiven for thinking its boss must have been laughing her way to the bank. Instead, shes out of a job.

On Wednesday, Debra Crew, chief executive of Guinness owner Diageo, abruptly parted ways with the FTSE 100 giant after just two years in post.

Sir John Manzoni, Diageo chairman, thanked her for her contributions, but his message could not hide some of the share price turmoil which has likely driven the move.

While sales of Guinness have been flying in Britain, Diageo has been struggling on the world stage. Dismayed investors have seen its share price plunge by 45pc since Ms Crews appointment  making Britains Guinness craze a small consolation.

Diageo is the worlds biggest spirits firm  the owner of Smirnoff Vodka, Gordons Gin and Johnnie Walker  and a global giant which should be reaping the riches for shareholders. Many are now asking: how have things gone so badly wrong?

Its been brewing for a long time, and the unease among investors just has been going up and up, says a City source familiar with the drinks industry.

On Wednesday, Debra Crew, chief executive of Guinness-owner Diageo, abruptly left the company - Diageo/AFP via Getty Images

Before taking the reins, Ms Crew appeared groomed for greatness at the drinks giant, enjoying several years as Diageos chief operating officer and its North American boss  a role which allowed her to build strong contacts across the company.

She worked alongside the groups late leader Sir Ivan Menezes  a well-liked leader credited with shaping Diageo into one of the consumer goods industrys best-performing firms  giving her extra credibility when she eventually took the top job in June 2023.

A former US army captain with experience at the biggest names in food and drink, such as Kraft Foods and Nestle, Ms Crew seemed an ideal choice and a safe pair of hands  not to mention the companys first ever female chief executive.

Im not saying she didnt have to do anything, but the business was doing very well when she took over, says a banking source familiar with the company.

Share price struggles

Diageo was riding high after sales soared during the pandemic thanks to customers making cocktails at home after pubs and bars were forced to close. Yet early enthusiasm around her appointment gave way to concern as Diageo announced a string of disappointing results that dented investors faith in the company and its future prospects.

Just months after she became chief executive, Diageo suffered its biggest share drop since 1997 when it warned that its sales in the crucial Latin American market would drop by as much as 20pc.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Two men from Kansas City are being charged after a string of bank and business robberies around the Kansas City Metro, the United States Department of Justice says.

According to the DOJ, 21-year-old Makih Hall and 29-year-old Lazaro Medina-Lopez are being charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of bank robbery.

Kansas City woman charged in connection with fentanyl overdose death

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Both men are additionally being charged individually, Hall with one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery and Medina-Lopez with one count of attempted bank robbery, the DOJ says.

Hobbs Act robbery is defined as an armed robbery of a business that receives its goods from other states, per the DOJ.

The federal indictment claims that Hall and Medina-Lopez robbed or tried to rob multiple banks, credit unions and businesses around the KC Metro from June 1, 2024 to June 14, 2024.

Now, Hobbs and Medina-Lopez will face a max sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the United States Probation Office has completed its investigation.

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Heartbreak and anger have become all too familiar for Breonna Taylors family since her killing. Their fight for justice has often felt futile, with only one of the three former Louisville, Kentucky, police officers facing any accountability for her death.

That officer, Brett Hankison, fired 10 bullets that did not strike or kill the 26-year-old first responder. Yet, he was indicted in both federal and state courts for endangering the lives of Taylors neighbors. Last year, he was convicted on one count of civil rights abuse by firing blindly into her apartment.

Hankison faces up to life in prison based on federal sentencing guidelines and will be sentenced Monday.

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Yet, on Wednesday, the Justice Department submitted a 1-day sentencing recommendation for the judge to consider for Hankison. In a 19-page recommendation, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, also asked for three years of supervised release.

In the five years since Taylor was killed, her mother, Tamika Palmer, has repeatedly broken down in tears during press conferences  each one marking another legal development in the case of her eldest daughter.

The Justice Departments recommendation was just the latest blow and an insult, her attorney Ben Crump said in an emailed statement on July 17.

Louisville Councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright said in response to the DOJs recommendation that Taylors case revealed Taylors case revealed broader systemic failures, and that 24-hours in jail as a form of punishment is a devastating slap in the face.

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Across Kentucky, people are serving far harsher sentences for crimes rooted in poverty  sentences that harmed no one, Parrish-Wright wrote in the statement. We who fight for justice, truth, and equity must continue. Because clearly, the scales remain severely unbalanced.

Still, she [Palmer] is holding out hope and praying that the judge will do what the DOJ has refused to do  uphold the law, respect the jurys verdict, and deliver true justice, Crump said.

Every American who believes in equal justice under the law should be outraged, Crump said. It is unfathomable that, after finally securing a conviction, the Department of Justice would seek a sentence so drastically below the federal guidelines.

All Palmer has ever wanted since March 2020 was to receive justice for her daughter and a fair sentence to fit the jurys verdict.

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After being acquitted in 2022 on state charges of endangering Taylors neighbors, Hankison faced a federal trial on charges of violating her civil rights, which ended in a mistrial. In November 2024, he was retried and convicted on one count of civil rights abuse.

Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department for blindly shooting into Taylors apartment while executing a botched no-knock search warrant. The state enacted a law in 2021 that limits law enforcement from using no-knock warrants, and Taylors family settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the city that included police reforms.

The two other shooting officers, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, were not charged. They were also terminated from the department.

Three other former officers  Kelly Goodlett, Joshua Jaynes, and Kyle Meany  were indicted on charges in connection to how the warrant was obtained and written.

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Goodlett pleaded guilty in August 2022 to a federal conspiracy charge. Jaynes, a former detective, and Meany are awaiting trial after a federal judge presiding over their case ruled that Taylors death was the result of her boyfriends decision to fire a single shot at police first.

Though Taylor was killed months before George Floyd, her name echoed across the U.S. in the protests that followed. Her story became a defining call of the #SayHerName movement, demanding justice for Black women killed by police  too often overlooked, but never forgotten.

Correction: The Justice Department submitted its sentencing recommendation for Brett Hankison on Wednesday. An earlier version of this story had the wrong day.

The post DOJ Seeks Just 1 Day In Prison for Cop Who Fired Into Breonna Taylors Home appeared first on Capital B News.
The Brief

The U.S. Department of Justice is asking county Sheriffs across California for data on undocumented immigrants in their jails.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the department hasn't yet received the DOJ's request.

Luna says that the LASD doesn't ask people about their immigration status when they're arrested.

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday asked sheriffs across California for data on inmates. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, however, that providing that data would be "impossible."

What we know

The DOJ announced they'd submitted data requests to multiple counties across California on Thursday, trying to collect data on undocumented immigrants in custody in those counties. A press release from the DOJ mentioned LA County and San Francisco County by name.

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Officials said they wanted the data to help federal immigration officers prioritize undocumented immigrants for potential deportation. The department said that undocumented individuals convicted of violent crimes "show that they pose a heightened risk to our nation's safety and security."

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna held a press conference on Thursday to "clarify" his department's policies regarding assisting federal immigration officials.

When asked about the DOJ's request, Luna said he hadn't yet seen the letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi, but added that even if he had, gathering information like that would be "impossible."

What they're saying

"We don't ask somebody if they are here legally or illegally," Luna said. "It would be impossible for us to provide a list like that."

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Luna said that whenever he does get the letter from the DOJ, the department will try to "determine what information, if any, we can legally provide."

Luna added that the LASD follows state law and county policy that doesn't allow the department to cooperate with federal officials, except under special circumstances.

"We do not honor ICE detainers or requests for transfers, we do not allow immigration officials to operate within our facilities, and we do not permit the use of county property databases," Luna said.

Luna said that the only cases in which they'd transfer an inmate into ICE custody was if ICE had a federal warrant. Recently, according to Luna, the LASD has transferred 20 inmates to ICE custody under these circumstances.

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"Most of these individuals have had serious or violent charges, such as attempted murder, robbery, rape and sexual battery," Luna said.

The other side

The DOJ said that they hoped California sheriffs would hand over the information they asked for, but if not, officials said they may resort to subpoenas "or other compulsory process" to get the info.

What we don't know

It's now clear which other counties or how many the DOJ requested this data from, aside from LA County and San Francisco.

The Source

Information in this story is from a U.S. Department of Justice Press release, and a press conference held by Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna on July 17, 2025.
Domestic violence survivors and advocates are speaking out after far-left New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdanis past comments opposing sending police to respond to domestic violence resurfaced.

"Police do not create safety there are so many responsibilities weve given to police that, frankly, should have nothing to do with their departments if somebody is jaywalking, if somebody is surviving, going through domestic violencethere are so many different, different situations that would be far better handled by people trained to deal with those specific situations, as opposed to an individual with a gun," Mamdani said on the Immigrantly podcast in July 2020, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Mamdanis comments came shortly after George Floyds death engulfed the nation in a fever of anti-police riots and sentiment among the left. Domestic violence advocates are sounding the alarm about Mamdanis comments, warning that if the left-wing mayoral candidate follows through on these policies, lives could be endangered.

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"Theres a lot of humans who are victims in the city of New York, and they need protection because sometimes its a matter of life and death. Theyre hiding in the bathroom with their children, and they need someone to come immediately," Michelle Esquenazi, founder of the Victims Rights Reform Council, told Fox News Digital.

Former Dem Advisor Says He's 'Almost Speechless' At Mamdani's 'Enraging' Anti-cop Comments, Laments Nyc Crime

The democratic socialist, who was first elected to the New York state legislature in 2020, has a long history of calls to defund the police.

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In 2020, Mamdani called to defund the police multiple times and called the NYPD "wicked and corrupt." Mamdanis campaign website calls for the establishment of the "Department of Community Safety", which his website claims will take on certain responsibilities currently delegated to the police.

However, at a mayoral debate last month, Mamdani denied that he would defund the police, and vowed instead to "work with the police," and use mental health counselors and social workers to address homelessness and the mentally ill.

For Esquenazi, Mamdanis past comments hit home because she claims the NYPD saved her when her ex-husband attacked her in their Queens home while she was pregnant in 1993.

"I called 911, and they came running. They made sure that me and my children, and I was pregnant at the time, were safe. One of the officers took us to a back bedroom and made sure that we were calmed down and made sure that we had what we needed. They separated him from the situation immediately and essentially saved our lives," Esquenazi told Fox News Digital.

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"If Mamdani puts in any sort of barrier to victims getting immediate help from NYPD, then many lives will be lost," she said.

Jennifer Harrison, also a domestic violence survivor and executive director of the Victims Rights Reform Council and founder of Victims Rights New York, echoed Esquenazis warnings that womens lives would be in danger if the NYPD was prevented from responding to domestic violence calls.

"It would definitely make women less safe weve already tried their experiments, and theyre failing epically. These are all smokescreens and pipe dreams," Harrison told Fox News Digital.

Harrison said that she needed police, fearing for her life, when her boyfriend had a mental health crisis in 2017, in which he smashed her and her sons iPads and threatened to kill himself while preventing them from leaving their Suffolk County, NY home.

Mamdani made the comments after George Floyd's death plunged the U.S. into massive displays against policing.

Resurfaced Video Shows Zohran Mamdani Saying Domestic Violence Wouldnt Be A Priority For The Nypd

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The police brought her boyfriend to the hospital, seeing he needed mental health treatment, but the hospital discharged him mere hours later. However, a cop was notified and tipped off Harrison that her enraged boyfriend was on his way back home  giving her and her son time to escape.

"That cop probably saved my life I dont think we should be playing Russian roulette with the lives of domestic violence victims," Harrison told Fox News Digital.

Republican candidate for mayor Curtis Sliwa blasted Mamdani when reached for comment by Fox News Digital.

"Women will die, and children will die. He has no idea what goes on, hes either hopelessly naive, or he hates the police so much he doesnt care," Sliwa told Fox News Digital.

Multiple domestic violence survivors credited the NYPD with saving their lives.

Sonia Ossorio, Executive Director of National Organization for Women NYC, said that womens lives are "at stake," and she pointed out that having unarmed first responders attend to domestic violence situations could put them in harms way.

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"The number one cause of death and major injury for women in this country is done at the hands of their intimate partner. So fast response by law enforcement that is trained and has the resources to intervene in major situations is critical," she told Fox News Digital.

"What are we saying about womens safety about the endemic of domestic violence if we are even hinting at the idea that police response is not a priority?"

A 2021 study published by the World Journal of Psychiatry found that domestic violence is the "leading cause of homicide death for women" and found that 30% of women experience domestic partner violence, which is often called "intimate partner violence."

Mamdani and two of his rivals in the NYC mayoral race, Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo, did not return Fox News Digitals request for comment.





Original article source: Domestic violence survivors blast Mamdani for past comments opposing police responses to domestic violence
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  We told the story and you came to the rescue, donating more than $28,000 to the 81-year-old woman who was living in her car outside her dilapidated South Memphis home.

Christine Marshall was in disbelief after hundreds of donations came in overnight to help her rebuild her house. She had no idea how much money had been donated until we showed her.

Its a blessing for the community to reach out like that, her son Antoine Hardin said.

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ORIGINAL STORY: 81-year-old lives in car parked outside of dilapidated South Memphis home

Marshall, whos affectionately known as Mama, has lived in car for the last three years.

While Mama struggles to speak after being diagnosed with throat cancer, she mustered up the strength to thank the generous Memphians who have helped her out.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, she said, and wrote on a piece of paper, Thank you for your help. I love you all.

Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her. Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her. Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her. Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her. Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her. Christine Marshalls reaction when she was told how much money had been donated for her.

Her son Antoine Hardin, who was responsible for putting the GoFundMe together, wanted to thank everyone, as well.

I want to thank Channel 3 for this because its been a blessing, so we can get everything going and trying to get everything rebuilt and get this together. I want to see her happy, shes been hanging in there, he said.

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Marshall had previously turned down invitations to come live with her son because her home was getting broken into.

MS girl social media sensation after nailing Chickenhead rap

The family is currently looking for contractors to help rebuild the home. Hardin says Mama is now staying with him while they clear the inside of the home in order to make repairs.

The City of Memphis say the citys Division of Housing and Community Development will also look at the property to see what they can do.

The GoFundMe is still accepting donations here.

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Dothan, Ala. (WDHN)  In Dothan, upwards of 50 people gathered peacefully for a Good Trouble rally downtown, reflecting the same calm and respect seen during previous protests in the city.

Demonstrators carried signs, prayed, and encouraged each other to continue pushing for change while remaining respectful, even toward hecklers who briefly tried to interrupt the gathering.

Thousands of people across the country took to the streets today to honor the late Congressman John Lewis, marking five years since his death with a national day of action focused on civil and voting rights, healthcare, and immigration.

Dothan mayoral candidate Jimmy McCray attended both the Good Trouble rally and an earlier John Lewis Call to Action Day celebration, emphasizing the local stakes of the days events and the importance of voting in upcoming elections.

Mayoral candidate Jimmy McCray

More than 1,500 Good Trouble rallies were held in all 50 states, with events ranging from marches and candlelight vigils to voter registration drives and community picnics.

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The day of action is part of a growing movement to honor the civil rights icon by continuing his fight for justice.

As communities rally together, the message remains clear: Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, as Lewis once encouraged, to build a more equitable future.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
PANAMA CITY, Fla.  Dozens of protestors gathered today in Panama City for a day of remembrance and action.

Members of the Bay County Democrats stood on the corner of Highway 77 and 23rd Street this afternoon to honor the life and legacy of congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, who died 5 years ago today.

The protest was called Good Trouble Lives On, a famous quote from Lewis.

Protestors say the Trump Administration continues to threaten civil and human rights and that the protest is their way of showing their commitment to justice.

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"Sociopath In Chief." "No Kings In America." "Kids In Chains." "I Like My Rights With No ICE." "Good Trouble."

Waving at passers-by and receiving countless honks from nearby drivers, at least three dozen people gathered Thursday, July 17, on the Broadway Extension bridge at NW 63rd St. in Oklahoma City to commemorate a civil rights leader's legacy and to protest the Trump administration.

"I came out here out of pure disgust of what America is turning into," said Amy Goodman, 50, a retired schoolteacher. "This is not the America that I grew up in, and it just pains me for my children."

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She, like several others, gave a long list of reasons for why she attended the Thursday protest  everything from the "DOGE" cuts to federal agencies and social safety net programs, to issues with women's rights after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Goodman sounded especially angry about the ramped-up deportation policies being implemented by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly referred to as ICE.

"I feel like if one of us is in a cage, we are all in a cage," Goodman said, alluding to the controversial images of Trump's past "zero-tolerance" policy that separated children from their immigrant parents or guardians at the southern U.S. border. "If one child is in chains, all of our children are in chains."

"We've been told our votes don't matter, (and) that Democrats are nonexistent in Oklahoma, but that's a lie," she added. "We're everywhere, and I just want to show everybody that we are a large community, and that if we can understand that there is power in numbers, this is the right side of history to be on."

People gather holding signs during a Good Trouble Lives On" protest in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

The Good Trouble Lives On protest, held in tandem with similar events around the country, was named after a famous phrase by the late John Lewis  a Black activist who rose to prominence in Georgia during the Civil Rights Movement and later went on to represent the state as a U.S. congressman.

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Lewis' phrase "good trouble" referred to his belief in nonviolent action and civil disobedience to injustice, which he championed directly as the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966. July 17 marked five years since Lewis' death.

Lewis was a vocal critic of Trump and his rhetoric during the president's first term, even boycotting his 2017 inauguration. Notably, amid a nationwide outpouring of grief acknowledging Lewis' civil rights legacy after his passing, Trump declined to praise him.

People gather holding signs during a Good Trouble Lives On" protest in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Related: Who was John Lewis? The civil rights icon inspires 'Good Trouble' protests

But several people at the protest in OKC Thursday remembered the example Lewis had set  with some of them having lived long enough to recall it fondly.

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"What's got me out here today is what got me out initially in 1965: the same old stuff," said actor Paul Austin, 88. "I just don't want to give up hope. You know, the worst thing that you can say is it would have been even worse if we didn't do this."

Austin's wife, author Rilla Askew, 74, said that she feared "Trump's trampling of the Constitution," along with a lack of resistance from lawmakers and his open willingness to defy the court system, represented a move toward authoritarianism that America itself had not seen before.

"There are no checks and balances," Askew said. "And if you ever study where authoritarian regimes have taken over, they're just following the playbook, word for word. And that is different than the 1960s, and it's different than anything that we've ever experienced, and that's why it's so terrifying. I think the window of opportunity for us to change that, through nonviolent civic disobedience and resistance, is fairly short, and so that's why these types of demonstrations and the support that we get are so important."

Another protestor, 76-year-old Larry Little, was sporting a Black Lives Matter hat and a "Nothing But Good Trouble" T-shirt. Little, an Air Force veteran of 25 years, said he came out to stand on the bridge both in recognition of Lewis' leadership and Trump's attacks on people of color.

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Little said that while he grew up a patriotic American, he doesn't love Trump's vision for it. Describing Trump as an "obvious" white supremacist, Little said the president's "hate-mongering" rhetoric toward immigrants was un-American.

"Immigrants are the backbone of America," Little said. "These are good people that he's hurting. ICE are coming in with masks and grabbing people off the streets around the country. A lot of those people have families, and they've been here for 20, 30 years. Trump doesn't care."

Chris Phillips wears an American Flag and holds a sign during a Good Trouble Lives On" protest in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

The older gatherers said they were worried that the crippling combination of fear and misinformation was causing more people to avoid mobilizing and voicing their beliefs.

But several of the protesters, diverse in age as well as background, said they felt a sense of unity with those who showed up at the bridge, finding some hope in knowing that they were not alone.

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Chris Phillips, decades younger than either Austin or Askew, was carrying a sign that read "I Have Friends Everywhere," in a nod to the Rebellion-signifying phrase from the Star Wars television series "Andor." The other side of his sign read "We The People Will Have No Dictators And No Kings," with an image of Trump wearing a crossed-out crown.

"We seem to have forgotten that we're granted very strong rights as citizens, and we seem to have forgotten that our voice matters and that our vote matters," Phillips said, recognizing that many now feel disempowered. "The flip side of that coin is that, at least as long as we're out here practicing this, we are in one of the few countries where someone can, abiding by some very simple laws, stand out here and make their opinions heard. They don't have to be violent, they don't have to be harsh and rude, and that is a right and our heritage of Americans."

Ivette Chavarria holds a sign during a Good Trouble Lives On" protest in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Ivette Chavarria, 23, was born in the U.S. but raised in Mexico, where she said she still has a lot of family. Because of that, she takes the recent actions by ICE very personally. She was one of several protesters to mention Alligator Alcatraz, the nickname for an immigration detention facility in Florida making headlines recently for its poor conditions.

Her sign read "Tenemos Que Gritar Lo Que Tus Padres Y Los Mios Callan Por Miedo!," which means "We have to yell what your parents and my parents silence because of fear."

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"Right now, I'm trying to get as many people my age out here to speak for their parents, to speak for their families," Chavarria said. "I'm hoping that maybe this causes the American people to stand up, because what's going on is not American at all."

More: Trump has cracked down on immigration and the border. At what cost?

She said she hopes legislators will listen to the concerns of their constituents and do what is just, not only what they think is right.

"I believe that what's going on right now is mainly about hate. It's not, 'these are the laws,' and it's not, 'we're trying to get our country in order'  no, it's trying to create hate and bring back racism," Chavarria said. "I feel like the lawmakers right now should try to do what's just and not what they think is right, because that's very different. If they're coming from a place of hate, all they're going to do is make decisions based off of that hate, so I really hope that we can change what's going on by speaking up and protesting."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Good Trouble' OKC event honors civil rights legend and protests Trump
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  If youre engaged to get married, listen up.

Next month, you have a chance to win a dream wedding package where everything or almost everything is paid for.

USPS ending Hy-Vee and Lewis Drug mail in Sioux Falls

Anyone who has been married knows paying for it can be stressful.

But this Dream Wedding giveaway is not only going to be good for the pocketbooks of both the bride and groom or in a lot of cases their parents, its also helping a good cause.

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We all know weddings can get expensive, really expensive.

A lot of people want to get married and its a huge expense when you have all the vendors put together, owner of The Social, Lynette Hofer, said.

But not this one.

About a dozen vendors are coming together to offset wedding expenses with a package worth over $26 thousand dollars, including the brides wedding dress.

We understand thats a big expense and its also something that is very near and dear to the brides heart, its a once-in-a-lifetime event that they get to handpick their gown for, Kaylee Wiese of Ellie Stone Bride said.

The package will also include photography, the venue which will be The Social, and a whole lot more.

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We are going to be donating the centerpieces and any other type of decor thats needed for the wedding, Kris Whitney of Accent Events said.

To win the dream wedding package you need to buy a $50 raffle ticket.

Theres no limit, they can buy as many tickets as they want, can enter as many times as they want; mom and dad can enter for them, grandma and grandpa anybody can enter, Hofer said.

Then the winning ticket will be drawn at the Hungry Hearts fundraiser August 23rd at the Barrel House.

Because the money raised with this wedding package will go directly to the Hungry Hearts Foundation, which helps pay for kids school lunches who cant afford them.

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Its amazing, the Sioux Falls community has a heart of gold for kids and you know it just takes different avenues from outside my spectrum in what I do for a living; its another great avenue to raise money, Hungry Hearts founder Mark Fonder said.

Proving that when vendors come together to raise money for a good cause, it too, can be a match made in heaven.

The one caveat is that the wedding couple has to agree to be married on Valentines Day, which is a Saturday.

To learn more about this dream wedding package giveaway and to buy tickets, click here.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  American companies in China are reporting record-low new investment plans for this year and declining confidence in their profitability, with uncertainty in U.S.-China relations and President Donald Trumps tariffs their top concerns, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The companies are also challenged by China's slowing economy, where weak domestic demand and overcapacity in local industries are eroding profitability for the Americans.

Businesses in China are less profitable now than they were years ago, but risks, including reputational risk, regulatory risk, and political risk, are increasing, said Sean Stein, the president of the U.S.-China Business Council, a Washington-based group that represents American companies doing business in China, including major multinationals.

The survey, conducted between March and May and drawing from 130 member companies, came as the two countries clash over tariffs and non-tariff measures, including export controls on critical products such as rare-earth magnets and advanced computer chips. Following high-level talks in Geneva and London, U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to pull back from sky-high tariffs and restrictions on exports, but uncertainty persists as the two sides are yet to hammer out a more permanent trade deal.

Kyle Sullivan, vice president of business advisory services at the USCBC, said more than half of the companies in the survey indicated they do not have new investment plans in China at all this year.

"Thats a record high, Sullivan said, noting that it is a new development that we have not observed in previous surveys.

Around 40% of companies reported negative effects from U.S. export control measures, with many experiencing lost sales, severed customer relationships, and reputational damage from being unreliable suppliers, according to the survey. Citing national security, the U.S. government has banned exports to China of high-tech products, such as the most advanced chips, which could help boost China's military capabilities.

Stein argued that export controls must be very carefully targeted, because businesses from Europe or Japan, or local businesses in China would immediately fill the void left by American companies.

Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia won approval from the Trump administration to resume sales to China of its advanced H20 chips used to develop artificial intelligence, its CEO Jensen Huang announced on Monday, though the company's most powerful chips remain under U.S. export control rules.
A Victorian drinking fountain in Croydon has been restored and reconnected to the water supply.

The public thirst-quencher, on Surrey Street, was built in 1896 and unveiled by the local mayor to mark the completion of a redevelopment programme.

A new push-button system has also been installed to allow water to flow from the lion's mouth.

The charity Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) partnered with Croydon Council for the project, during which more than 300 young people met conservators and took part in creative workshops as part of HOLT's youth engagement programme.

The restoration involved more than 300 young people from schools and youth groups [Heritage of London Trust]

The drinking fountain, an example of Victorian craftsmanship and civic design, is made of materials of the late 19th Century, including faience - glazed terracotta, granite and cast iron.

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According to HOLT, the first public drinking fountain in the capital was erected at St Sepulchre Without Newgate church in the City of London in 1859.

By 1900, hundreds had been installed across the city.

By the time the Surrey Street fountain was installed, clean drinking water was available to a much greater proportion of the population than in 1859, but drinking fountains remained a basic, expected amenity within public spaces, HOLT said.

Dr Nicola Stacey from the trust said it was delighted to be supporting the restoration of this historic fountain in the heart of Croydon  a source of much local pride 130 years ago.

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'King' Louis, a local resident, said: "I love what you've done with this. I'm going to make sure I keep an eye on it and protect it" while another, Maggie, added: "It's so wonderful to see this looking so good and what's better - working".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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MEDINA, Ohio (WJW)  A driver was taken to the hospital after investigators said she crashed into the front of the Little Wiz Fire Museum building in Medina early Friday morning.

According to the Medina Police Department, officers responded to the crash on East Smith Road around 12:30 a.m.

Courtesy of Medina Police Department

When they got there, officers found the vehicle, a black SUV, partially inside the building.

Fugitive on the run for months caught in Elyria

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Through the preliminary investigation, police officials determined that the driver, a woman in her twenties, went off the roadway, struck the building and breached the exterior wall.

The driver was taken to Medina Hospital with injuries. One person inside the building at the time was able to get out safely without injuries.

Courtesy of Medina Police Department

Reported drowning under investigation in Bainbridge

Medina police believe speeding and impairment were involved in the crash, which remains under investigation at this time.

According to the police department, firefighters were also called to the scene to help stabilize the building after the crash.

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An intoxicated 58-year-old Brooklyn driver was arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges after he fatally struck a man crossing a Brooklyn street, police said Friday.

Winston Reid was driving a Ford E350 van east on Church Ave. near E. 55th St. in East Flatbush around 1:15 p.m. Thursday when he struck a man in the crosswalk.

EMS rushed the victim to Brookdale University Hospital, where he died. The man had no ID on him and cops were working to identify him Friday.

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Reid remained at the scene and was charged with vehicular manslaughter, drunk driving and driving while ability impaired. His arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court was pending Friday.

The fatal road incident comes as criminal charges were announced in another deadly crash that occurred in the borough at that start of the year, officials said.

Cops on Thursday said they have charged a 64-year-old driver who mowed down a 95-year-old woman outside her Bensonhurst home on Jan. 24.

Mayya Gil, who survived the Nazis and Chernobyl, was crossing Cropsey Ave. near 24th Ave. in Bensonhurst with the assistance of a home health aide around 12:40 p.m. when they were struck by a Ford cargo van driven by Timothe Andre.

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Gil suffered a massive head injury. Her home health aide, 54, suffered a leg injury, cops said. Both were taken to NYU-Langone Brooklyn Hospital, where Gil died.

Relatives said Gil lived in Ukraine when the Nazis invaded in 1941. Her family moved to Kyiv and lived there through World War II, while the country was under Soviet rule, and during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

In the 1990s, she moved to the U.S. and was a towering figure in Brooklyns Jewish community, relatives said. Her husband died of COVID in 2020.

Andre remained at the scene following the crash, cops said.

After a six-month investigation, members of the NYPDs Collision Investigation Squad charged him with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care, both misdemeanors. His arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court was also pending.

As of Thursday, 60 pedestrians had been killed by vehicles across the city this year  10 fewer than the 70 who died by this time last year.
The Druze religious sect, enmeshed in an outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Syria, began roughly 1,000 years ago as an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam.

Most Druze religious practices are shrouded in secrecy, with outsiders not allowed to convert and intermarriage strongly discouraged.

More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

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Here's a look at the Druze sect:

The principles Druze live by

A core social doctrine for Druze is defending their brothers, meaning defending one another, said Makram Rabah, assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut.

If a Druze person anywhere in the world needed the help of another Druze person, he would automatically get it, said Rabah. Youre part of a bigger community.

He stressed how social and cultural rituals keep the community together. Theyre a big tribe, he said.

Intermarriage is not encouraged. Rabah said mainstream Druze would shun people who marry outside the sect. You are under the risk of being isolated socially and community wise, he said.

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How Druze have interacted with the Syrian government

Syrias Druze have a long history of cutting their own path to survive among the countrys powerhouses. They were heavily involved in revolts against Ottoman and French colonial rule to establish the modern Syrian state.

The Druze largely celebrated the downfall in December of Syrian autocrat Bashar Assad but were divided over interim President Ahmad al-Sharaas rule.

The latest violence has left the community more skeptical of Syrias new leadership and doubtful of peaceful coexistence.

In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention.

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Druze have armed militias

Multiple Druze armed militias have existed for years, originally set up to protect their communities against Islamic State group fighters and drug smugglers coming in from the eastern desert.

Assad reluctantly gave Druze a degree of autonomy, as they wanted to avoid being involved on the front lines. The Druze were exempted from conscription into the Syrian army and instead set up local armed factions made of workers and farmers to patrol their areas.

Since Assads ouster, the Druze have been reluctant to lay down their arms. The result is a cycle of mistrust, where government supporters paint Druze factions as potential separatists or tools of Israel, while government hostility only deepens Druze worries.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
It was a close call for the Pacific Palisades, Calif., home of legendary American designers Charles and Ray Eames. After five months of closure due to smoke damage from the Palisades fires, the Eames House has finally reopened to the public, representatives of the Eames family told WWD on Friday.

The 1.4-acre site sits adjacent to a meadow of eucalyptus trees just north of Santa Monica. Its materials, interior collections and landscaping are maintained as they were during Charles and Rays lifetimes; all three elements tell the story of the couples life and work, which includes the famous galaxy pendant lamp and their iconic Eames chair.

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The home, which was completed in 1949, was spared from the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, but sustained considerable smoke damage. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2007. The midcentury modern landmark known as Case Study House No. 8 has undergone a meticulous process of restoration and cleaning.

For the first time, the couples studio, adjacent to the main living space, will be open to the public. It will now serve as a site for exhibitions, workshops and meeting space.

A New Foundation

In tandem with the reopening of the Eames House, the Eames family launched the Charles and Ray Eames Foundation, an initiative dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of the two American international creative visionaries. Today, their studio, the Eames Office, is still in operation and owns the intellectual property for all of the Eames designs and assets. It continues as a cultural and commercial entity and is the main benefactor of the new Charles and Ray Eames Foundation.



The foundation also announced that it will convene the first Eames Conference in Los Angeles in 2026, creating a new forum for professional dialogue between Eames scholars and institutions like the Library of Congress, the Vitra Design Museum, The Henry Ford, the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity and The Museum of Modern Art. The Eames grandson said the family is focused on carrying on Charles and Rays legacy for future generations.

As grandchildren, it has been our honor to ensure that Charles and Ray continue to make a global impact. Their work extended far beyond their most recognizable contributions in furniture and architecture  it was philosophy, photography, art, exhibition design, toys, lighting design, architecture. It is our responsibility to ensure those contributions are not lost. This next chapter is about succession planning and looking ahead to future generations, said the couples grandson Eames Demetrios, who is the director of the Eames Office, and chairman of the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation. Non-family member Eckart Maise, former chief design officer at Vitra and fourth generation Eames family member Jackie Cassel were appointed to its board of directors, which includes Charles and Rays five grandchildren.

Fire Resilience Is Key

The board also appointed Adrienne Luce as executive director of the foundation. Luce was formerly executive director of the HMC Designing Futures Foundation in Los Angeles.

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Luce said ensuring fire resilience is imperative to the survival of the estate for years to come and is central to the foundations long-term vision. As part of the foundations 250 Year Project to conserve this historic landmark, it will implement a holistic, multilayered strategy that balances preservation with innovation. This includes a robust landscape management plan to fire-harden the site, restore native vegetation, install an underground cistern to support emergency response, and embrace emerging exterior fire protection technologies. These efforts are complemented by community convenings and research initiatives that advance broader wildfire recovery and long-term regional resilience, she told WWD.

The foundation already hosted two gatherings in the studio  one with neighbors, wildfire survivors and community leaders, and another with architects from Case Study: Adapt, a union of 10 of Los Angeles leading architecture firms, which work together to redefine residential design for a changing climate and address challenges facing the Palisades and support broader wildfire recovery efforts.









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The announcement came at the absolute worst time: Harmful algae blooms, or HABs, were identified at Plattsburgh City Beach just days before hundreds of people were set to flock to the area for the 48th annual Mayors Cup Regatta and Festival.

Discovery of the HABs on June 10 meant the beach would be closed for swimming.

But the Sunrise Rotary Club, which organizes the Mayors Cup Regatta and Festival, didnt skip a beat.

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Wanda Carroll, club president, quickly took to the organizations Facebook page Friday afternoon to announce the city of Plattsburgh Fire Department would be bringing a fire truck to the festival to offer a water spray activity for attendees to cool down in lieu of swimming at the beach.

This new addition will bring even more energy and joy to the festivities, Carroll wrote in the post.

And it did. Kids of all ages could be seen enjoying the water pouring from the fire truck during the event Saturday.

While taking in the festivities himself, Plattsburgh Mayor Wendell Hughes couldnt help but praise the Sunrise Rotary Club for the quick thinking following announcement of the beachs closure, saying they really outdid themselves.

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There is so much and its been so fun. I know the kids had a blast, he told Press-Republican reporter Luca Gross.

The festival also included a yoga session on the beach with Cate Fox, followed by the Mayors Cup 5K, kids fun-run, a sand castle building competition, frisbee toss and a cornhole tournament.

Those in attendance also took notice of the late accommodations and expressed their appreciation for the effort.

In an interview with Gross on Saturday, Jeremy Favaro said, Kudos to the city fire department for coming out and doing this, especially since there is no swimming at the beach.

The regatta took place on Lake Champlain and was not affected by the HABs.

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It wasnt just Plattsburgh City Beach forced to close due to the blooms. HABs were also identified at Point Au Roche State Park at Rams Head Trail Bay, Point Au Roche State Park at Deep Bay, Point Au Roche State Park at the public beach, Eastern Shore of Cumberland Head and at Cumberland Bay State Park Beach. The Essex County Health Department also reported beach closures at the Bulwagga Bay Beach in the town of Moriah, Ballard Park Beach in the town of Westport and Port Douglas Beach in the town of Keeseville.

And after all their hard work on the 48th Mayors Cup Regatta and Festival, instead of stopping to enjoy the fruits of their labor, members of the Sunrise Rotary Club were right back at it and talking about and planning for next years event.

The mayor and rotary club officials hope to expand the event  scheduled for July 11, 2026  to include to downtown spaces and businesses.

We want to create some sort of trio event, at the beach, here and downtown, Sue LeBlanc-Durocher, past president of the rotary club, told the P-R for a story in Mondays edition.

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The mayor, who praised the hybrid-location event, said he walked around downtown over the weekend with rotary club members to discuss potential additions to the event.

We were ... talking about how to incorporate more in the event, Hughes said. A hybrid event is good, but I think we can build off that and get some people downtown again.

No matter the plans officials come up with for next year, we know one thing: if any issues arise, theyre likely to come up with a quick solution while staying cool under pressure.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Dream Center Academy)

The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it would release some frozen federal grant funds for after-school programs, following lawsuits from 24 states and pressure from 10 Republican senators.

The freeze, announced by the Trump administration earlier this month, affects programs like 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a federal program that supports afterschool programs for low-income students in North Carolina.

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State education advocates had warned that about 11,000 students and 125 programs across North Carolina were at risk. The freeze on the $35 million grant, part of a broader $165 million allotment in congressionally approved education funds for North Carolina, threatened to eliminate academic enrichment, nutritional support, and safe, supervised environments for children while their parents are at work.

This outcome was the result of a collective effort from parents, program leaders, youth advocates, and community champions that came together to speak up for what matters. It has shown us how many people across North Carolina and across the country support these important programs, and how important it will be to maintain and expand this funding moving forward into FY 26, said Elizabeth Anderson, director of the NC Center for Afterschool Programs  a project of the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

Anderson said the organization will wait until the funds are released on Monday to make a full statement.

After a careful review of the circumstances, the Department has determined that it will release a portion of the impacted grant funds while the litigation proceeds, the department said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.

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The rest of the withheld grants, close to $5 billion, which funds adult literacy and English language instruction, continues to be withheld.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, along with 24 other state attorneys general, sued the U.S. Department of Education this week over the withholding of the funds. The money, which was due to be delivered by July 1, was suddenly paused on the evening of June 30 with little explanation.

In communities all across this country, people are tremendously relieved that the Trump Administration will release the FY25 after-school and summer learning program funds it had withheld, said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance in a released statement. Working parents in particular are breathing an enormous sigh of relief.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has opened public comment on Enbridge Energys permit application for the proposed Line 5 tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac.

The Canadian company plans to tunnel under the straits to place a new pipeline to replace Line 5, which is now 72 years old and past the date of its previously estimated lifespan.

Analysis on Line 5 project identifies short and long term risks

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Line 5 carries natural gas and crude oil across the Great Lakes region, spanning from Superior, Wisconsin all the way to Sarnia, Ontario.

Environmentalists have been vocal about concerns of a potentially catastrophic oil spill in the straits for nearly a decade now. Enbridge engineers had confirmed that there were gaps in the pipelines coating in the Straits of Mackinac. Those fears were exacerbated in 2018 when a boat anchor struck the pipeline and caused damage. That strike helped push forward the plan to replace the pipeline with the tunnel project.

The Michigan Public Service Commission issued state permits for the project in December 2023, but several environmental groups and local indigenous communities have petitioned the courts to reverse the MPSC decision.

Enbridge claims a Line 5 shutdown would have a dramatic impact on the region, especially Michigans Upper Peninsula, and cut thousands of jobs. Environmentalists have pushed back against the companys reports, calling them exaggerated, while noting a major oil spill could cripple the Great Lakes economy.

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A 2016 study, led by University of Michigan hydrodynamics expert David Schwab, ran 840 simulations of a 25,000-barrel leak in the Straits of Mackinac. The study found up to 720 miles of shoreline on the U.S. and Canadian coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron would require cleanup. Mackinac and Bois Blanc islands would also face serious risk, along with Beaver Island, Harbor Springs and Cheboygan. All told, that could cost billions in cleanup and lost economic opportunity.

Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Straits of Mackinac pipeline tunnel project

Comments will be accepted through Aug. 29. Two virtual meetings will be held during the public notice period. One is an informational session on Aug. 12 to discuss the application and review process. The other is on Aug. 19. That one is considered the formal public hearing on the Line 5 project.

The public can register to attend either hearing through EGLEs website. Public comments can also be submitted through the departments site, via email or mail: EGLE, GDO-WRD, P.O. Box 30458, Lansing, Michigan, 48909.

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The Brief

Trump administration allows ICE access to 79 million Medicaid enrollees' data.

Patient advocates say this move violates civil rights, fearing it deters care.

California's AG is suing to stop it, with a hearing set for August 7.

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has struck a deal to give immigration officials access to Medicaid enrollees' personal data.

It's expected ICE will use the information to try to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the US.

FILE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agents detain an immigrant on October 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

ICE to get access to Medicaid records

A DHS spokesperson tells FOX 4 the new initiative will help ensure undocumented migrants do not have access to Medicaid benefits.

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While patient rights advocates call it an "unprecedented" move that violates a person's civil rights, even if they're in the country illegally.

Under the new deal reached between DHS and the "centers for Medicare and Medicaid services," ICE agents will soon have access to the personal information of nearly 79 million Medicaid enrollees.

According to the Associated Press, the data will be used to identify and locate people ICE believes are in the country unlawfully.

What they're saying

"The American people elected more border enforcement," said Vice President JD Vance. "And that's exactly what the president is trying to deliver."

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Some say it's a sharp contrast from the president's initial message of going after "the worst of the worst" violent criminals first.

Vance, though, says any illegal migrant is "fair game."

"What the president has said is we really want to focus on the illegal immigrants who came during the Biden administration. But also, we're enforcing everywhere," Vance said.

Critics, however, argue everybody has the right to health care in America.

The other side

"Public health doesnt care whether we have a current immigration status or what our income is," Lynn Cowles said.

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Cowles is with Every Texan, a non-profit group based in Austin that advocates for public policies to expand equitable access to services like quality healthcare.

"This is an egregious overstepping of access to individuals personal information. Health programs are sacred, or at least they have been," said Cowles.

She says federal dollars are not allocated for people in the US illegally, but explains that undocumented citizens who receive emergency care at a public hospital, and can't pay for it, are put into the Medicaid system.

Cowles says the new initiative will have a chilling effect on the total migrant community.

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"Many people will avoid emergency rooms and hospitals when they possibly can because of policies like this."

Texas to collect migrants' hospital records

Local perspective

Here in Texas, last August Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order directing the State Health Agency to collect information on illegal migrants who use Texas public hospitals.

State data shows that added up in fiscal year 2025 to more than 109,000 patients, totaling over $447 million.

Big picture view

The White House points to states like California, accusing Democratic leaders there of cheating the system.

"Let's be honest about what they're doing. They're literally taking medication and medical services away from poor Americans so that they can give it to illegal immigrants."

What's next

On Thursday, the California Democratic Attorney General called the agreement "reckless and a weaponization of private, sensitive data."

The AG filed a preliminary injunction to try and stop it. A hearing is set for August 7.

The Source

Information in this report came from public statements made by elected officials.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A father and son voluntarily surrendered on Tuesday, July 15, after illegally dumping waste near Montana Vista, according to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPCSO).

According to EPCSO, 41-year-old Mario Hernandez and 17-year-old Derek Hernandez voluntarily surrendered and were booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility.

Derek Hernandez. Photo courtesy of the El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

Mario Hernandez. Photo courtesy of the El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

Mario Hernandez was issued a $2,000 bond, and Derek Hernandez was issued a $1,500 bond, EPCSO said.

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El Paso County Sheriffs Office said that on July 4, the departments East Montana Patrol Station Criminal Investigations Unit received a report of illegal dumping in a desert area near Montana Vista.

In addition to the report, photographs, taken by a citizen, were included showing the two men discarding debris, EPCSO said.

The Criminal Investigations Unit launched an investigation and identified the suspects as Mario Hernandez and Derek Hernandez, EPCSO said.

EPCSO said deputies located the dumping site and saw approximately 12 cubic feet of waste. Based on the volume of the debris, two Class B misdemeanor warrants were issued for illegal dumping.

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Mario Hernandez and Derek Hernandez then voluntarily surrendered and were taken into custody, EPCSO said.

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DURBAN (Reuters) -G20 finance chiefs agreed a communique on Friday that underscored the importance of central bank independence and the role of the World Trade Organisation in advancing trade issues.

Here are the key points the finance ministers and central bank governors agreed on during a two-day meeting in the coastal city of Durban, South Africa, as well as which policy areas were omitted.

GLOBAL ECONOMY AND TRADE

The communique highlighted the uncertainty in the global economy caused by conflicts, trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, high debt levels, and frequent extreme weather events and natural disasters.

It also affirmed the commitment of central banks to ensure price stability, stating, "central bank independence is crucial to achieving this goal."

MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

The finance chiefs stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation, recognising the World Trade Organisation (WTO) role in advancing trade issues and maintaining agreed-upon rules as part of the global trading system.

However, they acknowledged the WTO's challenges, calling for "meaningful, necessary, and comprehensive reform."

DEBT

The finance chiefs said they were committed to addressing debt vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income countries, including a commitment to further strengthen the implementation of the G20 Common Framework in a "predictable, timely, orderly, and coordinated manner."

Launched in late 2020, the G20 Common Framework is a platform that aimed to enable debt restructuring on a case-by-case basis and get overstretched countries back on their feet. But progress has been slow.

"We furthermore call for enhanced debt transparency from all stakeholders, including private creditors," the communique said.

OMISSIONS

While the communique referred to "extreme weather events and natural disasters" as economic challenges, it did not explicitly address climate change.

It also contained no mentions of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, long a point of division for the group, nor the conflicts involving Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Instead, the communique mentioned "ongoing wars and conflicts" without elaborating.

The word tariff did not appear in the commmunique, which instead referred to "trade tensions."

(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Mark John and Hugh Lawson)
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Pasos Department of Public Health is facing a $3.5 million loss in federal and state grant funding, most of it tied to COVID-19 programs that have now expired.

Assistant Director Sara Cera says about $3.2 million of that was tied to pandemic-era grants that helped the department expand operations during COVID-19.

Local health agencies were also allowed to use funds to track infectious diseases, strengthen lab capacity and plan for future public health emergencies.

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Those programs that were reduced by a specific percentage that included our public health emergency preparedness, our laboratory, and tuberculosis  those have been affected in the way that we have to rework our budget and eliminate several positions, Cera said.

Among the programs impacted  public health emergency preparedness, laboratory services, and tuberculosis response  officials say three to four positions will be cut, though specific roles are still under review.

While health departments nationwide are dealing with similar funding challenges, Cera says El Pasos location on the U.S.-Mexico border brings additional challenges.

We serve three states and two different countries, she said. Thats what makes us unique, being a border city in a tri-state area vs. other places that might not have those challenges.

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The department routinely works with communities in southern New Mexico and has historically partnered with agencies in Juarez for cross-border health initiatives. Officials say when funding shrinks here, the ripple effects often extend beyond El Paso.

Despite the setbacks, Cera says the department remains focused on its core mission.

Our main goal is prevention, she said. We will aim and strive to prevent any public health threat to the community.

City leaders say theyre now working to secure new grants to offset the funding loss and continue supporting the services many residents rely on.

For more information, visit elpasotexas.gov/public-health.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A 30-year-old motorcyclist collided with a guardrail on an interchange heading to Loop 375 and later died from his injuries, El Paso Police said.

The crash happened just before 1:30 a.m. on July 4 along Interstate 10 at the interchange heading to Loop 375 in far East El Paso, police said.

John Tobias, 30, was riding with a group of other motorcyclists when they exited I-10 to head onto the interchange going to Loop 375.

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Police said Tobias got separated from the group, which was driving in front of a truck.

The truck continued south on Loop 375 and for unknown reasons, Tobias hit the center guardrail at the top of the interchange, police said.

Tobias was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Police said that Tobias was not wearing a helmet.

The Special Traffic Investigations Unit is continuing to investigate this crash. Anyone with information is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (915) 832-4400 or Crime Stoppers of El Paso at (915) 566-8477.

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By Aram Roston, Ted Hesson and Vivian Sequera

WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) -Over 200 Venezuelans who were deported from the United States on allegations of gang membership earlier this year and detained in an El Salvador jail arrived home to Caracas on Friday.

The release was part of a coordinated prisoner exchange, with 10 Americans held in Venezuela returned to the United States, officials from all three countries said.

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In a post on X, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said the Americans were en route to El Salvador from where they would continue "their journey home," while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of "ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela." He thanked Bukele for his help in securing the agreement.

Venezuela's government said 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador had been freed. President Nicolas Maduro celebrated the arrival of two airplanes carrying them near Caracas on Friday evening.

The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the United States in March after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures. They were held in El Salvador's notorious CECOT maximum security prison.

The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration over allegations that due process was not followed.

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Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administration's allegations in court.

"I can't believe it," said Angie Rios, the U.S. citizen wife of Venezuelan CECOT detainee Jesus Rios after seeing Bukele's X post about the release. "I have chills all over my body."

Some family members of Venezuelan CECOT prisoners told Reuters they expected to greet their loved ones from a distance before the men are processed by Venezuelan authorities.

The government has said all the men will receive a full medical check and then be released to go home. It says only seven of them have a serious criminal record.

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POLITICAL PRISONERS

The shuttered U.S. embassy in Caracas shared a photo on X of 10 men waving American flags alongside U.S. Charge dAffaires John McNamara, who is based in Bogota. A press representative said the photo was taken in Caracas. A later photo showed the men onboard a plane.

Senior U.S. officials also said 80 domestic political prisoners in Venezuela would be freed, although the Venezuelan government referred only to "alternative" detention measures in its statement.

Former opposition governor and politician Williams Davila, arrested in August of last year, was released on Friday, said Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, while an NGO for political prisoners published a list of 14 others they said had been released.

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Separately, Venezuela hailed the return of seven migrant children who had been separated from their parents in the United States. The children were among another batch of Venezuelans who returned from the U.S. on a regular deportation flight.

Venezuela's government has always decried the detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the government's critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela.

The U.S. Alien Enemies Act is best known for being used to intern and deport people of Japanese, German and Italian descent during World War Two.

Trump's use of the act kicked off a major legal standoff in the U.S. that tested the balance of power between the president and the judiciary, a co-equal branch of government to the executive.

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Much of the legal battle focused on whether the Trump administration had violated a court order by declining to turn around the planes carrying the Venezuelans to El Salvador, despite a judge's directive to halt the deportations.

The Supreme Court in May said the Trump administration must give "constitutionally adequate notice" before using the Alien Enemies Act to bypass standard immigration processes.

The high court also ruled that people subjected to the law are entitled to habeas petitions to request their release, limiting its application.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson and Aram Roston in Washington and Vivian Sequera in Caracas, additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota, Kristina Cooke in San Francisco and Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City; Writing by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Don Durfee, Rod Nickel and Rosalba O'Brien)
El Salvador on Friday freed scores of Venezuelans deported from the United States to a notorious maximum security prison, the outcome of a highly coordinated prisoner swap between Caracas and Washington.

The administration of US President Donald Trump said the men were released in exchange for 10 Americans held in Venezuela, and an unknown number of "political prisoners" in the South American country.

The move appears to end a months-long detention of migrants that had been decried by rights groups and slammed by Trump's critics in the United States.

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After prolonged uncertainty over the fate of more than 250 Venezuelans expelled from the United States in March, two Caracas-bound Venezuelan planes took off from San Salvador on Friday to the immense joy and relief of loved ones back home.

"I can't contain my happiness," Mercedes Yamarte, mother of CECOT inmate Mervin Yamarte, told AFP.

"I arranged the reception, what am I going to do? I'll make a soup."

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said on X that "today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country."

The United States sent the group of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in March to be locked up in its feared CECOT anti-"terrorism" jail, accused without evidence of belonging to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang.

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The Trump administration invoked rarely used wartime laws to fly the men to the Central American nation without any court hearings.

Bukele claimed in his post that many of the men "face multiple charges for murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes."

- 'High price' -

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X Friday that "ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom" thanks to a deal that also included "the release of Venezuelan political prisoners."

He thanked Bukele "for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees."

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The US embassy in Caracas published a photo of the individuals with American flags.

In the United States, families were also excited to see their loved ones return. One had been imprisoned for nearly a year.

Global Reach, an NGO that works for wrongly detained Americans, said one of the men freed was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, held since he was "kidnapped" by Venezuelan border guards while vacationing in Colombia in January.

"We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," it quoted his younger sister Sophie Hunter as saying.

Uruguay said one of its citizens, resident in the United States, was among those liberated after nine months in Venezuelan detention.

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Nicolas Maduro's government in a statement said it had paid a "high price" to secure the return of its compatriots.

Apart from the freeing of the Americans, it said "alternative measures" to imprisonment had been granted to Venezuelans detained for "their involvement in common crimes and offenses against the constitutional order."

The prisoner rights NGO Foro Penal told AFP it was verifying the identities of the people concerned.

- 'Rescued' -

Another plane arrived at Maiquetia airport earlier Friday from Houston with 244 Venezuelans deported from the United States and seven children who Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said had been "rescued from the kidnapping to which they were being subjected."

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The children were among 30 who Caracas says remained in the United States after their Venezuelan parents were expelled.

Clamping down on migrants is a flagship pursuit of Trump's administration, which has ramped up raids and deportations.

It has agreed with Maduro to send undocumented Venezuelans back home, and flights have been arriving near daily also from Mexico, where many got stuck trying to enter the United States.

Official figures show that since February, more than 8,200 people have been repatriated to Venezuela from the United States and Mexico, including some 1,000 children.

The Venezuelans detained in El Salvador had no right to phone calls or visits, and their relatives unsuccessfully requested proof of life.

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Bukele had CECOT built as part of his war on criminal gangs, but he agreed to receive millions of dollars from the United States to house the Venezuelans there.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have denounced the detentions as a violation of human rights.

burs-mlr/mlm
El Salvador is repatriating approximately 250 detained Venezuelans in exchange for US nationals held in Venezuela, the governments of the US and El Salvador have announced.

The Central American country exchanged the prisoners - migrants deported from the US and incarcerated in the notorious Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) prison - for the release of 10 US nationals from Venezuela.

The planeload of migrants leaving El Salvador is scheduled to arrive in Maiquetia, Venezuela later on Friday.

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A senior US administration official told reporters that, with the release, there are currently no longer any US nationals being held by the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

In a post on X on Friday, Salvadorean leader Nayib Bukele said: "Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA)."

He said the exchange was done in return "for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners" as well as the US citizens.

In a separate post, US Secretary of State Marc Rubio confirmed the exchange and thanked Bukele and American officials.

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Citing privacy concerns, US officials have so far declined to publicly identify any of the US nationals released as part of the deal.

CBS, the BBC's US partner, has reported that one of them is former Navy Seal Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, who was detained in Venezuela last year while on a personal trip.

The Venezuelans being repatriated had originally been deported by the US under the Trump administration to El Salvador earlier this year, under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which gives a US president power to detain and deport natives or citizens of "enemy" nations without usual processes.

Among the Venezuelans released is Oscar Gonzalez Pineda, who's mother Gertrudis lives in western Venezuela.

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She told the BBC in a voice message she was "so happy my heart is overflowing", adding: "I'm so thankful to God, to (Venezuelan) President Nicolas Maduro for fighting to free them, to the lawyers there in El Salvador."

Oscar was working as a tile and carpet fitter when he was detained by immigration authorities in Dallas. Initially he understood he was going to a detention facility in Texas but was one of the 252 deportees to Cecot.

Gertrudis has always insisted Oscar had no link to the Tren de Aragua gang.

Gertrudis Pineda insists her son Oscar is not a criminal [Courtesy of Gertrudis Pineda]

A senior Trump administration official told reporters on Friday that El Salvador made the "independent decision" to release the Venezuelan prisoners - which it considers to be gang members - for humanitarian reasons.

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Some of the families of the Venezuelan deportees have denied that they have gang connections.

The official added that the complicated deal was "down to the wire", and was only confirmed to reporters once the aircraft carrying the US nationals left Venezuelan airspace on Friday afternoon.

"We're dealing with a regime in which there is always a degree of uncertainty on their side, and a degree of uncertainty on our side," the official said. "At the end of the day, everything worked out, everything is fine and everyone is safely on their way to be reunited with their loved ones."

Relations between Bukele and US President Donald Trump have warmed significantly in recent months, especially as Bukele had agreed to detain deported US migrants.

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The exchange facilitated by El Salvador highlights that strong relationship between Trump and Bukele - the self-styled "world's coolest dictator".

"This deal would not have been possible without President Bukele," the administration official said. "We extend our deep, deep gratitude."

The Salvadoran leader visited Trump in the White House in April, where the pair appeared friendly as they spoke to reporters, often laughing and cracking jokes together.

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Bukele has backed the deportation of migrants from the United States to El Salvador's Cecot maximum security jail.

Trump said at the time that Bukele is "really helping out" the US by facilitating these detentions, as the Salvadoran president responded that his country is "very eager to help".

Around the same time, Bukele first proposed swapping Venezuelan deportees for "political prisoners", including family members of Venezuelan opposition figures, journalists and activists detained in a government electoral crackdown in 2024.

"The only reason they are imprisoned is for having opposed you and your electoral fraud," he wrote to Maduro on X.

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"However, I propose a humanitarian agreement that includes the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release and surrender of an identical number (252) of the thousands of political prisoners you hold."

While Maduro's government rejected the deal, the administration official said they saw the proposal as a "critical opportunity" to potentially retrieve US nationals.

The senior administration official said that while the deal only pertained to US nationals kept in Venezuela, the Trump administration is still actively working on the release of "dozens" of political prisoners held by the Maduro government.

The US currently has no official diplomatic relations with Venezuela, on which the US has imposed heavy sanctions.

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The administration official said the lifting of sanctions was not a part of the "conversation" about the prisoner swap.

The issue of deportations to El Salvador was starkly highlighted earlier this year by the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, where he alleged he was subjected to "severe beatings" and "torture" when detained in Cecot.

The Trump administration had previously alleged Mr Abrego Garcia - a citizen of El Salvador - was a member of the Salvadorian gang, MS-13, which his lawyers and family have strongly denied.

He was returned to the US in July to face human trafficking charges - to which he has pleaded not guilty
Poll workers process ballots at City Hall on November 05, 2024, in Janesville, Wisconsin. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Election officials across the country fear the loss of federal support for election security, according to a new survey.

Sixty percent of local election officials expressed some level of concern, a survey by the Brennan Center for Justice found. The center, a left-leaning pro-democracy institute, surveyed 858 officials between mid-April and mid-May.

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The concern comes as President Donald Trump has curtailed federal election security work. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, in March halted its election security work. A month earlier, the Department of Government Efficiency task force also fired 130 cybersecurity workers at the agency.

And Trump in April ordered an investigation into Christopher Krebs, a former agency director who had vouched for the security of the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claims was stolen.

Federal cuts mean election officials are going to need more financial support from state and local governments, said Lawrence Norden, vice president of Brennans Elections and Government Program. The federal government has the advantage of being able to see the big picture and more easily share information with election officials across the country, he said.

That is going to be difficult for states to replicate, Norden said. It doesnt mean its impossible, but they have to start rethinking how theyre sharing information about what theyre seeing with each other.

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Cybersecurity has long been a concern of states  and not just in elections. Only 22 of 48 states that participated in a voluntary 2023 cybersecurity review conducted by federal agencies met or exceeded recommended security levels.

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In the Brennan survey, 36% of local election officials said they were very concerned about federal cuts to election security services, while 24% said they were somewhat concerned and 21% said they were a little concerned. Nineteen percent said they were not concerned at all.

Sixty-one percent of local election officials expressed some level of concern over cuts to the federal cybersecurity agency specifically, with 32% saying they were very concerned. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
Jul. 18The Ohio Department of Development and the Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) are once again offering assistance to help Ohio's families stay cool during the hot summer months.

Through Sept. 30, income-eligible Ohioans can receive assistance in paying their electric bill, purchasing an air conditioner or fan or making repairs to their central air conditioning unit through the Ohio Department of Development's Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program.

"We're proud to partner with community action agencies across the state to deliver this critical support during the hottest months of the year," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, which administers the program. "Time after time, this program has proven to be a vital lifeline for countless Ohioans when temperatures start to rise."

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The Summer Crisis Program assists low-income households or those that have a disconnection notice, have been shut off, are trying to establish new service on their electric bill, require air conditioning or those with a person 60 years or older living in the home, or who can provide physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for their health. Qualifying medical conditions can include lung disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, asthma, and others.

To qualify for assistance, Ohioans must have a gross income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for a family of up to eight members, and 60 percent of the state median income for a family of nine or more members. For a family of four, the annual income must be at or below $56,262.50.

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Last year, the Summer Crisis Program assisted more than 44,000 households in Ohio, providing a total of $13.5 million in benefits.

Starting this year, applying for assistance and managing an account will be easier than ever. A new, streamlined online portal will be available at energyhelp.ohio.gov. To get started, Ohioans must register for an OHID account, which provides a secure and convenient way to access their HEAP account.

"We know that when someone is facing a crisis, every minute counts," said Mihalik. "This new online system makes it faster and easier for Ohioans to apply for help  so they can get the support they need, when they need it most."

Registration takes less than seven minutes and can be completed in these easy steps:

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Visit energyhelp.ohio.gov, and click "Log into the EA portal."

Click "Create an OHID," and follow the six-step account creation process.

Ensure account security by setting up multi-factor authentication.

To apply for the program, clients are required to schedule an appointment with

Lawrence County  Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization

Clients need to bring copies of the following documents to their appointment:

Copies of their most recent energy bills.

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A list of all household members and proof of income for the last 30 days or 12 months for each member.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.

Proof of disability (if applicable).

Physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for a household member's health.

For more information about the Summer Crisis Program, and what is needed to apply, contact the Lawrence County CAO at 740-532-3140. To be connected to your local energy assistance provider, visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or call (800) 282-0880.

The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio's people, places and businesses. Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.

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Elon Musk rushed to Donald Trumps defense after a damning Wall Street Journal report detailed a lewd birthday letter the president allegedly presented to Jeffrey Epstein.

The tech billionaire has repeatedly demanded the release of the unredacted documents related to the disgraced financiers sex-trafficking case since dropping the really big bomb last month, a baseless claim that Trump was withholding the files because they implicated him.

After the Journal described on Thursday a birthday card that appeared to be signed by Trump for Epsteins 50th birthday, Musk abruptly shifted gears, coming to the former presidents defense.

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Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the message read, according to the newspaper. The report states text is surrounded by a drawing of a naked woman, punctuated by a squiggly Donald mimicking pubic hair.

Hours after the reports release, the presidents former first buddy said: It really doesnt sound like something Trump would say tbh.

Elon Musk has said that the alleged Epstein birthday card doesnt really sound like Trump (Getty)

Elon Musk has said that the alleged Epstein birthday card doesnt really sound like Trump (Getty)

Musk retweeted a summary from his AI tool, Grok, casting doubt over the authenticity of the birthday card. In another similar Grok summary, he replied with a fire emoji.

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Trump denied having anything to do with the card, claiming, I never wrote a picture in my life.

I dont draw pictures of women, he told the Journal. Its not my language. Its not my words.

He also threatened to sue the Journal if the story was published  a threat he has now vowed to act upon. In a Truth Social post on Thursday night, the president stated that he plans to sue the newspaper, its parent company, News Corp, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, soon.

The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued, Trump wrote, referring to himself in the third person.

The president lashed out at the Wall Street Journals report, threatening to sue the paper, Newscorp and Rupert Murdoch (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The president lashed out at the Wall Street Journals report, threatening to sue the paper, Newscorp and Rupert Murdoch (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so, he continued. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway.

The president also described several lawsuits he has filed against the press, including ABC and CBS, which were settled.

The report comes as the Trump administration continues to face backlash after a Department of Justice and FBI memo released last week stated that there was no evidence that Epstein had a client list.

Trump has since dismissed Epsteins case as a hoax, a scam, and bull****.

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He has accused his Democratic predecessors and former officials of fabricating documents related to the case, while chastising some of his MAGA base calling for the files release, branding them as weaklings.

As constituents apply pressure on the GOP to provide more transparency around the Epstein files, House Republicans voted down a Democratic amendment Thursday night.

Lawmakers attempted to advance a bipartisan bill calling for the full release of documents related to the convicted sex offenders case.

Early Friday morning, Musk admitted on X that it would be hard to accept a clean bill not going to a vote.
BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  A Louisiana Tech student is honored for her bravery during the devastating Texas floods. A ceremony was held on Thursday, July 17th, at the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in Baton Rouge.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry recognized 21-year-old Emma Foltz, whos been a counselor at Camp Mystic for three years. Shes credited with bringing 14 girls to safety during the deadly flooding on July 4th.



Foltz said her cabin was on higher ground than others near the river. She says her co-counselors focus was to keep the girls entertained and not let them know the extent of the danger.

Then we saw a lot of helicopters. So, we were just like, oh you know, theyre just here for the news because of the big flood. Just kind of reminding them, if your parents watch the news, theyll be circling the area where it flooded, Just being like, there was just a big flood in like Texas. Theyre just covering that media. Not letting them know what was going on at the other camp. So yeah, and then we evacuated and made sure all of our girls were safe, Foltz shared.

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She was able to, and those around her, to keep the people who they were responsible for, from worry, okay. Because the biggest, the biggest danger that we all face is when we panic. And Emma, what we do in this building is that we make sure the people that we have on the ground have the assets to keep the people from panicking, that they are prepared. We consistently remind people all the time that the more prepared you are, the safer you will be, Governor Landry said.



Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.)  A four-legged member of the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO) was treated to a retirement cake and celebration of his service during a ceremony on Thursday, July 17.

K9 Knox began his career in 2018 and served faithfully until his retirement ceremony on Thursday. From 2018 to 2021, K9 Knox served with Deputy Ronnie Hancock and transferred to serve with Deputy Gregory Stoneham from 2021 until his retirement. During his tenure, K9 Knox was deployed over 250 times, resulting in more than 50 arrests, a dozen surrenders, and several major seizures.

K9 Knox was also a trusted partner to School Resource Officers, assisting in 77 deployments on school campuses across the county. He completed 32 deployments at the El Paso County Jail and 11 with the Metro Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Division.

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K9 Knox has served this agency and our community with tireless dedication, said Sheriff Joseph Roybal. As a manpower multiplier, K9 Knox not only helped keep our schools and neighborhoods safe but also represented the highest standards of service in everything he did. We thank him for his incredible work and wish him a well-deserved, restful retirement.

Throughout his service, K9 Knox helped locate over $25,000 in currency and more than 91 pounds of illegal marijuana, 758 grams of methamphetamine, and 153 grams of heroin from the streets of the Pikes Peak region. K9 Knox was the only certified currency detection K9 in the entire state of Colorado for the past three years.

The bond I have with this dog is like no other, said newly promoted sergeant Stoneham, Knoxs handler. Im closer with this dog than most anybody except for my wife. I spent 40 hours a week, every week, for the last five years with him.

Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office

On Thursday, Sergeant Stoneham was at the ceremony where Knox was treated to a tasty, paw-shaped cake to celebrate the many achievements of this good boy.

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K9 Knox will now enjoy retirement at home with Stoneham, who said he looks forward to many nights with Knox enjoying turkey and French fries.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Cheng Xin / Getty Images Netflix shares have added about 40% in 2025 so far.

Netflix (NFLX) is scheduled to report earnings after the bell Thursday, with traders expecting shares could swing after the results.

Current options pricing suggests traders anticipate Netflix stock could move about 6% or $70 in either direction Friday. A move of that scale would lift shares to just above $1320 at the high end, or leave them near $1,180 at the bottom end of that range, their lowest level since May.

Netflix shares lost about 1% Wednesday to close at $1,250.31. Still, the stock is up 40% in 2025 so far.

Netflix's stock has registered an average post-earnings move of 6% over the past four quarters, and risen in three of those instances. In April, shares rose a little over 1% after the streaming giant beat analysts expectations, thanks in part to higher subscription and ad revenues. Those results came shortly after Netflix executives reportedly said their goal is to double the companys $39 billion in revenue last year by 2030.

Analysts are largely bullish on Netflixs long-term outlook heading into the earnings report, and expect the streamer to report rising revenue and profits. Of 17 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha, 13 rate Netflix stock a buy, while just four give it a hold. Their average price target of about $1,330 is roughly 6% above the stocks closing price on Wednesday.



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President Trumps criticism of whom he called weaklings and foolish Republicans focused on the Jeffrey Epstein case is putting him on a collision course with many members of his MAGA base.

The president this week has grown increasingly frustrated with all the attention on documents connected to Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex predator.

But his calls for others to move on have put him at odds with a number of staunch allies who have pressed for the government to share more information about the Epstein case or appoint a special prosecutor to review the matter.

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Trumps allies have been divided at times over policy, including last months operation to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. But the Epstein issue is setting up to be a bigger test for Trumps political coalition, because the president himself is admonishing some of his supporters.

This is not a kitchen table issue in the 2026 midterms, said one Trump ally. Within the MAGA base it is certainly an issue.

Trumps tone toward the Epstein case has shifted in recent days from mild annoyance to outright aggravation, some of it targeting supporters who have continued to beat the drum seeking more information.

He has started calling the Epstein case a hoax and suggested it was a controversy started by Democrats, even though Epstein was arrested and died in jail in 2019, during Trumps first term.

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Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats work, Trump said Wednesday.

I call it the Epstein hoax. Takes a lot of time and effort. Instead of talking about the great achievements weve had  theyre wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems, who died three, four years ago. Id rather talk about the success we have with the economy, Trump added.

Many Trump supporters have pushed for additional disclosures after the FBI and Justice Department last week stated Epstein did not have a client list and that his 2019 death at his New York City jail cell was a suicide. Some prominent Trump allies have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epsteins death and claims that a client list would reveal ties between Epstein and prominent Democrats.

Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britains Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy people. Epsteins associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been convicted of sex trafficking.

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Trumps supporters are typically exceedingly deferential to the president. But in the Epstein case, many allies have pressed for more information rather than turn the page.

Its a very delicate subject, but you should put everything out there, let the people decide it, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on conservative commentator Benny Johnsons podcast. Pam Bondi needs to come forward and explain it to the American people. Lets get this thing resolved.

Johnson later argued he was in alignment with Trump on the issue given the presidents comments that the attorney general should release credible evidence.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has called for a special counsel to review the handling of Epstein documents, something the White House said Trump does not support. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is backing a discharge petition in the House to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

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The pushback also has come from outside of the Capitol.

Lara Trump, the presidents daughter-in-law and a Fox News host, said in a podcast interview with Benny Johnson that there needs to be more transparency around the Epstein documents.

Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served a brief stint as President Trumps national security adviser in 2017, took to social media on Wednesday to argue the Epstein case was not a hoax as the president had claimed.

With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this, Flynn posted on the social platform X. The roll out of this was terrible, no way around that. Americans want America to be successful, therefore, WE NEED YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

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Mike Cernovich, who was among the right-wing influencers who visited the White House in March and were given binders that purported to contain information about Epstein, has been one of multiple outspoken MAGA figures pushing back on efforts by the administration to move on from the Epstein case.

Fact check. Almost of all of Trumps big wins in 2025 are policies the base fought for HIS FIRST TERM. He is still years behind, Cernovich posted on X. He made several devastating mistakes when he didnt listen to the base. So too now with Epstein.

A CNN poll found 40 percent of Republicans said they were dissatisfied with the amount of information the government has released in the Epstein case, compared with 4 percent who said they were satisfied.

But its not clear that frustration is translating to displeasure with the president himself. The same CNN poll found 88 percent of Republicans approved of Trumps job performance, up slightly from 86 percent in the networks previous poll.

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Asked Thursday if Trump and the White House had been in touch with MAGA voices who were still unsatisfied with the administrations approach on the Epstein issue, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and his team are always in contact with the presidents supporters, with voices of many kinds on both sides of the aisle.

Trump has throughout his political career faced political and personal controversies that have generated headlines about whether GOP voters would peel away from him, ranging from strikes against Iran to his criminal indictments. But in each case, Trump has proven to possess an enduring appeal among his supporters and has been able to weather practically any news cycle.

As the leader and the creator of the MAGA movement, he has led through these perilous times for our country based on instinct and in the best interest of the country, Leavitt said. And as I always say, the American people should trust in President Trump.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The president is expected to sign into law Friday a package of cuts passed by Congress late Thursday night but the talk in Washington is still dominated by the Epstein files and how the president is responding to the controversy.

The spending cuts cancel billions in federal funding.

Debate over the records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case held up the House late Thursday from its vote to cut $9 billion from public media and foreign aid.

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We were working on cutting fraud waste and abuse and wasteful spending and they kept trying to hijack that and derail that and turn it into Epstein hearings. Thats not what the subject was, said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

The bill ultimately passed after midnight, and Republicans say it cuts waste.

We must reign in irresponsible agencies, said Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.).

Democrats say it will hurt Americas standing on the world stage.

This is not an America first bill its a China first bill, said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

However, controversy over Epstein dominated the debate.

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While the House debated, the Wall Street Journal reported President Trump sent a suggestive letter to Epstein for his birthday in 2003.

The president denies that and says hes suing the Journal, but he is directing more information to come out from grand jury testimony, a small portion of the files related to the case.

Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern says thats not enough.

You either vote to release the files, or you vote to bury them, said McGovern.

Republicans put forward a resolution calling for the Justice Department to release credible information, but Democrats note that doesnt have the force of law.

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The president has until midnight to sign the bill into law, or the cuts wont take effect.

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The Brief

Elon Musk claimed Donald Trump is named in the Epstein files, reigniting public interest and online speculation.

The FBI says its reviewing tens of thousands of Epstein-related materials but has not confirmed any names or release dates.

Only partial records have been made public, and pressure is mounting on the DOJ to release more.

After years of speculation and partial disclosures, the Epstein files have returned to the national spotlight .

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Elon Musk accused President Donald Trump of being named in the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose high-profile associations have fueled conspiracy theories across the political spectrum.

RELATED: Maurene Comey, federal prosecutor on Epstein and Diddy cases, fired

Musk offered no proof, but his claim immediately reignited public interest in the long-secret files. What exactly is in the Epstein files? Why havent they been fully released? And is there any truth to the idea that names are being protected?

What is the current status of the Epstein files?

What we know

The government has acknowledged ongoing internal reviews of Epstein-related materials, but so far, only select records have been released.

The term "Epstein files" refers to thousands of documents, videos, and investigative materials gathered by federal and state authorities across multiple cases tied to Epstein and his associates.

Many court documents, particularly from Epsteins 2008 Florida case and the 2019 charges in New York, have been made public, but others remain sealed or redacted.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said last month that the FBI is reviewing "tens of thousands" of Epstein-related videos and documents.

Bondi said materials will be released once redactions are made to protect victims and ongoing investigations.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a Fox News interview that theyve seen the full file and maintain Epstein died by suicide.

They also said surveillance video from Epsteins cell will be released in the coming months.

What we don't know

Despite growing public pressure, key questions about the files  including who is named and when the material will be released  remain unanswered.

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No official source has confirmed that Trump appears in any Epstein-related documents.

Musk did not specify which documents he was referring to or provide supporting material.

The timeline for the full release of videos or unsealed documents has not been made public.

The total scope of what the FBI or DOJ intends to keep classified  permanently or temporarily  remains unclear.

Why is there skepticism about transparency?

The backstory

Donald Trump built much of his political identity on promises to expose the "deep state" and reveal hidden truths  including, at times, alluding to Epstein.

As president, he claimed his administration would declassify major troves of government records. While he did release over 63,000 pages tied to the JFK assassination, he has not fully followed through on releasing Epstein-related materials.

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The skepticism deepened after Trumps own FBI officials dismissed theories that Epstein was murdered. Patel and Bongino both asserted Epsteins death was a suicide, contradicting some of their earlier public skepticism.

Online, Trump supporters and critics alike responded with frustration, asking why the administration, which has stacked agencies with loyalists, still hasnt produced answers.

What they're saying

"You know a suicide when you see one, and thats what that was," FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News.

"I have seen the whole file," Bongino added. "He killed himself."

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Their comments contradicted earlier statements Bongino made as a podcast host, when he suggested the government was covering up Epsteins death.

Tucker Carlson echoed that sentiment on his show: "No matter who gets elected the Epstein videos remain secret."

Newsmax host Todd Starnes posted, "They told us for months leading up to the Election that it wasnt suicide. But now they tell us it was suicide. Pardon me, but what the heck is going on at DOJ?"

Even some Trump allies questioned the silence. "If its easy, why hasnt your administration found these criminals already?" one user posted on Trumps Truth Social platform.

Why Musks claim escalated interest

The other side

Elon Musks accusation came amid a personal and political falling out with Trump, whom he had supported just months earlier. After Musk blasted Trumps federal spending bill as "pork-filled," Trump threatened to pull billions in government contracts from Musks companies. Musk responded by making the explosive Epstein claim  without documentation  on X.

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While many saw it as retaliation, the statement pushed the Epstein issue back into public view, and with it, longstanding demands for government transparency.

What's next

The DOJ has said more releases are coming  including possible surveillance footage from Epsteins jail  but hasnt provided a schedule. Bondi insists the delay is due to the need to protect victims, but some right-wing influencers and Trump supporters view the delay as stonewalling.

There are no public plans to unseal the full list of names connected to Epsteins case files, despite repeated calls from across the political spectrum.

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Until more documents are released or the DOJ directly addresses Musks accusation, public suspicion is likely to grow.

The Source

This article is based on reporting from the Associated Press and statements from Elon Musk and Donald Trump on social media. Quotes from FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi were taken from a recent Fox News interview. Additional commentary came from figures like Tucker Carlson and Todd Starnes, as well as publicly available court records and previous DOJ statements regarding the Epstein investigation.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) hit back Thursday at a move by the Trump administration to unseal grand jury testimony related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Nice try, the New York congressman wrote on the social platform X.

President Trump said Thursday that he was directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to release relevant grand jury testimony from the Epstein case. Goldman, however, contended such testimony would only contain evidence relating to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, not any of their alleged clients.

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Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, then ticked off several other types of documents he said could actually contain evidence about potential Epstein clients: videos, photographs, recordings, witness interviews, texts and emails.

Thats where the evidence about Trump and others will be, he added.

The announcement from the Trump administration generated pushback from other lawmakers hungering for the files.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), perhaps the most vocal GOP lawmaker pushing for the release of the files, wrote, Keep the pressure on, its working. But we want all the files.

An effort by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to force a vote in the House on releasing the Epstein files has slowly gained backing from members of both parties this week.

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GOP leadership, meanwhile, has weighed putting a nonbinding resolution on Epstein to the House floor as a way to soothe GOP frustrations over a rescissions package passed late last night.

The saga has become a rare moment where the Trump administration has taken considerable friendly fire from MAGA influencers and even some GOP lawmakers, at least 10 of whom have signed on to Massies and Khannas effort.

However, Trump allies appeared to coalesce, at least temporarily, around bashing a Thursday report from The Wall Street Journal alleging Trump had written Epstein a bawdy birthday letter in 2003. Trump has denied writing the letter and said Thursday he would sue.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on July 18 to discuss reviving direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Erdogan's office reported.

Erdogan told Putin that launching a third round of negotiations is important and that Turkey is prepared to host discussions in Istanbul once both sides agree on a date. The conversation also touched on broader bilateral relations and regional issues, according to the Turkish presidency.

The latest round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul on June 2, following a previous meeting on May 16 after more than three years without negotiations.

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During the second round, Ukraine proposed a 30-day ceasefire. Russia rejected the offer, pushing instead for a 23-day truce in limited areas to collect its dead. No agreement was reached.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on June 26 that Kyiv aims to secure a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin.

While Zelensky has expressed readiness for face-to-face talks, Putin has repeatedly declined to participate in person, sending lower-level officials instead.

Turkey previously facilitated peace talks in March 2022 and remains one of the few countries maintaining open channels with both Kyiv and Moscow.

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On June 26, Erdogan said Turkey is also working to organize a Zelensky-Putin meeting with the possible participation of U.S. President Donald Trump. On July 14, Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russia if it does not agree to end the war within 50 days.

Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Kyiv Independent on July 7 that the Istanbul meetings could not be considered genuine negotiations, citing Russia's ultimatum-style positions.

Citing three unnamed sources close to the Kremlin, Reuters reported on July 15 that Putin remains determined to pursue the war until the West agrees to a settlement on his terms.

Read also: A US general just threatened Russias Kaliningrad  this is why thats so significant

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JEFFERSONVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56)  An escaped inmate from Louisville was arrested in Montgomery County after being discovered in an attic.

The sheriffs office announced on Thursday that Jacob Darbyshire, 26, was apprehended in a home in Jeffersonville.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

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Deputies forced their way inside the home, where they found him hiding in the attic.

Records show Darbyshire was serving a 10-year sentence and was not due to be released until 2031. He now faces an additional charge of second-degree escape.

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ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. (ABC22/FOX44)  Essex County has announced a new plan to fix its struggling Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system by using revenue from a short-term rental (STR) sales tax. The community-driven plan aims to strengthen local EMS services, improve response times, and reduce the burden on property taxpayers.

The Adirondack Park has over 10 million visitors each year, and county officials say its time for tourists to help fund the emergency services they often rely on. This gives towns more control and uses visitor tax dollars to support life-saving services, said County Manager Michael Mascarenas. The plan includes incentives for local EMS and expansion of a countywide life support program, with the option of temporary support from Essex County EMS.

Vermont grant to support youth learning at Fort Ticonderoga

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Towns funding their own EMS services can receive up to $100,000 in matching funds, plus $25,000 more for providing Advanced Life Support (ALS). The Countys fly car system  emergency medical service vehicles that respond to and provide emergency medical services without the ability to transport patients  will expand to offer 24/7 ALS coverage as backup for local agencies. If a towns EMS service cant operate, the County can step in  if equipment is available and towns cover staffing costs.

New York launches program for public to monitor wildlife

The financial breakdown for the program includes a cost of $1.8 million, all of which is to be covered by sales tax revenue. This setup is designed to reduce property taxes while keeping EMS strong and reliable.

The plan comes at a critical time for EMS agencies across New York. Shelley B. Mayer, a state senator down in Westchester County, has been vocal about the statewide EMS shortage, and said emergency response systems are at a breaking point due to staffing shortages, aging volunteers, and unsustainable funding models. Mayer highlighted that between 2019 and 2023, over 25% of ambulance agencies in the state reduced their services or closed altogether.

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School cellphone ban: New details for New Yorks students, parents

Without targeted funding and innovation, the entire EMS system is in jeopardy, warned Thomas DiNapoli, New York state comptroller, last year. He said that rural counties like Essex face some of the highest risks due to long transport distances and a shrinking volunteer pool.

Funding decisions will be finalized in the 2026 County Budget.

This isnt one-size-fits-all, said Shaun Gillilland, chair of the Countys board of supervisors. Were giving towns options while building a strong countywide safety net.

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ESSEX, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44)  After months of meetings and debate, the Essex Development Review Board voted Thursday night to reject an application by Amazon to build a distribution center in the town.

The vote was 4-2 against a motion to approve the application. The board has seven members, one of whom did not yet make a decision. The decision was met with applause by the audience at Essex High School.

Scannell Properties LLC had applied to build a 107,000 square foot Amazon distribution facility in the Saxon Hill Industrial Park. Members of the board and public shared concerns over emissions, local businesses, and traffic.

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An Amazon spokesperson released a statement expressing disappointment in the decision. Once we have an opportunity to review the Essex Development Review Boards rationale, well determine appropriate next steps and share our plans to move forward. They had argued that opening a new facility would have benefited the countys economy and helped serve the needs of customers in northern Vermont.

Phoenix Books in Essex released an open letter on Wednesday arguing against the construction, signed by hundreds of business owners and residents in the town.

Vermont retailers have worked hard for many years to compete with powerful online retailers, and weve coexisted peacefully, if begrudgingly, but now Amazon is escalating the stakes by moving a same-day 70-mile radius delivery facility into our town. We need to protect our livelihoods and our community.

The board has weighed this application very heavily this has been a long process, said Ian Carroll, chair of the board.

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The application was first considered at a meeting on March 20, where it was met by near-unanimous opposition from community members. It was then brought up again at several subsequent meetings, with the board delaying a vote on the application each time, asking for more information.

Most recently, in June, the board said it was asking Amazon for traffic studies of three comparable sites, which Amazon then provided. Those studies were presented at Thursday nights meeting prior to the vote.

The board did not immediately give the reasons for its decision, which were made in private deliberative session. However, it says that a full statement will be released at a later time.

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The US is on sale this summer. Even the most guarded aviation executive concedes that bookings for transatlantic flights are soft. At a time when airlines would hope to charge upwards of 1,000 for a round-trip from the UK to the US, prices are being slashed to fill seats.

From London Heathrow to New York JFK on 1 August for a fortnight, Virgin Atlantic wants only 549 return. For a much longer trip on British Airways from Heathrow to Denver, I paid just 620. These are absurd fares for peak summer flights.

The catch is: when you touch down, things may be rather different from your last visit.

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As soon as Donald Trump returned to the White House, he signed an executive order demanding that foreigners should be vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible on arrival.

Since then, some high-profile deportations of travellers deemed not suitable for admission have taken place. LGBTQ+ travellers, as well as those who are politically active, may have particular concerns.

These are the key questions and answers.

Will I be able to get an Esta without too much trouble?

Probably  and even if you have no immediate plans to visit the US you should consider enrolling as soon as possible for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta), to swerve an impending price rise.

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After a 50 per cent price hike in 2022, the current $21 (16) fee is set almost to double to $40 (30), though no date has yet been set.

The Esta scheme came into effect in 2009. These essential online permits are usually granted within a few hours.

An Esta gives permission to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Note that it does not guarantee entry; as the Australian government advises its citizens: You can be refused entry if you provide false information or can't satisfy the officials you're visiting for a valid reason.

The authorities may ask to see your return ticket or one onward to a country that is not Canada, Mexico or a Caribbean nation, and demand proof you have enough money to support yourself during your stay.

What if I have been to Cuba?

It depends when you were on the island. At the end of his first term, on 12 January 2021, President Trump designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism. Anyone who is found to have visited Cuba on or after this date is not eligible for Esta and must apply for a visa.

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Getting a US visa is a long, cumbersome and expensive process. Travellers with fresh passports have not reported any problems.

Any other no-go countries?

Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen; any visit since March 2011 disqualifies you from Esta.

What if I am a transgender person?

In an Executive Order, President Trump instructed: It is the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. Gender ideology replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa.

It is widely believed that arrivals must have travel documents corresponding to their birth gender. But the Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) says: A foreign travelers gender as indicated on their passport and their personal beliefs about sexuality do not render a person inadmissible.

How onerous is the arrival process?

Many people find it slower (I waited 90 minutes at New York JFK in May) and more thorough than before. Immediately upon taking office, President Trump ordered much tougher controls on all aliens seeking admission to the United States, demanding they are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.

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Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, has flown several times in the last two months to different US ports of entry: Miami, Chicago and New York.

He says: Surprisingly, I was straight through  and I wasn't first off the plane. It was very smooth. Now, that's in a slightly less busy period. If you're travelling during July and August, it's peak, so chances are you will have to wait longer when you arrive at immigration. They're asking more questions.

More in-depth questioning takes up time, which helps explain some very long waits. Paul Charles says one time-saving practice has been adopted: Theyre not stamping passports really anymore because they have all your details digitally from your Esta application.

Bear in mind that if you are transiting to another country, for example flying London-Miami-Lima, you must clear CBP checks as though you were planning to stay in the US for months.

Will I have my phone examined?

Officials may ask to inspect your electronic devices, emails, text messages, and social media activity, the Foreign Office warns. If you refuse, they can delay or deny your entry.

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Last year there was a one in 10,000 chance of having your social media history examined. That means from every 30 wide-bodied jets arriving from abroad to the US, one passenger will have their social media scrutinised. The proportion has probably increased. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says: Officers may search a travelers mobile phone, computer, camera, or other electronic devices during the inspection process.

All travelers are obligated to present their electronic devices and the information resident on the device in a condition that allows for the examination of the device and its contents. If the electronic device cannot be inspected because it is protected by a passcode or encryption or other security mechanism, that device may be subject to exclusion, detention, or other appropriate action or disposition.

Additionally, the traveler may face longer processing times to allow for CBP to access the contents of the device.

There are two levels of search, according to the CBP: A basic search generally entails an officer reviewing the contents of the device manually without the assistance of any external equipment.

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An advanced search is any search in which an officer connects external equipment to an electronic device not merely to gain access to the device, but to review, copy, and/or analyse its contents.

The CBP says only 10 per cent of device searches are advanced.

Any hacks to make the experience easier?

Travel to the US via Ireland. At Dublin and Shannon airports, passengers bound for the US are pre-cleared by CBP officials. You check in as usual, go through one universal security check and a separate enhanced inspection, and then are examined at what is effectively the US frontier.

Any problems can be addressed while you are still on Irish soil, rather than at a US airport where you are at risk of deportation. If you are going to be rejected, better for this to happen before you have taken off.

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The vast majority of travellers will be passed for boarding, and at the end of the transatlantic are treated as domestic arrivals  with no wait, unlike the tired masses queuing for CBP checks.

Some good news?

For flights from US airports, it is no longer necessary to remove your shoes at security. The Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, said: Ending the Shoes-Off policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nations airports.

We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.

This initiative is just one of many the Trump administration is pursuing to usher in the Presidents vision for a new Golden Age of American travel.
FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  The estate of a man who was shot and killed by a Florence County deputy in 2024 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriffs office.

The estate of William Dwayne Rankin, who was shot and killed by former sheriffs deputy Treyon Sellers in May 2024, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Florence County Common Pleas. It names the sheriffs office as the lone defendant.

The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the sheriffs office in its hiring and training of Sellers, who was fired from the sheriffs office on July 26, 2024, after a domestic violence arrest in Darlington County. He was on administrative leave at the time for his role in Rankins death.

Treyvon Sellers  Florence County Detention Center

In August 2024, Sellers was charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with voluntary manslaughter, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and misconduct in office in connection with Rankins death.

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Defendant and/or its officers, agents, servants and/or employees, further had a duty to Plaintiff and others to properly hire, train and supervise competent employees that do not have a criminal history of arrests and/or criminal charges, and that have the requisite experience necessary for the job at Defendant FCSO, the complaint reads. This duty includes, but is not limited to, conducting a thorough background investigation prior to employees being hired, training officers to use appropriate policing measures, and supervising the officers to [ensure] that their conduct is within the standard that is required for the job.

The lawsuit further alleges Rankins death was directly caused by the multiple law enforcement occurrences and incidents when Defendant and/or its officers, agents, servants and/or employees departed from prevailing state law, constitutional authority, common law and generally accepted policing standards, and were thereby negligent, careless, grossly negligent, reckless, and in violation of the duties owed to Plaintiff.

The complaint further alleges two different causes of action  one for assault and one for battery  claiming the sheriffs office is liable for the torts committed by their employees/officers.

Sellers shot Rankin after following him into a National Cemetery Road residence following a vehicle pursuit. Rankin died a short time later, while another man, Johnny Cooper, was bitten by Sellers K9 and seriously injured.

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After about 5 1/2 minutes, video shows Sellers exiting his vehicle and start chasing after Rankin, demanding him to get on the ground. Sellers is also heard yelling at his K9, who was off the leash, saying stop it! and here!

Sellers then entered the house without announcing his or the K9s presence. The K9 then started attacking Cooper, who had no affiliation with Rankin. Sellers is heard saying Ikar, here but to no avail. Sellers then spots Rankin hiding under a couch cushion, saying I see you dude, get on the f ground.

If you move, Ill f shoot you, Sellers told Rankin just moments before firing two shots. After about a one-second pause, Sellers shot Rankin three more times. Meanwhile, Cooper can be heard pleading for K9 Ikar to stop, saying, Oh, please God, help me. Please.

A little more than a minute after the shooting, Rankin is heard saying Im alive, but I cant breathe. About five minutes after that, EMS came to render aid to Rankin.

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SLED said in an arrest affidavit that Sellers gave the K9 incorrect commands and did not use available resources to remove K9 Ikar from Cooper, which resulted in him being mauled for approximately 87 seconds.

The lawsuit seeks actual, compensatory and incidental damages.

We have not seen the lawsuit and have not been served, a sheriffs office spokesperson said. From the outset, Sheriff Joye has been completely transparent about this terrible incident, and we stand by all our public statements.

* * *

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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According to data from the Association of American Railroads, three commodities have driven Class I railroad outperformance in 2025: intermodal containers, coal, and grains. Year-to-date, intermodal volume is up 5% compared to the same stretch in 2024; coal is up 6%, and grains are also up 6%.

Union Pacific is moving the most coal: 2025s week 28 number was up 38% over the same week in 2024, but year-to-date, UP has moved 18% more coal carloads than the same period last year. CPKCs year-to-date intermodal traffic numbers are up 11% over 2024, and Canadian Nationals year-to-date grain volumes are up 17% compared to 2024.

Intermodal traffic, which involves the movement of containerized cargo using multiple modes of transportation without handling the cargo itself, remains a vital segment for Class I railroads. This year, the Western U.S. railroads like Union Pacific and BNSF have seen substantial increases in intermodal volumes. Data shows that Union Pacifics intermodal volumes were up by 9% in 2025 compared to 2024, partly driven by growing consumer goods and e-commerce demand, particularly in the west coast ports that serve as entry points for Asian markets. BNSF also saw a similar uptick (5%), reflecting a strong recovery in retail and manufacturing sectors that heavily rely on intermodal services for supply chain distribution.

Eastern railroads, namely CSX and Norfolk Southern, are also tapping into the intermodal growth, though their performance varies. CSX reported a marginal increase in intermodal traffic as it continues to enhance its eastern seaboard network efficiency in response to competition from trucking. Conversely, Norfolk Southern has faced a slight downturn, attributed to competitive pressures and network adjustments to improve service reliability.

The grain market for railroads is witnessing robust activity, largely due to an increase in U.S. maize exports. Despite tensions with China leading to reduced shipments, American exporters have successfully diversified their markets in Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean, contributing to a 9% increase in seaborne grain shipments year-over-year. This diversification has been crucial, as Chinese tariffs imposed in March 2025 have significantly reduced their share of U.S. grain imports from 26% to 10%. Railroads play a crucial role here, with grain carloads showing a 26% rise, reflecting the increase in domestic grain movement. Kansas City Southern, now operating as part of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City network, and Canadian National are particularly benefiting from this shift, aligning their networks to maximize efficiency and capitalize on higher global demand for U.S. grains.
Editor's note: The article was expanded with a statement by President Volodymyr Zelensky and with additional details provided by the EU.

European Union member states on July 18 agreed on the 18th package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.

"The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," Kaja Kallas, the bloc's top diplomat, said on X.

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The EU has vowed to ramp up economic pressure on Russia as it continues to reject a ceasefire in Ukraine and intensifies aerial strikes against Ukrainian cities.

The package includes lowering the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. The cap was originally imposed by the G7 in late 2022 to curtail Russia's oil revenues without destabilizing global markets.

The sanctions further contain measures against 105 vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" and their enablers, the Russian banking system, and a ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea.

Russian fossil fuel exports are a crucial part of the country's revenues, helping the Kremlin sustain its war against Ukraine.

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"We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," Kallas said.

For the first time, the EU is also sanctioning a flag registry and the Russian oil giant Rosneft's biggest Indian refinery. The bloc is further targeting "those indoctrinating Ukrainian children," the EU diplomat said.

Brussels is newly tightening restrictions on the import of Russian oil products via third-party countries and sanctioning an entity from the Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.

The bloc also ended an import ban exemption on Russian oil for Czechia, after the Central European country announced it had become independent of Russian supplies.

Overall, the 18th package targets 14 individuals and 41 entities engaged in the Russian defense, finance, and other sectors, bringing the total number of EU listings since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion to over 2,500.

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"We welcome the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia  the most comprehensive to date," Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "Every measure chips away at the aggressors capacity to wage war."

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision "timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages."

"We are promptly preparing the synchronization of European sanctions in Ukraine, and we are also preparing new sanctions decisions, both at the level of partners and within Ukrainian jurisdiction," he added.

The agreement follows Slovakia's announcement that it is ready to back the package after blocking it six times due to concerns over the phase-out of Russian gas.

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose government has repeatedly aligned itself with Moscow's positions, said on July 17 that "negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests."

Fico noted the European Commission has given Slovakia, one of the EU countries that continues to be heavily dependent on Russian gas, written assurances concerning the planned phase-out of Russian gas to gain the country's support.

Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

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The 27 EU member states have agreed an 18th sanctions package targeting Russia for invading Ukraine, several diplomats told dpa on Friday.

The sanctions package targets Russia's financial and energy sectors and comes in response to President Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.

Slovakia had been blocking the package, citing concerns over its gas imports. On Thursday, Prime Minister Robert Fico said he had instructed Slovakia's representatives to approve the measures.

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Fico mentioned that continuing to block the move would be "counterproductive" for Slovakia's interests as an EU member.

All of the EU's 27 members have to back new sanctions before they can be implemented.
The 27 EU member states have agreed an 18th sanctions package targeting Russia for invading Ukraine after being blocked for weeks by Slovakia.

The sanctions are intended to further reduce Russian revenues from the export of oil to non-EU countries and impact the Russian financial sector.

"We are standing firm," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas announced in a Friday post on X, describing the new sanctions package as one of the strongest so far. "We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow.

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The sanctions package was approved by ministers on Friday and was expected to come into force shortly thereafter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the EU for the sanctions, and called for further punitive measures against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine over three years ago.

"This decision is essential and timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages," Zelensky wrote on X.

Russia gives relaxed response

The Kremlin reacted calmly on Friday. "We have developed a certain immunity to sanctions, we have adapted to life under the conditions of sanctions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax.

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Moscow regarded the sanctions as illegal and would aim once again to minimize their impact, he said.

He added that they are a double-edged sword because they also have negative effects for the countries that join them.

At the same time, Peskov said that Moscow welcomed statements by Zelensky regarding possible peace negotiations.

Zelensky had previously stated that the negotiation process needed more momentum.

"That is a positive signal. And here we are in absolute agreement: We are also in favour of speeding up the negotiation process," said Peskov.

Slovakia's veto delayed sanctions package

The agreement on the sanctions was actually supposed to take place directly after the June summit of EU leaders. However, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico prevented this with the threat of a veto.

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The agreement has now been made possible through concessions to Slovakia. Bratislava was assured that it does not have to fear serious economic and financial consequences if, after the new sanctions package, a plan for a complete import stop of Russian gas is also implemented.

Fico cannot block this plan because, unlike the sanctions package, it can also be decided by majority vote.

Fico said that continuing to block the move would be "counterproductive" for Slovakia's interests as an EU member.

Long list of new sanctions

In addition to the measures mentioned above, the following was also agreed upon, dpa has learnt:

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- Russia oil price cap to be reduced from the current $60 to $47.60 per industry-standard barrel.

- Measures to prevent the defunct Nord Stream gas pipelines from being used in the future

- Introduction of an import ban on refined products from Russian crude oil.

- Introduction of a ban on financial transactions with companies from countries that circumvent oil-related sanctions.

- Listing of more than 100 ships that are part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, used to circumvent energy sanctions. They will no longer be allowed to enter ports of EU states and can no longer be insured, financed, or equipped by European companies.

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- Listing of an additional 22 banks that will be disconnected from the SWIFT financial communication system.

- For the first time, a ban on transactions with two Chinese financial institutions that hinder EU sanctions; additionally, sanctions on several Chinese companies that directly support Russia's war of aggression.

- Introduction of further export restrictions; machine tools that can be used in the military-industrial system are among those targeted.

- Expansion of the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organizations by more than 50 entries.

Chinese response

Beijing sharply criticized the measures targeting Chinese companies and threatened retaliation against the EU.

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Europe should stop harming the interests of Chinese companies without a factual basis, said Foreign Office spokesman Lin Jian.

China would take the necessary measures to protect the rights of domestic companies, he said.

With regard to the Ukraine, Lin said that China has always been in favour of peace negotiations and has never supplied lethal weapons to the conflict parties.

How hard do the sanctions hit Russia?

The effectiveness of the sanctions on Russia remains disputed. Critics doubt that they have a significant impact on the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Supporters, however, point out that the punitive measures hit the Russian economy hard and that the Kremlin has to cope with significant revenue losses. Russia might have already ended the war in Ukraine with a victory without the sanctions, they say.
The 27 EU member states have agreed an 18th sanctions package targeting Russia for invading Ukraine after being blocked for weeks by Slovakia.

The sanctions are intended to further reduce Russian revenues from the export of oil to non-EU countries and impact the Russian financial sector.

"We are standing firm," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas announced in a Friday post on X, describing the new sanctions package as one of the strongest so far. "We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow.

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Additionally, it is planned to use sanctions to exclude a possible reactivation of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and the use of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Three of the total four pipelines linking Russia to Germany were destroyed in an attack in September 2022. If they were to be repaired, the pipelines running through the Baltic Sea could enable Russia to earn billions from the sale of gas.

The sanctions package was approved by ministers on Friday and was expected to come into force shortly thereafter.

Slovakia's veto delayed sanctions package

The agreement on the sanctions was actually supposed to take place directly after the June summit of EU leaders. However, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico prevented this with the threat of a veto.

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The agreement has now been made possible through concessions to Slovakia. Bratislava was assured that it does not have to fear serious economic and financial consequences if, after the new sanctions package, a plan for a complete import stop of Russian gas is also implemented.

Fico cannot block this plan because, unlike the sanctions package, it can also be decided by majority vote.

Fico said that continuing to block the move would be "counterproductive" for Slovakia's interests as an EU member.

All of the EU's 27 members have to back new sanctions before they can be implemented.

Oil price cap to be dynamically adjusted

Recently, Malta, Greece and Cyprus also had concerns about measures intended to reduce Russian revenues from the export of crude oil to countries outside the EU.

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The countries feared unfairly large disadvantages for domestic shipping companies if the so-called oil price cap is lowered too much. As a compromise, it was agreed to regularly adjust the price cap so that it does not fall more than 15% below the average market price in the long term. In a first step, it is to be reduced from the current $60 to $47.60 per industry-standard barrel.

The original plan was for the price cap for Russian oil to be lowered $45 per barrel.

It applies to the sale of Russian oil to countries such as India, China or Turkey and was introduced in 2022 together with the United States, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.

To enforce it, companies involved in transporting Russian oil at a price above the cap are threatened with sanctions. This regulation targets shipping companies, but also companies that offer insurance, technical assistance, as well as financing and brokerage services.

Long list of new sanctions

In addition to the measures mentioned above, the following was also agreed upon, dpa has learnt:

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- Introduction of an import ban on refined products from Russian crude oil. These include fuels for cars and aeroplanes and heating oil. This is intended to close a legal loophole that previously allowed Russia indirect exports via third countries.

- Introduction of a ban on financial transactions with companies from countries that circumvent oil-related sanctions.

- Listing of more than 100 ships that are part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet to circumvent energy sanctions. They will no longer be allowed to enter ports of EU states and can no longer be insured, financed, or equipped by European companies. In total, around 450 ships will be affected in the future.

- Listing of an additional 22 banks that will be disconnected from the SWIFT financial communication system; in addition, the punitive measure will be extended to a complete ban on transactions.

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- For the first time, a ban on transactions with two Chinese financial institutions that hinder EU sanctions; additionally, sanctions on several Chinese companies that directly support Russia's war of aggression.

- Introduction of further export restrictions; machine tools that can be used in the military-industrial system are among those targeted.

- Expansion of the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organizations by more than 50 entries. It will thus include more than 2,500 entries.

Chinese response

Beijing sharply criticized the measures targeting Chinese companies and threatened retaliation against the EU.

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Europe should stop harming the interests of Chinese companies without a factual basis, said Foreign Office spokesman Lin Jian.

China would take the necessary measures to protect the rights of domestic companies, he said.

With regard to the Ukraine, Lin said that China has always been in favour of peace negotiations and has never supplied lethal weapons to the conflict parties.

How hard do the sanctions hit Russia?

The effectiveness of the sanctions on Russia remains disputed. Critics doubt that they have a significant impact on the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Supporters, however, point out that the punitive measures hit the Russian economy hard and that the Kremlin has to cope with significant revenue losses. Russia might have already ended the war in Ukraine with a victory without the sanctions, they say.
Welcome back to World Brief, where were looking at heavy European sanctions against Russia, renewed sectarian violence in Syria, and U.S. President Donald Trump approving massive foreign aid cuts.

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Stemming Moscows War Chest

The European Union issued one of its toughest rounds of wartime sanctions against Russia on Friday, fulfilling a monthslong promise in an effort to force Moscow to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. In conjunction with the United Kingdom, the sanctions package targets Russias energy and banking sectors; shadow fleet of aging oil tankers; and military intelligence service, known as the GRU, among others.

The U.K. and its EU allies are turning the screw on the Kremlins war chest by stemming the most valuable funding stream of its illegal war in Ukraine even further, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said on Friday.

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As part of the sanctions package, Europe will target Russian oil exports, which are key to financing Moscows war machine. Beginning early September, the price cap on Russian oil will decrease for the first time from $60 to $47.60 per barrel, lower than current market price. The sanctions will also block 105 more ships from accessing European ports, locks, and ship-to-ship transfers, bringing the total number of sanctioned vessels to more than 400. And it will aim to restrict any efforts to revive the now-destroyed Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky championed the new measures as timely and necessary, particularly given Russias intensified aerial strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks. And he vowed to synchronize Kyivs own sanctions against Moscow with the rest of Europes. But the Kremlin was quick to brush off the measures. We consider such unilateral restrictions unlawful, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

This is the 18th round of EU sanctions against Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the last raft of measures, imposed on May 20, targeting almost 200 ships in Russias shadow fleet. The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine, EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war.

However, with each new round of sanctions, consensus among EU member states is becoming harder to achieve. Slovakia stalled the latest round of sanctions for weeks, citing concerns about proposals to stop Russian gas supplies, which Bratislava is reliant on. Ultimately, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico dropped the countrys veto after reportedly receiving guarantees that the EU would help contain the fallout of reducing Russian gas.

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Fridays sanction announcement comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose his own very severe tariffs on Russias trading partners if the Kremlin does not agree to a peace deal with Kyiv within 50 days. These 100 percent secondary tariffs would target nations that purchase Russian exports, particularly India and China, the two main buyers of Russian oil.

Todays Most Read Beijings Dominance of the South China Sea Is Not Inevitable by Ben Bland and William Matthews Croatias Quiet War in Bosnia by Ismet Fatih Cancar and Ismail Cidic How Strong Is Chinas Rare-Earth Card? by Christina Lu What Were Following

Renewed sectarian violence. Fighting reignited between Syrias Druze religious minority and Bedouin tribes on Friday in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda. The renewed conflict comes just one day after Syrian security forces withdrew from the area as part of conditions outlined under a Wednesday cease-fire deal. The countrys Interior Ministry has denied reports that state forces have returned to Suwayda.

Deadly clashes first erupted between Druze and Bedouin fighters on Sunday; the two sides have a long history of animosity. However, the conflict escalated when Syrian forces deployed to Suwayda to try to quell the violence, with state troops instead joining the fray. On Wednesday, Israel (which has its own significant Druze population) launched strikes at Damascuss government and military infrastructure to urge Syrian forces to leave the area, and within hours, Syrian and Druze leaders had struck a cease-fire deal to prevent further devastation.

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With renewed fighting, though, the death toll in Suwayda is expected to rise. Already, more than 300 people have been killed and at least 570 others wounded since clashes began on Sunday, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Syrian Emergency Response Minister Raed al-Saleh.

U.S. foreign aid cuts. Trump issued his final stamp of approval on Friday for legislation that will cut nearly $8 billion in foreign aid and around $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. THIS IS BIG!!! Trump posted on Truth Social prior to the signing, with House Speaker Mike Johnson adding, This isnt the end, its the beginning.

After getting through the Senate by a 51-48 vote on Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the legislation early Friday largely along party lines, marking the first time in decades that the White House has successfully submitted such a rescissions request.

Among the foreign aid cuts, the bill will slash $4.15 billion for efforts to boost economies and democratic institutions in developing nations; $800 million for a program that provides shelter, water, and family reunification for refugees; and $496 million for food, water, and health care services for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts.

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The Trump administration has argued that the cuts will help incentivize other nations to shoulder more of the responsibility for responding to humanitarian crises, relieving the American taxpayer. But Democratic lawmakers maintain that the ensuing power vacuum will bolster U.S. adversaries influence in the global south. This is not an America first bill. Its a China first bill because of the void thats being created all across the world, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Meanwhile, rights activists warned that the legislation will further hurt those suffering from poverty and conflict. These canceled resources would have been a lifeline to the most vulnerable and served as a bulwark against instability in fragile places, said Kate Phillips-Barrasso, the vice president of global policy and advocacy at Mercy Corps.

Strategic military victory. Myanmars military, known as the Tatmadaw, recaptured a strategic town from rebel forces on Wednesday, state media reported on Thursday. The town of Nawnghkio sits on a major highway trading route that links central Myanmar to China and was initially seized last July by the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), a militant group in the Three Brotherhood Alliance. The Three Brotherhood Alliance is loosely allied with the Peoples Defense Force, a pro-democracy organization that opposes Myanmars military dictatorship, which seized power in February 2021.

Throughout much of Myanmars yearslong civil war, the Tatmadaw has fought on the defensive against the countrys many ethnic rebel groups. However, this weeks military victoryculminating a nearly 11-month operationmarked a rare shift in the countrys northeast region, which militant forces have largely controlled since late 2023.

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According to local media, state forces are now removing land mines, restoring local government institutions, and seizing the rebels ammunition supplies. At least 171 members of the TNLA and its allies were killed in the fighting.

What in the World?

What did Brazilian authorities order former President Jair Bolsonaro to do on Friday?

A. Turn over all social media accounts

B. Wear an ankle monitor

C. Move out of the country

D. Resign from his role in the Liberal Party

Odds and Ends

A new K-pop group is joining the music scene. Meet 1VERSE, pronounced universe, which launched their global debut on Friday with their first EP, The 1st Verse, featuring three tracks. The five-member boy band includes two North Korean defectors who composed a song, titled Shattered, about the consequences of escaping one of the worlds most authoritarian countries.

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And the Answer Is

B. Wear an ankle monitor

Trump threatened a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods if Bolsonaros criminal case is not droppeda move that could backfire for Brazilian conservatives and the former president, Andre Pagliarini argues.

To take the rest of FPs weekly international news quiz, click here, or sign up to be alerted when a new one is published.
Six EU countries have called for consistent deportations and a tightening of European asylum policy in a joint statement after talks on migration hosted by German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Dobrindt invited his counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic, as well as EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, for the meeting on Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, on Friday.

The resulting declaration outlines five priorities, agreed upon by the ministers, which include action against smuggling and trafficking, a focus on returning migrants and a commitment to building strategic partnerships with third countries.

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The ministers say they are committed to bringing the proposals into the relevant EU institutions "with the goal of anchoring them in upcoming European decisions and initiatives."

Deportations to Syria and Afghanistan in future

"Effective returns are essential for maintaining trust in a balanced European migration policy," the joint declaration reads.

The ministers advocate a new EU Return Regulation to provide a "more harmonised legal framework which does not create unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles" for deportations.

The statement also stressed that returns to Afghanistan and Syria must be possible, just hours after the new German government completed its first deportation flight of 81 Afghan nationals who, according to Dobrindt, had criminal convictions.

'Return hubs'

The ministers agreed that non-EU countries should take in people who are required to leave Europe, and called for "return hubs" to be established in these countries.

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In these facilities, the ministers say national authorities should work closely with the European border agency Frontex, which should be given a stronger mandate to assist with returns.

Action against smugglers and traffickers

The ministers also called on the European Commission to push for international agreements on the exchange of personal data between the EU law enforcement agency Europol and relevant non-EU countries such as Turkey to reduce smuggling and trafficking.

Support for restrictive migration policy

The ministers stressed the need for a more restrictive asylum and migration policy, with French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau saying action against irregular migration was important for democracy and that European citizens were demanding it.

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"We share the conviction that Europe must act with

determination and unity to reduce illegal migration effectively," the statement read.

While the statement focused on the EU's external borders, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said he wanted to ensure a return to border-free travel in the Schengen area, to which most EU countries belong.

Poland recently introduced checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania in response to tighter border controls on German borders, ordered by Dobrindt.
The 18th package of sanctions against Russia includes over 100 shadow fleet vessels, a lower price cap on Russian oil and measures targeting banks and companies outside the Russian Federation involved in supporting its war machine.

Source: Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kallas described the agreed 18th package as one of the most powerful ever imposed on Russia.

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Quote: "Were cutting the Kremlins war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks access to funding. Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap."

Details: Kallas believes the sanctions package will provide additional pressure on the Russian defence industry and Chinese banks helping Russia circumvent sanctions, and create additional obstacles to importing components used in UAVs into Russia.

For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India.



Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children.



We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow. (3/3)  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 18, 2025

Quote: "For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children."

Details: Kallas added that the EU remains determined to further increase pressure on Russia so that ending the aggression "becomes the only path forward for Moscow".

Background:

On the morning of 18 July, the EUs Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) approved the long-delayed 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, which had been stalled due to opposition from Slovakia and Malta.

On the evening of 17 July, both countries informed the EU Council that they were ready to withdraw their objections.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
DENVER (KDVR)  A new vegetation fire, dubbed the Cottonwood Flat Fire, sparked in Garfield County on Thursday afternoon, officials reported, spurring evacuations in the area.

The Grand Valley Fire Protection District reported that the fire was in the 1800 block of County Road 309 and the Garfield County Sheriffs Office sent alerts to residents within a mile of the blaze, requesting that they evacuate.

At 4:38 p.m. on Thursday, the Garfield County Emergency Operations Center enacted immediate evacuations for County Road 309 (Rulison-Parachute Road) to the main Rulison exit, mile marker 81. On Friday at 5 p.m., the evacuations on County Road 309 were moved to pre-evacuation status, but only for residents.

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We ask that residents remain vigilant and continue to be ready if another evacuation is deemed necessary, the Grand Valley Fire Protection District and Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority said. We also ask that you be very cognizant of the activity along the fire route.

Residents east of the 4-mile mark were asked to enter the area via Rulison. Residents west of the 1.9-mile mark were asked to enter the area from the 301/309 exchange.

This will help minimize additional traffic throughout the area, the agencies said.

Officials closed Highway 6 between mile markers 77 and 83 in both directions at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday for the fire. At about 10:20 p.m., the highway was reopened to traffic, according to the Garfield County Emergency Operations Center.

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Residents within two miles of the blaze were placed under pre-evacuation notice. County Road 301 was under pre-evacuation by the Garfield County Sheriffs Office.

Ash, debris in Battlement Mesas water system: Water restrictions in place

The Grand Valley Fire Protection District shared images of reports on WatchDuty, a wildfire reporting app, which said that the fire was about 2 to 3 acres in size at 2:55 p.m. At about 6 p.m., a multi-mission aircraft flew over the fire and uploaded a perimeter to the National Interagency Fire Center showing that it had grown to over 310 acres.

The Garfield County Sheriffs Office said at about 5 p.m. Friday that the acreage had held steady at about 310 acres throughout the day.

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The fire was reportedly on the east side of County Road 309 and was being driven by the wind.

A helicopter responds to the Cottonwood Flat Fire near Parachute. (Courtesy the Grand Valley Fire Protection District) The Cottonwood Flat Fire sparked near Parachute on Thursday, July 17. (Courtesy the Garfield County Sheriffs Office) The Cottonwood Flat Fire sparked near Parachute on Thursday, July 17. (Courtesy the Garfield County Sheriffs Office) The Cottonwood Flat Fire sparked near Parachute on Thursday, July 17. (Courtesy the Garfield County Sheriffs Office) A Colorado Department of Transportation camera on I-70 looking west shows smoke from a fire near Parachute on July 17, 2025. (Courtesy CDOT) A fire sparked near Parachute on July 17, 2025. (Courtesy Victoria Terry) A fire sparked near Parachute on July 17, 2025. (Courtesy Victoria Terry) A fire sparked near Parachute on July 17, 2025. (Courtesy Victoria Terry)

At about 2:50 p.m., the Colorado River Firefighters IAFF Local 4951 said that crews were responding to the area of Interstate 70 milepost 79 as a mutual aid request to help Grand Valley Fire with a brush fire. The agency said that Interagency Fire Management and De Beque Fire Protection District were also responding with aircraft.

Garfield County Emergency Operations Center told residents that evacuated livestock could be taken to the Cottonwood Park Rodeo Grounds, 100 La Plata Cir, Parachute.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY)  An Evangeline Parish middle school has a new approach to learning that gives students innovative solutions for the future.

The Evangeline Reimagine Academy teaches students a hands on approach to learning. Here, students have the unique opportunity to explore subjects like gaming, arts, communication, farming and culinary arts.

Ethan Zang, an eighth grade student, chose the gaming zone, and for 2 years hes been working in real-world situations to make his dream of working in that industry a reality.

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It helps improve our critical thinking and problem solving, and it gives us the opportunity to get better at a job we want to do when we grow up. Zang said. I like game designs, and designing games, because I think its fun.

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Stephan LeCaze, the Gaming Zone instructor, shared the importance of having subjects like gaming in the curriculum.

The goal of our zone is how can we take this and make it into a career? Maybe. How can we find a high school path that can follow this interest? How can we make it to college and follow this interest? LeCaze said.

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Liz Chatelain, the Reimagine Grant Coordinator and Secondary Supervisor said along with her staff, they were tasked with the challenge of creating a middle school that could change a population.

The objectives were to create better, not only educate and hit core academics, but to create better citizens, to instill an entrepreneurial spirit, to have these kids become financially literate and be very connected to their communities. Chatelain said.

Alice LeJeune, the principal, said the real world approach to learning is what sets the students apart.

The kinesthetic learners get a good vibe when they come here because theyre not just sitting here learning about math, English, science and social studies. LeJeune said. Its yes, Im learning about that, but how am I going to apply it to real world? How am I going to make it relative?

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By having this learning experience, the hope is students like Ethan will leave a new legacy for rural communities like this one and others.

Latest news

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com.
Food pantries such as this one in Columbus, Ohio, are having a hard time meeting demand. (Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.)

The tax and spending cuts bill signed on July 4 by President Donald Trump will impose the deepest cuts in history to the federal food safety net in Ohio and other states. Even before those cuts hit, the benefits dont cover the average cost of food in 99% of counties in the United States  and none in Ohio, according to a new analysis by the Urban Institute.

The bill Trump signed will provide an estimated $1 trillion in tax cuts to the richest 1% of Americans over 10 years and add $3.8 trillion to the deficit.

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Those deficits would be even higher if the new law didnt slash more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And they might be forced even higher as millions of hungry, newly uninsured Americans require medical treatment, but cant pay.

The report released Wednesday said that almost everywhere in the United States, Trumps bill will cut food benefits that were already inadequate.

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With food prices persistently elevated and SNAP benefits failing to cover the cost of even a modestly priced meal in recent years, the One Big Beautiful Bills changes are expected to increase food insecurity and poverty for millions of Americans, the reports authors, Poonam Gupta and Elaine Waxman, said in a blog post.

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The researchers used data from NielsenIQ in to determine modest food prices each U.S. county. They compared them to maximum SNAP benefits, which average $2.84 per meal.

They found that on average, that modestly priced meal was 20% more expensive than the maximum benefit, and that monthly benefits fell short of meal costs by $53.01.

That might not sound like much. But this is a program under which a family of three cant make more than $33,576 a year to qualify for any benefits. So theyre likely to have a hard time paying other basic expenses as well.

In all, the researchers found, SNAP benefits fall short in 99% of U.S. counties.

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That means theres virtually nowhere in the US where a family who qualifies for even the largest benefit (nearly 40 percent of all SNAP recipients) can reliably afford food, they wrote.

In Ohio, many of the biggest shortfalls are in the northeast.

Cuyahoga County appears to have the biggest, with meal costs exceeding maximum benefits by 40%. In Geauga County, the gap is 39%. In Medina its 35%, and in Summit its 33%.

By comparison, in Franklin and Hamilton counties the gaps are 27% and 24%, respectively.

Many of the smallest gaps are in the rural counties of north-central and western Ohio. Hardin County appears to have the smallest, at 1%, while in Van Wert County its 4%.

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As the One Big Beautiful Bill Act takes away money for nutrition, it uses specific mechanisms to do it, the researchers said.

The new law undermines SNAPs ability to reduce food insecurity and help families put food on the table in several ways, they wrote. It requires, for the first time, that states fund part of benefit costs, imposes work requirements for and associated time limits on receiving benefits for older adults and families with older children, and eliminates eligibility for lawfully residing humanitarian immigrants.

They added, Another concerning provision requires that updates to the program market basket, known as the Thrifty Food Plan, be cost neutral. SNAP benefits are already too low to cover food costs, and this requirement will make it even harder to increase benefits to a level that is enough to help families afford food.

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Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) is one of the best basic materials stocks to invest in. Earlier on May 28, Huntsman Corporation announced the completion of a review of its European Maleic Anhydride business.

As a direct outcome of this review, the company will close its Maleic Anhydride facility located in Moers, Germany. The shutdown of operations at the Moers site is expected to be finalized by the end of Q2 this year. The European Maleic Anhydride business experienced an adjusted EBITDA loss of ~$10 million in 2024.

Huntsman to Close German Maleic Anhydride Plant, Shift European Supply to North America

A completed pipeline of chemical fuels and intermediates with a bright blue sky in the background.

Following the closure of the German facility, Huntsman plans to serve its European customers from its existing North American facilities, particularly those in Pensacola, Florida, and Geismar, Louisiana. The decision to close the Moers facility is expected to result in a one-time non-cash asset impairment charge of ~$75 million for Huntsman during Q2 2025.

Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) manufactures and sells diversified organic chemical products. It operates in 3 segments: Polyurethanes, Performance Products, and Advanced Materials.

While we acknowledge the potential of HUN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will testify at a U.S. House panel hearing on Wednesday about countering China's "economic coercion against democracies," the committee said on Friday.

Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will also testify before the House Select Committee on China.

Relations with China, already rocky after Australia banned Huawei from its 5G broadband network in 2018, cooled further after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

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China responded by imposing tariffs on Australian commodities, including wine and barley and limited imports of Australian beef, coal and grapes, moves described by the United States as "economic coercion."

Morrison was defeated in a bid for reelection in 2022.

Reuters reported this week Canberra is close to an agreement with Beijing that would allow Australian suppliers to ship five trial canola cargoes to China, sources familiar with the matter said, a move towards ending a years-long freeze in the trade. China imposed 100% tariffs on Canadian canola meal and oil this year amid strained diplomatic ties.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this week, underscoring a warming of ties.

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Emanuel, who told a Chicago news outlet last month he is considering a run for president in 2028, has been a harsh critic of China, saying last year Beijing constantly uses coercion and pressures other countries, including Japan and the Philippines.

"Economic coercion by China is their most persistent and pernicious tool in their toolbox," Emanuel said in a separate speech in 2023.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Writing by Ismail ShakilEditing by Marguerita Choy)
Brazilian police raided Jair Bolsonaro's home Friday, as a judge imposed further restrictions on the far-right former leader while he stands trial on coup charges that have vexed US president and ally Donald Trump.

His son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman who recently moved to the United States to lobby for his father, wrote on X that federal police carried out a "raid on my father's home this morning."

He lashed out at Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, a Bolsonaro adversary who on Friday ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, not leave his home at night, or use social media.

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Moraes, one of the judges in Bolsonaro's trial for allegedly seeking to nullify leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's 2022 election victory, said the measures were necessary given the "hostile acts" against Brazil by the accused and his son.

This came after Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on the South American powerhouse for what he said was a "witch hunt" against his ally Bolsonaro.

Moraes, said Eduardo Bolsonaro, "has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality and now operates as a political gangster in robes, using the Supreme Court as his personal weapon."

The judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the US government. Powerless against them, he chose to take my father hostage," he added in a letter he signed as a "Brazilian congressman in exile."

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday Washington was revoking a US visa for Moraes for his "political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro."

- 'Supreme humiliation' -

Accusing him of creating a "persecution and censorship complex," Rubio also announced visa restrictions on other judges who side with Moraes, as well as their immediate family members.

Bolsonaro, 70, described the Moraes order Friday as a "supreme humiliation" and said the prohibitions were "suffocating."

It also prohibited him from approaching foreign embassies, and confined him to his home on weekdays between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, and all day on weekends or public holidays.

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"I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy," Bolsonaro insisted on emerging from the justice secretariat offices in Brasilia. He had been taken there after the raid, during which police seized cash.

His defense team in a statement expressed "surprise and indignation" at the new measures.

The former army captain denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula as part of an alleged coup plot that prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing.

After the plot fizzled, rioting supporters known as "Bolsonaristas" raided government buildings in early 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula. Bolsonaro was abroad at the time.

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The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's failed prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss to Joe Biden.

Both men have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and Trump has stepped in in defense of his ally, to the anger of Lula who has labeled the tariff threat "unacceptable blackmail."

Washington also announced an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis for imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy.

On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the trial judges of the Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order."

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The defense must still present its closing arguments, after which a five-member panel of judges including Moraes will decide the ex-president's fate.

Bolsonaro and seven co-accused risk up to 40 years in prison.

He has repeatedly stated his desire to be a candidate in presidential elections next year, but has been ruled ineligible to hold office by a court that found him guilty of spreading misinformation about Brazil's electoral system.

Lula, for his part, said Friday he intends to seek another term.

"You can be sure that I will be a candidate again... I will not hand this country over to that bunch of lunatics who almost destroyed it," the 79-year-old said at a public event in the state of Ceara.

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Moraes has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro and other rightwing figures he has accused of spreading fake news.

Last year, the judge suspended tech titan Elon Musk's X network in Brazil for 40 days for failing to tackle the spread of disinformation shared mainly by Bolsonaro backers

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Editor's note: The story was updated to include comments made by Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Rustem Umerov as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, according to a decree published on the presidential website on July 18.

The decision comes as part of Ukraine's first full wartime cabinet reshuffle. Umerov, who served as defense minister from September 2023, will replace current Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who is reportedly being considered for an ambassadorial role in Serbia.

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Umerov's dismissal from the Defense Ministry was long anticipated, though earlier speculations suggested the ex-minister may be nominated as an ambassador in the U.S.

Umerov's candidacy for the diplomatic post was later dropped, as former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was named Ukraine's special envoy to the U.S., pending approval from Washington for a full ambassadorship.

In a post on X, Umerov confirmed his appointment and outlined his new mandate. "Today, the President of Ukraine signed a decree appointing me as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine," he wrote.

Umerov listed key priorities agreed upon with Zelensky, starting with "coordination and control of the security and defense sector." He pledged to ensure "systematic and effective synchronization of actions across all components" of Ukraine's defense system.

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"I will continue to coordinate all arms deliveries, joint production efforts, and defense partnerships  including the most sensitive areas," Umerov wrote. "I remain in constant dialogue with our international partners, especially regarding discreet agreements that are critically important to our defense capabilities."

The National Security and Defense Council is a powerful coordinating body in Ukraine, responsible for shaping military, security, and foreign policy.

Umerovs appointment as Ukraine's defense chief two years ago raised hopes for more transparent and effective leadership following major corruption scandals in the ministry.

However, his tenure eventually drew scrutiny. Ukrainian activists dubbed him "the minister of chaos," citing poor management, weak authority, and stalled reforms.

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In his post as defense minister, Umerov also led Ukraine's delegation in peace talks with Russia in Istanbul in May and June.

As part of a government reshuffle, Ukraine's parliament confirmed Yuliia Svyrydenko as the new prime minister on July 17, replacing Denys Shmyhal, who became the new defense minister.

Read also: Inside Ukraines recent government reshuffle, where old ministers take new roles

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI)  A deputy sheriff from Kansas accused of exploiting a child in Fall River did not appear in court on Thursday for a scheduled probable cause hearing.

The Bristol County District Attorneys Office said 24-year-old Garrett Gayoso has been charged with sending obscene matter to a child, posing/exhibiting a nude child, and posing/exhibiting a child sex act.

In May, Kansas Cherokee County Sheriffs Office shared in a social media post that they had been contacted by Fall River police. Investigators told the sheriffs office that Gayoso, who was at that point a deputy sheriff, was allegedly involved in an inappropriate relationship with a juvenile victim from Massachusetts.

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WATCH: Bodycam video shows first responders rescuing residents from Fall River fire

Following an investigation, Gayoso was placed on administrative leave. He later resigned.

The Bristol County District Attorneys Office then issued an arrest warrant for Gayoso. Once the warrant was entered into a national database, the Cherokee County Sheriff said Kansas law enforcement attempted to take Gayoso into custody, but they were unable to find him.

Gayoso later surrendered himself to law enforcement in Massachusetts, according to the Bristol County DAs office. He was arraigned and released on $1,000 cash bail with the conditions that he may not contact the victim and must stay away from their residence.

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The Bristol County District Attorneys Office said Gayosos next court date is Oct. 2.

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CLEVELAND (WJW)  A former North Ridgeville City Schools teacher, who pleaded guilty to stalking her ex-boyfriend, was stunned to learn Thursday she would be jailed, despite an apparent agreement between attorneys that she should only face probation.

Hannah Freeman, 27, of North Ridgeville, was indicted last year on several felony counts including menacing by stalking, trespassing, theft and identity fraud, but pleaded guilty in late June to reduced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, obstructing justice and possessing criminal tools, court filings show.

I-Team: Investigation underway after fleeing suspect struck by Butler employee

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Freeman had been accused of showing up at Westlakes Lee Burneson Middle School, where the victim worked, and breaking into the mans vehicle on Nov. 7. Freeman, who was in her own vehicle when confronted by police that day, said the man had invited her there.

Prosecutors said the two had dated, but that they had broken up several months earlier and Freeman didnt realize the relationship was over.

License plate-reading cameras spotted Freemans car on Westlake City Schools property 33 times in 19 days  all in the same month span, according to an investigation. Prosecutors admitted the victim had, on occasion, invited her there, but that he had told her he didnt want to see her on Nov. 7.

Prosecutors said Freeman took a backpack from the mans car in order to get the man to talk to her. It contained laptops, his wallet and keys to his apartment and his workplace at the school, according to the investigation.

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Cuyahoga County Judge David Matia on Thursday called the situation a bizarre break-up between two professionals.

Freeman, who was a fourth-grade teacher at Ranger High Tech Academy, was placed on unpaid administrative leave after her indictment in November, and ultimately did not return to the district, according to a school district spokesperson. Her contract with the district expired on June 30.

I definitely acted out of emotion and I regret the decision that I made that night, and I will take steps necessary to move on from this incident and you will not see me back here again, Freeman the the court before her sentence was read on Thursday.

Attorneys had apparently agreed Freeman would be placed on probation and be ordered to undergo mental health treatment.

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But Judge Matia ordered Freeman to serve the first seven days of her 18-month probationary sentence in the Cuyahoga County jail, which appeared to come as a surprise to Freeman and her attorney, Michael Kinlin of Elyria.

I-Team: A $100,000 unclaimed funds nightmare

Kinlin immediately moved to withdraw Freemans guilty plea, saying jail time was not part of the agreed sentence.

Judge Matia said Kinlin had not met with him about sentencing while the case had been pending for the past six months. Kinlin claimed he could not schedule a meeting regarding sentencing, but admitted he did not ask the judge about sentencing.

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Im offended you would make the insinuation here that I dont work here enough, Judge Matia said. Your bad practice is not my problem.

Judge Matia also ordered Freeman to be placed under house arrest  with electronic monitoring and work release  for the first 90 days of her sentence. She was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and to undergo mental health counseling on healthy boundaries.

Freeman became visibly distressed before she was ushered out of the courtroom.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
White nationalist commentator Nick Fuentes slammed President Donald Trump for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files in a profane rant.

Fuentes, a leader of the alt-right movement who turned on Trump just before the 2024 election, made his strongest comments yet about the president.

[Trump] says if youre not on board with the Epstein cover-up, Oh, I dont want your support. Youre a weakling, Fuentes said on his show America First, recapping how Trump has thumbed his nose at his base for demanding answers on the deceased sex offenders ties to socialites.

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Hey, f--- you! Hey, f--- you, fat a--! Fuentes exclaimed. Im so sick of this. He thinks hes so funny. Youre not funny. You are a joke. ... You are a f---ing cornball, okay?

So yeah, its turned into a nightmare, Fuentes continued, holding up a MAGA hat. Buyer beware. Its a shame. And look: I regret ever supporting him. Im just glad I didnt support him in 24.

Trumps MAGA base has been in an uproar since the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation acknowledged on July 6 that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019, rather than being murdered, and that no client list of powerful associates existboth pet conspiracies among the presidents supporters.

The revelations have led to widespread accusations of a cover-up that have threatened to topple top members of the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who claimed in February that Epsteins client list was sitting on my desk right now.

After boosting conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein while running for president, Trump now claims they are a Democratic

Trump pledged to release all files related to Epstein during his most recent campaign for president but has since tried to douse the flames he set, claiming on Truth Social Wednesday that the Epstein story is a Democratic hoax.

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[T]hese Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at, he wrote. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullsh--t, hook, line, and sinker.

If you watch my show, you know Ive been very critical. Ive never been this far, continued Fuentes, who dined with Trump and Kanye West at Mar-a-Lago in 2022.

This just goes to show this entire thing has been a scam, he asserted. When we look back on the history of populism in America, we are going to look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in American history.

And the liberals were right: the MAGA supporters were had, he said. They were.

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Other prominent right-wing commentators have spoken out against the president on this issue.

Why the hell are you acting like this? Please stop now, said conspiracy theorist and InfoWars host Alex Jones. You couldnt be doing a worse thing to yourself and America right now.

InfoWars host Alex Jones is among the MAGA minions who have come out swinging against the president. / Screenshot/Infowars

Jones also downplayed Trumps role in conservative achievements of the last ten years.

We built the movement you rode in on, he told him. Youre not the movement. You just surfed in on it.

Far-right activist Candace Owens also took Trump to task, accusing him of gaslighting the public and thinking his supporters are stupid enough to adhere to his demand that they just move on from the Epstein controversy.

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Though Trump has tried to put the Epstein case behind him because it is pretty boring, he has simultaneously been claiming that it was ginned up by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as former FBI Director James Comey.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the administration would not be appointing a special counsel to do so.
ICE agents this week apprehended an man who fled Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover several years ago and came to Connecticut after serving as a translator for the United States military  a detention his attorney says is baseless and nonsensical.

Zia S., a 35-year-old husband and father of five whose family does not want his full name shared publicly, was taken into custody by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement agents wearing baclavas on Wednesday in East Hartford outside a routine appointment where he was expected to have his fingerprints and photo taken as part of the green card process, according to his attorney, Lauren Cundick Petersen.

I was shocked, Petersen said, adding that she advised someone on Zias behalf prior to the appointment that he should not have had anything to worry about by attending. I was completely shocked.

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Theres no basis that I can understand for his detention for the government to claim that he should be subject to expedited removal from the country, she said.

According to a Facebook post shared by the Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services in New Haven  a nonprofit organization that helps refugees and other displaced people establish new lives,  a witness alleged that six agents surrounded Zia and forced him into a van. The agents refused to say where he was being taken and sped off, which left his wife and children distraught when they learned of the incident.

A spokesperson for ICE did not provide additional information about Zias detention in response to an email inquiry on Friday.

Zia fled Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover in 2021 and headed to Pakistan before he and his family came to the United States. According to Petersen, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services agreed that Zia was in danger and allowed him to come to the country on a parole status  which she said is a lawful status and should not be confused with having any criminal element.

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Zia previously served as an interpreter for the U.S. military, which Petersen said puts him in danger if he were to be deported to Afghanistan.

Targeting our Afghan allies is unconscionable and cruel. Zia S. entered and resided in the United States legally after serving bravely alongside American forces fighting against tyranny and oppression, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement to the Courant. Our Afghan wartime allies, at risk of retribution, fear for their lives in Afghanistan. ICE seems to be seeking to deport citizens, legal residents and others who have committed no crime without articulating any legal basis.

Ive long advocated, through our Afghan Adjustment Act, to create a pathway to permanent legal status for these allies and will continue to fight to protect them as they did for our troops. My office stands ready to assist Zia and his family as we receive more information, Blumenthal added.

Peterson late Thursday was able to obtain an order from a federal judge that requires 72 hours of notice before Zia can be moved to another facility or taken out of the country. If that were to happen, she said a judge can weigh in on whether he can be deported. Zia is currently being held at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

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Though Petersen had not yet seen the written basis for which ICE officials said they were holding Zia as of Friday afternoon, she said he had read it to her over the phone.

The basis that was outlined was nonsensical to my understanding of his factual situation, Petersen said. I really believe that the stated basis is simply, as a matter of law, wrong.

Zia is not the first Afghan refugee ICE has grabbed in Greater Hartford. Saifullah Khan, an Afghan refugee living in New Haven, was arrested in May and taken into custody when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot him seven times with Tasers inside the federal court building in Hartford, according to information presented in court. Khan was later released on bond.
A former Voice of America employee and reserve police officer was arrested Thursday after allegedly making continuous threats to murder Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and her family over a span of nearly two years.

Seth Jason, 64, of Maryland, was arrested by the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and is facing a four-count indictment for allegedly influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

Police also seized a laptop, several telephones, an iPad and multiple thumb drives.

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During a news conference on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the threats were made "repeatedly and continuously" from October 2023 through the end of January this year.

After Minnesota Killings, Capitol Hill Representatives Face Stark Reality About Family Safety

The threats allegedly targeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, her family, and her staff.

Pirro said Jason was accused of making statements including, "I'm looking forward to your book signing. We are all armed and ready to take care of you. We're coming after you and your staff, and we are locked and loaded. We're going to take you all out. We've got our AK-47s. You're going to get one between the eyes. Bam, bam, bam."

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Staff members at Greene's offices were also threatened, including the staff members' families, according to Pirro.

Making the case even more egregious, Pirro said Jason was a "rogue" former full-time federal government employee at Voice of America. She said he used phones in the control rooms where broadcasters were reporting to make the threats.

"For 15 months, I received terrifying death threats from one individual who worked alarmingly close to my office building at the Voice of America," Greene wrote in a statement Thursday to Fox News Digital. "That kind of sustained, targeted harassment is deeply disturbing. I truly feared for my life, as I do with all of the death threats I receive. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Senior Advisor Kari Lake, the Capitol Police, and the prosecutors who took this threat seriously and acted decisively to stop someone who was planning to kill me. Threatening an elected official, their family, or their staff is not free speech; its a crime, and it must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My family and I are incredibly grateful. Justice must be served."

Seth Jason, a former Voice of America employee, made threatening calls to the Dalton and Rome District Offices for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R, Ga., according to the DOJ.

Georgia Man Indicted For Making Alleged Threats Against Senators Cruz, Fischer In Disturbing Voicemails

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Jason is currently unemployed after retiring from Voice of America a few months ago. The retirement came as President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of the U.S.'s state-funded media outlet, with a federal judge later restoring the agency.

"Through the leadership of President Trump, this sprawling federal bureaucracy is being held accountable, including through the work of Kari Lake, who is senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America."

Lake took to social media to thank Pirro for "taking these threats seriously."

"I am sickened by what Congresswoman @RepMTG, her staff and their families had to go through as the threats persisted for 15 months! It angers me that a taxpayer-funded VOA employee would use taxpayer-funded equipment in a depraved way to threaten the lives of people, including an elected official," Lake wrote in a post on X. "If he is found guilty, I hope he is sentenced to the maximum amount of time behind bars."

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Lake also said it's time to shut Voice of America down.

Kari Lake is responsible for overseeing Voice of America in the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, Pirro vowed to hold government employees to the highest standards.

"No one should have to live their life looking over their shoulder every day and wondering if those threats are about to be fulfilled The threat to have your family murdered as well as yourself, is debilitating."

"My message today should be loud and clear: This behavior is a crime," she added. "You threaten a public official, and you'll face the full force of the law crushing down on you. There will be no mercy and no excuses."

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Mace Delivers Blistering Impact Statement, Shakes Hand Of Trans Threat Suspects Father After Bond Is Denied

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Mike Sullivan said the view of threats against lawmakers has changed since former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Minnesota home.

The suspect in the Hortman murders, Vance Boelter, also allegedly shot Minnesota state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, on the same morning.

"We are going to work very, very hard to hold you accountable if you make these threats," Sullivan said.

Jason, who was a volunteer reserve officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, is no longer associated with the agency, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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Pirro said there is no reason to believe Jason was involved in prior swatting incidents reported by Greene.





Original article source: Ex-Voice of America employee allegedly threatened to murder Marjorie Taylor Greene and her family
A former Stoughton Water Department employee has been sentenced to serve one day in federal prison for tampering with the the towns drinking water supply.

Robert J. Bullock Sr., 60, of Brockton, was sentenced Thursday to serve a period of approximately one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Casper handed down his sentence. The government had recommended a sentence of one year and one day in prison.

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Bullock pleaded guilty in March to one count of tampering with a water system. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.

On the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, Bullock went into one of the Water Departments pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water, prosecutors said.

As a result, insufficiently disinfected water was introduced into the drinking water system.

Stoughton Town Manager Thomas Calter told residents in a 2023 letter that the town responded in time to prevent chlorine levels from remaining low long enough to jeopardize water quality, The Enterprise reported.

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At the time of Bullocks arrest, Calter told WCVB-TV that Bullock was unhappy about being disciplined at work and having his truck taken away from him.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The ex-wife of University of California, Berkeley professor Przemysaw Jeziorski, who was gunned down in broad daylight in Greece earlier this month, has been arrested.

Jeziorski, who taught at the Haas School of Business, was killed in Athens on July 4, near the home where his two children  Zoe and Angelo  live with their mother, identified by multiple news outlets as his ex, Nadia Michelidaki. Police said he had just showed up at the residence to visit his kids when he was shot five times by a masked gunman, who then managed to flee in a vehicle with two accomplices.

Jeziorski, who was struck in the chest and back, was pronounced dead on the scene. Originally from Poland, he worked at UC Berkeley for 13 years.

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Five people, including Michelidaki, her current partner and three others  identified only as a Bulgarian man and two Albanian nationals  have since been jailed in connection with deadly violence. They all made their initial court appearances on Thursday.

In a statement to ABC News, Jeziorskis brother, Lukasz, called Michelidaki the orchestrator behind this heinous crime. He added that her boyfriend has already confessed to the shooting and the others have similarly admitted to their roles in the attack.

Our family is heartbroken, but we are grateful to Greek police and security professionals that have identified and captured those accountable, he said. We want justice to be fully served.

Just two months before the deadly shooting, Jeziorski sought a restraining order against his ex-wife, saying he feared for his life amid their custody battle, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He accused of her blackmail and extortion, and additionally alleged that hed been twice assaulted by Michelidakis boyfriend.

The former couple married in 2014, with Jeziorski filing for divorce in fall 2021, citing irreconcilable differences. Their marriage was officially dissolved in 2024.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has developed an eLearning programme focused on generative AI (GenAI) to educate its members.

The move is a direct response to findings from the ICAEW's 2025 member research, which highlighted technology, automation, and GenAI as key areas of opportunity and challenge for the accounting profession.

However, a notable proportion of members feel unprepared to implement AI solutions, citing insufficient training as a barrier to adoption.

The GenAI Accelerator Programme is scheduled to launch in August 2025 and is designed to provide members with an understanding of GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Grok.

The programme consists of eight eLearning courses, each comprising several modules which are estimated to take about an hour to complete, the ICAEW said.

The initial course will introduce participants to the fundamental concepts of AI, as well as the ethical and regulatory aspects of using GenAI in professional settings.

The programme will then progress to more advanced topics on how GenAI can be integrated into various accounting functions, such as finance operations, compliance, strategic planning, risk management, and governance.

Further courses will provide tailored guidance for applying AI in specific practice areas, including audit, tax services, advisory, and restructuring.

Additionally, the programme will offer sector-specific advice for industries such as financial services, retail, manufacturing, public sector, healthcare finance, construction, real estate, charity, and energy.

The final course will address the practical aspects of implementing GenAI, focusing on creating an adoption strategy, evaluating organisational readiness, engaging teams, and assessing the technology's return on investment.

Central to the GenAI Accelerator Programme is a structured five-step framework to support members through the adoption process.

This framework includes identifying use cases, validating and prioritising them, piloting and testing, scaling and integrating into operations, and monitoring for continuous improvement.

GenFinance.AI founder Peter Beard said: GenAI is incredibly empowering for users, no longer do you have to be a coder, an engineer or a programmer to access artificial intelligence.

The accelerator has been created to ensure ICAEW members can confidently experiment and engage with AI, with practical support on each stage of their GenAI adoption journey.

Recently, the ICAEW has called on UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves to focus on pension reforms to unleash the 3tn ($4.04tn) potential of pension funds.
Exclusive: Hall Pass Ice Cream Brings Nostalgia and Sweet Treats to the Sunset Strip originally appeared on L.A. Mag.

Hall Pass Ice Cream

Forget coffee or cocktails. Amirah Kassem wants you to meet up for ice cream.



Teamed up with Prince St. Pizza and Irvs Burgers CEO Lawrence Longo, the Flour Shop founder is making sure you can do just that through Hall Pass Ice Cream, which opens this month.



I just want to be able to spread more joy and more happiness through our little spot, Kassem tells Los Angeles.



Located next to Prince St. Pizza and Bar Next Door (Longos other venture), Hall Pass Ice Cream serves made-from-scratch ice cream from Sunday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.  a fitting locale for both families capping the school week with a special treat and Sunset Strip party goers wrapping up a night out.

It needs to have ice cream, Kassem says of Sunset Boulevard. That feels like a part of the L.A. culture, and a part of California culture in general. Just being able to grab a slice of pizza and pick up an ice cream cone and walk down the street  that feels very nice to me.



While Kassem and Longo have plans for other kinds of frozen goodies in the future, for now, Hall Pass serves a lineup of twelve ice cream options: 10 classic core flavors, plus two seasonal. There will also be a little something for non-dairy eaters.



We also have a chocolate sorbet that is vegan, and I'm really excited about it because my husband is lactose intolerant, Kassem shares. I added this one last minute, and so there's going to be 13 flavors. When we open, you're not going to be able to see one, so just know that it's in there. It's hidden. We have a hidden flavor... The freezer only has space for 12 of these buckets, and I had to throw in a baker's dozen.



Over a late morning phone call, Kassem continues to explain the flavor list by way of loved ones. Her daughter favors the cookies and cream, which has chunks of chocolate chip cookies in it  not your usual Oreo-type cookie. At her sons birthday party, a gaggle of kids got a preview of the birthday cake flavor. Everyone was losing it, she says. Picture when you're little and you get a slice of cake in the summer next to a scoop of ice cream and it starts to melt into each other, and that is the exact taste of that flavor.

Hall Pass Ice Cream

As founder of Flour Shop, its no surprise Kassem has mastered the birthday cake flavor. She is best known for her six-layer explosion cake that features an Instagramable sprinkles-packed center, making fans out of everyone from Kim Kardashian to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (where she also joined the Met Gala culinary team in 2022). Although she is excited for the festive flavor, Kassems personal favorite is her take on cajeta. [It] really is just Mexican caramel and nuts, she says. it's just literally so exciting to give people a taste of what I grew up eating [in Mexico].



No matter the flavor, Hall Pass ice creams all have a custard base, which is almost more akin to making a croissant than standard ice cream. In other words, it takes time. Before the likes of chocolate chip cookie chunks get thrown in, the base itself takes three days, resulting in a richer, denser product.



Kassems intentionality matches Longos approach to business. If you look at how many businesses he runs, how smooth they are, how he keeps the quality control perfect, how his events are seamless  he is such an amazing operator, she boasts about her business partner. [I] 100% trust him. And I think for him, seeing what I've done with Flour Shop and the creativity and the flavors and what I've been able to create, he has given me such huge creative freedom. So, I think it's rare in the food industry, right, that two people find each other who have opposite skill sets, but similar goals and a similar palette. And so I feel very lucky to have found that we found each other.



Longo and Kassem crossed paths when the cake artist sought out having her birthday party at Prince St. Pizza in West Hollywood, which she ended up hosting at the neighbor Bar Next Door. It came up in conversation that Longo planned to make the adjacent third space into an ice cream shop, but he was still on the lookout for a supplier.

Hall Pass Ice Cream

It was the funniest moment ever because I had spent two years developing my own ice cream, she remembers. "It was kind of around the time of COVID, and I never really put it to use because we shifted everything from Flour Shop to shipping and delivering in L.A. and events, so it just was sitting there, and once he said that, it kicked everything into gear, and we both got so excited. We found out our kids were in the same class without even knowing, actually. Our worlds collided. We have such similar taste buds. We like high quality and premium ingredients and amazing food, but we also [have] these little kid palettes of nostalgic flavors.



This sentimentality for the past is reflected in the 500-square-foot spaces 90s-inspired aesthetic. A custom, pink-tiled backsplash pairs with neon signs and pink lockers, while flavors like Cinnamon Toast Churro and The Last Bite (a tribute to Drumstick ice cream cones) evoke childhood.



Ice cream fans can get a taste starting July 20, which happens to be National Ice Cream Day. If you think we planned it for [that day], we would be amazing, Kassem admits. We wanted to open so long ago. But like so many with Hall Pass, even the grand opening is kismet.

This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California's San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump.

The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center.

"This was an idea of the president," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. "He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible."

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Trump Pushes To Reopen Alcatraz, But Pelosi And Newsom Dismiss It As A 'Distraction'

After Trumps May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit "the Rock" to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison's infrastructure.

The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening.

Read On The Fox News App

Fox News correspondent David Spunt interviews Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum inside Alcatraz Thursday. The exclusive interview took place during their tour of the decommissioned prison.

Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the islands potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.

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The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.

If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"So many people remember Al Capone, but this isnt about the past. Its about what Alcatraz could be again," Spunt reported from the island. "They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for."

Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from "Alcatraces" after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala's 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means "pelican" or "strange bird."



Legal Experts Say Trump Can Definitely Reopen Alcatraz, But Could Face 'Avalanche Of Lawsuits'

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as a National Park Service official leads her through a restricted tunnel during a private tour of Alcatraz Island Thursday.

Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prisons operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data.

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"This is a terrific facility," Bondi said. "It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive."

Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including "violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens." She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.

Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use.

"Its a federal property. Its original use was a prison. Were here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again," he said.

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The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts.

The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJs ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review.

Alcatraz Island gets 1.5 million visitors yearly as a National Park.

Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative "the stupidest yet" from Trump.

The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken.

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After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national historic landmarks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site.

Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom.

Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished.

"This is Alcatraz," Burgum said. "The name still means something."

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The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.





Original article source: EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nations worst of the worst
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  With a murdered witness and the alleged hitman also killed, FOX 2 is looking into whats next.

FOX 2 was present at the July 8 crime scene, which Ferguson detectives say is tied to a sex crimes case and an alleged hitman. Police say that the reported hitman is also now deadand his getaway car burned.

Were getting really good leads coming in, Ferguson Police Captain Tim Harris said.

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Captain Harris described detectives working around the clock to get answers. He said its paying off.

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The citizens have really helped findwitnesses, he added.

The case began with sex crimes charges involving a minor. Lavor Harmon, 39, was indicted by a grand jury for statutory rape and sodomy in June.

The defendants sister, Lavonda Harmon, was later charged with tampering with a witness.

Court records say she showed up at the witness door with a mysterious man and $12,000 cash to buy the witness silence. The witness reportedly refused.

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Longtime Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright takes mound for Savannah Bananas

Then on July 8, another unknown man approached the witness and shot him to death.

It happened in the cul-de-sac on Bayview Drive in Ferguson. The victim was also the father of the reported sex crimes victim.

Court records indicate a child was also inside the home during the hit.

Weve worked around the clock, Captain Harris said. Were very optimistic.

Lavonda Harmon bonded out of jail almost immediately by paying a bond of $100,000 in cash.

Right after that, prosecutors asked for Lavor Harmons bond to be raised to $2 million and a judge granted that.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Following the catastrophic flooding across Central Texas and in Kerr County, some conservation organizations are speaking out to educate people about the deadly flooding.

The organizations  which include Heart of Texas Conservancy, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Green Spaces Alliance and Cibolo Center for Conservation  are calling for immediate land use reform in Texas.

This latest event shows us that we are called flash flood alley for a good reason, said Ben Eldredge, with Heart of Texas Conservancy.

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Their goal is to create more policy, rules and inform communities about ways to protect lives and natural resources.

A lot of the initial reaction has been that we need early warning systems and you know, we do need to make sure there is a robust early warning network. However, those are not full proof, Eldredge said. There are scenarios where people will not get the warnings, will not get them, will not heed them.

Eldredge said the best way to keep people safe is to keep them out of flood zones.

Speaker Burrows announces members of House Select Committee on Flooding

People in my view should not be sleeping in the flood zone, said Eldredge. We should not be allowing lodging, etc. Now there are a lot of rules and regulations in counties throughout the state which prevent people from moving into, lets say for example the 100 year flood zone, sometimes those regulations are waived.

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Eldredge said trees and plants can also help slow water down and also reduce erosion of the stream bank. He said these natural features need to be preserved to mitigate storm water intensity.

It is natural infrastructure that benefits humanity, Eldredge said.  However, counties have limited authority that doesnt allow for the protection of this natural infrastructure

While these catastrophic events are rare, Eldredge said they are happening more often and should be on alert.

The data, the science shows us that these type of flood events do happen, Eldredge said. While this one is especially extreme, it is not the most extreme that could happen, and we would be wise across the entire region to avoid calamities like this again by not placing lodging in the flood plane.

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Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows have already named members to a committee on disaster preparedness and flooding.

The committee will look at flood warning systems, flood emergency communications and natural disaster preparation and recovery, in addition to relief efforts.

The plan is to also head down to Kerrville to hear directly from people impacted.

Heart of Texas Conservancy and a few other organizations plan to hold a press conference in Comfort, Texas on Friday to educate the community about these topics.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The 2019 suicide of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a New York jail cell generated conspiracy theories, fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump's conservative MAGA movement, that he was killed by one of his famous connections.

Here are some facts about Epstein and the current controversy:

WHO IS JEFFREY EPSTEIN?

The Brooklyn-born Epstein, a former high school math teacher who later founded consulting and financial management firms, cultivated the rich and famous.

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He was known for socializing with politicians and royalty, including Trump, Democratic President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Britain's Prince Andrew. Some friends and clients flew on his private plane and visited his Caribbean islands.

Trump knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s. During the 2021 trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier's longtime pilot, Lawrence Visoski, testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane.

WHAT WAS EPSTEIN CHARGED WITH?

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state felony prostitution charge, after federal prosecutors agreed not to charge him with sex trafficking of minors. He served 13 months in jail and was required to register as a sex offender. That punishment is now widely regarded as too lenient.

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In July 2019, the Justice Department charged Epstein with sex trafficking minors, including sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of girls, in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He pleaded not guilty.

Epstein died on August 10, 2019, at age 66 by hanging himself in a Manhattan jail cell, an autopsy concluded. He was never tried on the 2019 charges.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY OVER EPSTEIN?

Though the New York City chief medical examiner determined that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging, Epstein's ties to wealthy and powerful people prompted speculation that one or more of them wanted him silenced.

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In several interviews, Trump left open the possibility that Epstein may not have died by suicide. During the 2024 presidential campaign, when asked on Fox News if he would declassify the Epstein files, Trump said, "Yeah, yeah I would."

In February, Fox News asked Attorney General Pam Bondi whether the Justice Department would be releasing Epstein's client list, and she said, "It's sitting on my desk right now to review."

Some of Trump's most loyal followers became furious after his administration reversed course on its promise. A Justice Department memo released on July 7 concluded that Epstein killed himself and said there was "no incriminating client list" or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people.

The demands by Trump supporters for more Epstein-related documents have caused a rare fracture within the president's base. Supporters, inspired by conservative talk show hosts and podcasters, have said the federal government is concealing records to protect wealthy and influential people with ties to Epstein.

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Trying to contain the fallout, Trump defended Bondi and accused his supporters in a Truth Social post of falling for a hoax, calling them "weaklings" who were helping Democrats.

With backlash from his base not abating, Trump on July 17 requested that Bondi ask a federal judge to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein's 2019 indictment. The government on Friday filed a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal the transcripts.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ultimately, a judge will decide whether to release the transcripts.

Transcripts of grand jury proceedings are generally kept secret under federal criminal procedure rules, with limited exceptions.

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If a judge agrees to release the transcripts, it is likely that some material would be redacted, or blacked out because of privacy or security concerns.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew Lewis)
A prolonged curfew from 15:00 to 11:00 has been introduced in settlements of Donetsk Oblast located less than 10 km from the front line.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "In accordance with a directive of the commander of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, I have signed an order to update the list of settlements located less than 10 km from the front. In this part of Donetsk Oblast, the curfew will be in effect from 15:00 to 11:00.

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In the rest of the territory of the oblast, which is situated more than 10 km from the front, the curfew remains from 21:00 to 05:00."

Details: Filashkin also posted a list of settlements where the extended curfew will be in effect.

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Cleaning staff at EY have gone on strike after being told that 37% of them could be laid off.

BI went to the picket line at one of the consulting giant's London offices to speak to striking workers.

EY outsources facilities staff to the subcontractor Mitie.

Tough hours and layoffs can affect anyone working at the Big Four  including cleaners.

At EY, over a third of cleaning staff contracted to work at the firm's London offices have been told their jobs are at risk. The proposed job cuts affect roughly 20 employees.

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The workers are not directly employed by EY  the firm outsources cleaning services to the British subcontractor Mitie. Their union representatives told BI that at least 48 of the 55 cleaners for EY's London offices walked off the job this week in protest.

Roughly 20 cleaners had formed a picket line outside the firm's Canary Wharf office on Wednesday afternoon. Blaring horns and shouts could be heard from two blocks away when Business Insider arrived, disrupting the lunchtime buzz of Canary Wharf's otherwise pristine corporate atmosphere.

Two suited men sipped beers on a restaurant terrace across the road, watching as the protesters shouted their demands for a reversal of plans to cut 37% of cleaning staff and better working conditions for outsourced workers.

They were joined by representatives from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), a trade union that represents them.

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Picket lines were set up at EY's Canary Wharf office and the firm's London Bridge HQ from Tuesday to Friday this week, and the strikes are scheduled to continue next week, the union said.

Cleaning staff and union members protest outside EY's Canary Wharf office. Polly Thompson/Business Insider

"Whilst partners at EY take home an average of 723,000 a year ($969,000), the already overworked cleaning workforce who make just 13.85 an hour are being told that over a third of their jobs are at risk," said Henry Chango Lopez, IWGB's general secretary.

Rosa Jarrin, a 63-year-old cleaner whose job is on the line, told BI she's worked in EY offices for 15 years.

"I come to work sick or not. I give it everything I have," she said.

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When asked what would happen to her if she were laid off, she became emotional and said it was difficult to think about the future.

"I'm feeling really vulnerable because this is how I make my daily bread. I would like to keep working until I retire," Jarrin said.

Henry Chango Lopez, General Secretary of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain. Polly Thompson/Business Insider

IWGB said cleaners had reported overwork before the redundancies were announced and that some had expressed concerns that if the proposed layoffs go ahead, they would push an "already high workload" onto a smaller number of staff.

Mitie has also introduced changes to workers' shifts that disrupt childcare requirements or are untenable with second or third jobs that some of them have, Chango Lopez told BI.

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Jimena Rosero, a 61-year-old who has been cleaning EY offices for the past two years, said Mitie had offered to extend her shifts from seven to eight hours. She said the company hadn't specified what the future workload would look like, and that this worried her.

"I asked them, 'If I stay, what's going to happen to my job? If you fire 11 people in this office, am I going to have to clean two floors now?'" Jimena told BI.

Mitie is consulting with the cleaners and their representatives in the union about the proposed changes, a company spokesperson told BI.

Under British law, a consultation period of at least 30 days must be held if layoffs impact 20 or more employees.

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"We are supporting colleagues during this difficult time, including exploring opportunities for redeployment as part of the consultation process," the spokesperson said.

Cleaners told BI that they are paid 13.85 an hour for shifts cleaning EY offices. Polly Thompson/Business Insider

In email correspondence between the union's legal team and Mitie, which BI has seen, the union said that they had been "given three completely different explanations for the proposed changes."

These included an "alleged agreement with the client to reduce staff in order to secure the contract," a "desire to change working hours from part-time to full-time," and a "general improvement of the cleaning service."

The cuts to cleaning staff come as EY grapples to recover from the post-pandemic slowdown in demand for consulting services and reshape operations for the AI future.

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EY doesn't report individual results for its UK business, but the growth rate for its Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa (EMEIA) division fell to 6.9% in the year ending June 30, 2024, down from 16.9%. In December 2024, the firm cut 150 jobs from its UK consulting division.

EY's CEO and global chair, Janet Truncale, has initiated a significant restructuring of the organization's business divisions since taking over as head of the firm last year.

EY confirmed to BI that Mitie provides its workplace and security services in the UK and that the consultation process is ongoing.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at pthompson@businessinsider.com or Signal at Polly_Thompson.89. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely .

Read the original article on Business Insider
Live facial recognition (LFR) technology will deployed during the Notting Hill Carnival, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The force said the cameras would be used on the approach to and exit from Carnival, "outside the boundaries of the event" itself, to help officers "identify and intercept" people who pose a public safety risk.

The Met added that it would be carrying out "pre-emptive intelligence-led arrests and searches" of people believed to be in possession of weapons or supplying drugs, as it set out its policing plan for the August Bank Holiday event.

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Big Brother Watch interim director Rebecca Vincent called for LFR plans to be scrapped, adding that the technology was "less accurate in scanning minority faces".

'Particularly sinister'

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the police commander for this year's event, said the force was working with organisers and partners ahead of Carnival.

"Regrettably, amongst the millions of carnivalists who have attended over many years there has been a tiny minority of individuals intent on causing serious harm to others, including violent crime and sexual offences," he said.

"Their actions stand in stark contrast to the traditions and values of Carnival and I welcome those voices in the community who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality at the event."

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The Met added that it was working with police forces across the country to seek banning orders for people who have a history of violence or sexual offending at Carnival.

The force said the LFR cameras on the approach to the event would search for people marked as wanted on the Police National Computer, those who are shown as missing and people who are subject to sexual harm prevention orders.

It added that biometrics were immediately and permanently deleted for people who were not wanted by the police.

The Met said it was also working to ban people who have a history of offending at Carnival [PA Media]

Ms Vincent said: "It is worrying to see the Met resorting to the use of invasive live facial recognition technology at this year's Notting Hill Carnival after scrapping it when a prior trial led to widespread outcry on the grounds of bias.

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"We know that LFR is less accurate in scanning minority faces, so using it to target attendees of this beloved cultural celebration is particularly sinister.

"The Met should channel its resources into a proper on-the-ground police presence to deal with actual criminals rather than compromising the privacy rights of millions of innocent carnival-goers and local residents."

About 7,000 officers and staff will be deployed each day of the carnival, in a bid to keep people safe and prevent knife crime and violence against women and girls, the Met said.

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Alongside the use of LFR technology, the force also plans to install screening arches at some of the busiest entry points, where stop-and-search powers will be used.

Mr Ward added: "The best way to prevent serious crime at Carnival, including violence and sexual offending, is to intervene and target the small number of dangerous offenders before they get to the event."

He urged people to speak up if they knew anyone who was planning to take a weapon to Carnival or was being exploited.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

More on this story
Claim:

Native-born workers accounted for all U.S. job gains during the six-month period from January to June 2025.

Rating:

Rating: True

Context:

The Department of Labor's graphic making the claim used non-seasonally adjusted employment data from the Current Population Survey, a methodological detail that was not disclosed in the presentation. Additionally, President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025, meaning former President Joe Biden was still in office for most of that month  and therefore nearly three weeks of the Trump period on the graphic.

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On July 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor posted (archived) on X: "Under @POTUS, native-born workers have accounted for ALL job gains since January. American Workers First!"

The post was accompanied by a graph titled "American jobs for AMERICAN WORKERS" showing the percentage of job gains by native-born workers from "January to June" with bars indicating 52% for Biden (2024) and 100% for Trump (2025). In the bottom left corner, the graph cited the Bureau of Labor Statistics as the source.

(USDOL/X)

The same graph also appeared on the Facebook page of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, an Illinois Republican, along with the following caption (archived): "The American people are the hardest-working, most innovative, and highly skilled in the world. Thanks to President Trump, our native-born workforce is finally getting the respect and priority it deserves after being forgotten by Joe Biden!"

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We rated the claim true. But while native-born workers did account for all job gains, meaning all new positions filled, during the six-month period from January to June 2025, the department's presentation omitted context about the data source and methodology.

We attempted to contact the Labor Department's press office for clarification on its methodology and data sources. We also reached out to the BLS for comment on the use of its employment data in the social media posts. Neither agency responded to our requests for comment by publication time.

Analysis of the data

According to BLS data accessed through the Federal Reserve Economic Data system, employment levels by nativity and total employment levels from the Current Population Survey (Household Survey)  which was not seasonally adjusted  were as follows:

Trump period (January 2025-June 2025):

Native-born employment: Increased from 130.573 million to 132.652 million (+2.079 million)

Foreign-born employment: Decreased from 31.774 million to 31.231 million (-543,000)

Total employment: Increased from 162.347 million to 163.883 million (+1.536 million)

Native-born share of job gains: 100%

Biden period (January 2024-June 2024):

Native-born employment: Increased from 129.807 million to 130.906 million (+1.099 million)

Foreign-born employment: Increased from 29.842 million to 30.867 million (+1.025 million)

Total employment: Increased from 159.650 million to 161.774million (+2.124 million)

Native-born share of job gains: 51.7%

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Note: We used employment data from the Current Population Survey (Household Survey) for all calculations, as this is the only BLS survey that provides employment breakdowns by nativity. We did not use the All Employees, Total Nonfarm data from the Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey) in order to ensure methodological consistency with the graphic the Department of Labor shared.

We used the following formula to calculate the native-born share of job gains.

The data analysis confirmed that native-born workers accounted for 100% of non-seasonally adjusted job gains during the January-June 2025 period, as foreign-born employment decreased by 543,000 jobs during this timeframe.

What non-seasonally adjusted data means

According to the definition of seasonal adjustment by BLS, non-seasonally adjusted data includes the effects of recurring seasonal influences such as weather, holidays and school schedules. This means the employment figures reflect normal seasonal patterns that occur every year, such as post-holiday layoffs in January or summer hiring increases.

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Most employment data reported in the news is seasonally adjusted, which removes these predictable seasonal effects to show underlying trends more clearly.

Presidential transition timing

Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025, meaning Biden was still president for the first 19 days of January 2025. Therefore, the Trump period in the Labor Department's graphic included nearly three weeks when Biden was still president  meaning not all the job data during that period could accurately be attributed to Trump.

Sources:

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. "All Employees, Total Nonfarm (PAYEMS)." FRED Economic Data, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PAYEMS. Accessed 17 July 2025.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. "Employment Level - 16 Years & Over, Employment Level - Foreign Born, Employment Level - Native Born." FRED Economic Data, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?id=LNU02000000,LNU02073395,LNU02073413. Accessed 17 July 2025.

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U.S. Census Bureau. "Current Population Survey (CPS)." Census.gov, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps.html. Accessed 17 July 2025.

U.S. Department of Labor. "Under @POTUS, native-born workers have accounted for ALL job gains since January. American Workers First!" X, 7 Jul. 2025, https://x.com/usdol/status/1942234652896592077. Accessed 17 July 2025.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Seasonal Adjustment." Handbook of Methods, https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/topic/seasonal-adjustment.htm. Accessed 18 July 2025.

The White House. "The Inaugural Address." WhiteHouse.gov, 20 Jan. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address/. Accessed 17 July 2025.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  One detective with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is being recognized for her outstanding work leading a multi-state investigation into a child exploitation ring.

On July 16, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announced that Detective Claudia Castro was named the National Officer of the Month for June 2025.

Fairfax County Police Department Detective Claudia Castro (Photo Courtesy: FCPD)

Castro was selected for her relentless work during the investigation that was brought forth by a child who was being solicited by a person online for sex.

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The case began in March and resulted in arrests and the execution of multiple search warrants. Officials noted that the ring ran between Virginia and New York, and several victims were found across the United States.

Our group really shows what we can do: How a DC theatre, dance group is trying to change the narrative about youth

Detective Castros actions reflect the integrity and professionalism demonstrated by so many in the law enforcement community, said William Alexander, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. We are honored to recognize her as our Officer of the Month for June 2025.

Castro joined the FCPD in 2018 and has since worked her way up the ranks. She began her service as a patrol officer and later moved to the Major Crimes Bureau, where she was assigned to the Child Abuse Squad.

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While being part of the squad, Castro excelled and received multiple recognitions for her investigative work and support for victims.

Her commitment to protecting vulnerable children and bringing offenders to justice exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement service. said the Fairfax County Police Department.

She later transferred to the police departments Child Exploitation Unit, where she tackled cases involving internet-related offenses against children. Castro was also selected to serve as a task force officer with the Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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MILAN  At a time of global upheaval caused by geopolitical and economic headwinds, business woes are trickling down to all fashion segments and positionings. As consumers turn their back on luxury and high-end fashion, there may be renewed potential for the contemporary market.

In one example of resilience amid turmoil, the Bologna, Italy-based Imperial group is betting on its capabilities to provide fashion-savvy customers with a value-for-money offering driven by creativity and a slower trend pace compared to fast-fashion players.

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The group was established in 1978 by Adriano Aere and Emilia Giberti and currently counts about 1,000 employees globally.

Parent to the Imperial, Dixie and Please brands, the company logged 230 million euros in 2024 sales, flat versus the previous year.

A wholesale-driven business with almost 4,000 accounts in Europe and Hong Kong, the company is making baby steps toward the expansion of its international footprint and retail operations. The group currently counts 73 flagships across its three brands.

The contemporary segment where our brands operate is facing a challenging context, yet filled with opportunities, said Giberti, group cofounder and president. Over the past few years, we have proved our strength and adaptability, maintaining our market shares.

The executive mentioned shifting purchasing habits, a stronger focus on sustainability and international competition as among the key challenges to handle.

The contemporary and fashion-driven Dixie brand, founded in 1996 by Masimo Frosini and Gianni Guastella and acquired by the Imperial group in 2014, has been a driving force for the fashion group.

Last year, the label expanded its presence in Switzerland, a strategic market, with store openings in Zurich and Locarno, as well as corners at the Manor department stores. The company also bowed its 24th Dixie boutique in Italy, with a new unit in Turin.

Similarly, the group has been investing on growing its hero brand Imperial, established by the group founders in 1978. Hinged on timeless womenswear and menswear with a toned-down fashion quotient compared to Dixie, the brand has added new boutiques in Switzerlands Bellinzona, Signy and Vernier, in addition to a new flagship on Milans Piazza Cordusio, opened last March.

The company is concurrently looking at growing the menswear division of Imperial, which has been recently retooled to seize the opportunity of more frequent and target drops, with the launch of capsule collections throughout the year.
(FOX40.COM)  A 31-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday after officers found fentanyl in her home, according to the Fairfield Police Department.

Video Above: What is Fentanyl?

Police said that detectives from the Special Operations Team executed a search warrant at a home on The Masters Drive.

FPD said fentanyl and other items indicative of sales were found in Jennifer Cinkornpumin house.

She was arrested and taken to the Solano County Jail on drug-related charges.

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An apology statement attributed to Andy Byron is spreading rapidly online after the Astronomer chief executive was identified as the man seen ducking to hide when the jumbotron camera showed him cuddling a woman during a July 2025 Coldplay concert. But the alleged communication is fake, the technology company and its former CEO said; it appears to have originated with a parody account.

"I want to acknowledge the moment that's been circulating online, and the disappointment it's caused," says the purported message. "What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage."

The multi-paragraph message attributed to "CEO Andy Byron," which includes apologies to his wife, family and Astronomer team, continues: "I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent."

It concludes with a quote from the Coldplay hit song "Fix You."

Screenshot from X taken July 18, 2025

The supposed statement rocketed across social media platforms such as X and Instagram starting July 17, 2025, spreading in multiple languages and shared by prominent figures including podcast host Keith Olbermann.

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The Mirror, a British tabloid newspaper, shared it in a since-corrected article.

The claims follow an awkward and viral moment in which a man and woman were initially shown snuggling and smiling on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts. The man quickly ducked out of the frame while the woman turned to cover her face as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."

Internet users and media outlets identified the pair in the video -- which racked up more than 58 million views on TikTok -- as Byron and Kristin Cabot, the technology company's chief people officer (archived here).

But the statement attributed to Byron online is a fabrication, Mark Wheeler, Astronomer's senior vice president of marketing, told AFP.

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"It did originate from a troll account and is indeed fake," Wheeler said in a July 18 email.

Ry Walker, Astronomer's former CEO, also posted on X that the message is "super fake" (archived here).

Super fake  Ry Walker (@rywalker) July 18, 2025

The purported statement also includes a line which ends, "spectacle.fi." A search leads to a website selling its domain below the same "Fix You" lyric and text saying: "Coldplay rocks" (archived here).

AFP found no record of Byron releasing any such statement. His LinkedIn account no longer exists.

Dubious origins

The "troll account" Wheeler referenced was "@PeterEnisCBS," an X profile that posted the image July 17 and has since been suspended from the platform for violating its policies.

Screenshot from X taken July 17, 2025

The account purported to belong to a CBS News reporter named "Peter Enis," but a search of the outlet's website turned up no articles under that byline. Screenshots of the account's bio show that it had at one point been labeled as parody (archived here).

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AFP reached out to CBS News to confirm whether it employed anyone by that name, but no response was forthcoming.

The "@PeterEnisCBS" bio also claims past affiliations with the New York Times and NPR, and the account's profile picture shows a man wearing a lapel pin resembling the NBC News logo. The name is not mentioned on any of those three organizations' websites, either.

The veraAI detection tool within the Verification Plugin, also known as InVID-WeVerify, found "moderate evidence" that the profile image could be synthetic, while the AI detection tool Hive Moderation assessed that it is "likely to contain AI generated or deepfake content."

AFP has debunked other misinformation here.
The Iowa State Patrol is part of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. (Main photo by Getty Images; ISP logo courtesy Iowa State Patrol)

A civil lawsuit alleges an Iowa State Patrol trooper has a history of bullying citizens and initiating illegal searches.

Dominic Tangen of Black Hawk County is suing Trooper Bryce Bilharz, alleging hes guilty of humiliating and bullying citizens, and Trooper Michelle Beck of the Iowa State Patrol in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

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In his lawsuit, Tangen alleges that on the afternoon of July 12, 2023, he was northbound on Highway 63 in Bremer County when he was pulled over by Bilharz, who correctly suspected Tangens car windows were tinted darker than allowed by Iowa law.

Iowa State Patrol Trooper Bryce Bilharz. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Patrol)

During the stop, Bilharz allegedly asked Tangen about the red tint inside his mouth, and Tangen replied that he had acetaminophen tablets dissolving on his tongue, adding that he often used the pain reliever to help manage pain related to sciatica in his legs. A bottle of acetaminophen tablets was sitting in plain view in the passenger seat, the lawsuit claims.

At that point, the lawsuit alleges, Bilharz frisked Tangen, searched him, placed him in his patrol car and asked him to submit to field sobriety tests. Tangen agreed but allegedly told Bilharz he might be unable to keep his balance due to his sciatica.

In his police report, Bilharz said he observed indicators of impairment during Tangens performance of the walk and turn test and the one-leg stand test  although, the lawsuit claims, a preliminary breathalyzer test administered at the scene indicated Tangen had a blood-alcohol level of 0.000.

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Bilharz allegedly handcuffed Tangen and transported him to the Bremer County Sheriffs Department for a urine test. At the sheriffs department, Tangen consented to a second blood-alcohol test that allegedly indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.000.

While being detained for roughly three hours, Tangen alleges, he was only allowed to use the bathroom once, when Bilharz and Beck collected a urine sample for a drug test. Tangen alleges he was then arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, was stripped and placed in a holding cell. Tangen was released after 9 p.m., after being held for almost six hours, and was given his keys and a note as to where he could find his truck, the lawsuit claims.

Court records show that on Sept. 28, 2023, the Bremer County Attorneys Office filed a motion to dismiss the OWI charge against Tangen, informing the court the state lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution.

According to the criminal court file, county prosecutors acknowledged the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations laboratory had made three examinations or evaluations of Tangens urine and all three resulted in a determination that no detectable level of controlled substances was present in the defendants body when the sample was taken.

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The records also indicate Bilharzs decision to arrest Tangen was based in part on Bilharzs status as a drug recognition expert and his alleged observations of Tangen being talkative, constantly sniffling his nose, and displaying body tremors during the traffic stop.

Throughout Tangens encounter with Bilharz, the lawsuit states, the trooper bullied Tangen and behaved in a condescending manner.

Bilharz has a history of unlawfully detaining citizens without probable cause and humiliating and bullying them, the lawsuit adds. On at least two other occasions, Bilharz initiated traffic stops which led to unreasonable searches and seizures of citizens who Bilharz suspected of illegal activity without any probable cause  Bilharz humiliated and bullied these citizens during his illegal seizure.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for unlawful search and seizure, false arrest and abuse of process.

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The two defendants and the Iowa State Patrol have yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The patrols spokesperson referred Iowa Capital Dispatch to the Iowa Attorney Generals office, which did not return messages seeking comment Thursday afternoon.

According to the Iowa State Patrols Facebook page, Bilharz graduated from the Iowa Department of Public Safety Academy in 2020, has worked with the patrols District 10 team in Oelwein, and is a field training officer and defensive tactics instructor.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo.  Record rainfall across the Kansas City metro overnight caused flooding in homes and roads, trapping residents and leaving a massive cleanup behind.

Flash flooding wreaked havoc on one Independence home. Its now deemed a dangerous building. Michael Thomas said hes lived at the home for about four years.

Kansas City Fire Department responds to 23 water rescues during overnight storms

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The homeowners and their four dogs have been forced out of their home after flash flooding and heavy rain caused part of their basement to cave in.

They heard a crash at about 3 a.m. Thursday and ran downstairs.

Half the wall was in, in the basement, Thomas said. It just gushed. It was just gushing, we were just stunned, like what do we do.

They found standing water in the basement, and their washer and dryer crushed by dirt.

Mud everywhere, water coming, and then house starting creaking, Thomas said.

The Independence Fire Department said flash flooding caused the basement wall to partially collapse.

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We had several calls of basements where appliances would start smoking because of being under water, Eric Michel said.

Thomas said he hopes insurance will work with them. In the meantime, theyre forced to find a new place to live, while this gets fixed.

Battalion Chief of Fire Prevention Eric Michel said crews worked dozens of calls due to flooding and safely rescued several people stuck due to heavy rain and flash flooding.

One person called for help near Truman and Leslie.

Leaves now line the fence, marking how high flood waters got Thursday morning.

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People in vehicles were out driving and thought they could get thru the water and ended up getting stuck, Michel said. We had several vehicles that were up to the window seals deep in water.

The Kansas City Fire Department said they safely rescued 23 people from high water.

As for damage on the Missouri side, the City of Independence put out a list of citing issues the rain caused overnight and closures you need to be aware of:

The bridge at 20th & Arlington is closed until a full inspection is completed. At one point during the height of the storms, it was roughly two feet under water. It must be inspected to be deemed safe for traffic.

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A retaining wall collapsed after a landslide at Truman & Union. MoDOT Kansas City is addressing it.

IPL: Independence Power and Light is working to restore power, and more customers are getting back on every hour. Downed trees are a major factor in these outages. View the outage map here.

Independence Fire Department worked several water rescues because of this storm. The water has mostly receded, but please remember Turn around, dont drown.

Truman Memorial Building and the National Frontier Trails Museum is closed for clean up.

Debris and mud impacted the splash pad at Rotary Park, so it is currently out of service. Hill Park also has some asphalt damage from storm water and debris. Follow City of Independence Parks, Recreation and Tourism for updates.

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Woman hangs onto tree after being swept away by floodwater in Kansas City, Kansas

In Parkville, Platte Landing Park Trail Loop, Sullivan Nature Sanctuary, Barkville Dog Park- Big Dog Side are closed. English Landing Park and the riverfront trail remain open and accessible, according to the city.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said 23rd street is closed, east of I-435 due to flooding.

The City of Kansas City, Missouri said, all areas with closures that were being handled by Kansas City departments are back open. This includes the following areas:

SW Blvd. from 27th Street to 29th Street

NE Chouteau Trafficway and Gardner Avenue

5th Street and Broadway Boulevard

Elmwood Avenue and Emanuel Cleaver Boulevard

Brookside Boulevard and Main Street

Entrance to NB 169 Highway at 5th Street

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A GoFundMe has been created to help Michael Thomas and his family.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
One year after out-of-town police officers shot and killed a Milwaukee man a mile outside the Republican National Committee perimeter they were hired to stay within and patrol, the family of the victim, Sam Sharpe Jr., has retained local civil rights attorney, Nate Cade.

Cade told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 17 he is reviewing the investigation materials to determine if he will file a federal civil suit.

He said he is waiting to receive a copy of the signed contract between the cities of Milwaukee and Columbus, Ohio, detailing the conditions for the officers to assist in policing the national political event. He also has requested and has yet to receive the employment records for the five officers who shot Sharpe.

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"We are at the beginning of a lengthy process," Cade said. "Once we receive all the documents associated with the incident, those documents need to be reviewed by an expert. Then we'll have an idea of how to move forward with a case."

Sharpe, 43, was shot and killed a year ago on July 16, 2024, by the five officers who biked to an area by two tent encampments near West Vliet and North 14th streets, roughly a mile from the RNC's secure perimeter, to debrief, according to police. The shooting drew national attention as thousands of people descended on the city for the high-profile political event.

Body camera footage released by Columbus police shows Sharpe was armed with knives and lunging toward another man at the time of the shooting. The situation unfolded rapidly, with 15 seconds passing from when officers first noticed Sharpe was armed and when they fired shots.

Sharpe was shot 23 times, with 34 entry and exit wounds on his body, according to his sister, Angelique Sharpe, who was given access to crime scene photos, videos and reports.

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An independent review was completed earlier this year by the Greenfield Police Department. The department sent its findings to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, which announced in May 5 it would not press charges against the officers.

"My job as his sister is to exhaust all avenues," she said of the family's decision to work with Cade on a possible federal suit. "This is the next avenue."

Angelique Sharpe, sister of Samuel Sharpe Jr., holds her brothers Bible after a protest at Red Arrow Park on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.

The Ohio officers

Nicholas Mason, Adam Groves, Austin Enos, Canaan Dick and Karl Eiginger are the five Columbus Police Department officers who shot and killed Sharpe.

Two of the five police officers who fired their guns  Mason and Groves  have previously been investigated for uses of force.

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They were among the 4,000 non-Milwaukee law enforcement officers who arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, held July 15 to 18, 2024, to assist in security, traffic and public safety.

The Columbus police have launched an internal investigation of the shooting now that the criminal investigation is completed, said Sgt. Joe Albert, the Columbus Division of Police's public information officer, said an email. Sharpe's death was a "tragic loss," he said.

When the city of Milwaukee won the bid to host the event, activists immediately raised questions about policing.

Milwaukee police officials said they did not intend to use outside officers for "forward-facing" roles, and they wanted Milwaukee officers to be the ones interacting with local residents. The agreements signed by the outside agencies reflected those goals, too.

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The officers involved in Sharpe's death were part of a bicycle patrol unit, which were not considered forward-facing, the department later acknowledged. Consequently, no MPD officers were accompanying their unit.

However, in September, two months after Sharpe's death, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman met with the Milwaukee Common Council's Steering and Rules Committee. Committee members had questions.

Norman subsequently took responsibility for local officers not accompanying out-of-state police during the Republican National Convention.

"The RNC was a planned event. The police department knew when it was happening," Cade said. "I want to know the plan. Who was assigned to be with these officers?"

Samuel Sharpe Jr. and his dog.

Sam Sharpe's life

Sharpe's family and friends said he had found purpose during the final months of his life, choosing to live among Milwaukee's unhoused population. He wanted to bring to them what he felt his newfound belief in God and the Bible had brought to him. He wanted to give them hope.

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Angelique Sharpe has a copy of her brother's Bible. The pages are filled with notes, the corners frayed from use. People in the unhoused community called him Jehovah.

She said her brother had stopped at their mom's house in Milwaukee shortly before his death. She said he told them a man had been bullying people in the tent encampments and had robbed him. She said it is the same man Sam was fighting with when officers shot him.

"That's information the officers did not know," she said. "They saw a weapon and started shooting. They never asked questions. They never tried to find out why they were fighting."

A "Street Preachers Gathering for Sam" will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on July 18 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, at the corner of North 14th Street and West Vliet streets, to celebrate and remember Sharpe's life.

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Jessica Van Egeren is a reporter and assistant breaking news editor with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at jvanegeren@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Family of man shot, killed by police during RNC in Milwaukee hires Nate Cade
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A suspect has been taken into custody after police say a 44-year-old Buffalo woman was shot and killed Thursday morning.

Rickey Crouch, a 49-year-old Buffalo man, is in custody after being ejected from his vehicle following a police pursuit on the I-90, state police sources said. He allegedly crashed into an uninvolved vehicle, and after being evaluated for injuries he will be turned over to the Buffalo Police Department.

Earlier Thursday, Buffalo police said officials received a shots fired call shortly after 12 a.m. to the 600 block of Ogden Street.

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The family of the victim, Amanda Thompson, spoke to WIVB News 4, sharing memories of their beloved family member.

Funny, caring, and just a good definition of a mom, said Thompsons 14-year-old son, Kyrell.

Thompsons mother, Muril Hadden, told WIVB News 4 that Crouch broke into the home one month earlier, stealing items, and assaulting her son, Kyrell. No charges were filed for that incident.

He tried to get me to side with him and I said, Well, Rick, all I have to say is I just saw my grandson and he has bruises all over him. And then he started freaking out and saying, You guys better move. You are in danger, too,' said Hadden.

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Hadden said her daughter and Crouch dated for four years before separating.

He would not leave her alone, Hadden said. He kept repeatedly going to the house, calling her. Then one day he had Amanda come to my house, and my daughter and I, take us over there, and (he tells us) that he was going to commit suicide. He wasnt going to go to jail.

Officials said Crouchs criminal history goes back to 1997, when he was sentenced to at least 23 years in prison for the shooting death of a bystander during a gun attack with rival gangs.

As they say, prison might be a cure to this sort of thing. Prison works, rehabilitation, said former Erie County Judge Timothy J. Drury in the 1997 sentencing.

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We knew about what he did, Hadden said. We really believed that he was remorseful and that it was just a stupid thing that a kid did; he was part of a gang.  We never dreamed he would do this.

Buffalo police are working with officials in Cheektowaga to learn more about a recent shots fired related incident that they say could be connected to Crouch. Kyrell told WIVB News 4 the shots were fired by Crouch over an argument with his sister around an alleged stolen TV that his mom and Crouch both paid for.

Latest Local News

Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian daredevil known for skydiving from a balloon in the stratosphere in 2012, met a tragic end during a paragliding accident on Thursday. He was 56.

Baumgartner reportedly experienced a sudden malaise that caused him to crash his motorized paraglider in Porto SantElpidio on Italys Adriatic Coast, rescue units told Sky Austria. Two hours before his death, he posted an Instagram story commenting that there was too much wind.

Felix Baumgartner's Instagram Story. / Instagram/therealfelixbaumgartner

Baumgartner died immediately on impact, according to the outlet. An unfortunate hotel employee in the vicinity of the crash was hospitalized for neck injuries caused by flying debris. The paraglider bounced against a wooden structure by a swimming pool, saving the nearby children from a similar fate.

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Baumgartner was renowned as a record-breaking skydiver and BASE jumper. When he made his 128,100-foot journey to Earth for his Red Bull STRATOS mission, Baumgartner became the first human to break the speed of sound, racing down to Earth at 843.6 miles per hour.

Two years and 10 days after Baumgartner made his so-called

Baumgartner's last words before plummeting to Earth were I'm going home now. But Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz was furious that he did not market his sponsor and say the line Mateschitz fed him:

But that was far from the first time Baumgartner made history.

Since childhood, Baumgartner had always dreamed of flying. Baumgartner was an obsessive tree climber who tired the adults in his life by constantly asking them to throw him in the air, The Daily Telegraph quoted his friends and family as saying.

He started parachuting lessons at 16. After the teenager completed his first skydive in 1986, his mother gave him a drawing of a stick-figure parachuter that Baumgartner made as a five-year-old, which he shared on Facebook. In 1988, he began performing skydiving exhibitions for Red Bull, he wrote on his blog. The company would go on to sponsor the athletes dramatic stunts. Baumgartner practiced parachute jumping with the Austrian military.

Felix Baumgartner, who also went by the nickname BASE 502, was a world-renowned adrenaline junkie who died on Thursday from a paragliding accident. / Luis Acosta AFP via Getty Images

Baumgartner posted a stick-figure drawing of a parachuter he made when he was five on his Facebook page. / Facebook

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In 1999, the then-29-year-old broke the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building when he jumped from the 1,483-foot-tall Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four years later, Baumgartner became the first person to skydive across the English Channel.

He couldnt get enough. By the 1990s, Baumgartner explained on his blog, he felt that hed gone as far as he could with traditional skydiving, and advanced to the riskier sport of BASE jumping, which requires diving from fixed objects at lower altitudes.

In 2004, Baumgartner became the first to BASE jump from Frances Millau Viaduct. In 2006, he was the first to skydive onto and BASE jump from Swedens Turning Torso building. In 2007, he was the first to BASE jump from Taipei 101, which was the tallest building in the world at the time. The mavericks unauthorized stunt got him banned from Taiwan.

Baumgartner claimed to have made the lowest BASE jump when he jumped 95 feet from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, though other BASE jumpers quibble with the claim. / Reuters

After he made his space jump in 2012, he claimed that he was done skydiving and was set on a career as a helicopter pilot. His longtime mentor, Roland Rettenbacher, expressed his doubts to the Telegraph. I cannot imagine Felix sitting down calmly reading newspapers and drinking a little beer, he told the outlet, Felix needs action all the time.

Felix Baumgartner (R) and his partner Mihaela Radulescu (L) have been together since 2014. / Gisela Schober/Getty Images

Indeed, Baumgartner used his helicopter license to do extreme flights. The athlete was also a humanitarian and advocate for spinal cord research. He also joined Audi Motorsport for a brief stint as a race car driver.

Baumgartner died a 14-time world record-holder.

He is survived by his partner, Mihaela Radulescu.
JEFFERSON  Ashtabula County employees have the opportunity to enjoy a special food experience every Thursday afternoon during the summer months.

The Jefferson Wellness Market came about several years ago as part of a wellness program started by the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners, Ashtabula County Ohio State Extension Community Development Coordinator Julie Wayman said.

She has been working for the office for six years, specializing in food topics, and has helped grow the countys farmers markets. Raegan Soltis also works on food-related topics on a part-time basis.

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Wayman said the program is designed to find ways for area farmers to find new markets for their products. She said even five or ten dollars from a new local customer can add to the income of local farmers.

In addition to the Thursday farmers market, there are many others spread around the county.

Regular county farmers markets are:

 Ashtabula, 10 a.m-2 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 11

 Conneaut, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 27

 Geneva, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Geneva United Methodist Church on South Broadway

 Hartsgrove, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 27 at 5130 Route 534

 Jefferson, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at 42 East Jefferson St.

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 Orwell, 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays in Orwell Square

 Pierpont, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Sept. 27 at the Wright Building.

Wayman said there are a handful of area farmers that go outside the county to sell their products at larger venues.

Tim Loya, owner of Farm 153 in Dorset Township, said he enjoys interacting with customers.

We see it as a ministry, he said. We want to get good food in peoples hands.

Loya said he also attends a farmers market in Cleveland Heights, and loves to inform people.

Connecting people with farmers is important, Wayman said.

I think it is a great opportunity for people to connect with [farmers], she said.

Wayman urged people to bring small bills, ask farmers questions and bring a cooler to best experience the markets.

She said National Farmers Market Week will be celebrated Aug. 3-9.
A 38-year-old father was arrested by immigration officials outside his child's preschool in Oregon on Tuesday, officials said.

Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a citizen of Iran, was arrested for overstaying his visa, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told CBS News on Friday.

The spokesperson said ICE officials attempted to arrest Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop when he requested permission to drop his child off at daycare. The agency allowed him to the school's parking lot, where he "resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle."

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ICE officials broke one of the windows of the vehicle to "complete the arrest," the spokesperson said, adding that Khanbabazadeh's child was unharmed.

"It was just chaos," Randy Kornfield, who was dropping off his grandson at Guidepost Montessori School in South Beaverton, Oregon, at the time of the arrest, told CBS affiliate KOIN. "There were a lot of parents who were upset. And rightly so. It's just not something that needs to happen at a preschool, or at any school, for that matter."

Caroline Medeiros, an immigration lawyer who said she offered her advice and guidance to the school and family, told local media that seven unmarked cars pulled into the school's parking lot to make the arrest. She said that Khanbabazadeh was dragged out of the car while his wife was asking where they were taking him.

Medeiros has a daughter who attends the school and was playing outside when the arrest happened, she told CBS News via email on Friday.

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"Thankfully, the kids didn't see anything, but it was definitely a dangerous and traumatic situation, as there were several armed, masked officers in the parking lot within feet of where they were playing," she said via email.

Medeiros told CBS News that the claim that Khanbabazadeh overstayed his visa or was out of legal status was "completely false." She said he first came to the U.S. on a student visa, graduated in March 2021, and transitioned to OPT, or optional practical training, a benefit for F-1 visa holders after graduation. He married a U.S. citizen in June and filed for his green card and had an interview four months ago, Medeiros said. She added that Khanbabazadeh was waiting a final decision when the arrest happened.

Medeiros told local media that Khanbabazadeh was being held at an ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington.

CBS News has reached out to Khanbabazadeh's lawyer for comment.

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Maris Mendes, CEO of Guidepost Global Education, told CBS News in a statement that the events at the South Beaverton school were "deeply upsetting to our entire community."

"As educators and caregivers, we are grounded in the belief that children deserve to feel safe, supported and protected  especially in the places they come to learn and grow," the statement said in part. "While we are still working to understand the full scope of what happened, we are approaching this moment with care and urgency. We're supporting the family directly affected, standing behind our staff, and looking closely at how we can safeguard the emotional and physical security of every child in our schools."

The arrest is among thousands of detentions by immigration officials since President Trump came into office. He promised to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. His administration quickly reversed limits on ICE operations put in place by previous administrations and moved to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

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RELATED VIDEO: Developer files lawsuit against Fayetteville, city attorney to ask council to reconsider vote

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  The City of Fayetteville is pushing back against a lawsuit filed by an out-of-state developer over the denial of a proposed student housing project on Dickson Street.

Trinitas Ventures, filed the lawsuit May 30 against the city, City Council and Planning Commission after the council voted to reject its proposed 611-bed development at 151 W. Dickson St.

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The plan had been denied twice at the time of filing, including at a May 20 City Council meeting where members voted 4-3 with one abstention.

In a response filed July 3 in Washington County Circuit Court, the city argues Trinitas is not entitled to damages and that there was never a guaranteed right to plan approval. The city maintains the councils decision should stand and says the Planning Commission should be dismissed from the suit, as it did not make the final decision.

Fayetteville moves forward with $450K homelessness proposal

Suit background

The suit claims the project complied with the citys Unified Development Code and was recommended for approval by city staff. It also alleges the abstention by Council Member Teresa Turk was illegal and that Trinitas is being denied property rights.

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The developers are seeking damages for lost rental revenue, increased loan costs, travel expenses and legal fees.

According to McClelland Consulting Engineers, working on behalf of Trinitas, the project would have included a seven-story building with three underground levels and five above-ground floors, featuring retail space, parking, apartments, and indoor and outdoor amenities.

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Jacobs Solutions Inc office sign-by JHVEPhoto via Shutterstock

Dallas, Texas-based Jacobs Solutions Inc. (J) engages in the infrastructure and advanced facilities and consulting businesses in the United States and internationally. With a market cap of $16.1 billion, the company offers consulting, planning, architecture, design, engineering, and infrastructure delivery services.

J is scheduled to report its Q2 earnings on Tuesday, August 5, before the market opens. Ahead of this event, analysts expect the company to report a profit of $1.56 per share, down 20.4% from $1.96 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Street's bottom-line estimates in each of the past four quarters, which is impressive.

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For fiscal 2025, analysts expect J to report an EPS of $5.99, up 13.5% year over year from $5.28 in fiscal 2024. Moreover, in FY2026, the companys EPS is expected to rise 15.4% annually to $6.91.

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J stock has grown 9.6% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Funds (XLI) 17.3% surge and the S&P 500 Indexs ($SPX) 10.5% uptick during the same time frame.

www.barchart.com

J shares closed down more than 6% following the release of its Q2 results on May 6. The construction and technical services company posted revenue of $2.91 billion in the period. Furthermore, the companys adjusted EPS for the quarter came in at $1.43 and surpassed the consensus estimates by 1.4%. Looking ahead, J expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.85 to $6.20 per share.

Wall Street analysts are moderately bullish about Js stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 15 analysts covering the stock, seven suggest a Strong Buy, two suggest a Moderate Buy, and six recommend a Hold. Js average analyst price target of $143.50 indicates a potential upside of 4.2% from the current levels.

On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
The final illegal immigrant inmate who escaped an ICE center in New Jersey last month was arrested by the FBI after being tracked down on the other side of the country.

Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon was taken into custody Thursday in Los Angeles after a traffic stop in the Silver Lake neighborhood, the FBIs Los Angeles Office wrote on X. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in the arrest.

"We are tremendously grateful to our brave ICE agents and law enforcement partners for capturing Andres Pineda-Mogollon and the other three dangerous criminal illegal aliens who escaped Delaney Hall," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

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"Politicians and activists relentlessly try to smear ICE, but the facts remain true: Delaney Hall houses dangerous criminals, including these four fugitives who committed aggravated assault, burglary, theft and even threatened to kill law enforcement. Now, these slimeballs no longer pose a threat to public safety."

Third Illegal Immigrant Captured After Ice Facility Breakout

The Colombian entered the U.S. in 2023 and overstayed his tourist visa. He was one of four inmates DHS described as "public safety threats" who broke out of Delaney Hall, a privately-run ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, the evening of June 12.

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Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada, all from Honduras, were captured before Pineda-Mogollon.

Their escape June 12 happened after an apparent disturbance inside the building, a senior Homeland Security official confirmed to Fox News.

Immigration attorney Mustafa Cetin told NJ.com around 50 detainees at the private center pushed down a dormitory wall after becoming agitated when meals were delayed.

"Its about the food, and some of the detainees were getting aggressive, and it turned violent," Cetin said at the time.

Fbi Confirms Capture Of 2 Of 4 Illegal Immigrants Who Escaped From Newark Ice Facility

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Pineda-Mogollon was arrested by the New York City Police Department April 25 for larceny and again on May 21 by the Union, New Jersey, Police Department for residential burglary, conspiracy to commit residential burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Bautista-Reyes illegally entered the U.S. in 2021 during the Biden administration and was arrested by the Wayne Township, New Jersey, Police Department May 3 for aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.

Sandoval-Lopez illegally entered the U.S. as a minor in 2019 and was arrested by the Passaic Police Department in October for unlawful possession of a handgun and again Feb. 15 for aggravated assault.

Protesters block vehicles from entering or leaving the Delaney Hall ICE center after the reported escape of four migrants in Newark, N.J., June 12, 2025.

Castaneda-Lozada entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was arrested by the Hammonton Police Department May 15 on charges of burglary, theft and conspiracy to commit burglary.

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Fox News' Audrey Conklin, Lee Ross, Sandy Ibrahim, Peter Pinedo, Jasmine Baehr and Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report.





Original article source: FBI captures final illegal immigrant inmate who escaped ICE facility in New Jersey
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released a new photograph of the man accused of opening fire on officers during a sweeping immigration raid in Ventura County earlier this month.

The incident, captured on news helicopter footage on July 10, shows the unidentified man appearing to brandish a firearm and fire indiscriminately toward officers after they deployed tear gas on a crowd of demonstrators. No injuries were reported.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspects identification, arrest, and conviction. Anyone with tips is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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The raid, one of two conducted that day targeting marijuana farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County, resulted in the arrest of more than 360 people, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Protesters are seen clashing with federal agents on the scene of an immigration raid at a farm in Ventura County. July 10, 2025. (KTLA) Federal immigration agents toss tear gas at protesters during a raid in the agriculture area of Camarillo, Calif., Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker) The FBI released these photos of a man accused of firing a gun at officers during an immigration raid in Camarillo, California, on July 10, 2025. (FBI)

It is believed to be the largest single-day immigration enforcement operation in California history. Federal agents descended on Glass House Farms in Camarillo that morning, detaining suspected undocumented workers and minors allegedly working in violation of labor laws.

A large crowd of protesters gathered to confront federal agents and local authorities who had been dispatched, leading to officers firing tear gas and flash bang grenades. At least 12 people were injured during the raid and protest, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

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Some workers attempted to flee or hide, including Jaime Alanis, who suffered fatal injuries when he fell 30 feet from a rooftop.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
On Thursday in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a panel of top experts to reassess the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women navigating menopause.

The goal? To determine whether current boxed warnings on estrogen-containing therapies still reflect the best available scienceand whether theyre doing more harm than good by deterring women from treatments that could dramatically improve their quality of life.

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The expert panel, composed of 12 leading clinicians and researchers in fields ranging from cardiology and gynecology to endocrinology, reviewed two decades of evolving evidence. They concluded that the warnings tied to HRTparticularly those informed by the early 2000s Womens Health Initiative (WHI) trialsare outdated and, in some cases, dangerously misleading.

A Long Shadow from an Older Study

At the heart of the FDAs reevaluation is the legacy of the WHI, a massive clinical trial that, in 2002, reported increased risks of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke among women taking hormone therapy. The findings sent shockwaves through the medical community and led to black-box warningsthe FDAs most serious labelon many HRT prescriptions.

But as several panelists pointed out, the WHI studied specific types of hormone formulations, namely conjugated equine estrogen and medroxyprogesterone acetate. These are older, synthetic compounds that are no longer widely used in clinical practice. Modern HRT typically involves bioidentical hormones, like 17-estradiol, which more closely match those produced by the body.

The science has evolved, but the warning labels havent, said Dr. Heather Hirsch, an internal medicine physician and menopause specialist, during the session. Its time for the FDAs language to catch up with the data.

Bone Health, Brain Healthand Missed Opportunities

One of the most compelling arguments came from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright, who emphasized that estrogen therapy reduces postmenopausal fracture risk by up to 50%and may even lower fracture-related mortality. Yet only about 4% of U.S. women eligible for bone protection through estrogen are currently using it.

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Current warnings scare women and their doctors away, Wright said. Thats a missed opportunity to prevent life-altering injuries and even save lives.

Panelists also discussed hormone therapys potential benefits for brain health, genitourinary symptoms and mood stability. Some called for broader access to low-dose testosterone for women, citing evidence that it can help with libido, cognitive clarity and energy, especially for women in surgical menopause.

Dr. Kelly Casperson, a urologist and Flow Space Advisory Council member, added, Its not about handing out hormones to everyone. Its about giving women real choices backed by real science.

An Education Gap and a Generational Shift

Alongside science, education emerged as a major theme. Many clinicians, especially those trained in the last two decades, have little to no formal education on menopause management. Some receive less than one hour of menopause-specific instruction in medical school.

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This lack of training fuels widespread confusion and inconsistent care. It also leaves patients unsure of whether theyre making the right decisions.

Weve got a generation of women suffering in silencefeeling dismissed, confused or afraidbecause of how this topic has been handled, said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner, who moderated the session.

What Could Changeand What Comes Next

Perhaps the biggest headline from the meeting: the FDA is seriously considering changes to the black-box warning language that appears on estrogen products. Several panelists argued for its full removal on products like 17-estradiol, while others suggested a nuanced revision reflecting patient age, delivery method (pill vs. patch) and the type of hormone used.

While the meeting did not include public comment, the FDA announced it will open a public docket in the coming weeks to gather feedback from clinicians, researchers and the general public.

What This Means for You

This expert panel marks a turning point in how menopause care is viewed at the federal level. If the FDA follows through with label changes, it could empower more women to consider hormone therapy as a legitimate, safe and effective optionespecially when tailored to their unique health needs.

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Its also a call to action for doctors to seek better training, for patients to ask better questions and for both to work together in shared decision-making.

As Dr. Marty Makary, chair of the panel and the FDAs Commissioner, noted: We owe it to women to make sure the risks they hear about are realand the benefits they deserve arent lost in the noise.
FDLE Orlando and Homeland Security arrested two illegal Brazilian immigrants on Thursday.

Lafaiett Pereira was wanted on an active INTERPOL Red Notice out of Brazil for homicide.

Pereiras wife was wanted on a warrant for operating a business without a license.

Aiding agencies on this investigation included ICE and the U.S> Marshals.

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With fear and energy surging through his body, Steven Montano heard a voice screaming at him to stop and saw a gun pointed at him. So, he said, he fired his own gun.

That was how Montano, 21, described to the jury Friday the fateful moment during which he fatally shot Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso during a confrontation in which Montano himself was shot.

Montano is charged with first-degree murder and other felonies in the slaying of the 32-year-old officer on March 1, 2023, but he has argued that he shot the officer in self-defense in a moment of extreme stress and fear. To support the claim, Montano, in a gray striped suit, took the stand at the Leighton Criminal Court Building and told his side of a story that has unfolded throughout the week.

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I was terrified, Montano said. I was in fear of my life.

While children played on a nearby playground just before 5 p.m., Montano shot Vasquez Lasso five times after officers responded to a domestic-related 911 call phoned in by Montanos girlfriend, prosecutors have said. Vasquez Lasso also shot and wounded Montano.

Cook County prosecutors rested their case earlier Friday after putting on more than a dozen witnesses and airing body camera footage throughout the week that depicted the shooting and its aftermath. The jury, which was empaneled Monday, previously heard from emotional police officers who tried to revive Vasquez Lasso before rushing him to the hospital as well as his wife, who recalled saying goodbye to her husband one last time on the day he was killed.

Montano, though, cast the day in a different light, telling jurors that years of being harassed by Chicago police officers while living in the Little Village neighborhood primed him to be afraid that day when his girlfriend called 911. Eighteen years old at the time of the shooting, he also described the relationship with the 37-year-old woman as a controlling one where he was vulnerable.

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When he was 10 years old, he said, his family was pulled over by Chicago police officers after his father didnt stop for the emergency police lights. Montano testified that police officers pointed a gun at his father.

I was crying uncontrollably at that point, he recalled.

In describing his relationship with his girlfriend, who testified Tuesday, he said it was flowery in the beginning, but later she forced him to break his phone and stopped him from seeing family and friends.

The girlfriend, Linda Perea, testified that Montano threatened to get his gun during an argument, which is what caused her to call the police. When officers arrived, they testified, they saw Montano leaving out a window and began to chase him.

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Montano said he tried to hide the gun in a neighbors garage, but the neighbor wouldnt let him.

He ran until the final confrontation with Vasquez Lasso, he said. He realized he had been shot, and thought he was dying, he said.

I thought they were going to kill me, Montano testified. I told him to just kill me already.

Steven, was it your intention to shoot and kill (Vasquez Lasso) that day? his public defender, Brett Balmer asked.

No it was not, he replied.

During a vigorous cross examination, prosecutors parsed through his story, questioning him on his history with police officers.

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On which of these occasions in your life  did one of these officers do harm to you, Assistant States Attorney Kevin Nolan asked.

Psychologically, Montano replied.

Not physically? the prosecutor said.

Montano testified that he felt harassed by the police, often stopped by them for no reason.

So after that you had kind of a chip on your shoulder, I assume, Nolan said. You can answer that.

After a long pause, Montano said: If I had a chip on my shoulder? Yes.

You didnt like the police? Nolan asked.

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No, he replied.

Vasquez Lasso was one of two police officers shot to death in 2023 in attacks considered to be on-duty. About two months after he was killed, Chicago police Officer Areanah Preston was slain as she returned to her Avalon Park home from a late-night shift.

The trial, which began Monday, is the first involving a slain officer to go to a jury since one of Officer Ella Frenchs killers was convicted at trial last year.

During his funeral in 2023, Vasquez Lasso was remembered by friends and family as a loyal friend and confidant. He immigrated to the United States from Colombia when he was 18 years old and later enrolled in college and joined the Chicago Police Department.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  One Kansas City couple says theyve had enough. After a string of break-ins, including two costly thefts of their motorcycles, theyre packing up, selling their River Market condo and leaving the city for good.

Security footage shared with FOX4 shows a man entering the Bridgeworks Lofts, breaking a glass door and heading directly to the garage.

Moments later, hes seen riding off on Madison Sanders Harley-Davidson motorcycle  stolen from inside her building.

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Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoes recall election ordinance

Its been a very agonizing experience, its been a very violating experience, Sanders said.

It has affected my sense of safety living in the River Market  we sleep now with protection next to us on our dressers. Its unfortunate to have to sleep next to a weapon to feel safe in the River Market.

According to Sanders, there have been seven break-ins in the last year, three of them since June 4. Two of those targeted her directly, resulting in the loss of both her Harley-Davidsons, worth over $20,000 combined.

The River Market has dealt with theft issues for years. In a 2023 FOX4 report, cameras captured thieves stealing packages from a nearby condo before fleeing.

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Despite Sanders providing police with video, the suspects identity and address and even fingerprints, she says no arrest has been made.

Now, Madison and her husband are leaving the city in search of safety.

Our only option is to move outside of the city where we have our own home and a gated, secure garage, she said.

Woman hangs onto tree after being swept away by floodwater in Kansas City, Kansas

FOX4 reached out to the Kansas City Police Department. A spokesperson confirmed a detective is reviewing the case and said crime prevention efforts remain active. They urged anyone with information to contact the police to help improve patrol strategies.

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The department says public safety remains a top priority. However, Sanders remains frustrated.

Whether you have all the evidence or not, they cant really do anything, or at least theyre not really doing anything. What message does that send? Whats next? she said.

Theyre stealing bicycles, then they steal vehicles. Whats stopping them from walking into the hallway and breaking into units? Its going to take someone getting hurt or potentially killed for police to increase the presence here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR)  Administrators at Roanoke City Public Schools are worried that a federal funding hold on the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program will affect their afterschool programs for the upcoming academic year.

District Superintendent Verletta White sent a letter to parents back on July 17, warning them that the afterschool programs may undergo some changes this year due to a federal funding hold.

White is optimistic theyll be able to keep the programs running as usual by using funds left over from the previous school year. But she said there is no guarantee. If funding remains on hold, White said they may have to limit the number of days programs offered, the schools that participate, and the number of students they can accommodate.

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If you and your family need to start planning for afterschool care, RCPS has reached out to local partners who you can contact.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia (9th Street Location)

Grades Served: 1st through 12th

(540) 985-8600 | tmuse@bgcswva.org

www.bgcswva.org

Kids Soar

Grades Served: Kindergarten through 5th

(540) 342-3103 | info@kidssoar.org

www.kidsoar.org

Presbyterian Community Center

Grades Served: 1st through 12th

(540) 982-2911 | info@pccse.org

www.pccse.org

Roanoke Parks & Recreation

Grades Served: Kindergarten through 5th

(540) 853-2236

www.playroanoke.com/after-school-play

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West End Center

Grades Served: Kindergarten through 12th

(540) 342-0902

www.westendcenter.org

YMCA of Virginias Blue Ridge

Grades Served: Pre-K through 8th

(540) 342-9622 | roanokechildcare@ymcavbr.org

www.ymcavbr.org

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The Trump administration has issued a new mandate requiring all federal agencies to eliminate recognition of gender identity, reinforcing a rigid, binary definition of sex and gender throughout the executive branch by mid-August.

In a July 10 memorandum to department heads, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management directed agencies to implement Executive Order 14168, titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, by revoking gender-inclusive policies, disbanding diversity programs, and enforcing sex-based definitions in all personnel and facility protocols. Agencies have until August 11 to submit a detailed report to OPM outlining the steps taken to comply.

The Trump administration has framed the erasure of trans-inclusive policies as a return to biological reality. But for those living through the implications, its a dismantling of hard-won rights, cloaked in bureaucratic language and enforced with ruthless precision.

The order, one of the first of the second Trump administration, signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day in January, declares that sex is binary and unchangeable, and denounces gender identity as a radical new movement. It replaces longstanding civil rights protections for transgender workers with language rooted in anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric. The memo claims that recognition of gender identity in federal policy attacks the ordinary and longstanding use of biological and scientific terms, and frames access to gender-aligned facilities as a threat to womens safety.

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For the millions of federal employees who have operated under inclusive workplace policies for the last decade, the message is clear: any acknowledgment of transgender identity is no longer permitted. All training materials, employee resource groups, identification documents, and facilities that refer to gender must now be revised to reflect biological sex, and even common features such as pronoun fields in email systems must be removed.

The directive arrives amid a broader crackdown across the federal government. Nowhere is that crackdown more visible, or more contested, than in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Since March, the Trump administration has barred the VA from providing gender-affirming care to transgender veterans, ending coverage for hormones, voice therapy, electrolysis, and access to gender-appropriate facilities. Providers were also instructed to take down any inclusive messaging and signage. A VA psychologist in Virginia resigned due to the agencys change.

In response, an underground resistance has emerged within the VA system. Were building the underground as fast as we can, a VA physician told The Advocate in June. Transgender patients and clinicians have described encrypted communications, off-the-books referrals, and quiet acts of defiance designed to preserve access to care without triggering retaliation. One senior doctor called the climate McCarthyistic, with employees facing investigation for something as simple as a rainbow pin. That doctor said they are wearing extra-inclusive wardrobe components as signals to patients.

In May, 116 VA clinicians across 21 states signed an open letter denouncing the anti-trans policies as unethical and a betrayal of our veterans. The clinicians warned that the rollback not only threatens lives but erodes the very mission of federal service: to protect, not punish, those who have sacrificed for the country.

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This article originally appeared on Advocate: Federal HR office sets deadline for government-wide purge of transgender and nonbinary inclusion

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Despite pushback from California officials to federal immigration enforcement, Border Patrol in Sacramento arrested 11 illegal migrants during a tense raid at a Home Depot parking lot on Thursday  including one man with 67 prior jail bookings in California since 1986 and a prior fentanyl trafficking conviction.

Fox News was on scene as the migrants scattered in all directions when federal agents moved in to make arrests in the sanctuary city.

That triggered multiple foot chases and several physical encounters between masked agents and fleeing migrants.

A man who agents said slashed the tire of a law enforcement vehicle.

Dhs Arrests 'Worst Of The Worst' Migrants In La Despite Rioters, Pols Pushing Back

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In one foot pursuit, agents chased a man who they say slashed the tire of a law enforcement vehicle. The man claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

Agents eventually maced the man in the face before arresting him and taking him into custody. His wife shouted at agents throughout the incident, insisting he is a U.S. citizen.

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Border Patrol agents were forced to drive the damaged vehicle away on its rims.

Gregory Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol chief for the El Centro Sector, said his agency will continue prioritizing the removal of criminal illegal immigrants.

An illegal migrant was arrested in a Home Depot parking lot on Thursday.

Twice-deported Migrant Rapist Freed As Dems Face Heat For Sanctuary Policies

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"There is no sanctuary city, Sacramento is not a sanctuary city, the state of California is not a sanctuary state, there is no sanctuary anywhere," Bovino said. "Well be here, youll probably see us in many other locations as well. Were here to stay, were not going anywhere. Were going to effect this mission and secure the homeland."

The migrant with 67 prior jail bookings is Mexican national Javier Dimas-Alcantara, who is an aggravated felon with convictions and charges spanning decades.

His criminal history includes multiple instances of transporting and selling narcotics or controlled substances, felony burglary, possession of a controlled narcotic with intent to sell, carrying a loaded firearm in public and multiple felony-level marijuana possession charges for sale.

He's also been arrested for illegal entry, revocation of probation due to reoffending, multiple instances of providing false identification to law enforcement, multiple cases of narcotic possession and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Mexican national Javier Dimas-Alcantar has 67 prior jail bookings.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed the defenders of sanctuary policies.

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"Dimas has been convicted of a myriad of offenses  you would not want this man to be your neighbor and yet politicians like [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom defend criminals who terrorize American communities and demonize law enforcement who defend those same communities," McLaughlin said.

"He and every other sanctuary politician should be thanking CBP for getting this scum out of American communities instead of obstructing federal law enforcement at every possible turn."

McLaughlin said that the Trump administration has been given a clear mandate by the American people to get violent illegal aliens off the streets and out of the country.

Illegal migrants were arrested during a tense raid at a Home Depot parking lot on Thursday.

The other apprehended migrants included a previously deported Guatemalan aggravated felon and a previously deported Mexican migrant with a prior arrest for driving without a license.

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Another detainee is a Guatemalan migrant who had a voluntary return removal in 2009 with prior arrests for trespassing and failure to provide ID.

Their names have not been released yet.





Original article source: Feds' California Home Depot raid nabs 11 illegal migrants, one with 67 prior jail bookings
In 1998, Jamie Dimon was a rising star on Wall Street, widely expected to assume the CEO mantle at Citigroup after helping build the financial conglomerate alongside his mentor Sandy Weill. That path abruptly collapsed when Dimon was unceremoniously fired, as Dimon recalled in a recent podcast appearance.

Speaking to Acquired, the JPMorgan Chase CEO said the shock was not just professional but deeply personal; Dimon recalls fielding nervous questions from his children about the familys future as about 50 colleagues gathered at his apartment for a wake that night. Dimon said he told his guests that he was doing alright, it was his net worth, not his self worth that had been shaken.

Dimon said he spent the next 18 months considering his next step, out of an office in the Seagram Building. He said he dabbled in teaching, considered starting his own merchant bank, and even contemplated retirement, being 42 years old at the time. But he also called various connections, keeping an open-mind. One of these led to a visit to Seattle to meet Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who was seeking a president for his fast-growing company, and they had a particularly consequential conversation.

The Amazon what-if and the road not taken

Dimon and Bezos hit it off, saying theyve been friends ever since. Yet he also says it was just a bridge too far, not just to move to Seattle, but to leave finance for the tech world, and running Amazon full-time. Dimon said he would have been stepping into a radically different industry and life, joking that it would have been like a When Harry Met Sally scenario or an alternate universe: Ill never wear a suit again. Im going to live in a houseboat.

To be sure, Amazon at that time was also a much different proposition to the $2.4 trillion colossus it is today. The tech companys share price was less than a dollar and it had just a $5.5 billion market cap at the end of 2000. After the Amazon visit, Dimon said he got serious and considered other positions.

Other offers included running other global investment banks, which Dimon declined to name, and even insurance giant AIG, as he fielded a call from Hank Greenberg. Another offer he declined was from Ken Langone, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, and Dimon said he had good conversations, but eventually confessed that he had never actually stepped foot in a Home Depot before.

But what stuck was a headhunters call about Bank Onea large but beleaguered Chicago bank. At the time, Bank One was valued around $20 billion, a far cry from the $200 billion scale of Citigroup. It had recently merged with other regional banks and was beset by infighting, brand confusion, and mounting losses. Dimon recalled that analyst Mike Mayo had a great line at the time about the banks problems: Even Hercules couldnt fix it.
Felix Baumgartner, who has died in a paramotoring accident aged 56, was a daredevil skydiver, BASE jumper and aerobatic helicopter pilot who achieved global celebrity after leaping from the edge of space.

It was on October 14 2012 that the then 43-year-old skydiver stepped out of a pressurised capsule at an altitude of almost 24 miles and began a freefall to Earth. As he jumped he said: Im coming home now. Afterwards, he said: Its almost overwhelming. When youre standing there in a pressure suit, the only thing that you hear is yourself breathing, and you can see the curvature of the Earth; you can see the skys totally black.

It took just 34 seconds for him to hit Mach 1, the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom that could be heard by those watching from the New Mexico desert below and the millions around the world watching the mission live (more than eight million tuned in, a record for YouTube at the time, almost breaking their servers.)

Then to everyones horror, he went into an uncontrollable spin. A lot of the scientists said prior to the jump, Youre going to spin like crazy, he recalled in a documentary. I was mentally prepared to spin. The problem is theres no protocol. Theres nobody in the world telling you: Listen Felix, if this happens you have to do this.

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I was trying to move my arms around a little bit  maybe it does something?  and then it stopped for a second [before going] in the opposite direction. Then it really ramps up, and at that moment its not about breaking records any more. Its all about survival.

After a few nail-biting moments, Baumgartner managed to exit the spin. Finally, after four minutes and 20 seconds he opened his parachute and landed safely. He had become the first human to travel faster than the speed of sound outside a vehicle and set the unofficial record for the highest manned balloon flight, of 123,491ft.

He also broke the record for the highest-altitude jump, set in 1960 by the USAF Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who was Baumgartners mentor and communicator at mission control.

Baumgartner leaps from the arm of the Christ the Redeemer statue above Rio de Janeiro in 1999, the lowest ever BASE jump - Wolfgang Luif/Reuters

Before stepping from the capsule, perhaps conscious of the need for some portentous words, Baumgartner said: I wish the world could see what I see. Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are.

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In 2014 the Google executive Alan Eustace broke his altitude record. Nobody remembers the second one, said Baumgartner.

Felix Baumgartner was born on April 20 1969 in Salzburg, Austria, the elder son of a carpenter and a housewife. As a child he had two ambitions, to become a skydiver and to fly a helicopter. After completing an apprenticeship as a machinist and working as a car mechanic, he enlisted in the Austrian armed forces for five years, receiving training as a parachutist.

He completed his first BASE jump in 1996 from the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. BASE jumping had emerged as a thrill-seeking low-altitude variant of skydiving that involved leaping from fixed structures (BASE stands for buildings, antennas, spans and earth). He dedicated himself to the pursuit full-time and was soon sponsored by the Salzburg-based energy drinks company, Red Bull, which was then embedding itself in extreme sports.

Diving into the 200-metre deep Mamet cave in Croatia: lhe jump, lasting only 7.2 seconds, required precise timing to calculate the right moment to open the parachute - Flo Hagena/Reuters

In 1999 he claimed a world record for the highest parachute jump from a building when he leapt from the Petronas Towers in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Later that year he made the lowest ever BASE jump, of 95ft, from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

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In 2003 he became the first person to fly across the English Channel using a pair of specially made carbon-fibre wings. He leapt from a plane above Dover and landed 22 miles away in Cap Blanc-Nez, near Calais, 14 minutes later. Youre totally alone, he said afterwards, theres just you, your equipment, your wing  and your skills. I like it.

He became the first person to BASE jump from the Millau Viaduct in France in 2004, and the first person to skydive on to, then BASE jump from, the Turning Torso building in Malmo, Sweden, in 2006. The following year he became the first to jump from the 91st-floor observation deck of the then worlds tallest completed building, Taipei 101, in Taiwan.

Jumping from the top of the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan in 1999 - Carlo Ferraro/EPA/ANSA

But it was the Red Bull Stratos edge-of-space project that catapulted him into the stratosphere, literally and metaphorically. Afterwards, he dedicated himself to his other childhood ambition. He had learnt to fly a helicopter in 2006, and he became an aerobatic helicopter pilot for the Flying Bulls team in Salzburg.

More recently he had got into paragliding sports, initially flying fast and dynamic parakites  a cross between a kite and a conventional aerofoil wing  and latterly he had enthusiastically taken to paramotoring, the sport of motorised paragliding, in which pilots fly paragliders with an engine propeller on their back.

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It was while paramotoring in Porto SantElpidio on the Adriatic coast of the Marche region in central Italy that he suffered a fatal accident, apparently undergoing a medical emergency and crashing into the swimming pool of a hotel.

Baumgartner in Italy in the last week of his life

He always denied that he took unnecessary risks: I pay close attention to my flight preparation and do it extremely meticulously. That is who I am and that was always the message I wanted to convey. People know that I never push things too far, whether on a solo flight through the mountains, a jump, or at an air show in front of 100,000 people.

Down on Earth Baumgartner was a controversial figure in his homeland. In 2010 he was fined 1,500 (1,300) after punching a Greek truck driver in the face during a roadside altercation near Salzburg. He was also noted for his robust political views, once telling the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung: You cant achieve anything in a democracy. We would need a moderate dictatorship, where there are a few people from the private sector who really know what theyre doing. He received the (negative) Pink Handbag award from the Austrian Womens Media Network for other uncompromising views, which also covered immigration, the LGBTQ community and the Covid pandemic.

Baumgartner is survived by his partner of 11 years, Mihaela Radulescu Schwartzenberg, a Romanian television presenter whom he referred to as his great love in an interview for Playboy.

Felix Baumgartner, born April 20 1969, died July 17 2025

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The Brief

Felix Baumgartner died Thursday in a paragliding crash in Porto SantElpidio, Italy, according to the local mayor.

Baumgartner made history in 2012 by jumping from 24 miles above Earth and breaking the sound barrier.

The Austrian athlete was 56 and known worldwide as "Fearless Felix" for his extreme stunts.

He jumped from the edge of space and fell faster than the speed of sound. Now, the world is mourning Felix Baumgartnerthe daredevil known as "Fearless Felix"after his sudden death in a crash on Italys Adriatic coast.

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Baumgartner, 56, was killed Thursday when his paraglider crashed into a swimming pool in the city of Porto SantElpidio, Italian firefighters said. The citys mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the death in a public post.

"Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight," the mayor wrote.

Who was Felix Baumgartner?

The backstory

Baumgartner shot to global fame on October 14, 2012, when he became the first human to break the sound barrier without a vehicle.

Wearing a pressurized suit and supported by a helium balloon, he ascended to 128,000 feetover 24 miles above New Mexicothen stepped off the capsule and began a free fall to Earth. At one point, he reached speeds of 843.6 mph, or about 1.25 times the speed of sound.

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His descent lasted nine minutes. Millions watched it live on YouTube.

"When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble," he said afterward. "You do not think about breaking records anymore the only thing you want is to come back alive."

What made his 2012 jump historic?

By the numbers

843.6 mph: top speed reached during descent

24.2 miles: altitude of jump

1st: human to break the sound barrier in free fall

9 minutes: total duration of the fall

13 seconds: time Baumgartner spent in a dangerous flat spin

Baumgartners feat broke a record that had stood since 1960. Though his altitude record was surpassed in 2014 by Google executive Alan Eustace, his supersonic leap remains iconic.

What else did Baumgartner do?

Timeline

Baumgartners career included:

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Flying across the English Channel with a carbon-fiber wing in 2003

BASE jumping from landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil

Performing helicopter stunts with The Flying Bulls across Europe

A former Austrian military parachutist, he was known for pushing boundariesand making it look effortless.

What they're saying

Ciarpella, the mayor of Porto SantElpidio, described him as "a symbol of courage and passion." Millions around the world remember him for the moment he leapt into history with a thumbs-up from the edge of space.

Why you should care

Baumgartners record-breaking jump wasnt just a publicity stuntit advanced the science of extreme flight and inspired a generation of explorers. His legacy lives on in both aerospace research and pop culture.

The Source

This report is based on reporting by the Associated Press, including updates from journalists Colleen Barry and John Seewer. Key details were confirmed by local officials in Porto SantElpidio and supported by archival material from Baumgartners 2012 Red Bull Stratos mission.
Originally appeared on E! Online

The daredevil community is mourning a star.

Felix Baumgartner, who became the first person to break the sound barrier with only his body, died in Italy after his paraglider crashed in the coastal Italian city of Porto Sant'Elpidio on July 17, Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella confirmed. He was 56.

Our community is deeply affected by the tragic passing of Felix Baumgartner, a world-renowned figure, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight, the official wrote in Italian on Facebook. Porto SantElpidio stands with his family and loved ones in this moment of grief.

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Baumgartner, who held multiple world records for his daring stunts, had crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the central Italian city, according to first responders at the scene, per NBC News.

The Australian skydiver, nicknamed Fearless Felix, made history in 2012 when he became the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall without a vehicle. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule in space more than 24 miles above Earth.

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His fastest speed was over 843 mph, which is 1.25 times the speed of sound, as he came down. The historic stunt also earned him records for the highest jump altitude and the highest free-fall speed without a parachute.

For Baumgartner, who was part of Red Bull's Stratos project, skydiving was a calling.

I was always fascinated with skydiving since I was a little kid, he told Euronews in 2022. I always spent time on top of trees to see the world from above. I went to the local skydiving club, they taught me how to skydive and this is where everything started. This is where my journey started without knowing where it was going to take me.

Manfred Schmid/Getty Images

The daredevilwho also previously broke records in BASE jumping, including the lowest BASE jump from the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and the highest from the 88th floor of the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysiagained a newfound perspective on life through his stunts.

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"I know the whole world is watching now, he said to Red Bull in 2012. I wish the world could see what I can see: sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are."

(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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When a hurricane hits or a town floods, someone has to help communities rebuild.

That responsibility largely falls to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA  the federal governments frontline responder when a natural disaster strikes, a phenomenon thats becoming increasingly common due to climate change.

But FEMA hasnt always looked the way it does today. Over the past few decades, the agency has evolved significantly  and now, President Trump is pushing to reshape it once again.

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Trump has come out with his guns blazing against FEMA, New York Universitys Rebuild By Design director Amy Chester tells us. But you dont have to get rid of something a hundred percent to fix it.

So what does FEMA actually do  and what happens if Trump gets his way? We took a closer look.

What does FEMA actually do?

FEMAs mission is straightforward: helping people before, during, and after disasters. That means stepping in whenever hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or floods  like the devastating ones we recently saw in the Texas Hill Country  strike communities across the country. Based in Washington, D.C., FEMA employs over 20,000 people nationwide and operates through 10 regional offices.

But FEMA hasnt always existed in its current form. Although its roots trace all the way back to 1803, it was officially established by President Jimmy Carter through an executive order in 1979. And even after that, FEMA has undergone some significant shifts  it became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2004.

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In recent years, the agency has faced criticism, particularly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. FEMA was widely slammed for an uncoordinated response and delays in getting critical supplies to affected areas, especially in New Orleans, highlighting the challenges it still faces in fulfilling its mission.

What has Trump said about FEMA?

Since taking office, President Trump has openly criticized FEMA, even floating the idea of eliminating it entirely and handing disaster-response responsibilities back to the states. At one point, he described an executive order aimed at the agency as the start of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA  or maybe getting rid of FEMA altogether.

But after the devastating floods in Texas, Trump seems to have quietly shelved that idea. According to a senior White House official speaking to The Washington Post, there arent currently any plans to dismantle FEMA. Instead, any upcoming changes will probably focus more on rebranding the agency and emphasizing state leadership in disaster response.

Its not yet clear what President Trump will decide: When asked if he might reconsider phasing out FEMA following the Texas floods, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions about how best to structure federal disaster response are still ongoing.

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The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need, Leavitt said. Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, thats a policy discussion that will continue. And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can, if not more.

We should know more about how the agency will (or wont) be rejiggered in the next few months. The FEMA Review Council, which President Trump set up through an executive order, just met for the second time this week  and its expected to release a report in November outlining recommendations for improving federal disaster response.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the councils recommendations will focus on making sure federal disaster-relief supports  but doesnt replace  state-level efforts. FEMAs outsized role created a bloated bureaucracy that disincentivized state investment in their own resilience, Jackson said.

This aligns closely with Trumps broader goals for FEMA. According to Jackson, the president wants to streamline the federal governments budget while empowering states and local communities to take greater ownership of disaster preparedness and recovery.

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But some experts caution that this could place a heavy burden on states: Under the current system, the federal government usually covers 75 percent of disaster costs, leaving states and local governments to shoulder the rest. In major catastrophes, that share can drop to 10 percent  or even near zero if Congress intervenes. Regardless of the split, the costs add up quickly, which is why FEMA often steps in early, sometimes issuing initial payments within 30 days.

Its quite doubtful that most states would be able to shoulder the assistance on their own, Chester tells us. They really rely on federal resources  for instance, FEMA has a huge staff of people that are able to quickly move from location to location.

Which states get the most FEMA money?

Federal disaster aid is more common than you might expect.

Between 2011 and 2024, 99.5 percent of congressional districts experienced at least one federally declared major disaster due to extreme weather. That assistance can take many forms  from individual aid for disaster victims to public funds directed to state and local governments. Theres also something called hazard mitigation  basically, it means investing in ways to lower the risk of future disasters before they strike.

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Its worth noting that under the Trump administration, some federal disaster funding has been delayed  and even when its approved, its often not granted in full. According to the policy group Revolving Door Project, 17 of the 19 disaster declarations Trump has approved have been partial. That includes states like Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

This aid isnt always distributed evenly. Red states  home to 42.7 percent of the U.S. population  account for 56.6 percent of federally declared disasters and receive roughly 50 percent of FEMA funding, according to an Associated Press analysis of Rebuild by Designs data. Blue states, with 42.2 percent of the countrys population and 35.8 percent of its disasters, receive about 47.5 percent of the aid.

On a per capita basis, Chester said the difference isnt as stark. She estimates that states that get the most amount of money are Louisiana, Hawaii, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, North Dakota, Alaska, Florida, and Texas.

She believes one way to make relief more effective is by listening to those directly affected. The best way to improve FEMA is to ask the people whove been through its programs time and time again what challenges they faced, she said. Creating a process where the people most impacted can give feedback would help ensure the things that werent working actually get fixed.

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But at the end of the day, this isnt just a red state or blue state issue. Communities of all political stripes are vulnerable when disaster strikes  and when help falls short. Its a cost we all carry, quite literally.

[Weather disasters] are happening to all of us, Chester says. Just looking at post-disaster funding from the federal government, it totals $287 billion. Thats huge. And it means you and I are paying for Texas right now, for the Kentucky floods, for every single disaster. Its all our tax dollars.

The post FEMAs Future: Inside Trumps Push to Reshape Disaster Relief appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
Attendees at the "Good Trouble Lives On" gathering at Fentons First Presbyterian Church to honor the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis. July 17, 2025 | Photo by Leah Craig

Community members and elected officials gathered at Fentons First Presbyterian Church Thursday for a teach-in celebrating the work, life, and legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis.

Lewis, who represented Georgias 5th district for 34 years, is best remembered for his role as a Civil Rights leader who fought relentlessly for racial justice and voting rights while advocating nonviolence. Lewis was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, and, until his death in 2020, he was the de facto representative of the Civil Rights Movement.

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Now, five years after his passing, groups around the country convened for a day of action honoring Lewis philosophy: the fight for good trouble.

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Good Trouble Lives On is a nationwide day of peaceful, nonviolent action rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement, aimed at bolstering civic engagement. More than 1,600 events were held across the country to mark the occasion, as well as highlight the ongoing attempts to restrict civil rights by the Trump administration.

The Fenton teach-in was one of several throughout the state, and was hosted by Indivisible Genesee, Livingston, and Oakland Warriors (GLOW). Speakers included former U.S. representative Dan Kildee (D-Flint), state Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons, and Harold Ford, a teacher and community advocate.

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Kildee spoke highly of his friend and colleague, sharing stories of Lewis incredible wisdom, incredible intellect, [and] incredible goodness.

Former U.S. representative Dan Kildee (D-Flint) speaks at the Good Trouble Lives On gathering at Fentons First Presbyterian Church to honor the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis. July 17, 2025 | Photo by Leah Craig

Lewis is perhaps best known for his role in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. At 25 years old, Lewis led 600 peaceful protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where they were met with overwhelming brutality from the police. The imagery of that day March 7, 1965 galvanized the public and ultimately led to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law five months later.

Kildee recalled being invited to attend the annual reenactment of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge along with Lewis. With the mayor and city manager out of town, the highest-ranking city official the one tasked with welcoming the marchers at Brown Chapel AME Church was Montgomerys chief of police.

When John had arrived in Montgomery a few decades earlier, that Chief of Police, who was tasked to protect the Freedom Riders, wasnt wearing that blue police uniform, Kildee pointed out. That police department had traded in their police uniforms for a different kind of uniform. They were clothed in white with masks over their faces, and they nearly beat John Lewis to death.

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Almost fifty years later, Montgomerys Chief of Police removed his badge and gave it to John Lewis.

What I remember so much about it is how gracious John was, Kildee added, noting that Lewis wanted to make sure that the officer would be able to get another badge. Moreover, Kildee explained, Lewis forgave that police chiefs predecessor.

His kindness poured out into that church in a moment that could have been a reminder of ugliness. It was a reminder that we can all be good to one another, and John represented that more than anything.

This was just one of many moments that revealed John Lewis patient, unshakeable spirit. Kildee noted that Lewis would carry that spirit and the unwavering dedication to creating change until the end of his life.

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At the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Congress adopted a rule that allowed a member of Congress to designate another representative to carry their vote to the floor of the House at their direction and cast it on their behalf.

Lewis, who had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in December 2019, asked Kildee to carry his vote.

The gravitas of this task was not lost on Kildee.

I knew John and I had become friends, but I guess I didnt understand quite how close we had become, Kildee explained. Because the man whose name and life is most associated with what he would call the precious right to vote asked this kid from the west side of Flint to carry his vote to the floor for the last few months of his life.

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Five years later, Kildee continues to shoulder that legacy.

John asked me to carry his vote. His vote was his voice. He didnt tell me that I should stop when his life ended, said Kildee. He then implored the audience to do the same: Act as John would have fight hard, never give up, never ever quit. But do it with joy, with love and compassion.

Clemons shifted the focus from Lewis legacy to the present, contextualizing his fight through the lens of contemporary voting rights struggles.

Since the Voting Rights Act has passed, we have not seen ever, until now, more attacks on the very basic fundamental right to vote across the country, said Clemons. Weve seen time and time again, efforts to strip away peoples rights to vote.

Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons speaks at the Good Trouble Lives On gathering at Fentons First Presbyterian Church to honor the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis. July 17, 2025 | Photo by Leah Craig

However, he also pointed out that, while voting rights are being targeted across the nation, Michigan has bucked the trend. With initiatives like early voting, no-reason absentee voting, the permanent absentee ballot list, pre-registration for 16-year-olds, and automatic registration through the Secretary of State, Michiganders tend to support the expansion of voting rights and access.

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The reason, Clemons asserted, is simple: your vote is your power.

If you had something so powerful that could change the entire course of history, why would you not use it? Clemons asked.

In addition to being Genesee Countys first African American clerk, Clemons is both the youngest and the first openly LGBTQ+ clerk in Michigan.

Through a series of anecdotes, McMorrow, who is also a candidate for U.S. Senate, emphasized that everyday people have the power to lead, organize, and create lasting change. Among those she spoke of was Brandon Wolf, who never expected to become an activist but, after surviving the Pulse Nightclub shooting, testified before Congress and went on to become national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign; and Judge Damon Keith, who used his platform to speak out against secret deportations because democracy dies behind closed doors.

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McMorrows comments highlighted a critical juxtaposition: a single voice can spark lasting change, but lasting change doesnt come from a single voice alone.

We cant look for a quick fix or the political messiah, she told the audience. I know that so many of us want to find the next Barack Obama, the next shiny new thing, the next one person whos going to fix it.

State Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) speaks at the Good Trouble Lives On gathering at Fentons First Presbyterian Church to honor the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis. July 17, 2025 | Photo by Leah Craig

The truth, McMorrow added, is that no single person holds all the answers. A president is not a panacea, a congressman is not a cure-all. On the contrary, she elaborated, it falls to the people each and every individual to rise up, come together, and meet this moment by doing the work.

Thats what John Lewis showed us how to do, she concluded. And I think hed be the first to tell you that its not going to be easy and its not supposed to be. But if we want to protect our freedoms, if we want a government that works for the people, not millionaires and special interests, then weve got to show up, dig in, and stay in this fight.
(WHTM)  As more businesses go cashless, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) wants to make it illegal to refuse legal tender.

Fetterman, along with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), introduced the Payment Choice Act on Thursday. It would require businesses to accept cash without any strings attached.

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Its simple, Fetterman said, if youre open for business in America, you should take U.S. dollar.

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Under the proposed legislation, businesses must either accept cash or provide a device that converts cash to a prepaid card so long as it does not charge a fee. Businesses could refuse payments made with $50 bills or larger.

Failure to comply would come with a $500 fine for a first offense and not more than $1,500 for subsequent offenses.

The bill earned the support of the National ATM Council, which represents the business interests of ATM owners.

Should law enforcement wear masks? Some Pennsylvania lawmakers dont think so

Americans going cashless has increased by double digits in less than a decade, according to the Pew research Center. In 2022, 41% said they paid for none of their purchases with cash.

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Despite the declining rate, Fetterman said cash still make up 20% of all payments in the country.

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The fight over how the Trump administration has handled disclosures relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is holding up final approval of a bill to codify $9 billion in Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid.

Republicans on the House Rules Committee huddled with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) for more than an hour Thursday afternoon as the group searched for a path forward on the Epstein saga, which has inundated Capitol Hill and fractured the GOP.

The Senate approved the $9 billion rescissions package in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and the clock is ticking on the matter.

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If the measure is not codified by Friday, the White House must release the funds it requested to withhold. Because the Senate made changes to the package to remove a provision cutting funding for a global AIDS fund, the House must bring up the bill again through the House Rules Committee before it goes to the House floor.

The discussion over what to do about the Epstein saga  and negotiations with Johnson and GOP leadership about a GOP-backed Epstein file release measure  is delaying that effort.

Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said the panel was originally supposed to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday to consider the rescissions package, but that got pushed as the Republicans negotiated on how to handle the Epstein matter.

A number of Republicans have called for the release of the documents related to Epstein as they air frustration with how the Trump administration has handled the matter. Additionally, GOP lawmakers on the Rules panel have taken immense heat from the MAGA base for shooting down a Democratic-led amendment in committee earlier this week demanding the disclosure of more information.

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Leaving the meeting, Rep. Ralph Norman (S.C.), the only Republican on the panel to vote in favor of the Democratic amendment earlier this week, said the group was nearing a solution, but he declined to disclose any details.

Its a good plan, Norman told reporters. Its getting very close.

Ahead of the gathering, two sources told The Hill that Johnson was considering backing a measure calling for the disclosure of files related to Epstein. The structure and language of the measure remains unclear, but one source said it would likely protect the names of victims and whistleblowers involved in the Epstein case.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  July comes in the middle of hurricane and increasingly dangerous wildfire season in the islands. As we approach the anniversary of the Maui wildfires, KHON2 took a look at how you can prepare your finances for an emergency.

Fire power: Hawaiis new fire marshal hits the ground running

Having an emergency fund is crucial because it gives you peace of mind when the unexpected happenswhether its a job loss, medical emergency, or a natural disaster like a hurricane, said Matt Nakamoto, Central Pacific Banks branch manager at their Kapiolani location. Having that financial safety net prevents added stress to an already difficult situation. When a hurricane strikes, you might need funds for evacuation, temporary housing, repairs, or even just the basics if stores are closed. An emergency fund allows you to focus on your familys safety and recovery, not how to pay for it.

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As far as how much money to save, he said three to six months worth of living expenses.

Everyones situation is different, so even saving $1,000 can make a big difference in an emergency. If money is tight, try setting aside a little each paycheck, even if its just $10 or $20. Those small amounts add up over time.

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It can be hard for many people to save, especially in Hawaii with the extraordinarily high cost of living. There are still ways to create savings.

One great tip is to make saving automatic, Nakamoto said. A recurring transfer from your checking to your savings account each payday, so you dont even have to think about it. Another idea is to try a savings challenge, like saving $1 the first week, $2 the second week,

and so onby the end of the year, youll have saved over $1,000! You can also cook more meals at home, and review your recurring charges to cancel anything you dont use. Reviewing all your subscriptions is a great place to start. You could find things you didnt know you were still paying for. Use those savings as your emergency fund deposits every month.

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Another way to save is to reduce how much you spend on temptations. Nakamoto suggests implementing some shopping speed bumps.

Delete saved payment information from online stores, unsubscribe from retailer emails, and practice a purchase pausewait a few days before buying nonessential items. On essential items look for sales and consider buying less expensive generic brands to help save. Creating a budget and tracking your spending can also help. Use a budgeting app or a simple spreadsheet, and review your expenses regularly.

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He adds that a clear savings goal can help get you started.

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Track your income and expenses for a month to see where your money goesthis helps you spot areas to cut back. Then, create a realistic budget that includes regular savings contributions. Schedule regular check-ins with yourself or a trusted family member to review your progress. And remember, its okay to adjust your budget as your needs change. The key is consistencysmall, regular steps add up to big results over time.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Jul. 17WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to rescind its acceptance of an April 2023 petition from environmental groups concerned about nitrate levels in southern Minnesota water.

In April 2023, a group of environmental groups  Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Environmental Working Group, Minnesota Well Owners Organization, Center for Food Safety, Clean Up the River Environment, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Mississippi River, Izaak Walton League Minnesota Division, Land Stewardship Project, Minnesota Trout Unlimited and Mitchell Hamline Public Health Law Center  sent a petition to the EPA saying more action was required to protect water quality in the karst region, which includes Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties.

Several of the groups who signed on to the April 2023 letter have been involved in a subsequent lawsuit seeking to force tighter regulation of Minnesota's agriculture industry.

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In southeast Minnesota, contaminated groundwater is a result of the karst geology that dominates the region with sinkholes. Porous rock delivers water and contaminants to flowing aquifers. The karst geology, combined with the region's row crop agriculture, puts groundwater at risk, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. High nitrate levels can lead to health problems, particularly in infants.

In a letter dated Nov. 7, 2023, the EPA notified the state of Minnesota that it had 30 days to submit a timeframe and work plan to help affected well owners, to include education and outreach as well as alternative drinking water to residents with water above the maximum contaminant level  10 mg/L or 10 parts per million  for nitrates in groundwater from their private wells. The letter followed surprise inspections by the EPA at several southeastern Minnesota farms. The state released its plan in December 2023.

In Finstad's July 17, 2025, letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Regional Administrator Anne Vogel, Finstad expressed concern that the petition urged the EPA to issue orders that would prohibit concentrated animal feeding operations from expanding or building new in the area and that the EPA's subsequent letter to the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency encouraged the state to develop and implement more stringent CAFO permitting standards.

Finstad wrote that many of the groups that sent the petition to the EPA "have a well-documented history of anti-agriculture environmental activism." He said the farmers of southern Minnesota "have long demonstrated a commitment to protecting their natural resources as they work to produce the highest quality, lowest-cost food supply in the history of the world." Finstad's letter also noted the work done by the Minnesota government to protect groundwater, including the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's voluntary Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan, state funding for private well test kits in the counties in the petition, and the Southeast Minnesota Nitrates Strategies Collaborative Work Group's report outlining recommendations for state agencies to address nitrate levels in drinking water.

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"Given these realities, I respectfully urge the EPA to immediately rescind its acceptance of the April 2023 petition by environmental activists and withdraw the resulting November 2023 letter to state agencies in Minnesota," Finstad wrote.

Finstad expressed concern in his letter that MPCA was moving forward with new rules for feedlots , citing the EPA's November 2023 letter as reasons for the actions.
CROWN POINT  Three vacant seasonal camps were destroyed by a fast-moving fire around noon Tuesday.

A propane storage tank at one of the camps exploded and started a blaze that spread to all three places, fire officials said.

The camps are located off Lake Road on Lake Champlain in the town of Crown Point and fire officials were trying to determine ownership Wednesday since all three were unoccupied.

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Essex County Emergency Services Director Matthew Watts said there were no injuries fighting the fires, and mutual aid to Crown Point A.E. Phelps Fire Department was called in from Ticonderoga, Moriah, Mineville-Witherbee, Port Henry, Westport-Wadhams, Chilson and Putnam, as well as Addison and Bridport, Vermont.

Ticonderoga and LaMoille EMS had ambulances on standby there and Ticonderoga Fire Auxiliary provided firefighters with food and beverages. National Grid was called to cut power to the camps.

Watts said Essex County fire investigators and fire coordinators were on scene and the cause is being probed.

Canadian-Pacific Railway had to suspend trains that run through the area because fire tankers were running back and forth to provide water. The last fire unit cleared at 7:45 p.m., Watts said.
By Makiko Yamazaki

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's exports fell for a second straight month as sweeping U.S. tariffs took a toll on the country's manufacturers, with its fragile economy exposed to greater risks from the global trade war in coming months.

Japan failed to clinch a deal with the U.S. before the July 9 expiration of the temporary pause on the country-specific tariffs after it focused on eliminating the existing sectoral 25% tariffs on automobiles, a mainstay of the export-reliant economy.

Washington now plans to impose tariffs of 25% on Japanese imports, unless a trade deal is struck by August 1.

"The tariff impact is likely to intensify in coming months, when the tariff rate is finalised and Japanese companies begin to fully pass on costs to consumers in the U.S., which would hamper competitiveness of Japanese products there," Daiwa Institute of Research economist Koki Akimoto said.

Exports from the world's fourth-largest economy dropped 0.5% in June year-on-year in value terms, compared with a median market forecast for a 0.5% increase and a 1.7% decrease in May, the first decline in eight months.

Exports to the United States tumbled 11.4% in June from a year earlier, the largest monthly percentage decline since February 2021, dragged down by a 26.7% plunge in automobiles, a 15.5% fall in auto components and a 40.9% plunge in pharmaceuticals.

But the volume of automobile shipments rose 3.4%, indicating Japanese automakers are cutting prices on exported cars and absorbing tariff costs to stay competitive.

"Japanese automakers have so far kept production levels by sacrificing margins, so the tariff impact on their production activities has been limited," Koya Miyamae, senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, said.

But Daiwa's Akimoto said Japanese companies would be forced to raise prices eventually, as trade negotiations drag on and the yen stays relatively strong.

Japan exported 21 trillion yen worth of goods to the United States last year, with automobiles representing roughly 28% of the total.

Japan's trade surplus with the U.S. in June fell 22.9% to 669 billion yen ($4.51 billion).

Exports to China were down 4.7%, the data showed.

Total imports grew 0.2% in June from a year earlier, compared with market forecasts for a 1.6% drop.

As a result, the trade balance stood at a surplus of 153.1 billion yen ($1.03 billion), compared with a forecast for a surplus of 353.9 billion yen.

U.S. tariffs are adding to pressure on the Japanese economy which is struggling due to lacklustre domestic consumption. Japan's economy shrank in the first quarter as rising living costs hurt demand.
Fire inspection says Gabriel House had working sprinklers, evacuation maps, and held drills

The assisted living facility that caught fire Sunday had working sprinklers and posted evacuation maps, according to an August 2024 fire inspection report.

Ten people died as a result of the blaze. Five were still hospitalized Thursday, including one in critical condition.

Body cam video shows harrowing moments police rush into fire at Fall River assisted living facility

The one-page inspection report released Thursday morning showed the Gabriel House also had an adequate number of fire extinguishers, along with alarms for heat, smoke, and carbon monoxide. The inspection noted the facility had generally good housekeeping, with nothing blocking exits or stairways.

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The Gabriel House received a pair of checkmarks for conducting fire drills and keeping its log book up to date. The inspection, conducted on August 9, 2024, listed the last fire drill as June 11, less then two months prior.

But there are questions about how those fire drills were conducted and who participated. Fall Rivers fire chief said he was not surprised to hear residents at the facility could not recall any fire drills.

Chief Jeff Bacon said its not uncommon for some facilities to conduct drills with staff only.

In hospitals, the fire drills are for staff, Bacon said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Theyre not evacuating a hospital, so the patients dont know a fire drill is happening. Im not surprised in this case that some of the residents werent aware of it. Its so the staff is aware of what their responsibilities are in the event of a fire. Its not for the patients or the residents.

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Fire inspections going back to at least 2019 showed the Gabriel House was generally in compliance. Among the handwritten notes on the 2024 inspection was a comment to add a carbon monoxide detector to the buildings laundry room.

Boston 25 has reached out to the facilitys owner but has not heard back.

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NEW YORK  Maurene Comey, the Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor fired by President Donald Trumps Justice Department  who went further than any of her peers in holding notorious sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted madame Ghislaine Maxwell to account  warned her longtime colleagues Thursday of a dark new era in which fear is the tool of a tyrant.

In an email to her former co-workers at the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office that a source shared with The New York Daily News, Comey confirmed that she had been fired on Wednesday in a memo sent from main Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., which she said did not outline a reason.

Every person lucky enough to work in this office constantly hears four words to describe our ethos: Without Fear or Favor. Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons without fear of retribution and without favor to the powerful, Comey wrote.

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But Comey wrote that prosecutors had entered a new phase where without fear may be the challenge.

If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.

With Comeys firing, a decision her email confirmed came from the top, Trump has now overseen the ouster of two prosecutors who were arguably the toughest on Epstein in seeking justice for his victims and the truth of how he for so long got away with rampant abuse.

During his first term, the president sought to oust then-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who led the prestigious prosecutors office when it brought the bombshell indictment against Epstein in 2019. Berman ultimately left on his terms.

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While Trump hasnt commented on Comeys firing, speculation has been rife that the move was politically motivated. ABC on Thursday reported that the president had recently vented about having a Comey work in his administration.

Trump has for years faced criticism from Comeys father, former FBI Director James Comey, an Obama appointee whom he fired in 2017 amid an FBI investigation into Trumps dealings with Russia  a probe Trump has long excoriated as a hoax and that his DOJ is reportedly investigating.

The firing, which Politico first reported, also comes as Trump has been on the defensive about the DOJs decision not to disclose any more materials concerning Epstein, facing a firestorm of criticism.

A memo released by the department and the FBI last week said further disclosures would be unwarranted, that a systematic review had turned up no incriminating client list, and reiterated findings that the well-connected wealth manager died by suicide, which conspiracy theorists have long questioned.

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The memo has led to uproar among many of Trumps supporters after his Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino had stoked conspiracy theories and hyped up a supposed treasure trove of information in the governments possession. Bondi, in February, claimed the so-called client list was sitting on my desk right now to review.

Comey, a highly respected veteran prosecutor, recently tried the sex trafficking case against Sean Diddy Combs, which resulted in a mixed verdict that saw him convicted of prostitution offenses and acquitted on the most serious counts.

Comey was on the trial team that secured Epsteins indictment on conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in July 2019. A decade before, the multimillionaire financier had evaded meaningful accountability when former South Florida U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, who would go on to become Trumps Labor secretary, offered him a sweetheart deal that notoriously allowed him to plead to low-level state prostitution charges in exchange for a 13-month stint in a county jail, in which he was permitted to leave for work.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, according to multiple federal and state government agencies, denying victims of the deep-pocketed financiers sex trafficking ring a second chance at justice.

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The following summer, the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office filed an indictment against Maxwell, which Comey took the lead on. Jurors at Maxwells trial heard from four women, one of whom has since died of an overdose, about being horrifically abused by Epstein and Maxwell starting when they were as young as 14.

In a searing rebuttal days before the British socialite was convicted for procuring victims for Epsteins abuse in December 2021, Comey spoke to the duos reasons for targeting teens from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In her eyes, they were just trash, beneath her. Those girls would never stand up to a power couple like Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Comey said.

And if they ever did, who would believe them? Who would believe Jane or Kate or Carolyn or Annie over Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, who rubbed shoulders with presidents and celebrities and business leaders?

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Comey is the latest veteran prosecutor to be ousted at the Southern District of New York since Trumps second return to power. Danielle Sassoon, whom he appointed to lead the office in an interim capacity after his inauguration, quit weeks later rather than obey an order from the Justice Department to drop the public corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, which she said stemmed from a quid pro quo intended to secure Adams cooperation with Trumps mass deportation agenda. The prosecutors handling Adams later-dismissed case resigned or were fired.

Comey could not be reached for comment on Thursday. A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office declined to comment.

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Dozens of people were rescued from floodwaters Thursday after severe weather and thunderstorms doused the Kansas City metro Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Kansas City doubled its own record for daily rainfall Wednesday with 2.78 inches, surpassing the previous record of 1.35 inches set in 1968, according to the National Weather Service.

Around 6 a.m. Thursday, Kansas City had received an additional 2.04 inches of rain, tying the citys record for consecutive days of 2 inches of rain or more, according to the National Weather Service, which has only happened 12 times in 137 years.

Kansas City

Kansas City firefighters rescued 23 people from vehicles stranded in high water Wednesday night and Thursday morning, battalion chief Michael Hopkins said.

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No injuries were reported among those rescued, Hopkins said. In Kansas City, the threat for roadway flooding has subsided, Hopkins said.

Overland Park

The Overland Park Fire Department was dispatched to six water rescue calls during Thursday mornings storms, media manager Jason Rhodes said.

My understanding is that most of them were fairly minor, Rhodes said.

The citys emergency manager continues to monitor water levels Thursday, Rhodes said. Water levels have dropped back below a critical level.

Johnson County Consolidated Fire District 2

Firefighters in Johnson County reported no water rescues overnight, administrative assistant Joanna Russell said. However, firefighters had a number of weather-related calls during the storm.

Kansas City, Kansas

Firefighters in Kansas City, Kansas, rescued 40 people from high water and related incidents during the storm, assistant chief of training and public information officer Scott Schaunaman said.

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The department received 89 calls for service across the span of seven hours, Schaunaman said.

Schaunaman warned people to remain safe around floodwaters.

Just six inches of moving water can knock a person down, and 12 inches can sweep away a vehicle, Schaunaman said.

He said residents should not attempt to walk, swim or drive through flash floods and to avoid creeks, rivers and low-lying areas.

Flood warnings continue for the areas of Stranger Creek near Tonganoxie and at Easton, affecting Leavenworth and Atchison counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Around 2,000 customers in the Kansas City metro remain without power in Kansas City Thursday evening, according to the Evergy outage map. Nearly 1,700 remain without power in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities.
Recent decades have seen fireflies become scarce in certain areas, and scientists warn that some have experienced concerning population declines tied to human activity and habitat changes. But experts say it is improbable that all species will go dark over the course of a generation, contrary to the predictions made in widespread social media posts expressing concern for the flickering summer beetle.

"We are the last generation to see fireflies," says text over a July 14, 2025 post on TikTok, which gathered more than 30 million views and includes images -- some of which appear to be computer-generated -- of the little lantern bug.

Screenshot of a TikTok post taken July 17, 2025

Similar posts expressing concern about extinction gained traction across platforms in July 2025, coinciding with the height of the insect's season in North America, where they are mainly observed between the months of May and September.

While climate stressors on certain firefly varieties exist, others have adapted well to urban habitat changes, making it unlikely that they will disappear by the end of the century, scientists say.

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"In short, no, we will not be the last generation to see fireflies," Clyde Sorenson, a professor in the department of entomology and plant pathology at North Carolina State University, told AFP July 16, 2025 (archived here).

There are over 2,000 species of fireflies, found on every continent except Antarctica (archived here).

Crepuscular fireflies, such as the Common Eastern firefly, continue to proliferate in big eastern US cities, as they adapt to ambient light and may thus be more resilient to light pollution (archived here).

These are what we call habitat generalists, Sorenson explained. By nature, they are highly adaptable species (archived here).

Varying adaptability

What is at risk over the next generation, however, is firefly diversity, scientists say.

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Many species that are habitat specialists -- rather than generalists -- live in ecosystems that have been rapidly subjected to significant human caused changes. They can face threats to their ecosystems due to human development, pesticide use, light pollution, climate change and natural disasters.

"Species which use coastal marshes or mangroves could be displaced as sea level rise eliminates their habitats," Sorenson said.

This is the case for the rare Bethany Beach firefly, endemic to Delaware wetlands (archived here and here).

The Bethany Beach firefly is the first of its type to be proposed for listing as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, a federal law enacted in 1973 to protect species of fish, wildlife, and plants, as well as their habitats, from extinction.

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Rising sea levels, in addition to more frequent and severe storms, threaten to degrade and eventually destroy their habitats, with the majority of the Bethany Beach firefly population likely to be lost to high-tide flooding by 2100, according to climate models (archived here and here).

"The greatest threats to the Bethany Beach firefly are the compounding impacts from climate change on habitat availability," the US Fish and Wildlife Service said in a September 30, 2024 statement (archived here.)

Three main threats

Four other species of fireflies have also been petitioned to be listed on the Endangered Species Act: the Florida intertidal firefly, the southwest spring firefly, the mysterious lantern firefly, and the loopy five firefly. Some are currently under review for acceptance, but none is currently listed as of July 2025.

Candace Fallon, a senior endangered species conservation biologist at the nonprofit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, told AFP that at least 18 species of fireflies in the United States are at risk of extinction (archived here and here).

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"Up to a third of firefly species may be at risk once we compile enough information to conduct a thorough assessment of data deficient species," she said on July 17.

Sarah Lower, a biologist at Bucknell University, told AFP that it is essential to consider "the greater likelihood of losing" local firefly populations due to human developments and changes in ecosystems (archived here).

"If the field next door becomes a paved parking lot with streetlights on all night long," and if that area "represents the last remaining population of a particular species, then that species could go extinct," she explained July 16.

Lynn Faust, an advisory consultant on firefly studies with US state and national parks, agreed (archived here).

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"Fireflies have many, many challenges in today's world. Habitat destruction from development is one of the biggest," Faust, who has studied fireflies for 35 years, said July 17.

The two other main threats are artificial light pollution for species particularly sensitive to it, and the application of pesticides.

She added, however: "My personal experience is the fireflies are doing very well as long as the three things I mentioned above are not happening to their habitat."

Individuals can contribute to firefly conservation by maintaining native vegetation on their properties, limiting the use of insecticides and reducing night-time lighting as much as possible (archived here).

AFP has previously written about other claims misconstruing the impact of changes in climate and human pollution on species and ecosystems.
Firm launches probe after video captures CEO and co-worker cuddling at Coldplay concert in Foxboro

A New York-based tech firm has launched an investigation after a jumbotron at Gillette Stadium captured its CEO and his co-worker cuddling during the Coldplay concert in Foxboro on Wednesday night.

Astronomer released a statement on Friday after a now-viral video taken during the concert reportedly showed Astronomer CEO Andy Byron cuddling with the companys HR executive Kristin Cabot during the show, according to several media reports.

Late Friday afternoon, citing an Axios report, The New York Post reported that Byron and Cabot have been placed on leave from their positions at the firm.

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Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, the tech-and-data firm said in its statement on Friday.

The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly, the company said.

Coldplays Chris Martin noticed the affectionate pair when they appeared on the jumbotron cuddling close together during the Foxboro concert.

Video shows him standing directly behind her with his arms wrapped around her. Her arms cover his arms as the two are locked in an embrace while watching the show.

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They were among an estimated 66,000 ecstatic fans in the audience.

Martins lighthearted Look at these two! embracing comment has since turned into a viral caught on video moment that has sparked controversy.

Turns out the pair, who immediately dodged the camera when they saw themselves on the jumbotron, were Byron and Cabot, the New York Post reported, although Boston 25 has not been able to independently verify their identities.

Oh, look at these two! All right. Come on. Youre okay? Oh, what? Martin, on stage strumming his guitar, says in the now-viral video reportedly taken by a fan and shared on social media.

The video captures the moment the pair realizes theyre on the bands kiss cam.

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Both scramble to get out of the camera shot.

She immediately covers her face with both hands and turns her back to the camera. He appears to crouch down and out of view on the jumbotron.

Several people in the audience at Gillette are heard laughing in the video.

Either theyre having an affair or theyre just very shy, Martin said to the crowd, followed by a pause.

Singer Chris Martin of Coldplay. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Not quite sure what to do, Martin said during the awkward moment.

The video has racked up millions of views.

Byron has been the head of the data company since 2023 and Cabot joined the firm one year later.

According to court records, it appears that Cabot was divorced back in 2022 but Byron appeared to be married.

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Coldplays show at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday was the first East Coast show of the U.S. leg of the bands Music of the Spheres World Tour, Billboard reported.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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IKEA opened a new small-format location off SH-80 in San Marcos on Wednesday, offering a new experience for shoppers at the home goods and furniture store. The scaled-down version of IKEA resides in a single-story, 35,000-square-foot space and offers a range of the retailer's classic offerings, including couches, accent chairs, lighting fixtures, and dishware.

"It's still the same IKEA experience, just bite-sized," store manager Lindsey Janette said.

The first small-format IKEA store opened in San Marcos, Texas on Wednesday, July 16.

Approximately 1,800 products are available for immediate purchase, according to Janette, allowing customers to walk out of the store with their purchases on the same day. The whole store catalogue can be ordered for home delivery or scheduled for in-store pickup.

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"We knew our customers wanted a faster, easier experience to shop through our stores, so we created this new format," Janette said.

The first small-format IKEA store opened in San Marcos, Texas on Wednesday, July 16.

The grand opening event also included a DJ, giveaways, and a live performance from the San Marcos High School Mariachi band.

In a written statement, IKEA said the new location will focus on 'local living' solutions and offer a pared-down menu of the brand's Swedish food items.

Three more Texas small-format IKEA stores are in the works, with plans to open two in the Dallas-Fort Worth region and one in the Rio Grande Valley within the next year.

The first small-format IKEA store opened in San Marcos, Texas on Wednesday, July 16.

Where is the new IKEA in San Marcos?

The store is situated between IKEA's larger flagship stores in Austin and San Antonio, conveniently located on I-35 at 917 TX-80.

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The new San Marcos IKEA will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Take a look inside the new 'bite-sized' IKEA in San Marcos, Texas
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Rock the Country is expected to draw around 24-thousand music fans to the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday nights. Thats a much larger crowd than past events have drawn.

Nickelback and Kid Rock are the headliners. Rock the Country travels with its own security force, but since the fairgrounds are county property, the Minnehaha County Sheriffs Office will have a presence in case of any arrests. Captain Adam Zishka recommends concert goers give themselves plenty of time.

Rock the Country: What to know if you go

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This is a large crowd for the fairgrounds, mostly because the grandstands cant accommodate that many people. So this whole event will be held primarily in the north parking lot area, which is plenty of room to accommodate these people, and weve been preparing for months to do so, said Zishka.

The National Weather Service will have a meteorologist on site. The current forecast includes temperatures in the 80s, which is not too hot by South Dakota standards, but overheating is a top concern. First responders will be on standby to assist with medical emergencies.

So we are going to have a couple of ambulances on site, we are going to have around-the-clock 27/7 EMS to provide for the campgrounds, and then we will have additional crews come in for the concert times, said Mathew Penning.

Free water will be available for concertgoers, and cooling and first aid tents will also be set up. No weapons are allowed, and security screenings with metal detectors will be in place at the entrances. Organizers are encouraging attendees to be patient upon arrival.

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A map of the concert site is available at the bottom of this link.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
For the first time in history, median single-family home price in Greater Boston surpasses $1M

The median price of a single-family home in Greater Boston has now surpassed $1 million for the first time in history, according to new data released by the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS.

The milestone in the most recent data released Thursday from sales in June comes as home prices have hovered just shy of the $1 million mark since April, realtors said.

If you needed any more evidence that Greater Boston was one of the most desirable areas of the country to live, you just got it with Junes record median price of a single-family home surpassing $1 million dollars, said Mark Triglione, president of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS and owner of Premier Realty Group Inc. in Reading.

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People tuned into local real estate have seen inventory rise in some markets with an increase in number of active inventory and increased number of days on market per listing, Triglione said.

There are signs of hope for some would-be buyers, says real estate broker Brian Woods. In particular, hes noticed fewer listings including deadlines for buyers to submit offers.

We see a lot of properties that are fairly priced sell very quickly, Woods told Boston 25 News. But the offer deadline stuff is starting to cool a little bit this year. We still see it, just not as much as over the last couple of years.

Woods says he also sees homes sitting on the market longer, especially those priced over $1.5 million. While he doesnt expect prices to come down, but believes their meteoric rise over recent years will continue to slow.

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Itll be interesting to see what the number looks like next year, Woods said.

While this has led some buyers to believe they may see some relief on prices, the data and buying behavior continues to defy that notion, he said.

List to sales price ratio is still over 100% and properties priced right are selling faster than the recent Red Sox turn around, Triglione said.

Cape Cod home once owned by Taylor Swift sells for $12.3 million. Heres the photos

He shared a breakdown of the Greater Boston regions June single-family housing market:

The median house price reached $1,003,250. Prices were up 2.4% from the previous month ($980,000), and 4.5% from this time last year ($960,000).

1,292 homes were sold, marking a 19.6% increase from May (1,080) and 5.8% from last June (1,221).

1,528 new single-family homes hit the market, which is down 13.4% from this past May (1,764) but up 8.9% when compared to June of last year (1,403).

The median number of days a single-family home stayed on the market hit 19, climbing 18.8% (16) from May and 11.8% from June 2024 (17).

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Beyond the usual push to have things buttoned up before the school year gets going, it will be interesting to see if some sellers push to have their property on the market and under agreement before the new home inspection law takes effect in October, said Triglione, whose association represents more than 10,000 real estate professionals throughout the Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts area.

For most sellers, their home is their largest asset and losing the ability to accept an offer that creates the absolute best possible situation for them to capitalize on could impact the upcoming market, Triglione said.

The Greater Boston areas condominium market remained much steadier in the month of June, and hit no similar milestones. Here is a breakdown:

The median price for condominiums reached $725,000. Prices were down 3.3% from both the previous month and this time last year ($750,000).

986 condos sold, marking a 2.8% increase from this past May (959) and 1.8% from last June (969).

1,437 new condos landed on the market, which is down 8.1% from this past May (1,563) but up 19.4% when compared to last June (1,204).

The median number of days a condo stayed on the market was 23, rising 9.5% from May (21) and 15% from June 2024 (20).

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The median price of a condominium in Greater Boston has demonstrated surprising stability over the past few years, especially when compared to the single-family market, said Triglione.

Condominium prices have roughly remained around the $700,000 mark since 2022, Triglione said.

Increased condo development across the region appears to be leading to more predictable price tags, he said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A council has become the first in Britain to twin with a town in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians.

Hastings borough council, controlled by the Green Party, voted to twin with Al-Mawasi, near Rafah, after what was described as a horrifically anti-Semitic meeting.

At the meeting, several councillors drew comparisons between the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the Holocaust.

The official International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism says drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis is an example of anti-Semitism.

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Hastings council, which covers an area with high deprivation, adopted the definition in 2020, despite opposition from some Labour councillors.

The resolution by the council means it will enter a partnership including fundraising, political support and raising awareness of issues in Al-Mawasi. The move comes despite councillors raising concerns over whether Hamas has control of the area.

Hastings, on the south coast, is run by a Green Party-controlled council - Getty Images/John Keeble

The Hastings motion, proposed by Cllr Yunis Smith of the Greens, passed with 14 votes in favour, three against, and 11 abstentions, the majority of which were Labour councillors.

In his speech to the council, Cllr Smith, a Muslim convert, said: We all remember the haunting images from the Holocaust, the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, and we ask how the world stood by. I say to you now, dont look away. Dont let history repeat itself on our watch. Let never again mean never again.

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Cllr Mike Turner, an independent, explicitly referred to the Holocaust, saying: This is a very similar situation. Its the same old story. Powerful people make decisions and little kids die.

Cllr John Rankin, a fellow independent, compared the situation in Gaza to the Blitz, urging councillors to remember what its like when children live in fear.

Cllr John Cannan, also an independent, defended the activities of Palestine Action  recently proscribed as a terrorist group and known for targeting Jewish-owned and Israel-linked businesses.

Independent Cllr Simon Willis, whose family fled Nazi persecution, also made reference to the Holocaust and told the chamber: This is what genocide looks like.

Speaking of the situation in Gaza, Cllr Simon Willis said: This is what genocide looks like - Getty Images/Hani Alshaer

Some at the meeting warned that the debate risked inflaming community tensions. Cllr Helen Kay said the motion goes way beyond the remit of local councillors to serve our residents in such areas as improving housing, bin collections [and] fly-tipping.

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Dany Louise, a member of Hastings Jewish community, said: The meeting was horrifically anti-Semitic and is deeply concerning for Hastings Jewish community.

The area is one of the most deprived in the country, and we ought to be focusing on our local community, not wading into divisive political issues.

Alex Hearn, of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said: Instead of addressing the urgent problems facing constituents, the council chose to obsess about a conflict thousands of miles away.

Their inflammatory rhetoric was irresponsible and not only fails the very small Jewish community but further isolates and alienates them. Hastings council needs to do better for all its citizens.

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The move comes after Labour-run Brent council twinned with Nablus, in the West Bank.

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Cinnamon black bear near Mammoth Hot Springs (NPS / Neal Herbert)

Wildlife officials confirmed the deaths of two bears last week due to human conflicts.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, a landowner along Foothill Road east of Kalispell shot and killed a grizzly bear on July 10, after he discovered the bear getting into a chicken coop.

The bear approached the landowner, according to an FWP press release, when he shot and killed the animal. The man was uninjured in the encounter.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident.

A separate incident involving a black bear in Yellowstone National Park was reported by park staff on Thursday.

According to a press release, wildlife staff with the park killed an adult female black bear following a series of incidents at a backcountry campsite.

On June 7, the bear reportedly crushed an unoccupied tent at a campsite located in the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage in the northern part of the park.

On July 11, the same bear climbed the site food storage pole, tore down properly stored food bags, and consumed campers food, according to the park.

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Although it is uncommon for bears in Yellowstone to obtain human food, when it does occur, bears can quickly become food-conditioned and may act aggressively or dangerously around humans, putting both people and wildlife at risk. The bears escalating behavior  including property damage and obtaining a significant food reward  posed a clear threat to visitor safety and warranted removal, the release stated.

We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from gaining access to human food in all areas of the park, said Kerry Gunther, Yellowstone bear management biologist. But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to make the difficult decision to remove the bear from the population to protect people and property.

For more information on how to safely enjoy Yellowstones backcountry and wildlife, visit the parks website .

For more information and resources on bear safety in Montana, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.
JPMorgan Chase is an $800 billion company, said Rampell, who is a cofounder of Affirm, a buy-now-pay-later lender. JPMorgans new fee plan could make it very expensive to invest in crypto. If it suddenly cost $10 to move $100 into a Coinbase or Robinhood account, fewer people might do it, he said. JPMorgan and other banks could also refuse to let consumers connect their own freely chosen crypto and fintech apps to their bank account, he said.

Alex Rampell, a general partner at venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, said in a post on X Wednesday that JPMorgans plans to charge fintechs for customer data isnt about a new revenue stream. Its about strangling the competition. And if they get away with this, every bank will follow.

The fees are also expected to be onerous for many early-stage fintechs, executives told Fortune. One fintech estimated that the fees to access JPMorgans API would be more than the revenue the company made in its 10-year existence. This would put everyone out of businessIt would require everyone to raise prices by 1000% to cover [the cost], the first exec said.

JPMorgans plans to charge fees would make it economically impossible for many consumers to use stablecoins and crypto, according to three industry executives, who declined to speak on the record for fear of retaliation. This would cripple the crypto industry, one of the execs said.

Under the plan, every time a consumer moves money from JPMorgan Chase to a crypto account or a third-party service like Robinhood, the bank could charge the data aggregators a fee. Crypto firms and fintechs typically use aggregators, like Plaid or MX, to access customer accounts at major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase. Up to now, the banks have not charged the fintechs, but this may change. The aggregators are widely expected to pass the new fees onto their fintech customers, with some potentially transferring the costs to the consumer.

When JPMorgan Chase told fintechs last month that it planned to charge them for accessing its customer banking account data, it sent shockwaves through corners of the financial industry. According to four industry executives, the move is a blow to the fintech sector and could prove devastating to early-stage startups, including those in the crypto industry. Analysts, however, think mature fintechs like PayPal and Block will likely not feel much consequence from this fee change.

Story Continues

Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the U.S., said JPMorgan is making a calculated move with its plans to charge fees. The nations biggest bank is asserting ownership over data generated by consumers and stored in infrastructure controlled by JPMorgan, Sethi said in a post Tuesday on X.

This is not a technical innovation. It is a toll, Sethi said. And once data becomes a revenue stream for the infrastructure provider, the incentive is to fragment it, lock it in, and sell it at margin.

JPMorgan, the nations largest bank by assets, has 91 million consumer accounts spread across its different segments. The bank likely represents about 20 million checking accounts in the U.S., according to a July 14 research note from Harshita Rawat, a Bernstein research analyst.

JPMorgan has already informed the aggregators that it would start charging fees for accessing its customers bank account information, Bloomberg reported, but its unclear how much the bank plans to charge.

Weve invested significant resources creating a valuable and secure system that protects customer data. Weve had productive conversations and are working with the entire ecosystem to ensure were all making the necessary investments in the infrastructure that keeps our customers safe, JPMorgan Chase said in a statement Wednesday.

When it comes to more mature fintechs like PayPal and Block, which owns Cash App, analysts believe they will face little impact from the fees since they already negotiated agreements on fees with the largest banks, including JPMorgan on a multi-faceted basis, including cards, other relationships, and processing, said Bernsteins Rawat. PayPal and Block also likely have limited (or manageable) exposure to data aggregators, Rawat said. (Aggregators typically provide technology, such as APIs, that let consumers connect their financial accounts to an app or service.)

Some think this positive view is premature. Much depends on the size of the fees, the second executive said. The impact could be pretty immense, they said.

Dimon wary of fintechs

Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chases CEO and the most influential banker on Wall Street, has long taken a dim view of fintechs. During an analyst call in January 2021, Dimon said incumbent banks should be scared sh**less of the growing competition posed by fintechs. Dimon then said that he expected very, very tough, brutal competition in the next 10 years from fintechs.

I expect to win, so help me God, Dimon said during the call. At the time, Dimon singled out Plaida widely used service that helps consumers quickly connect apps like Venmo to their bank accountsaying there are people who improperly use data thats been given to them, like Plaid.

Dimon, in his annual shareholder letter that was published in April, warned that a battle with third party aggregators was brewing. JPMorgan Chase has no problem sharing customer data but only if its done properly, Dimon said in the letter. Customers should authorize any sharing of their data, he said. They should also know what data is shared and when and how it is used. Third parties want full access to banks customer data so they can exploit it for their own purposes and profits, said Dimon, who thinks third parties should pay for accessing the banking system and payment rails.

He furthered this argument during JPMorgans earnings call Tuesday. Customers have the right to share their information, but there should be a time limit on the data, he said. The data should not be remarketed or resold to third parties, he said. And then the payment, it just costs a lot of money to set up the APIs and stuff like that to run the system protection. So, we just think it should be done and done right. And thats the main part. Its not like you cant do it, Dimon said.

Skeptics, however, doubt that protecting consumers is JPMorgans prime concern when it comes to fintechs. Instead, they view charging fees for data as a way for large banks to build a moat around their products and services, making it hard for consumers to access competing services, according to the executives. Banks have invested a lot of money to build their offerings. But fintechs have invested a lot of money to build their technology, a third exec said.

The fees will raise costs for consumers, limit their financial choices while jeopardizing innovation, a second executive said. This will kill innovation and consumer choice, a fourth person said.

Aggregators like Plaid, Yodlee, Finicity, and MX will initially feel the brunt of these changes. Consumers rely on aggregators to share their data and connect their accounts with fintech apps. Plaid, for example, has 7,000 customers, including Robinhood, Citi, Rocket Mortgage, and Shopify. Banks and fintechs use Plaids APIs to connect to more than 12,000 financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase and PayPal.

In 2018, Plaid signed an agreement with JPMorgan allowing it access Chases customer information through a secure API connection. Since then, JPMorgan Chase has never charged Plaid for its consumer data, one person familiar with the situation told Fortune. Plaid, however, does incur costs to manage the security, technology and compliance associated with maintaining the API integrations. JPMorgan also reviews and vets customers as they join Plaids network, and it conducts routine security reviews, the person said.

In its contracts with aggregators, JPMorgan has always reserved the right to charge for the data, a second person familiar with the situation said. The bank also wants to encourage more responsible data access practices. Each month, JPMorgan typically receives 2 billion data callsrequests for access to customer datafrom aggregators. But in 90% of these data pulls, the customer isnt actively seeking the data, the second person said.

About three weeks ago, in late June, JPMorgan informed all its aggregator customers who use its API that they would need to start paying. The first fees would start triggering at the end of August, the person said. Aggregators are expected to pass on the costswhatever they areto consumers.

Other banks are expected to follow JPMorgans lead. PNC Financial Services, one of the nations largest consumer banks, is also considering charging fintechs for accessing its customer data. I applaud what JP did, said Bill Demchak, PNCs chairman and CEO, during an earnings call Wednesday.

I think [JPMorgan is] exactly right. I think theres a big cost to keeping this data secure and producing it in a form thats readable for our clients. So were, you know, were thinking about it, said Demchak, who said PNC was in discussions.

The status of other banks is not clear. Citi is one of the nations biggest consumer banks. It has over 200 million customer accounts globally. As of June 2, Bank of America served 69 million U.S. consumer and small business clients. Wells Fargo is also a large consumer bank but doesnt disclose information on its accounts. Citi declined to comment, while BofA and Wells could not be reached for comment.

The end of open banking?

It is not coincidental that the change to JPMorgans fees comes as the CFPBs open banking rule remains unresolved. The law was first initiated during President Trumps first term. It was finalized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, in October, during the waning days of the Biden administration. The Open Banking rule, or Rule 1033, makes it easier for consumers to switch between financial service providers. It also requires banks to share the data with other lenders or financial services providers for free. On the same day that the agency issued the rule, two bank lobby groups, the Bank Policy Institute and the Kentucky Bankers Association, sued the CFPB, claiming the regulator overstepped its authority. (As of December 2024, Jamie Dimon was chairman of the Bank Policy Institute, according to a snapshot of the BPI site on Internet Archives Wayback Machine. Rene Jones, CEO of M&T Bank, is currently listed as chairman of BPI.)

The CFPB is charged with protecting consumers in the financial marketplace. Now overseen by the Trump administration, the agency filed a motion for summary judgment in May, asking a Kentucky district court to vacate the open banking rule. The CFPB said the rule was unlawful and should be set aside, according to a court filing.

JPMorgan Chase is exploiting regulatory uncertainty to levy a punitive tax on competitive offerings, said Steve Boms, executive director of the Financial Data and Technology Association, or FDATA, a trade association that represents financial services companies. This is a blatant effort to curtail innovation and undermine a stronger American financial system, Boms said in a statement.

This story has been clarified to say that JPMorgan has already informed the data aggregators that it would start charging fees for accessing its customers bank account information.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
One month before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Black residents across southern Louisiana braced for their first tropical disturbance of hurricane season. The storm threatened to bring flash flooding across the coast from Mississippi to the center of Louisiana. Thousands of residents stocked up with drinking water and sandbags in preparation for imminent power outages.

They were far from the only Americans experiencing the impacts of potentially catastrophic rains.

In a historic surge thats being felt in cities and towns across the country, this year, the United States has experienced more flash flood warnings than at any time since records began in 1986, according to the National Weather Service.

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July has been exceptionally wet  and deadly. There have been more than 1,200 reports of severe flooding in the first two weeks of this month, more than double the average amount, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records show. The floodwaters have led to more than 135 deaths in Texas and North Carolina, although the true number may rise as recovery continues and missing persons are accounted for.

Due to long-standing patterns of discrimination and inequitable infrastructure, Black communities in the U.S. are at greater risk from flooding events, both now and in the future.

In the South, where about 60% of Black people live, Black folks are nearly two times more likely than others in the region to experience severe flooding events, partly because many Black neighborhoods are located in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Within the next 30 years, communities with large Black populations, particularly along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from Texas to Virginia, are projected to see their flood risk rise by at least 20% and potentially as much as 40%, a rate twice as fast as non-Black areas.

When you think of climate threats, were the ones who are often on the front lines of it, said Gloria Walton, the president of the Solutions Project, an organization focused on supporting local community groups focused on climate activism. During Hurricane Katrina, her familys home in Jackson, Mississippi, was flooded, and the resulting toxic mold forced her mother to sell the house after she was unable to afford the necessary repairs. Two decades later, her mother has not been able to purchase another home, which made it particularly clear for her that Black communities are often hit hardest by climate disasters and are the last to recover.

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Theres so much fear and mayhem being sown, and climate change will make these events worse, she added.

Flash floods typically happen in the middle of summer when the weather is hottest, but warmer air caused by climate change can hold more moisture, fueling heavier downpours and making flash flooding more likely and intense.

This year, the risk is even higher because the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are warmer than usual, adding even more moisture to the air.

A recent study found that human-driven climate change has already increased storm-related rainfall by nearly 20% in the southern United States, making flooding events like those experienced this July more frequent and severe.

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To prepare for climate threats and flooding, Black communities need to continue building strong local networks and invest in resilience now, rather than waiting for outside help, Walton said.

We have to show up for each other during these times, because weather conditions are getting worse and resources are getting gutted, leaving vulnerable communities that are already at risk, more at risk.

This means supporting existing grassroots organizations, establishing resilience hubs, and creating mutual aid networks that not only respond to disasters, but actively fortify neighborhoods ahead of crises, she said. Building these connections and local infrastructures ensures that when extreme weather hits, the community is always ready.

These threats are not something of the future. It is happening now, she said.

How to prepare for flash floods

Create a family emergency plan

Know evacuation routes, designate meeting spots, and ensure all family members (including pets) know what to do and where to go in case of flooding or evacuation orders.

Build and maintain an emergency supply kit

Stock up on non-perishable food, water (at least 1 gallon per person per day for several days), medications, flashlights, batteries, and first aid supplies.

Monitor weather alerts and heed warnings

Sign up for local emergency alerts via your city or county website, watch NOAAs Weather Radio stream, and promptly follow evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions from authorities.

Protect important documents and valuables

Store critical papers (such as identification, insurance, and medical records) in waterproof containers and keep digital copies stored securely.

Prepare your home and mitigate flood risks

Clean gutters, secure outdoor furniture, trim trees, install storm shutters or board up windows, and, in the long term, consider flood insurance. If you live in high-risk areas, elevate your electronics and use sump pumps or backflow valves.

The post A Flood Crisis Is Escalating. Southern Black Communities Face Double The Risk. appeared first on Capital B News.
A group of Florida Democrats in Congress introduced a bill to cut off funding for Alligator Alcatraz and any immigration detention facility located in or near the Everglades. The bill aims to ensure access, public disclosure on how it operates, and Congressional oversight.

The bill, known as the No Cages in the Everglades Act, directs the Department of Homeland Securitys Inspector General to submit a report within 90 days after the bill becomes law on the facilitys operations. The report must include an evaluation of conditions and costs, environmental impact and its effect on detainees.

The bill is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of South Florida, Kathy Castor of Tampa, Frederica Wilson of Miami, and Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach. Also supporting the bill are Darren Soto of Orlando, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick who represents part of Broward and Palm Beach counties, Maxwell Frost of Orlando, and Jared Moskowitz of Coral Springs.

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Wasserman Schultz said Alligator Alcatraz has operated without transparency and that the public deserves to know the full truth. The facility is located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, an isolated airstrip in the Everglades.

Our bill would shut down this atrocity, strengthen oversight of detention facilities nationwide, and mandate public reporting on costs, conditions, and the treatment of detainees at this detention site, as well as report on any harms to the environment and nearby tribal lands, Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.

The move comes as a group of Democratic lawmakers, including Wasserman Schultz, condemned the conditions of the temporary immigration detention facility after visiting last weekend. The lawmakers described the jail as crowded, unsanitary, and bug-infested. Hundreds of immigrants with no criminal charges have ended up at Alligator Alcatraz, according to records obtained by the Times/Herald.

The bill also affirms members of Congress right to inspect any facility holding federal immigration detainees, whether its owned or operated by the federal government, a state, or a private contractor.

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Castor called Alligator Alcatraz a significant threat. Environmental groups have sued federal, state, and Miami-Dade County officials over the facility. The Miccosukee Tribe is also seeking to join the lawsuit.

The No Cages in the Everglades Act puts an end to this cruelty, protects our precious wetlands and sacred tribal lands and restores oversight and transparency, said Castor.

To ensure both access and accountability, the bill would allow members of Congress and their staff to conduct announced or unannounced visits to any facility holding immigration detainees.

Two weeks ago, five state lawmakers were denied entry to Alligator Alcatraz. They later sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Florida Supreme Court, arguing that he overstepped his authority on July 3. The Supreme Court sent the case to a lower court in Leon County.
From rain to heat, Florida's weather continues to swing from one extreme to the next.

After most of this week was spent keeping an umbrella handy as residents watched Invest 93L move across the state into the Gulf, most of Florida will spend Friday, July 18, trying to find some place to stay cool.

 Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location

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A heat advisory has been issued for the first time this summer in South Florida, according to the National Weather Service Miami. The heat index could get as high as 111, with the strongest heat expected along the southern Gulf Coast.

As the morning progressed, more heat advisories were issued. As of 9:30 a.m., Florida's entire east coast, large portions of Central Florida and all of South Florida are under a heat advisory until this evening as the heat index climbs as high as 110.

And the National Weather Service warned portions of the state's east coast and Central Florida face a major heat risk.

Here's what to expect today.

Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida

What Florida counties are under a heat advisory today, July 18?

As of 9:30 a.m., counties under a heat advisory are:

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Heat advisory issued for South Florida. Heat index could hit 111

Heat index could hit as high as 110 July 18, with the strongest heat expected along the Gulf Coast.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for South Florida from 11 a.m. July 18 until 6 p.m.

The heat index could reach between 105 and 111 across portions of southeast, south and southwest Florida and could reach even higher is some isolated locations, the National Weather Service said.

The strongest heat is expected along the Gulf Coast.

What to expect today in South Florida:

West Palm Beach: High 86. Heat index as high as 101.

Miami: High 88. Heat index as high as 103.

Naples : High 93. Heat index as high as 107.

Immokalee: High 96. Heat index as high as 107.

Southwest Florida could see heat index as high as 107

Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 90s over inland areas July 18, 2025, with a heat index between 100 and 107.

Drier air is moving into the area, allowing temperatures to increase across Southwest Florida and the west coast. Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 90s over inland areas, with heat indices ranging between 100 and 107.

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What to expect today in Southwest Florida:

Fort Myers: High 95. Heat index as high as 103.

Sarasota : High 91. Heat index as high as 102.

Tampa: High 95. Heat index as high as 105.

Major heat risk, heat advisory issued for Central Florida, East Coast. Heat index up to 108

A major heat risk is forecast for portions of Central Florida July 18, 2025.

A major heat risk is forecast for portions of Central Florida today, July 18, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne. A heat advisory also has been issued for the entire east coast of Florida until 6 p.m. The heat index could get up to 108.

What to expect today in East, Central Florida:

Daytona Beach: High 89. Heat index as high as 104.

Melbourne : High 90. Heat index as high as 105.

Vero Beach: High 90. Heat index as high as 102.

Stuart : High 88. Heat index as high as 102.

Orlando: High 95. Heat index as high as 105.

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A major heat risk means there is a risk for heat-related illnesses for most residents, especially for those without access to air conditioning or who don't stay hydrated.

The National Weather Service recommends:

Drink plenty of water

Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing

Avoid outdoor activities during the warmest parts of the day

Stay in air-conditioned location, especially during the day

Heat advisory issued for Jacksonville, Northeast Florida. Heat index up to 110

Another heat advisory was issued for Northeast Florida at 8:46 a.m. July 18.

Heat index ranges from 105 to 113 today across portions of inland northeast and north central Florida, the National Weather Service Jacksonville said. The heat advisory is in effect from noon to 6 p.m.

What about the rest of Florida? What's the forecast for today?

Heat index and temperature map for US, Florida

What is the heat index?

Heat index calculator

The heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, according to the National Weather Service.

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At its most basic: the heat index is what the temperature feels like when you're outside.

The chart above shows the combination of air temperature with humidity. It's important to note the chart uses the air temperature in the shade. In direct sun, the air temperature can be up to 15 degrees higher.

In Florida, except for Miami-Dade County, the National Weather Services offices around the state would issue a heat advisory if the heat index is expected to reach 108 to 112 degrees. The National Weather Service Miami said Miami/Dade County wanted a lower threshold for an advisory for its population, which was set at 105 degrees.

NWS issues several types of heat-related warnings

National Weather Service changed its heat watch and warning terms in March 2025. Here's what you should know:

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Excessive heat watches were renamed to extreme heat watches. Issued when dangerous heat is possible and residents are encouraged to be prepared.

Excessive heat warnings were renamed to extreme heat warnings. Issued when dangerous heat is happening or about to happen.

What is a heat advisory? Issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach warning criteria.



 See when heat watches and warnings could be issued in your area

What is a heat advisory?

A heat advisory is issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach warning criteria, according to the National Weather Service.

"Residents are advised to consider postponing or rescheduling outdoor activities, especially during the heat of the day. If you must be outside, be sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade. Stay in a cool place, especially during the heat of the day and evening."

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When a heat advisory is issued also depends on where you are in Florida.

For most of the state, a heat advisory is issued if the heat index is expected to be between 108 to 112 degrees.

Here is the breakdown by each NWS region. A heat advisory is issued when the heat index is expected to be:

Western Panhandle: 108-112 degrees

Central Panhandle, North Florida: 108 to 112 within the next 6 to 24 hours or air temperature is forecast to reach 103 degrees

Northeast Florida: 108-112 degrees

East Central Florida: 108 to 112 degrees

In South Florida : 108 degrees in South Florida or 105 degrees for Miami/Dade and Broward counties

Southwest, West Central Florida: 108-112 or the air temp is greater or equal to 103 degrees

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The National Weather Service Miami said Miami/Dade County wanted a lower threshold for a heat advisory for its population.

Florida weather radar for Friday, July 18

Signs, symptoms of heat stroke

Heat stroke is the most serious of heat-related illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Signs and symptoms include:

Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech

Loss of consciousness (coma)

Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating

Seizures

Very high body temperature

Heat stroke is fatal if treatment is delayed

What to do:

Call 911

Move the person to a shaded, cool area and remove outer clothing

Cool the person quickly, using the following methods: With a cold water or ice bath, if possible Wet the skin Place cold wet cloths on the skin Place cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits, and groin Soak clothing with cool water

Circulate the air around the person to speed cooling

Signs, symptoms of heat exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating, the CDC said. Signs and symptoms include:

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Headache

Nausea

Dizziness

Weakness

Irritability

Thirst

Heavy sweating

Elevated body temperature

Decreased urine output

What to do:

Take the person to a clinic or emergency room for medical evaluation and treatment

Call 911 if medical care is unavailable

Have someone stay with the person until help arrives

Remove the person from the hot area

Remove unnecessary clothing, including shoes and socks

Cool the person with cold compresses or have the them wash their head, face, and neck with cold water

Encourage frequent sips of cool water

How to stay safe. What do meteorologists recommend when it's hot outside?

 What's the best temperature to set your air conditioner thermostat?

Drink plenty of fluids

Stay in an air-conditioned room

Stay out of the sunshine

Check on relatives and neighbors.

Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible.

To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments.

Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 911.

Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text

What's next?

We will provide weather coverage as conditions warrant to keep you informed and prepared. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.

This story has been updated to include new information.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida heat advisories issued as temps climb, heat index up to 113
Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) wants the House to ditch any subscriptions it has to The Wall Street Journal following the newspapers bombshell report Thursday that shed new light on President Trumps ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Ill be introducing legislation to end the House of Representatives subscription contract with the WSJ, Fine wrote on social platform X, hours after the report was published. Americans shouldnt be paying for disgusting and filthy rags.

I have also directed my entire staff to delete their taxpayer-funded WSJ accounts, he added.

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The Journal reported this week that Trump signed a bawdy birthday note to Epstein in 2003  years before the disgraced financier was accused of trafficking young girls for sex, died while awaiting federal trial and became a fixation of some of Trumps diehard MAGA supporters and a public spectacle.

Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the note read near Trumps squiggled signature around a drawing of a naked woman, according to the Journal.

Trump denied he wrote the message, which the Journal reported was included in a book of letters to Epstein for his 50th birthday. The president also threatened to sue the outlet owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch for publishing the story.

Trump has urged allies to stop bringing up what he dubbed the Epstein hoax after the Department of Justice announced its investigation determined Epstein did not keep a client list and died by suicide in jail.

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This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now! the president wrote in a post on his Truth Social website Thursday night.

The Trump administration, through the Department of Government Efficiency, took an axe to most taxpayer-funded media subscriptions earlier this year.

When a social media follower asked Fine why the federal government was paying for Journal subscriptions, the first-term Florida congressman replied that it was a great question.

Im the new guy. Just got here three months ago, Fine wrote. Im blown away by all the crazy things money gets spent on.

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Fire departments across Florida are being encouraged to allow firefighters to work fewer hours per week, thanks to a new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

The legislation promotes reducing the standard firefighter workweek from 56 hours to 42, with the goal of improving both mental and physical health among firefighters.

The change comes in response to troubling trends. Nationally, about 100 firefighters die by suicide each year. Orlando firefighter Jeff Huggins was one of them. His friend, Mike Rodriguez, said the signs of mental distress werent fully understood until it was too late.

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His mental anguish, some of the things that were being said prior to... that didnt click until after his death, Rodriguez said.

Beyond suicide, increasing reports of DUI arrests and domestic abuse among firefighters highlight the strain the job can have.

Bernie Bernoska, President of the Florida Professional Firefighters Association, says the 42-hour workweek is essential.

As call loads continue to rise and departments across the state fail to recruit enough personnel, this change is vital to our members physical and mental health, Bernoska said.

Currently, most firefighters follow a 24-hour-on, 48-hour-off schedule. Only about nine departments statewide have adopted the reduced schedule so far, while othersincluding Orlandoare still assessing the financial impact.

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Orlando firefighters are currently in contract negotiations. The 42-hour work week and pay raises are key issues. The union says reducing work hours will decrease fatigue, prevent burnout, and improve emergency response performance.

But implementing the change wont come cheap. In Kissimmee, the city recently approved the new schedule, set to begin in April 2026, but it required a raise in fire assessment fees to generate an additional $6.1 million for fire services.

For Orlando, the cost would be significantly higher. A city spokesperson explained that adopting the shorter workweek would mean 15 million dollars in writing.

The most significant impact would be the need to add a fourth platoon or shift to provide 24/7 coverage of the city. Based on todays staffing levels, an additional shift would be approximately 135 firefighters.

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Its unclear how much of a sticking point this will be for firefighters in those negotiations. They will be back at the table at the end of the month.

House Bill 929, signed by the governor, also looked at the gear firefighters wear and encourages departments and manufacturers to make gear without cancer-causing agents. The bill also addresses mental resilience and will track and try to stop those suicides.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps has defended the decision to keep secret a data breach involving the details of thousands of Afghans and some British officials.

In his first interview since it became public, Sir Grant told the BBC erring on the side of caution was "entirely justified", adding his focus had been "sorting out the mess and saving lives".

Many people were judged to be at risk of serious harm or even death as the Taliban sought retribution against those who had worked with the British government during the conflict.

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He said the injunction blocking reporting of the breach was "quite rightly" applied for by his predecessor and he believed at the time it should stay in place.

A "super-injunction" - a kind of gagging order that prevents the reporting of even the existence of the injunction - was lifted earlier this week.

Sir Grant was appointed as Defence Secretary in August 2023 - just after the breach was discovered and as orders were put in place preventing it from being made public.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that "faced with the choice of whether that list would get out and people would be pursued, murdered and executed as a result of it, or doing something to try and save those lives, I'd much rather now be in this interview explaining why a super-injunction was required, than being in this interview explaining why I failed to act and people were murdered".

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He added he was surprised the order lasted so long and that he had thought, as the risks started to lessen, it would have ended last year.

Sir Grant was also asked why Intelligence and Security Committee, which scrutinises the security services, wasn't informed, to which he replied "even a hint of this getting around...meant the risks were incredibly high".

"The 'who was briefed' was decided by conversations with the judges," he said, adding: "You can argue that circle should be wider".

The data of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had worked with the British during the 20-year war in Afghanistan and had applied to resettle in the UK were inadvertently leaked in February 2022.

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The details of over 100 Britons were also released, including spies and special forces.

After the lifting of the super-injunction on Tuesday, a secondary injunction had prevented the revelations about UK special forces and security services personal being compromised.

But that was also lifted on Thursday that barristers representing both the MoD and a group of media organisations reached a compromise that meant journalists could report the additional facts.

The breach was not discovered by the government until August 2023, when someone in Afghanistan who had obtained the data posted part of it on Facebook and indicated he could release the rest.

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The discovery forced the government to covertly set up the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) - a resettlement scheme for those affected, who were not told about the breach despite the risk to their security.

The scheme has already allowed 4,500 Afghans and family members to move to the UK and a further 2,400 people are expected, at an estimated cost of 850m.

The accidental leak was the result of someone working at UK Special Forces headquarters in London inadvertently emailing more than 30,000 resettlement applications to an individual outside of government, thinking that he was sending data on just 150 people.

The Ministry of Defence has refused to say how many people in Afghanistan may have been harmed as a result of the data breach.

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The Taliban government said on Thursday that it had not arrested or monitored Afghans affected by the leak.

But relatives of Afghans named in the leak told the BBC that they fear for their family still in the country, with one saying efforts by the Taliban to find their named relative intensified following the leak.
Foreign Minister Adrii Sybiha on July 17 condemned Budapest for its decision to ban three Ukrainian military officials from Hungarian territory.

"Hungarys decision to ban three Ukrainian military officials from entering its territory is unfounded and absurd. We reject Hungary's manipulations, and we will not tolerate such disrespect for our military. Ukraine reserves the right to take appropriate action in response," he said in a post to social media.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has parroted Russian propaganda narratives regarding Ukraine and is seen as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key allies in Europe.

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Hungary banned Colonel Vitaly Tkachenko, Brigadier General Volodymyr Shvedyuk, and Colonel Roman Yuzvenk from entering the country, European Pravda reported on July 17.

Ukraine has noted that the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism and that the deceased is a Ukrainian citizen.

Hungarian authorities claim that a Hungarian citizen died in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, which borders Hungary, due to the actions of the banned officials working under the Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support, Ukraine's military mobilization institution.

Days earlier, Orban called upon the EU to take action against Ukraine's conscription practices in an interview published on July 15.

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On June 26, Hungarian authorities reportedly claimed that 95% of participants in a national consultation opposed Ukraine's EU accession.

Meanwhile, Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said on June 21 that Hungary's national consultation on Ukraine's accession to the EU had the lowest ever turnout at such a poll.

Despite the government's resistance, polling shows public support for Ukraine's accession to the bloc.

According to a poll held by Magyar's opposition party, Tisza's "Voice of the Nation," which received over 1.1 million responses, 58.18% of participants supported Ukraine's EU bid.

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Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky, Trump discuss win-win drones-for-weapons mega deal

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CHICAGO (WGN)  Forensic experts took the stand Thursday in the ongoing murder trial of Steven Montano, as jurors saw additional body cam video that captured the final moments of slain Chicago police officer Andres Vasquez Lassos life.

The officers family relived the moment inside the Cook County Criminal Courthouse as prosecutors evidence piled up against the defendant, Steven Montano. The accused cop killers defense team said Thursday that Montano may elect to testify on his own behalf.

Before Thursdays conclusion of testimony, forensic scientist and firearms expert Marc Pomerance took the stand at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, sharing his findings from a battery of ballistics testing he conducted in the days and weeks following the 2023 Gage Park killing of CPD Officer Lasso.

PREVIOUS: Jurors view bodycam video of deadly CPD officer shooting in trial of accused killer

Pomerance concluded that bullet casings and other evidence recovered from the scene near 52nd and South Spaulding point conclusively to a specific .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Its the same .45 caliber pistol police say officers recovered from a wounded Montano in the moments after a deadly foot chase.

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Prosecutors allege it was Montano who fired five shots at Lasso, striking him in the leg, arm, and head, killing the 32-year-old officer.

Lassos grieving wife and mother, with a multitude of supporters and fellow officers, watched as prosecutors played Lassos body cam footage for the jury. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the video shows Lasso jumping out of his squad car chasing after Montano, screaming out repeatedly for the suspect to stop.

One day earlier, two witnesses also took the stand to testify that they heard the slain officers commands.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

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The 21-year-old Montano faces first-degree murder and gun charges.

Closing arguments could begin as early as Friday.

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(Reuters) -David Rhodes, Sky News executive chairman and former CBS News head, is in talks to run CBS News again if the Skydance acquisition of the broadcaster's owner Paramount Global closes, digital news website Puck reported on Friday.

Rhodes, who was president at CBS from 2011 to 2019 and previously spent a decade with Fox News, has emerged as a likely successor at CBS News, where he may be advised by Bari Weiss, co-founder of online news outlet Free Press, Puck said.

Tom Cibrowski is the current president and executive editor of CBS News.

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Rhodes is very happy in London at Sky News, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, requesting anonymity as the matter is private.

The New York Times reported last week that Skydance Media CEO David Ellison had held preliminary talks to acquire Weiss' Free Press as well.

Reuters could not immediately verify the Puck report. CBS News, Paramount and Skydance did not respond to requests for comment. Rhodes did not respond to a request for comment on LinkedIn.

On Thursday, CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the most-watched late-night program on U.S. broadcast television and a frequent platform of satire aimed at President Donald Trump.

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CBS said the show will end its 10-year run in May 2026 and described it as "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late-night."

CBS-owner Paramount Global is seeking approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for an $8.4-billion merger with Skydance Media.

Paramount earlier this month agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over an interview with his former Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris, that CBS's "60 Minutes" broadcast in October.

(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh and Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Philippa Fletcher)
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Dive Brief:

Academy Mortgage Corp. entered into a public conciliation agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to resolve sexual harassment and retaliation charges, the agency announced Tuesday.

A former supervisor at the Albuquerque-based mortgage lender allegedly sexually harassed female workers, then retaliated against them after they complained or denied him, per EEOC. The supervisor also allegedly repeatedly texted inappropriate requests to a female worker and physically touched unwilling female employees, the agency said.

Under the terms of a year-long agreement, Academy Mortgage agreed to provide a total of $75,000 in monetary relief to two women and to hold sexual harassment and discrimination training, according to a news release.

Dive Insight:

EEOC alleged that Academy Mortgage violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment-based discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment, and retaliation.

The agencys charge claimed that the company didnt take appropriate action to address the supervisors behavior after a female worker complained. Instead, it allegedly retaliated against the victim by transferring her to another branch before firing her. The supervisor then sexually harassed another worker, EEOC said.

We applaud Academy Mortgage for agreeing to an early resolution of this charge, April Klug, director of EEOCs Albuquerque office, said in the release. This resolution helps give the affected workers closure and highlights the importance of sexual harassment training. Managers have an obligation to maintain workplaces free from harassment and to appropriately respond to harassment complaints.

EEOC and Academy Mortgage participated in a pre-litigation conciliation process to resolve the charges, the agency said. The commission regularly files charges against companies alleged to have allowed sexual harassment to fester.

Last month, for instance, EEOC reached a $100,000-settlement with Murica LLC over allegations that the company allowed the owner of the Western-themed Starlite Station bar and dance hall in Greeley, Colorado, to create a sexually hostile environment for workers. The agency further alleged that Murica LLC retaliated against workers who complained or spoke out against the owners conduct by firing or threatening to discipline them.
Hillsborough Democratic House Leader Fentrice Driskell (left) and Hillsborough County GOP Rep. Susan Valdes speaking at the Cuban Club in Tampa's Ybor City on July 18, 2025. (Photo by Don Kruse for the Florida Phoenix)

TAMPA  Although its been more than seven months since Hillsborough County state Rep. Susan Valdes flipped to the Republican Party, that departure remains raw with some of her former Democratic colleagues, as emotions spilled out Friday during a discussion of the just concluded Florida legislative session.

The thing is, unfortunately, the Democratic Party left me a long time ago, she said when asked by a member of the audience at the Tampa Tiger Bay meeting whether she would have left the Democratic Party if it had held the majority in Tallahassee  something that hasnt been the case in nearly three decades.

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What Valdes didnt say, though, was that her conversion to the Republican Party in Demember, shortly following the 2024 elections, came just a week after she lost a bid to chair the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee.

The New York City-born daughter of Cuban immigrants who has represented an Hispanic-leaning district in western Hillsborough County since 2018, Valdes alleged that Hispanics were always an afterthought in the Florida Democratic Party. Right now, only two Hispanics serve in the Democratic caucus: Osceola County Rep. Jose Alvarez and Orange County Rep. Johanna Lopez.

No regrets

If the Democratic Party were in the majority, and they would still be behaving the way that they were behaving without paying attention to the needs of the Hispanic community, yes, Id change as well, she maintained.

Valdes boasted that by switching to the Republican Party of Florida, she was able to accomplish in four months what I was not able to accomplish in seven years. She referred specifically to her ability as a member of the majority to pass a bill (HB 1105) ending the certificate of completion given to lower-performing students in place of a diploma  a longtime goal for her going back to her years serving on the Hillsborough County School Board.

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Valdes called it a participation trophy that essentially told students Thank you  and you have no future.

Democratic House Leader Fentrice Driskell, sitting to the immediate right of Valdes during the discussion, fired back immediately.

I think its very unfair to voters to have asked for their vote one week to be a member of the Democratic Party and the next week or two to switch that, Driskell said. I think regardless of how it felt to me personally as a friend and a leader, its about whats fair to the voters, and I think just also, you know, the Democratic Party is a broad coalition, and I just want to reject the sentiment that the Hispanic community was an afterthought. Absolutely not.

Driskell added that she had worked with Valdes to build up a Spanish language media and communications strategy. Valdes countered that since she left the party, that communications program no longer exists.

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She added that, as a Republican, she was able to bring millions of dollars back to the district. That comment triggered Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart.

If youre in the Democratic Party and youre in the superminority and you have an opportunity to move over to the majority, of course you get more money, she said. Do you have any idea what kind of money Democrats were able to bring home from Tallahassee? Darn near nothing.

Hart mentioned that Valdes had worked with her on criminal justice reform over the years, saying she would have hoped that with Valdes now a Republican she could have helped influence the governor when it came to a measure Hart sponsored (HB 181) that passed unanimously this session. It would have allowed a limited number of state inmates to receive early release from prison. DeSantis vetoed the proposal, saying that it would likely result in making Floridas parole system more lenient.

Not a single time did you even reach out to try and see if you can help, but you were in that position [as] vice chair as a member of the Budget Committee, Hart said.

Staying above the fray

The two other Democrats on the dais, Tampa Bay area Rep. Michele Rayner and Sen. Darryl Rouson, opted not to engage directly on Valdes party switch.

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I think that the conversation can become unhelpful when we begin to personalize it, because, at the end of the day, there is an affordability crisis in the state of Florida, Rayner said.

I believe that when the voters elected me, they elected me to be effective. They elected me to bring results, and not just go up and run my mouth, said Rouson, who has served in the Legislature since 2008. I have found a way to remain a Democrat but work both sides of the aisle.

Valdes flip to the Republican Party was followed just a few weeks later by another House Democrat, Rep. Hillary Cassel, jettisoning the party and reducing the number of Democrats in the 120-member to just 33. Cassel will face the voters for the first time next year in her district as a Republican, but Valdes is term-limited in her House District 64 seat. She has not said publicly whether she is considering another run for office in 2026.

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Former Gaza hostage Or Levy learned upon his release that his wife Einav was murdered by Hamas.

Former hostage Or Levy, who was held by Hamas for 491 days, opened up about his experience in captivity, learning of his wifes murder and his time with murdered American-Israeli former hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in a CNN interview published on Thursday.

Its hard to understand how difficult it is to live on one pita a day for 491 days  no human should live like that, Levy said. And for the people that are still there, I know those days were even worse than what Ive been through  and its scary.

Returning to Almog and learning of Einav's murder

Upon his release, Levy was able to return to his son Almog who was only 2 years old when he last saw his father. However, Levy learned that his wife Einav had been one of over 1200 victims murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The young mother was killed as terrorists flung grenades into a bomb shelter.

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When he was greeted by an IDF representative on the day of his release, he immediately asked about Einav.

I asked her about my wife. I told her that I think I know, but Im not 100% certain, and that I want to know, Levy said. And then she told me.

Released hostage Or Levy is reunite with his family, 08/02/2025. (credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)

Throughout his captivity, Levy said he was too afraid to ask his terrorist captors about the status of Einav despite his suspicions.

Time with Hersh Goldberg-Polin

He focused his energies on returning to his son, a strategy he said Goldberg-Polin had taught him.

I remember Hersh telling me this sentence  He who has a why can bear any how, Levy recalled.

When life in the tunnels became too difficult, he recounted how Goldberg-Polin would encourage him to think of returning to Almog.

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Now four, Levy feared that young Almog would not remember him - a fear that was put to rest when the two were finally reunited. Though, he explained now that he was tasked with the difficulty of explaining to Almog that his mother would not be returning.

The story that we told  that he knows  is that a big bomb happened and that unfortunately, mom is dead and I was taken to a far place, and people were trying to get me home, Levy said. So he asks  he asks about his mom, about what happened to her, about who caused it? And he asked me about my wounds. He asked me again, why didnt I take him with me to this far place?

Levy told CNN how he shares stories of Einav constantly and that he and his son look at her photos.

Levy shared that while he is now free, his thoughts are still with the 50 remaining hostages in Hamas captivity.

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The fact that people are still there haunts me in the night, Levy said.

I think that nothing is worth more than getting those people home, Levy said. I know that we need to push on to get a deal that gets everyone home and finish everything. Finish everything.
A former Los Angeles police officer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a 2017 drunk driving crash that killed a mother, father, and their 19-year-old son on the 605 Freeway, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Friday.

In April, Edgar Verduzco, 34, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one count of driving under the influence causing injury, and one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent causing injury.

From left: Oscar, Maribel and Mario Davila are seen in images uploaded to Oscar and Marios Facebook pages, respectively. Both were posted in April 2017.

Verduzco was off-duty and speeding at 150 mph when he crashed into two vehicles on Sept. 26, 2017. One vehicle hit the center divider and caught fire, killing Maribel Davila, Mario Davila, and their son, Oscar Davila, a 19-year-old UC Riverside student. The second vehicles driver, a mother with a baby in a car seat, suffered minor injuries.

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Shortly before the crash, a video apparently filmed at a bar posted by Verduzco on Instagram with the hashtag #dontdrinkanddrive.

A still image from a video posted Sept. 26, 2017, to Edgar Verduzcos Instagram account. LAPD Officer Edgar Verduzco is seen in an image uploaded to his Instagram account July 29, 2017. Edgar Verduzco (left) appears in court with an attorney (right) on April 20, 2018. (Credit: KTLA)

I cannot tell you how angry and disappointed I am that a Los Angeles police officer would disregard the law and cause an accident with such awful, awful consequences, then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said at the time of his arrest.

Verduzco was initially released from jail due to insufficient grounds to file charges, but he was arrested and formally charged months later.

On Friday, a Los Angeles County judge handed down two 15-year sentences that will run concurrently, alongside a 3-year sentence that will also run concurrently. Those sentences carry a potential punishment of life in prison.

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Des Vignes - CNN

A former local crime reporter said she has found her purpose by teaching inmates how tell the stories behind the crimes they committed.

Debra Des Vignes worked as an on-air news reporter in small markets across the country covering crime. But accoridng to a CNN story recently done on her work, she was only scratching the surface of the full story behind who she was covering.

"We only had what law enforcement told us. I always wondered, but it was such a fast-paced environment," Des Vignes told CNN. "It's not that I didn't care, but we didn't have time to learn more about his or her background."

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She started volunteering in prisons in 2017, teaching a victim impact class, which is intended to help offenders see the consequences of their crimes from the victim's perspective.

"I think society has that image of TV and movies and what that represents, and how a criminal is supposed to act or behave with a chip on their shoulder or angry," Des Vignes said. "I found the exact opposite."

In the class, she had the inmates write a letter to their victims. She said thats when she saw the men open up in ways they hadn't before.

"There was a lot of raw talent in that room," she said.

That class inspired Des Vignes to start her own nonprofit to focus on writing with incarcerated individuals. In 2018, the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop was born. Des Vignes' 12-week creative writing program originated in one Indiana prison and has since expanded to eight correctional institutions across Indiana, Alabama, and Illinois. For Des Vignes, spending time with prisoners has humanized the crime stories she once covered. "With this work, learning their stories and where they come from, puts it all into perspective," she said. "It doesn't make me feel bad about my reporting back then, but I realize the humanity of living." The curriculum, developed by Des Vignes and her all-volunteer team, provides incarcerated students with a foundation in creative writing through weekly prompts and introduces fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and playwriting. For Des Vignes, the goal is to create a sacred space where they can write and openly share. "Some may want to make sense of their past, some may want to spend the hour and a half in a positive environment," Des Vignes said. "And some may just want to be heard and felt seen and welcomed." CNN

For Chris Lewis, who was formerly incarcerated, the course helped him find compassion in prison.

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"One of the hardest things to hold onto is your humanity, and then somebody looks right down the middle and says, Man, that's a human being.' That means the world to you," Lewis said. "When Deb came in, she just [saw] us as human beings."

"It's given my life meaning, purpose," said Des Vignes. "It's like a calling, and I don't want to waste a second doing it."
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  A bill of information was unsealed Friday in federal court charging a former deputy with the Mahoning County Sheriffs Office with interfering in an investigation of a man suspected of selling drugs.

Read next: Theft allegations preceded Southern Local football coachs resignation

The bill of information charges Kip T. Danks, 59, who was also a former member of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force, with one count of misprision of a felony.

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Misprision is a legal term describing the act of knowingly concealing a felony and also failing to report it to authorities.

A bill of information is typically filed in a criminal case in lieu of an indictment when a defendant is expected to plead guilty at their arraignment.

A court date has not been listed. The case has been assigned to U.S. Judge Donald Nugent in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio.

The criminal complaint in the case was filed Jan. 10 and kept under seal until Friday.

A message has been left with county Sheriff Jerry Greene.

An affidavit accompanying the bill of information said that investigators with the FBI and Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force were serving a search warrant on Jan. 9, 2023, at a 2615 Glenwood Ave. home as part of a drug investigation into Hure Orr, 60. The affidavit did not say if Danks was there.

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As law enforcement searched the home, they found a loaded .38-caliber handgun in a car, the affidavit said, and a bag that had methamphetamine and fentanyl inside.

The affidavit said a wiretap picked up a phone call from Orr to Danks, where Orr asked Danks about parts of the warrant then told Danks about the gun that was found. The affidavit said Orr asked Danks if he could be charged for having the gun because he has previous criminal convictions that bar him from owning a firearm.

Danks told Orr, They got to prove its yours. I mean how are they going to know its yours? the affidavit said.

Danks also told Orr not to talk on the phone, the affidavit said.

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The affidavit said that when Orr told Danks about the gun, Danks was giving Orr advice to help Orr give false and misleading statements to investigators, the complaint said. Because Danks has over 20 years experience in law enforcement, he knew Orr was not allowed to have a gun.

The affidavit also said that Danks was trying to help Orr from preventing law enforcement from learning more when he told him not to talk on the phone, and he should have known not to do that from his years on the marshals task force, where he was a part of several searches and investigations.

By telling Orr to stay off the phone, your affiant believes that Danks intended to prevent law enforcement from gathering evidence against Orr, the affidavit said.

About 10 minutes after Orr was done talking to Danks, he called another person and told them not to talk on the phone, the affidavit said. That person did stay off the phone, the affidavit said.

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The affidavit said Danks later called a task force member and tried to get information on the investigation and whether they linked the gun to Orr while also trying to divert attention away from Orr.

Danks took a call from Orr the next day and shared information with Orr he had learned when he called the task force member, the affidavit said. He also told Orr to say nothing, the affidavit said. He also told Orr not to answer any questions, the affidavit said.

Investigators interviewed Orr and got him to agree to make a recorded call with Danks, the affidavit said, but Orr called Danks and warned him of the scheme.

Danks was interviewed Aug. 10, 2023, and denied telling Orr to stay off the phone and that he was also resigned to investigators not believing him, the affidavit said.

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Orr also admitted to investigators in February 2024 that Danks had warned him to stay off the phone and that he took that to mean that the phone was tapped and that he should get a new phone.

Orr had been the subject of an investigation into drug dealing by the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force beginning in July 2021. Orr was identified as a drug distributor between July 2022 and February 2023 and he was known to carry a gun.

A federal criminal complaint was filed Feb. 12, 2024, charging Orr with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced Jan. 17 to 54 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the charge.

That charge came from Feb. 9, 2024, search warrant served at a West Side home on Overlook Avenue, where investigators found a 9mm pistol, a .40-caliber pistol and 10.6 grams of marijuana. Orr also gave investigators a bag of cocaine, the affidavit said in that case said. One of the guns was also reported stolen, according to the affidavit in that case.

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July 18 (UPI) -- Former Baltimore Orioles prospect and police officer Chase Childers, 38, died after helping to rescue swimmers in Pawleys Island, S.C., officials announced. He was 38.

"The Cobb County Police Department is mourning the loss of one of our own, former officer Chase Childers, who lost his life this past weekend in South Carolina while selflessly saving others from a rip current," the Cobb County Police Department said Thursday.

Pawley's Island police said they received a call at about 4:45 p.m. EDT Sunday with reports of multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Road. A person was reported missing, and police and Midway Fire Rescue started a search, assisted by the Coast Guard.

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Childers was recovered at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday. Police said his drowning was the fifth in the area over the last 26 months.

"The victim, Chase Childers, and another person entered the water to help 4-5 individuals who were in distress," Pawley's Island police said. "Sadly, Mr. Childers was caught in the rip current, as well. He died trying to save others."

Childers played at North Cobb Christian High School in Kennesaw, Ga., before going to Georgia State University. Childers joined the Orioles minor league ranks in 2009.

The former second baseman and shortstop prospect hit .195 with six doubles, two triples, six steals and 17 RBIs over 50 Rookie League appearances.

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Childers is survived by his wife, Nataley, and three children, Barrett, Brooks and Bella. A GoFundMe page set up for the Childers family had raised more than $163,000 as of Friday afternoon.

"Chase was a truly selfless individual, always prioritizing the safety of others above his own," the Childers family said in a statement. "Without hesitation, he would leap into action whenever someone was in need, ready to tackle any challenge that came his way.

"To his family and all who knew him, he will forever be remembered as a hero."
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  As 10 On Your Side continues its investigation into troubling conditions at Wadsworth Shores military housing in Virginia Beach, new claims suggest the issues extend well beyond a single neighborhood.

Mice, mold, and flooding: Military families at Wadsworth Shores say conditions are horrible

Liberty Military Housing, which manages Wadsworth Shores, also oversees 20 military housing communities across Hampton Roads. Now, one resident from one of those properties in Chesapeake is stepping forward with a similar story.

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Zachary Montanaro said his family experienced serious problems while living on Pecan Crescent in Chesapeake  from cockroaches on move-in day to air conditioning failures and, eventually, a ceiling collapse.

Im not asking for anything crazy or above and beyond what any other American is looking for, Montanaro told 10 On Your Side. I think we can do that  at least for our service members.

Montanaro moved into the home in March 2024. By August, asbestos had been discovered in the residence. Just weeks later, the ceiling came down. While Montanaro eventually won a formal dispute over the conditions, he said the process was grueling and stacked against families.

Its like an uphill battle, he said. Youre trying to submit stacks of paperwork to prove everything, whereas Liberty is allowed to submit a tiny paragraph saying, Nope, the sky is magenta, and its taken as fact.

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Liberty manages 20 military housing communities in the region  10 in Norfolk, five in Virginia Beach, three in Chesapeake and two in Portsmouth.

Complaints about VB military housing grow louder

In a recent statement, Liberty Military Housing CEO Phillip Rizzo acknowledged many issues go unreported and encouraged families to use the Navys three-step dispute process. But Montanaro said that system often fails residents.

Every step through the system, we were met with resistance, he said. He noted that because military housing is on federal property, local code enforcement has no jurisdiction. And since the housing companies operate as legal partners with the federal government, accountability becomes complicated.

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The way the contracts are written, it also makes it very difficult for central government authority to come in, Montanaro said. Its no different than two business partners going against each other.

U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans told 10 On Your Side that she is following the situation.

Housing is a priority for me, she said. I myself will call in and check with Liberty Housing to ensure theyve spoken to those families.

Kiggans said she is following up regularly with the company and has staff members working as liaisons.

We just need to know what the problem is, she said. We will continue to follow up and make sure our military families are taken care of.

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In the meantime, Montanaro is helping other families navigate the system through the Safe Military Housing Initiative, a group advocating for better living conditions and health protections.

All the services are completely free, he said. Theres a heavy focus on the science behind mold exposure and its health effects. Weve been advocating for military families, and its now slowly spread to the entire Hampton Roads area.

Montanaro said many families feel trapped and unsure of their options.

Look at the real conditions these families are living in, he said. Walk through some of these homes and ask: Would I want to live here? Would I feel safe? And most of the time, the answer is no.

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SAN FRANCISCO  Former Sen. Laphonza Butler is now advising OpenAI, her first known client since the California Democrat left Congress and landed at the global public affairs firm Actum, people familiar with the contract told POLITICO and the ChatGPT-maker confirmed.

Tapped by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinsteins seat, Butler served just over a year in the Senate to complete the term before returning to her roots as a behind-the-scenes power broker and becoming a partner at Actum. The California Democrat is barred from lobbying for a year as a former member of Congress.

Its not clear what issues Butler will be providing guidance on for the AI developer.

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OpenAI is facing an inflection point in its plans for future growth, hoping contentious changes to a more conventional corporate structure will help the company raise money to keep ahead of cash-slinging competitors. Those plans have run up against fierce resistance from former co-founder Elon Musk and civic leaders, particularly in California, home to the company headquarters and where Butler touts powerful connections with the labor world.

Three people familiar with Butlers new gig, granted anonymity to disclose private personnel moves, confirmed it to POLITICO. An OpenAI spokesperson separately told POLITICO Butler is an adviser. The former senator did not respond to a request for comment.

Prior to joining Congress in 2023, Butler was a longtime labor leader with the Service Employees International Union and a campaign adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris. She came to the Senate from the top post at EMILYs List, which seeks to elect female candidates who support abortion rights.

OpenAI is not her first industry rodeo. She previously worked in private sector consulting for companies like Uber through the firm rebranded as Bearstar Strategies and later made at least $1 million from Airbnb stock as the short-term rental platforms director for public policy.

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Butler went into political consulting in 2018 as preparation for Harris not-yet-unannounced first presidential run. Harris aides and allies told POLITICO earlier this year that she is seriously considering a run for governor in California and gave herself until the end of the summer to decide whether to enter the crowded field.

Butler said in a January interview that she would provide Actum clients with strategic consulting services, indicating a special interest in the intersection of work and workers with technology and how we can build a society that works for everyone. She intended to split her time at the firm between Los Angeles and D.C.

During her Senate stint, Butler ventured into introducing some bills on artificial intelligence. One directed federal agencies to use the technology to better predict and respond to extreme weather. Another proposed $250 millionin government funding to educate students and upskill marginalized communities for jobs in an AI future. Neither passed that session.

The nexus of AI and race has been of particular interest to Butler. It repeatedly featured as a theme in her questions during congressional hearings. She said in late 2023 that the technology is already widening preexisting inequities, but then hosted a panel last fall about how AI can empower Black communities.

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There, she also reflected on AIs potential to displace workers, telling attendees that fewer people are going to be required across broader industries, particularly those in  traditionally white-collar positions.

On a separate but just as thorny issue, Butler celebrated Newsom signing legislation in Sacramento last year, backed by the powerful Hollywood actors guild SAG-AFTRA and meant to protect performers digital likeness in the age of AI deepfakes.

Still, she has returned to a more bullish view at times, including in one October interview where the then-senator said she wanted to protect Americans without stifling the opportunities that AI could bring. She argued lawmakers dont need to make false choices between the interests of AI executives and workers.

Shes praised Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the Biden administration for creating spaces to gather feedback on AI from labor, civil society and community leaders. OpenAI has been stepping up its engagement with those segments in the last few months as it attempts to shift toward a more conventional business structure and curb groups' concerns.

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In the past year, OpenAI hired at least one other Harris ally. The AI companys global affairs team is staffed by Debbie Mesloh, Harris old campaign consultant and friend, and Marisa Moret, whose time as chief of staff for the San Francisco city attorney coincided with Harris as the district attorney.

Butler, Moret and Chris Lehane, the Democratic strategist turned OpenAI's vice president of global affairs, all overlapped at Airbnb.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  A former Taney County volunteer firefighter was sentenced for sharing child pornography online in 2023.

According to a United States Department of Justice press release, Cameron Ryan, 36, of Hollister, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Ryan was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

The court has ordered Ryan to pay $51,000 in restitution to his victims and $5,000 for a special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, the release says.

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Trial halted for woman charged in death of Mercedes Luna

Ryan will be required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements throughout the rest of his life.

Ryan first pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024 to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Ryan was identified as a suspect in the case after a CyberTip was made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

An undercover FBI agent downloaded numerous images of minor children on Nov. 28, 2023, from an image hosting website through the suspects user profile, who was later identified as Ryan.

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The undercover agent began communicating with Ryan, and he sent a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

After identifying Ryan as the suspect, multiple officers searched his cell phones and found the messages of the conversation with the FBI agent. Ryan was found through a forensic analysis of two phones with 1,800 files containing child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Springfield Police Department and the Taney County Sheriffs Office.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed former defence minister Rustem Umerov as the secretary of the country's National Security and Defence Council, according to a decree published on Friday on the president's website.

In a post on X, Zelensky emphasized that efforts to sign more arms agreements with Ukraine's partners must continue.

Zelensky also said the council should step up negotiations with Russia. Umerov served as Ukraine's chief negotiator in previous direct talks with Moscow.

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Umerov thanked Zelensky for his trust and shared a list of tasks that the pair had discussed in a post on X.

"It is an honor to serve Ukraine," he wrote in English.

The National Security and Defence Council includes members of the government, the heads of the secret services, the attorney general, heads of the central bank and the president of the Academy of Sciences. Chaired by the president, it meets to discuss issues of national security.

The secretary primarily performs organizational tasks and reports directly to the head of state. Zelensky earlier dismissed Oleksandr Lytvynenko from the role, whom he had appointed in March.

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Umerov's appointment follows a reshuffle of the Ukrainian government against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian invasion.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament confirmed the new Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko - Zelensky's preferred candidate - and her Cabinet.

Former prime minister Denys Shmyhal replaced Umerov as defence minister. Umerov had previously been touted as the next ambassador to the United States, however, according to media reports, the US rejected his appointment.
Large mine bucket wheel excavator by Teka77 via iStock

Ucore (UURAF) (UCU.VN) shares soared over 13% on Tuesday and continued the rally on Wednesday, July 16 after the company based out of Nova Scotia announced a major milestone in its U.S. expansion plans.

In its press release, the Canadian firm confirmed it will begin producing rare earth elements at its new Louisiana facility in May 2026  marking a significant step toward reshoring critical mineral processing.

More News from Barchart

At its intraday peak, Ucore stock was up roughly 160% versus its year-to-date low set in early March.

www.barchart.com

Heres What It Means for Ucore Stock

Ucores announcement signals real progress in its effort to build a domestic supply chain for rare earth metals, which are essential to defense systems, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics.

The Louisiana facility will initially produce 3,000 tons of rare earths annually, scaling to 12,000 tons by 2027, according to the companys press release on Wednesday.

Its location within a foreign trade zone offers tariff advantages and global logistics flexibility, while Pentagon funding ($18.4 million) underscores the strategic importance of the project.

With China tightening export controls, Ucore with its U.S.-based processing capability is positioned as a unique North American alternative.

The Louisiana facility update could attract long-term contracts and increase institutional interest  potentially driving the share price up over time.

Ucore Shares Are a Speculative Investment at Best

Despite todays rally, investors should practice caution in buying Ucore shares as the companys future hinges on successful execution of a multi-phase construction project thats currently in early stages only.

Additionally, investors should note that Ucore doesnt get coverage from Wall Street analysts, which often suggests low liquidity and minimal institutional interest  both red flags for long-term investors.

Therefore, its fair to conclude that Ucore Rare Metals is more of speculative bet for now than a fundamentally sound investment.

On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
A former Voice of America employee has been arrested for threatening Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Seth Jason, 64, was apprehended by U.S. Capitol Police and the Anne Arundel Police Department in Maryland on Thursday morning after allegedly threatening to kill Greene, her family, and her staff.

Seth Jason allegedly threatened Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, her family, and her staff for over a year. / Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

No one should have to live their life looking over their shoulder every day and wondering if those threats are about to be fulfilled and about to come true, interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference Thursday.

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According to the indictment, Jason was charged with influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

Jasonwho used to work for Voice of America (VOA), the government-funded broadcaster that has come under fire from the Trump administrationallegedly made eight threatening phone calls to Greenes district offices in Dalton and Rome, Georgia, between October 2023 and January 2025.

Pirro read aloud some of the threats Jason would make during his phone calls to Greenes offices at a news conference Thursday.

Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, read aloud some of the threatening messages Seth Jason had sent Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

I am looking forward to your book signing. We are all armed and ready to take care of you, Pirro repeated, seemingly referring to a signing event for Greenes 2023 book MTG.

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An investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police traced the calls to multiple phone lines connected to VOAs headquarters in Washington, D.C.

While VOA is entirely government-funded, it still maintains editorial freedom.

Trump has targeted VOA, which he has called the Voice of Radical America, since returning office, signing an executive order in March to ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.

Trump signed an executive order targeting Voice of America, which he has dubbed the Voice of Radical America, in March. / Win McNamee/Getty Images

As a result, more than 85 percent of VOA employees were placed on leave, and many sued the administration to contest the move.

Aside from working at the VOA, Jason volunteered as a reserve officer for the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland since 2016, the department revealed in a statement.

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Anne Arundel County Reserve Officers are unarmed and have no police authority. Mr. Jason is no longer affiliated with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the statement read.

Jason was arrested by the very same Anne Arundel Police Department Thursday, almost 10 years after he joined as a volunteer.

Seth Jason used to volunteer as a reserve officer for the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland. / Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

The indictment also comes amid a slew of threats against public government officials and members of Congress.

A U.S. Capitol Police report in January found that the number of threats against lawmakers, as well as their families and staff, has almost tripled since 2017. They reached a high in 2021, the year of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

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Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan addressed the spike in violent threats during the news conference Thursday, seemingly referencing MAGA assassin Vance Boelter, who allegedly shot and killed a Minnesota State Representative and her husband in June.

This has got to stop. This has changed since Minnesota. We are going to work very, very hard to hold you accountable if you make these threats, he said.
This article contains information about alleged child sexual abuse material. Report CSAM to law enforcement by contacting the ICAC Tip Line at (801) 281-1211 or your local law enforcement agency.

SPRINGVILLE, Utah (ABC4)  A Springville man who previously worked for the Washington County Sheriffs Office has been charged with 15 felonies after detectives discovered he was allegedly creating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of two children.

The 43-year-old man, whom ABC4 is not identifying to protect the victims, has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony, and five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

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On April 14, 2024, the Utah County Sheriffs Office (UCSO) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a user who had uploaded CSAM to an online account.

Bountiful man charged for possessing more than 2,000 files of CSAM, documents say

A detective with the UCSO investigated the tip and determined that CSAM had been uploaded by the account. An email and phone number were associated, and search warrants served on the email address located numerous CSAM files.

Through this investigation, the UCSO detective identified the 43-year-old man and began conducting surveillance on his residence. On July 15, 2025, a search warrant was executed on the mans home, during which he was taken into custody without incident, documents say.

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Two children were at the home, both under the age of 14, and an adult female, not identified by police, arrived to take custody of the two young children after the man was detained.

During an interview with the 43-year-old, he allegedly confirmed that the phone number was his, and he had been using it for more than 15 years. He also stated that he does not share his phone with anyone else.

Documents say that he was a former Washington County Sheriffs deputy, but had not been employed there for some time. A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to the man shows that he left the sheriffs office around 2008.

The 43-year-old man also allegedly admitted to owning the email account, but declined to answer any questions regarding CSAM files located on it.

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Eagle Mountain man arrested for paying 13-year-old for sexual photos, documents say

Detectives began searching the mans cell phone as part of the search warrant and located a large quantity of CSAM, including multiple images and videos of the two children at the home. CSAM files not involving the two children were also located.

The photos of the children were as recent as one week before July 15. A UCSO detective made contact with the adult female who had custody of the two children, and she stated that she was unaware of the 43-year-old possessing CSAM, but had previously discovered that he had hidden cameras inside his residence.

The two children completed interviews at the Utah County Childrens Justice Center, and neither disclosed any abuse. Documents say that they were likely unaware that the man had taken inappropriate photos and videos of them.

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The 43-year-old man was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Latest headlines:

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Four people have died and more than 1,300 evacuated as torrential rain pounds South Korea, with authorities warning that the unseasonal deluge will continue.

Among those killed were two men in their 80s. Authorities believe one of them was trying to drain floodwaters from the basement of his home.

A third victim was crushed when a wall collapsed onto his car. Moments before, he'd called his wife to say the vehicle was "being swept away", authorities say. The fourth victim died of a cardiac arrest.

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"I couldn't understand how something like this could happen," says Kim Ha-min, a cafe owner in the city of Gwangju. She says this is the first time she has experienced such heavy rain.

Rescuers evacuated more than 1,300 people as of 16:00 local time on Thursday [Reuters]

Scenes from Gongju in the central part of the country South Korea [Reuters]

The record rainfall has prompted South Korea's government to raise the weather-related disaster alert to its highest level.

"Everything is covered by water except the roof [of my house]," a resident in one of the affected areas wrote online.

More than 400mm of rain poured down in just half a day in Seosan, the worst-affected city, along the country's west coast - the weather agency described it as a once-in-a-century event.

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Photos and videos on social media show vehicles and homes submerged, with pieces of furniture floating in the water.

Ms Kim in Gwangju, which recorded 426mm of rainfall on Thursday, said she was scared because "I've never seen a flood here before, since there is no stream or river in this neighbourhood".

The 26-year-old had to shut her cafe after it was inundated by floodwaters: "I drained the water, but the smell from the sewers is so bad that I can't open for business."

Floodwaters have inundated the toilet in Kim Ha-min's cafe in Gwangju [Kim Ha-min]

Several injuries were reported across the country, including two people suffering from hypothermia and two others who sustained leg injuries.

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As of 16:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Thursday, more than 1,300 people had been evacuated.

Authorities have urged people to stay away from riverbanks, steep slopes and underground spaces, warning that the risk of landslides and flash floods remains high.

Dry air from the north-west mixed with hot and humid air from the south to form especially large rain clouds, South Korea's meteorological administration says.

But forecasters expect high temperatures to return next week, with the possibility of a heatwave.
Devon and Cornwall police say the shops will be closed for three months [BBC]

Four Devon shops have been closed for selling illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco following an operation by police.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers had worked with Heart of the South West Trading Standards to stop the sale of illegal products.

It said this had resulted in four shops in Torbay being shut for three months, with an extension if necessary.

The shops had previously been warned about what they were selling and continued to trade illegally, the force said.

'Safeguard local communities'

Plymouth Magistrates' Court granted the closure orders for the shops at a hearing on Thursday, police said.

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They added this came after previous inspections revealed stashes of illegal products, which were revealed with the help of specialist detection dogs.

Insp Rob Harvey said: "This is a significant step to get four commercial premises closed on the same day by the court and sends a strong message to businesses that we will not tolerate illegal sales which could harm the public's health.

"We want to safeguard local communities and respond to concerns."

He added: "We have found that this type of illegal activity can also harm trade for legitimate local businesses and is often linked to offences of modern-day slavery and exploitation."

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Devon and Cornwall Police said the premises subjected to closure orders were:

American shop, 140 Union Street, Torquay

Palace Mini Market, 36 Palace Ave, Paignton

Tower Store, 10a Torquay Road, Paignton

Paignton Express, 40 Victoria Street, Paignton

Alex Fry, local Trading Standards operations manager, added: "This is a great example of how we have worked with our partners in Devon and Cornwall Police to act on intelligence and target unscrupulous sellers."

There have been a total of 28 closure orders, commercial and residential, across Torquay, Newton, Exeter and surrounding areas of South Devon in the last 12 months, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

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A Florida woman is facing charges after ruffling more than a few feathers for allegedly spraying bear mace at a driver and her passenger in a bizarre road rage incident involving a chicken crossing the road.

According to police, 38-year-old Cynthia Valeska Diaz Sosa was arrested July 9 in Key West after a confrontation with another driver, Perla DeMiller.

Sosa had reportedly stopped her car in the roadway to let a chicken pass, but DeMiller, who was behind the wheel of a vehicle behind Sosa, honked, swerved around her, and ran over the bird, according to Key West police.

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Thats when things turned "fowl."

Chilling Security Footage Captures Woman's Desperate Escape From Florida Kidnapping Attempt In Parking Lot

"Cynthia wanted to teach her a lesson," according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital. Investigators say Sosa allegedly followed DeMillers vehicle, forced it to stop, yanked on the drivers door and sprayed bear mace into the cabin, striking DeMiller in the face.

Read On The Fox News App

Key West police charged Sosa with two counts of aggravated battery (second-degree felony) and one count of burglary with assault or battery (first-degree felony). She was taken into custody the same day and released on a $35,000 surety bond on July 10, court records show.

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Ohio Boy Crawls Into Claw Machine, Gets Stuck, Rescued With Pride Bruised But Unharmed

Police later identified and stopped Sosas black Toyota Corolla, placing her in custody at the scene. She was searched in front of a patrol vehicle before being transported, according to the arrest affidavit. Sosa was later brought to the Key West Police station lobby, where she gave a voluntary statement to officers.



Court records obtained by Fox News Digital indicate that Sosa has filed a written plea of "not guilty" through her attorney, Dustin Hunter. Hunter did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment.

DeMiller, who was en route to pick up her child from daycare, was reportedly blinded and disoriented by the spray. A passenger in her car was also allegedly affected by the mace. All of those involved in the incident are now protected under no-contact orders issued by a judge.

A chicken crosses the road in front of a car.

"As the women struggled over the car door, Sosa unleashed bear mace into the vehicle, hitting DeMiller directly in the face," the arrest report states. Sosa later drove herself to the police station and allegedly told authorities that she was "angry that DeMiller had killed a chicken," according to the arrest report.

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The same document also says Sosa afterward "got back into her car and drove off."

She was later located and detained during a traffic stop, the affidavit states, after her vehicle was identified and spotted by officers.

Sosa remains free under surety bond with court-imposed restrictions. Her arraignment is scheduled for July 24.





Original article source: Fowl play: Florida woman charged after allegedly spraying mace at driver who struck chicken crossing the road
Fox News host Jesse Watters acknowledged Thursday that his program made a mistake in reporting on Gov. Gavin Newsom's phone conversation with President Trump during last month's immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Newsom filed a $787-million defamation lawsuit against Watters and Fox News on June 27 after the host reported on comments Trump made about a phone call with the governor as tensions heated up over the raids and the presidents decision to deploy the National Guard.

Newsom's lawsuit said Watters lied on his prime-time program about the timeline of his conversations with the president.

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After the lawsuit was filed in a Delaware court, Newsom's lawyers said they were prepared to drop the suit if the governor got a retraction and a formal on-air apology. The suit claims Fox News willfully distorted the facts about the Trump call to harm the governor politically.

Asked for a reaction to Watters' remarks about the matter, Newsom showed no signs of backing down.

"Discovery will be fun," he said in a statement. "See you in court, buddy."

Watters' on-air persona is snarky and tongue-in-cheek and he did not deviate from it when he addressed the Newsom matter. He acknowledged he misunderstood Newsom's social media post on Trump's remarks and used the words "I'm sorry." But it was far from a fulsome apology.

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"Fox News invited [Newsom] on the show to talk it out man to man, but he said no," Watters said.

The dust-up began after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 10 that he spoke to Newsom "a day ago  called him up tell him you've got to do a better job, you're doing a bad job." Trump's comment gave the impression that the two spoke on the same day 700 Marines were deployed in Los Angeles.

Read more: Fox News fans love 'The Five,' but can political talk shows make room for dissent?

Newsom rebutted the claim in a post on X. The governor had already said publicly he spoke to Trump after midnight Eastern time on June 7 and the National Guard was not discussed. They never spoke after that.

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There was no call, Newsom posted on X. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesnt even know who hes talking to.

Newsoms lawyers allege in the complaint that by making the call seem more recent, Trump could suggest they discussed the deployment of troops to Los Angeles, which they had not.

Trump sent Fox News anchor John Roberts a screenshot showing the June 7 date stamp of the phone call, which Watters showed on his program to assert that Newsom was lying when he said they did not speak.

When Watters showed a clip of Trump's June 10 comments about the call on his program, it omitted the portion where the president said he spoke to Newsom the previous day. A banner at the bottom of the screen read: "Gavin lied about Trumps call.

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Watters told viewers Thursday that he believed Newsom's X post asserted that the two had not spoken at all.

"'Not even a voicemail'  we took that to mean there was no call ever," Watters said.

"We thought the dispute was about whether there was a phone call at all when he said without qualification that there was no call," the host continued. "Now Newsom's telling us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet. He didn't deceive anybody on purpose, so I'm sorry, he wasn't lying. He was just confusing and unclear. Next time, governor, why don't you say what you mean."

The $787-million figure in the lawsuit is the amount Fox News paid to Dominion Voting Systems to settle another defamation case in 2023. Fox agreed to pay the company, which said the network aired false claims that its voting equipment was manipulated to help President Biden win the 2020 election.

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Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fox News host Jesse Watters reluctantly apologized to California Governor Gavin Newsom amid their escalating legal battle during Thursdays episode of his show.

The host walked back accusations that the governor lied about a phone call with President Trump during the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.

He didnt deceive anybody on purpose, so Im sorry, he wasnt lying. He was just confusing and unclear. Next time, governor, why dont you say what you mean? the MAGA-favorite said.

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Last month, the governor filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Watters and Fox News, accusing Primetime of misleadingly editing a video of Trump to support the claim.

Jesse Watters reluctantly apologized for the claim he made about California Governor Gavin Newsom (Jesse Watters Primetime/X)

Jesse Watters reluctantly apologized for the claim he made about California Governor Gavin Newsom (Jesse Watters Primetime/X)

Newsoms attorneys said Watters aired a deceptively edited clip of Trump suggesting he spoke with the governor just before the president mobilized the U.S. Marines on June 9, when, in fact, records show the call occurred days earlier.

Newsoms lawyers argued in the complaint that by making the call appear more recent, Trump could falsely imply he and the governor discussed the troop deployment to LA.

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The governor, however, had already said publicly that he spoke to Trump after midnight on June 7, and the military was not discussed.

Trump sent Fox News anchor John Roberts a screenshot showing the June 7 date of the phone call, with the time-stamped image used on both Roberts and Watters shows.

Gavin lied about Trumps call, the Fox News banner blared.

Gavin Newsom (left) and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on June 7 about the immigration protests erupting in Los Angeles (AP)

Gavin Newsom (left) and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on June 7 about the immigration protests erupting in Los Angeles (AP)

Newsom said they did not speak after June 7 and refuted the claim in a post on X.

There was no call, Newsom tweeted on June 10. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesnt even know who hes talking to.

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After filing the lawsuit on June 28 in a Delaware court, Newsoms lawyers said they would drop the case if the governor received a retraction and a formal on-air apology.

During his grudging apology Thursday, Watters told viewers he believed Newsoms X post asserted that the two had not spoken at all.

We thought the dispute was about whether there was a phone call at all when he said without qualification that there was no call, he said. Now Newsoms telling us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet.

After Watterss concession, Newsom showed little sign of remorse or backing down.

Discovery will be fun, he said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. See you in court, buddy.
The French military completed its withdrawal from Senegal on Thursday, the last West African country with a permanent troop presence, amid Paris' waning regional influence.

France has faced opposition from leaders of some of its former colonies in Africa over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach to the continent.

The French military handed over Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, along with a nearby air facility, to the Senegalese government during a ceremony in the capital Dakar.

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General Pascal Ianni, head of the French forces in Africa, stated that the handover marked a new phase in military relations.

"It is part of France's decision to end permanent military bases in West and Central Africa, and responds to the Senegalese authorities desire to no longer host permanent foreign forces on their territory," he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye before a working lunch in Paris, 20 June, 2024 - AP Photo

Senegal's military chief, General Mbaye Cisse, said the withdrawal supports the country's new defence strategy.

"Its primary goal is to affirm the autonomy of the Senegalese armed forces while contributing to peace in the subregion, in Africa, and globally," Cisse said.

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The ceremony marked the completion of a three-month withdrawal of roughly 350 French troops from the West African country, which began in March.

France's military had been present in Senegal since it gained independence from France in 1960, under military cooperation agreements between the two countries.

The withdrawal followed a call by Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye last year for all foreign troops to leave, citing Senegals sovereignty as incompatible with hosting foreign bases.

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"Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accommodate the presence of military bases in a sovereign country", he said last year, adding that Dakar would instead pursue a "renewed partnership" with Paris.

Senegal's new government has taken a hard-line stance against the presence of French troops as part of a larger regional backlash against what many see as the legacy of an oppressive colonial empire.

France has announced plans to sharply reduce its presence at all its bases in Africa, except in the eastern African country of Djibouti.

It said it would instead provide defence training or targeted military support, based on needs expressed by those countries.

Mercenaries with Russia's Wagner Group load a tank onto a truck in Russia's city of Rostov-on-Don, 24 June, 2023 - AP Photo

France has suffered a series of setbacks in West Africa recently, including in Chad and the Ivory Coast, where it handed over its last military bases earlier this year.

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They follow the ousting of French forces in recent years in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, where military-led governments have turned to Russia instead for military support.

Around 350 French servicemen are still present in Gabon, where the army has turned its base into a camp shared with the central African nation.

Ivory Coast still hosts some 80 French servicemen who advise and train the country's military, and Djibouti is the last African country where France has a permanent military presence, with around 1,500 troops.
The Brief

A 61-year-old man was critically injured on Long Island when a metal chain around his neck was drawn into an MRI machine.

Police said he went into the MRI room against the technician's advice at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury.

Witnesses reported smoke coming from the building following the incident, and the man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

NEW YORK - A 61-year-old man was critically injured after a freak accident involving a large metal chain and an MRI machine on Long Island.

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See an updated version of this story here.

What we know

According to the Nassau County Police Department, the accident happened Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury. The man reportedly went into the room to assist a patient getting out of the MRI against the technician's advice.

The chain around his neck "caused him to be drawn into the machine, which resulted in a medical episode." He was taken to the hospital and was listed in critical condition.

Witnesses described seeing smoke coming from the back of the building.

"Thats insane. That shouldve never happened. It has to be someones responsibility," said Orlando Hernandez, who works across the street.

MRI dangers: How did this happen?

Dig deeper

Signage inside the building warns people not to enter. Investigators are working to figure out how and why this happened.

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Melonie Longacre, VP of Operations at Northwell Health, explained MRI safety protocols, emphasizing the importance of multizone procedures to ensure safety around the powerful magnet.

"Zone I is just for awareness that theres an MRI in the vicinity, Zone II is the patient screening zone where they get screened. Zone III is the post-screening zone, and Zone IV is the actual magnet room," she said. "Its important to be educated and safe."

Longacre said Northwell's MRI department is one of the most secure and potentially the most dangerous. Employees undergo intensive annual training and follow a strict multizone protocol before anyone gets near the machine.

"The entire circle you see [in an MRI], it's called a gantry. It's a magnet. It's huge. It's very big and very powerful," she explained.

What we don't know

Police have not identified the victim. Nassau Open MRI did not respond to FOX 5 NY's request for comment.

The Source

This article uses reporting from Jodi Goldberg's interviews along with information from police.
CLEVELAND (WJW)  Raising Canes is serving up a deal for National Chicken Finger Day.

On July 27, every customer who purchases a Box Combo at a Raising Canes restaurant  including all Greater Cleveland locations  will receive one free chicken finger added to their meal. No code, coupon or app is required.

North Ridgeville school employee, accused of stalking ex, pleads guilty to lesser charges

National Chicken Finger Day is Raising Canes signature celebration, now in its 16th year, according to the company.

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Since launching the tradition, Raising Canes has handed out more than 150,000 free chicken fingers, according to a news release from the company.

Theres no limit on the deal, reads the release.

General Hospital actor diagnosed with cancer: reports

The Box Combo includes four hand-battered Chicken Fingers, crinkle-cut fries, buttery Canes Toast, Canes Sauce, and a drink.

Find a location here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
President Trump is reportedly pushing for higher blanket tariffs on imports from the European Union, throwing a wrench in negotiations ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for sweeping duties to take effect.

The Financial Times reported that Trump wants a minimum of a 15% to 20% tariff on EU goods as part of any deal. Trump has threatened the bloc with 30% duties beginning Aug. 1. That is the date he is also set to impose tariffs on an array of other trading partners, as well as potential sectoral levies on copper, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.

The EU has left the latest discussions disappointed, according to the report, and considering options in negotiations and in potential retaliation.

"We dont want a trade war, but we dont know if the US will leave us a choice," the report quoted a senior EU diplomat as saying.

Earlier this week, Trump said he would soon send letters to over 150 smaller US trade partners, setting blanket tariff rates for that large group.

Trump has already sent letters to over 20 trade partners outlining tariffs on goods imported from their countries. The letters set new baseline tariff levels at 20% to 40%  except for a 50% levy on goods from Brazil in a move that waded into the country's domestic politics.

Last week, Trump announced a 35% tariff on Canadian goods and followed that up with promises of 30% duties on Mexico and the EU. The letters have at times upended months of careful negotiations, with Trump saying he is both open to reaching different deals but also touting his letters as "the deals" themselves.

As markets focus on US talks, here is where things stand with other key partners:

Vietnam: Trump said a deal with Vietnam is "pretty well set." Two weeks ago, Trump said the pact would see the country's imports face a 20% tariff  lower than the 46% Trump threatened in April. In addition, there's a higher 40% tariff "on any transshipping"  when goods shipped from Vietnam originate elsewhere, like China.

India: Trump's tariffs on Brazil have raised the stakes for India, another member of the BRICS coalition. Bloomberg reported that the countries are working toward a framework deal that could see US tariffs on goods from India drop below 20%.

Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet

Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world.

LIVE

1457 updates
The Brief

Amy Kremer, an RNC National Committeewoman from Georgia, calls for the removal of Frost family members from Georgia Republican Party leadership roles due to their association with Brant Frost IV's alleged Ponzi scheme.

Kremer and others, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urge the Georgia Republican Party to return donations from the Frost family and First Liberty Building and Loan.

Brant Frost IV acknowledges his wrongdoing and expresses intent to cooperate with authorities and repay those affected by the scheme.

NEWNAN, Ga. - Thursday marks a week since federal investigators filed a lawsuit claiming Brant Frost IV and his Newnan company "First Liberty Building and Loan" defrauded investors in a massive $140 million Ponzi scheme.

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A Republican National Committee member who represents Georgia says she believes even though they are not named in the lawsuit, three of Frost's family members should be removed from Georgia Republican leadership roles.

What we know

In a press release posted on X, Amy Kremer an RNC National Committeewoman from Georgia, says members of the Frost family should be removed from their "leadership positions within the Georgia Republican Party."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 16, 2025



RNC National Committeewoman (GA) Amy Kremer Calls for Immediate Removal of Frost Family from All Georgia GOP Leadership Roles



ATLANTA, GA - In response to the recent SEC consent order confirming a $140 million Ponzi scheme operated by First  Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) July 17, 2025

In a statement Kremer says "While it will be up to ongoing investigations to determine their individual roles, their continued presence in any capacity within the Georgia Group is unacceptable and inappropriate."

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FOX 5 reached out to Kremer who declined a request for an on-camera interview.

A Georgia GOP official also declined an interview request but tells FOX 5 that the state committee does not have the ability to remove two out of the three family members of Frost IV. The official said even if they did just because they are family with someone does not mean they are guilty.

Besides removing the Frost family from Georgia GOP leadership roles, Kremer called on the Georgia Republican Party to return any donations from the Frost family and First Liberty. Georgia Democrats have also made the same request along with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger who told us Wednesday he returned donations he received.

What they're saying

"We say, send the money back. It's the right thing to do," Raffensperger said.

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The SEC is not the only agency looking into this, Raffensperger says the state is too.

"We are really active in this with our state investigation, and we will be releasing information as we can, working in conjunction with our federal partners," he said.

The other side

Frost IV released this statement to FOX 5:

"I take full responsibility for my actions and am resolved to spend the rest of my life trying to repay as much as I can to the many people I misled and let down. I will be cooperating with the receiver and federal authorities and ask that everyone allow the receiver time to sort things out and do his best to repair the damage I created. I would like to apologize personally to those I have harmed, but I am under restrictions which prevent me from doing so. While I do not deserve it, I am grateful for the support of friends and family as I confront this situation I created."

The Source

A statement made on X, formerly Twitter, by Amy Kremer, RNC National Committeewoman from Georgia, for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.




"This isnt health care. Its fraud - and it is wide, and it is deep."

That was the charge leveled by Dr. Miriam Grossman at a Do No Harm workshop, a medical watchdog group dedicated to opposing diversity mandates and gender ideology in American health care. A psychiatrist and author affiliated with several socially conservative organizations, Grossman has been a vocal opponent of gender-related treatment and progressive sex education in schools.

Hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, the event brought together physicians, parents, and federal officials who argued that gender-affirming care for minors constitutes not only medical malpractice, but a coordinated deception of the American public. From the opening remarks of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to the emotional testimonies of de-transitioned youth and aggrieved parents, the event framed pediatric gender medicine as a crisis of both ethics and enforcement - one in which vulnerable patients are misled, silenced, and in some cases irreparably harmed.

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Now, the agency tasked with protecting consumers is stepping in. Ferguson announced that the FTC is preparing to file a Freedom of Information Act request to investigate whether gender clinics, hospitals, and advocacy organizations may be violating federal law by engaging in deceptive trade practices - including misleading patients and families about the risks, reversibility, and scientific basis of transition-related treatments.

"I am charged with protecting my fellow citizens from deceptive acts no matter how politically charged," Ferguson said. "This issue is no different from the health claims weve addressed for years."

The workshop marks the latest development in a broader political shift. While the FTCs jurisdiction over health care has traditionally been narrow, it may expand under the 2025 Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, a bill currently in the early stages of congressional consideration.

Though originally championed by transgender rights advocates as a way to ban conversion therapy - a practice aimed at reconciling gender identity with biological sex - the 2025 Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act may have broader implications than many of its supporters anticipated. The FTC and Do No Harm now argue that the statute could also be used to target gender-affirming interventions for minors, significantly expanding the FTCs authority over health-related matters. Section 5 of the existing FTC Act already grants the agency limited power to investigate fraudulent medical practices. Should the claims of groups like "Do No Harm" be substantiated - particularly those involving misrepresentations about safety, outcomes, and mental health assessments - the FTC could treat gender treatment as a consumer protection violation.

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Whistleblowers and investigative reporters have provided documentation alleging that some institutions bypass parental consent, falsify mental health records, miscode diagnoses to receive insurance reimbursement, and fail to fully inform patients of risks. Several speakers described "spiraling referral systems" in which gender-distressed children are quickly ushered into hormone therapy and surgery pipelines. These claims suggest that institutions are willing to go to extreme lengths - including breaking the law - to promote gender transitioning.

Some critics maintain that basic medical safeguards are being routinely bypassed in pediatric gender clinics. Speakers at the workshop testified that minors were often prescribed cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers during their very first clinical visit - in some cases without adequate psychiatric screening or parental involvement. Panelists asserted that such practices reflect a broader trend of providers prioritizing affirmation over diagnosis and ideology over patient protection.

The emotional weight of the event was evident early on by a panel of de-transitioners and parents, many of whom recounted personal stories of irreparable harm, misdiagnosis, and medical betrayal. Several described histories of sexual trauma, depression and anxiety, developmental disabilities like autism, and unstable home lives - factors they said were ignored by clinicians in a headlong rush toward diagnosing them as transgender.

Simon Amaya Price described how, as a teenager, he was fast-tracked into transition treatments while battling sexual trauma, depression, and undiagnosed autism.

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"I was lied to by the medical professionals and adults I was supposed to trust," he said. "I was just a kid." He recalled that a doctor, speaking in front of his father, posed a question no family should have to answer: "Would you rather have a living daughter or a dead son?" He said he later wished someone had simply told him, "Youre perfect the way you are."

Claire Abernathy, a young woman who also de-transitioned, shared what she called the "irreversible damage" caused by her double mastectomy and hormone use, including pelvic floor dysfunction, brittle bones, vocal changes and chronic nerve pain. "They didnt tell me what the risks were," she said. "But they did tell me that without it, I would die." Abernathy said shes now speaking out so that "no more kids are sold a product they cannot return."

One of the most disturbing accounts came from Elvira Syed, a mother whose 18-year-old daughter died by suicide after receiving gender-affirming care. Syed said her daughter struggled with autism, anxiety, and depression, especially after losing her father to cancer at age 12. But instead of addressing those issues, clinicians focused solely on her gender identity. "They treated her ideology, not her illness," Syed said through tears. "This kind of therapy is life-or-death guidance."

During a panel of doctors, lawyers, and regulatory experts, participants presented documents showing that patients with active mental health issues were cleared for transition without proper evaluation - and that some studies used to support gender care guidelines had manipulated data or omitted negative outcomes. "Medical consensus must be the product of dispassionate science, not impassioned advocacy," said Edmund LaCour Jr., solicitor general of Alabama.

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Dr. Grossman added: "Medical institutions are using deceptive language, omitting risks, and pushing vulnerable kids into irreversible decisions. And thats not just unethical - its actionable." Attorneys on the panel called for legal accountability. "Doctors need to start playing by the rules they claim to follow," said Jordan Campbell, deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Departments Consumer Protection Branch.

Among the most forceful voices at the workshop was Jared Ross, a board-certified emergency physician and senior fellow at Do No Harm. In an interview with RealClearPolitics, Dr. Ross described pediatric gender medicine as a profound departure from standard medical ethics - subjective, untested, and driven more by ideology than science. "Nowhere else in medicine do we affirm a patients delusions," Ross said. "We dont tell a schizophrenic their hallucinations are real - so why are we affirming children who believe they were born in the wrong body?"

Drawing on both his clinical experience and a growing body of research, Ross argued that gender-related protocols for minors are often initiated without proper screening for serious psychiatric conditions. "These kids clearly have severe underlying mental health issues - PTSD, sexual trauma, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, severe depression - and we dont even address those underlying issues," he said. "Instead, were going to do things like give you testosterone."

He noted that testosterone is a controlled substance that can increase emotional dysregulation and suicidal ideation, and that puberty blockers impair brain development in regions like the amygdala, which controls emotional regulation. "Its completely subjective, with no objective measure of reality," Ross said. "Its the only medical care that we provide based on the threat of suicide. I mean, its manipulation. Its blackmail."

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Despite these challenges, Ross expressed optimism about the growing movement pushing back on gender medicines prevailing standards. "We have doctors and nurses and members of the public waking up every day and realizing how misled theyve been," he said. "Were gaining tremendous amounts of steam."

Dr. Ross said that Do No Harm, which has grown to more than 25,000 members in just over three years, plans to continue pushing for transparency, regulatory oversight, and legal reform - including state-level audits to ensure that gender care bans are being enforced. "We need to make sure that states that passed bans are actually enforcing them," Ross said. "We need to audit, investigate, and unshackle providers who are being forced to lie. And most of all, we need to protect children - because they are the ones bearing the cost of everyone elses silence."

As debate intensifies over the ethics and oversight of gender medicine, the FTCs involvement signals a new front in the legal and regulatory battle. Whether the agency ultimately moves to prosecute deceptive practices remains to be seen, but the workshop marked a turning point -elevating concerns once confined to whistleblowers and dissident doctors to the highest levels of consumer protection. For critics like Dr. Ross, Dr. Grossman, and the families who shared their stories, the message was clear: Safeguarding children requires not only compassion, but accountability.

Madelynn McLaughlin is an intern at RealClearPolitics. She graduated from Liberty University in 2025 with a degree in Government: Politics and Policy.

&

Adair Teuton is a 2025 intern with RealClearPolitics.
ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW)  A wanted man who has eluded police since early February was finally arrested on Friday, according to a news release.

During his Feb. 3 arrest on felony warrants, Donte Jamar Parker II, 24, of Elyria, reportedly fled from officers while still handcuffed, FOX 8 News previously reported.

More than 130 people sickened on Royal Caribbean cruise

(Elyria Police Department) (Elyria Police Department) Credit: Elyria Police Department

Elyria police just before noon on Friday, July 18, learned Parker had been sighted near the intersection of Riverside Drive and 11th Street, according to a news release.

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They spotted Parker fleeing from a residence and one officer chased him on foot into a wooded area and across the Black River, according to the release. That officer ultimately tackled him.

Parker was arrested and transported to the Lorain County jail to await a court appearance.

Reported drowning under investigation in Bainbridge

Following Parkers alleged Feb. 3 escape, authorities searched a wooded area and riverbanks near where he was last seen. Police launched a thermal imaging drone that flew over the river and nearby terrain.

The following day, surveillance footage showed Parker running through a nearby apartment complex, headed toward a wooded area near the Black River.

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His girlfriend, Petra Pintar, reportedly surrendered in April. She had been reported missing on Feb. 3, the day Parker escaped, and was believed to be with Parker.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for several Obama administration officials to face criminal prosecution for participating in a treasonous conspiracy surrounding the 2016 election on Friday afternoon, the latest example of the Trump administration targeting critics of the president.

In a newly declassified report, Gabbard on Friday alleged the officials manipulated and withheld key intelligence from the public related to the possibility of Russian interference in the election.

In a Friday afternoon statement, Gabbard said she would provide all related documents to the Justice Department to deliver the accountability that President [Donald] Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.

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No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again, Gabbard said in the statement.

The DOJ declined to comment on Gabbards comments.

The ODNIs memo names former DNI James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey, among others allegedly involved in the White Houses review of possible Russian meddling in the election.

The administration has routinely targeted critics of the president and has sought to relitigate the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The president has repeatedly criticized former intelligence officials for their efforts to probe the Kremlins possible attempts to interfere in American politics, with Trump accusing Comey of leading a corrupt and vicious witch hunt against him.

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He has stripped security clearances of prominent Obama and Biden era officials, and has long promised investigations into public figures he views as enemies. In April, he ordered an investigation into Christopher Krebs, who ran Trumps Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency during his first term and prominently pushed back against Trumps stolen 2020 election mythology.

Clapper and Brennan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Comey declined to comment.

Gabbards Friday report centers on intelligence that foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome in an attempt to discredit larger investigations into and warnings about Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Obama-era officials said shortly after the 2016 election that there was no credible evidence of voting totals being manipulated, even as a third-party candidate filed for recounts in swing states.

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Marc Elias, a powerful Democratic attorney who represented Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016, said in response to the recount then that the campaign had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology."

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) accused Gabbard of "rehashing decade-old false claims about the Obama Administration" in an attempt to "change the subject" in a Friday afternoon statement.

Baseless accusations of treason are unfortunately par for the course for this Director of National Intelligence, but that doesnt make them any less damaging and unacceptable," Himes said. "The IC leaders in 2016 understood that they took an oath to the Constitution, not President Trump. I wish Director Gabbard could say the same.

Himes pointed to a report produced by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee during the first Trump administration, which is regarded to be the most thorough publicly available account of Moscows attempts to sway the election and the Trump campaigns contacts with Russian officials.

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The committees three-year investigation concluded that the Kremlin waged an aggressive effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

While it found that the Trump campaign teams contacts with Russian officials presented a grave counterintelligence threat, the bipartisan committee report did not reach a conclusion either way as to whether the presidents allies had knowingly colluded with Moscow to boost his chances in the polls.

The report was endorsed at the time by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), now Trumps secretary of State, who served as acting chair of the Senate Intelligence panel when the final volume of its report was released.

A recent review commissioned by CIA Director John Ratcliffe was critical of how the agency came to the conclusion that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election in favor of the Trump campaign, but ultimately did not question the intelligence communitys assessment.

Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.
A gang who used drones to find cannabis grows and then stole them in violent raids have been jailed.

The group were caught when police were called to suspicious behaviour at a house in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in May 2024.

Analysis of seized mobile phones showed "scouts" used drones with heat-seeking cameras to find grows, then teams were assembled in London to take the crop.

At Nottingham Crown Court, four men who admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and another two who were convicted of the same charge, were given sentences ranging from two years and four months to five years.

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Police said they were alerted to the gang after a man in a balaclava was seen climbing into a property in Birding Street in May 2024.

As officers arrived, one of a number of cars parked outside was driven off at speed.

It was stopped later that day after a pursuit in Northamptonshire and two occupants, Andrew Thomas and Donnell Quarry, were arrested.

Inside the house, police found other intruders, a knife and a cannabis farm with more than 250 plants.

Dichrije Elliel, Khalid Omar and Galom Yackobi were found in the bathroom.

Yackobi tried to escape by jumping from the window but suffered a broken wrist and was detained by officers.

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A further man, Addil Elmi, tried to run from the property but was also arrested.

A Mercedes outside the property was found to have travelled from the London area to Mansfield, police said, and chat messages had been sent by the gang while travelling and in the house.

The court heard the gang had been told about a number of potential targets in Nottinghamshire but had selected the terraced house.

A man who was tending the crop, whose case was dealt with separately, had a knife held to his throat as the group moved into the property.

The court heard the cannabis crop in the house was worth about 22,000 [Nottinghamshire Police]

Recorder Penelope Stanistreet-Keen said: "Organised crime isn't always the shadowy professional figures portrayed by fiction.

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"It can be a group of young men who get together to travel to a town to steal cannabis plants thinking they can make easy money."

But she also said to the defendants: "You are not the gangsters you think you are....there is clearly more to you than just this offence" and she hoped the sentences would mean they could "see the light at the end of the tunnel".

Det Sgt Rachel Mayfield, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We know the cultivation of cannabis can cause huge issues for communities and this case demonstrates how it can bring organised criminals to your doorstep.

"The residents on the street were understandably extremely concerned by what happened that night and I hope they are at least comforted by our response and the sentences handed down.

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"We will not tolerate dangerous criminals like this gang travelling from elsewhere in the country to our communities and I hope this sends a strong message that they can expect to be met with a robust response from the force."

Dichrije Elliel, 26, of Tanners Mews, London, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and aggravated burglary and sentenced to five years in jail.

Andrew Thomas, 25, of Campbell Square, Northampton, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and admitted dangerous driving. He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and disqualified from driving for 18 and a half months.

Donnell Quarry, 25, of Langston Hughes Close, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to four years and eight months.

Addil Elmi, of Buchan Road, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to four years and eight months, reduced to three years and three months due to time served.

Khalid Omar, 24, of Montague Road, Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to three years and four months.

Gakom Yackobi, 20, of Brambles Farm Drive, Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to two years and four months.

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Garbage union workers say that there is not enough working equipment to pick up trash in Memphis.

Workers who did not want to be identified told WREG the garbage trucks they use to pick up trash are often in the shop, and workers end up waiting around with no trucks to drive.

It makes it real hard when you dont have the proper tools to use, said one worker.

311 system backed up with high call volume, city says

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We dont really have any equipment to work with. I know the shop over there trying their best to get things up. But as soon as they get it up it breaks back down, said the worker.

A leader in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union said during an appearance on local radio this week that angry customers had threatened some workers.

But on Friday, the leader says the union is holding off making any further comments to the media as it gathers info from other unions and awaits what the City will do.

WREG contacted the City, and they admitted their maintenance department is working long hours and brought on additional staff to help with equipment issues.

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Neighbors frustrated with smelly trash left from foreclosed home

As of yesterday, they say 70 vehicles were down, but the city said they have placed orders for equipment in the budget.

They hope to have 23 pieces of equipment this summer and fall and 29 pieces in 2026. But for some sanitation workers, the frustration grows.

I just been here 33 years come past July 1. The truck messed up. The supervisor dont want to do right, said a worker. And they talk about giving the younger folks a pension and as long as we been here we aint got no pension.

As for those threats reportedly made against sanitation workers, the City said the safety of the team is a top priority and encourages all workers to call 911 for any threat of violence.

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Plans for a new gas-drilling rig near a seaside town have been unanimously opposed by local decision-makers.

The planning application to North Yorkshire Council has proposed using a controversial "proppant squeeze" method to extract the gas in Burniston, near Scarborough, and installing a 98ft (30m) drilling rig on the site.

But Reform-run Scarborough Town Council said during consultation that it had concerns about light and noise pollution, lorry traffic and water contamination and gave its "full and unwavering support" to local residents, who also opposed the plan.

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Europa Oil & Gas said its scheme would be positive for the local economy and "no one is going to notice" its presence.

Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume and David Skaith, elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, have also objected to the plans.

The proppant squeeze technique has been described as "small-scale fracking" and has been accused by some of being a loophole in the UK's moratorium on the fossil fuel extraction process.

Friends of the Earth wrote to North Yorkshire Council notifying it of the legal opinion it had obtained that said that proppant squeeze qualifies as fracking under relevant planning policy, and that it must be considered as such when the council considers Europa's application for planning permission.

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Proppant squeeze procedures have been regularly used in the UK for several years, and industry experts consider the technique low volume, unlike the process formally termed 'hydraulic fracturing', according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Friends of the Earth lawyers also wrote to Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy, urging him to close a loophole in the current fracking moratorium "as a matter of urgency".

The environmental group said that having different definitions for fracking is creating confusion, and that the moratorium must be widened to cover all types of fracking, regardless of the volume of the injected fluid.

Europa has maintained that "it is a misconception that there is a loophole" in the fracking moratorium.

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The application is currently under consideration by North Yorkshire Council, with consultee responses awaited.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

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The average price of gasoline in New York stands at $3.16 per gallon, up 2.1 cents from last weeks average, and the national average is down 1.3 cents from a week ago standing at $3.15.

According to GasBuddy data, the national average is up 1.6 cents compared to a month ago and 35.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Prices in New York State are up 8.6 cents from a month ago but 44.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

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With oil prices posting a modest uptick last week, the national average price of gasoline also inched slightly higher, with just over half of U.S. states seeing increases, while nearly two dozen saw declines, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said. As we approach the midpoint of the summer driving season, gasoline inventories remain just below average, while diesel inventories are considerably tighter  keeping upward pressure on diesel prices. While renewed tariff discussions could weigh on oil markets due to concerns about economic growth, absent any major developments, we expect the national average to remain rangebound in the low-$3 per gallon area, where it has spent much of the summer.

The top 10% of gas stations have a reported average of $4.36 per gallon and the bottom averaging $2.57.

California has the highest average price per gallon at $4.47, followed by Hawaii at $4.46 and Washington at $4.34.

The state with the lowest average price is Mississippi at $2.68, followed by Oklahoma at $2.70 and Texas at $2.74.

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The most common price per gallon encountered by motorists in the U.S. remains unchanged at $2.99.

As of Wednesday, these are the reported prices per gallon from stations around the North Country.

Plattsburgh

Luckys (Irish Settlement Road)  $2.95

Sams Club (membership required)  $2.96

Luckys (New York 3)  $2.97

Sunoco (Margaret Street)  $2.99

Bucks Plaza (cash only)  $3.01

Stewarts Shops (Rugar Street)  $3.03

Mobil (Rugar Street)  $3.07

Stewarts Shops (7137 U.S. 9)  $3.07

St. Armands  $3.07

Mobile (New York 3)  $3.09

Stewarts Shops (New York 3)  $3.09

Stewarts Shops (4717 U.S. 9)  $3.09

Mannys Sunoco (cash only)  $3.15

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Malone

Mobil (Spalding Street)  $3.19

Stewarts Shops (East Main Street)  $3.19

Malone Food Mart  $3.19

Stewarts Shops (West Main Street)  $3.19

Mobil (U.S. 11)  $3.19

Saranac Lake

Mobil (Lake Flower Avenue)  $3.39

Mobil (Broadway)  $3.39

Stewarts Shops  $3.39

Lake Placid

Stewarts Shops (Saranac Avenue)  $3.39

Stewarts Shops (Main Street)  $3.43

Mobil  $3.43

Ticonderoga

Mobil (Wicker Street)  $3.29

Stewarts Shops  $3.38

Mobil (New York 9N)  $3.39

Tupper Lake

Sunoco  $3.35

Mobil  $3.39

Champlain

Irving  $3.29

Sunoco (cash only)  $3.29

Keeseville

Stewarts Shops  $3.24

Sunoco  $3.29

Chazy

Stewarts Shops (U.S.9)  $3.14

Mooers

Mobil  $3.29
A new law expands who is eligible for charity care in Maine while federal Medicaid cuts are expected to push tens of thousands off public insurance.

A law signed by Gov. Janet Mills earlier this month will make more people in Maine eligible for free care at Maine hospitals, a move advocates say will ease the financial burden of medical care on low-income Mainers.

The changes, which will take effect next July, come as federal Medicaid cuts are expected to push thousands of Mainers off public insurance over the next few years.

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The two actions together are like gasoline on the fire for hospital budgets, said Jeffrey Austin, vice president of government affairs for the Maine Hospital Association.

Maine is forcing hospitals to absorb more of the pain from the D.C. cuts than we should have to, he said. Its the absolute wrong policy at the wrong time.

The new law increases the income threshold at which hospitals are required to provide free, medically necessary care from 150 percent of the federal poverty level ($23,500 for an individual this year) to 200 percent, or $31,300.

It also simplifies the application process, expands the program to any state resident, requires hospitals to notify people who qualify and caps payments for Mainers making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($62,600 for an individual in 2025) at 4 percent of income.

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Federal regulations require nonprofit hospitals to provide some level of charity care to keep their tax-exempt status, according to health policy research organization KFF, which also found that for-profit hospitals often provide similar levels of charity care, in part because they can take a tax deduction for these expenses.

Maine hospitals provided nearly $60 million in charity care in 2023, according to a Maine Monitor analysis of the most recent data from the Maine Health Data Organization.

The impact of the state and federal changes will be felt across the health care system, said hospital executives. Paul Bolin, executive vice president and chief people and administrative officer for Northern Light Health, said hospitals may have to address increased costs by cutting services.

If (charity care) increases, we need to find ways to cut costs, Bolin said. Right now  weve been pretty clear and transparent about it  our expenses exceed our revenue. Adding to those expenses without increasing the revenue provides more stress on the system.

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Northern Light Health this week revealed it had cut 90 positions by not replacing employees who left and previously closed Inland Hospital in May. Other hospitals are struggling, too. Central Maine Healthcare, which operates hospitals in Bridgton, Rumford and Lewiston, is in acquisition talks with Prime Healthcare Foundation of California.

Mount Desert Island Hospital closed its birthing unit at the beginning of this month, one of four Maine hospitals to do so this year alone, and two Aroostook County hospitals said they would merge their management for a year to remain viable.

State Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, one of multiple Democrats who sponsored the bill, said in her testimony that the measure would ease the financial burden of medical care for Mainers, calling medical debt a problem that is pervasive and devastating, and often forces people to delay or forgo health care.

Consumers for Affordable Health Care, a Maine advocacy organization, found in a survey that nearly half of the state's households have medical debt and nearly a third have been contacted by a collection agency for a medical bill within the past two years.

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Maine hospitals opposed the legislation. While charity care makes up about 0.6 percent of revenue, Jeffrey Austin, with the Maine Hospital Association, said this is still significant when considering the net margin for hospitals last year was negative 0.3 percent. Hospitals are basically breaking even, he said, so $60 million in charity care can make a big difference.

Charity care is often looked at in conjunction with bad debt, which is when hospitals provide services but are never paid. The two together are considered uncompensated care, which is when care is provided but no payment is received from patients or insurers.

In 2023, uncompensated care at Maine hospitals totaled $218 million.

Hospitals expect this number could increase if more Mainers lose their insurance coverage.

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About 34,000 Mainers are expected to lose coverage from MaineCare, the states version of Medicaid, after President Donald Trump signed a bill passed by Congress limiting eligibility and imposing work requirements for some groups, according to recently released estimates from the state Department of Health and Human Services. MaineCare currently covers nearly 400,000 people, or nearly a third of the states population.

The Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, estimated that uncompensated care in Maine could increase by $86 million in 2034 as a result of the legislation passed by Congress.

After Maine voters approved MaineCare expansion in 2017 and it was finally implemented when Gov. Mills took office two years later, uncompensated care costs dropped from $255 million in 2017 to $177 million in 2022.

Lisa Harvey-McPherson, vice president of government relations for Northern Light Health, tied the decline in uncompensated care to the expansion, which she said Maine hospitals supported. With Medicaid cuts at the federal level, she said she expects costs to swing back up, while the states new law expanding charity care could make it worse.

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Last year, Northern Light Health recorded about $12.1 million in charity care and about $26 million in bad debt.

There are many moving parts with legislative action at both the state and federal level, Harvey-McPherson said, which makes it difficult to predict what the exact impact could be, but the cumulative effect could be significant.

Now were injecting uncertainty with negative impact into this infrastructure of health care services in Maine, which is pretty fragile now, she said.
GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WCBD)  Police in Georgetown are investigating a Thursday night shooting that left a woman injured.

Around 9 p.m., officers were called to Prince Street after receiving reports of gunfire.

When they arrived, they found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Georgetown Police Department said her condition is currently unknown.

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Officers are on the scene interviewing witnesses and completing an initial investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 843-545-4300 or our tip line at 843-545-4400.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS) is included among the 11 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks to Buy Now.

What Makes Fortis Inc. (FTS) a Core Holding for Canadian Income Investors?

The company manages a varied mix of regulated utility businesses that generate steady cash flow no matter the state of the economy. In addition, the company primarily focuses on energy delivery, with 93% of its assets invested in transmission and distribution. These segments carry low risk and consistently produce reliable earnings and cash flow.

In its recent quarterly earnings, Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS) expressed its continued commitment to providing customers with affordable and reliable energy, despite ongoing macroeconomic volatility. It also reaffirmed its goal of delivering annual dividend growth in the range of 4% to 6% through 2029 for its shareholders.

Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS) currently offers a quarterly dividend of C$0.615 per share for a dividend yield of 3.80%, as of July 15. The company has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 51 years. The company has outlined a five-year capital plan worth $26.0 billion, which is projected to raise its midyear rate base from $39.0 billion in 2024 to $53.0 billion by 2029. This growth reflects a compound annual rate of 6.5% over the five-year period.

While we acknowledge the potential of FTS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 13 Best Industrial Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now and 10 Best Passive Income Stocks to Buy Now.

Disclosure: None.
Georgia man charged with 1st-degree murder in local womans disappearance

Zachary William Ramey, 35, of Blairsville, Georgia, has been charged with first-degree murder and concealment of death in connection with the disappearance and death of Candice Aufrecht, a Lincoln County woman.

The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office arrested Ramey on Thursday following a lengthy investigation into Aufrechts disappearance, which began when she was reported missing in March 2023. Her remains were discovered in February near Hardin Road on U.S. Highway 321 in Gaston County.

PAST COVERAGE: Maintenance workers discover human remains on side of Gaston County highway

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The investigation into Aufrechts disappearance was initially conducted by the Lincolnton Police Department, which lasted until her remains were found in February 2025.

An autopsy confirmed her death was a homicide, leading to further investigation by the Gaston County Police Department.

Following the discovery of Aufrechts remains, the homicide investigation was transferred to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Detectives from Lincoln County, in collaboration with Gaston County Police, conducted numerous interviews and searches, collecting evidence from multiple locations.

Detectives traveled across North Carolina and into South Carolina and Georgia, following leads and conducting interviews.

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On July 2, they obtained a warrant for Ramey related to a weapons violation from 2023, leading to his extradition from Georgia to Lincoln County.

While Ramey was in custody, detectives continued to develop leads and gather information, culminating in the additional charges of first-degree murder and concealment of death on Thursday. The arrest was the result of combined efforts from the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, Gaston County Police, North Carolina SBI, and Lincolnton Police Department.

Ramey is currently held without bond at the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center, facing serious charges that have emerged from a complex and multi-agency investigation into Aufrechts tragic death.

VIDEO: Investigators find remains in woods off Gaston County highway
German customs officials were left stunned after uncovering a chilling surprise inside a shipment labeled as chocolate sponge cake.

Instead of sweet treats, officers at Cologne Bonn Airport discovered 1,500 live tarantulas hidden in plastic containers.

The shipment, which had arrived from Vietnam, has sparked criminal investigations and raised alarm about animal trafficking.

Tarantulas Hidden In Plain Sight To Avoid Detection

The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday. https://t.co/6NCwRaPq0b  euronews (@euronews) July 14, 2025

The discovery was made after officers noticed a strong, unusual odor coming from the 7-kilogram package.

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Expecting the scent of chocolate, they were met instead with a foul smell that prompted further inspection.

Inside, they found hundreds of small plastic containers, each holding a young tarantula.

My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said per The Guardian.

The shipment had been carefully disguised as a confectionery delivery, but the poor packaging and strange smell gave it away.

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Customs officials believe the spiders were being smuggled for profit, likely to be sold in the exotic pet trade.

Cruelty Behind The Tarantulas' Trade

C. Vine/Australian Reptile Park / MEGA

While some of the tarantulas survived the journey, many did not.

The plastic containers offered little protection or ventilation, violating animal welfare regulations in Germany.

An extraordinary seizure for German Customs, even though we are saddened by what some people do to animals purely for profit., Ahland said.

The surviving tarantulas were handed over to a trained handler who specializes in exotic species.

Authorities are still assessing the total value of the shipment, though its clear the intent was commercial.

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The treatment of the animals and the conditions in which they were transported have sparked further criticism of the illegal wildlife trade, highlighting the need for stricter oversight and international cooperation.

Legal Consequences And Ongoing Investigation Into The Tarantulas' Discovery

C. Vine/Australian Reptile Park / MEGA

The package was intended for a recipient in the Sauerland region, located east of the airport. That individual is now facing criminal charges for customs violations and failure to pay proper import duties.

According to officials, the investigation is ongoing.

"Animals of any kind must be declared to customs and import duties paid for parcels from a non-EU member state," Ahland added.

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Although the seizure took place about three weeks ago, photos of the concealed tarantulas were only released recently.

The bizarre bust serves as a reminder that smugglers will go to great lengths to avoid detection, even hiding spiders inside a dessert box.

Passenger Caught Smuggling Snakes In Trousers At Miami Airport

Officers at @iflymia detected this bag of snakes hidden in a passengers pants at a checkpoint on Fri, April 26. @TSA called our @CBPSoutheast and Miami-Dade Police partners in to assist, and the snakes were turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. pic.twitter.com/CggJob8IT8  TSA Gulf Region (@TSA_Gulf) April 30, 2024

While the tarantulas' discovery is shocking, it is not the first time an incident of this nature has occurred in an airport.

Last year, Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a man attempting to board an international flight from Miami International Airport after advanced screening technology detected an anomaly in his groin area.

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The incident, which occurred on Friday, April 26, led to the discovery of a bag containing two small, pink snakes hidden inside his trousers.

According to a TSA spokesperson, the detection happened during routine screening with Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), which flags irregularities on passengers' bodies for further inspection.

It showed that there was an anomaly in the groin area and it marks it for a pat-down, the spokesperson told The Independent. When the passenger came through, they said that they needed to do a pat-down and thats when he admitted that there were snakes in his pants.

Man Confesses To Smuggling The Snakes

Virender K. Bhardwaj/MEGA

The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, immediately confessed after being flagged, reportedly stating there were "snakes in his pants."

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As protocol dictates, law enforcement and Customs and Border Protection were notified.

The reptiles, which were retrieved from a camouflage-colored bag, were safely handed over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The man was ultimately barred from boarding his flight.

The TSA spokesperson emphasized that such attempts to smuggle animals in this fashion are rare, adding, I think that he knew that, you know, once the technology flagged him for a search that he was caught and he admitted to it.

Following the bizarre incident, images of the two small snakes, still in the camouflage bag, were shared on social media by TSAs official channels.

As expected, the internet found it amusing and reacted with a flood of jokes and memes referencing the 2006 movie "Snakes on a Plane."
BERLIN (AP)  Germany deported dozens of Afghan men to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the Taliban returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin.

German authorities said a flight took off Friday morning carrying 81 Afghans, all of them men who had previously come to judicial authorities' attention and had asylum applications rejected.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the deportation was carried out with the help of Qatar and was preceded by weeks of negotiations. He also said there were contacts with Afghanistan, but didn't elaborate.

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More than 10 months ago, Germany's previous government deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations of failed asylum-seekers.

Merz noted that, while diplomatic relations between Germany and Afghanistan have not formally been broken off, Berlin does not recognize the Taliban government in Kabul.

The decisive question is how one deals with this regime, and it will remain at technical coordination until further notice, he said at a news conference in Berlin. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, visiting Paris, said that there is no expansion of relations and no recognition of the regime there.

The Interior Ministry said the government aims to carry out more deportations to Afghanistan, but didn't specify when that might happen.

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Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germanys election in February.

Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border  stepping up border checks introduced by the Scholz government  and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europes biggest economy would be turned away. It has also suspended family reunions for many migrants.

Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.

You can see from the figures that we are obviously on the right path, but we are not yet at the end of that path, Merz said.

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The Afghan deportation flight took off hours before German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt discussed migration with counterparts from five neighboring countries  France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic  as well as the European Union's commissioner responsible for migration, Magnus Brunner. Dobrindt hosted the meeting on the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, on the Austrian border.

Dobrindt said the countries agree that the European migration system must be hardened and sharpened, with faster asylum proceedings and return hubs outside the EU.

We wanted to send a signal that Germany is no longer sitting in the brakeman's cab on migration issues in Europe, but is in the locomotive, Dobrindt said.
Germany deported 81 Afghans back to Afghanistan by plane on Friday, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt describing them as "serious and the most serious offenders."

The flight transporting the Afghans was only the second from Germany since the Taliban retook power in August 2021, and comes just months after a change of government in Berlin.

The Interior Ministry said that the Afghans were all required to leave the country and had been convicted of criminal offences.

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The Qatar Airways plane took off from Leipzig at around 8:30 am (0630 GMT).

The deportations - also the first under the conservative-led government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz - took off on the same day that Dobrindt and several EU colleagues were due to meet to discuss a tightening of EU asylum policy.

Dobrindt told German broadcaster ARD that there was "a very legitimate interest of the citizens in such deportations."

The repatriation was organized with the help of Qatar and via "technical contacts" in Afghanistan, he said. The plane is flying directly to Afghanistan.

Dobrindt said that "contacts" with the Taliban are necessary to organize further such flights in the future. This did not rise to the level of "diplomatic relations," he said.

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Germany has no formal diplomatic relations with the Islamist Taliban in Kabul and does not recognize it as a legitimate government.

The group is internationally isolated in particular because of its disregard for human rights and especially women's rights.

The United Nations refugee and human rights organizations have previously criticized Germany's deportation plans, saying that the conditions on the ground are not yet suitable for repatriations, and pointing to human rights abuses by the Taliban.
Germany will provide Ukraine with new long-range missiles "very shortly, very soon," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on July 17, without mentioning the name of the weapons being supplied.

"Ukraine will be much better positioned and use these systems and get the support of us with regard to those systems in the weeks and months to come," Merz said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously said Berlin will not supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, but will provide Kyiv with Patriot air defense systems purchased from the U.S. Kyiv has long sought the long-range missile as Russia continues to wage its war.

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Weeks prior, Berlin had previously said it would consider sending its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

The Taurus missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of 500 kilometers (300 miles)  a range greater than other long-range weapons Ukraine has received from allies.

On July 9, Merz promised further assistance to Kyiv, noting that diplomatic means for resolving the Russia-Ukraine war "have been exhausted."

"When a criminal regime openly questions another countrys right to exist with military force and sets out to destroy the political order of freedom on the entire European continent, the federal government I lead will do everything in its power to prevent this," he said.

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Under a German-financed agreement, Ukraine will receive hundreds of domestically produced long-range weapon systems by the end of July, German Major General Christian Freuding said on July 11.

The U.S. has also promised to supply Kyiv with Patriot air defense systems in a new deal brokered by NATO.

On July 17, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Washington was working to speed up weapons deliveries to Ukraine in coordination with the defense alliance.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky, Trump discuss win-win drones-for-weapons mega deal

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Tehran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to engage in "reliable negotiations" with Europe and the United States over its nuclear programme.

"We expect reliable negotiations with us and with the United States. There is no other way to resolve this issue," Wadephul said on Friday during talks with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris.

Iran has criticized European threats of sanctions in connection with negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme as irresponsible.

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Paris, London and Berlin should "put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on the X platform on Friday.

The so-called E3 countries - Germany, France and the United Kingdom - have threatened Iran with the reimposition of strict sanctions if no concrete progress is made on a new nuclear agreement in the coming months.

The 2015 Vienna agreement on Iran's nuclear programme formally expires this October. As co-signatories, the three European countries have the option of using the so-called snapback mechanism to reimpose earlier and stricter UN sanctions against Iran.

The United States and Iran recently held several rounds of negotiations, before these were interrupted by the Iran-Israel war, in which the US also attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

There is currently no specific date for new negotiations. The aim was to limit Tehran's nuclear programme in order to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted on Friday that his conservative-led coalition was on the right course, despite early setbacks and visible tensions among the governing parties.

There are "differences of opinion every now and then" in any government, Merz said of his coalition, which comprises the CDU/CSU conservative alliance and the centre-left Social Democrats (SDP).

He admitted divisions over the appointment of judges to the country's top court and electricity tax policy, but rejected any suggestion of irreparable damage to the 10-week-old government.

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"The CDU, CSU and SPD will have a completely normal working relationship, because we know what our mandate is," said Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU), during a 30-minute press conference.

In response to questions about the stability of the coalition, the chancellor pointed to the government's solid majority in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament.

However, he also acknowledged the political fissures exposed by his own narrow election to the Chancellery in May and the recent failed vote on judicial appointments due to coalition infighting.

These events show that "even supposed certainties in the Bundestag are less predictable in these uncertain times," he said. Still, Merz said that the coalition had launched more initiatives in its first 10 weeks than most governments manage early in their term.

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Merz highlighted early progress when it comes to economic policy.

"We have initiated the turnaround," he said, adding that Germany is now on a more positive economic path. Reversing two years of contraction remains the government's top priority, and he cited improving business sentiment, upgraded forecasts from economic institutes and increased investor interest as signs of progress.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to advance global action on climate change through the development of modern technologies.

"It is of no use whatsoever if we become climate neutral in Germany alone," Merz told journalists on Friday at his summer press conference in Berlin. "Even if we were to achieve this today, nothing would change in the world tomorrow."

Merz amplified his comments by saying that if Germany wants to contribute to solving this global problem, then the country must enable progress in the wider world through innovation.

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He said that was why the federal government is focusing on technologies for capturing and storing climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2).

This, he said, had been "ideologically impossible" under the previous German government. His coalition, on the other hand, would "respond to this challenge with state-of-the-art technologies."

He said that the large amount of fossil fuels burned worldwide over the past 10 years is "proof" that it cannot be done "with bans and regulations in Germany and Europe alone."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on July 18 that Ukraine is unlikely to join the European Union before the end of the bloc's next budget cycle in 2034, Reuters reported.

Speaking after a meeting with Romanian President Nicusor Dan, Merz said Germany's priority is to end Russia's war against Ukraine and focus on the country's long-term reconstruction.

"For us, the absolute top priority is, first and foremost, to do everything possible to end this war," Merz said. "Then we'll talk about the reconstruction of Ukraine... but that's going to take a number of years. It will probably not even affect the EU's current medium-term financial outlook."

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Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after Russia's 2022 invasion and was granted candidate status later that year. The accession process is structured around six negotiation clusters covering political, economic, and legal reforms.

In January, President Volodymyr Zelensky set a goal of opening all six negotiation clusters in 2025.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said in 2024 that Ukraine could potentially join the bloc by 2029 if it completed the necessary reforms. In February, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda proposed Jan. 1, 2030 as a target date for Ukraine's accession.

Read also: EU agrees on one of its strongest Russia sanctions packages after Slovakia lifts veto

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has once again dashed Ukraine's hopes for a swift entry into the European Union, warning that the process could take years.

"Our top priority right now is to do everything we can to end this war," he said at a meeting with Romanian President Nicusor Dan in Berlin on Friday.

After that, Merz said, talks would begin on rebuilding Ukraine. This would be a process that could ultimately lead to Ukraine becoming an EU member, but, he said, "that will take several years."

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Ukraine has been a candidate for EU membership since 2022 and wants to be admitted to the EU quickly.

Merz said that as long as Ukraine is under attack and in a state of war, "accession to the European Union will of course be virtually impossible."

However, the aim is to bring the country as close as possible to the EU and bind Ukraine to the community, the chancellor added.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years.
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter.

Visa and Mastercard, the two biggest U.S. card networks, are eager to tout the benefits they may gain from the advance of stablecoins and dismiss the threat those cryptocurrencies pose.

As stablecoin legislation has advanced in Congress the possibility has increased that these cryptocurrencies will soon have a legal framework in the U.S.

As a result, businesses are rushing to embrace the new digital currency typically pegged to the U.S. dollar.

Banks, including JPMorgan, and merchants, such as Shopify, are rolling out plans for how they will incorporate the acceptance of stablecoins as consumers and businesses encounter more opportunities to use the emerging technology. For the moment, stablecoins are more often serving as a store of value, an investment vehicle, than a method of payment.

In a presentation this week by Mastercard executives, that company made clear that its seeking to embrace what opportunities currently exist for integrating stablecoins into its offering. At the same time, they emphasized the nascent nature of stablecoin as a means of payment, and downplayed the immediate threat of it disintermediating cards.

Mastercard Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert contended that 90% of the current stablecoin volume is for trading in other cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin.

It is not currently used as a general purpose payment tool, Lambert said on the Monday call with analysts. While the technology powering stablecoins holds tremendous promise  high speed, 24-7 availability, low cost, profitability, immutability, etc.  those attributes alone do not suffice to turn stablecoins into a payment tool.

Card services also offer a host of attributes that stablecoins do not, Lambert asserted, noting the reliability, predictability, wide distribution network and anti-fraud capabilities of card networks.

Still, Lambert and Chief Commercial Payments Officer Raj Seshadri outlined how the company is seeking to cater to those financial institutions and companies trying to use stablecoins. They argued that delving into the stablecoin world will increase Mastercards revenue more than it will undercut it.

Mastercard already allows for some purchases using stablecoins, but its also aiming to expand those use cases, partly by partnering with other companies operating in that arena.

For instance, the card network said in April that it will work with payment technology company Nuvei and crypto exchange OKX to enable stablecoin use in consumer payments and digital wallets. The company also said last month that its linking with blockchain company Paxos to smooth the acceptance of stablecoins across its network.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accepted US accusations that Europe was doing too little to fund its own defence and security, but now believes they are on the same page.

"We know we have to do more on our own and we have been free-riders in the past," he told the BBC's Today Programme, "they're asking us to do more and we are doing more."

Merz was in the UK to boost defence ties with Germany, as part of a historic friendship treaty that also aims to tackle irregular migration and promote youth exchanges.

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Russia's war with Ukraine has framed the early weeks of his chancellorship, as has US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30% import tariffs on European Union exports from 1 August.

Merz told Nick Robinson, in his first UK broadcast interview as chancellor, that he had now met Trump three times and they were on good speaking terms: "I think President Trump is on the same page; we are trying to bring this war to an end."

"We are on the phone once a week; we are co-ordinating our efforts. One issue is the war in Ukraine, and the second is our trade debates and tariffs."

Merz was a vocal supporter of Ukraine on the campaign trail, and visited Kyiv months before he took Germany's centre-right Christian Democrats to victory in elections in February.

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Four days after he was sworn in early in May, he was on a train to Kyiv in a show of solidarity with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron of France.

"We are seeing a big threat, and the threat is Russia. And this threat is not only on Ukraine. It's on our peace, on our freedom, on the political order of Europe," he warned.

In the run-up to the German elections, US Vice-President JD Vance shocked an audience at the Munich Security Conference with a list of accusations against European allies, including the UK.

Reflecting on the remarks, Merz said the government "had to draw our consequences out of that". The message from Vance's "very open manner" had, in other words, been heard loud and clear.

Merz was speaking to the BBC's Nick Robinson in his first UK broadcast interview as chancellor [Jeff Overs/BBC]

Canan Atilgan of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in London which is closely affiliated to Merz's party believes that had a profound effect on the incoming chancellor: "I think in Munich he thought we lost the Americans - we have to look after ourselves - and then Zelensky in the Oval Office happened."

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Even before he had been sworn in, the chancellor steered through a change in the German constitution to enable a huge rise in defence spending, saying the rule now for German defence was to do whatever it takes.

"We are not strong enough, our army is not strong enough, so that's the reason why we are spending a lot of money," he said in his BBC interview.

Together, the UK, Germany and France are working on a triangular alliance of major European powers, dubbed the E3, which Merz says will focus not just on security and foreign policy but on economic growth as well.

The chancellor said he was now "very close with Keir Starmer" and with the French president too. Macron is due to visit him in Berlin next week.

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The French leader signed a wide-ranging treaty with Germany in Aachen in 2019, and last week he agreed a deeper defence pact during a state visit to the UK, so the UK-German friendship treaty completes a triangle of bilateral ties.

Sitting in the plush surroundings of the German embassy, Friedrich Merz was about to head to the Victoria and Albert Museum to sign the pact with the Prime Minister.

The two leaders signed the treaty at the Victoria and Albert museum about a mile from the German embassy [EPA]

Merz said the bilateral treaty renewed the two allies' commitment to defend each other - which is not just part of the Nato treaty but was also previously part of their alliance when the UK was in the EU.

British and German firms already collaborate in making products such as Typhoon Eurofighter jets and Boxer armoured vehicles, and the two governments have agreed to launch joint export campaigns that Downing Street believes could attract billions of pounds.

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They are also developing a missile with a range of 2,000km (1,250 miles) and the chancellor later told a press conference that Ukraine would soon receive substantial additional support in "long-range fire".

Merz, 69, is regarded as a strong believer in the transatlantic alliance and knows the US well from his years outside politics working for an American investment firm.

However, on the night of his election victory he declared that the Trump administration was "largely indifferent to the fate of Europe", a remark seen at the time as undiplomatic for a chancellor-in-waiting.

Asked if he had since changed his mind, he said he had not, as Trump was "not as clear and as committed as former US presidents were, former US administrations were".

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The Americans were moving away from Europe and turning to Asia, he observed, and that was why it was important to look at greater independence from American defence.

The UK has largely escaped the turbulence surrounding US tariffs on its exports, but the European Union is facing a deadline less than two weeks away, and the threat of 30% tariffs on all its goods.

EU trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic travelled to Washington this week in search of a deal that would spare all 27 member states from a surge in US import taxes.

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Merz sees the high tariffs as unacceptable and killing Germany's export industry.

"My observation is that the president himself is seeing the challenges and that he is willing to come to an agreement. He gets it."

Another important element of the UK-German treaty is Berlin's agreement to change the law to criminalise smugglers storing small boats in Germany for use in illegal Channel crossings. The storage of boats in Germany was revealed by a BBC investigation last year.

The chancellor said his government would "do our homework immediately" and expected it would not take long to push through parliament after the summer recess.

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There are also plans for a direct rail link from London to Berlin, and for British and German students to take part in exchanges, which have declined since Brexit.

Merz said he very much hoped that the first people who might see a practical difference from the friendship treaty would be students, so that the younger generation could drive relations between the two allies in the future.
How dire is the state of the Democratic Party right now?

Lets take Wisconsin, the nations closest state, as a case in point.

Democrats today are uncompetitive across vast swaths of rural and blue-collar Wisconsin. Over the past 14 years, a nearly 5-point statewide advantage in party identification has turned into a 4-point disadvantage. About 60% of voters here view the Democratic Party unfavorably. Democrats hold just two of the states eight U.S. House seats. And they havent held either chamber of the Wisconsin Legislature in 15 years.

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When it comes to the partys capacity to win elections, thats pretty grim.

.

It would be even grimmer if it werent for the fact that Republicans have such big problems of their own.

In fact, their short-term election prospects in Wisconsin are probably worse because midterms usually dont go well for the presidents party.

Longer-term, Republicans have been losing ground with suburban voters in Wisconsin for years. They have all but lost the capacity to win big spring elections, costing conservatives control of the states highest court for years to come.

Theres a good chance the GOPs decade and half of total legislative control will end next year. And theres a plausible chance that Republicans and conservatives could lose all three branches of state government by next fall  something that has no recent precedent.

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It turns out that the uber-battleground of Wisconsin is a great window into the electoral deficiencies of both major parties.

I thought it would be a good moment, in the upheaval of Donald Trumps presidency, to take stock of the election challenges facing each party in the place where Trump won his narrowest victory last fall. Trump has unified both parties in one sense: Republican voters overwhelmingly back him, and Democratic voters almost uniformly oppose him.

He has also fueled internal divisions in each party and exposed them both to huge political risks. Republicans face potential voter backlash against his governance. Democrats are twisted in knots over how to counter his policies, sweeping power grabs and vendettas.

More broadly, Trump has reinforced an ongoing realignment that has created deep electoral problems on each side. And these have become especially clear in Wisconsin in the last few years, as the two parties have gotten very good  or very bad  at winning particular types of elections.

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This has a lot to do with how the Democratic and Republican coalitions have changed, with Democrats emerging as the party of the college-educated and metropolitan voter, and the Republicans emerging as the party of the rural and blue-collar voter.

Realignment hasnt left one party significantly stronger than the other, but it has altered the playing field in different ways for different elective offices.

The Republicans' Achilles' heel

The new Achilles' heel for the GOP is spring court elections, which have become highly partisan and politically consequential. Conservatives and their Republican allies are very bad right now at winning spring elections for the state Supreme Court, losing four of the past five, and losing those four by double digits  an exceptional margin in purple Wisconsin.

How did the right lose its edge in court campaigns? Contributing factors include poor candidates, poor fundraising, poor campaigns, and an election backlash against the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a constitutional right to an abortion.

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But the deeper problem for Republicans is that their new, more blue-collar coalition includes a lot of infrequent voters who dont reliably participate in lower-turnout spring elections. College-educated voters turn out to vote more regularly, and theyve been shifting in a Democratic direction.

Liberals gained a majority of the court in 2023. They are assured a majority until at least 2028, and their control of the court could last years longer unless these turnout patterns change.

The GOPs problems have been compounded by the fact that most of the recent court elections have taken place during Trumps two terms, which have mobilized angry Democratic voters. The resulting shift in the court has huge consequences for the parties, including the end of a Republican gerrymander that locked in lopsided GOP majorities in the Legislature.

The Democrats' Achilles' heel

Which brings us to the Achilles' heel for Democrats.

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Realignment has left them fundamentally disadvantaged in district-based elections for the U.S. House and the state Legislature. Thats because Democratic voters are more geographically concentrated in cities and populous suburbs, meaning their voting power is typically confined to fewer districts.

From the 1960s through the 2000s, Democrats frequently held the majority of the states U.S. House seats. Thats a virtual impossibility today. The partys decline among rural voters has left half the states eight congressional districts out of reach for them.

The clustering of Democratic voters in the states two biggest counties (Milwaukee and Dane) makes it very hard to draw a 50/50 congressional map. In todays map, Democrats can plausibly win 4 of 8 seats, but only in very good Democratic years. It requires capturing seats in western and southeastern Wisconsin that lean marginally or modestly Republican.

At the legislative level, new maps have made Democrats much more competitive than they were in the 2010s, giving the party a chance to win both chambers. But even these maps still lean a little Republican. In a 50/50 election cycle, Republicans still have the upper hand.

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Lets turn to contests for president and governor, where the partisan playing field remains more level. But the landscape is shifting here, too.

At the presidential level, the Democrats decline with non-college voters has cost the party its longtime edge in mass-turnout elections. In 2012, the first year Marquette began polling in Wisconsin, Democrats had a more than four-point edge in party ID: 47.7% of voters statewide identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party, while 43.1% identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party.

But now Republicans have the edge. In Marquettes 2025 polling, 45.5% of Wisconsin voters say they are Republicans or Republican leaners, while 41.6% say they are Democrats or Democratic leaners. In other words, if every registered voter turned out, the electorate would tilt toward the GOP.

Since presidential cycles come closest to full turnout, that is where Republicans are now likely to do best, especially since their supporters include a lot of sporadic voters. After losing Wisconsin for president seven times in a row from 1988 to 2012, Republicans have won narrowly two of the past three contests.

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Finally, midterm elections, when Wisconsin elects its governors, occupy a middle ground between presidential turnouts (best case for Republicans) and spring turnouts (best case for Democrats).

Democrats have won the last two contests for governor and may now enjoy a slight underlying edge in midterms because of their high-turnout base. Even though midterms have a history here and nationally of going against the president, Democrat Tony Evers bucked this trend in 2022 when he became the first person in the party of the White House to win a contest for governor in Wisconsin in more than 30 years.

So, is one party now in a worse position than the other to win elections here?

Once you look past the 2026 midterms, its hard to say. So far, the parties problems have been largely offsetting, producing 6 1/2 years of divided state government (a Republican Legislature and a Democratic governor); the leading political odd couple in the U.S. Senate (conservative Republican Johnson and liberal Tammy Baldwin), and alternating presidential outcomes (Democrats winning in 2012, Republicans in 2016, Democrats in 2020, Republicans in 2024).

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These kinds of partisan swings and split outcomes arent new to Wisconsin. But what is new is the difficulty both sides have in achieving big victories.

The states voters are not only evenly divided, but theyre highly polarized, meaning close to half the electorate finds the other party unacceptable. This has left both parties with a much lower vote ceiling than in the past.

The past two elections for governor in Wisconsin were won with 49.5% and 51.1% of the vote. The last two elections for U.S. Senate were won with 50.4% and 49.3%. The last three elections for president were won with 47.2%, 49.4% and 49.6%. In five of these seven marquee elections, the victors failed to win half the popular vote. This pattern is unique in Wisconsins election history.

The other thing thats new, as noted above, is the structural problem the two parties have in winning very specific kinds of elections.

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And thats one reason why elections these days feel more like a contest of weaknesses than a contest of strengths. Not only are the two parties unpopular in polling terms, but their struggle for power seems defined more by their deficiencies and limitations than by the breadth of their appeal.

Does this mean there is room for a competitive third party, as Elon Musk has proposed? Maybe, but there are reasons to be skeptical. The rules are stacked against third parties. And there is no large cohesive constituency for an alternative to both parties. In Wisconsin polling by the Marquette Law School, each major party gets negative ratings from voters overall. But the share of people who dislike BOTH parties is only 17%. Most people like one party and dislike the other.

Which brings us back to President Trump, who looms over any discussion of the two parties political challenges, especially in a state he won by the smallest margin in the country in 2024.

Trump isnt single-handedly responsible for the partisan realignment that has occurred over the last decade and a half in a state like Wisconsin, but he has amplified it.

And his final, combustible term in office has the potential to leave either side in political ruins.

He is central to the frustrations, paralysis and divisions that beset the Democratic Party, which continues to struggle with how to respond to this president. He also mobilizes Democratic voters like nothing else in their horror over his actions and rhetoric. In Marquettes polling, 98% of Wisconsin Democrats disapprove of his presidency.

Trump, meanwhile, has the remade GOP in his image, with the unquestioning allegiance of Republicans in Congress and the overwhelming support of GOP voters; 93% of Wisconsin Republicans approve of his performance.

But Trumps policy swings, his abandonment of traditional conservative values, and his cultivation of personal fealty have raised huge questions about what his party stands for and what it will look like after he leaves office.

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 Wisconsin reflects the weaknesses of the Democrats and Republicans
The Brief

Ronald Richardson faces 44 additional counts of sexual exploitation of children, totaling 120 counts, for using AI to alter images into explicit content.

The updated charges involve over 100 alleged victims both within Georgia and out of state, with the case now handled by the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office.

Richardson has been in custody since his arrest in January, and the investigation remains active and ongoing.

DECATUR, Ga. - A Gilmer County man previously charged with creating child sexual abuse material has been indicted on additional counts after prosecutors say he used artificial intelligence to manipulate ordinary photographs into explicit images.

What we know

A grand jury in Gilmer County returned a new indictment against Ronald Richardson, 47, on July 8, adding 44 counts of sexual exploitation of children to the 76 counts he was already facing. The indictment was officially filed on July 11.

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According to the DeKalb County District Attorneys Office, the updated charges represent more than 100 alleged victims both within Georgia and out of state.

Richardson was first arrested by Gilmer County deputies on January 17 following an extensive investigation. He has remained in custody since.

The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office took over the case in February at the request of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, citing a conflict in the original jurisdiction.

What they're saying

"The investigation into Defendant Richardson remains active and ongoing," officials said.

What's next

The defendant is expected to be arraigned on the updated charges.

The Source

The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office provided the details for this article.
GLUCKSTADT, Miss. (WJTV)  The City of Gluckstadt has filed an appeal after a Madison County Chancery judge ruled in favor of the City of Madison in an annexation dispute.

The city filed the notice of appeal on July 11 to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Motion seeks to revoke Rudy Warnocks bond after alleged suicide attempt

The Madison County Chancery judges ruling granted the City of Madison the control of more than 4.64 miles of unincorporated territory. This included a commercial corridor along the future Reunion Parkway extension, as well as the Belle Terre and Cherry Hill subdivisions.

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Gluckstadt appeals annexation rulingDownload

In July 2023, the Gluckstadt Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to oppose the City of Madisons annexation efforts.

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OWEGO, NY (WIVT/WBGH)  The Owego community is continuing to show their support for a longtime member of the community that has been detained by ICE through the establishment of a GoFundMe page.

Roger Huang, owner of Kam Fung Chinese Restaurant on West Main Street, was taken into custody by ICE when he arrived for a green card hearing in Buffalo last month. Members of the local business community quickly donated funds to hire Huang an immigration attorney to represent him.

Longtime Owego business owner detained by ICE

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Now, former Owego Mayor Kevin Millar has started a GoFundMe to raise money for a bail bond should ICE agree to release him pending further proceedings. It has a goal of $22,000 of which $18,000 was raised in just 4 days.

According to Millar, Huang has lived in Owego since opening his business in 1996. Hes known as a tireless worker, working at his restaurant 7 days a week. Supporters also say hes a generous man, active at the Owego Nazarene Church and volunteering for Tioga Opportunities.

You can find a link to the GoFundMe here.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  Hundreds attended the first-ever Missouri Nuclear Summit Thursday, with speakers ranging from industry experts to lawmakers.

For decades, Missouri has had one sole nuclear reactor operated by Ameren outside of Fulton in Callaway County.

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I think the fact that we already have one nuclear reactor already in Missouri is a really good foundation, said Kurt Schaefer, the director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Its provided great baseload power for Missourians, and were perfectly suited for another plant.

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The nuclear option has long been saddled by immense regulatory constraints.

While regulators point to an overall impeccable safety record, utility companies say the cost to construct new reactors is often out of reach.

Going nuclear, though coveted by energy co-op CEO Aaron Bradshaw, is even more of a pipe dream for smaller energy cooperatives. But smaller reactors could be a reality soon.

Smaller reactors would be an amazing advancement for the energy grid as a whole, said Bradshaw, the head of Mid MIssouris Co-Mo energy co-op. We can replace some of the current plants that we have that operate on fossil fuel with non-emitting small modular reactors.

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Bradshaw said when it comes to clean energy, nuclear power is the ideal option.

You cannot eliminate carbon emissions with renewables, he said. You just cant.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  The Golisano Childrens Hospital is celebrating 10 years since opening its dedicated pediatric tower.

Since 2015, GCH said its become a hub for advanced clinical care, research, training, and serving thousands of children in the Monroe County area and beyond.

Thursday, patients, families, employees, and leadership gathered to celebrate the last decade of achievements, including the expansion of pediatric specialty services and more than 30,000 pediatric surgeries.

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Hospital leaders said the tower redefined what pediatric care means in the Rochester region.

It is so gratifying to be part of it, just a small part of it, Tom Golisano said. People call me all the time or send me cards or letters to tell me how important this hospital has been to them.

Now, the next step in this journey is the creation of a dedication pediatric emergency department providing state of art care for any condition 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, Strong Memorial Hospital President & CEO Kathy Parrinello.

The event wrapped up at 5:30 with a Parade of Miracles  featuring patients who have been treated at GCH over the past decade.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  With July 17 being National Good Trouble Day, a big group of people peacefully marched through Siouxland to show their displeasure over cuts included in President Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill.

The march started in South Sioux City, went across the Veterans Memorial Bridge, then the Anderson Pavilion, and ended at the Sioux City Public Museum. Four prayer stops were recognized along the route.

Find coverage of the beginning of the march here

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Organizers said its important to stand up for those impacted by the new law.

Because if you dont say anything, its not helping any situation. Like when you dont choose to vote, youre just letting things happen. You might not be so happy with the result. So, I want to let everybody know that it is important to vote and it is important to stand up and be heard, said Jessica Lopez-Walker, an organizer for Sweetgrass Uprising.

The march ended at the Sioux City Public Museum. People gathered to hear from multiple speakers, including former Sioux City Community School District Board member Monique Scarlett.

One protester told KCAU 9 that she wants the federal government to respect the laws already in place.

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What I would like to see is a respect for law, a respect for the (U.S.) Constitution, a respect for precedent in the law. And I would like to see respect and compassion, and caring for the people who live in this country, said Donna DOttavio, a peaceful protestor.

The One Big Beautiful Bill has many provisions, including no tax on overtime and tips, and creates or updates work requirements for those on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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Demonstrators march down Lincoln Street during a "Good Trouble Lives On" protest Thursday in Denver. (Delilah Brumer/Colorado Newsline)

Demonstrators gathered Thursday evening in more than 30 protests planned across Colorado as part of a Good Trouble Lives On nationwide day of action. The anti-Trump demonstrations marked the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.

The Colorado protests  planned from Alamosa to Denver to Fort Collins  were led by organizations including Colorado 50501 and Solidarity Warriors, and local progressive groups. Organizers called for the demonstrations to carry forward (Lewis) fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all and respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration.

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The Denver Good Trouble protest kicked off at about 5 p.m. amid intermittent rain in Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, near the state Capitol. More than 1,000 people turned out, carrying signs, umbrellas and flyers.

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Denver resident Chris Condat, 74, set up a booth with other members of Third Act Colorado, an organization for democracy and climate advocates over the age of 60. The group set up a poster and markers asking other protestors, How are you going to make good trouble?

For many of us, the main thing driving us is what kind of planet and what kind of democracy we want to leave our children and our grandchildren, Condat said. We are trying to do something about the state of the Earth, and to make a better life for them.

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Trump and the Project 2025 people are doing everything they can to destroy what makes this country great ... I love this country. I dont want to see democracy destroyed.

 Kathy Icenogle, Boulder resident

Lewis served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 30 years, and he was outspoken against President Donald Trump. He was a major leader in the civil rights movement and popularized the phrase good trouble. He chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s and helped lead the 1963 March on Washington.

By about 5:40 p.m., protesters marched south on Lincoln Street, chanting No justice. No peace. No ICE in our streets, a reference to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Bonnie Raddatz writes on a poster put up by the organization Third Act during the Denver Good Trouble Lives On protest Thursday. (Delilah Brumer/Colorado Newsline)

Immigration is a key issue for many protestors, including 23-year-old Brandon Quintanilla. Quintanilla is a co-founder of the Aurora Unidos CSO, a group that advocates for immigrant rights and organizes against ICEs presence in Colorado.

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This is about bringing out the community and getting more people involved, Quintanilla said. We cant just come out one day, we have to do it consistently.

The Good Trouble protests come a month after tens of thousands of Coloradans participated in nationwide No Kings demonstrations, which coincided with Trumps birthday and a military parade in Washington, D.C.

Boulder resident Kathy Icenogle brought a Lewis-inspired sign to the Denver protest. She said she felt compelled to participate to stand against the obliteration of the Constitution.

Trump and the Project 2025 people are doing everything they can to destroy what makes this country great, Icenogle said. I love this country. I dont want to see democracy destroyed.

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Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.

Those are words spoken by the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis that have inspired hundreds of peaceful protests across the country.

And on Thursday in Meadville, protestors got into some good trouble of their own.

We are commemorating John Lewis, he was a political activist that believed in good trouble. He believed in bringing people together no matter who they were, said Arnold E. Johnson IV, political action chair with NAACP Meadville.

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We dont bow to a king  Hundreds gather for No Kings protest Saturday

I guess it just means making yourself be seen, making your opinions heard, said Linda Strawbridge, peaceful protester.

Staying out of trouble is not necessarily the highest priority, but if youre going to get in trouble, find a place where you can stir up a little trouble for a good reason and a good cause, said Don Goldstein, another peaceful protester.

Organizers said the peaceful protest is a way to respond to attacks on civil and human rights by the trump administration.

Thursday in Meadvilles Diamond Park, protestors did just that, waving signs and speaking out against the administration that they say could be a threat to democracy.

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Were protesting tyranny Protesters line Bayfront Parkway for May Day

Im sick about whats happening right now. I worry every moment of every day. I am a Puerto Rican woman, said Maria Rosado-Husband, community development organizer with the Hope Initiative.

One of the things were really concerned about is Medicare, and also the fact that they have taken funding away from PBS, which is a fundamental way of educating our children, said Dan Henninger with French Creek Indivisible.

But even though many disagree with the Trump administrations policies, some said that theres no better time to be united as Americans than now.

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Being adversaries and at war constantly isnt going to be what we need. We need to come to common ground, at least a way to be in harmony, said Rosado-Husband.

We all agree on one thing: this is America. We should be Americans. Were not Republicans. Were not democrats. Were not independents, all that. We are Americans, said Johnson IV.

The protest in Meadville coincided with hundreds of other good trouble protests around the nation.

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Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has launched its largest-ever global mid-career recruitment campaign, involving countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The company, a majority-owned subsidiary of Germanys Daimler Truck AG, is looking to recruit mainly professional staff ahead of its planned merger with Hino Motors.

MFTBC is 89.29%-owned by Daimler Truck AG, with the remaining 10.71% of its shares held by various Mitsubishi group companies. The merger with Hino is scheduled to be formally completed at the end of the current fiscal year, in March 2026.

MFTBC confirmed that more than 300 new permanent positions have become available at its operations in Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Portugal, in the areas of research and development (R&D), supply chain and quality management, procurement, international sales and aftersales, IT, finance, legal and compliance, and human resources.

The truck-maker said that it aims to strengthen the Fuso brand ahead of the companys merger with Hino, with more jobs expected to be created globally after the merger is completed, as the global commercial vehicle industry tackles the challenges associated with CASE technology trends and driver shortages.

MFTBC said it has a diverse global workforce, with staff of more than 65 different nationalities employed in approximately 170 markets worldwide. The company also claims to be the first automaker in Japan to introduce remote working, in 2014, and currently offers employees in Japan the option of flex time and remote working.

"Mitsubishi-Fuso launches major global hiring campaign" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.




In Troy, protesters chanted. In Detroit and Royal Oak, they taught.

Hundreds of people gathered at Good Trouble Lives On protest events of various shapes and sizes on Thursday, July 17, in communities including Royal Oak, Troy and Detroits East English Village as part of a nationwide day of action on the anniversary of Civil Rights leader Rep. John Lewis death.

The gatherings invoked the Civil Rights leaders memory while offering yet another venue for groups continuously protesting the work of the Trump administration this year.

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The late Georgia lawmaker, Lewis, whose unwavering, nonviolent pursuit of voting rights in 1965 was met with troopers wielding billy clubs during Bloody Sunday, was famously quoted as calling for good trouble, necessary trouble to fight injustice.

After he died five years ago, national action events in his name began taking place, said Katie Garcia, press officer for the nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen. The group helped organize the national Good Trouble Lives On effort along with a coalition of others.

It just so happens that the message of the action days lines up well with the concerns of protesters against the Trump administration, she said. Among the Good Trouble Lives On demands are an end to the targeting of immigrants, transgender individuals and social programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid.

'One big beautiful bill'

President Donald Trump signed into law what he calls the one big beautiful bill on July 4. The bill includes stricter requirements for public assistance recipients to keep receiving food aid through SNAP or health coverage through Medicaid.

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Republicans say the law ensures that aid is better targeted. But nonprofit providers and Democrats warn it could push thousands off the rolls due to missed requirements.

In addition, Trump had vowed to deport immigrants in the country illegally, but has come under scrutiny over instances, including the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March.

Among the 67 scheduled Good Trouble Lives On events in Michigan, as reported by national organizers, was a gathering of more than 300 people in Troy put on by the Troy Democratic Club.

Attendees held signs saying, We are all immigrants, Remove Donald Trump. Reverse the damage. Reclaim our democracy, and Justice for all while lining the intersection of Rochester and Big Beaver roads.

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It was "invigorating" and "empowering, said attendee Tracy Dzendzel of Royal Oak.

"It feels like we're not alone in this, and it's not crazy that we're feeling what we're feeling, she said.

She expressed frustration with immigration policies, saying, "Trump ran saying he was going to kick out all the bad people, and they're going after hard-working people that just want to make a better life for themselves and their families."

Some protesters raised their signs to block the pro-Trump flags held by two 16-year-old boys attending the rally. The teens said, We love everything Trump is doing, and that they like that hes keeping the immigrants out.

Voter education

In Royal Oak, protesters carried signs but also focused on other forms of civic engagement.

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Booths set up in Star Jaycee Park, on 13 Mile Road, focused on absentee registration and organizations like the League of Women Voters of Michigan and Voters Not Politicians sought to educate attendees to combat potential voter suppression.

Volunteers collected food donations for immigrant families in Pontiac, Waterford and Detroit, too.

The drive was its way of honoring Lewis, said Debbie Rosenman, co-chair of Indivisible Fighting 9.

John Lewis cared about voting rights. He talked about good trouble  the food drive is making good trouble because we're trying to disrupt the attack on immigrants by feeding families, said Rosenman, adding: People are coming out of the woodwork to try to do things to help their community, to make an impact and to speak out.

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More: From Oakland County to Downriver, protesters rally against Trump, Musk and deportations

'Not complacent anymore'

The gathering in Detroits East English Village, just behind vendors at the E. Warren Farmers Market, saw an evening of education on everything from ranked choice voting to local nonprofits to state representatives calls to action to John Lewis legacy.

Lewis spoke at the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr. and, in his later years, led a sit-in in the chambers of the House of Representatives over gun control legislation.

Jane Frahm, 87, of Grosse Pointe Woods, said she cried when he died.

She wanted to honor him on Thursday, and did so as all Detroit attendees still around at the end held lit candles in his memory.

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Frahm's attendance was also part of her first foray into political action as she began protesting this year.

Ive just been too complacent, and Im not complacent anymore, she said. I dont care how old I am, I am not going to stop.

Given that she was a small child during World War II, shes concerned that history is repeating itself and that people will be targeted because they arent the right color or religion, she said. She said that she takes issue with the current immigration crackdowns.

Organizer Jacinda Cason, whose group, "Encompass Lives Full Circle,"focuses on racial traumatic healing, wanted to showcase the ways of fighting back that are already underway and how people can be involved.

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You dont always have to be the loudest one to make a small change, she said.

And in speaking to the crowd, she noted that most signs there were about President Donald Trump.

Theres nothing the matter with that, she told the onlookers.

But she told the crowd to look at the history of the Civil Rights movement, and how change takes focusing on who the local sheriff, the mayor and treasurer are before they ascend the ladder of power.

She also gave attendees homework. Speaking to the predominantly white crowd at the gathering in the majority Black city of Detroit, Cason called on them to have conversations at tables Black activists cant reach.

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She also asked them to download the 5 Calls app and use it to call leaders.

We need to put our foot down on our city council members, on our mayors, on the school board, right? Thats how we make change.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Good Trouble Lives On': Metro Detroit protesters invoke John Lewis
The Brief

The legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis will live on across America Thursday, five years after the congressmans death.

Good Trouble Lives On protests are scheduled across the U.S., with tens of thousands of people expected to attend.

Lewis, who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., urged Americans to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

More than 1,600 events are scheduled across the U.S. Thursday, July 17 as a national day of action to honor the fifth anniversary of the death of former congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.

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Lewis, a civil rights icon who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, urged Americans to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

"Good Trouble Lives On will respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people," organizers said in a news release. "In memory of former Congressman Lewis, we will take to the streets, courthouses and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all."

A protester holds a sign reading "John Lewis Sent Me" during a "Hands Off!" rally in opposition to the Trump administration on April 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

Good Trouble Lives On protests

What they're saying

Organizers said the protests are centered on three issues:

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The Trump administrations extreme crackdown on our civil rights  from our right to vote to our right to protest and speak freely."

Politicians and lawmakers targeting Black and Brown Americans, immigrants, trans people and others with hateful, dangerous policies.

The wealthy and well-connected slashing programs that working people rely on  including Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security  to line their own pockets.

The other side

"Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in response.

RELATED: No Kings Day attendance: Over 5 million turned out across US, organizers say

Good Trouble Lives On protest locations

Local perspective

More than 1,600 events are scheduled in all 50 states. Click here for locations .

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Organizers told Axios that at least 56,000 people have RSVPd to events nationwide.

The legacy of John Lewis

The backstory

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

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Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal "I Have a Dream" speech.

Lewis, who represented the Atlanta area, served in Congress from 1986 until his death in 2020.

The Source

This report includes information from Good Trouble Lives On organizers and The Associated Press.
Protests throughout the day and around the country were organized by such groups as the Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, Declaration for American Democracy and Public Citizen, along with local organizers and activists. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
From the streets of downtown Orlando to the corners of Deland, Altamonte Springs, Mount Dora, and Melbourne, hundreds of protesters gathered for yet another demonstration.

We have to show that we are not just going to lie down and roll over and let them walk all over us, said Melinda McCurdy, who protested in Orlando. We think that the administration is not doing its job, so we would like to bring clarity to our fellow voters, said Linda Kero in Mount Dora.

The organizers with the 50501 Movement called it the Good Trouble protests, in reference to the late civil rights leader John Lewis. Were not here to make bad trouble. Were here for good trouble, a protester in Melbourne said. We want people to listen to what we have to say and hear the cries of the people.

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People of all ages came together for the peaceful demonstration.

Dozens of OPD officers were also deployed, just to make sure everyone was safe.

With megaphones, demonstrators called attention to alligator Alcatraz, federal budget cuts, and tariffs.

Some also showed up to counter-protest. Even when Biden was president, they didnt reach the 50% tally of being proud to be American. So, its anti-American, said the counter protester at the demonstration in DeLand.

The crowds this time around were smaller than in June during the No Kings Day protest, which was also championed by the 50501 Movement.

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Still, organizers say its about keeping the conversation going. Knowing that numbers are smaller today, but we are small and mighty. And we are making change happen, so Im really proud of that, said Corey Hill, with the 50501 Movement in Orlando.

The next protest is scheduled for August 2nd, when Governor Ron DeSantis and GOP leaders are expected to visit Orlando.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Dozens of Good Trouble rallies were held throughout the country on Thursday, including here in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The protests, named after a quote from the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, were organized in response to recent decisions by the Trump administration. Lewis, who coined the phrase Get in good trouble, died in 2020 at the age of 80.

In Rhode Island, there were demonstrations in Providence, East Providence and Newport, among other communities. Over in Massachusetts, protests were held in New Bedford and Fairhaven.

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We want to honor the legacy of John Lewis, his incredible courage and tenacity, and his lifelong dedication to the pursuit of justice, to the pursuit of civil rights, human rights, attendee Kathleen Russell told 12 News at the East Providence rally. But we also want to make it known that we stand in opposition to the current Republican administration and their agenda.

(Lauren Brill/WPRI-TV)

(Lauren Brill/WPRI-TV)

(Lauren Brill/WPRI-TV)

(Lauren Brill/WPRI-TV)

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(Lauren Brill/WPRI-TV)

The demonstrations coincided with the fifth anniversary of Lewis death.

He was a remarkable man, attendee Ken Garlick said. He has paid a heavy personal price throughout his life and hes standing up for us.

R.I. GOP Chairman Joe Powers agreed on the impact Lewis had, saying in a statement the congressman was a steadfast voice for civil rights.

His legacy reminds us that civil rights are rooted in the conservative belief in individual liberty and human dignity, Powers added. Our hope is that those invoking his name today also heed his wordsthat good trouble means peaceful, respectful, and orderly protest.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Tens of thousands of people across the country, and hundreds in central Ohio, protested against the Trump Administration Thursday.

The protests were inspired by civil rights icon John Lewis, who died five years ago. He was an advocate for voting rights and civil disobedience. The movement drew on his call to make good trouble, necessary trouble in the fight for justice.

The Good Trouble Lives On protests are directed at what organizers said is the Trump Administrations rollback of civil rights, reigniting Lewis legacy of nonviolent resistance.

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Were not going away, protester Fitz Green said. This is just the beginning and we will be out in the streets until justice is done, until this administration changes its tune, changes its course.

A group gathered at Second Baptist Church in Columbus Thursday afternoon for a kickoff rally.

Everybody should have the opportunity to say what is in their heart, in their mind and their spirit on the issues, organizing director Deidra Reese said. And thats what this is about. The people that are gathered here today believe in freedom. They believe in liberation. They believe in the power of the people. And thats what John Lewis stood for and what he was about.

Leaders there said they believe in the power and promise of democracy, but theyre concerned about the direction the country is headed.

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When we come together and we do this, we continue to win, Reese said. We dont have to accept anything that comes from narrow-minded politicians because they represent us. And we know that we have the power to put them in place, but also to take them out.

The group marched from the church to the statehouse to join a larger crowd at the volunteer-led 50501 movement. The protests follow recent immigration raids and cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs for low-income Americans.

All the safety nets are being wiped out, and as a retired nurse and as a veteran, I know many veterans, too, and many older people and younger people, all that rely on these services, protester Michelle Phillips said.

The White House said President Trump is delivering on what voters elected him to do.

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This huge bill that just made ICE the largest and most well-funded political law enforcement agency in the country, it has a bigger budget than the US Marines and so theyre going to be in our streets and rounding people up even more than they already have been, Green said.

Late congressman John Lewis implored people to participate in good trouble, necessary trouble to advance their causes, which is exactly what organizers said theyre doing.

We know its wrong, Reese said. So, were going to continue to say its wrong and were going to speak up for whats right. And were going to do everything we can to turn things around. Were not going to accept whats been done as if its the final decision.

According to 50501 organizers, around 600 people were at Thursdays protest.

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If we return to love, thats going to be the ticket right there, Phillips said. Its not about the hatred. Its about love.

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Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks stupid as hell for trying to rename military bases and resurrect honorifics for Confederate officers by using other soldiers as eponymous stand-ins.

The Pentagon announced in February it would partially restore the names of two military sites that were given new monikers during the Biden administration by honoring decorated veterans of World Wars I and II.

The North Carolina Army base that was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023 went back to being known as Fort Bragg in honor of World War II paratrooper Roland Bragg, instead of its original eponym, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. Fort Benning in Georgia, which was renamed Fort Moore in 2023, is now named in honor of decorated World War I veteran Cpl. Fred Benning, instead of Confederate Gen. Henry Benning.

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I think theyre trying to be too cute by Hegseth on this, saying, Well, its Bragg, but its a different Bragg,' Bacon told USA Today. To me, it looks stupid as hell.

President Trump announced in June that additional military base names would be changed to honor soldiers who shared names with their former Confederate honorees.

For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names, Trump told a North Carolina crowd last month while marking the Armys 250th anniversary. We won a lot of battles out of those forts  and Im superstitious, you know, I like to keep it going.

Congress approved legislation in 2021 to rename sites that had previously honored soldiers who fought against the U.S. in the Civil War.

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Bacon, who announced last month he will not run for reelection next year, was one of two Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee who voted this week to block the Pentagon from using federal funds to rename military installations in honor of Confederate figures.

Bacon told The Hill he disagreed with the Pentagons push to revert to names that may sow division.

Hegseth had an opportunity to embrace names universally loved, he said.

Republicans and Democrats have overwhelmingly backed efforts to move away from Confederate-inspired names, Bacon added.

The matter should be settled, he said. Congress should not get steamrolled here.

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The Pentagon didnt immediately respond to The Hills request for comment.

Trump vowed during a North Carolina campaign stop last fall that his administration would revert Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg.

Hegseth touted the renaming in a video posted to social media after signing the name-change memo earlier this year.

Thats right. Bragg is back, he said in the video.

Updated at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) pressed the Defense Department on Thursday for information about Microsofts reported use of Chinese engineers to help maintain the agencys computer systems.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Cotton pointed to recent reporting from ProPublica indicating Microsoft relies on Chinese engineers, who are overseen by U.S. citizens with security clearances known as digital escorts.

While this arrangement technically meets the requirement that U.S. citizens handle sensitive data, digital escorts often do not have the technical training or expertise needed to catch malicious code or suspicious behavior, Cotton wrote.

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The U.S. government recognizes that Chinas cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains, he added. DoD must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including from those subcontractors.

The Arkansas Republican requested information from Hegseth about the Pentagons contractors and subcontractors who hire Chinese personnel or digital escorts, as well as recommendations for closing loopholes in the security requirements for government cloud providers.

In the face of these concerns, Microsoft announced Friday that it had made changes to ensure no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for Defense Department cloud services.

We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed, Frank Shaw, Microsofts chief communications officer, said in a statement.

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China-linked hackers have been tied to numerous high-profile breaches in the U.S. over the past year.

The group known as Salt Typhoon has compromised at least nine telecommunications firms. One states National Guard network was also hacked for nearly a year, according to a recent memo from the Department of Homeland Security obtained by NBC News.

Updated at 5:36 p.m. EDT

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Gov. Spencer Cox still believes President Donald Trump is the only person capable of fixing what he called Americas broken immigration policy. In fact, he called it a very, very broken system.

Cox said that now that the border is considered secure under Trump, its time to work toward bipartisan solutions to the nations immigration system.

If not for the terrible mishandling of immigration policy by the previous administration, we would not be having to deal with this, he told reporters during his monthly press conference.

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I just cant underscore enough how awful it was, the Biden administration allowing millions of undocumented immigrants, some of them with very nefarious purposes ... pouring across the southern border with no friction whatsoever, he said.

On allegations of racial profiling, Cox said the practice is not acceptable in our state, adding that he thinks there is a lot of fear and misinformation associated with immigration enforcement actions.

Under the Trump administration, the monthly arrests of unauthorized immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in western states, including Utah, have nearly tripled, targeting mostly migrants without criminal records.

Cox addressed the ways law enforcement in the state is working with ICE.

Utah county signs agreement with ICE

Gustavo Carrillo pauses during his emotional remarks as he addresses the Utah County Commissioners as they hear comments from the public prior to their voting on whether or not to go ahead with increased data sharing, training and creation of a task force between the Utah County Sheriff's office and ICE during a meeting in Provo on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

When asked about Utahs connection with ICE under 287(g), which permits local law enforcement to aid ICE in processing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, Cox clarified that the state has no authority over federal agents actions in Utah but said the states relationship with the agency is positive.

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Weve always made it clear that we have to follow the law and the Constitution, Cox said. This really is about, again, enforcing the law and doing it in a way that protects citizens here in the state, trying to get the worst offenders off the streets. ... I know theres a lot of fear out there, a lot of misinformation, and we want to do everything we can to help people understand that we will do this the right way.

His remarks come just a day after over a hundred people attended a public hearing in Utah County to oppose the countys decision to work with ICE under the 287(g) provision. The Utah County commissioners ultimately approved the collaborative efforts.

Despite the publics concerns, Cox said that in Utah, ICEs efforts have been handled very well, although he didnt comment directly on the circumstances in other states.

He emphasized the unprecedented circumstances the country is facing due to the historical number of illegal immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration.

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We have to be able to set limitations, Cox said. People dont hate immigration, and they dont hate immigrants, but they want it to be orderly and thoughtful, and it just has not been. They certainly dont want criminals coming in here. And weve seen too much of that.

What Americans want, he said, is an Ellis Island.

Where its orderly, where we set limits, where we decide, as a country, Congress decides, or the states decide how many people were going to let in and for what purposes, and then we follow through with it, he added. If we had a system like that, immigration would be a non-issue today.
Gov. Jeff Landry announced Friday, July 18, 2025, he is replacing David Matlock as secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services. (LAI photo)

A veteran state employee has been tapped as the next leader of Louisianas child welfare agency, replacing the former juvenile judge whos held the role for the past 18 months.

Gov. Jeff Landry announced Friday that Rebecca Harris, who was named deputy secretary of Department of Children and Family Services last month, will take over from David Matlock, effective Aug. 1. Moving forward, Matlock will hold the title of confidential assistant to the DCFS secretary, according to a news release from the governors office.

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Harris began her career with DCFS more than 20 years ago as a social services analyst, according to the governors office. She also worked with the Louisiana Department of Health for eight years before returning to DCFS in February 2024, according to her LinkedIn work history.

Rebecca has consistently demonstrated the kind of steady, thoughtful leadership Louisiana families need, the governor said in a statement. Her experience in operational improvement and her commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children make her the right choice to lead DCFS. I have full confidence she will strengthen this department and deliver positive outcomes for our most vulnerable citizens.

Landry credited Harris with leading the development of the states summer food assistance program at DCFS. Originally a COVID-19 pandemic program, the Biden administration moved to make the additional resources available permanently to help qualifying families feed their children through the months when school meals arent available.

Although Landry and Matlock initially declined to take part in the summer EBT program, bipartisan pressure from state lawmakers led the administration to change its stance.

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The governor also praised Harris for critical upgrades to the states child welfare hotline and creating real-time dashboards to support child welfare decision-making.

I am honored and excited to serve as Secretary during this great time of opportunity and transformation, focusing on strategic commitments to improve outcomes for those we serve. Im proud to lead this team of dedicated and courageous professionals who show up every day for Louisianas children and families, Harris said in a statement.

The governors office did not explain why Matlock was being replaced or immediately respond to questions about his compensation levels as a confidential assistant.

It was an honor to serve as Secretary of DCFS, and Im proud of the progress weve made together for Louisianas children and families, Matlock said in a statement. This next chapter is deeply personal to me. Advocacy and foster care have always been my passion, and Id like to thank Governor Landry for allowing me to pursue this. I look forward to focusing my energy on building strong, supportive environments for the children who need us most.

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With the expected passage of the GENIUS Act this week, the $260billion stablecoin market is on the cusp of becoming a formally regulated part of the U.S. financial system.

The next step is institutional, bringing the timetested model of clearinghouses into the world of tokenized money.

Why clearing matters

Traditional clearinghouses, formally called central clearing counterparties, stand between buyers and sellers, netting exposures, collecting collateral and mutualizing losses if a member defaults. That plumbing is mundane until something breaks; then, it becomes the firewall that prevents a localized shock from becoming a systemic risk. Recognizing the toocentraltofail profile of these utilities, the Financial Stability Board spent 2024 writing new global standards for their orderly resolution.

Enter stablecoins, at global scale.

They promise dollarfordollar redemption but trade on borderless blockchains where liquidity can evaporate in near realtime. Today each issuer is its own first and last line of defense; redemptions pile up exactly when asset markets are least forgiving. Stablecoin clearinghouses would pool that redemption risk, enforce realtime margining, and give regulators a control panel for data and a toolbox for crisis intervention.

To be sure, many will think that clearinghouses are anathema to a decentralized financial system, but via the Genius Act, D.C. and Wall Street are sending signals for the stablecoin industry to follow.

Congress has already nudged us there

Buried in Section 104 of the GENIUS Act is a quiet endorsement of central clearing: stablecoin reserves may include shortterm Treasury repo only if the repo is centrally cleared (or if the counterparty passes a Fedstyle stress test).

That small clause plants a seed. Once issuers must interface with a clearinghouse for their own collateral management, extending the model to the tokens themselves is a short conceptual hop especially as intraday settlement windows shrink from hours to seconds.

Wall Street sees the opportunity

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC)  the utility that processes $3.7 quadrillion of securities every year  confirmed in June that it is assessing options to issue its own stablecoin. Meanwhile, a consortium of the largest U.S. banks  backers of The Clearing House realtime payments network  is exploring a joint bankbacked stablecoin, explicitly citing their clearing expertise as a competitive advantage.

As either of these, or other yet to be publicly announced ventures, proceed forward, the riskmanagement stack that they bring to market will likely become the dominant blueprint. (Bank of America and Citi have both said recently they want to issue their own stablecoins.)
Austin, Tx (FOX 44)  Texas Governor Greg Abbott is requesting Hamilton County be added to the list for President Trumps disaster declaration.

Travis County would also be added to the list.

Texas continues working to help every community rebuild and recover from these devastating and deadly floods, said Governor Abbott. Thats why I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request Hamilton and Travis counties be added to the federal disaster declaration. We wont stop until every impacted community gets the support they need.

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A review of damage assessments in Hamilton and Travis counties shows they exceed federal criteria for the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Public Assistance program, which includes assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. Additional counties may be requested as updated information becomes available.

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UTAH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  Governor Spencer Cox spoke out on Utah Countys recent agreement with ICE during his monthly press conference, saying that changes to immigration policies are needed.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Utah County Commissioners Office unanimously voted to allow local law enforcement to collaborate on and carry out ICE operations. This entered Utah County into the 287(g) program.

PREVIOUSLY: Utah County Sheriffs Office votes yes to enter agreement with ICE

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The 287(g) program authorizes local law enforcement to execute administrative warrants and enforce immigration authority during normal law enforcement operations. Notably, this agreement in Utah County has been controversial, with several hours of public comment opposing this decision prior to the vote.

During the press conference, Gov. Cox said, Weve always made it clear that we have to follow the law and the Constitution and racial profiling is not acceptable in our state, never will be.

Cox clarified that Utah already partnered with ICE a few months ago. That agreement enables state and local law enforcement to proceed with immigration deportation proceedings after an arrest.

Reportedly, Utah has been conducting some aspects of immigration processing for years, but 287(g) formalizes that agreement. Cox said, This is something we shouldve done. We just wanted to formalize it to make sure we were doing this the right way.

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Utah immigration attorneys expect delays in cases after judge is fired, blame Trump admin

He also noted that immigration is important to the agriculture industry and to bolster university education, but that changes to the immigration process are needed. He said that the large influx of immigration over the last few years has put a strain on existing resources for refugees and immigrants.

In regard to how ICE has conducted their raids and community concern, he said that In the state of Utah, it has been handled very well. He also noted that, overall, it hasnt been flawless. I think theres been some mistakes made.

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Visionary Broadband CEO Brian Worthen (center left) and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (center right) cut the ribbon at a celebration marking Visionarys expansion into Montana. They are joined by Visionary Broadband staff and community leaders. (Photo credit Visionary Broadband)

Increasing rural internet connectivity continues to be a priority for the state and Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday attended a ribbon cutting event on a new providers entrance into Montana.

Visionary Broadband recently completed a connectivity project in Hardin and is beginning another near Whitehall. Another nearly $2 million Visionary project is planned near Butte, according to state project recommendation documents. Montana is spending over $300 million as part of the ConnectMT project to increase internet access to rural corners of the state.

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According to a press release from Visionary Broadband, about $119 million of ConnectMT funding is coming from American Rescue Plan Act funds dating back to 2021. The federal government ranks Montana poorly in high-speed internet access and has looked to invest heavily in building that infrastructure statewide.

For years, our residents and small businesses have needed better internet, Whitehall mayor Mary Hensleigh said in the press release. This project gives Whitehall the infrastructure to support growth and stay connected.

In Hardin, 2,077 more homes and businesses can now connect to high-speed fiber internet, while the Whitehall broadband project will connect 543 more. In Butte, 10 homes and businesses will be added.

Expanding reliable, high-speed connections and bridging the digital divide has been a top priority in Montana, Gianforte said in a press release. By working with partners like Visionary Broadband and supporting projects like this, were ensuring reliable connection for our rural communities and creating greater access to good-paying jobs, high-quality education, and affordable health care.

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Visionary had a small presence in Butte and Red Lodge prior to this years expansion, the release said. As part of that expansion, the company acquired MTWeb.

Homes have a need for reliable broadband. Businesses have a need for reliable broadband. Visionary saw this need in Butte, Hardin and Whitehall, and we stepped up, matching funds for the projects, Brian Worthen, CEO of Visionary Broadband said in a press release. I hope to continue our efforts to create an even playing field for communities through newly built broadband.
CATLETTSBURG A Boyd County grand jury issued superseding indictments on two defendants in what is locally known as the house of horrors case.

Austin Adam Frazier, 29, of Ashland, is facing superseding indictments on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a victim under age 12. Kayla Marie Frazier, 33, of Ashland, faces superseding indictments on two counts of complicity to sexual abuse (first degree) of a victim under 12.

The charges involve using pliers/vise grips on private areas of the victim.

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Each of the Fraziers is in jail on a $500,000 full cash bond.

According to court records, a young girl escaped a 43rd Street residence and found safety at a neighbors home after enduring extreme abuse and torture.

The Fraziers face 40 combined felony charges.

In addition to the charges included in the superseding indictments, Austin Frazier is charged with female genital mutilation, 13 counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12, kidnapping a minor, two counts of first-degree strangulation and second-degree cruelty to animals. In addition to Kayla Fraziers superseding indictments, she is charged with complicity to genital mutilation and strangulation, as well as the same criminal abuse, kidnapping and animal cruelty charges.

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Both Fraziers and two other defendants connected to the case  Edward Goins and Kirk Mount  are scheduled to appear in Boyd County Circuit Court on July 31.

Others included in the most recent roundup of Boyd County indictments, which dont necessarily indicate guilt but do mean there was sufficient evidence to pursue felony prosecution:

 Kaylen T. Banta, 23, of Pontiac, Michigan, was indicted on a first-offense fentanyl trafficking charge.

 Patty S. Compton, 39, of Salyersville, was indicted on charges of first-offense fentanyl trafficking and first-degree meth possession.

 Noah P. Jones, 31, of Ashland, was indicted on the following charges: first-degree assault-domestic violence, marijuana possession, first-degree persistent felony offender (two counts) and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

 Steven Clark, 38, of Ashland, was indicted on a charge of receiving stolen property valued between $1,000 and $10,000.

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President Trump, facing intense scrutiny from his base this week, directed Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday to release pertinent grand jury testimony from the case involving convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, the president wrote in a post on his Truth Social website Thursday night. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

Bondi quickly confirmed online she would follow Trumps directive.

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Its not the first time high-profile Republican figures have sought to unseal documents in the Epstein case. Its unclear what exactly Bondi will ask for, whether judges will be responsive to Bondis request, or whether the effort will be enough to subdue critics in the MAGA-verse.

Heres what to know about the Trump administrations latest move on the Epstein files.

What is the process for unsealing grand jury testimony?

Grand jury transcripts, including ones related to the Epstein case, are typically confidential under law, but courts can decide to release them when public interest outweighs the legal protections they provide for informants, witnesses and people accused of crimes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a law in February 2024 to unseal grand jury documents from Epsteins state case, which helped remove legal barriers. Joseph Abruzzo, the Democratic clerk of the circuit court and comptroller of Palm Beach County, released the records in July of that year.

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Epstein previously reached a non-prosecutorial agreement in a prostitution case in the South District of Florida in 2007 and served a year behind bars after a federal grand jury investigation.

A decision to unseal the records in Epsteins federal case is subject to the approval of a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, where Epstein was charged before he died by suicide in 2019.

The Department of Justice didnt immediately respond to The Hills request seeking additional information about how Bondi plans to pursue the release of additional documents, or what records she would request.

What is a grand jury?

A grand jury, which comprises citizens appointed at random from voter rolls, hears a prosecutors case before deciding whether there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime

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Epstein was indicted by a grand jury on sex trafficking charges in 2019 but died before his case was heard.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epsteins associate and girlfriend, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty in 2022 of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. She remains the only person convicted in his sex trafficking schemes.

Maxwells case was chiefly handled by the U.S. Southern District of New York.

Grand jury testimony from Maxwells case has been kept under seal, though multiple women testified in open court about her efforts to lure them into Epsteins sex predator scheme when they were youths.

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The Fifth Amendment requires that all federal cases be heard by a grand jury, but grand juries arent mandated in some state cases.

The grand juries do not determine guilt or innocence. In most cases, they dont hear defense arguments or evidence against charges.

What testimony does a grand jury hear?

Evidence presented to a grand jury doesnt face the same legal restrictions as information released in open court.

It can include details from confidential informants, relayed via law enforcement; information from witnesses whose identities are to be protected for their safety; and other evidence obtained through clandestine law enforcement methods before the defense has an opportunity to refute them.

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Alan Dershowitz, who helped get a plea deal for Epstein in 2008, has said that theres no Epstein client list, but has said individuals accused of wrongdoing are named in the redacted FBI affidavit from accusers.

Now, of course, because I was lawyer and I did all the investigations, I know who all these people are, Dershowitz said earlier this week in an appearance on NewsNations Cuomo. He claimed no one named in the affidavit currently holds public office.

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Funding originally awarded to a West Baltimore nonprofit food distribution and compost center will instead likely be used for a controversial Florida immigrant detention center known as the Alligator Alcatraz.

A joint Instagram post from President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently announced that the Everglades immigrant detention center would be funded largely with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program.

4MyCiTy, a West Baltimore nonprofit that offers hundreds of residents free produce and compost services, was awarded $534,869 in a reimbursement grant through the program. In April, the award was canceled.

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Dipnaraine said that, to try to fill the gap, he is personally supporting the organization, working on a fundraising strategy and reaching out to corporate partners and local organizations.

Tackling food insecurity

Thousands of Baltimore residents who live in food deserts without easy access to healthy food have depended on 4MyCiTy. The group helps address the citys longstanding food insecurity problem, which disproportionately impacts Black residents, children and the elderly.

4MyCiTy says it aims to address Baltimores food insecurity with an environmentally focused approach, preventing food waste and uplifting the local community through mentorship programs and educational opportunities.

Because 4MyCiTy thought it would be reimbursed by the federal government as initially planned, the nonprofits leader said the organization spent some of its budget reserves. With the award canceled, founder and executive director, Christopher Dipnarine, 44, said, now were kind of battling to get reimbursed on the funding weve already spent.

4MyCiTys daily operations

On weekdays, food program participants wait in line with empty grocery bags before walking down a buffet of crates filled with vibrant fruits and veggies at the 4MyCiTy warehouse on Wilso Drive.

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Janet Bailey, 62, takes food home from the warehouse to stock her food donation fridge, a part of the Bmore Community Fridge Network, which offers food-deficient communities constant access to fresh produce.

Baileys bags overflowed with produce as she left the center a week ago.

Roughly 300 people receive free fresh produce from 4MyCiTy each day. The organization collects food that would otherwise be tossed from licensed distributors and vendors, and gives it to people experiencing food insecurity.

Grant terminations

Under the Biden administration, The Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded 4MyCiTy hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to support their work. The Trump administration canceled those grants, and communication from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA grants, has been limited, Dipnarine said.

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Letters sent to Shelter and Services Program recipients notifying organizations that their grants had been terminated said that the grant programs support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens that is not consistent with DHSs enforcement focus do not effectuate the agencys current priorities.

The FEMA initiative previously arranged reimbursements for non-federal organizations supporting housing, food access, and other programs for undocumented immigrants awaiting their immigration court proceedings.

Dipnarine said 4MyCity was using the money awarded in accordance with the guidelines of the grant.

He said that 4MyCiTys relationship with FEMA was positive and it partnered with the Department of Homeland Security in various ways, such as distributing items from FEMA.

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When FEMA has excess merchandise that they cannot give out, like, just last week, we rescued, you know, like ointments and stuff that has a close by expiration date, Dipnarine said.

An official from FEMA confirmed to The Baltimore Sun over email that new immigrant detention facilities would largely be funded by the Shelter and Services Program.

The open borders gravy train is over, and there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people, the official said.

The Trump/Noem Instagram announcement said the Biden administration used the Shelter and Services Program as a piggy bank to spend hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars to house illegal aliens.

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4MyCiTy does not offer any housing programs, but it did receive grant funding to support food services for undocumented immigrants requiring food assistance under the Shelter and Services Program.

In spite of the funding cut, city residents still line up for food. 4MyCiTys food pickup and compost program has over 12,000 registered households, according to Dipnarine.

4MyCiTy is applying for other grants, Dipnarine said. But challenges remain as other organizations lose federal funding and the grant pool shrinks. He said the organization has had to cut back on hours and hold off recruiting more kids for their youth mentorship program.

Its been very, you know, a very difficult time over the last few months trying to navigate our situation, Dipnarine said.

Have a news tip? Contact Gabriella Fine at gfine@baltsun.com.
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP)  The Greensboro district attorney will not be requesting an investigation into allegations against a former city attorney, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

On July 1, city employees learned of allegations against former City Attorney Chuck Watts, and the Greensboro Police Department contacted the SBI. The allegations called into question business transactions by Watts.

Watts retired effective immediately on July 2 in a closed city council session, according to the GPD.

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An SBI representative said a formal request by the district attorney is needed to open an investigation.

The SBI released the following statement on Friday:

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) met with the Guilford County District Attorney this morning to discuss documents received from the Greensboro Police Department regarding the former Greensboro City Attorney. At the conclusion of the meeting, the District Attorney informed the SBI that she will NOT be requesting an investigation.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  A Guatemalan national was arrested in Springfield for illegal reentry into the U.S. after a series of arrests and deportations for various crimes.

In a news release sent to 22News from the Department of Justice, 38-year-old Noe Yonildo Ambrocio-Perez was arrested in May 2025 in Springfield after he crashed his motor vehicle and attempted to drive away from the scene. He was taken into federal custody on July 3rd following his court appearance in Springfield and charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

Rise of masked officers is controversial new ground in American life

Court records for Ambrocio-Perez

2002: Encountered by immigration authorities and was processed for a voluntary removal. 2008: Arrested in Springfield for assault and battery He allegedly became drunk and punched his girlfriend in the face with a closed fist. 2009: Arrested in Springfield He was involved in a crash while operating a motor vehicle that was both uninsured and unregistered. 2010: Placed in protective custody in Springfield Law enforcement encountered him too drunk to walk or care for himself. 2012: Arrested for driving erratically and dangerously. Provided breath alcohol test samples of .255, .077, and .245. 2013: Convicted of motor vehicle crimes and sentenced to a period of confinement. Following release from state custody, he was arrested by immigration authorities and ultimately released on order of recognizance that directed him to appear for immigration proceedings later that year. After he failed to appear, an Immigration Judge ordered Ambrocio-Perez to be removed to Guatemala in absentia. 2015: Arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, for driving erratically and speeding. Sentenced to three days in jail and was later remoted to Guatemala for the second time. 2018: Arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, for driving away from the scene of an accident and operating a motor vehicle beyond his normal faculties. Pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry and was removed from the United States in 2019.

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At some point after his 2019 removal, it is alleged that Ambrocio-Perez illegally entered the United States for the fourth time. Ambrocio-Perez faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. He is then subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.

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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CHEROKEE COUNTY, Iowa (KCAU)  On Thursday, KCAU 9 Chief Meteorologist Victor Perez headed over to the Cherokee County Fair for Guest Weather.

At the fair, visitors gave their weather forecast for the coming days. See how well they did in the videos attached to this article!

As always, you can catch our latest forecast details by clicking here.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  A weekend confrontation at Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park ended with gunfire and the arrest of a Rochester man now facing multiple weapons charges.

Troopers alongside Irondequoit Police responded to the state park Sunday morning just before 4 a.m., and found a 9mm shell casing, and evidence of a gunshot impact near the parks restroom.

Witnesses told troopers about a group altercation followed by two gunshots. Troopers said a car was seen leaving the area without headlights on. The vehicle was stopped nearby, and three people were detained.

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Also in the car, investigators found the loaded and unregistered 9mm handgun. The handgun was secured by police.

New York State Police said after the three in the car were taken to Rochester and questioned, 22-year-old Dontrell Dontrey Hughes of Rochester was arrested and charged. Hughes is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and reckless endangerment.

Hughes was taken to the Monroe County Jail where he awaits arraignment. New York State Police confirmed the investigation into this incident remains ongoing.

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Key Points

Nvidia, recently blocked from selling chips to China, is set to reclaim its market position there.

The artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant says it aims to resume deliveries there soon.

10 stocks we like better than Nvidia 

Nvidia's (NASDAQ: NVDA) business has been going strong over the past few years thanks to its dominance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) chip market. The company designs the most powerful AI chips on the market, and customers of every size have rushed to gain access to these tools to fuel their AI programs. This has helped revenue soar in the double and triple digits, and sales have come in at a high level of profitability too. As a result, Nvidia's stock has soared 980% over the past three years.

But in recent times, one particular thing has emerged as this market leader's biggest problem -- a problem that cost it billions of dollars in the latest quarter. And that's a halt to its exports to China due to U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips. Nvidia took a charge in the quarter on chips it no longer was able to sell into that market and faced the possibility of completely losing out on this market that represented 13% of its total sales last year.

This week, though, the company announced fantastic news: The U.S. ensured Nvidia that it would receive a license to once again sell its H20 chip in China, and Nvidia also said it would launch a new chip that meets U.S. guidelines.

It looks like Nvidia is back on track in this major market -- here's what you need to know.

Image source: Getty Images.

U.S. controls on chip exports

So first, let's take a step back and consider the whole Nvidia-in-China story. The U.S. initially launched export controls back in 2022 on concerns China might use high-level technology for the development of weapons of mass destruction. As a result, U.S. companies couldn't export their top-performing chips there, and instead could only sell chips to that market that met certain restrictions. Nvidia then designed the H20, a graphics processing unit (GPU) that met the guidelines, and sold that chip to Chinese customers until this spring, when the U.S. tightened the rules.

The U.S. sent a letter to Nvidia saying it would need a license to export to China -- since such licenses had never been granted, the terrain ahead seemed difficult. Nvidia announced a $4.5 billion charge in the latest quarter for H20s it was unable to sell to China, and said it was exploring options to return to the market. Meanwhile, the company said it was removing China from all earnings guidance due to the lack of visibility.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Jackson County, Missouri Democratic Executive Frank White Jr. has vetoed the recall election ordinance, dealing with himself.

His veto announcement came the same day opponents of his called for him to resign.

I wont walk away and let them sell out our future just to win a political fight, White said in a statement after his opponents held a press conference at the Jackson County Courthouse.

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My job is to defend the law, protect tax dollars and stand up for whats right. And thats exactly what Ill do.

Jackson County Legislature unanimously approves special election to recall Frank White

In his veto on Thursday, White called on the legislature to do the right thing in his eyes.

The Legislature can move the recall to the November 2025 ballot which would comply with the law, protect the will of the people and save taxpayers millions, White said.

Jackson County residents deserve leaders who stand up for the law and protect taxpayer dollars, not political stunts that cost more and deliver less.

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Urban League President of Greater Kansas City President & CEO Gwendolyn Grant was one of the participants in Thursdays press conference.

First off, we dont believe anything that comes out of his mouth because hes a liar, Grant said when asked what she thought about White being okay with a November election.

But secondly, the ordinance says 60 days. The people have spoken. That is the law. This should be done with expediency.

A special election shall be held to consider recall of a county elected officer within sixty days after the petitions are filed, Article 14, Section 9 of the Jackson County Charter states.

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However, both the Jackson County Election Board (JCEB) and the Kansas City Election Board (KCEB) have argued they dont have enough time to put this election on August 26, even though the legislature has called for the election to be held that day.

Lawsuit filed against Independence officers in shooting that killed mother, infant daughter

The 26th would fit the 60-day timeline from the day the petitions were filed. Attorney Phil LeVota is representing four citizens in a lawsuit that argues White should not have the ability to veto this ordinance, and it shouldnt have to go through the ordinance process.

Im telling you, this group is lenient and will say, If you cant do it within a certain period of time, please give us another reasonable one,' LeVota said at Thursdays press conference.

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Regardless of what LeVota said, the legislature may override Whites veto Friday morning. They have a legislative meeting at the Jackson County Courthouse downtown at 10 a.m.

Later, Thursday afternoon, Legislator Megan Smith introduced an ordinance attempting to reschedule the election for November 4. She said voters need more time, especially those in the military and overseas.

In the 10 days since we voted to approve an August 26 recall election for County Executive Frank White, new information and ongoing litigation have raised serious legal concerns about that date, said Legislator Smith.

Both the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards have said an August election would be illegal and risk disenfranchising votersespecially military members and residents overseas, since absentee ballots shouldve gone out by July 11 and voting begun by July 15.

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At first, it was just an itch. Annoying. Persistent. Unrelenting. It was the kind of itch that keeps you awake at night, demanding to be scratched. I chalked it up to jock itch, grabbed an over-the-counter cream, and expected relief.

Instead, it got worse.

Weeks turned into months. The itch became a slow burn, then a raw, searing irritation spreading across my groin. The more I scratched, the worse it got  red, inflamed, impossible to ignore. Something was wrong.

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I tried everything. Antifungal creams. Medicated soaps. Powders.

Nothing worked.

During my annual checkup, I hesitated before mentioning it, uneasy about discussing something so personal. My doctor took a quick, gloved look.

Its probably just a fungal infection, she said. Keep using the over-the-counter treatments.

I wanted to believe her.

But as I was getting ready to leave, she hesitated.

Do you mind if another doctor takes a look, just to be sure?

Moments later, a second physician examined the irritated, red area that had taken over parts of my groin and scrotum. After a quick discussion, both doctors agreed it was probably nothing serious but suggested I see a dermatologist just in case.

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I wasnt worried. I had dealt with malignant melanoma over 30 years earlier and beaten it. I saw a dermatologist regularly, so this felt like just another routine check.

At my dermatologist appointment, the doctor wasnt so sure it was jock itch. He prescribed new treatments and told me to follow up in a few weeks. I left feeling confident Id finally kick this stubborn itch.

Weeks later, I was back, and the symptoms were worse. A small, pimple-like lesion that had appeared on my scrotum wouldnt go away. My dermatologist reconsidered. Eczema? Contact dermatitis? A different fungal infection?I tried a new treatment for a month or more before switching to a different one. Each time, nothing changed.

As the months dragged on, it became clear something was seriously wrong. By then, over a year-and-a-half had passed. I had tried everything, and nothing worked. Finally, nine months into these fruitless dermatologist visits, I asked, Would a biopsy help?

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It was a question that changed everything.

The punch biopsy was swift and sharp  a brief sting as a small piece of skin was taken for testing. After 1 1/2 years of uncertainty, I felt a flicker of hope  maybe this would finally bring the answers I needed.

A few days later, the dermatologist called. I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

Im sorry to tell you this, but the biopsy results came back positive for invasive Extramammary Pagets disease (EMPD). Its cancer.

Courtesy of Stephen Schroeder

Related: Doctors And Nurses Are Revealing The Health "Lies" They Wish More People Knew, And It's Eye-Opening

I was stunned. My heart pounded, and a cold sweat spread over me. Cancer? I had never even heard of Extramammary Pagets disease before. My mind struggled to process the words as I asked him to repeat them  again and again  while I fumbled to scribble them down on a scrap of paper as my hands shook. And then there was the word invasive  what exactly did that mean?

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In the weeks that followed, I began to grasp just how rare and serious EMPD can be. It affects between one in a million and one in nine million people, depending on the population studied. While it most often appears on the vulva in women and the genitals in men, it can also develop in the perianal region, perineum and armpits.

EMPD shares cellular traits with Pagets disease of the breast, but because it occurs elsewhere, it is classified as extramammary, meaning outside the breast. Its rarity makes diagnosis even more challenging as many doctors never encounter a single case during their careers.

EMPD can develop on its own or as a sign of cancer spreading from another organ. Either way, early detection is critical.

This rare and complex skin cancer also varies by geography. It is more commonly diagnosed in women in Western countries, while in many Asian countries, it is more prevalent in men. EMPD primarily affects individuals over 40, with most cases appearing around age 65, though it has been diagnosed in patients as young as 17.

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When I heard invasive, I had only one question: Am I going to die? The answer wasnt clear. EMPD can spread, but its often slow-growing. Still, my mind leapt to the worst-case scenario.

By the time I was diagnosed, the cancer had already advanced beyond my groin. My dermatologist stressed the urgency of finding a surgeon, but locating one with EMPD experience proved exhausting. After weeks of searching, I finally found a reconstructive urologist who provided the strongest path toward long-term recovery.

The first surgery was performed under general anesthesia at a teaching hospital. It lasted all day. Throughout the procedure, medical residents shuttled tissue samples from the operating room to a pathology lab down the block and across the street, where pathologists examined frozen sections for any remaining Paget cancer cells. Meanwhile, my reconstructive urologist painstakingly rebuilt my scrotum, penis, perineum, and surrounding areas using skin grafts from my leg. Each time they believed they had removed it all, they learned the cancer was still present, forcing them to repeat the process again and again.

By evening, the surgical team believed they had successfully removed all traces of EMPD, and I was carefully sewn back together. The next day, my surgeon reassured me that everything had gone well, even joking, The good news is, I believe we got it all. The bad news? Your stripper days might be over.

Related: Surgeons Are Revealing Their Freakiest Moments On The Job, And Yeah...I Have Some New Fears Unlocked

Courtesy of Stephen Schroeder

I lay motionless in a hospital bed, my body fighting to accept the skin grafts. The pain was beyond anything I had ever known  a deep, searing agony that felt like my skin was being torn and burned from the inside out. Every slight movement sent shockwaves through my body, and even the strongest medication barely dulled the relentless sting. But after a few days, the pain began to ease.

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Then something else gnawed at me: Where were the others?

Why had I never heard of EMPD? Why was there so little information? With nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, I had plenty of time to think.

Thats when I decided: I needed to change this.

I created an online resource and started an associated EMPD support group where people could find reliable information, connect with others, and know they werent alone. I couldnt change my own diagnosis, but I could use my experience to help others navigate theirs.

Recovery was slow. It took a month before I could bring myself to face the surgeons work in the mirror. When I finally did, I was both stunned and impressed. The amount of tissue they had removed was staggering, yet the precision in reconstructing what remained left me in awe. The healing process was agonizing, and it took weeks before I could move with any sense of confidence.

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But my relief was short-lived. Within a year, the redness and itching returned. By then, I had moved across the country, forcing me to start over with new doctors. Over the next four years, I endured multiple surgeries at university medical centers and specialized cancer hospitals, including another extensive skin graft. Each procedure was an attempt to eliminate the disease. With no standardized treatment for EMPD, every decision felt like a leap of faith.

Some days, it felt like I wasnt just fighting cancer  I was battling the health care system. With minimal communication between hospitals, I was left to piece together my own medical history, repeating my story at every appointment. It was exhausting.

Although I had skilled and compassionate doctors, they were limited by a system that didnt support seamless collaboration. While electronic medical records improved access, the lack of interoperability across different networks led to delays and inefficiencies. Even the best doctors can only do so much when critical information isnt easily shared.

The isolation was one of the hardest parts. Few people had heard of EMPD, and even fewer understood what I was going through. I regretted not pushing harder for answers sooner, and not demanding a biopsy earlier. Could I have saved myself from extra surgeries? Maybe. But I cant change the past.

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My purpose became to raise EMPD awareness, and ensure no one faced this disease feeling lost and alone.

What began as a single-page website has grown into the largest online resource for EMPD, connecting over 900 patients and family members across 50 countries. What started as a search for a few others turned into a global community. Yet, as new members join, many others lose their battle  a sobering reminder of the urgent need for early diagnosis, better treatments and continued awareness.

This increased awareness is also fueling new research. Many members are now part of EMPD studies, offering hope for better understanding and treatment of this rare disease.

Courtesy of Stephen Schroeder

In 2023, news reports revealed that Barry Humphries, the actor and comedian best known as Dame Edna Everage, had secretly battled EMPD before his death. Like many, he kept his diagnosis private  a silence that too often follows this disease to the grave.

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Today, I am grateful to be cancer-free for five years, but the experience changed me. It taught me to listen to my body, push for answers, and never take my health for granted. I often think about how easily I could have ignored that first itch  and what might have happened if I hadnt advocated for myself by asking those four life-changing words: Would a biopsy help?

Would I still be here today?

That question fuels my determination to speak out. Raising awareness isnt just about helping those diagnosed feel less alone  its also about ensuring doctors recognize EMPD early, and that more research is dedicated to understanding and treating this disease.

I refuse to let anyone with this disease go unheard.

Stephen Schroeder, a retired senior executive, has dedicated himself to advocacy and support after his battle with invasive Extramammary Pagets disease (EMPD). He lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife and two cats, finding joy in traveling, hiking and the outdoors. To raise awareness of EMPD, and connect those affected, he founded myEMPD.com and established an international EMPD support group. Learn more at myEMPD.com.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost in June 2025.

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HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC News Now)  An exciting dedication in Hagerstown was made on Thursday.

The much-anticipated opening of a new Boys & Girls Club facility in Washington County marked an important milestone for a cherished community resource.

Boys and Girls Clubs in Washington County celebrate their success, look to future

The Boys & Girls Clubs offer summer camps and empowerment programs with peer groups who serve as positive influences.

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Community liaison Jordan Jones said the Boys & Girls Club is vital to the community.

A place like this saves kids from being out in the community engaging in activities that could be detrimental, Jordan Jones said.

Family advocate Marilyn Jones said there needs to be a place where children can go.

A lot of time we see them on the street, and if we can direct them, this center offers everything for them, Marilyn Jones said.

The new 21,000 square-foot facility replaces one that has been home to the clubs for 84 years. Community leaders said the nearly-$22 million investment will pay off many times over for the region.

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When school is not in session, the facility will be a safe and engaging environment for kids.

Former Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez and Sen. Paul Corderman (R-Washington County) worked closely with former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to secure funding for the new facility.

Maryland State Police partners with Boys & Girls Clubs for community outreach

Hogan made the trip to western Maryland for Thursdays dedication.

A place like this makes a huge difference in childrens lives, Hogan said. We love Hagerstown and everybody here today had so much to do with making the facility a reality. Its been a great team effort.

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Statistics show that kids aligned with the Boys and Girls Clubs are more likely to finish high school, attend college and be less likely to be involved in crime.

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The terrorist organization also said that if an agreement was not reached in the latest round of ceasefire talks, the group would not agree to an interim truce or partial hostage deal in the future.

Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson said on Friday the group would not agree to an interim truce in the future if a ceasefire agreement was not reached during ongoing negotiations and accused Israel of intransigence.

"We are closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations and hope they will result in an agreement that guarantees the cessation of the war against our people, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and the relief of our people," spokesman Abu Ubaida said in a video statement.

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"However, if the enemy persists in its obstinacy and evades this round, as it has done every time, we do not guarantee the return to partial deals, nor to the proposal for the ten prisoners."

He further claimed that the terror organization had also allegedly proposed releasing all of the hostages in an effort to end the war.

"We have repeatedly proposed, over the last few months, a comprehensive deal in which we would hand over all the enemy's prisoners at once, but the war criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi movement ministers rejected this offer," he said in a video message posted on Telegram.

Demonstrators protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, outside Hakirya Base in Tel Aviv, July 12, 2025. (credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)

How are Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks going?

This statement comes after Israel and Hamas entered another round of ceasefire and hostage deal talks, which are reportedly in advanced stages.

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Sources told The Jerusalem Post that Israel has made significant progress in the hostage-ceasefire negotiations.

However, at least a few more days of discussions will be needed to reach a final agreement."

A senior diplomatic official told reporters that a hostage deal, which would involve the release of 10 hostages, the return of the bodies of 18 others, along with a 60-day truce, is attainable.

We, as a government, are interested in a framework for a hostage release, the official said. There are differing political opinions in Israel, but the government is committed to a hostage deal, and thats the line the prime minister is leading. I believe a deal is achievable. Its not simple. Negotiating with Hamas is neither easy nor quick, and I cant give a timeline, but it is within reach.

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According to the official, Hamass agreement to the Witkoff framework demonstrates a shift in its position. This is the result of intense military pressure, strong American involvement, and Washingtons desire to achieve a deal. Because of that interest  and the US-Qatar relationship  Qatar is now engaging at a different level.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Pope Leo XIV that Israel is close to a hostage agreement with Hamas, N12 reported on Friday.

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
In this scenario, neither bloc has enough seats to form a government. The current coalition holds 53 seats, while the opposition, plus Bennett, totals 57.

Likud has regained momentum and now leads the polls after haredi parties left the government this week, according to a Maariv survey published on Friday.

The ruling party has gained two seats, bringing it to 26, while Naftali Bennetts party dropped three seats, now holding 22. In this scenario, neither bloc has enough seats to form a government. The current coalition holds 53 seats, while the opposition, plus Bennett, totals 57.

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Even if former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot runs with a new party separate from Bennetts, Netanyahus opponents still fall short of forming a new government, despite Eisenkot securing nine seats.

If elections were held today, the seat distribution would look as follows: Likud at 26 seats, up from 24; Naftali Bennetts party at 22, down from 25; Yisrael Beytenu at 11, up from 10; The Democrats at 10, Shas holding nine, unchanged; Yesh Atid at eight, up from seven; United Torah Judaism at seven, unchanged; Otzma Yehudit also at seven, unchanged; Blue and White at six, down from seven; Ra'am at five, down from six; Hadash-Taal at five, up from four; and Religious Zionism at 4, unchanged.

The political map shows that neither side can form a coalition alone, with the opposition, including Bennetts party, holding 57 seats, while the current coalition holds 53 seats. Arab parties hold an additional 10 seats, making it clear that no single bloc has enough seats to form a majority.

Should Gadi Eisenkot run independently of Bennett, the former IDF chief would gain nine seats, one more than in the previous weeks survey. In this scenario, Bennetts party weakens, dropping to 18 seats from 22. Likud, on the other hand, strengthens, gaining three seats to reach 26. This coalition, consisting of Eisenkots party, Bennetts party, and Likud, would have 52 seats, compared to 58 for the opposition parties. The reason remains the same: No crossover voting between the two camps.

Exemption from Conscription Law debate

According to the survey, 57% of Israelis believe that the exemption from conscription law promoted by Netanyahu's government harms national security. In contrast, 32% believe the law does not harm security, while 11% are undecided.

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The divide is stark between government supporters and opposition members: nearly all opposition voters (83%) are convinced that the law will harm national security. Among coalition voters, opinions are more divided: 61% believe the law will not harm security, but 31% think it could.

Gaza War and its objectives

The Israeli public is almost evenly split on whether the fighting in Gaza will achieve its objectives. Forty-four percent of respondents believe the fighting will not meet its goals, while 42% are confident that it will. There is a clear divide between the two political camps: 73% of coalition voters are certain that the fighting will succeed. In contrast, 70% of opposition voters believe the objectives will not be achieved.

Rare Consensus on Syria

Regarding one of the hot topics this weekthe harm to the Druze population in southern Syria and the IDFs interventionboth political camps agree in an unusual show of unity. Fifty-one percent of both coalition and opposition voters support military action to aid the Druze. Forty-seven percent of Israelis believe Israel should intervene militarily in Syria to prevent harm to the Druze population. In contrast, 27% oppose intervention, and 25% are undecided.

These findings are based on a survey conducted forMaariv by Lazar Research, led by Dr. Menachem Lazar, in collaboration with the internet panel Panel4All. The survey was conducted from July 16 to 17, 2025, with 506 respondents, representing a sample of Israel's adult population, both Jewish and Arab. The margin of error for the survey is 4.4%.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  A Harrisburg attorney was disbarred after self-reporting himself amid questions surrounding payments that were not reported and accusations of lying to clients.

According to The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Attorney Anthony Darnell Cox, Jr. was disbarred, effective August 17, 2025, following an investigation.

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According to the Disciplinary Board, Cox Jr. joined the law firm Eckert Seamans in January 2022 and continued to maintain a separate business, Cox Career Consulting, which was not registered with the Department of State.

The Disciplinary Board says Cox Jr. accepted more than $49,000 from clients without turning the money over to the law firm or depositing it into an Interest on Lawyers Trust Account. Some of the payments were made directly to Cox Jr. using online apps such as Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App.

Additionally, the board says Cox Jr. failed to reimburse clients and repeatedly lied that his mother was sick and had passed away as reasons why the money was not returned.

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Cox Jr. is also alleged to have asked a client for money to purchase a plane ticket to visit his ailing mother, which the board says was a lie.

In several instances, the board says Cox Jr. also reached out to local attorneys and a judge, asking them to lend him money because he had forgotten his credit card while on a work trip. The board says those requests for money were false and that Cox Jr. was not on a work trip

Additionally, in 2022, Cox Jr. allegedly collected donations for a memorial and resolution, and not all of the money was turned over for its intended purpose.

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After being terminated from Eckert, the board says Cox Jr. formed his own legal practice, which was not registered with the Department of State. Earnings from the legal practice were also allegedly not reported to the IRS or the Department of Revenue.

The disciplinary board says Cox Jr. offered his resignation from practicing law in Pennsylvania after being placed on temporary suspension last year.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
The chair used for firing squad executions is shown in the execution chamber at the Utah State Correctional Facility. A judge has signed a death warrant to execute death row inmate Ralph Menzies on Sept. 5, 2025. (Courtesy of the Utah State Department of Corrections)

With lethal injection drugs proving both costly and difficult to obtain, a growing number of Republican lawmakers and state officials are pushing for an alternative: the firing squad.

Lethal injection is currently the only method of execution authorized under Indiana law.

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After a yearslong pause, the state resumed executions in December, using a single-drug protocol of pentobarbital to put Joseph Corcoran to death. A second execution followed in May, when Benjamin Ritchie was executed with the same drug. Together, they marked Indianas first executions since 2009.

A third execution for convicted murderer Roy Lee Ward is tentatively set for October and would also be carried out by lethal injection.

Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour. (Photo courtesy Indiana House Republicans)

Republican Rep. Jim Lucas said hes now exploring legislation to allow executions by either firing squad or gallows, however. Both methods are cheaper, easier and already permitted in several other states, he said.

Lucas pointed to the high cost of lethal injections in Indiana, emphasizing the $300,000 price tag for a single dose of pentobarbital.

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That price, that fact right there is why we should be looking at other methods and forms of capital punishment, Lucas told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. These other methods are certainly a hell of a lot less expensive than our current method with lethal injection drugs.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun stopped short of endorsing any specific execution methods but pointed to South Carolina, which recently reinstated the firing squad as an option after years of delays due to its inability to obtain lethal injection drugs.

In June, Braun disclosed that Indiana officials spent $1.175 million on lethal injection doses over the past year  $600,000 of which was spent on drugs that expired before use. The cost has been between $275,000 and $300,000 per dose.

The governor said Indiana no longer has any usable lethal injection drugs. Instead of purchasing more  and risking expiration, given the drugs 90-day shelf life  his office plans to order new execution drugs only when legal proceedings are near finishing.

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Braun has repeatedly suggested, too, that the high cost and short shelf life of the drug should prompt new discussions on how the state approaches capital punishment moving forward. He called on lawmakers to debate the future of capital punishment in Indiana in their next session.

Discussion stirring around new methods

Even so, Indianas General Assembly doesnt return until January, meaning any potential changes to the states execution policy are still months away.

Lucas said he has not yet had conversations with leadership or other lawmakers about his proposal, though he plans to introduce it.

This is an issue that just fairly recently developed, he said. I know this is a controversial issue, and if it does come up, I think everybody will treat it with the respect that it deserves as we move forward in the discussion.

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But Republican House Speaker Todd Huston told the Capital Chronicle this week that his caucus hasnt had any serious discussions about firing squads or other changes to Indianas death penalty law.

GOP Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, left, and House Speaker Todd Huston talk after a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

There was a bill filed last year (to eliminate the death penalty), but there didnt seem to be a lot of discussion about it, Huston said. We really havent talked about any of this.

When asked whether the cost of lethal injections might push lawmakers to consider alternatives, Huston replied: Maybe, but I think we should just probably have a fair discussion about it first.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray similarly told the Capital Chronicle that the issue has not come up in his conversations with caucus members.

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He said earlier this year that a bill filed by Republican Rep. Bob Morris  which originally sought to abolish the states death penalty statute  included language  that was very interesting to me. But Bray similarly said at that time that no formal discussion had taken place within the Senate GOP caucus.

Although Morris bill never received a committee hearing in the House and ultimately died, it garnered support from several GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Liz Brown, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith also pointed to firing squads as a viable alternative.

Rep. Andrew Ireland, R-Indianapolis, speaks on the House floor on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

He posted on social media in June that firing squads are much cheaper than lethal injection and that Indiana should follow Idahos lead on this, referencing that states 2023 law authorizing firing squads when lethal injection drugs are unavailable.

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Rep. Andrew Ireland shared Beckwiths post on X with the comment: Stay tuned.

Ireland told the Capital Chronicle hes also working on new legislation to authorize alternative execution methods, including the firing squad.

Some crimes are so horrific, so depraved, that the only just sentence is death, Ireland said. He specifically cited Ward, who was convicted in 2007 for the rape and murder of 15yearold Stacy Payne.

Whats missing now isnt justice  its a responsible, workable method to carry it out, Ireland continued.

The Indianapolis Republican legislator echoed Brauns concerns about the cost and shelf life of lethal injection drugs, calling the current approach unsustainable and unfair to victims families.

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Thats why Im working on legislation to give Indiana real alternatives, including the firing squad  a method that is fast, effective, and constitutional, Ireland said. If we believe the death penalty is still law in Indiana, then we should have the means to enforce it. Otherwise, were just giving false hope to victims families and sending the wrong message to the worst of the worst.

Where firing squads are used  and how they work

Currently, five states authorize the use of firing squads under certain circumstances: Idaho, Utah, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

A law review article tallied 144 executions carried out by firing squads in the United States as of 2016.

But only a handful have occurred in recent decades, most recently in Utah, in 2024, and in South Carolina, where the method was used twice earlier this year.

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Another execution by firing squad is scheduled for September in Utah.

Idahos Department of Correction, meanwhile, has paused all scheduled executions as it wraps up retrofitting of the states death chamber for firing squad readiness by mid2026. A new law passed earlier this year makes firing squads the primary method of execution in Idaho.

During a firing squad execution, the condemned is typically secured to a chair using leather straps across their waist and head, facing a canvas wall.

The above shows the execution chamber in the South Carolina Department of Corrections Columbia prisons complex, as seen from the witness room. The firing squad chair (left) was added following a 2021 state law that made death by firing squad an option. The electric chair is under the cover. (Provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections)

Witnesses to the 2010 execution of Ronnie Gardner in Utah reported that a doctor used a stethoscope to find and pin a circular cloth target over the inmates heart. Sandbags surrounded the chair to absorb blood, and a hood was placed over Gardners head.

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A team  usually made up of five volunteer prison staff or corrections officers  stands some 20 to 25 feet away, behind a canvas wall, and fires simultaneously through a narrow opening. One member of the firing squad receives a blank round to obscure who actually fired a lethal shot. Death occurs almost instantly.

The method is often described by proponents and corrections officials as faster and more reliable than lethal injection  especially in states that have struggled to secure execution drugs.

The use of firing squads remains controversial, however.

Numerous human rights groups and medical experts cited by the Death Penalty Information Center argue that firing squad executions are inhumane  and that the psychological toll on those involved can be significant.

Others warn that the method can put prison staff or others present during the execution at risk if shots miss the intended targets.

A South Carolina inmate put to death in May was conscious and likely in extreme pain for up to a minute after the bullets missed their target and failed to quickly stop his heart, according to a pathologist hired by the inmates attorneys.

Questions linger over Indianas lethal injection practices

Recent executions in Indiana have also raised new scrutiny around lethal injections and the use of pentobarbital.

Corcorans wife, Tahina, and Ritchies girlfriend, Colleen Villeneuve, have both questioned whether drugs used in recent executions caused unnecessary pain or distress.

Ritchies attorneys reported seeing sudden, unexpected movement during the lethal injection process. But no members of the media were permitted to witness the execution, meaning there was no independent observation or account of what happened.

A Capital Chronicle reporter attended Corcorans execution in December and did not observe any sudden movements by the inmate while blinds for a one-way window into the execution chamber were open.

Tahina, who also witnessed, did not speak to the media after her husbands execution but has since said she and her son, Justin, another witness, saw Corcoran moving around a lot before he died.

Indiana Department of Correction officials released few details about the executions but said both went according to protocol.

I want the state to be held accountable for giving them these drugs.  We didnt even know they had expiration dates. We werent given any information at all about anything, Tahina said. We want answers.

Hoosier officials have not publicly disclosed when exactly the state acquired the doses or from where they were purchased. Indiana Code protects the identity of the seller from public scrutiny. State officials had previously declined to provide details about how much pentobarbital was purchased, and refused to provide information on expiration dates, storage or other details.

We want the truth, Villeneuve said. We want somebody to be held accountable. Our guys were accountable for their crimes that they committed. They did the time. They walked in that room and they laid on that gurney, and they accepted their fate. But they did not deserve to be given bad drugs.

Lucas said he wants Indiana to keep its capital punishment law  with or without firing squads  but made clear that any legislative discussion should be approached, foremost, with respect for victims.

You want to be humane about this, he said. We dont want to cause any undue pain or suffering. But, you know, we have to keep in mind that somebody that gets the death penalty  they pretty well deserve it.

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Marianna Lands is the lead plaintiff in one of the lawsuits seeking "noneconomic" damages from Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. She and others are still waiting for the payments, despite a judge ruling in her favor late last year. (Photo courtesy Marianna Lands)

Lawyers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency have not yet decided whether theyll appeal a judges December ruling that orders them to compensate victims of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire for emotional harm.

Just before Christmas last year, Federal Judge James O. Browning issued a 99-page ruling that determined FEMA had wrongly refused to pay victims of the states biggest-ever wildfire for noneconomic damages, which are payments aimed at compensating victims for the emotional toll the fire and ensuing floods caused.

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Congress in late 2022 enacted the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, which tasks FEMA with fully compensating victims of a wildfire that the United States Forest Service accidentally ignited in spring 2022 in two botched prescribed burns. Congress has given FEMA nearly $5.5 billion for victims, minus about $380 million in expected administrative costs.

Brownings ruling came more than a year after wildfire victims sued FEMA for refusing to pay for noneconomic damages and nine months after the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office issued a formal opinion saying the payments were allowable under New Mexico state law, which was one element of the lawsuit.

Whether thousands of fire victims will receive noneconomic damages anytime soon is an open question nearly eight months since Brownings ruling and more than three years since the wildfire.

The lack of clarity has left people like Marianna Lands in limbo, according to her lawyers. Lands farm in Mora burned and later flooded. The stress of the disaster caused Lands, who is in her late 70s, to have a stroke, according to her lawyer, Ty Tosdal, and she has never fully recovered.

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In a letter to Source, Lands writes that in the time since she was stroked [had a stroke] during the great fire in Northern New Mexico, shes had to leave her farm and move to highly priced Hawaii with her daughter. She was forced to move there after suffering several falls at her temporary place in Taos, falls that made it clear she couldnt live alone, she wrote.

Marianna Lands letter to Source New Mexico

It is almost two and a half years since I was stroked (had a stroke) during the great fire in Northern New Mexico (Hermits Peak Fire). The first year I had to leave our farm and move to Taos, New Mexico to receive medical attention. I lived alone, with good care from friends. After several falls I realized I couldnt live alone and had to move to Hawaii to live with my daughter, Ania Roske, who worked extra hard to make ends meet in highly priced Hawaii. Besides the warm weather, I dont experience the paradise that Maui is called. I dont leave my room much, dont go to the beach, the waterfalls or to the top of mountain. I am glad to be out of the snow of Northern New Mexico.

In Hawaii I have been diagnosed as disabled I use a cane to walk and pay close attention not to fall. My speech is better than before, but I can only talk so long before I cant remember words. My teeth were pulled out after the stroke as they were seriously affected. The dentures I received no longer fit correctly, so it is necessary that I eat soup and very soft food.

I am spending what money I have left on medical care. Besides the house cleaning, the cooking and food shopping, Ive just hired someone to handle the stack of papers from my desk, which I dont have the where with all to handle. Social Security, taxes, insurance, banking is too much for my mind and words to respond to.

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While shes glad to be out of the snow, I dont experience the paradise that Maui is called. I dont leave my room much, dont go to the beach, the waterfalls or to the top of [a] mountain, she wrote, saying her health and money issues get in the way.

Lands has yet to receive any compensation from FEMA after the wildfire, according to her lawyer. Thats despite being the lead plaintiff in one of two lawsuits regarding noneconomic damages and despite filing her claim for all sorts of damages more than a year ago.

Ms. Lands has endured many hardships as a result of the fire and flooding, and they are ongoing, Tosdal said. She is not a wealthy person, and she is no longer able to live on her family farm and provide for herself.

After Brownings ruling, FEMA and the United States Attorneys Office issued a motion to correct it, arguing the judge made significant errors in his legal analysis that concluded FEMA had erroneously excluded the payments.

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The lengthy motion to correct is not the same as an appeal, but plaintiffs lawyers have told Source they saw it as a precursor. FEMAs January motion prompted a flurry of filings between plaintiffs and the government.

About a month ago, according to Tom Tosdal, Tys father and another lawyer suing FEMA, Browning told the parties that he would be issuing a ruling on FEMAs motion to correct imminently but that he was largely unmoved in his original conclusion that FEMA needs to pay noneconomic damages.

Once Browning issues his ruling, FEMA and federal prosecutors can then move to file an appeal in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Tom Tosdal said. That could delay noneconomic compensation for fire victims for two years, he said.

A spokesperson for FEMAs Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office sent an emailed statement to Source New Mexico on Friday morning that the office is awaiting the release of the Courts written decision. In the meantime, it is continuing to compensate claimants for losses it has deemed compensable, including for lost property, reforestation and business losses, among other losses.

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Claimants do not need to take any new action on their claims regarding non-economic damages with the navigators at the Claims Office, according to the statement. After the Agency receives the Courts Opinion, FEMA will determine next steps and provide further information upon final resolution of the matter.

According to the offices latest update on July 15, it has so far paid out $2.73 billion in nearly 20,000 claims. The amount it could be required to pay in noneconomic damages is hard to quantify, plaintiffs lawyers have said, but it could be about $545 million, or roughly 10% of the amount Congress awarded.

The FEMA Claims Office remains committed to compensating New Mexicans who were impacted by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire and subsequent cascading events in a fair manner to the maximum extent permissible by law, according to the statement.

The United States Attorneys Office argues the case in court, with help from FEMAs lawyers. A spokesperson for the office did not answer Sources questions about whether it intends to appeal.

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The fire victims lawyers have said the damages are a necessary piece of the full compensation Congress promised to victims. The payments could serve as lifelines to people who had little to their names before the fire but still saw their lives upended in the blaze, lawyers have said.

Even though FEMA has not changed its policy to award noneconomic damages, a handful of clients have gotten them by taking their claims directly to Judge Browning. In early May, Browning spent a week and a half listening to about a dozen claimants stories about their experience of the fire and awarded them between $9,000 and $330,000, payments that included noneconomic damages, according to their lawyer, Brian Colon.

Tosdal told Source New Mexico on Thursday that he is considering doing the same for Lands, but he does not see individual cases going before Browning as a sustainable solution. It also means only fire victims who hired lawyers would get the compensation theyre owed, he said.

Thats not what Congress intended, he said.
A San Francisco firefighter who contracted HIV on the job while heroically treating an injured patient is being denied his hard-earned pension  and the chance to return to work  in what sources describe as a grave injustice.

Stephen Kloster, 50, says he was working on Sept. 15, 2003, when open scratches on his arms were splashed with infected blood from a woman who had fallen in her kitchen.

I didnt think anything about it at the time, he told the San Francisco Examiner.

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But three years later, Kloster experienced crippling bouts of vertigo, followed by shingles and eczema, before losing 60 pounds from his 240-pound frame. Finally, he was given a blood test and told he had contracted HIV.

I was completely astonished, Kloster tells Globe.

But he says his ordeal was just beginning.

After a stint on modified duty, Kloster returned to his regular firehouse, Station 15, in 2007, where his brothers greeted him with fear and paranoia, rather than support, he claims.

I was open that I had it and that Im no different than anyone else, he tells Globe. But they didnt allow me to cook for them. They suggested my girlfriend was a man. I felt like an outsider among the people I had risked my life with for years.

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Kloster was suspended twice over confrontations stemming from his HIV status  and the situation came to a head in 2014 when he returned to work after a vacation and was not reassigned to a firehouse, despite an HR declaration that his condition was work-related.

In 2016, the SFFD cut ties with him, according to the city. And in 2019, he was arrested after hitting a psychologist who refused to release medical records he needed to support a lawsuit against the city.

He was found innocent of most of the charges but convicted of simple battery and spent 14 months behind bars, ending in February 2021.

Now, hes working as a security guard for $15 an hour  a far cry from his $110,000 firefighter salary.

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Requests from Kloster and his attorney, Pete Gleason, to meet with Mayor Daniel Lurie have been rebuffed.

This man took a job to protect the city, to risk his life for other people, Gleason tells Globe. And through that job, he contracted a life-threatening illness, and they tell him to pound sand!

A request for comment sent to the mayors office was referred to the citys attorney. Follow-up efforts were unanswered.




NEED TO KNOW

A "hijacked" plane caused chaos at Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday

The stolen Cessna 172 caused a 39-minute ground stop and nine planes to divert, according to the airport

A 39-year-old named Shaheer Cassim was arrested and charged with one count of hijacking





A stolen plane caused chaos at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Tuesday.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. local time, a security incident involving a small private aircraft prompted a temporary ground stop on July 15, per a statement issued by YVR. The plane, operating in the airspace above YVR, forced nine inbound aircrafts to divert to alternate airports.

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At 1:45 p.m., following a 39-minute ground stop, the lone operator of the Cessna 172 landed safely and was taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

We do have an aircraft that has been hijacked and is in the vicinity of the airport, a tower controller warned to other planes in a recording found on LiveATC.net by CNN. Just in case anything starts heading toward [you], you have the ability to move at your discretion.

Getty

According to RCMP, the plane was hijacked at Victoria International Airport and flew 40 miles into YVR airspace.

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) can confirm that the earlier incident involving an aircraft operated by the Victoria Flying Club has been safely resolved, a spokesperson for YYJ shared in a statement. We thank the RCMP, NAV CANADA, the Victoria Flying Club, and our on-site teams for their coordinated response.

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An eyewitness who spoke with CBC noticed the small plane flying in a low airspace it wouldnt normally be in. He wondered if the pilot was in trouble.

A few minutes later, we saw a second pass the plane was making a big clockwise turn, Paul Heeny told the outlet.

On July 16, RCMP released more information about the pilot. A 39-year-old named Shaheer Cassim was charged with one count of hijacking. According to a police press release, Cassim allegedly threatened a flight instructor at YYJ and successfully took control of the Cessna.

Maxvis / Getty Imagest Vancouver International Airport Vancouver International Airport

Investigators have determined the suspect acted with an ideological motive to disrupt airspace, Sgt. Tammy Lobb, media relations officer with Federal Policing  Pacific Region, said in the release. Thankfully, no one was injured during this incident.

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According to police, the investigation is still in its infancy and remains ongoing.



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Garry Begg, minister of public safety and solicitor general of British Colombia, commended authorities for their quick response.

Thankful for the professionalism of police, air traffic controllers, airport personnel and everyone who swiftly responded to todays incident, Begg wrote on X. Relieved that no one was physically harmed, the plane has landed [safely] and that air travel has safely resumed.



Read the original article on People
Shares of Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) hit a new record high this week, finally breaking out after more than a year of choppy trading. But the largest leveraged ETF tied to the stock, the GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NVDL), is still trading below where it was a year ago, offering a cautionary tale for investors in leveraged products.

On Tuesday, Nvidia closed above $170 after announcing that the U.S. government would allow it to resume shipments of its H20 AI chips to China, unlocking billions of dollars in potential sales.

That closing price was nearly 26% above where the stock sat on June 18, 2024, when it last peaked before entering a volatile, sideways stretch marked by both AI hype and fears around competition and demand.

Despite a few attempts to break outhitting $150 on multiple occasionsNvidia never meaningfully surpassed its June 2024 high until now. But with this latest rally, the breakout appears to be real.

Not so for NVDL.

NVDL Lags NVDA Breakout

The leveraged ETF, which aims to provide 2x the daily return of Nvidia stock, topped out above $85 in June 2024. On Tuesday, it closed at $81, still about 4% below its prior peak, even as Nvidia trades 26% above its own.

That underperformance highlights one of the persistent issues with leveraged ETFs: daily rebalancing decay. These products reset their exposure every day, which can lead to compounding losses (or gains) that diverge meaningfully from the underlying stock, especially during periods of volatility. Even if you get the direction of the trade right, timing and path matter a lot.

The divergence has been reflected in investor behavior. NVDL currently holds $4.4 billion in assets under management, down sharply from its peak of $6.7 billion in November 2024. So far this year, investors have pulled $2.2 billion from the fundpossibly a sign of disappointmenteven as Nvidia has soared.

For those tempted by the double-upside promise of leveraged ETFs, this episode offers a stark reminder that getting the stock right isn't always enough.





Permalink |  Copyright 2025 etf.com. All rights reserved
A 43-year-old Kingston man was rescued Thursday in Lincoln after suffering heat-related illness while hiking the challenging 32-mile Pemi Loop in the White Mountains.

Christopher Ricca and his nephew began the popular trail Tuesday morning but encountered trouble Wednesday evening on the Franconia Ridge Trail between Mount Liberty and Mount Flume. When Ricca's condition deteriorated due to heat illness, his nephew hiked out via the Osseo Trail to seek help.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received the emergency call at 8:40 a.m. Thursday. A second hiker later reported finding Ricca still stranded between the two peaks with little progress made, they said.

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Conservation officers and Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue team members reached Ricca at Mount Flume's summit about 2 p.m. As his condition worsened and thunderstorms approached, additional rescue personnel were called in for a carry-out operation, Fish and Game said.

An ATV helped transport gear and rescuers partway up the Osseo Trail. Ricca reached the vehicle at 6:10 p.m. and was back at the parking lot 10 minutes later, where Lin-Wood Ambulance crews assessed his condition.

Fish and Game officials noted the extreme weather conditions this summer have challenged even experienced hikers and emphasized the importance of proper hydration with electrolytes and carrying essential safety equipment.
Congressional Republicans have passed Donald Trumps $9 billion rescissions package, capping a painful ordeal that put even members who supported it in a tough spot.

Now, many Republicans are wincing at the prospect of having to do it all over again.

White House budget director Russ Vought said Thursday that a second request to rescind congressionally approved spending is likely coming soon. That will mean another bitter go-round on an issue that inflamed GOP institutionalists who worry about the administrations steady encroachment on Congress power of the purse  even as many fiscal hawks embraced the move to cut spending in any way possible.

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Some Republicans think next time will be different. They believe the White House understands, after multiple warnings from lawmakers, that another norm-shattering rescissions package couldnt land in GOP laps without a lot more transparency around what, exactly, the administration wanted Congress to cut.

I think well probably take a different approach, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said in an interview Thursday, adding, I think the lesson on this one is, we need to be including the chair and making sure were working together.

Mullin was referring to Sen. Susan Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Maine Republican was so piqued that she voted against the package alongside just one other GOP senator, fellow appropriator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The Appropriations Committee chair cited qualms with both the nature of the original, $9.4 billion spending cut request and the information deficit around the scale and scope of that request.

There cant be too much communication; there cant be too much information with senators.  Weve got to obviously make sure that everybody feels like they're getting all the information they need, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who spearheaded the rescissions process in the Senate, said in an interview Thursday about lessons learned.

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This was something former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell was clamoring for. He ultimately supported the rescissions bill on final passage, but made his irritation with the administration clear after opposing a procedural vote to advance it.

OMB is the problem. They won't tell us how they're going to apply the cut, the Kentucky Republican said of the Office of Management and Budget this week. I want to make it clear I don't have any problem with reducing spending.  They would like a blank check is what they would like, and I don't think that's appropriate.

But its not clear whether the White House is, in fact, prepared to change its approach. At a Christian Science Monitor breakfast with reporters Thursday morning, Vought appeared unrepentant about the posture the OMB had taken in spearheading the $9 billion spending cut request, which would slash public broadcasting and global health initiatives.

The appropriations process has to be less bipartisan, Vought said.

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Without a course correction from the administration, theres no guarantee Republicans would welcome another interruption of their legislative agenda to conduct another exercise that exposes them to Democratic attacks or forces them to potentially cross the president.

That Congress is now entering the pivotal weeks before the Sept. 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown could further diminish the enthusiasm for another rescissions package.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was noncommittal this week when asked about Congress signing off on additional funding cuts, pointing instead to the appropriations process as his top priority.

Well see what the future holds, but the goal right now is to get into the appropriations process. Let's start marking up bills, trying to get them on the floor, Thune said. So my hope would be that that's the way we deal with a lot of these issues.

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Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also suggested his priorities were shifting as the funding cliff deadline approaches. Asked what appetite his colleagues had for more rescissions packages, Hoeven said it depends who you ask. While they could try to do rescissions and appropriations, I want to get the approps process going, Hoeven said.

Even Schmitt, who confirmed that additional rescissions are being contemplated, conceded the Senate is now facing a major scheduling crunch.

Democrats are also warning that pursuing more GOP-only rescissions packages could blow up bipartisan government funding talks, with trust between the two parties already eroding in light of Voughts latest comments.

Top Senate Appropriations Democrat Patty Murray (Wash.), during an Appropriations Committee meeting after Voughts comments, called the GOPs multi-part rescissions push a dangerous new precedent.

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Bipartisanship does not end with any one line being crossed, she said. It erodes over time, bit by bit. And frankly I am alarmed by how quickly that erosion is happening.

At the same time, GOP leaders may have no choice but to plow ahead, especially in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson, his top lieutenants and Trump himself have repeatedly promised votes on an elaborate patchwork of more rescissions packages, party-line reconciliation bills and spending cuts in government funding measures. They did so to appease fiscal hawks who balked at the trillions in new spending in the just-enacted Trump megabill.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), a close ally of Trump, said in an interview earlier this month that shes discussed with the president and Republican leadership a multi-step plan to cut spending that includes massive rescissions and more reconciliation bills.

Vought indicated the White House is well along in planning the next rescissions package. While Mullin said that Republicans are not putting the cart too far before the horse in planning what could be included, some members have had high-level brainstorming sessions with the White House budget chief on the subject.

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Vought has also already started calling GOP senators and is getting an eager reception from some of his Hill allies.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview Thursday that he pushed Vought during a closed-door lunch Tuesday to send additional spending cut packages to Capitol Hill. The budget director, he added, called him on Wednesday morning and said, according to Kennedy, another is coming your way.

I'm ready to gobble them up, Kennedy added, before imitating a turkey: Gobble, gobble.

Cassandra Dumay, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully McManus contributed to this report.
Stand at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jessie Hill Jr. Drive, and wait for the wind to blow.

Admire the blue letters Jesus Saves, hanging like a benediction above Big Bethel AME Church. Steady your eyes and try to see him in the whirlwinds. Its been raining lately in Atlanta, so maybe you will find him in the song of the storm. Lets stand in the sun and gaze up and down the sweetest Negro street in the world: Auburn Avenue.

Wonder what was said as they waited here, Black men and women wrapped in Sunday cloth and anticipation, standing before Big Bethel. The steeple like a fist raised to the heavens, its history pressed between bricks like prayers too sacred for paper.

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It was March 25, 1917. They say he stood at the pulpit that day and roared, not a preacher in sermon, but a storm made flesh.

Marcus Garvey, dressed in a wool suit, his hands gripping the pulpit like the helm of a great ship about to sail, told Black Atlantans they were not property, not problems, not patients waiting to be healed by white hands  no! A people, he stormed. A nation. A future.

Big Bethel vibrated with the kind of silence that comes before revelation. Imagine a baby crying. Someone hushing them. In the back, a man clutched the flyer into his palm. A broadside had called it a mass meeting, a spiritual emergency. The flyer named him The Great West Indian Negro Leader. But what mattered that night wasnt his title, it was his timing. Africa for the Africans, Garvey roared, at home and abroad! And the people didnt just applaud, they rose. Because something in them had risen too.

Let the land still whisper, echoing from a century ago, that somewhere in those pews someone turned to a neighbor and said, We heard something tonight.

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Then five years passed.

A telegram arrived. Simple. From Edward Young Clarke. A request for a meeting. And on June 25, 1922, Marcus Garvey returned to Atlanta  not to speak, but to listen. Just one year earlier, Clarke, the acting imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, had announced the purchase of a new headquarters: the Imperial Palace, located at what once was 2292 Peachtree St. A marble mansion for white terror. Today, the Cathedral of Christ the King stands at the site, 2699 Peachtree Road, offering irony instead of reconciliation.

Read More: Beneath Our Feet: Where MARTA Runs Lives Were Once Sold in Atlanta

What happened next defies logic, but not history. The two men met for two hours. We outlined the aims and objects of the Klan, Clarke later said. We believe America is a white mans country. And we believe the Negro should have a country of his own in Africa. Garvey, in return, extended an invitation to Clarke to speak at a future United Negro Improvement Association convention.

Edward Young Clarke was the acting imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan when he met with Marcus Garvey. (Courtesy of Atlanta History Center Kenan Research Center)

At Liberty Hall in Harlem, Garvey later explained the meeting. Not because I wanted to be a member of the Klan, he told his supporters, but because I wanted to know the truth about the Klans attitude toward the race I represent. He didnt flinch from describing the Klan as the invisible government of the United States, insisting it represented the spirit, the feeling, the attitude of every white man in America. His tone wasnt one of reverence  but of realism. You cannot blame any group of men for organizing in their interest, he said. The Klan is honest. They say, You shall not pass. At least I know where I stand.

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To Garvey, the Klans clarity was preferable to the hollow promises of liberal paternalism. I prefer and have a higher regard for the man who intends to take my life, who will warn me  rather than the man who pretends to be my friend and ushers me into eternity.

But not everyone heard strategy in those words. Some heard surrender. The backlash came with fire.

A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, editors of The Messenger magazine, published their demand: Garvey Must Go. They called him a menace  a race traitor. Pamphlets spread. Letters hit the desks of Justice Department officials. One UNIA supporter received a severed hand in the mail  a message in flesh: Stop him. The speculation that Garvey would sell the race to the Klan grew louder, even though no such deal ever took place.

Atlanta, the same city that had once crowded into Big Bethel to hear him speak, fell silent when he fell from grace. Was it disbelief? Fatigue? Or fear, that naming the fracture would deepen it?

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W.E.B. Du Bois named it plainly. Marcus Garvey is, without doubt, the most dangerous enemy of the Negro race in America and in the world, he wrote in the NAACPs official publication, The Crisis. Their rivalry had hardened into ideology. Garvey believed in Black sovereignty; Du Bois, in Black integration. But even Du Bois, in private, conceded more than he printed. He speaks not just to ignorance, but to despair, he wrote. And despair listens louder than reason.

A few years after the Klan meeting, Garvey returned to Atlanta.

This time, there was no pulpit. No invite from the grand wizard of the Klan. In February 1925, he entered the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, convicted of mail fraud related to the Black Star Line, the ambitious shipping company founded to carry the dreams of Black liberation across the Atlantic. A movement was now reduced to trial exhibits. A vision, chained to a single charge.

Inside those red brick walls, Garvey wrote in his first message from Atlanta: All I have I have given to you. I have sacrificed my home and my loving wife for you. If I die in Atlanta my work shall live, in the physical or spiritual to see the day of Africas glory. Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm, look for me all around you.

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He served nearly four years. Then was deported. The Atlanta Federal Penitentiary still stands. Drive past it now on McDonough Boulevard. No apology. No plaque. No memory. Just iron and brick and time.

Read More: Beneath Our Feet: Gentrifying Neighborhoods Hold Stories of 24 Murdered Black Women

We will stand there, now. Let your eyes linger on the windows, wonder which one was his. Did he remember the mass at Big Bethel? Did he picture ships on the horizon? Did he still believe?

And we do. Because belief is memory. And memory needs belief. Otherwise, it drifts.

So lets walk. Come sit on the steps of Big Bethel. Let the heat rise from the street and the silence gather. Then go up to Peachtree and place your hand on the stones outside the Cathedral of Christ the King, not to find answers, but to anchor in the affirming.

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Marcus Garvey was here. Not just in the speeches and the scandals, but in the contradictions. His legacy isnt clean. But it is real.

And maybe, just maybe, he still is here in the whirlwinds. In the song of the storm.

The post History Beneath Our Feet: Marcus Garvey Met with the Klan and then Faced Prison in Atlanta appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
Democratic activist David Hogg shed fresh light on his battle with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington on Wednesday.

Hogg said he was given an ultimatum during his brief tenure as a DNC vice chair earlier this year to do nothing with his group, Leaders We Deserve, beyond collect a check if he wanted to keep the DNC title he described as largely ceremonial.

I want to say this publicly, because I think Im going to be vindicated in four years, unfortunately, Hogg said onstage during the event. There have been vice chairs before that have had leadership PACs that have given to people in primaries, that have given to and against incumbents in primaries, and in the 107-plus years of the DNC, there has not been a bylaw that has been put into place that say to vice chairs you cannot be involved in primaries other than the presidential.

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Hogg argued his treatment by the DNC was effectively a double standard selectively enforced against him and warned the archaic restrictions barring vice chairs from giving to candidates with their leadership PACs will ultimately come back to haunt the party.

When I talked to people in the DNC about a theoretical situation where a future president appoints, lets say a governor to be a vice chair, and that vice chair has a leadership PAC, and they give to somebody in their own state  whether its for an incumbent or against an incumbent  with that leadership, he explained.

Are you telling me that youre expecting the future chair to go to the Democratic president of the United States or Democratic nominee and say, Im sorry, Mr. or Mrs. President, your friend, because of this archaic rule, is no longer allowed to be a vice chair because they gave to somebody in their own state? he said. And you know what the answer I got back was? I cant speculate on the future.

Hogg launched Leaders We Deserve in an effort to elect a new generation of lawmakers and drew headlines for the groups $20 million effort to primary safe House Democrats. The activist has repeatedly maintained that the group would not target House Democrats facing uphill reelection bids, also known as Frontline Members.

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DNC Chair Ken Martin told reporters on a press call following the groups effort that no DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election.

While certainly I understand what hes trying to do, as Ive said to him  if you want to challenge incumbents, youre free to do that, just not as an officer of the DNC, Martin said.

Martin emphasized at the time he has great respect for Hogg and referred to him as an amazing young leader.

Hogg left the DNC earlier this year after deciding not to run following a move to redo his election over a procedural rule about gender diversity.

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Despite the disagreements between Hogg and Martin, Hogg said he thinks he still has a good relationship with the chair.

Theres obviously disagreements that we have at the end of the day, Hogg said. I still have enormous respect for all of my fellow vice chairs [and] for the other officers of the DNC.

I just saw this as a strategic disagreement, he continued. I didnt want to be in a position where its like, Oh, Im just going to keep this ceremonial role because I care so much about this title, instead of actually doing what I felt was necessary in order to help create the change that I thought was desperately needed right now.

Hoggs group has gotten mixed results in various special elections so far this year. In June, Leaders We Deserve backed Virginia state Del. Irene Shin (D) in the special Democratic primary for Virginias 11th Congressional District, vacated by the death of former Rep. Gerry Connolly (D). Shin ultimately lost to Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who was Connollys former chief of staff.

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And in Arizona, where former Rep. Raul Grijalvas (D) death vacated the 7th Congressional District seat, Hoggs group backed Generation Z influencer Deja Foxx, who lost to Grijalvas daughter, Adelita Grijalva, on Tuesday.

Hogg congratulated Grijalva on her win at Wednesdays summit, calling her an amazing progressive.

Im happy to see a progressive win that seat regardless, he said.

However, Hogg and Leaders We Deserve saw a massive win last month, when their endorsed candidate Zohran Mamdani defied expectations and won the Democratic primary in New York Citys mayoral race.

Hogg hit back at the backlash Mamdani has faced following the win, calling it racist.

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A lot of stuff that I think is very, you know, racist, Hogg said at the summit. A lot of times, it wasnt even focused on his actual policy. It was more focused on him and his identity.

The comments came the same day Mamdani was meeting with Democrats in Washington, D.C., including progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who hosted a breakfast for the candidate. Hogg said he and his group would most likely be involved in the general election.

When asked what he is most hopeful about as a Democrat in Trumps Washington, Hogg said: The fact that I am going to outlive a lot of people who are against me.

Its just the truth, he continued. D.C. right now, with the number of older people who have just clung on to power for so long  its not nearly as dramatic as this, but it feels a little bit like the end of the Soviet Union.

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Hogg predicted there will be a massive power vacuum.

Were going to challenge the status quo even if its a tough fight, he said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem unveiled a new express security lane for military members and their families at Nashville International Airport on July 17.

She added that more changes are coming to TSA security, in addition to recent policy shifts to shoe screening rules, including the introduction of dedicated lanes for all traveling families.

"The Trump administration is working very hard to make sure that we're not only maintaining and implementing and enhancing all of our security protocols, but that we're also making travel more enjoyable," Noem said.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference at Nashville International Airport announcing new express TSA lanes for military families as part of the Serve With Honor, Travel With Ease initiative Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Transportation Security Administration officers will allow all active-duty members of the military through the expedited line, dubbed the "honor lane," and into Nashville's main terminal with proof of service. BNA joins 10 other major airports in the country launching the initiative aimed at expanding travel benefits for military members.

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"These tokens of gratitude are just a small amount of what we can do in this country to honor those who serve in our military, but also them and their families and recognize their sacrifice," Noem said.

Why is Nashville Airport expanding veterans services?

Honor lanes are also opening at San Antonio International Airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Colorado Springs Airport, El Paso International Airport, Fayetteville Regional Airport, San Diego International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Kristi Noem: Illegal immigrants 'go home'; state rep. ejected from Nashville airport event

Homeland Security officials said the airports were selected to start the rollout of honor lanes because they are near larger military installations.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem arrives for a press conference at Nashville International Airport announcing new express TSA lanes for military families as part of the Serve With Honor, Travel With Ease initiative Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Fort Campbell sits about 60 miles outside of Nashville, but still squarely in the traveler base for BNA. The site supports a population of approximately 30,000 active military members and 51,000 of their family members.

TSA airport policy changes: Shoes and liquids at security, priority lanes

Noem's Nashville announcement follows several recent TSA policy changes. On July 8, Noem announced that TSA would no longer require passengers to remove their shoes when going through security, a policy that has been in place since 2006. Earlier this week, on July 16, she teased the possibility of changing the amount of liquid passengers may bring in their carry-ons, moving away from the current 3.4-ounce standard.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference at Nashville International Airport announcing new express TSA lanes for military families as part of the Serve With Honor, Travel With Ease initiative Thursday, July 17, 2025.

"We're making sure that every policy that we have is a common sense policy that serves people and keeps us safe," Noem said.

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The new honor lanes are one part of the campaign Noem launched in early July for added military travel benefits. Some military members already received free or discounted TSA PreCheck enrollment, but now, all military and civilian employees of the Department of Defense can join TSA PreCheck free of charge.

Family members of active military will get a $25 discount, and family members of military personnel who died in combat will also be able to receive PreCheck for free.

Noem also announced plans to introduce priority TSA lanes for families traveling through U.S. airports  not just those with military ties.

"We also recognize that these family lanes are ones that will be specifically implemented first around large areas where people travel with their kids quite often," she said.

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A family-priority lane pilot project has already begun in Orlando.

Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sec. Kristi Noem visits Nashville airport to unveil new TSA lane
WASHINGTON  The House narrowly approved President Donald Trumps $9 billion spending cuts package during a rare overnight voting session on Friday, marking a major victory for the Republican Party after weeks of negotiations.

Lawmakers voted 216-213 to advance the measure with only two Republicans joining all Democrats to oppose the package. All four members of Utahs delegation voted to approve the measure.

The spending cuts now head to Trumps desk for his signature.

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The rescissions package passed the Senate early Thursday morning, although its future in the House looked uncertain after a handful of Republican lawmakers raised concerns about Democratic efforts to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Democrats have been hammering Republicans on the issue all week, forcing their GOP colleagues to vote against proposals releasing the files due to procedural loopholes  even those in the Republican Party who want those files to be published.

Those concerns led to a last-minute agreement with GOP leadership to vote on a separate nonbinding resolution to release the files that would give Republican lawmakers some political cover and an opportunity to quickly advance the rescissions package ahead of the Friday deadline.

The bill includes roughly $9 billion in spending cuts for programs already approved by Congress but targeted by the Trump administration as being wasteful or anti-conservative.

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One of the most notable provisions is language to rescind roughly $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was authorized by Congress in 1967. The corporation helps to provide funding for PBS and NPR, which Republicans have targeted over accusations of anti-conservative bias.

Less than 1% of NPRs total funding comes from the federal government, but some local and rural stations rely on those funds for emergency alert systems and other educational purposes.

The package also contains billions of dollars in cuts to other foreign aid and humanitarian projects, particularly in relation to the United Nations, which some Republicans have accused of being rife with fraud and abuse.
Two senior House Democrats, including the first out gay immigrant member of Congress, are demanding records and explanations from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following what they describe as a politically driven dismantling of HIV prevention, treatment, and research programs under the Trump administrations fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.

In a Thursday letter to Kennedy, Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee and representing California, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services and representing Illinois, accused HHS of systematically abandoning decades of bipartisan progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS in both domestic and global contexts.

The lawmakers said the cuts appear driven by conspiracy theories and misinformation, including Kennedys previous false claim that HIV does not cause AIDS. Kennedy has claimed that the AIDS crisis was caused by poppers and a gay lifestyle, falsely asserting that the virus was not infectious and instead environmental. He has also likened transgender youth to chemically altered frogs, repeating debunked claims that environmental toxins are forcibly feminizing boys.

Under Kennedys leadership, HHS eliminated the CDCs HIV prevention division, cancelled a $258 million NIH vaccine initiative, and terminated dozens of research grants, including those focused on prevention among Black and Latino gay men. Providers, the letter states, were left in limbo when HHS failed to notify state and local health departments about grant statuses.

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These disruptions would threaten Americans most at risk of contracting HIV, Garcia and Krishnamoorthi wrote. This decision is absolutely reckless and puts millions of lives at risk, Garcia added in a statement, emphasizing the severity of the impact. Oversight Democrats refuse to let Secretary Kennedys reliance on conspiracy theories and misinformation threaten public health. We will fight back against every attack.

Krishnamoorthi echoed the urgency, calling the rollback scientifically indefensibleits morally unconscionable, and warned the United States is reversing decades of bipartisan gains in HIV and AIDS prevention and care. The letter also addresses the administrations January pause on all foreign aid, including funding for the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. While Congress later protected PEPFAR funding amid bipartisan concern, the lawmakers warn that broader global programs remain at risk, with the potential to cause over 100,000 HIV-related deaths in subSaharan Africa in a single year.

The letter warns that the budgets proposed $1.5 billion cut to domestic HIV programs could result in more than 143,000 new HIV cases and 127,000 deaths within five years. It further expresses concern that funding decisions, which also threaten access to newly approved injectable treatments like lenacapavir, are being made without a clear evaluation of equity or scientific integrity.

This was our chance to take HIV prevention to a whole new level, and instead were hitting the brakes, Yale researcher Jirair Ratevosian previously told The Advocate. This isnt just bad policy, its a direct threat to public health.

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Garcia and Krishnamoorthi have requested all records and communications about the cuts from HHS by July 31. The department did not respond to The Advocates request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Advocate: House Oversight Democrats demand records over RFK Jr.s HIV program cuts

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Six months into Donald Trumps presidency, Congress finally codified a small piece of the hundreds of billions of dollars his Department of Government Efficiency pinpointed as waste.

House Republicans gave final approval just after midnight Friday to Trumps proposal to claw back $9 billion in public media and foreign assistance, greenlighting the Senate's changes to the measure that will bake in proposed DOGE cuts to public media and foreign aid. The package now heads to the president's desk.

The Houses 216-213 vote to clear the Senate-amended package comes less than 24 hours after the Senate voted to tweak the administrations original proposal that would have cut an additional $400 million from the global AIDS fighting program, PEPFAR. Senate Republicans also added language vowing that certain food assistance programs would be protected, and staved off impacts to other food aid, maternal health, malaria and tuberculosis-related initiatives.

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This bill tonight is part of continuing that trend of getting spending under control. Does it answer all the problems? No. Nine billion dollars is a good start, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Two House Republicans, Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted against the measure for the second time, having also opposed it when the House first voted on the package last month. But Republican Reps. Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Mark Amodei of Nevada flipped to "yes," heartened by the Senate deal to strike the proposed cut to AIDS-prevention efforts.

The package was advanced in the House under a fast-track process: Instead of voting directly on the bill, lawmakers triggered passage by voting for a procedural measure thats typically used to set up debate. It meant lawmakers would not have to take an additional vote.

It also helped House Republicans move quickly to pass the bill, which needed to be shipped to Trumps desk by Friday night or the rescissions request would expire and the administration would be forced to spend the money as Congress originally intended.

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This rescissions package is the first to succeed in more than 30 years, and its already causing trouble for the annual appropriations process just 10 weeks before the Sept. 30 deadline to reach a funding deal or launch a government shutdown.

In the Senate, where spending bills need 60 votes to pass, Republicans will need Democratic support to approve even a short-term funding patch to avoid a lapse in federal operations. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer already warned in a letter to his caucus earlier this month of consequences if Republicans continued to go it alone on government funding.

In the House, the chambers top Democratic appropriator, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, said Republicans approval of the clawbacks package was tantamount to a rubber stamp on the Trump administrations stealing from the American people.

This rescissions bill is another effort to subvert the Congress power of the purse, she said.

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Meanwhile, White House budget chief Russ Vought said Thursday morning that another rescissions package is likely coming soon to Capitol Hill, setting up another chance for Republicans to vote to cancel funding passed on a bipartisan basis  and further inflame partisan tensions.

House Republicans also teed up a procedural measure earlier Thursday evening to trigger passage of a non-binding resolution expressing support for the release of documents related to late-disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

GOP leaders are promoting the measure, to be considered at a later date, as a release valve for rank and file lawmakers who wanted to vote on the matter but not actually go on record in favor of making materials public.

It was the culmination of a daylong scramble that delayed eventual passage of the rescissions bill.

Nicholas Wu and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
House Republicans gave the final stamp of approval early Friday morning to a package of $9 billion in spending cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, handing a win to President Donald Trump.

Congress passed the package  which is part of Trumps cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency efforts  under an obscure presidential budget law used to circumvent the Senate filibuster. The measure will now head to the president to be signed into law.

Trump is the first president in roughly 30 years to successfully use the maneuver, in a show of deference to the White House from the legislative branch  which is specifically given the power of the purse in the US Constitution.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. - Nathan Howard/Reuters

Roughly $8 billion will be taken from congressionally approved foreign aid programs as part of the White Houses efforts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development. Another $1.1 billion comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR and PBS.

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The final tally was 216-213, with GOP Reps. Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick the only Republicans to vote against the package.

The spending cuts package, which codifies some of DOGEs cuts into law, was a key priority for Trump and conservatives who have long railed against ballooning federal spending.

Ahead of final passage, however, the package ran into problems in the narrowly divided House, as some of the same members demanded a separate and unrelated promise from GOP leadership calling for more transparency on the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The issue of more transparency over the Epstein case has percolated for days on Capitol Hill, placing an awkward wedge between Trump and some of his most steadfast supporters in the House GOP. Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team spent hours on Thursday afternoon with members of the House Rules Committee negotiating over the path forward.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday. - Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Ultimately, the committee voted Thursday night to advance the DOGE cuts package as well as a non-binding resolution that calls for the release of additional Jeffrey Epstein files following calls from a number of Republicans for more transparency surrounding the case. There is nothing that would compel this to the floor, however.

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The spending cuts package is $400 million less than the initial package the House passed after Senators rejected a plan to cut PEPFAR, a global program to combat AIDS. But conservatives still voted for the package when it came up for its second vote in the House arguing it contained significant spending cuts in other areas of global health.

Its disappointing that were, you know, $37 trillion in debt. This, to me, was low hanging fruit. We saw how DOGE exposed a lot of this misuse of funds. Its disappointing that the Senate took it out, Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri said. Its better than nothing. So I think that at least were able to make some spending reductions.

Passage of the bill, however, now raises questions about how and whether Democrats and Republicans will be able to work together to keep the government funded past the September 30 deadline. Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer argued the process has cast doubt on whether Democrats can work in good faith with Republican lawmakers who could agree to a spending deal now and pull future funding later.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters at the US Capitol on Thursday. - J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Schumer said that he does not have much faith in Senate Majority Leader John Thunes insistence that Senate Republicans will approach government funding in a bipartisan way, after White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said earlier on Thursday that the appropriations process should be less bipartisan.

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Every time they have tried to resist Trump and Vought, they have folded  as recently as last night. I dont have much faith in that, Schumer told CNN.

GOP appropriators argue that the rescissions package shouldnt have any impact on those future spending talks and if it does, that is Democrats own choice.

Its up to them, House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration's handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency.

The House resolution, which could potentially be voted on next week, will do practically nothing to force the Justice Department to release more records in the case. Still, it showed how backlash from the Republican base is putting pressure on the Trump administration and roiling GOP lawmakers.

The House was held up for hours Thursday from final consideration of President Donald Trumps request for about $9 billion in government funding cuts because GOP leaders were trying to respond to demands from their own ranks that they weigh in on the Epstein files. In the late evening they settled on the resolution as an attempt to simultaneously placate calls from the far-right for greater transparency and satisfy President Donald Trump, who has called the issue a hoax that his supporters should forget about.

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Yet the House resolution was the latest demonstration of how practically no one is moving on from Attorney General Pam Bondis promises to publicly release documents related to Epstein. Since he was found dead in his New York jail cell in August 2019 following his arrest on sex trafficking charges, the well-connected financier has loomed large among conservatives and conspiracy theorists who have now lashed out at Trump and Bondi for declining to release more files in the case.

The House Republicans are for transparency, and theyre looking for a way to say that they agree with the White House. We agree with the president. Everything he said about that, all the credible evidence should come out, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday afternoon.

Democrats vehemently decried the resolution's lack of force. They have advanced their own legislation, with support from nine Republicans, that would require the Justice Department to release more information on the case.

Rep. Jim McGovern, who led the Democrats' debate against the Republican resolution Thursday night, called it a glorified press release and a fig leaf so they can move on from this issue.

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Under pressure from his own GOP members, Johnson had to demonstrate action on the Epstein files or risk having Republicans support the Democratic measures that would force the release of nearly all documents.

The American people simply need to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference. Democrats didnt put this into the public domain. The conspiracy theory provocateur-in-chief Donald Trump is the one, along with his extreme MAGA Republican associates, who put this whole thing into the public domain for years. And now they are reaping what they have sown.

Still, Democrats, who hold minorities in both chambers, have relished the opportunity to make Republicans repeatedly block their attempts to force the Justice Department to release the documents.

Trump in recent years has suggested he would release more information about the investigation into Epstein, especially amid speculation over a supposed list of Epstein's clients.

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In February, the Justice Department released some government documents regarding the case, but there were no new revelations. After a months-long review of additional evidence, the department earlier this month released a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself, but said no other files related to the case would be made public.

A White House spokeswoman said Thursday that Trump would not recommend a special counsel in the case. But later Thursday, the president said he had asked Bondi to seek the release of testimony from grand jury proceedings in the case.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said that process would likely only produce limited information, but added that it showed that the president is hearing the American people.
Nvidia (NVDA) is set to recoup billions of dollars in revenue if the tech giant resumes sales of its AI chips to China as expected after a surprise export ban in April.

Wall Street analysts at Stifel, Bernstein, and William Blair said Nvidia could make up as much as $15 billion in revenue from China in the second half of the year to hit around $20 billion from the region for its 2026 fiscal year, which ends next January. That would be an uptick from its roughly $17 billion in sales from China in 2025.

Nvidia said Tuesday that it had received assurances from the Trump administration that it would be granted licenses to resume sales of its H20 chips to Chinese customers, sending the stock to a new record high.

Stifel analyst Ruben Roy raised his price target on Nvidia to $202 from $180 following the news, writing in a note to clients Tuesday that, given pent-up demand, there will "likely be an accelerated cadence of H20 ingestion from China customers" in the second half of the year.

Roy sees Nvidia's China revenue hitting $19.5 billion in 2026, including its H20 sales in the first quarter. However, he told Yahoo Finance in an email that the company's ability to hit that target depends on manufacturing capacity at its contract manufacturer TSMC, which he said is "tight."

"[I]t is unclear if they can actually get all the way there," he wrote.

Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon sees Nvidia raking in anywhere between $10 billion and $15 billion in revenue from China in the second half of the year  implying that the company would hit anywhere from $15.5 billion to $20.5 billion in revenue for the full year  writing, "they still have to actually get licenses granted ... then secure purchase orders, then have parts built and shipped."

Nvidia was effectively banned from selling its H20 chips to China in April in an unexpected move from the Trump administration that sent shares tumbling. China is one of Nvidia's most important markets, behind only the US, Singapore, and Taiwan. The country accounted for 13% of the AI chipmaker's revenue in its 2025 fiscal year  but DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria estimates that Chinese companies actually represent between 25% and 40% of Nvidia's end customers due to chip smuggling.

Nvidia has repeatedly created new, lower-power chips to sell to China in the face of tightening US export controls, as the US government has cited national security concerns over China's development of AI. The company began sales of its H20 chips  graphics processing units based on its prior-generation Hopper architecture  in 2024. Due to the latest ban under Trump in April, Nvidia said it lost $2.5 billion in sales in China in the first quarter, in addition to getting hit with a $4.5 billion write-down in inventory. The company projected it would see $8 billion in lost sales in the country in the second quarter.
President Donald Trumps determination to barrel ahead with tariffs is forcing a growing number of Republican lawmakers to make an uncomfortable choice: defend the presidents agenda or influential industries back home.

So far, they are trying to thread the needle by expressing concerns to administration officials couched in praise for the president  but not yet supporting legislation to rein in his trade authority. The gentle, behind-the-scenes pushback, primarily in the form of group letters, is a sign of the squeeze Trumps trade agenda is putting on some Republicans, who face pressure from powerful, export-reliant industries like aerospace and agriculture, but also fear crossing a president known for nursing grudges.

In recent weeks, dozens of House Republicans have signed onto letters to Trumps top trade advisers encouraging them to take a restrained approach to future tariffs  in particular, the industry-specific tariffs the Commerce Department is weighing on sectors ranging from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals to drones. Trump has hinted that some of those duties will be rolled out soon, telling reporters on Tuesday that tariffs on pharmaceuticals could be coming at the end of the month, starting at a low rate but gradually rising to a very high tariff.

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That effort is being driven in part by industry groups representing a broad range of critical sectors that depend on trade and exports, that have concluded that direct appeals to the administration carry less weight than channeling their lobbying through Congress.

The lawmakers letters are always laudatory. We write to commend this Administrations commitment to restore a robust American manufacturing sector, read a June 17 letter from two dozen House Republicans  many representing swing districts  that was shared with POLITICO.

But the underlying request is clear: rein in the tariffs.

The June letter, which was led by Rep. Ron Estes, went on to urge U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to honor a longstanding zero-tariff agreement on civil aircraft between the U.S. and other countries  and, implicitly, drop the administrations plan to raise tariffs on imports of aerospace products. Lawmakers also underscored the industrys trade surplus and its high-wage domestic manufacturing workforce  a subtle counterpoint to Trumps argument that tariffs are necessary to rebalance global trade and return manufacturing to the U.S.

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Estes Wichita-based district is home to several aerospace companies, including the headquarters for Spirit Aerosystems, a commercial airline manufacturer. Kansas companies export about $2.3 billion in aerospace products annually, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce, which is 20 percent of the Midwestern states total exports.

One of the unique things in the aerospace industry is that since 1979 theres been a zero-zero tariff policy thats out there, Estes said in an interview. And that kind of ties in with the presidents objective of how do we have growth in America, because without having some of the constraints around tariffs, America has been very successful in terms of developing and supplying the world.

Estes and a number of his GOP colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee also signed onto a recent letter urging Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to narrow the focus of any future U.S. duties on pharmaceuticals to Chinese-made products, reminding Lutnick that trade disruptions to drugs jeopardize the health and lives of Americans that rely on treatment.

I feel strongly that we need a targeted approach, Nicole Malliotakis, the New York Republican who led the letter, said in a recent interview. We cant make it in America if we dont have certain parts and components and materials, and so, the first piece of this is to make sure the things we actually need to make in America are available and dont have the tariffs.

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Malliotakis Staten Island-based district is home to a network of independent pharmacies that have long complained about rising drug costs and shrinking profit margins  problems they say would be exacerbated by broad-based tariffs on imported medicines.

One of the lobbyists who pitched the letter to Malliotakis and her colleagues said it was the product of outreach from local pharmacists, the mom-and-pop shops, who helped nudge the right-leaning lawmakers into understanding the outsized impact of hikes on pharmaceutical tariffs. The lobbyist was granted anonymity to discuss the details of those private conversations.

Its just one example of the quiet but intense effort by business groups to rein in the Trump administrations most potentially damaging duties  particularly those Trump is considering applying on a national security basis. Under existing trade law known as Section 232, the Commerce Department must investigate whether foreign imports of a certain product represents a security threat before the president can take that action. Lutnick is currently overseeing nine investigations of key industries  everything from lumber to copper to semiconductors to drones.

A White House official defended the administrations plans to target critical sectors with higher tariffs, arguing there are "very clear national security, national and economic security prerogatives at play."

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"We all remember back in 2021, 2022 ... we had shortages of critical drugs and medical equipment during Covid," as well as "car shortages because of semiconductor shortages."

The administration is approaching the tariffs in "a much more thoughtful way than I think we're being ... given credit for," the official continued. "They're all also hypotheticals, because, again, we have to finish these 232 reports. We haven't unveiled any of these."

Industry groups, however, are pulling out all the stops to pressure the administration not to follow through on the most extreme tariff proposals, from filing comments on the investigations, to walking lawmakers through factories that may have to make cuts due to the tariffs, to attempting to secure as many meetings as possible with officials they know have Trumps ear.

One pro-trade lobbyist, who pitched a March letter to GOP lawmakers calling for greater agricultural market access, said industry groups are focusing their efforts on the members of Congress that they know that have phone call access to the Trump administration.

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An official in the U.S. Trade Representatives office confirmed it has been fielding comments from members of Congress and the business community about tariffs potential impact.

USTR has been engaged with Congress, stakeholders, and business leaders at an unprecedented pace and will continue to do so, said the official, who was granted anonymity to speak about meetings that are not open to the public.

A spokesperson for the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to POLITICOs request for comment.

At the same time, business groups and their allies in Congress are being careful not to appear like they are criticizing Trump or opposing a key plank of his administration.

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Theres room in this administration for those differences of opinion about the best way to architect an equal America First trade strategy, said one right-leaning corporate lobbyist involved with the effort, who recently met with administration officials. And if certain approaches are fine-tuned or refined, theres a way to truly protect key segments of manufacturing.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and 11 other Senate Republicans joined with 44 House colleagues to send a letter to Trumps top trade officials thanking them for their work on trade deals, while pushing the administration to continue to expand U.S. agricultural markets.

Theyre rooting for the president, Daines said of his constituents. They just want to see [trade deals] done sooner versus later. And the administration is seeing that, I know theyve got a full court press on this, going as fast as they can.

Senate Republicans have been forced to vote on Democrat-led resolutions aimed at blocking Trump from pursuing some of his tariffs  and all but a few toed the party line. House Republicans, however, have maneuvered to avoid a similar vote. That has allowed members to maintain that they are firmly in favor of Trumps agenda.

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It is categorically wrong to say we oppose Trump on trade, said one of the staffers for a Republican lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

To put it another way, Its not our job to publicly shame Trump on his approach to trade, said a staffer for a different Republican lawmaker. Its about Trump understanding the benefits of a more measured approach.

We admit theres still work to do, the staffer added.
"It would be unfortunate if we were forced to publicly disclose that Israel is engaging in harassment and displaying a negative stance toward these groups."

In a strongly worded letter to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee voiced his dissatisfaction with Israel's refusal to grant collective entry visas to numerous Christian organizations, according to a report by N12 on Thursday.

Huckabee stated, "It would be unfortunate if we were forced to publicly disclose that Israel is engaging in harassment and displaying a negative stance toward these groups." He concluded with a pointed warning: "Should this continue, I will have no choice but to consider implementing reciprocal measures against Israeli citizens requesting US visas."

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The letter, one of the most severe ever sent by a US ambassador to an Israeli official, was also forwarded to several high-ranking Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the N12 report added.

N12 further elaborated on Huckabee's remarks, where he noted the irony of Israel's stance against Christian organizations despite the strong US-Israel alliance under President Trump. According to Huckabee, the Israeli Interior Ministry has been independently investigating each evangelical organization, requiring them to submit detailed forms regarding their religious beliefs, activities, and assets in Israel.

As a result, these groups have been denied new visas for religious representatives, pending the investigations conclusion, the report noted.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks during a dinner with US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Blue Room of the White House, July 7, 2025 (credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Expressing disbelief, Huckabee remarked, "It is incomprehensible that the situation is deteriorating rather than improving. The US and evangelical Christian organizations are Israels allies, yet we are being treated like adversaries. As the US Ambassador, I formally request a resolution to the deteriorating relations with the Ministry of the Interior to avoid further escalation."

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Huckabee continued, saying, "It would be deeply unfortunate if our embassy is forced to publicly inform Americans that Israel does not welcome Christian organizations and is instead subjecting them to harassment and ill treatment." Huckabee also warned, "We will have no choice but to inform American Christians that their generous contributions are being met with hostility and advise them to reconsider their travel plans."

Huckabee's letter ended with a firm warning: "If the Israeli government continues its bureaucratic harassment, I will have no choice but to instruct our consular department to consider reciprocal actions against Israeli citizens applying for US visas. This is not the type of relationship Israel wants to maintain with its closest ally."

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel responds

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel expressed surprise at the letter in a direct response to Huckabee, N12 reported, stating, "I was taken aback by your message, and the course of action you took exceeds usual diplomatic norms."

Arbel continued, "As I near the end of my term as Interior Minister, I address your concerns regarding the handling of visa applications from evangelical organizations. You have claimed that our handling of these applications deviates from previous understandings, but I assure you, this is not the case."

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The minister emphasized his commitment to addressing the matter promptly: "As I discussed during our previous meeting, I am committed to ensuring the swift processing of these requests. Following our conversation, I directed all relevant professionals to act accordingly, and I appointed a team from my office, led by my chief of staff, to ensure the effective and ongoing processing of these matters."

Arbel further assured Huckabee, "To the best of my knowledge and after consulting with Attorney Kyle Michael Myers, who is representing your interests, each request I received has been dealt with swiftly. I have instructed the same approach for the cases mentioned in your letter, which were not previously brought to my attention."

Expressing surprise at the ambassadors actions, Arbel added, "Considering the direct and ongoing communication between my office and yours, and the swift handling of each inquiry, I was surprised that your claims were presented in this manner, especially your decision to send the letter to multiple senior officials without first reaching out to me directly. In my view, this approach goes beyond the expected norms and does not reflect the constructive relationship we have developed."

The exchange follows Huckabees appearance at the District Court on Wednesday, where Netanyahu was testifying in his ongoing trial. Huckabee showed support by bringing along a "Bibi" doll. Before entering the courtroom, Huckabee commented at a local government conference, "Its hard to perform the duties elected officials are entrusted with when they are bogged down by legal issues. President Trump understands the strain of managing such a difficult term while being tied up in courtrooms, facing judges who arent always fair."
Protesters hold signs during the Good Trouble Lives On rally Thursday in Annapolis. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Carl Snowden looked out at the crowd of hundreds of peaceful, sign-carrying protesters gathered on Lawyers Mall in the oppressive heat of a late July afternoon and liked what he saw. And he thought John Lewis would have liked it, too.

Youre part of what John Lewis had once dreamed of, a multiracial group of people who understand that America at its best, is America thats diverse, said Snowden, a longtime Anne Arundel County civil rights activist who told the crowd that they are a part of history.

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America is at a crossroads, he said. But for some people who are pessimistic, I want to tell you, this is not the time for pessimism. This is not the time for apathy. This is a time for action.

The event in Annapolis was one of more than 1,600 Good Trouble Lives On rallies scheduled across the U.S.  more than 40 in Maryland  honoring the legacy of former U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a renowned civil rights leader who talked about making good trouble to advance social justice. Lewis died five years ago Thursday, on July 17, 2020, at age 80.

Some events were as simple as a few people gathering to wave signs at passing traffic, others were large, organized marches. In Annapolis, one of four anchor cities selected to host a large-scale event as part of the John Lewis National Day of Action, protesters gathered at different points around the city before marching to Lawyers Mall and the steps of the State House for a rally.

Throughout the event, held by the statue of former civil rights lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, advocates and local elected officials spoke of Lewis legacy and the different threats they said Marylanders face as a result of the Trump administration.

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Maryland Sen. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) said that you have to use your voice to make sure you preserve the right to use your voice.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

We will not settle for having a right on paper but no voice out loud, for having a right on paper but no way to exercise it, Henson said. We will not settle for rhetoric and talk. We will continue to protest, we will continue to march, we will continue to rally to remember and reflect on those who came before us, but you need to have victory in hand.

Lewis represented Georgias 5th District in Congress from 1987 until his death in 2020. Before that, he was a leader of some of the most important moments of the Civil Rights era, including delivering a keynote speech at the famed 1963 March on Washington at age 23.

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Two years later, in March 1965, he was at the head of a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, for voting rights when marchers were attacked by state police as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, an event now known as Bloody Sunday. It helped set the stage for passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd) planned to attend the rally, but got stuck in late votes Thursday on Capitol Hill, so a staffer brought a message from Elfreth to the crowd.

These are dark times, which is why we must continue to band together to win where we can and protect our community where we must, said Eva Lewis, the staffer. We must continue to believe that we can make the change we want to see, that the pendulum will swing back towards equality, freedom and the ideals we hold dear.

But that pendulum swing wont happen on its own, Lewis said.

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It requires all of us here today to push and fight for a path forward  a path forward that John Lewis and so many others knew was possible, she told the crowd.

Several speakers highlighted the impacts Trumps administration has had on education.

Evelyn DeJesus, the American Federation of Teachers executive vice president, said everything the unions members stand for has been turned into a punching bag.

The Trump administration is trying to defund education unilaterally through government outreach, DeJesus said. The administration does not have the right to starve children because of would-be savings.

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Protesters march up Francis Street in downtown Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

A person takes a photo of demonstrators holding signs during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Carl Snowden speaks to a crowd of several hundred people during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Protestors hold signs during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

A sign reading "Democracy Not Oligarchy" sits in front of the State House during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

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Protesters march up Francis Street in downtown Annapolis on July 17, 2025 as a police officer looks on. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Maryland Sen. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) speaks to the crowd assembled to honor the legacy of Rep. John Lewis in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

A person carries a "Good Trouble" sign on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Anne Arundel County Councilmember Lisa Rodvien, left, holds the megaphone as a young attendee, Jet, gives remarks. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

A protestor carries a sign reading "No Child Should Starve For A Tax Cut!" in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

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American Federation of Teachers Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus speaks during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Protesters hold signs as they march toward Main Street during the Good Trouble Lives On rally in Annapolis on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters)

Others, like CASA policy manager Ninfa Amador-Hernandez and Annapolis Pride Chair Joe Toolan, spoke of the threats faced by immigrant communities both in Maryland and across the U.S.

I see every day how fear permeates my Latino siblings. Fear because ICE is detaining anyone who is brown and sending them to Alligator Alcatraz, Toolan said, referring to a temporary migrant detention center recently opened in the Florida Everglades.

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After the event, Anne Arundel County Councilmember Lisa Rodvien (D-6th) said its important for people to remind each other that theyre not in the fight alone.

Our power is when we join together, she said. You know the old phrase, The people united will never be defeated. And its time for us to remind ourselves of that, but also to remind ourselves of what is at stake.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Hundreds gathered in D.C. on Thursday night at Franklin Park in Northwest to rally and protest their opposition to President Donald Trumps policies and administration.

Police shoot, kill Woodbridge man armed with crossbow

Karen Contrares was one among many who wanted her voice to be heard.

Photo taken on July 17, 2025, of protests in D.C.

Photo taken on July 17, 2025, of protests in D.C.

Photo taken on July 17, 2025, of protests in D.C. (DC News Now photo)

We never had a government that was like this before, Contrares said. Weve had governments we disagreed with  we had Vietnam  but this level of corruption and lack of respect for the rule of law cannot stand.

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Thursdays rally was one of many all across the country to protest the Trump administrations cuts to Medicaid and the presidents mass deportations. This is all being done on the anniversary of the death of civil rights icon the late Congressman John Lewis, who was a champion of good trouble.

D.C. event organizer Alisa Tennant said the mission was to raise awareness about attacks on civil rights and human rights.

We are making sure our civil rights are protected and heard, Tennant said. We find it important to protect democracy and to resist whats going on with President Trump.

Protester Ahmad Woodard said he is glad so many are standing up to Trump, and he hopes these rallies will make a difference.

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It is important for us to have our voices heard because we are still in a fight and people need to be reminded that there is still a fight going on, Woodard said.

Organizers said more than 600 people attended Thursdays rally.

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Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump and his administrations policies in the Loop on Thursday as part of nationwide Good Trouble Lives On rallies, decrying cuts to social services, mass deportation strategy and restrictions on civil liberties.

A group of about 60 demonstrators left Federal Plaza about 4:30 p.m., chanting Trump must go now as they marched up Dearborn Street before joining a larger main crowd at Daley Plaza a half hour later.

The chain of national protests denouncing Trumps agenda was named for a term coined by the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who died in 2020. A civil rights activist, Lewis also participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides, which aimed to end racial segregation in the South.

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Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of Lewis death. Organizers planned about 20 other Good Trouble rallies in the suburbs, including Naperville and Highland Park. Nationwide, more than 1,000 similar protests were held, according to the Good Trouble Lives On website.

Among the rally attendees were the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates. Johnson told the crowd that America under Trump was making an alarming and fast descent into authoritarianism, but vowed that Chicago would fight back.

He also repeated a pledge that the city would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are times when we have to march forward, even when its difficult, even when the risks are real, he said. Let me tell you that time is now. Tonight, we follow in the footsteps of making good trouble. Trouble that will engender confidence across this country that liberty and justice for all is not just a tagline.

Protesters carried signs that read Dump Trump and Dissent is Patriotic, while a person in a taco suit, cape and crown danced around an inflatable baby Donald Trump.

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The standards of people who are running America right now are very low, said Samantha Oliva, 22. I guess you can commit crimes, you can lie.

Carrying a sign that read Morons Are Governing America, a play on the Trump slogan Make America Great Again, Oliva said she hoped this protest would inspire more Gen Zers to take civic action against the administration.

Community is everything with someone plotting against you guys, Oliva said, referring to what she called Trumps actions to sow division among Americans. Were stronger together.

National Education Association President Becky Pringle spoke about opposition to federal restrictions on diversity initiatives and the administrations intimidation of immigrant families.

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We must and we will get in the way of the structural inequalities that are purposefully designed to sacrifice the common good of the many.

While Joan Javier-Duval, a Unitarian minister from Montpelier, Vermont, was in town to visit family, she said she looked for ways to participate in Thursdays protests. A Chicago native, Javier-Duval has attended several protests since Trumps inauguration, calling cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and increased funding for ICE particularly worrying.

She said that many in her Vermont community have relied on emergency funds after severe flooding, and she also opposes ICEs deprivation of due process for immigrants.

An event like this is important to show that we can come together across different communities and different issues, she said. All to say that what we want is for our people to be taken care of and for our democracy to thrive.

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Hermosa resident and Navy veteran Eligio Alvarado said he came to Thursdays protest because Trump and his ilk were dismantling America, in part by gutting government programs and replacing public servants.

Theyre putting in their cronies who will march to their tune, said Alvarado, who is originally from Puerto Rico.

Unless something changes, Alvarado said, he would have fought for naught. Similar to Javier-Duval, he said he hoped the protests would motivate voters and shift momentum toward Democrats who hope to retake Congress.

This gives me hope, he said.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)  The Coalition for Kids (C4K) non-profit hosted a back-to-school bash on Thursday evening and gave away school supplies to hundreds of families.

C4K Executive Director Randy Hensley said there was a massive turnout, and the non-profit and Wellpoint Tennessee were able to outfit those who turned out with plenty of supplies.

Were looking probably at 500-plus, 600-plus families or students and families that are coming together for a back-to-school bash where theyre getting a backpack filled with supplies, and then theyre going to eat hot dogs, Hensley said. We got inflatables, we got games, we got giveaways, you name it, were having a blast this afternoon.

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Grand opening of new Johnson City dog park delayed

Hensley told News Channel 11 that giving school supplies to students is part of the non-profits mission.

We want to be the part in their lives that fills in the gaps where they have, Hensley said. So wed like to be able to give them some things that they might not get as easily as some other kids. So we give them the supplies, the school supplies, the paper, the products, the pencils, the pens, all the different things that kids want to need to have when they go back to school ahead of time.

Thursday marked the organizations first time hosting a back-to-school bash.

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Thats whats exciting, to have this kind of turnout. Having been in Johnson City and operating for 25 years, weve had some really big events, but this is the first time weve had a back-to-school bash, and absolutely we love it.

Attendees also had access to haircuts, health screenings, mental health support and other services at the event.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently granted access to Medicaid enrollee data, aiding officers tasked with fulfilling the Trump administration's objective of tracking down and deporting illegal immigrants.

Medicaid, which uses taxpayer dollars to provide health insurance to low-income adults and children, has more than 71 million enrollees as of March 2025.

The information shared with ICE will include home addresses and ethnicities, according to a report from The Associated Press.

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The agreement, brokered between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was signed Monday, according to the report.

California Sues Trump Admin Again, This Time Over Medicaid Data Transfer To Dhs

The Department of Homeland Security will have access to Medicaid enrollee data, according to the report.

Though the true number of illegal immigrants on Medicaid is unknown, about 1.4 million people currently on Medicaid do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment, according to a document from the Congressional Budget Office.

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DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital the initiative will ensure illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded health benefits.

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"President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries," McLaughlin wrote in a statement. "To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents look over lists of names and their hearing times and locations inside the Federal Plaza courthouse before making arrests on June 27, 2025 in New York.

Congressman Calls On Noem, Dr. Oz With Plan To 'Swiftly Remove' 1.4 Million Illegal Migrants On Medicaid

The deal was signed weeks after California and 19 other states sued the Trump administration for transferring Medicaid data to the DHS.

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) handed over a trove of individuals protected health data obtained from States, including California, Illinois, and Washington, to other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)," according to court documents. "Millions of individuals health information was transferred without their consent, and in violation of federal law."

Residents surround federal and Border Patrol agents who plan their escape after an immigrant raid on Atlantic Blvd. in Bell, Califonia on June 19, 2025.

Blue State Gop Lawmakers Urge Major Healthcare Change For Illegal Immigrants

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The lawsuit claims the publics sensitive health data can only be used for purposes that Congress has authorized, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.





Original article source: ICE granted unprecedented access to Medicaid database to help identify and deport illegal immigrants
As the Trump administration moves to alleviate overcrowding in immigration detention centers, immigrant detainees are being transferred around the country, potentially thousands of miles from their families. Now, immigration attorneys in Honolulu are serving a new kind of client: immigrants arrested on the U.S. mainland with no connection to the island, Honolulu Civil Beat reports.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reached a record-high number of 57,861 detainees in late June amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. To meet Trump's deportation goals, the administration has experimented with controversial methods of detaining immigrants in both state-run detention facilities, like Florida's Alligator Alcatraz, and other countries, like El Salvador. Another option is the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which agreed in February to set aside bed space across nine facilities, including at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Honolulu.

Data show that FDC Honolulu, along with facilities in Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Leavenworth, Kansas, have seen an increasing number of ICE detainees since the agreement. No data is currently available for the other four facilities in Los Angeles, Berlin, New Hampshire, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and Brooklyn, New York.

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Once detained, ICE has broad discretionary authority to transfer immigrants to any detention facility, regardless of where the initial arrest took place. Although immigrants have the right to legal representation in immigration court, they do not receive a court-appointed attorney and must retain their own counsel. Transfers between detention facilitieslike a 4,500-mile move from Florida to Hawaiimake it difficult for immigration lawyers to represent their clients.

"You can't video conference with them. They can't sign things. They can't review applications that you're going to submit on their behalf," Kevin Block, a Maui immigration attorney, told Civil Beat. "You really do need to be able to have face-to-face contact with them."

Even if a detainee has counsel, if the individual is transferred to another federal district court, they will have to find another attorney who practices in the location where they are being held. And while some courts allow remote hearings, having an attorney unfamiliar with an immigration judge and district practices puts detainees at a disadvantage.

Moving detainees can also cause due process concerns. Neribel Chardon, a pro bono immigration attorney in Hawaii, has a client who "was taken into custody in Florida and went to two detention centers there before he was transferred to Louisiana, Arizona and two facilities in California before finally coming to Hawaii," according to Civil Beat. Although her client was detained on May 4, he wasn't served his charging document until his court date in Honolulu "sometime in the last month." Any challenges to the validity of the charging document, potentially nullifying the charge, can not move forward until the document is first received.

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ICE is currently laying the groundwork to provide an additional 100,000 beds and detain more immigrants. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, sent a memo on July 8 directing officers to detain immigrants who entered illegally "for the duration of their removal proceedings," no matter how long they've lived in the United States. This new policy could quickly fill those additional bedspotentially for years while cases move through immigration court. Given that the BOP's average cost to incarcerate an inmate was $120.80 per day in FY 2023, and that Americans are now on the hook for $45 billion to house additional immigrants, taxpayers are sure to foot a high bill for the federal government's mass detention protocol.

But the cost of federal immigration enforcement goes beyond dollars. Although the Trump administration claims that ICE detainees are "actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gangsters, and more," nearly half of those in ICE custody as of late June did not have a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges. Detaining individuals who pose no threat to public safety, especially amid serious questions about due process to meet Trump's mass deportation goals, will only serve to degrade constitutional protections for all Americans.

The post ICE Is Shipping Detainees to Hawaii as Bed Space on the U.S. Mainland Fills Up appeared first on Reason.com.
The personal health information of 79 million people will soon be in the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, who will use the data trove to find undocumented migrants in the U.S. amid President Trumps immigration crackdown.

ICE plans to use the nations Medicaid database to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press.

Information available to ICE officials will include:

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Addresses

Birthdates

Ethnic and racial information

Social Security numbers

The agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not allow ICE officials to download the data.

Instead, officials will be allowed to access the data for a limited period from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Sept. 9.

Medicaid is only available to noncitizens in emergencies

While immigrants who have entered and remained in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for Medicaid, every state is required to provide emergency Medicaid coverage for life-saving situations. Some states also make exceptions for children and certain adults.

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That means, despite not qualifying for the federally funded coverage, some noncitizens information is still available in Medicaid records.

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) estimated that emergency care for undocumented patients accounted for less than 1 percent of Medicaid spending from 2017 to 2023.

Democrats, advocates slam ICE-Medicaid data disclosure

Politicians and immigrant advocates alike have opposed the agreement due to concerns over data privacy and human rights violations.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Thursday on social media that the massive transfer of the personal data of millions of Medicaid recipients should alarm every American.

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Immigration attorney Anibal Romero echoed Schiffs concerns.

So eventually, what could end up happening is someone might transfer information about  a U.S. citizen, with a Latino name, and all of a sudden, now I have ICE officers in my house, even though I was born here only because my name is Raul Lopez, Romero told NewsNation. So, its scary. I think its wrong.

Early this month, a coalition of 20 Democrat-led states sued the Trump administration over the agreement.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care.

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Were headed to court to prevent any further sharing of Medicaid data  and to ensure any of the data thats already been shared is not used for immigration enforcement purposes, he added.

In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agencies are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.

The White House has deferred questions about the agreement to ICE.

NewsNations Anna Kutz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Supreme Court on April 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador and two Idaho county prosecuting attorneys agreed to not prosecute some Idaho doctors for referring patients out of state for abortions, under a new legal agreement published in federal court Thursday.

The settlement concludes a lawsuit that challenged a legal opinion from Idahos top legal official that said medical professionals who refer or prescribe abortion pills to pregnant patients across state lines are subject to criminal penalties under Idahos strict abortion ban.

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Federal judge B. Lynn Winmill closed the lawsuit Thursday following the agreement, which protects a regional Planned Parenthood affiliate organization and two Idaho doctors.

In 2023, Labrador issued a legal opinion upon request from Idaho lawmaker Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, on behalf of anti-abortion clinic Stanton Healthcare. In the opinion, Labrador said abortion pills are included in the states strict abortion ban law, States Newsroom reported.

Soon, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, and the two Idaho doctors sued over Labradors opinion. Labrador later recalled the opinion.

Idaho is surrounded by several states where abortion is legal, including Washington, Oregon and Montana. Historically, Idaho physicians referred patients to clinics in those states if they need care that is unavailable in Idaho, such as termination for medical reasons related to fetal anomalies or complications that put a pregnant patients health at risk.

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Labrador: We do not have the authority to prosecute referrals for out-of-state services

Under the recent agreement, Labrador along with two Idaho local prosecutors  Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Jan Bennetts and Valley County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Naugle  will not enforce Idahos abortion ban against the organization and two doctors for out-of-state referrals.

In a statement, Labrador said the agreement avoids unnecessary litigation and protects Idaho taxpayers from further costs.

Idahos strong pro-life laws remain fully in effect, and we remain proud to defend the rights of mothers and their unborn children, Labrador told the Idaho Capital Sun. This settlement simply affirms what our office already made clear in court: We do not have the authority to prosecute referrals for out-of-state services.

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In December 2024, a federal appeals court panel upheld an injunction by a lower federal court in Idaho that blocked Labrador from prosecuting Idaho medical professionals for out-of-state abortion referrals, the Sun previously reported.

In a statement, the Planned Parenthood affiliate CEO, Rebecca Gibron, said the agreement brings much-needed clarity, compassion, and relief to both patients and providers.

It ensures that health care providers in Idaho can continue doing what they are trained and ethically bound to do  offer accurate information and help patients access the care they need, even if that care is out of state. In a state where abortion is banned, those referrals can be lifesaving, she said.

Agreement protects referrals out of Idaho for abortion, abortion pills

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The agreement blocks enforcing Idahos abortion law for referring a woman across state lines to an abortion provider, the federal judge wrote.

That includes informing about, counseling about, recommending, providing a referral for, scheduling an appointment for, informing about sources of funding for, or otherwise advising or assisting an individual in learning about or obtaining, an abortion 

The ruling also protects that activity for out-of-state consultation for abortion pills where that abortion will be performed or the out-of-state prescription will be filled outside the borders of Idaho where it is legal to obtain such abortion or prescription for abortion pills.

The agreement does not have an end date.

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(Bloomberg) -- Oil ended the day little changed as traders weighed fresh efforts from the European Union to crimp Russian energy exports.

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West Texas Intermediate crude held steady to close near $67 a barrel after the EU agreed to a lower price cap for Moscows crude as part of a package of sanctions on Moscow. The measures include curbs on fuels made from Russian petroleum, additional banking limitations and a ban on a large oil refinery in India. The Asian country, which buys large amounts of Russian crude, is a major exporter of refined products to Europe, where markets for fuels like diesel have been tight.

While the EU measures may not drastically impact crude flows, the restrictions on refined products and expanded shadow fleet targeting are fueling concern in the diesel complex, said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Group.

Oil has trended higher since early May, with both Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. making the case that a buildup in global crude stockpiles has occurred in regions that dont hold much sway in price-setting.

Meanwhile, spreads in the diesel market are indicating tightness. The gap between the first and second month of New York heating oil futures climbed to $4.17 a gallon at one point in the session, up from $2.99 on Thursday. (Diesel and heating oil are the same product in the US, just taxed differently.)

The logic of diesel tightness propping up crude flat prices remains unchanged, said Huang Wanzhe, an analyst at Dadi Futures Co., who added that the peak-demand season had seen a solid start. The key question is how long this strength can last, she said.

In wider markets, strong US data on consumer sentiment eased concerns about the worlds largest economy, helping to underpin a risk-on mood.

Crude futures also remain in backwardation in the nearer months of their curves, which means traders are having to pay more to secure prompt supplies. That pattern points to tight conditions even as producers cartel OPEC+ has been relaxing output curbs at a rapid clip.

--With assistance from Sarah Chen.

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Muhammad Uthayn, Commander of Hamas Daraj Tuffah Battalion and one of the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre, was confirmed killed by the IDF.

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the death of a Hamas commander who was directly involved in the October 7 massacre, the military said Friday.

Muhammad Uthayn, Commander of Hamas Daraj Tuffah Battalion and one of the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre, was killed in the area of Daraj Tuffah.

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The military had earlier confirmed the deaths of four other terrorists who were killed over the course of this past week in Gaza.

They were named as Barhoum Shahin, the Head of the Western Gaza District in the General Security Apparatus; Asham Tzartzur, the Head of Hamas' Government Emergency Committee in eastern Gaza; Faraj al-Aoul, the head of Hamas Legal Bureau; and Raed Khaled Hassan Jibain, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative and a central figure in the transfer of funds to the PIJ in the West Bank.

Shahin, Tzartzur, and al-Aoul were involved in Hamas security and governance over the Gazan population, as well as assisting the organizations fighters while working to further repress and incite violence within the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. January 30, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)

The General Security Apparatus is a secretive and significant mechanism in the Hamas terrorist organization, which is responsible for exposing 'collaborators' and securing Hamas senior officials and its assets in the Gaza Strip and outside of it, the IDF explained.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist

Jibain was killed on Sunday. He was imprisoned in Israel between 2006 and 2015 for his involvement in terrorist activities as a member of PIJ. He served as the main financial transfer conduit for the PIJ in the West Bank.

These funds were used to finance arms and to facilitate advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians, according to the IDF.
CHICAGO, Ill. (WMBD)  Illinoisians in the LGBTQIA+ community will still have access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, thanks to the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The IDHS announced that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Illinois will continue to provide mental health support services for LGBTQIA+ youth, according to a news release from the department.

The IDHS also said this comes after the federal government ended funding last month for specific support on the 988 Lifeline.

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The Trump Administrations decision to end these specialized services is a cruel reversal of proven practices, said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Unequivocally, in Illinois, we stand side by side with each member of the LGBTQIA+ community, including transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth. If you need help and you call 988, youll be met with the compassion, competence and respect.

The IDHS said that after its launch in 2022, the 988 Lifeline created a subnetwork of crisis counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ children and adults under 25, who are disproportionately at risk for suicide and other mental health struggles.

They said suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds. LGBTQIA+ young people are also more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers.

IDHS said each month in Illinois, the LGBTQIA+ youth subnetwork of the 988 Lifeline receives more than 1,600 calls and 600 chats or texts.

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A representative is available 24/7 in English or Spanish by calling or texting 988. Those calling or texting the number are not required to share any identifying information, the release said.

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HAVANA, Ill. (WMBD)  A bridge in Havana will be reduced to one lane as the Illinois Department of Transportation holds a routine inspection.

The Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge, which carries U.S. 136 and Illinois 78/97 over the Illinois River at Havana, will be inspected starting on July 21, according to a release from IDOT.

IDOT also said the inspection will reduce the bridge to one lane from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day through July 25.

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Drivers can expect delays and should plan for trips through this area. When possible, IDOT suggests drivers use alternate routes.

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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA)  Drivers and engineers from the University of Illinois Illini Solar Car team came in first place at an event during this years Formula Sun Grand Prix in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

They took home gold in the single occupant vehicle class by driving the most laps of all the nations collegiate teams. The team drove 223 laps  or 703 miles  continuously.

From the Farm: Ag geneticist creates new product to increase crop yields

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Illini Solars car ran on the power of the sun alone.

This whole competition  with every team that takes part in the competition  is proving that solar power is capable of pushing engineering to the limits, team president Matthew Adler said. I feel like weve proven that we can drive this car 1,600 miles across the country. Like, theres no reason that solar power cant continue to be a part of our everyday life in the future.

Adler said hes looking forward to this upcoming academic year, when Illini Solar will build and unveil the next generation of its solar-powered car.

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CHICAGO A Lombard teen faces terrorism and weapons charges for allegedly planning a terror attack at the Islamic Education Center in Glendale Heights, authorities announced Friday.

Prosecutors charged the unnamed 16-year-old with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of attempted terrorism, according to a news release from the DuPage County states attorneys office.

Before a DuPage County judge on Friday, the teen was ordered detained until at least his next court appearance on Aug. 4, officials said.

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In their criminal complaint, prosecutors claim that the teen recorded religious services at the center on July 4 to assist in preparation for detonating an explosive device at that location, according to the news release. He also possessed a handgun which was of a size that could be concealed upon his person, the release continued.

An attempted act of terrorism, as alleged in this case, achieves the same goals of spreading fear, dividing our communities and undermining the rule of law, as does an act of terrorism, DuPage County States Attorney Bob Berlin said in the news release. The allegations against this juvenile are extremely serious and will not be tolerated in DuPage County.

Representatives of the Islamic Education Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

_____
Immigrant Children Continue to Appear in Court Without Representation originally appeared on L.A. Mag.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Across the U.S., immigrant children have been forced to appear in court without representation as government-funded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prosecutors carry out deportation efforts. The Department of Justice reported over 41,000 pending cases of unaccompanied minors in U.S. immigration courts as of 2025.



This past March, the Trump administration ended a contract that funded lawyers and basic legal services. These lawyers represented around 26,000 children- about 4,700 in California. As a result, thousands of children across the country are expected to navigate the complex system to present their case before an immigration judge and ICE prosecutor. Legal service providers, including the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, sued the administration in the Northern District of California, arguing that this contract had ended without reason.



The Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization, represents children in Southern California, Los Angeles County and regions like Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties. According to their website, due process demands age-appropriate, trauma-informed hearings with a government-appointed and funded lawyer fighting for every child in immigration court.

Their website also states, Unaccompanied children who had the benefit of legal representation at some point during their cases were more than seven times more likely to receive an outcome that allowed them to remain in the United States than those who did not have attorneys.



Through their Detained Youth Empowerment Project (DYEP), the Immigrant Defenders Law Center assists thousands of unaccompanied children in short-term facilities throughout Southern California. Said facilities are operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The DYEP offers community education about the immigration process, advocates for children in government custody and connects children with counsel, along with other crucial services.



Their Case Management (CMA) team provides social services support to youth clients, including registering for school and accessing health care and emergency housing. To ensure that children's needs are met, their CMA team also helps clients secure other benefits, and offers referrals for programs and resources like trauma counseling, emergency shelter, summer camp and food banks.



For more information, please visit https://www.immdef.org/childrens-representation

This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Civil rights and immigration advocates rallied in Lower Manhattan Thursday as part of a national day of action pushing back against mass deportations under the Trump administration.

Dozens of demonstrators marched through the streets holding signs as they protested against President Donald Trumps immigration policies, which they claim have torn hundreds of immigrant New Yorkers from their families, although those numbers are not confirmed.

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They packed Foley Square just steps away from 26 Federal Plaza, home to an ICE office. In attendance was Raiza, the mother of 20-year-old Bronx High School student Dylan, who recalls the moment he was detained by ICE back in May.

Its been two months since my son was kidnapped right in front of our eyes as we were leaving the courtroom and I couldnt do anything to help him, Raiza said.

The rally is part of the Good Trouble Lives On protests that took place across the country  held in honor of the late Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis on the five-year mark of his death. The rally was a way to carry on Lewis legacy, especially at a time when rights and freedoms are under threat across the U.S., according to advocates.

As this administration shreds the constitution and makes mockery of the declaration of independence, we stand here and affirm that we are free people, said Kirsten John Foy, founder of The Arc of Justice.

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Demonstrators called on state lawmakers to take action by passing the New York for All Act  a bill that would limit cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, among other reforms.

Using state and city resources to continue these efforts to destroy families and to break apart families, said Robert Agyemang of New York Immigration Coalition. These are things that should not be done.

Meanwhile, supporters of immigration enforcement also showed up  voicing support for ICE and calling for stronger immigration laws.

If you and I were to illegally cross the border into Mexico and got arrested, we could go to prison, said Juliet Germanotta, a supporter of ICE. I believe we should enforce that here and if youre here illegally you should go home.

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Advocates are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to convene a special session in Albany to pass the New York For All Act. They are also urging Congress to create more pathways to citizenship.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(FOX40.COM)  An early morning immigration enforcement operation at a Home Depot in South Sacramento is drawing concern from community members, legal experts, and state leaders alike.

The words chaos and confusion were words used to describe the operation as hundreds gathered at the State Capitol in part for the nationwide Good Trouble protests, but also to demand answers and clarity about the operation and whether it was legal.

Masked border patrol agents were seen conducting an operation at the Home Depot parking lot at 4641 Florin Road, resulting in 11 arrests, plus the arrest of one U.S. Citizen.

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The operation was not led by ICE, but rather by U.S. Border Patrol, which falls under Customs and Border Protection.

Under the Immigration Nationality Act, immigration officers can conduct certain enforcement operations within 100 miles of any U.S. Border or coastline.

Officials said that ICE is involved in processing the individuals who were held at an ICE facility in Stockton, but they were not the leading agency of Thursdays operation.

Jose Castillo was identified by his wife as the U.S. citizen who was arrested. ICE officials said Castillo was arrested for impeding operations and assaulting a federal officer.

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A video of the arrest, captured by Castillos wife, has circulated among the community.

Man arrested for allegedly trying rape family member in Sacramento County

California Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom is among the state leaders seeking clarity.

Are they actually supposed to be in our communities out here picking up people? asked Ransom.

Sacramento-based immigration attorney Arturo Benavidez emphasized that Border Patrol agents cannot detain people solely based on race.

You cant arrest somebody based on their race, ethnicity, what language theyre speaking, said Benavidez.

However, Benavidez explained that if there is probable cause, such as an arrest warrant or prior deportation, then the operation may be lawful.

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ICE officials tell FOX40 they are now involved in processing the individuals and going through each individuals history with a fine-tooth comb before they can determine the next steps. ICE officials say that this was not a random operation and that some individuals had been previously deported.

The question from the community is, what happens with Castillo now?

Assuming theyre alleging some type of criminal conduct, then the case will be referred to the U.S. Attorney Generals office, said Benavidez. The US Attorney will review it, and if theres enough in it for a formal filing, then he will look at criminal proceedings.

The community is also questioning what will happen with the other individuals who were arrested.

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As far as the other individuals, the 11 that were detained, it depends on their history, how long theyve been here, it depends on what country theyre from, it depends on whether they had prior immigration contact, Benavidez said.

Both Ransom and Benavidez are urging residents to know their rights.

Keep quiet, remain silent, you do not have to open any doors, business owners do not have to let people in without a warrant, said Ransom.

Officials add that bystanders are encouraged to report and document law enforcement activity as long as they dont interfere or engage in any criminal acts that can escalate the situation.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer is behind bars at the Marion County Jail and on administrative leave from the force after being accused of official misconduct and harassment.

Officer Nicholas Cauley, 38, was arrested July 18, 2025, on two counts of official misconduct and one count of harassment following an investigation by the department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

The trust our community places in us is built on accountability and integrity. When any officer violates that trust, its our duty to act quickly and transparently, said Chief Chris Bailey. "We are committed to working closely with the prosecutor to ensure this case is investigated appropriately.

Nicholas Cauley, a police officer in IMPD's North District, is participating in No-Shave November in 2017.

2024: 4 cops jailed this year. 1 fired. Councilors push to change rule that ties chief's hands

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On June 24, IMPDs North District got an email from Cauley's ex-wife with concerns about his behavior, launching an internal investigation.

Detectives allege Cauley repeatedly contacted his ex-wife despite her numerous requests for him to stop. Detectives also learned that while on duty and operating a police vehicle, Cauley drove to his ex-wife's job. At one point, he also used his law enforcement authority to look up her license plate information, a news release from the department states.

Cauley is a nine-year officer of IMPD and was most recently assigned to the department's North District. Cauley is on administrative leave, pending additional review by the chief. His police issued equipment has been collected, and his law enforcement authority has been suspended, the news release said.

Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Officer jailed on allegations of harassment, misconduct
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Residents in the area of Troy Junior High School should expect to see an increased police presence next week.

According to the Troy City School District, the Miami County Sheriffs Office will conduct active shooter training at the junior high school on Wednesday, July 23 and Thursday, July 24.

Please do NOT be alarmed if you see an increased police presence around Troy Junior High School on Wednesday, July 23, and Thursday, July 24, the district said in a social media post.

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The trainings could have other nearby departments participating as well.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Popular AI stock tanks after surprise tariff hit originally appeared on TheStreet.

AIs future continues to impress, but its supply chain has hit a wall.

Tariffs, trade probes, and export bans have been racking up quickly, hitting chipmakers hard.

With levies on semiconductors and the potential for even more regulatory shocks, the cost of competing in AI has gone up immensely.

Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter

Suddenly, what looked like a straight line to growth now feels more like a minefield.

One high-flying AI stock in particular just took a monumental hit, and it never saw it coming.

ASML stock took a sharp hit as tariff pressures raise questions about the global AI supply chain.Image source: Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

Tariffs are turning up the heat on AI chipmakers

The U.S.-China tariff battle has evolved from being purely a political chess match. Recent months have shown that it has become a critical supply chain migraine for the worlds largest AI players.

Under Section 232 and 301 trade rules, Washington slapped 25% tariffs on chips and semiconductor tools.

Beijing responded with 34% duties on U.S. chip exports, resulting rising costs, splintered supply chains, and growing anxiety across the AI space.

Related: Nvidia CEO hits Warren Buffett milestone

The ripple effects are already painful.

Nvidia had to gulp down a $4.5 billion writedown on its China-bound H20 chips following an April export ban (the situations flipped on its head now). Thats far from being chump change, even for the hottest AI plays on the planet.

AMD is in a similar boat, filing for export licenses just to get its MI308 processors back into Chinese data centers.

Then theres the equipment side for investors to deal with.

U.S. giants like Applied Materials and Lam Research are looking at north of $1 billion in annual hits from 25% tariffs on their chipmaking tools.

More AI Stock News:

That pressure doesnt just eat into profits; it threatens to effectively slow R&D at a time when next-gen AI hardware is highly in demand.

Tariff jitters tank AI stock, despite solid Q2

ASML ( (ASML) ) may have delivered a solid quarter, but it fell short of stopping the bleeding after CEO Christophe Fouquet threw cold water on 2026 expectations.

ASML quietly became one of the goto names for investors looking for pureplay AI exposure.

Its powerful ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines power the entire semiconductor value chain, etching complex patterns needed in developing advanced AI chips.

That said, shares in the Dutch semiconductor giant dropped nearly 9% after management pulled back on its growth forecast.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  An Independence, Missouri man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison for a deadly bus stop shooting in 2024.

Garrett King was sentenced Thursday in Jackson County court to 25 years in prison. He was convicted on two counts of second-degree murder.

King was originally charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of tampering with a vehicle.

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Kansas City couple charged with cutting, damaging cables at cellular tower

According to the Kansas City Police Department, just after 1 p.m. on May 28, 2024, officers were called to the intersection of East 51st Street and Prospect Avenueless than a block west of Highway 71.

After they arrived, officers said they found a man who had been shot lying on the sidewalk near a bus stop. Emergency responders were called to the scene and took the man to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. He was identified as 23-year-old Xavier Keith.

According to court documents, a handgun, bullet fragments and 9mm casings were found at the scene.

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Surveillance video also showed a white Subaru Impreza driving past the victim multiple times before a man  identified by police as King  shot at the victim.

Police discovered the abandoned Subaru in Shawnee, where King was arrested.

Now, King awaits transportation to the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs nominee Billy Kirkland (Navajo) at his confirmation hearing on Thursday on Capitol Hill. (Photo/Screenshot)

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a confirmation hearing Thursday afternoon to consider the nomination of William Billy Kirkland (Navajo) as the 15th Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The hearing came five months after being nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs by President Donald Trump on February 3, 2025.

Kirkland attended the hearing with his wife, Paige, and their three childrenWill, Carter, and Lalong with his parents and sister. Among those present in the audience was Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley, the first woman to hold that position. Speaker Curley was joined by summer interns from the Navajo Nation Washington Office at the hearing.

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Kirkland was reminded by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairperson Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) about the importance of the position of Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in her opening remarks.

The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs is an important position at the Interior Department. Your job, if confirmed, will be to assist and support Secretary Burgum in fulfilling the United States trust responsibility to the federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and individual Indian trust beneficiaries across the country. This trust responsibility is the cornerstone of federal Indian law and policy, Chairperson Murkowski said.

In his opening remarks, Kirkland shared memories of his transient childhood, having moved 15 times due to his father's service in the U.S. Army. Despite the constant relocations, he fondly recalled spending time on the Navajo Nation, particularly helping haul water at his grandmothers camp.

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Though his early years were spent moving across the country, Kirkland has lived much of his adult life in Georgia, which has influenced his accent. He lightened the moment during the hearing by joking about being Navajo with a Southern drawl.

He presented the Committee with a two-and-half page opening statement.

I understand that the mission of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior is to uphold meaningful government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes, Alaska Natives and ANCs; to enact policies that support self-determination and tribal sovereignty; and to steward trust assets while maintaining the federal trust responsibilities that aim to support the social, cultural, and economic self-sufficiency of tribal communities across Indian Country, Kirkland said in his opening statement.

During his questioning, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) referenced Kirklands lack of experience in Indian law, among other topics pertaining to Indian Country.

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"If confirmed, I intend to spend my first 90 days listening to tribal leaders and the Congressional Committees of jurisdiction to understand top priorities and develop a clear action plan," Kirkland said.

Several senators on the Committee pressed Kirkland about the lack of adequate funding for Indian Affairs in President Trumps proposed FY 2026 budget. They specifically raised concerns about the insufficient allocation for law enforcement on Indian reservations. Sen. Catherine Castro Masto (D-NV) informed him of a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) study that shows there is a $3 billion shortfall in funding for public safety on Indian reservations.

At various points during the hearing, Kirkland admitted to being uninformed on certain topics related to Indian Country but assured senators that he looks forward to learning more about these matters once he is confirmed and sworn into the position.

The most tense exchange of the hearing occurred between Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Kirkland, when the senator questioned him about the Navajo Water Settlement. When Lujan asked how many Navajo residents are in need of water, Kirkland responded, Not offhand. Lujan replied, 250,000.

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The senator asked Kirkland if he knew how much money was allocated in the 2026 budget for the $175 million needed to fund the settlement. Kirkland replied, I am sure you will tell me. Sen. Lujan responded there were zero dollars in Trumps budget to fund the water settlement.

Lujan pressed Kirkland: Are you okay with this?

Kirkland replied:  I appreciate the questionI appreciate your enthusiasm.

If the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advances Kirklands nomination, it will go to the full Senate for confirmation.

Read Kirkland Testimony.

The nominaton hearing video is available here.

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About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Indianas Camp Atterbury and New Jerseys Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst will be temporarily used to detain immigrants lacking permanent legal status, according to a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth announced the decision in a Tuesday letter to Rep. Herb Conaway (D-N.J.), the House Committee on Armed Services and other members of Congress outlining that both locations would be for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] to house illegal aliens.

The news surfaced widely Friday as Democrats publicly criticized the move.

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Hegseth in the letter also stated this will not affect military activities in the camps.

The Secretary approved a Department of Homeland Security request for assistance to use real property at Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey to establish temporary soft-sided holding facilities, an official from the Department of Defense (DOD) told The Hill in a statement.

The letter did not indicate how many immigrants could be detained there or when the camp would be open.

The timeline for these facilities will depend on operational requirements and coordination with DHS, the DOD wrote.

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Soft-sided holding facilities mean these camps will resemble Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility the Trump administration has opened in the Florida Everglades, with tent-like walls and fencing inside to surround the beds.

In February, when the administration was turning Fort Bliss in Texas into a deportation hub, Trump touted the idea of increasingly using military sites for holding detained immigrants. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was named as one of the military sites that would be upgraded after Fort Bliss, according to The New York Times.

Earlier on Friday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem suggested Alligator Alcatraz would be a blue-print for future facilities.

The governors of South Carolina, Mississippi and Texas told NewsNation they would be ready to host these temporary facilities in their states.

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Texas will continue to assist the Trump administration in arresting, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants, said Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

Camp Atterbury is located 40 miles out of Indianapolis and is operated by the National Guard and has more than 34,000 acres, according to its website. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is near Trenton, N.J., and has about 42,000 acres.

Indiana Rep. Andre Carson (D) wrote in a statement he remains concerned on this use of Camp Atterbury given the deplorable and inhumane conditions at other ICE detention facilities nationwide.

The number of ICE detainees  and the number of deaths in detention  have grown at alarmingly high rates since the start of President Trumps term, he continued, calling it unacceptable. Also unacceptable is the apprehension and detention of US citizens. The Hoosier state should not facilitate these unlawful actions.

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A group of New Jersey Democrats also condemned the DODs plan.

This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportations of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country, the group said.

The Trump administrations latest move continues its mass deportation efforts. This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it would have access to the Medicaid data of 79 million people, including addresses and dates of birth, to facilitate finding immigrants lacking permanent legal status.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin of Indiana has introduced a resolution calling for the release of the Epstein files just days after she voted to block a similar Democrat-led effort.

The resolution, which she announced on July 17, would ask the U.S. Department of Justice to release the files in the next 30 days while also implementing safeguards to protect victims, according to a news release from Houchin, who represents Indiana's 9th Congressional District in southeastern Indiana.

I have always supported full transparency when it comes to the Epstein files, and Im glad to back President Trump in that effort, Houchin said in the release. Earlier this week, I refused to hand this process over to Democrats trying to exploit it for political gain. Their amendment in the Rules Committee was nothing more than a stuntreckless and completely lacking the victim protections this issue demands.

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Democrats in Congress have been looking to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files after the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation decided to withhold the files because it mostly contained child pornography and detailed information about victims. They also concluded Jeffrey Epsteins death in prison was a suicide and determined there was no client list, contradicting claims made by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Houchin serves on the 13-member House Rules Committee, where Democrats tried to force a full House vote to compel the DOJ to release records associated with Epstein. Seven Republicans, including Houchin, blocked the measure, with one Republican joining the Democrats to support the measure and another absent.

In the news release, Houchin referenced her background as a caseworker for the Indiana Department of Child Services as the driving force behind her resolution.

I refuse to let Democrats and their media allies play games that would further harm innocent victims, she said in the release. Anyone involved in these horrific crimes must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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Contact Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Erin Houchin calls for release of Epstein files after blocking full House vote
The nine Hoosiers in the U.S. House of Representatives voted just after midnight along party lines for the final sign off on President Donald Trumps $9 billion spending cuts bill, which slashes $1 billion in previously approved funding for public media and about $8 billion to foreign aid agencies. The bill now heads to Trump for his signature.

All seven Republicans in Indianas delegation voted for the final rescissions bill on July 18 while the states two Democrats voted against it, which mirrors how the Hoosier representatives voted during the Houses initial approval of the spending cuts in June.

The House vote follows the early-morning approval in the Senate on July 17, which passed 51-48 with the support of Indiana Republican Sens. Todd Young and Jim Banks. About $400 million for a global AIDS program was saved from the initial total of spending cuts sought by the Trump administration after some moderate Republican senators voiced concerns about eliminating that funding.

How the bill could impact Hoosiers

Hoosiers are likely to see impacts from the cuts to public media, which funds NPR and PBS. Trump has sought to defund public media, suggesting it has a liberal bias that thwarts fair coverage while NPR and PBS have repeatedly refuted these claims.

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Public media leaders in Indiana fear the bill will cause some of the states small and rural stations to close. Statewide journalists at Indiana Public Broadcasting were informed on July 8 they would be laid off after state lawmakers zeroed out $7.4 million in public media support.

"The loss of both federal and state funding is not just a setback," WFYI President and CEO Greg Petrowich said in a news release. "Its a direct threat to our ability to serve the people of Indiana. We are deeply concerned about the impact this will have on our viewers and listeners across the state."

Public media funding: Indiana public media journalists to be laid off after state budget cuts

How Indiana representatives voted for Trump's recissions bill:

Frank Mrvan , Democrat, 1st Congressional District: Nay

Rudy Yakym , Republican, 2nd Congressional District: Yea

Marlin Stutzman , Republican, 3rd Congressional District: Yea

James Baird , Republican, 4th Congressional District: Yea

Victoria Spartz , Republican, 5th Congressional District: Yea

Jefferson Shreve , Republican, 6th Congressional District: Yea

Andre Carson , Democrat, 7th Congressional District: Nay

Mark Messmer , Republican, 8th Congressional District: Yea

Erin Houchin, Republican, 9th Congressional District: Yea

What they said

Following the House's final passage, Republican representatives celebrated the cuts as a step toward more efficient and less wasteful government. Some, including U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, said it could be the first of similar rescissions bills.

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Prior to the vote, U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indianapolis, posted on X about the need for public media and opposed the conservative effort to defund it.

I was proud to vote to rescind $9 billion in wasteful federal spending.



This recissions package codifies DOGE cuts, saves taxpayers from funding left-wing propaganda outlets, and eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse in our federal agencies.



This bill also saves Americans from  Congressman Jim Baird (@RepJimBaird) July 18, 2025

.@HouseGOP passed the $9 billion rescissions package, and its now heading to President Trumps desk. This is a critical step toward eliminating government waste, fraud, and abuse and restoring fiscal responsibility to Washington  Congressman Rudy Yakym (@RepRudyYakym) July 18, 2025

While this rescissions package is a good start, there is more waste, fraud, and abuse that must be addressed and removed in future packages.



I encourage the administration to continue rescinding appropriated funds so the American people are not forced to pay for the policy faux  Rep. Marlin Stutzman (@RepStutzman) July 18, 2025

Public media saves lives, educates our kids, and keeps local journalism alive. Senate Republicans voted to drastically slash its funding. I oppose these reckless cuts.



Our communities cant afford to be left in the dark. pic.twitter.com/iAGRMXi5Zu  Andre Carson (@RepAndreCarson) July 17, 2025

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Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com or message her on Signal at @cate.charron.28.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Indiana U.S. Representatives voted on stripping funds for NPR, PBS
The entrance to the Indiana Supreme Court's Statehouse courtroom. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Indianas Supreme Court on Friday denied Attorney General Todd Rokitas call to dismiss a second disciplinary action against him  both stemming from public comments made three years ago about his investigation of an Indianapolis abortion provider.

It is exceptionally rare for respondents to file motions to dismiss disciplinary complaints, and even rarer that we grant them, Justice Derek Molter wrote in the unanimous opinion.

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The high courts denial came without prejudice  allowing Rokita to potentially refile  because we conclude the arguments he makes in his motion are better addressed through the hearing process and our subsequent review, Molter continued.

The court appointed a three-member hearing panel instead of its typical lone hearing officer, accommodating a proposal from Rokita.

Appointing three distinguished members of the bench and bar to serve as hearing officers is particularly appropriate in this case, which involves conduct at the intersection of law and politics, a concurring opinion from Justice Christopher Goff said.

He noted that the political role assumed by many state attorneys general in contemporary America creates tension with licensing obligations that they assume as members of their states bar.

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When a licensed attorney, entrusted with the full legal power of a state, advocates (or legally implements) divisive policies advocated by national partisans, their statements and actions can, in some circumstances, be both politically popular within their state and violative of its rules of professional conduct for attorneys, Goff said.

And because the legal power of a state attorney general is so great, such popular but unprofessional conduct can hurt real people and impede official processes. When that happens, people harmed by such conduct will look to the attorney-discipline process for relief, he continued.

Indiana taxpayers have covered more than $491,000 in legal bills defending Rokita in multiple disciplinary investigations and formal ethics cases, according to records obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Cases background

In a 2022 interview with Fox News commentator Jesse Watters, Rokita called Indianapolis doctor Caitlin Bernard an activist acting as a doctor and said his office would be investigating her conduct. Bernard, an OB-GYN, oversaw a medication abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio in 2022.

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That November, in a split decision and public reprimand, the high court justices found that he had violated two of the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers:

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita speaks to the media on Friday, March 21, 2025, at his office in Indianapolis. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

They said Rokitas comments constituted an extrajudicial statement that he knew  or reasonably should have known  would be publicly disseminated and would prejudice related legal proceedings. They also said his statements had no substantial purpose other than to embarrass or burden Bernard.

Rokita and Indianas Discplinary Commission disputed over a third charge  engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice  which the commission agreed to dismiss in exchange for admission to misconduct on the others.

In a sworn affidavit, Rokita admitted to the two violations and acknowledged he couldnt have defended himself successfully on the charges if the matter were tried.

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But the same day the reprimand was handed down, Rokita called the dispute a failed attempt to derail our work in a lengthy and unrepentant news release. He said he had evidence and explanation for what he said on air, but chose not to fight the complaint any further to save taxpayer money and distraction.

The Disciplinary Commission filed a new round of charges against him in January, alleging he wasnt being truthful when he told the court he was accepting responsibility for his actions.

Rokita attempted to dismiss the new complaint in February, which the Disciplinary Commission opposing his motion.

We reach no judgment at this stage about those allegations or defenses because it is premature to evaluate them through a motion to dismiss where the parties are arguing over competing inferences that may depend on evidence outside the current record, Molter wrote in the courts opinion.

Process continues

The case will now move before a three-judge hearing panel. Members were picked from the northern, central, and southern regions of Indiana to protect against a public perception that political considerations could unduly influence a single officer, according to the opinion.

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They include Indiana Court of Appeals Judges Cale J. Bradford and Nancy H. Vaidik, and attorney William G. Hussman.

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Bradford and Vaidik are currently serve on the Indiana Court of Appeals, and both have been elected by their colleagues to serve as their courts Chief Judge in the past.

Hussmann is a practicing attorney whose public and private sector experience Indiana Supreme Court includes serving as a U.S. Magistrate Judge, as a deputy attorney general, and as a staff attorney with the Indiana Disciplinary Commission.

The court also encouraged the hearing panel to discuss mediation with Rokita and the commission.

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While we are only at the pleadings stage, the parties discussion of the claims through their early filings is already voluminous, Molter wrote. And up to this point, their submissions, though extensive, reveal very little factual disagreement. That disagreement is vehement, but it also seems narrow, so there may not be much to litigate through a hearing.

The panel will submit a report, and the court will review the evidence and evaluate the law. Molter noted the court doesnt defer to the report but does give it more emphasis because of the direct observation of witnesses included.

Possible sanctions include a private or public reprimand; suspension from practice for a set period of time; suspension from practice with reinstatement only after the lawyer proves fitness; and permanent disbarment.

Senior Reporter Casey Smith contributed.

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MORGANTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  An inmate died on Thursday after collapsing during a medical evaluation, according to the Burke County Sheriffs Office.

Officials say this happened on July 17. After the inmate collapsed, detention and medical staff quickly started life-saving measures. The Burke County Emergency Medical Services was called. Despite the work of jail staff and EMS, the inmate tragically died.

Man dead after officer-involved shooting in Gastonia, police say

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The Sheriffs Office has asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to investigate the incident, and the inmates death has been reported to the State Department of Health and Human Services.

Authorities have not released the name of the inmate or said when they were brought into the jail.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NuCube Energy joined the Shell GameChanger program to develop a nuclear microreactor that reaches temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius, reported Business Wire.

The Idaho company designs small nuclear reactors that produce intense heat and electricity. These compact units serve manufacturing plants and isolated locations that need constant power without sending carbon into the atmosphere.

Nuclear power is derived from splitting atoms, which produces massive amounts of energy without a carbon output. Each NuCube system is built in a workshop and can be transported on a typical truck, unlike conventional nuclear plants, which often take years to construct.

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"Our microreactor offers a transformative approach to industrial decarbonization and energy resilience," Cristian Rabiti, CEO and co-founder of NuCube Energy, said in the announcement. "With Shell GameChanger's support, we're accelerating our path to market and expanding the impact of our technology."

The system stands out because it could replace natural gas in industries that need extremely high temperatures. Many manufacturing facilities still burn gas because solar and wind energy cannot generate enough heat for industrial processes. NuCube provides an alternative with around-the-clock clean power.

Switching from gas to nuclear means less pollution that causes breathing problems and contributes to rising global temperatures. It also adds another option to our clean energy mix alongside solar and wind, helping maintain power even during cloudy or windless periods.

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"Renewables and nuclear power in combination with electrification are key to decarbonize many energy services," noted David Kordonowy, head of commercial partnerships at Shell. "NuCube's novel reactor design is an exciting step towards aligning nuclear power to industrial heat and power needs."

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.
OCHOPEE  One worked in a celebrated restaurant in Miamis Design District.

Another is an aspiring DJ.

An Italian passport holder was already preparing to leave the U.S.

All three ended up at Alligator Alcatraz, a vast compound of tents and trailers built to hold up to 3,000 migrants deep in the Florida Everglades.

In the weeks since Gov. Ron DeSantis invoked emergency powers to build it, just who is actually in Alligator Alcatraz  and the conditions they encounter  have become contested topics.

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While President Donald Trump vowed that the detention center would hold some of the most vicious people on the planet, a roster of detainees obtained last week by the Times/Herald revealed that of 700 names listed, more than a third had only immigration violations but no criminal record in the United States.

Last week, Tampa Bay Times reporters visited the detention center  located in Collier County but built at an isolated airstrip that is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County  and spoke by phone to seven detainees or their family members about their arrests and their experiences inside Alligator Alcatraz. Though four of the seven detainees were arrested in Florida and charged with felonies, court records show that many of the charges were dropped. Its unclear how many were convicted. Some of the family members declined to identify themselves to the Times out of fear they could face deportation.

Heres what the detainees and their families and friends told us.

Fernando Eduardo Artese, 63, Broward

Artese was arrested in Jupiter in late June while driving his RV with one goal: to leave the country.

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Artese was headed to Colorado with his wife, Monica Riveira, and their daughter, Carla, he said in a phone interview with the Times. The plan was to drive through California, cross into Mexico, travel through Central America, and reach Argentina, Arteses home country.

We were ready for this, Artese said.

But on June 25, the police stopped Artese and discovered a warrant was out for his arrest. In March, he had been fined in Broward for driving without a license. He missed his traffic court date because he feared being detained, according to his family.

Artese was taken to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in West Palm Beach on the day of his arrest, he said. Six days later, he was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and taken to Alligator Alcatraz.

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This is a concentration camp. They treat us like criminals, its a pursuit of humiliation, Artese said. Were all workers and people fighting for our families.

Before his arrest, Artese spent nearly a decade in the United States. He has Argentine and Italian citizenship. He came in through Spain using his Italian passport under the visa waiver program, which allows short visits of up to 90 days without a visa. He overstayed.

His family followed in 2018. His wife, 62, has a student visa, and their 19-year-old daughter came with her legally. The family lived in Hialeah in Miami-Dade County, where Artese ran a camera installation business. Last year, they moved to a mobile home park in Broward County.

Nicolas Esbir, 30, Miami

Esbir flew to the United States from Chile on a tourist visa in January 2021. He arrived with his girlfriend, who was fleeing a dangerous personal situation, according to the girlfriend, who asked not to be named.

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The couple married in 2022 and requested asylum. While they waited, both paid taxes and obtained work permits and Social Security numbers. They have two U.S.-born daughters.

Esbir was arrested May 22 at the Miami Design District location of El Turco, a Turkish restaurant  recognized by the Michelin Guide  where he works as a chef. He was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center longer than a month, his wife said.

Esbirs wife had filed a temporary order of protection against him in April, she said. They were considering divorcing after a 2024 domestic dispute. Her understanding was that this filing would not lead to his arrest or affect his immigration status.

Esbir had a hearing in late June and should have been released no later than 48 hours later, she said.

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Instead, his wife said, he was kept in the jail four days past what should have been his release date until he was moved to the ICE-ERO Center in Miramar on July 2.

Esbir was taken to Alligator Alcatraz the next day.

Gokhan Yuzbasioglu, one of El Turcos founders, told the Times he wrote a letter advocating for Esbir and described him as a disciplined and skilled worker.

Jordin Castillo, 43, Miami

Castillo had lived in Miami for nearly two decades before he was detained by immigration officials.

He had built a small business called Jordin Paint, he said. The company allowed him to make a decent living and to give others the opportunity to work.

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Castillo had some legal troubles. Miami-Dade court records show felony charges dating back to 2019 for drug possession, which was dropped; a concealed carry violation, with no action taken; and fleeing from police, for which he served six months probation.

But his sister, who asked not to be named, described him as a man of good character and a loving brother, friend and dad.

Hes proud of the life he built, she said.

Last month, Castillo was arrested on suspicion of habitually driving without a license, court records show.

He was taken to Alligator Alcatraz on July 3.

Six days later, Castillo said, he was handcuffed and left outdoors in the sun as a punishment for attempting to go on a hunger strike inside the detention center, he said in a phone interview. As mosquitoes swarmed him, Castillo pleaded with guards to bring him inside, he said. He was kept outside for nearly three hours.

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There are fights between detainees over scarce amounts of food, and COVID-19 cases have spread inside one of the cells, Castillo said.

A spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management refuted Castillos account.

No guards are harming detainees or leaving them in the sun  that is a lie, said Stephanie Hartman. Officers are highly trained and follow all federal and state detention protocols.

Castillos girlfriend, who asked not to be named, said she speaks on the phone daily with Castillo. His booming voice has softened and weakened since he was detained, she said.

Daniel Muela Gomez, 31, Orlando

Gomez, an employee of Hubbard Construction in Orlando, said he was pulled over for speeding on June 25.

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Despite having a work permit, a drivers license, a Social Security number and paying taxes, Gomez has been detained since this traffic stop, he said.

An extensive background check on Gomez did not turn up any criminal charges in Florida with the name or age he gave the Times.

Gomez said he requested asylum from Ecuador upon arriving in the United States through its southern border. He was working legally while he waited for asylum to play out.

He was eventually hoping to bring his four children to the U.S. so that they could live in a safer country with a better economic situation.

I came to this country to help my family, he said.

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Inside the detention center, Gomez said guards force detainees to either eat their food during scheduled meal times or throw away whats not eaten. Saving food for later is not permitted, he said.

Hartman, the spokesperson for the Division of Emergency Services, said food is not used as punishment. She said detainees receive a meal upon arrival and three meals a day.

Gomez said he has developed lung pain inside Alligator Alcatraz, the first time he has ever dealt with such pain in his life.

Juan Arango Matallana, 26, Miami

Arango Matallana came to the United States from Colombia on a tourist visa in 2019, his relatives told the Times.

Hes a husband and the father of a 3-year-old child. He worked in construction before pursuing a career as a DJ.

Arango Matallana had three arrests in Florida. In September 2022, he was charged in Miami-Dade County with driving without a license and cannabis possession, but the drug charge was dropped, according to state criminal records. That same year, in November, he was arrested in Clay County on a shoplifting charge.

On June 26, he was arrested in Miami-Dade on charges related to driving without a license, drug possession and the outstanding warrant from Clay County. Arango Matallana was first taken to Miramars ICE-ERO Center and then to Alligator Alcatraz.

Laura Morales, his wife, said he was among the first detainees there. Morales said guards beat him last week after he demanded better conditions and that he was moved to a different area as punishment.

He told me the conditions are terrible, Morales said. The food is bad and there arent enough bathrooms.

Hartman said there is no physical punishment at the facility.

Alligator Alcatraz is a well-functioning and fully compliant facility that meets all national standards and is helping to fulfill the critical mission of immigration enforcement, she said.

Hairon Lazaro Cueto, 20, Miami

Cueto had his biometrics appointment  an important step toward citizenship  on July 15, according to his friend Gladys Cancio. He entered the United States via humanitarian parole from Cuba nearly three years ago.

During his time living here, Cueto worked in roofing and drove with a learners permit. Cueto is a father figure for Cancios four children, she said.

Cueto had no criminal record in Florida until he was arrested after a domestic dispute with his brother over a car he had sold to him. Cueto was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, on June 30, according to the arrest affidavit. Once in jail, Cueto was told there had been an ICE detainer placed on him, Cancio said. He was held at Miramars ICE-ERO Center before becoming one of the first detainees at Alligator Alcatraz.

His brother has filed a statement requesting that the charges against Cueto be dropped, expressing regret about how the situation escalated, Cancio said.

Cueto, born with a lung that works at 10% capacity, said he is suffering inside the facility.

During one meal, Cueto attempted to explain to the guards that he needed more time to finish eating his food because of his condition. The language barrier between the English-speaking guards and the Spanish-speaking Cueto caused his request to be interpreted as insubordination, he said. Cueto said he was struck in the ribs numerous times with a baton-like tool until an English-speaking detainee clarified the situation to guards, Cancio said.

Cueto, Cancio said, is also not receiving the medicine he needs. Cancio has driven to the entrance on U.S. Route 41 and asked officers to deliver the medicine to him. She said she understands that they might not be able to accept the medicine she brings, but that they ought to provide it to Cueto themselves.

Cueto has thrown up blood and contracted COVID-19 while inside the detention center, Cancio said. She worries Cueto is over-exerting his fully functioning lung and that his long-term health will suffer.

Espejo Hernan Morales, 40, Pompano Beach

Morales, who arrived from Mexico without documentation 25 years ago, was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in late May, Broward County records show.

On June 22, Morales called to say he was being taken to Alligator Alcatraz, said Guirlande Guillaume, a U.S. citizen who has three children with Morales. Guillaume was not the victim listed on Morales domestic violence charge.

Morales was previously charged with third-degree assault and child abuse without causing great bodily harm in 2018, Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show.

Morales was told he needed an operation to address heart disease in 2023 but could not afford it. He has frequent heart and chest pain that makes it difficult for him to breathe, Guillaume said.

She said she received calls three days this week from someone who identified themselves as an Alligator Alcatraz guard informing her that Morales condition had worsened. According to Guillaume, the guard, who told her they could not disclose their identity, urged her to find a way to get Morales out of the detention center but said they could not help.

Morales is struggling to breathe so much that he said he feels as if he were suffocating, said Guillaume.

She is worried he will die before he gets medical attention.
The United States has deported five individuals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos to Eswatini, a small southern African nation governed by a king who still holds absolute power.

This move marks Eswatini as the latest country to accept third-country deportees from the US. Authorities in Eswatini state the men are being held in correctional facilities pending their eventual repatriation to their native countries.

Here's what to know about Eswatini.

The king rules supreme

Eswatini stands as Africa's sole absolute monarchy, a unique position among nations. Here, King Mswati III holds supreme power, governing by decree rather than as a mere ceremonial figurehead.

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He ascended to the throne in 1986, at the age of 18, succeeding his father, Sobhuza II, who died four years prior in 1982. This places Eswatini among only a handful of countries worldwide where the monarch retains absolute control over the government.

King Mswati III, front, dances during a Reed Dance in Mbabane (AP)

King Mswati III, front, dances during a Reed Dance in Mbabane (AP)

The 57-year-old Mswati III has long been criticized for ruling over a government that suppresses political dissent while he lives a lavish lifestyle in one of the poorest countries in the world.

The king is reported to have 11 wives and has been the subject of scrutiny for buying luxury cars. His wealth has been estimated at between $200 million and $500 million, while the World Bank says more than half of Eswatini's 1.2 million people live on less than $4 a day.

No political parties

Political parties were banned by Sobhuza II in 1973. Some exist now, but they are not allowed to play any role in elections or the political process and have been reduced to civic society groups. Candidates seeking public office in Eswatini's Parliament or Senate have to stand as individuals without any party affiliation and are generally approved by traditional leaders loyal to Mswati III.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, left, shakes hands with Eswatini's King Mswati III at the royal palace in Ludzidzini (AP)

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, left, shakes hands with Eswatini's King Mswati III at the royal palace in Ludzidzini (AP)

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Pro-democracy protests have grown in recent years and Eswatini authorities under Mswati III have been accused of crushing them using the security forces. Many dissidents live in exile.

Previously Swaziland

The country was previously known as Swaziland but changed to Eswatini in 2018 after the king announced it should revert to its traditional name in the Swazi language. It was Swaziland when it was under British colonial rule, which ended in 1968.

Voters queue to cast their votes in Manzini, Eswatini (AP)

Voters queue to cast their votes in Manzini, Eswatini (AP)

Severely affected by HIV

Eswatini has been severely affected by HIV and has the highest prevalence in the world, with an estimated 26% of the adult population HIV positive, according to the United Nations AIDS agency.

It has made significant progress in confronting that scourge but has been highly reliant on foreign aid to do that, including assistance from the U.S., which has now been cut by the Trump administration.
Logistics warehouse operator Prologis boasted a record leasing pipeline as broader economic uncertainty begins to clear following Aprils Liberation Day tariff announcements. The company cautioned that conditions will likely remain choppy over the next few quarters but said leased space utilization is increasing and demand is piling up.

The San Francisco-based real estate investment trust said Wednesday that customers are actively signing leases, albeit at a slower-than-normal pace. The companys leasing pipeline of 130 million square feet was up 19% year over year in the second quarter and now stands at historically high levels.

With every passing day theres more water building up behind the dam, said Hamid Moghadam, Prologis co-founder and CEO, on a quarterly call with analysts. I think every bit of business thats delayed is going to translate to more business in the future.

Occupancy across Prologis (NYSE: PLD) portfolio was 94.9% in the second quarter, 120 basis points lower y/y, but level with the first quarter as market conditions appear to have stabilized. The company ended the quarter with the portfolio 95.1% occupied, which it said is 290 bps ahead of the broader market.

Table: Prologis key performance indicators

Prologis reported second-quarter core funds from operations (FFO) of $1.46 per share before the market opened on Wednesday, which was 4 cents above the consensus estimate and 12 cents higher y/y. Total revenue increased 9% to $2.18 billion as new leases commenced rose 10% to 51.2 million square feet.

Leasing activity slumped 20% shortly after the April tariff announcements but improved throughout the period, ending the quarter just 10% lower than normal. Roughly one-third of Prologis leasing activity in the quarter came from 3PLs. That was a little lower than the prior two quarters, but those periods saw outsized activity from logistics operators.

The company raised its full-year FFO guidance range to $5.80 to $5.85 per share, which was roughly 1% higher than the prior guide at the midpoint of the range.

The new outlook assumes average occupancy in a range of 94.75% to 95.25% and development starts between $2.25 billion and $2.75 billion. The new guide for starts is back in line with the companys initial outlook for 2025, which was issued in January.

Importantly, Moghadam said that the market has seen a 7.4% median vacancy rate since 2000, with vacancy exceeding that level 44% of the time. He believes the market has already topped out at a mid-7% vacancy rate and noted that at 5% vacancy, the landlord regains pricing power. (Market rents were off 1.4% in the quarter.)
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As the questions surrounding Jeffrey Epsteins life and deathquestions that Donald Trump once helped whip uptornadoed into their bajillionth news cycle, the presidents team began to privately debate ways to calm the furor: appoint a special counsel to investigate. Call on the courts to unseal documents related to the case. Have Attorney General Pam Bondi hold a news conference. Hold daily news conferences on the topic, a la Trumps regular prime-time pandemic appearances.

It dismissed every option. Any decision would ultimately come from Bondi and Trump togetheror from Trump aloneand for days, the president was adamant about doing nothing.

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Trump was annoyed by the constant questions from reportershad Bondi told him that his name, in fact, was in the Epstein files? (No, came his response)and frustrated by his inability to redirect the nations attention to what he views as his successes, four White House officials and a close outside adviser told us. But more than that, Trump felt deeply betrayed by his MAGA supporters, who had believed him when hed intimated that something was nefarious about how the Epstein case has been handled, and who now refused to believe him when he said their suspicions were actually baseless.

[Jonathan Chait: Why Trump cant make the Epstein story go away]

Hethe president, their leader, the martyr who had endured scandals and prosecution and an assassins bullet on their behalfhad repeatedly told them it was time to move on, and that alone should suffice. Why, he groused, would the White House add fuel to the fire, would it play into the medias narrative?

In particular, Trump has raged against MAGA influencers who, in his estimation, have profited and grown famous off their association with him and his political movement, according to one of the officials and the outside adviser, who is in regular touch with the West Wing. They and others we spoke with did so on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to anger Trump by talking about a subject that has become especially sensitive. Trump told the outside adviser that the disloyal influencers have forgotten whose name is above the door.

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These people cash their paychecks and get their clicks all thanks to him, the adviser told us. The president has bigger fish to fry, and hes said what he wants: Move on. People need to open their ears and listen to him.

But Trumps haphazard efforts at containmentspecifically, his effort to simply bulldoze through this very real scandalcame to an end last night, when The Wall Street Journal published an explosive story about a bawdy 50th-birthday letter that Trump allegedly sent to Epstein, which alluded to a shared secret and was framed by a drawing of a naked womans outline. (Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, and has threatened to sue the paper.) Shortly after the article posted online, Trump wrote on Truth Social that because of the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, he has asked Bondi to produce all relevant grand-jury testimony related to the Epstein case. Bondi immediately responded, writing, President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.

The Journal story underscored, yet again, the part of the Epstein saga that Trump and his allies most wish would go away: that Trump was one of Epsteins many famous pals and had a longand publicfriendship with the hard-partying, sex-obsessed financier who pleaded guilty in 2008 to two prostitution-related crimes and became a registered sex offender. Chummy photos of the two men, including at Trumps private Mar-a-Lago Club, abound; from 1993 to 1997, Trump flew on Epsteins private jets seven times, according to flight logs that emerged at an Epstein-related trial; in a 2002 New York magazine profile of Epstein, Trump said hed known Epstein for 15 years and praised him as a terrific guy.

Hes a lot of fun to be with, Trump enthused to the magazine. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. The two reportedly had a falling-out in 2004 when Epstein bought an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion that Trump wanted.

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On Wednesdayafter the White House had been alerted that the Journal was working on a big story, but at a moment when it still thought it might be able to kill itTrump took to social media to blast as past supporters Republicans still discussing the Epstein matter. He also tore into them during an Oval Office appearance with the crown prince of Bahrain. The president declared that some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans had fallen for a hoax that he said had been created by the Democrats. The president also privately fumed at House Speaker Mike Johnsons call for transparencyand for Trumps Justice Department to release more files related to the Epstein casewhile White House aides wondered if the apparent split could lead to further Republican defiance on other issues.

[Helen Lewis: Just asking questions got no answers about Epstein]

Still, before the Journal story changed the stakes yet again, Trump did not have plans to make additional calls to MAGA media allies or Republican lawmakers, one of the officials told us; instead, the president believed that his public comments and Truth Social posts were sufficient. (Despite his ire, he did not, for instance, reach out to Johnson or his team.)

Hes being tested and doesnt like it, the official told us. He doesnt want to talk about it.

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Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo once observed, You campaign in poetry; you govern in prose. And although the country does sometimes accept politicians who campaign in poetry and govern in prose, it is less willing to countenance those who campaign in conspiracy theory and then govern in a nothing-to-see-here-folks reality.

Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida state court in 2008 and was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He received a generous (and controversial) plea deal and served a short prison sentence before being released. He was arrested again in August 2019 and accused of sex-trafficking minors, leading some to wonder who else in Epsteins powerful orbit might have been involved and also face charges. He died a month later. Getting to the bottom of the details surrounding Epsteins death in jail while awaiting trialwhich has been ruled a suicideand releasing additional information about Epsteins sexual abuse of young women, and whether other well-known figures were involved, was never a top Trump-campaign promise. Trump answered when asked, but it was not a mainstay of his stump speech, something he regularly read from the teleprompter or riffed about at rallies.

Nevertheless, when Trump retook office, his supporters were eager for a big reveal. The wave began to crest when Bondi, asked in a February Fox News interview if she would release a list of Epsteins clients, replied, Its sitting on my desk right now to review. Less than a week later, she did herself no favors when, with much fanfare, she invited MAGA influencers to the White House to receive what she claimed were binders full of the declassified Epstein files, only for the beaming, gleeful sleuths to realize that the most scandalous thing about the binders was just how little information they contained. But a two-page memo that the Department of Justice released last Mondaywhich, in bureaucratese, offered a version of Trumps current time-to-move-on mantrais what finally sent the MAGA wave crashing down on Bondi and the president.

Laura Loomer, a Trump ally and far-right provocateur who called for Bondi to be fired over the memo, told us on Wednesday that she is sensitive to the challenges of separating fact from fictionbut that although not everyone in Epsteins orbit is inherently guilty, those who are guilty should be revealed. Theyre trying to say theres no list, she said. Theres a difference between people who were caught on video engaged in foul pornography and people who were caught in Jeffery Epsteins contact list. Demonizing everyone in Epsteins purported black book would be like tying her to the misdeeds of everyone saved in her cellphoneI have 7,000 contacts, she saidbut they should release the names of the people involved in the child pornography. Although Loomer and others have raised questions about video recordings of child sexual abuse collected by investigators, Bondi has said that Epstein downloaded those videos and that they were not records of crimes committed by him or his friends.

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Loomer has also publicly called for a special counsel to investigate the Epstein case and release the files. In our conversation, she reiterated that appeal and suggested that having Pam Blondiher derisive nickname for the flaxen-haired attorney generalapologize for either deliberately lying or overexaggerating her claim that the key files sitting on her desk in February would help to mitigate the bases angst. Still, Loomer acknowledged, a Bondi apology would at this point be but one step. Obviously, now this has taken on a life of its own, she observed.

The Epstein news cycle has also distracted from the accomplishments Trump hopes to showcasehis trade deals, the massive legislative package he just muscled throughand has embroiled his West Wing in a familiar cycle of drama. As the MAGA movement turned not just on Bondi but also on FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, over their handling of the Epstein files, tensions among the three became public. Bongino and Patel seemed to blame Bondi for their reputational hit, and last Friday, Axios reported that Bongino had simply refused to show up for work. Trump was upset with Bongino and Patel, and Vice President J. D. Vance was dispatched as a behind-the-scenes peacemaker. (A White House official told us that the president has no plans to fire Bondi, Bongino, or Patel, but noted pointedly that Trump is very supportive of Bondi, and merely supportive of the other two.)

What additional information could, and should, be revealed remains genuinely unclear. Questions worthy of further scrutiny were raised by Wireds recent reporting on the footage that the Justice Department released from the lone security camera near Epsteins jail cell the night before he was found dead; the videos metadata were shown to have likely been modified, and nearly three full minutes were cut out. But it is also possible that Epstein kept no written log of his crimes, and that whatever has not yet been released is simply to protect Epsteins victims. (There is also, of course, the competing theory that information is being withheld to protect Trump, or others close to him.)

[Listen: The razor-thin line between conspiracy theory and actual conspiracy]

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The White House official told us that the Justice Department did a thorough investigation and that much of what remains unreleased falls into one of these categories: documents that are sealed by courts (though Trump and Bondis Thursday appeal may change that), child pornography, and material that could expose any additional third parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing.

This, perhaps, has been the most confusing and upsetting part for Trump: his inability to manage his uber-loyalists and regular allies. Last month, during an unrelated fight with Elon MuskTrumps on-again, off-again benefactor and buddyMusk posted on X, Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. He later deleted the post, but more recently, as the Epstein controversies resurfaced, he again posted an appeal for further disclosure. How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he wont release the Epstein files? Musk wrote.

In the run-up to the Journal story, Trump personally appealed to Rupert Murdoch, his longtime friend and the papers owner, not to run the article. He also appealed to Emma Tucker, the editor in chief of the paper, whose editorial page has long been conservative and generally friendly to Trump (except on the matter of his tariff policy). But again, the limits of his power over normal allies became evident; the president was unsuccessful, and the story ran. But even if he lost the skirmish with the Journal, he may have at least briefly regained his purchase in the broader battle.

This morning, Trump posted a long, angry screed attacking the paper and promising to sue the Journal, its parent corporation, and Murdoch himself. His base likely still has questions surrounding Epstein, but for now, at least, Trump has redirected them back to the more familiar and comfortable territory of fighting with the media.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS! his post concluded, not accidentally.

Article originally published at The Atlantic
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN)  Insight Health Systems could be one step closer to reopening its hospital in Warren.

Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez says theres a positive development regarding Insight. He received word from the law firm representing the health system that the Medicare application for Trumbull Hospital has been approved.

Im feeling a lot more optimistic about the opening of the hospital, Hernandez said. With the idea that now they have that licensing, and theyre able to bill directly to those sources, they feel that there is more than adequate enough money to operate and sustain services there.

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The former Trumbull Regional has been closed since March. Insight has reported it couldnt access money it needed to operate because of issues with the hospitals previous owner Steward Health.

In our area, Medicare/Medicaid is very highly used. And in the past, unfortunately, they gave Steward Medical the opporunity to bill with their license through Medicare/Medicaid while Steward took all the money, Hernandez said.

Hernandez says this update is exciting. However, he remains cautiously optimistic.

I cant speak for the hospital, but its looking like its getting closer. We dont have a date, but its getting closer to that hospital or those hospitals reopening, he said.

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Hernandez says a public meeting with elected officials and Insight representatives originally set for next week has now been scheduled for August 5.



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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
Funds maintained by Iowas courts are dispersed throughout the state, for various purposes and amounts.

Courtesy: AP

On June 9, 2024, the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) program granted $1,177,030 in grants to nonprofit programs throughout Iowa. Locally, Muscatine Legal Services received $25,000. Click here for the full list of recipients.

Attorneys for the nonprofit group represent clients in civil matters for free or at a reduced rate.

The President of its Board of Directors, Daniel Hardin, says its an important source of funding that makes an immediate impact.

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Its extremely helpful, says Hardin. It helps people stay in their homes, helps people stay out of violent situations, helps people keep their families together in instances of child custody. This kind of legal aid work has a huge beneficial impact on our community.

Hardin is a practicing attorney at Bozeman, Neighbour, Patton & Noe LLP.

Organizations have to apply for these grants that are awarded every year.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Interloop is improving on what Pakistani farmers have worked toward for years.

This week, the Pakistan mill announced that Interloop Regen Kapas, an agriculture project that spans 25 villages across southern Punjab, has earned Regenagri certification from Control Union.

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Regenagri is an international agriculture initiative that helps organizations reach new levels of sustainability. Launched in June 2020, the agriculture program supports the health of the land and the wealth of those who live on it. Benefits of being certified include verification of GHG emissions and carbon sequestration claims, data analytics, benchmarking and advisory services, and use of the Regenagri trust mark for public claims.

Interloop said the certification advances the companys goal of 70 percent sustainable material sourcing and its transition to 100 percent sustainable cotton.

The Pakistan-based vertically integrated supplier of hosiery, denim and knitted apparel introduced the program one year ago. Working with grassroots partner REEDS Pakistan, the project supports farmers transitioning to regenerative practices that restore soil health, encourage biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For Pakistani farmers, regenerative farming is a return to traditional methods that build long-term resilience while reducing production costs and increasing net farm income and seamless activewear,

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Regenerative farming isnt new to Pakistan, its how weve farmed for generations, said Navid Fazil, CEO of Interloop. Were simply scaling that wisdom to give farmers the tools and market access they need while restoring the soil health that decades of chemical farming have compromised.

Since its launch, Interloop Regen Kapas has partnered with 1,000 farmers covering over 6,000 acres. This season, the program produced over 1,600 tonnes of cotton lint with full traceability through Looptrace technology. The proprietary traceability solution provides end-to-end traceability from product to the farm level.

Certifications are an increasingly important criteria for textile manufacturers seeking to validate their sustainability claims. Last year, Interloops apparel plant in Faisalabad received LEED platinum certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The company also earned the Alliance for Water Stewardships (AWS) Gold Certification for its facilities in Lahore.
International public opinion continues to turn against Israel for its war on Gaza, with more governments slowly beginning to reflect those voices and increase their own condemnation of the country.

In the last few weeks, Israeli government ministers have been sanctioned by several Western countries, with the United Kingdom, France and Canada issuing a joint statement condemning the intolerable level of human suffering in Gaza.

Earlier this week, a number of countries from the Global South, The Hague Group, collectively agreed on a number of measures that they say will restrain Israels assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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Across the world, and in increasing numbers, the public, politicians and, following an Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza, religious leaders are speaking out against Israels killings in Gaza.

So, are world powers getting any closer to putting enough pressure on Israel for it to stop?

Heres what we know.

What is the Hague Group?

According to its website, the Hague Group is a global bloc of states committed to coordinated legal and diplomatic measures in defence of international law and solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Made up of eight nations; South Africa, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia and Senegal, the group has set itself the mission of upholding international law, and safeguarding the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, principally the responsibility of all nations to uphold the inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, that it enshrines for all peoples.





Earlier this week, the Hague Group hosted a meeting of some 30 nations, including China, Spain and Qatar, in the Colombian capital of Bogota. Also attending the meeting was UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who characterised the meeting as the most significant political development in the past 20 months.

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Albanese was recently sanctioned by the United States for her criticism of its ally, Israel.

At the end of the two-day meeting, 12 of the countries in attendance agreed to six measures to limit Israels actions in Gaza. Included in those measures were blocks on supplying arms to Israel, a ban on ships transporting weapons and a review of public contracts for any possible links to companies benefiting from Israels occupation of Palestine.

Have any other governments taken action?

More and more.

On Wednesday, Slovenia barred far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory after the wider European Union failed to agree on measures to address charges of widespread human rights abuses against Israel.

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Slovenias ban on the two government ministers builds upon earlier sanctions imposed upon Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in June by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and Norway over their incitement to violence. The two men have been among the most vocal Israeli ministers in rejecting any compromise in negotiations with Palestinians, and pushing for the Jewish settlement of Gaza, as well as the increased building of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Left to right, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli far-right lawmaker and leader of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish power) party, and Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli far-right lawmaker and leader of the Religious Zionist Party have both been declared persona non grata by lawmakers in Slovenia [Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP]

In May, the UK, France, and Canada issued a joint statement describing Israels escalation of its campaign against Gaza as wholly disproportionate and promising concrete actions against Israel if it did not halt its offensive.

Later that month, the UK followed through on its warning, announcing sanctions on a handful of settler organisations and announcing a pause in free trade negotiations with Israel.

Also in May, Turkiye announced that it would block all trade with Israel until the humanitarian situation in Gaza was resolved.

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South Africa first launched a case for genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in late December 2023, and has since been supported by other countries, including Colombia, Chile, Spain, Ireland, and Turkiye.

In January of 2024, the ICJ issued its provisional ruling, finding what it termed a plausible case for genocide and instructing Israel to undertake emergency measures, including the provision of the aid that its government has effectively blocked since March of this year.

What other criticism of Israel has there been?

Israels bombing on Thursday of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, killing three people, drew a rare rebuke from Israels most stalwart ally, the United States.

Following what was reported to be an angry phone call from US President Trump after the bombing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office issued a statement expressing its deep regret over the attack.

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To date, Israel has killed more than 58,000 people in Gaza, the majority women and children.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III visit the Church of the Holy Family, which was hit in an Israeli strike on Thursday, in Gaza City, July 18, 2025 [The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem/Handout via Reuters]

Has the tide turned internationally?

Mass public protests against Israels war on Gaza have continued around the world throughout its duration.

And there are clear signs of growing anger over the brutality of the war and the toll it is taking on Palestinians in Gaza.

In Western Europe, a survey carried out by the polling company YouGov in June found that net favourability towards Israel had reached its lowest ebb since tracking began.

A similar poll produced by CNN this week found similar results among the American public, with only 23 percent of respondents agreeing Israels actions in Gaza were fully justified, down from 50 percent in October 2023.

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Public anger has also found voice at high-profile public events, including music festivals such as Germanys Fusion Festival, Polands Opener Festival and the UKs Glastonbury festival, where both artists and their supporters used their platforms to denounce the war on Gaza.

Revellers with Palestinian and other flags gather as Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, UK, June 28, 2025 [Jaimi Joy/Reuters]

Has anything changed in Israel?

Protests against the war remain small but are growing, with organisations, such as Standing Together, bringing together Israeli and Palestinian activists to protest the war.

There has also been a growing number of reservists refusing to show up for duty. In April, the Israeli magazine +972 reported that more than 100,000 reservists had refused to show up for duty, with open letters from within the military protesting the war growing in number since.

Will it make any difference?

Netanyahus hard-right coalition has been pursuing its war on Gaza despite its domestic and international unpopularity for some time.

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The governments most recent proposal, that all of Gazas population be confined into what it calls a humanitarian city, but has been likened to a concentration camp and has been taken by many of its critics as evidence that it no longer cares about either international law or global opinion.

Internationally, despite its recent criticism of Israel for its bombing of Gazas one Catholic church, US support for Israel remains resolute. For many in Israel, the continued support of the US, and President Donald Trump in particular, remains the one diplomatic absolute they can rely upon to weather whatever diplomatic storms their actions in Gaza may provoke.





In addition to that support, which includes diplomatic guarantees through the use of the US veto in the United Nations Security Council and military support via its extensive arsenal, is the US use of sanctions against Israels critics, such as the International Criminal Court, whose members were sanctioned in June after it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes charges.

That means, in the short term, Israel ultimately feels protected as long as it has US support. But as it becomes more of an international pariah, economic and diplomatic isolation may become more difficult to handle.
LUDLOW  In Ludlow, where nearly all of the available affordable housing is restricted to older adults, a new complex not limited by age will open later this summer.

More than 2,000 people applied to live at Greenstead Grove, a 43-unit development in the southeastern part of Ludlow, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The first tenants will get to move in by mid-August.

We now have 43 new units of quality, affordable homes that can bring safety, stability, opportunity and community to families in town, said Jim Broderick, a board member for Way Finders, the nonprofit organization that funded the build, and chair of its real estate investment committee, at the ribbon cutting for the complex.

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The development is a mixed-income group of apartments: 16 apartments for households that are at or below 30% of the area median income, and 27 slated for households at or below 60% of the area median income.

Six units are considered accessible: three for sensory-impaired residents and three for disabled residents.

Amenities like heating, cooling, electricity and hot water are included in the rent. There will be on-site laundry; proximity to schools, including Harris Brook Elementary School, which is right across the street; shopping centers; and transportation.

This is about the long haul. This is an investment in the future, said Keith Fairey, president and chief executive officer of Way Finders, a housing and human services organization.

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The project, from purchase to opening, Broderick explained, has been underway for almost a decade  which is not uncommon for projects funded by nonprofit groups.

An affordable housing development project (is) many times more complicated than the typical commercial real estate development project, and it takes much, much longer to complete, he said. Thats because organizations have to source multiple avenues of funding and receive approvals from the state before finally building the housing itself.

State Sen. Jacob Oliveira, D-Ludlow, said he grew up very close to where this complex is located. He and fellow lawmaker state Rep. Aaron Saunders, D-Ludlow, went to the elementary school across the street.

There was this true sense of bringing people together, regardless of background, regardless of age, regardless of where you came from. Thats what Ludlow brings to so many families, said Oliveira.

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Oliveira spoke about the need for less age-restricted housing in Ludlow.

Here in the commonwealth, the fastest migration out of Massachusetts are 25 to 40 year olds, and many of them (are) families, Oliveira said.

In November, the $43 million rehab and reconstruction of historic Mill 8, the Clock Tower building, opened 95 mixed-income apartments for those age 55 and older.

Earlier this year, Housing Navigator, a nonprofit agency that advocates for equitable and quality rental housing in Massachusetts and offers a search tool for people to find affordable places to live, reported that 96% of Ludlows existing affordable housing is restricted to adults over 55-years-old.

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When asked how it was decided that this housing complex would be open to people of all ages, Fairey said, The need for housing without age restrictions is there.

more news from Western Massachusetts

Read the original article on MassLive.
IOWA  On Friday, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said that swimming is not advised at 12 state beaches this week.

When strong storms will move into central Iowa this weekend

According to the DNRs website, all 12 of the beaches were found to have E. coli levels higher than the states standard, with one beach, Lake Darling Beach, also exceeding the standard for Algal toxin. The affected beaches are listed below:

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Backbone Beach in Delaware County

Beeds Lake Beach in Franklin County

Black Hawk Beach in Sac County

Blue Lake Beach in Monona County

Lake Ahquabi Beach in Warren County

Lake Darling Beach in Washington County

Lake Manawa Beach in Pottawattamie County

Lake of Three Fires Beach in Taylor County

Nine Eagles Beach in Decatur County

Pine Lake South Beach in Hardin County

Pleasant Creek Beach in Linn County

Union Grove Beach in Tama County

Many of these beaches have been under a swimming not recommended advisory for several weeks due to persistent high E. coli levels. Advisories will be in place until the levels drop below the state standard.

Officials with Lake Red Rock announced in a post on Facebook that both the Red Rock North Overlook Beach and Whitebreast Beach were under a swimming not recommended advisory for this weekend due to elevated bacterial counts. The advisory will remain until bacterial counts decrease.

For more information about the advisories and the other state beaches, visit the DNRs website. The website is updated every Friday with the most recent test results.

Iowa News:

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Iowa Farmers Union members talked about the importance of a partnership with USDA and the problems that could arise from cuts to its programs. (Photo contributed by Aaron Lehman)

Farmers on a virtual town hall with Iowa Farmers Union talked Thursday about the strong partnership they have had with U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the fears they have about the programs being cut in federal budgets.

Programs from USDA have helped farmers to diversify their operations, find consistent markets and implement practices that protect water quality and build soil health, though some could be trimmed or cut by congressional budgets.

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According to a Politico analysis of the presidents budget proposal, USDA could see a near $7 billion budget reduction for fiscal year 2026, depending on how closely U.S. lawmakers follow the proposal. The same analysis noted significant cuts to Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.

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Seth Watkins of Pinhook Farm near Clarinda said he has tried to put himself in the other persons shoes to understand the federal budget cuts and said he appreciate(s) that elected officials are working to trim down the nations $36.6 trillion in debt.

I guess what worries me, speaking from my experience as a farmer, is I dont want to see us be  a penny wise and a pound foolish, Watkins said.

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He said its especially challenging for him to see the programs that protect water or create opportunities for young farmers on the chopping block.

Watkins, who raises cattle, sheep and honey bees, said many of the USDA agencies provide technical support to farmers in addition to funding opportunities.

Watkins said the Natural Resources Conservation Service especially was already operating on the shoestring budget, which has made it difficult to get help with engineering a pond or waterway, for example, that will stand up to the significant weather events that have become the norm.

As farmers, were practical  we want to do the right thing, but we need that help, Watkins said.

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Ellen Walsh-Rosmann runs Rosmann Family Farms near Harlan with her husband and in-laws, where they raise cattle, hogs, grain and such.

Walsh-Rosmann said at the town hall that she previously utilized the Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs with USDA to deliver pallets worth of food products to food hubs, which were then distributed to local schools and food banks.

She said this program offered guaranteed sales and a scalable distribution model, as opposed to selling beef a pound at a time via a direct-to-consumer model.

The programs, which were established during the pandemic under the Commodity Credit Corporation, were canceled in March and farmers and institutions lost an estimated $11.3 million in federal funding for the purchase of local foods in 2025.

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Walsh-Rosmann said the program was a lot easier for her operation, as compared to direct sales, and also meant that food banks and schools were able to serve her organic beef.

It was just really disheartening, because there was nothing wrong, Walsh-Rosmann said of the program. We also know that for every dollar that was spent in that program, $4 were going back into our local economies, which you cant say that about many government subsidized programs.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship piloted a similar program to help schools and food banks purchase local food.

The Legislature extended the Choose Iowa purchasing program for food banks, but the school program is still in the pilot phase.

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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said Wednesday at the Iowa Hunger Summit he hoped to expand the number of schools participating in the pilot for the upcoming year.

Another farmer on the town hall call Thursday said USDA offices need to be funded and staffed to adequately support young farmers who might have a business model different than whats common in the county.

Anna Hankins of Over the Moon Farm in Coggon said because the barriers to entry for young farmers, like herself, are really, really high, many young farmers are turning to niche markets or specialty crops they can grow with fewer resources and smaller plots of land.

Hankins said she has been able to use the same USDA programs her more traditional neighbors might be using, but in a way that works for her meat and cut flower operation.

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It takes more legwork, and its really, really important for beginning farmers like myself and others that come after us to make sure that we have a USDA that is well funded, that has enough support in our local offices to make it possible for beginning farmers like myself, Hankins said.

The farmers on the call said they regularly reach out to their elected representatives about these issues, and encourage their neighbors to as well, as lawmakers finalize budgets for the year.

Farmers really rely on a robust, honest, pragmatic partnership, a farmer-public partnership to make sure that our family farms can thrive, to make sure that we can implement practices that contribute to a healthy landscape, and to thriving rural communities, Aaron Lehman Iowa Farmers Union President said in closing. Without that partnership, it will only lead to greater consolidation, fewer family farms, and deteriorating local communities.

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Jul. 17MITCHELL  A 22-year-old Livermore, Iowa man made his initial appearance in Davison County felony court Tuesday afternoon in connection with a July 6 incident at the Corn Palace Inn that led to multiple charges, including aggravated assault.

Devin Oyan is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, a Class 2 felony; two counts of obstructing a police officer, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and one count of disorderly conduct, a Class 2 misdemeanor.

According to court documents, police were called to the motel after reports of a man  later identified as Oyan  yelling at people in the parking lot. When officers arrived, Oyan began to walk away but continued shouting loudly and using offensive language toward both the officers and the individuals who had called police.

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Oyan appeared to be heading back to his room but instead turned around and resumed yelling, drawing the attention of other motel guests. Officers warned him he would be cited for disorderly conduct, at which point Oyan allegedly pulled a kitchen knife from his pocket and held it at his side.

Despite commands to stop, Oyan continued to advance toward the officers with the knife in hand, reportedly shouting at them to stay away and daring them to shoot. He then removed his shirt and flexed his muscles while still holding the knife, before continuing to move toward the officers.

Officers deployed their Tasers and ordered Oyan to the ground. He surrendered and was taken into custody, but police say he remained combative while handcuffed.

Oyan is scheduled to return to court in four weeks for a status hearing.
Scale AI, a San Francisco-based data-labelling and technology company, has implemented a significant reduction in its workforce following a multi-billion-dollar investment by Meta.

The company confirmed the layoff of 200 employees, which accounts for 14% of its staff. Additionally, it plans to terminate contracts with 500 global contractors.

This development comes in the wake of Meta's acquisition of a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.3bn, as reported by Bloomberg.

Interim CEO Jason Droege communicated the restructuring plans to employees, citing the need to address inefficiencies resulting from rapid expansion. In an internal email to staff, Droege stated that the company had expanded its GenAI capacity too rapidly over the past year.

This re-evaluation was prompted by shifts in market demand that necessitated a refined operational strategy.

The restructuring targets Scale AIs GenAI division, which is involved in managing projects such as AI chatbots like xAI's Grok and Google's Gemini.

According to the email, affected employees have been advised against reporting to the office during this transition period. The company has ensured that departing staff will receive appropriate severance packages.

As part of the broader organisational changes, several high-ranking officials, including vice presidents and chiefs of staff, have exited the company following Meta's investment. Despite these shifts, Scale AI claims to maintain a strong financial position and plans to expand its workforce in enterprise and public sector roles later this year.

Meta's move to acquire a near-majority stake, albeit without voting rights, in Scale AI is aimed at enhancing its competitive edge against entities like OpenAI.

Former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang has transitioned to the role of chief AI officer at Meta and continues to serve on Scale AIs board of directors. Meta is concurrently establishing Meta Superintelligence Labs as part of this collaboration.

Scale AI's business model focuses on providing labelled datasets essential for training machine learning models. Its clientele includes major organisations such as Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Recently, Scale AI secured a multi-million-dollar contract with the US Department of Defense, underscoring its role in delivering data solutions for military applications.

"Scale AI reduces workforce following Meta investment" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.




Iran has criticized European threats of sanctions in connection with negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme as irresponsible.

Paris, London and Berlin should "put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on the X platform on Friday.

The so-called E3 countries - Germany, France and the United Kingdom - have threatened Iran with the reimposition of strict sanctions if no concrete progress is made on a new nuclear agreement in the coming months.

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The 2015 Vienna agreement on Iran's nuclear programme formally expires this October. As co-signatories, the three European countries have the option of using the so-called snapback mechanism to reimpose earlier and stricter UN sanctions against Iran.

The United States and Iran recently held several rounds of negotiations, before these were interrupted by the Iran-Israel war, in which the US also attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

There is currently no specific date for new negotiations. The aim was to limit Tehran's nuclear programme in order to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
Despite the denials from Tehran, there is mounting evidence that Iran continues to send military aid to these groups, demonstrating its determination to retain influence over its militia allies.

Despite significant setbacks following Israeli strikes that killed key military leaders and US attacks on its nuclear facilities, Iran is accelerating efforts to rearm its militia allies across the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Friday.

However, Tehran has vehemently denied these allegations, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei calling claims of weapons shipments to Yemen baseless.

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The US and Israeli strikes onIranian assets this spring have taken a toll on Tehran's regional influence. Yet, Iran is moving quickly to replenish its stockpiles and continue supporting proxy groups in the region, particularly the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Despite the denials from Tehran, there is mounting evidence that Iran continues to send military aid to these groups, demonstrating its determination to retain influence over its militia allies.

This week, forces aligned with Yemens internationally recognized governmentintercepted a large shipment of advanced military equipment, including missiles, drone parts, and warheads, intended for the Houthi rebels along the Red Sea coast. The seizure was carried out by the National Resistance Force, a coalition of military groups aligned with the Yemeni government.

The shipment was hidden aboard a dhow and was concealed under crates of air conditioners, a tactic used to avoid detection. Among the advanced military gear was Iranian-developed Qader antiship missiles and parts for the Saqr air-defense system, both of which have been used by the Houthis in attacks against US drones.

Large-scale weapons seizures confirm Iran's continuing military support

People walk next to a mural with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street, early hours of ceasefire, in Tehran, Iran, June 24, 2025. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

The US Central Command, responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, confirmed that this was the National Resistance Forces largest-ever seizure of Iranian conventional weapons, totaling 750 tons of advanced military supplies.

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According to reports, these included cruise missiles, warheads, targeting components, and drone engines. This is the largest interception of Iranian weapons heading to Yemen to date.

The Wall Street Journal noted that this shipment was carefully concealed beneath a false load and was intercepted after the vessel passed through East African waters, underscoring the sophisticated methods Tehran uses to supply its allies covertly.

Irans Intent to Replenish Weapon Supplies Following US Strikes

This latest seizure follows a series of US airstrikes earlier this year, which severely depleted Houthi stockpiles. Mohammed al-Basha, the founder of the Basha Report, a US-based Middle East security advisory, suggested that the scale and timing of this shipment strongly indicate Irans desire to quickly replenish weapons stores that were depleted by the US campaign.

"The timing and scale of this shipment strongly suggest Iran is moving quickly to replenish Houthi stockpiles depleted by US airstrikes," al-Basha said. The replenishment of Houthi arms is critical to Tehrans strategy to maintain pressure on Israel and commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea, a region crucial for global shipping.

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In response to these allegations, Esmail Baqaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, denied that Iran was sending weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. Baqaei dismissed the accusations as "baseless," arguing that Tehran has no involvement in the supply of arms to the Yemeni rebels. However, the scale of the intercepted shipments and the growing number of seizures by multiple governments in the region raise significant doubts about these claims.

Iran's Growing Military Presence in Syria and Lebanon

The report also highlighted how Irans actions are part of a broader regional strategy aimed at bolstering its network of militia allies.

In Syria, the new government, which has been increasingly hostile to Tehran, has managed to intercept several arms shipments to Hezbollah. These seizures included Grad rockets and other weaponry intended for use in multiple-launch systems.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's army has also been intercepting shipments of weapons, including Russian-made antitank missiles, coming through Syria.

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Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explained that the growing arms smuggling trend illustrates how Iran is continuing to support its proxy forces despite facing military setbacks.

Hezbollah's Adaptation to Arms Shortages

Knights noted, Iran is rebuilding its presence in the Levant by sending missiles to Hezbollah and weapons from Iraq to Syria. This arms trade is part of Irans continued ambition to sustain its influence in the region. He emphasized that Iran's activities in Syria and Lebanon are reflective of its broader goals of maintaining a network of militias to safeguard its strategic interests in the Middle East.

Hezbollah, which has been a critical ally for Iran in its regional power struggle, has been struggling to replenish its arms following Israel's 12-day air campaign last fall. The Israeli operation resulted in significant losses for the Lebanese terror group, destroying much of its leadership and arsenal.

Despite these losses, Hezbollah has managed to retain some military capabilities, including missile and drone technology. In recent months, Hezbollah has managed to restructure its smuggling networks to move arms in smaller shipments via Syria and Iraq, with some shipments even being disguised as humanitarian aid.

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Michael Cardash, a former deputy head of Israel's bomb disposal division, observed that the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime has complicated Hezbollahs access to weapons, forcing traffickers to operate in a much more clandestine manner.

"There has been an intensifying trend in recent months of smuggling attempts originating from or transiting through Syria to Lebanons Hezbollah, Cardash said. These small, discreet shipments are harder to detect and allow Hezbollah to maintain its operations in Lebanon and beyond.

Hezbollah's Self-Sufficiency and Resilience

Although Hezbollah has faced setbacks in replenishing its arms, it has been successful in manufacturing its own drones and medium-range rockets, further demonstrating the resilience of Irans proxy network.

With support from Tehran, Hezbollah has managed to sidestep the pressure placed on its arms pipeline and continues to develop its own capabilities. Hezbollah's ability to produce weapons and restructure its networks is indicative of Iran's long-term strategy to ensure the survival of its regional proxies despite direct military actions by Israel
Two Iranian graduate students in Louisiana have been released from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement custody after their lawyers took issue with ICE agents using a ruse to lure them outside to be arrested. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

July 18 (UPI) -- Two Iranian graduate students in Louisiana have been released from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement custody after lawyers took issue with ICE agents using a "ruse" to "lure" them outside to be arrested.

The couple was released this week and all proceedings against them dropped after their lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the procedure surrounding the June 22 arrest at an off-campus apartment in Baton Rouge, La.

ICE agents convinced Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad and Parisa Firouzabadi they were there to speak to the mechanical engineering students about a hit-and-run reported the two had reported weeks earlier.

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When the married couple stepped outside to show police their vehicle, they were taken into custody and later challenged the detention in immigration court.

Pourhosseinhendabad and Firouzabadi are both doctoral students at Louisiana State University, having arrived in the United States in 2023. Both are legally allowed to remain in the country, although Firouzabadi's student visa was not formally renewed.

ICE agents enlisted the help of the Louisiana State Police to convince Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad and Parisa Firouzabadi they were there to speak to the mechanical engineering students about a hit-and-run the pair had reported weeks earlier. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

"There's a significant problem with how the two of them were arrested, because there were no exigent circumstances that required any type of Ruse," ACLU of Louisiana Legal Director Nora Ahmed told WBRZ-TV in an interview.

Ahmed said ICE agents at the time came only with an administrative warrant that does not require a person to permit law enforcement entry into a dwelling.

The couple was released this week and all proceedings against them dropped after their lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the arrest procedure used by ICE during the June 22 arrest at an off-campus apartment in Baton Rouge, La. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

She said the federal officials could easily have obtained the necessary judicial warrant that would have made the arrest permissible.

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"So, it appears that there was some type of desire not to get that judicial warrant to enter the home, but they could have done that because there were no exigent circumstances that required them to enter the home," Ahmen said.

Pourhosseinhendabad and Firouzabadi were arrested after an anonymous tip to ICE, The Illuminator reported.

Court documents uploaded weeks after the arrest show the reason for the detention as visa-related, noting that Firouzabadi was deportable because of a lack of renewal. Pourhosseinhendabad's visa remains current. The two were held in separate detention centers in Mississippi.

The arrest came a day after U.S. warplanes attacked three Iranian military sites linked to enriched uranium.

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Days later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the Department of Homeland Security warned of a "heightened threat environment" because of the attacks on Iran.

"There's still a visa revocation charge on her (Firouzabadi) updated document, but we no longer see any suggestion of espionage or sabotage," Ahmed told WBRZ-TV.

"That's also deeply concerning because it would suggest that there was bombing, arrest, an attempt at justification, and then a review as to whether those charges could stand, and then a retraction of that, but it takes days for any of that to occur."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured during one of Israel's attacks on Iran last month, two U.S. intelligence sources have confirmed to CBS News.

The sources told CBS News that reports in Iranian state-run media are accurate that Pezeshkian was attending a Supreme National Security Council meeting when the Israeli strike happened. The state media report said he sustained leg injuries while escaping through an emergency shaft.

It remains unclear if he was intentionally targeted.

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During an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, Pezeshkian claimed Israel attempted to assassinate him by bombarding an area in which he was participating in a meeting.

Asked whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him, Pezeshkian responded, "They did try, yes. And they acted accordingly, but they failed."

"It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting. We were discussing the ways to move forward. But thanks to the intelligence by the spies that they had, they tried to bombard the areain which we were holding that meeting," he said in the interview, which was translated from Farsi.

Pereshkian did not specify the exact date of the strike.

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The White House has not commented on the report, and neither has the Israeli government. An Iranian government official declined to comment.

The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran killed hundreds in Iran and 28 in Israel. Both Israel and Iran claimed victory after a ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration.

Some of Iran's commanders were killed in the conflict, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, and the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

The U.S. also conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the conflict.

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Son of man who was violently detained by ICE reacts after release

7.3 magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska

Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue
Island County officials have issued a full outdoor burn ban due to heightened wildfire risk from dry weather and low humidity.

Sheriff Rick Felici, who also serves as the Island County Fire Marshal, enacted the Type II burn ban effective at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 18.

The order prohibits all outdoor burning of natural debris in unincorporated areas of the county, even if a permit has been issued.

Recreational fires, which are typically allowed under a less restrictive Type I ban, are also not allowed under this directive.

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This proclamation is in response to the current atmospheric conditions, including reduced fuel moisture levels, low humidity, and warmer weather, which have significantly increased fire danger across Island County, the county said in a public notice.

The Type II ban also includes a prohibition on the use and discharge of consumer fireworks unless the Fire Marshal has issued a specific permit allowing them.

The use of propane or briquette-fueled barbecue grills, along with self-contained camp stoves, remains allowed under the ban.

Felici stated the burn restriction comes in agreement with local fire protection districts serving Whidbey and Camano Islands and the Northwest Clean Air Agency.

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Officials are urging residents to use extreme caution with any potential sources of ignition. The proclamation notes the current fire danger level as extreme.

Violations should be reported by calling 911.

The burn ban will remain in effect until further notice but will be reevaluated in 60 days.
At least 41 Palestinians have been killed since dawn across Gaza in Israeli attacks, medical sources have told Al Jazeera, as the besieged and bombarded enclaves decimated health system, overwhelmed by a daily flow of wounded, is forcing doctors to make decisions on who to treat first.

In the latest killings on Friday, three people died in an Israeli attack on the Tuffah neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City. Five people were also killed in an Israeli air attack in Jabalia an-Nazla, in northern Gaza.

Earlier, an Israeli attack hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza  previously designated a so-called safe zone  igniting a major fire and killing at least five people, including infants. Al-Mawasi has come under repeated, deadly Israeli fire.

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The death toll also includes includes 10 people who were desperately seeking aid.

Al Jazeeras correspondent Hani Mahmoud said the injured, including children, were transferred to Nasser Hospital. Some showed wounds compatible with drone attacks.

Drone missiles are packed with nails, metals and shrapnel that explodes at high speed, causing internal bleeding, Mahmoud said. These attacks are on the rise and target people in large crowds, in markets or while queueing for water.

While Israel claims to be using sophisticated weapons, when we look on the ground, we see the number of casualties contradicting what Israel is [saying], he added.

What should we do? Die at home?

Israels ongoing, punishing blockade of Gaza is forcing doctors in crammed medical facilities to make difficult decisions about who to treat.

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Patients with chronic illnesses are often the first to miss out because emergency departments are overwhelmed by people wounded in Israeli attacks.

Before the war, I used to receive dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours. At that time, the situation was stable, the treatment was effective, and we would return home feeling well and rested, Omda Dagmash, a dialysis patient, told Al Jazeera at the barely functioning al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Now we can barely make the journey to the hospital, particularly since we are not eating well.

At al-Shifa, the dialysis schedule has been scaled down to shorter and less frequent sessions. For some, it is a matter of life and death.

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The journey here is long and costly, said Rowaida Minyawi, an elderly patient. After all this exhaustion, we sometimes cant find treatment. I have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Even the medicine we get is not good. What should we do? Die at home?

Besides prioritising patients, healthcare workers say they have to scale back operations to the minimum, as no fuel means no power  and no way to save lives.

Only a few departments are working. We had to cut electricity to the rest, said Ziad Abu Humaidan, from the hospitals engineering department.

The hospitals yards turned into graveyards rather than a place of care and healing. Without electricity, there is no lighting, no functioning medical equipment, and no support for other essential services.





The Palestinian Ministry of Health said unprecedented numbers of starving people of all ages were arriving at emergency departments with extreme exhaustion and fatigue. It said hundreds were emaciated and at risk of death due to malnutrition.

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Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said patients were suffering from stress and memory loss resulting from severe hunger.

Waning support in Israel for war

According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Israeli news outlet Maariv, about 44 percent of the Israeli public said the continued war in Gaza will not achieve the countrys goals.

A total of 42 percent of those surveyed said they believe the fighting will lead to achieving the goals, while 11 percent of the respondents said they are undecided.

Maariv also noted that of those who support the current coalition government, 73 percent think the military will achieve its goals, while 70 percent of opposition supporters think otherwise.

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In the meantime, Israel faced a rare backlash after it bombed Gazas only Catholic church, killing three people and wounding at least 10 on Thursday.

United States President Donald Trump contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after having not a positive reaction to the strike, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

After the call, Netanyahu attributed the strike to stray ammunition and added that Israel was investigating the incident.

Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday, the Vatican said. During the call, the pontiff renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the dramatic humanitarian situation in the enclave, a Vatican statement said.

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Leo also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.

Hamas slammed the attack as a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons that comes in the context of a war of extermination against the Palestinian people.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday to express the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land, read a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The patriarchs and their delegation visited the Holy Family Catholic Church, the site of the Israeli attack.




"The flexibility and constructive approach shown by Israel in the negotiations are not matched by Hamas, the official said.

Israel has made "significant strides" in its efforts to reach a hostage deal; however, Hamas is hindering a breakthrough, an Israeli official said Friday, after 12 days of intensive negotiations in Doha, Qatar.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, an updated proposal was presented to both sides by the mediators, but talks remain tense and fraught with obstacles.

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The official clarified that despite the difficulties, the Israeli delegation remains in Qatar. Its not a matter of optimism or pessimism, the official said. But we must be realistic about Hamass conduct.

According to the official, Israel remains committed to exhausting all remaining avenues within the negotiation framework, though concerns about the process are growing: We question Hamass seriousness. We are approaching a critical juncture. Hamass foot-dragging - even if it believes it serves its interests - may ultimately work against it.

A key sticking point is Hamass refusal to proceed to discussions on the so-called key issue - referring to the identity and number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages - until an agreement is reached on the deployment of Israeli troops in Gaza. The parties continue to struggle over the maps that were presented.

HAMAS TERRORISTS keep guard on the day Hamas handed over deceased hostages, in Khan Yunis, Feb. 20, 2025. (credit: REUTERS)

The official stressed that Israel will not return to force deployments along the January or March lines. There is no basis for that in any stage of the negotiations.

Netanyahu allowing considerable leeway in negotiations

Israeli delegation arrived in Qatar with a broad mandate and considerable operational leeway from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official continued. Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer are in constant contact with the delegation.

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"The flexibility and constructive approach shown by Israel in the negotiations are not matched by Hamas, the official said.

In parallel, a separate humanitarian dialogue channel was opened last week in Egypt to advance humanitarian aspects of the deal. According to the official, there has been some progress on that front  but the road to an agreement remains challenging.
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Israel has declined to renew the visa for Jonathan Whittall, the senior U.N. aid official for the occupied Palestinian territories, a U.N. spokesperson said on Friday, adding there were intensifying threats of reduced access to suffering civilians.

Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said visas for U.N. staff were recently renewed for shorter periods than usual and access requests to Gaza were denied for multiple agencies. Kaneko said permits for Palestinian staff to enter East Jerusalem were also withheld.

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WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Gaza is in the midst of a devastating Israeli military assault following a deadly October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants. Israel has come under mounting criticism from the U.N. during its war in the Palestinian enclave, which has internally displaced Gaza's entire population and caused a hunger crisis.

KEY QUOTES

"Last week, it was indicated to us that our current Head of Office, Jonathan Whittall, won't have his visa extended by Israeli authorities beyond August. This came immediately after remarks he made at a press briefing about starving people being killed while trying to reach food," Kaneko said.

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Israel's mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has previously dismissed U.N. criticism as being biased.

CONTEXT

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.

Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 58,000 Palestinians. It has also prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.

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The U.N. rights office says it recorded nearly 900 killings within the past six weeks near aid distribution sites and aid convoys in Gaza.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Michelle Nichols and Leslie Adler)
By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said on Friday that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkey, Jordan and neighbors.

On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying that Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel.

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"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity," Barrack said in a post on X.

The Israeli embassy in Washington and Syrian Consulate in Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ceasefire announcement came after the U.S. worked to put an end to the conflict. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said steps had been agreed to end a "troubling and horrifying situation".

It also followed what appeared to be a de-escalation of the conflict after government troops withdrew from Sweida, where violence had been centered.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)
Displaced Palestinians fill water at a tent camp, in Gaza City, May 20, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)

Trump suggested in February that the US take over Gaza, temporarily moving its two million inhabitants, while the land is rebuilt.

The head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, visited Washington this week as Israel seeks the Trump administration's help in moving Palestinians out of Gaza, Axios reported on Friday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

Barnea told US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, in a meeting earlier this week that Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya have expressed openness to receiving large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza, according to the two sources.

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The move is viewed as highly controversial; some Israeli and American legal experts have labeled it a war crime. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet have said that the relocation would be voluntary and nobody would be forced to leave.

Barnea pushed the US to offer incentives to those countries and support Israel in convincing them. It is unclear whether the US will provide its support, according to Axios.

Head of Mossad David Barnea attends a ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, as Israel marks the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. April 23, 2025. (credit: Chaim Goldberg FLASH90)

Trump's plan for Gaza

US President Donald Trump suggested in February that the US take over Gaza and temporarily move its two million inhabitants while the land is rebuilt. Trump received pushback from both Arab and Western countries, while Netanyahu and his government supported the idea.

The Trump administration reportedly told Israeli officials that if Netanyahu wanted to pursue this idea, Israel would need to find countries willing to take in Palestinians, a task Netanyahu then gave the Mossad, according to Axios.
By Anton Bridge and David Dolan

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings has again lived up to a reputation for shrugging off investor calls for better returns. This time, it also provides a reminder that even amid a corporate governance overhaul, big-ticket acquisitions are far from easy in Japan.

Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard on Thursday pulled its $46 billion bid to buy the 7-Eleven owner, citing what it described as a lack of constructive engagement from the Japanese retail giant, which it accused of a "calculated campaign of obfuscation and delay".

Seven & i said it was disappointed by Couche-Tard's decision, adding that it disagreed with what it called "numerous mischaracterisations". An acquisition by the owner of Circle-K convenience stores would have marked the largest foreign takeover by a Japanese company in history and created a global retail powerhouse.

Japanese companies are now under pressure to improve shareholder returns and to consider credible acquisition offers, thanks to a regulatory overhaul that has ignited foreign investor interest and helped propel the Tokyo market to a series of record highs.

Yet it remains a tall order for overseas firms to snap up some of Japan's biggest, and most conservative, companies, especially those where management is backed by an influential founding family.

"From the start, Seven & i was obstructive," said Nicholas Smith, a veteran Japan strategist at CLSA Securities. "The whole saga seemed to be more about protecting management lifestyles than generating returns for shareholders, which have been poor.

"I regard it as an issue specific to Seven & i, rather than representing the overall trend in Japan."

In many ways, Seven & i has all the traits of Japan's typical business success stories: a seemingly endless appetite for hard work and innovation, and an ability to take an overseas creation and elevate it by focusing relentlessly on details and consumer satisfaction.

In Seven & i's case, it turned a humble U.S. chain offering cigarettes and fizzy drinks into an oasis of fresh food and packaged meals where customers could also pay their bills, send packages and buy concert tickets. But like other Japanese innovators, it also lost its way after years of breakneck growth - and attracted calls for change.

Artisan Partners and ValueAct Capital have been among the shareholders that have called for Seven & i to shed what they said was bloat. Investors say the company has been dragging its feet for years.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS: With Shas out of the government, Netanyahu faces a decision between taking a hit to maintain the coalition or preparing for the upcoming elections.

Its only mid-July, Rosh Hashanah is more than two months ahead, yet that ubiquitous phrase around the holiday season aharei hahagim (after the holidays) is already on many peoples lips, at least of those carefully watching or involved in this countrys politics.

In the general context, aharei hahagim means well get to it after the holidays, meaning that doctors appointments, serious home repairs, even trips abroad will be put off until after Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. This year, that means October 15  the day after Simchat Torah.

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However, in the current political context, aharei hahagim refers to the date when the Knesset will reconvene for its winter session (October 19), following a long hiatus that will begin a week from Sunday.

It is in the interim, from now until aharei hahagim, that the country will have to wait before finding out whether this government  a government leading it in war and hostage negotiations, in striking Iran and bombing in Syria  will stand or fall.

As haredi factions leave government, coalition holds on

Why? Because although the two haredi parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, announced this week they were leaving the government  on paper leaving it without a Knesset majority  it doesnt have that much practical effect, because the Knesset is going on an extended summer break during which it will not be passing any laws needing a Knesset majority. And one such law that it will be unable to pass during these three months is a law to dissolve itself.

Shas head Arye Deri is seen in the plenum of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, July 14, 2025 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Not that such a vote would succeed right now anyway. Because even as Shas followed United Torah Judaisms lead and declared on Wednesday it was leaving the government, it did so with a major caveat: We are leaving the government, meaning relinquishing ministerial and deputy ministerial positions, but we are not quitting the coalition, meaning they wont vote with the opposition to bring the government down.

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This also ensures that Shas leader Arye Deri will continue to participate in the security cabinet deliberations, where the countrys life-and-death decisions are made.

As religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli explained, Shass move stems from the haredi conscription issue  or, rather, the failure to pass legislation exempting haredi yeshiva students from military service. The government, he said, is persecuting Torah scholars. At the same time, he insisted the party would not cooperate with the Left to bring it down.

Explaining Shas's decision to exit government, but not bring it down

To some, this maneuver looks inherently contradictory. If you leave the government, arent you, by definition, part of the opposition?

But to those familiar with Shass voter base  and the Council of Torah Sages that sets its direction  the logic is politically sound.

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Many of Shass voters are indeed haredim, but many are also ardently politically right-wing. As such, they dont want to see this right-wing government and Netanyahu replaced by Yesh Atids Yair Lapid, with Yair Golans Democrats Party a senior coalition partner holding key ministerial posts.

So theyve constructed the ultimate mechanism enabling the party to have its cake and eat it, too.

What this means is that Shas is making an ideological statement of opposition to the conscription of yeshiva students  in this way remaining true to the hardline stance on the matter taken by the leading Ashkenazi rabbis and seconded by its own Torah authorities  while not alienating its right-wing voter base, which does serve in the army and is deeply committed to national security.

Shas is trying to dance at two weddings  staying in the haredi camp by pledging allegiance to army exemptions for haredim, but dodging the political fallout. What is not clear, however, is whether this balancing act is sustainable over time.

Shas is trying to avoid a big political price for its decisions

The first signs are not encouraging for the party, which currently has 11 Knesset seats. According to a Channel 12 poll on Wednesday evening, before Shas formally quit the government but after it became clear where things were heading, its support dropped to eight seats. Thats a 20% slide in less than two months, compared to a similar poll conducted by the same pollster, Manu Geva, in late May.

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So if Shas is trying to have it both ways, it is far from certain that it will succeed. And, of course, there are those working hard to ensure that it doesnt.

Enter Likud MK Tally Gotliv, one of the most outspoken and combative voices in the party. Sensing a golden opportunity to peel off disillusioned Shas voters  particularly the non-haredi ones  Gotliv went on the attack.

Writing on X, she accused Deri of spitting in the face of Shas voters by leaving the government without bringing it down. Shas voters are right-wingers, she wrote, connected to the heritage of Israel in the Land of Israel, the inheritance of our forefathers. She accused Deri of blindly obeying the rabbis of the Gur Hassidic sect, who were the first to instruct their political representatives in UTJ to exit the government over the draft issue.

Supporters of Shas  right-wingers, many of whom serve in the army  are horrified by this weakening of the governments resilience in wartime, she continued. Do not vote for Shas! Do not believe Arye Deri.

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If Gotlivs post sounds like a salvo in an election campaign, thats because, well, it is.

While everyone is focusing on whether the haredi draft issue will bring down the government and lead to new elections, consider the following: new elections must be held by October 27, 2026.

If everything aligns perfectly for the opposition  and it manages to pass a bill to dissolve the Knesset during its first week back after the holidays, starting October 19  then the earliest possible election date would be in late January 2026. Under the law, elections must be held three to five months after the Knesset is dissolved. Thats just 10 months earlier than the deadline for holding elections anyway.

Which raises a strategic question: With the clock running out on the government in any case, when exactly does it make the most political sense to pull the plug?

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Looking at past precedent, its likely that one of the coalition parties will eventually vote to dissolve the government over a matter of ideology. Shas might ultimately leave the coalition  and not only the government  over the haredi draft. The Religious Zionist Party, or Otzma Yehudit, might walk over Gaza. That way, they can tell voters they went to the election and brought down the government over a matter of principle, not politics.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesnt make that much difference now whether the elections are held at the end of January, March, or October 2026. The elections are already in the air, the campaigning has begun, and the countrys politicians are all jostling for position and making their decisions knowing that the next elections are not that far off.

Likud party chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands with United Torah Judaism MK Yitzchak Goldknopf a plenum session in the assembly hall of the parliament (Knesset) on November 21, 2022. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Israel's sharpest political operator is posturing for the next elections

And among those posturing is the sharpest political operator in the land: Netanyahu.

Much of what Netanyahu does now must be viewed through the lens of posturing for the next elections. This is particularly true regarding his approach to the entire haredi draft issue.

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Promoting legislation to enshrine draft exemptions for haredim has been essential to keeping his coalition intact. Indeed, one of the most remarkable aspects of recent Israeli history is how Netanyahu managed to remain in power after the catastrophic events of October 7, and despite the widespread public fury and outrage that followed.

The way he was able to do so was to keep his coalition intact, and one of the key tools he used to do that was the promise of a draft exemption law for the haredi parties.

But as his government enters what could be its final stretch, Netanyahu must decide whether he wants to face voters having just passed a highly controversial conscription bill  one that pleases Shas and United Torah Judaism, but runs counter to the views of a majority of Likud voters, who polls show oppose blanket exemptions for haredim and support universal Jewish military service.

And the answer to that question will, unlike so much else, not have to wait until after the holidays. Rather, this will be decided even during the Knessets summer vacation.

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The unusual arrangement Shas has crafted  outside the government but still part of the coalition  gives the party time to see what Netanyahu does next. Will he come up with a compromise on the draft issue that satisfies Shas and UTJ by the time the Knesset returns on October 19?

If he does, it will suggest Netanyahu is still trying to squeeze a few more months out of this coalition. But if he doesnt  if he doesnt work his political magic to hammer out some kind of deal that satisfies the haredi parties  then its a sure sign that he realizes it will be a severe liability to go to the electorate with this type of legislation registered under his name.
Italy's deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, is to stand trial again for his crackdown on the arrival of Mediterranean refugees.

The public prosecutor's office said on Friday it was appealing against a previous acquittal ruling.

The case will now go straight to Italy's Supreme Court in Rome. A date for the new trial has not yet been set.

As transport minister and deputy to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Salvini is one of the central figures in the right-wing three-party coalition in Rome.

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During his time as interior minister in a previous Cabinet, he made a name for himself internationally with a tough stance against migrants, especially those arriving from the Middle East and North Africa by boat.

There were several disputes with German aid organizations, who had rescued migrants at sea.

The leader of the right-wing League party was on trial in Sicily until December last year for preventing a ship carrying refugees from entering a harbour for weeks in 2019, when he was interior minister.

The court in Palermo acquitted Salvini of charges of deprivation of liberty and abuse of office.

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The vessel belonging to the Spanish organization Open Arms was off the island of Lampedusa with over 160 migrants, but was not allowed to enter the port. People jumped into the water and tried to swim ashore.

It was only allowed to dock after a public prosecutor ordered it to do so - against the wishes of the minister.

With its long coastline and islands in the Mediterranean, Italy is one of the European countries particularly affected by migration across the sea.

Salvini has described himself as a victim of a politicized judiciary and accused it of persecuting him for political reasons.
By Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) -Prosecutors in the Italian city of Palermo have filed a direct appeal to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a migrant kidnapping case, a court document showed on Friday.

Salvini - the leader of the League party - was charged after he ordered a boat carrying migrants to be kept out at sea when he was interior minister in 2019, an act that prosecutors said amounted to kidnapping the people on board.

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Prosecutors had sought a six-year jail term for Salvini, who is now the transport minister in the government of Giorgia Meloni. But he was cleared last year.

"Defending Italy and its borders is not a crime," Salvini said in a post on his Instagram profile on Friday in response to the prosecutors' move.

In a 15-page document addressed to the Supreme Court, prosecutors Maurizio de Lucia, Giorgia Righi and Marzia Sabella said Salvini had violated international rules on maritime rescue and was guilty of kidnapping.

They said his conduct had been established by the court despite the acquittal verdict, and urged the judges to assess whether these actions constituted a crime.

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The prosecutors' move is unusual, as first-instance verdicts are typically challenged before an appeals court before reaching the Supreme Court's judges.

The appeal request comes against the backdrop of tensions between the right-wing government and the judiciary.

Magistrates across Italy are resisting Meloni's plan to break ties between prosecutors and judges, saying it undermines their independence. Courts have repeatedly blocked a government initiative to redirect migrants to Albania.

Meloni criticised the prosecutors' decision to appeal, writing on X: "This doggedness is surreal, after a failed three-year trial of a minister who wanted to enforce the law, which ended with a full acquittal."

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; additional reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
JANESVILLE, Wis. (WTVO)  Authorities have identified the gunman in a June murder-suicide at a Janesville apartment complex that left four people dead.

According to Janesville Police, officers were called to the Aspen Square Apartments, in the 2600 block of N. Pontiac Drive, around 11:04 a.m. on June 17th.

Police were initially told there was a family problem at the complex, prior to reports of shots being fired within.

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Police said when officers entered the apartment, they found an unresponsive adult in the doorway with a visible gunshot wound.

Police Chief Chad Pearson said the home in question had been the subject of prior calls to law enforcement. He also said there were no children in the unit where the crime occurred.

The Rock County Medical Examiner said Julia Cvicker, 25, Jahvarius Wicks, 21, and Scott Roberts, 55, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the surviving adult, later identified as Haylee Lounsbury, 21, suffered life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a local hospital, and later died.

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On Friday, July 18th, Janesville Police confirmed Wicks was the gunman who shot the others and then killed himself. One of the victims was someone with whom he had a prior domestic relationship and was present at the apartment to retrieve personal belongings, police added.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
A man from Japan and another from South Korea are facing federal criminal charges for allegedly setting up an illegal supply chain of assault rifle parts from the U.S. through Hawaii to customers in Japan.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, Homeland Security Investigations Honolulu and the Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating Shota Yamamoto, Changmin Lee and other individuals who are involved in an illicit smuggling scheme involving firearm components and accessories.

Both face federal conspiracy charges.

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From March 2024 through July, Yamamoto and his alleged co-conspirators successfully purchased export-controlled firearm components and tactical accessories from U.S. suppliers and exported or attempted to export them to Japan for Airsoft players without the required licenses from BIS. Airsoft is a recreational game between teams or individuals featuring firearms that only shoot round plastic pellets at high speed.

Yamamoto, Lee and other alleged co-conspirators used the Visa Waiver Program to retrieve the firearm components and tactical gear from a house in Honolulu to export to Japan.

The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

Yamamoto made his initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader with the aid of a Japanese interpreter. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.

On Dec. 27, 2024, Yamamoto and Lee attempted to board a flight from Honolulu to Tokyo with over 700 undeclared firearm components and tactical accessories in their luggage.

Yamamoto and Lee were stopped before boarding, and the firearm components and accessories were seized by law enforcement.

At no point during the conspiracy period did Yamamoto, Lee, or any of the co-conspirators apply for or obtain a valid license to export firearms components or accessories as required by U.S. law,  according to an affidavit written by a Homeland Security Investigations agent.

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The HSI agent conducts investigations of violations of Export Administration Regulations, the unlawful export, from the U.S. of goods, technology, and software identified on the Commerce Control List, as well as defense articles and serv ices on the United States Munitions List.

On Dec. 6, 2024, HSI Honolulu Field Office received an investigative lead from a confidential source of information  that a person identified in federal court documents as Co-Conspirator 2  placed an order for 10 AR-15 Lower Receiver Parts Kits  and five M16 Control Group, Three Position Full Auto Kits  from M16 Parts Supply LLC, a firearm parts supplier based in Orlando, Fla.

The confidential source gave federal agents copies of email correspondence about the sale, billing information and other data.

The same email address used a mail delivery address in Honolulu and a billing address in Tokyo. The IP address associated with the email address is from Japan.

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On Dec. 26, HSI agents were tipped off that Yamamoto arrived in Honolulu on Dec. 24 and would fly back to Japan Dec. 27, according to federal court documents.

HSI agents coordinated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to to search Yamamotos luggage and carry-on items.

On Dec. 27, Yamamoto and Lee, a South Korean citizen, were stopped trying to board a flight to Haneda, Japan.

Inspection of Yamamoto and Lees checked-in luggage led to the discovery of undeclared firearm components, rifle upper receivers, ballistic helmets, infrared lasers, body armor, and other tactical gear contained inside.

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HSI and CBP detained about 700 firearm components and tactical gear pending a licensing determination.

Yamamoto was questioned by investigators and allegedly admitted that he is the owner of the company ALCM and that he used the credit cards of his employees and co-conspirators to buy firearm components in the U.S.

He allegedly admitted that he and others had hand-carried firearm components from the United States to Japan in their checked-in luggage on three to four prior occasions in 2024, 

according to federal court records.

Yamamoto, Lee, and their three co-conspirators did not have a valid license allowing the exportation of firearms or firearm components identified on the commerce controlled list nor did they have license exceptions allowing them to export the items.

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On Jan. 30, HSI agents and Honolulu police searched one of the co-conspirators home in Honolulu and seized export-controlled radio communications equipment, ballistic helmets, and firearm components, as well as packaging paraphernalia with ALCM branding, Made in Japan, For Airsoft Only  stickers, an electronic label maker, and an ALCM employment contract addressed to Co-Conspirator 1.

Law enforcement also allegedly found invoices indicating a January 2025 shipment of several firearm components and accessories with the destination was ALCMs business address in Tokyo.

That same day in Tokyo, a CBP Officer on an international assignment in Japan got word that a box of about 40 AR-15 upper receivers was detained by Japanese authorities with a shipping label noting they were intended for Yamamotos business storefront in Tokyo.

Yamamoto allegedly told law enforcement that he modified the firearm parts for Airsoft use and did not believe he needed a license to export them. No evidence of the parts being modified were allegedly found.

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He allegedly told agents that he bought magazines and upper receivers from physical stores in Hawaii  and purchased dust covers and forward assists from online websites.

He allegedly said he sources shipments from the U.S. every three months and imported items four or five times from Honolulu  for personal hobby use.

In February and April, HSI agents seized firearm parts from the home in Honolulu rented by Yamamotos business after he was questioned and informed about U.S. customs regulations, according to federal court records.
I saw a video the other day, part of the coverage of the horrific July 4 flash flood that has killed more than 100 people in central Texas.

There was a young woman walking toward the still-swollen Guadalupe River, the body of water that left its banks with a vengeance in the middle of the night and brought death and destruction to Kerrville, Texas, and environs.

The video was accompanied by no sound, and you could only see the woman from the back, but as she approached the river it became painfully obvious that she was crying.

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Her shoulders slumped, her body shook, her hand came to her face. What other response could there be to such an unspeakable tragedy?

There is much finger-pointing going on in the wake of the catastrophic flooding. Why wasnt there more warning? Were cuts to the National Weather Service to blame for the agencys response? Was this the fault of the Department of Government Efficiency?

There will be plenty of time for second-guessing later, but it seems clear that cutting personnel at an agency like the NWS that is designed to warn of impending weather disasters, whether they be floods, tornadoes or hurricanes, is not a good idea.

So many of the victims in this tragedy were young, just babies, really. Many were young girls spending part of their summer at Camp Mystic, a facility that has been hosting campers for decades. In fact next summer will mark the camps centennial.

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In 2022 the camp held a reunion of former campers. Many of the smiles in the photos of the event posted online are framed by gray hair. This was a generational camp, with women attending as children, then sending their daughters and granddaughters to spend a couple of weeks on the banks of the Guadalupe to have the time of their young lives.

Fred Rogers, yes Mr. Rogers of TV fame, had advice for children who were upset about events they saw on the news. He related what his mother told him, which was Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

There were many helpers as the Guadalupe raged out of its banks and now that it has calmed. Scott Ruskan, a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard, is credited with saving more than 165 people from Camp Mystic. It was his first-ever mission.

Camp counselors likewise have been hailed for their heroism as the waters rose. Some pushed frightened young girls through cabin windows and others put girls on mattresses to help float on the rising water. Counselor Emma Foltz, a rising senior at Louisiana Tech University, is credited with saving 14 girls under her supervision at Camp Mystic. Emma lost her mother just a month ago.

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They werent the only heroes during the catastrophe. One father helped his daughter hang onto a tree until she was rescued. He, in turn, was lost to the raging waters.

As an RV park was swallowed up by the raging flood, the owner helped residents escape. Julian Ryan, a 27-year-old who was engaged to be married, broke out a window of his home to help his fiancee, their children and his mother out of the flooded house. When he broke the window he severed an artery in his arm. He bled to death before help could arrive.

This tragedy serves as a grim reminder that all our lives are finite, and we dont know when our last moment will come.

Which leads me to believe that it is too dangerous to do anything once you climb from bed in the morning other than to crawl under said bed and spend the rest of the day there.

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But thats ridiculous, of course. Thats not living, merely surviving. And, besides, there are dust bunnies under there.

We should be mindful of the brief tenure of our lives, but not obsess about it.

If you spend all your life looking over your shoulder for trouble that might be coming up from behind youre liable to walk into a light pole, or in front of a car.

Embrace every day, even the crummy ones. We are only given so many on this earth. Dont wait until later to do something youve always wanted to do, whether it be as simple as taking a vacation or as life-altering as making a career change. There is no guarantee there will be a later.

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And never, ever, leave a good friend or a member of your family without telling them you love them. There are dozens of families and friends in Texas who will never have that chance again.

If you know someone in pain, comfort them. If you know someone in need, help them as best you can.

Be a helper. Every little bit helps.

If nothing else, you can always pray. Pray for the victims and their families. Give thanks for those who survived and the helpers who rescued them.

And pray that if you are ever confronted with a situation like the one that occurred in Central Texas not long ago, you will be empowered to be a helper.
The Brief

Mark Epstein, the brother of Jeffrey Epstein, says his brother did not die by suicide.

Mark, who is in hiding due to threats, alleges a government cover-up, questioning inconsistencies in the recently released jail video and the official suicide ruling.

Despite the DOJ concluding Epstein died by suicide and denying a "client list" exists, Mark Epstein and private investigators are pushing for the case to be reopened.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - More than a week after the Department of Justice released its files on Jeffrey Epstein and his death, distrust in institutions and law enforcement continues to linger and grow.

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In 2019, federal prosecutors in New York charged Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking, but he killed himself in jail while awaiting trial. Maxwell was prosecuted for helping recruit his underage victims, and she was convicted in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison term.

Last week, the DOJ released video from the jail where Epstein was held before his death. But several minutes were cut from the video. The discrepancy was first reported by WIRED, which worked with metadata specialists to analyze the file. The analysis showed that one of the original source clips used to create the final video was 2 minutes and 53 seconds longer than what the DOJ ultimately released.

As the Epstein case continues to fuel distrust in elite institutions and law enforcement, and questions about the integrity of the only known footage from the night of his death are resurfacing, the desire for information about Epstein's life and death is only growing.

His brother says he's never believed the suicide claims.

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"I believe he was killed because I believe that, a day after he died, and I heard on CNN that he was found dead from assumed suicide," Mark Esptein said.

Mark spoke with FOX 2's Taryn Asher via Zoom but under the condition of not revealing his face or his location. He told us that he's in Europe and is in hiding because of threats made against him and his claims.

This March 28, 2017 photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry, shows Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Departments watchdog said Tuesday that "a combination of negligence and misconduct" enabled Jeffrey Epstein to take his own life at a federal jail in New York City. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)

Mark Epstein: It looked like a homicide

What they're saying

"The government didn't notify me (of my brother's death) as they claimed they did. I heard it on CNN and I had no reason to doubt that he committed suicide because he was in prison," he said.

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But Mark said he had suspicions from day one. When he met with medical examiners in New York in 2019 to identify his brother, they told him it didn't look like a suicide.

"They came out of the autopsy and they both concurred that this looked more like a homicide than a suicide," Mark said.

Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy was performed by New York City's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson and a pathologist hired by the Epstein family, Dr. Michael Baden.

"One of the major things was the three broken bones in his neck. Now, Dr. Baden has done about 500 autopsies. He's been doing this for over 50 years,"And I've spoken to other pathologists and they say, you know, on a soft hanging. Which is supposedly what Jeffrey was supposed to have done. You know, you might get a broken bone, maybe two, but no one's ever seen three broken bones in this kind of hanging."

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Mark admits it had been a long time since he spoke to his brother  the day before he got arrested  when he called Mark from Paris. He said he had no reason to believe his brother was suicidal.

"I never spoke to Jeffrey again after that while he was in jail," he said. "I know people who did speak to him, and nobody thought he was suicidal. Even the people who spoke to him the day before."

Mark says his brother's death is a cover-up and there should be more details available.

"If it wasn't a cover-up, then all the information we were trying to get to answer some questions should be readily available, but everything's being hidden," Mark said.

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He elaborated, saying that autopsies typically take weeks but Dr. Sampson had results a few days after his brother died. Then when Attorney General Bill Barr said it was a suicide, the case was all but closed.

"If the attorney general claims it is suicide, basically, from what I understand, there's nothing, there is no reason to investigate," he said.

As for the video released last week by the Department of Justice, Mark says that the cell the FBI is claiming was here Jeffrey was held, wasn't his.

"Because that video doesn't show where Jeff was. They're trying to make it sound like it's showing Jeff's cell door. That was not Jeff's cell door. I have photographs of his actual cell door," Mark said. "Now in that video, in the beginning of the video, they're talking about walking Jeffrey into his cell. Number one, you can't tell that that's Jeffrey in that video. I tried to blow it up. You can't know who that person is in the video. And you can just walk somebody into Jeffrey's cell that way."

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Mark said he never visited his brother in the jail but reviewed photos from the medical examiner's office.

"These are original photographs of what the place really was. That video is bull shit. I hate it. I don't know a better term," he said.

But Mark won't speculate on who he thinks would have killed, or wanted to kill his brother, saying he doesn't want to lose credibility.

He believes the cover-up goes very high within the federal government.

"The DOJ is obviously covering this stuff up because we're not getting the answers we want. They're releasing bull shit videos. You know, they're making ridiculous statements like I said, Cash Patel saying, you know a suicide when you see one. I had to laugh at that. How many suicides has he seen?" he said.

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Mark has said for years that he believes his brother did not die by suicide but was killed in a politically motivated murder.

"I believe he was taken out to protect somebody from whatever dirt Jeffrey had on them," he said.

Mark added he "would not dismiss" that the person he had information on could have been the president or a former president.

What happened to Epstein's "client list"?

The federal government said last week that there is not a client list, despite Attorney General Pam Bondi implying as much during a FOX News interview in February that one was sitting on her desk.

Mark said he hadn't seen his brother for a few years before his death but knows that he wasn't keeping tabs on people.

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"I wasn't involved with his his activities. Jeffrey and I hadn't seen each other for seven years before he died. We were always in communication on the phone and email. So I wasn't privy to what we was with every minute of the day. So I don't know what's in both these files. They talk about a list. I have no idea what kind of list they're looking for, talking about. You know, I could say one thing, knowing Jeffrey, I don't think he was blackmailing people. He had plenty of money. He didn't need to blackmail people. That wasn't who he was, as far as I know," he said.

Mark said his brother was guilty of being with girls who were "too young"  which is what his brother told him.

What's next

With the case files released and six years after Jeffrey's death, Mark wants the case re-opened.

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"A lot of his stuff is gone. I was told they didn't do like fingerprint stuff in his cell. I don't think they did DNA analysis on the ligature that was around his neck to see who might else have touched that. You know, and we don't know where that is. I mean, who has that?" he said.

While the DOJ is unlikely to restart the investigation, Mark said private investigators are looking it.

"My life would have been a lot easier if this was clearly a suicide," he said.

Mark is hoping that the DOJ will release the rest of the details and information they have.

"As far as I'm concerned, they should release everything. I have no reason for them not to release anything," Mark said. "I think they're certainly holding things back."

The Source

FOX 2's Taryn Asher spoke with Mark Epstein via Zoom for this interview.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that President Trumps struggle to contain the MAGA outcry over the Jeffrey Epstein files is a monster of his own making.

Democrats didnt put this into the public domain, Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. The conspiracy theory provocateur-in-chief is the one  along with his extreme MAGA Republican associates  who put this whole thing into the public domain for years.

And now they are reaping what they have sown.

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Trump, on the campaign trail, had suggested that, if elected, he would release the government files related to Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted pedophile who died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell, where he was awaiting trial for the sex trafficking of minors.

Many of Trumps supporters believe those documents, including an alleged client list, are the Rosetta stone needed to uncover a much broader criminal enterprise of sex trafficking and pedophilia undertaken by a whos who of global elites who were being shielded by the government.

Those far-right voices also speculate that Epstein did not die by suicide, the official cause of his death, but was killed to ensure his silence  another narrative Trump has advanced.

Last week, however, Trumps Justice Department (DOJ) released an unsigned memo refuting each of those narratives. There is no client list, the memo stated, nor did the DOJ find evidence that Epstein attempted to blackmail other figures who might have committed sex crimes. His death was by suicide, the memo added, not foul play.

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The memo infuriated many of Trumps most loyal supporters, who saw Trumps decision to place vocal Epstein conspiracy theorists in top administration positions  including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel  as a sign that the release of the Epstein files was forthcoming.

Vice President Vance fueled those hopes in October, when he said it was important to release the files. And Bondi stoked them again in February, when she said she had Epsteins client list on her desk and was ready to review it for release. Now theyre saying theres no there there.

The episode has put Trump in a position hes rarely in: under fire from a MAGA movement he created over a uniting narrative of us versus them.

On Wednesday, Trump lashed out at those same base supporters, calling them weaklings and disavowing their support moving forward.

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I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Countrys history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, Trump posted on Truth Social. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore!

Trump also shifted the blame for the Epstein controversy from the conservatives who have fueled it, including himself, to top Democrats.

They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called friends are playing right into their hands, Trump wrote.

The presidents message has done little to convince many conservatives that the Epstein files should remain under wraps. On Capitol Hill, a number of those lawmakers brought the House to a standstill Thursday, blocking a vote on a major spending cuts bill until it was accompanied by a separate measure requiring the DOJ to release the documents.

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The resolution is symbolic: Congress has little power to force the hand of the executive agencies, and it remains unclear if a messaging vote will satisfy those conservatives, both on and off of Capitol Hill, who want to see the Epstein files made public.

Jeffries, for his part, said transparency is crucial to maintaining the publics trust in Washington.

The most important thing that can be done at this moment is for Congress to act in a bipartisan way to demand that the American people get the transparency that they deserve, he said. What is the Trump administration hiding from the American people?

Thats the question that needs to be answered.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he had a constructive meeting with Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani in Brooklyn on Friday.

The meeting, which took place in Jeffriess home district, lasted an hour, according to Jeffriess spokesperson Justin Chermol.

The meeting between Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani was constructive, candid and community-centered, with a particular focus on affordability, Chermol said, adding that the two also discussed public safety, rising antisemitism, gentrification and the importance of Democrats taking back the House majority in 2026.

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They agreed to reconvene shortly, alongside other members of the New York City congressional delegation and a few high-level community leaders, he added.

Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have not yet endorsed Mamdani following his primary win last month. While the New York state Assembly member enjoys support among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, he has faced skepticism from moderate members of the party.

Mamdani has been working to consolidate support from Democrats ahead of the general election, where he will run against sitting Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who are both running as independents. Republican Curtis Sliwa is also in the race.

The Democratic nominee was in Washington on Wednesday for a closed-door breakfast hosted by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). A number of House Democrats in attendance praised the state lawmaker following the event, including Reps. Robert Garcia (Calif.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.).

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Meanwhile Republicans have sought to tie Democrats to Mamdani.

On Friday, the National Republican Congressional Committee rolled out a digital ad campaign tying Mamdani to Democratic New York Reps. Josh Riley, Laura Gillen, Tom Suozzi, and New Jersey Rep. Nellie Pou. All four members potentially face competitive reelection bids next year.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A growing number of Jewish staff and faculty in higher education are speaking out against what they say is the federal government and their own institutions weaponizing accusations of antisemitism in order to silence dissent, punish those who criticize the Israeli government and exert more control over the U.S. education system.

On Wednesday, at least 40 such staff at the University of Virginia signed on to a statement in The Cavalier Daily, the schools student paper, warning against the exploitation of the term antisemitism deployed in an effort to harass, expel, arrest, deport dox and defame students, faculty, staff and other academic workers across the country.

Politically disfavored speech is disingenuously being labeled antisemitism. This misrepresentation makes Jews the face of political repression and the face of the suppression of speech  this itself is a form of scapegoating. This makes Jews less safe, the letter read.

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The faculty note in the letter that theyve heard the term antisemitism used more in the last 18 months than in the immediate aftermath of President Donald Trump calling the neo-Nazis who marched on campus in 2017 very fine people during his first term.

A spokesperson for the University of Virginia did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

Jewish students and staff across the country have been making similar statements since October 2023, when Israeli forces responded to Hamas deadly attack by essentially flattening all of Gaza, rendering it uninhabitable for Palestinians and preventing outside humanitarian assistance from entering the territory. The tension on U.S. campuses grew after many schools responded to mostly peaceful antiwar protestslast year with violence and accusations of antisemitism.

Labeling pro-Palestinian expression as anti-Jewish hate speech requires a dangerous and false conflation of Zionism with Jewishness, of political ideology with identity. This conflation betrays a woefully inaccurate understanding  and disingenuous misrepresentation  of Jewish history, identity and politics, Jewish staff at Columbia University and Barnard College wrote in an April 2024 statement in The Columbia Spectator when the schools invited police to respond to the protests.

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It erases more than a century of debates among Jews themselves about the nature of a Jewish homeland in the biblical Land of Israel, including Israels status as a Jewish nation-state, it continued. It dismisses the experiences of the post-Zionist, non-Zionist and anti-zionist Jews who work, study and live on our campus.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators raise their red-painted hands before a House Judiciary subcommittee meeting on May 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Kent Nishimura via Getty Images

Since the protests and Israels ongoing military escalation in Gaza, which many in the international community now describe as genocide, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have painted college campuses as unsafe for the Jewish community due to students and staff who speak out against the state of Israel.

After Trump launched his second presidency, universities began facing funding threats and increased backlash from the federal government if they did not dismantle certain programs and ban certain speech under the guise of combating antisemitism. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, known for championing diversity and inclusion on campus, was essentially coerced into resigning last month to help settle a Justice Department inquiry into the schools diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

We write to affirm that there is no rampant crisis of antisemitism on our campuses, despite prolonged attempts by the current administration to persuade the public that there is one, Jewish staff from the City University of New York, the University of California, Berkeley, and Georgetown University wrote in a statement on Tuesday, when leaders of those schools testified before the GOP-led House about antisemitism in higher education.

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To defend the Palestinian right to live is to defend the shared life of all people to survival, persistence and flourishing. It is the embodiment of the Jewish principle of tzedek (justice). These are principles that can be called ethical, religious or legal. In each case, they are not antisemitism, the statement continued.

To say otherwise is to imply that Jewish people as a whole support the horrific death-dealing of the Israeli state, a false and antisemitic idea advanced by the current administration and those organizing this Congressional hearing, they added.
LONDON (Reuters) -South Korea on Thursday won its latest appeal in its dispute with U.S. hedge fund Elliott over the 2015 merger of two affiliates of Samsung, shortly after the electronics group's Chairman Jay Y. Lee was cleared by South Korea's top court.

The South Korean government was ordered to pay Elliott around $100 million by the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2023.

Elliott had sued over the role played by South Korea's National Pension Service in approving the $8 billion merger between Samsung C&T, in which Elliott was a minority stakeholder, and Cheil Industries.

South Korea sought to challenge the tribunal's decision at London's High Court, arguing the tribunal did not have jurisdiction under a free trade agreement with the U.S., but its case was rejected last year.

The Court of Appeal, however, allowed South Korea's appeal and sent the case back to the High Court, to decide the challenge to the arbitration tribunal's jurisdiction.

Its ruling came hours after Lee was ultimately cleared of accounting fraud and stock manipulation over the 2015 merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries.

South Korea's Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of prosecutors' appeal against a Seoul court's 2024 decision to clear Lee, removing a long-running legal risk for the head of the country's biggest company Samsung Electronics.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin, Editing by Paul Sandle)
Miami Commissioner Joe Carollos attempt to overturn a $63.5 million verdict against him, or at least be given a retrial, has failed after a federal appeals court ruled against him Thursday.

A three-judge panel submitted its 19-page opinion that shot down Carollos claims of jury tampering and dismissed his request for the $63 million verdict to be remitted.

Potentially, this marks the final ruling in a years-long legal battle between Carollo and Little Havana businessmen William Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla. In 2023, a jury ruled the commissioner had carried out a vendetta by siccing Miami code enforcement and other city officials on their businesses.

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We are encouraged but not surprised by the U.S. Court of Appeals clear rejection of Joe Carollos baseless appeal, Fuller and Pinilla said in a statement. This isnt just a legal victoryits a win for every resident and business owner who believes in fairness, democracy, and the First Amendment.

Carollo first filed motions to lower the $63.5 million judgment and request a new trial in late June 2024, but was denied by U.S. District Court Judge Rodney Smith. He met the same fate from the U.S. Court of Appeals on Thursday.

Carollos legal team could not be reached for comment.

No jury tampering found

A large portion of Carollos plea to the Court of Appeals revolved around his accusation that the jury had been tampered with.

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He claimed the judge in the 2023 case was given a note from a juror that said shed been followed into a parking garage by Zach Bush, a business partner of Fuller and Pinilla.

Immediately after, a jury inquiry was held by the court, with each juror questioned to determine if she had told her story to them and if it had affected their ability to remain impartial. The jurors said they could remain impartial, and the trial ensued.

The three-judge appellate panel concluded the jury investigation into the alleged tampering was properly handled and, for that reason, dismissed Carollos claim, the opinion read.

As for the rest of Carollos appeal, the judges ruled they lacked jurisdiction and dismissed it.

The courts sharp questioning and the overwhelming evidence presented at trial reaffirm what we have maintained from day one: Carollo abused his public office to wage a relentless campaign of political retaliation against us simply because we supported his opponent, Fuller and Pinilla said. We look forward to putting this chapter behind us and continuing our work to uplift Little Havana.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A John Ball Zoo flamingo is getting a leg up thanks to some extra support provided by a custom brace.

Andes the flamingo suffered an injury this winter that made it hard for him to move. Veterinarian Ryan Colburn, the director of animal health and well-being at the Grand Rapids zoo, says his team tried to brace it, but knew a better solution was needed.

We made a brace here out of things that we could get at the hardware store and kind of played with what the fit would be and then once we kind of landed on how it was functioning for him, then it was time to get something more long-lasting, Colburn said.

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The animal care team does not know exactly how the flamingo was injured.

Just like a human being, any trip, slip, fall could happen and likely with them in and out of the pool, theres slippery surfaces. He may have slipped. But with such narrow tiny legs its really easy for them to sustain a minor injury, Colburn said.

The zoo contacted Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, which typically builds braces for humans, to provide its expertise.

Brittany Weeks, a certified orthotist who designed the brace, said what Andes ultimately ended up using is actually the second version of the design.

Their anatomy is very different from a human. Their legs are very small but quite symmetrical, so we knew that a traditional casting routine wasnt going to work for him. We ended up taking a lot of measurements and constructed a model, Weeks said. We needed something that could withstand being wet, being dry and picked at like youve probably seen him do with the Velcro. I would say its as durable as we could make it be.

Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (Courtesy MFB) Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (Courtesy MFB) Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (Courtesy MFB) Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (Courtesy MFB) Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (July 18, 2025) Andes the flamingo from John Ball Zoo received a leg brace from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. (July 18, 2025)

Fans who gathered around the flamingo habitat Friday were happy to see Andes keeping up with the flock. Emily Prinsen is visiting West Michigan from Ohio and wanted to see what all the fuss was about at the popular exhibit.

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Thats really cool, Prinsen said. I really like when zoos are able to help rehabilitate the animals.

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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Builders pulled permits for new houses in Johnson City at the fastest rate in years in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up 73% compared to the previous fiscal year.

That growth comes as permit activity has declined during the same period in Washington County, Jonesborough and Kingsport  three other local markets News Channel 11 tracks.

Kingsport had 191 new permits in fiscal 2024, and that total dropped 31% to 131 in the year that just ended. Washington Countys total dropped from 386 in fiscal 2024 to 298 in fiscal 2025, a 23% decline.

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Johnson City leaders are trying to manage that growth  and encourage so-called infill development wherever possible.

People move to places that have a great quality of life, and they do their homework before they move, City Manager Cathy Ball told News Channel 11. And before people build, they do their homework to make sure the demand is here. So what were seeing is the demand is driving it.

The it Ball refers to? Those 399 new single-family permits from July 2024 to the end of June. That compares to 231 in the previous fiscal year and 217 the year before that. On top of that, permits for several hundred apartments inside Johnson City were pulled within the past 12 months.

I know a lot of people are concerned about that increase and whether or not we have the capacity and our road system, our water system, our sewer system, Ball said.

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Mayor John Hunter said thats not currently an issue.

At this point in time, our infrastructure is solid, but thats why its important to plan for the future, because we want to stay ahead of it, Hunter said.

An it place  if you can keep its character

Johnson City, or more accurately the metropolitan statistical area that includes the city and all of Washington, Carter and Unicoi counties, keeps popping up in various online pieces about quality of life, desirable places to move  and places people are actually moving to.

Its great that people are writing about us in magazines, but it also comes with a real challenge of maintaining that quality of life, Ball said.

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She said popular destinations for new move-ins can become victims of their own success pretty easily.

It is a growing place because of the quality of life that we all enjoy and that we all want to keep. But I think its incumbent on us to protect that because what we dont want to have happen is it grows and it becomes a place that were all looking at going, this is not what it was when I moved here, or its not what it was ten years ago.'

Archers Pointe, a Johnson City subdivision that verges on being infill development but did develop from undeveloped former agricultural land on the fringes of Johnson City. (WJHL)

Ball said the Horizon 2045 plan recently adopted by the city is designed to help the city avoid unforced errors. If she has her druthers, moving forward, the citys growth will include a lot of infill development: basically defined as construction on vacant or underutilized land within a city, and with infrastructure already serving it.

Thats not whats happening at Keebler Meadows, a development just off Highway 75 in Gray, but in the city limits. It follows a longstanding area practice of greenfield development, usually on former farms.

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The city approved that project  and it is just off a highway, not tucked away on a winding road  but Ball said shed like to see the balance tilt more toward infill than it currently does.

The encouragement is when people come in to develop, we try to get them to come in closer so that were not ruining all the farmland, or were bringing people in closer so that they dont have to drive as far, Ball said.

She added that a lot of property exists within the city, some of it even city-owned, that could support a lot of housing units.

I want more of it. I will tell you that if we could do more to have more infill development and have more projects that are built closer into town, I would love to see that happen.

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Ball said shes also hopeful some policies in the works could help increase affordability.

Im hopeful with Horizon 2045 that people are encouraged and receive incentives for doing that and providing affordable housing and that we see more of those projects get developed. Im glad its happening, but  I will not reach that mark until I see some of this, some more higher-density infill happening.

One example, if it comes to fruition, is the proposal for up to 1,000 apartments in a mixed-use development along West Walnut Street and McKinley Road just west of East Tennessee State University.

Even as the city tries to incentivize infill and minimize what Ball characterized as urban sprawl, it may be progressing on solving a longstanding issue  being perceived by developers as difficult to work with.

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The city has worked hard on improving customer service with planning and development, because previously it had a reputation of being hard to deal with, Hunter said. There are still things that we can improve on, but weve made some headway.

The effort has a name: JC Builds.

We are working very hard  to streamline the process, but still make sure we have very safe buildings, Ball said.

Hunter said he believes his predecessors in elected leadership have done well trying to keep the city adequately prepared for growth  enough to probably, but not certainly, prepare for the coming years.

Thats why its important to have this growth management plan in place to prepare for the unexpected, so that if we did see larger growth in our region, wed be prepared for that, Hunter said.

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The city will have to keep up the balancing act for a while. Its currently got the tightest housing inventory in the region, according to the Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors.

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Kansas City area residents may feel like theyve traveled to their sister city in Seville, Spain, at this new spot.

Thanks to co-owners Bryan Albers and Stephanie Cashion, the beloved European small bites are now available in downtown Shawnee  carefully paired with specialty cocktails, of course.

Gildas Bar de Tapas is open for limited hours at 5815 Nieman Road, near recently opened Hanks Garage. Cashion, who also owns Bonner Springs cafe The Glass Cat, has been infatuated with Spain ever since she was a little girl.

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When people ask, Why a tapas bar? she tells the story of her father bringing her a beautiful Spanish doll she cherished. But she also tells them about her love for the cuisine which  aside from the seafood  is easily replicated in the Midwest.

Its all very familiar ingredients, Cashion said. So we like to get as local as possible.

Stephanie Cashion, owner of Gildas Bar de Tapas, smiles as she stands for a portrait on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Shawnee.

One such tapa is the Gilda: salted anchovy, pickled white anchovy, pickled pepper and buttery olive. Cashion said theyll be giving some out to customers to walk through the door, encouraging them to try the dish.

Midwesterners dont love anchovies so much, she said. If they try it, most people love it. Which  I was shocked.

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The appetizer and restaurant are named after the 1946 noir film Gilda, starring actress Rita Hayworth. At the time, the romance film was a controversial piece.

Its a little spicy, its a little dirty, she said, both of the appetizer and the movie.

Stools line the bar counter at Gildas Bar de Tapas on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Shawnee.

Theres a canvas painting of redheaded Hayworth hanging on the back wall of Gildas, looking mischievously over the dining room.

As far as drinks go, Gildas is offering Strawberry Smash G&T (Sipsmith strawberry gin, lemon, house tonic, strawberry liqueur and mint for $14), Fig Side Car (H by Hine cognac, dry curacoa, lemon and fig syrup for $12), Bianco Negroni for $10 and more.

A trio of cocktails is pictured at Gildas Bar de Tapas on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Shawnee. Fig Sidecar, left, Strawberry Smash G&T and Bianco Negroni.

Tapas include char-grilled lamb chops (harissa-glazed carrots, parsley salad and sherry scented, demi-glaze lamb chops for $22), beef tenderloin (foie gras, cabrales blue cheese espuma and sherry reduction for $29), croquetas (serrano ham and manchego cheese with quince dipping sauce).

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People who have stopped in for pre-opening events have noticed the Avenida Kansas City sign hanging on one side of the bar. Its a nod to the real Avenida de Kansas City in Seville, which became Kansas Citys sister city in 1967.

The Country Club Plaza features a half-scale version of the Giralda Tower in Seville.

Beef tenderloin with foie gras, Cabrales blue cheese espuma, and Pedro Ximenez sherry reduction is served at Gildas Bar de Tapas on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Shawnee.

With Gildas, Cashion hopes to bring a communal feel to the area. Its joining a thriving neighborhood with several recently opened bars and restaurants: Wild Child, Buenos Aires Restaurant and more.

To me, tapas bars are more than the food, more than the alcohol  its the community, she said. If people arent sharing food by the time theyre leaving, I feel like Im doing something wrong.

The kitchen area at Gildas Bar de Tapas, decorated with black-and-white wallpaper featuring vintage Spanish posters, is seen on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Shawnee.

Until Gildas celebrates its grand opening Aug. 15, itll be open on select days  perhaps three days a week, Cashion said. They still have to nail down the exact timeline.

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Customers can contact the restaurant at (913) 258-2032.

After its grand opening, it will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ron Johnson is demanding the National Archives turn over all records related to former President Joe Bidens "mental and physical health and cognitive decline," Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Johnson, R-Wis., sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is serving as the acting archivist of the United States.

Johnson, who leads the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said he is now conducting an investigation into "the cover-up of former President Bidens health and cognitive decline."

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"My office has been reviewing the allegations that former President Biden, cabinet members, and his staff covered up his declining mental and physical health over the course of his presidency," Johnson wrote to Rubio, adding that the allegations "raise serious questions about who was making key presidential decisions if the former president was incapable of doing so.

Exclusive: White House Investigating Biden Use Of Autopen In Sprawling Probe Of Incompetent And Senile Former President

Sen. Ron Johnson is demanding the National Archives turn over all records related to former President Joe Bidens "mental and physical health and cognitive decline."

"One of these key decisions may have involved the presidential power to grant clemency or pardons  a matter that the White House Counsels Office, among other entities, are currently investigating," Johnson wrote.

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Biden Only Hand-signed One Pardon During Final Spree, And It Was His Most Controversial One

Fox News Digital exclusively reported Tuesday that the White House Counsels Office, in conjunction with the Justice Department, is investigating Bidens use of an autopen and already is reviewing more than 27,000 documents turned over by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

"The reporting further suggests that these records represent only a portion of the information in NARAs possession that may be related to the coverup of former President Bidens alleged mental and physical decline," Johnson wrote to Rubio, referring to the Fox News Digital exclusive report.

Johnson is now demanding that NARA turn over all records provided to the White House Counsels Office referring to or relating to Bidens mental or physical health or the alleged cover-up, including all communications.

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Johnson also is demanding communications between or among any former White House officials, members of Bidens Cabinet or their staff or other staff relating to Bidens mental or physical health.

Specifically, Johnson is demanding records belonging to former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, former advisor Mike Donilon, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, Biden personal attorney Bob Bauer, Biden senior advisor Anita Dunn, former White House Physician Kevin OConnor and others.

Johnson gave Rubio until July 30 to turn over the records.

Trump sent a memo in June to the Department of Justice directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the autopen use and to determine whether it was related to a decline in Biden's mental state.

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The White House Counsel's Office is investigating Biden's use of an autopen, a machine that physically holds a pen and features programming to imitate a persons signature. Unlike a stamp or a digitized print of a signature, the autopen has the capability to hold various types of pens, from a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase.

Biden used an autopen to sign a slew of documents while in office. He also used an autopen to sign final pardons, including preemptive pardons for members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members and staff of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He only signed one pardon by hand, for his son Hunter, after vowing to the American people for months he would not pardon Hunter.

Trump Claims Biden Pardons Are Void, Alleging They Were Signed Via Autopen

In his final weeks in office, Biden granted clemency and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president.

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Biden, in a recent interview with The New York Times, defended his use of an autopen, saying he "made every decision" on his own.

"Were talking about (granting clemency to) a whole lot of people," Biden said.

In his final weeks in office, President Joe Biden granted clemency to and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals.

However, the Times reported that Biden "did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people," according to the former president and his aides.

Congressional committees, like the House Oversight Committee, are also investigating the autopen use and Biden's health while in office.

A senior administration official recognized the simultaneous efforts but stressed that the White House Counsel's investigation is separate from any congressional probes.

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Officials told Fox News Digital the investigation is a "massive effort," and one that they hope to finish "as soon as possible."

As for Trump, officials told Fox News Digital he does not use an autopen for anything that could be considered official business.

The only time Trump may use the autopen is for unofficial business, including correspondence, letters for birthdays or commissioned records for widely shared documents, his office said.





Original article source: Johnson demands NARA turn over records related to Biden's mental 'decline' amid Senate probe of 'cover-up'
A former Wauwatosa police officer who shot and killed three people while on duty is resigning from his current role at the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, and possibly law enforcement altogether.

Joseph Mensah, a detective with the department, submitted his resignation in a letter to Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson July 17.

"After much consideration, I feel it would be in the best interest of the Sheriff's Department, the community, my family, and my own personal well-being, that I transition out of the law enforcement profession," Mensah said in the resignation letter, which was obtained July 18 by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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Mensah will leave the department effective July 31, according to the letter.

Jessica McBride with Wisconsin Right Now, a conservative website, first posted the resignation letter on Facebook.

Mensah became a Waukesha County sheriff's deputy in January 2021, nearly two months after he resigned from the Wauwatosa Police Department.

While employed as a Wauwatosa police officer, Mensah shot and killed three people within five years while on duty. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office ruled all three shootings justified self-defense, and ultimately declined to bring any charges against Mensah.

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The decision not to charge Mensah in Cole's shooting led to protests. The families of Alvin Cole, Antonio Gonzales and Jay Anderson, all killed by Mensah, brought lawsuits against Mensah, the city and the police department.

A civil trial in March 2025 brought against Mensah by the parents of 17-year-old Alvin Cole, who was shot and killed by Mensah at Mayfair Mall in February 2020, ended in a hung jury. Cole's family had asked the jury to grant $22 million in damages for loss of life, pain and suffering and punitive damages for Mensah's conduct.

The Andersons now await on a judge's decision after they appealed U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman's 2024 summary judgment decision that dismissed their claim that Mensah violated their son's rights in the fatal shooting.

Adelman also granted summary judgment in the case of Gonzales, a 29-year-old from Wauwatosa whom Mensah shot in 2015. The Gonzales family conceded their case in September 2023, according to court documents.

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Kimberley Motley, the attorney who represents the Cole and Anderson families in their ongoing cases, told the Journal Sentinel that both families welcome the news of Mensah's resignation and maintain their focus on the next trial for the Cole case Sept. 8.

In his resignation letter, Mensah said the sheriff's department "accepted me and brought me into your family when I needed them the most."

"I am beyond thankful, that I had the opportunity to serve along side the men and women of this agency," he said.

Bridget Fogarty covers Brookfield, Wauwatosa and Elm Grove for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be contacted at bfogarty@gannett.com.

This story was updated to add a video.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joseph Mensah, former Wauwatosa cop, to transition from law enforcement
(Getty Images)

Catholic priests in Washington cannot be required to report child abuse or neglect they learn of in confession, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge David G. Estudillo granted a preliminary injunction sought by three Catholic bishops, temporarily blocking enforcement of a controversial element in a new state law set to take effect July 27.

Estudillo ruled that requiring disclosure of information priests hear in the confessional infringes on their First Amendment right to practice religion and will force them to violate their sacred vows or face punishment by the state.

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The decision means clergy will be added to the states roster of professions that must report to law enforcement when they have reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect.

But the state cannot require Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima and Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane  the three who filed the suit  or any Catholic priest in Washington under their direction to disclose such information they hear in confession.

There is no question that SB 5375 burdens Plaintiffs free exercise of religion, Estudillo wrote in a 25-page ruling issued four days after a court hearing in Tacoma.

The legislation places them in the position of either complying with the requirements of their faith or violating the law. The consequences for violating the law are serious and, as Plaintiffs assert, the implications of violating the Sacramental Seal are more serious still, he wrote.

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Attorney General Nick Browns office emphasized that the ruling only applies to the Sacrament of Confession and that, if clergy learn about abuse in any other setting, the injunction does not change that they will be mandated reporters. Brown did not provide any further comment.

The ruling drew praise from Catholic Church leaders and attorneys who brought the suit.

By protecting the seal of confession, the court has also safeguarded the basic principle that people of all faiths should be free to practice their beliefs without government interference, Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, one of the legal teams, said in a statement.

Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference, said Catholic faithful have sought reconciliation with God through the sacrament of confession for centuries.

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This ruling protects that sacred space and ensures that Washingtonians of all religious stripes can live out their beliefs in peace, she said in a statement.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the legislation in early May. Ferguson, a Catholic, has said requiring disclosures about information learned in confession did not give him pause and he was disappointed his church was suing to protect individuals who abuse kids.

The law adds clergy to a list that includes school personnel, nurses, social service counselors, psychologists, and many others, who must report suspected abuse or neglect.

A member of the clergy is defined in the legislation to cover any regularly licensed, accredited, or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or similarly positioned religious or spiritual leader.

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Violations of the law carry potential penalties of up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and civil liability.

The three bishops filed their lawsuit May 29, naming Ferguson, Brown and the prosecuting attorney in each of Washingtons 39 counties as defendants.

Prosecutors for the counties did not take sides in this dispute. Collectively, they agreed to accept a preliminary injunction as long as the plaintiffs did not seek attorney fees from them.

This basically put the counties on the sidelines, said Geoff Enns, a Snohomish County deputy prosecuting attorney.

State attorneys have argued the law can survive a First Amendment challenge because it was tailored to serve the compelling government interest of prosecuting perpetrators of child abuse.

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But in his ruling, Estudillo said the state arguably could have chosen a less restrictive means of advancing its interest by adding members of the clergy to the list of mandated reporters and providing a narrow exception for the confessional, as other states do.

Attorneys for the bishops have argued the law treats Catholic priests, and the religious activity of confession, differently than other professions that involve confidential conversations. They pointed to House Bill 1171, which also takes effect July 27.

That law exempts attorneys employed by public or private higher education institutions, and employees under their supervision, from their mandatory reporting obligations if the information obtained is related to the representation of a client.

Estudillo agreed, ruling this undermined the states argument that it was not singling out the church practice.

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The government interest at issue in both statutes  protecting children from abuse and neglect  is the same. Nevertheless, one law eliminates the privilege for clergy while the other expands the privileges available to secular professionals, he wrote.

Ultimately, Washingtons failure to demonstrate why it has an interest of the highest order in denying an exemption to clergy while making such exemptions available to other professionals who work with underserved children  is likely fatal to the law, the judge added.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice sought to join the legal fight as an intervening party on the side of the bishops. Estudillo granted the request. The Trump Administration also filed a separate request for a preliminary injunction. It is slated for a hearing next week.

Meanwhile, a similar legal battle is unfolding in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Washington. The Orthodox Church of America, along with other churches and individual priests, has sued state officials and county prosecutors, contending the law violates the First Amendment right to practice ones religion.

SB 5375 preliminary injunction ruling

U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillos July 18, 2025, ruling, granting a preliminary injunction, partially blocking enforcement of Senate Bill 5375.
Jul. 17A Lee County judge has filed a written statement explaining his July 7 decision to allow the pretrial release of a Dixon man accused of disseminating images and videos of child sexual abuse.

Heath A. Knipple, 46, was charged in Lee County on Wednesday, July 2, with six counts of Class X felony dissemination of images of child sex abuse, each listing the victim as younger than 13. He was arrested by the FBI that day while investigators searched his residence in Dixon, according to court documents.

After hearing arguments from Assistant Illinois Attorney General David Haslett and Knipple's attorney, James Mertes, Judge Matthew T. Klahn allowed Knipple's release under many conditions and said that because it was a "very close call" he would write a written statement to explain his ruling.

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[ Lee County judge allows release of Dixon man charged with disseminating images of child sex abuse ]

Under Illinois law, all defendants are presumed eligible for pretrial release, and the state must prove otherwise through clear and convincing evidence, according to 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1.

That law states that to deny release, the state must show that "the proof is evident or the presumption great" that the defendant committed the offense and they pose "a real and present threat to the safety" of the community, which "no condition or combinations of conditions can mitigate," Klahn wrote in his statement.

He cited Illinois case law, referencing the 2023 cases of People vs. Stock and People vs. Atterberry, which state that the alleged facts of the case can provide relevant proof in establishing that no conditions can mitigate the threat to the public by the defendant, but that "dangerousness alone does not automatically warrant pretrial detention."

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Instead, the court must also consider the defendant's background and characteristics, such as their criminal history and employment, among others, when determining if there is any combination of conditions that could mitigate the concerns to public safety, Klahn wrote, citing those two 2023 court cases.

Klahn's statement then went over three Illinois cases involving child sex abuse images and sex abuse in which the court denied pretrial release to compare them to Knipple's case.

In 2024, the case People vs. Currier, heard in McHenry County, involved defendant David Currier, who was charged with one Class X felony count of possessing images of child sex abuse and 21 Class 2 felony counts of possessing images of child sex abuse.

[ McHenry man charged with possessing 22 images of child sex abuse is detained in county jail pretrial ]

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The presiding court denied pretrial release because of Currier's sophisticated knowledge and use of computer systems and the identification of more than 81,000 files of suspected child sexual abuse materials, Klahn wrote.

In a 2025 case, People vs. Glass in McHenry County, the court denied release based on the use of sophisticated technology and a large number of images, similar to Currier, Klahn wrote.

[ Prosecutor: Wonder Lake man had 'tens of thousands' of child sex abuse images ]

Klahn also referenced another 2025 case, People vs. Popovich, heard in Livingston County, in which Eugene Popovich was denied release because he "allegedly had direct contact with child victims paying them for nude images, was actively communicating with and engaging the victims to act out his fantasies with children," Klahn wrote.

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"The court agrees with the rulings in all three cases. Yet, those three cases are distinguishable from the case at bar because there is no evidence that the defendant in this case possesses the knowledge, education, training and sophistication in technology and there is no corroborated evidence that the defendant has made a substantial step in committing a sexual act upon a minor beyond the charges in the information," Klahn wrote.

In Knipple's case, the state alleges fewer than 10 images and videos of child sexual abuse were accessed using an iPhone and not with any advanced technology, according to court documents.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed by the Illinois Attorney General's Office, Knipple had registered two accounts on KIK, an online messenger platform, that were accessed using an iPhone 13 he had in his possession when he was arrested.

The day of Knipple's arrest, during an interview with law enforcement, Knipple "admitted to disseminating child pornography on multiple group chats and during conversations in the KIK platform. The defendant estimates he shared less than 10 child pornography videos and images via KIK," according to the IAG's affidavit.

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"The court's decision on the issue of pretrial release is difficult and not made lightly," Klahn wrote.

He added that he does believe the state meets two out of the three standards needed to deny release under Illinois law  "the proof is evident or the presumption great" that the defendant committed the offense and they pose "a real and present threat to the safety" of the community.

However, the court must also find that the state has proven that there is "no condition or combinations of conditions" that "can mitigate" the threat that the defendant poses, Klahn wrote.

"This is often difficult for the court because all defendant releases are a calculated risk regarding what could happen. The Illinois legislature uses the term 'mitigate' not 'eliminate.' In this case, unlike the three [cases] cited, mitigation is achievable," Klahn wrote.

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"The accusation against the defendant constitute some of the most horrific crimes that exist. The court, however, does not want to turn into what it despises, a court that interprets the law based upon how it wants the law to be rather than how it is written," Klahn wrote. "Regardless of the nature of the offenses the defendant is accused of committing, the court cannot honestly hold that there is no condition or combination of conditions that mitigate the real and present threat to the safety of the community because there is a combination of conditions that can mitigate that concern."

The conditions of Knipple's release

Under the terms of his pretrial release, Knipple must

* Appear in court as ordered by the court, until discharged or the final order of the court.

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* Submit to the orders and processes of the court.

* Report to Lee County Court Services, abide by any of its directives, including signing releases to obtain information and be subject to drug and alcohol testing.

* File a written notice with the Lee County Circuit Court Clerk within 24 hours after a change of address.

* Not leave the state of Illinois without permission from the court or, in an emergency, Lee County Probation.

* Refrain from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon.

* Not possess or indulge in alcohol, illicit drugs or cannabis.

* Not violate any criminal statute of any jurisdiction.

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* Not possess or operate any electronic device that can connect to the internet outside of what is essential to his employment, including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and phones.

* Not use the internet outside of what is essential to his employment.

* Not use any social media platforms.

* Not initiate or continue to engage, if initiated by a minor, any contact with anyone younger than 18 years old.

* Not enter or remain on the property of any school, day care or facility that is primarily engaged in the care of children.

* Not attend or remain present for any event that is organized and operated for children's participation or primary benefit, including, but not limited to, school-aged sporting events, concerts, band, theater or any event where children will be performing, playing and primarily congregating.

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Knipple also will be GPS monitored to ensure compliance with those restrictions, and arrangements will be made to prohibit Knipple's wife, who works for Lee County 911, from being able to access and modify the records of that GPS monitoring.

Also, any internet use in the defendant's residence needs to be password protected by a password that is not provided or known by the defendant, and those living in the residence must sign an affidavit agreeing to this condition. Knipple's wife and three adult children signed those affidavits July 7, according to copies obtained by Shaw Local.

Knipple's next court appearance is a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. July 23 with Lee County Judge Jacquelyn D. Ackert. A preliminary hearing is held to determine if there is enough evidence to prove whether a person committed an alleged offense and move toward trial.

Knipple, through Mertes, filed a demand for a speedy trial on July 3, according to court documents.
In a move that many worry will open a door to public reprisal by President Donald Trump and potentially spark violence from his allies, a federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to stop the administration from publicly naming FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

They do not plausibly allege that Defendants are about to engage in any of the conduct agents are worried about, wrote U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, an appointee of former President Joe Biden.

Emil Bove, Trumps onetime personal lawyer-turned-deputy attorney general, demanded the FBI turn over names of agents who had investigated Jan. 6 and compiled the list of roughly 5,000 names in February. Bove, whose nomination to a lifetime appointment as a judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals advanced on Thursday, claimed this spring that the request aligned with Trumps executive order vowing to end the political weaponization of the federal government, but it was narrowly tailored to those who had investigated Jan. 6 rather than an agency-wide review sussing out any potential ethical or legal violations.

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FBI agents swiftly sued in federal court to keep the list from going public, arguing having their names released would endanger them.

Agents tried to convince Cobb to destroy the list by pointing to Trumps history of praising Jan. 6 rioters, as well as his calls for retribution against prosecutors like special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged him with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

They also highlighted threatening commentary on social media from people convicted and later pardoned of Jan. 6 crimes, including the onetime leader of the extremist group the Proud Boys. After being pardoned for seditious conspiracy and other charges, the former leader of the group, Henry Enrique Tarrio, mentioned one FBI agent by name in a post and demanded she be brought to justice and made to answer for her crimes.

Lawyers for the agents alleged that the threat was imminent, pointing to what they say is still a close connection between the White House and members of extremist groups. Tarrio, for example, visited Mar-a-Lago, Trumps Florida resort, in early May and days later posted a picture of himself with Trump.

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Inflammatory rhetoric from certain DOJ officials didnt inspire confidence either, the agents said.

In particular, they highlighted how Ed Martin, Trumps initial pick for the interim U.S. attorney role for Washington, D.C., had spoken about Jan. 6 investigations. A week after Trump dropped the nomination for Martin  a MAGA supporter with no prosecutorial experience  and named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to replace him, Martin was elevated to the new role of captain of the DOJs weaponization working group. Attorney General Pam Bondi created the working group in February and specifically identified Jan. 6 investigators as a target. (Martin was also named pardon attorney for the Justice Department.)

At a press conference introducing himself as a lead on the group, Martin said the DOJ should be able to charge certain individuals for illegal or unethical behavior around the prosecution of Jan. 6 crimes. If the department could not do that, he said, he would name them and, in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are shamed.

Thats a fact, Martin said. Thats the way things work, and so thats how I believe this job operates.

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In the subsequent days, Martin also went on a series of political talk shows and lamented the limits federal courts have placed on the Trump administration broadly. In one appearance with a conservative podcaster in mid-May, Martin railed over Jan. 6 investigations and reiterated his pursuit to name and shame people.

When there is something that does not make sense, we have an obligation to name it, and if its bad we should shame it, and if its illegal we should prosecute it, he said. But we shouldnt shy away from any of those two things, and I think thats what the president has taught us, thats what he asked me to do in this new role that I have, and were gonna do it and were not gonna be afraid of it, and let the chips fall where they may.

Agents told Cobb shortly after Martins media appearances that if the list were not destroyed, there was little to no reason to believe that the DOJ wouldnt share their names with Trump or officials like Martin  people who would almost certainly use the list as a cudgel, ultimately increasing threats the agents already face like doxxing, harassment and stalking.

From the start of litigation, the Justice Department has said the list would never be made public and defended its creation only by referring back to the directives of Trumps anti-weaponization executive order.

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But prosecutors were tight-lipped when answering the judges questions in April about what the government intended to do with the list. DOJ lawyers would only say there was a process, but details of that process were never presented to the judge. Instead, when urged to explain its process, the Justice Department continued to push to dismiss the case outright, saying the FBI agents lacked standing to sue and had no proof that the creation of the list had or could cause them harm.

In her ruling, Cobb rehashed their concerns, writing that plaintiffs filed these cases in a whirlwind of chaos and fear.

Department of Justice (DOJ) leadership demanded the names of FBI agents who worked on January 6 cases. The FBI refused. Things escalated quickly. The DOJ fired eight FBI officials for purported weaponization. Agents were required to complete a survey identifying whether and in what capacity they worked on January 6 investigations. And some former January 6 defendants, now pardoned and at large, called for FBI agents to be doxed (or worse). Agents raced to court, terrified that they would be at real risk of physical harm if their identities were somehow made public, she wrote Thursday. The parties submitted a consent order under which Defendants confirmed that they would not publicly disclose the list of agents who worked on January 6 cases while the parties briefed motions.

Since then, Cobb claimed the dust has settled some and there was no evidence that the names would be disclosed.

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Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge such hypothetical, contingent actions. And Plaintiffs cannot amend their complaint via their briefs. The Court must therefore dismiss their First Amendment claims too, she wrote.

A spokesperson for the FBI Agents Association said they were disappointed in todays court decision.

Agent safety has and will always be our paramount concern. We filed this case to support and protect the dedicated FBI agents and employees who were assigned to investigations related to activities on January 6, 2021. The court agreed with FBIAAs assertion that public disclosure of agents and employees names would pose a direct threat to their safety, the spokesperson said.

Throughout the case, the government told the court it does not intend to publicly release the list of agents and employees names  and the court took them at their word. We are going to do the same.

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For now, the agents will continue with their legal options.

FBIAA will not hesitate to support and defend our members and their families, the spokesperson said.

Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Chris Mattei, who are representing the FBI Agents Association, told HuffPost Friday that the agents who investigated Jan. 6 did so bravely and they were proud to defend them.

Going forward, Donovan and Mattei said, they accept that the government has promised not to endanger the agents.

We stand ready to return to Court immediately if the Government does not live up to its obligations, they said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Related...
Stellantisis poised to double its production capacity at the Kenitra plant in Morocco in the forthcoming months, aiming to reach 535,000 vehicles annually, reported Reuters.

The plant's focus will be on increasing the output of supermini electric cars, including the Opel Rocks-e, Citroen Ami, and Fiat Topolino, from 20,000 to 70,000 units. It will primarily supply markets in Europe and North Africa.

The expansion plans were announced by Stellantis Middle East & Africa chief operating officer, Samir Cherfan during the inauguration of the plant's 1.2bn ($1.4bn) expansion project.

The move is anticipated to increase the local sourcing rate from the current 69% to 75% by 2030, as stated by Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

Additionally, the company has plans to manufacture hybrid engines and three-wheeled vehicles at the Kenitra facility, which first opened its doors in 2019 and achieved a production capacity of 200,000 vehicles by 2020.

Industry minister Ryad Mezzour noted that Morocco's automotive sector is set to surpass a production capacity of one million vehicles with the companys expansion.

Moroccan automotive industry exports are said to have seen a 6.3% increase to a $17bn last year.

"Stellantis doubles Kenitra plant capacity for electric cars  report" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.




On the night of Nov. 15, 2021, a panicked Kevon Turner typed a question into Safari.

If someone shoots someone out of your car and leaves, what happens to you?

Two days later, Turner was arrested and held in the Pinellas County Jail for 23 days in connection with the shooting death of Logan McNeil, 27, before he was released and another man was charged.

On Friday, a jury found the second man not guilty of the killing.

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During a three-day trial at the Pinellas County Justice Center, state prosecutors argued that Dontavis Burgess leaned over from the passenger seat of Turners red Mazda and shot McNeil during a drug deal gone awry.

Burgess, 30, was arrested after Ring camera video evidence surfaced that showed him at a friends house admitting to the crime. He told his friend that McNeil owed him money and that he had the gun in his pocket, according to the video prosecutors presented in court.

It was dark outside when the shots were fired, and Turners car windows were tinted.

Turner, 30, had planned on giving McNeil marijuana in exchange for $20 and brought Burgess along.

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The two men got to the meeting spot at 6:38 p.m., according to prosecutors. McNeil, who was 6-foot-4, approached the driver-side window.

The $20 bill fell on the floor of the car and both men looked down. Thats when three shots were fired.

When police arrived, McNeil was on the ground, severely injured. Officers asked him who shot him.

Kevon Turner, he said.

He died at the hospital the next day.

Assistant State Attorney Daniel Flanagan told the jury during his closing argument Thursday that McNeil didnt know another man was in the car. Because of his tall frame, he couldnt see into the car and he wasnt looking at the gun when he was shot, Flanagan said.

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Defense attorney Charles Greene Jr. argued that if Burgess had shot the gun, Turner would have had burns and other ailments from being that close to the gunfire.

The physical evidence does not add up to what Mr. Turner is telling you, he said during his closing argument.

Turner called his dad the night of the shooting, in shock that he watched his childhood friend get shot, Flanagan said.

His father told him to preserve evidence, dont hide, Flanagan said.

He went to police the next day. After 23 days in jail, he was released.

The state dropped its charges against Turner that December, records show.

After nearly two days of deliberation, a six-person jury found Burgess not guilty of second-degree murder on Friday afternoon.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  As families find ways to beat high temperatures and uncomfortable humidity, one mother in Northwest DC says she and her children have spent the past week without air conditioning in their three-bedroom apartment.

While power was restored Thursday afternoon for nearly 2,000 Pepco customers in the Dupont Circle and West End neighborhoods, after a transformer fire inside a substation, Christina Perry told DC News Now she is at her wits end without properly functioning air-conditioning units inside her Brightwood neighborhood apartment.

Its 99, 97 to 100 degrees. Its uncomfortable, Perry said Thursday afternoon at the Pinnacle Apartments on Peabody Street.

Virginia sees rise in accidental drownings in small children, VDH says

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Perry claims her young children have suffered health scares amid rising temperatures, saying, Ive been without air for seven days. My daughter had a seizure. My son had to go on his breathing apparatus machine for it, for, you know, the breathing of the heat exacerbation.

While one air conditioning box unit has been delivered to Perrys apartment by building maintenance, it does not cool the entire apartment as the regular cooling units overhead remain malfunctioning.

Perry said that at night, literally, we just sweat. We sweat. I make them [children] sit down, stripped down to the bottom of their, you know, their, their undergarments.

DC News Now contacted property management Thursday afternoon via phone and through their website, and was still waiting for a response at the time of publication.

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The least you can do when it comes to a person paying their bills in the District of Columbia, any state, whether anywhere, is to provide the decency and adequacy just to give a person a decent place to live, Perry said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live.
What can be viewed as a temporary victory for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and other North Dakota tribes, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday granted a temporary reprieve to the tribes, blocking a federal appeals court decision that could significantly weaken enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

Kavanaughs action stopped the implementation of the Eighth Circuits ruling while the U.S. Supreme Court considers an emergency appeal from two Native American tribes and three individual voters.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

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At the center of the dispute is whether private individuals can sue under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key provision that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. Section 2 has long served as a critical legal tool for challenging redistricting plans that dilute minority voting power.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, the Spirit Lake Tribe, and three affiliated voters are challenging North Dakotas 2021 legislative redistricting plan, arguing that it unlawfully weakens the voting strength of Native Americans. A federal trial court agreed, ruling the map violated Section 2. But North Dakotas secretary of state sought to dismiss the case, claiming only the U.S. Department of Justicenot private partiescan bring such claims.

The Eighth Circuit sided with the state, holding that private plaintiffs cannot enforce Section 2effectively cutting off a major avenue of civil rights litigation in seven Midwestern states.

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In response, the tribes asked the Supreme Court to intervene, warning the appeals court decision undermines decades of precedent and renders Congresss landmark civil rights law toothless in much of the country.

Citizens in the Eighth Circuits seven states now have fewer enforceable rights and protections against racial discrimination in voting than citizens in the rest of the nation, the tribes wrote. That result is unjust, untenable, and requires action by this court.

Since 1982, more than 400 Section 2 cases have been filed, with private plaintiffs involved in over 96% of those that resulted in published opinions, according to the tribes brief.

If the Eighth Circuit ruling is allowed to take effect, it could immediately impact individuals like Collette Brown of the Spirit Lake Tribe, who risks losing her legislative seat under the redrawn map. The state must finalize its legislative map by December 31, ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

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Wes Davis and Zachery S. King, both from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Kavanaughs order keeps the current map in place for now, while the justices weigh the broader legal question. The Supreme Court has requested a response from North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe by July 22.

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
KANSAS CITY, Kan.  Kansas City Kansas saw upwards of 10 inches of rain in just 12 hours late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.



It caused flash floods across the area, though not necessarily from creeks. Many of the issues stemmed from heavy rain meeting clogged storm drains in low lying areas.

Woman hangs onto tree after being swept away by floodwater in Kansas City, Kansas

At 14th and Riverview a drain got clogged likely by the yard above it sending a river down the street and into peoples homes.

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This was clear over there, Bernadette Asher said standing in her basement that had been full of water earlier in the day.

She was one of many Kansas City, Kansas residents digging out from layers of mud and drying out from several feet of water.

I couldnt explain to you the amount of water that was down here, Asher said.

She woke up about 3 a.m. to her car floating from the street to her front yard and several feet of water cascading into her basement.

Thats my house all my Christmas decorations all my Halloween decorations, Asher said in a video shot during the worst of the flooding shared with FOX4.

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She woke up a neighbor across the street, where two teens were sleeping in the basement.

She was scared, they were all scared. Its pretty traumatic for the kids, their grandfather Bill Pruitt said.

The close to a foot of rain led to 40 water rescues in KCK, washed out streets and led to flooding not seen in some areas since the 1993 flood. At 14th and Riverview the flood waters also sent a power pole crashing through a homeowners car.

Neighbors showed us what they believe to a big source of the problem. A home uphill with a broken retaining wall in a crumbling alley and a storm or sewer drain surrounded by mud.

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Right now that sewer is not functional at all and therefore you can see as the landscape goes where the water goes and its a river running through here, homeowner Fred Franzwa said.

The Unified Governments Environmental Services Director says clogged drains were a big issue.

Unclogging I could show you some photos of a whole lot of team members up to their chest today digging out storm drains that was running from yards, Jeff Miles said.

Family in Independence forced out of home after flash flooding

That included areas like KCKs Turner neighborhood where we found Mike Boggess trying to clear out the clay from the drainage pipe in his front yard fearing more rain and his home flooding again.

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As you can tell basically that guys driveway was in my yard, she said.

For people back at 14th and Riverview, the frustrating part  they just had their basements flood in May.

I dont know what else to do. Im at my wits end. I cant continue to keep pouring money into these properties like this, Franzwa said.

The Unified Government said its flood systems including all nine dedicated pump stations all worked as designed and residents should contact their insurance agents. But it did say they are documenting damage to see if they can get federal emergency relief.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Kansas City PBS is facing a major budget shortfall after Congress voted to eliminate all federal funding for public broadcasting, a move that impacts more than 1,500 stations nationwide.

On Friday, President Donald Trumps request to reduce approximately $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting was approved by the House, according to the Associated Press, as Republicans stepped up their efforts to target organizations and initiatives they believe are bloated or out of step with their agenda.

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The House passed the bill by a vote of 216-213. It now goes to Trump for his signature.

With Congress and the president having decided to cut off all previously authorized federal funding for public broadcasting, Kansas City PBS and thousands of public media stations across the country now face a historic challenge.

For nearly 60 years, Kansas City PBS has been a trusted source of education, culture, and connection, Kliff Kuehl, the president and CEO of Kansas City PBS, said in a statement released Friday.

This loss of funding is a significant challenge, but we have always been powered by the people we serve, and we will continue to inform, inspire and connect.

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Kansas City PBS said the legislation is ending a decades-long commitment to free, accessible, and educational public media.

Kansas City PBS says it now faces a 13% annual budget shortfall that will not be replaced without immediate and sustained community support.

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While larger stations may be able to weather the storm, many smaller and rural stations are expected to shut down entirely, leaving communities without access to local news, emergency alerts, and educational programming, the station said in a news release.

Despite this setback, Kansas City PBS remains steadfast in its mission to serve the community. An emergency fundraising campaign has been launched to help close the funding gap and sustain these vital services.

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The station said it has been reviewing its services and programs in detail in order to find areas where it can cut back while maintaining its most important offerings.

Kansas City PBS said with the support of its viewers and members, it is determined to modify and move forward.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Kansas City Police Department is asking for the communitys help in reuniting an unmarked urn to its rightful family.

Man finds discarded ashes of 17 people sitting outside shut-down Kansas City funeral home

In a social media post Thursday morning, police asked for the communities assistance in identifying the urn after it was discovered at a worksite near 63rd Street and Euclid Avenue.

 Community Assistance Needed!

KCPD Metro Patrol is asking for help after a construction crew found an unmarked urn near 63rd & Euclid. It's possibly linked to historic graves at nearby Daniel Boone Park.



If you have info, call MPD at 816-581-0700. pic.twitter.com/nJ7hUSwkvT  kcpolice (@kcpolice) July 17, 2025

The urn has no markings, etchings, or tags outside or inside to help identify its origin, according to police.

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The urn was found near Daniel Boone Park, a park known to have once been a gravesite.

Woman hangs onto tree after being swept away by floodwater in Kansas City, Kansas

Police ask that anyone with information about a missing urn, local burials, or the history of the area, to contact the Kansas City Police Departments Metro Patrol Division at 816-581-0700.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Kansas Reflector columnist Max McCoy appears with Katherine Jacobsen, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, outside the Marion County Record on Aug. 16, 2023, five days after police raided the newspaper office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Kansas Reflector columnist Max McCoy won a first place award in the annual National Society of Newspaper Columnists contest, the organization announced Thursday.

McCoy won the top award in the general interest (online) category. He previously won a first-place award from the society in 2021 for humor, and a second-place award in 2023 for general interest.

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This years award was based on two columns McCoy wrote last year:

The veteran journalist began writing for Kansas Reflector shortly after the publication launched five years ago. His columns are published on Sunday mornings.
Karen Bass Pushes Back on Federal ICE Raids With Cash Card Program originally appeared on L.A. Mag.

(Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a new initiative offering financial assistance to individuals affected by the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. The initiative, which provides assistance in the form of cash cards valued at a couple hundred dollars, will be distributed through non-profit organizations, family resource centers and other direct avenues in the coming weeks.



This comes as part of an executive directive to support the citys immigrant communities, which Bass signed on July 11. Three days before the directive, Bass and Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that Los Angeles will take new legal action against the Federal government, to put a stop to the unconstitutional reckless raids in the LA region. Bass emphasized the importance of a proactive and comprehensive legal response to support the citys immigrant population.



We are a proud city of immigrants, and with the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, Im making sure we deploy every resource and tool available within the City to ensure that we are supporting immigrant communities, said Mayor Bass. We will continue pursuing legal relief through the courts, and I am issuing orders to all General Managers to bolster their response and support for immigrant communities.



In addition to stipulating an initiative for financial assistance, the directive calls for city departments to strengthen training protocols and preparedness plans surrounding immigration enforcement, and requests federal records on raid-related arrests and costs. The directive also aims to expand access to city department resources for immigrant families.

Critics of the directive argue that it further encourages unauthorized immigration and that it misuses taxpayer resources. Responding to criticism, President and CEO of the Mayors Fund for Los Angeles, Conway Collis, clarified that the initiative is funded by the citys philanthropic partners and not by the city itself in an interview with Fox News. Collis said that the impact of this initiative extends beyond its immediate recipients, supporting neighborhoods as a preventative measure against eviction and homelessness, for example.



Its not that were encouraging people to come here illegally, its saying that for productive people who are contributing to Los Angeles life  and most are  its important to ensure that theyre living at least at a reasonable standard, Collis said. This is for documented, undocumented people, its for people in need It doesnt only help the people who are getting the cards, it helps all of us.



As the city moves forward with the directive, Bass reaffirmed her commitment to protecting the citys immigrant population and pushing back against federal overreach.



I will never accept these unlawful and chaotic raids and will continue to do all that I can to defend the rights of the people of Los Angeles, Bass said.

This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was called out online this week after she markedly mispronounced the last name of Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.

During a White House briefing on Thursday, Leavitt was asked by a reporter why President Donald Trump said he wont be getting involved in the New York City mayoral race. The press secretary said that Trump reserves the right to get involved in races, or not get involved in races before she leveled attacks at Mamdani, while appearing to pronounce his name Zamdami.

Although [Trump] has gone as far as to say he absolutely does not want to see Zamdami elected  who is a known communist, who supports the abolishment of private property, the defunding of police, she said.

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Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, responded to a clip of Leavitt botching his name at the briefing in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

Bryan Metzger, a senior politics reporter at Business Insider, had pointed out the mispronunciation in a post on X, writing: The latest in the Zohran Mamdani mispronunciation saga: White House Press Sec Karoline Leavitt just referred to him as Zamdami at her briefing.

The latest in the Zohran Mamdani mispronunciation saga: White House Press Sec Karoline Leavitt just referred to him as "Zamdami" at her briefing.  bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 17, 2025

The Democratic mayoral nominee responded to the post by sharing an edited clip taken from his appearance at a primary mayoral debate in June, in which he called out former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mispronouncing his name during the debate.

And furthermore, the name is Mamdani, M-a-m-d-a-n-i, he said on the debate stage at the time. You should learn how to say it because we gotta get it right.

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In response to a HuffPost inquiry about the mispronunciation and Mamdanis response, White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers shared the following, which includes several inaccuraciesabout Mamdanis positions:

Zohran Mamdani is a communist who supports price controls, defunding the police, abolishing private property, fighting ICE, eliminating prisons, disarming American citizens, higher taxes strictly for white people, and protecting criminal illegal aliens over New York Citys residents.

The HuffPost should be more concerned with covering the fact that this radical is the new face of the Democrat party.

Rogers also directed HuffPost to Leavitts tweet on Friday in which she once again falsely accused Mamdani of being a communist.

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Mamdani was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent. If elected, he would be the citys first Muslim mayor. During a sit-down interview with Spectrum News NY1 on Thursday, Mamdani was asked whether he believes mispronunciations of his name are a calculated act of disrespect.

I think there is an element of that, especially when its repeated, he responded.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris similarly dealt with public figures, especially prominent conservatives, repeatedly mispronouncing her first name during her campaign for president last year. Trump, in particular, would often publicly pronounce Harris name as Kuh-MA-luh, instead of as comma-la  as Harris explained it should be pronounced.

A 2022 study from the National Library of Medicine points out that names are a reflection of identity, and that the chronic mispronunciation of names can undermine ones identity and be experienced as a microaggression.

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But Deepak Sarma, inaugural distinguished scholar in the public humanities at Case Western Reserve University, told HuffPost that the repeated mispronunciation of names of people of color  especially those with non-Christian names  in the current political landscape is overall no longer a mere microaggression.

The GOP tried this with President Barack Obama and then on countless occasions with Vice President Kamala Harris. The racist intention is, these days, overt, rather than covert, they said.

And as it relates to Leavitts mispronunciation of Mamdani, Sarma said it is indeed inappropriate and appalling coming from a White House press secretary.

The rules about what is acceptable are changing, and Trump and his MAGA minions revel in this, they said. We may be entering a time when such behavior is lauded rather than censured and regarded as an admissible strategy.

Repeatedly mispronouncing names can function as symbolic erasure.

Consistently mispronouncing names  especially those from non-Western, racialized, or marginalized communities  can function as symbolic erasure, said Ibrahim N. Abusharif, associate professor in residence at Northwestern University in Qatar.

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It suggests that the speaker either does not deem the name important enough to learn, or finds it foreign, difficult, or unworthy of effort, he told HuffPost. Strategic laziness, in other words.

And when people, especially those with public platforms, repeatedly mispronounce a person of colors name, Abusharif said that such a gaffe perpetuates a hierarchy in name-making, in which Anglicized or familiar names are normative, while others are rendered other.

In elite settings, like a White House briefing, mispronunciation signals what is called performative ignorance: an intentional refusal to acknowledge cultural or political legitimacy of a name and the person bearing that name, he said.

It also upholds white normativity in language. The burden of adjustment falls disproportionately on those with unfamiliar names, forcing them to accept altered pronunciations or risk invisibility, he continued.

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Sarma said that the White House is continuing to disseminate the myth that America is a white Christian nation and that non-white, non-Christian, immigrants are not welcome.

They are regarded (or to be regarded) as second-class citizens whose names do not even deserve to be pronounced properly, they continued.

Theres not a name on earth that is not foreign to somebody, Abusharif said.

Abusharif emphasized that Mamdanis name poses no phonetic challenge to English-language speakers and that all the letters and sounds of the name are represented in the English alphabet.

So in this case, mispronunciation functions to diminish Mamdanis identity in a social and political space, he said.

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Regardless, Abusharif pointed out, theres not a name on earth that is not foreign to somebody.

If were going to hide behind the veil of too hard to pronounce, names would lose all meaning, he said.

And at a certain point, Abusharif thinks, it becomes counter-productive to correct mispronunciations because doing so inadvertently acknowledges the difficulty in the pronunciation. Over-correction can confirm biases.

Although I was born and raised in Chicago, I do have experience with people mispronouncing my name, he later added. And when I notice that theyre not even trying to pronounce it right, I keep my distance.

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Sarma said that they have had mentors and friends shorten their name to Dee or Deep, or used nicknames like Puck with the excuse that their name was too hard to pronounce.

It is never an excuse to allow such renaming, and I regret not asking them to learn how to pronounce mine properly, they said.

It is important for everyone, and especially public figures such as Mamdani, to address these racist behaviors lest they become even more acceptable than they already are, Sarma continued, before later adding: America is, and always has been, a country of immigrants. The sooner that all Americans accept this and accept that they, too, are immigrants, the better.

To intentionally mispronounce a name is at best childish, and at worst racist, they said. Reluctance and obstinance to learn how to say anothers name properly and respectfully will not make America great again but will hasten the disintegration of this once great civilization.

Related...
I used to run my own business, but the pandemic pulled the rug out from under me, like it did to many others. So, with my husband working remotely for one of the largest tech companies in the world, I moved back to my home state, Pennsylvania, to start over again.

As we all started to shake off the pandemic, I started to feel safe and grounded enough to attempt to go to college at 32 years old.

After I was accepted, but before classes started, my husband was laid off in one of the first post-pandemic mass tech layoffs. These arent seasonal jobs. They are supposed to be careers; to fulfill the dream of 40 years and a pension.

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This isnt a layoff with an expectation of return when the work picks up; its just tech companies maintaining optimal workforce numbers to satisfy the board. Its not building websites or wiring houses, but quality assurance that hes trained in.

After the first layoff, he found another job quickly, even before the severance ran out. He even managed to get a promotion out of it in his new job.

The second time, we werent so lucky. I was just starting my second semester when another mass layoff came around. By my second year of college, we were working out deals with our landlords while facing a third layoff. This time, the severance ran out, and so did all the job leads. Weeks turned to months of calls with recruiters, and it wasnt long before I left school so I could qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.

Heres what a lot of people dont understand: Its difficult to qualify for programs like SNAP or Medicaid, even when youre broke. I had to give up my education to qualify for groceries. Penalized for seeking greater opportunities for myself. As a first-generation college student starting my studies so late, this was a huge blow. It still is.

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To cover the gaps in income, we have been delivering food through the apps. Weve skipped our yearly physicals, eye exams, and dentist appointments. Were stressed out. Weve lost weight. My hair has thinned, my migraines are worse and Ive developed eczema.

We waited to be approved for Medicaid and watched SNAP disappear within days of receiving it, just buying simple staples such as coffee, bread and beans. Finally, Medicaid was approved for us, and by the time wed finished all the paperwork, my husband had accepted a new job. Now, were stuck in a new gap because Medicaid will expire before private insurance begins.

The new legislation that has passed will make this already exhausting process even harder and often impossible.

This budget law adds additional work requirements, income thresholds and paperwork. All of these are hurdles those who need assistance will be forced to jump through and around while struggling to survive from day to day. This law punishes people who are trying their best to get back on their feet to build a future and access the American dream.

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Yet, instead of strengthening the safety net, policymakers are cutting holes in it. The bill will cut safety programs, largely Medicaid, by nearly $880 billion in 2026.

These social programs arent just lifelines for individuals, they are cornerstones of a compassionate, functional society. SNAP and Medicaid arent luxuries or handouts. They are social safety nets. They are the foundation that allows the working class to survive a crisis and recover. They are how someone like me can eventually finish my studies, without starving in the meantime.

They are the reason my husband can stay afloat mentally with each job loss. When these safety nets are strong and secure, fewer people fall through the cracks.

This isnt just an unfathomable amount of money; this is human lives. Millions of people like me, facing an impossible situation, and with none of the help I have had. Many will be families supporting children. Ideally, nobody would fall through the cracks.

But when we weaken the nets that support the most vulnerable of society, we all risk becoming one personal disaster away from collapse.
We recently published 14 Stocks Jim Cramer Discussed As He Talked About Record Bitcoin Price. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a major American telecommunications carrier. Its shares have gained 18.5% year-to-date and outperformed some peers. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)s stock has risen on the back of strong subscriber numbers. The firm reported in April that its Q1 postpaid subscriber figures sat at 324,000, which was a sizable beat over FactSet estimates of 255,000. In his previous comments about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Cramer has praised the firms dividend. This time around, he commented that while AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a good stock, he still prefers T-Mobile due to the latters management:

You know, people like ATT. And Im not against it. I like ATT, too. But, look what can I say, T-Mobile has been a huge, huge winner. Sievert is a winner. And before that Legere was a winner. But now the stock acts quite badly, and now we know. Its good to know the reason.

TCW Relative Value Large Cap Fund mentioned AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) in its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:




NEED TO KNOW

Investigators allegedly found evidence to suggest the Idaho murders were "sexually motivated," the father of Kaylee Goncalves alleges in a new interview

He cited information he claims to have received from investigators about Bryan Kohberger's "weird, weird porn fetishes," which allegedly included "drunk passed out girls and gagging girls"

Latah County Prosecuting attorney Bill Thompson said at a July 2 plea hearing "there is no evidence there was any sexual component or sexual assault on any of the victims"





Did Bryan Kohberger kill four University of Idaho students because of his "weird porn fetishes?"

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That is what Kaylee Goncalves's father believes, he said during an appearance on NewsNations Banfield.

Steve Goncalves claimed that individuals involved in the investigation had informed him of this suspicion, which seems to directly contradict what Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson said during the July 2 plea hearing during which Kohberger confessed to the four murders.

"People got so angry at what was happening in that courtroom that they would literally pick up their phone and call us and say, This is what's on Bryan's phone. This is what he was searching. This was sexually motivated,'" Goncalves claimed during his appearance on the show.

He then added: "I don't care what Thompson said."

Newsnation

Kohberger's motive remains the biggest mystery in the case, and one that Thompson said his office had been unable to determine after a nearly-three-year-long investigation.

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At the same time, when Thompson finally got the chance to detail what happened on the night of the murders at that plea hearing, he made a point to stop in the middle of his remarks and emphatically say: "I will state for the record that there is no evidence there was any sexual component or sexual assault on any of the victims. I want to make that clear so there's no speculation."

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.

Goncalves made it clear that he firmly disagrees with the manner in which Thompson framed that comment, and for the first time since his daughter's murder was able to explain in detail why he disagreed  thanks to the removal of a gag order in the case just hours before his appearance.

He cited information he allegedly received from those investigating the case about Kohberger's "weird, weird porn fetishes," which allegedly included "drunk passed out girls and gagging girls" according to Goncalves.

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"[T]hose are two things that were part of that crime scene, so for Thompson to say that there was no sexual assault..." Goncalves said.

He then commented: "Of course, there wasn't [evidence of sexual assault]. He didn't have enough time. Somebody came up there."

That someone could have been Xana Kernodle, whom Thompson said at the plea hearing had not been an intended victim but had possibly encountered Kohberger on the stairs between her room on the second floor and the room where Goncalves and best friend Madison Mogen were murdered on the third floor.

instagram(2) Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle; Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen

Goncalves had already voiced his disgust with Thompson for agreeing to a plea deal with Kohberger, and during his appearance said that it seemed as though the prosecutor cared more about protecting the image of his daughter's killer than getting justice for his daughter.

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'[W]hy are you defending somebody who just killed four people, you know?" Goncalves said. "I mean, it's an upside down world."

At the same time, he said that he had come to terms with the fact that he and the families of the other victims will never get the closure he believes they deserve.

Goncalves previously said that this is why he chose to step outside the courtroom during the July 2 plea hearing despite making the trip to Boise, and has already said he will not be present when Kohberger is sentenced next week.

"We're just glad to be done with it," Goncalves said. "We're glad to move on."

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PEOPLE reached out to both Thompson and Moscow Police Chief Captain Anthony Dahlinger for comment, but neither responded.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

Read the original article on People
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Clean-up continues after dangerous flooding in the Kansas City area following storms earlier this week.

Kansas City, Kansas saw upwards of 10 inches of rain in just 12 hours late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up for daily forecasts and Joes Weather Blog in your inbox

It caused flash floods across the area, though not necessarily from creeks. Many of the issues stemmed from heavy rain meeting clogged storm drains in low-lying areas.

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On Friday, Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) Community Policing Officers assisted Alandon to lift a total of six cars from a ravine/drainage run near N. 29th Street and Freeman Avenue.

KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD) KCK police officers help remove vehicles swept away during recent flooding on July 18, 2025 (Courtesy: KCKPD)

KCKPD said none of the cars had anyone inside and no injuries were reported as the swift-moving water lifted them from a parking lot and carried them into the deep ravine.

Woman hangs onto tree after being swept away by floodwater in Kansas City, Kansas

KCKPD officers worked to identify the cars so that the owners could be contacted.

The close to a foot of rain led to 40 water rescues in KCK, washed out streets and led to flooding not seen in some areas since the 1993 flood.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
After the Senate passed Donald Trumps federal federal funding cuts to public media, documentarian Ken Burns worries for the future of documentary filmmaking.

The two-time Oscar-nominee and five-time Emmy winner expressed his state of shock over the funding cuts impact on PBS, which has hosted several of his documentaries and contributed to his overall career.

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I think were all in a bit of a state of shock, and also reeling at the sort of shortsightedness of it all, said Burns on PBS NewsHour (watch below). This is such an American institution trusted by people across political divides, geographic divides, age groups. Whats so shortsighted about it, I think, is that this mostly affects rural communities, or [they] are the hardest hit.

Burns noted that around 20% of his budgets come from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Thats a significant hit; well have to make it up. Im confident that with the extra work, it will happen, he said.

But its those projects at the national level that might get 50 or 60, maybe even 75% of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Burns continued. They just wont be able to be made, and so there will be less representation by all the different kinds of filmmakers. People coming up will have an impossible time getting started.

On Thursday, the Senate voted 51-48 to pass Trumps set of spending cuts to rescind $1.1 billion from public media, despite warnings that the funding rollbacks will devastate the PBS, NPR and public station ecosystem.

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The bill now goes to the House for final passage, with a vote possible on Thursday. Congress has a deadline of Friday to pass the package.

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, said in a statement: The Senate just approved a rescissions package that goes against the will of the American people, the vast majority of whom trust PBS and believe we provide excellent value to their communities.

These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas, she added. Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.

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Ken Burns, a documentary filmmaker and director whose work is often published on PBS, criticized Congresss elimination of $1.1 billion of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

I think were all in a bit of a state of a shock and also sort of reeling at the shortsightedness of it all, Burns said Friday to PBS News Hour host William Brangham.

And whats so shortsighted about it, I think, is that this affects mostly rural communities or the hardest hit, he added.

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On Thursday, the Republican-controlled House sent a rescissions bill to President Trumps desk; the bill aims to defund $9 billion in federal funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development and public media. Trump is expected to sign the bill Friday, along with other legislative wins for the administration.

More than 40 of Burnss documentaries aired on PBS and were funded up to 20 percent by the government. However, he says others will suffer even more with projects that were previously financed by up to 75 percent with government dollars.

The impact on small, local news stations will also be felt across the country, he continued.

And you begin to see the way in which, particularly in those small rural markets, the PBS station is really like the public library. Its one of those important institutions. It may be the only place where people have access to local news, that the local station is going to the city council meeting, Burns said.

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Local media is already degrading, according to a Rebuild Local News and MuckRack report, which stated that 1 in 3 counties in the U.S. dont have a local journalist. News stations in rural America will be hit the hardest; however, even stations in large cities depend on federal funding.

It was a tight battle in Congress to pass the bill. Multiple Republicans, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (Maine) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), voiced opposition against it.

Some colleagues claim they are targeting radical leftist organizations with these cuts, but in Alaska, these are simply organizations dedicated to their communities, Murkowski posted on social platform X.

Loyal MAGA Republicans, however, are celebrating this win by calling PBS and NPR biased.

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday, This is in our view the misuse of taxpayer dollars. Theyre biased reporting; theyre not objective. They pretend to be so. And the people dont need to fund that.

Burns said he will continue his work despite the changes.

We will scramble. We will have to make it up. Im confident that, with the extra work, it will happen, he said of making up the loss of funding.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Another states attorney general has turned on Temu.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit setting forth a host of claims against the China-founded e-commerce company Thursday. The state alleges that Temu illegally captures unnecessary consumer data, allows that data to be shared with Chinese government officials, uses greenwashing tactics to convince consumers to purchase, relies on forced labor, violates intellectual property laws on Kentucky-based brands and more.

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Coleman states that his office conducted an investigation into the Temu apps inner workings and mechanisms for collecting consumer data, which revealed that the Temu app is designed to collect sensitive user data without the users knowledge or consent and is purposely designed so that it can evade detection of this type of data collection by third-party security researchers.

He went on to say that the company collects an alarming amount of sensitive user data (PII) that is well beyond what would be necessary in the ordinary course of business for an online shopping app. The state believes that practice to be doubly concerning because Temus parent company is a Chinese entity.

These privacy and security risks are compounded by the fact that Temu is owned by a Chinese company (PDD Holdings, Inc.), which itself is subject to Chinese law, including laws that mandate secret cooperation with Chinas intelligence apparatus, to the exclusion of any data protection guarantees existing in the United States, Coleman said in the complaint.

Beyond the myriad data security and consumer privacy concerns expressed in the complaint, Coleman also alleges that Temu uses forced labor to make goods it sells to Kentucky consumers. In the complaint, that claim is propped up by a report from the Los Angeles Times and Congressional reports that state that Temu lacks measures to prevent products made in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) from reaching U.S. customers.

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Coleman later alleges that, in addition to its other purported infractions, Temu violates the intellectual property rights of Kentucky businesses

The Temu app is awash in products that baldly infringe upon, or simply copy outright, intellectual property owned by U.S.- based businesses large and small, Coleman writes. As of the date of this filing, Temu features dozens of what appear to be unlicensed products claiming to be from Kentucky brands like the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Buffalo Trace Distillery and Churchill Downs.

Colemans crusade against Temu is the latest in a string of government lawsuits against the company, which is headquartered in Boston but was founded in China. Last year, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a lawsuit against the company over data privacy concerns, and last month, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed a separate complaint alleging some of the same wrongdoings Coleman pinpoints in his newly filed lawsuit.

Whats more, the attorneys general of 21 states banded together last summer to pen a letter to Qin Sun, Temus president, and Chen Lei, CEO of PDD Holdings, Temus parent company, demanding answers to questions about Temus business practices. Federal lawmakers have shown similar scrutiny toward the low-cost e-commerce player.

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Coleman said the companys practices actively put Kentucky shoppers in danger and threatens the success of state businesses.

Temus cheap products and flashy marketing hide real danger. Their platform can infect Kentuckians devices with malware, steal their personal data and send it directly to the Chinese government, Coleman said in a statement. At the same time, theyre eroding trust in some of Kentuckys most iconic brands, which could lead to job losses and hardship. Kentuckians need a strong defense against this aggression, and thats exactly what the Attorney Generals Office intends to do.

The state claims that Temu violated the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) and seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing Temu from acquiring, maintaining and otherwise utilizing the PII of Kentucky citizens, as well as putting a stop to intellectual property infringement. It has also requested a $2,000 penalty be issued to Temu for each individual violation of the KCPA.

Temu did not immediately return Sourcing Journals request for comment.
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WBTW)  Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited several areas of the Palmetto state this week as he tests a potential presidential run in 2028.



Some of his stops included Greenville, Charleston, and Pawleys Island, speaking to members of the Democratic Party. There is speculation that just like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Beshear could be testing the waters for a potential presidential run.



South Carolina will play an important role in the 2028 election as a key primary election state, but also as the host of the first South primary election.



These candidates want to come out of the gate strong. They want to come in, obviously they want to be first, but if they come in second or even third, depending on the closeness of the race, that gives them hope and opportunity for the primaries and caucuses that will come afterward, so showing well in South Carolina is really important for them right now, Mikel Norris, a political science professor at Coastal Carolina University, said.



In Kentucky, a governor cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. Beshear could run again for governor after waiting a full four-year term, or he could explore another political field.



Beshear has been speaking to members of the Democratic Party about his success as a Democratic governor in a majority Republican state.



We win again by taking back that middle. And it is there for the taking. We do it by showing up and getting dirt on our boots, making sure that we create new jobs, Beshear said. We show up after hard times and natural disasters because people see that we care and we are the good human beings that we are. That is how we regain the confidence of the American people. So Im excited to have this conversation tonight.



As the 2028 election grows closer, Norris says South Carolina is most likely to see more political visits on a local level to try as more potential presidential candidates start laying ground work for the primaries.

* * *

Katie Harrill joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in June 2025. She is a native of Cumming, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia in December 2024. You can keep up with Katie on Facebook, X, (formerly Twitter), or Instagram and read more of her work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The 2026 Election is already underway, as candidates throw their names in the ring for local, state and federal offices.

Wednesday morning, Bakersfield Ward 2 City Councilmember Andrae Gonzales announced his run for Californias 35th Assembly District.

17 Political Reporter Jenny Huh sat down with Gonzales for a candidate profile.

Its a political domino effect or ladder, if you will. Gonzales announced Thursday morning hes running to replace Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains in the 35th Assembly District, who, one day prior, announced shes running for Congress.

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My goal is to know the district as well as I know Ward 2, and to be as involved, as engaged as I can, said Gonzales.

The 43-year-old has represented Bakersfields Ward 2 since 2016, prior to that serving as a board trustee on the Bakersfield City School District.

An east Bakersfield native and current Eastchester resident, the Democrat is eyeing the step up to Sacramento, saying the state must do more for cities.

We know and I know that Sacramento can do so much more to help us address some of the most chronic pressing issues that are facing our neighborhoods for too long, Gonzales said. Kern County has got the short end of the stick. We have our older brothers, the Bay Area and in the L.A. Southern California area, our big brothers who seem to have a seat at the table and kind of nudge us out.

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17s Jenny Huh: How do you, amid all the other state legislators and senators that are working to do the same thing for their community, how do you prioritize Kern?

Andrae Gonzales: I grew up in a family with five siblings, and I know a thing or two about nudging my way in. I was a middle child.

On his priorities at the state level, Gonzales said, Number one is to grow and diversify our local economy. We know that were facing so many challenges when it comes to with respect to our region and in good paying jobs.

Gonzales has long focused on issues like homelessness, housing affordability and support for small local businesses, all of which he says his Downtown Ward feels especially hard.

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The issues compound themselves, everything from chronic poverty to disinvestment in some of our oldest neighborhoods to homelessness, to a decline in the downtown area and a lack of investment over a period of 30, 40 years, the assemblymember hopeful explained.

AD-35 is a seat Gonzales has eyed before, in the 2024 cycle, though he ultimately bowed out.

This opportunity with Dr. Bains running for Congress has opened the seat up. And its an open seat, I want to give it a shot, Gonzales answered, when asked about his first go at the seat.

The work has already started.

17 News joined Gonzales Wednesday evening in Delano, as he met with community leaders. Delano is the second largest city in kern but is also where the incumbent Bains roots lie.

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Gonzales said when it comes to his ability to transition to state leadership, he hopes the proof is in the pudding.

He highlighted various accomplishments at the city level, especially in helping hundreds of small businesses, including through the B3K Initiative, the Bakersfield College Launch Pad Initiative, and the Prosperity Neighborhood Initiative.

Gonzales also highlighted his role in the launching of the Bakersfield community land trust, which offers affordable housing opportunities to those low to moderate income.

He credited his late father, who served as a counselor at Bakersfield College  for his public servant mindset, which Gonzales said began at the young age of six.



I am very serious about getting to work and just focusing on the issues and being very pragmatic and practical in getting things done for people, Gonzales said.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.




NEED TO KNOW

The young girl was kidnapped while walking home from school and was missing for a week

A pride of lions rescued the girl from her captors and "stood guard"

Find out how the girl's actions likely drew the lions' attention





Its been 20 years since an Ethiopian miracle, but its still no less astonishing today.

In June 2005, a 12-year-old girl who had been kidnapped, beaten and missing for a week was found alive after three lions in Ethiopia chased off the captors and protected her.

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Reports claim that the girl was taken by a group of seven men who sought to force her into marriage.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Sergeant Wondimu Wendaju told NBC News of the pride's actions afterward. "If the lions had not come then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage.

The girl was "shocked and terrified" and had to be treated for cuts from the beatings, Wendaju said.

Getty An African lion is pictured in Ethiopia. An African lion is pictured in Ethiopia.

Reports at the time indicated the girl was kidnapped while walking home from school and was soon after held captive in a remote location. At some point, however, the men, with the girl in tow, attempted to move down a dusty trail through the outskirts of Bita Genet, about 350 miles from the countrys capital, Addis Ababa. The sounds of the movements and the weeping of a scared girl likely alerted the pride of lions.

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In fact, wildlife expert Stuart Williams told NBC that the girl likely stayed alive because she cried.

A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didnt eat her, he said.

Wendaju added, Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people.

Ethiopias lions are rather revered in Ethiopia, and are the countrys national symbol, adorning statues and the local currency. Famous for their large black manes, Ethiopian Lions are highly endangered, as its believed that only a few hundred are alive today, according to LionAid, a lion conservation and education charity.



Read the original article on People
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, arrives at the Fred Thompson Federal Courthouse in Nashville Wednesday for another hearing in his case. (Photograph by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

NASHVILLE  Kilmar Abrego Garcia will remain incarcerated in Tennessee for at least another week after a federal judge heard prosecutors arguments that he poses a flight risk and a danger to the community if released.

U.S. District Court Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. said Wednesday he would make a decision as early as next week on the pretrial release of Abrego, a Maryland resident who was wrongly dispatched to a notorious prison in El Salvador as part of the Trump administrations mass deportation efforts.

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Abrego was brought to Nashville in June to face two criminal human smuggling charges tied to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. The grand jury indictments against Abrego were brought even as his deportation case drew national attention, and after the Supreme Court ordered Trump administration officials to facilitate his return from El Salvador.

Abrego, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the Tennessee charges.

What would immediately happen to Abrego should Crenshaw order his pretrial release in Tennessee remains an open question.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, in a separate Maryland case centered on Abregos wrongful deportation, said they planned to take him into custody immediately.

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ICE officials said they may then send him to a third country.

Abrego, a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally nearly 15 years ago, has an active immigration case that includes an order barring U.S. officials from returning him to El Salvador due to fears that he could be the target of gang violence.

Wednesdays hearing was the third in recent weeks to review the pretrial release of Abrego, who sat next to his attorneys in an orange jumpsuit for the hours-long hearing. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, attended the hearing.

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Last month, Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ruled Abrego was not a flight risk or a community danger, setting certain conditions for his release that included ankle monitoring.

Holmes subsequently agreed to a request by Abregos attorneys to temporarily keep him detained while they sought assurances from the government that he would not be deported if released.

Crenshaw on Wednesday heard the prosecutions appeal of Holmes release order.

The judge appeared, at times, skeptical of the governments arguments to keep Abrego detained, including allegations that Abrego is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. Crenshaw noted there is a high bar in federal court that evidence be clear and convincing to warrant pretrial detention.

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The proof on MS-13 in and of itself does not meet clear and convincing, Crenshaw said.

 This story first appeared in Tennessee Lookout, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
(FOX40.COM)  The Roseville Police Department said it arrested a local kingpin behind a nationwide package and fraud theft operation on July 10.

Video above: Almost 70% of California residents voted in favor of Prop 36

Officials served search warrants at multiple locations, recovering over $300,000 in fraudulently purchased merchandise.

Image provided by City of Roseville, California Police Department.

According to the Roseville Police Department, additional evidence revealed that over $7 million in purchases were made involving the suspect over the last year.

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The suspect was booked into the South Placer County Jail.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) is included among the 11 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks to Buy Now.

TELUS Corporation (TU): A Top Canadian Telecom Stock with Growing Dividend Potential

A businessman looking up in awe at the top of a telecom tower as it spreads its vast interconnectivity.

TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) is one of the three major telecommunications companies in Canada, with a customer base of over 9 million mobile users. This represents about one-third of the countrys market. In addition to wireless services, the company also provides internet, TV, and landline connections. It has recently begun upgrading from its older copper network to fiber optic cables in an effort to deliver better value and improved service quality to customers.

In the first quarter of 2025, TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) delivered solid performance, reporting a 22% increase in consolidated free cash flow compared to the same period last year, along with a 13% rise in operating cash flow. Supported by a strong outlook for adjusted EBITDA growth, lower capital expenditures, and continued free cash flow expansion, the company plans to extend its dividend growth program, aiming for annual increases between 3% and 8% from 2026 through 2028.

TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) is one of the best dividend Canadian stocks, as the company has raised its payouts every year since 2004. Since then, it has returned approximately $28 billion to shareholders through dividends. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of C$0.4163 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.44%, as of July 15.

While we acknowledge the potential of TU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 13 Best Industrial Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now and 10 Best Passive Income Stocks to Buy Now.

Disclosure: None.
Kneecap will not face charges over their Glastonbury performance, but the investigation into Bob Vylan continues.

The local Avon and Somerset Police force said in the past few minutes: Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.

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The force added that enquiries into Bob Vylan continue to be carried out in relation to separate comments made on stage.

Kneecaps controversial set, which was not shown live on the BBC, included the Irish hip-hop trio chanting Free Palestine and F**k Keir Starmer, the latter being a reference to the UK Prime Minister.

Prior to Kneecap on the same stage, Bob Vylans set, which was shown live and remained on the BBC for hours, included chants of Death to the IDF, while the band complained about working for a f***ing Zionist.

Kneecap posted on Instagram an email the bands lawyer received from Avon and Somerset Polices Senior Investigating Officer saying they would not be charged, with a caption branding the investigation political, targeted and state intimidation.

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After the media damage is inflicted and seen by millions of eyes  you receive a private email to say theres no evidence and no action  that is seen by two people only, added the caption. There is no public apology, they dont send this to media or post it on police accounts.

Kneecaps Liam Og O hAnnaidh, better known by his stage name Mo Chara, is currently bailed on a terror charge after displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig. A separate investigation into the band for allegedly telling fans, The only good Tory is a dead Tory. kill your local MP, at a gig have been dropped.

Kneecap were catapulted to indie darling stardom with the release of their BAFTA-winning semi-autobiographical movie starring Michael Fassbender last year.



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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  Here are the top headlines from this morning.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed a bill into law that would ban lab-grown meat.

NE Gov. Jim Pillen signs lab-grown meat ban into law

Folks with the Sioux City Miracle League are gearing up to play a classic game for 24 hours straight.

Sioux City Miracle League to host a game of catch for 24 hours straight

A man from Sioux City reeled in the catch of a lifetime up in Canada, a multi-colored muskie weighing more than 45 pounds.

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Catch of a lifetime for Sioux City man: Dustin Woolworth reels in unofficial world-record Muskie in Canada

Watch more stories in the video above.

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Jul. 17Startled from your bed just after midnight by a piercing alert? No, it wasn't a lost child or an imminent flood, though you might be forgiven for thinking it was.

Many residents of Bernalillo and Sandoval counties were awoken around 12:45 a.m. Thursday by a public safety alert blasted through their cellphones: 77-year-old Jose A. Lujan had driven away from home and was missing.

Within hours, Lujan was found dead in his Buick sedan alongside Interstate 25, near Socorro, by a truck driver who had recognized the car from the alert.

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Despite its apparent effectiveness, those who lost out on beauty sleep took to social media to complain about the late-night disturbance. Known as a Silver Alert, it informs residents that an elderly person is missing.

In a new initiative, New Mexico State Police has begun sending emergency mobile alerts  often reserved for missing children and natural disasters  to notify the public when a Silver Alert or Turquoise Alert is issued. The alerts, which operate similarly to an Amber Alert, are sent through the Wireless Emergency Alert system to inform residents when an elderly person or a Native American is reported missing and believed to be in danger.

Previously, Silver Alerts were not broadcast through the WEA system and were limited to news outlets and radio stations.

Silver Alerts are designated for missing people 50 years or older who are believed to have signs of Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairments.

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Amanda Richards, public information officer for State Police, said users can expect around 50 Silver Alerts a year, based on an estimate from the current volume of alerts. So far, State Police has issued 26 Silver Alerts this year.

The Silver Alert was sent around 12:45 a.m. to Bernalillo and Sandoval county residents. Richards said State Police received a request for the alert around midnight. The alert was not listed as a Silver Alert and looked similar to an Amber Alert on cellphones.

"We are working with Homeland Security Emergency Management to learn why the alert did not read Silver Alert as it was intended to," Richards said. However, it was not a mistake that the alert was sent as a high priority, she said.

"The tone and volume of WEA messages are designed for urgent matters and life-threatening emergencies," Richards said. "The alert issued last night followed the state-mandated protocol outlined in the New Mexico statute, which requires Silver and Turquoise alerts to be disseminated through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. By default, they're delivered at a high priority."

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State Police received several complaints about the alert that was sent just before 1 a.m. and said they appreciate the public for their understanding as the department adjusts to the system.

Richards acknowledged that the timing and nature of last night's alert caught many people off guard. "Although the missing person was last seen around 7:00 a.m. the day prior, we sent out the alert in a timely manner as soon as we received the request."

Users can opt out of the alerts, though State Police highly discourages it.

"It could be dangerous in the event of an immediate threat, such as a wildfire, flood, active shooter, or child abduction," Richards said. "It's important to note that we did raise these concerns with lawmakers prior to the implementation of this requirement. We expressed that overuse of high-priority alerts could lead to desensitization and reduced public engagement, which undermines the effectiveness of the system overall."

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Turquoise Alerts are "designed to help locate Native Americans who are in imminent danger of great bodily harm or death, and there is enough descriptive information about the missing person to assist in locating them," Wilson Silver, public information officer for State Police, said in a news release Wednesday.

The Turquoise Alert system went into effect on July 1 after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation in April in an effort to respond to the increasing number of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The first Silver Alert was sent to the Las Cruces area Wednesday evening on behalf of the Las Cruces Police Department.

"Moments later, NMSP was notified the individual was located," Richards said in a statement to the Journal.

Alerts will include the description of the person, their last known location, and any vehicle information if available.
(NewsNation)  Emergency response teams and federal investigators are working to respond to an explosion at a Los Angeles Sheriffs Department training facility that left at least three people dead Friday morning.

A source on the ground told NewsNation local affiliate KTLA that the three individuals involved were sheriffs deputies. The Los Angeles Times reports that another person injured in the explosion was taken to the hospital and that their condition is unknown.



The explosion

The explosion occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time at an address that is associated with Biscailuz Center Training Academy, which is a Los Angeles Sheriffs Department training facility on the east side of the city.

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Sources told a KTLA reporter that the explosion came as deputies were moving an unexploded ordnance they had picked up on a call. The source said live explosives are not used for training. The LASD has not confirmed the cause.

Emergency teams responding

Emergency teams responding to the explosion include the Los Angeles Police Department and its bomb squad, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

California Gov. Gavin Newsoms press team wrote in a post on X that he is in contact with the sheriffs department and closely monitoring the situation.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had spoken to the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

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Our federal agents are at the scene, and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriffs deputies killed, Bondi said on social media.

What is the training facility?

According to an old press release from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the Biscailuz Center Training Academy reopened in 2014 after being closed for nearly 30 years.

The total costs for renovating the 36,000-square-foot training facility came in at approximately $22,132,000.

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Question : Regarding the recent gun buybacks, why not do the same with illegal fireworks ? They are expensive so amnesty events alone arent enough for some people to give them up.

Answer : The state Department of Law Enforcement will host an anonymous buyback event for illegal fireworks on July 26 at Aloha Stadium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., providing up to $500 worth of grocery store gift cards per vehicle for the largest loads, according to the departments website. Previous fireworks amnesty events, including one in January, did not include payments.

The fireworks buyback will be held in the stadiums lower parking lot (enter via Gate 4 ), with participants instructed to place the illegal /display fireworks in a secure container in their vehicles trunk and stay inside their vehicle while first responders retrieve the fireworks. No identification is needed and no questions will be asked, the website says.

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Participants will be paid $1 per pound for illegal fireworks and $5 per pound for display fireworks (mortars ), up to a maximum of $500 worth of grocery store gift cards per vehicle.

Items accepted : aerial shells, mortars, Roman candles, cakes  and canisters.

Items not accepted : firecrackers and fountains (store-bought ), homemade or modified fireworks, improvised explosives, ammunition or firearms.

Repeat : Do not bring firearms, ammunition or homemade explosives.

Organizers reserve the right to refuse any items.

For more information go to.

Hawaii authorities have sought to crack down on the use of illegal fireworks since a New Years Eve explosion at an Aliamanu house party killed six people and injured dozens, some of whom suffered grievous burns. Since then, the Legislature and governor have approved new enforcement methods and stricter penalties, while incentives such as paying to get illegal fireworks off the streets also are being tried.

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As you noted, law enforcement agencies have hosted several gun buyback events in recent years, including one last Saturday in Wahiawa that netted 234 firearms, according to the Honolulu Police Department.

Q : Regarding overdue vacation rental taxes the city is trying to collect, how are they catching people ? Is this on illegal, unregistered vacation rentals, or on registered ones that are trying to follow the laws ?

A : Registered ones. The notices of overdue payments for the 2022 tax year say the proposed assessment is the result of a review of your 2022 City and County of Honolulu Transient Accommodations Tax (OTAT ) tax returns filed with the State of Hawaii compared to the payments made to City and County of Honolulu. Recipients have 30 days to pay the proposed amount or dispute the bill, according to the notice.

Q : Do you have the address for a 78-year-old kupuna to order free COVID-19 home test kits ? I was confused when I looked up addresses on Google because of a long list to order from. I dont want to order from a scam address.

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A : The U.S. government is no longer distributing free COVID-19 test kits to households across the countrythat program, which had people order online for delivery by mail, ended in March.

At-home COVID-19 test kits are widely available for purchase at local pharmacies, including some that allow you to order online. Be sure to buy from a store you trust, to avoid receiving a counterfeit test or losing your money altogether, warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read more at.

Mahalo Many thanks to the considerate motorists who waited patiently while our familys newest driver parallel-parked for the first time. This was in Kaimuki and no one beeped their horn, despite the fact that some cars in the right lane eastbound probably missed the green light because it took some time for our teenager to maneuver safely into the spot.A reader------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said that Russia supports "adding momentum" to the negotiation process with Ukraine.

Source: Interfax, a Russian news outlet, quoting Peskov

Details: Peskov commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement about the need to intensify the negotiation process.

"This is a positive signal. And here we are in complete agreement: indeed, we too are in favour of adding momentum to the negotiation process," Peskov said.

Background:

On Friday 18 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed former defence minister Rustem Umierov as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Speaking about Umierov's tasks in this position, Zelenskyy also said that it is necessary to "intensify the negotiation track" with Russia."The implementation of the agreements of the second meeting in Istanbul is currently underway. We need more momentum in this process," the president said.

Meetings between delegations from Russia and Ukraine took place on 16 May and 2 June in Istanbul.

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Editors Note: This story has been updated to include Airbnbs statement

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has filed a civil enforcement lawsuit against Airbnb, accusing the short-term rental platform of unlawfully inflating prices following the January wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

According to the lawsuit, Airbnb raised prices on at least 2,000 and possibly more than 3,000 rental properties within Los Angeles city limits by more than 10% after a state of emergency was declared on Jan. 7.

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Californias Anti-Gouging Law prohibits raising prices on essential goods and services, including rental housing, by more than 10% during a declared emergency.

Airbnb has a feature called Smart Pricing, which allows hosts or the website to adjust prices in the area based on demand.

At the request of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the company disabled the feature on Jan. 17. The company also sent error messages to some hosts that attempted to raise prices by more than 10%.

The lawsuit states that Gov. Gavin Newsoms emergency order, along with declarations by Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, has remained in effect and was most recently extended on June 24. These declarations triggered price protections intended to keep housing accessible during disasters.

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Its unconscionable that Airbnb permitted prices to be jacked up on thousands of rental properties at a time when so many people lost so much and needed a place to sleep, Feldstein Soto said in a statement. This lawsuit sends a clear message that we will not allow people, particularly at their most vulnerable moments, to be exploited without consequences.

The city is seeking restitution for affected renters and civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation. The lawsuit also seeks a permanent court order to stop Airbnb from continuing to charge high rates during the ongoing emergency and from misrepresenting host identities and property details.

The lawsuit further claims that Airbnb misleads users by promoting verified hosts and listings, despite what the city describes as a flawed verification process.

According to the complaint, some hosts use false or non-existent identities, and some property addresses listed on the site are inaccurate or entirely fabricated. The city argues this misrepresentation may cause renters to feel a false sense of security when booking.

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In a statement to KTLA, an Airbnb spokesperson said the company disputes the allegations made in the lawsuit.

Since the wildfires broke out, Airbnb, Airbnb.org, and Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky have contributed nearly $30 million to fire recovery efforts in Los Angeles, including free emergency housing to nearly 24,000 people impacted by the fires and a $16 million donation to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles to help rebuild and repair homes, a company spokesperson said in a statement.

In response to the states emergency declarations, Airbnb took action to help hosts understand their obligations with respect to price increases in Los Angeles. Hosts who attempt to raise their prices by more than 10% above their pre-emergency rates receive an error message. California Attorney General Bonta praised Airbnbs efforts to help hosts comply with the states emergency declarations, saying, Theyre doing the right thing, I thank them for doing that. We hope other platforms will follow suit and do the same. We dispute the allegations in this lawsuit and will continue supporting the city of Los Angeles in its recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Following the January wildfires, hundreds of residents were displaced, resulting in a surge in demand for short-term rental housing.

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Airbnb, which accounts for an estimated 80% of the short-term rental market in Los Angeles, is believed to have hosted many evacuees from the affected and nearby areas, according to the City Attorneys Office.

The lawsuit also cites reports of Airbnb renters becoming victims of identity theft, robbery, sexual assault and other crimes. City officials suggest these incidents may be linked to the platforms insufficient safety and identity verification measures.

The case is being handled by the City Attorneys Public Rights Branch.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday that his department has no choice but to turn inmates over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when it receives federal judicial warrants seeking the transfer of inmates in its county jails.

Luna addressed what he described as widespread community concerns over the departments policies on cooperation with federal immigration authorities during a news conference at the Hall of Justice. His remarks came one day after a report by The Times revealed that in May and June the Sheriffs Department transferred 20 inmates to ICE in compliance with the warrants.

L.A. County Inspector General Max Huntsman and other legal experts said federal law requires local law enforcement agencies to comply with warrants issued by federal judges, which trump state and local sanctuary policies aimed at shielding immigrants from deportation. The warrants involve criminal charges, the department said, not civil immigration violations.

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It's a federal judicial warrant signed by a judge. There's no choice. That means somebody has gone before a judge to get an arrest warrant for them, Luna said.

He added that the inmates his department turned over have got enough probable cause to get an arrest warrant for and they've committed, usually, a significant crime, such as attempted murder, rape or robbery. This isnt the ice cream vendor, the lady making tacos on the street.

The sheriff also addressed a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday stating that it had issued requests to sheriffs in California counties including Los Angeles and San Francisco counties asking them to provide lists of all inmates in their jails who are not U.S. citizens, in addition to information about their criminal histories and when they are due to be released.

Read more: Justice Department requests lists of all noncitizen inmates being held in California jails

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The Justice Department said in the statement that it hopes the sheriffs will cooperate with the request voluntarily, but that if necessary, the Department will pursue all available means of obtaining the data, including through subpoenas."

Luna said that at this time, we have not officially received this letter. We've heard about it, but haven't actually seen it.

Once we receive the letter, we will absolutely review it to determine what information, if any, we can legally provide, he said.

The sheriff noted that any potential effort to compile such a list would be complicated by the fact that his department does not collect information about peoples immigration status when they are booked into county jails, and that he does not know if the agency has the technical capacity to compile such a roster.

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Earlier Thursday, Luna said at the monthly meeting of the L.A. County Civilian Oversight Commission that when you get booked, processed and you get Livescanned, thats a national system, so agents of the federal government will know youre in custody. So its not that were notifying them, its an automatic notification based on your fingerprints.

He said during the Thursday news conference that he believes ICE uses information gathered during that booking process to compile lists of people to issue civil immigration detainers for.

Under sanctuary policies, the Sheriffs Department is legally barred from handing over inmates in response to so-called detainers, or ICE requests to hold a person for potential deportation.

Luna said that in 2024, his department received 995 civil detainer requests from ICE and did not comply with any of them because that would violate both state law and county policy.

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Luna also offered repeated reassurances to county residents who have raised concerns about the unsubstantiated prospect that the Sheriffs Department is engaging in wider cooperation with ICE.

He said that he personally believes we should all be concerned about federal agents either chasing people around a car wash or a Home Depot, and that his department does not assist ICE in those kinds of street operations, which have instilled deep fear in immigrant communities across L.A. County since they began last month.

I completely understand the concern, the fear and anxiety from our community here in Los Angeles County, he said. We do not honor ICE detainers or requests for transfers. We do not allow immigration officials to operate within our facilities, and we do not permit the use of county property databases or personnel by ICE.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Labour has handed councils the power to carry out secret inspections on private rental properties.

Landlords will only be informed after the visit has taken place, which critics have warned is intrusive and risks undermining trust.

Previously, local authorities had to give landlords 24-hours notice before entering their homes. Tenants will still be given the same notice.

The amendments to Labours Renters Rights Bill were passed in the House of Lords on Tuesday to clamp down on unscrupulous landlords.

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But Lord Jamieson of the Conservatives said powers of entry were intrusive by their nature.

He said: The amendments risk undermining trust in local authority investigations and could lead to a greater number of legal challenges, confusion and even misuse.

Lord Jamieson called the amendments intrusive by nature - Roger Harris

Powers of entry are intrusive by their nature. If they are to be exercised without prior warning, there must be rigorous justification, robust checks and balances and explicit limits to prevent overreach. That bar has not been met.

These amendments risk tipping the balance too far, undermining transparency and weakening the very safeguards that protect landlords and tenants alike, he added.



It means landlords may be hit with fines from inspections they didnt know were happening.



It could leave them footing the bill for tenants negligence, such as failing to properly ventilate a property to prevent mould.



The maximum penalty that a council can issue to a landlord without needing to go to court is 30,000. If the Renters Rights Bill becomes law, this will increase to 40,000.

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The British Landlords Association welcomed the changes as in everyones best interests. But Sajjad Ahmad, its chief executive, warned against sneaky inspections.

He said: Inspections should not be done without landlords present. Everyone should be there, as well as the tenants and council officers. This means you can more easily get a solution, rather than issues going on and on.



When the bill passes, Awaabs law will also be applied to the private rental sector.



The law forces landlords to take immediate action to remove mould and damp, after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from respiratory issues caused by exposure to black mould.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, parliamentary under-secretary of state for housing, told members of the House of Lords that giving notice can lead to unscrupulous landlords hiding evidence of breaches.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, which called for the removal of the 24-hour period, has welcomed the news.

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Mark Elliott, the institutes president said: We are delighted that the Government has recognised the need to remove this requirement, which has long been a barrier to effective enforcement of housing legislation.

The current requirement provides an opportunity for the landlord to appear at the inspection, which can be an intimidating experience for the tenant making the complaint.

Local authorities should be able to conduct such visits without giving the landlord 24 hours notice, permitting private conversations with the tenant before the local authority contacts the landlord to notify them if works are required.

Changes for landlords

The renters rights amendments also need to be passed in the House of Commons. The bill  due to come into force this autumn  will also abolish so-called no fault evictions, introduce an ombudsman for the private rental sector and make enforcement against rogue landlords stronger.

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It also means landlords will be forced to wait three months before taking action against non-paying tenants.

Rentals that fall short of energy efficiency standards will be banned by 2030, costing landlords an average bill of 10,000 to bring their properties up to code.

The increasingly hostile business environment under Labour is forcing landlords to sell up.

The number of UK properties available to let has hit an all-time low of 284,000, falling 18pc in the year to March, according to analytics firm TwentyCi.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said that the majority of responsible landlords must not be treated as though they are part of the problem.

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A spokesman said: The amendment passed in the House of Lords raises concerns. The NRLA is supportive of effective enforcement, but it is important that actions taken by enforcement bodies are proportionate to the issue being investigated and seek to work with all involved to achieve the best possible outcome.

We urge the Government to ensure that any new enforcement measures are applied in a targeted and proportionate way.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was contacted for comment.

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LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)  In Lafayette Parish, another conviction has been secured for a man accused in connection with a fentanyl-related death.

15th Judicial District Attorney Donald Landry informed said that this individual has been found guilty of the death of a seven-year-old child. Moreover, Lafayette Parish has now recorded two such convictions to date.

That penny right there on the table. It only takes a few grains. What I normally would do is sprinkle a little bit of salt around this penny, and just a few grains of that fentanyl is enough to kill an individual, Landry explained.

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The first conviction is in the death of JonTerez Broussard. The UL Lafayette student unknowingly consumed fentanyl. The family was relentless in ensuring that such dealers felt the full force of justice. Damien Bernard, 27, of Arnaudville got life without parole for her death.

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It was that he sold drugs to some girls which resulted in one of their deaths, Assistant District Attorney (Narcotics) Chase Edwards stated.

The second conviction is that of Daniel Boudreaux Jr. of Carencro, who was found guilty of the death of a seven-year-old girl.

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I think it was testified in trial that she went to school every day, no bad marks, nothing like that. She went home and that was the house she lived in; and unfortunately, thats the house she passed away in, Assistant District Attorney (Narcotics) Stephen Williams added.

Landry explained that parents should be informed and share that information with their kids.

Teenagers and our children should know about this drug and should know that it could be at the next party they go to, Landry noted.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com.
(Reuters) -Teneo said on Thursday it has acquired the Australia business restructuring services unit of auditing firm PwC, as the management consultancy seeks to expand its financial advisory presence in the region.

Under the deal, about 80 members of PwC's Australia business restructuring services team will join Teneo and will provide wide range of financial services in the country, including expertise in local and international restructuring and insolvency situations.

Stephen Longley, who has led PwC's Australia business restructuring services team for the last four years, will become head of financial advisory Australia at Teneo, according to a company statement.

"We see significant opportunity both in the Australian market and the wider Asia-Pacific region for a critical events advisor of scale, and this acquisition gives us an outstanding platform for growth," said Daniel Butters, CEO of Teneo's financial advisory business.

Teneos financial advisory division currently employs nearly 600 people globally, providing services including business restructuring, corporate insolvency, and bankruptcy, among others.

Teneo plans to open its first Australian office in Brisbane in the coming weeks. The company did not disclose the deal's value.

(Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
1 detained after shot fired outside Home Depot

One person was detained after a shot was fired outside a Home Depot.

Around 5:40 p.m., Beavercreek officers were called to the Home Depot on Presidential Drive.

A shot was fired outside the store during a fight between two people, a Beavercreek police sergeant confirmed.

One person was detained.

TRENDING STORIES:

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Wayne Small lives only a few minutes away and pulled up to find the large response.

I just came here to get some WD-40 for the house, Small said.

As he got closer, he saw peoples reaction.

There was a group of employees standing over here by the contractor pickup on the right side, they were standing there too, like they were in shock, he said.

Then he saw some officers.

All law enforcement personnel looked relieved, and it didnt look like an incident compared to November 23 or 22, Small said.

He was referring to the shooting on Nov. 20, 2023 at the Walmart in Beavercreek that left multiple hurt and the shooter dead.

Police have not identified the man detained or what charges he may face.

We will continue to follow this story.

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Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration is damaging Las Vegas's famous tourist industry and spooking the workers who keep it running, according to union and industry leaders.

An estimated 25 percent of all Nevada workers were born abroad, compared to 17 percent in America as a whole. Immigrant workers are particularly dominant in the tourism and hospitality industries, with 74 percent of hotel housekeepers born overseas, and 51 percent of restaurant line cooks.

But now local activists say that Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers are detaining around 40 percent more people per day in South Nevada than it did last year, despite 69 percent of them having no criminal convictions.

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Ted Pappageorge, secretary treasurer of the local chapter of the Culinary Workers Union, told Fox 5 Vegas that the surge in detentions has sown fear throughout the city's hospitality sector.

"This industry cannot function without immigrant workers," he warned.

Michael Kagan, director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Immigration Clinic, likewise said calls to his group had "more than tripled" and that staff "can't keep up".

"This kind of fear is just so incredibly destructive to our neighbors to our community, to our economy," he told Fox 5.

A case in point is Broadacres Marketplace, a popular open-air market in north Las Vegas, which has been closed since June 21 in order to protect its vendors and customers from immigration raids.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that visitors to Las Vegas dropped by 6.5 percent in May compared to the same month in 2024, with hotels making 5.7 percent less money.

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That is a mirror of the situation across the USA, where foreign tourist spending is projected to fall by 7 percent this year due in part to travelers' fears about being detained or turned away at the border.

The Convention and Visitors Authority did not attribute Sin Citys shortfall to immigration fears specifically, instead citing overall economic gloom due to Trump's tariffs. "At the core of what we think is happening right now is that consumer confidence is down pretty significantly," said Authority CEO Steve Hill in May.

People have protested across the country about the Trump administrations hardline border policies (Ronda Churchill / AFP via Getty Images)

People have protested across the country about the Trump administrations hardline border policies (Ronda Churchill / AFP via Getty Images)

Nevertheless, Pappageorge said visits from Canadian and Mexican customers specifically had "fallen off a cliff", while Latino visitors are "fearful and nervous".

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"When that happens, that means that our visitation is down and companies are looking at potential layoffs. Our members are quite nervous about that" he said.

The Trump administration has specifically targeted hotels, restaurants, and farms for immigration raids as it seeks to fulfill Trump's campaign promise of "mass deportations".
On June 10, the Nevada State Contractors Board issued a consumer alert about a company owner and associate who were arrested for fraudulent construction practices. The company in question was Patio Covers 4 Less.

Ryan Vozzola, who was named as principal and Amy Rusch, who was named as de facto partner, were arrested and subsequently released. They now await hearings later this month.

Patio Covers 4 Less had 40 different complaints filed against it by consumers claiming they signed contracts and put down deposits only to never see the work completed. The company reportedly collected over $137,000 in deposits it never made good on.

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The good news is that Nevada has protections in place to reimburse homeowners in situations like these. The bad news is that because of a technicality, some of the people who say they were scammed by Patio Covers 4 Less are now getting the runaround.

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A frustrating situation

A 2022 report by the Inspection Support Network found that since 2007, the Federal Trade Commission had received 109,000 reports of home improvement scams, with an average of 6,124 scams per year.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, meanwhile, says contractor fraud costs American homeowners billions of dollars every year and that such schemes are extremely common following major disasters like hurricanes. However, it could clearly happen at any time. In the case of Patio Covers 4 Less, Vozzola and Rusch are accused of taking homeowners' money as deposits and simply not delivering on the work that was promised.

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Nevada does have a Residential Recovery Fund that awards up to $40,000 to homeowners who are scammed by a licensed contractor. But, as 8 News Now reports, many people who were scammed by Patio Covers 4 Less are not eligible for compensation due to a technicality

It's common for contracting businesses to have subsidiaries and instruct clients to write checks to those subsidiaries. In this case, clients of Patio Covers 4 Less were instructed to make their deposit checks out to other businesses. Because of this, they're not eligible for compensation.

Robert Enrile told 8 News Now he paid Patio Covers 4 Less $1,200. He then received denial letters from the Nevada State Contractors Board after he applied for compensation through the Residential Recovery Fund.

"They denied me because I wrote the check to Vegas Shade, not to Patios Covers 4 Less," he said.

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Kirk Leyton paid Patio Covers 4 Less $2,500 and also wrote a check to Vegas Shade. His claim was denied for the same reason.

Patio Covers for Less needs to pay for their crime and the people associated with it, Leyton said. The other side is the contractors board. Theyre not living up to their responsibilities."

Read more: Americans are revenge saving to survive  but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Heres how to quickly earn 280% more on your cash

The math behind the denials

It's unfortunate that so many homeowners have lost money in this incident  especially as they made their deposits in good faith.

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The Nevada State Contractors Board revoked the company's contractor license in March of 2025 and began working with the Nevada Attorney General's Office at the time to prosecute the pair.

However, Luis Quesada, Director of Investigations of the Nevada State Contractors Board, insists that the rules are the rules based on how the program was set up.

Its very important, especially in these large projects, that you read and verify the contract. Make sure youre paying the contractor, the business itself, Quesada told 8 News Now. Quesada also said that writing a check to a different business name is a common red flag.

"I can empathize and I really feel terrible for these folks because it's really a double whammy," Quesada told 8 News Now. However, he said, "We have to follow the law."

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The Fund's rules expressly state, "The Fund is not available to homeowners who have hired unlicensed contractors." A search does not reveal a license number associated with Vegas Shade, even if the parent company was licensed.

Still, the affected homeowners may have some options. Quesada said victims can still pursue legal remedies through the civil court system.

However, because the deposits that were made did not match up to the business name, or match up to a licensed contractor, funds from the Residential Recovery Fund continue to be off limits.

To avoid a similar situation going forward, homeowners should make sure to only write their checks to the actual company theyre contracting, not anyone else.

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They should also check the Better Business Bureau for contractor ratings and complaints before signing a contract and verify that their contractors license is current and legitimate.

Each state has its own method for issuing licenses and Nevadas can be found here.

What to read next

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  As the Trump administration carries out its immigration crackdown, some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to make it illegal for law enforcement to wear face masks.

The covered face of law enforcement has become a contentious symbol across the country. The administration has defended it, saying immigration enforcement face harassments and threats over their work.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers led by Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester County) see it differently.

Current federal practices, particularly the deployment of masked or unidentifiable personnel, contradict core public safety principles and blur the line between lawful authority and unlawful coercion, the eight Democratic state representatives said in a co-sponsorship memo circulated to House members Thursday.

In the memo, the lawmakers said they plan to propose legislation that would prohibit government agents and law enforcement from wearing masks in the state while requiring them to wear identifiable uniforms or clothing. Mandatory identification would include an officer or agents name or badge number and department or agency name.

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Failure to adhere to the legislation would include civil penalties for law enforcement. It provides an exemption for undercover work and health emergencies.

The memo said the recent practice of Homeland Security and U.S. Border Patrol agents acting without identification has created an unsafe environment for both citizens and law enforcement officers.

Lawmakers cited high-profile incidents involving individuals impersonating law enforcement, including the deadly shooting targeting Minnesota lawmakers last month.

Prosecutors said Vance Boelter, 57, was driving a fake squad car, wearing a realistic rubber mask that covered his head and wearing tactical gear when he allegedly assassinated former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, after shooting another lawmaker and his spouse.

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In American life, a growing and forbidding visual rises: The law-enforcement officer in a mask

In a climate of growing distrust and rising security threats, these deceptions undermine public trust and pose direct dangers to citizens, public officials and legitimate officers alike, the lawmakers said.

The proposed legislation includes increased penalties for impersonating law enforcement or unauthorized use of identifying uniforms or insignia, as well as mandatory minimums for impersonation in the context of violence or attempted violence.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Vice President JD Vance wants to release what the Wall Street Journal is calling a bawdy letter Donald Trump gave to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell explains why that is the most harmful thing anyone on the Trump team could say.
Lawyers hired by the Chicago Housing Authority recently cited Illinois Supreme Court case Mack v. Anderson in an effort to persuade a judge to reconsider a jurys $24 million verdict against the agency in a case involving the alleged poisoning of two children by lead paint in CHA-owned property.

The problem?

The case doesnt exist.

In the latest headache for CHA, law firm Goldberg Segalla used artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, in a post-trial motion and neglected to check its work, court records show. A jury decided in January, after a roughly seven-week trial, that CHA must pay more than $24 million to two residents who sued on behalf of their children, finding the agency responsible for the childrens injuries, including past and future damages.

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The firm apologized for the error in a June 18 court filing, calling it a serious lapse in professionalism.

An exhaustive investigation revealed that one attorney, in direct violation of Goldberg Segallas AI use policy, used AI technology and failed to verify the AI citation before including the case and surrounding sentence describing its fictitious holding, said Goldberg Segallas lead counsel in the case, Larry Mason, in the filing.

Mason, whom the judge admonished for shouting during closing arguments in January, noted that several contributors supported him while preparing the motion. He also said in the filing that the investigation found no intent to deceive the Court and no other attorneys at the firm were aware of the improper citation.

Goldberg Segalla has since implemented firm-wide measures to re-educate its attorneys on its AI use policy, the filing said, and established preventative measures. The firm requested that the court not punish CHA for the attorneys mistake.

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In response to a list of Tribune questions, CHA provided a copy of a letter that its interim Chief Legal Officer Elizabeth Silas sent Wednesday to Mason and said Goldberg Segalla has taken all responsibility in this matter.

In the letter, Silas thanked Mason for bringing the AI issue to the agencys attention and for apologizing for the error.

As you know, CHA expects its outside counsel to hold themselves to the highest responsible and ethical standards, Silas said. We sincerely hope that the Court recognizes this unfortunate error and recognizes Goldberg Segallas good faith actions to investigate, accept responsibility, and take proper corrective action. Please note, however, that depending on the Courts finding and rulings, CHA may consider and reserves the right to take additional appropriate action to protect its interests.

CHA, the third largest public housing authority in the country, serves more than 65,000 households and is the largest single owner of rental housing in the city with more than 21,000 housing units.

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The housing authority is without a permanent leader, with Board Chair Angela Hurlock serving as interim CEO. Mayor Brandon Johnson is nearing the final stages of a search for a new chief executive, with mayoral ally Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, a front-runner for the role.

Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Cushing called a special hearing Thursday for a further explanation  as CHAs counsel offered to provide when admitting to the error  on the matter. He required any attorneys responsible for the mistake to be present and for Goldberg Segalla to provide the court with copies of the firms policies on the use of AI by attorneys.

At the hearing, Danielle Malaty, the attorney responsible for the mistake, told the judge she did not think ChatGPT could create fictitious legal citations and did not check to ensure the case was legitimate. Three other Goldberg Segalla attorneys then reviewed the draft motion  including Mason, who served as the final reviewer  as well as CHAs in-house counsel, before it was filed with the court. Malaty was terminated from Goldberg Segalla, where she had been a partner, following her use of AI. The firm, at the time, had an AI policy that banned its use.

I find all of this very unfortunate, Malaty said in the hearing. At no point did I have any intent to deceive the court.

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Mason told the judge that because of his repeated losses when arguing before the court during the trial, he was very hands off with the post-trial motion because the case needed a fresh perspective away from me.

Mason said he was not expected to check all 58 cases cited in the motion and is personally disgusted and embarrassed by what happened, calling the mistake horrific.

Mason declined to comment to the Tribune. Malaty, who has since started her own practice, declined to comment through her attorney, but said in court that she had engaged in about 70 hours of training related to the use of AI and other ethical issues since making the error.

Matthew Sims, an attorney for the plaintiffs, in the hearing asked for permission to file a motion for sanctions against Goldberg Segalla and CHA based on the fraud upon the court. The judge granted his request and said it must be filed by Tuesday.

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The next hearing for post-trial motion arguments is scheduled for July 31. CHA continues to contest the ruling and is seeking a verdict in its favor, a new trial on liability or a new trial on damages or to lower the verdict.

Goldberg Segalla has billed CHA more than $389,900 for legal services, invoices dated between March 2024 through December 2024 show. CHA confirmed to the Tribune that it will not be billed for any time or expenses related to this issue, including the Thursday hearing.

The case, filed in January 2022, focused on Shanna Jordan, mother of Jahmir Collins, now 10, and Morgan Collins, the mother of Amiah Collins, now 6, who sued CHA, The Habitat Co., East Lake Management Group and Environmental Design International, alleging that the defendants knew their unit had lead-based paint and that their children suffered severe lead poisoning while living in the unit. The unit was owned by CHA and is located at 7715 N. Marshfield Ave. in Rogers Park.

The lawsuit said that CHA had known the property had lead-based paint since 1992 and faced code violations by the city in the early 2000s because of the hazard.

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Property management companies, The Habitat Co. and East Lake Management Group, who had managed the residents CHA-owned property, were found not liable for the childrens injuries. The two companies did end up settling with the plaintiffs for much smaller amounts.

Habitat then sued the CHA and two of its attorneys in February for an alleged breach of contract and legal malpractice over the agencys handling of the lead poisoning lawsuit. A few months prior to the January ruling, Habitat had terminated all of its management agreements with the CHA, covering 16 buildings and approximately 3,400 units of public housing.

Environmental Design International conducted an inspection for lead-based paint in 2017 on behalf of CHA and found lead-based paint, the suit said. Environmental Design International settled with the plaintiffs prior to the trial.

This was not the first time CHA approved housing for residents who then were later diagnosed with lead poisoning. Dozens of children were found to have been poisoned by brain-damaging lead while living in homes and apartments declared safe by the Chicago Housing Authority, a Tribune investigation found in 2017.

The housing authority created a new division in April focused on environmental concerns and hazards for residents. The divisions staff will start by focusing on lead-based paint hazards as they build out the program.
Federal Medicaid Cuts Threaten Kentuckys Health Care System  and Its FutureBy Gerry Bradley, UofL Health Board Chair and Jason Smith, MD, Interim CEO, UofL Health

As the leaders of one of Kentuckys academic health systems, we have the privilege  and the responsibility  of witnessing firsthand how health care shapes lives, strengthens families and sustains communities. At UofL Health, we care for patients from every walk of life, many of whom rely on Medicaid for access to care. We also train the next generation of physicians  preparing them not only to treat illness, but to lead with compassion and innovation.

That dual mission is now under threat.

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Recent Medicaid cuts passed by Congress, and signed by the president, present an alarming future for Kentuckys health care system. Some cuts will happen quickly, with the most severe cuts starting in 2028. With the implementation of this legislation, we expect to see access to care reduced, thousands of jobs eliminated and a deepening of the states already dire physician shortage.

Hospitals and clinics will close, people who could have been saved will die

The Medicaid funding in this legislation falls far below the actual cost of providing care. Hospitals, clinics and physician practices  particularly those in rural and underserved urban areas  will be forced to close or cut back services just to survive. Kentucky already ranks among the least healthy states in the country. This legislation would only widen the gap between need and access. Additionally, as locations close, travel times and wait time will rise as access issues impact those who are not even part of the Medicaid system. Diagnoses will be delayed for all Kentuckians. Conditions will worsen, care will become even more costly as diseases advance and people who could have been saved will die.

Opinion: McConnell, KY has too much to lose if Medicaid is cut. We won't 'get over it.'

But the impact doesnt stop there. To match the services that remain, health care systems across Kentucky will be forced to make difficult decisions about staffing. The Kentucky Hospital Association has estimated a loss of 33,000 health care jobs  more than one-third of our states health care workforce. The ripple effects on local economies and families would be severe. More importantly, the loss of skilled professionals will leave patients with fewer places to turn, fewer hands to help and fewer experts to trust in moments of critical need.

Medicaid cuts will add to doctor shortages

And then theres the future. By 2036, the U.S. is already bracing for a shortfall of 86,000 physicians. In Kentucky, where shortages are even more acute, we cannot afford policies that make it harder to train doctors and other health professionals. Yet these Medicaid cuts would do just that  reducing funding for residency slots and stifling opportunities for physicians, nurses and countless more clinicians who want to serve rural and underserved communities. As an academic health system, UofL Health plays a critical role in supporting these communities by training and deploying physicians, nurses and other providers equipped to provide care closer to home. Without a strong health care workforce, both access to life-changing care and innovation of new treatments will suffer.

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These arent just budget cuts. They are cuts affecting peoples lives, their livelihoods and their hopes for a healthier tomorrow.

Opinion: Think Kentucky Medicaid cuts wont affect you? Think again.

We have dedicated countless hours working with members of Congress and their staffs, helping them understand the deep and lasting consequences these Medicaid cuts will have on Kentucky families. But despite our efforts, the final version of the legislation is worse than we feared. Calling it drastic is an understatement. These changes threaten to upend health care in Kentucky for generations to come. Still, we are not giving up. We will continue to fight for Medicaid policy and funding that is right and just  for our commonwealth, our people and our future. We remain committed to reversing this harm and restoring the kind of support that builds a healthier Kentucky.

Health care is not just an expense line  it is the foundation of strong communities. Lets treat it that way.

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Tell us what you think: Submit your letter to the editor here

Dr. Jason Smith

Dr. Gerry Bradley spoke to members of the media after being named as University of Louisville's 20th president. March 26, 2025.

Gerry Bradley is the UofL Health board chair, and Jason Smith, MD, is interim CEO of UofL Health.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Medicaid cuts threaten Kentucky's health care system | Opinion
Platform-wise, HPC led the way, accounting for 60% of total revenue, while smartphone revenue increased by 7%, accounting for 27%. Additionally, IoT revenue increased 14%, while automotive revenue remained flat at 5%. Digital Consumer Electronics accounted for just 1% of revenue. Despite $9.6 billion in capital expenditures during the quarter, the company ended with a solid $90 billion balance in cash and marketable securities.

TSMCs cutting-edge nodes continue to drive its revenue profile. Notably, 3-nm technology accounted for 24% of wafer revenue, with 5-nm and 7-nm nodes contributing 36% and 14%, respectively. Overall, advanced nodes (7-nm and below) accounted for 74% of wafer revenue, proving TSMC's strong position in next-generation chip fabrication.

TSMC reported $30 billion in second-quarter revenue, a 44.4% increase over the same period last year. The results exceeded expectations, owing to strong demand in high-performance computing (HPC), smartphones, and internet of things platforms. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 60.7%, while gross margin fell to 58.6%. This drop was primarily caused by current headwinds and margin dilution from overseas fabrication plants, including the expansion of its Arizona facility.

While companies such as Nvidia (NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Broadcom (AVGO) might garner more attention as AI winners, none of their visions would be realized without TSMC's cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities. TSMC is the sole manufacturer of Nvidias most advanced chips, such as the H100 and H200 GPUs. These AI accelerators, which are based on TSMCs 5-nm and 4-nm nodes, are essential components for data center and cloud workloads.

Lets dig into the results and determine if its the beginning of TSMCs next big rally and whether the stock is a buy now.

On Thursday, TSM stock rose to an all-time high of $248.28 before closing at $245.60. The stock is up 21.1% year-to-date, outperforming the broader market significantly.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, reported blowout second-quarter earnings, exceeding Wall Street expectations and raising its guidance for the rest of the year.

Story Continues

Strong Outlook, But Margin Headwinds Persist

Despite cost pressures, TSMC has reaffirmed its full-year 2025 capital budget of $38 billion to $42 billion, as it continues to invest in global capacity expansion and next-generation technologies. The company emphasized that it is actively working to improve operational efficiency at its overseas sites to offset structural cost disadvantages.

C.C. Wei, TSMC's CEO, warned of macro risks in the second half of 2025. These include tariff policy uncertainty, particularly in consumer and price-sensitive segments, China's rebate programs, and non-AI demand remaining in a mild recovery mode.

Looking ahead to the third quarter, TSMC anticipates revenue between $31.8 billion and $33 billion, with a gross margin of 55.5% to 57.5%. TSMC is also confident in maintaining a long-term gross margin of 53% or higher, despite short-term headwinds from foreign exchange and overseas costs. The company identified six drivers of profitability:

Leadership, technology development, and ramp-up Competitive pricing High capacity utilization Cost reduction efforts Optimal technology mix Foreign exchange (not controllable)

Management expects the sixth factor to pose near-term challenges. Nonetheless, the long-term outlook remains undeniably positive. As Wei stated, "The demand for semiconductors is very fundamental and will continue to be robust." To meet rising demand and diversify geopolitical risk, TSMC is embarking on one of its most ambitious international manufacturing expansions. It has committed $165 billion to U.S. expansion in Arizona, where it plans to build a giga fab cluster. Upon completion, Arizona will house 30% of TSMCs 2-nm and beyond capacity.

Management believes that this bold investment will result in a self-contained, cutting-edge chip cluster in the U.S., designed to support smartphone, AI, and HPC customers while strengthening Americas chip supply chain resilience. TSMC is also expanding its global footprint by establishing fabs in Japan, Europe, and Taiwan, which remains the crown jewel of its capacity. TSMC plans to build 11 new wafer fabs and four advanced packaging plants in Taiwan alone over the next few years. Analysts expect TSMC's earnings to increase by 38% in 2025, with another 13% expected in 2026. Trading at 25 times forward earnings, TSMC remains reasonably priced.

The companys technology roadmap, which extends through 2028 and beyond, reveals why nearly every leading chip designer relies on TSMC. Despite ongoing macro risks, TSMCs disciplined planning and strategic investments make it one of the most compelling AI stocks today.

With this strategy, I believe TSMC can continue to deliver sustainable, profitable growth for many years to come.

What Does Wall Street Say About TSMC Stock?

Following the earnings release, Needham analyst Charles Shi reiterated his Buy rating on TSMC, noting that the company not only exceeded its Q2 guidance, but also demonstrated resilience in the face of a challenging macroeconomic environment. He added that, despite ongoing global uncertainties, TSMCs continued access to the Chinese market, particularly for AI-related demand, strengthens its long-term growth prospects. Shi set a price target of $270 for the stock.

Separately, TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar maintained a Hold rating on TSMC, with a $250 price target. His cautious outlook reflects a balanced assessment of the companys strengths and challenges. Sankar believes that while the companys long-term growth is dependent on new fabs in Taiwan and the U.S., it faces short-term margin pressures.

Overall, TSMC stock is a Strong Buy on Wall Street. Out of the 11 analysts that cover the stock, eight rate it a Strong Buy, two rate it a Moderate Buy, and one rates it a Hold. The stock trades 2% below its average price target of $244.75. Its high target price of $270 implies a potential upside of 12.5% in the next 12 months.



www.barchart.com

On the date of publication, Sushree Mohanty did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
Harvard University is under siege by the Trump administration  and the world is watching. But this case isnt just an American issue.

Its part of a global trend: universities cast as enemies and institutions in need of reform. Populist, right-wing governments are blaming universities for tearing at the fabric of nations.

These attacks are part of a broader strategy known as affective nationalism. It occurs when leaders use emotions, not just ideas, to build national identity. Feelings such as fear, pride, nostalgia and resentment are deployed to create a story about who belongs, who doesnt and whos to blame.

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As scholars who study nationalism, emotion and higher education, we explore the emotional politics behind these attacks.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has been hostile to academic freedom. Pierre Crom/Getty Images News

Global backlash

Much of President Donald Trumps vision and rhetoric is inspired by Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has waged a culture war on higher education for over a decade, banning gender studies and reshaping university governance. Orbans attacks on Central European University expose his hostility to academic freedom, critical thinking and diversity. All are viewed as threats to his nationalist illiberal democracy.

Trump followed Orbans playbook. On May 22, 2025, his administration declared that Harvard could no longer enroll foreign students. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement claimed that university leaders created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators. The statement suggested that many of the so-called agitators were foreign students.

Similarly, in India, students at Jawaharlal Nehru University were labeled anti-national for protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act, which provides fast-track citizenship to non-Muslim refugees. The students argued that it marginalizes Muslims. Since 2016, the Modi government has increasingly used anti-national and sedition charges to silence student and academic dissent.

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These labels  elite, foreign or anti-national  are not neutral. They fuel fear, resentment and powerful narratives that frame universities as threats. Harvard, Central European University and Jawaharlal Nehru University have become symbols of broader national anxieties around identity and belonging.

British-Australian feminist scholar Sara Ahmeds work on the sticky nature of emotions helps reveal the two emotions that often appear in attacks on universities: nostalgia and resentment.

The Trump administration has used nostalgia as a tool in its attacks on Harvard University. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News

Glorifying the nations past

Nostalgia is a longing for a better past.

Consider Trumps Make American Great Again slogan. It implies the nation was once great, has declined and must reclaim its former glory. Thats a powerful emotional story. Nationalism often works this way  by telling a tale of a lost golden age and a future that must be saved.

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For that reason, nostalgia is central to populist attacks on universities and institutional reform. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, for example, evoked Harvards symbolic past as part of the American Dream, arguing it has lost its way and put its reputation in serious jeopardy.

In India, Modis government rejects Western influence, while using nostalgia to revive a Hindu past in higher education. The Modi government promotes national pride on campuses by glorifying military heroes and installing symbolic figures  such as the statue of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk and philosopher, at Jawaharlal Nehru University  to shape student identity and loyalty.

In Hungary, Orban mobilizes a glorified Christian past to challenge discourses on diversity, inclusion, critical inquiry and academic freedom in higher education. A 2021 bill tasks universities with defending the nation and preserving its intellectual and cultural heritage.

In India, the Modi government has increasingly framed public universities as institutions corrupted by Western ideas. Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images News

Enemies of the nation

Resentment is a powerful emotion often used by states that see themselves as defenders of national unity and values. When Harvard resisted Trumps reforms, the president framed the universitys stance in a Truth Social post as a betrayal to the nation, denouncing it as terrorist inspired/supporting sickness. Meanwhile, the Department of Education issued a statement that accused the university of a troubling entitlement mindset.

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Similarly, in India, the Modi government has increasingly framed public universities  especially those with critical voices  as anti-national spaces. By casting critical voices as enemies within, the state turns resentment into a political weapon to justify the erosion of academic freedom.

In Hungary, the Orban government mobilized resentment to portray universities and academics as disloyal elites working against the nation. One example of Hungarys war on universities is the 2018 ban on gender studies, justified by the Orban government as rejecting socially constructed genders in favor of biological sexes. This move reflects how the government uses resentment to assert ideological control over academic institutions.

Universities are under attack for what they represent. Hindustan Times

Emotional battlegrounds?

Universities, especially elite ones such as Harvard and Jawaharlal Nehru University, carry deep symbolic weight. People care because of what the institutions represent.

Harvard, with its elite status, has long been a symbol of academic authority. But more recently, it has been cast as a defender of liberal higher education  making it a Trump administration target.

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Jawaharlal Nehru University in India holds similar symbolic weight. Its historically associated with producing the countrys social elites and is seen, especially in mainstream media, as left-leaning, making it a lightning rod in Indias polarized political landscape.

In Hungary, the Orban government viewed Central European University as a danger because it threatened the governments Christian-nationalist vision of the nation-state.

Universities are under attack not just for what they teach and research, but for what  and who  they represent. These are not just ideological disputes; they are emotional struggles over identity, belonging and public trust.

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: Riyad A. Shahjahan, Michigan State University and Michalinos Zembylas, Open University of Cyprus

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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.
An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department training facility killed three veteran members assigned to the agencys arson and explosives detail Friday morning  a tragedy that marks the largest loss of life at the department since 1857, according to Sheriff Robert Luna.

The explosion is believed to have been an accident. Federal and local investigators began working to determine what led to the explosion after the scene was rendered safe by the Los Angeles Police Departments bomb squad just after 11 a.m. local time, Luna said at a news conference.

The sheriffs departments bomb squad responded to a call in Los Angeles County on Thursday involving an explosive device, which was transported back to the training facility located at the agencys headquarters to perform a render-safe procedure, law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CNNs chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller.

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That means they either countercharge it and blow it up in an open area where they can do that, or they perform a more intricate procedure where they take it apart and render it safe from detonating, said Miller.

At some point while moving that device Friday morning, possibly from another vehicle or to where they were going to render it safe, the device functioned, according to Miller, citing law enforcement sources.

The current working theory among investigators is that the device was part of an unexploded ordnance recovered by law enforcement from a residence Thursday in Santa Monica, another law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

A neighbor told The Los Angeles Times that police arrived at an apartment building Thursday after a tenant reported discovering a bag of grenades in a storage unit. The items were believed to have been left behind by a former occupant, the eyewitness told the Times.

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Authorities do not currently believe the device was intentionally constructed for use by a bomber, the law enforcement source told CNN, but are working to determine the origin of the device. The person could potentially face charges of negligence, the source said.

Homicide detectives were working to obtain a search warrant for the Santa Monica residence on Friday, and the LAPD bomb squad, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives planned to search the location out of the abundance of caution, the LASD told CNN in a statement, noting its still unclear if the devices found Thursday are tied to the deadly explosion.

Residents in the complex where the Santa Monica residence is located were evacuated Friday, the LASD said. Footage from the scene provided by CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL showed the street partially closed amid a massive law enforcement presence, which appeared to include personnel from local police, FBI and ATF. CNN has reached out to the agencies for more information.

The deputies who were killed have been identified as detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn, who collectively served 74 years and were described as elite members of the force, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

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The individuals who work our arson explosives detail, they have years of training, Luna said, adding the members respond to an average of 1,100 calls per year, which include dealing with some very dangerous situations or items.

These arent people who dont do this very often. They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today, the sheriff continued.

An emotional procession took place Friday afternoon to honor the three deputies. Law enforcement lined the street as the deputies caskets, draped in American flags, were carried along the procession.

From left: Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn. An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department training facility killed three veteran members assigned to the agencys arson and explosives detail on Friday, according to Sheriff Robert Luna. - LA County Sheriff's Department

The incident happened shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time at the Biscailuz Center Training Academy, which houses the sheriffs departments special enforcement units and bomb squad, according to a release from the LASD. The facility is located about 6 miles east of downtown LA.

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US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the LASD said earlier Friday the three members died in a critical workplace incident.

I just spoke to (US Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli) about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles, Bondi said in a post on X. Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriffs deputies killed.

Sheriffs homicide detectives are on scene, the LASD said.

The FBI is responded to assist with the incident, according to the FBIs Los Angeles field office. Agents with the ATF were also on scene, according to Bondi.

Two HAZMAT vehicles are seen following an explosion at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Training Academy in East Los Angeles, California, on July 18. - Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators and members of the Los Angeles Police Departments bomb squad are assisting at the training facility, Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

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The work of the bomb squad was complicated because officers had to ensure no other explosive material that could be stored there was vulnerable to detonation, the senior law enforcement source told CNN.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials are expressing heartbreak over the tragedy and rallying around the sheriffs department in solidarity, ready to offer assistance as needed.

The LAPDs bomb squad, SWAT and K-9 teams are actively responding to calls on behalf of the sheriffs department so the agency can focus fully on supporting their personnel and conducting this critical investigation, Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said she is closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred.

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Barger continued: My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriffs Department during this difficult time. We stand with them and their families as they navigate the hours and days ahead.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Hanna Park and Matthew Rehbein contributed to this report.

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Three deputies were killed Friday in an explosion at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Center Training Academy in East L.A., the deadliest incident for the agency in more than 160 years.

Deputies with the arson explosives detail, an elite unit within the Sheriff's Department, were moving ordnance in the training center's parking lot about 7:30 a.m. when the blast occurred.

The deputies were identified Friday evening as Dets. Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn. They had served 19, 22 and 33 years with the department, respectively, authorities said.

From left, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Dets. Victor Lemus, Joshua Kelley-Eklund and William Osborn. (L.A. County Sheriff's Department)

The Sheriff's Department is currently investigating an apartment complex in the 800 block of Bay Street in Santa Monica in connection with the explosion, according to department spokesperson Nicole Nishida. The three deputies killed in the blast responded to a call to assist the Santa Monica Police Department at the complex on Thursday.

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The explosion is being investigated as a negligent homicide, which could result in charges against the person who made or stored the device, law enforcement sources told The Times.

The Santa Monica Police Department evacuated residents from the Bay Street apartment building Friday afternoon, while authorities continue to search the location for any additional explosive material, Nishida said. The FBI and Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad are assisting with the investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is expected to lead a federal probe into the cause of the explosion.

A procession leaves Biscailuz Training Center after three sheriff's deputies were killed after an explosion at the facility on Friday in East Los Angeles. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

"They're the best of the best," Sheriff Robert Luna said of the agency's special enforcement bureau. "And the individuals who work our arson explosives detail, they have years of training. ... They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today.

He said it will take time  possibly weeks or months  to investigate the incident.

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Osborn, who joined the Sheriff's Department in 1992, was described as one of [the] tenured bomb technicians regularly relied upon when faced with a new challenge" in a department news release. He is survived by his wife, Det. Shannon Rincon, four sons and two daughters.

Kelley-Eklund joined the Sheriff's Department in 2006 and leaves behind his wife, Jessica Eklund, and their seven children. Prior to joining the arson explosives detail, he worked as a narcotics and murder investigator as well as a field training officer who mentored new deputies.

Lemus comes from a family of Sheriff's Department employees, including his wife, Det. Nancy Lemus; sisters Sgt. Belen Lemus, Deputy Perla Lemus and Custody Asst. Wendy Lemus; and brother-in-law Sgt. Robert Catalan. He joined the department in 2003 and was known for his ability to train fellow deputies and notable arrests involving career criminals. He leaves behind three daughters.

A grenade was recovered at the Santa Monica apartment complex Thursday, a city police officer told The Times.

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Michael Kellman, who lives in the building, told The Times that a fellow tenant called the police Thursday after discovering a bag of grenades tucked away in her storage unit.

She has been living in the building for several years and believes the bag was left behind by the former occupant, he said. Authorities returned to her unit Friday to scour the apartment for any remaining explosives.

The bomb squad picks up potential explosives across the region on a daily basis, but it's a situation that's always fraught with danger because it's hard to assess the stability of materials and their age, law enforcement sources told The Times.

After the explosion, the LAPD's bomb squad responded to the scene to help render any other potential explosive materials safe. It took authorities several hours to complete the process, Luna said.

Ambulances arrive at the Biscailuz Center Training Academy on Friday morning. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Employees told The Times they heard a massive boom around 7:30 a.m. coming from the parking lot where the sheriff's bomb squad keeps its vehicles. They heard glass shattering and screaming.

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Rich Pippin, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, called it the "worst day in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."

"You never get up in the morning expecting this kind of news, never, and sadly, as often as we deal with this, it does not get easier," he said. "It never gets easier. It hurts."

Hundreds of people gathered in the street outside the East L.A. training center Friday evening for a procession to honor the fallen officers.

Three coffins draped with American flags were loaded into trucks to be transported to the L.A. County Medical Examiner around 5 p.m. A massive American flag was hoisted between two fire truck ladders for the procession to pass through, while scores of law enforcement members somberly watched.

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In radio communications reviewed by The Times, a sheriff's dispatcher told units that there was an "explosion with three down." She later advised that a sheriff's weapons team leader said investigators should "not approach" the scene.

In the aftermath, officials covered the blast area with a large tarp as they collected evidence and worked to render the device safe. About 25 yards from the facility, glass was scattered across the parking lot from the windows of an SUV cruiser that were blown out by the explosion. A sheriff's helicopter circled over the area as multiple emergency vehicles streamed into the facility.

At one point, video from the scene showed a bomb technician in a blast suit approaching the site and removing some material before returning to the area where investigators were gathering evidence.

Ed Nordskog, a former member of the departments arson explosives detail and a 34-year department veteran, said the agency's bomb and arson unit is one of the largest and busiest in the United States. The squad gets daily calls to handle military ordnance that spans from the modern era back to World War I, as well as commercial explosives, blasting dynamite from mining operations, suspicious packages and homemade or improvised items.

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"All have different aspects that are dangerous," he said. "Its a job that requires at least a year of formal training to be able to work, and several years of field experience to feel fully proficient."

Former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told KTLA-TV Channel 5 in an interview that the arson explosives detail includes some of the agency's most experienced personnel.

"The loss is just staggering," he said. "It's gonna take a while to figure out how this happened, why this happened, could it have been prevented."

The explosion and resulting deaths sent shock waves across Los Angeles County and prompted many unanswered questions. Flags at county buildings were lowered to half-staff in mourning.

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Two of the deputies who were killed were sometimes assigned to provide security at county board meetings in downtown Los Angeles, according to officials.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she was "heartbroken" by the situation and that the entire county is grieving for the deputies and their families.

"These deputies went to work expecting to come home and they didn't," Barger said. "I hope the takeaway is that we should all remember to have compassion and empathy and give law enforcement a break."

Jason Zabala, who works for the Sheriff's Department's SWAT team and was a colleague and friend of the deputies who died Friday, echoed Luna's comments that they were the "best of the best." He was in shock, he said, his voice breaking as he talked about his friends.

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"I can think of no greater honor, truly, than to die in the service of people," he said. "That's why we sign up, and it's tragic, but I'm sure their families are proud of their service, as I am."

An L.A. County sheriff's deputy stands outside the Biscailuz Center Training Academy on Friday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The dangers of the profession aren't lost on those who wear the uniform or their families, Zabala said, but it doesn't keep them from doing their jobs.

"You do this job for a reason. You don't really think about it day to day, until something like this happens, and then you realize how dangerous it really is," he said. "I know our families go through that. I know my family goes through that probably every day. But we truly love the work we do."

Tony Meraz, a veteran sheriff's deputy who knew all three of the men killed in the explosion, said their deaths leave a void in the hearts of their friends, families and the department that will never be filled.

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"All three of these men are the kind of cops that if your loved one calls 911, you want them to show up, whether it is an active shooter, a traffic collision or because your mom is lost," Meraz said. "They are all gone in the blink of an eye."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said on X that he had been briefed on the explosion, and the state deployed investigative personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to help determine what happened.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi called the situation a "horrific incident" in a statement Friday and asked for prayers for the deputies' families.

The Biscailuz Center Training Academy was used for deputy training from 1946 to 1984, when it was closed because of a lack of space. The 36,000-square-foot training center was renovated and reopened in 2017. The facility houses the sheriffs special enforcement bureau and the arson explosive detail, including the bomb squad.

The explosion drew several spectators to the edge of a perimeter erected by deputies as they continued their investigation.

Luisa Lopez, an employee at Medsco, a sheet metal fabrication facility, said their machines had obscured the sound of the blast, but she became aware of the accident when authorities began racing toward the facility.

When we heard all the noise of the police, we didnt think anything of it because they pass [by] all the time," she said.

Richard Montoya, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the blast area, said he and his children were jolted by three successive explosions that shook his house. At first he thought the explosion might have been fireworks, which are common in the neighborhood after the Fourth of July.

But he said he realized it wasn't fireworks because it felt stronger, like a small earthquake.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
GREENUP, Ill. (WCIA)  More than a dozen cats were at the scene of a house fire in Cumberland County Thursday morning, and eight have been found dead, a local cat rescue confirmed with WCIA. Now, theyre turning to the public for help in finding and treating the remaining pets.

In a Facebook post at 8:25 a.m. on Thursday, the Whimsical Whiskers Rescue based in Assumption said that a house was on fire in Greenup and that several burning cats were escaping and running loose. The rescue said there were around 12 cats that could have been on the loose and injured and that firefighters on scene said they saw them run out.

Lack of trust; Mattoon community powering through second do not drink order

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Hailey Monnet, Executive Director and Founder of the Whimsical Whiskers Rescue, told WCIA that Stacey Peters, Taylor Richardson and Molly Rodenbaugh are currently digging through the burned remains searching for the cats. At this time, theyve found eight cats dead, seven alive and know that at least three are out in the area and havent been located yet.

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According to Peters of Whimsical Whiskers Rescue, the fire started at around 4:30 a.m. on W Pleasant St. and she was on scene at approximately 6 a.m. The Greenup and Toledo Fire Departments were on the scene, she added, and a firefighter was able to pull one cat out of the burning home.

This cat was rushed to Effingham Veterinary Clinic Ltd with singed fur and whiskers. The cat is expected to make a full recovery and is scheduled to be discharged Thursday night. The Effingham Animal Sanctuary assisted with the rescue of this cat.

According to Peters, four adults were in the house when the fire occurred, and one adult male was hospitalized after being burned in the fire. She also said that The Hub Cap bar was on scene providing water and pizza to the volunteers and that The Greenup Mill brought water for the firefighters.

Whimsical Whiskers Rescue is asking anyone in the area to help locate the missing cats if possible.

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WCIA reached out to Greenup Police Department for more information; they referred us to the Greenup Fire Department. We have not heard back yet.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
The mental health wing of the Flathead County Detention Center in Kalispell, Montana. This wing is the only part of the jail that has single cells with windows to hold inmates who are a risk to themselves or others. When these cells regularly fill up, inmates waiting for admission to the state hospital are kept in windowless cells in the jails receiving area. (Photo by Aaron Bolton for KFF Health News)

The Montana Legislature voted to override Gov. Greg Gianfortes veto of a bill that would use state funds to reimburse counties some of the cost of holding inmates in local detention facilities while awaiting mental health evaluations or treatments.

House Bill 643, brought by Rep. Tracy Sharp, R-Polson, was seen by many as a stop-gap measure to address rising costs to counties that have seen increased mental health issues arising in civil and criminal cases.

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The law provides a one-time appropriation of $6 million for the Department of Public Health and Human Services to reimburse counties for holding individuals awaiting a DPHHS evaluation, or have been committed to DPHHS and are awaiting an open bed at a mental health facility. The reimbursement rate from DPHHS would be $133.88 per day in fiscal year 2026.

Gianforte vetoed the bill, citing its cost to Montana taxpayers and lack of long-term solution.

This issue requires a permanent, comprehensive solution, but House Bill 643 only applies an expensive Band-Aid, Gianforte wrote in his veto letter.

But the Legislature, which voted overwhelmingly 99-1 and 48-2 in the House and Senate respectively during the session, disagreed with the governor.

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A veto override poll sent to lawmakers closed on July 14 with 67 representatives and 34 senators voting for the legislation  the exact number required to usurp the veto pen.

This was a very bipartisan bill, it had support across the entire state, Sharp told the Daily Montanan. It was intended to help all the counties in the state dealing with the issue of having to hold people for the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Sharp said that commissioners from various counties had approached him before the legislative session and pointed out that the state makes similar reimbursements through the Department of Corrections, if there is a waiting list to get into a state-run prison, but not for mental health services.

According to the bills fiscal note, DPHHS said the waitlist for individuals who need DPHHS evaluations or beds at state facilities averages between 100 and 125  a number not projected to decrease in the next few years. Those individuals are held in county detention centers, sometimes for several months.

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Travis Ahner, the Flathead County Attorney, told the Daily Montanan that one inmate currently housed in the county detention center had been sentenced to DPHHS custody in mid-October, but had yet to leave the county.

In the more than 270 days since his sentencing, the county would be owed more than $37,000 in reimbursements were HB 643 currently in effect. The same inmate had also waited for several months for a DPHHS evaluation  spending even more time in the county jail at the expense of the county.

Ahner said that there are several inmates in the countys detention facility awaiting evaluations by DPHHS, and a couple who have been committed, but have yet to be transported to new facilities.

It would free up a lot of money, Ahner said. The countys other expenses are still being accrued. It takes money that we have been spending on these particular inmates, and we wont have those expenses on the books.

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But Ahner, and Sharp, both acknowledge that while the funding will help counties short-term, it doesnt address the state-wide problem of limited facilities for inmates who need mental health services.

Theres nothing in this that specifically says youre going to get evaluations faster, or that youre going to get a placement faster or additional beds, Ahner said.

Sharp told the Daily Montanan that he hopes the interim period will allow DPHHS and lawmakers to gather data that can be used next legislative session to determine the best path forward.

The Governor isnt incorrect when he says its kind of a temporary fix, Sharp said. But it will allow us to return in 2027 and see where we are, what we need and see if we will need to take money from the general fund in future to support counties while DPHHS continues to work on long-term solutions with the states mental health facilities.

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This is me saying, Hey, while were working on fixing this, lets do something to pay for the situation counties are dealing with, he added.

House Bill 643 is the second piece of legislation lawmakers have successfully voted to override the governors veto on. The first, House Bill 368, provides funding for the town of Colstrip pay for access to a water supply if the nearby coal-fired power plants close down.
Pueblo's residential real estate market is not seeing a lot of movement this summer as June sales figures show a decline when compared with June 2024.

The local market continues to feature plenty of choices for potential buyers, with 974 homes on the market at the end of June, the majority of which  287  were listed in the $300,000-$400,000 price range.

Of the 1,376 homes for sale in Pueblo County, 402 were pending sale by the end of June, according to reports from the Pueblo Association of Realtors. The 189 homes that sold in June generated $61.7 million, with both the number of homes and the amount of sales lagging behind June 2024 by just over 4%.

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The average number of days homes were on the market dipped to 95, an improvement from 102 days in May. The median home price was $320,000 in June, down a bit from the May median home price of $323,875.

A home sits for sale at 3736 Pronghorn Lane on the southside of Pueblo.

The majority of Pueblo buyers  61  continued to use conventional loans to purchase a home in June, while 58 took advantage of Federal Housing Authority loans and 28 used Veterans Administration loans.

According to the Pueblo Regional Building Department, home builders applied a total of 24 construction permits during the month of June. Year to date, the department has issued 138 new home building permits.

Heritage grants boost 3 Pueblo programs

The Colorado Creative Industries division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade awarded three $3,000 folk and traditional arts project grants on July 16 to provide a boost to three Pueblo projects.

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An adobe earth-building techniqueproject overseen by April Bojorquez received a grant to help build an Adobe Gateway for Desert ArtLAB art installation in Pueblo. The indigenous ecological land art installation will preserve indigenous and Chicanx dryland food and cultural practices.

A folklorico dance program overseen by Iskra Dafne Merino was awarded a grant for an in-school workshop dubbed "Danza, Identidad y Comunidad: A Ballet Folklorico Experience in Pueblo," which is designed to create and preserve Mexican heritage.

Grupo Folklorico Del Pueblo received a grant to help present public programming focused on the cross-cultural influences of African dance traditions on Mexican Folklorico.

Colorados vibrant cultural tapestry is also a powerful driver of economic vitality, and the recipients of this years Folk and Traditional Arts Project grants embody that connection, said Eve Lieberman, executive director for the state's economic development office, in a press release. By supporting these vital traditions, we not only preserve our states rich heritage, but also strengthen the creative industries that fuel local economies and draw visitors to our great state.

Does Pueblo have the Coolest Thing Made in Colorado?

The Colorado Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its fourth annual Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition, which aims to highlight the vibrant and diverse manufacturing industry across the state.

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Colorado is home to some of the most innovative, forward-thinking manufacturers in the country, and the Coolest Thing Made in Colorado contest is a chance to celebrate their creativity and impact, said Loren Furman, chamber CEO. Were proud to spotlight the incredible products made right here in Colorado and the companies behind them.

Products must be made in Colorado using a manufacturing process to be eligible. The state is home to more than 5,900 manufacturing firms that contribute more than $28 billion to the states economy, employing more than 150,000 workers, according to a press release.

The nomination period closes on July 25. Nominations can be submitted at coolestthingcolorado.com/nominations.

An independent panel of judges will review the nominations and select the top 10 finalists in August.

Broadway Theater League announces 2025-2026 schedule

Pueblo's Broadway Theater League announced a lineup of three nationally touring Broadway hits coming to Pueblo Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place, for its 65th season set to start in October.

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The plays include "The Addams Family" on Oct. 7; "Kinky Boots" on Jan. 8, and "Mrs. Doubtfire" on April 27. Season tickets range from $195.50 to $272.50 and are on sale at etix.com, while single show tickets will be available starting Aug. 11.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's June residential real estate sales lag behind 2024
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56)  A Lexington fire captain was arrested on Thursday by Winchester police, according to a news release from Battalion Chief Derek Roberts.

In a news release, Roberts announced that Fire Captain Brandon Voet was placed on paid administrative duty pending the criminal investigation.

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Court documents show that Voet was arrested around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, in connection with a July 15 assault investigation.

Leaders with the Lexington Fire Department wrote that an internal investigation would follow.

A criminal complaint alleged that Voet was throwing firecrackers around a swimming pool area near seated guests and children before lighting one and throwing it near a witness who asked him to stop, causing him momentary hearing loss.

When the witness tried to stop Voet, court documents show that the fire captain allegedly grabbed him by the neck, threw him on the gound, and jumped on top of him.

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Read more of the latest Kentucky news

According to the complaint, the witness then took a piece of firewood and told Voet to stay back before the firefighter allegedly put him in a chokehold, blocking his airway. The witness then struck Voet in the groin, squeezed his testicles, bent back his thumb, and bit him, telling law enforcement that was the only way he would have been able to get free, before the witness and his family ran inside a residence to get away from Voet.

Court documents show that alcohol was allegedly believed to be a factor that contributed to Captain Voets actions.

He was reportedly charged with fourth-degree assault. He is due in court at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 21.

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Roberts wrote that Voet had been employed with the LFD since 2006.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
A federal decision announced in June is causing the closure of a resource for LGBTQ+ Americans.

But Washington state officials have a plan to try to fill the gap.

Were deeply concerned about the loss of this vital service, said Michele Roberts, the Department of Healths assistant secretary for prevention and community health.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, entering its third year in operation, is a free resource available all day, every day, offering confidential crisis support.

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The line helps callers thinking about suicide, concerned about substance use, in need of emotional support, worried about a loved one and other crises.

Those in need of support simply dial 988 to get connected to a qualified crisis counselor in their state. In Washington, three contracted crisis centers, including Volunteers for America Western Washington, handle calls to the 988 Lifeline.

The lifeline also has subnetworks, offering specially-catered care to certain groups. Theres a subnetwork for veterans, for Spanish speakers and for Washingtons Native and Indigenous populations.

Callers can select any of the subnetworks by dialing the designated number, or remain on the line to continue to the main 988 lifeline.

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Until today, there also was a subnetwork for LGBTQ+ Youth. It provided tailored support to LGBTQ+ individuals ages 13 to 24. That subnetwork was been shut down following federal direction.

A person walks across the newly painted Pride Flag crosswalk mural in Tacoma, Wash.

LGBTQ+ 988 Lifeline closes

According to the Washington State Department of Health, LGBTQ+ youth have a higher risk of suicide and mental health concerns. Between the violence and discrimination LGBTQ+ populations face and the continued decrease in federal support for queer Americans, concerns of suicide, substance abuse and other impacts are high, say officials.

Until now, LGBTQ+ Washingtonians could reach specially-trained counselors through the 988 subnetwork for a safe and affirming space to receive support.

The counselors would offer tailored help with mental health crises and other concerns and, when necessary, connect callers to long-term support resources.

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The subnetwork was used often in Washington state, totaling more than 15,000 contacts a year, said health officials.

On average, LGBTQ+ youth in the state average 830 calls, 270 texts and 224 chats every month, said a news release.

With the loss of this subnetwork, the DOH is expecting an increase in demand for the main 988 line, which will remain in operation, and a reduction of visibility for LGBTQ+ needs, affecting access to care during a crisis.

The LGBTQI+ Youth Subnetwork has been a critical resource for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults with affirming care tailored to meet their unique needs, Roberts said in the release.

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While this closure is a setback, our commitment to protecting and improving the health of all Washingtonians remains strong, she said. Our state is ready to serve anyone who contacts 988, including LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults.

In response to the subnetworks sudden closure, the state DOH is ensuring counselors available at the 988 Lifeline are trained to support LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.

Our crisis counselors will continue to provide compassionate, accessible care and support to anyone, said Levi Van Dyke, the chief behavioral health officer for Volunteers of America Western Washington. They are always ready to listen and help you and your loved ones.

Other WA resources for LGBTQ+

Queer Washingtonians have other options for support during crises, including support groups, safe spaces, counselors, healthcare practitioners and more.

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Washington state has numerous protections for its queer population, as well as groups dedicated to support, advocacy, activism and more.
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If you or a loved one are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 74174.

This story was originally published in Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ-focused investigative news outlet.

When Arden was 16, they called a suicide crisis hotline thinking their life was over.

They were in an abusive relationship, regularly self-harming, and felt that nothing was helping. It was terrifying, they told Uncloseted Media.

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If it werent for the hotline, I would have killed myself.

Since that day, Arden, now 24 years old and living in Brooklyn, has used various crisis helplines. When the 988 national suicide prevention hotline launched a Press 3 option in 2022 for LGBTQ+ youth, they immediately started using the resource.

Arden, who identifies as nonbinary, says the LGBTQ+ hotline workers respected their identity and were understanding that they are not a woman. It was really affirming for a very troubling time in my life.

Since then, Arden has Pressed 3 more times than they can remember, seeking help for everything from dealing with the loss of their friend, who died by suicide, to stupid cliquey gay people stuff.

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I remember when my friend had killed himself and I was dealing with a lot. I called them and they talked to me for over an hour because I was really upset, they say. When I called the hotline, it was a last resort. I was really at my wits end.

Arden  whose last call to the lifeline was two weeks ago  is one of 1.3 million callers and chatters the LGBTQ+ youth hotline has served since it launched, according to federal data. The legislation that greenlit the national program, signed by Trump in 2020 during his first term, explicitly recognized that LGBTQ+ youth are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ youth and more than 1 in 3 transgender youth reporting attempting suicide.

This new option to Press 3 allowed queer youth in crisis the ability to directly connect with counselors from a set of specialized LGBTQ+ crisis centers. These counselors are trained in cultural competency and often bring lived experience, providing identityaffirming, empathetic support for challenges like coming out, discrimination or mental health crises.

Despite the hotlines success, the Trump administration announced last month that they would be shutting it down on July 17, claiming that the service had run out of congressionally directed funding. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said in an email to Uncloseted Media that continued funding of the Press 3 option threatened to put the entire 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in danger of massive reductions in service.

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There are no plans, however, to shut down the other hotline options, including the Veterans Crisis Line, the Spanish Language Line and the Native and Strong Lifeline. And while Congress spent $33 million on the LGBTQ+ service last year, the cost of continuing it represents merely 0.006 percent of the $510 billion that suicide and self-harm costs the U.S. yearly.

This is absolutely a mistake, a suicide prevention call center director told Uncloseted Media. We are concerned that this will result in increased suicide rates for LGBTQ+ youth.

Why we need option 3

The directors concern is supported by a 2022 research brief that found that queer college students with access to LGBTQ-specific services were 44% less likely to attempt suicide than those without it. Research also shows that a hotline specific to LGBTQ+ services increases the likelihood of queer youth calling.

Its true for any direct service, Harmony Rhoades, associate research professor of sociology at Washington University, told Uncloseted Media. People who are in substance use recovery want to work with people whove gone through recovery themselves because they understand what that experience is. Culturally, there is not a lot of understanding of the specific experiences of someone who is LGBTQ+ and without specific training, a crisis counselor isnt going to be able to know the language thats going to feel affirming.

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Connecting with someone who gets it was really helpful.  Because at home, I was so isolated and I didnt really interact with other queer people, says Genna Brown, who used the Trevor Projects chat function at 10 years old.

I was an extremely self-loathing, suicidal kid who was under the impression that God hated me and I was gonna burn in hell for eternity, Brown, now 15 and living in High Point, North Carolina, told Uncloseted Media.

I only used the chat feature because I was scared my parents would hear me. We shared a wall, she says. I was spiraling really bad. Id just realized I was crushing on girls, and I thought I was going to burn in hell for all eternity because that is what we are taught.

Raised in a Southern Baptist church, Brown never felt safe at home, where her father would regularly spit slurs like faggots and queers. At church, every sermon was about Sodom and Gomorrah or about how real love only existed between a man and a woman.

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I grew up knowing the number one thing not to be was one of the dirty queers, she says. I kept thinking, I can kill myself now and go to hell, or live longer and still go to hell. I used to have panic attacks at 9, 10 years old, just thinking about burning in hell perpetually.

Brown remembers Caitlin, the chat counselor who helped her, being the first ever to tell her that queer love was valid.

She told me shed been with her girlfriend for seven years. I didnt even believe queer people could be happy.  It broke my brain in the best possible way, says Brown, who is now out and proud to her parents, who have come around, and to most of her friends on social media.

Arden had a similar experience. The queer line is better than the regular line, they say. I feel like its less like going through a checklist on the queer line.

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As a survivor of sexual assault, Arden says knowing that the counselors on the other line were trained in LGBTQ-specific trauma made it easier to reach out for help. My voice doesnt pass per se but they still respected my identity, they say.

LGBTQ-specific resources for youth are critical, with 41 percent seriously considering suicide in 2024. In addition, queer youth are disproportionately affected by a litany of mental health issues and trauma, including physical and sexual assault, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bullying and addiction.

Its not like were cherry-picking some random group, says Rhoades. If we are going to fund [suicide prevention], there is no reason we should do it inefficiently by not effectively targeting the people who need it most. So yes, they need specific suicide prevention services.

While the hotline focuses on LGBTQ+ youth, they dont turn away adults who need help. Joshua Dial, 36, says that when he called 988, he was often connected to the LGBTQ+ youth hotline after mentioning that hes gay.

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I always walked away feeling better after I called, he says. There have been times when I spoke to the regular 988 crisis people, and they helped too. But they didnt understand quite as much.

Dial, a Lutheran who lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, says he wasnt always comfortable being open about his sexual orientation to his religious community and that the only way to meet other gay people was on hook-up and dating apps, which he notes are not for emotional support.

I wouldnt be talking to my pastor about getting on Grindr. I cant go to my pastor and tell them what I did last weekend, he says.

Dial, who was raised to believe that homosexuality is a sin, has experienced depression since the age of 16 and has also struggled with bipolar disorder, addiction and PTSD. My addiction was getting worse, and the only constant was that the line was always available, he says. I didnt have any other options, but I knew that if I called the hotline, I would get help.

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Dial says the emotional support he received through these phone calls kept him from self-harm and suicide. There are times when I called that number and was this close to taking a handful of pills, this close to slitting my wrist, this close to buying a gun to shoot myself. And I talked to those people, and they not only understood, but they gave me the empowerment of knowing that someone had my back.

How cutting option 3 affects the whole system

While the cuts are only meant to affect the hotlines support for LGBTQ+ youth, crisis center employees say theyll impact the entire 988 network.

This being rifted does very much mean less capacity for 988 as a whole, says the suicide prevention call center director. Everyone will be affected.

When the LGBTQ+ hotline opened up, it really lowered the volume on the mainstream counselors, a 988 hotline counselor in Washington state told Uncloseted Media. It seemed really helpful, and I didnt get a lot of LGBTQ+ chats after that point.

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The counselor at the Washington state center says they are about to lay off 42 counselors from their LGBTQ+ hotline. They say these roles wont be replaced on the main 988 line due to a hiring freeze. Because of this, counselors expect the number of calls they receive to double, which could dramatically increase wait times. The Washington state center did not respond to a request for comment.

Even without the cuts, wait times are an issue. A 17-year-old caller from Virginia says that even the 10 minutes they had to wait for their call to be answered were painful. I was worried that nobody would want to talk to me. I was just feeling hopeless, they say. Theres this one resource that Im supposed to be able to have access to 24/7, but it just isnt as accessible as it should be. For some people, those 10 minutes are crucial.

In a 2009 study of 82 patients referred to a psychiatric university hospital after a suicide attempt, nearly half reported that the period between their first thought of suicide and their actual attempt had lasted 10 minutes or less, underscoring how shorter wait times can be a matter of life and death.

If we are not able to catch someone during the time that suicidal thoughts have appeared and intervene as quickly as possible, they could start figuring out how theyre going to kill themselves and make it happen, says the suicide prevention call center director. And a lot of folks have access to means that can result in instant death like firearms.

What can be done?

With the Press 3 option gone, Rhoades worries that the current spate of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hateful rhetoric toward the community will affect how counselors without queer-specific training will provide care.

Were living in an unprecedented time where anti-LGBTQ+ hatred is being normalized, she says. It absolutely affects how young people are treated. And it filters down to crisis counselors.

As Congress and the Trump administration prepare to shut down Press 3 on July 17 in an effort to save money, many believe that it will have the reverse effect.

They just want these people to die.  Thats the message I got, says a hotline operator in Washington state, adding that the administration is not looking at the bigger picture.

Representatives and advocates are fighting for more LGBTQ+ mental health services. Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids reintroduced a bill last month dedicated to LGBTQ+ mental health resources. By increasing access to mental health support for our children and teens, we can save lives, Davids said in a press release. And last weekend, hundreds of people protested in front of Trump Tower in an effort to save the hotline.

Arden says they wouldnt be here today without the lines support. Ive been struggling for a long time in my life [with] self-harm and Ive been clean almost two years now, they say. I would definitely not be clean if it werent for the hotline and I would probably hurt myself again.
The Brief

LGBTQ+ youth no longer have access to Option 3 on the 988 Lifeline, a specialized support line discontinued due to federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.

The service had provided tailored crisis support to an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ+ youth since its launch in 2022.

Advocates warn the shutdown could have a devastating impact, especially as nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois report unmet mental health needs.

CHICAGO - LGBTQ+ youth no longer have access to Option 3  a specialized support line through the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline  one month after the Trump administration announced it would shut it down.

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Since it was launched in 2022, the selection has made a difference in countless lives across the nation.

What we know

he hotline remains operational, but Option 3 provided tailored crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ callers, connecting them with trained counselors who shared or understood their lived experiences.

Since debuting in 2022, the 988 Lifeline  funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)  has served an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ+ young people through Option 3, which was supported by The Trevor Project.

The Trump administration cited insufficient funding as the reason for discontinuing the option last month.

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"Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help," a statement published by SAMHSA said.

Emily Sherrill, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks in Chicago, said ending Option 3 could have devastating consequences.

"To begin with, people that identify as LGBTQ+ are already at a disproportionately high rate of mental health issues, specifically depression and suicidal behavior," Sherrill said. "They might be able to get the same help, but it's not going to be the same specialized help."

According to The Trevor Project, 47% of LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois wanted mental health care in the past year but did not receive it. Forty-one percent seriously considered suicide, and 12% attempted it, according to the nonprofit.

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"LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers," said Mark Henson, Vice President of Advocacy & Government Affairs with The Trevor Project. "And the number one reason why LGBTQ+ youth don't access healthcare is fear."

"A lot of people are still not comfortable, not only with their own sexuality and gender identity, but also with having anybody in their life find out about that and that's why the 988 Number 3 option was perfect, because it gave them a way to talk to someone who was trained to give them exactly what they need," Sherrill said.

On Thursday, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi took part in a bipartisan press conference in Washington, D.C. to urge Option 3 to be restored.

"President Trump is undoing the very legislation that he signed into law," Krishnamoorthi said. "Unfortunately, because of this DEI initiative, a lot of LGBTQ+ youth are at risk to D-I-E. They are going to die because an administration is pursuing a political agenda and not an agenda to help people. That to me is malfeasance. Today, on a bipartisan basis, we come together to say, fund the line, save the line, and hold the line."

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Governor Pritzker called the shutdown "cruel." Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is ensuring that it will continue to offer affirmative care to the LGBTQ+ community.

"As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I remember growing up how important it was just to know someone out there got it," said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary. "988 is a way to connect, especially in moments when things feel heavy. In Illinois, were focused on keeping those connections strong, and making sure people know theyre not navigating this alone. Whatever is happening at the national level, our commitment here is to keep building with love, trust, and community."

Allies, like Sherrill, encourage LGBTQ+ young people in need of support to reach out.

"I would say directly to the community of youth that is struggling right now, you matter, your life matters, you have a purpose and you're here for a reason," Sherrill said.

What's next

The Trevor Project is continuing tailored crisis intervention around the clock for the LGBTQ+ youth community.

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CALL: 1-866-488-7386

TEXT: "START" to 678678

Via Online Chat HERE

Other resources

The Center on Halsted, which focuses on the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ community members, remains a key resource in Chicago.

Thriveworks in Chicago offers clinician-founded therapy and psychiatry services. Providers like There, Sherrill and other providers specialize in LGBTQ+ challenges, anxiety, coping skills and trauma.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) also remains a resource for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) is included among the 11 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks to Buy Now.

Toronto-Dominion Bank: A Top Dividend Play in the Financial Sector

A local business owner signing a loan agreement with a banker.

Throughout the Great Recession, while many major US banks were compelled to reduce their dividends, TD Bank managed to keep its payout unchanged. Even when its US division faced a money laundering scandal that led to a hefty regulatory fine and an asset cap, the bank still went ahead with a dividend increase despite the challenges. Remarkably, the bank has consistently paid dividends since 1857.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) reported solid quarterly performance, driven by strong trading and fee income in its markets-focused businesses, along with growth in deposits and loans within its Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking segment. The bank also indicated that its US balance sheet restructuring is progressing as planned, while steady progress is being made on anti-money laundering remediation efforts.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) currently offers a quarterly dividend of C$1.05 per share. The company has been growing its dividends for 10 consecutive years, making it a reliable option for income investors. The stock has a dividend yield of 4.17%, as of July 15.

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READ NEXT: 13 Best Industrial Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now and 10 Best Passive Income Stocks to Buy Now.

Disclosure: None.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Retired Lieutenant Genral A.C. Roper, the U.S. Army Reserves first Black three-star general and former Chief of the Birmingham Police Department, has written a new book that is set to release on Friday.

The keys discussed in No Limits: Seven Keys to Life, Legacy and Leadership reflect Ropers life and leadership.

Because Ive had so many titles throughout my life, but true leadership is much more than titles, Roper said. Its about impact and its about influence.

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The book will be available for purchase on Amazon, eBooks and Barnes and Noble.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WVNS)  Fayette County is remembering a man who lived in service to the people.

Oak Hills new city manager is excited to hit the ground running

Retired Circuit Court Judge John Hatcher Jr. passed away peacefully after a lifetime of service to his county, state, and country.

Before taking an oath to serve West Virginias twelfth district, Judge Hatcher took an oath to serve his country as a member of the U.S. Army. He would be commissioned as Captain and serve as a JAG Officer in Vietnam before his honorable discharge. Those who knew him remember Judge Hatcher for his commanding presence and distinct humor.



Oh, Judge Hatcher was awesome! Judge Hatcher was all business, said Fayette County Assessor Eddie Young. He had a sense of humor that was very dry, but it was funny! I always like Judge Hatcher.

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Before taking the bench, Judge Hatcher would represent the residents of Fayette County as a member of the House of Delegates. There, he would serve as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He would then put his skills to work serving the Twelfth District as Circuit Judge for nearly three decades before announcing his retirement in 2018.

Young told 59News it was Judge Hatcher he went to for guidance when he took the assessor role over twenty years ago.



When I first took this office, I went to Judge Hatcher, talked to him and said, do you have any advice for me? He kicked his feet up and started naming off stuff. It seemed like he appreciated me asking him that, he said. I loved Judge Hatcher; he was a good guy.

In lieu of flowers, family members have requested donations be made to the Honorable John W. Hatcher Jr. Memorial Law Scholarship at the West Virginia University College of Law.

Friends and loved ones will pay their respects this weekend to a man devoted to family, service and community.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  For more than 50 years, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has provided bus service throughout Columbus and central Ohio, delivering 12 million trips per year, but soon, it will be more.

Last year, Columbus voters approved the LinkUS initiative, approving a .5% sales tax increase to pay for it. COTA estimates it could grow into an $8 billion investment.

ODOT planning major investments in central Ohio roads

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A lot of people would say we would use COTA all the time if it was faster, COTA Public Relations Director Jeff Pullin said. And that required us, as we were going for the levy, to really admit that public transportation could be better here and it should be better here. Were building a system that works just as well as using a car.

COTA said LinkUS will unfold over the next 25 years, delivering 45% more service and it will bring central Ohio its first ever Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which involves creating dedicated bus lanes on major roadways. Those buses are typically larger, and traffic signals along those corridors are designed to give priority to the bus lines.

Its premium transit service, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Director of Transportation Maria Schaper said. Its dedicated right of way or dedicated guide, so its not in mixed traffic. Youre going to want the transit service to be reliable and youre going to want it to show up at the stop and know that your bus is coming on time when it says it is.

Three main BRT lines are under design. The first in development is the West Broad Corridor, which extends from downtown past Interstate 270 on the west side. It would include 17 stops, and construction on that line could begin early next year.

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A look at Columbus plan for a new train station

I live on the far west side, for example, Pullin said. It takes me 25 to 30 minutes to get Downtown in the morning by vehicle. If I get on a BRT, Ill be able to start my work. Im going to save myself time. Im going to save my vehicle wear and tear. And Im going to be able to do that just as efficiently as if I was behind the wheel of my own car.

The East Main Street Corridor will be next in development, providing service from downtown through the east side, with stops in Bexley, Whitehall and Reynoldsburg. That line has a projected completion in 2029. The third corridor, the Northwest BRT, would connect Dublin and Worthington with a route to downtown. That line remains early in the design phase, with hopes for completed construction by 2031. At least two more BRT lines could be identified soon.

In cities with BRT service, leaders said its a proven, effective way to move people.

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What youll see is bus rapid transit as that first step to building that market, and so you do have to see somebody like a COTA working very closely with all the roadway agencies to think about innovative design of the roadway, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Deputy of Transportation Aimee Lee said.

Rep. Jim Jordan to be questioned under oath on Strauss sex abuse scandal

LinkUS is more than buses, however. It also calls for more than 500 miles of sidewalks, bikeways and trails. Protected bikeways and pedestrian safety have grown into major priorities for city leaders as Columbus continues to work toward its Capital Line project. That plan would add protected bike and pedestrian lanes throughout Downtown and into Franklinton, making the city more attractive for Downtown residents.

Bicyclists are vulnerable users on our roadways and just, quite frankly, everyone needs to feel safe, Schaper said. It takes infrastructure to do that.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
CLEVELAND (WJW)  Travelers may soon be able to fly with larger quantities of liquids in their carry-on luggage, pending a policy review by the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration.

The review aims to make air travel more convenient and modernize long-standing rules that have been in place since the early 2000s. For nearly 20 years, travelers have been restricted from bringing liquids in containers no larger than 3.4 fluid ounces in carry-on bags.

Man wins 2 separate $1M lottery prizes after accidentally buying extra ticket

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At a recent conference, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted that the rule could soon change.

Travelers at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport said theyre used to the strict liquid rules.

Its kind of an inconvenience, said Ty Markham, who was flying home to Utah. Buy the little bottles, fill them up.

Others, like Isabel Seagel of California, said the rule often results in wasted products.

I would put shampoo, conditioner, perfumes, small beauty products in my bag, Seagel said. A lot of times I forget to keep it under the limit, and I end up throwing away really nice, expensive products.

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Many passengers expressed relief that changes could be coming.

At the conference, Noem said she was questioning current protocolsspecifically the amount of liquid passengers are allowed to carry.

Photos: Ominous cloud spotted over Hinckley  what is it?

In a statement to Fox 8, DHS and TSA said:

Secretary Noem and TSA are constantly looking for ways to enhance security and improve the travel experience for the public. Any announcements on policy changes will be made through official channels.

The review comes shortly after Noem announced that travelers will no longer have to remove their shoes during screening. However, Hopkins Airport officials said passengers with metal in their shoes will still be required to take them off.

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While no official word has been issued on changes to the liquid policy, many travelers are hopeful.

We travel a lota whole lot, said Cari Speakman, who was flying back to Atlanta with her son Luke. He has a lot of hair products, actually, you wouldnt think. Honestly, it would be a lot easier because we wouldnt have to worry about checking bags all the time.

State of Ohio closer than ever to ending E-Check program

Frequent travelers said theyre not overly concerned about safety risks if the rules are relaxed.

I think theyre doing an excellent job, said Victoria Harris, who regularly travels to Cleveland for medical care. Sometimes it may be a little overboard, but they test everything that might send an alert.

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Many passengers said theyre tired of dumping water bottles or tossing out sealed drinks just to get through TSA and hope those experiences are considered during the review.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
(WHTM)  If youre looking to swim, you wont be able to at several state parks across the Keystone State, including some in our area.

Beaches at eight state parks are closed to swimming as of Thursday, primarily due to bacteria counts and water testing results.

Cowans Gap State Park, Fulton County

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), swimming is prohibited at Cowans Gap Lake at its namesake state park on the Fulton/Franklin county line.

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DCNR says routine water testing has found an elevated coliform count and the park will test water daily and reopen for swimming when bacteria counts are acceptable.

The day use area as well as fishing and boating activities remain open.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, fecal coliform bacteria are present in virtually all warm-blooded animals, and E. coli represents about 97% of all the coliform bacteria in human feces.

Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County

Gifford Pinchot State Park posted on Thursday morning that swimming is prohibited at the Pinchot Lake beach after routine water testing showed an elevated coliform count.

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The Quaker Race Day Use Area remains open for swimming, and other activities such as boating and fishing are permitted at this time.

The park says they will test the water daily and reopen the campground swimming beach when bacteria counts fall into acceptable levels.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Cumberland County

Pine Grove Furnace State Park shared that Laurel Lake is closed for swimming due to elevated E.coli counts.

Last month, Laurel Beach was closed for a couple of days after heavy rain brought debris into the water.

The day use area remains open. The park will test the water daily and re-open swimming when bacteria counts fall into acceptable levels. Fuller Lake remains open as well, DCNR said.

Canoe Creek State Park, Blair County

DCNR says swimming is not permitted at Canoe Creek State Park due to recent water sampling results.

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Water testing is continuing, and the area will reopen as soon as water quality returns to acceptable levels, DCNR said in an alert.

Canoe Creek State Park is just east of Altoona.

Gouldsboro State Park, Wayne County

The beach at Gouldsboro State Park closed Thursday due to water sample failures, DCNR said in an alert.

They said the beach will remain closed until acceptable results are received.

Nearby Tobyhanna State Park Beach is open daily from 8am until sunset.

Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset County

The swimming are at Laurel Hill State Park west of Somerset is closed due to high turbidity from recent storms.

DCNR says the swimming area will reopen when conditions improve.

Ricketts Glen State Park, Sullivan County

The beach at Ricketts Glen State Park near Lopez is closed due to unacceptable levels of bacteria in the lake.

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DCNR expects the beach to reopen after the weekend, around July 23.

The picnic area and the sandy beach area itself may be used during the closure, but entering the water is not permitted, DCNR says.

The parks boat rental concession  Sunnyside Marina  will remain open as normal.

Worlds End State Park, Sullivan County

The beach at Worlds End State Park is closed due to high water levels, DCNR said.

We will continue to monitor and reopen the beach as soon as possible, DCNR added.

For updates on any of the closures or at your local state park, visit DCNRs website and check the parks advisories.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
The Brief

Sen. Nicole Mitchell is accused of breaking into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes in 2024.

The jury reached a verdict on Friday about three hours after closing arguments ended.

You can watch the trial, from opening statements to the verdict, on FOX Local Mobile, YouTube and in the player above.

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (FOX 9) - The jury in the burglary trial of Sen. Nicole Mitchell found her guilty on both charges.

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Mitchell, who represents Woodbury, faces a count of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes in 2024.

Watch live

FOX 9 will live stream the trial on FOX LOCAL Mobile, YouTube and in the player above. The trial stream is on a 10-minute delay, per court rules.

Updates on Day 5 of Sen. Mitchell's trial can be found below.

4:14 p.m. - Republicans expect immediate resignation

Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) released the following statement:

"I applaud the jury and the prosecution for their diligent work to deliver justice in this case. The verdict only confirms the fact that Sen. Mitchells actions the night of April 22, 2024, failed to meet the level of ethical behavior we expect from elected officials, and her continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation. Senate Republicans have been clear since day one that this conduct is unbecoming of a Senator and we expect her immediate resignation from the Senate. If she is unwilling to resign, she must be expelled as soon as possible to protect the integrity of the Senate."

I agree with @Senmarkjohnson - Senator Mitchell should resign. pic.twitter.com/0HxjeJJ5PG  Lisa Demuth (@LisaDemuthMN) July 18, 2025

4:10 p.m. - Democrats believe she'll resign

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) released the following statement:

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"Sen. Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Sen. Mitchells trial. The cases resolution brings clarity to the situation. Sen. Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities."

4:05 p.m. - Sen. Nicole Mitchell found guilty

The jury found Sen. Nicole Mitchell guilty of first-degree burglary and guilty of possession of burglary tools.

A sentencing date was not revealed when the verdict was read.

3:41 p.m. - Jury reaches a verdict

The jury reached a verdict after about three hours. FOX 9 will bring you live coverage in the player above.

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Nicole Mitchell faces two charges:

one count of first-degree burglary

one count of possession of burglary tools

12:38 p.m. - Jury deliberations are underway

The case has been handed over to the jury. Deliberations are underway. The final jury is made up of nine men and three women.

12:30 p.m. - Prosecution delivers rebuttal

Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald delivered a rebuttal to the defense attorney's closing argument.

12:10 p.m. - Court in recess

The court is in recess until the prosecution provides a rebuttal to the defense's closing argument.

11:15 a.m. - Defense's closing argument

Nicole Mitchell's attorney, Bruce Ringstrom, Jr. delivered his closing argument, presenting his case for reasonable doubt and arguing against the prosecution's claims.

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He said, sometimes you say things that aren't true in order to not aggravate the situation.

"We all know the difference between a white lie and a meaningful, damaging one. The problem is that this happened in the context of something that was a terrible mess, a mess that Nicole made. But it was a mess," Ringstrom said.

Ringstrom said if Mitchell's intention was to steal, she never would have left the basement.

10:50 a.m. - Prosecutor delivers closing argument

Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald delivered his closing argument, going through the evidence and arguments against Nicole Mitchell.

McDonald said Nicole Mitchell is guilty of burglary. He said Nicole carefully crafted her testimony to protest herself.

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He said this began as a tragic family event "However, disputes are settled in court not with crowbars, ladies and gentlemen. Remember, Carol Mitchell is not on trial here. The defendant and the defendant alone is on trial," McDonald said.

McDonald then discussed the "many lies of Nicole Mitchell."

10:30 a.m. - Court resumes

The judge is giving some instructions to the jury ahead of closing arguments.

10:02 a.m. - Court recess

The count is taking a break until about 10:22 a.m. The defense has rested its case.

9:41 a.m. - Jay Brody

Jay Brody of the Wisconsin National Guard testified for the defense. He worked with Nicole Mitchell in the Guard and has known her for six years, he said. Brody testified that Nicole Mitchell told her about her concerns about Carol Mitchell's well-being. The concerns began after Rod Mitchell's death, Brody said.

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Brody testified Mitchell was her commanding officer but is no longer.

9:08 a.m. - Sen. Mitchell's aunt takes the stand

Sen. Mitchell's aunt, Cindy Markey, was the first person to testify on Friday. Markey testified about Carol Mitchell's Alzheimer's disease and its progression, including Carol Mitchell introducing Markey's daughter to Markey at Nicole Mitchell's dad Rod Mitchell's funeral and being unable to find items. Markey said Carol Mitchell changed in recent years because she would cancel plans that she would make or not remember plans, and it made Markey "very worried" for her, she testified.

Markey testified she got a text from Carol Mitchell that people were not allowed in her house anymore. Screenshots of the text messages were shown in court, where Carol Mitchell said "my house is off limits."

During Markey's testimony, the defense showed text messages between Markey and Carol Mitchell about Rod Mitchell's ashes and spreading them along with other family members' ashes. Markey then testified that Carol Mitchell said Rod Mitchell couldn't have the ashes because the urn was sealed. Markey testified that she believes Carol was being mean, not that she forgot she said they could have some of the ashes.

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In regard to Rod Mitchell's internment, Markey testified that Nicole Mitchell couldn't attend due to the Minnesota Legislature being in session. Carol Mitchell said they couldn't change the date because others would have to change their plans, Markey testified. Five people attended the internment, Markey testified.

Markey testified that she had gone into her daughter's home without permission to check on her. And Nicole Mitchell was aware of this.

Markey testified about her sister's estate and what Nicole Mitchell was intended to get from the estate. If the sister had outlived Rod Mitchell, thousands of dollars would have gone to Nicole Mitchell, Markey testified. The money didn't go to Nicole Mitchell because Markey's sister died "very suddenly" and there were mistakes made in her will, so the money went to Carol Mitchell because legally she was Rod Mitchell's heir, Markey testified.

During Markey's testimony, the defense showed a text message from Carol Mitchell that implies Nicole Mitchell should have gotten the money from Markey's sister's estate and Rod Mitchell's CD.

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Markey testified about Nicole Mitchell's love for Carol Mitchell.

9:07 a.m. - Court resumes

At least two more people are expected to testify for the defense before closing arguments on Friday. Their testimony is expected to be brief.

The jury will be able to deliberate late into the evening, as late as 9 p.m., but they will not deliberate on Saturday or Sunday. If the jury doesn't reach a verdict on Friday, the jury will return at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Sen. Nicole Mitchell trial recap

The backstory

Prosecutors allege Nicole Mitchell, dressed in all black, parked down the road from the house, brought a flashlight, and broke into the home. Jurors were also shown images of a crowbar discovered outside the home and a backpack lodged inside a window. During opening statements, prosecutors called it a well-planned, thought-out criminal act.

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However, Nicole Mitchell's defense team paints her as a concerned stepdaughter trying to help a loved one with Alzheimer's. Nicole Mitchell previously said she was trying to retrieve her father's ashes and clothing that her stepmom refused to give her after his recent death. She was seen on camera telling a police officer, "Clearly I'm not good at this."

On Thursday, Nicole Mitchell testified about her actions and intentions on the day of the alleged burglary at Carol Mitchell's home, explaining she entered without permission to check on her stepmother's well-being but did not intend to harm or take anything from the home. The prosecution questioned Nicole Mitchell's comments the morning of her arrest, saying she told police she was there for her dad's belongings but not once mentioned she was there to check on Carol Mitchell's well-being.

Previous coverage of the trial can be found below:

Sen. Nicole Mitchell charges

Dig deeper

A criminal complaint states that Detroit Lakes police responded to a reported burglary at a home around 4:45 a.m. on April 22, 2024.

At the scene, police found Mitchell in the home's basement dressed in all black. Officers say they also found a flashlight covered with a black sock on Mitchell. Officers searched for a black backpack that was stuck in a window at the scene and recovered two laptops, a cellphone, a drivers license, Senate identification and miscellaneous Tupperware, according to the complaint.

Mitchell reportedly told investigators she was "just trying to get some of my dad's things" and added "clearly, I'm not good at this."

The complaint states that Mitchell explained to police that her father had just died, and she wanted sentimental items her stepmother refused to give to her.

Mitchell said those include her father's ashes, pictures, clothes and other sentimental items.

The Source

Information for this story was provided by the court. Previous FOX 9 reporting was also used to compile this story.
President Trump signed the first major cryptocurrency bill into law Friday afternoon, touting its landmark status.

He hailed the GENIUS Act, which establishes a regulatory framework for dollar-backed digital tokens called stablecoins, as a giant step to cement the American dominance of global finance and crypto technology.

But he ignored questions about the topic consuming Washington: Jeffrey Epstein.

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At the direction of Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi was expected to ask a federal court Friday to unseal grand jury testimony in the case of the disgraced financier and sex offender.

Trying to quiet the unrelenting calls for more transparency in the case, Trump asked for the release Thursday night, saying the controversy, a SCAM perpetuated by Democrats, should end, right now!

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported new details Thursday night about a 50th birthday letter Epstein received from Trump; the president denied writing the message and quickly threatened to sue the publication. On Friday, he said he looked forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his pile of garbage newspaper, the WSJ.

In a Friday morning social media post, Trump asked why Democrats didnt release the infamous Epstein files. BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!! he insisted.

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Follow along right here for news all day.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  PBS in Tennessee could lose $7 million in federal funding as a result of the rescission package requested by President Donald Trump.

The Senate voted overnight to claw back $9 billion in federal funding for foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sending the package to the House of Representatives for a final vote.

It will be horribly impactful. Itll be incredibly destructive, Becky Magura, president and CEO of Nashville PBS, said.

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For the past 64 years, Nashville PBS has been a staple in Middle Tennessee. Its mission is to provide educational and informative programs 24/7 to children and families without cable, satellite, or any subscription fees.

Senate passes $9B in cuts to global aid, public broadcasting in win for Trump

Thats what public media is about. Were here to serve the public, Magura said.

However, the majority of Republican lawmakers have said they would like to slash this funding to get government spending under control.

I think its very unfair, its been very biasedits a waste of money, Trump has said in the past.

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The government has been writing checks to left-wing propaganda outlets, U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said.

A threat to public broadcasting: Nashville Public Radio fears funding cuts to NPR, PBS

Its not reflective of who we are, and it is a national crisis, in my opinion, to have that narrative cast in a way that would influence the loss of this funding, Magura said.

The bill would cut $1.1 billion for networks such as NPR and PBS. News 2 previously reported that Nashville Public Radio would lose $400,000 a year, which is 5% of its annual budget. However, for Nashville PBS, its a much more drastic cut.

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When you talk about eliminating this funding, it would be a total of $7 million across the state, Magura said.

According to Magura, it would cut 20% of Nashville PBS annual budget. However, when you go 80 miles down the road to Cookeville, not only would that impact 40% of the budget, but such a rural region doesnt have the capacity to raise that kind of money, she added.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Magura said PBS is not capable of replacing the money through commercials or individual donations, which means there will be cuts to shows.

Federal money is so foundational, it would be like ripping the foundation out, she said.

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The House is expected to give final approval to the package by Thursday evening before it heads off to Trump for signature. According to The Hill, if lawmakers dont pass it by Friday, the Office of Management and Budget will be forced to release its hold on the funding its targeted for rescission.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials attended a press conference in San Angelo, Texas, to discuss the states response to recent floods and its efforts to support the recovery process, including providing individual and public assistance as well as evaluating warning systems.

Those who joined Abbott at the press conference included San Angelo Mayor Tom Thompson, Rep. Drew Darby, Sen. Charles Perry, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd and local first responders.

Abbott said there was a great collaboration at all levels from the first minute following the historic July 4 floods that swept through Texas, including the town of San Angelo. He said the response by local San Angelo officials was extraordinary and that Tom Green County is considered to be a model for how communities should respond to disasters like this.

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The state began preparing the day before the July 4 floods by deploying Texas Task Force One boat crews in the event they were needed. Abbott stated that the way the rescue teams worked to help save lives was crucial to how San Angelo handled the disaster.

Drone footage captures San Angelo rescues on Independence Day

Had it not been for those rescues, dozens of people in this community wouldve lost their lives, Abbott said.

Statewide, there have been 135 confirmed deaths because of the floods, more than the number of those lost in Hurricane Harvey.

Abbot issued a state disaster declaration for Tom Green County on July 4 and requested a federal disaster declaration on July 10, which was granted the next day.

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He said they are working with officials and the community to get through the recovery process. Individual assistance is now available at the disaster recovery center, made available by the federal declaration issued by President Donald Trump. Public assistance is available to rebuild the road and structures. Abbott said that, at the center, there are more than a dozen state agencies available to help address the needs of the people in this community.

Abbott praised San Angelo and the San Angelo community for their resilience, moral values and the way that the citizens have worked to help each other. He said the state will continue to work with Tom Green County until the recovery is complete, starting with the Texas Legislatures special session, which begins on Monday, July 21.

Rep. Darby Named to Select Committee Tackling Texas Flooding Crisis

We want to make sure that, as we go into and come out of that special session, that we are striving to address every need of everybody in Tom Green County before that session is over, Abbott said.

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I have all the confidence in the world that the state is big enough to handle what the governor just said, Sen. Perry said. That not one single person will be left behind when it comes to what they need addressed, and well find a way to do it.

When asked about warning systems, Abbott said that the warning systems will need to be evaluated during the special session, as different parts of the state vary.

What may be needed in the Guadalupe River area could be completely different than what is needed in Tom Green County, and we need to be working with leaders and members of local communities to learn from them what is going to be best for them, Abbott said.

RECAP: Gov. Abbott holds flood response conference in San Angelo

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When it comes to agriculture, Sen. Perry stated that on Facebook, he has posted a link that people can go to for financial assistance from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

As for housing assistance and rebuilding, Chief Kim said the homes that have already been cleaned out will begin to be rebuilt relatively quickly. He stated that many volunteers have offered hotels and apartments to those waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, but that they are ultimately waiting for more information about federal programs.

The Small Business Administration at the Disaster Recovery Center not only deals with small businesses but also offers home loans. Kim urged those who may need a loan to have their home rebuilt or repaired to check out the resources offered by the SBA.

Abbott said that the state is not taking an eye off of whats going on in Kerrville at all, but is still going to support them and other Texas affected communities.

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FEMA disaster center opens at Concho Valley Transit Annex

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  As of July 17, a specialized service within the 988 suicide hotline to help LGBTQ+ callers is gone.

Federal health officials eliminated the federal funding dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth services. Local advocates have concerns about what this will mean for young people.

When you use your phone to call 988, youll no longer have the option to press 3. Its the resource formerly used to connect people needing help with counselors trained to respond to LGBTQ+ issues. Without it, organizations like Mental Health America of Central Carolinas are bracing for increased demand.

The number of calls and texts in North Carolina per month, compared to 9,400 between August 2022 and May 2025.

Knowing that it is being dropped from 988 will be a big loss of access for life-saving resources for thousands of youth across the United States, said Rebekah Collins with Mental Health America of Central Carolinas

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What was once available at the touch of three numbers is now something youll have to work a little harder to find.

Its easy to assume that losing access to such a fast, accessible resource like this will lead to that increased need, said Collins.

People who work for Mental Health America of Central Carolinas are gearing up to meet that need, now that kids and teens who are part of the LGBTQ+ community no longer have access to specially trained responders through the suicide hotline.

One thing we really emphasize is having someone to call and having someone to turn to when we are struggling, said Collins. That is lifesaving. And when individuals dont feel like they have that person, they may go on to attempt to end their life.

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The 988 change comes as North Carolinas Department of Health and Human Services officials are celebrating three years of the crisis lifeline.

Between August 2022, the first full month of service, and May of this year, North Carolina averaged more than 9,400 calls, texts or chats each month.

From June 2024 to May 2025, volume went up to more than 11,400 per month.

Despite the success, advocates worry the loss of this particular resource will deter people from dialing.

I think theyre going to be hesitant reaching out because there is a chance that that person may not have that extra understanding that they had before, said Collins.

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Even though the press 3 option is no longer available, advocates encourage people to continue using 988 as a resource if needed.

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Via, the transit software startup that garnered attention for its consumer-facing on-demand shuttle service, said it has filed confidentially for an initial public offering.

Via has been batting around plans for an IPO for years. The company filed confidentially for an IPO in 2021, but never took the next official and regulatory steps to enter the public markets. Now, the company says its ready. Its status as a confidential filing, however, leaves lots of missing details, including the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.

When Via launched in 2012, there was little interest from cities in the software platform, co-founder and CEO Daniel Ramot told TechCrunch in an interview several years ago. The company initially used consumer-facing Via-branded shuttles that users could hail. Over time, and using the massive amounts of data it collected through these services, Via improved its dynamic, on-demand routing algorithm, which uses real-time data to route shuttles to where theyre needed most.

Today, Via provides the on-demand transit software for more than 650 cities in 30 countries, including San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Miami, and London. It also serves numerous small and medium-sized cities like Arlington, Texas and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Via last raised funds from private markets in 2023 with a $110 million funding round that pushed its valuation up to $3.5 billion. Via has raised a total of $1 billion to date from a long list of investors that includes BlackRock, Exor, Janus Henderson, Macquarie Capital, Mori Building, Shell, and 83North.
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  WKBN and two other local businesses are stepping up to help the Salvation Army collect school supplies.

The plan emerged when Boardman Walmart had to cancel its participation due to a remodeling project. That was scheduled to be Saturday.

Now the plan involves collection boxes to help the Salvation Army gather school supplies to help local children. Pencils, crayons, spiral notebooks, folders, and any school supplies are welcome to help students in class.

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Were just hoping to get in any supplies that we can to help children out. Children get so much pressure these days that, you know, to achieve and to come up to par, so anything that we can help them with get their school year started, thats so important, said Major Paul Moore, of the Salvation Army.

The collection drive will start Saturday and go through August 2.

The drop-off locations include WKBN-TV, during business hours on Monday through Friday, at 3930 Sunset Boulevard.

The other locations are Midas Muffler in Austintown and Boardman, #1 Cochran Chevrolet on Market Street and at the Salvation Army on Glenwood Avenue.

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HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP)  North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jacksons office announced that he would be filing a suit against FEMA over the decision to cut a program that helps fund local infrastructure projects, and a major project in High Point could be on the chopping block.

The idea was, Lets do things to prepare in advance in a flood, Jackson said.

Jackson said North Carolina could soon lose out on about $200 million through a FEMA program created by President Trump in his first term.

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Cities like High Point could apply for the grant to address any future issues.

Then lets help localities pay for those projects. Its over 60 projects in North Carolina that will get canceled, Jackson said.

In 2022, the City of High Point proposed a project called High Point Resiliency Infrastructure. The total cost of the project would have been over $7 million.

The project would rehabilitate over 25,000 feet of aging wastewater and sewer infrastructure. It would restore over 3,000 feet of Richland Creek, which includes fixing eroding areas. Then the city would install three eco-friendly infrastructures. The city said this would reduce pollution and stormwater runoff that goes into Richland Creek.

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Unfortunately, weve been given a recent example of why you want to make this kind of before-the-fact investment from the flooding weve seen in central North Carolina, Jackson said.

The lawsuit has received bipartisan support. Jackson is asking the courts for a preliminary injunction to stop the cuts immediately.

Were asking the courts to treat this as an emergency because we have a lot of localities that are putting their own money down, some of them to the tune of millions of dollars so far in reliance on these funds arriving from FEMA. Were hopeful to get a good rolling within a matter of weeks, not months, Jackson said.

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BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  While the Ohio Legislature continues debating how to best reduce property taxes, a statewide effort to eliminate property taxes altogether is continuing as well.

A meeting and petition signing event hosted by a group called Mahoning County Tax Relief will take place Tuesday, July 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Magic Tree restaurant in Boardman.

Boardmans Mark Brandenstein has been a vocal opponent of property taxes. He was part of last years effort to defeat Boardmans ambulance levy. Now, Brandenstein is a leader of the group of 10 or 12 people called Mahoning County Tax Relief, which wants a constitutional amendment placed on the November 2026 ballot eliminating property taxes.

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My property tax when I moved here was $700 a half, Brandenstein said.

Now its six times that. Brandenstein says its because levy after levy has been passed in Boardman and Mahoning County.

Its gotten easy, too easy with property tax. Instead of doing your job and trying to find areas where can cut funding to put it somewhere else, they sit back, put a levy on, he said.

State Representative Dave Thomas represents a part of Trumbull County. Thomas has led the effort in the Ohio Legislature to reduce property taxes and has been closely following the efforts of the group working to eliminate property taxes.

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I sympathize with them a tremendous amount, Thomas said. It is truly all across Ohio. This group has collected in nearly every single county. They are very strong.

Thomas says Ohio relies too much on property taxes and prefers a balance between property, income and sales taxes. He says if the legislature and the governor cant figure something out by November of next year, it could come to a vote.

I would not rule out voting to abolish property taxes. I know many others across the state in my position have the same feeling, Thomas said.

Brandenstein says even if the state legislature passes some form of property tax relief, eliminating it altogether still must be done.

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If we leave that door open just a little bit, the states going to go in and start changing things, he said.

The group looking to eliminate property taxes is called Citizens for Property Tax Reform. Its based out of the Cleveland area. They need 413,000 signatures to get the issue on the ballot, but theyre looking to get 600,00. They wont say how many they have so far.

Signature-gathering locations are listed on the Citizens for Property Tax Reform website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  More than 40 pastors and Christian leaders from across East Baton Rouge Parish are calling on the Library Board of Control to reinstate a public employee who was fired after refusing to use preferred pronouns, citing religious objections.

In a letter from July 17, the signers said that firing Mr. Luke Ash from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System violated his rights to religious freedom and free speech. The letter argues that Ash, a Christian, was forced to choose between keeping his job and violating his sincerely held beliefs.

This is not merely an HR dispute, the letter said. This is a First Amendment issue, a blatant infringement upon the God-given conscience and First Amendment protections of religion and speech.

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The letter said Ash was punished for quietly refusing to engage in speech that goes against his religious beliefs. It cites biblical passages and legal protections to support this claim. The signatories include pastors from churches in Baton Rouge. They also include leaders from groups like the Louisiana Family Forum and the Family Research Council.

Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill also weighed in on the controversy.

Landry said on X, @EBRpl, last year, we addressed pronouns in schools. I guess next year we will have to address all public funded bodies. Taxpayers should not have to underwrite sexual politics.

Louisiana law prohibits discrimination based on religion in the workplace. This was a public employee in a taxpayer-funded public library. Government cant force you to violate your conscience or deeply held religious beliefs. This isnt California or New York. In Louisiana, a Christian has rights just like anyone else, Murrill said in a statement.

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Livingston Parish Library director ousted: This wasnt political

The letter urges the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board to act quickly. It asks them to reinstate Ash to his previous role, apologize publicly and change DEI policies that force employees to violate their religious beliefs or conscience.

This is not tolerance; this is tyranny of ideology, the letter reads. A government that punishes biblical conviction is no longer neutralit is hostile.

Louisiana First News has reached out to the East Baton Rouge Parish Library for a comment.

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A local doctor warns that severe e-bike injuries are a growing problem, and they are not going away.

From 2023 to 2024, Wolfson Childrens Hospital saw a 222% increase in patients with injuries related to e-bike or e-scooter accidents.

In 2022, they treated 3 patients in their trauma center for injuries related to e-bike and e-scooter crashes.

That number grew to 23 in 2023, 74 in 2024, and 67 just in the first half of this year.

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That includes Parker Anderson, a St. Johns County 12-year-old who had to be airlifted to Wolfson in April. He was unconscious for days after crashing his e-bike. He was one of several kids hospitalized.

Action News Jax reporter Alexus Cleavenger asked Dr. John Draus, the medical director of pediatric trauma at Wolfson, if the problem is getting worse.

Definitely, said Dr. Draus. I think these vehicles are certainly being more prevalent. More families are purchasing them, more kids are riding them, and as a result, we are seeing more injuries.

Dr. Draus said the problem is not just in northeast Florida.

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This is certainly a national problem, said Dr. Draus.

A problem that he said needs to be addressed, starting with parents at home.

I think you have to decide if you are going to purchase one of these for your kids and if you are, please, please buy a helmet with it, said Dr. Draus And its important that it is an appropriate helmet for this type of vehicle.

At Wolfson, Dr. Draus said they are partnering with community leaders and having early conversations with local government leaders to try and lower the number of injuries.

We just want kids to be safe, said Dr. Draus.

On July 29, there will be an e-bike town hall in Nocatee where families can talk about safety.

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It is a resident-only event and requires a valid Nocatee Resident ID for entry.

It starts at 6:30 pm and will be attended by the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office.

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For three months, a group of Greco Steel Products workers has been on strike. On Thursday morning, they were joined by union workers and supporters who rallied in front of a job site to make their grievances public.

Channel 11 News was present and spoke with the organizers. The workers explained that the strike was inevitable following the on-site death of a co-worker and the companys refusal to negotiate.

It took my breath away. Its the ultimate safety concern; it should have never happened, and we cant let it happen again, said Jesse Shoedel, an employee of Greco Steel Products.

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Shoedel has been off the job without pay since April. He and nearly a dozen ironworkers went on strike after a fellow worker died on a job site.

Joe Gazzo, 42, was working on the roof of Pine Richland High School when he fell through.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Worker dies after falling through Pine-Richland High School roof

Channel 11 News spoke with his father following the incident, who told us his son had been employed with Greco Steel for 23 years.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> We were always a team: Grieving father of construction worker who died after fall speaks out

According to workers at the Springdale company, they are forced to work in hazardous conditions.

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Our harnesses, the yo-yos we use every day, and the slings we work with are not being inspected and are fraying, said one employee.

Workers also expressed concerns about being underpaid.

These guys work hard every day; they are structural ironworkers. This is the fifth-deadliest job in the world, said another employee.

However, striking was not their first option. Workers voted to unionize in October 2024 after the tragic death of Gazzo, but stated that the company refused to come to the negotiating table.

Enough is enough, so we dropped our tools and went on strike, said one man.

On Thursday, the group chanted, No contract, no work, as they marched around the 26th Street Apartments in the Strip District, a job site that often employs Greco Steel Products workers.

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I want to get home to my family every day safe and securely, explained another employee.

If successful, employees would join the International Iron Workers Union.

Channel 11 News reached out to Greco Steel Products multiple times, but did not receive a response about the status of negotiations.

Its been going on since April 28, and I am hoping to end it today, said John Kopay, a member of the International Iron Workers Union who helped organize the rally.

Employees told us that as soon as a bargaining agreement is reached, they will resume work

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SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Two Indiana Veterinarian Associations have joined in on a campaign to help control the overpopulation of pets.

The Indiana Veterinary Technicians Association and the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association have signed on in support of the Feline Fix by Five initiative.

This initiative is encouraging any and all cat owners to have their cat spayed or neutered by the age of five months. Dr. Whitney Whistler is a vet at JP Petcare in Sullivan, and she says that getting your kitten spayed or neutered at this age isnt harmful, but it is necessary to do so at such a young age.

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New spayed/neuter clinic opening in Greene County

It really doesnt, honestly, sometimes in cats they can even go into heat as early as 5 to 6 months and have unwanted litters, Whistler said. So, theyre sexually mature at that age. So thats why were trying to kind of you can come at it before that happens so we can help keep the population down.

She also mentioned that this can help shelters not be overcrowded and can even give older animals a chance to find a home.

The pet population is just skyrocketing, and weve got to do something to try to help control that as much as we can, Whistler said. Its not that we dont want pets and animals out there for people to adopt, but the ones, you know, the older pets that are sitting in rescues and adoption centers dont get adopted as easily as kittens do. So, we really encourage people to go and try to adopt those older animals too, so they have a chance to get nice homes.

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JP Petcare is accepting new clients at this time. To schedule an appointment, just visit their website or call them at 812-268-2222. To learn more about the Feline Fix by Five initiative, just click here.

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NEW YORK  A Long Island man was critically injured Wednesday when he was sucked into an MRI machine by the chain necklace he was wearing.

The incident happened at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury around 4:30 p.m. when the 61-year-old man entered an MRI suite without permission while a scan was in progress, according to Nassau County police.

He was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine which resulted in a medical episode, police said Thursday.

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The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition with unknown injuries on Thursday. It remains unclear how he gained access to the room while the MRI machine was active, but an investigation is ongoing.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines use powerful magnets and radio waves, instead of radiation, to create detailed images of the bodys internal structures. Metallic objects are not supposed to be near the machines since the magnetic field can turn any metal object into a projectile.

The magnetic field extends beyond the machine and exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels and other magnetizable objects; it is strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
AVON, Ohio (WJW)  For years, the intersection at State Route 83  Center Road  and State Route 254  Detroit Road  has been a headache for drivers.

Whether its Avon residents trying to get home, North Ridgeville residents trying to head south from I-90, Avon police and fire trying to get out of their stations on Detroit Road west of the intersection, or anyone trying to get to the Avon Commons shopping center, traffic stacking up in all four directions isnt uncommon.

Swimmers warned to stay out of Lake Erie on Thursday

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Starting Monday, a project meant to reduce congestion begins with the widening of Route 83 so traffic can be diverted.

Work will really pick up next spring with the widening of the entire intersection, which will include repaving the roads, new signage, and new traffic signals.

When its all said and done, all four directions will have a right turn lane, there will be two left turn lanes going both directions on 83, and a second left turn lane will be added to eastbound Detroit Road to turn north on 83 towards I-90.

It was all facilitated on safety. Trying to make sure that residents can move through smoother, Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen said. Adding these extra lanes and the dedicated right turn lane, its going to make a big difference.

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Jensen, who drives through the intersection daily himself, told Fox 8 that improvements have been seven years in the making.

[Its] Great to get it underway. Itll be even better to have it done by the end of this next year. So, were excited, he added.

The $11.5 million project will cause more backups and headaches in the meantime. Jensen hopes drivers can find alternate routes during the course of the work.

Ominous cloud over NE Ohio: What was it?

He believes everything theyre doing, including using artificial intelligence to track the traffic lights for necessary adjustments, will be helpful.

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At the same time, he wants to caution that this wont make it so theres always zero wait times.

It wont make it perfect. So, anyone who thinks they wont be frustrated at times, still even after this is completed, [it wont], but it will significantly reduce those wait times, Jensen said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  After more than six decades, longtime KFDX and KJTL cameraman Steve Corbitt is calling it a career.

Ive already retired once, so this is my second retirement, Corbitt said. This is official, official, especially according to my wife. Im about ready to settle back and enjoy life with my wife and family, and my dogs. There are several things that we would like to do together, and, better do it now while I still can.

For the last 61 years, Corbitt has worked in a handful of different fields.

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An awful lot of it has been news coverage, Corbitt said. But an awful lot of it has been production, commercials, politicals.

Corbitts career began in the 1960s in his hometown of Wichita Falls. After a few years, he made the move to the Texas Gulf Coast, joining the team at KPRC in Houston in his early 20s.

There was a lot of amazing things that happened to me early on because of KPRC, Corbitt said. We did several ball games out of the Astrodome. The Astrodome at that time was brand new. The big new wonder of the world. Some of us wound up covering George Wallace. Some of us also ended up covering the racial problems in the South. The Vice President of the United States at that time came to Houston, and we covered that. There was a lot of history being made at that time.

Speaking of history, KPRC provided national and international news coverage of every NASA space mission, from Gemini 4 in 1965 to the Challenger explosion in 1986, and every single Apollo mission in between.

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The first time that they actually put a crew together to go out to NASA and everything, I got left off of it, Corbitt said. So I wasnt very happy about that.

But all of that changed in 1970, when Corbitt was a part of arguably NASAs greatest moment.

Apollo 13, NBC was the pool situation for all three networks, Corbitt said. And an old-time director, Jack Dillon, for NBC, recommended that I be the lighting director on it.

Corbitt and his fellow KPRC crewmembers headed to Los Angeles, then to Hawaii, and ultimately, Pearl Harbor. Before Apollo 13 even left Earths atmosphere, Corbitt and his team boarded the USS Iwo Jima.

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While astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Hays, and Jack Swaggart were preparing for their mission to the moon, Corbitt and the team from KPRC had a mission of their own.

Our remote trucks for video and everything else, and a lighting truck, and all that, they were all pulled into the hangar bay. They were all parked down there, Corbitt said. We had to assemble a studio in their hangar bay. Thats lights, thats everything, control room, and video tape machines. Video tape machines in those days were as big as that news desk.

Its one thing to build an entire working studio on solid ground. Its another thing entirely to build one on an aircraft carrier while being at the mercy of the South Pacific Ocean.

On the way, we also went through three days of a typhoon, which was no fun, Corbitt said.

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The KPRC team wasnt the only crew looking adversity in the face. For days, Americans bowed their heads, hoping and praying that the three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 would make it home safe.

Then, on April 11, 1970, the Command Module re-entered the Earths atmosphere, going radio silent for what felt like an eternity.

We get to the pickup zone, Corbitt said. Communication wasnt like it is now, and they were saying they didnt know if they were alive or not. All of our cameras were trained on the UDT team, and everything out there opening up and all this.

With the world watching, thanks to Corbitt and his team, an entire nation breathed a sigh of relief and rejoiced when the three astronauts emerged from the Apollo 13 Command Module.

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It was a shock to us that they were alive because theyd lost transmission on their way back, and thats the last we heard of them, Corbitt said. They all come out, and were just very happy. Extremely. Then, we had to turn around and come back.

Even now, some 55 years later, Apollo 13 was the highlight of Corbitts long, incredible career.

That stands out as one of the most prominent things, you know. I was so young. That normally doesnt happen, Corbitt said. I felt like I was a part of history.

Corbitt spent the next several decades in production, film, and photography across Texas, and even beyond, before returning home to Wichita Falls.

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The reason why I came back is because, you know, family, Corbitt said.

In 2005, Corbitt joined the KFDX family, first as a photojournalist, then moving to the studio, where hes played a number of roles on the production team. Of course, Texoma probably knows him best from his cameos on the morning show.

Things are going to be different around the studio in the mornings without Corbitt, and it goes without saying, he will certainly be missed.

I think my time spent here has been well-spent, Corbitt said. Ive met some very good people, Ive worked with some really great people, and I will regret not seeing some of them every day.

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A lot of people that Ive done interviews with over the years and so on, Ive gotten to become very good friends with, Corbitt said. And Im going to miss seeing them, because a lot of them come in once a week or once a month.

After a career of over 60 years, the last twenty spent here with us, from the entire KFDX, KJBO, Texomas Fox, and Texomas Homepage family, thank you, Steve, and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.

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Coca-Cola will soon return to using real cane sugar in its U.S. products after decades of relying on high fructose corn syrup, according to none other than President Donald Trump, who claimed personal credit for brokering the shift.

In a social media post, the president called the move just better for American consumers, and also predicted this will be a very good move by them, referring to the Atlanta-based beverage giant.Trump revealed on social media that Coca-Cola has agreed to use REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States after discussions between himself and company leadership.

In a statement, a Coca-Cola company spokesperson said: We appreciate President Trumps enthusiasm for our iconic CocaCola brand. More details on new innovative offerings within our CocaCola product range will be shared soon.

The change is significantsince the mid-1980s, virtually all Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. has been sweetened not with sugar, but with high fructose corn syrup, a less expensive alternative, but a very politically potent one.

The commercial production of high fructose corn syrup takes place in Iowa, the top corn-producing state in the U.S. Its been a major product for agribusiness since the 1970s, with companies such as Archer Daniels Midland having key plants in Iowa. They are a big player in Washington, D.C., as is the farm lobby, which refers to a number of institutions that lobby on behalf of farmers interests. U.S. farm policyshaped by the farm lobbysubsidizes corn heavily and imposes tariffs and quotas on imported sugar, making high fructose corn syrup the default sweetener for many U.S. food producers. All of these dynamics are reinforced by Iowas role in presidential politics, with the state being the first presidential caucus in the electoral calendar.

When did Coke switch to corn syrup?

Coca-Colas original formula, dating back to its 19th-century origins, used cane sugar as the sweetener of choice. That changed during a period of economic and regulatory upheaval in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Faced with rising sugar prices, prompted in part by U.S. government quotas and tariffs on imported sugar alongside growing subsidies for domestic corn, Coca-Cola began blending corn syrup with sugar in its beverages. The transition was complete by 1984. Even after the New Coke formula controversy and the return of Coca-Cola Classic, the drink retained high fructose corn syrup as its sweetener, not sugar.

The cult of Mexican Coke

Coca-Cola in other countriesmost famously in Mexico and across Europehas continued to use cane sugar, spawning a cult following for Mexican Coke among U.S. consumers who preferred the original taste.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  This week marks the solemn 41st anniversary of one of the most devastating mass shootings in American history  the July 18, 1984, San Ysidro McDonalds massacre.

On that fateful Wednesday evening, gunman James Huberty opened fire inside the fast-food restaurant on San Ysidro Boulevard, claiming 21 livesthe youngest being a baby at just 8 months oldand wounding 19 others before being fatally shot by a sniper after a 77-minute standoff.

The front page of the San Diego Union newspaper, the day after the McDonalds massacre. (Courtesy: UT San Diego)

According to History, Huberty had been dealing with mental health problems prior to the mass shooting. He had reportedly been fired from his security guard job just a month before the violence unfolded. It was also reported that he had a strong liking for guns. His wife said that on his way out the door that day, Huberty told her, Im going huntinghunting for humans.

A San Diego police officer helps an injured woman away from the scene of a shooting at a McDonalds restaurant in San Ysidro, Calif., July 18, 1984. The woman had been in the restaurant when a gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon, killing 20 people and wounding another dozen. Police said the woman had family with her in the restaurant. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Department of Justice requests data on non-citizen inmates from California jails

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A documentary, titled 77 Minutes, was later made by film producer Charlie Minn, depicting the tragic event. He previously told FOX 5 that he believes those who arent familiar with the massacre will learn something from his film, which has been described as extremely graphic and not for children.

As for some survivors, the traumatic event still lingers in their memory. In 2024, Wendy Flanagan, who was an employee at the San Ysidro McDonalds at the time of the massacre, said she saw things that shell never forget.

Scars remain; it never goes away; theres always a scar in your memory, inside you; it may not be a physical wound, said Flanagan. Its an emotional wound; you learn to deal with and grow from it. Its taken me a long time, but here I am.

The McDonalds massacre of 1984 is the eighth-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history (between 1982 and Sept. 2024).

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The site of the tragedy is now home to the Southwestern College Higher Education Center. Community members, survivors, and family are expected to leave flowers at the site on Friday, a symbol of remembrance that typically occurs every anniversary.

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The Brief

A Chicago coin dealer discovered five looted coins from the USS Yorktown in an estate handled by the Cook County Public Guardians Office.

The coins, originally taken from the sunken Navy ship found off the African coast, are being returned to the U.S. Navy for museum display in Washington, D.C.

The Navy, surprised by the report, will not pursue action against the estate; the dealer said preserving history outweighs the coins $1,000 value.

CHICAGO - A handful of looted coins with a colorful history will soon be returned to the U.S. Navy and displayed in Washington, D.C., after being discovered in the estate of a Chicago-area resident.

What we know

The find came thanks to the detective work of Russ Bega, a numismatist and chief operating officer at Harlan J. Berk Ltd., a coin dealer located in the Loop for more than 60 years.

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On Thursday, Bega showed the five old coins that recently came into his shop, part of a larger cache of materials from an estate controlled by the Cook County Public Guardians Office.

"And they have a tag on them that says they're from the USS Yorktown," said Bega. "So being who I am I do a little bit of Googling and actually find out that these were looted from the ship."

The first USS Yorktown was a Navy sloop-of-war commissioned in 1839. In 1850, it was patrolling the African coastline on a mission to stop slave ships.

"Slaves were not allowed to be brought into the country anymore," said Bega. "And so to that end, the U.S. actually did do a fair bit of anti-slaving operations in the Atlantic."

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But the Yorktown struck a reef and sank. While the crew was rescued, the ship and its belongings remained on the ocean floor for 150 yearsuntil a Portuguese company discovered the wreck in 2000 and began salvage operations.

"There was a law passed in 2001 that essentially says American Naval vessels, no matter where they are, are U.S. soil," said Bega. "And when they sink theyre still property of the United States government. So the Navy is very interested in recovering pieces like this."

The Navys History and Heritage Command has already recovered some of the Yorktowns items that had been auctioned in London.

Now, the five coins from the Chicago-area estate will be reunited with other Navy artifacts.

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"These are going to be returned to the Navy in the next week or so. And they should go on display in a museum in Washington D.C. with the rest of the artifacts from the USS Yorktown."

Bega said the Navy was surprised when he reached out to report the findespecially since the coins are likely worth only about $1,000.

"Weve been in business for 60 years, and weve made our name in honesty, integrity and also making sure that important pieces like this can be enjoyed by more people," said Bega. "If this gets one person interested in collecting coins or world coins, I think that pays dividends."

What's next

The Navy will not be taking action against the person or estate that originally obtained the looted coins.
By Brad Brooks and Rich McKay

(Reuters) -An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility on Friday killed three deputies, the sheriff said.

The explosion took place at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training in East Los Angeles, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference. Luna declined to disclose details but said the area where the explosion occurred had just been deemed safe for investigators to enter.

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The Los Angeles Times newspaper, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that the blast took place when a bomb squad moved some explosives. Luna would not confirm that at the news conference.

The names of the victims had not been released, but Luna said they were all veterans with a combined 74 years of experience.

"This is, unfortunately, the largest loss of life for us as the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, since 1857," Luna said.

The sheriff said that determining the cause of the explosion could take several days or weeks but vowed a full investigation.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media that she had spoken with Luna along with U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli "about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles."

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Bondi said that federal agents were at the scene and working to learn more.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on social media that the state sent investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist with the investigation.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators, along with members of the police department's bomb squad, were helping in the investigation.

(Reporting by Rich McKay, Brad Brooks, Maiya Keidan, Susan Heavey and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Frank McGurty, Nia Williams and Cynthia Osterman)
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -Los Angeles sued Airbnb, accusing the home rental company of allowing price gouging affecting at least 2,000 properties during January's wildfires in Southern California, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said on Friday.

According to a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, rental prices rose more than 10% for "at least two thousandand possibly more than three thousand" Airbnb properties in the city between January 7 and 17.

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Los Angeles said the increases occurred before Airbnb disabled its "smart pricing" tool, which lets owners have rental prices adjust automatically based on demand, for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Airbnb was accused of violating a California law that prohibits prices of essential goods and services from rising more than 10% following a state of emergency.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles on January 7, triggering the state's anti-gouging law, and it has been extended several times.

Feldstein Soto said that while Airbnb, with an estimated 80% market share in the city, has taken steps to curtail price gouging, evidence indicates it may be continuing.

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She separately accused the San Francisco-based company of misrepresenting to prospective renters that it has "verified" hosts and property locations on its website, some of which don't exist.

In a statement, Airbnb said the company, Chief Executive Brian Chesky, and its affiliated nonprofit Airbnb.org have contributed nearly $30 million to fire recovery efforts, including free emergency housing to nearly 24,000 people.

It also said Airbnb hosts receive error messages if they try to boost prices more than 10% from pre-emergency rates.

The lawsuit accuses Airbnb of violating California's unfair competition law.

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It seeks an injunction to stop illegal rents during the state of emergency, plus civil fines of up to $2,500 per violation.

The Southern California wildfires killed at least 30 people and destroyed or damaged more than 16,000 structures.

Much of the damage came from the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in Altadena. The fires charred an area larger than Paris.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Diane Craft)
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR)- Framatome is an international leader in nuclear energy, and its North American headquarters reside in Lynchburg.

Its training center is less than ten minutes away, and the complex received a huge upgrade in the form of $50 million in renovations. The goal, to provide people with state-of-the-art training before they go to work in a nuclear power plant.

Were going to be expanding that training facility, not only to improve in the ability and the tools that we have today, but were building the next set of tools and facilities for both small modular reactors and advanced reactors for the future, Framatome President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Robinson said. We know thats coming, so were investing in it today to be ready for it.

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The expansion is also expected to create at least 500 new jobs.

Lynchburg nuclear facility opens renovated training center

Ive said many times that the most powerful words in the English language are, I love you, but right behind them is, You are hired, Governor Glenn Youngkin, who was in attendance for Thursdays ribbon cutting, said. You are hired means that I trust you, I believe in you, and I want your future to be co-being with our future as a company.

Youngkin said he was thrilled Framatome decided to do business and remain in the Commonwealth.

Virginia is the best place to do business, he said. We competed against other states and won, and I was just so proud that Virginia was once again able to secure such a large investment and new jobs.

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Framatome plans to gradually move employees into the new facility as renovations continue.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB)  Lynn Haven city commission voted to terminate city manager Vickie Gainer.

New management is on the way for Lynn Haven.

Over one hundred residents packed inside of city hall on Friday for a special meeting to discuss one item; the employment of the city manager.

After 3 and half hours and one recess, the commission voted 4 to 1 to fire Gainer, effective immediately.

On Monday, the commission voted to suspend Gainer with pay as they conducted their own investigation into allegations that she manipulated construction bids to prevent Phoenix Construction from winning contracts.

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Those allegations emerged during the deposition of a city engineer for a lawsuit filed by James Finch, the owner of Phoenix Construction, against Gainer and the city.

It was standing room for residents who showed up with differing opinions on how commissioners should move forward.

The city has triple the amount of money it had seven years ago, and our debt has been cut in half. This is all happened on Vickie Gainers watch as city manager. said one resident.

The city manager openly stated to the city engineer that she changed a bid when my father fairly won simply because she didnt like him or because of his past legal battles said the daughter of James Finch.

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Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And I do believe at some point, you know, maybe the power went to her head. Maybe she just micromanaged whatever you want to call it. But we got to a point where the city wasnt functioning anymore. said resident Zach Detwiler.

The commissioners went through six motions; some failed due to lack of a second motion, others failed due to insufficient votes.

Most residents at the meeting could agree on one thing however, which is that a decision needed to be made today.

Commissioner Peebles ultimately changed his vote on a motion to terminate, which resulted in the termination passing. He was emotional when talking about Gainer, but said his decision was not based on the deposition.

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Ive had a good working relationship and I do think shes a good person. But through our investigation, there has been some things that have come to light I cant talk about all of it, but some of it is alarming said Peebles.

Several residents in the meeting expressed disappointment in the way both the city, and the residents, handled the situation.

just because theres a disagreement on how people feel, there should not be the hatred being spewed  said one resident.

I think it was unhealthy. I absolutely think that the process that went down today was unhealthy. said Detwiler.

The city charter of Lynn Haven states the assistant city manager will take over until a replacement is found.

Update 2:53p.m.

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Lynn Haven city commissioners held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the employment of City Manager Vickie Gainer.

Commissioner Jamie Warrick made a motion to fire Vickie Gainer. Commissioner Judy Tinder seconded.

Mayor Nelson stated that any motion other than one to bring Gainer back to work is egregious.

The motion to terminate Vickie Gainer failed 2-3. Commissioners Tinder and Warrick voted to terminate, with Peebles, Nelson, and Commissioner Pat Perno voting to not terminate.

Mayor Nelson immediately passed the gavel and made a motion to re-instate Gainer. That motion failed without a second.

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Commissioner Sam Peebles offered an alternative to suspend Gainer without pay pending the outcome of the FDLE review is complete. She can have no contact with city employees or possess city devices. If Gainer is cleared, then she would be reimbursed the back pay from when she is suspended. The suspension will be reviewed again at the second August commission meeting, unless the FDLE review is done before them.

Commissioner Tinder asked that Gainer still be covered by the city insurance during the suspension. Commissioner Perno seconded the motion.

That motion, to suspend without pay, failed 2-3. Commissioners Tinder, Warrick and Mayor Nelson voted against it.

Mayor Nelson again made a motion to reinstate Gainer. That motion once again failed to get a second.

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Mayor Nelson then motioned to keep her suspended with pay pending FDLE review. That motion failed.

Mayor Nelson then motioned again to reinstate Gainer. For the third time, that motion failed to get a second.

Commissioner Warrick then motioned to terminate Gainer again. Tinder once again seconded.

Commissioner Peebles changed his vote to yes.

Motion passes.

Gainer was originally suspended with pay on Monday for allegations that she manipulated city construction bids to prevent Phoenix Construction from winning the bids.

That suspension was to allow the commission further time to investigate allegations which came to light in the deposition of Panhandle Engineering owner Chris Forehand. Forehand alleged that Gainer instructed him to create bids that prohibited Phoenix Construction and its owner James Finch from bidding on projects.

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Finch is suing the city over the bids. At the time of the bid in 2021, Finch was under a federal indictment alleging various crimes, however, he went to trial and was found not guilty by a jury.

Finch spoke with News 13 earlier this week about the allegations and said regardless of the commissions decision Friday, his lawsuit will go forward.

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MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. (WTVO)  The Village of Machesney Park has announced it will be aiding seniors by offering a telecom tax rebate program.

Senior residents will qualify for the program depending on their income and if they are 65 years of age or older.

Machensey Park seniors must provide proof of age, residence, income and copies of their last 12 paid telephone bills.

Applications for the rebate will be accepted through September 2, 2025.

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To apply, visit the Villages website, request an application by calling (815) 877-5432 or visit Machensey Parks Village Hall located at 300 Roosevelt Road.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
President Donald Trumps allies rushed to dismiss a report that he sent a salacious birthday letter to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Epsteins co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, collected letters from Trump and dozens of other people in 2003  a revelation that came amid intense new interest in the case.

Trumps letter, which the paper said was reviewed as part of the criminal investigation of Epstein, bears his signature and contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker, according to the Journal article.

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Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, the letter reads.

Trump raged at the Journal for publishing the story, calling it false, malicious, and defamatory and vowing in a post on Truth Social to sue the publication and its owner, Rupert Murdochs News Corp.

The president, who is under pressure from supporters to direct the Department of Justice to release material from the Epstein investigation, has said his political opponents are behind the resurgence in interest in the case.

Prominent figures in MAGA world rushed to Trump's defense after the Journal published its story.

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Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit, Vice President JD Vance wrote on X. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it.

Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? Vance added.

Even Elon Musk, whose relationship with the president has recently appeared to sour, said the letter really doesnt sound like something Trump would say and sounds bogus.

Other high-profile MAGA figures and far-right activists, including Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec and Laura Loomer, deemed the letter  which The Wall Street Journal did not publish in its entirety  a fabrication.

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Im calling bullshit on this Trump 'birthday letter' to Epstein, Loomer said. Its totally fake. Everyone who actually KNOWS President Trump knows he doesnt type letters.

Trump has faced backlash from his base in recent days for his administrations handling of the Epstein case. After hyping up files from the investigation that were rumored to expose a global client list, the president and his top officials have said there is nothing more to be learned from the unreleased material. Trump even lashed out at some of his own supporters as weaklings for believing the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.

The FBI and DOJ reported last week there is no client list and reaffirmed that Epsteins 2019 death in a federal jail was suicide.
As a cadre of Maine foresters and ecologists shuffled down the sun-baked roads of Surry Forest on Wednesday they were faced with the same sweltering heat they are trying to prepare Maines coastal forests for in the face of climate change.

Like much of Maines coast, this 2,100-acre tract of land likely hosted shady, lichen-covered stands of red spruce forests before it was heavily harvested and succeeded by sun-tolerant species like oak and aspen.

But since the tract was purchased by the Blue Hill Heritage Trust in 2017, ecologists with the University of Maine have been working with the Blue Hill group, state foresters and others to try and restore red spruce to Surry Forest. The effort is part of a regional research project studying how best to manage coastal spruce forests under intensifying heat and drought.

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A lot of the places that had red spruce along the coast of Maine don't have it anymore for a variety of land use and management reasons, said Jay Wason, the University of Maine professor spearheading the project, during Wednesdays workshop. We want to better understand where red spruce is along the coast of Maine and what its current condition is.

The breadth of challenges that climate change and land use pose to red spruce are laid bare in a forest management guide by Rose Gellman, a UMaine master of forestry student, that was published as part of the project.

The coastal spruce forests where Wabanaki people have lived for millennia shifted from seeing low-intensity fire and cultivation to heavy harvesting with the arrival of European settlers, Gellman writes. Since then, most Maine forests have been cut at least twice over.

Despite a transition to more precise harvesting techniques in recent years, coastal spruce forests have not recovered, and climate change models show their habitat range will shrink significantly by 2060.

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These downward trends havent robbed Gellman and other spruce proponents of hope, however. The guide and accompanying research serve as resources for foresters like Jw Harriman of Blue Hill Heritage Trust to consult as they push restoration efforts forward.

In Surry Forest, Harriman has been experimenting with a management technique to open up the forest and plant sun-tolerant species of oak to leverage their broad leaves and create layered, shady habitat that spruce thrive in.

The initiative has been set back by deer and caterpillars that have nipped away the oak leaves, yet Harriman and forester Nicole Rogers with the Maine Forest Service say it has been helpful in determining what works for spruce restoration and how to strengthen Maine forests more broadly.

I might want this to be a full blown red spruce forest, and that just may not happen in my lifetime anyway, Rogers said. If we as a community can communicate with each other about what worked and what didn't work, that would be huge.

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Rogers added that preparing Maine for climate change means looking to species beyond red spruce to build forest resilience to heat, storms and other threats.

Elsewhere in Surry Forest, Kathy Pollard is practicing that ethos by planting white oak, black walnut and other fruit-bearing trees that have historic ranges in lower Maine and further south as part of her ecology work with Know Your Land Consulting.

Pollard, who is of mixed European and Cherokee descent, leads the organization with her daughter Ann Pollard-Ranco, a Penobscot Nation citizen, to bring indigenous sustainability practices to the Blue Hill Peninsula and cultivate trees for food production.

With climate warming, a lot of those trees are going to be marching northward, Pollard said, while other Maine trees like beech that feed wildlife are under threat. So if you put out American chestnut and black walnut in some places where (beech) thrive, those will be producing food and kind of substituting what's being lost.

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The workshop ended a few miles away at Pennys Preserve, under the cool canopy of a red spruce stand. A smattering of light green mosses and lichens covered the forest floor, illuminated by soft beams of sunlight filtering through dense spruce branches.

The stand is emblematic of the broader aims of the Coastal Spruce Project. Its among several that UMaine PhD student Colby Bosley-Smith is plotting, measuring and monitoring along Maines coast.

She and Wason, the project coordinator, say this vibrant, century-old stand and others that Bosley-Smith has identified can inform foresters about the conditions where spruce flourish and how spruce respond to ongoing challenges posed by climate change.

'Im hoping that this is the start of a lot more renewed research and interest in better managing and conserving these forests, Wason said.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Wednesday, the U.S. Senate moved to cut $9 billion in funding already approved by Congress, specifically targeting public media and foreign aid programs.

The package would cancel $1.1 billion previously approved to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. Around $8 billion would go to foreign aid programs. The package now moves to the House for final approval. For the cuts to take effect, it needs to move through the House before Friday; otherwise, the Trump administration would be obligated to spend the money.

The legislation, known as a recessions package, passed the Senate by a narrow margin of 51-48. All Democrats opposed the legislation along with two Republicans. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the lone Republicans who voted against the legislation.

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My Democrat colleagues may not want to acknowledge it, but we have a serious spending problem in this country, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said during a floor speech on Tuesday. And the very least we can do in response is to target some of the egregious misuses of taxpayer dollars that we are addressing today in this bill.

The general manager of WKAR, Shawn Turner, said there is overwhelming support for public media.

I have no doubt that there is more public support for public media than it represented in the vote that we saw in the Senate yesterday, Turner told 6 News. This is not just my belief, but we have data to suggest that across this country. The majority of Americans believe in the value of public media.

WKAR laid off nine employees earlier this month in preparation that this already-approved funding would be cancelled by Congress. Public media has faced uncertainty in the age of this Trump administration, which has little support for public media and foreign aid.

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Our full interview with Turner can be watched above.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Shivansh Tiwary

(Reuters) -United Airlines executives said on Thursday the company has seen strong bookings in the past three weeks, with the carrier gaining pricing power for the first time since February.

If the trend continues, they expect the company's revised full-year profit estimate would prove to be conservative.

On Wednesday, the Chicago-based carrier forecast an adjusted 2025 profit in the range of $9 to $11 per share.

"Demand feels to us like it has inflected upward and is returning toward the normal trend line," CEO Scott Kirby told analysts on an earnings call.

The upbeat commentary drove up the company's shares 3% higher in mid-day trade. Shares of rivals Delta Air, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines also rose.

In April, United took an unusual step of offering two different earnings forecasts as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war dented consumer and business confidence, making it harder for carriers to predict their business.

Kirby said while demand stabilized after the pullback in March and April, it finished the first half about 5 percentage points weaker than the airline's original estimate.

Passage of Trump's tax and spending bill and improvements in the geopolitical situation in the Middle East have boosted the travel demand outlook, he said.

While there is still little clarity on the tariff front, Kirby said most businesses now have a much better plan to deal with it.

"As uncertainty has declined, we've seen an improvement in book revenue, including a double-digit acceleration in business demand," he said.

United executives said the industry's efforts to slash unprofitable flights would boost airfares in the second half of the year.

Kirby likened the situation to last year when reduced supply of airline seats drove up ticket prices, fueling a rally in airline stocks.

"From a supply perspective, it's deja vu all over again," he said. "This is almost the exact same setup that we had a year ago."

Still, Kirby expects United and rival Delta to generate the bulk of the industry's profits this year, thanks to a diversified revenue stream, including premium cabins.

United's premium cabin revenue was up 6% in the second quarter from a year ago. The gap in premium and non-premium passenger revenue per available seat mile was 6 percentage points.

Encouraged by the results, company officials said they plan to further ramp up investments in premium products and capacity in coming years.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
SETTLERS HURL stones at Palestinians during the annual harvest season, near the settlement of Yitzhar in 2020. (photo credit: NASSER ISHTAYEH/FLASH90)

In a region where every word can carry ideological weight, the question of who gets labeled a settler isnt just about where someone lives. Its about who they are and what they stand for.

In the wake of the killing of Palestinian American Saif Musalat in the West Bank, a heated discussion broke out in our newsroomnot only about the incident itself, but about one word: settler.

The suspects arrested were two Israeli civilians, described in most media outlets as settlers. But even that label sparked debate. Were they residents of officially recognized Israeli communities on land captured during the 1967 Six-Day War? Were they part of one of the many unauthorized outposts scattered across the West Bank? Or were they ultra-nationalist activists from inside Israels pre-1967 borders, who had come to build or defend a new hilltop encampment, making them settlers not in a residential sense but perhaps in a functional one?

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This isnt just semantics. The term settler carries political, legal, and moral implications. It shapes how readers interpret events, how governments frame policy, and how activists draw battle lines. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where words are weapons, few are more fraught than this one.

Settler is not a neutral descriptor. In English, the word entered common use in the early 17th century to describe people establishing permanent communities in sparsely inhabited areas. At first, the term evoked ideas of pioneering and self-reliance. But during and after the age of European colonialism, it grew heavier with meaning, often associated with conquest, displacement, and injustice.

In todays activist and postcolonial discourse, settler frequently implies illegitimacy, occupation, and even violence. That shift in meaning has colored its modern use, especially in contested areas like the West Bank.

Settler youth at Hilltop 26 near Kiryat Arba, one of the protest points for outpost settlement, July 21, 2022. (credit: NAHALA SETTLEMENT MOVEMENT)

What does 'settler' mean in Israel?

In the Israeli context, settler typically refers to any Jewish resident living beyond the 1949 armistice lineswhat many call the Green Line. That includes communities in the West Bank, the annexed neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. But even this broad definition oversimplifies a far more complex reality. The West Bank, for example, is widely referred to within Israel by its biblical names: Judea and Samaria.

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In Hebrew, the nuance is clearer. Two common terms are mitnahel, which tends to denote ideologically motivated settlers in politically contested areas, and mityashev, which has a more neutral or even nostalgic tone, evoking early Zionist agricultural pioneers and kibbutzniks. These distinctions are often lost in translation, especially in foreign media.

To some observers, settlers are a distinct group within Israeli society, set apart by ideology, religious commitment, or geographic location. To others, they are simply Israelis who happen to live beyond the Green Line. In this view, a family living in Ariel is no different from one living in Ramat Gan, and theres no meaningful legal or moral distinction between the two.

In radical anti-Israel circles, the term settler is applied even more broadly. Some activists refer to all Israeli Jewsregardless of where they liveas settlers, asserting that the entire State of Israel is a colonial project. From this perspective, Tel Aviv and Tel Rumeida are equally illegitimate.

That contrast in usage reflects the deep divides not just over territory, but over history, legitimacy, and identity.

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Adding to the complexity is the fact that West Bank settlers are not a monolithic group. While some are deeply ideological and view their presence in the territory as a religious or nationalist imperative, others move to these areas for more practical reasons. For many young Israeli families priced out of the housing market inside the Green Line, especially near the countrys economic center, settlements just over the line offer significantly more affordable options. For these residents, the decision is often driven more by the cost of living than by political conviction.

Inside Israel, there are legal differences among Jewish communities beyond the Green Line. East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been formally annexed and are fully under Israeli civil law. Residents of those areas are not typically referred to as settlers by most Israelis. The same is sometimes true for residents of large, long-established West Bank communities that receive official recognition and support from the Israeli government.

But internationally, those distinctions matter little. Most countries and international legal bodies consider all Israeli civilian communities beyond the 1967 linesincluding east Jerusalem and the Golan Heightsto be illegal under international law.

For Palestinians, the term settler is almost always pejorative. The settlements are seen as encroachments on land designated for a future Palestinian state, and the continuing expansionespecially under the current Israeli governmenthas been viewed as a major obstacle to any viable two-state solution.

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If settler is already a complicated word, the issue becomes even murkier with the phenomenon of the hilltop youtha loosely organized group of a few hundred young, religious-nationalist activists who frequently spearhead the establishment of unauthorized outposts across the West Bank. These individuals often clash not only with Palestinians but also with the Israeli military and police. They tend to act independently, though often with quiet support, or at least noninterference, from state officials. Despite their small numbers, their confrontational tactics have made them a disproportionately visible and controversial presence on the ground.

Separate from the hilltop youth is a much larger group: the approximately 20,000 to 30,000 Israelis who live in unauthorized settlements, outposts, and agricultural farms throughout the West Bank. These residents may share ideological or religious motivations, but most do not engage in violence or confrontations.

According to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now, there were approximately 270 unauthorized outposts across the West Bank as of May 2025. Some of these are now slated for retroactive approval by the current coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has aggressively expanded settlements and approved new construction projects.

Together, the activities of the hilltop youth and the broader issue of outpost expansion have drawn sustained international scrutiny and become a recurring source of media attention and diplomatic friction.

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As of 2025, about 529,000 Israeli Jews live in communities across the West Banknot counting those in annexed east Jerusalem. When those areas are included, the number climbs to between 700,000 and 737,000.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, bristles at the way the term settler is used to paint an entire population. Youre labeling an entire population, 150,000 normative Israeli citizens in Judea and Samaria, based on the actions of a tiny fringe, he told The Media Line. To talk about settler violence is almost a racist concept.

His figure150,000may refer to residents of more ideologically driven or controversial settlements. But even if so, that leaves a wide and diverse settler population, ranging from ultra-Orthodox communities to secular suburbs, from fully legal towns to remote and often illegal hilltop encampments.

The stakes of terminology are high. Calling someone a settler can suggest they are part of a movementpolitical, religious, or territorialthat may or may not align with how they see themselves. It can influence how violence is reported, how responsibility is assigned, and how peaceor its absenceis discussed.

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Critics of the term argue it unfairly conflates a wide range of people with the actions of a small minority. Supporters of the term argue that it accurately names a system of population movement that, in their view, undermines Palestinian sovereignty and violates international norms.

In a region where every word can carry ideological weight, the question of who gets labeled a settler isnt just about where someone lives. Its about who they are, what they stand for, and whether they belong.

For journalists, diplomats, and readers alike, understanding that complexity is crucial. No word arrives without baggagebut some carry more than others. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, settler may be one of the heaviest of all.
SELANGOR, Malaysia (AP)  Hunched over his workbench, Tan Chin Seng shaves the wooden top plate of a violin, removing thin layers with slow, deliberate strokes. The work is meditative, out of the public eye. For Tan, transforming raw wood into a violin is a labor of artistry and love.

The 45-year-old is Malaysias first professional violin luthier, or maker of string instruments like violins, cellos and guitars. Over the past decade, he has earned international accolades. Now he mentors a new generation of makers in a field still little-known in Southeast Asia.

Traditionally, violin luthiers are associated with Europe, where masters like Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri shaped the modern violin. The craft has spread globally, with thriving communities now in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

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Tans path to violin-making was unconventional. A computer science graduate who doesnt play the violin, he was helping in his familys food business and co-owned a music school. In 2010, a trip to China to restore an aging violin sparked a deeper fascination with the instruments construction.

Curiosity led him to apprentice with Chinese luthier Han Zhao Sheng, and he built his first violin.

After completing the first violin, I knew this craft was for me, Tan said. Theres woodworking, carpentry, artistic design. Theres chemistry, acoustics, physics  everything about violin-making, I like it. Turning wood into music is just amazing.

What followed was, in Tans words, a crazy devotion. He flew back and forth to Beijing for more training, then traveled to Italy to study under other luthiers. In the early days, he would spend up to 16 hours a day hunched over wood, perfecting every curve and contour. In 2015, he committed to violin-making full time.

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The process is painstaking, often taking hundreds of hours to create a single violin and requiring intense focus. His studio, Deciso, located in a suburb near Kuala Lumpur, is cluttered with chunks of aged wood, chisels and jars of hand-mixed varnishes.

Tan crafts up to 10 instruments a year, using spruce for the top plate  the wood is prized for its resonance  and maple for the back, sides and neck. Sourced from Europe and at an annual wood fair in Shanghai, they are aged for years to ensure tonal quality and prevent warping and cracking.

Each violin begins with carving and smoothing the wooden boards to precise dimensions. Tan said the top and back plates are shaped to exact thicknesses that affect resonance. The ribs are bent and assembled, and the scroll is hand-carved at the neck. Varnish  often a luthiers secret blend  is applied in thin layers for protection and tonal influence. The last steps include cutting the bridge and stringing the instrument.

Tans early years were challenging. Some Malaysian clients compared his handmade work to mass-produced instruments. But business grew after he won international awards in Italy and beyond.

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Today, he builds violins  and occasionally violas and cellos  mainly on commission. Half of his clients come from abroad including France, Germany and Hong Kong. Each violin sells for 12,000 euros ($14,000).

Tans journey has inspired others. While most of his students are musicians and young people, few pursue it as a trade due to the demands of the craft. Still, some have followed in his footsteps including Chan Song Jie, Malaysias first female violin luthier.

Today, there are two other full-time violin luthiers in the country, both trained by him. Tan notes that the domestic market is still too small to support many more.

I would say passion is not enough, Tan said. Were all crazy. Everyone in this workshop  you see  theyre all crazy. We just love the work too much.
NEW YORK  Zohran Mamdani and Hakeem Jeffries huddled together in private conversation Friday in Brooklyn, their first face-to-face meeting since the young socialist remade the Democratic landscape with his decisive win in the primary for New York City mayor.

The high-stakes confab capped a whirlwind week for Mamdani. He was toasted by influential labor leaders, grilled by big business execs and Jewish elected officials, and embraced by House progressives who see him as the future of the Democratic Party. Before he met Jeffries on Friday, Mamdani had secured the endorsement of the citys largest private-sector union. But the sitdown between the ascendent Democratic nominee and the top House Democrat in their hometown was the most anticipated moment of all.

It did not go as Mamdani hoped it would.

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In an office space in East New York  a predominantly Black and working-class corner of Jeffries district  Mamdani and Jeffries began getting to know each other. Mamdani had arrived seeking an endorsement and left about an hour later with only the promise of another meeting.

It was a sign of how cautiously Jeffries is approaching Mamdanis new and evolving role in the Democratic Party. The House minority leader has stressed that he does not know the 33-year-old democratic socialist who rocketed to national fame after defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month. Jeffries has also underscored the daylight between him and Mamdani, including on the candidates defense of the phrase globalize the intifada, which Mamdani has ever so slowly begun to walk back .

The meeting between Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani was constructive, candid and community-centered, with a particular focus on affordability, Jeffries spokesperson Justin Chermol said in a statement, adding that their conversation touched on public safety, antisemitism, gentrification and Democrats fight to control the House in 2026.

That midterm fight in congressional battlegrounds across the country is a chief reason Jeffries must tread carefully. Beginning on primary night, Mamdani has been vilified by Republicans as the far-left menace representative of the Democratic Partys near-future direction. The National Republican Congressional Committee has issued a barbed statement making Mamdani the face of the Democrats each time he meets with high-profile House members. Swing-district Democrats  including Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen of Long Island, which borders New York City  have already put some distance between themselves and Mamdanis policies.

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But Mamdani is the heavy favorite to become the next mayor of New York City. And even the candidates fiercest critics from within the party have acknowledged that his platform to create a more affordable New York City is a winning message for them all. Democrats lost their chance at the House majority in 2024 when Republicans were able to better convince voters that theyre the party focused on cost of living and quality of life.

The East New York section of Brooklyn where the Mamdani-Jeffries summit took place was a stronghold for Cuomo in the primary. Its a pocket of the borough that has gentrified more slowly with some promised development there stalled.

Gentrification  a topic of discussion in the two Democrats sitdown  has been a flashpoint in the broader analysis of how Mamdani won. He turned out new voters in a multiracial coalition, but the core of his base in the primary was white, affluent and highly educated residents of Queens and Brooklyn. Jeffries political operation has nicknamed emboldened democratic socialists threatening to primary House incumbents Team Gentification, according to CNN.

The statement issued by Mamdanis spokesperson after the Friday meeting echoed the one from Jeffries team.

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As a next step, both agreed to reconvene soon with additional members of the New York City delegation, along with key community leaders, Mamdani spokesperson Jeffrey Lerner said.

Mamdani also has the endorsements of four New York City House Democrats: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velazquez, Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat. Several of the others  including Reps. Greg Meeks, Ritchie Torres and Yvette Clarke  have voiced varying degrees of concern about Mamdani and reserved their endorsements.

Mamdani met Wednesday in Washington with House progressives convened by Ocasio-Cortez, his fellow Queens legislator and democratic socialist, to share his campaign organizing and communication tips.

Nadler has been arranging meetings between Mamdani and Jewish elected and community leaders in New York City. The Democratic nominee for mayor has also been in closed-door talks with business and tech leaders skeptical of his rise and his platform.

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Earlier Friday, Mamdani was endorsed by the 1199SEIU health care workers union, showing that he is undoubtedly the labor candidate even if hes not yet the choice of mainstream Democrats.

Mamdani will face Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden in the November general election. Cuomo and Adams are running as independents.
Could Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, who's running for mayor of Minneapolis, become the next Zohran Mamdani?

Mamdani, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from New York City, stunned the nation's political world last month by coming from behind to convincingly win the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in the nation's most populous city.

With his victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates, Mamdani took a big step toward becoming New York City's first Muslim and first millennial mayor.

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Like Mamdani, Fateh is a Muslim Democratic socialist and, at 35, a fellow member of Generation Y.

Mamdani Nyc Mayoral Primary Victory Further Inflames Longstand Democratic Party Divides

Democratic socialist Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, center, who is running for mayor of Minneapolis, has been compared to New York City's Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani, as he runs for mayor, is pushing an agenda that includes eliminating fares to ride New York City's vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) "tuition-free," freezing rents on municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.

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Fateh, the son of immigrant parents from Somalia who five years ago became the first Somali-American elected to the Minnesota Senate, pledges if elected mayor to raise the city's minimum wage, increase the supply of affordable housing, and combat what he calls police violence.

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Rnc Chair Argues Mamdani Face Of The New Democratic Party

Republicans have been relentless in taking aim at Mamdani and his far-left proposals. They are repeatedly trying to make him the face of the Democratic Party while also attempting to anchor him to vulnerable Democrats up for re-election in next year's midterms.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party's nominee for mayor of New York City, speaks during a campaign rally on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

While not grabbing the kind of media frenzy that surrounds Mamdani, Republicans and conservatives have started targeting Fateh.

Charlie Kirk  the conservative host and MAGA-world rockstar who leads the influential Turning Point USA political youth organization - recently took aim at Fateh over his Muslim identity.

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Potus Punditry: Trump Weighs In On Mamdani-cuomo Nyc Mayoral Faceoff

On Saturday, the Minneapolis Democratic Farmer Labor Party (the name of the Democratic Party in Minnesota) meets to decide whether to make an endorsement in the city's mayoral race. Insiders say the party will likely either back Fateh or stay neutral and not endorse any candidate.

There are other candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) that are grabbing attention in municipal races across the country.

Among them is Michigan's Denzel McCampbell, who is running for the Detroit City Council in District 7. McCampbell has a history of working on issues like voting rights.

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In Ithaca, New York, student organizer Hannah Shvets won a primary to represent the city's Ward 5.

Shvets, who is pushing a platform focused on affordable housing, climate action, public safety reform, and government transparency, is supported by the Ithaca chapter of the DSA.





Original article source: Mamdani-mentum: Who are the other socialist candidates soaring among Democrats
A 50-year-old man was gunned down just outside his home on a dead-end Queens street  and NYPD detectives were investigating whether the fatal shooting was motivated by a love triangle, a police source with knowledge of the case told the Daily News.

Cops on Friday arrested the shooter, 55-year-old Jose Centeno, charging him with murder and weapons possession, cops said.

Antonio Cantor was shot repeatedly on 119th St. near 28th Ave.  just a few steps from Flushing Bay  in College Point around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, cops said.

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Cantor lived on the block and may have been returning from a grocery run when he was ambushed. On Friday, a grocery bag was found dropped on the sidewalk inside the crime scene tape. Food and other items were seen spilling out of it.

Just outside the shooting scene, a blood trail led around the corner to a little patch of grass overlooking Flushing Bay.

I only heard the shots, of which there were five, local resident Franklin Arcentales, 28, told the Daily News. In a matter of seconds, five police cars and two ambulances arrived.

Arcentales didnt recognize Cantor, he said.

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Detectives believe Centeno is the estranged husband of Cantors girlfriend, who was outraged that the two were dating, the source said. The couple was separated, but not divorced.

It wasnt immediately clear if the woman was present when the victim was shot to death.

The quiet, narrow block ends at the bay and has five small single-family homes on one side. A metal warehouse takes up most of the other side of the street.

When police arrived at the scene, Cantor had been shot multiple times in his chest and stomach, officials said.

EMS rushed him to New York-Presbyterian Queens, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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Im so sad right now, said a woman named Dain, who works at an industrial building on the block and knew the victim. He was the best guy [on] the street.

Dain said she spoke to the victim just a few hours before he was killed. I just saw him last night at 7, she said. I cannot believe this. He told me, I see you tomorrow, just last night.

Dain, who usually spoke to the victim before and after work, remembered him as a conscientious neighbor with a loving family. He always cleaned the whole street, she said. He cleaned the street every day.

Centeno sped off in a black SUV with two other men, police said. He lives about a mile from where the shooting took place, police said.

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At his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court Friday night, prosecutor Veronika Podoprigora argued that Centeno was a flight risk due to the strength of the evidence against him and a potential long prison sentence.

The defendant fired a firearm multiple times causing the victims death, Podoprigora said, noting that the shooting was caught on video. Podoprigora also referenced Centenos volatility, stating that Centeno and the victims girlfriend, Centenos ex, had been broken up for more than a decade before Centeno allegedly shot him.

Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar ordered Centeno held without bail. His next court date is July 25.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The driver of a car in which a woman was killed over the Fourth of July weekend is facing several charges, including DUI, according to Nevada State Police.

Court records show Jose Guadalupe Mora, 34, is facing charges of vehicular homicide, driving with a revoked license, failure to maintain a lane, and driving a vehicle without, or tampering with, a breath interlock device.

Trooper Shawn Haggstrom said Mora was arrested for suspicion of DUI after being treated at a local hospital.

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Man says U.S. denied visa to enter after his wife died in Clark County crash

The crash occurred on Saturday, July 5, on I-15 near Moapa, about a 50-mile drive northeast of Las Vegas. Moras passenger, 41-year-old Gloria Maria Vega, died from her injuries three days after the crash.

Navas husband, Evaristo Vega, who lives in Mexico, believed the driver died in the crash. He was shocked to learn that Mora survived and is facing serious charges.

Gloria Vega Nava, 41, died of wounds she suffered in a car crash over the Fourth of July holiday, according to the Clark County Coroners Office. (Evaristo Vega)

He added that the U.S. government denied his emergency visa to enter the country to settle his wifes affairs and claim her body for burial. As of July 16, her body remained at the Clark County Coroners office.

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Vega told 8 News Now that he self-deported from the U.S. in 2017 and was waiting for the 10-year ban to end so he could start the process to reapply for admission. In the meantime, he is planning to reapply for the emergency visa.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Man accused in Goddard Walmart shooting pleads not guilty

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A man charged with shooting and paralyzing a high school senior outside a Goddard Walmart last year has pleaded not guilty.

Ruben Contreras entered the plea Thursday in Sedgwick County District Court. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery.

Man pleads not guilty in Halloween shooting case

The shooting happened on May 11, 2024, outside the Walmart in Goddard. Authorities say 18-year-old Anakin Zehring and friends were firing a toy gel blaster in the parking lot when they hit a girl. Investigators say she called her father, Contreras, who came to the scene and shot Zehring.

Ruben Contreras first appearance on May 15, 2024 (KSN Photo)

Zehring, a Campus High School senior, was critically injured and is now paralyzed.

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A preliminary hearing included video evidence and witness testimony, including from Zehring. Prosecutors say Contreras knew his daughter wasnt in danger; the defense argues he was protecting her.

Contreras is set for trial on Nov. 3.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.




NEED TO KNOW

Lachlan Young, 23, pleaded guilty mid-trial to murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hannah McGuire, and burning her body in her car in Ballarat, Australia

Young's friend testified that he planned the April 2024 killing because McGuire, 23, was leaving him

McGuires parents expressed relief at the guilty plea





A man admitted in court this week to killing his ex-girlfriend and burning her body in her car, interrupting his ongoing murder trial with the confession.

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Lachlan Young, 23, pleaded guilty in Ballarat, Australia, on Friday, July 18 to murdering 23-year-old Hannah McGuire last year, according to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Company, the Australian Associated Press and News.com.au. The deal comes eight days after his murder trial began in Victorian Supreme Court. He previously pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said Young admitted to killing McGuire on April 5, 2024 and setting her body on fire in her car, but previously claimed the woman's death was an unplanned and spontaneous event," the AAP reports. McGuire's body was reportedly dumped in a bushland.



During the trial, Young's friend, Benjamin O'Keefe, testified that Young planned to crash McGuire's car with the woman still inside "because she was leaving him and she was going to take the house and other things," according to ABC.

O'Keefe further told the court that he witnessed Young setting fire to the woman's car but did not know she was inside, the AAP reports.

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In court, McGuire's parents, Debbie and Glenn McGuire, alleged that Young mistreated their daughter, per ABC.

The parents, who reportedly own a local pub called National Hotel Clunes, did not speak to the media but shared their reaction to the plea in a Facebook post.

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"No other result would have been fitting," the post reads. "All for you Hannah, my sweet girl. Something tells me, its going to be a big night at the Nash."

According to the news outlets, Young is expected to be sentenced at a later date.



Read the original article on People
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A 46-year-old man was arrested after disregarding a courts child support orders, according to the news release by the El Paso County Constables Office for Precinct 3.

Joel Diaz was arrested on Thursday, July 17, on an active warrant for criminal non-support with a $3,000 bond, the Constables Office said.

Joel Diaz. Photo courtesy of the El Paso County Constables Office for Precinct 3.

The Constables Office said Diaz failed to appear at a court hearing, disregarding the courts child support orders.

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Constable deputies located Diaz along the 5600 block of Rosa Avenue, where he was then processed at the El Paso County Jail and posted the $3,000 bond in cash, the Constables Office said.

The Constables Office said the $3,000 will be applied to the child support money that is still owed.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The Brief

An airplane had to make an unplanned landing after a midair disturbance with a passenger.

The flight, which was routed from Omaha to Detroit, landed where police arrested a Nebraska man.

Police say more charges are possible as an investigation is ongoing.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A flight from Omaha to Detroit had an unplanned landing after a passenger disturbance while in the air.

What they're saying

Police from Cedar Rapids, Iowa said at 6:13 p.m., they were called to the Eastern Iowa Airport following an in-air disturbance by a male passenger on a SkyWest flight from Omaha to Detroit.

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The flight was then diverted to Cedar Rapids where officers met up with the flight and arrested the accused man.

Police say the passenger has been identified as 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj from Nebraska and he was taken to the Linn County Correctional Center.

Dig deeper

Nikprelaj has been charged with:

Disorderly Conduct

Assault

Possession of Prescription Medication

Tax Stamp

Harassment 1st Degree

Police say more charges are possible as an investigation is ongoing.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the plane was headed from Iowa to Michigan. The plane was from Omaha but landed in Iowa after the disturbance.
(Reuters) -Sweden's Volvo Cars said on Wednesday it would start producing its XC60 mid-size SUV in its plant in South Carolina, United States from late 2026.

The shift highlights the automaker's exposure to U.S. President Donald Trump's auto tariffs, as it imports most of its hybrid and electric models from Europe.

XC60's sales in the United States rose by almost 23% in the first six months of 2025, the Gothenburg-based company said, adding that the model was most popular among U.S. customers.

Volvo Cars, which is owned by China's Geely Holding, had said earlier this week that it was booking an impairment charge of 11.4 billion crowns ($1.17 billion) in the second quarter related to its ES90 and EX90 models due to tariffs and launch delays.

Most of Volvo Cars' vehicles for the U.S. market, which last year accounted for 16% of group sales, are imported from Europe. The company only produces its high-end SUV EX90, at the Charleston, South Carolina factory. CEO Hakan Samuelsson has earlier said that a popular hybrid model was needed to be added to the plant.

The company's CEO had said earlier in April that the carmaker would produce more cars in the U.S, while also ramping its regionalisation efforts.

Samuelsson had told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) that Volvo Cars would need up to two years to expand its U.S. car production. "In the short term, within one to two years, it will be about selling the cars we have," he said to DN, adding the situation would put pressure on profit margins but that customers will also have to pay more.

($1 = 9.7057 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru and Marie Mannes in Gothenburg; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Shailesh Kuber)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WRBL)  A man at the center of this weeks joint federal, state, and local law enforcement raids made his initial appearance in court Friday.

Cesar Campos-Reyes, 52, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Auburn, Alabama was previously wanted by federal authorities. A federal grand jury indicted Campos-Reyes, charging him with four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering.

Officials say Campos-Reyes is accused of defrauding COVID relief programs and misusing more than $225,000 in funds intended to help small businesses survive the pandemic.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man in custody after federal agents raid Mexican restaurants across Opelika-Auburn

Campos-Reyes pled not guilty to all charges in todays hearing. His trial date is set for November 3, 2025, and a detention hearing is set for July 23 to determine whether he will remain in custody pending trial.

If convicted on all counts, Campos-Reyes faces up to 30 years in federal prison and significant financial penalties. There is no parole in the federal system.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ICE, FBI, and Federal Task Force raid restaurants across East Alabama

During the July 15th operations, three Mexican nationals were also arrested and now face federal charges.

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Luis Miguel Campos-Reyes and Isaac Fernandez-Lopez were each charged with harboring and unlawfully employing aliens, an offense punishable by up to one year in prison. Marco Antonio Guzman was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

All three are scheduled for their initial appearances in court Friday afternoon.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Following a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle Thursday night, Nashville authorities discovered a convicted felon, along with a sawed-off shotgun.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, detectives from the Violent Crimes Division spotted a 2019 Ram pickup truck speeding on Interstate 65, just before the Rosa L. Parks Boulevard exit, with its headlights off shortly after 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 17.

Third teen charged with homicide after Dickerson Pike shooting, Metro police say

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Officials said the detectives kept an eye on the vehicle until a police helicopter was overhead. Damarius Fite, 25, reportedly drove to the 1600 block of 22nd Avenue North, where he got out of the truck and was taken into custody.

Law enforcement said they recovered a sawed-off shotgun with an altered serial number from the vehicle, which had been reported stolen just after 12:15 a.m. on Thursday.

(Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

According to authorities, Fite  who has previous convictions for aggravated assault, burglary, and theft  is now charged with vehicle theft, reckless driving, possession of a firearm as a felon, driving on a suspended license, possession of drug paraphernalia, and alteration of the serial numbers on the shotgun. He is being held in the Downtown Detention Center on a $76,000 bond.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON)  A San Jose man who was called baby killer by a key witness appeared in court Friday to face new murder charges.

Philip Michael Ortega was previously charged with murdering Baby Winter, who was poisoned at home by fentanyl allegedly supplied to her parents by Ortega. The Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office announced new murder charges were filed against Ortega for the death of Baby Phoenix, who was poisoned by fentanyl at home in 2023 just three months before Baby Winter died.

Ortega appeared in court alongside Phoenixs father, 40-year-old David Anthony Castro, who is also charged with murdering the infant.

David Castro is seen in a 2023 mugshot provided by the San Jose Police Department.

The DAs office wrote, New evidence shows that Castro sought and Ortega provided drugs to Castro the night before his daughter was found dead in the home. Ortega also provided the deadly drugs that led to the death of Baby Winter just 91 days later.

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District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, The senseless deaths of these two little girls broke our hearts yet hardened our determination to hold responsible the people whose recklessness killed them. The fact that the same man provided the fatal drugs that took the lives of Baby Phoenix and Baby Winter within a handful of months of each other is beyond shocking.

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon struck down a gag order request from defense attorneys that would have barred prosecutors from speaking to the media. Castro and Ortega pleaded not guilty. If convicted, they could face life in prison.

Phoenix and Winter shared tragically similar lives at home, according to court documents. Their mothers and fathers were all drug addicts who used the same drug dealer, 33-year-old Ortega, investigators said.

The murder charges now connect the two separate child fentanyl overdose cases that outraged the community and led to deep scrutiny and changes in the countys practices of trying to protect children in abusive households, the DAs office wrote Friday.

Baby Winters parents, Derek Rayo and Kelly Richardson, are seen in mugshots provided by the San Jose Police Department.

Both babies fathers told San Jose Police Department detectives similar stories about how they died. Castro claimed that he fell asleep with Phoenix on a couch watching television, and when he woke up, she had died. Winters father, Derek Rayo, told detectives that he may have rolled over on top of Winter while they were co-sleeping together in a bedroom.

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Winters parents waited more than 12 hours before calling 911 to report that their daughter was dead. Castro delayed calling for medical help for hours while he scrambled to get someone to bring him synthetic urine from a nearby smoke shop to hide his drug use, the DAs office wrote.

Phoenix and Winter have the same official cause of death: a toxic combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the medical examiners autopsies.

Ortega was living with Baby Winters parents in San Jose when she died. He had previously lived with Baby Phoenixs parents at a different San Jose home. His story about where he was, and what he was doing, when Winter died has changed several times in conversations with witnesses and detectives, according to court documents.

Winter was 19 months old when she died on August 12, 2023 inside her parents bedroom at 1550 Huddersfield Court. Her mother, Kelly Richardson, and father, Derek Rayo, were at home when Winter passed away, investigators said.

Kelly Richardson listens in court on Nov. 27, 2023. (KRON4 image)

Richardson, Rayo, and Ortega are all slated to stand trial for the murder of Baby Winter.

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Rayos defense attorneys wrote, Derek Rayo may not have been a perfect father, but he did not murder his beautiful daughter. The prosecution utterly failed to present evidence that Mr. Rayo  acted with a malignant heart that would give rise to liability for implied malice.

Investigators found messages sent to Ortega through his social media accounts and phone. In one of the messages, a woman who regularly bought fentanyl from Ortega called him a baby killer, according to court documents. The woman told investigators that she had warned Ortega to not use drugs around Winter, prosecutors wrote.

Mr. Ortega was blowing smoke all around the baby. (The woman) got mad and told Mr. Ortega that she didnt do that around kids. Mr. Ortega told her it was not a big deal, stating, I always do this. Its fine, nothings going to happen to her, court documents show.

Fentanyl was found on Baby Phoenixs pink onesie. (Photos via Santa Clara County Superior Court)

Phoenix was only three months old when she died the day before Mothers Day, May 13, 2023, with fentanyl powder splotched on her pink onesie. Phoenixs mother, Emily DeLaCerda, arrived home from rehab and screamed, My baby is dead, a police report states.

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In the hours leading up to his daughters death, Castro had sent text messages to his drug dealer asking, You got that strong s**t? Let me know. court documents state.

Castro had sole custody of Phoenix, and they lived together in an apartment at 5479 Spinnaker Walkway. DeLaCerda was either in jail or rehab for the majority of her daughters very short life. DeLaCerda died from a fentanyl overdose on September 16, 2023 inside the same apartment on Spinnaker Walkway, police said.

Castros defense attorneys are currently fighting for his case to be diverted out of criminal court and into mental health treatment programs, a legal process called Mental Health Diversion. The defense argues that the fathers mental disorders  primarily drug addictions  make him suitable for Mental Health Diversion.

The drug dealer, Baby Phoenixs father, and Baby Winters parents remain in jail without bail. A preliminary hearing for Ortega and Castro will begin on July 28 at the Hall of Justice courthouse.

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(FOX40.COM)  After only one day of trial, a jury has found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights guilty on Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography.

 Video above: How to report a public safety threat

Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced that, according to evidence that was presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Coltons home, law enforcement found his laptop that contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young adults.

Officials said that the jury heard the evidence between July 2022 and December 2023, of when Colton downloaded depiction photos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material had been saved on his computers desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites.

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The case is a product of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting.

The United States Department of Justice stated that Colton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A Drozd on Oct. 27. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

USDOJ said the actual sentence is going to be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory facts and the federal sentencing guidelines, which consider several variables.

Project Safe Childhood brought this case to the authorities, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, officials said.

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For more information about Project Safe Childhood, click here to see the website. When on the website, click on the resources tab for information about internet safety education.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
The Brief

Gregory Eugene Hall Jr. was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2024 shooting of an unarmed man at Lake Allatoona, with charges including aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Hall claimed self-defense, but a jury rejected this, finding his actions malicious and intentional, as he shot the victim three times, including twice after the victim collapsed.

Prosecutors emphasized Hall's prior felony convictions and invoked Georgia's recidivist statute, leading to his sentencing as a repeat offender with the possibility of parole.

CANTON, Ga. - A Lithonia man convicted in the 2024 shooting of an unarmed man at Lake Allatoona was sentenced Thursday to 35 years in prison, officials announced.

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Gregory Eugene Hall Jr., 44, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis following his conviction last month on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

SEE ALSO: Actor and veteran Maurice Winsell recovers after Father's Day shooting at Allatoona Lake

The backstory

The charges stem from a Fathers Day incident on June 16, 2024, when Cherokee County sheriffs deputies responded to a shooting at the day-use area of Sweetwater Campground around 6 p.m. Investigators said Hall shot the victim three times in a parking lot, once while the man was standing and twice more after he collapsed.

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Eyewitnesses told authorities that Hall pulled a gun on the unarmed victim and fired, then paused and fired again as the man lay on the ground. Hall fled the scene in a gray Nissan SUV, deputies said.

Bystanders rendered aid until first responders arrived. The victim was rushed to a hospital, underwent emergency surgery for major internal injuries, and remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks.

Hall was arrested shortly after the shooting and claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging the victim was intoxicated and physically aggressive. A Cherokee County jury rejected that claim during Halls trial, which concluded June 26 with guilty verdicts on all counts.

At Thursdays sentencing hearing, the victims statement detailed the severe pain and emotional trauma he continues to endure. Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence under Georgia law, citing Halls prior felony convictions and invoking the states recidivist statute.

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Judge Davis sentenced Hall as a repeat offender, ordering him to serve the full 35-year sentence, with the possibility of parole.

What they're saying

"The evidence in this case clearly showed that the defendants actions were malicious, intentional, and not a matter of self-defense," said Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Visockis, who prosecuted the case. "He brandished a weapon and fired three times at an unarmed man. After firing the second shot, he paused, then maliciously fired a third time at the victim, who was already seriously injured and lying on the ground."

"The public has an unequivocal right to safely enjoy shared spaces without the threat of armed violence," said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. "In this case, a convicted felon unlawfully brought a firearm into a public setting, recklessly endangering the life of an unarmed individual. Such conduct poses a grave threat to our community and will be met with full accountability under the law."

The Source

The Cherokee County District Attorney's Office provided the details for this article.




NEED TO KNOW

A man has died after he was pulled into an MRI machine by his necklace, according to police in New York

The 61-year-old victim was wearing "a large metallic chain around his neck" when he entered a room where an MRI was in progress, police said

The man was then "drawn into the machine" and subsequently experienced a "medical episode," they added





A man died after he was pulled into an MRI machine by his necklace, authorities said.

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Police responded to a 911 call at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, N.Y., just after 4:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 16, and learned a 61-year-old man experienced a medical episode after he was caught in one of the machines, according to a news release from the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD).

The man is said to have been wearing a large metallic chain around his neck when he entered an MRI room while a scan was in progress.

As a result, the man was drawn into the machine, which led him to experience a medical episode, police said.

The man was transported to a local area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, they added. In an update shared on Friday, July 18, police said the man had "succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased by a hospital physician" on Thursday, July 17.

GoogleMaps Nassau Open MRI, where the incident occurred on Wednesday, July 16 Nassau Open MRI, where the incident occurred on Wednesday, July 16

MRI machines use powerful magnets to scan bodies for diseases and ailments while producing images of non-bony parts or soft tissues, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

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Patients are typically asked to remove any metal and electrical objects from their person before undergoing an MRI.

Dr. Payal Sud, who works at North Shore University Hospital in the same county where the incident occurred, said the dangers of not following such instructions could be catastrophic, according to CBS affiliate WCBS-TV.

It underscores why we have all the safety precautions in place," Sud added.

According to Sud, patients face injuries such as asphyxiation and cervical spine injuries should they not follow the directions.

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.

"If this was a chain that was wrapped around the neck, I could imagine any kind of strangulation injuries that could happen, he added.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to the NCPD.



Read the original article on People
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  The San Francisco Police Department is investigating a Tuesday afternoon stabbing at an apartment in the citys Tenderloin District.

Suspect in custody in police activity on Edgewater Drive in East Oakland

According to SFPDs crime report log, the incident happened 4:30 p.m. on McAllister Street. Police stated the assailant went to the victims room, and the man was immediately stabbed with a knife after he opened the door. Police did not disclose the relationship of the two and if they were roommates.

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The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he has life-threatening injuries.

It is not clear if the weapon was recovered at the scene. The motive and circumstances surrounding the stabbing are under investigation.

Police have not made any arrests in the case and have not released a suspect description.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
The Brief

A suspect, Corey Thompson, is now charged with a second murder while he was on the run in December 2023.

Thompson is accused of killing Francisco Manriquez in Balch Springs just days after allegedly killing Roderick Butler in Dallas.

Ballistics testing delays at the Dallas County crime lab contributed to the delay in the second murder charge.

BALCH SPRINGS, Texas - A man already in jail on a Dallas murder charge has now been charged with another killing in North Texas, police say.

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The suspect had been connected to the Balch Springs incident in 2023. Now that he's been officially charged, the police department spoke with FOX 4 about the incident for the first time.

Dallas prisoner charged with Balch Springs murder

The backstory

On Dec. 20, 2023, a masked man with a rifle shot and killed Roderick Butler at an ATM off McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas.

Even before an arrest was made, the Dallas Police Department told FOX 4 it believed Butler was targeted, calling it an "isolated incident," adding, "theres not a danger to the public."

It took police six days to identify Corey Thompson as the suspect and issue an arrest warrant, but FOX 4 learned the shooting was seemingly random.

Corey Thompson (Source: Dallas Police)

Now, Thompson is charged in a second murder during the six-day span he was on the run.

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A representative of the Balch Springs PD spoke on the crime allegedly committed by Thompson.

What they're saying

Francisco Manriquez, a father to three girls, was dropping off his girlfriend Christmas morning when investigators say Thompson drove by their vehicle and shot Manriquez in the head.

"We believe that its going to be a random murder. We dont believe that they were targeted," Pedro Gonzalez with PSPD said.

FOX 4 spoke with Manriquez girlfriend in 2023.

"I couldnt even look up at the time that they were shooting because everything was so fast. I was scared for my life," said Josselin Morales. "I just dont want to keep playing it all over and over again in my head. Im tired of crying."

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Early on, Balch Springs investigators said Thompsons white Lincoln SUV was the suspect's vehicle, and Thompsons ex-girlfriend told police he had "extreme paranoia" and admitted to "committing two murders."

But before filing an arrest warrant, the department says its been waiting on ballistics testing from Dallas Countys crime lab for a year and a half.

"And with the backlog, it just took a long time for us to get those results," said Gonzalez.

When Thompson was arrested by Dallas police in 2023, officers recovered a "rifle-style firearm."

The Balch Springs arrest warrant reads: "The weapon was found to be consistent in class and characteristics with the ballistic evidence recovered from the Balch Springs crime scene."

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The 46-year-old received his Balch Springs murder charge last month. Gonzalez says Thompson is not cooperating "at all" with their detectives.

The delay in the charge is not necessarily hurting anything, because Thompson has been in jail since December 2023 while awaiting trial for the Dallas murder.

All cases happened while Thompson was out on bond for felony criminal mischief, misdemeanor assault and terroristic threats to family.

What's next

The Rowlett Police Department tells FOX 4 Thompson is also a person of interest in a shooting at an intersection, during the same period as the two murders.

The Source

Information in this article came from the Balch Springs Police Department and previous FOX 4 coverage.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man is now dead after an officer-involved shooting in Jackson, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

TBI says it started around 3:30 p.m. when Jackson officers spotted a car believed to be involved in a road rage incident in a parking lot on Old Hickory Boulevard.

The driver was seen with a gun, and when officers approached him, he is accused of firing a shot.

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Officer accused of shooting at road rage suspect placed on leave

At that time, TBI says an officer returned fire. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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TBI has identified the driver as 52-year-old Christopher Pierce.

No officers were reported injured.

It is still unclear if Pierce died as a result of the officer firing shots at him or if it was self-inflicted, TBI says. However, they say an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of his death.

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This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Man denied bond after young nephews accidentally shoot selves with gun

A judge denied bond for a man accused of leaving a gun unsecured. Police said his nephews got a hold of his gun and ended up getting hurt.

The accidental shooting did not end in a death or serious injuries, unlike the previous incidents Channel 2s Michael Seiden has covered.

Still, a judge denied bond for Ahmad McGrit, 20, a man accused of leaving his gun unsecured. His nephews got a hold of his gun and ended up getting hurt.

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Seiden was in the DeKalb County courthouse Thursday afternoon when the judge said bond would be denied despite McGrit showing remorse for his alleged actions.

They are his nephews, and it was a complete, horrible accident. But he does have a lot remorse for it, said Madison Dodge, McGrits attorney.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Stone Mountain police arrested and charged him on Wednesday after investigators say his two nephews, ages 7 and 3, went inside his backpack, grabbed his gun and then accidentally fired it.

The shots left both boys with non-life-threatening injuries, but this is just the latest incident involving children and unsecured guns.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

And in many cases, the children arent as lucky.

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According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that tracks gun violence throughout the U.S., so far this year, the country has seen at least 103 unintentional shootings by children. The shootings have resulted in 45 deaths and 60 injuries.

The group also reported that Georgia is among the 10 states with the highest rates of unintentional shootings per 1 million residents younger than 18.

The real goal, I think, for the state should be to prevent these injuries from happening in the first place, said Georgia state Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek.

She is one of the authors behind HB-1, also known as the Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act. It requires that any firearm that can be accessed by a minor be stored securely.

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Au says if signed into law, it would also create a new misdemeanor offense for adults who are negligent with their guns around children and help prevent previous tragedies like the ones seen in the state.

Our goal is to prevent access in the first place, because that mitigates harm, she said.

Just to give an idea of how often this is happening: Two days ago, Norcross arrested and charged a father after his 3-year-old daughter found his gun on the bed and shot herself. Shes expected to survive.

Earlier this month, another dad was staying at an Airbnb with his 3-year-old son in East Point when his child got a hold of his loaded gun and accidentally shot and killed himself.

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(Bloomberg) -- Top bosses at some of Wall Streets biggest banks emphasized the importance of an independent Federal Reserve as the long-running saga between President Donald Trump and central bank Chair Jerome Powell intensified.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Bank of America Corp.s Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.s David Solomon joined JPMorgan Chase & Co.s CEO Jamie Dimon in stressing the importance of the Feds autonomy. Moynihan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday that the Fed was set up to be independent.

Jane Fraser, who runs Citigroup Inc., said in a statement that the independence of the Federal Reserve drives its credibility. It is critical to the effectiveness of our capital markets and US competitiveness.

Trump has repeatedly assailed Powell for holding off on cutting rates, with administration officials confirming in recent days that a process to select a successor  Powells term as chair isnt set to expire until May 2026  is underway. Analysts have warned that if Trump were to oust Powell it would roil financial markets and lead to a serious legal showdown over the central banks independence.

Trump denied on Wednesday that hes seeking to remove Powell, after a White House official had said that such a move was discussed in a meeting with congressional Republicans on Tuesday night. Trump again attacked Powell on Wednesday, labeling him a knucklehead who has been too late to lower rates.

Dimon said on Tuesday that the Feds continued independence is absolutely critical. That doesnt just mean under Powell, whom Dimon said he respects, but also for whomever eventually succeeds him. Meddling with the Fed can often have adverse consequences, the CEO said during his banks second-quarter earnings call.

Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon said in an interview on CNBC that Fed independence, particularly when it comes to monetary policy, is super important.

I think central bank independence, not just here in the United States but around the world, has served us incredibly well, he said Wednesday. Its something we should fight to preserve, he added.

Bank of Americas Moynihan said its also a presidents right to appoint the next Fed successor through Congress. And any successor will have to navigate the rates question, he said.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)  A man allegedly involved in a 2017 fatal crash in North Haven has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after being deported and appeared in court on Thursday.

39-year-old Darwin Francisco Quituizaca-Duchitanga was first encountered by Border Patrol in 2003, according to court documents, and was deported to Mexico.

ICE releases statement regarding arrests of 4 Southington car wash employees

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Quituizaca was later arrested in March 2018 on charges related to a 2017 fatal car crash on I-91 in North Haven.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encountered Quituizaca in August of 2018 in Meriden and arrested him on a warrant while he was awaiting trial for the fatal car crash.

He was ordered to return to Ecuador in September 2018 by an immigration judge, but was transferred to state custody on his pending charges related to the car crash.

Man arrested by ICE in Connecticut was wanted for murder in Mexico

Quituizaca was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in Connecticut Superior Court in January 2019. He was released from prison at an unknown date.

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ICE encountered and arrested Quituizaca again on Aug. 15, 2023 and he was deported to Ecuador in September 2023.

It is further alleged that Quituizaca illegally reentered the United States and was arrested by ICE again on June 28 in Meriden.

The investigation is still underway by ICE and Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
A 20-year-old man from Panorama City has been charged in the death of his girlfriends 5-year-old son whose body was found near a dumpster.

Brycson Malik Gaddis faces felony charges of murder and assault on a child causing death, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said Friday.

Gaddis, whos sometimes been identified as Malik Brycson Gaddis, allegedly killed 5-year-old Elyjiah Hearn and left his body in a mall parking lot in the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, where it was discovered on Saturday.

Police are seen at a death investigation in Panorama City where a child, estimated to be 3 or 4 years old, was found dead on July 12, 2025. (KTLA) Two people were arrested in Panorama City Tuesday night in an operation reportedly tied to the death of a toddler found dead less than a half mile away on July 12, 2025. (RMG News) Police are seen at a death investigation in Panorama City where a child, estimated to be 3 or 4 years old, was found dead on July 12, 2025. (KTLA)

Prosecutors believe the boy was actually killed the day before, July 11, in an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street, which is located about half a mile from the parking lot.

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This is truly a heartbreaking and horrific case, and our deepest sympathies go out to the young victims family, said District Attorney Nathan Hochman. We are committed to seeking justice and will ensure this defendant is held responsible for his actions.

Gaddis is set to be arraigned in the Van Nuys Branch of L.A. County Superior Court on Aug. 18.

Hes being held at the Los Angeles Police Departments Valley Jail in lieu of $2 million bail and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN)  Police arrested a Wampum, Pennsylvania man as part of a stalking investigation in Canfield.

Read next: Youngstown police find makeshift apartment in closed school building on North Side

A woman who worked at a business in Canfield called police on June 3 to report that she had been receiving friend requests from an Instagram account that made references to her workplace. According to a police report, the account used terminology that was specific to the business.

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She told police that the first friend request was sent April 14 and the bio line read: I just want to see your face. Youre beautiful.

On May 23, the bio line was changed to read: Youre insanely beautiful. Look in when u walk by. Our timing is never quite right. Wave your hair so I know you know [sic], according to the report.

The bio later changed three more times but became sexual in nature, the woman reported. She said phrases that the account used were specific to their workplace and what she was wearing.

On June 6, the woman reported the account to Instagram, but told police the sexual references continued and she received another friend request on June 10.

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Police received a subpoena for records related to the account and were able to obtain an IP address, email address and phone number for the account. The company where the woman worked had a phone number for an employee, 38-year-old Matthew Edmiston, that matched the phone number used to create the account, the report stated.

Police arrested Edmiston on Tuesday on his way to work. Police said Edmiston admitted to sending the friend requests but said he didnt know what he had sent constituted criminal acts, the report stated.

Edmiston faces charges of menacing by stalking and telecommunications harassment, both first-degree misdemeanors. He was arraigned Tuesday and is set to appear in court again for a pretrial on August 22.

The company where he worked banned him from the property, the report stated. Court records state that he was also ordered not to contact the woman who reported the incident.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
Jul. 17A man recently released from custody in Oregon allegedly wandered through downtown Whitefish in late June, scratching parked vehicles with a coin.

Arrested at the Whitefish Depot on June 28, 30-year-old Anthony Robert King faces a felony criminal mischief charge in Flathead County District Court. King pleaded not guilty before Judge Dan Wilson on July 10 and remains in the county jail with bail set at $20,000.

Whitefish Police officers began searching for King after receiving a report of a man allegedly trying to break into an SUV parked in front of a downtown Whitefish eatery about 8:40 a.m., June 28, according to court documents.

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While there, the officers were flagged down by a bystander who reported damage to his 2023 Toyota 4Runner. A vandal had scratched the exterior from the front bumper and hood to the rear passenger door, court documents said.

A different bystander waved over another officer a few hours later to report extensive scratching to his 2017 GMC Yukon, which was parked downtown, according to court documents.

About 45 minutes later, a caller reported watching an individual walk from car to car, allegedly scratching them with an object as he went. The individual then went inside the train station, the caller told police.

Heading inside as well, officers crossed paths with King  the only individual in the depot matching the description given to them by witnesses, they said. King allegedly told officers he had keyed several vehicles using a nickel.

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Officers found paperwork on King from Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon indicating his recent release from custody on two counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief. The documents outlined the conditions of his release, which included a requirement that he remain law-abiding.

Following King's arrest, investigators received several more reports of damaged vehicles, including a scratched 2022 GMC Sierra, 2025 GMC Yukon, 2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2008 Chevrolet Corvette and a 2021 Toyota Highlander. At least two of the vehicles were damaged about the same time officers began looking for King, according to court documents.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.
Editors Note: In an update Friday morning, D.C. police announced that the stabbing is being classified as a death investigation.

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Detectives in D.C. are investigating after a man was stabbed to death in Northeast on Friday morning.

The incident happened just minutes before 1 a.m. on July 18 in the 100 block of Fort Drive NE, according to police.

Details are limited; however, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told DC News Now that officers were called to the area for an unknown situation. However, when they arrived, they located a man unconscious and not breathing with a stab wound.

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Medics tried to save him, but he died at the scene.

DCs Juvenile Curfew Zone expands to U Street corridor

As of early Friday morning, the victims name has not been released.

In an update, D.C. police said the stabbing is now classified as a death investigation.

Detectives encourage anyone with information about the incident to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

Check DCNewsNow.com for updates. To keep up with the latest news and weather updates, download our Mobile App on iPhone or Android.

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CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas (KETK) A man was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after he shot and killed two brothers in Jacksonville in 2023.

According to the Cherokee County District Attorneys Office, on April 22, 2023, Coray McCuin and Tony McCuin were leaving a home on Clemons Drive in Jacksonville when Dexter Lynn Davis fatally shot them and ran from the scene.

Mugshot of Dexter Lynn Davis, courtesy of the Cherokee County District Attorneys Office

Pains me deeply to go: Overton fire chief retires citing drama, internal conflict

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Officials said Jacksonville police officers responded to the scene and began working the investigation, where they gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses. Officers later found Davis in a hotel room at the Truckers Inn in Jacksonville. While Davis was being questioned, he made statements corroborating his role in the murders.

A jury trial was originally scheduled for August 2025. However, Davis entered a guilty plea on Thursday, admitting to the killings, the DAs office said. As part of the plea

agreement, Davis was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for a prior burglary conviction, with that sentence stacked on top of the life sentence.

LIST: What to know about every Texas DPS alert

The DAs office credited the swift actions of Jacksonville PD for quickly arresting Davis and helping deliver justice to the McCuin family.

You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  The identity of a man killed in a shooting at East Lake Park was released Friday morning.

23-year-old Cameron Demijah Little was shot and killed at the park on 84th Street North around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Jefferson County Coroners Office reports.

Man killed in Walker County shooting

An investigation by Birmingham police showed a group of men and women had met at the park prior to the shooting and unknown circumstances led to shots being fired, police report.

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One other victim was injured in the shooting. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crimestoppers at 205-254-7777.

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WENDOVER, Utah (ABC4)  A man reported missing from the West Wendover area was found dead several days after his vehicle was located north of Wendover.

According to Tooele County Sheriffs Department, Salvador Canejo Pedraza was last seen by his family on June 20th in West Wendover. He left his home around 7 p.m. that night and did not report to work over the weekend, which was highly unusual for him. His family said that his wallet was left at home.

Search efforts continue for missing hiker in Tooele County

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On June 22, Tooele County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle at the Leppy Pass area near the Salt Flats. They determined that the vehicle belonged to Pedraza.

Salvador Conejo Pedraza, courtesy: Tooele County Sheriffs Department

Detectives were able to confirm that his vehicle passed through the I-80 Echo Port of Entry on June 21, and surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showed his vehicle traveling on Bonneville Speedway Road multiple times between June 20 and 21. According to the Sheriffs Department, the vehicle was traveling towards the area where it was later found.

On July 1, the Sheriffs Department stated that they had conducted multiple search efforts involving K9s, drones, and search and rescue teams since the vehicle was found, but Pedraza was not located.

On Thursday, the Sheriffs Department posted on social media that Pedraza was found deceased. They stated that his death is actively being investigated and that additional information will be released as it becomes available.

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They did not indicate whether foul play is suspected at this time.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Pedraza family during this difficult time, Tooele County Sheriffs Office wrote. We appreciate the publics patience and understanding as we allowed the family time to process this heartbreaking news before making a public announcement.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  After a federal lawsuit was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, a state lawsuit has now been filed in connection to the 2022 incident involving a Colorado Springs Police officer that left 31-year-old Jacob Root paralyzed.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), around 1:30 p.m. on May 16, 2022, law enforcement located a stolen car in the parking lot of a motel in the 3900 block of North Nevada Avenue, just south of Austin Bluffs Parkway. CSPD said Root was driving the stolen car, and when officers tried to contact him, he hit a marked patrol car as he sped away, and officers did not chase after him.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man who fell after being hit by stun gun blames officer for paralyzation

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About 20 minutes later, officers once again located the stolen car at a gas station east of Memorial Park. Root was reportedly walking from the store to the stolen car, and when he spotted officers approaching, he ran from them. CSPD Officer Robert Comstock ordered Root to stop, and when he continued to run toward Airport Road, Officer Comstock used his taser, causing Root to fall forward down a rocky slope onto the pavement. During his treatment at the hospital following his arrest, Root was found to have been paralyzed by a broken neck.

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Any time there is a use of force, especially when it results in serious bodily injury, it is imperative for our department to look critically at the decision-making and context surrounding the use of force. As such, CSPD initiated a level two internal affairs investigation into the use of force by Officer Comstock, CSPD said in a case of interest release that includes the body-worn camera footage of the incident. After review through the deputy chief, Officer Comstock was exonerated from any policy violation or wrongdoing. CSPD stands by the findings of this internal review. Officer Comstock is a valued employee and is in good standing with the department.

In 2024, Root filed a federal lawsuit against Officer Comstock, alleging the officers use of force violated CSPDs own policies forbidding the use of a stun gun on a surface where a suspect could fall and the use of a stun gun without warning a suspect. Root was seeking $100 million from Comstock, in addition to the revocation of his Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, which would prevent the officer from working in law enforcement.

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On Friday, July 18, 2025, the law office representing Root sent a release stating that the federal lawsuit had been dismissed without any findings of fact on the grounds that the suit was the jurisdiction of the state court. Roots law team is appealing that decision, but said it has also filed the lawsuit in state court.

CSPD said it does not have any further comment on the matter.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
A local family says they were duped after selling a pricy piece of equipment on Facebook Marketplace.

Allison and Shawn Calhoun listed a floor buffer for $800. When a man agreed to pay all cash, they agreed to lower the price to $500.

That man came to pick up the equipment and pay for it on Sunday night. Since he has not been charged with a crime, were not using his name or showing his face.

He got here and kind of seemed off a little bit, Allison Calhoun said. I dont know if he was nervous or what.

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The Calhouns gave us their home surveillance video, which shows the man pulling out a large wad of cash, folded in half and handing it to Shawn Calhoun, who in turn hands it off to Allison. Allison said at the time she was busy with her kids.

Only after he left did they count the cash - $500 in one large wad. It seems legitimate, but when you take a closer look, he back of each bill says Motion Picture Purposes at the very top where it usually says, The United States of America.

I was like I dont think this is real, Allison recalled. And he was like what do you mean?

The money was counterfeit.

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Honestly, I just started seeing red because the guy just ripped us off, Allison said.

The Calhouns say they called the man to give him a chance to return it or pay them before going to the police, but he hung up on them.

It just blows my mind, Allison said. I dont know the nerve of people. What even was he thinking?

Channel 11 reached out to State Police, who the Calhouns say came out and took a report that night. A spokesperson tells us theyre looking into this.

In the meantime, Allison and Shawn, who have five children, say that $500 meant a lot to them.

I was actually already telling my husband this is going to be a jumpstart on back-to-school start, Allison said. This year were going to have a kindergartener, first grader, fourth grader, and eighth grader.

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We reached out to the buyer in that video to get his side of the story, but so far, we havent heard back.

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Western Alliance Bank, a subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation, has announced a strategic initiative to consolidate its various divisions under a single brand name, Western Alliance Bank.

By the end of this year, the bank will rebrand six of its divisions, which include Alliance Association Bank, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank, and Torrey Pines Bank.

However, the AmeriHome Mortgage subsidiary and the Western Alliance Trust Company will retain their existing names.

For more than ten years, Western Alliance Bank and its divisions have operated under a unified charter, offering a variety of commercial banking services and consumer products while maintaining strong client relationships through tailored service.

Initially focused on markets in the western US, the bank has expanded its reach to encompass 17 national business lines, operating 56 offices and employing more than 3,500 staff across the country.

Western Alliance Bank president and CEO Ken Vecchione said: An exciting milestone as we continue to advance our National Commercial Bank strategy is achieving brand unity.

By year-end, the markets we serve and the clients who are so important to us will know us as one strong bank, offering unmatched industry expertise and unparalleled, best-in-class service.

As we move forward as one brand, our clients will enjoy seamless access to specialised services available through our national business lines, delivered by people they trust.

In 2023, Western Alliance Bank opened a new technology hub in Westerville, Ohio, investing $2.2m and creating 150 jobs.

"Western Alliance Bank to consolidate divisions under unified brand" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.




A man pulled out a gun at a "Good Trouble Lives On" protest at a high-traffic west Mesa intersection after an earlier argument between demonstrators and a Trump supporter.

Queen Creek resident Neal Scanlon said he was on a corner at the intersection of Dobson Road and Southern Avenue with several other protesters when a man in a pickup truck passenger's seat pulled a handgun on him.

Clifford M. Klooster, 64, was named as a suspect in an aggravated assault investigation on a victims' rights brochure that Mesa police gave to Scanlon. Klooster was not arrested, the brochure said.

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"I just went over to the window, and the guy is super agitated, and I could see his gun," Scanlon said. "I said, 'Are you gonna pull your gun now?' And so, he did."

The demonstration at the intersection near Banner Desert Health Medical Center and Mesa Community College was among more than 10 protests held July 17 in the Phoenix area as part of a nationwide day of action.

The protests were a rebuke of President Donald Trump and commemorated the day in 2020 that civil rights icon John Lewis died. Lewis was a U.S. representative who encouraged "good trouble, necessary trouble."

The truck, which had a U.S. flag and a flag with "Trump" written on it in capital letters attached to its bed, was stopped at the intersection when the gun was brandished, protesters said.

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Protester Marie McHugh, of Gilbert, said she witnessed the moment a gun was pulled on Scanlon. The Arizona Republic also obtained a photo of an object that appears to be a handgun being held out of the passenger window of the truck.

"Stuck right in his face," McHugh said.

The truck's driver had been in the area earlier and argued with demonstrators, protesters said.

At one point, the man who was later the truck driver shouted that Trump was right about everything, protesters said. He praised Trump's immigration policies and said he was an immigrant from Australia. In turn, protesters referenced the president's criminal record.

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"He was harassing us," said Meagan O'Connor, cofounder of the activist group Mesa Indivisible.

After the confrontation between the truck passenger and Scanlon, the truck drove off in the direction of the hospital. A Mesa police cruiser pulled out of a nearby gas station parking lot and followed the truck with sirens on. The truck pulled into a parking lot at the hospital, and other police vehicles arrived.

Scanlon spoke with an officer, while the truck driver and passenger also spoke with the police.

Scanlon said he was concerned about what his wife, who was not at the protest, would think. He said he regularly attended demonstrations, despite her worries that they may become unsafe.

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"If I tell her about this, she's going to kill me," he said.

'I pulled the gun out, but all I wanted was them to leave me alone'

Klooster told The Republic he did brandish a gun. He said that people gathered at the intersection tried to hit him and were kicking the truck.

I pulled the gun out, but all I wanted was them to leave me alone, Klooster said when reached by phone on July 19.

A man at the intersection approached the window and tried punching him, Klooster said. Before pulling the gun, Klooster knocked something out of a persons hand, he said. He did not know what the object was.

I don't know. I don't care. Because I wanted to get out of there because I was afraid, Klooster said.

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After Klooster and his friend, who was driving the truck, left the intersection, Klooster spotted a police vehicle in the hospital parking lot and urged the driver to stop, Klooster said. Once they were parked, they saw and heard other police vehicles on the street, he said.

Klooster said his friend wanted to pass by the protesters, and that was how they ended up at the intersection.

They were in the wrong, Klooster said.

Klooster said he did not receive a victims' rights brochure from police.

(This article was updated to add new information.)

Under investigation: College praised Mesa professor as students' sexual harassment complaints rolled in

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man pulls out a gun at Mesa 'Good Trouble' protest: See photos
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A person is dead after being found shot in a vehicle in Dayton.

Montgomery County Regional Dispatch confirmed a shooting was reported July 17 before 9:30 p.m. in the 500 block of West Fairview Avenue in Dayton. Dispatchers told 2 NEWS a male was located inside of a vehicle with a gunshot wound.

Shot fired at Beavercreek Home Depot; no active threat

Dayton Police Lt. Eric Sheldon said the man in the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The Montgomery County Coroners Office has since identified the man killed as 55-year-old Shawn Irvin. Irvins cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

As of date, the investigation remains ongoing.

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Nearly 13 years after skydiving from the edge of space, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has died during a tragic accident.

As the New York Post reports, Baumgartner was 56 when he took on what became his last stunt: flying a motorized paraglider near the town of Porto Sant Elpidio, a beachside resort off Italy's Adriatic coast.

According to the NYP's translation of the Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, the extreme athlete said he was feeling ill prior to his fatal accident. Though an air ambulance was called to the scene, its services were ultimately never used because Baumgartner's heart had stopped, the Bologna-based newspaper reported.

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Investigators on the case suspect that the Austrian adrenaline junkie may have had a heart attack while he was in mid-air that rendered him unconscious, which could have caused the literal death spiral that witnesses observed prior to him tragically crashing down near a swimming pool full of children.

"Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top," described Mirella Ivanov, a 30-year-old mother who saw Baumgartner's crash, told the Associated Press. "It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks. Then I saw two lifeguards running, people who were running toward."

The crash the young mother heard was likely the sound of Baumgartner's body and paraglider hitting a wooden structure nearby, the NYP notes based on another translation from the Italian-language Repubblica newspaper.

Porto Sant Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed his death shortly thereafter. In an interview with the AP, he eulogized Baumgartner and referenced his many daring feats of bravery, including the 2012 skydive where he filmed himself jumping from a balloon-lifted capsule that had ascended to Earth's stratosphere, breaking the sound barrier and eight world records in the process.

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"It is a destiny that is very hard to comprehend for a man who has broke all kinds of records," Ciarpella said of Baumgartner's death, "who has been an icon of flight, and who traveled through space."

A former Austrian military parachutist, Baumgartner had also, among many other stunts, thrown himself off Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue in 1999 in a so-called Building, Antenna, Span, or Earth (BASE) jump with only a parachute to slow him. When he was training for his stratospheric leap over a decade later, the athlete referenced that record-breaking Brazilian blowout  and admitted to National Geographic that his need for speed might eventually kill him.

"I know that I can die undertaking the kinds of jumps that I do," Baumgartner told the magazine in 2010. "When I was ready to BASE jump from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, only 95 feet from the ground, it crossed my mind that in less than three seconds I could cease to exist."

"I dont have a death wish," he concluded in that 15-year-old interview. "Im a person who likes a challenge."

More on athletic deaths: Another Young Bodybuilder Just Suddenly Died
The image of the man police are hoping to trace shows him with a walking aid or a crutch [Met Police]

The Metropolitan Police has released an image of a man it wants to trace after a Windrush exhibit was vandalised for the second time in Brixton, south London.

Officers received a report that a display board from the Windrush Untold Stories exhibition had been vandalised at Windrush Square at about 11:30 BST on Wednesday.

The suspect, who was described as aged 30 to 40, was captured on CCTV entering the square at about 09:50 BST. He was carrying a walking aid or crutch and was last seen walking northbound on Brixton Road past Morley's department store.

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The force said it did not believe the incident was linked to another incident of vandalism that happened on 3 July.

The exhibition features 20 portraits and first-hand accounts of those who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s.

Officers said they were keeping an open mind as to the motivations for the second incident.

Following the 3 July vandalism, a 24-year-old man was arrested and bailed while enquiries continue. Investigating officers said they did not believe the incident was racially motivated.

Det Ch Sup Emma Bond, who leads policing in the local area, said: "Both offences have understandably caused distress among the local community.

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"We are liaising directly with the exhibition organisers to keep them updated on both our investigations.

"There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and the public is encouraged to approach these officers directly with any concerns.

"We would also ask for help in identifying the man caught on CCTV  if you have any information please come forward."

Reports can be made to the police on 101 quoting CAD 5870/16JUL25.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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LE MARS, Iowa (KCAU)  An accidental shot from a firearm caused one man to be sent to a hospital on Friday morning, officials reported.

According to a release from the Le Mars Police Department, the Le Mars Police and Le Mars Fire Rescue were dispatched to Hy-Vee Gas after an accidental shot was reported.

Following the investigation, officials determined the victim was trying to unload and secure a firearm when it misfired, hitting his leg. After he accidentally shot himself, the man was transported to a local hospital.

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The attorneys for alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione accused prosecutors of unlawfully obtaining and reviewing their clients medical records in a Thursday letter to the court overseeing Mangiones New York criminal case.

The defense team is seeking sanctions that range from recusing prosecutors to dismissing the case against the former Gilman School valedictorian. They also want all communications between insurer Aetna and the District Attorneys Office, as well as sworn testimony from prosecutors and the insurance company, for a full evidentiary hearing on the issue.

Although they only requested Mangiones account number and the period of time during which he was insured, prosecutors received 120 pages, the entire designated record set, from Aetna when it provided Mangiones insurance, including medical diagnoses and statements he made about his health, according to the defenses letter.

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Once prosecutors received the dossier, they partially reviewed it, the motion says. The defense wants sworn testimony and computer forensic information regarding who reviewed which files, when and for how long.

The prosecutors false and fraudulent subpoena to Aetna listed a court date that was never scheduled and was signed by a member of the district attorneys office, not a judge, the defense says. Additionally, prosecutors received the records from Aetna directly, when proper procedure dictates that the judge should have gotten them first.

The defense team declined to comment; the District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to questions Friday.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA, protects patients private health information. It requires entities, such as health insurance companies, to refrain from improperly disclosing medical information and to limit disclosures to the minimum necessary amount for any given purpose, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

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By reaching a secret arrangement to have Aetna send the information to the District Attorney directly, and not to the Court, the District Attorney ensured that the confidential, HIPAA-protected, doctor-patient privileged information was not subject to challenge by the defense, the filing states.

Had the defense known about the subpoena, they would have objected on several grounds, the letter says.

It is clear that the District Attorney utilized a false and fraudulent subpoena to secure these confidential medical documents behind the back of both the Court and defense counsel so as to rush this case to trial in a manner that prejudices Mr. Mangione, it reads.

Mangiones next appearance in court for this case is scheduled for Sept. 16. His other cases, one in the federal court in New York and another in Pennsylvania, are proceeding separately.

This story will be updated.

Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks.
MARION, Ohio (WCMH)  One year after being arrested and charged with raping a 13-year-old girl, a Marion City Council member is suing Marion County prosecutor Ray Grogan and several members of his staff, accusing them of false arrest, wrongful imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel, and slander.

The rape charges against Marion City Councilmember Ayers Ratliff were filed in May of last year, but dismissed by Grogan in January.

The lawsuit claims it was clear to investigators from the beginning that the girl had mental health issues, and although she told them she made up the rape claim, for political reasons, they pursued the case anyway.

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Ratliffs attorney said he was forced to leave his home.

The lawsuit claims, The investigation was at all times incompetent, reckless, malicious and in blatant disregard for the truth and was conducted with actual malice.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
As President Donald Trump faces an escalating political firestorm over his broken promises to release the full contents of the Jeffrey Epstein files, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has turned her attention elsewhere: to drag queens, transgender people, and Pride parades.

On Thursday evening, Greene posted on X (formerly Twitter) that if Trump was guilty of anything regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats would have used it against him the past 4 years. She then pivoted into the kind of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that has become her trademark, accusing Democrats of defending drag queen story time, naked men dancing in front of children at pride parades and mentally ill men in girls and womens bathrooms.

 (@)

The post came just hours after The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump once sent Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday letter in 2003. The note, reviewed by the Journal, included typewritten text framed by a crude hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, with Trumps signature placed suggestively beneath her waistline. Trump denied authorship and threatened legal action.

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But the damage was already done. For more than a week, conservative influencers have openly revolted over the Trump administrations July 7 decision not to release additional Epstein files. In an unsigned Justice Department memo, it stated that there was no incriminating client list, a direct contradiction of years of MAGA messaging, including promises made by Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr.

On Thursday, Bondi said she was ready to move the court to unseal grand jury transcripts.

Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California who is the gay ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said he has no faith in the Trump administration to be truthful. Donald Trump is hiding something, Garcia told CNNs Kaitlan Collins Thursday night. He spent his entire campaign talking about releasing the Epstein files instead, hes betrayed his base and his promises.

Garcia said the sudden reversal and Bondis promise to release grand jury material selectively reflect a desperate strategy. I dont trust any process that Pam Bondi is going to be involved in, he said. Their entire job is to protect Donald Trump.

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Garcia stressed that this moment was created not by Democrats, but by Trump himself. This is here not because Democrats campaigned on it, not because we were talking about the Epstein files or what we thought were conspiracy theories, but because Donald Trump made it central to his win, he said. Hes betrayed his base.

This article originally appeared on Advocate: As Trump faces escalating Epstein scandal, Marjorie Taylor Green targets drag queens
Few things emblemize the exorbitant wealth of today's 1% like their mega-yachts and private jets. And Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently turned heads by adding another $300 million megayacht to his fleet.

TikTok influencer Brendan Fallis (@brendanfallis) recently shared a video of the 390-foot behemoth, which is named "Launchpad," sometimes styled as "LAUNCHPAD."

"A casual $30M per year to run," Fallis said. "Owning the Sicilian Sea right now."

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But while Fallis seemed to have a mix of admiration and disgust for the exorbitant craft, commenters were firmly in one camp.

"I would [be] embarrassed to flaunt that much wealth knowing they are people starving," one said.

"Bro probably goes out on that once every six years," another pointed out.

Industry publication YachtWorld described Launchpad as a "$300 million-dollar Launchpad for controversy," as the boat has been drawing negative attention for several reasons. One of them is just how it was funded.

"He sold your personal information for that yacht," one commenter said.

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But in addition to the resentment from Meta users  the vast majority of whom don't have a megayacht, or any yachts at all  there's been a lot of criticism for the pure exorbitance and corresponding pollution generated by the vessel.

Launchpad travels with its support vessel, Wingman, a $30 million support ship that's 220 feet long and outfitted with a helipad, a dive center and decompression chamber, smaller boat docks, and more.

Do you think billionaires spend their money wisely? Definitely No way Some do Most do Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Looks very environmentally friendly," one person said sarcastically.

Indeed, Launchpad recently docked in the town of Longyearbyen in Norway, which is the northernmost year-round human settlement. Considering that the town is actively facing threats from melting glaciers due to global heating, climate activists protested the megayacht's arrival.

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"If he thinks he can come to one of the most threatened and fragile places in the world with two yachts (while one of them emits 40 tons of CO2 per hour), without being criticised, he's thinking wrong," activist group Arctic Climate Action Svalbard (@arcticclimateaction) posted.

The frustration against what one commenter described as "America's oligarchs" has been mounting in recent years, particularly regarding the disparate amounts of pollution they emit. This is because, in addition to the massive mansions they own, their private jets and yachts generate exponentially more pollution and toxic emissions than other means of travel.

The numbers are astonishing. Research from Oxfam International found that the use of superyachts and jets by Europe's wealthiest citizens emits "more carbon pollution in a week than the world's poorest 1% emits in a lifetime." Similarly, the Guardian described owning a megayacht as committing "climate vandalism."

There have been increasing calls for more significant regulation and taxation on these planet-harming possessions of the uber-wealthy  or, as one TikTok commenter described them, "men with too much money"  but their pollution isn't set to disappear anytime soon, truly.

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However, choosing to support sustainable businesses and vote for climate-minded candidates is an excellent way to make your voice heard. And while one voice alone may feel insignificant, the collective power of consumer and civic action cannot be understated.

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.




MARSHALL, Texas (KTAL/KMSS)  Marshall Independent School District (MISD) won a Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) award.

Price T. Young Elementary excels in fine arts education

Only eight percent of the schools eligible to apply were awarded. The award is bestowed upon school districts for providing education that integrates visual arts to inspire creativity and build social and emotional learning. This is the seventh year for the award.

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Districts were required to submit documentation corresponding to the 14-point rubric provided by the state. Of those schools, only 109 met the criteria.

Nealy Holley, Chair of the Visual Art Administrators of Texas, said, Marshall ISD has set a high standard for visual arts advocacy, integrated visual arts curriculum, encouraged creativity, community participation, and student growth. It is a true testament to your visual art educators skill, dedication, and flexibility that the quality of their programs continued to provide strong and comprehensive visual art educational experiences to students.

MISD credits the student and visual arts staff for the award, including MISD Fine Arts Coordinator Melissa Hammers, Marshall High School art teachers Todd Camplin and Johnna Guillory, Marshall Junior High School art teacher Merriah Jackson, Price T. Young Fine Arts Academy art teacher Beth Aucoin, David Crockett art teacher Jessica Parsons, William B. Travis art teacher Coy Wallace, and Sam Houston STEM art teacher Karen Foster.

Erica Mills named new David Crockett Elementary School Principal

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MISD Superintendent, Dr. Richele Langley, said, I was thrilled to find out that Marshall ISD has been named a 2025 District of Distinction by The Texas Art Education Association. I have always said that Marshall is blessed with an inordinate amount of talent, and this proves my theory. I am so very proud of the students and staff that continue to provide our community with their creativity in the visual arts. This award sets Marshall ISD apart, as this accolade places us in the upper echelon of school districts across Texas, with only 8% of the districts being able to achieve this feat.

The awarded districts will be honored at the TAEA District of Distinction Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 21, in Round Rock, Texas.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
Oakmark Funds, advised by Harris Associates, released its Oakmark Fund second quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the second quarter, the fund underperformed its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, but outperformed the benchmark since inception. The largest contributors to performance were financials and consumer discretionary, at the sector level, while health care and consumer staples detracted. In addition, you can check the funds top 5 holdings to determine its best picks for 2025.

In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Oakmark Fund highlighted stocks such as Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C). Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is a diversified financial services holding company. The one-month return of Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) was 14.89%, and its shares gained 33.15% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 16, 2025, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) stock closed at $90.02 per share, with a market capitalization of $165.718 billion.

Oakmark Fund stated the following regarding Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter:

"Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) was the top contributor during the quarter. The U.S.-headquartered diversified banks stock price rose throughout the period after it delivered positive first-quarter 2025 results. Despite a volatile macro backdrop, management reiterated full-year guidance across all key measures and reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a double-digit return on tangible common equity target. Share repurchases stepped up during the first quarter, with management projecting further increases as the year progresses. Shares also benefitted from growing optimism around a more favorable regulatory outlook for banks, including potential capital relief that could support higher returns and distributions to shareholders."

An image of a customer in a bank carrying a bag full of documents and smiling confidently.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 96 hedge fund portfolios held Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) at the end of the first quarter, which was 101 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of C as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

In another article, we covered Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) and shared the list of stocks Jim Cramer shared insights on. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK)  The Martin House Childrens Advocacy Center in Longview is raising money for a newer and larger center to expand their services for teens and children affected by abuse.

Longview United Way celebrates raising over $1 million in 2024-2025 campaign

At a celebration at the Pinecrest Country Club on Wednesday, Martin House board member Michael Clements Jr. announced that theyve already raised $5,267,361 towards the $6,250,000 goal theyve set to fund their new 10,000-square-foot center.

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Thanks to the dedication of our capital campaign team and the generous gifts from foundations, community members, and corporate leaders, we have already raised $5,267,361, which is 84% of the total goal, Clements said. This is an incredible moment in our centers history and for creating safer futures for children in East Texas.

Their new center will be nearly three times as large as their current facility and will provide reported victims of sexual or physical abuse with trauma-reducing services. Currently, Martin House serves more than 800 children and teens annually in Gregg, Harrison, Marion, and Upshur counties.

When a child is at risk, help must be readily available, Martin House CEO Roxanne Stevenson said. Our new home will allow us to begin the healing process for victims of abuse earlier and gives us room to expand our programs and services so we can make a difference in the life of every child.

To learn more or contribute to the new center through their One Childs Future initiative, visit the Martin House online.

You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.

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An rsted wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. The company also has a lease off the Delmarva coast, but is not nearly as far along in the permit-approval process as US Wind. (Photo courtesy of rsted)

The Maryland Department of the Environment is defending the permit it issued to a wind farm proposed off the coast of Ocean City, after a challenge from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Thursday letter from Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain also said the state would not be reissuing the permit, as the EPA requested, because the state had not made a mistake that needed correcting.

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The EPA had contended that when Maryland issued the permit to Baltimore-based company US Wind, it identified the wrong process for citizens to file appeals.

Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, EPA administrator for Region 3, which includes Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states, contended in a July 7 letter that any appeals challenging the air pollution permit issued to US Wind should be filed to the clerk of the EPAs Environmental Appeals Board.

But Maryland argues that its permit would need to be appealed through the state courts, which would involve filing a challenge at the appropriate circuit court  in this case in Worcester County.

Notably, the due date for a state court challenge has already passed. It was set for July 14  about a month after MDE issued the permit, according to MDEs website.

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Long-settled procedure dictates that state-issued permits are appealed under State law, not Federal law, McIlwains letter says.

That letter also cites written decisions issued by the EPAs appeals board, including one that stated that the board lacked jurisdiction to evaluate this type of permit.

MDE will not re-issue the permit and will continue to follow the proper state procedures to consider appeals, McIlwain concluded, near the end of the roughly two-page letter.

In an emailed response, the EPA stuck to its guns. An EPA spokesperson said the agency had notified MDE that the final permit decision contains an error, with clear guidance on next steps. But they dont seem to care about complying with legal requirements.

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The MDE website for the US Wind project originally referenced both the state appeals procedure and the EPA process, but McIlwain said that information had been included at EPAs request. It has been removed, and language has been added clarifying that the Federal appeals process does not apply.

Authority to issue Clean Air Act permits like the one for US Wind is delegated to the state from the EPA  the basis of the federal agencys claim for jurisdiction for appeals. That authority, specifically for permits on the outer continental shelf, was re-certified in early 2024 under the Biden administration.

The US Wind project, which is planned about 10 miles from Ocean Citys shoreline, is the wind project that is closest to construction in this region. The company, which leased the area in 2014, received a key permit from President Joe Bidens (D) Department of the Interior at the end of 2024.

Final buildout of the project is still years away, but it calls for construction of 121 wind turbines, up to four offshore substations and one meteorological tower, according to the states website. When complete, the project could generate 2,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power up to 718,000 homes, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

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Practically since its inception, the project has faced fierce opposition from local officials in the resort town, who cite concerns that beachgoers would lose a pristine ocean view if the turbines were visible from shore.

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Since President Donald Trump (R) took office for his second term, offshore wind projects have landed in his crosshairs. Earlier this week, Trump announced that wind and solar projects would undergo increased scrutiny under his administration. Trumps Big, Beautiful Bill also rescinds tax credits for renewable energy projects that do not begin construction by next July.

In April, Trump appointed Blarcom-Lackey to lead the EPAs Mid-Atlantic office. She succeeded Marylander Adam Ortiz, who moved to a deputy secretary role at MDE.

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Two other companies have offshore leases in the vicinity of Ocean City and the Delaware beaches  rsted and Equinor. While rsted received its first lease area around the same time as US Wind, Equinor won its auction last year. Neither project have received its federal permits from the Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

 This story was updated at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 18, to include EPAs response.
The Brief

A Maryland man has been arrested and charged with making threats against Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Investigators say the suspect was a long-time employee at Voice of America.

He's accused of threatening to use firearms to kill Rep. Greene, her staff and their families.

WASHINGTON - A Maryland man is now facing federal charges after he allegedly made multiple threats toward Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The charges

What we know

Seth Jason, a resident of Edgewater, was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police and the Anne Arundel Police Department on the morning of July 17.

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Jason will make his initial appearance this afternoon before a magistrate judge in U.S. District Court.

He's been charged with influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

The backstory

According to the indictment, between Oct. 11, 2023, and Jan. 21, 2025, Jason made threatening calls to the Dalton and Rome District Offices for Rep. Greene.

Following an investigation, U.S. Capitol Police discovered that the phone calls were made from various phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of America headquarters, where Jason had worked as a longtime employee.

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In eight calls made over fifteen months, Jason threatened the use of firearms to kill Greene, her staff and their families.

Congresswoman responds

Full statement

"For 15 months, I received terrifying death threats from one individual who worked alarmingly close to my office building at the Voice of America. That kind of sustained, targeted harassment is deeply disturbing. I truly feared for my life, as I do with all of the death threats I receive. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Senior Advisor Kari Lake, the Capitol Police, and the prosecutors who took this threat seriously and acted decisively to stop someone who was planning to kill me. Threatening an elected official, their family, or their staff is not free speech; its a crime, and it must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My family and I are incredibly grateful. Justice must be served."
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks with reporters after a raucous town hall in the spring of 2025. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

An Anne Arundel County police reserve officer was arrested Thursday and charged in federal court with threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and her family.

Seth Jason, a resident of Edgewater, Maryland, was arrested early Thursday by U.S. Capitol Police and the Anne Arundel Police Department, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

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Jason faces one count each of influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure and anonymous telecommunications harassment, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court in the District of Columbia.

Federal investigators said Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and murder members of Greenes family between Jan. 26, 2024, and Jan. 8, 2025.

Additionally, Jason is accused of making threats directly against Greene between Oct. 11, 2023, and Jan. 21, 2025. Prosecutors allege in the indictment that Jason made the threats by telephone and attempted to hide his identity.

Greene is a MAGA conservative and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

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An investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police found the phone calls were made from various phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of America headquarters, where Jason had was a longtime employee. In eight calls made over 15 months, Jason threatened the use of firearms to kill Greene, her staff, and their families, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys office.

Jason is represented by Annapolis attorney J. Dennis Murphy, according to online court records. Murphy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

Anne Arundel County Police, in a statement, said Jason had served as a volunteer reserve agent since 2016. Reserve officers have no police authority and do not carry weapons. The department said Jason, following his arrest, is no longer affiliated with the department.

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MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)  A Marysville man who claimed God told him to kill is father has been ruled temporarily incompetent to stand trial.

According to court records, Micaiah Swindler has been deemed incompetent to stand trial after he allegedly stabbed and killed his father on April 21 in the 1400 block of Meadowlark Lane.

Columbus restaurant says it was targeted in ICE raid

Marysville police arrived at the north Marsyville home just after 12:30 p.m. after responding to a call from Swindler, who told a 911 operator, Im not gonna lie, I just killed my father. When asked why he attacked his father, Swindler reportedly said, God told me to.

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Swindler, 27, was placed in custody and taken to Tri-County Regional Jail, where he was being held on a $1 million bond. On Thursday, a Marysville Court of Common Pleas judge ordered an NGRI evaluation to assess the suspects competency and it was agreed that the post-evaluation report Swindler is not presently competent to stand trial.

The judge also ruled that Swindler undergo continued competency restoration evaluation and treatment in accordance with the law at the Timothy B. Moritz Maximum Security Forensic Unit of Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare for a period that shall not exceed one year.

Psychologists and other medical personnel will also file reports with the court as to when Swindler is capable of understanding the nature and objectives of the proceedings against him and in assisting in his defense.

A future status hearing has not yet been scheduled according to court records.

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BOSTON (WPRI)  The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and several other shelters across the state are waiving adoption fees for certain cats and dogs over the next week.

There will be two different fee-waived adoptathons. The first, dubbed PURR-OVER BREWS, will take place Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19.

RELATED: MSPCA taking in 50+ cats, dogs affected by Texas floods

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The MSPCA said adoption fees will be waived for cats that generally stay in shelters longer, including older felines and those with specific medical or behavioral needs.

The second adoptathon, called DROOL-ATTA, will begin Monday, July 21, and run through Sunday, July 27. The MSPCA said adoption fees will be waived for dogs over 1 year old, which includes several of the newly arrived dogs from Texas.

The following shelters are waiving fees through the adoptathons:

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The adoptathons were organized by the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support coalition in celebration of its one-year anniversary. The coalition first formed last summer and has since rehomed approximately 740 dogs and nearly 200 cats across the state.

The coalition was created in an effort to address the spike in the number of dogs entering shelters and staying there longer, according to MSPCAs Mike Keiley.

Were more capable of addressing these huge problems if we team up, he said. An obvious starting point was working together to find homes for dogs faster, and one of the ways weve done that is holding fee-waived adoption events throughout the year that have been hugely successful.

But Keiley said the coalition is so much more than that.

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Its a full spectrum approach that includes resource sharing, he said.

Keiley said the coalition allows partner shelters to maintain manageable populations by transferring certain pets to the MSPCA.

So far, Keiley said the MSPCA has taken in 350 animals from partner shelters, most of which needed specialty medical treatment.

Were fortunate to have access to the most advanced technology in veterinary medicine, not to mention world-class doctors, at Angell [Animal Medical Center], Keiley explained. Through the coalition, partner shelters are able to reach out to us when they have animals in their care who need complex treatment that they arent able to provide.

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Keiley said nearly 850 cats and dogs have also received lifesaving vaccines, and more than 500 pets have been microchipped thanks to the expansion of the MSPCAs Community Outreach program to Springfield, which was made possible by the coalition.

The coalition plans on continuing to host adoptathons and working together to address concerns and problems within the industry, according to Keiley.

Together, weve accomplished so much in the coalition, but this work is extremely hard and it never ends, Keiley said. Weve learned that were more powerful when we work together, and weve got a really solid foundation to build on as we tackle challenges moving forward.

Ekko the dog following his successful surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center. (Courtesy: MSPCA-Angell) Redesigned kennel space at the Worcester Animal Rescue League. (Courtesy: MSPCA-Angell) The MSPCA now holds regular vaccine and microchip clinics in Springfield. (Courtesy: MSPCA-Angell) One of the dozens of dogs who received vaccines and microchips at the MSPCAs first clinic in Springfield. (Courtesy: MSPCA-Angell)

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Three years ago, the town of Stow became known for being different from other Massachusetts communities in a way that any Bay Stater would find horrific  it now lacked a single Dunkin location.

But after suffering through years without Massachusetts most essential amenity, the hopeful orange and pink glow is set to begin illuminating the town once again later this month.

I guess our prayers have been answered, Stow Select Board Member Dan Peterson is quoted as saying in a Thursday press release.

What its like to be a Dunkin desert

With 1,037 Dunkin locations, Massachusetts has far and away the most of any state  not to mention enough for every municipality to have three locations. Despite this, in 2022, both of Stows Dunkin shops closed within 30 days of one another, town officials said.

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News that the town had become a Dunkin desert became widely known later that year thanks to a viral social media video from WBZ Radios Matt Shearer. One Stow resident he interviewed revealed a shocking truth: the towns residents were now forced to travel as much as a mile and a half to other towns just to get their daily dose of Dunkin.

You gotta leave the state! I mean, not the state. But you gotta leave Stow though. Its terrible, one resident told Shearer.

Residents of neighboring towns, such as Maynard, were also affected by Stows loss, Shearer reported. As Stow residents began seeking refuge at their Dunkins, traffic worsened at and around the coffee shops, slowing morning routines for miles outside of Stow.

Dunkin returns

But last summer, Stows destitute and despairing residents were given reason to hope.

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Moved by their cries for relief, Mark and Megan Pesce  a couple who operate many Dunkin franchises in Greater Boston  purchased 108 Great Road in Stow in August 2024 with the intent of turning it into a Dunkin, town officials said.

As soon as we heard the two stores in Stow had closed, we wanted to fix that, Megan Pesce is quoted as saying to Stow Select Board members.

The Lower Village Common property was once home to a Beef N Ale, but the site has long sat unused following the restaurants closure, town officials said.

Were excited to be able to keep the feel  and the porch  that was the Beef N Ale for so many years, Megan Pesce told board members.

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The new Dunkin will have another unique feature  a Dunkin Desert gallery wall that showcases highlights from this dark period in the towns history.

How Stow is celebrating

In honor of the new Dunkins grand opening on July 24, the Pesces asked the Stow Select Board to adopt Dunkin as the towns name  just for the day, town officials said. Last week, the board unanimously voted in favor of the temporary renaming.

A celebration of Dunkins return to Stow is set to be held at the new location on Great Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 24, town officials said. Local officials and Cuppy  Dunkins official mascot  will be in attendance, and the Pesces are scheduled to give opening remarks prior to a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m.

At some point during the celebration, the Pesces will present a $5,000 check to the Stow Food Pantry in partnership with the Dunkin Joy in Childhood Foundation, town officials said. There will also be a live unveiling of the Dunkin Desert gallery wall, and the first 100 Dunkin Rewards members who order coffee at the new location will receive 100 days of free coffee.

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Read the original article on MassLive.
BOSTON (WWLP)  The former leader of the Trinitarios gang in Lynn was sentenced to prison on racketeering charges.

In a news release from the Department of Justice, 26-year-old Aaron Diaz Liranzo served as the Primera or Number One of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios, from 2021 through 2025. Diaz Liranzo admitted to participating in a shooting that took place in March 2019 that targeted multiple rival gang members outside of a Lynn nightclub.

Lynn Trinitatios gang leader pleads guilty to racketeering charges

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The victims were lured there by another member, who posed as a woman who needed a ride. Diaz Liranzo travelled to the nightclub and opened fire on the vehicle. He shot two of the three victims in the car. Both injured victims suffered life-threatening injuries, but have since recovered.

Back in February, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. This is the culmination of an investigation led by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. The investigation began after four murders and several attempted murders took place in Lynn in 2023 that was allegedly committed by the Trinitarios.

Diaz Liranzo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

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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BOSTON (WWLP)  A man from Boston was sentenced to prison for firearm charges after allegedly almost hitting an officer on his moped.

Guatemalan national caught in Springfield for illegally reentering after deportation

On October 3rd, Kyvon Ross was approached by law enforcement after driving a moped fast and without a rear license plate. Allegedly, Ross accelerated directly at one of the officers before losing control and falling to the ground. It is also alleged that Ross resisted arrest and had a loaded Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number.

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Ross is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions, such as a 2021 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

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 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Master taiko artist Kenny Endo is a cultural pioneer who has performed worldwide for world leaders and celebrities.

This is my family: Hawaii Kai fitness instructor earns high marks

Soon, you will have the chance to see him celebrate 50 years in the art of Japanese drumming here in Hawaii.

For the people who do this, its to make a contribution to society and become better people as a result, said Kenny Endo, Master Taiko artist.

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An example of this in his work was in 1989. He traveled to the then Soviet Union, bridging the adversary with his performance.

We were always told that Russia is your enemy, but the people were wonderful over there and I find that people are the same all over the world and its the governments that are fighting, not the people, said Endo.

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Now he continues to bring people together with Taiko. His 50th anniversary celebration will be hosted at the University of Hawaiis Kennedy Theatre on Aug. 9 and 10.

The event will bring in artists from Japan and collaborations from a variety of world-class musical artists, dancers and even martial artists.

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You have to be really open to the other people youre collaborating with and learn about their art form as much as possible. Its just about mutual respect and trying to watch and listen to each other and not promote your own thing so much but trying to create something new, said Endo.

He continues to be a student of the craft as he continues to learn and study his passion.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

Whenever I go to Japan and study with my teachers, I realize how little I know and theres a saying in Japan, kiri, which means theres no end to this. So, its almost like the more you learn the more you need to learn more, said Endo.

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For tickets and details, you can visit the website.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Key Points

The House of Representatives voted to reconsider a package of crypto bills that hit a procedural roadblock Tuesday.

Media outlets reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump plans to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but Trump eventually denied the report.

The executive chairman of Ripple, the company behind XRP, is part of a group of tech leaders who will work with California Gov. Gavin Newsom to make that state's government more efficient.

10 stocks we like better than XRP 

As of 3:48 p.m. ET Wednesday, the price of XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) was up by 6.3% over the prior 24 hours. While there was no obvious reason for that rise that could be directly connected to the crypto, several events likely helped drive it.

A crypto-packed day

Wednesday started off with a bang when media outlets, citing an anonymous White House official, reported that President Donald Trump was planning to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whom he has criticized for months. The stock market started to fall until Trump eventually denied the report.

Image source: Getty Images.

The threat of Trump potentially firing Powell could impact crypto prices. If Trump were to do that -- an action that Powell has noted is "not permitted under the law" -- some investors could lose faith in the free-market principles of the U.S., as well as the integrity of the Fed. That could push more of them into the alternative, largely decentralized crypto system.

In other news, the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon voted to reconsider several crypto bills that had failed to advance procedurally on Tuesday. If passed, the various bills would create regulatory frameworks for stablecoins and digital assets, and also prevent the Fed from creating its own central bank digital currency. Crypto advocates view these bills as key pieces of legislation needed to remove regulatory uncertainty.

Also, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new initiative called the California Breakthrough Project that will work with some of the top tech leaders across the state to help make its government more efficient. That group includes Chris Larsen, the executive chairman of Ripple, the company behind XRP.

Is XRP a buy?

The entire crypto sector stands to benefit if these three crypto bills are passed in Congress. Ripple has its own stablecoin that XRP interacts with and serves as a bridge currency for.

XRP is intriguing because of its strong technical network, which can process many transactions per second. It also stands to benefit from the work Ripple is doing on cross-border payments with mainstream financial institutions and institutional investors. Still, the token remains volatile and speculative, so I would keep any position in it small for now.
(WHTM) Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano is proposing legislation that would ban non-military-related events from happening at Soldiers Grove in Harrisburg.

According to Mastrianos memo, the legislation aims to preserve the historical significance of Soldiers Grove, which is situated on the grounds of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.

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Soldiers Grove is a living memorial dedicated to Pennsylvanias war veterans. The space is often used for events, including a weekly food truck festival when the weather permits.

The Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania is set to take place at Soldiers Grove next weekend, on July 26.

The memo says the legislation seeks to protect the dignity of this sacred space by restricting its use to only those events held exclusively to honor or support veterans or first responders and their families.

If passed, the Department of General Services would be prohibited from issuing permits to authorize non-military-related gatherings in the area. Individuals or groups that break the rule may be fined up to $2,500 or face up to one year in prison, per the memo.

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The legislation has not yet been submitted for introduction.

PennDOT Secretary, Mike Carroll, promoting safety in work zones at Soliders Grove at the state capital in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Associated Pennsylvania Constructors will hosted a media event to honor roadway workers and urge motorists to slow down and pay attention in work zones as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week. HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES  2024/07/27: A vendor sells Pride flags, fans, hats and bags during the 32nd Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania at Soldiers Grove. The Pride Festival of Central PA is happening in Harrisburg this weekend, celebrating its 32nd year. The Pride Parade returned after a 12-year hiatus due to permitting issues, with support from Mayor Wanda Williams. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES  2024/07/27: People holding rainbow umbrellas near the Pennsylvania Capitol are seen from Soldiers Grove during the 32nd Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania. The Pride Festival of Central PA is happening in Harrisburg this weekend, celebrating its 32nd year. The Pride Parade returned after a 12-year hiatus due to permitting issues, with support from Mayor Wanda Williams. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Soldiers Grove, a grove of Red Oak trees dedicated to all Pennsylvania military veterans, is situated behind the Capitol on Commonwealth Avenue. It was officially established under the Act of October 30, 1987, and lists the names of soldiers from Pennsylvania. It also hosts a historical marker commemorating the United States Colored Troops Grand Review, according to PAGetaway.

The Grove surrounds Pennsylvanias Congressional Medal of Honor Monument and can be reserved for ceremonies, press conferences, and other events, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  During his monthly press conference, Governor Cox began by discussing the wildfires and drought across the state, pleading for the public to be vigilant of fires and to cut back on water usage.

We are in the thick of wildfire season right now, and unfortunately were seeing the extreme kind of fire behavior we hoped that we would not, but were warned was very likely, Gov. Cox said.

FIRE WATCH: The latest updates on Utahs wildfires throughout the state

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He explained that there have been a similar number of fires when compared to last year, but conditions are much worse. Healthy snowpack from the last two years means that there is a lot of vegetation, making good fuel for fires, and conditions are much drier when compared to last year.

We are heartbroken for those who have lost homes and livelihoods, and were grateful, profoundly grateful, that no lives have been lost, he said. To our firefighters, our first responders, and community leaders: thank you for your incredible efforts under very difficult conditions.

He stated that 72% of the wildfires from this season were human caused. That we can prevent. Lightning is out of control, but dragging trailer chains, abandoned campfires, and target shooting in dry brush are not, he said.

He called for vigilance when it comes to fires. Please, please, please, be vigilant, he said, adding that people should use their fire sense, which is really just common sense.

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When it comes to drought, Gov. Cox said that the entire state is now in moderate to severe drought conditions. He added that there has been an increase in water usage this year. Reservoir levels reportedly dropped 10% between June 1 and July 1, about five times more than is normal.

Please, please, please, use less water. Its okay to have yellow lawns this year, we give you permission not to keep them up and keep them green, he said.

Gov Cox calls on Utahns to pray, fast for rain as wildfire risks escalate

A few weeks ago, Gov. Cox declared June 29 a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain. In todays press conference, he combined calls for prayer with calls for action.

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We need more than just good policy, he said. We need hope, and from every corner of our state. Whether you share that belief or not, the message is clear: we all have a role to play in conserving water.

Were matching faith with action, he added, saying that there are water use incentives and rebates available. He also encouraged everyone to visit slowtheflow.org to learn more about how to conserve water.

When asked about agriculture, he said that agriculture producers are cutting back significantly on water usage due to the dire water situation.

He also said that a vast majority of the wildfire issues in the state right now are a result of mismanagement or lack of management of lands, particularly mountainous lands. He used the Forsyth Fire as an example, saying that areas where land had been properly managed had a noticeable difference compared to areas that had not, both in terms of damage and the ability to protect structures and property.

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However, he also stated that officials are doing more to manage those lands, and he thanked both the Trump and Biden administrations for their efforts.

Bad decisions over the past 30 or 40 years have led to these catastrophic wildfires, Cox said. Its not the only reason, there are others as well, and climate change is part of that for sure.

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Around two years ago, Matt Poe and Katie Masser charmed the people of Frederick and beyond with their love story.

Matt and Katie, both people with Down syndrome, have been together for over three years and are engaged.

In March 2023, Matt and Katie won The Frederick News-Posts Cutest Couple photo contest. Afterward, the duo was featured in an article highlighting their love for each other, their families, and their friends.

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Now, Matt and Katie are taking part in another opportunity to showcase their love.

The two are participating in Americas Favorite Couple, a contest that searches for the ultimate love story, according to its website. Americas Favorite Couple is hosted by Jeff and Emilie Goldblum and offers the winning couple a grand prize of $20,000, along with a photoshoot for a Variety magazine advertorial.

Katie's mother, Amy Masser, came across the link on social media a couple of months ago and decided to enter the couple into the contest.

All of the contest participants are split into groups. The winner in each group will be determined after multiple rounds of voting.

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Then, there were be an overall quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

The first round of group voting began on June 30. Voting in the contest will continue through the different rounds and last until the competition finals end on Sept. 4.

Following the voting portion, the Grand Prize Winning Couple will be announced around Sept. 19, according to the competition website.

Voters are able to vote for free every 24 hours on a link that each couple shares. Matt and Katies page includes descriptions of who they are as a couple, favorite memories, and what they plan to do with the money if they win.
Maurene Comey, a career federal prosecutor and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, issued a fiery memo a day after being ousted from her job at the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), telling colleagues that fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.

Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons without fear of retribution and without favor to the powerful, Maurene Comey wrote in the Thursday message, which was obtained by multiple outlets.

For the majority of my nearly ten years in SDNY, fear was never really conceivable. We dont fear bad press; we have the luxury of exceptional security keeping us physically safe; and, so long as we did our work with integrity, we would get to keep serving the public in this office, she said.

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Comey was fired Wednesday from her post at the U.S. attorneys office, where she worked for nearly a decade.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing Thursday that the decision came from the Justice Department.

Comeys father has had a contentious relationship with President Trump; he was fired during Trumps first White House term after helping kick-start the investigation into alleged ties between Trumps 2016 campaign and Russia.

Maurene Comeys firing was largely seen as connected to her father.

She worked on criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She was part of a team that brought sex trafficking charges against Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019. Comey was also on the team that handled the prosecution of Sean Diddy Combs.

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Our focus was really on acting without favor. That is, making sure people with access, money, and power were not treated differently than anyone else; and making sure this office remained separate from politics and focused only on the facts and the law, Comey said in the memo, adding, but we have entered a new phase where without fear may be the challenge.

If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought, she continued. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.

James Comey recently came under criticism for posting a photo of seashells on the beach arranged to form the numbers 86-47, with the president claiming it was a call for his assassination. The former FBI chief called the backlash a distraction.

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Hes copping support.

Eric Adams re-election campaign got some mutual aid from the boys in blue Thursday, as more than a dozen law enforcement unions rallied behind the mayor on City Halls steps.

Adams, a retired NYPD captain, alternately heaped praise on rank-and file cops and blasted his chief electoral rival, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, as a potential disaster for New York Citys public safety.

Mayor Adams at a rally outside City Hall where he accepted the endorsement of 13 law enforcement unions on July 17, 2025. Paul Martinka

An Adams supporter holding a sign claiming that Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is bad for NYC. Paul Martinka

You cant romanticize public safety. It is real, he said. And the men and women who are here today, receiving their endorsement, means so much to me because I ran on public safety.

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All they ask of me, [is] if youre going to be our general, dont send us into battle and abandon us. Make sure you lead us into battle.

The endorsement from the coalition of New York police, corrections, sanitation and probation officers unions comes as Adams fights for his political life running as an independent in the crowded November general election.

Adams blasted Mamdani over his record on public safety. James Messerschmidt

Adams trails in polls behind Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent after being trounced by the lefty Queens state Assemblyman in last months Dem primary.

But the prospect of a mayor Mamdani  a vocal progressive who previously called to defund the police and has questioned the purpose of prisons and jails  evidently prompted many law enforcement unions to back Adams.

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Benny Boscio Jr., leader of the Correctional Officer Benevolent Association, said Mamdani threatened to bring back the failed policies of Mayor Bill de Blasio, Adams predecessor.

A tweet from Mamdani in 2020 calling for police to be defunded. @zohrankmamdani/X

A tweet from Mamdani calling the NYPD a threat to public safety in addition to being racist and anti-queer. @zohrankmamdani/X

We cant afford to have de Blasio 2.0 back in City Hall, Boscio said. Mayor Adams has been a profile in courage.

The field of mayoral candidates  which also includes GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa and attorney Jim Walden, an independent  may have plans to reduce crime, but only Adams has put them into practice, said Lou Turco, president of the Lieutenants Benevolent Association.

We have action that has been working, he said.

Adams shaking hands with a law enforcement union leader at the rally. Paul Martinka

But the Adams administrations public safety record is arguably checkered, as crime overall has risen since his election in 2021, police data show.

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This year alone, crime was up 29.2% compared to the same span in 2021, according to the data.

Compared to the same point in 2019, crime was up 26.5%, the NYPD numbers showed.

Adams claimed he received the endorsement because he ran on public safety. Paul Martinka

Adams administration has seen murders and shootings decline, on par with nationwide trends.

His leadership on the NYPD has also come under fire  as former top cops recently filed a barrage of lawsuits alleging corruption and cronyism, one of his unprecedented four commissioners resigned under federal scrutiny and the police department faces a staffing crisis.

But Adams has garnered praise for tapping Jessica Tisch as his fourth police commissioner, as shes made moves to clean house.

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Hizzoner said hell tell union members during the campaign leading to November that Mamdanis signature proposals of city-run grocery stores and freezing rents will hurt the Big Apple.

Im going to tell them we dont want our supermarkets going out of business because of government grocery stores, Adams said.

Im going to tell them that 700,000 small property owners deserve to have modest increases so they can ensure the sustainability of their buildings.
Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has emerged as one of the biggest wild cards in the Senate, keeping his Republican colleagues guessing about how hell vote on elements of President Trumps agenda.

McConnell has been largely sidelined from important leadership-level discussions since he stepped down as Senate Republican leader at the end of 2024 after a record-setting 18 years in the post, say Senate colleagues.

But the crafty veteran senator has used high-profile dissenting votes and carefully timed statements to make his influence felt throughout the Senate GOP conference and to signal when he thinks Trump  and by extension, Trumps allies in Congress  are moving in the wrong direction.

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In doing so, hes using his leverage to preserve the values of the traditional GOP establishment in Washington.

McConnell this week voted against two critical procedural motions to advance a proposal to claw back $9 billion in funding Congress had already appropriated, legislation that was a top priority of Trump and Russell Vought, Trumps controversial leader of the White House budget office.

McConnell joined moderate Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), in voting to block the bill from coming to the floor. And he did so with no public warning, playing his cards close to the vest and leaving his colleagues guessing about what he would do.

He also voted with Collins and Murkowski for an amendment sponsored by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) to shrink the size of the rescissions package by exempting $496 million for international disaster relief from the cuts. It failed 49 to 50 on an otherwise party-line vote.

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McConnell threw colleagues another curveball when he voted aye on final passage of the rescissions package.

He explained his no vote on the motion to proceed to the bill and his vote to pass the package once it was on the floor as reflecting his reservations about letting the White House dictate spending decisions to Capitol Hill.

My belief in the importance of American soft power is not in conflict with my commitment to holding government accountable for inefficiency, and I take Congress responsibility to rein in federal spending seriously, he said in a statement. The Administrations rescissions request is not the way I would prefer to act on this responsibility, but faced with a choice between spending reduction and no reduction, I voted in favor of the rescission.

One GOP senator who requested anonymity applauded McConnell for pushing back against increasing pressure from the White House to carry out its demands for spending cuts, demands that have chaffed Republican members of the Appropriations Committee especially.

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I think its him being Mitch McConnell as the senior senator from Kentucky, as a leader in the Senate for decades who no longer has the burden of leadership and is just free to be a lawmaker. I think thats what you see in Mitch; I love it, one senator said.

The senator described the Office of Management and Budgets response to senators concerns about the rescissions package as dismissive.

McConnell declared in October he would feel more free to vote his conscience once he stepped down from the Republican leadership role and would have less of an obligation to toe the partys line.

Heres one way to look at it: Free at last, McConnell quipped during a talk to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. What I mean by that, is when youre the leader  if youre smart  youre looking out for everybody else. You also  if youre smart  understand youre going to take all the arrows that are coming in in order to protect your members.

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Im actually looking forward to the next couple of years to focusing on what I want to focus on, he said.

A couple of Republican senators see McConnells no votes on the procedural motions to advance the rescissions package as part of a broader trend this year, noting that he also voted for a resolution in April to undo Trumps punitive tariffs against Canada.

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he thought McConnells votes breaking with the GOP leadership were more directed at Trump.

A second Republican senator who requested anonymity to speak on the subject said McConnell doesnt mind sticking Trump in the eye given their rocky relationship, which hit a low point after McConnell refused to endorse Trumps claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

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McConnell told his biographer, Michael Tackett of The Associated Press, that he thought the MAGA movement is completely wrong and that former President Reagan wouldnt recognize the party today.

But he sounded a more conciliatory tone after Trump won a sweeping victory over then-Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

I want Trump to be successful, he said right after the election.

A person familiar with McConnells thinking said his no votes have never been about political vengeance and have always been about policy.

In addition to voting to unwind Trumps tariff on Canada, McConnell voted against Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trumps nominees to head the Department of Defense, serve as director of national intelligence, and lead the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively.

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A few Republican senators saw McConnells no votes this week as a veiled shot at Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), McConnells long-time deputy who replaced him as GOP leader at the start of the year.

I wonder if this rescissions thing is a little bit of a shot at John Thune, said a third Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment frankly on McConnells relationship with the new leadership team.

Thune pretty much sidelined him during the reconciliation debate, which makes sense to me because Thunes the leader now, the lawmaker said. You can tell that McConnell tried to insert himself a couple of different times over the course of the months in meetings. Thune would let him talk but then he would quickly move him aside, he wouldnt comment, he wouldnt engage.

Why would he vote against rescissions? Theres nothing in here thats ideological that would bother him, the senator said of the votes against proceeding to the bill. Hes not for public broadcasting money, hes voting against that a bunch of times.

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McConnell voted for the $15 billion rescissions package Trump sent to Congress in 2018, when Republicans controlled both chambers and McConnell was Senate majority leader.

That package narrowly failed in the Senate by a 48-50 vote.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) called McConnells votes against motions to discharge the rescissions bill from the Appropriations Committee and to proceed to it on the Senate floor as disappointing.

Rescissions are a legitimate appropriations process, albeit rarely used, he said, countering the argument pushed by members of the Appropriations Committee that the White Houses request for rescissions undercut congressional spending authority.

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Cramer suggested that McConnell owes Thune more loyalty after many years of pressing GOP colleagues to stay unified on tough votes when he was the leader.

As leader, he certainly would have done everything he could to earn our yes vote as part of the team effort, he said. Its certainly disappointing to see him not do that for  John Thune, who was a very, very good and loyal lieutenant.

Cramer said voting for the rescissions package is as easy as it gets.

A source familiar with McConnells relationship with Thune said while the two men have different styles, they both have a lot to offer the GOP conference by working together.

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While Leader Thune and Sen. McConnell  approached the [leaders] role with different styles, they both understand  better than anyone else in the conference  the hurdles and opportunities that come with the job, the source said.

They speak frequently, and Leader Thune appreciates and values the unique role Sen. McConnell plays, having served as leader for nearly two decades and now as chair of the Rules Committee and as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, the source said.

McConnell gave Republican senators a pep talk about sticking together when they held the first vote-a-rama to pave the way for Trumps One Big, Beautiful Bill Act and again urged his colleagues to band together to beat back Democratic attempts to divide them over proposed cuts to Medicaid, according to another source familiar with McConnells efforts to help Thune get the reconciliation package across the finish line.

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This is an abbreviated transcript of a July 16 interview with Jeff Reynolds, executive director of the Rural Hospital Coalition of Louisiana, which represents 49 rural hospitals in 41 parishes.



Reynolds also worked for 30 years at the Louisiana Department of Health, including five years as the agencys undersecretary and chief financial officer for Govs. Bobby Jindal and John Bel Edwards. In that role, he oversaw the states Medicaid budget, including after Edwards adopted Medicaid expansion in Louisiana in 2016.



He is considered one of the states foremost experts on federal and state health care financing in Louisiana.



This interview has been edited for clarity.

Q. The One Big Beautiful Bill passed in Washington, and theres been a lot of interest in what it does. What do you wish people knew about the bill and the changes that it would implement to Medicaid?

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A. The changes that we see in the big beautiful bill are really in three broad categories.

Theres changes to Medicaid eligibility that will start in the spring of 2027. Some of those would be the work requirements.

Youve also got changes to the financing of the program  capping or freezing the provider taxes, and then ultimately reducing them in about 2028.

You also have a new rural health transformation program where I expect about $150 million to $200 million of new money in Louisiana, starting in 2026.

Q. Do you have any estimates  or has the state produced any estimates  about what type of change we might see in the Medicaid program?

A. The eligibility changes are sort of phased in depending on which one it is. They start in the spring of 2027 and some start as late as December of 2029.



With those changes, I do expect there to be some reduction in the Medicaid expansion rolls of anywhere from 50,000 to maybe 150,000.

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When you start getting into the address verification and a little closer to 2030, there could be another potential 100,000 people coming off the rolls.



Right now, weve got about 1.6 million people on the rolls. We could have 200,000 people come off the rolls and bring Medicaid enrollment down to about 1.4 million. But I really do not expect us to see the full impact of all these changes until we get closer to 2030.



And of course, thats five years out and its hard to project that far out. But based on my experience and how eligibility works in Medicaid, that is the potential impact.

Q. Are we going to see a change in funding for the Medicaid program that comes from the federal government?



A. The hospital program and the physician program are absolutely affected by the Big Beautiful Bill. But right now those programs are capped at their 2026 levels.



So for 2026, the hospitals are fully funded based on the appropriations act that the state legislature passed in the spring legislative session. So for 2026 through 2028, there is no really no reduction in funding to those hospitals, but those supplemental payments are capped at the 2026 amounts.

Then, we start seeing a 10% reduction based on the language in the Big Beautiful bill starting in 2029. And that 10% reduction would occur right now, based on the numbers Im seeing, through fiscal year 2035. So it is a case where the funding reductions are very much in the out years  not immediate.

We are really sort of stabilized for the next four to five years. Then, well start seeing reductions, and thats why Ive been telling people, for the short term, were absolutely fine. But yes, were going to need to work with our federal legislators and our state legislators to help try to address these future reductions.

Jeff Reynolds

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Q. Why is the Medicaid program so important to rural hospitals and healthcare providers in rural areas?



A. In Louisiana, youve gotta remember theres 4.6 million people in the state.

Right now, weve got 1.6 million people enrolled in the Medicaid program. Weve got about 300,000 people uninsured, and that represents about 41% of the states total population.



So its just a huge portion of the population is covered by Medicaid or is in the uninsured bucket. When you look at some of the rural parishes that my rural hospitals serve, those population amounts are even greater.



Medicaid is a big funder of health care services in those rural communities. And if you start adjusting or reducing what Medicaid pays, then it does affect the ability of those rural hospitals to continue to provide services  not only to the Medicare clients but also to the private insurance clients.

Q. I want to make sure that I understand what youre saying there, which is that changes to the Medicaid program would not just affect Medicaid patients, but it would affect other people with private insurance.

A. If youve got close to 50% of your clients as Medicaid clients, as it pays less, then those health care providers in those rural communities have less resources to run their operations, run their outpatient clinics and provide services to everybody in the community.

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In a lot of these rural communities, where these rural hospitals serve, they are sort of the cornerstone of those communities. It is a big economic driver, big economic engine for those rural communities.

Q. Why do you think its important to have rural health care?



A. If you were a businessman and youre looking to open a new business or something, youre gonna want to know, where are my employees gonna get health care?

If [a community] does not have a rural hospital, then youre going to probably look at a community that does have a hospital, does have a robust health care system so your employees can get health care.



If a community loses its rural hospital, it sort of begins the death spiral of that community because that is that economic driver, that attraction to that community goes away.

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Q. [The Big Beautiful Bill] requires some co-payments for certain types of doctor visits for Medicaid recipients. When you worked for the Louisiana Department of Health, I believe they implemented a co-payment program for Medicaid recipients under Gov. Bobby Jindal. Can you talk about the states experience with that policy?



A. Provider fees are in the Big Beautiful Bill, and right now it requires a $35 copay. That would start Oct. 1, 2028. It would only apply to the [Medicaid] expansion adults that have income from 100% to 138% of federal poverty [level].

A single adult [that meets those qualifications] makes $15,000 a year to $21,000 a year.



We implemented co-pays in the Medicaid program [during the Jindal administration], and the health care providers really hate them.



If youre a specialist doctor doing a knee replacement and you get a thousand dollars from Medicaid to provide that service, theyre gonna cut your rate from a thousand dollars down to $965. So they reduce your rate by that $35.



So its a rate cut to that provider, and then those providers are expected to collect that $35 from the client. If your client is making $20,000 a year, its gonna be  Im not gonna say none of them are gonna pay  but theres gonna be a large percentage of them that simply say they do not have the resources to make that copayment. And the providers end up having to eat that cost.

So in essence, copays become a rate cut to the providers, and I saw that numerous times under the Jindal administration.

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Q. Prior to the vote on the Big Beautiful Bill, there were concerns that we were going to see rural hospitals and maybe rural health care providers close or shut down. Can you explain whether thats something we should still be concerned about?

A. As I said earlier, we are fully funded for 2026. I do not see any reductions or anything that would cause a rural hospital to shut down here in 2026, and I really dont see that occurring in 2027 or 2028 either.

Once we get past 2030, we are gonna need some help in order to avoid any, you know, issues with reduction of services and those types of things.

When you get five years out, Im very hesitant to predict what will happen because I know there will be a lot of changes. So that is why, right now Im saying between now and 2030, I do not foresee any rural hospitals closing because of the Big, Beautiful Bill.

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Q. Do you expect the health care community in Louisiana to try to lobby for changes between now and 2027 when some of the [reductions] start taking effect?



A. I do. I think part of my job is to make sure our elected officials understand the impact of this piece of legislation and what will happen.

I think everybody, at least from the rural provider community in Louisiana, would absolutely be working with their elected officials to see what changes or tweaks could happen between now and 2029.

It is a case where we do have some time to work with everybody, and Im optimistic that well get there and get this resolved, and keep providing those services that are so important to our citizens.
Who would have imagined sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, found dead in his Manhattan jail cell six years ago, would highlight a consensus in the United States?

If the Epstein case were a Venn diagram  two opposite view circles partially overlapping to form a common view rectangle  it would represent the meeting point of the sense of outrage on the part of many Americans, including MAGA Republicans and combative Democrats.

Much to the chagrin of President Trump, who wants the conspiracy theories over Epsteins rumored client list to end with the Department of Justice report there isnt one. The report also said he committed suicide by hanging and no evidence anyone murdered him.

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Trumps answer to a news reporters question about the DOJ report at a recent cabinet meeting: Youre asking? We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.

What is so interesting about Epstein? The short answer may be nothing fans the flames of conspiracy more than a perceived cover-up.

For years, far-right media figures and even some current members of the Trump administration claimed the deep state was withholding explicit information about Epstein, his links to important people, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

The hype that Trump and the Justice Department would finally crack the case and give details and answers has only stung them. Attorney General Kim Bondi and FBI higher-ups all stumbled through explanations about basic facts of the Epstein case.

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For the record, the attorney general said in February the Epstein client list was on her desk for review. Then she said later there was no list; that she meant the Epstein file, not a client list, sat on her desk.

The current FBI director, Kash Patel, and his deputy, Dan Bongino, both cast doubts on whether Epstein killed himself before they took office. For the record, they both now say he did.

The backtracking has only heightened peoples sense of curiosity and ire despite President Trumps statement that Epstein is somebody nobody cares about.

Its conventional wisdom that nature abhors a vacuum. When there is a void of information, it fills up with junk  rumors and speculation. And, in the Epstein case, infighting among those Trump MAGA supporters who are unexpectedly aligned with Democrats in demanding a fuller accounting.

A purposeful void leaves many Americans wondering: Maybe there is fire behind all the smoke.
The Brief

Three Memphis men were convicted of murder in the 2021 shooting death of Kapri Kadeem Ward during a botched armed robbery in Lawrenceville.

Emarion Boyland, Jamar Quarles, and Theus Hopson received life sentences, with Quarles and Hopson also sentenced to additional probation for firearm possession during a felony.

The defendants traveled from Memphis to Georgia to rob Ward, leading to a gunfight that resulted in Ward's death and Quarles being wounded; evidence linked them to the crime, and the alleged driver, Aaron Rakir Todd, still faces charges.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Three men from Memphis have been convicted of murder in the 2021 shooting death of a Lawrenceville marijuana dealer during a botched armed robbery, Gwinnett County prosecutors announced Thursday.

What we know

A Gwinnett County jury found Emarion Boyland, 20, Jamar Quarles, 23, and Theus Hopson, 19, guilty of two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and aggravated assault in the killing of 29-year-old Kapri Kadeem Ward. Quarles and Hopson were also convicted of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

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Quarles and Hopson were each sentenced to life in prison plus five years on probation. Boyland received a life sentence.

According to investigators, Boyland recruited his then-15-year-old brother, Hopson, and Quarles to help rob Ward, who was known to sell marijuana. The three traveled from Memphis to Georgia, where they met up with 23-year-old Aaron Rakir Todd, who drove them to Wards Lawrenceville apartment on July 1, 2021.

Prosecutors said Todd stayed in the vehicle while the other three followed Ward to his apartment. A gunfight broke out on the stairwell, and Ward was shot in the chest and killed. Quarles was also shot during the encounter.

After the shooting, Boyland, Quarles, and Todd fled the scene. When police arrived, they found Ward dead and Quarles wounded. Officers transported Quarles to a hospital, unaware of his involvement. He later left the hospital and returned to Tennessee before he could be questioned by detectives.

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Evidence presented at trial linked all three men to the attempted robbery and killing. Todd, the alleged driver, is still facing charges including murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery.

What they're saying

"This victims death was senseless, and we grieve with his family," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. "These defendants crossed three state lines to satisfy their greed and took a life in the process. We hope that the guilty verdicts and sentences serve as justice and closure for the family and loved ones of the deceased victim."

The Source

The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office provided the details for this article.
More than 200 Venezuelan immigrants whom the Trump administration had sent to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador have been flown to Venezuela, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said in a post on X.

The move was part of a prisoner swap in which the Venezuelan government released "a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners ... as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages," Bukele said, in exchange for the Venezuelan nationals who had been imprisoned in El Salvador.

In a post of his own, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday, "Thanks to @POTUSs leadership, ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom."

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The U.S. nationals were back in the U.S. as of Saturday night, according to a U.S. official.

They are Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, Jorge Marcelo Vargas, Lucas Hunter, Jonathan Pagan Gonzalez, Ronald Oribio Quintana, Erick Oribio Quintana, Fabian Buglione Reyes, Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, Juan Jose Faria Bricen and Danud Hanid Ortiz, according to another U.S. official.

Rubio also praised Bukele for "helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners."

The Venezuelan immigrants were deported from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely employed wartime law.

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The Trump administration has declared a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, an invading force, and used the act to deport Venezuelan immigrants who it says have ties to the gang.

More than 200 men  some of them asylum-seekers who said they were at risk of persecution in Venezuela  were sent to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in March.

Family members of several men believed to be held there have denied they had ties to the gang. They have pleaded for the men to be released from El Salvador's prison system, which is known for human rights abuses, and returned to Venezuela.

In a video provided by the Salvadoran government on Friday, several Venezuelan men can be seen leaving a charter bus with their hands zip-tied as they walk past a line of national police guards and into a plane set to take them back to their home country.

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Two of the men could be heard hurling expletives as they were loaded on to the plane.

Damn dogs, all of you, one man, who also gave a middle finger to the camera, said in Spanish.

Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello, said the government there would continue to try to bring home Venezuelans imprisoned in the U.S. and El Salvador.

We will keep demanding the return of all the Venezuelans kidnapped by the government of the United States, kidnapped by the government of El Salvador, Cabello said in televised remarks. All of them, we demand that they return them to our country. To their home country.

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A senior administration official said the swap was down to the wire.

Were dealing with a regime in which, you know, theres always a degree of uncertainty on their side, a degree of uncertainty from our side and things that you would normally expect to move in in a normal way tend to not move in a normal way, the official said.

The United States continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela and calls for the release of all the remaining political prisoners, they added.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the administration over its use of the Alien Enemies Act in March, told NBC News it had not been told about the CECOT detainees release before it happened.

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Responding to reporting from Reuters earlier Friday about the prisoner swap agreement, the ACLU's Lee Gelernt, the lead counsel in the litigation, criticized the Trump Administration.

The government allowed these individuals to languish in a notorious gulag for more than four months with zero due process and, with this latest maneuver, appears to be trying to avoid all court rulings, Gelernt said.

He added, Whether these individuals are in El Salvador or Venezuela, the use of the Alien Enemies Act by our government during peacetime was illegal. Period!

As news of the prisoner exchange spread, the family members of men suspected of being held in CECOT said they were anxiously waiting for the plane carrying the prisoners to land in Venezuela.

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Ringniber Rincon, the 18-year-old daughter of suspected detainee Ringo Rincon, told NBC News that she and her two siblings were eager for their father to return to their hometown of Maracaibo.

Rincon wrote that she was anxious to know more about my dad and know how he is as he is coming out of four horrible months. But she added that she was hopeful, "he is coming here and I will be with him again.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter.

Dive Brief:

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Chair Erica Williams resigned effective July 22 in the latest Trump administration shake-up of financial services regulation.

The resignation announcement on Tuesday followed by less than a month a failed attempt by Republican lawmakers to eliminate the PCAOB, the watchdog for auditors of publicly-traded companies. Williams will step down three months after the swearing in of Paul Atkins  a critic of PCAOB oversight  as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

With high economic uncertainty increasing the risk of fraud, the PCAOBs mission is as important as ever, Williams said in a statement. Its critical the expert PCAOB staff continue to be empowered to carry out their work of ensuring American investors are protected.

Dive Insight:

Soon after taking office in January, President Donald Trump followed up on a campaign promise to soften regulation across the full range of U.S. industries by ordering the revocation of 10 federal rules for every new one implemented.

Financial services has been a frequent target this year of efforts to reduce oversight, with the White House leading shifts in top posts at the Federal Deposit Oversight Insurance Corporation, Office of Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.

Williams last month warned of the potential harm to investors from folding the PCAOB into the SEC, as initially planned in the massive tax-and-spending bill narrowly approved by Congress this month.

The unique experience and expertise built up by the PCAOB over decades cannot simply be cut and pasted without significant risk to investors at a time when markets are already volatile, Williams said in a speech. The provision to shift the PCAOB into the SEC was removed from the bill after it was determined to violate a Senate rule.

Weaker regulation of auditors may mean a slower pace of rulemaking than under Williams, according to Jennifer Wood, assurance service line leader at the Bonadio Group, a consulting firm.

New or pending standards could undergo further cost-benefit review before implementation, Wood said in an email response to questions.

Federal regulators in enforcement may focus on large lapses in audit quality and pay less attention to minor technical deficiencies, she said.

Also, during inspections, there may be more risk-based approaches, focusing on higher-risk firms or engagements rather than broad coverage, Wood said.
PRINCETON  A member of the Mercer County Commission is hoping to follow Raleigh Countys lead on regulating vape shops.

Mercer County Commissioner Greg Puckett said he is working with Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran to draft an ordinance that mirrors a plan adopted earlier this week by the Raleigh County Commission. That ordinance prohibits vape shops from operating in residential districts and enforces conditional use permits for those located in businesses and industrial areas.

Under the Raleigh County ordinance, any new vape shop that opens must be located at least a mile away from other vape shops, public or private schools and daycare facilities, and must not display images of psychedelics, marijuana or paraphernalia.

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Its not saying we arent going to allow vape shops to come into the county, Puckett said of Mercer. We are just saying it isnt going to be near a park, or where kids gather. And are just setting perimeters on where it will be.

Because Mercer County does not have a zoning ordinance, it wont be able to adopt a vape shop ordinance the same way that neighboring Raleigh and Fayette counties did, according to Puckett.

Because we dont have zoning we cant implement it the same way that Fayette and now Raleigh has done, Puckett said. However, Putnam County uses the same type of ordinance, but uses the public nuisance code. So I brought it back to Brian Cochran at the first of this year. We talked about it and are having another meeting on Monday to discuss how we are going to be able to use the public nuisance code to do the same thing that Raleigh County has done.

Puckett, who also serves on the West Virginia First Foundation Board with Raleigh County Commission President Greg Duckworth, said Raleigh County has a zoning ordinance, which made passing the vape shop ordinance much easier.

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Im really impressed with what they did in Raleigh County, Puckett said. I talked to Greg Duckworth about it. Its a huge step forward to better the publics health. I applaud Raleigh County. I applaud the work that counties across the state of West Virginia are doing to try to solve this problem.

Puckett said the problem is the number of vape shops that are opening across the region and the impact they are having on area youth.

The biggest problem is they target youth, Puckett said. They do it under the guise that it is a healthier alternative to smoke. And it simply isnt true.

Without zoning in Mercer County, Puckett said there are no protections for citizens or existing businesses. Some prospective businesses and industries will opt against coming to Mercer County when they learn there isnt zoning.

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Its actually an economic deterrent, Puckett said.

If a vape shop ordinance can be crafted around the existing public nuisance state code, Puckett said he is hopeful that it can be passed by the commission.

I am hopeful that our commission can unify to benefit the public health in Mercer County, he said. Weve talked about this with Commissioner Duckworth and I have had many conversations over public health and opioids and how to make your communities stronger. I do think that Raleigh County has many things they have done that are ahead of us.

The Raleigh County United for Prevention Policy Committee, in collaboration with the Raleigh County Commission and County Attorney Bill Roop, worked together to draft the ordinance. The ordinance was officially adopted during the Raleigh County Commission meeting on Tuesday.

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Kellie Gunnoe, executive director of Raleigh County United for Prevention, said the ordinance was a proactive measure.

The marketing and signage of these smoke and vape shops are intentionally designed to attract our youth, Gunnoe said. With this effort between Raleigh County United for Prevention and Raleigh County Commission, we send a clear message that our communitys health is our number one priority.

Puckett said community support is essential to any such ordinance in Mercer.

This ordinance needs to have support and we are always looking for additional support from the community, Puckett said.

Contact Charles Owens at

cowens@bdtonline.com
The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine is welcoming an inaugural class of 90 students this July.

Students at Meritus medical school in Hagerstown will receive a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree after completing their four-year education.

Osteopathic medicine prioritizes a whole-person approach to hands-on care. Doctors on this path are trained to look beyond symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors may impact a patients well-being.

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Prior to commencing their medical school education in late July, Meritus incoming class will participate in a traditional white coat ceremony on July 25, at which students receive a short white coat that signifies the beginning of their physician training.

It really symbolizes the students entering into a professional field, Dr. Brian Kessler, dean of the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, said. We are doing that white coat ceremony at the beginning of their journey, so it allows them to identify professionally as they are going into this to serve others.

In their first two years of study, medical students will focus on basic sciences that set the foundation for medicine, followed by two years of clinical medicine courses.

One of the key differences in osteopathic medicine is that, in the educational process, students in the first two years will get osteopathic manual medicine, the ability to be able to treat people with their hands, Kessler said.

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A lot of times, traditionally, students will go into what we would consider primary care practices, whether its family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, all of which are in need, Kessler said.

Meritus Health began plans to open its medical school in response to what Meritus representatives described as an urgent shortage of physicians in rural communities, both locally and nationwide.

The United States is expected to face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to projections published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in 2024.

The growing demand for physicians is linked to projected population increases, particularly among adults aged 65 and older, who typically require additional health care.

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The AAMC study also cites that a large portion of the physician workforce is nearing retirement age. Physicians 65 or older make up 20% of the clinical physician workforce while physicians ages 55 to 64 make up 22%.

We started thinking through the idea and the more we looked at it, the more it made a lot of sense, Chief Operating Officer Dave Lehr said of opening a Meritus medical school.

Studies show that Washington County is experiencing a shortage of more than 50 physicians.

It became clear to us that this would be something that would be good for our region, good for our patients and a great investment in our community to build the medical school here, Lehr said.

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According to the AAMC, Meritus is the fourth medical school in Maryland and the only one in Western Maryland.

The other Maryland medical schools are Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland and Uniformed Services University. Meritus is the first civilian medical school to open in Maryland since Johns Hopkins in 1893.

Meritus began the process of opening its new medical school about three and a half years ago.

The schools main building, the D.M. Bowman Academic Hall, is on the Meritus Medical Center campus in Hagerstown.

The 200,000-square-foot, five-story building houses a state-of-the-art simulation center, simulation labs, classrooms and a conference center.

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Meritus started accepting applications for its inaugural class last September.

According to Lehr, the school received more than 1,000 application for its first class. The class of 2029 includes 90 students, putting the schools acceptance rate below 10%.

About 50% of accepted students are from Maryland or the surrounding regions, according to Lehr. The other half of students hail from around the country, from as far as Hawaii.

Future cohorts are expected to double in size to 180 students, falling in line with accreditation standards.

As of mid-July, Meritus already has more than 1,000 applicants for next years class.

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In a September 2024 announcement, Meritus stated an expected $500 million in generated economic impacts from 2025 to 2030 after welcoming its first class. Meritus also estimated 1,595 jobs created between 2023 and 2026.

I think this is really going to be a great partnership with the health system, the med school and the community around us and we really look forward to seeing transformational changes, Kessler said.

The Meritus curriculum is structured so that classes are delivered four days a week, with the fifth day designated for research and volunteer work in the community.

The mission of Meritus has always been around caring for the community, Lehr said. Weve been doing that for about 120 years now.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has denied that his government is preparing to formally recognize the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"Diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime is not on the agenda at all. There can be no such thing," Merz told reporters in Berlin on Friday at his first summer press conference as leader.

Merz's comments came after the first deportation flight to Afghanistan since his coalition government took office.

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He said there had only been so-called "technical contacts" involving the Gulf emirate of Qatar to prepare for the deportation.

Negotiations about the flight, which took off from Leipzig on Friday morning with 81 Afghans on board bound for Kabul, had been conducted over many weeks by several parts of the federal government, Merz said.

Germany does not recognize the de facto government in Afghanistan, but has never broken off diplomatic relations with the country.

Since diplomatic relations exist between states and not between governments, there was an opportunity to hold talks, he added, and said that technical coordination will continue for the time being.

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Merz expressly thanked the emir of Qatar for his help in facilitating the deportation flight.

The flight carried people convicted of criminal offences who no longer have residence status in Germany. All asylum applications had been rejected with no possibility of further appeal, the chancellor emphasized.

The German government has no official relations with the Taliban, which is internationally isolated because of its disregard for human rights, especially women's rights.
A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE "kidnapping" to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said.

Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping.

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This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderons "loved ones and attorneys," who claimed she had been "kidnapped" by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25.

Trump's Immigration Crackdown In La Ignites 'Same Emotional Notes' For Dems, Top Local Gop Leader Says

The outlet reported that a man identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by men who did not identify themselves but were possibly bounty hunters. Medina claimed Calderon was taken to the border and presented to an "ICE staffer," who demanded she sign self-deportation paperwork.

Read On The Fox News App

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Medina said that when Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, she was taken to a warehouse until she agreed to sign the document.

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others "planned a hoax kidnapping" for their benefit, "including their own pecuniary gain."

The affidavit said that Calderons daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was "taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle."

A GoFundMe spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the page was removed and that the family did not access any of the funds raised.

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"GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform, or any attempt to exploit the generosity of others, and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing," the spokesperson said, adding, "This fundraiser was removed from the platform and the $80 raised was refunded; at no point did the organizer have access to any of the funds. The GoFundMe Giving Guarantee guarantees donors a full refund in the rare case something isnt right."

Ice Mask Debate Heats Up As Doxxing And Agent Assaults Surge

The daughter filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of Calderons supposed kidnapping.

HSI determined Calderon was not in DHS custody and, out of concern for her safety, the agency launched its own investigation to find her. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number.

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According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderons alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger.

The affidavit states that "when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story," Calderon and others lied to federal agents and "attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts" by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement.

Feds Charge 3 More Men In Maryland Ms-13 Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder: 'Reign Of Terror'

According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others.

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She is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.

Commenting on the charges, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli thanked HSI and "all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults" for "providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times."

Essayli said "dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are kidnapping illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents."

Illegal Migrant Enters Plea In Crash That Killed Boy One Day Before His 12Th Birthday

Protesters face off with police outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles for an anti-Trump "No Kings Day" demonstration June 14, 2025.

HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang also decried the scheme, saying, "My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax.

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"Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community," Wang added. "The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant.

"We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The White House also chimed in on the development. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that "the Fake News is so desperate to believe any anti-ICE narrative that they refuse to actually check the facts and instead just echo the lies theyre fed."

"The truth has come out: this was nothing more than another Fake News Hoax," she added. "Any outlet that participated in this hoax should be ashamed and apologize to their viewers for lying to them. Trust in the media is at an all time low and this is the perfect example why."





Original article source: Mexican woman in US illegally charged with faking her own ICE kidnapping
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  A New Mexico man is facing charges after allegedly assaulting and strangling a woman at a residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

New Mexico State Police explain middle of the night cell phone alert

According to court documents, on March 13, 2025, Bureau of Indian Affairs officers responded to 911 call reporting a violent assault. When officers arrived on scene they found the victim suffering from injuries including swelling, bruises and a fractured orbital bone. Over a two-day period, Philman Sam Pike is accused of physically assaulting and strangling the victim multiple times to the point of near unconsciousness. The victim was taken to the hospital and medical examinations confirmed significant injuries and evidence of strangulation.

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Pike was found hiding at a nearby residence and arrested. He is charged with assault by strangling and or suffocating and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Pike will stay behind bars while awaiting trial. He faces up to ten years behind bars if convicted.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Metro residents were startled awake to a puzzling alert in the middle of the night, and it wasnt an Amber Alert or a weather emergency. While it might have seemed like a mix-up, New Mexico State Police said its a new system, and its here to stay. NMSP said this new alert will function like an Amber Alert, but for missing adults, and the system is required under state law.

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The alert was sent by NMSP, sharing information about a 77-year-old man, saying if you see him or his vehicle to call. They didnt really say that they were, like, missing or it was, like, a criminal or something. So I was a little confused about that, said Kimira Hewitt.

The alert was more like what people expect from an Amber Alert, when a child goes missing, but New Mexico State Police said the emergency alert system is now being used for adults. I was a little confused, just because you dont usually get them for elderly people, said Hermitt.

Up until now, when an adult has gone missing, police have sent the legally required alerts through TV, radio, and social media, but state law said they have to send it to cell phones as well. They didnt have the technology for that until now. So we couldnt fulfill that statutory requirement, but now that that code has been created and we have access to it, were statutorily required to send out that alert, said Sergeant Ricardo Braceda, Public Information Officer, New Mexico State Police.

The new format comes as the FCC created a code for missing elders and other populations who arent kids. State police said people can expect to receive alerts like Wednesday nights anytime there is a Silver Alert for a missing elderly person, or a Turquoise Alert for a missing native American person.

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But many people who received it were frustrated to see it come through in the middle of the night, categorized as an extreme emergency. If someone was obviously distressed and we needed to help find them, that was important, but Im not gonna be helpful at 12:30 in the middle of the night while sleeping, said Lawing.

Some expressed that it made them want to shut the alerts off overall. There may be some alert fatigue, but theres a good reason for why these alerts are being sent. You know, these are were talking about human lives here, said Sgt. Braceda.

State police said they are working with the Department of Homeland Security to improve the functionality, like better classifying the urgency and stating clearly that the person is missing. With this being a new alert, uh, thats something that were evaluating with the system that we use, thats in place to ensure that we deliver the necessary information to people, said Sgt. Braceda.

NMSP said they are the only law enforcement agency in the state so far that can send emergency alerts. They typically can send around 50 silver alerts per year, but there could be more.

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It turns out that the missing man, Jose Lujan, had died. NMSP said his body was found because a truck driver received the phone alert and spotted his car.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  A New Mexico therapist has pled guilty to inappropriately touching a minor while on the job. In April 2024, detectives were informed that Krishna Vemulapalli, a local therapist, was touching a 15-year-old patient for over a year.

Nearly $5M secured for victims of decade long embezzlement scheme

Vemulapalli faces up to 25 years in prison.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Robin Bravender / States Newsroom)

New Mexicos senators in Congress have joined two dozen others in an effort to protect the private information submitted by undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children in order to receive protection from deportation.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on Thursday announced that he and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, along with 24 other senators, have introduced the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act, which would prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security from divulging to immigration authorities information disclosed in someones Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application.

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I call on Congress to quickly take up and pass my legislation to make sure Dreamers are able to stay in school, keep working and contribute to our economy, and remain in their homes and neighborhoods, Heinrich said in a statement.

The bill would also block DHS from referring anyone with deferred enforcement protections under DACA to any law enforcement.

Under the legislation, DHS could still share the information with national security and police agencies in order to identify or prevent fraud, and to investigate felony crimes, as long as they arent related to the applicants immigration status or for particularized national security purposes.

Approximately 825,000 people have received protection from deportation under DACA since 2021, according to Heinrichs office.

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We need to ensure that Dreamers private information is not weaponized against them and is protected  full stop, Heinrich said.

In a news release, Heinrichs office noted that DACA recipients have contributed an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy and $40 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

The bills introduction comes as the federal Internal Revenue Service is building a database of taxpayer records, including home addresses, to help ICE find and deport people, ProPublica reports. The Trump administration has also provided immigration authorities with Medicaid enrollees personal data.

Earlier this year, New Mexico enacted a new state law that prohibits the state Motor Vehicle Division employees from disclosing drivers license data to any entity that would use it to enforce federal civil immigration laws, among other data protections.

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Dreamers in New Mexico and across the country are frontline health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers and scientists, Heinrich said. These inspiring young people are Americans in every sense of the word except on paper, and they want nothing more than to be productive members of their communities. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration doesnt care about any of that and is indiscriminately sharing the private information of Dreamers.

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(FOX 5/KUSI)  One of the first actions from the first American pope, Leo XIV, was to promote another history-making person to lead the San Diego Dioceses Catholics.

On Thursday, a ceremonial mass at St. Therese of Carmel formally installed 58-year-old Michael Pham as the first Vietnamese American bishop to lead a diocese in the United States.

Its such an honor and great responsibility to give a good example to my heritage and as well as to people in the church, Pham said outside the parish. Were such a diverse community here in the diocese.

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Pham now leads nearly 1.4 million Catholics in San Diego and Imperial counties, an area that includes nearly 100 parishes and dozens of schools.

Pope Leo XIV has several ties to San Diego

But the area is not new to Pham. He was born in Da Nang, Vietnam, and arrived with his refugee family to Minnesota in 1981 before moving to San Diego just a few years later.

He went on to study aerospace engineering at San Diego State University before becoming ordained as a priest in 1999.

His ascension to bishop reflects the churchs recognition of immigrants and diversity.

He recently spent time at the federal courthouse to support immigrants at their hearings, something he said he will continue to do as bishop, along with encouraging more diocese staff to do so.

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San Diego Catholics who watched American pope debut call choice pure joy

It is important to recognize the people from the peripheries, the vulnerable, the immigrants, the refugees, the migrants, many of these people who are voiceless, and we need to be that voice for the people, Pham said.

Its such an exciting time for me because, first and foremost, I have lived here for over 40 years, been trained and formed as a priest, and I became an auxiliary bishop, and now as an ordained bishop for the diocese. Its such a great time, great excitement.

Dan Plante and the Associated Press contributed reporting.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 19 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to support a challenge to the Trump administrations attempt to halt funding for the legal services of unaccompanied immigrant children.

In March, the administration notified aid organizations across the country that it would cancel a contract that funds legal representation of more than 25,000 children who entered the United States alone.

Per the New York Times, the government told more than 100 nonprofits to immediately cease their work representing minors. The contract was up for renewal on March 29.

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Unaccompanied children arriving in this country are some of the most vulnerable people in our legal system, Nessel said in a news release sent to 6 News. Without legal representation, many may be forced to appear alone in court, unable to defend their rights. Denying them that support shouldnt be a policy choice. Ensuring these children have access to legal counsel is a matter of fairness, safety, and basic human decency enshrined into our laws by Congress. I stand with my colleagues in urging the Court to protect this critical funding.

The coalition urges the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to pass a preliminary injunction, arguing that federal law agrees with the importance of providing legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings and that this would result in long-lasting harm without access to the advocacy that legal representation provides.

Nessel joined the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's badge is seen as federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court in New York City on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

A plan to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to the personal data of all 79 million Medicaid enrollees  including more than 2.6 million Michiganders  is being condemned by both the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and the Michigan League for Public Policy.

The Associated Press reports the agreement between the Trump administrations Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would include the home addresses and ethnicities of enrollees in an effort to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States. The AP obtained a copy of an agreement between the two agencies, which has not been publicly announced.

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Ramis Wadood, an ACLU of Michigan staff attorney, noted the policy change comes on the heels of Congress, at the behest of President Donald Trump, approving nearly $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid.

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Now, this wicked administration intends to terrorize Medicaid enrollees by sending ICE agents to their doors to possibly drag them away from their families in the name of rounding up people believed to be in the country illegally, Wadood said.

According to a joint press release by the ACLU and the Michigan League for Public Policy, the agreement is believed to be the first time in Medicaids history that comprehensive health data, including names, birthdates, addresses, Social Security numbers, and racial and ethnic information, has been turned over for immigration enforcement.

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Sending ICE the personal data of 79 million people will put them in the crosshairs of the Trump administrations senseless and dehumanizing mass deportation machine. The attacks on our immigrant friends and neighbors, as well as the millions on Medicaid, are an affront to all of us  our rights and our freedom  and together, we must fight back, Wadood said.

Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, called the policy a direct attack on public health and civil liberties. She also warned that it will deter families  including those legally eligible  from seeking even emergency treatment out of fear that their enrollment could result in detention or deportation.

When a parent brings their child to the ER, they shouldnt have to weigh whether saving their childs life will put their entire family at risk of deportation. Weaponizing Medicaid data for immigration enforcement will create a dangerous chilling effect, deterring immigrants and their families from seeking the care they need, while putting entire communities at risk, Stanton said.

According to the joint press release, Michigan is home to over 157,000 residents living in mixed-status families, including more than 71,000 U.S. citizens.

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These families already face elevated rates of uninsurance  10.6% of immigrants in Michigan are uninsured, compared to just 5% of native-born residents. Policies that increase barriers to care will only worsen health disparities and strain emergency services, the release stated.

Both agencies also say the data-sharing arrangement raises serious legal and ethical concerns, and appears to violate federal medical privacy protections, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA.

The AP reported that Medicaid officials had fought to prevent the data sharing even as late as Monday.

They are trying to turn us into immigration agents, a CMS official, who did not have permission to speak to the media and insisted on anonymity, told the AP.

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Stanton said the implications of sharing the data go beyond immigration policy.

Delays in prenatal and pediatric care could lead to preventable birth complications and childhood illnesses. Avoiding preventive treatment will drive up emergency costs for hospitals and taxpayers. And the mental health toll from fear, trauma and family separation will ripple across generations, Stanton said. We cannot allow this betrayal of trust to stand.
For many Americans, relaxing in their backyards is a big part of the summer experience. But for several living in the Detroit area, the summer months have been anything but relaxing in recent years.

As FOX 2 reports, many Michiganders who hired Potoroka Concrete for work in their backyards have taken the company to court over breach of contract.

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Lynne Potoroka, one of the companys owners, is accused of being a scam artist who takes big deposits  occasionally asking for checks made out to her personally  before dragging her feet with the work or disappearing without finishing the job.

And now the disgruntled customers are fighting back in the court  and on TV  to make sure that others are not victimized by Potoroka Concrete.

'She had a lot of excuses when she wasn't delivering'

Ann and Pat Comisky hired Potoroka Concrete to redo the concrete deck around their pool in early spring 2023, paying $4,000 upfront for the project. But as Walter Potoroka  Lynnes husband  began to break up the existing concrete, Lynne requested an additional check made out to her personally.

By July, however, the deck was still unfinished, leaving the couple unable to use their pool for the entire summer. Lynne claimed the concrete could not be poured until the pool was running, but evidence presented by FOX 2s Rob Wolchek showed the pool was operational by July 13.

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The couple sued Potoroka Concrete for breach of contract and won a judgment for $2,885, which had not been paid at the time of the articles publication.

And then theres the Badalamenti family, who hired Potoroka Concrete for a pool deck project that wasnt completed. They, too, watched in frustration as their pool remained empty for an entire summer waiting for concrete.

The Badalamentis sued, and the judge ordered Potoroka Concrete to pay $12,000 for breach of contract  a fine that also remains unpaid.

And then theres Greg, another unfortunate customer who feels he was swindled by Potoroka Concrete in 2020. He, too, lost use of his pool for a whole summer and, like the Comiskys, his concrete was broken up and removed  but never replaced.

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"She had a lot of excuses when she wasn't delivering," Greg said of Potoroka. "It was deer season, it was Covid, it was anything under the sun, it was a death in the family."

Greg also sued Potoroka Concrete and won a $100,000 judgment, but since he knew hed never see the money, he wound up settling with the Potorokas for $10,000, which is what he paid upfront for the project.

All told, Potoroka Concrete has government judgments totaling more than $300,000, many of which remain unpaid.

The U.S. government also sued and won a judgment against Potoroka Concrete in 2020 for failing to pay employment and unemployment taxes. Add that hefty $188,991.97 in unpaid federal taxes from 2020, and youve got a contractor with a serious financial rap sheet.

Read more: Americans are revenge saving to survive  but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Heres how to quickly earn 280% more on your cash

Potoroka Concretes defense falls flat

When confronted by Wolchek, Potoroka was dismissive and defiant.

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She dismissed the $12,000 verdict for the Badalamenti family, telling Wolchek, It says right here, This opinion and order resolves this case. She declined any further comment, noting that she had just received the default judgment notice from her attorney.

"The judge is a ... it's an opinion, said Potoroka You really need to call my attorney on this, I can't talk about this one."

And then theres the Comisky judgement for $2,885.

Youre kidding, right? Potoroka, who FOX 2 nicknamed the "concrete pool queen," asked Wolchek. This is actually crap  $2,800. Do you know how much work we did there? We did the entire renovation.

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Potoroka blames the loss in the Comisky case on missing the court date, but later changed her story to say she had attended via Zoom. She then argued that she hadnt actually lost the case, but rather agreed to settle.

No, I agreed to pay it. I didnt lose, she said, before admitting she hadnt actually paid that judgment.

Tips to protect you from unscrupulous contractors

So, what can you do to avoid falling into a similar situation as these Michigan homeowners? Heres how to protect yourself from shoddy contractors:

Check contractor credentials to ensure they hold an active contractors license.

Get everything in writing, including contracts, timeframes, payment schedules and other project details.

Never hand over the full amount upfront. Break payments into chunks that are tied to progress.

Do your research on the company and ask for references.

Keep records to ensure you have evidence should things go wrong.

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And don't forget about legal protections, both local and federal.

Michigans Consumer Protection Act lets consumers sue for deceptive practices, and residents can also file a complaint with the Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division. You can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.

What to read next

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
A competitive U.S. Senate race is shaping up in Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters retirement has opened up a seat in a key swing state.

The top contenders for the Democratic nomination are Rep. Haley Stevens, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow. McMorrow is seen as a rising star in the party who went viral and gained national attention in 2022 for a rousing, impassioned floor speech she gave rebuking a Republican lawmaker who, in a fundraising email, baselessly accused her of wanting to groom kindergarteners and teach that 8-year-olds are responsible for slavery.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens speaks at the Mackinac Policy Conference in Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 29, 2024. (Andrew Roth/Sipa USA/AP Images)

Also running in the Democratic primary are state Rep. Joe Tate, former speaker of the Michigan House, and Abdul El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health director and 2018 candidate for governor.

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On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost the 2024 Senate race to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin, is running again. GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga is also expected to jump in the race.

Michigan is a perennial presidential battleground state: President Donald Trump won it in 2016, former Democratic President Joe Biden put the state back in the Democratic column in 2020 and Trump flipped it back in 2024. But over the last 30 years, the state has consistently elected Democrats to the Senate  the last time the state sent a Republican senator to Washington was 1994.

The state has long been a pipeline for women Democratic leaders, from former Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Debbie Dingell to Slotkin; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential candidate; Attorney General Dana Nessel; Rep. Hillary Scholten; and prominent progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Rep. Lisa McClain, the Republican Conference chair in the House, also hails from Michigan.

Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who ran for governor in 2018, is now running for the Michigan U.S. Senate seat. (Andrew Roth/Sipa USA/AP Images)

If either Stevens or McMorrow wins the primary and the general, Michigan would add to the number of states represented in the Senate by two women simultaneously. There are currently four such states  Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada and Washington.

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Republicans currently control the Senate by a three-seat majority, 53 to 47, and Senators serve six-year terms, meaning a third of the Senate is up every election cycle. For Democrats to win back the chamber in 2026, theyd need to hold competitive seats in states like Georgia and Michigan while flipping four GOP-held seats in Maine, North Carolina and even more Republican-leaning states like Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas.

The post Michigan has been a pipeline for women in power. Will that continue in 2026? appeared first on The 19th.

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By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Microsoft will likely sign the European Union's code of practice to help companies comply with the bloc's landmark artificial intelligence rules, its president told Reuters on Friday, while Meta Platforms rebuffed the guidelines.

Drawn up by 13 independent experts, the voluntary code of practice aims to provide legal certainty to signatories. They will have to publish summaries of the content used to train their general-purpose AI models and put in place a policy to comply with EU copyright law.

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The code is part of the AI Act which came into force in June 2024 and will apply to Google owner Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral and thousands of companies.

"I think it's likely we will sign. We need to read the documents," Microsoft President Brad Smith told Reuters.

"Our goal is to find a way to be supportive and at the same time one of the things we really welcome is the direct engagement by the AI Office with industry," he said, referring to the EU's regulatory body for AI.

Meta reiterated its criticism of the code.

"Meta won't be signing it. This code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act," Meta's chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan said in a blog post on LinkedIn on Friday.

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The U.S. social media giant has the same concerns as a group of 45 European companies, he said.

"We share concerns raised by these businesses that this over-reach will throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe, and stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of them," Kaplan said.

OpenAI and Mistral have signed the code.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
A Haitian migrant pleaded guilty to a rape charge after a DNA test proved that he was the father of his teenage daughters baby, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryans office said.

The man, who MassLive is not identifying so as not to identify his daughter, pleaded guilty to aggravated rape of a child for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female victim who was known to him.

On Friday, July 11, Judge Kenneth Salinger sentenced the man to 12 to 15 years committed to the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

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Between September 2023 and May 2024, the man and his daughter were at Marlborough Holiday Inn operating as a migrant shelter in the city, according to meeting minutes for the citys Board of Health.

On April 30, 2024, when a school resource officer at the Whitcomb School in Marlborough learned of the 14-year-old girls pregnancy, she told the school that she had dated a 17-year-old boy and they had had sex. Her pregnancy was confirmed by personnel at a hospital, according to a police report filed in court.

The girl was removed from the shelter as the investigation continued, Ryans office said in a statement.

An ultrasound during the investigation found that the time of conception was while the girl and the man were living together in Marlborough, Ryans office said. After the babys birth, buccal swabs were done on the girl, the baby and the father and sent to a laboratory.

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On Jan. 24, the lab determined that the man was not only the girls father, it was also twenty-three trillion times more likely than not that he was the biological father of the victims baby, Ryans office said.

The man was arrested one week later and was held without bail before he was indicted on Feb. 19.

More local crime stories

Read the original article on MassLive.
Net migration to the UK fell almost 50% to 431,000 in 2024.

The government has set out measures it says will further reduce numbers.

How many migrants come to the UK?

An estimated 948,000 people came to the UK expecting to stay at least a year in 2024, according to provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It estimates that 517,000 people left the country.

The net migration figure of 431,000 is the number of people coming to the UK, minus the number leaving.

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Net migration in the 12 months to December 2023 was estimated at 860,000.

[BBC]

Of those who came to live in the UK in the 12 months to December 2024:

60,000 (6%) were British nationals

122,000 (13%) were EU nationals, or from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (EU+)

About 766,000 (81%) were from other countries

Among non-EU+ migrants, 83% were aged 16 to 64 and the most common nationality coming for work or study was Indian.

Over the period, 96,000 more EU nationals left the UK than arrived.

About 17,000 more British nationals left the UK than came back.

How does the government plan to reduce immigration?

In May, the government unveiled plans to cut immigration further, including:

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English tests for all visa applicants and adult dependants

Skilled worker visas to generally require a degree-level qualification, instead of an A-level equivalent, and higher salary thresholds

Overseas graduates to be allowed to remain for 18 months after their course, instead of two years

Immigrants will typically have to live in the UK for 10 years before applying for the right to stay indefinitely  up from five years

Employers to be encouraged to find and develop domestic talent

It will be made easier to remove or refuse entry or asylum to people who breach immigration rules or break the law

How have the salary rules for UK visa applicants changed?

Most people wanting to work in the UK have to apply for a visa through the points-based system (PBS).

Since April 2024, applicants have to earn at least 38,700 - an increase of nearly 50% from the previous 26,200 minimum.

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The threshold does not apply to some jobs - such as in health and social care.

How does the points-based system work?

Applicants need 70 points to qualify for a skilled worker visa, which can last up to five years before it needs to be extended.

Having a job offer above a minimum skill level and speaking English is worth 50 points.

The remaining 20 points can come from a job offer with a higher salary, working in a sector with job shortages, or having a relevant PhD.

The standard fee for a skilled visa is usually between 719 and 1,639. Applicants also have to pay a healthcare surcharge.

What is the immigration salary list?

The immigration salary list replaced what was previously called the shortage occupation list.

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It helps employers fill vacancies in key sectors.

These jobs have a lower salary threshold.

A wide range of construction jobs are on the list [Getty Images]

The list includes:

health and care workers

pharmacists

graphic designers

some farming and fishing roles

construction workers

How many people get visas to work in health and social care?

Home Office figures show that 23,000 visas were issued to people coming to the UK to work in health and social care in the 12 months to March 2025.

That is 85% fewer than were issued at the peak in 2023.

Numbers increased significantly after temporary changes to the health and care visa rules in February 2022. These ended in June 2025.

What are the rules about family visas and how many are given?

A family visa is needed if someone wants to live with a relative who is a British citizen, or someone who has the right to be in the UK for more than six months

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People can apply to live with a:

spouse or partner

fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner

child

parent

relative who will provide long-term care for you

The relative must meet a minimum income threshold.

The previous Conservative government had planned to increase this to 38,700 - up from 18,600.

But after warnings that this risked separating families, the new minimum was set at 29,000.

Anyone renewing an existing family visa does not have to meet the new earnings threshold.

The latest Home Office figures show that 76,000 family-related visas were granted in the year ending March 2025.

That's a 3% fall from the number issued in the 12 months to March 2024, but more than double the number granted in the year to March 2021.

How many student and graduate visas are issued?

[Getty Images]

According to Home Office figures for the year to March 2025, 403,000 student visas were issued to foreign students.

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That is 10% fewer than in the 12 months to March 2024, but 50% more than the same period in 2019.

In the year ending March 2025, 18,000 visas were issued to student dependants, an 83% drop compared with the 12 months to March 2024.

Since January 2024, international postgraduate students have not been able to bring dependants unless their course is a research programme.

What are the rules for seasonal worker visas and how many are issued?

Temporary workers such as fruit pickers and poultry workers are covered by seasonal worker visas, which are subject to an annual quota.

The number of visas that can be granted is 45,000 for 2025:

43,000 horticulture workers

2,000 poultry workers

[Getty Images]

Home Office figures show 34,700 seasonal worker visas were issued in the year to March 2025.

More than three-quarters were for workers from Central Asian countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Heading out of town? Here are some music, stage and art event around the state of Colorado.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff put a Motus tag on a wood thrush to track its migration, in the hopes of learning important information about the bird. (Photo courtesy of DNR's YouTube channel)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources participates in a global network that uses small tags and antenna receivers to track migratory patterns of birds, bats and insects, and it has recorded 607 detections of 340 individuals from 39 bird species in the state since 2021.

These figures come from the departments annual report, which shows the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network continues to expand each year in Iowa.

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According to a DNR annual report, Iowa is an important migratory corridor and has some of the highest numbers of migrating birds  up to 1 billion in some years  during the fall season.

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The vision for the program in Iowa is to have a 42-station, Motus fence from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River to maximize detection of north-south migrating species through the state.

The DNR report said Motus stations in any location provide valuable insight into migratory patterns.

Right now, there are 32 Motus stations in Iowa and more than 2,200 stations across the globe.

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Motus tags weigh 3% or less of the birds body weight and have a battery lifespan of around 400 days, which means both fall and spring migrations are tracked with a single tag.

The tags emit a signal that is detected by the Motus stations when a bird flies near the station.

DNR also expanded the program in 2024 by tagging birds that breed in Iowa, including 27 wood thrushes.

Wood thrush is considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Iowa and in 25 other states because the population has declined across North America by more than 50% in the past 50 years.

DNR tagged the birds at nine different sites as part of a regional Motus collaboration to track the birds and gain important knowledge on wood thrush habits that could help with their conservation.

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According to a press release from DNR, the project showed two wood thrushes from Iowa and a number from other states, were detected at the same Motus station in Belize this winter.

This high detection rate indicates that this particular area of Belize is an important migratory corridor for the species at large, and that habitat conservation efforts in this region are necessary and valuable to Wood Thrush no matter where they breed, the release said.

Of the 27 tagged in Iowa last summer, 14 returned to the state during spring migration, according to the data.

Some birds fly over a number of Motus stations during their migrations, like wood thrush 88620, which DNR reported was tagged at Browns Woods park in Des Moines before traveling through Missouri, down to Jose Cardel in Mexico. The bird then returned to Browns Woods park via Texas and then Missouri.

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DNR has tagged 10 more wood thrushes this year and hopes to continue the work to further understand the birds and improve conservation efforts.

Individuals can support the Motus project by donating to cover the cost and maintenance of the antennae, or by hosting a Motus on their property. Information on applying to host can be found on the Motus website.

Protect birds from reflective windows

As fall migration season starts up in August, Iowans can take a couple of steps, some as simple as turning off the kitchen light at night, to keep birds from hitting windows.

Cats and windows are the top human-related causes of mortality to birds in North America. And its not just skyscrapers that take out birds as they fly through a region.

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The Bird Collision Prevention Alliance reports more than 1 billion birds die from window collisions annually, and the American Bird Conservancy reported 44% of collisions occur with homes and buildings three stories tall or shorter.

Birds cant see windows, so reflections on a window, or a light on inside a window at night can make it look like a habitat the bird can fly through.

The best way to give birds a heads up? Decals, parachute-cord curtains, screens and even tempera paint can all be used to deter birds from trying to fly through a window.

There are a number of window treatments that can deter birds from window collisions. Top left: UV tape added to the outside of a window. Top Right: UV dots on the outside of a window. Bottom left: cord added to the outside of a window. Bottom right: the view from inside the treated window. (Photo illustration courtesy of DNR)

DNR suggests placing decals or cords about 2 inches apart on a window to make sure the birds dont try to squeeze through any perceived gaps. Curtains and blinds inside can help, but the best solutions are placed outside of the glass to ensure the birds can see them.

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A large majority of bird migration happens at night, which is why turning the lights off at night can significantly reduce bird collisions.

DNR recommends going dark between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during peak migration months, which are April and May in spring and August through October in the fall.

BirdCast also offers location specific, night migration forecasts and alerts for those more interested in knowing when, where and how many birds are flying overhead.

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Mike Pence has joined the Republican faction calling for the release of the Epstein files

Donald Trump's former vice president demanded "transparency," adding, "anyone who participated or was associated with this despicable man ought to be held up to public scrutiny"

Trump has continued to insist that the Epstein files are a "hoax" pushed by Democrats





Donald Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, has joined the growing Republican faction calling for the release of the Epstein files amid the president's temperamental outbursts about the alleged evidence.

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In an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, July 16, Pence said, "I think the time has come for the administration to release all of the files regarding Jeffrey Epstein's investigation and prosecution."

While he echoed others' concerns about protecting the names of Epstein's alleged victims, Pence added, I think that anyone who participated or was associated with this despicable man ought to be held up to public scrutiny. I just think we ought to get the facts to the American people, and I've always believed in transparency.

After campaigning on promises that he would declassify and release more evidence related to Epstein's 2019 child sex-trafficking case, Trump has backtracked in recent weeks, going so far as to accuse the Democrats of creating an "Epstein hoax."

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have also backpedaled on the issue following the release of a joint memo from the DOJ and FBI, which stated that their investigation into Epstein's alleged crimes and subsequent death in prison was complete. The memo also stated the investigation found that Epstein's long-rumored "client list" did not exist.

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"My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bull----,' hook, line, and sinker, the president wrote on social media on Wednesday. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats' work, dont even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore!"



Drew Angerer/Getty Mike Pence and Donald Trump in the White House Cabinet Room on Dec. 16, 2019 Mike Pence and Donald Trump in the White House Cabinet Room on Dec. 16, 2019

Pence, however, pointed out that legal investigation into Epstein's alleged crimes began in 2005, and has continued with both Republicans and Democrats in the White House.

"Jeffrey Epstein's prosecution began during the Bush administration, continued through the Obama years," he said. "I know of no reason why this administration, once the victims' names are protected, should not release all the files on Jeffrey Epstein."

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Pence did not endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election and has been publicly critical in recent years of his former boss, including calling out his actions during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

"I believe that anyone who puts themselves over the constitution should never be president of the United States," he said while launching his own short-lived presidential bid in June 2023.



Davidoff Studios/Getty Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at Mar-a-Lago in 1997 Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at Mar-a-Lago in 1997

Some of the president's closest MAGA allies have also publicly called for the release of the Epstein files.



Im for transparency, House Speaker Mike Johnson told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson in an interview released on July 15. Its a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it.



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Even MAGA mouthpiece Marjorie Taylor Greene has split from the president on the issue.

I think the Department of Justice and the FBI has more explaining to do  this is Jeffrey Epstein," the Georgia congresswoman said on the Real Americas Voice network: This is the most famous pedophile in modern-day history, and people are absolutely not going to accept just a memo that was written that says there is no client list.



ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson

Meanwhile, Trump's current VP, JD Vance, joined him on the defensive on Thursday evening, decrying the most recent link between Trump and Epstein: a Wall Street Journal exclusive that revealed a lewd birthday message Trump allegedly wrote to his billionaire buddy.

"Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it," Vance wrote on X. "Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?"

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"Doesnt it violate some rule of journalistic ethics to publish a letter like this without showing it to the victim of this hit piece?" Vance continued in a second post. "Will the people who have bought into every hoax against President Trump show an ounce of skepticism before buying into this bizarre story?"

Read the original article on People
Ed Miliband has taken a bet on nuclear fusion one day powering Britain by making it easier for developers to build new reactors with minimal planning restrictions.

Fusion plants are to be included in the UKs national infrastructure planning system, meaning they can be built in any part of Britain without needing consent from local authorities and with little opportunity for local people to object.

Mr Miliband said the aim was to ensure fusion, if it ever works, could rapidly become part of the UK energy system.

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The Energy Secretary predicted that the first generators could be under construction within a decade and said the technology would help the UK to become a clean energy superpower.

Mr Miliband said: These changes would ensure fusion projects get built quicker. We are giving developers the clarity they need to build the fusion industry in Britain, creating highly skilled jobs and driving growth.

Fusion is the process that powers the sun and works by using extremely high temperatures and pressures to force hydrogen atoms to fuse, creating helium and releasing vast amounts of energy.

The process can be harnessed to build weapons such as the hydrogen bomb, but controlling it to produce energy has proved impossible, despite seven decades of research.

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This is because fusion plasmas are 15 times hotter than the sun and would melt all known materials so they have to be contained by magnetic fields.

The challenge has been to design reactors and magnetic containment systems that can hold such plasmas for long periods while releasing the heat they generate to drive turbines.

The advent of AI combined with a plethora of new designs for fusion reactors is driving hopes that such challenges can now be solved.

The UK already has some of the worlds leading fusion science and engineering teams and successive governments have pledged to support them with 2.5bn of investment.

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That money is now funding the construction of a prototype fusion power plant at West Burton in Nottinghamshire. Many private companies are also looking at alternative pathways to achieving fusion.

Kerry Turner, minister for climate, said fusion did not need to be so tightly regulated as existing nuclear power stations because the process produced very little radioactive waste.

She said: The UK aims to build a prototype fusion power plant in the UK by 2040. Private fusion companies in the UK and overseas are also quickly developing demonstrator fusion facilities.

To deliver these facilities, sites for fusion energy facilities will need to be identified and construction started this decade.

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The move was welcomed by those leading the UKs nascent fusion industry. Tim Bestwick, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), said: Fusion promises to be a safe, sustainable part of the worlds future energy supply and the UK has an opportunity to become a global hub for fusion technology.

These new fusion-specific planning rules will help provide certainty about investing in UK fusion developments.

A similar system is already in place for wind farms, solar farms and other controversial energy developments.

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Work is about to begin to reclaim nearly 90 acres of mine-scarred land above the Casey Highway, clearing the way for 1.4 million square feet of warehouses in Archbald and Mayfield.

Mayfield signed a contract with Kriger Construction on July 7 to carry out the grant-funded mine reclamation, council President Diana Campbell said. Borough council voted to award Kriger a $12,558,000 contract during its June 11 council meeting, and Mayfield will issue a notice to proceed for Kriger to begin work as soon as the project gets its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NDPES, permit, she said. Once the borough gives Kriger notice, the contractor will have 10 days to begin work, she said.

The reclamation encompasses about 87 acres.

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Developer Mark Powell, owner of Reading-based Century Development Associates, expects to receive the NPDES permit  often referred to as a stormwater permit  imminently.

Id be surprised if we dont start doing this by August, Powell said.

Powells planned Century Logistics Center is an estimated $110-million project just off Exit 5 of the Casey Highway at the end of Rushbrook Street that will build a 745,200-square-foot warehouse in Mayfield and a 646,380-square-foot warehouse in Archbald.

To help expedite development, Powell said the state awarded his logistics park with a PA Permit Fast Track Program designation in April.

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It shrinks the timeline, and that makes us more competitive in the market in the mid-Atlantic region for all the other states around us, Powell said.

The Fast Track Program streamlines permitting for high-impact economic development and infrastructure projects in Pennsylvania that require multiple permits from different state agencies, according to a program description from the state. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order creating the program in November.

To fund the mine reclamation, the state Department of Environmental Protection awarded Mayfield $14.97 million thorough its Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program, giving the small borough the money it needs to reclaim the mine land on the site. With the Kriger contract coming in at just under $12.6 million, Campbell said the borough is using the remaining money to cover other associated costs, including engineering and administrative fees.

The mine reclamation will entail the installation of temporary erosion and sedimentation controls; drilling/blasting and earthmoving of 815,000 cubic yards of material; drilling/blasting and over-excavation, including structural backfill of 820,000 cubic yards for deep mine remediation; and final grading and site stabilization, according to a public notice published in The Times-Tribune in May that advertised the available contract.

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According to a DEP grant summary for the project, there were two coal seams that were historically deep mined on the site: the Top Clark and Clark beds, with a 16-acre area covering a portion of the Clark mine that is considered a potential subsidence zone. In addition to reclaiming the mines, other work includes removing spoil piles (mine waste), backfilling pits and excavating high walls, according to the DEP.

In addition to remedying the mines, Powell said he also has to clear the site, which is 139 acres total.

The site work and mine reclamation is projected to take 10 to 12 months, and construction on the first warehouse could start as soon as eight to nine months after work begins, Powell said.

He is still determining which warehouse to build first, though he expects it will more likely be the Archbald warehouse, which is the smaller of the two.

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Constructing a 646,000-square-foot building should take about 12 to 15 months, and then it will take the warehouses tenant another four to six months to equip the building, Powell said.

Eventually, the two warehouses will create a project 500 to 700 jobs, with pay estimated to be $20 to $24 an hour with benefits, according to Powell.

Campbell said the borough is looking forward to Powell accomplishing his goals and benefiting the community.

Were just looking forward to being able to take care of our community and lift the burden off of our property owners here in the town, our residents, and having a great business in town that can provide jobs to the whole area, the whole region, she said. I think its going to be a great thing to help economically build up our area a little bit more.
Ministers are preparing to face down opposition to the sale of The Telegraph in a row over foreign state influence.

The Government on Thursday confirmed that it will press ahead with a Lords vote next week that will decide whether foreign powers should be allowed to own up to 15pc of British newspapers.

The planned legislation is viewed as pivotal to ending the ownership uncertainty that has gripped The Telegraph for more than two years.

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A proposed takeover led by the US private equity firm RedBird Capital is expected to include a passive stake of up to 15pc for IMI, a media company owned by the vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This week there has been determined lobbying for and against the legislation, which would ease an outright ban on foreign state shareholdings introduced last year.

Rumours have swirled in Parliament that Labour would abandon the vote over fear of a highly embarrassing defeat.

However, a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: Tuesdays House of Lords debate on the Enterprise Act will go ahead as planned.

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Opposition to allowing foreign states to invest in newspapers has coalesced around a rare fatal motion tabled by the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative leadership is supporting the Governments plans, but a group of Tory rebels has gathered around Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, who has called the proposed legislation a systemic threat to a free press.

The plans could also face significant opposition from crossbench peers.

Lord Fox, the Lib Dem peer who tabled the fatal motion, said: Were working across the House to make sure we do everything we can to stand up to the Governments plan to sell out British press freedoms.

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Foreign states have no place in the UKs newsrooms. The Government should never have brought forward the legislation  but theres a growing group of peers from across the political spectrum who believe it can, and should, be stopped.

This vote is about protecting a keystone of British democracy. Im calling on peers to come together across the House and vote this dangerous legislation down.

If approved by a majority of peers, the fatal motion would block the legislation and force the Government to rethink. Such votes are supported very rarely by peers as they spark arguments about the power of the unelected chamber.

MPs have already approved stakes of up to 15pc for foreign powers. Earlier this month, the Commons voted in favour of the plans by 338 votes to 79. Almost all the votes against it were Lib Dems.

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RedBirds planned takeover of The Telegraph is expected to include a passive minority stake for IMI, as well as minority stakes for the Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere and Sir Leonard Blavatnik, the owner of the major record label Warner Music.

IMI had previously sought to be the majority backer of a takeover of The Telegraph alongside RedBird. It was blocked last year following a cross-party outcry, a decision that caused a serious diplomatic rift between Britain and the UAE.

The Lib Dems have argued that foreign states should be allowed to own no more than 5pc of a British newspaper, as was originally proposed by the Conservatives when they were in power and blocked the IMI-funded takeover of The Telegraph.

This week the Government sought to head off some of the opposition to its proposals by publishing plans to close a loophole.

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Peers had raised concerns that the legislation allowed for multiple foreign states to own up to 15pc each. Under further laws scheduled to be voted on in autumn that will not be allowed.

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Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell looks to the jury as she testifies during her felony burglary trial on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. Sen. Mitchell is accused of burglarizing her stepmother Carol Mitchells house in Detroit Lakes in April 2024. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo)

A jury of nine men and three women on Friday convicted Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell of felony burglary and possession of burglary tools, concluding a case that has roiled the closely divided Minnesota Senate for over a year.

The jury deliberated for just over three hours Friday and asked no questions of the judge.

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Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the burglary charge. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for the burglary tools conviction.

The verdict will almost certainly change the makeup of the state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a 34-33 majority. If Mitchell resigns, shell be replaced in a special election in what has been a solidly blue district in the past decade. If not, the Senate can expel her with a two-thirds vote, but they are not scheduled to come into session until next year. Only Gov. Tim Walz can call a special session.

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, called on Mitchell to resign, for the first time, once the verdict was reached Friday: Sen. Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities.

Carol Mitchell, whose house Nicole Mitchell entered without permission and is the stepmother of the accused, was in the courtroom Friday to witness the verdict, her first presence since she testified Tuesday. She hugged her son after the verdict was read.

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Throughout the five-day trial, the state asserted that Mitchell, a first term senator, was intent on stealing her late fathers possessions from her stepmother when she broke into Detroit Lakes the home in April 2024. Prosecutors main evidence was that she told police officers as much during her arrest.

The senator said on the witness stand that she drove the 220 miles from her home in Woodbury to her stepmothers Detroit Lakes home to conduct a welfare check. Mitchell testified in her own defense Thursday, saying she has witnessed her stepmothers mental decline because of Alzheimers disease, and that she she was concerned that Carol Mitchell wasnt receiving the attention and care she needed.

Mitchell said she lied to police about her intentions  and made up wanting to steal her fathers possessions  to allay her stepmothers paranoia.

The defense has repeatedly classified this as a welfare check. Youve seen all the evidence, the time of night, the outfit, the tools. What does your reason and common sense tell you? Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald asked the jury in his closing statement.

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Mitchells explanation of lying to police to refrain from exacerbating Carols paranoia defied common sense, McDonald said.

Mitchell has admitted she entered the home without permission her defense said she would have pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge. But she has unequivocally denied stealing anything from the home, and multiple police officers testified that they didnt find anything in Mitchells possession that was stolen property.

Under Minnesota law, a person doesnt need to steal anything to be convicted of burglary, however. The law requires that a person enter a dwelling without permission with the intent to commit a crime of theft.

McDonald argued that Nicole Mitchell would have stolen her fathers flannel shirt and other possessions, but she was accosted by police.

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Of course she didnt have anything on her. She got interrupted, McDonald told the jury.

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com.
Minnetonka, the Minnesota-based footwear brand long associated with moccasins, is deepening its commitment to reconciliation with Native communities through its latest initiative, the Reclamation Collaborative.

The collaborative brings together a growing group of Native artists to redesign Minnetonkas appropriated designs, reclaim cultural narratives, and set a new standard for accountability in the fashion industry.

The effort builds on the brands public apology in 2021 for decades of profiting from Native culture without credit or collaboration, a practice all too common in fashion.

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For decades, Native artists have raised alarm about appropriation in the industry. According to the First Peoples Fund, 92% of Native artists say their designs have been used without permission, while less than 10% of brands that use Native patterns collaborate with Indigenous communities.

Were trying to show businesses how you can show up better, Jory Miller Scherer, Minnetonkas president, told Native News Online. This work is not comfortable, and it shouldnt be. But its necessary, and its forever.

The idea for the Reclamation Collaborative emerged from years of conversations between Scherer, Minnetonka CEO David Miller, Head of Marketing staff, and the companys reconciliation advisor, artist and educator Adrienne Benjamin (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe).

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Benjamin, who has worked with the company since 2020, said the collaboration reflects not just a shift in design, but a deeper investment in Indigenous voices.

At first, I was unsure, Benjamin told Native News Online. Theres a lot of hurt in our communities because of appropriation. But each time an artist launched a project, it felt stronger, like we were building something meaningful together.

Each artist in the collaborative contributes their own designs and expertise, but also works collectively to guide Minnetonkas broader goals.

We wanted a way to show that this isnt just one-off products, Benjamin said. Its a group consciously working to make changes.

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That vision extends beyond aesthetics. The company has set a long-term goal of removing or redesigning appropriated styles with authentic Native artistry.

Reclamation means using what you already have to give back to those whove been excluded, Benjamin said.

Since launching its reconciliation work, Minnetonka has focused on building genuine relationships with artists, starting locally in Minnesota.

Past collaborations have featured Ojibwe and Navajo artists. This fall, a Dakota artist will debut a beadwork design, completing what Benjamin called a Minnesota vibe by honoring both Ojibwe and Dakota communities in the state.

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All of them are not just artists, they have full-time jobs working in their communities, Scherer said.

The name Reclamation Collaborative itself came from the artists, highlighting their central role in shaping the initiative.

Minnetonka measures its progress around five pillars including design collaborations, business partnerships with Native-owned companies, brand language and imagery, employee education, and philanthropy.

If we only did philanthropy, it wouldnt be enough, Scherer noted. But it would also be incomplete without it.

Both Scherer and Benjamin emphasized that the collaborative is intended as a model for other brands.

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I hope this shows people it has to be more than just a one-off thing, Benjamin said. It takes real, deep work, acknowledgement, apology, and change.

That means moving beyond vague references to Native-inspired designs and acknowledging the distinct tribes, artists, and stories involved.

Were teaching people its not just Native. Its Dakota. Its Anishinaabe. Those are different, and deserve to be seen as such, Benjamin said.

Benjamin added that reconciliation is as much personal work as corporate.

There are still moments when my own traumas come up in this work. Native people have been burned so many times. But Minnetonka continues to show theyre standing in it, doing the work, and not just checking a box, Benjamin said.

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As the Reclamation Collaborative continues to grow, Minnetonka plans additional artist collaborations in 2026 and beyond, and hopes to expand into more product categories when feasible.

I want other companies, and even governments, to understand that if you want true reconciliation, you have to dig deep. You cant just write a check and walk away, Benjamin said.

About the Author: "Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alutiiq\/Sugpiaq Nation, and a shareholder of Koniag, Inc. She is a staff reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Berg, who is based in Wisconsin, previously reported for the Ho-Chunk Nation newspaper, Hocak Worak. She went to school originally for nursing, but changed her major after finding her passion in communications at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. "

Contact: kberg@indiancountrymedia.com
Reverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith.

Thai police this week arrested a woman accused of bedding at least 11 monks in violation of their vows of celibacy, before blackmailing them with thousands of secretly taken photos of their trysts.

The monks are said to have paid nearly $12 million, funnelled out of their monasteries funded by donations from laypeople hoping to increase their merit and prospects for reincarnation.

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The scandal provoked outrage over hypocrisy in the monkhood, concern their status shields them from scrutiny, and soul-searching across society about the role of religion.

"I'm not involved in the religion like I used to be," 33-year-old motorbike taxi driver Mongkol Sudathip told AFP. "I don't have full respect for it anymore."

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has cancelled invitations to more than 80 monks who had been due to attend his upcoming 73rd birthday celebrations, citing "inappropriate behaviour that caused mental distress among the Thai people".

While the 11 monks have been stripped of their robes,the kingdom's National Office of Buddhism has vowed to "restore public trust" with a sweeping police probe into the grubby affair.

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- 'Splurging attitude' -

Theravada Buddhism has been the spiritual backbone of Thai identity for more than two millennia, and still shapes national laws banning alcohol on religious holidays and protecting sacred objects.

Thai men are traditionally expected to ordain as monks at least once in their lives for a period lasting as short as a few weeks or as long as decades.

The clergy are bound by 227 strict rules, including a ban on masturbation, touching women and even handling objects directly from them.

Monks traditionally survive on alms, food offerings and a modest $170 monthly stipend, but some pocket fees for lectures, blessings and ceremonies -- blurring the line between faith and fortune.

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In a TV interview, the woman at the heart of the scandal said she had developed a "splurging attitude" as her monk lovers lavished her with shopping trips worth up to $90,000 a day.

Motorcycle taxi driver Mongkol said he now prefers to donate to hospitals or schools for underprivileged children. "It feels more meaningful than giving money to temples," he told AFP.

This month's scandal is not the first to rock the monkhood.

In 2017, police raided Wat Dhammakaya temple north of Bangkok, arresting its former abbot over allegations of laundering $33 million in public donations.

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This May, police held another monk in the capital over allegations of embezzling nearly $10 million from a temple for an online gambling network.

Buddhism scholar Danai Preechapermprasit said repeated scandals -- especially among senior monks -- have "shaken people to the core".

"People question whether donations are used for spiritual significance or personal desire," he told AFP.

"I think Thailand has reached a point where it's difficult for monks to even walk down the street."

A powerful lawmaker has pledged tighter regulations within three months -- including mandatory donation disclosures and laws treating monk misconduct as a criminal offence.

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"This case does not represent Buddhism as a whole," said national police chief Kitrat Panphet on Thursday, pledging a new task force to probe misbehaving monks.

"It's about a few individuals doing wrong," he said.

- 'Never lose faith' -

In Buddhist tradition monks are viewed as the Buddha's spiritual heirs, entrusted with preserving and passing on his teachings.

But at Wat Bowonniwet in Bangkok -- one of Thailand's most revered temples -- only 26 monks were ordained this year, a steep drop from nearly 100 before the Covid-19 pandemic.

A monk there, speaking to AFP anonymously, blamed societal changes after the pandemic, which forced people into isolation -- saying nowadays "people prefer to live outside the temple life".

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But independent Buddhism expert Jaturong Jongarsa said temples are increasingly being treated as "a garbage dump" -- where families send drug addicts or LGBTQ youth to be "corrected".

"Temples are no longer seen as the sacred spaces they once were," he told AFP. "People send their problems to the temple and hope they'll go away."

Still, not all Thais have lost faith.

Camphun Parimiphut, a 52-year-old security guard from Maha Sarakham in Thailand's northeast, said: "Buddhism is about the teachings, not the individuals who fail it".

Because of corruption scandals he now avoids giving money to monks -- preferring to donate only food. But his devotion remains steadfast.

"You can lose faith in monks," he said. "But never lose trust in Buddhist teachings. They still teach us how to live a good life."

tak/jts/fox




NEED TO KNOW

On July 17, a mountain biker was found safe after he had been missing for almost a week in the Oregon wilderness

The man was able to return to his parked car and drive home

He survived on stream water in the wilderness, a family friend said





A mountain biker who had been missing for almost a week in the Oregon wilderness was found safe after he was able to make his way home, authorities said.

On the morning of Thursday, July 17, Ralph Sawyer managed to drive to his home in Gresham after he first went missing during a planned bike ride in the Mount Hood National Forest the previous Friday, July 11, the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office said in a statement.

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It was reported to the Sheriffs Office that he found his car on East Still Creek Road and drove it back to his home in Gresham, officials said. Mr. Sawyer showed up to a neighbors house tired, cold, dirty, and worn out.

After his identity was confirmed, Sawyer, 52, was transported to a local hospital for assessment. The Clackamas County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for further comment.

The homecoming is a relief for his family, who have been frantically searching for him.

Craig Tuttle/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Mount Hood in Oregon. Mount Hood in Oregon.

A GoFundMe was created to support Sawyers wife, Marci, during the search. In an update announcing Sawyers safe return entitled The Best Outcome, the organizer wrote, The will to live is strong in this one.

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The organizer did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Its unclear what will happen to the more than $15,000 dollars raised on the site.

That Friday, Sawyer left home at 10 a.m. to go on a ride on his mountain bike in the national forest, located approximately 26 miles east of Gresham. His family expected him home by 8:30 p.m. that evening. Sawyer often rode his bike in the area and was familiar with the terrain, officials said in a news alert shared on Saturday, July 12.

When the man didnt show up, his family notified the sheriffs office at approximately 10:30 p.m. Just after midnight, search and rescue coordinators discovered Sawyers blue Kia Soul with his cell phone inside.

Following the discovery, a multi-agency search effort commenced with an initial focus on the Trillium Lake area. By Sunday, July 13, approximately 70 searchers covered more than 250 miles, with the help of ATVs, motor bikes, drones, a helicopter and a technical rope team, the sheriffs office said in a Monday, July 14, update.

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For five days, his wife was at the search-and-rescue base camp, the GoFundMe organizer wrote in the original post.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Ralph Sawyer. Ralph Sawyer.

This community is holding her in our hearts and surrounding her and Ralph with light and endless prayers that he is found soon, the organizer added.

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.

As Sawyers loved ones clung to hope that he would be found, Diane Brown, who knows the family well, said he was trying to make his way back. In an interview with CBS affiliate KCBY, Brown said that Sawyer hid his bike at the trailhead and hiked on foot.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Search efforts for the missing man. Search efforts for the missing man.

Somehow, he didn't fall, but he lost his footing, ended up having to go down a very, very steep incline and ended up in a lot of brush, and in this area that was really difficult to maneuver, she told the outlet. He ran out of water and had to drink the stream water and then make his way out.

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When Sawyer realized he couldnt return on the same trail hed hiked in on, he followed a stream back to the road. By Thursday morning, hed located his bike and made his way back to his car before driving home, KCBY reported.

When Sawyer arrived home, he was greeted by his 15-year-old son, before their neighbors arrived to help contact emergency services, according to KCBY. As Sawyer recovers in the hospital, there are still questions about how he managed to survive in the forest.

Go Fund Me The mountain biker. The mountain biker.

Scott Norton from Portland Mountain Rescue, who helped lead the search, told OregonLive that its a bit of a mystery how Sawyer managed to live for so long in the wilderness. But multiple factors were in the missing mans favor, including the warm weather and access to water, OregonLive reported.

For Sawyers family, its a time for celebration. The GoFundMe update includes a photo of Sawyer as he was kissed on the head.

The organizer wrote, Time to exhale with relief and celebrate LIFE.

Read the original article on People
RANDOLPH COUNTY  The remains of a young man from High Point who was the subject of a missing person search this summer by High Point police were found in late June in northern Randolph County in what appears to be a homicide.

Chance Trevon Jenkins, 15, was last seen June 11, according to information from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which said that foul play was suspected in his disappearance. He was reported missing by his family several days later.

Human remains were found on an undeveloped property in the Trinity area on June 25. Investigators collected evidence at the scene that suggested the person had been shot multiple times, the Randolph County Sheriffs Office said Thursday.

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The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the remains on Tuesday, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office is investigating the teenagers death and asks that anyone with information contact the Randolph County Sheriffs Office at 336-318-9625 or 336-318-6699, or Crime Stoppers at 336-672-7463.

The High Point Police Department said Thursday that its missing person case is closed.

We know this is not the outcome Chances family hoped for, the police department said. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as they grieve.
A federal judge on Thursday permitted firearm owners and two gun-rights organizations to proceed with their constitutional challenge to certain provisions of gun safety ordinances enacted by Boulder County and three of its municipalities.
Update: Missing Oregon Gravel Biker Found Safe, Questions Remain originally appeared on BikeMag.

Oregon's Clackamas County Sheriff's Office announced today (July 17) that gravel biker Ralph Sawyer, who has been the subject of an intensive search in the Mount Hood National Forest since July 11, is safe and at home.

"It was reported to the Sheriffs Office that he found his car on East Still Creek Road and drove it back to his home in Gresham," the CCSO said in a news release. "Mr. Sawyer showed up to a neighbors house tired, cold, dirty, and worn out. Gresham Police confirmed it was him and he was transported to a local hospital to be checked out."

Related: Search Intensifies for Missing Mountain Biker in Oregon

Sawyer, 52, is considered to be an experienced mountain and gravel biker who often bikes the trails in the Trillium Lake area. He had left for a gravel ride the morning of July 11, and his family reported him missing when he failed to return that evening.

His blue Kia Soul with his cell phone inside was located by search teams in a parking lot after midnight on July 12, but no other clues had been discovered in the six days Sawyer was missing. The search involved multiple agencies, volunteers, pararescuers from the Portland Air National Guard and a Hood River Sheriff's Office search plane. The search area spanned some 250 miles.

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It is unclear at this time when or how Sawyer made it back to his vehicle, and his state and events during the elapsed time.

A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $16,000 for Sawyer's search. It is unclear what will become of these funds. The page creator posted July 17: "***THE BEST OUTCOME*** After 6 days and nights, Ralph made it back to his car, drove himself home, and arrived at a neighbor's house tired, cold, dirty, and worn out. He's at a local hospital being checked out. The will to live is strong in this one. The support this community showed Marci and her family during this time is truly amazing. From search and rescue, emotional support, prayers, and financially through this GoFundMe. Thank you all so much! Time to exhale with relief and celebrate LIFE."

Ralph Sawyer

BikeMag.com is glad Sawyer is safe and back with his family.

This story was originally reported by BikeMag on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  During the investigation into Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorleys traffic ticket controversy, Doorley told a state panel its time for her to leave the position. However, the timeline of that still remains unclear.

Under New York State law, Doorley has until August 4 to make a decision, which is 90 days before Election Day.

NYS Commission recommends censure for Monroe County DA Sandra Doorley

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If Doorley announces before then, the race for Monroe County DA will be on the ballot this November. If not, Gov. Kathy Hochul will appoint someone and a special election will be held in November 2026.

On April 22 of last year, Doorley was caught berating a Webster police officer after refusing to pull over for speeding.

This week, the New York State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct released the results of its investigation, which was prompted by the governor. The commission recommended a public censure after Doorley said she would be vacating her position as DA. Her term doesnt expire until 2027.

In this case here, where you have a chief law enforcement officer of a jurisdiction, who creates an appearance that they are above the law  confidence in the system is undermined. And so, one of the things we are hopeful of is DA Doorleys cooperation with the commission, her admission she has violated the rules of professional conduct, and by also acknowledging public censure is warranted. Our hope is that the harm created by the initial conduct and traffic stop can start to become repaired and we can start to restore trust in the current legal system, said Susan Friedman, the commissions lead administrator.

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Friedman says Doorley cooperated with a deposition in March by answering questions from the panel. It did not go to a hearing, she says, because Doorley was in agreement over the public censure.

Doorley did not immediately indicate when she would step down. Instead, she stated she looks forward to serving the people of Monroe County.

The 90-day period is relevant because according to state law, if it does not occur before then, then Gov. Hochul gets to appoint somebody and then you have to wait until November of 2026 to have a special election that would fill the remainder of Doorleys term. If for some reason she doesnt leave, we have to keep an eye on this because it gets referred now, and that could end up in the Supreme Court of New York State to determine what happens. So, well keep watching, said Tim Kneeland, professor in politics at Nazareth University.

Doorley ran unopposed in the 2023 election. Monroe County Democratic Committee Chair Stephen DeVay says they are watching the developments closely.

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What I will say from the partys point of view is were going to be ready for any option. I think theres something to say about not rushing something like this. Having that opportunity to really make sure it is someone thats had the chance to really introduce themselves to the community, and has gone through that process. Theres going to be a lot of people that are interested that want to run for this and that opportunity to have that runway, I think, is an important one, said DeVay.

The state commissions report now goes before the attorney grievance committee. Friedman says they can now decide what, if anything, would be an appropriate sanction for the conduct already investigated. Right now, its unclear how long that review will take.

To this point, theres been no word from Doorley herself as to when she plans to step down.

The NYS Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers issued the following statement to News 8:

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The New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NYSACDL) has

previously called for the resignation of Monroe County District Attorney Sandra

Doorley following the exposure of her unlawful conduct. In light of the Commission

on Prosecutorial Conducts public censure of DA Doorley, NYSACDL stands by its

position that her resignation remains the only appropriate and just outcome.

We also welcome the long-overdue activation of the Commission on Prosecutorial

Conduct, which is finally staffed and operational. The Commission must now turn

its attention to the significant backlog of complaints  cases that have directly

harmed individuals across the state. Addressing just a single matter in the years

since the legislature established the Commission falls far short of what justice

demands. It will require sustained effort, transparency, and public accountability

to send a clear message that prosecutors are not above the law and that their duty

is to uphold justice with integrity and fairness.

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PINE VALLEY, Utah (ABC4)  A passing storm bringing heavy rainfall, cooler temperatures and gusty winds helped provide some relief to the Forsyth Fire on Thursday evening.

Fire officials said crews have now fully contained the fire in the area north of Whipple Valley and around the West Valley burn area.

This monsoon moisture will remain in place into Saturday, maintaining higher humidities and a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, officials reported on Friday morning.

Now at 84% toward full containment, officials said only the southern edge of the fire is left to be contained. Crews are continuing their work on the southern edge, cutting handlines through extremely difficult terrain.

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The lightning-caused fire continues to see minimal growth as fire conditions ease up. In the month since the fire first started, the flames have burned 15,662 acres, down from the estimation of 15,677 reported on Thursday.

Also decreasing is the number of firefighters on site battling the flames. According to an update provided Friday morning, July 18, 311 firefighting personnel are still on scene fighting the fire. This is down from the 477 on scene on Thursday.

Stage 1 fire restrictions and a forest closure order remain in place in the area. Officials said Pine Valley, Grass Valley and Grays Ranch are also still under a Ready evacuation status, as a precaution should conditions worsen.

Latest headlines:

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Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, speaks to the Senate Republican caucus after it elected him to be Senate Majority Leader for the 2025 session at a meeting on Nov. 14, 2024. Soon-to-be Senate President Matt Regier looks on. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

While Congress was debating the big, beautiful budget bill, Montana Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, was sending texts to the states delegation about out-of-control spending.

Among the most controversial aspects of the federal bill was a budget-busting provision that would add trillions of dollars in debt to pay for tax breaks mostly aimed at the wealthy, something Montanas senior Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, said was essential in order to garner his support.

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Congress just has no ability to rein itself in, McGillvray said. So, it falls to the states to do it.

McGillvray was once a state lawmaker who helped to clear Montanas legislative decks of any proposal to hold a convention of the states or constitutional convention on any particular subject. Now, he believes a convention of the states, something mentioned in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, may be the only hope to righting the federal government.

Its an idea hes supported for the past couple of legislative sessions, but one that has not gained enough traction in Helena, with skeptics on both sides of the political spectrum. Part of that hesitancy stems from the convention of states itself: Of the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, all of them have been passed by the same process: Congress proposing new amendments and states voting to ratify them.

Using the convention of the states model, which the founders of the republic had seen as a failsafe against Congressional dysfunction or tyranny, if two-thirds of the states apply for a convention  so far 19 have passed legislation to do so  then Congress would be obligated to convene the convention, but proposing new amendments would fall to delegates from the states. From there, though, opinions vary widely on what could happen next because the clause in the Constitution has not been tried.

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The Constitution itself says that any proposed amendments could be passed if ratified by three-quarters of the states  or 38. Another interpretation of the article also suggests that three-quarters of the delegates at the convention of the states could ratify the amendments, leading to concerns of what is commonly called a runaway convention in which an unlimited number of amendments could be pushed through by a small number of state delegates.

But in Montana, and in many other states, the idea continues to bubble up occasionally and find supporters. It gains traction as frustrations with Congress seep down to the state level, often with lawmakers like McGillvray being tasked to clean up the confusion and unfunded mandates created by directives and legislation from D.C.

Congress is out of control, McGillvray said. The (Department of Governmental Efficiency) is a perfect example. DOGE is doing the job of Congress, including finding waste, abuse and fraud and getting rid of it.

He believes the political differences that separate Democrats and Republicans on most issues pale in comparison to an increasingly money hungry federal government which threatens the countrys stability.

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No matter which party is in control, Democrats or Republicans, no matter who is in control of Congress or the presidency, the entitlements continue to advance and theyre consuming the entire state, McGillvray said.

He worries about a day when Americas economy craters under the weight of its debt.

Its the only solution to force fiscal constraints. Congress wont do it. Its too far gone with big money, McGillvray said. But states have been given an option and solution when Congress either cannot or will not.

McGillvray, who spent his entire career in the finance sector, said that there are several options available to the states, including a balanced-budget amendment, something which is used by 49 states. He reasons that the federal government should have to live by some of the same financial rules as the states. Or, because balanced budgets can rob governments of the flexibility of needing to spend more heavily at certain times, McGillvray suggests a European style of circuit breaker for debt that forces budgets into a spending-taxing balance based upon a several-year period.

2025 session

In 2023, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum visited the Capitol to advocate for a balanced-budget and a convention of the states. This year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a one-time presidential hopeful, paired up with Montana Greg Gianforte to urge the Legislature to pass a resolution calling for a convention of states for the purpose of adding a balanced-budget amendment. Gianforte is no stranger to the concept, proposing as his first piece of legislation when he served in the U.S. House a bill that would have not paid members of Congress unless a balanced budget was passed. That idea was panned by Republicans and Democrats.

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During a tour of states, which also included a similar pitch in Idaho, DeSantis urged support of some type of constitutional fix to Congress spending problem.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (left) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis listen to a question during an event on Monday, March 25, at the Montana State Capitol. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan)

People have gravitated to Montana. They have fled states that have performed poorly as a matter of policy, and theyve gravitated to states like Florida and Montana, and I expect that to continue into the future, said DeSantis.  But ultimately the states are not going to be successful if federal spending and the Congress does not get under control.

As in other sessions, though, efforts for both a convention of the states or a balanced-budget amendment through the more traditional constitutional amendment process fell short of much meaningful action.

In 2025, SJ4, a resolution considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, narrowly passed 5-to-4, but stalled on the floor of the Senate and was not voted upon before its deadline had expired. That resolution called for a convention of the states with the sole purpose to pass a balanced-budget amendment.

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Later in the session, the Legislature supported SJ 9, a weaker statement which did not call for a convention, but rather urged Congress to pass a balanced-budget amendment, but didnt call for any specific convention. It expressed alarm at the growing national debt and was sponsored by McGillvray.

A runaway convention

Because a convention, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, has never been tried, many scholars and some politicians worry about what has often been referred to as a runaway convention. The concern is that since there are so few rules about the convention, and no precedent, it could wind up making huge changes, upending the Constitutional republic. One of the concerns, for example, is that a convention may propose eliminating the Second Amendments right to bear arms. Another concern, unrelated, is that there could be a movement to repeal the 17th amendment which allows for direct election of U.S. Senators, which opponents fear would be handed back to the Legislatures of each state respectively.

That particular concern is well-suited to Montana, which was largely responsible for the amendment, after bribery in the Montana Legislature led to the U.S. Senate refusing to seat Copper King and Sen. William Andrews Clark.

Other fears about a runaway convention swirl around how the amendments could be proposed: Would delegates be required to vote a certain way on certain amendments? Some states have laws that require a delegates to vote in accordance with their Legislatures; other states do not. And what happens if the convention proposes a topic that wasnt planned? For example, what happens if states convene to discuss U.S. Senator elections and then drifts into abortion?

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David Super, a Georgetown Law Professor, who recently spoke to journalists about this, noted that there are few guardrails specified by the sparse wording of the Constitution.

Once a convention is called theres nothing that really limits them, Super said.

Anthony Gutierrez, the Executive Director of Common Cause in Texas, said that the idea of a convention gained traction, but has recently fallen out of favor with some conservatives in Texas, including the John Birch Society, which has historically opposed the idea.

That conservative grassroots organizations are against this is a big deal, he said.

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Meanwhile, Jenny Guzman, Common Cause Program Director in Arizona, gave a recent example. Many in the Grand Canyon State want Congressional term limits. However, the idea for a convention of states has faced a cool public reception for one reason, she said.

Once its called, theres no guarantee thats what they do, and then what happens when we pass other things and there are no term limits? she asked.

However, McGillvray said that he believes the fears about a runaway convention are being made by people who support, and in some cases, even profit off the status quo. He said after researching the subject for years that the U.S. Constitutions threshold for approval of amendments, requiring in this case three-quarters of the state, is an exceedingly high bar to clear. He cant imagine controversial topics like repealing gun rights or even abortion garnering the support of that many states.

You would never say its impossible, McGillvray said. But Id say it would be next to impossible.

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He said thats borne out by the various applications for constitutional amendments and convention of the states. Some states have passed resolutions to repeal the Roe vs. Wade decision, but that number has languished in the 20-states range for years. Even the balanced budget proposals are still short by a handful of states. And McGillvray points out that some states have even codified into law that their delegates couldnt go beyond the scope of their application  even though its unclear if such a law would conflict with the Constitution itself.

For now, McGillvray remains a staunch support of such an idea because, as he sees it, theres just no way that Congress will control itself, which has led him to support the idea of a balanced-budget tool and term limits that are more generous than previously, but would end the near-lifetime appointments, especially in the U.S. Senate.

Until you control the money, you cant control the power. You have to ask yourself why would anyone spend more than $200 million on a U.S. Senate seat in Montana? Its about the power and the money, McGillvray said.

Even in Montana, McGillvray admits calling a convention gets some press coverage, but often dies with other ideas at the Legislature. But, hes noticed a warming on both side of the political aisle as things like finance, education and personal freedom become more threatened.

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He said that many of his fellow lawmakers have experienced political whiplash where the executive branch rules by executive order, Congress is mired in gridlock, and businesses struggle with the uncertainty.

I dont like being ruled by executive order, I dont care whether thats Biden or Trump. Its like every four years we get whiplash. Thats not good, he said.

For a man who has spent his life in finance, he says most Americans dont realize the debt level and what will happen even as the new Trump big, beautiful bill added trillions to it. He said a financial collapse is not theoretical, we can look to Europe  Spain, Italy and Greece  for what happens.

You fear a runaway convention, but you dont understand the threat thats facing you, McGillvray said, pointing to what could happen in the case of a default, meaning that America would not be able to pay its debt. I dont know if making this government work is possible. I guess the question is whether there is still honor among legislators.

Reporter Micah Drew contributed to this story.
Illustration by Getty Images.

On July 1, the start of a new fiscal year for most educational institutions, many school districts anticipated receiving a chunk of federal funding that helps with various programs. That check, so to speak, isnt in the mail.

As of Thursday, the Trump administration was still sitting on $6.8 billion in authorized and approved Congressional funding for public education, but not released because the Office of Management and Budget is still reviewing the funds. The money has a broad array of programming, from after-school funding for English-learning language, to support for migrant education. For Montana, it means more than $11 million in funding remains in limbo.

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OMB Director Russ Vought has not said if and when those funds will be released.

The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spend in accordance with the Presidents priorities and the departments statutory responsibilities, Vought said in a letter.

The Montana Department of Public Instruction said it has been constant communication with districts about funding updates, and told the Daily Montanan it remains hopeful that the funds will be released. In fact, in a July 2 letter that Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction shared with other state education officials from Vought, it said some delayed funding had already been released in other areas, for example funding that helps students with disabilities or those who are homeless.

On Wednesday, though, a group of Republican U.S. Senators joined some Democratic members of Congress and called on the Trump administration to release the funds, which had been promised to districts. Montanas two U.S. Senators, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, both Republicans, were not among the GOP members who signed onto the letter.

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Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chairwoman of the broader Senate Appropriations Committee, signed onto the letter, along with: Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Boozman of Arkansas, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and both Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice of West Virginia.

The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trumps goal of returning K-12 education to the states, the senators wrote. This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families.

The Office of Management and Budget did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by States Newsroom, the parent organization of the Daily Montanan, on Wednesday.

However, Rep. Troy Downing, a Republican representing Montanas Second Congressional District, said hes aware of the situation, monitoring and working with state officials to get the funding in place.

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As a former research scientist and teacher, I take the issue of education very seriously. My team and I are in contact with Montana OPI and will continue to seek additional clarity for Montanas educators as the OMB scrutinizes this funding, Downing said.

The left-leaning policy center and think tank, New America, analyzed the funds and found that they stand to hurt districts represented by Republicans more than Democrats.

School districts represented by Republicans in Congress will lose more per-pupil dollars. Across these four programs, the average school district represented by a Republican stands to lose 1.6 times as much funding per pupil as the average school district represented by a Democrat. The 100 school districts that would see the worst losses per pupil are heavily concentrated in Republican-represented Congressional districts (91, compared with nine in Democrat-represented Congressional districts), the analysis said.

New Americas analysis also showed an average-sized school district in America would lose around $220,000, but that number is likely far smaller in Montana.

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Districts serving high-poverty student populations (those where over 25 percent of children live in poverty) will lose over five times as much funding per pupil as low-poverty school districts (those where fewer than 10 percent of children live in poverty). The 100 school districts facing the biggest cuts on a per-pupil basis have an average child poverty rate of 24.4 percent, much higher than the national average of 15.3 percent, the report said.

Two large Montana school districts were contacted for this story this week by the Daily Montanan. Both said they were still evaluating the situation, hopeful the funding would come through, and werent ready to discuss what a funding loss this close to the start of the new school year might mean for them.

McKenna Gregg, Communications and Policy Advisor for Montanas OPI, said education leaders throughout the country werent given advance notice about the funding delay, so state officials were as surprised as many local districts which are counting on the fund.

Gregg said that OPI has not started putting together advice or contingency plans for the funding yet, but remains open to helping districts.

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At this time, we are hopeful that the timely release of funds will help mitigate any disruptions, she said.

While many local school districts have already set their budgets for the upcoming 2025-26 school year, Gregg said budgets arent required to be finalized until the first Tuesday in September, meaning even if the funding is delayed, budgets could be adjusted.

OPI will continue to support districts throughout this process and will keep them informed as new information becomes available. We remain committed to assisting districts in navigating any challenges that arise. Should specific federal funding streams not become available, we will evaluate how to best support districts on a case-by-case basis, but we cannot speculate at this time, Gregg said.

The Daily Montanan also reached out to Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican who represents Montanas First Congressional district, but had received no response. Questions to Zinke included whether he was concerned about the delay and what his office might be doing to restore the funding.

States Newsroom D.C. Capitol reporter Shauneen Miranda contributed to this report.

letter_to_director_vought
SOMERSET, Ky. (FOX 56)  A 25-year-old in Pulaski County has been charged as part of an ongoing electronic crime investigation.

According to a Kentucky State Police news release, around 2:48 p.m. on May 9, 2025, Jorge Martin Vasquez Jr., of Monticello, was interviewed and arrested after an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation.

The investigation started after authorities allegedly discovered Vasquez sending sexually explicit videos of juveniles through a social media account.

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On Friday, police released a news release saying a juvenile victim was identified and interviewed.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

During the interview, Vasquez was accused of rape.

Vasquez was charged with:

20 counts of distributing matter portraying a minor over the age of 12 in a sexual performance

20 counts of possessing matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance

20 counts of promoting a minor under the age of 16 in a sexual performance

One count of use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance

One count of promoting the use of a minor by electronic means

One count of rape in the 3rd degree

One count of distributing matter portraying a minor over the age of 12 in a sexual performance

LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS:

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State police said the investigation is still ongoing, and additional charges are expected

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Gov. Wes Moore (D), flanked by Cabinet secretaries, advocates and a lawmaker, signs the VOICE executive order, geared toward bolstering environmental justice efforts in the state. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

In 2022, Maryland released its Environmental Justice Screening tool, a map that allowed users to view data on pollution burdens and health metrics Census tract by Census tract.

But earlier this year, it ran into a President Donald Trump-sized problem. The webpage temporarily gave way to a cartoon roadblock sign, bearing the words Under Construction.

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At this time, the tool is temporarily disabled due to disruptions in the federal online data availability, read the Maryland website.

But now, the tool is back online and functioning, this time, independent of federal data.

In an executive order  which he signed Thursday at Baltimores Living Classrooms campus in Harbor East, as young summer campers played outside  Gov. Wes Moore (D) ordered his administration to use this new, improved, data-driven map to inform their policy work and to inform the decisions of their agencies and departments. Speakers called it a first-ever executive order in the state on environmental justice.

Since the new Trump-Vance administration took office, we havent been able to rely on federal data because that data is not being released, and that data is not now readily available, Moore said. But in this administration, that wont be enough to make us give up.

For a period this year, Marylands Environmental Justice map was unavailable due to a lapse in federal data. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

The executive order also creates an interagency advisory council focused on environmental justice and equity that Moore said will serve as a hub for collaboration across 13 different state agencies, which will be required to designate environmental justice officers and create environmental justice strategic plans within a year.

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Environmental justice wont just be the work of a single department. Environmental justice is not a lane. It is a lens, Moore said.

The council, which will meet at least quarterly, is tasked with collaborating on environmental justice training programs for state employees and identifying opportunities to streamline grant funding for environmental justice communities, among other tasks. It must submit status reports every Dec. 1, starting this year.

The order, nicknamed VOICE  for Valuing Opportunity, Inclusion and Community Equity  also directs state agencies to prioritize opportunities for meaningful engagement with impacted communities on policies and priorities related to Environmental Justice.

The order solidifies Marylands unwavering commitment to environmental justice, irrespective of what the noise is around us, Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said during Thursdays event.

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You know what I mean, she added.

That noise is likely coming from the Trump administration, which has sought to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs around the country, and targeted environmental justice staffers at federal agencies for reassignment or layoff.

The executive order also includes provisions calling on state agencies to accelerate progress removing barriers that have always historically stood in the way of our underrepresented farmers, Moore said. That includes difficulties that farmers face accessing land and accessing financing, Moore said.

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It comes after legislators failed to advance an environmental justice-focused bill in the 2025 General Assembly. Called the CHERISH Our Communities Act, it would have set new requirements on permits issued by MDE to polluting sources in areas overburdened with a high environmental justice score.

The sponsor of that bill, Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince Georges), said during Thursdays press conference that both executive and legislative actions will be needed to improve conditions for Maryland communities grappling with environmental justice.

I say this with conviction as a sponsor of the CHERISH Our Communities Act: This executive order is not just welcome. It is necessary, because this movement for environmental justice will take all of us, Lewis said. It will take legislation, executive action and the voices of everyday Marylanders standing up and demanding better.
There are three new wolf packs in three counties, according to a presentation slated for Thursday's Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting.
Moraine announces road closure that could last weeks

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Road improvements in Moraine are bringing a potentially extended road closure to northbound Springboro Pike.

The city said Friday that the right lane of Springboro Pike heading north will be closed between Northlawn Avenue and the on-ramp of I-75.

The road closure could last for up to four weeks and is scheduled to start Monday, July 21.

Please plan ahead, drive carefully, and thank you for your patience as we make improvements to our roads, the city said.

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Business and side roads will be accessible to traffic.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Following the announcement that the Gateway Fred Meyer store will close down this September, more information has come to light about how many employees will be impacted.

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Fred Meyer told KOIN 6 News every associate at the Gateway store would be given the opportunity to transfer to a new location.

Jewish educators cite antisemitism at Portland event

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On Friday, a WARN Notice was issued by the State of Oregon, saying there would be 249 layoffs at the store. However, KOIN 6 confirmed with a Fred Meyer spokesperson that each and every one of those 249 associates will still be given the opportunity to work at a different store after the Gateway Fred Meyer closes.

Further, while the WARN Notice listed Sept. 20, 2025 as the permanent closure date, Fred Meyer said the official closure of their Gateway store may still happen before or after that time.

Even still, the store said the closure will happen sometime in mid-to-late September as details are being finalized.

The Gateway Fred Meyer on Northeast 102nd Avenue in Portlands Hazelwood has been in operation for over 70 years. Originally constructed with an arch structure holding its sign, which was dismantled decades ago, the store originated the Gateway moniker for the surrounding shopping district.

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Showers and storms are continuing to move through the state tonight. Several Flash Flood Warnings were also issued for many of the burn scars across the state as well as other locations. These showers and storms are going to continue to impact the state into the overnight hours.

Heavy rainfall will continue through the end of the week and into the weekend with a heightened threat for flash flooding. Temperatures will be near average for most of New Mexico through the weekend.

Heading into next week, temperatures will heat up once again. We will also see some slightly drier conditions across the state. However, there will still be a threat of isolated afternoon and evening showers and storms for some areas.

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Red Mud Lake 4 at the Atalco alumina refinery in Gramercy suffered numerous levee breaches, spilling arsenic, cadmium, chromium and other toxic chemicals into public areas and waterways for a period of several months. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

This article is part of a series on the environmental costs of Americas last remaining alumina refinery.

State environmental regulators have discovered more pollution discharges from the waste containment lakes at the Atlantic Alumina facility near Gramercy, just months after citing the refinery for spewing toxic waste containing arsenic, cadmium, chromium and other heavy metals into state waters.

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The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality conducted a compliance evaluation May 29 at Atlantic Alumina, also known as Atalco, and documented nine violations at the plant, according to public records available on the agencys website.

The company did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Several of the new violations are similar to ones detailed in a recent Illuminator investigation into pollution discharges that occurred at the refinery last year, which neither residents nor local officials were fully aware of at the time. Those discharges involved an industrial red mud byproduct of the alumina refining process that contained poisonous heavy metals and caustic chemicals that eroded through giant levees surrounding the facilitys waste containment lakes and spilled onto public property.

The toxic waste killed vegetation and contaminated the land along its path to a public drainage system that flows to the Blind River Swamp of Lake Maurepas, according to a 606-page LDEQ inspection report finalized in March. Lab analysis of water samples collected from that public ditch contained arsenic at a concentration nearly 1,400% higher than the maximum safety threshold set by the EPA.

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During their May 29 inspection, LDEQ officials cited Atalco again for failing to maintain its levees, allowing high grass to obscure the lakes and allowing chemical waste to overflow the embankments.

Multiple discharges from Red Mud Lake 3 into Outfall 003, the LDEQ inspector wrote in his field report. Outfall 003 refers to a drainage system designed to collect rain and surface water runoff from some of the levees.

Atalcos failure to maintain its system of 50-foot-high containment levees was the primary cause of the levee breaks and toxic waste discharges that occurred last summer and continued through the remainder of the year, according to the state and federal inspectors who documented the incident.

Additionally, during their most recent visit to the facility, the LDEQ inspectors discovered a diesel tank leaking into a separate outfall that drains into the Mississippi River. That same ditch also contained a red-orange colored liquid with a petrochemical rainbow sheen on the surface and a noticeable diesel odor present, according to the records.

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State inspectors found a similar rust-colored liquid in a separate drainage pipe and discovered diesel leaking from a pump near a third drainage system, Outfall 004. The records show they took pH readings from multiple drains and detected levels in excess of 9, which indicates the likely presence of a caustic chemical.

LDEQs investigation into the facility, which began last summer following the levee breaches, remains ongoing. So far, no enforcement penalties have been levied against the company.

The company has been cooperating with our staff through the investigation and is actively working toward compliance, LDEQ spokesman Matthew Day said in an email.

Atalcos refinery occupies roughly 3 square miles of land where St. James and St. John the Baptist parishes meet on the Mississippi Rivers east bank. Atalco sells refined alumina to metal smelters that make finished aluminum. Opened in 1958 as Kaiser Aluminum, the Gramercy facility is the only remaining bauxite refinery in the United States and therefore the nations only domestic source of a critical metal feedstock.

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Atalco produced 669,261 metric tons of aluminum oxide last year, state records show. For every ton of aluminum produced from Atalcos work, bauxite refining generates an estimated 2.5 tons of waste byproduct, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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A tomato plant emitting screams of distress outside the range of human hearing makes a terrible place for a moth to deposit its babies.

That's the conclusion that scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel reached after conducting a careful study to examine the interactions between animals and plants, mediated by the sounds plants make when under duress. It's the first time such an interaction has been observed, confirming that animals can indeed hear and respond to floragenic distress calls.

It follows a previous study conducted by the same team of scientists, in which it was revealed for the first time that plants emit popping or clicking noises in ultrasonic frequencies when dehydrated or cut.

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"After proving in the previous study that plants produce sounds, we hypothesized that animals capable of hearing these high-frequency sounds may respond to them and make decisions accordingly," says zoologist Yossi Yovel of Tel Aviv University.

"Specifically, we know that many insects, which have diverse interactions with the plant world, can perceive plant sounds. We wanted to investigate whether such insects actually detect and respond to these sounds."

Related: Plants Really Do 'Scream'. We've Simply Never Heard Them Until Now.

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The researchers extrapolated their experimental setups from their previous research, which involved comparing healthy plants to plants that were either dehydrated or had a stem cut.

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The new experiment involved healthy plants, dehydrated plants, and recordings of distressed plants. To this mix, the researchers added female Egyptian cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) moths.

"We chose to focus on female moths, which typically lay their eggs on plants so that the larvae can feed on them once hatched," explains evolutionary biologist Lilach Hadany of Tel Aviv University.

"We assumed the females seek an optimal site to lay their eggs  a healthy plant that can properly nourish the larvae. Thus, when the plant signals that it is dehydrated and under stress would the moths heed the warning and avoid laying eggs on it? To explore this question, we conducted several experiments."

Those experiments were repeated at least nine times to ensure the results were robust.

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In the first part, the moths were presented with two boxes  one featured a speaker playing the ultrasounds of a dehydrated tomato plant; the other was kept silent.

Interestingly, the moths demonstrated a clear preference for laying their eggs in the box with the noises. When the moths' hearing organs were neutralized, this preference evaporated. When they couldn't physically hear the noise, the moths chose egg-laying sites in a much more random manner.

Maps of moth activity in the first stage of the experiment. The red triangle indicates the side on which the plant sounds were played, and the red Xs indicate where eggs were deposited. (Seltzer et al., eLife, 2025)

The scientists took this to mean that the moths inferred the presence of a plant from the noise, compared to the silent box that betrayed no evidence of plant life whatsoever.

The conclusion? A distressed plant is better than no plant.

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In the second part, moths were presented with two healthy tomato plants. One of the plants, however, was equipped with a speaker box that played the sounds of a dehydrated plant. Here, the moths preferred to lay their eggs on the silent  and therefore healthy  plant, which would make a better feeding trough for moth larvae than one which is shriveled with dehydration.

For the third experiment, the researchers returned to the boxes. This time, instead of playing plant noises, one box featured a recording of ultrasonic mating calls made by male moths, while the other was silent. In this case, no preference emerged  the female moths just laid their eggs willy-nilly.

This suggested that the moths' preference for egg-laying sites is specific to plant sounds.

Taken together, the results imply moths do indeed hear, respond to, and make decisions based on the sound of a plant in distress. But there could be a whole range of interactions, not just between plants and animals, but plants and other plants, waiting to be uncovered.

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"In this study, we sought to determine whether insects also rely on plant acoustic signals when making decisions," the researchers write in their paper.

"We reveal evidence for a first acoustic interaction between moths and plants, but as plants emit various sounds, our findings hint to the existence of more currently unknown insect-plant acoustic interactions."

The reviewed results appear as a preprint in the journal eLife.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Saunders Settlement Road in Lewiston on Thursday night, according to Lewiston police.

Police were called to the area of 2273 Saunders Settlement just before 9 p.m. Thursday, where it was found that a car traveling westbound went into the eastbound lane and hit the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, who was evaluated, is cooperating with the investigation.

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Names are currently being withheld, police said. The crash is still under investigation.

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Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP)  A Mount Airy man was sentenced Friday for his alleged role in a cattle theft scheme targeting North Carolina stockyards and farms, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

In August 2024, William Dalton Edwards, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the laws of the United States after he was accused of obtaining funds under the custody and control of federally insured financial institutions through false statements and representations, stealing livestock valued at more than $10,000 and transporting stolen livestock in interstate commerce.

Former Denton fire chief charged with fraud, misusing towns computers

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According to court documents, from April 2018 to October 2022, Edwards and Clint Clifford Sicking conspired to defraud livestock markets, also known as sales barns, in Iredell and Cleveland counties in North Carolina by paying for cattle with checks that would not clear due to insufficient funds.

Edwards and Sicking then arranged to take the cattle out of state before defrauded sales barns and financial institutions could determine the checks were worthless. The stolen cattle were then resold in Texas and Oklahoma.

According to the NCDOJ, Edwards and Sicking caused over $350,000 in losses to family-owned sales barns in North Carolina because they are required to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after a livestock sale.

Third suspect in deadly Winston-Salem shooting arrested in McLeansville, police say

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Edwards was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the scheme. In addition to sentencing, Edwards is ordered to pay $334,350.46 to the victims.

Sicking has also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  William Dalton Edwards, 26, of Mount Airy, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years supervised release for his role in a scheme involving the theft of livestock from North Carolina stockyards and farms.

PREVIOUS: Mount Airy man pleads guilty to conspiracy after alleged $1M cattle theft scheme: DOJ

Edwards was also ordered to pay $334,350.46 to the victims of the scheme.

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According to court documents, from April 2018 to October 2022, Edwards and his co-conspirator, Clint Clifford Sicking, conspired to defraud livestock markets, also known as sales barns, in Iredell and Cleveland Counties.

The investigation determined that on multiple occasions, Edwards and Sicking purchased cattle from sales barns in North Carolina. To pay for the cattle, Edwards and Sicking wrote checks that were worthless, knowing they did not have sufficient funds to cover the checks.

Court records show that Edwards and Sicking arranged to transport the cattle out-of-state before the defrauded sales barns and financial institutions could determine their checks were worthless. The stolen cattle were then resold in Texas and Oklahoma.

Over the course of the scheme, Edwards and his Sicking caused over $350,000 in losses to sales barns in North Carolina. The sales barns, which are family-owned in North Carolina, incurred these losses because they are required to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after the sale of their livestock.

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On August 2, 2024, Edwards pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to

violate the laws of the United States. One of the objects of the charged conspiracy was to hamper and impede the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its regulation of fair livestock markets.

Other objects of the conspiracy included a scheme to obtain funds under the custody and control of federally insured financial institutions through false statements and representations; to steal livestock valued at more than $10,000; and to transport stolen livestock in interstate commerce.

Sicking has also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing.

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Some of President Donald Trumps aides and closest allies breathed a sigh of relief Friday as the MAGA base, once sharply divided over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, rallied to the presidents defense and trained their ire on a common enemy: the media.

The Wall Street Journals report alleging Trump sent a lewd birthday letter to Epstein offered the administration and the presidents supporters a chance to shift the narrative to more comfortable ground where Trump is the victim and the so-called elites are the target. And they believe it gives credence to the presidents argument earlier this week that the Epstein story has been a witchhunt that plays into Democrats hands.

Thank God for Dems and media overreach on this, said a person close to the administration, granted anonymity to speak candidly. It saves us every time.

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Trump has denied the existence of the letter and POLITICO has not verified it. Still, two White House officials, granted anonymity to speak about internal dynamics, agreed that the Wall Street Journal story could offer a strategic and timely advantage, allowing the president to attack his enemies and remind the base of the fight they believe they are in together.

Theres nothing Donald Trump does better than being on offense, said one of the officials. It has helped rally the troops because people see this as more bullshit.

The sudden rush to defend Trump comes after weeks of intraparty fighting during which influential conservatives such as Laura Loomer warned the poorly handled Epstein saga could consume Trumps presidency, and the president said he no longer wanted the support of people who believed in the Epstein hoax.

But within hours of the Wall Street Journal publishing, even those who had accused the Trump administration of mishandling the Epstein episode were rushing to defend the president.

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Loomer called the story totally fake. Elon Musk, who last month in a since deleted social media post said Trump was in the Epstein files , said the letter sounds bogus. Charlie Kirk, who pushed Trump for more Epstein transparency, said the Journal piece doesnt pass the smell test.

The new target is the original target  the Deep State and its media partners. President Trump and MAGA are always more effective on offense, Steve Bannon, the former Trump strategist and War Room podcast host, told POLITICO. Unity of forces to attack, attack, attack.

Another MAGA world ally of the White House, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said the story allowed the presidents base to make sense of things and provided everyone a lifeline.

Were not done yet, but this is a much better place than we were yesterday, the person added. And it feels right to be bashing the media again  it has extra oomph because [Wall Street Journal owner] Rupert Murdoch is involved.

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A spokesperson for Newscorp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report and MAGA worlds response marked the latest chapter in the Epstein firestorm, which erupted into a political mess for the White House this month after the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation released a long-awaited memo concluding there was no evidence that Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, was murdered in his jail cell or that a client list ever existed  unleashing accusations from far-right influencers that Trump administration officials, chiefly Attorney General Pam Bondi, were aiding a cover-up.

It left Trump in unfamiliar territory, criticizing some of his supporters as weaklings and unable to change the conversation in Washington as he ran up against a fractured MAGA movement that appeared unwilling to let up the pressure. That changed Thursday night when the Journal story dropped and the president announced his intention to sue, allowing him to steer the conversation to a place familiar to him and his allies  the medias treatment, or mistreatment, of him.

It has, so far, created a rally-around-the-flag effect for the president, and allies hope that the loudest critics learned a lesson.

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Youre playing with fire when you do the bidding of the left and pick up their strategy. I know they were doing it because they felt like it would pressure more disclosure, said Matt Schlapp, Trump confidant and chair of the American Conservative Union. But President Trump has exercised more political power than any politician Ive ever seen at any time in a democracy, and his supporters need to be careful and understand that the left is looking for every opportunity to split apart this coalition.

White House spokesperson Liz Huston said Democrats and Fake News media desperately tried to coordinate a despicable hoax to smear the president, adding that Trump is the proud leader of the MAGA movement and has record-high support among Republicans.

But its unclear how long the reprieve will last. In the wake of the Journal report, Trump also called on Bondi to unseal pertinent grand jury material from the Epstein case. But that may not be enough to quell the calls from Trump supporters who want the entirety of the Epstein files released.

Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and former Trump administration appointee, said the Journal piece has made the Epstein story a purely partisan issue  but it remains to be seen how long the MAGA unity lasts. Additional action in the courts and among bipartisan lawmakers calling for the release of all of the files could drag out the MAGA backlash, he said.

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But, for now, Loomer, Kirk and Bannon are again singing from the same hymnal.

Its such a joke that, you know, hes like some sort of doodler, and now hes Robert Frost, or something, as a poet, Kirk said on his show Friday. Nothing unites MAGA quite like fake news.

Danny Nguyen contributed to this report.
The Brief

An East Coast biker gang has been connected to an assault and shooting at a hookah lounge in Prince William County.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested over a dozen suspects who they believe are part of a motorcycle gang called Wheels of Soul.

5 of the suspects arrested in Virginia live in Prince William County. The others reside in Stafford, Falls Church and parts of southeastern Virginia.

PRINCE WILLIAM CO., Va. - Police in Virginia have connected members of an East Coast biker gang to an assault and shooting at a hookah lounge in Prince William County.

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A number of suspects are in jail after a multi-state raid.

What we know

On Wednesday morning, Prince William County Police, along with Fairfax County Police, Virginia State Police, the ATF and U.S. Marshals arrested over a dozen suspects who they believe are part of a motorcycle gang called Wheels of Soul.

Investigators say these bikers were involved in a fight and shooting that happened right outside Babylon Cafe in April.

Around 1 a.m. on April 13, Prince William County police officers were called to a shopping plaza on Golansky Blvd. about a fight that turned into a shootout.

When officers arrived, they found a 42-year-old man who had been badly assaulted but refused to cooperate.

Dig deeper

Through further investigation, police learned that the incident started as some kind of altercation inside the bar.

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They say members of the biker club dragged the man outside and violently beat him. Then, the victims acquaintance came outside to confront the group.

Police say that's when at least 80 rounds were fired and one of the suspects was shot.

Through an extensive investigation with regional partners and the Philadelphia Police Department, officers were able to identify suspects of this gang and make over a dozen arrests today.

Multi-state arrests

FOX 29 captured video of FBI agents raiding Wheels of Soul's clubhouse in Philadelphia.

READ MORE: FBI raids Philadelphia biker gang's clubhouse in connection to shooting in Virginia

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Five of the suspects arrested in Virginia live in Prince William County . The others reside in Stafford, Falls Church and parts of southeastern Virginia.

"There are other people that go to these establishments that could've been involved. The building itself was struckit's in a shopping center and obviously at that time it's not too many businesses that are open but there are other people likely inside the establishment or people driving by the establishment," said Jonathan Perok with Prince William County Police. "And when you have a melee, essentially a melee of gunfire that is happening, the odds of someone not being involved in this, a bystander being hit is very high."

Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham released a statement, saying, "This should also send a clear message to businesses operating in the County that they must do so safely and within the law, otherwise law enforcement action can be taken."

What's next

Babylon has been closed since the shooting in April. Police say they revoked their live entertainment permit as well as their alcohol license following the incident.

FOX 5 is told the search is still on for about four more suspects but a total of 15 are in custody.
To Paul Lundeen, the numbers reveal the truth about how well Colorado's 53 rural counties are represented  or not  at the state Capitol, particularly when compared to the 11 most populous counties that hold the most influence.
A New England summer hot spot that was the site of the states first fatal shark attack five years ago is once again seeing signs of the apex predator as thousands flock to the beach to enjoy the water.

Authorities are warning the public to remain vigilant after two great white sharks were spotted off the coast of Maines Bailey Island within 48 hours, the Harpswell Marine Resources and Harbor Management said in a Facebook post .

In response to the sightings, officials have posted shark notification flags throughout Cedar Beach, the post said.

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Shark Bites Beach Fisherman Who Dragged Thrashing Predator Back To Water After Catch

People cross Mackerel Cove on Bailey Island in a skiff in Harpswell, Maine, July 28, 2020.

Visitors who observe a shark are asked to take a picture and contact the Cumberland Regional Communication Center to help officials "take appropriate action at the time of the sightings."

The beach remains open to swimmers, and officials have launched a notification system to keep visitors safely informed in the event a shark is spotted nearby.

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The sightings come five years after the same island was the scene of the Pine Tree States first documented fatal shark attack.

Nyc Temporarily Shuts Down Queens Beaches After Sharks Swim Dangerously Close To Fourth Of July Crowd

Authorities are warning beachgoers to remain vigilant after two great white sharks were spotted within 48 hours off the coast of Bailey Island, Maine.

A woman was killed by an unprovoked shark while swimming off the shore of Bailey Island in July 2020.

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A witness initially saw the woman in the water when she was injured in an apparent shark attack, Maine Marine Patrol previously said.

Two kayakers managed to reach the injured woman and brought her to shore, where first responders attempted to save her life.

Serene Southern Vacation Town Reports 2Nd Shark Attack Of Summer Amid Heavy Tourist Traffic

The waters of Mackerel Cove off Bailey Island where a woman was attacked and killed by a great white shark in Harpswell, Maine, July 28, 2020.

The woman died, Marine Patrol said.

Last year, 71 shark bites were recorded throughout the United States, according to the Florida Museum of Natural Historys International Shark Attack File.

Of the recorded cases, 47 of the bites were unprovoked, the ISAF reported.

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Harpswell Marine Resources and Harbor Management did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Julia Musto and the Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Multiple sharks spotted at popular beach that saw deadly attack 5 years ago
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Mayor of Murfreesboro is sounding the alarm, saying the city is becoming a haven for homelessness.

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland took to Facebook to address growing safety concerns and said Murfreesboros resources may attract more people without housing.

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If other communities dont provide those resources, we end up turning into a haven for more people to come here, then I think that is a problem, McFarland said.

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United Ways point-in-time count from 2024 listed 367 unhoused people in Rutherford County. This years numbers are still being finalized, but officials with United Way told News 2 there is no major difference.

Still, McFarland said safety complaints, especially in public areas, are growing.

You should be able to walk on the sidewalk and be safe and feel safe, McFarland expressed.

City leaders plan to install signs near panhandling spots to reduce panhandling, directing people to donate to a local nonprofit through a QR code.

What we want to do is encourage the residents to give through those channels as opposed to giving to panhandlers on the street corner, Murfreesboro City Council Member Jami Averwater said. I think all of our nonprofits that work with the homeless are on board.

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McFarland also said some nonprofits may be offering services without added accountability, making it easier for people to come and stay without real structure.

Other communities and other counties are sending people to Murfreesboro because someone can get their laundry done and get a meal with no accountability, he described. That is not fair to the residents of Murfreesboro.

These organizations are not just handing out free food, they are also helping out with job placement and home placement, and with both of those things  job placement and home placement  comes accountability, Averwater explained. If this organization helps them find a job, those people have to show up to work, and so that is the accountability that the city council is looking to see from these nonprofits, and we have some that are here locally, and it is my understanding that there are some that do not have that accountability.

Data from United Ways Coordinated Entry and HMIS work as of July 7 shows that most people experiencing homelessness have lived in the county for a while:

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16% lived in Rutherford County for less than 1 month

18% lived in Rutherford County for 1-12 months

41% lived in Rutherford County for 1-5 years

23% lived in Rutherford County for 5+ years

2% unknown

Averwater told News 2 the city is working to create a committee to partner with nonprofits and increase oversight.

So that we can make sure our safety is balanced with our grace and that we are able to help those people in our community who need a lending hand, Averwater said. But that we are also making sure our constituents of Murfreesboro are safe and are feeling heard.

One of the nonprofits partnering with the city is The Journey Home. In a statement, the organization said:

The Journey Home is aware of the Mayors concerns regarding the increase in homelessness within our community. For 17 years, The Journey Home has been serving the homeless in Rutherford County. During this time, weve seen firsthand how the significant population growth in Rutherford County and Murfreesboro has unfortunately coincided with a rise in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness. The Journey Home is working closely with the City of Murfreesboro and the Murfreesboro Police Department. Together, we are committed to developing a constructive and effective plan to address this complex issue more comprehensively. The Journey Home

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

McFarland added that he is focused on meeting his communitys needs.

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If you want what has happened in other states and cities where you cant walk down the sidewalk and you want that in Murfreesboro, then I would say this and I am being very respectful, he said. That is not what the majority of our community wants, or at least not what I hear.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN)  Traffic concerns continue to rise in one Rutherford County area.

But a new traffic calming program is proving effective in slowing drivers down. The results of the program are positive, as leaders try and crack down on reckless driving.

Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More

In a recent council meeting, the Murfreesboro City Council provided an update on what its traffic calming program has accomplished so far.

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The basis of the program is about listening and responding to residents about speeding concerns. Every street or neighborhood has to meet a form of criteria to qualify, but once they do, they can receive devices like speed cushions to digital speed limit signs.

Speed cushions are currently installed in six locations around the city in places like Haynes Haven, Alexander Boulevard, and Savannah Ridge Drive between South Church Street and Cooper Road.

City of Murfreesboro engineer Michelle Emerson said theyve seen a decrease in speeding since starting the program.

So far, weve installed them in six locations with a seventh location approved, Emerson said. Weve seen an average decrease in speed of 14%, with Savannah Ridge having the most results, going from a 36-mile-an-hour speed to a 27-mile-an-hour speed.

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The decision process for the program is made by engineers, confirming whether the request meets basic criteria. An application is then sent to the requestor, and a signature is required by the requestor and two other residents who live on that street. The city will then collect data and use an evaluation form to determine whether the roadway qualifies for further action.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The city also implemented digital speed limit signs on roads like Kingdom Drive, Saint Andrews Drive and Hamilton Drive. Emerson said the city is finding the signs to be an effective deterrent and monitoring tool.

There has been a seventh location approved for the program as well. Engineers will look at volume, crash history, lack of sidewalks and close proximity to schools.

Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com.

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Music is the central theme for this years poem in the hunt for a treasure chest containing $25,000 somewhere in Utah.

David Cline and John Maxim, the organizers behind the 2025 Utah Treasure Hunt, released the second set of hints on Friday morning as the hunt enters its third week.

According to the first hint in the second set, many might have already figured out that music influenced the poem, but Cline and Maxim said, Theres more beneath the surface than meets the eye at first glance.

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$25,000 is up for grabs as 6th annual Utah Treasure Hunt begins with first hint

A second hint says to take the fifth line of the poem literally. The fifth line tells treasure hunters, If you get lost just follow the arrow. Hunters are now told that there is an arrow somewhere along the trail, and they should follow it to find the treasure.

Finally, Cline and Maxim said it shouldnt take more than an hour to reach the chests location from where you park your car for the trail.

No need to venture too far into the backcountry this year, Cline and Maxim said in the second set of hints.

Last week, organizers laid out the boundaries for this years Utah Treasure Hunt, revealing the hunt is somewhere along the Wasatch Front between Ogden and Payson and Tooele and Park City.

Latest headlines:

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Six days before polls closed in the New York City mayoral primary, and hours after former Mayor Michael Bloomberg injected an extra $5 million into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's mayoral PAC, a group of Muslim Americans began mobilizing nationwide. A few donors told ABC News they knew they couldn't match Cuomo's donors, but believed a small jolt might give Zohran Mamdani a final push in the Democratic primary.

After Mamdani's upset victory over the presumed favorite, Cuomo, some of those who supported Mamdani told ABC News they felt their contributions toward his victory could forecast a rise in a larger network of Muslim Americans fundraising in national politics, which they say might influence who will run, and who might win.

On election night, leaders for Mamdani's super PAC, "New Yorkers for Lower Costs," released a memo titled "What we did to help elect Zohran Mamdani," thanking donors for their role in his upset win, writing, "In particular, the generosity of Arab and Muslim Americans  has been truly incredible" PAC chair Regina Monge told ABC News many of their biggest donors were Arab or Muslim.

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MORE: Mamdani meets with congressional Democrats who praise his campaign

Some political science experts said Mamdani won support from almost every demographic. Still, longtime Muslim donors stress the Muslim bloc stands out for its first prominent, unified national effort and believe they're seeing the political muscle Muslims could flex across American politics if mobilized.

Democratic bundler Asif Mahmood, who helped raise millions for Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris and ran for Congress himself, said Mamdani's candidacy has been transformative, and sees it as influencing others like Michigan's Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, whose campaign touts $1.8 million raised under three months, 95% from donations under $100.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images - PHOTO: NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani briefly speaks with reporters as he leaves the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, DC.

"[Mamdani] was able to move Muslim support across the board," Mahmood said, stating he believes Mamdani was unique in coalescing donors who were Arab and South Asian, secular and devout, local and nationwide - much of what he says is apparent in the filing report.

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Mahmood points to his campaign for Congress, where he says his Muslim donor support overwhelmingly came from his own South Asian community, as a major example. He also points to the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations' political armthe Unity & Justice Fundmaking a total contribution of $100,000, alongside Muslims in tech making major donations and Muslim pop culture figures inspiring engagement.

"He has shown his strength," said Mahmood, who said he will contact Mamdani's campaign for a fundraiser at his California home, adding, "This is not a local race anymore. This is a national race."

MORE: Zohran Mamdani tells ABC News he plans to win over moderate Dems, other voters after upset win in NYC mayoral primary

Mamdani's win vaulted him into the national conversation overnight, drawing mentions from the Speaker of the House, DNC Chair and President Donald Trump. It also led to the conversation about which Democratic Party faction should lead as it aims to rebuild.

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Every donor ABC News spoke to describes the war in Gaza as a major reason donors became more financially involved. The Uncommitted movement, the pro-Palestinian group critical of the Biden administration's Gaza war policy, did not endorse Harris in 2024, stating "Harris's unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law."

"I felt demoralized and ignored. Palestine did not get the attention it deserved," Rehan Azhar, a donor for Mamdani's PAC, told ABC News.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images - PHOTO: New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) headquarters, July 9, 2025, in New York.

Some donors, like first-time donor and Silicon Valley angel investor Tariq Afaq Ahmed, said they believed that money could be the tool to gain the attention their community needed.

"If there was a better plan there could have been a bigger push," Ahmed told ABC News. "Maybe this is the infancy of something to come."

New money, new donor class

Some Democratic strategists say that historically, South Asian and Arab Muslims in America, many of whom immigrated post-1965, have not invested in politics.

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"Most immigrant communities in the U.S. follow a familiar trajectory in their giving: it starts with religious institutions and charity," Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid told ABC News. "Investing in politics is rarely the first instinct, but once it happens, it marks a transition from survival to coalition building and political power."

MORE: Mamdani's New York mayoral primary win exposes Democratic divide

Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' senior advisor and former campaign manager, told ABC News that the Muslim community's power is rising as many gain wealth.

"This community is maturing quickly. There's more people in probably the 30 to 49-year-old range that are millionaires," Shakir said.

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One of the lead donors to the "New Yorkers for Lower Costs" super PAC backing Mamdani is the 34-year-old Azhar, and who said early last year he started a small network of like-minded Muslims, most under 50, after selling his business.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images - PHOTO: Mayoral Candidate For New York Zohran Mamdani Holds Primary Election Night Party

He said that moments after he watched Mamdani's odds on PolyMarket plunge after Bloomberg boosted Cuomo's war chest to more than $25 million, he knew he wanted to act.

"I started texting everyone," said Azhar, who said he felt he had just hours to raise money. "I told them: 'This has the potential to change Democratic politics nationwide. The return on investment is enormous." Within hours, Azhar says several people pledged a total of over half a million dollars.

MORE: Influential Latino leader Espaillat endorses Mamdani in New York mayor's race

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Azhar, a first-time donor, brought his donation for Zohran's "New Yorkers for Lower Costs" super PAC to over $150,000. Others followed with giant checks.

One person he called was Ahmed, who said Azhar convinced him to give $25,000.

In the final hours, D.C.-based Rocket Money co-founders Haroon and Idris contributed over $189,000. Idris said, "This is a once-in-a-generation candidate .[Mamdani] didn't back down from principles. It was awe-inspiring."

Challenges and the future

Some Democratic strategists said that while Mamdani influenced a new donor class, he also received financial blowback from far wealthier individuals.

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Shakir says "Mamdani's views about Gaza and Israel, combined with his willingness and desire to take on powerful moneyed interests," have galvanized billionaires, and, "With just a few checks, they can just swamp this election." But in his primary, Mamdani proved a little could go a long way - largely fueling his campaign with volume. His campaign received 28,000 small-dollar donations totaling $1.7 million to Cuomo's $4 million from just 6,500 donations.

And even smaller campaign donors had a major impact. Californian Mohammed Davoodi gave $2,100 directly to the campaign, and now hopes to host his first-ever fundraiser for Mamdani, and is considering running for office.

ABC News - PHOTO: New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani speaks with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott in New York City, June 25, 2025.

"[Mamdani's] my age. His childhood photos look like me. He's an immigrant like I am," Davoodi said. "As much as Islamophobia has come out, it shows Americans don't care - a Muslim can be in office. It's about your principles and policies."

ABC News' Soo Rin Kim contributed to this report.




NEED TO KNOW

A New York City man has been arrested on accusation of shooting and killing his estranged wife

The alleged shooting happened midday on June 23 St. Albans, Queens

Audwin Caines has been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, and other charges related to the shooting







A New York City woman was shot and killed by her estranged husband last month while attempting to shield her adult daughter from the bullets, authorities alleged Friday while announcing charges against the man.

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Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a news release Friday that Audwin Caines had been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and two counts of illegally possessing a weapon. He was also charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, according to the Queens DAs Office.

The charges stem from a midafternoon shooting on June 23 when Caines, 62, is alleged to have approached his estranged wife Chaneil Ramsay and her 21-year-old daughter while they were walking down the street.

Earlier in the afternoon, investigators allege that Caines texted a photo to Ramsay showing the passenger side window of her car shattered with a brick. About two hours later, Caines allegedly approached Ramsay, 45, and her adult daughter while they were walking down the street, causing the mother and daughter to run away from Caines as he began to fire his weapon at them, officials said.

The pair took cover behind a parked vehicle, but Ramsay stood up and rushed at Caines as he got closer, "in an effort to shield her daughter," the DA's office alleged in the release. Caines then opened fire at point blank range, striking Ramsay in the head and body.

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Officials also alleged that a year prior, on July 1, 2024, Caines struck Ramsay in the head with a bottle, and then broke the bottle and stabbed her in the chest with it after she asked him to leave their home following an argument.

Caines faces up to 25 years-to-life in prison if hes convicted on the charges related to his estranged wifes murder.

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.

Read the original article on People
A 30-year-old man from Lisle was arrested at 10:20 p.m. July 12 at North Naper Boulevard and Naper Boulevard on charges of aggravated driving under the influence, driving with a revoked license, failing to signal when required, speeding 11 to 14 mph over limit, improper lane usage/crossing lane boundary unsafely and illegal transportation or possession of alcoholic liquor by driver and on a warrant.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Dream Center Academy)

As a federal funding freeze threatens to eliminate afterschool programs for thousands of North Carolina students, program operators say the impact will be devastating to working families, students and society at large.

The freeze, which was announced by the Trump administration earlier this month, affects programs like 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a federal program that supports afterschool programs for low-income students in the state.

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State education advocates warn that approximately 11,000 students and 125 programs across North Carolina are at risk. The freeze on the $35 million grant, part of a broader $165 million allotment in congressionally approved education funds for North Carolina, threatens to eliminate academic enrichment, nutritional support, and safe, supervised environments for children while their parents are at work.

These 21st Century Community Learning Center programs are a real American success story, said Elizabeth Anderson, director of the NC Center for Afterschool Programs  a project of the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Theyre very effective, and theyre very data-backed in terms of supporting student learning, supporting working families, and supporting student success in general.

The freeze in funding could potentially leave working parents scrambling for child care and students without structured environments after school. Research has shown that without these programs, children are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and that the juvenile crime rates increase between 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Children are also likely to fall behind academically, and face challenges in social and emotional development.

Roxann Jimison, executive director of Dream Center Academy (Courtesy photo)

Dream Center Academy in Gaston County is among the organizations feeling the impact of the freeze. Roxann Jimison, executive director for the organization, said the organization receives 50% of its funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

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The program has 160 middle and high school students on its roster for the upcoming school year. For these students, many of whom are from Gaston Countys most vulnerable communities, the program offers a support system that goes beyond standard coursework. Beyond academics, students participate in book clubs, enrichment programs, and even job shadowing. They learn tie-tying, discuss character development, and take college tours. These arent just classes, Jimison said in a phone interview. Were building a community that believes in their potential.

Since opening in 2017, 86% of students achieve positive attendance, 88% maintain positive behavior, and 84% earn good grades, with 61% making the honor roll, according to Jimison. Among the programs first two graduating classes, 88% enrolled in college or trade school, while 12% entered the workforce for on-the-job training, she said.

Without this funding, wed have to cut back on certified tutors, field trips, and college tours, Jimison said. Weve spent years building this support, and losing these programs would significantly impact at-risk students.

Jimison said the Department of Public Instruction has told her it has funding to replace 34% of the amount withheld. Still, she said, the programs long-term sustainability remains uncertain, with current funds expected to last until December.

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According to a 2023 survey by Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to increase access to after school programs, about 87% of parents, including Democrats, Republicans and independents, back public funding for afterschool programs.

Elizabeth Anderson, director of the NC Center for Afterschool Programs. (Courtesy photo)

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, along with 24 other state attorneys general, sued the U.S. Department of Education this week over the withholding of the funds. The money, which was due to be delivered by July 1, was suddenly paused on the evening of June 30 with little explanation.

The department has said the pause is to ensure taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the presidents priorities.

Anderson reiterated the broader implications, and the role after-school programs play in societal well-being. After school provides safe and structured places, so kids dont necessarily engage in risky behaviors as easily as they are when theyre unsupervised after school, Anderson said. After school supports parents so they can go to work. After school supports kids in developing academically, exploring careers, preparing to participate in the American economy.
Builders in North Carolina are raising concerns over federal immigration crackdowns, warning that the lack of workers could slow down construction projects across the state, according to WRAL.

ALSO READ >> CMS offers training for principals on what to do if ICE shows up

A group representing the construction industry has sent a letter to President Donald Trump, advocating for immigrant workers to fill the labor shortage.

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Mr. President, you have secured our border, the letter from the American Business Immigration Coalition says. Now, we are here to support your vision to secure our workforce.

Dave Simpson, who represents commercial builders with Carolinas AGC, says immigrants are often among their best workers.

They get there early, they go home late, theyre talented, Simpson said. A lot of them are crafts folks, and a lot of them are sending money back to their families.

Trump has previously expressed support for a long-term work permit for immigrants in fields such as agriculture and construction. He said it would apply to workers who have been in the U.S. for a long time without a criminal record.

VIDEO: 7 arrested in ICE operation at Kings Mountain plant had been deported before
Colorados rural hospitals are teetering on the edge of financial collapse, burdened by rising costs, shrinking reimbursements and a growing list of state and federal regulations, according to the Colorado Hospital Association.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Thursday, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced the states price gouging laws will go into effect in several counties hit hard by Tropical Storm Chantal.

The anti-price gauging laws will go into effect for 13 counties, which include: Wake, Orange, Durham, Chatham, Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Lee, Moore, Person and Randolph. Governor Josh Stein also announced a state of emergency for the same counties earlier today, which triggers these laws.

Chantal caused major flooding and damage in central North Carolina and opened the door for potential price gouging scams, said Jackson. If you see a business charging more for essential goods or services than they should, file a complaint with our office right away. We will do everything we can to hold bad actors responsible.

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The attorney generals office said it understands businesses need to raise prices due to the effects of critical incidents, but businesses cannot raise prices in order to boost profits.

Businesses cant unreasonably raise prices to increase their own profit, the attorney generals office said. And they should disclose any reasonable increases to customers before they buy.

The attorney generals office said the laws will be in effect for 30 days.

If price gouging is suspected, it can be reported by calling the Department of Justice at 877-566-7226 or visit the North Carolinas Department of Justices website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
NEBRASKA (KCAU)  Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed a bill into law on Thursday that bans lab-grown meat in the state.

LB 246 will ban the manufacture, distribution, and sale of lab-grown or cultivated meat in the Cornhusker state.

Nebraska feeds the world and saves the planet. I know first-hand that the food products we sell overseas are in high demand, largely because of the care with which we raise our crops and our animals, said Gov. Pillen. The idea of a meat substitute makes no sense and only serves to undercut the livelihood of our producers. If someone wants meat from a bioreactor, they can buy it through Amazon. They wont find it on our store shelves.

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The Governors office said the bill follows an executive order that Pillen issued last year.

The executive order bans agencies from buying the product and requires state contractors to certify that they will not discriminate against cattle and poultry producers in favor of those who create meat in labs.

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The new law goes into effect on September 3.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
Jul. 18School districts in Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties are waiting for a total of more than $2.7 million in federal funding for education-related programs  nearly three weeks after the scheduled distribution date.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and nine other Senate Republicans sent a letter Wednesday to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, encouraging him to disburse the funding, which Congress had previously approved and President Donald Trump had signed into law, for the 2025  26 school year.

"The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump's goal of returning K-12 education to the states," the letter reads. "This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families. Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families."

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A total of $6.9 billion has been frozen nationally since June 30, when state education officials learned the money would be under review. The funding supports teacher positions and professional development (Title II-A), summer and after-school programs (Title IV-B), English language learners (Title III-A), and migrant students (Title I-C) in Alabama.

According to data from the Alabama Department of Education, schools in north Alabama were set to receive the following amounts:

Athens City Schools: $233,740

Decatur City Schools: $657,363

Hartselle City Schools: $79,863

Lawrence County Schools: $297,758

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Limestone County Schools: $1,139,550

Morgan County Schools: $349,101

Of the frozen funds in the area, $1.96 million would go toward Title II for professional development and class-size reduction.

"The purpose of Title II, Part A is to increase the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality and effectiveness," according to the State Department of Education.

Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Jon Bret Smith believes funds will be released after a federal review.

"My hope is that this is not completely going away," Smith said. "I understand fiscal accountability and wanting to make sure that government funds are correctly appropriated and spent in relation to the intention in which they were given, so I support fiscal accountability. I'm not under the impression at this time they're going away."

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OMB explained in a statement that many of the grant programs from which funds are being withheld misused the money "to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda."

The funding Lawrence County Schools was approved for would cover teacher training and partially cover the district instructional coordinator position. The district encourages teachers to attend training during the summer rather than the school year, and it provides staff members with stipends for doing so.

"If we don't receive these funds, fortunately, we have a healthy reserve, and so those things won't immediately go away, but we'll have to start reducing service and things that we're able to do for our teachers and employees in the future," Smith said. "The sky is not falling, but we will have to adjust our budget and our expenditures for the amount of revenue that we receive."

Federal funding has been particularly helpful for the district, as it receives less local funding than some other school districts, according to Smith.

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"Rural school districts, like Lawrence County, that have an exceptionally high poverty rate, rely on federal funds to make up the difference in what we would have if we were a more affluent district," Smith said. "We have been very blessed over the years to receive federal funds in a variety of different ways, and we hope that those things continue."

Morgan County Schools, Hartselle City Schools and Athens City Schools previously told The Daily they would need to rely on local funding if OMB doesn't release the money.

The Third Street and Oak Park Boys and Girls Club locations in Decatur are also awaiting more than $200,000 from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama CEO and President Patrick Wynn previously told The Daily the locations may need to charge a small fee as a last resort if funding is not restored, but he's averse to doing so.

 GraciAnn.Goodin@DecaturDaily.com or 256-340-2437
Related video: 2 men indicted for alleged bank robbery spree across Chicago area

CHICAGO (WGN)  A western suburban man convicted of his involvement in a string of robberies at financial institutions across the Chicago area has been sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison.

Charles Lawler, 54, of Villa Park, faced felony charges in connection with the bank robberies committed in 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors say Lawler and his accomplice and gateway driver, Tarandle Lee, 45, of Bolingbrook, robbed three banks and a credit union together.

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Six suspects arrested in $70K armed robbery involving multiple police pursuits

Lawler also robbed a bank by himself, prosecutors added.

Dates and locations of the incidents include:

Sept. 22, 2021: Lawler allegedly robbed BMO Harris Bank in Naperville

Sept. 28, 2021: Lawler and Lee allegedly robbed Old Second Bank in Lisle

Oct. 6, 2021: Lawler and Lee allegedly robbed Bank Financial in Westmont

Jan. 3, 2022: Lawler and Lee allegedly robbed BMO Harris Bank in Woodridge

April 14, 2022: Lawler and Lee allegedly robbed DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove

Charles Lawler Charles Lawler allegedly seen on surveillance video prior to the robbing Bank Financial, prosecutors say. Charles Lawler allegedly seen on surveillance video at DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove. Charles Lawler allegdly seen on surveillance video in Old Second Bank in Lisle.

Lawler pleaded guilty to three robberies and has remained in police custody since his arrest in 2023. A federal jury convicted Lee on all four robbery counts against him. Lees sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
CHESTER, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  As the summer pattern for thunderstorms continues, neighbors in Chester brace for the worst. Runoff issues have forced two families out of their homes because they say its no longer safe to live there.

We first introduced you to Tierra Wilson back in April. She and another neighbor moved out of their homes in Jeter Heights because they said their homes never dry out.

Ive lost just about everything, Wilson said. Its sitting here  it aint a house no more to me.

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In January, Wilson moved in with a relative in Huntersville and makes the hour-plus commute every day for overnight work to support and protect her family.

It was killing me to live here, but now I feel like its killing me to, Wilson said. I live a lot better now, but Im not getting no sleep.

Tierra Wilson.

Another neighbor who did not want to be identified said the water gets stuck in her air conditioning duct. You can see where the tires of her car are now buried by the shifting ground.

City Administrator Malik Whitaker told Queen City News that the issue is driven by a combination of natural topography, including a tributary that runs through the area and aging, undersized drainage infrastructure, especially along Stadium Drive, which falls under the South Carolina Department of Transportation or SCDOTs jurisdiction.

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The city received a $250,000 stormwater planning grant through the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority that it plans to use to study the reason for the flooding issues in this neighborhood.

After our story aired in April, SCDOT said it cleared the drainage pipes in the right of way  but said it has not gotten any more requests to clean them since. The Bowman Engineering Group is waiting for a finalized contract to start finding the culprit behind the flooding.

A study will start when that contract is signed. A city official said volume of water and damage are a top priority here.

While neighbors wait for answers, mold grows on their walls.

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You can submit a maintenance work request for SCDOT here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
(WJET/WFXP) Firefighters from around Crawford County had a busy night Thursday, but got some help from neighbors after a barn holding about 150 hay bales caught fire.

Crews from 10 different fire departments, along with the scuba team, responded to that fire in the 26000 block of Gravel Run Road just before 7 p.m.

Jamestown Canyon Virus reported in Crawford County

According to the Cambridge Springs Fire Department, a stack of about 150 hay bales caught fire, with some firefighters working to contain the flames whilr others got the remaining bales out.

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Firefighters even got a hand from some of the neighbors bringing out their own skid steers to help.

West Nile Virus found in Mercer County mosquitoes

After several hours and pulling out nearly all of their lines, crews were able to get things under control, clearing just after 1 a.m. Friday.

Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department. Photo from Cambridge Springs Vol. Fire Department.

No injuries were reported. Members of Cambridge Springs Fire Department, Saegertown Fire, Randolph Volunteer, West Mead #2 Volunteer, Townville VFD & Ambulance Service, East Mead Volunteer, Vernon Central Hose, Venango Volunteer and Mill Village Volunteer Fire Departments along with the Crawford County Scuba Team Hayfield Central Hose Co. Crawford County Dept of Public Safety all responded.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
The Brief

A Cinnaminson man was killed in a lightning strike at a Jackson, New Jersey archery range on Wednesday.

His neighbors have reacted to the news of 61-year-old Robert Montgomerys death with grief and disbelief.

CINNAMINSON, N.J. - A lightning strike at an archery camp in rural Ocean County has left one man dead and 14 others injured. The incident occurred while Boy Scouts were learning archery skills from volunteers and enthusiasts.

What we know

The lightning strike hit a tree, electrifying the ground and causing chaos among the more than two dozen people present at Black Knight Bowbenders Archery Range in Jackson Township.

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Parents rushed to their children, and members of the camp ran to assist those affected.

Robert Montgomery, a 61-year-old archery expert volunteering at the Black Knight Bowbenders club, was among those injured. Despite efforts to perform CPR, Montgomery did not survive.

What they're saying

Gene Grodzki, a member of the Black Knight Bowbenders, described the scene, "I ran to get the defibrillator out of the clubhouse. I ran back with it, and it was pandemonium."

Eduardo Zambrano, Montgomery's neighbor, expressed his shock, "I am really surprised, sadly surprised to hear that he died."

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Zambrano also shared fond memories of Montgomery, saying, "We were neighbors for maybe 20 years. He sometimes would clear my driveway and I would do the same for him."

The backstory

Robert Montgomery was a widowed father of one and a dedicated volunteer at the Black Knight Bowbenders, a 50-year-old archery club in Perrineville. His sudden passing has left the community in Cinnamonson deeply saddened, with police escorting his family home as they chose not to speak publicly.

By the numbers

This marks the second fatal lightning strike in New Jersey this month. Despite the rarity of such events, experts note that there are 20 to 30 million air-to-ground lightning strikes annually across the United States, with an average of 20 fatalities each year, predominantly occurring in July.

Why you should care

Lightning strikes, while rare, can have devastating consequences. This tragedy serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of such events and the importance of safety measures during outdoor activities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo XIV on Friday after Israel's deadly attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza that killed three people and wounded 10 others, according to the Vatican.

"During the meeting, the Holy Father renewed his appeals for renewed impetus to negotiations and for a ceasefire and an end to the war. He reiterated his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose excruciating price is being paid especially by children, the elderly, and the sick," the Vatican said in a statement to ABC News.

"The Holy Father reiterated the urgency of protecting places of worship and above all the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel," the Vatican said.

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In a statement Thursday, Israel said it "deeply regrets" the strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza, attributing it to a "stray ammunition."

"Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement. "Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."

Khamis Al-rifi/Reuters - PHOTO: A view shows the damage at the Holy Family Church which was hit in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, July 18, 2025.

Of the 10 wounded, one was in critical condition and two were in serious condition, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem on Thursday.

"His holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza," the Vatican press office said in a statement Thursday.

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Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem -- the representative of Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus -- arrived in the war-torn Gaza Strip on Friday morning as part of an ecclesiastical delegation in the aftermath of the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church.

MORE: 10 Palestinians killed in IDF airstrike near water distribution point in Nuseirat Camp: Medical officials

"During their stay, the delegation will meet with members of the local Christian community, offer condolences and solidarity, and stand alongside those affected by the recent events," according to a press release from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. "His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa will personally assess the humanitarian and pastoral needs of the community, to help guide the Churchs continued presence and response."

In coordination with humanitarian partners, the parish said access was secured to provide "essential assistance" to the Christian community and to "as many families as possible" in Gaza.

"This includes hundreds of tons of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment," the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said. "In addition, the Patriarchate ensured the evacuation of individuals injured in the attack to medical institutions outside Gaza where they will receive care.
Netanyahu held a call with Pope Leo XIV, where he expressed optimism about the hostage talks, while the Pope asked to keep sacred places safe from the war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Pope Leo XIV in a Friday phone call that Israel is in advanced stages of negotiations for the release of hostages, N12 reported.

The phone call came a day after an Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic church killed three people and wounded several others.

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During the call, the pope renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the "dramatic" humanitarian situation in the Strip, a Vatican statement said.

Leo XIV also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.

Netanyahu told the pope that Israel is close to a hostage agreement, according to the Israeli news site.

Pope Leo XIV holds a Jubilee audience on the occasion of the Jubilee of Sport, at St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican June 14, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/YARA NARDI)

The Israeli news site also reported optimism surrounding the hostage deal, noting that talks in Qatar are advancing steadily.

Israel shows flexibility at the negotiating table

Earlier this week, during negotiations, Israel effectively conceded control over the Morag Corridor, based on the maps it presented to hostage negotiation mediators, two sources familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

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US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well.

Earlier, a meeting was held between the Israeli delegation and the Qatari and Egyptian delegations, during which Israel presented new maps reflecting additional flexibility on its part.

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Long-awaiting plans to connect California via a series of bullet-train lines have hit yet another major snag, as the federal government announced it had pulled $4 billion in previously committed federal funding from the project, NBC News reported.

The project head called the move "illegal" while California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of wanting "to hand China the future," per NBC News.

What's happening?

For decades, California policymakers have pushed their vision of fully electrified, high-speed trains whisking passengers up and down the coast at 200 miles per hour, causing far less pollution while escaping the headaches of flying or driving.

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This dream dates back at least to the early 1980s, but the proposal's biggest step toward becoming a reality came in 2008 when voters approved a statewide measure that created a funding mechanism for the construction of a high-speed rail network, according to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

In 2023, the Biden Administration awarded California $3.1 billion in federal funds toward the high-speed rail project, which aimed to connect California, Los Angeles, and the Central Valley with 220-mile-per-hour, fully electrified trains, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced at the time.

The Trump Administration now has pulled back all of that funding and more.

"Cancelling these grants without cause isn't just wrong  it's illegal," said Ian Choudria, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, per NBC News. "These are legally binding agreements, and the Authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025."

Why is high-speed rail important?

As places like Japan, China, and Europe have already demonstrated, high-speed rail networks can be a highly efficient, economically viable, and environmentally cleaner way to transport large numbers of people across great distances.

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As planned, California's high-speed rail network would run on 100% renewable energy, preventing more than 150 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere in its first 50 years of operation, according to Rail Authority estimates.

That is roughly as much heat-trapping pollution as the entire country of the Philippines releases in a single year, according to data from World Population Review.

Billions of dollars in funding for California's high-speed rail has come from the state's cap-and-trade system, which charges big polluters a fee for the planet-warming, health-harming gases they pump into the atmosphere.

Over the past decade, the high-speed rail project has received $7 billion from the state's innovative cap-and-trade program, and Governor Newsom has proposed earmarking $1 billion per year of cap-and-trade funding for high-speed rail through 2045, CalMatters reported.

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Despite over a decade of planning, years of construction, and billions spent, California has yet to bring any stretch of its high-speed rail network online for passengers.

What's being done about high-speed rail?

Given the accusations of illegality, California policymakers appeared poised to take the fight over the $4 billion in federal funding to the courts. In the meantime, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is hoping that private investors and other sources can help fill the funding gap.

Regardless of what actions policymakers might be taking at the state and federal level, there are always plenty of ways to make a difference locally.

Even without expensive high-speed rail networks, you can limit the amount of planet-warming pollution you produce by riding a bicycle, taking public transit, driving an EV, or installing solar panels on your home.

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.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  Gov. Gavin Newsom has reversed a parole board decision to release a Bakersfield woman who tortured and murdered a teen girl in 2004.

While acknowledging positive efforts made by 47-year-old Maricruz Galaviz, Newsom said she needs to do more.

I have determined that Ms. Galaviz must do some additional work to deepen her insight and self-awareness into the causative factors of the crime before she can be safely released, Newsom wrote in a decision published Wednesday.

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The governor wrote Galaviz, who said shes been sober since 2015, also must address the underlying causes that led to her drug addiction and antisocial behavior.

Galaviz was granted parole in April, but Newsom reviews all parole board decisions in the case of inmates serving life terms.

Bakersfield Police Department remembers Officer William Sikola

On July 14, 2004, Galaviz lured Amanda Zubia, 17, to a home on Bernard Street where she and several others tortured the teen for hours. Galaviz said she believed Zubia had stolen drugs.

Zubia was beaten, burned with cigarettes and hit with an extension cord. Her attackers cut her hair, spit in her face, shoved a plastic bag down her throat and placed a second bag with insect repellent inside it around her face.

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Disposable cameras were used to photograph the torture.

The teen was bound and gagged and forced into a suitcase that was then placed in a car. She suffocated.

Zubias body was later found inside a metal barrel filled with cement at an East Bakersfield home.

Galaviz pleaded guilty in late 2004 to a charge of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Two of her co-defendants died while in custody; a third went free after serving seven years for assault with a deadly weapon. The last defendant was a juvenile and could only be kept in custody until she turned 25.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)  For many of us, a birthday is not complete without cake, but some children dont get to celebrate with a cake.

In this weeks next question, we are highlighting a mom who is on a mission to make birthdays memorable for all children across North Alabama.

Next Question with Tamika: Catherine Coleman Flowers

Ive always loved kids, and Ive always loved baking, said Danielle Stradling.

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Danielle Stradling is a wife, mom, kindergarten teacher, and shes the ambassador for the greater Huntsville chapter of Cakes 4 Kids.

Their mission is to deliver birthday cakes to children by connecting with agencies that serve kids who are in foster care, homeless shelters, or survivors of domestic violence.

Were not solving their problems, said Stradling. Theyre not going to not be homeless tomorrow. Theyre not going to get to move back with their families, but they get to know that someone in their community cares enough to make a cake just for them.

Next Question with Tamika: Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles

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These sweet treats are delivered in packaging just like they came from your local bakery.

Volunteers provide all the ingredients and supplies.

The only thing left is finding kids to enjoy the custom cakes.

Our biggest challenge has been finding enough people in the in the community to partner with, Stradling said. We know the caseworkers at all of these organizations are overwhelmed and busy with so many wonderful things that they do to help these kids and sometimes its hard for them to find that time to partner with us, but were very grateful for those that we do partner with.

It may be just a cake but the children who receive one know that a stranger took the time and effort to do something special just for them.

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They might ask for a chocolate unicorn cake, said Stradling. Well put their name on it. We put whatever message theyd like, but wed like to think that they love seeing this cake baked just for them, just the way they want. And it has their name on it and everything.

The Huntsville chapter of Cakes 4 Kids just celebrated its 100th delivery.

And there seems to be one cake thats a big hit with both the children and the volunteers.

I think my favorite, and Ive made them separate several times, have been unicorn cakes, said Stradling.

When Stradling takes a break from baking cakes, you can still catch her in the kitchen whipping up a different dessert.

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I do like cookies, said Stradling. I like a good cookie a lot better than I like a good cake.

If you would like to volunteer or donate to Cakes 4 Kids, you can visit their website.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PLATTSBURGH  A multiyear collaboration between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail continues to work to rehabilitate outdoor recreation infrastructure on Valcour Island.

The NFCTs roving stewardship crew returned to Valcour Island in June for year four of the ongoing project. The crew consists of NFCT Assistant Trail Director Alex Delhagan and three seasonal interns  Nathan Lennard, Isla Chadsey and Lillian Cadwell. The NFCT also received support from DEC staff and 11 volunteers.

This years projects were funded with support from a Lake Champlain Basin Program Education and Outreach grant, as well as revenue generated by the NFCTs Adirondack Race Series, which includes the Round the Mountain Canoe & Kayak Race, the Long Lake Long Boat Regatta and the Adirondack Canoe Classic, more commonly known as the 90-Miler.

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Our appreciation for Valcour Island grows each year we return, Delhagen said. Valcour is a bridge between past and present. Theres so much history, dating back to the Revolutionary War  its a recreation area that allows us to connect with that history and enjoy a wild place thats easily accessible, right off the coast of the Plattsburgh and Peru communities. Were thrilled to see more and more people enjoying the paddling, hiking, fishing and camping opportunities Valcour provides in abundance.

To date, the focus of the collaboration has been the rehabilitation of old camping, hiking and paddling infrastructure. Previous work included replacing old privies; rebuilding campfire pits, bog bridging, and pathways from shoreline to campsites; and general maintenance on campsites.

This years work saw crews rebuild 150 feet of boardwalk on the Cross Island Trail. The NFCT also repurposed slate native to the island to rebuild four concrete fireplaces, helping to restore campsites to a more primitive character using natural materials. Trash and debris was also collected and transported off the island to be disposed of properly.

As the only dedicated water trail crew in the Northeast, the NFCTs stewardship crew specializes in projects at the interface of land and water, including campsites, portage trails and access points. The NFCTs roving crew works in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine throughout the paddling season; a second crew is based in the Allagash.

More Information To learn more about the Northern Forest Canoe Trails stewardship work, including volunteer opportunities, contact Trail Director Noah Pollock at noah@northernforestcanoetrail.org. For more information about the NFCT, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org. To learn more, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org.
Niagara Falls officials are considering what City Administrator Anthony Restaino described this week as a no tolerance policy for criminal activity.

During an appearance on the Viewpoint talk show hosted by Tom Darro on WEBR AM 1440 on Wednesday, Restaino said his brother, Mayor Robert Restaino, plans to meet soon with his department heads to discuss issues with crime in the city, including people harassing others and acting in an aggressive manner.

Restaino said during a conversation they had this week, the mayor made it clear that his position is there has to be zero tolerance because its out of hand.

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The common refrain is with bail reform we just bring them in and they let them out, the city administrator said. We cant just use that anymore. We have to be more aggressive about this.

The administrator did not discuss any specific steps that might be taken; however, he referenced the citys stepped-up police presence at the city market on market days and during special events as an example of the sort of tactics that help address the perception people have about crime in the Falls.

The numbers show crime is down, but it ends up being perception  how do people feel? he said. If they dont feel safe, then thats the issue. Thats the problem.

Thats why we are going to be meeting on this, he added.
Put the word governor in front of somebodys name and it almost guarantees an impressive net approval rating. (Getty Images)

Four times a year, the polling outfit Morning Consult publishes approval ratings of the nations governors, and the latest survey released Wednesday indicates pretty much the same thing the survey always shows: Voters nationwide, when asked if they approve of their governor, tend to say something along the lines of: yeah, guess so.

In the poll released this week, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is approved of by 53% of Nevadans polled, compared to only 32% who disapprove of the first-term governor.

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The last time I looked in on Morning Consults quarterly approval polls, in November 2023, Lombardo was the 19th most popular governor. The Better Nevada PAC, which exists to make Nevada better for Joe Lombardos career, had even put out a statement boasting about how their man was one of Americas most popular governors.

The PAC at the time didnt disclose that by one of the most popular they meant 19th out of 50.

This week, the Better Nevada PAC again hailed Lombardos performance in the quarterly poll, exclaiming (literally) that the governor has a net approval at +21%!

And the PAC once again neglected to mention how Lombardos approval stacks up against his cohorts nationally.

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There are 23 governors with higher net approval ratings than Lombardos in the latest Morning Consult survey. Looked at the Better Nevada PAC way, his net approval rating is most impressive. Looked at another way, its a wee two places from being in the bottom half of governors approval ratings nationwide.

Lombardos approval rating was a little shy of 50% in the first quarter of 2023  his first as governor (lackluster honeymoon, sniffle). He also dipped a point or two below 50% in polls over the last three quarters of 2024, which can be attributed to a populace politicized, and hence polarized, by a presidential election year.

Other than that, his approval rating has been pretty steadily in the fifties.

Just like that of nearly every other governor in the country.

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And that makes sense.

Unless they do something salacious or sleazy or there is, oh, a pandemic that shuts down the economy, governors are rarely figures to whom people with lives and jobs and such pay much attention.

Imagine if a poll asked Nevada voters to name the most significant thing Lombardo did during this years legislative session.

Does anyone think 53% of Nevada voters (the percentage of survey respondents who said they approve of Lombardo) could accurately identify even one specific thing Lombardo did? Does anyone think 33% could? Maybe 23%?

Below-average Joe

The most significant thing Lombardo did during this years legislative session, by the way, was breaking his own record and vetoing 87 bills. (If you dont believe me, just ask the Nevada Republican Party.)

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Very early in his tenure as governor, Lombardo, a former sheriff who campaigned in his uniform while marketing a tough guy persona, sought to brand himself as a can-do governor of action who would be getting sh*t done.

Like Lombardo and his brain trusts early effort to make everybody start saying the Nevada Way except not sarcastically, the branding never really caught on.

But with his veto pen, Lombardo has made a slam dunk case that he is excellent  indeed, better than any governor in the states history  at making sure things dont get done, including and especially nice things like paid leave, the right to reproductive assistance including in vitro fertilization, and long overdue reforms to Nevadas notoriously tenant-hostile rental statutes.

So what accounts for, as the exuberant-about-Lombardo PAC put it, his net approval at +21%!?

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As the Morning Consult poll shows time and again, put the word governor in front of somebodys name and it almost guarantees an impressive net approval rating.

In the latest Morning Consult poll, only one governor has an approval rating (42%) lower than their disapproval rating (49%), Iowa Republican Kim Reynolds, for reasons  eh, that Iowas business.

Of the ten least popular governors in the Morning Consult poll, only two others had approval ratings south of 50%, Maine Democrat (and genuine profile in courage) Janet Mills, and Rhode Island Democrat Dan McKee. And both of them still had net positive approval ratings.

The national average net approval difference between those who approved of their governor and those who disapproved was 22.7%.

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The Better Nevada PAC might want to rethink the exclamation point on its social media post heralding Lombardos net approval of +21%!. Unless of course the PAC sincerely is excited to see the governor scoring below average.

The default approval voters give to governors perhaps more than any other elected officials (certainly more than they give to members of Congress) makes incumbent governors especially difficult to unseat provided they run a competent campaign (and Lombardos handlers have run several over the years).

Two incumbent Nevada governors have failed to win a second term in this century. Republican Jim Gibbons was a train wreck, so grown-up Republicans (remember those?) took him out in the 2010 primary. Democrat Steve Sisolaks reelection bid in 2022 was infected by the coronavirus, and recovery was hindered when Sisolak and allied groups mistook Donald Trump for Voldemort and refused to say his name.

Presumably Democrats wont be repeating that strategy next year. Trump wasnt president when Lombardo was elected governor in 2022. Trump will be president when Lombardo is seeking reelection next year. Trump will be holding rallies (oh joy) in Nevada again, and Lombardo will be at them. Whether Lombardo likes it or not.

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Lombardos 2022 victory wasnt a triumph of policy arguments and inspiration, but the product of sharp political calculus and navigation that started when the states most high-profile Republican consultants snubbed a former U.S. senator and backed a county sheriff instead, for the simple and sound reasons that the senator was yesterdays damaged goods and the then-Clark County sheriff had won elections in the most-populated part of the state.

Occasional polls giving governors high net approval ratings dont mean those governors are electoral juggernauts.

But thats the thing about governors. They dont have to be.
NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss CBS's decision to end the Late Show with Stephen Colbert days after he criticized the network over their settlement with Donald Trump.
WEST PALM BEACH  Hundreds of people came together across Palm Beach County on a hot July night at forums, protests and a march to Mar-a-Lago to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the former civil rights leader who urged people to get in "good trouble" to address the nation's needs.

Nearly all those who gathered July 17 for the "Good Trouble Lives On'" events opposed the policies of President Donald Trump in areas as diverse as immigration, education and budget cuts to programs like Medicare that are considered vital to the nation's social safety net.

Many who took part in hundreds of events across the nation called for political action to drive the Republican majority out of Congress in the 2026 elections.

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Real change happens when the people who need it lead it. So if we're willing to step up and to be that voice and to be that person, then we can bring about the inspiration that those who have gone before us gave to us, Ricky Aiken of Inner City Innovators, a West Palm Beach nonprofit that mentors teens, at a forum at the Canyon Branch Library in suburban Boynton Beach.

'No Kings': June rally brought anti-Trump marchers to president's backyard in Palm Beach

Tensions flared over Trump along the Southern Boulevard bridge

The events followed on the nationwide "No Kings" rallies on June 14, including one that drew more than 1,000 people to Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach.

That day also featured a march toward Trump's mansion  Palm Beach police blocked marchers from crossing the Southern Boulevard bridge just before they reached the barrier island  but the July 17 march had a chippier tone, even as Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement, was known for nonviolent protest.

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A few counterprotesters supporting Trump confronted the "Good Trouble" marchers, and the two sides traded words  including taunts about COVID-19 vaccines delivered through a bullhorn  and a small amount of shoving before law enforcement stepped in. It was unclear whether officers made arrests at any of the events.

The anti-Trump tone was evident at other events, too. Profane banners about the 47th president greeted those who attended a forum on the life and legacy of Lewis at the South County Civic Center in suburban Delray Beach.

"No sign is big enough to list all of the reasons I'm here," read the oversized placard of one woman seated along Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, where more than 100 people stood in protest to Trump's policies.

Inside the security zone: How Palm Beach changed after July 2024 Trump assassination attempt

Protesters push a coffin symbolizing the death of democracy during the 'Good Trouble Lives On' national day of action against the administration of US President Donald Trump near Mar-a-Lago on July 17, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Lewis led a life of action before becoming an Atlanta-area congressman for more than 30 years. He took part in lunch-counter integrations in Nashville, helped to organize the March on Washington and received a beating in the 1965 Selma march. Many of those who turned out July 17 expressed disillusionment and wondered what they could do.

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"Trump has turned around what I grew up knowing America means," said Nan Reiner, 69, who took in the vigil in West Palm Beach, her third anti-Trump protest of the year.

Speakers at the forums in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach address some steps people could take as they look ahead to the 2026 elections, when Democrats hope to win back at least one chamber of Congress and use that control to thwart Trump's policies.

Besides Aiken, panelists in Boynton Beach included Josh Weil, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate; Adrienne Percival, director of development at the Compass Community Center and a queer woman; 18-year-old Nick Ostheimer, president of the Democratic student organization at Florida Atlantic University; and Lev Parnas, a former advisor to Trump who has now become a whistleblower against him.

Protesters hold a candlelight vigil during the 'Good Trouble Lives On' national day of action against the administration of US President Donald Trump near Mar-a-Lago on July 17, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Each panelist said Democrats should be talking about issues like affordability, the economy and the treatment of minorities. They also agreed it was important to challenge leaders when governments turn toward authoritarianism, as many have accused the Trump administration of doing.

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Organizations like the ones here tonight are here to show MAGA that its just as important to show up and speak out about issues, just like you all are doing now," Weil told the full house of about 200 people.

Continuous engagement, however, can come at a cost. At the Delray Beach forum, FAU professor Deandre Poole urged the 200 people to find balance, even stepping away from the 24-hour news cycle when needed.

More concretely, he urged people to start where they are: by organizing their families, checking if relatives and neighbors are registered to vote and volunteering in ways that dont lead to burnout.

You dont have to do everything  just do what you can, he said. One person really can make a difference."

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As a professor, Poole said he challenges his students to see themselves as change agents  capable of solving the problems they see in society. He extended that message to the audience, encouraging them to share their time and expertise with local organizations, especially grassroots ones.

You are the leaders. You've been equipped. You have the knowledge, you have the experience. Even if you're retired, you can contribute to organizations that need your expertise," said Poole, who was joined on the dias by state Rep. Debra Tendrich, D-Greenacres; Shawn Ho-Hung King, founder of the Talented Teen Club; and Dr. Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

Trump and Epstein: Why Donald Trump left phone messages for Jeffrey Epstein. Here's what we know

One leader's appeal: 'We have become so disconnected to humanity'

Protesters yells at a Trump supporter during the Good Trouble Lives On' national day of action against the administration of US President Donald Trump near Mar-a-Lago on July 17, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

The evening in Delray Beach also touched on urgent concerns such as the detention facility nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz," which has drawn criticism from immigrant rights advocates. One speaker reminded the crowd that all these issues in the end are about people's lives.

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State Rep. Debra Tendrich shared her firsthand impressions after recently touring the immigration detention center in the Big Cypress National Preserve east of Naples.

You saw people protesting it on one side, and you saw people celebrating the death of people and the deportation of people on the other, she said. You cant celebrate somebody getting fed to alligators. It was so disrespectful and unkind.

Tendrich underscored the emotional toll on children and families, particularly those directly affected.

There are 10-year-olds watching the news and seeing that celebration while their father is in Alligator Alcatraz, she said.

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We have become so disconnected to humanity."

Valentina Palm, Jasmine Fernandez and Francesca Abarca are journalists covering Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach them at vpalm@pbpost.com, jfernandez@pbpost.com and fabarca@pbpost.com. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Night of 'Good Trouble': Hundreds gather to oppose Trump policies
NEW JERSEY (PIX11)  A New Jersey doctor is accused of running a pill mill and exchanging opioid scripts for sexual favors, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey announced Friday.

The FBI is also asking former patients who may be victims to reach out and contact the agency.

More Crime News

Ritesh Karla, 51, of Secaucus, N.J., faces charges of distributing opioids outside the scope of professional practice in exchange for sexual favors and committing healthcare fraud, according to court documents.

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Between January 2019 and February 2025, Karla issued more than 30,000 prescriptions for oxycodone to over 1,500 different patients. At various times, Karla would issue as many as 50 prescriptions for oxycodone in a single day. An investigation found that at least three separate patients, Karla, were prescribed Oxycodone in exchange for sexual favors.

Former employees also reported female patients complained that Kalra was touching them sexually and demanding sexual favors to obtain their prescriptions. One patient accused Kalra of assaulting her multiple times and was forced to undergo anal sex during an appointment.

In addition to his alleged sexual exploits, Kalra also allegedly billed for visits that never occurred, according to court documents.

If convicted of distributing a controlled substance, the penalty includes up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Healthcare fraud carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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Physicians hold a position of profound responsibilitybut as alleged, Dr. Kalra used that position to fuel addiction, exploit vulnerable patients for sex, and defraud New Jerseys public healthcare program, said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. By allegedly exchanging prescriptions for sexual favors and billing Medicaid for ghost appointments, he not only violated the law but endangered lives.

Individuals who may be victims of Dr. Kalra or have information about this case may contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or by email at NK-Victim-Assistance@fbi.gov.

PIX11 News reached out to Karlas defense team, but they were not immediatley available to comment.

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.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Brief

A bolt of lightning turned a quiet evening at a New Jersey archery range into chaos, killing a 61-year-old volunteer and injuring 13 others, many of them children.

The man killed has been identified as Robert Montgomery, a longtime volunteer instructor who was helping Jackson Scouts Troop 204 with an evening archery lesson when the lightning struck.

A thunderstorm warning was in effect at the time.

JACKSON, N.J., - A bolt of lightning turned a quiet evening at a New Jersey archery range into chaos, killing a 61-year-old volunteer and injuring 13 others, many of them children.

It happened around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at Black Knight Bowbenders, a sprawling 50-acre facility in Jackson Township, Ocean County.

What we know

The man killed has been identified as Robert Montgomery, a longtime volunteer instructor who was helping Jackson Scouts Troop 204 with an evening archery lesson when the lightning struck.

According to officials, the injured range in age from just 7 years old to adults in their 60s. Several children in the scouting group were among those hurt, some suffering burns and other storm-related injuries.

All were rushed to nearby hospitals. Most of the injuries are believed to be non-life threatening, like very serious burns.

911 call released

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A chilling 911 call from the scene reported multiple people "struck by lightning" as first responders rushed to help.

The caller reported that five people had been struck by lightning at Black Knight Bowbenders on 656 Perrineville Road in Jackson Township.

The backstory

A thunderstorm warning was in effect at the time, and authorities say the strike took everyone by surprise.

Only about 10 percent of lightning strikes are fatal, according to the Weather Service.

What happens if you're struck by lightning?

Many lightning-strike victims lose consciousness, while others may experience anything from tingling and numbness to cardiac arrest or permanent brain damage.

Governor Phil Murphy called the tragedy "heartbreaking" and urged prayers for the victims and their families.

I have been briefed on a lightning strike tonight at an outdoor archery range in Jackson. At this time, we have at least one fatality and multiple injuries.



All injured have been transported by first responders. Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident.  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 17, 2025

The incident has sparked renewed questions about outdoor activity safety during severe weather alerts  especially when children are involved.

Lightning in NJ

According to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, thunderstorms can occur any time of year in New Jersey.

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However, severe thunderstorms generally occur during the warmer months of March through Oct.

A typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes, far smaller than a hurricane or a winter storm. Despite their small size, however, all thunderstorms are dangerous.

Every thunderstorm produces lightning.

The Source

This report is based on information from police.
A coalition released a report on and celebrated the first year of New Mexico's Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund. (Courtesy photo)

New Mexico officials and conservation groups gathered in Silver City earlier this week to celebrate investments in projects they say will address conservation, watershed issues and mitigate climate change  despite federal cuts to environmental programs.

In 2023, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 9 creating the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, an investment fund to provide recurring revenues for land, water, agriculture and outdoor recreation projects. The fund now sits at $382.9 million, and provides $12.5 million to 10 state agencies as grants.

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July marked the first year of the funds payout, supporting 185 projects in New Mexicos 33 counties and 10 tribal communities. Some of the projects included: addressing soil issues in Socorro; planting crop cover in Taos; and building trails in Carlsbad. Other priorities that received funds: agricultural programs to counter noxious weeds; wildlife surveys in every county; and watershed restoration from fire damage and historic buildings protections. View an interactive map of all the projects here.

New Mexico conservation groups issued a report on the funds inaugural year that totaled its positive impact on 64,905 acres of public and private land, but also noted that all of the projects included a federal funding match, and all of the state agencies faced challenges as a result of federal funding upheaval. While most grants are secure, some still face uncertainty, the report said.

While celebrating the funds achievements at an appearance in Silver City, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also referenced the potential threats public lands in New Mexico could face under the current federal administration.

A previous version of the GOPs spending bill in the Senate would have allowed the sale of 21,000 square miles of public lands in New Mexico to private buyers, sparking protests at the Western Governors association. The proposal was later scrapped on procedural grounds, but members of the New Mexico Congressional delegation say the fight isnt over.

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As such, Lujan Grisham in her comments floated enshrining protections from selling federal public lands in a special session, saying that while Republicans didnt achieve it, but theyll do it again.

I think we ought to have a special session and just put in state law: No, thank you. We cant do it here, she told the crowd. And if somehow they can, we get every right of first refusal.

In a written statement, the governors Director of Communications Michael Coleman clarified that the governor would not call a special session exclusively for public lands.

She is strongly considering calling a special session to deal with Trump administration budget cuts and public safety concerns, Coleman wrote. Public lands could be placed on a call with those other issues.

Coleman said Friday the timing for a prospective special session remains unclear.
A Dominion Voting Systems employee demonstrates the accuracy and operation of the Colorado Democracy Suite, a requirement after each election.
Jul. 17SANTA FE  For the last 30-plus years, New Mexico residents have had the option to register to vote while getting a new driver's license or updating their vehicle registration.

But the state is now automatically registering eligible residents to vote while they're interacting with Motor Vehicle Division field offices statewide, under the latest Democratic-backed plan to expand voting access.

As of this week, nearly 17,000 state residents had been registered to vote or had their existing registrations updated since July 1, when the new automatic voter registration system took effect, according to state Taxation and Revenue Department data.

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"This is a major step forward for voter access and election modernization in New Mexico," said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who added the system would make voter registration faster, more accurate and more secure.

But not all state policymakers are convinced.

Sen. James Townsend, R-Artesia, said he's lost trust in the Secretary of State's office after a dispute last year over mailers that were sent to more than 100,000 potentially eligible but unregistered voters in New Mexico.

"I think there's much to be done to protect and sanctify the vote," Townsend said, while expressing concern residents who are not legally eligible to vote could be registered under the new system.

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The automatic voter registration stems from a 2023 state election bill approved by lawmakers  via a vote that broke down largely along party lines  and signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

While some parts of the bill took effect quickly, implementation of the automatic voter registration provision was delayed to give state officials and county clerks ample time to prepare, said Lindsey Bachman, the director of legislative and executive affairs for the Secretary of State's Office.

She said the Secretary of State's Office worked with MVD officials for more than a year on getting the new system in place.

Under the new system, individuals who are not eligible to vote are automatically screened out from the vote registration system, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

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That could be because they are not yet old enough to vote, are not United States citizens, or are not permanent New Mexico residents.

"Just because someone doesn't meet the eligibility requirements for automatic voter registration does not mean they're automatically not a citizen," Bachman told the Journal.

Meanwhile, people who do not want to be registered to vote can still opt out, but only by returning a notice they receive in the mail from their local county clerk after the MVD transaction.

Eventually, automatic voter registration could also be expanded to other New Mexico state government offices or Native American tribal entities. But those offices would have to meet certain requirements in state law and also enter into a formal agreement with the Secretary of State's office, Bachman said.

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While specifics vary by state, a total of 23 states currently have some sort of automatic voter registration system in place, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But only nine states have "back-end" systems like New Mexico's that allow residents to opt out post-transaction after receiving a mailer. Other states with such systems include Oregon, Nevada, Massachusetts and Washington.

New Mexico is approaching a key 2026 election cycle that will feature numerous statewide offices on the ballot, including governor, attorney general, land commissioner and secretary of state. All three of the state's U.S. House seats will also be up for election next year, as will the U.S. Senate seat held by Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat.

While roughly 69% of the state's registered voters cast a ballot in last year's general election, turnout in some previous state elections has been much lower. In the 2022 primary election, for instance, about 25.5% of registered voters ended up voting.
A ranch owner brings in a load of hay from her ranch in Texas in 2024. Experts and lawmakers worry a new $50 billion program designed to help struggling rural health care providers may not be enough to offset federal funding losses. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Congress set aside $50 billion for rural hospitals and medical providers to allay fears over the billions more in historic cuts to federal health care spending that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day.

But is that bandage big enough to save struggling rural hospitals?

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I have more questions than I have answers, said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit policy group. No one has those answers yet.

Morgan noted that the new money for rural health, to be spent over five years, is far less than the $155 billion in rural Medicaid spending cuts over 10 years, as estimated by KFF, a nonprofit health policy and research group.

Experts, hospital leaders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle fear that Trumps signature legislation will particularly gut rural hospitals and clinics, which see an outsize share of patients who are insured through Medicaid, the federal-state public health insurance for people with low incomes. The new law slashes more than $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next 10 years to help pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

The $50 billion addition was an effort by Republican leaders in Congress to win the votes of colleagues within their party who initially balked at supporting such steep cuts to Medicaid and other health services.

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In the U.S. Senate, the rural program helped secure the vote of Alaska moderate Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who expressed concern about the laws impact on health care in her state. About 1 in 3 Alaskans are insured through Medicaid.

Jared Kosin, the president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association, said hes deeply frustrated with the new laws gutting of Medicaid funding, which he thinks will wreak lasting damage on Alaskans. And Republicans sidestepped potential solutions by just throwing money into a program, he said.

Its frustrating in the public realm when decisions like this are made fast and, frankly, carelessly, he said.

The consequences are going to fall on us, not them.

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More than half of the laws cuts to funding in rural areas are concentrated in 12 states with large rural populations that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to cover more people, according to KFF: Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Some GOP lawmakers in Congress have heralded the $50 billion rural program as a health care victory. But its still unclear which hospitals, clinics and other providers would receive money and how much.

How it works

The Rural Health Transformation Program will dole out $10 billion annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

States must apply for their funding by the end of this year, submitting a detailed plan on how it would be used.

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The law outlines some ways that states can use the money, according to an analysis of the legislation from the Bipartisan Policy Center:

Making payments to rural hospitals to help them maintain essential services such as emergency room care or labor and delivery.

Recruiting and training rural doctors, nurses and other health workers.

Bolstering emergency medical services such as ambulances and EMTs.

Using new technologies, including telehealth.

Providing opioid use disorder treatment and mental health services.

Improving preventive care and chronic disease management.

Half of the $10 billion each year will be distributed evenly across states that have applied for it. The other half can be distributed by the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services  currently Dr. Mehmet Oz  at his discretion, based on a states rural population and rural health facilities.

Although the program doesnt replace the amount states are likely to lose, Morgan said its still an opportunity to rethink how rural health care is funded. Hed like to see states given flexibility in how theyre able to use the funds, and he hopes they focus on keeping rural communities healthy through preventive care while still helping hospitals keep their doors open.

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If done correctly, it could really change the future course for rural America, Morgan said. That is such a tough ask, though.

Hardest hit

Kentucky could take the biggest hit from the new laws reduction in rural Medicaid funding, losing an estimated $12 billion over 10 years, according to a KFF analysis.

The states Medicaid department is still waiting for additional federal guidance to understand how the states program will be affected, Kendra Steele, spokesperson with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told Stateline in a statement.

Over 1.4 million Kentuckians rely on Medicaid  including half of all children in our state, seniors and more vulnerable populations  and the passage of legislation on the federal level will have serious impacts for those individuals, rural health care and hospitals and local economies, she wrote.

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Even with the new program, states across the country will have to reevaluate their budgets in light of the cuts, said Hemi Tewarson, executive director at the National Academy for State Health Policy, a nonpartisan group that supports states in developing health care policies.

Every region is slightly different and theres not a one-size-fits-all approach, she said. Hospital ownership varies [as well as] the types of services that are critical for the community where theyre located. They have to think about new ways to provide those services in a context with fewer resources.

About 44% of rural hospitals are operating in the red, according to a KFF analysis of Rand Hospital Data, a higher share than the 35% of hospitals in urban areas.

Rural at heart

Prior to the bills passage, Oz attempted to reassure U.S. House Republicans that their districts could get money from the program even if they werent specifically rural, Politico reported earlier this month.

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Were all rural at heart when it comes to money.

 Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association

Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said money would begin flowing to his district as early as the beginning of next year, telling the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader earlier this month that he met with Trump, Oz and others to secure pledges that hospitals in his district could access the fund. He represents the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, which includes suburban and rural areas, as well as the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

Though the legislation includes guidelines on which facilities or areas qualify as rural, Morgan, of the National Rural Health Association, expects a mad dash from lawmakers and providers to claim rural status in order to get a piece of the funding.

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Thats going to be a huge issue  defining whos rural, Morgan said. Were all rural at heart when it comes to money.

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at avollers@stateline.org.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Jul. 18Congress set aside $50 billion for rural hospitals and medical providers to allay fears over the billions more in historic cuts to federal health care spending that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day.

But is that bandage big enough to save struggling rural hospitals?

"I have more questions than I have answers," said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit policy group. "No one has those answers yet."

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Morgan noted that the new money for rural health, to be spent over five years, is far less than the $155 billion in rural Medicaid spending cuts over 10 years, as estimated by KFF, a nonprofit health policy and research group.

Experts, hospital leaders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle fear that Trump's signature legislation will particularly gut rural hospitals and clinics, which see an outsize share of patients who are insured through Medicaid, the federal-state public health insurance for people with low incomes. The new law slashes more than $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next 10 years to help pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

The $50 billion addition was an effort by Republican leaders in Congress to win the votes of colleagues within their party who initially balked at supporting such steep cuts to Medicaid and other health services.

In the U.S. Senate, the rural program helped secure the vote of Alaska moderate Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who expressed concern about the law's impact on health care in her state. About 1 in 3 Alaskans are insured through Medicaid.

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Jared Kosin, the president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association, said he's deeply frustrated with the new law's gutting of Medicaid funding, which he thinks will wreak lasting damage on Alaskans. And Republicans sidestepped potential solutions by just throwing money into a program, he said.

"It's frustrating in the public realm when decisions like this are made fast and, frankly, carelessly," he said.

"The consequences are going to fall on us, not them."

More than half of the law's cuts to funding in rural areas are concentrated in 12 states with large rural populations that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to cover more people, according to KFF: Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

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Some GOP lawmakers in Congress have heralded the $50 billion rural program as a health care victory. But it's still unclear which hospitals, clinics and other providers would receive money and how much.

How it works

The Rural Health Transformation Program will dole out $10 billion annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

States must apply for their funding by the end of this year, submitting a detailed plan on how it would be used.

The law outlines some ways that states can use the money, according to an analysis of the legislation from the Bipartisan Policy Center:

* Making payments to rural hospitals to help them maintain essential services such as emergency room care or labor and delivery.

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* Recruiting and training rural doctors, nurses and other health workers.

* Bolstering emergency medical services such as ambulances and EMTs.

* Using new technologies, including telehealth.

* Providing opioid use disorder treatment and mental health services.

* Improving preventive care and chronic disease management.

Half of the $10 billion each year will be distributed evenly across states that have applied for it. The other half can be distributed by the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services  currently Dr. Mehmet Oz  at his discretion, based on a state's rural population and rural health facilities.

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Although the program doesn't replace the amount states are likely to lose, Morgan said it's still an opportunity to rethink how rural health care is funded. He'd like to see states given flexibility in how they're able to use the funds, and he hopes they focus on keeping rural communities healthy through preventive care while still helping hospitals keep their doors open.

"If done correctly, it could really change the future course for rural America," Morgan said. "That is such a tough ask, though."

Hardest hit

Kentucky could take the biggest hit from the new law's reduction in rural Medicaid funding, losing an estimated $12 billion over 10 years, according to a KFF analysis.

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The state's Medicaid department is still waiting for additional federal guidance to understand how the state's program will be affected, Kendra Steele, spokesperson with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told Stateline in a statement.

"Over 1.4 million Kentuckians rely on Medicaid  including half of all children in our state, seniors and more vulnerable populations  and the passage of legislation on the federal level will have serious impacts for those individuals, rural health care and hospitals and local economies," she wrote.

Even with the new program, states across the country will have to reevaluate their budgets in light of the cuts, said Hemi Tewarson, executive director at the National Academy for State Health Policy, a nonpartisan group that supports states in developing health care policies.

"Every region is slightly different and there's not a one-size-fits-all approach," she said. "Hospital ownership varies [as well as] the types of services that are critical for the community where they're located. They have to think about new ways to provide those services in a context with fewer resources."

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About 44% of rural hospitals are operating in the red, according to a KFF analysis of Rand Hospital Data, a higher share than the 35% of hospitals in urban areas.

'Rural at heart'

Prior to the bill's passage, Oz attempted to reassure U.S. House Republicans that their districts could get money from the program even if they weren't specifically rural, Politico reported earlier this month.

We're all rural at heart when it comes to money.  Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association

Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said money would begin flowing to his district as early as the beginning of next year, telling the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader earlier this month that he met with Trump, Oz and others to secure pledges that hospitals in his district could access the fund. He represents the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, which includes suburban and rural areas, as well as the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

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Though the legislation includes guidelines on which facilities or areas qualify as "rural," Morgan, of the National Rural Health Association, expects a mad dash from lawmakers and providers to claim rural status in order to get a piece of the funding.

"That's going to be a huge issue  defining who's rural," Morgan said. "We're all rural at heart when it comes to money."

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at [email protected].

YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem advised any Nashville residents who are in the country illegally to self-deport during a visit to Nashville International Airport on July 17.

"What I would say to them is, 'Go home.' They still have the opportunity to self-deport, to go back to their country." Noem said. "When they land, we give them $1,000, and then they get the opportunity to come back, right? That is still the very best option for everybody in this country illegally, and that would be my hope of what they would do."

Just before her speech, airport security escorted Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) away from the event.

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Noem's arrival in Nashville comes one month after officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency under her leadership, confirmed the arrest of 544 migrants in the area through operations that began May 2. ICE officials said their actions targeted people with criminal histories. Jones said he intended to confront Noem about those deportations.

The agency provided limited information on 15 individuals detained and released the names of nine.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference at Nashville International Airport announcing new express TSA lanes for military families as part of the Serve With Honor, Travel With Ease initiative Thursday, July 17, 2025.

In the days after a swarm of ICE activity began in Nashville, the Department of Homeland Security announced a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance to anyone who voluntary deports themselves. DHS said immigrants in the country illegally may submit an "intent to depart" form online in order to be "deprioritized for detention and removal ahead of their departure."

State Rep. Justin Jones removed from Nashville airport ahead of Noem's arrival

Before Noem arrived to the security checkpoint at BNA, airport security escorted Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) away from the area at the request of Homeland Security staff.

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Jones said he was there to get answers for his constituents who were arrested by ICE agents earlier this summer.

State Representative Justin Jones is escorted out of an area set up for a press conference prior to the arrival of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at Nashville International Airport announcing Thursday, July 17, 2025.

"Many of them have never been charged with a crime. They were taken, and many of them, we don't know what happened to them," Jones said. "This is on Secretary Noem, who refuses to answer, who's scared to talk to lawmakers and is hiding behind secrecy because she knows what she's doing is on the wrong side of history."

Jones said he received prior approval from airport officials to attend the press conference, but DHS communications manager Thomas Wackman said that was a mistake. Jones and another man entered the area designated for press after providing their names to Secret Service agents at the door, and moments later, DHS officials asked them to leave.

"He has the right to represent his district, but he doesn't have the right to trespass on private property," Wackman said. "He wasn't invited. This is an invite-only event for media."

State Representative Justin Jones watches through the glass after being told to leave an area set up for a press conference prior to the arrival of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at Nashville International Airport announcing Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Noem says Nashville Mayor put 'lives at risk' in response to ICE

In May, when Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office released a spreadsheet detailing city departments' communications related to federal immigration enforcement, it contained the names of several ICE agents involved in local detentions.

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Those names have since been removed from the online document, but officials like U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have called the act "doxxing" a word that typically refers to publishing private or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent.

On Thursday, Noem referenced the situation saying she hoped it was a mistake.

"He really put their lives at risk," she said. "Doxxing very much exposes them and their families to dangerous situations."

Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kristi Noem tells undocumented immigrants in Nashville to 'go home'
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at a Nashville press conference on July 18, 2025, where she took aim at the city's governor, a local university and called Kilmar Abrego Garcia a "monster." (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

In a swing through Nashville to highlight immigration crackdowns, Kristi Noem called the citys mayor undeserving of office, accused a local university of obstructing justice and pledged a more visible immigration enforcement presence on the citys streets.

Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, spoke to reporters Friday to highlight what Trump administration officials are calling the worst of the worst among immigrants with criminal histories.

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She spotlighted the arrests of four unnamed men in Tennessee whom, she said, are illegal immigrants tied to gangs or terrorism and accused of crimes that include homicide, promoting prostitution and child rape.

President Trump has been focused ever since hes been in office on making America safe again, Noem said. The president, she said, promised to make sure were going after the worst of the worst every single day, to get the murderers, the rapists, the child pedophiles and pornographers off of our streets and out of the country.

Noem then pivoted to take aim at Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell.

Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

OConnell updated a longstanding policy requiring city personnel to report interactions with federal immigration agents to the mayors office, requiring notice within 24 hours instead of three days required under the previous policy. OConnell implemented the policy update after immigration raids swept up nearly 200 people in May.

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Nashville, like the majority of Tennessee jurisdictions, has also not opted into formal cooperation agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a point of contention with state Republicans leaders, who have offered incentives to enter into the agreements, and Trump administration officials, who have encouraged more such local partnerships.

Im specifically calling out the mayor of Nashville, Noem said.

By his rhetoric and by what he is requiring his city employees to do, and by not having the backs of these ICE officers, he is allowing more children to be trafficked, more children to be victimized and more families to suffer because of his actions and politics, she said.

He doesnt deserve to be mayor. He doesnt deserve to be in office, said Noem, who also called OConnells actions shameful.

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Noem also took aim at Belmont University, a private Christian institution in Nashville with about 9000 students.

Townhall, a conservative website, this week accused the school of sheltering undocumented students and subverting a Trump administration ban on campus diversity initiatives.

Were seeing obstruction against federal immigration law by Belmont University, Noem said Friday.

As you know, theyve openly said that they will house illegal immigrants on their campus and do that in defiance of the federal government, she said.

A Belmont spokesperson on Friday said, we are aware of comments from government officials and maintain that the university is in compliance with federal laws.

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OConnells office did not immediately respond to questions about Noems remarks.

Noem also weighed in on the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was brought to Nashville to face two human smuggling charges after a Trump administration attorney admitted the Maryland father of three had wrongly been deported to El Salvador.

Calling Abrego a monster, Noem said the case against him was overwhelming and said she hopes the federal judge presiding over the case, Waverly Crenshaw, Jr. does the right thing and brings this man to justice.

Crenshaw is currently weighing a motion by federal prosecutors to keep Abrego, a Salvadoran national, detained pending trial while Abregos attorneys in a separate case are fighting the Trump administration over its plans to deport him to a third country.

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Noem promised Nashville residents they could soon see more immigration enforcement, pledging dozens of new agents now that Trump has signed into law the big beautiful bill, which includes substantial increases in the budget of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What the people of Nashville will see is obviously more individuals and agents, but theyll also see more training and equipment, she said without detailing what types of equipment.

At a Nashville press conference, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem placed photos of immigrants she claimed had been arrested for serious crimes. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Dozens more officers and agents will be here in the Nashville area, she said.

The media also served as a target for Noems criticism on Friday for promoting what she characterized as false narratives about the Trump administrations immigration enforcement activities.

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Asked by a journalist about the targeting of immigrants based on skin color, Noem sharply snapped back:

That has been another false narrative that has been put out there in the media that I absolutely want to throw back at you and say that is absolutely false, and dont you dare say that again, she said.

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DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Normalization with Saudi Arabia is possible even without a Palestinian state, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel says.

Normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is possible without Israel having to commit to a pathway to Palestinian statehood, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said in an interview in the Jerusalem Post Studio on Monday.

Listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts

With a French-Saudi conference, geared toward Palestinian statehood, approaching, Haskel said that the Gulf monarchy needs to make a decision on whether to support Palestinian statehood or normalize relations with Israel.

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The offer for a Palestinian state was there on the table for years, multiple times. They refused. They didnt want it. Why? Because a bigger goal was not a Palestinian state. It was to obliterate the State of Israel, killing all the Jews in Israel and out [of it], Haskel said.

Its a religious cause. Its not a territorial aspiration in a sense of a state, but for the entire land. And I think that the Saudis need to make that choice as well, like Egypt did, like Jordan did, like the Emiratis, Bahrainis did, the deputy foreign minister said.

Asked whether normalization is possible without Israel having to commit to Palestinian statehood, Haskel answered that she believes so.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 2, 2024. (credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/REUTERS)

The French-Saudi conference is just another attempt to gain public international attention, Haskel said, arguing that it would not change reality.

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Haskel cited a vote in the Knesset in which 98 MKs supported a declaratory measure against a unilateral formation of a Palestinian state.

By initiating the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron is rewarding the October 7 Hamas massacre, Haskel said. The conference, while declaratory, could also give Hamas a breath of fresh air and takes us further from a ceasefire, since Hamas will continue to say no, because by holding on a little further it will be rewarded, Haskel said.

If the initiative would have been taken down a long time ago... I think a month and a half ago Hamas would have agreed to a ceasefire, but such declarations gave Hamas more oxygen, Haskel said.

Since the interview with Haskel on Monday, Macron rescinded his participation in the conference.

Sharren Haskel talks to the Jerusalem Post

Haskel, 41, was born in Toronto, and moved to Israel as an infant, growing up in Kfar Saba. She served in the Border Police during the Second Intifada, and, following her service, studied veterinary nursing in Australia. She later earned a BA in political science and international relations from the Open University.

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Haskel entered the Knesset in 2015 as a member of the Likud, and stood out for her liberal stance on civil liberties and her strong advocacy for cannabis legalization and animal rights. She later joined Foreign Minister Gideon Saars New Hope Party, which ran under National Unity in the 2022 election, but broke away in March 2024. The party rejoined the government in September. Haskel is fluent in Hebrew, English, and French.

According to Haskel, Israels enemies have been attempting since the foundation of Israel to utilize international forums and organizations against Israel, but that this has increased during the ongoing war, to a point where it endangers Israels ability to defend itself. Haskel also criticized what she said are biased media in many countries for leading to public anti-Israel pressure.

Still, despite attempts by countries such as Spain, Ireland, and Norway to pass resolutions against Israel in international forums, others are still supporting Israel, Haskel said, citing as an example German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who in June praised the Israeli military for doing the dirty work of attacking Iran for all of us.

Haskel said that she and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar are working constantly in order to maintain Israels relationships with countries. She gave as an example her and Saars many recent trips to key European countries.

Listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts

She defended the governments negotiation strategy with Hamas, arguing that while returning the hostages is of utmost importance, Israel cannot surrender to Hamas, because then it is only matter of time before it commits another massacre.

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Haskel dismissed public officials and experts who have called for the release of all hostages even at the price of ending the war with Hamas in power, since Hamas can still be defeated in the future, while the hostages do not have time. This is not how the negotiations work, Haskel said. Hamas isnt naive and would only settle for international guarantees that would effectively block Israel from reinvading Gaza. Israel could not agree to this, she said.

Illustrative image of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (credit: Canva, GoodFon, REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool)

Haskel echoed arguments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers that the key to removing Hamas from power is by blocking its ability to profit off of humanitarian aid.

The old channel of UN-backed aid does not work, as the aid is looted and ends up reaching Hamas, Haskel said. The new system run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, which distributes aid in specifically designated centers, is causing Hamas to respond hysterically, which proves that it is an effective way to wrest power away from the terrorist group.

Haskel said that comparing the new idea of building a humanitarian city near Rafah to a concentration camp  a comparison made by certain Israeli politicians  is shameful. According to Haskel, the citys purpose would be to serve as a protected area where civilians can be safe until Israel is able to eliminate Hamas.

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Haskel decried what she viewed as the hypocrisy of opponents to the idea. She argued that, unlike in other war zones, such as Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, where civilians were able to flee to neighboring countries where they could safely wait out the war, Gazans cannot do so, and therefore Israel must find a way to provide civilians with a safe zone. International and domestic critics are disparaging Israel for harming civilians, but also for its attempts to shield civilians from harm, Haskel argued.

You need to make a choice. Either you take responsibility and you shelter them, or you accept what we see as a proper shelter for civilians, Haskel said.

She said that Israels preferred option is that Gaza would be ruled after the war by an international committee with our Abrahamic friends that will be in charge, not just of reconstruction, but of looking after the civilian aspect... about the education system and the sewage and everything thats needed.

This will be in collaboration with Israel [and] with the Americans, to try and liberate the Palestinian society from the hold of terrorist organizations to live a better life, she said.

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Haskel stressed education as a key factor in enabling Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side peacefully, specifically how to de-radicalize a population thats been indoctrinated for generations by a terrorist radical organization, a Nazi ISIS organization.

Listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts

Haskel also addressed Israels 12-day operation against Iran that began on June 13. From a purely capabilities standpoint, the attacks set back the Iranian nuclear program by two to three years, Haskel said. But it also opened up diplomatic windows of opportunity, such as new normalization agreements that the public may hear about within months, she said.

The Middle East is looking very closely at what Israel is doing, whether its capable of defending itself.... We could hear the singing and the celebrations all around the Middle East after we were able to obliterate Irans military nuclear program, Haskel said. The entire region benefited from the attacks, because Iran is the biggest cause of instability, biggest funders of terrorism, she said.

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In the Middle East, you understand strength. And people want to be close to you after they also understand your capability, Haskel said.

Iran stands at a crossroads, Haskel said. It can either turn to real diplomacy  as opposed to lying and deceiving the international community and building a nuclear military program and weapon behind its back  or continue to face Israels military threat.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  North Carolina is one of more than 20 states suing the Trump

administration over a sudden freeze in federal education funding, money that supports

after-school programs, teacher training and school safety initiatives across the state.

The lawsuit targets the U.S. Department of Educations decision to halt the release of more than

$165 million designated for North Carolina schools. State Attorney General Jeff Jackson warned

the pause could cost nearly 1,000 educators their jobs.

Public schools across North Carolina, especially in rural areas, need this money to keep

teachers in the classroom and keep kids safe while they learn, Jackson said. Its unlawful and

unconstitutional for the Department of Education to withhold money that Congress has

appropriated.

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Jackson is joined by attorneys general from California, New York, Michigan and Oregon, among

others, as well as the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

In Guilford County, Superintendent Whitney Oakley said her district alone is facing a $6 million

shortfall due to the freeze.

You have to think about what youre going to cut in order to be able to do that, Oakley said.

This will impact all students just because of how we use these funds in Guilford County, much

like the rest of the state.

U.S. Rep. Addison McDowell, who represents parts of Guilford County, defended the move by

the administration.

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Were trying to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse, McDowell said. Were not trying to take

school lunches away from people.

District leaders are now scrambling to revise budgets just weeks before the school year begins.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., is expected to rule soon on whether to compel the

Department of Education to release the funds.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
North Korea has barred foreigners from a newly opened beach resort, the country's tourism administration said this week, just days after Russia's top diplomat visited the area.

The sprawling seaside resort on its east coast, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pet project, opened to domestic visitors earlier this month with great fanfare in state-run media.

Dubbed "North Korea's Waikiki" by South Korean media, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone appears to be lined with high-rise hotels and waterparks, and can purportedly accommodate some 20,000 people.

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State media previously said visits to Wonsan by Russian tour groups were expected in the coming months.

But following Lavrov's visit, the North's National Tourism Administration said "foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted" without giving further details, in a statement posted on an official website this week.

Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry during his early years in power, analysts have said, and the coastal resort area was a particular focus.

He said ahead of the opening of the beach resort that the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible".

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The North last year permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic and Western tour operators briefly returned in February this year.

Seoul's unification ministry, however, said that it expected international tourism to the new resort was "likely to remain small in scale" given the limited capacity of available flights.

Kim held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Wonsan last week where he offered Moscow his full and "unconditional" support for its war in Ukraine, KCNA reported.

Lavrov reportedly hailed the seaside project as a "good tourist attraction", adding it would become popular among both local and Russian visitors looking for new destinations.

Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.

hj/ceb/hmn
By Hyun Young Yi and Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL (Reuters) -A new K-pop boy band made their global debut on Friday with two members who defected from North Korea and an album that includes a song about the consequences of escaping one of the world's most repressive states.

1VERSE, pronounced "universe", is made up of five men in their 20s from North Korea, Japan and the United States, who go by their first names, Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny.

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At midnight, the group performed a live-streamed showcase of their first EP "The 1st Verse" featuring three tracks, including the debut single "Shattered".

A video to accompany the song will drop later on Friday. Recorded earlier this year, it shows the group sporting make-up and slick hairstyles, dancing against a stroboscopic background.

Yu Hyuk, originally from the northeastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, has been living in South Korea since 2013.

As well as enjoying the freedom to show off his talent to the world, the 25-year-old also appreciates being able to eat three meals a day.

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In North Korea, he started work at the age of nine and said he was sometimes forced into desperate measures to get food, eating spoiled rice or worse, and resorting to theft.

"After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively I was thinking about survival," he told Reuters at the group's studio in the South Korean capital.

North Korea has stepped up control over people's lives since the COVID-19 pandemic when all borders were sealed, and abuses such as executions, forced labour and reports of starvation continue, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters last month.

Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child - fleeing to China and then across other international borders with the help of a broker arranged by his mother, who was already in South Korea.

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While he is happy with his new life, he recalls that it was a wrench to leave his home.

"I was hungry and tired, but I was happy surrounded by the people I like which made it tougher for me to want to come here at first," he said.

The song "Shattered" encapsulates his feelings when he learned about the death of his father in North Korea, he said.

Kim Seok, the other North Korean defector in the group and also 25, used to live in a border town near China. He was exposed to K-pop by a friend who shared music videos on a portable media player, including Psy's 2012 smash "Gangnam Style".

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Seok escaped with his father and grandmother when he was 20 years old.

Recent reports have suggested that Pyongyang is stepping up its crackdown on the consumption of South Korean culture, including a case where teenagers were sentenced to hard labour for watching K-pop, as well as suppressing South Korean speaking styles.

Michelle Cho, producer and CEO of 1VERSE's label Singing Beetle, said she wanted to create a more authentic group in an industry often seen as picture-perfect.

"Who doesn't love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams, especially K-pop," she said.

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Despite their diverse backgrounds, the bandmates said they had plenty in common.

"I mean isn't it fun? Like our group is just a unique type of global," said Kenny, who is Chinese American.

While the group has drawn attention for having North Korean defectors, Hyuk hopes they will be judged by the quality of their work.

"I want to become an idol that brings energy and the message that cheers up many people, that they aren't alone and there are even people like me."

(Reporting by Hyun Young Yi, Hyunsu Yim and Daewoung Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP)  Protests are taking place across the country and here in western Massachusetts.

Amherst schools to reinstate guidance counselor during Title IX probe

People gathered for a good trouble protest at Pulaski Park in Northampton, all in honor of a late congressman and civil rights icon.

Good trouble protests are taking place across the country and in western Massachusetts. Hundreds of people gathered at Pulaski Park in Northampton, all in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis.

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The protest, organized by three teenagers to bring people together to fight for what they believed in. 18-year-old Marisol Bonifaz, the youngest of the three organizers, made sure everyone was heard.

He worked with Martin Luther King, he marched across the bridge, he got beaten by white police officers, and he never stopped talking and speaking for his rights and everyones rights, says Bonifaz.

Lewis says sometimes you need to get into some good trouble to see results. In Northampton All generations are coming together to share his message. Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra states, I understand that young people are invested, but we have let this happen on our watch, us older generations. We all have to stand together and work together to take back these rights.

Marisol adds, We know the young people have always catalyzed social change movements. Having young people at the forefront of this is so important. If you are someone whose rights are being marginalized by the current democracy, we are here for you, we want to work with you.

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We cant let things happen around us without standing up and being clear that it is not right and we are going to do everything we can to stop it, adds Mayor Sciarra.

After gathering at the park and hearing speeches, the protesters lined Main Street in Northampton with their signs. Protesters also highlighted qualities they want to see in the country.

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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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
As Colorados Renaissance Festival in Larkspur sees higher-than-normal turnout this year, officials recently announced they would limit online ticket sales. The annual medieval-themed festival currently runs Saturdays and Sundays through August 3 should more days be added to help meet demand?

You voted:
The Brief

Javian Major pleaded guilty to forgery and was sentenced to two years' deferred probation.

Major was investigated in Harris County for allegedly performing funerals without a director's license.

FOX 26's Randy Wallace spoke to a mother claiming Major handled her son's funeral.

HARRIS COUNTY - A 27-year-old convicted felon who is accused of defrauding people while working as an unlicensed funeral director gets a sweetheart deal from the courthouse.

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The District Attorney's office says all the victims in Javian Major's forgery case supported his no-jail-time probated sentence.

But some who've dealt with Major see it as a slap in the face.

Alleged funeral fraudster gets probation

What they're saying

"Javian Major basically played the system like a fiddle," said Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers, "But the system allowed him to play it like a fiddle."

Major has a lengthy criminal history that spans three Texas counties and Louisiana,

Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen's office spent six months investigating Major for allegedly performing funerals without a funeral director's license.

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"Bodies being put in garages and not being properly cooled at the right temperature, and all the various things that we were seeing," Rosen said. "It was pretty egregious because you're hitting somebody at their most vulnerable time in their lives."

One of Major's bond conditions prohibited him from working as a funeral director.

One mother who says Major performed the funeral for her late son tells FOX 26 that she heard he was still performing funerals.

"I got tips from other people telling me, Hey, hes doing funerals. He's at this location right here, doing funerals,'" said Pamela Busby.

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Another witness says she saw Major perform another funeral.

"This was literally on the news four days ago, and this funeral is occurring today," said Cherrelle Davis.

What we know

After the alleged victims wrote to the court telling them Major was still performing funerals, a motion was filed to raise Major's bond amount. But when Major appeared in court on Wednesday, he pled guilty to forgery and was sentenced to two years' deferred probation.

"Not enough," said Constable Rosen. "We are going to be talking to the DA's office and find out specifically what happened."

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There's no condition to Major's probation that prohibits him from working in the funeral industry,

Major is already on probation in Louisiana.

The other side

In a response, Major's attorney says both the state and defense reached a fair agreement.

The Source

Information in this report comes from Harris County court records, a statement from Javian Major's attorney, and FOX 26 reporter Randy Wallace's interviews with Constable Alan Rosen and alleged victims of Javian Major.
You could say Megan Barry is a politician of firsts.

She made history in 2015 when she was elected as Nashvilles first female mayor. And then, less than three years later, she again made history as the citys first mayor with a mug shot.

A once rising Democratic star seen as a contender for higher office, Barry's career imploded in a spectacular scandal that made national headlines for its tawdry details about an extramarital affair with her police bodyguard.

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The pair enjoyed late-night concerts, early-morning cemetery strolls and steamy hot yoga classes. They also racked up thousands of dollars in overtime on the taxpayer dime, and ultimately, felony theft charges.

Barrys downfall sent shockwaves through a city that once put her approval rating over 70 percent.

And it served as a cautionary tale for other lawmakers who might get carried away using public funds.

Ultimately, Barry pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to her affair with former police Sgt. Rob Forrest.

As part of her plea agreement, she resigned as mayor and reimbursed the city $11,000 in restitution connected with her travel expenses with Forrest. Her criminal record was later expunged after completing probation.

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The pair, who were both married at the time, attended nearly a dozen city-funded trips by themselves, including conferences in Paris and Greece.

Forrest, who racked up nearly $200,000 in overtime, also pleaded guilty to felony theft over $10,000 and was given probation.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry pleads guilty Tuesday, March 6, 2018 to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to her affair with former police bodyguard Sgt. Rob Forrest in court at the Justice A. A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn.

For many politicians, the story would have ended here. But Barry isnt one to give up.

While in office, she lost her 22-year-old son, Max, to a drug overdose and was vocal about the heartbreak of the opioid crisis.

She later went on to write a USA Today bestselling book called It's What You Do Next: The Fall and Rise of Nashville's First Female Mayor, detailing her personal and professional struggles.

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In it she writes: At some point, all of us will be at our worst, and while some of us will be remembered for it, none of us should be defined by it.

Last November, she ran a well-funded campaign as the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee. Barry ultimately lost to Green. The seat will soon be vacant as Green in June announced his early retirement, but Barry has said she won't run for it again.

That doesn't mean it's not possible Tennessee could see more firsts from Megan Barry.

The Tennessean is publishing a Notorious Nashville story for each year from 2000-2024. Catch up on the series here.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's 1st female mayor resigned after tax-payer-funded affair
SCRANTON  West Scranton resident Chris Patchoski grew up attending the Solemn Novena to St. Ann but serving in the armed forces, he sees it in a different way.

Patchoski, his wife, Alicia Patchoski, and their daughter Charlotte, 7, were among throngs of people who came to the first day of the 101st annual St. Anns Solemn Novena on Thursday.

At a midday Mass in front of St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica, hundreds of people of all ages sat under two large white tents, and on benches and chairs on the hill surrounding the church in West Scranton.

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One of those sitting on the grass was 2-year old Bonadia Howe of Roaring Brook Twp., who colored pictures of cartoon sea creatures and played with small animal figures as her grandmother Susan Archer watched from a seat behind her.

Archer, of Scranton, and her brother Steve Fisk, who resides in Dunmore, grew up attending the novena with their late mother, Mary Fisk.

We came every  novena every year since we were little children, Steve Fisk said.

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People attend the Solemn Novena Mass at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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The Very Rev. Richard Burke, C.P., rector of St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica, conducts mass during the 101st St. Annes Solemn Novena Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Rev. Curtis Kiddy speaks during the St Anns Solemn Novena Mass Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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People attend the Solemn Novena Mass at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Visitors pay their respects to the statue of St. Ann in the St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Grotto during the Solemn Novena in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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People visit The Stations of the Cross at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica during the Solemn Novena in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Visitors partake in Holy Communion during the St. Anns Solemn Novena at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Mass begins at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica during the Solemn Novena in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Visitors pay their respects to the statue of St. Ann in the St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Grotto during the Solemn Novena in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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The statue of St. Ann occupies the St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Grotto during the Solemn Novena in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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The cross at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica is framed through trees during the St Anns Solemn Novena Mass Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Visitors sing hymns during the Solemn Novena at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica in Scranton Thursday, July 17, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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People attend the Solemn Novena Mass at St. Anns Monastery and Shrine Basilica Thursday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Archer said the novena allows her to pray for those who need prayers and gives her thanksgiving for what shes received. Fisk added it is also an opportunity to pay devotion to St. Ann, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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The Patchoskis said the novena is a time of reflection and to be grateful for what they have. Chris Patchoski, who served two years in the Army and six years in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and like Archer and Fisk has attended since he was a child, said he became more drawn to the novena after his time in service. He said it allows him to reflect on his life and be thankful for what he and his family have.

I like the fact that I can just be here, be at peace and reflect a little bit, he said. It feels really good.

Alicia Patchoski said it allows her to not only take a moment to reflect but to spend time with her family and God.

The Very Rev. Richard Burke, C.P., the basilicas rector, welcomed those in attendance to the novena during the Mass, saying he looked forward to the prayers that will be offered during the 10 days of the Solemn Novena.

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The Rev. Curtis Kiddy, C.P., one of two guest preachers during this years novena, delivered a message of walking in faith and how God has a plan for everyone. He also said the theme of this years jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope, reminds us not to lose hope.

Charlie Barlow of Jermyn said the novena is a reminder that faith is important.

I find that it always brings me to a place of peace within myself, and it also strengthens and deepens my faith, he said.

Thousands are expected to attend the novena, which continues through July 26 with the Feast of St. Ann.
Melissa Mathieson was strangled by Jason Conroy at Alexandra House in Bristol in October 2014 [PA Media]

"Reckless conduct at a senior manager level" allowed a man fascinated by necrophilia to murder an 18-year-old at the care home where they lived, a coroner has found.

Jason Conroy was 18 when he strangled Melissa Mathieson at Alexandra House, a Bristol home providing special care for adults, in October 2014. Conroy, now 28, was jailed for life for the sexually-motivated killing.

An inquest into Miss Mathieson's death heard he had previously tried to kill his mother and was sent to the home after trying to strangle a teacher.

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Senior coroner Maria Voisin concluded a "catalogue of failures" allowed the murder to happen, including the risk Conroy posed not being reflected in his care plans.

In a narrative conclusion, Ms Voisin told Avon Coroner's Court Ms Mathieson "died as a result of unlawful killing caused by both the act of strangulation and also due to the acts and omissions by the home entrusted with her care".

"The home failed Melissa in numerous ways," she said.

Miss Mathieson, from Windsor, Berkshire, was sent to Alexandra House by social services when she turned 18, after spending the previous two years in a variety of placements.

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In a letter, she wrote how she was "dragged away from my home and everything I knew" by social services who "destroyed my life".

Conroy, originally from Guernsey, moved to the home two months before the murder after the attack on the teacher at his boarding school.

The school, which in the Midlands, had commissioned a report from a forensic psychologist which concluded he posed a physical risk to others because of his sexualised behaviour.

They warned the managers of Alexandra House about the risk, but this was not reflected in Conroy's care plans, which only listed basic information.

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The directors of the company which ran the home pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence after the murder and were fined 125,000.

Ms Voisin told the coroner's court the conduct of the home's senior managers amounted to a "gross breach of duty".

"This I consider to be reckless conduct at senior management level," she added.

'Failed to act'

Several staff told the inquest they would never have been alone with Conroy if they knew of the risk he posed, and described reporting their concerns to supervisors.

The inquest heard Miss Mathieson complained Conroy had been stalking her hours before she was killed.

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In her conclusion, the senior coroner for Avon said Conroy should have been supervised at all times and the fact he was not "meant he was able to attack and strangle" Miss Mathieson.

She described Miss Mathieson as vulnerable and said Conroy targeted her with the intention of killing her.

She added Conroy "should not have been placed in the same facility" as her.

Jason Conroy was jailed for life for killing Miss Mathieson [Avon and Somerset Police]

Ms Voisin said: "The decision was wrongly made to place him in the same facility with an ineffective care plan and risk assessment, with staff that were not trained on his level of risk, and managers who failed to act when concerns were highlighted by staff and Melissa."

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When Conroy was jailed, Judge Graham Cottle said he posed a very serious danger to the public, in particular to young women.

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Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  An employee and nurse at a nursing facility has been charged after allegedly assaulting an 85-year-old patient who passed away just over a week later. Documents say it was unlikely the injuries directly caused her death.

David Schwendiman, 51, has been charged with aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, intentionally or knowingly.

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According to documents, on Feb. 18, 2025, the Unified Police Department was contacted by staff at a nursing home in Salt Lake County. The facility administrator told police that on Feb. 14, an employee had allegedly assaulted a hospice care patient who was 85 years old.

READ NEXT: St. George woman who crashed with three juveniles in vehicle was on fentanyl, charges say

The responding officer made contact with the 85-year-old, who stated, He hit me! He hit me! and said that Schwendiman had yelled f you to her face during the incident. The officer saw bruises on the victims face and knees.

Surveillance video was provided by the facility administrator. During a review of the footage, documents say that the officer saw Schwendiman leaning over the 85-year-old in an aggressive manner. He then walked around and knelt next to her walker before pulling it away from her.

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The 85-year-old began walking with the walker as he pulled it, but police say that the footage showed him putting his hands up to stop her. Schwendiman then allegedly used both hands to grip the front of the walker and leaned in close to the 85-year-olds face before ripping it out from under her.

Two charged for alleged abuse of 77-year-old family member who suffered fractures, malnourishment

The 85-year-old fell on her knees and tried to catch herself with her hands, documents say, but she was unable to hold herself up due to the impact of her fall, and her face and head hit the ground.

Eight days later, the 85-year-old woman passed away on Feb. 22, 2025. An autopsy was conducted, and found that the blunt force injuries were consistent with a ground level fall but that it was unlikely that the assault contributed significantly to [the victims] death.

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It is currently unknown whether he is still employed at the nursing facility, but ABC4 has reached out to verify his employment status. According to the Utah Division of Professional Licensings licensee lookup and verification system, his nursing license is still active.

Latest headlines:

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DENVER (KDVR)  An investigation into a contracted nurse who allegedly brought narcotics into Adams County Detention Facility has led to multiple arrests.

On Thursday, the Adams County Sheriffs office said in a press release that Ashley Ryan is facing multiple charges after controlled substances were found in secure areas of the facility in April.

Inmate hospitalized after overdose in Adams County facility, investigation underway

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The sheriffs office said, following the investigation, Ryan was said to have been fired from her contracted nursing position and additional suspects in the case were arrested, including Shayleen Abeyta, who allegedly was providing the narcotics to Ryan.

Ryan is facing the following felony charges:

Introducing contraband in the second degree

Conspiracy to commit introducing contraband in the second degree

Distribution of a controlled substance

Conspiracy  controlled substances

Ryan was arrested in Texas and is, as of Thursday, awaiting extradition to Colorado, according to the sheriffs office.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  An upcoming motorcycle ride in Northwest Arkansas will raise funds for suicide prevention programs across the state.

The American Foundation for Suicide Preventions Arkansas Chapter will host the NWA Ride to Fight Suicide on Saturday, July 19, beginning at 10 a.m. at Pig Trail Harley-Davidson in Rogers. Registration will begin at 9 a.m.

The event aims to raise funds for the foundations work in suicide prevention, including research, educational programs, advocacy efforts and support for those affected by suicide.

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Participants will take part in a group motorcycle ride and is one of several events organized by the chapter, which also includes upcoming Out of the Darkness community walks scheduled in Jonesboro, Bentonville and Hot Springs later this year.

To register for the ride or to donate, click here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
UPDATE: The Flash Flood Warning has been extended until 5:00am for Rogers and Lowell. This extension also encompasses parts of Washington County including Tontitown, Elm Springs, Bethel Heights, and Springdale.

BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  The National Weather Service in Tulsa has issued flash flood warnings in parts of Northwest Arkansas for the overnight hours of July 17 into the morning of July 18.

The areas affected include parts of southern Benton County including Siloam Springs, Gentry, and Cave Springs. Northern Washington County is also shown in the NWS graphic, including Tontitown.

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The warning remains in effect until 2:45am.

The Weather Authority Team is tracking the storms in our area now on Facebook Live.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
Controversial Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is working to secure key endorsements ahead of New York Citys November election.

On Friday, Mamdani is expected to meet with House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in Brooklyn to discuss key issues. However, Jeffries did not give the press any hint whether he was ready to give Mamdani his endorsement.

"As has been the case with every single high-profile endorsement decision that I've made in the past, I have a sit-down conversation, and then I take it from there," Jeffries told reporters on Thursday.

Zohran Mamdani, left, is running for the mayor of New York City. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is on the right.

Zohran Mamdani Press Conference Abruptly Ends With Aide Pulling Him Away During Reporters Questions

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The self-professed socialist is also expected to meet with Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., though no date has been set. Many have speculated on how the two Democrats opposing stances on Israel will play into the meeting and Schumers decision.

Longtime Democratic lawmaker Schumer, who is Jewish, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Meanwhile, Mamdani, who is Muslim, has been a staunch critic of Israel and a supporter of BDS.

Read On The Fox News App

Mamdani has faced backlash over his statements on Israel, including declining to say whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state and his initial refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada." However, he recently began distancing himself from the phrase.

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The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Mamdani told business leaders that he would not use the phrase and would "discourage" others from doing so. He is expected to clarify his position on the phrase as soon as this week.

Jeffries Gives Answer For Not Yet Endorsing Mamdani For Nyc Mayor

While Schumer has not yet offered his endorsement, he has defended Mamdani from GOP critics. When President Donald Trump said he would "have to arrest" Mamdani if the controversial candidate were to become mayor of NYC and refused to work with ICE, Schumer called the threat a "pathetic absurdity."

"Trump keeps talking about great American values, but threatening to arrest politicians who disagree with him is as un-American as it gets. This would make America a dictatorship," Schumer wrote on X.

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Mamdani may not have Schumers endorsement, but he did score the support of another prominent N.Y. Jewish Democrat, Rep. Jerry Nadler.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani briefly speaks with reporters as he leaves the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Mamdani's Far-left Allies Aim To Primary Hakeem Jeffries And Other Nyc House Democrats

The meeting with Jeffries comes on the heels of Mamdanis recent visit to D.C., where he attended a breakfast hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and mingled with some of the partys most powerful players. Since then, he secured the endorsement of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who serves as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

"Hes a very charismatic, relatable person," Khanna told FOX & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones on Thursday.

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Mamdani is running in a crowded race against former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, both of whom are running as independents, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.





Original article source: NYC Democratic socialist Mamdani to meet top Democrat with endorsement decision on the line
A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of a Christian bookstore in Colorado Springs is pushing back against recent legislation that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ people in the state.

Signed into law in May by Gov. Jared Polis, the Kelly Loving Act made the intentional, public misgendering or deadnaming of a transgender person a violation of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

The owners of Born Again Used Books, a 21-year-old family-run store off Austin Bluffs Parkway, say the new requirements force them to act in a way that conflicts with their devout faith and tramples their First Amendment rights, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative Christian legal advocacy group whose lawyers filed the suit and are representing the plaintiffs.

Although Born Again Used Books happily sells its products to everyone, Colorado now compels the bookstore to speak using pronouns and titles based on a persons preferred gender expression  thereby requiring the store to prioritize a persons professed identity over biological reality, according to ADFs release. (T)he Bookstore cannot speak contrary to its beliefs.  So the store cannot use pronouns, titles, or any other language contrary to a persons biological sex. To do so would be to affirm the view that a persons sex can and sometimes should be changed  a view that contradicts the Bookstores Christian beliefs.

The complaint filed in federal court against the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and state Attorney General Phil Weiser goes on to outline how the law constrains Born Agains ability to fully embrace its identity and honestly market itself as a small business.

With constant pressure to distinguish themselves from big chains, independent bookstores tirelessly curate their shelves and ambiance to strike just the right theme  whether its religion, thrillers, local-interest, or LGBTQ, it reads.

The government has no business infringing that editorial discretion or telling bookstores what to say, what views to affirm, or what sides to pick in ideological debates.

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Named in honor of Kelly Loving, a transgender woman who was one of five people killed Nov. 19, 2022, in a bias-motivated mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, the law expanded the states anti-discrimination act into dynamic new legal territory, making Colorado one of only a handful of states to formally recognize more nuanced aspects of identity  gender expression elements, such as chosen name and how an individual chooses to be addressed  as protected rights. Other provisions of the law, including changes to how residents go about updating their name or gender on identifying documents, are set to go into effect Oct. 1, 2026.

The office of Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser declined to comment on the Born Again lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation.

The Born Again lawsuit joins a handful of others in Colorado that have challenged so-called woke legislation, which opponents argue represents a gross government overreach into private lives, and personal choice.

Two of the more headline-making cases, both of which were battled all the way to the Supreme Court, involve Lakewood-based Masterpiece Cakeshop, its owner Jack Phillips and his refusal to make cakes with messaging that runs counter to his Christian faith.

The Supreme Court partially ruled in Phillips' favor in a case arising from a 2012 incident, in which Phillips refused to make a cake for a gay wedding, overturning a previous ruling by state justices, who found the Christian baker had violated state laws. Lawyers with Alliance Defending Freedom represented Phillips in that case, as well as a later legal run-in that also made it to Washington.

The more recent lawsuit stemmed from a 2017 incident in which Phillips refused to create a custom-designed gender reveal party cake for Autumn Scardina, a transgender woman. State Supreme Court justices determined in October that Scardina had improperly filed her claim, effectively ending the legal saga. They stopped short of opining on any ideological aspects of the complaints:

We express no view on the merits of these claims, the justices wrote, in the majority opinion.
DIX, N.Y. (WETM)  A Burdett man has been arrested on theft charges after officials say he burglarized a home in the Town of Dix in March of 2023.

Jeffrey A. Arcangeli, 59, was arrested on the charges of burglary in the second degree and grand larceny in the second degree (both class C felonies), as stated in a release from the New York State Police.

Two arrested on drug charges after reported disturbance in Bath

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Officials say Arcangeli was charged with the crimes following an investigation into an incident, which was reported to officials on March 22, 2023. At this time, officials say that State Police in Montour Falls were called to a home on Meads Hill Road for the report of a burglary.

Following an investigation into the incident, officials say it was revealed that a safe inside the home had been forcibly opened, and that multiple guns, as well as about $450,000 worth of gold, silver and money, were taken.

Bath man arrested on two felonies after domestic dispute

After further investigation, officials say Arcangeli was arrested on the charges, processed in court and released. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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An Oahu couple is facing federal criminal charges after allegedly lying about being victims of the Aug. 8, 2023, West Maui wildfires and the January Los Angeles firesallegedly stealing more than $110, 000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Daylyn Harris 34, and Chelsea Johnson, 32, originally from Tampa, Fla., are both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of disaster fraud from Sept. 6, 2023, through Jan. 23.

Harris, represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Jacquelyn T. Esser, also made claims for medical reimbursements from injuries he claimed he suffered in the Lahaina fire, that killed 102 people and leveled thousands of homes. He made his initial appearance Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

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Johnson, represented by attorney Louis M. Ching, also made her initial appearance Wednesday and was released ahead of her preliminary hearing Aug. 8.

Miss Chelsea Johnson is a very sweet and caring young woman,  Ching said. She just got caught up with her then boyfriend and co-defendant, Mr. Daylyn Harris.

If convicted, Harris and Johnson face up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million on each count. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.

Harris is charged with three counts of disaster fraud for allegedly lying about lost income, lost property, lost housing, medical expenses, and other losses as a result of the Maui wildfires federal disaster, when in fact, the defendant did not reside at the damaged address and did not suffer the stated losses,  according to an affidavit authored by a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Office of the Inspector General.

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According to Maui County records, the owner of the property in Lahaina was not Johnson or Harris.

The actual owners later made FEMA claims themselves for the same property and denied renting it to Harris, Johnson or anyone else, according to federal court records.

On Sept. 6, 2023, Harris submitted an application for federal disaster assistance alleging that his rented primary residence in Lahaina had been damaged.

Harris listed Johnson as the landlord and gave an address for Johnson from Tampa.

On Sept. 8, 2023, a FEMA inspector contacted Johnson by telephone to confirm that she was Harris landlord.

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During the call, Johnson sounded hesitant and provided inaccurate information about the property. When confronted with the fact that the Maui real property records showed a different owner name (and showed that it was owner occupied and not rental property ), she could not explain the discrepancy and disconnected the call with the inspector,  read the affidavit.

The same day, Harris allegedly provided a pay stub dated Aug. 4, 2023, allegedly from a restaurant in Lahaina, that was destroyed in the fires, in support of a claim for lost income. A FEMA investigator contacted the owner who confirmed that Harris had never worked for the company.

On Oct. 3, 2023, Harris submitted a request to FEMA for medical assistance claiming he did not have medical insurance. He sent in a physician statement letter dated Sept. 28, 2023, purporting to be from a major hospital system in Hawaii listing providers Micah Johnson, M.D. and David Sudderth, M.D. on the letterhead.

The letter alleged that Harris sustained injuries related to the Lahaina fires and had medical bills totaling $55, 760.32. On Oct. 6, 2023, a FEMA employee called the Hawaii hospital system Harris claimed he was a patient of and learned that there was no record of Harris receiving treatment on the dates he reported.

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On Oct. 11, 2023, a person claiming to be Dr. Micah Olaf Johnson called FEMA to check the status of the medical assistance for applicant, but when an employee attempted to return the call, the employee was not able to get in touch with Dr. Johnson,  according to court records.

On Oct. 12, 2023, Dr. Johnson  again called and verified the medical documentation and FEMA approved payment of medical assistance.

A federal agent checked the phone number associated with Dr. Johnson  and found it was from an online service that allows users to make their phone numbers untraceable.

The agent found a record of Harris arrest in Tampa for domestic assault.

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In the police report, the victim, Johnson, allegedly told Tampa police she and Harris lived together in Florida during the same time frame that Harris claimed to have lived in Lahaina.

On Sept. 21, 2023, Harris got $5, 462 in rental assistance. On Oct. 2, 2023, Harris got $13, 625 for lost personal property and 16 days later on Oct. 18, 2023, Harris got $27, 374 in other needs assistance 

according to federal court records.

Harris made his initial appearance Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for July 21.

Johnson also is charged with three counts of disaster fraud.

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A disaster declaration for the California wildfires was declared on Jan. 8. The fires killed 30 people and burned 37, 000 acres, destroying thousands of structures and homes.

On Jan. 11, 2025, Johnson made a claim to FEMA for damaged dwelling assistance, alleging her property in Pacific Palisades, Calif., was damaged. The IP Address for this initial application came back to a Charter Communications, doing business as Spectrum, account registered to Harris in Honolulu, Hawaii,  according to the affidavit.

On May 15 the DHS agent agent interviewed the owner of the Pacific Palisades property Johnson claimed to own and was told that no one else lived there, and that he did not recognize the names of Harris or Johnson.

In the application, Johnson claimed that as a result of the fire she paid for a 29-night stay at a hotel in Los Angeles and submitted a printed booking confirmation page from an online travel website. A DHS agent confirmed with the hotel that the reservation had been canceled because the credit card used to make it was declined.

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Johnson also is accused of falsely claiming that she was employed at a pet grooming business in Santa Monica, Calif., and that she lost $3, 768 worth of pet grooming tools in the fire.

Johnsons application and the material fraudulent misrepresentations  resulted in FEMA making three payments to Johnsons bank account, each by electronic funds transfer.

On Jan. 23, Johnson got $770 for critical needs assistance. On Jan. 26, she got $9, 404 for personal property date and on Jan. 24 she got $3, 822 for displacement assistance.

According to bank rec ords, within a short period Johnson transferred over 70 % of these funds to an account in Harris name.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  An officer has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly shooting at a suspect during a traffic stop after a road rage call on Thursday, according to the Jackson Police Department.

At 3:28 p.m., officers responded to a road rage incident on the 45 Bypass near Carriage House.

They said the caller was a biker who reported another man had pointed a handgun at him while driving.

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Man arrested after fatal shooting at apartment complex in Windyke

The victim stayed on the phone until officers arrived. Police located the suspect and conducted a traffic stop on the suspect in the 700 block of Old Hickory Boulevard.

When officers approached the vehicle, they saw the suspect was armed, and moments later, officers heard a gunshot from the suspects vehicle, causing one officer to discharge his handgun.

Woman faces attempted murder charge after North Memphis shooting

Police said the suspect was airlifted to a Memphis hospital, and he is in critical condition.

JPD said the officer involved in the incident will be placed on administrative leave as standard procedure during the ongoing investigation.

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According to police, at the request of District Attorney Jody Pickens, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now leading the investigation into this incident, and further inquiries should be directed to the TBI.

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Jul. 17The National Weather Service reported multiple people had to be rescued from floodwaters in Ruidoso on Thursday afternoon.

A flash flood warning was issued as storms converged on the area.

NWS did not have any additional information about the water rescues, which were posted to the agency's X account.

National Guard and two swift water teams responded on foot to one of the water rescues, according to Bay Hirshfeld, public information officer with the village of Ruidoso. Another rescue was reported near the Ruidoso Downs, but Hirshfeld said it was out of their district and she didn't have any other information.

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She said there is a shelter in place for residents of the Cherokee Mobile Home Park, and crews are en route to clear debris in the area. The mobile park is still accessible.

The rescues come more than a week after flooding in Ruidoso left three people dead and hundreds of homes damaged.

The agency issued a flash flood warning that includes Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs and Hollywood  a neighborhood in the village. The flash flood warning was expected to last until 3:30 p.m.

An evacuation shelter has been established at the Ruidoso Community Center.

"The set today is we basically have got a good surge of monsoon moisture that's basically acting as a funnel to push moisture from the south to the north through the state," said NWS meteorologist Carter Greulich.

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"That is allowing for a little bit of faster storm motions, comparatively to what we've seen earlier in the week. However, this is a more widespread thunderstorm activity, and that's what we've been seeing across much of the higher terrain."

The area is expected to see between 1 and 1 1/2 inches of rainfall. Greulich said any rainfall, especially when the rain gets above 2 inches per hour, can lead to major concerns.

Greulich said that precipitation chances may come down slightly, but the chance of a similar forecast tomorrow is likely. He said the biggest threat was flash flooding over burn scars in the area.
There are some parts of Africa where encounters with wild animals are becoming more common, and people have a lot to worry about.

What's happening?

According to TRT Global, a Kenyan farmer named Samuel Mwangi had a terrifying run-in with a jackal last December. He was walking a familiar path near his home when the animal jumped out of the bushes and bit him on the head. Samuel fought back with his machete and killed the jackal. He survived, but not without injuries.

Stories like Samuel's are becoming more common, and there's a big reason this is happening more often: Wild animals are losing their space. As more people move into areas that used to be wild, animals are getting squeezed out. On top of that, drought and climate change are drying up food and water sources. So, animals wander into villages and farms looking for something to eat, and that's when they cross paths with people.

Why Is This So Concerning?

This isn't just happening in Kenya. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, and other countries also report frequent and sometimes deadly human-wildlife clashes. Most of these happen in areas near wildlife reserves and parks.

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What makes this even more complicated is that these same animals are a huge part of the tourism industry, which means they help bring in money and jobs, but they're also putting nearby communities at risk.

What's being done to help?

Kenya has a program that provides money to help these people pay their medical bills, but fixing this issue isn't just about compensation. Kenya is also working to prevent attacks in the first place by using specialized infrastructure and patrolling.

Still, keeping up with all of this is expensive and difficult, so that's why education is also a big part of the plan. Officials are using radio, TV, and social media to teach communities how to stay safe and what to do when wildlife is nearby.

"Maintaining a fence is very expensive," said Dr. Richard Chepkwony, Director of Policy, Research and Innovation at Kenya Wildlife Service.

The bottom line

Living alongside wild animals comes with risks, but it's also part of what makes these places so special.

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If we want to protect both people and wildlife, countries will need to keep investing in smart solutions that keep everyone safe and allow nature to thrive.

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Despite the European Union's ban on the export of critically endangered European glass eels in 2010, the animals are still being illegally trafficked in record numbers and face a high risk of extinction.

What's happening?

As Mongabay reported, European eels have been a hot commodity in the illegal wildlife trade since the 1990s, particularly in East Asia, when Japan's native eel populations began declining. Because of concerns about the eels being overexploited, they were listed under Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2007, which restricts their trade by requiring export permits. The following year, European eels were classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, reflecting a 97% decline in their population since 1980, as reported in a separate Mongabay article.

However, due to complex criminal networks spanning Europe and Asia, which even involve biologists, chemists, and veterinarians to ensure the animals survive their arduous journey, it's becoming increasingly difficult to catch smugglers.

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And since European glass eels can't be bred in captivity, per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, aquaculture farms that raise them to produce the traditional Japanese dish unagi must import wild-caught juveniles, making smuggling the animals a highly profitable endeavor.

According to a 2025 Europol assessment of serious organized crime, profits generated by the smuggling of glass eels are estimated at 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in high-demand years.

"The trafficking of glass eels remains one of the most substantial and lucrative illegal trades of protected species across the globe," the law enforcement agency wrote in the report.

Ignasi Sanahuja, a physiology professor at the University of Barcelona and lead author of a study on the environmental consequences of the European eel trade, told Mongabay that if more efforts aren't made to stop smugglers, the animals and the ecosystems they inhabit could face major risks.

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"Disruptions at any stage  especially through overharvesting of glass eels  can collapse the entire population structure," Sanahuja told the news outlet. "Continued unregulated trade exacerbates this decline, threatening not only the species but also the ecological balance of the habitats they occupy."

Why is the trafficking of European eels concerning?

The illegal wildlife trade hurts economies because it reduces tax revenue for local communities and governments and threatens the livelihoods of traditional fishermen, farmers, and eel processors who have relied on sustainable eel fishing for centuries, particularly in Atlantic coastal communities, per Wired.

Not to mention, trafficking the eels disrupts marine and freshwater ecosystems, as they act as both predators and prey, helping to regulate populations of other species and maintain biodiversity.

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"The illegal or excessive harvest of glass eels strips away a critical life stage," Sanahuja said. "That disrupts their ecological role  leading to a cascade of effects like overpopulation of aquatic insects, reduced food for eel predators, and weakened ecosystem resilience."

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Even when eels are rescued and released back into their native habitats, they put wild populations at risk of contracting bacterial infections because of their reduced immunity. And if the European eels happen to escape from aquaculture farms in Asia, they could outcompete native species for resources and contribute to ecosystem collapse in other areas as well.

What's being done to protect them?

Louisa Musing, the senior program officer for the organization TRAFFIC in Europe, told Mongabay that the huge scale of the trade demands coordinated efforts from multiple agencies across the EU and stronger legislation to prevent smuggling.

But even though authorities are cracking down on wildlife crimes associated with the eels, experts say public awareness campaigns and reintroduction programs are also necessary to help the species rebound.

Individuals can help by learning more about wildlife trafficking, reporting suspicious activity to anti-trafficking hotlines, and donating to nonprofits such as the World Wildlife Fund that are working to end the illegal wildlife trade.

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CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Carter County and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) officials provided updates Thursday on river cleanup efforts.

These efforts have been ongoing since Hurricane Helene rolled through the region nearly 10 months ago.

PREVIOUS: TEMA Helene waterway debris cleanup nearing completion

Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby said the recovery process has been going faster than initially planned. She added that the process has been seamless as crews cleaned up over 300,000 cubic yards of debris from the riverways.

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One lesson that we had intended to do at a local level, and I now think that TEMA plans to do at a state level, is to have a debris contract in place as a procurement already there for any future incidents, Woodby said. We would be able to access that contract very easily.

In the immediate aftermath of Helene, Woodby said that holding community meetings with various departments and state officials proved to be beneficial to the recovery process.

LOCAL: Meat processing facility opens in Telford

Woodby said that some of the most vocal community members were anglers and outdoorsmen who voiced concerns about the waterways and environmental impacts of Helene. She said that the multi-agency response to cleaning waterways was instrumental in the cleanup process.

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Theres still a lengthy road ahead for the county. Woodby said theyre now prioritizing repairing and rebuilding the roads and bridges that are out in the county.

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Police arrested the man who escaped in handcuffs back in February.

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News Center 7 previously reported that in February, officers were sent out to an apartment in the 200 block of Washington Ave. in Elyria for a welfare check.

When they arrived, they found Donte Jamar Parker II hiding inside the apartment.

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Parker had several felony warrants and was taken into custody.

As police were walking him out of the building, he ran away.

On Friday, July 18, officers were called to the area of Riverside Drive and 11th Street for a reported sighting of Parker, according to CBS-affiliate WOIO.

When officers arrived, they saw Parker running from the back of a home.

An officer chased Parker into a wooded area and through the Black River.

The officer tackled Parker as he attempted to re-enter the water.

Parkers girlfriend, Petra Pintar, was reported missing by family members shortly after his escape.

Pintar arrived voluntarily at the Elyria Police Department on April 3.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Oklahoma lawmakers are reeling after the violent killings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, inside their home last month. Theyre now asking the Ethics Commission to consider the use of campaign funds for security protections.

Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton said the attacks displayed the true risks lawmakers face on a day-to-day basis.

I think my reaction was the same as probably every other person in the nation, just shock and horror, Paxton said.

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Police say the suspected gunman, Vance Boelter, compiled a list of targets, with many holding political offices.

Another Minnesota congressman and his wife were attacked and severely injured by Boelter.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson said she and other lawmakers have been proceeding with caution.

Historic Springer Home demolished in Kingfisher

There have been more and more lawmakers who have just felt, you know, that its important to take control of their safety, Munson said.

Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, and House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson wrote a letter to the Ethics Commission, requesting the use of campaign funds for security tools.

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Thats already something thats allowed in ethics rules, that we can use campaign funds to pay for things that are, you know, considered normal, necessary to being an office holder, said Paxton.

Some of the security measures include motion detectors, camera systems, gates, fencing, and cybersecurity tools.

Munson said, People deserve to be protected, especially when theyre standing up for their communities and just trying to make our state and our world a better place.

Paxton said the purpose of their request isnt to secure funding to buy weapons, but to implement better security to protect themselves and their families.

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This is just a little something to maybe make it a little bit safer at home. So if somebody was going to do something, they would know that, you know, theres a very strong possibility theres going to be cameras and security measures at those houses, said Paxton.

An answer from the Ethics Commission is expected sometime next month, Paxton said.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Theres $2.7 billion proposed in the upcoming bond election for Oklahoma City. Over half of that is going to street repairs, sidewalk upgrades, and more. The city has used bonds to make improvements since before statehood.

This is the way we pay for our infrastructure in our city are these bond issues, said Mayor David Holt, (R), Oklahoma City.

The proposal funds a variety of projects from sidewalks to bridges to parks to the transit system.

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We approved one most recently in 2017 and its time to do it again, said Mayor Holt.

LOCAL NEWS: Emotionally overwhelming: Architect of new OKC arena shares inspiration, addresses feedback

Mayor David Holt said this is a routine vote that happens every few years and the money is something that has funded city streets and other improvements for the last half century.

Voters have 11 propositions to vote on. So if one doesnt pass, like street improvements, Mayor Holt said the infrastructure will stay the same.

If we didnt pass it, theres no more fixing of anything in Oklahoma City until we get something like this approved, said Mayor Holt.

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The city said there are 547 projects within the bond proposal. 382 of those are for streets and sidewalks. 25 are for bridges.

OKC has used bonds to pay for its core infrastructure since before statehood. When voters go to the polls on Oct. 14, they will vote on 11 separate propositions covering everything from streets and bridges to parks and drainage. If residents vote no on a proposition, the improvements listed in the bond wont be made. OKC voters rejected park bond improvements from 1974 to 1995. The disinvestment led to outdated pools, playground equipment and fewer people using the parks system for two decades. City of Oklahoma City

The city also wants to remind voters that the bond wont raise property tax.

Im optimistic that we will, but were certainly here to talk about it, answer any questions, but its been well crafted and discussed for the last year, said Mayor Holt.

The bond election is October 14th.

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The News in Brief Friday, July 18, 2025

The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia said on July 17 it had requested financial records from the Georgian Dream-critical Mtavari Arkhi channel, currently off air, and its contracting sales company as part of a probe into alleged financial misconduct at the broadcaster.The investigation stems from a complaint filed by Giorgi (Gogi) Kurdadze, a director appointed by Mtavari Arkhi co-founder Zaza Okuashvili, and follows a months-long internal management conflict that led the channel to go off air in May and continue operating only through social media.According to prosecutors, the probe centers on alleged "abuse of managerial authority in an enterprise, by a group acting in concert, misappropriation and embezzlement of the legal entity's funds, and the legalization of illicit income."Mtavari Arkhi denied any wrongdoing in a July 16 statement, calling the allegations "absurd.""As we stated back in the fall of last year, Zaza Okuashvili has been making false and baseless accusations against Mtavari Arkhi's management and co-founders, serving the interests of the Russian regime," Mtavari Arkhi said, noting that the ruling Georgian Dream party succeeded in using Okuashvili to shut down the channel.Georgian Dream "is once again attempting retribution against the station's management and other co-founders, based on defamation by Okuashvili," the statement said.Internal discord at Mtavari Arkhi has intensified in recent months. Channel general director Giorgi Gabunia has accused Zaza Okuashvili of orchestrating efforts to dismantle the station and of colluding with the ruling Georgian Dream party. Gabunia and Mtavari Arkhi also argued that Kurdadze, acting under Okuashvili's direction, deliberately withheld payments to service providers.Okuashvili denied those accusations and in turn publicly accused Gabunia and Mtavari Arkhi co-founder Nika Gvaramia of "financial manipulation," which he said led the channel to "artificial bankruptcy."Mtavari Arkhi was founded by Nika Gvaramia, a former director general of the Rustavi 2 TV channel. Gvaramia was first jailed in 2022 after being found guilty of abuse of power related to Rustavi 2 management, in a case widely seen as politically motivated. He entered politics soon after his release by presidential pardon in 2023. He quit as director general upon co-founding the opposition Ahali party early in 2024 and transferred his 12 percent stake in the media outlet to his wife, Sopho Liluashvili.He is currently one of six opposition leaders jailed for refusing to testify before Tsulukiani's commission in the Georgian Dream-led parliament, which is investigating alleged misconduct by former officials.The United National Movement has submitted a request to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to retain its electoral number, the party confirmed to InterpressNews on July 17.The party Coalition for Change has also submitted a similar application to the CEC.In a statement, Coalition for Change said the request was purely procedural and not linked to participation in "so-called elections.""For these reasons, the Coalition for Change is making this procedural application, as retaining the electoral number is related to the party's effective operations and not to participation in the so-called elections, including under the conditions of the current authoritarian regime," the statement said.Under amendments made to the Electoral Code in 2021, political parties must apply to the election administration by July 17 of the election year in order to retain their electoral number. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the number due to unclear legal provisions. The code specifies that this is not electoral registration, but rather a formal procedure to retain the number for future use."We emphasize that these formal procedures are in no way connected to participation in the so-called local elections, which are, in reality, rigged, criminal, and Russian processes," the statement added.The coalition reiterated its long-standing position of non-cooperation with the ruling government. It cited past decisions such as refusing to enter parliament, withdrawing party lists, rejecting state funding, and declining to participate in parliamentary commissions."We also reject the so-called local elections, which the regime uses to legitimize the status quo. We recognize only new, free, and fair parliamentary elections," the party said. "We are providing this clarification to avoid future speculation."
A 19-year-old Fort Carson soldier is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman at a city park, according to Colorado Springs police.

Caden Meade was arrested Wednesday after investigators from the Colorado Springs Police Department connected his vehicle to a kidnapping and sexual assault in Quail Lake Park, officials said in a Thursday news release.

Records given to The Gazette by Fort Carson officials show Meade is a mechanic in the 4th Infantry Division for their artillery unit. He arrived at the Army base in June 2024 and recently became a private, on June 16.

"Fort Carson officials are cooperating with local law enforcement. We expect all soldiers to always uphold the Army values," Fort Carson officials said in an email Thursday.

Officers were dispatched to the park, located near the Broadmoor World Arena, around 1 a.m. July 8 after a report came in for a kidnapping. A woman told police she was at the park with a friend and was forced into a pickup truck on the way back to her car by an unknown man. The man allegedly raped her at knife point before letting her go, Dan Thompson, the commander of CSPD's investigations division, said during a Thursday news conference.

Detectives from the Real Time Crime Center located a vehicle that matched images gathered during the investigation, and the department's crime lab was able to develop "key" evidence to create a DNA profile of the suspect. Further investigation revealed the truck belonged to Meade.

Investigators don't know if the assault was planned or at random. Thompson said there were indications that some of Meade's behaviors were "suspicious" in the days up to and after the incident, saying he was out in the middle of the night in different parts of the city on separate occasions. Because of this, police believe there could be other potential victims.

"Right now, there's no indication that there's an ongoing threat to the community. We believe Mr. Meade acted alone," Thompson said.

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Meade is facing first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault and felony menacing charges. He is being held in the El Paso County jail.

"Like all persons arrested, Mr. Meade is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," the news release read.

In light of the situation, Thompson provided some safety tips for people walking around at night:

Make sure you maintain situational awareness and what's going on around you.

If something doesn't seem right, go with your gut feeling.

Try to stay around other people.

Always try to have another person with you.

Anyone with information of the incident or any additional victims are encouraged to call police at 719-444-7000. Thompson emphasized victims who speak out will be protected and given a "wrap around" service.

"These cases don't happen all that often, which makes it even more scary for our community. These cases become even more important because of that. Whenever you have this unknown factor of these scary threats and the unknown factor of it being such an abnormality within out community, it's important that our investigators get the best information possible," Thompson said.
A project planned for Bricktown in Oklahoma City has drawn worldwide attention, thanks to the promised inclusion of what would be the tallest skyscraper in the United States.

The four-tower development, the Boardwalk at Bricktown, was briefly mentioned in Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Chair Teresa Rose's opening remarks at the State of the City, as she touted what a future in Oklahoma City could look like. Construction on the first phase  consisting of two apartment towers sitting atop a parking and retail podium, and a 22-story Hyatt Dream Hotel  could begin later this year, developer Scot Matteson told The Oklahoman.

However, it's the planned second phase that has attracted the excitement: Legends Tower, a 1,907-foot-tall skyscraper that would be the tallest building in the nation. There has been plenty of skepticism on whether or not the tower will actually be built, along with criticism from the Federal Aviation Administration, but Matteson said he is "working through the issues" to mitigate concerns about the building's height.

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But, Matteson also said there has been talk about "doing more" and expanding the project.

"There's more to come, that's all I can say," Matteson told The Oklahoman Thursday.

What is Legends Tower?

If built as planned, the 1,907-foot-tall Legends Tower would be the fourth tower at the Boardwalk at Bricktown, and the tallest in the country, surpassing the One World Trade Center's 1,776 feet.

First announced in 2023, the tower would consist of apartments and a hotel.

Is Legends Tower still being built in OKC?

Matteson has yet to file building permits with the city, but he told The Oklahoman at the end of 2024 that the project is fully financed. He confirmed Thursday that all financial commitments have been signed.

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As for permits, he said he has received the disturbance permit which is the first step towards building the underground parking garage and installing utilities.

Matteson said there are a few more conditions he needs to satisfy before being ready to apply for building permits, such as completing a parking study, but he said he still plans to begin construction later this year.

Will Legends Tower pose an air hazard?

Boardwalk at Bricktown. Provided by AO Architecture

Despite the excitement from many about the prospect of the tower, others have expressed concerns about its safety.

The Federal Aviation Administration opposes the tower's height, after local airports, pilots and at least one airline warned it would jeopardize flight operations in the area.

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Julie Morgan, manager of the FAAs Obstruction Evaluation Group in Fort Worth, notified Matteson in a Dec. 4, 2024 letter that if the building is built at 1,907 feet high it will be a "hazard to air navigation."

"The study disclosed that the described structure would have a substantial adverse effect on air navigation," Morgan wrote. "This determination becomes final on January 13, 2025, unless a petition is timely filed."

Matteson told The Oklahoman he is "working through the issues" with the FAA and local and state authorities to mitigate concerns. With the tallest tower being part of phase 2, Matteson said "we have time to work through those issues."

As for the planned height of the tower, Matteson said "we haven't changed anything, not yet anyway."

Contributing: Steve Lackmeyer, The Oklahoman

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What's going on with OKC Legends Tower? Developer says 'more to come'
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma Highway Patrol addressed the public about the agencys plan to move troopers out of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas.

Effective in November, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will reallocate its troopers to areas that have the largest need for Patrol.

OHP will shift the responsibility inside the Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Del City, and Tulsa city limits to local police departments within those boundaries.

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Its not an easy decision, its no doubt it is somewhat of a burden on these other agencies to be able to take those calls for service, said Tim Tipton, DPS Commissioner.

However, Commissioner Tipton says its something that needs to be done.

If youre to leave the Oklahoma City or Tulsa area after 11:00, 12:00 at night, theres not a trooper out working on I-35, I-40, theyre at home, said Tipton.

The Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros each have around 2,000 total law enforcement officers.

The more rural area you get into, a lot fewer police officers and deputies out there, a lot sparser coverage to respond to immediate needs for assistance of citizens, said Tipton.

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Thats why Commissioner Tipton says theyre switching gears, pulling troopers from Oklahoma City and Tulsa to focus on rural areas and forming a dedicated interstate troop to cover I-35, I-40, and I-44, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With that move comes a shift in responsibility to local law enforcement in the metro.

This will be a huge burden and a significant burden on any agency that now has to take on the responsibilities that OHP has done for decades, said Mark Nelson, president of, Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police.

Nelson has many concerns regarding these changes.

Just resources, manpower, the time and the bodies, the officers to respond to these types of calls, these accidents specifically on an interstate are not done quickly, theyre not resolved quickly, said Nelson.

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Commissioner Tipton says OHP will still respond to calls for assistance.

Because they need an additional law enforcement officer there, they need some of the incident is something that theyre not trained to respond to, well respond to it, said Tipton.

Sen. Mark Mann has also asked Attorney General Gentner Drummond to review the legality of OHPs new plan.

Many police departments are pushing back; these are the statements News 4 has received.

Regarding OHPs announcement that they will be ceasing enforcement in the OKC metro, this action could seriously diminish our ability to respond to priority calls and violent crimes where response times are critical. This is being reviewed by the appropriate authority, and a legal opinion will be forthcoming from them shortly. Once that is received, we will determine the next steps we need to take, if any.

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Oklahoma City Police Department

Were in communication with other affected municipalities and are working to identify both areas of need and potential resource solutions. As developments unfold, well continue collaborating with our community partners to understand expectations and determine how we can best maintain safety and service along this corridor. Edmond Police Department

The Norman Police Department is actively evaluating the operational impact of assuming responsibility for coverage along Interstate 35 through Norman. This significant shift requires a careful assessment to determine the most effective and sustainable course of action. Redirecting personnel to cover the interstate will inevitably impact staffing levels and our ability to respond to other calls for service throughout the city. While current data emphasizes the number of collisions along this corridor, it does not fully capture the broader range of incidents that require police responsesuch as road rage, motorist assists, traffic hazards, criminal activity, and debris removal. The scope of work extends far beyond traffic collisions alone. In addition to increased response responsibilities, NPD would also have to assume proactive enforcement duties on this stretch of interstate to help prevent future collisions and loss of life. We remain in close communication with our metro law enforcement partners to determine next steps and ensure that public safety remains our top priority. Norman Police Department

The Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) acknowledges the announcements made during todays press conference by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. These developments represent a potential shift in their operations, with implications for law enforcement resources and operational capacity, particularly in metropolitan areas where demands on policing are already high.

Currently, OACP continues to engage with all agencies as they assess the full scope of these changes. We remain committed to supporting law enforcement professionals at every level, emphasizing the importance of coordination, transparency, and collaboration at all times. OACP will continue to stand with its members across Oklahoma, both in urban centers and rural communities, as they navigate these evolving circumstances with professionalism and care. Our focus remains clear: supporting agencies in delivering exceptional public safety services to the communities we serve, while adapting effectively to emerging challenges. Chief Todd Gibson, President of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The slow progression from one winery to more than 30 in Northeast Ohio has been a fruitful process for Ashtabula County.

The growth of the winery industry has been a lengthy process, assisted by many people, organizations and businesses.

In the late 1960s, Arnie Esterer started planting grapes in the northeastern part of Ashtabula County. After years of preparation, he opened Markko Vineyard in Conneaut, and spent decades assisting others and fine tuning his winemaking and grape-growing skills by trial and error, according to family and other wine professionals in the area.

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In the last 50 years, a variety of forces have come together to nurture the wine industry into a cooperative entity that has provided employment for many people and widened the economic base of the county.

Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, said Esterer, Tony Debevc, the Ferrante family and Bill Worthy, in the early years of Grand River Winery, often worked together.

Providing payment to grow grapes was a critical part of the growth, said Nick Ferrante, whose family opened its winery in the early 1980s in Harpersfield Township.

The working together part is a bit of a change from normal business practice, where fewer competitors is seen as the quickest way to success. Area wineries have bucked that trend.

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Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Stephanie Siegel said visitors would rather visit an area with 35 wineries than an area with one or two.

The cooperation has lifted all of the operations, and new unique ideas continue to add to the industry, she said.

In addition to sharing ideas on the best way to grow grapes, the wineries have worked together to market their establishments. After seeing the success of the early wineries, including Chalet Debonne, Ferrante Winery and Ristorante, Grand River Winery, Marrko Vineyard and others, new vineyards began to create unique businesses.

Much of the land in the Grand River Valley was used for the growing of Concord grapes, primarily for juice, for decades before area growers decided to try to experiment with growing venifera and pinot gris grapes in an area that included very cold temperatures.

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The grape growing areas are settled in the Grand River Valley, in Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties, where a slight moderation lifts temperatures to keep from severely damaging vines in the winter.

Winchell said her father, Tony Debevc, grew 17 acres of Concord grapes as she was growing up, and experimented with techniques that helped heat vineyards enough to grow more wine-producing grapes.

The efforts at managing temperatures and creating ways to provide quality grapes have been helped by groups like Agricultural Research Center in Kingsville Township.

Greg Johns headed the center for decades, and was part of research that assisted area growers, according to many involved in the 1980s and 90s.

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As the wineries continued to open, the volume of people coming from Cleveland, and beyond, continued to grow.

Many early wineries eventually decided to create ice wine, and started a yearly event to bring people to the area in the late winter and early spring. Ice wine grapes must be picked when temperatures drop into the low-to-mid teens.

Numerous area winery workers head to the fields in brutally cold temperatures to gather the frozen grapes needed to make the sweet wine.

Siegel said the high quality of the wine created in the area is a big part of its success. She said there have been excellent entrepreneurs who have put a variety of businesses together to highlight unique talents.

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Siegel said there have been brilliant people that have made major contributions to the growth.

We have some really creative entrepreneurs, she said.

The industry sponsors educational and marketing events in the county that continue to draw attention to the industry.

Numerous area wineries have won national awards, besting competition from Californias Napa Valley.

Markko Vineyards is now for sale, but the family is excited about the future of the operation. David and Paul Esterer recently announced the vineyard is up for sale, in hopes of helping it get to the next level.

David Esterer said there is an effort at the state level to get a new wine area designated on the east side of the county.

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It [the regional designation] is something my dad wanted to see when he began in the 70s and 80s, Esterer said.

Dozens of wineries now exist, and thrive, in the three-county area.

One of the most recent is Fossil Creek Winery, which opened in November of 2024 along Route 528 in Madison Township.

Don and Kevin Jacobson grew up adjacent to the property where the brothers built the winery. The pair operate a construction business, and used their talents to build the winery adjacent to the vineyards they began planting in 2014.

The brothers learned some of the trade from Bill Worthy, original owner of Grand River Winery, and had long and detailed chats with Arnie Esterer.

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It [the winery] is a place for people to come and enjoy, Kevin Jacobson said. Live music is played often on the patio. A lower patio, built alongside a creek, provides a natural area to enjoy wine, food and nature.

Another new winery is under construction along South River Road, and will also include a glass-blowing operation.
In a conference room overlooking Grangetown in Cardiff, chairs are set out and Welsh flags are hung alongside the tricolour flag of Somaliland, a self-declared republic in the horn of Africa with deep ties to Wales.

"Today is a historical day for the Somaliland Welsh community," says Prof Eid Ali Ahmed.

"We are commemorating the 65-year anniversary, when Somaliland got its independence from Great Britain."

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It is an important milestone for the long-standing community, which has existed in Cardiff for more than 150 years.

"Today we are showing that journey and connection between Wales and Somaliland," the 75-year-old adds.

The commemoration event was held at Channel View Leisure Centre in Grangetown [BBC]

'Embrace your culture'

Filing into the room are community elders, as well as guests from Somaliland's parliament. But most importantly for many, young Welsh Somalilanders are here to learn about their history.

"I think it's important, especially as the youth now, to embrace your culture, embrace your identity on either side," says 27-year-old Munirah Hashi, who was born and raised in Cardiff and describes herself as a Welsh Somalilander.

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"It's important to embrace it, be part of the community and partake in events such as this."

Zaynab Ahmed, 17, enjoyed translating key parts of the event into Welsh [BBC]

As the event gets under way, 17-year-old Zaynab Ahmed is translating speeches made in English and Somali into Welsh.

"I would say that I am a Welsh person, I would say I am a Somali person, and I don't think someone should have to compromise one to claim another," she says.

Zaynab, who attended Welsh medium primary school, adds: "Welsh speaking was something that I always knew like the back of my hand so to come into a place where a lot of people are surprised and shocked about it and are interested in learning more is really special."

Young members of the community took part in the event to speak about their experiences as Welsh Somalilanders [BBC]

Munirah and Zaynab take to the stage to lead a panel about their experience as Welsh Somalilanders. It has a big impact in the room.

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"Amazing," says Prof Ahmed.

"I was so really impressed that many of our young generation, they came," he adds.

"The questions they're asking the commitment they're makingThey're showing they are Somalilanders, but they are also Welsh, and they were speaking the Welsh language as well.

"That was really giving me motivation, and telling me that legacy will not die, it will continue."

Professor Eid Ali Ahmed, 75, was proud to see young people learning about the history of Somaliland [BBC]

The legacy Prof Ahmed refers to is the campaign for Somaliland to be recognised as an independent country.

Somaliland has a complicated history - it was under British colonial rule for 72 years, until it gained independence on 26 June 1960.

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"We were all very happy," says Prof Ahmed.

Five days later, on 1 July 1960, Somaliland voluntarily joined with Somalia.

But in 1991, after years of civil war and the overthrow of the military dictator Siad Barre, Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia.

It developed a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency, but 34 years later Somaliland remains unrecognised by the international community, and Somalia still considers it a part of its territory.

'Cardiff was the first place we found refuge'

In 1991, Fatima Saeed Ibrahim, who was raised in Newport, returned to Somaliland and eventually became a senior foreign affairs advisor to Somaliland's parliament.

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'I'm a Welsh lass," she says, "but I've lived in Somaliland for a very long time."

She says when the conflict first broke out, "Cardiff was the first place that we found refuge, we found understanding".

She adds: "The Welsh youngsters now, they're realising that they have roots, they have a history, that their history is extraordinary."

Fatima Saeed Ibrahim works as an advisor to Somaliland's parliament [BBC]

Overseeing the day's proceedings is Ali Abdi, a key figure in the community.

"It's so important to be passing that baton down to the younger generation," he says. "I want to see Somaliland get recognised in my lifetime."

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He adds: "We've moved away from the generation of taxi drivers and security guards, although those jobs still exist. We're professionals across IT, HR, government and business as well."

With about 50 members of the community in attendance, Ali seems pleased with how the day has gone so far.

But he insists the best is yet to come.

"We're now heading to the heart of Grangetown on the junction of Corporation Road where we're going to enjoy some traditional Somali food  Bariis and Hilib [meat and rice]."

Bariis and Hilib (meat and rice) is a traditional Somali meal for big gatherings. [BBC]

In a small restaurant adorned with Welsh and Somaliland flags, traditional dishes - lentil soups, meat and rice, stews and chopped salads - are brought out in quick succession.

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"This is the best part of the day, literally!" says Mr Abdi.

"Nice and hot spicy food. Somali Bariis and Hilib, can't go wrong."

Also enjoying the meal is Munirah.

"I think it was a good way to close the event today, everyone enjoys having a nice meal  even better that it's Somali traditional food," she says.

Munirah, inspired by today's event, says: "In the near future I would like to see if I can be the one that makes a change in my own country."

The UK government's position is that Somaliland's status needs to be resolved in the local region.

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A Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: "The UK believes that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Mogadishu and Hargeisa to decide through a consultative process and dialogue, in which we encourage both parties to engage.

"Alongside others in the international community, we do not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence.

"The UK is a leading partner of Somaliland, supporting its stability and promoting economic, human and social development. For a decade the UK has been the only Western country with a permanent diplomatic presence in Hargeisa."

More on this story




NEED TO KNOW

Authorities are investigating after one person died and two others were injured in a small plane crash in Olympic National Park in Washington

National Park Service officials said the fatal incident occurred near Quinault

The extent of the two survivors' injuries is unclear, and they have not been publicly identified





Authorities are investigating after one person died and two others were injured when a small plane crashed into a remote section of Olympic National Park in Washington.

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The fatal incident occurred on Tuesday, July 15 near Quinault, National Park Service officials said in a statement. The plane crashed into a forested, steeply sloped area north of the Irely Lake Trailhead.

"Rangers immediately coordinated a response with Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue," an NPS spokesperson said in the release. "The three occupants of the plane  a Murphy SR3500 Moose  were transported to a Level 1 Trauma Center."

The extent of the two survivors' injuries is unclear, but an NPS spokesperson said they remain hospitalized. They have not been publicly identified.

PEOPLE reached out to the NPS for comment.

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The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed its officials have launched an investigation into the crash, noting in a statement to PEOPLE the plane was an "experimental amateur-built" aircraft that crashed around 2:40 p.m. local time.

The National Park Service said park rangers were notified about the incident around 6:50 p.m.

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.

"The airplane will be extricated from the crash site by helicopter to a location where the NTSB investigator can document it," an NTSB spokesperson said, noting investigations typically involve three main areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.

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The NTSB's preliminary report is set to be released within 30 days of the crash while the full results of the investigation will be published in about 12-24 months.

Read the original article on People
PANTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44)  Vermont State Police said Thursday night they were investigating a stabbing that occurred earlier that evening.

According to authorities, state troopers arrived at a residence on Jersey Street around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. They had received a report that two farmworkers had gotten into a fight during which one of the workers stabbed and slashed the other with a broken bottle.

The apparent victim was found with serious injuries, but authorities say his injuries were not life-threatening. He was flown to UVM Medical Center in Burlington. A second person thought to be involved in the fight was brought to the same hospital after reporting a head injury.

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Multiple construction projects occurring throughout Vermont; Drivers may be impacted

No arrests have been made, according to state police, but an investigation is ongoing. The names of the two men involved are not yet being released pending notification of relatives and further investigation.

Anyone with potential information is directed to call Vermont State Police, New Haven Barracks at (802) 388-4919 or leave an anonymous tip online.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Memphis Police are investigating after a person was found dead at a North Memphis apartment building Thursday afternoon.

At 2:48 p.m., officers responded to a check on welfare call in the 1900 block of Hubert Avenue.

1900 block of Hubert Avenue (Photo by WREG) 1900 block of Hubert Avenue (Photo by WREG) 1900 block of Hubert Avenue (Photo by WREG)

Police said that one person was located and pronounced dead, and there were no immediate signs of foul play.

This is an ongoing death investigation.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  This week marks one year since a ransomware group hit the City of Columbus with a massive cyberattack.

Systems went down and there were very few answers; Mayor Andrew Ginther said the data that was stolen lacked value. Then NBC4 Investigates, with the help of a whistleblower, found half a million peoples private, sensitive information, including the identities of undercover officers and crime victims, were leaked onto the dark web.

USDA cites Columbus Zoo for failure of door that resulted in lions death

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NBC4 Investigates broke this story and keeps following it, now speaking with a man who says this attack has impacted every aspect of his life with no end in sight. Some victims shared a sense of fear and disappointment in the city, while others felt the attack firsthand, with criminals attempting to destroy their credit.

However, for one man, its been taken to the extreme. He believes hes a victim of the ransomware attack against the city and said he hasnt felt like theres been any accountability.

Its like a never-ending nightmare, Will Klatt, a Columbus resident who believes he is a victim of the city cyberattack, said.

In February, Klatts phone started to light up.

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Got probably ten calls from different banks and credit unions asking if I had set up a new credit card with them, which I had not, Klatt said.

Study ranks multiple Ohio cities among most stressed in United States

He spoke with the banks and found someone had used his birth date, social security number, home address, and his drivers license.

Basically, everything under the stars, Klatt said. It was the fact that they had a copy of my drivers license that made it clear that it was the city data hack.

Over the years, Klatt has gone to City Hall, using his ID to check in. NBC4 Investigates exposed that the city stored thousands of drivers license images for 20 years, and those were stolen as part of the breach. Thats why Klatt is confident that his stolen identity is due to the hack.

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I dont think its appropriate for that kind of information to be maintained, and if they are, they have an obligation to protect it, and when they didnt protect it, they have an obligation to make it right for the folks that theyve impacted, Klatt said.

Klatt has called the attorney general, the FTC and tried to freeze his credit.

Rep. Jim Jordan to be questioned under oath on Strauss sex abuse scandal

The folks who stole my identity had already gone in and created accounts and all of those, Klatt said.

The criminals order credit cards in his name and records show that they are mailed to an address in Columbus. Klatt filed police reports but hasnt received any answers.

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I mean, at every step, theres no one in the city whos willing to help and its so frustrating, Klatt said.

Do you feel like there has been any sort of accountability since this happened? NBC4 Investigates reporter Isabel Cleary asked.

Theres been no accountability, and I would hold Mayor Ginther and [City Attorney] Zach Klein as the primary folks who need to take ownership over their behavior and their reactions to this crisis, Klatt said. Im going to have to petition the federal government to get a new social security number.

Ohio schools face $185 million losses in federal funding freeze

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NBC4 Investigates reached out to Columbus Police, the City Attorneys office and the Mayors office for comment.

A spokesperson for the mayor said, in part: We are aware of this report to the Columbus Division of Police. The matter is being investigated.

The city attorneys office sent a statement saying: The city attorneys office is currently working with outside counsel on the investigation into the 2024 cyber intrusion and putative class action lawsuits and cannot comment further on these ongoing matters.

Columbus police have not responded to the request.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jul. 17MITCHELL  If you thought you spotted a futuristic blur zipping through Mitchell on one wheel Wednesday afternoon, you weren't imagining things.

A man in a neon yellow vest, standing tall on a single tire contraption with cameras strapped to his head and chest, was a real person  not a new delivery robot.

Meet Herve Andrieu, a self-proclaimed Google Maps enthusiast, full-time telecom specialist and part-time electric unicycle pilot. While most travelers document trips with a few phone snaps, Andrieu takes it several (thousand) steps further. The Florida-based tech consultant was in town briefly  and left with more than 500 photos added to Google Maps.

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"I just like to help people discover the world," Andrieu said as he secured a Samsung smartphone and a Ricoh 360-degree camera to his body. He uses the phone to take high-resolution photos, while the camera captures panoramic still images of his surroundings. With both devices secured, he set off again, ready to share the world from every angle.

It's part of his project, GoogleMaps.Guru, a personal mission. Andrieu is a Level 10 Local Guide  the highest level in Google's Local Guide program that rewards volunteers for contributing photos, reviews, and edits to improve Google Maps. He's uploaded more than 235,000 photos, which have amassed 15 billion views and currently get about 3 million views daily, making him likely one of the most-viewed photographers on the platform.

Andrieu and his wife were in South Dakota to check off a longtime dream: visiting Mount Rushmore. The iconic site had caught their attention during a road trip through Utah and Wyoming, when his wife expressed a strong desire to see it. At that time, Andrieu thought South Dakota was too much of a detour.

"But this time, I knew it had to happen," he said. "It's a very symbolic and important place  not just visually, but historically."

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On the way, Andrieu connected with Mitchell resident Darla Pistulka, who works for Zoom Video Communications. They had collaborated remotely for years on his consulting work and finally met in person Wednesday evening over dinner.

"It was great to finally meet in person," Pistulka said. "Herve's definitely an interesting person, using a unicycle to map places is pretty unique."

Before dinner, Andrieu gave Mitchell his photo treatment. For about two and a half hours, he explored the city by electric unicycle, photographing roughly 165 businesses. His shots of Sherwin-Williams and Puerto Vallarta restaurant quickly rose to the top photo spots on Google Maps  a sign the algorithm approved.

Why a unicycle? Efficiency, Andrieu explained.

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"In a car or even a bike, you waste too much time parking or getting on and off," he said. "With the unicycle, I can just keep moving and snapping pictures."

His current ride is a Gotway MSX, a self-balancing electric unicycle that can reach 35 mph. He's logged more than 22,000 miles on unicycles, using them not just for photography but errands, shopping and even hauling home improvement supplies.

"I once carried a couch," he laughed. "On one wheel."

The unicycle is part of the fun and part of his commitment to helping others discover and navigate the world.

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"Being a Local Guide isn't just about reviews or photos," Andrieu said. "It's about sharing experiences, supporting local businesses, and contributing to a platform millions rely on daily."

His contribution to Google Maps began with a single photo  a flawed shot of Montmorency Falls in Quebec in 2016. Despite its imperfections, Google encouraged him to post more.

Though he isn't paid for his contributions, early encouragement and seeing the visible impact of his photos kept him going.

He admits he's motivated not just by exploring new places but also by stats, leaderboards and the sense that his work matters. Knowing his photos help people make decisions drives him to keep capturing and sharing.

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"I'm more motivated than ever to continue exploring, capturing, and sharing," he said.

He has photographed businesses and landmarks across the U.S.  from Florida to Michigan, Pennsylvania to New Hampshire, and now South Dakota. He also has images from France, Belgium and Peru.

Andrieu prefers smaller towns and rural areas, which he says reflect "real America" and are often overlooked. He focuses on business facades, signage, menus and restaurant interiors. He avoids including people for privacy and because the algorithm disfavors faces.

He's become something of a Google Maps whisperer. Through observation and experimentation  not insider info  he's learned how to frame and tag photos to maximize visibility.

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"Google doesn't tell you anything," he said. "But if your photos keep getting used, you know you're doing something right."

As for Mitchell, Andrieu says it was a pleasant surprise  quiet, friendly and photogenic.

"I hope the pictures help people find their way," he said, rolling off toward his next destination, phone flashing, wheel humming.

After all, as he puts it: "A photograph is worth a thousand words ... even on Google Maps."
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The latest drought monitor released Thursday for Central Texas showed drought conditions have noticeably decreased.

In the latest update, the Hill Country is drought-free, but parts of Central Texas, including parts of Austin and Hays County, are still experiencing moderate drought conditions.

FORECAST: First Warning Weather

Only three months ago, 59% of Texas was experiencing differing levels of a dry state. Due to the latest precipitation, we have seen an improvement in the drought conditions not only in Central Texas, but across the entirety of the state.

Last week and the latest drought comparison

Currently, only 22% of Texans are experiencing drought.

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Just four months ago, all of Central Texas was experiencing drought conditions  parts of Fredericksburg, Blanco, Llano, and Burnet were even experiencing Level 4 or exceptional drought conditions.

Drought comparison from four month ago to current

The last time Central Texas was completely drought-free was in November 2021. However, in December 2021, abnormally dry drought conditions became prevalent in Gillespie County and the Hill County.

In September 2024, Williamson County was experiencing abnormally dry conditions but not drought. There were moderate drought conditions in the southern portions of Gillespie and Blanco County.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office coordinated with investigators in Austin, Texas in the arrest of a man allegedly connected to the dead body of a woman found along Interstate 25 near Larkspur last month.

The Douglas County Coroner's Office identified the deceased woman as Brenda Jackson, 65, of Austin, according to a Thursday news release.

Daniel Strong Jr., 73, also of Austin, was arrested faces charges of tampering with a dead body. Labeled as a "person of interest" in the homicide, he now in custody in Travis County, Texas.

The Austin Police Department officers made the arrest.

It is unclear what led to the death of Jackson, who was left alongside southbound Interstate 25 a half mile north of Exit 173 going into Larkspur, according to the investigators.

Jackson was found wearing grey leggings and a black long-sleeve shirt.

Upon her discovery, authorities asked motorists to review dashcam footage. Again, Douglas County sheriff's and Austin authorities ask for the public's help to "fill in the gaps," according to Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.

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That includes anyone who may have interacted with Jackson or Strong Jr. prior to May 24 or any surveillance footage related to them or their vehicle.

The vehicle believed to be involved is a dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate: 1SGSC.

Even small details can make a big difference in a case like this," Weekly said in the release.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Lewin at llewin@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7563, or Det. Talmon at mtalmon@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7185.

This arrest is the result of tireless work by our detectives and support teams, Weekly said. We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the community members who came forward. Those who called in tips and submitted video footage were absolutely critical in helping us move this case forward.

Despite the "significant arrest," the investigation remains active and ongoing, Douglas County officials said.

"Detectives are working to trace the victims and suspects movements leading up to the incident," officials said.

"The Austin Police Department and Douglas County Sheriffs Office are urging anyone in the Austin area or in Colorado who may have seen or interacted with Brenda Jackson or Daniel Strong Jr. in recent weeks, or who has surveillance footage or other information related to their activities, to come forward."
Rep. Gregory Murphy (R-N.C.), the only practicing physician in Congress, said during a Thursday interview that President Trumps recent diagnosis will not deter him from his job.

As far as the presidents health, making sure  look, he is robust. This is not going to defer him, or, deter him, from his job, Murphy said during his Thursday appearance on The Hill on NewsNation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump, 79, underwent medical testing because of mild swelling in his legs and bruising on his hand. The test revealed the president has chronic venous insufficiency.

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The condition occurs when a persons leg veins have a hard time pumping blood back to the heart, leading the blood to pool, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease, Leavitt said.

This is not an uncommon thing. As people get older, the veins have little valves in them, and thats what allows blood to stay in a place, and then muscles contract and actually pushes blood from the legs back up into the heart, Murphy told host Blake Burman. As time goes by, these valves become a little bit more incompetent. Theyre not working quite as well, so that leads to some stasis, some blood not coming back up as well.

White House physician Sean Barbabella said in a Thursday memo that Trumps medical team did an echocardiogram, which showed normal cardiac structure and function.

No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified, Barbabella said.

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The White House physician also said bruising on Trumps hand was consistent with minor soft tissue damage from frequent handshaking and due to him often taking aspirin.

[Trump] had an echocardiogram to look to make sure he didnt have what they call right heart failure, where the right heart is not taking in the blood like it should. That didnt seem to be a problem, Murphy said. So this is a common thing, you know, and apparently he takes aspirin, so thats the bruising on the hand. Very common stuff.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT)  A local sheriffs office received a generous donation Thursday.

The Marine Federal Credit Union gifted the Onslow County Sheriffs Office a $30,000 donation to assist with a drone program. This donation will help kick start the sheriffs office new program that intends to enhance public safety. The office will get the drones through Paladin Drones, a company based in Texas.

This donation is not just an investment in technologyits an investment in the safety and well-being of every resident of Onslow County, said Sheriff Chris Thomas. Were incredibly grateful to Marine Federal Credit Union for their partnership. Their generosity allows us to embrace innovation in law enforcement while enhancing transparency and response capabilities.

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The drones will be used to assist in search and rescue missions, monitor traffic and access high-risk areas.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
For decades, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations  known as ASEAN  has been treated in Washington and other capitals as a bedrock of regional stability. It has been a model of consensus-driven diplomacy and a potential counterweight to Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

But in 2025, that image is becoming dangerously outdated. ASEAN is no longer a coherent political bloc. Fragmented by internal crises, paralyzed in the face of regional threats, and unable to coordinate a meaningful response to the great power rivalry unfolding around it, ASEAN is collapsing  slowly, quietly, but unmistakably.

The crisis is perhaps most vivid in Myanmar, where the military junta that seized power in 2021 is now fighting for its survival. The country is in open civil war. Resistance groups have taken control of large parts of the borderlands, while the regime continues to commit war crimes and ignore every diplomatic overture. ASEANs so-called Five-Point Consensus  once touted as a pathway to peace  has become a dead letter.

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The bloc has refused to suspend Myanmars membership, despite growing international pressure. Its only action has been to exclude the junta from high-level summits, a symbolic gesture that does nothing to halt the violence or alleviate the suffering of civilians.

Myanmar is not the only fracture. Thailand, one of ASEANs founding members and once seen as a stabilizing force in the region, is now consumed by its own political drama. After the 2023 general election, the progressive Move Forward Party won the most seats, only to be blocked from forming a government by the military-appointed Senate. In a stunning reversal, the Pheu Thai Party  once the main opposition to military rule  formed a coalition with those same military-aligned forces. The deal returned the old guard to power, sowing deep distrust among voters.

Now, that uneasy alliance is unravelling. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of exiled former prime minister Thaksin and a prominent Pheu Thai figure, has been suspended from parliament amid an escalating scandal involving a leaked phone call with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen. The call, widely interpreted as backchannel political coordination, has triggered an uproar in Bangkok, deepened factional rifts within the ruling coalition, and prompted speculation that another military coup  Thailands third in two decades  may be on the horizon.

Cambodia, for its part, is not even pretending to operate as a democracy. The 2023 handover of power from Hun Sen to his son, Hun Manet, was engineered with minimal transparency and no serious opposition. Phnom Penh remains one of Beijings most loyal allies in the region, frequently undermining ASEAN unity on issues involving China  especially in the South China Sea. Laos is similarly aligned with China and effectively absent from ASEAN diplomacy.

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These trends are not isolated. They expose a deeper structural failure: ASEANs model of consensus, non-interference and formal equality among states is no longer fit for purpose. It worked  barely  during the Cold War and its aftermath, when the region could afford strategic ambiguity. But todays geopolitical climate is different.

Today, the region is a front line in U.S.-China competition, and ASEANs diplomatic architecture is proving inadequate. It lacks a unified voice on security, democracy, trade or technology  the defining issues of our time.

The blocs inability to act has real consequences. As tensions rise in the South China Sea, with Chinese maritime aggression accelerating around the Philippines and Vietnam, ASEAN has failed to issue even a joint statement of condemnation. As the U.S. and its allies try to build resilient supply chains and technology partnerships, ASEAN members are signing competing deals  often with China  and undercutting each others positions.

Even on trade, where ASEAN was once considered relatively cohesive, real influence has shifted elsewhere. China is now the largest trading partner for nearly every ASEAN state, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has further institutionalized Beijings role at the center of regional commerce.

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Behind closed doors, ASEAN officials increasingly acknowledge the dysfunction. Some are frustrated by the charade of unity. But the blocs institutional design  a rotating chairmanship, no enforcement powers, and a culture of diplomatic avoidance  makes real change nearly impossible. The result is performative multilateralism: summits that produce boilerplate communiques, working groups that avoid hard issues and a growing gap between ASEANs image and its actual influence.

This matters for U.S. strategy. Washington has long relied on ASEAN centrality as a foundation for its Indo-Pacific engagement. But if ASEAN cannot function as a reliable partner, U.S. policymakers will need to shift course. That may mean building more flexible mini-lateral coalitions with individual countries like the Philippines, Vietnam or Indonesia. It may also require confronting the uncomfortable truth that ASEANs decline helps Beijing, which has long exploited the blocs divisions to blunt regional resistance to Chinese assertiveness.

Southeast Asia remains one of the worlds most dynamic regions  economically vibrant, demographically young and strategically pivotal. But its central political institution is in retreat. ASEAN is not dead, but it has become hollow. Until its member states and their international partners are willing to admit that reality, the region will remain vulnerable  not just to external pressure, but to its own slow unravelling.

Joseph Black is an American expat currently pursuing a masters in international affairs at Kings College London and a Ph.D. in gender studies at Chiang Mai University. He also serves as a research officer at the University of New South Wales.

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Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff said it best when he posted on social media, Did anyone really think the sexual predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was gonna release the Epstein files?

The Epstein files are central to MAGA mythology. Right-wing influencers have long pushed the belief that powerfuland potentially criminalDemocrats are being protected by the deep state; the files release would surely help air out all that dirty, depraved laundry and ensure consequences for those whod worked to hide the truth. President Donald Trumps expectation, then, that his base will now fall into line and accept that theres no list, no evidence of blackmail, and no accountability goes against everything they stand for.

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, 1997. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images

Trump and his administration had previously promised to make public whatever the Justice Department had on the notorious sex trafficker, who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019. Attorney General Pam Bondi had released a first phase of declassified Epstein documents in February and said at the time that a rumored client list was sitting on my desk right now awaiting review.

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So when Bondi subsequently failed to release the promised list of Epsteins clients, MAGA erupted, calling for her firing. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a former podcaster, was so distraught that he threatened to quit. When Trump tried to soothe the boys and gals in his base with some gentle parenting on social media, many firebrand voices werent having it.

Its the most substantial erosion of confidence in Trump by MAGA leadersand the rank and filethat weve seen. Steve Bannon, Trump ally and host of the War Room podcast, has warned that it will cost Republicans as many as 40 seats in the House in next years midterms.

(Other prominent voices, including Fox News, have been following the new orders, which is only serving to highlight the cracks in the base.)

A man in a Make America Great Again hat cheers amid members of the U.S. army as the President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on June 10, 2025. / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images

The uproar is so intense that for the first time, Trump seems set back on his heels. He rantedwithout evidence, of coursethat former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had made up the Epstein files, which he dubbed the Epstein hoax on Truth Social. He turned on his own followers, saying only pretty bad people would be duped by the scheme.

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Looking to history, Jim Kessler, co-founder of the center-left think tank Third Way and longtime D.C. insider, explained that revolutionary movements often splinter and toss aside one leader for another. The MAGA movement is full of people who hate each other and are rivals, he told the Daily Beast. They may not turn on Trump, but could turn on people adjacent to him, like Bondi.

Its become an expectation among beleaguered Democrats that MAGA loyalists will stay with Trump no matter what. That might be true of some, said Kessler, but MAGA Americans consider themselves independent truth seekers. They see Trump as one of their own, but when that self-perception is threatened, as it is by Epstein, they will turn on him.

Theyre unlikely to say, I guess I was wrong about Epstein, and there was no list. Theyre more likely to say, People in power are the same, continued Kessler, quoting lyrics from rock band The Whos hit Wont Get Fooled AgainMeet the new boss, same as the old boss.

For a leader whose brand is entirely about opposition to the old boss and the establishment, thats a serious problem.

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MAGA lost confidence in Trump before over the lockdowns put in place during the Covid-19 pandemicnot to mention the vaccine mandates. Its why he lost reelection in 2020, though he then did what most thought impossible, building a winning campaign around that failure that attracted even more voters to the fold.

Now, though, Trump has finally met a truth he cant ignore. He partied with Epstein. The photos dont lie. Whether or not theres a list and whether Trump is on it, we dont know. He can order documents unredacted and released, but it will never be enough. There are too many unanswered questions and too many vested interests to take anything on faith. Hes in a box of his own making. (Of course, if theres anything actually incriminating, it will never see the light of day.)

House Democrats this week tried multiple times to force a vote in Congress requiring Bondi to preserve, compile, and publish the Epstein files. A bipartisan proposal put forward by California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is currently drawing support from both sides of the aisle. As representatives head toward the August recess and summer town halls, Trumps broken promise will be top of mind for voters. And so will his meltdown.
Out of all the things President Trump has done, I would never have imagined it would be the late Jeffrey Epstein that finally dented his political armor and turned his conspiracy-minded base against him.

I confess I feel a little cheap writing about this. So I have to remind myself that this is really the opposite of a conspiracy theory. And just so I dont keep you in suspense, there is a list of clients related to the billionaire sex offenders underage trafficking charges, and its existence is a matter of public record.

For those of you lucky enough not to know all the details already, Trump has been talking up Epstein conspiracy theories for years. His base is now hooked on the idea that the case files contain a huge amount of mud-slingable dirt on the rich and famous. During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to make the files public and, in February, he even held a public event at the White House to release the first phase of the information.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi  the official Trump tasked with the release  when asked about the Epstein client list and when it would be released, responded, Its sitting on my desk right now.

Now, suddenly, Trump and Bondi are telling everyone to move along, there is nothing to see here. In a memo closing the case, released on Sunday of the July 4 holiday weekend, Bondi said there was no so-called client list, that no more information would be released, and that the case was closed.

Trumps subsequent reactions have been equally inexplicable. He has gone from promising his followers amazing things to shouting at them for asking questions. He even published a post on Truth Social firing his supporters for refusing to drop the inquiry.

Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bulls, hook, line, and sinker, the president posted Wednesday. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore!

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Trump is also now claiming that Barack Obama and James Comey made up the Epstein files. Thats complete nonsense. Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, and his New York mansion was raided on the same day. Obama had been out of office for more than two years, and Trump himself was president  the same president, in fact, who had fired Comey on May 9, 2017, for his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election on Trumps behalf.

If Trump believes Obama and Comey had anything to do with the Epstein files, hes an idiot. If Trump believes his supporters will buy this excuse, then he thinks they are.

We know that Bondis carefully crafted memo claiming that there is no Epstein client list  the quotation marks are in the memo is also nonsense. There might not have been a client list in the FBIs Epstein files, but the FBI certainly has compiled a list of clients.

When the FBI raided Epsteins New York mansion, they seized a vast amount of material. In a court memo filed on July 8, 2019, two days after his arrest, the Department of Justice outlined some of the evidence they had seized. This included stacks of compact disks labeled Young [Name] + [Name]. In short, Epstein kept a carefully curated library of videos showing various people having sex with underage women. Even if Epstein was not actively blackmailing anyone, he sure seems he had plenty of insurance at the ready.

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But thats not the only reason Bondis claim is nonsense. Theres also the question of math. Bondi admits that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims. But we also know that, once a part of Epsteins system, his victims were trafficked several times.

Virginia Giuffre, for example, described being sexually trafficked multiple times over two years in New York, Palm Beach, the U.S. Virgin Islands and London. Lets say that each victim was involved, on average, in five incidents. Thats over 5,000 sexual encounters. Its safe to assume this wasnt all Epstein. And with over a thousand victims to interview and piles of DVDs labeled with perpetrators names, the FBI and Pam Bondi know exactly who was involved.

So the question remains: Why has Trump suddenly turned on his followers on this issue and gone from being a champion of transparency to engaging in one of the clumsiest coverups in American political history? Why is Trump willing to die on the Epstein hill?

Make no mistake, Trump has a lot to lose from protecting Epsteins clients. His base is furious. If nothing else, hes now going to get booed at his own rallies. Its even likely to be a potent issue in the 2026 midterms. House Democrats are already pushing Republicans to subpoena witnesses. You can almost hear them now  Give us control of Congress and well conduct proper hearings and get to the bottom of the Epstein mess!

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I can only assume that Bondi discovered something in the Epstein evidence that is much more dangerous for Trump than the wrath of his base.

Id be surprised if its evidence that Trump himself was one of Epsteins clients. Having sex with a 14-year-old at a friends house is the kind of thing you would remember  if Trump knew he might be on the list, I doubt if he would have made so many promises to release the information. Nonetheless, something in those files has Trump running scared in a way he never has before.

Does someone on the Epstein list have some sort of hold over Trump? I wont speculate  Im just asking questions.

Chris Truax is an appellate attorney who served as Southern California chair for John McCains primary campaign in 2008.

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NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonights 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.

Summer vacation : War Notes is going on summer vacation, starting tomorrow. We will be back on Monday, July 28.

 Long summer days and the sunsets that follow, to me, are the best of America  there is an innocence and sense of optimism. Its good for the soul to soak that in. My plan:  Spend uninterrupted time with Rachel  this will be our first married vacation.  Delete X and Instagram from my phone (or at least from my home screen)  there might be a few Instagram posts if I grill up something really tasty.  Read  please email warnotes@newsnationnow.com with any book suggestions.

My friends Chris Cillizza and Batya Ungar-Sargon will be at the anchor desk  tune in!

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Whistleblower : The Senate just voted to cut funding for NPR and PBS.

 The House will vote tonight to finalize the cuts.

Watch tonight : Former NPR editor and whistleblower Uri Berliner joins us.  Click here to read his new piece, Happy Independence Day, NPR.  The Senate just voted to cut federal funding for the news organization I worked at for 25 years. It only has itself to blame, Berliner writes.

A few chuckles : Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., with a devastating takedown of why NPR doesnt serve the public interest in this thread of posts on X.  NPR reported that country music and birds are racist, told American people to stop eating beef, and promoted the Russia-gate conspiracy. No person with a brain above a single-celled organism would call these articles fair and balanced, one of Kennedys posts says.



Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Photographer: Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Chasing Their Tail

 Democratic voters enthusiasm is skyrocketing  but without a leader, they continue to race ever faster in a circle.

More : 72 percent of Democratic voters extremely motivated ahead of midterms, our partners at The Hill write.  Yet only 19% approve of Democrats in Washington  the people they will mostly be voting for.

 The organizing principle of Democrats revolves, literally, around Donald Trump  thus, they are still running in a circle.  Being against Trump is hard these days.  The stock market is once again at an all-time high  check your 401(k)s.  S&P 500 rises to new closing record, boosted by solid earnings and U.S. economic data, CNBC headlines.  Irans nuclear program is destroyed or at least badly damaged.  The border is closed.



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 Perhaps the brightest spot for Democrats is Tim Walz  yes, Gov. Spirit Fingers. 0 The Minnesota governor finally realized he has zero chance to win the presidency. When asked if he is running in 2028, Walz responded:  I am not. I am not. And my job and I say that, I am doing all I can to help build the party and make sure whoever that person is wins.  Im not encouraging people to start running for president right now. Im encouraging the party and all of us to start running the campaign. Well find the candidate when theyre all out there.

Points : At least he has more self-awareness than former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Hits just keep on coming : Weve shown you over and over that the real energy among Democratic voters is on the far Left:

 Zohran Mamdanis surprise win.

 Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs rallies in swing states.

Omar Fatehs mayoral campaign in Minneapolis.

The far Left progressives might be great for enthusiasm  the opposition research will be toxic for Democrats in swing districts.

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Que the tape : Mamdani on prisons: What purpose do they serve  I think a lot of people who defend the carceral state, they defend the idea of it and the way it makes them feel.

Hopes dashed : Our guest tonight, Mark Halperin, joins us about why Democrats keep turning their backs on Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, among others.

Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on July 16, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

End of Sanctuary Cities

 It is clear that sanctuary cities are not a tenable reality  take Providence, Rhode Island, for example.

 The city council ordered an investigation into its own police department  wait for it  because the police allegedly cooperated with federal law enforcement to arrest an MS-13 gang member.

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Look back : The whole concept of sanctuary cities was that people who were here illegally would be able to come forward about domestic violence and other things without getting deported.

 Now, sanctuary cities have turned into police officers getting investigated for helping ICE arrest someone who is a grave threat to society.  Like many things from the progressive Left, we can debate the intentions (often good), but the results are disastrous.



Watch tonight : Democratic state Rep. Charlene Lima of Rhode Island joins us on how sanctuary cities like Providence are sustainable when police departments get in trouble for cooperating with federal agencies.

US President Donald Trump applauds during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Trump hailed more than $92 billion in investments in artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure during a visit to Pennsylvania, highlighting his efforts to bolster US competitiveness in the AI field. Photographer: Brian Kaiser/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Hypocrisy Continues

Today, the White House announced that President Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

 Otherwise known as being old and having swollen feet, up to a third of the American population suffers from it.  From Rep. and Urologist Greg Murphy, R-N.C., in a post on X:  Chronic venous insufficiency is a common malady in those over 70. Its called Gravity. Nothing to see here. @POTUS will be just fine.  Watching CNN and listening to Democrats today, you would think that Trump is near death and cannot carry out basic bodily functions, much less the duties of president. Look back : Remember when Trumps walk down a slick ramp at West Point in 2020 brought leftist media calling for the 25th Amendment.

Obvious : The hypocrisy of any overcoverage about Trumps health after the blatant coverup of former President Joe Bidens massive cognitive decline  not to mention cancer  is outrageous at best.

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Birds of a feather : For Democrats and their friends that dominate the establishment media, Trumps health and Jeffrey Epstein are similar stories.

 The media and Democrats cared nothing about Joe Bidens health during his four years in office, yet they are now saying that Trumps health is the issue of our time  same with the Epstein files.

Expose : Mark Halperin Reveals That a Blockbuster Trump-Epstein Expose Is About to Drop, headlines Mediaite.  Everyone I know believes a major newspaper, one of the top three newspapers in the country, is about to publish a piece about President Trumps relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Okay? Everyone I know knows that. And people in the White House know that, too, Halperin said on 2Way.

Disclaimer : We dont know yet what this expose is  and even if it is real. Even before reports like Halperins, a lot of Democrats and the media have said that the Epstein files scandal will cause Trumps downfall.



Reality check : The health and Epstein coverage will not hurt Donald Trump in the long run.

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Look back : Trumps political career wasnt harmed by the Access Hollywood tape in which he made lewd remarks about women or when he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil trial.

 Regardless of what news comes out about Trump and Epsteins relationship, its just not going to hurt him like Democrats say it will. Watch : Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told us last night that he thinks the Epstein issue is a huge problem for Donald Trump.

Look at the polls : As reported by CNN, Trumps approval ratings are actually going up among Republicans.

 Republicans who approve of Trump  look at our CNN poll. The prior one: 86%. The one out this week: 88% with Republicans. How about Quinnipiac? The prior poll: 87% approval for Republicans. This week out: 90% with Republicans, CNNs Harry Enten said.

Tune into On Balance with Leland Vittert weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.

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The premise of the 2008 dystopian movie Wall-E, if you can remember that far back, was that humans in the 29th century will have devolved into an inactive and grossly overweight species living on a spaceship (because they had trashed the earth). They were mostly relying on artificial intelligence for their subsistence.

As disturbing as that sounded back then, it may be somewhat better than where the world really is heading.

Obesity already is a problem in much of the developed world, but the creators of Wall-E never contemplated brain rot. That may be where AI is taking us, if were not careful, at least according to a new study out of MIT.

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If we let AI do too much of our thinking for us, we may lose the ability to think for ourselves.

The research

Researchers paid 54 people ages 18 to 39 a nominal fee to participate in one of three groups. Each group was given the choice of writing essays based on prompts found on SAT tests. One group had to use their brains only  no internet sources or searches allowed. A second group was allowed to use Googles search engine to help with the writing. The third group had to use OpenAIs ChatGPT, and nothing else, to inform their writing.

All participants were hooked to EEG headsets that monitored activity in 32 regions of the brain while the writing proceeded.

These were not average people. They were recruited from MIT, Wellesley, Harvard, Tufts and Northeastern, all universities in the Boston area. Thirty-five of them were undergrads, 14 were graduate students, and the rest had either completed their masters or doctorate degrees and were working as researchers, software engineers or in other post-doctoral programs.

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Despite this, over several months of writing timed essays, the ChatGPT group showed the lowest brain engagement and actually ended up resorting to copying and pasting directly from AI by the end. They consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic and behavioral levels, the study said.

Perhaps you can guess how the other two groups did.

The one that used Google exhibited a higher level of brain activity than the AI group, even though both were staring at screens for help. The ones who wrote off the tops of their heads had the strongest and most active brain activity, showing 55% more of it than the ChatGPT group.

A ray of hope

Finally, the ChatGPT and brain-only groups were asked to rewrite one of their essays, but to switch sides. The brain-only group could use AI, and the AI group had to use only their brains. The results ended up reversed, to some extent, with the former ChatGPT writers exhibiting more brain activity.

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In other words, there is hope that AIs effects could be reversed, at least among bright, curious and creative students at prestigious universities. But what about the rest of us? What about young school students with developing brains?

The study was released before receiving peer review. Lead researcher Nataliya Kosmyna told Time Magazine this was because the team felt the need to make this information public immediately.

The fear for children

What really motivated me to put it out now  is that I am afraid in 6-8 months, there will be some policymaker who decides, lets do GPT kindergarten. I think that would be absolutely bad and detrimental, Time quoted her saying. Developing brains are at the highest risk.

Well, hold onto your brain wave machines. In an executive order issued in April, President Trump established an Artificial Intelligence Task Force that, among other things, will provide resources for K-12 AI education, and collaboratively develop online resources focused on teaching K-12 students foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills.

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That could be hard if using AI robs youngsters of critical thinking skills.

To be sure, everything Ive learned suggests AI can be helpful to humans, as long as they treat it as a tool and not a substitute for thinking. But everything Ive learned about humans suggests we ought to worry about that.

Exhibit A could be the way social media treated the release of this study. Kosmyna told Time many people used AI to summarize and post the findings. She knows this because she installed traps instructing the language learning models to offer only limited insights.

Perhaps Wall-E got it wrong, after all. We may not make it to the 29th century.
On Tuesday, Mike Waltz, President Trumps former national security adviser, faced a grilling in the Senate as he seeks his next job: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In his confirmation hearing, Waltz spun himself as a tough advocate for American interests. Yet he kept bumping up against the same dilemma: in spite of the robust America First rhetoric, the Trump administration is taking steps that will weaken American leverage at the U.N.

The stakes are high. The U.N. remains the worlds preeminent global forum, where countries gather to exchange views and set rules for the future. The central issues of our time  geopolitical competition, conflict, nuclear proliferation, global health and emerging technology  play out at the U.N. and its many agencies.

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Yet the U.N. has struggled in recent years. Its Security Council has been deadlocked, with Russia using its veto to get away with an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. China is increasingly throwing around its weight, demanding more influence in the organization and watering down the U.N.s work on human rights. The U.N.s bureaucracy has struggled to streamline and focus its work.

The war in Gaza has further challenged the organization. After Hamass Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, far too many countries at the U.N. refused to condemn the atrocity  a moral failure casting a long shadow. Since then, Israels brutal war on Gaza, including illegal obstruction of humanitarian assistance and obscene levels of civilian harm, has further poisoned the atmosphere.

Despite these challenges, decisions are still made at the U.N. every day that impact American interests at home and abroad. The organization also retains a great capacity to contain and end wars before they spread and require U.S. intervention. U.N. human rights monitors, while not perfect, help promote accountability for violations in places such as Iran, Sudan and North Korea.

Debates in U.N. technical bodies and standard-setting agencies affect many American economic sectors, such as telecommunications, biopharmaceutical research and agriculture. The U.N. is also playing a key role in establishing global rules and principles for the development and use of artificial intelligence.

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While Trump complains about global freeloading, the U.N. is actually an effective burden-sharing mechanism. The U.N.s 193 member countries pool their dues to tackle shared challenges, such as responding to humanitarian disasters. Countries come together to collectively fund and supply nearly 70,000 U.N. peacekeeping troops to help protect civilians and stabilize troubled regions.

Given the breadth of U.S. equities at stake, senators wanted to hear from Waltz a credible strategy to strengthen American leverage at the U.N. and enact needed reforms there. Every American, Republican and Democrat, agrees that the U.S., not our adversaries, should prevail in shaping outcomes at the U.N.

Waltz had a chance to explain how he would work there to promote peace and strengthen U.S. security, protect American jobs, spur innovation and advance American values, particularly human rights. But Waltz could not explain away Trump administration decisions that will make it much harder for any U.S. ambassador to stand up for American interests at the U.N.

For example, Trump has proposed that the U.S. cease paying its U.N. dues, which amount to around a quarter of the organizations budget. In addition to gutting essential U.N. functions, this would create an opening for Beijing and other countries to expand their influence at the organization through stepped-up donations.

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Trumps withdrawal from U.N. bodies, such as the World Health Organization and Human Rights Council, has similarly abandoned the field to other countries, including those that do not share our values. You cant fight for American interests if youre not in the room.

Waltzs job would also be much more difficult thanks to last weeks bloodbath at the State Department, where more than 1,300 national security professionals were fired without cause. The Trump administration claimed that this blow to U.S. diplomacy was about efficiency and streamlining  this is hogwash. These arbitrary and ill-conceived firings will unquestionably deprive our government of critical talent and expertise. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called the mass firings superpower suicide, as she imagined the champagne corks popping in Beijing and Moscow.

Ironically, Mike Waltz has been known as a China hawk, someone who has long believed that the United States is in a high-stakes competition with China. In his confirmation hearing, he emphasized that countering China at the U.N. is absolutely is critical  a view shared by both Democrats and Republicans. Yet, deep down, Waltz must surely realize that Trumps actions will make it harder to push back on Beijings influence at the U.N.

Undermining U.S. alliances in East Asia through tariff threats? Firing U.S. national security experts and diplomats? Shuttering the Voice of America and other offices that communicate our messages to the world? Abruptly ending U.S.-provided life-saving humanitarian assistance? Collectively, these steps will weaken American leverage around the world  all to the benefit of China. Senators appropriately pressed Waltz to explain how these self-inflicted wounds would impact his work at the U.N. Waltz had few good answers.

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It is now up to the U.S. Senate to determine whether Mike Waltz should serve in one of the most critical and high-profile diplomatic jobs. Senators will weigh many factors, including Waltzs role in Signalgate, his shockingly poor decision to convene a classified discussion on an insecure messaging app. In line with standard Trump world protocol, Waltz refused to take any responsibility for the breach.

Just as critical, though, the Senate must respond to the gap between Waltzs tough rhetoric and the Trump administrations crippling of American diplomatic capacity. If Trump and Waltz truly believe in their America First rhetoric, they will need to do much more to stand up for our country.

Josh Black served in the Biden White House as special assistant to the president and senior director for multilateral affairs. He previously advised U.S. Ambassadors to the U.N. Susan Rice, Samantha Power and Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

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Last week, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the Northwood Declaration committing themselves to deepen their nuclear cooperation and coordination. They announced that a U.K.-France Nuclear Steering Group will be established to provide political direction for this work. It will  coordinate across nuclear policy, capabilities, and operations.

The agreement reflects growing apprehension on the part of both leaders that Americas commitment to NATO is no longer as strong as it once was, at the very time that Vladimir Putins Russia poses the greatest security threat to Europe since the Cold War.

This fear is explicitly reflected in their respective updated national security strategies. Britain issued its Strategic Defence Review on June 2 and France released its national strategic review on Bastille Day, July 14. Both documents have almost identical language when discussing the Russian threat, both stress the importance of their independent nuclear deterrents to European security and both mention their growing cooperation and reference the Northwood Declaration.

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This is not the first time London and Paris have committed themselves to work more closely on strategic nuclear matters. As the U.K. review notes, The 1995 Chequers Declaration stated that there is no situation in which a threat to a vital interest of one is not a threat to both.

In reality, in the three decades since that earlier declaration, not all that much changed in the strategic nuclear ties between France and the U.K., despite some progress in the 2010 Lancaster House agreements. The reason is that there are fundamental differences between the nature of the two deterrents that are difficult to overcome.

The British nuclear deterrent has been closely tied to that of the U.S. since the 1950s. A 1958 mutual defense treaty between the two countries (updated in 2014 and extended indefinitely in 2024) provides for the transfer of classified nuclear information, fissile material and technology from the U.S. to the U.K. and for Britain to use American testing infrastructure.

But the history here is complicated. In December 1962, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who in June of that year had called independent nuclear capabilities dangerous, expensive, prone to obsolescence and lacking in credibility as a deterrent, canceled the air-to-surface nuclear Skybolt missile that Britain had planned to purchase from the U.S. Within days of the cancellation, and fearing that Washington wanted to undermine Britains deterrent, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan reached an understanding with President John F. Kennedy that British nuclear forces would be based on American submarine-launched ballistic missiles that would carry British nuclear warheads.

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At that time, Macmillan asserted Britains freedom to act on its own where Her Majestys Government may decide that supreme national interests are at stake. Nevertheless, given Britains dependence on America for so many aspects of its nuclear program, it is not at all clear just how independent Londons strategic deterrent really is, even when its supreme interests are at stake. Britain remains constrained by the 1958 treaty should it wish to communicate classified information or transfer or permit access to or use of materials, or equipment  to any nation without U.S. permission. That places significant limits on potential nuclear cooperation with France.

France has no such limitations. French nuclear development has a significantly different history. The French deterrent has always been truly independent, to the degree that for decades Paris pursued a tous azimuts or in any direction strategy that, in theory, trained its strategic nuclear deterrent as much against the U.S. as against the Soviet Union. Unlike Britains deterrent, which is explicitly committed to the defense of NATO, the French nuclear deterrent addresses threats to France itself, though that includes those territories in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Caribbean that are considered part of the French state.

In light of uncertainty regarding President Trumps commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, Macron has dropped ever-broader hints that France might extend its nuclear umbrella beyond its borders, thereby more closely aligning its strategy with that of the U.K. Notably, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have announced the creation of a Franco-German security council, which appears to be the first step toward the creation of an extended French nuclear umbrella, though Macron has made it clear that final decision authority would remain with France. Merz has also sought a similar relationship with Britain that goes beyond Londons more general commitment to NATO.

In that regard, it is significant that both Britain and France deployed their nuclear submarines in response to Moscows implicit (and on occasion explicit) threats to employ tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. It is arguable that the Kremlin took note of these deployments and as a result toned down its nuclear saber-rattling.

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Still, neither country is truly prepared to go it alone in the strategic nuclear realm without American support. Their forces are simply too small relative to those of Russia or, for that matter, China.

Britain and France are clearly moving closer toward real strategic nuclear coordination, despite the limitation of the 1958 treaty between Washington and London. The Northwood Declaration may indeed yield greater results than previous avowals of cooperation. Their joint deterrents may prove compelling, as they appear to have been in support of Ukraine.

Nevertheless, it is Americas strategic nuclear deterrent, not those of London and Paris, that continues to undergird NATO. It is therefore crucial that Washingtons commitment to support the alliance with its nuclear umbrella remain as strong as it has been since it was first extended in the early decades of the Cold War.

Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.

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The Douglas County Sheriff's Office seeks help from the public and motorists after a woman's body was found along southbound Interstate 25 near the Larkspur exit on Sunday.

The woman's body was found early Sunday, roughly a half mile north of Exit 173 near Larkspur, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities are asking for anyone driving along I-25 through Larkspur on either May 24 or May 25 to report if they saw anything, or might have dashcam footage. The body was found along the interstate between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Authorities said the body is an adult woman with brown or black hair, adding she was found wearing grey leggings and a black long-sleeve shirt.

"Investigators recovered distinctive bedding at the scene and are hopeful that someone may recognize it," sheriff's officials said.

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"Vehicles with cameras that captured activity along southbound I-25 near Exit 173 during those dates may have critical information, even if it doesnt seem immediately relevant," sheriff's office officials said.

The body's discovery "does appear to be suspicious," a sheriff's office spokesperson told The Denver Gazette on Monday.

"Detectives worked all day Sunday and are back at it this morning," the spokesperson said.

The sheriff's spokesperson noted the death doesn't appear connected to the ongoing Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, which began on Saturday and runs weekends through Aug. 3, 2025.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). Tips can be submitted anonymously, and you may be eligible for a cash reward.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
After years of treating robotics policy as a novelty or niche concern, Washington is finally beginning to wake up to reality: we cannot win the race for artificial intelligence leadership if we ignore the robotics race.

Artificial intelligence is software. Robotics is hardware. The two are inextricably linked. A national AI strategy that doesnt include robotics is not a national AI strategy but a mere half-measure. And as China pours state resources into dominating both AI and robotics  with over $350 billion in planned investment made over the past decade as part of its Made in China 2025 initiative  the United States risks falling behind in the physical deployment of smart systems across our economy, from the factory floor to the battlefield.

Fortunately, there are signs of a long-overdue policy shift in the nations capital. Several major think tanks and associations, including the Special Competitive Studies Project, the Association for Advancing Automation, and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, have all recently called for urgent action and attention toward robotics.

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This spring, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party hosted a Robotics Symposium, which marked one of the most focused congressional discussions to date on robotics competitiveness. And in May, a bipartisan group of lawmakers launched a reinvigorated Congressional Robotics Caucus, aiming to educate their colleagues and shape a comprehensive legislative agenda on robotics.

These moves echo growing recognition across government that robotics is essential to our national competitiveness. Just last month, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick rightly called robotics the future of American manufacturing and a critical pillar of domestic industrial revitalization. Over 50 organizations mentioned the importance of robotics in their submissions to the White Houses National AI Action Plan, and many expect robotics-related recommendations to be incorporated into the Action Plan.

But momentum alone isnt strategy. The U.S. needs a full-fledged national robotics strategy  one that ensures we out-innovate, out-produce, and out-compete global competitors. That means investing in next-generation robotics research and development, rebuilding our advanced manufacturing base, countering unfair trade practices, and equipping the American workforce with the skills to lead in robotics engineering, design, operations, and maintenance.

An executive order is one way to do this. An executive order on robotics could meet the moment by mobilizing all relevant government agencies to prioritize robotics policies and unleash Americas robotics industry. There are several meaningful actions that could help do so, including, but not limited to:

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The Office of Science and Technology, as the leading federal science and technology body, could organize and direct a whole-of-government strategy, establish a central robotics office in government and an interagency working group with academic and industry leaders.

The Bureau of Industry and Security could investigate unfair trade practices by foreign competitors and recommend policy actions to secure the domestic robotics supply chain.

Other agencies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as the nations standards setting body, could develop technical standards associated with robotics and automated technologies. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as the nations workplace safety governing body, could issue best practices for the deployment and usage of robotics to give industry increased confidence to buy and sell robotics.

The National Science Foundation, as the nations scientific research entity, could begin to prioritize grants and awards for applied robotics and support training and education opportunities in robotics.

Congress could also take a big step this year by establishing a national commission on robotics, akin to successful commissions on key technology fields such as artificial intelligence, cyber and biotechnology, to identify specific recommendations to ensure the U.S. leads and doesnt fall behind other countries.

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Robotics drives productivity. It underpins national security. And it is poised to transform sectors ranging from agriculture to elder care. In short, robotics is the physical expression of American ingenuity  and its time our policies and strategy reflected that.

Washington must act with urgency. The robotics race is not just a subset of AI  it is the proving ground where AI becomes real.

And its a race we cant afford to lose.

Tony Samp is a Principal Policy Advisor and Head of AI Policy at DLA Piper LLP. Tony was the founding director of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus and recently helped launch the Congressional Robotics Caucus.

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Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield speaks to an attendee at a town hall in Phoenix. He recently denied being involved in the state's hiring of two law firms that donated to his 2024 election campaign. (Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy/Arizona Mirror)

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield on Thursday said he had no role in the Department of Justice hiring two out-of-state law firms with ties to his campaign donors to lead the states lawsuit against the nations largest cryptocurrency marketplace.

Rayfields comments followed a public records suit from Coinbase that sought records related to Oregon retaining D.C-based Cohen Milstein and Seattle-based Keller Rohrback to litigate an April lawsuit against the digital asset exchange. The suit  led by the firms lawyers in New York City and Portland  alleges that the crypto giant effectively stiffed Oregonians billions of dollars by failing to adequately register and check risky digital assets with federal and state analysts.

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Oregon Department of Justice spokeswoman Jenny Hansson said Thursday both firms had been working with the department to investigate Coinbase before Rayfield took office. She hadnt responded to questions from the Capital Chronicle about the decision to hire the firms before it reported on Tuesday that Rayfields campaign received thousands of dollars from members of both firms.

Rayfield accepting campaign contributions from lawyers drew scrutiny during his campaign  as Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last August, some states prohibit contributions from law firms that could win contracts to the state agencies that decide which lawyers to hire, but Oregon does not.

At the time, Rayfield told OPB that he would ensure transparency in all decisions about which law firms are hired.

Whenever you have a cloud over that decision-making process, it leads people to question the credibility or the integrity of why those things are being done, he said.

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The managing partner of Keller Rohrback gave $1,000 to Rayfields campaign for attorney general, state campaign finance records show. Cohen Milstein gave two $5,000 donations that totaled $10,000 to Rayfields campaign.

In a written statement, Hansson said the Oregon Department of Justice signed an agreement with Cohen Milstein to investigate and potentially pursue litigation against Coinbase in 2023, a year before Rayfield won his November election to become Oregons attorney general. The Justice Department picked Keller Rohrback to assist with litigation in December 2024, though the firm didnt sign a contract until 2025.

Attorney General Rayfield moved this case forward when he took office in 2025 to protect Oregon investors amid a lack of federal enforcement, Hansson said. The legal theory  that crypto products sold as investment contracts are securities  follows the same approach used by federal agencies like the (Federal Trade Commission).

Rayfields explanation clarifies the extent to which the firms were involved in litigating a suit he said filled an enforcement vacuum left by the federal government. Court records show that the agency had been investigating the company since 2022, but exactly when the firms were onboarded was previously unclear.

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That gave fuel to critics like Coinbase, which filed a public records lawsuit last week seeking documents from Gov. Tina Kotek about the states policy surrounding crypto marketplaces and the firms involvement in the case. The company argues Oregons regulations on securities and crypto investments stand out as exclusionary and outdated, particularly in light of growing federal friendliness to the crypto industry in Congress.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Trump administration dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase, a move that left space for Rayfield and outside lawyers to file what has become a more than 300-page complaint moved to the U.S. District Court of Oregon in Portland in June. Coinbases case against Kotek was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Clarification: This article was updated Friday, July 18, with more information from the Justice Department about the timing of Keller Rohrbacks selection and contract.

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A plane approaches Portland International Airport. (Getty Images)

Six Oregon airports will receive $5.15 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, members of Oregons congressional delegation announced in a news release.

Oregons regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities and economies  supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon said in the release. This federal funding will allow Oregon regional airports to make critical infrastructure improvements that will benefit our communities and economy.

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The federal agency will distribute the funds to the following airports:

$3.3 million to the Aurora State Airport to rehabilitate its runway.

$697,000 to the Portland International Airport to rebuild the east curtain wall in the main terminal.

$650,000 to the Newport Municipal Airport to install a new automated weather observing system.

$245,000 to McNary Field in Salem  which recently announced its losing its only airline on Aug. 10  to fix an existing paved taxiway.

$163,000 to the the Grant County Regional Airport in John Day to acquire nine acres of land to protect a runway approach.

$99,000 to the Brookings Airport to install a new rotating beacon, runway lighting upgrades and install a new wind cone navigational aid.

Newport City Manager Nina Vetter said the grant will help provide a vital service to the Newport Municipal Airport. The city receives over 2 million visitors annually, she said.

Weather conditions on the Oregon coast can change within minutes, and it is essential that our airport is able to continue to provide accurate data and information that keeps pilots and passengers safe on their journey to and from Newport, she said in the news release.

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Mondays investment announcement from U.S. Sens. Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Reps. Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter, adds to the $32.7 million the state already secured this year for its rural, coastal and other statewide airports.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Two local K9 teams are joining others from across the country to aid in the search for those lost during the catastrophic Texas floods.

According to the Columbia County Sheriffs Office, their K9 teams, made up of volunteer handlers and their dogs, are being deployed at the request of Texas state officials.

Cram Fire approaches megafire status, crosses 90K acres

The floods originally began just before daybreak on July 4, when destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. The waters laid waste to the Hill Country region and an all-girls Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, lost at least 27 campers and counselors.

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So far, officials estimate the floods have killed over 132 people.

After search operations were temporarily paused due to threats of more flooding in the area, FEMAs Urban Search and Rescue teams fully resumed operations on Monday,

Here is where extreme drought can now be found in Oregon

At a news conference the same day, authorities said 101 people remain missing, including 97 in the Kerrville area. The other four were swept away in other counties.

Swift water rescue teams have also been sent to Uvalde, Del Rio and Concan in anticipation of possible flooding in those communities on the Frio River, officials added.

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This is incredibly difficult work, but its also profoundly important, said Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. Our hearts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the communities facing unimaginable loss. Were honored to lend our support however we can.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Kindergarteners at Durham Elementary School in Tigard eat a free lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Oregon leaders decried a new rule from the federal government barring youth without permanent legal status about to enter Kindergarten from enrolling in the federal Head Start program. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregons Head Start programs are in flux after the federal government reversed a decades-long rule that allowed children 5 and younger, regardless of immigration status, to participate in the national early childhood care program that enrolls more than 12,000 Oregon children.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced changes to the Head Start program earlier this month as part of a broader shift in eligibility for benefits that he said had diverted hardworking Americans tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration.

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The rule undoes historical exemptions that allow immigrant families without permanent legal status access to some community-based benefits such as substance abuse programs, certain health care clinics and Title X family planning programs.

The human services department estimates these changes will affect 115,000 children and families nationwide, according to a recent analysis. Oregon-specific numbers arent available because the states Head Start program doesnt collect information on immigration status.

Nancy Perin, executive director of the Wilsonville-based Oregon Head Start Association, said the group is waiting to hear how the regulations will affect different Head Start programs, such as those tied to nonprofits, universities or public schools.

Perins understanding of the National Head Start Act is that it guarantees children enrolled in the program can remain in it until they start kindergarten. One Oregon facility estimated about a third of the children who attend would be kicked out of the program should immigration status restrictions be implemented, Perin said.

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What does that mean now? What do we do about those kiddos? she said. Were just kind of in a flux.

The new federal rules also spurred a multi-state coalition of Head Start providers that includes Oregon to update an April lawsuit it filed against the Health and Human Services Department over the closure of offices and restrictions against using funds for diversity, equity and inclusion.

The group argues the most recent directive lacks clarity and guidance around implementation, with their amended complaint calling the new regulation yet another step in defendants attempt to hobble the Head Start program in defiance of Congress.

Its going to affect generations to come, not just todays kids, not just tomorrows 5-year-olds, but there are people right now who are considering having them who are not going to have access to these supports, said Candice Williams, executive director of the statewide Head Start nonprofit Family Forward Oregon, which is among the lawsuits plaintiffs. Thats going to limit their ability to even engage in becoming parents.

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The department is challenging an interpretation of exemptions on immigration restrictions for certain benefits provided by the federal government, such as child care, some health care clinics, and preschool that dates to the 1990s. In a July 10 statement, the National Head Start Association said families havent been required to document their immigration status to enroll in the program in its six-decade history.

Oregons child care shortage has been an issue lawmakers have tried to address for years. A 2023 report for Oregons Early Learning Division found that most Oregon counties are child care deserts. Of the more than 260,000 Oregon children aged 5 and younger, 63% had all their available parents out working jobs, according to the D.C-based nonprofit First Five Years Fund. A lack of care can lead to parents losing their jobs to take care of their kids, ultimately rippling into the economy by lowering the amount of time they have to work.

In the federal lawsuit, Family Forward Oregon says that a child care provider it employs has been forced to take unpaid days off of work and was instructed they would receive reduced wages due to funding concerns. Another of the groups staff members informed them she would not attend a lobbying day in Washington, D.C., because of her familys mixed immigration status, Williams said.

Were seeing our employees not be able to do their jobs, Williams said. Were seeing the Oregon families who participate in our leadership development not be able to show up for fear of retribution and retaliation.

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In a Friday statement, the two chairs of Oregons Legislative Child Care Caucus acknowledged fears those cuts and changes to Head Start eligibility have caused for families, child care providers and workers.

The Oregon Legislature concluded this years legislative session with a budget that slashed $45 million in early childhood learning programs, a factor that the lawmakers said was causing stress in communities across Oregon. Reps. Hoa Nguyen, D-Portland, and Jules Walters, D-West Linn, the caucus chairs, said they would continue working to protect access to child care and investing state money in the system.

Oregons future depends on the well-being of our youngest learners, and the people who nurture and teach them, they said. We are dedicated to advancing policies that reflect those values.

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Orlando doctor discusses Trumps vein diagnosis

President Donald Trump was recently diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. This is a common condition that occurs when leg veins have trouble sending blood to the heart.

Dr. Hazem El-Arousy, a vascular surgeon with Orlando Health, addressed what that means for the presidents day-to-day life.

Most studies have shown that about 40% of the adult population may have chronic venous insufficiency, he said,

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The condition came up during a recent medical check-up after Trump noticed mild swelling in his lower legs. It causes blood to pool in the veins and is common in older adults, such as Trump, who is 79.

El-Arousy described it as a progressive disease that can occur with age.

Some of the symptoms may be anything from some mild leg swelling, discomfort, heaviness. And in severe cases you can have skin discoloration, even ulcers and sores, he said.

There were recently questions about bruising on the back of Trumps hand. His press secretary said the bruising was consistent with irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.

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The president takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Sometimes aspirin is an anti-platelet agent, kind of a mild blood thinner, and so some patients on aspirin may bruise more easily than normal, El-Arousy said.

Chronic venous insufficiency can be managed just as easily as heart health with things like exercise and medical-grade compression socks, but still needs to be taken seriously.

If not managed appropriately and treated, it can progress to the more severe spectrum of things, El-Arousy said.

Leaders with the White House say that same medical exam included other testing and found that Trump showed no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or any systemic illness.

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COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  U.S. Senator Jon Ossoffs push for a new elementary school to be built on post at Fort Benning cleared an early hurdle this week.

Ossoff, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction Subcommittee, says that nearly $130 million for the school is in a construction funding bill.

It recently passed the Appropriations Committee. Ossoff says there is a lot of work to be done to pass the bill.

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I just want to reiterate, weve gotten it through a Senate Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support, almost unanimous support, Republicans and Democrats, Ossoff said. Thats a major achievement in such a divided and polarized political environment. But we still have to get this bill to the Senate floor. Im working to try to get that done as soon as next week. And then well still have to negotiate with the United States House.

There are currently five schools on post at Fort Benning: four elementary schools and one middle school.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  More than 50,000 Rhode Islanders are expected to lose their health insurance in the coming years due to the big beautiful bill, as well as other changes happening at the federal level, according to newly released estimates.

The numbers have emerged as state officials take stock of the reconciliation budget bill that passed the Republican-controlled Congress and was signed into law by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

The spending plan, which includes a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid, is expected to result in about 10 million fewer people being enrolled in the federal health insurance program nationwide by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

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In Rhode Island, an estimated 33,000 people  including 1,600 children  are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage by the 2028 federal fiscal year, according to State Health and Value Strategies, a national health care think tank.

Medicaid enrollment would then stabilize and increase slightly by 2034, according to the analysis. (The R.I. Medicaid Office did not provide its own estimates.)

Meanwhile, changes in the new law and other federal rules will put an additional 24,000 people at risk of losing coverage through the Rhode Island-based health exchange, HealthSource RI, according to an analysis created based on the House version of the bill.

Ultimately, this will make us a less healthy state, HealthSource RI director Lindsay Lang told Target 12.

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The health exchange  created under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare  currently connects about 45,000 people to heavily subsidized health insurance. Thats expected to fall by more than half to 20,700 by 2034, according to state estimates. (A new estimate based on the final version of the bill is still being worked on.)

The loss of coverage has Gov. Dan McKees administration concerned that the states uninsured rate will quickly increase, reversing a decade long trend of declining from 11% in 2012 to 2.2% in 2024.

Lang said a small number of people might find insurance elsewhere, such as through an employer or spouse. But the vast majority will become uninsured, according to estimates provided by her office, and she warned this will have a snowball effect on Rhode Islands already fragile health care system.

Its the opposite of what we want in Rhode Island, Lang said.

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Fewer people with health insurance typically results in less preventative care. Unchecked medical problems translate into more trips to the emergency room, putting a financial strain on hospitals.

We want people to be using their primary care providers and not backing up our emergency rooms, Lang said. Its the most expensive place to get that care.

To offset losses, hospitals historically have charged more to private insurers, which in turn pass those costs onto customers in the form of annual rate hikes on premiums.

Already this year, private insurers on average proposed a 24% rate hike in the individual market, a 22% increase for the small-group market and a 24% hike for the large group market, according to the R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner.

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Were going to see additional costs as the uninsured rate goes up, Lang said. Those proposed rates are already the highest weve seen in over ten years.

Despite the warnings from state officials, the federal spending package has strong support from Republicans, including Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers, who described it as a major victory for the hardworking families of Rhode Island and across the nation.

This bill delivers exactly what President Trump and Republicans promised: massive tax relief for the middle class, real border security to protect our communities, and deep cuts to reckless Washington spending, Powers said in a statement, while also chastising Democrats for fighting the bill in lockstep with their radical base.

The SHVS analysis  modeled by consultant Manatt  shows Medicaid spending in Rhode Island will decline by $500 million by federal fiscal year 2028, and by a cumulative $3.3 billion by 2034.

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Republican leaders  including Trump  argued the cuts will be beneficial by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse and blocking illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid, according to a White House press release issued when Trump signed the bill.

Trump and other Republican leaders have accused states of using gimmicks and loopholes in the program to maximize federal reimbursements, arguing those funds at times dont even go toward Medicaid-related services.

Lang disagreed.

What this bill does is make it harder and more expensive for people to get health insurance and ultimately it doesnt cut down on waste, fraud and abuse, which is usually perpetrated by unscrupulous providers or individual brokers who are looking to make a buck, she said. We dont have individual brokers in Rhode Island, so thats not a problem that we see in our state.

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Concurrent to the new spending law, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are looking to make rule changes to Obamacare. Those changes come on top of tax credits that are poised to expire at the end of the year that HealthSource RI has used for years to make health insurance more affordable for people who dont qualify for publicly funded or employer-based insurance.

As a result, the agency estimates health insurance will become too expensive for thousands of Rhode Islanders, forcing individuals and families to stop paying for coverage, even though theres an annual penalty  known as the individual mandate  they must pay if they dont have insurance.

For example, Lang said a single 60-year-old person making about $60,000 per year who gets health insurance through HealthSource RI would see their monthly premium more than double from $427 to over $900. That amounts to about 18% of the persons gross household income.

For a family of two parents and a child making $50,000  an amount making them ineligible for Medicaid  the monthly premium would increase from $170 to over $325 per month, Lang said.

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Where is that money going to come from when we know so many other household expenses are increasing at the same time, and childcare certainly isnt getting any more affordable? Lang said.

On Thursday, R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha joined a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration filed in Massachusetts U.S. District Court, challenging the HHS and CMS rule changes. The states top prosecutor said government should be making it easier, not harder, for Americans to obtain health coverage.

And yet, this administration is intent on making life harder for everyday Americans while lining the pockets of the ultra-rich, Neronha said in a statement.

Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Meet Ty, the Overland Park Police Departments newest K-9 officer.

In a video, Police Chief Doreen Jokerst called Ty a highly trained and courageous K-9 who has demonstrated exceptional skill and temperament.

Kansas City woman charged in connection with fentanyl overdose death

Jokerst said Ty will be serving alongside his handler, Officer Cody Shipps.

The police department shared a video of K-9 Ty getting sworn in. You can watch it here.

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May you have a long, safe and successful career protecting our community, Jokerst said during the ceremony.

Ty is joining the department after K-9 Officer Odin retired earlier this month.

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CHICAGO (WGN)  Surveillance video captured three overnight smash-and-grab burglaries in Portage Park.

According to Chicago police, all three incidents occurred in the 4600 block of Belmont Ave, as burglars broke into China Chef, La Michoacana, and New Waves Laundromat.

Date and times of the incidents include:

4600 block of West Belmont Ave. on July 17 at 3:05 a.m.

4600 block of West Belmont Ave. on July 17 at 3:08 a.m.

4600 block of West Belmont Ave. on July 17 at 3:10 a.m.

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Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Police say in each case, three male offenders broke the front glass door or window, and stole money from the cash registers and later fled the scene.

Anyone with information should call Area Three Detectives at (312) 746-7394 or leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

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The public conflict that escalated into a legal challenge between current and former board members of School District 49 reached a verdict on Thursday, which found that its board president had violated constitutional rights during a public meeting.

Deb Schmidt and Kelly Kohls filed a federal lawsuit against the school district shortly after they were removed from a February 2023 board meeting for holding up signs calling for the resignations of three sitting Board of Education members.

Then-board President John Graham paused the meeting to tell the two that they violated decorum and gave them the option to either put their signs down or leave, otherwise police would be called.

When they refused, Graham again halted the meeting to go into recess and have security remove the two from the building. Schmidt and Kohls alleged that they had suffered injury and damages in having their core political speech stifled and censored and deprived of their rights under the First and 14th Amendments of the Constitution.

A jury for the U.S. District Court for Colorado unanimously agreed that Graham had taken actions against Schmidt and Kohls based upon the viewpoints expressed on their signs, that he had deprived them of their First Amendment rights, and that this deprivation stemmed from a board policy or practice.

The jury also found that the defendants didnt prove that the restrictions on speech were reasonable for the purpose of the board meeting.

Public bodies need to understand that they have boundaries, that they cannot subvert or ignore our constitutional rights, Kohls said following the ruling. They might dislike the message and maybe the messenger, but that is irrelevant. What is relevant is our natural rights and thats illuminated in the U.S. Constitution.

Schmidt is a district resident and grandparent to two D-49 students. Kohls is an Ohio resident and a senior director for the national nonprofit organization Moms for America. Later in 2023, Schmidt would get elected to the D-49 Board of Education.

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The two security specialists at the February meeting, David Glenn and Robert Konz, also were named as defendants in the suit. Both were found not to have deprived the plaintiffs of their constitutional rights. Magistrate Judge Dominguez Braswell dismissed the plaintiffs' claim that the district's practice violated the Constitution's equal protection clause under the 14th Amendment.

The plaintiffs alleged that they were singled out for the message on their signs, which favored one faction of the board and opposed the other, including Graham. The defendants argued that they removed the two on the basis of a newly adopted practice at board meetings after recent meetings had become unruly and featured various signage. The new practice permitted signs during meetings, provided that no written words were on them.

Defendants referred to two examples of asking attendees to put down their signs at board meetings before the February meeting. Since one of the signs called for then-board member Ivy Lius resignation and the other called for all board members to resign, they maintained that they were being consistent with the practice.

D-49 places learning as our highest value and our ongoing mission," said D-49 Superintendent Peter Hilts in a written statement. "We consider this outcome an opportunity to learn more about how we can better support the board presidents responsibility to maintain order while also preserving constituents rights to express themselves.

The jury assigned $2,000 in nominal damages against D-49 and $2,500 against Graham.

With the case now decided, Schmidt told Hilts following the trial they will draft and pass a new policy reflecting the outcome.

Im ready for it as soon as possible, she said. And Im sure he probably is, too, because we want to avoid this in the future.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A new overpass has opened a decade after the City of Las Vegas told residents they were planning on building it. The bridge connects both ends of Grand Teton Drive over I-11.

PREVIOUS STORY: The long-running saga of The Mystery Bridge in the far northwest valley

Neighbors in the area tell 8 News Now that going around the freeway would add around ten minutes to their commute. Harold Schwartz, whos lived in the neighborhood for almost two decades, said hes sure the bridge will change that.

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Now, when they put this in, I can cut across town to the businesses on that side real easy, Schwartz said.

Workers broke ground on the bridge in April 2024 and finished the project two months ahead of schedule. They also managed to keep costs below the $41 million budget.

City of Las Vegas Ward 6 Councilwoman Nancy Brune said the rapid completion means people driving, biking, or taking the sidewalk all have improved access to the community. She also said it helps emergency services.

This bridge is also really important for our first responders, Brune said. We have a new fire station in Skye Canyon. Weve got a new police substation opening next year.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ)  A Pennsylvania Attorney has been temporarily suspended from the Bar after pleading guilty to one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Paul Berman, of Philadelphia, entered a guilty plea after officials found videos and photos on his computer and/or cellphone that depicted juvenile females naked in sexually provocative poses and/or engaged in actual simulated prohibited sexual acts with each other. Officials noted that Berman was in possession of said photos/videos from May 2024 through August 2024.

The crime carries a sentence of up to ten years in jail and a maximum fine of $25,000. Berman was sentenced on April 29 to 11 to 23 months of house arrest followed by three years of reporting probation.

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He was also ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minors, continue his sex offender treatment, register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and submit to random drug screenings.

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It is unclear how long Bermans temporary suspension will last. According to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the suspension will go into effect Aug. 17.

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Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian child in the occupied West Bank amid more violent raids by soldiers and settlers, and as Israeli authorities position to confiscate more land.

Local Palestinian sources reported on Friday that 13-year-old Amr Ali Qabha was hit with live ammunition in a street in Yabad, located south of Jenin, and was denied medical treatment as soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching him.

Qabhas father also tried to reach him, but was severely beaten and detained by Israeli soldiers, according to the Wafa news agency, which said the child was pronounced dead at the hospital after an ambulance was finally able to get him there.

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More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied West Bank since Israels war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Of that figure, at least 204 were children.

The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) said on Friday that at least 14 Palestinian deaths and 355 injuries were recorded in the West Bank last month, while there were at least 129 Israeli settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage.

According to OCHA figures, between the beginning of 2024 and the end of June 2025, more than 2,200 Israeli settler attacks were reported, resulting in more than 5,200 Palestinian injuries.

In that same period, nearly 36,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced across the West Bank due to Israeli military operations, settler violence or home demolitions carried out by the Israeli government.

Ongoing raids and harassment

The deadly incident on Friday came as Israeli soldiers continued their raids across the occupied territory that were accompanied by arrests, and assisted settlers in their attacks aimed at driving Palestinians from their lands.

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In Jenins village of Raba, Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinians, including children, who were protesting against the confiscation of their land and property.

Israeli forces fire tear gas at Palestinians who demonstrated against the confiscation of their land in Raba, near Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 18, 2025 [Raneen Sawafta/Reuters]

In the town of Dura, located south of Hebron, five Palestinians were detained after a raid that included the ransacking of several homes.

Six more were arrested in Qalqiliyas village of Kafr Laqif, with another two taken from the village of Sir in the same district.

A Palestinian man was arrested in Bethlehem after being summoned by Israeli intelligence to the Gush Etzion settlement. Two people were taken during a raid on Nablus, with one shot and wounded before his arrest. Another arrest was reported in the Askar refugee camp.

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In the village of Umm Safa near Ramallah, Israeli soldiers destroyed a main water pipeline, which left about 1,000 residents without water.

In the neighbourhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem, families living in a residential building were forced to leave in preparation for the demolition of their homes. The Palestinian families were among those forced to demolish the buildings themselves after an order by Israeli authorities, because the municipality would fine them more if it demolishes the building.

Armed Israeli settlers launched a violent attack earlier on Friday in the village of al-Malih in the northern Jordan Valley, located northeast of the occupied territory. They killed at least 117 sheep belonging to Palestinians, stole more livestock and vandalised tents and other property, according to Wafa.

Israels plan to divide future Palestinian state

Israeli authorities are planning to illegally confiscate more Palestinian land as well, despite international criticism.

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The United Kingdom on Friday opposed Israels announcement of its intention to renew plans for construction in the E1 area in the occupied West Bank, a move that would split the Palestinian territory.

The UK strongly opposes the announcement by the central planning bureau of Israels Civil Administration to reintroduce the E1 settlement plan, frozen since 2021, said a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson.

The plan would include the construction of more than 3,000 houses to the east of Jerusalem, dividing a future Palestinian state in two, read the statement, and marking a flagrant breach of international law.

A Palestinian man inspects burned cars, after Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles in the Palestinian town of Burqa, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 15, 2025 [Mohammed Torokman/Reuters]

US Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen issued a joint statement on Friday condemning Israels longstanding plan to destroy and force out Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills.

Amid frequent attacks by settlers and troops in the area, Israeli authorities are advancing with plans to turn the Masafer Yatta area into an open fire zone for their military.
PALM BAY, Fla. - The City of Palm Bay installed traffic cameras in school zones with the intention of helping law enforcement address speeders. Drivers caught allegedly speeding in a school zone get charged a $100 fine.

To date, more than $300,000 has been collected, according to city records. However, according to the City of Palm Bay, more people are challenging those tickets in court than expected, which is requiring more resources  money  from the court, city, and law enforcement.

At Thursday night's City Council meeting, law enforcement is asking Palm Bay City Council for $6,000 more to address the issue.

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In May, the use of the cameras was suspended over alleged problems with the technology, as well as concerns with the vendor who manages the cameras, RedSpeed.

In one issue, hundreds of tickets originating from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office were issued to drivers in Palm Bay, a jurisdiction nearly three hours away.

How will police use the money, if approved?

If the council approves the funding, Palm Bay Police said the money would be used for:

 Scheduling and facilitating magistrate hearings for contested Notices of Violation

 Coordination with the Citys contracted magistrate and legal counsel

 Notification and recordkeeping for citation disputes and appeals

 Staff time dedicated to evidence review, correspondence with violators, and program oversightWhat we dont know:

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Palm Bay City Council has not yet decided if and when it could re-activate the cameras.

At least one city council member has mentioned that they want the cameras removed. As FOX 35 has previously reported, the company that manages the cameras, stands by the technology, the mission, and their intended purpose.

"Now, we are having to spend money to correct the issues," said council member Chandler Langevin.

What they're saying

"Theres no way with these traffic cameras to address your accuser. You cant testify against or question a camera," said Carl Kandiko, who was cited by one of the cameras and challenged the ticket in court. He won his case.

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Some have challenged their tickets. Some have had their tickets thrown out, while others had theirs upheld by a judge. Those who argued they were not driving or claimed the flashing lights weren't on did not sway the court.

"I think its ridiculous. I think it costs them more money than to actually put cops there to sit there in the school zones," said driver Autumn Faleris. She faced a license suspension for a ticket. She challenged her case in court and won, she said.

Last week, FOX 35 reported on a woman who fought her speeding ticket in court and won. She said the camera reported her speed incorrectly. She brought her own GPS data showing her speed minute-by-minute.

In response to that report, RedSpeed reiterated that its cameras comply with all state standards, undergoes rigorous testing, performs self-safety checks, and that each ticket has to be reviewed twice by law enforcement before being issued.

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"The speed detection device used in this case fully complies with all state standards. It is independently certified, undergoes rigorous testing for accuracy, and performs daily self-checks  shutting down automatically if any issue is detected," RedSpeed said in a statement.

"Every potential violation is reviewed not once, but twice, by RedSpeed professionals to ensure accuracy before it is forwarded to law enforcement for validation."

The Source

FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower read the city council agenda item on the issue. She spoke with drivers who were sent tickets and decided to take their cases to court. She also interviewed a city councilman on his thoughts with the program moving forward. RedSpeed has previously issued statements to FOX 35 about its cameras and the ongoing concerns in Palm Bay.
BAY COUNTY, Fla.  A Panama City man is in the Bay County Jail tonight, facing a manslaughter charge.

Bay County sheriffs investigators arrested 31-year-old Sean Daniel Lawrence yesterday in-connection with a fatal overdose last year.

On July 21st, deputies arrived at a home on Grand Harbor Drive to find an unresponsive man. Paramedics took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The mans parents told deputies he bought drugs from Lawrence, who lived nearby.

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Investigators say Lawrence told them he bought heroin the drugs from his dealer, 42-year-old Alison Haley Mitchell.

In December, the victims autopsy results showed he died of lethal doses of fentanyl and xylazine.

Sheriffs deputies turned the evidence over to prosecutors, who filed manslaughter charged on both.

Mitchell was arrested Monday while Lawrence was picked-up yesterday.

Each is being held on 1-million dollars bond.

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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)  A Panama City man accused of 24 crimes, including sexual activity with a child, is going to prison. Jurors returned their verdict Thursday afternoon against Harlin Crowley.

Prosecutors say Crowley filmed 14 total files of him performing sex acts with a 10-year-old victim. Crowley testified that it wasnt him in one of the videos. He believes artificial intelligence was involved.

The 36-year-old was arrested in May 2024 and charged with sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation, and promoting the sexual performance of a child.

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Prosecutors say they collected 32 phones from Crowleys possession. They say there were 14 different sexually explicit files, videos and photographs uploaded to Google Drive.

Some of them will see his face. Some of them, youll see only his hand, but youll see his unique hand to some of them. Youll only see his penis. But the metadata and the other images and videos will show you that hes the man in all of these, State Attorneys Office Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said.

The files were taken from 2021 to 2023.

Crowley says videos of him with a grown woman were spliced together with the ones shown.

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None of those were me. Well, some of them were me, but theyre from different videos. Theyre not from what was shown, Crowley said.

Crowley admitted he was in one of the videos.

And that is you standing over her in this video, is it not? Thats what it appears to be. Is it you or is it not? Sullivan questioned.

I mean, in this video, it looks like me, but thats not a real event, Crowley replied.

Im asking you, is that you in this video? Sullivan said.

Yes, Crowley finished.

The victim made a statement before the sentencing.

I was a victim of sexual assault at the age of ten years old. Harlin Crowley was a very good friend of both mine and my moms. And he was someone I also trusted. He not only hurt my body, but he also hurt my mind. I couldnt look at myself in the mirror for a little while. And its also the reason I didnt tell the cops anything because I just didnt feel comfortable telling anybody, because I didnt feel comfortable in myself, the victim said.

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Crowley was convicted on three counts of sexual battery on a person less than 12, seven counts of lewd or lascivious behavior, and 14 counts of promoting sexual performance by a child.

Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson sentenced him to 10 consecutive life sentences. Judge Stephenson ordered that Crowley can have absolutely no contact with the victim.

Crowley has previously been convicted of 12 felonies and two crimes of dishonesty.

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Jul. 17MITCHELL  The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Committee has announced its 2025 parade marshal and Hall of Fame inductees.

The 2025 parade marshal is Dan Allen, a lifelong advocate for Mitchell who served on the Mitchell City Council for 20 years.

Known for his steady leadership and unwavering dedication to public service, Allen is widely respected by his peers and is the proud owner of a local business he purchased from his friend and mentor, George Shanard. Allen and his wife, Lori, have raised three children and are now the proud grandparents of nine.

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"Dan Allen embodies the spirit of the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo  service, integrity, and community commitment," said Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Chairman Jim Miskimins in a news release. "We're proud to honor him as our 2025 parade marshal."

The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo parade will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 19 on Main Street in Mitchell.

The 2025 inductees to the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Hall of Fame include longtime committee member and community leader Trevor Dierks and sponsor and financial partner First Dakota National Bank.

Dierks, a Mitchell native and President of First Dakota's Mitchell market, was recognized for his years of service on the Rodeo Committee and tireless efforts promoting the event. Known for his humor, humility, and servant leadership, Trevor was introduced by longtime friend and fellow committee member Stanley Peterson, who affectionately referred to him as "Stumpy" and recounted their friendly rivalry as the two "shortest guys on the committee."

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"Trevor's leadership, both on the committee and in the community, has been instrumental to our success," said Miskimins. "He's always been there  whether it's helping set up panels or helping build partnerships."

First Dakota National Bank was honored not only for its sponsorship but for its pivotal role in the development of the new rodeo grounds at Stampede Park, which opened in 2024.

"First Dakota National Bank literally paved the way for us to build this beautiful rodeo facility," Miskimins said in a news release. "They rallied five local banks to help finance the arena, and without the support of Trevor Dierks, Jayson Plamp, and their team, we would have been dead in the water. Their belief in our vision made this possible."

The announcement was made Tuesday during the annual community kickoff held at Stampede Park, which drew more than 400 individuals for free food and beverages. Rodeo performances will be held nightly at 8 p.m. through Sunday, July 20 at Stampede Park.
PARIS, Ill. (WCIA)  The Paris Union School District attributed concerns over federal funding as the reason behind a delay in providing after-school programming for the 2025-26 school year.

Superintendent Mary Morgan Ryan announced in a letter to parents this week that the district will be unable to begin Beyond the Bell and 21st Century Community Learning Centers Club programming on Sept. 2nd, as planned. Ryan explained that these programs are completely funded by a federal grant called the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

Mattoon recycling program reminds residents of accepted items as do not drink order continues

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While Congress appropriated the funding, Ryan said, the Trump administration never sent the funds to the states for distribution.

We are not able to hire and pay club and Beyond the Bell staff or purchase supplies without that grant funding, Ryan said.

The district has a new target date of Oct. 2 to begin providing after-school programming. But there is still uncertainty over whether the district will receive the funds.

It is possible that the federal government will release the grant funds; it is also possible that the district will not receive any 21st Century Community Learning Center grant funds this year, Ryan added. We will keep the school community informed of developments.

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Ryan also said that for some families, this may change their students transportation needs, and the district is ready to provide daily transportation to and from school for most students.

Anyone with questions about transportation can contact the districts Transportation Department by phone at 217-466-7035 or by email at transportation@paris95schools.org.

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ST. LOUIS  District 2 officers were alerted to a shooting in the Tower Grove South neighborhood, leaving five injured.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD), officers were alerted to reports of a shooting around 8 p.m. Thursday at Morgan Ford Road and Beck Avenue in south St. Louis.

The department said that all five victimswho were listed in stable conditionwere taken to the hospital for their injuries. FOX 2 has learned that three of the five victims are minors.

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Their ages range from 18 to 24.

One official told FOX 2 that at least 30 bullets were involved in the shooting. One vehicle, a Mercedes, is believed to be connected to the incident. SLMPD confirmed with FOX 2 the car was stolen.

FOX 2 is learning more information about the shooting; more will be shared when it comes to the newsroom.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  Craft beer fans looking for a day out Saturday need look no further than San Franciscos Presidio. The third annual Parks4All: Brewfest is returning to the park with bands, food trucks, and of course, a wide selection of beers from many of the Bay Areas top breweries.

Billed as one of the most anticipated beer festivals in San Francisco, the event is hosted by the Parks Conservancy and brings together, the best of Bay Area craft beer, local food trucks, and live music.

Asian pop star to be swarmed by fans at San Francisco meet and greet

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The event invites guests to drink beer, eat food, and enjoy live music against the stunning backdrop of the Presidio of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. And its all for a good cause with the event benefiting the Parks Conservancys inclusive programs.

This is more than just a good time  its a way to give back, the event website states.

Participating breweries include:

Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Best Day Brewing (non-alcoholic)

CUVER

Del Cielo Brewing Co.

East Brother Beer Co.

Enterprise Brewing Co.

Farmers Brewing Company

Fogbelt Brewing Co.

Fort Point Beer Co.

Great Notion

Headlands Brewing

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Laughing Monk Brewing

Mare Island Brewing Co.

Match Point Brewing

Other Brother Beer Co.

RationAle Brewing (non-alcoholic)

SideTrack Mead

Standard Deviant Brewing

Sugoi Brewing

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The lineup of bands for Saturdays event includes reggae-rockers The SoulShake, prolific solo artist Sam Johnson, and instrumental cumbia act, Combo Tezeta. Food trucks on-hand will include Bacon Bacon, Mestizo, and Kabob Trolley.

There will also be a number of merchants on-site offering everything from pottery to pet treats. It all takes place this Saturday, July 19 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Presidios Civil War Parade Ground. For tickets and more information, visit Parks4All: Brewfest Tickets, Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite.

Pets are welcome, however, dogs must be on a leash.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
The mother of a woman killed in a dorm room at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2024 has filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging officials "consciously disregarded" the safety and well-being of the two killed and the campus community.

Nicholas Jordan was convicted in April for shooting and killing Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, of Pueblo, and music student Samuel Knopp, 24, of Parker, in the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2024, in a campus dormitory. Jordan and Knopp were roommates and students at UCCS; Montgomery had been visiting Knopp.

Jordan received two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole for the murders of Knopp and Montgomery.

Melody Montgomery, Celie's mother, claims in the lawsuit that the school was made aware of several "problematic" instances involving Jordan and failed to properly follow their own policies to address the situation before Knopp and her daughter were killed. It states the defendants knew or should have known that Jordan was a mentally distressed person with a pattern of drug abuse and could cause harm to his roommates or others.

The trial revealed the roommates had several disputes between December and February, with both of them sending multiple requests to school officials asking to move out or for something to be done to resolve the bad roommate situation. Campus police reportedly responded on several occasions, including one instance in January when Jordan threatened to kill Knopp over a dispute about taking out the trash.

The lawsuit goes over each situation, citing multiple times when either Knopp or Jordan had complained to school officials about each other. It claims the school's Campus Assessment Response and Evaluation Team, which exists to handle student behavior concerns, was aware of Jordan's conduct and discussed it on multiple occasions, but failed to take action.

It also includes a time when another female student had accused Jordan of sexually harassing her to the point where she had to withdraw from a class. The situation prompted the Office of Institutional Equity to send an email stating that "anymore (incident reports) about similar behavior ... could demonstrate a pattern for us to address," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims other reports of sexual harassment by other women were later made.

The lawsuit claims school officials neglected to exercise "reasonable care" by not evicting Jordan from the dorm room for the following reasons and more:

Not immediately removing Jordan from the dorm after he threatened to kill Knopp in January.

Not suspending, expelling or evicting Jordan after multiple complaints for sexual harassment were made.

Not initiating "remedial measures" outline the CARE Team's policies for suspension and expulsion after Jordan was reported to have "significant" drug use on campus, which is a violation of school policy, sexual harassment of female students and the threat of violence against Knopp.

During the trial, emails sent from Knopp to the UCCS housing department showed Knopp stating the issues were improving and housing did not need to kick Jordan out of the dorms, but only days later changed his mind and requested that someone "come talk some sense into him."

University officials testified in court that they had given Knopp and his third roommate the option to move into an emergency dormitory, but the two declined it at the time. They then asked for a room change again a month later in February 2024, when it was granted. Knopp and the third roommate were set to move into the new dorm the day he was killed.

UCCS officials declined to comment on pending litigation when The Gazette reached out to them Friday.

The university released a 91-page independent review done by the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in December, which pointed to several policies, procedures and trainings that needed improvement.

Many of the recommendations from the report had been implemented or were being implemented, according to school officials at the time.

UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet stated in the report that there was no finding "that any individual at the university was responsible for a violation of police or that anyone knowingly contributed to this tragic outcome."

Brownstein concluded the review by stating:

"A case could be made that the January 15 incident along (about which the CARE Team had timely knowledge), especially Jordan's use use of threatened violence, should have been sufficient for the CARE Team to regard Jordan as an elevated risk. This could have then been grounds for a more aggressive and direct formal intervention."

Melody Montgomery, who is now caring for her daughter Celie's two children, who are 9 and 7 years old, is seeking an unspecified monetary compensation, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also demands for a jury trial, stating "the citizens of Colorado demand answers about what happened."
EDITORS NOTE: This is the fourth story in a four-part series diving into the facts behind one fundamentalist Mormon groups presence, and aftermath of another, the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. KELOLAND News Digital Reporter Jacob Newton has sifted through property records, court records and interviewed multiple sources about the group known as the Order. This series explores the history and secrecy of the compound and the lasting impressions that linger today. Part 4 introduces us to Jessica Christensen and Nephi Robinson, half-siblings raised in the Order, who made their way out.

Update: As of Friday, July 18, KELOLAND News has spoken via phone with Robert Kingston, who reached out to KELOLAND Thursday evening. KELOLAND News plans to speak further with Robert Kingston on Monday, July 21 on the subject of this series.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Through property and business records, as well as first-hand accounts from sources, KELOLAND News has found ties between the Order, a fundamentalist Mormon group based in Utah, and former FLDS compound in the Black Hills.

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Why has the Order has settled into the southern Black Hills? Some have their theories.

Jim Hill a former investigator with the Utah Attorney Generals office who was interviewed for this story spoke with his own sources and said The plan apparently (as his source understood it) is to move some of the hierarchy to South Dakota.

Ive been asking around about it, Jessica Christensen, a former member of the Order said. People dont know exactly which one its going to be. Theyre not sure if its going to be for kind of the bad kids  where they send the kids that theyre going to try to get them back in the fold, or child labor, like a wilderness program  or if its going to be something like the [FLDS] did, where its the inner-circle.

Regardless, Christensen says people in the area should take notice.

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I definitely think they should be aware of it, Christensen said. [People] are still afraid.

KELOLAND News has reached out to the Order for comment on this series, attempting to call Order leader Paul Kingston, and making contact with his brother, Jesse Kingston, who took down contact information for KELOLAND. As of Thursday afternoon, we have not been contacted.

Jessica and her half-sibling, Nephi Robinson, are survivors, both having gone through much turmoil in their lives as theyve worked to extricate themselves from their upbringing, and process the traumas that came with it.

Christensen was in her teens when she left, and after getting out, turned her life toward helping others like herself.

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Christensen escaped when she was 15 years old. She is one of the founders of the organization Hope After Polygamy, a group that exists to help support and connect those who are leaving polygamous communities.

Christensen was born and raised in The Order. Her father is John Daniel Kingston called Daniel in this story and in prior series stories  and she is the oldest daughter of his sixth wife.

One of the things that Christensen described to KELOLAND is how teachings about Kingston superiority, as well as primers for submission, are ingrained in members from childhood. There were meditation periods, for instance.

Even a toddler, if they got up and tried to walk away  tried to make noises or cry, they were slapped or beat. Christensen describing the meditation sessions

We had meditation, which usually accompanied memory gems, said Christensen. Meditation was 7 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. for five minutes. You sat in silence, children expected to as well. Even a toddler, if they got up and tried to walk away  tried to make noises or cry, they were slapped or beat  they were expected to sit there and be quiet for the full five minutes.

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These meditation sessions were not freestyle either. We often were told what to meditate about, recalled Christensen. When the two men were in jail, were meditating to get them out of jail. Theyre in jail as a sacrifice for The Order. Obviously were not told theyre in jail because theyre sexually assaulting women, but theyre in jail because were being persecuted and theyre sacrificing for our sins.

Beyond meditation, these values were instilled in the form of lessons and mantras, said Christensen.

With the time I grew up in the 90s, we had the ABC Order Standards (a further explanation of the standards can be seen in this video by *Amanda Grant, another woman who escaped The Order), which every letter had a word that correlated with some sort of teaching, Christensen explained. Then there was memory gems. Memory gems you chanted every single day.

These memory gems, Christensen she said, were chanted sometimes more than once a day, but at minimum every day in the morning. She still can recall three of them, which she recites with precision:

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It is my firm resolve and fixed purpose to give my all to the lord. My time, my talents or all that I am or ever expect to be to the establishment of Zion or the building up of the Kingdom of God upon this earth.

My strength is that of the strength of ten because my heart is pure. I will live my life this day as if Jesus Christ is by my side. Ill have all my incomings and outgoings be in the name of the Lord.,

So with that teaching, its all of your talents  anything that you create, anything you speak  some people take it on the face value of money, Christensen said. Incomings and outgoings is financial, your talents, anything you contribute to the world, it belongs to the Lord. You cant go out and have it to yourself.

Then the third and perhaps most important, according to Christensen:

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True happiness is not found in doing what you want to do, but learning to like to do the things you ought to do.

That one is a core one right there, where people turn off their own happiness, Christensen said of her final memory gem. They are not happy and doing what they want to do, they try to create or force themselves, or train themselves in doing what the Lord wants them to do.

And what the Lord wants, Christensen said, is often conveniently what the men of The Order want.

In the day cares, it was a dangerous place to be because the older boys, or any boys who were around, had access to the kids. Christensen describing what she calls the predatory environment within The Order

[This system] creates this problem where some of the teenage boys or young adult men start to see themselves with this facade of being able to get away with being predators, explained Christensen. In the day cares, it was a dangerous place to be because the older boys, or any boys who were around, had access to the kids, and we were trained  whatever they say, its like God telling you himself.

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The Order compound in the Black Hills is now home to a child care facility, with South Dakota Department of Social Services records showing a registration date of October 13, 2023. The location has a legal capacity of 12 children.

KELOLAND News contacted the number associated with the registration, and was told that all childcare slots at the location are filled.

A DSS inspection report from 2023 showed the facility was put on a compliance plan after it was found that it did not have emergency medical consent forms in the child files, and that it had not maintained attendance records. The report noted that this had been corrected.

KEDDINGTON-BECCA-Plan-2023-1Download

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In 2024, they had to purchase a carbon monoxide detector when inspection found they did not have one.

The DSS 2025 inspection, conducted on March 19, found no issues.

Christensen described a complex environment growing up, with a range of power dynamics at play.

This doesnt just apply to men either. I recognize that with my own mom too, said Christensen. She was a victim in my mind. Her 15th birthday is supposedly when my dad proposed; she got married 12 days later. I know its not what she wanted. She complained about it all the time. I was her first child, so it felt like I grew up with her and she shared a lot with me.

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Despite this, Christensens view of her mother grew as she aged.

When I left, at some point through my journey, being 15, 16, 17, I had come to this place of, Wait a second; I cant keep giving her the victim card, Christensen said. At some point she has become an adult and there is accountability.

Nephi Robinson left the Order later in life than his half-sister did. Another child of Daniel Kingston  his 13th out of somewhere between 170 and 200, according to estimates by himself and Christensen  this time from another wife. When he left the Order in 2017 at the age of 33. He had already been married for 12 years and had kids of his own.

At the time of our interview in late 2023, Robinson was 39, and is living outside the Order as an openly gay man.

I ended up being coerced into a relationship with [my wife], and I had seven kids with her, Robinson said, describing his marriage and family, also explaining that his wife was the aunt of Christensen, his half-sister. We were together for 11-and-a-half years.

Throughout the course of those years, raising four daughters and three sons, Robinson became aware of his own sexuality.

Im gay  that was one of the things I struggled with the entire time, but after I stopped trying to not be [gay], I paid attention to what was going on around me, and there was just so many things that didnt fit my value system, said Robinson. So many things that should have been reported to law enforcement and just so many just terrible, horrible things that I felt has given me PTSD.

Robinson left the Order as an adult with the realization that he did not have a place, and could not abide by the requirements of The Order.

Christensen left the Order to avoid becoming a child bride, and while he is a man, Robinsons reason for leaving was closely related.

One of the major factors for Robinson were his own daughters, and the idea of his oldest entering the dating pool. At that point, my oldest was 10.5 years old  I was recognizing that in less than two years, shes gonna be on the dance card system, he said.

At 12-years-old, she would begin to be courted, even by people my age (33)  people who already had wives, he said. There are a lot of men in this group who are really enabled and groomed to be terrible partners.

This was a supposed tipping point for Robinson. He could not bring himself to marry off his daughters into the group.

I dont feel like it is possible  when you put them out to the world and to the Order, youre putting your daughters into a position where theyre exploited  theyre treated like cattle and the process is a lot like human trafficking, Robinson said.

Robinson did emphasize that he does not think most men in the Order are intending to be abusive. Rather, it is the situation that creates the abuse. You are what they allow you to be, he said.

For Robinson, the role of men in the Order is a complicated one. We asked if he thought it was possible to be a man and stay in the Order without contributing to abuse.

I dont think so, Robinson said. When it comes to when its time to marry your daughters off, the process is abusive and even though theres men in there that go along with it and do it, I feel like, shame on those men. Some of them are rewarded after their daughters are married off  in the Order, youre taught that you have to look to your dad as if hes the highest God in Heaven.

Despite the problems, both Robinson and Christensen said that leaving the Order was difficult.

Leaving is honestly the hardest thing Ive ever done, and it broke me in so many ways that I didnt know if I would ever be okay again, Christensen said. I happen to be okay again, but a lot of people who leave struggle for a long time. A lot of people have ended their life by suicide or use drugs, or they just cant function  or theyre functioning and then theyre not functioning.

Robinson also struggled when he left.

I sort of fit the mold, Robinson said, reflecting on what people are told happens to those who leave the Order. When you see somebody leave, people will tell rumors about them. Theyll say that theyre doing drugs, that theyre swearing, that theyre pretty much homeless on the street  that things have worked out so horribly for them  so when I left, I was. I was sleeping in my car, he said.

Then Christensen described the complicated dynamic of trying to live outside the society she was raised in. We call it these invisible chains, she said. We cant always put words to it. Ive been out now for almost 20 years now  but every stage of life Ive gone through has changed my understanding.

Things are different now, and they were different for Christensen too. She credits this in large part to the exposure polygamous groups have gotten in the news along with social media.

Now its not so much of this fear, Christensen said. They used to do a lot of this intimidation  they still do intimidation but they used to do like  people wouldnt speak up or people would be afraid, or they would try to disappear, and as someone who was in the group, you would think maybe they had died. They were just gone.

Christensen may not have not had to fear for her life, but it doesnt mean she hasnt endured loss.

When I left, even to this day, Im not welcome, she said. I mean, I could show up at my moms house, but its an uncomfortable experience. Im not welcome there; Im not wanted to be there.

My youngest brother said, I didnt even know you existed.'

Even this has changed though. Some are allowed to leave. Some are allowed to come home for a visit with family members still in the group.

Christensen described how another of her half-brothers left The Order within the past few years. He was getting married, and they allowed him to use one of their businesses for part of his marriage, she said.

Robinsons situation is an example of such a change, too. Though he left the Order, his now ex-wife stayed, and so too did their children.

His ex-wife is now remarried, and he says the family dynamic can be difficult.

Even my younger ones, if their mom is anywhere in the room, they wont even look at me, said Robinson. They wont call me dad. Ive been told by my kids that they were told that this other man is 100% their dad.

This isnt the only difficult thing Robinson has heard come from his childrens mouths.

Their mom tells them the most horrible things, Robinson recounted. My youngest told me when she was five  shes seven now  she told me that the good cops were going to burn my house down with me in it. My second to youngest, when he was six, told me that theyre going to move somewhere and that Im never gonna be able to find them and see them again.

Neither of Robinsons oldest daughters have yet been married, and he thinks thats in large part because of his vigilance. Im making it clear that were following the legal system. Theyre not getting married until theyre 18, he said.

Despite the difficulties, Robinson has fought to stay involved with his children.

Because the kids are still in the Order, Im going to go to the schools  I go to their parent-teacher conferences, I go to their concerts  Im still involved with them in the Order buildings.

Robinson says many of the people would refuse to so much as make eye contact with him, but he has found the legal corner of The Order to be very welcoming.

I could see some people recognizing me and then looking to see if they need to tattle on me for being there  Ive seen people actually get booted out, he said. People who have left and then come back for an activity get kicked out.

But not Robinson. The lawyers in this group were so friendly, he said. They would tell me, Hi, how you doing? Its nice to see you. They were the nicest people in the world all of a sudden because theyre busy enough  Ive threatened to exercise the legal system  so they didnt want to have that fight with me.

Another example change involves education.

They pulled me out of school, told me I couldnt go to school anymore, that I already knew everything that I needed to know to be the person the Lord wanted me to be, Christensen said. Nowadays they have a bunch of kids who theyre promoting them to go to school. They really are trying to get them college degrees.

But despite these perceived changes, Christensen said she isnt buying it.

Even the opening up of family time to those who have left may not be quite as benign as it seems. Christensen fears that just an open door to the outside can serve as an exit for a person seeking to leave a cult; that same open door could be used to pull them back in, using a new strategy to get individuals to return.

Thats what I think it is, Christensen said of the idea of people being pulled back in. She added that the Order had a history of trying new things. Back in the day, kind of why they started doing inbreeding is that one of the leaders in the past started doing some inbreeding with cows and just had his own personal little study and came to some conclusions  now its part of the religious practice.

Christensen says experiments of this sort are not uncommon. They do that kind of stuff all the time, where they have this kid where theyre like, Dont abuse this kid, like, No one hit this kid; we want to see what happens. I feel like theyre trying something out to see if it keeps getting them their ultimate goal of keeping people in or getting them back.

They refer to it as building the Kingdom of God, said Robinson of the Order. I would call it building the kingdom of Paul and his brothers  youre building an empire.

With that attitude of empire building came a mandate, according to Christensen. Protect The Order, at all costs. If you have to lie, if you have to sacrifice; whatever it is, never do or say anything that would make The Order look bad, Christensen said.

Free of this mandate, Christensen has expressed her feelings about the Order, including her own father, Daniel Kingston.

I think that it is well known within the group that my dad and one of his brothers are known to be the most abusive, reflected Christensen. I do think the group breeds narcissism for the men.

This views of Daniel Kingston meshed well with that expressed earlier on by Jim Hill, a former investigator with the Utah Attorney Generals Office, who told KELOLAND News hes probably one of the most brutal of the hierarchy, in Hills own opinion.

Robinson echoed the opinions of Hill and his half-sister.

I used being gay as my scapegoat, he said, describing the way he left the Order. The reality was that Daniel is the most despicable person Ive ever personally met. There was just so many things that were just not okay.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Part of busy Boston area parkway closing this weekend amid fears of condo collapse

Part of a busy Boston area parkway will close this weekend amid fears that a structurally compromised building that towers over the thoroughfare and overlooks the Charles River could collapse.

Starting on Saturday, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Cambridge will close the right westbound lane of Memorial Drive between Hawthorn Street and Gerrys Landing.

Officials warned motorists that the closure is due to structural concerns at the Riverview Condominiums at 221 Mount Auburn Street.

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Its going to be a big disruption. Theres no way around it, said Sam Hurlbut, whose 88-year-old father lives next to the condo building.

Hurlbut told Boston 25 News he does have some concerns about the structurally deficient building and believes the city of Cambridge is handling it as best they can.

Contractors currently cannot enter the Riverview Condominiums to remove asbestos in its ceilings and tiles.

The whole site will be treated as hazardous once demolition happens in several months which will require misting and air monitoring.

Were getting kind of nervous about the asbestos and will it come down without any help at all, said Hurlbut. You just got to roll with the punches.

In November, residents of the now permanently closed luxury condo complex were ordered out of the eight-story building after engineers with the property manager, Thayer & Associates, Inc., uncovered structural deficiencies that dated back to the 1960s.

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The company told Boston 25 News at the time that sub-standard concrete and improper placement of reinforcing steel were recently discovered during roofing renovations.

The lane closure could remain in place until the end of 2025, according to the city.

This type of thing is a little unprecedented for us, said Brooke McKenna, Cambridges Transportation Commissioner. We are working as quicky as possible to get the building down, but it does take time to do that.

Traffic, cyclist, and pedestrian patterns will be clearly marked to facilitate movement in the area.

Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use the Paul Dudley White Bike Path and to cross at Hawthorn Street and Gerrys Landing Road for safe travel.

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Area residents are encouraged to visit the City of Cambridges website for updates on local access detours and MBTA bus detours.

Many of Riverviews condo owners were seniors who planned to remain in their homes until the urgent situation arose last year.

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WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)  The Madison County Sheriff tells NewsChannel 9 his office will enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, allowing some of his deputies to enforce certain parts of immigration law.

The partnership enrolls the Madison County Sheriffs Office in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements 287(g) program. The program allows state or local police departments to take on some of ICEs work depending on the model chosen by the partnering agency.

You have no idea where theyre from, no I.D., no anything, said Sheriff Todd Hood. ICE has that data. Why wouldnt we want that, to get some information?

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The Madison County Sheriff, specifically, signed up for the Warrant Service Officer model, which allows its deputies to be trained and execute civil immigration warrants. In the sheriffs words, his office would be allowed to help or facilitate the custodial transfer of removable aliens  with criminal or pending criminal charges  who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies.

They have to have a criminal charge or a court order from a judge in order to take them in, said Sheriff Hood.

When asked, the sheriff said his deputies encounter undocumented immigrants in their jail not very much. He suspects the program would be needed in a limited number of cases.

Thats what I want people to know, said Hood. Its political and they try to spread this terrible narrative that the Gestapos going to come in. Its not like that at all. We just want to know whos in here.

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Because Madison County is a vibrant farming community, the new agreement could cause new concerns for migrant farmers. Theres as many as 500 people working at Green Empire Farms just down the road from the Madison County Sheriffs Office in Wampsville.

The Sheriff said: If youre keeping your nose clean and doing a good job, youre pretty low on the radar when it comes to dealing with law enforcement. When youre dealing drugs, human trafficking, that stuff, now youre on the highest level of alert for law enforcement.

The Sheriff says the deal is between his office and federal government. He says the Madison County Board of Supervisors can share an opinion, but not override the agreement.

In formal guidance, the New York State Attorney Generals Office advises against state or local police signing 287(g) agreements. Her office said the policy is legally murky when compared to State Law and builds distrust between migrant communities and local law enforcement.

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The Camden Police Department, in Oneida County, has signed up for the Task Force Model of 287(g), which is a more elaborate ability to enforce immigration law on the streets of the village.

Before the Madison County Sheriff, sheriffs in Broome, Nassau, Niagara and Rensselaer Counties entered into versions of the program.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, when it comes to culture war issues including immigration, rarely misses a chance to stretch  or even obliterate  the truth.

The governors office noted this month that more than 2,500 people arrested by the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force for being in the country illegally were violent criminals. Then Youngkin, in a news conference July 2 about the state-federal entity, added: Two-thousand five-hundred violent criminals who are here illegally  MS-13 members, Tren de Aragua, others, international violent gang members.

This is a purposeful conflation that everyone who might be in Virginia illegally  the lack of due process here and nationwide has been appalling  was indeed arrested for violent offenses. If youre going to denigrate a minority group  many of those arrested have been Latinos  you should show your receipts. Critics have called the campaign racist.

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My screed follows a Virginian-Pilot report Sunday that highlighted the paucity of public details about the 2,512 people the task force detained.

Neither Youngkins office nor state or federal agencies involved in the operation have provided any documentation about those arrested to be able to verify who they are, what they were charged with or whether theyve been deported, The Pilot said.

The controversy arises at a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have descended on courthouses, like in Chesterfield County, to arrest people who in some cases were present for misdemeanor traffic violations.

Individuals showing up to pay traffic tickets aint hardened criminals. Some had never been arrested before.

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The Cato Institute, in fact, reported that over a recent eight-month period, ICE agents had booked more than 204,000 people nationwide. Some 65% had no criminal convictions, and 93% had never been convicted of any violent offenses. Were not talking about a huge number of alleged murderers, rapists and robbers.

That means Virginians shouldnt blithely accept Youngkins hyperbolic utterances. Nor should Americans if Youngkin eventually runs for the presidency, or gains a spot in the administration of President Donald Trump after his gubernatorial term ends in January.

While many politicians exaggerate, its clear Youngkin has made assertions that misdirect, omit needed context, or require diligent fact-checking. Remind you of anyone?

Demonizing marginalized groups and racial minorities has been a recurring tactic for Trump. His acolyte Youngkin has copied parts of that reprehensible playbook.

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Youngkins spokesman didnt reply to my questions.

The sad thing is the subject of illegal immigration enrages a sizable part of the electorate, in a way thats disproportionate to the problem. Thats why Republican politicians keep ginning it up.

Some GOP elected officials, beholden to Trump, have also mimicked his penchant for lying.

I think theres an increasing temptation, particularly for Republican officeholders, to make claims first and provide the evidence later  if ever, Stephen Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington political science professor, told me. In the era of Donald Trump, strict adherence to the facts can be an inconvenience.

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For the commonwealths chief executive to have any future in the national GOP, Farnsworth added, he has to sound more like Trump, and less like the Glenn Youngkin that ran for office four years ago.

The guv was scheduled to be in Iowa on Thursday for a fundraiser. The state holds an early presidential nominating contest every four years.

Why am I so critical of Youngkin? Too many times since he ran for office in 2021, hes delved into the culture wars where he knew, or should have known, his comments were lies or gross distortions. On other occasions, hes declined to correct the record quickly:

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I do think there are two Gov. Youngkins, Farnsworth said. The combative cultural warrior that made a big thing on the Amazon truck  and at other times, theres a governor that finds it difficult to go all in on everything that Trump has to say.

Its not a profile in courage. Virginians, nor Americans, should swallow at face value what Youngkin has to say  or what he leaves out.

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  Every year, Make-A-Wish South Carolina helps grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses across the state, and on Friday, a Pawleys Island girl had her wish granted.

6-year-old Journey has a blood disorder. Her mother, Mercedes Hugie, said this can lead to bouts of severe pain.

Its been a long journey, Hugie said. She has random pain crises that cause her to go into the hospital; shes received several blood transfusions.

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Hugie said that despite all she has gone through, Journey refuses to let the disease keep her down.

Theres nothing worse than seeing your child in pain, screaming, crying, Oh my god, oh my god I cant take it,' Hugie said. And in the same breath say, Im going to be brave. And at the age of 6 to have so much courage and so much strength, I look up to her and she doesnt even know it.

In March, Journey and her family attended the Make-A-Wish South Carolina Wish Night Gala. At the event, Journey was told her wish would come true.

That wish: To be a mermaid.

On Friday, her 6th birthday, Journey arrived at Ripleys Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, given a makeover and ushered onto a bubble-filled blue carpet, greeted by her friends and family, and surrounded by other mermaids.

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Also in attendance were members of Make-A-Wish South Carolina. Chris Lovorn, a member of the board, said seeing Journeys wish come true reminded him why he chose to be a part of the non-profit.

Its a blessing to be able to give back, Lovorn said. It makes a difference. It provides some hope. And we know from research, children that are going through fighting a terminal or critical illness, the hope is what helps to move them forward. If we can do a little bit of that, it brings the community together.

Both Hugie and Journey were grateful for the support they received from the community.

It means the world, Hugie said. So it really means the world that she has so many supporters. And so many people that love her. Honestly, I cannot imagine going through this alone.

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I love you all because you can be a mermaid too, Journey said.

Information about Make-A-Wish South Carolina can be found here.

* * *

Madi Codispoti is a multimedia journalist at News13. Madi is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and most recently worked at WJHL in Johnson City, Tennessee. She graduated from Emory & Henry University in May 2023. You can keep up with Madi on Facebook and read more of her work here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Earlier this morning, the Senate approved sweeping cuts to public media funding, threatening PBS Kids and with it, one of the few screen-time options built entirely around how children learn and grow.

For millions of families, PBS Kids offers something rare: screen time rooted in trust, research, and accessibility. No subscription. No Wi-Fi. Just thoughtful programming that meets kids where they are. This vote could take that away.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for a final decision.

Why this vote matters for families

Todays kids are growing up in a world where screens are part of daily life. What isnt guaranteed is the quality of what theyre watching. And for many parents, PBS Kids has been the one platform they could always feel good about.

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Its impact goes far beyond nostalgia. PBS Kids is built on decades of educational research, inclusive storytelling, and an unwavering commitment to child development. It supports how kids actually learn, and who they are while theyre learning.

The proposed cuts threaten a lifeline that families across the country quietly rely on for connection, learning, and access they cant find anywhere else.

Related: 13 best educational shows for kidsgoodbye screen time guilt

Whats happening in Congress

Last week, the Senate passed a $9 billion rescissions package, including a full $1.1 billion cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds both PBS and NPR.

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The funding at risk here had already been set aside, fully approved through a bipartisan deal, for the next two years. The cost to taxpayers? It adds up to just $1.60 per taxpayer, per year. Thats the price of a cup of coffeefor something that brings learning, stability, and emotional development into millions of homes.

Still, political pressure mounted. Former President Trump publicly urged Republicans to defund PBS. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK), broke ranks to oppose the bill, citing the value PBS provides to their rural states.

These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger told The Hill. There is nothing more American than PBS. Despite todays setback, we are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.

Now, the future of PBS Kids, and more than 1,500 local stations, rests with the House.

What happens if this bill passes

If the bill becomes law, families could lose:

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Local PBS stations , especially in rural or low-income areas, where federal funding makes up most of the budget.

Free access to PBS Kids content , including over-the-air shows for families without cable or internet.

The bill would also eliminate the Ready to Learn grant, which supports early childhood education, inclusive character development, and outreach programs that bridge learning gaps for under-resourced communities.

And the impact wont be felt equally. The children with the fewest options will feel it most.

What makes PBS different

PBS Kids was designed as a public service. Every show is grounded in research and created to support how young children actually learn. Thats a sharp contrast to commercial content, where success is often measured by watch time, click-throughs, and merchandise sales.

Heres how it compares:

PBS Kids Typical Commercial Content Funded to remain ad-free; no in-app purchases, per CPB guidelines Heavy advertising, merchandise tie-ins Developed with input from child development experts and educational researchers Designed primarily for engagement metrics such as watch time and clicks

Emphasizes early learning outcomes: empathy, literacy, STEM, and social-emotional development

Content often prioritizes fast pacing and stimulation, which can contribute to attention fragmentation in young children Includes diverse, place-based representation Studies show commercial shows often lack meaningful diversity or rely on stereotypes Available over-the-air without internet or cable, ensuring reach in low-connectivity and rural areas Requires broadband access and paid subscriptions, limiting access for low-income families

Related: How To Use Screen Time to Raise Empathetic Kids

The research is clear: PBS works

PBS Kids programming delivers measurable results in childrens learning, empathy, and emotional growth.

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Children who watch Daniel Tiger are measurably more empathetic , better at naming emotions, and more likely to use emotional regulation strategies in real life.

Molly of Denali was the first nationally distributed childrens show with an Alaska Native lead a groundbreaking moment for representation that resonated far beyond Native communities.

Studies have shown that shows like Peg + Cat and Super Why! help build early math and literacy skills, especially when paired with even minimal parental engagement.

And PBS doesnt stop at the screen. It partners with educators to create classroom-ready lesson plans, sends outreach workers to rural and low-income areas, and ensures that kids without broadband or tablets arent left behind.

Related: Daniel Tiger Review From a Mom of a Toddler

Whats at stake for real families

In some parts of the country, PBS isnt supplemental, its the only source of early education.

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PBS might be the only preschool some children have access to, Dr. Marcy Drew, Director of Education at South Dakota Public Broadcasting, told The American Prospect. Its what families lean on when theres no internet, no local child care, and no state-funded pre-K.

Access matters, but so does representation. For many children, seeing themselves on screen is what makes learning feel possible and personal. When Molly of Denali aired, Alaska Native children wrote letters saying they finally felt seen.

But they werent the only ones watching. PBS Kids reaches millions of households that cant stream, cant subscribe, and cant afford digital learning apps.

If federal funding disappears, local PBS stations will be forced to shut down or drastically scale back. Dozens have already cut staff. Once these trusted pipelines vanish, they wont be easy to rebuild.

How parents can speak up

If PBS Kids has helped your child learn, grow, or simply get through a tough day, now is the time to take action.

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Heres how:

Email your lawmakers using this simple tool from Protect My Public Media, or call your Representative directly.

Share your story : How has PBS Kids helped your child grow or learn?

Speak up on social media: Tell your community whats at stake. Use #ProtectPBSKids and tag @motherly and @PBSKIDS.

Every voice matters, especially when it comes from a parent who knows whats at stake.

Our kids need PBS more than ever

For decades, PBS Kids has helped children recognize emotions, build empathy, explore new ideas, and see themselves reflected in the stories they watch. When something this essential is on the line, we show up. Not just for our own kidsbut for every child whose future depends on access, representation, and a fair start.

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Call or email your Representative today. Urge them to vote no on the Rescissions Act. Protecting PBS Kids means protecting every childs right to learn, grow, and feel seen.Lets protect what matters. Lets protect them.

Sources:
Federal funding for PBS and NPR is about to be eliminated, in a move that will likely cause an existential cash crunch for many local broadcast stations.

PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger warned that the cuts will be felt across the country.

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These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas, Kerger said Thursday. Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.

The future of the cuts were uncertain until a dramatic late night vote Tuesday, with Vice President J.D. Vance breaking a 50-50 tie, and the U.S. Senate moving forward on a rescission package that had been proposed by President Trump and passed (narrowly) in the House of Representatives last month. On Wednesday, the measure passed a final vote of 51-48. The Republican-controlled House approved the changes 216-213 on Thursday night giving final passage to the bill that will now head to Trumps desk to become law.

The rescission package pulls about $1.1 billion in funding from PBS and NPR, which had been previously allocated over the next two fiscal years.

All that is left now is for President Trump to sign it, which he must do by Friday. Last week, Trump threatened to withhold endorsements for any Senator that voted no on the package, and he particularly called out the funding for public media as a reason why.

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It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Rescissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together, Trump wrote. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky all voted against the package, forcing Vice President Vance to rush to the Senate floor to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Republicans have been pursuing an end to federal funding of PBS and NPR for decades, going back to President Nixon. No Republican, not Nixon, not Reagan, nor either Bush, was ever successful in eliminating all funding. That may be about to change, with local PBS and NPR stations likely to feel the brunt of the pain.

At issue is what conservatives see as the left-leaning politics of public media, while advocates for the stations note that the vast majority of programming is produced locally, serving audiences that may be underserved by commercial stations.

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UPDATED, with additional comments: PBS, NPR and public stations are facing the loss of $1.1 billion in federal funding, as the House cleared final passage of a package of cuts likely to alter the landscape of public media.

The House voted 216 to 213 early Friday for the so-called rescissions package, which was sent to Congress at the request of President Donald Trump. The $9 billion in cuts also include rollbacks in funding to foreign aid and health programs. The package will now go to the White House for Trumps signature.

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The move will leave the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity set up by Congress to distribute funds to public media outlets, with zeroed out federal funding for the first time since it was formed in 1967. The rescinded money had already been allocated by Congress for the next two fiscal years, starting on April 1.

Katherine Maher, the president and CEO of NPR, said that the funding cuts were an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.

Despite promises from some members of Congress to fix anything the bill breaks, this will be an irreversible loss, she said. If a station doesnt survive this sudden turn by Congress, a vital stitch in our American fabric will be gone for good.

She said that with support from listeners and readers in communities around the nation, they will work to rebuild.

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Public media advocates, PBS producers and personalities, station managers and viewers and listeners have been lobbying congressional representatives in recent weeks to preserve the funding, pointing to the unique mandate of the non-commercial outlets to provide educational, cultural and local programming, among other content.

But Trump has targeted PBS and NPR, and their news programming in particular, as biased toward the left. That has long been a common complaint on the right, but the president this time around threatened to withhold support or endorsements from any lawmakers who did not support the package.

Heres the truth: If this rescissions packages was not put forth and passed by Congress, taxpayer dollars would still be funneled to ideologues at PBS and NPR, said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC).

But Democrats said that funding for public media and foreign aid were being sacrificed after Republicans pushed through the centerpiece of Trumps legislative agenda, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the tax and spending legislation, which passed earlier this month, will add more than $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

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Republicans blow up the budget for billionaires and then they nickel and dime everyone else to pretend that they care about the debt and deficit, said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). Its nuts.

Advocates had hoped to win over enough Republicans to defeat the measure. Only two, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) joined with all Democrats in voting against it. Two other Republicans, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), voted for the rescissions after voting against them when the bill first came before the House last month.

After the vote, Trump posted on Truth Social, HOUSE APPROVES NINE BILLION DOLLAR CUTS PACKAGE, INCLUDING ATROCIOUS NPR AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WERE WASTED. REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED.BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!

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In a sweeping move that will devastate the nations public broadcasting system, congressional Republicans have passed a rescissions package that eliminates all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, cutting off a vital financial lifeline to PBS, NPR, and more than 1,500 local stations across the country.

The decision removes $1.1 billion from CPBs budget that will jeopardize legendary programs such as PBS NewsHour, Sesame Street, and Morning Edition, and potentially forcing dozens of rural and urban stations to shut down or dramatically scale back operations as early as this fall. CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation that distributes funds to NPR and PBS.

In an interview with Scripps News , PBS President Paula Kerger said, "We're not a network. Our stations are all independent. They're supported by their communities. And our job is to support their work and to give them the resources that they want from us.

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We are not a luxury, Kerger emphasized. We are a necessity, especially for those who have no alternatives.

NPR CEO Katherine Maher echoed that warning, telling CBS News , Public media, public radio, public television, are a critical part of the emergency response plans of nearly half of the states in this nation. If these types of emergency alerting go away, you will have fewer outlets to be able to respond in real time.

Already, stations are announcing staff reductions and cancellations in states such as Alaska, West Virginia, and Mississippi. Weve been there for Americas children, for veterans, for the underserved, Kerger said. Now were asking America not to turn its back on us.

This article originally appeared on Advocate: PBS and NPR stations at risk as federal funding is slashed
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Faculty at Portland Community College are rallying against the schools choice to end programs that are beloved among students.

As part of a fiscal sustainability initiative, PCC has cut three of 14 programs that were on the chopping block: Music and Sonic Arts, Russian and Gerontology. While administration has revealed the reductions are meant to close the $14.78 million budget gap the school faced coming into the 2025-27 biennium, some staff members are arguing cuts shouldve been made elsewhere.

Portlanders to vote on 75% parks levy hike after unanimous city council approval

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Were a community college, and we should be maintaining programs, especially popular programs that generate revenue for the college, Lead Steward for Full-time Faculty Yvette Rosales said. The other thing, too, is that this whole process has been extremely rushed [and] really, really backwards in some ways.

Earlier this year, PCC asked employees from each vulnerable program to conduct a self-study that proved why their program should remain. Music and Sonic Arts instructors previously told KOIN 6 their study provided information on how many roles Portlands music industry offers, and how the program benefits students who wouldnt otherwise pursue higher education  but administration ultimately removed the program and rejected facultys appeal despite high enrollment and retention.

Although Gerontology instructors decided against filing an appeal, faculty from the program told administrators they didnt believe their study was read, comprehended, or considered in full.

Some of the courses will now be a part of the sociology department, while some Music and Sonic Arts courses will be added to the traditional music program.

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These challenges stem from increasing costs, state funding reductions, and declining enrollments following the COVID-19 pandemic, PCC spokesperson James Hill said of the cuts. This collaborative review process with faculty was aimed to proactively assess academic programs and disciplines for potential cost savings and greater alignment with institutional priorities, ensuring financial sustainability and centering student success.

Hill confirmed that PCC President Adrien Bennings salary has increased by 14% over two years, while other facultys salary was increased by 9% ahead of the fiscal review.

He added that the school has reduced the salaries of all management and confidential employees by 1.58% for the biennium. Between the pay changes and other incumbent and vacancy savings, the administration has now closed its budget gap by more than $5 million, according to Hill.

I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement director resigns as project faces funding uncertainty

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Instructors are now developing teach-out plans to accommodate the students who were pursuing programs that have been axed. But the reductions could still lead to part-time faculty losing their jobs and to a decline in enrollment, according to Rosales.

The PCC Federation of Faculty and Academic Professionals petition against the cuts has garnered nearly 700 signatures since May. The group is also gearing up for a Stop the Cuts rally at PCCs Cascade campus at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
North Cheyenne Canon is set to reopen to the public Friday afternoon after heavy rain washed away parts of a road that led to the canyon, the city of Colorado Springs announced.

The North Cheyenne Canyon Road has been repaired after heavy rain eroded roadway infrastructure, washing out a significant section of the road about 1.5 miles up the canyon from the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center, officials said in a Thursday news release.

After waters receded, work immediately began to repair nearby infrastructure that contributed to the wash out, along with engineering and construction to build a retaining structure that will protect the roadway from future damage.

We are grateful to the public for their patience and understanding as we completed this repair, said Gayle Sturdivant, city engineer and Public Works deputy director. While this full closure meant restricted access to the Canon, it allowed our crews the opportunity to finish the repair in a safe manner.

The project still has a few items needed before it's completed, including a permanent guardrail. Intermittent lane closures will occur in the coming weeks.

"As always, roadway users are urged to use caution when travelling through the Canon due to the narrow roadway, steep grade and sharp curves," officials said in the release.
By now, you may have seen the major altercation that occurred between demonstrators and police on the Roebling Bridge on July 17. If not, heres the short version of what happened.

There was a vigil to support Imam Ayman Soliman, whom ICE detained last week. Afterward, an estimated 100 participants marched across the bridge, blocking the middle of the road and shutting it down. The vigil was peaceful, but the march was not.

While on the bridge, some demonstrators refused to move out of the way of traffic when told to by Cincinnati and Covington police officers. Consequently, the police used violent means (pepper balls, Tasers, fists) to force compliance and reopen the road.

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More: 15 people face felony charge after arrests at ICE protest on Roebling Bridge

Reasonable observers may differ in their assessment of the situation  the extent to which it was wise to disrupt traffic, who did or did not obey police orders and the use of violent crowd-control methods by law enforcement. Im not so chutzpadik (bold) as to imagine my perspective on such things is the end-all be-all; however, I do think certain perspectives are worth hearing in the chaos aftermath.

Covington police patrolled the Roebling Bridge following a protest on July 17, 2025.

Violence took away from the message of the protest

First, I am greatly saddened to see that this violence has drawn attention away from Imam Soliman and his plight. A plethora of news outlets were already at the vigil and prepared to cover it before the bridge situation took place. The framing of those stories now has changed, focusing less on the vigil and ICEs concerning behavior and more on the violence of the evening itself.

This does nothing to help Imam Soliman. Based on the interactions Ive had with community members, this has lost him support among many people who were on the fence before. In a time when government forces are breaking communities by pursuing vulnerable non-citizens, we should be doing everything possible to keep the story laser-focused on that, and not on other issues.

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Letter: If ICE can come for a Cincinnati Children's chaplain, they can come for you too

Second, Covington police said the arrests came after people "obstructed traffic and created safety concerns for both demonstrators and the public" when they crossed the Ohio River bridge. "We respect everyones right to protest, but when demonstrations jeopardize public safety and violate the law, our officers must take appropriate action, Police Chief Brian Valenti said in a news release.

In my opinion, there was no need for the escalation brought on by law enforcement, especially on the Covington side of the Roebling Bridge.

I can appreciate the desire of police officers to break up an unsanctioned demonstration that is disrupting traffic; I do not have a negative reaction to everything law enforcement officers do. However, I find it hard to see the videos and hear the testimonials that have emerged since July 17 without thinking that at least some members of the Covington Police Department were too willing to escalate the situation.

Logan Imber appears via video for a hearing Friday, July 18, 2025, before Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas Grothaus. Imber, who appears to have a wound in her chin, was one of 15 people arrested at an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge the previous day.

In such moments of chaos, I want our law enforcement to judiciously use the tools at their disposal to restore order. Disruptive as the protest may have been, there was no extreme urgency to break it up such that the police couldnt have waited longer to clear the group out, giving more warnings. Frankly, it feels that the police may have played directly into the hands of some of the more extreme folks on the bridge. Some likely wanted there to be a showdown, and they managed to get one.

Vigil attendees were unaware of protest. Leaders must do better.

More than all, as time passes since that night (and, admittedly, its been fewer than 24 hours), I grow increasingly disappointed in the leadership who involved normal vigil attendees in a risky protest they didnt even know was going on. From conversations Ive had with people who went on the bridge, many of them had no idea of what was about to happen or even that the demonstration they were joining wasnt permitted.

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Opinion: Indiscriminate deportation affects more than those being removed

The attempt to shut down the Roebling Bridge, from what I have heard, was not organic  it was planned. For days, Id heard people discuss the possibility that this might occur and had speculated about the extent to which it might be sanctioned and safe. I didnt participate precisely because I couldnt get such assurances  while the vigil moved to the bridge, I stayed back to observe with friends.

People watch a hearing before Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas Grothaus on Friday, July 18, 2025 in Covington. The judge entered pleas of not guilty and set bond for 15 people arrested at an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge the previous day.

It is fine for activists and organizers, who are aware of all the risks of being part of civil disobedience, to put themselves in potential danger. It is entirely another thing for members of a crowd to be brought into someone elses attempt at disruption without recognizing it as such. When choosing how to involve others in our community engagement, it is our responsibility as leaders to "do the homework" to ensure the settings into which we lead our people are sufficiently safe. And, when we cant feel certain enough that they are safe, it is our job to communicate that to potential collaborators.

And, seeing how everything went in the evening, it is clear that people who didnt know what they were doing were taking risks they didnt understand. Thank God, things didnt go even worse  this whole situation could have been deadly.

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As this event moves out of the news cycle, I hope focus will return to Imam Soliman and the help he needs. We must direct our zeal for justice in the right direction, not letting it get in the way of accomplishing our goals.

Rabbi Ari Jun

Ari Jun is the senior rabbi of Cincinnati's Temple Sholom.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Roebling Bridge protest turned violent, overshadowed cause | Opinion
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  The owner and three employees of a Pekin auto shop face federal charges for allegedly dumping gas from junk cars into that citys sewer system.

Matthew J. Mackey, Nicholas A. Johnson, Gary A. Williams and David D. Driggers, III, were all indicted this week by a federal grand jury. The 16-count indictment, returned Tuesday, alleges they, while working at All Around Auto and Tire, conspired to violate the federal Clean Water Act.

Fifteen of the counts detail several times between February and march 2021 that they allegedly put the gasoline into the sewer system.

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Mackey was in court on Wednesday where a federal judge allowed him to remain free on a personal recognizance bond pending the outcome of his case. The other three are scheduled to appear within the next month.

All face up to five years in prison if convicted.

The charges allege they dumped the gas into the citys sewer system without pretreating it as required by federal law and knowing that putting the gas could create a fire or explosion within the treatment plant.

Additionally, the charges allege the city of Pekin specifically prohibits any person, industry or business from discharging any gasoline, benzene, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas into the sewer system.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesnt have much in common with Donald Trump, but they can agree on a few things. Like the president, the California Democrat wishes the Jeffrey Epstein controversy would hurry up and go away.

In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Pelosi dismissed the buzz around the late sex trafficker as a distraction.

The Department of Justices refusal to release case files or a long-promised client list related to Epstein has torn MAGA apart in recent days. When asked about her take, Pelosi said there are more important things for lawmakers to worry about.

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Ill leave it up to them to talk it out. But again, whether its Jeffrey Epstein or Alcatraz, its all off the subject of what theyre doing with this budget that is harmful to the kitchen table, meeting the kitchen-table needs of the American people, Pelosi said.

Nancy Pelosi says the Epstein files are a distraction pic.twitter.com/KMpxSDDtcG  Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 17, 2025

Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials visited Alcatraz on Thursday as a part of Trumps plan to reopen the former maximum security prison. Bondi has been the subject of intense criticism over the last week from Republicans and Democrats alike thanks to the DOJs handling of the Epstein case. A post from California Gov. Gavin Newsoms team drew a line between the two issues.

Pam Bondi will reopen Alcatraz the same day Trump lets her release the Epstein files. So never, they wrote.

Pelosi agreed that the moves are connected while speaking to MSNBC.

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I think theyre both distractions, she said. I think that theyre off the subject of what is happening, changing the character and the culture of America by undermining, by placing huge, trillions of dollars of national debt on the, for future generations to carry forward at the expense of the health, nutrition, education of the American people.

Though she might think the Epstein ruckus is a ruse, Pelosi did call on Trump to release the case files related to Epstein on Thursday.

With deep respect for the victims, their trauma and their privacy, everyone on the Epstein list must be held accountable no matter who they are, she wrote on X. Release the files.

The post Pelosi calls Epstein controversy a distraction appeared first on Salon.com.
As many Democrats call for the release of the files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged caution in a Thursday morning interview.

This is a distraction. We have major issues, right here, things were voting on today, she said on MSNBC, citing the rescissions package requested by the White House and approved by Congress late Thursday night.

His own base has its own views of what the president should do. Ill leave it up to them to talk them out, Pelosi added.

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The rescissions package claws back some $9 billion in public media funding and overseas aid. The House signed off on the package on Thursday night, marking the first time in decades that Congress had approved a presidential request to rescind already approved funding.

Hours after the MSNBC interview, the former Speaker called for the release of the files in a post on the social platform X.

This week, House Democrats voted unanimously to release the files. Republicans voted to keep them hidden, she wrote. With deep respect for the victims, their trauma and their privacy, everyone on the Epstein list must be held accountable no matter who they are. Release the files.

Pelosi during the MSNBC interview also called the Trump administrations push to reopen the historic Alcatraz prison a distraction.

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Whether its Jeffrey Epstein or Alcatraz, its all off the subject of what theyre doing with this budget that is harmful to the kitchen table, said Pelosi, who represents San Francisco.

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House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed President Trumps push to reopen the historic Alcatraz prison near San Francisco as the stupidest initiative put forth by this administration on Thursday.

Being tough on crime is not turning Alcatraz, which wont even be a prison for a long time to come  I dont think itll ever happen, Pelosi, a frequent Trump critic, said in an interview on MSNBCs Chris Jansing Reports.

This is not about being tough on crime. Its being frivolous about money and silly about the choices they have made, she added.

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I have said this is not only stupid, with stiff competition  the stupidest initiative put forth by this administration.

Trump floated the idea of reopening the hulking Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in May to house Americas most ruthless and violent Offenders. The president said this month that conceptional work started on the project six months ago with various prison development firms engaged.

I wanted something representative to show how we fight back, and then, it happened, I saw a picture of ALCATRAZ looking so foreboding, and I said, Were going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks. What a symbol it is, and will be!' Trump wrote in a July 1 post on Truth Social. Still a little early, but lots of promise!

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the prison site on Thursday, with both touting efforts to turn the shuttered facility into a detention site.

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This administration is restoring safety, justice, and order to our streets, Burgum wrote on the social platform X.

The Alcatraz prison was shuttered in 1963, with the Bureau of Prisons deeming it too expensive to continue operating. Alcatraz Island, located about a mile off the coast in the San Francisco Bay, now operates as a national park and attracts more than a million visitors each year.

Right now, its a tourist attraction which has been a venue for art and community events, something that this administration doesnt appreciate, obviously, Pelosi said Thursday. And, of course, the environmental concern is of no concern of theirs.

Pelosi, who has represented a California district that covers most of San Francisco for nearly four decades, had earlier ripped the prison reopening idea in a written statement on Wednesday.

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It should concern us all that clearly the only intellectual resources the Administration has drawn upon for this foolish notion are decades-old fictional Hollywood movies, she wrote.

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(WHTM)  Penn States Board of Trustees approved a budget plan Friday, which includes some tuition hikes.

For the fourth year in a row, there will be no tuition increase for Pennsylvania students attending a branch campus. PA students would pay 2% more to attend the main campus, which will cost nearly $21,000 a year starting next fall.

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Tuition will also go up by 2% at Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle and at the College of Medicine in Hershey.

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Some out-of-state students will also see a larger increase for the 2026-27 academic year.

Commonwealth Campuses

No increase for in-state undergraduates.

1% for out-of-state undergraduates.

1% for in-state graduate students.

2% for out-of-state graduate students.

University Park

2% for in-state undergraduate and graduate students.

4% for out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students.

World Campus

1% for all Penn State World Campus students (undergraduate and graduate, regardless of residency).

Penn State Dickinson Law

2% for all law students (in-state and out-of-state).

College of Medicine

2% for in-state medical students.

4% for out-of-state medical students.

Pennsylvania state universities increasing tuition; first time in years

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(WHTM)  A Pennsylvania congressman joined the growing number of Republicans demanding more transparency from the Trump administration over its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) released a letter he sent to Attorney General Pamela Bondi demanding she appoint a special prosecutor to look into the case as well as release sealed grand jury records from a 2006 Florida investigation into Epstein.

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I write with serious concern regarding federal government weaponization of federal agencies, as well as the persistent lack of transparency and accountability in the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, Perry said in the letter, which he released the same day the Department of Justice requested a judge to unseal grand jury testimony from the prosecution of the disgraced financier in Manhattan.

Perry called the case one of the most troubling examples of apparent failures within our justice system, citing a 2008 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein and federal prosecutors in which he served 13 months in a work-release program after he pleaded guilty to charges of prostitution that included ones involving a minor.

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The congressman added that Bondis handling of the case has only compounded distrust.

Your offices February 2025 release of Epstein-related documents, while a step toward transparency, contained little new information and failed to address the persistent demand for a full accounting of Epsteins network, including any unprosecuted co-conspirators, Perry said.

The issue has split Republicans after Bondis office and the FBI said in a memo earlier this month that they would not release any more information about the Epstein case, despite previously teasing the existence of a client list.

President Donald Trump bashed foolish Republicans for getting duped on Epstein.

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Republican support rolls in for legislation to release Epstein files

I call it the Epstein hoax. Takes a lot of time and effort. Instead of talking about the great achievements weve had  theyre wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems, who died three, four years ago. Id rather talk about the success we have with the economy, Trump said.

However, after facing pressure from much of his base, the president directed Bondi on Thursday to release relevant grand jury transcripts in the case.

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A view of the Pennsylvania state Capitol building from State Street in Harrisburg. (Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star).

Pennsylvania would recognize counseling credentials from other states under bills moving in both chambers of the state legislature.

In the state Senate, SB604 provides for the commonwealth to join more than three dozen other states as part of the Counseling Compact Commission.

Listen to Emilys audio recap here:

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https://penncapital-star.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/17epICCweb-version.mp3

At the end of the day, this is not just about expanding care, said sponsor Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton). This is about keeping our talent right here in Pennsylvania. Without this flexibility, counselors may look across the border for jobs in other states that have already joined the compact.  This helps keep us competitive and keeps Pennsylvania on a level playing field.

The Senate sent the measure to the House Thursday. The bills companion HB668 passed the House in June.

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Five Republicans opposed the Senate measure because they think the setup gives the compact commission that oversees multi-state licensing of providers  which includes representatives from all member states  too much power.

One concern: the compacts rules are automatically binding and supersede member states laws, at least initially. Member states legislatures can get rid of a rule if a majority passes laws to do so within four years.

Boscola noted the compact rules only would apply to counselors whove voluntarily obtained a multi-state certification.

The group would work like the others for nurses, doctors and physical therapists to which the commonwealth already belongs, she said.

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If this bill simply provided reciprocity and assurance of proper accreditation and licensing between states for licensed professional counselors, I would have supported it, said state Sen. Dawn Keefer, (R-York/Cumberland), in an emailed statement.

Keefer said Pennsylvania already provides limited reciprocity for counselors licensed in other states.

If these processes are cumbersome or difficult, lets fix them, she said. But creating an independent, national bureaucracy for professionals to navigate and taxpayers to fund is not the solution.

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Enabling legislation is identical in each of the member states, because it has to be, according to Jesse Monoski, executive director of the state Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee.

The commission expects to start taking applications for multi-state licenses this fall, Monoski said.

As for other interstate compacts for nurses, physicians and physical therapists, problems with the states background check system had prevented Pennsylvania-based professionals from getting multi-state credentials for years.

Just within the past couple weeks, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced full integration of the existing multi-state compacts.

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State law changed in 2024 to require applicants multi-state counseling and myriad medical licenses to get fingerprinted and undergo background checks through the State Police, spelled out in language that meets FBI standards. The Department of State also now has access to the information to facilitate application processing, according to DoS.

This story was updated to add details about last years state law change provided after publication.






The WITF office in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, outside Harrisburg. (Photo by Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

*This story has been updated at 6:40 a.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025, with results of the House vote.*

Viewers and listeners across Pennsylvania are now seeing and hearing new announcements accompanying their favorite public broadcasting programs.

Public media organizations in the commonwealth, like central Pennsylvanias WITF, place banners on their main web pages reading, Call your Representative today to help protect the future of local public media, as they now face an uncertain future.

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The U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday to eliminate $9 billion in foreign aid and federal funding for public broadcasting that it had previously allocated, putting $1.1 billion in jeopardy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The measure passed the House shortly after midnight Friday.

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More than 20 public radio and television stations in the commonwealth will be impacted.

These funds support vital services  educational programming, local journalism and public safety  in regions like Central Pennsylvania, WITF CEO Ron Hetrick told LNP/Lancaster Online (WITF and LNP share a parent company).

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President Donald Trump has defended the decision, writing that public broadcasting spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as news, in a statement in May.

Pennsylvanias two U.S. Senators took different stances. Republican Dave McCormick voted in favor of backing the Trump administrations efforts to defund public media.

Democrat John Fetterman voted against the bill alongside all of his fellow Democrats.

Mr. Rogers, a Pittsburgh icon, taught us kindness and empathy. My wife, Gisele, learned English watching PBS, where Big Bird and Elmo have educated generations of American kids. As a father, its personal, and I cant understand why were even considering taking away this programming for families across the nation, he wrote in a statement to reporters.

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Accusations of a liberal bias or woke propaganda are sheer and total nonsense, said Terry OReilly, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation. PCPC operates National Public Radio (NPR) member station WESA and independent public radio station WYEP, an indie and classic rock music station.

WESA does get complaints about its coverage from people on the left and right of the political spectrum, and OReilly values constructive conversations about the stations coverage, he explained.

The WITF radio studio. (Photo by Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star))

But after decades in journalism, I can tell you that if youre not getting complaints from both sides about the fact that youre not covering them closely enough, youre probably not working hard enough, he said.

Federal funding for the hundreds of nonprofit organizations is relatively meager in the U.S. compared to government funding for public media in other democratic countries.

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Two percent of NPRs annual budget and 15% of Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) annual budget comes directly from federal grants. The funding amounted to .01% of the total government spending in 2022, which was less than 18 countries across the world, including the U.K. and Canada, according to the economic analysis firm Nordicity.

Despite the small amount of federal funding public media receives in the U.S., this is not the first time it has come under fire, especially from Republican lawmakers, said Victor Pickard, professor of media policy and political economy at the University of Pennsylvania.

Former presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, as well as Trump in his first term, attempted to defund NPR and PBS, but Congress halted their efforts.

The move reflects a historical trend, as well as Trumps broader media strategy to discourage dissenting views, according to Pickard.

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Defunding public media was a convenient way for the administration to weaponize any policy tool at their disposal to try to neutralize the press and rein them in and bully them into submission, he said.

But Pickard argues the cutting initiative is not driven by public opinion on federal funding for public radio, which remains high among Democrats and Republicans, according to a survey conducted last week by The Harris Poll for NPR.

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National support is especially bipartisan when it comes to public radio emergency alerts. Three-quarters of Democrats and Republicans rely on them for public safety news, the report found.

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I dont think people were clamoring to defund public broadcasting, Pickard said. This is much more of an elite-driven agenda.

Nearly 18% of NPRs 1,000 member stations would stand to close if the federal government cuts off funding, according to a 2011 internal NPR report obtained by The New York Times.

The individual effects of these cuts would largely depend on the media market, said Matt Jordan, head of the film production and media studies department at Penn State University. Larger areas, like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, depend less on federal funds for their operating budgets, and also have bigger donor bases than rural stations, he explained.

Federal funding accounts for about 9% of WESAs total operating budget. WESAs largest funding source comes from individuals and institutions local to the Pittsburgh area, and OReilly believes donors will continue to stand by the station, should the cuts go into effect, he said.

The on-air light outside the WITF radio studio. (Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

We dont have any plan to make specific changes to programming, but we will have to face the fiscal realities of what does it take to operate without those federal funds, according to OReilly.

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For public media to be sucked into the political maelstrom that is Washington these days is unfortunate, particularly because the greatest damage is going to be done in communities where it can be afforded the least, OReilly added.

Representatives from WITF in Harrisburg, WVIA in Pittston and WHYY in Philadelphia did not respond to requests for comment.

Rural stations, who often derive 25% to 50% of their budget funds from federal monies, will be disproportionately hurt by the cuts, Pickard said.

WPSU, for example, will be more heavily affected because 20% of its funding comes from the federal government, Jordan said. Penn State operates the State College-based organization, which also faces a 20% funding cut from the university.

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As a result of such financial pressures, the station has already begun layoffs, Jordan said, and local coverage will be spread thin.

Therell be one or two people trying to do everything  what were losing is people hearing and reading about their own lived experience, and everything becomes much more nationalized, he said.

When communities lose their community media institutions, they tend to turn more toward national news outlets or Facebook groups, Pickard said. This loss can reach wide-ranging areas of social life, incentivizing disinformation and political polarization, and leaving people vulnerable to local corruption, according to recent studies.

Areas that stand to lose the most funding throughout the state are already underserved by journalism because of growing news deserts caused by private equity firms buying up local newspapers, according to Jordan.

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Public media was established because a commercial media system is unlikely to generate the things that democracy needs but the market is unlikely to provide, including service to poor communities and programming that doesnt attract advertisements, Pickard said.

Most democracies on the planet take this to heart, and thats why they fund robust public broadcasting systems, because they understand that this market failure will prevent commercial media from ever providing all societys information and communication needs.

Elena Eisenstadt is a 2025 Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association summer intern.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was "looking into" a cloud computing program run by Microsoft utilizing foreign workers from China, which was criticized this week for potentially lacking adequate safeguards, which could provide the CCP easy access to classified defense data and systems.

A ProPublica report released Tuesday accused Microsoft of allowing China-based engineers to assist with Pentagon cloud systems with inadequate guardrails in an effort to scale up its government contracting business.

In response, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Hegseth Thursday asking for information and documents about the program, including a list of all Department of Defense (DOD) contractors that hire Chinese personnel to provide maintenance or other services to DOD systems, a list of subcontractors that hire Microsoft's American-born "digital escorts" required to supervise foreign computer scientists while they work on DOD systems and documents on the training these supervisors receive to identify suspicious activity. The Republican senator requested answers to his questions by the end of the month.

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"In light of recent and concerning reports about Microsoft using engineers in China to maintain DOD systems, Ive asked the Secretary of Defense to look into the matter," Cotton said in a post on X sharing his letter to Hegseth. "We must guard against all threats within our militarys supply chain."

Temu Sued By Kentucky For Allegedly Giving China Unfettered' Access To User Data

A cyber review board mandated by President Biden issued a scathing report on Microsoft over a 2023 hack.

A few hours after Cotton's X post, Hegseth responded, "Spot on senator."

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"Agree fully," Hegseth said in his own X post responding to Cotton. "Our team is already looking into this ASAP. Foreign engineers  from any country, including of course China  should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DOD systems."

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The ProPublica report cited current and former employees and government contractors who worked on a cloud computing program deployed by Microsoft in 2016, which involved a "digital escort" framework. The program, meant to meet federal contracting regulations, used a system of "digital escort" chaperones for global cybersecurity officials, such as those based in China, meant to create a security buffer so that they can work on agency computing systems. DOD guidelines require that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Hegseth Abruptly Pulls Pentagon Officials From Globalist Aspen Conference

According to sources who spoke to ProPublica, including some who had intimate familiarity with the hiring process for the $18-per-hour "digital escort" position, the tech employees being hired to do the supervising lacked the adequate tech expertise to prevent a rogue Chinese employee from hacking the system or turning over classified information to the CCP.

The sources elaborated that the escorts, often former military personnel, were hired for their security clearances more than their technical abilities and often lacked the skills to evaluate code being used by the engineers they were supervising.

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In China, people are governed by sweeping laws compelling government cooperation with data collection efforts.

"If ProPublicas report turns out to be true, Microsoft has created a national embarrassment that endangers our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Heads should roll, those responsible should go to prison and Congress should hold extensive investigations to uncover the full extent of potential compromise," said Michael Lucci. Lucci is the CEO and founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats.

"Microsoft or any vendor providing China with access to Pentagon secrets verges on treasonous behavior and should be treated as such," Lucci added.

Kaine Questions Waltz On Hegseth's Role In Signalgate During Un Ambassador Confirmation Hearing

A Black Hawk Army helicopter carrying reporters lands at the Pentagon after a demonstration of future combat systems for Army Secretary Francis Harvey, Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker and the media at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

A Microsoft spokesperson defended the company's "digital escort" model Tuesday, saying all personnel and contractors with privileged access must pass federally approved background checks.

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"For some technical requests, Microsoft engages our team of global subject-matter experts to provide support through authorized U.S. personnel, consistent with U.S. government requirements and processes," the spokesperson added. "In these instances, global support personnel have no direct access to customer data or customer systems."

The Defense Information Systems Agency's (DISA) public information office was initially unaware of the program when ProPublica began asking questions about it, but it eventually followed up to point out that "digital escorts" are used "in select unclassified environments" at the Defense Department for "advanced problem diagnosis and resolution from industry subject-matter experts."

Meanwhile, on Friday, Microsoft Chief Communications Officer, Frank Shaw, said that in response to recent concerns over the program, Microsoft is choosing to make some changes.

"In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DOD Government cloud and related services," Shaw said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed."





Original article source: Pentagon to probe Microsoft's use of Chinese engineers on sensitive defense systems, Hegseth says
The Colorado Springs man who was shocked with a Taser by a police officer in 2022 during a foot pursuit and left paralyzed filed a state lawsuit in the 4th Judicial District after the dismissal of his federal lawsuit.

The case started May 16, 2022, when Colorado Springs police officers working in a multi-agency auto theft task force used a vehicle tracker to find Jacob Root, 31, driving a stolen car to a Kum & Go gas station on Airport Road, according to police records. When the officers approached Root, he fled.

After a brief chase, Comstock shot Root in the back with a Taser, causing him to fall face-first into the street. Injuries from the fall left Root paralyzed, according to previous Gazette coverage.

Civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels and Tyler A. Jolly filed a $100 million federal lawsuit in May 2024, claiming Officer Robert Comstock violated CSPD's use-of-force policy when he shocked Root.

Magistrate Judge Timothy P O'Hara dismissed the case "without prejudice," on March 5, according to court records. In response, Root's attorneys filed an appeal U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals on March 28.

Lets be clear. This wasnt any kind of victory for the CSPD. The court didnt say Officer Comstock was right, they didnt say CSPD was immune, and they certainly didnt say that Jacob Root deserved to be paralyzed," Daniels stated in a Friday news release.

"The court said that this is a question for the state court. So, while we appeal that decision, we filed this state lawsuit.

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Court records show the state lawsuit was filed on March 26. It lays out similar claims to the federal lawsuit, alleging Comstock did not give proper warning before shocking Root in the back and his actions were "malicious." In addition, the lawsuit claims Comstock violated department policy by deploying a Taser while Root was on an elevated surface and more at risk for injury.

When the federal lawsuit was filed last year, the department said in a statement that, "after review through the deputy chief, Officer Comstock was exonerated from any policy violation or wrongdoing. The department posted additional bodycam footage and the internal investigation alongside the May 2024 statement.

The internal report notes Comstock repeatedly ordered Root to stop, albeit threatening the use of a K-9 unit and not the Taser, according to previous Gazette coverage.

The Police Department said it had no further comment on the matter Friday, citing the initial public statement.

According to the Peace Officer Standards and Training website, Comstock remains employed by the department and is in good standing. The state lawsuit is seeking "injunctive relief" against Comstock, prohibiting him from maintaining POST certification.

The complaint filed in the state lawsuit did not detail a specific monetary amount the plaintiffs are requesting, but rather a "sum that will fairly and adequately compensate Plaintiff for his damages and for such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper."

Daniels has been involved in other lawsuits against Colorado Springs police, notably the 2022 beating of Dalvin Gadson as well as the strangulation of 63-year-old Kevin Dizmang.

Gadson's lawsuit resulted in a $2.1 million settlement in May 2024. However, a federal judge ruled the Colorado Springs paramedic and police officer could not be held liable for Dizmang's death in March.
AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF)  Community members are honoring the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis and say they are fighting for civil and human rights.

The march went from Friendship Baptist Church to the Center for African American History, Arts & Culture.

John Lewis passed away in 2020 and is remembered for being a Civil Rights advocate, supporting the expansion of the Civil Rights Act and fought for protections of the LGBTQ community.

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His motto was always to get into Good Trouble and Good Trouble means fighting for democracy, fighting for our rights and taking a stance against anything that would threaten our rights as American citizens. If you have to be uncomfortable, you have to be hot in the sun, you have to do what you have to do to stand up and get in Good Trouble, said Christina Cue, Chair of the Aiken County Democratic Party.

Cue says its critical for people to show up and fight for what they believe in.

Theres so much going on that is unprecedented. Right now what is sending a message is us showing up. We just had a No Kings protest a few weeks ago where we had 1500 people here in Aiken which is unheard of, weve never done that before and we were so excited but that shows the power of our democracy, the power of the voices of the people because when you show up our voice is represented, Cue said,

Volunteers and elected officials joined the march including Jermaine Johnson, State Representative House District 52.

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Individuals showing up here is very very important. It shows that people are engaged, theyre involved, and they want to continue to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis just to say that were going to continue speaking out, making sure that were heard, showing up and making sure that America represents all of its inhabitants, said Johnson.

To learn more about the Aiken Democratic Party you can find that here.

To learn more about the 50501 organization you can find that here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
ST. JOSEPH. MO (News-Press NOW)  A sweeping new law set to take effect Thursday, Aug. 28, will reshape how Missourians bring issues directly to the ballot.

Citizens use the Initiative Petition process to put new laws or constitutional amendments directly on the ballot by gathering signatures.

It's been used in Missouri for over 100 years, allowing voters to bypass the legislature and place issues directly on the ballot.

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Recent examples of this include medicaid expansion, abortion access and medical marijuana legalization.

Senate Bill 22, passed by Missouri lawmakers earlier this year and signed by Governor Mike Parson, introduces a series of changes to the states Initiative Petition process, altering everything from who writes the official ballot language to when and how legal challenges can be filed.

Supporters of the bill acknowledge the changes will provide greater consistency and fairness. However, critics warn it could undermine democracy by making it harder for grassroots organizations to bring issues before voters.

Ballot summary responsibility

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One of the most significant shifts under Senate Bill 22 is who will write the summary language appearing on ballots, a key piece of information that can shape how voters perceive an issue.

Previously, the Missouri Secretary of State was responsible for writing the short summary that appears on ballots to explain what a proposed measure does.

State Representative Dean Van Schoiack (R-Savannah), who represents part of Buchanan County, said the change is about putting power back in the hands of the elected General Assembly, rather than relying solely on one state office to control how issues are worded for voters.

I think the changes made here allow for the Secretary of State to do his job correctly," VanSchoiack said.

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Under the new law, when the legislature itself refers an issue to the ballot, lawmakers will now write the summary language instead. The Secretary of State will continue to write summaries for citizen-led petitions.

Disagreers of the bill, including David Jones, the vice president for the St. Joseph National Education Association (NEA), argue that it gives more power to officials and not the will of the people.

"It's important that when we do any initiatives that are going to go to the vote for the voters, that's worded clearly," Jones said.

Longer ballot summaries

In the past, anyone who disagreed with the wording of a ballot summary had 10 days after certification to challenge it. Courts also had the authority to rewrite summaries if they found the wording biased.

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Now, legal challenges and court fights over how a ballot question is worded must be filed by the 22nd Tuesday before the general election. Around 154 days ahead of time.

Any court battles over ballot wording must be fully resolved at least 70 days before the election. Additionally, courts must wait for the Secretary of State to attempt up to three rewrites before stepping in.

"It doesn't change what's in the petition or the resolution or whatever," VanSchoiack said. "It just gives a chance for the ballot language to change."

But critics, including several voter advocacy groups, express that these new hurdles will make it harder for ordinary citizens to hold the government accountable, especially if ballot summaries are drafted in a way that favors one side.

"It would be harder for organizations to challenge ballot initiatives that are worded improperly, Jones said.

Tune in to News-Press NOW at 5 p.m. on Thursday to watch this Special Report.
Latino culture from Peru, Colombia and the Mexican state of Oaxaca will be the focus of several festivals and events this weekend.

The Peruvian Consulate in Salt Lake City is hosting a celebration Saturday to mark Peruvian independence from Spain at the Salt Lake City Public Safety Building, 475 S. 300 East in Salt Lake City. It goes from 10 a.m. to noon. The event comes early  independence day in the South American country is actually on July 28.

Come dressed in red and white, reads an announcement for the event, referencing the colors of the nations flags. We want to see our community in the colors of our flag, to feel united and patriotic, to sing our national anthem and to celebrate with pride our independence.

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Viva Peru USA is hosting the Peruvian Festival Saturday at City Center Park at Center Street and 300 East in Orem. It goes from 11 a.m. to midnight and will feature traditional Peruvian music and folkloric dancing and other Latino music as well as Peruvian food and more.

Peru arrives to Utah County in all its splendor with traditions, music, amazing dances, fiesta and delicious food, reads an announcement for the event.

The Peruvian Consulate in Salt Lake City is holding a celebration to mark Peruvian independence on Saturday, July 19. The photo featuring the Peruvian flag comes from the 2024 celebration. | Peruvian Consulate in Salt Lake City

The food, dancing and colorful clothing of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca will be the focus of the La Guelaguetza 2025, organized by Oaxaca en Utah and now in its fifth year. It goes from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and will be held at Heritage Park, 250 N. Fairfield Road in Kaysville.

Oaxaca has one of the most concentrated Indigenous populations in Mexico, and the Guelaguetza celebrations are a major annual event each July in the state.

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La Guelaguetza, meaning offering in the Zapotec language, is a remarkable celebration of diversity and unity. It brings together Indigenous communities from the surrounding villages in Oaxaca, Mexico, who gather to share their traditions, music, dances and culinary delights, reads event promotional material.

Colombias independence from Spain will be the focus of a festival on Saturday at Jordan Park, 1060 S. 900 West in Salt Lake City. It goes from 1-10 p.m. Colombias actual independence day is July 20.

A trio of Latino organizations host the Kite Festival in Herriman on July 19, 2024. | Frengy Alvarado

The Capitan Zarigueya Foundation, a Utah nonprofit group that assists Latino children and teens in need, is hosting a Kite Festival, or Festival de Cometas in Spanish, on Saturday. It will be held at J. Lynne Crane Park, 12998 S. Fort Herriman Parkway in Herriman, starting at 10 a.m.

While organized by members of the Latino community  including Panas en Utah and Chilenos Buena Onda en Utah  and rooted in the kite-flying traditions of some parts of Latin America, everyone is invited. The focus is on flying kites, with sponsors providing some free kites.

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Kite festivals are a very popular tradition in many Latin American countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile and Peru, Frengy Alvarado, one of the organizers, said. Flying kites  also known as papagayos  is a family activity that evokes childhood, freedom and joyful moments shared in the community. This tradition is being brought to Utah as a way to keep cultural roots alive.

The event will also feature food, live performances and more.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is applauding a letter sent Thursday by Republican lawmakers to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, urging the agency to stop using taxpayer dollars for experiments on animals conducted in foreign laboratories.

The letter, signed by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., highlights concerns about the lack of oversight and inadequate standards in certain foreign facilities.

The bipartisan Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Actled by the Republicans along with Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.seeks to end NIH funding for animal experiments outside the U.S. and ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused for the unnecessary suffering of animals.

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Between 2011 and 2021, the NIH issued more than $2.2 billion in grants for controversial research in 45 countries.

Navy Halts Dog And Cat Experiments After Peta Writes Hegseth About Us Taxpayer-funded Animal Tests

According to the letter, the "research" included genetically altering cats to be born with deformed legs, infecting bats with diseases that were transmissible and fatal to humans, and force-feeding mice human feces.

Read On The Fox News App

Nih Closes Experimentation Labs Accused Of Brutally Killing Thousands Of Beagles For 40+ Years

Nehls and Scott noted there are little to no inspections at the facilities where research is conducted or where the animals are housed, and there is inadequate auditing of foreign NIH-funded animal studies, resulting in significant gaps in oversight and accountability of how taxpayer dollars are being used.

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"It is deeply concerning that American taxpayer dollars have been used to fund harmful and abusive animal experiments overseas that lack the same oversight and accountability as labs here in the United States," Nehls and Scott wrote in the letter. "It is a waste of resources that should be allocated to more ethical and effective research practices that do not involve animals."

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said the organization is grateful to Nehls, Scott, Titus and Booker for serving as the lead sponsors of the CARGO Act.

"This effort represents a significant step in halting cruel and wasteful animal experimentation abroad, and it aligns with the Trump Administrations broader shift toward more relevant, non-animal research methods," Guillermo wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are excited to continue working alongside these dedicated lawmakers to pass the CARGO Act and ensure that taxpayer money is no longer used to support pointless and unethical research."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) thanked Republican lawmakers for their work on legislation that would cut wasteful spending on overseas animal research.

Scoop: House Republicans Request Ban On Federally Funded 'Transgender Animal' Experiments In 2026 Budget

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The CARGO Act was introduced following a PETA investigation into Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, a discredited Colombian laboratory with a history of violating animal care standards.

Caucaseco Scientific Research Center received more than $17 million in U.S. funding, and the Biden administration's NIH encouraged additional funding, even after it was caught confining monkeys in filthy conditions, leaving them to die from infected wounds, and starving mice to the point of cannibalism, according to PETA.

The PETA investigation reportedly led to multiple investigations by local authorities, the rescues of 108 monkeys and 180 mice, and the retraction of a research publication.

"The letters request for NIH to immediately cease funding animal experiments in foreign labs is a crucial step toward protecting animals and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly," Guillermo wrote. "PETA remains committed to advocating for legislative and policy changes that prioritize ethical, practical, and non-animal research."





Original article source: PETA applauds GOP lawmakers' demand to halt NIH funding for 'cruel' overseas animal testing
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now allowing ICE to use U.S. military bases to detain undocumented immigrants as part of Donald Trumps sweeping deportation efforts.

In a brief letter signed Tuesday, Hegseth approved Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens.

Hegseth insisted that the policy would not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness.

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So, somehow having trangender people serve in the military affects readiness, but refashioning military facilities as internment camps doesnt? In the case of both policies, the Trump administration is carrying out a wildly radical agenda that will only result in more human suffering.

It was first reported in May that Camp Atterbury was being considered as a possible detention facility, as immigration arrests in Indiana surged. The base, which is operated by the National Guard, was one of a dozen military bases that housed hundreds of Afghan refugees in its barracks starting in 2021.

In a statement Friday, Representative Andre Carson said hed asked the federal government to confirm whether it intended to use the military training center in May, but received no reply. This week, the Indiana Democrat got his answer.

I remain concerned on this use of Camp Atterbury given the deplorable and inhumane conditions at other ICE detention facilities nationwide, Carson said in a statement, stressing the alarmingly high rates of detainee deaths during the second Trump administration. At least 12 people have died in ICE custody so far this year.

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This is a dark time for our nation. I will continue fighting these unlawful, cruel policies and will actively monitor activities at Camp Atterbury to ensure humane and sanitary conditions, Carson added.

A group of Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey also released a statement condemning the Trump administrations decision.

This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country, said the statement from Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and Representatives Herb Conaway Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Nellie Pou, Donald Norcross, LaMonica McIver, and Josh Gottheimer.
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  More than 300 people have signed a petition against a proposal to build a convention center and hotel along Stop 30 Road in Hendersonville.

On the other hand, some think its a great idea, but Alderman Michael Martin said theres still time to figure things out.

The convention center and hotel would be located between Drakes Creek Road and New Shackle Island Road.

Right now the area is mostly farmland.

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Hendersonville to begin discussions on potential convention center project

Martin said he believes this type of development would be a benefit to the community, as some Hendersonville residents currently have to travel to Nashville for some city-sponsored programs.

Other Hendersonville residents worry about the location of the project.

The land in question is currently zoned for 194 single-family homes, and we believe that maintaining this zoning is crucial for the character and integrity of our community, the petition reads in part.

Martin said he agrees the convention center and the hotel could be useful, but also said there could be a better location for it.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

I think we do need the convention center; I just dont know if the Stop 30 location is going to be the right location, he told News 2. I think thats what most people are coming around to.

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Martin added whether or not the convention center and hotel come to Stop 30, the city will eventually need to expand that road.

As for next steps, Martin said the developer and the city need to take peoples comments and opinions into consideration at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on July 22.

Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Demonstrators with COVA Coalition took to three overpasses along I-264 for Good Trouble Lives On protests in Norfolk and Virginia Beach on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

The Good Trouble Lives On national day of action honors the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Demonstrations were scheduled to be in public spaces across the country to protest against President Donald Trumps controversial policies that include mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid.
***Watch previous coverage above***

AKRON, Ohio (WJW)  The Akron Police Department is asking for the publics help identifying multiple persons of interest in a shooting that left more than a dozen people injured in the Mason Community Learning Center parking lot earlier this month.

According to investigators, a group of more than 100 people in their teens and early 20s were gathered in the parking lot after a late-night party on July 7.

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Lorain County corrections officer charged with assaulting inmate

Witnesses told police that a large number of gunshots were fired at about 3 a.m.

Five people were struck by bullets and another 10 people were injured during the chaos, Akron police said.

Credit: Akron Police Department Credit: Akron Police Department Credit: Akron Police Department Credit: Akron Police Department Credit: Akron Police Department Credit: Akron Police Department

Euclid Beach murder suspect faces judge

On Monday afternoon, police detectives released photos of persons of interest in the shooting, which remains under investigation at this time.

Anyone with information should reach out to the Akron Police Department Detective

Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

Anonymous tips can also be made by calling Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS or texting TIPSCO with your tip to 274637.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
It has taken more than two years for a trial date to be set for the Pinellas plastic surgeon accused of murdering a lawyer.

Since Tomasz Kosowski, 46, was arrested in connection with the death of Largo attorney Steven Cozzi after he went missing in March 2023, finding a defense team to represent him has been tough. Several private attorneys and the Pinellas County Public Defenders Office have withdrawn from his case, citing conflicts of interest.

This month, Kosowski gained two court-appointed private lawyers from a regional registry who will represent him as the case moves toward trial.

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At a pre-trial hearing at the Pinellas County Justice Center Friday morning, defense attorney Daniel Hernandez told Pinellas Circuit Judge Joseph Bulone that he and co-counsel Jane McNeill will represent Kosowski.

Hernandez asked to set another pre-trial hearing in 60 days so he and McNeill can review discovery and better tell the court what we believe we need to be prepared for trial.

Kosowski stood next to his lawyers in orange jail clothes.

Bulone set a hearing for Sept. 19 with the expectation that a trial date will be set then.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if Kosowski is convicted as charged.

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In 2023, Kosowski was representing himself in a lawsuit he filed over a medical billing dispute. Cozzi represented one of the defendants.

After one particularly heated deposition, witnesses recalled, the doctor followed the lawyer into a law office restroom and called him a scumbag. It was about this time that Cozzi began to fear for his safety, his husband testified in July 2023.

On March 23, 2023, Cozzi went to work at his Largo office. Surveillance videos showed he never left. He did not call in to a telephone hearing in Kosowskis lawsuit scheduled for that morning, but Kosowski did.

Cozzis phone and personal items were left at his desk, his computer open to the text of an unsent email. Investigators found blood in the offices restroom, and videos showed a person who detectives believe was Kosowski entering the office with a cart and later leaving with a large object on top of it.

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Other surveillance video obtained by police showed the man driving a Toyota Tundra to Kosowskis Tarpon Springs home.

During a search of the home, investigators found blood in the garage and in the Toyota Tundra that was seen in the surveillance footage.

Later on the day that Cozzi went missing, license plate readers picked up Kosowskis red Toyota Corolla in the Miami area. When Kosowski was arrested in Tarpon Springs a few days later, police found a bloodied ballistic vest, duct tape, a paralyzing agent, syringes with sedatives, brass knuckles, a Taser and nearly $300,000 in cash, records state. Cozzis DNA was also found in the Corollas trunk.

Cozzis body has never been found.

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Pinellas Assistant State Attorney Nathan Vonderheide previously told the Tampa Bay Times he plans to call 56 state witnesses over six weeks of trial.

The trial was supposed to begin in May.

Times staff writer Jack Prator contributed to this report.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  The funeral services for Jordan Elizabeth Labarre, the stepdaughter of Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, took place Friday morning.

Berkshire DAs stepdaughter identified as Colorado murder victim

Friends and family of Jordan are gathering to honor her life at St. Marks church in Pittsfield.

Services began this morning at 11 a.m.

Jordan Labarre grew up in Berkshire County before heading west to build a life in Colorado. Her brother Joshua says that she always carved her path, She always was sticking up for me or you know, or my mom or, you know, my step sister. And she was just fierce. About ten years ago, she had a lot of friends in Colorado, and she wanted to. You know, Colorado is very much like its snowboarding, its outdoors. Its very free living.

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Authorities say 32-year-old Jordan Labarre was killed inside a Colorado Breckenridge home last Monday. Police arrested suspect Daniel Devito at the scenehes now charged with first-degree murder.

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 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
By Sheila Dang

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Chevron closed its $55 billion acquisition of Hess on Friday after winning a landmark legal battle against larger rival Exxon Mobil to gain access to the largest oil discovery in decades.

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth's strategy to turn around his company's lagging performance hinged on the acquisition, one of the largest energy deals in the past decade. The prize is a stake in the prolific Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana that holds more than 11 billion barrels of oil and is one of the fastest growing oil provinces in the world.

Shares in Chevron rose 3% in premarket trading, while Hess stock jumped 7%. Exxon shares were marginally lower.

"This merger of two great American companies brings together the best in the industry," Wirth said in a statement.

Exxon and China's CNOOC, Hess' partners in Guyana, had filed arbitration disputes that claimed they held a pre-emptive right to purchase Hess' stake, which delayed Chevron's closure of the Hess acquisition for over a year.

"We disagree with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) panel's interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process," Exxon said in a statement.

"Given the significant value we've created in the development of the Guyana resource, we believed we had a clear duty to our investors to consider our preemption rights to protect the value we created through our innovation and hard work at a time when no one knew just how successful this venture would become," the company added.

There is no appeals process at the International Chamber of Commerce, the court that oversaw the arbitration case.

CNOOC did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Even as it awaited the arbitration verdict, Chevron was making preparations so it could close the deal with Hess within 48 hours of resolving the arbitration and complete other operational tasks within 45 days, Reuters previously reported.

Information technology workers from Chevron and Hess have met regularly to plan the integration, and Hess employees were informed that they could request a severance package following the deal's close.

The claims from Exxon and CNOOC had kicked off a lengthy legal battle that captured the attention of the global oil industry, shareholders, and attorneys who craft joint operating agreements that govern oil partnerships around the world.

The dispute centered on the interpretation of just several words in the confidential joint operating agreement between Exxon, Hess and CNOOC, experts have told Reuters.

CNBC, which first reported the news of Chevron's win, cited an interview with Exxon CEO Darren Woods, who said the company was examining the ruling to determine whether to make provisions in contracts to ensure they prevail in future disputes.

CNBC also reported Woods said that Exxon's relationship with Chevron in other projects around the world was fine throughout the arbitration proceedings.

"This was never a Chevron thing. This was more about getting the contracts enforced the way they were intended," Woods told CNBC.

The fight illustrates the value of the Stabroek Block, which drove profits for the Exxon-led consortium that controls all of its oil output, transformed Guyana into one of the world's fastest-growing economies and still has potential for further oil discoveries.

Hess' earnings from Guyana rose to $3.1 billion last year from $1.9 billion in 2023.

Chevron's adjusted earnings last year totaled $18.3 billion, down from $24.7 billion in 2023.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Houston and Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Elaine Hardcastle and Louise Heavens)
Jul. 17CANTON  Canton Code Officer Tim Nolan received a site plan application Tuesday for the Midtown Plaza redevelopment project, offering village trustees a look Wednesday at the long-dilapidated property's proposed reimagining.

The project will feature 55 one- and two-bedroom residential units, a 10,000-square-foot SUNY Canton Entrepreneurial Center, and approximately 2,500 square feet of retail space on the grounds of the Jubilee grocery store, which has been abandoned for more than 20 years.

The submitted site plan features the proposed building at 19 Miner St., facing Main Street and situated on the south side of the property.

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"It has a strong orientation to Main Street," the developer Vecino Group's Vice President for Planning and Acquisitions Robert J. Holzman, said. "The Entrepreneurial Center is going to be placed in the building to have a direct visual connection to Main Street."

The orientation will also benefit future residents.

"The way we've got the building, more of our residents will have views of the river on one side and the other side looking more towards the park."

He also highlights the site's improved connectivity.

"We're going to utilize that pedestrian connection right along the edge of the library that connects our site to the park," he said.

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The redevelopment project has a timeline targeting a 2026 construction start, Holzman said.

Key milestones include:

2023: Village acquires downtown property

April 2024: Request for proposals issued

Summer 2024: Developer Vecino Group selected

July 2024: Initial site plan submitted

July 22, 2024: Formal Village Planning Board review scheduled

Fall 2024: Housing tax credit application expected

February-March 2026: Potential tax credit announcement

Summer-Fall 2026: Projected construction launch

Holzman said that, while he could not make a guarantee, he felt positive that the project is in place to obtain the crucial tax credit designation.

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He cited the Restore New York funding to help with demolition, the New York Forward money recently awarded, the Village's purchase of the property to facilitate a transfer, and SUNY Canton having funding lined up as positive elements for the application.

Holzman said he has met with most of the adjacent property owners, including Planned Parenthood, Gamer Craze, the Knights of Columbus, the Post Office, and the Canton Free Library, to "understand everybody's expectations and needs."

"This is all good stuff," Mayor Michael E. Dalton said at the Trustees' meeting Wednesday night as the plans were unfurled on the board room table.

The Village Planning Board will consider the site plan application, and it will also be reviewed by the St. Lawrence County Planning Board for approval, Dalton said.

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Holzman said the project is an excellent opportunity for the Village of Canton.

"It's going to bring life and vitality into the downtown core," Holzman said. "Not just with our component of the project, with the resident development, but also with the SUNY Canton Entrepreneurial Center. It will be a great generator for the entire downtown population. It's certainly going to be a significant improvement. Right now, it's a grossly underutilized site that is contributing almost nothing to the value of downtown, and it's right at the heart of downtown."
Idaho doctors are free to refer patients out of state for abortions without concern for criminal prosecution thanks to an agreement signed by the states top attorney that ended a lawsuit over the issue.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, along with the Ada and Valley County prosecutors, on Thursday signed a consent decree  a legally binding settlement agreement  that prevents them from enforcing the states near-total abortion ban when it comes to health care providers ability to consult with patients on abortion options outside of Idaho.

The settlement concludes a two-year-old lawsuit brought against Labrador and the prosecutors in each of Idahos 44 counties by reproductive health care nonprofit Planned Parenthood and Idaho physicians Caitlin Gustafson and Darin Weyhrich. The majority of the county prosecutors were later dismissed as defendants.

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Gustafson, Weyhrich and Planned Parenthood sued in April 2023 after Labrador issued an opinion that said doctors are in violation of Idaho laws banning abortion when they refer patients to states where the procedure is legal. The attorney general later rescinded the opinion.

Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a news release that the settlement ensures that health care providers in Idaho can continue doing what they are trained and ethically bound to do  offer accurate information and help patients access the care they need, even if that care is out of state.

In a state where abortion is banned, those referrals can be lifesaving, Gibron added.

Labrador said in a statement that Idahos strong pro-life laws remain fully in effect.

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This settlement simply affirms what our office already made clear in court: We do not have the authority to prosecute referrals for out-of-state services, Labrador said. Resolving this matter through settlement avoids unnecessary litigation and protects Idaho taxpayers from further costs.

According to the language in the consent decree, the legal protection for health care workers extends to several aspects of patient conversations around abortion pills or procedures, including consultations, recommendations, scheduling and funding sources.
PLATTSBURGH  A depiction of President Donald Trump made from papier mache loomed over a crowd of demonstrators Thursday during the Good Trouble Lives On protest in Trinity Park.

Hosted by Show Up Plattsburgh, the event drew dozens of protesters from around the North Country.

Inspired by the legacy of John Lewis, American politician and civil rights leader, the event, which was one of many that took place across the U.S. on Thursday, featured street theater and guest speakers, as well as the opportunity for the public to connect with local civic organizations.

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Guest speakers included Connie Mandeville, Show Up Committee member and community activist; Jesse Murnane, founder of Show Up; and Dylan Hewitt, upcoming Democratic candidate for the N.Y. District 21.

Local organizations offering resources and information included Indivisible Plattsburgh and Sons of Liberty.

It is time to get involved, Murnane said to those gathered at the park. It is time to stand up and it is most importantly time to show up.

Among the crowd was Griffon Wilde, an organizer of the event and artist behind the Trump figure, which she had been working on for some time.

It took weeks and weeks of papier mache work, Wilde said. I put it away after the No Kings protests, because I was just too angry to look at it. So after some procrastination, I got it out and finished it.

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Wilde also constructed a special Revolutionary War-themed outfit, covered in small papier mache puppets holding signs of protest.

This is what democracy looks like, Wilde said when asked why she was there. I appreciate just how many groups are coming together. It is kind of crazy to see. Some are groups that you wouldnt normally see demonstrating together.

While many demonstrators showed up with signs, some came with noisemakers, including Lisa Pace, who shared them with others.

We brought cowbells to the first few, and people told us it was a really good idea, she said. So here we are, with cowbells.

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For Terry Boulerice, who is tired of (President Trumps) hateful speech, this protest is an opportunity to remember those who stand up for democracy,

I dont like the way the country is going, she said. This is America. We are supposed to stand up for each other not knock others down. I have three great-grandchildren and I want to see them grow up in a much better world than we are in today.

Boulerice asked fellow demonstrators to add their signature to her homemade sign.

I just want people to know we were here, she said. When they started talking about good trouble, I thought, we need it.

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For Judy Charlance, protesting is the only way that works right now.

We need to take to the streets, she said. We cannot encourage enough people to come out, the time is now.

Charlance attended the event with Amy Sukowski.

I am excited to honor the life of John Lewis, and to see the people who are coming out to stand up for democracy, Sukowski said.

Holly Heller-Ross, who volunteered to wear Wildes custom outfit, said she protests because she loves America.

That includes all of the people in it, she said. And I do not like the direction that our current government is headed.

Heller-Ross was honored to wear the outfit and said she appreciates the work Wilde put into the papier mache statue of Trump.

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This is a fabulous dramatization, she said. It gets attention and we need that, now more than ever.

Lewis first was elected to Congress in 1986. He died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson pressed Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act that later became law.

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Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America, Lewis said in 2020 while commemorating the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Chicago was the flagship city for Thursdays protests.
Two more men are facing charges in connection to a July 5 shooting that occurred during an anti-violence rally at Sara Sims Park in Boynton Beach.

Police this week arrested Kenneth Hollis, 25, and Javon Johnson, Jr., 19, on charges that include attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public.

Three women sustained injuries in the crossfire, which police allege began as a confrontation between members of rival gangs at an event that drew about 500 people.

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During separate court hearings the Palm Beach County Jail on July 17 and July 18, County Judge Lourdes Casanova assigned both men public defenders and ordered that they be held without bail on the attempted murder charges.

As a policy, the county Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases.

A night of 'Good Trouble': Hundreds turn out to honor John Lewis, oppose President Trump

Lawyer alleges Boynton Beach did not protect people at rally

Investigators say Hollis and Johnson were involved in the exchange of gunfire as the crowd gathered for a "Peace in the Hood" rally at the park, off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard west of North Seacrest Boulevard.

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Another man, 19-year-old Jamarion Petty, was arrested July 12 in connection to the shooting and is facing similar charges. A judge also ordered him to be held without bail.

Records show the city had not sanctioned the event and had denied the organizer's request for a permit in June. The organizer, listed in city paperwork as a suburban Lake Worth Beach woman, has not returned a call seeking comment.

Attorney Richard Ryles says that he is filing a lawsuit against the city of Boynton Beach on behalf of his client Diamond Delk who was shot in the hip and fractured her leg during an unsanctioned event at Sara Sims Park on July 5. He held a press conference at the park on July 11, 2025 in Boynton Beach, Florida.

An attorney for one of the shooting victims announced plans to file a lawsuit against Boynton Beach, saying the city failed to provide adequate protection for those gathered at the rally.

During a news conference at the park on July 11, attorney Richard Ryles said he would take the action on behalf of Diamond Delk, identified as one of the shooting victims.

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"The city of Boynton has an ultimate responsibility for maintaining its property in a safe condition and they failed to do that," he said.

Boynton Beach officials have disputed whether the shooting occurred on city-owned property, saying that it occurred outside of the boundaries of the park.

Jeffrey Epstein: Could Pam Bondi have prosecuted sex offender when she was Florida's top legal officer?

Surveillance-camera video helped police in arrest of gunman

Hollis' arrest report states that two witnesses identified him as one of the shooters. Investigators say he has a long, documented history of being affiliated with a gang known as the "Cherry Hill Boyz."

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According to Johnson's arrest report, he was seen on surveillance-camera video standing near a fence on the south side of the park. He was identified by distinctive tattoos on his neck and left forearm. He has a documented affiliation with a gang known as the "16the Ave Boys," police said.

Investigators say surveillance video showed Johnson recklessly firing a small handgun in the direction of a nearby church as he ran from the area, at times firing without looking in the direction of where he was shooting.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Two more arrested in shooting at Boynton Beach anti-violence rally
As the search for Travis Decker -- the father accused of murdering his three daughters -- reaches well over the one-month mark, video released by police shows the fugitive father three days before he picked up his kids and vanished.

The video, obtained by ABC News from the Wenatchee Police Department, shows Decker in the parking lot of a grocery store in Wenatchee, Washington, after rear-ending another individual's vehicle.

Throughout the 20-minute video, Decker -- seen wearing a white t-shirt and dark shorts -- leans against his white pickup truck, crosses his arms and talks to a police officer and the individual whose car he hit.

Wenatchee Police Department - PHOTO: Video released by police shows Travis Decker, the father accused of killing his three daughters, three days before he picked his kids and never returned.

Officials described the incident as a fender bender and that Decker would receive a ticket in the mail for "no insurance and following too closely," police said in the incident report.

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Before Decker leaves the scene, he shakes the hand of the individual he rear-ended.

This interaction was captured on May 27 -- just three days before Decker picked up his daughters for a planned visit on May 30. Several days later, on June 2, the three girls -- Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5 -- were found dead near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington, police said.

Wenatchee Police Department - PHOTO: Three young sisters in Washington, Olivia Decker, 5, Paityn Decker, 9, and Evelyn Decker, 8 who had not been seen since they left home for a scheduled visitation with their father have been found dead, according to the Wenatchee Police Department.

Ever since then, Decker, an Army veteran accused of murdering the three girls, has not been seen since.

Mike Morrison, the Chelan County Sheriff leading the search efforts, told ABC News officials are "of course frustrated like the rest of our community" that Decker has not been located.

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"It could be several weeks, several days or years before we find him. But we don't give up, we haven't closed this out. We're still pursuing," Morrison said.

MORE: Travis Decker timeline: How an 'active dad' ended up allegedly murdering his 3 daughters

While the search efforts have slowed down in the past month, Morrison said the U.S. Marshal Service and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office -- along with partners in Canada -- are the agencies currently partaking in the manhunt for Decker.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office - PHOTO: The Chelan County Sheriff's Office released photos of Travis Decker in a wanted poster.

But to ensure officials are not "aimlessly deploying taxpayer dollars," Morrison said authorities are leaning more on the investigative side of the case and only searching if credible leads arise -- like the instance in Idaho earlier this month, which turned out not to be Decker. Groups that are training this summer -- specifically search and rescue teams and swift water rescue teams -- will also search for Decker in the Washington area during their already scheduled training times, Morrison said.

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After conducting thorough searches of the surrounding land and water -- along with interviewing friends and family members -- Morrison said, "We just don't have anywhere specifically to go" to look for Decker. But, he said, they remain "hopeful" and are aware that this hunt could be a "long haul."

"We could be in for a fight for five years, 10 years, 20 years. I certainly hope we're looking at a couple weeks and it closes out, but it could be a long time and we are committed to staying with it," Morrison told ABC News.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office revealed earlier this month that DNA found at the scene of the crime matched the DNA profile "that we believe is Decker's" and that they had no "reason to believe there are any other suspects," the sheriff said in a press release at the time.

Wenatchee Police Department via AP - PHOTO: Undated photo of Travis Caleb Decker who the police are asking the public for help in locating the Washington state father who is wanted for murder after his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead.

Morrison confirmed once again that the DNA evidence to ABC News on Wednesday, and also revealed that the non-human blood found at the scene of the crime belonged to Decker's dog, which was recovered "in good health" at the scene and was taken to a humane society.

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Regardless of when they locate Decker, Morrison said he wants "closure for the family."

"We want the voices of Peyton, Evelyn and Olivia to be heard," Morrison told ABC News.

The U.S. Marshals Service is still offering a $20,000 reward for information leading directly to Decker's arrest. He is currently wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping, police said.

Officials said anyone who has information on Decker or knows of his whereabouts should not attempt to contact him, but instead call 911 or the U.S. Marshals Communication Center immediately.
Police identify new person of interest in 1987 Roseville murder originally appeared on Bring Me The News.

The Roseville Police Department is releasing new information in the murder of 22-year-old Sue Capistrant in hopes of finally solving the cold case almost four decades later.

According to police, Capistrants body was discovered behind a Roseville grocery store around 7:30 a.m. on April 8, 1987. She was last seen at her parents Roseville home earlier that day around 1 a.m., when she got a phone call from an unknown caller and left the house.

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Police were never able to determine who called Capistrant. More than a dozen potential suspects have been interviewed over the years.

Sue CapistrantRoseville Police Department

For the first time, detectives are releasing new information about a person of interest in the case.

Roseville police now say they have evidence tying Capistrant to a Roseville man, Robert Osborne, who died in 1996.

We know Ms. Capistrant was in contact with Mr. Osborne on April 7 or 8, 1987, Roseville police detective Brady Martin said in a news release.

We are seeking the publics assistance in connecting the lives of Capistrant and Osborne. Cases like these are often solved by information that someone deems too small or inconsequential to provide, he continued.

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Martin stresses that Osbornes potential involvement in the murder is unclear, as more than one person may have been involved.

Anyone with information relevant to the case are asked to call (651) 792-7008 or email rvpoliceinvest@cityofroseville.com. That includes anyone who knew Capistrant or Osborne or may have seen them together.

This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Police have identified Bailey William Glazier, 27, of East Lansing, as the man accused of holding a man hostage at knifepoint and stabbing him in a multi-home invasion incident that led to an officer-involved shooting.

Glazier was arraigned on a total of nine charges in relation to a Saturday afternoon incident in Bath Township, where he allegedly entered multiple houses without permission and held a homeowner hostage at knifepoint before leading police on a chase through the neighborhood while attempting to elude arrest.

The Bath Township Police Department says the incident began with a trespassing call in the 6000 block of Heathfield Dr., with the caller telling dispatchers that someone was walking through yards and attempting to break into cars. Minutes later, dispatchers received a second call from a nearby house on Nichols Rd., with the homeowner reporting that someone came into his house and stabbed him.

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When police arrived, one of the residents of the home told officers an intruder had assaulted both him and his roommate, and that both the intruder and his roommate were still in the home. Body camera footage released by the police department appears to show police entering the home and finding Glazier holding a knife to the homeowners neck as he backed toward a nearby door.

Police say Glazier then let the homeowner go and ran from police, leading them on a chase through the neighborhood where he entered two more homes before police caught him and placed him under arrest.

During the incident, police say Glazier was injured after being shot by police, who fired more than a dozen shots in his direction during the incident while they were attempting to place him under arrest. One of the officers also tased him during the incident. He was taken to a nearby hospital in what police called stable condition.

The two victims who told police Glazier assaulted them after entering their home were treated on the scene. No one else was injured.

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Glazier was charged with the following:

Assault with intent to murder

Two counts of first-degree home invasion

Two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon

Two counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer

Misdemeanor assault and battery

Misdemeanor breaking/entering without owner permission

Glaziers bond was set at $1 million, and he is currently in the Clinton County Jail. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on July 31.

The two officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave while the Michigan State Police investigates the officer-involved shooting.

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6 News will keep you updated.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Man dead after shooting in Dayton

A man is dead after a shooting in Dayton.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

As reported on News Center 7 at 11, Dayton officers were called to the shooting in the 500 block of West Fairview around 9:30 p.m.

TRENDING STORIES:

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A male was shot inside a car, according to a Montgomery County Regional Dispatch supervisor.

The man was later pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Tyler Hofacker with Dayton police.

911 callers detailed what they found.

He is shot and he is shot bad, one caller tells dispatchers. I heard like 10 shots.

Police ask anyone with additional information to call Crime Stoppers at (937) 222-7867 or police at (937) 333-2677.

We will continue to follow this story.

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A knock on the door from law enforcement doesn't always mean trouble, but what you do next can make an important difference.

The U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution protect against unreasonable searches and seizures, but knowing and asserting your rights can be reassuring.

Heres what to know:

When to open the door to police

Police officers are permitted to approach and knock on the door, as well as ask permission to speak with you, however, you may decline to answer any questions, according to Tennessee attorneys.

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Police can only enter your home if they have a warrant or if they suspect a crime is in progress. If the police knock on your door, the American Civil Liberties Union recommends you request that the officers present identification and a warrant signed by a judge before opening the door.

The act of opening the door does not give the police permission to enter your home, but the police can enter if they hear, see or smell anything suspicious inside the house when the door is opened.

If police have a warrant, the ACLU suggests confirming that all details are correct  including the address and name  and looking at which areas and items the warrant allows the officers to search. If the information on the warrant is correct and you are the person listed on the warrant, you must open the door for the police and let them in.

While you must let law enforcement in if they have a warrant, you have the right to remain silent, can follow the search and keep track of everything that was searched or taken by police.

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The police might ask for permission to enter the house without a warrant or probable cause. In this case, according to the ACLU, you do not and should not let law enforcement in because anything they notice while inside can be used as evidence.

Allowing the police to enter without a warrant means they no longer have to prove they had reasonable suspicion to enter the house.

If police arrest you, you have the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney and more. Officers must inform you of your rights when you are arrested.

Evidence found by police if they enter the house without a warrant or your consent was illegally obtained and is considered inadmissible in court.

When police dont need a warrant

The police may enter your home without a warrant if they have probable cause or believe a crime, including destruction of evidence, is happening inside, according to attorneys.

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Chasing a suspect, hearing a scream or smelling marijuana could all be scenarios when police can enter a home without a warrant or permission.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: When are Middle Tennessee police officers allowed to enter your home
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN)  Several police crews responded to a weapons call at a business in Beavercreek.

Beavercreek Police responded to the Home Depot on Presidential Drive for a shots fired call just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 17.

2 NEWS crews saw several police departments responding to the area and crime scene tape surrounding the entrance to the store. Employees and customers were lined up outside, giving verbal and written statements to police.

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Police on scene say a single shot was fired. There was no active shooter threat and no one was injured in the shooting.

Beavercreek police report one person has been arrested.

Witnesses said police were quick to get on scene once the shot was fired.

I saw an ambulance and fire truck turn eastbound onto Colonel Glenn Highway and take off toward the Home Depot area, said Wayne Small, witness.

Im glad the cops got a hold of the shooter, good move by the police, said Pulkit Jhursija, witness.

Beavercreek PD plan to release more information tomorrow.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A federal appeals court on Thursday tossed a free speech lawsuit filed by the NRA against a former New York official, ruling the official is immune from the claims filed against her.

A three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Maria Vullo, a former superintendent of New Yorks Department of Financial Services, is entitled to qualified immunity from the charges because there is no "clearly established" law she violated, as the NRA claims.

The NRA alleged that Vullo violated its First Amendment rights by using her regulatory power to pressure state financial institutions to cut ties with the NRA following the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

"We conclude again that Vullo is entitled to qualified immunity, for the law was not clearly established that the conduct alleged here, regulatory action directed at the nonexpressive conduct of third parties, constituted coercion or retaliation violative of the First Amendment," Judge Denny Chin said in the Thursday ruling.

The appeals court tossed the NRA's challenge because no established law at the time explicitly illegalized Vullo's alleged coercion of the financial institutions.

"Reasonable officials in Vullo's position would not have known for certain ... that her conduct crossed the line from forceful but permissible persuasion to impermissible coercion and retaliation," the appeals court said in its ruling.

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The ruling comes just over a year after the Supreme Court unanimously revived the case, reversing the Second Circuit's previous ruling that the NRA did not properly show it plausibly alleged that Vullo had violated the First Amendment. The high court did not rule on whether Vullo had immunity, something the Second Circuit decided she was entitled to in Thursday's ruling.

The NRA told the Washington Examiner in a statement that it is considering "all legal action in appealing this ruling," including petitioning the case back to the Supreme Court.

DOJ SEES BREACH OF THE JUDICIAL OATH IN JUDGES LEAKED TRUMP CRITICISM

Although we are disappointed in the Second Circuits ruling, we are confident in our position and are evaluating all appropriate next steps, NRA CEO and executive vice president Doug Hamlin said in a statement.

The case is a rare First Amendment legal action from the NRA, which typically brings Second Amendment cases to court. The lengthy legal battle began at the federal district court level in May 2018 and reached the appeals court in 2021.
Brazilian police searched the home and political headquarters of former President Jair Bolsonaro after the country's Supreme Court issued warrants and restraining orders. As part of the orders, Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign officials.

Bolsonaro told reporters on Friday that he felt the court's latest orders were meant for his "supreme humiliation," according to Reuters,.

Criminal police agents stand in front State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration headquarters as the former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia, Brazil July 18, 2025.

The former Brazilian president has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor. Additionally, he has been banned from using social media and approaching embassies, according to Reuters, which cited a decision issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The justice also said there was a "concrete possibility" that Bolsonaro would try to flee.

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Furthermore, the outlet reported that Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting his son, Eduardo, who has been lobbying Washington to help his father.

RUBIO BANS OUTPOSTS COMMENTING ON ELECTIONS UNLESS CLEAR & COMPELLING US INTEREST

Media outlets in Brazil reported that the former president has been forbidden from leaving home between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Read On The Fox News App

Brazilian federal police searched former President Jair Bolsonaro's home and political headquarters on July 18, 2025.

Trump Calls For Immediate End To Unjust Trial Of Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

On Thursday, President Donald Trump called for an immediate end to the trial, saying that Bolsonaro is the victim of an "unjust system."

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"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!" Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening.





Original article source: Police search former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's home, political headquarters
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  Holyoke Police arrested two individuals and recovered a firearm, cocaine, and cash Wednesday evening in the area of Essex Street, officials said.

Holyoke man sentenced for armed robbery of Northampton Walmart employee

According to Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan, detectives received information about suspected drug activity near 145 Essex Street and set up surveillance.

Courtesy of the Holyoke Police Department

As officers approached, a 17-year-old male ran off on foot but was quickly taken into custody on Walnut Street. Police say the juvenile was carrying a cross-body bag containing an illegal firearm. Due to his age, his name and specific charges have not been released.

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In the same area, detectives located 64 vials of cocaine and $213 in cash where a group had been congregating. Police arrested 20-year-old Alexis Cardenales-Rodriguez of Holyoke in connection with the narcotics.

Cardenales-Rodriguez is charged with:

Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class B Drug

Possession of a Class B Drug

The investigation remains ongoing.

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 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 business owners were arrested for allegedly ripping off customers, according to the Flagler County Sheriffs Office.

Michael and Diane Rusche, owners of Ohanu Waters Inc., were arrested following a 15-month investigation by the sheriffs office into allegations of fraud related to unfinished pool constructions.

The investigation, which spanned from April 2024 to July 2025, uncovered 16 reports from victims who claimed that Ohanu Waters left pool projects unfinished and failed to pay subcontractors, resulting in liens against their homes.

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When you promise to do something for your customers, take their money, and then leave them hanging, thats not only bad business but thats fraud, said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.

Detectives found that victims had paid up to 90% of construction costs but were left with missing pool equipment, unfinished tiling, or incomplete inspections.

In some cases, construction had not progressed beyond the pool shell installation.

Arrest warrants were issued for Michael Rusche for two counts of embezzlement, and for Diane Rusche for two counts of embezzlement and one count of grand theft.

Diane Rusche also faced an additional grand theft charge in another case.

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Deputies arrested the Rusches on Tuesday.

The Better Business Bureau investigated Ohanu Waters in March 2024 due to consumer complaints, issuing the company an F rating for a pattern of complaints and failure to respond.

Sheriff Staly advised consumers to thoroughly vet contractors through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Better Business Bureau, and to obtain lien releases to avoid paying twice for projects.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Thanks to it's quality steaks, affordable pricing, and unmatched accessibility, Texas Roadhouse has garnered something of a cult following over the years. But that hasn't stopped the company from maintaining a slight air of mystery. The casual dining staple isn't a stand-alone concept like you might expect. Rather, it's part of a larger restaurant group called Texas Roadhouse Inc. Two other brands fall under the company's umbrella, one of which is Jaggers (the third is Bubba's 33).

Less prolific than its predecessor, Jaggers is a small burger chain. It has locations in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, and even South Korea. But the largest concentration is in Indiana, where Jaggers got its start. Those of us up to date on our Texas Roadhouse trivia probably won't be surprised by this choice of backdrop. The national steakhouse chain was born in Clarksville, Indiana. As a matter of fact, the restaurant headquarters reside just across the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky.

With vibes reminiscent of a Red Robin, Jaggers offers an assortment of scratch-made burgers, chicken sandwiches, tenders, salads, and hand spun shakes (If you want to learn more about what's on offer, we made a ranking of popular Jaggers menu items.) When dreaming up the joint, the company's late CEO, Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor, said he had intentions of rivaling Five Guys, Raising Cane's and Chick-fil-A in one fell swoop (via NRN).

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Read more: Popular Chili's Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

Jaggers Has Grown Slowly

Double cheeseburger closeup - meeboonstudio/Shutterstock

When Kent Taylor launched the first Jaggers in 2014, he saw it as a creative endeavor through which he could fill a gap in the fast casual dining sector. The new venture -- named after his uncle Bill, a jagger-type peddler who had a hand in many businesses -- would serve fresh, made to order food. However, despite his honorable mission (and deep pockets backing the project), Jaggers only had 13 locations by late November of 2024.

Jaggers' lack of expansion can, in part, be credited to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered the chains already slow progress. Sadly, Taylor also passed in 2021 after falling ill. Jerry Morgan, who took the helm, expressed confidence that Jaggers would grow in the fast casual sphere -- especially now that franchising is on the table. Time and consumer demand will tell.

The chain has received some hype on social media from folks who have gotten their hands on the restaurant's food. "Best fast food burger and fries IMO," one person wrote on a Reddit thread. "In terms of value to taste it's a great deal," another wrote. "You can get a double patty burger, large fry, and milkshake for $17. Compared to Five Guys where that would run you closer to $30."

Read the original article on Mashed.
Jul. 18Two popular and highly successful watershed education programs for students in the Red River Basin are in financial limbo after program staff learned they will not receive funding from the state of Minnesota for the biennium beginning in July 2026.

Program advocates, however, say they'll explore other options to keep River Watch and its affiliated River of Dreams program afloat until they can hopefully get state funding back on track.

The Fargo-based International Water Institute administers the River Watch high school program and the River of Dreams program for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

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"It's like the signature program of the Institute," said Chuck Fritz, the IWI's executive director. "We'll do what we can (without the funding), but ultimately, I think it comes down to being able to demonstrate the amount of support and successes that the program has (shown).

"Have we not done a good enough job of (showing) that? I don't know."

Now in its 30th year, River Watch

started in 1995 as a pilot project in the Sand Hill River Watershed District

of northwest Minnesota, with funding from the district and the Red River Watershed Management Board (RRWMB).

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Based in Ada, the RRWMB  or "Red Board," as it's known for short  consists of seven watershed districts in the Minnesota portion of the Red River Basin, with a focus on flood control and water quality programs.

What started with four schools  Fosston, Win-E-Mac, Fertile-Beltrami and Climax  has grown into a basin-wide River Watch program with some 30 high schools in both Minnesota and North Dakota.

River of Dreams, a spinoff program, started in 2016,

with some 1,700 elementary students  1,000 in Minnesota and 700 in North Dakota  participating this year.

"We have about 80 teachers in River of Dreams and about 30 in River Watch," said Asher Kingery, IWI project specialist, whose job is closely tied to both programs. "We're kind of tied into over 100 classrooms on a pretty permanent basis. There's a lot of momentum moving forward with doing watershed education, and we're seen as the group that has been around a long time and the group to use as an example."

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River Watch students monitor water quality and macroinvertebrates in the watersheds where they live, sharing the data with the IWI, which in turn shares it with state agencies in Minnesota and North Dakota. Students also participate in other activities such as canoeing and an

annual River Watch Forum,

held in February at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.

River of Dreams students, meanwhile, decorate miniature canoes and send them down Red River tributaries, where the boats potentially can reach the Red River, Lake Winnipeg and even Hudson Bay. Each student-decorated canoe carries an identification number and a link where people who find a canoe can report the discovery before returning it to the water.

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River of Dreams students also write short stories to put in their hand-decorated canoes before sending them on their way.

The mission, of course, is to teach the students that water connects everyone.

"We deliver the watershed lessons so the teachers are able to do what they're good at, and we're able to do what we're good at," Kingery said. "(River of Dreams) is the sought-after project for kids when they're coming into fifth grade. A lot of times, it's the first day of school, they know that they're going to launch a canoe that year and ... they're pumped."

Jeff Lund, superintendent of the Marshall County Central School District in Newfolden, Minnesota, said the programs provide a "rewarding learning experience" for both River Watch and River of Dreams students.

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MCC teachers involved with the two programs have even gone to St. Paul to testify for funding support at the Legislature, Lund said.

"From a school administrator standpoint, we value authentic learning experiences, and this gives kids  especially those that have a high interest in science  an opportunity to practice those skills," Lund said. "Perhaps, those are things they might do in a future career and so those opportunities are invaluable.

"They feel like they're part of something; they're learning through the process, and they're helping all these entities with this information. They have a system where they share their information, and it's very helpful."

River Watch and, more recently, River of Dreams, have had "great support" from the Minnesota Legislature since 2008, when voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, the IWI's Fritz said.

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With Legacy Amendment funding, the IWI has gotten from $150,000 to $170,000 annually in Clean Water funds from the Minnesota Legislature for River Watch and River of Dreams, earmarked through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as part of its water quality monitoring program, Fritz said.

Until this year, that is.

Unlike previous sessions, the Minnesota Legislature did not appropriate money to River Watch for the 2026-27 biennium, said Glenn Skuta, director of the MPCA's Watershed Division. In the past, the Red Board has worked with legislators to get the River Watch appropriation in the Legacy Finance bill, which includes appropriations from the Clean Water fund, Skuta said.

This year, the Senate included River Watch funding in its version of the bill, but the program didn't even get a hearing in the House.

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As lawmakers grappled with

a looming $6 billion budget deficit,

the program apparently got lost in the shuffle.

"For years, (River Watch) was a perfect fit, but for some reason this year  and given that what happened in the Legislature this year wasn't pretty  we just got nixed," Fritz said. "There's a lot of things St. Paul should and could do, but this is one where you go, 'Man, this is a no-brainer, folks.' I just don't understand it."

As a result, the Clean Water Council, a 28-member panel that determines how Clean Water funds are spent, didn't include the River Watch earmark in its funding recommendations for MPCA monitoring programs.

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The Red Board historically has distributed the earmarked funds to River Watch and River of Dreams, along with a dollar-for-dollar local match, as part of a contract with the IWI, said Rob Sip, the Red Board's executive director.

"Unfortunately, we took a hit this year," Sip said. On the upside, he said, the current contract with the IWI continues through March 31, 2026, and the Red Board will fund the programs through June 30, 2026.

"It's that next year that's kind of the issue," Sip said. "I know my board is real supportive of the program; they'll fund as much as we can."

The programs are "too good to lose," said John Finney of Humboldt, Minnesota, the Red Board's president. "We've got to get the state on board to give us some steady source of funding," he said.

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Today's River of Dreams and River Watch students are tomorrow's water managers and board members, Finney says.

"These are the kids that, if they get involved with that in high school, they're going to say, 'Hey, I remember (River Watch),' " Finney said. "And if somebody needs to be on a watershed board or something like that, it's 'Oh, that interests me. And I'm going to take the place of these old gray beards that have been at it forever and ever and ever.'"

Despite the setback in St. Paul, the Red Board and the IWI will continue to explore funding options going forward, Sip said. That includes going back to the Legislature next year, applying for grants and exploring how to become more involved in the Clean Water Council's funding process.

The earmark through MPCA has been a key funding source, but various North Dakota entities also contribute to River Watch and River of Dreams, Sip said.

"It's a big chunk of change that supports the program, both Minnesota and North Dakota local governments," he said. "It just shows that there's a lot of leveraging going on, a lot of support for the program. And when one big funder doesn't do anything, it just leaves the other funders with more pressure."

In the meantime, with funding secured through next June, Fritz says he's telling IWI staff  four full-time and one part-time  who work on River Watch and River of Dreams to proceed with business as usual.

"I told Asher and his team, you guys go full bore, deliver the program like nothing (has changed) and over the next three to six months, we'll work on trying to figure out getting funding for '26-'27," Fritz said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Residents in the Eastland neighborhood are banding together to fight a potential zoning change that would go against their Eastland for Everyone community plan.

The plan was widely approved by residents and city officials alike. Residents we spoke with say they have been fighting this since October.

Thats when this first came forward to the zoning committee. We ended up hearing it twice. It was the largest turnout weve ever had in our commissions history. We had roughly over 100 individuals, Greater Southeast Area Commission vice chairman and zoning chairman Mark Harper said.

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The owners of land on Lindora Drive in the Walnut Heights area are trying to rezone the land and build an apartment complex. Eastland residents and area commissioners want recreation and parks to buy the land and extend the existing park in the neighborhood.

Drivers stranded on I-71 North in central Ohio for hours after multiple crashes

Members of the Greater Southeast Area Commission sent letters to the city about this issue, where they address how this land sits in a traditionally single-family home neighborhood and the apartment complex would go against the values and vision of the Eastland for Everyone plan endorsed by the city and nearly 2,000 residents.

I know the plan is not legally binding, but it is the voice of the people around this community, Harper said. Its been celebrated by all of the city of Columbus. So this is the first test, really, that were putting this plan to use and seeing if theyre going to listen to us or not.

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Residents want to keep this land as a community gathering space.

We have enough problems around here with shootings and the fly under the cars, Block Watch coordinator Diana Bunting said. People had their cars totaled on the street many of times, houses almost hit. Its just ridiculous that this stuff we go through.

We are committed to hearing from all parties, including the area commission, residents and housing providers, a Columbus City Council spokesperson said in a statement. Residents have been engaged with council and will continue to do so until our zoning committee hearing.

The issue is set to go before the citys zoning committee on July 28.

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Letters written by three commissions in support of rec and parks developing the land can be read below.

MAC-Lindora-Support-Letter_1511169533Download

FEAC-Lindora-Support-Letter_1511169533Download

Lindora-Letter-to-City-Officials_1511169533Download

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The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

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In a recent ruling allowing the Trump administration to disassemble the Department of Education and fire nearly 1,400 federal workers, the Supreme Court did not answer a straightforward question: Why? In a separate ruling empowering the Trump administration to ban transgender troops from the military, at least for now, the Court once more offered no explanation. And when a majority of justices cleared the way for noncitizens to be deported to countries they arent from, such as South Sudan, their rationale was elusive yet again.

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Theres something taunting, almost bullying, about this lack of reasoning, as if the conservative supermajority is saying to the country: You dont even deserve an explanation, Quinta Jurecic, an Atlantic staff writer who covers Americas legal system, recently wrote. Though the justices are well within their rights to offer little to no explanation for emergency rulings through their shadow docket, theyve begun issuing far more decisions this way in recent years, to the concern of legal experts. I spoke with Quinta to ask her about the power of the shadow docket and how the Supreme Court has responded to President Donald Trumps policies.

Stephanie Bai: How would you characterize the Courts approach to the Trump presidency?

Quinta Jurecic: The Court has definitely been solicitous of the administration, lets say that. This pattern has been most visible on the Courts emergency docket, also called the shadow docket. When a case is being litigated, often therell be this question of whether or not a policy should be implemented while litigation is continuing. A district court can block the policy from going into effect, and then the government can go to higher courts to try to get that block overturned. That will reach the Supreme Court on the shadow docket.

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The Trump administration has been very aggressive in running straight to the Supreme Courts shadow docket to overturn lower courts blocks on their policies, and the Court has been surprisingly willing to take the administration up on that. According to some numbers tabulated by Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown, the Court has issued 15 rulings since early April granting the Trump administration emergency relief. In seven of them, the justices didnt provide any explanation at all for their decision, including in their recent ruling allowing the administration to dismantle the Department of Education.

Stephanie: What are the implications of the Supreme Courts more frequent use of the shadow docket in recent years?

Quinta: If you imagine a typical Supreme Court case, what happens is that somebody sues, the case goes to the district court, they appeal, it goes to an appeals court, then only at the very end of the road does it reach the Supreme Court. And that can take years.

Because the Supreme Court is agreeing to hear these cases on its shadow docket, its stepping in before the underlying legal question is actually resolved. Its allowing that policy to go into effect while the litigation continues. What is so strange about this dynamic is that it means that, for example, Trump is going to be able to fire roughly 40 percent of the workers at the Education Department before the courts have even determined whether he has the legal authority to do so.

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Stephanie: Its not hard to understand why the Trump administration keeps rushing cases to the Supreme Court, when it keeps winning. But why does the Court itself seem to prefer this approach?

Quinta: Thats a question that a lot of us who study courts and the law are asking ourselves. I think there is a decent argument that theyre kind of encouraging the Trump administration to keep coming to them because theyre so willing to take up these cases, instead of sending a signal that the government should slow down. Maybe they just want the government to win. Another possibility is that the Court is more conservative than a lot of the lower courts, so the conservative justices might feel like the lower courts arent getting it right. Its difficult to say because the justices arent explaining their reasoning in many cases. Or they explain it in the broadest of strokes.

Its been striking not only that the Court has been willing to give the Trump administration so many wins, but that it hasnt even been bothering to explain itself. Were at a moment where there is a lot of concern about the Supreme Court being politicized and how that affects the Courts legitimacy. You would think that the justices would want to present their reasoning in a way that would make clear that they were acting according to legal principles rather than just handing the Republican Party a win. The puzzle is: Why are the conservative justices taking this approach? Do they not realize the effect that it has? Do they not care?

Stephanie: Trump has not been shy about his disdain for the American legal system. But is there a risk that the Supreme Courts legitimacy could also be undermined by its own actions?

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Quinta: So far, Trump has mostly confined his attacks to lower courts. Hes gone after the Supreme Court occasionally when they handed down a ruling that he didnt like, especially in his first term, but now theyre handing him all of these victories. As you say, this sets up a dangerous situation for the Court, even though the conservative supermajority seems very confident that the Court will be able to maintain its power.

Im reminded of the Twitter joke about the woman who voted for the Leopards Eating Peoples Faces Party and is surprised when her face is eaten by a leopard. Trump is going after all of the other courts. Do the justices really think that hes not going to turn on them? And once you have already damaged your own legitimacy with the public because you appear to have become a political actor, what support do you have left?

Related:

Here are three new stories from The Atlantic:

Todays News

President Donald Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common vein condition, after he noticed swelling in his legs, according to the White House. Senate Democrats walked out before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Emil Bove, a former personal attorney for Trump, for a lifetime appointment to a federal judge position. The Justice Department asked for a one-day sentence for a former Louisville, Kentucky, police officer who was convicted in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor.

Dispatches

Time-Travel Thursdays: Has air travel ever been good? Transporting human bodies through the air at hundreds of miles an hour has always been somewhat unpleasant, Ellen Cushing writes.

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Evening Read

Romance On-Screen Has Never Been Colder. Maybe Thats Just Truthful.

By Sophie Gilbert

These are hard times to be a romantic, especially on Netflix. Two years ago, on a New Yorker podcast lamenting the modern state of the rom-com, Alexandra Schwartz noted that the most crucial quality for any romance is this: You have to believe that these two people want to be together, and you have to buy in. On this front, Too Much barely even tries  Initially, this set my teeth on edgetwo characters with seemingly little interest in each other being paired off with the chaotic insistence of a child making her soft toys kiss. But the more Ive come back to the show, the more its slack, unromantic approach to love looks intentional.

Read the full article.

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Culture Break

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Take a look. These are some weird, wonderful photos from the 20th century, depicting stunt diving, unusual war training, giant household objects, and much more.

Read. Buying Shrimp at Bennetts Point, a poem by Roey Leonardi:

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My father says to pick a beer. / Outside, two men in yellow coats / hose mud from a reef of oysters

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  The head of the areas largest school district will step away after the conclusion of the coming school year.

As I enter my final year as Superintendent, Im grateful for the opportunity to lead and serve this incredible community. Im proud of all weve achieved together  lets finish strong and continue believing in whats possible for our students, said Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Peoria Public Schools superintendent since 2015, on a city of Peoria website.

Kherat said shes proud of what shes accomplished in the past decade as the districts top administrator. She started as a middle school teacher within the district and rose to the top. Last fall, she was named the states superintendent of the year.

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When the award was announced last fall, some the achievements under her term in office were cited as alleviating the districts teacher shortage and expanding comprehensive support for students.

The Illinois Association of School Administrators also noted the district has also improved some key academic metrics, including gains in first-grade reading and math proficiency across multiple schools. From 2015 to 2024, Graduation rates have increased from 65% to 80%, and dropout rates have decreased from 7% to 3%.

Under the leadership, the district has renamed several schools, expanded offerings at the Woodruff Career & Technical Center and altered the school calendar to a modified calendar which offers longer mid-year breaks but a shorter summer.

This fall, the district will open Glen Barton School in the former Quest Charter Academy building. That will offer a range of specialized programs to support student learning and success, she said.

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Serving this extraordinary district for the past 11 years has been the greatest honor of my

professional life. When I began this journey, we faced a multi-million-dollar budget deficit, she said in a statement Friday. Through strategic planning, transparency, and collaboration, we transformed our finances to achieve a balanced budget  a critical milestone in sustaining long-term stability, though we recognize that challenges still remain.

As I enter this final chapter, my commitment remains unwavering, Kherat said. We will finish strongwith urgency, unity, and the unshakable belief that our mission is not only possible, but within reach.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY)  While students may not want to hear it, the first day of school is fast approaching across north central West Virginia, but Preston County is doing things a little differently this year.

Preston County Schools has announced that it will operate on a staggered schedule to begin the 2025-2026 school year. This means that some grade levels will start the school year on a different day than others, rather than the whole county starting all at once.

Preston County Schools Superintendent Bradley Martin spoke with 12 News and said the idea behind the staggered start is to allow students a better opportunity to get acclimated and to allow teachers additional professional development time.

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Really, just having maybe a less overwhelming situation for the students as they come back to school, where were bringing them into the building, where maybe not all of the students are present on that given day. And again, just to better orient the students as to the procedural processes, were looking at the school, work out scheduling issues, just really to be able to work through a lot of those issues without overwhelming the students, Martin said.

Global teams unite for Ravens Challenge at WVs Camp Dawson

Freshmen at Preston High will not start classes until Wednesday, August 22nd (WBOY Photo)

The staggered schedule can be found below:

Monday, Aug. 18Students in 3rd, 5th, 11th and 12th grades start school

Tuesday, Aug. 19Students in 4th, 7th, 8th and 10th grades start school

Wednesday, Aug. 20Students in 1st, 2nd, 6th and 9th grades start school

Thursday, Aug. 21Students in grades 1-12 report to school (no Kindergarten)

Friday, Aug. 22No school for students

Monday, Aug. 25Kindergarten starts. Students in K-12 report to school.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jul. 18A Warren Correctional Institution inmate will spend up to a dozen more years in prison for a brutal attack of his cellmate last year.

Eugene Lavar Stiggers Jr., 25, was sentenced recently by Warren County Common Pleas Judge Robert Peeler to eight to 12 years after a jury convicted him of felonious assault.

A 27-year-old inmate was found unresponsive in a pool of blood Jan. 2, 2024, inside his cell, suffering from life-threatening injuries after Stiggers alerted a corrections officer. The victim was taken to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown for injuries from an apparent assault, including broken bones, loss of teeth and severe lacerations in addition to labored breathing.

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He later was flown to Ohio State university Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, according to a report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Office of Criminal Investigations-Cincinnati Operations.

During an interview with troopers, Stiggers said he was "in an altercation with his bunky" who was "being all aggressive" while they were high from "tune," which the report described as "any paper product previously soaked with drugs of abuse or other intoxicants which had been dried. ... Tune is then smoked to gain an intoxicating effect."

Stiggers said that normally the prison does not house a Black inmate with a white inmate and said it was possible his cellmate, who is white, felt intimidated or scared of him, the report stated.

"He probably did, that's probably why he was offering all the stuff he was offering to me. He was offering to smoke with me, he doesn't know me," Stiggers said.

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While they were both intoxicated, Stiggers said his cellmate approached him and demanded he pay what he owed  which his cellmate did not define  or that he would "kick his (expletive)," the report stated.

He said he felt threatened and because of his experience in the prison setting he attacked first.

"You can't really turn the other cheek 'cause you turn the other cheek someone could kill you," he said.

When asked whether he intended to kill his cellmate, Stiggers responded: "No, he was a good guy."

Stiggers was acquitted of an attempted murder charge.

He was granted 259 days of jail time credit and is at WCI.

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Stiggers had been scheduled to be released Oct. 26, 2024, at the end of a 2.5-year sentence for a conviction in Allen County for possessing a firearm in a liquor establishment and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction website.

The other inmate is incarcerated at the Allen Correctional Institution in Lima. He is serving 15 years to life for a 2022 murder conviction in Franklin County, ODRC records show.
Former Biden aide Annie Tomasini invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition on Friday as part of the House Oversight Committees investigation into the Biden administration's use of the autopen.

Tomasini entered the Rayburn House Office Building hearing room around 9:54 a.m. with lawyer Jonathan Su, who was a deputy White House counsel to the former president. Tomasini evaded questions from reporters and exited the hearing room at 10:24 a.m.

During the Biden administration, Tomasini was an assistant and deputy chief of staff to the president. Prior to Bidens presidency, Tomasini worked for Biden in the Senate, in his vice president's office, and was the traveling chief of staff for Bidens 2020 campaign, according to Legistorm.

The House Oversight Committee's investigation, along with inquiries happening at the White House counsel's office, the Justice Department, and in the Senate, will try to determine whether Biden was mentally capable of executing the duties of the presidency and authorizing the use of his autopen signature on a wave of pardon and commutation orders in the final days of his term.

According to the book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, which outlines efforts by Biden's inner circle to shield his declining health from the public, Tomasini was intensely loyal to the Biden family and even moved to Wilmington, Delaware, during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with former first lady Jill Biden's top aide, Anthony Bernal, giving them "all-time access" to the Bidens' living quarters. Their allegiance was to the Biden family and not the presidency, according to authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.

Sources told the Washington Examiner that Friday's deposition was brief because Tomasini invoked the Fifth Amendment, declining to answer questions as part of the committees investigation. During a deposition, the witness is required to answer every question, whereas if they appear willingly, they can refuse to answer certain questions.

Tomasini is the second witness this week to invoke the Fifth Amendment in a deposition and the third of this investigation. Bernal, Jill Biden's former aide, and physician Kevin OConnor invoked the Fifth Amendment when they appeared before the committee, with video footage of both released later following their interviews.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) subpoenaed Tomasini on Tuesday after her lawyers unexpectedly requested the subpoena for her to comply, as the committee already had a voluntary interview set for Friday.

With Tomasini being the third witness pleading the Fifth Amendment, Comer criticized the "pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy."

Comer said Tomasini refused to answer questions on Biden's fitness to serve and pleaded the Fifth when asked if Biden or his family instructed her to lie regarding his health. She also invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked about Biden's handling of classified documents and his family's business dealings.

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Its unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Bidens fitness to serve," Comer said. "Its apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal."

Biden has said he made the final call regarding clemency decisions that are now under scrutiny for his autopen signature.

I made every decision, Biden told the New York Times.

The committee has conducted two voluntary interviews in the investigation with former Biden aides Neera Tanden and Ashley Williams, with several more set in the coming months. The Trump administration has waived executive privilege for every witness in the investigation. Executive privilege allows a witness to withhold information from Congress to protect the integrity of the executive branch.

BIDEN AIDE STEFANIE FELDMAN REVEALED AS MANAGER OF AUTOPEN

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) told reporters when OConnor invoked the Fifth Amendment that it should not be seen as a sign of guilt but rather reality.

He did what any good lawyer would advise him to do, and it seems like he had two good lawyers in the room today, Crockett told reporters last week.

Transcripts from the voluntary testimonies are slated to be made public when all the interviews have been concluded.

The committee announced on Thursday it had scheduled interviews with four more former Biden officials, including special assistant to the president and senior adviser in the White House Counsels Office Ian Sams, deputy assistant to Biden and senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and chief of staff Jeff Zients.

Sams is set to appear on Aug. 21, Bates on Sept. 5, Jean-Pierre on Sept. 12, and Zients on Sept. 18.
A powerful crime-fighting tool for Tennessee law enforcement agencies has gone dark as part of a dispute between two private companies, Knox News has learned.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation pays Skyline Technology Solutions to operate more than 600 highway cameras along interstates but TDOT doesn't archive the footage  it can only be viewed live.

This created a market for another company  SafetyVid, a Minneapolis nonprofit to record the live feeds and provide recordings to the public, usually for a fee. Police and journalists are their biggest clients, though they often get the footage for free.

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SafetyVid captures and saves life-altering TDOT videos that show vehicular homicides, severe crashes and sometimes even homicides.

But beginning earlier this year, the private company that hosts TDOTs camera feeds blocked access, a SafetyVid spokesperson told Knox News. When police have asked for videos as they have in the past, SafetyVid has not been able to help because the company can no longer record from the live feeds.

Mark Nagi, a spokesman for TDOT, said the state agency had nothing to do with blocking recordings of the feeds. He told Knox News to talk to Skyline Technology Solutions, the Maryland IT firm that specializes in cybersecurity and public safety data and hosts the live feeds of TDOT's SmartWay traffic cameras.

But in a July 17 email sent by TDOT general counsel Leslie South to a SafetyVid volunteer and reviewed by Knox News, TDOT explained Skyline cut access to the feed for SafetyVid because it was concerned the amount of video SafetyVid was downloading could cause Skyline's computer system to fail.

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There's no law against downloading the live feeds, South said, but the objective of the SmartWay system is for motorists to be able to access real-time information and the demands on the system from constant downloads risks shutting down those feeds.

Representatives from Skyline did not respond to multiple requests for comment by phone and email July 16 and 17.

SafetyVid co-founder Alex Smith told Knox News the nonprofit was formed in the summer of 2020 when protests were roiling Minnesota's largest city after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Recording video of what was happening on highways and main roads was critical, he said.

Smith declined to explain how SafetyVid is able to identify and store recordings of specific events across hundreds of cameras, citing proprietary concerns. The company has expanded its work to 17 states.

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This is a matter of right and wrong," Smith told Knox News in a text message. "We feel strongly about the right for Tennessee residents to access public government data. Happy to reimburse for the data used if thats what it takes!

Recorded videos helped police investigations

When police in Middle Tennessee first began their investigation into the July 12 shooting of 22-year-old Noah Taylor, who died from a gunshot while driving along Interstate 24, they reached out to Lenoir City's Steve Eimers.

Eimers, through the volunteer work he does for SafetyVid, has become a middleman for Tennessee detectives when they need recorded video from the live TDOT feeds. He gets requests from police a few times a month, he said. Knox News reviewed a handful of requests Eimers provided.

But Eimers lost access to the recordings when SafetyVid did. He told the detective in Middle Tennessee he couldnt help him find the shooter.

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Im mad and really sad for this family, Eimers told Knox News. Because I think I couldve provided the evidence that would have at least led to the arrest or given the police a lot more to go on than what they have.

Eimers has made highway safety the centerpiece of his life. Knox News reported on his campaign to get justice for Hannah, his 17-year-old daughter, who died in 2016 after crashing into a guardrail end piece on I-75.

Melissa and Steve Eimers talked in 2021 to Knox News about the death of their daughter Hannah, who was killed in 2016 when her car was impaled by a guardrail she struck. The faulty guardrails have been tied to at least 10 deaths across five states. The Eimers successfully lobbied the U.S. Congress to pass legislation requiring third-party verification for crash testing on highway safety hardware.

After Eimers crusade with members of Congress across the country, language was added to the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021 that asked the Secretary of Transportation to develop a third-party verification for crash testing on highway safety hardware.

Eimers' interest in TDOT cameras was sparked by his search for ways to find crashes that involved faulty guardrails. He estimates he now has the world's largest collection of guardrail crash videos.

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Capturing and storing video that's helpful for police investigations was an unintended consequence, he said.

Who controls TDOT video is a complicated question

Beyond access issues, it's easy to imagine why a company that provides live feeds for TDOT would not want another company creating recorded videos and selling them.

Eimers, however, sees it as a First Amendment issue. The live feeds are paid for by the state and should be available to the public through recorded video, he thinks.

He emailed new TDOT Commissioner Will Reid and TDOT's general counsel July 13 alerting them to the issue.

"This action constitutes an impermissible and unconstitutional prior restraint on my protected speech," Eimers wrote. "Beyond the First Amendment considerations this also undermines significant public interests involving the administration of justice in serious criminal cases including crashes, kidnappings, thefts, and even murders."

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It was Eimers' email TDOT responded to July 17.

Nagi, the TDOT spokesperson, said he couldnt come up with a cost estimate for what it would take for the agency to archive its live feeds, but it is safe to assume the storage fees would be substantial. Archiving the live feeds is SafetyVid's biggest expense, Smith said.

Nagi reiterated state law provides the guidelines for TDOT cameras and they are not intended for law enforcement purposes except in one case: The agency's cameras can be used to enforce traffic violations in TDOT work zones.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Private companies clash over use of TDOT cameras for crime-fighting
EXCLUSIVE: In a rare public rebuke of Israeli military action, Rep. Joe Wilson, RS.C., issued a harsh warning that recent airstrikes on Syria are "suicidal" for Tel Aviv.

"Im the cochair of the Israel caucus and a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel," Wilson told Fox News Digital in an emotional phone call, "I am heartsick."

He said the strikes on Syria's military headquarters were "insulting and mocking to President [Donald] Trump," who just recently lifted sanctions on Syria after meeting with leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to give Damascus a "chance" at economic prosperity after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

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Wilson said he had a tense phone call with Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, urging him to share his warning back home that Israel must stop the strikes.

Rubio Says Israel Strike On Syrian Military Headquarters Likely A Misunderstanding

Rep. Joe Wilson, RS.C., issued a harsh warning that recent airstrikes on Syria are "suicidal" for Tel Aviv.

Only weeks ago, there were back-channel talks between Israel and Syria on a possible normalization deal. Now, not only are those talks out the window, but the strikes will complicate work on a U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords-style deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Wilson said. "It's so sad to me, it's so detrimental."

Read On The Fox News App

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He warned that fractures in Syria could ripple across the region  undermining emerging ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, straining NATO relations with Turkey, fracturing Druze unity in Jordan and increasing instability among Kurdish populations across Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. He added that such fragmentation would open the door for an ISIS resurgence, targeting Israel first.

Wilson also pointed to broader geopolitical consequences, noting the strikes empower Iran and bolster Russias presence in Syria. "Efforts should be made to expel [Vladimir Putins forces], not to create destabilization," he said, asserting that Moscow uses its Syrian bases to project naval power across Africa and the Mediterranean.

"What is being done is actually beneficial to Iran. The more destabilization, the greater opportunity Iran has to destabilize other countries, whether it be further destabilization of Iraq, and then also it plays into the hands of war criminal Putin."

The last Israeli strike on Syria was Wednesday, but they have not agreed to a ceasefire.

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This week, Israel's national security minister Ben Gvir said Israel must "eliminate" al-Sharaa.

On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the nation struck to defend Druze minority communities in Syria, fearing the Syrian leadership would soon strike Israelis.

"I did not trust Assad the father, nor Assad the son, and I certainly do not trust a leader like Julani," he said, referring to al-Sharaa by his former name.

Israel-iran War Divides Democrats, But Trump's Diplomacy Also Splitting Republicans

He claimed al-Sharaa "relies on jihadist groups that he operates against minorities in Syria, and tomorrow he will operate them against Israeli communities in the Golan Heights.

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"The moment we understood that the Syrian regime was behind the attacks and a partner in the massacre of the Druze  we acted against them with full force." The Druze community also has a sizable population in Israel.

Wilson called the assertion "totally contrived and misunderstood."

"It's so sad to me that they're taking the eye off the enemy. The enemy is Khamenei and the enemy is the head of the snake. It is not Damascus. The head of the snake is Tehran."

"They're opening the door for Tehran to rebuild Hamas to rebuild Hezbollah, to replenish and they already have the Houthis. So, it's just crazy. And again, it's suicidal. If you can't figure out who your enemy is, then you're opening the door for massive loss of life within Israel itself."

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Syrias leader accused Israel of sowing discord by striking in defense of the Druze, who were involved in deadly sectarian clashes that threaten the nations fragile unity.

Washington is also intensifying pressure for de-escalation.

The Trump administration has formally urged Israel to halt its strikes and pursue direct talks with Damascus. Special U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reportedly made several calls to Prime Minister Netanyahus adviser, Ron Dermer, pressing for restraint. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the strikes as a "troubling and horrifying situation," adding that the U.S. is "very concerned" and wants the fighting to stop.

The Israeli defense ministry could not be reached for comment.





Original article source: Pro-Israel congressman accuses Tel Aviv of mocking Trump with suicidal strikes in Syria
(KRON)  Two prolific thieves face a combined total of 62 criminal charges for stealing from retail stores throughout San Francisco, the San Francisco Police Department announced on July 17.

The suspects, 33-year-old Ryan Twedell and 28-year-old Samuel Shrimpton, were arrested earlier this month in connection to 17 cases investigated between April and July of 2025.

Based on evidence and witness accounts, the estimated total value of stolen merchandise was over $15,000, SFPD said.

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Police activity on Edgewater Drive in East Oakland

Shrimpton was arrested on July 1. Shrimpton faces six counts of felony burglary, eight counts of grand theft, and five counts of organized retail theft.

Twedell was arrested on July 11. Twedell faces nine counts of felony burglary, 11 counts of grand theft, 15 counts of organized retail theft, seven counts of petty theft and a vandalism charge.

Twedell and Shrimptons alleged crimes were committed at stores in the following areas:

2000 block of Fillmore Street

400 block of Powell Street

Unit block of Point Lobos Avenue

1300 block of Castro Street

500 block of Market Street

2400 block of San Bruno Avenue

2300 block of 16th Street

2100 block of Market Street

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SFPD worked closely with the retail establishment and conducted the investigation by interviewing retail employees, reviewing surveillance videos and footage and developing strategic tactics, SFPD said.

Astronomer CEO goes viral after being caught on Coldplay kiss cam

The cases remain under investigation.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Construction on the border wall has restarted in Texas, with federal and state agencies alike touting rapid progress and renewed commitments to securing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chief Michael W. Banks, who heads the U.S. Border Patrol, posted:

Breaking ground in El Paso, TX!

Border wall construction is officially underway  7 miles planned and over 100 feet of steel already installed on Day One. These 30-foot panels are going up fast. Border security isnt just a mission  its a priority. pic.twitter.com/ZQw8ObqL2S  Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) July 16, 2025

Customs and Border Protection echoed the announcement on July 17, posting on X: Across key sectors like San Diego, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, and RGV, more than 85 miles of new wall are in planning or under construction at an accelerated pace. The border is being secured  and we are just getting started!

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Meanwhile, the state of Texas has pressed ahead with its own wall program, separate from federal efforts. On June 18, the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) reported that 66.4 miles of the border wall program had been completed and that active construction is simultaneously underway at 15 locations in six border areas: Cameron, Starr, Zapata, Webb, Maverick, and Val Verde Counties.

According to the TFC, Texas has also closed on 127 easements, with dozens more pending or in negotiation, signaling an expansion of the states footprint on the border.

The resumption of wall construction follows the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4. The bill allocates $165 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, with $46.5 billion earmarked specifically to complete the border wall.

This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trumps mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement celebrating the legislation.

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The bill also includes billions more for hiring Border Patrol and ICE personnel, purchasing surveillance technology, and expanding detention capacity. ICE is set to receive enough funding to support deportations of up to 1 million individuals per year and maintain detention space for 100,000 people at any given time, according to Noems press release.

However, critics of the wall continue to raise objections. A 2019 report from the Center for American Progress argued that the wall is expensive, ineffective, and bad for the environment, and contends it represents a misuse of eminent domain that violates property rights. Environmental groups, Native American tribes, and religious organizations have all launched lawsuits to halt construction in past years.

Despite opposition, the federal government and the state of Texas appear united in their push to expand physical barriers on the southern border. And with steel already planted again in El Paso, the wall  mostly dormant in recent years  is once more rising across the Texas landscape.
Donald Trump and the GOPs move to slash more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcastings budget is putting childrens educational programming offered through the Public Broadcasting Service at risk.

And right-wing indoctrination platforms  in particular, PragerU  are in position to capitalize.

This week, Republican lawmakers inflicted serious damage in their yearslong war on Big Bird, with passage of their Trump-backed rescissions package. In response, The Washington Post raised the legitimate question of whether American children will now be turning to vacuous and absurd web content to occupy their time, such as the popular Skibidi Toilet series.

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Its not a far-fetched possibility. But also not the scariest.

Because if conservatives have their way, more children will be educated with explicitly right-wing propaganda  like that provided by PragerU, the online content mill whose namesake, Dennis Prager, has admitted his goal is to indoctrinate children with a right-wing ideology. The organization, which has faced backlash for downplaying racist atrocities like chattel slavery and the slaughter of Indigenous people, hasnt hidden its desire to overtake PBS as a provider of childrens content.

Arming parents and educators with the pro-America content they are craving  we are going toe-to-toe with massive youth media companies like PBS Kids and Disney, PragerU said in its 2022 annual report.

PragerU has already entered partnerships with states to produce educational materials. Oklahomas far-right school superintendent, Ryan Walters, even announced this month that his state will use a new ideology test from PragerU for certification of teachers who come from states with what he called progressive education policies, something he said is necessary to protect students from radical leftist ideology.

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That gives you a sense of how well-positioned PragerU is in the conservative movements propaganda and indoctrination plans. And the White House has done its part to promote PragerU as it has waged war on PBS, as well.

The Trump administration has partnered with the platform on a Founders Museum exhibit for White House visitors. As tech outlet 404 Media explained, the attraction comes complete with digital assets like this AI-slopified version of John Adams, who was made to regurgitate a saying popularized by right-wing influencer  and PragerU contributor  Ben Shapiro.

As 404 Media noted, the White House videos conclude with a disclaimer that says: This partnership does not constitute or imply U.S. Government or U.S. Department of Education endorsement of PragerU.

But thats laughable. As Trump and his allies gut PBS programming and promote this right-wing alternative, the message seems clear: Move over PBS, and make way for PragerU.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Federal Court House Thursday evening, joining a coordinated series of demonstrations across the country.

The events were organized in response to the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill, a wide-ranging federal law that supporters describe as a major win for economic reform and national security  and that opponents say rolls back essential public services.

No taxes on overtime pay: What to know about tax break in GOP budget bill

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The Little Rock protest was led by the group Good Trouble Lives On, which advocates for civil rights and economic equity.

Participants held signs, chanted, voicing concerns over portions of the legislation that impact programs.

Im here to voice my concerns about the HUD cuts, the food stamp cuts, and also the Medicaid cuts, said one local protester. These programs keep people in our communities afloat.

While the event remained peaceful, the message was pointed.

Despite opposition from advocacy groups, both of Arkansass U.S. Senators  Republicans John Boozman and Tom Cotton  have publicly backed the legislation.

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In a statement, Senator Boozman pointed to multiple reasons for his support.

This bill delivers the largest tax cut ever for working and middle-class Americans in addition to letting tipped and hourly workers, seniors, and families keep more of their hard-earned income, Boozman said. It also eliminates waste, fraud and abuse so assistance programs can continue to serve the vulnerable, and provides transformational funding for border security, national security and energy security. These policies will help responsibly steward taxpayer dollars and make our nation stronger, safer and more prosperous.

Cotton emphasized the laws border security and law enforcement provisions.

In a press release, he highlighted funding for wall construction, expanded surveillance operations, and increased hiring and training for immigration officers. This law paves the way for a brighter, safer, and stronger future for every American, Cotton said.

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The legislation was signed into law earlier this month by President Donald Trump on Independence Day.

Sen. Tom Cotton talks Medicaid, birthright citizenship, SNAP benefits in interview with FOX 16 News

Supporters argue it fulfills campaign promises and reflects voter priorities; critics believe it shifts federal resources away from public safety nets toward enforcement and defense.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  People protested in cities across the country, including Grand Rapids, Thursday as part of the Good Trouble Lives On movement.

The movement is inspired by John Lewis, a civil rights leader who served as a Georgia representative for over 30 years until his death in 2020. It aims to challenge injustice and create meaningful change, according to the Good Trouble website.

The civil rights leaders of the past have shown us the power of collective action, the movements website says. Thats why on July 17, five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.

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Events were planned across the nation, including in West Michigan  Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Lowell, Holland, Hastings, Saugatuck-Douglas, Grand Haven, Muskegon, South Haven, Hart, Paw Paw, St. Joseph, Three Rivers and Cassopolis, according to the Good Trouble Lives On website.

We want to carry on that legacy of the civil rights movement. John Lewis has such an incredible history. He led the march through Selma (for voting rights in 1965), so we really want to honor that today. And all the speakers will mention John Lewis or tie it back in some way to this idea of Good Trouble, said Sam Tunningley of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

The demonstration in Grand Rapids Ah-Nab-Awen Park was organized by a coalition of groups formed after there were two separate No Kings demonstrations in the city last month.

We wanted to bring both of those groups, along with a lot of other local groups, grassroots groups into a coalition to start planning these protests, make them run smoothly and just have kind of new ideas, new faces in the room because we think we need unity in this moment, Tunningley said.

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He said the groups have different ideologies and focuses, but share opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump.

The goal is to have unity in action and not necessarily unity in thought. So were going to move together, were going to protest together. The groups can still do their own things in the coalition, but when were ion the same room, we get along and we throw out ideas and vote on things, Tunningley said.

After listening to speeches, the demonstrators marched across the Blue Bridge and through downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to Good Trouble and No Kings signs, they held placards that said things like Only you can prevent fascist liars, Orange lies matter, and Resist: Morons Are Governing America.

A Good Trouble demonstration in Grand Rapids celebrating the work of civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis. (July 17, 2025) Protest signs at a Good Trouble demonstration celebrating the work of civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis. Protest signs at a Good Trouble demonstration in Grand Rapids celebrating the work of civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis. (July 17, 2025) Good Trouble demonstrators march across the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids on July 17, 2025. Good Trouble demonstrators march across the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids on July 17, 2025.

A core principle of the Good Trouble movement is nonviolence. All participants are expected to act lawfully and de-escalate potential confrontation with those who may disagree, according to organizers.

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Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration. Together, well remind them that in America, the power lies with the people, the website reads.

In Muskegon Heights, the same message was shared in a different format. Organizers tell News 8 the goal of their event was to not be a protest, but rather an educational opportunity.

Their event featured speakers, songs, and chants, as they learned about Lewiss legacy and how it lives on today.

Joel Engel, a Fruitport Township resident, told News 8 that he liked this format because it is a rally for something instead of against. That for is John Lewiss legacy.

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I am here to bear witness to the good that we need to do in our country, American in spirit is based on Christianity and love and caring for each other and thats what John Lewis did in his life and thats what brings me here and thats the thing that keeps America going, he said.

News 8s Duncan MacLean and Adriana Doria contributed to this report.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Providence and North Providence have the worst-funded municipal-run pension plans in Rhode Island, depending on the metric used, according to the latest report on the states 33 independent plans.

The report has its roots in the state pension overhaul enacted in 2011 and championed by then-Treasurer Gina Raimondo. That law and subsequent statutes established more robust reporting requirements for municipalities that operate their own pension plans outside the state system, which have long been a source of concern for experts.

More than half of Rhode Island communities have at least one such plan. (Johnson recently created three new plans, bringing the total statewide to 36, but data is not yet available on those.)

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The latest report was completed in late April and shows the 33 independent municipal-run plans had a combined shortfall of roughly $2.73 billion in 2024, a slight improvement from the year before. Their combined funding level is about 49% of the amount they need to pay future benefits, based on actuaries projections.

But those numbers mask enormous differences in the size of the various plans, as well as the severity of their funding problems. Of the 33 plans, 14 are designated as in critical status, meaning their funding level is below 60%.

North Providences Fire COLA plan  which provides cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, for retired firefighters  has the lowest funding level among the independent plans, at just 14%. But in raw dollars, Providences city pension system has by far the largest shortfall, at approximately $1.3 billion.

In an interview, North Providence Mayor Charlie Lombardi said there are unique circumstances surrounding the Fire COLA plan that explain its poor funding level.

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The towns firefighters moved into the state-run Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS) years ago  B.C., or Before Charlie, Lombardi said  but at the time town leaders opted out of using the states formula for COLAs, or annual benefit increases.

Instead, North Providence agreed to pay those COLAs on its own from the town budget. And in recent years new regulations require the town to start treating that benefit as a formal pension plan, even though it isnt providing a full retirement payment, Lombardi said.

Its going to take us a little while to catch up, Lombardi told Target 12, but well do what were required to do. He also pointed out the towns pension plan for police officers is in strong shape, with a funding level of 85%, thanks in no small part to an infusion of settlement money from Google over a decade ago.

The story in Providence is familiar  and grim.

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The latest report shows the capital citys pension plan is just 29% funded, barely improved from its 26% funding level back in 2018, when the first of the annual reports was issued. One in four city tax dollars now goes into the pension fund.

IN-DEPTH: How Providences pension fund suffered a comedy of errors

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has long acknowledged the scale of the citys pension problem, but has also argued there are no good options beyond muddling through and whittling down the obligation. The citys current funding schedule suggests it will eliminate the shortfall after 2040 as long as taxpayers continue to sharply increase their annual contribution to the fund.

Roughly two-thirds of the shortfall for all 33 independent local pension plans is in just five cities: Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, East Providence and Warwick.

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There are similar problems across the border in Massachusetts, where a recent study by the research group MassINC found Fall River and New Bedford spend a larger share of their budgets on pension benefits than most other cities in the state.

Below is key data for all 33 independent municipal pension plans in Rhode Island.

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, Bluesky and Facebook.

Eli Sherman contributed to this report.

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MASON, Mich. (WLNS)  Ingham County deputies have a temporary approach to issuing traffic stop citations. If you happen to get pulled over during the next few weeks, it may not be all bad news.

The Ingham County Fair begins July 28, and to support the event, the Ingham County Sheriffs Office and other local police departments are giving away more than just traffic tickets. If you get pulled over, you may be given free tickets to the fair.

Andy Daenzer is the captain for the Ingham County Sheriffs Office and hopes that the temporary addition to traffic stops can brighten someones day.

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We think its kind of a fun thing, a good way to support the fair and just a good way hopefully to put a smile on someones face, said Daenzer. In any case, where theyre going to give a verbal warning, they may give you a ticket to the fair instead of a ticket!

Traffic stops with a twist. The sheriffs office advises people to always drive safely and understands that being pulled over can be anxiety-inducing.

We realize that traffic stops can be stressful, but were going to be stopping for good reasons and then hopefully give some breaks and some tickets to the fair, said Daenzer.

Turning a stressful experience into a positive one. The idea for this came after Lindsey McKeever, the fairgrounds events director, took inspiration from a similar approach.

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Its similar to what they do around Thanksgiving with the turkey, said McKeever. If you get pulled over around Thanksgiving, you might get a turkey.

McKeever said that when the idea popped into her head, her coworker called the sheriffs office, and they loved it.

Were really excited about our partnership with the sheriffs office and some other local police departments to give people some tickets, said McKeever. Its a great opportunity for community policing, and its just a cool idea [to] get more people involved and more people excited about the fair.

Daenzer says that Thanksgiving with a Turkey leaves a positive impression on the community, and feels that giving away county fair tickets will do the same.

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It generally leaves a good feeling for them when theyve left, said Daenzer. Hopefully, whatever they did to get stopped in the first place, they learn from it. Its just a warning on that, and hopefully they get to go enjoy the fair.

The sheriffs office advises people to always drive safely, and people are not pulled over randomly just to be given tickets.

The only negativity we had was concern that we were going to stop people for no reason and give these out. And thats not the case. We would never stop anyone on a traffic stop without a valid reason, such as some civil infraction, said Daenzer.

The Ingham County fair begins July 28 and concludes on Aug. 2.

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Florida houses of worship can now endorse political candidates in some cases, an exception created by the IRS recently that reversed decades of legal precedent preventing churches from involvement in politics.

The Internal Revenue Service's position came from a July 7 filing meant to end a lawsuit from the National Religious Broadcasters association last year, who argued that a provision in the U.S. tax code infringed on First Amendment rights to speech and religious expression.

That provision, known as the Johnson Amendment and covering what are called "501(c)(3)" nonprofits, banned tax-exempt organizations from political participation, like issuing endorsements or opposing candidates.

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The IRS's joint filing with the religious groups instead says political discussions "from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services" isn't interfering with political campaigns, but instead is similar to a "family discussion concerning candidates."

This decision empowers churches in Florida to endorse political candidates, although that is not entirely new in the state's faith landscape. Often, political candidates would speak at churches and would mobilize religious groups to get involved in campaigns related to important issues to their congregation.

In 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign aimed to mobilize Black churchgoers to turn out to vote in "Souls to the Polls" initiatives in battleground states.

Before last year's election, Gov. Ron DeSantis also turned to faith groups to stir opposition against ballot initiatives that would have enshrined abortion rights and recreational marijuana in the state's constitution.

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The governor turned to his faith and community initiative to mobilize religious groups, and his administration worked with Mat Staver to oppose the abortion amendment. Staver is chairman of Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit law firm and Christian ministry that advocates for religious freedom of expression.

Staver lauded the president in a statement following the joint ruling, saying President Donald Trump "pledged to eliminate the Johnson Amendment and allow our pastors and churches to speak freely and without fear of retribution."

"The Trump administration has now agreed to unshackle the pulpit from the chains of the Johnson Amendment," Staver said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski during the 50th annual Red Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More with many members of Floridas executive branch, legislators, attorneys, state agency officials and community members in attendance Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

It's not unusual for churches to get involved in discussions about contentious policy issues, namely abortion. When DeSantis campaigned against the abortion amendment, he went to City Church Tallahassee, which says on its website that it maintains a "conservative theological position."

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Thomas Wenski, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Miami, said many churches, despite these rules about political endorsement, would endorse candidates and wouldn't have a problem.

The Archdiocese of Miami wouldn't do that, however, Wenski added. Although the church says its opinions on contentious topics in ballot amendments, Wenski said it wouldn't endorse political candidates because "a Catholic would feel homeless in either party at this point."

Earlier this year, Wenski spoke at a Catholic mass in Tallahassee attended by the governor and reminded those in attendance that even "the migrant is not a stranger," quoting Jesus, and he thanked DeSantis for speaking out against the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion.

He added: "The church doesn't endorse political leaders. That's a fool's errand to do that."

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: In Florida & elsewhere, churches can now endorse political candidates
MIAMI  Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage and ex-Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan hardly stood out among Florida residents. The Republican pair had joined many former constituents who bolted those cold-winter states for the Sunshine States balmier environs.

But political ambition beckoned. So, LePage and Rogers returned to their home states to run for office again. Both lost, LePage in the 2022 Maine governors race and Rogers in his 2024 Michigan Senate bid.

That hasnt dissuaded them from second comeback bids. LePage, in November 2026, aims to knock off the Democratic incumbent in Maines sprawling northern House district. Rogers is again seeking an open Senate seat in Michigan.

As the 2026 election cycle intensifies, both are likely to, again, face questions about their Florida sojourns. The political cultures of places such as Maine and Michigan often differ from Florida itself, where its no big deal to run for office after growing up, and even spending a portion of adulthood, out of state. The official Florida legislature handbooks biographical information section for each lawmaker includes a Moved To Florida line if it applies, along with data such as birthdates.

A swath of Floridas congressional delegation is originally from out of state, living in other places until leaving for college, the military, or later in adulthood. Among them are Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Randy Fine (R-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). That each successfully pursued a political career throughout Florida makes sense in one of the nations fastest-growing states.

After decades of rapid population increase, Florida now is the nations fastest-growing state for the first time since 1957, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus Vintage 2022 population estimates, the federal agency reported in December of that year. Florida's population increased by 1.9% to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022, surpassing Idaho, the previous years fastest-growing state.

Florida's population grew by 2% between 2023 and 2024, with the state gaining 467,347 residents, per the Census Bureau. This growth rate was second only to the District of Columbia's 2.2%. By contrast, Michigan over that time grew only 0.6%, to 10,140,459 people. And the Maine population increased a mere 0.4%, to 1,405,012 people.

In slow-growth states with frigid winters, moving from Florida and then back again can be a touchy matter because generations of voters stay put without the option of spending the cold months in a place such as Florida.

Former governor aims to turn over a new LePage

LePage announced on May 5 that he'd run for Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Its the largest House district east of the Mississippi River, covering 85% of the state, from north of Portland up to the U.S.-Canada border. Heavily forested, it's larger than the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined.

LePage, 76, gives Republicans a well-known candidate to take on Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) in a conservative-leaning district the GOP has repeatedly targeted. But LePage, governor from 2011 to 2019, brings plenty of political baggage.

LePage, as governor, presaged the type of smash-mouth politics popularized by President Donald Trump in his three White House campaigns  winning in 2016, losing in 2020, and then reclaiming the office four years later. In 2016, for instance, LePage described the states opioid epidemic on guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty who come from Connecticut and New York to sell their heroin then go back home.

He added, Incidentally, half the time, they impregnate a young white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we've got to deal with down the road.

And LePages recent electoral track record there has been less than stellar. He lost a 2022 bid for his old job to Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), his gubernatorial successor in the 2018 election, by a 56%-42% margin.

Part of LePages problem in that campaign was eroded ties to his home state. Immediately after Mills succeeded LePage, on Jan. 2, 2019, he registered to vote in Florida. LePage's listed residence was in Ormond Beach, a city of about 45,000 people directly north of Daytona Beach, on Florida's upper Atlantic Coast. LePage said at the time that he planned to live in Florida for the majority of the year and become a legal resident there to pay no income tax and lower property taxes.

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Thats a standard move for many Florida residents who come from elsewhere, and one thing any decent accountant would advise so a client could minimize annual tax liability. But its likely to provide political fodder for LePages 2026 opponent, Golden, because Democrats likely need to hold the seat to have any chance at winning a House majority in the midterm elections.

Mr. Rogers's neighborhoods

In Michigan, Rogers is making his second straight Senate bid, aiming to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). The Trump White House and Senate Republicans favor Rogers for the GOP nomination, though he could still face a primary fight.

Rogers, 62, represented a Lansing-based district in the House from 2001 to 2015. During his final four years in Congress, he was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

After retiring from the House, Rogers hosted a radio show, engaged in some consulting, per campaign financial disclosure forms, and ultimately moved to Florida. He was registered to vote and owned a home in Cape Coral, a southwest Florida community. Known for its canals, the city of nearly 230,000 people, about 83 miles south of Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast, is home to many retirees who were FBI agents and employees of various intelligence services. Rogers himself, after three years in the Army, was an FBI special agent from 1989 to 1994 in the agency's Chicago office, specializing in organized crime and public corruption.

Rogers insists he always kept up his Michigan ties, and in 2023, he bought property again in the Wolverine State. He reentered politics in Michigan, losing a Senate bid against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in what was an open seat race.

Slotkin won 48.64%-48.30%, a difference of 19,006 votes out of nearly 5.6 million cast. In those kinds of agonizingly close losses, any number of factors could have made a difference or been decisive. And while its impossible to blame Rogerss loss solely on the Florida residency issue, or any other specific line of criticism, he did spend much of the campaign on the defensive over why he left Michigan in the first place.

It was part of a broader line of criticism over political shape-shifting. The jut-jawed and barrel-chested military veteran and FBI agent, before turning to politics, was a legislative foot-soldier out of central casting in the post-9/11 War on Terror era. Rogers was first elected to the House in 2000 after nearly six years as a state senator, beginning his Capitol Hill tenure with new President George W. Bush.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, eight months into Rogerss first House term, he loyally backed the Bush administration's antiterrorism agenda, including the Iraq War resolution in 2002 and the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which authorized the use of such panels to try noncitizen unlawful enemy combatants for violations of the law of war. The Supreme Court, in 2008, ruled that a key section of the law was unconstitutional, declaring that detainees had the right to petition federal courts for challenges to the legal recourse of habeas corpus.

Yet when Rogers ran for the Senate in 2024, after a decade out of office, he became a deep skeptic of federal law enforcement. The one-time FBI agent echoed the whines of Trump, between his presidential terms, about a witch hunt through political prosecutions, and the investigation over Russias role in aiding the 2016 GOP nominee.

Rogers's move to Florida and back to Michigan became part of a broader Democratic campaign against his alleged political chameleon tendencies. The ferocity and intensity of the Democratic campaign attacks on Rogers over the Florida residency matter suggest it cut deep.

"With four days left until Election Day, Mike Rogers has given Michiganders countless reasons not to trust him to represent Michigan in the Senate," the Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement as Election Day neared. "After lying for months about where he lives, Mike Rogers finally admits that he is not living at the house that he claims to. The house that Rogers claimed to live in 'had no certificate of occupancy,' and it appears 'to be still in a construction phase, with an unfinished deck and a Port-A-Jon next to the driveway.'"

A DAY WITH FLORIDA STATE TROOPERS NABBING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOR ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ

The attacks worked in 2024, even as Trump won the states electoral votes on his way back to the presidency. Its likely to be a political line of criticism by the winner of the 2026 Democratic Senate primary, in which candidates include Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI); state Sen. Mallory McMorrow; Dr. Abdul El Sayd, who was previously Wayne County health director; and state Rep. Joe Tate, speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2023 to 2025.

None of them has previously lived in Florida.
PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE IS MERELY a pause between crimes. Ive come across variations on this aphorism many times, in speeches by human rights advocates, in post-conflict reconciliation efforts, and in the writings of those who have witnessed war up close. It captures a hard-earned truth: peace that ignores accountability is not peace at all. Its a temporary ceasefire between outrages.

President Trump, having apparently broken with Russian President Vladimir Putin (for now) and decided to supply Ukraine with more American weapons (that the Europeans will buy) seems intent on his promise to bring peace to Ukraine. But if he wants peacemaking to be part of his legacyand he so clearly covets the Nobel Peace Prizehe must distinguish between two kinds of peace. The first is a true peace between these warring nations that would last. The alternative is a ceasefire that ignores accountabilitythe kind of peace that is only a lull and will invite new atrocities.

The idea that sanctions on Russian trade with the United States would do anything to accomplish the first kind of peacemuch less the second, more troubling kindis unrealistic. Vladimir Putin has already earned his place in the dock at the Hague. And its taken far too long, but Donald Trump has finally realized what much of the world has known for years: Putin is evil.

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President Trumps recent epiphanyoffered with expected self-congratulatory flairlands awkwardly against a decade of his previous public denials, private flatteries, and geopolitical accommodations. Ukrainians knew Putin was evil when missiles fell on maternity wards, apartment buildings, and critical infrastructure. Georgians knew it when tanks rolled through Tskhinvali. Syrians knew it when the Russian Air Force bombed civilians and then called them terrorists. Russian dissidents, journalists, and exiles have known Putins evil for years. So have senior leaders in the U.S. military, our intelligence community, European allies, and even many members of Trumps first cabinet. They tried to warn him. He dismissed them.

But now that Trump has finally seen the light and spoken the truth, the question is not what he seesbut what we will do. Because merely recognizing evil doesnt change the course of history. Acting against it does.

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THE WORLD HAS BEEN HERE MANY times before. In the 1990s, another strongman sought to build his power by stoking nationalism, sowing ethnic hatred, and unleashing violence: Slobodan Milosevic. Under his regime, wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo killed more than 130,000 people and displaced millions. For years, the world watched violent reprisals against civilians and ethnic cleansing, until finally NATO acted. Shortly after, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia indicted Milosevic and, eventually, scores of his subordinates and allies, plus other combatants who committed alleged violations of the laws of war, crimes against humanity, or genocide. The message was clear: You dont get to commit genocide and retire comfortably.

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Putin watched the Yugoslav wars and the subsequent trials from St. Petersburg and Moscow but drew a different lesson. In Putins mind, the West was slow, fragmented, and reluctant, so his solution was to be faster and more brutal, while finding ways to insulate himself from consequences. From Chechnya to Georgia, from Syria to Crimea, and in two separate invasions of Ukraine, Putins path was always paved with atrocities. His forces targeted hospitals, razed cities, deported children, sexually abused prisoners, and used starvation as a weapon of war. The massacre in Bucha, the leveling of Mariupol, and the forced disappearances in occupied Ukraine were Kremlin policy, boldly and brazenly executed with no shame fear of accountability. And in considering these overt violations of the Geneva Conventions, we must also include Putins use of assassination on foreign soil as part of his statecraft: Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned with polonium in London; Sergei Skripal, attacked with Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury; Aleksei Navalny, poisoned in 2020 in a Russian airport on his way to Germany; and others going back decades.

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While the International Criminal Court had already issued warrants for Putin and his Commissioner for Childrens Rights, last month it expanded those indictments to include former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov. Charged with war crimes for targeting civilian infrastructure and non-combatants, these men are the modern-day Radovan Karadzics and Ratko Mladics.

Putin, Shoigu, and Garasimov have a defense that Milosevic, Karadzic, and Mladic did not: They rule in a country with nuclear weapons. Achieving justice for the Russians will be much more difficult than it was for the Serbs. But if President Trump wants to achieve real peace in Ukraine, none of these men can be allowed to live out their lives without at least the fear that one day they may stand trial for their crimes.

YET, EVEN AS HE ANNOUNCED the provision of providing arms to Ukraine, President Trump provided a 50-day grace period and a threat of raised tariffs if Russia failed to show up at the peace table, despite the fact that Russias economy, already decoupled from much Western trade, would feel little impact from raised tariffs. Immediately after President Trumps announcement, Putins bureaucrats noted they were grateful for the delay so they can coordinate a response. Trumps equivocation project weakness, not resolve. This is no time for arbitrary deadlines, diplomacy by calendar, or economic tokenism.

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Trump has better options, like seizing frozen Russian sovereign assetshundreds of billions held abroadand using them to fund Ukrainian reconstruction. Or imposing secondary sanctions (not, as he threatens, secondary tariffs) on nations and companies that continue to trade with or support the Russian war machine. Or designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, because targeting civilians with missile strikes and using chemical weapons across borders certainly qualifies. And finally, he could also support the expansion of the ICC indictments and lead a multinational effort to establish a special tribunal for crimes of aggression.

Sounds harsh? Not when we return to the concept that accountability and justice are not optional. They are the foundation of deterrence and global order. It is how todays nations tell future autocrats that the world will not forget, forgive, or normalize their crimes.

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Milosevic was not stopped solely by NATO bombs or tribunal indictments alone. He was stopped because the Serbian people, facing international isolation and internal ruin, turned on him. That happened when the world made clear: There would be no normalization, no negotiation, no handshakes until the criminals and those who led them faced justice.

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The same must apply to Putin and his enablers. No delays or off-ramps. No frozen conflicts. No rehabilitation. The war ends when Russia withdraws, reparations begin, and the guilty stand trial. Thats the only path to real peaceand the only way to ensure that future Putins, watching from Beijing or Tehran or Pyongyang, understand the cost of criminal conquest.

Justice is hard. Accountability is slow. But if we fail to pursue themwith every tool of national and international power: law, finance, diplomacy, and brute forcethen we should stop pretending we care about order, sovereignty, or the victims of war crimes. Unnecessary delay increases suffering. Visible weakness invites escalation. And peace without justice guarantees only more bloodshed.

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Russia may introduce additional restrictions on the use of software, in particular messengers, developed in the so-called unfriendly countries.

Source: The Moscow Times

Details: Kremlin leader Putin has sent a corresponding order to the government. According to it, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin must submit proposals for new restrictions on foreign communication services by 1 September.

These initiatives are closely linked to the recently adopted law on the creation of a national digital platform. Its central element will be the state-developed MAX messenger. It will be integrated with online services such as State Services (GosUslugi) and will allow users to confirm their identity, entitlement to benefits, etc.

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Human rights activists have already called the MAX platform a new tool for mass surveillance. According to Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, the messenger's privacy policy explicitly states that all user data can be transferred to state structures. Access will be granted to the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Central Bank, the Tax Service and even the Federal Service for Alcohol and Tobacco Market Control.

Background:

Russia wants to create its own state messenger with call and chat functions and access to government services.

The Innotech XXI Foundation, which is involved in the restoration of churches, plans to launch the Orthodox messenger Zosima on the Russian market.

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COLLEGE POINT, Queens (PIX11)  A man is accused of shooting his estranged wifes boyfriend to death in front of the victims home in Queens Thursday night, according to police and sources.

Jose Centeno, 55, allegedly gunned down 50-year-old Antonio Cantor in front of 28-02 119th St. in College Point at around 10:30 p.m., according to the NYPD.

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Sources said Centeno and his wife were separated when the woman began dating the victim. The couple was outside Cantors home when Centeno drove up, and the two men argued before shots rang out.

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Cantor was shot multiple times in the chest and stomach in the apparent love-triangle dispute, sources and police said. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.

Centeno allegedly fled in a dark-colored car after the shooting and turned himself in on Friday, sources said.

He was arrested and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

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Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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President Donald Trump is furious that some of his supporters wont let go of questions about disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins suicide while awaiting trial in 2019 and his ties to rich and powerful Americans.

The refusal of Trumps administration to release more information has only fed the flames.

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People holding transgender pride flags. (Photo by Vladimir Vladimirov/Getty Images)

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha joined another challenge to President Donald Trumps administration on Thursday, aligning himself with 20 other states in a lawsuit against recent federal rules surrounding health coverage purchased via Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces.

The suit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that a June 25 final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would make health care harder to access under the ACA, especially for transgender people.

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The rule, set to take effect Aug. 25, heightens eligibility requirements and narrows the open enrollment window for health plans purchased through state marketplaces. Some consumers who previously qualified for $0 premiums could possibly see new monthly charges on their health plans.

We expect these actions will provide immediate premium relief to families who do not qualify for Federal premium subsidies and reduce the burden of improper ACA premium subsidy expenditures to the Federal taxpayer, the rule reads.

Neronha lambasted the new rule as unnecessary and irresponsible in a statement Thursday.

We should be making it easier, not harder, for Americans to obtain health care coverage, Neronha wrote. And yet, this Administration is intent on making life harder for everyday Americans while lining the pockets of the ultra-rich.

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The lawsuit is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the law from becoming active before the Aug. 25 start date. The lawsuit is co-led by Attorneys General Rob Bonta of California, Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, and Matthew Platkin of New Jersey.

Signed onto the suit are attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, plus the governor of Pennsylvania.

Neronha performed a hat trick this week, joining three lawsuits against the Trump administration across four days. On Monday, Neronha co-led a case filed in Rhode Island over education funding. On Wednesday the AG allied himself with a blue state coalition hoping to undo cuts to a disaster preparedness program. Overall, Neronha has joined or co-led 28 lawsuits against the Trump administration since January.

The lawsuit argues that the final rule would cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance, and it would increase premiums, copays and deductibles for millions more.

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We know millions are already expected to lose health coverage under the Presidents recent legislation, which cuts $1 trillion in federal health spending over the next 10 years, Neronha added. Now, with this final rule, over a million more could be one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.

According to Neronhas office, health insurer HealthSource RI estimates the rule would reduce enrollment in the Ocean State by 3%, or about 1,380 people.

Removing treatment options for transgender people

The CMS rule also strikes drug therapies like hormone or puberty blockers used in gender transition-related care from the federal roster of essential health benefits. That would mean states who decide to subsidize such treatments would need to rely on their own coffers, rather than federal ones, if they mandate coverage among state health plans. These drugs fell under the banner of gender-affirming care in the Biden years, but the new CMS ruling prefers the label specified sex-trait modification procedure and distinguishes such medication from other non-pharmaceutical or non-surgical therapies.

The lawsuit argues that the final rules sweeping changes will remove States substantial autonomy to set their own policies when it comes to health care marketplaces. It additionally argues that the abrupt decision to exclude services  on the very basis of gender identity is highly disruptive and will disproportionately affect transgender and gender non-conforming people.

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Notably, the only individuals who might seek services with the express purpose of aligning their gender identity and their body, and their gender identity differs from their sex, are transgender individuals, the lawsuit reads, quoting language used in the federal law.

An hour after the attorneys general announced their lawsuit, CMS issued its own press release. Although not specifically in response to the lawsuit, the agency defended imminent changes to ACA plans as measures that will crush fraud, waste, and abuse in Americas healthcare programs.

The agency wrote that a recent software-led analysis of historical enrollment data found that, in 2024, nearly 2.8 million Americans were improperly enrolled in multiple public insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans purchased on ACA marketplaces. The agency says ending duplicate enrollments could save approximately $14 billion annually in taxpayer spending.

The Biden Administration struggled to ensure that individuals were only enrolled in the single Medicaid or Exchange plan for which they were eligible, that ends today, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement. CMS is restarting these important checks to follow federal law. We are going to work with states to identify individuals enrolled in multiple programs and fix the duplicate enrollment problem to save taxpayers billions of dollars, while minimizing inappropriate coverage loss.

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JAMESTOWN  A cat found in Jamestown tested positive for rabies, Guilford Countys third confirmed case of rabies in 2025.

The Guilford County Division of Public Health said the cat was found on Woodmont Road, which is west of Guilford College Road and near Jamestown Presbyterian Church. Rabies was confirmed on Thursday.

North Carolina law requires that all domestic pets (cats, dogs and ferrets), whether living inside or outside, aged 4 months or older be vaccinated for rabies. Animals that are confined in outdoor fenced areas should also have current rabies vaccinations. Supervising pets when they are outdoors could prevent contact with wild animals and lessen the possibility of rabies exposure.

Guilford County Animal Services may be contacted for more information on rabies prevention at 336-641-2506 or visit www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/animal-services. For information regarding the current rabies cases, please contact Lisa Lee at 336-641-3930 or llee@guilfordcountync.gov.
President Donald Trump personally called The Wall Street Journals editor in chief to object to its upcoming expose on his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The phone call, first reported on by Oliver Darcys Status, comes as the paper plans to publish a report that would offer new material shedding light on the Trump-Epstein relationship. Epsteinwho once described Trump as his closest friend for 10 years, according to biographer Michael Wolffdied by suicide awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.

Darcy did not provide further details of the call with WSJ Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker. It is also unclear if the president has also tried calling Journal owner Rupert Murdoch, according to Status.

The White House did not respond to an immediate request for comment. Representatives for the Journal and Murdoch also did not respond to immediate requests for comment.

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Journalist Mark Halperin alluded to the forthcoming expose on his 2WAY show earlier on Thursday.

Everyone I know believes a major newspaper, one of the top three newspapers in the country, is about to publish a piece about President Trumps relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, OK? Halperin said. Everyone I know knows that. And people in the White House know that, too. When that story drops, if it drops today, and some people think it might, it could drive the day.

The Journal published its story over the presidents objections at 6:46 p.m. EST Thursday.

President Donald Trump reportedly called

Trumps supporters have been in an uproar over a July 6 memo from the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation finding that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial, rather than being murdered, and that no client list of powerful associates existsthe subject of swirling conspiracies among the presidents supporters. Trump had promised to release all files related to Epstein during his campaign, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said in February that the client list was sitting on my desk right now awaiting review.

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Trump has since tried to calm the waters and come to the defense of his attorney general.

Speaking with far-right Real Americas Voice Network on Wednesday, Trump called the Epstein story a hoax and laid the blame on Democrats.

The Democrats, you know, they have bad policy, they have bad candidates, they have bad everything, but they stick together, he added. The Republicans dont do that, but they ought to look into the Jeffrey Epstein hoax too, because its another hoax thats, frankly put out by the Demo ... pushing the Republicans, and put out by the Democrats.
A meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein Format) will take place on Monday 21 July and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is expected to attend.

Source: a statement by the UK Joint Delegation to NATO on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The statement says that the United Kingdom and Germany will co-chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 21 July.

On Monday, the UK  and Germany  will host another meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group #UDCG, joined by @SecGenNATO, SACEUR, and Secretary @PeteHegseth, alongside dozens of Allies and partners pic.twitter.com/ZM70p4HWFH  UK Joint Delegation to NATO (@UKNATO) July 17, 2025

Expected participants include US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich.

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This will also be the first meeting following changes in the Ukrainian government and the appointment of Denys Shmyhal as minister of defence, replacing Rustem Umierov.

The statement does not specify the format of the meeting, but earlier, Bundeswehr Major General Christian Freuding stated that it is planned to be held online.

Background:

In June, Hegseth did not attend a Rammstein meeting  the US was represented by its ambassador to NATO. The Pentagon chief also missed the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. During the April Ramstein meeting in Brussels, Hegseth participated online.

On 10 July, US representatives took part in a meeting of the coalition of the willing for the first time.

On 14 July, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement between NATO and the US on supplying weapons to Ukraine.

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Jul. 17ROCHESTER  A nearly $73.2 million contract for construction of key elements of Rochester's Link Bus Rapid Transit project is spurring a call for added transit aid.

"This would bring the total project cost to approximately $173.9 million, which would utilize nearly all of the $175,493,515 in resources currently allocated to the project and leave (an) insufficient amount in the project contingency," a report to the Rochester City Council states.

On Monday, the council will be asked to request an added $21.2 million from dedicated Destination Medical Center funds to cover a contingency fund required with the use of nearly $85 million in federal funds.

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The added contribution would commit nearly $50.2 million in state DMC transit aid to the project, along with $45.7 million in county DMC transit aid to the project.

It will not change the $11.1 million in DMC infrastructure funds being used for the project, or the nearly $4.4 million from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The council will also be asked Monday to approve a $73.2 million contract with Elcor Construction Inc., for work that will include the creation of a pedestrian tunnel under Second Street Southwest, which will connect St. Marys Hospital with a planned transit station on the north side of the street.

Other work under the contract will include construction of station platforms and other infrastructure work along the 2.8-mile corridor.

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The city report states the Elcor bid was the lowest received for the work but exceeded early estimates by $15.8 million.

"Based upon construction industry cost trends and project specific challenges, the city does not believe rebidding would result in a lower bid and rebidding would have an impact on overall pricing for project budget and schedule," the report states.

City staff reports it plans to work to keep the final cost of all construction within the previously approved $174 million budget, which would leave the requested contingency available for future projects.

The project budget increased from $145 million earlier this year, based on contingency fund requirements and increased construction cost. The Link system was initially visualized with a $114 million price tag, but costs increased with a redesign to extend the route during the design phase.

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Work on the project has started, with earlier contracts approved. When completed, the transit service is expected to provide fare-free rides along Second Street Southwest and Third Avenue Southeast, connecting the Cascade Lake area to new development planned near the intersection of Third Avenue and Sixth Street Southeast.

System buses will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8 a.m to midnight, with multiple electric buses on the route at a time. They will provide a chance to catch a bus at any of seven stations every five minutes during peak periods and every 10 to 15 minutes at other times.

If the City Council approved the planned request for added DMC transit funds during its meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, it will require a special meeting of the DMCC board for final approval of the request before work can start.

The special DMCC board meeting is slated for 9 a.m. Tuesday in suite 102 of the Mayo Civic Center.

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Meetings scheduled to be held during the week of July 21 include:

Rochester

City Council, 6 p.m. Monday in council chambers of the city-county Government Center, 151 Fourth St. SE. The meeting will livestream at www.rochestermn.gov/meetings/council-meetings and be available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188.

Public Utility Board, 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Rochester Public Utilities community room, 4000 East River Road NE.

Planning and Zoning Commission, 5 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers of the Government Center.

Olmsted County

Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments, noon Wednesday in conference room 186, 2122 Campus Drive SE.

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Soil and Water Conservation District Board, 8 a.m. Thursday in conference room 109 at 1188 50th St. SE Rochester

Destination Medical Center

DMC Corp. Board special meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday at Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE.

Rochester Public Schools

School Board special session, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom of the Edison Building, 615 Seventh St. SW.

School Board study session, following the special session Tuesday in the boardroom of the Edison Building, 615 Seventh St. SW.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Thursday he thought the Trump administration would have to turn over all the Epstein files due to what he characterized as significant bipartisan support for their release.

We need total disclosure of the complete file, redacting only the names and the identities of the minor victims, the Maryland Democrat said during an appearance on MSNBC. There is overwhelming bipartisan, popular demand, Congressional demand, to release all of this stuff.

Without control of the chamber, House Democrats are unable to do much on their own to force the release of any evidence held by the federal government.

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However, a resolution spearheaded by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to force a House vote on the matter has garnered bipartisan support from figures as wide-ranging as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

Raskin is not an official co-sponsor on the resolution. The Maryland lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, instead said Tuesday that Bondi and other top administration officials should testify about Epstein, and floated the possibility of a subpoena.

I think the cat is out of the bag and theyre going to have to turn everything over to us, Raskin said on MSNBC Thursday.

Many Democrats have seized on the controversy roiling MAGA World to demand that the Trump administration release documents related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.

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In other words, were asking for exactly what Donald Trump was demanding and exactly what Pam Bondi was demanding before they got into power and got to look at everything, Raskin said.

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(The Center Square)  With coal mines and coal-fueled power plants continuing to move toward closure in Colorado, the states Office of Just Transition is launching a program supporting the industrys workers.

The program will provide free, personalized support to workers to help them plan their next steps  whether that means reskilling, starting a business, planning for retirement or exploring new opportunities.

This is an important moment reflecting Colorados commitment to its workforce, said Wade Buchanan, director of the OJT. Our goal is to partner with families to navigate this transition in a way that reflects their values, priorities and long-term goals. We want workers to know that OJT is open for business.

The program will be available to coal mine and power plant workers and their families, as well as those employed by certain supply chain businesses directly impacted by industry changes.

OJT estimates that more than 1,700 coal and supply-chain workers will be eligible for these services statewide.

Of those, 77% will likely be concentrated in three counties in the northwest corner of Colorado: Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt. The other 23% will be mostly in Montrose, Morgan and Pueblo counties.

The Office of Just Transition provided important resources to communities to help create good-paying jobs and boost local economies, said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis of the package. Our administration will continue to support communities in Northwest Colorado to help build a better and resilient future.

This all comes as Colorado is slowly phasing out the last of its coal-fueled electrical power plants, as previously reported by The Center Square.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Energy reports that six coal-fired power plants remain operational throughout the state. All of them are set to close by the end of 2031. Seven coal mines remain open.

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The department reports the transition away from coal is coming.

For a variety of reasons, the use of coal has been declining for more than a decade. That trend is likely to accelerate, it said. The era of coal in Colorado appears to be ending, and that poses serious challenges to the workers and communities that rely on it.

The OJT was first opened by the legislature in 2019, as part of the states commitment to prioritize a just transition for coal workers and communities.

Some advocates remain skeptical of the move away from coal, and even the state acknowledges its role in energy production.

In 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported coal-fired power plants accounted for 32% of Colorado's total in-state energy generation.

While down significantly from 68% in 2010, that is still a notable portion of the states energy generation.

REPEALING THE EPAS CARBON RULE WILL IMPROVE ELECTRIC GRID RELIABILITY

Additionally, a 2022 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that, between coal, petroleum and natural gas, coal produced the least amount of the states carbon dioxide emissions.

The report found that almost all of coals emissions were due to the electric power sector, while petroleums was from transportation, and natural gas was almost evenly distributed throughout the sectors, including electric power.
The Brief

Chicago is launching a yearlong pilot program in the 43rd Ward using non-toxic contraceptive pellets to reduce rat populations without harming wildlife.

The $40,000 initiative is a partnership between Ald. Timmy Knudsen, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Bird Alliance, and city sanitation officials.

Researchers will monitor rat behavior using cameras, comparing activity in areas with and without the pellets to measure effectiveness.

CHICAGO - Chicago is expanding its fight against rats  and it's not using poison. A North Side alderman is launching a pilot program that will use rat contraceptives to tackle the citys growing rodent problem.

What we know

Chicago has topped the list as Americas "rattiest city" for nine straight years, but Ald. Timmy Knudsen hopes a new initiative can help turn things around.

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Knudsen introduced a resolution for what he calls the "Rat Contraceptive Pilot," a yearlong test using non-toxic, peanut butter-scented pellets designed to reduce rat reproduction without killing the animals or harming local wildlife.

The pilot  to take place in the 43rd Ward  is a partnership between Knudsens office, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Bird Alliance and the Department of Streets and Sanitation. The $40,000 needed for the program was privately raised.

Researchers will deploy the contraceptive pellets in three designated "experiment" blocks and compare results to three nearby "control" blocks where no pellets are used. Scientists from the Lincoln Park Zoo will monitor camera footage to observe how rats interact with the bait.

"There are going to be scientists from the Lincoln Park Zoo who are watching the camera footage to see how the rats are interacting with the pellets. We wanna make sure that what's been shown in other cities is the same here, which is that the rats don't start avoiding the pellet. The beauty of this kind of program is compared to rodenticide, which is the city's current strategy. Rats don't avoid it. They know what happens with rodenticide. They've seen it from their rat friends. In this case, they're smelling this peanut butter pellet. They want it over and over and it just naturally will cut down on rat procreation," said Knudsen.

What's next

A similar program launched in Bucktown and Wicker Park in April. Results from that effort are expected by the end of July.

The contraceptive pilot in the 43rd Ward is scheduled to begin in early August.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- The Richmond County Sheriffs Office announced Thursday theyre searching for a missing 14-year-old, Jamari Mifflin.

This new case adds to several missing kids the Richmond County Sheriffs Office has reported so far this year.

We wanted to know why this is happening to our most vulnerable population, and what you can do to help.

Law enforcement and Child Enrichment say theres a variety of reasons young people go missing.

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But, with school back in session in just a few weeks, we wanted some answers. ,

The Richmond County Sheriffs Office says despite what it may look like, the number of missing kids is consistent with recent yearsbut now theyre working to be more transparent.

It makes it seems like theres more runaways, its just that were being more proactive with getting them (BOLOS) out with transparency as far as getting it out to the media and social media, said Richmond County Investigator Ron Sylvester.

Back in May, the Sheriffs Office reported 5 teens were on the run for 5 days.

Three 17-year-olds and a 13-year-old were found safe, but another 13-year-old is still missing.

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Last month, they reported a 15-year-old went missing after running away from an Augusta hospital.

Now, deputies are searching for a 14-year-old who went missing Wednesday, and two 15-year-old runaways reported missing Tuesday.

Investigators say several missing children are found in neighborhoods with their friends.

Especially this time of year with the warm weather, a lot of them have friends with neighborhood pools, so theyll go to the pool. The mall, generally where their friends are at are where they go, Sylvester said.

Once located, he says deputies always make sure the child is in good standing and reunited with the family.

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However, sometimes they dont always know where missing kids wander off to.

We either run into them and stop them somewhere, or they show up back home and the parents call us back and say theyve returned. Generally, they dont share too much as far as where theyve been and who theyve been with, said Sylvester. So, getting calls from people in the community is giving us ideas of where these kids are going to.

Child Enrichment Director Kari Viola-Brooke says there are a few explanations as to why theyre leaving in the first place.

One reason can be theres abuse in the home. So, not a safe home environment could be part of the reason theyre trying to get away, Viola-Brooke said. Also looking at mental health issueskids struggling with depression and suicidal ideation could be some of those reasons. Theres also external pressures like school, friends, or bullying-it might be too much for them to handle, and they want to get away from it.

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She says another reason that could be a factor is child sex trafficking.

In 2020, the National Center for Missing Exploited Children said that 1 in 6 kids that had run away had been sex trafficked, she added. Weve talked about the high number of child sex trafficking cases in Richmond County specifically, and that can tie in with the high number of missing children cases.

Child Enrichment says kids will also run away to meet people online in an attempt to fill a void.

Thats why she says a great way to help keep your kids safe in todays world is talking to them about the internet.

Predators that kids meet online find those holes and exploit them. So, we need to have parents having these conversations with their kids about internet safety. Telling them yes, we might get into disagreements, and we might get mad at each other, but ultimately I love you, and I care about you and your safety. Regardless of what happens, Im always going to be here to support you, said Viola-Brooke.

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For parents and guardians, Child Enrichment says the best thing to do is to have family activities together, talk to your children about the big and little things, and consistently engage with them to let them know youre there.

Viola-Brooke says engaging with your kids can take a variety of forms, but a key step to take is creating a space for healthy communication.

If we can have an environment where kids are having open, honest communication with their parents, its going to lead to those healthier relationships, said Viola-Brooke. The biggest thing we can do is encourage parents to get out from behind their phone or TV and have relationships with their kids. Build relationships with your kidsthat way when tough times come, kids know they have that support system to talk to.

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GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)  Whether its wildfires, snowstorms or hurricanes  the Upstate has faced a wide range of severe weather in the past year.

Leaders with Greenville County Emergency Management said residents get ahead by creating a disaster supply kit.

Officials said people should remain prepared for as many as three days after a disaster, as response times may be delayed, as they were after Hurricane Helene hit.

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According to Kathy Opalacz, the Deputy Director of County Emergency Management, its about being prepared for the worst.

Part of preparedness is being prepared for the things that are most unexpected, she said.

They said keeping an emergency kit ready at all times can make a big difference.

[After Helene], it took a long time for our crews just to get one lane open, just to get passable into some of these communities so we could get into help folks and then also for them to be able to drive out to the store to be able to get any essential items that they needed, said Pierce Womack, Director of Emergency Management.

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A full list of what should be inside your emergency kit can be found on the countys emergency management website.

Some things you typically dont think about are your pets and sometimes kids as they grow and get olderthere are different needs, Womack added. I mean, we can look at what happened recently in Texasnot a lot of warning. Things like thatat any point in time, we could be impacted by flooding, tornadoes, or hurricanes.

Womack reflected on how a kit couldve been beneficial during the wildfires that hit Pickens and Greenville counties earlier this year.

That emergency kit can be used in either way, he said. Whether they stay at home or whether they have to go stay with family members, neighbors or a friend, stay in a hotel, theres lots of opportunity for them to use that kit in a different situation.

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Emergency management also urged county residents to sign up for Code Red, an alert system that keeps you updated on whats happening in the county. To sign up, click here.

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MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD)  Its a busy week in Muskegon as two premier summer events are dominating the downtown corridor.

For a decade now, Rebel Road has welcomed thousands of visitors to showcase some of the citys businesses, food and culture  all for an important cause.

All proceeds from Rebel Road benefit the Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County, which provides free abuse education and prevention for thousands of kids in the county. According to the organizations website, it helped serve over 13,000 children in the county last year.

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The council says this festival typically accounts for about 70% of its annual fundraising revenue, helping raise nearly $300,000 last year alone.

Bikes, body slams and bounce houses: What to do in West Michigan this weekend

Rebel Road runs in tandem with Muskegon Bike Time, offering one of Michigans largest motorcycle rallies. Both events have been happening since midweek, but the weekend is when things really ramp up.

On Friday and Saturday, you can catch live concerts and custom bike shows. Theyll have stunt performances and a vendor village spanning eight blocks, centered around Patricia Johnson Circle.

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For Rebel Road, the food and merchandise vendors open at 11 a.m. Friday, with a free concert at 5 p.m. followed by an afterparty. On Saturday, things start nice and early at 9 a.m.

Muskegon Bike Time runs from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Festivities wrap on Sunday at 3 p.m.

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Democrats walked out of a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting that advanced senior Justice Department official Emil Bove's nomination for a federal judgeship, alleging Republicans had improperly rushed the process. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was among the Senate Democrats who walked out. He joined Chris Hayes to discuss why he thinks Bove is a "reckless and dangerous" pick.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  The American Red Cross needs volunteers for several roles, including volunteers who respond to house fires.

In the past week, the American Red Cross has assisted 16 people impacted by house fires, Red Cross Spokesperson Kyle Bales said. The fires occurred in Peoria, Peoria Heights, Tilton, Georgetown and Charleston.

The volunteers helped provide those impacted by the fires with emergency essentials, emotional support and assisted with locating temporary shelter.

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With disasters occurring around the country, Bales said that the Red Cross urgently needs more volunteers to make sure they are ready to respond to situations ranging from house fires to extreme weather.

The most needed roles they need to fill include Disaster Action Team members, Shelter Volunteers, Blood Donor Ambassadors, and Blood Transportation specialists.

Those interested in volunteering can learn more here.

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Jul. 18BEMIDJI  Reed Olson has recently been selected as the Minnesota chair of the nonprofit, nonpartisan

U.S. Term Limits

grassroots organization.

Olson served the Bemidji City Council for four years and the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners for six years. In 2024, Olson ran for the Minnesota House 2A seat, yet

lost a close race to Bidal Duran.

He still serves the Bemidji community as owner of

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Wild Hare Bistro

and as founder of

The Nameless Coalition for the Homeless,

a nonprofit geared toward helping Bemidji's homeless population.

Now, Olson will join U.S. Term Limits in lobbying to implement congressional term limits at every level of the government.

"For many, serving in Congress has become a lifelong entitlement rather than a public service," Olson said in a release. "Term limits will help improve accountability, diversify Congress and make government work better for all Americans. I look forward to working with the team from U.S. Term Limits to ensure that the Minnesota legislature adopts a resolution calling for congressional term limits."

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U.S. Term Limits has an ultimate goal of enacting a congressional term limit amendment to the U.S. Constitution. According to Philip Blumel, President of U.S. Term Limits, Olson is the right fit to help support this goal.

"We are honored to have Reed leading our efforts in Minnesota to pass term limits for Congress," Blumel said in the release. "Under his guidance, I am confident we will get our term limits resolution passed in Minnesota."

Olson's appointment officially began on July 8. There are no term limits in serving as a state chair for U.S. Term Limits.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE)  Northern New Mexicos biggest cancer center received an $80 million upgrade in the hopes of expanding cancer care to more New Mexicans.

Officials at CHRISTUS St. Vincent said the 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility reflects the hospitals mission to deliver a full slate of oncology services, all while treating patients closer to home.

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As we continue to expand services, were actually actively bringing on new physicians, new surgeons who can bring more care to northern New Mexico. We are having to send a lot of patients to the university for advanced surgeries and advanced treatments that we can now offer here in our community, said Genevieve Tarnow, Executive Director of Oncology Services.

The newly expanded cancer care facility in Santa Fe will not only employ more providers but also bring in cancer care professionals with more specialties allowing the center to offer more diagnostic and radiology services, along with giving patients access to up-and-coming and experimental therapies, which were not available at the old facility.

Hospital leaders said the environment is designed to make patients feel more comfortable as they undergo complex cancer treatments, So, obviously a new cancer diagnosis for a patient is a scary experience, and what we really have been hoping to do is to create a cancer center that has increased access for our patients, increased services, and increased opportunities so we can better treat all of New Mexico, emphasized Vice President of Cancer Services, Andrea Teague.

CHRISTUS St. Vincent said even during a time of staff shortages across the medical industry, their facility has the personnel to meet the demand in the region. The hospital is also expanding its services in Los Alamos and Taos to get even closer to communities with limited healthcare access.

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Israels military strikes in Syria this week  launched in response to atrocities against the Druze minority  represent a strategic turning point in a deeper power struggle that now entangles Iran, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the U.S., according to regional analysts.

Just days ago, speculation swirled about a potential normalization agreement between Israel and Syria  a breakthrough quietly brokered by U.S. officials, but that fragile prospect has been swiftly overtaken by violence, as Israeli airstrikes this week struck near Damascus.

A ceasefire agreement between Druze factions and the Syrian government, announced July 16, was meant to calm days of deadly clashes, but it remains tenuous and largely unenforced, with sporadic fighting continuing and tensions running high.

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Why Syria Plays A Key Role In Trumps Plans For Middle East Peace

Members of the media photograph the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Syria's defense ministry headquarters on July 16, 2025 in Damascus, Syria.

"For the Druze in Israel, whats happening in southern Syria feels like October 7 all over again," said Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel. "Israel can no longer treat Syria as just a neighboring crisis. Its now a domestic one."

In a rare scene, Israeli Druze citizens crossed the border into Syria to support their embattled relatives  prompting a stern warning from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Read On The Fox News App

"My Druze brothers, citizens of Israel... Do not cross the border," Netanyahu said. "You are putting your lives at risk  you could be killed, you could be kidnapped  and you are harming the IDFs efforts. Let the IDF do its job."

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In his first televised address since the Israeli strikes, Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa framed the Israeli intervention as a destabilizing act.

"Government forces deployed to Suweida succeeded in restoring stability and expelling outlawed factions despite the Israeli interventions," he said, warning that the strikes led to "a significant complication of the situation" and "a large-scale escalation." He insisted that protecting the countrys Druze minority was a top priority and declared that Syrians "are not afraid of war."

Within Israel, the collapse of order in Syria has triggered sharp debate. Some policymakers argue for supporting Sharaa as an anti-Iranian strongman, while others advocate broader military action to create a buffer zone in southern Syria. Golov supports a middle course: conditional strikes paired with demands for Druze autonomy and accountability for war crimes.

"If Sharaa shows hes willing to punish those responsible for the massacre and agree to Druze autonomy, then Israel can gradually work with him," Golov told Fox News Digital.

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Trumps Push For Israel-syria Peace Gets Major Backing As Activist Brings Message To Jerusalem

A woman waves a Syrian flag as people walk through the courtyard of the Umayyad mosque in the Old City in central Damascus on Jan. 16, 2025 in Damascus, Syria.

He also called for a regional diplomatic effort to stabilize Syria. "We need a regional summit  the U.S., Saudi Arabia, even Turkey, and Israel" he said. "Bring positive forces into Syria and use Israeli military power not just tactically, but to gain diplomatic leverage."

"Theres a temptation to miss the victory lap," said Behnam Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). "Rather than see Syria through the prism of competition with Turkey, Israel should first see it through the prism of diminished competition with Iran. That in itself is a huge achievement."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad on Monday, April 22, 2024.

While Irans position has weakened, Turkey has quietly expanded its footprint in Syria by backing the al-Sharaa government.

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Turkeys strategic interest in Syria, Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow at FDD and director of the Turkey program, explained, is to fill the vacuum left by Iran with its own political and economic influence  using al-Sharaa regime as a conduit. "Turkey has a lot riding on al-Sharaa success," he said. "Theyd like to see increased trade, the reconstruction of Syria through al-Sharaa. They want to use him as a means to influence the region politically."

However, Israels military response has triggered alarm in Ankara.

"Turkey is not in a position to militarily challenge Israel  it would be a disaster," said Ciddi. "Theyre talking tough, but theyre deeply concerned."

Ciddi emphasized that Turkey's aging military hardware and lack of air defense leave it highly exposed. Yet, Turkey is deeply invested in al-Sharaa political survival, hoping to leverage him for influence and economic ties in post-war Syria.

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A direct clash between Turkey and Israel, Ciddi warned, would "result in a diplomatic fiasco... and require the United States and European countries to step in as mediator."

Who Are The Druze? Religious Group Aids Syrian Members Under Islamist Attack, Israeli Members Offer Support

Even as Israel dismantled key parts of Irans military infrastructure in Syria, Tehran remains a long-term threat. Taleblu said Iran is now lying in wait  ready to exploit missteps by others.

"This is a regime that capitalizes on the mistakes of others," he said. "They dont need to win outright  they just need everyone else to lose."

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Tehran is betting that the regions rival powers  Turkey, Israel, the U.S. and the Gulf  will overplay their hands, allowing Iran to reenter through proxies, sectarian militias, or diplomatic manipulation.

Though President Trump recently said Syrias internal affairs are "not our war," his administrations tone has shifted. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for de-escalation, and regional partners are urging a clearer U.S. role.

"Real success will come from creating contingencies," Taleblu said. "What are the costs if Syria collapses? What if Turkey overreaches, or Israel overextends? What if Iran comes back? The states that prepare for these questions."





Original article source: Regional powers clash after Israel targets Syrian territory in defense of vulnerable Druze civilians
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  A World War II airman once missing in action was laid to rest Friday almost 80 years after his death.

2nd Lieutenant Milton Hymes Jr. is a young airman who vanished in combat and is now getting the tribute he never received.

Hymes was just 22 years old when his bomber went down over the Baltic Sea in 1944. More than 72,000 Americans are still missing from WWII, but after a years long recovery of his remains, Hymes, a Savannah High School graduate, is finally home.

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His remains were entombed underwater for decades until a recovery team located the wreckage and began excavation in 2022. Using dental records, divers and DNA analysis, investigators identified him in late 2024. He was laid to rest with full military honors at Bonaventure Cemetery near the parents he left behind.

A crowd of people, many strangers to the family, gathered at the gravesite to celebrate and honor the life of a man they never met.

Rabbi Robert Haas of Congregation Mickve Israel told WSAV he was honored to be a part of the service.

For everyone to be here is pretty remarkable. This man has galvanized our community, Haas said. I think its just indicative of how we continue to support our country, our military and how America, while no country is perfect, truly remains a beacon that others look to.

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Dan Davis is a member of Project Recover, the team who brought back Hymes remains, and was also at the site for this solemn and special homecoming.

As a veteran and working with other veterans in the organization, Project Recover, we take very seriously this promise of America to bring everybody home, Davis said.

It was a powerful moment of closure for the family. Two of Hymes nephews opened up to WSAV about the sense of peace they now feel seeing their mothers brother at his final resting place.

Its been an emotional week, and we all go through different emotions. I think the cousins that had mothers that suffered so much just having this week has been a closure we hope for them, but also for us, Donald Pittman said.

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I think the research and all the things that weve done to get to know him in such a different way helps make it so much more personal and makes it where I to try even harder to live up to some of the examples that he set, Milton Gay said.

2nd Lt. Hymes mission is now complete, and his body laid to rest. Next year, there will be a place people can remember his service forever at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.

Hymes items will be joined by other service men and women, the exhibit called Service Above Self.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order creating a new classification of non-career federal employees called Schedule G workers to help him with his political and policy priorities.

Schedule G employees will be non-career workers and expected to depart the federal government after the term of the president who appointed them, according to the order Trump signed on Thursday.

However, in line with Trump's approach to federal government hiring during his second administration, an emphasis will be placed on loyalty, with the classification providing another opportunity for the president to recruit people who align with his political and policy agenda.

"The Congress has recognized that effective Government administration requires excepting some positions from the competitive service based on their confidential, policy-determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating character," the order states. "There is, however, no excepted service schedule for noncareer positions of a policymaking or policy-advocating character."

The executive order follows similar executive action in January, which reforms federal government rules for policy-career employees, who were formerly referred to as "Schedule F" workers. That action started the process of the White House Office of Personnel Management last month, turning those policy-career employees into "at-will" workers, stripping them of their previous protections.

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"This rule empowers federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives, without lengthy procedural hurdles," the White House wrote at the time. "These employees will keep their competitive status and are not required to personally or politically support the President, but must faithfully implement the law and the administrations policies."

White House spokesman Harrison Fields underscored Thursday's executive order, contending that Schedule G employees will better serve Americans needs by focusing on implementing Administration policies.

President Trump believes creating non-career Schedule G positions will enhance government efficiency and accountability and improve services provided to taxpayers by increasing the horsepower for agency implementation of Administration policy, Fields wrote on social media.

Trump has placed a premium on loyalty during his second administration after his first term was allegedly undermined by policy-career employees, whom the president has condemned as the Deep State, amid fights for power among his top political advisers.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Friday held what he called a constructive meeting with Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, but the House minority leader isnt endorsing Mamdani just yet.

After the hourlong sit down at an East New York office space, the pair agreed to meet again soon with members of the citys congressional delegation and community leaders.

The meeting was constructive, candid and community-centered, with a focus on affordability, said Justin Chermol, a spokesman for Jeffries.

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The two men also discussed antisemitism, crime, gentrification and the Democratic effort to win back Congress in the 2026 midterms, Chermol said.

Mamdanis campaign said the Queens assemblyman was pleased to meet Jeffries.

Jeffries didnt make an endorsement in last months Democratic primary in which Mamdani romped to victory over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a field of other candidates.

The top Democrat in the House has stayed on the fence since Mamdanis win, even as other prominent Democrats who backed Cuomo have gotten in line behind the partys standard bearer. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has taken a similar noncommittal stance and has said he plans to meet with Mamdani soon in New York.

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Mamdani will run in the November general election against Republican Curtis Sliwa, with incumbent Eric Adams and Cuomo both running as independents.

The charismatic City Hall candidate drew rave reviews from Democratic members of Congress after a whirlwind visit to Washington, D.C. on Thursday organized by his ally, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He also met with progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, who praised him as an important new voice in the Democratic Party.

Despite the groundswell of support for Mamdani in the city, some moderate Democratic leaders worry Republicans could use him as a poster child for the partys leftward drift.
[Source]

Rep. Ro Khanna of California is leading a bipartisan effort to force the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all federal records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Republicans block release

On July 15, Khanna introduced an amendment to a government spending bill that would have required the Justice Department to make all Epstein files public within 30 days. The amendment was rejected in the House Rules Committee by a close 6-5 vote, with only Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina joining Democrats in support.

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Later that day, a procedural motion to bring the measure to a full House vote failed by a single vote, 211-210, mostly along party lines.

Trending on NextShark: Rep. Ro Khanna leads bipartisan push for full release of Epstein files

Call for bipartisan backing

After the failed vote, Khanna partnered with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky to launch a discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This process allows a bill to bypass committee if it gathers 218 signatures from House members.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Eric Burlison of Missouri have announced they will sign the petition, and Massie said five additional Republicans back the underlying bill. If all Democrats and at least six Republicans sign on, the House would be required to hold a vote. Discharge petitions are rarely successful because House leadership typically discourages majority party members from participating.

Trending on NextShark: Suni Lee receives ESPY for comeback after kidney disease

Argument for accountability

Khanna has framed the effort as a test of congressional accountability.

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This is a matter of whose side are you on. Are you for protecting rich and powerful men or are you for making sure that there's accountability given that they abused, assaulted and abandoned young girls? A nation that does not hold powerful men accountable is a nation that has lost its moral purpose, Khanna told Newsweek. I am going to fight with everything I can just to make sure that this file gets released.

Trending on NextShark: Veteran accused in ICE ambush captured in Dallas

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Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member  your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.

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WELCH  While nearly six months has passed since the devastating winter flood, repairs to critical infrastructure damaged by that storm are still ongoing.

In McDowell County, water and sewer systems from Elkhorn to Bradshaw were damaged by that storm, which also claimed three lives.

In a number of instances, temporary repairs had to be made to restore service, but officials are now working against the clock to make permanent repairs before winter arrives.

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We had so many lines that were washed out and exposed lines, Mavis Brewster, executive director of the McDowell County Public Service District, said. So many hollows that we serve. Those areas were just completely taken out.

At the onset of the flood, 2,800 of the PSDs 3,500 customers lost water and or sewer service.

Many creek crossing lines that were originally buried underground also were completely washed out, according to Brewster.

We did a temporary repair to get those people back on water, she said. But all of those repairs have to be permanent before winter.

Brewster said applications for funding assistance have been submitted to FEMA to help with those repairs.

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We are hoping the FEMA claims will come through to replace those before winter, she said.

The PSD only recently acquired the town of Bradshaws sewage treatment system, and the towns sewer lines sustained extensive damage in the February flood.

Bradshaws sewer system was hit really hard by the floods, Brewster said. Its an older system.

The PSD has submitted a Critical Needs Application with the governors office to help fund the Bradshaw sewer repairs.

We are new to the sewer business, and have no sewer revenue to fall back upon, Brewster said. We have submitted a Critical Needs Application for Bradshaw to the governors office and state officials.

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Gov. Patrick Morrisey recently announced a $1 million grant for water and sewer in Bradshaw.

The funding awards approved by the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council included a $1 million grant to the town of Bradshaw to address longstanding deficiencies in the sewage collection and treatment system affecting 106 customers, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in the earlier announcement. Another $2 million award was announced from the states Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

The governors office has been in regular contact with the county on flood-recovery efforts, according to Michael Brooks, president of the McDowell County Commission.

They have, Brooks said Monday. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

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However, the bids for the Bradshaw project announced by Morrisey ended up coming in at $7 million over estimates, Brewster said.

We are putting it back out to bid, Brewster said of the project.

But the process of readvertising the project for bids will be put in another 30 to 40 days behind schedule, according to the PSD.

The Feb. 15 flood was comparable to the back-to-back 2001 and 2002 flooding disasters that also also caused widespread damage across McDowell County, Brewster said.

It was a lot of damage and a lot of hard work, she said of the Feb. 15 storm. We worked seven days a week.

Contact Charles Owens at

cowens@bdtonline.com
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN)  The man who said he helped Kerr County implement an emergency alert system in his former role there as information technology director is now calling on top leaders to step down following a flash flood that killed more than 100 people.

John David Trolinger said he held that post for 15 years and retired in 2019. In a phone interview this week with KXAN Investigators, he called delays in issuing notifications to cellphones in the area incompetence and a leadership failure.

KXAN Investigator Josh Hinkle speaks by phone with former Kerr County IT Director John David Trolinger (KXAN Photo/Chris Nelson; Courtesy John David Trolinger)

I dont see anything that the county needs to do differently other than get a new sheriff and a new emergency manager, Trolinger said. I dont think theres any solution other than to replace the people that failed us.

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Evidence collected by KXAN  including dispatch audio and FEMA data  shows county officials did not send alerts for hours after a National Weather Service warning, and more targeted alerts did not go out for days.

I know thats going to be asked over and over, Sheriff Larry Leitha said when questioned about the timeline of the alerts in a press conference following the July 4 flood. Please understand that Were not going to hide from everything, thats going to be checked into at a later time.

On Thursday, a joint information center established by area agencies to coordinate responses to media inquiries related to the flood told KXAN a complete review of the incident was well underway, adding  at this stage  it would not be appropriate to comment on statements made by a former Kerr County employee.

Im telling you, on this public information, youre going to be stonewalled, Trolinger said. You will be made to feel guilty just for asking for the information.

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Trolinger said he retired over disagreements with County Judge Rob Kelly. Questions for Kelly and other county officials have not been answered directly. Local officials have said they are suspending the legal timeline for responding to such requests due to the catastrophic flooding of the Guadalupe River.

Emergency Management Coordinator W.B. Dub Thomas (Kerr County)

Before directing KXAN to the information center himself, Emergency Management Coordinator W.B. Dub Thomas replied, saying: We will not be responding to your email below or future messages. Thomas, who has served in that role since 2015, is also at the center of Trolingers frustration.

Its [Thomas] responsibility  the emergency manager  to get the messages from the state and from the weather service and prepare everyone  like the county judge and the dispatchers  to let them know that theres some event coming to watch out for.

Trolinger said Thomas should have made that decision the day before the flood  on July 3, following an NWS flood watch for Kerr County.

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And thats why Im so mad, he added.

Send a CodeRED

The next morning  at 1:14 a.m.  the NWS issued a flash flood warning for a portion of the county. Hours later at 4:22 a.m.  still well before the river hits its height and any verified alerts issued by local officials went out  Kerr County dispatch audio obtained by KXAN from a credible source detailed an area volunteer firefighter requesting a CodeRED.

Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home? he asked. The dispatcher replied: We have to get that approved with our supervisor.

LISTEN: Ingram volunteer firefighter calls Kerr County dispatch during deadly July 4 flood, requesting CodeRED alert.

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CodeRED is a subscriber-based emergency alert system Trolinger helped establish in Kerr County during his tenure. Today, that system is connected to IPAWS  FEMAs Integrated Public Alert & Warning System  which allows the county to alert all phones in a geographical area, regardless of enrollment. But, Trolinger said, someone must still activate the notification manually.

Theres no automation at all, he explained. Weve got an emergency manager, and he is responsible for this to be on the lookout, to be ready and be able to warn people and prepare them for this exact scenario.

What the river can do

In a 2020 county commissioners meeting, Thomas spoke about connecting the already-established CodeRED process with IPAWS, detailing his knowledge of how it would work.

If I use CodeRED, then Ill be able to  once Ive taken the webinar for it  itll show me how to access that  the IPAWS system via CodeRED, Thomas said in archived video footage of the meeting.

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Trolinger said Thomas and other county officials understood the system and its purpose, having used it effectively in the years between that meeting and the deadly flood.

Its my feeling that the institutional memory of what the river can do is what was actually lost, not the system, he said, pointing to longtime residents knowledge of historic flooding danger in the area  something Thomas even referenced in the 2020 video.

Weve been trying to get a new flood warning system here. We havent been able to do it. Thomas told Kelly and commissioners before they approved upgrading the countys alert system. This is just another method of being able to communicate emergencies or disastrous type information to the public when theyre here.

Trolinger, Kelly and Leitha have not answered KXANs specific questions. We have requested records of their communication during those crucial hours and will update our coverage once that becomes available.

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Beyond an explanation of what happened, Trolinger reiterated his hope for a change in county leadership.

You need to have somebody that understands what can happen and to educate the public so that theyre well out of the riverbed before the waters rushing down the river, he said.

KXAN Investigative Producer Dalton Huey and Investigative Photojournalist Chris Nelson contributed to this report.

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ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now)  When you think of pricey cities, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and D.C. likely come to mind.

But a new report is out  and there is tough news for families in Northern Virginia.

According to apartmentrent.com, Arlington has the fifth-highest median rent among the top 100 cities in the country, as of June 2025, which is over $2,600. Only four California cities are higher on the list.

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The Pentagons right here, Amazon HQ2 is right here, theres a lot in the neighborhood, said one Arlington resident, who said both yes and no when asked if hes surprised by the findings of the latest report.

Arlingtons rent has risen 2.7% over the last 12 months, roughly on pace with Virginia as a whole, which has increased by 2.6%. Both are above the US average of -0.7%.

Takis Karantonis, the Arlington County Board Chair, told DC News Now that more work needs to be done to counter the trend.

It is a supply-starved market, he said. The answer is: supply.

Our group really shows what we can do: How a DC theatre, dance group is trying to change the narrative about youth

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Karantonis said 63% of Arlingtonians are renters, and times of economic uncertainty make building new housing quickly tough.

Were investing a lot of money and a lot of policy assets into trying to rebalance the housing market, he said.

Short-term, he said, that looks like housing grants and rental support. In the long term, hes hoping the countys Missing Middle plan is an answer. However, that is stuck in the courts, as it has been the source of some public opposition.

That [would allow] places where, for example, you could only build a single household home, now you can build more households, Karantonis said.

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Will Wyatt, a DC-area broker, cautioned that the trend may not reverse soon, citing the impact of Amazons HQ2 and a secondary market lagging behind private sector rentals.

Overall, there is a squeeze, he said.

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New report shows rise in young-onset GI cancers

A new report out of Dana-Farber highlights a concerning rise in gastrointestinal cancers among younger adults.

Colorectal cancer is the most prevalent among these cancers, but there is also an increase in diagnoses of pancreatic, esophageal, and gastric cancers in this demographic.

Dr. Kimmie Ng from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute spoke with Boston 25 News to provide more information about the rising rates of gastrointestinal cancers among younger adults.

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These findings underscore the need for further research into the causes of rising cancer rates among younger populations and may prompt increased awareness and screening efforts.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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WASHINGTON (ASSOCIATED PRESS)  The Republican-led Congress has passed President Donald Trumps request to take back about $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid spending.

Trumps Republican administration is employing a rarely used tool that allows the president to transmit a request to cancel previously approved funding authority. Democrats tried to kill the measure but needed more Republicans uncomfortable with the presidents effort to join them.

The Senate approved the vast majority of President Trumps request in the early morning hours Thursday, 51-48. The House followed suit early Friday, 216-213. The measure now goes to the president to be signed into law.

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Heres a closer look at whats in the bill:

Trump asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount its due to receive during the next two budget years.

The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense.

The corporation distributes more than 70% of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to support national programming.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said public broadcasting has been taken over by partisan activists.

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Still, the potential fallout from the cuts for local public media stations generated concerns on both sides of the political aisle.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he secured a deal from the White House that some funding administered by the Interior Department would be repurposed to subsidize Native American public radio stations in about a dozen states.

But many lawmakers say that wont help a large number of local broadcasting stations. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., unsuccessfully sought to take out the public broadcasting cuts.

If we dont adopt this amendment, local television and radio stations will shut down and it will be rural stations that will be the first to close, Baldwin said.

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As part of the package, the President asked lawmakers to rescind almost $8.3 billion in foreign aid programs that aim to fight famine and disease and promote global stability.

A Senate amendment knocked the foreign aid cuts down to about $7.9 billion when Republicans agreed to remove what would have been a $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the politically popular program that began under President George W. Bush to combat HIV/AIDS. The program is credited with saving millions of lives.

Among the rescissions in the bill:

$500 million of the $4 billion appropriated for global health programs funding activities to combat infectious diseases and promote maternal health

$800 million for a program that provides emergency shelter, water and sanitation and family reunification for those forced to flee their own country

$4.15 billion for two programs designed to boost the economies and democratic institutions in developing and strategically important countries

$496 million to provide humanitarian assistance such as food, water and health care for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts

$361 million for international peacekeeping efforts, which are designed to stabilize conflict zones and protect civilians

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The Trump administration also said some cuts, such as eliminating funding for UNICEF, would encourage international organizations to be more efficient and seek contributions from other nations, putting American taxpayers first.

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Four GOP candidates are battling to lead the House Homeland Security Committee, vying for a job that will put them at the center of President Trumps immigration agenda.

Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) threw his hat in the ring Wednesday, joining a crowded field with Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) and Clay Higgins (R-La.) all running for the top spot on the panel.

The Republican Steering Committee will make a decision Monday night on who will fill the vacancy left by Rep. Mark Greens (R-Tenn.) exit from Congress.

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They all have their attributes, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the most senior member of the committee, told The Hill.

Michael Guest was a prosecutor like myself. Hes very intelligent, very good temperament. I think Gimenez has a passion for the job. Certainly, Clay Higgins has a lot of passion, he said with a laugh. And hes closer to the border, so he gets the border issues.

McCaul noted that former New York representative and committee Chair Peter King encouraged Garbarino to run, saying the sitting lawmaker brings the New York, 9/11 perspective in a committee with a broad reach.

Garbarino has stressed the committees roots in addressing terrorism as well as many other nonimmigration policy issues central to the committee, like disaster response. Gimenez, a former mayor and firefighter, has called for nuance in some Trump immigration policies. Guest is a former prosecutor who now chairs the House Ethics Committee. Higgins, a former police officer, is the most senior member of the group.

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the group had created quite a horse race.

Whoever leads the committee will be in charge of oversight of the sprawling Department of Homeland Security, which must contend with immigration issues as well as cyberattacks, disaster planning, transportation security and more.

As the race comes down to the wire, Higgins and Guest are both stressing their years of service on the panel.

Guest has served in a number of leadership roles on the panel, including as a vice chair and subcommittee chair, and he has also spent three years serving as Ethics chair  a role hed relinquish if selected for the Homeland Security Committee.

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He also noted he has 25 years of prosecutorial experience before coming to Congress, where I had the opportunity during that time to work with law enforcement to deal with many of the issues that the committee will be addressing for the remainder of this Congress, he told The Hill.

A pamphlet distributed by Guest notes that he was an impeachment manager when the House panel initiated the process against former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which was swiftly rejected by the Senate.

It also stresses that if selected, Guest would intend to serve for years  perhaps a nod to Greens exit after just a few years as chair.

If chosen to lead on Homeland, I intend to serve for multiple congresses to implement my vision of improved member retention, hard-hitting investigations, and a more effective CHS that serves the priorities of the House Republican Conference, he wrote.

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The pitch also said the border must be secured full stop and that the panel must keep our foot on the gas with Trump immigration policies. It also highlights the need to protect cybersecurity, respond to foreign terror threats, and close supply chain vulnerabilities with China.

Higgins said he has passed along a prospectus to the Steering Committee, and he quietly highlighted his experience to colleagues in a June letter sent shortly after Green announced his intentions to leave Congress.

His pitch to the Steering Committee notes he has gone from street cop to Congress and says he is regarded as one of the most conservative Members of Congress.

Higgins said the panel must work to enshrine much of President Trumps executive orders into law, and he called the committees work under Green as our starting point.

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We will work closely with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and their top advisors to advance the administrations priorities. This includes seeking opportunities to codify many of President Trumps executive actions, a necessary step to ensure lasting security for Americas citizenry, he said.

Im nine years on the committee  this is my committee, and Im very dedicated to it, Higgins told The Hill.

Higgins could face some resistance in the race given the large number of Louisianans already within House leadership ranks, including Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R).

Gimenez and Garbarino  both elected in 2020  are each starting their third term on the panel but stressed they have the experience to lead a committee with such a wide scope.

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Its not unprecedented to have a third-term lawmaker helm the panel, as Green was also in his third term when he was selected for the role.

Gimenez, a former mayor, said the role left him responsible for emergency planning in the hurricane-prone region.

Ive been here. They know who I am. I know Im a team player, but some of them may not know the full breadth of my experience before I got here. And so I make sure that they understand exactly who I am, what Ive done, how its dealt with FEMA and homeland security before I got here. And I think that that makes an impression, he told The Hill, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Gimenez has been largely complimentary of Trumps border policies but has broken with the president on some issues.

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Gimenez, alongside fellow Florida Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar, called on the Trump administration to rethink plans to end Temporary Protected Status as well as parole for those from countries including Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti  all groups with established communities in the Miami area.

Nuance would be that instead of having wholesale deportations, it needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, and really go back to the way it should have been to be allowed in the country in the first place, Gimenez told The Hill in May.

While he was mayor, however, Miami law enforcement cooperated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and, speaking to The Hill on Tuesday, Gimenez said the country was still recovering from Biden immigration policies.

Gimenez compared immigration to a swinging pendulum, saying the Biden administration took us to a complete extreme that has not yet been corrected, but he said the country is getting to a place where some reforms could be examined.

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Ive always said that we cant have a discussion about immigration reform until we secure the border  well weve just secured the border, he said.

Garbarino stressed the wide variety of issues the committee must address beyond migration, rattling off a list of key policy priorities and upcoming deadlines the panel will have to contend with.

The committee has a lot of different jurisdictions. Border has been something weve been focusing on the last two and a half years. Its important, and thats something we had to focus on, and we still have to focus on it, especially with oversight of the money and the authorizations included in the big, beautiful bill, he said.

Making sure that  all that moves ahead is very important, but this committee was started after 9/11  Im from New York. This was focused on counterterrorism, and we have to get back to that.

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Garbarino said a terrorism focus is especially important after the U.S. bombing of Iran and concerns that any other number of issues could motivate lone-wolf attackers. He emphasized the need for the Homeland Security Department to play a role in facilitating communication between state and local law enforcement and providing the necessary authorizations to do so.

Garbarino, who now chairs the panels subcommittee on cybersecurity, said our southern border was weak but I think our cyber border is probably our weakest border now.

He said hes stressed about a looming Sept. 30 deadline for the Cyber Information Sharing Act.

We need to make sure we have people working on cybersecurity. Eight percent of our critical infrastructure is by the private sector. So that partnership between the private sector and government, that open communication, that sharing information, we have to make sure that it was all there and all authorized, he told The Hill.

That is probably the number one goal that we have to get done within the next two months. Theres just a lot that we havent done as a full committee that we now need to get focused on again, because there is a lot that we touch.

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Republicans voted on Thursday night to clawback $1.1 billion in congressional funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps finance National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The vote marks the latest chapter in President Donald Trumps attacks against media companies and publications who arent covering his presidency to his liking.

NPR and PBS receive the majority of their funding not from Congress, but from public fundraising. Rural stations, which are more dependent on direct funding from lawmakers in Washington, are expected to suffer the most from the cuts.

Supporters of defunding are fixated on NPR and PBS, but in reality the cuts will be felt where these services are needed most. Stations in places like West Virginia, and those serving tribal nations, receive more than 50% of their budget from federal funding, NPR wrote in a statement responding to the vote. Public radio provides local programming that would otherwise be unavailable  coverage of town councils, statehouse affairs, local elections, and local music.

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Public radio is also a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation, and providing life-saving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts. Nearly 3-in-4 Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety, the broadcaster added.

Trump has pushed to cut funding for NPR and PBS, including through an executive order in May. Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens, the order reads. The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.

The CBP responded by noting that it is not a federal executive agency subject to the Presidents authority, and that it is funded by Congress.

The Republican-approved blow to public broadcasting came the same night news broke that CBS News is canceling The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The decision came shortly after Colbert publicly criticized a decision by Paramount  CBS parent company  to settle a lawsuit brought against them by Trump for $16 million. At the same time, Paramount is trying to merger with Skydance Media, which has been held up by Federal Communications Commission approval.

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Paramount is not the only major media company who has settled frivolous Trump lawsuits in order to avoid a drawn out court battle that  even though their chances are prevailing are favorable  could create additional acrimony with the administration.

In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trumps future presidential library in order to settle a defamation lawsuit leveled against ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos. Last month, the same network suspended and then fired anchor Terry Moran after he called White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller a world-class hater in a social media post.

Trump is still pursuing litigation against the Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register over a 2024 poll that incorrectly predicted that Trumps then opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, would win the state by a landslide. The president claimed the poll was brazen election interference, in his initial lawsuit.

Trump, like all authoritarians, doesnt like criticism or objective reporting. He just wants to be flattered. Thats why he wants to defund NPR and PBS, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on X earlier this week. If democracy is to survive we need a strong, independent media.

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In an interview with CNN, veteran NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep said that NPR is heard by tens of millions of people. Some 43 million people consume us on some platform or another  A lot of Republicans are on there, a lot of Democrats are on there too.

There are people on there who maybe, if you conservative, you dont agree with, he added. Youre going to hear a trans person on the radio, or someone that perhaps you dont agree with. But our idea is to hear people in their own words, to get their stories across, and that means that whatever my personal view might be is a little bit less important, because youre getting to peoples actual stories.

Inskeep insisted that the cuts will not deter him, and the thousands of other NPR hosts broadcasting from around the country and the world, from continuing with their work.

I got up at three oclock this morning to do the news. I will get up at three oclock tomorrow morning to continue doing the news, he said. Im doing that with thousands of people at NPR stations  local stations in communities across the country  run by those communities across the country. Who are covering their communities even now, while they are the subject of the news, theyre covering the news and trying to cover it straight.

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Republicans on the House Rules Committee, after negotiations with GOP leaders, will tee up a vote on a resolution calling for the release of information related to the late Jeffrey Epstein, two sources tell The Hill, as the conference grapples with GOP frustrations over the Trump administrations handling of the saga.

The effort comes as a highly anticipated vote on legislation to claw back billions of dollars of federal funding stalls in the House amid the debate over the Epstein files. Lawmakers are staring down a Friday deadline to send President Trump the package, or else the Trump administration must release the funds.

The plan, according to the sources and as first reported by The Hill, is for the House Rules Committee to meet at 6 p.m. and advance a new resolution calling for some information related to Epstein to be released. The measure would be similar to the one introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the sources said, but with some differences.

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One source said it would have some teeth, after reports surfaced that any legislation moved by the panel would be nonbinding. It would move under a separate rule from the rescissions package.

It remains unclear when the resolution would receive a vote on the House floor, one of the sources said. Once it is advanced by the Rules Committee, it can be brought up in the chamber at a later date.

The fight over the Epstein resolution had consumed the Rules Committee on Thursday, but once it is resolved, lawmakers can turn to advancing the Trump funding cuts bill in the hopes of a Thursday evening floor vote on the package.

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Six years after Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody, the federal government continues to withhold thousands of pages of files tied to the late financier and sex traffickers life, death, and network, despite renewed promises of transparency under President Donald Trumps second term.

The matter exploded into controversy last week when the Justice Department wrote in a two-page memorandum that it would not release any additional Epstein-related documents. What began as backlash over a sloppy Phase 1 disclosure earlier this year  featuring binders, handed to social media influencers, that were mostly filled with outdated or already-public records  has devolved into rage against Attorney General Pam Bondi by Trump-aligned influencers, frustrated victims advocates, and reportedly even top Trump officials.

Trump issued a brief post on Truth Social on Thursday evening, saying that he's had enough of the "ridiculous" public outcry. He told Bondi that she could move to "produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval." The post was immediately met with a response by Bondi on X, telling Trump, "We are ready to move the court on Friday to unseal the grand jury transcripts."

What Bondi may find, or be able to compel for release, is ultimately unclear at this time, other than the vaguely stated mention of "grand jury transcripts" from Epstein's closed criminal case. Yet Trump's remarks follow exceedingly high public pressure after the public's dissatisfying reaction to the 2-page memo, which affirmed Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019, and left open more questions when officials claimed for the first time that Epstein had more than 1,000 sex trafficking victims.

Trump told reporters Wednesday that his administration would release whatevers credible, while maintaining his recent claim that conspiracies around the case are a "hoax" not worthy of pursuing any further.

Q: Will you ask AG Pam Bondi to release more documents..?

TRUMP: Yeah. Whatever's credible, she can release He's dead, he's gone. Republicans got duped by the Democrats, and they're following a Democrat playbook. No different than Russia Russia Russia, the other hoaxes pic.twitter.com/h2B0XaeXdO

 Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson)

"Hes dead, hes gone," Trump said of Epstein, going on several days of exhaustion from press questions about the disgraced financier. "Republicans got duped by the Democrats, and theyre following a Democrat playbook."

But Epsteins prison death in 2019 and the lingering mystery surrounding it remain a live issue in the public conscience, with civil litigation, FOIA lawsuits, and appeals over sealed court records continuing to uncover new details.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted on Trump's disinterest in the matter on Thursday, telling reporters that the president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. Thats how he feels.

Asked why more of the Epstein files cant simply be released, Leavitt said that would be up to the Justice Department. If grand jury information is included, a judge would have to approve it. Thats out of the presidents control, she said.

The redacted reality

Despite the Trump administrations repeated vows to deliver on transparency, much of the governments Epstein case file remains under wraps. The FBIs so-called Vault contains more than 11,000 pages of documents, but nearly all are heavily redacted. Attorneys representing news outlets such as Radar Online have spent years in court trying to unseal those records, only to be met with opposition from the DOJ and Southern District of New York prosecutors, who have cited the now-closed case against Ghislaine Maxwell as justification for continued secrecy.

Radar Onlines Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, originally filed in 2017, sought the release of Epstein-related records held by the FBI. In 2023, a federal judge sided with the government, ruling that the documents could remain under seal based on declarations submitted by prosecutors  including recently-fired Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey  who argued disclosure could interfere with Maxwells pending appeal. That appeal was later rejected by the Second Circuit, and briefing in the FOIA case is set to resume this year, though no oral argument has been scheduled.

A separate FOIA lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch earlier this year is also proceeding through the federal court in Washington, D.C. The conservative group is seeking records not only about Epstein himself but also about internal DOJ discussions surrounding the decision not to release further documents. According to Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton, the Justice Department has yet to produce a single responsive record.

They say theyre reviewing and searching, even as they tell the public its a closed case, Fitton said. Thats a contradictory message.

Does the Epstein 'client list' exist? What the government still wont show

Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald, who spoke to the Washington Examiner, pointed to a vast array of files still shielded from public view, many of which could shed light on institutional failures and potential third-party culpability.

Conspiracy theorists claim Epstein's so-called "client list" is a document in which Epstein laid out the names of people who engaged in illicit sexual activity with underage girls in his network. But Brown said the list is likely more a term of art than a literal sheet of paper, though she underscored that undisclosed FBI records could elucidate more information about high-profile people potentially involved with his trafficking operations.

I dont think Jeffrey Epstein kept a formal client list, Brown said. Thats something that kind of morphed out of the black book and the noise around how many powerful people were connected to him. Its a red herring.

However, she said "it's possible" the FBI "compiled a list of names based on interviews with employees and victims. But thats not the same thing as a client list Epstein kept himself."

Here are the key areas of the Epstein investigation still shrouded in mystery:

Sealed court filings: Federal judges, particularly in the Giuffre v. Maxwell defamation case and the now-dismissed United States v. Jeffrey Epstein, continue to block the release of filings that may identify powerful individuals implicated by victim testimony.

Department of Homeland Security records: As a convicted sex offender, Epsteins movements should have been tracked after his 2008 plea deal. DHS has not disclosed inspection records, flight manifests, or compliance reviews. Additionally, U.S. Marshals were tasked with documenting Epsteins arriving passengers on international flights using special forms. Although some of these records were released following a 2019 FOIA request from the Herald, all names except Epsteins were fully redacted.

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FAA and U.S. Marshals flight data: While fragments of Epsteins flight logs are public, full manifests and overseas travel records  especially those processed by federal authorities  remain largely redacted. The Federal Aviation Administration denied an information request from Business Insider in 2020, saying that "the responsive records originate from an investigative file" and were, therefore, exempt from disclosure.

Internal DOJ correspondence: Brown said that federal prosecutors could have hit Epstein with charges related to child pornography years earlier. Bondi says they found thousands of files  so why wasnt he charged for that? she said, pointing to ongoing lawsuits by Epstein's victims seeking to hold the government accountable for inaction.

Ghislaine Maxwell evidence: Hundreds of pages of trial discovery material, including names of alleged co-conspirators and third-party associates, were never introduced in court and remain sealed.

Epsteins finances: Although Epsteins net worth was estimated at $560 million when he died, federal authorities have never released a full accounting of how he actually accumulated his wealth, according to an ABC News report. Epstein began his career teaching math at the elite Dalton School in New York but leveraged that role into a job at Bear Stearns. He went on to manage money for billionaires, most notably Les Wexner, the founder of L Brands, who gave Epstein broad control over his financial affairs. Epstein also received $158 million from Apollo Global Management chairman Leon Black for tax and estate planning services, according to the Senate Finance Committee. JPMorgan Chase allowed Epstein to withdraw large sums of cash for years, and Deutsche Bank, which admitted onboarding him in 2013 despite warning signs, later paid $75 million to settle claims it benefited from his sex trafficking operation. Despite these links, the federal government has never fully disclosed Epsteins financial client list, financial transactions, or how his web of connections may have funded or concealed abuse.

Treasurys Epstein file: Senate Finance Committee investigators, according to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), reviewed a classified Treasury file showing 4,725 wire transfers, totaling nearly $1.1 billion, linked to just one of Epsteins accounts. The file, Wyden said, includes additional transactions through Russian banks now under sanction and evidence of payments tied to international sex trafficking.

The eye-raising number of victims: The two-page DOJ memo released earlier this month referenced over 1,000 victims," which had never previously appeared in litigation, public records, or compensation program data. Brown said that the figure jumped out at her and has not been explained by the government. It sounds high to me, but its not impossible, she added.

If Maxwells appeals were to be exhausted, it might open the door for more records to become public. But that hope may also be foreclosed by the recent memo from the DOJ.

Trump has put the lid on anything like that, Brown said. They dont feel theres any credible evidence, and now hes calling it the Epstein hoax. To the victims, this was not a hoax. This destroyed lives.

Who is responsible for secrecy? The answer is mixed.

Some blame the Justice Department. Others point to federal judges. Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, who was accused of abuse by one of Epsteins accusers but later settled with her, said in an interview with the Washington Examiner that the courts are actively keeping Epstein-related documents sealed to protect prominent individuals.

There are judges who are protecting people. I know that for a fact, Dershowitz said, pointing to two federal judges in New York without mentioning their names. Everything should come out.

Court records show that Judge Loretta Preska has overseen a slow release of Maxwell-related documents, but many remain sealed to protect third parties. Other filings from the Southern District of New Yorks Epstein case, including grand jury materials and victim compensation records, have never been unsealed.

Adding to concerns about institutional control over Epstein-related documents, DOJ prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was abruptly removed from her position this week. Comey had signed a filing in 2020 seeking to keep sensitive Maxwell documents sealed and drew criticism for her role in the unsuccessful prosecution of Sean Diddy Combs, where federal prosecutors failed to convict the celebrity mogul on the most serious charges he faced in the high-profile case this year. Her father is also under investigation by the DOJ along with former CIA Director John Brennan, a pair Trump has railed against for years over the debunked Russian collusion investigation Brennan and Comey helped open just before his first term.

Legal experts described Comeys firing as highly unusual, speculating the reason may have more to do with her father than her track record. Its highly unusual and unprecedented. Obviously, there have been prosecutors fired for losing cases. Its very rare, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said. The Diddy case, I believe it was mishandled, bungled, botched, whatever adjective you want to use, but they still got a conviction. They are still going to try to get time. I think it has to do with her father."

Brown said that while the DOJ has faced scrutiny, Trumps campaign team and subsequent administration politicized the issue.

There really was no onus on the DOJ to release these files, she said. It was Trumps administration that promised to.

MAGA backlash and political fallout

The handling of the Epstein files has become a flashpoint inside Trumps MAGA base. Bondi, long touted by Trump as a valued leader in his administration, has come under fire from right-wing media figures, including Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, and Laura Loomer, who claim she botched the rollout of Epstein disclosures and failed to honor the administrations promises.

Even top Trump officials, including Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, privately expressed frustration with Bondis handling of the files in a confrontation at the White House last week. Bongino reportedly even threatened to resign if Bondi did not do so first, although Trump and his senior advisers have stood firmly behind her work in the DOJ.

Amid the public controversy now surrounding the release of remaining Epstein-related documents, Trumps recent comments suggested he may now be looking to clean up the messaging around the issue and salvage his administration's credibility on it. Whatevers credible, she can release, Trump said, referring to Bondi. But whatever comes to light next is likely to stem from the transparency efforts that are unfolding outside the DOJ, which have largely sustained blow after blow in court so far.

Theres no political will to go after them, Brown said. But this case isnt going to die. Its like the JFK files. Itll still be unfolding in your lifetime  and maybe long after that.

Unknown Epstein factors carry similarities to JFK files

The Epstein scandal has begun to resemble other murky chapters in U.S. political history. The CIAs decadeslong delay in disclosing its familiarity with former President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, did not produce a smoking gun. However, the administration's recent efforts to remove redactions from those files confirmed the agency had monitored Oswald for years and concealed those links from Congress. The belated release of those files still offered the public novel understanding of Cold War-era intelligence and accountability, according to Matthew Petti, an author for Reason's "Volokh Conspiracy" blog, who made the case for releasing additional Epstein information.

Interest and inquiry into Epsteins case have already spanned multiple presidential administrations, and transparency lawsuits continue. For now, access to the full record remains tightly held, not just by federal prosecutors but also by judges, federal agencies, and political actors.

Bondi now appears set on delivering at least some form of satisfying records to quell the public's concerns.
On the rocky hills outside of Jaipur, India, a researcher stumbled upon a new flower species.

According to reports by The Hindu, Nishant Chauhan, a committee member of the Satpura Biodiversity Conservation Society, observed the eye-catching succulent growing on a rock. Never-before-seen, the flower species has been identified as Portulaca bharat.

Chauhan spotted the flowering plant in the Aravali hills near the historic Galtaji temple. Intrigued by the unique plant, Chauhan gathered a few live specimens to study the plant in more detail and understand its growth patterns.

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Upon further examination, Portulaca bharat has distinct pale-yellow flowers surrounded by green leaves. As a hardy plant, the Portulaca genus is known for its water-storing capabilities that allow it to thrive in dry areas.

"After a detailed study and comparison with known species, the plant has been confirmed as a new species to science," Mr. Chauhan told The Hindu.

The Aravali Range is a biologically important ecosystem, as one of the planet's oldest geological formations, explains The Hindu. Though the region is characterized by its rocky and semi-arid landscape, it's still bursting with biodiversity that has yet to be fully discovered. In fact, according to The Hindu, the area is home to many "micro-endemic species and ecologically significant habitats."

The discovery and identification of Portulaca bharat is just a window into the wide variety of flora and fauna species the region is home to. By learning more about this area, conservationists and biologists can better protect the rare species, supporting the health of the entire ecosystem.

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"Naming the plant Portulaca bharat after the country serves as a symbolic reminder of India's rich and still-unfolding natural heritage," Mr. Chauhan told The Hindu. "This species adds to the list of Indian endemics and opens up new avenues for studies in phytogeography, ecology and evolutionary biology."

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RAYNE, La. (KLFY)  The Rayne Police Department is investigating an anonymous bomb threat made at the Ellington of Rayne nursing home.

One resident, Connie Hanks says her mother resides at the home and she is grateful everyone is safe.

You just dont hear of that ever happening at nursing home, said Hanks.

Detectives say they were notified of a person calling for a bomb threat at the nursing home around 8 p.m. Wednesday night. Officers immediately implemented established protocols, evacuating the building while bomb detection K-9s conducted a thorough search. Hanks says she was worried for her mothers safety, but felt reassured knowing authorities were taking action.

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It didnt look like it was chaos there, so I felt comfortable, said Hanks. With all my years of experience working in the school, I felt comfortable that they were doing what they needed to do and of course, I didnt sleep well.

Police have confirmed no explosive devices were found, and operations resumed back to normal on Thursday. Hanks says while it was a frightening experience for everyone, shes grateful her mother nor anyone else were harmed.

She was upset during the night when it was happening because they got her out of bed but today, she was fine, said Hanks. But everything was running normal and the staff looked fine today, I imagine it wasnt fine last night, but everything was going smooth today, and it was very scary.

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An active investigation is underway to identify the individual responsible for the threat. Further information will be released as the investigation continues.

Unfortunately, there are individuals who are deviant enough to call in a bomb threat to a nursing home. Fortunately, we have first responders and health care workers who respond nobly to these types of threats and provide comfort and care to the elderly population. We would like to thank the Rayne Police Department, Rayne Fire Department, Acadia Parish Sheriffs Department, Acadian Ambulance, and the bomb detection police dogs and their handlers. Finally, we want to thank our staff, our residents and their family members for handling this threat with grace and courage. May God bless all first responders, all Ellington staff members, and most importantly, our wonderful residents and their family members, said the Ellington of Rayne in a statement.

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Jul. 17Members of North Idaho's interlibrary loan consortium on Wednesday officially dissolved the Cooperative Information Network that allowed materials to be shared.

After a vote with 14 libraries saying yes, one saying no and another abstaining, libraries will no longer share books between each other freely at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. An online collection with almost 24,000 e-books and audio books shared between the libraries is also up in the air.

J.D. Smithson, spokesperson for the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, said the dissolution was spurred by concerns of a potential lawsuit between the Community Library Network, a seven-library district headquartered in Post Falls, and the Cooperative Information Network.

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The potential lawsuit comes from the Community Library Network's interpretation of Idaho's Children's School and Library Protection Act. The law that went into effect last year requires libraries to relocate materials seen as harmful to minors to adult-only sections.

In response to the law, the Community Library Network restricted minors from accessing the network's catalog in January, a decision with which some members in the Cooperative Information Network disagreed.

On Wednesday, most of the libraries voted yes, with the only exceptions being the library from Clarkia, Idaho, a small unincorporated community that had a population of 64, according to a 2020 U.S. Census, voting no and the Community Library Network abstaining.

Megan Ward, spokesperson for the Community Library Network, declined to state the motivation behind abstaining from the dissolution, but did say they'll try to make it so patrons are affected the least amount possible.

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"We'll be letting our patrons know what to expect and how we're going to shift our collection in order to make sure that what they're used to isn't disrupted," Ward said.

Smithson said that although libraries in the network will no longer share their materials, services like the interlibrary loan will still be available to receive books not in their local libraries.

Smithson also said the interlibrary loan system is limited because if it has a book but it's checked out, it can't be mailed another copy  a service that the Cooperative Information Network used to provide.

"There are changes coming," Smithson said. "There's a lot of work and a lot of maneuvering to be done by all of the libraries involved."

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The latter half of the meeting was spent discussing possible ways to fairly split the network's materials and the almost $13,000 collective fund, but a definitive solution was not found.

Ward said further meetings to discuss the issue are possible but not planned, and that the network will have to work with ByWater Solutions, the software company overseeing the digital materials, to plan the split.

While how this will directly affect libraries and their patrons at the end of September is vague, Ward said webpages will be made to help answer questions and that patrons can also feel free to contact her and other libraries to ask how things will change.

Corbin Vanderby's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
WhatsApp should prepare to exit the Russian market, Anton Gorelkin, a Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT sector, has said.

Source: Reuters

Details: The reason is the introduction of a new tab in the app, which could be classified as a violation of Russian legislation. This may lead to WhatsApp being included in the list of banned software.

"It's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," Gorelkin said, adding that the messengers parent company, Meta, is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia.

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Gorelkin believes that the state-developed app MAX could occupy part of the market if WhatsApp, which is used by 68% of Russians daily, is blocked.

This week, the Kremlin published new directives from Russian ruler Vladimir Putin that envision restricting software, including communication platforms, developed in "unfriendly countries". The deadline is 1 September.

Gorelkin also said that Telegram, created by Russian national Pavel Durov, will likely avoid blocking if it complies with legal requirements. Russian censorship watchdog Roskomnadzor said that Telegram has begun the process of registering a Russian legal entity.

Background:

Russia may introduce further restrictions on the use of software, particularly messengers, developed in "unfriendly countries".

Russia wants to create its own state messenger with call and chat functions and access to government services.

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Just how close was Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein?

The presidents onetime friendship with Jeffrey Epstein  the well-connected financier who was indicted for sex trafficking underage girls and died in prison in 2019  has long been a matter of public record.

The two socialized together frequently in New York City and Palm Beach from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. In 2002, Trump praised Epstein to a reporter as a terrific guy  and curiously added that he likes beautiful women on the younger side.

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A new Wall Street Journal report adds another eyebrow-raising detail. In 2003, Epstein received a birthday book with messages from many of his influential friends, and in it, theres a message from Trump.

Inside a drawing of a naked womans outline, the message claims Trump and Epstein have certain things in common. It concludes: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret. (Images from the book itself have not been published; the Journals report described it.)

Trump says that the message is fake and that hell sue the Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, for publishing the story. The birthday book is currently in the possession of the Justice Department, which could help explain why the Trump administration has seemed so reluctant to release further DOJ records in the Epstein case.

Much of the online right has been obsessed with the Epstein scandal for years, hoping Democrats and celebrities would be implicated in his sex crimes. Theyve been comparatively uninterested in Trumps well-documented, decade-plus relationship with Epstein.

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However, Trump and Epsteins friendship did reportedly end in 2004 in a bitter falling-out; they were fighting to buy the same Florida oceanside mansion, and it got ugly.

Trump and Epstein socialized frequently for years

Trump, Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve, and Jeffrey Epstein attend the Victorias Secret Angels party on April 28, 1997, in New York City. | Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images | Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images

A talented social climber who rapidly attained massive wealth through mysterious means, Epstein became a fixture of New York City and Palm Beach elite circles by the 1990s.

During this period, both Epstein and Trump frequently dined and partied together, at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and Epsteins mansion in Manhattan. Both frequently hosted or attended parties featuring many models, cheerleaders, beauty pageant contestants, and other attractive young women as guests. They were often photographed together at these events, often with Epsteins companion Ghislaine Maxwell as well.

In 1992, the New York Times reported that two dozen women went to Mar-a-Lago for a calendar girl competition before only two guests: Trump and Epstein. Per flight logs, Trump flew on Epsteins private jets seven times between 1993 to 1997, though he never went to the private island in the US Virgin Islands that Epstein purchased in 1998.

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Two decades later, in tape-recorded interviews with journalist Michael Wolff, Epstein claimed that he was Donalds closest friend for 10 years. Epstein said that he and Trump frequently picked up women together in Atlantic City casinos, that Trump enjoyed seducing his best friends wives, and that the first time Trump slept with Melania was on my plane. (When Wolff released the tapes last year, Trumps team dismissed them as false smears.)

From left, Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. | Davidoff Studios/Getty | Davidoff Studios/Getty

Both Trump and Epstein were accused of sexual misconduct around this time as well  Trump in a 1997 sexual assault lawsuit, and Epstein in a 1997 police report.

At least once, Mar-a-Lago was allegedly a recruiting site for Epsteins ring. In 2000, 16-year-old Virginia Giuffre was working as a pool attendant at Trumps club when Maxwell offered her a job as Epsteins masseuse. Giuffre alleged that, over the ensuing two years, Epstein and Maxwell then groomed her to have sex with wealthy and influential men, including Prince Andrew of the British royal family. Guiffre died by suicide earlier this year.

When a journalist for New York magazine profiled Epstein in 2002, Trump gave that quote that seemed to allude to Epsteins preference for young women. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, he said. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life.

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Then, in 2003, came the birthday book. According to the Wall Street Journal, it was assembled by Maxwell, and contained joking and innuendo-laden messages from many of Epsteins friends.

The entry with Trumps name contained a drawing of the outline of a naked woman, with the signature Donald below her waist, and an odd, typewritten message purporting to be a dialogue between Trump and Epstein. In the dialogue, Donald says We have certain things in common, Jeffrey, and Enigmas never age.

The dialogue concludes with Donald saying: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret. Per the Journal, the book is currently in the Justice Departments possession.

Trump claims the book is fake, asserting these are not my words, and claiming I dont draw pictures. (There are many articles about Trumps penchant for doodling, sketching and drawing, containing numerous examples of such.)

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Salacious as the birthday book sounds, it does not actually prove any misconduct on Trumps part: The message is vague. But obviously, it will feed intense speculation on exactly what Trump was referring to about things in common and a wonderful secret.

In court proceedings and grand jury questioning, Epstein victims have accused several powerful and influential men of being involved in his sex crimes  but these names have largely been reported, and Trumps name was not among them. In 2016, an anonymous plaintiff filed a lawsuit claiming Trump and Epstein had raped her, but the circumstances around the lawsuit looked very sketchy, and it was soon dropped.

Trump and Epstein reportedly had a falling-out in 2004

Yet this happy friendship did not last much longer because, in 2004, Trump and Epstein both badly wanted to buy the same oceanfront Palm Beach mansion up for auction.

The Washington Post chronicled the bitter falling-out, which involved competing bids, each trashing the other to the trustee managing the auction, and threats of lawsuits. (Trump won the mansion, but sold it a few years later to a Russian billionaire.)

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This appears to have been a definitive break, as theres no evidence that Trump and Epstein socialized again after this point.

Just two weeks after the property auction, the Palm Beach police received a tip that young women had been seen entering and leaving Epsteins home.

The investigation into Epstein truly kicked off the following year, in 2005, when a 14-year-old girl and her parents went to the Palm Beach police, accusing Epstein of molesting her during a massage. Epstein was charged in Florida in 2006, but the case was resolved in 2008 in what was later derided as a sweetheart plea deal.

After that, Epsteins victims pressed their case in civil lawsuits. An attorney for the victims, Brad Edwards, has said that, in 2009, he sought information from various Epstein acquaintances. Very few were willing to talk voluntarily, but Trump was  and Edwards said he was very helpful in the information that he gave.

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In a court filing, Edwards asserted that Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because Epstein sexually assaulted an underage girl at the club. This was likely the information Trump provided, since Trump has told others this as well. But the story has never been corroborated, and details on when this happened remain elusive.

Once Trump was president, media reporting revived interest in the Epstein case, and he was arrested on new charges in 2019. He died in prison a month later, in what FBI investigators say was a suicide.

Maxwell, Epsteins companion, was arrested the following year, in 2020. I do wish her well, Trump said then. Im not looking for anything bad for her.
Sitting on an Athens park bench with their skateboards, with pigeons scouring the ground for food at their feet, the cousins at the heart of To a Land Unknown scan their surroundings for their next target. They need money, badly. They need a purse to steal. Palestinian refugees, Chatila and his younger cousin Reda have been stranded here a while. Chatilas wife and two-year-old son, stuck in their own limbo in a Lebanese refugee camp, live with uncertain hopes of meeting up with the cousins in Germany.

This is the universal lament and staggering human cost of refugee displacement, dramatized in Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifels tense, coolly heartbreaking debut narrative feature. To a Land Unknown, premiering this week at Facets Film Forum, focuses on these loving, sometimes hating cousins, who dream of opening a cafe in their chosen land unknown. Realizing this dream will require a series of anxious gambles and bargains with their lives, and the lives of others.

Its an existence balanced between what is and what must be, as another refugee says, quoting Praise for the High Shadow by Mahmoud Darwish. Thats the poetry; Fleifels film favors well-paced if slightly schematic prose, though the actors are more than good enough to keep you with these people every fraught minute.

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Its a movie of many deadlines. The first is the two weeks that the cagey, quietly ruthless Chatila has to secure fake passports for himself and the softer-hearted addict Reda. Early in the story, the cousins encounter 13-year-old Malik (Mohammad Alsurafa), a Gazan refugee whose human trafficker, he tells the men, dumped him in Greece instead of reuniting him with his mother, now living in Italy. Everyone in To a Land Unknown seeks some distant shore they can call home, with the promise of reminding them, in some way, of three simple words heard at the very end of the story: the old neighborhood.

Chatilas the emergent protagonist in the script by Fyzal Boulifa, Jason McColgan and director Fleifel, and in the compelling, un-showy performance by Mahmood Bakri, the storys escalating tensions never feel actor-engineered. Cousin Reda, whom Chatila patronizes one minute and loves like a brother the next, may well be the biggest obstacle to a further shore. Aram Sabbah makes this sweet, lost soul a dimensional presence.

Much of To a Land Unknown deals with the cousins entry into human trafficking, by way of the hard-drinking Greek national Tatiana (Angeliki Papoulia, Dogtooth) who becomes Chatilas lover. Shes lured, with a promise of pay, into posing as the orphans mother, accompanying him to Italy. Its a long shot. But it might get the cousins where theyre headed, in Germany (a proper European nation, argues Chatila).

There are only so many ways To a Land Unknown can conclude its storytelling business and not sell itself short, along with the omnipresent refugee crisis stories we live every minute on this planet. Yet the co-writer and director, who earliest years in a Lebanese refugee camp are the subject of his 2012 documentary A World Not Ours, knows where hes going. The focus tightens ever more effectively on two ordinary men, searching, yearning, stealing, surviving however  and if  they can.

To a Land Unknown  3 stars (out of 4)

No MPA rating (language, sexuality, some violence)

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Running time: 1:46

How to watch: Chicago premiere at Facets Film Forum, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave.; 3 and 5 p.m. Sat. July 19; 1 and 3 p.m. Sun. July 20; 7 p.m. Thurs. July 24. In Arabic, Greek and English with English subtitles.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
(NewsNation)  The city council of Providence, Rhode Island, has ordered an investigation into its police department after video circulated online of local officers assisting federal immigration officers in an arrest.

On Sunday, officials arrested Ivan Rene Mendoza Meza, 27, after a car crash involving an unmarked car driven by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Federal officers were already in pursuit of Mendoza Meza.

ICE spokesperson James Covington told NewsNation affiliate WPRI the man is a self-admitted member of MS-13 in his native country of Honduras. MS-13 is an international gang designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization.

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Undocumented Los Angeles mom accused of ICE kidnapping hoax

Providence police released body-camera footage of the arrest, which spread on social media, prompting responses from state lawmakers and citizens.

A civilian oversight board that looks into police misconduct allegations will review the incident, the city council ordered on Tuesday.

City councilmembers wrote a letter to the police department, saying, The presence of Providence Police officers next to ICE agents during the detainment has deeply disturbed the community.

But the mayor said early reviews suggest what happened was by the book.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ivan Rene Mendoza Meza, 27, a Honduran national, in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 13, 2025. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Preliminarily, we believe that policy was followed in that instance, although it certainly was jarring video that I saw, said Mayor Brett Smiley at a news conference.

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He assured the community that local police officers will not cooperate or serve as immigration agents, and said, in this case, officers acted in accordance with our existing policy.

Our officers remained at the scene to ensure the safety of residents and to maintain order, Providences police chief, Col. Oscar Perez, said at a news conference. Let me repeat that: to ensure the safety of residents and to maintain work consistent with our responsibility to the public.

Democratic state Rep. Charlene Lima told NewsNations On Balance with Leland Vittert that ICE should be praised.

Do Kilmar Abrego Garcias tattoos link him to MS-13 gang?

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In fact, there would be penalties if they didnt help them, Lima said. I dont care if youre a Democrat or Republican or a chicken. Our job is to keep our streets safe, not be criticizing the people who are helping us.

Democratic state Rep. Enrique Sanchez referred to ICE agents as the Nazi Gestapo and ICE thugs on social media.

They think they are above the law. I strongly condemn this act of terror, and I will be demanding answers and seeking action, Sanchez wrote. Im tired of this s. Providence doesnt want ICE thugs in our city.

Mendoza Meza has three fentanyl trafficking charges, according to ICE. He illegally entered the United States and was subsequently arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2019. Officials said he then returned to the U.S. illegally at an unknown date.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Some local business owners announced on Friday they are pledging to protect immigrant community members with so-called immigrant defense zones.

On Friday morning, business owners, community members and the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Coalition held a press conference announcing the initiative.

The coalition is an association of 33 community organizations. Hao said since February, theyve been organizing and mobilizing hundreds of people to say no to ICE terror.

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RELATED: Family-run Providence restaurant shaken by managers ICE arrest

Kate Hao, an organizer with the coalition, said the zones were created in response to an increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Providence and other communities.

At the present time in these past few months, this racist campaign of misinformation and persecution, which has long had severe and persecution, which has long had severe and even deadly consequences, has been raised to a new level of crisis, Hao said. ICE agents, along with other federal agents, all fully assisted by local police departments, are waging terror on our communities.

This first wave of businesses taking the a Defense Zone Pledge will primarily be located in the south side of Providence, according to the coalition.

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Hao said so far, 25 businesses had signed the pledge, including Crown Fried Chicken on Broad Street, where organizers held Fridays press conference. The business donned signs in English and Spanish that stated, We defend immigrants here!

The businesses who have signed up for the pledge are committing to exercising their rights as businesses, to close their doors and to lock their businesses and to say no to any law enforcement who are trying to enter the premises without a warrant, that is a fundamental legal right, Hao explained.

Hao said businesses who are interested can reach out via social media to AMOR (Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance), ONA (Olneyville Neighborhood Association), or the PSL-RI (Party for Socialism & Liberation Rhode Island).

Trent Manning, the founder and owner of Down the Road Movers, spoke to reporters about why he signed the pledge.

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[Deportation] targets, specifically, Black and brown immigrants. It disappears people in the middle of the night, in front of their children, off their job sites, out of the courtrooms, and it sends a clear message that our lives are disposable, Manning said. Well, I reject that message. We reject that message.

MORE: ICE agents arrested known MS-13 gang member in Providence

Hao said the coalition also created a deportation defense phone line and community alert channel for people with concerns about immigration officers.

Hao said the defense line, (401) 675-1414, is staffed by volunteer operators from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week. If the line is called, volunteers are dispatched to go out and check if there is an active immigration enforcement underway.

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Hao said the community alert channel is updated if the presence of ICE is confirmed.

The coalition is hosting a meeting next week to have a conversation about ongoing deportation concerns. Interested community members can go to the Providence Liberation Center on 807 Broad St. on Saturday, July 26 at noon.

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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CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI)  A charity license plate in Rhode Island is getting national recognition.

The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) chose the Rose Island Lighthouse plate as the Best Plate of 2024.

Its the first time in its 71-year history that the ALPCA picked a plate from Rhode Island.

The plate raises money for the Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust. Its mission is to preserve the historic and environmental integrity of Rose Island and maintain and operate its lighthouse for public access.

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ALPCA members will be in the Ocean State on Monday to present the award at 10 a.m.

With more than 3,000 members from 50 states and 19 countries, ALPCA is the largest license plate hobbyist organization in the world.

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This Week in Good News

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  A Rhode Island state representative is facing bipartisan backlash and making national headlines after he condemned federal immigration officials in a string of social media posts.

State Rep. Enrique Sanchez described a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest in Providence as the kidnapping of a Providence neighbor by Nazi Gestapo ICE thugs.

RELATED: ICE says agents arrested known MS-13 gang member in Providence

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They think they are above the law. I strongly condemn this act of terror and will be demanding answers and seeking action tomorrow, Sanchez wrote on X. I am tired of this s***. Providence doesnt want ICE thugs in our city.

His comments have drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans locally, and been spotlighted by national media outlets like Fox News and NewsNation.

(Courtesy: NewsNation)

(Courtesy: NewsNation)

Fox News described Sanchezs language in an X post as heinous and an insult to which Sanchez replied: Fox News has nothing better to report on. These people are ridiculous. Gente ridicula.

In subsequent posts, Sanchez defended his words.

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Theyre used to calling and labeling poor and working class black, brown and white people thugs and pretend like its not downgrading, he wrote. but. when we call them that, they get so offended and all hell breaks loose. Deal with it.

He also stood his ground, brushing off the criticism.

I dont ask for the back lash, the heat or the attention, I really dont, he added. I just care about people and have a passion for helping others when I can and in my capacity. I dont benefit personally nor do I care about that. I just give a s***. I truly do.

Sanchez also responded to an ICE social media post that read, The only word our ICE officers should be called is heroes, writing: When Fox News and ICE wont stop talking about you lol. Cuando Fox News e ICE no dejen de hablar de ti, jaja.

Additionally, Sanchez announced he plans to introduce legislation that would make it illegal for Rhode Island cities, towns, and police to cooperate in any way or form with Nazi Gestapo ICE officials.

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On Friday, Sanchez again reiterated his position, calling it sad and disappointing to see Gov. Dan McKee and other Rhode Island Democrats defend federal immigration agents.

The people of our state dont want these thugs in our state, Sanchez wrote, urging them to rescind their statements.

Sanchez had not responded to a request for comment from 12 News as of midday Friday.

READ ALSO: RI businesses set up immigrant defense zones in response to ICE presence

Further criticism

A Rhode Island federal judge ruled in 2014 that ICE detainers violate civil rights, and since then the state has required a judicial deportation or removal order  not just an ICE detainer  before state officials can hold someone in custody. The policy was established that year by then-Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

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State Rep. Charlene Lima, a Cranston Democrat, told NewsNations On Balance with Leland Vittert that if the decision were up to her, local law enforcement would be assisting ICE.

If I was mayor or governor, I would be mandating law enforcement must help ICE to keep our communities safer, Lima said. In fact, thered be penalties if they didnt help. Thats what our job is: to protect our community and keep our streets safe.

She also criticized Sanchezs rhetoric, disagreeing with his characterization of ICE and saying she wished he had chosen different wording.

I think that Representative Sanchez is very genuine in his feelings, but hes very misguided in thinking that he is protecting his community by protecting the criminals, Lima said. Hes protecting the wrong people.

RI State Rep. Charlene Lima on NewsNations On Balance with Leland Vittert  July 17, 2025 (Courtesy: NewsNation)

Republican push for censure

The Rhode Island Young Republicans are calling for Sanchez to be censured over his repeated and reckless remarks.

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Representative Sanchezs latest remarks, made in an X rant following the arrest of a self-admitted MS-13 gang member, mark a new low in his ongoing campaign to vilify federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, Young Republican Chairman Ken Naylor said.

The group said it will be sending a letter to the House Committee on Conduct urging the panel to move forward with censure.

Representative Sanchez must be held accountable for his rhetoric and censured by the House of Representatives when they return to session in January, Naylor added. The House Committee on Conduct needs to send a message that this kind of behavior is inappropriate.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, has not yet responded to a request for comment about the call for a censure resolution.

July 13 ICE arrest

The incident that prompted Sanchezs comments involved ICE agents arresting Ivan Rene Mendoza Meza, 27, outside a home on Alverson Avenue on Sunday, July 13. An ICE spokesperson said he is a known and self admitted member of the MS-13 gang in his home country of Honduras.

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Video of the arrest showed Providence police officers present at the scene, which drew accusations from some  including state Rep. David Morales  that local police had assisted ICE. Morales demanded the department immediately end all collaboration with federal immigration enforcement.

Forced apart: Family-run Providence restaurant shaken by managers ICE arrest

Providences police chief, Col. Oscar Perez, pushed back, saying the officers had only responded because of a crash involving an unmarked ICE vehicle. Perez added that Mendoza Meza voluntarily surrendered to federal agents.

Providence police officers did not participate in or assist with any enforcement actions carried out by us. Our role in this situation was strictly limited to ensure the well-being of everyone present, Perez said. We do not enforce federal immigration law, nor do we collaborate with ICE in its operations.

City Council review request

Despite Perezs clarification, 10 members of the Providence City Council called on the Providence External Review Authority  a civilian oversight board that looks into allegations of police misconduct  to investigate.

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A letter addressed to Perez and Mayor Brett Smiley calls for clarity and accountability from the Providence Police Department, stating even the presence of local police near ICE agents has deeply disturbed the community.

When officers are seen intermingled with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a detention, residents deserve a clear explanation of what happened and why, the letter read.

NEXT: City councilors call on Providence police to release body camera video from West Friendship Street arrests

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Rhode Islands public media entities are sounding the alarm as they expect to lose funding after a $9 billion recissions package was approved by Congress this week.

Pam Johnston, the CEO of Rhode Island PBS and The Publics Radio, released a statement Friday saying the outlets are set to lose nearly $1.1 million in federal funding this fall.

Public media is not a luxury  it provides trusted journalism, life-saving emergency information, and free, high-quality educational programming for every family, no matter their ZIP code or income, Johnston said.

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Rhode Island PBS and The Publics Radio announced a merger in late 2023 that was approved by R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha the following year.

BACKGROUND: AG approves Rhode Island PBS, The Publics Radio merger

Last month, Johnston announced the outlets will be rebranded in the fall as Ocean State Media.

The cuts come from recommendations by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and take back money that was earmarked for public broadcasting and foreign aid. Both chambers narrowly passed the package, with it clearing the U.S. Senate 51-48 on Thursday and the House 216-213 on Friday.

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MORE: Senate passes $9B in cuts to global aid, public broadcasting in win for Trump

All of Rhode Islands congressional delegation voted against the cuts.

I am grateful to our local Congressional delegation for their unwavering support of public media and voting against this measure, Johnston said. I join my colleagues across the country in denouncing this decision.

The cuts now head to President Donald Trump for a signature.

It remains unclear how the anticipated funding loss will affect local programming and staffing.

NEXT: Rhode Island FC to play nationally televised game Saturday on WPRI 12

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EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Billions of dollars in education funding across all 50 states has been withheld by the Trump administration amid a review.

Since then, state attorneys general have filed lawsuits and questions have come up about how this will affect local school districts, especially in Rhode Island.

Boston Globe Reporter Steph Machado joined 12 News at 4 Thursday to discuss how Rhode Island could be affected.

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Read the full story in The Boston Globe Rhode Island: 23 states, including Mass. and R.I., sue over Trumps freeze on education funding 

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WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) The Road to College program hosted its 2025 summer graduation at Sikes Lake Center at MSU to honor selected students who have worked extremely hard in advancing their academic skills.

Wichita Falls hosts culinary event with local chefs featured

For nearly 15 years, the Cafe Con Leche organization has been helping children prepare for college to be the next generation of leaders.

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Founder of Road to College, Gonzalo Robles, wanted to start this program to help children flourish in their education, no matter what the circumstances are.

What my concern is, is I feel that not too many students these days, or most of the students, are not ready for college, said Robles. So we hope that by them coming and going through this program, we will challenge them to be college-ready, second to be leaders, and third, to be volunteers in their community.

Parents said this program has excelled their children academically but also socially.

Ive watched this program and Ive watched the kids. They greet you, they smile. They have, like, such a different personality from a lot of them. Its just a different aura, said CD Solomon, one of the Road to College parents.

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The father of another student, Anthony Caratachea, said his sixth-grade son thrives academically and wants to give him all the options in moving forward with his future.

My son has always been more academically inclined, so I want to help him get the best possibilities to go forward, said Caratachea. As far as he can with his education, and just kind of help him go whatever path he wants to go with. Our family is a rather large family, so, you know, any funding that they got the actual road to college program can help with it would benefit him for sure.

The program has helped students receive over $2 million in scholarships and gain confidence in their academics..

Students of the program expressed how much this program has helped them achieve their academic goals, and other students should consider the program as well.

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Carlson Law Firm aids Wichita Falls families with backpack giveaway

Mayor Tim Short was the keynote speaker and he left the kids with a powerful message..

He wants the kids to endure failure because Its okay to fail, thats how we learn.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.
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Have Americans grown complacent, thinking nothing can shake the United States democracy? Host Garry Kasparov is joined by Frank Luntz, someone well versed in taking the temperature of the American public.

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Luntz is perhaps best known as a behind-the-scenes operative in Republican politics. He is the pioneer of an Instant Response focus-group technique that lets him understand not just what people think but why. Thats how he began to sense, more than 10 years ago, that something had gone very wrong in American politics.

Frank and Garry discuss how the problem startedand what must be done to fix it.

The following is a transcript of the episode:

[Music]

Garry Kasparov: A common problem for citizens of the free world is that they do not have the vocabulary to understand authoritarian regimes and leaders. They expect their own terms and experiences to translate, when often they are meaningless or even contrary. Long before the question of autocracy in America became an issue, I spent a lot of time trying to explain these differences. One example stands out: my appearance on the Bill Maher show Real Time in October 2007. Maher, who considers himself well informed and often is, walked right into the point I wanted to make. He said:

Bill Maher: But when you look at whats going on in Russia, Putin has a very high approval rating.

Kasparov: And I had to interrupt.

Kasparov: How do you know? (Laughter.) Are you seriously relying on the polling results in a police state? I think that with the same tight control of media and the pervasive security force, I believe Bush and Cheney could enjoy the same approval rating here.

Kasparov: The audience erupted in cheers. And Maher could only respond,

Maher: Checkmate to me! (Laughs.)

Kasparov: From The Atlantic, this is Autocracy in America. Im Garry Kasparov.

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The American political system has been an example of a stable democracy for some 250 years. But have Americans grown complacent, thinking that nothing can shake a system that has worked so well for so long? My guest, longtime pollster Frank Luntz, is well versed in taking the temperature of the American public. Frank is perhaps best known as a behind-the-scenes operative in Republican politics, but hes also an author, adviser to CEOs, and, most recently, an instructor in American politics at the military academy at West Point. Frank is the pioneer of an Instant Response focus-group technique that lets him understand not just what people think but why. Thats how he began to sense, more than 10 years ago, that something was very wrong in American politics.

Hello, Frank.

Frank Luntz: Hello, Garry.

Kasparov: Lets start with personal stuff. Do you remember when we met?

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Luntz: I believe we were introduced by a human-rights activist about 15 years ago. And one of the coolest moments for me is when you and I marched in a protest in Russia, and you told me to be careful. It wasI could not believe I was with you. And to be doing this podcast right now, I know youre gonna get into some stuff, some pretty heavy stuff about where we are and where were headed as a country and the leadership. But this is Garry fucking Kasparov. I cant believe it. But what I respect the most is your courage. The courage of conviction. You know, I teach at West Point, and we teach students to have leadership with character. You have character, courage, and selfless service. So whatever you want to know from me for the next however long we go, this is an honor and a privilege. By the way, I may even get emotional. Ive had two strokes, and that disconnects my emotions from my head, and so youll know that I really mean it. But Garry, this is very special.

Kasparov: Frank, Im speechless. I want people to feel that youre so special, also, because no one can read the minds of voters and all the on-the-ground trends in American politics better than you did, and you still are the master of it. And, I wanna go back, so just

Luntz: But, but youre going back, and yet its so bad right now.

Kasparov: No, its so bad. But lets, I mean, lets analyze it.

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Luntz: We have never been this angry. Weve never been this distrusting. We dont trust any institution except for the military. We dont trust any people who lead anything right now. Were fed up, were mad as hell. If I were to summarize in a single word how Americans feel, its all caps with an exclamation point: ENOUGH! Enough politics, enough lies, enough being ignored, forgotten, betrayed, which is an emotion that breaks society. And however bad you think it is, its worse. Because I cant sit 15 people in a room thats a little bit bigger than this and have them not tear each other apart. The problem that I have right now, and I dont know how to fix it, is that we dont want to listen to each other. We want to be heard, we want to speak and make sure that other people listen. And when a democracy stops learning and a democracy stops listening, that democracys in trouble.

Kasparov: And were going to get into all of that. But first, as a chess player, I did a little research. And researching this project, I came across a 2014 profile of you in The Atlantic by Molly Ball.

Luntz: Yeah. You know, that profile almost cost me tens of millions of dollars. I dunno if you know this.

Kasparov: No, I didnt know! Tell us.

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Luntz: She ran thatand it was a good interview, and she told the truth. I believed that America was breaking apart back then.

Kasparov: Yes.

Luntz: The level of anger, the level of disrespect.

Kasparov: What did you see? Thats, againcan you be more specific? What did you see then? Because the picture that, from this interview, emerges of a man who may be in the political wilderness. But you were getting a sense of what, you know, what was wrong. You know, in America, the real American problems.

Luntz: And its not what I saw. Its what I heard. I did focus groups. Ive been doing focus groups now for 35 years

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Kasparov: But this country has zillions of pollsters. They all heard the same stories. How come that you indicated this? Just, you know, just deep down, you know, just many layers beyond what others sawthis is the rotten core.

Luntz: Because they could hear it, but they werent actually listening. They were dismissing it. And this is a problem that I have. It makes me a good pollster and not particularly great to be around at nights and weekendswhich is, if Im surrounded by angry people, I get angry. If Im surrounded by people who are depressed, I get depressed. For some reason, and this is partially my upbringing, I become the people that Im talking to. And its more than just even empathizing. I understand it. I appreciate it, and I become one of them. And in 2014, my head was exploding, because we were heading toward the conditions that gave us Donald Trump just two years later. And my company was for sale right then, and Molly correctly indicated that I was getting ready to give up. And the owner of my company, the company that was buying me, literally pulled me out of the room, pulled me out to say, What the hell are you doing? You sound like someones giving up. Frankly, you sound suicidal. What am I buying here? Tell me. And Im thinking to myself, Oh shit. I have now, through my honestythrough my candor, lets put it that wayI have now doomed myself. So Im telling the owner, No, Im not quitting; Im not giving up. And the truth is, I was. He had figured it out. He didnt have to read through the lines. I was very blunt about it, but I did not want to lose the money. I did not want to lose the sale. So I said to him, No, she misquoted me. She misread it. She doesnt understand. This is my clarion call to say: We have to be better. We have to do better. We have to find a way to get out of this. Thats not how I felt. And even today, if I can be candid with you again, if I didnt have West Point to give me hope and a belief in the future, if I didnt have these 4,000 incredible young people that youve met twice now

Kasparov: I did.

Luntz: These cadets are just amazing in their commitment to their country, in their willingness to sacrifice, and even the greatest sacrificeand that, and they know what this means. And if I had not discovered that, I was heading out. I was getting ready to move to the U.K., not that it is so wonderful, but I just couldnt watch my country tear itself apart. Because I still have, I still have even deep down, a love for this place, even with its flaws and even with the anger that we get out there.

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Kasparov: But it seems to me that we have to go even deeper. Because in 2014, you already sensed this anger that gave us Trump two years later and then led to January 6, 2021, and to current crisis. So

Luntz: And in 2014, I got it. I got how awful our country already was with each other. And thats because all these focus groups I was doing would degenerate into delegitimization, dehumanization. It was all the bad that we were to come to see 24 months later. And the reason why I saw it is because I heard it. Because I did these focus groupsnot the polling. I have to sit with people and see them. First, the arms get folded. Then the head starts to nod back and forth in a rejection of what theyre hearing. Then the eyes roll and the head goes back, and at that moment theyre getting ready to be disrespectful, disingenuous. I see it coming. And I saw this again and again and again. And my issue is, I dont know how to fix it.

Kasparov: Just to clarify, so this is, you were a Republican pollster

Luntz: At that time.

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Kasparov: At that time. But did it mean that in 2014, you sat only with Republican voters, or you had independents and Democrats as well?

Luntz: No, Ive always sat with the entire electorate.

Kasparov: Yeah. You could feel the temperature in just various segments of American polity.

Luntz: And the temperature was hot.

Kasparov: In 2014? The temperature was hot.

Luntz: And thats why Trump emerged. And I felt that in 2014. And when you and I first started to engage in this, I did not believe, at the beginning, that Trump was gonna win. Lets be completely candid in this. I thought

Kasparov: At what point, you knew he would be winning?

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Luntz: Oh, by September.

Kasparov: 2015.

Luntz: So let me tell you something that nobody knows.

Kasparov: Okay, good. You are sharing it with many more people, of course.

Luntz: But Im sharing it with you, and other people are just listening.

Kasparov: Okay.

Luntz: I held a meeting, I sat down with the Senate leadership, and I thought I was only meeting with John Thune and Mitch McConnell. John McCain shows up. John Barrasso shows up. The entire leadership, and no one tells me, cause theyre afraid that Im gonna be nervous. The entire Republican Senate leadership walks into the room. Mitch McConnell folds his arms like Im doing right now and says, I hear you have something to tell me. What is it? And I said, Sir, unless you do something right now, Donald Trump is your nominee, and he may well get elected president. Not a single vote had been castno Iowa, no New Hampshirebut Trump was rising and rising in the polls. And this was their wake-up call that it was working.

Kasparov: And?

Luntz: They didnt do enough, and it was too late. Donald Trump is a phenomenon. Donald Trump is aweve never had anything like him, and we never will.

Kasparov: So by 2014, the Republicans were ready to embrace Donald Trump, and some independents moved in the same direction. So what did go wrong prior to 2014? So its the, clearly we are seeing now, the decline of the political system, the two-party system. So when did it go wrong? Because there were many moments where people talked about, you know, We probably need a third party. We have to change this and that. But now we are, you know, deep down in this, you know, just in, in this swamp, political swamp. So 2014 was already the moment where you were the only one, or just one of very few, great experts who could read the minds of people and could smell the trouble. So when did it start?

Luntz: 2000.

Kasparov: 2000? Thats the presidential election youre talking about?

Luntz: Yes.

Kasparov: So the Florida recount?

Luntz: Yes.

Kasparov: Okay. Tell us.

Luntz: Five weeks. We went on and on, and no one knew who was president. And one-third of the Democratic Party never gave George W. Bush the respect that hed been actually elected president. They thought that the election had been stolen, and they were bitter, and they never forgave him. They never accepted him as their president. And then we had another close election in 2004.

Kasparov: It wasnt that close.

Luntz: Yeah. With John Kerry. Yeah. It was close enough.

Kasparov: He lost Ohio by quite a margin.

Luntz: But people thought that Kerry was gonna win. They thought on Election Day that Kerry had the lead. So they were wondering, Why is this happening? It was the beginning of the divide. And then in 2007, 2008, our economy went to hell. A whole lot of people lost their homes, lost their jobs, lost their savings, and lost their future. And in the end, politics is a reflection of the economy, not the other way around. And when youre promised a better future, when youre promised that youre gonna have it better than your parents, and then it doesnt happenand worse than that, all these life savings are destroyednot only are you mad, thats where the word betrayed comes in. And people, and their future, their whole perspective on life, began to close in on them. And America wasnt the land of opportunity for them. America was a broken promise. And Im afraid that were back to the same way right now. Which is why this thing on tariffs has me so concerned, and why Im reading again about the rise of anger. And this time its coupled with complete distrust of our court system, of our health-care system, of our media, of our government and the people who are in it. All the institutions that keep America moving forward are disliked and distrusted, and the only one thats left is the military.

Kasparov: Okay. This is, its very, very important, because you said few times the word, the key word in my opinion: trust.

Luntz: Yes.

Kasparov: Trust.

Luntz: Lets stop there. That is the key word. Its the No. 1 priority that Americans have: trust and truth. Theyre connected to it. Of all the values that are essential to democracy, none is more important than the truth. Its more important than participation. Its more important than anything else, because if you dont trust the information or the people providing it, how can you possibly govern yourselves when you have no idea whats right and whats wrong?

Kasparov: So are you telling us now that, over 225 years, Americans never lost trust in the government or in government agencies and all other institutions created throughout this time period and in the various places in the country?

Luntz: What was our worst economic calamity? 1929. And it took 10 years, 11 years, 12 years for us to come back from what happened in 1929. And eventually it was the war.

Kasparov: So we had few other moments in American history. But something I remember:, So the late 70s, also, the mood was dark; the country was not doing well. Then we had Ronald Reagan.

Luntz: Yes. At the very moment we were so upset, at the very moment that we were giving up, the malaise of Jimmy Carter gave us the hope and the passion of Ronald Reagan.

Kasparov: Okay, now the question is, so why the Great Depressionand all the tragic consequence of Great Depression for millions and millions of Americansgave us FDR as a leader? Why the malaise, in your words, of Jimmy Carters rule brought Ronald Reagan to power and to the Oval Office? But why the relatively small crisis, on the surface visually, compared to these two periods of American history brought us not a new Reagan or new FDR, but Donald Trump?

Luntz: For tens of millions of people, Donald Trump is Ronald Reagan, is FDR. For tens of millions of people, Donald Trump speaks the truth, and only Donald Trump does. And his graphic descriptions and language that is accessible to a high-school grad is exactly what FDR was to people back in 1932 and what Reagan was to people in 1980. Thats exactly the point. I know how you feel about him, but theres a reason why he beat Vice President [Kamala] Harris. And they knew what he stood for, and they knew that he had been indicted, and they knew that he had been impeached, and they knew what kind of administration he would do. And they still voted for him. Because to half of America, Donald Trump is exactly the kinda leader that theyre looking for.

Kasparov: Well be right back.

[Midroll]

Kasparov: Going back to people expected Trump and still expect Trump to do somethingits, you know, hes a doer. And hes already in power. So its just, its several months, and he did a lot of things. So are they still happy with what hes doing? Because you mentioned tariffs a few times.

Luntz: Theyre happy with most of what hes doing. Theyre not happy with how hes doing it. Theyre happy with the agenda and the priorities, but theyre not happy in the execution. Best example of this is DOGE and wasteful Washington spending. So they want to cut government spending. They wanna reduce the bureaucracy, but they dont want to do it haphazardly. And when Elon [Musk] took a chainsaw on stage and everyone saw this visual, thats not what theythat is what the hardcore Trump voter wanted: a chainsaw to Washington. But the people who put him over the top wanted a scalpel, not a chainsaw. And thats whats been happeningthe idea that, yes, this is the right agenda, but this may not be the right approach. And this is definitely not the right communication. And I dont think Trump cares, because to him, the onlyhis priority are his voters. And weve never had that before either. Someone who says, Im really not president of the whole country. Im president of the people who voted for me, and Im going to damn well ensure that they get what they voted for. You dont see, we dont see, and this is something thats important to this conversation: I hear from these people every day, but theyre not obvious. Theyre not people we talk to. Theyre not gonna be listening to this podcast, Ill tell you that.

Kasparov: I have no doubt about it.

Luntz: Because theyre struggling. Because they live paycheck to paycheck, because theyre holding three jobs between two people, or four jobs between two people. And I sympathize with them. And they were promised that if they worked hard, played by the rules, paid their taxes, and raised their kids well, there would be something good at the end for them. And you know what they got? Nothing. They didnt get a raise. Some of them got fired. They were unable to save for the future. What does that mean? If they get into a car accident, theyre done. They cant afford a new car. They can barely afford a used car. They truly are struggling. And I sympathize with them. I dont think that justifies their rudeness. I dont think that justifies how so many of them are mean. But they were promised something as they grew up: in their textbooks, in their history books. They were promised an America that would deliver for them a better future. And it didnt happen.

Kasparov: It is not happening now.

Luntz: Correct.

Kasparov: So what will they do?

Luntz: I think they tune out.

Kasparov: They will just, you know, just drop dead. I mean, this is not, not physically, but just, you know, just politically.

Luntz: They will cease to pay attention. They will cease to care. And thats just as dangerous. Id rather hear from my enemy. Id rather know where they are. Id rather know what they think. Because it gives me a chance to talk to them. They will tell their kids that democracy doesnt work. Dont bother to vote. Dont participate.

Kasparov: Democracy doesnt work?

Luntz: For these people, it does not. No. And capitalism; you call it capitalism. I would like to use the phrase economic freedom. Capitalism is about the rich. Economic freedom is about everybody else. I need them to buy into the economic system, because that will help them buy into the political system without

Kasparov: But its not going to happen.

Luntz: Theres a shot that that could happen.

Kasparov: How?

Luntz: If people once again see that the economy is not rigged against them, if they once again can save for the, to live the good life. Nobody wants the American dream anymore; they just want the good life. And the good life

Kasparov: But you said if. So what should happen for them to change their mind?

Luntz: So they can afford to take a long weekend at a nice place. So they can afford to buy their children birthday gifts or Christmas gifts, or these things that they want in their life. So once again, they can afford to live the good life.

Kasparov: But is it happening?

Luntz: No.

Kasparov: Okay. So that means, you know, its the further, you know, distrust in politics.

Luntz: Thats why all the institutions are upside down in terms of public support, because theyre not being protected. If they get sick, they cant afford the health-care bills.

Kasparov: But are they going to blame Donald Trump, or the system that prevented him from delivering to them?

Luntz: Theyre blaming the system at this moment.

Kasparov: So if they are blaming the system and not the president, does that empower the president to work outside the system? So can you imagine the situation where the president will find himself above the law and will try to act on this belief? So does it mean that Donald Trump will be in unique position to be above the law?

Luntz: Uh-huh.

Kasparov: So the answer is yes.

Luntz: Yeah.

Kasparov: Okay. So what are the chances?

Luntz: Maybe, maybe.

Kasparov: Maybe. Do you think its a real threat? That, at one point, he decides that, you know, he should not bother with the legal restrictions and will try to impose his direct rule?

Luntz: When he made a comment about the Constitution, whether or not he has to follow it, I think that said it all. You know, at West Point, they dont defend America. They dont defend the president. They dont defend the people. You swear an oath to the Constitution. It is genuinely sacred, because it gave us our freedoms, and it protects us. And when you start to say, Im not sure if I have to do something, if the Constitution mandates that I do itthats a problem. Thats a real problem.

Kasparov: If we have another January 6 in some form or shape, will Kash Patel and Pam Bondi follow Trump or Constitution?

Luntz: I dont know.

Kasparov: You dont know. What about the cadets?

Luntz: Oh, they follow the Constitution.

Kasparov: Good. Good to know.

Luntz: Without a doubt.

Kasparov: Okay. Thats good to know.

Luntz: And they wont engage in politics.

Kasparov: So if the president of the United States decides to go against the Constitution

Luntz: They will, they will follow athey follow lawful orders, is the best way for me to answer it.

Kasparov: Lawful ordersI dont know what it means. If the president of the United States, who is the commander in chief, you know, who goes against the Constitution. Again, if its a choice between

Luntz: Now youre instigating.

Kasparov: No; Im not instigating. Its a logical, you know, set of questions, because I saw enough in my life. So thats why, you know, its just being in the situation. Which I think, I all thought would be unheard in the United Stateswhere we ask these questions. You know theyre legitimate questions. You dont want to answer, because nobody wants to answer this question. But the fact is, we are in the position to ask these questions and to debate them seriously. What does it tell us about the current situation of America?

Luntz: It tells us that we still have a democracy. It tells us that freedom of speech matters.

Kasparov: So what can be done, if anything, to preserve the two-party system?

Luntz: Its to take the priorities of the Trump administration and add to it a level of communication, which says, I hear you. I get you. Were gonna try to get this done, but were gonna do so in a respectful way.

Kasparov: But youre talking about Democrats; you are not talking about the magic rise of the third party.

Luntz: Im talking about those who can still be talked to. Because right now, MAGA Republicans dont want to hear any of this. They like whats happening. And Democrats dont want to hear any of this, because they want to stop whats happening. They want the resistance, and thats what they call it. Thats not helpful for democracy. You several times have tried to get me to tell you, Heres a road map to restore our democracy. And Im telling you that that is my source of my frustration. Thats the source of who I am right now in 2025.

Kasparov: There is no road map.

Luntz: I dont have it.

Kasparov: You dont have it, and no one else has it.

Luntz: Correct. Do you know how that makes me feel? Im old. I was the youngest person in the room. Now Im the oldest person.

Kasparov: No, that youre definitely the youngest in this room. Yeah. Okay. (Laughs.)

Luntz: Okay. I have some serious people, some major CEOs, some cultural leaders, some politicians on both sides of the aisle. And they sit me down, and they say, Get us out of this. And I have to say, I dont know how. The system is set up to reward the most extreme, angry, vicious, disrespectful voices. The public is listening to the most awful videos and audio, and anyone who is thoughtful and considerateokay, Ill give you the answer. Ill give you two answers. Ill give you two specific people: Joe Rogan and Stephen A. Smith. Both of them stretch beyond the traditional appeal of a populist in one case and a centrist Democrat on the other. Stephen A.more and more people are listening to him for his political commentary, not just sports. In Joe Rogans case, everybody wants to know what his podcast is gonna say. The guy has an audience that continues to grow.

Kasparov: Continues to grow?

Luntz: Yes, they can make a difference. Theyby what guests they have, by what conversations they have, and how they have itcan instill a different set of priorities, but they have to want to do it. It cant just be us.

Kasparov: But, okay. Is there room, just following what you said, for a new leader and a new organization to rise and to force traditional Republicans, Democrats, whatever the name they call themselves nowMAGA, far-left wokepush them aside, because its happening in some of the European countries? We see this. [French President Emmanuel] Macron was a typical phenomenon. But its, you know, its, for instance, Romanian presidential elections

Luntz: I saw that.

Kasparov: The response to the rise of the far-right populist was not a traditional candidate, but another outsider who rallied behind him, support of all people who were not ready to push Romania into the Russian camp.

Luntz: So in addition to the two people I mentioned, another one is Mark Cuban, because Mark Cuban is a businessman. Hes not a political guy, but he understands politics. And Mark Cuban could change the tenor of the debate on the Democratic side.

Kasparov: So, is there room for somebody in the middle to rally? Okay, you talk about Army generals, thats the only institution that has trust.

Luntz: McRaven.

Kasparov: McRaven. So in a hypothetical run from the retired Admiral William McRaven, AOC, J. D. Vance, does McRaven have a chance?

Luntz: At this moment? No.

Kasparov: No, were talking about 2028.

Luntz: But the idea that thats that whole word, that whole principle, the idea that weve had enough

Kasparov: May work for him?

Luntz: Could work for any of those people.

Kasparov: So, and if people like Joe Rogan, you know, just support this, the idea that enough is enough, then you could end up with a new candidate who could win an election by opposing both parties?

Luntz: And opposing the style and the substance.

Kasparov: Okay. Do Democrats, with a capital D, have to look for a general, an admiral, just an officer, flag officer, to lead them in 2028?

Luntz: They need to find someone who has not wedded to the past, someone whos not been responsible for the failures of government, someone whos outside the mainstream. And Im gonna flip it on you before you end this podcast, which is: You chose to be here. Youre not an American citizen.

Kasparov: No, Im not. My wife is; my kids are.

Luntz: And you love this country. I know you do.

Kasparov: Absolutely.

Luntz: How do you feel when you see our democratic system, small-d democrat, in such pain?

Kasparov: Awful. Awful. Thats why I believe its my duty to do whatever I can to communicate the nature of the threat to American democracy and to help those who are willing to fight backnot resistance, but those who are willing to restore democracy. Or just probably, more accurately, to adjust it to the challenges of the 21st century. Look, I saw a lot. And I have an advantage, because I grew up in a communist country. So I learned many things through my own experience, not just reading books. And I saw democracy rise in Russia and then collapse. And not only in Russia. So I saw the world celebrating the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, 1991, and then going back to the rules of autocrats. So weits almost two decades that we see these steady rise of autocratic regimes around the globe. Democracies in retreat. And America proved not to be immune as other democracies against the virus of authoritarianism and corruption and distortion and fake news. So, Im here fighting the same battle I fought back in Russia. So in Russia, we lost. But here, I hope our chances of winning and helping America to recover its global prominence and leadershipour chances are not slim to none. I think thats a very good chance.

And also, again, I believe that without America restoring its greatnessnot MAGA, Im sorrybut America restoring its historical greatness and returning to its founding values, thats the only chance for the world to actually reap the benefits of this technological revolution and to move us forward into the brighter future. We need America to recover its place in the world and toits not about make America great again. Its about finding the right combination of these ingredients, magic ingredients that have been mixed magically by Founding Fathers. And to make sure that American democracy, the American Republicbuilt on these traditional American values that made America great in the pastwould help America to adjust to the new challenges of the 21st century.

Luntz: And if I could add to that, to me, and the positive campaign is freedom. Both kinds of freedom. Freedom to. Freedom to own a gun: Second Amendment. Freedom to speak your mind: First Amendment. Freedom to work and do what you want as long as it doesnt hurt anyone. Freedom to, but also freedom from. Freedom from fear, freedom from poverty, freedom from despair. It has to be both. One of them is basically conservative. The other ones basically progressive. And a commitment against corruption, because I think government waste is corruption. I think what they do with our tax dollars is corruption. I think that lobbyists and loopholes and special interests, that is corruption. And I believe that if you combine the positivethe freedomwith a fight against corruption and a commitment to say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you say, that that is the perfect candidate for 2028.

[Music]

Kasparov: Sounds encouraging, Frank. So, fingers crossed. Lets see if this message is being heard. And again, I am encouraging optimism by nature, and I believe that what you had just said here in the studio would become the road map. Road map for the future president of the United States.

Luntz: And you should know that, actually, I will go back to my condo 30 minutes from now, and Im writing that road map as we speak. So you just saw the initial structure of it.

Kasparov: Okay. You definitely can count on me, and Im sure many of those who are listening to this podcast will be more than happy to join this campaign to rebuild America.

Luntz: Well, Garry Kasparov.

Kasparov: Frank Luntz, thank you.

Luntz: Thank you very much.

Kasparov: This episode of Autocracy in America was produced by Arlene Arevalo and Natalie Brennan. Our editor is Dave Shaw. Original music and mix by Rob Smierciak. Fact-checking by Ena Alvarado. Special thanks to Polina Kasparova and Mig Greengard. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio. Andrea Valdez is our managing editor. Next time on Autocracy in America:

Masih Alinejad: Garry, this is very ironic. A girl who was forced to shout Death to America. The country that I wish death for, the United States of America, gave me a second life. And thats why I love America. And I wanna dedicate my life to fight for America as well, to protect America from terrorists, from authoritarianism. And thats why I am full of hope and energy.

Kasparov: Im Garry Kasparov. See you back here next week.

[Music out]

Article originally published at The Atlantic
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Thursday at the Church of Love, the New York State Senate hosted an Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Roundtable meeting.

Aside from explaining how people can qualify and apply for minority and women-owned business certification, the main goal was to understand how upstate New Yorkers feel about the MWBE program and how it can improve.

The importance of the MWBE feedback in this cycle is critical  by law we have to rewrite this law  we have to justify it every year and we have to hear from people: is it effective?, said NYS Senate Banking Chair, James Sanders Jr. We start with the assumption and the state senate starts with the assumption: we look forward to the day when we dont need this.

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Sanders Jr. says he will continue working to ensure equality of opportunity for every New Yorker.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.
(WTVO)  Rockford native and Oscar-nominated Director Bing Liu is making his first foray into creating narrative-based films with Preparation for the Next Life.

The movie is an adaptation of the novel Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish.

Liu is working alongside some of the film worlds biggest stars to produce the screenplay, including Brad Pitt, IndieWire reports.

bing-liu_1551023483182.jpg

The film follows the love story of an undocumented Uyghur woman, played by Sebiye Behtiyar, who is trying to make her own way in New York City and escape her past life in China.

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She falls in love with an Iraq War veteran, played by Fred Hechinger, who recently returned from three tours and has PTSD.

Bing Liu shares Oscar night experience

Liu is best known for his Oscar-nominated documentary Minding the Gap. The film highlights skateboard culture and intergenerational violence.

Preparation for the Next Life is set to release on September 5th.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Romanias Ministry of Defence has launched negotiations with Ukraine on the joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which could also be sold to other European countries.

Source: Digi24, a 24-hour Romanian TV news channel, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Discussions on the potential agreement are expected to take place at the defence ministerial level.

The general concept is that Ukraine will provide technologies developed under real combat conditions, while Romania will fund the production of components. The exact location of drone manufacturing is yet to be confirmed, but the Romanian city of Brasov is being considered.

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The produced drones are expected to be supplied to the Romanian army, with a portion to be exported to interested European countries.

At the same time, the outlet notes that the Romanian state budget currently lacks available funds for the rapid launch of such investments, making 2026 the most likely start date for the potential agreement's implementation, when the new defence budget will be in place.

Background:

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a large-scale cooperation agreement on the production of various types of UAVs with US companies.

In April, Latvia  co-leader of the drone coalition within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group alongside the UK  announced the delivery of 1,500 drones to Ukraine.

At the time, it was also announced that 12,000 drones from two Latvian companies would be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the first half of the year.

Germany has already supplied Ukraine with nearly 2,000 AI-powered drones and a joint Ukrainian-German project on drone interceptors has also been launched.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE)  Flash floods in Ruidoso on Thursday prompted swift water rescues again, which saved several people caught stranded in their homes in Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs.

A devastating flood in Ruidoso last week left a man and two children in Ruidoso dead. Now, only a week later, residents are once again picking up the pieces after a flash flood hit the village this afternoon.

Story continues below

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They put their helmets on, they go to work, and they go in there and get those folks and get them to safety, said Ruidoso Mayor, Lynn Crawford.

According to Mayor Crawford, two people were rescued from the Cherokee Mobile Home Park on highway 70, just southeast of Ruidoso. He says one person was rescued from their home, after water levels got too high to leave. The other was rescued in the water, after being swept away.

We did have a few that decided, you know, Im going to stay, Im going to ride this one out, [but] later got a phone call and had to go in and save them, Mayor Crawford said.

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Rescue teams in Ruidoso Downs were also busy today. Ruidoso Downs police say several people were rescued from the Friedenbloom Trailer Park, including children. There were no injuries.

I know people have emergency fatigue, but we got to pay attention, Mayor Crawford said.

Mayor Crawford said the Cherokee Mobile Home Park rescues could have been prevented, and is pleading with the public to listen to evacuation orders and other crucial announcements.

After losing three lives last week, were all very much aware of that, and so thats on top of our minds. So, when we ask people to evacuate, we would ask them, please, please, I know its not comfortable, I know its not fun, but please evacuate, Mayor Crawford said.

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Ruidoso leaders are asking the public to register for CallMeRuidoso a notification website that sends emergency alerts directly to your cellphone.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
In the Canadian town of Aylmer, where Mennonites in traditional dress walk down the main street alongside secular locals, bitter divisions over vaccine skepticism that arose during Covid have intensified with the reemergence of measles.

Canada, which officially eradicated measles in 1998, has registered over 3,500 cases this year and the United States is confronting its worst measles epidemic in 30 years, with the UN warning of the global risk as misinformation and lack of funding impact vaccination rates.

Different communities in Canada have been hit, but experts link the brunt of the outbreak to anti-vaccine Anabaptist groups in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta.

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Growing up in Aylmer, a bucolic town surrounded by farmland in southwestern Ontario, Brett Hueston said he didn't give much thought to the differing world views among the town's religious and secular residents.

That changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I grew up, perhaps naively, thinking that we were all sort of on the same page as a community," said Hueston, 40, whose family publishes the 145-year-old local paper, the Aylmer Express.

"Covid really exploited whatever differences there were," he told AFP.

Aylmer was a pandemic flashpoint. The town has 13 churches, a substantial number given its roughly 8,000 population.

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A major congregation -- the Aylmer Church of God that sits on an expansive, well-manicured grounds -- enthusiastically defied some lockdown restrictions.

The church's pastor, Henry Hildebrandt, tried to challenge the rules in the supreme court, before agreeing in 2022 to pay a CAN$65,000 ($47,400) fine for gathering people to worship.

Hildebrandt said he admitted "to one count of obeying God rather than man," asserting that he had knowingly broken the law.

Hueston said "when measles came up, I thought, I know where this is going."

"Everybody thinks... Mennonites are (all) anti-vaxers. It certainly isn't the case, but there's certainly a conservative part of this end of the county that is strongly anti-vaxer, and I don't quite understand it," he told AFP.

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- 'Difficult to watch' -

Michelle Barton heads the infectious diseases division at the Children's Hospital at the London Health Sciences Center, southwestern Ontario's main referral hospital.

She's seen some of the most serious pediatric measles cases this year and told AFP observing the recurrence of a once eradicated virus has been "difficult to watch."

She noted that not every case can be tied to unvaccinated Mennonites.

Infections have also occurred among new immigrants from the developing world who, for various reasons, did not keep up with immunizations after settling in Canada, including due to an acute family doctor shortage.

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Barton said it was long clear "pockets of unvaccinated people" made the region vulnerable to measles.

She recounted a range of attitudes towards vaccines among Mennonite families.

Some mothers, when confronted with how sick their children had become, voiced openness to vaccinating their other children, only to back away, fearing consequences from their husband or pastor, Barton told AFP.

"They don't want to go against the grain of their culture, and they don't want to go against the (church) elders," she said.

She also voiced sympathy for a Mennonite community that faced "resentment" from some healthcare workers, who at times displayed frustration over having to respond to an entirely preventable outbreak.

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Barton said she hoped the relationships forged between medical staff and vaccine-skeptical families could improve acceptance, and she encouraged public health officials to persist in trying to bring church leaders on board.

- 'Wall of lies' -

For Alon Vaisman, an infectious diseases doctor at Ontario's University Health Network, officials must keep trying, regardless of opposition.

"From a public health perspective we ought not to accept anything to be insurmountable when it comes to vaccine campaigns."

Child vaccination rates remain below where they need to be, making another viral outbreak, including measles, possible, Vaisman said.

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"There really needs to be more of an effort," he told AFP, conceding the difficulty of finding a successful path forward.

"You're fighting against the wall of disinformation and lies," he said.

bs/bgs
This story was produced and originally published by Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. It was made possible by donors like you.

At a recent gathering of social service organizations in Brown County, participants contended with a double gut punch to their efforts to reverse Wisconsins recent rise in rural homelessness: almost no new support in the state budget and federal funding cuts.

The Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition, which focuses its efforts not only on the urban growth around Green Bay but also on the rural towns along the outskirts of the county, consists of at least 45 partner and supporting member organizations  representing the vast complexity of the issue theyre attempting to fix.

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Gov. Tony Evers budget proposal gave them reason for hope. It included over $24 million of new funding to address homelessness.

The funding would have increased support for programs, including the Housing Assistance Program that provides support services for those experiencing homelessness and the State Shelter Subsidy Grant Program that funds shelter operations.

But after the Republican-controlled budget committee cut Evers proposal, organizations were left with the same state resources they had last year, despite increasing homelessness across the state and looming cuts in federal support.

More: Lack of funding in state budget will shutter two facilities for homeless veterans

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More: Milwaukee Youth Council focusing on 'underappreciated' issues of homelessness, suicide

Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, who both represent mostly rural districts in Wisconsin, did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

Sen. Romaine Robert Quinn, R-Birchwood, a JFC member who represents the rural northwestern corner of Wisconsin, including the city of Shell Lake where Wisconsin Watch reported on a father and daughter experiencing homelessness, declined an interview request. Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, who represents the western part of Brown County, did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

Federal cuts coming for homeless services

President Donald Trumps proposed federal budget reductions would cut funding for key programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including grants that many local organizations depend on to provide housing and supportive services.

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The Trump administrations efforts to reduce federal funding began with a Jan. 27 executive order that temporarily paused many federal grants and financial assistance programs  including those supporting homelessness services  causing immediate disruptions for organizations like RAYS Youth Services in Green Bay.

Josh Benti, program coordinator for RAYS and homeless initiative project director for the Brown County coalition, recalled how his organizations basic services were abruptly halted, leaving it unable to support a child in need.

Bentis organization provides services designed to promote stability and independence for youth up to age 24. They include placement in licensed foster homes, similar to emergency shelter stays.

Shortly after Trump signed the order in January, Benti received a text from his boss saying the organization could no longer move forward with placing a child in a host home. He had to inform the child it was uncertain whether the program would be funded.

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Even after federal funds were reinstated weeks later, disbursement delays further affected how employees were paid. Bentis role, originally salaried, was switched to hourly so that he and his colleagues could maintain their positions.

Benti explained that because RAYS federal funds are matched by private grants, the organizations development staff has begun applying for grants across the state. The organization seeks to expand its services and collaborate with statewide partners to become too big to fail.

We cant do it all by ourselves, Benti said. We need those funds to take care of those pieces we do every day.

Trumps big bill brought new limitations to RAYS through changes to social safety net programs, such as provisions introducing new work requirements for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which limited eligibility and access of certain recipients.

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These policy shifts have raised additional concerns about the potential losses to critical areas of the organization, especially Medicaid. Reductions to the federal health care program for low-income people threaten a large portion of Foundations Health and Wholeness, a nonprofit that provides mental health care to uninsured and underinsured individuals, many of whom rely on Medicaid as a source of health coverage.

Carrie Poser, executive director of Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care  a nonprofit committed to ending homelessness  pointed out that Medicaid cuts, along with restrictions on food stamps, wont only affect people experiencing homelessness directly.

It will impact those living in poverty who are maybe just  a paycheck away from becoming homeless, and now youve just hit them with the potential of losing their health insurance, or losing access to food, Poser said.

The organization manages a variety of federal grants, including funding for Coordinated Entry Systems that prioritize housing resources based on need, as well as a large federal Rapid Re-housing project of more than $5 million focused on domestic violence survivors.

Trump calls for shift from permanent to temporary housing

Trumps budget proposal could eliminate federal funding for the Continuum of Care program, funneling those resources into state grants for up to two years of housing assistance. The shift would eliminate Permanent Supportive Housing, which is geared toward homeless individuals with disabilities. Under current law, those temporary housing grants cant be used for permanent housing.

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Trumps budget also would zero out the funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program.

The top-line takeaway is that rural and suburban communities are going to suffer the most loss, said Mary Frances Kenion, chief equity officer at the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

About 48% of Wisconsins permanent supportive housing is currently funded through Continuum of Care dollars. Areas served by the outstate organization rely on federal funding for roughly 41% of their homelessness services budget.

The outstate organization also receives Housing Assistance Program grants, which it subgrants to organizations aiming to address specific gaps in their communities and offers them support that may not be available through federal funding.

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Without added state support, the organization cant expand its efforts to end homelessness, though it can maintain current levels. Currently, Housing Assistance Program funds support half a dozen projects outside Milwaukee, Dane and Racine counties, a limited reach that additional funding would have broadened for the organization.

Additionally, more state funding for shelter operations could have helped shelters pay more staff and reopen after many closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Poser said.

Now, as the demand for shelter continues to rise, other service providers also face limited resources to expand their services.

The shelter funds provide support to the Northwest Wisconsin Community Services Agency for operating its shelters. However, CEO Millie Rounsville said the funding has remained flat for years, despite growing demand for services.

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As youre trying to create additional projects  theres no additional resources to be able to support those and actually would take away resources from other communities because the pot is the same size and the programs are expanding, which means that theres less money to go around, and no new money to address any of the increase in the unsheltered, Rounsville said.

With no increases in funding, expanding programs or launching new initiatives to meet rising homelessness has become increasingly difficult.

As several housing assistance organizations face limitations to state and federal funding to maintain many of their day-to-day programs and services, Kenion urges them to take stock of existing resources and make contingency plans.

Kenion advised communities to map out what services they currently offer, whether thats through permanent supportive housing or homelessness programs, and to clearly understand where their funding may come from. She added that rural communities, in particular, should begin having difficult conversations about their funding landscape and work to broaden partnerships such as those with faith-based groups, clinics, small businesses, victim service providers and philanthropies.

Rural areas face challenges accessing support

Don Cramer, a researcher for the Wisconsin Policy Forum, points to some of the difficulty rural areas might face in obtaining funding to address homelessness.

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In rural parts of the state, limited staff capacity could mean that local agencies miss out on some of the state and federal funding opportunities that their urban counterparts are able to obtain. Cramer suggested that larger cities with high homeless populations, like Milwaukee, typically have more staff and time to dedicate to pursuing grants, while smaller counties, even those with higher homeless populations, often dont have the employees who focus their time exclusively on applying for these funds.

Cramer also pointed out that rural communities often struggle not only to secure funding, but to capture the scope of homelessness in their areas, making it even harder to recognize and address the issue.

As Wisconsin Watch previously reported following the winter point in time count, one of two annual nights in the year that portray the number of people experiencing homelessness across the country, the states mostly rural homeless population reached 3,201 last year, its highest number since 2017.

The reported number of homeless students in Wisconsin last year reached its highest number since 2019, with 20,195 students experiencing homelessness, according to a report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Last year was the third consecutive year the number of reported homeless students has increased after hitting its lowest level in 2021 during the pandemic.

The sheer difference in the number of students experiencing homelessness and individuals experiencing homelessness further highlights how the methodology for quantifying homelessness across the state, which is used to determine a communitys level of need, doesnt make sense for those who dont know the differences in the methodologies, Cramer said.

The standards of counting between Wisconsins Department of Public Instruction, which would count a student who may be sleeping on a relatives couch in its homeless count, and HUD, which wouldnt, illustrate the strict guidelines that likely dont come close to representing the full picture of homelessness in the state.

When you think of the (homeless counts), many assume those are undercounts, Cramer said. But I think the students would be pretty accurate  because schools are working with a majority of the states student population, and kindergartners arent hiding that information.

We need to take into account our increasing need

Katie Van Groll sees this issue firsthand through her work as the director of Home Base, an arm of the Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley that specifically works with youth up to age 21 who are experiencing challenges related to housing insecurity.

Van Groll added that the difference between the HUD and DPI counts contributes to a systemic misunderstanding of what homelessness looks like for young people. For example, couch surfing is much more common in young people experiencing homelessness than it is for adults, but because the HUD count doesnt include that frequent circumstance, the difference between being sheltered and being homeless almost gets forgotten, Van Groll said.

What that does is it makes them ineligible for other funding and other resources because they dont meet the HUD definition until they are literally on the street, and thats what were trying to avoid, Van Groll said. The sooner that we can intervene, the quicker we can disrupt that cycle and change those generational experiences of homelessness.

While the number of youth experiencing homelessness in the state continues to rise, Evers budget proposal to increase funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth program, which already operates on a difficult-to-obtain regional lottery system that Home Base competes for each year alongside other youth-oriented programs, was denied an increase in funding.

Only one program serving runaway and homeless youth per region receives funding by the state, which in itself is a disservice, Van Groll said. Right now, were lucky in that we are in a current federal grant so we are not looking at reapplying to the (state) funding that was just released, but we expect that other programs may not be in the same situation.

Many people are going to be like, well, what are you complaining about? Youre not losing any money, Van Groll said. But you kind of are because we need to take into account the state of our economy, we need to take into account our increasing need, we need to take into account the fact that losing those decreases likely impacts those programs just like it does ours, which means it continues to be largely competitive across the state, inhibiting some programs from accessing those fundings.

Meaghan Gleason, who leads the Brown County count, announced during the Brown County coalition meeting on July 9 that the current number of volunteers signed up for the summer homeless count is lower than the last two counts. She asked attendees to contribute in any way they can.

I would encourage you to contact your friends, family, community members, board members, funders  anyone who may be interested in going out and helping and seeing the work that we do in action, Gleason said.

In a phone interview on July 16, Gleason said that after reaching out to the coalition for more volunteers, involvement for the July 23-24 overnight summer count in Brown County will now see the highest number of volunteers shes directed since taking on the role two years ago.

Homeless advocates added that theres been an increase in encampments, with people experiencing homelessness moving deeper into the woods as the summer goes on.

Amid the wet and hot season lately, Peter Silski, Green Bay homeless outreach case coordinator, explained that many of the people he encounters have no other choice than to build simple tents and shelters.

Through conversations with people experiencing homelessness and connecting them with local, grassroots programs, Silski said the goal is to empower individuals to become self-sufficient, but we want to make sure were there for them for as long as they need us.

Resources for people experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin from organizations included in this story:

Find services in your county through Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Cares list of local coalitions of housing providers through 69 counties across the state.

Text the word safe and your current location (city/state/ZIP code) to 4HELP (44357) through Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Youth Services TXT4HELP nationwide, confidential and free service offered to youth in crisis.

Call Home Bases 24-hour support hotline at 920-731-0557 if youre in its northeast Wisconsin service region (Brown, Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties).

Wisconsin Watch reporter Margaret Shreiner contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rural homelessness grows in Wisconsin amid state, federal funding gaps
Leaders of NPR member stations in rural America are "a bit sad" and "disappointed," but determined to continue to serve their communities despite their loss of federal funding.

Congress is officially sending a package detailing $9 billion in spending cuts to President Donald Trumps desk after the House of Representatives passed the bill, called a "rescissions package," in a late-night vote on Thursday.

Trump's multibillion-dollar clawback package teed up cuts to "woke" spending on foreign aid programs and NPR and PBS, as Republicans finally yanked federal money from public news outlets in a move advocates said was long overdue.

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Npr Ceo Warns Staff 'Tremendous Amount Of Change' Coming If Federal Funding Yanked

Rural NPR stations are expected to significantly feel the impact of the Trump administrations rescission bill.

Tami Graham is the executive director of KSUT, an NPR member station located in the southwestern corner of Colorado that serves the rural Four Corners region. On October 1, KSUT will lose nearly 20% of its budget because of the rescission bill.

"So, for us, that's $330,000, and it's a pretty immediate turnaround we're having to do to try to fundraise so that we don't have to cut critical staff, programming, local news, et cetera. Those are the kind of decisions we're facing down right now," Graham told Fox News Digital.

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Graham said staffers were "somber and yet determined" upon arriving to work on Thursday, after the Senate approved Trumps rescission package and reality set in.

"We know how much our region supports us and values our hyperlocal service to them in emergency alerts, and local news and information about what's happening in the region," Graham said.

"It's heavy, it's a bit sad," she continued. "There's very much a determination of, We're going to get through this, our listeners value us, and our region values us, but it's not the kind of news that any of us want to be contemplating."

KSUT is "not going anywhere," Graham stressed, noting that rural areas that rely on public media because of spotty cell service, broadband and internet will significantly feel the impact of the rescission bill.

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Nyt Draws Parallels Between Calls To Defund Npr And Defund The Police Movement

Trump's rescissions package includes $8 billion in cuts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS.

"We get a larger percentage of support from CPB than major market stations because we're rural, because we are serving news deserts, because we don't have the ability to fundraise from our listenership in the way that cities, major markets do," Graham said.

"It'll have minimal impact on NPR," Graham said. "But it's a huge impact on rural America and the news and information and emergency alerts they receive."

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Shawn Turner, who serves as WKAR Public Media general manager and also sits on NPRs Board of Directors, oversees the member station that serves eight counties across mid-Michigan that include several "news deserts."

"The loss of federal funding will significantly impact our ability to have our reporters get out to those communities, go to community meetings, talk to people in those communities, go to events to be able to report on what's happening in those communities," Turner told Fox News Digital.

"We'll be relying more on part-time reporters, volunteers, where we can over time, but the quality of the reporting will be impacted," he added. "People across Michigan will not have access to local news and information from their NPR station like they've had in the past."

Npr Hearing Puts Spotlight On Funding Debate And Past Coverage, From Hunter Biden's Laptop To Covid Origins

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Turner said there was "disappointment" inside WKAR on the heels of the funding cut.

"People are feeling like the commitment they've made to serve their community has just taken a hit. And that simply does not feel good for any of the people who have committed their life to this work," he said.

While staffers were frustrated, Turner said he was heartened by the degree to which mid-Michiganders worked to ensure that their voices were heard. He said thousands of phone calls and letters reached members of Congress imploring lawmakers to understand that communities need public media.

Much like KSUT, Turner wants Americans to know that WKAR will not simply fold, and that member stations will attempt to adapt.

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He explained that some of the services WKAR provides, such as a radio reading service for the visually impaired and educational services, will be reduced but will remain in some capacity for as long as possible.

"We're adjusting the way that we serve our community, but it will be more difficult," Turner said.

Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture

NPR and PBS have long been lambasted by Trump and other Republicans as left-leaning institutions that don't deserve taxpayer money. Whistleblower Uri Berliner, a longtime editor at NPR, laid out in painful detail the liberal bias gripping public radio on a national level last year.

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The President is expected to sign the spending cut bill on Friday.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller contributed to this report.





Original article source: Rural NPR stations disappointed, determined to survive after rescission package eliminates federal funding
European commercial satellites that Russia believes are aiding Ukraine are a legitimate target for signal jamming, Russia has told international regulators.

Russia's Digital Development and Communications Ministry informed the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Radio Regulations Board (RRB) that Moscow will target commercial and broadcast satellites it believes aid Ukraine's military, Space Intel Report wrote on July 16.

In March, eight European countries filed a complaint with the U.N. over Russias interference with the continent's satellite communications. Seventeen other EU countries and the U.K. expressed support for the initiative, which urges Russia to stop its alleged sabotage.

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The complaint has been signed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, France, and the Netherlands.

In a document submitted to international regulators, Russia claims it will not disrupt non-military satellite use and target infrastructure that aids Ukraine's military.

Last year, disruptions targeted Europes main satellite providers, including Eutelsat and SES, which provide television, radio, and aviation navigation systems.

Russian war propaganda has appeared on the children's channel, BabyTV, in the Netherlands and other European countries. Similar disruptions affected television programming in Ukraine.

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In 2024, Eutelsat and SES traced interference to Russian-controlled areas, namely occupied Crimea and Kaliningrad.

Read also: Explainer: What Russia could achieve in Ukraine by Trumps 50-day deadline

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(Reuters) -Russian air defences destroyed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three heading for Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Friday.

Most of the drones were downed over Russia's southwestern regions, including 31 over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, writing on Telegram, made no mention of casualties or damage, but said emergency services were examining the area where drone fragments fell to the ground.

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The federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, briefly ordered the suspension of operations at two airports near the capital, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, but services were later resumed.

Operations were halted well after midnight at a third Moscow airport, Vnukovo before being reinstated by the morning.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the attacks. Kyiv says that its strikes inside Russia are necessary to destroy infrastructure key to Moscow's efforts in its war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year.

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Sandra Maler, Matthew Lewis and Saad Sayeed)
Editor's note: The story was updated with information about an attack against a Nova Post branch in Sloviansk and a second attack on trains.

Russian strikes killed at least seven people, including a train driver in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and injured 25 others in multiple regions over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian regional authorities said on July 18.

Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down 11 Shahed-type drones overnight after Russia launched a wave of 35 attack and decoy drones, primarily targeting eastern frontline regions. Six decoys were jammed or lost.

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In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drones hit the Pavlohrad district overnight, killing a train driver, according to Governor Serhii Lysak and the Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. Two more people were injured.

Fires broke out at a transport facility and in the Rozdory community of the Synelnykove district, where several vehicles were destroyed.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, later said that Russia targeted trains in the area twice within the same day.

"This is a planned terror against civilian logistics and railroad workers," Yermak said, adding that a locomotive of a train carrying civilian cargo was hit. The official did not mention whether the attack resulted in any casualties.

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In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed and one injured in attacks across 15 settlements, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. An overnight strike on the Stepnohirsk community ignited a fire in residential areas, damaging at least 15 homes and infrastructure sites.

In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and nine others injured in widespread drone and artillery attacks across dozens of settlements, including Kherson city, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russian forces hit houses, a public transport stop, and a humanitarian aid hub and damaged both private and emergency vehicles.

In Donetsk Oblast, four people were killed and 12 more wounded over the past day, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Two of the fatalities occurred in Kostiantynivka and two in Pokrovsk.

A Russian attack damaged a Nova Post branch in the city of Sloviansk, the postal company's press service told the Ukrainian media. Nova Post said no employees were hurt in the attack, and the parcels were not damaged.

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In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was injured in Izium, and houses, infrastructure, and farmland were damaged due to Russian attacks, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Read also: Leaked documents claim Russias 41st Army suffered catastrophic losses fighting in Ukraine

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One person has been killed and two others injured in a Russian drone attack on the Pavlohrad district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the night of 17-18 July.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The Russians attacked the Pavlohrad district overnight, namely the Verbky and Bohdanivka hromadas. A 52-year-old man was killed. Two others, aged 38 and 40, have been injured." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.]

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Details: Lysak said the attack had damaged premises belonging to a transport company and caused a fire, which has since been extinguished.

Updated: Later, Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) said the driver of an electric locomotive had been killed.

"The enemy hit an electric locomotive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The driver has been killed. His assistant has been injured but is in a stable condition," Ukrzaliznytsia reported.

The Rozdory hromada in the Synelnykove district was also hit by drones. Cars were burning there.

The Russians targeted Nikopol with an FPV drone. The aftermath of this attack is still being investigated.

Lysak added that air defenders had downed three Russian drones over the oblast.

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The Russian army has launched a drone attack on the Kamianske district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing two people.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Serhii Lysak: "Early reports indicate that people have been killed and injured in a Russian attack on the Kamianske district. Details are being investigated."

Updated: Lysak later added that a man and a woman had been killed in the Russian attack.

Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

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A fire broke out at the scene of the attack, damaging administrative buildings, a shop and houses.

Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Background: One person was killed and two others injured in a Russian drone attack on the Pavlohrad district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the night of 17-18 July. The Russians hit an electric locomotive, killing the driver.

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Russian forces attacked a volunteer vehicle evacuating civilians from the village of Rodynske with a drone and dropped a FAB-250 aerial bomb on the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on the morning of 18 July. One woman has been killed and four others injured.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Details: At 05:30, Russian troops deliberately struck a vehicle belonging to a volunteer organisation with an FPV drone. The volunteers were evacuating civilians from Rodynske.

The aftermath of the attack

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Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

As a result of the attack, a 42-year-old driver and two local residents  a 77-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman  sustained injuries. All three suffered blast and craniocerebral trauma, as well as shrapnel wounds.

The aftermath of the attack

Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Just 30 minutes later, the Russians attacked Kostiantynivka with a FAB-250 aerial bomb equipped with a Unified Gliding and Correction Module. One of three airstrikes on the city killed a 66-year-old woman in her home. A 64-year-old man sustained a blast injury and multiple shrapnel wounds to the head.

The aftermath of the attack

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Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

The attacks also damaged 16 houses, several vehicles and a gas pipeline.

Pre-trial investigations have been launched in criminal proceedings regarding war crimes.

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Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 35 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of decoy drones on the night of 17-18 July. Eleven drones were destroyed, while 18 hit five locations.

Source: Air Force of Ukraine on Telegram

Quote: "As of 08:30, air defence has shot down 11 enemy Shahed-type UAVs (and other types of drones) in the north and east of Ukraine. In addition, six decoy drones either disappeared from radar or were suppressed by electronic warfare. A total of 18 UAVs were recorded hitting five locations and drone debris fell in two locations."

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Details: The Russians launched drones from the Russian cities of Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, targeting frontline territories in Ukraines east.

The air attack was repelled by anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups from the Ukrainian defence forces.

Background:

One person was killed and two others injured as a result of a Russian drone attack on the Pavlohrad district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the night of 17-18 July. It was reported that the Russians hit an electric locomotive, killing the driver.

On the same night, the Russians attacked the Zaporizhzhia district with at least nine Shahed drones, injuring a man.

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Yesterday, Israel announced that a ceasefire had been reached in the area, and that the Syrian forces were expected to withdraw from areas with Druze populations.

Foreign Minister Gidion Sa'ar ordered the urgent transfer of aid to Sweida's Druze population as Syrian security forces prepare to redeploy to the Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting by the Druze and Bedouin tribes, Sa'ar announced on Friday.

"The aid package, valued at 2 million NIS, will include, among other things, food packages, medical supplies, first aid kits, and medications. The aid will be provided from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' budget," Sa'ar wrote.

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"The aid will be specifically directed to the Druze areas in the Sweida province that have been directly affected by the violent attacks against the Druze."

Israel has said it warned the Syrian government to withdraw from the south and that it would not allow the Islamist rulers to build up on its borders.

"In light of the ongoing instability in Syria, Israel has agreed to allow a limited entry of internal security forces into Sweida for the next 48 hours," a security source told The Jerusalem Post.

An Israeli soldier holds a megaphone as Israeli-Druze gather, near the ceasefire line amid the conflict in the Druze areas in Syria, July 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)

Syrian forces were set to withdraw following Netanyahu's ceasefire announcement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Israel had achieved a ceasefire in Syria through forceful actions, and a source confirmed to the Post that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaas government was expected to withdraw its forces from areas with Druze populations.

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Israel's strikes in Syria began on Wednesday, shortly after the Israeli Druze community announced a "day of rage" and declared they were prepared to assist their Syrian counterparts by all means necessary, including crossing the border.

Regrettably, despite explicit commitments, the IDF and the Israeli government have taken no meaningful action to stop the killing, the statement read.

Dozens of Druze-Israeli civilians managed toinfiltrate Syrian territory from the area of the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the North, the IDF confirmed later that day.

The Druze-Israelis have said they infiltrated the area to help their Druze-Syrian relatives and friends who, in recent days, have been engaged in gunfights with Syrian-Bedouins and some forces of the new Syrian government.
URBANDALE, Iowa  During a trial last fall a jury found Urbandale Community School District at fault for failing to protect a female student from bullying and sexual assault at school. The students parents are happy about the verdict, but angry that the district is doing nothing in response.

WHO 13s Erin Kiernan met with the Safris family, who are angry that the employees named in the lawsuit against the Urbandale School District are still working, so theyre pushing for change in other ways.

Beethoven is no ordinary dog, hes specifically trained to keep an eye on people with PTSD. Thats why he lives with the Safris family.

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And so hell make noise if he needs help and he just, he just takes care of her. I trust him with her life, Jodi Safris, the victims mother said.

Jodi is talking about her daughter, who she says was bullied and sexually assaulted at school for years. Something that changed her from a happy, fearless little girl into a young woman whos afraid to leave the house.

And the damage that it did to her and what we went through as she succumbed to PTSD and ultimately, you know, made several attempts to end her life, Jodi said.

Her daughter is 20 years old now, but was only 13 when all of this started. Back then she told her parents a classmate at Urbandale Middle School got angry when she refused to be his girlfriend.

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She told us that he slammed his fist against the locker and she told us that she was fearful that he was going to physically harm her, and he did not physically harm her but what he did do is begin a campaign with his friends and they started in on her, Jodi explained.

Past Coverage: Safris vs. Urbandale schools trial

They say the bullying happened every day for months. They say Principal Loren DeKryuf said there was nothing he could do. Their daughter even tried to make it stop by apologizing to her bully.

She apologized and his response was okay, Ill call off my boys, is what was said to her, Jodi explained. And he did. And the bullying stopped and then he put his finger insider of her the next day.

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The incident raised questions for the family, questions that Jodi says they still dont have the answer to.

How can that happen in the school is the question weve asked numerous times and dont yet have an answer to, Jodi said. Trauma responses. You think of fight, flight and freeze. Our daughters a freezer. Yeah, she froze. She shut down.

She spent two years living at residential treatment facilities while her parents consulted attorneys.

When you are told, when you are told that somebody has been sexually assaulted in your classroom, in front of your staff repeatedly, and youre given the name of the assailant, you investigate that and you ensure that he does not have access to do that to other students, Jodi said. And they didnt. They allowed him to continue and didnt even look into it.

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They decided to sue, now demanding their own apology.

The two things we wanted was a negligence verdict and an apology. This was never about money, ever, Jodi explained.

The Board of Educational Examiners investigated the familys complaints against the district and found probable cause that all four educators violated the code of professional conduct and ethics. The cases are now in the hands of the Attorney Generals Office for prosecution.

However, Jodi says that while the cases have gone to the states chief legal officer, those named in the suit are still employed and working.

They are all working. They are not on leave. Its our understanding that its the responsibility of the Urbandale School Board to place people on leave during an investigation should they deem that appropriate, Jodi said.

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Madison County citizens surpass signatures needed to request special election for auditor

The Urbandale School District is defending its employees and sent a statement to WHO 13s Erin Kiernan that says:

The District believes the findings lack merit and will work with the BOEE and legal counsel for a fair and expeditious resolution. The District will continue to support employees throughout this legal process and remains dedicated to cultivating a safe, caring, and welcoming learning environment for all students and staff. Urbandale School District

It is so disappointing to our family to have this reaction from the district when you have a negligence verdict, you have probable cause with your governing agency. Youre being prosecuted by the attorney generas office and youre not, youre just continuing to work and not publicly appearing to take any sort of corrective action to ensure that all children are safe, Jodi said.

Jodi says because the district failed to keep her daughter safe, all of their lives have been changed forever.

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I dont think people realize what weve been through as a family, Jodi explained. The hurt, the pain, the suffering, the secondary trauma that her brother and sister suffer from and her mom and dad. And it, it takes a toll. I wouldnt wish it on anybody. Nobody.

So, the work in their home continues, with the help of counselors, therapy, and Beethoven.

Hes the biggest player on her treatment team by far. The biggest player on our treatment team.

These arent the first investigations into leaders and staff at Urbandale Schools. The Petek family filed complaints after they say their disabled son was abused at school. His teacher, Amanda Delzell, reported the abuse and was eventually fired by the district. The Board of Education found probable cause that she violated code of conduct. Her case is being reviewed by the attorney generas office.

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The Board of Education also found probable cause that four educators violated the code of conduct  Loren DeKruyf, Anna Taggart, Shawna Shanahan, Alice Pewick. DeKruyf is named in both cases. Hes been promoted to the head of human resources.

Metro News:

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A federal judge sentenced a San Angelo man to federal prison for sextorting minors  and one adult  across the country.

A Lubbock jury found Juelz Sincere Armstead, 21, guilty in April for five counts of producing child porn, two counts of attempted child porn production, and seven counts of cyber stalking, according to a July 16 release from the Department of Justice.

Federal District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced him Tuesday to 245 years in federal prison.

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You are an incredible danger, he told Armstead during the trial. The protection of the public is at its apex here.

Armstead was booked in the Lubbock County Jail on April 11, according to jail records. He is currently detained there and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. Court documents show he was held without bond.

Across the course of three years, Armstead used various social media platforms to meet his victims  nine minors and one adult, according to the release. He then cyberstalked and coerced them to send sexually explicit photographs and videos, threatening to expose it to family and friends if they didnt send him more.

The Tom Green County Sheriffs Office  which covers San Angelo  arrested Armstead in December 2022 for this activity, according to the release. Jail records show that at the time, he was charged with possession of child pornography and placed under a $50,000 bond.

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Upon his release from jail, Armstead obtained another cell phone and continued his sextortion scheme, the release reads. Armstead continued to amass more victims.

Then he was arrested again, in February 2024, for child pornography. According to jail records, he was listed as a fugitive from Colorado Springs and placed on hold for the U.S. Marshal. Armstead does not immediately appear in the Texas sex offender registry.

In the trial, multiple victims testified about the abuse and emotional trauma, according to the release. Armsteads threats placed them in fear, they felt their lives were over, and they felt like they were being raped. Some felt suicidal.

Prosecutors introduced tens of thousands of pages of messages, and hundreds of photos and videos, between Armstead and his victims.

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Graphic photographs and videos were discussed at trial, including of one 14-year-old victim with tears rolling down her cheeks as she created the sexually explicit video, the release reads. Another 18-year-old victim was so fearful of Armsteads repeated threats to harm and expose her that she was manipulated into filming sexually explicit videos of her 13-year-old sister.

ICE-Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Mike Baker testified during the trial that Armstead still had more victims who were too traumatized to prepare for and attend trial.

Hendrix described Armsteads behavior during the trial as repeat, incessant terrorizing and bullying of these victims over and over again without any sign of mercy.

ICE-HSI Abilene led the investigation, with help from the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office, according to the release. They were assisted by the San Angelo and Abilene police departments, as well as HSI branches across Texas, including those in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

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HSI branches across the country also contributed, including in Atlanta, Colorado Springs, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Newark, Philadelphia, Portland, and Raleigh. They worked alongside the Mississippi Attorney Generals Office, the sheriff in Clinton County, Indiana, and the police departments in Albany and Salem, Oregon.

We hope that the lengthy incarceration of this defendant will assist the victims as they continue in the healing process and serve as a warning to like-minded predators that we will pursue swift justice and extensive punishment for these types of despicable crimes, said Acting Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson in the release.

HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard said Armstead inflicted unspeakable harm on innocent victims.

HSI Dallas and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect the most vulnerable among us and hold those who exploit them accountable, he said.
San Saba, Tx (FOX44)  A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will open Saturday at the San Saba Civic Center with the Red Cross set up at St Mary Catholic Church.

San Saba County received a Presidential Declaration for FEMA Individual Assistance July 10.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses may apply for assistance here or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will open at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Civic Center at 113 South High Street in San Saba.

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FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration personnel will assist San Saba residents and businesses impacted by the severe weather and flooding disaster with the completing of applications and will answer questions regarding any application status.

The center will operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. till 7 p.m. until further notice.

In the meantime, the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Center is open and operating at St. Mary Catholic Church at 504 West Wallace Street in San Saba. American Red Cross is providing monetary assistance, disaster assistance items and mental health services. It is operating 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.

Further updates may be found here

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Empty corrals at the Santa Teresa international livestock crossing. The incursion of parasitic fly into Mexico has interrupted livestock border trade for the last several months and is poised to continue. (Courtesy of Daniel Manzanares)

The nations largest border crossing for livestock between the U.S. and Mexico  in Santa Teresa, New Mexico  will not reopen as planned Monday, and is indefinitely delayed after further detection this month of the parasitic New World screwworm.

The crossing has been closed since May 11 when U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the immediate suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through the U.S., following the detection of the pest in southern Mexico states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles from the border. After the May closures, the USDA released a plan in early July to pursue staggered reopenings of livestock border crossings, which would have opened Santa Teresa on July 21.

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However, unexplained cases detected further north in Mexico than expected re-closed all border crossings, New Mexico Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte told Source NM. While the ongoing closures direct impact on New Mexico agriculture is small, it has big implications for beef nationwide.

Most of the cattle that come in through Santa Teresa end up going to other states feed lots or pastures, destined for places like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Witte said via a telephone interview. At one time there were trucks from 17 different states picking cattle up.

The movement of the parasitic fly, previously eradicated from the U.S. for the last several decades, has disrupted international cattle trade through New Mexico, Arizona and Texas in the last several months. The screwworms name references the maggots behavior of burrowing into the flesh of a living animal, sometimes causing serious or fatal damage to livestock, wildlife and pets. Human cases, while rare, have been documented.

The USDA also announced the construction of an $8.5 million facility to raise sterilized flies to prevent further breeding in the wild, located at Moore Air Base in Mission, Texas and an additional $21 million for producing more sterile files at a facility in Metapa, Mexico. USDA also said it would further increase monitoring and data-sharing with Mexico officials along the border.

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However, Mexicos agricultural agents detected a new case farther north in Veracruz, just 370 miles away from the border on July 7, prompting USDA to scrap the reopening plan.

The United States has promised to be vigilant  and after detecting this new NWS case, we are pausing the planned port reopening to further quarantine and target this deadly pest in Mexico, Rollins said in a written July 9 statement. We must see additional progress combating NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the Southern border.

Daniel Manzanares, the director of the Santa Teresa international crossing, told Source NM that USDA has not said when the reopening will happen.

The crossing is privately owned by the Union Ganadera Regional De Chihuhua Co-op, often moving cattle from Northern Mexico  in Chihuahua and Sonora  into U.S. feed lots. The pest has not been detected in the northern portion of Mexico, but cattle still cant cross.

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In prior years, about 270,000 animals would have crossed through the border by now, Manzanares said. This year, with the closures, only one third, or 74,000 have made it across, necessitating lay offs of half of the 32 hired hands for transporting cattle.

Its just severely impacted all kinds of industry down here, from the truckers that drive to the buyers, the cattle brokers, weve laid off employees that wont come back, he said. Its just breaking a lot of people.

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GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)  As the start of the school year nears, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) has changed when students are required to get certain vaccines.

Vaccines are on all of our minds recently, said Dr. Justin Moll with Parkside Pediatrics. Last week, there was the first case of measles in the upstate and of course, theres this huge, huge measles outbreak all over the country, something like we havent seen in 30 years. Also over the last month, weve had some tragic cases of meningitis.

Children, officials said, are needing to get the Hepatitis A and chickenpox vaccines due to what health officials referred to as aging up.

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In this case for Hepatitis A, for two doses of the vaccine. Thats up to fifth grade now. Then two doses of Varicella, the chickenpox vaccine is in 11th grade, said Dr. Brannon Traxler.

Officials said new data suggested they recommend the Tdap vaccine for students 10 or older, to protect them until they graduate high school.

The Tdap we had always said you know that everybody kind of 7-12th grade has to have a booster. We would let it count as long as that was given when they were seven years old or older and now its going to be ten or older, said Traxler.

If parents want a medical or special exemption, officials said to contact your health provider or school, which would need to sign off on a state Certificate of Immunization, or DHEC 2740.

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Health officials said religious exemption forms can only be picked up at the Department of Public Health Office and must be signed in the presence of a notary.

Dr. Moll said if your child is up to date on their vaccines, no further action is needed.

If not, its the perfect time before school starts, to go ahead and schedule an appointment and get that caught up, said Moll. A lot of doctors offices will be available in the summer.

Parents can check with their health care provider or school to see their childs vaccination records.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  The Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) honors schools that demonstrate excellence in cursive writing instruction.

GADOE gives out the John Hancock Award to elementary, middle and high schools that go above and beyond in teaching cursive writing  a skill that builds fine motor strength, enhances literacy and allows students to engage meaningfully with historical texts in their original form.

Three SCCPSS schools have been recognized for their cursive instruction efforts for 2024-25: Marshpoint Elementary, Pulaski K-8 and Garrison School for the Arts. Marshpoint received a John Hancock Banner and Ribbon of Distinction. Pulaski and Garrison were both recognized with a John Hancock Banner and Proficiency Ribbon.

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State School Superintendent Richard Woods, who is also a former classroom teacher, says he firmly believes learning cursive is more than just a writing skill. In an age of digital communication, the ability to read and write in cursive remains essential. It allows students to engage with foundational documents, develop fine motor skills and write with individuality and fluency. Cursive writing builds cognitive connections that support literacy and learning across subjects. Thats why Georgia has preserved and prioritized cursive instruction as part of a well-rounded education. Were committed to developing students who are not only college- and career-ready but also confident in their ability to read, write, and think for themselves.

Cursive instruction contributes to student growth in multiple ways  supporting spelling, writing fluency, memory retention, and freeing up mental resources for higher-level thinking. It also fosters pride in personal expression.

Dr. April Aldridge, GaDOE Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, says teaching cursive writing in Georgia plays a critical role in student development by enhancing fine motor skills, boosting cognitive growth. Research indicates that cursive writing enhances memory retention, engages key areas of the brain, improves writing fluency, supports spelling and frees up mental resources for higher-level thinking tasks.

This school year, more than 300 schools statewide applied for the award. As a result, 93 schools earned the Ribbon of Distinction, and 188 schools were recognized with the Proficiency Ribbon.

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A new scholarship has been created to honor Wichita firefighter Ty Voth, who died in the line of duty last year.

The Ty Voth Hero Fund Scholarship, launched by Beyond the Call and members of Voths crew, is open to Wichita firefightersactive or retiredand their immediate family members.

PBS Kansas responds to potential public broadcasting cuts

Applicants must write a 500-word essay about their education goals and how they represent the spirit of the fire service. Some may be asked to take part in an interview, organizers said.

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Essays should be emailed to VothMemorialFund@beyondthecallwfd.com and must include the applicants name, address, phone number, and relation to the Wichita Fire Department.

Voth, 27, died while battling a house fire near Haysville in August 2024. He was remembered by fellow firefighters as brave, committed, and selfless.

Organizers say the scholarship will help carry on his legacy by supporting the education of those who serve.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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The Valley Alumni Association held their annual banquet on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at The Venue on the Scioto County Fairgrounds in Lucasville. Graduates representing eight decades, from the 1950s to the present, were in attendance. Jane Young Thayer, class of 1988, served as Master of Ceremonies with McManus Catering providing the meal. Special recognition was given to the class of 1975 to commemorate their 50th anniversary. Following the dinner, the Josh Stewart Band provided music. Stewart graduated from Valley in 2012.

The Scholarship Committee was pleased to present their recipients for this year. David Adkins, member of the class of 1980 and Scholarship Committee Chair, introduced the recipients who will each receive a $2000 scholarship to further their education. Recipient Jerrett Jones, who is the son of Jerry and Jennifer Jones of McDermott, was in attendance. He is a third generation Valley graduate and will be participating in in the Reserve Officer Training Program while attending the University of Cincinnati for his degree in criminal justice. Unable to attend, but also receiving scholarships, were Chase Davis, Laurianne DeAtley and Andrew Metzler. Chase Davis is the son of Ashley and Chad Davis of Portsmouth and will attend Shawnee State University this fall and pursue his RN-BSN in their nursing program. Laurianne DeAtley is the daughter of Craig and Heather DeAtley of Lucasville and will be majoring in music education at Asbury University. Andrew Metzler is the son of Josh and Catie Metzler of Lucasville and will be attending the University of Cincinnati this fall in order to obtain a master's degree in aerospace engineering.

The scholarship program is funded by the generous support of many donors throughout the year, as well as the profit from the banquet. Contributions are received in memory or honor of individuals from their family and friends. The collection for the scholarship fund at the banquet raised over $1500.

The Alumni Association holds their banquet each year on the last Saturday of June. Reservation forms for the 2026 banquet will be available through the alumni section of the Valley Local Schools website at www.valleyls.org. Contributions to the scholarship fund in honor or in memory of someone are always welcome throughout the year. If you would like to make a donation, please contact David Adkins at (740) 259-2852 or Terri Gregory at (740) 285-6193.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting's logo at its downtown Sioux Falls studio. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

South Dakota Public Broadcasting is bracing for potential cuts and layoffs after Congress canceled $1.1 billion in previously approved nationwide funding for public media.

The federal funding went to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes money to local stations. SDPB depends on $2.2 million in annual funding from the corporation, which is about 20% of SDPBs budget. State funds account for a little more than half of SDPBs budget, while fundraising, private donations and other sources make up the rest.

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Because the federal funding was previously approved, SDPB was counting on it to arrive in the months ahead.

I dont think its realistic to raise an additional $2.2 million on 75 days notice, said Ryan Howlett, CEO of Friends of SDPB, a nonprofit that raises money for SDPB. He added that donor support increased in recent weeks.

SDPB provides non-commercial public radio and television across South Dakota. In addition to news coverage, the organization provides live video and audio feeds of legislative and state government meetings, educational content, cultural programming, high school activities broadcasts, and emergency alerts across the state.

The congressional legislation, which President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law, also cancels $8 billion in foreign aid. Its the second time in more than three decades that Congress approved a presidential recission request.

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Julie Overgaard, SDPB executive director, said if funding isnt replaced, the organization will reduce staff by 20 to 25%. South Dakota Public Broadcasting employs about 60 people, meaning up to 15 people could lose their jobs.

Overgaard said she was raised on Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in a poor rural household in northwest Iowa. She said public broadcasting is what readied her for school, since she didnt have access to the same resources as more affluent, urban areas of the state.

Overgaard said the cuts will have real, long-lasting, damaging impacts on South Dakota. Trump and some congressional Republicans have accused National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service of bias in their news coverage.

I dont think this is about bias in media, Overgaard said in an SDPB interview. I think this is about trying to shutter and change peoples access to information, to public safety, to education, to things that make a big, big difference.

Rounds, Johnson explain support for recission

The three members of Congress from South Dakota, who are all Republicans, each voted in favor of rescinding the funding for public broadcasting.

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Sen. Mike Rounds announced his support after securing a handshake deal earlier this week with the White House budget director to transfer $9.4 million to Native American radio stations in rural areas across 11 states.

In a statement to South Dakota Searchlight, Rounds said SDPB and tribal stations both provide critical alerts and public safety information for the state. But he said tribal radio stations receive up to 92% of their operating budgets from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

These rural tribal stations that provide potentially lifesaving alerts would not survive without assistance from the federal government, Rounds said. SDPB receives financial support through donations to Friends of SDPB that assist with their operating costs.

Let us know what you think...

Rounds also said in a press release that with nearly $37 trillion in federal debt, we must preserve essential services but also take meaningful steps to reduce wasteful spending.

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Overgaard said she was surprised to see Rounds rally funding for tribal radio stations but not other rural broadcasters.

Native Public Media CEO Loris Taylor wrote in an editorial that the organization is grateful for Sen. Rounds proposing alternatives, but said the solution found is neither administratively feasible nor fiscally sustainable in the short term.

Rep. Dusty Johnson understands the importance of public broadcasting in South Dakota, said spokesperson Kristen Blakely, and he applauded Rounds effort to help tribes. Johnson said in an interview with C-SPAN this week that he had concerns about the impact on rural and reservation areas of the state. Rounds deal made adjustments regarding those concerns, he said.

The office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SDPB doesnt expect state to fill funding gap

SDPB escaped then-Gov. Kristi Noems proposed $3.6 million cut in state funding this winter. State dollars pay for the infrastructure and engineering of the public media network. Friends of SDPB largely pays for national programming, while grants from the corporation support local programming.

Overgaard said there was resounding support from the public and Legislature for SDPB during the legislative session.

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If you take away one leg of our three-legged stool, it puts a lot of pressure on the other two legs to pick up the slack, Overgaard said.

State Rep. Jack Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls, sits on the legislative budget committee and fought against the proposed state cut. The committee will meet next week, where Kolbeck hopes to hear more about how the federal cuts will affect SDPB.

I listen to SDPB a lot, Kolbeck said. Im not in favor of them getting to the point where they cant operate.

Overgaard doesnt expect the state or its taxpayers to be forced or make up for the decisions our congressional delegation made. She plans to advocate for public media funding in the upcoming federal budget process and seek other funding sources, such as donations and grants.

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I know its going to be another tight budget year. I will not be asking or expecting them to come up with $2 million, Overgaard said of legislators. We will have to solve that ourselves.

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(FOX 5/KUSI)  SDG&E is issuing a warning about a new scam that has been targeting people in Southern California.

The scams sophistication is quite elaborate enough to make someone like me, who works at SDG&E, question, Hey, honey did you pay the bill? said Anthony Wagner with SDG&E.

A couple of years ago, Wagner received a call from someone trying to rip him off. He knew better, but he says this new scam thats going around has already victimized more than a handful of people.

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The scammers call or text demanding payment for a utility bill and threaten to shut off the power if its not paid immediately.

The scammer then sends the victim a QR code and requests that they go to a store like CVS, 7-11 or Walmart, where a cashier will scan the code for payment using Green Dot.

The consumer is usually handing over cash, he said.

Wagner says the scammers tell the victim not to tell the cashier theyre paying a utility bill and that should serve as a red flag.

SDG&E will never demand payment over the phone and we would never shut off your gas and electricity through a phone call and say we will do it in half an hour. That should be a red flag that youre part of a scam, said Wagner.

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San Diegans we spoke to say theyre no stranger to getting spam calls. Some say they get several calls a day. Trudy Grundland says she answers unknown calls with an accent.

I usually answer with a funny voice, often in a foreign accent. I might say hola or use a Greek word, she said.

Grundland says she usually finds that helps deter the caller.

When you answer the phone, youre not obligated to tell anyone anything. Youre not obligated to give out information. Do not feel you have to be polite or youre the wrong person. Youre not a bad person, she said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
A volunteer who has helped hundreds of children in Jersey improve their water skills says his aim is to teach them independence.

Mike Vasse helped with the formation of the Jersey Sea Scouts and has played a key role in carrying out activities for youngsters over the past three decades.

He has been nominated for the BBC Radio Jersey Make a Difference Awards for his service.

The group teaches children skills such as kayaking, camping and power boating.

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Mr Vasse said he had helped expand the work the scouts did in the island.

"It teaches them how to be independent," he said.

"We've taught them enough when they leave home or go to university that they can look after themselves.

"We've got a really good team, and we've got two young leaders helping us out, and they're learning to be leaders which is great and it's all part of scouting."

Julian said Mr Vasse has had a big influence on young people [BBC]

Mr Vasse said the group had been a major source of support after the sudden death of his wife.

"They're always there for me," he said.

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"Without them I would've struggled."

Julian, who became a Jersey Sea Scout leader, said: "I've been with the sea scouts for 10 years now.

"Mike has been here before I started and helped me through all of my training and qualifying as a leader.

"I've always been learning from him."

Sam Wiseman says Mike can be an example to others in the island [BBC]

Jersey Sea Scout volunteer leader Sam Wiseman nominated Mr Vasse for the awards.

"We're always looking for people to step up and volunteer," she said.

"It's only thanks to volunteers like Mike who come along and make sure our activities happen.

"My children have gone through the scout troop and Mike was their mentor when they were young leaders and they still look up to him."

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The BBC Radio Jersey Make a Difference Award winner will be announced in September.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

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Seattle man arrested after Arkansas State Police seize 87 pounds of maruijuana

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  Arkansas State Police arrested a Seattle man in Crawford County on July 9 after seizing 87 pounds of marijuana.

According to a press release, Ziling Zhou, 31, is facing charges of possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, and unauthorized use of another persons property to facilitate a crime.

Rogers police arrest 3 in connection with armed drug robbery

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The release says around 10 a.m., troopers stopped a 2021 Toyota Sienna for a traffic violation near the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line on Interstate 40.

Troopers searched the vehicle and found several large trash bags containing bundles of illegal marijuana weighing about 87 pounds.

Zhou was arrested and booked in the Crawford County Detention Center.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
One of the alleged gunmen in the July 5 shooting at Sara Sims Park in Boynton Beach was booked into jail Wednesday, eight days after police authored a warrant for his arrest, court records show.

Kenneth Hollis, 25, of Boynton Beach, was one gang member who shot at rivals at an unpermitted event called Peace in the Hood, according to a probable cause affidavit. Hundreds of people, including children, were hanging out in the area in and near the park when multiple gunmen started shooting blindly, hitting three women and five cars, some with adults and children inside.

The events organizer, who lives in Lake Worth Beach, applied for a special-event permit on June 17 to use the park as the venue for the Stop Violence Awareness rally with 50 to 100 people until about 8:30 p.m., according to emails the police department provided to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The permit was denied, but the event was still held.

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Hollis is a known member of the Cherry Hill Boyz gang while other suspects are members of the 16th Ave Boys, according to court records. Members of 16th Ave Boys were standing next to a fence on the south side of the park while members of Cherry Hill Boyz were across the street next to the Community Deliverance Church in the 200 block of Northwest Ninth Avenue.

The chaos in the crowd sent bystanders running, ducking underneath and inside of cars, according to the affidavit. One woman told police that she fell on the ground while she ran away from the gunfire, and one of the gunmen who had a long rifle was running behind her.

One of the three women who was shot was walking around the event when she was struck, the affidavit said. Another heard the shots, quickly realized she had been struck and hid under a car. The third, Diamond Delk, told police a man standing near her on the south side of the park was the person who started the shootout, aiming toward the parking lot of the church nearby, according to the affidavit.

Delks attorney Richard A. Ryles has filed a notice of claim, blaming the city and the police department for not shutting down the event. The police department in response to questions from the Sun Sentinel said that the shooting didnt happen on city-owned property.

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Three witnesses picked Hollis out of a photo lineup as one of the suspects involved, the affidavit said, though Delk could not identify him or other suspects in the lineup.

Hollis previously spent three months in federal prison after he was adjudicated on felony charges related to stolen mail, according to the affidavit. The conviction prevented him from owning or having any guns.

He is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a conviction felon and discharging a firearm in public. He has not yet entered any plea and is held without bond.

Jamarion Petty, 19, of Boynton Beach, was arrested Saturday when he voluntarily went to the police station after seeing a be-on-the-lookout alert about himself.

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At the police station, Petty said he was at the event alone when he heard gunshots, according to a probable cause affidavit, so he took out a small gun and ran toward a house but was adamant that he did NOT shoot it. Petty identified himself in a photo from the parks surveillance cameras.

Petty is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public.

The police department has not commented on either arrest as of Thursday or provided information about how many suspects they have identified.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
A second suspect was arrested on July 17 in connection to the fatal shooting that killed a teen in Wyoming on July 9, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Wyoming Police Chief Brooke Brady said in a news release that a 14-year-old has been apprehended and will be charged with tampering with evidence.

The first arrest in this case occurred on July 10, with a 14-year-old being charged with the murder of 15-year-old Jaymir Deshea Hill.

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Officials have not released any information on a motive or what led up to the shooting. Investigators consider this an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public, according to a prior news release from the sheriff's office.

This is an ongoing investigation and more information will be provided once available.

The family of 15-year-old Jaymir Deshea Hill held a vigil on July 10, 2025.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Second teen arrested in connection to Wyoming shooting
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced two new members of leadership for the Department of Children and Family Services.

Rebecca Harris was appointed as the Secretary of DCFS and Judge David Matlock will serve as the Confidential Assistant to the Secretary, both effective Aug. 1.

Rebecca has consistently demonstrated the kind of steady, thoughtful leadership Louisiana families need, said Landry. Her experience in operational improvement and her commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children make her the right choice to lead DCFS. I have full confidence she will strengthen this department and deliver positive outcomes for our most vulnerable citizens.

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I am honored and excited to serve as Secretary during this great time of opportunity and transformation, focusing on strategic commitments to improve outcomes for those we serve. Im proud to lead this team of dedicated and courageous professionals who show up every day for Louisianas children and families, said Harris.

Trump nominates Louisiana BESE member for director of US Mint

Harris brings 20 years of public service in Louisiana to her new role for DCFS. She has experience in departments such as field operations, financial management, policy development and enterprise systems. The governors office said her academic background in Anthropology and Business Administration brings strategic vision and practical experience to her role.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News.
COLUMBUS  Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Wednesday that the audit results from Mays statewide primary and special election, proving once again that Ohio sets the national standard for voting accuracy. In total, the results show a 99.99% accuracy rate.

We dont just ask Ohioans to trust the process, we trust but verify, said Secretary LaRose. Public confidence in our elections starts with showing and then double-checking our work. Im proud of the bipartisan team of election officials across the state that proves time and again why Ohio is the national gold standard for election administration.

A post-election audit is a comprehensive review of results to verify that the election was accurate. Prior to an election, county boards of elections are required to conduct a full battery of logic and accuracy testing on all voting equipment. After each election, a bipartisan team of Republicans and Democrats from county boards of elections compares the tabulated results to the hardcopy paper ballots to ensure fidelity between the two. Unlike other states, Secretary LaRose has required Ohios county boards to audit election results after every election.

Last year, the Ohio General Assembly enacted legislation to codify Secretary LaRoses successful practice of requiring all 88 county boards to conduct post-election audits after every election.
A pile of tornado debris sits in front of an air curtain incinerator at a debris staging site at Knight's Sawmill in Selmer, Tenn. on July 3, 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Three and a half months after a tornado destroyed more than 100 buildings in Selmer, Tennessee, the city is now removing piles of debris from the storms scar.

The EF-3 tornado swept through Selmer, the McNairy County seat, with wind speeds up to 160 miles per hour in the early morning of April 3. When its 43-mile storm track fizzled out, the storm left behind 332 damaged structures, most of which were privately owned. Five people were killed.

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Selmer Mayor Sherry Inman described the amount of debris as unreal. The storm came in the middle of the citys budget process and plunged Selmer into unknown territory, she said.

It changed a lot of our plans  we had to sit on the debris for a little while until we could figure out where we could take it, Inman said.

Selmer borrowed $650,000 from its utility divisions gas fund to cover initial costs, and leased two plots of land from the owners of Knights Sawmill for $10 to use for debris sorting and burning.

The city plans to sort through the debris, pulling out vegetation, tree stumps and branches, and other wood to burn. The process uses an air curtain incinerator, a machine that creates a high-velocity air curtain to trap smoke and particulates in a burn pit to cut down on emissions.

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Burning some of the debris gives us a chance to separate and hopefully eliminate some of the weight to try to save what money we can save, Inman said.

The remaining debris that cannot be burned  plastics, metals, asphalt roofing and other construction and demolition debris  will ultimately be trucked to a landfill in Jackson, Tennessee, where Selmer will pay a fee per cubic ton.

But the rules for burning storm debris are strict, and Selmer has run into some issues in its first two weeks of work on the debris site.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which regulates incineration of natural disaster debris, received a complaint of odor, ash and soot on July 3, the fourth day of the sites operation.

Burning complaint and state regulations

The state approved Selmers plans to use a temporary incinerator on the site to burn specific types of debris for up to 16 weeks.

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The approval stipulates that the city must make a reasonable effort to remove any prohibited materials before igniting the blaze. That includes plastic, rubber, vinyl flooring and siding, asphalt roofing materials, carpet, material containing asbestos and any electronic waste.

The city cant burn debris if air contaminants cause traffic hazards, if there is an air pollution emergency or if the state agency determines the emissions jeopardize public health or create a nuisance, according to state documents.

State records show an inspector who visited the site on July 3 noted ashes and waste in the pit that indicated open burning of prohibited materials had occurred.

Smoke is seen billowing from the ground as an air curtain incinerator is used to burn some tornado debris at a staging site at Knights Sawmill in Selmer, Tenn. on July 1, 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Selmer Fire Chief Anthony Carr and Inman noted some open burning of demolition materials had occurred for less than two days before they were made aware that this material did not meet  guidelines for approved burning, the report states.

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An inspector visited the site on July 8 when no burning was taking place and reported that the pit contained materials approved for burning. The complaint was dismissed on July 8 without violation.

Inman said the first week of handling debris was trial and error and there were problems getting the burn pit to work properly.

Everything TDEC has asked us to do, were going by that strictly, Inman said.

She wants to see the debris removal process wrap up within eight weeks, if possible, and doesnt want to jeopardize that timeline by failing to adhere to state regulations, she said.

Were trying to make sure that we are mindful of taxpayers money, and  weve always been mindful of the residents in that area, she said. We dont want any health issues whatsoever, so we have never burned anything that caused any health (issues)  and the smoke is very minimal.

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When the vegetation is burned and the other debris has been trucked to the landfill, Selmer plans to remove any remaining ash to the landfill as well, Inman said. That will leave the site uncontaminated for future use.

Selmer moves forward

Inman said her main goal is clearing the debris so the city can move forward with whatever comes next.

Weve tried to get it off the side of the roads and out of the storm area so that the storm victims and their families and properties can get back to closure and get to where they can work on building back or whatever their next step is, she said.

The total cost of removing debris will be clear after the city receives its first invoices for trucking debris to and from the staging site and dumping it in the landfill.

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President Donald Trumps administration approved a major disaster declaration for McNairy County in June, allowing the county to access federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In previous years, FEMA public assistance has reimbursed local and state governments for about 75% of the costs of immediate recovery, but Trumps administration has signaled the possibility of reducing that match and transferring more financial responsibility for disaster recovery to states. Tennessee has historically split the remaining 25% of costs evenly with local governments.

Most of the debris from homes destroyed by an April tornado has been removed from Adams Street in Selmer, Tenn. on July 17, 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Debris from destroyed homes lines Adams Street in Selmer, Tenn. on April 7, 2025, days after a tornado tore through the town. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

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Debris from destroyed homes lines Adams Street in Selmer, Tenn. on April 7, 2025, days after a tornado tore through the town. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Tractors drive around a pile of tornado debris at a debris staging and burning site at Knight's Sawmill in Selmer, Tenn. on July 1, 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Most of the debris from homes destroyed by an April tornado has been removed from Adams Street in Selmer, Tenn. on July 17, 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Inman)

Inman said its not clear how much aid funding Selmer will receive, but the prospect of any help means a great deal for Selmer.

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Selmer has got some funds, but we have really looked at putting back more if were going to continue to have these disasters, she said. If we hadnt had this declaration for our town, it would have been a strain on us, and then if we had (another disaster) coming behind us  it would have been very devastating to our town.

It will take a year or two for FEMA funding to come through, but that at least gives us a chance to plan, Inman said.

The city is also working on ordinances that could help expedite immediate needs like debris removal should another disaster occur.

In the meantime, parts of Selmer are planning to build back. The city lost some historic buildings, but businesses on the North end will rebuild, and the city may see more duplexes replace demolished housing.

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Before the storm, Selmer had a shortage of housing, Inman explained. The loss of so many buildings put the town further behind.

Seeing the people who were affected the most begin to put their lives back together gives Inman hope, she said.

It just kind of makes you think  it wasnt a perfect plan, and it was trial and error, but at least were doing something, she said. Were trying to do whats right for them and for our town.

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Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell looks to the jury as she testifies during her felony burglary trial on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. Sen. Mitchell is accused of burglarizing her stepmother Carol Mitchells house in Detroit Lakes in April 2024. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo)

A jury of nine men and three women on Friday convicted Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell of felony burglary and possession of burglary tools, concluding a case that has roiled the closely divided Minnesota Senate for over a year.

The jury deliberated for just over three hours Friday and asked no questions of the judge. Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald told reporters that he was satisfied justice was served for Carol Mitchell, Nicole Mitchells stepmother whose house the senator broke into.

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Im pleased for Carol Mitchell, McDonald said. Theres some justice.

Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the burglary charge. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for the burglary tools conviction.

The verdict will almost certainly change the makeup of the Senate, where Democrats currently hold a 34-33 majority. If Mitchell resigns, shell be replaced in a special election in what has been a solidly blue district in the past decade. If not, the Senate can expel her with a two-thirds vote, but they are not scheduled to come into session until next year. Only Gov. Tim Walz can call a special session.

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, called on Mitchell to resign, for the first time, once the verdict was reached Friday: Sen. Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities.

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Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, applauded the jury and prosecution and said Mitchells continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation.

Carol Mitchell was in the courtroom Friday to witness the verdict, her first presence since she testified Tuesday. She hugged her son after the verdict was read.

Dane DeKrey, Mitchells defense attorney, told reporters he had no idea whether Mitchell will resign from the Senate. DeKrey said the biggest hurdle for the defense during the trial was the footage from police officers body-worn cameras and what Nicole Mitchell told police during her arrest. When asked if Mitchells attorneys will appeal the verdict, DeKrey said, I imagine the answer is yes.

Throughout the five-day trial, the state asserted that Mitchell, a first term senator, was intent on stealing her late fathers possessions from her stepmother when she broke into the home in April 2024. Prosecutors main evidence was that she told police officers as much during her arrest.

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The senator said on the witness stand that she drove the 220 miles from her home in Woodbury to her stepmothers Detroit Lakes home to conduct a welfare check. Mitchell testified in her own defense Thursday, saying she has witnessed her stepmothers mental decline because of Alzheimers disease, and that she she was concerned that Carol Mitchell wasnt receiving the attention and care she needed.

Mitchell said she lied to police about her intentions  and made up wanting to steal her fathers possessions  to allay her stepmothers paranoia.

The defense has repeatedly classified this as a welfare check. Youve seen all the evidence, the time of night, the outfit, the tools. What does your reason and common sense tell you? Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald asked the jury in his closing statement.

Mitchells explanation of lying to police to refrain from exacerbating Carols paranoia defied common sense, McDonald said.

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Mitchell has admitted she entered the home without permission, and her defense said she would have pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge. But she has unequivocally denied stealing anything from the home, and multiple police officers testified that they didnt find anything in Mitchells possession that was stolen property.

Under Minnesota law, a person doesnt need to steal anything to be convicted of burglary, however. The law requires that a person enter a dwelling without permission with the intent to commit a crime of theft.

McDonald argued that Nicole Mitchell would have stolen her fathers flannel shirt and other possessions, but she was accosted by police.

Of course she didnt have anything on her. She got interrupted, McDonald told the jury.
Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell takes a moment to reflect during her testimony on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. Sen. Mitchell is accused of burglarizing her stepmother Carol Mitchells house in Detroit Lakes in April 2024. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo)

Sen. Nicole Mitchell took the stand in her own defense in her felony burglary trial Thursday, depicting herself as a concerned stepdaughter who took steps to conduct a welfare check on her stepmother without being seen.

The Woodbury Democrat admitted to lying to the police about her intentions  she told them she went to her stepmothers Detroit Lakes home to get a few of her fathers things  but only to refrain from exacerbating her stepmothers Alzheimers-related paranoia, including about being put in a facility against her will, Mitchell said during nearly an entire day of testimony.

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I created this entire situation, so the only person I have to blame here is myself, Mitchell acknowledged.

Mitchell is hoping that a mix of just enough contrition and explanation for her erratic behavior will spur empathy from jurors, who may have experience with family upheaval that can result from age and infirmity, and especially dementia.

She became emotional several times when she recalled the happier times with her late father and stepmother Carol Mitchell  before her fathers death, after which she said Carols Alzheimers worsened.

Nicole Mitchell on Thursday read aloud text messages with Carol about one month prior to the break-in. The pair argued about interring the ashes of Nicole Mitchells father. (Contrary to a widely reported detail that came from police, Mitchell knew the ashes were already interred when she showed up at Carols house, so she could not have made an effort to purloin them. In addition, Carol had already mailed Nicole Mitchell some of the ashes.)

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During the text exchanges, Carol accused Nicole of not loving her father and disdaining her.

Nicole Mitchell said after that she didnt contact Carol anymore because she needed a break from the hostility, which can be a symptom of Alzheimers.

In the days leading up to Nicole Mitchells April 22, 2024, arrest in Carols Detroit Lakes home, Mitchell accessed her stepmothers medical records without Carols permission.

The records showed, Nicole Mitchell said, that Carol had gotten lost on her way to her April 17, 2024, Alzheimers appointment, and was struggling with depression and drinking more frequently. She attended the appointment alone. Nicole Mitchell said that her interactions with her stepmother were worsening, citing Carols dementia-induced paranoia even as Nicole tried to help her.

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She testified that she feared if she merely called instead of showing up in person, Carol would lie about her well-being. What she read in her stepmothers medical records catalyzed her decision to conduct a welfare check in person, she said.

I was worried, in general, and I decided to check and see how things were myself, Mitchell testified.

Nicole Mitchell said she left her home on April 22, 2024, around 1 a.m., leaving her two young sons in her stepfathers care, and arrived at Carols home around 4:30 a.m.

She had a pair of special flashlight gloves, as well as a flashlight with a sock on it, which she said was not a burglars tool but instead a favorite calming nightlight for her young autistic son. She also said she brought a prybar to the house.

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Nicole Mitchell had been a frequent visitor of Carols, so Nicole Mitchell testified that she parked far away from the house so the neighbors wouldnt recognize her car and dressed all in black to avoid being spotted.

She didnt want the neighbors to see she was there, she said, because they would inform Carol that they saw her, which would cause Carol to be paranoid about Nicole Mitchells intentions. Carol testified during the trial Tuesday that she believed Nicole Mitchell wanted her money and even wanted to end her life.

Nicole Mitchell said she had a key to Carols because she and her kids would frequently stay over.

She saw a chair pushed up against the door and a bar laid up at an angle to the door knob, inhibiting easy opening. Nicole Mitchell said she could have tried to force her way in, but she didnt want to make noise and wake Carol up.

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She said she entered the home through a rotted, easily opened egress window. She testified that she took off her shoes when she entered to avoid tracking dirt into the home.

She looked in the basement freezer and then made her way upstairs to the kitchen to see if Carol had food in the house. Nicole Mitchell said she believed Carol had lost weight, so she wanted to make sure she had enough food.

She said she wanted to ensure Carol Mitchells phone was working. She said Carol wasnt technology-savvy and had been deleting messages and contacts because of her paranoia, so she wanted to see if Carol had inadvertently turned on the phones do not disturb function or deleted her family members phone numbers.

Nicole Mitchell said she went to Carols bedroom, where she believed Carol kept her phone at night, and opened the door a crack. Carol stirred. Nicole Mitchell, standing near the door, said she watched her stepmother get out of bed, walk up to her and say, What the hell are you doing here?

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Nicole Mitchell said she was afraid of a confrontation, so she dashed into the hall. Carol chased her. Unlike Carols telling of the incident, Nicole Mitchell said she was not crawling on the floor. Carol Mitchell earlier in the week misremembered several aspects of the break-in, including that police had pulled Nicole Mitchell out of the basement window to arrest her. She also struggled with dates and names.

The first-term senator said she was afraid and didnt want to escalate the situation, so she ran to the basement to wait and see how her stepmother responded. She heard Carol say that she had a knife. Nicole Mitchell said she panicked and tried to escape through a basement window, shoving her backpack near the window, but she realized she couldnt get out. She said she heard her stepmother call the police.

She said she believed her stepmother was merely angry at her. She was initially relieved that police would arrive and deescalate the situation and resolve the family dispute.

Nicole Mitchell testified that she was not there to steal anything in the house.

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But this contradicted what she told police numerous times during her arrest  that she was there to get a few of her late fathers belongings.

This was a lie, Nicole Mitchell testified.

Why did you tell the police four times that thats why you were there? Mitchells attorney Dane DeKrey asked his client on direct examination.

Mitchell said she didnt want to heighten Carols fear of being put in memory care.

If I would have told her I was trying to do a welfare check  she would have assumed I was trying to stick her in a nursing home, which was a real fear she had. So in that moment, and having just seen all the stuff of dads in the basement, including a couple of things that she promised me but never gotten to me, what came to my mind was just to say I was coming to get a couple things of dads, Mitchell said.

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She said she wasnt thinking rationally at the moment and wished she had behaved differently, but she doesnt regret trying to check in and help her family member.

You just admitted to lying on video, DeKrey told Nicole Mitchell on the stand. And so the obvious question is, if you lied to the police four times on the night of this incident, how is the jury supposed to believe that you are not lying now?

Sometimes to protect family members, you have to lie, Nicole Mitchell said.

Police never searched Mitchells car and did not find any evidence of theft.

Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald listens to testimony of Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell during her trial on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. Sen. Mitchell is accused of burglarizing her stepmother Carol Mitchells house in Detroit Lakes in April 2024. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo)

On cross examination, Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald tried to poke holes in Mitchells story. She remained composed and consistent.

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McDonald noted that Nicole Mitchell was with police for 37 minutes outside of the presence of Carol and not once did she tell police that she was there out of concern for her stepmother.

The problem with that story is that you were with the officers much longer outside of her presence than (in) her presence, right? And you continue the story, McDonald said.

Nicole Mitchell said that she didnt tell officers why she was there because she noticed that the cops were relaying information from her back to Carol; she said she still believed that if she could keep Carols paranoia at bay  about putting Carol in a home, or stealing her money or otherwise harming her  Carol might not press charges.

McDonald noted that in her remarks to police, Nicole Mitchell intertwined truths with what she now asserts were lies, like when she told officers that she was a military commander and theres just a couple of my dads things I came to get in the same sentence. (Mitchell retired as an officer in the Air National Guard at the end of 2024.)

In one of his final questions on cross examination, McDonald asked Nicole Mitchell what her late father would have thought of her actions.

I think he would be very sad by this whole situation, and that he would support me because he loved Carol, Mitchell said. Even if I did it the wrong way, he would have wanted me to do my best to take care of her.

On Friday, the defense will likely call a few more witnesses before closing statements.

If convicted of burglary, Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If found guilty of possession of burglary tools she faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
(WIVT/WBGH)  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for action to fight against fraud on seniors as she says DOGE is cutting the federal agencies that protect citizens from scams.

In 2024 seniors lost four point eight billion dollars to scammers. Federal agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau track and investigate fraud complaints.

Gillibrand says that the Trump administrations attempts to cut federal workers is preventing their ability to protect seniors.

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She has called on the Government Accountability Office to examine how the cuts are affecting federal efforts to stop these scams.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says, Ive been working with Senator Scott, the Chairman of the committee to get an annual fraud report out of our committee. This report would highlight all the threats that are facing former adults and Im hopeful we can get that done. Im also working on a bill to carry out the recommendations in GAOs April report on scams. That includes GAOs recommendation that the FBI develop a national strategy for combating scams.

Gillibrand says she is asking for this watchdog report to make protecting older adults a top priority.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Two men from Greece were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for their roles in a multi-year retail theft and fraud conspiracy that led to over $1 million in losses for stores.

James Civiletti, 34, and Chad Lewis Jr., 20, were each sentenced to 14 months in prison. Civiletti was convicted of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce, while Lewis Jr. was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Prosecutors said the scheme operated between December 2021 and October 2024. Lewis Jr. worked with a group of serial thievesincluding Amanda Reeves and Shabon Banksto steal thousands of brand-new retail items.

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The goods were sold at steep discounts to the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop, which was owned and operated by co-defendant Dominic Sprague and managed by Civiletti.

The pawn shop resold the stolen merchandise on eBay, reaping major profits. Over the course of the scheme, the shop purchased 37,936 stolen new-in-box items across more than 670 occasions, paying the thieves $290,000. However, the total retail loss to the stores is estimated at around $1.16 million.

Reeves, Banks, and Sprague have also been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.

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A serial rapist was slapped with an effective life sentence after he tormented and strangled an 81-year-old Manhattan woman who bravely said in court Wednesday her survival is a miracle.

Career criminal Avon Long, 79, received a 32-years-to-life prison sentence for barging into the octogenarians apartment where he forced himself on top of her and covered her mouth during a sickening sexual assault that lasted for more than an hour nearly two years ago.

The survivor, now 83, stared down the twisted offender in Manhattan Criminal Court and encouraged the judge to throw the book at Long, who whined the trial had been traumatizing for him.

Avon Long was sentenced to 32-years-to-life prison on Wednesday. Steven Hirsch

His monstrous and evil career will be no more, never ever and again  no more victims such as myself, no more nightmares [and] no more freedom for Avon Long to be evil and do evil and seriously injure his victims, she said surrounded by loved ones in a powerful victim impact statement ahead of sentencing.

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The sickening attack took place in October 2023, in which Long ordered the victim to undress and lie down on her bed inside her apartment at a senior center home before carrying out his assault, prosecutors said.

When he was done, he used a phone charger cord to bind her wrists and warned her not to call police until he had enough time to flee. The cruel culprit left the apartment, but returned soon after to strangle the woman until she lost consciousness.

I was treated as the defenseless animal by a male human being who turned into a vicious animal named Avon Long, said the victim.

From beginning to end I was haunted  wanting to do everything he said to do without interference because he was capable of killing me.

Long will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Sex Offender Registry

My survival is a miracle, she added.

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Long has spent decades behind bars for sexual assaults dating back to the late 1960s when he pleaded guilty to a count each of rape and robbery.

That sentence lasted 10 years, but he committed more sexual violence in 1979 and was again locked up for a pair of rapes until 2015, according to the Manhattan District Attorneys Office.

He was convicted in May on a slew of charges, including kidnapping, burglary, attempted rape, sexual abuse and strangulation in the most recent case.

The elderly victim was in the hospital for two weeks and described the immense aches and pain from head to toe she dealt with.

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Still, she said she has to remember to forgive and that God created him, too.

Get yourself out of the way and look in your own mirror and ask God to help you, please, she told Long.

Meanwhile, Long seemed primarily concerned about himself, complaining the trial has been very difficult, stressful, painful.

I really feel sorry for the victim. I still feel sorry for her, the pervert said, adding, I am traumatized. This has been very horrific for me.

But Judge Juan Merchan ripped into Long for the bizarre complaints and called him without a doubt, the most prolific rapist that this court has ever seen.

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You created that trauma, he told Long. Frankly, Im outraged that you would dare say you were traumatized.

He said its reasonable to believe Long intended to kill the victim when he strangled her.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he hopes the lengthy prison sentence  in which the victim would not get out of jail until hes well over 100 years old  delivered closure to the victim.

This defendant horrifically abused a defenseless, 81-year-old woman, which was proven through the survivors honest and unwavering testimony at trial, he said.
Serious pollution incidents by water companies have risen 60% in a year, according to the Environment Agency.

In total there were 2,801 pollution incidents in England in 2024, the highest on record, compared with 2,174 in 2023.

Of these, 75 were considered to pose "serious or persistent" harm to fisheries, drinking water and human health - up from 47 last year.

The Public Accounts Committee - a cross party group of MPs - called the level of pollution "woeful" and said regulators were "missing in action" in holding the industry to account.

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The data from the Environment Agency comes ahead of a landmark review of the water industry, to be published on Monday.

The chair of the Water Commission, Sir Jon Cunliffe, will lay out his recommendations on how to improve the environmental and financial performance of the sector.

Several British media outlets reported on Friday that Sir Jon's report would suggest scrapping the regulator, Ofwat, altogether. A government spokesperson said: "We are not going to comment on speculation."

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But speaking on the pollution data, Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary said: "These figures are disgraceful and are a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment and weak regulation have led to record levels of sewage polluting our rivers."

Industry group Water UK acknowledged that the performance of some companies had not been good enough.

"The Environment Agency is right to highlight underinvestment in infrastructure and maintenance as the major causes of these results," said a Water UK spokesperson.

The industry was set a target to reduce pollution incidents by 40% by 2025 against 2016 levels. But this has been significantly missed - levels reported in 2024 were more than double the original EA target.

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Every year the Environment Agency records the number of times pollution such as untreated sewage is released from water company sites such as treatment works into the country's waterways.

Just three companies were responsible for the vast majority of the most serious incidents - Thames Water (33), Southern Water (15) and Yorkshire Water (13).

"These figures expose a brutal truth. Serious pollution incidents are rising, sewage discharges remain rampant, and our rivers are spiralling toward ecological collapse. This is not just regulatory failure; it is a national disgrace," said River Action CEO James Wallace.

"Thames Water, the most egregious polluter, should be put into special administration to start the reset," he added.

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The company saw their levels of serious pollution double, and were the worst performer for reporting pollution events to the regulator.

Water discharges from a waste water treatment plant in Stretford in June [Getty Images]

England has a combined sewage system which means both rainfall and sewage are processed through the same system. Last year, rainfall levels were up, which could have overwhelmed some water company infrastructure.

However, despite variations in rainfall, discharges that result in serious pollution are a breach of their permits and legal obligations.

Many incidents are reported to the Environment Agency by the companies themselves, but of the 4,000 inspections carried out last year by the regulator it found nearly a quarter of sites were in breach of their permits.

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Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, head of the Public Accounts Committee which has published its report into the sector, strongly criticised the government and Agency for being "missing in action".

"Regulators are overwhelmed by the number of prosecutions and appear unable to deter companies from acting unlawfully. Government must act now to strengthen regulators and support their efforts to hold companies to account," he said.

The Committee said that the continued incidents are a result of the regulators - the Environment Agency and Ofwat - "fail[ing] to ensure water companies maintain vital infrastructure".

It is estimated that at current rates it would take companies 700 years to replace the entire water mains network.

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Water UK said the failing infrastructure was as a result of the regulator refusing to allow the sector to raise bills to make the necessary investments.

"Investment in the sector has been suppressed with Ofwat prioritising short -term cuts to people's water bills over the long-term resilience of the network. This is finally being put right, with a record 104 billion investment over the next 5-years," the industry body spokesperson said.

As a result of this investment consumer bills are expected to rise on average by 123 annually - although for Southern Water customers this could be as much as 224.

But Sir Geoffrey told the BBC the lack of investment was the fault of the industry.

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"I think over a number of years the water companies have been taking money out of the water system and channelling it away to their investors making their debts higher. Meaning, us, the customers are having a huge cost of that interest.

"Instead of paying that money towards improving capital investment, improving the capacity of sewage treatment plants or renewing leaky pipes," he said.

On Monday, Sir Jon Cunliffe, the head of the Water Commission will publish his recommendations into how the government might turn things around.

In his preliminary findings last month he echoed the conclusions of the PAC that there were "deep-rooted, systemic and interlocking failures", but was most critical of the regulators - the Environment Agency, Defra and Ofwat - for not providing proper oversight.

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"We really need a regulator that is close to companies, that oversees them and monitors them continuously, as we do in financial services with the banks  not just so they can intervene early but so they can support companies to improve," he told BBC Breakfast in June.

His recommendations next week could include an overhaul or significant changes to those regulators.

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(WHTM)  Tourism is big business for Pennsylvania, but Gov. Josh Shapiro said its the small ones that support it.

Shapiro made a stop Thursday at the White Pine Country Store, Cafe and Lodge in Potter County. He brought along $162,000 in grant money.

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Shapiro said he had to convince his chief of staff to help the store, which provides the only gasoline within 40 miles for ATV riders.

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And I said we gotta do something for these folks, Shapiro said. Do you know these people? Im like, no. Shes like, Have you been to that store? Im like, Nah, been to the area, not the store, but these are the kinds of folks government needs to step up and help.

Antlerless deer tags still available everywhere in Pennsylvania after deadline

The area boasts hundreds of miles of ATV trails, including the Northcentral Regional ATV Trail, which officials said generates $13 million a year.

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After a judge barred a private attorney from acting as a legal advisor to Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, the sheriff said he offered the lawyer a job giving him policy advice.

The lawyer, Joan Mell, has offices in Fircrest and Montana, and she frequently represents public employees in Pierce County in lawsuits against local governments. She also has experience advising members of the state Legislature on policy and is on the board of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.

Mell hasnt taken Swanks job offer, but she said she would seriously consider it in a part-time capacity if the preliminary injunction prohibiting her from representing Swank is lifted or clarified.

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That injunction came after Prosecutor Mary Robnett brought Mell to court. Robnett argued that Mell had usurped Robnetts role as the sole legal advisor to county officials by serving County Executive Ryan Mello, County Council Chair Jani Hitchen and Robnett a letter demanding mediation on behalf of Swank. The letter said Swank had reached an impasse with the officials on six issues, including his desire to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his belief that his office wasnt subject to Mellos executive orders.

Swank began consulting with Mell sometime in late May after a falling-out with Robnett in which Swank told the prosecutor he had no faith in her counsel and later initiated a bar complaint against her.

Copies of emails between the sheriff and prosecutor showed Swank had been upset by Robnett informing him that the Sheriffs Office would have to follow the county executives directives. Swank disagreed, citing a response from the artificial-intelligence service ChatGPT and said he would seek legal advice elsewhere.

Now Swank says perhaps legal advice wasnt the term he was looking for. If Mell or someone else fills the role of senior counsel or strategic advisor, Swank told The News Tribune, hed like them to review all of the Sheriffs Offices policies and procedures to make sure they are following best practices and are in line with policing standards throughout the country.

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I also just want to have somebody there if I say, Well, Im thinking about changing this thing or that thing, and what do you think about it? Swank told The News Tribune in a phone call. Somebody that has wisdom and I can bounce ideas off of.

Swank said he got the idea after asking Robnett about the two lawyers Mello has on staff in his office as executive counsel and senior counsel. Swank said Robnett told him the lawyers werent legal advisors but just advise Mello on policy.

I was like, Oh thats wonderful, thats exactly what I want, Swank said. Ive just been using the wrong term, so maybe we can resolve this whole thing.

Mells history of litigation with Pierce County.

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In 2010, Mell was an attorney for a Pierce County employee who brought claims against the late Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam, alleging the employee, who was demoted by Washam and later resigned, was retaliated against and had his rights violated.

In 2011, Mell represented a Sheriffs Office detective who sued the county after she was investigated for allegedly sending a death threat to a local deputy prosecutor, Mary Robnett. Mell continued to represent the detective, Glenda Nissen, throughout a costly, years-long battle with former Prosecutor Mark Lindquist that ended in 2019. More recently, Mell has represented nine former members of a Special Investigations Unit in the Sheriffs Office in a lawsuit against Pierce County claiming they were baselessly investigated and disparaged for political reasons. The case is awaiting a ruling from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a phone call with The News Tribune, Mell quipped that the county would be saving money if she was hired by the Sheriffs Office and couldnt sue them anymore.

Go back and look at how much money Ive made off of suing the Sheriffs Department in the last 30 years, Mell said.

Defense attorney Brett Purtzer, from left, Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, and Joan Mell talk in the hallway during a brief recess in a hearing for a civil case where Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett is seeking to bar Mell from acting as Swanks attorney on Monday, June 16, 2025, at the King County Courthouse in Seattle, Wash.

A match made in county politics

What do Swank and Mell see in each other?

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Swank sees a lawyer willing to take up his fights with county officials who he is politically opposed to. Mell sees a sheriff willing to stand against the directives of the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, which happens to be a sticking point in the lawsuit brought by the former Special Investigations Unit members she represents.

Swank, a Republican serving in a nonpartisan office, has pointed out his political differences with Mello and Hitchen, both Democrats, in sworn declarations filed in Robnett and Mells civil case. Swank said his conservative beliefs are regularly attacked, particularly his opposition to sanctuary laws  such as the Keep Washington Working Act.

I value Attorney Mells advice, Swank wrote in the same declaration. I know her to have the requisite experience and perspective that I am seeking in an attorney.

That was before Mell was prohibited from giving Swank legal advice. In a phone call, Swank stopped short of saying that hed like to employ Mell as a strategy advisor to guide him on challenging the Keep Washington Working Act, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

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I wouldnt want to go down that road. Ill stick with the prosecutors advice on that, Swank said.

Swank added that hes going to wait and see what the courts rule in the state Attorney Generals lawsuit against Adams County, which is alleged of helping federal officials with immigration enforcement.

Mell told The News Tribune she doesnt really care if someone is a Republican or a Democrat, but she is much more conservative than she is aligned with Mellos policies. She said she has long been desperate for a sheriff willing to say that a prosecutor cant tell him or her what to do.

In order to maintain a balanced system with integrity in Pierce County, you cannot have those positions uniformly aligned, Mell said.

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It fractures the system, and the sheriffs department loses its discretion, she added.

Swanks job offer raises questions

The potential job arrangement for Mell and Swank raises some practical and ethical questions. How would the position be funded, and where is the line between policy advice that intersects with the law and legal advice?

On the funding side, Swank said he is allowed a number of appointed positions as sheriff, and hes yet to use all of them. He said he expects to be able to pay for the job with money already budgeted to the Sheriffs Office.

In response to a request to comment on Swanks idea, Hitchen said there is potential for Swank to hire his own legal counsel but due to the nature of the work she would lean toward consulting Robnett and their Risk Management team. She also noted that the County Council holds authority over the total number of full-time employees Swank can hire, which is granted through the budget process.

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I would hope the Sheriff would work to mitigate any increased risk to the countys taxpayers, as they are responsible for paying the bills when a claim comes against Pierce County, Hitchen said.

The ethical questions are stickier.

This is a very difficult question to answer. In fact I cant say its answerable except by judges in the future, Hugh Spitzer, a semi-retired professor at the University of Washington School of Law, told The News Tribune.

Spitzer authored a research paper published in 2019 that addressed the ethical obligations of licensed lawyers who undertake policy or management roles in government. It concluded that lawyers in those positions need to take extra care to inform colleagues that they arent working as lawyers.

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If their tasks do involve law-related services, Spitzer wrote, the lawyer should follow an American Bar Association rule called responsibilities regarding law-related services, to assure that the people the lawyer works for understand they are not getting legal services and that their work doesnt have the protections of the client-lawyer relationship.

Joan Mell, right, looks toward the judge during a hearing for a civil case where Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett is seeking to bar Mell from acting as Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swanks attorney on Monday, June 16, 2025, at the King County Courthouse in Seattle, Wash.

Mell wouldnt cease being a lawyer even if shes serving in a non-lawyer role, Spitzer told The News Tribune, and she still might conclude that her discussions with Swank are confidential.

Spitzer said its important to distinguish between attorney-client privilege, which is an evidence rule relevant to litigation, and the duty of confidentiality, a broader ethical duty that is enforced through the bar association and can lead to disciplinary action if its not upheld.

Mell has navigated such ethical quandaries before as policy counsel for the state Legislature and as a policy advisor to a former secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, Dennis Braddock.

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Theres no question I was giving him legal advice, Mell said. Im like you need to object to this legislation because the legal implications of this are this, but its policy advice because its being applied to policies.

Proposal to end Robnett, Mells legal battle fails

To give Swank policy advice, Mell would first have to escape the legal battle she and Robnett are engaged in. Mell said her attorney in that matter, Brett Purtzer, gave Robnett a proposed order of dismissal in the civil case Monday that would have Mell and Robnett agree to certain terms about how Mell could represent Swank.

The proposal appears dead on arrival. Adam Faber, a spokesperson for the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, said Thursday that Robnett does not agree to the proposed stipulation, and they are moving forward with their legal action. The next court date is in September.

According to a copy of the proposed order, Mell would not be allowed to be Swanks legal advisor in the official business of the Sheriffs Office, but she could represent him in his personal and political capacities, with Mell specifying what those are in any correspondence.

It would also let Mell represent Swank in claims against Pierce County or its officials, allow her to advise Swank in an action to obtain court-appointed counsel and permit her to act as his policy advisor.

Editors note: This story was updated July 18 to include comments from Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Even more charges are being filed against a suspect who allegedly fired dozens of shots, some targeting people, and injuring a police officer by ramming her car with his truck in Sherwood earlier this month.

Travis Blumhagen is now facing 21 charges in total following a Washington County Grand Jurys indictment this week.

In addition, police are seeking a witness to the incident.

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Fire causes brief I-205 closure

Blumhagen is accused of multiple counts of attempted murder, including for allegedly targeting both community members and police officers with shots fired. He also allegedly rammed a responding patrol car, injuring the officer inside, while intoxicated and behind the wheel on July 6.

The incident happened at 21900 SW Langer Farms Parkway in the afternoon. Tualatin Police Officer Eli Fults returned fire on Blumhagen, but the suspect was not hit, officials said. He climbed through the sunroof of his pickup truck and surrendered to officers, unharmed, police said.

However, Officer Fults is on critical incident leave, a standard procedure in cases like this.

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Investigators recovered a total of 27 shell casings related to Blumhagens barrage of gunfire. Investigators also determined that he used several firearms to commit his crimes, the Tigard Police Department said in a press release.

Police said theyre seeking a witness in the incident who was seen driving a silver Corvette at the scene at the time. Officials are releasing images of the car in hopes of getting in touch with the witness.

Tigard police are seeking a witness in a silver Corvette related to a shooting in Sherwood on July 6. July 17, 2025 (courtesy Tigard Police Department). Tigard police are seeking a witness in a silver Corvette related to a shooting in Sherwood on July 6. July 17, 2025 (courtesy Tigard Police Department).

Blumenhagen is facing four counts of attempted murder, with two of the charges for targeting community members and two charges for targeting police officers. Hes also facing 10 charges of unlawful use of a weapon, four counts of first-degree criminal mischief with a gun, second-degree assault for injuring a police officer by ramming his truck into her patrol car, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless endangerment of another person.

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TAMPA  In the middle of Floridas largest port, where cruise ships bigger than most buildings depart five times a week, two small, rocky islands jut out of the water. The islands, two specks in the ports vast waters, welcome thousands of shorebirds every spring for nesting season.

In the wake of hurricanes like Helene and Milton that battered barrier islands outside Tampa, shorebirds flocked to the port islands to raise their young this year more than ever.

The islands, named 2D and 3D, were built up in the 1970s. Port Tampa Bay dug out truckloads of silt and sand to widen and deepen shipping channels, and the material was heaped into two piles.

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The islands quickly grew plants that provide cover for birds like laughing gulls. Thousands of other shorebirds joined them, building twig nests in the rocky center of the island.

A record number of birds have chosen to nest at 2D and 3D this year, said Audubon sanctuary manager Jeff Liechty, because the islands provide something they cant get almost anywhere else in Tampa Bay: peace and quiet.

These birds show up year after year for one big reason, Liechty said. They know that this is a safe place to come and raise their young.

Each of the islands sits hundreds of feet from the towering cranes and stacks of shipping containers at the waters edge. The nesting birds at 2D and 3D, unlike their counterparts at busy beaches, avoid daily foot traffic and predators like snakes and raccoons.

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The islands also lure flamingos on their migration paths, including the flock that ended up in Tampa Bay in 2023 after Hurricane Idalia rerouted them from Cuba.

The islands remain mostly undisturbed, especially during mating and nesting season, but the Army Corps of Engineers occasionally does maintenance and adds dredge material. Even when trucks barrel onto the island to clear invasive plants, Liechty said, the birds are isolated enough to be unaffected.

In March, the birds were courting on one side of the island and these big trucks were passing through on the other half, Liechty said. You give the birds the area they should go, and the rest is the work area.

During nesting season, which runs from April 1 to Aug. 30 for shorebirds, nobody is allowed on the island without an Audubon Florida escort. Liechty and his colleagues trek across the island monthly with binoculars to count the birds, nests and chicks.

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This year, Florida Audubon counted more than 5,600 royal, sandwich and caspian terns on 3D island, a record number for the site.

Royal and sandwich terns, along with other birds nesting on 2D and 3D like black skimmers and American oystercatchers, are deemed climate endangered by Audubon. This means the species may lose more than half of its current range by 2050 due to climate change.

Tampa Bays coastal birds also face a more immediate threat: hurricanes.

Surveyors at 2D and 3D islands logged more than 9,000 birds this year, Liechty said, because shorebirds were displaced from their previous nesting sites after last years hurricanes.

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Hundreds of nests at Egmont Key State Park in the mouth of the Tampa Bay were destroyed after flooding from Hurricane Helene in September, Liechty said, and the birds left the park in search of a safer place to lay their eggs. They found it in Port Tampa Bay.

At the tail end of nesting season, the island is chaos. Thousands of birds soar over the water calling and catching fish for their chicks.

Port Tampa Bay wants to deepen its shipping channels next year, according to director of communications Lisa Wolf-Chason, leaving it with enough sand to cover Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Some of this material, Wolf-Chason said, would be used to expand the nesting islands.

In a few years, even more birds could call 2D and 3D islands home.
DENVER (KDVR)  Signs visually depicting the number of bicyclists killed in Colorado since 2020 will be installed along the bike and pedestrian path in Washington Park on Saturday.

The signage will remain there throughout the summer, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, which said the signs are part of a bicycle safety campaign done in coordination with Bicycle Colorado and victims families.

Denver spends $200K to alter bike lanes; bicyclist advocates say its more dangerous

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A total of 79 bicyclists have died in Colorado since 2020, with 48.1% of the deaths happening in the summer, according to CDOT. The signage will memorialize those who have died, and will be signed and placed along the bike and pedestrian path by their families.

These signs aim to resonate with parkgoers, many of whom are bicyclists themselves, CDOT said, in a media alert on Thursday.

The agency said there has been an average of one bicyclist fatality per month so far this year, with no signs of slowing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The City of Sioux City has announced that it will be hosting events all around the metro as part of National Night Out.

National Night Out is a nationwide event where cities encourage their residents to lock their doors and get outside for a night of fun.

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This years National Night Out is on August 5 and takes place from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The event also offers Siouxlanders the opportunity to interact with local law enforcement and first responders.

In multiple neighborhoods, the city will be offering games, fun activities, and free food for those who come out.

You can attend local National Night Events in Sioux City at the following locations:

Dale Street Park, located at 1514 Dale Street.

Latham Park, located at 1915 South Lemon Street.

Leeds Splash Pad, located at 3810 41st Street.

Radiant Life Community Church, located at 2410 West 1st Street.

Riverside Lutheran Church, located at 1817 Riverside Boulevard.

St. John Lutheran Church, located at 2801 Jackson Street.

St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 5200 Glen Avenue.

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For more information, contact Sioux City Neighborhood Network President Rick Arnold at 712-251-8877.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  Catch 24 is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by playing catch for 24 hours straight.

Tim Seaman from KCAU 9 talked with Miracle League Founder, Kevin Negaard, Thursday evening. To hear all about the upcoming event, listen to the full interview in the video player above!

To sign up or learn more about the event, check out the Sioux City Miracle League website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  Six juveniles who, police say, all appear to be connected to a crime ring were caught with more than $50,000 of stolen merchandise after a high-speed chase Wednesday morning in Dauphin County.

Susquehanna Township Police say the incident began after a stolen vehicle was picked up on a license plate reader in the area of North Progress Avenue and Linglestown Road at about 3:40 a.m.

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As officers were looking, they found the vehicle was backed up to the Jawns On Fire Sneaker Boutique store in the Blue Mountain Commons.

Police say the juveniles then drove away with the stolen and damaged merchandise, beginning a chase. With the help of officers from Lower Paxton and Swatara Township, police were able to bring the fleeing vehicle to a stop. The juveniles then got out and tried running away, but they were caught.

I came here for blood: Man charged with attempted homicide after Dauphin County stabbing

As the investigation progressed, it was discovered that the juveniles were suspected to be with an organized ring responsible for burglaries, stolen vehicles and other crimes against the public that stretched into Baltimore and the surrounding areas, police contend.

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The Susquehanna Township would like to thank our Law Enforcement partners at Lower Paxton and Swatara Townships for their assistance in apprehending these suspects which will solve cases in multiple Counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland, police said in a statement. Moreover, this incident highlights the growing importance of Technology for Law Enforcement in Dauphin County.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact police at (717) 909-9231.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.




NEED TO KNOW

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner has died at the age of 56 following a paragliding incident, when he reportedly crashed at a hotel swimming pool in Italy

Baumgartner was killed on Thursday, July 17; he had been flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio

He made history in 2012 when he became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier





Skydiver Felix Baumgartner died this week following a paragliding incident. He was 56.

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According to the Associated Press, Baumgartner was killed on Thursday, July 17, in Italy.

He was flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio when he "lost control" of his paraglider, U.K. newspaper The Independent reported. Per the AP, firefighters at the scene said he "crashed into the side of a swimming pool."

PEOPLE has contacted Italian police for comment.

In a statement on Facebook, Porto Sant'Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella expressed his condolences.

"Our community is deeply affected by the tragic passing of Felix Baumgartner, a world-renowned figure, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight, Ciarpella said, according to a translation. He was flying over our city when a fatal [incident] took his life today."

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Ciarpella indicated that Baumgartner was affected by a health issue while in the air.



Manfred Schmid/Getty Felix Baumgartner in Zeltweg, Austria, on Sept. 3, 2022 Felix Baumgartner in Zeltweg, Austria, on Sept. 3, 2022

He added, Porto Sant'Elpidio stands with his family and loved ones in this moment of grief. On behalf of the Municipal Administration and all citizens, I express my sincerest condolences for this irreparable loss.

According to the AP and The Independent, Baumgartner made history in 2012 when he became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, wearing a pressurized suit as he dived from a balloon some 24 miles above Earth.

Baumgartner was part of the Red Bull Stratos team when he reached the whopping speed of 843.6 mph over New Mexico, per the AP.

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In a statement on Facebook, Red Bull paid tribute to Baumgartner.

We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner, Red Bull wrote. Felix was born to fly and was determined to push the limits.

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.

The company added, He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.

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We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed, their post concluded.

ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Felix Baumgartner jumping from a plane at 26,000 feet in May 2010 Felix Baumgartner jumping from a plane at 26,000 feet in May 2010

According to the AFP, Baumgartner was born in Salzburg, Austria.

He also worked as a mechanic while taking steps toward fulfilling his childhood dreams of becoming a skydiver and a pilot.

I always had the desire to be in the air," he previously said, per the outlet. "I climbed trees, I wanted to see the world from above."

Read the original article on People
Slovakia is ready to approve the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia after vetoing the measure six times, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on July 17.

"Dear friends, despite the huge fire, threats, harsh words, and criticism, we vetoed the draft of the 18th sanctions package six times. You heard me right, I repeat, six times," Fico said in a post to Facebook.

"All negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests," he added.

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The EU has been unable to pass the sanctions package due to opposition from Slovakia, whose authorities have repeatedly aligned themselves with Moscow and have opposed the package due to concerns with the transition away from Russian gas.

Fico noted the European Commission has given Slovakia written assurances concerning the EU's planned phase-out of Russian gas to gain the country's support.

"The confirmed guarantees concern the price of gas and its possible shortage, as well as transportation fees... the possibility of triggering a crisis situation with extremely high prices, and a shortage of gas, which would lead to crisis solutions up to the lifting of the ban on importing Russian gas," he said.

In talks with the European Commission, Slovakia has proposed that the EU "compensate" Bratislava for higher gas prices using EU funds.

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"(W)e have presented the European Commission with the option of using European funds to compensate for high gas prices," Fico said.

The 18th sanctions package against Moscow will include a new Russian oil price cap, Reuters reported on July 13, citing four sources within the bloc.

The new Russian oil price cap is expected to lower the maximum cost per barrel to $47, down from $60, by subtracting 15% from the 22-week average price, and will be revised every six months instead of every three, one of the sources said.

The EU was previously expected to reach a full agreement on July 14 ahead of a foreign ministers' meeting the next day that could formally pass the sanctions package.

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Read also: How Russia modified Irans Shahed-136 drones  and what it means for Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)  The Brainard Airport is temporarily closed Friday afternoon after a small plane ran off the runway while landing, according to the Connecticut Airport Authority.

Crews were dispatched to the scene around 1:48 p.m., for reports of an aircraft incident.

CSP: West Hartford man charged with DUI after striking DOT vehicle in construction zone

Upon arrival, fire crews said airport personnel told them their assistance was no longer required.

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Preliminary information indicated the aircraft experience a front landing gear failure, resulting in a minor accident, officials said.

No injuries were reported and officials said the plane did not catch fire or spill any hazardous fluid.

Brainard Airport, 20 Lindbergh Dr. in Hartford on July 18, 2025. Brainard Airport, 20 Lindbergh Dr. in Hartford on July 18, 2025. Brainard Airport, 20 Lindbergh Dr. in Hartford on July 18, 2025. Brainard Airport, 20 Lindbergh Dr. in Hartford on July 18, 2025.

As a precaution, fire officials said the airport will remain temporarily closed until further notice.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified of the incident, officials said.

The airport is located at 20 Lindbergh Dr. in Hartford.

This is a developing story. Stay with News 8 for updates.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
"Without Torah students, we have no existence as a Jewish people. Without Torah students, the State of Israel cannot continue," Gafni commented, referring to the haredi draft law.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is worse than secular Jews, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni said in an interview with haredi news outlet Kikar Hashabbat on Thursday.

Gafni commented that Smotrich was not helpful in assisting with haredi (ultra-Orthodox) education, Torah, and treasury concerns, despite Smotrich being a right-wing, religious Jew. "I dont remember such difficulty in previous terms, including those when I was in the opposition," Gafni commented.

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"Without Torah students, we have no existence as a Jewish people. Without Torah students, the State of Israel cannot continue," Gafni commented, referring to the haredi draft law.

"This is the reality weve always lived in, so what changed now? As long as we support Netanyahu, they will make our lives miserable. All those in the right-wing who speak against yeshiva students are playing into the left's hands. It hurts, its painful. It shows that this partnership with the right is conditional. If its convenient for the secular media, fine, and if not, a few drop off," he added.

Gafni also commented on his relationship with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "This is a valid question for me. Its a liability for my partnership with people who violate severe prohibitions, like Ben-Gvir. For me, its very serious, were not friends with the parties we partner with. Many times we bite our tongues."

MK Moshe Gafni speaks in the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 25, 2025 (credit: NOAM MOSHKOWITZ/KNESSET SPOKESPERSON)

"At first, when we agreed that the judicial reform would come before the conscription lawthis was a mistake. We shouldnt have done that. We shouldve had the conscription law pass first," Gafni commented while explaining where the haredi community has gone wrong.

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Gafni commented that he regrets not supporting the conscription law previously proposed by Benny Gantz and Avigdor Liberman during the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government in 2021-2022.

"When there was a law in the previous term, we agreed on it, and then there were protests against it, and some wanted a better law. It was a law on Rabbi Edelstein's desk. We should have passed it, there were protests, and we didnt pass it," he stated.

Smotrich responded to Gafni's comments, saying: "Gafni, shame on you. Now that you no longer have the Finance Committee, I suggest you visit the bereaved families. Go to Mount Herzl. Visit the Atzmona and Eli preparatory schools. Go to the Hesder Yeshivas in Yeruham and Kiryat Shmona. Travel across the Land of Israel to witness the strength of spirit and Torah like you've never seen in your life. Shameful."

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also responded, saying: "Instead of attacking the religious Zionist community, you should thank them. Too many have fallen in the last two years defending our shared homeland."

"Had it not been for the bravery of IDF soldiers, the enemy would have slaughtered the entire country, including the residents of Bnei Brak and Mea She'arim. The alliance of those who serve will defeat the government of the draft dodgers," Bennett added.

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Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, who is also part of Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party, also commented on Gafni's comments.

"Gafnis outrageous attack is a disgrace for a public leader and shows an unfathomable disconnection," he stated.

"Gafni, in his characteristic cynicism, chooses to lash out precisely when our soldiers are fighting on the frontlines, many wounded have not yet returned to their lives, and countless families are mourning their loved ones, instead of remaining silent and demonstrating responsibility. These are the days of the Three Weeks, with the month of Elul approaching; this is the time for soul-searching," he added.
French riot police clashed with people-smugglers in a coastal town a day after hundreds of migrants arrived in the UK on small boats.

The smugglers pelted officers with rocks and used engine oil to set fire to benches and debris in Gravelines in the early hours of Friday morning.

Britain and France have agreed to crack down on illegal Channel crossings, with the French authorities trying to stop the boats from leaving their shores.

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On Thursday, however, hundreds of migrants managed to evade French police and board dinghies bound for Britain.

The Telegraph witnessed dozens of officers armed with riot shields, assault rifles and helmets deployed on the streets of the seaside town, north-east of Calais, on Friday.

Volleys of tear gas were fired at the smugglers from grenade launchers during the short-lived confrontation. Barricades were set up near the exit point of the River Aa which runs through the centre of the town and is used by the smugglers as a departure point for taxi boats.

It is believed the smugglers assaulted the officers as a diversionary tactic as they unsuccessfully tried to secretly launch dinghies filled with migrants.

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Some of the smugglers, who were of Middle Eastern origin, jeered and mocked the officers while filming on their phones. Two of the men were seen wearing bright orange life jackets around their necks.

The disorder broke out at around 5.30 am and lasted approximately 20 minutes before the smugglers were dispersed and fled back to their camps near Loon-Plage, a short 15-minute drive away to the east.

The clashes came after gendarmes failed to stop two dinghies, crammed with approximately 70 migrants, from sailing on from the shores of Gravelines to the UK on Thursday morning.

A salvo of tear gas had done little to stop the crowd of around 200 migrants, including a family with a six-year-old son and four-year-old girl, from trying to climb on.

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On one of the dinghies, the smugglers had jumped overboard before the vessel was intercepted by a French police patrol boat and escorted into British waters. They were allowed to walk back to their camps unhindered and try again the following day.

It is estimated that 320 migrants successfully arrived in the UK on Thursday via small boats. In a meeting with Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, in London that day, Sir Keir Starmer, said he was very concerned about smuggling routes through Germany.

Sir Keir said the Government was determined to intervene at every stage of the people-smuggling journey, citing last weeks agreement with France, which allows the UK to return some migrants to France.

He said: For a long time Ive been very concerned about the fact that engines and component parts of the boats that are being used are travelling through and being stored in Germany.

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But they cant be seized because the law didnt accommodate for a country that had left the EU, and therefore needed to be amended.

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A Smyrna-based food company is recalling some of its popsicle products because of potential listeria contamination.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture said the problem was discovered during routine testing when a finished product tested positive for listeria.

Affected products include:

Coconut ice cream popsicles, date code of 6/17/25

Cookies and Cream ice cream popsicles, date code of 6/17/25

Coffee ice cream popsicles, date code of 6/11/25

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The popsicles were distributed locally from mobile frozen dessert carts or convenience stores in the Atlanta area.

Not all distribution locations are yet known, the Georgia Department of Agriculture said. The food safety unit is working with the firm to identify businesses that received the products because the companys distribution records were incomplete.

The listeria organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal sicknesses in some people, including the children, older adults and some with compromised immune systems. Other people may experience short-term illnesses including a high fever, nausea, stiffness, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Illnesses can also cause some pregnancies to end.

No illnesses have been reported yet.

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People who may be experiencing symptoms from eating the product should contact the Georgia Department of Public Health at 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584).

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EAU CLAIRE  An Altoona man faces four counts of possession of child pornography after a February tip led police to his phone.

Police began investigating Cordel Bertrand, 22, after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip focused on three images that were uploaded to Snapchat. The email associated with the account was Bertrands.

According to the criminal complaint, the photos showed a prepubescent girl in various poses. Investigators were able to get a search warrant on the basis of the photos, but Bertrand was not home at the time they arrived. When police learned he had stayed with a friend in Eau Claire the previous night they went to that location and found Bertrand.

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Bertrand declined to go to the police station to talk with officers, but indicated he was willing to speak with them at his home. The investigators asked about the tip and Bertrand put his head down, said yes and then said it was me.

Bertrand was not immediately arrested, but was taken into custody earlier this month when an examination of both his current and previous phones turned up other images. Bertrand received those after online discussions with a girl. Though Bertrand said the two had never met, they had a friends with benefits relationship online and that they had met when he was 17.

Six photos sent in 2020 showed the girl without clothing and police concluded she had been 15 at the time they were taken.

Bertrand made his initial court appearance Thursday and the court set a $5,000 signature bond. He is prohibited from using any social media app to view videos of any kind and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any minor.

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While Bertrand did not have an attorney during Thursdays proceedings, records indicate a settlement conference is scheduled for next month.

The charges are Class D felonies. Under Wisconsin law that class carries the potential for up to 15 years as an initial sentence and a decade of extended supervision. The charges also each carry up to $100,000 in fines.

Bertrands next court appearance was set for September.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Shawnee County (SNCO) Election Commissioner, Andrew Howell, joined the 27 News morning show to discuss early voting for the 2025 Primary Election.

27 News and Commissioner Howell discussed races on the 2025 Municipal Primary Ballot, absentee ballot mailing date and application deadline and early voting dates and hours.

Voters registered in Topeka city limits can expect to see Topeka Mayor on their ballots. There are 6 candidates in the primary election and the top two will move on to the November general election. Voters within City Council District 1 will also have a primary to narrow down the 6 candidates to 2.

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MO farmer meets deputy who saved his life during heart attack

For those voting via mail in ballots:

Advance Mail Ballots started being mailed out on July 16th.

Voters will have until July 29th to turn in their absentee ballot application. The elections office does not suggest waiting until the deadline.

Turn in your ballot either through the mail or in-person as soon as possible to make sure it is returned to the office in time.

Early Voting Dates and Hours (in person):

Located at 3420 SW Van Buren.

Monday through Friday for early voting from 8 am to 7 pm starting July 21st.

Voters can vote early Monday through Friday July 21st through August 1st

Last day of early in person voting will be August 4th from 8 AM to 12 Noon.

On Election Day polls will be open 7 am to 7 pm.

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To hear what SNCO Election Commissioner Howell had to say, you can watch the interview above.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A man has been arrested after he displayed a knife during an altercation and then fled the scene earlier this month, Socorro Police said.

Adan Manuel Balderrama, 40, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Socorro Police said.

Shortly before 9 a.m. on July 10, officers with Socorro Police were sent out to a report of a subject with a knife at a car wash along the 600 block of Horizon Boulevard.

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According to initial reports, the man displayed a knife during an altercation and then fled.

Witnesses were able to provide police with a description of the man and the vehicle involved.

Shortly thereafter, police found the suspect near the intersection of Milo Drive and Jo Way.

He was taken into custody without incident, police said.

His bond was set at $25,000.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
SOCORRO, Texas (KTSM)  A 36-year-old woman was recently arrested after she was found with methamphetamine within her vehicle after a traffic stop, according to the Socorro Police Department in a news release.

Police said Haydee Caroline Perez, 36, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, July 15, and charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance with a $25,000 bond.

Shortly before 4 p.m. on July 15, officers were patrolling the area of 600 Horizon Blvd. when they observed a vehicle fail to signal a right turn, police said.

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Police said a traffic stop was initiated, and a canine sniff was conducted, resulting in a positive alert to the presence of narcotics.

A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of approximately 48.9 grams of methamphetamine, police said.

Perez was then taken into custody.

The Socorro Police Department remains committed to proactive policing and the use of specialized resources, such as K-9 officers, to combat drug trafficking and protect the community, read the news release.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
OLATHE, Kan.  Thursday was filled with aggravations in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, as the remnants of Wednesday nights thunderstorm linger.

High water caught up to some drivers on Wednesday night, and as of Thursday afternoon, six cars are still stuck in rising floodwaters near the New Century Commerce Center at S. Clare Road and W. 159th Street. Johnson County Sheriffs deputies told FOX4 News theyd prefer that drivers wait until the water fades until they retrieve their cars, but on Thursday, some tow truck drivers tried anyway.

People drove in and it was too much for their cars, Johnson County Sheriff Sgt. Ross Turner said.

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Sgt. Turner said Wednesday evening drivers on Clare Road may not have seen rising waters until they were stuck, since stormy skies were so dark. Sgt. Turner said some drivers waded through the water to safety while others needed rescue.

The water is deceiving. Its an optical illusion. You drive in, and you dont know if the road is washed out or if theres a change in the roadway. Cars get there, and the engines cant take the water. If it stops, youre stuck there while the water overtakes your car, Sgt. Turner said.

In Shawnee, FOX4 viewer Caleb Swanon shared drone video with FOX4 News showing a neighborhood creek off Barker Road thats flooded well past its banks. Neighbors believe its the highest theyve ever seen it.

To the north in Wyandotte Countys Turner Neighborhood, a large sinkhole is forming across the street from Tajuan Pledgers home off Metropolitan Avenue. When Wednesday nights rainfall delivered as much as nine inches of precipitation, water escaped a pond across the road, which, in turn, flooded a a nearby drainage ditch, and then, a chunk of Metropolitan Avenue. Pledger and his family are watching the hole grow, while soil and rock from the ditch flow into his yard and flood the family home.

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What was in store was something we hadnt imagined, Pledger explained. It didnt just push over water. It pushed over all this debris and all these rocks. Thats all over in the yard as well. It just shows you the power of what the water was doing.

Sgt. Turner also mentioned power as another reason for driver to avoid flooded areas. He said it doesnt take much water to move a heavy car, and it could be devastating to a person if they challenged the waters strength.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A Southaven, Mississippi, man has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after he was convicted of robbing a man and then shooting him in a separate attack.

According to the DeSoto County District Attorneys Office, 21-year-old Detrich Neal pleaded guilty to attempted murder and armed robbery on Thursday. He was sentenced to 30 years for the attempted murder charge and five years for the armed robbery charge.

According to the DAs office, in July 2024, Neal robbed a man at the Dorchester Apartments after running into him at a gas station. Neal reportedly stole the victims gun.

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Warrants for Neals arrest were issued soon after the robbery. The DAs office says he remained at large for months.

Southaven shooting suspect caught after foot chase

According to the DAs office, in October 2024, Neal saw the same victim at a gas station and again followed him to the Dorchester Apartments.

The DAs office says that when the victim backed into a parking spot, Neal pulled in front of him, jumped out of his vehicle, and fired shots into the victims car.

The victim was reportedly shot twice in the face. The DAs office says the victim was able to drive himself to Baptist DeSoto Hospital.

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Southaven Police reportedly determined that Neal was hiding in his girlfriends apartment. The DAs office says officers spotted him leaving the apartment, but Neal fled into a wooded area.

Neal was reportedly captured minutes later near Tchulahoma Road and Heather Ridge.

DA Matthew Barton released a statement on Neals arrest.

It is obvious this apartment complex has become a magnet for criminal activity. But let me be clear: violent crime will not be tolerated where families sleep at night. My office will be actively exploring every option to stop criminal activity in apartment complexes like this one. Thanks to the swift work of Southaven Police and the determination of our prosecutors, weve taken a violent criminal off the streets. I hope this thug is yet another example of why you should not commit crime in DeSoto County.

Neal was also sentenced to 20 years of post-release supervision. The DAs office says Neal will be classified as a habitual offender because of his prior record.

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(KODE & KSN)  One Southeast Kansas organization is rolling out a new ad campaign they hope will soften the impact of cuts to their funding.

Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (or SEK-CAP) has provided public transportation in the area for more than 30 years. In an effort to close the gap between its expenses and the loss in revenue, the organization is offering ad space on its transport vehicles to local businesses and cities.

SEK-CAP routes include at least six counties in southeast Kansas as far west as Montgomery County and as far north as Bourbon County. A years worth of advertising can be purchased for as much as $5,000.

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SEK-CAP Director of Transportation Scott Christiansen says they know theyre not facing these funding cuts alone.

All those services that are being cut, are very important and very vital and services that people have come to depend on. And so, we have to be unique about how we raise some of those matching funds, said Christiansen.

Christiansen says so far, they have sold ads to the city of Chanute and one business in Neosho County. Ads are sold on a first come-first serve basis.

If your local business or city is interested, email schristiansen@sek-cap.com or enegagement@sek-cap.com.

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COLUMBUS  Dr. Micah Covert, a veteran school board member in southeast Ohio, has been selected as the Ohio School Boards Associations president-elect nominee. If elected during OSBAs statewide conference in November, Covert will become OSBA president in 2027 following his term as president-elect in 2026.

Covert has over 16 years of school board service, including his current terms on the Nelsonville-York City Schools and Tri-County Career Center boards. A proud graduate of Nelsonville-York High School, he has served in various board officer roles for over a decade, demonstrating a commitment to meeting the diverse needs of Ohios public school communities. He recognizes that districts across the state, from small rural schools to large urban districts, face unique challenges.

Ohio is home to incredibly diverse school districts, each with its own strengths and challenges, Covert said. Im committed to supporting local boards of education and advocating for whats best for their students.

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At the state level, Covert serves as president of OSBAs Southeast Region and is a member of the OSBA Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. Nationally, Covert actively participates in OSBAs Federal Legislative Advocacy Group and has traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with federal education leaders on behalf of Ohio students and schools.

Professionally, Covert serves as the director of transfer and public services and as an assistant professor of business at Washington State College of Ohio. He is especially passionate about creating accessible college and career pathways for Ohio students, advocating for the College Credit Plus program, which allows students to earn college credit, including an associates degree, while in high school.

In his community, Covert has been the president of two Rotary Clubs and is involved in his local church and regional arts and education initiatives.
A 38-year-old man was arrested after deputies in Riverside County found him in possession of dozens of illegal firearms, bomb-making materials and ammunition, authorities announced Thursday.

In a news release, officials with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department said that Brandon Edwards, a resident of Homeland, was spotted by deputies in an alleged stolen vehicle near Glen Oaks and Pratt roads in Temecula on the morning of June 8.

After conducting a traffic stop and searching the vehicle, deputies located four firearms  a mix of rifles and handguns  suppressors and a large amount of ammunition.

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Edwards was then arrested on weapons charges and possession of a stolen vehicle.

During a follow-up investigation at his Homeland residence in the 25000 block of Rocky Ridge Road, approximately 20 miles from where deputies took him into custody, authorities recovered dozens of illegal firearms, more ammunition, explosive making materials and homemade improvised explosive devices in the process of being assembled.

A cache of illegal weapons, including bomb-making materials, recovered after a 38-year-old Riverside County man was arrested. (RCSD) Intersection of Glean Oaks and Pratt roads in Temecula where the suspect was spotted in a stolen vehicle on July 8, 2025. (Google Maps)

Investigators also say the 38-year-old was manufacturing illegal firearms and selling them.

No motive was provided for why the suspect was assembling improvised explosive devices and its unclear if the man intended to set them off and where.

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Handwritten notes, HAM radio help rescue mother, son lost in California forest

RCSDs Hazardous Device Team responded to the residence to safely seize the materials.

Edwards is now facing additional charges related to weapons possession, criminal threats and possession of bomb-making materials.

He is currently being held without bail at the Cois Byrd Detention Center.

Anyone with information about the ongoing investigation is urged to contact RCSD Deputy Richard Schweitzer at 951-696-3063.

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The Southern Festival of Books, returning in October, will feature New York Times bestsellers and a Pulitzer Prize winner, the organization announced.

The festival will return for its 37th year Oct. 18-19 after a period of uncertainty. President Donald Trump's administration cut $1.2 million in funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities grant. The festival was saved thanks to donations, community support and an expanded partnership with Vanderbilt University, which will be the event's presenting sponsor.

This is a thrilling opportunity to elevate the Southern Festival of Books, Vanderbilt University, and our literary community in Nashville as powerhouse and vibrant national forces for creative expression and the performing arts, C. Cybele Raver, Vanderbilts provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs said in a statement. We are honored to co-present this celebration of authors, readers, and their ideas  it builds on this citys tradition of sparking curiosity, discovery, and dialogue through community book groups, booksellers like Parnassus Books, and the Nashville Public Library. Were so proud to be part of this festivals next chapter.

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Parnassus Books owner Ann Patchett has been integral to keeping the festival alive by asking people to donate $20 to Humanities Tennessee.

"You all played a pivotal role in encouraging other sponsors to step in and in keeping the humanities accessible to everyone in Tennessee," the bookstore said in an Instagram post.

This year, the festival will feature 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Eig and other bestselling authors.

An author of six books, Eig's "King: A Life" about Martin Luther King Jr. won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for biography.

Other feature authors appearing at the festival include Beatriz Williams, Michael W. Twitty, David Levithan and Julie Clark and Alix E. Harrow.

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A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of "Husbands and Lovers," The Summer Wives" and the "The Secrete Life of Violet Grant."

Julie Clark wrote "The Last Flight," a New York Times bestseller, earning rave reviews for her work and her 2018 debut, "The Ones We Choose," which has been optioned for television.

Food lovers can rejoice as "America's Test Kitchen with Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling" will be at the festival.

The popular food series will showcase "When Southern Women Cook," a cookbook from Tipton-Martin and Bolling featuring more than 300 recipes and stories from Southern regional cuisines and cooking techniques.

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More southern culinary staples will be on display as John T. Edge, write of "House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home" will appear at the festival.

Edge is a writer and show host for the "TrueSouth" show on SEC Network.

For a full list of writers and festival activities, visit sofestofbooks.org.

The festival will encompass Bicentennial Mall, the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, featuring authors, exhibits and more.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Festival of Books bringing bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize winner to Nashville
A Planned Parenthood building. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Southwest Ohio is going to lose two reproductive health clinics due to the federal budget changes to Medicaid, a loss that could mean more abortions will happen, according to the leader of the clinics.

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region announced Thursday that its Springfield and Hamilton clinics will close as of Aug. 1. Nan Whaley, the president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood affiliate, cited the federal reconciliation bill and state budget changes to Medicaid as reasons for the changes. The changes included work requirements for Medicaid patients along with a loss of funding, preventing Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood nationwide.

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This decision, driven by politics, not public health, harms real people who already face immense barriers to care, Whaley said in a Thursday media call.

Clinics had been bracing for the potential cuts as the federal and state budget process continued earlier this summer, along with threats of funding freezes from the Trump administration of Title X family planning grants that go toward research, contraception, health screenings, and testing programs.

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region will still provide telehealth services, self-pay options and services for those with commercial insurance. For Medicaid patients looking for other options, the affiliate has a referral network it plans to use to redirect patients to resources.

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The Southwest Ohio affiliate said patients were notified through letters and messages in the health care software MyChart.

The affiliate is working hard to ensure that all patients have the information they need to find alternative providers in their communities, a press release announcing the closures stated, adding the region does not anticipate additional closures at this time.

The two clinics that are being closed were chosen based on their volume of Medicaid patients regularly treated there, and the loss will be felt throughout the region and nationwide as the changes are implemented.

The loss of Medicaid will make people not receive care, so when folks get kicked off Medicaid, that means theyre not going to their federally qualified health care center, theyre not going to Planned Parenthood, theyre not going anywhere, Whaley said.

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While the Medicaid budget changes bar health care providers who offer abortion services from being a part of the Medicaid program, the two clinics that are being closed werent clinics that offered that service.

The services that will suffer because of the closures will be in the area of preventive health, such as tests for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control access, cancer screenings and other wellness practices.

Places like rural Ohio, with access deserts, will be the first place to pay the price, Whaley said.

The president and CEO said the two clinics in the Southwest Ohio region that do provide abortion care, in Dayton and Cincinnati, will remain open and will still provide those services, along with gender-affirming care.

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The money for Medicaid was never spent in Ohio on abortion, Whaley said. It was spent on cancer screenings, on birth control, thats the work that we were doing every day that was preventative.

The loss of clinics that provide preventive care will not only cause more people to skip getting health care or resort to costly emergency room care, but could also increase sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies, along with abortions, the very thing many opponents of Planned Parenthood hope to stop.

While Medicaid dollars were not being spent (on abortion care), what is interesting to me about this decision, for us here in Southwest Ohio, it will actually increase the number of abortions and lower the number of people getting birth control, Whaley said. So, not the answer that the legislature thought they really wanted, I dont think.

The closures come as the national Planned Parenthood organization has sued the Trump administration over the budget cuts directly impacting Planned Parenthood.

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A federal judge blocked the funding cuts to the organization earlier this month, but the U.S. Department of Justice has asked for a reversal of that ruling.

While Planned Parenthood has said almost 200 health care centers could be at risk over the federal funding, Whaley said the state-level actions are having their own unique effects.

Our challenge isnt just the federal lawsuit, but were in a state  where the state legislature pays no attention to the needs of its community, and the passage of the Ohio budget that changed the rules around Medicaid is the reason why we had to move so swiftly today, Whaley said.

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Cells at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. (Courtesy of South Dakota Department of Corrections)

South Dakota lawmakers will gather in September to decide whether to replace the state penitentiary.

On Friday, Gov. Larry Rhoden issued an executive proclamation calling a special session of the Legislature for Sept. 23.

The news comes a little over a week after the governors Project Prison Reset task force voted to endorse a 1,500-bed complex on undeveloped land in northeastern Sioux Falls.

The group recommended a price cap of $650 million, which is roughly the amount that has been set aside for prison construction over the past three years, potentially allowing the state to pay cash for the project rather than taking on debt.

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The cap is around $75 million less than consultants and work managers said would be necessary for a project of that size during the task forces final meeting on July 8, but the group decided that a higher price wouldnt earn legislative support.

Spending bills require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers. The final spending push for an $825 million prison on a controversial Lincoln County site failed to clear that hurdle in February.

In a letter to Rhoden requesting the special session, Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, who leads the prison task force, said compromises were necessary to find an answer that would appeal to the Legislature and ease overcrowding in the states Department of Corrections facilities.

The task forces unanimous vote for its recommendation demonstrates that we have found a good site for a new penitentiary and a strong path forward, Venhuizen wrote.

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The new prison, if approved by lawmakers, would replace the oldest parts of the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls. That building was initially constructed in 1881, prior to statehood.

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Jul. 18---- The

recently made the "difficult decision" to close the Spicer YMCA Early Learning Center at the end of August, leaving parents scrambling to find placements for the 22 children that will be displaced. But a local effort to find a new owner/operator was successful and approved by the YMCA board Friday.

When local community officials learned of the impending closure, they got to work to see what could be done to keep the child care center open.

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"I am so grateful for all the partners that quickly came together once the news was announced the YMCA couldn't continue the (Early) Learning Center in Spicer. Concerned parents and staff asked for an emergency meeting and we all got to work," Rep.

R-Willmar, told the West Central Tribune.

He began working with Spicer Economic Development Authority President Dave Henle to solve the issue, contacting several area child care centers to gauge their interest in taking over the operations of the Spicer Early Learning Center.

owner and director Mande Hatten was one of the first to respond and plans to be licensed and ready to continue the Early Learning Center's operations on Sept. 1. Baker is assisting in fast-tracking the licensure at the state level to ensure the continuity of care for the children attending the child care center.

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"When (Baker) reached out to me and we had our initial conversation, we both felt that it was very important that these families have continuity of care, if possible, that they don't have a month without child care or whatever," Hatten said in an interview with the West Central Tribune. "So he's working as diligently as he can, with the resources he has, to make sure that licensing and inspections can maybe go a little faster than they usually do."

The YMCA board of directors and its finance committee met on Friday to make the necessary approvals needed for the transition of the child care center to its new owner and operator.

The last day of programming by the YMCA at the Spicer location will be Aug. 29.

The YMCA's "decision was not made lightly. It reflects changing community needs and persistent challenges in maintaining sustainable operations at the Spicer location," YMCA interim CEO Missy Fike said in an email to the West Central Tribune, noting that the YMCA board of directors and leadership gave careful consideration of enrollment trends, financial sustainability and long-term organization priorities before making the decision.

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Hatten has experience in opening and operating child care centers, with seven currently operating in

and Marty/Pearl Lake, meaning there were already written policies and other things in place that are needed before a child care center can open.

"We just really want to be there for those families and so I really appreciate their passion in regards to early childhood. You don't usually find a lot of business owners who understand the importance of that in the community, and I'm really impressed with working with this group," Hatten said. "I could get on my soapbox about early childhood education every day, all day, because I know the importance of it, but to find a community that really advocates for that and collaborates for it, that's rare, and so it's really wonderful."

Creative public-private partnerships and generous support from community donors facilitated the original opening of the

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according to Fike.

Its opening was a big celebration for the community, which invested a lot of time and money bringing it into existence, according to West Central Tribune archives. A former pharmacy and clinic in the Green Lake Mall was renovated for the child care center and an indoor play area was constructed in the mall hallway that was open for all children.

The city of Spicer contributed $100,000 and area businesses, the Spicer Economic Development Authority, the

and numerous individuals donated about $850,000 for the project, according to the archives.

Licensed for 90 children, infants six weeks of age through kindergarten, the Spicer Early Learning Center opened with 35 children signed up to attend with expectations that number would gradually increase over the next couple of months. However, the COVID-19 pandemic started just a few months after it opened and may have affected reaching enrollment goals.

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"The YMCA is proud to have served the Spicer community through the Early Learning Center over the past five years," YMCA Board President Mary Jo deCathelineau commented in an email. "Thanks to strong partnerships and community support, we were able to provide high-quality care during a time of real need. As we transition out of child care operations in Spicer, our commitment to the community remains strong."

Baker said the deal to bring the "highly successful Merry Moose day care" to the community came together quickly.

"This was more than a day care center set to close. This was a community effort from day one, and the earlier donors back in 2019 deserved to have 'all hands on deck' to preserve the tremendous investment made by so many," he said. "I believe Merry Moose will have this facility filled in a matter of months with their reputation and brand."

Hatten will be leasing the space for the child care center and the Spicer EDA is working with the YMCA to purchase the equipment in the child care center, which Hatten will then purchase from the EDA.

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"We remain deeply grateful to the Spicer community for their support over the past five years and look forward to continuing to serve children and families across Kandiyohi County through other programs  including youth sports, summer day camp and community health initiatives," Fike said.

" ... As a nonprofit committed to long-term community impact, the Y must regularly evaluate how to best steward our resources to serve the greatest number of families and children in our area," she added.

A meet-and-greet with Hatten is set from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 28, at the Little Crow Event Center, with a brief program at 5:45 p.m. Hatten and community members will share the vision of the learning center and future plans. Kids are welcome.




NEED TO KNOW

A Spirit Airlines passenger claims she was denied boarding due to her shorts, the airline says it was her "disruptive behavior"

Tanasia Grayer was trying to board a Chicago-bound flight from Miami on Wednesday, July 16, when the incident occurred

Grayer's sister, Jessica Kordelewski, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing after a warning





A woman is claiming Spirit Airlines denied her from boarding a flight because of her shorts. The airline says it was her disruptive behavior that caused the incident.

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According to CBS Miami, Tanasia Grayer planned to board a Chicago-bound flight from Miami International Airport on Wednesday, July 16. When she arrived at the gate, she claims Spirit personnel told her she wasnt allowed to board because of her outfit.

We were getting ready to board the plane, and the lady at the front desk, she stopped me and said, Youre not getting on a plane like that, Grayer told the outlet. So I looked at her and I said Like what? She said, With those shorts.

Grayer alleges she walked through the airport without anyone telling her to change. Wearing a pink robe overtop, she says her clothes were not revealing at all.

They said that you cant have the bottom or your butt out, she said. Thats why this robe is on so that Im not too revealing.

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She added: I was in the airport for 40 minutes, yall should've told me. That way I could've went and changed my clothes to put anything else on.

In a clip of the confrontation with airport authorities shared with CBS Miami, a woman in the background can be heard shouting Im confused, this is crazy, this is insane. Grayer said that was her sister, Jessica Kordelewski, who was arrested and accused of disorderly conduct and trespassing after a warning.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Spirit said their records show a guest was not in compliance with our Contract of Carriage and refused to comply when provided an opportunity to do so. The statement says their Contact of Carriage contains certain clothing standards for all passengers.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty I A Spirit Airlines Airbus A Spirit Airlines Airbus

The guest and their travel companion were eventually denied boarding after displaying disruptive behavior," the statement read.

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Im going home, Kordelewski told CBS Miami after she was released from jail.



We are done with Miami, we aint never coming here again, Grayer added.

According to the outlet, the sisters booked another flight with a different airline to get home. She explained she wouldnt wear the same outfit to avoid any troubles.

The Miami-Dade Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.



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According to Spirits Contract of Carriage, guests shall not be permitted on an aircraft and may be required to leave if they are barefoot or inadequately clothed, or if their clothing or body art is considered lewd, obscene or offensive in nature. Listed examples include see-through clothing exposing breasts, buttocks or other private parts.

According to USA Today, the airline recently updated this policy in January 2025. Before, the contract did not specify clothing examples nor body art.



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BLUEFIELD  Children squealed with delight, ran and played Thursday as cooling sprays and fountains from Bluefields brand new splash pad drove away summers heat.

The new Ridge Runner Fun Zone Splash Pad at Bluefield City Park was opened with a prayer and holy water blessing from Paul Barker, the pastor of Christ Episcopal Church and a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mayor Ron Martin then told the guests and the many children waiting eagerly that the new splash pad is a fun and safe place where kids can make lasting memories.

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This splash pad isnt just about cooling off in the summer heat, Martin said. It represents community pride, smart planning and a shared commitment to giving our families the very best.

Children rushed onto the splash pad when the ribbon was cut and the water was switched on. Soon boys and girls were running through cool water fountains and sprays while their families watched.

I like it. Im glad they got it in here, Amanda Mitchell of Green Valley said while her daughter Emma, just over 2 years old, ran through the sprays. Its about time they did something like this. Its a good thing to cool them off when theyre playing. Shes loving it.

At the splash pads opposite side, Tiffany Martin of Bluefield, Va. watched while her sons Josiah and Cameron played. They didnt have far to go if they wanted to enjoy it.

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Its fun for the kids. We live just down the road, she said.

Before cutting the ceremonial ribbon and letting the waiting children enjoy the splash pad, Martin said that projects like it dont happen overnight.

They dont happen alone, either, he said. This beautiful addition to our park is the result of true collaboration, vision and generosity.

Felicia Holcomb, the city managers executive assistant, was praised for her role in the splash pad project.

I wanted thank Felicia for putting together all of the folks who contributed to this and contributing to everything we do in the city and keeping us as a board straight, Martin said.

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Martin also thanked John McGarity and Phillip Avis with the Land and Water Conservation Fund for their help with grant writing. Tyler Hull with Sparks@Play for guiding the design process. Chris Lavery and Chris Wilson at Millennium Pools.

The mayor also recognized Rick Showalter, director of Parks and Recreation, the entire Parks and Recreation staff, the Bluefield Board of Directors and the Public Works Department for all the work they put into the project.

Martin also expressed the citys appreciation for financial assistance from the Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation. The foundation is also helping to create a new restroom and concession building near the splash pad.

John Shott of Bluefield attended the projects opening day and said the new splash was a project filling a need. The city had money committed to it, too.

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It was one of their priorities, Shott said. Weve been supportive of the city administration and the city manager. Theyve done a really good job. That made it an easy decision.

Shott watched while children were enjoying the city parks newest asset.

I love it. Im almost ready to jump under the bucket myself, he said.

Daniel Wells with the city Board of Directors watched while his cousin, Mulan Njie, enjoyed the splash pad with the many other kids.

I actually got involved because I wanted to help the kids and be a voice to have something for them to do, and this is one of those situations where we can kind of get a checkmark and say this is something that we know that we did, he said. So its an awesome day. Were extremely happy about it. Were blessed to have the opportunity to even try and provide this for our community. Its an awesome feeling. Its awesome.

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State Senator Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, was visiting Bluefield when the parks newest asset opened.

I love to see the community support and how the city of Bluefield has worked together to make this possible, he said. And its an inspiration. Its the first grand opening of a splash park that Ive been to. Public pools are kind of a thing of the past because you can go to your local Walmart and buy one for a minimal amount, but this is a great way to give a community something to do on these hot summer days and its so great to see the kids out and enjoying it. And we need more of this in West Virginia.

The Ridge Runner Fun Zone Splash Pad is currently open seven days a week. Admission is $3 per person per session. Splash pad sessions run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Season passes are $75 for individuals and $150 for families. Season passes can be purchased from the Bluefield Fitness and Recreation Center at 703 College Avenue. Private parties from Friday to Sunday for $200 can be booked by calling 304-325-5707 Extension 1.

Contact Greg Jordan at

gjordan@bdtonline.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  The Salvation Army in Springfield brought the community together on Thursday for a cookout and a good cause.

Five dollar train rides to Hartford offered Aug. 2-3 at Springfield Union Station

They held their annual cookout, which included Mayor Sarno, the district attorneys office, Springfield police officers, and children who had just completed a 12-week program at the non-profit following a first-time offense.

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The Salvation Army hopes to provide those children with a second family and growth opportunities. They get to interact with one another in a safe place, says Commanding Officer Captain Stacy McNeil. They have supportive staff, they have incredible people that want to love them and guide them in the right direction, and I think sometimes theres a stigma of the kids in this program, but they just need some redirection and guidance.

The curriculum includes several topics, like building self-esteem and how to deal with peer pressure.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
SPRINGFIELD  Concerned about fostering digital equity while expanding the number of internet providers, the City Council put off voting on a proposal from GoNetspeed, which is pushing to install fiber conduit in parts of the city.

The proposal was seemingly routine, with the private company asking for approvals to install short lengths of underground conduit at 36 different sites throughout the city. The work proposed is mostly in the tree belts, so its considered minimally invasive, since most of it will not require digging up pavement, said Christopher Cignoli, public works director.

The company is working in Ludlow now and is expanding into Springfield, starting with Indian Orchard and Pine Point. It has strung overhead lines in neighborhoods and wants to bury cable in spots where there are no connecting poles to run it overhead, Cignoli said.

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Some of the streets include Parker Street, Boston Road, Breckwood Boulevard, Fargo Street and Almira Road, he said.

This is a big economic development issue, City Councilor Jose Delgado said. We need fiber throughout the city, but we need to vet it.

If GoNetspeed decides to wire half the city and stop, no other company will look at Springfield to bring in broadband, because the higher-income neighborhoods, where more people are likely to sign up, already will have service, he said.

Delgado, who heads up a council working group on digital equity, recently proposed that the city seek bids from companies interested in upgrading all of Springfields digital infrastructure.

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Currently, city residents largely rely on media giant Comcast to provide their internet, but officials across the city have wanted to bring in other companies, saying more competition should lower prices and improve service.

Bringing in fiber also will increase the speed of the internet, which city councilors said is needed to help businesses and residents who need better connections for work and school.

Cignoli said GoNetspeed has filed plans only for work it expects to do this year, and its long-term design has not been released to the city.

Officials for the company did not return requests for comment Thursday.

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When we look at the different streets and areas, I just want to make sure they dont forget the inner city, said City Councilor Malo Brown, who represents Ward 4, which includes the Mason Square neighborhood.

City Council Vice President Tracye Whitfield said Ward 2, where she lives, often struggles with poor internet connections, especially at peak hours.

She said she had a lot of questions about the customer service GoNetspeed will provide, and what it will do about outages and IP protections.

The City Council agreed to move the vote to its next meeting in August.

Read the original article on MassLive.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Springfield Police detectives are asking for the publics help in identifying a woman suspected of committing identity fraud in the city and surrounding communities.

Agawam police seek help identifying suspect accused of stealing $600 using stolen debit card

Investigators allege the suspect has been involved in incidents where she withdrew money from victims bank accounts without their authorization.

Courtesy of the Springfield Police Department

Courtesy of the Springfield Police Department

Police have shared surveillance images of the suspect to generate leads.

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The fraudulent activity has been reported not only in Springfield but also in neighboring areas, prompting a broader investigation.

Anyone who may recognize the individual or have information about her whereabouts is urged to contact Springfield Police Detectives at 413-787-6355. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Text-A-Tip program by texting CRIMES (274637) and typing SOLVE followed by the tip.

Police say the investigation remains active and ongoing.

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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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Data shows that summertime is the peak season for car thefts and its a trend that no one wants to fall victim to. Thats why July is recognized as National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month!

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Car thefts are a trending issue that can happen to anyone, anywhere. Not only can it cause financial loss, but it can also disrupt daily life and cause a sense of fear.

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Car thefts are a major problem that affects countless individuals every year. Friends of mine who have ring cameras said that they see people walking up to their car and just kind of opening the door, if they can or not, and stealing whatever belongings or stealing the car or whatever the case may have been, said Dominick Dore of West Springfield.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, there were more than 850,000 vehicles stolen nationwide last year. While its a 17% decrease in car thefts nationally, they are still happening at an alarming rate. About one vehicle is stolen every 37 seconds in the U.S. according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, costing owners billions of dollars each year.

Springfield Police warns that they see at least two car thefts per day and that even if the cars are recovered, they are often damaged or involved in accidents. Police say the majority of car thefts that happen in the city are done by juveniles that are going out in the middle of the night.

Make sure you dont leave your keys in your vehicle. You dont leave your car running when its unattended. Ensure that you dont have a spare set of keys somewhere in the car, said Springfield Police Departments spokesperson, Ryan Walsh.

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And the most common targets are Hyundais and Kias. Individuals will attempt to steal them, even if those cars have the proper fixes that they cant be started with USB cables, people will attempt to break into those vehicles.So we urge everyone with the Hyundai or Kia to ensure that you have a steering wheel locking device thats visible like the club, said Walsh.

It makes it more difficult for thieves to steer the vehicle by physically attaching to the steering wheel and preventing it from turning. Parking in well-lit areas or areas with security cameras can also help prevent car theft.

Remember, immediately reporting a stolen vehicle to the police in the first 24 hours increases your chance of recovery by 34 percent, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

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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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BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  A man convicted and sentenced for a series of rapes will not be released back into society.

Between December 1998 and January 1999, 53-year-old Bobby Allen broke into four homes in Springfield and raped four women.

The four women described the attacker as a man dressed in black and carrying a knife.

In each case, he made them clean themselves after the rape.

One managed to hide some of his DNA. Investigators used that DNA sample to tie Allen to the victims, which included a 15-year-old girl.

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He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In 2007, Allen entered a plea in the cases and was castrated.

As the sentence was ending, State Attorney Larry Basford filed to have Allen committed to a secure treatment facility under the Jimmy Ryce Act.

During Wednesdays civil trial, witnesses testified that Allens castration can be nullified with testosterone replacement and that he is still a danger to society.

After deliberating 30 minutes, jurors agreed, and Judge Brantley Clark ordered Allen to be held at the Florida Civil Commitment Center for an indefinite period.

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SPRINGFIELD  Springfield Water and Sewer Commission customers are seeing a new $11.50-a-month fee on their bills starting in July. That new expense comes as a Western Massachusetts lawmaker proposes to add voices beyond Springfield to the utilitys board.

It is the living incarnation of taxation without representation, said state Rep. Aaron L. Saunders, D-Belchertown. These towns have no say.

Back in January, Saunders  who represents Ludlow, where the commission provides municipal water  filed a bill on Beacon Hill that would expand the Water & Sewer Commission board and add an advisory board. The measure would also create a position for an ombudsperson who would act as a public advocate at the commission.

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Today, the Water and Sewer Commission is run by a board of three commissioners, all selected by the mayor of Springfield and confirmed by the Springfield City Council.

But Saunders estimates that 40% of the commissions 250,000 customers dont live in Springfield.

A hearing is set for Tuesday in front of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government.

The current commission has no stance on the bill, said Katherine Shea, educational outreach manager.

The commission provides drinking water service to Springfield and Ludlow; regional drinking water treatment to Agawam, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow and Southwick; and emergency and peak service to Westfield, West Springfield, Chicopee, and Wilbraham.

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The commission provides wastewater service to Springfield and regional wastewater treatment to West Springfield, Agawam, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham and Ludlow.

And while the communities are not customers, Russell, Blandford and Granville are host communities for the reservoir and watersheds that feed the system. Ludlow has a reservoir as well.

Saunders bill would create an advisory board to give input and help the flow of information. The board of directors with real power would expand from three members to seven.

On a seven-member board, Springfield would appoint four members  still a majority  but three members would be appointed by the advisory board.

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The advisory board would include representatives from Ludlow, Springfield, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Agawam and West Springfield, as well as two representatives of the Little River watershed area to be designated by agreement among the chairman of the boards of selectmen in the towns of Russel, Granville and Blandford.

People on the advisory board would be either the chief executive of a city or town or an appointee.

Saunders said he based the structure on the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which runs the Quabbin Reservoir, the water body that supplies Boston.

He said he has the support of state Sen. Jacob Oliveira of Ludlow and state Reps. Michael Finn, D-West Springfield, and Kelly Pease, R- Westfield.

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A hearing is set for Tuesday in front of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government.

The current commission has no stance on the bill, said Katherine Shea, educational outreach manager.

New fee in place

The commissions new total operating budget  approved in June  is $105.8 million, up from $99 million in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the commissions documents.

The budget for operations went from $71.7 million in 2025 to $74.95 million in 2026. The cost of covering debt is up from $27.2 million to $31 million.

The commission didnt change rates with its new budget, but it did institute what it calls an Infrastructure Renewal Charge to monthly bills.

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For approximately 94% of customer accounts, it will be $11.50 a month.

The charge is intended to stabilize rates and help the commission cope with long-term changes facing water and sewer utilities.

The commission anticipates cuts to state and federal loan programs, a downward trend in water consumption and increased volatility in fixed costs, such as health insurance, sludge disposal and building materials, according to a written statement.

The charge will help the commission pay down its debt.

In October, the Water and Sewer Commission began four years of construction for its $298.2 million West Parish Water Treatment Plant.

Read the original article on MassLive.
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As climate change accelerates, summer is only getting longer  and hotter. Though the extreme heat can be difficult for anyone to deal with, it seems that it can be particularly arduous for people with certain mental health conditions.

During a recent heat wave, scores of people on TikTok posted about experiencing heat intolerance while taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also known as SSRIs, a type of antidepressant. The videos range from funny (relatable POV shots of people sweating profusely) to educational (some doctors weighed in on the medical reasons behind the phenomenon). Its true that SSRIs can impact how your body reacts to heat, but as with anything on social media, the truth about SSRI heat intolerance is more complicated than it seems.

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About 13% of adults in the United States take antidepressants (of which SSRIs are the most common form). SSRIs are commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, and panic disorders and include commonly known medications like Prozac and Zoloft. The drugs function by blocking the brains reuptake of serotonin, which is a naturally occurring chemical that regulates mood. But regulating mood isnt serotonins only job, says Dr. Joshua Wortzel, MD, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

Sertonin plays a fundamental role in regulating the bodys main thermostat, the hypothalamus, says Dr. Wortzel. SSRIs [are] obviously going to have a number of effects on the bodys ability to thermoregulate. Ten percent of people on SSRIs will report increased sweating, especially in the beginning.

Still, Dr. Wortzel says that SSRIs dont necessarily lead to heat intolerance  it might be the mental health condition the drugs treat that changes how you react to heat. Research suggests that people with depression tend to have higher body temperatures, prompting scientists to look at whether lowering body temperature might have a therapeutic effect. Dr. Wortzel says increased sweating on SSRIs can be a cooling mechanism for the body, which helps regulate that core temperature.

So, do SSRIs cause heat intolerance? Not necessarily  but they do impact how your body regulates temperature, which we know can already be a struggle during the summer months. How can you handle all that sweating in the heat? Dr. Elizabeth Haase, MD, a psychiatrist who is part of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance, says its key to know your limits.

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The basic advice would be to be aware that youre going to be less able to adapt to the heat than other people and to come in out of the heat earlier, says Dr. Haase. You just want to be more cautious.

Dr. Haase stresses that the potential of heat intolerance should not keep someone from taking their prescribed medications. Instead, Dr. Wortzel says patients may reach out to their doctors to discuss SSRI heat intolerance and plan coping strategies.

My number one advice would be to talk to your medical provider about how youre going to manage your medicines in the heat, says Dr. Wortzel. He notes that sleep is negatively impacted by rising temperatures and heat so if a person has to limit where theyre going to use air conditioning or other measures, its best to use it in the room where they sleep. Air conditioning is huge because we know that sleep disruption can increase risks of depression, mood instability, emotional stability, and suicidality. Try to stay cool at night."

If you dont have access to air conditioning, Wortzel also says that fans are helpful in managing hot temperatures and immersion in cool bodies of water is effective, though only for the length of time the person is submerged. He also advises knowing where your local cooling centers are  public places where you can access air conditioning, particularly during extreme heat. You can find state-by-state guidance here, but spaces like public libraries are great resources for accessing some cool air. Even going to a park can be helpful, as parks tend to be cooler than other outdoor spaces.

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Signs that you may not be tolerating the heat well, especially if you are on SSRIs, include becoming dehydrated, stopping sweating, or getting a headache, Wortzel says. If you have concerns about how youre tolerating the heat and what to do about heat intolerance related to medication, its best to contact your doctor.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  Savannah State University (SSU) President Dr. Jermaine Whirl reflected on his first 100-days in office and detailed a vision for the future in an address he gave on Thursday morning.

Whirl is the universitys 15th president. WSAV spoke with him after the address about his plans moving forward.

I challenge our folks that were going to continue to build on this wonderful campus that we have here, Whirl said. We have a wonderful 201 acres, but we also need to increase our footprint in the future.

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He called his map to success, SSU 2.0, a plan to make Savannah State among the top 25 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the country. That includes increasing SSUs real estate.

2.0 is really about building a brand-new north campus thats really adjacent to Interstate 95, giving us a visibility for the world thats coming through the state of Georgia, and being the gateway for those who are coming into the state, but more importantly, driving the economic development activity for the region as well, Whirl said.

Starting Aug. 1, SSU will launch three new academic colleges including a brand-new engineering college.

Whirl also says they are filling critical faculty and staff vacancies.

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It is all part of a plan to achieve an R-3 research designation, which will allow the university to grant doctoral degrees and conduct moderate to high level research.

What it does, it really signifies that were going to be an anchor institution, he said.

Whirl also highlighted four major projects that are currently underway, starting with a stormwater infrastructure project.

Weve been working on student campus safety, which involves building a new welcome center at the front entrance of the campus, Whirl said. We will have new gates on the east and west side of our campus and are also working on locks for our academic buildings if we needed to for active shooters.

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Whirl said, We are really getting prepared for our biggest project, which is our most transformational project, which is a new wellness facility for our students. So, that one Im extremely excited about. Itll be about a three and a half year, multimillion dollar project, but one thats going to transform the entire campus community.

Whirl said there is more to come including a partnership with Hyundai. All of this is aimed at setting students up for bright, successful future.

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The annual Armenian Festival at St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church will return on Sunday, with a special anniversary this year.

Festival organizers say this will be the 75th year for the annual picnic and festival, based on their historical records. From noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, the church grounds at 322 Ninth St. will serve plenty of Armenian food with spaces for music and dancing.

The first 25 years were held at the LaSalle Sportsmens Club grounds on Porter Road and the past 50 were at the church grounds on Ninth Street.

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Church Board of Trustees President Aris Ohanessian Jr. said church members stumbled onto the fact while looking through old photographs of past picnics. They are confident this is the 75th year based on a 96-year-old member of the congregation who was there when it started and the fact the church was built in 1952.

Its important for us to maintain the history we have, Ohanessian said, with St. Hagop and the neighboring St. Sarkis churches the longtime center of Niagara Falls Armenian community. The city was home to between 3,000 and 5,000 Armenians who immigrated after the Armenian genocide to work in the areas factories.

We have a small, hardworking group to keep it going as long as possible, Ohanessian said.

The food is normally prepared across three days ahead of the festival, with baked goods frozen so that everything is fresh. That includes lamb shish kebabs, marinated chicken, rice and boulgour pilaf, three bean salads, cookies, and breakfast bread.

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On average, around 500 people, Armenian or not, attend the festival every year. Last year had one of the best turnouts, so much so that the food ran out by 4:30 that day.

Not often does that happen, Ohanessian said. We are prepared for a longer serving period.

St. Sarkis will hold its own Armenian festival and picnic on Aug. 24.
ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY)  A man from St. Martinville was sentenced to 25 years for third-degree rape.

According to authorities Travis Alexander, 36, of St. Martinville, previously pled guilty to third-degree rape on April 29. A sentencing hearing was set before Judge Roger Hamilton, Jr. on July 14.

Officials said in this case, a juvenile victim reported that Alexander raped her. She was examined

by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. DNA testing from a sexual assault kit tested positive for Alexanders DNA. Additionally, Alexander made inculpatory statements in text messages recovered by law enforcement.

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Alexander was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 25 years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

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A metal foundry on St. Pauls East Side at loggerheads with state regulators over air quality emissions has filed its second lawsuit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, this time alleging breaches of the states Data Practices Act and a count of defamation related to a December plant fire.

The Northern Iron Foundry, which was purchased by Lawton Standard in 2022, filed its latest lawsuit on earlier this week in Ramsey County District Court. It is being represented by the Minneapolis law firm of Dorsey and Whitney.

The 11-page civil complaint calls for proper enforcement of an existing stipulation agreement and alleges one count each of breach of contract, violation of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and defamation.

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In March, the foundrys residential neighbors filed a class action suit against Northern Iron  Brittney Bruce v. Northern Iron  alleging their homes had been contaminated by soot laced with heavy metals from the foundry. MPCA testing found chromium, cobalt, lead and manganese  the same metals detected in samples taken from the Northern Iron facility.

Response from Northern Iron

On Feb. 10, in response to Northern Irons May 2024 lawsuit against state regulators, the Minnesota Attorney Generals office issued a letter to the court, on behalf of the MPCA, expressing concern about the metal-tainted soot landing on residences near the Forest Street plant, as well as overdue air quality monitoring data and other issues delaying permitting.

During a July 10 hearing in the class action suit, it was confirmed that the data regarding soot is not public data and is likely classified as civil investigative data, which can only be released pursuant to a court order, reads the companys latest civil filing, which claims a data privacy violation.

The attorney generals office also claimed that Northern Iron submitted a permit application with new air quality modeling data more than four months after both were due, and that both were incomplete. The company, according to the attorney generals office, submitted a flurry of last-minute requests for legal evidence known as discovery in an apparent attempt to delay the case.

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The attorney generals letter went on to say that a December fire that took place at Northern Iron was due to improper installation of equipment, even though the MPCA has no evidence that the fire was caused by improper installation, reads the lawsuit.

The MPCA knew at the time that it submitted the Feb. 10 letter that the statement was and is false, reads the lawsuit, which claims the letter amounts to defamation.

The new civil complaint notes that the MPCA issued Northern Iron a notice of violation in April 2023 over outdated emissions controls and equipment installed without proper permits, leading to a stipulation agreement between the two parties in July 2023.

The company agreed to pay the MPCA $41,000, and the agreement spelled out corrective actions Northern Iron would take while regulators held off on any further penalties.

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The MPCA then issued a new administrative order in April 2024, alleging further violations. Northern Iron responded by filing a petition against state regulators in Ramsey County District Court that May, claiming that the MPCA had bypassed a dispute resolution process laid out in their previous agreement.

Added penalties

Last October, the MPCA levied $219,000 in added penalties against Northern Iron through an administrative penalty order for alleged violations of the stipulation agreement. The company filed a legal appeal of the order last November.

In December, the MPCA issued an amended administrative penalty order demanding penalty payments within 30 days, and in early June, regulators issued a notice of intent to revoke the companys air permit without likelihood of it being reissued.

The companys latest civil filing, which maintains that the dispute had hurt its standing with vendors and workers, calls for unspecified damages above $75,000 to be paid to Northern Iron for breach of the stipulation agreement, as well as attorneys fees, costs and whatever other relief the court may deem suitable.

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The summons and complaint was served to the MPCA on Wednesday, and the case was assigned that day to Judge Leonardo Castro.

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Jul. 18BEMIDJI  St. Philip's School will hold its inaugural "Outstanding Alumni and Supporters" brunch at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, at the St. Philip's Social Hall, 701 Beltrami Ave. NW.

The event will be an opportunity to honor those who have made a significant impact on St. Philip's School and/or to those who have attended the school and reached remarkable success in life. Three former students, three former staff members, and two couples who have been supporters will be recognized.

The event is open to the public. A free-will offering will be accepted, with no pre-registration required. Organizers are asking attendees to provide the committee with the number in their party, by texting or calling

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(218) 556-3031.

The three alumni who are being honored have expressed their appreciation for the values and education they received at St. Philip's School.

"My time at St. Philip's helped plant many seeds," said Dr. Daniel Hoody, one of the honorees. "I am honored to be part of the Outstanding Alumni at St. Philip's, a place that shaped not just my education, but the foundation of who I am.

"I'm grateful for the teachers, classmates, and community who helped shape my path. I hope to continue honoring what I learned here  by listening well, leading humbly, and serving others with love."

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Outstanding Alumni honorees include Dr. Daniel Hoody, Holly Cook Macarro and Dr. Patrick Graupman.

Hoody attended St. Philip's from 1986 to 1994. Upon graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and after a brief stint as a design engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., Hoody graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2008.

After a residency in Colorado, he became an internal medicine physician. For close to a decade, he has served as a physician executive in safety net health systems  organizations that exist to care for those most often overlooked.

In 2023, Hoody left his position as Chief Medical Officer at Hennepin County Medical Center to become Chief Physician/Medical Officer for Sanford Health in Bemidji.

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Cook Macarro is a Native American political strategist and advocate, nationally recognized for her work in advancing tribal sovereignty and Indigenous representation in U.S. politics. A member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, she attended the Red Lake Mission School and is a graduate of St. Philip's School.

She attended the University of North Dakota and earned her MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Her political journey began with a White House internship during the Clinton administration, leading to roles in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and as Director of the Office of Native American Affairs at the Democratic National Committee.

She has served on the boards of multiple leading Native news outlets as well as being on the Executive Board Native Forward Scholars Fund, championing tribal scholarship and educational equity.

Graupman attended St. Philip's School from 1976-1982. After graduating from St. Olaf College, he earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine.

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Following a residency in the department of neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota in 2003, he completed a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at the University of Colorado Children's Hospital.

He began his first job at the University of Vermont, returning to Minnesota in 2006. He has since worked at Gillette Children's Specialty Hospital. Graupman is board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

He also has served those in need through Doctors Without Borders. This medical organization cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, and exclusion from health care.

The Outstanding Staff honorees include Rev. Msgr. Michael Patnode, Flavia (Thomas) Sagedahl and Mary Westrum

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Msgr. Patnode was ordained a Catholic priest at St. Philip's in 1972. He attended St. Philip's School before transferring to Crosier Seminary for six years. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy during six years of study at St. Paul Seminary and a master's degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University.

Msgr. Patnode served 12 years at his home parish of St. Philip's from 1993-2005 as pastor and school superintendent. In his 48 years as a priest, Msgr. Patnode served in over half of the diocesan parishes.

His leadership at the diocesan level included Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia and Director of Diaconate. Even after retirement he accepted a call to return to St. Philip's in a time of need.

He established the Paul and Eleanor Patnode Scholarship in honor of his parents. Msgr. Patnode died in 2020.

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Sagedahl grew up in Barnesville, Minn., attending Assumption Catholic School, where she later taught for three years. After marrying Desmond Sagedahl and starting their family, they relocated to Bemidji.

They enrolled their three children in St. Philip's School followed by Flavia accepting a part-time position as assistant cook in 1973, later becoming the head cook. In 1982, she was asked by the pastor to accept the position of school principal, a job she held for 14 years.

Upon retirement, Flavia continues to be a strong supporter and advocate for St. Philip's School.

Westrum graduated from Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks before heading to Moorhead State and Bemidji State to receive her education degree.

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Moving to Bemidji in 1969, Westrum and her family became involved with the St. Philip's Community, including enrolling their daughters in St. Philip's School.

In 1970 Westrum began more than two decades of teaching at St. Philip's School. With high expectations, her deep Catholic faith, and a belief that every student could succeed, Mary earned the reputation of being a tough but highly respected and beloved teacher.

She fostered a joyful and loving classroom environment, desiring that her students grow into kind, responsible, and compassionate individuals. After more than 40 years of teaching, Westrum retired from St. Philip's School in 1993, continuing to serve as a substitute teacher.

The Outstanding Supporters honorees include Joe and Jane Welle, and Wayne and Carolyn Dondelinger.

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Nicholas Welle , Joe's father, arrived in Bemidji in 1945 to join his brother Rudolph at the First National Bank. A multi-generational legacy of faith, education and service to the community and to St. Philip's Church and School began.

Joe and Jane were blessed with six children  Susan, Theresa, Mary, Hugh, Katherine and Sarah  all graduates of St. Philip's School. Hugh remained in Bemidji and along with his wife, Deborah, continued the St. Philip's legacy by enrolling their five children  Christian, Amanda, Jamie, Samantha and Joseph  from kindergarten through graduation.

Enrollment support from the Welle family continues into the current generation, with six children enrolled in the 2024-25 school year.

Wayne and Carolyn Dondelinger moved to Bemidji in 1974 after purchasing an auto dealership. They enrolled their three children  Julie, Tim and Linda  in St Philip's School, with each attending through graduation.

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During that time, both parents became active in church and school activities. Wayne served multiple terms on the St. Philip's School Board and was a member of the Building Committee when the new church was built.

Carolyn became active in the church guild, funeral choir, and the many volunteer activities needed in the school, including serving hot lunch. The next generation of Dondelingers enrolled at St. Philip's with grandchildren Becca and Mark attending until the family moved out of town, and Megan, Andrew, Emily enrolled from kindergarten through eighth-grade graduation.

In addition to support through volunteerism and enrollment of children, the Dondelinger Family Scholarship, established in 2000, was provided in order to make tuition affordable to families of St. Philip's School in perpetuity.
TICONDEROGA  After being on the run from attempted murder charges for three months, Jacob T. Sawyer was captured by police in South Ticonderoga on Wednesday afternoon.

Sawyer, 29, of Ticonderoga was wanted for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend several al times at her home on Park Place in Ticonderoga.

The April 13 incident was interrupted by the arrival of the womans father, who had left the home to run errands, and returned to find Sawyer. The suspect allegedly ran from the home on foot, abandoning his vehicle and hadnt been seen since.

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The woman was transported to UVM Medical Center in Burlington with wounds to her upper body and has since recovered.

Ticonderoga Town Police executed a search warrant at the home of Sawyers mother on Trout Brook Road and Route 9N where they believed the suspect was staying and took him into custody without incident, officials said.

New York State Police, Essex County Sheriffs Department and the Tri-County Special Response Team assisted Ticonderoga Police.

Sawyer was charged with felony second degree attempted murder, first degree burglary, third degree criminal possession of a weapon, second degree menacing and first degree criminal contempt for allegedly violating an order of protection. Sawyer was already out on bail for several felony charges related to his allegedly threatening and assaulting his ex-girlfriend when the April attack took place.

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He was taken to the Ticonderoga Police Station for processing, then lodged in the Essex County Jail at Lewis in lieu of $250,000 cash bail, $500,000 bail bond or $1 million partially secured bail after his arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court Thursday.

Sawyers mother, Sharri L. Merritt, 49, was arrested for hindering prosecution. She was taken to the Ticonderoga Police Station for questioning, police said, and released with an appearance ticket for Ticonderoga Town Court..

Ticonderoga Police Chief Adam Hurlburt praised the cooperation Ticonderoga Police got from other law enforcement agencies in taking Sawyer into custody.

This arrest was a multi-agency effort, he said in a release.

The chief said Ticonderoga Police and the assisting agencies executed multiple search warrants in the area as the investigation progressed, before Wednesdays apprehension.
HEWITT, Texas (FOX 44)  City leaders and community members gathered Thursday for the annual State of the City Luncheon hosted by the Greater Hewitt Chamber of Commerce.

The event brought together residents, business owners, and city leadership to hear updates on Hewitts growth, city services, and future plans.

Its very important that the community hears first-hand from their elected officials whats going on with the State of the City and the opportunity to be able to approach, ask questions at any time, but especially in a group setting, said Mayor Steve Fortenberry.

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Fortenberry also noted that the city is nearing its growth limits, with only a few thousand more residents it can accommodate.

Were about maxed out on growth. We got about another four or 5,000 residents that we can accommodate, but just keep going in the same direction, he said.

The luncheon also provided attendees with networking opportunities.

We get all kinds of insight as to whats happening in the current business, and its a great way to network with others, said Jill King, with Bare Arms Brewing. It gives us great access to city officials, something that, you know, you cant just necessarily pick up the phone and talk to a

city official. But if you have questions or whatever, it makes people very accessible, she added.

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Greater Hewitt Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alissa Cady said the luncheon not only builds relationships, but also helps businesses and organizations better serve the public.

The past ten or twelve years, its just been tremendous growth. Not only commercially, but residential. She works very hard to make it a safe place to work, live, and play, Cady said.

Its always just nice to hear their annual progress report. Its interesting because we also, since we work very closely with the city, well get calls with questions. So its just nice to have a little bit of information we can share and, of course, just direct them to the correct departments for those questions they have that we cant answer, she added.

City leaders say they remain focused on maintaining transparency, fostering business connections, and supporting responsible growth as Hewitt continues to develop.

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State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States does not support recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria and called for "dialogue" between the two Middle East powers.

"The United States unequivocally condemns the violence. All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire," Bruce announced at a State Department press briefing Thursday afternoon.

Why Syria Plays A Key Role In Trumps Plans For Middle East Peace

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On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus struck the country's Defense Ministry headquarters and an area near the presidential palace, killing three and injuring dozens of others, according to reports.

The Israeli military said it was intervening to defend the minority Druze population in southern Syria, a community that shares a border with Israel, amid armed skirmishes between local Bedouin Sunni tribes and the recently installed Syrian government.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency, SANA, smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Syrian Defence Ministry in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

"We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to Druze civilians," Eyal Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces' general staff, said during a situational assessment at the Syrian border.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Syria to end the "troubling and horrifying situation."

"This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do," he added.

Trumps Push For Israel-syria Peace Gets Major Backing As Activist Brings Message To Jerusalem

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, during a meeting with Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's crown prince, and U.S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

"Thankful to all sides for their break from chaos and confusion as we attempt to navigate all parties to a more durable and peaceful solution in Syria," U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack added.

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When asked Thursday what prompted the Israeli strikes and whether the U.S. suspected any foreign fighters, like ISIS, of being involved in the conflict in Syria between the Bedouins and the Druze, Bruce said there will need to be continued investigation to figure out exactly why this Israeli airstrike occurred.

Rubio said Wednesday he believed Israels strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus was "likely" due to "a misunderstanding."

Bruce on Thursday responded to reporters' questions about what U.S. officials meant when they said "confusion" and "misunderstanding" from Israel were what led to their involvement.

Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, shown here May 6, 2025, said the State Department is "currently monitoring and addressing" an incident in which someone used AI to try to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"This is an ancient rivalry between the Druze and the Bedouins and violence ensued, the Syrians moving to that area to quell and stop that violence. And the Israelis, who see that occurring to the Druze community and their concerns, then entered what they assessed was something larger than what, or even not what it was at all," Bruce said at Thursday's briefing.

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"The good news is, the story is, it stopped, as within the management of that larger conflict. Again, there's still skirmishes and other issues.  The Syrian government is going to have to lead  obviously, there will be other involvement  but lead in to this de-escalation and to the stability."





Original article source: State Department says US 'unequivocally condemns' Israeli airstrike in Syria, calls for 'dialogue'
After recently being awarded state funding, the London-Laurel County Economic Development Authority can now move forward with a key infrastructure project at McDaniel Industrial Park.

The Laurel County Fiscal Court, serving as the required pass-through agency, secured Kentucky Product Development Initiative (KPDI) funds on behalf of the authority to construct a 1,400-foot entrance road into the site. The authority is covering the 20% local match required under the program.

This is a really big deal. I mean, to get this money is a game changer for our community, said LLCEDA Executive Director Paula Thompson.

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Located off Sinking Creek Road, the McDaniel Industrial Park spans approximately 175 acres, made up of a 71-acre tract, an adjoining 99-acre tract, and a two-acre connecting parcel. Thompson shared it is the countys ninth industrial park and the only site the authority currently has available for new development.

The property was purchased through a prior 50/50 grant program and has since been cleared of homes and farm buildings. Thompson said grant funding like KPDI is vital to advancing the site.

Weve bought the property, weve paid for it, now were trying to get it usable so someone can build  or we can build  on it, she said.

The site has been conceptually divided into five lots but remains flexible for those interested. Thompson said the property could support multiple businesses or be taken up by one large project, depending on demand.

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At this time, we dont know whats coming, she said. Were not built to suit. If someone comes and needs a 200,000-square-foot building, thats a big chunk. We have to stay flexible.

With the existing road on the property being narrow, the new entrance is being designed for safer, more efficient access, especially for tractor-trailers and industrial traffic. Utility extensions  including water, sewer, gas, and electric  are expected to follow shortly after the road is in place.

Once road and utility work is complete, the authority will begin more aggressive marketing efforts. Plans also include constructing a spec building.

Some companies dont want to start from scratch  they want a structure they can modify and finish, Thompson said.

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Thompson explained that only certain types of businesses can operate in the park. McDaniel is intended for manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, or service industries, rather than retail, churches, or other high-traffic commercial uses.

With additional funding secured and infrastructure work now underway, the industrial parks next phase will focus on preparing it for investment.
The Brief

State lawmakers reacted to the housing fraud investigation, with some calling it a "concern" and others renewing calls for enhanced oversight.

Some Republicans said a bill that would have added a government watchdog was a missed opportunity; a Democrat expressed skepticism over it.

The FBI raided eight homes and businesses across the metro on Wednesday morning as part of an investigation into a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.

(FOX 9) - Minnesota lawmakers on both sides sharply criticized the suspected housing fraud that is under investigation but disagreed on how to prevent it in the future.

Lawmakers concerned after FBI fraud investigation

The investigation

The FBI raided more than a half-dozen homes and businesses across the metro on Wednesday as part of a sprawling probe into suspected fraud.

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According to court documents, providers billed Medicaid for millions of dollars worth of services they never rendered. Housing Stabilization Services, which was created in 2020, allows Medicaid to cover expenses for finding housing for vulnerable adults, including seniors and those with disabilities or addiction issues.

Federal investigators said the program is "extremely vulnerable to fraud." According to a search warrant, 14 providers collected $22 million over a 16-month period. In all, the program has cost taxpayers $302 million since its inception. During that time frame, it was estimated to cost about $12 million.

Prosecutors have not yet filed charges.

What they're saying

"I think we really have to go back to that hard work of focusing on internal controls. Are they flagging stuff on the front end? It is so hard to claw back this money once its gone," said State Rep. Kirstin Robbins, a Republican of Maple Grove. "We need to catch this on the front end, so that were not pouring hundreds of millions of dollars out there, and its not doing Minnesotans any good."

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She renewed calls for a failed bill introduced in the last session that would have added a government watchdog.

But one of her Democratic colleagues said the measure was flawed.

"That proposal wouldve added an additional statewide inspector general on top of the inspector general that were federally required to have in the Department of Human Services," explained State Rep. Dave Pinto, a Democrat of St. Paul. "The more cooks you have in the kitchen, the more complicated things can be. So, Id have some concerns about that."

What's next

Lawmakers said discussions about additional oversight as well as reforms to the housing program are likely in the next session.
ATLANTIS  State Rep. Joe Casello, a veteran state legislator and former Boynton Beach city commissioner, died late Friday, July 18, after suffering a massive heart attack earlier in the month.

He was taken off life support that morning. His longtime friend and confidante, Jonathon McMahon, reported his passing to The Palm Beach Post. "Joe has gone to a better place," said McMahon.

Casello was 73 years old.

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A Democrat who represented Florida House District 90, Casello was taken to HCA Florida JFK Hospital in Atlantis about two weeks ago after complaining of chest pains. McMahon said the damage to Casello's heart was so severe that the only way he was kept alive was through life support.

Rep. Joe Casello, R-Boynton Beach, died Friday after being taken off life support. He had suffered a massive heart attack.

More: State Rep. Casello announces county commission run; joins Peduzzi in quest for vacant spot

Casello was a popular legislator who worked well with Republicans.

State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, was a close friend. He said he and his wife, Tracy, met with Casello for about half an hour July 17. Casello's heart was only at about 15% then. He had decided to come off life support, according to Caruso.

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"He was very lucid," Caruso said when he met with Casello. "I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He said: 'See if you could get a fire truck named after me.'"

Caruso said Casello will be missed, noting: "He worked with both sides of the aisle. He always did the right thing. We need more Joe Casellos in the Legislature."

Casello's political career followed 33 years as Massachusetts firefighter

Casello was a firefighter for 33 years in Worcester, Massachusetts, before moving to Palm Beach County. His first entry into politics was in 2013, where he became a city commissioner in Boynton Beach, winning the seat by only three votes.

He has since coasted to electoral victories. Last November, he was reelected to a fourth term in the state House. He had filed papers to run for the Palm Beach County Commission in November 2026.

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Casello said he regretted not being able to serve on the commission, according to Caruso. Casello had already been endorsed by a number of elected officials.

Casello released the following statement just before coming off life support July 17.

"My life has always been about public service and meeting the needs of my community. Serving as both a firefighter for 33 years and an elected official for 13 years has been the greatest honor of my life. Representing the people  through times of unity and division, triumph and challenge  has been a privilege I will always cherish.

"Helping people in their times of need wasnt just part of the job  it was a calling and a privilege that I will always hold close to my heart. To everyone who has supported me throughout the years: thank you. Truly. I cant say that enough. I love each and every one of you. Your encouragement, your belief in me, and your unwavering support have meant more than words can ever express.

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"To the broader community: my goal has always been to lead with common sense. Too often, political discourse gets in the way  and that only distracts us from the common good. Lets rise above that. Lets stay the course, love one another, and continue working together to achieve meaningful progress as citizens."

Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, released a statement Friday about Casello, saying he would be "deeply missed."

"Joe Casello was the kind of public servant every community hopes for," Fried wrote. "As a firefighter for 33 years, he literally ran toward danger to protect others. As an Air Force veteran he understood how important it was to serve selflessly. As a city commissioner and state legislator, he brought that same courage and steady leadership to the halls of government.

"His legacy is one of humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to doing whats right for his community. Whether it was delivering for working families or making government more accessible, Joe always led with heart and common sense," she wrote.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis will need to call a special election to fill Casello's seat.

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: State Rep. Joe Casello dies after suffering massive heart attack
Joe Casello, a Democratic state representative from Boynton Beach, suffered a heart attack earlier this month and was placed on life support, according to news reports.

According to a message from the Palm Beach County legislative delegation, Earlier this month, Joe suffered a severe heart attack and has been in intensive care since then. Despite the tireless efforts of his medical team, the damage to his heart was extensive, and unfortunately he is not expected to recover, Florida Politics reported.

Casello, 73, was a Boynton Beach city commissioner from 2013 to 2018 before becoming a representative. In November, he won his fourth term in the House.

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Before he moved to Palm Beach County, Casello was a firefighter for 33 years in Worchester, Massachusetts, the Palm Beach Post reported. According to the report, Casello was taken to HCA Florida JFK Hospital earlier this month after experiencing chest pains.

Casello also reportedly suffered a stroke last year, according to WPEC-CBS12, the South Florida Sun Sentinels news partner.

State Rep. Mike Caruso, from Delray Beach, told the Palm Beach Post that he and his wife saw Casello on Thursday. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He said, See if you could get a fire truck named after me,' Caruso told the Post.

Caruso added: He worked with both sides of the aisle. He always did the right thing. We need more Joe Casellos in the Legislature, according to the Post.

Florida Politics reported earlier this year that Casello had announced his plan to run for a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission.
Organizers behind Utahs No Kings demonstrations were warned against having armed peacekeepers at rallies by state law enforcement months before an innocent bystander was shot and killed during a protest last month, Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Thursday.

Cox was asked about the fatal June 14 shooting that killed 39-year-old Arthur Folasa Afa Ah Loo and whether the state could have done more to prevent the tragedy during his monthly PBS Utah news conference.

I dont know that theres more that we can do. We work very closely with organizations across the state, including No Kings, the governor said. That was an absolute tragedy. I can tell you that they were warned months and months and months ago that it was a bad idea to have these peacekeepers to be a part of what they were, what they were attempting to do and that it could lead to something tragic like this, and sadly it did.

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Cox added that the Utah Department of Public Safety told the group that having armed people there would be a bad idea. He said the conversation occurred before they first started doing this, referring to several earlier demonstrations organized by No Kings.

That was the conversation. Our DPS said: Its a bad idea. You can do it, its not illegal, theres nothing illegal about it, its just a bad idea, he said. They said: Well, we think its a good idea. End of conversation.

The Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed Thursday that administrators had been in talks with the 50501 group from February through May about their planned events at the state Capitol.

During this time, the group requested that the Utah Highway Patrol remove counter-protesters from their gatherings. We informed them that such action is not permissible, as all individuals have a constitutional right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, the department said in a prepared statement. The group also expressed interest in utilizing private security or safety volunteers. We made clear that while they may designate individuals to assist with basic support, such as offering aid in cases of dehydration or minor medical issues, or helping de-escalate conversations, they do not have law enforcement authority and therefore cannot take enforcement actions or attempt to remove individuals from public spaces.

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When the group raised the idea of their private security personnel being armed, we did not tell them they were prohibited from doing so. However, we cautioned against it, explaining the risks and implications of individuals carrying firearms without law enforcement authority, the department said.

Its been more than a month since the shooting, when two men police said described themselves as part of a peacekeeping group saw another man they believed to be acting suspiciously move away from the crowd of some 10,000 marchers on State Street and move to a secluded area behind a wall.

One of the peacekeepers observe (the man, Arturo Gamboa, 24) remove an AR-15 style rifle from a backpack he was carrying. He observed Arturo begin to manipulate the rifle, and they called out to him to drop the gun after drawing their own firearms. Arturo then lifted the rifle, and according to witnesses, he began to run toward the large crowd gathered on State Street holding the rifle in a firing position, a police booking affidavit for Gamboa states.

One of the peacekeepers fired three shots from his own handgun toward Gamboa, injuring Gamboa and killing Ah Loo. Police said Gamboa did not fire his gun during the incident, and Gamboas attorney said there is no evidence that he was pointing the weapon at anyone.

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Gamboa was arrested for investigation of murder shortly after the shooting, but he was released from the Salt Lake County Jail on June 20 after the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office announced it will be unable to make an informed decision as to whether charges against Mr. Gamboa will be filed or declined before time ran out to hold him in jail.

The case was screened for charges again on July 2 and on Salt Lake police recently turned the investigation over to the district attorneys office without making a recommendation about who should be charged.

As of this moment, Salt Lake City Police Department has formally presented the case to our office, but the investigation is not complete, District Attorney Sim Gill said Wednesday. As with many investigations referred to the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office, there is follow-up work to be done. This continues to be an open case without any formal conclusions at this stage of the proceedings.

Twenty-six states have adopted laws that prohibit people from carrying long guns at state capitols and/or political demonstrations, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control nonprofit, but Cox said he doesnt think Utah should consider joining them.

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Again, Im a big believer in the Second Amendment. I dont think its something that we should consider, he said. But again, I hope people will just be smart and responsible.

The governor said there were multiple mistakes made that led to the shooting, but declined to say who he thinks is ultimately responsible for Ah Loos death.

Thats a good question, and the district attorney will eventually make that decision as it goes forward, Cox said. Again, a lot of good people who made mistakes and its a tragedy. I dont know whos ultimately responsible, but I think a lot of people are responsible for what happened and its a terrible tragedy.

My heart goes out to his family. I think again, mistakes were made by the organizers, by the peacekeepers, by the protester who brought his rifle. Lots of mistakes were made.

Contributing: Pat Reavy
Not all states will be better off under President Donald Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act, even though it has been advertised as a win for American workers.

Find Out: Im an Economist  Heres How Likely a Recession Is for the Second Half of 2025

Check Out: Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why

GOBankingRates spoke to two professionals to learn more about the states and regions that stand to be most negatively impacted by this tax and spending bill. Heres what positions these states to see the fewest benefits from Trumps sweeping legislation.

traveler1116 / Getty Images

High-Poverty States

George Carrillo is the CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council and former director of social determinants of health for the State of Oregon. Carrillo has seen firsthand the way federal policies shape the lives of working families and told GOBankingRates this bill delivers the fewest benefits to workers and their families in high-poverty states.

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Some examples of the nations most vulnerable states include Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana  where low-income Americans are already struggling to get by.

But the reason low-income workers stand to benefit least in these states is not because the states are considered poor.

Patrice Williams-Lindo, CEO of Career Nomad and former workforce strategist with Deloitte and KPMG, said low-wage workers lack bargaining power and benefits that are often decoupled from job growth.

Read More: What Is the Estimated Median Income for the Upper-Middle Class in 2025?

Explore Next: Heres the Minimum Net Worth To Be Considered Upper Class in Your 50s

Joecho-16 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

States With Strong Clean Energy or Tech Sectors

The clean energy workforce will be heavily impacted in states like Washington and Oregon. According to Carrillo, the bill not only repeals tax credits for electric vehicles and renewable energy but it also threatens the stability of jobs in battery manufacturing, transit electrification and construction.

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Industry estimates point to as many as 100,000 job losses nationally, Carrillo said. While these states have higher median incomes and more resources, workers in clean energy sectors will find themselves left out, especially compared to those in traditional fossil fuel industries. Many workers in these fields will see their opportunities shrink just as the industry has started to expand.

Trending Now: What Salary Single People Need To Live Comfortably in 100 Major US Cities

fizkes / Getty Images/iStockphoto

States With High Black and Brown Populations

Another at-risk group are high Black and brown populations in states where there are weak labor protections. According to World Population Review, more than 30% of the population is Black in Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Nearly 40% of the population in Texas and California is made up of the Hispanic community, which also accounts for nearly half of New Mexicos population.

Williams-Lindo said, Any policy that fails to address wage disparities or the racial wealth gap will compound inequities, particularly in states where workers already face systemic barriers to advancement.

FatCamera / Getty Images

States Reliant on Federal Aid

A 2025 interactive map from The New York Times revealed where Medicaid enrollment is the highest across America. According to the map, more than 40% of residents in Eastern Kentucky rely on Medicaid. One-third of the population in Eastern Louisiana is enrolled in this program.

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If the bill reallocates funds away from social programs in a state reliant on this federal aid, Williams-Lindo said the state will carry a double burden of low wages and reduced safety nets.

Deep cuts to Medicaid and SNAP force the lowest-income households to pay more out of pocket, while state governments with limited budgets cannot fill the gaps, Carrillo said. For a family living on $26,000 a year, losing $1,600 in annual support is significant.

skynesher / Getty Images

Why Poorer States Dont Immediately Benefit

Many Americans may be under the impression that poor states automatically benefit from legislation like the Big Beautiful Bill. As Williams-Lindo explained to GOBankingRates, this bill could ultimately leave countless Americans behind.

Benefits flow along policy design, industry incentives and who holds power locally to secure jobs, she said. Without targeted wage support or clean energy transitions, these workers risk being left behind under big promises that dont translate into household-level impact.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: States Where Workers Will See the Least Benefit From Trumps New Tax Law
Olha Stefanishyna has said that one of the primary tasks of her role as the president's envoy for cooperation with the United States will be the implementation of the agreement on minerals, as well as the organisation of a mechanism for the purchase of American weapons.

Source: Stefanishyna in an interview with European Pravda

Details: Stefanishyna stated that President Zelenskyy expects her to strengthen several areas. "The first is the implementation of the so-called mineral agreement. The second is the organisation of a mechanism for purchasing US-made weapons," Stefanishyna said.

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She noted that there has already been a positive signal from the United States, indicating that they are ready to sell weapons to Ukraine. Other NATO and EU countries have confirmed that they are ready to mobilise funds to purchase such weapons.

"My role will include ensuring that this project is successful. My previous experience will be useful here in establishing cooperation between EU and NATO countries and the United States on these purchases. And also to explain to the US what Europe is all about," she explained.

"Of course, these are not all the tasks. There will certainly be NATO issues, interaction with Congress, and so on," Stefanishyna added.

She emphasised that she has the status of special envoy until the procedures related to her appointment as ambassador to the United States are completed.

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"And now my key task is to consult with the Ukrainian parliament, the new prime minister, the heads of state campaigns and the president's team so that by the time I leave for the United States, I will have an agenda in place. So that, as they say in Odesa, I have a vision of the first 10-20 steps in Washington," Stefanishyna said.

Background:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Olha Stefanishyna as the president's special envoy for cooperation with the United States.

Recently, the media reported that Zelenskyy had informed Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, of his intention to dismiss her.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Steward claims former CEO defrauded company of $262 million

More details have been revealed about the Steward Health Care bankrupcty case.

The former owner of eight Massachusetts hospitals said its founder and former chief executive, Ralph de la Torre, defrauded the company out of more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

A filing in the Steward case claims de la Torre and three others swindled $262 million.

In statement to Boston 25, de La Torre denies the allegations and said hell vigorously defend himself.

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Five hospitals were sold and two were closed last year.

One is now under state operation.

Texas-based Steward, which operates about 30 hospitals nationwide, filed for bankruptcy in May 2024.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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ST. LOUIS  Its day three of the Explorers Academy and Josh Sinnokrak of Liberty, Missouri, is showing no signs of slowing down.

Im really enjoying it. Im going to stick with it, the 17-year-old said.

Sinnokrak and dozens of other youth between 14-20, are participating in the St. Louis Area Law Enforcement Associations 2025 Police Explorers Academy.

This program is designed to help these youth identify if they want to enter a career in law enforcement. So we use that to train them and show them this career field, and is this something you want to continue to do, and go to the police academy for? Or is it something where youre not really sure what you want to do, and you want to explore other options, Academy Director Sgt. Kenny Enz said.

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The week-long overnight program features a variety of hands-on training activities and exercises, as well as presentations.

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Early Tuesday morning, students were taking part in a high-adrenaline building search exercise. Later in the day, they met with bomb and arson investigators and, afterwards, were introduced to a K9 from the Arnold Police Department.

Every person we meet is very experienced in what they do, and they offer us a lot of knowledge. Not just right now, but also for future careers, David Sandbach, Jr., said.

Each academy is dedicated to a fallen officer. This years group paid tribute to St. Louis County Police Det. Antonio Valentine, who was killed in the line of duty in December of 2021.

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Valentines daughter spoke to the group about her father. Students also heard from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Phillip Green and Hazelwood Police Officer Craig Tudor. Both were critically injured in the line of duty.

Tudor is the uncle of one of the Explorers, Sara Tudor.

Hes been through a lot, but at the end of the day, you cant be scared of that. Because with a lot of things, you can get hurt, she said. I like to help peopleIve always liked to help people.

Students will be reunited with their families Saturday, when they will be recognized at the Explorer Academy graduation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
ST. LOUIS  Over 100 protestors gathered at the Missouri State Capitol on Thursday.

Their reason: to partake in the John Lewis National Day of Action.

This day is dedicated to commemorating the legacy of longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who passed away five years ago on July 17.

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In addition to remembering Lewis work, protestors call for voting rights protection, citing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The Good Trouble Lives On event took place in various cities across the United States.

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In downtown St. Louis, individuals gathered at the Old Courthouse from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Sources told FOX 2 that over 500 people RSVPd to the event in St. Louis.

Demonstrators say they fear the country is headed in a dangerous direction.

The rule of law is under threat, said Lila, a demonstrator who showed up to the courthouse Thursday. Its not a matter of partisan politics. Its not Republican or Democratthis is a crisis.

Organizers told FOX 2 they believe this event is crucial this year because they want to push back against the Trump administration. The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition led the way in organizing the protest.

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They said their mission is to advocate for voting rights and due process.

Were going to have music, singing and dance performances, said Denise Lieberman, involved with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. Were going to have remarks from community leaders and local advocates who arethemselvesgetting into good trouble and fighting for our freedom to vote. And for equality for all.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Brief

A stolen vehicle investigation in Rome led to the discovery of multiple explosive devices at a scrapyard, resulting in the arrest of two men.

Daryl Stamey Sr. faces 23 counts of possession of explosive devices, while additional explosives were found at Steven Milton Gray's residence.

Authorities safely removed and detonated the explosives, causing significant blasts that startled nearby residents.

ROME, Ga. - A stolen vehicle investigation in Rome has led authorities to a significant cache of explosives and the arrest of two men now being held in the Floyd County Jail.

Explosive scrapyard discovery

What we know

The discovery began Tuesday morning when Rome police tracked the stolen car to a scrapyard on Hull Avenue. While investigating, officers uncovered multiple explosive devices at the site.

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Daryl Stamey Sr. is now facing 23 counts of possession of an explosive device. Police have not disclosed his connection to the Hull Avenue property. On Thursday, investigators with the Environmental Protection Agency were seen examining the area for a possible hazardous materials leak. Officials noted the location's proximity to a tributary feeding into Silver Creek.

The probe expanded about 15 miles away, where state investigators descended on a large home belonging to Steven Milton Gray. According to the Georgia State Fire Marshal, additional explosive devices and materials used to manufacture explosives were found inside the residence.

Daryl Stamey Sr. and Steven Milton Gray (Floyd County Sheriff's Office)

Powerful blasts heard in Floyd County

What they're saying

Authorities spent hours safely removing and detonating the devices at another site, startling nearby residents who reported hearing the powerful blasts.

Authorities released this image showing improvised explosive devices found in scrapyard along Hull Avenue in Floyd County on July 16, 2025. (State Fire Marshal)

"Ive heard gunshots go off, all kinds of stuff," said witness Clay Otwell. "This was much more significantunlike anything Ive heard before."

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Otwell added, "Certainly glad they found them. Sounds like they did a great job."

What we don't know

The investigation remains ongoing.

The Source

FOX 5's Kevyn Stewart spoke with residents of Floyd County who heard the explosions. The Georgia State Fire Marshal, Floyd County Police, and Floyd County Fire departments provided the details for this article. Additional details were sourced from Floyd County Jail records.
Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump said Friday she will not ask the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate Chuck Watts, the former Greensboro city attorney.

Crump met with the SBI Friday to discuss documents received from Greensboro police about Watts, said Chad Flowers, a SBI spokesman.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the district attorney informed the SBI that she will not be requesting an investigation.

Watts couldnt be immediately reached for comment on Friday.

When asked Friday about the district attorneys decision, Greensboro police Chief John said he hadnt seen the documents.

I have not seen any of those documents personally, Thompson said. So, I really cant speak to any of the documentation that was provided.

The Greensboro Police Department had asked the SBI to look into business dealings of Watts.

Thompson announced the move at a July 9 news conference, seven days after Watts resigned from his position after six years with the city.

The announcement came as several residents had unearthed and shared documents related to Watts work for Cyberlux, a defense contracting firm based in Research Triangle Park.

Watts told the News & Record he was not leaving because of his work with Cyberlux and was instead leaving because he did not want to be a distraction during the citys election season.

Thompson said police were made aware of allegations of possible misconduct on July 1, which is one day prior to Watts retirement.

Thompson said the SBI was looking into the legality of specific business transactions involving former City Attorney Chuck Watts.

The chief said July 1 was the date city leadership became aware of the accusations and informed the police department about the matter. In turn, the department forwarded the information along to the SBI.

Regarding Cyberlux, Watts said the work that I did for an outside client was authorized by council, later clarifying that while council generally knew of him doing outside work, they only recently learned of his work for the company specifically.

He said he was permitted to do work outside the city so long as that work was not substantial, pointing to his contract.

The 2020 updated version of his contract stipulated that Watts shall devote substantially all of his professional energy to performing the duties required under this agreement.

This marked a change from the original contract which required him to devote all of his professional energy to working on the citys behalf. Both versions of the contract included exclusive employment provisions.

There have been some questions about whether Watts mingled his work with the city and the company.

In a July 3 email, civil rights attorney Lewis Pitts shared screenshots of emails from April showing Watts conducting Cyberlux business using his work email account.

When asked if council was aware that Watts may have been doing business for the company using his city email, Mayor Nancy Vaughan said, It was not known to council until recently.

Vaughan said that there had been a discussion regarding Watts working with clients beyond the city.

There was a conversation many years ago where he had talked about the potential of doing some work for previous clients that he had. And at that point, though it was not reflected in the contract, the way it was rewritten was that if the work did not take a significant amount of time that it would be fine, she said.

While she noted the language in the contract was altered, the mayor said the wording was sloppy.

The council voted unanimously July 8 to name Lora Cubbage as the new city attorney. Cubbage is a former superior court judge who left the bench this spring to join the city as a deputy city attorney.

Cubbage appeared to allude to the questions regarding her predecessor at the end of the council meeting.

We understand some of the things thats been going on, some of the narratives thats been put out there, Cubbage said. Were committed to moving forward on the strengths of what works using the framework of integrity, accountability and responsibility, not only to you the council but also to the public.




NEED TO KNOW

Over 140 people reportedly fell ill after a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a Royal Caribbean International cruise

The ship was carrying 3,914 passengers and 1,266 crew members from Los Angeles to Mexico from July 4 to July 11

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms included diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps





More than 140 people have reportedly fallen ill while traveling on a Royal Caribbean International cruise.

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Out of the 3,914 passengers on the cruise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in a press release that 134 of them suffered from a gastrointestinal illness during the round-trip from Los Angeles to Mexico.

At least 7 of the 1,266 crew members also experienced symptoms of the illness, which included diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, per the CDC.

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Royal Caribbean cruise at PortMiami on March 1, 2019 Royal Caribbean cruise at PortMiami on March 1, 2019

While the cause of the outbreak is currently unknown, the voyage began on July 4 and ended on July 11, the same day the sickness was reported.

PEOPLE has contacted the Royal Caribbean Group for further comment.

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The CDC revealed in their press release that amid the outbreak, Royal Caribbean International and the crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated those who were unwell, collected stool specimens for further testing and consulted with their Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

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The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement to USA TODAY.

To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines, they added.

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Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty People inside a Royal Caribbean Cruise People inside a Royal Caribbean Cruise

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Back in February, over 90 people on a Royal Caribbean International cruise fell unwell following a gastrointestinal outbreak from an unknown causative agent.

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Royal Caribbean International and the crew aboard the ship carried out the same response following the outbreak, which included an "[increase] cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan."

Read the original article on People
WOODBRIDGE, Conn. (WTNH)  New England Brewing Co. (NEBCO) announced Friday that it has acquired the Stony Creek Brewery facility in Branford, according to a press release.

Branford-based brewery announces closure

This new location for the brewery, whose other location is on Amity Road in Woodbridge, will now house their primary brewing operations and be main headquarters for staff.

The Branford space is located along the Branford River, providing a waterfront experience plus added amenities to welcome beer fans from across the state.

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This expansion is a long time coming and a significant milestone for us, Rob Leonard, owner of NEBCO, said. The timing aligns perfectly for us to expand our reach in the craft beer community.

Ed Crowley along with his son, Ed Jr. and his wife Peggy launched the Stony Creek brand in 2010 and opened the brewery in Branford in 2015. This sale includes the brewery space, but not the Stony Creek brand.

After many incredible years of brewing and serving our community, we felt it was the right time to step away, Ed Crowley said. Were grateful to have found a Connecticut-based brewer to take over the reins. We have full confidence in NEBCOs ability to elevate the space and continue its tradition as a vibrant destination for beer lovers.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Unsettled weather has returned to KELOLAND today as a low pressure system moved into South Dakota. Rain and thunderstorms pushed eastward during the morning and have diminished this afternoon. That wont be the last for activity and we will want to keep an eye on the sky this evening in eastern KELOLAND. There is a slight risk for severe weather in this area as storms that do fire up are capable large hail, damaging winds, and an isolated tornado.

Models show initial development along a front occurring early this evening along and east of I-29. These storms will track to the southeast and into southwestern Minnesota.

The cap will continue to erode going into tonight and more thunderstorms look to form along and south of I-90. With many outdoor activities going on in the Sioux Falls area tonight, you will want to be weather aware.

The main line of storms will move into northwest Iowa and Nebraska during the early morning hours. Lows will fall into the 50s and 60s with light winds turning to the north.

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Tomorrow could be another active day with lingering showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then more convective development during the evening. The best opportunity for thunderstorms will be in western South Dakota and southeastern KELOLAND. Highs will still stay below average in the 70s and 80s.

After some relief from the heat, it will return going into the start of next week. Highs in the 90s are in store with more chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education has refused to provide resignation letters of departing employees, contending it has "sole discretion" over whether to release personnel records. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Following an exodus of several senior employees from state Superintendent Ryan Walters administration, the Oklahoma State Department of Education is now refusing to release records explaining the departures.

The agency denied open records requests from Oklahoma Voice for resignation letters, widely considered to be public documents, of seven top-level administrators who have left over the past nine months. It then refused a subsequent request for all resignation letters submitted to the agency since Jan. 1.

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The response is a heel-turn from the departments practices only months ago. Like most state agencies, the Education Department provided resignation letters in response to open records requests, doing so for Oklahoma Voice as recently as February.

On Feb. 24, the agency provided the resignation letter of its former communications director, Dan Isett, who had left two weeks earlier.

However, as more members of Walters inner circle departed over the following months, the department abruptly stopped turning over these documents  a move that prompted a lawsuit from another news outlet and raised questions among some of the very employees whose resignation letters are being withheld.

When Oklahoma Voice requested Isetts resignation letter again on June 17, the agency denied the request.

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Isett declined to comment. His departing letter, which Oklahoma Voice obtained through its first request, was brief.

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation as Director of Communications at OSDE, effective February 10, 2025, Isett wrote in a message addressed to Walters.

A key basis for all of the denials, the agency said, is a section of the Open Records Act relating to employee privacy.

The state law gives public bodies sole discretion to keep personnel documents confidential if disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

In court, the agency has contended a resignation letter would violate an employees privacy and would only satisfy the requesters curiosity, rather than serving the public interest.

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The Education Department also cited a provision in the open records law stating a public agency doesnt have to release resignation records if they pertain to an internal personnel investigation.

However, agency spokesperson Quinton Hitchcock declined to confirm whether such an investigation exists.

I am unable to comment on personnel matters, Hitchcock said.

Former agency employees say privacy, investigation concerns shouldnt apply

Former Chief Operations Officer Andrea Fielding said none of the employees who left recently, including herself in February, were under investigation. Several resigned for personal or family reasons, not because of personnel issues, she said.

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Another former agency employee whose resignation letter is being withheld said he was not under investigation during his tenure, nor has he been informed hes being investigated now. Former director of research and policy Tucker Cross said releasing the document would not violate his privacy.

As far as my resignation letter is concerned, I would have no concerns with my letter being made public, Cross said. Theres nothing in there that needs to be hidden or protected for my sake.

Hitchcock declined to explain how an internal investigation statute would apply to Cross, who hasnt worked at the agency since Oct. 30.

Cross said he wrote a short resignation letter communicating that he needed to be home more to care for his family. Since leaving the agency, he said hes done exactly that, focusing on his wife and children and their family business.

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Former Director of External Relations Matt Oberdick also said neither an internal investigation nor privacy concerns would apply to him or his letter. The document didnt contain private details like his home address or contact information, he said.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters listens during a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Oct. 24 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Oberdick, whose tenure at the agency lasted from February 2023 until June 2025, said his resignation letter sings the praises of his experience working at the Education Department.

He said he wrote that God had opened doors for him to work with Walters, someone he aligned with on many issues. Oberdick said he had no disgruntlement nor anger toward Walters when he left the agency.

Rather, God had opened another door to work at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative think tank where Oberdick now directs the Center for Culture and the Family.

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There was nothing insidious, Oberdick said of his letter. There was no defamation of the agency. There was nothing negative said about my time or experience there, so Im not sure why they wouldnt want it released.

A lawsuit challenges withholding of resignation documents

The news outlet Oklahoma Watch and reporter Jennifer Palmer are now suing the state Education Department after receiving an identical response to a request for another employees resignation records.

They contend withholding these documents violates the state Open Records Act. The agency rejected that argument, contending it has sole discretion over the release of resignation records, and urged an Oklahoma County district judge to throw out the lawsuit.

Palmer had requested the resignation records of former Chief Compliance Officer Kourtney Heard. Oklahoma Voice also requested Heards resignation letter and was denied access to it.

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Heard declined to comment for this story. David Martin, a former senior director whose resignation letter the agency also withheld from Oklahoma Voice, did not return a request for comment.

Its in the public interest, not merely curiosity, to disclose a state employees resignation letter, said Joey Senat, an Open Records Act expert and associate professor at Oklahoma State University.

That document could reveal whether an employee resigned because of corruption, incompetence or issues that could be embarrassing to a state agency if they come to light.

He said its common that government agencies use delay tactics or make ludicrous arguments to avoid releasing a record. Until recent changes to state law, members of the public often had few options left but the expensive and time-consuming choice to take the agency to court.

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Meanwhile, government officials are playing with house money, Senat said. The costs of an open records lawsuit dont come out of officials pockets but rather from the agencys taxpayer funds.

Its just more smokescreen to hide things the government doesnt want us to know, things that would show its being corrupt, its being incompetent, its not doing its job the way its supposed to do it, not doing the job we pay them to do, Senat said.

State lawmakers added new language to the Open Records Act in recent years giving public bodies sole discretion over the release of certain personnel records, which could make it more difficult for courts to hold government agencies accountable, he said.

The state Legislature, though, passed a law this year that empowered the Attorney Generals Office to investigate and prosecute potential Open Records Act violations. That investigative power previously was limited to district attorneys, who Senat said rarely conducted such investigations.

A new state law empowers Attorney General Gentner Drummond, left, to investigate and prosecute violations of the state Open Records Act. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

Legislators also encoded a new public access counselor at the Attorney Generals Office to give the public another outlet to report complaints. The attorney general already had created the position within his staff, but it didnt exist in state statute until the new law.

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The Attorney Generals Office and its public access counselor declined to comment or address Oklahoma Voices open records complaint over the withholding of resignation letters because a lawsuit from another media outlet is pending over a similar matter.

Last year, Attorney General Gentner Drummond admonished Walters after receiving an alarming number of complaints of poor compliance at the Education Department with open records laws.

Education Department refused to confirm general counsels status

The first resignation letter the agency withheld from Oklahoma Voice was that of its recently departed general counsel, Michael Beason. Like with all the subsequent denials, the agency cited the employee privacy and internal investigation sections of the Open Records Act.

Beason said its not accurate to interpret the agencys response as a suggestion there has been an internal investigation. He said it was insulting in the extreme when Oklahoma Voice asked whether he was the subject of such an investigation.

I was not and am not under investigation by the agency or anyone else, Beason said. I have not done anything wrong, illegal or unethical.

Former Oklahoma State Department of Education general counsel Michael Beason listens during a public hearing at the agency Jan. 17 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Oklahoma Voice requested Beasons resignation letter on June 17 during the final weeks he was employed at the agency. The request was denied, and Hitchcock did not respond to questions asking whether Beason still worked at the department.

Hitchcock declined to answer similar questions from The Oklahoman, the newspaper reported. Instead, he told The Oklahoman he isnt at liberty to discuss personnel matters with the news media, a response he gave to Oklahoma Voice multiple times during the reporting of this story.

This is another U-turn from the Education Departments previous practice of willingly acknowledging whether an individual staff member is employed at the agency. In February, it confirmed the employment of Walters new chief of staff, Matt Mohler.

Refusing to acknowledge whether an individual works at a state agency would amount to another Open Records Act violation, Senat said. The law specifically requires that government agencies disclose an employees title and dates of employment.

We dont have secret employees in this state, Senat said.

Beason confirmed he submitted his resignation letter June 10 and had his last day of work June 30.

He said hes been in good standing with the Oklahoma Bar Association for 25 years and chose to return to private legal practice.

He declined to share his resignation letter with Oklahoma Voice.

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When university student Jenna Taylor was forced to evacuate her home in Canada amid a devastating wildfire outbreak in late May, she made the most of the situation by creating a wildfire map to help communities track their spread.

As The Winnipeg Sun reported, Taylor is a geography student at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus, and the cartography and map-making classes she takes as part of her degree provided her with the necessary tools to build an interactive wildfire tracking website.

After the Canadian government issued a state of emergency for Manitoba, where her family lives, they, along with thousands of other residents, fled their homes as the fires crept dangerously close. It was an anxiety-inducing situation, but Taylor realized her knowledge of geography could come in handy and potentially save lives.

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She gathered data on the fires from NASA databases and Canadian government sites to create the wildfire map, which "includes time-lapse visualizations of the fires, as well as wind and air-quality forecasts," per the Sun. Additionally, it lists nonprofits and volunteer organizations where the public can donate to those affected by the fires.

The newspaper reported that, as of June, the wildfires displaced over 17,000 people, including 5,000 in Taylor's hometown of Flin Flon. Just 13 miles southwest in Denare Beach, Saskatchewan  one of the most affected areas  200 people lost their homes.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the 2025 wildfire season in Canada is expected to be the second-worst on record. Experts attribute the rapid spread of fires over the last few weeks to higher-than-average temperatures and dry conditions.

Wildfires have burned nearly 10 million acres of land so far, and the risk of further fire outbreaks is high due to a warmer-than-usual summer and the expectation of little rainfall, according to the CBC.

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Rising global temperatures, resulting from the burning of dirty fuels such as oil and gas, are contributing to more extreme weather events, including wildfires, worldwide.

For example, in 2023, Canada experienced its most destructive wildfire season on record, with more than 40 million acres burned  nearly seven times the historical average, according to the Canadian Climate Institute.

A study by World Weather Attribution found that the changing climate increased the likelihood of extreme fire conditions in Eastern Canada during the 2023 season, and made the cumulative severity 50% more intense.

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However, armed with real-time wildfire maps like the one Taylor created, the public can stay informed about fires spreading near their communities and know when to evacuate.

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Wildfire detection systems and maps like these can save lives, especially in high-risk areas. Even though Taylor was happy to serve her community, and hopes she'll find more opportunities to help after earning her degree, it was bittersweet considering the circumstances.

"In a way, it's hard because I wish I didn't have to make this project," she told the newspaper.

"The reality of it is that I'm in this situation, and I guess I did the best work I could for the position that we're all in."

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office and Kerns 46 public school districts have announced that for the fourth consecutive year, all students will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge.

Through Californias Universal Meal Program, all students will be served free meals during the 2025-2026 school year.

Applications will be sent to households by local school districts to determine school eligibility and funding other programs.

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The eligibility determination from these applications and other income alternative forms will not impact a students ability to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge at their school.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.
CAIRO (AP)  Fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region that has killed hundreds and ongoing violence in Darfur  the epicenters of the country's conflict  have worsened Sudan's humanitarian crisis, with aid workers warning of limited access to assistance.

The United Nations said more than 450 civilians, including at least 35 children, were killed during the weekend of July 12 in attacks in villages surrounding the town of Bara in North Kordofan province.

The suffering in Kordofan deepens with each passing day, Mercy Corps Country Director for Sudan Kadry Furany said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. Communities are trapped along active and fast changing front lines, unable to flee, unable to access basic needs or lifesaving assistance.

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At least 60 killed in Bara over the past week

Sudan plunged into war after simmering tensions between the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, escalated to fighting in April 2023. The violence has killed at least 40,000 people and created one of the worlds worst displacement and hunger crises, according to humanitarian organizations. In recent months, much of the fighting has been concentrated in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

On Thursday, the U.N. human rights office confirmed that since July 10, the RSF has killed at least 60 civilians in the town of Bara, while civil society groups reported up to 300 people were killed, the office said.

A military airstrike on Thursday in Bara killed at least 11 people, all from the same family, according to the U.N. office. Meanwhile, between July 10 and 14, the army killed at least 23 civilians and injured over two dozen others after striking two villages in West Kordofan.

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An aid worker with Mercy Corps said his brother was fatally shot on July 13 during an attack on the village of Um Seimima in El Obeid City in North Kordofan, Grace Wairima Ndungu, the groups communications manager told AP.

Furany said that movement between the western and eastern areas of the Kordofan region is practically impossible.

The intensified fighting forced Mercy Corps to temporarily suspend operations in three out of four localities, with access beyond Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, now being in serious doubt, Furany said, as a safe sustained humanitarian corridor is needed.

Fighting in Kordofan worsens displacement

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Mathilde Vu, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who is often based in Port Sudan, told the AP that fighting has intensified in North Kordofan and West Kordofan over the past several months.

A large number of villages are being destroyed, burned to the ground, people being displaced, she said. What is extremely worrying about the Kordofan is that there is very little information and not a lot of organizations are able to support. It is a complete war zone there.

Marwan Taher, head of mission with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, told the AP that military operations in Kordofan heightened insecurity, prompting scores of people to flee to Darfur, a region already in a dire humanitarian situation.

The NRC said that since April, Tawila has already received 379,000 people escaping violence in famine-hit Zamzam Camp and Al Fasher.

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Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration recently reported that over 46,000 people were displaced from different areas in West Kordofan in May alone due to clashes between warring parties.

Taher said those fleeing El Fasher to Tawila walk long distances with barely enough clothes and little water, and sleep on the streets until they arrive at the area they want to settle in. The new wave of displacement has brought diseases, including measles, which began spreading in parts of Zalingi in Central Darfur in March and April as camps received people fleeing Kordofan.

Flooding and attacks worsen Darfur's already dire situation

Aid workers also warned about ongoing fighting in Darfur. Vu said there have been uninterrupted campaigns of destruction against civilians in North Darfur.

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In Darfur theres been explicit targeting of civilians. Theres been explicit execution, she said.

Shelling killed five children Wednesday in El Fasher in North Darfur, according to U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay. Meanwhile, between July 14 and 15, heavy rains and flooding displaced over 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in Dar As Salam, North Darfur.

With a looming rainy season, a cholera outbreak and food insecurity, the situation in Darfur is getting worse every day and thats what war is, said Taher.
CAIRO (AP)  Please disregard ML--Sudan-Civil War-By the Numbers, published on Jul. 18, 2025, and datelined in CAIRO. It is not yet complete. It will be republished at a later date.
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip  Eighteen-year-old Hani Hammad never imagined that his daily search for flour would end with him suffocating and being trampled.

On Wednesday morning, he left his tent in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gazas Khan Younis, where hes been displaced from Rafah along with his seven siblings, heading to a food distribution point run by the much-criticised, United States-backed GHF.

We left at dawn and stood among the thousands gathered. About 5am [02:00 GMT], they [US staff and Israeli army] signalled to open the gate, and people rushed forward, Hani told Al Jazeera.

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The gate was open, but people were packed into a very narrow corridor leading to it  only about seven metres wide, he said, struggling to catch his breath after arriving at Nasser Hospital gasping and barely conscious.

I got in with the crowd with difficulty. Suddenly, American guards started spraying pepper spray and firing gas bombs, and people began stampeding through the corridor, he added.

Hani Hamad was rushed unconscious to Nasser Hospital after the stampede near an aid site run by the controversial GHF [Abdullah Attar/Al Jazeera]

I collapsed. They trampled my face.

I felt like I was dying. I couldnt move forward or backwards. I collapsed. My face and side were trampled. No one could pull me out. But God gave me a second chance, Hani said.

He was rushed unconscious to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on a tuk-tuk and initially placed beside the bodies of others who had died, some from suffocation, others from bullet wounds.

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I was unconscious, couldnt see or hear. I drifted in and out. They put me beside the dead. I thought I was one of them.

Early Wednesday, 21 Palestinians were killed, including 15 by suffocation, while trying to collect food aid.

The incident occurred near a gate managed by the GHF in western Khan Younis. Dozens more were reportedly injured, with some still in intensive care.

Hani is the oldest of eight siblings who live next to their uncles tent  their parents remain in Jordan, where they travelled for medical treatment just a month before the war began.

I feel like I carry a huge burden. Weve endured the pressures of displacement and war without our parents and without any help from them, he said.

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Though he acknowledges that lining up for aid from the GHF is a major daily risk, he adds: Our intense hunger pushes me to go every day.

Theres no other choice. I have no money to buy the overpriced goods available in the markets. My only option is to try my luck with aid distributions, says the young man.

Each time is a near-death experience. Theres gunfire, tanks, drones and attacks. What kind of aid distribution is this? We are exhausted, truly exhausted.

Were shot at like animals

Mohammed Abedin was left with a wounded leg after the stampede [Abdullah Attar/Al Jazeera]

Mohammed Abedin, 24, now lies in a hospital bed with a leg wound after heading to the same aid centre in Khan Younis early Wednesday.

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For the first time, he says, he chose to turn back after sensing the danger of the crowd surge.

The young man, a first-year accounting student, arrived about 3am (00:00 GMT) at the distribution site, but he noticed that things looked different. The same site had been closed for two days before reopening.

Before, we used to enter from several access points, and the entryway was wide. But this time, we were funnelled through one long, narrow corridor, fenced in with metal, he says.

When the gates opened, everyone rushed forward, and people began falling underfoot.

Mohammed described a terrifying scene of people crushed against the metal barriers, screaming and gasping for help, as pepper spray and gas bombs were fired by American guards and quadcopters above.

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I was standing close to my cousin, watching. We decided not to go in because of the overwhelming numbers. I saw kids screaming, choking, men and youth trapped. No one could move forward or back.

The fenced corridor, with gas bombs raining down and people being pushed through, became a death trap, he says.

Mohammed and his cousin tried to leave, but just as he thought he had made a wise choice, a quadcoptor shot him in the leg. His cousin was also injured.

Theres always random gunfire from quadcaptors, tanks, or soldiers in the area. This time, I was the unlucky one, he said. But thank God, I survived.

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Mohammed reflects on the tragic situation faced by Palestinians, caught between starvation and death, forced to risk their lives for food. He supports his displaced family of nine, originally from Rafah and now sheltering in al-Mawasi.

We dream daily of eating bread. I go for aid almost every day and usually return empty-handed. But the days I brought home just a few kilos of flour felt like an eid [a celebration] for my family.

Flour is the top priority for Mohammed, especially with Gaza being under siege for four months, the borders sealed, and humanitarian and commercial goods blocked by Israel.

Bread is what drives me to risk death. Theres no alternative, he said, awaiting surgery at Nasser Hospital to remove a bullet from his leg. Has the world failed to provide a safe channel for aid delivery?

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Theres no system, no organised relief, no police or UN intervention. Were shot at like animals. If we dont die of hunger, we die in the chaos and stampedes.

In late May 2025, the GHF launched its aid distribution efforts in Gaza following an Israeli-imposed near-total blockade, which is still in effect and has prevented the entry of humanitarian supplies.

According to United Nations figures, at least 798 Palestinians have been killed since then while trying to reach or receive aid from the organisations distribution points.

Widespread criticism has emerged from UN agencies and rights organisations that argue the operation is politicised and endangers civilians. The UN has stated that the GHFs operations violate humanitarian neutrality and are inherently unsafe, highlighted by the hundreds of deaths at their sites.

Either we return with flour, or we dont return at all

More than 20 people died for a bag of flour, says Ziad Masad Mansour [Abdullah Attar/Al Jazeera]

Ziad Masad Mansour, 43, displaced with his wife and six children from central Gaza to al-Mawasi in Khan Younis after their home was destroyed in the war, is another frequent visitor to the aid lines.

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I head there at 10 at night and sleep on the sand like thousands of others. We endure the dust and humiliation, said Mansour, who was wounded in the head on Wednesday.

Sometimes I manage to get flour, sometimes a few cans. Other times, I return empty-handed. I even help others carry their bags in exchange for some food.

Yesterday, there was horrific crowding: gas bombs, bullets, and we were packed tightly in the narrow corridor. I was trying to escape the crush when I got shot in the head and lost consciousness.

Mansour is now recovering at Nasser Hospital. More than 20 people died today  for a bag of flour. What more is there to say?
SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD)A new sign meant to celebrate Sullivans Islands role in American history is stirring debate. The sign, reading The Gateway to Liberty Since 1776, is set to welcome visitors, honoring the Battle of Sullivans Island during the Revolutionary War. However, many residents say the phrase overlooks a painful part of the islands past.

Disappointment and concern have been voiced over the tagline, which some say erases the islands connection to the slave trade. According to the National Park Service, more than 400,000 enslaved Africans arrived in America through Sullivans Island.

Local resident Kimberly Brown expressed her feelings.

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Honoring the 250th anniversary of the battle is important but calling it a Gateway to Liberty is deeply hurtful. For many, it was a gateway to enslavement.

Mike Walsh, president of the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, responded in a statement saying,

July 4th celebrates liberty, but its crucial to acknowledge it wasnt initially for everyone. Recognizing these imperfections helps us appreciate milestones like the Emancipation Proclamation and Civil Rights Act.

The sign has been ordered and is expected to be installed soon. Officials said they will provide more updates in the coming weeks as the conversation continues.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
A downpour falls during a thunderstorm over Bedford County, Pa., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Peter Hall/Capital-Star)

Glen Mawr is a tiny community of 130 people and a smattering of homes next to Muncy Creek in Lycoming County.

On Monday, a flash flood led to mandatory evacuation orders, as waters from the creek rose almost seven feet in 45 minutes, according to Alan Little, fire chief of Picture Rocks Volunteer Fire Company.

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We were all trapped in that little town surrounded by water, so we just had to go to higher ground until the water receded, he said.

Some people werent caught off-guard by the flooding, since it is a perennial hazard in the county, as well as a major issue across Pennsylvania, according to Stacey Folk, Lycoming Countys emergency management coordinator.

But to many leaders, flooding doesnt look the way it used to  not in Lycoming, and not in other parts of the country suffering from more aggressive inland flooding due to the effects of climate change.

We are seeing an increase in flooding caused by these isolated thunderstorms that are dumping six, seven, sometimes 12 inches of rain in just a few hours. And then were seeing our streams and rivers and things raised drastically in a very short period of time, similar to what just happened in Texas, said Kelsey Green, the countys hazard reduction planner.

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The Guadalupe River in Texas rose 20 feet in 90 minutes and took at least 134 lives during a flash flood on July 4. The tragedy looms large over a slew of flash floods that have hit Pennsylvania this month.

The deadly flooding raised questions about how the Trump administrations cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) led to decreased response times in the wake of the Texas Hill Country floods.

Those questions have local government officials, like Green, and elected leaders concerned about keeping their communities as safe as possible during natural disasters.

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At the same time, Pennsylvania lawmakers say heightened concern about flooding could generate more political will to accelerate efforts to improve and raise awareness about flood insurance policies for homeowners in at-risk areas around the state.

Darby Creek spilled over its banks and flooded a road in Delaware County after the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias dropped inches of rain across Pennsylvania in August 2020. (Peter Hall/Capital-Star)

Rep. Perry Warren (D-Bucks) introduced his bill to require disclosure of past flood events near the properties on sale, as well as disclosure about whether the owner of the property is required to obtain and maintain flood insurance, just four days after the Texas floods.

When that tragic flood happened in Texas, we said, lets see whats ready to go, Warren said.

Warren hopes to raise awareness about flood insurance with this bill, which is modelled after a 2024 New Jersey law to enhance transparency around flood risks. Flood insurance requires a separate policy from homeowners insurance, and property owners often realize the policies are separate only after their home is flooded, Warren said.

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He is well acquainted with growing flood risks around the state, as his district suffered a devastating flash flood in 2023 when a wall of water swept away vehicles and killed seven people in Hughes Creek, Upper Mayfield Twp.

The tragic flood event that caused the deaths of those seven people was just so localized, he said. In one place, its fine, and a couple hundred yards away, its fatal.

Warren and Sen. Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) launched the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed enabling legislation in 2023 to make recommendations about laws and policy to strengthen flood insurance.

The task force recommended lawmakers introduce bills allowing flood insurance premium deductions from state income taxes, as well as tax credits for homeowner spending on flood mitigation, according to a July 2024 final report. Members also recommended requiring earlier disclosures from homesellers about property flood risks and requiring insurance providers include flood risk in their continuing education curricula.

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The disclosure bill is now being considered in the House, and was last re-committed from the Insurance Committee to the Rules Committee.

Lawmakers have also introduced other recent natural disaster-related legislations, such as Rep. Emily Kinkeads (D, Allegheny County) bill to protect Pennsylvanians from landslides, which can be caused by flooding and heavy rainfall.

According to her, improvements to mitigate landslide, erosion and flooding risks would likely result in lower insurance costs.

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Flooding in focus: Lycoming County

Heavy rain led to flooding and evacuations across Lycoming and Luzerne counties this week. Glen Mawr evacuated 25 people at 2:30 a.m., who were able to return to their homes less than four hours later.

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No injuries or deaths have been reported, and it is still too early to assess the damage from the flooding, said Folk, the countys emergency management coordinator.

Flooding is a major issue in the county because a good portion of its residential property was built in flood plains on low-lying plots of land adjacent to rivers, streams and creeks, said Green, the countys hazard reduction planner.

Glen Mawr is in a special flood hazard area in the southern part of the county, meaning it lies below the 100-year flood level, an inundation whose odds stand at 1% each year, according to FEMAs flood map service.

First Street, a non-profit tracking climate risks, calculates a major risk of flooding around Glen Mawr exacerbated by climate change, which would affect a third of all properties in the town over the next three decades.

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Heavy rains, which cause inland surges, are lasting longer and growing more intense, especially in the northeast, as global warming progresses. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) now estimates 90% of natural disasters in the U.S. involve flooding.

As a result, Lycoming has boasted some of the highest national flood insurance claims in the state over the last 40 years, and had the third-largest share filed among all counties in 2024, just behind Allegheny and Washington counties.

Since 1980, NFIP has spent more than $57 million to pay roughly 3,000 claims in Lycoming, which generally spike during years with hurricane events, according to NFIP claims data.

Most lenders require flood insurance for homes located in the one percent flood plain or the floodway. Additionally, homeowners with government-backed mortgages in special flood hazard areas, like Glen Mawr, are required to purchase flood insurance, which can be done through the NFIP or private insurers.

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Congress is required to periodically renew the NFIP and President Donald Trump signed legislation in March that extends the program until Sept. 30. If Congress allows NFIP to lapse, as has happened four times in the past, it could lead to the cancelation or delay of thousands of residential real estate sales, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Green said people who live in Lycoming County generally use NFIP insurance. The program has consistent rates and cannot cancel insurance when policyholders experience a flood, she noted, whereas private insurers often cancel policies or drastically raise rates after a flood event.

NFIP recorded 718 policyholders in the county, more than the state average of 491, according to the latest data on the cost of insurance through NFIP for single family homes in 2023. This insurance from NFIP costs an average of $1091 a year in Lycoming, while the state average through the program was $940 in 2023.

As the cost of flood insurance increases, Green has watched people on a fixed income, the elderly and people living on retirement savings struggle to afford flood insurance.

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Flood insurance can be completely detrimental to them staying in their home that theyve lived in, you know, sometimes their whole lives, she said.

The aftermath of flooding continues to be a major challenge for the county, which is still recovering from last Augusts Hurricane Debby. Like this weeks flooding in Glen Mawr, Hurricane Debby hit isolated areas hard, destroying a fire hall and displacing homeowners who are still waiting to move back a year later, according to Green.

Flood recovery for residential properties without insurance takes an average of two years, and often takes longer for those balancing recovery on top of full-time work, she said. For those with insurance, the process is still lengthy, but the financial support provides a leg up.

Recovery includes mucking out flooded basements, replacing utilities, removing debris and mold remediation, along with other repairs that can require special permitting for properties in flood plains.

Green agrees that flood disasters in other states, as well as recent ones in Pennsylvania, are building more political will from local and state politicians to invest in flood mitigation.

Lycoming County is already seeing some positive movement. After years of ongoing talks, Green told Pennlive the county would begin efforts to recertify the Williamsport area levee, Pennsylvanias second largest flood control system. FEMA first discovered issues with the levee in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. The project kicked off the day after Glen Mawr evacuated the town for flooding.

Elena Eisenstadt is a Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association summer intern.
Tupelo  A typical summer site in Tupelo and Lee County is a buzz of road maintenance, but for both county and city officials, the torrent of rain has drenched and stalled much of their progress.

Every year, the city and county tackle maintenance on their streets, with officials from both noting that after rain delays over the last month, said maintenance is finally on track again.

Weather was not conducive to paving at all, County Road Manager Tim Allred said. It got to the point that there was no such thing as dry dirt.

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In late March, the Lee Board of Supervisors approved over $5 million in road maintenance that would see more than 100 streets repaired, which equates to about 140 miles. In late June, meanwhile, the Tupelo City Council voted to approve a $5.6 million contract and a $2.4 million contract with Falcon Contracting for both its annual maintenance and maintenance for Major Thoroughfares.

While the county had to push off its annual maintenance by almost two months, according to Allred, the city will have a slightly later start than usual, as it typically begins its maintenance later than the county.

The reason rain is an issue, Public Works Director Kelly Knight said, is that the wet weather hinders pre-milling and paving repairs. He said not only has the rain slowed the process, but also work on American-Recuse-Plan-act funded projects that cross or run parallel to the streets has also shifted the citys timetable.

We are continuously monitoring the weather to schedule these repairs and minimize downtime, he said. Weather is factored into construction contracts, so it will be unlikely to cause contract issues.

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Both Allred and Knight said they were optimistic that, despite the rain delays, the work will be completed within their original schedules. Knight said the primary and major thoroughfare roads planned for maintenance are scheduled for completion in November, and the secondary list has time allotted until March 2026. Knight stressed these completion dates were not set in stone because of many factors, including weather.

For the county, there is a list of 115 roads. The work varies from paving, patching, overlaying, milling and leveling. Of the 115 streets, 33 will be completely milled and overlaid, equating to about 77 miles of road total.

The cost of the 33, which are all above $50,000 a piece, is about $4.7 million, meaning about 30% of the overall roads make up about 90% of the overall spending. Another 21 roads are scheduled to be micro-sealed, which is the process of laying a special sealant coating over an existing road face.

The city has 35 primary streets, 36 secondary streets and three streets along five different portions through the Major Thoroughfare program.

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Allred said he planned to have his team paving five days a week once they get into the swing of things, noting they are close to catching up from the drainage issues and flooding damage caused by torrential storms earlier this year.

It is going to be a crunch to get it done, but we are going to finish what we need to do, Allred said.

Summer is usually perfect for paving and concrete work. The typically dry and hot weather helps in the paving process. Allred said cold and wet weather kills chances for doing much work. The county and city tend not to pave, save for minor repairs in late fall and through the winter.

Weather, usually we are going to have to stop paving somewhere around November. Third week of November, youve got to hang it up., and all we can do are minor repairs, he said. When the ground is 50 degrees and below, the pavement wont stick.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The Sun City Welding Academy and a regional union for tradesmen held a job event Thursday, July 17 to job-screen pipe welders and pipe fitters for a major industrial project near El Paso, and organizers said there is more to come.

Weve been waiting for this area to pick up and gain some traction for our local union and the type of work that we do, and that is coming to fruition now and its coming fast. So there is going to be a lot of work from the oil and gas industry, the building industry, and hospitals. So thats going to employ not just welders and pipefitters, but also plumbers and that gas, said Edward Sanchez, a welding coordinator for the United Association (U.A.), Local Union No. 412, which represents pipefitters, welders, and HVAC workers throughout New Mexico and El Paso.

The event was held at the welding academy located at 6940 Commercial Ave. in East El Paso. Day two of the event will be held Friday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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The event serves as a pre-qualification testing, which aims to fill 180 positions including welders, pipe fitters, and apprentices for a large-scale industrial project near Orla, Texas. Orla is about 175 miles east of El Paso.

Owner and director for the Sun City Welding Academy, Scott Herndon, said it took hard work and constant communication with the union for about two years to make the job event happen.

Herndon and applicants at Thursday evenings event said there arent many job outreach opportunities in El Paso like the one held Thursday, where local tradesmen can get connected to high-paying projects.

This is proof that there is work here in El Paso. Even within the oil and gas industry, we always bring a lot of companies from out of town to handle this business. But why? When we have the trades here, the facilities to train them and the people here that are looking for work, that are traveling to look for that money. Well, were trying to close that gap to keep the jobs here in El Paso, Herndon said.

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I havent seen an event like this ever in my life, so its really nice to have it here. Bringing light to what this industry, the oil and gas industry and pipe welding has to offer, said Jorge Olivas, a professional oil rig welder born and raised in El Paso.

So I work out in Morenci (Arizona). I had just gone out there and I was sitting in the hotel room when I see that this event was coming up, so I packed on my stuff, and I got here. Thats how important it is. I forfeited the position that I had to be able to come to this and have this opportunity, said Austin Dirkx, a pipe fitter born and raised in El Paso.

Herndon said pipe welding is a hot job right now and that his academy cannot graduate students fast enough to meet the increasing job demands in the region.

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However, Herndon said that the major industrial projects coming to the region are seeking tradesmen who have received advanced training in welding and other trades, but that there arent enough resources in El Paso that aspiring tradesmen can turn to in order to get the proper training they need.

Thats what Sun City Welding Academy is trying to change. We want to educate the community that if youre wanting to get into welding, you want to get into pipe welding. Thats where the moneys at, Herndon said.

There is talent here and were trying to do what we can, but its really coming down to funding. We have a lot of welders that went to other programs that do come in that are not making it. Theyre not cutting the bills, and theyre wanting to get some more training, but they cant afford it, Herndon said.

For people interested in attending the event, you can find the requirements for the industrial project in Orla below:

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5 plus years of experience preferred (apprenticeship may be required for those with less)

Pre-employment weld test at Sun City Welding Academy (flip-flop 5G/2G with 6010/7018 or 2G TIG with 309 SS)

OSHA 10 certification required

Drug screening

UA Membership (can be initiated during the event)

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.)

Imagine a world where a freight broker is liable in one state for hiring a federally authorized motor carrier, but shielded from liability in the next. Thats not a hypotheticalits the fractured legal landscape facing Americas logistics industry today. The Supreme Court of the United States must act now to resolve a widening circuit split over whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) preempts state common-law negligent hiring claims against freight brokers. And now they have the perfect cases to do it: Montgomery v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. out of the 7th Circuitand Cox v. Total Quality Logistics out of the 6th Circuit.

The FAAAA and the Circuit Split

At issue is the interpretation of the FAAAAs preemption clausespecifically, whether the so-called safety exception allows states to regulate broker hiring through tort litigation. Freight brokers like C.H. Robinson and Total Quality Logistics have been caught in the crosshairs of diverging judicial opinions, creating a patchwork of legal exposure that undermines the efficiency and predictability of interstate commerce.

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In Cox v. Total Quality Logistics, decided just days ago, the Sixth Circuit sided with the Ninth Circuits controversial Miller v. C.H. Robinson decision, holding that a state common-law negligent hiring claim falls within the FAAAAs safety exception. This directly contradicts decisions from the Seventh (Ye v. GlobalTranz) and Eleventh (Aspen American Insurance Co. v. Landstar) Circuits, which correctly held that such claims are preempted because they interfere with the core services of brokers and are not with respect to motor vehicles in the sense Congress intended. And now, a pending Supreme Court petition in Montgomery v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. out of the 7th Circuit could (and should) resolve the matter.

Why the Supreme Court Must Act

Lets be clear: this is not a minor quibble over statutory languageits a fundamental disagreement that places freight brokers in legal limbo. The circuits agree that these negligent hiring claims relate to broker services under  14501(c)(1) of the FAAAA and thus fall within the laws express preemptive scope. The sole disagreement is over whether the savings clausethe safety exception in  14501(c)(2)(A)resurrects these claims by classifying them as legitimate exercises of a states motor vehicle safety authority.

But this interpretation stretches the safety exception beyond its breaking point. The phrase with respect to motor vehicles should, as the Seventh and Eleventh Circuits have rightly found, refer to laws that directly regulate motor vehicle operation and safetynot to state tort doctrines that second-guess a brokers business judgment in hiring federally authorized carriers. Freight brokers dont own or operate motor vehicles. They dont hire drivers. They arrange transportation. When courts allow states to impose their own de facto hiring standards through negligence claims, they undercut Congresss goal of uniform, deregulated transportation services.

Restoring Uniformity and Protecting Interstate Commerce

The consequences are dire. A freight broker arranging a shipment must now consider not only the federal carrier registration system, but also whether a jury in Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio, or California might retroactively decide the broker should have known a crash might occur. That is not safety regulationits chaos. Whats worse, this balkanization is happening in the most critical artery of our economy. More than 70% of freight in the U.S. moves by truck. Brokers play an essential role in matching that freight to motor carriers. If brokers are held liable for trusting a federally authorized carrierthey will retreat from the market, reduce options for shippers, and increase costs for consumers.

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Congress saw this coming. Thats why it passed the FAAAA in the first place. And its why the Supreme Court must act now.

Twice the Court has denied certiorarifirst in Miller, then in Ye. But the issue has not gone away. It has gotten worse. The Sixth Circuits decision in Cox intensifies the conflict. The industry cannot live with uncertainty any longer. Its time for the Supreme Court to do what only it can: resolve the split, restore uniformity, and reaffirm the preemptive purpose of the FAAAA. Our national supply chain depends on it.

Matthew Leffler is a transportation attorney, adjunct professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law, and the host of the Armchair Attorney Podcast. He can be reached at matthew@armchairattorney.com

The post The Supreme Court must end the legal chaos threatening freight brokers appeared first on FreightWaves.
Surrey County Council (SCC) has withdrawn its official support for the county's Pride event.

In a statement, the authority said it did not believe Pride In Surrey to be "truly representative" of the whole LGBTQ+ community, after it said "concerns" had been raised.

It means the council's employees and services, including Surrey Fire and Rescue, will not be officially attending the event on 6 September.

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Charlie Watts, chief executive of Surrey Pride, described the decision as "confusing" and as part of a "troubling" trend.

Terence Herbert, chief executive of SCC, said: "While we continue to wholeheartedly support the LGBTQ+ community in Surrey, there have been concerns raised about Pride in Surrey as an organisation.

"At this time we do not believe Pride in Surrey to be truly representative of the whole LGBTQ+ community," he said.

"This decision does not change our ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ people, and we firmly believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."

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Mr Herbert said: "We will continue to work with other representative organisations across the county to champion the rights of protected groups, and we continue to be a strong advocate of our LGBTQ+ staff network who we are engaging with fully on this issue."

The county council has not actively sponsored the event since 2021.

The county council said "concerns" had been raised about the event [Surrey Pride]

In June the former founder of Surrey Pride, Stephen Ireland, was jailed for raping a 12-year-old boy.

The BBC understands this was a factor in the authority's decision.

Mr Watts said the news of Mr Ireland's arrest had broken in June 2024, at which point he was removed from the organisation, and prior to Pride in Surrey 2024.

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He said: "As far as we are aware, Surrey County Council has not publicly stated the Stephen Ireland court case as a factor in their decision to remove "support" from Pride in Surrey.

"The news of Mr Ireland's arrest broke prior to Pride in Surrey 2024, at which point he was no longer part of the organisation. Surrey County Council were happy to attend the event.

"Since last year's event, Pride in Surrey's structure has not significantly changed, nor have SCC raised any concerns about our organisation before this decision. As such, we find the reasoning behind this decision confusing.

"Pride in Surrey is concerned that their decision not to attend this year's event may indicate a wider shift within the organisation to withdraw support from LGBTQ+ organisations.

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"At a time where Pride organisations across the country are facing increased attacks, particularly amongst our trans community, this trend is troubling," Mr Watts said.

"All SCC staff are still welcome to attend and enjoy the day in their personal time.

"SCC claim Pride in Surrey is not truly representing the whole LGBTQ+ community is something we reject completely, and one they have provided no evidence for," he said.

"We work tirelessly year round to celebrate and represent everyone within our community and we pride ourselves on creating a welcoming event that brings together Surrey's LGBTQ+ community.

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"We do not believe it is the place of councils to tell queer organisations whether they are representative or not, and believe this sets a worrying precedent."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

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A 22-year-old Los Angeles man is facing murder and burglary charges for the killing of a longtime American Idol staffer and her husband while allegedly attempting to rob their home in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood last week.

Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found shot to death this week when police conducted a welfare check at the couples Encino property on Monday. Kaye is best known as the music supervisor on the long-running hit talent show American Idol, where she was responsible for clearing all songs used or performed on the show for the past 16 years.

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Raymond Boodarian was charged with two counts of murder and a count of residential burglary earlier Thursday, according to Los Angeles ABC affiliate station KABC. This afternoon, he appeared before a judge who said that his next court hearing will be on Aug. 20. Boodarian is being held without bail. Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Guy Golan told reporters Tuesday that the young man is accused of hopping the fence surrounding the Encino property and then shooting and killing the couple during a struggle when they arrived home.

Police, who are still piecing together evidence to see if there was a possible motive for the double murder, said they believe that the couple was killed July 10 and that the LAPD had received two calls about a possible robbery when a man was spotted scaling the 8-foot-tall spike fence of the couples tightly secured property. This high wall prohibited officers from entering the home on White Oak Avenue when first seeking to check on the couple; a helicopter fly-over did not reveal anything suspicious at the property, the department said earlier this week. It wasnt until four days after the couple is believed to have been killed that their bodies were discovered.

While there were no signs of forced entry or trouble at the location during that investigation, it is now believed that the suspect had gained entry into the residence through an unlocked door, authorities shared in a press release. The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives. The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.

In a statement from American Idol that was shared with The Hollywood Reporter, representatives from the show said Kaye was a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.

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Kayes other music supervision credits included work on Lip Sync Battle, After the Sunset, The Singing Bee and QViva! The Chosen. She began her career on the record company and artist management side of the music industry, working for Waylon Jennings in Nashville, and then MTM Records in artist development. Kaye eventually joined the film and TV licensing department at MCA-Universal Records and then ran the music licensing division at PolyGram Records. In 2000, Kaye launched her own company, SyncroniCity, and represented artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Kenny Loggins, Lang Lang, Donny Osmond and Steven Bishop.

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The Brief

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting that killed two people at a Kent apartment.

The victims, a 35-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, were shot dead on July 14.

The suspect, a 51-year-old man with a criminal history, is expected to face homicide charges soon.

KENT, Wash. - Police have arrested a suspect in connection to a shooting that left two people dead at a Kent apartment on Monday.

What we know

A man and woman were killed by gunfire at an apartment complex near 22400 Benson Road Southeast on July 14 around 8:30 p.m.

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Kent police said a 35-year-old man and 46-year-old woman died at the scene.

On Wednesday, an arrest was made in the fatal shooting.

Police say a 51-year-old Kent man with an extensive criminal history was taken into custody in the Seattle area, and was booked into jail on unrelated charges. Detectives expect King County prosecutors to file homicide charges in the case.

The arrest was made at 2:30 p.m. with the assistance of the Snohomish County U.S. Marshals Task Force.

What's next

Details on what led up to the deadly shooting will likely be revealed in probable cause documents, which may be released once charges are filed against the suspect.

The Source

Information in this story came from the Kent Police Department.

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MIDVALE, Utah (ABC4)  A suspect has been taken into custody, accused of shooting a man near 7200 South and State Street in Midvale on Thursday evening, July 17.

The Unified Police Department told ABC4.com that as they were leaving an unrelated scene around 11:30 p.m., they were flagged down by a victim who claimed to have been shot.

The 41-year-old victim, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital for medical treatment and was considered to be in fair condition as of the latest update.

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Officers investigated the scene and were unable to locate a suspect, but did find several shell casings in the scene. During the investigation, a 23-year-old suspect, identified as Dakota Pierce, returned to the scene and was interviewed and detained. Police reportedly recovered the firearm used in the shooting, and Pierce was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available.

Latest headlines:

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA)  Months after a Lake Wales insurance business was vandalized with Molotov cocktails and the words, Civil War Trump, detectives believe they have cracked the case.

Lake Wales police said Thursday they identified Jason Roberts as the suspect responsible for vandalizing the UniVista Insurance business on March 20.

Holiday woman accused of throwing water bottle at teen drive-thru worker because she was tired of waiting

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Roberts, they discovered, is the brother of the co-owner of Logical Insurance, a competing insurance company in the same plaza as UniVista.

Investigators said they were able to develop Roberts as a suspect using surveillance footage. The video showed a light-colored Toyota Prius in the plaza around the same time two bottles of flammable liquid were thrown through the front lobby glass of UniVista.

(UniVista Insurance)

The Molotov cocktails scorched the floor and filled the space with smoke.

Police also found the words, Civil War Trump spray painted on the business, and a bullet hole in a wall directly opposite the front door. The bullet traveled through two rooms and was found lodged in a wall, according to authorities.

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The businessowner, German Portillo, told News Channel 8 hes owned UniVista Insurance for eight years, but had only been open at the location for three weeks.

What is the message that you want, that you want to give? Because apparently there was a message sent. You want me out of here? Why? You want me to do business? Why dont you like me? Why? Thats my question, Portillo said immediately after the incident.

Detectives later determined that the Toyota Prius seen in the area belonged to Sarasota Pathology, a company in which Roberts was the courier supervisor for their subsidiary, SaraPath Diagnostics.

Officials said Roberts resigned on March 24 after not showing up for work for at least two days in a row. The companys HR director informed detectives that Roberts had no legitimate work-related business in Lake Wales at the time of the March 20 incident.

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Investigators found Roberts on July 17 in Jasper, Georgia. Pickens County deputies assisted in taking Roberts into custody.

According to Lake Wales police, Roberts is being charged with armed burglary, arson, shooting into a dwelling, felony criminal mischief, discharging a firearm in public and two counts of possession of fire bombs.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Brief

The shooting happened at an apartment complex on Hirschfield Road.

One man has been pronounced deceased, and a suspect is in custody.

Others are asked to avoid the area.

SPRING, Texas - Harris County deputies are investigating a deadly shooting that was reported at an apartment complex in the Spring area.

Spring, TX apartment shooting

What we know

The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. at the Serena Woods Apartments in the 2800 block of Hirschfield Road, near Aldine Westfield Road.

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Officials arrived at the scene and found a man with a gunshot wound to his chest, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A second man, believed to be the shooter, remained at the scene and was detained for questioning by Harris County Sheriffs Office investigators. As of Thursday night, no arrests had been made and the individual was not in official custody.

HCSO Sgt. Michael Ritchie told FOX 26 the two men involved were acquaintances, and this was not a home invasion.

Deputies were seen taking photographs and collecting evidence, including placing bags over the detained mans hands as part of their investigation.

What we don't know

Authorities have not released the names of either individual. The sheriffs office said detectives are continuing to interview witnesses and gather evidence to determine what led up to the shooting.

The Source

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, and HCSO Sgt. Michael Ritchie
German Federal police have arrested a Libyan national who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The suspect was detained at Berlin Brandenburg Airport following "a request from the International Criminal Court," a spokesman for the Brandenburg Public Prosecutor's Office said on Friday.

The court in The Hague confirmed the arrest. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri is suspected of serious war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and rape.

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The court said that the man is alleged to have been a member of the management of Mitiga prison, where, according to the indictment, thousands of prisoners were held. He is suspected of having personally mistreated prisoners between 2015 and 2020 or of having given orders to do so.

The German Federal Police said he was arrested on Wednesday.

The suspect is currently still in Germany and is to be transferred to the court.

The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the arrested man is a leading member of the Rada militia, which controls Mitiga airport and the surrounding area in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

A 2021 report by the United Nations Security Council's Panel of Experts on sanctions monitoring stated that former prisoners had reported arbitrary arrests, confiscation of property and sexual humiliation of female prisoners by male guards. El Hishri was said to have played a leading role in the abuses.

Civil war broke out in Libya after the fall of longtime ruler Moamer Gaddafi in 2011. Countless militias and two rival governments are still fighting for power and influence in the country.
Heavy fighting has flared up again between the Druze and Bedouin tribes in Syrias restive southern province of Suwayda, hours before reports of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

After the resumption of clashes early on Friday, Syrias presidency said authorities would deploy a dedicated force to restore calm to the Druze-majority governorate.

Specialised state bodies are working to deploy forces to de-escalate clashes and resolve the conflict through political and security measures aimed at restoring stability and preventing the return of chaos as quickly as possible, the presidency said in a statement late on Friday.

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Soon after, the United States ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, said that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkiye, Jordan and other neighbours.

We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity, Barrack said in a post on X on Friday.

Israel on Wednesday carried out heavy air attacks on Suwayda and Syrias capital, Damascus, claiming it was to protect the Druze minority. Damascus condemned the Israeli attacks as a violation of Syrian sovereignty and an attempt to sow division and chaos in the country.

After a truce agreement was announced late on Wednesday between Syria and some Druze factions, government forces withdrew from the province. Most of the fighting was halted by the agreement, under which Druze factions and scholars would be left to maintain internal security in Suwayda, Syrias interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday.

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But after the attacks, Bedouins in the province called for the assistance of other Syrian tribes, which led to forces coming in from across the country.

In turn, an Israeli official, who declined to be named, told reporters on Friday that in light of the ongoing instability in southwest Syria, Israel has agreed to allow limited entry of the [Syrian] internal security forces into Suwayda district for the next 48 hours.





Hundreds of families evacuated

The United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported renewed clashes west of the southern city on Friday, pitting tribal fighters and Bedouin supported by the authorities on one side, against Druze fighters on the other.

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The AFP news agency also said fighters on both sides confirmed the exchange of fire to its correspondents.

Separately, footage published online and verified by Al Jazeera documented the sound of clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in rural Suwayda earlier on Friday. Other verified clips also showed the arrival of reinforcements to support the tribesmen spread throughout the area.

Earlier, a video showed Bedouin tribal leader Abdul Moneim al-Naseef, surrounded by armed tribesmen, issuing a call to the tribes in all Syrian provinces to head immediately to Suwayda to save our people from massacres and ethnic cleansing.

The latest violence added to days of deadly clashes involving local armed groups, as well as government forces.

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The Syrian Network for Human Rights, a group that documents human rights violations, said 321 people have been killed in and around Suwayda since Sunday.

Raed al-Saleh, Syrias minister of disaster management and emergency response, said hundreds of families had been evacuated from Suwayda after calls for help from citizens caught up in the violence. More than 570 people wounded are being treated, and the bodies of 87 victims have been recovered, he said on Friday.





Dangerous escalation

Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr said the situation represented a very dangerous escalation as Syria navigates a fragile post-war transition, following the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year.

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It is an old fault line between Bedouin tribes and some Druze factions, and there have been bouts of violence since the fall of the regime  But this time around, it is a different situation because Bedouin tribes are calling for the states intervention, Khodr said.

The big question is what will Israel do, she added, noting that Israel had previously said it would not allow the presence of Syrian government forces in the south.

However, Labib al-Nahhas, a Syrian political analyst, said Israel had now agreed to allow local security forces to enter Suwayda for 48 hours to prevent more violence between the Bedouins and the Druze, as more Bedouin tribes advance to join the fighting.

[Israels] allies are under threat, so they need to intervene and the middle ground solution  is to allow in security forces  not the [Syrian] army, security forces  for a limited period of time to prevent clashes between the Bedouins and the Druze, he told Al Jazeera.

Interactive_Syria_Suwayda_July18_2025

Bloodshed must stop

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday said credible reports indicate widespread rights violations have been committed by all factions fighting in Suwayda, including summary executions, arbitrary killings, kidnappings, destruction and looting of homes.

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Among the reported perpetrators were members of the security forces, government-affiliated elements, as well as Druze and Bedouins, it added.

This bloodshed and the violence must stop, and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority, in line with international human rights law, UN rights chief Volker Turk said.

The UN Refugee Agency added it is very concerned about the effect of hostilities in Suwayda on its aid operations.

It is very difficult for us to operate there  at the moment, our capacity to deliver aid is very limited. We are calling on all parties to allow humanitarian access, spokesperson William Spindler told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
MAZRAA, Syria (AP)  U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said early Saturday that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire following Israels intervention this week in fighting between Syrian government forces and rival armed groups.

The announcement came as renewed clashes erupted between Druze groups and Bedouin clans and Syria's president said he would send troops back in to quell the fighting, which has left tens of thousands of people displaced in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Barrack said in a statement posted on social platform X that the new ceasefire between Israel and Syria was supported by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries and called for Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors.

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He did not share any details on the agreement.

Israel attacked Syrian forces to protect the Druze minority

Clashes began Sunday between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes in Syrias southern Sweida province. Government forces intervened, nominally to restore order, but ended up taking the Bedouins side against the Druze.

Israel intervened in defense of the Druze, launching dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and even striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus. The Druze form a substantial community in Israel, where they are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the Israeli military.

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The fighting killed hundreds of people over four days, with allegations that Syrian government-affiliated fighters executed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes.

On Wednesday, the Syrian government reached a truce with Druze groups, mediated by the U.S., Turkey and Arab countries, and began withdrawing its forces from the province. Under the accord, Druze factions and clerics were to maintain the internal security in Sweida as government forces pulled out, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Thursday.

Syria sends troops back in as more clashes erupt

By late Thursday, clashes were flaring again between the Druze and Bedouin groups in parts of Sweida province, and on Friday al-Sharaa said that the government would send in a specialized force to break up clashes and resolve the conflict on the ground."

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Officials had negotiated with Druze factions on an agreement to re-enter the area to impose stability and protect state institutions, according to two Syrian officials who spoke earlier Friday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They said an agreement was reached, but later said the deployment was delayed, without giving an explanation.

State media reported that Druze militias had carried out revenge attacks against Bedouin communities, leading to a new wave of displacement.

The governor of neighboring Daraa province said in a statement that more than 1,000 families had been displaced to the area from Sweida as a result of attacks on Bedouin tribes by outlaw groups.

The volunteer group Syrian Civil Defense said Friday that the head of its center in Sweida city had been kidnapped by gunmen two days earlier while on his way to evacuate a U.N. team.

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The official, Hamza al-Amarin, was driving a van with the insignia of the organization, known as the White Helmets, when he was stopped by militants, the statement said. A person who answered his phone on Thursday said he was safe, it added, but they have been unable to reach him.

The United Nations has been unable to bring in much-needed humanitarian and medical aid because of ongoing clashes.

Tens of thousands displaced

The United Nations migration agency said Friday that nearly 80,000 people had been displaced altogether since clashes started on Sunday.

It also noted that essential services, including water and electricity, have collapsed in Sweida, telecommunications systems are widely disrupted, and health facilities in Sweida and Daraa are under severe strain.

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Meanwhile there are severe disruptions to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries," Adam Abdelmoula, U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator in Syria, said in a statement Friday.

The World Health Organization was able to send trauma care supplies to Daraa province, but Sweida remains inaccessible, he said.

Once conditions allow, we are planning to send a mission to assess needs and provide critical aid, in full coordination with authorities, Abdelmoula said.

Sweida conflict draws in others

Bedouin groups and supporters arrived Friday from other areas of Syria to join the fight.

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On the outskirts of Sweida, groups of them gathered in front of buildings that had been set ablaze. An armed man who gave his name only as Abu Mariam ("father of Mariam") said he had come from the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor to support the oppressed.

We will not return to our homes until we crush Al-Hijri and his ilk," he said, referring to a prominent Druze leader opposed to the government in Damascus, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri. "We have nothing to do with civilians and innocent people as long as they stay in their homes."

Bedouins and Druze have clashed before

The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

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While predominantly Druze, Sweida is also home to Bedouin tribes who are Sunni Muslim and have periodically clashed with the Druze over the years. The latest escalation began with members of a Bedouin tribe in Sweida setting up a checkpoint and attacking and robbing a Druze man, which triggered tit-for-tat attacks and kidnappings.

Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied armed groups in southern Syria, said there is no specific reason for the historic tensions between the groups.

All of Syria is full of social problems that have no reason, he said.

In this case, however, The state exploited the latest problem to try to change the situation in Sweida, and this only increased the scope of it, he said.

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A Druze leader calls for unity

In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention.

The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, said Friday at a gathering of Druze officials in Beirut that sectarian clashes in Syria give an excuse for Israeli intervention and for blowing up the situation in the region.

We do not accept to request protection from Israel, which we believe is harmful to our history and identity, he said.

Al-Muna called for all parties to adhere to the ceasefire agreement reached Wednesday and for a national dialogue to address the issues between different communities in Syria.

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Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who had been one of the regional figures mediating the ceasefire reached Wednesday, at the same gathering called for the formation of an investigative committee to investigate violations against both Druze and Bedouins in Syria.

___

Sewell reported from Beirut.
A Tacoma program intended to provide healthcare services and resources to the unhoused is operational after a slow start, but the program is still months away from full capacity.

In October 2024, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) and the City of Tacoma announced the Street Medicine Pilot Program  funded by a $1 million grant from the Washington State Health Care Authority.

According to an Oct. 22 news release announcing the program, the street-medicine teams would be composed of medical and behavioral health professionals, including a medical provider, a behavioral health professional and a community health worker.

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This program will bring crucial healthcare services directly to people living unsheltered, the release stated. The program will deploy specially trained Street Medicine Teams to provide care to individuals living in encampments, tent cities, vehicles, and other unsheltered locations.

In May, program manager Bianca Shell told members of the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness the program was still working to hire staff for the team.

At that time, the department reported the program, which promised to bring wrap-around clinical healthcare, behavioral health, and chronic condition treatment services directly to those experiencing homelessness, had distributed supplies primarily.

During the Tacoma City Councils Community Vitality and Safety Committee meeting on July 10, the city and the health department gave an update on program operations.

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Chantell Harmon Reed, director of public health for TPCHD, attributed some of the delays to full implementation of the street-medicine program to the bureaucratic process related to contracting.

Harmon Reed told the committee the program had launched a full deployment as of May 26. She described the full deployment as a cargo van full of supplies to distribute and a converted sprinter van serving as a medical-exam area.

Leading into the May 26 date was also a process of gathering information, she told the committee. You have to build trust; you have to build name recognition; you have to build face recognition.

Harmon Reed said the full deployment would be operational once a week until September as the street-medicine team tries to understand how it will regularly operate. By September, the street medicine team plans to do three full deployments a week before expanding to four a week after October.

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We have to figure out what makes sense for us in making sure that the services are appropriate, and our policies are appropriate, and we can have a true understanding of where do we go all across the city, she said.

Harmon Reed said because of the nomadic nature of the unhoused population, it takes strategy to best serve them.

While the two vehicles are deployed once a week, a cargo van with a registered nurse and an outreach worker are operational two additional days a week to provide follow-up care.

Harmon Reed told the committee the street-medicine team aims to offer wound care, foot care, testing for sexually transmitted infections, HIV and Hep C, as well as treatment and referrals for opioid-use disorder and mental health.

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Supplies the team has distributed and will distribute include food, hygiene kits, clothing, sleeping bags, sunscreen and bus passes for individuals to travel to treatment.

According to data shared by the program, the team made outreach contacts with roughly 80 people in April and May before contacting nearly 140 people in June.

Since April, the street-medicine teams mobile nurse care has treated 30 wounds, six infections and made 18 referrals to primary care.

Since the program started, the team has reportedly served or supplied more than 760 people  with more than 530 hygiene kits and nearly 350 Naloxone kits distributed.

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Harmon Reed said the program is developing relationships with partners to host clinic pop-ups in parking lots as well as service providers they can refer clients to.

Caleb Carbone is the homeless strategy, systems and services manager with the City of Tacomas Neighborhood and Community Services Department. Carbone told the committee the city is looking to secure additional funding from the state to be able to sustain and expand the street-medicine program.

Sally Perkins is a local homeless advocate who does volunteer street outreach in Tacomas Hilltop Neighborhood. Earlier this year, Perkins expressed frustrations with the slow roll-out of the program.

On July 10, Perkins provided public comment to the Community Vitality and Safety Committee, expressing some recommendations to the street-medicine team. Perkins suggested, among other things, that outreach workers should be able to call the team directly to get it to come to respond to a medically challenged homeless person as soon as possible.

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All of us already hand out supplies, volunteer street medics can do basic first aid, she said. Its the more complicated situations that we need street medicine for, especially when the homeless person who is ill does not want us to call 911.

In June, a panel of homeless-service providers in Pierce County sounded the alarm on the need for healthcare among those living unhoused.

On June 3, Jake Nau, the homeless outreach manager for St. Vincent DePaul, told Pierce County Council members at least 50% of the unhoused people he meets are either over 55 years of age or are experiencing a physical or mental disability they either were living with before becoming unhoused or have incurred through their experience living on the streets.

During the 2024 survey of those living unhoused in Pierce County, volunteers counted 2,661 people living unhoused in a single night. Of those surveyed, 25% reported having a chronic health condition, and 22% reported having a physical disability.

According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), people who experience homelessness have an average life expectancy of around 50, almost 20 years lower than people who are housed. The Center for Disease Control states that people experiencing homelessness are at a greater risk of infectious and chronic illness, poor mental health and substance abuse.
By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan does not seek conflict with China and will not provoke confrontation, but Beijing's "aggressive" military posturing is counterproductive, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said on Friday.

China considers democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory and calls President Lai Ching-te a "separatist". Taiwan's government disputes China's claim.

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Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club in the capital Taipei, Hsiao said Chinese pressure on Taiwan had escalated over the past few years but that the island's people were peace-loving.

"We do not seek conflict; we will not provoke confrontation," she said, reiterating Lai's offer of talks between Taipei and Beijing.

For decades, Taiwan's people and business have contributed to China's growth and prosperity, which has been possible only in a peaceful and stable environment, Hsiao added.

"Aggressive military posturing is counterproductive and deprives the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait of opportunities to pursue an agenda of growth and prosperity," she said.

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"Defending the status quo (with China) is our choice, not because it is easy, but because it is responsible and consistent with the interests of our entire region."

In 2023, China put sanctions on Hsiao for the second time, but they have little practical effect as senior Taiwanese officials do not travel to China and Chinese law has no jurisdiction on the entirely separately governed island.

Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China, but has been rebuffed. China has staged at least six rounds of major war games around Taiwan since 2022.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that whatever Taiwan's governing Democratic Progressive Party said or did, both sides of the strait belonged to "one China".

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Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer, is facing another international challenge at the moment - tariff talks with the United States.

Taiwan remains in negotiations with Washington, following U.S. President Donald Trump's April announcement that the island would be subject to a 32% tariff, which was subsequently suspended to facilitate talks.

"With the United States, our negotiators are literally working around the clock to strive to reach an agreement on reciprocal tariffs to achieve trade balance while also promoting further bilateral cooperation in technology, investments and other areas," Hsiao said.

Hsiao is Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to Washington, and a fluent English speaker with deep ties in the U.S. capital.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Colleen Howe in Beijing; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Timothy Heritage)
TALIAFERRO COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF)  The Chief Deputy of Taliaferro County is on administrative leave after he was arrested in McDuffie County.

Chris Treadwell was arrested several weeks ago for boating under the influence on Clarks Hill Lake.

According to the Taliaferro County Sheriff, Tia M. McWilliams, On Saturday, July 5th Treadwell sent in his resignation stating I render my services as of right now. IM SORRY!

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She said she spoke with him the next day and he was deeply remorseful for his actions and the impact it had on both his immediate and work families.

Sheriff McWilliams said she accepted his resignation, commended him for his integrity, and advised him that unless he planned to leave law enforcement for good, the self-judgment he felt would follow him in the future. She encouraged him to not let one mistake define his career.

Treadwell requested to rescind his resignation on July 11th. His request was granted pending further investigation. It was completed July 17th

Treadwell has been suspended without pay for a minimum of 14 days. The Sheriff says upon his his return hell be re-assigned and serve with a reduction in rank.

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The sheriff says as humans, we all fall short:

As Sheriff of Taliaferro County, I am committed to leading with honor, integrity, love, compassion, and respect. I firmly believe in holding myself and others accountable for having the courage to do what is morally, ethically, lawfully, and justifiably right. As humans, we all fall short daily, some in private, without public awareness and obvious consequences, and others in public, where the consequences are more visible. What matters most is not simply what we do, but the totality of the circumstances and how we take responsibility for our actions moving forward. Within the Taliaferro County Sheriffs Office, I require honesty and encourage a culture of growth, accountability, and humility. I teach my staff that empathy and respect are essential in the performance of our duties and in every interaction with the public, because while we are tasked with upholding the law, as humans we all fall short, and none of us are above the law. Thus, we must extend to others the same dignity, love, compassion, and respect that we hope to receive in our own moments of distress. Today, it may be Jane or John Doe, and tomorrow it could be you; so, please choose what is right, treat people right, and trust that in doing right, right will never wrong you. My staff and I thank you, the public, for your support, and we appreciate your understanding. We move forward with business to meet the needs of our shared community. Therefore, if you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us at feedback@tcsoga.com. Thank you in advance. Tia M. McWilliams,

Sheriff of Taliaferro County, Georgia

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Jul. 17A Taos man is accused of killing his girlfriend's ex-husband and wounding his girlfriend in a spray of bullets Wednesday afternoon.

Eduardo Castaneda Jr., 35, is charged with an open count of murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the shooting, which left 45-year-old Antonio Gomez dead.

Castaneda is also charged with four counts of child abuse, as the children shared by his ex-girlfriend and Gomez were inside the home and in the line of fire.

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New Mexico State Police said Castaneda turned himself in on Wednesday night, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Taos Magistrate Court. He told police that Gomez attacked him first and he shot him in self-defense, accidentally shooting his girlfriend in the arm.

The Taos County Sheriff's Office responded around 2:30 p.m. to a shooting in the 200 block of Espinoza, just east of N.M. 518. Deputies found Gomez dead and the girlfriend wounded.

The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department removed four children from the home and they were later placed with their grandmother, according to the affidavit. State Police took over the homicide investigation.

Police said the girlfriend told them she had asked Gomez for help fixing her car when Castaneda found out and told her, "He better not be there." The girlfriend said she was in the vehicle when she heard "a commotion" and looked up to see the two men fighting.

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The girlfriend told police Castaneda said, "Come get some," before firing more than a dozen rounds at Gomez, hitting her in the arm and pockmarking the car with bullet holes, according to the affidavit. Around 5 p.m., Castaneda's sister called 911 and told police her brother said he "committed a crime and needed help."

Police said after turning himself in, Castaneda told them he became concerned when his girlfriend didn't answer her phone and he found her and Gomez at their house. He told police Gomez instigated the fight by pushing him and a scuffle ensued.

Castaneda told police he saw "a silver object" in Gomez's hand and he pulled out a gun and shot him until the magazine on his handgun was empty, the affidavit states. He said shooting his girlfriend was an accident and "was adamant he loved (her) and never intended on hurting her."

Police said Castaneda told them he was protecting the girlfriend and children from Gomez.

"I asked (Castaneda) how he felt knowing he wanted to protect the children however had fired multiple rounds in the direction of the residence the children were occupying," an officer wrote in the affidavit. Castaneda replied, "he was accountable for every round he fired" but was aiming at Gomez.
With new tariffs in place, back to school shoppers are getting to it earlier than normal this year, new data shows.

The National Retail Federation on July 15 released its annual survey showing 67 percent of school-goers already started their back-to-school shopping. This is the highest percentage since NRF started tracking back-to-school shopping in 2018.

NRF says thats due to a growing concern of the impact of tariffs.

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The first day of school for Fort Worth Independent School District is Tuesday, Aug. 12. The Texas Sales Tax weekend is Aug. 8-10. With less than a month to prepare, theres more incentive to start now.

Heres a closer look at back-to-school shopping data and whether the tariffs will impact shoppers.

 More trending stories from our newsroom:

Missed breakfast? Here's when Whataburger, others stop serving

What TX law says about taking breaks at work

Can you get fired for being late to work?

Which tariffs are currently in place?

As of July 14, there is a 27.9 percent broad tariff rate set on all Chinese imports, per the Yale Budget Lab.

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China is the worlds top exporter of school supplies, equating $1.4 billion, while the U.S. is the top importer of plastic school and office supplies, equating $467 million.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, the U.S. imported $359 million worth of plastic school and office supplies from China in 2024.

The Budget Yale Lab estimates an overall 2.1 percent price increase for consumers due to tariffs  an average loss of $3,400-$4,200 per household.

How much do U.S. consumers spend on school and office supplies?

According to the NRF, consumers will spend approximately $39.4 billion on school supplies for K-12 students. For college students, they predict $88.8 billion worth of spending.

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Stationery and school supply prices have risen 30 percent since 2021, according to Deloittes 2025 back-to-school survey.

K-12 shoppers are budgeting $295.81 on average for electronics ($13.6 billion total), $249.36 for clothing and accessories ($11.4 billion total), $169.13 for shoes ($7.8 billion total) and $143.77 for school supplies ($6.6 billion total), reports the NRF.

Shoes are another product that consumers can expect a price increase with. Axios reports that almost every shoe sold in the U.S. is imported from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Bangladesh. The Budget Lab estimated in its July 14 report prices rising as much as 44 percent for a pair of shoes.

Where consumers shop for back-to-school

The interior of The Weldon Project, a store with a variety of recycled school supplies and crafts made by local reuse artists for teachers across the metroplex on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

The most popular K-12 and college student back-to-school shopping destination is online, according to the NRF. Heres more of a breakdown:

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K-12 consumers:

Online: 55 percent

Department Stores: 48 percent

Discount Stores: 47 percent

Clothing Stores: 41 percent

College consumers:
The Brief

A Taylor man was found guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver

He was sentenced to 43 years in prison

TAYLOR, Texas - A Taylor man was sentenced to over 40 years in prison for possession of cocaine.

The backstory

According to the Williamson County District Attorney's Office, Barry Deshawn White, 47, of Taylor, was found guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver. He was later sentenced to 43 years in prison.

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This investigation started due to a Crime Stoppers tip in November 2024, reporting illegal drugs being sold from a home in Taylor. Surveillance by authorities then began.

Detectives saw White conducting multiple drug sales from his car parked in front of the home. During a search of White's car, detectives found bags containing 66 grams of marijuana, 12 grams of cocaine, a digital scale and tiny Ziplock bags.

White was out on bond for another drug-related and firearms case at the time of the investigation.

White has an extensive criminal record, including prior convictions for evading and resisting arrest, possession of controlled substances, and assault.

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He was also convicted in 2008 of felony possession with intent to deliver cocaine.

What they're saying

"This verdict and sentence send a clear message that drug trafficking has no place in Williamson County," said District Attorney Shawn Dick. "Our office remains committed to working with law enforcement to disrupt these illegal operations and hold repeat offenders accountable, ensuring the safety of our community."

The Source

Information from the Williamson County District Attorney's Office
HUNTSVILLE, Ala (WHNT)  Our world is constantly evolving, and lately, a lot of that evolution has been in the form of artificial intelligence.

This is the future, Kala Grice-Dobbins said. Its not going away, and we want our teachers to be informed, but also our students to be informed.

Woman facing animal cruelty charges after 29 dogs were seized from Lauderdale County home

Grice-Dobbins is a cybersecurity teacher with the Madison County School System.

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Thursday, more than 150 teachers from across North Alabama gathered to talk about AI and the use of it in the classroom.

Its clearly a novel technology new for kids, new for teachers, and theyre trying to figure out how to use it, Randy Sparkman said. So were just trying to bring resources and bring these, Madison County districts, particularly, together to talk about strategies for using AI in the new school year.

Sparkman is a part of Mayor Tommy Battles AI task force. They put on the AI in education event.

Gov. Ivey announces more than $3.7 Million in Rebuild Alabama Funding for local road projects across Alabama

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Grace-Dobbins said she uses AI for help with things like lesson plans and recommendation letters.

All of us use templates every day, she said. Why cant it be our template to start with, and then we edit it because nothings perfect when it comes out.

She said its easier than you think to spot students plagiarizing by using the tool.

Its not going to be your top of the line type paper, she said. Its not going to be written in their kind of language. Its not going to have their kind of thoughts involved, and so the more you know your students, youre going to know this is not you.

Angela Evans is also a teacher. She said shes already been using AI in her classroom for years.

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She has a message for those who may be skeptical. What shed tell people.

Dont be scared because change is nature, she said. We are going to progress our humanity. Our intelligence is going to continue to progress.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(WJW)  The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered a big mystery surrounding a local mans attempt to collect savings bonds worth $100,000 through the states unclaimed funds system.

Everyones talking about unclaimed funds, since lawmakers approved $600 million from that account to help the Cleveland Browns build a dome.

Man wins 2 separate $1M lottery prizes after accidentally buying extra ticket

But this case shows the frustration of some people saying they have trouble getting through unclaimed funds red tape.

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And, you know, are we ever gonna get this resolved, or is it something youve just got to forget about? said Sam Tamburrino.

They just tell you, You gotta call back in a month.'

Last year, Tamburrino, a local businessman, had his lawyer file a claim, trying to collect about $100,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds left behind in a safe deposit box after Tamburrinos mom and dad passed away.

But, after all this time  nothing from the state.

We watched as attorney Ed Hargate and Tamburrino called about their unclaimed funds, and we saw why theyre frustrated.

We heard Hargate say, Im talking about the $100,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds.

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And, So, when is it gonna be processed? When are you guys gonna have it?

And, Its not a different claim. Its not a different claim.

He told us, Every time I talk to them, 90% of the time its not part of the claim, they tell me. And I tell them, Im holding the claim in my hand.'

Since lawmakers approved unclaimed funds for the Browns, the state has been swamped with more people asking about unclaimed funds in their name. Last month, the state told us it is getting more people money more quickly. Yet we still hear complaints about red tape. Remember  Sams case goes back to last year.

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Last month we spoke to Susie Wagner from the Ohio Department of Commerce, and we asked, Why do we still hear so many complaints from people saying, I cant get my money?

Wagner said, Were administrators of the law, and we have to make sure it goes to the rightful owner.

Tamburrino also said, I think you need a new system.

I-Team: Investigation underway after fleeing suspect struck by Butler employee

For this story, Mikaela Hunt, chief communications officer for the Department of Commerce, released a statement that said, in part:

Its important to note in general that while some unclaimed funds are rather straightforward to process, there are occasions in which more complex scenarios, often times involving deceased individuals, may result in a delay of processing while we verify the legitimacy of the claimants identity. Legal requirements necessitate specific documentation, and we are committed to preventing fraudulent claims. We deeply appreciate the familys patience and understanding during this process and your bringing this to our attention so we can make sure the family receives their rightly owned funds and property as soon as possible.

Adding to the mystery, Tamburrino has been sorting through confusion between what was left in the bank safe deposit box and what was turned over to the state.

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We will update this story on FOX 8 and FOX8.com.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(WJW)  The FOX 8 I-Team has learned more after a wanted man, who was running from a Butler police officer, was struck by a vehicle driven by a village employee.

The incident happened at about 7 p.m. on July 11.

Swimmers warned to stay out of Lake Erie on Thursday

The wanted man, Anthony Ward, was in a vehicle with his grandmother and another woman just moments before the incident took place. His grandmother told a 911 dispatcher that she pulled over because a red vehicle was following her. Moments after she stopped her vehicle, a Butler Village police officer came up to the car and her grandson took off running, she said.

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Security video obtained by the I-Team shows Ward running and a red car following him and striking him.

They ran over him twice and trying to tell me that can be that way, the grandmother told the dispatcher.

The grandmother asked for the Richland County Sheriffs Office to send a deputy to the scene but the dispatcher said police were already on scene.

Yes, but they are the ones that ran over him, the woman told the dispatcher.

According to officials, the person driving the red vehicle is an employee of the village of Butler. Bellville Police are investigating the incident.

Dispatch records state Ward was injured. The records state he suffered traumatic injuries and that he may have a broken leg.

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State of Ohio closer than ever to ending E-Check program

Ward was released from prison in February after serving time for a sexual battery charge. According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website, he was wanted by the Adult Parole Authority when officers tried to arrest him on Friday.

Both Butler police and officials with the village of Bellville have declined to release any names of the people involved. The I-Team obtained 911 dispatch records from the Richland County Sheriffs Office that name the village employee. We are not yet releasing the name of employee, since no charges have been filed.



The Bellville Police Department has called a press conference on Monday morning to discuss the matter.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Donald Trump wrote a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in the early 2000s in which the future president, addressing the future convicted sex offender, noted that we have certain things in common. The existence of the letter was reported today by The Wall Street Journal, which obtained documents pertaining to a 2003 album put together for Epsteins 50th birthday by his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, also now a convicted sex offender.

The Journal notes that the letter bearing Trumps name was outlined by a drawing of a naked woman, and that the woman appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. Trumps signature, as Donald, appears below the womans waist.

Its unclear how the text of the letter, which was typewritten, was prepared, according to the Journal. Here is what the outlet reports was inside of the outline of the naked woman:

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Voiceover: There must be more to life than having everything.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I wont tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denied he wrote the letter. This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he told the outlet earlier this week. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women. Its not my language. Its not my words.

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Trump said he would sue the Journal if they published a story on the letter. Im gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else, the president said.

Trump wrote on Truth Social today shortly after the story went live that he warned the Journal and Rupert Murdoch, personally about running the story, and that he will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch. The president called the story false, malicious, and defamatory and described the Journal as a Disgusting and Filthy Rag.

Vice President J.D. Vance sprang to Trumps defense tonight. Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it, Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on X. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged that the Journal knowingly published false information to smear the President of the United States and that the story is part of a coordinated Hoax by the Democrats and Fake News to smear President Trump.

Rolling Stone reported Wednesday on how the Trump administration has hurled a substantial amount of time and resources toward a multipronged effort to contain the backlash  both within government and among right-wing influencers  to the Justice Departments decision earlier this month to effectively bury the administrations inquiry into the convicted sex offender, who died in prison in 2019, and his potential ties to powerful figures.

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Some of this effort, multiple sources in and close to the White House have been telling Rolling Stone this week, has included a days-long mission  led by an incensed president  to try to kill the Journal report on the letter to Epstein, which has now seen the light of day.

One administration official describes the White House as having been on a fucking warpath in its pressure campaign against the conservative newspaper, working different contacts and angles in an attempt to get the outlet to drop the story. This official notes this was rated a top priority by Trump and dominated various conversations within the West Wing and elsewhere this week.

In the end, the Journal  which is controlled by the Murdoch family, who run Fox News  did not allow Trumps maximum pressure campaign to work. Asked about the presidents legal threat, a source familiar with the matter would only say: The president is in touch with outside counsel.

Multiple Trump advisers and others in the presidents political orbit concede that the presidents sustained endeavor to snuff out the story has only made it seem more important. Its been weighing on him, another administration source says. The president wanted multiple options, legal too, explored for what he could do to stop or hit back against the story.

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Trumps long history with Epstein has been under renewed scrutiny following the Justice Departments Epstein memo. The pair have been photographed together plenty, and they were shot on video partying together in the 1990s. Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, Trump told New York magazine in 2002. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life.

The Justice Departments decision to end its investigation has been met with widespread backlash, most notably from MAGA influencers. Trump has responded by claiming repeatedly that former President Barack Obama and other Democrats fabricated the Epstein files, while attacking his supporters for being duped by what the president is now calling a hoax.

The Journal notes in its report on the letter that Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Obama and others made up the Epstein files after speaking to the outlet about its report on the letter to Epstein earlier in the day.

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(NewsNation)  A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with the death of a female paddleboarder in Maine.

According to The Associated Press, Maine State Police arrested the teen Wednesday night. It follows the death of Sunshine Stewart, 48, who never returned home after paddleboarding the evening of July 2.

Stewarts body was found near 100 Acre Island in the town of Union, Maine. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Stewarts cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said.

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The teens name has not been released due to his age. Police did not say why he was arrested or if he was charged, and they declined to release any other information about him as the investigation is ongoing.

People are still guessing as to who the actual individual is, Sam Patten, managing editor of The Maine Wire, told Banfield.

US to destroy 500 tons of emergency food aid paid for by tax dollars

Police have asked for information from anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond or anyone who has any other information related to the case.

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Stewarts longtime friend Meredith Smith joined Banfield last Friday night to discuss the sort of person Stewart was and the ongoing homicide case.

Smith described Stewart as a very vibrant person, outgoing, silly at times, strong-willed, independent, adventurous; she was just an overall great person.

Nobody wants to hurt Sonny, Smith said.Thats the scary part about it, because she had a lot of friends all over the world.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
GREER, S.C. (WSPA)  A teen was arrested Wednesday after allegedly firing multiple shots toward a car at an Upstate intersection.

Officers with the Greer Police Department said they were called to the scene of the Spinx gas station on Wade Hampton Boulevard at 1:26 a.m. on Tuesday.

The caller told officers that they were in a fight with another person earlier in the night. The two, the victim told police, were driving in the area when multiple shots were fired at the callers car near the intersection of Mt. Vernon Road and Peachtree Drive.

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No injuries were reported during the shooting.

Warrants allege that the 17-year-old suspect used an AR-style firearm to shoot at the victims car at least eight times.

Deputies with the Greenville County Sheriffs office arrested the suspect Wednesday. They have been charged with attempted murder, discharging a gun into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
[See violent crime statistics in the player above.]

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (WJW)  An 18-year-old was shot and killed Thursday, July 17, in what appeared to be a calculated, targeted murder, said Police Chief Joseph Mays.

Police responded just after 8:30 p.m. to a report of shots fired in the 4100 block of Verona Road.

Ex-North Ridgeville City Schools teacher sentenced to jail in stalking case involving Westlake City Schools teacher

Officers arrived to find an 18-year-old suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition and later died, according to the release.

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Witnesses told police a red or maroon Nissan Murano stopped on the street near the man. A male suspect got out of the SUV and opened fire, then fled in the SUV.

Officers are still searching for the suspect and the vehicle, according to the release.

Police have not identified the victim, so that the family has time to mourn privately, Mays wrote.

View from SkyFOX: What caused smoky conditions near I-90

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call police at 216-381-1234 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 216-252-7463 or visiting its website.

A $5,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment of those responsible, according to the release.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
YORK, Pa. (WHTM)  An 18-year-old pleaded guilty to stabbing and killing a high school student during a fight at a park in 2023, the District Attorneys Office announced.

TyQuan Rosario will be spending 10 to 20 years in a State Correctional Institution with a consecutive year of re-entry supervision, the District Attorneys Office said.

Rosario was charged with criminal homicide, but that was later changed to third-degree murder in the stabbing death of 14-year-old Michael Keys III at Penn Park in December 2023.

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The incident was right across from William Penn Senior High School, where Keys was a student.

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York City Police were able to watch multiple videos that captured the fight. Court documents filed by police show, Rosario was seen on video pulling out a knife and stabbing Keys in the chest from behind during a fight between two groups of people.

Rosario was then arrested at his home without incident.

Three other teens suffered minor injuries from the fight but they recovered from their injuries.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.




NEED TO KNOW

A teenager says she jumped into a Connecticut river when she saw a boy in distress

Isabella Marino told a local news outlet that she leaped into Housatonic River on Tuesday, July 15, after watching the 5-year-old boy struggle in the deep water

Authorities have reportedly said the boy, who survived the ordeal, is showing "positive signs" after being rescued





A teenager is recalling the moment she jumped into a Connecticut river to help a 5-year-old boy when she noticed he was struggling in the water.

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Isabella Marino, 14, told ABC affiliate WTNH that she was paddle boarding on the Housatonic River at Indian Well State Park on Tuesday, July 15, when she saw the boy enter the water near the boat launch.

At first, Marino said she thought the boy was playing in the water, but soon realized the child was in trouble.

I saw that he wasnt coming up anymore, and I knew something was wrong then and that he was drowning, the teen said.

Marino said she then leaped into the water and tried to go after the boy, but the water was too deep. Still, she told WTNH she did not leave the child alone.



Getty The Housatonic River in Connecticut, where a teen helped a boy who was struggling in the water The Housatonic River in Connecticut, where a teen helped a boy who was struggling in the water

I stayed there with him and I told my mom to go get someone because I looked around and I saw no one, nothing, Marino said.

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Connecticuts Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said some of its staff members eventually arrived at the scene and pulled the boy from the water with help from the Shelton police and fire departments, according to the Hartford Courant.

The boy was reportedly unconscious when he was removed from the water, and life-saving measures were performed on him at the scene before he was transported to Griffin Hospital.

DEEP said the child was later transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital while his mom alongside him, according to the Courant.

Both DEEP and the Shelton Fire Department (SFD) have since said the child was showing positive signs after the incident, per the reports.

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Neither agency immediately responded to PEOPLEs request for comment.

SFD Deputy Fire Chief Paul Wilson applauded Marinos quick thinking and her response to the childs predicament, according to WTNH. He believes her actions could have helped save the boy.

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 DEEP spokesperson told the Courant, This incident is a sobering reminder of the importance of vigilance and caution around water, particularly in areas where lifeguards are not present.

Meanwhile, Marino is glad to have helped save a life. Like, if it wasnt for me, I dont know what would have happened, she told WTNH.



Read the original article on People
We share our communitys frustration over the violence weve seen and the impact its had on families across the town.

What has happened in Gilbert over the past few years has been hard.

And while its easy to feel discouraged, this moment also has created space for something else: reflection and lessons learned related to stronger partnerships with our schools, and renewed efforts in identifying various ways to support young people in crisis.

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Teen safety has always been, and continues to be, a top priority in Gilbert. Meaningful change takes more than enforcement; it requires time, compassion, intention and collaboration at every level within the community.

With that in mind, I want to address Joanna Allhands rightful concerns that she shared in her recent column with some of the specific action items we have implemented in Gilbert to address teen violence.

Youth engagement officers can help mentor teens

Weve taken a hard look at whats working and what needs to change, and thats led to some important steps forward.

Last August, we welcomed Officer Emily King as Gilberts first Youth Community Engagement Officer, a new role created specifically to build bridges with teens and families.

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She spent her first months researching whats working in other communities, including best practices and lessons learned from other police departments, as well as speaking with students, families and youth advocates here at home.

What she found wasnt surprising: our young people are struggling, and they need consistent, compassionate support at home, in school and in the community.

Officer King is helping us meet some of those needs.

Opinion: 2024 Arizonans of the Year wouldn't let violent 'Goons' slide

While one person cannot solve all problems, she is working directly with students of all ages, especially those most at risk, offering mentorship, guidance and a trusted voice to help build trust between young people and the police department, and to address teen violence before it begins.

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The town is evaluating the creation of a team of Youth Community Engagement Officers to further help us reach more teens and families in our community.

Officer King was also an integral part of the Community Engagement Task Force, representing the Gilbert Police Department, where our community collectively came together to provide short-term and long-term recommendations to combat teen violence.

Gilbert is doing more to connect teens

While our staff continues to implement the task force recommendations, below are recent examples of whats been accomplished:

The town created a new teen website with information on teen programs, existing laws and ordinances, and safety resources for parents.

The Gilbert Parks and Recreation Department introduced new programming for teenagers, offering safe and inclusive environments. Recent events like Teen Taco Nerf Wars, the Gilbert Glow-Up Pool Party and the high school Pickleball Social in July attracted more than 120 teens combined  with more to come in the future.

Gilbert police have increased patrol and special details during the summer months and holiday weekends in areas we know teens frequent, including areas in and around the mall.

This fall, Gilbert Police Department will launch its first Teen Citizens Academy, a hands-on initiative designed to educate and empower high school students with a behind-the-scenes look at the Gilbert Police Department and the criminal justice system.

Problem isn't solved, but we're working intentionally

Thats in addition to previously existing programs aimed at engaging teens in our community:

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Officers will be present at each school campus during the first week of school to help build relationships and trust with students from kindergarten through high school.

A Social Media Safety and Awareness Class empowers parents with information and tools they need to keep their teens safe online.

The Mayors Youth Advisory Committee empowers students to influence Gilberts future while fostering civic engagement and pride.

Expanded e-bike education and enforcement ensures our parents and young people understand the rules of the road to ensure safety is top of mind

The Gilbert Police Youth Leadership Academy, established in 2018 and led by school resource officers, recently concluded two successful four-day summer sessions. These sessions helped more than 50 teens build resiliency, confidence and communication skills through lessons on conflict resolution, the power of the bystander, physical and mental wellness strategies, and responsible social media use.

In August, Gilbert Fire and Rescue will host its annual back-to-school shopping event with students from Gilbert Public Schools at Kohls. The Gilbert Police Department also is partnering with Salt River Project to provide a similar event with students from Higley Unified Schools at Target.

This is certainly not all-inclusive of our efforts, and I share it not to suggest that weve solved the problem, but to let you know that we are moving intentionally, thoughtfully and with our eyes wide open.

We all want the same thing for Gilbert  to be a place where our kids feel safe, valued and supported. That future doesnt belong to one department or one leader. It belongs to all of us.

And Im grateful for voices like Joannas, who help shape it.

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(This column has been updated with new information.)

Scott Anderson is mayor of Gilbert. Reach him at Scott.Anderson@GilbertAZ.gov.

Like this column? Get more opinions in your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert teens are struggling. Here is how we help them | Opinion
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the death of a paddleboarder who, earlier this month, was found beaten to death, WMTW reported.

On July 3, Sunshine Sunny Stewart, 48, was found dead on a small island located in Crawford Pond in the city of Union, Maine. Stewart had set off on a solo paddleboarding trip the day before she was found dead. The medical examiner later revealed her cause of death to be strangulation and head trauma, citing the unusual circumstances around her demise.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 16, local authorities arrested an unidentified 17-year-old boy in connection with Stewarts death. The suspect, who is from Maine and vacations in the area with his family each summer, was reportedly taken into custody without incident.

Related: 61-Year-Old Seriously Injured in Freak MRI Machine Accident

According to the victims friend, Rachel Blumenberg, Stewart was spending the summer by herself at a rented campsite at Crawford Pond near the Mic Mac Family Campground. She was the only camper at the site for two or three nights before she was found dead. Its unclear if Stewart and the suspect knew one another prior to the incident.

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I am floored with elation and grief, Blumenberg said after the suspects arrest.

The suspect is currently being held at South Portlands Long Creek Youth Development Center. Its not clear when hes scheduled to appear in court. Local authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mens Journal.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

Related: Perry Farrell Countersues Bandmates After Explosive Lawsuit

Teenage Boy Arrested in Connection With Paddleboarder's Death first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
The Brief

A high-speed chase involving teens on e-bikes has prompted Flagler Countys sheriff to call for stricter local laws.

A proposed ordinance would fine reckless riders and allow bike seizures to address growing safety concerns.

The measure responds to relaxed state rules that have made enforcement difficult for local deputies.

PALM COAST, Fla. - After a high-speed chase involving two teenagers on electric bikes, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly says hes had enough  and is calling for a citywide crackdown on reckless e-bike riders.

What we know

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is pushing for a citywide ordinance in Palm Coast following a high-speed chase involving two teenagers on electric bikes.

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Deputies say the teens rode on sidewalks, ignored traffic laws, and refused to stop before being arrested. The sheriffs proposed ordinance would introduce fines, require helmet use, and allow deputies to seize e-bikes used recklessly.

What we don't know

Its unclear how the city council will respond to the proposal, or how soon the ordinance might be implemented. Theres also uncertainty over how enforcement will work in practice, especially given current statewide rules that treat e-bikes like traditional bicycles.

The backstory

Florida eased e-bike restrictions two years ago, stripping away licensing and registration requirements. Since then, law enforcement has expressed concern over the lack of tools to manage increasingly powerful and fast-modified bikes. Stalys ordinance appears to be a local countermeasure to regain control.

What they're saying

The incident unfolded in Palm Coast, where deputies say the teens were spotted riding on sidewalks at high speeds, darting into oncoming traffic and refusing to stop. Both were arrested after what authorities described as a dangerous pursuit.

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"It's one of the reasons why I finally had enough and asked my general counsel to draft an ordinance that we can give to the City of Palm Coast for them to review and hopefully pass," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.

The sheriff says the goal is to hit reckless riders where it hurts  their wallets  and restore order to roadways and sidewalks increasingly shared by fast-moving e-bikes.

"I get e-bikes are fun and they take the work out of it," Staly said, "but we're starting to really see issues come about."

What's next

The ordinance, if passed, would give deputies more authority to enforce safety rules and address what Staly calls a growing public hazard. The measure is expected to be considered at an upcoming Palm Coast City Council meeting.

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The Source

This story was written based on information shared by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
It will take a decade to free 2,544 prisoners trapped on inhumane indefinite jail terms, damning new figures suggest, as campaigners warn the government must go further and faster to end the scandal.

The number of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners being released for the first time has hit an all-time low, according to the Ministry of Justice data, with just 172 freed for the first time last year.

At current rates, the overall population is decreasing by less than 10 per cent a year  despite some prisoners having served up to 22 times longer than their original sentence.

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This excludes a further 233 people on IPP sentences who are being held in secure hospitals after their mental health has deteriorated in prison.

The figures, released on Thursday in an annual report, lay bare the toxic legacy of the open-ended jail terms as pressure mounts on the government to take up fresh proposals to help those languishing without a release date.

Clockwise, from top left: Leroy Douglas, Luke Ings, Liam Bennett, Wayne Williams, Abdullahi Suleman, Yusuf Ali, James Lawrence and Thomas White are all trapped on IPP sentences (Samantha Ings/Margaret White/Mandy Lawrence/Jacqueline Ali /Handout)

Clockwise, from top left: Leroy Douglas, Luke Ings, Liam Bennett, Wayne Williams, Abdullahi Suleman, Yusuf Ali, James Lawrence and Thomas White are all trapped on IPP sentences (Samantha Ings/Margaret White/Mandy Lawrence/Jacqueline Ali /Handout)

The jail term  described as psychological torture by the UN  was outlawed in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving those already jailed incarcerated indefinitely.

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Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent, include: Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for robbing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery.

At least 94 prisoners have taken their own lives in custody after losing hope of ever getting out. A further 37 self-inflicted deaths have taken place in the community under strict licence conditions which leave offenders in fear of being hauled back to prison indefinitely for minor breaches.

Successive governments have refused justice committee recommendations to resentence IPP prisoners, claiming it will lead to dangerous prisoners being released without supervision.

However an expert panel, convened by the Howard League for Penal Reform and former top judge Lord John Thomas, last month urged the government to end the injustice by giving prisoners a release date at their next review by the Parole Board within a two-year window.

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Other measures being considered by ministers include reducing numbers recalled to prison and providing a package of mental health support for IPP prisoners on release.

The Howard Leagues director of campaigns, Andrew Neilson, said the data in the annual report underlines how much further and faster ministers will have to go to end a scandal that leaves thousands of people still in prison without an end date in sight.

"The government must provide hope for those still serving this unjust sentence, and the best way to do this would be to accept the carefully considered proposals put forward by the working group chaired by Lord Thomas, he added.

Campaigner Shirley Debono, who co-founded IPP Committee in Action, told The Independent: Its a travesty. This has been devastating for families.

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Its going to take a decade to clear the backlog of IPPs. In that time people are going to die and family members are going to die.

She claims the governments IPP Action Plan, designed to help support prisoners to progress towards release by the Parole Board, is only working to keep prisoners in jail for longer as her son Shaun Lloyd languishes in prison.

Mr Lloyd, who was handed a two and a half year IPP sentence in 2005 after stealing a mobile phone, has served a total of 14 years after being recalled four times.

He has been held for 17 months on his latest recall, despite facing no further police action, and told he must complete a five-month course before the Parole Board will consider him for release.

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The latest figures show prisoners serve a further 25 months on average before they are re-released, even if they are not convicted of a further offence.

A spokesperson for The United Group for Reform of IPP (UNGRIPP) said the latest report shows the governments plan misses the mark in the urgency that is needed to put an end to this 20 year long injustice.

By sticking with this approach the government are committing themselves to a slow change scenario, they added.

UNGRIPP do not believe that this or any action plan can fix the IPP sentence, the only true way to fix it is through parliamentary policy and the politicians know this but are choosing to ignore it.

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Last week former justice secretary Alex Chalk said the jail terms are overbearing and unfair as he urged his successor Shabana Mahmood to look carefully at the Howard Leagues proposals to end the historic wrong.

Prisons minister James Timpson admitted there is more work to do to help IPP prisoners.

"It is absolutely right that the IPP sentence was abolished, he added. "As this report shows, we have significantly improved support for these offenders, with greater access to rehabilitation and mental health support.

There is more work to do as we reduce the number of IPP offenders in custody, but will only do so in a way that protects the public.
Law enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border arrested three sex offenders in separate busts earlier this week.

Border Patrol agents arrested illegal aliens, 39-year-old Mateo Pablo Martin, of Guatemala, and 45-year-old David Antonio Varcenas-Aguilar, of Mexico, according to a press release. Customs and Border Protection officers also busted 19-year-old Roberto Medina, an American wanted for sexual assault.

These arrests demonstrate our Border Patrol agents unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from dangerous individuals, said Gloria Chavez, chief patrol agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, in the release.

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Agents from the McAllen Border Patrol Station arrested Martin, in the country illegally, on July 14.

Records indicate Pablo-Martin was convicted by the Riverside Sheriffs Office in February of 2018 for molesting a child under 18 years old, the release said.

He was sentenced to 170 days in jail and 30 months probation. Martin did not immediately appear in Texas or Californias sex offender registries.

Separately, agents from the Fort Brown Border Patrol Station in Brownsville arrested illegal alien Varcenas-Aguilar on July 12.

Varcenas-Aguilar was previously arrested in June of 2009 and charged with sexual assault of a child, the release reads.

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The illegal was convicted and sentenced to 12 years confinement. According to court documents, his bond was set at $25,000, and he is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

In yet another bust, CBP officers at the Progreso Port of Entry  between Brownsville and McAllen  arrested Medina for sex assault in Austin.

Medina, a 19-year-old American, tried to cross the border at the Progreso International Bridge on July 14, according to the release. Officers sent him to secondary inspection. They found through biometric verification that he was wanted on a felony warrant from the Austin Police Department for sexual assault.

Medina was turned over to Hidalgo County sheriffs deputies for transport to jail and adjudication of the warrant, the release reads.

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Officials cited the National Crime Information Center, a centralized automated database to share law enforcement information. In the past, it has led border agents to capture fugitives wanted for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion.

Criminal charges are merely allegations, the release reads. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

As The Dallas Express previously reported, the database previously helped officers bust a suspect wanted in Dallas for soliciting a minor online.

Progreso Port Director Michael Martinez said in the release that traffic has been rising with the summer travel season.

Our frontline CBP officers continue to maintain their vigilance and apprehended a pedestrian wanted for a sex-related offense, Martinez said. Apprehensions like these exemplify what our officers do every day to secure our borders and keep our communities safe.
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) warned that GOP redistricting efforts in the Lone Star State represent a five-alarm fire and urged Democrats to push back.

This is a five-alarm fire, whats happening in Texas. Donald Trump has already said that if he does this to Texas, he wants to do this all across the country, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus told Rolling Stone in a Friday interview.

President Trump said earlier this week he hopes Republicans will pick up five House seats in the 2026 midterms as a result of the redistricting plan the state legislature hopes to work on during an upcoming special legislative session.

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The president said a very simple redrawing could get the GOP five additional House seats, adding that he would be OK with blue-leaning states New York and California potentially doing the same to increase the number of seats for Democrats.

I think well get five. And there could be some other states were going to get another three, or four or five in addition, Trump said Tuesday. Texas would be the biggest one.

It is unclear whether Casars district, which includes parts of Austin, would be affected.

I dont know, and virtually no members of Congress know. Even the Republican members say they have not seen these maps and that it makes them nervous, Casar said.

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Casar, who won his reelection bid by nearly 35 points in November, said the Texas map is already illegal and gerrymandered.

What Donald Trump wants to do by trying to gerrymander five more seats in Texas [is to] essentially end the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as we know it, he said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said last week that redistricting would be addressed during the next legislative session due to constitutional concerns raised by the Justice Department.

House Democrats have criticized Trump and his Republican allies, who have pushed to change Texass congressional lines before the 2026 election cycle, arguing the effort seeks to ensure Republicans retain the majority in the lower chamber.

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Its painfully clear why Republicans are doing this: They know they are going to lose the majority next year, said Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), who leads the House Democrats campaign arm, to journalists Tuesday. Republicans know they cant win on their failed agenda, so theyve hatched a scheme to rig the Texas map to try to save their microscopic majority.

In response to the redistricting efforts, Casar said during the interview that Democrats must consider every option on the table.

That includes quorum breaks, filibusters, marching in the street, pressure on the Speaker of the House, [and] well-funded campaigning against every Republican member of Congress who goes along with this, he said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Additional Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) members have been activated to respond to Texas following the devastating flooding that hit part of the state.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

A spokesperson for OH-TF1 said in a social media post that they received activation orders from FEMAs Urban Search and Rescue System to send four additional Canine Search Specialists to Texas.

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As previously reported by News Center 7, OH-TF1 sent three team members and two canines on July 11 to respond to Central Texas for search and rescue efforts.

TRENDING STORIES:

The specialists will report to the OH-TF1 warehouse later this morning to pack their gear before departing for the airport, according to a spokesperson.

The four teams will join rescue teams being deployed from around the country.

These canine teams play a critical role in FEMAs ability to locate victims in disaster zones, and were proud of their commitment and readiness, said Evan Schumann, OH-TF1 Program Manager.

Departure is scheduled after 9 a.m. today.

We will continue to follow this story.

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DENVER (KDVR)  A man from Austin, Texas, was arrested as a person of interest connected to a womans body found along Interstate 25 on June 15.

The woman, later identified as 65-year-old Brenda Jackson, also of Austin, Texas, was found near southbound I-25 about a half mile north of the Larkspur exit. A public information officer for the Douglas County Sheriffs Office told FOX31 at the time that her cause of death did not appear to be natural causes.

Brenda Jackson, 65, was found dead along southbound Interstate 25 near Larkspur on June 15. Her death was characterized as suspicious, and an arrest has been made in connection with her death. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office)

The coroner will be the one to determine the cause of death. At this point, we would characterize it as suspicious, the public information officer said.

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Denver police identifies victim in deadly shooting, asking public for assistance

The agency also shared images of bedding that was found along with Jacksons body in hopes of identifying her.

Her cause and manner of death have still not been announced.

The Douglas County Sheriffs Office and the Austin Police Department coordinated to arrest a person of interest connected to the body. Daniel Strong Jr., 73, of Austin, Texas, was taken into custody in Travis County, Texas, and is now facing charges of tampering with a deceased human body.

Daniel Strong Jr., 73, of Austin, Texas, has been named by the Douglas County Sheriffs Office as a person of interest in connection with a womans body found along Interstate 25 near Larkspur on June 15, 2025. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office)

This arrest is the result of tireless work by our detectives and support teams, said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly in the sheriffs office announcement on Thursday. We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the community members who came forward. Those who called in tips and submitted video footage were absolutely critical in helping us move this case forward.

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Police still need help in the case. Theyre asking anyone in Austin, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado to report information that may help investigators. They especially want to learn more about:

Jackson and Strongs whereabouts and interactions in the weeks before May 24

Sightings and interactions with the individual

Surveillance footage or eyewitness accounts from either state that may be relevant

Police have also identified a vehicle they believe was used in the crime. It is described as a dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC. The agency included photos of the vehicle.

A dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC that police believe was involved with a womans body found along I-25. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office) A dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC that police believe was involved with a womans body found along I-25. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office) A dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC that police believe was involved with a womans body found along I-25. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office) A dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC that police believe was involved with a womans body found along I-25. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriffs Office)

Detectives are still working to trace the victims and the suspects movements leading up to the incident, and are urging anyone in the Austin area or Colorado who may have seen or interacted with Jackson or Strong, or who has surveillance footage or other information related to their activities, to come forward.

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Aurora police assist man who says he was anonymously shot

We are asking the community to help us fill in the gaps, Weekly said in a release. Even small details can make a big difference in a case like this.

Information should be sent to Detective Lewin at llewin@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7563 or to Detective Talmon at mtalmon@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7185.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
AUSTIN (KFDX/KJTL)  Texas Governor Greg Abbott recognized Texas as the leader of annual job creation in the nation.

Over the last 12 months, Texas has led the nation in job creation, with 198,300 nonfarm jobs added. Based on June data, Texas set new records with the number of Texans working and the size of the labor force in the state.

Thanks to the strength of the Texas economy, more Texans are working than ever before, said Governor Abbott. While we pause to celebrate job gains over the year, we also recognize the strength of Texans throughout this disaster and the outpouring of support from our fellow Americans over the last two weeks.

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Data about June employment from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Texas Workforce Commission shows that:

Texas reached a new high with the largest labor force ever in the states history at 15,850,100.

Texas reached a new high for Texans working, including self-employed, at 15,210,500.

The unemployment rate in Texas dropped to 4.0% over the month of June.

Texas added 198,300 nonfarm jobs from June 2024 to June 2025, more than any other state and growing at a faster annual rate than the nation as a whole.

To see the stats for Texas cities, check out the report from the Texas Workforce Commission.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.
In just two days, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry across Texas have seized nearly 140 pounds of cocaine in two separate smuggling attempts.

At the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, CBP officers flagged a 2015 truck and trailer hauling a batch of frozen raspberries on July 14. After moving the vehicle into a secondary inspection station, officers discovered 32 tightly wrapped packages containing 74.6 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the trailers battery compartment. The estimated street value of the cocaine was listed as $996,114.

This week was raspberries, last week was carrots.

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On July 10, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge seized over 1,700 pounds of meth worth around $15 million hidden in a shipment of carrots from Mexico  the second major meth bust at a Texas port this month, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

This second large load of methamphetamine in the last four days underscores the serious nature of the drug threat we face, said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez.

Port Director Alberto Flores celebrated the bust in Laredo, saying, The unwavering commitment and sharp instincts of our frontline CBP officers contributed to a remarkable seizure. This seizure speaks volumes about our CBP officers dedication to protecting our borders.

The following day, officers at the Hidalgo Port of Entry uncovered another big stash, this time in a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by a 44-year-old American citizen attempting to cross the International Bridge in Hidalgo.

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A secondary inspection revealed 66.35 pounds of cocaine concealed in the vehicle, with an estimated street value of $886,023. The driver was arrested on-site, and Homeland Security agents have now launched a criminal investigation into the smuggling attempt.

Together, the two seizures removed over $1.88 million worth of cocaine from hitting the streets.

The Laredo and Hidalgo seizures come amid growing pressure at the southern border, where record volumes of drugs, illegal aliens, and counterfeit contraband have made the CBPs job more demanding than ever.
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN)  The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, or TXHHS, has sued an Abilene man for running an unlicensed and uninspected childcare facility, as well as transporting children in an unregistered van without a drivers license, according to a lawsuit filed in Travis County District Court on June 27.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons Office, or OAG, represents HHSC in the case.

KXAN asked the defendant, Steve Van Horne, for his response to the lawsuit. Well update this story if we receive one.

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Van Hornes business, named in the lawsuit as Society of Light, operates what HHSC calls an unlicensed childcare facility in Abilene, Texas. HHSCs website has a tool to check if a childcare facility is licensed  Society of Light did not show up in its search results.

Unlicensed daycare, or religious entity?

On August 13, 2024, the Defendant notified the Commission in writing that he was going to voluntarily relinquish his license and would no longer comply with the law, the lawsuit states.

HHSC said in the lawsuit that it had asked the business for clarification.

In response, a Society of Light employee told the agency that the business would continue to provide childcare and not submit to regulation by the Commission, according to the lawsuit.

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Previously, there was a childcare operation at the building. It ended several months back and the HHSC has assumed that because a few children stay at our building during the day that we are running an illegal childcare operation, wrote Van Horne in January 2025.

A copy of that letter was included in the lawsuit, along with additional correspondence between HHSC and the Society of Light. In those letters, the Society of Light states that they are not a daycare, but a religious entity set up under pure trust. They also cite the US and Texas Constitutions, US Supreme Court dissents and the Christian Bible as reasons why it is exempt from the processes of the secular political state.

We, due to matters of conscience, are prohibited from accepting any entitlements, privileges, or benefits which would cause us to act against the commandments of our Creator, reads Van Hornes January letter. Accordingly, he must remain separate, unincorporated, unsponsored, and free from the fetters of civil society  we are 100% separate and exempt from the jurisdiction of the state in matters of conscience.

In Texas, a religious organizations childcare facilities are exempt from licensure if they watch kids only during on-site religious services attended by the childrens guardians.

Lawsuit describes attempted inspections

According to the lawsuit, HHSCs Child Care Regulation Division attempted to inspect the facility more than a dozen times between August 23, 2024 and April 2025.

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However, state inspectors were not allowed to enter the building, nor were staff permitted to speak with them, according to the lawsuit. Instead, workers at the facility would find Van Horne, who spoke with inspectors.

When interviewed about the facility, Defendant claimed that he was not providing child-care. Instead, he was merely provid[ing] child and developmental skills for the children present, the lawsuit states.

An affidavit from the HHSC manager in charge of those inspections was also included in the lawsuit. She describes multiple attempts and surveillance, noting how many children were brought to the facility. At times, this was as low as five and as many as 49.

Most of the inspection attempts resulted in citations of illegal operation-not licensed, and responsibilities-not interfering with an investigation.

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HHSC also said it learned on April 14 that Van Horne had been arrested for driving without a valid license and displaying a fictitious license plate.

In-Depth: Tax filings

Van Hornes answer to HHSC is similar to his repeated statements in tax filings for Abilene-based nonprofit Loving Individuals Generating Healing Today, which abbreviates to LIGHT. An exhibit in the lawsuit carries LIGHTs header.

All nonprofits and charities are required to file a Form 990 annually with the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS. In those forms, a nonprofit shows its finances and explains why it should be exempt from taxes. These forms are a part of public record; however, the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search did not give results for the Society of Light.

It did show filings submitted by LIGHT from 2015-2020, which Van Horne signed between 2018-2020. The group declared it was a tax-exempt school that provid[ed] development and educational services for children and families.

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No 990 filings were filed for LIGHT since 2020.

Van Horne described the Society of Light as a pure trust. According to the IRS, pure trusts run the risk of being viewed as common abusive domestic trust schemes. The IRS does not provide copies of trusts tax filings.

It gives the appearance that the taxpayer has given up control of his or her business, the IRS website states. In reality, through trustees or other entities controlled by the taxpayer, he or she still runs the day-to-day activities and controls the businesss income stream.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Brief

A surrogate in Texas learned her baby was one of 21 removed from a California home.

The couple she delivered the baby for were arrested after their nanny was allegedly caught abusing one of their infants on video.

Online records link the couple to a terminated surrogacy LLC.

CALIFORNIA - What began as a surrogacy journey rooted in hope turned into heartbreak for a Texas woman  and is only a piece of a disturbing child abuse investigation in California involving more than 20 children and a now-defunct surrogacy company.

Surrogacy nightmare

Local perspective

Kayla Eliott, a Corpus Christi native, gave birth to a baby girl on March 13, 2025, after signing on with Marks Surrogacy, a company she believed would match her baby with a loving family.

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"They reached out really fast. I was excited," she said.

Elliot herself was adopted, and she felt in her heart this was the perfect way to bless a family with a child.

"They told me they only had one child," she said.

The intended parents, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, lived in California.

"The pregnancy went great," Eliott said. "But the mom wasnt there at the delivery. That felt strange."

Elliot says she found the receiving mother rather cold and the moment transactional, but was ultimately happy she helped the couple.

Months later, she says a stranger messaged her on Facebook: "We all carried for the same person. Can we add you to our group?"

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Eliott says she learned she was one of several women who had carried children for the same couple and that Zhang and Xuan were operating Marks Surrogacy all along. Online business records show Marks Surrogacy LLC  now terminated  was registered to the couples Arcadia address.

Eliott says she's currently in contact with at least five other surrogates who say they were also paired with Zhang and Xuan - some of them still pregnant.

California child abuse investigation

What we know

Shortly after, the nightmare worsened as officials in California launched an abuse investigation after they say the couple brought an infant to the hospital.

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Arcadia police say on May 7, a local hospital alerted police that a two-month-old boy had been admitted with a traumatic head injury and intracranial bleeding. The child had reportedly suffered seizures and had not been brought to the hospital until two days after the injuries occurred.

Detectives say they served a search warrant at the couples home and seized surveillance footage, which showed a nanny violently shaking and striking the infant on May 5, causing the baby to lose consciousness.

Despite witnessing the assault, authorities say Zhang and Xuan did not seek medical attention for two days.

The infant boy remains hospitalized in stable condition.

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On May 9, arrest warrants were issued for Chunmei Li, 56, the nanny (still at large), Zhang and Xuan.

The couple were arrested without incident and booked on felony child endangerment and neglect charges, with bail set at $500,000 each. They were later released as the investigation continues, according to Arcadia police.

Arcadia Police say video and digital evidence supported further allegations of ongoing physical and emotional abuse by a group of six nannies employed by the couple. Authorities found a total of 21 children living between the Arcadia residence and other locations  ranging in age from 3 months to 16 years, with most of them being toddlers.

The state of California thinks shes selling babies

What they're saying

Zhang reportedly told Eliott during a call after her release that she was "arrested because the state of California thinks shes selling babies," but insisted she "just wanted a big family."

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"She called me and was clearly upset," Eliott said. "Just knowing there was abuse going on no child, no person, deserves to be treated like that."

Police say the Department of Children and Family Services responded to the scene and took the children into protective custody. Police say the couple had told them they "wanted a large family and loved having children around."

Arcadia Police are now working with the FBI to determine whether the case may extend into federal jurisdiction.

While no charges have been announced, detectives said that due to the breadth of the evidence, they plan to re-arrest Zhang and Xuan once the case is fully built.

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Meanwhile, Eliott says she's working to get her daughter legally into her custody.

The Source

Arcadia Police Department press release, interview with Kayla Eliott, California business filings for Marks Surrogacy LLC, Arcadia Police spokesperson
The Office of the Attorney General of Texas announced on Friday the largest health care fraud takedown in U.S. history, resulting in criminal charges against 30 defendants.

AG Ken Paxtons Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) worked with federal agencies to dismantle more than a dozen fraudulent healthcare operations across Texas. The schemes involved $177 million in fraudulent billings and 10 million unlawfully diverted opioid pills.

The massive takedown highlights how criminal enterprises exploit taxpayer-funded programs while flooding communities with dangerous prescription drugs. The schemes also included $1.7 million in illegal kickbacks.

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In Texas, we fight fraud head-on and will not rest until every last corrupt actor is brought to justice, said Paxton. Together with President Trump and dedicated people at the Department of Justice, we are dismantling criminal enterprises that steal from taxpayers and endanger lives.

The enforcement action was part of a broader national initiative targeting health care fraud. More than 30 Task Force Officers and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Paxtons unit partnered with federal law enforcement.

Charges included conspiracy to commit health care fraud, unlawful distribution of controlled substances, and anti-kickback violations.

Paxton emphasized that Medicaid fraudsters exploit our health care systems for personal gain and drain resources from the citizens who need them most.

MFCU has recovered over $1 billion since 2020. That represents a 2,889% return on investment for Texas taxpayers over the last five years. The unit receives 75% of its funding from federal health grants totaling $22.8 million for fiscal year 2024. Texas provides the remaining $7.6 million.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  A Texas woman started an AI awareness series on social media after she grew frustrated seeing misinformation about recent flooding being widely spread online.

Maria Joaquina is a digital strategist who grew up in Kerrville. She works with small businesses to develop online marketing strategies and help them appear in AI and Google searches.

Ive done a lot of work with AI and learning how it works, Joaquina said. Ive also created images for marketing through it. I have a lot of experience dealing with AI imagery and videos in that context.

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Joaquina started an awareness campaign on her Facebook page to teach people how to spot AI-generated images. Its a three-part series of posts that share tips on what to look for. She said shes planning to create a series focused on how to spot AI-generated videos next.

Texas flood victims warned to watch out for scammers, contractors

I want to make it as simple as possible for people who dont regularly use AI or are subjected to what those images look like, you know, the occasional social media user, or like my grandma, you know, people who just arent aware that that is going on out there, Joaquina said.

Part 1 of the series is How to Spot a FAKE Flood Photo, Part 2 is AI Fake Flood Image Scams, and Part 3 is How to verify content before you share it.

Tips on how to spot AI-generate fake flood photos Credit: Maria Joaquina Ruiz Tips on how to spot AI-generate fake flood photos Credit: Maria Joaquina Ruiz Tips on how to spot AI-generate fake flood photos Credit: Maria Joaquina Ruiz Tips on how to spot AI-generate fake flood photos Credit: Maria Joaquina Ruiz Tips on how to spot AI-generate fake flood photos Credit: Maria Joaquina Ruiz

Joaquina said that there are different goals behind accounts sharing AI-generated photos: to go viral and build a spamming account to sell, or to get monetized and make money from clicks, shares, and views.

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She said in some cases, people make up fake stories  like being a flood victim when they arent in reality  and post donation links or nefarious links to sites that could potentially steal someones information. Joaquina also mentioned posts with AI-generated photos that depict celebrities helping with flood relief efforts, noting that those types of posts can often bury real information that people need to see.

Scammers target volunteer fire department helping flood victims

People are sharing it, boosting that visibility and running down all the posts that should be up in front, you know, missing people, information that needs to be getting out there to the public about volunteering and times or locations that you should be at, Joaquina said. Theres information out there that is needed to get in front of people, and it can get lost whenever we deal with these types of viral content-type things.

Some tips Joaquina shared on how to recognize if something is AI-generated:

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Everything seems too perfect

The shadowing/lighting seems off

Repeated objects

Too much symmetry

Misspellings in text, or blurry or warped text

Joaquina also pointed out that when it comes to fake flood photos specifically, a lot of times the water looks too clean. Flood waters are murky and theyre dirty. Theres nothing perfect about them, she said.

Joaquina is hoping to fill what she feels is a gap in education and awareness surrounding AI because AI moves so fast, she said.

I think AI is developing rapidly, and its abilities are also going so fast that its hard to get any kind of literacy out there to people who dont deal with it. Because one week you have this information, and the next week its already better, and the next week, theyre already doing something [new], Joaquina said.

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She also said as a person who works with AI regularly, its frustrating to her that there are bad actors who take advantage of it.

This good tool that we can have to, you know, help us through whatever we need in our business, because its awesome for small business owners when they learn how to properly use it and how to let it help them, but when people are using it to hurt other people, its like there needs to be some digital literacy that gets shared with those who dont deal with it and dont know what to look out for, she said.

Joaquina also wanted to encourage people who arent very familiar with AI and said its nothing to be ashamed of.

Sometimes, we unknowingly engage with the content, and thats okay. We dont have to be embarrassed about the fact that we were fooled by AI. Everyones fooled every once in a while, Joaquina said. I think that its just our responsibility to share responsibly and make sure that we are limiting the exposure that scammers get to real people and helping real people and real survivors get their information out there.

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Joaquina has been working in digital strategy for about 10 years now, but the last five of those have been geared toward helping small business owners. Shes also studying Business Entrepreneurship and Media Communications at Georgetown University.

Her biggest piece of advice: Look before you share.

Just kind of give it a little 10-second evaluation if youre going to share anything online that you think may be helpful, Joaquina said. Its just getting harder and harder to tell, so we just got to be careful about what we share online.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
A third suspect has been charged in a shooting that occurred in the Slaughter Beach pavilion June 12.

Police responded to a reported shooting in the public beach access area next to the Slaughter Beach Memorial Fire Company around 7:15 p.m., Delaware State Police said in a news release. Multiple masked suspects had fired at the attendees of a party in the pavilion, police said, striking a 32-year-old Dover man once in the "lower extremity." He was treated at and released from a hospital.

The suspects fled the area before police arrived, but an investigation identified a 19-year-old Harrington man and a 22-year-old Dover man as the suspects. They were arrested in June for felony first-degree assault and other charges. A later-identified third suspect, a 21-year-old Lincoln man, turned himself in July 17 and faces the same charges.

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Bayshore news: Body of man who went missing in Broadkill River in Milton found in Delaware Bay

Crime: Sex, money and a violent, interstate kidnapping between DE and PA: How 2 men got caught

All three suspects were committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on cash bonds.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has related information should contact Det. H. Lingo at 302-752-3864. Information can also be provided by sending a Facebook message to Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 3rd suspect charged in Slaughter Beach party shooting
NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  Three suspects are in the custody of the Natchitoches Police Department related to a fatal shooting on Keyser Avenue.

The shooting happened on July 6 around 1:41 am. Police were called to the 300 block of Keyser Ave after reports of gunshots in the area. Six people were found shot, and one of the victims, identified as 18-year-old Latravion Stallworth of Natchitoches, was pronounced dead by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner; the other victims were treated at Natchitoches Regional Hospital. Two victims were later transferred to hospitals in Caddo and Rapides Parishes.

Shadarious White Photo (Source: Natchitoches Police Department) Jermaurion Simmons Photo (Source: Natchitoches Police Department) Demarkcus Nicholas Photo (Source: Natchitoches Police Department)

NPD announced that Shadarious White, 19, Jermaurion Simmons, 18, and Demarkcus Nicholas, also 19, were arrested on Thursday, July 17, after arrest warrants were issued. The three suspects were booked into the LaSalle Corrections / Natchitoches Parish Detention Center.

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White and Simmons both face second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property, and illegal use of weapons charges.

Nicholas was arrested for obstruction of justice.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office and Louisiana State Police assisted NPD with this investigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
Jul. 18HOPKINTON  A Potsdam man was charged after accidentally shooting himself in the knee with an illegally possessed "ghost gun" on Sunday, according to state police. Two other St. Regis Falls men face charges in connection with the incident.

Troopers responded to Beebe Road in Hopkinton at approximately 10 a.m. Sunday for a report of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. An investigation determined James H. Wells, 28, of Potsdam, had unlawfully possessed a firearm and shot himself in the knee. Wells was treated and released from Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

Further investigation revealed that Matthew B. Deshaw, 39, of St. Regis Falls, allegedly removed the 9mm "ghost gun" from the scene. Police said Deshaw then gave the firearm to Matthew R. Parker, 37, also of St. Regis Falls, who was then in unlawful possession of the weapon.

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Wells was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment, and illegal discharge of a firearm. He was released on an appearance ticket for Hopkinton Town Court in August.

Deshaw was arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence. He was also released on an appearance ticket for Hopkinton Town Court in August.

Parker was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (due to a previous conviction) and criminal possession of a firearm. He was arraigned in Potsdam Town Court and released on his own recognizance.

State police did not release further details on the ongoing investigation.
An Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip struck the territory's only Catholic church on Thursday, killing three people.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said that the Holy Family Church in the centre of Gaza City had been hit, and that nine others were injured, three of whom were in critical condition.

According to the Vatican News portal, the dead were the church's 60-year-old janitor and an elderly woman. There was no immediate information about the third victim. The parish priest reportedly suffered minor injuries.

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A statement from Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu's office, posted on X, said Israeli shared the grief of families and faithful.

"Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy," the statement said.

"We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the circumstances of the incident were still unclear.

"Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty," it posted on X.

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"Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians," the ministry added.

The Israeli military acknowledged reports of damage to the church and casualties in the area, and said the circumstances were "under review."

The military stressed that it "makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them."

The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported that around 600 displaced people had been housed in the church.

The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem published a photo of the church showing damage to the roof.

Gaza's small Christian minority

Approximately 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, out of a total population of more than 2 million. There are three churches in the coastal strip, with the Church of the Holy Family being the only Catholic place of worship.

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Pope Leo XIV repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire following the incident and said he was "deeply saddened" at the loss of life.

In a telegram published by the Latin Patriarchate, he called for "dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region."

Meloni: 'Unacceptable' attacks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said "the attacks against the civilian population, which Israel has been demonstrating for months, are unacceptable."

The Israeli military consistently emphasizes that it is acting against the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other militant groups and takes measures to spare civilians in the Gaza Strip.

At least 32 killed in other attacks, medics say

According to medical sources in the Gaza Strip, at least 32 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the coastal strip since the morning.

The information could not initially be independently verified.
(KRON)  Multiple fatal crashes have unfolded in San Jose this July, including two involving hit-and-run drivers, according to police.

On July 10 around 11 p.m., a hit-and-run driver caused a chain reaction collision at a red light on Quimby Road at Rigoletto Drive, San Jose Police Department spokesperson Stacie Shih said.

A 2004 Honda Accord, occupied by an adult male driver and an adult male passenger, was traveling northbound on Quimby Road approaching Rigoletto Drive when it rear ended a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek  that was stopped at a red light. The Subaru was pushed, striking a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder also waiting at the red light, Shih wrote.

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The driver of the Honda fled the scene of the collision and left their critically-injured passenger behind, police said. After arriving at a hospital, the passenger was pronounced deceased.

On Tuesday, a pedestrian died after clinging to life for two months in a hospital. The man was run over by a hit-and-run driver who was behind the wheel of a 2019 white Chevy Silverado on May 30, police said.

The victim had been crossing Sunset Avenue at Cinderella Lane in a marked crosswalk. Police found and arrested the Chevy Silverado driver Wednesday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.

CEO goes viral after being caught on Coldplay kiss cam

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Another pedestrian was struck on Capitol Expressway near Senter Road at 4:33 a.m. on July 13. A man driving a 2024 black Mitsubishi Mirage crashed into a woman who was attempting to walk across Capitol Expressway, police said.

The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and was cooperative with the investigation, Shih wrote.

The woman died from her injuries, Shih said.

SJPD officials did not release identities of the victims and drivers for any of the three collisions.

There have been 17 deadly traffic incidents, including nine pedestrian deaths, in the city in 2025.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A federal jury has convicted three men for their roles in a series of violent bank robberies in 2023 that led to two people being shot and nearly $200,000 stolen.

Courtney Trenell, 34, Devin Hinds, 36, and Joshua Cribbs, 33, all of Memphis, were found guilty of four bank robberies and using firearms during some of those robberies.

Four of their co-defendants have already pleaded guilty.

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MS girl social media sensation after nailing Chickenhead rap

Evidence at trial proved that between April 2023 and December 2023, Trenell, Hinds, and Cribbs conspired to rob banks in and around Memphis.

Four of the co-conspirators, Robert Haley, Travis Drain, Marquarius Trenell, and Monterrio Trenell, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and using a firearm during the robberies.

Bank robbers convicted. Courtesy: DOJ

The bank robberies committed by these seven defendants included gunpoint threats, instilling fear and chaos in innocent victims going about their days, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Their actions terrorized bank employees and customers alike. We are grateful to our prosecutors, the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners for bringing these dangerous individuals to justice and helping make the Memphis community safer.

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In total, the group stole over $170,000 in cash from five bank robberies. A sixth robbery attempt was unsuccessful and ended in a shoot-out between the co-defendants and an armed security guard, where the robbers shot two victims.

Prosecutors said co-defendants Haley and Drain coordinated the five robberies and one attempted robbery throughout the conspiracy. At the same time, Marquarius Trenell robbed the Truist Bank on Aug. 11, 2023, as well as the Bank of Bartlett with Monterrio Trenell and others on Oct. 20, 2023.

81-year-old lives in car parked outside of dilapidated South Memphis home

During the Aug. 11, 2023, robbery of a branch of Truist Bank, Hinds raised a gun and shook it back and forth at a bank customer to instill fear and deter her from notifying law enforcement. He then served as a getaway driver.

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Hinds also drove a getaway car during the Dec. 22, 2023, robbery of a branch of the Independent Bank, where a co-defendant pointed a semi-automatic military-style rifle at bank employees.

Courtney Trenell and Cribbs helped rob branches of the Bank of Bartlett and First Horizon Bank on Oct. 20, 2023. The defendants planned to rob the banks, which are directly across the street from each other, at the same time to confuse law enforcement and evade capture.

Cribbs entered the Bank of Bartlett with a trash bag and threatened bank employees into handing over money. Cribbs unknowingly took at least one dye pack, which exploded after the robbers fled, releasing red dye that stained the stolen cash.

Armed robbers hit two Memphis banks minutes apart

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During the Bank of Bartlett robbery, Courtney Trenell operated a second getaway vehicle stationed about a mile from the robbery, aiding one of the robbers in fleeing the area.

The hard work and determination of the FBI and its partners cannot be overstated, said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. We are proud that our actions held these criminals accountable for their harm to the Memphis community.

At trial, an FBI special agent testified that the defendants spoke over conference calls before and after the robberies, which the government argued was to coordinate the crimes.

An FBI analyst testified that DNA evidence from Courtney Trenell and Hinds was found inside their respective getaway vehicles.

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CCTV: We noted that the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. Youth Choir Festival was held in China recently, and Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Thursday attended the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. youth friendship event and delivered a speech. Can you share more information on these events?

Lin Jian: From July 9 to 18, the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. Youth Choir Festival was jointly held by the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Fujian Provincial Peoples Government. Themed on Singing for Peace, the event saw the participation of over 1,000 youth from close to 30 choirs from China and the U.S.

On the afternoon of July 17, Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-U.S. youth friendship event and delivered a speech at the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. In her speech, Peng said that the story of Kuliang that began a century ago and President Xis deep friendship with his old friends in Iowa spanning over 40 years epitomize the China-U.S. people-to-people friendship. Since President Xi put forward over a year ago Chinas initiative to welcome 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs over a five-year period, many young people from the United States have been invited to visit China. Peng called on young people to be the inheritors of the China-U.S. friendship, and promoters of peace and amity. She also expressed the hope of seeing more bridges of friendship through the youngsters and a youthful energy being added to a better future for both nations.

At the event, Initiator of the Kuliang Friends Elyn MacInnis and Luca Berrone from Iowa told the story of Kuliang and their experience of taking part in China-U.S. people-to-people exchange and subnational cooperation. Young representatives from the U.S. shared their personal experience of the visit and expressed the will to be a new generation of emissaries of China-U.S. friendship and carry forward this tradition.

As President Xi Jinping noted, the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels. We hope that the youths of the two countries will carry the baton, jointly pass forward the century-old bond with Kuliang, and contribute to the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

RIA Novosti: The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that China threatens to block the sale of dozens of ports to Western companies if Cosco, a Chinese shipping company, doesnt get a stake. Do you have any comment?

Lin Jian: Im not aware of what you mentioned. On CK Hutchisons sales of its assets overseas, the State Administration for Market Regulation said that they would conduct a review in accordance with the law to protect fair market competition and safeguard public interests.

Let me reiterate that China firmly opposes using economic coercion, intimidation and bullying to violate and undermine other countries legitimate rights and interests.

Shenzhen TV: This morning, Chinas Ministry of Education issued an alert concerning studying in the Philippines. Whats Chinas consideration behind the announcement?

Lin Jian: Over the past few months, there have been rising safety risks in the Philippines with an increase in crimes, stop-and-search and harassment targeting Chinese nationals. The alert is a responsible and legitimate measure taken by the Chinese government to protect the safety and rights and interests of Chinese students overseas. We once again remind Chinese students studying in the Philippines to make a careful assessment of the safety risks. At the same time, we urge the Philippines to take concrete actions to protect the safety, dignity and lawful rights and interests of Chinese students studying in the Philippines.

PTI: The United States State Department today designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is also blamed for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization. What is Chinas reaction to todays designation by the U.S.?

Lin Jian: China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22. China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability.

Global Times: Recently, Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released a report detailing how the Trump Administrations first six months have significantly undermined the United States ability to compete with China. It said that China poses a strategic challenge to the U.S. and is taking a long-term strategy to replace the U.S. as the global superpower. China is enhancing its relations with Global South countries and expanding its global influence. The report calls for the whole-of-government restoration and reconstruction of the tools America needs to compete with China. Whats Chinas comment?

Lin Jian: The report is filled with Cold War thinking and peddles major country confrontation and the false narrative of China threat. The real aim of the report is to go after and suppress China. China firmly opposes that. Let me stress that China follows an independent foreign policy of peace and always acts as a positive and stable force for good. China has no intention to and will not engage in a contest with any country for influence. China follows the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in viewing and handling its relations with the U.S. We never engage in malicious competition or major country confrontation, and have no intention to supplant or challenge others. China urges relevant U.S. personnel to foster a right perception of China, view China and China-U.S. relations in an objective and rational way, stop attacking, smearing, containing and going after China, and contribute to a steady, sound and sustainable bilateral relationship.

Bloomberg: A few minutes ago, the EU announced sanctions on some Chinese banks as part of the latest round of sanctions on Russia. Does the Ministry have a comment on this and how might China respond?

Lin Jian: Like you said, this happened just now and I do not have the full details yet. Let me say that China opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorization of the UN Security Council. On the Ukraine crisis, China is committed to promoting talks for peace. China has never provided lethal weapons to the parties to the conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use articles. The normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies should not be disrupted or affected. We call on the EU to stop hurting the lawful interests of Chinese companies in the absence of any evidence supporting its claims. China will do what is necessary to firmly defend the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.

Reuters: Taiwans deputy leader Hsiao Bi-khim said in a press conference today that aggressive military posturing by China is counterproductive and that defending the status quo with China is consistent with the interests of the entire region. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on the remarks?

Lin Jian: Taiwan is part of Chinas territory, and the Taiwan question is Chinas internal affair. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people and Chinese people only. The real status quo across the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The biggest threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait is the separatist activities of Taiwan independence forces and the external connivance and support they receive. No matter what the DPP authorities say or do, they cannot change the fact that the two sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China and the prevailing international commitment to the one-China principle, nor can they change the trend towards Chinas ultimate and inevitable reunification.

AFP: The U.S. Commerce Department has said it would pose preliminary anti-dumping taxes of over 90 percent on a kind of graphite imported from China, which is widely used for a key part for electric vehicles. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment?

Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities for your specific question. Let me say that China-U.S. economic ties benefit both sides. We hope the U.S. side will abide by the rules of the market economy and keep our trade and economic ties sound and stable.

PTI: In the backdrop of the recent visit of the Indian External Affairs Minister Mr. Jaishankar and his talks with Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi, issues about the rare earth metals supplies to India appear to have been figured in the talks, because of the blockade or probably not issuing licenses to Indian companies. There are concerns back home in India about the lack of supplies of rare metals required, especially for the automobile industry. Can you give us some details following the talks? Is there any follow-up action that China can contemplate?

Lin Jian: Weve released readouts on Foreign Minister Jaishankars visit to China, which you may refer to.

On export controls on rare earth, Chinas policy is consistent with international practice. We also stand ready to continue enhancing dialogue and cooperation on export controls with relevant countries and regions in an effort to jointly keep the global industrial and supply chains stable, safe and secure.
(FOX 5/KUSI)  Three men were charged in federal court on Tuesday for allegedly selling firearms without a license to undercover agents, after an investigation into their illegal operation that spanned almost a year.

The three suspects involved in the case were identified by the Department of Justice as Angel Flores, 19, who is also known as Flores the Bag Man, Daniel Zambrano, 27, and Ruben Ivan Rubio, 29.

Flores and Zambrano are reportedly from Vista, while Rubio is from the Chula Vista area.

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The agency said that, from June of 2024 through April 2025, Flores, Zambrano and Rubio collectively sold 40 guns, including two machine guns, to undercover agents in a series of nine separate exchanges that totalled approximately $55,000.

Several of the guns that the suspects sold to the undercover agents were ghost guns, which did not contain serial numbers. Other firearms sold by the men were illegally built using 3D printers.

Weapons and narcotics sold to undercover agents. Weapons and narcotics sold to undercover agents.

According to the DOJ, Rubio allegedly sold approximately 1,000 pills that contained fentanyl to the undercover agents in March.

Then, in April, he and Zambrano reportedly sold over 2.2 kilograms, which equates to approximately 4.85 pounds, of methamphetamine to the agents as well.

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According to the Department of Justice, the three men face a charge of dealing firearms without a license.

Flores and Zambrano also face a charge of possession of a machine gun.

Rubio and Zambrano are also charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, while Rubio is solely charged with distribution of fentanyl.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The detention hearings for all three men are scheduled for July 18.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
An explosion at a training facility for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department killed at least three deputies early Friday morning. The incident took place at the Biscailuz Training Facility in East Los Angeles at around 7:30 a.m.

Preliminary investigations into the explosion are treating it as an accident. The facility and site of the explosion is home to the Los Angeles Sheriff Department's bomb squad and special enforcement bureau.

Two HAZMAT (hazerdous materials) vehicles are seen following an explosion at the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Biscailuz Training Center in East Los Angeles, California, on July 18, 2025. Three people died Friday in an "incident" at a police training facility in Los Angeles, the US government said, with media reports saying there had been an accidental explosion. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said he had been briefed on "the reported explosion" and was "closely monitoring the situation." (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) PATRICK T. FALLON/Getty Images

Though the cause of the blast is not clear, early information indicates that deputies involved were moving an unexploded device when the blast occurred in the Sheriff Department's parking lot near a fleet of bomb squad vehicles. Three died on the scene and one more person suffered major injuries.

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The Los Angeles Police Department sent additional bomb squad members to assess the scene early Friday morning. The FBI and their bomb technicians, as well as local sheriff department homicide detectives, are also investigating.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the incident on social media. "The city of L.A. is supporting the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department through this horrific incident in Monterey Park," she said. Governor Gavin Newsom also gave his approval of "full state assistance."

Aerial footage of the scene shows significant damage to bomb squad cruisers as well as a lone backpack on the ground in the parking lot. The investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the blast and status of the surviving Sheriff Department member are still unclear.

LOS ANGELES CALIF. JULY 18, 2025 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies outside the Biscailuz Center Academy Training center, where three deputies were killed during a training accident on Friday morning, July 18, 2025. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Carlin Stiehl/Getty Images

Three Sheriffs Deputies Killed in Explosion at Training Facility first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 18, 2025
A wolf pup born in spring 2025 was captured in this trail camera photo released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. (CPW)

Colorados voter-mandated program to reintroduce gray wolves took a big step forward in 2025 with the births of an unknown number new wolf pups in the spring, state wildlife officials confirmed this week.

Three new breeding pairs means the addition of three officially designated wolf packs  the One Ear pack in Jackson County, the King Mountain pack in Routt County, and the Three Creeks pack in Rio Blanco County  to Pitkin Countys Copper Creek pack, the only one established in the reintroduction programs first year.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have been monitoring the four wolf dens, but havent yet been able to confirm the exact number of pups born this year, they told agency commissioners Thursday. Movement tracking of collared wolves showed the den activity, and trail cameras placed near the den sites have captured photos and video of some of the pups. Wolf litters on average consist of about four or five pups, and half of those typically survive their first year of life.

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This reproduction is a really key point in the restoration of wolves to the state, said Eric Odell, CPWs wolf conservation program manager. Despite some things that you may hear, not all aspects of wolf management have have been a failure.

The Copper Creek pack was the first to be established after CPW began relocating gray wolves to the state in December 2023, but soon caused controversy with a series of livestock killings in Grand County. The pack was captured and relocated to Pitkin County last year, where one wolf, a yearling, was killed by wildlife agents in May after livestock depredations continued.

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With the deaths of at least eight of the 25 wolves relocated to Colorado in the programs first two years, survival rates fell below the 70% benchmark targeted by the states official restoration plan. Because of that, CPW officials said last month that the agency would review its translocation protocols, pending determinations of causes of death for each animal. But Odell told CPW commissioners Thursday not to expect big changes or the suspension of relocation efforts.

What we can say is that none of those mortalities are due to any of the protocols from our capture efforts, from our transport from the source  or from our releases, he said. Importantly, theres no reason justifiably to use this wolf mortality as a suggestion for pausing reintroduction.

Compensation claims

CPW commissioners also held a lengthy hearing Thursday to settle two claims for compensation from livestock producers who suffered wolf depredations in 2024.

Farrell Livestock of Grand County and the Coberly Creek Ranch in Routt County were due to receive $287,407 and $66,807, respectively, in compensation for confirmed livestock deaths and reduced weights and conception rates. But the producers sought additional payments of $100,045 and $30,860, respectively, under an interpretation of state law that CPWs legal counsel rejected.

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Despite CPWs recommendation that the additional claims be denied, commissioners voted 6-5 against denial, and then voted to settle with both producers for the full amount. Several commissioners said the body should move forward with a new rulemaking to provide clarity to the compensation structure moving forward.

Jeff Davis, CPWs director, implied that awarding the full compensation claims would allow the agency to keep (people) at the table and figure this out.

We have people that are losing hope. And when people lose hope, in my experience, they get desperate, and desperate things start to happen, Davis told commissioners. What I need is  and Im not saying whatever decision you guys have to make, youre the policymakers in this space  but I need to make sure that were delivering stuff that keeps people at the table, or we all will lose in this deal.

Wildlife managers said problems with the Copper Creek pack in 2024 and 2025 are the exception rather than the rule, with most reintroduced wolves preying on native ungulates as they spread across the landscape on the Western Slope. As the new wolf packs establish well-defined territories, management and conflict mitigation will become easier, they said.

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It was never a supposition that wolves and livestock are going to get along great, Odell said. We knew that there was going to be conflict, we knew that there would be dead wolves, and we knew that there would be wolf reproduction. So these are all landmarks that are, that are important parts in the whole effort of wolf restoration.

Dealing with it certainly has proven challenging for producers, for CPW staff, for a variety of others, but it is a success, he added. I think were working towards success in many different ways, not just from a wolf population side of things, but from a producer perspective as well.

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A grumbly, wet start to the day gave way to a mix of sun and clouds that came with a tropical feel. The morning rain kept us from 90, but it still managed to get warm with afternoon highs in the mid to upper 80s, along with loads of humidity.

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The morning rain pushed a boundary south into Arkansas. It will be this boundary that will serve as a possible focal point for showers and thunderstorms tonight into Friday. This is a last call scenario with the rain set to shut off with an extended dry stretch to follow.

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Heading through tonight, the risk for showers and thunderstorms will grow across Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas as the boundary begins to lift to the north. Scattered showers and thunderstorms should shift east across the area through sunrise, possibly making for a wet start to the day Friday for some.

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Friday will be a transition day with the departing front still delivering rain chances and somewhat cooler afternoon highs to the east and northeast. At the same time, hot and dry weather will be building in from the southwest. For most, this will be our last shot at rain for at least a week.

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Saturday marks the beginning of the long, hot stretch. Hotter, drier air will invade the area with sunnier skies pushing temperatures into the mid-90s. There may be a sneaky shot at some clouds and showers early in the day near Lake of the Ozarks, but even there, skies should be bright with hot temperatures during the afternoon.

The summer ridge will continue to settle in and should be located directly over the region by the middle of next week. This will keep rain away and lead to a gradual climb in afternoon highs. Look for mid-90s early in the week, with upper 90s becoming more likely by the second half of next week. These will easily be our hottest temperatures of the summer so far, and it will come with heat indices that will top 100.

Time to get prepared for this extended period of excessive heat. Make sure your AC is running properly and that you have adequate water and shelter for outdoor pets. This will also be a stressful period for your body when doing outdoor activities. Remember to stay hydrated and take breaks when working outdoors more often.

The heatwave will likely stick around into the following weekend, but there are signals that it could ease some as we near the end of the month of July.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A Tigard man who shot and injured a U.S. Postal Service worker in 2022 was sentenced to 17 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Kevin Eugene Irvine, 34, was given the sentence after he was convicted earlier this year by a federal grand jury on multiple charges, including aggravated assault and attempted murder of a federal worker.

Wildfire in Clackamas County prompts Level 3 evacs

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Irvine originally claimed the insanity defense but a judge found he failed to establish legal insanity and was found guilty of all three charges.

The incident occurred on December 24, 2022, in Milwaukie. Irvine had been driving a white van, made eye contact with a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in uniform delivering mail, and threw his arms in the air. The letter carrier mistook this as waving, and waved back, court documents say.

On a nearby street, the same van once again appeared and the letter carrier noticed it and made eye contact with the driver as he passed by.

Irvine stopped the van several houses away, got out of the van with a rifle, knelt on the street corner and fired three rounds, striking the letter carrier once as the letter carrier ran for cover, the U.S. DOJ said in a press release. After the shooting, Irvine picked up the shell casings and drove off.

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This OR small town was named among the most beautiful

The van was located by officers four days later in Lake Oswego. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested Irvine. Investigators later found  via a search warrant  three rifles, ammunition, spent shell casings, a knife, shooting targets and ballistics gear inside the van.

Irvine was sentenced for aggravated assault of a federal worker with a gun, discharging a gun in a crime of violence and attempted murder of a federal employee. He was ordered to serve 205 months in a federal prison with five years of supervised release.

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For generations of self-respecting Europeans, any talk of German rearmament would once have caused their blood to run cold, particularly if they happened to be Germans.

The popular attitude of the post-War era was summarised by the French Nobel Laureate, Francois Mauriac, who wrote: I love Germany so much that I am glad there are two of them.

Many Germans doubted whether their country could be trusted with military firepower. In 1955 the Social Democratic Party (SPD) passionately opposed the creation of their countrys new armed forces, the Bundeswehr.

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But in the new Europe, menaced by the twin threats of Russian aggression and American isolationism, everything is different. When Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor, to London on Thursday, the two leaders signed the first Anglo-German treaty since the Second World War.

I can sum up the Kensington Treaty very simply. Britain is completely in favour of German rearmament and hopes that it will happen as rapidly as possible. We look forward to the day when new panzer divisions are deployed on as many European frontiers as possible. We are extremely glad that Germany possesses an air force capable of dropping nuclear bombs and we will help to make them even better at this task.

The Parties, reads the treaty, shall pursue deep exchanges on strategic aspects of security policy including nuclear issues.

What would some of Sir Keirs predecessors have made of this remarkable text? During the Berlin Crisis in 1958, Harold Macmillan said that Britain would not risk coming to blows with the Soviet Union for two million of the people we twice fought wars against and who almost destroyed us.

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Never mind Natos obligation to defend West Berlin, Macmillan was still troubled by what Germany had done to Britain, and perhaps by the pain of the three wounds he had suffered in the trenches of the First World War.

Margaret Thatcher spent her last year in office trying to delay German reunification, occasionally encouraged by a cynical French president, Francois Mitterrand, himself a former inmate of a German prison camp.

So there is a certain irony in Mr Merz saying that he was surprised that Thursdays treaty was the first since 1945. He seems not to realise that, until quite recently, British Prime Ministers would have been deeply ambivalent about signing any such agreement.

Today there is a strategic imperative to set all of this aside. Europe will never be able to defend itself against Vladimir Putins Russia unless Germany, the continents biggest economy and industrial powerhouse, sets about rearming.

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At the Nato summit in The Hague last month, Mr Merz and every other ally agreed to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence and another 1.5 per cent on security by 2035.

Even if you doubt whether those targets will be achieved, Germany is still on a path to building Europes most formidable army and becoming, once again, the continents foremost land power.

So there is every reason for Britain to strengthen its alliance with Germany, just as we have with France. If America is unreliable, then Europes big three are going to have to stand together.

But I wonder if Sir Keir and his advisers have grasped the full significance of Germanys impending re-emergence as a great military power? Britains privileged influence in Nato has rested on our possession of Europes biggest defence budget.

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Yet, last year, Germany overtook Britain to spend 90.6 billion (78 billion) on defence, fully 20 per cent more than the UKs 64.6 billion, according to Nato figures.

Given that Germanys economy is 40 per cent bigger than Britains, that gap will almost certainly grow wider. If Germany keeps the deal to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence, then Britain would have to invest 4.9 per cent just to keep pace - more than double the current level - which is surely unrealistic.

German rearmament means that Britain has already lost its place as Europes biggest defence spender, probably permanently. In time, that must inevitably lead to a reduction in our relative weight inside Nato.

So by all means cheer the rebirth of German military power, but remember that despite all the bonhomie between them, Sir Keir is conceding influence to Mr Merz.

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The proposed 427-acre redevelopment at the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Ramsey Countys Arden Hills, with the name Rice Creek Commons, is to include retail, office and light industrial projects as well as housing. There is hope the development will help grow the countys tax base and draw thousands of new residents to the area.

For the better part of 70 years, the area was owned by the U.S. government. Small-arms munitions were manufactured and tested there during World War II as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars. The site was largely de-commissioned in the 1980s.

For more than a decade, efforts at development at the site have either failed, as with the Vikings stadium plan, or been slow to advance, as with the Rice Creek Commons vision.

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Heres a rundown of recent events connected with the development effort:

 2011 Ramsey County and Arden Hills work with the Minnesota Vikings who consider TCAAP as a potential stadium site. The Minnesota Legislature ultimately chooses a site in Minneapolis.

 2013: Ramsey County buys the TCAAP site and begins funding the cleanup, spending $28.5 million.

 2014: The development is named Rice Creek Commons.

 2016: The site receives a certificate of completion from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency signaling its off the states Superfund site list and ready for development. Alatus, LLC is chosen as developer for the site.

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 2019: Ramsey County sues Arden Hills in an effort to break the partnership they entered into in 2012. The dispute involves disagreements over housing density at the site.

2021: A Ramsey County judge declines to dissolve the contract between Ramsey County and Arden Hills, saying the matter must be resolved through the political process.

 June 2022: Ramsey County rejects the development plan  agreed to by Alatus and Arden Hills  for the site citing a lack of housing density.

 November 2022: In a municipal election voters send several candidates open to ending the impasse with Ramsey County to the Arden Hills City Council.

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 2023: Arden Hills and Ramsey County begin meeting again on development plans for the site and additional housing is considered.

 2024: The Ramsey County Board approves sale of 40-acre Rice Creek Commons parcel to be handled by developer Ryan Cos.

 2025: The board overseeing the development parts ways with Alatus citing slow progress on the project. Alatus files a lawsuit contesting the move.

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Along with other high-profile individuals who were associated with Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump's name was mentioned nine times across the hundreds of pages made public earlier this year in the phase one" release of the declassified Epstein files.

The vast majority of the documents in the "phase one" release had been previously made public through the prosecution of Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, or through civil lawsuits, including flight logs from Epsteins plane and a redacted version of Epstein's so-called "black book" of contacts. Trump's name appears in both the flight logs and the book of contacts.

Evan Vucci/AP - PHOTO: President Donald Trump is seen leaving after signing the "Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act," during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, July 16, 2025, in Washington.

MORE: Trump, facing MAGA uproar over Epstein files, tries to shift blame elsewhere

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In the files, Trump's name was listed in Epsteins contact book, which is often referenced as his black book. The contact information listed under Trump's entry was redacted.

DOJ - PHOTO: Donald Trump's name was listed in Jeffrey Epstein's "contact book."

MORE: Why do Trump's MAGA followers care so much about the Epstein files?

The book also included entries for the presidents first wife Ivana, his daughter Ivanka, his younger brother Robert, and Roberts former wife Blaine.

Though Trump told New York Magazine in 2002 that Epstein was terrific guy, the president has since disavowed the sex offender and said they had a falling out in the early 2000s.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, FILE - PHOTO: This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein.

MORE: Mike Pence calls for the release of the Epstein files: 'I've always believed in transparency'

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"Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in 2019 after Epsteins arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan. I was not, yeah, a long time ago, I'd say maybe 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you. I was not a fan of his."

In the files, Trump was also listed as a passenger on Epsteins plane eight times between 1993 and 1997.

DOJ - PHOTO: Flight logs indicating Trump and his family flew on Epstein's plane in the 1990s.

MORE: 'It's a cover up': Musk floods X with posts attacking Trump over Epstein

Most flights were between Palm Beach, Florida, and Teterboro, New Jersey. According to the logs, Trump also traveled from Palm Beach to Teterboro with a stop in Washington, D.C.,. with Epstein, Maxwell, and his family  including Marla Trump, Tiffany Trump, and a nanny  on May 15, 1994.

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In total, Trump was mentioned in the flight logs at least eight times, including:

A flight with Epstein and one other person from Teterboro, NJ to Palm Beach, FL on April 23, 1993

A flight with Epstein from Palm Beach, FL to Teterboro, NJ on April 26, 1993

A flight with Epstein, Maxwell, and two others from Palm Beach, FL to Teterboro, NJ on Oct. 11, 1993

A flight with Epstein, Maxwell, and three others from Palm Beach, FL to Teterboro, NJ on Oct. 17, 1993

A flight with Epstein, Marla Trump, Tiffany Trump, a nanny, and one other person from Palm Beach, FL to Washington, DC on May 15, 1994

A flight with Epstein, Marla Trump, Tiffany Trump, and a nanny from Washington, DC to Teterboro, NJ on May 15, 1994

A flight with Epstein, Maxwell, Eric Trump, and four others from Palm Beach, FL to Teterboro, NJ on Aug. 13, 1995.

A flight with Epstein, Maxwell, and five others from Palm Beach, FL to Newark, NJ on January 5, 1997

The "phase one" files were released by Attorney General Pam Bondi in conjunction with the FBI in late February, including 341 pages of documents related to the disgraced financier. Of those, 118 pages were duplicative of each other.

The only newly released document in phase one was a three-page catalog of evidence seized during the searches of Epstein's properties in New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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At the time of the February release, the Justice Department said it planned to release thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein that were not previously disclosed once redactions were made to protect the identity of victims.

However, in a memo released earlier this month, the Justice Department and the FBI said a review found no evidence Epstein kept a "client list" of associates or that he blackmailed prominent individuals and that no further records from the investigation would be released.
Jul. 17A 30-unit tiny home village for homeless people transitioning out of emergency shelters likely will be built in the West Hills neighborhood on a Sunset Boulevard property owned by the Waters Meet Foundation  formerly known as the Empire Health Foundation, according to President Zeke Smith.

While the shelters already have been purchased with funds from a state Department of Commerce grant, they haven't arrived yet, and it's not immediately clear what organization will operate the transitional housing project, nor how operations will be funded. Smith said he assumed Spokane's elected leaders will see it as a worthy investment.

He believes the tiny homes will provide a stable place for people to live relatively independently for upwards of six months as they prepare to transition out of shelters and into permanent housing, providing capacity for a midway step on the path out of homelessness.

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He also anticipates the move will be controversial.

Many in the neighborhood felt blindsided and concerned in 2022 when they discovered Catholic Charities Eastern Washington would be converting a former hotel on Sunset Boulevard into an 84-unit professionally staffed shelter, learning about it only after the plan was underway and fearing it would bring the crime and disorder that many believed had characterized the Camp Hope homeless encampment.

A year after the facility opened, most of those fears appeared to be waylaid, with no significant rise in crime accompanying what became known as the Catalyst Project and many former skeptics telling The Spokesman-Review that the facility had been either a neutral or net positive addition to the community. A small but vocal minority, however, continue to argue the facility has scared off development and warn others to "stay vigilant" so they're not "ambushed" by another shelter.

Some of the pushback to the Catalyst Project was rooted in a belief the city and the nonprofit colluded to keep the project quiet until it was off the ground. Catholic Charities Eastern Washington CEO Robb McCann has previously said silence was a requirement of the sales agreement with the hotel owner, who wanted to avoid disruption to staff and hotel operations if word leaked.

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The Waters Meet Foundation has courted its own accusations of secrecy. The organization was the key partner in selecting locations for Mayor Lisa Brown's transition from large congregant homeless shelters to smaller "scatter site" shelters, and has faced blowback at times for a perceived lack of outreach with neighborhoods before launching those new shelters.

"Public outreach on shelters, new sites to house homeless folks, is complicated ... neighbors who don't have any sense of what is really going to happen get up in arms and start to organize against it," Smith said in January, following the launch of a shelter for the medically fragile near downtown. "We didn't want that to happen."

But now, with plans already underway to launch the tiny home village later this year, Smith says he wants to better and more proactively communicate with neighbors to assuage their concerns.

"We're approaching this differently," Smith said. "Partly because of city requirements, partly because we're the landowner, and partly because I'm hoping there's an opportunity for a productive conversation with neighbors."

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"But we're also taking a risk," he added. "There's enough pieces that we don't have clarity on yet, and until we can be clear about those, I suspect it's going to leave open space for people's fears. But we're trusting there's an opportunity to engage folks up front, address any real concerns and help land this community in that neighborhood in a productive way."

In addition to whatever outreach Waters Meet does in the coming days, the service provider that ends up managing the space likely will be required to come to a "good neighbor" agreement with the city and the West Hills Neighborhood Council. The Spokane City Council approved a law in June requiring these agreements, meant to be a guarantee that the neighborhood won't be negatively affected if the city is funding the shelter. Critics say that consequences for violating the agreements are not guaranteed and depend on the terms that are negotiated.

It remains to be seen how the neighborhood will respond to yet another homeless shelter being placed within its borders. Notably, the tiny home village will be located not far from a billboard that sprang up when the Catalyst Project was launched, which read: "Reclaim West Hills: The next Kendall Yards or the next Camp Hope?"

Robert Thompson, chair of the West Hills Neighborhood Council, said that while some of the community's concerns about prior shelters have been assuaged, there remains a perception the city is doing little to invest in the neighborhood but quickly turns to placing new shelters in the West Hills.

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"The neighborhood is feeling underinvested in and feeling like some problems are being pushed out of downtown into our neighborhood and that there are opportunities slipping away because of some of the use of these spaces," Thompson said.

In addition to the existing Catholic Charities Catalyst Project, Thompson noted that Catholic Charities is also planning to break ground on a permanent supportive housing project dubbed the St. Agnes Family Haven just a block away in August, another at the northern tip of the neighborhood, and has discussed plans to build its own tiny home village in the neighborhood.

"Again, Catalyst is not nearly as big of an issue as people had feared," Thompson said. "St. Agnus, they've also tried to be very transparent about what they're hoping to do with that property. But folks still have that image of Second and Division...it only takes one negative thing to stick with folks."

Smith is eyeing the city's portion of settlements between the state of Washington and opioid distributors and the pharmacies that sold the addictive pills. On Monday, the Spokane City Council approved appropriating $400,000 of those funds for "outdoor outreach and navigation" homeless services, which Smith believes the tiny home village could qualify for.

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While many details still need to be hammered out, Smith said that each of the 30 tiny homes will have heating and air conditioning. There also will be plumbed bathrooms  the lack of which had plagued the former Trent Avenue shelter  and at least two community buildings.

Whichever service provider operates the project would not have to lease the land from Waters Meet, Smith said, which he anticipated would lower costs.

In a Wednesday press release, Brown said the project fills "a real need."

"The funds behind this project were set to be returned to the state, but through innovative partnership, we are keeping them here in Spokane so they can make a direct impact for people who need support most," Brown said in the statement.
Tipping used to be a simple thank you for great service. Now, its a social minefield, and customers across the U.S. are fed up.

A viral rant this week on X (formerly Twitter) ignited fresh outrage after a reporter called out the absurdity of tipping culture, writing, Twenty percent for someone to make eye contact and hand me a muffin is crazy.

The post racked up millions of views and unleashed a flood of agreement from frustrated customers who say tipping has officially gone off the rails.

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One frustrated user replied, "Yesterday I was offered three default tip amounts: 20, 25 and 30 percent. This is obviously intended to get you to choose 25. Sorry, choosing 20 doesn't make me a cheapskate!"

A rant: Tipping culture is out of control. I'm a generous tipper. But 20% for someone to make eye contact & hand me a muffin is crazy. Restaurants widely suggesting people tip 30% now is kookoo bananas. At this rate we'll soon be tipping the price of the meal. Make it stop.  Billy Binion (@billybinion) July 17, 2025

Rob Hoffman, CEO of Contact.so, replied with his thoughts on tipping.

"Hot take: tipping culture is effectively a regressive tax on the middle class who are burdened with subsidizing baristas low wages instead of billion-dollar corps like Starbucks, who could just, you know, pay them more. Their new CEO just made $100m in 4 months, but yeah lets make single parents and teachers pulling $40k a year feel guilty for not tipping 30% on a muffin theyre eating in their car on the way to work."

But its not just social media. A 2023 Pew Research survey found 72 percent of Americans feel pressured to tip in more places than they did five years ago. From fast-casual restaurants to coffee shops and even medical offices, businesses are asking, and in some cases, expecting gratuity for basic transactions.

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Part of the problem? Digital payment systems that make it all too easy to tack on a tip, often suggesting 20 percent, 25 percent, or even 30 percent before a customer can hit "no thanks." As tipping attorney and hospitality law professor Stephen Barth explains, pandemic-era generosity helped fuel this trend, and its been accelerating ever since.

Theres just this expectationand it really has grown into a sense of entitlementthat people are going to tip that amount of money, Barth says.

Meanwhile, tippings murky history doesnt help.

Originally imported from Europe as a servitude practice, tipping in the U.S. took hold after the Civil War, often as a way to avoid paying fair wages to workers of color. And even today, federal law still allows tipped workers to be paid as little as $2.13 an hour in many statesa system that benefits employers far more than employees.

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Yet tipping has never really been about service quality. Its about bill size and social pressure. And while some restaurants, like those in Danny Meyers Union Square group, have experimented with eliminating tipping altogether by raising menu prices, most havent been able to make that model work.

Barth doesnt see sweeping change coming soon.

But the viral backlash suggests Americans may be ready to push back, especially when the only service provided is flipping an iPad screen around.

Related: Iconic Burger Chain Drops Surprising New Ad and Brings Back 'That's Hot'

Tipping Culture Just Hit a Breaking Point and Customers Are Pushing Back first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 17, 2025
Vanessa Mendoza, an early childhood educator in Cicero, was gathering materials for her classroom in late June when she paused to look at Facebook. What she saw shocked her.

Posted on the social media site was a video of her aunt, Rocio, being pulled over by unidentified agents driving black vehicles who questioned her citizenship  despite her legal status to be in the United States.

The agents did not specify why they pulled Rocio over or which agency they were affiliated with, Mendoza, 32, who grew up in Cicero, said at a news conference outside the town hall Thursday morning. After Rocio showed identification, she was not arrested or detained, her niece added.

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It was either a legal stop or maybe, I dont want to say, they were targeting her for being Latina, she said.

On Thursday, local officials and community members condemned 20-year Town President Larry Dominick for remarks he previously made about the immigrant community, especially as federal enforcement actions intensify under President Donald Trump. About 90% of Ciceros residents are Latino, a group that has been repeatedly targeted by the Trump administration.

Rocios interaction with the unidentified agents comes at a time of increased news and social media reports of citizens of Latino descent being stopped or detained. After a U.S. Army veteran was arrested during an immigration raid at a Southern California marijuana farm last week, representatives in Congress introduced legislation on Wednesday that would stop U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement from detaining and deporting U.S. citizens.

Law-abiding residents arent supposed to be arrested or detained, and there was no probable cause for Rocio to be pulled over, Mendoza said Thursday. She said her aunt is still shaken and wont go anywhere without her identification.

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Cicero has a complicated political history toward immigrants, said former U.S. Rep. Luis Guitierrez, who used to represent the states 4th Congressional District. Guitierrez spoke strongly against Dominick, who he said has in recent years publicly spoken in a mean, nasty and violent manner about immigrants.

Stop destroying families that love each other, he said. Were outraged. Were tired of this. Estamos indignados. Ya estamos cansado.

At Thursdays news conference, lifelong Cicero resident Diana Garcia played a recording of Dominick allegedly speaking at public town meetings. In the clip, Dominick can be heard lamenting former President Joe Bidens border policies and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons approach to welcoming new migrants.

You cant go anywhere without people selling candy, soda or water. And they dont even want to sell. Some of them just want money. The Venezuelans are robbing everybody. And what do we do to them? Nothing. Its disgusting, Dominick was heard saying in the audio, which was also reported by the local newspaper Cicero Independiente from a Feb. 27, 2024, meeting.

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Dominick did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Garcia asserted that Dominick has chosen to remain silent on the issue of immigration at a time when ICE has been tearing families apart.

Cicero deserves a leader right now. And we dont have one, she said.

At one point during the news conference, a woman passing by with a grocery bag stopped to stand in the back to listen to the speakers. She nodded her head in agreement.

In late February, ahead of the towns municipal elections, Dominick was criticized by opposition candidate Esteban Rodriguez for his failure to advocate for the town to adopt sanctuary status. Dominick maintained Ciceros policy is to treat everyone, documented or in the country without legal permission, the same.

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He referred to a Safe Space Resolution passed in 2008, which formalized a commitment not to use local law enforcement for immigration matters, preventing Cicero police from asking about immigration status or enforcing federal immigration laws.

Meanwhile, Illinois is a sanctuary state under the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, meaning it has rules prohibiting arresting or detaining someone solely due to immigration status.

The tension escalated several weeks before the election, when Rodriguez had a rock thrown through his home windows in what he described as a scare tactic. He believed his windows were shattered in retaliation for his public probing of Dominicks immigration stance. Dominicks Cicero Voters Alliance, however, brushed off the incident as a political stunt by Rodriguez to get attention and stir controversy.

Rodriguez  who received 43% of the vote for town president over the winter  was at the news conference Thursday, where those in attendance hand-delivered a letter to Dominicks office that requested immediate action to declare Cicero a sanctuary city and stop any cooperation between local law enforcement officers and ICE.

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The group took an elevator to the town halls third floor, where Dominicks office is located. The town presidents office was closed and locked.

Its because hes never here, Rodriguez grumbled under his breath.

They knocked and waited several minutes before deciding to slip the letter underneath the door. A Tribune reporter was able to enter the office later in the day and spoke to a receptionist, who directed all media inquiries to Dominicks email.

The group also delivered a printed-out Freedom of Information Act request to the town of Cicero for all emails, text messages, letters, memos and notes between top town leaders and trustees including Dominick with several defamatory words and phrases. The request sought all communication from Jan. 20, when Trump was sworn into office, to the present.

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The goal, the group said Thursday, was to uncover the type of communication about immigration that might happen behind closed doors under Dominicks leadership.

Mendoza, who wore a polka-dot dress and earrings in the shape of crayons, said that as an educator in Cicero, she is constantly answering questions from worried families who ask her what to do if ICE pulls them over. She tells them to not talk to anyone who they dont know and to keep their windows up.

Ultimately, she said she isnt trying to work against Dominick, but to make sure everyone feels protected leaving their homes and driving through their own neighborhoods.

Just make this a loving and safe place for everybody, she urged the town leader.
Pierce County voters have a choice in two different races for port commissioner this summer, with Port of Tacoma Commissioner Pos. 1 and Pos. 4 on the primary election ballot. We sat down for group interviews with the candidates, one panel for each race, and talked through issues that reverberate from the port to the entire community.

The port is an economic engine for the region, with an impact on jobs, local businesses and the quality of our environment. As the federal government puts forward a vacillating trade policy and reverses national environmental goals, the editorial board wanted to know how candidates would lead the port through the shifting currents of our times.

Position 1

For Port Commissioner Pos. 1, the board endorses Tim Payne, a challenger to the incumbent who brings local government experience and an impressive knowledge of the ports history as well as its current projects and challenges. Among other things, he emphasized the importance of pressing on with the ports efforts to transition to electric on-shore power and remediating contaminated sites.

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Payne, 62, has a fitting background for the port commission. Hes currently executive vice president at EMA Inc., which consults local governments on water and wastewater management. He told of how he spent his early adulthood working a union job in the maritime industry to put himself through college and law school.

After earning his law degree, he said he worked in environmental remediation, often working on oil spill clean-ups. He also served three terms on Gig Harbor City Council.

In 2021, this paper endorsed incumbent John McCarthy for another term based on his vast years of experience and clear leadership skills. McCarthy, 75, first sat on the Port Commission starting in the 1980s, before serving as a Pierce County judge for 22 years. He rejoined the port commission in 2018 and is now finishing up his second term in a row.

McCarthy currently serves as president of the port commission and co-chairs the Northwest Seaport Alliance, the body that runs the marine terminals at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. He also worked on a deal with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to clear the way for a new terminal that will do business in the break-bulk side of shipping.

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McCarthy spoke convincingly on the issues during our interview. The board has no doubt he would use the immense knowledge and relationships hes built up over the years to keep the port on a steady course if hes elected.

So why are we endorsing Payne? Four years ago, the editorial board said McCarthy shouldnt run again in 2025, in order to keep new ideas flowing into the port commission. We stand by that now. With a candidate like Payne on the ballot, who shows a mastery of the issues and history of leadership, its a chance to add a strong new voice to the commission. That chance doesnt come every election.

The third candidate in this primary race, Randy Wilson, showed a passion for the challenges facing the port and through it the county as a whole. But the knowledge that Wilson, 61, displayed on the issues was not deep enough to merit an endorsement with candidates like Payne and McCarthy on the ballot.

Position 4

In the other seat slated for the primary election, Port Commissioner Pos. 4, the board endorses JT Wilcox. Current port commissioner Don Meyer is stepping down at the end of his term, making this an open seat. Wilcox, 62, is one of three contenders, and he pairs a familiarity with the port with his long history of relationship building in the Washington state legislature.

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As a Republican, Wilcox was the state House Minority Leader for part of his tenure at the statehouse. He retired in January. Wilcox has built his name on bipartisanship. He sees the port as a connection from local farms to the rest of the world, and a source of high-wage jobs for the region. He also stresses his commitment to environmental and conservation causes.

He lists endorsements from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Democrat and former governor Christine Gregoire, Republican and former attorney general Rob McKenna, and the Northwest Marine Trade Association. He also touts the endorsement of two unions: locals of the IUPAT and the BAC, which represents builders like masons.

Candidate Dan Knox lacks the experience in government that would make him a good fit as commissioner. However, he showed a detailed knowledge of the policy tools available to make needed changes at the port. The board felt that Knox, 30, could be a valuable resource working inside a government agency, whether thats supporting the port commission or elsewhere.

The final candidate, Cyrus Donato has an impressive background in the maritime industry. He works as the Puget Sound-based inspector for the International Transport Workers Federation, a union. Donato, 38, has participated in investigations into violations of foreign workers rights at sea.

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Given his background, the board was surprised at the lack of a clear vision in many of his answers to our questions.

A third port commissioner race is heading directly to the general election this November, because only two candidates are running for the role. That will be Port of Tacoma Commissioner Pos. 2.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Laura Hautala, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Justin Evans, community representative; Bart Hayes, community representative. Hayes recused himself from the endorsement process for Port Commissioner Pos. 1 due to a personal relationship.
In the election for a Puyallup School District board member, voters have a good problem: two great candidates. One of the editorial board members at this newspaper even called them uniquely excellent.

Ultimately, we chose to endorse Ellen Aronson because of her longstanding work in the Puyallup schools community and deep familiarity with the issues faced by the district. Melissa Bedford is also highly qualified.

Another candidate, Frank Archer, didnt participate in the endorsement process.

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Aronson, 39, has lived in Puyallup almost 20 years, and has a 9th grader and a 5th grader in the citys public school system. She says she got her start at the Washington state legislature, working in the civic education program and with college-age interns, and as a committee assistant.

Now in nonprofit development, Aronson also worked closely on two bond measures this year that would have raised money for new construction needed to replace aging school buildings. In sequential elections, the bond measures failed. This was despite winning a comfortable majority of votes both times  the high bar required by law to pass bonds meant even a 60% yes vote wasnt enough.

In an interview with the editorial board, Aronson spoke compellingly about Puyallups need for updated facilities, especially Spinning and Waller Road elementary schools. She said public trust needs to be restored for more residents to support a bond at a time when voters are highly sensitive to tax measures. She added she has learned how to build consensus in her community through leadership roles in organizations like Mothers of Preschoolers and her church.

Aronson also spoke of the importance of building the communitys values into the school districts policies. That would include commitments to making students feel welcome no matter their racial or ethnic background or whether they face adversities like homelessness.

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Voters also have a great choice in Bedford, who has been in education for almost 20 years as a school teacher, a college professor with a doctorate in education, and an elected school board member in Spokane. Bedford, 39, is now a fourth grade teacher in the Seattle Public School District and lives in Puyallup.

Bedford also has experience building relationships and understanding the issues in a school district. She also has done her homework on Puyallup. She spoke of listening to Puyallup students and families talk about their experiences and attending city council meetings.

She also said she would have held off on putting the failed bond measure on the ballot for a second time until a later election when more voters were likely to come out, and focused on educating the community about the severity of the need for new buildings in the meantime.

Its easy to imagine Bedford being a quick study when it comes to aspects of the district shes less familiar with.

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But Aronson has the edge with the relationships and knowledge shes already built up in Puyallup.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Laura Hautala, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Justin Evans, community representative; Bart Hayes, community representative.
The Arizona Court of Appeals denied Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Hornes appeal on his initial lawsuit against school districts that allowed English language learners to participate in dual language programs.

The Court of Appeals ruled Horne has no role in determining the instruction models available to schools and that it was the responsibility of the Arizona State Board of Education to approve structured and non-structured English immersion models.

Horne said he would appeal the court's ruling, issued July 17.

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I think the Department of Education does have standing to sue, said Horne. We've been given a lot of responsibilities by the Legislature to monitor the teaching of English language to students, and it does not make sense for the Department of Education not to be able to sue schools that dont follow the law.

Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes defended schools' decisions to use dual language programs to teach English learners.

Use of dual language programs for English learners challenged in 2 lawsuits

Districts across Arizona have been increasingly adopting dual language learning models in which students spend half the day learning course material in English and half in a different language, primarily Spanish or Mandarin.

Horne has argued that Proposition 203, a law passed by voters in 2000, requires that most English learners be taught strictly under English immersion models. Exceptions can be made for students with parental waivers or who meet other requirements.

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In 2019, the Legislature and then-Gov. Doug Ducey approved a law directing the State Board of Education to expand the options for English language learning in Arizona schools. In 2020, the board introduced four new models for English learners, including dual language programs.

In 2024, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper dismissed Horne's lawsuit, ruling that he lacked the legal authority to sue the school districts. Horne appealed and said that another suit challenging the use of dual language programs by English learners would be filed, but this time with a parent as the plaintiff. Proposition 203 grants parents the right to sue schools that fail to comply with English immersion instruction requirements.

A second lawsuit was filed in 2024 by Patricia Pellett, a parent from Scottsdale, against the Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix. Pellet does not have a student enrolled in Creighton Elementary. Horne said that did not matter because Proposition 203 allowed any parent of a child in a school in Arizona to sue to enforce that initiative.

Pellett's suit was dismissed by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. The judge said she did not have the legal authority to sue. An appeal is pending. Pellet is represented by Superintendent Hornes wife, Carmen Chenal Horne.

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Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundations Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tom Horne loses appeal in lawsuit over dual language programs
Two of the most senior Christian leaders in Jerusalem travelled to Gaza on Friday after Israeli fire killed three at the Palestinian territory's only Catholic church, provoking international condemnation.

The rare visit came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "deeply regrets" the strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and blamed a "stray" round.

Israel strictly controls access to the territory, where the civil defence agency on Friday reported that further Israeli strikes killed at least 25 Palestinians, including a family of five in their own home.

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Local people used their bare hands to pick through the debris in the southern city of Khan Yunis in a desperate search for survivors.

"Entire families are buried under the rubble," Louai Abu Sahloul, a relative of the victims, told AFP, adding that the relentless wave of strikes was taking its toll.

"People are like walking dead, tired of hunger, pain and destruction everywhere in Gaza," he said.

The Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, headed to Gaza and met local Christians following Thursday's strike.

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They visited both the Holy Family Church and the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in what the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem called "the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza".

The Greek Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate called it a "powerful expression" of church unity and solidarity.

- 'Stop the needless slaughter' -

The clerics last week visited the occupied West Bank with diplomatic representatives from more than 20 countries after an attack on an ancient Byzantine-era church blamed on Israeli settlers.

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Both churches said the Gaza visit had been facilitated with the help of aid agencies and also involved the delivery of food supplies and emergency medical equipment.

In Italy, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the delegation arrived with 500 tonnes of aid for local civilians.

Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the Catholic Church, said he was "deeply saddened" by the strike on the church, where hundreds of displaced people were sheltering, including children and those with special needs.

His predecessor, Pope Francis, kept in regular contact with parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli and repeatedly called for an end to the Gaza war, which has created a humanitarian crisis for the people living there.

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Romanelli was one of 10 people injured in the strike and was seen with bandages on his leg.

The Vatican said the pope called Pizzaballa on Friday morning to ask about the situation in Gaza and the condition of Romanelli and the other wounded.

"He expressed his support and affection to the entire community gathered around the parish and those suffering from the violence, and reiterated his intention to do everything possible to stop the needless slaughter of innocents," a statement read.

The pontiff also spoke with Netanyahu and expressed concern about the "dramatic humanitarian situation", renewing his appeal for negotiations, a ceasefire and the end of the war, a separate statement added.

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A spokesman at Netanyahu's office told AFP the conversation was "friendly" and the prime minister expressed his regret.

- 'Mistake' -

Both Italy and France called the strike "unacceptable" while US President Donald Trump called Netanyahu after having "not a positive reaction" on hearing about it, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

"It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church, that's what the prime minister relayed to the president," she told reporters.

The Jerusalem churches, which have jurisdiction for Catholics and members of the Greek Orthodox Church across Israel and the Palestinian territories, said they had ensured the medical evacuation of those injured.

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One was in a critical condition and two others were seriously wounded, the Jerusalem Patriarchate said.

Out of the Gaza Strip's population of more than two million, about 1,000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory.

Israel's military maintains that it does not deliberately target churches and religious sites.

But the Jerusalem Patriarchate said there had been "repeated assaults on Christian holy sites in Gaza".

The war was sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

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Israel's military retaliation has killed at least 58,667 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The UN considers these figures to be reliable.

bur-phz/acc/jsa
By Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The head of a House of Representatives panel on China told U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that resuming sales of Nvidia's H20 chips to China threatens to advance Beijing's AI capability, stepping up his criticism of the decision and saying the original ban was "the right call."

Republican Representative John Moolenaar, in a letter to Lutnick on Friday, warned the chips could undermine the U.S.' AI advantage and may help Chinese companies capture global AI model market share.

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"The Commerce Department made the right call in banning the H20," Moolenaar said in the letter, demanding more information. "We can't let the (Chinese Communist Party) use American chips to train AI models that will power its military, censor its people, and undercut American innovation."

Nvidia's announcement this week that it would be allowed to resume sales reversed an export restriction imposed by the Trump administration in April to keep advanced AI chips such as the H20 out of Chinese hands over national security concerns, an issue that has found rare bipartisan support. It drew swift questions and criticism from U.S. legislators, including Moolenaar, who said on Monday that he would seek "clarification" from the Commerce Department.

Shares of Nvidia turned negative on Friday after Moolenaar came out with the stronger criticism.

An Nvidia spokesperson later defended the U.S.' relaxation of restrictions, saying America wins when the world builds on U.S. technology. "The government made the best decision for America, promoting U.S. technology leadership, economic growth and national security," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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A representative of the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The letter was an unusual example of public disagreement with a Trump administration policy from a fellow Republican, signaling the depth of the national security concerns around the AI chip's export to China among China hawks in Washington.

On Tuesday, Lutnick said the planned resumption of sales of the H20 chip was part of U.S. negotiations on rare earths and magnets.

It also was a sign the United States was relaxing restrictions on the export of AI technology to China.

Nvidia designed the H20 chip for the Chinese market after the Biden administration restricted exports of other of its advanced chips to China.

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But the H20 is still competitive at inference, where AI models serve up answers to users, which is fast becoming the biggest part of the AI chip market. Its capabilities also could be used in supercomputers.

According to an April 2025 report by the Select Committee on China, Nvidia's H20 chips were instrumental in enabling an AI model by Chinese company DeepSeek that surprised the world earlier this year.

Tech companies like China's Tencent also have used H20s to train massive AI systems, according to Moolenaar, who said there was growing evidence H20 chips are being used by Chinese AI companies to build supercomputers.

Under the policy change, the U.S. still must approve licenses for the export of H20 chips. But Nvidia said it had been assured licenses would be granted, and it hoped to start deliveries soon.

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In his letter to Lutnick, Moolenaar requested a briefing as soon as possible, but no later than August 8, on how the Department of Commerce plans to evaluate license applications for the H20 and similar chips, the estimated number of H20s to be exported and to whom.

"The H20 significantly outperforms anything Chinese chipmakers like Huawei can currently produce" at scale, Moolenaar wrote, "and would therefore provide a substantial increase to Chinas AI development."

(Reporting by Chris Sanders and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper. Additional writing by Maiya Keidan. Editing by Caitlin Webber, Alexandra Hudson, Nia Williams and Leslie Adler)
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The 190th Air Refueling Wing (ARM) from Topeka is pitching in to help after devastating flooding hit Texas.

The 190th Air Refueling Wing brought 12 firefighters and four K-9 handlers with their search and rescue dogs to the Texas floods on Sunday, July 13, according to a press release. The firefighters and K-9 handlers were from the Czech Emergency Response Team from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Czech firefighters flew directly from Ramstein Air Base to Texas aboard the 190th ARW KC-135 Stratotanker, the only National Guard aircraft available to execute such a short-notice mission efficiently and effectively, according to the 190th ARW.

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Here we will do our best to help the American people and support the National Guard, said Maj. Jiri Studnicka, Czech Emergency Response Team member. For us, it brings great satisfaction being able to help the National Guard as they have helped in support of our troops. We are very proud to work with them.

Woman killed in Auburn house fire was trapped in bathroom

The Kansas State Fire Marshals office deployed Task Force 1, along with two boats, ATVs, and K-9 teams, to help with the flood relief efforts as well this month. Governor Kelly assigned two swift-water rescue teams from Kansas to provide assistance in the impacted areas of Texas.

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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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK)  Several roads are blocked after a train derailed in Downtown Longview on Thursday.

1 dead after motorcycle crash on Highway 155

The Longview Police Department said Fredonia Street, Center Street, Horaney Street, and the 500 block of E. Cotton Street are closed to traffic. Longview PD said that no injuries were reported from the derailment and that no hazardous materials were involved.

Photo courtesy of Longview Fire Department. Photo courtesy of Longview Fire Department. Photo courtesy of Longview Fire Department.

Railroad workers are currently on the scene of the derailment, where they are working to remove the train. Longview PD is urging drivers to avoid downtown Longview while crews respond.

You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
Heres what youll learn when you read this story:

Planting trees has often been seen as a way to combat climate change, but recent research suggests that this method of carbon sequestration isnt enough to offset what were doing to the planet.

Now, planting certain trees is getting a second look, as scientists have found evidence of food-producing trees capable of turning CO 2 into limestone.

The trees in questionthree species of figs found in Kenyacould be well-suited for agro-forestry, as theyd provide both fruit and long-lasting carbon sequestration.

Planting trees has long been touted as a major tool in the fight against climate change. And on the surface, that makes a lot of sense. After all, theres a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and trees store that carbon in their leaves and woody bark.

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But planting trees alone cant get us out of this mess. For one, large dark forests can negatively impact the planets albedo (the ability to reflect sunlight back into space), and once those trees die, they release that carbon back into the atmosphere. Now, a new study presented at the Goldschmidt conference earlier this month in Prague shows that three fig tree speciesFicus wakefieldii, F. natalensis, and F. glumosafound in the basaltic soils of Samburu County, Kenya, have a carbon-sequestering superpower.

Of course, like most trees, these figs use carbon resources to build their leaves and other woody bits. But they also display a natural sequestration technique known as an oxalate carbonate pathway. These are the first fruit trees ever discovered that take carbon and turn it into stonespecifically, calcium carbonate (a.k.a. limestone)which is then threaded throughout its trunk. This makes these fig trees particularly adept at storing carbon, because even after these trees die, some of that carbon remains in these calcium carbonate deposits.

Weve known about the oxalate carbonate pathway for some time, but its potential for sequestering carbon hasn't been fully considered, Mike Rowley from the University of Zurich, who was involved in the experiment, said in a press statement. If were planting trees for agroforestry and their ability to store CO 2 as organic carbon while producing food, we could choose trees that provide an additional benefit by sequestering inorganic carbon also, in the form of calcium carbonate.

So, how and why do these trees go through all of the trouble? Well, the trees first convert CO 2 into calcium oxalate crystals, and then rely on specialized bacteria and fungi to transform it into calcium carbonate. According to the researchers, this increases the pH of the surrounding soil, which makes different types of nutrients available.

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To confirm how this limestone formed within the tree, the researchers relied on the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsourcea division of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratoryto investigate the nano-architecture of these trees and discern what microbial communities contributed to this sequestering superpower.

The calcium carbonate is formed both on the surface of the tree and within the wood structures, likely as microorganisms decompose crystals on the surface and also, penetrate deeper into the tree, Rowley said in a press statement. It shows that inorganic carbon is being sequestered more deeply within the wood than we previously realized.

Scientists have known about this oxalate-carbonate pathway for decades. The first tree found to exhibit such a behavior is called the Iroko (Milicia excelsa), a large hardwood native to the tropical western coast of Africa. But these figs are the first food-producing specimens to have this limestone-making ability.

And theyre likely not the only ones.

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We believe there are many more, Rowley said in a press statement. This means that the oxalate-carbonate pathway could be a significant, underexplored opportunity to help mitigate CO 2 emissions as we plant trees for forestry or fruit.

Planting trees just became cool again.



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GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP)  One Triad couple is sharing their secret to not just longevity, but a happy marriage as well.

Sue Beck and Bill Haney believe the answer is outside, specifically in hiking the path less traveled.

You have to have somebody that really loves it just as much as you do because its hard work, Beck said.

Beck and Haney met 50 years ago in the halls of UNC-Greensboro. Beck was trying to get her masters and was a student in Haneys Philosophy of Education class.

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I thought he was very good, very quick and easy to understand, Beck said.

For Haney, the attraction was a bit more physical.

She and her girlfriend were casually dressed, and so she wore pants  Her very nice stomach was on display, and I was entranced, Haney said.

Beck and Haney laugh about stories just like that, but his playful nature is what she loves.

Hes a big joker. He loves to joke, Beck said.

The pair took some backpacking instruction courses and paddling classes and started venturing farther and farther together.

Its worth the agony of climbing to see the beauty when you get there, Beck said.

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Their love for the trail sent them as far away as New Zealand and the Swiss Alps and as close to home as Pilot Mountain. Theyve hiked almost every National Park and every step of the Appalachian Trail. Every Christmas, vacation, Thanksgiving holiday or any other spare time in between, they would hop on the trail just the two of them or with kids in tow.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail, there are so many obstacles you can run into, and its a good test of compatibility, Haney said.

They remember the tougher times like the first time Beck scaled an open rock face or the time she slipped and hurt her wrist, but every challenging moment came with some humor.

Including the time Haney bought a brand-new backpack for Beck, and they decided to take it out on a longer hike.

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Bill had gone down before me, and I was getting ready to go down a hill, and I thought, To heck with this, and I took off my pack and kicked it down the hill,' Beck said.

They both laughed retelling the story of watching her pack roll down four or five ledges, but Beck didnt feel bad at all.

Its a challenge, but like a lot of things in life, when you really have to work for it, you appreciate it more, Haney said.

The couples more strenuous hiking days are behind them. Beck is 89, and Haney is 85. For now, they stick to the local parks and trails around Abbotswood at Irving Park, the senior living community where they live now.

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The facility helped them throw a 50th anniversary party this summer where they were surrounded by family and friends, eager to tell stories and impart the wisdom theyve gained with every hike.

They remind everyone there are no shortcuts to any place worth going on the trail or in life.

Weve been married 50 years. That counts for something, Haney said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO)  A trial date has been set for Christian Soto, 23, the suspect in a brutal stabbing spree attack in Rockford that killed four people and wounded several others in 2024.

Soto is accused of going on a 21-minute rampage through a Rockford neighborhood on March 27th, 2024, using knives, a softball bat, and a pickup truck to kill his victims across multiple locations.

Soto told detectives he smoked laced marijuana with his first victim, Jacob Shupbach, 23, in the 2300 block of Holmes Street.

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He told authorities he became paranoid, killing Schupbachs mother, Ramona, 63, and then rampaging through the neighborhood, killing USPS Postal Worker Jay Larson in the 2200 block of Winnetka Avenue.

He then attacked Darlene Webber, Jacob Vollmann, and Cathy Gilfillan in the 4800 block of Cleveland Avenue, but was fended off by the familys pit bull.

He then beat 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb to death in the 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue, and battered two other teen girls before continuing to the 4600 block of Florence Street, where he attacked Lindsay Craig with a knife. A good Samaritan neighbor, Keith Fahrney, stopped to intervene.

He was then apprehended by police, according to Winnebago County States Attorney J. Hanley.

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Soto faces multiple charges of first degree murder, attempted murder, and home invasion.

A court-ordered psychiatric examination found Soto fit to stand trial.

On Friday, July 18th, Soto appeared before Judge Debra Schaefer and learned he will stand trial for the crimes before a Winnebago County jury on March 2nd, 2026.

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A school has paid tribute to one of its former teachers who died after being attacked by an elephant during a walking safari in Zambia.

Janet Easton, also known as Janice, 68, taught chemistry at Titus Salt School in Baildon, Bradford, from September 1983 until her retirement in August 2022.

Ms Easton, along with a 67-year-old female tourist from New Zealand, was trampled to death by the nursing elephant on 3 July, after efforts by tour guides to stop it by firing shots failed.

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Phil Temple, head teacher at Titus Salt, described Ms Easton as an "exemplary professional" who he said was an "intrepid traveller, keen photographer and much-loved friend".

Mr Temple said Ms Easton's impact on "generations of pupils" in the local community had been "profound".

He said her "skill, tenacity and determination to ensure all young people had the opportunity to succeed" had been admired by "countless colleagues".

He added: "Janice will be fondly remembered by all in the Titus Salt School and wider communities."

Local police chief in Zambia, Robertson Mweemba, said the two women had been part of a guided safari group who were walking in the park when the elephant charged towards them at high speed.

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"They were moving to other camps when the elephant charged from behind.

"We are really sorry that we have lost our visitors," Mr Mweemba said.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

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The House of Representatives voted 216-213 on Thursday night to approve $9 billion in spending cuts, including $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting  representing the entirety of two years worth of federal funding for NPR and PBS.

Passage by the Republican-controlled House sends the bill on to the presidents desk for signing.

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Katherine Maher, President and CEO of NPR, immediately slammed the unusual congressional move as an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.

Two-thirds of Americans support federal funding for public media, and believe that it is a good value for taxpayer dollars, Maher said. Americans listen to their local NPR stations daily, watch their favorite PBS shows loyally, raise their children on educational television, and listen to music stations that showcase the best of our home-grown music traditions.

The Senate had voted 51-48 on Wednesday to cut the already-approved spending, which also cuts $8 billion from foreign aid, including to the U.S. Agency for International Development and programs for global health and refugee assistance. The Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, was spared a $400 million cut in a concession to win the votes of Republican senators who objected to cutting the popular Bush-era funding.

The White House requested the package, which as passed both chambers with only Republican votes  including some who publicly voiced their concerns about gutting public media. Two Republicans representatives, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Michael Turner of Ohio, opposed the measure in the House, while Republicans Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also voted against it. Democrats were unified in both chambers.

The $1.1 billion for the CPB is the full amount it was due to receive over the next two years. The White House has criticized the public media system as biased and unnecessary, and sought earlier this year to terminate its board members, including Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman and two others.

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The CPB distributes the bulk of the funds to more than 1,500 public TV and radio stations, with the rest going to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.

NPR and PBS are expected to weather the cuts, as only a small percentage of their funding comes from taxpayers. But the cuts will force programming and headcount reductions at many local stations as soon as this fall, with some public stations receiving as much as half of their overall budgets from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Supporters of defunding are fixated on NPR and PBS, but in reality the cuts will be felt where these services are needed most, Maher said. Stations in places like West Virginia, and those serving tribal nations, receive more than 50% of their budget from federal funding. Public radio provides local programming that would otherwise be unavailable  coverage of town councils, statehouse affairs, local elections, and local music.

The post Trumps $1.1 Billion Cuts to NPR, PBS Pass Republican-Controlled House appeared first on TheWrap.
All of the chaos caused by the bombshell report in The Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump sent a bawdy 50th birthday note to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein masked the fact he received a significant win.

Republicans successfully passed legislation in the late night to claw back $9 billion meant for foreign aid, as well as for PBS and NPR funding.

This was a major priority for Republicans ever since the early days of the Trump administration, when Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency took a chainsaw to USAID and Trump signed an executive order to block money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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And defunding NPR and PBS has been a Republican wishlist item for decades.

In the end, only two Republicans in the House voted against the legislation. But by winning on rescission, Trump might have punched a one-way ticket toward a government shutdown when Congress returns after the August recess.

President Donald Trump faces a major spending deadline at the end of September (Getty Images)

President Donald Trump faces a major spending deadline at the end of September (Getty Images)

Trump might have sealed his fate because of the tactic he and Republicans in Congress used to claw back the money.

Under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, when a president wants to withhold money Congress already set aside to be spent, a practice called rescissions, he must submit a rescissions message that expires after 45 days.

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Rescissions can be done with only 51 votes, therefore, allowing the majority to do so without a filibuster as a trade-off for the limited timeline. That meant that Republicans did it with zero input from the Democrats.

If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront  a huge affront  to the bipartisan appropriations process, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in floor remarks earlier this month.

But it does not seem like Republicans are that worried. Indeed, Russell Vought, the director of Office of Management and Budget, said during a Christian Science Monitor breakfast that he wanted the process to be less bipartisan.

Who ran and won on an agenda of a bipartisan appropriations process? Literally no one. No Democrat, no Republican. There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, Im voting for a bipartisan appropriations process, Vought said.

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The problem is that the appropriations process to write the budget is bipartisan by design. Appropriations bills cannot be passed without 60 votes and the government runs out of money at the end of September.

Much of what we're doing, we're going through the motions, but it's not real and that's why watching the committee process has been pretty painful, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, told The Independent.

For the longest time, Republicans have hated the appropriations process because they think it keeps spending high because members have to work together. Theres even an old saying in Washington that there are three parties: Democrats, Republicans and appropriators.

Pocan is a progressive Democrat not alone. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI), a moderate Democrat and member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, also expressed disappointment.

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I'm committed to that, but it does make us wonder, you know, if they're really committed to their end of the bargain, Scholten told The Independent.

Of course, this means that Democrats would actually need to follow through with their threat. Trump showed he could break the House Freedom Caucus, the supposed hellraisers in the House GOP conference who frequently stamp their feet and then ultimately fold.

In the same token, Democrats are not naturals in being in the minority, given they controlled the House  and therefore the appropriations process  for most of the 20th century.

That means they would actually have to be willing to walk away from negotiations with Republicans and allow them to twist in the wind, even if it means programs Democrats consider vital go without money for a while. Earlier this year, Schumer went along with the stop-gap spending bill to avoid a shutdown even though Republicans ramrodded it through the House and Senate with zero Democratic input.

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But if Democrats actually shoot the hostage and leave Republicans to actually reach out to them rather than pass spending cuts in a partisan way, then Trump will be able to trace a government shutdown to this late-night vote.

And he will have no one to blame but himself, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
ASHEVILLE - As Western North Carolina continued to reel from damages caused by Tropical Storm Helene, the Federal Emergency Management Agency cut a grant program that funded research into the climate vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure in Buncombe County. Whether it returns is now subject to a federal lawsuit.

Filing alongside 19 states, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson sued the Trump administration on July 16 in an effort to return over $184 million to North Carolina communities that had received grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.

Examples of BRIC grants in North Carolina include a $22 million grant for a pumpstation in Salisbury, a nearly $11 million grant to improve floodplain infrastructure in Princeville, and a $7.6 million grant for wastewater infrastructure improvements in Lenoir. Most grants were headed toward programs that reduce flood risk or improve water infrastructure, according to a list provided by Jackson's office.

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The program, established in 2018, was designed to help state and local governments reduce disaster risks. 2,000 projects across the country had been selected to receive a total of $4.5 billion since 2021, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that the program's funding, which was appropriated by Congress in 2021, was not the Trump administration's to cancel.

NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson speaks during a press conference on the steps of the Haywood County Courthouse, April 14, 2025. Jackson was joined by State Bureau of Investigation Director Chip Hawley, Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke, Waynesville Police Chief David Adams, and more than a dozen law enforcement partners to launch Safe to Rebuild, an initiative to deter property theft and support North Carolinians repairing and rebuilding homes and businesses after Hurricane Helene.

"In North Carolina, we know what it takes to rebuild from a disaster. This money helps us better prepare for future storms. FEMA was wrong to break the law and cancel this money, which will save lives. Im taking it to court to win these funds back for our state," Jackson wrote in a July 16 news release on the lawsuit.

In Buncombe County, a watershed vulnerability and resilience program was funded by a $202,000 BRIC grant in 2021. It sought to identify flood, landslide and wildfire risks around critical infrastructure like government buildings and hospitals, Land of Sky Regional Council Planning Director Mary Roderick told the Citizen Times July 17.

In April, Roderick received an email that the program, which also developed new floodplain mapping to provide disaster-related development guidance to local governments, had suddenly been cancelled. Buncombe County, the grant's subrecipient, issued a stop work order on April 8, essentially putting the program "in limbo."

Aerial scenes reveal the damage from Tropical Storm Helene along the Swannanoa River on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, near Charles D Owen Park in Swannanoa.

BRIC cuts coincided with DOGE; No update, congressman says

The end of the BRIC program coincided with mass federal cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, but were directed by FEMA. In a now removed April 5 press release issued by FEMA, the federal agency called the program "wasteful and ineffective" and "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters." FEMA did not respond to a request for comment regarding the release or status of the BRIC program before deadline.

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The appropriations removed from the program were passed by Congress in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but the BRIC program was established by congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act.

Businesses along the Swannanoa River were completely destroyed in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. Sunday, November 17, 2024

In May, North Carolina Republicans Rep. Chuck Edwards and Sen. Thom Tillis signed a bipartisan letter to restore the funds. The letter stated the program's cut "will only make it harder and more expensive for communities to recover from the next storm."

Federal cuts have impacted numerous local nonprofits. Cuts impacted AmeriCorps disaster relief workers and others lost funding for grants that would've expanded access to broadband and veteran education programs.

Buncombe's BRIC funded program had only gotten its feet off the ground in 2024, despite approvals nearly three years earlier, Roderick said, noting that contracting between the state and federal government for the projects took an extended period of time.

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Shortly after the program began, Tropical Storm Helene hit, and local governments were looking for guidance. Research from the program had garnered interest from Henderson County and will likely help inform Buncombe County's Swannanoa small area plan, Roderick said. According to the joint lawsuit and the bipartisan letter, every $1 invested in disaster mitigation programs can save $6 during disaster recovery efforts.

"Don't cancel programs that ultimately should be saving a massive amount of money, in addition to people's lives," Roderick said.

"This work is important. I want it to continue," she said.

More: Senate approves cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid

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More: Rep. Edwards got thousands of calls about the One Big Beautiful Bill. Did he listen?

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com or message will_hofmann.01 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC Attorney General sues to return flood resilience funding to WNC
U.S. foreign assistance cuts and sanctions against the International Criminal Court are obstructing efforts to track and recover thousands of Ukrainian children taken by Russian forces during the ongoing war, a senior European official warned on July 17, according to Politico.

Speaking to Politico on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum, Thordis Gylfadottir, an envoy of the Council of Europe, said the end of U.S. financial support to monitoring programs has complicated the search for more than 19,500 Ukrainian children who have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

According to Ukraine's official Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 19,546 children are confirmed abducted. Only 1,399 children have been brought back to Ukraine as of July 2025.

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Gylfadottir said the Trump administration's March freeze on foreign assistance led to defunding of key child-tracking initiatives operated by Yale University and others.

The Yale University-based Humanitarian Research Lab has reportedly transferred its data to the U.S. State Department and Ukraine's government in June, preparing for closure.

"Right now, we are running on fumes," Nathaniel Raymond, the lab's executive director, told CNN on June 12. "As of July 1, we lay off all of our staff across Ukraine and other teams, and our work tracking the kids officially ends."

Since its launch in May 2022, the observatory has compiled evidence of Russian war crimes, including the deportation of Ukrainian children, many of whom were sent to reeducation camps or adopted by Russian families.

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Read also: EU agrees on one of its strongest Russia sanctions packages after Slovakia lifts veto

While the State Department initially announced the resumption of short-term funding, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reversed the decision, endangering the efforts of organizations working to locate and retrieve the children.

"This is already having consequences," Gylfadottir told Politico, confirming that some groups were preparing layoffs, including the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab.

According to Politico, the Yale initiative narrowly avoided cuts thanks to last-minute private donations. However, that funding is only expected to last through October.

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"European countries will have to fund it," she said. "We cannot stop tracking them and then just re-track them in the months ahead."

Human rights advocates argue the mass transfer of children constitutes a war crime, alleging that Russia is attempting to erase their Ukrainian identity through indoctrination and forced assimilation.

The abduction of Ukrainian children has also drawn international condemnation. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Childrens Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of overseeing the forced deportations.

Read also: Growing pains: The lives of Ukrainian teenagers at war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Trump administration completed a large-scale prisoner swap with Venezuela on Friday, sending about 250 Venezuelans who had been deported and imprisoned in El Salvador back to their home country in exchange for 10 US nationals, officials said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media the Americans, the last known to be detained in Venezuela, were now on their way to freedom.

Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world, Rubio said in a statement. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland.

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The American nationals released were: Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, Jorge Marcelo Vargas, Lucas Hunter, Jonathan Pagan Gonzalez, Ronald Oribio Quintana, Erick Oribio Quintana, Fabian Buglione Reyes, Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, Juan Jose Faria Bricen and Danud Hanid Ortiz, according to a US official.

The sister of Hunter, 37, previously told CNN he had vacationed in the region in late 2024 to kite surf. The nonprofit Global Reach said he was kidnapped by Venezuelan border guards from inside Colombia in January.

My family and I are so happy to hear that my brother, Lucas, was released by Venezuela today. Lucas was vacationing in Colombia when he was kidnapped by Venezuelan border guards and taken over the border into Venezuela in January of this year, his sister, Sophie Hunter, said in a statement provided by the nonprofit. We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal.

According to Global Reach, Castaneda was arrested in his Caracas hotel room on August 28, 2024, while visiting a friend.

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We have prayed for this day for almost a year, Castanedas older brother, Christian, said in a statement released by Global Reach. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime.

Venezuelas government also confirmed 252 of its citizens were being repatriated. They arrived Friday night at Simon Bolivar International Airport on two flights that departed from El Salvador, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.

In March, the Trump administration used a sweeping wartime authority to swiftly deport more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador, where they were detained in a notorious mega-prison, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. The deportations caught immigration attorneys and family members by surprise and prompted fierce public backlash.

While the federal government hasnt provided a public accounting of the people on the March flights, attorneys and relatives have confirmed some of those who were transferred to El Salvador. The United States had classified the deportees as gang members in court, though immigration attorneys, advocates and family members have pushed back on that, claiming in many cases that the detainees had no criminal record. It was not immediately clear if these Venezuelans would be held as prisoners when they return to their home country.

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In a call with reporters Friday, a senior administration official told reporters the operation was down to the wire.

Were dealing with a regime in which, you know, theres always a degree of uncertainty on their side, a degree of uncertainty from our side, and things that you would normally expect to move in a in a normal way tend to not move in a normal way, the official said, adding the Venezuelan side had to kind of take one last stand in terms of delaying things, because its just  a power flex mechanism for them.

But at the end of the day, everything worked out, everything is fine, and everyone is safely on the way back to be reunited with their loved ones, the official added.

Family members of several deportees told CNN they had been told to gather for an emergency meeting in Venezuela ahead of the release.

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The wife of Venezuelan deportee Jerce Reyes says she is overjoyed for his return.

We were told about this just this morning; our lawyer informed us on a WhatsApp group with other families of the CECOT detainees, Mariyin Araujo told CNN on Friday. My two daughters are super happy; they are really anxious and cannot wait to see their father.

Araujo said she expects to be reunited with her husband, a 35-year-old former professional soccer player, by Sunday in Machiques, a rural town in western Venezuela where the family used to live before trying to migrate to the US. She said preparations are underway for a big party with loved ones to celebrate Reyes.

The partner of another former Venezuelan detainee, Miguel Angel Rojas, told CNN she is thrilled that shell finally hear from him for the first time in four months.

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Blanca Martinez lives in Mexico and hopes shell be able to reunite with Miguel in that country soon. She expects to talk to him via video call after he lands in Venezuela.

To think that we will be able to hear him  it excites me, she said. Im happy, happy for him, his son, his mom, his dad, his whole family.

Venezuelan officials on Friday afternoon announced the arrival of a separate flight from Texas delivering its citizens, including several children who had been separated from their families and kept in US care. On this flight, there can be good news for Venezuelans, interior minister Diosdado Cabello said, adding, more movement and additional arrivals are expected today.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said his government had released all the Venezuelan nationals that had been detained in his country. He posted a video on X showing people in handcuffs boarding a flight and said the transfer was carried out in exchange for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, as well as American citizens.

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A senior US administration official said dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners were released.

The United States continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela and calls for the release of all the remaining political prisoners, the official said.

US hostage envoy Adam Boehler was in El Salvador on Friday where he planned to meet the group of Americans and Bukele, a senior administration official said. After that meeting the Americans  who the official said were all in good health  were expected to travel back to the US.

Rubio had been in direct touch with Bukele earlier this year, particularly following Bukeles meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in April.

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Following that visit, Bukele proposed in a post on X a swap that would include sending the 252 Venezuelans in the Salvadoran prison back to Venezuela in exchange for the release of the same number of political prisoners held in Venezuela. He wrote on X Friday: Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA).

Rubio remained intimately involved to get this swap to happen, speaking personally with Bukele directly and through trusted intermediaries, multiple administration officials said. When Bukele posted about the idea of a prisoner swap, it was not a new concept to Rubio  who had discussed the possibility with Bukele, one of the officials said. Bukele helped facilitate the very delicate sequencing to make sure the trade took place on Friday, another official added.

Trump praised Rubio on Friday night after the swap had occurred.

Hes a natural. Theres never going to be anybody better than  the job youre doing right now, Trump said, noting that they had been competitors on the campaign trail in 2016.

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The State Departments Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) was also involved in the logistics for the Friday swap, a US official said, without providing more detail.

The families of Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela met virtually with senior national security official Seb Gorka earlier this year, participants and a White House official told CNN.

Following that meeting, an American Air Force veteran was released from imprisonment in Venezuela in May, CNN reported. Joseph St. Clair was released to US special envoy Richard Grenell, the family statement said. St. Clair had been detained since November and was one of nine Americans declared wrongfully detained in Venezuela.

CNNs DJ Judd, Carroll Alvarado and Stefano Pozzebon contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional details.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A key office charged by Congress with coordinating the federal governments work against human trafficking was gutted last Friday, the latest in a string of cuts across different agencies to the governments work on an issue that Republicans have long hailed as a top priority.

The cuts at the State Departments Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) decimated a team that worked to combat labor and sex trafficking abroad and helped coordinate domestic efforts across other agencies, including the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Labor.

The so-called reduction-in-force at the State Department came amid a maelstrom surrounding the Trump administration over its handling of federal investigations into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Officials have said he died by suicide, but his death sparked new conspiracy theories that were fueled by President Donald Trump, who at one point maintained a friendship with Epstein. When this month the Justice Department said there was no Epstein client list, after previously promising to release it, many who had supported Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were angered, in part because they believed the client list would reveal new truths about Epstein.

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Republicans have for years made human trafficking a key issue, pushing for legislation to boost law enforcement and support for victims and telling voters that combating trafficking was a major priority.

For Secretary of State Marco Rubio, anti-trafficking work has been a centerpiece of his policy agenda. Rubio cosponsored bipartisan legislation to help domestic trafficking survivors during his time in the Senate and as recently as May discussed his concerns about a rise in human trafficking in an unstable Haiti. He criticized former President Joe Bidens immigration policy by saying it empowered child trafficking into the United States.

Bondi, too, has long been an advocate of local and federal efforts to combat human trafficking, making it a key focus of her tenure as Floridas attorney general. She went on to lobby on behalf of a Christian anti-human-trafficking advocacy group and the Qatari government on anti-human-trafficking efforts.

People working on human trafficking issues in the federal government and for advocacy groups on the front lines of that work in the United States and abroad have been surprised at the pullback. The administrations attention to the issue during Trumps first term and the ascent of high-profile advocates to the Cabinet gave them the impression that their work would be shielded from the kinds of cuts they were seeing elsewhere.

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Instead, funding and staffing for human trafficking work has taken sizable hits.

We really thought that the broad, bipartisan nature of the issue of trafficking was going to provide some protection for our office. All Americans are against trafficking  Republicans, Democrats, everybody, said Cindy Dyer, the former ambassador-at-large under Biden to monitor and combat trafficking in persons at the State Department. The office she oversaw had close to 90 full-time staffers. It lost about a dozen to the Trump administrations voluntary resignation program earlier in the year, and, last Friday, about half were dismissed. The remaining were demoted, Dyer said.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The offices work spanned a broad range of human trafficking issues, including sex trafficking, which disproportionately affects women, girls and LGBTQ+ people, and forced domestic labor, which also disproportionately affects women and girls. Dyer is now the chief program officer at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, which promotes democracy and human rights across the world.

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We really thought that broad bipartisan support we have had for 25 years  ever since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act passed in 2000  would provide us some protection, and it did not. And I think people are really both surprised and disappointed, said Dyer, who also worked in the Justice Department in the George W. Bush administration.

The most recent reauthorization of the law was approved in 2017, during the first Trump administration. The law charged the TIP office with producing an annual report that was due to Congress on June 30; this years report has been delayed without explanation. Last weeks cuts severely impacted the team working on that report, which is widely considered a critical global assessment of human trafficking prevention work.

Before those staffing cuts, the office had also paused the disbursement of grants for nongovernmental organizations working on human trafficking. The 19th could not confirm the current status of those grants.

Varina Winder, who worked as the chief of staff in the Office of Global Womens Issues at the State Department during the Biden administration, said she was dismayed by the pullback on work to uphold global human rights, including stopping trafficking at TIP.

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If you cant empower the office that is literally ending human slavery, what does that say about your larger ambitions about the value proposition of humans in this administration? she said.

Martina Vandenberg of the Human Trafficking Legal Center said federal work to combat human trafficking falls into four buckets: the State Departments global work, prosecution at the Justice Department, federal funding for outside groups and immigration policy. Every area has taken a hit since the start of the administration, Vandenberg said.

We have grave concerns, said Vandenberg, whose anti-trafficking advocacy group connects trafficking survivors with pro bono representation.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center published an analysis of federal data this week showing that visas for victims of human trafficking who cooperate with law enforcement to arrest and prosecute traffickers are being issued at record-low levels, despite a growing backlog. (The 19th reported on this backlog in May.)

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At the Labor Department, the Trump administration in March put an end to close to 70 programs and more than $500 million in grant funding that the agency was using to combat child labor and human trafficking in countries that have trade agreements with the United States. The funding helped ensure foreign governments were fighting human trafficking while also protecting U.S. jobs, The Washington Post reported at the time. The office that managed the funding was also tasked with producing a congressionally mandated report that, in part, outlined goods produced with child labor.

To have this administration cut funding so significantly has just been a huge blow to the progress that has been made over the last several decades, said a federal government employee familiar with this work who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation.

Within the anti-trafficking movement and in the government, we were hoping that we would be protected in some way since during Trumps first administration, there was more funding for anti-trafficking then than there had been in previous administrations even. And Ivanka Trump took a really strong interest in the issue, the employee said. In his first term, the presidents oldest daughter made the issue central to her portfolio and hosted a summit at the White House.

Weve just seen a huge shift in this administration, and honestly, its sent shock waves through the community, the employee said.

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On Thursday night, Trump said he would authorize Bondi to request from a federal court the grand jury testimony from Epsteins trial. It was a reversal from her previous position on what she would release, though it is still unclear what transcripts the courts could approve to be made public.

Reps. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, and Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, have been trying to force a floor vote on releasing the complete Epstein files. Several far-right Republicans have signed on to the discharge petition effort so far, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Eli Crane, Lauren Boebert and Max Miller.

Discharge petitions are a procedural maneuver that circumvents House leadership and the powerful Rules Committee to force a floor vote. Theyve rarely been successful because they require a majority of House members signatures to kick off. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, managed to kill the last one raised in April, which would have let new parents vote by proxy while away from the Capitol.

But Khanna said hes confident that the petition will move forward: We have the votes.

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Moms being allowed to vote in the House is important, he said of the failed discharge petition effort, then added: But the release of the Epstein files to the MAGA base matters 100 times more to them. I think its a totally different situation in terms of the intensity of scrutiny.  The base cares so deeply about this.

Next week, a group of high-profile Republicans are expected to gather at the Capitol for the annual International Summit Against Human Trafficking put on by the Conservative Political Action Conference, the group behind the annual gathering of right-wing activists and politicians.

This pivotal event upholds CPACs steadfast dedication to eradicating modern-day slavery by uniting survivors, legislators, advocates, and law enforcement from both domestic and international communities to drive bold solutions, the announcement for the event reads. The group said earlier this month that Trumps investments in immigration enforcement in the one big beautiful bill will hit traffickers where it hurts by taking away the shadows they exploit.

Just days later, Freedom Network USA, one of the leading anti-trafficking groups in the country, is planning to hold a webinar on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to break down how the Trump administrations heinous attacks have impacted human trafficking survivors.

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The post Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority appeared first on The 19th.

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The Brief

This week the Trump administration said they are revoking $4B in federal funding set aside for California's high-speed rail project.

Despite this development experts say the project has not been derailed and prominent state officials say they will continue to build the rail.

One state Senator says he thinks the state will be getting the money back because it was already appropriated and contracted by Congress.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - President Trump announced his administration is pulling $4 billion in funding from Californias long-delayed high-speed rail project. While the move is painful -- experts say it is not likely to derail the project.

Federal funding revoked

What we know

Californias high-speed rail project is envisioned to span about 500 miles from San Francisco to Anaheim. Later links could extend the project to Sacramento and San Diego. First approved in 2008, it is now behind schedule and over budget.

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"It is definitely a hurdle for the project," said Professor Eric Eidlin with San Jose State Universitys Mineta Transportation Institute. Professor Eidlin does not believe the cut in the federal one-time funding is a "death blow" for the project. "I think the project does eventually get completed. "It could take longer  it is going to require more commitments from the state," Prof. Eidlin said.

In a statement on his social media platform "Truth Social"  President Trump said:

"I am thrilled to announce that I have officially freed you from funding Californias disastrously overpriced 'high speed train to nowhere. The railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will. This project was severely overpriced, overregulated and never delivered," President Trump said.

Former Speaker Pelosi responds

What they're saying

"This is a fight we will continue to fight. For them to say we are not going to do high speed rail is them saying we are rejecting the future," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). Governor Newsom also pushed back on the decision, saying the high-speed rail project is actively building across 170-miles and has completed 60-miles of guideway so far.

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In a newsletter on Thursday, State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said the initial Central Valley portion is on track to begin service in 2031. He said California would be pushing ahead with their plans despite the uncertainty from the federal level.

The project has long been criticized for starting in the Central Valley rather than building initial links in the more populated Bay Area and Los Angeles sectors which could serve urban commuters today.

"I think our attorney general will eventually be getting the money back. Because it is going to be pretty hard for them to defend taking back money appropriated and entered into a contract by Congress," said State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose).

"Federal funding is both a blessing and a curse. It is always nice to get money from a higher level of government. But along with that comes with other requirements, political considerations  why should California get funding for this when other states dont?," said Professor Eidlin.
US President Donald Trump sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion Friday over publication of a bombshell article on his friendship with the infamous alleged sex trafficker of underage girls, Jeffrey Epstein.

The defamation lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, saw the 79-year-old Republican hitting back at a scandal threatening to cause serious political damage.

"We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump posted on Truth Social late Friday.

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The Journal reported Thursday that in 2003, the then-real estate magnate wrote a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein, illustrated with a naked woman and alluding to a shared "secret."

The lawsuit, which also names two reporters, the Dow Jones corporation, and Murdoch's parent company News Corp. as defendants, claims that no such letter exists and that the paper intended to malign Trump with a story that has now been viewed by hundreds of millions of people.

"And given the timing of the Defendants' article, which shows their malicious intent behind it, the overwhelming financial and reputational harm suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply," it said.

Dow Jones, the Journal's longtime publisher, responded to Trump's libel suit Friday saying it is standing by the story.

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"We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," a Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement.

- Alleged cover-up -

In another bid to dampen outrage among his own supporters about an alleged government cover-up of Epstein's activities and 2019 death, Trump ordered US Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the prosecution against the disgraced financier.

In a filing in New York, Bondi cited "extensive public interest" for the unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony.

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Epstein, a longtime friend of Trump and multiple high-profile men, was found hanging dead in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida.

The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Trump's far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein's death -- declared a suicide -- before he could face trial supercharged the narrative.

When Trump returned to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein's supposed list of clients. But Bondi issued an official memo this month declaring there was no such list.

The discontent in Trump's "Make America Great Again" base poses a rare challenge to the Republican's control of the political narrative in the United States.

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It remained unclear whether a court would authorize the unsealing of the grand jury testimony.

But even if such material were made public, there is no assurance it would shed much, if any, light on the main questions raised in the conspiracy theories -- particularly the existence and possible contents of an Epstein client list.

Asked Friday by reporters if he would pursue the broader release of information related to the case, Trump did not answer.

- Naked woman and signature -

Trump was close with Epstein for years, and the two were photographed and videoed together at parties, although there has never been evidence of wrongdoing.

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The Wall Street Journal article published late Thursday was damaging because it indicated a shared interest in sex.

The Journal reported that Trump had wished Epstein a happy 50th birthday in 2003 with a "bawdy" letter, part of an album of messages from rich and well-known figures.

According to the Journal, the Trump letter contained the outline of a naked woman, apparently drawn with a marker, and had the future president's signature "Donald" mimicking pubic hair. It ends, according to the newspaper, with "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump reacted in a series of furious social media posts, saying "it's not my language. It's not my words."

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"I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he said.

US media has published multiple drawings done by Trump in the past, with several dating to the early 2000s when he used his celebrity status to donate sketches for charity.

sms/ksb/mlm/aks
NEW YORK (PIX11)  The 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline no longer has a prompt to direct LGBTQ people to specialized counselors.

The Trump Administration removed the Press 3 option from the hotline, which was founded in 2005.

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In 2020, Trump signed legislation designating 988 as the new lifeline number, starting in 2022.

The legislation also created the specialized prompt while noting that queer and trans youth are more than four times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and more than 1 in 3 transgender youth reporting attempting suicide.

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More than half of the specialized counselors answering calls worked for The Trevor Project.

Jackson Budinger, the organizations head of Communications, told PIX 11 News, We previously had over 200 counselors that were supporting 988. Since its inception in 2022, 1.5 million LGBTQ young people contacted the press 3 option.

Budinger added 988 was this incredible, bi-partisan milestone and federal program that recognized that mental health challenges are just a pervasive and urgent as physical health challenges. that counterpart to 9-1-1.

New York Congressman Mike Lawler, who is a Republican, also appealed to the Department of Health and Human Services to keep the LGBTQ prompt. Lawler said to me, this is about saving lives. It is about preventing suicide. And its something all of us as Americans should be unified on.

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Rachel Cauley, with the federal Office of Management and Budget, has said that overall funding for the 988 hotline remains the same, but added it does not, however, grant taxpayer money to a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by counselors without consent or knowledge of their parents.

David Kilmnick, the President and CEO of the New York LGBT Network, told PIX 11 News, for LGBTQ kids, who are disproportionally at risk for suicide, isolation and other self-harming behaviors, its more than a phone call. Its a lifeline, it keeps these kids alive, and this is heartbreaking.

The Trevor Project has a 24-hour hotline for crisis and suicide prevention for LGBTQ Youth 1-866-488-7386 (1-866-4-U-TREVOR)

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Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) react during a campaign event at Dorton Arena, in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. November 4, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Drake)

In the directive released by the State Dept., it was made clear that the United States "will pursue partnerships with countries wherever our strategic interests align."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed US diplomats worldwide not to comment on the fairness or integrity of elections conducted by foreign countries, according to an internal note seen by Reuters on Thursday, in a significant departure from Washington's traditional approach of promoting free and fair elections overseas.

The order, sent to all US diplomatic posts in a July 17 internal State Department cable, says the Department will no longer issue election-related statements or social media posts from Washington unless there is a "clear and compelling" foreign policy interest.

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"When it is appropriate to comment on a foreign election, our message should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate and, when appropriate, noting shared foreign policy interests," said the cable, which was marked as "sensitive" but not classified.

"Messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy, or the democratic values of the country in question," it said.

It added that election-related messages should come from either the Secretary himself or the Department spokesperson and it barred US diplomats from issuing such statements without explicit approval from the agency's senior leadership.

MARCO RUBIO, tapped to be the next US secretary of state, is seen as a strong supporter of Israel. He has backed a two-state resolution to the conflict while supporting Israels right to portions of the West Bank. (credit: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES)

The cable referenced President Donald Trump's May 13 speech in Riyadh when he criticized what he called "Western interventionists" telling Middle Eastern countries how to govern their own affairs, saying that was no longer Washington's business and it was looking to forge partnerships.

The US will pursue partnerships with countries wherever interests align

"While the United States will hold firm to its own democratic values and celebrate those values when other countries choose a similar path, the President made clear that the United States will pursue partnerships with countries wherever our strategic interests align," the directive said.

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The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the cable, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The United States has traditionally viewed the promotion of human rights and democracy as well as press freedom as a core foreign policy objective, although critics have repeatedly pointed out the double standard Washington has had towards its allies.

Under Trump, the administration has increasingly moved away from the promotion of democracy and human rights, largely seeing it as interference in another country's affairs. For example, it has moved to reshape the State Department's human rights bureau, which it said had become a platform for "left-wing activists to wage vendettas against 'anti-woke' leaders."

Trump officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they see as suppression of right-wing leaders, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views such as criticism of immigration in the name of countering disinformation.
The Trump administration has unfrozen more than $1 billion for critical after-school and summer education programming, a senior administration official told ABC News.

A pause on the funding happened on July 1 -- so for the last 18 days, school districts and programs have been concerned that programs and staff could be eliminated if funding wasn't restored.

"The programmatic review is over for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)," the senior administration official said. "Funds will be released to the states. Guardrails have been put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders," the official said in a statement to ABC News.

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MORE: GOP senators urge Trump administration to reverse $6 billion education funding freeze

The official did not provide further details on the "guardrails" for the program. 21st Century Community Learning Centers -- the chief federal funding stream for after-school and summer-learning programs -- supports more than 10,000 local programs serving more than 1 million children nationwide. Congress appropriated $1.329 billion for the programs this fiscal year.

Despite being relieved by this decision, Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said the 18-day delay and uncertainty for the funding unfreeze caused real harm to impacted students and programs.

"While we are thrilled the funds will be made available and thank the bipartisan lawmakers and the state attorneys general who fought for their release, the administration's inexplicable delay in disbursing them caused massive chaos and harm, with summer learning programs abruptly shutting down and a large number of afterschool programs cancelling plans to open in the fall," Grant wrote in a statement. "Those programs have now fallen behind on hiring, outreach, contracting, and other work needed to fulfill their essential mission to keep students safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind that their kids will be safe and supervised when schools are out."

Wera Rodsawang/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images - PHOTO: Stock photo of children in a school hallway.

The Office of Management and Budget did not indicate whether it would be unfreezing the rest of the roughly $6 billion in federal funds for programs such as English language acquisition, educator development and adult education, among others. A spokesman for OMB told ABC News that many of the programs "grossly misused" government funds to promote a "radical leftwing agenda." The funds are still under a programmatic review.

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The news comes just days after 10 Republican senators urged OMB Director Russ Vought to reverse the decision to withhold this funding for education programs already appropriated by Congress.

Led by Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the senators' letter said the decision to pause this funding was "contrary to President Trump's goal of returning K-12 education to the states."

In a new statement, the West Virginia Republican said lifting the pause will help students in her state and across the country thrive.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images - PHOTO: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito leaves the senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol, June 3, 2025, n Washington.

"21st Century Community Learning Centers offer important services that many West Virginians rely on," Moore Capito wrote in a statement. "This program supports states in providing quality after-school and summer learning programs for students while enabling their parents to work and contribute to local economies. We should be supporting education opportunities like these."

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Taking a victory lap, Moore Capito said the senators' rare rebuke of Trump's education policies prompted the actions by OMB, calling it "big news!"

"@RussVought45 just informed me that the @usedgov is releasing crucial funds to states that support after school and summer education programs," Capito wrote in a post on X.

"This is in direct response to a letter I led my @SenateGOP colleagues on earlier this week!"

Meanwhile, 24 Democratic states and D.C. sued Trump this week over the administration's education funding freeze, contending it was against the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 -- says Congress must consider and review executive branch withholdings of budget authority.

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MORE: States sue over 'plainly against the law' Trump $6B education funding pause

Several state education leaders who spoke to ABC News say that they're scrambling to prevent immediate harm to students as the school year approaches. OMB has not given a timeline on when the programmatic review for the other education programs will be completed.

Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said she fears for the future of education in her state and the entire country.

"These are dollars that were appropriated by Congress, and this hurts kids," Infante-Green told ABC News, adding "There's going to be a direct impact in every single school in our nation. And I think people forget that."

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Reacting to the news, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield told ABC News that restoring the after-school and summer learning funding will be a "point of celebration" in Idaho. The state receives about $6 million from the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, according to Critchfield. Still, she said there's anxiety among educators across Idaho as the remaining funding is paused.

"I think for our school leaders right now, the focus on a timeline is really what we have been talking about," Critchfield told ABC News.

"Are we talking about a delay? Are we talking about an elimination? When will that information be available?"


WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Big changes are coming for millions of Medicaid recipients, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm, especially for those living in rural America.

The Trump administration is moving quickly to launch a $50 billion rural health care fund aimed at propping up struggling hospitals before sweeping Medicaid cuts go into effect in 2027.

Were at warp speed, said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the newly appointed CMS administrator.

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Oz, tapped by former President Donald Trump to oversee Medicaid, says the fund is part of a broader effort to modernize rural health care.

Innovation is the reigning theme, said Oz. We want to get more people trained into practice, especially in areas that are underserved. We want to make sure that we have opportunities to get other providers more engaged in the health care system.

The initiative, outlined in what Trump called his Big Beautiful Bill, comes as a CBO report warns as many as 11 million people nationwide could lose Medicaid coverage over the next several years due to eligibility redeterminations and planned budget reductions.

That includes millions in rural communities, where hospital closures have already escalated in recent years.

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According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 44% of rural hospitals are currently operating at a loss. While the proposed $50 billion fund is seen as a lifeline, the group warns it will cover only about one-third of the expected shortfall caused by Medicaid funding cuts.

Sen Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) just introduced legislation to expand the rural hospital fund over the next eight years.

Lets make sure there are never any cuts to rural hospitals, said Hawley.

Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to paper over the damage.

For any Republican thats been saying, Oh, these werent actually cuts to Medicaid, it shows a lie to that, said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).

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Oz says states will be able to begin applying for the new rural health care funds starting in September, but did not clarify which hospitals or regions will be prioritized.

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(NewsNation)  Former acting director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Hugh Hurwitz says reviving and reopening Alcatraz, the infamous California prison off the coast of San Francisco, would be a massive undertaking. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed strong interest in reopening the prison.

Hurwitz raised several concerns on NewsNation Now with Alex Caprariello about feasibility, including outdated infrastructure, the islands remote location and size and the potentially high cost of construction  factors that would delay the project.

When asked directly how long it would take, Hurwitz said it would take years to complete.

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Which states could get their own Alligator Alcatraz migrant camps?

Renovating the facility is not even an option; theyre gonna have to completely tear it down and rebuild a new building from scratch, Hurwitz said.

The island spans a mere 22 acres, tiny compared to recent federal prison projects.

The Bureau of Prisons right now is in plans to build another prison in Kentucky thats 500 acres, Hurwitz added.

Trump announced his plans for the island back in May.

Florida lawmaker calls Alligator Alcatraz an internment camp Updated: Jul 15, 2025 / 07:43 AM CDT

The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. Trump posted on social media.

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Hurwitz acknowledged the president is right about the prisons mystique but pointed out the U.S. already has a maximum-security facility for the most dangerous inmates: ADX Florence in Colorado, where prisoners are locked down 23 hours a day.

They already have that symbol of law and order, if thats what the president is looking for, Hurwitz said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited the island Thursday. Burgum made an announcement on social media following the visit.

Lawmakers visit Alligator Alcatraz after being blocked

Spent the day on Alcatraz Island, a (National Park Service) site, to start the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals. This administration is restoring safety, justice, and order to our streets, Burgum said

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Alcatraz has been closed since 1963.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
Controversy has recently beset the White House, DOJ, and FBI, since the FBI/DOJ released a memo saying it had no evidence suggesting that Epstein didnt kill himself or was blackmailing prominent individuals. Recent statements from Trump and the White House have doubled down on the claims in the memo, saying the referenced documents related to the case are a Democrat hoax, indicating that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that more disclosure will occur. The latest polls indicate that this ongoing story has hurt Trumps approval.

In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, Trump registered only 41% approval and 54% disapproval, while the latest Rasmussen Reports had approval tied at 49%-49%. The RCP Average for Trumps approval places him in the middle of those two polls, with 45.6% approval and 51.1% disapproval. This is down from the -1.8 net approval Trump had last month on June 7.

Part of the discontent with the president, the Reuters poll found, was his handling of the Epstein files. When asked about Trumps handling of the files, only 17% of adults approved of how hes handled the situation, while 54% disapproved. Even among Republicans, only 35% approved, while 30% disapproved.

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Sixty percent also said they thought the government is hiding information on Epsteins death, while only 12% thought they werent. In the memo released by the FBI that found no evidence that Epstein killed himself, the bureau also released a video purporting to show that nobody entered or left Epsteins cell block during the period of time when he died, indicating that he killed himself. However, WIRED discovered that the video wasnt raw as the FBI claimed but instead was an edited video of two different clips, with approximately three minutes missing.

Another concern was the list of Epstein clients, which 69% of respondents said they thought the government is hiding, including 62% of Republicans.

The backlash has caused some rifts in the MAGA camp. Over the weekend, after the initial memos were released, conservative commentators Charlie Kirk, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson commented on the Epstein situation at the conservative Turning Point Action conference. Tucker Carlson said that he thinks that Israels intelligence agency, the Mossad, was behind Epstein: I think the real answer is Jeffrey Epstein was working on behalf of intel services, probably not American  Now, no ones allowed to say that the foreign government is Israel because we have been somehow cowed into thinking thats naughty.

In response, Trump called Charlie Kirk and asked him to stop talking about the Epstein issue. Kirk said on his show Monday that he was done talking about Epstein for the time being. Im going to trust my friends in the administration, Im going to trust my friends in the government to solve it, balls in their hands.

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Since then, Trump has criticized Republicans asking for more disclosure on multiple occasions. Comparing the Epstein files to the discredited Steele Dossier and other scams and hoaxes, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.

At a press briefing on Thursday, RCPs Phil Wegmann asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Does Trump believe justice was served in the Epstein case? Leavitt responded, Look, the president believes that he directed the Department of Justice to do an exhaustive and thorough review, and they did that, and they all agreed  the FBI director, the deputy FBI director, the attorney general  on the memo that they drafted and they released, indicating that more movement on the case is unlikely. Leavitt also said that Trump would not recommend a special prosecutor to investigate the Epstein case.
(KCAU)  After a winter storm in March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced aid for Iowans throughout Siouxland.

On March 19, 2025, a winter storm brought intense snow, rain, hail, and wind through the area, and Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation. President Donald Trump then approved the declaration. The proclamation covered five counties (Crawford County, Harrison County, Monona County, Shelby County, and Woodbury County).

HUD serves every American and works alongside communities to help rebuild homes, neighborhoods, and businesses after severe storms, said HUD Secretary Scott Turner. To support Iowans during this time of need, HUD is providing financial flexibility and disaster recovery resources to affected communities.

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HUD is now offering resources for those impacted by the winter weather event.

I want to thank President Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner for their responsiveness to the needs of Iowans impacted by severe weather in March, said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Federal assistance makes a difference in a homeowners ability to fully recover after a disaster, and the financial flexibility and other resources now available through HUD will provide additional relief for eligible residents in Crawford, Harrison, Monona and Woodbury counties.

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Heres a list of some of the things HUD can help with:

Provide financial flexibility

Getting access to mortgage insurance

Communicating with housing provides, HUD programs

Help community planners, public housing agencies, and Tribal housing groups

Assist with any housing discrimination

To read more about the assistance, click here.

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President Donald Trump says hes asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Jeffrey Epstein files and relevant grand jury testimony: subject to court approval.

The presidents directive follows weeks of uproar surrounding the handling of the so-called Epstein files and after Trump announced his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a bombshell report detailing a bawdy birthday card Trump allegedly gave to Jeffrey Epstein.

A schism in MAGA world broke open after the Justice Department said there was no evidence to support the existence of a client list of associates some claim Epstein blackmailed over their alleged involvement in his trafficking scheme.

President Donald Trump says hes asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Jeffrey Epstein files and relevant grand jury testimony: subject to court approval. (REUTERS)

President Donald Trump says hes asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Jeffrey Epstein files and relevant grand jury testimony: subject to court approval. (REUTERS)

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Now, several prominent Republicans, including Trumps former Vice President Mike Pence, have joined conservative influencers in calling for increased transparency around the case.

On Thursday, the president seems to be caving in to the demands.

Trump revealed he asked the attorney general to release more information into the highly scrutinized case in a Truth Social post Thursday evening.

He wrote: Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

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Two minutes later, Bondi tweeted: President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.

Trump posted his update within the hour of announcing his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Rupert Murdoch shortly over the papers story detailing a bawdy birthday card that Trump allegedly gave to Epstein for his 50th birthday.

The president said he warned he would seek legal if the story was published.

Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so, he wrote. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway.
The White House attempted to block the publication of a Wall Street Journal article about President Donald Trumps alleged 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that contained suggestive language. Trump threatened legal action against the paper if it went to print with the story, which published on the papers website Thursday afternoon.

According to the Wall Street Journal story, the letter was part of a birthday album with contributions from several people, including attorney Alan Dershowitz and former Victorias Secret CEO Les Wexner. The letter is bawdy  like others in the album, the Journal wrote. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the womans breasts, and the future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. The letter concludes: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.' (Epstein was a close friend and business associate of Wexner and a fixture at the lingerie lines fashion shows.)

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On Wednesday, a day before publication of the Journals story, Variety reached out to the White House and the newspaper for comment about an imminent story as well as Trumps threat to sue. Both declined comment. After the articles publication on Thursday, the White House referred Variety to Trumps post on Truth Social that read in part: Mr. [Rupert] Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly. The Journal declined further comment, saying, Our reporting stands on its own.

The story hit at a time when Trumps MAGA base is divided over the White Houses handling of documents related to an investigation into Epstein, the late financier who was arrested for sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and died under mysterious circumstances while in custody weeks later. His death was ruled a suicide but has long been the subject of conspiracy theories given his ties to powerful government officials, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

The purported letter at the center of the Wall Street Journal story predated Epsteins arrest in 2019. It also would have been written five years before Epstein pleaded guilty for soliciting prostitution from girls as young as 14 in 2008. It is known that the two men were friends, though they reportedly had a falling after Epstein hit on the teenage daughter of a Mar-a-Lago club member in 2008, months before the financier pleaded guilty to the solicitation charge. Trump revoked his membership in the posh club immediately. (According to the Journals story, the newspaper spoke on Tuesday night with Trump, who denied writing the letter. This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he told the paper.)

The MAGA backlash stems from Attorney General Pam Bondis decision not to release the Epstein investigation files in full. Bondis move opened the floodgates on a news cycle that has put Trump on the wrong side of some of his most ardent followers. Many famous backers of Trump including Tucker Carlson, Roseanne Barr and Steve Bannon appear to have turned on the president in recent days over the White Houses handling of the Epstein files. Others like Megyn Kelly and Theo Von have been more muted in their criticism but still skeptical and have spent hours on the subject on their various podcasts and platforms.

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For the past several days, Trump has downplayed the significance of Bondis decision and dismissed calls from politicians to influencers for more transparency into the Epstein investigation, calling the case pretty boring stuff. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump blamed Democrats for pushing a scam and hoax with regards to his relationship with Epstein.

Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker, he wrote. In an previous post, he wrote: Were on one Team, MAGA, and I dont like whats happening, the president wrote. Lets not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.

Later in the day on Wednesday, the Justice Department fired Maurene Comey, the top prosecutor in the 2019 Epstein case, adding fuel to a story that doesnt appear to be dying down.

Even after his first stint in jail, Epstein enjoyed long-cultivated relationships within the government  both U.S. and Israeli  as well as New York media circles, academia and even Hollywood, which allowed him entry into events where the richest and most powerful people converge. The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo last week that they found no evidence that Epstein kept an incriminating client list.' The memo added: There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.

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But Epstein certainly kept a little black book that became part of the public record following his first arrest. Among the Hollywood notables whose contact information appeared in the book were Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey. (Spacey, for one, has called on the White House to release the full Epstein files, saying he has nothing to hide.) In 2015, Gawker published the flight logs from Epsteins private jet, which showed that Clinton had flown on the private aircraft dubbed the Lolita Express.

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WASHINGTON (WPRI)  Sweeping changes are coming to food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the recent enacted budget law that President Trump calls his big, beautiful bill.

One of the most significant reforms is the expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients. Under the new law, more adults will be required to join the workforce in order to remain eligible for food assistance. It also imposes stricter limitations on exemptions from these requirements.

Those changes have drawn criticism from Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo, a Democrat who voted against the law.

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When you hear work requirement, I hear red tape, Amo said. I hear, I want fewer people to receive a benefit.'

RELATED: Over 50K Rhode Islanders to lose health insurance by 2034, per new estimates

Amo said the majority of those receiving SNAP benefits are already employed, and he described the changes as an attack on working people.

According to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), an average of 79% of SNAP households in Rhode Island included someone who was working during the years 2019 to 2023.

Republican lawmakers have defended the law. Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith argues the reforms are designed to motivate more people to participate in the workforce.

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The fact of the matter is this helps us bring folks off the sidelines of the economy, Smith said. It strengthens the safety net.

Trumps law expands work requirements to the following groups of people:

55- to 64-year-olds

Parents of children older than 14

Veterans

Homeless people

These changes are raising red flags among researchers and social service advocates. Lauren Schuyler, a family welfare researcher at the University of Marylands School of Social Work, suggested the new provisions could hurt the people the program is meant to support.

This will result in benefit loss for older adults and caregivers, despite evidence that work requirements do not increase employment but do reduce access to food assistance, Schuyler said in a statement.

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The Rhode Island Community Food Banks 2024 Hunger Report found that 38% of households in the state were struggling to afford enough food as of last year, with many of these families depending on SNAP to help meet their basic needs.

States to share more of the cost

For the first time in SNAPs history, states will be required to contribute toward the cost of food benefits  not just administrative expenses. According to data from fiscal year 2024 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rhode Island could eventually be responsible for approximately 15% of SNAP benefit costs.

States will need to engage more, I think that should be expected, Smith said. Because these dollars, federal dollars are being used.

Amo warned the change could pose a significant challenge for state budgets.

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This is one of the most dastardly parts of this legislation, Amo said. It puts a burden on the states where there was no on-ramp, no preparation, no way for the states to really be thoughtful, as quickly as they can and take on a very significant burden.

The various changes to SNAP wont take full effect for a few years. Amo said he is exploring ways to mitigate the burden in upcoming federal budget negotiations.

Kyra Ceryanek is a masters student in the Syracuse University broadcast journalism program.

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President Donald Trump is calling for an immediate end to the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who he said is the victim of "unjust" politically motivated attacks.

The Brazilian leader is facing an investigation and an upcoming trial accusing him of leading an attempted coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, was at the White House for meetings.

He later said in a video posted to social media that "decisions are being made" with respect to possible sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that the U.S. has been considering.

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"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!" Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening.

Prosecutors Tied To Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Cases Fired By Justice Department: Reports

"I share your commitment to listening to the voice of the people and I am very concerned about the attacks on free speech  both in Brazil and in the United States  coming out of the current government. I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy."

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President Donald Trump arrives before a dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at Mar-a-Lago March 7, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla.

Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country's president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.

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In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.

A panel of justices on Brazils Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro's successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.

White House Pushes Back Forcefully On Epstein File Criticism: 'Asinine Suggestion'

Under Brazilian law , a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a ministerial meeting on plans to support Rio Grande do Sul state, which was affected by floods, at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, May 13, 2024.

In his letter to Bolsonaro, Trump said it was his "sincere hope" that the government in Brazil "changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime."

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"I will be watching closely," Trump added.

For his part, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters, "I have no concerns about the accusations, zero."

Trump's Treasury Department Targets Dangerous Venezuelan Prison Gang With Sanctions On 6 Top Leaders

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a luncheon with senators from his support base at the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, Feb. 18, 2025.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro. The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allops the U.S. to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption.

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After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation.

"If theres no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them," Lula said, according to The Associated Press. "Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it."





Original article source: Trump calls for immediate end to unjust trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
A NEW POLL, ON A MATTER THAT ADAMANTLY should not be decided by untutored public opinion, finds that 79 percent of Americans believe all of the documents relating to the Epstein case should be disclosed. A shocking result? Not quite. Ask Americans, whove been hearing wall-to-wall accusations about secret sex abuse cabals, celebrity client lists, and government cover-ups, whether they want to know the full story andwaddaya knowthey say yes.

Theyre wrong, and Ill come back to that. But first, there is someone who is less enthusiastic about disclosing all available records, and that person is President Donald Trump. Asked last April whether he would release whatever information the government has about a number of A-list conspiracy theories, Trump was unequivocal . . . until it came to Epstein.

Q: Would you declassify the 9/11 files? A: Yes. Q: Would you declassify the JFK files? A: Yeah. I did a lot of it. Q: Would you declassify the Epstein files? A: Yeah, yeah, I would. Q: All right. A: I guess I would. I think that less so because you dont want to affect peoples lives if its phony stuff in there, because its a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would, or at least Q: You think that would restore trust, help restore trust? A: I dont know about Epstein so much as I do the others, certainly about the way he died. . . . But Id go a long way toward that one.

I guess I would. Hmm. Notable hesitation. But on the matter of rashly releasing the results of investigations, the man is right.

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Theres a reason we have a tradition in this country (formerly a nation of laws) that strongly discourages the government from releasing the results of investigations that do not result in a criminal charge: such investigations unearth unsubstantiated gossip, bad-faith accusations, details about the victims, and other potentially damaging information. If there is no criminal procedure, the besmirched citizen will be denied an opportunity to rebut the charges. So Trump is correct that a responsible government should tread carefully before releasing the results of criminal investigations or other inquiries, taking care to redact names or other identifying information about innocent people.

Now lets come back to the world we actually inhabit. Thats not Trumps motivation. Trump has done more than anyone to demolish the laws, traditions, and basic decency that should govern in these matters. He has himself spewed the kind of incendiary accusations (of treason, of vote stealing, even of murder) that undermine faith in the system. Even on the topic of Epstein, Trump was happy to pile on with MAGA forces in stoking suspicion. In 2019, he retweeted a post suggesting that Bill Clinton might have been involved with Epstein. Asked to elaborate, he resorted to the just asking questions dodge: So you have to ask: Did Bill Clinton go to the island? Thats the question. If you find that out, youre going to know a lot.

Trump and the forces he unleashed have destroyed the norms and rules that protect innocent people from unjust accusations and flagrant incitement. He cannot hide behind those destroyed norms now. Theyre gone.

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MAGA influencers have stoked the Epstein conspiracy theories and countless other lies and calumnies with Trumps blessing for years. In 2023, Kash Patel confidently explained why the Biden administration hadnt released the Epstein files: Simple, because of whos on that list. You dont think that Bill Gates is lobbying Congress night and day to prevent the disclosure of that list? He even threw some shade at congressional Republicans: What the hell are the House Republicans doing? They have the majority. You cant get the list? . . . Put on your big boy pants, and let us know who the pedophiles are. Talk show host Don Bongino, now deputy director of the FBI, repeatedly demanded to know what the hell they were hiding.

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Epsteins legally established pattern of abusing underage girls was just the springboard to suggest a far more comprehensive corruption deforming elites in America. MAGA foot soldiers like Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, and Benny Johnson piled on, encouraging their audiences to believe that he was a deep state operative who ran a pedophile ring catering to every liberal or Democrat MAGA despised.

Trump has never shown anything like concern for the innocentjust the opposite. If the innocent are in his way, he will mow them down without a backward glance. If youre a law-abiding, legal immigrant unjustly detained or even deported to a foreign prison by ICE, dont expect this president to pause for a moment. If youre a legal permanent resident wrongfully detained by immigration authorities for exercising your First Amendment right to speak, dont turn to this president for relief. If youve been defamed or targeted or even had a violent mob sent after you, calling for you to be hanged, dont expect concern for your innocence to cross Trumps mind.

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No, the only person whose privacy and reputation Trump has any concern about is Trump. And thats why his uncharacteristic reticence about releasing the Epstein files is suspicious. He was happy to encourage the most reckless speculation about a pedophile conspiracy while he was running for office, but now that the worm has turned, hes suddenly concerned about innocent people being hurt. Its impossible to imagine that his reticence arises from anything other than self-interest. He seems to be running scared.

Its poetic justice.

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Trump Denounces His Supporters on Truth Social, Calling Them Weaklings originally appeared on L.A. Mag.

Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted pedophile who solicited minors for prostitution. Now, his case is forming a rift between Trump and his supporters.(Photo by Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

In a July 16 Truth Social post, Trump called MAGA supporters who are concerned that he has not released the Epstein files weaklings. He blames Democrats for coaxing his supporters to believe the hoax of the importance of the Epstein files. He announces that he does not want MAGA supporters who are interested in the release of the files to support him anymore.



Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this bull---- hook, line, and sinker, Trump stated on Truth Social. They havent learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, dont even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I dont want their support anymore!



President Trump continues to double down on the reversal of a sentiment that he ran on: the importance of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. In his campaign and the beginning of his second term, he emphasized his interest in releasing the files, and his cabinet did as well. In February, US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the files were sitting on her desk to review at that moment, as a directive from President Trump.



In his second campaign, Trump garnered support from conspiracy theorists and concerned citizens who felt that the public needed more transparency on the topic of the Epstein case, which many supporters saw as a larger conversation about government power.

Qanon is an alt-right conspiracy group that often speaks about the Epstein case as one of its central issues on social media alongside anti-semitic conspiracies and thoughts about the US as under control by the deep state. Trump has amassed a large following within the group due to their interpretation of Trumps refusal to disavow Qanon, and his campaign on exposing one of their biggest interests: the Epstein files.



Now, Trump tells a different story, questioning why his supporters are interested in the topic instead of his successes as a president in his second term.



I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Countrys history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, Trump stated in the Truth Social post.

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In an Oval Office bilateral meeting with the Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa that also occurred on July 16, Trump reiterated that he believes the Epstein scandal is a hoax.



ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked the President why he says that the Epstein file issue is a hoax, and asked if his Attorney General says that it is a hoax as well, and his answer echoed his post.



Trump stated, The attorney general, no. I know its a hoax.



As the story told by the President and his cabinet clashes on the case of a high-profile pedophile, Trump denounces anyone in MAGA who does not run with his new story.

This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common age-related condition called chronic venous insufficiency. Its primary symptom is swelling in the legs.

That occurs when valves in the leg veins dont work well. Theyre supposed to make sure blood flows toward the heart, but instead, gravity takes over and some of it flows backward and causes swelling in the leg.

Its not dangerous, but can be very painful, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, which says that left untreated, one can experience:

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Pain

Swelling

Cramps

Skin changes

Varicose veins

Leg ulcers

The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt provided the presidents diagnosis Thursday, noting it explained the swelling in his legs. Later, the White House said that bruising on his hands that had caused speculation was simply related to the fact that he very often shakes hands.

Trumps doctor explains diagnosis

In a memo addressed to Leavitt, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, the presidents doctor, said Trump is in excellent health. But he explained that because of mild swelling in the lower legs, he underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies.

The memo said the condition is benign and common,particularly in individuals over the age of 70. Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.

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Trump is 79 years old.

He also underwent thorough blood testing and everything was normal. The doctor said Trump has no signs of heart failure, systemic illness or kidney impairment.

Per the doctors note, the bruising on the hand was minor soft tissue irritation from shaking hands a lot and also from using aspirin. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, he wrote.

Cleveland Clinic reports that disease impacting veins is very common. For example, varicose veins affect about 1 in 3 adults. Each year, about 1 in 50 adults with varicose veins go on to develop chronic venous insufficiency." While chronic venous insufficiency usually impacts those over 50, risk goes up with age.

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The article said that chronic venous insufficiency affects about 1 in 20 adults.

How is chronic venous insufficiency treated?

Per the clinic, lifestyle changes are the frontline treatment, including weight management, leg elevation and exercise. If more is required, medication options include antibiotics and anticoagulants. Compression helps.

Treating varicose veins is helpful and can involve nonsurgical and surgical options, as well. The doctors memo did not address how the condition will be treated in Trumps case or if it will require treatment.
President Donald Trump late Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to work on releasing grand jury transcripts in the case of Jeffrey Epstein.

It's unclear exactly when any testimony may go public. The Justice Department is expected to file Friday asking a judge to unseal transcripts.

The order came after a barrage of criticism against the Trump administration following the release of a joint DOJ-FBI memo that concluded there was no evidence that the disgraced financier had blackmailed powerful people, kept a client list or was killed while in jail.

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The memo has created deep fissures among Trump supporters who have complained of a lack of transparency from the administration. A source told Fox News Digital that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino had been considering resigning over the matter, though he has not stated anything publicly.

The president, meanwhile, has pushed back at the criticism, calling the charges a "hoax" and contending that his supporters are being "duped" by Democrats. Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday morning, "If there was a smoking gun on Epstein, why didnt the Dems, who controlled the files for four years, and had [then-Attorney General Merrick Garland] and [then-FBI Director James Comey] in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!"

Bondi Should Release 'Credible' Epstein Files, Trump Says

Read On The Fox News App

FILE: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Doj Brass Vowed Full Transparency On Epstein Before Turning Up Empty-handed

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Before joining the Trump administration, Bondi was among the staunchest advocates for releasing the Epstein list, telling Fox News Sean Hannity in 2024: "It should have come out a long time ago."

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the FBI handed over a "truckload" of Jeffrey Epstein files to the DOJ.

The Justice Department released a new batch of Epstein files in February, but the documents revealed no new revelations in the case. Many of the documents had already been released during the federal criminal trial of Epstein's associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maga World Erupts Over Trump's Defense Of Bondi Amid Epstein Files Fallout

Trump has defended Bondi over the latest fallout, telling reporters earlier this week: "Shes handled it very well, and its going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible she should release."

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On Thursday, Trump said he had directed Bondi to release all "pertinent" transcripts on the case.

"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Testimony, subject to Court approval," Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday. "This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!"

Bondi said her team was "ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."

Epstein, a 66-year-old millionaire financier with a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

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Fox News Digitals Rachel Wolf and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.





Original article source: Trump directs AG Bondi to work on unsealing grand jury transcripts in Epstein case: 'We are ready'
A prisoner exchange is set to return to Venezuela hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers whom President Donald Trump sent to one of the most notorious prisons in El Salvador.



The exchange swapped Venezuelans being held in el Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT, for Americans who were seized by Venezuelan authorities. The former CECOT detainees are expected to land in Venezuela later Friday.



The Venezuelans in CECOT were sent there by the Trump administration for indefinite imprisonment on the United States behalf  without charge, trial or sentencing. Rather, they were punished for having attempted to come to the United States. Many followed legal pathways. About half were accused of being alien enemies under the Alien Enemies Act, meaning the Trump administration claimed, largely without evidence, they were not only gang members but akin to members of an invading army.



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The Venezuelan government said in a statement on Friday that 252 Venezuelans had been released from CECOT. The Associated Press reported that 10 Americans were freed from Venezuela in exchange. The U.S. government has never disclosed the total number of Venezuelans it has sent to CECOT.



Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed the prisoner swap on Friday afternoon in a social media post, stating he had handed over all of the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua in exchange for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners and all of the American citizens it was holding as hostages.



The supposed threat posed by Tren de Aragua, a gang originating in Venezuela that now has a presence in several countries, formed the basis of the Trump administrations CECOT expulsions. Often with no evidence at all aside from common tattoos, like crowns and clocks, the administration accused the Venezuelans it sent to CECOT of being gang members. They were never afforded the opportunity to respond to that accusation before being indefinitely banished to the infamous Salvadoran prison.

El Salvador's infamous CECOT prison, where a number of Venezuelans in the U.S. were sent by the Trump administration earlier this year, is known for allegations of torture. Alex Pena via Getty Images

Michelle Brane, a former U.S. government immigration official who is now executive director of the group Together and Free, which has worked with many families of CECOT detainees, said the group had heard from several of those families who were on their way to Caracas after hearing from Venezuelan government officials.



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Mothers that got calls are on their way to Caracas, Brane said in a brief phone call midday Friday. [The Venezuelan government] called some families. They said that they werent calling everybody, so they were sort of creating a phone tree.



At least one family confirmed that the government confirmed to her that her son was on the plane, Brane said, noting that a case manager at Together and Free had spoken to the family in question.



The mother of one of the Venezuelan CECOT detainees sent HuffPost footage of a bus full of detainee family members en route to Caracas.



Bloomberg and Reuters first reported on the potential exchange Friday, both citing unnamed sources.



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Many of the CECOT detainees were Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. because of fear of violence or persecution back home. Some had pending asylum cases in U.S. immigration court when the Trump administration disappeared them to the Salvadoran prison. ProPublica reported Friday, based on a case-by-case analysis of over 230 of the Venezuelan men sent to El Salvador, that most of the men were not hiding from [U.S.] authorities but were instead moving through the nations immigration system and that more than 60 of them had pending asylum claims, including several who were only days away from a hearing where a judge could have ruled on whether they would be allowed to stay.



The departments of State and Homeland Security did not immediately respond to HuffPosts inquiry about how they determined who would be included in the swap and whether they had sought safety protections for those who had previously fled Venezuela.



CECOT is known for allegations of torture and inhumane treatment, and has been used to jail tens of thousands of Salvadorans. Bukele, who has described himself as the worlds coolest dictator, has governed under a state of exception, in which constitutional due process guarantees have been suspended and human rights advocates and journalists have been targeted by the Salvadoran government.



Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man from El Salvador who was sent to CECOT based on an administrative error, described in a recent court filing being beaten, kicked and subjected to psychological abuse while in the megaprison. Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S. last month, months after the Supreme Court ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his return  though the Trump administration brought him back to purportedly face criminal charges for allegedly transporting unauthorized migrants within the U.S. He has pleaded not guilty.



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Previous prisoner swap negotiations fell through, in part because of competing efforts by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trumps envoy to Venezuela, Richard Grenell, The New York Times reported last week. While Rubio was working on a deal to free Americans held in Venezuela in exchange for about 250 Venezuelan migrants the U.S. had sent to El Salvador, Grenell was pursuing a separate deal in which Venezuela would release American prisoners in exchange for allowing Chevron to continue operating in Venezuela. Rubio confirmed the return of 10 Americans in a Friday statement, thanking Bukele for his work on the deal.



The White House repeatedly claimed it did not have authority over the people it sent to CECOT, despite paying the Salvadoran government millions of dollars to detain non-U.S. citizens. Salvadoran officials told the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that the jurisdiction and legal responsibility for these [Venezuelan detainees in CECOT] lie exclusively with the competent foreign authorities, by virtue of international agreements signed and in accordance with the principles of sovereignty and international cooperation in criminal matters.



The prisoner swap suggests the Trump administration did indeed have control over those imprisoned in CECOT  and opted to use them as political bargaining chips.



Its unclear exactly how many Venezuelans the Trump administration sent to Salvadoran prisons. Neither the U.S. nor Salvadoran governments have released a full list of detainees, and the governments refusal to acknowledge the detainees, combined with the detainees imprisonment in an unconfirmed location, led human rights experts to call the detentions enforced disappearances.



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When the first detainees were transferred in March, CBS News published an internal government list of 238 names of Venezuelan detainees who had been flown to El Salvador. Subsequent transfers brought the estimated number up to 252 Venezuelans in Salvadoran detention, with 36 additional Salvadoran immigrants to the United States who were believed to have been transferred to CECOT.

But 404 Media, reporting on hacked material from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement aviation contractor, reported Thursday: The flight manifests for three legally contested deportation flights from Texas to El Salvador contain dozens of additional, unaccounted for passengers than a previously published Department of Homeland Security (DHS) list of people deported from the United States on those flights. The outlet published the additional names it had reviewed.

The fight over CECOT detainees legal rights has played out in both U.S. and international courts. In May, four human rights groups filed an emergency complaint against the detentions with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, saying they violated regional and international human rights laws and agreements. The groups sought precautionary measures, which are urgent steps IACHR can request of states to protect human rights. In recent days, El Salvador was due to respond to the commissions request for further information, though the response would not have been public.

On Friday, in response to reports of the detainee exchange, the groups behind the IACHR complaint emphasized the need for accountability from the United States and Salvadoran governments, and raised concerns that Venezuelans would be sent back to the country many of them had fled.

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Even if detention at CECOT ends for some Venezuelan migrants today, they are returning to and at grave risk of harm in a regime that systematically violates human rights, Julio Henriquez, an attorney with Boston University International Human Rights Clinic, wrote in a statement.

Related...
A voter shows identification to an election judge. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states  representing data on millions of Americans  and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administrations attention on state election activities.

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At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The departments focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states  and even local authorities  administer elections.

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trumps sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

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Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Most letters also ask about each states process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

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The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying its unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

They dont make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that theres some other purpose, said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data thats publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but thats not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.

The DOJ didnt respond to questions for this story.

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Federal laws restrict the federal governments ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current federal imposition on election administrators.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect, Becker said.

Sweeping Colorado requests

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJs Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to all records related to the 2024 election.

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Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswolds office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect.

 David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

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The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado  its really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained, said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trumps attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year  a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold  Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a political prisoner. Griswold noted the timing.

I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the 26 and 28 elections, Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of States Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the states master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

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Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who works for the White House.

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the presidents elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso Countys election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasnt under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

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Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didnt return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them, an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, its also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerks office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the countys Dominion machines.

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I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, No, were going to follow the law, Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government has been muddied up it seems, Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trumps elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task forces efforts in an advisory role.

I said absolutely I will advise, Guynes said. I said Im frankly glad that theyre finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.

Letters to other states

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2  after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants provided a drivers license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws, Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trumps elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trumps elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.
A voter casts an early ballot at a polling station in Milwaukee in 2023. Wisconsin is among at least nine states that have received requests from the U.S. Department of Justice for voter information, raising concerns among election officials about how the Trump administration will use the data. (Photo by Morry Gash/The Associated Press)

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states  representing data on millions of Americans  and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administrations attention on state election activities.

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At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The departments focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states  and even local authorities  administer elections.

Colorado-Letter-SoS-Griswold

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Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trumps sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.

Letters to multiple states ask about voter registration information, noncitizen voting

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Most letters also ask about each states process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying its unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

They dont make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that theres some other purpose, said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data thats publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but thats not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The DOJ didnt respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal governments ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current federal imposition on election administrators.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect, Becker said.

U.S. Department of Justice requests all records for voter data in Colorado

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJs Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to all records related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswolds office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect.

 David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado  its really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained, said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trumps attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year  a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold  Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a political prisoner. Griswold noted the timing.

The bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the 26 and 28 elections, Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of States Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the states master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who works for the White House.

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the presidents elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso Countys election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasnt under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

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Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didnt return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them, an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, its also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerks office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the countys Dominion machines.

Advertisement Advertisement

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The really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, No, were going to follow the law, Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government has been muddied up it seems, Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trumps elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task forces efforts in an advisory role.

I said absolutely I will advise, Guynes said. I said Im frankly glad that theyre finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.

How states are responding to Department of Justices voter information requests

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2  after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants provided a drivers license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

HAVA-letter-redacted

We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws, Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trumps elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trumps elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.

Stateline, like the 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. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
MATTOON  Mattoon businesses have learned to roll with the punches in recent years.

The latest round of water restrictions has challenged restaurants and other businesses reliant on water.

But its important to make lemonade out of lemons, said Austin Keating, owner Alamo Steakhouse and Saloon, located at 700 Broadway East. Were in the business of serving people and making their day better. We cant call out on the bad days.

Were just trying to stay with the flow, said Brianna Arena, the daughter of Villa Pizzas owner.

City of Mattoon water customers are on their second round restrictions that prevent the use of tap water for drinking and cooking. The first round lasted from July 10-13, and was issued again on Tuesday because of the presence of an algal bloom neurological toxin in the water supply.

Water samples collected Wednesday by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency showed the presence of an algal bloom neurological toxin at 0.215 parts per billion, a decrease from 0.38 parts per billion in previous testing. The advisory threshold for a do not drink order is 0.3 parts per billion, the city of Mattoon said in a news release issued at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

While continued testing was showing some improvement, the city remained under the restrictions Thursday afternoon.

"The do not drink order will remain in place until the city receives at least two consecutive safe test results, as recommended by IEPA at this point, the city said in the news release.

The restaurants have experienced challenges during the past week. But were surviving, Keating said.

According to the managers and owners, the Coles County Health Department is keeping the businesses updated on current conditions. The customers have been supporting their favorite businesses as well, Arena said. Which we are very thankful for, she said.

Villa Pizza closed during the weekends first round of restrictions. However, the staff decided to haul water to their restaurant, located at 2100 Broadway Ave. Were staying open to make everybody happy and comfortable, Arena said.

The first round of restrictions was a warmup for the current conditions, the restaurants said. Once they lifted that first order, we got everything flushed out and running again, said Andy Pullen, general manager of the Original Burger King, 1508 Charleston Ave. But that didnt last very long.

Diners were limited as well after the first order was announced during the weekend.

Some people are wary, Arena said. With their health, they have to be very careful.

According to Pullen, the numbers are going back up. Were just as busy as weve ever been, he said the day the second restrictions were announced.

Restaurants purchased bottles of soda and water, plastic utensils, plates and cups. But were finding the demand for eating a steak on a paper plate isnt all that high, Keating said.

A few restaurants have chosen to close the dining area, instead providing walk-up and carry-out services. The Airport Steak House and Hubbart's Downtown Diner have issued statements on their Facebook pages.

"In light of the present circumstances, our dining area and beverage service, including coffee, will be temporarily unavailable," the Airport Steak House posted.

The Downtown Diner is offering to-go meals in bulk, "while this water issues is happening," they stated. "We can have these hot and ready for you or you can pick them up cold in foil pans and pop them in the oven."

The restaurants are avoiding tap water for cleaning. Many sanitize cookware with heated portable water. Ive been handwashing the first thing in the morning everyday, every piece of cookware, Keating said.

Steak knives are the only utensil Keating and the Alamo staff provide for their customers eating steak. A plastic knife isnt going to cut it, he said.

Handwashing stations are available for most restaurants staff and customers. Many managers and owners had been traveling to Charleston or other nearby towns to receive water as well as ice, one of the hottest commodities during the restrictions, the restaurants said. The city recently began providing ice along with water to help the restaurants.

Theres a large opportunity cost there, Keating said about taking valuable time to retrieve the silver nuggets. And then theres a high cost there, too.

Other restaurants were going without ice. We chill the beverages as much as we can, Pullen said.

Angela Hampton, founder of The Broadway District small business group, said the effects of the ongoing restrictions on local restaurants and food services has motivated her to organize an effort to provide them with free water, ice, and paper plates and cups.

The crisis started to be almost too much to bear for some of the local restaurants, Hampton said, adding that restaurants had not budgeted for needing so much disposable serving ware such as paper plates and cups.

Hampton said she reach out to KC Summers Auto Groups Keith Summers and Mattoon Community Development and Planning Director Alex Benishek with this idea, and they helped make it a reality.

Local restaurants and food services can arrange to pick up these supplies by contacting The Broadway District via its Facebook page or contacting the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce.

Until the community is able to use the water again, we will be out here, Hampton said.

The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce is providing a similar similar service. A tanker of water has been parked at the Mattoon Area Family YMCA for use by small businesses only, along with access to paper plates and cups. The Chamber said on its Facebook page that it was seeking additional water tankers to serve businesses in other areas of the city.

Animals also need protection. Mattoon PetSmart, 104 Dettro Drive, has closed the pet salon. Sometimes when theyre in the tub, the dogs like to drink it, said general manager Rikki Souza. But everything else is OK,

The fish system runs on a different system, the manager said. We have a different water filtration system, Souza said.

Mattoon and Charleston share several business owners, according to Charleston Chamber of Commerce president Colleen Peterlich. They are doing all the prep work here in Charleston and then delivering it to Mattoon so that they can stay open, she said.

Hotels have had customers who would normally stay in Mattoon for the Bagelfest or class reunions book rooms in Charleston. They didnt want to stay in Mattoon, Peterlich said.

Pullen compared the water restrictions to the pandemic in which businesses had to adjust to the times.

We do what we can do and hope for the best, he said. As long as were able to, were definitely staying open.

Rob Stroud contributed to this report.
A voter casts an early ballot at a polling station in Milwaukee in 2023. Wisconsin is among at least nine states that have received requests from the U.S. Department of Justice for voter information, raising concerns among election officials about how the Trump administration will use the data. (Photo by Morry Gash/The Associated Press)

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states  representing data on millions of Americans  and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administrations attention on state election activities.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of State did not confirm whether it had received such a letter.

The departments focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states  and even local authorities  administer elections.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trumps sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Most letters also ask about each states process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying its unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

They dont make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that theres some other purpose, said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Largely off-limits

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data thats publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but thats not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The DOJ didnt respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal governments ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current federal imposition on election administrators.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect, Becker said.

Sweeping Colorado requests

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJs Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to all records related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswolds office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect.

 David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado  its really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained, said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trumps attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year  a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold  Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a political prisoner. Griswold noted the timing.

I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the 26 and 28 elections, Griswold told Stateline.

Trump unhappy

The Colorado Secretary of States Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the states master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who works for the White House.

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the presidents elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso Countys election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasnt under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didnt return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them, an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, its also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerks office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the countys Dominion machines.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, No, were going to follow the law, Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government has been muddied up it seems, Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trumps elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task forces efforts in an advisory role.

I said absolutely I will advise, Guynes said. I said Im frankly glad that theyre finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.

Letters to other states

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2  after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants provided a drivers license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws, Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trumps elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trumps elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

This story first appeared in Stateline, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.
Darryl Walker fills out his ballot while voting on Super Tuesday in Denver on March 5, 2024. Colorado received a sweeping request for voter data from the federal government. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline)

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states  representing data on millions of Americans  and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administrations attention on state election activities.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The departments focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states  and even local authorities  administer elections.

Colorado-Letter-SoS-Griswold

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trumps sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Most letters also ask about each states process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying its unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

They dont make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that theres some other purpose, said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data thats publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but thats not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.

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The DOJ didnt respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal governments ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and drivers licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current federal imposition on election administrators.

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The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect, Becker said.

Sweeping Colorado requests

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJs Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to all records related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswolds office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including drivers license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth  records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect.

 David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

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The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado  its really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained, said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trumps attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year  a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold  Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a political prisoner. Griswold noted the timing.

I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the 26 and 28 elections, Griswold told Stateline.

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The Colorado Secretary of States Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the states master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who works for the White House.

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the presidents elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso Countys election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

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Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasnt under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didnt return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

We dont disclose every single conversation we have with them, an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

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While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, its also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerks office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the countys Dominion machines.

I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, No, were going to follow the law, Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government has been muddied up it seems, Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trumps elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task forces efforts in an advisory role.

I said absolutely I will advise, Guynes said. I said Im frankly glad that theyre finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.

Letters to other states

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2  after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants provided a drivers license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

HAVA-letter-redacted

We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws, Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trumps elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trumps elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections, Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
Stock photo from Getty Images.

The Trump administration wants to take away citizenship from naturalized Americans on a massive scale.

While a recent Justice Department memo prioritizes national security cases, it directs the department to maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence across 10 broad priority categories.

Denaturalization is different from deportation, which removes noncitizens from the country. With civil denaturalization, the government files a lawsuit to strip peoples U.S. citizenship after they have become citizens, turning them back into noncitizens who can then be deported.

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The government can only do this in specific situations. It must prove someone illegally procured citizenship by not meeting the requirements, or that they lied or hid important facts during the citizenship process.

The Trump administrations maximal enforcement approach means pursuing any case where evidence might support taking away citizenship, regardless of priority level or strength of evidence. As our earlier research documented, this has already led to cases like that of Baljinder Singh, whose citizenship was revoked based on a name discrepancy that could easily have resulted from a translators error rather than intentional fraud.

A brief history

For most of American history, taking away citizenship has been rare. But it increased dramatically during the 1940s and 1950s during the Red Scare period characterized by intense suspicion of communism. The United States government targeted people it thought were communists or Nazi supporters. Between 1907 and 1967, over 22,000 Americans lost their citizenship this way.

Everything changed in 1967 when the Supreme Court decided Afroyim v. Rusk. The court said the government usually cannot take away citizenship without the persons consent. It left open only cases involving fraud during the citizenship process.

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After this decision, denaturalization became extremely rare. From 1968 to 2013, fewer than 150 people lost their citizenship, mostly war criminals who had hidden their past.

How the process works

In criminal lawsuits, defendants get free lawyers if they cant afford one. They get jury trials. The government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt  the highest standard of proof.

But in most denaturalization cases, the government files a civil suit, where none of these protections exist.

People facing denaturalization get no free lawyer, meaning poor defendants often face the government alone. Theres no jury trial  just a judge deciding whether someone deserves to remain American. The burden of proof is lower  clear and convincing evidence instead of beyond a reasonable doubt. Most important, theres no time limit, so the government can go back decades to build cases.

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As law professors who study citizenship, we believe this system violates basic constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court has called citizenship a fundamental right. Chief Justice Earl Warren in 1958 described it as the right to have rights.

In our reading of the law, taking away such a fundamental right through civil procedures that lack basic constitutional protection  no right to counsel for those who cant afford it, no jury trial, and a lower burden of proof  seems to violate the due process of law required by the Constitution when the government seeks to deprive someone of their rights.

The bigger problem is what citizenship-stripping policy does to democracy.

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When the government can strip citizenship from naturalized Americans for decades-old conduct through civil procedures with minimal due process protection  pursuing cases based on evidence that might not meet criminal standards  it undermines the security and permanence that citizenship is supposed to provide. This creates a system where naturalized citizens face ongoing vulnerability that can last their entire lives, potentially chilling their full participation in American democracy.

The Justice Department memo establishes 10 priority categories for denaturalization cases. They range from national security threats and war crimes to various forms of fraud, financial crimes and, most importantly, any other cases it deems sufficiently important to pursue. This maximal enforcement approach means pursuing not just clear cases of fraud, but also any case where evidence might support taking away citizenship, no matter how weak or old the evidence is.

This creates fear throughout immigrant communities.

About 20 million naturalized Americans now must worry that any mistake in their decades-old immigration paperwork could cost them their citizenship.

A two-tier system

This policy effectively creates two different types of American citizens. Native-born Americans never have to worry about losing their citizenship, no matter what they do. But naturalized Americans face ongoing vulnerability that can last their entire lives.

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This has already happened. A woman who became a naturalized citizen in 2007 helped her boss with paperwork that was later used in fraud. She cooperated with the FBI investigation, was characterized by prosecutors as only a minimal participant, completed her sentence, and still faced losing her citizenship decades later because she didnt report the crime on her citizenship application  even though she hadnt been charged at the time.

The Justice Departments directive to maximally pursue cases across 10 broad categories  combined with the first Trump administrations efforts to review over 700,000 naturalization files  represents an unprecedented expansion of denaturalization efforts.

The policy will almost certainly face legal challenges on constitutional grounds, but the damage may already be done. When naturalized citizens fear their status could be revoked, it undermines the security and permanence that citizenship is supposed to provide.

The Supreme Court, in Afroyim v. Rusk, was focused on protecting existing citizens from losing their citizenship. The constitutional principle behind that decision  that citizenship is a fundamental right which cant be arbitrarily taken away by whoever happens to be in power  applies equally to how the government handles denaturalization cases today.

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The Trump administrations directive, combined with court procedures that lack basic constitutional protections, risks creating a system that the Afroyim v. Rusk decision sought to prevent  one where, as the Supreme Court said, A group of citizens temporarily in office can deprive another group of citizens of their citizenship.

Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University and Irina D. Manta, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law, Hofstra University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The big question on the tips of many political watchers tongues right now is whether the Trump administrations botched handling of the Epstein files will do what virtually nothing has yet: turn President Donald Trumps devoted base against him.

Through a multitude of controversies over the years  including a violent Trump-inspired uprising at the US Capitol, multiple indictments and a conviction on 34 felony counts  that base has stood resolutely and almost unshakably in his corner.

The more apt question, though, is whether the Epstein saga exacerbates an already looming malaise on the right.

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Because the seeds of this problem had already been planted and fertilized.

While Trumps overall approval rating among Republicans remains high, significant numbers of them disapprove of his handling of a range of issues. Many of his early actions have been unpopular with a significant cross-section of Republicans. And even with the big policies that appear to have widespread GOP backing, that support appears shallow.

Trump has also taken a series of actions in recent weeks that appear to be out of sync with where much of MAGA has stood  including striking Iran, a big-spending agenda bill and funneling more weapons to Ukraine.

People holds signs calling for the release of files regarding Jeffrey Epstein participate in a protest as part of the 'Good Trouble Lives On' national day of action against the Trump administration in Houston, Texas, on Thursday. - Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

The timing of the Epstein brouhaha, in other words, is not great for the president.

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A new CNN poll released this week is one of the first to get directly at how unenthused Trumps supporters appear to be right now.

The poll found a record-low 21% of Americans strongly approved of Trump  the lowest number in either term so far. Whats more, 25% of Republican-leaning voters said Trump hasnt paid enough attention to the countrys most important problems.

But perhaps most striking was the response to its question about the 2026 midterm elections.

The poll found that while 72% of Democratic-leaning voters said they were extremely motivated to vote next year, just 50% of Republican-leaning voters said the same.

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As CNNs Jennifer Agiesta noted, that 22-point gap is much bigger than weve seen in either the 2022 or 2024 elections.

Its also one of the biggest gaps on record, if you include other pollsters.

Polling late in the 2018 election, for example, showed Democrats with a 10-point advantage in those who were extremely motivated. Gallup data from the five midterms before that showed the biggest gaps were 19 points in 2014 and 20 points in 2010  both in the GOPs favor. Republicans dominated both of those elections.

Comparing the new CNN data to these numbers isnt perfectly apt. These polls all came much later in the election cycle. Its relatively rare to ask this question in an off year, when things might fluctuate more. But the data certainly points to very different levels of enthusiasm right now. And it doesnt suggest Republicans are universally loving what theyre seeing early in Trumps presidency.

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The CNN poll also tested Trumps approval on 10 individual issues. On all of them, at least 14% of Republican-leaning voters disapproved of him. On average, 18% disapproved.

Quinnipiac University data this week showed an average of 14% of Republicans only (i.e. not including Republican-leaning independents) disapproved of Trump on issues ranging from immigration to the economy to foreign policy.

Those arent overwhelming portions of Trumps base, but they are significant numbers.

And they dont come out of nowhere. If you look at big-ticket Trump policies, you also see the potential for a building malaise. Much of what Trump is doing isnt terribly popular with his base.

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The CNN poll this week found 81% of Republicans said they supported his recently passed agenda bill, which included substantial cuts to Medicaid. But only 30% supported it strongly  compared to 73% of Democrats who opposed it strongly.

A CNN poll last month showed 82% of Republicans supported Trumps Iran strikes, but just 44% did so strongly  perhaps reflecting the discomfort many expressed before the strikes.

The presidents signature economic policy  his tariffs  have long lingered as a potential problem even with his base. While polling has shown many Republicans are willing to defer to Trump, they dont love the idea or think it will be good for them personally. An April CNN poll showed about as many Republicans said the tariffs would hurt their personal finances (28%) as said they would help (33%).

Even some of his immigration and deportation policies are losing the support of as much as 1 in 5 Republicans or more.

People carrying binders bearing the seal of the US Justice Department reading "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" walk out of the West Wing of the White House on February 27. - Abaca Press/Sipa USA/AP/File

The Epstein mess might be a bigger deal than all of these combined for a certain segment of MAGA voters  the conspiratorial ones who have believed for nearly a decade that Trump would soon rip the lid off a massive sex-trafficking scandal involving powerful people  first with QAnon and then with Epstein.

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It also speaks to a more mainstream audience that just doesnt believe all of the Epstein stuff adds up and has now been given reason to believe the Trump administration isnt going to do anything about it or even might be in on the cover-up.

But if it does push people away from Trump, we shouldnt just look at it in isolation. Hes been risking alienating his base for a while. This could just be the straw that broke the camels back for some.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speak to media at the start of the second day of the 2025 NATO Summit on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit - Andrew HarnikGetty Images

Flattery will get you everywhere.

That line, attributed to the actress Mae West, came to mind Monday, watching NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cheer as President Donald Trumpfor the second time in as many monthsannounced a 180-degree u-turn in his administrations foreign policy.

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Trump said the U.S. would sell billions of dollars worth of offensive and defensive weaponry to Europe for transshipment to Ukraine. And he issued an ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin: make peace with Ukraine in 50 days, or face sanctions against your country and those who do business with you.

Until Monday, Trump had made no such pledges for Ukraine, and few demands of Putincertainly none with a clear or else attached.

A few weeks earlier, at the NATO summit in The Hague, Rutte beamed as Trump pledged his full-throated support for the alliance. It was another about-face; on the eve of the summit Trump had equivocated on U.S. security commitments to NATO, and his disdain for the alliance was longstanding. Now he was a NATO booster.

What changed, exactly? And whats flattery got to do with it?

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Nearly everything, it turns out.

Both Trump turnarounds can be traced to Rutte, the former Dutch Prime Minister who took the reins at NATO last October and has had a stunningly successful couple of months. At the June summit, he won pledges from members to spend 5% of GDP on defense, and ringing endorsements from Trump. And there was Rutte in the Oval Office Monday, a key broker of the new deal for Ukraine.

What happened to alter the course of these U.S. policies? Among other things, Rutte showed the world how Trump flattery is done; Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky took something of a crash course in the same subject; and Putin, resting on his long-held view that Trump would never cross him, skipped the flattery, made over-the-phone promises to Trump and then broke them.

Read More: Why Trumps U-Turn on Ukraine Matters

If it seems frivolous to suggest that a polishing of the commander-in-chiefs ego has turned the tide of global affairs, consider Trumps relationship with NATO.

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On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump called NATO obsolete and threatened to pull the U.S. from the alliance. More recently he said, of member nations that didnt pull their weight, "I would not protect youIn fact, I would encourage [the Russians] to do whatever the hell they want. On the eve of last months summit, he refused to publicly commit the U.S. to NATOs Article 5, which compels every member to come to the defense of another.

As for Ukraine, in February Trump called Zelensky a dictator, berated him in that now-infamous Oval Office meeting, and offered to reopen commercial and diplomatic ties with the Kremlina stinging blow to Ukraine and NATO both. No new American aid pledges for Kyiv were in the works.

Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.

He began by repeatedly crediting Trump with prodding NATO members to boost their defense spending. At the White House in March, Rutte said, NATO nations want to work together with you to make sure that we will have a NATO which is newly invigorated under your leadership. That was fair enoughnot overly fawning, and largely true. Trump wasnt the only leader to push for more NATO military spending, but no president had pressed the point harder.

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On the eve of the June summit, Rutte took things to another level. While leaders across Western Europe were condemning or questioning Trumps air strikes against Iran, NATOs leader cheered them on.

Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, Rutte wrote in a private message that Trump quickly made public. That was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.

In the same message, Rutte linked the Iran strikes to the coming summit.

You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but weve got them all signed onto 5 percent! Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world, applauded Rutte. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win. Safe travels and see you at His Majestys dinner!

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To some the missive reeked of sycophancy.Spains El Pais called Ruttes performance flattery diplomacy, bordering on outright vassalage. But even critics could admire the tactics. Rutte wasnt just flattering the president, he was using Trumps syntax (big success, your win, etc.), the occasional word in CAPS, and the use of exclamation marks too.

At the summit, Rutte called Trump a man of strengthand peace, and when the subject of Middle Eastern diplomacy arose, the NATO leader said of Trump, Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop.

Its hard to overstate the White House shifts that followed. Rutte won an alliance statement, agreed to by the U.S., that Russia was a profound security threat (the Trump Administration previously hadnt even agreed to name Russia as the aggressor in Ukraine), along with a commitment to NATO and to Article 5. 100 percent, Trump said of the latterhaving refused, three days earlier, to commit to it at all.

If there was any doubt that the flattery had done its work, Trump put that to rest. They were so respectful of me, he said. After all those years spent blasting NATO members for ripping off the U.S., Trump said, I left here differentlyIts not a ripoff, and we are here to help them protect their country.

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President Trump said he was grateful for the hospitality at the summit. I want to thank them for the royal treatment, he said of his hosts at The Hague. Couldn't have been nicer. Trump also singled out Rutte: Hes been terrific.

This week it was Ukraines turn to enjoy the fruits of the flattery. The arrangement announced Mondaythe U.S. sells weapons to Europe, Europe delivers them to Ukrainewas brokered by Rutte. Once again, the NATO Secretary General was in the Oval Office for the announcement, and ready to heap praise on the American president.

"This is a clear signal that President Trump is serious, Rutte told Fox News after the announcements. He wants peace. He hates the fact that so many people lose their lives in Ukraine."

Until recently, Trump had evinced few such sympathies. But since that Oval Office debacle, Zelensky had done his Trump homework, too. He wrote to Trump in early March extolling the presidents strong leadership and thanked him effusively for a six-year-old gift of anti-tank weapons. The moment when things changed [was] when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins, Zelensky wrote. (A stretch, perhaps, given that the Javelins were sent three years before Russias full-scale invasion).

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In a long message on X, Zelensky praised President Trumps concept of peace through strength, and in April he applauded Trumps vision after a meeting at the Vaticanour best conversation yet, he said. Every Zelensky message was a blend of praise and gratitude, leavened with reminders about what the Kremlin was up to.

Which brings us to Putin. Theories abound as to why Trump has so regularly stood by the Russian leader. Trump praised him as a savvy statesman, a genius, and in 2018, a man Trump said he trusted more than his own intelligence community.

Whatever the case, Putina longtime Trump flatterer himselfmay have imagined he no longer needed to play that game. He watched the Zelensky-Trump meltdown, took the calls from Trump and his envoys, made pledges and broke them. And at some point over the past few weeks and months, as Rutte and Zelensky were playing their hands , something changed.

Trump stopped calling Zelensky a dictator. After a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said Zelensky couldn't have been nicer, and commended him and the people of Ukraine for fighting a brave battle. As for Putin, Trump blasted his bullsh-t promises, something other leaders and analysts had been familiar with for years.

Read More: Finally, Trump Seems to Get Putin

Then came this weeks weapons deal along with more sympathy for Ukraine and more praise for NATO and its leader.

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Rutte has made no apologies for his approach to Trump. I think when somebody deserves praise, that praise should be given, he told The New York Times. As for those who skewered him for over-the-top flattery, he said, I know about criticism, but I dont care. In the end, I need to do my job. I have to keep the whole of NATO together. And the biggest ally is the United States.

Neither Rutte nor Zelensky can claim the prize of flatterer-in-chief; surely that honor goes to Israels Benjamin Netanyahu, who last week nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and handed his nomination letter to Trump, as the cameras rolled. Its well deserved, and you should get it, Netanyahu said.

But Israel hardly needed a sea change in the Trump view of his country. Neither did the Qataris who gifted Trump a luxury jet, nor British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who handed Trump an invitation from King Charles for a state dinner. In the case of NATO and Ukraine, however, they were in rough waters, as it were, and in their own ways, both were desperate for American support, and a turning of the tide.

Of course things can change quickly in the Trump world view, and the pendulum may swing back. But for now this much seems clear: Ukraine will get more U.S. weapons, and NATO will get more robust American support, because a pair of world leaders were good students of how best to flatter the American president.

As Mae West might have said, sometimes a little flattery can go a long way.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
It looked for a while like the coal mining era was over in the Clearfork Valley of East Tennessee, a pocket of mountainous land on the Kentucky border. A permit for a new mine hasnt been issued since 2020, and the last mine in the region shuttered two years ago. One company after another has filed for bankruptcy, with many of them simply walking away from the ecological damage theyd wrought without remediating the land as the law requires.

But theres going to be a new mine in East Tennessee  one of a few slated across the country, their permits expedited by President Donald Trumps declaration of an energy emergency and his designating coal a critical mineral.

Trump was only hours into his second term when he signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency that directed federal agencies to identify and exercise any lawful emergency authorities available to them to identify and exploit domestic energy resources. The administration also scrapped Biden-era rules that made it easier to bring mining-related complaints to the federal government.

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The emergency designation compresses the typically yearslong environmental review required for a new mine to just weeks. These assessments are to be compiled within 14 days of receiving a permit application, limiting comment periods to 10 days. The process of compiling an environmental impact statement  a time-intensive procedure involving scientists from many disciplines and assessments of wildlife populations, water quality, and other factors  is reduced to less than a month. The government insists this eliminates burdensome red tape.

Were not just issuing permits  were supporting communities, securing supply chains for critical industries, and making sure the U.S. stays competitive in a changing global energy landscape, Adam Suess, the acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Interior Department, said in a statement. A representative of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement told Grist that community safety is top of mind, pointing to the administrations $725 million investment in abandoned mineland reclamation.

The Department of Interior ruled that a new mine slated for Bryson Mountain in Claiborne County, Tennessee, would have no significant impact and approved it. It will provide about two dozen jobs. The strip mine will cover 635 acres of previously mined land that has reverted to forest. Hurricane Creek Mining plans to pry 1.8 million tons of coal from the earth over 10 years.

The Clearfork Valley, which straddles two rural counties and has long struggled economically, bears the scars of more than a century of underground and surface mining. Local residents and scientists regularly test the creeks for signs of bright-orange mine drainage and other toxins.

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The land is part of a tract the Nature Conservancy bought in 2019 for conservation purposes, but because of ownership structures in the coalfields, it owns only the land, not the minerals within it. We have concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the operation, the organization said in a statement. We seek assurance that there will be adequate bonding, consistent and transparent environmental monitoring, and good reclamation practices.

Matt Hepler, an environmental scientist with the environmental advocacy group Appalachian Voices, has been following the mines public review process since the company applied for a permit in 2023. He remains skeptical that things will work out well for Hurricane Creek Mining. Despite Trumps promise that he is bringing back an industry thats been abandoned, coal has seen a steady decline, driven in no small part by the plummeting price of natural gas. The number of people working in the nations coal mines has steadily declined from 89,000 or so in 2012 to about 41,300 today. Production fell 31 percent during Trumps first and has continued that slide.

What is this company doing differently thats going to allow them to profitably succeed while so many other mines have not been able to make that work? he said. All the time Ive been working in Tennessee theres only been a couple of mines permitted to begin with because production has been on the downswing there, Hepler added.

Economists say opening more mines may not reverse the global downward trend. Plentiful, cheap natural gas, along with increasingly affordable wind and solar, are displacing coal as an energy source. The situation is so dire that one Stanford University study argued that gas would continue its climb even with the elimination of coal-related regulations. Metallurgical coal used to make steel  and which Hurricane Creek hopes to excavate  fares no better. It has seen flat or declining demand amid innovation in steel production.

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Expedited permits are leading to new mines in the West as well. The Department of the Interior just approved a land lease for Wyomings first new coal mine in 50 years. Ramaco Resources will extract and process the material to retrieve the rare earth and other critical minerals found alongside it. The Trump administration also is selling coal leases on previously protected federal land. Shiloh Hernandez, a senior attorney at the Northern Rockies office of the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, thinks it is a fools errand.

I dont see them changing the fundamental dynamics of coal, he said. Thats not to say that the Trump administration wont cause lots of harm in the process by both making the public pay more money for energy than they should and by keeping some of these coal plants and coal mines that really are zombies.

Still, Hernandez said he isnt seeing many new permits, just quicker approval of those already in the pipeline. That said, the Trump administrations moves to streamline environmental review will reduce oversight and the time the public has to scrutinize coal projects.

The result is theres just going to be its going to be more difficult for the public to participate, and more harm is going to occur, Hernandez said. Theres going to be less attention to the harm thats caused by these operations.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Trump is fast-tracking new coal mines  even when they dont make economic sense on Jul 18, 2025.
President Trump penned an executive order Thursday to form a new classification of noncareer federal employees who will be hired to help faithfully implement the Presidents policy agenda.

The employees will be listed under the Schedule G classification and will engage in policy-making or policy-advocating work, according to the White House.

The move essentially creates another class of political appointees who, unlike career federal workers, can be hired and fired at will. This will allow the administration to funnel new hires into such roles, giving the Trump administration greater power over the federal workforce.

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Schedule G jobs will be noncareer positions, which will generally be expected to end once the president who appointed them leaves the Oval Office. The classification does not apply to career positions or career workers.

President Trump believes creating non-career Schedule G positions will enhance government efficiency and accountability and improve services provided to taxpayers by increasing the horsepower for agency implementation of Administration policy, the White House said Thursday.

The White House has argued the new classification of federal government employees will boost operations, especially at the Department of Veterans Affairs, by streamlining appointments for key policy roles.

The administration did not list how many workers would be considered under the new classification.

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The new classification sparked a warning from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union.

We are still carefully analyzing this new order, but we remain deeply concerned about executive actions that expand the number of positions throughout the federal government that can be hired and fired based on political loyalty instead of competence and merit, AFGE president Everett Kelley said in a statement.

The Trump administration has taken a number of moves to exert greater control over the nonpartisan government workers who are hired to carry out agencies missions across administrations.

Theres been a special focus on those with policy jobs.

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In April, the administration proposed a rule to reclassify thousands of career federal government employees as at-will workers, empowering federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives, without lengthy procedural hurdles.

Through that class of employees, Schedule Policy/Career (P/C), the Trump administration would be able to convert existing career workers into the new status.

Trump tried to do so during the end of his first term, something former President Biden sought to block with a rule that would require government employees to consent to any shift in their employment status. The Trump rule would also unwind that protection.

Trump has taken various actions to shape the workforce, including by firing all probationary employees hired within the last year or two, as well as by conducting widespread layoffs.

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Updated July 18 at 2:33 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Trump mired in Epstein controversy as Wall Street Journal reports on 2003 letter

The controversy over President Donald Trump s handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation entered a new dimension Thursday as his administration struggles to make good on its promises to release details on the sex trafficking case involving a one-time friend of the now-president.

Trump promised a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trumps name and was included in a 2003 album for Epsteins 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter, calling it false, malicious, and defamatory.

It came after Trump in recent days has berated as weaklings supporters vying for more records from the Epstein probe, after years of courting political support from those who have stoked claims of a coverup in the case to protect wealthy friends of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 awaiting trial on federal charges of trafficking of underage girls.

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Trump has also shielded his attorney general from being questioned about the case after she walked back claims of the existence of a client list of elites who participated in Epsteins crimes, and has even taken to claiming without evidence that files were doctored by Democrats.

In an administration that prides itself on changing the narrative on negative storylines, the Epstein saga has had remarkable staying power, thanks in part to infighting at high levels of government, Trumps blistering criticism of his own base and the head-scratching mystery of why documents his own administration promised to unlock will remain buried  seemingly for good.

Thursdays disclosure  coupled with frustration from Trump-allied lawmakers on Capitol Hill  pushed Trump to abruptly reverse course and direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to try to make some of the documents in the case public.

Bondi said she would seek court permission Friday to release grand jury information, but it would require a judges approval, and she and Trump were silent on the additional evidence collected by federal law enforcement in the sprawling investigation that Bondi last week announced she would not release.

A newly revealed letter to Epstein

The letter revealed by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump. The letter bearing Trumps name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, according to the newspaper. The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely.

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Maxwell was arrested in 2020 and convicted a year later on charges that she helped Epstein lure girls to be sexually abused.

Trump slammed the story in a lengthy social media post Thursday night, saying he spoke to both to the papers owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its top editor, Emma Tucker, and told them the letter was fake. Trump promised to sue the paper over the story, saying: These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures.

Vice President JD Vance said The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed for publishing it.

Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? he wrote on X.

Trump tries to move on

The Trump administration has been struggling for nearly two weeks to contain the fallout of the Justice Departments announcement that no more Epstein evidence in the governments possession would be released to the public despite promises of transparency from Bondi. The Justice Departments reversal on the Epstein files not only angered Trump supporters but touched off a testy exchange at the White House last week between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino that neither official has publicly addressed.

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The Justice Department has yet to provide a full accounting of its reversal months after Bondi handed out binders to conservative influencers at the White House that read the Epstein Files: Phase 1 and the most transparent administration. Bondi earlier this week refused to answer questions from reporters about the Epstein files and her relationship with Bongino.

The White House on Thursday closed the door on calls for a further inquiry into the Epstein investigation, saying the president would not be recommending the appointment of a special counsel.

Even though his administration for months had hyped the expected release of more documents, Trump slammed his own supporters earlier this week for their furor over the Epstein files saga. Trump called it a hoax and tried to place blame on Democrats, accusing former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as former FBI Director James Comey  without evidence  of making up such documents.

Earlier Thursday, the controversy over the Epstein files had snarled the Houses efforts to pass a bill that claws back $9.4 billion in federal spending, as Democrats used procedural moves to force votes on releasing the documents in tandem with the package.

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That frustrated House Republicans, who tried to forge a solution that could include a resolution supporting the release of credible files pertaining to Epstein and his activities.

Trump is no stranger to scrutiny

Trump himself has faced years of scrutiny over his own private life. Last year, for instance, he was convicted of felony charges in New York in connection with hush money payments meant to silence an adult film stars sex claims ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied the relationship.

And Trumps ties to Epstein have been well-documented, though the president has not been accused of misconduct in connection with their social relationship.

Video footage unearthed by NBC News following Epsteins federal indictment in 2019 showed the two chatting at a party at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in 1992. The video, recorded at a time when Trump was newly divorced, shows him surrounded by young women, whom NBC identified as cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills.

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It also depicts the two men standing and gesturing at the women on the dance floor.

I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him, Trump said when the video emerged. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling-out with him a long time ago. I dont think Ive spoken to him for 15 years.

Previously released files included a 2016 deposition in which an accuser recounted spending several hours with Epstein at Trumps Atlantic City casino but didnt say if she actually met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing.

_____

Associated Press reporters Seung Min Kim and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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California's long-delayed high-speed rail project has become the latest victim in the ongoing battle between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, as White House officials again aim to cancel billions in federal funding.

In response, California officials on July 17 sued to block Trump from halting funding.

The state-backed high speed rail project aims to link San Francisco and Los Angeles with a 200 mph train that will eventually run 800 miles around California. But the project's price tag has ballooned over the years from $33 billion to $135 billion, according to federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

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In a July 16 social media post, Trump called the project a "boondoggle" that should have never been started in the first place. The pending federal contribution is $4 billion.

"The railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will," Trump said. "This project was severely overpriced, overregulated, and never delivered."

Duffy added his own social media critique of the price: "We could give every single LA & SF resident almost 200 free flights for that much. Thats why today we're pulling the plug on federal funding for this train to nowhere."

Trump has long been hostile to the project, and in his first presidency he similarly halted its federal funding. California forged ahead regardless, and President Joe Biden restored the money when he took office. Biden had long been a champion of better passenger rail service.

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In the suit, the Newsom administration noted Trump's repeated personal hostility toward the rail line, and listed multiple instances in which White House officials smeared the project by suggesting political leaders and their spouses were getting rich off it.

The lawsuit filed by the governor's office also notes that many foreign governments, including China are spending far more than the United States to develop high-speed rail, and that the project has significant clean-air, economic development and growth benefits.

"...the decision was predetermined and precipitated by President Trumps overt hostility to California and its governor, its challenge to his border wall initiative and other policies, and what he has called the "green disaster" high speed rail project," California officials said in the federal lawsuit filed in Sacramento.

California has been working on the project for decades, and in 2008 voters approved initial funding for the service. New rail projects in the United States typically take decades to develop as managers first plot a route and acquire the necessary rights-of-way to lay track, then design and build other necessary infrastructure, from bridges to stations.

President Donald Trump delivered a special commencement address to University of Alabama graduates on May 1, 2025.

About 119 miles of the rail project are being built now, primarily through the less-populated Central Valley region. Rail boosters hope to see the California line eventually link up with the under-construction Brightline West high-speed train from the Los Angeles suburbs to Las Vegas.

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The project has already spent more than $13 billion in planning, design and initial construction, according to its 2025 update, and is considering public-private partnerships to help close any funding gaps due to additional cost increases or federal budget cuts.

Newsom, a Democrat who has increasingly tangled with Trump over issues from immigration to wildfire, said the federal lawsuit seeks to block the funding stoppage. In response to Duffy's post, Newsom referenced the recent spate of commercial air travel crashes: "Won't be taking advice from the guy who can't keep planes in the sky."

California High-Speed Rail Authority officials argue the project has followed all federal funding rules, including a 2024 review by the Biden-era Federal Railroad Authority.

"There have been no meaningful changes in the past eight months that justify FRAs dramatic about-face," said CEO Ian Choudri in a June 12 letter to federal officials. "Instead, the FRA has looked at essentially the same facts it considered in the fall of 2024 and simply reached a different conclusion."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, Newsom tangle over California's high-speed train
DECATUR  Police worked a crime scene outside the Old Kings Orchard Community Center after a 21-year-old man attending the center was shot and wounded by a gunman late Thursday morning.

Devon Joyner, the executive director, said the shooter appeared to target the victim and other young people and opened fire in the entranceway of the building in the 800 block of North Church Street around 11 a.m.

A news release from Decatur Police Department Chief Brad Allen said multiple shots were fired before the shooter fled the scene on foot, heading west.

"At this time it is believed the victim was the intended target. There is no ongoing threat to the community or nearby businesses," Allen added.

Joyner said he was just relieved the victim was not hurt more seriously. "He has been with us for quite a while; we actually helped him graduate from high school, added Joyner, 54. He was in the process of getting his drivers license this week. Hes a young man who has really done everything to change his life.

The community center is a haven for younger men, boys and girls from the inner city seeking a safe refuge from the culture of gangs and guns that blights so many lives.

Joyner said the facility has been in operation providing mentoring, help and jobs since 2001 and this was the first time gun violence had reached out to claim a victim on the community centers campus.

Joyner, who was away giving a presentation at the time, said he broke speed limits rushing back to find out what had happened.

He said the gunman had been seen circling the community center building prior to opening fire as a group of young people were busy going in and out doing yardwork.

This person brandished a gun and started shooting at some of the kids, said Joyner.

Now weve had kids inside the building who may not have gotten along when they were on the outside of the building, but they have always respected this place as an oasis. And from what I understand at this point our neighbors are shocked because, you know, it (shootings) doesnt happen here. But weve had an ugly revelation this morning.

As he spoke, officers from the Decatur Police Department and the Macon County Sheriffs Office continued to work the scene; yellow evidence tags marked several spent bullet casings near the community centers entrance doors.

At one stage, around 12 p.m., several officers rushed across the street to stop a suspect who appeared in a nearby parking lot on a skateboard. He was questioned for sometime and it was not immediately clear if he was involved in the shooting.

Joyner said he would be rethinking security in the light of the violence so close to home.

Moving forward, my ground staff will maintain a walkie-talkie and so, if they see anything suspicious, they can communicate it immediately and the staff can start to gather individuals together, he added. There will be constant communication so you do not have to get to a cell phone and make a call.

In the meantime, however, he pledged the work of the community center and its outreach programs will continue.

Were not going to let this stop us from our fight towards moving in the right direction, he added. I am going to do everything possible to continue to protect my kids and create a safe space.

Joyner said the shooting, however, had still shocked him and served as a painful reminder that this behavior continues to plague our community.

He added: Im torn on the notions of anger and disappointment, but Im not going to let it overshadow what we plan on doing moving forward. Old Kings Orchard is still going to support our community and just continue trying to reach as many individuals as possible and push them in a positive direction.

His words and resolve were echoed by Chris Ellis, chairman of the board that runs the community center. He said while grateful the victim will survive the shooting, the fact it happened at all means the emotional toll is deep and real, felt throughout our staff, our youth and our community.

And in a defiant message seeking support from the surrounding neighborhoods, Ellis added: But let us be clear: This will not break us.

We ask you to stand with us and refuse to give up. To help us build something stronger than fear, and to turn heartbreak into resolve. Let this be a defining moment. Not remembered for tragedy, but for transformation.
President Trump on Thursday announced a new nominee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to fill the seat of a previous Democratic commissioner who stepped down at the White Houses request.

Trump nominated David LaCerte, whose LinkedIn lists him as an official with the White House Office of Personnel Management, to the commission. The FERC regulates interstate energy transmission, including electricity and pipelines.

LaCerte is also listed as a contributor to Project 2025, a controversial conservative plan for how to run the government under a GOP president such as Trump.

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The FERC is an independent agency made up of five commissioners who serve fixed terms. It can have no more than three commissioners of the same political party.

It had a 3-2 Democratic majority. However, Commissioner Willie Phillips stepped down in April, saying, I heard from the White House, and they expressed their interest that I step aside.

If confirmed, LaCerte would be expected to swing the commission to a Republican majority.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump is nominating former Delta Air Lines pilot Jeffrey Anderson to serve as U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the White House said on Thursday, in a move opposed by a major airline pilots' union.

The nomination comes as some U.S. senators want the Trump administration to advocate at the Montreal-based U.N. civil aviation body for raising the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67.

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The United States has not had a permanent ambassador at ICAO since July 2022 when C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed an Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson River in 2009 after hitting a flock of geese, stepped down.

The Air Line Pilots Association, a union which represents more than 79,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines, criticized Trump's nomination of Anderson, calling him unqualified.

"It appears that Mr. Andersons only real qualification for the post is his support of a position  raising the mandatory pilot retirement age  that would leave the United States as an outlier in the global aviation space and create chaos on pilot labor, and international and domestic flight operations," the union said in a statement.

Last year, Congress rejected a push to raise the mandatory airline pilot retirement age to 67 from 65. International rules prevent airline pilots older than 65 from flying in most countries outside the U.S.

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The White House defended Anderson's nomination in a statement, noting he was a decorated veteran naval aviator with decades of experience as a pilot for Delta and a negotiator for ALPA "who will deliver on President Trumps vision of aviation safety for the American people at ICAO."

ICAO plays a key role in global aviation safety.

While it has no policing powers, ICAO uses consensus to set standards on everything from runways to seat belts. The agency was created after the United States invited more than 50 allies to agree in 1944 to a common air navigation system.

The 193-nation body will hold its triennial assembly from September 23 to October 3 this year.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Freed)
President Donald Trump ramped up his threats of a lawsuit against his on-and-off ally, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, following The Wall Street Journals report about his alleged birthday card to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein  saying he cant wait to compel the right-wing news titan to testify.

His threats to Murdoch  whose massive News Corp media conglomerate owns the Journal as well as Fox News and the The New York Post, among other titles  follow the newspapers publication Thursday of a 50th birthday greeting that the president reportedly sent Epstein in 2003, which was described as including a sexually suggestive drawing and a birthday wish that says may every day be another wonderful secret.

I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his pile of garbage newspaper, Trump wrote on his Truth Social on Friday. That will be an interesting experience!!!

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The president has denied ever writing such a greeting to Epstein or even drawing pictures of women, though the allegations arrive in the middle of his administrations attempts to dismiss the so-called Epstein files as a Democratic hoax after his Department of Justice announced it found no evidence to support conspiracy theories about the sex trafficking case.

The Justice Departments attempt to draw the investigation to a close has renewed scrutiny into the presidents relationship with Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of minors before he was found dead in his jail cell in 2019.

Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to sue Rupert Murdoch over The Wall Street Journals report about birthday card it claims the president wrote to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 (Getty/Reuters)

Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to sue Rupert Murdoch over The Wall Street Journals report about birthday card it claims the president wrote to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 (Getty/Reuters)

The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday night. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.

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Roughly one hour earlier, in a lengthier post, Trump said he personally warned Murdoch against publishing the story, and, if they print it, they will be sued.

Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so, Trump said.

Trump also said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt directly told The Journals editor Emma Tucker that the letter was a FAKE.

Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr Murdoch, shortly, he wrote.

Following The Journals report, the president  under growing pressure from his allies in Congress and in right-wing media  directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, in a social media post.

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The president cited the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein for his directive, which falls far short of demands to make all case files public, not just limited testimony presented in federal court.

Bondi, accused by far-right allies and conspiracy theorists of participating in a cover-up, immediately responded to Trumps order.

President Trump  we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts, she wrote.

It was not immediately clear what evidence she could produce, given that grand jury transcripts are highly protected.

Trump threatened lawsuits against several media outlets throughout his campaign, but Rupert Murdoch now finds himself in the firing line (AFP via Getty)

Trump threatened lawsuits against several media outlets throughout his campaign, but Rupert Murdoch now finds himself in the firing line (AFP via Getty)

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Trump routinely threatens media outlets, publishers and journalists with legal action over antagonistic coverage, and his allies in Congress and in his administration have promoted legislation and policy measures to kneecap public media, press access, and protections for confidential sources.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump sued ABC News and CBS News for monumental sums, and both networks recently agreed to settle, sparking fears among press freedom advocates that publishers are only emboldening the presidents chilling message to the media.

Now Murdoch has found himself in the line of fire. His Fox News empire was accused of promoting bogus conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election to promote Trumps campaign. The network ultimately settled that defamation lawsuit, which was brought by voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems, for a record-breaking $787 million.

The Independent has requested comment from News Corp.

These kinds of threats are not normal in a free society, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Bob Corn-Revere said in a statement to The Independent. And lets be clear: Trump has won no rulings from any court in his previous clashes with other news organizations. Instead, he has been able to use the levers of government to coerce settlements from regulated media companies. This abuse of power doesn't convert frivolous claims into valid actions.
July 18 (UPI) -- The Justice Department has launched a new investigation into George Mason University, over alleged illegal hiring practices, making it the third federal probe the Trump administration has opened into the school this month.

Federal prosecutors informed George Mason of the civil rights investigation in a letter dated Thursday, stating the probe stems from diversity goal policies that make race and sex factors in faculty hiring.

The letter states the Department of Justice is in possession of emails from 2020 in which the school's president, Gregory Washington, states he intends to develop a renewal, promotion and tenure process to benefit faculty of color and professional women.

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It also mentions a November 2020 recorded discussion in which Washington states he will advance an anti-racism agenda while perceiving anti-racism as a verb, meaning "conscious efforts and actions to provide equitable opportunities."

It also points to a June 2022 post on Twitter, now called X, in which Washington celebrated a university employee who "helped incorporate" diversity, equity, and inclusion in their curriculum and hiring process.

"It is unlawful and un-American to deny equal access to employment opportunities on the basis of race and sex," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

"When employers screen out qualified candidates from the hiring process, they not only erode trust in our public institutions -- they violate the law, and the Justice Department will investigate accordingly."

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Diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI, is a conceptual framework that promotes fair treatment and full participation of all people, and it has been a target of conservatives over the last few years who claim it is racist against White individuals.

The Trump administration has sought to remove DEI from the federal government through executive orders and has threatened to revoke federal funding from several universities, including Harvard, over their alleged DEI programs.

The investigation announced Thursday is the third launched this month into George Mason University.

On July 10, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into the school for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal funding.

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It said the investigation stems from a complaint filed with the civil rights office of the Justice Department by "multiple professors" at the school who allege it uses race and other characteristics in policies, including hiring and promotion.

It similarly pointed to the same examples cited by the Justice Department.

"This kind of pernicious and widespread discrimination -- packaged as 'anti-racism' -- was allowed to flourish under the Biden administration, but it will not be tolerated by this one," Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement.

George Mason refutes the accusations.

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"No academic units mandate outcomes based on race, color national origin, sex or any other characteristic protected by law," Washington said in a statement.

"There are no mechanisms in Mason's promotion and tenure policies that give preferential treatment based on race, color, national origin, sex or any other characteristic protected by law."

He said Title VI was enacted to dismantle explicit and systemic racial discrimination that denied access to education, employment, housing and public services.

However, he said they are now seeing "a profound shift" in how it is being applied.

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"Broad terms like 'illegal DEI' are now used without definition, allowing virtually any initiative that touches on identity or inclusion to be painted as discriminatory," he said.

"This shift represents a stark departure from the spirit in which civil rights law was written: not to erase difference, but to protect individuals from exclusion and to enable equal opportunity for all."

Earlier this month, the Department of Education launched an investigation into George Mason University over allegations it failed to respond effectively to a "pervasively hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty" during pro-Palestine protests that erupted in schools against Israel's war in Gaza.
President Donald Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal Jeffrey Epstein-related grand jury transcripts in a desperate Truth Social post, hours after The Wall Street Journal alleged the president was pen pals with the convicted sex offender.

Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval, Trump posted. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!

Bondi, who has been under equal scrutiny regarding the administrations perceived Epstein secrecy, quickly posted a statement to confirm that she would request the unsealing on Friday. It is unclear whether those documents would contain any of the bombshell claims or supposedly secret documents that critics are demanding to see.

President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts. pic.twitter.com/hOXzdTcYYB  Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 18, 2025

President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts, she wrote.

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The MAGA faithful may be hesitant to take Bondi at her word, however. She claimed in February that Epsteins so-called client list, rumored to implicate many of the rich and powerful, was sitting on her desk ready for review. She defended herself Tuesday after a DOJ memo last week claimed there was no such list.

In February, I did an interview on Fox that is getting a lot of attention because I was asked a question about the client list. And my response was, It is sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the files, along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That is what I meant by that, Bondi said.

President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have taken the most heat this month regarding the administrations perceived secrecy regarding Jeffrey Epstein. / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

Critics expressed concerns that the declassification of grand jury transcripts may not be as groundbreaking as the proposal sounds.

Rep. Daniel Goldman, a Democrat from New York, noted that the testimony will only relate to Epstein and Maxwell. He suggested Trumps call for declassification may make him appear transparent while shielding him from potentially damning information.

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Nice try, he wrote on X.

California Dem. Rep. Ro Khanna also expressed concern during a House Rules Committee on meeting on Thursday night, where Republicans voted down a Democratic-led measure to advance the release of Epstein documents in place of a non-binding resolution. Its unclear if the measure will make it to a floor vote.

Heres the problem. The grand jury testimony is largely about Epstein and Maxwell. Not about all the rich and powerful men those people are still being protected. And by the way the courts usually dont release grand jury testimony."

Meanwhile, Maryland Dem Rep. and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin appeared on CNNs Laura Coates Live, where he said, Everybody can see through it, its slicing the baloney extremely fine.

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He added, Grand jury testimony is a tiny fraction of whats in there. Were interested in the emails, the correspondence, the phone calls, the interviews and so on. The grand jury testimony... is a very small part of it.

If you look at this fraudulent transparently deceitful, Swiss cheese resolution that the Republicans have put in as a fig leaf cover story on the Rules Committee, which they plan maybe to bring to the floor sometime next week or the following, its just riddled with all of these loopholes and exceptions just mirroring what it is that Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi are saying.

Donald and Melania Trump pose with Jeffrey Epstein and his right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell, during an event at Mar-a-Lago. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images

The Trump administration has already been accused of playing a game of smoke and mirrors regarding Epstein in recent months. One stunt, as many inside MAGA labeled it, saw a horde of Trump sycophants receive an invite to the Oval Office in February to be gifted a binder titled, The Epstein Files: Phase 1.

The group of MAGA influencers smiled and posed with the binder as they exited their meeting with Trump. They were slammed for parading a cache of details about an accused sex trafficker. Later, Trump and Bondi were also criticized after it became clear that Phase 1 of the Epstein files contained no new information about the case.

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Trumps order to Bondi was one of seven frantic posts he made in an hour-and-a-half span Thursday night.

From left to right, Rogan DC Draino OHandley, Chaya Raichik, and Liz Wheeler show off a binder labeled as phase one of the Epstein Files. The binders did not contain new information, it was revealed after they met with President Donald Trump. / Brian Snyder / REUTERS

The 79-year-old also wrote a screed against what he described as the filthy rag Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch. His appeal to Bondi followed that rant. He then made a string of posts celebrating his self-described wins as president.

Trump strongly denied ever writing a letter to Epstein, let alone one that included a sketch of a naked woman and a 50th birthday wish, as The Journal alleged he did Thursday.

Trump said bluntly that the report was FAKE. He also alleged that The Journals decision to publish defamatory lies like this showed its desperation to remain relevant.

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein attended a Victoria's Secret Angels event in 1997. The duo was photographed by each other as they walked inside. / Thomas Concordia / Getty Images

Trump said he personally warned the right-leaning papers editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, not to publish the Epstein letter. The Journal did anyway, and Trump responded with a promise to sue the storied broadsheet and the 93-year-old Murdoch, who Forbes reports is worth $24.2 billion.

The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein, Trump said. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his a-- off, and that of his third-rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
US President Donald Trump ordered his attorney general to release documents on Jeffrey Epstein, as more evidence of the presidents alleged links to the deceased sex offender appeared.

The Wall Street Journal said Trump sent Epstein a bawdy letter in 2003; Trump said it was fake and threatened to sue.

A MAGA backlash over the administrations handling of the Epstein files has left the president keen to shift focus  he called the publicity surrounding the late financier ridiculous  but his party is unwilling to let go: One Republican congressman said he was as curious as everybody else.

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Trumps efforts to divert Washingtons attention are backfiring, Semafor reported, with Republicans increasingly ignoring his calls to move on.

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President Donald Trump says he has ordered the justice department to produce additional documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval," he said.

It's unclear if Trump is authorising the public release of these documents. Such action would typically require court approval.

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The US president also said he would sue The Wall Street Journal over an article alleging that a "bawdy" birthday greeting bearing Trump's name was sent to Epstein in 2003, before the late financier was charged with sex crimes.

The letter, which the newspaper claims was sent on Epstein's 50th birthday, has been decried by Trump as a "fake".

In a post, Trump said that the newspaper and owner Rupert Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the story, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

According to The Wall Street Journal, a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker."

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"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reported.

The letter, according to The Wall Street Journal, allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret."

"These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures," Trump said on social media in response to the story.

According to the newspaper, the letter was part of a compilation of birthday greetings that was put together by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein to sex-traffic children and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

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Trump's directive to release more documents comes after days of sustained pressure from some of Trump's most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted minutes after the president: "We are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."

A grand jury is a group of citizens set up by a prosecutor to determine whether there is enough evidence for charges to be filed. In legal terms, it determines whether probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.

Grand jury decisions still must be tested before a normal jury in court, in order for a suspect to be convicted of a crime.

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It is unclear whether the president's post concerned grand jury testimony from the first set of cases concerning Epstein in the early 2000s or whether it stemmed from the federal charges brought in 2019. The BBC has inquired with the White House.

Some grand jury documents have already been released concerning the case in Florida in 2006 that led to him being charged with solicitation of a prostitute. The case was heavily criticised over the lack of serious charges and the severity of the testimony given by victims, which included multiple minors.

While campaigning last year, Trump promised to release files relating to the disgraced financier.

However, Bondi last week announced that the US justice department did not believe Epstein had a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life - despite conspiracies over his death.

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It came after Bondi had touted she was set to announce major revelations about the case, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs" - a nod to those who travelled with the financier or who visited his private islands where many of his purported crimes were said to have occurred.

Her reversal prompted furious response from scores of Trump's most ardent supporters who have called for Bondi to resign after failing to produce the list, which Trump officials had previously claimed to have in their possession.

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was critical of the administration's handling of the files in recent days, praised Trump's move.

"This is massive, this is something that we've been talking about for quite some time, and really a power to the grassroots," he said.

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Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death while incarcerated happened more than a decade after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender.
President Donald Trump has picked a member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to run the U.S. Mint. (Photo by Douglas Sacha/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has nominated Louisiana state school board member Paul Hollis to run the U.S. Mint, which is responsible for producing American coin money.

Its been a lifes dream to have this opportunity, said Hollis, who started studying coins as a child and works as a rare coin dealer professionally.

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The Mandeville Republican described himself as a numismatist, someone who intensely studies the history and manufacturing of coins.



After graduating from LSU in 1994, Hollis spent a decade working for Blanchard and Co., a rare coin and precious metals firm in New Orleans. He eventually started his own rare coin business and, in 2011, published a book, American Numismatist, which explored the nations coin production through history.

I dont think there is anybody better qualified than me to run the U.S. Mint, Hollis said in an interview Thursday.

His appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation, and he expects a hearing to be scheduled in the next two months. The Mint director reports to the U.S. Treasury secretary and serves a five-year term.

In the job, Hollis would oversee six manufacturing plants, where American coins and honorary medals are made, as well as the Mints 500 law enforcement agents. The director is also in charge of the U.S. governments gold reserve in Kentucky, known as Fort Knox.

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Kristie McNally currently has served as interim U.S. Mint director since Ventris Gibson, the appointee of former President Joe Biden, stepped down from the role at Trumps request in March.

Since 2024, Hollis has represented District 1 on the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which includes St. Tammany and portions of Jefferson, Orleans and Tangipahoa parishes. He previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2012-23.



Hollis will have to resign his state school board seat to take the Mint director job, but he isnt sure when he will step down yet. His departure will likely be followed by the interim appointment of a new school board member by Gov. Jeff Landry and then a special election to fill the seat permanently.



Hollis said he reached out to President Donald Trump and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, ahead of the 2024 election to express interest in becoming the Mint director if Trump won a second term. Johnson and Hollis served in the Louisiana House together and are friends, Hollis said.

Assuming he receives Senate confirmation, Hollis said he is most excited about helping the U.S. government celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year, which will come with a new batch of coins.



He will also assist with the phasing out of the penny. The Mint is expected to stop producing one-cent coins in early 2026.

Hollis said his favorite coin is the one that launched his interest in numismatics as a child. When he was seven, his grandmother gave him a $2.50 Indian Gold coin made in New Orleans during the Great Depression.

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President Donald Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd letter for the disgraced financiers 50th birthday, according to The Wall Street Journal

The politician has vehemently denied involvement with the convicted child sex offender

The letter reportedly includes an imaginary conversation between Epstein and Trump, in which Trump tells the financier, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey."





President Donald Trump allegedly gifted Jeffrey Epstein a lewd letter for his 50th birthday, according to a new report.

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On Thursday, July 17, The Wall Street Journal reported that the president, 79, was among the family and friends whom Ghislaine Maxwell contacted to make a personalized 2003 birthday album, citing documents reviewed by the outlet.

The birthday letter to the disgraced financier and child sex offender is described by the outlet as bawdy, and containing typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman.

Davidoff Studios/Getty Donald Trump Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club in 2000 Donald Trump Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club in 2000

The future presidents signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair, the WSJ reported.

The letter concludes: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, according to the outlet.

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The letter also reportedly included a typewritten note of an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein. In the exchange, Trump says, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey." The response from Epstein is "Yes, we do, come to think of it."

"Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" Trump then asks Epstein in the imagined conversation. "As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you," Epstein replies.



In an interview with the WSJ, Trump denied writing the letter and threatened to sue the outlet "just like I sued everyone else."

"This is not me. This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story, he told the outlet. "I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women... Its not my language. Its not my words.

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Justice Department officials didn't respond to the WSJ's request for comment, and the FBI declined to comment.

Trump later posted about the report on Truth Social. In one post, he said he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to "produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval." In response, Bondi wrote on X, "President Trumpwe are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell on Aug. 10, 2019, at the age of 66.

The issue of whether to release files related to the Epstein investigation has led to increased scrutiny over the Trump Administration's handling of the case.

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Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have been trying to add an amendment to a cryptocurrency bill that would compel the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein, though they have been rebuffed by Republicans.

The administration has received backlash after a Justice Department memo revealed that its investigation into the late billionaire had concluded  and that a much-speculated "client list" did not exist.

Davidoff Studios/Getty Jeffrey Epstein and real estate developer Donald Trump, 1997 Jeffrey Epstein and real estate developer Donald Trump, 1997

The memo also stated that there was no evidence that Epstein blackmailed high-profile individuals and reasserted that the disgraced financier, who was found dead in a Manhattan jail, had died by suicide.

Following the memo, Trump was asked about Epstein.

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Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?" the president asked, ABC News reported. "This guys been talked about for years ... are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable."

Previously, the Justice Department released hundreds of pages of documents related to the Epstein case  many of which had already been publicly reported.

In a Fox News appearance, Bondi told Sean Hannity that "thousands of pages" were "sitting in the Southern District of New York," and that they had been delivered to the Department of Justice.

The previous materials released by the Justice Department include flight logs, an evidence list, pages from a contact book and a masseuse list.

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There were names of several high-profile people associated with Epstein, though the appearances of names do not necessarily indicate any wrongdoing and are listed without context.

Among the people whose names were on the flight logs is that of President Donald Trump. Epstein was also notably linked to former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.

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.

Epstein controversially died by suicide in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges.

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In 2008, he pleaded guilty to soliciting a person under 18 for prostitution and wound up serving over a year in jail.

The disgraced financier's co-conspirator Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2022 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.



Read the original article on People
President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a bombshell report detailing a bawdy birthday card Trump allegedly gave to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Journal described a card that appeared to be signed by Trump for the disgraced financiers 50th birthday. Inside the outline of a sketch of a naked woman, typed text reportedly reads: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denied having anything to do with the card. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the outlet. Its not my language. Its not my words.

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He also threatened to sue the Journal if the story was published  a threat he has now vowed to act upon. In a Truth Social Post Thursday night, the president said he plans to sue The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Rupert Murdoch shortly.

The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued, the president wrote.

Trump denied having anything to do with the card. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the outlet. Its not my language. Its not my words. (NBC News)

Trump denied having anything to do with the card. I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the outlet. Its not my language. Its not my words. (NBC News)

Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so, the president wrote.

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The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didnt want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway, Trumps post continued.

He then described several lawsuits he has filed against the press, including ABC and CBS, which were settled.

President Donald Trump has announced his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a story detailing his alleged birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has announced his plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the paper published a story detailing his alleged birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal, he wrote. It has truly turned out to be a Disgusting and Filthy Rag and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant.

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The report comes as the White House grapples with the explosive response to the Justice Departments handling over the Epstein case.

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked what about the Epstein case was a hoax, as the president has called it. Hes also accused Democrats, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, of having made up the Epstein files.

By hoax, Trump was referring to the fact that Democrats are now joining his supporters demands to release the files, Leavitt said: The President is referring to the fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make.

Many prominent figures in politics have weighed in on the story.

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Vice President JD Vance joined several prominent conservative activists in labelling the Wall Street Journal story as bullshit.

Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? the vice president remarked.

Some Democrats have been poking fun at the alleged contents of the letter.

California Governor Gavin Newsom quoted Trump in a social media post: I never wrote a picture in my life. He then posted a screenshot of a 2019 Washington Post article about a sketch Trump doodled in 2004 of the Manhattan skyline.

In a nod to Trumps reported letter to Epstein, New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X: What other wonderful secrets are Republicans hiding? Release the files.
Donald Trump distanced himself from claims he sent a spicy, signed drawing of a naked woman to Jeffrey Epstein by insisting that he never drew pictures.

However, several doodles and artworks created by the president surfaced online on Thursday to directly contradict his claims. They suggest Trump regularly produced sketches adorned with his trademark signature.

In a Wall Street Journal article about a letter and drawing allegedly sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, the presidents emphatic denial includes the statement, I never wrote a picture in my life.

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In a flurry of frantic Truth Social posts on Thursday night, Trump doubled down on his lack of artistic skills. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures.

The internet, though, always keeps the receiptsand there were some hefty clues that Trump may not be telling the truth.

In his 2008 book, Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success, Trump wrote about his new talent, adding he usually draws for charity and that it takes me a few minutes to draw something, in my case, its usually a building or a cityscape of skyscrapers.

He continued: Art may not be my strong point, but the end result is help for people who need it.

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The page in the book even includes one of Trumps drawings.

In January, prestigious auction house Sothebys sold another Trump portrait, this one in his beloved color of gold, for $15,000.

The sketch, said to be reminiscent of Riverside South development project in Manhattan, was originally done for a celebrity art auction to benefit Capuchin Food Pantry, dubbed Doodle for Hunger.

While the picture was dated 2004 by Trump, Sothebys states it was initially drawn in 2003, the same year he allegedly sent another doodle to his close friend Jeffrey Epstein.

The bombshell story in the Wall Street Journal claims that Trump contributed to a 50th birthday book collated for Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell, which included bawdy sketches and letters from many of his friends.

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Trumps contribution allegedly included a sketch of a naked woman in black marker, with Donald scrawled below her waist to mimic pubic hair. The letter was signed off: Happy Birthdayand may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump claimed on Truth Social that the letter was FAKE.

This Donald Trump sketch sold for $20,000. / Heritage Auctions

In 2017, another one of Trumps signature New York City skyline drawings sold for $29,184. It was also originally done for charity in 2005. The same year, another NYC skyline doodle, originally created for the St Francis Food Pantries and Shelters and also drawn in 2005, sold for $20,000.

Donald Trump's George Washington Bridge drawing circa 2006 from Julien's Auctions. / Julien's

Juliens Auctions also sold a Trump 2006 original they titled George Washington Bridge for $4480. It is described as an original ink illustration on paper and signed in black ink by Donald Trump lower center. The drawing in the letter referenced in The Journal story was also in black marker.

Donald Trump drawing of the Empire State Building from Julien's Auctions. / Julien's Auctions

In 2017, a sketch of the Empire State Building by Trump sold for $16,000 by Juliens Auctions in Los Angeles. Trump had originally drawn the sketch at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate for a charity auction, according to The New York Times. At that time, the sketch sold for less than $100.

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Juliens note that the artwork is a hand-drawn sketch of the Empire State Building executed in black marker by Donald J. Trump and signed by Trump.

The Daily Beast contacted the White House for clarification about whether Trump had indeed drawn before, following the resurfacing of artwork seemingly done by his hand.

The White House referred the Beast to the presidents Truth Social post.
President Donald Trump has followed through on his vow to file suit against The Wall Street Journal, alleging the newspaper falsely reported that he sent a suggestive birthday letter in 2003 to the now-deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump filed the suit Friday, seeking at least $20 billion, in federal court in Miami, before announcing it in a post on Truth Social.

"This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media," he wrote.

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The suit alleges defamation by the newspaper for an article that was published Thursday amid renewed scrutiny of Trumps relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.

In addition to the Journal and its parent company, News Corp, the suit names WSJ reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo. It also names News Corp CEO Robert Thomson and Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch.

Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, plans to contest the suit. "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," it said in a statement.

The complaint accuses the Journal of glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting that it alleges violated the mission of Dow Jones, WSJs publisher, and harmed Trumps reputation.

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Hundreds of millions of people have already viewed the false and defamatory statements published by Defendants, Trumps complaint reads. And given the timing of the Defendants article, which shows their malicious intent behind it, the overwhelming financial and reputational harm suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply.

The article said that the Department of Justice reviewed the 2003 letter from Trump to Epstein as part of its investigation into the convicted sex offender. It said the letter, was part of a book of messages organized by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epsteins 50th birthday. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for aiding Epsteins sexual abuse of minors.

POLITICO has not independently verified the letter, which the president has said is fake.

Following the report, the president directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask a federal judge to unseal grand jury testimony in Epsteins criminal case, a process she set in motion on Friday, which faces several procedural and legal obstacles.

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In his complaint, Trump accused the reporters of falsely presenting as fact that Trump authored, signed and annotated the lewd birthday card, claiming that no authentic letter or drawing exists.

Trump called the filing a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit in his social media post, repeating his allegations that the article is false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS.

This historic legal action is being brought against the so-called authors of this defamation, the now fully disgraced WSJ, as well as its corporate owners and affiliates, with Rupert Murdoch and Robert Thomson (whatever his role is!) at the top of the list, Trump wrote.

The Trump administration has faced a firestorm of attacks from conservative activists over its decision not to release additional information about the federal governments review of Epsteins criminal actions and 2019 death. But Republicans quickly rallied around Trump in the face of the new revelations, criticizing the Journal as unreputable and biased.

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The Justice Department released what it called the first phase of documents related to the Epstein probe in February, and earlier this month, it said it had found no evidence of an incriminating client list linking Epstein to public figures, which has been a fixation of far-right conspiracy theorists for several years.

Trumps relationship with Epstein has long been public knowledge, with Epstein appearing at Trumps Florida Mar-a-Lago resort as a regular visitor for several years. But Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing linked to Epstein.

Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.


President Donald Trump sued reporters at The Wall Street Journal and the papers owner, Rupert Murdoch, on Friday, a day after the paper published the contents of a racy birthday message Trump reportedly sent Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, according to a court docket.

Trumps lawsuit over the article, written by Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, claims their actions were malicious, deliberate, and despicable and that the story will cause overwhelming financial and reputational harm to the president. It seeks at least $10 billion dollars.

Trump vowed to sue in comments to the Journal and a subsequent, rage-filled post on Truth Social on Thursday after the paper reported that Trumps birthday card to the late sex offender featured a drawing of the outline of a naked womans body and a cryptic message: Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

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The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein, Trump wrote on Truth Social. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldnt print this Fake Story. But he did, and now Im going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump photographed at Mar-a-Lago in 1997. Davidoff Studios Photography via Getty Images

The complaint centers on the article presenting the letter from Trump as fact, even though they failed to attach the letter, failed to attach the alleged drawing, failed to show proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how this purported letter was obtained, the lawsuit argues.

The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists, it continues. Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trumps character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.

The president announced what hes calling a historic legal action on Truth Social along with a lengthy rant.

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This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media, Trump wrote, listing out the other media outlets hes sued, saying they promote disgusting LIES, and even FRAUD, to the American People.

Trump, who denies having anything to do with the birthday card, filed his lawsuit in Miami federal court. And while he said he doesnt draw pictures, Trumps doodles over the years say otherwise.

Trump and his administration have already come under fire  even from his own supporters  for not releasing more information related to Epsteins case.

During a bill signing on Friday, Trump turned his back on reporters attempting to ask him questions.

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News Corp and the White House did not immediately return a request for comment.

PEN America, the literary and free expression group, said the lawsuit has grave implications for press freedoms in the U.S.

President Trumps lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal is not an isolated tantrum, but part of a yearslong campaign to erode press freedom and suppress journalism that challenges him, Tim Richardson, PEN Americas journalism and disinformation program manager, said in a statement. These efforts are designed to chill accountability reporting and echo a familiar playbook: undermine independent media, demand loyalty, and retaliate against those who stand up to power.

Sebastian Murdock contributed reporting

Related...
The Justice Department formally requested Friday the unsealing of grand jury records tied to federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, according to a court filing.

President Donald Trump announced the previous day that he ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of additional Epstein material following pushback from conservatives and others for more transparency in the case.

"At the direction of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice hereby moves the Court to release grand jury transcripts associated with the above-referenced indictment," the motion said.

Umit Bektas/Reuters - PHOTO: Donald Trump looks on on the day he signs the HALT Fentanyl Act, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 16, 2025.

The department said in the filing that the request follows "extensive public interest" generated since DOJ and FBI issued its July 6 memo regarding their decision not to release any further files from federal investigations into Epstein.

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MORE: Bondi says she'll try to unseal Epstein grand jury records

"While the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to adhere to the conclusions reached in the Memorandum, transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration," the filing stated. "Given the public interest in the investigative work conducted by the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation into Epstein, the Department of Justice moves the Court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts in United States v. Epstein, subject to appropriate redactions of victim-related and other personal identifying information."

The filing says DOJ plans to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York "to make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personal identifying information prior to releasing the transcripts."

"Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims," the filing adds.

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The filing requests the court "conclude that the Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell cases qualify as a matter of public interest, release the associated grand jury transcripts, and lift any preexisting protective orders."

The motion is signed only by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche  no career prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York are on the filing.

US District Court for the Southern District of New York via AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: FILES-US-JUSTICE-POLITICS-EPSTEIN

The Justice Department's filing comes as Trump has filed a libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch and others over the Thursday report about Trump's alleged birthday message sent to Epstein in 2003. According to the lawsuit, Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages.

Trump has denied to the Wall Street Journal that he wrote the letter. ABC News has not been able to confirm the existence of the letter.

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"I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!" the president wrote on his social media platform Friday morning.

Earlier Friday, Trump suggested there is no "smoking gun" in the Epstein files as he seeks to downplay a case that's long animated his MAGA supporters.

"If there was a 'smoking gun' on Epstein, why didn't the Dems, who controlled the 'files' for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!" Trump wrote on his conservative social media platform.

Trump said he asked Bondi to "produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval."

Jacquelyn Martin/AP - PHOTO: Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to reporters as President Donald Trump listens, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington.

MORE: Trump claims Epstein files are faked, but many documents have been public for years

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The move from Trump to order the attorney general to seek the release of additional grand jury material comes after a week of intense pressure from his MAGA supporters to do more on Epstein following a brief memo from the Justice Department and FBI stating no further disclosure "would be appropriate or warranted."

The memo stated a review from the DOJ and FBI found no evidence that Epstein kept a so-called "client list" of associates or that he blackmailed any prominent individuals, and also confirmed the disgraced financier died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Bondi days ago had said the "memo speaks for itself."

MORE: The times Trump's name appeared in the Epstein files the DOJ has already released

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Between then and now, Trump has tried to tamp down intrigue into Epstein that's been fueled by right-wing figures for years, including conspiracy theories of a "deep state" protecting the country's elites.

He has called the Epstein files a "Democratic hoax" against him and those Republican supporters who are questioning his administration's handling of them as "stupid" and "foolish."

But his administration has shut down the idea of appointing a special prosecutor in the Epstein case.

"The idea was floated from someone in the media to the president. The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. That's how he feels," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at Thursday's briefing.

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Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, penned three separate letters to Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino to raise questions about discrepancies concerning the Epstein files and about the July 7 memo from the administration concerning Epstein.

Durbin wrote that his office received information that Bondi "pressured the FBI" to enlist 1,000 personnel, along with New York field office personnel, to review approximately 100,000 Epstein related records and to "flag" any records in which Trump was mentioned. He asked Bondi to respond to a number of questions concerning her personal review of the Epstein documents.

ABC News' Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
True to form given his fixation on the 19th century, U.S. President Donald Trump is bringing letter diplomacy back. But while Trump has taken to using missives to conducting diplomacy over the past few weeks, it is not because long-distance communication requires it, as was the case in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Instead, the letters Trump has been sending are more like unilateral declarations of intent, particularly with regard to trade policy. Last week, Trump posted a series of open letters to the governments of over 50 U.S. trade partners purporting to set the terms, specifically the tariff rates, by which the U.S will trade with them.

Some of the terms contained in the letters blindsided the recipients. For example, while Trump touted reaching a trade deal with Vietnam, officials in Hanoi were under the impression they were still negotiating with their counterparts in Washington. So Trumps letter announcing 20 percent tariffs took them by surprise.

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One of the letters, to Brazil, was troubling, in that it seemed to be using economic leverage to intervene in another nations domestic politics. In it, Trump threatened a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods if the countrys Supreme Court did not dismiss a case against former President Jair Bolsonaro charging him with trying to overturn the 2022 presidential election. For his part, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in 2022, told Brazilian officials to return the letter if a physical copy arrived.

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And thats to say nothing of the typos and odd phrasing strewn throughout the letters, which were clearly based on a common template.

Setting aside whether or not the demands in Trumps trade letters are sound, it should be acknowledged that the letters fall in line with a long tradition of unilateral foreign policy declarations by states in general and the U.S. in particular. From the Monroe Doctrine and Roosevelt Corollary claiming a U.S. sphere of interest in the Western Hemisphere, to the Truman Doctrine declaring support for democratic governments under threat from postwar communist movements and the Carter Doctrine declaring the free flow of Middle East oil to be a core U.S. national security interest, U.S. presidents have not shied away from unilateral statements of foreign policy intent.

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Nor is trade policy a stranger to unilateral declarations. Any time a country imposes tariffs, from the Smoot-Hawley Act in the 1930s to Trumps own Liberation Day tariff schedule, it is effectively a unilateral affair. The same can be true in the opposite direction as well, with a famous example being the British governments unilateral declaration in the mid-19th century that it would eliminate tariffs in pursuit of a free trade policy.

Additionally, letters have long been treated as authoritative agreements in international affairs, such as the exchange of letters between foreign ministers that codify alliance commitments.

As the announcement of Trumps letters indicated, they are now being treated as substitutes for negotiated deals. Apparently, when phones arent ringing, letters must be sent.

But the key word there is exchange, meaning both sides agreed to the terms. That was not the case with regard to Trumps letters, which not only imposed lopsided terms, but did so by simply posting on social media a series of documents that had clearly been copy- pasted with few alterations besides to whom they were addressed and the number in front of the tariff figure. Their unilateral nature seems to go against the very meaning of diplomacy, especially since they were explicitly meant as substitutes for the bilaterally negotiated deals Trump and his administration officials have said would be pouring in.

Despite this contrast, or perhaps because of it, Trumps letters can still tell us a lot about the role of letters in diplomacy and about diplomatic practice more generally.

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In fact, written communication is at the very heart of diplomacy. Indeed, the very term diplomacy is derived from the Greek and Latin term diploma, meaning a written document, and usually an official letter, that has been folded in half. That underscores how the practice of diplomacy is often about writing, and depending on the matter at hand, heads of state, foreign ministry officials or embassy staff have a variety of established diplomatic forms and correspondences at their disposal.

But written correspondence usually goes through diplomatic channels, meaning they are delivered by the diplomatic corps of one country to the diplomatic corps of another. In the case of Trumps letters, even if they are being delivered through the proper channels, they are also being simultaneously posted via Trumps social media feed for all to see.

As with Trumps Oval Office meetings with foreign leaders, this appears to make the process of diplomacy public and therefore transparent. But just as with those foreign leaders, the discussions between the countries are likely not limited to the content of these letters. So why post them?

Some of this may well be performative. Sending out 50 letters gives the appearance of getting things done, which this administration cares deeply about. It doesnt matter if those actions are later reversed. What matters is the appearance that the administration is hard at work.

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Related, the letters might also be due to frustration over the lack of partners willing to negotiate deals to avoid Trumps threatened tariffs. Back in April, U.S. Trade Representative Peter Navarro had predicted the administration would seal 90 deals in 90 days, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the White Houses phones were ringing off the hook due to incoming calls from countries seeking deals. But as of mid-July, the U.S. has reached less than a handful of agreements, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent admitted that many of the recipients of Trumps letters never even contacted us. Even the agreements that have been reached, such as the one with the U.K., are just frameworks for future talks.

In light of the underwhelming response to the April ultimatum, Trump extended the deadline for reaching deals to Aug. 1. But while the administration did secure an agreement this week with Indonesia, the claim that countries were clamoring to negotiate with Trump is belied by the reality of him receiving the cold shoulder. As the announcement of the letters indicated, they are now being treated as substitutes for negotiated deals. Apparently, when phones arent ringing, letters must be sent.

A final reason Trump posted the letters publicly might be that it is simply an extension of his social media habits. He has a propensity to simply post any thought he has at any time. While that can create chaos for foreign governments and analysts trying to track Trumps policy views, it is at least helpful in knowing where the president stands at any given moment, though that is notoriously subject to change. Many people think that Trump has nefarious goals and ambitions. But it is just as likely that Trump simply has no filter: He says what he thinks when he thinks it. Its all out in the open, for better and for worse.

Indeed, this isnt the first time Trump has used letters to conduct diplomacy. Back in his first term, he famously exchanged love letters with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un in his failed attempts to convince Kim to forgo his nuclear weapons program. Then there was his letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2019 demanding that Erdogan not authorize a military offensive against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the area. That letter famously ended with Trump telling Erdogan, Dont be a tough guy! Dont be a fool! It also apparently ended up in the trash can.

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Theres an old saw that diplomats are trained to say something when there is nothing to say, and to say nothing when there is something to say. As a diplomat, Trump has mastered the former, if not the latter. But the more apt description of diplomacy for Trump, or at least the one he seems to have taken to heart, is attributed to Winston Churchill: that diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions. And once again, Trump seems to have mastered the former, but not the latter.

Paul Poast is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago and a nonresident fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

The post Trumps Tariff Letter Diplomacy Is a Sign of Desperation appeared first on World Politics Review.
Editor's note: "The Wall Street Journal shares common ownership with Fox. Fox has not independently confirmed the truth of the Wall Street Journals reporting."

President Donald Trump filed a $10 million lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch Friday, a day after the newspaper published a story reporting on his ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump condemned the story in a lengthy social media post Thursday night on his Truth Social platform. The president wrote that he personally warned The Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch "that the supposed letter" was "a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so."

FILE-President Donald Trump stops and talks to the media before he boards Marine One on the South Lawn at the White House on June 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Whats in the Epstein birthday letter?

The backstory

The Wall Street Journal reviewed the letter dated in 2003 which bears Donald Trumps name and reportedly has several typewritten texts featuring an outline of a naked woman, sketched in marker.

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Citing the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek noted that the drawing also has two arcs representing breasts, with Trumps signature written beneath the waist and resembling public hair.

The letter reportedly reads: "Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret."

RELATED: Trump orders release of Epstein grand jury testimony amid backlash from supporters

Trump pledged to sue the Wall Street Journal over their story, saying: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I dont draw pictures," the Associated Press reported.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump's reported birthday letter to Epstein, who died in 2019, was among multiple birthday notes that Epstein's longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, collected from Epsteins family and friends and accrued in a leather book as a 50th birthday gift to Epstein.

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Trump added in his Truth Social Post on Thursday that he and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker that the letter at the center of the article was fake, but she "didn't want to hear that" and "instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway."

Trump orders release of Epstein grand jury testimony

Dig deeper

On July 17, President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the release of grand jury materials tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trumps announcement came days after the Department of Justice released a memo claiming that Epstein had no blackmail "client list," didnt extort anyone, and died by suicide. The memo, meant to quash speculation, only added fuel to the fire.

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RELATED: Trump drew naked woman, wrote 'bawdy' message in birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein: WSJ

Some of Trumps own supporters showed frustration with the limited disclosures of information, especially after Bondi previously hinted in a Fox News interview that a "client list" was "sitting on my desk." Bondi later clarified that she meant Epstein material more broadly.

The Justice Department in February had distributed a binder labeled The Epstein Files: Phase 1 to a group of Republican influencers. Many later said it contained mostly already-public information.

The Source

Information for this story was provided by The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Newsweek, Axios, and previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.




President Trump says he wants to hire 10,000 new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, but experts and the history of law enforcement hiring sprees suggest the process could be challenging, lengthy and possibly result in problematic hires.

The massive funding bill signed into law this month by Trump earmarks about $170 billion for border and immigration enforcement, including tens of billions for new deportation agents and other personnel. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement to The Times, said that the agency will deliver on the presidents hiring directive.

In June, our 2025 Career Expo successfully recruited 3,000 candidates and generated 1,000 tentative job offers  nearly double the 564 from 2023, she wrote. Our recruitment strategy includes targeted outreach, thorough vetting and partnerships with state and local law enforcement.

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During his first term, when Trump called for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire 15,000 people collectively, a July 2017 report by the Homeland Security inspector general found significant setbacks.

Read more: Agents, some in unmarked cars and street clothes, are arresting L.A. immigrants. Who are they?

Although DHS has established plans and initiated actions to begin an aggressive hiring surge, in recent years the Department and its components have encountered notable difficulties related to long hire times, proper allocation of staff, and the supply of human resources, the report states.

The independent watchdog concluded that to meet the goal of 10,000 new immigration officers, ICE would need more than 500,000 applicants. For CBP to hire 5,000 new agents, it would need 750,000 applicants.

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It doesn't appear either goal was met. In 2017, ICE hired 371 deportation officers from more than 11,000 applications and took 173 days on average to finalize hires, the news outlet Government Executive reported. And Cronkite News reported that when Trump left office in 2021, Border Patrol had shrunk by more than 1,000 agents.

The mere mechanics of hiring that many people is challenging and takes time, said John Pfaff , a law professor at Fordham University who studies U.S. incarceration and has researched the hiring challenges ICE faces.

When the initial version of the funding bill passed the House of Representatives, it laid out a target of at least 10,000 ICE officers, agents and support staff, specifying a minimum of 2,500 people in fiscal year 2025 and 1,875 people in each subsequent year through 2029.

The legislation didnt outline specific hiring goals for Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of Border Patrol, though Homeland Security said that, in addition to the 3,000 Border Patrol agents, the funding will also support the hiring of 3,000 more customs officers at ports of entry.

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The Senate modified the bill and on final passage, the law removed those hiring specifics, meaning ICE can use the funding for a variety of purposes. ICE has more than 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel. CBP has 60,000 employees, including about 19,000 Border Patrol agents.

Studies on accelerated hiring efforts have found that, in some cases, contracts were poorly managed. Ten months into a 2018 contract with the professional services firm Accenture, by which point CBP had paid $13.6 million, the inspector general found that just two people had accepted job offers.

Residents confront ICE agents and Border Patrol agents over their presence in their neighborhood on Atlantic Boulevard in the city of Bell on June 20. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Hiring thousands of employees would be an even bigger lift today, Pfaff said.

He pointed to the fact that since 2020, police departments nationwide have also struggled to recruit and retain officers . Immigration officer pay is lower than rookie salaries at big-city law enforcement agencies, such as the New York Police Department.

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A job posting for a deportation officer offers a salary range of about $50,000 to $90,000. Pfaff compared that with NYPD, where officer salaries start at just over $60,000 and rise to more than $125,000 in less than six years.

Another recruitment push resulted in a wave of high-profile corruption cases.

During a Border Patrol hiring spree from 2006 to 2009, standards for hiring and training were lowered, about 8,000 agents were brought on. The Associated Press reported that the number of employees arrested for misconduct  such as civil rights violations or off-duty crimes like domestic violence  grew yearly between 2007 and 2012, reaching 336, or a 44% increase. More than 100 employees were arrested or charged with corruption, including taking bribes to smuggle drugs or people.

A 2015 report from an internal audit by a CBP advisory council said that arrests for corruption of CBP personnel far exceed, on a per capita basis, such arrests at other federal law enforcement agencies.

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Josiah Heyman, an anthropology professor who directs the University of Texas at El Pasos Center of Inter-American and Border Studies, studied the mid-2000s hiring spree. He said smuggling organizations have only gotten more sophisticated since then, as have security measures, so its more valuable for smugglers to buy someone off instead of attempting to bring in people or drugs undetected.

Read more: ICE is gaining access to trove of Medicaid records, adding new peril for immigrants

Beyond corruption, Heyman said he worries the drive to quickly increase Homeland Security staffing could lead to Americans being deported, as well as an increase of assault and abuse cases and deaths of detainees.

Getting 10,000 [new employees] means basically hiring the people who walk in the door because youre trying to hit your quota, he said. Rapid, mass-hiring lends itself to mistakes and cutting corners.

Federal agents stage outside Gate E of Dodger Stadium on June 19. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

The recruitment issues at Border Patrol led to reforms, such as the Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010, which included mandatory polygraph testing for job applicants (though that requirement was not implemented for ICE applicants). The polygraph tests revealed some applicants had concerning backgrounds, including some believed to have links to organized crime.

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The reforms also slowed hiring as two-thirds of Border Patrol applicants began failing the polygraph exam by 2017, the Associated Press reported .

If the government is not able to hit its hiring goals, it might turn to contractors, the U.S. military and local law enforcement to help carry out Trump's aggressive crackdown on immigration. It is likely to continue its expansion of the 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement to function as deportation agents. Homeland Security said the new budget will fully fund the 287(g) program.

Pfaff said that while using local police to make immigration arrests could help in the short term, many major cities and states, including California, have already banned the agreements or limited cooperation with ICE. Still, ProPublica reported that more than 500 law enforcement agencies have signed 287(g) agreements since January.

Jason Houser, who was ICEs chief of staff under the Biden administration, said training new hires takes about a year and that classes are typically capped at 50 students.

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Houser said another short-term workaround for permanent staff could be the use of contractors.

Most immigrant detainees are held in facilities that are run by private prison companies, including the Florida-based GEO Group and Tennessee-based CoreCivic.

Read more: I already want to cry. Undocumented parents prepare for the unthinkable: giving up their kids

But those companies have a limited inventory of detention space. CBP could also use its funding to erect soft-sided, temporary facilities on military bases within the 100 miles of the U.S. boundary, in which CBP has authority to conduct immigration checkpoints and other enhanced enforcement activities.

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Houser said temporary facilities could be set up by October, and they could be staffed with National Guard or U.S. military personnel in administrative, nursing, food and sanitation roles.

Federal law generally prohibits the military from arresting civilians. But Homeland Security officials have said military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain anyone who attacks an immigration agent until law enforcement can arrest them.

But Houser worries that placing young service members, who arent trained to conduct civil detention, in charge of those facilities will lead to people getting hurt. He also worries that without other countries agreeing to accept more deportees, the number of immigrants detained for months could quickly balloon.

As of June 29, there were nearly 58,000 immigrants held in detention, according to TRAC, a nonpartisan data research organization. Thats far beyond the congressionally approved 41,500 detention beds this fiscal year.

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This is 9/11-style money, Houser said. Think about the money in counterterrorism post-9/11. It turns the entire apparatus toward this goal. Everything in government is going to turn to where the money is, and thats the scary piece to me.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
President Donald Trump will not recommend a special prosecutor in the investigation of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing Thursday.

The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. Thats how he feels, Leavitt told reporters, as she confirmed that the idea had been floated to him by someone in the media.

(A special prosecutor is usually relied on in instances where the main prosecutor has a conflict of interest or other issue that would prevent them from being unbiased in a particular case.)

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Epsteins death and his criminal trial, numerous investigations and lawsuits (collectively known as the Epstein files) have been the subject of debate for many right-wingers for years. Many have called for the files to be released  and some have  and for an additional investigation into Epstein and who was involved in his alleged sex trafficking.

Trump previously had a relationship with the late disgraced financier, who died in a jail cell in 2019 as he awaited a trial on sex trafficking charges. Last year, while on the campaign trail, Trump claimed at least twice that he would release the Epstein files, but he has since reversed course.

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump has had a rocky relationship with over the years, blasted Trump on his social media platform X over the Epstein files last month.

Time to drop the really big bomb, Musk said. [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 12, 2000. Davidoff Studios Photography via Getty Images

Last week, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a memo that they did not find any evidence that Epstein had a so-called client list he had been rumored to have used as blackmail. It also said they would not release any additional information in the future.

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When prompted by a reporter at Thursdays press briefing, Leavitt rejected the idea that the White House could release the Epstein files with redactions protecting sensitive information.

In terms of redactions or grand jury seals, those are questions for the Department of Justice. Those are also questions for the judges who have that information under a seal. And that would have to be requested and a judge would have to approve it. Thats out of the presidents control, Leavitt said.

Trump has largely tried to move away from the publicity surrounding the Epstein case, calling it a hoax. Still, hes drawn the ire of some of his supporters and many of his Republican colleagues who continue to call for more transparency about the Epstein files.

Fox News Jacqui Heinrich asked Leavitt Thursday to clarify which part of the Epstein hoax is the hoax that Trump has referred to.

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The president is referring to the fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make, Leavitt said. The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didnt do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes.

While authorities said in the memo that they did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties, they also confirmed that Epstein harmed more than 1,000 victims and that DOJ officials reviewed included more than 10,000 downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography. It also included 10 hours worth of video footage  with one minute missing  of Epsteins prison cell before his death to prove that he died by suicide.

Right-wing conspiracy theorists  including Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino  have argued that Epstein did not commit suicide, but was instead killed by powerful figures attempting to keep secrets hidden.

One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims, the memo read. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.

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The memo directly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondis claim to Fox News in February that she obtained the list and planned to review it following a directive by President Trump.

Related...
The Department of Justice reviewed a suggestive 2003 letter from President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein as part of its investigation into the convicted sex offender, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The president insisted the story was false, and vowed to sue the newspaper.

The letter, which the president says is fake, was part of a book of messages organized by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epsteins 50th birthday, the Journal reported. Maxwell was convicted 16 years later in 2019 for aiding Epsteins sexual abuse of minors.

The report offers a new detail about Trumps relationship to Epstein following the announcement by the Justice Department that it would not release background materials from the investigation of the accused sex trafficker  a conclusion that infuriated people who have long hoped for further disclosures about the case.

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According to The Wall Street Journal, the letter signed by Trump wishes Epstein a happy birthday and tells him, may every day be another wonderful secret. The letter featured lines of typewritten text framed by a drawing of a naked woman, with Trumps name signed below the womans waist.

The president denied to the Journal that he wrote the letter or drew the picture and threatened to sue the newspaper if it published an article about it.

I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women, he told the Journal. Its not my language. Its not my words.

Vice President JD Vance quickly came to the presidents defense shortly after the story was published, calling the story complete and utter bullshit.

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Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it, Vance said in a social media post. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?

Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges in a Florida state court in 2008. In 2019, he was arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking minors prior to dying in jail. He died later that year in jail in what authorities concluded was a suicide.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it considered the Epstein investigation closed, and refuted theories that he had a client list that could have been used to blackmail wealthy associates. The announcement sparked a backlash from some of Trumps most ardent supporters that the administration has sought scrambling to quell.

It has long been reported that Trumps name appeared in documents related to the Epstein investigation, though the president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the case. Trump had spoken positively about Epstein before his first arrest in 2006 but has since downplayed their relationship.

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Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has called on the White House to appoint a special counsel to handle the release of the Epstein files, also called the letter totally fake.

Im calling bullshit on this Trump birthday letter to Epstein. Its totally fake. Everyone who actually KNOWS President Trump knows he doesnt type letters, she said on X.
In an interview yesterday with the New York Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky floated a new pending mega-deal with U.S. President Donald Trump to sell Ukrainian drones to the American military.

"The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal," Zelensky reportedly said.

The deal has not actually been completed, and its unknown whether a formal text of it actually exists. Indeed, Zelenskys advertising of this deal in a publication that is known to be Trumps favorite may be a means of wooing his U.S. counterpart into such a deal.

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But an agreement to sell Ukrainian drones to the U.S. or exchange them for U.S. weapons would be a major step for both countries. Those involved in Ukraines drone industry are cheering it  albeit cautiously  as the start of a teardown of the two biggest geopolitical walls blocking their businesses globally: Ukraines export controls and the American defenses reluctance to buy from abroad.

U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., U.S. on July 16, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

Despite mass Western interest in the Ukrainian drone industry, export controls have kept almost all of Ukraines wartime tech in-country. The new deal would represent a major rollback of unofficial but strict restrictions on the export of military hardware from the country.

For the U.S., such a deal would pose a rare breach in a notoriously territorial military procurement network. The U.S. Defense Department is by far the largest weapons purchaser in the world, but it also doesnt like to buy foreign, and almost never from outside of NATO.

With a deal like this, "the U.S. gets effective, tested solutions with the necessary electronic-warfare resistance," said Maksym, who heads a first-person view and bomber drone maker called DCU and declined to give his last name for security reasons. "Ukrainian producers get investment and access to one of the biggest markets, which builds up development potential."

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"The U.S. cannot compete with Ukraine in battlefield drones because of the deep separation between the combat commands and the defense industry in the U.S.."

In some sense, this is at least an admission by the Defense Department that some of Ukraines wartime drone industry may have surpassed U.S. competitors. Indeed, many of the most high-profile U.S. drone makers have fallen short repeatedly in Ukraine.

"They dont have enough up-to-date battle experience," Viktor Lokotkov, head of marketing for reconnaissance drone maker Airlogix, told the Kyiv Independent.

"The U.S. cannot compete with Ukraine in battlefield drones because of the deep separation between the combat commands and the defense industry in the U.S.," Perry Boyle, head of MITS Capital, which invests in Ukrainian defense tech companies, told the Kyiv Independent. "Unlike Ukraine, the combat commands cannot directly procure or work on drones."

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Given the U.S. Defense Department's tendency not to buy from producers outside of the country, this may result in firms setting up production inside the U.S.

The distance between combat command and industry, however, raises the question of whether Ukrainian producers can possibly make masses of the latest developments and ship them to the United States in bulk in short enough times that the final product remains at the cutting edge.

A military operator launches a drone in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP via Getty Images)

Maksym noted that one of the key benefits of Ukraines proximity to the battlefield is that theyve made the drones easy to change, saying, "In fact, these are modular systems and you can adapt them quickly to whatever conditions you find yourself in."

He noted that many Ukrainian drones contain Chinese components, which would likely be one of the first "modules" to change if production would take off to sell to the U.S. While general compliance with intensive and often arcane U.S. defense procurement rules may be a new practice, "for Ukraine, this could be a stimulus to standardization, certification, and an entry to the global market."

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Ukrainian production may ultimately have to relocate to the U.S., which Lokotkov says his firm is considering if Ukraine doesnt bring down its export controls.

An issue in a potential mass sale abroad would be that the Zelensky administrations domestic procurement processes have led to a series of scandals over appointing political allies, extensive kickbacks, and corruption.

But the biggest complication at the moment, according to Boyle, is that the deal is government-to-government. "Like the minerals deal, the devil is in the details, and this could take significant time for the bureaucrats to solidify the terms."

Read also: Inside Ukraines drone industry: opportunities and challenges for Western partners

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Members of the Department of Justice in recent weeks have reached out to several states around the country requesting voter information, according to sources familiar with the outreach and letters obtained by ABC News.

The outreach was made to at least six states. In some of the letters obtained by ABC News, the DOJ requested from the states broad information about voting systems, how counties maintain updated voter information and how noncitizens who are on voter lists are identified.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP - PHOTO: The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference.

The letters also, in some cases, requested copies of the state's voter registration lists.

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The Washington Post was the first to report the DOJ's outreach.

In Colorado, the outreach came from an individual who told officials he was working on behalf of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, according to Matt Crane, the Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association.

Alex Brandon/AP, FILE - PHOTO: In this June 17, 2025, file photo, Stephen Miran, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, walks at the White House, in Washington, D.C.

MORE: FBI 'aware' of 2 fabricated news clips, press releases urging not to vote and rigged inmate voting

He said at least 10 county clerks in the state had received calls or texts from the individual, Jeff Small, the former Chief of Staff for Rep. Lauren Boebert.

One of those clerks, Justin Grantham, told ABC News that Small said he was reaching out to Republican clerks in Democratic controlled states on behalf of the White House.

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"He contacted me in particular to see if I'd be willing to work with him in the White House to allow a third party to come in and do a review of the [voting] machines," Grantham said.

"As someone who's in charge of elections, we try to stay neutral and it makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable that that's how they're wanting to try to gain access to these machines," he added.

At least two county clerks, Crane said, received calls and messages from a person identifying themselves as the Department of Homeland Security asking if the federal government could examine their voting systems.

"The requests themselves are dangerous, because it could get an election official in legal jeopardy," Crane said.

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The White House, the Department of Justice and Small did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News.

In a statement to ABC News, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said that it is a felony in the state to tamper with voting systems.

MORE: Attorney General Pam Bondi fires top Justice Department ethics official

"Colorado takes any potential threat to our elections extremely seriously, which is why we have strong laws that protect voting equipment," Griswold said. "It is a felony in Colorado to tamper with voting systems. Accessing voting systems without proper authorization is a crime."

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Additionally, Griswold's office received a letter in May from the Department of Justice asking for election records after they said they "recently received a complaint alleging noncompliance" within the office with the Voting Rights Act.

The letter was signed by Harmeet Dhillon -- the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division -- who was formally a Trump campaign legal adviser.

In Nevada, the Secretary of State's Office confirmed it received a letter from the DOJ related to voter roll data and voter information.

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan received a letter as well -- though it contained no allegations of complaints regarding voting law compliance. Still, the letter asked for information, including the state's voter list.

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In Wisconsin, the state elections commission also received a letter from the DOJ after they said they had received "several complaints" regarding the state's compliance with the Help America Vote Act.

The letter requested a wide array of information -- including a "current voter registration list."

In a lengthy response letter, members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission directed the DOJ to an online website where any member of the public can access the state's voter information -- but said they would still be charging them the usual fee.

"Wisconsin law requires the Commission to charge a fee for access to voter registration data and makes no exceptions for elected officials, government agencies, journalists, non-profits, academics, or any other group," the letter stated.
Jeffrey Epstein probably killed himself. Maybe he didnt. Its a little concerning that the attorney general admitted that the Bureau of Prisons misses some recording time every night because they redo the video.

Yet as much as President Donald Trump wants us to move on, we shouldnt. This isnt the government transparency he promised us on the campaign trail.

Remember when the "deep state" was the boogeyman? When we were constantly reminded not to trust institutions, to question everything the government told us? It feels like just yesterday that figures like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino were making bold proclamations about what scandalous behavior of the rich and powerful would be revealed by the Jeffrey Epstein files.

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At least one Republican congressman still wants to know. "We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes," said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

Along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Massie plans to force a vote as early as next week on the "Epstein Files Transparency Act." This bipartisan effort, backed by a discharge petition, aims to bypass leadership and compel a House vote on the complete release of all government files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The late Jeffrey Epstein, center, served 13 months of an 18-month sentence imposed in 2008 in West Palm Beach. Epstein, a wealthy Palm Beach resident, pleaded guilty to state charges that included one count of solicitating prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is shown here in court on June 30, 2008.

The Trump administration isn't delivering on its promises

For a while, it seemed like the Trump administration would deliver on those promises of transparency. Attorney General Pam Bondi even hosted what can only be described as a staged media circus in February, handing out binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" and "Declassified" to conservative media personalities at the White House.

The implication was clear: a bombshell was coming. Bondi, during an interview with Fox News, even said a "client list" was "sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." She later walked that statement back, clarifying that shed been referring to the overall case file, but the damage was done. The expectation had been set.

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Fast forward to today, and the tune has changed dramatically. The Justice Department, in a two-page memo released in early July, stated unequivocally that no "client list" exists and that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." This, after Bondi had previously claimed officials were poring over a "truckload" of previously withheld evidence, even suggesting in May there were "tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn."

Opinion: Tennessee's War of the Roses is the campaign that should inspire modern politics

Now, we're told those aren't going to see the light of day, ever, because they contain child abuse imagery, which, while understandable, wasn't the original reason given for the lack of public disclosure.

So, here's the rub: Those who campaigned on the premise of not trusting the government are now asking us to trust them. They spent years railing against the opaque nature of our institutions, promising to pull back the curtain on the powerful and corrupt. Now that they are the government, the narrative has shifted.

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President Trump himself has dismissed the ongoing clamor for more information, calling it a "Democratic hoax" and suggesting that "pretty bad people, including fake news" want to keep the "boring" Epstein story alive.

While I appreciate the fig leaf of Trump ordering Bondi to seek release of Epstein-related grand jury testimony, it still begs the question of why we cant see the rest of the files even if they should be redacted to protect the innocent.

On the matter of transparency, Republicans are no better than Democrats

We, the voters, find ourselves in a rather unenviable position. Either the folks making these grand statements about Epstein and the deep state were lying about the existence of damning evidence before they took power, or they're lying now by claiming there's no one else to hold accountable and that this is all just a "hoax." In either event, their credibility is shot.

This isn't some fringe conspiracy theory. This is a legitimate concern about transparency and accountability, and it's coming from within the Republican base itself.

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Opinion: Can Elon Musk's 'America Party' succeed? Ross Perot's campaign offers insight

Massie is only emboldened as Trump and his political acolytes attack the Kentucky fiscal hawk for his deficit-related objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill. A vote on Massies bill puts every Republican in Congress on the spot: Do they honor President Trump's apparent desire to "move on" from Epstein, or do they side with their constituents who, understandably, want answers and accountability?

The issue isn't really the Epstein files themselves, as disturbing as the details within them may be. The core issue, the rot, is the lack of consistent transparency from our government, regardless of who is in charge.

Letters: People worried about Medicaid need to relax and learn the truth

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When promises of revelation turn into dismissals of "hoaxes," it erodes trust in the very people who claimed they would restore it. And that, my friends, is a problem that will clearly take more than a few copies of Phase 2 binders to solve.

Cameron Smith, columnist for The Tennessean and the USA TODAY Network Tennessee

USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising four boys in Nolensville, Tennessee, with his particularly patient wife, Justine. Direct outrage or agreement to smith.david.cameron@gmail.com or @DCameronSmith on Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor to letters@tennessean.com

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump's shift on Epstein investigation proves corruption | Opinion
On Thursday, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump has a medical condition in his veins called chronic venous insufficiency.

During a regular news briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that Trump, 79, had noticed swelling in his legs, prompting a check-up with his doctor who diagnosed him with the condition.

Trump had also been recently photographed with patches of make-up on the back of his hand. The White House has said it is unrelated to the vein condition but is instead bruising as a result of frequent handshaking.

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Here are the some of the key things to know about the US president's diagnosis.

What is chronic venous insufficiency?

Trump's condition is "benign and common", particularly in individuals over the age of 70, according to a note from White House physician, Captain Sean Barbabella, released to reporters.

Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when leg veins don't allow blood to flow back up to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower limbs.

Normal blood flow from the legs back up to the heart moves against gravity, which in older people can become a difficult process.

This can be due to weakening valves in veins, something that can occur as people age.

What are the symptoms?

[Reuters]

When blood pools in the legs due to chronic venous insufficiency, it can cause swelling like the kind seen in Trump's ankles in recent photographs.

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It can also involve pain and itching, or in more serious cases can present with changes to the skin, ulcers, bleeding or deep vein thrombosis - which is blood clotting in the leg.

"It can be associated with serious conditions, but in and of itself it is not a serious condition, and one that is very common," Dr Matthew Edwards, chair of the Department of Vascular Surgery at Wake Forest University, told the BBC.

"People in his age (group), I would say probably somewhere between 10 and 35% of people would have this."

Experts say other risks include being overweight, having a history of blood clots, and having jobs that require patients to be on their feet for long durations.

What did Trump's doctor say?

After noticing swelling in his legs, President Trump was evaluated by the White House Medical Unit "out of an abundance of caution", a statement from Trump's doctor, Sean Barbabella, said.

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Dr Barbabella wrote that President Trump underwent a "comprehensive examination" that revealed chronic venous insufficiency, which he says is a "benign and common condition".

"Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or arterial disease," he said, and added that Trump "remains in excellent health".

Tests also showed "normal cardiac structure and function," Dr Barbabella said, adding: "No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified."

Dr Barbabella also noted bruising on the back of Trump's hand, which has been noticed in recent photographs, sometimes covered by make-up.

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"This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen," he said.

Prof Ian Chetter, president of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, told the BBC that this is possible.

[Reuters]

How could the condition affect Trump?

The US-based Society for Vascular Surgery said the condition can cause heaviness in the affected limb, as well as swelling and pain.

In some cases, chronic venous insufficiency can also cause painful cramps, spasms and leg ulcers.

It can also lead to reduced mobility and physical activities, Prof Chetter said.

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Wearing custom-made, medical-grade compression stockings can help manage the condition, and experts also recommend patients elevating their legs at night and using lotion.

The condition is "very, very rarely life threatening", Prof Chetter said.

What has Trump said about his health?

In April, Trump underwent his first annual physical of his second presidential term.

"President Trump remains in excellent health, exhibiting robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and general physical function," Dr Barbabella said in a memo at the time.

That health assessment revealed that the president takes several medications to control his cholesterol - Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe, as well as Aspirin for cardiac prevention and Mometasone cream for a skin condition.

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The US president has regularly touted his good health and once described himself as "the healthiest president that's ever lived".

After his first annual physical, Trump told reporters that "overall, I felt I was in very good shape", and added that he thought he had "a good heart, a good soul, a very good soul".
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  Another change could be coming to TSA, with new liquid and gel requirements.

Five dollar train rides to Hartford offered Aug. 2-3 at Springfield Union Station

Just last week, TSA announced that travelers are able to keep their shoes on while going through TSA checkpoints.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is now questioning airport security. Shes now reviewing a change to the size of liquids travelers can carry. The idea of pulling back on security measures is raising concerns for some Americans.

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John Vaughan of Holyoke told 22News, I guess the whole reason they started to ban it is because potentially hazardous substance on board, and I think were so used to it in this culture now. I mean, why not just stick with it? It seems to be working and keeping people safe.

According to Noem, the Transportation and Security Administration has put in place a multilayered screening process at airports. This now allows them to change the security and screening process.

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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An Idaho man faces one charge in connection with several messages sent to a Massachusetts professor online, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said Friday.

Edward John Kay, 53, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking, Foleys office said in a statement. Kay was arrested in Rigby, Idaho, and is expected to appear in a federal court in Idaho on Friday, then appear in a Boston federal courthouse at a later date.

A professor at a Massachusetts university extension school received a message from Kay on Jan. 20, according to a criminal complaint. Kay introduced himself and asked to call the professor before the first lecture on Jan. 29. They arranged a Zoom call and spoke for 40 minutes.

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During the call, Kay appeared manic, displayed an agitated need to speak, stated he wanted to teach the victim so many new things, and expressed a desire to have a deeper connection with the victim, the court filing read. The victim got the impression that Kays feelings for her were romantic in nature. It was clear to the victim that Kay had already done extensive research on her prior to this phone call. The victim described the call as unsettling.

Kay took part in the first lecture over Zoom on Jan. 29 and was an active participant, but the professor noticed Kay made exasperated faces when she did not call on him, the court documents read. After class, Kay expressed his discontent over not being called and not liking the class structure, rather wishing there was more one-on-one time with the professor.

She became uncomfortable when Kay talked about his background in web security, because she believed that it meant KAY would have the knowledge and skills to obtain personal information about her that was available on the internet, if he had not already done so, the documents stated.

On Jan. 30, Kay emailed the professor asking for another virtual office visit to give her feedback on the class and talk about extra credit opportunities, according to the court filing. The next day, she replied back and said they would have a 20-minute virtual discussion in two weeks, but he replied that he was not sure if the class structure was right for him and suggested he would leave the class.

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I wouldnt take a withdrawal lightly, Kay told her, according to court documents. I have a real difficult choice here. I realize that there will be many things I lose in doing so... I lose ever knowing you, in any way...

Kay emailed her twice on Feb. 2 about dropping out of the class, court documents stated. He told her that while he wanted her as a teacher, he wanted her as a friend, or even as a therapist, even more. A friend told Kay that he had a brain crush on his professor.

It just would be a living hell to sit through class with that little interaction with you, Kay wrote, according to court documents. I really, truly mean that You are such a rare, unusual creature for me to run into in my current world right now. I adore my life partner, and she is supremely intelligent, but I crave more diverse, personal, intellectual, meaningful interaction than just with her I wanted so much to make a difference in your life."

The professor thought the message was strange and sexual in nature, but was relieved Kay dropped from her class, the criminal complaint read. She was also disturbed at another point in his message where Kay referred to her 3-year-old son.

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On Feb. 4, one day after she was notified that he dropped her course, the professor received a request from Kay to connect on LinkedIn, according to court documents. On Feb. 5, he emailed her about how our connection, however brief, mattered a lot to me.

Between Feb. 5 and March 21, Kay did not reach out to the professor, but she was nervous that he would send her something again, the court documents stated. But on March 21, he sent an email asking for a Zoom call to get closure.

I lost the ability to keep myself composed with a person I see as being so incredibly magnificent, Kay wrote, according to the complaint. I emotionally bled all over my interaction with youThe fact that you had that much power over me is not something I am used to experiencing from someone It should be blatantly obvious that I personally like you. Your intuition should have clearly told you that I know how busy you are with a full-time job, teaching with [U]ES, [first name of the victims son], and so many other things

The professor thought he was becoming delusional and was alarmed that he suggested joining one of her classes again, the complaint read.

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Kay then emailed the universitys deans office and accused the professor of negligence and causing him severe psychological harm, the documents stated. The professor then reported Kay to the university police.

Kay messaged the professor on LinkedIn where he professed his love for her and described a paranormal encounter he had in a graveyard near his apartment in Berlin, Germany, the court filing read.

I miss you-truly, deeply- with all of my heart and soul, Kay wrote to the professor, according to court records. That day I saw you on ZoomYou were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Not just appearance. Everything. Your presence. Your mind. Your light. To gain you and then to lose you like that? It devastated me.

Scared that Kay would become violent toward her, the professor emailed him and asked Kay to not reach out to her anymore, court documents stated. He then started detailing his grievances toward the university on his LinkedIn page.

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The professor then received a long message on Facebook from a person who said they were Kays life partner, court documents stated. The person said Kay had access to several weapons, was bipolar and was obsessed with two other women. Kay considered the professor to be his twin angel soul mate.

Kay returned to emailing the university, at one point adding the professor and said she knows what is coming, court documents stated. The university then informed Kay that he could no longer enroll in their courses.

Kay continued to email her, even wrote a poem she believed was about her, court documents read. After he bought a plane ticket to Boston Logan International Airport, with no return ticket, university police issued a cease and desist order to Kay so that he would stop contacting the professor.

The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

More local crime stories

Read the original article on MassLive.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The Tipton County Sheriffs Office arrested two people accused of stealing and burglarizing a home damaged by recent floods.

Dustin Coley, 45, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft of property over $1,000, evading arrest, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Mitzi Johnson, 48, was charged with theft over $1000.00, criminal trespass, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

L to R: Dustin Coley and Mitzi Johnson. Courtesy of Tipton County Sheriff

On July 12, deputies responded to a burglary in the 400 block of Indian Creek Road.

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When deputies arrived, the homeowner said his family had been unable to live in the home due to extensive flood damage in June.

Deputies said a man was seen on surveillance video of a man entering a shed on the property and stealing multiple items.

Man arrested after fatal shooting at apartment complex in Windyke

On July 14, deputies responded to a trespassing and theft call at the same house, and the victim told deputies that the same man returned with a woman and child, stealing more items.

According to TCSO, Coley and Johnson, from Munford, Tennessee, were identified as the suspects involved in the burglaries.

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They said they located the suspect vehicle on Sunset Lane and took Johnson into custody, and when deputies arrived at Coleys residence and attempted to make contact, he fled on foot into a wooded area.

Woman faces attempted murder charge after North Memphis shooting

The next day, deputies located and arrested Coley at his residence.

Dustin Coley is being held on a $25,000 bond, and Mitzi Johnson is out on a $15,000 bond.

They are scheduled to appear in court on July 22.

If anyone has information, call the Criminal Investigations Division at 901-475-3300 or the Central Dispatch after hours at 901-475-4300.

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  One of the men arrested in connection with a Thursday night shooting was just sentenced in connection with an August 2022 robbery.

Omarvelous Blakes, 21, had pleaded guilty in March to aggravated robbery and was sentenced to probation and time already served at the Peoria County jail in connection with the earlier heist.

Now, he finds himself back at the county jail, this time for alleged possession of firearm ammunition as a felon. A petition to revoke his earlier probation was also filed Friday.

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Blakes and Dartavious D. Carr, 19, were arrested Thursday, not long after the shooting in the 200 block of North Webster Street in South Peoria, said Peoria police spokeswoman Semone Roth.

Officers initially responded to a report of a man being shot at 8:49 p.m., Roth said. Once they arrived, they found a man, 19, in an alley near the intersection of Middle and Webster streets with a non-life-threatening injury.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

During their investigation, officers were led to an apartment on Webster. There, they talked to residents and saw evidence of a crime scene, Roth said

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Upon speaking with the occupants, one male was found to be in possession of a firearm magazine that contained multiple rounds of ammunition, she said, adding that two weapons were also found.

Blakes, based upon the charges, appears to be the one who was linked to the ammunition. He will be held over the weekend pending a detention hearing on Monday.

Carr was booked into the county jail on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. As of Friday afternoon, he remained in jail but had not yet been formally charged.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Lawrence police are investigating a shooting that left two men dead and a woman critically injured late Thursday night.

Highway 56 back open after two-vehicle crash in Douglas Co.

Police were called to Edgewood Homes at 1600 Haskell Ave. just after 8 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls about gunfire in the area. Police said at least one caller reported seeing a man with a gun running through the parking lot and firing shots.

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When police officers arrived, they found three people who had been shot. They found a man dead inside a truck and another man dead on the ground. Lawrence police said in a statement that they believe the man on the ground died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A woman who had been shot was taken to a trauma center by helicopter.

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Police believe the shooting occurred after a recent break-up between a couple. Police said a preliminary investigation showed that the woman arrived home to find her ex-boyfriend inside, an altercation ensued and the woman ran to a truck where a man was waiting. Police believe the ex-boyfriend approached the truck, shot the man, shot the woman as she ran away and then took his own life.

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Police have since identified the male victim in the truck as 21-year-old Javien K. Hardin, and the woman who was injured remained in critical condition as of Friday morning.

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Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, fist bumps Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama after being acknowledged during Gov. Bob Fergusons inaugural address Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (Photo by Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard)

Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez may soon get a seasoned Republican challenger in her southwest Washington district. And it wont be Joe Kent, the man shes defeated twice.

State Senate Republican Leader John Braun and Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh are both eyeing a challenge to the congresswoman, who won a second term last year and is up for reelection in 2026.

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Her 3rd Congressional District has drawn national attention as a battleground where the outcome helps decide which party controls the U.S. House. Republicans are eager to reclaim the seat they lost three years ago.

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat, represents Washingtons 3rd Congressional District. (Courtesy of Gluesenkamp Perez campaign)

Braun, a Centralia resident reelected last year to a fourth term as a state senator, was recruited by the National Republican Congressional Committee. He is expected to formally announce his campaign as soon as next week.

My wife and I are talking about it. Well see, Braun said Wednesday morning.

Walsh, an Aberdeen resident and state representative since 2017, said hes looking at it and not closing the door, but noted his work to rebuild the state party is not complete.

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Thats a factor, he added.

With their respective political experience and electoral success, either could be a tough match-up for Gluesenkamp Perez. President Donald Trump won the 3rd District in each of his presidential runs.

One Republican, Antony Barran, owner of Willapa Wild, an oyster farm in Willapa Bay has already announced his candidacy in the district. This is his first run for Congress.

Tim Gowen, a campaign manager for Gluesenkamp Perez, said in an email on Thursday that the congresswoman is laser-focused on cutting red tape for small businesses, expanding shop classes, and lowering costs for SW families.

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Shes ready to put her record of fighting our fentanyl crisis and leveling the playing field for everyday people up against anyone, Gowen added.

The 3rd District encompasses Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties and a small part of Thurston County. It includes the city of Vancouver, and its southern boundary is the Columbia River.

In 2022, Gluesenkamp Perez, co-owner of an auto repair and machine shop with her husband, defeated Republican Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces soldier who had Trumps backing.

It was one of that years biggest ballot upsets, costing the Republican Party a seat it had held for more than a decade and dropping the number of Republicans in Washingtons 12-member congressional delegation from three to two.

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Last year, in a rematch, Gluesenkamp Perez defeated Kent by 15,000 votes, while in the presidential race, Trump beat Democrat Kamala Harris in the congressional district by nearly the same margin.

A co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, Gluesenkamp Perez has positioned herself as a moderate Democrat, touting her willingness to work across the aisle.

State Rep. Jim Walsh of Aberdeen is speaking to reporters about being elected chair of the Washington State Republican Party, on Aug. 12, 2023 in Olympia. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

In her first term, she voted to oppose then-President Joe Bidens border security policies and his proposals for student loan forgiveness. This year, she voted with House Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, which would require a person to prove they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote in federal elections.

It is a Trump district, Walsh said. The incumbent has worked very hard to create the image that she represents the district. Shes a progressive. You can wear all the Carhartts in the world, but your votes are your votes.

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If Braun enters the race, Walsh might not. He said he wants to avoid a divisive primary, citing damage done by intraparty primary fights in the last two elections.

In 2022, Republican U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler faced several GOP challengers angered by her vote a year earlier to impeach Trump during his first term. Herrera Beutler had held the seat since 2011.

Kent beat Herrera Beutler in the primary that year but then lost in the general election.

As a candidate, Kent drew attention for embracing false claims that Trump, not Biden, won in the 2020 election and unfounded theories about FBI involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

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Last year, Kent fended off Republican Leslie Lewallen of Camas before losing his November rematch with Gluesenkamp Perez.

In February, Trump appointed Kent to be director of The National Counterterrorism Center. He is awaiting confirmation.
Two married Iranian students at Louisiana State University were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this week after they were arrested in June in what their attorneys describe as a ruse orchestrated by government agents.

Attorneys for Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad and Parisa Firouzabadi had challenged their detentions and accused the government of violating the law and immigration procedures. The American Civil Liberties Unions Louisiana chapter announced their release Wednesday.

The two graduate students, who were detained for nearly a month, were lured out of their home by ICE agents who told them they were investigating a hit-and-run the couple had previously reported, court documents said. They were then arrested.

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ICE did not provide or present a warrant for their arrests, their attorneys said in court documents. Several days later, ICE alleged that Firouzabadi was deportable because of a 2023 visa revocation, the documents said. Pourhosseinhendabad is on an active F-1 student visa and is still enrolled at the school, according to the ACLU.

Nora Ahmed, the legal director for the ACLU of Louisiana, which is helping represent the couple, said in a statement that their release was a powerful affirmation of immigrants rights.

Pouria and Parisa should never have been detained and were relieved theyre finally free, Ahmed said.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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A federal magistrate judge recommended the release of Pourhosseinhendabad on Monday, writing that he has established that there is a grave risk he will suffer irreparable harm. After attorneys filed a petition for the release of Firouzabadi on Tuesday, the government agreed to release the couple.

Pouria and Parisa should never have been detained and were relieved theyre finally free, Ahmed said in the statement. However, this case also underscores that when the governments power is allowed to go unchecked, entire communities are left vulnerable to sweeping abuses of power.

On June 22, police officers knocked on the couples apartment door, claiming to investigate a hit-and-run accident the couple had reported weeks earlier, according to Firouzabadis habeas corpus petition. The officers asked to see their vehicle to assess damage, prompting the couple to lead them to the parking lot, the petition said. Federal agents believed to be employed by ICE then handcuffed and arrested them, according to court documents.

The way that state police presented themselves to Parisa  as though they were investigating the hit-and-run of which Parisa had been a victim weeks prior  constitutes a ruse because it was an official deception that was used to arrest and detain her, the petition said.

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Days after Firouzabadi was arrested, a charging document was uploaded to the immigration court electronic record, the petition said. In it, ICE alleged that she had failed to maintain her legal status because of a visa revocation in 2023 owing to violations of laws related to sabotage or espionage, court documents said. Ten days after that filing, ICE rescinded the accusation tied to sabotage and espionage but continued to allege that she was deportable, the petition said. It is unclear what prompted the accusation and why it was rescinded. Attorneys did not immediately respond to questions about Firouzabadis visa revocation; court documents say she was given no reasons.

Firouzabadis attorneys argued that she still has legal status because she is actively enrolled, attending classes and working at Louisiana State University and that the revocation prevents her only from leaving and trying to return to the country.

Pourhosseinhendabad, who was held at a separate facility, is in full compliance with his visa requirements, his attorneys said.

Arresting and detaining him without any justification under the law violates due process, equal protection, the Fourth Amendment, and established immigration procedures, the ACLU said in a news release.

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The couples attorneys point out in court documents that their arrests coincide with the U.S. entrance into the conflict between Israel and Iran. The two were arrested just hours after the military attacked three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. The conflict ended in a ceasefire days later. Given the timing, their counsel argued, the unlawful arrests were the result of discrimination.

This is the same kind of discrimination that occurred with the internment of Japanese Americans in the 1940s, which we committed never to repeat, Ahmed said in the release. And yet, we were right here on June 22, the day after the United States bombed Iran  indiscriminately rounding up Iranians on U.S. soil.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  Two eastern North Carolinian teenagers travelled to Washington D.C. from July 7th to 9th to participate in Breakthrough Type One Diabetes Childrens Congress. Kade McLawhorn and Madelyn Sutter testified in front of the US Senate, representing Breakthrough T1D.

The biggest thing we talked about was the Special Diabetes Program that is up for renewal in September, and that is behind a lot of the advances in diabetes technology recently. And so we need to continue funding that program so that we can have smarter pumps things like that and eventually a cure, said Madelyn Sutter, a Breakthrough T1D Delegate.

Funding for initiatives like the Special Diabetes Program is crucial, not just in North Carolina, but across the country.

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Theres lots of diabetics. There was 170 delegates from all around America, and they all use devices like the ones I do. And the funding that we were pushing for is has the potential to be cut in September. And we need the funding to continue getting support for the devices we wear and to potentially find a cure, said Kade McLawhorn, a Breakthrough T1D Delegate.

Click the video above for more information.

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Two flights flying into London Gatwick Airport experienced mid-air emergencies within minutes of each other on Tuesday (15 July), with one flight requesting a priority landing following a suspected bird strike.

British Airways flight BA2203 departed from Gatwick at 2.30pm on Tuesday 15 July for an almost 10-hour journey to Cancun, Mexico.

However, this was cut short almost immediately after a strange smell took over the aircraft, which forced the pilots to make a last-minute diversion back to Gatwick.

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The crew onboard said a smell of used socks left them feeling dizzy, with the mysterious smell leading to oxygen masks being deployed for passengers, according to The Sun.

Shortly after takeoff, the Boeing 777 circled the East Sussex coast for around half an hour before making its way back to the airport, data from FlightRadar shows.

The plane landed back at Gatwick at 3.29pm, with The Sun reporting that emergency services lined the runway to meet the plane as it came into land.

British Airways told The Independent that the aircraft landed safely at Gatwick after our pilots identified a technical issue.

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Customers disembarked normally, and weve apologised for the disruption to their travel plans.

Passengers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation by the airline and were able to board their flight to Cancun the following morning.

Within minutes of the BA incident, another flight requested priority landing.

EasyJet flight EZY8520 jetted from Funchal airport, Madeira, just before midday on Tuesday.

While flying into Gatwick, the pilots requested that their flight be given priority to land ahead of other scheduled planes due to a suspected bird strike.

A bird strike is a collision between a bird or airborne animal and an aircraft. They can cause significant damage to aircraft, with a risk of jet engines losing power should they suck in a bird.

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Struck aircraft will often need to abort their take-off or landing attempts, which can be costly for airlines and their passengers.

An easyJet spokesperson told The Independent that the aircraft landed normally and was met by emergency services in line with procedures, purely as a precaution.

The safety of our customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority, and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers guidelines.

The Independent has contacted Gatwick Airport for comment
(FOX40.COM)  A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old man were arrested on charges of the sex trafficking of minors during a months-long investigation, according to the Placer County Sheriffs Office.

PCSO said the investigation began on September 30, 2024, after a traffic stop on a Honda Accord traveling westbound on Interstate-80 near Douglas Boulevard.

Video Above: What to do if you witness a crime

The driver was identified as 24-year-old Jonathan Green, who had two 15-year-old girls dressed in revealing clothing in the vehicle with him.

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The sheriffs office said that the girls were not related to Green.

The investigation showed that the teenagers had been traveling across jurisdictions and were suspected of possibly engaging in prostitution activity.

Further evidence implicated Jonathan Green and a second suspect, 25-year-old Renardo Williams, in the alleged facilitation of sexually exploiting and sex trafficking the two girls.

The teenagers were taken to the South Placer Substation and released to their guardians.

The case remains under active investigation.

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Two men have been arrested in separate investigations for allegedly attempting to meet underage girls for sexual acts, according to the Union County Sheriffs Office.

Robert Neuenschwander was arrested in Ohio after allegedly planning to meet two underage females for sexual activities.

ALSO READ: Harrisburg man accused of spying on Airbnb guests and kids, sharing child sex abuse material

Craig Gray was arrested in North Carolina for similar intentions with a minor female.

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These arrests were part of coordinated efforts by the UCSO Criminal Investigations Bureau, demonstrating their commitment to protecting children.

Sheriff Eddie Cathey expressed gratitude to Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement partners for their cooperation in these cases.

Neuenschwander faces multiple charges, including solicitation of a child by computer and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He is held at the Ottawa County Detention Center in Ohio under a $450,000 bond, awaiting extradition to North Carolina.

Gray was charged with felony solicitation of a child by computer and was released on a $10,000 bond after being arrested and transported to Union County.

VIDEO: Harrisburg man accused of spying on Airbnb guests and kids, sharing child sex abuse material
The Department of Homeland Security plans to set up detention facilities on two U.S. military bases to temporarily house migrants set for deportation. This week, the Department of Defense authorized the use of those installations.

A July 15 letter from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed plans to let the Department of Homeland Security use property at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana. The decision came after a request by Homeland Security.

A defense official told Task & Purpose that the timeline for the new facilities hasnt been made clear and depends on coordinating with DHS.

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The July 15 letter to Rep. Herb Conaway (D-N.J.) confirms plans to house detained migrants on the two bases. According to the defense official, the Department of Homeland Security will establish temporary soft-sided holding facilities on the grounds of bases, rather than use existing structures.

The move will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness, Hegseth wrote.

Hegseths letter did not detail what parts of the bases these camps would be set up on, or provide any additional details.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, located southeast of Trenton, is home to multiple units from the National Guard, and reserves from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Camp Atterbury serves as a training facility for the National Guard. The two bases recently housed several thousand Afghan refugees in the aftermath of the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

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Although the Department of Homeland Security has been carrying out immigration raids and detentions, it has relied on the Department of Defense for several logistical services. That includes the use of military planes and airfields for deportation flights out of the United States.

Several dozen Florida National Guard troops are protecting a detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Additionally, thousands of National Guard troops from California were placed under federal control last month in order to protect federal agents, including members of the Department of Homeland Security, as they carried out immigration-related operations.

Guardsmen have accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol personnel on small raids in Southern California and larger operations, including shows of presence in central Los Angeles and missions to farms in rural parts of the area. Half of those Guardsmen were released from federal authority this week after more than a month.

The latest on Task & Purpose
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  Two Montgomery County men are facing charges in connection with a burglary and theft that took place on July 9, police announced Friday.

The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) arrested 39-year-old Oscar Hernandez-Bonilla of Rockville and 41-year-old Osmin Ernesto Martinez Diaz of Silver Spring, who are both charged with second-degree burglary and theft-related charges.

MCPD said that around 10:45 a.m. on July 9, officers were flagged down in the 11200 block of Georgia Ave. for a reported burglary that took place earlier that morning at the Elite Studio and Barber on Triangle Lane.

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Man charged in Germantown shooting that left three hurt

Police believe that shortly before 2:05 a.m., the two men went into the business, stole items then left.

Officers immediately recognized Hernandez-Bonilla from surveillance video, and located him nearby, in possession of stolen items, MPCD said in a release.

On that same day, officers also found and arrested Martinez Diaz. He had injuries from before the arrest and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Police say Martinez Diaz has since been released on bond, and Hernandez-Bonilla is still being held.

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A Border Police officer conducting operations, May 2025. (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)

Five suspects have been arrested so far as police continue to work to clear the scene.

Two police officers and a bomb-sniffing dog were wounded in an explosion during an operation to locate illegal weapons in Jaljulya, Israel Police announced on Friday.

Five suspects have been arrested so far.

The officers were conducting a search for illegal weapons when the police dog led them to a suspicious item inside the house.

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Despite initial reports that the dog had been killed, Israel Police stated they were pleased to report that the dog is fine.

Bomb disposal experts are currently working to finish clearing the scene and the area around the house.

IDF soldiers seen at the site of a terror attack in the Gush Etzion attack, July 10, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

West Bank violence continues

Last week, Shalev Zevuloni, 22, was killed in a combined shooting and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank.

The terrorists were neutralized at the scene.

The two Palestinians who carried out the attack were Palestinian Authority police officers Mahmoud Yusef Abed and Malek Ibrahim Salem. They recently returned to the West Bank after completing their studies in Qatar, according to Palestinian media reports.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Texas Department of Transportation on Friday held a press conference and announced it was awarded an emergency contract this week to rebuild the RM 1431 bridge over Cow Creek in north Travis County. This was because, on July 5, floodwaters had washed the original structure.

Construction on the bridge replacement is set to begin on Monday. The bridge is expected to be complete by Sept. 19, according to the agency.

TxDOT said the 240-foot-long structure was originally built in 1960.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Floods cause significant damage to area roads

According to the transportation agency, more than 3,500 vehicles a day travel on RM 1431 in the area where the bridge is located.

A detour has been put in place while TxDOT completes the construction of a new RM 1431 bridge over Cow Creek after it was washed away by floodwaters on July 5. (Texas Department of Transportation Map)

Replacing this bridge that has served the traveling public well for the past 65 years is a top priority, said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson. The bridge will be built to current design standards, making it higher and wider than the old structure.

TxDOT said the bridge will include 12-foot travel lanes, a 2-foot striped median, and 6-foot shoulders on both sides. At its highest point, the new bridge will be about five feet higher than the previous bridge.

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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA)  The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is expanding amidst what the Board of Trustees called a growing need for space.

The Board approved on Thursday the purchase of an existing three-story building near the current campus boundaries. Its located at 901 West University Avenue, at the intersection with Lincoln Avenue.

Illinois leaders gather to honor Scott Bennett, continue his legacy at admin center dedication

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The university leased office space in the 32,000 square-foot building between 2009 and 2024, university officials said in a news release. But going forward, the building will be purchased on the universitys behalf by the University of Illinois Foundation for approximately $3.6 million.

The office space will be used the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and other campus units in need of space. As part of the acquisition, the university will also take over the existing leases of two tenants, including one with Einstein Bros. Bagels, and gain ownership of the adjacent parking lot.

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Russian customs agents arrested a Russian-American woman at a Moscow airport for trying to bring a gun into the country in her suitcase, officials said Friday.

Russia's Federal Customs Service said the woman, an unnamed dual citizen, was traveling from the United States via Turkey and was stopped at Moscow Vnukovo airport.

"Vnukovo customs officers stopped the illegal import of a pistol and a bank check worth $138,000," it said on social media.

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The Federal Customs Service of Russia said on social media that officers had stopped her during a random control check in the green lane of the customs corridor of the airport, used by passengers who do not have goods to declare.

"The suitcase was found to contain an American Colt Commander, .45 caliber with three empty magazines," it said, while posting an image of the purported gun and magazines.

Russian customs agents arrested a Russian-American woman at a Moscow airport for trying to bring a gun into the country in her suitcase, officials said Friday. / Credit: Federal Customs Service of Russia

The woman  who lives in the United States  had said she was "unaware of the need to declare the goods," it added.

Russia  which has strict gun laws  opened a criminal case against her for smuggling firearms.

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Americans arrested in Russia

Russia has imprisoned several Americans as tensions with Washington soared in recent years. Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and teacher Marc Fogel were all designated wrongfully detained by the U.S. government, along with dual U.S.-Russian national Ksenia Karelina.

All four of those Americans have been freed in prisoner swaps with Moscow.

Among the U.S. nationals still jailed in Russia is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, whose three-year, nine-month prison sentence for robbing and threatening his Russian girlfriend was reduced in April by seven months.

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Robert Gilman, 72, is currently serving a 3 1/2-year sentence in Russia for assaulting a police officer, and Travis Leake, a musician convicted on drug charges, was sentenced to 13 years in prison last summer.

A Russian court sentenced another 72-year-old American, Stephen Hubbard, to nearly seven years in prison last October for fighting alongside Ukraine's military.

American Joseph Tater was arrested in Russia in August 2024 after an apparent tussle with hotel staff and then forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital this April. He left Russia last month, state media reported, without ever standing trial.

Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue

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Medical expert on Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis




On July 17, 2025, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Wang Qing published a bylined article titled "Remembering History and Embracing Future" in several major Sierra Leonean newspapers, including A-Z Newspaper, The Calabash, and The Concord Times. This article aims to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The full text of the article is as follows:



This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. World War II was an unprecedented catastrophe in human history, inflicting immense suffering on all of humanity. Born out of profound reflection on this tragedy, the United Nations was established, laying the foundation for long-term global peace and the sustainable development of human civilization. Today, as we commemorate both anniversaries, we do so to remember history and jointly embrace the future, working together for lasting peace and sustainable development of the world.

We must always remember the lessons of war and cherish peace. War is a mirror that allows us to better appreciate the value of peace. Although the world has avoided another world war in the past 80 years, it has not been free of conflict. The Ukraine Crisis and the conflict between Iran and Israel have sounded the alarm once again: the obsession with power status, the frequent resort to force, and the pursuit of absolute security at the expense of others' security inevitably lead to insecurity and heightened risks of war. Peace is like sunshine  easily taken for granted, but hard to survive without. The painful lessons of WWII remain fresh. Hegemonic acts of superiority and the law of the junglewhere the strong prey on the weakmust never be allowed to resurface.

We must uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII. Historical justice rests upon defending and remembering the truth. WWII was a war of aggression launched by the fascist bloc of Germany, Italy, and Japan in their quest for global domination. It engulfed five continents, drawing in over 80 countries and regions. China, at the horrific cost of 35 million military and civilian casualties, resisted Japanese militarist aggression tenaciously for 14 arduous years. Holding back Japan's main overseas forces on the major Eastern theater of WWII, China made tremendous sacrifices and immense contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Learning from history and facing the future requires us to reject all erroneous words and deeds that distort, glorify, or deny the history of aggression and jointly safeguard historical truth to avoid repeating past tragedies.

We must safeguard the post-war international order. The international system centered on the U.N. is the concentrated embodiment of the outcomes of the WWII victory and has supported 80 years of global stability and prosperity. It is especially important to remember that Taiwans restoration to China is a victorious outcome of WWII and an integral part of the postwar international order. A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, have all affirmed Chinas sovereignty over Taiwan. The historical and legal fact therein brooks no challenge. Today, 80 years later, the U.N. is facing unprecedented challenges. Self-first policy, unilateralism, power politics and bullying are eroding the fundamental norms of international relations. Facing a turbulent and complex international situation, we must firmly uphold the U.N.-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and jointly practice true multilateralism.

We must improve global governance. Building a better world requires better global governance. As the balance of international forces shifts and global challenges multiply, we must enhance the representativeness, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of global governance, steering it toward greater justice and equity. China's proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind aims to encourage countries with different social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures, and development levels to share interests, rights, and responsibilities in international affairs, and build the broadest common ground for jointly building a better world. China advocates for equal and orderly multipolarity, ensuring that all countries, regardless of size or strength, can participate equally in the multipolarization process, enjoy their rights, and play their roles. We cannot allow one or few major powers to monopolize international affairs. We cannot allow countries to be categorized into different ranks based on so-called power status. We cannot allow a situation where some countries are at the table while others are on the menu.

The victory of the World Anti-Fascist War profoundly altered the historical trajectory of Africa and ushered in a new era of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. Last years Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit elevated the China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China firmly supports Africa in playing a greater role on the international stage, correcting historical injustices, and increasing Africa's representation and voice in the multilateral governance system. As a good friend, partner, and brother with a shared future, China is committed to working with African countries, including Sierra Leone, to jointly follow a path of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and shared prosperity towards modernization. Together, we will elevate China-Sierra Leone relations and China-Africa relations to new heights, promote a more just and equitable international order and system, advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and better benefit people across the world and our future generations.




Dennis Assanis, a scientist, engineer and the former University of Delaware president, was named the new UC Santa Barbara chancellor on Thursday, ushering in a new era of leadership for a university that has grown in stature and selectivity under the three-decade tenure of former Chancellor Henry T. Yang.

The University of California regents cited Assanis' success at expanding the research prowess in Delaware as among the reasons they selected him.

During Assanis's time at the University of Delaware, research expenditures grew to $466 million  an increase of $290 million from 2016  with focuses on health, life sciences and clean hydrogen.

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Read more: UC tuition hike proposal gets a tepid response and many questions from regents

Under his leadership, the university attracted new tenants and created initiatives at its 1.2-million square foot Science, Technology and Advanced Research campus. They included the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, a public-private partnership which researches vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

UC President Michael V. Drake said he was "thoroughly impressed' with Assanis' qualifications, "particularly his commitment to student success, his focus on academic excellence and his record of accomplishment in expanding enterprise research and innovation."

Drake  who will step down from his position at the end of the month  said he coordinated with incoming UC President James B. Milliken to select Assanis. Drake did not attend the meeting, and his remarks were read by a staff member.

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Assanis, 58, who was born in Greece, will take over leadership of the Santa Barbara campus at challenging time for the UC system  under the pressure of a hiring freeze, austerity measures, federal cuts to education and research funding and state funding deferrals. The ocean-view campus in pricey Santa Barbara County is also grappling with a student housing shortage as state pressure grows to increase enrollment.

Regents voted to approve Assanis' annual salary at $880,000  a $60,000 increase over the pay of Yang, 84, who stepped down July 14 to return to teaching and research. Assanis starts in the role Sept. 1.

UC Regents Chair Janet Reilly said in a statement that Assanis "commitment to academic excellence and his penchant for collaboration will steer a bold new era of growth and innovation, serving the campus and all of UC well.

Speaking via video from Greece  where he was on a family vacation  Assanis said becoming chancellor was a "profound privilege" and that he saw higher education "not only as a ladder of opportunity but as a community of belonging, motivation and progress."

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He said he would "work tirelessly" at "fostering a culture of academic and research excellence, supporting student success and strengthening a bold commitment to access and affordability."

Assanis, who held the top role at the University of Delaware for nine years, was previously a senior vice president for academic affairs at New Yorks Stony Brook University and vice president at Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs.

He began his academic career in 1985 as an engineering professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before moving in 1995 to teaching, research and administrative positions at the University of Michigan.

Assanis will inherit a campus that that is significantly larger, more prestigious and less provincial than it was when Yang  the longest-serving chancellor in UC history  arrived in 1994 from Purdue University.

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Over Yang's tenure, the campus became more selective and grew dramatically in students enrolled and programs offered. Today, the undergraduate acceptance rate is 32.9%, compared to roughly 70% in the mid-to-late 1990s. About 23,000 undergraduates currently attend classes, compared to 15,525 in 1994.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CHICAGO  Bowing to federal pressure under the Trump administration, UChicago Medicine has become the latest Illinois hospital to end gender-affirming pediatric care.

The decision, announced Friday, leaves no room for ongoing transitional care, and an unknown number of patients in limbo.

UChicago Medicine has reached the difficult decision that, in response to continued federal actions, it will discontinue all gender-affirming pediatric care effective immediately, the hospital said in a statement. We understand that this news will have a significant impact on our patients.

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The announcement by UChicago Medicine, the esteemed century-old academic medical health system based at the University of Chicago, follows a similar decision by Rush University System for Health, which paused hormonal care to new patients under the age of 18 beginning July 1. Rush is continuing to offer mental and behavioral support, but referring gender care patients that need additional treatment to other providers.

UChicago Medicine will no longer be on that shrinking list of hospitals providing gender-affirming pediatric care, which can include counseling, medications to delay puberty and surgery.

In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order ostensibly protecting children under 19 from chemical and surgical mutilation that threatened to withhold federal research grants as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for institutions that provide such pediatric gender care services.

We reached this conclusion in light of emerging federal actions, which would place at risk our ability to care for all Medicare or Medicaid patients, UChicago Medicine said in its statement. These patients make up the majority of those we serve. As the largest Medicaid provider in Illinois, this step is necessary to ensure UChicago Medicine can continue serving our broader community and delivering on our mission.

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Federal pressure to end gender-affirming pediatric care has caused several Chicago-area hospitals to curtail such services.

In February, Lurie Childrens Hospital paused gender-affirming surgeries for patients younger than 19, a policy which remains in place, the hospital said earlier this week.

Meanwhile, UI Health allegedly canceled an Illinois teenagers gender-affirming chest surgery, according to a February federal court filing. Reached earlier this week, UI Health would not say if it was still providing gender-affirming care to minors.

As for UChicago Medicine, all gender-affirming pediatric care ends Friday.

Our focus right now is working with affected patients to discuss options going forward, the hospital said in its statement.

_____
On Friday 18 July, the United Kingdom announced that it had uncovered a Russian military intelligence operation involving the use of sophisticated malware for cyber espionage.

Source: UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to official data, attacks were carried out by the APT 28 hacker group, which operates under the control of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (better known as the GRU).

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The NCSC announced that APT 28 has used new malware called AUTHENTIC ANTICS to infiltrate users' email accounts. The program stole login credentials and access tokens by masquerading as legitimate Microsoft requests and provided covert access to email accounts.

An analysis of AUTHENTIC ANTICS has revealed that it was specifically designed to maintain persistent access to Microsoft cloud accounts by mimicking legitimate activity.

It periodically displays a login window asking the user to enter their credentials, which are then intercepted by the malware along with OAuth authentication tokens that allow access to Microsoft services.

This formal attribution coincides with new sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom against three GRU units  26165, 29155 and 74455  and 18 officers and agents for their involvement in global cyberattacks and hybrid operations.

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UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that the Kremlin is trying to destabilise Europe and threatens the security of British citizens, but London will continue to resolutely defend its interests and support Ukraine.

Paul Chichester, NCSC Director of Operations, called on British organisations to strengthen their cyber defences and not underestimate the threat posed by the GRU.

The malicious software AUTHENTIC ANTICS was discovered during a joint investigation by Microsoft and the NCC Group in 2023. The UK has once again confirmed that hybrid threats from Russia remain a major challenge to national security.

Background:

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On 16 July, it was reported that law enforcement agencies from more than ten European countries, as well as Canada and the US, had carried out a joint operation against the large-scale pro-Russian hacker network NoName057(16).

Law enforcement and judicial authorities from Czechia, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States participated in the operation against pro-Russian hackers.

The investigation was also supported by Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Denmark, Latvia, Romania and Ukraine, Europol said.

Hackers of the NoName057(16) group initially conducted operations against Ukraine, but later expanded their activities against the EU and NATO countries.

For example, the attackers attacked Swedish and Finnish authorities and attempted to disrupt the peace formula summit in Switzerland.

Recently, the Dutch authorities also confirmed that they detected an attack linked to the NoName057(16) network during the last NATO summit in The Hague. All of them were neutralised without significant disruption.

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UK Kings Daughters announced on July 15 that they have once again received the American Heart Associations highest recognition for stroke care: Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

This national distinction is a remarkable milestone, not only marking over 12 consecutive years of excellence in stroke care but also highlighting their continued commitment to improving outcomes for stroke patients across the region. In fact, UK Kings Daughters is one of only three medical centers in Kentucky to achieve this level of recognitionand the only one in our area.

What this means for patients

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The Get With The Guidelines program honors hospitals that demonstrate consistent, evidence-based care that leads to better recovery, reduced disability, and improved survival rates for stroke patients. By adhering to rigorous clinical guidelines, they help ensure patients receive the right treatment at the right time, when every minute matters.

Research has shown that hospitals participating in this program have better patient outcomes, including reduced readmissions and lower risk of long-term disability.

The work behind the award

Achieving this recognition is no small feat. It reflects excellence in a wide range of performance measures, including:

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* Administration of clot-busting medication (IV thrombolytics) within 4.5 hours of symptom onset

* Door-to-needle times: Medication delivered within 60 minutes  and for the Elite Plus honor roll, 75% of patients within 45 minutes, and 50% within 30 minutes

* Antithrombotic therapy by hospital day 2 and at discharge

* VTE prophylaxis and dysphagia screening by hospital day 2

* Stroke education, smoking cessation counseling, rehabilitation assessments

* Prescribing anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter

* NIH Stroke Scale documentation

* Intensive statin therapy prescribed at discharge

Each of these steps plays a vital role in helping stroke patients recover faster and return to their lives with fewer complications.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hinted that London may join Germany in purchasing weapons from the United States to be sent to Ukraine.

Source: Bloomberg with reference to a source familiar with the matter, cautioning that no decision has yet been made

Details: Discussions on joining this proposal are at an early stage between the UK, the US and other European countries.

"Were working with allies on the provision of capability" as well as "the backup that sits behind that to make sure any capability is effective in Ukraine," Starmer told reporters during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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He had been asked whether the UK would join Donald Trump's plan to send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine by selling them to European allies.

Background:

This week, Trump promised more weapons for Ukraine and threatened 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if Vladimir Putin did not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.

Trump said NATO member countries would pay for the weapons sent to Ukraine. Each Patriot battery costs more than US$1 billion, and the system's missiles cost about US$4 million each.

On Thursday 17 July, Starmer and Merz signed a new Kensington Treaty, which includes a commitment by the two countries to assist each other in the event of an armed attack, to deliver a new long-range missile system in the next decade and to cooperate closely on export licences for joint weapons systems. Merz's trip to the UK followed a more formal state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron last week, which was the first visit by a European leader since Brexit.

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It is one of history's most intriguing "murders" -- the mysterious disappearance over five centuries ago of two young princes from the Tower of London.

Nearly 200 years after they disappeared, two small skeletons were found in a wooden box at the historic tower and reburied at Westminster Abbey.

The remains were believed, but never proved, to be those of the two brothers -- heir to the throne Edward, 12, and Richard, nine, the sons of King Edward IV of England, who were reputedly murdered at the behest of their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester.

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William Shakespeare later immortalised him in Richard III as a scheming hunchback who did away with his royal nephews so he could take the crown himself, sealing his reputation as a child killer.

Now British author Philippa Langley, who helped unearth Richard's body from a central England carpark in 2012, has claimed that the princes -- far from being killed -- actually survived.

The elder prince, Edward, was heir to the throne at the time of his disappearance and would have ruled as King Edward V of England.

Langley decided to delve into the mystery after coming to believe that the conventional narrative in which Richard had the young princes killed smacked of "history being written by the victors".

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She was finally spurred into action after reading an article about Richard's reburial at Leicester Cathedral in 2015 which questioned whether the nation should honour a "child killer".

"I think I'd always realised that the story sort of developed during the reign of the Tudors," she said, adding that it was then "repeated and repeated over time" until it became "truth and fact".

- Tudor mud -

The last English king to die in battle, Richard ruled from 1483 until his brutal death at the Battle of Bosworth near Leicester in 1485, aged 32.

Bosworth was the last major conflict in the Wars of the Roses and changed the course of English history because the Tudor dynasty of Henry VII captured the crown from Richard's Plantagenets.

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Langley attributes the accepted story that Richard had the boys murdered to King Henry VII, a "very, very intelligent individual, but suspicious and highly paranoid".

"He had a massive spy network working for him. And he was able to completely control the narrative," she said, adding that Richard ended up "covered in Tudor mud".

Taking a cold case review approach to the historical "whodunnit", Langley says she assembled a group of investigative specialists, including police and lawyers, to advise her.

"They said: 'Look, if you haven't got any confirmed, identified bodies, then it has to be a missing persons investigation and you have to follow that methodology'.

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"They said: 'You have to actively look for evidence'. That's when it really started to get interesting."

Langley put out an appeal for volunteers to scour archives, only to be inundated with offers of help from people ranging from ordinary citizens to medieval historians.

The result was the decade-long Missing Princes Project which she says unearthed a significant amount of information pointing to the survival of both young princes.

- Survival theory -

Langley now believes that it is up to Richard's detractors to disprove the survival thesis, which she outlines in the new book "The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's Greatest Cold Case".

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"The onus is now on them to find the evidence that the boys died.

"They cannot say Richard III murdered the princes in the tower any more because we found numerous proofs of life everywhere," she said.

Key to Langley's conviction that both boys survived are documents discovered supporting a rebellion by "Edward IV's son".

During the rebellion in 1487, Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne who came forward after Richard's death, was crowned in Dublin.

According to fresh references found by the project, the boy was "called" or said to be "a son of King Edward", which she believes points to Simnel being the elder prince, son of Edward IV.

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The reaction to Langley's research has been mixed.

Michael Dobson, director and a professor of Shakespeare studies at the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute, expressed scepticism.

"Given the ways of dynastic monarchy, I think Richard would have been taking a very big risk in leaving those princes alive," he said.

"The chances of their having accidentally gone missing while incarcerated on his orders in the Tower of London seem pretty remote."

har/jkb/gil/tc
A number of Russian spies have been sanctioned for conducting a "sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity" including in the UK, the Foreign Office has said.

Three military intelligence units from Russia's GRU espionage agency and 18 officers have had sanctions placed on them for allegedly "spreading chaos and disorder on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's orders".

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy linked the activity to the UK's continued support of Ukraine, and said GRU spies were "running a campaign to destabilise Europe".

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Separately, the European Union placed its "strongest sanctions" yet on Russia, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called "essential and timely".

The latest EU measures, announced on Friday, included a ban on transactions related to the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline and lowering a cap on the price at which Russian oil can be bought.

The UK joined the move to lower the price cap, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves saying Europe was "turning the screw on the Kremlin's war chest".

They come as European allies hope to ratchet up the pressure on Russia to bring the three-year-long war in Ukraine to an end.

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But former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, said his nation's economy would survive the sanctions and that Moscow will continue striking Ukraine "with increasing force".

The EU sanctions are the 18th round of such measures since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The aim is to undermine Moscow's ability to finance its war on Ukraine - something Western sanctions have so far failed to achieve, as Russia has increased its oil exports to China and India and operates a so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers around the globe.

David Lammy said Russian spies "are running a campaign to destabilise Europe" [Getty Images]

Whitehall officials say today's sanctions imposed by the UK on 18 Russian GRU military intelligence officers is "the biggest action against Russian spies" since the aftermath of the Salisbury Novichok poisonings in 2018.

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The latter was more significant as it involved the wide scale expulsion of Russian "diplomats", whereas those GRU officers outed today are presumed to be back in Russia.

The UK Foreign Office said one of the intelligence units it had sanctioned - Unit 26165 - had been involved in targeting Mariupol, including a strike that hit the Ukrainian city's theatre, killing hundreds of civilians.

It said it had also placed measures on intelligence officers who placed spyware on the phone of Yulia Skripal, who with her father was targeted by suspected Russian agents in Salisbury with the nerve agent Novichok.

The Foreign Office added that Russia had targeted UK media organisations, telecoms companies, energy infrastructure and political institutions.

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"The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it," Lammy said in a statement. "Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve."

The BBC has contacted the Russian embassy for comment.

People or entities that are sanctioned can face a range of restrictions, including having financial assets frozen.

European leaders are also looking for the US to place further pressure on Russia.

Earlier this week, Donald Trump threatened Russia with severe tariffs if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days. The US president has become increasingly impatient with Putin.

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The Foreign Office also announced sanctions on three leaders of the "African Initiative", a social media campaign it said was founded, funded and employed by Russia to conduct disinformation operations in West Africa.

Russia has previously denied any involvement in efforts to interfere with countries' democratic systems or of seeking to sabotage their economies.
The transformed nature of modern warfare is starkly evident to a weary Ukrainian platoon commander, medically evacuated from the front lines.

The skies above Ukraine now swarm with kamikaze, surveillance, bomber, and anti-drone UAVs.

These numerous, cheap, and deadly machines are considered by Kyiv to be a primary reason Ukraine can withstand advancing Russian forces this year and beyond, a view shared by a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials, and arms manufacturers.

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So pervasive are these remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles that Ukrainian soldiers refer to the roughly 10-kilometre corridor on either side of the contact line as the "kill zone," where targets are swiftly spotted and neutralised by both sides.

The war's evolution into the most drone-intensive conflict ever seen has eaten away at Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in troop numbers, artillery and tanks, according to two Ukrainian battlefield commanders interviewed.

A service member of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment sits at a position while he operates FPV-drones near the front line town of Kupiansk (REUTERS)

A service member of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment sits at a position while he operates FPV-drones near the front line town of Kupiansk (REUTERS)

Any large vehicle operating near the front is now an obvious target, meaning Russian forces can no longer make the kind of rapid advances they did in 2022 with columns of armoured vehicles, according to the commanders as well as the founder of OCHI, a system which centralises video feeds from over 15,000 Ukrainian military drone crews on the front lines.

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"The enemy sees you completely," OCHI's Oleksandr Dmitriev added. "No matter where you go or what you are driving."

Russia has consequently adapted its tactics, the Ukrainian battlefield commanders said; its forces now typically attack in small groups of five or six - on foot or on motorbikes or quad bikes - in an attempt expose Ukrainian positions by drawing their fire and then launching drone strikes at them, they added.

Russia's defence ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on this article.

Despite the changes in warfare, Russian forces retain the ascendancy and are making slow but steady advances in the east and north of Ukraine. Russia has also caught up in UAV technology after falling behind early in the war, according to military analysts, and like its enemy is churning out drones domestically at a rate of millions a year.

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Meanwhile, European leaders are trying to parse President Donald Trump's announcement this week that America would supply arms to Ukraine via NATO, with Europe picking up the bill. Many details remain unclear, including the types and quantity of weapons, how quickly they would be sent and precisely how they would be paid for, U.S. and European officials said this week.

The White House didn't respond to queries on the supply plan. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the war had gone on too long and Trump wanted to end the killing, and so is selling U.S. arms to NATO for Ukraine and threatening hefty sanctions on Russia.

Firefighters extinguishing a fire on civilian object after Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine (Ukrainian State Emergency Servic)

Firefighters extinguishing a fire on civilian object after Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine (Ukrainian State Emergency Servic)

The people interviewed for this article, who were speaking before Trump's weapons announcement, said they believed Ukraine could fight on and resist Russia even if no more U.S. aid was forthcoming, though they didn't give precise timelines.

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Many cited the primacy of drones as having levelled the field to some degree and made Ukraine more self-sufficient, and also pointed to growing military supplies from European allies.

"We can hold out for months," said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's arms expert and strategic adviser, when asked about what would happen if U.S. weapons supplies ceased. "In 2023 or 2024, it would have been a lot worse; we would be talking about days or weeks."

Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka, who has made numerous visits to the front lines, said Ukraine's focus was to sap the strength of Russian attacks, adding that Kyiv didn't currently have the capability to launch offensives of its own.

A drone pilot controls a Ukranian fiber-optic FPV Drone Stalker (AFP via Getty Images)

A drone pilot controls a Ukranian fiber-optic FPV Drone Stalker (AFP via Getty Images)

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He said Ukraine would likely struggle in a long war of attrition due to its manpower shortages and Russia's superior resources. Although drones have changed the battlefield, he cautioned against overstating their ability to make up for an absence of artillery and mortars.

"To deliver the amount of damage that an artillery shell does to a target, you would need to launch tens of drones," he added. "Drones can fill in the gaps to some extent and give you some breathing space, but they are not a substitute for artillery."

Destruction rains from above

Drones are demons, at least for those in the kill zone that straddles the 1,000 km line of contact.

Reconnaissance UAVs from both sides - resembling shrunken airplanes, made of plastic or styrofoam and equipped with sophisticated cameras - can spot enemies from several kilometres away. They hover over the front lines, relaying back what they see in real time.

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They find targets for the fleets of bomber drones - often hexacopters the size of coffee tables that can drop precision grenades with 3D-printed tailfins - as well as kamikaze drones, some with RPG warheads strapped on to pierce armour, which can fly into soldiers, tanks and weapons systems.

The platoon commander being evacuated from the front, a 35-year-old called Ivan who goes by the call sign "Atom", said soldiers on both sides now saw UAVs as the biggest threat to their lives, replacing shells, mines and enemy fighters which were the primary perils earlier in the war.

Soldiers from the

Soldiers from the "Black Sky" battalion of the Spartan brigade carry an agricultural drone, transformed into a front-line delivery cargo (AFP via Getty Images)

A medic with him on the bus, 34-year-old Olga Kozum, concurred: Most of the battlefield injuries she and her colleagues treat are caused by UAVs, she said.

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According to internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters, drones accounted for 69% of strikes on Russian troops and 75% of strikes on vehicles and equipment in 2024. About 18% of strikes on Russian infantry and 15% of strikes on vehicles and equipment were conducted with artillery, and even less with mortars, according to the same estimates.

The wartime UAV arms race has spawned many innovations; both sides are deploying short-range, fibre-optic drones that cannot be electronically jammed, as well as "interceptors" that hunt down and destroy enemy reconnaissance and attack drones.

Kyiv's planned production this year of 30,000 long-range UAVs, designed to attack targets deep inside Russia such as arms depots and energy facilities, gives Ukraine an increased offensive threat, according to Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of the country's drone forces until early June.

The average cost of a long-range strike drone ranges from $50,000 to $300,000, about 10 times less than a missile of similar range, although a drone's warhead is smaller, Sukharevskyi said in an interview while still in the post.

A service member of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment prepares an FPV-drone for a fly at a position near the front line town of Kupiansk (REUTERS)

A service member of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment prepares an FPV-drone for a fly at a position near the front line town of Kupiansk (REUTERS)

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"This is our asymmetrical answer," he said, adding that Ukraine started developing such drones "precisely because we lack missiles".

Kamyshin, President Zelensky's adviser, added: "You can't win a big war if you are only defending." Long-range drone strikes are "one of the main cards Ukraine can play against Russia right now".

Wanted: U.S. patriots and intel

Ukraine's military-industrial base is expanding rapidly, and now accounts for around 40% of the weapons and equipment used, including drones, according to Zelensky, who on Wednesday set out a target to reach 50% in six months.

Kyiv has also sought to diversify its supplies and its European allies are providing growing amounts of munitions, potentially making the country more resilient to geopolitical shocks.

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The Kiel Institute, a German-based economic research group, estimated in a report last month that Europe had surpassed the U.S. in total military aid provided over the course of the war for the first time since June 2022, reaching 72 billion euros compared with 65 billion euros from Washington.

The institute said aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April as no new U.S. aid was allocated and European countries upped support.

While the U.S. has been - and remains - the largest sole supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine during the war, Europe is expanding capacity and has purchased hundreds of thousands of munitions from within and outside the continent.

A Russian drone is shot down by Ukrainian air defences during a night strike on Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)

A Russian drone is shot down by Ukrainian air defences during a night strike on Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Of around 420,000 artillery shells received by Ukraine from the start of this year until around mid-May, only 160,000 were from the United States, according to a European security source who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters.

Kamyshin said Ukraine made around 2.4 million of its own shells in 2024, although these were mostly for mortars, which are shorter range.

Ukraine is nonetheless particularly reliant on the U.S. in the areas of air defences and intelligence sharing, military analysts said.

Kyiv particularly covets U.S. Patriot air defence systems, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles that Russia is firing with increasing frequency. As of April this year, Ukraine had seven fully operational systems, well short of the 25 that Zelenskiy has requested, according to analysts at Ukrainian publication Defence Express.

Long-range drone and missile attacks often rely on U.S. satellite intelligence. European countries can only go a small way to replacing were the United States to stop sharing it, the European Union Institute for Security Studies said.
Ukrainian soldiers raised flags in two eastern settlements lying near Donetsk Oblast's administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine's 20th Corps said on July 17, dismissing Russian claims of capturing the territory.

"Fighters from the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 505th Separate Marine Battalion have raised their battle flags in the settlements of Voskresenka and Yalta in Donetsk Oblast," the 20th Corps said in a statement on social media.

The Russian military claimed it had captured Yalta on June 25 and Voskresenka on July 15.

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"While Russian propagandists report daily on their 'advances' and 'capture of new positions,' our warriors quietly, without fanfare, enter these so-called 'captured' territories and raise Ukrainian flags over them," the Ukrainian military said.

The 20th Corps published undated footage showing Ukrainian soldiers raising flags in what it said was Yalta and Voskresenka, as well as recordings of first-person-view (FPV) drones targeting Russian soldiers.

DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source monitoring group, said Yalta was occupied by Russia as of July 16, while Voskresenka remains largely in Ukrainian hands, with part of the settlement in a contested area.

En estimated Russian advances (red) in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, near the administrative borders with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as of July 16, 2025. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

The two villages lie at the western edge of Donetsk Oblast, close to the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a central-eastern region Russian forces have been attempting to enter over the past few months.

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Kyiv acknowledged small Russian units entering the Dnipropterovsk Oblast village of Dachne  5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Yalta  on several occasions, but claimed Ukrainian defenders have been able to throw Moscow's troops back.

The news comes as Russia continues to grind forward with its summer offensive, which has been ongoing since May. Ukraine has been largely on the defensive in the east, with Russia steadily pushing forward.

There are concerns that Russian forces could scale up their offensive in Donetsk Oblast in the coming weeks, aiming to advance toward strategically important towns of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka.

Last month, Russia also opened a new offensive in northeastern Sumy Oblast to carve out a buffer zone in the area, though its advances there have been limited, experts told the Kyiv Independent.

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Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

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Key developments on July 18:

EU agrees on 'one of its strongest' Russia sanctions packages after Slovakia lifts veto

UK sanctions Russian intelligence units involved in cyberattacks

Ukrainian drones reportedly attack Moscow for second night in a row

Ukrainian hackers wipe databases at Russia's Gazprom in major cyberattack, intelligence source says

Ukraine raises flags in villages near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's borders, refuting Russia's claims of capture

European Union member states on July 18 agreed on the 18th package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.

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"The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," Kaja Kallas, the bloc's top diplomat, said on X.

The EU has vowed to ramp up economic pressure on Russia as it continues to reject a ceasefire in Ukraine and intensifies aerial strikes against Ukrainian cities.

The package includes lowering the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. The cap was originally imposed by the G7 in late 2022 to curtail Russia's oil revenues without destabilizing global markets.

The U.K. has joined an EU initiative to lower the price cap on Russian seaborne oil exports to $47.6 per barrel, the British government announced on July 18.

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The sanctions further contain measures against 105 vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" and their enablers, the Russian banking system, and a ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea.

Russian fossil fuel exports are a crucial part of the country's revenues, helping the Kremlin sustain its war against Ukraine.

"We are putting more pressure on Russias military industry, Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," Kallas said.

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For the first time, the EU is also sanctioning a flag registry and the Russian oil giant Rosneft's biggest Indian refinery. The bloc is further targeting "those indoctrinating Ukrainian children," the EU diplomat said.

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Brussels is newly tightening restrictions on the import of Russian oil products via third-party countries and sanctioning an entity from the Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.

The bloc also ended an import ban exemption on Russian oil for Czechia, after the Central European country announced it had become independent of Russian supplies.

Overall, the 18th package targets 14 individuals and 41 entities engaged in the Russian defense, finance, and other sectors, bringing the total number of EU listings since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion to over 2,500.

"We welcome the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia  the most comprehensive to date," Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "Every measure chips away at the aggressors capacity to wage war."

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President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision "timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages."

"We are promptly preparing the synchronization of European sanctions in Ukraine, and we are also preparing new sanctions decisions, both at the level of partners and within Ukrainian jurisdiction," he added.

The agreement follows Slovakia's announcement that it is ready to back the package after blocking it six times due to concerns over the phase-out of Russian gas.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose government has repeatedly aligned itself with Moscow's positions, said on July 17 that "negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests."

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Fico noted the European Commission has given Slovakia, one of the EU countries that continues to be heavily dependent on Russian gas, written assurances concerning the planned phase-out of Russian gas to gain the country's support.

Read also: A US general just threatened Russias Kaliningrad  this is why thats so significant

UK sanctions Russian intelligence units involved in cyberattacks

The British government sanctioned three Russian military intelligence units and 18 officers on July 18 for their involvement in a long-running campaign of cyberattacks and reconnaissance.

The sanctions target operatives of Russia's military intelligence (GRU) responsible for widespread malicious cyber activity in the U.K. and Europe, the Foreign Office said.

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One of the sanctioned units conducted online reconnaissance that helped coordinate Russian missile strikes on Mariupol in 2022, including the March 16 bombing of the city's drama theater where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering, according to the Foreign Office.

Estimates put the death toll between 300 and 900, according to an Associated Press investigation and figures from exiled local officials.

The Foreign Office said GRU cyber operations in the U.K. targeted media outlets, political institutions, telecommunications providers, and energy infrastructure.

"GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilize Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty, and threaten the safety of British citizens," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

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"The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies."

The sanctions also include officers allegedly involved in infecting Yulia Skripal's device with the X-Agent malware years before the 2018 Novichok assassination attempt on her and her father, former double agent Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve," Lammy said. "The U.K. and our allies' support for Ukraine and Europe's security is ironclad."

The move coincides with the European Union's approval of its 18th sanctions package against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.

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Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

Ukrainian drones reportedly attack Moscow for second night in a row

Moscow came under drone attack for the second consecutive night, with explosions also reported in several other Russian oblasts, local Telegram channels, and the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on July 18.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said four Ukrainian drones were shot down on approach to the capital, with blasts heard near Zvenigorod, Istra, and Zelenograd  suburban districts and satellite towns located to the west and northwest of central Moscow.

Residents reported the sounds of explosions in multiple parts of the greater Moscow area overnight, according to Russian Telegram channels.

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Sobyanin did not provide details on possible damage or casualties as a result of the attacks

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Flight operations were temporarily suspended at multiple airports, including Moscow's largest ones  Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky  as well as Nizhny Novgorod's Strigino and Kaluga's Grabtsevo Airport. All airports have since resumed operations.

In Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, at least five explosions were reported, with Russian news outlet Shot saying air defenses targeted drones near an industrial zone with munitions production facilities. Additional blasts were heard near Oryol, the channel said.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 73 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight, including 10 over Moscow Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

The latest wave follows a series of reported Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia on July 17, including strikes on Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Voronezh, and other oblasts. Ukraine has not commented on the overnight drone activity.

Read also: Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian draft offices to disrupt mobilization

Ukrainian hackers wipe databases at Russia's Gazprom in major cyberattack, intelligence source says

Cyber specialists from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) have carried out a large-scale cyberattack against the network infrastructure of Russian energy giant Gazprom, causing significant disruptions, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent on July 18.

The alleged operation took place on July 17 and targeted systems used by Gazprom and its subsidiaries, which Ukraine's intelligence claims are directly involved in supporting Russia's war effort.

Gazprom is Russia's state-owned energy company, one of the world's largest gas producers and exporters.

The cyberattack allegedly destroyed large volumes of data and installed custom software designed to further damage the company's information systems.

"The degradation of Russian information systems to the technological Middle Ages continues," the source within the HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

"We congratulate Russian 'cyber specialists' on this new achievement and recommend they gradually replace their mice and keyboards with hammers and pincers."

A screenshot shared by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) appears to show access to Gazprom's internal database interface following a reported cyberattack on July 17, 2025. (HUR)

According to the source, access to Gazprom's internal systems was disabled for nearly 20,000 system administrators, and backup copies of key databases were wiped. The attack reportedly affected approximately 390 subsidiary companies and branches, including Gazprom Teplo Energo, Gazprom Obl Energo, and Gazprom Energozbyt.

The sources said the attackers managed to destroy clusters of "extremely powerful" servers running 1C, a software widely used for managing documents and contracts, analytics data for pipelines, valves, pumps, and SCADA systems  key elements in operating Gazprom's technical infrastructure.

Multiple servers reportedly had operating systems removed or disabled, and the BIOS (basic firmware) of many devices was damaged, making them inoperable without physical repairs.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. Gazprom and Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported incident.

Read also: Ukrainian artists Sculpture series normalizes injured bodies of Ukraines soldiers

Ukraine raises flags in villages near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's borders, refuting Russia's claims of capture

Ukrainian soldiers raised flags in two eastern settlements lying near Donetsk Oblast's administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine's 20th Corps said on July 17, dismissing Russian claims of capturing the territory.

"Fighters from the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 505th Separate Marine Battalion have raised their battle flags in the settlements of Voskresenka and Yalta in Donetsk Oblast," the 20th Corps said in a statement on social media.

Ukrainian soldiers raise their battle flag in Voskresenka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, in footage released on July 17, 2025. (20th Corps/Facebook)

The Russian military claimed it had captured Yalta on June 25 and Voskresenka on July 15.

"While Russian propagandists report daily on their 'advances' and 'capture of new positions,' our warriors quietly, without fanfare, enter these so-called 'captured' territories and raise Ukrainian flags over them," the Ukrainian military said.

The 20th Corps published undated footage showing Ukrainian soldiers raising flags in what it said was Yalta and Voskresenka, as well as recordings of first-person-view (FPV) drones targeting Russian soldiers.

DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source monitoring group, said Yalta was occupied by Russia as of July 16, while Voskresenka remains largely in Ukrainian hands, with part of the settlement in a contested area.

En estimated Russian advances (red) in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, near the administrative borders with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as of July 16, 2025. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

The two villages lie at the western edge of Donetsk Oblast, close to the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a central-eastern region. Russian forces have been attempting to enter over the past few months.

Kyiv acknowledged small Russian units entering the Dnipropterovsk Oblast village of Dachne  5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Yalta  on several occasions, but claimed Ukrainian defenders have been able to throw Moscow's troops back.

The news comes as Russia continues to grind forward with its summer offensive, which has been ongoing since May. Ukraine has been largely on the defensive in the east, with Russia steadily pushing forward.

There are concerns that Russian forces could scale up their offensive in Donetsk Oblast in the coming weeks, aiming to advance toward strategically important towns of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka.

Last month, Russia also opened a new offensive in northeastern Sumy Oblast to carve out a buffer zone in the area, though its advances there have been limited, experts told the Kyiv Independent.

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A resident of Volyn Oblast, who was recruited remotely by Russian secret services, was planning to detonate a bomb in the regional military enlistment office in Odesa during rush hour. The 53-year-old woman was detained as she was heading to the building with an explosive device.

Source: press service for the Security Service of Ukraine; Office of the Prosecutor General

Quote from the Security Service of Ukraine: "The Security Service's counterintelligence and the National Police prevented a terrorist attack in Odesa. Thanks to the proactive measures of law enforcement officers, a Russian agent who was trying to blow up the regional military enlistment office was detained in the port city."

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Details: On 17 July, a 53-year-old resident of Volyn Oblast was tasked by the Russians with bringing a backpack containing an improvised explosive device (IED) into the administrative building at noon, when the maximum number of people would be there.

Law enforcement officers uncovered the Russians plan in advance and detained the woman as she was heading to the military enlistment office building with the IED.

The investigation established that the agent arrived in Odesa, where she first conducted reconnaissance near the regional military enlistment office, and then received the coordinates of the cache with the ready-made IED from her handler.

According to the cover story, the woman was supposed to arrive at the military enlistment office to gain information about her nephew who went MIA.

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During the womans arrest, a controlled explosion of the explosive device, which was in the detainee's backpack, took place at a safe distance. Bomb disposal experts from the National Police worked at the scene.

The Security Service investigators are preparing a notice of suspicion for the agent, and an investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime. The perpetrator faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

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In wartime Ukraine, soldiers who have lost limbs face not only the physical toll of their injuries but an existential question  what does life after the battlefield look like?

For the thousands of Ukrainians who have lost limbs, either on the front line or in Russian attacks, the struggle to begin again is not just personal  it is quietly shaping a cultural movement that will continue long after the war is over. Through their recovery, self-reinvention, and resolve, a new narrative in Ukrainian society is emerging, one that redefines the very idea of a return to "normal."

Marta Syrkos "Sculpture" celebrates the resilience of Ukrainian soldiers after sustaining severe injuries in war. By stripping away their uniforms and weapons, Syrko compels us to view these individuals not merely as soldiers who have lost limbs in combat, but as human beings with rich personal histories deserving of dignity.

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Syrko's work draws upon classical traditions of representing the human form, while simultaneously challenging us to reconsider our perceptions of loss.

These images of Ukrainian soldiers juxtapose vulnerability with strength, with some evoking the sculptures of Ancient Greek warriors. The scars and tattoos on their bodies convey a palpable tension between the inherent beauty of the human body and the violence they have endured.

Rendered in soft blue and amber hues, some photographs evoke a dream-like atmosphere, offering space for introspection and symbolizing the soldiers' journey toward accepting life with their injuries.

The depiction of rain in certain images serves as a metaphor for purification, suggesting the washing away of the scars of war and the gradual return to a sense of normalcy  or at least something close to it.

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Images of a soldier draped in fabric, cradling their newborns is reminiscent of Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child, and the positioning of metal prosthetic limbs with the fragile presence of an infant symbolizes a profound reconnection to civilian life through fatherhood.

The series reminds that Ukrainian soldiers are not just warriors, but husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters  individuals with lives and identities beyond their service, highlighting how they should be acknowledged for more than just their injuries.

Senior Lieutenant Andrii, severely wounded in a 2022 airstrike while serving in Ukraine, undergoes rehabilitation in Poland while maintaining his commitment to return to military service. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

"I dream of continuing to serve my country, to defend it. I want and plan to join the Air Assault Forces training center," Andrii, Senior Lieutenant who was severely wounded in a 2022 airstrike near the village of Mala Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv Oblast.

Pavlo, 25, a former medical college graduate turned combat paramedic, continues his rehabilitation after being wounded by a grenade during an evacuation mission, determined to keep serving Ukraine despite his injuries. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

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Oleksii Prytula, who worked 11 years at a veterinary clinic before voluntarily joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces in March 2022, lost both legs during the September 2022 offensive near Lyman, Donetsk Oblast. He successfully returned to his veterinary practice after extensive rehabilitation and prosthetic fitting. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Stanislav, 27, a former pilot who joined the Ukrainian army after Russia's full-scale invasion, lost his leg to shrapnel during a defensive operation and now walks with a prosthesis while planning to return to the front after his recovery. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Vitaly, 29, a mechanic-turned-soldier who served in the Ukrainian army since 2014, was severely wounded by a Russian anti-tank mine in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast that broke his chin, burned his eyes, caused partial hearing loss, and required removal of his right eye. He now lives in Vinnytsia, where he receives rehabilitation while supporting other wounded soldiers. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

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Viktoria, 54, a soldier who suffered severe burns across her body when a missile struck near her, survived by following an inner voice that urged her to move moments before impact and now plans to open her own bakery despite her injuries. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Dmytro, 23, a soldier who sustained burns to 70% of his body plus lung and hearing damage during combat, defied doctors' prediction of only a 20% survival chance and now focuses on recovery while dreaming of starting a family and building a home life. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Ruslana "Rusya" Danylkina, an 18-year-old from Odesa dreamed of university before voluntarily joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022. She lost part of her leg to a mine explosion in the Kherson Oblast but continues to live while raising awareness and inspiring others through her platform. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Sergiy Kopyshchyk, a soldier from the Rivne Oblast who lost both legs and sight in one eye during a 2022 combat mission in Kherson, learned to walk again on prosthetics after he and his wife Svitlana discovered they were expecting a child. In August 2023, he was present for his son Marko's birth and walked out of the hospital on his prosthetic legs carrying their newborn. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

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Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

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Moscow came under drone attack for the second consecutive night, with explosions also reported in several other Russian oblasts, local Telegram channels and the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on July 18.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said four Ukrainian drones were shot down on approach to the capital, with blasts heard near Zvenigorod, Istra, and Zelenograd  suburban districts and satellite towns located to the west and northwest of central Moscow.

Residents reported the sounds of explosions in multiple parts of the greater Moscow area overnight, according to Russian Telegram channels.

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Sobyanin did not provide details on possible damage or casualties as a result of the attacks.

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Flight operations were temporarily suspended at multiple airports, including Moscow's largest ones  Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky  as well as Nizhny Novgorod's Strigino and Kaluga's Grabtsevo Airport. All airports have since resumed operations.

In Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, at least five explosions were reported, with Russian news outlet Shot saying air defenses targeted drones near an industrial zone with munitions production facilities. Additional blasts were heard near Oryol, the channel said.

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Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 73 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight, including 10 over Moscow Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

The latest wave follows a series of reported Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia on July 17, including strikes on Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Voronezh, and other oblasts. Ukraine has not commented on the overnight drone activity.

Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

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Editor's Note: This story has been updated with new details about the attack.

Cyber specialists from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) carried out a large-scale cyberattack against the network infrastructure of Russian energy giant Gazprom, causing significant disruptions, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent on July 18.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. Gazprom and Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported incident.

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The alleged operation took place on July 17 and targeted systems used by Gazprom and its subsidiaries, which Ukraine's intelligence claims are directly involved in supporting Russia's war effort.

Gazprom is Russia's state-owned energy company, one of the world's largest gas producers and exporters.

The cyberattack allegedly destroyed large volumes of data and installed custom software designed to further damage the company's information systems.

"The degradation of Russian information systems to the technological Middle Ages continues," the source within the HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

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"We congratulate Russian 'cyber specialists' on this new achievement and recommend they gradually replace their mice and keyboards with hammers and pincers."

According to the source, access to Gazprom's internal systems was disabled for nearly 20,000 system administrators, and backup copies of key databases were wiped. The attack reportedly affected approximately 390 subsidiary companies and branches, including Gazprom Teplo Energo, Gazprom Obl Energo, and Gazprom Energozbyt.

In a later message on July 19, the source provided additional details on what was destroyed.

"As a result of the cyber operation, the corporation's records of contracts, schedules, and tariffs were destroyed, including data on who and how much gas/oil should be supplied, data on payments, taxes, Gazprom's financial balances, information on the corporation's licenses and legal agreements."

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Data for systems that manage pressure, costs, gas and oil balances, and data on Gazprom's wells and networks were also destroyed, the source added.

The source provided a video and screenshots that appeared to show access deep within the Russian databases, though the Kyiv Independent could not verify the authenticity of the evidence.

Hundreds of terabytes of data were downloaded by the Ukrainian hackers prior to their deletion from the Russian systems, the source said.

The sources said the attackers managed to destroy clusters of "extremely powerful" servers running 1C, a software widely used for managing documents and contracts, analytics data for pipelines, valves, pumps, and SCADA systems  key elements in operating Gazprom's technical infrastructure.

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Multiple servers reportedly had operating systems removed or disabled, and the BIOS (basic firmware) of many devices was damaged, making them inoperable without physical repairs.

Read also: A US general just threatened Russias Kaliningrad  this is why thats so significant

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Germany deported 81 Afghans to Kabul by plane on Friday morning, in a move criticized by the UN's rights organization.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the Afghans had criminal convictions, and described the group as "serious and the most serious offenders."

The flight transporting the Afghans was only the second such flight from Germany since the Taliban retook power in August 2021, and comes just months after a change of government in Berlin.

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The Qatar Airways plane took off from the city of Leipzig and a Taliban Foreign Ministry official confirmed later it had landed in the capital Kabul.

UN criticism

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, sharply criticized the deportations on Friday.

He called for "an immediate halt to the forcible return of all Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, particularly those at risk of persecution, arbitrary detention, or torture upon their return," his office in Geneva announced.

His office's spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said: "People should not be sent back to Afghanistan. The situation in the country is extremely dire."

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Many are threatened with torture, inhumane treatment and punishment there, she said.

When asked whether it makes a difference if the deportees are rejected asylum seekers or convicted criminals, Shamdasani recalled the "non-refoulement principle," which prohibits the expulsion, extradition or deportation of people if they are at risk of torture, inhumane treatment or serious human rights violations in the destination country.

Complex deportation operation

Dobrindt told German public broadcaster ARD that there was "a very legitimate interest of the citizens in such deportations."

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The repatriation was organized with the help of Qatar and via "technical contacts" in Afghanistan, he said. The plane is flying directly to Afghanistan.

Dobrindt said that "contacts" with the Taliban are necessary to organize further such flights in the future. This did not rise to the level of "diplomatic relations," he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressly thanked the emir of Qatar on Friday for his help in facilitating the deportation flight.

Germany has no formal diplomatic relations with the Islamist Taliban in Kabul and does not recognize it as a legitimate government.

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"Diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime is not on the agenda at all. There can be no such thing," Merz told reporters in Berlin on Friday.

The group is internationally isolated in particular because of its disregard for human rights and especially women's rights.
UNITED NATIONS High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk holds a news conference in Damascus, in January. The UN would have condemned Moses and Aaron as war criminals, says the writer. (photo credit: YAMAM AL SHAAR/REUTERS)

In his statement, Turk condemned the mass displacement and acts of violence in Sweida, including reports of killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property, and looting of homes.

The head of the United Nations human rights office urged on Friday for Syria's interim authorities to ensure accountability and justice for killings and violations in the southern city of Sweida.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop, and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority, in line with international human rights law," OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Turk said in a statement.

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In his statement, Turk condemned the mass displacement and acts of violence in Sweida, including reports of killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property, and looting of homes.

It is crucial that immediate steps are taken to prevent the recurrence of such violence. Revenge and vengeance are not the answer, he said.

According to the UN, hundreds have been reportedly killed since the violence began on July 12.

Syrian security forces walk together along a street, after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, in Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KARAM AL-MASRI)

Turk addressed the mass executions that have occurred over the past week, including one incident when a Druze man was publicly humilated when Syrian forces shaved his mustache, an important cultural symbol for the Druze, before killing him.

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My Office has received accounts of distressed Syrians who are living in fear for their lives and those of their loved ones, Turk said.

The deployment of State security forces should bring safety and protection, not add to the fear and violence.

Israeli strikes on Syria 'in defense of Druze population'

The Commissioner raised concerns regarding reports of civilian casualties from Israels airstrikes on Suweida and Damascus.

Attacks such as the one on Damascus on Wednesday pose great risks to civilians and civilian objects. Such attacks must cease, he said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the IDF undertook 160 aerial attacks on Syrian regime forces in and around the vicinity of Sweida in southern Syria.

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IDF sources said that the military is ready for a multi-day campaign to convince Syrian regime forces to withdraw from Sweida and leave the Syrian Druze their autonomy.

Turk called for an urgent vetting process to ensure those committing human rights violations in Syria not be integrated into official security or military organizations.

This is a vital step in rebuilding public trust and advancing Syrias broader transition, he said, adding that Syrias interim authorities should publish the results of the national fact-finding committees investigations into the violence in coastal areas.

Syrians deserve truth, accountability, and guarantees that such violations will not be repeated, he said.

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With the fall of the former government, Syrians have witnessed a moment of hope for a better future based on human rights. It is the responsibility of the interim authorities to demonstrate that this chapter will be defined by rights, justice, and equal protection for all.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
The UN Human Rights Office in Geneva reported on Friday that fresh clashes had broken out in the Syrian province of Sweida, and that it had received "credible" reports of human rights violations.

Some groups were deliberately trying to incite further violence with disinformation, a spokeswoman said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the hospitals in the province were overwhelmed by the large number of injured people.

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The UNHCR said it could not yet reach displaced people with aid supplies due to the dangerous security situation, while a warehouse belonging to the Syrian Red Crescent had been damaged by shelling.

There were "credible" reports of human rights violations, the UN rights office said.

These include "summary executions and arbitrary killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property and looting of homes."

"Among the reported perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim authorities, as well as other armed elements from the area, including Druze and Bedouins," the office said.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United Nations chief said Thursday that he would have liked more results from his meetings with the rival leaders of divided Cyprus, while the Turkish Cypriot leader said he was very, very upset that there was no agreement on opening four new border crossings.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the meetings constructive and pointed to progress on four of the six initiatives that the leaders agreed to in March. He cautioned, however, that theres a long road ahead.

The Mediterranean island was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by Athens junta-backed supporters of uniting the island with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and it maintains more than 35,000 troops in the islands northern third.

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Negotiations between the rivals have been stalled since 2017. When asked whether he would start a new round, Guterres responded that there is more to be done before any negotiations. The current talks are complex, he said, stressing the very different views of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on a solution.

I think we are building, step by step, confidence and creating the conditions to do concrete things to the benefit of the Cypriot people, the secretary-general said.

The agreed-upon, U.N.-endorsed framework for a peace deal has been a reunified Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has been demanding a two-state deal ever since his 2020 election. He faces reelection in October and says hes running on the same two-state platform with Ankaras full backing.

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Tatar told reporters after the meeting that unless our sovereign equality and equal international status is reaffirmed, we will not resume formal negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

Greek Cypriots reject any agreement that would formalize partition, fearing Turkey would seek to control the entire island in light of its demand to maintain a permanent troop presence and military intervention rights in Cyprus. Turkey also insists the minority Turkish Cypriots should have veto rights over all federal government decisions.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters in Greek afterward that the results were in the right direction.

Yes, there could have been better results if there was the necessary political will, but I believe that, given the circumstances before us, we had significant results, he said.

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The meeting also included the foreign ministers of guarantor countries Turkey and Greece and a United Kingdom deputy minister.

Despite differences on the future of Cyprus, the rivals have made some progress on trust-building measures.

Guterres told reporters that four initiatives had been achieved: creating a technical committee on youth; initiatives on the environment and climate change, including the impact on mining areas; the restoration of cemeteries; and an agreement on demining, where technical details still need to be finalized.

He said discussions will continue on opening four new crossings between the Greek and Turkish sides of the island and on solar energy in the buffer zone between them, which is patrolled by a U.N. peacekeeping force.

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Tatar accused Christodoulides of preventing the announcement of the four border crossings on Thursday by insisting that one of them go through the buffer zone, which he called unacceptable to Turkish Cypriots.

He also sharply criticized Greek Cypriots for pursuing legal action over the sale of properties in the Turkish Cypriot north, saying the moves are certainly damaging to the relations of the two peoples and are aimed at damaging our economy and our tourism.

Property rights are a deeply contentious issue in Cyprus. A recent boom in construction of luxury villas and apartments in the north has prompted Cypriot legal authorities to take a more assertive stance toward realtors and developers to discourage what they say is the large-scale illegal usurpation of Greek Cypriot land.

Guterres said the meeting also produced an understanding on a consultative body for civil society engagement, exchange of cultural artifacts, an initiative on air quality monitoring and addressing microplastic pollution.

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The secretary-general said Tatar and Christodoulides agreed to meet with him in late September during the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly and to hold another informal meeting later in the year.

___

Associated Press journalist Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  The Texas Veterans Land Board is extending an invitation to the community to attend the unaccompanied burial of U.S. Army Veteran Private First Class (PFC) John Kenneth Andrews at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, ensuring no Veteran is laid to rest alone.

Born on October 15, 1938, PFC Andrews served from July 1960 to May 1961. As PFC Andrews has no known next of kin, the Texas Veterans Land Board is encouraging the public to honor his memory by attending the ceremony. He will be laid to rest with full military honors.

The burial service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery, located at 7457 West Lake Road in Abilene.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Undercover operation nabs 12 child predators who thought they were meeting teen girl

Twelve suspects are facing numerous charges following a three-day child predator sting.

The Cherokee Sheriffs Office said it worked with local, state, and federal agencies to conduct Operation Phantom Whisper.

During the operation, undercover officers posed as underaged girls in an effort to target the suspects who are accused of arranging to meet who they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex.

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People who prey on our children will always be our highest priority. You will be arrested, prosecuted, and you will be removed from society, said Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds.

The Cherokee Sheriffs office worked in conjunction with a number of local, state, and federal agencies to conduct this undercover operation, targeting basically anyone who is looking to prey or exploit our children in our community. Twelve individuals were arrested over this three-day period, which is quite substantial, said Patty Pan, Cherokee County Sheriffs Public Information Officer.

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Investigators said 11 of the 12 suspects traveled to various locations in Cherokee County with the intent of having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

One of the suspects lives in North Carolina. The other suspects live in Georgia.

Undercover officers posing as a 14-year-old girl would be online, and basically, they would do this over the 72-hour undercover operation, Pan said. These suspects would initiate contact, then there would be a prearranged meeting location, and when these individuals would show up at these locations thinking that they were going to be meeting with a 14-year-old girl, instead they met with us.

This undercover operation was a success because of the agencies that we partnered with. We do have a strong message for parents really all over that you really need to monitor your children, their online activity, talk to them about these online predators, Pan continued.
HONIARA, Solomon Islands - Maritime experts on an expedition around the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific recently explored the wreckage of the USS Laffey, a destroyer sunk during a pivotal series of battles in World War II.

According to the USS Laffey Association, the ship went down on Nov. 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and currently rests upright about half a mile beneath the surface in a region known as the Iron Bottom Sound  a graveyard for dozens of ships and hundreds of planes lost during the six-year-long global conflict.

The latest mission, expedition NA173, was conducted by the nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust and supported by NOAA.

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Over a stretch of 21 days, researchers used a remotely operated vehicle and sophisticated imaging technology to survey the wreckage and other historic sites.

War Trophy From George Washingtons Army Discovered Amid British Shipwreck

Photos released by the team show the Laffey still sitting upright on the seafloor with much of her bow and midsection intact despite more than 80 years underwater.

Among the discoveries was a plaque that is still legible, showing the ships name and builder information despite decades of exposure on the bottom of the Pacific.

The ships wreckage was originally discovered in 1992 during a National Geographic Society expedition led by renowned oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard, who is most famous for locating the Titanic in 1985.

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Since that initial discovery, the Laffey has been explored less than a handful of times, making this latest adventure a unique opportunity to document the wreckages condition.

According to the USS Laffey Association, a torpedo led to the ships demise after sailors engaged several Japanese battleships in a ferocious battle.

Historical records indicate that 59 sailors were killed or lost during the attack on the ship, with more than 100 wounded.

Noaa Mission Finds Unexpected Discovery At Site Of Sunken Uss Yorktown

Historians say during the broader conflict, located more than 1,000 miles northeast of Australia, some 20,000 lives were claimed from both the Axis and Allied powers.

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Researchers believe at least 111 ships and 1,450 planes were lost in the region during the war, but only a small fraction of these wrecks have been thoroughly explored or documented.

During the three-week-long exploratory mission, experts also investigated the wrecks of Australias HMAS Canberra - the largest warship ever lost in battle by the Royal Australian Navy - and several other sites belonging to the U.S. and Japan.





Original article source: Underwater expedition unveils new imagery of sunken World War II destroyer
EXCLUSIVE: A social media account that is believed to belong to anti-ICE Texas attack suspect Benjamin Song, 32, who was captured Tuesday evening, contains anti-Israel, anti-police and anti-Trump rhetoric, according to posts reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital.

Song was arrested by the FBI Dallas Field Office after the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for his capture regarding the attempted murder of federal officers and firearms crimes in an Independence Day riot at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

A local police officer is now recovering after being shot in the neck, and 11 other individuals are also facing charges, including 10 others for the aforementioned charges.

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"Do you want to end mass shooting? Abolish the police," he posted in June 2022 under the X handle, BubbleBreakBS.

Fbi Captures Former Marine Corps Reservist Accused Of Shooting At Ice Officers At Texas Detention Center

Fox News Digital was able to confirm that the "BubbleBreakBS" account belonged to Song after reviewing several social media posts, including a 2019 post when he thanked "Behind the Masks," a Facebook group that was dedicated to telling stories of protesters in the Free Hong Kong Movement, for telling his story, referring to their post as "my story."

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The link that the account shared highlighted how "Ben Song, a 26-year-old Uber driver from Arlington,Texas who has been a political activist since he was 13, was moved by Hong Kongs fight for freedom and flew from the US to show his support."

The post went on to describe Song as "half Korean and half Japanese" and said he "gained many unforgettable moments during his hands-on participation in the movement." BubbleBreakBS also posted out a couple of posts days later that appeared to link to a podcast "episode" on YouTube that he was featured in. The X posts, which included several pro-Hong Kong hashtags in light of the uprising against the CCP, mentioned Song's name. However, the YouTube channel appears to be private, and Fox News Digital could not access them.

Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, appears to have been more conservative-leaning in his early college days, listing the College Republicans and martial arts clubs at the University of Texas at Arlington on his LinkedIn profile. He also listed being a contributor to a "Conservative Camp" blog for 11 months. However, during the last several years, his social media account has been littered with rhetoric attacking law enforcement, Republicans, President Donald Trump, Israel, Christians and other radical views.

Who Is Benjamin Song? New Details Emerge About Anti-ice Suspect Captured After Major Texas Manhunt

Then-President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida.

In June 2020, Song replied to a post from Trump in which the president wrote, "Biden wants to Defund the Police!", and Song replied, "Defund the Police! Defund the Baby Bunker B--ch!," a Trump nickname that the resistance movement used frequently online in 2020. In a 2022 post, Song called Trump "stupid as hell" and "easily controlled."

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"Really f---ed to both sides this right now. All of Palestine is fighting for its life at this moment. The Joint Command says it had actionable intelligence that Netanyahu was going to extinguish Gaza soon. This is a death camp breakout. This is the Warsaw Uprising," he said on Oct. 10, 2023, just three days after the Hamas attack on Israel. "Sick."

"Hitler is scared now. Little baby Hitler-Netanyahu doesnt want to be bullied for his heinous war crimes," he wrote on Oct. 17, 2023.

"Israel is a vicious apartheid colony committing genocide every day. Zionism is racism. Zionism is white settler colonialism. Move Israel to Sardinia or Sicily or Goteland," he posted in March 2022.

"ACAB because they are class traitors and white supremacist btw," he posted about police, using the "All cops are bastards" acronym in June 2021. "There is no world where they hold each other accountable. Cops were created by the upper class for the upper class. They protect property and keep the poor in line. They have no other purpose."

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"Landlords are bad just like ACAB. It doesn't matter what individual actions there are, the institution is bad. There are no good slave owners," he said in June 2021.

"Conservatives believe in prejudice + power when it affects them (in their imagination)," he posted in July 2021.

"Ive realized this is all fascist violence," he posted in March 2021. "The conservatives cry mental health, the liberal cry gun control. But every time its white men killing people because they are black, Asian, women. This is the rising force of fascism within the neoliberal order."

While Song's social media profile was littered with anti-GOP posts, he also attacked some Democratic leaders, like former President Joe Biden, failed Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas and others.

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"Joe Biden is a racist. He is a sex offender. He is a corrupt puppet. His policies are s---. He engenders no hope or excitement amongst those who need it" Song said in June 2020.

"I used to support [Andrew] Yang, even though he had some lilly livered responses when I met him in Texas. Now hes gone full fascistic bootlicker. He will lose thankfully. A new wave movement has moved against fascism. Jan 6th was the high water mark," he wrote in May 2021.

"Beto is a dangerous Billionaire family, racist and anti-immigrant far right fascist," he said in February 2022.

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks to attendees during an "Our Fight, Our Future" rally at The Millennium bowling alley on Oct. 2, 2024 in Austin, Texas.

In addition to Song's X handle, Fox News Digital was able to verify through online records and Instagram videos that Song was using the same martial arts studio that lists his mom as a "program director" and "owner" for filming different tactical exercises and self-defense training in the years before the attempted murder charges.

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It is unclear whether the groups of people with blurred-out faces in the social media posts were part of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (EFJBGC), a left-wing "anti-fascist," or Antifa, gun group that Song is allegedly tied to.

A Fox News Digital review revealed that Songs X account tagged the EFJBGC X handle several times over multiple years. The group did not respond to Fox News Digitals requests for comment.

An archived version of EFJBGCs X account also references Song while promoting a GoFundMe to help him pay for legal services after he was arrested in August 2020. The post, which claims that Song was a "member" of the "Socialist Rifle Association," goes on to say he was "being charged with two bullshfelonies." The GoFundMe verified multiple background details Fox News Digital found while digging through his X account, including how he "practiced activism from Hong Kong to San Francisco"

The GoFundMe, which lists Song as a "beneficiary" of more than $3,000 in donations, also says Song was a "proud member of the Black Lives Matter group We Take The Streets and that he was a "lifelong activist for the 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, drug reform, police brutality, and human rights." The page also said that Song was being "charged with (2) 1st degree felonies because he was exercising his 2nd Amendment right to open carry when they were assaulted and arrested."

Black Lives Matter leaders "exploited George Floyds murder to raise millions that they then put into their own pockets," the Free Press reported.

Songs X account referenced the arrest during that same month and tagged multiple lawyers seeking help for his defense, including controversial civil rights attorney Ben Crump, writing to him that he was "facing absolutely ridiculous but quite expensive charges." Fox News Digital could not confirm whether Crump saw the messages or helped represent Song.

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BubbleBreakBS account posted on then-Twitter in May 2021 that he was "setting up an airsoft team for training and gaming."

The Telegram moniker in the link and the X handle match an Instagram account that posted several screenshots of BubbleBreakBS posts and videos showing the same painted walls and designs as the backdrop in footage from the archived website of the martial arts studio that Song's mom owns. The Instagram account's first post was also just days after BubbleBreakBS announced that the account was being created.

Song's mom, Hope, is the program director of an Arlington, Texas, martial arts studio called Sentinel Martial Arts. An archived webpage of her bio says she is a 4th-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and "oversees the implementation of all in-house and off-site programming," which includes "seminars and classes at local learning centers, schools, churches, camps and clubs; and coordination of special events, festivals, demonstrations and performances."

Older archives of the website from 2021-2023 lists Song's mom as an "owner" of the studio. Fox News Digital could not confirm whether Song's mom was aware the studio was being used for recording tactical exercises.

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Song's mom nor the martial arts studio have been accused of any misconduct in connection with Songs apparent use of the studio premises.

The alleged attack by the younger Song, who is innocent until proven guilty, came as the Department of Homeland Security is sounding the alarm on assaults on ICE agents, which DHS says have increased by 830% from last year.

John Phillip Thomas and Lynette Read Sharp are charged with alleged accessory after the fact in the July 4 shooting at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, according to court documents.

"This new data reflects the violence against our law enforcement in cities across the country in the last few weeks. Politicians across the country, regardless of political stripe, must condemn this," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted to X on Tuesday.

"The FBI has worked tirelessly to arrest everyone associated with the shooting at the Prairieland Detention Center," FBI Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said after Song was captured Tuesday afternoon. "We would like to thank all the entities that publicized this case and assisted in our efforts to successfully locate Benjamin Song."

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Song is being held on a $15 million bond at the Johnson County Jail and facing a slew of additional charges, including aggravated assault on a public servant, aiding terrorism and engaging in organized crime, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In addition to Song, a recent shooting at a Border Patrol annex facility in McAllen, Texas, resulted in injuries to a local officer and Border Patrol personnel, in addition to the gunman being killed.

"Our agents are never gonna be afraid. They know the job that they signed up for. But what they don't appreciate, what we don't want is targeting," National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

Fox News Digital reached out to Song, Song's mom, the Sentinel Martial Arts studio, EFJBGC, Ben Crump, and an individual who appeared to be tied to the suspect through left-wing online activism.





Original article source: Unearthed social media posts expose radical views of anti-ICE shooting suspect captured by FBI
ENDICOTT, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH)  One-time Union-Endicott pitching standout Jude Abbadessa has made it to the next level, playing Division I, but will now be heading off to New Orleans, Louisiana, to continue his collegiate career.

Abbadessas now set to take the mound for the Tulane Green Wave. His most recent stop was in Storrs, Connecticut, where he pitched for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

All the opportunities that this sport, that kind of started in this community around me right now, has brought to me have been special, said Abbadessa.

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The Little League World Series champion began his career with the Huskies in the 2023 season. In 2024, he would redshirt and not compete due to an injury, and then return to the mound for the 2025 season.

He made 17 appearances for UConn this past season, posting a 7.02 ERA, pitching 16.2 innings with 9 strikeouts, and giving up 24 hits.

The key thing to me would just be opportunity, he said. I mean, its obviously a really tough decision, Connecticut, kind of close to home. Now, going to New Orleans, its going to be, going to be a crazy little adventure down there.

He now heads to Tulane to make the next jump in his career at Turchin Stadium.

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The full interview with Jude can be watched below.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
An ice core that may be older than 1.5 million years has arrived in the UK where scientists will melt it to unlock vital information about Earth's climate.

The glassy cylinder is the planet's oldest ice and was drilled from deep inside the Antarctic ice sheet.

Frozen inside is thousands of years of new information that scientists say could "revolutionise" what we know about climate change.

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BBC News went inside the -23C freezer room at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge to see the precious boxes of ice.

The cores were stored in an ice cave Antarctica before being loaded onto a boat for Europe [PNRA/IPEV]

"This is a completely unknown period of our Earth's history," says Dr Liz Thomas, head of ice core research at the British Antarctic Survey.

Red warning lights flash above the door, and inside there is an emergency escape hatch into a tunnel in case something went wrong.

The rules say we could only go inside for 15 minutes at a time, wearing padded overalls, boots, hats and gloves.

Our camera's electronic shutter froze shut and our hair started to crackle as it turned icy.

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On a worktop next to stacked boxes of ice, Dr Thomas points out the oldest cores that could be 1.5 million years old. They shine and are so clear we can see our hands through them.

Dr Liz Thomas will lead a team analysing the ice cores at British Antarctic Survey [BBC News]

For seven weeks, the team will slowly melt the hard-won ice, releasing ancient dust, volcanic ash, and even tiny marine algae called diatoms that were locked inside when water turned to ice.

These materials can tell scientists about wind patterns, temperature, and sea levels more than a million years ago.

Tubes will feed the liquid into machines in a lab next door that is one of the only places in the world that can do this science.

The boxes of ice in Cambridge will be slowly melted over seven weeks [BBC News]

It was a huge multinational effort to extract the ice cores in Antarctica, at a cost of millions. The ice was chopped into 1m blocks and transported by boat and then in a cold van to Cambridge.

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Engineer James Veal helped to extract the ice close to the Concordia base in eastern Antarctica.

"To hold that in my carefully gloved hands and be very careful not to drop the sections - it was an amazing feeling," he says.

2.8km of ice was extracted - more than eight Eiffel Towers stacked end-to-end [PNRA/IPEV]

Two institutions in Germany and Switzerland also have received cross-sections of the 2.8km core.

The teams could find evidence of a period of time more than 800,000 years ago when carbon dioxide concentrations may have been naturally as high or even higher than they are now, according to Dr Thomas.

This could help them understand what will happen in our future as our planet responds to warming gases trapped in our atmosphere.

The drilling took place about 40km from the Italian-French research station Concordia [PNRA/IPEV]

"Our climate system has been through so many different changes that we really need to be able to go back in time to understand these different processes and different tipping points," she says.

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The difference between today and previous eras with high greenhouse gases is that now humans have caused the rapid rise in warming gases in the last 150 years.

That is taking us into unchartered territory, but the scientists hope that the record of our planet's environmental history locked in the ice could give us some guidance.

[BBC]

The team will identify chemical isotopes in the liquid that could tell us the wind patterns, temperatures, and rainfall for a period of time between 800,000 and up to 1.5 million years ago or possibly more.

They will use an instrument called an inductively couple plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS) to measure over 20 elements and trace metals.

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That includes rare earth elements, sea salts and marine elements, as well as indicators of past volcanic eruptions.

The work will help scientists understand a mysterious change called the Mid-Pleistocene Transition 800,000 to 1.2 million years ago when the planet's glacial cycles suddenly changed.

James Veale was part of the team in Antarctica that drilled and extracted the ice over four seasons [BBC News]

The transition from warmer eras to cold glacial eras, when ice covered a lot more of Earth, had been every 41,000 years but it suddenly switched to 100,000 years.

The cause of this shift is one of the "most exciting unsolved questions" in climate science, according to Dr Thomas.

The cores may have evidence of a time when sea levels were much higher than they are now and when the vast Antarctic ice sheets were smaller.

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The presence of dust in the ice will help them understand how the ice sheets shrunk and contributed to sea level rise - something that is a major concern this century.
The Brief

The United Way of Tarrant County has distributed over $100,000 to residents displaced by the June 23 fire at The Cooper Apartments in Fort Worth.

The funds, raised through the Cooper Fire Relief Fund, will help residents with temporary housing, replacing belongings, and access to essential services.

The relief effort was a partnership between Fort Worth Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck, Near Southside Inc., and United Way of Tarrant County, with contributions from hundreds of donors.

FORT WORTH, Texas - The United Way of Tarrant County (UWTC) announced that it distributed more than $100,000 to many of the residents displaced by the June 23 six-alarm fire at The Cooper Apartments in Fort Worths Near Southside.

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Through a partnership between Fort Worth Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck, Near Southside Inc. and United Way of Tarrant County, the Cooper Fire Relief Fund launched just days after the six-alarm fire forced more than 800 residents from their homes.

The funds will be used to help residents secure temporary housing, replace lost belongings and access essential services as they begin the long road to recovery.

Every dollar raised went directly to affected residents to aid in their recovery.

Hundreds of donors across Tarrant County contributed to this relief fund, including substantial gifts from local foundations, businesses and the community.

What they're saying

"Our community showed up when it mattered most," said Adam D. Powell, UWTC president and CEO.

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"This outpouring of support is a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we unite for our neighbors in crisis."

As part of the effort, Near Southside Inc. also developed a resource database offering free services and discounted products to help displaced residents recover and rebuild.

"In the wake of unimaginable loss, our community rallied together with urgency and compassion," said Megan Henderson, cultural director with Near Southside Inc.

"Were proud to have been a part of this effort to ensure displaced residents received the support and dignity they deserve."

Local perspective

"From organized efforts such as this to grassroots community support, Fort Worth showed our neighbors in need why our city is special, because we care for each other," said Councilwoman Beck.

About the United Way of Tarrant County

Dig deeper

United Way of Tarrant County is a non-profit in North Texas that mobilizes the community to action, so all can thrive.

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By identifying critical needs, fostering collaboration, and investing in solutions that drive change through four impact areas: education and youth opportunity, community health, financial security, and community resiliency.

UWTC programs serve more than 400,000 individuals annually and remain committed to empowering Tarrant County residents for generations to come.

The Source

Information in this article was provided by United Way of Tarrant County.
Dozens of Russian spies who targeted Sergei Skripals daughter and mounted a series of attacks on Britain have been exposed by the UKs security services.

Two of the agents were accused of hacking Yulia Skripals mobile phone five years before Russias GRU military intelligence agency poisoned the pair with deadly Novichok nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury in 2018.

Others were said to be behind a string of covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on British and European soil in an attempt to derail support for Ukraine.

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On Friday, the Foreign Office announced that it was sanctioning 18 spies and three GRU units as part of a crackdown on Vladimir Putins campaign to sow chaos on the continent.

The Telegraph understands that the UK moved to sanction the Russians because officials were confident they would never travel to Britain for possible apprehension.

This is the UKs largest-ever set of sanctions against Russian intelligence services.

Ed Bogan, a former CIA agent, told The Telegraph: Sanctioning these GRU units in particular is crucial, given the depth and breadth of their grey zone operations across numerous countries, which often go unseen or at best, only partially understood. More light on them is needed, but more importantly, more pressure and more action against them.

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British efforts to expose the shadowy operations were supported by the USs FBI as well as intelligence services from across the Nato military alliance.

Among the operatives named are Ivan Yermakov and Aleksey Lukashev, two senior members of GRUs Unit 26165 of elite hackers accused of targeting Ms Skripals devices before Moscows botched attempt to murder her father.

Authorities are keen to stress that cyber attacks not only disrupt key infrastructure but can also be used to facilitate physical attacks, such as the failed assassination attempt on Mr Skripal.

The former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned in one of the most brazen uses of chemical weapons on British soil in March 2018.

Sergei Skripal, a former spy, and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018

There remain concerns about the safety of the Skripals, although it is not thought Fridays disclosures are linked to any renewed imminent threat to their lives.

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British authorities later attributed the assassination attempts, using one of the deadliest man-made chemicals, to Russias military intelligence.

Yermakov and Lukashev also feature on an FBI wanted list for their alleged roles in interfering with the 2016 presidential election, won by Donald Trump.

Unit 26165 has also been named in investigations into alleged hacks around the French presidential elections and political interference in Germany. It was responsible for the creation of X-Agent, a malware used to hack Yulia Skripals mobile phone.

The GRU intelligence officers targeted her phone with malicious malware known as X-Agent in 2013, five years before the assassination attempts in which an innocent British woman, Dawn Sturgess, was killed after she was poisoned with Novichok discarded by the GRU officers sent to kill Skripal.

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X-Agent was developed by a Russian hacking gang known as Fancy Bear, which is linked to the GRU. It was first discovered by the West in 2015 and is used by Russia to infect both Apples iPhones and Android devices and can activate a devices microphone and record audio as well as harvest text messages, contact lists, photos and geolocation data.

X-Agent has been used by Russia to pinpoint the movements of Ukrainian troops on the battlefield. Ms Skripal, who lived in Moscow, was tracked to the UK on a visit to her father in Salisbury. Two GRU agents followed her to the UK and smeared Mr Skripals door handle with Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent.

British officials are confident that the countrys voters would not be swayed by similar Russian disinformation attempts.

In 2022, their same unit was said to be responsible for conducting online reconnaissance to help position Russian strikes against the Mariupol Theatre, killing hundreds of women and children who were sheltering from Putins invasion forces.

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Outside the building in the port city, those sheltering had written the word children in giant Russian lettering. The theatre was later hit by Russian missiles, despite it obviously not being a military target.

mariupol theatre before and after

The same unit was credited with hacking internet surveillance cameras between 2022 and 2024 across Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands to monitor military assistance being sent to Kyiv.

GRU units 74455, 26165, 29155 were also hit with UK sanctions, which means businesses registered in Britain will not legally be allowed to provide them with services which could assist their sabotage campaigns.

It is alleged that the Russian spies are responsible for a series of hacks and attacks on European military support for Ukraine.

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British and European intelligence officers have found repeated examples of targeted attacks against port infrastructure, transport hubs, border control points and government infrastructure involved in aid shipments.

British officials fear that the GRU has used the battlefields of Ukraine as a testing ground for further development of a range of cyber capabilities, which would one day be turned on Western countries.

In the UK, three men were recently found guilty of an arson attack on an east London warehouse involved in shipping humanitarian aid and Elon Musks Starlink satellite internet systems to Ukraine.

Prosecutors said the attack could be linked to Russias Wagner Group of mercenaries.

Agents reportedly linked to the Wagner Group livestreamed setting fire to a business that supplied Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine

British investigators were also probing whether Russian agents had sent an incendiary device through the post after it ignited at a DHL hub in Birmingham last year.

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A string of similar incidents has been reported across Europe, including warehouse fires and sabotage of train lines.

GRU Unit 29155 has been enlisted by Russias top decision makers to mount a campaign of attempted assassinations, including that of the Skripals, in recent years.

In the past decade, it has been blamed for explosions at weapons depots, where products destined for Ukraine were stored, in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

It was also behind a Russian proxy campaign to hire young Afghans to advise and fund Taliban attacks against US-led coalition forces before the American withdrawal in 2022.

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David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said: GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraines sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens.

The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we wont tolerate it. Thats why were taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies. Protecting the UK from harm is fundamental to this governments Plan for Change.

Putins hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our allies support for Ukraine and Europes security is ironclad.

Another group targeted is the Africa Initiative, which runs social media troll farms ultimately controlled by Putins spies, accused of pushing fake news and trying to scupper life-saving global-health initiatives.

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The Russian spies on the sanctions list will be hit with travel bans and asset freezes, as well as British-registered businesses being barred from assisting them in any form.

Sir Gavin Williamson, the former Tory defence secretary, said the news shows how the UK needed to ramp up defence spending as soon as possible.

This is incredibly serious, and it shows the ever-mounting threat that we have to face. It also underlines the fact that its right to continue to increase the investment, not just in terms of our Armed Forces, but how essential it is for our security services as well, Sir Gavin said.

It shows that the threats abroad are also threats at home. It shows that the urgency for the extra money is absolutely acute, because what you can guarantee is while these [spies] have been revealed, therell be many more that continue to operate.

We need to make sure our security services and our military have those resources to properly tackle them, and that needs to happen today and not tomorrow.

Sir Gavin added: It shows how pervasive the tentacles of Russia really are. We saw that very starkly with the Skripal poisonings and the Salisbury attack. This was a foreign nation conducting a kill operation here in the United Kingdom. We shouldnt forget that, because it demonstrates how far that they will go to deliver on their aims.

Trump condemns Russia

Donald Trump, the US president, joined Nato allies in condemning Russia, including for its war against Ukraine, in a statement issued by the alliance after Britains sanctions were announced.

These attributions and the continuous targeting of our critical infrastructure, with the harmful impacts caused across several sectors, illustrate the extent to which cyber and wider hybrid threats have become important tools in Russias ongoing campaign to destabilise Nato allies and in Russias brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the Nato statement said.

Insiders hailed the statement as another sign of Mr Trumps new-found support for Ukraines efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression.

The US president has previously vetoed statements blaming Moscow for Europes largest conflict since the Second World War, including in a communique for the recent Nato summit in the Hague.

The Government made the announcement in the midst of mounting scandal over a leaked list of 24,000 Afghans, British spies and special forces soldiers, which has been covered up for years by super-injunctions.

Read about the exposed spies below.

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuck

Osadchuk has risen through the ranks of the Russian ministry of defence to become the head of the main directorate for innovative development - a key cyber-thinker within the military hierarchy.

A career military officer and longstanding GRU operative (Unit 26165), Osadchuk was accused by the FBI of orchestrating large-scale cyber operations targeting international entities, particularly during the 2016 US presidential election, focusing on hacking and document leaks.

Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Serebriakov

Serebriakov, 44, is a seasoned cyber-operator assigned to the GRUs Main Directorate (Unit 26165).

Serebriakov is officially linked to the 2018 cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Netherlands, which was disrupted by Dutch officials before hackers could breach it.

According to the FBI, he specialises in covert operations abroad targeting anti-doping agencies and sporting federations, including during the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, which were held in Brazil.

Serebriakov has been linked to high-profile incidents involving reconnaissance and targeted attacks, often operating under diplomatic cover, holding seven known aliases.

Anatoliy Sergeyvich Kovalev

Kovalev embodies a range of GRU tactics: cyber, biological, and covert operations.

A high-profile GRU operative (Unit 26165), he is known for allegedly spearheading cyber attacks on US state and federal election systems, most notably in 2016, plus interference into critical infrastructure in Ukraine and French political organisations.

He has been criminally indicted in Pennsylvania, in the US, alongside six GRU officers, facing charges for conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud, and interference in critical infrastructure and democratic processes.

Kovalev is also under investigation by the FBI for possible ties to Kremlin-directed nerve agent investigations.

Artem Valeryvich Ochichenko

Ochichenko is a GRU operative associated with Unit 29155, involved in covert operations, including cyber espionage and sabotage.

His role is thought to involve technical support or operational deployment of cyber tools used to infiltrate networks, disrupt communications, and gather intelligence.

Ochichenko joined Kovalev in being charged by a federal grand jury for targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine and political organisations in France, as well as operations against Georgia.

Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov

Borovkov is a mid-ranking GRU officer implicated in cyber espionage and hacking campaigns targeting Western governments.

The FBI has accused him of targeting and compromising critical infrastructure in dozens of Western countries. He is wanted by the FBI for alleged cyber attacks between December 2020 and August 2024.

Unlike his colleagues, the spy agency does not know where Borovkov is located. The FBI has a $10m reward for anyone who can provide information leading to his whereabouts.

Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin

Korchagin is another GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure and political entities.

Like Borovkov, the FBI has accused him of criminal cyber activities between December 2020 and August 2024, and has a $10m reward for information on his whereabouts.

He is known for his role in hacking campaigns aimed at stealing sensitive data and disrupting systems, with a focus on international targets.

Yuriy Federovich Denisov

Denisov, another GRU operative within Unit 29155, hacked campaigns targeting global infrastructure, focusing on espionage and data theft.

Like Borovkov and Korchagin, he is accused of criminal cyber activities by the FBI between December 2020 and August 2024, and stands accused of targeting critical infrastructure across dozens of Western countries.

Denisov is wanted by the FBI with a $10m reward for information leading to his arrest.

Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov

A senior GRU officer in Unit 26165, Yermakov is known for orchestrating spear-phishing campaigns during the 2016 US presidential election.

Along with Osadchuk, he was accused of stealing documents from US officials during the election before releasing them to interfere with its outcome. He was also accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics, along with Serebriakov.

Aliases include Kate S Milton, James McMorgans, and Karen W Millen, according to the FBI.

Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev

Lukashev has served as a senior lieutenant in Russias GRU.

Like many others on this list, he has been charged in the US for his part in the conspiracy to interfere with democracy during the 2016 election, including by focusing on stealing and leaking sensitive documents.

Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets

Morenets, an officer assigned to Unit 26165, is known for his involvement in the GRUs cyber activities targeting international organisations, particularly the 2018 cyber attack attempt against the OPCW in The Hague, along with Serebriakov.

The FBI has also accused him of targeting anti-doping agencies across the US and globally during the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2016, joining charges that were filed against Yermakov and Serebriakov.

Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev

Morgachev is another GRU officer and a senior member of Unit 26165, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He is accused of hacking campaigns targeting political and governmental entities during the 2016 US presidential election.

Artem Adreyevich Malyshev

Malyshev is another GRU officer and a senior lieutenant of Unit 26165.

The FBI has accused him of hacking campaigns targeting political and government entities during the 2016 US presidential election. He was also charged with aggravated identity theft, false registration of a domain name, and conspiracy to commit money laundering during this period.

Malyshev is also one of seven Russians to be accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Sergey Sergeyevich Vasyuk & Andrey Eduardovich Baranov

GRU officers

Vasyuk and Baranov are linked with Unit 29155, involved in cyber and covert operations.

Suspected activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political entities to support Russian intelligence.

Vitaly Aleksandrovich Shevchenko

GRU officer

Shevchenko, another member of Unit 29155, was one of three Russian nationals previously sanctioned by the Council of the European Union for carrying out malicious cyber activities against Estonia.

Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko

GRU operative

Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko is a GRU operative associated with Unit 29155.

His activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political organisations.

Victor Borisovich Netyksho

GRU officer

Netyksho is one of the 12 GRU officers wanted by the FBI for interference in the 2016 presidential election. The FBI had photos of 11 officers but Netyksho remained faceless until a Ukrainian hactivist group intervened.

The personal data and a photograph of Netyksho was published by Kiber Sprotyv, which translates to Cyber Resistance in 2023. They managed to get hold of the information by hacking the email account of his wife, Oksana Serhiyivna Netyksho.

He is thought to be a senior GRU officer and commander of Unit 26165.

Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov

GRU operative

Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov is a GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting global infrastructure.

His activities focus on hacking and espionage, targeting political and governmental entities.

Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev

Chief editor of the African Initiative

Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev is a Russian individual associated with disinformation campaigns.

As chief editor of the African Initiative, Kureyev is allegedly involved in creating and spreading false narratives to manipulate public perception.

According to Bloomberg, he has had frequent contacts with around half a dozen European journalists, often arranging and covering their travel costs for some of them to visit occupied territories in Ukraine.

Documents seen by the news outlet shows he appears to have paid to plant news articles.

African Initiative

Media and influence organisation

African Initiative is a Russian media and influence organisation, masquerading as a news agency and information platform.

It has sought to present itself as a Moscow-based news agency that covers events across the continent.

But in reality, it is considered to be the main vehicle for Russias disinformation activities across the continent, according to a report by Viginum, a French agency which monitors foreign digital interference.

The 161st Specialist Training Centre (TsPS) (Unit 29155) of the GRU

This unit, known as Unit 29155  which includes Ochichenko  is a covert Russian military intelligence facility under the GRU. It is tasked with training operatives in sabotage, assassination, and unconventional warfare.

Unlike traditional cyber units, this secretive centre prepares agents for covert operations abroad, including targeted assassinations and subversion tactics.

It has been linked to several high-profile incidents such as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK and the attempted assassination of defectors across Europe.

The 85th Main Special Service Centre (Unit 26165) of the GRU

Unit 26165, also known as the 85th Main Special Service Centre, is a key cyber warfare unit of the Russian GRU, based in Moscow.

Led by Netyksho, it specialises in offensive cyber operations, including hacking, data theft, and spear-phishing campaigns targeting government, political, and private sector entities around the world.

Unit 26165 is notorious for its role in high-profile cyber attacks, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) email hack during the 2016 US presidential election

Sandworm (Unit 74455)

Unit 74455, known publicly as Sandworm, is another specialised division focusing on cyber operations, including the deployment of malware, hacking campaigns, and disinformation.

The military unit is suspected of being behind a cyber attack against the Ukrainian power grid in 2015, interference into the French presidential election in 2017, and a cyber attack on the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

In August 2023, a joint report by the intelligence agencies in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand accused Sandworm of a new malware campaign. The malware, dubbed Infamous Chisel, targeted Android devices used by the Ukrainian military

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On July 17, 2025, The Wall Street Journal published an exclusive report claiming U.S. President Donald Trump once sent a birthday card to since-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with a drawing of a n*de woman. The card, according to the report, was risque, and ended with Trump writing, "may every day be another wonderful secret."

The WSJ report came out after the Justice Department published a memo saying it would no longer release documents related to Epstein and concluded he did not have a "client list," angering Trump supporters who have long spread conspiracy theories about the files. The disgraced financier died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and investigators concluded he committed suicide.

According to the WSJ report, Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell  who has since been convicted of sex trafficking  assembled the cards for his 50th birthday into a leather-bound album in 2003:

The letter bearing Trump's name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdylike others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly "Donald" below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. The letter concludes: "Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret."

The Journal's report relied on anonymous sources with access to the album, which was reportedly among the documents reviewed by the Justice Department years ago when it investigated Epstein. The report did not include an image of the letter in question. Trump denied ever writing such a letter.

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We reached out to the FBI and Justice Department to confirm whether the documents described by the WSJ are authentic. The FBI declined to comment.

Because the WSJ provided no named sources behind this letter, and Trump issued a denial, we are unable to independently confirm the letter's existence.

Trump's letter to Epstein allegedly had a typewritten imaginary conversation between the two men:

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything. Donald: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

According to the Journal, Maxwell collected birthday wishes from the likes of billionaire Leslie Wexner  founder of L brands, which owns Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works  and attorney Alan Dershowitz.

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In an interview with the Journal, Trump said: "This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story [] I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. [] It's not my language. It's not my words. [] I'm gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else."

After the report was published, Trump wrote on X:

The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I'm going to sue his *ss off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT

Trump was photographed alongside Epstein and Maxwell on several occasions.

After Trump faced criticism from his supporters for his administration's handling of the Epstein files, on July 17 he ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to release additional materials on Epstein. The next day he wrote on social media: "If there was a 'smoking gun' on Epstein, why didn't the Dems, who controlled the 'files' for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!"

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Snopes also reported on a February 2025 letter between Bondi and FBI head Kash Patel, which many people online said contradicted the Justice Department's claim that there was no Epstein "client list." The letter from Bondi to Patel never explicitly mentioned a client list, though it did say Bondi received "Epstein's list of contacts" in response to her request for the Epstein files.

Sources:

"Bondi Says She'll Try to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Records." ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-facing-maga-uproar-epstein-files-shift-blame/story?id=123833646. Accessed 18 July 2025.

"Les Wexner & Family." Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/profile/les-wexner/. Accessed 18 July 2025.

Loe, Megan. "Pam Bondi's Letter to Kash Patel about Epstein Files Makes Rounds Online." Snopes, 17 Jul. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/epstein-bondi-letter-kash-patel/. Accessed 18 July 2025.

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Safdar, Khadeeja, and Joe Palazzolo. "Jeffrey Epstein's Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump." The Wall Street Journal, 17 Jul. 2025, https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796. Accessed 18 July 2025.

Shan, Cindy. "Real Photo Shows Trump and Wife Melania with Ghislaine Maxwell?" Snopes, 17 Jul. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-photo-melania-ghislaine-maxwell/. Accessed 18 July 2025.

"US Justice Department Finds No Jeffrey Epstein "Client List."" BBC, 8 Jul. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2m879neljo. Accessed 18 July 2025.

"What to Know about the Dismissal of the Epstein Files by Trump's Justice Department." PBS News, 17 Jul. 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-to-know-about-the-dismissal-of-the-epstein-files-by-trumps-justice-department. Accessed 18 July 2025.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in February released what was then described as the "first phase of the declassified Epstein files."

That initial release -- which was delivered to a group of prominent right-leaning influencers and journalists -- included 341 pages of documents related to the disgraced financier. But 118 pages of those files were duplicative of one another.

The vast majority of those documents were previously made public through the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell or civil lawsuits, including flight logs from Epstein's plane, a redacted version of Epstein's so-called "black book" of contacts and a heavily redacted seven-page list of masseuses.

Patrick Mcmullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image - PHOTO: Patrick McMullan Archives

The only newly-released document in "phase one," which received little public attention, was a three-page catalog of evidence that appears to be an accounting of evidence seized during the searches of Epstein's properties in New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands after his arrest in 2019, and a search of his Palm Beach mansion a dozen years earlier.

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That little-noticed index offers a roadmap to the remaining trove of records that President Donald Trump's administration has declined to release, including logs of who potentially visited Epstein's private island and the records of a wiretap of Maxwell's phone.

MORE: The times Trump's name appeared in the Epstein files the DOJ has already released

The three-page index is a report generated by the FBI that lists the evidence inventoried by federal law enforcement during the multiple investigations into his conduct. According to that index, the remaining materials include 40 computers and electronic devices, 26 storage drives, more than 70 CDs and six recording devices. The devices hold more than 300 gigabytes of data, according to the DOJ.

The evidence also includes approximately 60 pieces of physical evidence, including photographs, travel logs, employee lists, more than $17,000 in cash, five massage tables, blueprints of Epstein's island and Manhattan home, four busts of female body parts, a pair of women's cowboy boots and one stuffed dog, according to the list.

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The unreleased evidence notably includes multiple documents related to two islands Epstein owned in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little Saint James -- where his compound was located -- and Greater Saint James. According to the index, the files include a folder containing Island blueprints, photographs and other documents.

Some of the documents could shed light on who visited the island. According to the index, the files also include a Little Saint James logbook as well as multiple logs of boat trips to and from the island.

The evidence also includes multiple lists, one vaguely described as a "document with names" and an employee contact list. Investigators also recovered pages of handwritten notes, multiple photo albums, an Austrian passport with Epstein's photograph and more than a dozen financial documents.

Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP - PHOTO: Jeffrey Epstein in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., July 30, 2008.

The records also include three discs containing the outcome of "court authorized intercept[s]" of a phone number previously belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell.

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In a joint memo released last week, the FBI and DOJ argued that a "large portion" of the records included photographs of victims and child pornography. According to the DOJ, the evidence includes "images and videos" of victims who appear to be minors, "over ten thousand downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography," and a "large volume" of images of Epstein. Authorities also concluded that Epstein did not maintain a "client list" or blackmail prominent individuals.

MORE: Trump, facing MAGA uproar over Epstein files, tries to shift blame elsewhere

"While we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government's possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted," the memo said.

The memo argued that "a fraction of this material would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial" and that a court order prohibits further disclosure of the materials.

"One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends," the memo said.
Jul. 17ROCHESTER  Thousands of new homes have been constructed in the past five years, but housing needs have not diminished.

An updated housing assessment released by the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing on Thursday points to 18,000 new housing units in the next 10 years. It's the same 10-year demand cited in a 2020 assessment.

While it might appear on the surface efforts to create housing throughout Olmsted County are treading water, coalition members say their work is making a documented difference.

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"I think we would be further behind," Coalition Executive Director JoMarie Morris said. "There is no question in my mind."

In the past five years, the coalition  Rochester Area Foundation, the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, Mayo Clinic and Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency  has invested $20 million to support efforts that helped create or preserve 1,154 affordable homes.

The work has also created 20 new local policies and programs to support efforts to create affordable housing.

Erin Sexton, Mayo Clinic's senior director of external relations, said the new report prepared by Maxfield Research and Consulting shows the work has decreased the need for new affordable housing by 26%.

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"That means we are closing the gap," she said. "But we also know we have a lot of work to do. With the projected population growth we have seen in Olmsted County, combined with the significant private investment, including the 'Bold. Forward. Unbound.' initiative in Rochester, Rochester is positioned to become one of the fastest-growing and most-desirable areas in the state."

With roughly 3,000 new apartments and 2,100 for-sale homes created in the past five years, the coalition report shows needs are increasing.

It points to a 3.1% vacancy rate for apartments and other rentals, which is down from 4.4% reported in 2020, indicating a challenged rental market.

When it comes to housing for specific income levels the report found a 3% vacancy rate for market-rate apartments, a 4.4% rate for apartments deemed affordable with income restrictions and a 1.2% rate for subsidized housing.

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"The industry standard is 5% vacancy for market rate and 3% for affordable/subsidized for a stabilized rental market, which promotes competitive rates, ensures adequate choice, and allows for unit turnover," the Maxfield assessment states.

"Vacancy rates below equilibrium indicate pent-up demand for additional units at those income levels," it adds.

The recent overall vacancy rate increases to 7.9%, when housing units available for leasing in the near future are included, but a similar variation was reported in 2020, when a 5.1% vacancy for market-rate apartments increased to 9.5% based on constructed apartment units that were waiting to be made available for lease.

Developers have noted apartment units are filled over a period of time following construction in an effort to stagger move-in dates and lease expirations within a single building.

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The Maxfield report shows a need for more than 5,000 new general-occupancy rental units in the next 10 years, alongside 7,000 for-sale housing options. The remaining need is for senior housing.

When it comes to lots for home construction, the report also indicates the area faces challenges.

"Maxfield Research & Consulting identified 116 subdivisions with over 1,600 vacant lots among the most active subdivisions," it states, citing a need for at least 4,800 new single-family homes in the next 10 years.

At the same time, it points out fewer households are able to afford the average priced home in the existing market. In 2020, 61.2% of area households could afford the average-priced $277,000 home, but it dropped to 56.2% in 2025 amid rising home prices, which puts the current average price at nearly $393,000.

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Rochester Community Development Director Irene Woodward said progress is being seen, with new housing developers stepping up to meet demand, but coalition support was needed to get there.

Whether it was through adoption of incentives or reducing barriers to development, she said program and policy changes are spurring development of new homes with costs of less than $500,000.

"It's clear the private market alone will not solve the need for homeownership opportunities in the city of Rochester and Rochester, especially for our underserved communities," she said.

Olmsted County Housing Director Dave Dunn said collaboration to address the housing needs has been part of the coalition's efforts since it was created in 2017.

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"We as a community have institutionalized these efforts that really have had an impact. ... it's only because we've come together collectively  cross-sector, cross-agency  and really working together that you can see it," he said.

Morris said the next steps for the coalition will be reaching out to a variety of community groups to review the housing assessment findings and determine whether priorities adopted in 2020 need to be adjusted.

The current priorities are: creating new affordable homeownership opportunities, increasing homeownership for People of Color, increasing housing options for households earning less than 50% of the area median income, preserving existing housing and creating new senior housing options.

"We believe we are on the right track, but we also want to make sure that what we do and what we decide are both based on fact and community driven," she said.
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A man was sentenced to 15 years of prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor in Anderson County, according to the South Carolina Attorney General.

On August 18, 2023, the Attorney Generals Office said they had conducted an investigation into a file-sharing network that was used to distribute child sexual abuse material. During the investigation, authorities located a user sharing files from Anderson County.

Authorities said they narrowed the address to the residence of a man by the name of Julio Cesar De La Cruz Reyes. When law enforcement searched the property, Reyes allegedly admitted to owning child sexual abuse material, as well as assaulting a minor in Anderson County.

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Reyes was taken into custody at the time, according to officials. The Attorney General stated that, following a forensic examination of Reyess phone, 392 images and videos of child sexual abuse material were found, including alleged images of babies and toddlers.

On Wednesday, July 16, Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of 2nd degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Reyes was sentenced to 15 years on the charge of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and 10 years on the charged of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Authorities said that both sentences will run concurrently and, following his release, Reyes will have to register as a sex offender.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(NewsNation)  U.S. Air Force veteran Lindsay Gutierrez served our country for six years, and after leaving the military, she became a double organ donor.

She donated one of her kidneys to save the life of a military veteran and donated 40%of her liver, giving another person the chance to survive and thrive.

Gutierrez is featured as one of the models in the 2026 Pin-Ups For Vets calendar, a non-profit organization that raises funds to improve veterans healthcare and donates funds to VA hospitals for medical equipment and program expansion.

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President Trump says Coca-Cola will change its recipe

She served in the Air Force until 2016. In 2014, she was in a vehicle accident that left her with an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury during one of her deployments.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a TBI is an injury to the head that affects the way the brain works. TBI can range from mild to severe and can change the way you think, feel, act, and move. Symptoms can range from brief confusion and a headache to seizures and being unconscious for a long period of time.

LINDSAY Miss March 2026 Pin-Ups For Vets Calendar Pic by Shane Karns Photography LINDSAY Headshot by Shane Karns Photography Group Shot Jennifer (Navy), Renea (Army), Anisa (Army) Amanda (Army), Lindsay (USAF), Rachelle (USAF) Credit: Shane Karns Photography Group Shot Jennifer (Navy), Renea (Army), Anisa (Army) Amanda (Army), Lindsay (USAF), Rachelle (USAF) Credit: Shane Karns Photography With kidney recipient Reggie Robinson (Army Veteran) Post kidney donation at Mt Sinai 2022 Post liver donation surgery at Johns Hopkins 2024 Returning from deployment from Djibouti At a military event while stationed at RAF Lakenheath Lindsay Gutierrez Basic Training Photo Miss Veteran America 2017 Lindsay at American Legion World Series Lindsay as Ms. Veteran America

Gutierrez said she went a few years without getting a diagnosis for her TBI and it was not until she finally found support at the VA and a neurologist who listened to her concerns. With her diagnosis, she was able to navigate going forward in her new chapter as a civilian.

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In 2021, Gutierrez said she connected with a friend who talked about someone in need of a liver.

Knowing that I was O-positive, I recognized I could donate my blood to anybody so why not donate an organ? I didnt think twice about answering her and saying, if he needs anything, let me know. Thankfully, he was able to receive the care that he needed but that seed was planted in my mind.

Babies born after scientists used DNA from three people to avoid genetic disease

Later, Gutierrez found herself called to donate while at work one day when her supervisor handed her a copy of Military Times magazine and she saw an ad for Donor Outreach for Veterans (DOVE).

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My supervisor handed me a copy of the Military Times magazine and at this point we had never received this magazine in office ever, and all of the sudden something kind of clicks, because I see an add for Donor Outreach for Veterans, (DOVE), and I realize its a non-profit connecting veterans and active duty to donors, and I I thought I could do that, thats something that I could do, Gutierrez said.

She described the donor process as challenging but would do it over and over again if she were able.

The military veteran said her kidney recipient, named Reggie, is doing fantastic, I am so proud to say, and fun fact, how (his) wife wasnt able to donate to him, but she was able to donate to the gentleman I was originally connected with and she was a match to him.

Foster care system plagued by suicide, mental health disorders

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Two years later, Gutierrez donated a portion of her liver anonymously on April 30 of last year.

This week, she received a letter from her recipient who shared they were doing well since their surgery. The Pin-Up for Vets model hopes to connect with them in the near future.

I wanted to give them that space to be able to reach out to me when that time was ready and they did. I am so excited to be able to share that I got my first letter from the recipient and I hope once we connect, I have written them back, I do hope that we can schedule a time to eventually meet.

Gutierrez shared a message of hope for her fellow veterans who may feel unsteady about their future.

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Give yourself that grace and know that your trajectory does not have to look like somebody elses, she said. Give yourself time and space, and its ok to be where youre at. You dont have to rush anything and just enjoy each day as it comes because what God placed on my heart and my life is going to be different for somebody else but always remember that you have people around you that love and care for you and want to support you.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
The US and Brazil were locked in an escalating row over Brasilias prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro for an alleged coup attempt.

In a letter published Thursday, US President Donald Trump lamented the terrible treatment Bolsonaro was receiving as part of his trial: Trump has labeled the case a witch hunt and threatened Brazil with punitive tariffs.

Meanwhile, in an address to the nation, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed Washingtons unacceptable blackmail and told CNN that Trump was not elected to be emperor of the world.

The dispute could worsen: One of Bolsonaros sons is working with the White House to ready sanctions on a Brazilian judge due to preside over the trial, The Washington Post reported.
Washington, DC  The family of Sayfollah Musallet, the United States citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank last week, is calling for justice.

Musallets relatives want Washington to launch its own investigation into the incident to ensure accountability.

The Florida-born 20-year-old is the ninth US citizen to be killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers since 2022. None of the previous cases have led to criminal charges or US sanctions against the perpetrators.

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That lack of response is what advocates call a pattern of impunity, wherein Washington demands a probe without placing any significant pressure on Israel to produce results.

In Musallets case, the administration of President Donald Trump urged Israel to aggressively investigate the killing.

There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act, Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said in a statement on Tuesday.

It is not clear if the US has taken any further actions to seek justice in the aftermath of the fatal beating.

Critics say the pattern of impunity stems in part from the historically close bonds between the US and Israel. Successive presidential administrations in the US have affirmed their unwavering support for Israel, and the US provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually.

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Here, Al Jazeera looks at who the eight other victims were, how the US has responded to their killing and where their cases stand.

Omar Assad

Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian American, was driving home in the occupied West Bank after visiting friends on January 12, 2022, when Israeli soldiers stopped him at a checkpoint.

According to the autopsy report and his familys account, the troops dragged Assad out of his car and then handcuffed, gagged and blindfolded him, leaving him to die at a cold construction site.





The administration of then-President Joe Biden called on Israel to launch a criminal investigation into the incident.

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But Assads relatives and lawmakers from his home state of Milwaukee wanted Washington to conduct its own probe  a demand that never materialised.

As is often the case, Israels investigation into its own soldiers conduct did not lead to any criminal charges.

In 2023, the Israeli army said that it found no causal link between the way its soldiers treated Assad and his death.

The Biden administration also declined to apply sanctions under US law to the Israeli unit that killed Assad: the Netzah Yehuda, a battalion notorious for its abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Last year, the US Department of State announced that the battalion will still be eligible for US aid under the Leahy Law, which prohibits military assistance for security units involved in human rights violations.

Shireen Abu Akleh

Abu Akleh, a veteran Al Jazeera reporter, was fatally shot by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022.

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Owing to her status as one of the most celebrated journalists in the Middle East, her killing sparked international outrage from rights groups and press freedom advocates.

Despite the global attention, Israeli forces attacked her funeral in Jerusalem, beating the pallbearers carrying her coffin with batons.

A portrait of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is displayed during a memorial mass held at a church in Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem [AFP]

Israel initially denied killing Abu Akleh, 51, falsely claiming that the reporter was shot by armed Palestinians.

Months later, after multiple visual investigations showed that Israeli soldiers targeted Abu Akleh, Israel acknowledged that its forces likely killed the reporter, dismissing the incident as an accident.

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The Biden administration faced waves of pleas by legislators and rights groups to launch its own investigation into the killing, but it resisted the calls, arguing that Israel is capable of investigating itself.

In November 2022, Israeli media reports claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating the shooting of Abu Akleh, but the US Department of Justice never confirmed the probe.

More than three years after Abu Aklehs killing, her family and supporters say justice in her case has not been served.

Tawfiq Ajaq

Born in Louisiana, Ajaq was 17 when he visited the occupied West Bank to see his relatives last year.

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On January 19, 2024, he was driving a pick-up truck with his friends when Israelis sprayed the vehicle with bullets and killed him.

Mohammed Salameh, who witnessed and survived the attack, said the shooting was unprovoked.

While it is not clear which individual shot Ajaq, Israel said the incident involved an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian and was sparked by rock-throwing activities  a claim that Salameh has denied.

The US State Department called for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstance of the incident.

But more than 19 months after the shooting, Israel has not publicly released any findings or charged any suspect in the shooting.

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We feel abandoned by our government, Ajaqs uncle, Mohammad Abdeljabbar, told Al Jazeera last year.





Mohammad Khdour

Khdour was also 17 when he was killed under almost identical circumstances to Ajaq just weeks later.

According to his cousin Malek Mansour, who witnessed the attack, an unidentified assailant opened fire at their car in the occupied West Bank from a vehicle with an Israeli number plate.

Mansour said the attack was unprovoked. Khdour died on February 10, 2024.

The two had been eating cookies and taking selfies moments before the shooting.

Once again, Washington called for a probe.

There needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts. And if appropriate, there needs to be accountability, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at that time.

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But advocates say that, while normally Israel launches sham investigations into such incidents, Israeli authorities have not acknowledged Khdours killing at all.

The Israeli military and police told the publication Haaretz last year that they are not familiar with the case.

Jacob Flickinger

An Israeli air strike targeted a World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicle in Gaza on April 1, 2024, killing seven aid workers, sparking anger and condemnation across the world.

Among the victims was Flickinger, a 33-year-old US-Canadian dual citizen.

Biden called for a swift Israeli investigation into the attack, which he said must bring accountability.

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But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the blast a tragic accident.

A vehicle for the World Central Kitchen sits charred in the central Gaza Strip after a deadly Israeli strike, on April 2, 2024 [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]

The Israeli military said the commander who ordered the strike had mistakenly assumed that gunmen in the area were in the aid vehicle.

It added that the commander did not identify the car as associated with World Central Kitchen, a well-known hunger relief initiative founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres.

A World Central Kitchen logo was displayed prominently on the top of the vehicle before the attack.

Israel said it dismissed two commanders over the incident, but there were no criminal charges.

Since then, Israel has killed hundreds of aid workers in Gaza, including Palestinian staff members from World Central Kitchen.

Last year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza as well as other alleged war crimes.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi

Eygi, born in Washington state, was participating in a protest against an illegal settler outpost in the West Bank on September 6, 2024, when an Israeli soldier shot her in the head.

She was 26.

While there were reports of a scuffle during a crackdown on the demonstration by Israeli forces, several witnesses have said that Eygi was shot during a calm period after the chaos had ended.

The State Department called on Israel to quickly and robustly investigate Eygis killing, but it ruled out conducting its own probe.

Biden dismissed her death as an accident, but Blinken condemned it as unprovoked and unjustified.

On the same day that Eygi was fatally shot by Israel, the US Justice Department filed charges against Hamas leaders after the killing of US-Israeli captive Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Gaza.

The Israeli military said its soldiers likely killed Eygi indirectly and unintentionally  a conclusion that her family called offensive, stressing that she was targeted by a sniper.

The disregard shown for human life in the inquiry is appalling, the family said in a statement.

Trump ally Randy Fine, now a Congress member, celebrated the killing of Eygi. One less #MuslimTerrorist, he wrote in a social media post, referring to the shooting.





Kamel Jawad

When Jawad, a celebrated leader in the Lebanese American community in Michigan, was killed by an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon on October 1 of last year, the Biden administration initially denied he was a US citizen.

Washington later acknowledged that Jawad was American, expressing alarm over his killing.

As we have noted repeatedly, it is a moral and strategic imperative that Israel take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Any loss of civilian life is a tragedy, the US State Department said at that time.

Israel has not commented publicly on the strike that killed Jawad.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) slammed the Biden administrations handling of the case, including the US governments initial smug response.

Its as if theyre intentionally trying to see our people killed, intentionally downplaying us and dehumanising us, ADC executive director Abed Ayoub told Al Jazeera last year.





Amer Rabee

On April 6, Israeli forces in the West Bank fatally shot 14-year-old Rabee, a New Jersey native, and called him a terrorist. Two of his friends were also injured in the attack.

While the Israeli military accused Rabee and his friends of throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles, the slain teenagers family insisted that he was picking almonds on the side of the road.

The Trump administration failed to pursue accountability in the case or even publicly press for further details about the incident.

Instead, the State Department cited the Israeli account about the 14-year-olds killing.

We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss, the State Department said at that time. We acknowledge the [Israeli militarys] initial statement that expressed that this incident occurred during a counter-terrorism operation.
The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is once again in the news, after a senior U.S. military commander on July 17 issued a stark warning to the Kremlin that NATO forces could take control of it "in a timeframe that is unheard of."

The remarks from U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander General Chris Donahue are some of the strongest yet from a Western military official  a direct threat to the Kremlin about the consequences of further Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.

They come amid ever-heightening tensions between NATO and Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion, and after a series of warnings from Western officials about Moscow's future intentions to attack NATO members.

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"I'm fairly certain that if the Russians were to attack the Baltic states, one of the first places to be bombed by NATO  if it isn't Moscow or St. Petersburg  would be Kaliningrad," Dr. Stephen Hall, lecturer in Russian and post-Soviet politics at the University of Bath, told the Kyiv Independent.

Donahue's comments were certainly heard in Moscow. Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, warned that any attack on Kaliningrad would be met with "all the corresponding retaliatory measures, including the use of nuclear weapons."

What is Kaliningrad?

A Russian exclave hundreds of kilometers from Russia itself, Kaliningrad Oblast is a small piece of land measuring 15,100 square kilometers  not much larger than the U.S. state of Connecticut  sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

Originally the German city of Konigsberg and surrounding area, it was ceded to the Soviet Union in the immediate aftermath of World War 2, and was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946.

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It has a short, western coastline on the Baltic Sea, and its capital is also called Kaliningrad.

Though small, it is of vital strategic importance to Russia, giving Moscow a second point of direct access to the Baltic Sea  the other being through its most eastern arm in the Finnish Gulf.

A map of the Baltic Sea Region. (Lisa Kukharska / The Kyiv Independent)

Russia's Baltic Sea Fleet has its headquarters and main base in Kaliningrad Oblast. The headquarters of the Russian Admiralty is based in St. Petersburg, also located on the Baltic Sea.

"Kaliningrad is one of the most militarized parts of Europe," Dr. Hall said, adding: "It's basically a military base with a city in the middle."

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A December 2023 report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the exclave was home to a "formidable" arsenal of weapons that includes "cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and nuclear weapons."

"They don't need to send tanks for that."

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in June 2024 that up to 100 tactical nuclear warheads might be stored at a suspected nuclear weapons storage site in the exclave.

Satellite images taken in May showed the same site has undergone significant reconstruction with the addition of triple-layered fencing, new buildings, and advanced communications equipment.

The flashpoint

Since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a steady stream of Western officials has issued increasingly stark statements on the likelihood of a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO.

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Last month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could be ready to launch an attack against the alliance within five years, and a recent German intelligence assessment said Moscow may seek to start a lower-intensity confrontation that will test the U.S.'s willingness to fulfill its obligations under Article 5.

"They don't need to send tanks for that," German intelligence chief Bruno Kah said.

"They just have to send 'little green men' to Estonia to defend the allegedly oppressed Russian minority."

Polish and Romanian soldiers stand by NATO vehicles in Szypliszki village, located in the so-called Suwalki Gap - an 80-kilometer stretch of the Polish-Lithuanian border sandwiched between Kaliningrad and Belarus, in north-eastern Poland, on July 7, 2022. (Wojtek Radwanski / AFP / Getty Images)

A giant letter Z, symbolizing support for Russias war on Ukraine, is seen from Pagegiai, Lithuania, separated by the river from the Kaliningrad Oblast, on July 10, 2023. (Omar Marques / Anadolu / Getty Images)

With tensions rising, experts say Kaliningrad would likely be at the center of any clash between NATO and Russia, or more specifically, a narrow strip of land that stretches from the oblast to Belarus.

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The Suwalki Gap is the closest point between Kaliningrad Oblast, and Belarus, one of Russia's staunchest allies.

It's a mere 40 kilometers wide and closely tracks the Poland-Lithuania border on the Polish side.

"I think that he's trying to highlight that NATO still has the capacity to give Russia a bloody nose and Kaliningrad would be a particularly bloody nose."

In the event of a war between NATO and Russia, Russian and Belarusian forces linking up across the Suwalki Gap would cut off the only land route to all three Baltic States.

"There's a reason why the Russians have been training to take the Suwalki Gap for a long time," Dr Hall said.

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As such, Kaliningrad would be a prime target for NATO in any effort to thwart Moscow's plans.

"I can imagine that would be one of the first things NATO would try and do, to stop any flows of munitions getting into Kaliningrad and effectively push that region out of the war as quickly as possible," he said.

He adds this would also severely limit Russia's ability to project force into the Baltic Sea using its Baltic Fleet, which would pose a serious threat to countries in the region.

Would NATO strike first?

A NATO first strike against Russia is highly unlikely, which begs the question: Why is General Donahue making such comments now?

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Dr. Hall said it's likely an attempt to send a message to the Kremlin and assuage any doubts that the U.S. would defend NATO's Article 5.

"I think that he's trying to highlight that NATO still has the capacity to give Russia a bloody nose, and Kaliningrad would be a particularly bloody nose," he said.

"It's merely trying to shore up the effect that America is going to be here for the long haul and that NATO is going to be a military organization for a lot longer."

Donahue was speaking as he gave details about a new allied strategy known as the "Eastern Flank Deterrence Line."

Soldiers of the Polish army install concertina wire at the border with the Russian exclave Kaliningrad in Goldap, Poland, on Nov. 14, 2022. (Paulius Peleckis / Getty Images)

The initiative focuses on bolstering land forces, integrating defense production, and deploying standardized digital systems and launch platforms for rapid battlefield coordination.

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"The land domain is not becoming less important, it's becoming more important," Donahue said.

"You can now take down anti-access, area-denial bubbles from the ground. You can now take over the sea from the ground. All of those things we are watching happen in Ukraine."

Both Donahue's words and the new initiative will likely be welcomed in the Baltic States where people who spoke to the Kyiv Independent earlier this year have been unnerved about U.S. President Donald Trump's apparently wavering commitment to protecting Europe against Russian aggression.

Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to proclaim independence in 1990, one year before Ukraine, and joined NATO in 2004, providing the country with the security of the military alliance's collective defense clause in the event of Russian aggression.

U.S. President Donald Trump in Kerrville, TX, U.S. on July 11, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

But Trump, and his increasingly hostile attitude to Europe and Ukraine left many Lithuanians fearing that being a member of NATO is not the security guarantee it once was.

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Ignas Zalieckas, a Lithuanian cultural journalist living in Germany, told the Kyiv Independent in March that the now-infamous Oval Office showdown between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky caused "total panic" among his friends and family back home.

"Everybody was thinking that NATO is kind of gone," he said.

Hi, this is Chris. Thank you for reading this article. The Kyiv Independent doesn't have a wealthy owner or a paywall. Instead, we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism funded. If you liked this article, consider joining our community today.

Read also: As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act

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By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Friday said he will hold an August 28 hearing on a request by the Justice Department and Boeing to approve an agreement that allows the planemaker to avoid prosecution on a charge stemming from two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people.

The deal, which faces objections from relatives of some of those killed in the crashes in 2018 and 2019, enables Boeing to escape oversight from an independent monitor for three years. Boeing last year agreed to plead guilty under a deal with prosecutors to a criminal fraud charge that it misled U.S. regulators about a crucial flight control system on the 737 MAX, its best-selling jet.

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U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas said he will hear from lawyers or others who want to address the court about the proposed dismissal of the charge it misled U.S. regulators about a crucial flight control system on the 737 MAX.

Some family members argue dismissal is not in the public interest and obligations imposed on Boeing are not enforceable and have cited O'Connor's statement in 2023 that "Boeing's crime may properly be considered the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history."

Boeing argued the executive branch solely has the power to decide whether to bring or maintain a prosecution, asking O'Connor to reject objections filed by the families and grant the government's motion to dismiss the criminal fraud conspiracy charge.

If the government declined to move forward with the prosecution even if the court rejected the deal, O'Connor should appoint a special prosecutor, some families said.

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Under the non-prosecution agreement, Boeing agreed to pay an additional $444.5 million into a crash victims fund to be divided evenly per crash victim of the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, on top of a new $243.6 million fine.

Under the non-prosecution agreement, Boeing will pay $1.1 billion in total, including the fine, compensation to families and more than $455 million to strengthen the companys compliance, safety and quality programs.

The vast majority of the families have settled civil suits with Boeing and collectively have been "paid several billion dollars," the Justice Department said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)
The United States has designated the group The Resistance Front (TRF) a foreign terrorist organisation following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people in April.

In a statement on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that TRF is an offshoot of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and has taken credit for the attack in the resort town of Pahalgam, as well as several assaults on Indian security forces.

Rubio also touted the sanctions as evidence of President Donald Trumps firm approach to foreign policy.

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These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, the State Department said in a statement.

TRF initially claimed responsibility for the bloody attack in Pahalgam but reversed course several days later and denied involvement.





The nationalist government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi quickly seized on the attack, blaming neighbouring Pakistan for the massacre and accusing it of supporting militant groups that carry out attacks on Indian security forces and civilians.

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Several members of LeT carried out a multiday attack in Mumbai in 2008 that killed more than 160 people and injured hundreds more. In his statement, Rubio called the Pahalgam attack, in which militants targeted a popular tourist destination in Kashmir, the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT.

While Pakistan is widely considered to have supported such groups as a form of undermining India, the latters harsh military rule and record of human rights abuses in Kashmir have long been sources of discontent and sometimes violent resistance in the territory.





Hindu nationalists have sought greater control over Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority province under Indian rule.

After the Pahalgam attack in April, India and Pakistan exchanged a series of blows before agreeing to a truce that President Trump claimed credit for helping to broker, though India has denied US mediation.
GREENWOOD, Miss. (WJTV)  The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested a 22-year-old man, who was wanted in connection to a homicide in Greenwood.

Agents said Charlie Ivory was arrested in Greenwood on July 17 after a fugitive investigation. He was wanted by the Leflore County Sheriffs Office for murder, felony fleeing and receiving stolen property.

Body recovered from Pearl River identified as Hazlehurst man

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On June 16, investigators said Samar Gary, 21, was shot and killed at the Triple Stop Gas Station located on Highway 430 in Greenwood. They said two males, who were wearing ski masks and driving a stolen Dodge Charger, shot Gary multiple times.

The suspects then led Leflore County deputies on a high-speed chase that ended in Cruger. Authorities said the suspects ran away from the scene.

Charlie Ivory (Courtesy: USMS)

On June 19 a warrant was issued for the arrest of Ivory in connection to the murder.

Agents said they tracked Ivory to an apartment in the 2900 block of Browning Road on July 17. With the assistance of the Leflore County Sheriffs Office and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the USMS surrounded the apartment building, and Ivory was taken into custody without incident.

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According to investigators, a loaded assault style AR-15 rifle and a Glock pistol were recovered during the arrest.

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Trump administration officials rejected a series of rules Friday to help the international community prevent and respond to public health risks.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement formally rejecting the 2024 International Health Regulations (IHR) Amendments by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations open the door to the kind of narrative management, propaganda, and censorship that we saw during the COVID pandemic, Kennedy said in a video message posted on social platform X.

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The United States can cooperate with other nations without jeopardizing our civil liberties, without undermining our Constitution, and without ceding away Americas treasured sovereignty, he added.

The IHR is an international legal agreement that has been adopted by all 194 WHO member states and includes an outline to rights and responsibilities of the organization and governments in handling global health emergencies like pandemics.

Both the IHR amendments and the pandemic agreement leave health policy up to national governments.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said in a post on X that the organization has never had the power to mandate lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other similar measures.

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Member States have the power to do so if they see the need, he wrote.

Member states decided to review and potentially amend the IHR in 2022 in light of the challenges that arose among the international community in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to health nonprofit KFF.

The WHO formally approved a of number revisions to the IHR last year but did not come to a consensus on a pandemic agreement until earlier this year.

Kennedy said in the video message that WHO member states have until next week to reject the amendments. He added the U.S. is choosing to reject the amended regulations, in part, for reasons related to national sovereignty.

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Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected, international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other measures it sees fit, the HHS chief said. If we are going to give the WHO that much power we should at least invite a thorough public debate.

He noted that the U.S.s decision to reject the amendments was sparked by concerns over a regulation regarding risk communications systems.

The amended requirements, Kennedy continued, require countries to establish systems of risk communication that he believes opens the door to narrative management, propaganda and censorship that the world saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We dont want to see that kind of system institutionalized even further, he said.

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There is also concern over a provision in the amendments related global systems of health IDs and vaccine passports which Kennedy thinks will pave the way for global medical surveillance.

The move is the latest in the Trump administrations efforts to try to distance the U.S. from the WHO.

In January, President Trump issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the organization and stated the country would pause the future transfer of funding.

The president tried to withdraw the country from the international organization during his first term. The withdrawal never happened  it takes a year for a member state to fully withdraw from the WHO  and former President Biden reversed the decision once he took office.

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Public health experts decried Trumps move, warning that it would severely weaken domestic and global public health.

The U.S. was a founding member of the WHO in 1948 and is the largest financial donor of the organization.

Updated at 6:08 p.m. EDT

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Water beads have long been criticized for being dangerous, even fatal, for kids. Now two members of a government watchdog are tearing into a decision by the acting chair of the body to delay a final ruling on the toys.

For years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for issuing safety requirements and recalls of consumer products, has been stressing the danger of water beads. The agency said it is aware of a 10-month-old girl who died in 2023 related to swallowing water beads.

The CPSC was scheduled to issue a final rule on water beads Wednesday, but two members of the commission say that its been blocked without explanation.

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Yesterday, July 16, 2025, we were supposed to see a final rule that would have protected children from life-threatening hazards tied to water beads, Consumer Product Safety Commission member Richard Trumka, Jr. said in a scathing statement Thursday. Instead acting chair Peter Feldman, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, blocked the agency from delivering on that promise, without even bothering to explain why, Trumka, Jr. wrote.

Trumka also accused Feldman of canceling this years priorities hearing, in which consumers would share their testimonies about the dangers of water beads.

Childrens lives are too important for inaction. Acting Chair Feldman, its time to get off the sidelines and start working for consumer safety, Trumka wrote.

Another commissioner, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, also issued a statement expressing disappointment with the delays on both draft final rules, urging Feldman to be transparent with the public and explain why.

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In a statement, the CPSC denied rules were delayed and said the agency was adhering to the appropriate process and that Trumps executive orders are to promote interagency review of proposed regulations.

It is unfortunate that the Democrats have chosen childrens safety as a pretense to protest the President. Despite their deliberate attempts to frustrate President Trumps agenda, CPSC is not beholden to any artificial deadline set by the Commissions Democrats, a CPSC spokesperson said.

The stinging words come as the president has attempted to purge the independent watchdog of commissioners appointed by Biden, firing three members of the five-person commission in the past year before they were reinstated by judges. The case is pending before the Supreme Court.

The tiny balls made out of extremely absorbent polymer material can expand to 100 times their initial size and weight when exposed to liquid  including liquids inside the body when theyre ingested. When children swallow them, theyre in danger of suffering a blocked digestive or respiratory tract, or poisoning by toxic chemicals.

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The CPSC currently has a warning for water beads and urges parents and caregivers to remove those products from any environment with children.

Amazon, Walmart and Target all voluntarily stopped selling water beads marketed for children after pressure from consumers, the CPSC, lawmakers and public health officials.

The CPSC is made up of four commissioners and the acting director, Feldman. Feldman was nominated by Trump to be a commissioner in his first term, was then renominated and confirmed, and became acting chairman in January 2025.

In May, Trump fired three Biden-nominated CPSC commissioners  Trumka, Hoehn-Saric and Mary Boyle  before their terms ended.

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But in June, a federal district court reinstated those members. The Trump administration filed an appeal, asking the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to permit the firings. Trump notched a victory in May when the Supreme Court said Trump didnt have to re-hire officials at two independent federal labor agencies.

The CPSC also delayed a ruling last week on button battery hazards in childrens toys without explanation. When these small batteries are swallowed, a childs saliva could connect the circuit which could then burn the childs esophagus.

CNNs Shania Shelton and Michael Williams contributed to this report.

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The U.S. government sanctioned the head of Venezuelas Tren de Aragua gang, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, and its five other key leaders and affiliates Thursday, citing involvement in various criminal activities.

The Treasury Department said Tren de Aragua is a threat to public safety throughout the Western world and is involved in the illicit drug trade, extortion, human smuggling and trafficking, money laundering, sexual exploitation of women and children, and other criminal conduct.

Todays action highlights the critical role of leaders like Nino Guerrero and his lieutenants in Tren de Araguas efforts to increase its destabilizing influence throughout the region, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Thursday statement.

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The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans, Bessent added. In line with President Trumps mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the groups campaign of violence.

Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela, was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department on Feb. 20.

Apart from Guerrero Flores, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Yohan Jose Romero, Josue Angel Santana Pena, Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo, Guerrero Floress wife Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, and Felix Anner Castillo Rondon.

Thursdays sanctions will block all property and interests in property of the six people. Also, any entities owned directly or indirectly at a 50 percent rate or more will be blocked.

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Jose Romero, a close lieutenant of Guerrero Flores, has been responsible for Tren de Araguas illegal mining efforts in Venezuela, along with providing the criminal gang with military-grade weapons, according to the Treasury Department.

The State Department, through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Guerrero Flores.

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KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine and the United States are in detailed talks on a deal involving U.S. investment in Kyiv's domestic drone production, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Friday.

The announcement comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tasked a reshuffled new government with scaling up Ukraine's arms industry and strengthening ties with its strategic partners.

Svyrydenko, speaking to reporters alongside several other new ministers in the capital Kyiv, said the deal would also lead to the U.S., Ukraine's biggest military backer in its war with Russia, purchasing Ukrainian drones.

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"We plan to sign a 'drone deal' with the United States. We are discussing investments in the expansion of production of Ukrainian drones by the U.S.," she said.

"That is, we are talking about the purchase of a large batch of Ukrainian drones."

Svyrydenko added that a political decision on the deal had been made by Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump, and that officials were already hashing out the details.

Zelenskiy told the New York Post this week that he and Trump were considering a deal for Washington to buy battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the U.S..

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The Ukrainian government under Svyrydenko is expected to shore up ties with the Trump administration, which has grown increasingly critical of Russia since it stepped up air strikes on Ukraine.

Svyrydenko is well-known in Washington, having negotiated a high-level deal offering the U.S. preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth that will feed a reconstruction fund.

At the briefing in Kyiv, economy minister Oleksiy Sobolev said the board of a joint U.S.-Ukrainian fund will meet for the first time by the end of the summer.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash and Yuliia Dysa; Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Kirsten Donovan)
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, testifying here before the Appropriations Committee, sent a letter July 9, 2025, to Kansas asking for personal information about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients. (Senate webcast)

TOPEKA  The federal government has renewed efforts to gather personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Kansas, giving the state a July 30 deadline to respond.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families received the request on July 9, said spokeswoman Jenalea Randall.

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We are still reviewing the published notice in order to understand the intent behind this request and how the data will be used, she said. Our obligation to maintain these records in confidence is paramount, and they may only be disclosed to the USDA for specific program-related reasons.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent the letter to states, once again demanding private information about SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers and home addresses, to be turned over by July 30.

The information was necessary to comply with President Donald Trumps executive order that each federal agency access data from all state programs that receive federal funding, Rollins said in the letter.

Nationally, the demand is being challenged in court by students, SNAP recipients, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. On Thursday, the group filed a motion asking for a restraining order to stop the latest attempt at data collection while the lawsuit is pending, according to a press release.

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The Trump administration initially asked for the data in May, and DCF denied it. In a letter to a third-party data provider, DCFs Carla Whiteside-Hicks, director of economic and employment services, said the agency has an obligation to maintain the records in confidence.

At this time, we are unsure as to the reason for the USDAs request. As such, we are unable to consent to your turning the information over, she wrote.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit contend that in a sworn declaration dated May 30, a top USDA official at the agency promised it would not move forward without following federal laws.

Instead, the agency made this new demand, which the plaintiffs in the case said violates the Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

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This Administration is trying to work the system, said Madeline Wiseman, counsel at the National Student Legal Defense Network, in a press release. After promising in court to follow proper procedures, USDAs actions out of the courtroom continue to demonstrate a disregard for the legal requirements that limit its ability to collect and use this data. This lawlessness must be stopped.

Randall said a hearing in the lawsuit is set for July 23, 2025, to address the temporary restraining order the plaintiffs have requested.

The Trump administration, through the Department of Justice, also is attempting to access other sensitive data from voter registrations, according to Stateline.

So far, no requests have been made in Kansas, said Whitney Tempel, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Scott Schwab.

While weve had discussions with the Department of Justice about general voter roll maintenance, they have not requested access to our voter data, she said in an email. We explained Kansas voter roll maintenance to DOJ, how we remove for death, non-citizen, felony, moving, etc.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) warned this week that his state is enduring one of the most active fire seasons in recent memory  and that humans have been responsible for most of the blazes.

Were seeing exactly the kind of extreme fire behavior we hoped that we would not but warned was very likely, Cox said during his monthly news conference, which aired Thursday on PBS Utah.

The governor expressed distress at the fact that 72 percent of the multiple wildfires raging across Utah this season have been caused by humans. The fires, fueled by strong winds and hot, dry weather, have scorched thousands of acres statewide, he noted.

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For example, Cox described a firenado that was strong enough to flip heavy equipment, rip roofs off and spread flames unpredictably stemming from the 15,000-acre Deer Creek Fire south of Moab.

He also detailed similarly catastrophic blazes in Sevier County in Central Utah, near St. George in the southwestern corner of the state and an almost 35,000-acre incident near Bryce Canyon National Park.

While acknowledging that the total number of wildfires this year is similar to those last year  571 versus 576  Cox stressed that conditions on the ground are worse, and fires are behaving very differently.

Last year, he explained, the soil contained much more moisture, creating a buffer that helped moderate fire activity. Two consecutive winters of robust snowpack also amplified the growth of grasses and brush that are now fueling the fires, the governor added.

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The tinder-dry landscape means every spark has a greater chance of becoming a large and fast-moving wildfire, he said.

Cox appealed to fellow Utahns to use common sense and avoid activities like abandoning campfires or going target shooting in dry brush. He also emphasized the importance of cutting back brush around forest cabins, to create a defensible space.

The governor recognized a history of both mismanagement and lack of management on some forest lands, while noting that bad decisions over the past few decades are not solely responsible for the crises that have occurred.

Climate change is part of that, for sure, Cox said. But whether you believe the climate is changing because its human caused or not, it is changing, and weve got to adapt to that.

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One of the major ways Utah and other states across the U.S. West are adapting, he explained is by treating forests with prescribed burns  a process that has led to a noticeable reduction in in damage done.

The good news is that we are doing more, and I want to give credit to both the Trump administration and the Biden administration, who realized years ago that that we needed to do more, Cox said.

Yet as wildfires continue to wreak havoc across the state, the governor noted an uptick in water use and that reservoir levels plunged 10 percent during June  five times more than average for this time of year.

Although reservoirs are at 77 percent capacity, slightly above normal at this point, these storage sites are being depleted at an above average rate, he warned.

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Its OK to have yellow lawns this year, Cox said. We give you permission not to keep them up and keep them green.

Recognizing a June declaration he had made for a statewide day of prayer and fasting for rain, the governor  a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  emphasized that prayer alone would not be enough.

While we need faith and prayers, we also need people to cut back on their usage, Cox added.

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First responders tend to a man injured in a shooting at the No Kings protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

After Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said state public safety officials had told Utah 50501 No Kings organizers that having peacekeepers during the protest was a bad idea, the organizers are contesting the governors comments.

It appears Governor Cox has been grossly misinformed about an alleged conversation between the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Utah50501, the organizers said in a statement issued Thursday night to Utah News Dispatch through their attorney Mary Corporon.

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The organizers of Utah50501 are not aware of anyone having such a conversation with DPS in which they were warned against having a volunteer safety team at events, the statement added. At no time did Utah50501 request or require any safety and de-escalation volunteers to carry weapons. No organizers in Utah50501 ever said to DPS, we think its a good idea for our safety volunteers to carry weapons, and any claim to the contrary is false.

The statement, however went on to say that Utah50501 spoke with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) regarding protests at the Utah State Capitol when we asked whether people carrying weapons could be asked to leave the protest.

The Utah Highway Patrol is a division of the Utah Department of Public Safety.

UHP advised us that individuals have a constitutional right to open carry or to carry a concealed weapon, and Utah50501 could not lawfully prohibit anyone from doing so at our events, the organizers statement said.

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While they said we respect the Second Amendment rights of protesters and Utahs laws, at no time did Utah50501 or any of its organizers encourage or request any participant carry a weapon to the protest.

The Governor is misinterpreting the law if he says Utah50501 had any lawful authority to prevent participants, whether volunteers or protestors, from carrying a weapon to a protest on public streets or in public spaces, the statement continued.

Cox on Thursday did not say protest organizers should have restricted people from legally open or concealed carrying of firearms. He called himself a big believer of the Second Amendment, but also said he believed there were a lot of good people that made mistakes leading up to the shooting.

According to Salt Lake City police, the shooting during the June 14 protest happened after two men, who described themselves to police as peacekeepers, confronted 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who was openly carrying an AR-15-style rifle during the protest.

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One of the men, reportedly part of the event organizers volunteer security team, told police he thought Gamboa was acting suspiciously, which led him to fire three shots from a handgun, hitting Gamboa in the back but also inadvertently striking innocent bystander Arthur Afa Ah Loo, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Gamboa  the man who had openly carried the rifle during the protest but did not fire a shot  was arrested shortly after the shooting but was conditionally released from jail six days later, on June 20.

In the wake of the shooting, the national 50501 group that has organized No Kings protests across the country disowned the Utah chapter that organized the Salt Lake City protest, citing a strict no-weapons policy and saying the chapter had disregarded our nonnegotiable values.

The peacekeeper who was involved in the shooting was a military veteran, the protest organizers said last month. Neither police nor the organizers have publicly named him.

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In their statement issued Thursday night, Utah50501 organizers said they coordinated with the Salt Lake City Police Department to inform them of plans per their event permit.

Communications with law enforcement, whether it was UHP from previous events at the Capitol or SLCPD, have always been centered around crowd safety, and communication with SLCPD was continued throughout the protest on June 14th, their statement concluded.

In response for more information about the communications between state public safety officials and the No Kings protest organizers, the Utah Department of Public Safety issued a statement to Utah News Dispatch Friday morning that DPS officials communicated with the 50501 group from February through May to support public safety and property protection during their various events at the State Capitol.

During this time, the group requested that the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) remove counter-protesters from their gatherings, the DPS statement said. We informed them that such action is not permissible, as all individuals have a constitutional right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.

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State public safety officials added that the group also expressed interest in utilizing private security or safety volunteers.

We made clear that while they may designate individuals to assist with basic support, such as offering aid in cases of dehydration or minor medical issues, or helping de-escalate conversations, they do not have law enforcement authority and therefore cannot take enforcement actions or attempt to remove individuals from public spaces, DPS said.

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DPS added: When the group raised the idea of their private security personnel being armed, we did not tell them they were prohibited from doing so. However, we cautioned against it, explaining the risks and implications of individuals carrying firearms without law enforcement authority. DPS remains committed to ensuring the safety of all individuals exercising their rights at the Capitol.

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Coxs comments Thursday came after reporters asked him during a PBS Utah news conference if theres anything the state can or should do to prevent similar tragedies like the shooting that left Ah Loo dead.

I dont know that theres more that we can do, the governor said, noting state officials work very closely with organizations across the state, including the No Kings protesters.

That was an absolute tragedy, Cox continued. I can tell you that they were warned months and months and months ago that it was a bad idea to have these peacekeepers to be a part of what they were attempting to do, that it could lead to something like this, and sadly, it did.

Asked to give more details about those warnings, Cox said the leaders of the event were warned many months ago when they first started doing this, and they were warned by our Department of Public Safety.

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Our DPS said, Its a bad idea. You can do it, its not illegal, theres nothing illegal about it, its just a bad idea, Cox said. They said, Well, we think its a good idea. End of conversation.

Pressed on who he believed was responsible for Ah Loos death, Cox said, Thats a good question, and the (Salt Lake County) district attorney will eventually make that decision as it goes forward.

Cox added there were a lot of good people who made mistakes.

I dont know whos ultimately responsible, but I think a lot of people are responsible for what happened, the governor said. Its a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to his family. I think, again, mistakes were made by the organizers, by the peacekeepers, by the protester who brought his rifle. Lots of mistakes were made.

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No charges have been filed in relation to the shooting. Its up to the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office to decide whether anyone involved will be charged with a crime.

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WASHINGTON  Visitors could enjoy national parks for free on next years Constitution Day to celebrate the countrys 250th anniversary under a new proposal introduced by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy this week.

The Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites, or STARS Act, would direct the secretary of the Interior to designate Constitution Day as an entrance-fee free day at all National Park Service sites next year. If passed, it would open the gates on Sept. 17, 2026, for all visitors to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States.

How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom? Maybe the best way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called the best idea we ever had our national parks, Maloy said in a statement.

I can't think of a better place to celebrate America's 250th birthday than our national parks. I introduced the STARS Act to give Americans free access next Constitution Day. pic.twitter.com/DzrbNKfCbw  Rep. Celeste Maloy (@RepMaloyUtah) July 16, 2025

The bill would open access to more than 400 sites across the country, including national parks, battleground sites, monuments and other cultural landmarks. By waiving entrance fees, Maloy said it highlights the role of public lands in U.S. history and honors the legacy of freedom, resilience, and patriotism that began in 1776.

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Constitution Day is a federal holiday marking the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, marking the day the delegates signed the document at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The holiday is observed every year to celebrate those who have become U.S. citizens.

If passed, Maloys proposal would join other mass efforts next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

President Donald Trump earlier this month launched America250, a campaign promise to celebrate the countrys 250th birthday with a yearlong celebration. America250 began at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3 and several states, including Utah, have ongoing events to mark the occasion.
KAPOLEI, Hawaii (KHON2)  There was a brush fire in West Oahu that was sparked by a utility pole on Thursday morning.

It was a small blaze, but some said it could have had much larger consequences  concerns over wildfire safety remain top-of-mind as Hawaii approaches the two-year mark since the tragedy in Lahaina.

A huge win, HPD interim chief says more police presence coming to West Oahu

It was a disturbing sight in Kapolei on Thursday morning when the top of a utility pole started sparking while flames and smoke emanated from near its base.

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Firefighters were able to get the flames under control before they spread, but the fear was not doused as quickly for many residents.

This is no longer theoretical. Lahaina happened and that was loss of 100 lives. It was a loss of and displacement of thousands of our community members and is reverberating across Maui and the state, and billions of dollars in damage, said Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board chair Makana Paris said.

Hawaiian Electrics Public Safety Power Shutoff program  put in place after the deadly Lahaina fire  was not activated and questions are being raised.

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Obviously, the public has a right to feel concerned. And then when we see videos like this and nobody catching it, that this was occurring, it feeds into peoples rights to have concern. Im concerned, said Rep. Darius Kila.

Folks were grateful that the blaze was contained and told KHON2 that if conditions and the wind were blowing hard enough, the situation had the potential to become another Lahaina-scale event.

The area neighborhood board chair said residents are demanding answers and action from utility companies.

Are they cutting down the brush, are they pushing back the trees, like whats going on? Because its not clear. And these brush fires are still continuing to happen in our community. So I think our community members are not feeling safe or hopeful at this point, Paris said.

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Rep. Kila said the situation could have been much worse, especially given how dry and fire-prone the region currently is.

In a perfect storm, a perfect set of conditions, you can create the worst scenario. And luckily today that wasnt that. But just last week, imagine if we were going through the wildfires in Nanakuli and somehow a transformer blew near the brush fire. You are just creating more fire, Rep. Kila said.

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Hawaiian Electric said in a statement:

We appreciate the fast response by the Honolulu Fire Department. The equipment has been repaired and were investigating the cause. Darren Pai, Hawaiian Electric external communications manager

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
On June 27, I did something I never do  I stayed up until 8:30 a.m.

As a registered nurse at UW Health University Hospital, I usually head straight to bed after finishing a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. night shift. But that morning I stayed awake because an important court ruling that would affect UW Health nurses was due.

This decision, by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, would determine whether our union would have the right to collectively bargain under Wisconsin's Employment Peace Act, a law that gives private sector workers here the right to collectively bargain.

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against us. While disappointing, this setback won't stop us from fighting for our seat at the table.

UW Health nurses stuck in legal limbo over union rights

For more than 14 years, UW Health nurses have been stuck in legal limbo when it comes to our right to organize and collectively bargain. We keep going because we love being UW Health nurses. We're proud to work at Wisconsin's flagship teaching hospital, and we want to make it the best possible place for our patients and community.

Opinion: A Fourth of July list of grievances from overworked, unrepresented America

Our experience illustrates something larger that is happening among working people across America. Even as the systems meant to empower us are breaking down, we're finding new ways to claim our place at the table.

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Growing numbers of working people across America want respect for our work and a more secure future. Unions give us the power of numbers to advocate for the good jobs that build thriving communities. Public support for unions is at its highest level in decades, yet fewer American workers can actually navigate our complex legal system to join unions and negotiate contracts.

The laws meant to give workers the freedom to organize together are not working. Corporate lobbyists have used their money and influence to weaken our rights. Corporate lawyers throw up barriers to make starting a union time-consuming and expensive.

A recent MIT-led report confirmed what we already know: "the decrease in unionizationdespite the interest in itis likely due to current labor laws, which often make unionization difficult, as well as resistance from employers."

But working people are proving we can be creative and persistent despite these obstacles. From baristas organizing at Starbucks to warehouse workers at Amazon, from Group Health Cooperative clinic workers here in Madison to rideshare drivers nationwide, we're building solidarity and standing up against corporate pushback.

Despite Walker's attacks, our union didn't disappear

It wasn't always this hard. At UW Health, nurses had a union and bargaining rights for many years. UW nurses first organized in the 1960s, negotiated contracts, and built constructive relationships with hospital administrators.

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But in 2011, former Gov. Scott Walker attacked working Wisconsinites and our unions, stripping union rights from tens of thousands of people. In 2014, when our existing contract expired, UW Health administration withdrew legal recognition for our union.

Our union didn't disappear. When I started at UW Health in 2017, I helped rebuild the union my colleagues had kept alive. Since then, I've supported every effort to restore our collective bargaining rights. Because UW Health is state-supported, we tried negotiating under Wisconsin's law for public employees. Denied. Since UW Health acts like a private employer in many ways, we tried winning recognition under federal law for private sector workers. Denied. Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied that we have rights under state law for private sector workers.

Despite these legal setbacks, we used our strength in numbers to push forward. In 2022, my fellow nurses and I voted to authorize a strike over staffing and COVID-19 burnout. Our administration responded by agreeing to a "Meet and Discuss" process that gives frontline nurses input into hospital policies. We recently agreed to extend this process for at least two more years. It's not the full collective bargaining we deserve, but it's progress.

Letters: Wait. I'm supposed to report anyone failing to emphasize beauty of Apostle Islands?

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UW Health nurses will keep going until we restore our right to collectively bargain. One of my heroes, the Jesuit priest, poet, and activist Daniel Berrigan used to say, "If you want to be hopeful, do hopeful things." For me, that means organizing with the power we already have to win back the rights we deserve.

We know that when healthcare workers have a voice, patient care improves. When we can negotiate for safe staffing and create sustainable careers, everyone benefits.

The question isn't whether American workers want unions  we clearly do. The question is how quickly we can build the power to rewrite the rules so working people can win the future we have earned.

Colin Gillis is a Registered Nurse at University Hospital and a leader of UW Nurses United of SEIU Wisconsin, a union of healthcare workers in Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW Health denying collective bargaining rights we've earned | Opinion
Veterans Affairs officials on Friday announced plans to extend caregiver benefits to legacy participants of department support programs through September 2028, pushing back the potential cutoff of benefits by almost two years.

In a statement, VA Secretary Doug Collins said the move will provide consistency and stability to nearly 15,000 participants in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

The move comes as department officials continue to review potential changes to the program, which provides training, respite care, counseling, technical support, a monthly stipend and access to health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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The stipends vary based on where veterans live, but generally hover around $3,000 a month for the most severely wounded individuals and $1,800 for others in need of around-the-clock care.

VA plans to expand caregiver benefits, postpone program discharges

At the start of this year, nearly 90,000 caregivers were enrolled in either the PCAFC or VAs Program of General Caregiver Support Services. But the efforts have faced significant controversy in recent years because of attempted reforms to eligibility and enrollment rules.

In June 2022, the department suspended all caregiver reassessments and program dismissals amid worries that families depending on the benefit were being wrongly evaluated. Since then, department leaders have repeatedly pushed back deadlines for new eligibility rules.

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In December, under the previous presidential administration, officials filed notice in the Federal Register to suspend legacy dismissals from the program until late 2026, as they contemplated adding more families into the eligibility pool.

Fridays announcement pushes that back even further, to 2028. Officials said that legacy participants in the program will continue to receive their current levels of benefits while VA continues the rulemaking process to refine the program.

In a statement, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, praised the move as a responsible decision.

By extending this pause, post-9/11 veterans and caregivers who have been enrolled in VAs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers since before it was expanded to pre-9/11 veterans in 2020 can rest assured that they will continue to be supported as VA, Congress and the caregiver community keep working to make certain this program is successful for all generations of veterans and their caregivers, he said.

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Legacy participants are veterans and family caregivers who were enrolled in the PCAFC before Sept. 30, 2020, when it was initially expanded to include pre-9/11 veterans.

Bob Carey, executive director of the National Defense Committee, said that while his group applauded efforts to ensure that legacy program participants are being taken care of amid confusion with the caregiver benefits, this doesnt change the underlying regulation that is unnecessarily restrictive, especially for the pre-9/11 veterans who were not eligible for the program until 2019. He said additional reforms need to be enacted more quickly.

Officials from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said they have been fielding anxious calls from veterans about the programs future for months, and Fridays news will help calm some of those fears.

This resolution has been our top priority, foundation CEO Steve Schwab said in a statement. While we know this is not the final step, we commend Secretary Collins and his team for extending the timeframe for eligibility for the Legacy caregivers. This action gives them needed financial breathing room while the agency continues to work to finalize the rules governing this vital program.
Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange for getting home scores of migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador months ago under the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, officials said.

The arrangement represents a diplomatic achievement for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, helps President Donald Trump in his goal of bringing home Americans jailed abroad and lands El Salvador a swap that its president had proposed months ago.

Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement in which he thanked El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

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Bukele said his country had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody. The Venezuelan government said it had paid a steep price by having to release the U.S. nationals but was pleased to have its own jailed citizens back.

Central to the deal are the more than 250 Venezuelan migrants being freed by El Salvador, which in March agreed to a $6 million payment from the Trump administration to house them in a notorious Salvadoran prison.

The arrangement drew immediate blowback when Trump invoked an 18th century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to quickly remove men his administration had accused of belonging to the violent Tren de Aragua street gang. The administration did not provide evidence to back those claims.

The Venezuelans have been held in a mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which was built to hold alleged gang members in Bukeles war on the countrys gangs. Human rights groups have documented hundreds of deaths and cases of torture inside its walls.

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Among the Americans freed Friday was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, whose family says he was kidnapped in January by Venezuelan border guards from inside Colombia, where he was vacationing.

We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal, said his younger sister Sophie Hunter.

The release of the Venezuelans is an invaluable win for Maduro as he presses his efforts to assert himself as president despite credible evidence that he lost reelection last year. Long on the receiving end of accusations of human rights abuses, Maduro for months used the mens detention in El Salvador to flip the script on the U.S. government, forcing even some of his strongest political opponents to agree with his condemnation of the migrants treatment.

The migrants return will allow Maduro to reaffirm support within his shrinking base, while it demonstrates that even if the Trump administration and other nations see him as an illegitimate president, he is still firmly in power.

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The release comes just a week after the State Department reiterated its policy of shunning Maduro government officials and recognizing only the National Assembly elected in 2015 as the legitimate government of the country. Signed by Rubio, the cable said U.S. officials are free to meet and have discussions with National Assembly members but cannot engage with Maduro regime representatives unless cleared by the Department of State.

Venezuelan authorities detained nearly a dozen U.S. citizens in the second half of 2024 and linked them to alleged plots to destabilize the country.

We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime, said a statement from Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy SEAL, was arrested in his Caracas hotel room last year.

Global Reach, a nonprofit organization that had advocated for his release and that of several other Americans, said Venezuelan officials initially and falsely accused him of being involved in a coup but backed off that claim.

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The Americans were among dozens of people, including activists, opposition members and union leaders, that Venezuelas government took into custody in its brutal campaign to crack down on dissent in the 11 months since Maduro claimed to win reelection.

The U.S. government, along with several other Western nations, does not recognize Maduros claim to victory and instead points to tally sheets collected by the opposition coalition showing that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won the July 2024 election by a more than a two-to-one margin.

The dispute over results prompted immediate protests, and the government responded by detaining more than 2,000 people, mostly poor young men. Gonzalez fled into exile in Spain to avoid arrest.

Despite the U.S. not recognizing Maduro, the two governments have carried out other recent exchanges.

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In May, Venezuela freed a U.S. Air Force veteran after about six months in detention. Scott St. Clairs family has said the language specialist, who served four tours in Afghanistan, had traveled to South America to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

St. Clair was handed over to Richard Grenell, Trumps envoy for special missions, during a meeting on a Caribbean island.

Three months earlier, six other Americans whom the U.S. government considered wrongfully detained in Venezuela were released after Grenell met with Maduro at the presidential palace.

Grenell, during the meeting in Venezuelas capital, Caracas, urged Maduro to take back deported migrants who have committed crimes in the U.S. Hundreds of Venezuelans have since been deported to their home country, but more than 200 deported from the U.S. have been held since mid-March at the prison in El Salvador.

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Lawyers have little access to those in the prison, which is heavily guarded, and information has been locked tight, other than heavily produced state propaganda videos showing tattooed men packed behind bars.

As a result, prominent human rights groups and lawyers working with the Venezuelans on legal cases had little information of their movement until they boarded the plane.

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Venezuelan nationals deported from the U.S. to El Salvador are being sent to Venezuela, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced on Friday.

The deal is part of a large-scale prisoner swap between the U.S., Venezuela and El Salvador that will allow 10 Americans detained in Venezuela to return to the U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post that 10 Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom, and thanked Bukele for facilitating their release.

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Bukele said in a separate social media post that he has approved the release of all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua.

He said the deal was carried out in return for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners as well as the release of the American prisoners in Venezuela.

In a statement, Rubio thanked Bukele for his role in securing the release of the American prisoners, and stressed his commitment to protecting Americans across the globe.

Our commitment to the American people is clear: we will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home, Rubio said in the statement.

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In March, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport dozens of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, where they were detained in a notorious mega-prison known as CECOT that's used for the country's most dangerous criminals.

The maneuver drew swift criticism from immigrant advocates and legal experts. In June, a federal judge ruled the deportations were illegal, but did not compel the Trump administration to return those deported to the U.S.

Days after the deportations, the Trump administration acknowledged in a legal filing that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man living in the U.S., was mistakenly deported as well  an admission that brought further scrutiny on the Salvadoran prison.

Multiple Democratic lawmakers visited El Salvador to draw attention to the prison and to pursue the release of Abrego Garcia.

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In April, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcias return to the U.S. He returned to the U.S. in June to face federal smuggling charges in Tennessee, which he denies.

The fate of one Venezuelan prisoner who became the subject of another prolonged legal battle, Daniel Lozano Camargo, was not immediately clear. Lozano was among the Venezuelans abruptly sent to El Salvador in March.

But the man was also the subject of a 2024 legal settlement meant to prevent the deportation of people who came to the country as minors before their asylum claims were fully adjudicated. As a result, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee based in Maryland, ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return.

In recent days, the administration has signaled that a development occurred in Lozanos case but has not yet provided specifics. His attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

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Its also unclear what effect the transfer of the detainees will have on broader litigation brought by the men held in El Salvador, who contended in court that the Trump administration had violated their due process.

The Trump administration has continued deportations to third countries if the deportees home country will not accept them.

Three people familiar with the negotiations, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive international decision-making, told POLITICO that the United States had pitched a version of this deal to the Venezuelan government in May.

The proposal would have seen El Salvador release the hundreds of Venezuelan nationals being held at CECOT in exchange for the release of Americans in Venezuelan custody and some Venezuelan political prisoners, similar to the Friday release. It was relayed to Venezuelan officials via John McNamara, then the interim charge daffairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.

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Since the U.S. suspended diplomatic relations with Venezuela amid a political standoff within the country in 2019, the U.S. embassy in Bogota has taken care of Venezuela issues.

Senior Venezuelan officials, the people said, were confused why McNamara reached out when they understood that their principal point of contact was special envoy Richard Grenell. They also believed that McNamara was not acting alone and that he would not get ahead of State Department leadership.
Dozens of Venezuelans that Donald Trump had deported to a brutal prison in El Salvador have been sent back to their home country under a bilateral deal to secure the release of Americans locked up in Venezuela.

Under the deal, more than 200 Venezuelans summarily deported to El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, were flown to Caracas on Friday. In exchange, the Venezuelan government delivered five U.S. citizens and five lawful permanent residents back to American custody.

The prisoner swap follows the Trump administrations allegedly bungled efforts to try to release Americans imprisoned in Venezuela in exchange for sending home dozens of men that the administration accused of being Tren de Aragua gang members.

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The release of Venezuelans who have been imprisoned at the facility for more than four months could also potentially expose what they experienced inside and what conditions are like for hundreds of people languishing inside the notorious prison.

So far, only one person deported from the United States to CECOT has made it back.

The Trump administration negotiated a deal for the release of American prisoners in Venezuela in exchange for dozens of Venezuelans who were deported from the United States to a brutal prison in El Salvador (EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENCY PRESS OFFICE)

The Trump administration negotiated a deal for the release of American prisoners in Venezuela in exchange for dozens of Venezuelans who were deported from the United States to a brutal prison in El Salvador (EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENCY PRESS OFFICE)

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran father who was living in Maryland, was abruptly returned to the United States after a weeks-long court battle over his arrest and removal. Administration officials initially said he was deported by mistake before repeatedly insisting the U.S. government no longer had jurisdiction over him. Last month, he was returned to face a federal criminal indictment in Tennessee accusing him of smuggling immigrants across the country.

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A recent court filing detailed for the first time what current conditions at the Salvadoran prison are like for the dozens of Venezuelan immigrants still inside.

Abrego Garcia was subject to severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture at the facility, according to his attorneys.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele confirmed the prisoner exchange on Friday afternoon, saying his administration handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua.

The exchange includes a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, people that regime had kept in its prisons for years, as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages, he said.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Americans are on their way to freedom as he thanked the State Department and Bukeles administration for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.

Despite the Trump administrations claims that deportees sent to the notorious maximum-security prison were no longer the responsibility of the United States, officials have been using them as a bargaining chip in a weeks-in-the-making prisoner exchange.

But those competing negotiations, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in one camp and presidential envoy Richard Grenell in another, had appeared to fall apart until Fridays alleged breakthrough.

CECOT, branded a tropical gulag by human rights groups, is the largest prison in Latin America, which the Trump administration has contracted to detain dozens of alleged Tren de Aragua members deported from the United States (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

CECOT, branded a tropical gulag by human rights groups, is the largest prison in Latin America, which the Trump administration has contracted to detain dozens of alleged Tren de Aragua members deported from the United States (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Their return had been a long-standing demand of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Nayib Bukeles regime and the Trump administration of committing human rights abuses by locking up immigrants in the Salvadoran prison, labelled by humanitarian groups as a tropical gulag and concentration camp.

Roughly 250 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvadors brutal Terrorism Confinement Center beginning March 15, when Trump invoked a centuries-old wartime law that labelled alleged Tren de Aragua gang members alien enemies who could be removed from the country without due process.

The White House claims that Maduro directed an invasion of gang members into the country  contradicting reports from U.S. intelligence agencies.

Government attorneys argued that the United States no longer has jurisdiction over deportees after ignoring emergency court orders that blocked their arrival in El Salvador. But Salvadoran authorities recently told the United Nations that the legal responsibility for these people lie exclusively with the U.S. government.

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Bukele had first hinted at prospects of a humanitarian agreement with the countries in April, weeks after agreeing to imprison U.S. deportees in CECOT. Venezuelan officials, meanwhile, had dismissed the proposal and demanded the return of their kidnapped countrymen.

Several federal judges have temporarily blocked immigration officials from deporting more Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, teeing up yet another Supreme Court battle challenging the presidents sweeping executive actions related to his anti-immigration agenda.

Lawyers for deported immigrants inside CECOT have argued for class-action relief, which would give them an opportunity to challenge allegations against them in court.

Significant evidence has come to light indicating that many of those currently entombed in CECOT have no connection to the gang and thus languish in a foreign prison on flimsy, even frivolous, accusations, District Judge James Boasberg wrote last month.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  The United States Senate approved a $9 billion rescissions package that will cut funding towards public broadcasting and foreign aid spending.

$1 billion from that package will be used to cut funding of NPR and PBS, which GOP lawmakers argue have been pushing left-leaning agendas.

Ozarks First spoke to Rachel Knight, general manager of Ozark Public Broadcasting, at Missouri State University. She says they were surprised by the news of the cuts.

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Were very disappointed in the Senate vote, says Knight. You know, the way this has been framed is cutting public funding for PBS and NPR. But the funding that was cut, $1.1 billion, 70% of that goes to local stations like Ozarks Public Television and KSMU Radio. So really whats happening is money is being taken out of local communities and the local stations that are running them.

According to Knight, the money they wont be receiving this fiscal year is about 10% of KSMU Radios budget and about a third of Ozarks public televisions budget, which is a significant portion of what they use to operate.

Knight says their viewers and listeners will also feel the impact of these cuts.

There will be less programming and fewer services, Knight said. So, things that people count on and things that people love are very much at risk of going away.

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Ben Verstraete is a recent Missouri State University graduate whos been working with the station for years. He says hes concerned for the future.

Theres a lot of worry just in terms of not only, you know, me continuing to have a job, but other people continuing to have a job and continuing to be able to produce the coverage we produce here, Verstraete says.

He believes funding for public media is important, as it provides people a way to stay informed free of charge.

Its really important, I think, to have news outlets that arent necessarily always worried about the bottom line, he said.

Roseanne Bentley, who helped found Ozarks Public Television, passed away on Monday before the cuts were approved. She was 89 years old.



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As desperate veterans crossed into Mexico to try a promising psychedelic drug, a battle over the same substance raged on in Texas.

Ibogaine  a plant-based extract that originates from the African iboga shrub  is a psychedelic drug and has been championed by a coalition of military heroes who swear by its benefits.

For the last few years, veterans have been traveling south of the border to try the drug for PTSD and traumatic brain injury treatment and have returned with remarkable stories of healing  but, here in the U.S., the drug can neither be bought nor taken.

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In fact, even studying it poses a challenge, but Texas sought to change that with a bill to make the Lone Star State the international leader in ibogaine research.



"There is obviously a medical use for this. We sent 1,000 warfighters down to Mexico to be treated, and we know how they're coming back and how they're healed," former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in the Fox Nation exclusive "Ibogaine: The Fight of a Lifetime," hosted by Fox News' Will Cain.

Mike Tyson Urges Trump To Deliver On Cannabis Reform After Biden's 'Failed' Pledge

The longest-serving governor in Lone Star State history is one of several personalities featured in the special, which debuted on the streaming platform this Thursday and explores the fight to open up a clinical investigation into the schedule I substance in Texas.

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Schedule I, as classified under the Controlled Substances Act signed by President Richard Nixon in the early 1970s, means the substance serves no medical purpose and is addictive in nature.

Perry says ibogaine is neither of those and is instead crucial for saving the lives of veterans with invisible wounds.

"Six years ago, if you had told me that Rick Perry and psychedelics were going to be in the same sentence, I would have went, I don't think so,'" he said.

Single Dose Of 'Magic Mushrooms' Provides 5 Years Of Depression Relief, Researchers Find

A general view of a jar filled with finely ground iboga powder displayed in Akanda on February 13, 2025.

Yet Americans for Ibogaine CEO Bryan Hubbard says Perry has become instrumental in blazing the path forward for the drug, particularly among skeptics who need a familiar, trustworthy voice in its corner.

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"The scientists, the doctors, the PhDs, the technicians that have worked on this and their data is what sold me," Perry continued.

"After I looked at the data, and I talked to the veterans who had been down [to Mexico] to be treated, I said, We need to do this.'"

Others, including those who have benefited firsthand, agree with the sentiment.

Marine veterans Gary Hess, Jon Stevens and Tyler Kotulka, Navy veteran Chris Fettes and others who suffered from PTSD, concussions, TBIs and other traumatic injuries, share their stories in the episode, detailing the battles warfighters face at home.

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Psychedelics As Potential Mental Health Treatment Are Explored By Trump Administration

Retired Navy SEAL Marcus Capone, who served six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his wife Amber, addressed Texas lawmakers to plead their case for opening up research.

Together, the couple founded VETS, helping veterans access safe, clinically-guided psychedelic therapies. While seated in a chapel and mourning after one of her best friend's husbands took his own life, Amber reached an epiphany.

"We had been there for so many war funerals, and this just felt different, and it became clear to me that, if we didn't find the courage to speak out, we would be in this chapel for a slew of funerals in the years to come," she shared in the Fox Nation special.

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Evidence pointing to ibogaine's medicinal value would mean its current scheduling is inaccurate, but getting the drug's scheduling changed poses another challenge.

"The problem is, you can't approve a schedule I drug while it's [still] schedule I," explained Dr. Nolan Williams, a researcher at Stanford Medicine. He says the substance has been recognized as a therapeutic for more than 100 years, but hangups still surround it today.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expanded ibogaine research opportunities earlier this year by signing Senate Bill 2308, which covers the same core policy as HB 3717.

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"Texas is home to more veterans than any other state," Abbott said, per a press release from his office.

"Many of those veterans suffer from injuries both seen and unseen. A therapy that has shown great promise in treating those conditions is ibogaine. This law authorizes a Food and Drug Administration approved clinical drug trial that will seek approval of ibogaine as a medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder and other behavioral health conditions, especially those suffered by our veterans. Texas will now lead the way in America for the evaluation of ibogaine as a potential medication that can help improve the lives of so many veterans."

To hear testimonials and stories from those who have benefited from and fought for ibogaine research, subscribe to Fox Nation and begin streaming today.





Original article source: Veterans cross border for forbidden psychedelic treatment that's changing lives after combat
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  After waiting almost a year, family members of a hit and run victim who was killed in New Haven last year said they are still struggling to deal with how their lives have changed now that a suspect has been charged.

On Thursday, New Haven police said 41-year old Shawn Hopkinson of Branford was arrested earlier this month and is facing numerous charges.

Related: Branford man arrested following 2024 fatal hit-and-run in New Haven

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Police said Hopkinson was allegedly driving 62 miles per hour in a 25 mile per-hour zone just moments before the deadly crash. He allegedly sped through a red light at the intersection of College Street and MLK Boulevard, and slammed into a car driven by 64-year-old Nader Elias Hanania, also known as Nick.

Fatal crash closes several roads in New Haven on July 10, 2024. Fatal crash closes several roads in New Haven on July 10, 2024. Fatal crash closes several roads in New Haven on July 10, 2024.

New Haven hit-and-run kills father of 2

Hopkinson fled the vehicle and took off. Hanania was rushed to the hospital, where he later died, leaving behind a wife and two children.

Hanania was working as a medical currier at the time of the crash. His family was emotional as they thanked investigators Thursday, remembering him as a devoted father and best friend.

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It changed the life of his children in a way we are still struggling to understand, said Samahar Hanania, Naders wife. Loosing Nick has left a hole, that can never be filled.

Witnesses told police that Hopkinson allegedly challenged them to a race before the deadly crash, but they did not want to participate.

Hopkinson was charged with the following:

First-degree manslaughter

First-degree reckless endangerment

Reckless driving

Operating a motor vehicle under license suspension

Illegal racing on the highway

Evading responsibility resulting in injury/death

Operating an unregistered motor vehicle

Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance

Violation of traffic control signals

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He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, left, answered questions from Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann during the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner fundraiser in Des Moines on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has not said whether he is planning a run for president in 2028, he said during the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner on Thursday that he supports keeping the Iowa caucuses first in the nation.

Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann asked Youngkin during a fireside chat at the fundraiser if he likes the current presidential nominating system that starts with the Iowa Republican caucuses  and Youngkin responded he absolutely supports the current system.

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Heres why: The beginning of the nomination process starts with incredibly informed voters, Youngkin said. You see, the difference in the way that the caucus system works, and the way a normal primary works. You all know this, is it is a moment to fully understand issues candidates, and what that candidate can do. And so often, primaries are a day when someone shows up and just pulls on a pulls on a lever because a friend whispered in their ear, vote for them.'

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The Lincoln Dinner, an annual event held by the Republican Party of Iowa, has historically hosted presidential candidates and hopefuls who aim to introduce themselves to Iowa caucus voters. In 2023, leading up to the 2024 Republican Iowa caucuses, 13 presidential candidates including President Donald Trump spoke at the event.

Though its still early in the cycle for candidates to announce their intentions for a bid in 2028, Youngkin has been brought up as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. His trip to Iowa, as well as plans to headline the Silver Elephant Gala in South Carolina, the SC GOPs biggest fundraiser  both events in early states during the GOP presidential nomination cycle  have fueled speculation that he may be considering a run.

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Youngkin gained prominence among Republicans nationally after his initial election to the Virginia governors office in 2021, when he defeated Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, becoming the first Republican to hold the office in over a decade. Governors cannot serve consecutive terms in Virginia, meaning he will have to leave the seat after his term ends in 2026.

The Virginia Republican was formerly co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. private equity firm. He did not have previous political experience before becoming governor, and spent more than $20 million of his own money to fund his 2021 campaign, according to the Associated Press.

In his gubernatorial campaign, Youngkin focused on parental rights issues related to education, opposing allowing sexually explicit material in school curriculum and to mask and vaccine mandates in K-12 schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youngkin told Iowa Republicans these are the issues that motivated Virginians to vote for him in the 2021 election, despite Democrats having a history of winning the state.

In a state that was blue, it didnt matter  whether youre a Republican parent or a independent parent, or even many Democratic parents, they said my children are the most important thing in my life, and I will decide I do not co-parent with the government, he said.

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He said during his time as governor, he was able to enact many laws allowing parents to have a say in their childrens education  and said his next goal is to create a private school scholarship program in Virginia, similar to Iowas Education Savings Account program using public funds for private school tuition and associated costs.

He said passing the Virginia Opportunity Scholarship program will be more difficult in Virginia than it was in Iowa, as both chambers have Democratic majorities. He added, when I hear about these supermajorities (in the Iowa Legislature) I sit back there and go, oh my goodness, wouldnt that be great?'

Were going to get this done, Youngkin said. Were going to have Virginia opportunity scholarships so that families who couldnt otherwise send their children to private schools have an opportunity to make that decision and exercise their right to make decisions for their kids.

The Virginia Republican said his stance on education, as well as on issues like supporting law enforcement, lowering taxes and shrinking government, are positions that most Virginians share  but they just didnt know it before hearing from his campaign in 2021.

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Virginians came together in a way that we couldnt believe, he said. They said no to the left and yes to common sense, conservative values, policies. And it was a moment that made me so proud to be a Virginian. I have to say  its the exact same feeling I had when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. The exact same feeling that common sense conservative policies not only win, but a vast majority of Americans want them and believe in them.

Though Youngkin did not discuss future plans following his current term as Virginia governor, Kaufmann told reporters following the event that Youngkins stop showed the importance of having the Iowa caucuses lead the nation by providing a platform for potential presidential candidates long before the 2028 campaign season kicks off.

Iowas job, Kaufmann said, is not to pick the president, but to provide an avenue where everybody can see what these candidates, potential candidates, have to say.

While Iowa Republicans are set to keep their position as first in the nation in 2028, the Democratic presidential nominating calendar for the upcoming election cycle is less clear. Iowa lost its starting position in the 2024 Democratic nominating cycle. While the Democratic National Committee is set to reconsider the early state lineup before the next presidential election season, Iowa has lost its seat on the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, meaning a return to holding the first-in-the-nation caucuses looks unlikely.

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Youngkin said the Democratic Party made a massive mistake in abandoning Iowa as their first stop and abandoning their process. Kaufmann echoed this sentiment, adding that he is willing to work with Iowa Democrats to restore their position in the nominating calendar.

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DES MOINES, Iowa  The Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner took place on Thursday evening in a ballroom at the Iowa Events center.

The event sees the biggest names in the Iowa Republican party gather in Des Moines to hear from different Republican speakers every year.

This years featured speaker was Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin has been in office since 2022, coming into the political realm after being a CEO for a private equity firm for 25 years.

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Gov. Youngkin participated in a fireside chat with Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, where he outlined how he was able to win the gubernatorial election while the state legislature was Democrat-controlled in both chambers.

The bottom line is that so many Virginians were Republicans and they just didnt know it. No one had come to them and asked for their vote, said Governor Youngkin.

DMPS outlines priorities in new bond referendum ahead likely fall vote

GOP Chairman Kaufmann told reporters he didnt ask Youngkin if he would end up running for president or not in 2028, but he reaffirmed his commitment to having the Iowa GOP caucuses first in the nation; urging Iowa Democrats to do the same.

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In years past, the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner has served as a testing ground for prospective political candidates looking to sharpen their teeth ahead of a run for political office. President Donald Trump and the other Republican presidential candidates spoke at the dinner in 2023 during the caucus cycle. Nikki Haley spoke at the Lincoln Dinner in 2021, ahead of her run for the 2024 GOP nomination.



Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Secretary of State Paul Pate, Attorney General Brenna Bird and Lieutenant Governor Chris Cornoyer were in attendance, reciting the pledge of allegiance before the start of the dinner.

Former Governor and US Ambassador Terry Branstad was there in person, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, Majority Leader in the Iowa House Matt Windschitl, Senate President Amy Sinclair and more. President Sinclair and Speaker Grassley spoke before the fireside chat with Youngkin.

Governor Reynolds was not in attendance at the event due to an economic inquiry trip in Minnesota on Thursday and Chicago on Friday.

The Iowa Democrats held their annual reception on Wednesday night in Des Moines as well.

Metro News:

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(Photo by Getty Images)

Virginia hospitals that provide wraparound services and care for violently injured people will receive millions in grant funding for the next two years to support their programs, officials announced this week.

Hospital-based violence intervention programs bring trauma-informed care and resources to patients in the hospital while they are recovering physically from violence-induced injuries.

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The logic is that bringing such care to patients, rather than waiting for them to seek it, can help them stay connected with resources and safety when they leave the hospital.

The $8.5 million dollar funding stems from Virginias Department of Criminal Justice Services. It was awarded to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Associations VHHA Foundation, which will support the staff positions and work of 12 programs around the state.

We are grateful to DCJS for the continued support of these impactful hospital programs that help improve lives by advancing the important work of caring for survivors of violence with compassion and support on their journey towards healing, said VHHA president and CEO Sean Connaughton in a release announcing the new grant award.

The concept of hospital-based intervention programs have been around for at least 20 years nationwide. The goal is to prevent victims of interpersonal violence like shootings, stabbings and other forms of assault from re-injury or perpetrating violence themselves.

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While receiving medical care for physical injuries, victims are connected to counseling, case management or other community resources.

Since 2019, more than 8,000 victims of violence have been served, VHHA relayed. The association estimated that over $82 million in health care costs have also been avoided due to preventing and reducing re-injury rates. About $41 million of that is estimated to be direct savings to the state.

Hospitals are required to treat people regardless of whether they can pay their medical bills. This means that the costs of care for people who come to emergency rooms for illness or injury who are under- or uninsured, eventually get passed off onto other consumers.

Several health systems in Virginia operate intervention programs to include Bon Secours Southside Medical Center in Petersburg, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Sentara Norfolk Gegneral Hospital, Ballad Healths Johnston Memorial Hospital, Riverside Regional Medical Center, VCU Health, and Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters.

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UVA Health University Medical Center is planning to launch its own program by the end of this year and hosted a summit in Charlottesville Thursday with area nonprofits to strategize violence prevention and the forthcoming programs role in it.

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(WFXR)- Central Texas has been dealing with dangerous flooding this month and more than one thousand miles away in Virginia, the tragedy is being felt.

These people are like family to us, deep relationships, said Governor Glenn Youngkin.

More than one hundred people have died in the Texas floods and at least as many are still missing.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and his family were in Texas at the start of the flooding. He says the Commonwealth, which regularly experiences flash flooding, has assisted in helping the Lone Star State.

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Federal funding at risk: what it means for public broadcast in Roanoke

The Commonwealth of Virginia has sent swiftwater rescue teams to go support them. said Youngkin. You all know from the efforts weve had in order to manage natural disasters here, that the teams get tired.

The flooding comes amid talks by President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to either remake or wind down FEMA.

[FEMA] is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens, according to a recent FEMA statement.

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However, a New York Times report claimed FEMA did not answer thousands of emergency calls from Texans struggling during the flooding. Republican state lawmaker John McGuire said the communication issues began before Trump took office.

If you do what you always did, youre going to get what you always got, said Rep. John McGuire of Virginias fifth district. Weve all heard that phrase, right? The Biden Administration refused to help homes during the flooding from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

Not everyone in Congress shares McGuires opinion. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, which helped local governments reduce hazard risks, was cut from FEMA in April.

Virginia Dems join Planned Parenthood to launch Bros for Repro

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U.S. Senator Tim Kaine said FEMA provides a crucial service to Americans.

If you didnt have that, and every state had to have their emergency management teams at kind of surge level to prepare for a hurricane it would be very wasteful, said Kaine. So, I think its actually a better bang for the buck.

According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, it is too early to think about what will happen if FEMA is restructured.

WFXRs Paul Hess contributed to this article.

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Virginia regulators sent mixed signals on the states clean energy transition this week  accepting utility Dominion Energys plan for new fossil-fueled plants on one hand but ordering the companys future blueprints to better account for the states carbon-free electricity law on the other.

Dominions forecast represents its strategy for meeting electricity demand over 15 years and doesnt lock the company into building specific power plants  a nuance the State Corporation Commission was careful to note in its July 15 ruling. But the regulatory panel could still factor in the plan as it mulls Dominions bid to build a massive gas-burning complex outside of Richmond.

This order rightfully notices a lot of problems with Dominion's planning process and is rightfully requiring them to fix it, said Nate Benforado, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. The real question is: What's going to happen in the meantime? We certainly shouldn't be relying on a flawed plan when billions of customer dollars are at stake.

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Benforado and other advocates had urged the State Corporation Commission to reject Dominions plan outright, an action its taken before. Instead, the panel OKd the resource plan with only faint praise, calling it merely legally sufficient and directing Dominion to change its approach for its next forecast, due October 2026.

The accepted plan stops six years shy of 2045, the year by which Dominion is supposed to generate 100% carbon-free electricity, according to the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act. The road map does not address how the utility expects to meet the decarbonization requirement.

In light of what Benforado and other advocates called this fundamental flaw, the commission ordered future schemes to span 20 years  not 15  and include at least one scenario where all fossil-fueled plants are shuttered by the laws deadline.

Year after year, Dominion files plans that ignore clean energy requirements, lock in expensive fossil-fuel infrastructure, and drive up electric bills, Dyanna Jaye, deputy director of strategy and governance at nonprofit Clean Virginia, said in a statement. By recognizing the harm this process can cause to Virginia families and businesses, the Commission has taken a step in the right direction by calling for significant reforms moving forward.

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Regulators also directed Dominions future plans to include additional battery storage, discuss grid-enhancing technologies, and aim to shave more power demand through energy-efficiency measures. The commission called the utilitys proposal to achieve 2.73% energy savings by 2028 the low end of feasible, and said a 5% target would be more reasonable.

Dominions long-term plan should serve Virginia customers  not stand in the way of progress, Shawn Kelly, Virginia-based regulatory director at industry group Advanced Energy United, said in a statement. The [proposal] needs to reflect the law, plan for a reliable clean energy future, and make use of proven tools like energy efficiency and storage to meet customer needs affordably.

Though they didnt call out the proposed 944-megawatt gas complex in Chesterfield County by name, regulators stressed that they will still debate Dominions plans for it and roughly 5 more gigawatts of new gas-burning plants before green-lighting any actual construction.

Acceptance does not express approval  of the magnitude or specifics of Dominions future spending plans, the costs of which will significantly impact millions of residential and business customers in the monthly bills they must pay for power, the order says.

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The commission quite clearly signaled it wouldn't be rubber-stamping new plant permits, said Benforado. But how the panel plans to treat the modeling underlying the Chesterfield proposal, which mirrors that of the long-term plan, is murkier. Theres just a lot of question marks there, he said.

Other disappointments for proponents of clean energy: The panel accepted Dominions self-imposed limits on new solar farms, which advocates say are far too low. Plus, neither the utility nor its regulators made mention of environmental justice, though the public health toll of burning fossil fuels is possible to quantify.

Our estimates put those health impacts in the range of $7 [billion] to $13 billion, Benforado said. We urged the commission to direct the company to really analyze health impacts, and it just wasn't addressed in the order.

Asked for a reaction to the ruling, Dominion spokesperson Aaron Ruby emphasized that the company is building the countrys largest offshore wind project, and that it faces the biggest growth in power demand since World War II.

We appreciate the Commissions thorough review, and we'll of course follow the additional requirements in future [plans], Ruby said. Most of our new power comes from carbon-free sources like offshore wind and solar. We also need natural gas in the mix because renewables are not always available.


Dominion Energy's North Anna Nuclear Power Station in Louisa County. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

As Virginia wrestles with high energy demands and deadlines to switch to zero-carbon emission energy production, Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week announced funding to take the first steps towards building an advanced nuclear reactor in the southwest region of the state.

Wise County is the focus of a combined grant of $197,500 to search for private investment and federal funding to prepare the area for an advanced nuclear reactor. The area will be studied to find what kind of advanced nuclear reactor would best serve the region, how it would be funded, and if it could be used for research and power at the University of Virginia Wise.

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This study is going to look at all the possibilities. What do we need? Does it help with data center development? But also were in a unique position to where you have an institution of higher education right there, said Duane Miller, executive director of LENOWISCO Planning District Commission.

There have been discussions of a reactor coming to the area for some time as funding has been sought out. Members of the public have expressed concern over nuclear power coming to their doorstep. Miller said this study process will have a public education and interaction period before any project is allowed to move forward. A reactor will be years away from construction in the area, but there is a lot to understand about the growing interest in the new-age small reactors.

What are advanced nuclear reactors?

The third generation of nuclear power facilities are considered advanced nuclear reactors. Most of the designs are small modular reactors, only generating a maximum of 300 MW. They are less costly than a full-sized reactor, driving interest in their development, and they are able to provide power in more remote areas. They are also touted as safer than full-sized reactors due to safety measures that can automatically stop a meltdown.

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There are four main types of reactors that the U.S. Department of Energy lays out.

-Advanced small modular water-cooled reactor (SMR), which uses water as a coolant and is smaller than a traditional light water reactor.

-Liquid metal-cooled fast reactors use sodium or lead as a coolant instead of water, allowing the coolant to operate at higher temperature and lower pressures.

-Gas-cooled reactors use flowing gas to cool them and are designed for higher temperatures.

-Molten salt reactors use molten fluoride or chloride salts as coolant.

There are currently no reactors of these designs in operation in the United States, but several states have cleared the way for the construction of new smaller reactors.

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There are dozens of companies racing to have their designs approved as the interest in kickstarting the nuclear industry again in the U.S. grows. A 2024 Pew Research survey showed that 56% of Americans are in support of expanding nuclear energy. That is significantly lower than the interest in expanding solar and wind, which are at 78% and 72%, respectively. Public interest in those renewable energy sources has significantly dropped since 2020, mainly from Republicans who are shifting focus to nuclear, according to the survey.

Having an advanced nuclear reactor online and producing power is still years off, with the first ones projected to power up in the 2030s. There are multiple advanced reactors in construction already in other states. TerraPower is building a molten salt reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming. It has 345 MW capacity and can power more than 250,000 homes. The company aims to have it online early in the next decade.

How are advanced nuclear reactors approved?

On the local level, a roadmap has to be created, which is being done with the grant funding, to show options for placement, investors, and workforce development. Permitting by the county requires multiple public meetings and votes. State legislation has already been passed to allow utilities to comp some of the development costs of advanced nuclear reactors by passing the costs to consumers.

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On a federal level, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in charge of licensing and regulating commercial nuclear power plants. Applicants have to undergo a safety, environmental, and antitrust review. There are public meetings held near the site to go over the findings of the reviews.

Only one of the third generation reactor designs have been approved by the NRC, with others working through the process. Fourth generation designs are also in the works. The NRC then visits and approves individual sites for reactors based on various requirements and environmental impacts.

The reviews include looking at site characteristics, design of the nuclear plant, how the plant would respond to hypothetical accidents, what could be emitted from the plant to impact the environment, and other emergency plans.

As there are dozens of designs floating around for these advanced nuclear reactors, the NRC also has to approve the designs in order to move forward with the application.

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President Donald Trump has also been pushing for the small reactors to get up and running in the country. In May, he signed an executive order to direct the federal government to develop policies to expedite investment and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors.

The order also allows the Department of Defense to have a say in the approval of these new reactors on federal lands, taking some of the power away from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission which has had the sole power in the past. This comes as a major political push for nuclear reactors takes center stage in national debates about energy production

Why Wise County?

Southwest Virginia once was a bustling energy producer in the heyday of coal production. Department of Energy Secretary Glenn Davis said he anticipates thousands of jobs could be created through the advanced nuclear reactor industry.

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Southwest Virginia was the energy capital of the East Coast, and it is sitting in a prime position to lead this new energy resurgence, Davis said. Its perfectly situated, so were just trying to make sure were out in front of it, and getting the ball rolling.

The state is not only considering producing nuclear energy, but Davis said there is interest in bringing manufacturing of the reactors to the commonwealth. He hopes to have some announcements by the end of the year.

Miller explained that like much of the rest of the state, there is a growing demand for reliable power sources. They are in support of an all of the above portfolio for energy production, an echo of the energy platform of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. With data centers popping up in their region, he believes that wind and solar power wont be enough to meet demand.

What were looking at right now, at least at the outset, would be something to help provide powerfor UV-Wise but also to provide power for data center development at the adjacent data center park at the Lonesome Pine Technology park, Miller said.

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He said the region also wants to provide research opportunities at the university to aid in training students for the nuclear workforce as the industry grows.

With the university and workforce that is no stranger to energy production, Davis believes the region would benefit from small reactor manufacturing. The grant funds will be focused on bringing one project online, while the state separately works to secure manufacturing facilities.

What comes next for the Wise County project?

The Virginia Innovative Nuclear Hub is assisting local leaders and stakeholders in making a roadmap of the type of reactor that would be needed in that region to meet their future growth aspirations.

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When youre deploying nuclear, you have a lot of licensing, you have site prep, you have to be able to figure out how youre going to connect to the grid or not connect to the grid or whatever the case is, said Jeff Whitt, director of Virginia Innovative Nuclear.

Whitt has decades of experience in the nuclear industry. He believes that Virginia is optimally positioned to develop these emerging reactors to manage energy needs.

Deploying nuclear technology in a highly regulated, highly licensed regime with somewhat complex supply chain demands, it takes time and some organizations will be more mature in being able to do that than others will, Whitt said.

Miller wants to assure the community of Wise County that this project cant be rushed through the permitting process and there will be multiple chances for the public to learn about advanced nuclear reactors and how it could look in their communities.

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The roadmap will be developed over the coming months while the state also applies for federal assistance to begin early implementation for a project. Davis said there are two other advanced nuclear reactor sites proposed near the North Anna nuclear reactor site, which aim to come online in the early 2030s. The Wise County reactor would be online around the same time, should permitting and investment go through.

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A Voice of America (VOA) employee has been charged with threatening to kill Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Seth Jason, who was employed by the US largest international broadcaster for more than two decades, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, after allegedly making death threats against the firebrand Republican congresswoman.

Mr Jason, from Edgewater, Maryland, has been indicted on four charges which include influencing a federal official by threat, and was due to appear before a judge on Thursday.

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He was arrested by US Capitol police after an investigation traced phone calls made to Ms Greenes offices in Georgia from the Voice of America headquarters in Washington DC.

In eight calls, Mr Jason is alleged to have threatened to use a gun to kill Ms Greene, her staff and their families between Oct 11 2023 and Jan 21 2025, the day after Donald Trump returned to office.

He also allegedly threatened to kidnap and injure the Georgia congresswoman.

No mercy and no excuses

Jeanine Pirro, the interim US attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement: You threaten a public official and you face the full force of the law crushing down on you.

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There will be no mercy and no excuses.

According to LinkedIn, Mr Jason began his career at VOA in 2001, working as a gaffer, studio supervisor and lighting director.

Kari Lake, the senior adviser for the US agency for global media, to which VOA belongs, has gutted the broadcaster since her appointment earlier this year, instituting mass lay-offs.

I am sickened by what Congresswoman [Marjorie Taylor Greene], her staff and their families had to go through as the threats persisted for 15 months, Ms Lake said in a statement on social media.

It angers me that a taxpayer-funded VOA employee, would use taxpayer-funded equipment in a depraved way to threaten the lives of people, including an elected official. If he is found guilty, I hope he is sentenced to the maximum amount of time behind bars.

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Last month, hundreds of VOA reporters were sacked by the Trump administration, which claimed it was because the broadcaster was riddled with dysfunction, bias and waste, depriving it of most of its remaining staff and effectively shutting it down.

VOA has been approached for comment.

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The LIGO Hanford Observatory in Eastern Washington and its twin observatory in Louisiana could both remain open thanks to the work of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on a spending bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Murray, the vice chair of the powerful committee, succeeded in adding a provision to the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill that includes the National Science Foundation that would direct the agency to continue operating both observatories.

They work together to detect ripples in space and time, or gravitational waves, passing through the Earth from cataclysmic events in space.

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The Trump administrations proposed budget for fiscal 2026 called for shutting down either the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory at Hanford near the Tri-Cities or an identical LIGO observatory in Livingston, La., It also called for reducing the budget for the two LIGOs from $48 million to $29 million in the coming fiscal year.

The two LIGOs confirm the detections of gravitational waves by measuring the minute stretching and squeezing of Earth caused by gravity waves on scales 10 thousand trillion times smaller than a human hair. They verify that their data matches, ruling out other movement, such as vibrations detected at Hanford from ocean waves across Washington state on the Pacific Coast.

The merger of two neutron stars is shown in an artists rendering. In 2017 the Hanford LIGO observatory detected gravitational waves from the collision of neutron stars

Working together also helps to determine the area of the sky that contains the source of the waves.

President Trumps boneheaded request to shut down a LIGO observatory is yet another attack by an administration that has shown themselves to be openly hostile to Nobel Prize-winning scientific research for no discernible reason, Murray said in a statement after the vote of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

LIGO made scientific history

In 2015, the two LIGOs made scientific history with the first detection of gravitational waves from space passing through the Earth. The detection provided physical confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves nearly 100 years after a prediction by Albert Einstein.

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The matching vibration data at both the Washington and Louisiana sites confirmed that the infinitesimal movement detected at both was from gravitational waves reaching Earth from a violent event in space. The ripples through space and time came from a collision of two black hole 1.3 billion years ago.

The finding led to a Nobel Prize in Physics for the work of three U.S. professors emeritus to design and build the two observatories.

At LIGO Hanford vacuum tubes extend for 2.5 miles at right angles across previously unused Hanford site shrub steppe land near the Tri-Cities.

In nearly a decade since the first detection, the LIGOs have made about 300 detections of gravitational waves.

An international coalition that also includes observatories in Japan and Italy announced this week that a November 2023 detection made only at the U.S. LIGOs had been verified as the most massive collision of black holes ever observed.

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The gravitational waves detected came from the collision of two black holes, one with a mass 100 times that of the Earths sun and the other with a mass 140 times that of the sun, to create a final black hole with a mass 225 times that of the sun.

The detection could challenge current theories of stellar evolution.

A fact sheet by the international coalition, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, described the detected event in a fact sheet as both extraordinary and puzzling to interpret.

Courtesy LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration

It is a potent reminder that the cosmos still holds many surprises, and we are only just beginning to uncover them, it said.

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One LIGO employee posted online that the Trump administrations proposed closure of one of the LIGOs would be like inventing the microscope, seeing a cell for the first time, and then discarding it.

The Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) said the proposal to close one of the observatories, an incredible asset to the scientific community, was concerning.

TRIDEC and many others in our community worked hard to support the creation of LIGO decades ago, and were tremendously proud of the discoveries that have been made there over the last 10 years, said David Reeploeg, TRIDEC vice president of federal programs. Sen. Murray clearly understands LIGOs importance, and we are extremely grateful for her efforts to ensure their great work continues in the future.

Murray votes no on bill

The Senate spending measure not only prohibits closure of either LIGO, but also calls for investment in their infrastructure and detection capabilities, including technology development recommended by the Advisory Committee for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.

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The Senate bill must next be considered by the full Senate, and the House also must pass a spending plan that will be reconciled with the Senate plan for fiscal 26.

Senators worked together to find common ground in the Senate sending bill that included LIGO, Murray said.

Installation of in-vacuum equipment as a part of the squeezed-light upgrade before Advanced LIGOs third observing run. LIGO team members install in-vacuum equipment that is part of the squeezed-light upgrade.

I worked in a bipartisan way to make sure our appropriations bill resoundingly rejects this detrimental and shortsighted proposal and instead reaffirms our support for the continued operation of LIGOs Hanford observatory, she said.

But Senate bipartisanship to reach agreement on spending plans is threatened by the rescission package that Republicans passed early Thursday morning, which approved canceling spending earlier approved by Congress which President Trump opposed, Murray told the committee Thursday.

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Its no secret that the path to advancing more of our bills is going to be harder because of the unprecedented, partisan rescissions bill that Republicans just passed, said Murray said in the committee hearing. Its a dangerous new precedent.

Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, has said he plans more partisan cuts, Murray said.

Murray was disturbed enough about the rescissions vote, plus Republican action on an amendment unrelated to LIGO in the fiscal 26 spending bill, to vote against the spending bills passage out of committee Thursday.

Republicans had recessed discussion on the bill for several days until they had the votes to overturn an amendment that would have moved the FBI headquarters to Maryland as planned under a completed bidding process. The relocation was opposed by the Trump administration.
The Brief

While Minnesota does not have a law that regulates wakesurfing, there is a growing push to ban or limit the sport on potentially thousands of lakes. Wakesurfing enthusiasts argue against restricting public use of public lakes.

Wakesurfing critics estimate only about 500 of Minnesotas 11,842 lakes are big enough and deep enough to accommodate wakesurfing.

Last year, property owners on Caribou Lake in Cook County successfully petitioned the county and state to implement a local ordinance effectively banning wakesurfing on the lake.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Wakesurfing critics have launched a campaign to help craft local bans or regulations across Minnesota, citing concerns over the sports impact on lake environments.

Critics say thousands of Minnesota lakes unfit for wakesurfing

The backstory

Wake boats are specially designed to sit deeper in the lake to displace more water and create a bigger, more surfable wave.

Drone images captured by FOX 9 show the differences in wakes left by a pontoon and a wakesurfing boat.

While many of Minnesotas lakes have rules that regulate wakes, there is no state law that restricts wakesurfing. Efforts to restrict wakesurfing, including distance required from the shoreline, previously failed at the Minnesota Legislature.

What they're saying

"To me, its not okay to do environmental damage or to risk other peoples safety for your fun," said Chuck Becker, of the organization Safe Wakes for Minnesota Lakes.

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Safe Wakes is helping guide local communities across the state craft local ordinances to either restrict or ban wakesurfing on Minnesotas lakes.

"For the smaller lakes, the more shallow lakes, I would suggest theyre just not appropriate for enhanced wake sports," Becker said.

Steve Frawley, who is also a member of Safe Wakes, has serious concerns over the impact wake boats have on shorelines and on lake beds.

"Ill see all kinds of vegetation that was torn up from the lake bottoms," Frawley said, who has a home on the Gull Chain of Lakes. "Theres a huge impact on shore lines."

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Wakesurfing business owner Adam Moore is opposed to local efforts to further restrict the sport.

"Its a little frustrating because they constantly bring up things like were ruining the lake shore, the shoreline, were wrecking the bottom of the lake," Moore said. "If you go out on any decent-sized lake on a windy day, those waves that are coming into shore on a windy day are way more aggressive than any wakesurf boat."

Caribou Lake wakesurfing ban

By the numbers

Safe Wakes estimates out of more than 11,842 lakes in Minnesota, only about 500 of them are big enough and deep enough to accommodate wakesurfing.

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Becker said the group is currently working with seven lake communities to explore implementing an ordinance, calling it "the best option" in the absence of a state law to regulate wakesurfing.

Last year, Cook County leaders in northern Minnesota unanimously approved an ordinance to effectively ban wakesurfing on Caribou Lake.

"We're hoping that other lakes do pursue this, just like Caribou [Lake] did, and that the dominoes will start to fall," Becker said.

Neighboring Wisconsin restricts wakesurfing on hundreds of lakes

In recent years, communities across Wisconsin have leveraged local ordinances to enact more restrictions and bans on wakesurfing.

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There are now at least 400 lakes in Wisconsin under a wakesurfing ban or restriction.

"Wed like to see the same thing happen within the State of Minnesota," Frawley said.

Limited restrictions on speed and distance to the shoreline previously led to fierce debate on Lake Minnetonka.

Efforts to outright ban the sport in some communities are alarming business owners.

"What are we going to limit next?" Moore said.

The other side

Dan Van Ampting considers wakesurfing a family affair.

"Our daughter did her first competition at age five and our youngest is getting ready to do her first one here soon," Van Ampting saaid



He worries about over-restricting lakes and believes more focus should be on educating people on "how to use the lakes respectfully."

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"Theres certain things you can dothe way you drive and the way that you spend a day wakesurfing  that can minimize the impact on the lake," Van Ampting said.

Conflicting studies over wakesurfing impacts

Dig deeper

In the case of Caribou Lake, petitioners cited a study by the University of Minnesota, which found wake boats need a distance of more than 500 feet to decrease waves similar to that of a standard recreational boat operating at 200 feet.

The study did not specifically evaluate the effects on the shoreline.

A separate study commissioned by boating enthusiasts and published in the Journal of Water Resource and Protection found that when operating a wake boat 200 feet from shore and in just 10 feet of water, the "environmental impact is minimal."

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However, critics urge caution over industry-sponsored studies since two of the authors listed on the study are employees of Mercury Marine, which manufactures boat engines.

What's next

Local ordinances to restrict or ban wakesurfing on Minnesota lakes require a petition process and approvals by local governments and the state. Any ongoing efforts would likely take months before any action is taken.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) issued one of his sharpest rebukes yet of Tulsi Gabbard on Friday, growing increasingly heated as he told an audience at a national security conference that the director of national intelligence isnt fit for the job and suggested her actions are driving U.S. allies to scale back intelligence sharing with America.

Tulsi Gabbard is not competent to be the director of national intelligence, Warner said during a panel at the Aspen Security Forum, as he embarked on a three-minute critique of her performance on the job since she was sworn in in February.

Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, hasnt been shy about criticizing Gabbard. He made similar assertions about her competency and his concerns about allies reducing intel sharing in an appearance on an intelligence podcast last month.

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But his Friday comments were to a much broader audience and amounted to a wide-ranging assault on the former Democratic lawmakers competence and credibility.

They also come after Trumps own frustration with Gabbard burst into the open. A video Gabbard posted warning of the dangers of nuclear war in early June drew a strong private rebuke from Trump, POLITICO first reported, and she was not included in some of the key war planning ahead of last months air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. She also did not appear alongside other U.S. defense officials for congressional briefings about the impact of the attacks on Irans nuclear program.

Since then, Gabbard has reiterated her backing of Trumps policies. On Friday, she released new documents about the 2016 election that she claimed detailed a treasonous conspiracy by the Obama administration to usurp Trumps win.

Meanwhile, Democrats have continued to accuse Gabbard of politicizing her role and mishandling sensitive spy information, hoping their criticism lands with national-security-minded colleagues in the GOP.

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Warner was ready with specific examples of what he considers the former Democratic lawmakers missteps.

He accused Gabbard of firing intelligence officials who didnt cook the books on an intelligence assessment tying the Venezuelan government to a criminal gang operating in the U.S. He blamed her for Trumps sudden  and still unexplained  decision to oust the top two officials at NSA this April. And, he said Gabbard had appeared on more partisan media than any previous DNI in history, where she often trashed her own workforce.

Warner said those instances, along with Gabbards participation in a series of Signal chats on impending military strikes against Houthi militias in Yemen, had prompted Americas closest allies to share less information with the United States.

I do believe our Five Eye partners and others are not sharing as much information as they would, Warner said. The Five Eyes is an intelligence sharing partnership made up of the U.S., the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

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But Warner may have gotten ahead of himself. A spokesperson for Warner subsequently said the senator merely intended to express his concern that allies might in the future withhold critical intelligence from the U.S.

Warners critique of Gabbard came during a broader panel with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) focused on Congress decision to claw back billions of dollars in foreign aid spending. But Warner appeared to relish the opportunity to pivot to the DNI when asked whether he trusted Gabbard to be candid with U.S. intelligence  to which he quickly shot back: No.

A spokesperson for the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Warners comments.

In her confirmation hearing in January, Gabbard promised to overhaul a corrupt, bloated and biased intelligence community. She has previously argued that the senior intelligence officials she ousted over the Venezuela assessment were themselves politicized. She played no known role in Trumps dismissal of the top two NSA officials and has contested claims that U.S. allies are sharing less information with the U.S. since her appointment.

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In Fridays panel discussion, both Coons and Warner also offered sharp criticism of Republicans ongoing efforts with the White House to cancel more than $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding.

The depth of the cut and the harm to our reputation, I think, is deep and broad, and this rescission has set us on a very, very bad path as an appropriator, Coons said during the panel.
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN)  A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a suspect after two women reported that they were hit by a car while watching a fight in Warren.

Amiyah Clinkscale, 19, is charged with two counts of felonious assault, second-degree felonies. Charges were filed Thursday in Warren Municipal Court, according to court records.

Clinkscales charges are in connection with an incident reported Monday night that sent three women to the hospital.

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On Monday night, an officer spoke with two of the women. The third left before the officer arrived, according to a police report.

The women reported that they were at the Pit Stop gas station when they saw some girls fighting, so they went to watch. Thats when they said they were hit by a vehicle that drove through the crowd, the report stated.

The women showed police video of the incident and said they initially tried following the car involved in the incident. They later went to the hospital to get checked out after they were experiencing pain.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  A Warren man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to charges he was selling drugs.

Reuben Redd, 46, entered his pleas before U.S. Judge David Ruiz in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio to two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

A sentencing date has yet to be set. Reuben is presently in the Mahoning County Jail.

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A grand jury indicted Redd on Dec. 19.

Redd is accused of having fentanyl and cocaine on July 3, and using a house between May and July 3 on Montgomery Avenue NW in Warren to sell drugs.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  On Friday, a Warren man was sentenced in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to four to six years in prison for an April 2024 stabbing in Austintown.

Joseph Stevens, 23, received the sentence from Judge Maureen Sweeney following guilty pleas in May to charges of felonious assault, a second-degree felony and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The sentence was recommended by the attorneys in the case and adopted by Judge Sweeney.

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Stevens was initially charged after a man showed up to St. Elizabeth Health Center on April 4, 2024 to be treated for a stab wound. The man told police he had been stabbed at the Compass West apartments.

Police checked out an apartment there and found blood inside, as well as on the building, reports said. Two witnesses were interviewed before a warrant was issued for Stevens, but police did not release any details on why Stevens was charged.

In court on Friday, Stevens said he was at the apartment to collect his belongings when a man confronted him. Stevens said he acted in self-defense when he stabbed the man.

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Three new restaurants were recently announced and a longtime favorite closed. Weve got these and more in todays Friday Five.

No. 1

Three new restaurants coming to Christenbury. MPV Properties (MPV) recently announced three new leases at Christenbury Village, a Lowes Foods anchored mixed-use retail center within one mile of Concord Mills. Another Broken Egg Cafe, Buffalo Wild Wings GO, and Brixx Pizza have signed on to take space in Concords newest mixed-use development.

This is the development at the top of the hill at the corner of Cox Mill Road and Christenbury Parkway.

Another Broken Egg Cafe will take the 4,506-square-foot end-cap space with patio in Building 3 and Buffalo Wild Wings GO will take the remaining 1,346 square feet in Building 3, bringing this retail building to 100% occupancy.

In Building 5, Brixx Pizza will join the current tenant lineup that includes Raceway Orthodontics and Ultra Nail Boutique, taking the 2,454-square-foot end-cap space with patio.

The addition of these three restaurants enriches the family experience of our Class A shopping center by providing a variety of dining options to everyone, adds Joey Morganthall, director of retail with MPV.

MPV expects Building 1 retail tenants, along with multifamily (up to 156 residential units), should expect to be ready this summer. Newly announced restaurants can be expected in the first quarter of 2026.

Morganthall and Kevin Judd represented the landlord in these transactions. There are only a few remaining spaces at Christenbury Village. Contact Kevin Judd of MPV for more information.

No. 2

A few details about the restaurants. Another Broken Egg Cafe started in 1996 in a quaint, turn of the century summer home on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain in Old Mandeville, Louisiana. Ron Green, the founder, opened his first Broken Egg Cafe and it was so popular that another soon followed. Now there are 70 cafes in 14 states.

Another Broken Egg Cafe features breakfast and brunch.

Buffalo Wild Wings GO is a takeout and delivery-focused concept from Buffalo Wild Wings, designed for convenience and speed. It features a digitally driven menu with popular items like wings, tenders, fries and other favorites, allowing for online ordering, in-person pickup and delivery. The other Cabarrus Buffalo Wings Wings, a full service restaurant, is at Afton Ridge (Target shopping center).

Brixx Pizza is a Charlotte-based chain of wood-fired pizza restaurant that also features a craft bar. The nearest one to Cabarrus County currently is at Birkdale Village in Huntersville. Overall, there are 14 North Carolina locations, two in South Carolina and one in Virginia.

No. 3

Other MPV projects in Cabarrus County. MPV Properties is involved with a number of properties in Cabarrus besides Christenbury Village. One is Farmington in Harrisburg and Charlotte which appears to be moving along. Well try to get you a better update there soon.

One I am always interested in is the old Kmart property. I drive by it every day. There are probably many who dont remember Kmart being there. Then there are those of you who remember it as the Willis Drive-In.

Elevation Church and StarsnStrikes take up most of the space. The company has two spaces in the building available and two out parcels. MPV is calling the center Concord Station West.

Up in Kannapolis, MPV has Kellswater Commons at the corner of Kannapolis Parkway and Rogers Lake Road. Lowes Food announced a couple of years ago that it would be coming to the center.

No other announcements have been made, but MPV is showing a McDonalds on its promotional flyer. It would be at the corner of Kannapolis Parkway and the entrance to the Georgetown Crossing townhouses.

The out parcels available at Kellswater in the center range are for sizes of 1.16 acres and 2.96 acres. One is for medical and the big corner, a 2.96-acre spot, is shown as pharmacy on the site plan.

Several of you have asked about this development, particularly the grocery store. My guess is its getting closer, but weve thought that for a while.

No. 4

Longtime Concord restaurant is gone. Christos on Branchview Drive closed a few weeks ago. It looks like it is gone for good.

It is best known for its wings, pizza and good buffet. There is a Christos in Salisbury on Innes Street that is still open. The Salisbury location had been closed after a fire several months ago.

No. 5

E.L.K. (Eliminating Litter in Kannapolis) works in Salisbury. Weve got a lot to report about E.L.K. after our last update a few weeks ago.

E.L.K. had our first Salisbury event this past Saturday, July 12, organizer Rita Bliven said. It was hot, but our volunteers were on fire! Promise City Church hosted a clean-up near the Walmart and made a huge impact!

Novant Health is also planning a Salisbury event in the fall.

The E.L.K. Initiative is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit litter clean up organization that services both Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

The city of Salisbury told Promise City officials the volunteers picked up 109 pounds of litter. Great job, guys!

Volunteers can join one of its scheduled events (updates on the website at Elk21.org). Communities, churches, schools and businesses can also host their own ELK event to serve their community. If interested, contact them at Elkinfo@elk21.com.

Walmart of Kannapolis provides refreshments for volunteers after each event and Edward Jones has made a corporate donation.

We are still looking for sponsors for new T-shirts, more litter pickup tools, storage and volunteer scholarships. Because we are a 501(c)(3), all donations are tax deductible, Bliven said.

If you have a Friday Five, story suggestion or something I can rant about, email mplemmons@independenttribune.com or call or text 704-786-0001.
PINE VALLEY, Utah (ABC4)  During the Pine Valley Community Meeting Wednesday night, officials discussed flash flooding due to the Forsyth Fire and announced that building permit fees would be waived for those who lost homes in the fire.

The Forsyth Fire is currently at 83% containment as of the latest update, and as the wildfire burned, it destroyed 17 homes in the Pine Valley area.

A letter was passed around at the meeting to anyone who lost a home in the Forsyth Fire. It stated that the Washington County Commissioners have authorized fee waivers for building permits issued for the replacement of any structures that were destroyed in the Forsyth Fire.

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If you fly, we cant: Drone briefly halts firefighting air support at Forsyth Fire

The County Commision is working to help the community rebuild, and so they are providing resources to help those homeowners navigate the process. The letter advises property owners to follow all requirements from their insurance and save all records.

County fees for demolition permits have been waived, the letter stated, and the County is also expediting demolition permit requests. At the meeting, officials said that the Utah Department of Environmental Quality may have additional requirements, but that Gov. Cox assured them that the state would support the community in rebuilding.

Officials also stated that flash flooding is a concern, and it will continue to be a problem for years to come because of the burn scars. Flooding becomes so dangerous in following wildfires because there is no vegetation to hold the water back.

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You know, youre taking away vegetation, youre taking away elements that help to control that runoff into the drainages, Jason Whipple with Washington County Emergency Services told ABC4.com. Youre burning it away. And so that water will tend to run more and more freely. Its always a concern.

The emergency response team created a Burned Area Emergency Response Plan to mitigate some damages. Debris flows with the flooding is an additional hazard. Flood waters pick up mud, sticks, ash, and even burned trees. Debris flows can block roads and culverts, preventing drainage. Officials said that their priority is keeping roads and culverts clear.

They also stated that there are many hazardous dead trees in the burn scars, and they are beginning hazard tree removal, but it will take time.

Officials advised residents to sign up for emergency alerts so that they can receive warnings about severe weather conditions and potential flash floods.

Latest headlines:

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MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA)  We have a follow up on the bald eagle that was saved off the street by a school resource officer in Mahomet this week.

Officer Jeff Thomas said he tried to get the eagle off of the road, but it wouldnt budge. So he picked it up with his coat as you can see in the video, and he took it to the animal clinic.

WATCH: Chatham officer rescues raccoon

Ive always kind of had like a natural attraction to wild animals, Thomas said. In fact, all my neighbors would always call me if there was a snake that needed to be removed or some type of other other critter thats out there causing problems. Id be able to go out there and just kind of be able to catch it with no problems and get rid of it safely without hurting it,

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He said throughout his years as an officer, hes saved animals like kittens, turtles, and now a bald eagle. But, sadly the University of Illinois Wildlife Clinic said the eagles vision was fading, so unfortunately they had to put the animal down.

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The Environment Secretary is poised to scrap Britains water regulator following a backlash against its handling of sewage spills and the crisis surrounding Thames Water.

Steve Reed will announce a formal consultation on replacing Ofwat with a new watchdog, the Guardian reported.

It is expected to be launched alongside recommendations by Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former Bank of England deputy governor, who is leading a review into the crisis-hit sector.

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Mr Reed has previously blamed Ofwat for presiding over a series of failures that have left the sector saddled with debt.

It came as official figures revealed a 60pc increase in the number of sewage spills last year, led by a steep rise from Thames Water.



While it is understood that ministers have not yet received the final report, which will be published on Monday, Sir Jons interim report last month criticised deep-rooted, systemic problems across the water industry, laying the blame at the door of both companies and regulators.

Ofwat has been criticised for its part in failing to prevent sewage spills and then allowing water companies to put up bills by almost 10 a month on average to fund improvements in environmental standards.

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The regulator has also been criticised for failing to hold Thames Water to account before it slipped into crisis.

Thames Water nationalisation

Britains largest water company  Thames Water, which is saddled with debt  faces the prospect of government control, with its boss warning this week that it will take at least a decade to turn the company around.

Environment Agency figures showed a sharp jump in pollution incidents in England, with Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water the worst offenders.

Ofwat declined to comment, while a government spokesman said: We are not going to comment on speculation.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Rivers Trust, which represents trusts across the country, welcomed the proposed overhaul.

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He said: The problem for Government is clear: economic and environmental regulation of the water industry has been very muddled since privatisation and is the root cause of many of the issues with the sector.

Greater clarity, consistency, certainty and accountability of regulation are urgently needed for water companies to improve their performance and to attract investment. They therefore face a choice between reforming the current regulatory framework to make it work better or creating a new, single regulator.

Thames bondholders also welcomed proposals to scrap Ofwat, pointing to the regulators failure to rein in Thames Waters debt binge.

The company reported pre-tax losses of 1.65bn in the last financial year as the companys debts continued to mount.

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One source said: For years, the regulator allowed Thames to accumulate unsustainable debt while neglecting to address its status as too big to fail.

This hands-off approach created a fragile and unsustainable system  one that has now reached a breaking point.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)For decades, WCNY has been a trusted source for educational programming and public broadcasting across Central New York. However, the Syracuse-based station is now bracing for a major funding cut that could impact everything from childrens programming to classroom initiatives.

Station leaders say WCNY is preparing to lose roughly $1.3 million in federal funding, which accounts for nearly 20% of its annual budget.

My friends from Sesame Streetthey understood, WCNY President & CEO Mitch Gelman said. This is 20% of WCNYs budget. Its $1.3 million were going to have to figure out and replace.

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Despite the looming shortfall, WCNY says it will continue serving its viewers, though some programming will likely be reduced.

Whats most likely going to happen is a reduction in the quantity of the programming were able to produce and distribute, Gelman said.

Among the programs potentially affected: Enterprise America, WCNYs immersive, real-world learning experience that turns students into business owners, bankers, reporterseven city managers.

They learn finance, they learn business, they learn about health insurance, bank accounts, taking out loans, said Matt Gelman, VP of Education and Engagement at WCNY.

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The stations broader mission also includes educational access, workforce development, and public safety communication services that could all feel the ripple effects of a funding loss.

We focus on improving education, we focus on creating economic opportunity, and we focus on quality of life, Gelman added.

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DENVER (KDVR)  The Westminster Police Department has arrested two suspects in two different auto theft cases, saying on Friday that its been a week for stolen cars and questionable life choices.

In a post to X, police said that the first alleged stolen vehicle was tracked down to the 800 block of N. Decatur Ct., and the 19-year-old driver was arrested.

On Wednesday, just before 7 a.m., WPD said that officers had found another stolen vehicle near the 8000 block of N. Sheridan Blvd. The alleged suspect was said to be passed out in the car, and the driver reportedly had a revoked license.

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Police said that both of those drivers were taken into custody and each vehicle will be returned to their rightful owners.

This is a developing trend: Colorado agency offers help preventing key fob cloning

There is no information at this time on the names of the suspects and the charges.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Welcome home: Soldier laid to rest in Georgia 75 years after going missing in action in Korea

The remains of Army Cpl. Anthony Konze, missing in action for 75 years, were laid to rest at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton on Friday.

Channel 2s Berndt Petersen was there for the solemn occasion.

Born in Brooklyn in 1930, Konze went missing during the Korean War in 1950. His remains were turned over to American authorities in 1954, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

Since identification wasnt possible, he was buried in a military cemetery in Hawaii among the Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. But last year, his remains were identified.

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We thank you for being here today, as we gather with a deep reverence to welcome home one of our own, U.S. Army Battalion Chaplain Jeffrey Herron said at the service for Konze.

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It was the greatest Christmas present we could have gotten, to know he had been identified, said Konzes sister, Dominica Jones.

The remains of Army Cpl. Anthony Konze were carried in for his burial service at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton.

Its my privilege. Ive served  since Ive been doing this  in over 800 services, said Patriot Guard Riders member Olga Noel. This nonprofit group provides escorts for services of military members and first responders.

Most of the mourners present at the burial were born after Konze died. They say anyone who gives their life in the cause of freedom deserves this honor.

This hero  long unknown  now rests once more on American soil. We pause to say with solemn gratitude, welcome home Corporal Konze. Welcome home, Herron said.

Konzes name is etched on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

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NEW YORK  After a long, distinguished career with the FBI, Thomas Donlon could have ridden off into the sunset. Instead, he says, he accepted the post as interim NYPD commissioner in September because he genuinely wanted to lend a hand.

I have a great admiration and love for the NYPD. I knew they were having some issues and I wanted to bring my experience to help the rank and file, said Donlon, 71. I knew what I was walking into.

What he found, he says, was a lot of dysfunction in the top leadership of the NYPD.

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Everyone was just doing what they wanted to do, he says. The feds have much better systems and structure. But they just didnt get it.

On Wednesday, Donlon filed a lawsuit that accuses Mayor Eric Adams and top NYPD officials including former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, current Chief of Department John Chell, former top spokesman Tarik Sheppard and Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry of running a corrupt enterprise.

In an interview with WPIX Thursday morning, Sheppard responded by claiming Donlon was isolated from the start because his phones were taken by the FBI.

Sheppard also claimed, He (Donlon) was showing many signs of some cognitive issues that he wasnt up to the task of being police commissioner.

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But in the wide-ranging interview with The News, Donlon showed no signs of any cognitive problems.

Hes just grasping at straws, its pathetic, Donlon said, revealing a little of the city edge honed in his Bronx upbringing. Of course hes defaming me. But hes used to getting his way all these years.

Just about every day I was police commissioner, I was out in the community. Weekends. I never took a day off, he said. So, no, I wasnt isolated. And no, the FBI never took my phones.

Reps for the NYPD and Adams did not reply to requests for comment on Sheppards claims. City Hall spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak Wednesday described Donlon as a disgruntled former employee who proved himself ineffective.

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This suit is nothing more than an attempt to seek compensation at the taxpayers expense, she added.

Donlons FBI career intersected with a number of the major federal gang and terror cases of the 1990s, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and the Manila Air case, which was masterminded by Ramzi Yousef who was also involved in planning the 9/11 attacks.

He retired in 2005 and later worked for state Homeland Security before forming a consulting company.

He says Mayor Adams instructed him to clear his initiatives with him, but If I did a good job, I would become full police commissioner. But he was immediately at a disadvantage from top subordinates like Maddrey, Sheppard, Chell and Daughtry.

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The core of the issue was I had no control over them, he says. Adams is protecting them. They know if they screw up they are not going to be in trouble.

Donlon says he witnessed behavior among the top brass that would never be condoned in the FBI.

You would be fired, he says. The lack of candor, the lying. In the FBI you would be gone the next day.

In his first staff meeting, he directed all social media posts be cleared with NYPD legal.

I said we need one voice here, we cant act like cowboys, Donlon said. What do they do? They run over and complain to Adams. If I was up to me, I would have gotten rid of them.

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At one point, Daughtry told Donlon he thought up a prostitution task force from Roosevelt Avenue in Queens in a dream.

Donlon proposed bringing the feds in to use their power to make larger narcotics and sex trafficking case that would really stick. Chell, Daughtry and Maddrey didnt want the feds involved.

It was all about getting credit, it was all about them, he says. But its not about them. Its about the community.

Donlon came into office intending to examine evidence storage in the NYPD warehouses.

I walk into Erie Basin, it was a disaster, he says. There were boxes all piled up in no kind of order. Maddrey was livid, Adams was livid. I said Whats the problem? Im doing my job.

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Soon after he took office, the FBI served a search warrant on him for documents from 30-year-old terror investigations. Donlon says he had had no contact with sensitive federal documents since he retired.

He says the documents were so old any restrictions on them had lapsed. It was all generic stuff. If they had anything they would have charged me, he said. They also told me they did this because they thought there might be something with me and Adams, he said. But of course there wasnt.

On Nov. 20, he was called to City Hall for a conference. He says when he saw Jessica Tisch, he knew he was going to be replaced. The mayor had him sit down.

He wasnt very nice. I think he was mad about the warehouse thing, Donlon says. He says If you want to stay (in city government), stay. If you want to go, go. He was very abrupt, not nice.

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Donlon recalled a previous meeting where he briefed the mayor as Adams perused a document, disinterested. When I was done, there was no response and then he just said, Anything else? Donlon said.

Donlon departed the department skeptical of whether the top leadership was really prepared to deal with a major disaster.

They were cowboys, they just didnt really know what they were doing, he said.

He also thinks the department is insensitive to the needs of the rank and file.

You cant treat people like robots; they have lives, he says. These guys need some care and compassion.

But Donlon opted to stay on in City Hall working on law enforcement grants until he was dismissed in April. I still wanted to stay involved in law enforcement and public safety and I wanted to keep working, he says.

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Donlon remains angry about the treatment his wife received when she was detained for two hours in the 17th Precinct after a fender bender on the East Side on Dec. 16.

Almost immediately, the private cell numbers for Donlon and his wife Deirdre OConnor-Donlon were leaked to the media.

That was Tarik. That was put out to hurt me, Donlon says, an allegation contained in his lawsuit. They should have just given her a summons at the scene and let her go. It was very very upsetting to be treated this way.

In the end, Donlon, after much consideration, decided to file the lawsuit.

I have a high tolerance level but for me to sit back and take this guff was unbearable, he said.

_____
In times of global crisis, nervous investors often seek out safe havens to mitigate risk. Unsurprisingly, that is what has happened amid all the geopolitical uncertainty of 2024 and 2025, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trumps on again, off again trade tariffs since his return to the White House, as well as tensions and war between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.

But whereas investors typically see the U.S. dollar as one such safe haven, they have increasingly become concerned over its stability, especially since the passage of Trumps recent spending plan, which included tax cuts that will add an estimated $3.4 trillion to U.S. government debt.

All of this has combined to prompt something of a gold rush. As of the end of June 2025, the U.S. dollars value was down by 10.7 percent since the start of the year, while gold was trading 26 percent higher for the same period.

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That has had a significant impact on the African gold market, which produces around 25 percent of global output. West Africa, in particular, is a gold-mining hub, with Ghana the continents largest exporter, and Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Mali, Senegal and Guinea all major producers as well. It is no surprise, then, that there has been a flurry of reserves identified in the region recently, including at least four major discoveries in Cote dIvoire alone since the start of 2024, as investors hurry to make the most of the soaring prices.

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Governments in these countries are also eyeing golds spiking price with glee, as they too scramble to make the most of the boom. But as they rub their hands at the prospects of significantly increased revenues from the gold sector, there may be difficulties looming for foreign investors. Amid a broader shift toward resource nationalism in West Africa, there are increasing efforts by governments to demand much greater taxes from foreign companies. While this trend was already in motion when the price of gold began to rise, the subsequent gains have exacerbated the trend.

This has proved particularly problematic for foreign mining companies in Mali. In 2023, the military junta-led government in Bamako revised its mining code, introducing new taxes and local content requirements. The new code also increased Malis potential share in mining projects to 35 percent, up from a previous maximum of 20 percent.

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The change was in part prompted by a sense that the mining sector had long failed to benefit Malis local population and that foreign mining companies were taking advantage of the countrys natural resources. But as the price of gold has surged, so too have the Malian governments efforts to extract more of the resulting windfall. In recent months, the government seized the countrys largest mine, the Loulo Gounkoto complex, from Canadian mining company Barrick Gold, putting it under government control.

Mali is not the only regional government seeking to ensure that it benefits from the high price of gold. In October 2024, the military junta-led government ruling Burkina Faso declared that it would no longer tolerate its resources being exploited only by foreign businesses, while threatening to revoke licenses for Western mining companies. And Guinea, also governed by a military junta, withdrew 129 mining licenses in May 2025.

The current gold rush may well exacerbate West Africas intercommunal tensions and political challenges. The linkages between gold mining and the regions security crisis raise the stakes even further.

But these efforts are not restricted to the regions coup-led governments. Cote dIvoires democratically elected civilian government is also revising its mining code to remove longstanding favorable terms for foreign companies. And Ghana is trying to take greater control over its own gold sector too, implementing a law in April that prevents all foreign entities from participating in its domestic gold market.

These moves will no doubt make gold mining more profitable for regional governments. Malis gold-mining revenues rose 52.5 percent in 2024, for instance. But there is also a danger that the increased government revenues will not be redistributed to local residents. And the aggressive posturing by some governments could very well deter investors altogether.

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This is likely to be the case for Mali, in particular, because of the way in which the government has increasingly cracked down not only on the foreign companies operating in the country, but also on those companies local executives. Authorities in Bamako have detained numerous personnel of Barrick Gold, with which the government is engaged in an ongoing tax dispute, while also confiscating gold from its mine and prohibiting exports. These lengthy disputes have already had a knock-on effect on production, which dropped by 23 percent in Mali in 2024, and they could have an impact on future returns as well.

But with widespread plans underway to develop more local mining expertise and infrastructure, some governments may not be too concerned about any foreign investors that are deterred. Cote dIvoire is investing heavily in local content and training and has plans to build a new gold refinery either later this year or early next year, while Mali is already building its own new gold refinery in Bamako with the assistance of a Russian company. All of these plans are likely to be expedited and, in many cases, funded by the soaring price of gold.

In addition to spurring investment by mining companies and governments, the spike in gold prices has increased interest and activity among artisanal miners. Artisanal mining has long been a way of life for many West Africans, but the rising price of gold has triggered a scramble to make the most of the boom. In addition to contributing to environmental degradation and deforestationa major problem in Ghana, in particularthe gold rush may also raise tensions between industrial and artisanal gold miners. Already there are signs that industrial mining companies in Ghana are using drones to keep tabs on artisanal miners trying to encroach on their concessions to access more gold resources.

These kinds of tensions increase the risks of doing business for major mining companies, but they can also have political implications, as artisanal gold miners in some parts of West Africa have long felt that local governments favor industrial miners over them. The current gold rush will bring this issue to the fore, and whichever side local governments take in these disputes, it may well provoke intercommunal tensions and political challenges.

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The linkages between gold mining and West Africas security crisis raise the stakes for regional governments even further. Jihadist groups in West Africa and the Sahel have long used gold mines as a means of funding their activities and training recruits in the use of explosives. Consequently, mines have often been the site of violent attacks. For instance, numerous jihadist assaults in Burkina Faso have targeted gold mines and workers, including one attack in 2019, in which 39 mine workers were ambushed and killed on a road near a mine operated by Canadian company Semafo in the eastern town of Boungou. A 2019 Reuters report found that of around 2,200 possible informal gold mines in Burkina Faso identified by a government survey of satellite imagery from 2018, about half of them were within 15 miles of jihadist attacks and operations.

In addition to working frequently with artisanal miners to run mines, jihadists have also often exploited tensions between national governments and artisanal miners to attract new recruits. A rising gold price and heightened conflict over access to resources could further fuel these tensions and enable jihadist recruitment.

Moreover, the soaring price of gold could also motivate jihadist groups to expand into other parts of the Sahel and West Africa over the coming months. For instance, since the start of the year, jihadists have mounted increasing attacks in western Mali, near the border with Senegal. This expansion likely has multiple reasons behind it, not least the desire to move further south in Mali to target Bamako, as well as encroach on territory in coastal West Africa. However, it is likely no coincidence that western Mali is also a gold-mining hub, and attacks in this area probably signify a desire by jihadists to gain access to some of these resources as well.

This is problematic both for local governments struggling to contain jihadist insurgencies that are already funding themselves via elevated gold prices, but also for industrial mining companies, which will likely find that they are increasingly operating near jihadist groups moving into western Mali and eastern Senegal. Thus, while soaring gold prices may seem to be good news for many in the Sahel and West Africa, it will also bring added challenges to many governments and gold-mining companies, underscoring the persistent validity of the old adage that all that glitters is not gold.

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Jessica Moody is a peacebuilding and political risk consultant focusing on West Africa. She has a doctorate in post-conflict peacebuilding in Cote dIvoire from the War Studies department at Kings College London.

The post For West Africa, the Gold Boom Is a Double-Edged Sword appeared first on World Politics Review.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Two West Memphis men have been arrested, and more than 160 pounds of marijuana have been seized after a series of traffic stops along I-40 in Arkansas.

The Arkansas State Police says that troopers conducted the stops between July 9 and July 13 in Pope, Faulkner, and Crawford counties.

ASP says two West Memphis men, 32-year-old James Jones and 37-year-old Christen Springer, were stopped on I-40 in Atkins on July 12. Jones reportedly told troopers that they were traveling from Oklahoma.

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During the stop, troopers reportedly found 15 pounds of marijuana wrapped in one-pound bundles in the trunk of their vehicle.

Sheriff says drugs played role in missing womans death; mother believes it was murder

Jones and Springer were charged with felony possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were taken to the Pope County Detention Center, ASP says.

Marijuana found in July 12 stop near Atkins (photo from Arkansas State Police)

On the same day, troopers pulled over a Georgia man, 52-year-old Carl Newman, in Conway. Troopers reportedly found 51 one-pound bags of marijuana in Newmans vehicle. ASP says that Newman also told troopers that he had been traveling from Oklahoma.

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Newman is also facing possession charges.

On July 13, troopers stopped 40-year-old Demarcus Towns of Charleston, Mississippi, near Russellville. ASP says troopers found 10 pounds of marijuana bundles in his trunk. Like Jones and Newman, Towns reportedly told troopers that he was traveling from Oklahoma.

Towns is facing drug possession charges as well as various traffic violations, ASP says.

ASP says troopers also made a stop in Crawford County on July 9. The driver, 31-year-old Ziling Zhou of Seattle, Washington, reportedly had 87 pounds of marijuana in several large trash bags.

Marijuana found in July 9 stop in Crawford County (Photo from Arkansas State Police)

Zhou was arrested on drug possession charges and taken to the Crawford County Detention Center. Zhou was also charged with unauthorized use of another persons property to facilitate a crime.

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DENVER (KDVR)  The city of Fort Collins announced on Thursday that there will be two days of mosquito spraying in the area due to high levels of West Nile virus.

In the press release, the spraying will be done by fogging trucks on July 17 and July 20, and will take place around 8 p.m. those nights and go until to 2 a.m. the following mornings.

West Nile virus: 3 counties confirm first positive mosquitoes of 2025

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The south Fort Collins spraying areas include:

Taft Hill Road to Ziegler Road

The area between Horsetooth Road and Trilby Road

Portions of the Westchase and Kechter Farm neighborhoods south of Trilby Road.

The city is asking residents to stay indoors and keep pets inside during the spraying. People are also asked to keep doors and windows closed for 30-60 minutes after spraying to minimize pesticide exposure.

The decision to spray for mosquitos comes from a recommendation by the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, which comes after Larimer County found West Nile virus in mosquito testing in the southeast area of Fort Collins.

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West Palm Beach is eliminating its rainbow crosswalk, which was created to support the citys LGBTQ+ community. The decision isnt voluntary, and the city plans a nearby demonstration of support for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors.

The citys decision is a result of directives from the administrations of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis to get rid of the street markings that commemorate the LGBTQ+ community.

To comply with updated FDOT regulations, the city will soon power wash the rainbow crosswalk at Spruce Avenue and Northwood Road; however, our strength and resolve to do what is right remain unwavering, Kathleen Joy, director of communications in West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James office said via email, referring to the Florida Department of Transportation.

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As part of our continued commitment to meaningfully honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, the monument will be relocated and reimagined at Serenity Park in Northwood Village, Joy said. Bricks in the colors of the LGBTQ+ flag will serve as the centerpiece of a beautifully redesigned space, featuring enhanced landscaping, improved lighting, and other welcoming elements  creating a safe, vibrant, and enduring tribute to the community.

The crosswalks are a couple of blocks away from Serenity Park in Northwood Village, a part of the city that was revitalized years ago largely by LGBTQ+ residents, said Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, who lives in West Palm Beach.

On Wednesday Boynton Beach became the first South Florida city with LGBTQ+ rainbow street markings to eliminate them.

The actions were a response to edicts from Trumps transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, who wrote in a July 1 social media post that Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks, and DeSantis transportation secretary, Jared Perdue, who wrote a day later that Florida wants to keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies.

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The transportation policies come at a time of a rapidly shifting political environment surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and related issues. Efforts that support diversity, equity and inclusion have been disbanded by federal and state governments.

Perdue attached a memo to his social media post that threatened to withhold state money from noncompliant cities.

Defying that would be costly. In its most recent fiscal year, Joy said, the city spent about $7.6 million on road and transportation projects. About $5.3 million came from the city, $1.3 million from the state, and $1 million from federal sources.

Hoch, who stood next to James when the mayor cut the ribbon for the new crosswalks at the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month in 2021, decried the orders to eliminate it and others.

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Theres no reason to have cities have to paint over these or rip them up because the bigots in Washington, D,.C., and Tallahassee have nothing better to do than blackmail and threaten public officials about being welcoming to everyone, Hoch said in an interview.

He also said local officials shouldnt be faulted for removing the rainbow street markings under orders from the state and federal governments.

Hoch, who originated the idea of rainbow crosswalks in West Palm Beach years ago when he was a member of the citys Art In Public Places Committee, said in a statement that he reached out to Sybille Canthal, director of art, culture and community building for the city of West Palm Beach once it became apparent the crosswalk couldnt remain in place.

When confronted with directives to erase memorials recognizing the LGBTQ+ community, public officials across Florida struggled to find appropriate solutions, Hoch said, praising James, Canthal and the citys Community Redevelopment Agency for swiftly coming up with the park solution.

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The initial cost of the crosswalks was $9,500, paid for by the citys CRA and its ArtLife program. Money from ArtLife and a private sponsorship have paid for refreshing the crosswalks since they were installed, Joy said.

Hoch said the city had already bought colored bricks, that wouldnt fade, to refurbish the intersection and the CRA had allocated money to refurbish Serenity Park. He said the citys plan was a good solution.

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This article was originally published in West Virginia Watch.

Roane County Schools is facing a projected $2.5 million budget deficit due to overspending, according to the state education department.

District employees have gone over budget on the construction of a new middle school and used federal dollars to buy furniture. Some purchases appear to be made without the county board approval, which is required under state code.

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Was everybody asleep at the wheel in Roane County? asked Paul Hardesty, a state school board member. You guys are hemorrhaging cash.

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Earlier this year, the county received a $402,225 advance on their June allocation of the state aid formula to make payroll.

Roane school leaders this week requested another financial advance of more than $300,000 to cover expenses.

You guys are bankrupt. Youre absolutely bankrupt, board member Gregory Wooten said.

The West Virginia Board of Education declared a state of emergency for Roane County Schools on Wednesday, adding to the growing list of counties now under board control or in a state of emergency.

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Declining student enrollment was also cited as a reason that the district should be under a state emergency and develop a plan to correct the problems.

Michelle Stallato is the new county superintendent, just five days on the job. She stood before board members, pledging to fix the problems and do whats best for children.

We are going in with eyes wide open. I have an amazing staff that are willing to do the work, she said. We understand its going to be very unpopular. We understand were going to have to make very difficult decisions.

County didnt cut positions while student enrollment declined

A report from the West Virginia Department of Education showed that in October 2024, Roane County Schools employed more than 16 teaching and service positions over the funding formula.

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Its projected we didnt make enough cuts into this year and that deficit will grow, Stallato said.

The county overspent $600,000 on special education in the current fiscal year due to improper budgeting, the report said, linking the problem to inaccuracies in data certified by Roane County Schools.

The state education department also found that Roane County Schools initially purchased furniture with dollars from multiple federal programs, which were unaccounted for in the budgets for those programs.

Roane County serves a little more than 1,600 students. Like many West Virginia school districts, the county is dealing with a declining student population due to the states overall population loss and students opting to use the states voucher program  the Hope Scholarship  for private schooling or other options.

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The district operates on a yearly budget of $27 million. The school system had close to a $2 million budget surplus in 2021; now theres a projected $2.5 million deficit.

Jeff Mace, president of the Roane County School Board, said theyre pushing for more transparency in budgeting and forecasting.

We were not completely aware of the magnitude of where were at, even as recent as this current budget preparation, he said. The board understands  the current position now.

Last month, the state school board took over Boone County Schools because of multiple issues in the system, including potential conflict of interest and potentially using board of education resources to maintain property.

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The board also declared a state of emergency in Randolph County Schools for six months due to financial concerns, tasking the county with creating a balanced budget. The district is grappling with declining enrollment and aging facilities, which contributed to the financial issues.

On Wednesday, board members selected Hardesty to serve as president, replacing current President Nancy White who said she wasnt going to seek reelection. Hardesty is a former state lawmaker and Logan County school board member. He has previously served as board president.

I am humbled by the support and confidence that my fellow board members have placed in me, Hardesty said. This board faces many challenges this upcoming year. We will face those challenges head on, with the purposes of doing what is in the best interests of our 241,000 students across the state.

West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
CHIPPEWA FALLS  A Westboro man accused of riding his motorcycle at a high speed on Highway 29 in Chippewa County, where he reached 153 mph, has now been charged.

RC Hunter Lee Logan, 21, was charged in Chippewa County Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, stemming from the May 29 chase. Logan is due in court Aug. 5 before Judge Steve Gibbs.

According to the criminal complaint, the Wisconsin State Patrol was performing aircraft enforcement on May 29 when an officer observed a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed. Several officers were able to locate the motorcycle and stop it, and the driver was identified as Logan.

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Police obtained a search warrant to examine video footage on a Go Pro action camera on Logans helmet. It showed Logan had recorded footage of a high-speed ride on Highway 29 near Stanley last September.

In that case, the trooper observed Logan traveling at a speed of 96 mph before slowing for a truck with a trailer in the left lane and a vehicle in the right lane near mile marker 101, the criminal complaint reads. Logan sped up to 120 mph and then maintained an average speed over 100 mph. Near mile marker 100, Logan split down the center line in between a semi and a black vehicle and accelerated up to 124 mph. Near mile marker 99.5, Logan passed between two white cars at 108 mph.

The complaint continued: Logan accelerated to 141 mph and continued at a high rate of speed until he reached 153 mph near mile marker 95.

Along with the felony charge, Logan was cited for reckless driving  endangering safety, unsafe lane deviation, and speeding on an expressway.

Logan also was charged in Eau Claire County Court with attempting to flee or elude an officer, also from that May 29 incident. He is due back in that court on Sept. 9 before Judge Sarah Harless.
Ukraine is turning its frontline into a proving ground for the West's newest prototype weapons.

If firms send in their new tech and train Kyiv's troops to use it, they'll send a combat report back.

Kyiv hopes this will also pave the way for its local manufacturers to partner with more outside firms.

Ukraine is inviting foreign arms manufacturers to send weapons prototypes for its troops to test in battle against Russian forces.

Its defense innovation unit, Brave1, on Thursday launched "Test in Ukraine," a program that it said would trial the new tech in combat and produce a detailed report for the defense contractor.

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"This is an opportunity to gain experience that cannot be simulated in laboratories," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister for digital transformation, at an arms conference in Wiesbaden.

Among the program's listed top priorities are uncrewed aerial systems, robot ground vehicles, missiles, and laser weapons.

"Test in Ukraine" will require the contractor to teach Ukrainian troops how to use the prototype, though this can optionally be done online, Brave1 said in a statement.

After that, Ukraine will assume control over how the tech is used on its frontline.

"You hand over your product to Brave1, and we take care of the rest," the organization said on its website.

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Kyiv also hopes to pair the foreign arms makers with its own manufacturers to produce the tested weapons locally.

Ukraine is already a testbed for many NATO weapons against Russian capabilities, from armored vehicles to long-range missiles to anti-tank munitions.

But the announcement comes amid some concern in the greater arms industry that contractors may be developing new weapons after studying the Ukraine war, but aren't testing them in combat.

"If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up," Luke Pollard, the UK's minister of state for the armed forces, said in May.

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One British defense executive, Justin Hedges, told Business Insider earlier this month that drones have to be tested daily in combat to avoid becoming obsolete.

"If your system is not in day-to-day use on the frontline of Ukraine, it becomes very quickly out of date," Hedges told BI's Mia Jankowicz.

Drone warfare has evolved drastically over the last three years of the war. First-person-view UAVs have come to dominate the battlefield, but electronic warfare is increasingly stifling their effectiveness.

As a result, unjammable fiber-optic drones are now on the rise, forcing both sides to rely more on low-tech defensive measures such as 12-gauge shotguns to destroy drones kinetically and fishing nets to entangle them mid-flight.

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Last month, Ukraine debuted a new type of rifle bullet that can discharge fragment spreads at greater range to counter incoming FPV drones. Russian troops were producing their own DIY version months ago.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is going all in on bolstering its defense manufacturing industry, offering its local weapons-making experience to Western countries while ramping up production of domestic arms.

Its new testing initiative could also provide additional weapons supplies for its troops fighting against Russia's war of attrition, both in manpower and materiel.

A spokesperson for Brave1 did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Russia's defense and foreign affairs ministries also did not respond to a similar request sent by BI.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Westmoreland County Food Bank teamed up with Highmark Wholecare to provide people with fresh produce.

The 2025 Farm-to-Family event was held at the Monessen Municipal Building on Wednesday. This was the first of its kind to be held in Westmoreland County.

We are thrilled to bring our Farm-to-Family program to Westmoreland County for the very first time, said Michael Callaghan, Connection Center Supervisor, Highmark Wholecare. We are also incredibly grateful to collaborate with such outstanding organizations as we work together to address food insecurity in Monessen. Were looking forward to a successful event and hope to hold more in the future.

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Organizers gave food to around 500 people and offered them help in signing up for or renewing Medicaid.

Local schools also help gather the food.

Highmark said the event is designed to battle rising food costs and offer a nonpartisan solution for hungry people.

Farm-to-Family started in 2024, when it delivered 84,000 pounds of food to 3,500 families.

This year, the goal is to deliver 120,00 pounds of fresh food to more than 6,000 families in Pennsylvania.

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The Writers Guild of America called on New York State Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the cancellation of Stephen Colberts The Late Show, expressing significant concerns that the decision is sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration amid parent company Paramount Globals impending merger with Skydance.

Colbert himself is a member of the WGA, as are 23 other people on the staff of The Late Show. With the ending of Colberts run  and the outright cancellation of The Late Show  so hot on the heels of a fiery monologue from the host earlier this week where he referred to Paramounts settlement with the president as a big fat bribe, questions have been raised about CBS true motives. The WGAs statement echoed these concerns.

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Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society, the statement reads. Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.

The decision to cancel The Late Show was announced by Colbert during a Thursday taping of the show. Paramount Global Co-CEO George Cheeks, CBS president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios president David Stapf quickly released a joint statement, calling the cancellation a financial decision that is not related in any way to the shows performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.

But there is an elephant in the room that has many wondering if finances were the true cause. Earlier in the week, Colbert returned to The Late Show after a vacation and used his monologue to address parent company Paramounts $16 million settlement with Trump. In his monologue, Colbert called the settlement a big fat bribe to appease the president in a bid for approval for Paramounts potential merger with Skydance Media.

Celebrities, politicians, journalists and audiences have questioned whether CBS cancellation was truly a financial decision in the wake of Colberts recent monologue. As the WGA statement points out, The Late Show has been the best performing program in its time slot. The WGA called on an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount in light of this news.

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Read the unions full statement here:

On July 2nd, Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by President Trump for $16 million. On July 15, during a regular show of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert went on-air and called the settlement a big fat bribe in exchange for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance, a charge currently under investigation in California.

Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, Paramount canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show currently performing first in its timeslot, giving vague references to the programs financial performance as the only explanation. For ten years, the show has been one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions on late night television, on streaming services and across social media.

Given Paramounts recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Shows cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.

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Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.

The Writers Guild of America calls on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount. We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President.

In the meantime, the Writers Guild of America will support our members at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and across the late-night industry as they speak truth to power and we will explore all potential legal and political avenues to fight for our members in the aftermath of this decision.

More to come

The post WGA Calls on NY Attorney General to Investigate Paramount Over Colberts Late Show Firing appeared first on TheWrap.
No Kings Day protest march viewed from the Wisconsin State Capitol | Photo by Gregory Conniff for Wisconsin Examiner

Early campaign reports this week goosed speculation that Gov. Tony Evers might not run for a third term. Evers, who hasnt declared his intentions, has only raised $757,214 this year and has $2 million in the bank, compared with the $5 million he raised during the same period in 2021, before his successful bid for a second term.

Some progressives, most vocally Dan Shafer, creator of The Recombubulation Area blog, have been calling on Evers to step aside. Traumatized by former President Joe Bidens fumbling 2024 campaign, Shafer says Evers, who is 73 (a decade younger than Biden) should not make the mistake of hanging around too long and instead should pass the torch.

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This is not ultimately an argument about ideological differences or policy disagreements, Shafer writes. For him, its about age. Its about the Biden trauma. And its about the problem Democrats at both the state and national level seem to have nurturing the next generation of leaders.

For some progressives, its also about ideology and policy disagreements. Advocates for child care, public schools, criminal justice reform and protecting health care access were furious that Evers didnt drive a harder bargain with Republicans in the recently completed state budget deal.

Still, if Evers announces his retirement, a large, non-MAGA portion of Wisconsin will experience a moment of fear. In our closely divided purple state, there is a real possibility a Republican could win the governors office, just as new, fairer maps are finally giving Democrats a chance to compete for power in the state Legislature. The Republicans who have declared so far are wrapping themselves in the MAGA flag. Evers is popular across the state and has shown he can win.

Devin Remiker, the state Democratic party chair, has said he is praying Evers will run again. U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters recently that he couldnt think of a better governor for Wisconsin than Evers.

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If Evers doesnt run, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, state Sen. Kelda Roys and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski are all likely Democratic candidates.

Theres plenty of people on the bench who would love to be governor, Pocan said.  thats not a concern. Its really, I want the best person to be governor, and I think the best person who could be governor on the Democratic side is Tony Evers.

Pocan calls Evers a responsible adult in contrast to Republicans who are following President Donald Trump off a cliff, slashing health care and food aid and driving up prices and deficits, making life a lot worse for a lot of people, including a projected 276,000 in Wisconsin who will lose health insurance and 49,000 who will lose food assistance under the federal mega bill.

There is an argument that Evers  the most quintessentially Wisconsin politician Ive ever seen, as Pocan put it  accomplished what most Wisconsin voters wanted him to do in the budget process, put politics aside and get the best deal he could for state residents. Working across the aisle to achieve shared goals with the other party  including a last-minute maneuver that mitigates the disastrous Medicaid cuts Trump and congressional Republicans pushed through, drawing down $1 billion per year in federal funds for Wisconsin, was, as Evers himself pointed out, significantly different from the dynamic in Washington.

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How about that, compromise? Evers said Wisconsin voters told him, happily, when they heard about the deal.

If the definition of compromise is a bargain that makes everyone unhappy, Democrats and progressives are clearly the more unhappy parties to this bargain.

Despite the glow of productive bipartisanship when the deal was struck, the details  and how the deal was done  are beginning to grate on some of Evers biggest former backers.

Big majorities of Republican legislators voted for the deal in both chambers. Five out of 15 Senate Democrats joined them, and there were only seven yes votes out of 45 Democrats in the state Assembly, where Speaker Robin Vos, who helped craft the budget, made it clear he didnt need or want Democratic votes.

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Arguably, the Democrats who gave impassioned floor speeches denouncing the budget have been in the minority in the Legislature for so long they never have to think about making the kinds of compromises involved in governing a divided state. If you look at it that way, it seems unfair of them to react angrily to Evers, a decent man who shares their goals and has worked diligently to accomplish what he can in the face of nasty opposition. Apart from Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, who joined the budget negotiations behind closed doors after it became clear Republicans were going to need some Democratic votes in the Senate, Democrats were largely shut out of the whole process.

And thats the real problem with the way Evers governs, according to Robert Kraig of Citizen Action. By not involving legislative Democrats from the beginning, he disempowered not just those individual legislators but their constituents, giving up the pressure he could have brought to bear on Republicans if he leveraged citizen outrage and demands for action on broadly popular priorities  funding public schools, expanding Medicaid, keeping child care centers open, and the whole list of progressive policies in Evers original budget proposal.

Instead, Evers was the kind of adult in the room who sends everyone else out when its time to make a decision.

This governing style, Kraig argues, is badly out of step with the political moment. As an increasingly dangerous, destructive administration sends masked agents to grab people off the street and throw them in detention centers or deport them without due process, liquidates safety net programs and deliberately destroys civil society, its going to take a massive, popular movement to fight back.

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Maybe Shafer is right that a younger, dynamic Democratic candidate could emerge as a leader of that movement. Maybe the Democratic Party needs to stop praying for likeable, bipartisan father figures to deliver victory and instead open the doors to the somewhat chaotic, populist backlash that is brewing against the oligarchic, authoritarian kleptocracy led by Trump.

Its a big risk. But we are in very risky times. Democrats, and the public at large, have not yet figured out how to defend against the unprecedented maliciousness of our current federal government and the MAGAfied Republican party. The whole idea of bipartisanship seems outdated in a world where one side is seeking to tear up the social contract, the Constitution, due process, the justice system, fair elections, and the most basic, longstanding protections against poverty, hunger and disease.

These are the same conditions that gave rise to the Progressive Era. Fighting Bob LaFollette fought the leaders of his own party and founded a nationwide movement to wrest control of government from the wealthy timber barons and railroad monopolies who, through corrupt, captive politicians, fought to control all the resources of our state and nation.

Now those same powerful interests are fighting to claw back everything, to destroy the reforms of the early 20th century protecting workers, the environment, and the public sphere. They are smashing public institutions and flouting legal constraints.

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Democrats need to make the case to the public that they will fight back. And they need the public to rise up behind them to help them do it.

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The fourth national wave of protests this year took place a month after the "No Kings" protests.

Last month, it was estimated that more than 5 million people across approximately 2,100 communities in the U.S. participated in the June 14 "No Kings" protests, which coincided with Trump's 79th birthday and the Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington. D.C. On July 17, more than 1,600 demonstrations took place nationwide against the president.

The July 17th "Good Trouble Lives On" protests marked the fourth national wave of protests this year.

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Here's what to know about Trump's approval ratings amid the ongoing protests.

Donald Trump's approval ratings: What do the polls say?

Morning Consult

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Morning Consult poll (July 14, 2025):

Favorable: 47%

Unfavorable: 50%

Rasmussen

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Rasmussen poll (June 18, 2025):

Favorable: 50%

Unfavorable: 48%

Civiqs

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Civiqs poll (July 14, 2025):

Favorable: 41%

Unfavorable: 55%

Neutral: 4%

The Economist

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest from The Economist (July 18, 2025):

Favorable: 41%

Unfavorable: 55%

Not sure: 4%

Reuters/Ipsos

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll (July 15-16, 2025):

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Favorable: 41%

Unfavorable: 54%

Fox News

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Fox News poll (April 18-21, 2025):

Favorable: 44%

Unfavorable: 55%

Neutral: 1%

'Good Trouble Lives On' protests

In Tennessee, 24 "No Kings" protests took place on June 14, and almost a dozen protests under the "Good Trouble Lives On" name occurred on Thursday, July 17.

Organizers called the July 17 "Good Trouble" protests a response to "the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations" from the Trump administration. Using the term "good trouble lives on" from John Lewis promotes the idea of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent actions to create change and challenge injustice.

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The coalition of organizations behind the "Good Trouble Lives On" protests was also behind the nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations on June 14, which, according to the group's estimates, drew millions of participants. Overall, there have been monthly nationwide protests against the administration and its policies since April, and the "Good Trouble" protests mark the fourth major day of action since Trump took office in January.

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What is President Trump's approval ratings? What latest polls say
Messaging app WhatsApp may soon be blocked in Russia, as lawmakers push for tighter restrictions on digital platforms from "unfriendly countries."

"Its time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, wrote on Telegram on Friday. The Meta-owned service is likely to be added to a list of software subject to restrictions due to its ties to Western countries, he said.

Programmes from Western IT companies that have left Russia have long been a thorn in the Kremlin's side. Back in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for their services to be curtailed.

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In 2021, following a decree by Putin, the Russian government began compiling a list of "unfriendly countries," which initially included the United States and the Czech Republic. It was expanded after the invasion of Ukraine to encompass the European Union as a whole.

In June, the Russian parliament, the State Duma, also passed a law to create its own messenging service. At the time, it was said that government services would also be integrated into this chat programme, likely to be called Max.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, Moscow has massively tightened censorship and control of the internet.

On Thursday, parliament passed new legislation that makes searching for content that the authorities classify as "extremist" punishable by fines of up to 5,000 roubles (around $64).

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Internet resources that criticize the ruling elite, such as The Anti-Corruption Foundation started by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, are among the sites targeted.

Until now, there has been no legal regulation in Russia that would have hindered the free search for information. Only the creation and dissemination of "extremist content" was prohibited.

Numerous websites, including those of Western and independent media, are already blocked in Russia.

To make it even more difficult for Russians to access content, VPN services are increasingly being blocked. Mobile internet is also being shut down with increasing frequency.
Dallas residents are expressing their frustrations with the inadequate mail service throughout the city, with a significant number experiencing delayed or non-delivery.

These complaints stem from a post made on the Ring Neighborhood application, in which a resident near the Knox/Henderson neighborhood of Dallas complained about the lack of mail delivery in the area.

Is anyone else not getting their mail? Our postal guy doesnt even come for several days in a row even though we have inbound mail in our mail preview, wrote the original poster.

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Residents from the area flooded the comments after this original post was made, with the vast majority of these comments voicing a very similar issue in the area.

This happens to me all the time. I never get mail on time even though I have the informed delivery on my phone every morning. It really aggravates me, commented one resident under the original post.

Not getting mail either. Comes 1-3 days per week, sometimes at 4pm, sometimes at 8pm, and sometimes not at all! wrote another.

Multiple neighbors commented, saying they had mentioned the issue to the post office, but there has still been no solution to the lack of mail delivery.

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No l already complain with the post office they said that they where going to fix but it hasnt please email post office so they can handle it quickly sometimes l dont get mail until the end of the week or my neighbors has it l already emailed them again, wrote one comment.

Another commenter questioned whether reporting these issues will lead to any meaningful change, but a response under that comment kept it very simple.

No, wrote the comment, seemingly indicating that there might not be a fix for this issue despite complaints with the post office.

Currently, there has been no indication whether these issues with mail delivery have been resolved, as few residents have spoken out to mention whether delivery has improved in recent days.


WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The White House faced tough questions Thursday as pressure mounted from both Democrats and Republicans over the administrations refusal to release documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

During a tense press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the scrutiny as media-driven, accusing Democrats and members of the press of politicizing the issue.

What [President Trump] doesnt like is to see Democrats in the mainstream media covering this like its the biggest story that the American people care about, Leavitt said.

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Leavitt also said Democrats have seized on the controversy for political gain.

But Democratic leaders argue the Trump administration has only added fuel to the fire by previously suggesting a list of Epsteins alleged clients existed, something the Department of Justice recently said was never confirmed.

What are they hiding? asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who said Democrats did not originate public speculation surrounding the files.

The demand for transparency is not limited to one party. Several Republicans have joined the call, urging the Department of Justice to release any relevant documents.

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I dont know why wed hold anything back, said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)

They prosecuted Epstein himself before his death, and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The American people deserve to know the facts.

The White House insists the matter is in the hands of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ.

If the attorney general and the Department of Justice and the FBI have any more credible evidence in regards to Jeffrey Epsteins crimes, they should put that forward, Leavitt said.

Frustration among the presidents supporters has grown online in recent days, with increasing demands for accountability.

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According to sources cited by The Hill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is reportedly weighing a measure that would support the release of the so-called Epstein files.

Democrats have signaled openness to a bipartisan push.

The most important thing that could be done is for Congress to act in a bipartisan way to demand the American people get the transparency they deserve, Jeffries said.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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President Donald Trump would like to see a better option than Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins to represent the state. He probably cant get one.

The moderate GOP senator causes frequent headaches for the White House when it comes to securing her crucial vote, which is needed to pass key elements of Trumps agenda.

Thats led White House officials to discuss a potential Collins replacement in the state if she opts not to run for reelection, though there are no thoughts of actually launching a primary challenge.

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But in a state that continues to trend blue, local Republicans warned, Collins is effectively the lone Republican who can fend off high-level Democratic challengers in the state. Republicans point to her seniority in the upper chamber and appropriations role as unique advantages no other candidate would match. And while Collins may frustrate the MAGA wing, a different Republican more in line with Trumps agenda would also be much more likely to lose the seat.

For Collins to drop out may be for very conservative people a wish list item, said Andre Cushing, a Penobscot County commissioner and former Republican state senator.

But, candidly, I think shes made her announcement and she is the kind of person that doesnt do those things lightly, Cushing said. She certainly has my support even when I disagree with her.

Collins unique position in Maine shows the limits of Trump's political power. The president has been fiddling with all levers of the midterms equation  ordering Texas Republicans to redraw a map, pressuring battleground House Republicans to seek reelection rather than run for higher office and now exploring primary challenges against the handful of incumbents who have bucked him. Collins, the Senate Appropriations Chair, has been frustrated by White House attempts to clawback spending that she supports, and has been vocal about her disagreements.

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There appears to be little appetite  in either party  for challenging Collins, who won reelection by 9 points in 2020, despite Joe Biden easily winning the state.

That victory, which followed record Democratic spending and a wave of public polls suggesting Collins would lose, has left Democrats facing their own struggles to find a formidable challenger this year, even as they point to her dipping approval rating.

Top Maine Democrats including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who ran against Collins in 2014, have opted to run for the states open governorship instead. Rep. Jared Golden of the 2nd District is running for reelection.

That has left national Democrats without a top recruit in what should be one of their most competitive offensive targets. Gov. Janet Mills, who is term-limited, would be their top recruit. But Mills, 77, is older than Collins, 72, and the two women have generally had a good working relationship. The Democratic governor doesn't seem eager for what would likely be a bruising Senate battle.

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Even as some Republicans in Washington grow frustrated with Collins, there is no appetite to primary her back home.

I don't think any reasonable person that might be interested in that position would think about challenging her, said Maine GOP strategist Alex Titcomb.

Collins has already publicly indicated plans to run for reelection. Her fundraising surged in the second quarter of the year, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. And a super PAC planning to back her said it raised $5.6 million so far this year. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is already cutting digital ads for Collins .

Democrats' best hope to flip the seat would be if Collins did not seek reelection. Republicans would have to scramble in their attempts to find a replacement  she is the only GOP candidate to win statewide in Maine since 2014.

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Everybody knows that Susan Collins is a gift to the Republican Party in Maine, said Garrett Mason, the former Maine Senate majority leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate.

Collins has ruffled some GOP feathers in the first six months of Trumps term with high-profile votes to oppose his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the sprawling One Big Beautiful Bill.

A similar dynamic played out during Trumps first term in office, when conservatives slammed her vote against the Affordable Care Act repeal . But Collins largely rallied the Republican base in her favor for her 2020 reelection campaign, even earning an endorsement from former Gov. Paul LePage, who had previously been critical of her .

But Republicans in the state know that when it comes to Maines Senate seat, there is no better option. A Collins retirement  or primary loss  likely means the GOP loses the seat. And many in the state still pride themselves on her senior status in the Senate, something even another Republican could not immediately replicate.

If someone were able to run against her and by chance beat her, that would be a really bad thing for Maine, said Mason, the former majority leader. But I just dont see that happening. Thats not whats on the ground here.
The White House has nominated Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, to be the services next vice chief of staff.

The Pentagon announced Bussieres nomination Friday, and said Lt. Gen. Stephen Davis  now the Air Forces inspector general  has been nominated to receive his fourth star and succeed Bussiere as head of Global Strike.

The White House has also nominated the Space Forces Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton to be vice chief of space operations. Bratton is now deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements.

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If confirmed by the Senate, Bratton would succeed Gen. Michael Guetlein as vice chief of space operations. The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed Guetlein to head the Pentagons massive Golden Dome missile defense project.

Bussiere would succeed former Air Force Vice Chief Gen. Jim Slife. President Donald Trump fired Slife without explanation in February, alongside former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and other senior military leaders.

Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, the Air Forces director of staff, has been serving as a temporary vice chief since Slifes firing. The Pentagon also said Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara  now deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration  has been nominated to be the Air Forces next director of staff.

Bussiere is an experienced command pilot with more than 3,400 flight hours, including combat missions during multiple campaigns. He is also one of the Air Forces top general officers, with years of experience managing bomber and nuclear forces and overseeing strategic operations.

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He has led Global Strike since December 2022, managing the Air Forces bomber fleet of B-1 Lancers, B-2 Spirits and B-52H Stratofortresses, as well as the nations arsenal of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. Under Bussieres leadership, Global Strike is preparing to bring on the newest stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, and upgrade the B-52s engines and other major components to extend the bombers life for decades more.

He flew F-15C Eagle fighters to help enforce the no-fly zone over southern Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, and as part of Operation Vigilant Warrior. During that 1994 operation, the United States rapidly deployed airpower to the Middle East in response to then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Husseins movement of 20,000 mechanized Republican Guard troops near the Kuwaiti border.

He also flew combat missions in the B-2 Spirit bomber as part of Operation Allied Force, the NATO campaign against Yugoslavia to stop ethnic cleansing against Serbs during the Kosovo War, as well as during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bussiere has also flown the B-1 Lancer and F-22 Raptor, among other aircraft.
With the House expected to eagerly place another rubber stamp on a legislative priority of President Trumps  his attempt, via a rescission package, to legitimize Elon Musks work of freezing and blocking federal spending earlier this year  the White House has learned that it is not that hard to bully congressional Republicans into letting the executive branch do their job for them.

White House budget chief Russ Vought told reporters on Thursday, before the House vote, that he may soon send over another rescission package to claw back more federal funding that had previously been authorized by Congress.

We are willing to send up additional rescissions. I think if this continues to pass, were likely to send up another rescissions package that would come soon, and well be working on that to try to get that across the finish line, Vought said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday. He then suggested that this is a process the Trump administration prefers, as it helps Trump show you have the executive branch ensuring that its not cowing to a legislative branchs understanding of its own authorities and powers.

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While it is a constitutionally backwards approach to how Congress is meant to allocate spending, rescissions bills are at least a legal venue for the executive branch to flex power over what is meant to be a co-equal branch of government. Voughts plan to attempt to enact so-called pocket rescissions this year  just not spending money that Congress has authorized until the fiscal year ends in September  is a legally dubious move that many believe will set up a high stakes legal battle over the separation of powers. The maneuver  which Vought has repeatedly mused about publicly  is a threat to Congress: Pass our rescission bills, or well use the loop hole we think weve found to sidestep you entirely.

In acknowledging that the White House intends to try to force Congress to choke down more of its Department of Government Efficiency cuts, Vought is revealing how comfortable it is asking Republicans to cede their authority as a check on Trump.

At the same time, some Republicans are finally conceding theyre not totally comfortable with what the White House is doing  while, in most cases, stopping short of taking a stand.

Ahead of the Senate vote on the $9 billion rescission package Thursday morning, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said in a speech on the Senate floor that he was going to vote for the measure with reservation. He pointed specifically to concerns about the legislative branch becoming too submissive to the executive branch  especially in the face of objections vocalized by several Senate Republicans who said they did not know what the bill they were about to vote on would cut. (Many of them nonetheless voted for it.)

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Despite multiple requests from members of the Senate GOP, Vought refused to provide clarity on where exactly the cuts will come from. Most ultimately voted for the measure regardless.

It concerns me  as perhaps approaching a disregard for the constitutional responsibilities of the legislative branch under Article I, Wicker said. Congress has the power of the purse. The president has the power to enforce. In this situation, theres a specific amount stated that will be rescinded.  But this Congress will not be allowed to choose those specific cuts. That will be done by somebody in the Office of Management and Budget in the White House. And in this situation it will amount to the House and Senate basically saying: We concede that decision voluntarily to the executive branch.

So I have expressed concern about this, Wicker said.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed similar concerns and said that it was what led him to vote no on motion to open debate on the bill earlier this week. He, like Wicker, ultimately supported the measure.

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Vought is taking cues from the Senate Republicans who folded for the sake of showing their commitment to reducing federal spending.

It is past time that Republicans stand up for Congress as a co-equal branch of government, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said.

If Youre Still Reading 

I often invoke the nightmare that is this political moment when asking you, TPM readers and new Where Things Stand subscribers, to keep coming back to read my evening briefing. That is, in part, because I know what a sacrifice it is to pay attention to the news right now. The headlines are more distressing than ever and it is an increasingly heavy burden to ask people to keep up. That is part of the reason that TPM offers reporting like what you find in Where Things Stand and in our sister newsletter, Morning Memo. Seven months in, Trump II has been A Lot and you shouldnt be expected to follow every minute detail or understand the full scope of the years-in-the-making context behind any new, devastating Trump administration decision.

If you enjoy reading WTS every night  or even if you begrudgingly stomach it in order to help yourself stay informed  Id like to ask you to support TPM in another way, besides reading all the high quality journalism we produce on a day to day basis. Not only do we try to keep up with all the horrors so you dont have to, we also are one of the few remaining truly independent digital news outlets in an increasingly scary time to do this kind of work. And weve been around for 25 years! Its our 25th anniversary of existence this fall and I, your faithful evening briefing author, have been around for about eight and a half of those years.

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One thing I love about working at TPM is the fact that a lot of us have been doing this work together for a very long time. And TPM has long played a unique role in the American media ecosystem, observing that politics were drifting in a Trump-y direction long before most news outlets did.

If you enjoy reading TPM, and the frame of reference we provide to explain this insane moment in American history, would you consider contributing to the TPM Journalism Fund? We are currently hosting a drive to raise $500,000, which will help us remain independent  aka not have millionaire or billionaire investors to answer to  and continue doing good journalism. Were already halfway to our goal.

If thats not for you, another way you can support TPM is by becoming a member. Right now, were doing a really big sale where you can become a member for just $25.

Fin 

Ominous Even For Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly sent guidance to diplomats revising how the State Department recognizes democratic ideals abroad, in a move that has experts concerned about the message it might signal to countries dealing with authoritarian leaders. Per WaPo:

The United States should no longer publicly comment on elections, including making an assessment of whether the election was free and fair, unless there is a clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest to do so, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a cable to diplomats sent on Thursday. When there are messages about elections, they should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy, or the democratic values of the country in question, Rubio wrote in the cable, which was first reported on by the Daily Signal.

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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  More than $144 million in medical debt for almost 210,000 Michiganders has been erased, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday.

According to a release from her office, the state has been collaborating with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to erase debt sourced from local hospitals in the state. Thursdays announcement is the first round of more to come, according to Whitmer.

(Courtesy Gov. Gretchen Whitmer)

Here in Michigan, we believe being sick or getting injured shouldnt mean going broke, said Whitmer. Thats why Im proud to partner with Undue Medical Debt, so we can erase over $144 million of medical debt for almost 210,000 Michiganders across the state.

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Those who qualify for relief are either four times below the federal poverty level or more, or they have medical debts that equal at least 5% of their annual income. According to a release from Whitmers office, relief is not something you can apply for; rather, hospitals opt in to the relief program.

If you benefit from the relief, you will receive an Undue-branded letter in the mail this month, with no action required.

Medical debt is a burden that no one chooses  people dont choose to get sick, injured or have a chronic disease, said Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt. For too many, getting care can quickly turn into financial distress, threatening families futures.

Whitmer says this round of forgiveness focuses on southeast Michigan and residents of Ingham, Jackson, Kent, and other neighboring counties.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said President Donald Trump promised to deliver federal help for a big economic boost in the state after plans for a semiconductor factory near Flint recently fell through, an outcome she and other Michigan Democrats have blamed on national economic uncertainty they say stems from Trump's policies.

Whitmer has set a goal of securing a semiconductor facility in Michigan before she leaves office. But that faced a major setback July 16 when Whitmer announced that a company eyeing the state will no longer build a plant in Michigan or anywhere else in the United States. Sandisk was working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which proposed a massive package of corporate subsidies before the company changed course. The company has declined to comment. But Whitmer cited economic challenges nationally, including tariffs, for the decision not to locate a new factory in Genesee County's Mundy Township.

"We're hearing from businesses every single day what it means in terms of their ability to make investments and why we're seeing paralysis. It's not a surprise, unfortunately," Whitmer told reporters July 17. The governor said she called Trump a day earlier to share her disappointment with the semiconductor factory falling through. "He said, 'tell the press, we are going to work together to get an even better deal for the state of Michigan,' " Whitmer said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Whitmer's comments came after U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler visited Michigan to champion Trump's economic policies, zeroing in on the tax and spending law he recently signed. Over the hum of machinery in a small aerospace and defense manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, Loeffler championed Trump's tax and spending bill as a boon for businesses and workers. The federal legislation recently signed into law by Trump will incentivize economic growth, she told reporters at NTL Industries, marking her latest stop on a nationwide tour to meet with manufacturers across the country.

"This is a pro-small business bill, it's pro-worker," Loeffler told reporters. Asked to comment on businesses that may be reversing course on building in the United States due to Trump's policies, Loeffler said that's not happening. "Well, we sure haven't seen that," she said.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel pushed back in a statement. "We would encourage Loeffler to travel to Mundy Township while she's here to apologize for the thousands of jobs that the Trump Administration killed with its disastrous economic agenda," he said.

Democrats have also railed against Trump's policies on the social safety net, including the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" and blasted the tax breaks in the law as a windfall for the wealthy paid for off the backs of poor people.

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Michigan Politics: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's goal to land a semiconductor factory in Michigan faces a setback

Whitmer joined the chorus of criticism even as she courts Trump's support for her federal policy priorities. Whitmer said her administration is still analyzing the impact the new federal law will have on the state budget not only this year but also down the road. "One of the gimmicks Congress did was not make it all come into effect immediately, probably because they don't want people to know how bad it is when they go into the midterms to vote," she said.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer spoke to Trump after semiconductor deal fell apart
Originally appeared on E! Online

Whitney Purvis has received bond.

After the 16 and Pregnant alum was arrested July 7 amid a Drug Enforcement Agency investigation for involuntary manslaughter, she was granted a $15,000 bond in the state of Georgia July 17, according to police records viewed by E! News.

Under jurisdiction of the bond, Purvis, 33, may not consume alcohol or dangerous and illegal drugs, per the documents viewed by E! News. She will also remain under a curfew and must comply with ongoing treatment, as well as submit monthly drug screenings.

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The documents, viewed by E! News, also noted that Purvis may not contact the family of the victim, who was identified in an affidavit previously obtained by E! News as John Mark Harris.

However Purvis is still in police custody at the moment, Deputy Corey Bowers, the public information officer for Floyd County Sheriff's Office confirmed. As the officer told People in a statement, just because someone is granted a bond does not mean they will bond out.

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E! News has reached out to Purvis attorney for comment but has not yet heard back.

Purvis first caught the attention of the Drug Enforcement Agency for two previous charges related to possession and distribution of a controlled substance. The agency then coordinated with the local Rome Police Department to coordinate Purvis arrest earlier this month, Jae W. Chung, acting special Agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Atlanta field division, said in a statement at the time.

Today, DEA Atlanta and local law enforcement arrested Whitney Purvis in Floyd County, GA on charges of involuntary manslaughter due to fentanyl poisoning, the statement, obtained by TMZ and People, read. This investigation is ongoing.

Instagram/Whitney Purvis

Harris, according to an affidavit previously obtained by E! News, died in February after Purvis allegedly gave him the drug tranq, which is a mixture of fentanyl and Xylazine. Police noted that the drug directly contributed in the victims death due to a toxic overdose, subsequently charging Purvis with involuntary manslaughter.

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The 37-year-old was described in an online obituary as loving fiercely and would do anything he could for one of his friends.

He was always authentic to himself, the obituary reads, and was loved by all that had the opportunity to know him.

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Why is convicted axe murderer David Brom getting released from prison? originally appeared on Bring Me The News.

A convicted axe murderer will soon be set free from a Lino Lakes prison.

David Brom was convicted of murdering his parents, his 14-year-old sister, and his 10-year-old brother with an axe in February 1988 in Rochester. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences and has served more than 35 years behind bars.

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In 2023, Minnesota legislators changed the law, paving the way for his eventual release because he was 16 when he committed the murders.

The law eliminates life without parole sentences for all juveniles. It also makes juveniles sentenced in adult court eligible for supervised release after 15 years. Based on the change, Brom became eligible for parole release in February 2018 after serving a total 30 years.

A parole board determined Brom was eligible for parole this January.

"Later this month, Brom will transition to a Twin Cities halfway house, where he will receive case management and supervision services, including GPS monitoring. Those on work release are on facility custody status versus a parole or community supervision status," a Department of Corrections spokesperson said in a statement.

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After his time there, he will be eligible to serve out the rest of his sentence on parole in public, but will not be allowed to return to Olmsted County.

David Brom was 16 when he committed the four murders in 1988.Minnesota Department of Corrections

He has reportedly expressed remorse and apologized for his actions. KARE 11 reports that he told a Minnesota Supervised Release Board earlier this year that he has used his time in prison to make changes to his life, and he claims that he's a "good example of what a transformation can look like."

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson was one of the officers who initially responded to the murder scene back in February 1988, and released a video statement on the developments, saying Brom is "benefitting from leniency."

I cannot stop what is already in motionand we, as the public, must trust the parole boards decision and have to hope Mr. Brom is ready for this transition in his life, Torgerson said.

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"It is still hard for me to accept and forget the sights and smells of what I saw that Thursday evening in 1988," he continued.

Broms next appearance before the parole board is slated for January.

This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
You will have noticed that, in order to reduce Frances 3.3 trillion debt (to which 5,000 is being added every second, apparently), French PM Francois Bayrou has proposed, among other measures, that two bank holidays be ditched.

From now on, French people will effectively dedicate their effort to the nation by labouring through Easter Monday and VE Day.

Mr Bayrou didnt quite say: And so my fellow French people, ask not what your country can do for you  ask what you can do for your country, but he wasnt far off. The responses have been predictable. Some older people with longer memories have seen the point.

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Others  interviewed on TV, interestingly enough, from deckchairs on Med beaches  have suggested that they couldnt possibly put in even another hours work for no pay. Exhaustion was already hounding them. Anyway, commemorating the defeat of fascism required a day of idleness (as, strangely enough, it never has in the UK).

Such reactions, of course, fuel British suspicions that the French are a bunch of skivers. If they lose VE Day (May 8), they will still have three Bank Holidays each May. Should these fall on, say, Thursday or Tuesday, a good percentage of French workers will also take off the intervening day either side of the weekend, to faire le pont (make the bridge). In such instances, its barely worth showing up anywhere serious for the entire month.

French PM Francois Bayrou has proposed that two bank holidays be ditched - Getty

And, by losing Easter Monday as well, the nation simply cuts the number of public holidays from 11 to nine. That leaves France still ahead of the UK, which has eight. You add in that many French people start work in their late 20s, retire at about 32 and work but 35 hours a week  and skivers indeed seems to be the word. Or, as justice minister Gerald Darmanin himself said on Wednesday: France is the country where we retire earliest, start work latest and, on average, work less than our neighbours.

And yet, and yet  the country functions. Not flat out, but fairly well. Ive lived here for the thick end of 40 years, and noticed no more skivers than I recall from visits to the UK. Maybe fewer, when I think of some of the Lancashire seaside pubs I know. If, pace Darmanin, Britons work slightly longer hours than the French  the figures are slippery, but suggest something like 1,624 hours a year against 1,511  French productivity is 18 per cent higher than the UKs. Thats not terrific  it hasnt yet reached pre-Covid levels  but isnt bad.

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Anecdotally, shops and offices stay open longer, towns dont shut down by late afternoon, restaurants dont close at 5pm (as experienced in the New Forest recently), school days are longer and, if the French lose a bank holiday because it falls on a weekend, they dont retrieve it the following Monday. Its lost. During recent heatwaves, our bins have been emptied twice a week by 6am each time.

Figures suggest that French people work less than Britons, but productivity is higher - E+

I think the thing is  and Im speculating here  that the French have a good grasp of the work-leisure balance. When at work, they tend to work quite hard (I exempt the public administration, obviously) but when work is done, its done. Theyre less likely to think that work defines them, and so hang around the work place forever. They do their bit  baking baguettes, emptying bins, perfecting perfumes, transplanting organs  and then its holiday time. The French minimum paid holiday allowance is 30 working days (with Saturday counted as a working day). Thats only two more than Britains 28 days.

Nor do the French conform to their stereotypical image on their holidays. You know the image  koed under a bush or parasol by pastis, wine and a superior sense of the right to relax. Frankly, half the French nation barely touches booze these days. (Younger friends are astounded when I tell them I drink wine every day. You need help! they cry. Not really, I say. I manage it quite well on my own.)

Granted, pretty much every wine-making town and village has summer wine events. Among the finest are Wednesday evenings in the lee of the Pont-du-Gard, near Nimes. Wine-makers share their wares as jazz plays and lights caress the Roman monument  but thats as civilised as it sounds. Were not talking bucketfuls of sangria.

The Pont du Gard, a 1st-century Roman aqueduct built to carry water to Nimes, is now also a place where wine flows in summer events - Achim Thomae

Meanwhile, great summer cultural festivals abound, from theatre in Avignon to opera in Aix and classical music in Orange via jazz events in Nice, Marciac, Juan-les-Pins and almost everywhere else.

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Which is all by way of saying that, more than youd think  maybe even more than gastronomy  the French appreciate a cultural element to their leisure time. Call something cultural and the French start queuing, regardless. Which is how a friend recently got stuck in an all-night reading of Homers Odyssey.

Elsewhere, though, the French have learnt to do culture well for holidaymakers. Chateaux visits, in the Loire valley and elsewhere, are way more lively than heretofore. I was recently at the chateaux of Chambord and Chenonceau, and the hordes made it clear that, after a fallow period, such monuments have regained their place in the French summer ritual.

And ritual it is. Fewer people now holiday for the whole of July or August, but many do (including almost all the artisans whom we regularly call upon: all absent, all August). And of the 64 per cent of French people who go on holiday during these summer months, 89 per cent of those do so in France. That means, on August 1 and 2 this year, youll need 10 days to get around Lyon or Bordeaux.

Chateau de Chenonceau, one of the many popular places to visit in France - Hiroshi Higuchi

Most are making for the seaside, and many for the continents greatest collection of campsites. Some 30 per cent of all European campsites are in France (it has 7,000), and they have gone upmarket. Posh water parks, excellent evening shows and good restaurants are now the norm  though they are in addition to, rather than in replacement of, the more traditional petanque, karaoke and as much merguez as you can manage. Because the French can let go with gusto.

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Not, though, to the point of falling shirtless out of bars at 3am. Beyond the campsites, even the most popular seaside towns wear an air of slight civilisation. Garish, maybe, but civilised, with seafood platters in proper restaurants rather than fish and chips in bus shelters. By night, there may be markets, music and dancing with everyone, tots through grandparents, out and about.

Happily, Im pretty sure that Mr Bayrous measures wont much affect any of the above. The French are terrific at reacting appalled, and then carrying on as before. Should the Bayrou budget be approved  which, frankly, is unlikely  they may have to work two extra days in May.

But this is a nation which, in the last 240 years, has been involved in three revolutions, uncountable wars, foreign occupation, oppression and terror, de-industrialisation and the 35-hour week, yet remains the seventh richest nation in the world  and may still argue vigorously about the correct preparation of a salade nicoise. Skivers really isnt the word. Theyll pull through  and have as happy holidays in 2026 as in 2025. Just as long as we can keep a lid on the striking railwaymen and air traffic controllers.

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There has been a record-high number of flash flood warnings issued in the U.S. this year, which can be linked to climate change and improved weather systems.

The catastrophic and deadly flash flooding in central Texas earlier this month has brought attention to the increasing intensity of these weather events and how Americans can prepare for them.

More than 130 people, including dozens of children, died after the Guadalupe River burst its banks on July 4, and many more are still missing. Following the disaster, questions have been raised about whether officials could have done more to protect Texans, including installing flood warning sirens in the area.

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But floods are not unique to Texas. NBC News reported, citing data from Iowa State University, there was a record number of more than 3,000 flash flood warnings issued in the U.S. from January 1 to July 15.

There has been a record-high number of flash flood warnings issued in the U.S. this year which can be linked to climate change and improved weather systems (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

There has been a record-high number of flash flood warnings issued in the U.S. this year which can be linked to climate change and improved weather systems (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

A flash flood warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a sudden violent flood is imminent or occurring.

The outlet previously reported there were at least four one-in-1,000-year rainfall events from July 4 to 8, flooding parts of Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico and Chicago.

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Climate change can make river floods larger or more frequent in some places, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

As warmer temperatures cause more water to evaporate from the land and oceans, changes in the size and frequency of heavy precipitation events may in turn affect the size and frequency of river flooding, the EPA wrote on its website.

The catastrophic flash flooding in central Texas earlier this month has brought attention to the increasing intensity of these weather events and how Americans can prepare for them (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

The catastrophic flash flooding in central Texas earlier this month has brought attention to the increasing intensity of these weather events and how Americans can prepare for them (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

But one expert explained another reason why there are more flash flood alerts than ever before.

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Amir AghaKouchak, director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing at the University of California, Irvine, told NBC News radar systems and weather models have significantly improved over the last 40 years.

The system that was implemented back in the 80s is not the same as the system that we have now, he said. We have many, many more radars, and we have many different sources of data.

So naturally you expect more warnings just because our systems are getting better and better, the expert added.

Over 130 people, including dozens of children, died after the Guadalupe River burst its banks on July 4, and many more are still missing (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

Over 130 people, including dozens of children, died after the Guadalupe River burst its banks on July 4, and many more are still missing (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Freetown, July 17, 2025  Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone His Excellency Wang Qing officially handed over a batch of motorcycles to His Lordship Honorable Chief Justice Komba Kamanda.

Ambassador Wang noted that since the beginning of this year, the Chinese Embassy has maintained close cooperation with the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, achieving significant progress in areas such as personnel exchanges and capacity building. These efforts have further enriched the China-Sierra Leone Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. He expressed the Embassys willingness to take this donation as an opportunity to continue promoting judicial exchange and cooperation with the Judiciary and injecting new momentum into the friendly relations between the two countries.

Chief Justice Kamanda expressed heartfelt gratitude for Chinas longstanding and valuable support to Sierra Leone. He emphasized that the donated motorcycles would be put to proper use to expand the reach and responsiveness of judicial services, ensuring that justice is accessible in every corner of the country. He also looked forward to deepening judicial cooperation with China in the future.




What do you think about when you think about yoga? For most people, the word conjures pleasant images of people doing downward-facing dog or warrior pose, with a vague air of Indian mysticism. But Stewart Home is not most people. To the man who may be Britains most avant-garde writer and artist, yoga is a swindle that dupes the well-meaning middle classes. Its also a breeding ground for fascists. It isnt even particularly good for you.

His new book, Fascist Yoga: Grifters, Occultists, White Supremacists and the New Order in Wellness, is a serious treatise on a zeitgeisty topic. This is unusual, as the 63-year-old Londoner, described on the jacket as a legend of counterculture, is best known for his controversial fiction. Among the highlights, if thats the right word, are 69 Things to do With a Dead Princess (2002)  which features a conspiracy theory that the dead body of Diana, Princess of Wales was driven around Grampian stone circles until it decomposed  and a parody of the London literati called C--t Lickers Anonymous (1996). Others in the Home backlist include Blow Job (1997), a pulpy tale of skinheads and anarchists, and C--t (1999), in which an author writes about tracking down the first 1,000 women he bedded and having sex with them again.

Home has never troubled bestseller lists, and is still published by tiny independent houses, but he has become one of our best-known and most influential cult novelists. The Times Literary Supplement once said that Homes deliberately bad writing does for the novel form what Viz does for the comic strip. Jenny Turner, a contributing editor at the London Review of Books, wrote in 2002: I really dont think anyone who is at all interested in the study of literature has any business not knowing the work of Stewart Home.

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In particular, hes obsessed with slaughtering sacred cows. Take Art School Orgy (2023), which imagined a young David Hockney in all manner of depraved scenarios.

I had [major] publishers interested, he says. But they asked if I could change the names of the characters. It wouldnt have been very funny if I had. (He claims that Hockney was amused.) People just freak out. You cant do that, [Hockney] is a national treasure! But it was fine. You decide where you want to make compromises, and Im less inclined to make them than some people.

Homes Art School Orgy (2023) imagines the sex life of national treasure David Hockney - Francis Goodman/Getty

I suggest to Home that this unwillingness to compromise with some of polite societys mores might be why he isnt more famous on the British literary scene, and with British readers, than somebody with his abilities and work-rate should be. He laughs. Probably. But its just what happens. Itd be nice to have a bit more money coming in.

Anyway, the cultural mainstream is not for Home. I ask, for instance, how he feels about contemporary literary A-listers such as Sally Rooney and Jonathan Coe. I dont read any of that stuff. Ive looked at the odd page of it, but its just not my interest. I often read the first page of a book and then know Not for me, too literary  conventionally literary. Right now, Im reading the new Chris Kraus novel.

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One former A-lister he has read, and intensely disliked, was Will Self. In the early 1990s, after Self criticised Home for giving his work a bad review in a newspaper column, Home handed out badges during a street protest that said Will Self is Stupid. (The Self piece was apparently a case of mistaken identity: the offending review, in the NME, was written by the late Steven Wells.) Does Home still think Self is stupid? I dont think about him, to be honest. He married a good friend of mine, Deborah Orr, although I didnt see her when they got married. [She is] sadly dead.

Will Self Is Stupid: Home handed out badges mocking the writer at a street protest - David Levenson/Getty

Homes new book was conceived when he got into yoga  which he did for a startling reason. I wanted to read my books standing on my head, he says earnestly. I would do a half-hour lecture standing on my head I think its reasonably safe, but as I got older I cut down on the amount of time I spent doing it. You can allow yourself to sink into your neck, which isnt very good. (Home also paints standing on his head, with the brush put between his toes, and explains at length that its best to do so in an attic room with a sloped roof.)

So he joined classes at a municipal gym near his central London council flat. But he soon bristled at what he found to be a worldview grounded in essentialism and anti-empiricism; he hated the occult-saturated health misinformation that his instructors spewed forth. They went on about how ancient the practice was, how important chakras were, and the remarkable benefits of doing these simple moves. I found some of what the yoga teacher said incredible, he says. When you go back to the older sources for that stuff, theyll claim that a shoulder stand, or whatever, will cure leprosy. Its quite absurd.

Home also came to fear that something altogether more sinister was lurking beneath yogas surface. He read about Eric Atwood, a far-Right provocateur who in 2016 was photographed in a newspaper in a half-lotus pose, his hands in prayer position with a neo-fascist Celtic-cross flag behind him and a Make America Great Again cap resting on his right knee. So it was that Home, with literary elan, decided to investigate the origins of yoga and why it was seemingly so popular with such people.

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According to Home, the key character in the early development of yoga as we know it is Pierre Bernard, a self-styled American yogi dubbed The Great Oom, who operated at the beginning of the 20th century. Bernard was, Home says, in truth a Californian escapologist who sprinkled some orientalist fairy dust on his circus moves and packaged it as a profound and ancient Aryan practice. That tradition was picked up by the 20th centurys fascists and neo-fascists, such as the Italian thinker Julius Evola  a favourite of the likes of Steve Bannon  who wrote guides to yoga and Hindu spirituality.

Pierre Bernard in 1939, a self-styled American yogi dubbed The Great Oom

All of this, according to Home, has trickled down into the attitudes of the crunchy moms of West Coast America, who are sceptical of vaccines and love Robert F Kennedy Jr. In other words, being the sort of person that buys into yoga woo-woo is also the sort of person who might buy into conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs. Its exactly the sort of provocation out of which Home has made a career: something to make those who are immersed in a cultural mainstream that he regards as effete and onanistic clutch their pearls in horror. It can be difficult to know how sincerely any of Homes output is meant to be read. But Fascist Yoga approaches its subject with a seriousness thats palpably absent in Homes previous books. He admits that it has a bit more of a straighter edge it just felt the right way to treat the material.

Home is fit, with the physique of a man a couple of decades his junior, as he demonstrates when, for our photographer, he holds the lotus pose for a long time in the hot London sun. I do tai chi, for my sins, which I enjoy  but I tend to stay away from teachers who start telling you how its a 5,000-year-old tradition, because it isnt, he says. I dont really understand why saying something is old makes it good. Someone had to invent it at some point and whether that was two weeks ago or 5,000 years ago doesnt make that much of a difference.

His upbringing may go some way to explaining the zaniness of his career. He was adopted as a baby and grew up in Merton, south-west London; by the age of about 12, he had developed a critical interest in the occult and was reading books on the topic. His mother was a bohemian drug addict, and had worked at Murrays Cabaret Club at the same time as Christine Keeler. Home was briefly the bassist in a ska band, and by the end of the 1970s had begun writing fanzines and experimental texts. He has been a sui generis writer and artist ever since.

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As a non-mainstream Leftist  of that camp, but not a fan of the Labour Party  he has often been lumped in with anarchists, to his chagrin. In 1994, he wrote a column about them, at a time when the British tabloids were frantic that they might become violent insurrectionists. I was saying they couldnt organise a p--s-up in a brewery, which seemed to go down a lot worse with anarchists than saying they were a violent threat to society. The piece led to people following him around London, and to the suspicious appearance of claims that he was an undercover police officer or a child trafficker.

Home has since been more circumspect about revealing anything of his personal life. As we talk, we walk around Bunhill Fields, a burial ground on the fringe of the City of London, and the final resting place of Daniel Defoe and William Blake. The original plan had been to talk at his nearby flat, but Home didnt want to be photographed there, whether inside or outside it. And, given his writing has been full of bilious invective, hes surprisingly softly-spoken.

So much of his work has been about sex. Dead Princess is highly pornographic; in some scenes, a ventriloquists dummy gets involved. Doesnt he believe that some things in literature can be beyond the pale? I think some things are in bad taste. Racist jokes are in bad taste. Lots of things are in bad taste. But I dont necessarily believe the same things as other people.

Homes 69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess (2002) contains conspiracy theories about Princess Dianas death - Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Theres a lot of sexual repression now. I think weve been moving backwards, in that [literature about sex] is either divided into porn, or quite sanitised, in a lot of mainstream culture. And if I read my old books with younger audiences, and you just use words like C--t He mock-gasps.

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C--t, he points out, is just a book, and it didnt get the same reaction at the time. As long as its not used in a kind of misogynistic discourse, I dont have a huge problem with Anglo-Saxon. I think it depends on context as well. I think it would be quite hard to get a lot of the early books published now. It was very hard to get Art School Orgy published.

Home has often been accused of writing things that seem to make factual claims, yet are palpably untrue. Does objective reality matter? What I particularly enjoy doing is telling people things that are true and have them not believe me, he replies. Is that because you have told so many untruths, I ask. Maybe. Im not sure. I also enjoy people thinking something shouldnt exist. Take the Necrocard, a joke organ-donor card for supporters of sexual liberation for necrophiliacs; he devised that one after a friend needed a kidney transplant. An error by the printer meant that Home had about 50,000 of them, which he handed out to people in Soho. The local Aids hospice was desperate for as many as they could have, he says with not a little relish.

But when it comes to yoga, its different. If people want to do yoga, I cant stop them, and I wouldnt want to stop them, he says. But I think they should be informed about what it is, where it comes from and what the potential risks are of some moves. For once, Stewart Home appears to be serious.

Fascist Yoga: Grifters, Occultists, White Supremacists and the New Order in Wellness (Pluto, 14.99) will be published on July 20

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY)  The Williamsburg Police Department is searching for a missing 17-year-old girl.

Sabina Marilu Barrientos-Alfaro was last seen leaving her residence on Tuesday, July 8.

Barrientos-Alfaro is described as 54 and 140 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.

Police say she has been in intermittent contact with her family; therefore, she is not believed to be endangered.

Those with information on her whereabouts are asked to contact the Williamsburg Police Department at 757-220-2331.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
GENEVA  Donniella Winchell grew up on a Concord grape farm in North Madison, but didnt think that would be her future.

Instead, she earned an education degree and was a math teacher for five years.

Eventually, caring for children led her down a different path, one which has ended up with almost 50 years of advocating for wine producers as executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association.

Winchell began working part-time for a new organization that was trying to assist wineries throughout the state.

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That part-time work transitioned to full-time in 1984.

The organization started in the mid-1970s.

This is the 50th year of the OWPA, Winchell said.

Presently, Winchell operates from an office in downtown Geneva, but the position involves extensive traveling and lobbying on behalf of all Ohios wineries. Winchell is also a regular at area events that use her knowledge of the industry to the areas benefit.

She presently serves on the Ashtabula County Convention Facilities Authority board, as well.

The OWPA has seven wine trails across the state: Appalachian, Canal Country, Capital City, Ohio River, Shores and Islands, V.I.N.O. and Vines and Wines.

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The Vines and Wines trail highlights Northeast Ohio operations that have seen one winery in the area grow to 36 over the past 50 years.

Northeast Ohio boasts more wineries per square mile than in any other region, the OWPAs website states.

Each of the wine trails are featured on the website that is used to open new vistas to tourists across the country, and people who live close by.

Winchell started with the OWPA part-time in 1979, and the job grew from there.

Robert Gottesman, owner of a Cincinnati winery at the time, was active in trying to get the organization rolling.

The idea of working together to help the industry state-wide took on legs after a wine festival in Virginia went well.

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We put 900 miles on my car looking for a place to replicate the event, Winchell said.

She said eventually the festival landed at the Farmpark in Lake County.

Vintage Ohio was designed to be a tool for economic development, Winchell said.

She said the goals included the creation of new wine lovers, sponsors to help the industry and the creation of steps to a more permanent growth in the industry.

She said wineries were asked to invest money in the first event, in the hope of getting it back in three years.

The event was successful, and the finances were turned around quicker than expected, Winchell said.

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Vintage Ohio continues, and is scheduled for Aug. 1 and 2 at Lake Metroparks Farmpark.

It is still a major event for the organization. There are also smaller events throughout the state to highlight each region.

As Winchell continued to work with wineries, area operations were gearing up and growing. She said some of the original local wine making efforts were not great in the quality department.

It took a while to improve visitors understanding of wine quality as it grew locally and throughout the state, Winchell said.

People remembered some early, bad wines, she said.

While Winchell was working with wine growers throughout the state to improve taxation options for wineries and provide government assistance to grow the industry, area wineries were growing, and moving from Concord grapes to vinifera for wine production.

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She said presently, the Ohio Wine Producers Association works with legislators in Columbus and Washington D.C. to advocate for the industry. Winchell said the OWPA works to help wineries grow and prosper.

Working with regulators at the state and federal levels is a key component of the organizations work.

One of the biggest impacts was grape growers changing from growing 33% Concord to 78% vinifera grape.

While the amount of wineries grew in Northeast Ohio, Winchell said she has to be careful to not provide more attention to the area than the rest of the state.

Winchell said the growth of wineries in Northeast Ohio has been good for everyone.




NEED TO KNOW

Wisconsin nurse Mary K. Brown pleaded no contest to abusing a patient after amputating a 62-year-old man's foot without permission or a doctors order.

The patient, who was suffering from severe frostbite, reportedly felt significant pain during the unapproved amputation.

Brown allegedly intended to display the foot at her familys taxidermy shop, according to court documents and witness accounts.





A nurse in Wisconsin who amputated the foot of her patient without his permission  and wanted to display it in her familys taxidermy shop  pleaded no contest to abusing a patient and will not face any jail time.

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Mary K. Brown, 40, will pay $443 in court fees and not face any jail time after she cut the foot off of a 62-year-old patient who was in her care at a nursing home in May 2022, KSTP, the Pierce County Journal and WQOW reported, citing court documents. The patient died days after the foot was removed, prompting the investigation that led to Brown's arrest.

Brown had been facing two other charges  intentionally causing great bodily harm and mayhem, and physically abusing an elderly person  but those charges were dismissed as a part of the no contest plea, the outlet reported.

Brown has agreed to not practice as a registered nurse or as a licensed practical nurse in the state of Wisconsin, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

In June 2022, investigators were contacted about the death of a patient at an assisted living facility by the county medical examiner, who said the body was sent for an autopsy because of the unusual circumstances of his death, NBC News previously reported.

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The medical examiner said the victims foot was not attached to his body, but was rather lying beside him, the outlet reported, citing authorities. The 62-year-old patient was initially taken to the center because of severe frostbite on both of his feet.

The medical examiner then reviewed the victims medical chart, which said the foot had been amputated. According to court records, the amputation was done without a physicians order.

Related: Wisconsin Nurse Accused of Amputating Patient's Foot Without Permission to Use at Taxidermy Shop

According to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC, nurses at the center said the foot was no longer fully attached to the 62-year-olds leg, and was black like a mummy.

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Brown allegedly used scissors to cut a tendon, which amputated the foot, the outlet reported, citing the criminal complaint. The foot was then put in a bag in a freezer, to be sent with him when he died.

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.

One nurse said she was holding the victims hand, and he was holding hers extremely tight and was moaning a little bit when the nurse cut the tendon, NBC reported, citing the complaint. Another staffer said, when they cut his foot off he felt everything and it hurt very bad.

Another nurse said that during the amputation, Brown talked about how her family has a taxidermy shop and said she was going to preserve the foot and put it on display with a sign that said Wear your boots kids, per the outlet, which cited the complaint.



Read the original article on People
The Brief

A preliminary injunction says the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) can no longer deny unemployment benefits for people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Last year, a court said the Wisconsin law's "blanket denial" violates the Americans with Disabilities Act because it has a disparate impact on disabled workers.

Starting July 20th, DWD will process unemployment claims for people on SSDI like any other claims.

GREENFIELD, Wis. - Thousands of people with disabilities in Wisconsin could soon qualify for unemployment benefits. A new court order says the state must cast aside a ban that previously made them ineligible.

Denied claims

What we know

James Trandel is a gate chief for the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. At one point last year, he was employee of the month.

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"I help with the ticket takers and security," said Trandel. "It's a seasonal job."

James Trandel

However, unlike his other coworkers, Trandel is being denied the unemployment benefits he once relied upon.

The "blanket ban"

The backstory

Trandel was denied because he gets Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI is a federal program for people with a history of working, but who can't work enough to perform "substantial gainful activity."

"The Brewers is a supplemental income," said Trandel. "Just to live on a wage, working for the Brewers, would be very hard to do."

James Trandel

Trandel used to rely on unemployment insurance in the off-season. Then, in 2013, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law stating that anyone collecting SSDI was banned from also collecting unemployment.

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"When you add up the entire state, it turns into thousands of people who are not getting paid," said Trandel.

Overturning a law

Dig deeper

Advocates for the disabled, like labor attorney Victor Forberger, have been fighting the law ever since.

"Essentially, disabled people are being treated differently because of their disabled status," said Forberger.

Victor Forberger

To overturn the SSDI eligibility block, Forberger filed a class action lawsuit.

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Last year, a court found the Wisconsin law's "blanket denial" violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. It found the law has "has a disparate impact on disabled workers seeking unemployment benefits."

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Fast-forward to July 2025, and the court issued an order saying the state can no longer deny the unemployment claims.

"Next week, the department will now say, "Well, you should be paid benefits, and we'll reverse that decision," said Forberger.

DWD responds

What they're saying

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) sent Contact 6 a statement saying, it "did not oppose a prospective preliminary injunction in this case from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin but cannot provide additional comment at this time due to ongoing litigation."

What this means

Starting on July 20th, DWD will begin processing the claims like any others.

Republican leadership weighs in

What they're saying

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) is responding to the court's decision.

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"This law has been on the books for a dozen years without problem," said Vos. "Its a shame a liberal judge has reinstated this loophole to encourage more fraud. To qualify for unemployment, you must be able to work and show you cant find a job. To qualify for a disability, you have to prove you cant work. These programs are important to provide benefits for people who need them. Allowing people to double-dip undermines both programs and will hurt those who really need the help."

Forberger says the presumption that people on SSDI can't work to supplement their income is disparaging.

Backpay?

Trandel is hoping he'll receive a backpayment for years of denied unemployment claims.

"That was an unconstitutional law," said Trandel. "I would think I would be entitled to something."

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Governor Tony Evers proposed striking the blanket ban in his last three budgets, but the language was removed by the Joint Finance Committee.

What's next

A hearing in August will address the issue of backpay.

The Source

Information comes from United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin records, interviews with James Trandel and Victor Forberger, statements from DWD and Rep. Robin Vos, and prior FOX6 reporting.
Suffering and death will be the greatest achievement of the obscene, immoral budget bill just passed by the Republicans in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump (Trump signs tax cut and spending bill into law, July 6).

Budget cuts of $1.1 trillion to Medicaid and other health programs will result in an estimated 11.8 to 17 million Americans losing their medical coverage over the next 10 years. This contrasts with the steady increase in medical coverage of Americans since Medicaid was created in 1965.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services warned 52,000 residents will be at high-risk of losing health coverage. Even more Badgers may lose health coverage because the law changes the Affordable Care Act and Medicare. Health studies show that lack of health insurance increases death rates, so some Badgers may die earlier because of this law.

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Opinion: Brenda Cassellius says MPS must right-size to help deal with $100 million deficit

Sen. Ron Johnson and Reps. Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, Tom Tiffany and Tony Wied, what are you going to tell your constituents when they ask you why you caused their parent to lose nursing home care, when a parent of a disabled child asks why they no longer get care, when a hospital in your area closes because of having to, by law, give free care to the poor, without Medicaid compensation? What?

Bill Dagnon, Baraboo

Opinion: Johnson voted for the Trump bill he called immoral. His choice will devastate WI.

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Letters: Trump vision doesn't mesh with mine. That doesn't equate with hate for country.

Tips for getting your letter to the editor published

Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state:

Please include your name, street address and daytime phone.

Generally, we limit letters to 200 words.

Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter.

Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing.

Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person.

We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions.

We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters.

Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months.

All letters are subject to editing.

Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@jrn.com or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump's cuts will result in thousands losing health coverage | Letters
It's nine in the morning and Marseille city contractors armed with long tongs were picking up syringes amid the morning crowd, dropping them one by one into a yellow recipient fixed on a cart.

The scene, on the central Belsunce Square near the busy Old Port, plays out daily, an illustration of the second-biggest French city's massive drug problem.

On pavements, in doorways and in parking lots, more users than ever can be seen shooting up cocaine or smoking crack.

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Many aimlessly wander the streets of the Mediterranean port city, which became notorious decades ago for its role as a heroin hub in the so-called "French connection" trade route, and today cannot get a grip on a thriving narcotics business.

At lunchtime, a man lay sprawled on the street outside the parking lot of a shopping centre, two needles sticking out of his right arm.

"You see more and more young people and women," said Youcef Mahi, a janitor.

"I'm not judging. We are witnesses to despair."

- Crack 'drives you crazy' -

The city's budget for cleaning up after the addicts has risen six-fold to reach 152,000 euros ($177,000) this year, outweighing public subsidies for NGOs dedicated to reducing risks for drug users.

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But Antoine Henry, who runs the ASUD association to keep addicts safe, said more money should be funnelled into projects such as his.

By his estimates, "2,000 users live in the streets of central Marseille, most of them without a home or income, often carrying infections, with no access to benefits, and sometimes undocumented."

He said the sharp increase is partly due to overall rising poverty in what is already France's lowest-income large city, with the proliferation of downtown dealing spots over the past two years also to blame.

Such spots are outposts of the main dealing rings located in low-income housing estates, and closer to socially vulnerable consumers who buy their cocaine there, usually for 10 euros ($11.60) a pop.

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On one Marseille street, a young lookout, called "chouf" (Arabic for 'look'), had taken up his post, only a few dozen metres from the main Canebiere thoroughfare and its municipal police headquarters.

One 36-year-old woman, who did not want to be identified, told AFP that she lives in the street, except when she is in prison.

She was seriously ill, shivering below her parka despite the hot July sun. She shoots cocaine, but does not smoke crack because, she said, "that drives you crazy".

She said she tries to stay clear of police and doctors, but also of dealers and their gangland fights and shootouts.

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Marseille and its surrounding region are plagued by a turf war over lucrative drug points. In 2023, 49 deaths linked to drug trafficking were recorded in Marseille in connection with gang warfare, and 24 in 2024.

- Clean syringes, rapid tests -

Joachim Levy regularly seeks out the woman when he and his colleagues from the Nouvelle Aube (New Dawn) association roam the streets in search of people in need of help.

He has constantly urged her to accept treatment.

"Otherwise you're going to die here," he said.

At the foot of a building, a small group, like dozens of others in the neighbourhood, was cooking crack and crushing pills.

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In contrast to Paris, crack is rarely sold ready to consume here.

Instead, users concoct it themselves by heating cocaine with ammonia.

From his backpack, Levy handed out sealed syringes, pipes, disinfectant wipes and bicarbonate, which he said is "less harmful" than ammonia.

A few streets away, a team from Nouvelle Aube were talking with men sheltering under the A7 highway.

"We offer rapid testing for HIV and hepatitis -- and direct them to the hospital if needed. They no longer have their own survival strategies," said Marie-Lou, a member of the association who did not give her surname.

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- 'Poverty, isolation' -

A young woman, wearing glittery sneakers, a tight skirt and a handbag, turned a staircase corner.

She told Levy about her mounting debt and her temporary accommodation with her child "at an ex's place".

She used to smoke, and "snort a little", but then she turned to crack and soon realised she "was hooked".

Levy told the woman "to call anytime".

The biggest problem for people in her situation, he said, is not the actual drug use.

"It's the poverty, the isolation, the street violence, the mental health issues -- this is where we need to start," he said.

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Levy believes supervised consumption facilities -- spaces where users can take their drugs safely -- could be "an excellent solution" to some of these issues.

Such "shoot-up rooms", as critics often call them, operate in several countries, including Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia.

- No 'shoot-up room' -

Perrine Roux is research director at the INSERM health and medical research body, which has published an evaluation of France's only two experimental facilities in Paris and Strasbourg.

"All scientific studies, in France and abroad, have shown the usefulness of such facilities," she said.

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"But nobody pays much attention to science, and that's very concerning."

The interior ministry shut down a plan to open such a facility in Marseille after complaints from some residents and local politicians.

On Thursday, the regional prefect announced an action plan against drug trafficking and related crimes, involving the deployment of additional police and anti-riot units "to give the dealing points a pounding", and of 310 extra security cameras.

Meanwhile in Belsunce Square, the water fountain has stopped working, a fact welcomed by one resident.

"Now that there's no water for them anymore, we may see less of the druggies," she said.

alc/jh/ah/sbk
WARSAW (Reuters) -London-listed low-cost carrier Wizz Air will resume flights from Warsaw Modlin Airport in central Poland after a 13-year hiatus, with plans to deploy two aircraft there from December, operations officer Roland Tischner said on Friday.

Wizz Air said on Monday it was closing down its Abu Dhabi operation, allowing it to relocate capacity throughout Europe.

Tischner told Reuters on Friday that employees in Abu Dhabi would be offered the opportunity to move to Europe.

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"There are many of our colleagues who actually moved (there) from Europe ... So we are looking into getting them back to our European operation," he said.

"So we will try to provide opportunity to everyone. And of course it will be the decision of the people whether they want to stay in the Middle East and maybe look for other careers or they want to come back to Europe."

Tischner said the decision to leave Abu Dhabi was "heavily impacted" by the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

It would not affect the company's forecast for a 15-20% increase in passenger numbers in 2025, he added.

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MODLIN AIRPORT

The airline had shifted its operations to Warsaw's Chopin Airport in 2012 after a runway failure at Modlin.

"After successful negotiation and discussion and agreement with the management of Modlin Airport, we are going to deploy two new Airbus neo planes to Modlin airport starting in December," Tischner said at a conference in Warsaw.

The new routes will serve eight countries and connect Modlin with Athens, Sardinia's Alghero, Barcelona, Bergamo, Bergen, Brindisi, Chisinau, Malta, Palermo, Paphos and Sofia.

Last week Ryanair announced plans to treble the number of passengers it serves at Modlin airport to more than five million a year by 2030.

(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk. Writing by Pawel Florkiewicz. Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Mark Potter)
NORTHAMPTON  Some claimed to be veterans of anti-Trump rallies, while others were new to the scene at Good Trouble protests throughout the region Thursday.

Pioneer Valley residents joined protesters from across the nation for standouts in the name of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader who promoted social engagement to achieve political and societal change.

Good trouble, necessary trouble was the Georgia Congressmans mantra until his death in 2020.

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Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of Lewis death, and thousands of people took to public spaces at 1,600 sites across the country, according to published estimates.

The protests were reminiscent of previous anti-Trump standouts this year, including No Kings, which brought citizens out in droves across the U.S.

Standouts and virtual protests in Western Massachusetts took place in Springfield, Northampton, South Hadley, Westfield and elsewhere, surviving sweltering heat and brief downpours in some areas.

Melissa Dresler and daughter Madison Dresler  23 and bound for Yale University to earn a Ph.D.  stood out on the South Hadley Town Common as newcomers to the anti-Trump public movement.

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I was a bit scared to protest but now I know theres nothing to fear, said Melissa Dresler. Weve been very devastated by what is happening in this country.

She cited Medicare cuts and the ICE immigration practices as among her chief concerns.

Before it was DOGE but now its this, she said.

Madison Dresler held a sign that read, Freedom is Never Voluntarily Given, and said she worked for a student lobbying group that visited lawmakers to encourage immunization equality and push back against Medicaid cuts.

I met with senators (Elizabeth) Warren and (Edward) Markey, she said. But it was kind of like preaching to the choir.

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Some of her allies in conservative states encountered lawmakers who wouldnt bother to show up, she said.

South Hadley protest organizer Ann Stockton said she has added dozens of recipients to an email list of people willing to join protests since the wave of protests began.

What Im finding most is people feel like they have a community, said Stockton, co-chair of the South Hadley Democratic Town Committee. Were all getting stressed but here they feel like theyre not alone.

She estimated around 80 people turned out for the event.

Northampton protest

Earlier, at Northamptons downtown Pulaski Park, nearly 200 gathered in a city that is no stranger to civil disobedience.

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In comparison to the Dreslers, Greg Anderson, of Easthampton, and Geralyn Giroux, of Feeding Hills, were protest hopping Thursday.

We got to as many protests as we can, said Anderson, adding the pair had been to at least five.

We even went to one while we were on vacation, Giroux said. Each day you turn on the TV, theres a new outrage.

She and Anderson were primarily focused on agents of Homeland Security seizing undocumented immigrants off the street.

Its also obvious hes not throwing out criminals, Anderson said, referring to President Trump. As he spoke, passing motorists honked their horns.

They not beeping at us. Theyre beeping with us, he said.

Read the original article on MassLive.
L3Harris has formally rolled out its modular Wolf family of launched effects vehicles, which includes the Red Wolf, configured for long-range precision strikes against targets on land or at sea, and the Green Wolf fitted with an electronic warfare payload. Both could be launched from air, ground, and maritime platforms. L3Harris is one of three companies this week to highlight work on weapons in this general category. This points to something of an industrial arms race to create modular, relatively cheap, and small systems that increasingly blur the line between uncrewed aerial systems, especially longer-range kamikaze drones, and cruise missiles, as well as decoys.

The development of the Wolf family traces back to 2020, according to a press release L3Harris put out yesterday. More than 40 test flights have been conducted to date. The existence of Red Wolf first emerged publicly at the U.S. Armys Experimentation Demonstration Gateway Event in 2021 (EDGE 21), with Aviation Week reporting at the time that it had originated from a secret project run by the Pentagons Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO). The U.S. military has already been testing and evaluating versions of Red Wolf for years now, including as a path toward a new long-range strike capability for U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters.

The wait is over.



Introducing Red Wolf  and Green Wolf , the first vehicles in our expanding pack of launched effects systems. pic.twitter.com/d4oG7fgeE4  L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) July 17, 2025

Our launched effects wolf pack provides U.S. military branches  regardless of platform  with a significant advantage in closing long-range kill chains, defeating adversarial threats in challenging environments and protecting assets, Ed Zoiss, president of the Space and Airborne Systems at L3Harris, said in an accompanying statement. The Red Wolf and Green Wolf are lethal, modular, affordable, and ready to hunt.

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Renderings of Red Wolf L3Harris released yesterday show a missile-like design with pop-out main wings and horizontal stabilizers at the tail end. It also has two vertical fins. There are a pair of intakes blended at the rear of the body to feed air to the small turbojet that powers the design.

The design also has a prominent chine line that wraps around the front end and extends along the sides of the body, as well as a shovel-like shape to its nose. Both of these features are indicative of air vehicle designs with at least a degree of low-observability (stealthiness).

A rendering of a Red Wolf that L3Harris released yesterday. L3Harris

Another render showing the rear end of the Red Wolf design. L3Harris

Side-by-side renderings of the Red Wolf and Green Wolf, showing them to be functionally identical, at least externally. L3Harris

In terms of performance, their endurance has been proven in flight testing, demonstrating high subsonic speeds  200+ nautical mile range at low altitudes and 60+ minutes duration, an L3Harris product card says. Modeling data proves greater speed, range, and duration capabilities.

Further details about Red Wolf and Green Wolf, including what kind of guidance package the strike configuration uses, remain limited.

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The renderings show a design that is also prominently different from pictures of the Red Wolf that have previously emerged. The air vehicles seen in the earlier imagery all have four fixed tail fins. At least one also has a single flush-mounted air intake for its turbojet. The design of the body looks to have remained largely consistent.

A Marine AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter seen with a Red Wolf under each of its stub wings during a test. USN

I think I saw a picture of Red Wolf at PC-C4 https://t.co/Jd14a2p37g pic.twitter.com/ccv42tdffo   (@lfx160219) May 2, 2025

For awareness, we have several derivatives of the baseline [design] that have flown and provide for a variety of ranges, payloads and capabilities, L3Harris had told TWZ in February.

As noted, the U.S. Marine Corps has already been actively testing Red Wolf as part of its Long Range Attack Missile (LRAM) project, the core goal of which is to demonstrate a new long-range strike capability for its AH-1Z attack helicopters. The LRAM effort has been targeting a range of at least 150 nautical miles (just over 170 miles or nearly 278 kilometers), which is exponentially greater than that of the AGM-114 Hellfires and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) that Marine Vipers can fire now. Though longer-range versions of the Hellfire and JAGM are in development, existing variants of both missiles have maximum ranges of under 10 miles.

A Marine AH-1Z fires an AGM-179A JAGM during a test. USMC A Marine AH-1Z fires an AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), one of the existing and much shorter-ranged missiles in its inventory. USMC

LRAM is feeding into a program of record called Precision Attack Strike Missile (PASM), which could consider other options beyond Red Wolf. The Marines have also said LRAM/PASM could lead to further air-launched capabilities for the AH-1Z and other Marine aircraft. Broadly speaking, this highlights how Red Wolf, as well as similar munitions, will allow platforms previously capable only of conducting direct attacks to launch standoff strikes, something that will only become more and more important in the face of expanding air defense threats.

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The opportunity that LRAM provides is the modularity that can come with it. So kinetic [and] non-kinetic capabilities, Marine Col. Scott Shadforth said during a presentation at the annual Modern Day Marine exposition in May. And then we can certainly get into an open debate of, is it a weapon? Is it an air-launched effect? Is it a UAS [uncrewed aerial system; drone]? How are we defining those capabilities?

Shadforth is head of Naval Air Systems Commands (NAVAIR) Expeditionary and Maritime Aviation-Advanced Development Team (XMA-ADT). The newly announced Green Wolf electronic warfare configuration would fit well with his mention of future non-kinetic possibilities.

We also know that the U.S. Army has previously conducted a test involving a Red Wolf configured for communications signal relay. That service has also eyed the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone as a launch platform in the past.

As part of yesterdays announcement, L3Harris has released its own graphics depicting notional scenarios involving air, ground, and sea-launched Red Wolves and Green Wolves, as well as a potential future decoy variant, all working together. Green Wolves could be used to help locate targets, especially hostile air defense assets, by zeroing in on their signal emissions, while also working to clear a path for Red Wolves to actually strike them. Decoys could be used to further confuse and overwhelm defenders, too. Variants of the Wolf family could be layered in with additional types of munitions and other capabilities, as well.

A graphic depicting a notional ground mission scenario involving the employment of Red Wolf and Green Wolf launched effects vehicles. L3Harris

Another graphic depicting the use of Red Wolf and Green Wolf in a notional expeditionary mission scenario. L3Harris

A notional maritime mission scenario involving the use of Red Wolf and Green Wolf is depicted in this graphic. L3Harris

L3Harris is targeting a unit price of approximately $300,000 for members of the Wolf family once production reaches the full expected rate of around 1,000 per year. The unit cost of a much shorter-ranged JAGM is also in the $300,000 range. For further comparison, the price tag of a single stealthy AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER), a much larger and longer-ranged traditional air-launched land attack cruise missile in U.S. service today, is in the $1.5 million range.

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The cost and production goals reflect immense interest, especially from the U.S. military, in new standoff precision strike munitions that are also relatively cheap and readily producible. All of this is being driven heavily by planning to ensure that the U.S. military has sufficient munition stockpiles ahead of any potential high-end fight in the Pacific against China, and the ability to sustain those inventories in the event the conflict becomes protracted. Lessons learned from recent U.S. operations in and around the Middle East, as well as from ongoing support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, have put additional emphasis on new lower-cost capabilities that can be produced at scale. Many other countries outside of the United States have been arriving at the same conclusions when it comes to future precision munitions developments.

With all this in mind, it is important to note that L3Harris is hardly the only company responding to this demand signal, which is also notably attracting a growing number of non-traditional firms outside of the established defense industry.

On Wednesday, Anduril revealed new details about testing to date of its Barracuda-100M air vehicle, which is in a roughly similar class, form and function-wise, to the Red Wolf and Green Wolf. Anduril unveiled the Barracuda family, which also includes larger and longer-ranged 250 and 500 models, last year.

The U.S. Army has been testing Barracuda-100M as part of a demonstration effort called High-Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM), which focused primarily on the development of a new Precision Target Acquisition Seeker (PTAS) capability.

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The Government developed PTAS payload is being developed to allow for passive, autonomous tracking of identified targets, Anduril said in a press release. It uses video feedback to correlate and seek a previously identified target image using a Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) camera within the seeker.

In testing so far, Anduril has been air-launching Barracuda-100M from an L-29 light jet, but the company plans to conduct a series of ground-launched demonstrations later this year. A full end-to-end live-fire test is expected to come next year.

Successful flight test of Barracuda-100M for the @USArmy's High Speed Maneuverable Missile program.



Delivering high-G maneuvers, speeds over 500 knots, and 10x the range of the Hellfire missile. pic.twitter.com/rvAYqodvku  Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) July 16, 2025

The Army does not currently have a formal plan to operationalize the results of the HSMM program, but there are active discussions about potential paths forward, according to Anduril. Barracuda-100M, along with the other members of the Barracuda family, could be of interest to other customers.

You can envision  where the Barracuda 100 wants to live. So, in that Hellfire form factor is kind of the displacement, Steve Milano, senior director for Advanced Effects at Anduril, told TWZ and other outlets during a press call earlier this week. Anytime that theres a need for extended range capability for roughly the same cost point youre going to have Barracuda 100 playing in that space. So both from a  mobile surface launch capability, as well as rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft.

A picture Anduril previously released of a Barracuda-100. Anduril

Lockheed Martin put out new details about ongoing work on its family of Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT, pronounced comet) air vehicles on Wednesday, as well. The CMMT first broke cover in 2022, and is an evolution of a low-cost air vehicle concept the company had been working on before that called Speed Racer, which you can read more about here.

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The CMMT family now includes a CMMT-D version designed to be dropped via the Rapid Dragon palletized munition system and a CMMT-X type intended to be launched via a typical pylon on an aircraft. Rapid Dragon is a U.S. Air Force program intended to allow the service to bolster its standoff strike capacity by transforming cargo aircraft like the C-130 Hercules or C-17 Globemaster III into additional launch platforms.

In May, a team from Orlando, Florida traveled to the Tillamook UAS Test Range on the Oregon coast to test CMMT-D, a compact cruise missile designed to deploy from air mobility aircraft like the C-130, according to Lockheed Martins press release earlier this week. They dropped a CMMT-D test missile from a Rapid Dragon pallet, which was carried by a helicopter to an altitude of 14,500 feet to simulate a parachute descent. The CMMT-D deployed its wings and entered an unpowered glide following a safe release.

Imagery from the CMMT-D testing earlier this year. Lockheed Martin

A CMMT-D is loaded into a Rapid Dragon cell during testing earlier this year. Lockheed Martin

In June, a CMMT team from Palmdale, California, traveled to the Pendleton UAS Range in Oregon to test CMMT-X, a smaller variant of the CMMT family, the release added. They mounted CMMT-X to the pylon of a test aircraft and took to the skies for CMMTs first pylon launch from an airborne aircraft. The vehicle safely separated from the launch craft, deployed its wings and lit its engine to initiate powered flight.

Using model-based engineering, the team rapidly evolved SPEED RACER into CMMT-X, rewriting software to meet U.S. Air Force weapon open systems architecture standards and ground testing to ensure airworthiness, all within a record time of just seven months, the release also noted.

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L3Harris Red Wolf and Green Wolf, Andurils Barracuda family, and Lockheed Martins CMMTs, and the U.S. military programs they are being developed around, represent just a portion of the low-cost precision munition projects known to be going on now in the United States. The previously secretive nature of the Wolf family underscores the likelihood of even more work being done in the classified realm.

Now that Red Wolf, along with Green Wolf, are fully out in the open, even more details about that particular family of launched effects vehicles may begin to emerge.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

OREM, Utah (ABC4)  A 67-year-old woman was arrested at a hotel after an anonymous tip reported she was involved in prostitution activity. Hsu was arrested for performing massages without a license.

Lifang Hsu, 67, was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail. She is being held on a charge of not having a required license for a massage practice.

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According to a post from the Orem Police Department on Facebook, two officers responded to an anonymous tip this morning regarding prostitution activity at a local hotel room. When they arrived at the hotel, the front desk confirmed the room was occupied.

READ NEXT: Nurse allegedly caused patient to fall and sustain injuries, she passed away days later

The hotel room was on the ground floor and had an exterior window that could be seen from the parking lot. Police officers looked at the window before knocking on the door, and observed a woman sitting in a chair next to the window wearing minimal provocative clothing.

Police knocked on the hotel rooms door, and the woman  later identified as Hsu  answered wearing clothing that offered more coverage. The officers used a Chinese-speaking linguist to assist with communication in an interview with Hsu.

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Hsu provided police with a California ID and stated that she was leaving town and flying back to California through Las Vegas tomorrow, and had only been at the hotel since Monday. The officer asked to see her plane tickets, but she said that a friend purchased them and she could not show them.

During the interview, the officer asked for Hsus phone number so they could make contact with her later. After giving him her number, she allegedly began deleting messages in front of the police officer. He could not read the language, but saw her deleting what looked like advertisements for a massage business.

The officer asked Hsu why she was deleting messages, and she responded that she had been giving massages to friends and didnt want them to be affected. Through the linguist, Hsu clarified that she was deleting advertisements and messages about transactions related to massages.

St. George woman who crashed with three juveniles in vehicle was on fentanyl, charges say

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At this point, police ended the conversation with Hsu and said they would return later if they had more questions. Hsu thanked the officer and allegedly stated she would be leaving the hotel room today instead of tomorrow.

The Utah State Department of Professional Licenses confirmed to police that Hsu did not have a Utah license to perform massages. According to documents, shortly after the officer confirmed this, Hsu exited her room with all of her items and checked out of the hotel.

Hsu was detained by the Orem Police for not obtaining a license to perform massages in the State of Utah. When they seized Hsus items as part of the arrest, they discovered that she had $5,000, dozens of new packaged condoms, and other items associated with the sex trade.

No criminal charges have been filed against Hsu yet, but police believe that she is a flight risk if released from the Utah County Jail.

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The detectives are grateful for the support from our community in keeping Orem safe and wanted to assure you that when you provide the tip, well finish the job, the Orem Police Department said on Facebook.

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KANSAS CITY, Kan.  The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department reports Thursday they received 89 calls for service, 40 of them being water rescues, in just seven hours due to severe weather in the area overnight.

One of the 40 water rescue calls included a woman being washed away by floodwater near a trailer park in KCK. The woman was clinging to a tree in a creek when rescued.

FOX4 Forecast: Cloudy & mild after heavy rains

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KCKFD says that the 60-year-old woman was living in a camp near Hillside Crossing trailer park in the area of N. 63rd Terrace and State Avenue when she was swept into a nearby creek. She managed to grab onto a tree, keeping herself above water until the water levels receded. KCKFD says thats when she was able to climb out of the creek and return to the park.

Despite the dramatic incident, KCKFD says the woman was evaluated at the scene with minor scrapes on her arms. The woman declined further treatment, as well as transport to the hospital.

Around eight inches of rainfall were recorded in KCK as of Thursday afternoon. Most of the Kansas City metro was under severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings until early Thursday morning.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (KRON)  San Leandro police are investigating a homicide after a woman was shot and killed Thursday night while walking her dogs with her boyfriend.

The San Leandro Police Department responded at 11:11 p.m. to East 14th and Williams streets on the report of a shooting. First responders found a woman who was shot at least once in the torso. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

The victims identity has not been released.

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According to authorities, the woman was with her boyfriend and walking her two dogs down East 14th Street when a suspect pulled up and got out of his car.

After a brief interaction, the suspect drew a firearm and shot the victim once in the torso, San Leandro police said.

The suspect then got back into his car and took off. The womans boyfriend and the dogs were uninjured in the shooting. The dogs were taken by police service technicians to a temporary shelter, SLPD Lieutenant Abe Teng said.

Police investigate the fatal shooting of a woman in San Leandro on July 17, 2025. Police investigate the fatal shooting of a woman in San Leandro on July 17, 2025. Two leashed dogs found at the scene, believed to be the victims, were brought to a temporary shelter, police say. Police investigate the fatal shooting of a woman in San Leandro on July 17, 2025.

On Friday morning, San Leandro police announced that Rohith Sunil, 21, of San Jose, was detained by officers in Dublin after finding him in possession of a firearm. Detectives connected him to the shooting by descriptions of the suspect and the vehicle, police said.

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Sunil was arrested for suspicion of murder after more evidence was obtained by detectives, SLPD said.

Police have not released any possible motives for the killing.

The killing comes just over a month after Ryan M. Christie was gunned down while walking his dog along Euclid Avenue near East 14th Street. According to San Leandro police, no connection has been made between the two homicides or the suspects in each case, and there is no basis to believe they are part of a mounting pattern.

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U.S. tariff threats, a Middle East cease-fire announcement, and military drills in the Pacific. Hmm, Im feeling a sense of deja vu. Did any of this actually happen this week? Find out with our international news quiz!

1. Cameroonian President Paul Biya announced on Sunday that he plans to run in the countrys presidential election slated for later this year despite concerns about his age. How old is Biya?

73

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81

86

92

Biya is the worlds oldest national leader. He has been in power since 1982, and his Peoples Democratic Movement party has been accused of rigging elections and repressing opposition parties, FPs Allison Meakem wrote in January in a preview of the election.

2. On Monday, Australia began the worlds largest-ever war-fighting drills, involving more than 35,000 military personnel from how many countries?

10

19

25

31

To effectively tackle threats in the Indo-Pacific, the United States needs to embrace a more global approach to Eurasian threats, Matthew Kroenig argues.

3. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened very severe tariffs on Russia and its trading partners if Moscow does not agree to a peace deal with Ukraine in how many days?

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21

30

50

60

There is less to Trumps announcement than meets the eye, Christian Caryl argues.

4. Cambodia said on Wednesday that its authorities had made more than 1,000 arrests so far this week following a government order to crack down on what crime?

Cybercrime

Drug trafficking

Identity theft

Hate crimes

The move follows recent border tensions with Thailand, which left both countries governments looking vulnerable, Andrew Nachemson wrote earlier this month.

5. On Wednesday, Syrian officials and leaders from which minority group announced a cease-fire deal to end days of deadly clashes?

Kurds

Alawites

Druze

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Turkmen

Recent Israeli strikes against Syria in defense of the Druze minority population have pushed back any possible rapprochement between the neighboring countries, FPs John Haltiwanger writes in Situation Report.

6. Cristosal, a leading human rights organization, announced on Thursday that it is leaving its country of origin due to mounting government harassment. Where is it currently based?

Venezuela

Cuba

Nicaragua

El Salvador

Since he took office in 2019, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has destroyed democratic checks and balances and eroded due process, Oliver Stuenkel wrote last month.

7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed a new prime minister on Thursday. Who was chosen for the position?

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Economics Minister Yulia Svyrydenko

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov

Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha

Energy Minister German Galushchenko

Svyrydenko played a critical role in negotiating the U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal. Zelensky may be looking to further position Kyiv to take advantage of Trumps turn away from Moscow, Luke McGee writes.

8. What did Brazilian authorities order former President Jair Bolsonaro to do on Friday?

Turn over all social media accounts

Wear an ankle monitor

Move out of the country

Resign from his role in the Liberal Party

Trump threatened a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods if Bolsonaros criminal case is not droppeda move that could backfire for Brazilian conservatives and the former president, Andre Pagliarini argues.

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9. Iga Swiatek won the womens singles Wimbledon final on Sunday, defeating Amanda Anisimova. What was the final score?

6-2, 7-5

5-7, 6-2, 6-1

6-0, 6-0

6-4, 6-1

Swiatek was the first champion since 1911 to win by a double bagel, defeating Anisimova within an hour, Wimbledon.com reports.

10. The annual five-day census of what animal began in the United Kingdom on Monday?

Red deer

Swan

Gray seal

Hedgehog

All the swans in the countrys open waters belong to King Charles III, and the census itself dates back to the 12th century, according to The Associated Press.

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Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.
China Buffett attack - WPLG

WPLG investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier and photographer Frank Debesa were attacked while looking into a South Florida restaurant with a history of health code violations.

While checking into the China Buffet restaurant, an confronted the crew when Weinsier started asking about the restaurants latest inspection. China Buffet was shut down last week by state inspectors for the seventh time since 2014.

"Ma'am, can we talk to someone about the inspection?" Weinsier is heard asking on camera.

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Seconds later, a man comes out of the kitchen, shoves Debesa's camera, grabs at Weinsier's microphone and physically confronts them before being pulled back inside by another person.

The Miami ABC affiliate said the man who confronted the crew is the same guy who aggressively approached Weinsier during a 2017 Dirty Dining investigation at the same location.

Over the past 10 years, China Buffet has received 546 violations. WPLG said the average restaurant sees about 22 inspections during that time, China Buffett has been inspected 46 times.

Weinsier and Debesa didn't file charges.

"We were attacked for simply trying to hold them accountable," Weinsier said. "Instead of answers, we were met with aggression from a restaurant that should be answering to the public."
The Writers Guild of America East and West called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation Friday into why CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, accusing the networks parent company of offering a bribe to the Trump administration.

The guild, whose members include writers for the Colbert program, asked whether the cancellation was meant to help Paramount, the owner of CBS, with President Trump.

The group noted Paramount recently reached a settlement with Trump on a lawsuit filed against CBS News. The $16 million settlement came as Paramount works to complete a megamerger with fellow Hollywood giant Skydance, a deal worth an estimated $28 billion that will need approval from Trump administration regulators to clear.

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Given Paramounts recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Shows cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval, the guild wrote in a statement.

Colbert announced Thursday that The Late Show will air its last season and end in May 2026. Paramount said in a statement the shows end is due to financial reasons.

Late night ratings and revenue are down as people cut cords with cable and media continues to diversify. Still, the sequence of events before the announcement has brought up questions around whether the motivations were political and not financial.

On Tuesday, Colbert criticized, on air, Paramount Globals settlement with Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harriss interview on 60 Minutes, calling it a big fat bribe. Two days after, Colbert announced The Late Show would be canceled.

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Tensions have surrounded Trumps 60 Minutes lawsuit against CBS.

CBS News President Wendy McMahon stepped down, and Trump threatened to take away CBSs broadcast license.

Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society, the Writers Guild wrote.

Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR, it continued.

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Trump celebrated the cancellation of the liberal star in a post on Truth Social. I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings, he posted.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others also raised questions about the timing.

CBS canceled Colberts show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump  a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons, Warren posted on social platform X.

James has been vocal in criticizing the administration and has been involved in multiple lawsuits over after-school programs and immigration, among others.

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The Writers Guild of America called for Paramount to be investigated for bribery by the New York state attorney general following Thursdays announcement that The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has been canceled.

In the statement, the labor union says it has significant concerns that the move may have been intended to bribe president Donald Trump into sanctioning Paramounts pending acquisition by Skydance. Colbert is a frequent critic of Trump, having referred to Paramounts recent $16 million settlement with the president as a big fat bribe only three days before the cancellation, and the WGA noted that the company could be sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration.

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The WGA called Trumps 60 Minutes lawsuit, which prompted the settlement, baseless, and lamented that Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.

Read the statement in full below.

On July 2nd, Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by President Trump for $16 million. On July 15, during a regular show of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert went on-air and called the settlement a big fat bribe in exchange for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance, a charge currently under investigation in California.

Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, Paramount canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show currently performing first in its timeslot, giving vague references to the programs financial performance as the only explanation. For ten years, the show has been one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions on late night television, on streaming services and across social media.

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Given Paramounts recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Shows cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.

Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramounts decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.

The Writers Guild of America calls on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount. We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President.

In the meantime, the Writers Guild of America will support our members at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and across the late-night industry as they speak truth to power and we will explore all potential legal and political avenues to fight for our members in the aftermath of this decision.

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President Trump sent a raunchy 50th birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included a sketch of a naked woman, her breasts and a squiggly "Donald" signature mimicking pubic hair, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The report comes as the president continues to battle the release of the Justice Department's files on Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison.

The Journal reviewed copies of a collection of lewd letters that Ghislaine Maxwell gathered from Epstein's friends and colleagues and compiled in a leather-bound album to mark his birthday in 2003.

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The album is part of documents reviewed by the Justice Department during its initial investigation of Epstein and Maxwell, sources told the Journal. It's unclear whether they are part of the Epstein records that Trump has recently reviewed.

Read more: Trump resists bipartisan calls to release Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein

The president denied writing the letter. When the Journal reached out to Trump for comment, he said: "This is a fake thing. Its a fake Wall Street Journal story."

Shortly after the report was published Thursday evening, Trump threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch.

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"These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures," Trump wrote on his social media platform. "I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story."

The letter from Trump to Epstein includes a mock dialogue between them printed inside an outline of a naked woman. It concludes with a line that reads: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret," according to the Journal.

In addition to that letter, the Journal reported, the birthday album included a similarl card written by former Victoria's Secret Chief Executive Leslie Wexner as well as a letter from Epstein's former attorney Alan Dershowitz.

A poll conducted by the Economist/YouGov this month found that 83% of Trumps 2024 supporters want the government to release all material related to the Epstein case.

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The disgraced financier died in a New York City prison in August 2019 while facing federal charges over a child sex trafficking conspiracy. In 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping her longtime companion sexually abuse girls.

Former Trump advisor and fundraiser Elon Musk has also criticized Trump for refusing to share the Epstein files.

"@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files, Musk wrote in a since-deleted X post during his public falling-out with the president last month. That is the real reason they have not been made public."

Trump has faced calls to appoint a special prosecutor to review the potential release of Epstein documents.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the presidents opposition to doing so during a Thursday briefing.

The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case, she said. Thats how he feels."

Times Washington Bureau Chief Michael Wilner contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  Its a homecoming thats been 81 years in the making. A Savannah hero who served and sacrificed in World War II is finally returning home to rest beside his family.

Today the city will honor 2nd Lieutenant Milton Leonard Hymes Jr., a young airman who vanished in combat and is now getting the tribute he never received.

2nd Lieutenant Milton Leonard Hymes Jr.

Hymes was just 22 years old when his bomber went down over the Baltic Sea in 1944. The family says the news of him being found has been overwhelming and today will bring together many different sides of the family.

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More than 72,000 Americans are still missing from WWII, but after a years long recovery, Hymes, a Savannah High School graduate, is finally coming home.

Hymes served as a navigator with the 565th bombardment squadron of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. During a bombing mission in June 1944, his aircraft collided with another U.S. bomber and crashed into the sea near Denmark. His remains were entombed underwater for decades until a recovery team located the wreckage and began excavation in 2022. Using dental records, divers and DNA analysis, investigators identified him in late 2024. He will be laid to rest with full military honors at Bonaventure Cemetery near the parents he left behind.

John Brannen, the Cemeteries Service Coordinator for the City of Savannah says he was shocked to learn there was a World War II airman that was to be buried over 80 years after he crashed. The nephew of him got in touch with us and I went to the lot and found that the Lieutenants parents are buried here and theres a space already waiting for him that we have it all prepared already. Its going to be probably a lot of visitors coming to pay their respects.

When Hymes plane crashed off the coast of Denmark in 1950, he was declared non-recoverable. That has changed now. Friday the public is invited to join the procession and service beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the funeral at 10 a.m. at Bonaventure Cemetery.

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Lt. Hymes name has long been etched on the wall of the missing in England  now, a rosette will mark him accounted for. After more than 80 years, his mission is complete and Savannah will welcome him home. The city says this may be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

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During his third Pacific voyage beginning in 1776, Capt. James Cook recorded in his journal: The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation.

Today, however, getting inked as a member of the U.S. military is a borderline rite of passage, so much so, writes J.D. Simkins, that the military culture to tattooing is so prevalent that finding an ink-free service member is infinitely more rare than the alternative.

But that is a relatively new phenomenon.

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The U.S. military  and societys  embracing and liberalization surrounding the stigma and regulations governing tattoos is thanks, in large part, to the Second World War.

The vast expansion of Naval personnel at the onset of WWII ushered in a new era of the tatted tradition, helped by figures like artist Norman Keith Collins  also known as Sailor Jerry.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, soldiers, sailors and new recruits alike lined tattoo parlors to receive their permanent symbols of pride, patriotism  and pinups.

The emergence of tattoos

While Capt. Cooks Pacific voyages exposed Royal Navy sailors to Polynesian body art, such traditions were practiced in early societies in Europe and Asia, and by indigenous cultures worldwide for thousands of years, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

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Cooks exploration of the Pacific, however, did popularize the tradition among his fellow seamen in both Europe and the Americas. So much so that by the 18th century, a third of British and a fifth of American sailors sported at least one tattoo.

An underwater demolition swimmer checks his swim fins and face mask, during UDT operations at Balikpapan, July 1945. (Naval Heritage and History Command)

During the American Civil War, men in both the Union and Confederate navies often were tatted with military insignia motifs and names of their sweethearts back home. After the March 1862 Battle of the Ironclad  the historic clash between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia  requests for tattoos to commemorate the historic engagement were seen on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line.

By the 1898 Spanish-American War, Remember the Maine was a popular choice to be emblazoned on the chests of sailors who were going off to war.

By this time, writes Naval Heritage and History Command, these tattoos had already acquired features recognized today as essential elements of military and patriotic tattoos: the curved scroll with a slogan, name, or date; the stars and stripes; or a giant eagle backdrop  many of them proliferated thanks to the newly invented electric tattoo machine.

1st July 1944: A couple of sailors and a soldier seem fascinated by the idea of a tattoo. Original Publication: Picture Post - 1734 - Dover Watches For The P Planes - pub. 1944 (Photo by Haywood Magee/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

During World War I servicemen were getting their military ID numbers, and later social security numbers, tattooed on their bodies as a means of identification in case they were injured or killed in service. This practice was outright banned during WWII on the grounds that it might give aid and comfort to the enemy.

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Despite this, body art remained firmly on the fringes of society well into the 20th century.

Tattoos in World War II

After the American declaration of war on Dec. 8, 1941, Honolulu and the port of San Diego became major hubs for men, and occasionally some women, to get inked.

During the war, Honolulu alone boasted eight parlors and 33 operators gaining the dubious title of the worlds tattoo center, according to a June 16, 1944, Highland Recorder article.

In particular, 25-year-old Hawaiian native Eugene Miller of Millers Tattooing Emporium saw his business boom, tattooing over 300 people a day with prices ranging from 25 cents for small pieces to $30 for larger, more intricate art. A large sign above his modest parlor declared him the worlds greatest and youngest tattoo artist.

Steven J. Kusial, working on a Seabee road construction crew on Guam, 1944. Kusials tattoos include a girl wearing a sombrero, possibly symbolizing pre-war U.S. West Coast naval service (left upper arm); and a design with two swallows (right upper arm), indicating at least 10,000 nautical miles underway. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Bert Grimm, known as the godfather of modern tattoos, spent over two decades perfecting his craft in St. Louis, Missouri. During the war, the famed tattoo artist  who is rumored to have worked on the infamous Bonnie and Clyde  painstakingly etched symbols of love and belief of God and country onto countless sailors and soldiers waiting to go to battle. But, Grimm noted, the two often sought differing inked motifs.

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In 1942, Grimm told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

The main difference between the soldiers and sailors is that when a sailor comes in to get tattooed, its always something with an anchor or a battleship, and the soldiers go more for flags and eagles. Ive been watching their tastes and drawing new designs to suit them. Oh yes, sweetheart and love designs are going good now, too. [...] And heres a Red Cross Nurse; they lost out in popularity but they are back now.

The war, the article continued, has also been responsible for shortages of tattoo equipment. All the tattoo needles are made in England... Also, although tattoo artists usually dont mention it to servicemen patrons, most of the darkest and richest tattoo dyes came from Germany.

E.M. Smith, gun captain of one of the ship's nine 16

For servicemen willing and perhaps expecting to lose their lives, tattoos were worn as a badge of honor  giving a sense of comradery and, as Danielle Boiardi, the curator of the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection, notes in an interview with the Smithsonian, a permanent mark that they could take with them.

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Since then, the acceptance and proliferation of tattoos has spiked both in America and abroad, with U.S. Navy remaining the least restrictive among U.S. branches of service in terms of body art.

Naval tattoo meanings, per the Naval History and Heritage Command:

Anchor: Originally indicated a mariner who had crossed the Atlantic. In the present day, an anchor in one form or another may be the first nautical tattoo a young sailor acquires (often during his or her first liberty from boot camp) and is essentially an initiation rite into the naval service.

Braided rope/line: Usually placed around left wrist; indicates a deck division seaman.

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Chinese/Asian dragon: Symbolizes luck and strength  originated in the preWorld War II Asiatic Fleet and usually indicated service in China. Much later, dragons came to symbolize WESTPAC service in general (also worn embroidered or as patches inside jumper cuffs and on cruise jackets).

Compass rose or nautical star: Worn so that a sailor will always find his/her way back to port.

Crossed anchors: Often placed on the web between left thumb and forefinger; indicate a boatswains mate or boatswain (U.S. Navy rating badge).

Crossed ships cannon or guns: Signify naval vice merchant service; sometimes in combination with a U.S. Navyspecific or patriotic motif.

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Crosses: In many variations  worn as a sign of faith or talisman. When placed on the soles of the feet, crosses were thought to repel sharks.

Dagger piercing a heart: Often combined with the motto Death Before Dishonor  symbolizes the end of a relationship due to unfaithfulness.

Full-rigged ship: In commemoration of rounding Cape Horn (antiquated).

Golden Dragon: Indicated crossing the international dateline into the realm of the golden dragon (Asia).

Hold Fast or Shipmate: Tattooed across knuckles of both hands so that the phrases can be read from left to right by someone standing opposite. Originally thought to give a seaman a firm grip on a ships rigging.

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Hula girl and/or palm tree: On occasion, hula girls would be rendered in a risque fashion; both tattoos indicated service in Hawaii.

Pig and rooster: This combination  pig on top of the left foot, rooster on top of the right  was thought to prevent drowning. The superstition likely hearkens back to the age of sail, when livestock was carried onboard ships. If a ship was lost, pigs and roosters  in or on their crates  floated free.

Shellback turtle: Indicates that a Sailor has crossed the equator. Crossing the line is also indicated by a variety of other themes, such as fancifully rendered geo-coordinates, King Neptune, mermaids, etc.

Ships propellers (screws): A more extreme form of Sailors body art: One large propeller is tattooed on each buttock (twin screws) to keep the bearer afloat and propel him or her back to home and loved ones.

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Sombrero: Often shown worn by a girl. May have indicated service on ships home-ported in San Pedro (Terminal Island, Los Angeles) or San Diego prior to World War II, a liberty taken in Tijuana, or participation in interwar Central and South American cruises.

Swallow: Each rendition originally symbolized 5,000 nautical miles underway; swallows were and still are displayed in various poses, often in combination with a U.S. Navy specific motif or sweethearts/spouses name.
Gaurang Doshi put a lot of thought into his answer to what seemed at first a very simple question.

Earlier this month, Doshi - an adjunct professor at UNCG among his other jobs - was presented the North Carolina Heritage Award, the states highest recognition for folk and traditional artists.

Unusual, to say the least, for someone steeped in Indian classical music.

No fiddles, quilts or banjos. No guitars or harmonizing, either. Nothing to suggest what many of us might think of first if asked about North Carolina culture and heritage.

Was I surprised?, he said when we met in person to hear him playing a 25-stringed, no-fret instrument called a sarod. Ive thought a lot about your question. Im extremely grateful for every opportunity this city, the state and this country has given me.  Perhaps if I had won the lottery, Id be surprised about that.

But (the Heritage Award)? Im more happy than surprised.

'Software easy, music is hard'

Doshis journey from Rajkot, India to the United States was not a direct path. It took gumption, hard work and faith that things would work out.

I definitely always had aspirations, said Doshi, 56. One must when moving from a developing country to a developed one.

He earned a masters degree in engineering, started a first career in software engineering and lived in England for 2  years before settling in Winston-Salem in 2006.

Working in IT and later in finance and business leadership were merely means to an end - seeing that his son, now a student at the Wake Forest University School of Law, and his daughter, a medical doctor, didnt have to go into debt for an education. Software is easy. Music is tough, he said.

Music, North Indian classical music to be precise, is Doshis passion. He learned from his father, Guru Pandit Laxmikant Doshi, as part of his karana, the linear tradition through which the music is passed across generations.

In that regard, its exactly like a kid who grew up in the Appalachian Mountains learning to play a banjo from his father and grandfather.

My guru handed it off to me in my capacity as a student and I want to hand it off to the next ones the same way, Doshi said.

In explaining North Indian classical music, Doshi turned naturally into the teacher at his core. He described a range of 16 notes and said that the music has algebra in it as it is based on rhythms and patterns.

(Indian classical music) is like an ocean in that you are trying to find the depth of it. Its impossible. My guru has not succeeded and I have not succeeded. But you try.

Doshi also noted that being competent with a wide-range of instruments isnt necessarily a sign of ability in India - Jack of all trades and master of none, he said.

He plays three: the sitar and sarod, which have strings, and the tabla, drums that set a beat.

For performances, he prefers the sarod, which he said chose me when he was young.

Sharing a passion

In order to win a Heritage Award, nominees first must have a lead sponsor and a range of support from her (or his) community.

Judges then choose artists well-established within their field and a proven dedication to their craft. Excellence, authenticity and a demonstrated willingness to pass what theyve learned along to others count. A lot.

Recipients of the North Carolina Heritage Awards represent the abundance of North Carolinas cultural life, said Zoe van Buren, N.C. Arts Council folklife director, in announcing this years recipients. We celebrate the exceptional groups and individuals who dedicate their entire lives - not only to a practice but to their communities.

In addition to Doshi, other honorees included a woodcarver, a gospel quarter, two Lumbee artisans and Chester McMillian, a guitarist from Mount Airy.

Before 2025, the only other honoree from Winston-Salem was The "5" Royales, a R&B group, in 1992.

In order to share his passion, Doshi started teaching a class in Indian Ensemble Music at UNCG nine years ago and has nurtured it since.

Early on, students had to be encouraged to enroll. Now, he said, it fills up as soon as it opens.

That could be because Doshi is a careful, patient teacher. A guru. Or it may be as much about his outlook as the subject matter.

I dont have students, he explained. I have an extended family. Fellow travelers in the journey of learning.

Given that and the idea that cultural heritage and traditions are living things that evolve across generations and incorporate newcomers, it makes perfect sense then that a man from Rajkot, India would be selected to receive a North Carolina Heritage Award.

Its not just a recognition of my work, Doshi said, Its a recognition of my guru and the changing landscape of North Carolina.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is raising concerns over the Trump administration expanding a program that allows immigration enforcement agents to collect DNA from detained immigrants.

In a letter sent Monday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Wyden criticized DHS and the Department of Justice for expanding the program in the final days of the first Trump administration, requiring DHS to build out a DNA collection program. As part of the program, the DNA is stored in a national criminal database.

Wyden explained that under the program, DHS agents  authorized by the Attorney General  collect the DNA samples and send them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing and add the samples to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

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CODIS was originally authorized by Congress in 1994 to retain forensic evidence and to identify convicted sex offenders and violent criminals. The database is permanently searchable by law enforcement across the United States.

From 2020 to 2024, the collection of immigrants DNA has seen a 50-fold increase in the number of samples kept in the national database, as reported by the Los Angeles Times in May 2024.

Over those four years, more than 1.5 million noncitizen profiles were added to the database, the LA Times reported, citing a report from Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology.

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Governments exercising such broad discretion to involuntarily collect and retain DNA are repressive authoritarian regimes also engaging in gross human rights violations, such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, torture, and more, Wyden wrote in his letter to Secretary Noem and Attorney General Bondi. In fact, the U.S. Government has condemned the involuntary collection of DNA by the Peoples Republic of China and has sanctioned entities engaged in this practice, yet this practice appears to be ongoing on our own soil.

The senator said the DNA samples include those of more than 133,000 children as young as four years old.

Wyden additionally raised concerns that DHS agents are not clearly notifying noncitizens that their DNA is being taken and that some agents threaten arrest or criminal charges if immigrants refuse to provide a sample.

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Some legal experts are also warning that the mass collection of immigrant DNA may be a violation of constitutional due process rights, Wyden claimed, noting the Trump administration has allowed DHS agents to detain and collect samples from immigrants without judicial authorization.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are not required by law to seek judicial authorization to detain noncitizens, and it seems noncitizens can be detained for the sole purpose of collecting their DNA. ICE and CBP officials have broad discretion for detention, and since the Trump administration intentionally expanded its detention efforts, DHS dramatically expanded the federal governments collection of DNA by 5,000%. Whereas prior administrations sought to limit DNA collection from noncitizens, DHS added over 1.5 million DNA profiles of noncitizens to CODIS after 2020, Wyden wrote.

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Reporting suggests that the Trump administration has added another quarter million peoples DNA to CODIS within four months this year and that the vast majority of this DNA come from immigration encounters with Mexican, Venezuelan, Cuban, and Haitian citizens. The Trump administration appears to be broadly detaining individuals and collecting their DNA for permanent storage in CODIS. Reporting also suggests that 97% of noncitizens whose DNA was collected were detained under CBPs civil authority, and not on any criminal charges, Wyden continued.

In his letter, Wyden questioned the governments interest in collecting DNA samples from noncitizens during detention and immigration enforcement and is seeking answers about how the federal agencies use the DNA samples. Wydens deadline for a response is August 1.

KOIN 6 News has reached out to the Department of Justice. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News on Thursday, a DHS spokesperson said, In order to secure our borders, CBP is devoting every resource available to identify who is entering our country. We are not letting terrorists, human smugglers, child sex traffickers, and other criminals enter American communities. Toward this end, CBP collects DNA samples for submission to the FBIs Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) from persons in CBP custody who are arrested on federal criminal charges, and from aliens detained under CBPs authority who are subject to fingerprinting and not otherwise exempt from the collection requirement.

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Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Thursday slammed the Trump administration for not making deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins financial records available to Congress and the public.

Big news from my investigators on Epsteins sex trafficking operation: the Trump administration has an Epstein file detailing 4,725 wire transfers and almost $1.1 billion flowing through just one of his banks. Hundreds of millions more through others, Wyden alleged in a post on the social platform X.

Epstein had to pay for all his sex trafficking somehow. Further evidence shows he used Russian banks to process hundreds of millions in payments. Again, this is info in the possession of the Trump administration, but theyre refusing to investigate, he added in a later post.

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The Hill has contacted the White House for comment.

Despite Senator Wydens fantasies, there are no hidden files at Treasury, a spokesperson for the Treasury Department told The Hill.

The Biden Administration had access to this information during its tenure. The fact that Senator Wyden never asked Joe Biden or Merrick Garland to address this matter shows this is pathetic political theater and a complete joke.

The Senate Democrat now joins a burgeoning list of lawmakers urging federal investigators to release more documents linked to Epsteins sex trafficking of underage girls.

We felt from the beginning this was a follow-the-money case, Wyden told The New York Times in an article published Thursday.

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This horrific sex-trafficking operation cost Epstein a lot of money, and he had to get that money from somewhere.

Wydens team of staffers reportedly reviewed a paper trail linking Epsteins large money transfers to individuals and foreign countries through a banks suspicious activity reports, or SARs. Files were reviewed by the Times.

The Oregon senators three-year-long investigation revealed a SAR on Epstein submitted in 2019 by JPMorgan for $1.1 billion, the Times reported.

The report included a total of 4,700 transactions dating back more than a decade, including payments to women from Belarus, Russia and Turkmenistan.

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Wydens team found documents showing the next largest was by Deutsche Bank for about $400 million, followed by Bank of New York Mellon for $378 million and then Bank of America.

The reports were filed months after Epsteins 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. However, a July memo from the Justice Department and FBI suggested the bulk of information related to Epsteins crimes has been made available for public review.

But Wyden argues these SARs are the coin of the realm when it comes to combating misinformation about the billionaires illegal activity.

When banks are only filing these reports after crooks like Epstein are dead or behind bars, that does not do anyone any good, Wyden said of the filings, according to the Times.

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Some of Epsteins victims shared the same sentiments.

In 2023, they signed a $290 million settlement with JPMorgan and $75 million with Deutsche Bank after alleging the banks disregarded early signs of potential sex trafficking, according to the Times.

Wydens calls for more transparency have been echoed in both chambers through a bipartisan effort.

GOP lawmakers in the House struck down a Democrat-led amendment demanding more information be released. However, House Republicans are considering a measure to disclose more information related to Epsteins dealings, sources told The Hill.

Updated on July 18 at 7:24 a.m. EDT

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BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First)  Children who are interested in the beauty industry can attend the third annual Beyond Beauty Conference in Baton Rouge this Sunday.

This event, dedicated to empowering young girls who wish to be in the beauty industry, started in 2022. This one-day event will give kids ages 8-17 an opportunity to learn from experienced braiders teaching the latest trends and techniques.

We see so many younger girls braiding hair at just 5 years old, and it just amazes me to be able to give back to the community in that way, Beyond Beauty Conference Founder Ayanna Edmond said.

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The salon owner touched on the importance of ownership within the beauty industry.

We basically teach them about braiding, locs, makeup, salon etiquette, and we also go over a little intro to business as well. And we also want to let them know, even though we are teaching them these skills, it is still important to go to school and be certified when servicing clients, Edmond said.

The conference will be from 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at Restore Church, located at 14510 Plank Road, Baker. Registration is $20. Click here to sign up online.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Eight men have been indicted and charged for their membership in the Young Mob gang, which has been accused of extreme violence in Memphis, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

The last of the eight defendants, Larry Wilson, of Memphis, made his initial appearance in court Friday.

Wilson, 35, Brian Lackland, 35, Paul Nelson, 32, Mohamed Samba, 25, Braxton Beck, 33, Edgar Smith, 39, Jerrod Cox, 32, and Cedric Jackson, 33, all Tennessee residents, were charged for their membership and association with Young Mob.

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Federal authorities say the gang allegedly commits crimes including murder, assault, arson, drug trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, and narcotics trafficking.

Among those crimes listed by the DOJ:

On May 28, 2022, Samba and other, not-yet-identified, YM members, shot suspected rival KSBG gang members  murdering one and attempting to murder two others  in a McDonalds restaurant drive-through in Memphis. After the shootings, YM members burned the stolen car used in the shooting.

The indictment further alleges that on May 13, 2023, at Tugs Casual Grill, a Memphis restaurant, Nelson, Cox, and another unnamed YM member robbed customers at gunpoint. The unnamed member was shot and killed. Nelson and Cox left the mortally wounded man in a nearby fire station parking lot and then drove their stolen vehicle to another location and burned it.

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The indictment also alleges that on March 17, 2024, Lackland and Beck attempted the murder of a suspected gang rival, which was thwarted in part due to police presence in the area. In addition, on June 11 and June 12, 2024, Lackland, Wilson, Beck, and Jackson attempted to rob customers at a Memphis tattoo shop before abandoning the scene because of police presence. Undeterred, the same group, along with Smith this time, returned to the tattoo shop after police left the area and robbed multiple customers.

1 killed, 1 injured in Whitehaven McDonalds shooting

Gang violence that spills into our community spreads fear and insecurity in our neighborhoods. The Criminal Division, in partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, remains steadfast in our pursuit of gangs that inflict senseless violence in our country, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Departments Criminal Division.

If convicted, Lackland, Samba, Nelson, Smith, and Cox face a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, Beck faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison, and Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

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Mass. advocates decry elimination of LGBTQ suicide prev. hotline

Mental health advocates are denouncing the elimination of the LGBTQ youth suicide prevention hotline.

The Trump administration shut down the press 3 option for LGBTQ youth on the national 988 suicide hotline starting Thursday.

Funding for the program was eliminated last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson told Boston 25 News that the government has spent $33 million on the Press 3 option for LGBTQ youth, which ran out of congressionally directed funding.

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Continued operation of Press 3 would have required SAMHSA to reallocate funds away from supporting the main 988 Lifeline, thereby compromising the entire system, said a statement from an HHS spokesperson.

The Trevor Project studies show 39% of LGBTQ+ young people in Massachusetts considered suicide in the past year, and 11% admitted to attempting suicide.

A monthly average of 580 callers in Massachusetts pressed 3 to choose the dedicated support line last year.

Young people are going to die because of this, said Sean Cahill, Director of Health Policy and Research at Fenway Institute. Its devastating.

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Fenway Health in Boston provides care to 35,000 patients, and about half of them identify as LGBTQ, including youth patients.

We have data from our State Department of Public Health that shows 23 percent of high school students in Massachusetts either identify as LGBT or are questioning their identity, said Cahill.

Congressman Seth Moulton is not mincing words about the discontinuation of LGBTQ-specific support for youth on the 988 hotline he sponsored the creation of.

Apparently, they care more about making a political point, aggressively asserting their anti-LGBTQ ideology rather than saving American lives, Moulton told Boston 25 News. Right now, the Trump administration is on a rampage.

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According to the Trevor Project, 1.3 million LGBTQ+ children have called the dedicated number since its inception three years ago.

I already, in many ways, am beginning to mourn the loss of lives that we know we will see because of this cut, said Mason Dunn, a trans advocate and educator in Massachusetts. The trend of eliminating LGBTQ+ visibility is an alarming and dangerous trend.

The elimination of the life-saving hotline happened on the same week that Senate Republicans reached an agreement with the White House to preserve funding for a flagship global HIV and AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR.

GOP leaders took out the proposed $400 million cut following sharp opposition.

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PEPFAR was launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush and is widely considered one of Americas most impactful programs in Africa.

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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KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that peace negotiations with Russia needed "more momentum" and that he had asked new National Security and Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov to "intensify the negotiation track".

Two rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey earlier this year have yielded little more than an agreement to exchange prisoners and soldiers' remains. No date has been set for a new round of talks.

"The implementation of the agreements from the second Istanbul meeting is ongoing," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "This process needs more momentum."

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Russia, which is continuing a grinding offensive along much of the eastern front, has repeatedly said it is ready for a new round of talks but has not backed down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as its maximalist war aims.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this week if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.

Zelenskiy added that he was also assigning Umerov, who until a major government reshuffle on Thursday had served as defence minister, to work on weapons agreements with Kyiv's allies.

Kyiv, which still relies on Western partners for more than half of its battlefield supply, is hoping a scaled-up domestic defence industry will help fend off a bigger and better-armed Russian war machine.

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"We must fully implement every agreement with our partners on weapons supplies," Zelenskiy wrote, "as well as new special agreements on establishing joint manufacturing and building production facilities on partners' territories."

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Dan PeleschukWriting by Dan Peleschuk;Editing by Alison Williams and Frances Kerry)
In an exclusive interview, Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin speaks out on what he says is a politically motivated criminal case against him. Shabunin, one of Ukraines most influential anti-corruption crusaders, is accused of fraud and military service evasion. The Kyiv Independents editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko sits down with Shabunin to discuss his current legal proceedings, as well as corruption and the democratic backsliding in Ukraine.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the EU for the 18th package of sanctions targeting Russia, and called for further punitive measures against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine over three years ago.

"This decision is essential and timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages," Zelensky wrote on X.

He highlighted the measures targeting transactions related to gas pipelines and Russian tankers.

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"The 18th sanctions package continues to target Russias tanker fleet  not only the vessels themselves, but also the captains of the shadow fleet and the companies enabling such oil-financed acts of killing," he wrote.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it was "one of the strongest" sanctions packages to date.

The action by the EU "significantly raises the cost of war for the aggressor," he wrote on X.

Russia must be forced into a "full and unconditional ceasefire and end its war against Ukraine," he said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed decrees appointing former defence minister Rustem Umierov as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Source: Presidential Decrees No. 496/2025 and No. 495/2025

Quote from one of the decrees: "Rustem Umierov shall hereby be appointed as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine."

Details: In another decree, the president relieved Oleksandr Lytvynenko from his duties as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, a post to which he was appointed in March 2024 to replace Oleksii Danilov.

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Zelenskyy said that he had already discussed with Umierov the work of the National Security and Defence Council and the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as well as personal tasks in the defence and negotiation sectors.

Among the tasks set by the president is to continue working with partners on arms agreements. "We must fully implement every agreement with our partners on arms supplies, as well as new special agreements on the creation of joint production facilities and the construction of factories on the territory of our partners," the president said.

The second task is to analyse the status of implementation of decisions made by the National Security and Defence Council and the General Staff, to implement what has been delayed, and to significantly strengthen the format of the technological Staff.

The third task set by Zelenskyy is to intensify the negotiation sector. "The implementation of the agreements of the second meeting in Istanbul is currently underway. We need more momentum in this process," the president said.

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Background:

On 10 July, Zelenskyy confirmed his plans to replace Ukraine's ambassador to the US and suggested that Defence Minister Rustem Umierov could become the new envoy.

On 12 July, media outlets reported that Zelenskyy was considering Umierov as the main and, so far, only candidate for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the US.

On 16 July, sources in the president's team told Ukrainska Pravda that the Office of the President was considering not only Umierov but also the current justice minister, Olha Stefanishyna, for the position of ambassador to the US.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced an agreement with France to train more Ukrainian pilots on Mirage fighter jets, in addition to those already undergoing training.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: While outlining the contents of a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenskyy said, "I would especially like to highlight our agreement on pilot training for Mirage jets  France is ready to train additional pilots using additional aircraft".

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The leaders also discussed the supply of missiles for SAMP/T air defence systems and funding for interceptor drones.

Background:

The arrival of the first French Mirage fighter jets in Ukraine was reported in early February 2025. Following this, the French Armed Forces released a video showing Ukrainian pilots training on Mirage 2000-5 aircraft.

In March, Zelenskyy stated that he had discussed with Macron the delivery of more Mirage fighter jets and noted their excellent performance.

This topic was also raised during the June talks with the French president on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

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The presidents of Ukraine and France held a telephone conversation on Friday 18 July.

Source: Zelenskyy and Macron on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the hour-long call with Emmanuel Macron as "very substantive." He highlighted discussions on the frontline situation and Ukraines primary defence needs, including bolstering air defence  specifically the supply of missiles for SAMP/T systems and funding for interceptor drones.

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Quote from Zelenskyy: "Im grateful to Emmanuel for his truly strategic vision and his readiness to help with exactly what our warriors require We will prepare joint decisions with France and other partners at the level of defence and foreign ministers on new steps aimed at protecting our people from Russian strikes."

Zelenskyy also noted that France is prepared to train additional Ukrainian pilots on Mirage fighters. Further steps to implement agreements from the latest coalition of the willing meeting were discussed.

"I thanked France for its tangible contribution to shaping and advancing the 18th EU sanctions package," Zelenskyy added.

Macron, while not disclosing specifics, underscored Frances recognition of the strategic importance of supporting Ukraine.

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Quote from Macron: "It is now more necessary than ever to remember that Europes security, freedom and future are closely linked to the fate of Ukraine."

He brought up the recent meeting of the coalition of the willing leaders , which took place on 10 July and involved leaders from 30 countries, including the US for the first time.

"All together, we are increasing pressure on Russia to achieve an unconditional ceasefire and start negotiations to ensure a reliable and lasting peace. I welcome the adoption by the EU this morning of a new package of sanctions against Russia," Macron noted.

Background: Following the 10 July meeting, leaders of the coalition of the willing agreed to establish a headquarters in Paris and finalised plans for a future contingent in Ukraine following a virtual meeting on Thursday 10 July.

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Olha Stefanishyna, President Zelenskyy's Special Envoy for Cooperation with the United States, has said that after an Ukrainska Pravda investigation into her ex-husband Mykhailo Stefanishyn's involvement in possible abuses by the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), she stopped communicating with him.

Source: Stefanishyna in an interview with European Pravda

Quote: "I am open to communication on this matter, and I want to emphasise that I have no connection to my ex-husband's business or any of his activities.

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And although I had the opportunity, I made a point of not trying to find out what was happening at ARMA, what the National Anti-Corruption Bureau investigation was about, or what the details were. Because I don't want to know about things that I have nothing to do with.

I have been divorced from my ex-husband for eight years, since 2017.

We kept in touch because he has only one official status for me: he is the father of my children. That is why we stayed in contact, specifically regarding the children.

But after the investigation was published in Ukrainska Pravda, he disappeared from our lives."

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Details: Ukrainska Pravda conducted an investigation into the involvement of Stefanishyna's ex-husband, Mykhailo Stefanishyn, in possible abuses by ARMA. Ukrainska Pravda sources said that informally, Stefanishyn is presented as the shadow handler of ARMA's office, and a company associated with him has already received four valuable assets under management.

The company in question is KAMparitet, a consortium which was selected as the manager of the Trade Union House on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv and the Flagman shopping centre in Ivano-Frankivsk.

The company also became the manager of the assets seized from Ukrainska Yahoda (Ukrainian Berry) LLC and commercial property in a high-rise building on Pavlivska Street in the capital.

In the interview, Stefanishyna also said that there would be significant changes in her property status in her declaration because on the day she left the government, she sold a plot of land that she had owned since 2007.

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Stefanishyna's declaration does indeed include a 1,000-sq-m plot in Nerubaiske, a village near Odesa.

She said this had freed up funds that she can now rely on for a certain period of time.

Background:

Mykhailo Stefanishyn is the ex-husband of the former deputy prime minister. They divorced in 2017. They are raising two children together and, according to her 2024 declaration, Stefanishyna receives child support from her ex-husband.

On 17 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Olha Stefanishyna as the presidents special envoy for cooperation with the United States of America.

Prior to that, Olha Stefanishyna held the positions of deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and minister of justice. She has been in government for five years.

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NEW JERSEY - "ICE out, ICE out, ICE out, ICE out!" Outrage is growing in New Jersey after federal agents detained 20 workers in an ICE raid last week.

Now, immigration advocates are demanding answers, calling for transparency, oversight and an end to what they say are aggressive enforcement tactics.

On Wednesday, community members and advocates gathered in front of the Reformed Church of Highland Park in protest of the incident.

The backstory

On July 8, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),detained 20 undocumented workers in a raid at Alba Wine and Spirits warehouse in New Jersey. Around 30 CBP agents stormed the site, demanding IDs, zip-tying those without papers and loading them into vans.

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"Our government came on July 8th, primarily as white, masked, body-armored, dog-sniffing terror creators." Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale

Carlos Castaneda, an organizer with immigrant-rights group Movimiento Cosecha, speaks at the presser.

Advocates demand transparency

Activists claim federal agents showed up in masks with K-9 dogs in 30 cars and vans, blocking off workers' access from families and lawyers. According to the demonstrators, workers fled and hid, desperate to not be separated from their families.

"Our government came on July 8th, primarily as white, masked, body-armored, dog-sniffing terror creators," said Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale, who was at the scene of the raid.

Big picture view

This as NJ Senator Cory Booker has been pushing the VISIBLE Act that would enforce identification of ICE agents and strengthen transparency over President Donald Trump's deportation plans.

Agents ignored documents, acted on racism and hate

Amanda Dominguez, a community organizer with New Labor, who was called to the scene, says families brought packets of paperwork including birth certificates, work permits and copies of identification to prove the legal status of their family members to ICE agents.

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"They were not letting families through, they were not looking at the paperwork, they were working based off of racism and hate and they were ignoring anything that was produced to them at that moment in time," said Dominguez.

Pictures of families affected by the ICE raid at Alba Wine and Spirits in NJ.

The demonstrators claim agents separated workers by zip-tying those to take into custody and placing armbands on others.

"Agents demanded IDs and when people refused or hesitated, they were physically searched," said Carlos Castaneda, an organizer with immigrant-rights group Movimiento Cosecha. "Those deemed to have legal status were marked like animals with a red wristband."

What's next

Supporters are now scrambling to find immigration attorneys for those taken into custody. They are working to raise funds to cover legal fees, phone access, commissary and other basic necessities ahead of Monday, July 21, when many of the 20 individuals detained are scheduled for their master hearings before Immigration Court.

What officials say in response

What they're saying

After the raid, the Department of Homeland Security defended the arrests, saying the operation targeted "illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation."

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"There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine law enforcements efforts," Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said. "Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability."

DHS officials continue to emphasize that anyone in the country illegally is subject to deportation and are encouraged to self-deport.

What they're saying

Reverend Kaper-Dale called on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to show both "heart and spine," urging a more compassionate response to the detentions.

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In a press conference, Murphy of New Jersey addressed the situation, stating that he wouldn't stand in the way of ICE.

"We dont stand in the way of federal authorities doing their work, frankly, and we cooperate with them all the time. But beyond that, I have no insight into the Edison situation yesterday." NJ Governor Phil Murphy

"We dont stand in the way of federal authorities doing their work, frankly, and we cooperate with them all the time. But beyond that, I have no insight into the Edison situation yesterday," Murphy stated.

Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale speaks at the NJ ICE raid rally.

Activists also called out Alba Wine and Spirits, saying they had not provided any support for employees after the raid.

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"We have spoken to many employees who have not heard one word of concern voiced to them after this happened, despite a decade plus of work in that facility," said Kaper-Dale.

Alba Wine and Spirits

What they're saying

In a statement obtained by FOX 5 NY, Alba Wines said, "Our hearts go out to them and their families during this incredibly difficult time, these are hardworking people, fundamental for the functioning of our countrys infrastructure. We take pride in our compliance for our direct Alba Employees and we also maintain contractual agreements with our temporary staffing agencies that require them to comply with all applicable laws, including verifying employment eligibility for assigned workers, we are at the moment fully cooperating with the authorities on this matter."

Community members sing This Little Light of Mine in solidarity with their immigrant neighbors.

The Source

This report is based on information from a New Jersey rally in response to the raid and DHS.
Zohran Mamdani, the surprise Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, arrived in Washington this week to meet with national Democrats.

Its part of the political neophytes outreach to Democratic voters after he pulled off a surprise victory against disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo to win the nominee for mayor. But Mamdani, an avowed socialist, did so largely without the backing of the Democratic establishment, so he needed this week to make his case with party elites.

On Friday, the trip will culminate in a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has yet to endorse Mamdani despite the fact that the upstart state assemblyman won Jeffries district outright before ranked-choice voting kicked in.

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It reveals a conundrum for the Democratic establishment and party moderates: Mamdani is popular among young people, but supporting him also risks the party being painted as too radical, something Donald Trump and congressional Republicans used to batter Democrats in the 2024 race.

Part of Mamdanis job will be building a rapport with Jeffries, who is notoriously skeptical of progressives and the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which has a large presence in New York and his home of Brooklyn, thanks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani enter an elevator after a meeting in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani enter an elevator after a meeting in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

The mayor needs the New York congressional delegation, and the New York congressional delegation needs the mayor, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a moderate pro-Israel Democrat, told The Independent.

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Its a mutually necessary relationship, and so it's in the interest of both sides to cooperate and co exist for the good of the city and the country.

During the New York mayoral primary, Torres endorsed Cuomo, the former governor riddled by scandal after the attorney general of the state put out a report detailing his alleged sexual misconduct. Cuomo resigned his office amid the AGs probe.

Now, Cuomo has said he will run as a third-party candidate against Mamdani, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was beset by a federal indictment that the Trump Justice Department subsequently dropped.

Republicans are going to attempt to weaponize the caricature of Mamdani as a bogeyman now, theres no question, Torres told The Independent. And it could have implications in places like Long Island.

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Mamdani is undeniably cool, and it's always harder to distance yourself from cool, Liam Kerr, co-founder of the centrist Welcome PAC, told The Independent.

The best way for centrists to distance themselves from Mamdani is to organize themselves.

While Mamdanis campaign has excited young people, he does have his critics, particularly his calls for free buses, freezing rent and free child care.

In addition, some moderates and pro-Israel Democrats criticized him for not denouncing the phrase globalize the intifada in an interview with The Bulwark.

Already, some Republicans have called for Mamdani to be denaturalized and deported. While Mamdani had the support of some members of the New York delegation such as AOC and Rep. Nydia Velazquez, other Democratic members such as Rep. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen have criticized him.

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Kerr said that centrist Democrats need to create a contrast between themselves and progressives like Mamdani.

I think a lot of swing district Democrats, the answer is similar to how they talk about Trump, he said. He identifies the problem, but his solutions are wrong. Good on TV. We're not a reality show.

According to the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Democrats hold 13 seats in districts that voted for Trump. Republicans only hold three seats in districts that voted for Kamala Harris. If they want to win back the House of Represenatives, they need to win more races in seats that Trump won.

While Harris spent much of her final weeks in the election season campaigning with Liz Cheney and touting the support from moderate Republicans, the Trump campaign spent much of the time once Harris became the Democratic nominee portraying her as a radical. Most notably, it attacked her for being too friendly toward transgender people saying Kamala is for They/Them. President Trump is for you.

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It seemed to have an efffect. In 2024, Third Way, the centrist Democratic organization, conducted a survey released shortly after the election showing that Harris was seen as 3.18 points to the left of how voters saw themselves while Trump was only seen as 2.15 points to the right of how they saw themselves.

At the same time, Mamdani excited many younger voters and many Democrats who skipped the 2024 election have said they want the party to move leftward, according to a poll from Democratic pollster Celinda Lake.

But some Democrats are already threading the needle between adopting Mamdanis message about affordability while distancing themselves from his policy. The next big test for Democrats will be in New Jersey later this year when Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a centrist, challenges Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the governorship.

Sherrill repeated some of Mamdanis points about lowering costs while distancing herself from him.

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It's a very different place, she told The Independent. The people in New Jersey are focused on affordability. They're worried about how Trump's attacking the economy of New Jersey, and they're worried about driving up costs for housing, healthcare and utilities. And that's what we've been focused on, and I think that's what people care about.

Still, progressives were excited about one of their own becoming the mayor of a major metropolis. On Wednesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) talked about seeing Mamdani. Ocasio-Cortez for her part has served as his liaison in Washington. She had a simple message for Democrats nervous about him.

Get to know him, she told The Independent.
When former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he intended to stay in the New York City mayoral race, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani had a swift  and pointed  response.

Within 10 minutes of Cuomo sharing his comeback video on X, Mamdani had replied to the post with a fundraising link that quickly garnered significantly more support than his opponents statement.

As of Thursday evening, Cuomos initial video had roughly 4,400 reposts and 5,500 likes, while Mamdanis reply had about 11,000 reposts and 182,000 likes.

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Mamdanis campaign also saw an influx of donations, spokesperson Andrew Epstein told Hell Gate NYC.

In the 24 hours since we replied to Andrew Cuomos relaunch video with a fundraising link, our campaign raised $110,206 from 2,392 unique contributions, Epstein said, adding that it was the campaigns second most successful fundraising day in recent weeks, following the day after Mamdanis primary win.

The social media response to the two candidates respective posts points to the hefty base of support Mamdani has built in the race as Cuomo attempts to mount a last-ditch challenge as a third-party candidate for New York City mayor.

During the Democratic primary in June, Mamdani beat Cuomo by 12 percentage points, and did so by winning the most total votes a mayoral candidate has ever received in New York City primary history. (After the ranked-choice totals were tallied and votes were added from other candidates, Mamdani secured over 560,000 votes, a new record.)

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Cuomo has sought to undercut that win by suggesting that the primary only captured the stances of a narrow sliver of New York City voters.

Mamdanis robust backing and the brutal ratios of this weeks social media posts, however, only cast doubt on the former governors argument.

Im so excited to welcome to the team our newest fundraiser, Westchesters own @andrewcuomo, Mamdani quipped in a Tuesday Instagram post.

Related...
U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse speaks during a roundtable discussion with officials at the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Yakima, Wash.
Witnesses to Felix Baumgartner's fatal paragliding crash heard large boom as it spun to the ground

Beachgoers knew something was wrong when they heard a loud boom ring out as a paraglider spun out of control, killing its only occupant, extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner
Crystal Londonio becomes emotional as she talks about her husband, green card holder Maximo Londonio, who was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in May. Maximo was released last week after nearly two months at the Northwest ICE Processing Center. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)
Looking for a break? Test your knowledge of this week's news from the Yakima Valley.
Bennett Gillespie is a student at Duke University and a council member of the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy. He is also an intern with the Fulcrum.
Reza Najafi, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), speaks to journalists shortly after an extraordinary IAEA Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on June 23. The UN nuclear watchdog head demanded the return of agency inspectors to Iran's nuclear sites in a bid to "account for" its highly enriched uranium stockpiles following attacks by Israel and the United States on its atomic program.
The president of the United Arab Emirates is visiting Hungary for the first time, Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Facebook.

"This is not only an important diplomatic event but also a historic moment," Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.



"I was honoured to have received His Majesty, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates," Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.



Orban meets UAE president during official visit



Prime Minister Viktor Orban met President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his first official visit in Budapest on Thursday, the communications department of the prime minister's office said.



During the visit, Hungary signed 14 agreements with the UAE that will create new opportunities in the two countries's relations, primarily in the areas of energy, agriculture and food industry, defence industry, telecommunications and new technologies, the statement said.



The Ministry for National Economy signed three agreements with the UAE, including on finding new investment opportunities with the global investment company Mubadala, and on identifying opportunities for cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Investment involving data centres and artificial intelligence projects.



Energy links are expected to intensify as a result of the Hungary's Energy Ministry signing an agreement with the UAE's Ministry of Investment and the Masdar company on cooperation in the area of green and renewable energy, and storage capacities for renewable energy.



An agreement between the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and UAE's Ministry of Investment is expected to give new impetus to cooperation in the food industry and agriculture, helping Hungarian technologies reach a market in the UAE.



The Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development signed an agreement with the UAE's Ministry of Cabinet Affairs on sharing government development and modernisation experiences, and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE Ministry of Family on deepening cooperation in family and youth policies.



In addition to government agreements, cooperation between companies in the two countries will also be expanded.



On the sidelines of the visit, the Budapest Stock Exchange and the Abu-Dhabi Stock Exchange signed a cooperation agreement.



Szijjarto: Brussels successfully convinced to pursue one-on-one free trade talks with Gulf states



Brussels has been successfully convinced that one-on-one free trade talks should be pursued with individual Gulf states, instead of talks together, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Thursday, adding that Hungary had a vested interest in the talks' speedy success.



Peter Szijjarto said that the visit of President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Hungary was an event of "diplomatic history". It had been the first time that the ruler of a middle Eastern country travelled to Hungary, which he said clearly showed the dynamic development of bilateral relations.



"Hungary absolutely has a vested national interest in building the closest possible cooperation with the UAE. This is true from the point of foreign policy, security and also the economy," he added.



"The UAE is crucial for the stability of the Middle East, with its wise and well-thought foreign policy it has managed to thwart numerous dangerous situations, and could bring back peace and stability in the Middle East in numerous difficult situations," he said.



He said the economy of the UAE was one of the most dynamically developing economies in the world, with companies demonstrating increasing interest in investment in Hungary in several areas.



He added that trade between the two countries had gained new impetus and its volume was once again at the level of annual 500 million dollars.



He cited the example of more than 900 tonnes of cheese, at least 15 tonnes of medicine and 18 tonnes of honey having been exported from Hungary to the UAE which he said had not been typical earlier.



"It is important that the EU has finally understood that it was unable to sign a free trade agreement with the Gulf states as a whole. We have managed to convince Brussels that one-on-one free trade talks should be pursued with individual Gulf states," he said.



He welcomed the start of free trade talks between the EU and the UAE, and said "we are working in Budapest and also in Brussels on making the cooperation with the UAE as close as possible".



4iG signs MoU with Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund



Listed Hungarian ICT company 4iG signed a memorandum of understanding with Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates, during a visit to Hungary by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, on Thursday.



The MoU aims to establish a framework for potential future collaboration in joint exploration of potential investment and acquisition opportunities in Hungary, Central and Eastern Europe and the West Balkans, 4iG said in an announcement on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange.



4iG also signed an MoU with Emirates Telecommunications Group Company on cooperation in the planning, implementation and operation of submarine cable projects connecting the Middle East, North Africa and Europe; on cooperation in planning and deploying large scale data centre developments in Albania and in Hungary; and on the evaluation of other cooperation possibilities in the field of telecommunications and digital infrastructure.



4iG subsidiary 4iG Space and Defence Technologies signed MoUs with the UAE's EDGE Group on expanding their technological and business capabilities in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa; on collaboration in the development, production, enhancement and joint business development of drones and advanced air defence systems in Europe; and on identifying potential collaboration opportunities in connection with the applicability and enhancement of the VEGA unmanned traffic management system and the ORION drone fleet management system in Hungary.





Source: MTI  Hungarys national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.



Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.



XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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Ukraine's ambassador to Hungary was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs and trade again, this time over the issue of the church in Palagy Komarivci (Palagykomoroc), the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Thursday, adding that Hungary was sending aid for the reconstruction of the church still today.

Peter Szijjarto told a press conference after a meeting of the Hungarian-Uzbek mixed committee that the church of the village had been set on fire and anti-Hungarian slogans had been sprayed on its walls.



"Such attacks against a national community in a country supposedly aspiring for European Union membership are outrageous, astounding and disappointing," Szijjarto said.



He insisted that anti-Hungarian attacks had started a decade ago "in the form of laws systemically curbing the community's rights to the use of their mothertongue."



"The Ukrainian state is responsible for that. We have been asking them to stop for ten years... We have indicated at all possible forums that Hungarians in Transcarpathia are suffering grave attacks. It started with laws and went on to forced conscription, assault and arson on churches," he said.



Szijjarto also condemned European political leaders who "turned away and refused to acknowledge that the Hungarian community is suffering harsh attacks combined with physical intimidation in Ukraine, a country which they are trying to fast-track into the EU."



He said he had given instructions to have the funding for the church's reconstruction transferred to the diocese still on Thursday.



President Sulyok: 'Transcarpathia not alone; Hungary stands up for Hungarians'



Transcarpathia is not alone, President Tamas Sulyok said on Thursday, emphasising that Hungary stands up for Hungarians.



"I am certain that every decent person is deeply outraged by the vile attack on the Greek Catholic church in Palagy Komarivci (Palagykomoroc) and the incitement against Hungarians, regardless of their nationality," the president said on Facebook.



Sulyok said such actions were "unacceptable" not only in Europe, but anywhere else in the world.



"I call on the Ukrainian authorities to do everything in their power to prevent a repeat of such actions," he said.



Sulyok asked ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia to "keep their faith and not to forget that they are not alone".



"Hungary will always stand by you," the president added.



Orban: Hungary wont tolerate whats being done to Transcarpathia Hungarians



"Forced conscription, murder, church arson, incitement and intimidation: this is all happening to Hungarians in Transcarpathia," Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Facebook on Thursday.



Orban reacted to an arson attack on a church in Transcarpathia, which was also defaced with anti-Hungarian slogans.



"Forced conscription, murder, church arson, incitement and intimidation: this is all happening to our people, Hungarians, in Transcarpathia," Orban said. "We wont allow it, you can count on us!"



Meanwhile, Szijjarto: Three Ukrainian leaders banned from Hungary



The government has banned three Ukrainian officials from Hungary, saying they were responsible for forced conscription in Ukraine, the foreign minister said on Thursday, adding that the ministry had earlier proposed that they are placed on a European Union sanctions list.



The ministry cited Peter Szijjarto as commenting on the case of Jozsef Sebestyen who had been recently beaten to death during forced conscription in Ukraine. Szijjarto told a press conference after a meeting of a Hungarian-Uzbek mixed committee that the Council of Europe had confirmed reports of physical violence and torture during conscription in Ukraine.



He said that since a Hungarian had fallen victim to this, the government on Wednesday proposed placing three persons on a sanctions list in Brussels. The officials in question are the chief of staff of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the commander of the Western Operational Command and the head of the mobilization Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.



"While this is being done, we arranged today that all three persons should be banned from Hungary," he said.



In response to a question, he said that freezing Hungary-Ukraine relations would bring great problems to Ukraine because Hungary was currently the largest electricity supplier of the neighbouring country and several hundred million cubic metres of natural gas arrived to Ukraine from Hungary.



He added that in such situations the international public and liberal politicians often tried to find scapegoats. "It was not us who took away the Ukrainian minority's rights in Hungary. It was not us who stopped oil transports last year. It is not in Hungary that Ukrainian temples are set to fire. And it was not a Ukrainian who died during conscription in Hungary".





Source: MTI  Hungarys national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.



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New Delhi: NITI Aayog, has reportedly suggested a big change to the current rules on Chinese investments, according to a Reuters report. Right now, any investment by a Chinese company in an Indian firm, no matter the amount, needs security clearance from both the Home and Foreign Ministriesa process thats caused major delays and stalled some big deals.

NITI Aayog now proposes letting Chinese companies buy up to a 24 percent stake in Indian firms without this approval. The goal is to boost foreign direct investment (FDI), which has dropped sharply in Indiafrom almost USD 44 billion in 2021 to just USD 353 million last year. Restrictions put in place after the 2020 India-China border conflict have hit not only Chinese deals (like the USD 1 billion BYD electric car project that got shelved) but FDI in general.

Reuters reports that the plan is being looked at by several ministries and the Prime Minister's office, but a final decision could take months. Some government departments support the idea, but other approvals are still pending.

This move comes as India and China try to smooth relations after recent military tensions, with diplomatic visits and talks about restarting direct flights. NITI Aayog has also suggested revamping the approval board for all foreign investments to speed things up.
CEO of Starbucks Brian Niccol has recently grabbed headlines for flying 1,600 km three times a week from California to Seattle for work and is now making a permanent move. As per a Fortune report, Niccol has purchased a home in Seattle. This marks a shift in both his routine and the companys push toward a more traditional, in-office work culture.

Brian Niccol became Starbucks CEO in August 2024. He had a special travel setup that let him fly to Seattle on a corporate jet as long as he worked from the office at least three days a week. This arrangement matched the companys then-flexible hybrid work policy. But thats changing in a recent message to employees, Niccol announced that starting October 2025, all corporate staff will be required to work from the office at least four days a week.

Stricter Office Rules Coming for Starbucks Staff

Starting next fiscal year, Starbucks is tightening its return-to-office policies. In a blog post, CEO Brian Niccol announced that all Support Center people managers must relocate to either Seattle or Toronto within the next 12 months expanding on a February directive that applied only to vice presidents and above. While individual contributors arent required to move, future hires and internal transfers will need to be based in one of the two cities.

Relocation Cuts Down CEOs Carbon Footprint

By moving closer to the Starbucks headquarters, CEO Brian Niccol isn't just cutting down his commute hes also significantly reducing his carbon footprint. According to the European Environment Agency, private jets emit around 2.5 kilograms of CO2 per kilometer.

A single round trip between California and Seattle (roughly 3,200 km) could release up to 8,000 kilograms of CO2. With Niccol making this trip three times a week, his annual emissions could have reached over 1,150 metric tonnes. His relocation marks a meaningful step toward lowering that environmental impact.

This move is part of Starbucks larger push to boost teamwork and innovation as the company navigates recent challenges. CEO Brian Niccol had already made headlines when he took over, thanks to his hefty compensation package  reportedly around 113 million dollars placing him among the highest-paid executives in the corporate world.
New Delhi: Dilip Piramal, Chairman of VIP Industries, said on Monday that his family's younger generation isn't interested in running the business. This came right after the company told stock exchanges that promoter group entities are planning to sell a 32 percent stake to a group of private equity investors and others.

We are a family-owned business, and the next generation is not very keen on running it, Piramal told NDTV Profit.

In all our 53 years of existence, VIP has been the market leader. But in the last five years, we have been losing market share. Last year, we reported losses in all four quarters," he said.

VIP Industries, the well-known luggage maker, currently has a market capitalization of about Rs 6,830 crore, as per AngelOne. Over the last year, the stock's highest price was Rs 589.75 and its lowest was Rs 248.35.

Speaking to CNBC, Piramal, who is 75, shared some regret about not selling the business when its share price peaked.

Two years ago, the share price was Rs 700, market cap was Rs 10,000 crore, and we got an offer for that price. But my management at that time felt that in six months or in one year, the share price will go up by 50 percent... unfortunately, that hasnt happened, Piramal told CNBC-TV18.

Now, Piramal has sold a 32 percent stake in VIP Industries to Multiples, a private equity firm, along with Mithun Sancheti, Siddhartha Sancheti, and Samvibhag Securities. This marks the end of his 52 years as the companys leader.

The stake is being bought for Rs 1,763 crore, valuing the shares at Rs 388 each, around 15 percent lower than VIP Industries closing price on Friday, July 11.

Piramal will still own a 20 percent stake in the company but wont be on the board anymore.

Dilip Piramal has three daughters from two marriages. His first wife was Gita Piramal, whom he divorced in 2005. They have two daughters, Radhika and Aparna. Later in 2005, Dilip Piramal married Shalini Agarwal, and they have a daughter named Priyadarshini.

Dilip is also the elder brother of Ajay Piramal. Ajays son Anand Piramal is married to Mukesh Ambanis daughter, Isha Ambani. Mukesh Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Industries and the richest man in India.
A significant hearing is scheduled on Friday in the long-standing Shri Krishna JanmabhoomiShahi Idgah Masjid dispute at the Allahabad High Court. The court is expected to begin proceedings post 2 p.m., where a total of 18 related petitions will come up for consideration.

A key point in the hearing is the request to club all petitions and hear them together to streamline the legal process.

The court may also deliver a decision on whether or not these petitions will be jointly heard going forward, which could have a major impact on the pace and structure of the legal proceedings.

Multiple facets of the case will be discussed during Fridays hearing, some of which could be pivotal in shaping the future course of this legal battle.

Petitioner and advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh commented on the significance of the hearing, stating:

"In the matter of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah dispute, a hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. today. Our special request to the Honble Court will be to ensure an early resolution of the case so that it can proceed swiftly. We also believe that the Shahi Idgah side is deliberately delaying the proceedings, with the intent of stalling the case. Therefore, we will appeal to the Honble Court to expedite the hearing and ensure that the matter progresses without unnecessary obstruction from the other side."

The case, which dates back decades, revolves around the Hindu sides claim that the Shahi Idgah Masjid was constructed atop the original birthplace of Lord Krishna. The Muslim side firmly disputes this assertion.

Additionally, there may be deliberations on the Muslim sides objection to the proposed Hindu Chetna Yatra, which has stirred controversy. The issue may be taken up in court, adding another dimension to the days proceedings.

Both sides are expected to present strong arguments, as the outcome will significantly influence the timeline and trajectory of this high-profile legal dispute.
Maharashtra Politics: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday dropped a cryptic message when the reporters questioned him over the talks of joining the ruling alliance in Maharashtra following Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's veiled invitation. Talking to reporters, Thackery said, 'Ye andar ki baat hai' as he left people guessing about his next move. Maharashtra's political landscape is again full of speculations amid a meeting between Fadnavis and Thackeray, shortly after the BJP leader's 'come to the ruling side' remark.

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis on Wednesday said that Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray 'can come to the ruling side in a different way'. While addressing the Maharashtra assembly, the CM said that till 2029, there is no scope for the BJP to come to the opposition side. "At least till 2029, there is no scope for us to come there (opposition). Uddhav Ji can think about the scope of coming to this side (ruling party) and that can be thought about in a different way, but there is absolutely no scope left for us to come there (opposition)," Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis Clarifies

When CM Fadnavis was asked about his humorous offer to Uddhav Thackeray to join hands, the BJP leader said that there is no scope till 2029 but did not rule out an alliance for the next Maharashtra assembly poll. "Earlier, you used to complain that the legislative assembly was not functioning properly. Now, when we are working with some humor, you make that a headline as well. They know, the whole world knows what I said in the house. I have no reason to join hands with Uddhav Thackeray until 2029. What should one interpret from this? Would you call this an offer? Why take jokes so seriously?" said Fadnavis.

When asked again if his words caused discomfort to the two leaders - Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde - sitting with him, Ajit Pawar responded, "You need not worry about us." Immediately, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said, "We are stable." Following this, CM Fadnavis added, "Dont worry about us. The three of us are stable. We are capable on our own. No matter how many obstacles anyone tries to create, we remain stable"

Political Shift On Cards?

The recent meeting between Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray could be a sign that tensions between them are easing. This comes at a time when Fadnavis is also dealing with growing friction with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The rift between Fadnavis and Shinde began late last year, when Fadnavis took the chief ministers post after the Mahayuti alliance came to powersomething Shinde had hoped to hold on to.

Now, Fadnavis seems to be getting closer to Thackeray, who remains a strong opponent of Shinde. Shinde had broken away from Thackerays Shiv Sena in 2022 to join forces with the BJP.

This political realignment may have a big impact on the upcoming local elections, especially for the powerful Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The first sign of a possible patch-up between Fadnavis and Thackeray came in December 2023, when the two met during the winter assembly session. Their fallout dates back to 2019, when the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP split over the chief ministers post. Thackeray later became CM by forming the MVA alliance. But in 2022, Fadnavis backed Shinde in a political rebellion that brought down Thackerays government and split the Shiv Sena.
New Delhi: Jan Suraaj founder and political strategist Prashant Kishor sustained a rib injury during a roadshow in Arrah on Thursday after reportedly leaning out of his vehicle to greet supporters, according to news agency ANI.

The incident occurred as Kishor was actively engaging with the crowd during the event. His party members said he was reaching out from his car to wave and connect with people when he got hurt.

"Jan Suraaj Founder Prashant Kishor suffered an injury in his ribs during his roadshow in Arrah today. He was brought to the party's stage following the injury," ANI tweeted, citing party officials.

#WATCH | Arrah, Bihar: Jan Suraaj Founder Prashant Kishor suffered an injury in his ribs during his roadshow in Arrah today. He was brought to the party's stage following the injury.



His party leaders say that he was leaning out of his car to meet people during the roadshow and pic.twitter.com/evRK0NqehY  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

Following the incident, Kishor was assisted to the stage by party members. While the extent of the injury has not been officially detailed, party sources suggest that he is stable and receiving medical attention.

Kishor has been on a prolonged political outreach campaign across Bihar under the Jan Suraaj banner, often holding padyatras and public interactions across the state. His grassroots movement aims to build political momentum for systemic change ahead of future elections.

More updates are awaited on his condition.
AHMEDABAD: Newly appointed Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda has pledged to lead a proactive, people-centric opposition aimed at ensuring the welfare, peace, prosperity, and security of Gujarats citizens. Addressing party workers and the press following his return from Delhi, Chavda said the Congress would firmly raise the voice of the common people, especially at a time when the "double-engine BJP government is actively suppressing it".

Chavda, a former state Congress president and seasoned MLA, said the party would launch an extensive Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan, strengthening the organisation from booth to state level.

"We will ensure that grassroots workers are empowered and their voices reflected in all party decisions," he said, adding that new faces would be given opportunities as part of a renewed organisational structure.

Expressing gratitude to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Gujarat in-charge Mukul Wasnik for entrusting him with the leadership, Chavda also thanked thousands of Congress workers and leaders who welcomed him at Ahmedabad airport upon his arrival.

He emphasised that the Congress will intensify its outreach efforts, build direct public engagement, and fight for key issues affecting Gujarat.

"We will fight for the rights of youth, farmers, women, the marginalised, and the oppressed. The present government thrives on bureaucratic overreach, commission raj, and corruption. It must be challenged head-on," he said.

Chavda criticised the BJP-led state government for its alleged authoritarianism, accusing it of stifling democratic dissent. "Citizens are being harassed for voicing concerns. Journalists and whistleblowers are threatened into silence. This undeclared emergency must end, and Congress workers will be at the forefront to protect democracy," he declared.

Referring to growing public anger, he said: "Bridges are collapsing, people are dying, daughters are being pushed to suicide, and cattle farmers are being cane-charged for raising their demands. The people of Gujarat are losing faith in the BJP."

Quoting Rahul Gandhis recent speech in Parliament, Chavda said the Congress is committed to defeating the BJP in Gujarat and restoring true democratic governance. We will fight together, as one Congress family from the top leadership to the last worker on the ground and ensure that the people of Gujarat reclaim their rights and dignity, he concluded.
Delhi Police have organised a two-day mock drill in New Delhi starting on Thursday to check anti-terror preparedness in the national capital. The mock drill will involve multiple agencies, including, National Security Guard (NSG), Special Cell, Fire Department, Indian Army Ghatak Brigade, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) commandos, along with other important stakeholders, sources told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

It is stated that anti-terror mock drills will be conducted at more than 10 locations across the capital. Till the filing of this copy, the mock drills were being conducted at Claridge Hotel, Lutyens Delhi, Hindu College (North Campus, Delhi University) and Venkateshwar International School, Dwarka.

Top sources revealed that at Hindu College and Venkateshwar school, mock drills entailed - terrorist attack followed by fire services. Similarly, at Claridges Hotel, it included a bomb blast drill, and NSG commandos landing on the terrace via helicopters.

Other locations where mock drills would be conducted include Indira Gandhi International Airport, AIIMS and others.

These mock drills are happening ahead of the August 15 (Independence Day) celebrations.

Notably, these drills are being conducted against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. These drills are aimed at assessing emergency response and ensuring smooth coordination between agencies, and ensuring operational efficiency.

"The general public is advised to extend cooperation and avoid falling for rumours, misunderstandings," said a senior officer.

The entire exercise will be closely monitored by senior officials to ensure effectiveness and draw key learnings.

The last mock drills were conducted in May across the country at over 200 locations to test emergency readiness, days after the military conflict between India and Pakistan.

These drills were carried out following Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian armed forces in the intervening night of May 6-7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack on April 22, in which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 25 innocent tourists and one local pony ride operator.
New Delhi: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has launched a sharp counterattack against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over his controversial patak patak ke maarenge remark targeting Marathi people. In a fiery public address, Thackeray warned, You come to Mumbai, we will drown you in the sea here, Dubey, tum Mumbai me aajao, Mumbai Ke Samundar Mein Dubo Dubo ke Maarenge"

The war of words comes amid an escalating row over language politics in Maharashtra, with the MNS chief making it clear that he will not tolerate disrespect toward the Marathi language or its people.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On 'Patak Patak ke Maarenge' remark of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, MNS chief Raj Thackeray says, "A BJP MP said, 'Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge'...You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge." pic.twitter.com/V95IaggL2m  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

I will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. Those who live in Maharashtra should learn Marathi as soon as possible. Speak Marathi wherever you go, Thackeray said, addressing a crowd at a rally in Mira Bhayandar.

He compared the assertiveness shown by Kannada speakers in Karnataka to the need for a similar stand in Maharashtra. In Karnataka, even a rickshaw driver knows the government backs him on language. You must speak Marathi with pride, be like a pillar, he added.

Though he maintained that he was not trying to stir controversy, Thackeray made his stand clear. I am a Hindu, but Hindi cannot be imposed on me. This land belongs to us, the sons of Maharashtra. Others have come from outside. If someone crosses the line here, beat them up, he warned.

The comments came after reports that the Maharashtra government, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, had considered making Hindi mandatory in primary schools. The plan triggered outrage, leading to the withdrawal of two such government orders following strong public opposition.

Still, Fadnavis maintained that a three-language formula would be introduced, and whether Hindi should be taught from Class 1 or Class 5 would be decided by an appointed committee.

But Raj Thackeray was far from convinced. If they impose Hindi from Class 1 to 5, we will not hesitate to shut down schools. When they tried earlier, we shut down shops, he declared.

He also accused certain Gujarati business lobbies of trying to create a divide between Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra. Theyve had their eyes on Mumbai for years. Making Hindi mandatory is just the first step. Their real aim is to shift everything to Gujarat, Thackeray alleged.

Despite his tough stand, Thackeray clarified that he wasn't against Hindi as a language. I speak better Hindi than most politicians in Maharashtra. My father spoke fluent Hindi. I am not against any language, but I oppose its imposition, he said.

The controversy adds fuel to the already sensitive debate around linguistic identity in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, where tensions around language and regional pride often flare up during political showdowns.
In a major success for anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, security forces arrested five Maoists, including a minor, in a joint action near the Chintalnar police station area of Sukma district.

The operation, carried out by personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, and local police, led to the recovery of a significant cache of explosives.

Among the seized items were 20 gelatin sticks, eight detonators, 10 non-electric detonators, and approximately three meters of cordex wire.

According to Sukma SP Kiran Chavan, the arrested individuals were active militia members from the Jagargunda-Pamed area committee and had been involved in a firing incident targeting a police patrol party on November 24, 2024.

All five had serious criminal cases registered against them at the Chintalnar police station.

Following their arrest on July 16, four were sent to judicial custody while the minor was placed in a juvenile home. This development comes amid an intensified crackdown on Maoist insurgency across Bastar, following Union Home Minister Amit Shahs announcement to eradicate Naxalism from India by March 2026.

Maoist organisations themselves have acknowledged the loss of 357 cadres in the past year, including 136 women fighters, in a booklet listing names of those killed in encounters.

The governments dual approach -- combining aggressive security operations with rehabilitation efforts -- has led to over 1,400 Maoist surrenders since December 2023.

Many former cadres have cited ideological disillusionment and internal discrimination as reasons for laying down arms.

Just last week, 23 Maoists with a combined bounty of Rs 1.18 crore surrendered in Sukma, including senior members of the PLGA battalion.

Officials said the latest arrests highlight the growing effectiveness of coordinated intelligence and field-level action.

With sustained pressure and expanding development initiatives in remote tribal regions, authorities aim to further dismantle the insurgency and reintegrate former combatants into civil society.
National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, on Friday, strongly reiterated his demand for the immediate restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs statehood. He indicated a firm stance and potential future action if the demand is not met. He also said that the issue of statehood would be raised in the coming meeting of the INDIA bloc, also for a collective political push for this demand.

Speaking to reporters, he emphasised that it is a fundamental right of the people, not a favor from the central government. Statehood is a fundamental right of the people. Why won't they restore? It is our right. If they dont, we will see then, he said.

Congratulating Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for restoration of statehood, Abdullah said, I thank Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge for writing to the PM for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullahs statements advocating for restoring statehood are because it was one of the key promises of the National Conference in their election manifesto. He has been continuously batting for the restoration of statehood, even in the past, he also said that if the statehood is not restored national conference will approach the Supreme Court.

TRFs Designation As Terror Outfit

Farooq, when asked about the United States designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a foreign terrorist organization due to its involvement in the Pahalgam attack, Abdullah said, Its under investigation. Till the investigation is complete, commenting on it will be wrong,

BJP On J-Ks Statehood

Earlier, BJP spokesperson and MLA from Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania, said that J-K is currently a Union Territory (UT) and will continue to operate under the rule of law. Furthermore, according to ANI, he added that Jammu and Kashmir was a state and assured that it would regain its statehood at the appropriate time.

The restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs statehood has been a key demand from the regional political parties in the state since Article 370 was abrogated and the reorganisation of the state into two Union Territories (UTs) in August 2019.
Security personnel deployed along the Indo-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh have seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, foiling an imminent danger in the region. The big haul comes in the wake of a series of intelligence-based operations in the Northeast region, which could indicate incessant efforts to plug insurgent outfits and arms smuggling.

On specific inputs of intelligence, security personnel launched a targeted operation in a secluded forest tract, and this resulted in the seizure of high-tech weapons, automatic rifles, explosives, and a huge cache of live ammunition. Although no arrests have been made over this recovery, officials suspect the arsenal was meant to aid illegal outfits operating along the border or trafficking to other trouble spots in the Northeast.

"The seizure is not only about weapons recovered, but also about the danger that could have ensued had they been used," senior security officer said of the operation. "It's a reminder that peace in the region requires vigilance at all times."

This recovery follows other successful operations in the region. On Tuesday, Manipur security forces arrested 10 hill and valley-based groups' cadres and recovered a large cache of 35 weapons, 11 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, ammunition, and other war-like stores. Spear Corps of the Indian Army, in association with Manipur Police, CRPF, BSF, and ITBP, carried out these intelligence-based operations in districts such as Kangpokpi, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, Imphal West, and Imphal East from July 7 to July 14, 2025.

Earlier, between July 3 night and July 4 morning, 2025, combined units of Manipur Police, Assam Rifles/Army, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) conducted large-scale searches in Manipur's hill districts following specific intelligence about concealed arms dumps in Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Churachandpur districts.

The weapons recovered in Arunachal Pradesh have been forwarded for forensic analysis to ascertain their origin. Intelligence agencies are stepping up the intelligence gathering in neighboring districts and the state to learn about the network of people who stored the weapons and for what purpose. Additional searches and intelligence gathering are under process as agencies are keen to ensure the security and stability of the region.
New Delhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey emphasised the crucial role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the party's electoral success, stating that several sections that did not vote for the BJP earlier now support the party, and it has broken new ground in many states.

Dubey, who is one of the most articulate faces of the BJP in Parliament, told ANI in an interview that the BJP requires PM Modi for its success and PM Modi's leadership is essential for the party's victory.

Dubey highlighted that the BJP's success is heavily dependent on PM Modi's leadership.

"Today, Modiji has become the Prime Minister for the third time...if Modiji is not our leader, the BJP may not win even 150 seats (in LS polls)," Nishikant Dubey said.

PM Modi has been in Prime Minister since 2014 and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance recorded its third successive victory in last year's Lok Sabha polls. The BJP got an absolute majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"When Modiji came, the vote bank that never belonged to the BJP, especially among the poor, shifted towards the party due to their faith in him. Some may like it or not, but it's a reality," Dubey said.

Dubey, who is a parliamentarian from Godda and is a four-time MP, attributed the party's success to the faith that people have in PM Modi.

"2029 ka chunav bhi BJP ki mazboori hai ki Modiji ke natritav mein ladna padega...(it is BJP's compulsion to fight the 2029 (Lok Sabha polls) under the leadership of PM Modi). The BJP needs Modiji...As a party worker, I believe that we need Modiji's leadership, " Dubey added.

"My remarks were not meant to be controversial, but rather a reflection of the reality on the ground. The fact that Modi's name alone can secure votes for the party is a testament to his leadership and the faith that people have in him. As long as his body permits, we will need his leadership to achieve our goal of a developed India by 2047," he added.

Answering a query on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about stepping down at the age of 75, Dubey said there is no need for Modiji to do so.

"BJP needs him. One may agree or not, a political party runs on cult...," he said.

Answering another query, Dubey said that for the next 15-20 years, PM Modi would be the leader. "15-20 saal tak Modiji nazar aa rahen hain (he is visible (as a leader) for the next 15-20 years)."

"It's natural for people to wonder about the future. However, when you're working at the grassroots level, you understand the reality. I contested elections in 2009 and won, but my victory margin was slim - just 6,000 votes. In fact, I lost in almost all six assembly segments, which is a testament to the challenges of winning," Dubey noted.

The BJP secured an absolute majority on its own for the first time in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate.

It won 282 seats in 2014, and improved its tally to 303 seats in the 2019 general elections. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossed the 350-mark, recording one of the highest victories in Lok Sabha polls.

Under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP has attained repeated success in assembly polls.

Tripura, Assam, Haryana, and Odisha are among the states BJP formed a government for the first time. It has also spread its influence in northeastern states and expanded its base in southern states.
The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned INS Nistar, the country's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.



The commissioning ceremony was attended by Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, who hailed the milestone as a proud moment for the nation and praised Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi for his leadership and dedication.



Addressing the ceremony, Sanjay Seth said, "On this proud and special day of Nistar's commissioning, the whole country is proudly echoing the call for Aatmanirbharta, and the result is right in front of us. On this important occasion, I want to say to Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, your energy, dedication, and leadership are a matter of pride for 1.4 billion Indians."



Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed the commissioning of INS Nistar, India's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, a historic achievement.

"India's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel is a moment of great pride for all of us. I feel truly honoured to be present at its commissioning ceremony. This event is not just important for the Navy, but a historic achievement for the entire nation. On behalf of the Indian Navy, I sincerely thank the Hon'ble Minister of State for Defence for kindly accepting our invitation and joining us today as the Chief Guest," Tripathi said.



He said the new Nistar carries forward the legacy of the original ship, which played a key role during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, including in detecting the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. He thanked the Minister of State for Defence for joining the event as the Chief Guest.



"Nistar has returned with a new spirit and purpose. The earlier version of this ship was launched on March 29, 1971, and it played a key role in the Indo-Pak war that same year. It was based right here in Visakhapatnam and helped in identifying the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. It also made significant contributions to operations in the Eastern region. I am confident that this new Nistar will carry forward and strengthen the proud legacy of the original," he said

'Nistar', the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was delivered by Hindustan Shipyard Limited to the Indian Navy on July 8, 2025, at Visakhapatnam.



The warship has been designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The ship is highly specialised and can undertake Deep Sea Diving and Rescue Operations - a capability with select Navies across the globe.



The ship's name, 'Nistar', originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation. The ship, measuring 118 m with a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons, is installed with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment and has the capability to undertake Deep Sea Saturation Diving up to 300 m depth. The ship also has a Side Diving Stage for undertaking Diving Operations up to 75 m depth.



The ship will also serve as the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue and evacuate personnel, in case of an emergency in a submarine underwater. The ship is equipped with a combination of Remotely Operated Vehicles to undertake Diver Monitoring and Salvage Operations up to a depth of 1000 m.



The delivery of Nistar, with nearly 75 per cent indigenous content, is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy's quest for indigenous construction and is in line with the Government of India's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India campaign.
Chhangur Baba, whose real name is Jamaluddin, is the alleged mastermind behind the interstate mass religious conversion racket and was recently arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). A red diary was reportedly found in Chhangurs room, containing information about his alleged connections with police officials, politicians, and other influential people.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday launched a search operation in connection with the Chhangur Babas religious conversion case. The raids were conducted at 14 different locations, including 12 premises in the Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh and two in Mumbai.

The ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after findings revealed that the conversion racket received foreign funds of over Rs. 106 crore, primarily from the Middle East.

What Is Inside Chhangurs Red Diary?

The diary, which was found in the ongoing investigation, allegedly contains the names of politicians who received funding from Chhangur Baba, aka Pir Baba, during the UP State Elections of 2022, including a former candidate from Utraula constituency who received Rs. 90 lakhs in funding.

According to Zee News TV, the red diary also mentions a former IPS officer who was also allegedly involved in illegal activities.

Chhangur Babas Religious Conversion Operation

As per IANS, investigators have revealed that Chhangur Babas mass religious conversion operation targeted Scheduled Castes (SCs), economically weaker groups, and Hindu women by exploiting emotional and religious vulnerabilities. He reportedly often lured people through promises of fulfilling their wishes, prosperity, or miraculous healing.

Chhangur Babas Key Aide Arrested

The Uttar Pradesh ATS on Thursday arrested Rashid, a key aide of self-styled spiritual leader Chhangur Baba, for his alleged role in the large-scale religious conversion racket.

Rashid was arrested in Balrampurs Utraula area, where the racket is alleged to have originated. He was booked under multiple sections of the IPC, including 121A (conspiracy against the state), 420 (cheating), and 153A (promoting enmity), as well as provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021.

IANS reported that Chhangur Baba had entrusted Rashid with handling the love jihad wing of the conversion syndicate. Furthermore, he was presented before a local court following his arrest.

Chhangur Baba Claims Innocence

Chhangur Baba, who was also recently arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS, has denied all charges, claiming innocence and said that he was unaware of any such activities.

"I am innocent. I don't know anything," Chhangur Baba told ANI while being escorted by police after a medical examination at the Community Health Centre in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Wednesday.

On July 11, the ATS secured a seven-day remand for both Jamaluddin and Nasreen to further investigate their operations, financial links, and alleged illegal properties.

(with agencies inputs)
Kerala is struggling with ferocious monsoon wrath as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put out a red alert for Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts on Friday, July 18, 2025, predicting very heavy rain of more than 20 cm in 24 hours. Due to the severe weather alerts, district officials have directed the shutdown of all educational centers, such as schools, colleges, tuition centers, and anganwadis, in these three northern districts.

The red alert comes after continuous showers that have already caused mudslides, large-scale waterlogging, and perilously swelling river levels in northern Kerala. The water level of the Banasura Sagar Dam has risen to a critical level of 773 meters in Wayanad, with authorities making plans for possible shutter openings should the rains continue. The dam's blue alert level is 773.50 meters, and a rise above this could mean controlled release of water.

In Kasaragod, big rivers such as Uppala, Madhur, and Puthige are overflowing perilously, and Kannur has shown cases of uprooted trees and damage to property caused by gusty winds and waterlogged soil. IMD has also issued warnings of gusty winds at 40-50 kmph over the state up to July 21, and has suggested caution for fishermen and people living along water bodies.

Despite the declared holiday for educational institutions, officials have confirmed that all scheduled university and departmental examinations will proceed as planned.

The IMD's warnings extend beyond Friday, with red alerts issued for Kozhikode on July 19 and 20, indicating continued extremely heavy rainfall. Several other districts, including Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Palakkad, are under orange alerts over the weekend, signaling very heavy rainfall.

The authorities are calling for people in the impacted districts to stay indoors, keep away from riverbanks, and follow official guidelines strictly. As the monsoon gains strength, Kerala is on red alert, with emergency response units readied for possible evacuations and flood control activities.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the devastating fire in Iraq's eastern city of Al-Kut, which has claimed at least 61 lives and left many others injured or missing.

In a post on social media platform X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal conveyed India's condolences to the people and government of Iraq.

"We express our profound grief at the tragic loss of innocent lives and for those who sustained injuries in the devastating fire incident in the city of Al-Kut, Iraq on 16 July 2025. We offer our sincere condolences to the Government and people of Iraq and pray for the families of the victims and for the early recovery of those injured. In this difficult hour, the people of India stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq," the tweet read.

We express our profound grief at the tragic loss of innocent lives and for those who sustained injuries in the devastating fire incident in the city of Al-Kut, Iraq on 16 July 2025.



We offer our sincere condolences to the Government and people of Iraq and pray for the families  Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 18, 2025

According to Iraq's Interior Ministry, the fire broke out late on Wednesday night in a five-story commercial building in Kut city, located in Wasit Province. The building, which had only opened a week ago, housed a hypermarket, a restaurant, and several other retail shops, Al Jazeera reported.

According to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry on Thursday, civil defence teams recovered 14 charred bodies and rescued at least 45 people."We have compiled a list of 59 victims whose identities have been confirmed, but one body was so badly burned that it has been extremely difficult to identify," a local health official told Al Jazeera, quoting Reuters.

Wasit province Governor Mohammed al-Mayahi confirmed that the fire began inside both the hypermarket and a nearby restaurant. He said many families were inside the complex, dining and shopping, when the flames spread quickly.

"A tragedy and a calamity have befallen us," Al-Mayahi said, adding that firefighters managed to rescue several people before putting out the fire.Videos shared on social media showed flames engulfing the tall building as emergency teams worked to control the blaze and reach those trapped inside.

Al Jazeera, citing the Iraqi News Agency (INA), reported that lawsuits have been filed against the owner of the building and the mall. The governor has ordered a full investigation and promised that the findings will be made public within 48 hours.

Following the incident, local authorities have declared three days of mourning across Wasit province.

The cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed.
More than 20 schools in Delhi reportedly received bomb threats via email on Friday, Delhi police said.

Abhinav Public School in Rohini Sector 3 and Richmondd Global School in Paschim Vihar are among those that received the threat emails, according to the Delhi Fire Service.

The latest incident follows similar threats earlier in the week. On Wednesday, five schools in Delhi, including St Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother's International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate received bomb threats via email.

On Tuesday, Thomas School in Delhi's Dwarka and St. Stephen's College of the University of Delhi received bomb threats. The threat was sent to the Delhi Police via email at 7:15 AM. In the case of St. Stephen's College, the mail stated that a bomb had been planted in the library.

Soon after the alerts were raised, teams from the Delhi Police Bomb Disposal Squad, Dog Squad, Fire Brigade, and Special Staff were dispatched to both locations. However, no suspicious items were recovered from either institution.

On Monday, three schools in the national capital -- CRPF School in Prashant Vihar, CRPF School in Dwarka Sector 16, and another school in Chanakyapuri, were targeted with similar bomb threats.

Police noted that the email received by the Chanakyapuri school contained anti-Tamil Nadu government content.

In all instances, bomb squads were deployed and extensive searches were carried out, but each threat was ultimately determined to be a hoax.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Punjab's Golden Temple in Amritsar also received a threatening email. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex religious body of Sikhs, reported the incident to the authorities.

The email reportedly threatened to blow up the langar hall (community kitchen) of the revered Darbar Sahib.

(With IANS Inputs)
New Delhi: In a searing message directed at Pakistans top military leadership, Rajesh Narwal, father of slain Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, has said that Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will never understand the pain of losing a son to terrorism until he experiences such a tragedy himself. The emotional outburst comes in the wake of the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, where Vinay, just a week into his marriage, was shot dead at point-blank range.

He (Asim Munir) will only be able to understand my pain the day someone harms his son or daughter, said Rajesh in an interview with NDTV. If I, an ordinary person, were given a gun to shoot and took his son or daughter, then he would know the pain.

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal got married on April 16. Just seven days later, on April 22, terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 civilians, including the young officer, who was on his honeymoon with his wife.

Rajesh said Vinay was gunned down from point-blank range when one of the attackers approached the couple in the hill town. The family has been devastated since, struggling to cope with the psychological and emotional trauma.

I can't even cry in front of my family. My wife, my parents, they are all broken. But I must stay composed so they feel I am strong, he said, adding, There is no peace of mind. Its been so many days, and we cant sleep. Our minds are in a complete blackout. No one can sleep for more than two or three hours.

The grieving father said no treatment can erase the pain they are living through. When we go to the psychiatrist, they prescribe medicines. But there is no cure for this. We develop other ailments. This is how we are, he shared.

Vinay is always on my mind, 24 hours a day. When I wake up in the morning, he is the first thing I see, Rajesh Narwal added.

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was cremated with full military honours in Karnal, Haryana, on April 23. Selected through the Services Selection Board (SSB), he had joined the Indian Navy and rose to the rank of Lieutenant within just two years.

Rajesh Narwals remarks come at a time when Pakistan-based terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the attack, has been designated a global terrorist group by the United States. The TRF is widely considered a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, allegedly operating with the backing of Pakistans deep state.
New Delhi: In yet another shocking incident from Odisha's higher education sector, a court in Sambalpur on Thursday remanded a university teacher to judicial custody for allegedly entering into a physical relationship with a female student under the false pretext of marriage.

The incident at Gangadhar Meher University comes just days after a tragic case in Balasore, where a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College set herself on fire, alleging inaction by authorities after she reported sexual harassment by a faculty member.

In the Sambalpur case, police said the 20-year-old complainant, a second-year student of the integrated BA-BEd course, approached the Mahila Police Station on July 16, accusing Gopikant Suna (32), an assistant professor at the university, of sexually and mentally exploiting her over the past one-and-a-half years.

The accused, a native of Dahita village under Buden police station in Bargarh district, was arrested and produced in court on July 17. He has been placed under suspension by the university following his arrest. A case has been registered under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sambalpur police confirmed.

According to media reports, the complaint stated that the professor initially approached the student under the pretext of helping her with her studies. "Over time, he emotionally manipulated her and gained her trust, and then entered into a physical relationship," the FIR states. The girl also alleged that the accused had maintained similar physical relationships with other students as well.

The student said she suffered an emotional breakdown, anxiety, and depression due to the prolonged exploitation. She further accused the professor of misusing his position of authority to gain her trust and sexually exploit her.

Reports stated that the local police said the accused maintained a physical relationship with the student at his government residence. However, Additional Superintendent of Police Ajay Mishra clarified: "No rape charge has been made as the student is a major, and it happened with her consent."

Inspector General (Northern Range) Himanshu Lal stated, Police took swift action as soon as the complaint was lodged.

According to media reports, the University authorities stated that they were unaware of the matter until police informed them of the arrest. The Vice-Chancellor of Gangadhar Meher University said, She directly went to the police. We came to know about it after the police conveyed the news of the teacher's arrest on Wednesday night. We have zero tolerance for sexual harassment, and we would have acted if she had registered a complaint with us.

The accused faculty member joined the university in 2020, according to official records.

This latest case has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of students on college campuses in Odisha, particularly in light of the recent incident in Balasore, which drew statewide outrage.
Ravenshaw University, one of Odishas oldest institutions, faced intense backlash this week after issuing a controversial directive restricting women faculty, staff, and students from remaining on campus beyond 5:30 PM. The order, released on July 17 by the university registrar, cited safety concerns and stated that the restriction would remain in effect until a formal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was established.

The notice read: No female faculty, staff, and students are permitted to remain in the workplace or on campus after 5.30 pm. The decision was reportedly prompted by heightened safety concerns following the tragic suicide of a female student at a nearby college, allegedly linked to sexual harassment.

However, the gender-specific nature of the directive drew swift condemnation from students, faculty members, civil society groups, and education activists. Critics argued that the order unfairly targeted women and perpetuated regressive norms rather than addressing systemic safety issues.

Responding to the uproar, the university rescinded the order within hours on July 18. Officials confirmed that a new, inclusive SOP is being drafted to ensure campus safety for all genders. Vice Chancellor Sanjay Naik stated that the revised guidelines would apply to faculty, staff, and research scholars regardless of gender, and additional safety measures would be implemented soon, said media reports.

The Odisha government also stepped in, directing all institutions to strictly comply with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja emphasised the need for a respectful and inclusive environment across campuses statewide, said reports.

While the universitys quick reversal was welcomed, many called for deeper reforms and transparent safety protocols that empower rather than restrict women. The incident has reignited national conversations around gender equity, institutional accountability, and the role of universities in fostering safe learning spaces.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam on September 8 to attend several government programmes.

CM Sarma said, "On September 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam and he will attend three government programmes."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal on Friday and will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore at Motihari in Bihar at around 11:30 AM.

He will also address a public function, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Will be in Motihari, Bihar, tomorrow, 18th July. Development works worth Rs. 7200 crore will be dedicated to the nation or their foundation stones would be laid. These works cover Software Technology Parks, four new Amrit Bharat trains, road projects and more."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs 5000 crore at a programme in Durgapur in West Bengal on Friday.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, these projects cover sectors like oil, gas, power, railways and roads.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Looking forward to being among the people of West Bengal tomorrow, 18th July. At a programme in Durgapur, will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs. 5000 crore. The projects cover sectors like oil and gas, power, railways, roads."

Launching attacks on ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, the Prime Minister said that the people of state are suffering due to TMC's "misrule" and are seeing the BJP with hope.

"West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule. People are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development. Tomorrow, 18th July, will be addressing a @BJP4Bengal rally in Durgapur. Do join!" PM Modi posted on Thursday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP-led Central Government of carrying out a decade-long "witch hunt" against his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

His remarks came a day after the Enforcement Directorate filed its latest chargesheet against him in connection with its money laundering probe in a 3.53-acre land deal in Gurugrams Shikohpur in 2008.

"My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence that his brother-in-law, Robert Vadra, will withstand any kind of persecution and that the truth will eventually prevail.

"I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail," he added in the post.

Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue court on Friday took up the money laundering Prosecution complaint (Charge sheet) filed against Robert Vadra and others and listed it for verification of documents.

Special Judge Sushant Changotra took up the charge sheet and asked the record keeper (Ahalmad) to check the charge sheet and documents and give a report.

The court listed the matter for consideration on July 24.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) NK Matta appeared for the ED and sought a short date.

Earlier on Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with an alleged fraudulent land deal involving businessman Robert Vadra and others.

The complaint, filed on July 17, 2025, names 11 individuals and entities as accused, including Vadra, his company M/s Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd., Satyanand Yajee, and Kewal Singh Virk.

The case stems from an FIR registered by Gurugram Police, alleging that Vadra, through his company Sky Light Hospitality, fraudulently purchased 3.53 acres of land in Village Shikohpur, Sector 83, Gurugram, from Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. on February 12, 2008.

The complaint alleges the use of false declarations in the acquisition and claims that a commercial license was secured for the land using Vadra's personal influence.

As part of the ongoing probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order on July 16, 2025, attaching 43 immovable properties worth approximately Rs 37.64 crore. These properties are reportedly linked to Vadra and his associated entities, including Sky Light Hospitality.

(With ANI Inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a public rally in Durgapur on Friday, launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of obstructing West Bengals development and forcing the youth to migrate in search of jobs.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for multiple projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore, the Prime Minister said, Real change will come only when the TMC government goes. TMC jabe, tabhi ashol poriborton ashbe.

#WATCH | West Bengal | Addressing a public rally in Durgapur, PM Narendra Modi says, "Bengal wants change, development..."



(Video Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/WNFepPYyQW  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

He further added, The TMC government here stands like a wall blocking Bengal's development. The day this wall of the TMC government falls, Bengal will begin a new and rapid phase of progress.

In a pointed reference to the economic decline under TMCs rule, PM Modi said, Today, the youth of West Bengal are being forced to migrate. Even for small jobs, they have to move to other states. Once upon a time, regions like Durgapur, Bardhaman, and Asansol played a vital role in Indias industrial growth. But today, instead of setting up new industries, even the existing ones are shutting down. We must pull Bengal out of this difficult phase, and the projects launched today are a symbol of that very effort.

Calling Durgapur a vital part of Indias industrial landscape, the Prime Minister stated, Being a steel city, Durgapur is also the hub of India's manpower. Durgapur plays a significant role in the country's development... These development projects will increase connectivity and strengthen the identity of the steel city.

PM Modi highlighted various development projects launched in the state, which span sectors including oil and gas, power, roads, and railways. He pointed out the government's focus on modernising infrastructure, saying, Today, factories in Durgapur and Raghunathpur are being equipped with new technology. An investment of Rs 1,500 crore has been made in these... I congratulate the people of West Bengal on the completion of these projects. We are working with the resolve of making Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He also underlined the transformation in connectivity, particularly in railways, A lot of work has been done to improve rail connectivity in West Bengal. West Bengal is one of the states in the country where Vande Bharat trains are being run in large numbers. Kolkata Metro is being expanded... Railway stations are being modernised... Today, two new railway overbridges have been dedicated to West Bengal.

Highlighting the significance of the Durgapur-Kolkata gas pipeline, PM Modi said it would boost industrial growth and generate employment. The Durgapur-Kolkata gas pipeline will breathe new life into the industries here. The BJP-led central government is investing thousands of crores of rupees in this gas pipeline so that CNG-powered vehicles can run in the region, helping you save money and boosting the establishment of new factories. Most importantly, this will create new employment opportunities for the youth of Bengal," he said.

Referring to long-standing infrastructure gaps, the Prime Minister remarked, For many decades after Independence, a gas connection was just a dream for millions of families in West Bengal. In recent years, such families have finally received gas connections. Now, our effort is to ensure that just like water comes from a tap, affordable gas reaches your kitchen through pipelines.

Striking an emotional chord with the people of the state, PM Modi said, It is the holy month of 'Sawan' and during this holy time, I got the opportunity to join the celebration of West Bengal's development. BJP has big dreams for West Bengal and wants to develop Viksit West Bengal.

He concluded his address by reiterating the peoples desire for political and economic transformation, stating, Bengal wants change, Bengal wants development... The people of Bengal understand that the 21st century is an era of new technology. Bengals industries also need modern technology...
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, while addressing a gathering, said that people from all social classes are involved in the ongoing Kanwar Yatra; however, there is a media trial, and the religious proceeding is being defamed. He also claimed that the Kanwar Yatris are being labelled as criminals and terrorists.

He added that the alleged defamation reflects a 'mentality that seeks to tarnish India's heritage'.

"Kanwar Yatra is ongoing. People from all social classes, from the working class to the upper class, are involved in this movement. There is a strong sense of unity, and no discrimination is evident," the Uttar Pradesh CM said.

"However, there is a media trial, and the Kanwar Yatra is being defamed. They (Kanwar Yatris) are even labelled as criminals and terrorists. This reflects a mentality that seeks to tarnish India's heritage in every way," CM Yogi said.

#WATCH | Varanasi: UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, "Kanwar Yatra is ongoing. People from all social classes, from the working class to the upper class, are involved in this movement. There is a strong sense of unity, and no discrimination is evident... However, there is a media pic.twitter.com/m0XAnlX4Om  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

SC's Notice To UP Govt

This statement by the UP Chief Minister comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking their responses to a plea challenging the mandate that requires shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes, which could be scanned to identify the owners via their names.

The UP government had issued an order earlier this year, mandating eateries to display QR codes containing information on the shop owners. Subsequently, the Uttarakhand government also issued a similar mandate.

The order, which was challenged in the apex court, is alleged to be violating citizens' fundamental rights. The plea also stated that the direction requiring vendors to display their names would lead to discriminatory profiling.

The pea also noted that a similar mandate issued by the UP government last year was stayed by the Supreme Court. Thus, as per ANI, the plea seeks the respondent government to explain how the said mandate does not violate the constitutional rights of citizens and the interim stay order issued by the top court last year.

(with ANI inputs)
The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent civilians were killed, as a terrorist organisation.

In a statement on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US has designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

"Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the statement read.

The statement said that this action demonstrated the US President Donald Trump administration's commitment of countering terrorism.

"These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," the statement said.

"TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," the statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed the importance of taking an uncompromising stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.

The Minister was speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin.

He highlighted three evils - terrorism, separatism and extremism, which often occur together in his X post.

Jaishankar said, "Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide. The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms and "underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice". We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so. It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge."

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured.

On May 7, the Indian Army struck nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under 'Operation Sindoor', killing over 100 dreaded terrorists and avenging the loss of lives in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

(With ANI Inputs)
In a stunning exhibition of religion and tradition, dozens of worshippers in Bihar's Samastipur district commemorated the traditional Nag Panchami festival this week by boldly marching live snakes. The ritual, with its participants of all ages holding venomous and non-venomous snakes, is a colorful tribute to Mata Vishhari, the neighbourhood snake goddess.

The awe-struck procession started at the Maa Bhagwati temple in Singhia Bazaar and ended at the Budhi Gandak river banks. Viral videos available online showed unbelievable moments of devotees keeping snakes in their mouths as a final act of worship before releasing them into surrounding forests safely. Even with the intimate and close handling of the snakes, there were no reported injuries or cases of snakebite, a reflection of the community's long-standing knowledge and handling methods.

Nag Panchami, which is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of Shraavana, the lunar month (the date falls on July 29, 2025, this year), is a Hindu celebration of snake worship. The festival in Samastipur is unique in terms of scale and direct participation of live snakes, and hence is a center of worldwide interest in the ancient traditions of serpent worship.

While other traditions, including those found in Battis Shirala, Maharashtra, have been legally curtailed, the Samastipur festival remains mostly uncurbed, sustaining a tradition handed down through the ages. Throughout cultures globally, ranging from China's "Year of the Snake" to African fertility ceremonies and Japanese mythology, snakes represent wisdom, change, and protection.

The film's dramatic scenes from Samastipur are a forceful reminder of the extent to which ancient traditions and customs persist in being part of contemporary life, generating continuing debate about tradition, the rights of animals, and the distinct cultural fabric of India.
New Delhi: Riding high on the success of his latest release 'Maalik,' Prosenjit Chatterjee is set to mesmerize the audiences this Durga Pujo with Devi Chowdhurani - a sweeping period drama that positions itself as Bengali cinemas boldest pan-India release of the year.

Prosenjit On Devi Chowdhurani

Prosenjit Chatterjee added "Its not often that a story manages to be both deeply traditional and refreshingly bold. Devi Chowdhurani is woven into the fabric of Bengals cultural identity, and I feel privileged to be involved in a film that celebrates this heritage while presenting it to a global audienceespecially now, when stories from our regions are gaining worldwide recognition."

Directed by National Award-winner Subhrajit Mitra and based on Bankimchandra Chattopadhyays iconic novel, the film tells the story of Indias first female freedom fighter with scale, soul, and cinematic ambition.

What makes Devi Chowdhurani historic is its status as the first Indian film to receive official Indo-UK co-production recognition, backed by cultural bodies including Indias Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, NFDC, FFO, Invest India and the UKs British Film Institute (BFI).

The film is produced by Aparna and Aniruddha Dasgupta (Adited Motion Pictures) and Soumyajit Majumdar (LOK Arts Collective), with UK partners Moringa Studios and HC Films.

Devi Chowdhurani Cast

With a powerful score by Grammy-nominated composer Pandit Bickram Ghosh and a stellar cast that includes Srabanti Chatterjee, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Darshana Banik, Bibriti Chatterjee and Arjun Chakraborty, the film is currently in post-production. Releasing this Durga Puja, with Prosenjit's trademark superlative performance, Devi Chowdhurani aims to blend Bengals revolutionary past with a truly global cinematic future.

Prosenjit has a stellar lineup for 2025 including Devi Chowdhurani (2025), and Maalik (recently released) making him one of the most anticipated actors to watch in the coming year.
New Delhi:When in doubt, wear black- and these leading ladies just proved why the timeless hue continues to reign supreme on and off the red carpet. From sultry slits to powerful pant suits, these trendsetters stepped out in bold black ensembles that oozed confidence, charisma, and couture brilliance. Heres a closer look at the stars who are owning the Black Fit Era like no one else:

Malavika Mohanan

Malavika Mohanan turned heads in a black thigh-high slit gown, accentuated with delicate diamond-bordered detailing. Styled with soft curls and strappy black sandals, her look radiated heat and high-octane glamourevery inch the desirable diva.

Triptii Dimri

Triptii Dimri brought a soft yet striking twist to black in a flowy sheer-textured gown featuring a deep neckline and a bow-tied collar. Her statement earrings, rings, and sleek ponytail completed the looksubtle, sensual, and seriously sophisticated.

Janhvi Kapoor

Janhvi Kapoor brought drama in a figure-hugging black bodycon dress adorned with diamond-studded detailing and a thigh-high slit. With a long black overcoat, flowing open hair, and drop diamond earrings, her look was equal parts sultry and regal.

Wamiqa Gabbi

Wamiqa Gabbi owned the power-dressing game in a chic black pant suit, with gold-accented bralette peeking through the blazer. Paired with flared trousers and a layered necklace, Wamiqas look struck the perfect balance between fierce and fashionable.

Sharvari Wagh

Sharvari Wagh amped up the shine in a body-fitted black number with a plunging neckline and glossy finish. Black heels and her statuesque confidence made this look a show-stealer, proving once again that simplicity with edge never fails.

Whether its bold glamour or subtle allureblack remains undefeated. And these divas just reminded us why.
Prophetic Gathering Impacts Hundreds on the East Coast: 'Who is on the Lords Side?'



Worshippers gather at East Coast Conference 2025



Patricia King ministers at the opening session of the conference



Archbishop Joseph DSouza leads in a time of communion

NEW PROVIDED BY

Eagles Wings

July 18, 2025

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 18, 2025 /Standard Newswire/ -- For more than 30 years, the ministry of Eagles Wings, led by Bishop Robert Stearns, has been powerfully uniting and mobilizing believers from the East Coast region, the entire nation, and internationally through the East Coast Conference each year. In the 31st year of this annual gathering, entitled Who is On the Lords Side?, several hundred believers assembled at Harvest Training Center in Cranford, NJ, on July 10-13 for four dynamic days of worship, teaching, and regionally-focused ministry.

The result was life-transforming.

In a moment of history when uncertainties fill the globe and Israel has been under direct existential attack in recent days from the nation of Iran, the people of God responded by declaring together in unity, We are on the Lords side!

Headlining the event was prophetic minister Patricia King, who gave a powerful word about spiritual identity, faith, and victorious warfare in the life of a believer. She warned against spiritual amnesia that causes believers to live beneath their covenant authority. In the opening session of the conference she declared, When you fight the good fight of faith... you dont just win the battleyou win the whole realm!

Pastor Micah Wood, director of the Israel Christian Nexus, followed up the next morning with a session about Jesus journey and the call of believers to prepare His way. Drawing from Luke 9:51, he taught that just as Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, the Church today must recognize the shift in Gods momentum back to Jerusalem.

Dr. Manny Arango brought a timely and transformative word about order, chaos, and divine alignment. Preaching with passion and clarity, he reminded those assembled that God is not the author of confusion, but of orderand where there is divine order, there is rest. From the story of Noahs ark in Genesis chapters 6-9, Manny showed how God's instructions were detailed, measured, and specificbecause order always precedes salvation and breakthrough. The ark was not just a boat; it was a blueprint for survival in a chaotic world. And today, the Church is called to build according to Gods pattern, not human preference.

Also at the gathering, internationally renowned leader and human rights advocate Archbishop Joseph DSouza of the Good Shepherd Church of India spoke and led in a powerful celebration of the Eucharist, bringing insights about its universal application to the life of believers around the globe in the 21st century.

Throughout the event, times of worship were spearheaded by Resting Place House of Prayer along with the dynamic worship of Bishop Robert Stearns, Bryson Rory, Rory Comtois, and many others. A new resolve to stand for truth and righteousness came upon those who gathered together in Gods presence, many of whom are influential leaders of ministries and churches in the NYC/NJ region.

In this memorable gathering at a momentous time in our nation, a sound of worship and united declaration was lifted over the East Coast that will continue to bring fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God for many years to come.

Full conference sessions from Who is On the Lords Side? are available for viewing on demand at youtube.com/@RobertStearns/streams. Plans are already underway for East Coast Conference 2026, July 9-12 next year, also to be held in Cranford, NJ! To pre-register and for more information, go to eagleswings.org/ecc2026.

SOURCE Eagles Wings

CONTACT:

Dena DePasquale, dena@eagleswings.org

Stephen Jenks, sjenks@eagleswings.org

Office office@eagleswings.org, 716-759-1058
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Sunny Leones song Pink Lips was all the rage when it first released and now, years later, its trending all over again.

Its not just a song-its a full-blown moment once more. Sunny has reignited the magic of her iconic track Pink Lips, and social media is loving it. The viral hook step has taken over Instagram Reels, with creators grooving to the beatand now, the original star herself has jumped in.

In a video posted on her Instagram, Sunny flawlessly recreates the signature dance step, adding her signature charm and infectious energy. For longtime fans, its a nostalgic treat and for a new generation, its a fresh wave of excitement.

Sunnys track record with chartbusters and viral dance numbers remains unmatched. This nostalgic revival is proof that her fan-favourite songs continue to stand the test of time. Whether its Baby Doll, Laila, or Pink Lips when Sunny dances, the internet watches.

Choreographed by Uma and Gaiti and composed by Meet Bros Anjjan, the track was originally sung by debutant Khushboo Grewal.

Meanwhile, Sunny Leone is gearing up for her Hollywood debut with an independent film. In a surprising update, the actress has already completed shooting for the much-anticipated project. The film is expected to release in 2026.
New Delhi: The Department of Posts, part of the Ministry of Communications has issued an order regarding grant of notional increment on 1st July/1st January to the employees who retired from Central Govt. Service on 30th June/31st December respectively for the purpose of calculating their pensionary benefits.

Department of Posts in an order issued on July 17 said that guidelines to deal with the cases of grant of notional increment to the officials retiring on 30th June or 31st December, as the case may be, have been issued based on the final directions dated 20.02.2025 of Supreme Court.

The Department of Posts said that further to receipt of the Order dated 20.05.2025, this Department has sought clarification from DoPT on certain issues. Based on their clarification dated 08.07.2025 and the judgment of the Supreme Court it has clarified issues regarding Eligibility, Date of effect of order and General Conditions for third parties, Cases having specific directions of the Court and Re-opening of cases decided in past.

Eligibility

The benefit of a notional increment for pension purpose will be extended to Officials retiring/nave retired on 30th June or 31st December on or after 01.01.2006, subject to fulfillment of the conditions laid down in DoPTs OM dated 20.05.2025.

Date of effect of order and General Conditions for third parties



The actual monetary benefit of higher pension based on this notional increment will be paid w.e.f 01.05.2023 to all eligible employees retired on or before 30.04.2023, except those who already have a court order in their favour. In such cases, the specific directions of the Court shall apply.

Cases having specific directions of the Court



If an eligible retired employee has filed an application for intervention, impleadment, writ petition, or original application before a CAT, High Court, or the Supreme Coun, the enhanced pension by including one increment will be payable for the period of three years prior to the month in which the application for intervention/impleadment/writ petition/original application was filed. The said direction of Supreme Court will, however, not apply to the retired government employees who filed a writ petition/original application or an application for intervention before the CATs/High Courts/Supreme Court after the judgement in Union of India & Anr. Vs M. Siddaraj case, as in such cases direction referred in para 3(a) of DoPT O.M. dated 20.05.2025 will apply.

After the issuance of the orders dated 20.02.2025 of the Supreme Court, if the directions of any lower Courts are contrary to these instructions, such orders shall be challenged before the Higher Court to the extent they violate these conditions.

Re-opening of cases decided in past

The cases which have already been implemented need not to be re-opened.
New Delhi: The Department of Posts (Financial Services Division), part of the Ministry of Communications has issued an order regarding Freezing of Small Savings Schemes accounts matured but not closed after 3 years.

Department of Posts in an order issued on July 15 said that the order covers the following post office small savings schemes:

1. Monthly Income Scheme (MIS)

2. Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS)

3. Time Deposit (TD)

4. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)

5. National Savings Certificate (NSC)

6. Recurring Deposit (RD)

7. Public Provident Fund (PPF) (if not extended after maturity)

"...it was decided to freeze matured accounts under the schemes MlS, SCSS, TD, KVP, NSC, RD, and PPF accounts (that are matured but not extended), which have not been closed even after three years since maturity. The designated freeze reason code for these accounts is 'INOP: lnoperative more than 3 years'," Department of Posts said in the order.

DoP will carry out the freezing process twice in a year now.

"To further enhance security of hard-earned money of depositors, it has now been decided that this freezing activity will be conducted twice a year as a continuous cycle," it added.

The process of identification and freezing of such accounts will be completed within 15 days, commencing from 1't July and '1't January of each year. This means accounts that complete three years of maturity as on 30th June and 31st December every year, respectively, will be identified and frozen.
New Delhi: The buzz around maverick filmmaker SS Rajamouli's next big project titled as of now SSMB 29 starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra is palpable. Now, as per several media reports, the story of the film has apparently been leaked online. A report by The Citizen from Tanzania mentioned about the films upcoming shooting schedule along with the plot.

SSMB 29 Story Leaked

It revealed SSMB 29 storyline, claiming that Mahesh Babu-starrer is made on a whopping $116 million budget, calling it one of Indias most ambitious cinematic spectacles. They described the film as: "Inspired by Indiana Jones and African adventure classics, the film follows a rugged explorer who sets out on a high-stakes mission through uncharted terrain, battling nature, mystery, and a powerful enemy to uncover a long-lost secret that could change the world. Think ancient legends, wild landscapes, and edge-of-your-seat thrills."

The same report also alleged that the makers of SSMB 29 will kickstart shooting a new schedule in the third week of July in Serengeti and will head to South Africa after that.

About SSMB 29

A grand puja was held in Hyderabad earlier this year in January. The ceremonial event, held at the Aluminium Factory in Hyderabad, was a low-key but significant affair, attended by key members of the films crew, including SS Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu, and Rajamoulis wife Rama.

In a special screening of RRR in Japan, SS Rajamouli expressed his excitement about introducing Mahesh Babu to a wider global audience.

'SSMB 29' also features Prithviraj Sukumaran in a crucial role. No official confirmation about the film's plot or storyline has been made by the filmmaker so far.
The Australian government has hit back strongly at what it sees as betrayal by the United States. Canberra has refused to send its troops to support the United States in a potential war with China over Taiwan.
US visa is an official permission which allows a non-American citizen to enter the United States of America. It is a permit that grants its holder access to enter, travel and stay within the US for a short or indefinite period of time or shift permanently.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President of the National Conference, said that the issue of statehood would be raised in the coming meeting of the INDIA bloc. He has been batting for the restoration of statehood, even in the past, he also said that if the statehood is not restored national conference will approach the apex court.
Telegram has long been criticised for being unsafe and for not sharing user data with authorities. Countries like China have already banned the app due to similar concerns. The controversy surrounding Telegram grew further after its co-founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France in August 2024.
BSF has got great success in Punjab. Pakistan had sent a drone to the Indian border. Which has been killed by the Border Security Force. After this whole incident, the search operation of the security forces has also started in the area.
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New Delhi: Australia has finally spoken. It has told the United States in clear terms that Canberra will not be dragged into a war over Taiwan. Not this time. Not on uncertain promises.

From Melbourne to Beijing, the shift in tone is palpable. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walks the diplomatic tightrope in China, his government is making it known that Australia will not send troops if tensions between the United States and China explode into war over Taiwan. No pre-commitments. No blind faith.

Defence Minister Pat Conroy echoed the same. Calm, deliberate and without drama. He refused to make advance promises. Decisions, he said, would be made by Australia's elected government, not dictated by demands from Washington.

Behind the scenes, frustration brews. The AUKUS pact, trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States intended to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable, once hailed as a defence revolution, now stumbles. The nuclear submarines promised by the United States have not arrived. Deadlines have shifted. Commitments have blurred. Trust has thinned.

This, many in Canberra believe, is not only about Taiwan but being treated as an equal partner and not a subordinate. It is about remembering history as well.

Australia and the United States are both part of the Quad, a security alliance meant to counter Chinas rise. But now, Australias faith in the alliance is being tested.

In Beijing, PM Albanese stays cautious. He talks of peace. He speaks of stability in the region. He avoids the war talk that Washington seems eager to entertain. And he will not offer reassurances on troop deployment.

Reports say the US Department of Defense has asked Australia and Japan for written guarantees. They want allies to commit to sending forces if a conflict erupts in the Indo-Pacific. One name keeps coming up is Elbridge Colby. A senior voice in Washington, overseeing the AUKUS plan, now seen as pushing too hard and too fast.

But this is not the Australia of 20 years ago.

Canberra today is caught in a different storm. On one side is Trumps America that is unpredictable, transactional and slapping tariffs even on allies. On the other is China, Australias largest trading partner, economically vital and militarily dominant.

Financial Times revealed that Japan too is under similar pressure. Washington is asking for promises. But leaders in Asia are hesitating. No one wants to sign up for someone elses war.

Back home, Australian officials say Albaneses six-day China visit is about protecting national interest, both security and trade. It is a recalibration and a moment of realism.

With Quads future hanging in the balance, analysts whisper what officials will not say aloud  the alliance is wobbling. And if the pressure continues, it may not survive.

Australias response is less about defiance and more about dignity and less about choosing sides and more about choosing sovereignty.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the designation of TRF as a terrorist organisation demonstrates President Donald Trumps commitment to countering terrorism and enforcing his call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.

His statement came shortly after the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent civilians were killed, as a terrorist organisation.

Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), Rubio said in a statement.

These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trumps call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, Rubio added.

Rubio described the Pahalgam incident as the 'deadliest attack' on India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks perpetrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba.

This (Pahalgam attack) was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the need to take an uncompromising stand against terrorism and cited the recent Pahalgam terror attack in India, which the United Nations Security Council condemned.

Jaishankar said, "Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide. The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms... It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge."

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured.

On May 7, the Indian Army struck nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under 'Operation Sindoor', killing over 100 dreaded terrorists and avenging the loss of lives in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

(With ANI Inputs)
Washington: The United States has placed three Iranian nationals, including Irans sitting ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghaddam, on its FBI Most Wanted list. The names appeared in a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which linked them to the 2007 disappearance of former FBI special agent Robert Bob Levinson.

According to the FBI, Levinson went missing on March 9, 2007, after arriving on Kish Island  a resort zone off Irans southern coast. He was a retired officer by then. The bureau claimed that Moghaddam, along with two other Iranian officials, Taqi Daneshvar and Gholam Hossein Mohammadnia, were allegedly involved in orchestrating the abduction.

The Iranian government has not responded publicly to the allegations.

The FBI, in the statement, said it is investigating the trios role not only in the abduction, but also in what it called an effort by the Iranian state to mask its involvement. The agency has released posters bearing their images, classifying them as part of a broader intelligence network allegedly operating under Irans Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

Officials said Moghaddam is no ordinary diplomat. He assumed office as Irans envoy to Islamabad in July 2023. Information about him is sparse on the Iranian embassys website, but it highlights that he holds a PhD in international relations and also serves on Irans Supreme National Security Council.

However, the FBI claims Moghaddam previously led operations within the Iranian intelligence ministry. At the time, agents stationed across Europe were reportedly answerable to him.

Steven Jensen, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Washington Field Office, described the three as intelligence operatives who played key roles in Levinsons disappearance. He also said the former agent might have died in captivity, far from family, friends and homeland. The FBI is continuing its investigation and has reaffirmed a standing $5 million reward for information that could help locate Levinson or shed light on the circumstances surrounding his case.

The second man named by the FBI, Taqi Daneshvar, also known as Seyed Taqi, is described as a senior MOIS official specialising in counterterrorism. During the period of Levinsons disappearance, he allegedly oversaw another operative named Mohammad Sinai, also known as Mohammad Basiri.

The third individual, Gholam Hossein Mohammadnia, once served as Irans ambassador to Albania. He was expelled by the Albanian government over what it described as actions that threatened national security. Iran, in turn, had blamed the United States and Israel for allegedly pressuring Tirana to take that decision.

Levinsons career spanned nearly three decades at the U.S. Justice Department. He officially retired from the FBI in 1998. At the time of his disappearance, he had been working privately, reportedly gathering information for corporate clients. What exactly brought him to Kish Island has never been made public by either the U.S. government or the FBI.

Years after his disappearance, his son David received a video showing Levinson in captivity. In that recording, Levinson was heard saying that he had been held for three and a half years, and appealed to the U.S. government to respond to his captors.

His fate remains unknown. The FBI has not officially declared him dead, and his case remains open.
Dhaka/New Delhi: A crumbling structure at Mymensingh in Bangladesh has stirred a storm across social media. It was claimed that the property was the ancestral home of renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray, now slated for demolition. The debate quickly escalated into a transnational matter.

The Indian government responded with concern. Officials expressed hope that the demolition decision would be reconsidered. It also offered assistance in restoring and preserving the structure, emphasising its historical and cultural value. A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs referred to the house as one built by Ray's grandfather and described it as part of Bengals literary and cultural legacy.

Echoing the sentiment, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the Bangladesh government to preserve the building. She called the demolition a heartbreaking development, underlining that the Ray familys importance in Bengali heritage. She asked that the house be seen not just as a building but as part of a larger cultural fabric.

The mounting criticism led Bangladeshi authorities to pause the proposed demolition. The structure in question stands at Harikishore Roy Road in Mymensingh. The land was officially allocated in 2008 to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy, under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. The academy had deemed the structure hazardous and proposed constructing a new building in its place.

Did the building truly belong to Rays ancestors?

A local official from the Department of Archaeology in Mymensingh confirmed that there is belief within the department that the house may have historical ties to the Ray family. However, it is not yet included in the list of protected heritage structures. He said survey work in the division is ongoing, and until it is complete, no official heritage status can be assigned. The countrys archaeology department has requested that demolition remain on hold and has formally asked the academy for all related documents.

Meanwhile, district officials have contested the claims. Mufidul Alam, deputy commissioner of the district, said in a meeting with stakeholders that the structure had no known connection to Rays lineage. His stance was supported by a local researcher (Swapna Dhar) affiliated with Qazi Nazrul Islam University. He cited a 2010 joint study by the Bangladeshi government and a German agency, which identified the building as a temporary residence of philanthropist Ranada Prasad Saha, not of the Ray family.

According to him, another house on the same road, believed to be the one actually connected to Rays ancestors, was torn down nearly a decade ago. He added that confusion may have arisen because the road itself was named after a zamindar (landlord) linked to Rays family.

Historical sources present a mixed picture. The national encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Banglapedia, records that Rays grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, was born in a nearby village called Masua. He was later adopted by a local zamindar in Mymensingh and took the name Ray Chowdhury. That story places the family in the region, but makes no direct mention of the house now under scrutiny.

An official from the archaeology department explained that the structure does have significant value. Built with lime and mortar, the walls are nearly half a meter thick, pointing to construction methods from over a century ago. Parts of the building had already been demolished before the work was halted.

She also said that in heritage studies, oral histories, books, online material and even folklore are considered relevant. One local historians book had mentioned the structure, but not definitively. Her reasoning for a possible Ray family link included the name of the street and circumstantial references in various sources.

But she acknowledged the building remains outside the official heritage registry. The inclusion process, she empasised, requires thorough surveying. That process only began recently in the Mymensingh division and is still incomplete in many sub-districts, including the one where the house is located.

Other historians provided broader context. According to them, the region once had many similar homes owned by Bengali families who migrated long before the partition. Some buildings have been preserved, but many have deteriorated due to neglect. A few were even demolished decades ago.

One historian explained that maintaining hundreds of such structures is not practical. He suggested that only those still structurally sound should be preserved. He gave examples of other iconic homes that have disappeared over time, including those belonging to other prominent people from the region.

The issue also brought to light a 2010 urban preservation study conducted by a French conservationist. That research had identified over 300 historically significant homes in Mymensingh, though only 280 were found intact. The study categorised these based on architectural features and historical significance. The house now under discussion had been listed among the second tier, meaning valuable but not necessarily protected.

According to the researcher involved in that study, the structure was built by Ranada Prasad Saha using bricks that had distinct markings from the same period. He said records and local testimonies all indicate that this was not a Ray family residence.

Still, confusion persists because of the symbolic associations. Advocates for preservation argue that even if direct lineage to the Ray family cannot be proven, the building holds cultural importance and should be spared.

Bangladeshi officials maintain that the house was abandoned and in disrepair for over a decade. The academy had been operating from a rented location. Economic constraints played a role in the decision to raze the building and construct a new one.

A meeting held at the district level brought together administrators, researchers and community members. After reviewing available documents, the district commissioner announced that government records show no trace of ownership linked to Rays family. The land and structure have been listed as government property since 2008. He stated that legal and administrative procedures were followed before initiating the demolition.

He said that interviews with elderly residents and researchers confirmed that the building had no historical connection to the Ray lineage. The viral narrative, in his words, appeared to be based on a misinterpretation.

For now, the house remains standing. Whether it will be protected or replaced is still uncertain. The debate, however, has reignited conversations about memory, history and the value of preserving cultural landmarks in South Asia.
New Delhi: The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) on Friday ordered all telecom service providers in the country to block access to the Telegram messaging app. This decision came after months of repeated warnings and requests from the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, which flagged the app as a tool for financial fraud and money laundering.

In a statement, the NTA confirmed the directive, stating that the decision was taken in response to serious concerns raised by security agencies. As online frauds through Telegram continue to rise in Nepal, and the app is reportedly involved in crimes such as money laundering, all telecom service providers are directed to immediately block Telegram, NTA stated.

The authority stated that fraud schemes through Telegram have recently surged. These include fake job offers, crypto scams, and other deceptive tactics. The Prime Ministers Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other key officials held meetings to discuss the issue.

After being briefed on several cases of money laundering linked to Telegram, the Prime Ministers Office sent an official letter to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, asking for immediate action. Another major reason behind the ban was Telegrams refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

The Ministry tried to contact Telegrams official representative but couldnt find a local focal point. On Friday, it wrote to the NTA requesting the block. Soon after, the authority instructed all telecom and internet providers to cut off access to the app.

Telegram has long been criticised for being unsafe and for not sharing user data with authorities. Countries like China have already banned the app due to similar concerns. The controversy surrounding Telegram grew further after its co-founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France in August 2024.

Durov, who also co-founded the Russian social network VK, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport and later indicted on multiple charges, including complicity in the distribution of child exploitation material and drug trafficking.

He was barred from leaving France and placed under judicial supervision. Durovs arrest led to major protests by free-speech activists and Telegram users.

In March 2025, a judge allowed Durov to temporarily leave France, and he left the country within the same month.


(Image from 12newsnow.com)

Unsympathetic defendants make for bad precedents. This is what happened in the Rahimi case, where the Supreme Court opened the door a crack, allowing judges to believe they can create more exceptions to Second Amendment rights. Rahimi is cited as the reason for the upholding of the Gun Free School Zone Act in the Fifth Circuit.

On January 29, 2023, 25 year old Ahmed Adballa Allam had been living and traveling around the United States in his father's Toyota RAV4 since July of 2022. He had purchased an AR-15 type rifle in Pennsylvania on the way to California. He had traveled to California and then to Texas, sometime in early January, 2023. Allam insisted on camping out in the RAV4 near St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School or near Temple Emanuel, a Jewish Synagogue, both in Beaumont Texas.

The principle of the school was concerned about Allam's actions and called police several times per day. School staff and parents repeatedly contacted Allam and asked him to leave. Members of the Synagogue also asked him to leave several times. Until Allam was arrested, he had been contacted by police upwards of nine times. From 12newsnow.com: . . . .
St. Thomas Fifth Avenue Security Guard Allegedly Makes Death Threats

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Anglican Watch

July 18, 2025

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 18, 2025 /Standard Newswire/  Anglican Watch, the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church, has received allegations that a security guard at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue has begun making death threats against persons connected with the church. While Anglican Watch is not releasing the name of the person in question for purposes of this press release, the organization believes that the threats should be taken seriously.

The allegations we have received are that the individual in question has left death threats on the voicemail of one or more persons connected with the parish, says Anglican Watch official Eric Bonetti. Because that individual has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for selling heroin to minors, using a minor in the commission of a crime, and weapons charges, we are concerned about the safety of the parish, the St. Thomas Choir School, and others.

We encourage all involved to take immediate action to ensure safety, including having armed NYPD officers at church services and other times of elevated risk, Bonetti continues. Moreover, church officials have known about this persons past since last December. Thus, we are at a loss to explain the failure of church leadership to address these issues.

St. Thomas, a flagship Anglo-Catholic parish in the Episcopal Church, is facing scrutiny over multiple allegations of sexual assault by gay male staff members. In addition, one person connected with the church lives in a church-owned building in close proximity to children from the St. Thomas Choir School, despite being a well-known producer of pornography.

Founded in 2015, Anglican Watch is the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church. The organization addresses sexual and non-sexual abuse in the Episcopal Church and other faith communities.

SOURCE Anglican Watch

CONTACT: Eric Bonetti, 240 744-7524, eric@anglicanwatch.com
Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

As a quadruple board-certified physician and a patient with a complex autoimmune disease, I live on both sides of the examination table. My professional life is about finding answers; my personal life has been about the agony of waiting for them.

This dual perspective makes it impossible to ignore a systemic problem in modern medicine: A class of diagnoses that live in the shadows. Seronegative Sjogrens, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), dysautonomia, chronic fatigue (ME/CFS), and small fiber neuropathy (SFN) are the ghosts in our machine. They cross every specialty, refuse to conform to our tidy flowcharts, and leave a trail of frustrated patients and deeply uncomfortable physicians in their wake.

They haunt our patients. Lets be honest with ourselvesthey haunt us, too.

The ghosts in every specialty

For the rheumatologist, its seronegative Sjogrens. The patients story screams autoimmunitydebilitating fatigue, sicca, systemic painbut their labs are silent. With 30 to 40 percent of Sjogrens patients being seronegative, we are left to weigh a clinical diagnosis against the gold standard of a lip biopsy, asking a patient to risk permanent numbness for a label we feel in our bones is correct.

For the allergist, its the tightrope of MCAS. Were caught between the rigid Consensus 1 criteria, which demand a fleeting tryptase spike thats nearly impossible to capture, and the more clinical Consensus 2. We are terrified of both over-diagnosing a nebulous condition and under-diagnosing the patient whose life has shrunk to four foods and four walls.

For the neurologist, its the conundrum of SFN and dysautonomia. We are masters of the reflex hammer, yet these conditions live in the invisible wires of the small fiber and autonomic nerves. We are forced to rely on a patients subjective story while the objective testsa skin punch biopsy, a tilt table, a QSARTare difficult to get and not always definitive.

For all of us, its the diagnostic orphan of ME/CFS. This is the condition that perhaps has no single specialty home, leaving it to the brave internist, neurologist, or rheumatologist willing to take it on. Its hallmark is post-exertional malaise (PEM)a pathological inability to produce energy on demand, where a simple trip to the grocery store can cause a multi-day crash of profound flu-like symptoms and fatigue.

My tightrope walk: The fears we dont say out loud

In the face of these ghosts, my role as a steady, all-knowing physician feels like a tightrope walk over a canyon of uncertainty. And as a patient, I know how far the fall is. These are the fears that wake me up in the middle of the night:

Im afraid of missing it. My training, my intuition, and the patients story all point to a perfect storm of illness. But without that positive antibody testthe so-called proofIm afraid of delaying a diagnosis that could prevent irreversible damage. Im afraid of unintentionally gaslighting my own clinical judgment, let alone my patient.

Im afraid of the system failing my patient. I know whats coming: The battle with insurance, the skepticism from colleagues, the endless hoops. Its a core reason I built a direct care practiceto rebel against a system that requires a black-and-white data point for a gray-scale human. My fear is that despite my best efforts, the system will still slam the door on them.

Im afraid of causing diagnostic fatigue. The journey to an answer can be as traumatic as the illness itself. Im afraid of ordering that next invasive test. Am I pushing my patient towards a procedure with real risks just to get a label that will satisfy a bureaucratic need for certainty? The burden of that proof feels incredibly heavy.

And my biggest fear? Im afraid of the patient giving up. That the person in front of me, exhausted and invalidated, will lose all hope.

The anatomy of our fear

This fear isnt a personal failing; its forged by the systemic pressures we all face. Our clinical judgment feels flimsy because of:

The fear of litigation: A soft diagnosis is a liability. A positive test is a shield.

The tyranny of test-based medicine: The noble idea of evidence-based medicine has been bastardized. If a condition lacks a biomarker, were taught its less real.

Pressure from gatekeepers: Insurance companies dont do ambiguity.

The silos of specialization: These are full-body conditions, and the patient gets bounced between us, with no one captaining the ship.

The ultimate question: Are we doing more harm?

Yes. Full stop.

When we raise the bar for diagnosis so high that only the most severe or luckiest patients can clear it, we engage in systemic medical gaslighting. We do harm by delaying treatment, inflicting diagnostic fatigue, and severing the sacred trust that is the foundation of our profession.

My job isnt to be the expert with all the answers. Its to sit in that uncomfortable, uncertain space with my patients. Its to bridge our fears by saying, I see the storm, even if the weather report says its sunny. Now, lets build a better boat.

Its time for clinical courage. Its time to treat the patient, not the proof.

Kara Wada is an adult and pediatric allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine physician.
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Nationally recognized psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is transforming mental health care. He shares his experience with deep TMS (dTMS), a non-invasive neuromodulation therapy that offers rapid relief for patients with severe depression, OCD, and other conditions that have resisted conventional treatment. Muhamad explains how recent accelerated protocols can condense weeks of therapy into a single five-day period, achieving remission rates as high as 79 percent. Contrasting this with the slow progress and side effects of many medications, he highlights the safety of dTMS, which requires no anesthesia and does not cause memory impairment like ECT. Through powerful patient stories, the conversation serves as a call to action for clinicians, patients, and policymakers to overcome insurance barriers and lack of awareness, advocating for a new standard of care where rapid, profound healing is not just an aspiration, but a reality.

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Transcript

Kevin Pho: Hi, and welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today we welcome back Muhamad Aly Rifai, an internal medicine physician and psychiatrist. Todays KevinMD article is How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is transforming mental health care. Muhamad, welcome back to the show.

Muhamad Aly Rifai: Thank you very much for having me to talk about this timely topic on the treatment of depression and treatment-refractory depression.

Kevin Pho: All right. Whats this latest article about?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: Sure. In my article, I talk about patients who suffer from depression. About 25 million Americans suffer from depression. And despite our best pharmaceutical treatments, there are at least 50 to 60 percent of patients that end up with partial or non-response to antidepressant medications.

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And specifically, there are about 30 or 40 percent of patients who have depression who will end up with what we call treatment-resistant depression. This is where patients do not respond to antidepressants, despite multiple trials of different antidepressants, different classes of antidepressants, or multiple antidepressants, and they end up with this state of prolonged sadness.

Relentless depression drains somebodys identity. It drains the color out of their life. They end up being disabled, jobless, their self-worth disintegrates, and this condition, severe treatment-resistant depression, had been without treatment for many years, up until the beginning of the 2000s where we started trying additional treatment modalities other than pharmaceuticals to see if we could affect the treatment of depression.

In the past, there have been other pharmaceutical treatments, but we wanted to try something different. Early on, electroconvulsive therapy was a treatment where electricity would be passed through the brain to induce a seizure, but that treatment is hospital-administered. It requires anesthesia. This newer treatment, transcranial magnetic stimulation, was FDA-cleared and approved in 2008, and we found out that if we are able to stimulate the areas of the brain that are involved with depression, we are able to induce a significant response.

So, transcranial magnetic stimulation was cleared in 2008, and the first treatment was what we call superficial transcranial magnetic stimulation, where a magnetic coil is placed on the left side of the brain, the frontal cortex, where it stimulates a magnetic field and causes changes in the frontal lobe. Later on, in 2013, this newer treatment, which is deep transcranial magnetic stimulationwhich is the helmet behind me, which is like a helmet just like in the movies; people know Magnetofits on the head and induces a magnetic field around the brain, targeting mostly, for depression, the frontal cortex. And that has been very, very helpful in terms of the treatment of depression.

Kevin Pho: Now, when you talk about treatment-resistant depression, are there any predictors that characterize those who are resistant to traditional antidepressants?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: There are some predictors. Sometimes the severity of depression, so individuals who suffer from severe depression, such as high scores initially on their treatment scales. Theres also a family history of depression or a family history of bipolar disorder. If individuals also have some genetic polymorphisms that actually predispose them to not being responsive to medications, those are usually predictors that this person is going to have treatment-resistant depression just because of their inability to tolerate the antidepressant medications that we have, or their inability to reach an appropriate and therapeutic level of these antidepressants.

This is especially true with, for example, patients who are ultra-rapid metabolizers, so whatever antidepressant you give them, their system will ultra-rapidly metabolize the antidepressant, and you will not be able to reach a therapeutic level. So those patients, sometimes when we do genomic testing, were able to predict that they are going to be treatment-resistant just by the fact that they cannot reach a therapeutic level of antidepressant medications. A family history of depression and severity of depressionthose are all predictors for treatment-resistant depression.

And so we are hoping that we will be able, if we predict who is going to be treatment-resistant, to actually bypass multiple, painful, long trials of antidepressants and go to additional treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Kevin Pho: And what are some of the efficacy data for those who undergo the transcranial treatment?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: Sure. The efficacy has improved significantly, as well as the utility of the treatment. When the treatment was approved in 2008, it was the figure-of-eight coil that gets applied on the frontal lobe, on the prefrontal cortex, and basically, it induced a magnetic field. The treatment length was 45 minutes, and you had to do it for five days a week for up to six weeks. That was a very lengthy treatment. You had to come to the office every day, five days a week, for about six to seven weeks to get some relief, and at that time, the treatment efficacy was around 40 to 50 percent.

Even with that, when deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is the helmet thats behind me, was approved, the response rates were significant. This was partially also because the length of the treatment session decreased; it went down from 45 minutes to 20 minutes. And basically, we still did it for six weeks, but the rate of response increased significantly because we were targeting deep inside the brain with the magnetic field. The treatment responses increased significantly, so it went up to about 65 to 70 percent, and the rates of continuing in remission six months to a year after treatment went up to about 50 to 55 percent.

Then a newer treatment modality was introduced thats called theta burst, where we actually intensify the magnetic field around the brain. This is analogous to increasing the dose of a medication. With theta burst, which was an increased dose of the magnetic field with a readjustment of the strength of the magnetic field, we were able to also shorten the treatment session length to about three to five minutes. So, significantly, from 45 minutes down to 20 minutes, now to three to five minutes.

And we were also able, over the last few years, to see if we would have the same success by shortening the treatment duration. So instead of six to eight weeks, we tried to shorten it to about two weeks. And most recently, theres a treatment protocol thats actually one week of several treatments a day, five days a week, and people are achieving remission from depression of about 70 to 75 percent. Which is pretty amazing.

Treat your depression in one week. Were also looking at protocols where you actually come in and you spend the whole day getting treatments: a short treatment of three to five minutes with a rest of 25 minutes, and then you repeat the treatment. Were hoping to see if we can get a good response with one day of treatments. So we are having the treatment down from six to eight weeks, down to two weeks, and now down to one week, and were hoping for one day.

You come in for treatment, youre depressed, youre hopeless, you feel that the weight of the world is on you with severe depression, you havent responded to any antidepressants, and then you get a treatment. So now its one week, and we think were going to be able to do one day of treatment to help individuals who have this severe, treatment-refractory depression.

Kevin Pho: And what do patients feel when theyre undergoing therapy?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: The patient is comfortable. With the helmet, we put a cap on the head and the helmet fits snugly on the head. The patient sitsits as comfortable as, say, being under a hair dryer in a hair salon. They feel a little bit of tapping on the head, but theres no discomfort. Theres no pain, no anesthesia, and no loss of consciousness. The patient is comfortable. I have some patients who listen to music. I have some patients who read books while they are getting their treatment. Then, you remove the helmet, and the patient goes home; they drive home. So theres no after-effect. Even the prolonged treatment where you do several treatments in a day, the patient is comfortable.

The effect is localized only on the brain, and there are very few adverse effects. Maybe a little bit of a headache, but thats it. Thats the worst side effect that patients experience. One in 100,000, if a person has a history of seizures, they may experience a seizure. Ive been administering this treatment to my patients for 12 years, and I havent had one case of seizures. So, its a pretty safe and effective treatment. We added it on to medications, but it could be a replacement for medications in the future.

Now, this treatment is also expanding, so its not just for treatment-resistant depression. There is anxious depression, so for people who have predominant anxiety with their depression, its also indicated. For late-life depression, so individuals, older individuals above the age of 65 whose depression is more resistant to treatment, that could be administered to them. Theres also a different type of helmet that treats individuals who have obsessive-compulsive disorder. The coil targets different areas of the brain, mostly in the parietal and temporal lobes, so the coils are in the back of the head.

And there is a different helmet that is being studied for nicotine use disorder, and were hoping that its also going to be very, very successful for opioid use disorder. So were expanding the magnetic treatments for depression, non-medication treatment. And that goes along with the movementweve talked about that in previous talksabout how America is overmedicated, and there are a lot of people on medications, and how this treatment modality could replace medications in a natural way, which is a magnetic field.

Kevin Pho: Any potential complications or side effects?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: The side effects are just the discomfort in the forehead. And theres no memory loss, theres no confusion, theres no anesthesia. The person is comfortable. Theyre able to drive home after theyre done. One in 100,000, maybe a risk of seizures if somebody has a history of seizures, but I havent had any cases like that. People are very, very happy with the treatment and theyre amazed. They feel that they get their life back. They feel that they can see colors again. Theyre more functional, theyre back to doing things that they missed before, and theyre able to be on fewer medications potentially, and potentially off medications if the treatment continues to be successful.

And weve had good success with cases actually continuing to show improvement after one year; 50 to 60 percent of people continue to be in remission. If somebody has a relapse of their depression, were able to retreat them for another session of TMS, exactly like antidepressants. But this is simple, no medications, and the patients tolerate it pretty well and can take a short time away from their work, and theyre able to return back to work and to their family with remission of their depression.

Kevin Pho: Is TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation, covered by insurance?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: It is covered by insurance. So lets start with the largest insurer, the Centers for Medicare Services. Medicare has covered transcranial magnetic stimulation since 2009. They have been a very strong advocate for it because a lot of individuals who are on Medicare experience depression and anxiety, and they have adjusted their coverage criteria. They allow you to start utilizing transcranial magnetic stimulation after only two trials of antidepressants. So you dont have to try ten different medications to get to TMS. You try one antidepressant, and if thats not successful, you switch to an antidepressant from a different class. And if those are not successful, Medicare will pay for transcranial magnetic stimulation.

And similarly, private insurers have realized that this would be a good alternative to hospitalization. So if somebody has depression and their depression is severe, you could administer transcranial magnetic stimulation and realize significant cost savings as opposed to a person being hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatry unit. This is going to be able to avoid hospitalization, keep a person out in the community, return them to work as soon as possible, return them to family, and return them as a functional member of society.

Kevin Pho: So how about in a primary care setting? If Im seeing a patient who has symptoms of depression or if Im treating them for depression, what are some typical scenarios where in the back of my mind I may consider transcranial magnetic stimulation as a next step for this patient? What would those patients typically look like?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: I would think about it early because a patient who suffers with depression, when they present to their primary care doctor, the symptoms have usually been going on for a little bit. They dont present at the first sign of trouble, but usually the symptoms have been going on for several months. By the time you give them an antidepressant and bring them back in four weeks, thats four to six months that have already passed for somebody whos already in depression. They either have side effects to the first dose of antidepressant that you give them, or they want to switch to a different agent, and then you switch them to a different agent. And then were already six months into an episode of depression.

I would start thinking about referral to a psychiatrist for transcranial magnetic stimulation. These machines are available in most cities now. Psychiatrists are administering those treatments. Theres availability, different brands of machines, but the treatment is available and its approved by insurance. Its much better for the patient to receive transcranial magnetic stimulation and return back to life as soon as possible rather than wait with an antidepressant that is not working.

So I encourage my colleagues in primary care to think about transcranial magnetic stimulation sooner than what they do with people doing multiple episodes of antidepressant treatment and suffering while not receiving adequate treatment and adequate response to antidepressants.

Kevin Pho: Were talking to Muhamad Aly Rifai, an internal medicine physician and psychiatrist. Todays KevinMD article is How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is transforming mental health care. Muhamad, what are some take-home messages that you want to leave with the KevinMD audience?

Muhamad Aly Rifai: Treatment for depression and treatment-refractory depression is available. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep transcranial magnetic stimulation are valid options that should be considered early by our colleagues in primary care. Do not wait, trying multiple courses of antidepressant medications; refer these patients early to a psychiatrist who administers transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for these patients to receive relief from their symptoms of depression and return to their normal life.

Kevin Pho: Muhamad, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and insight, and thanks again for coming back on the show.

Muhamad Aly Rifai: Thank you for having me.
By Nazrin Abdul



The 62nd meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) is currently being held in Baku, hosted by the Accounts Chamber of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The meeting has brought together more than 100 participants, including members of the ASOSAI Governing Board and Audit Committee, as well as representatives from the leadership and secretariat of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI).

The event officially opened with a keynote speech by Krishnan Sangaran, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India, representing the ASOSAI Chair. This was followed by an address from Vugar Gulmammadov, Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, who highlighted the significance of the meeting and emphasized Azerbaijans commitment to international cooperation in the field of public sector auditing. He also spoke about Azerbaijans contributions within the ASOSAI framework.

As part of the opening session, participants were shown a presentation video about Azerbaijan, showcasing the countrys culture, development, and achievements.

It was also noted that in September 2024, at the ASOSAI Assembly held in New Delhi, India, the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan was elected for the first time as a member of the ASOSAI Governing Boardmarking a milestone in the institution's growing international engagement.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
The leadership of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), a key subsidiary of AZCON Holding, held a video conference with Chairman of Pakistan Railways, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, to deepen bilateral cooperation in the transport and logistics sector, Azernews reports.

According to a statement released by Azerbaijan Railways and reported by Azernews, the meeting centered on expanding cargo transportation volumes, port integration, and new joint investment opportunities along routes connecting Azerbaijan and Pakistan via the East-West axis.

The discussions reflected growing interest in enhancing regional interconnectivity across the South AsiaCaucasusEurope corridor. Both sides voiced support for a multimodal transport corridor that would link China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, positioning Baku as a pivotal hub in global trade.

Among the practical initiatives discussed were pilot logistics projects, including the development of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Express and trilateral cargo transport involving Pakistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. The utilization of Pakistans Gwadar Port was highlighted as a critical component in facilitating faster cargo flows between Asia and Europe through the Middle Corridor.

The sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening rail and maritime integration in line with evolving global transit demands.
On 17 July authorities in Sinaloa state announced that three inmates had been killed in a brawl at a prison in the city of Los Mochis, Ahome municipality.

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On 17 July leading Salvadorean human rights group Cristosal announced it was suspending operations in the country and would work from its offices in Guatemala and Honduras.

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On 17 July the governments of Colombia and Venezuela signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a binational economic zone in the border region.

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On 17 July Brazils Presidentreleased an address to the nation in which he ramped up his criticisms of the latest tariff threat from US President

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Cambodia said that an order by Prime Minister Hun Manet for government bodies to crackdown on criminal cybercrime operations being run in the country had resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 suspects so far this week.

Hun Manet issued the order authorising state action for maintaining and protecting security, public order, and social safety.

The government has observed that online scams are currently causing threats and insecurity in the world and the region. In Cambodia, foreign criminal groups have also infiltrated to engage in online scams, Hun Manets statement, dated Tuesday, said.

The United Nations and other agencies estimate that cyberscams, most of them originating from Southeast Asia, earn international criminal gangs billions of dollars annually.

More than 1,000 suspects were arrested in raids in at least five provinces between Monday and Wednesday, according to statements from Information Minister Neth Pheaktra and police.

Those detained included more than 200 Vietnamese, 27 Chinese, and 75 suspects from Taiwan and 85 Cambodians in the capital Phnom Penh and the southern city of Sihanoukville. Police also seized equipment, including computers and hundreds of mobile phones.

At least 270 Indonesians, including 45 women, were arrested Wednesday in Poipet, a town on the border with Thailand notorious for cyberscam and gambling operations, the minister said. Elsewhere, police in the northeastern province of Kratie arrested 312 people, including nationals of Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam, while 27 people from Vietnam, China and Myanmar were arrested in the western province of Pursat.

Amnesty International last month published the findings of an 18-month investigation into cybercrime in Cambodia, which the human rights group said point towards state complicity in abuses carried out by Chinese criminal gangs.

The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring a litany of human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labor and torture being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, it said.

Human trafficking is closely associated with cyberscam operations, as workers are often recruited under false pretences and then held captive.

Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare  enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General Agnes Callamard said.

Cambodias latest crackdown comes in the midst of a bitter feud with neighboring Thailand. MDT/AP
American companies in China are reporting record-low new investment plans for this year and declining confidence in their profitability, with uncertainty in U.S.-China relations and President Donald Trumps tariffs their top concerns, according to a survey released yesterday [Macau time].

The companies are also challenged by Chinas slowing economy, where weak domestic demand and overcapacity in local industries are eroding profitability for the Americans.

Businesses in China are less profitable now than they were years ago, but risks, including reputational risk, regulatory risk, and political risk, are increasing, said Sean Stein, the president of the U.S.-China Business Council, a Washington-based group that represents American companies doing business in China, including major multinationals.

The survey, conducted between March and May and drawing from 130 member companies, came as the two countries clash over tariffs and non-tariff measures, including export controls on critical products such as rare-earth magnets and advanced computer chips.

Following high-level talks in Geneva and London, U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to pull back from sky-high tariffs and restrictions on exports, but uncertainty persists as the two sides are yet to hammer out a more permanent trade deal.

Kyle Sullivan, vice president of business advisory services at the USCBC, said more than half of the companies in the survey indicated they do not have new investment plans in China at all this year.

Thats a record high, Sullivan said, noting that it is a new development that we have not observed in previous surveys.

Around 40% of companies reported negative effects from U.S. export control measures, with many experiencing lost sales, severed customer relationships, and reputational damage from being unreliable suppliers, according to the survey. Citing national security, the U.S. government has banned exports to China of high-tech products, such as the most advanced chips, which could help boost Chinas military capabilities.

Stein argued that export controls must be very carefully targeted, because businesses from Europe or Japan, or local businesses in China would immediately fill the void left by American companies.

While 82% of U.S. companies reported profits in 2024, fewer than half are optimistic about the future in China, reflecting concerns over tariffs, deflation, and policy uncertainty, according to the survey.

Also, a record high number of American businesses plan to relocate their business operations outside of China, Sullivan said, as 27% of the members indicated so, up from 19% the year before.

In a departure from past surveys, concerns over Chinas regulatory environment, including risks of intellectual property misuse and lack of market access, didnt make it to the top five concerns this year. Thats likely a first, and not for a good reason, Stein said.

It is not because things got dramatically better on the Chinese side, but the new challenges, often coming from the U.S., are now posing as much of a challenge, Stein said.

Almost all the American companies said they cannot remain globally competitive without their Chinese operations.

A survey from the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China in May found that European companies were cutting costs and scaling back investment plans in China as its economy slows and fierce competition drives down prices. FU TING, WASHINGTON, MDT/AP
In the recent Armenian-Church conflict, the first scapegoat has emerged.

According to Zhokhovurd newspaper, citing sources close to the authorities, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was dissatisfied with the actions of his Chief of Staff, Arayik Harutyunyan, who was tasked with the "operation" to remove Catholicos Garegin II and find a replacement for him.

The newspaper claims that Harutyunyan was supposed to coordinate key steps to neutralize the influence of Armenias current spiritual leader. However, instead, the situation only escalated: the church became even more hostile towards the authorities, and no concrete actions were taken.

According to sources, Pashinyan is now considering the possibility of removing Harutyunyan if he fails to complete the task.

The Prime Minister has already announced his intention to personally "liberate the church from the Antichrist group."

In response, Catholicos Garegin II accused the authorities of launching an anti-church campaign.

It seems that Yerevan is now looking for someone to blame for the failure of the plan to purge the clergy.
The Health Bureau (SSM) reported a total of 1,616 cases of notifiable diseases in June. Among these, enterovirus infections showed a significant monthly increase, with 153 cases recorded  approximately 2.8 times higher than the previous month.

However, this represents an 86.2% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Influenza cases also rose sharply, with 1,262 reports in June.

This figure represents a monthly increase of about 2.1 times and a 30.5% rise year-on-year. Meanwhile, salmonella infections totaled 22 cases, marking a 22.2% increase from the previous month and a 37.5% increase compared to June last year.

Earlier this month, SSM data shows influenza activity in the city has surged past the alert threshold.

The bureau said that weekly positive detection rate of influenza virus cases has exceeded 13.1%, prompting officials to call on residents to take preventive measures.

Hospital monitoring shows a steady increase in flu-like illness consultations since mid-May, with a pronounced rise among children.

This years summer surge is mainly driven by influenza B (54.8%) and influenza A (H3) (38.1%), differing from previous winter peaks dominated by influenza A (H1), according to SSM. LV
The large-scale outdoor performance venue in Cotai remains available and without reservations until at least September, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in response to the Times inquiry.

According to the IC, since trial operations began in late December last year, various works on venue optimization and event negotiation have been carried out and conducted in an orderly manner, namely safety tests such as audience flow management.

Since that inaugural event, only one event has been held  on June 15  featuring Norwegian DJ Alan Walker.

According to the IC, approximately 11,000 people attended the performance, a number similar to that reported for the inaugural concert.

In March, in response to media inquiries about the venues idleness since December, the IC president said that concerts were planned for March and April but were suspended due to the number of expected spectators.

She implied that event organizers were aiming for a larger audience than the 20,000-capacity limit currently in place.

The IC also noted that the June 15 event was co-organized by the Coordination Group for Large-scale Shows, which oversaw venue operations and enforced complementary measures to ensure its success.

More concerts, bigger crowds expected in Q3

As the IC considered the Alan Walker concert successful, the bureau is now reviewing applications for larger events, accommodating up to 30,000 spectators.

The IC is currently following up closely on the applications for the second half of the year, and large-scale performances are expected to gradually increase spectator numbers to 25,00030,000 per session in the third quarter (Q3), the IC said, adding, Currently, there are two applications for preliminary reservation of the venue in September.

Authorities noted that the venue is still available between July and August and encouraged performing arts industry stakeholders to reserve the space for various events.

Trial runs

Expected to undergo a one-year trial run beginning with the inaugural concert on December 28, the venue is facing far fewer opportunities than expected for capacity testing. The cap enforced by the IC has discouraged event promoters.

The venue was originally built to offer a large-scale space exceeding the capacity of existing local arenas, with a government target of at least 50,000 spectators.

If the two applications to use the venue in September proceed, the one-year trial period will include just three events before the space becomes fully available and without capacity restrictions.

Fee structure

Venue fees are calculated based on audience size, with different rates depending on the number of attendees. The venues maximum daily rental charge is MOP500,000. During the trial period (2025), a 25% discount will apply.

Events with fewer than 30,000 spectators will incur a rental fee of MOP350,000, with an additional MOP175,000 per day for rehearsal and setup.

For events with more than 30,000 spectators, the performance-day fee is MOP500,000, with half-price charges for rehearsal and setup days.

In the meantime, many concerts and performances are being held at indoor venues, including Galaxy Arena (16,000 seats), the Venetian Arena (14,000 seats), and Broadway Macau Theatre (3,000 seats).

In some cases, shows have been expanded to multiple nights due to high public demand and the limited capacity of these venues.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has toured a panda breeding facility in the final stages of an extended state visit that has cast China as a fellow champion of a global fair trade system under threat from the United States.

The panda diplomacy stop yesterday in the central Chinese city of Chengdu highlighted Australias special status as the only Southern Hemisphere country to host a pair of the rare Chinese native animals.

Albanese and his fiancee Jodie Haydon visited a pen where they saw Fu Ni, a giant panda who had been on loan to Australias Adelaide Zoo until last year.

A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia, Albanese said of Fu Ni as she chomped on bamboo.

China loans Australia pandas

Premier Li Qiang used a visit to the Adelaide Zoo last year to announce Fu Ni and her partner Wang Wang would be replaced by another China-born pair that will hopefully breed.

The new couple, Xing Qiu and Yi Yan, made their public debut in January at the zoo in the South Australia state capital where they are a major tourist attraction.

Albaneses China trip, which began Saturday and ends today, is extraordinarily long compared with Australian state visits over the past decade and marks a normalization of bilateral relations that plumbed new depths under the previous Australian governments nine-year reign.

Albanese said he had visited Chengdu and the Great Wall of China, as well at the usual diplomatic destinations of Beijing and Shanghai, as a show of respect to the Chinese people.

The Great Wall of China symbolises the extraordinary history and culture here in China, and showing a bit of respect to people never cost anything. But you know what it does? It gives you a reward, Albanese told reporters.

One of the things that I find about giving countries respect is that you get it back, he added.

In 2020, Beijing banned minister-to-minister contacts and imposed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers on commodities including wine, beef, coal, barley and lobsters that cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year. This was a response to Australias previous government demanding an independent inquiry into the cause of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the pandemic was the final straw, relations had been deteriorating for years over issues including laws banning covert foreign interference in Australian politics and Australia barring Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei on security grounds from involvement in the national 5G network rollout.

The trade barriers have all been lifted since Albaneses center-left Labor Party was first elected in 2022. But now, the United States threatens to become a major disruptor to global trade through President Donald Trumps tariff regime.

Xi urges Australia to hold course

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Albanese at the outset of their bilateral meeting in Beijing Tuesday that the important thing their two countries had learned in repairing relations was that equal treatment, seeking common ground and pursuing cooperation served the interests of both.

No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly, Xi said through an interpreter. The comment was widely interpreted as a reference to U.S. tariffs.

Albanese replied that his government welcomed progressing cooperation under their decade-old bilateral free trade agreement.

Australia will remain a strong supporter of free and fair trade, Albanese said.

The United States has allocated Australia the minimum 10% tariff on U.S. imports. Australia argues that any tariff cannot be justified and that the U.S. has enjoyed a trade surplus with Australia for decades.

The greater economic damage for Australia would likely be from a Chinese economic downturn caused by its U.S. tariff treatment. Around a third of Australian exports go to China.

Australia shifts away from the US

James Laurenceson, director of the University of Technology Sydneys Australia-China Relations Institute, described Chinas presentation of itself as Australias ally in defending free trade as self-serving.

Its not so much Australia aligning with China. Its really just about Australia and China agreeing theyve got a shared interest in the existing system, and its the U.S. thats walking away from that, Laurenceson said.

I dont think the big shift this week is Australia getting closer to China. I think the distance with the United States is getting wider and wider, he added.

Albaneses political enemies have criticised him for now having four face-to-face meetings with Xi  including two in Beijing  while the prime minister has yet to meet Trump in person. KEN MORITSUGU & ROD McGUIRK, BEIJING, MDT/AP
Analysis

By Joao Palla Martins, Architect (text and photos)



In 2005, the inscription of the Historic Centre of Macau on the UNESCO World Heritage List marked an international recognition of the citys unique cultural layering  a landscape of Baroque churches, Chinese temples, colonial mansions and cobbled alleyways shaped by centuries of encounter. It was a milestone that validated what those who live, study, or love Macau already knew: that the citys architecture is not only historically significant but intimately tied to its identity, memory, and social life.

Twenty years later, this milestone invites celebration. UNESCO listing undoubtedly brought legal protection, restoration investment, and increased visibility for Macaus cultural assets. But it also calls for scrutiny  a moment to reflect on what has been preserved, what has been lost, what remains at risk, and what new challenges lie ahead.

The Cultural Institute (IC) of Macau has matured since its early beginnings in the 1970s, when architect Francisco Figueira proposed a list of buildings to protect, laying the groundwork for preservation legislation and awareness. Over subsequent decades, numerous task forces prepared for broader recognition. After the handover, the Macau SAR administration officially endorsed the effort, and the Historic Centre of Macau gained UNESCO World Heritage status.

The IC has worked diligently and efficiently. All landmarks have been carefully restored and maintained, leading to greater awareness of the citys historic layers. Today, Macau has successfully positioned itself as a place where East meets West in built form. Tourists flock to the Historic Centre like never before.

Recognising that Macaus heritage could not rely solely on its initial listing, the IC expanded the register to include additional buildings. It also embraced vernacular and religious practices by cataloguing intangible cultural manifestations, from Chinese urban traditions to Macanese customs  including gastronomy, Patua (a Portuguese-based creole language influenced by Cantonese, Malay, and Sinhala), and even certain Portuguese practices. Celebrating 20 years of heritage status calls for broadening the lens: not just honouring the icons, but appreciating everyday life.

Yet the UNESCO designation has been a double-edged sword. While it brought global recognition and protective legislation, enforcement has often faltered. Just a few streets beyond the postcard images, reality proves more fragile. In the past two decades, demolitions, speculative construction, and neglect have increased  especially in areas outside the core or buffer zones of the UNESCO listing. The long-promised Safeguard and Management Plan was finally published in January 2024. However, while awaiting its final legislative version, many owners have pre-emptively demolished heritage-worthy buildings, fearing rigid new regulations.

In an earlier reflection written ten years ago, I argued that Macaus vernacular heritage was slipping through the cracks. That warning still stands. Urban renewal projects have often treated these neighbourhoods as expendable, undermining Macaus character.

Much of Macaus soul lives in the shadows of official heritage: in the patios, becos, and backstreets or old shops; in houses shaped not by architects but by habit, community, and need. These vernacular forms  domestic, modest, and often overlooked  represent more than architectural typologies; they are the living records of shared life, built knowledge, and quiet resilience.

While some monumental sites have seen restoration, many buildings that reflect vernacular practices and local lifeways  although not explicitly recognised in the listing  have succumbed to neglect or demolition. The patios, narrow alleys flanked by family dwellings that form the social and spatial heart of traditional communities, continue to erode. Their disappearance dilutes Macaus historic rhythm and the identity of the citys urban fabric. Though not central to the UNESCO inscription, their role in sustaining everyday life and cultural continuity makes their loss especially troubling.

These vernacular spaces, shaped by centuries of lived experience and local craftsmanship, are not mere relics but vital expressions of Macaus unique cultural identity. Their survival depends on recognising their intrinsic value beyond aesthetic appeal  as living environments, carriers of social memory, and reservoirs of traditional knowledge. The challenge remains to integrate these vernacular settlements into the contemporary urban landscape through thoughtful preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse. Aware of this, the IC acquired Patio da Eterna Felicidade from private owners, and it is now under renovation.

In older quarters, particularly around Avenida Almeida Ribeiro and the Inner Harbour, remnants of Macaus once-thriving commercial and industrial past still linger  though in rapid decline. Businesses tied to the port and fishing industry, such as fishmongers and producers of oyster oil and shrimp paste, survive alongside retailers of fishing equipment. These activities, alongside a few remaining wooden buildings, recall the now-extinct shipbuilding industry once centred on Avenida Almirante Lacerda and Lai Chi Vun in Coloane. Fortunately, in 2008, public support and timely intervention led the IC to protect and list Lai Chi Vun  a rare classification of an entire vernacular site. Similarly, the former Iec Long firecracker factory in Taipa has been safeguarded, signalling progress in recognising heritage rooted in daily life and small-scale community relations. Nevertheless, most patios remain privately owned, complicating preservation efforts  though the government continues to negotiate and aims to secure more sites.

Another encouraging development is the formal recognition of traditional bamboo construction under Macaus Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Bamboo scaffolding and theatre structures, crafted with ancient techniques, are not merely functional. They embody feng shui principles, communal celebration, and sustainable design. Erected annually to host Chinese opera performances in honour of deities, these structures reflect heritage as technique and ritual  not just architecture. Moving from recognition to active safeguarding is vital: supporting artisans, documenting skills, and integrating vernacular knowledge into contemporary design discourse.

The role in the Greater Bay Area

While this anniversary rightly centres Macau, it also invites reflection on its role in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). In a region defined by modernity, Macaus Historic Centre offers a counter-narrative  one of endurance, layering, and cultural encounter. Where skylines elsewhere gleam with glass and steel, Macau speaks a language of stone, tile, courtyard, and memory.

Its heritage centre  with Chinese temples, Portuguese facades, and hybrid spaces  can serve as a cultural anchor in the GBA, not as a peripheral outpost but as a reflective hub. Here, bamboo scaffolds meet Baroque altars; alleyways echo with memory. If the GBA seeks a richer urban narrative encompassing culture, sustainability, and heritage, Macau has much to offer.

Yet that potential must be activated. Heritage cannot remain static, fenced off or frozen in time. It needs to be lived, studied, celebrated  and shared. This means encouraging new generations of architects, artists, and historians to engage with the citys fabric; it means fostering regional exchange, connecting Macaus layers with other GBA voices. Macaus legacy becomes a dialogue starter, a living framework for rethinking urbanism and architecture.

Looking ahead, it is imperative to move beyond fragmented protection and foster a holistic management strategy that embraces both tangible and intangible heritage.

Practical steps forward

One priority is the publication of detailed manuals of good practice for architects, builders, and property owners. These guides should offer comprehensive advice on how to respectfully and effectively intervene in heritage areas or buildings. Topics would include material selection, traditional construction techniques, adaptive reuse strategies, and energy efficiency. By making this knowledge accessible, these manuals would empower stakeholders to harmonise historical preservation with contemporary needs  ensuring that Macaus heritage is not only safeguarded but also actively lived and adapted.

Secondly, it is vital to enhance heritage appreciation through curated interpretive routes. These routes should tell the rich, intertwined stories of Macaus Portuguese and Chinese legacies  reinforcing both local identity and visitor engagement. More than just showcasing grand monuments, they must reveal the hidden layers of the city: the vernacular rhythms, working-class histories, intimate spatial dynamics, and Macaus hybrid urbanism. By connecting buildings through human narratives rather than merely styles or dates, these routes can reanimate the citys memory and foster a deeper connection to its evolving fabric.

Third is the proposal to create an interpretation centre for Macaus architecture and urbanism  not a conventional museum, but a collaborative hub offering a global reading of the city. This centre would invite citizen participation to enrich the narrative with old photographs, personal testimonies, and artefacts. Government departments could contribute archival materials such as historical urban plans, blueprints, and architectural models, forming a dynamic and research-ready archive. A partnership with local universities would further enhance educational opportunities in architecture and urban planning. Heritage should be approached not as a static image to preserve but as a dynamic field  one that welcomes innovation grounded in context, community, and continuity. Technology could play a transformative role here, such as creating immersive 3D virtual tours that illustrate Macaus urban evolution across different centuries.

Lastly, the strategy should expand the register of protected buildings to encompass the entire 20th century, recognising that Macaus architectural practice in this era aligned with global modernist trends. This modern heritage, well-documented by organisations like DOCOMOMO, includes several outstanding structures that contribute significantly to the citys built identity. To celebrate this legacy, numerous publications could be released  from monographic studies on specific architects to comprehensive surveys of Macaus 20th-century architecture and urban planning.

Twenty years after its UNESCO listing, Macau stands at a crossroads. Its future depends on whether heritage becomes a dynamic source of resilience  or fades beneath unchecked development. Architects, cultural workers, government officials, and citizens share responsibility. Its time to shift from preservation as bureaucracy to heritage as a living commitment.

The best tribute to this milestone wont be plaques or photo ops. It will be in the alleyways still walked, buildings still lived in, rituals still performed, and knowledge still passed down. If Macaus heritage is to remain alive, it must be cared for not as a museum, but as a city  layered, evolving, and deeply human.

Key Takeaways

Heritage beyond monuments

Macaus identity lies not only in its grand landmarks but also in its vernacular spaces  patios, alleys, and traditional houses shaped by everyday life. Protecting these modest structures is essential to sustaining the citys cultural fabric and preventing the erosion of its lived urban heritage.

A double-edged sword

While UNESCO listing brought visibility and legal safeguards, enforcement has been uneven. Speculative demolition and urban renewal threaten sites beyond the core zones. A long-delayed management plan and proactive policy are needed to preserve both tangible and intangible heritage amidst modern development pressures.

Living heritage and GBA

Macau must evolve from preserving isolated monuments to adopting a holistic, participatory approach. This includes education, community involvement, interpretive tools, and integration with Greater Bay Area dynamics  ensuring heritage remains relevant, resilient, and rooted in contemporary urban life.
On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the Khojaly brick factory.

The production facility was built in the village of Dashbulag, located in the Khojaly district. The project, with an investment value of AZN 8.5 million, has created permanent employment for 60 people, the majority of whom are residents of the territories liberated from occupation. The number of jobs at the plant is expected to increase to 120 in the future.

The plant has an annual production capacity of 16.2 million bricks. It utilizes modern German and Turkish technologies, with a focus on energy efficiency and environmental protection.

The main raw material source for the plant is the Khojaly clay deposit located near the city of Khojaly. The facility occupies nearly one hectare, with an additional 6.5 hectares allocated for raw material storage.

The plant will benefit from all incentives and exemptions provided to residents of the liberated territories. The application of tax, social insurance, and other concessions in these areas plays a crucial role in unlocking their economic potential, creating favorable conditions for business, and promoting entrepreneurial activity that boosts employment. Favorable conditions are being created for both investors and entrepreneurs. Overall, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan continues to pursue a consistent and systematic industrialization policy. In this context, technological modernization and the expansion of innovative production sectors remain key priorities.
Cebu-based fuel retailer Top Line Business Development Corp. is acquiring several gasoline stations owned by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. in Cebu province.

Weve laid down a preliminary framework, and our teams are now working through the finer details, Brigitte Carmel Lim, Top Line senior vice president and chief operating officer, said.

- Advertisement -

While things are still in progress, we can say that this move supports our goal to grow the Light Fuels network across the Visayas and make quality fuel more accessible to more communities. Well share more updates once everythings finalized.

Top Line announced the acquisition in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.

The companys board of directors approved the deal on Wednesday. The purchase, made through Top Line subsidiary Light Fuels Corp. (LFC), includes the gas stations fixtures, machinery, equipment and leasehold rights.

The company did not disclose the number of stations it plans to acquire from Phoenix, which is owned by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy. Phoenix has faced financial difficulties in recent years amid mounting debts.

Phoenix halted its importation operations of diesel and gasoline in March 2023 due to price volatilities in the world oil market. It also divested its investments in PNX Petroleum Singapore Pte. Ltd (PNX SG) as part of a restructuring program.

This marks Top Lines second major acquisition this month.

Last week, it announced it acquired 38 retail fuel stations, a 2-million-liter depot and 15 fuel tanker trucks from Total Oil & Gas Resources Inc. and Ballston Metro Corp.

Top Line was listed on the main board of the PSE in April, raising P733 million pesos in proceeds. It plans to use the bulk of the proceeds from its shares offering to fund its retail network expansion.
China is rapidly expanding the use of its currency, the yuan, across Africa, positioning the continent as a strategic testing ground for its broader de-dollarization goals.

Recent agreements between China and Egypt mark the latest milestone in this push, signaling a shift in Africas financial orientation toward non-Western systems. During Chinese Premier Li Qiangs visit to Cairo last week, the Peoples Bank of China and the Central Bank of Egypt signed a series of deals to promote yuan usage in bilateral trade and investment. These include expanding Chinas UnionPay system, enabling cross-border payments through the yuan-based CIPS network, and exploring currency swaps and yuan-denominated bonds.

Egypt now joins countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Angola in signing similar deals. Nigeria recently renewed a 15 billion yuan swap agreement, and South Africas Standard Bank  partly owned by Chinas ICBC  has adopted CIPS for direct yuan transactions. Experts see Africas high trade dependency on China, combined with limited access to dollars and euros, as ideal conditions for testing yuan internationalization.

For China, there may be a chance to test the internationalization of the RMB via a few countries in Africa first, where volumes might be small on a global scale and Chinas footprint in the region relatively large, said Lauren Johnston of the AustChina Institute. Though still a small portion of total trade, analysts like Aly-Khan Satchu believe yuan usage could eventually dominate China-Africa commerce  this potentially could go to 100% of the trade number. As U.S.-led financial systems face increased scrutiny, Chinas monetary footprint on the continent appears poised to grow  one deal at a time.
Togolese citizens headed to the polls on Thursday, July 17, for municipal elections widely perceived as a litmus test for President Faure Gnassingbes grip on power following a controversial constitutional reform.

The reform, which allows Gnassingbealready in office since 2005to remain president of the powerful Council of Ministers indefinitely, has triggered rare but deadly protests. Amid heightened security in Lome and a backdrop of fear and repression, many polling stations in the capital remained largely empty, highlighting growing voter apathy and public disillusionment.

The elections, the first since the constitutional changes, were overshadowed by calls for a boycott from diaspora activists and civil society groups, who criticised the credibility of the electoral process. A heavy presence of police and military personnel at strategic points across Lome deepened the sense of unease among residents. With dissent suppressed and democratic space shrinking, Thursdays vote reflected not a celebration of civic engagement but a population increasingly wary of a political system perceived as unresponsive and coercive.
The French military on Thursday, July 17, officially completed its withdrawal from Senegal, marking the end of its last permanent troop deployment in West Africa. During a handover ceremony in Dakar, France transferred control of Camp Geille and an adjacent air facility to the Senegalese Government, symbolising a significant shift in regional dynamics and a broader recalibration of Franco-African military relations.

The move aligns with Frances broader decision to dismantle permanent bases across West and Central Africa following mounting criticism from African leaders who have decried Paris approach as paternalistic and overbearing.

General Pascal Ianni, head of French forces in Africa, described the transition as the beginning of a new chapter in Franco-Senegalese military cooperation. Senegals top military officer, General Mbaye Cisse, welcomed the withdrawal, stating it reflects the nations evolving defence posture aimed at strengthening the autonomy of its armed forces and contributing meaningfully to peace across the continent and beyond. The development underscores a growing trend across Africa where former colonies are asserting greater control over security frameworks and redefining partnerships on more equitable terms.
Mozambican health authorities have confirmed on Thursday, July 17, two additional cases of mpox in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to sixall concentrated in the northern province of Niassa.

The National Directorate of Public Health, in its latest bulletin covering data from 11 to 16 July, also reported 23 suspected cases, with eight patients currently in isolation and 27 individuals under active monitoring. The two newly confirmed cases were found in the Lago district of Niassa, while three more suspected cases have been identified in both Niassa and Tete provinces. Authorities have stated that no deaths have occurred as a result of the outbreak thus far.

According to government officials, the confirmed cases have links to neighbouring Malawi, where a wider outbreak has affected nearly 50 individuals. Council of Ministers spokesman Inocencio Impissa confirmed that the infected individuals were Mozambican nationals who had recently travelled from Malawi. He assured the public that the situation is under control and that the government has taken proactive measures to prevent further spread, including placing confirmed patients in quarantine within the Lago district and closely monitoring their health status. The Ministry of Health reported that all patients remain clinically stable and are currently undergoing home isolation under medical supervision.

This marks the first occurrence of mpox cases in Mozambique during the current regional outbreak, which has been spreading across multiple African countries since early 2024. From January to July this year, over 77,000 mpox cases and 501 deaths were reported across 22 countries in the African region, according to the World Health Organisation.

Mozambique previously reported its initial mpox cases in 2022, and now joins a list of southern African nationsincluding South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congograppling with renewed infections. Mpox, a zoonotic viral disease first identified in 1970 in the DRC, remains a global health concern, with WHO declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in August 2024.
Sudans gold production soared to 64 tonnes in 2024a 53% increase from 41.8 tonnes in 2022bringing in $1.57 billion in legal export revenues, according to the State-owned Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC).

The announcement was made by SMRC Director Mohamed Tahir Omer during a media briefing in Cairo, highlighting the sectors critical role in sustaining Sudans fragile economy amid an ongoing 27-month civil war. As traditional revenue streams collapse under the pressure of conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), gold has emerged as a cornerstone of national survival.

SMRC projects an additional 37 tonnes of gold production in the first half of 2025, expected to generate over 403 billion Sudanese pounds. Omer emphasised the potential of mining to lead economic recovery, noting that workforce capacity in the sector has surged from 5% to 40%. However, the gains are heavily undermined by rampant smuggling, with officials estimating that nearly half of Sudans gold output escapes through illicit channelslargely across porous borders with South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Key gold mines are reportedly under RSF control, raising concerns that proceeds are being used to finance armed groups.

International observers, including Chatham House and Swissaid, estimate that Sudans true gold production could reach 80 tonnes annually, worth over $6 billion. The stark disparity between official revenues and actual output underscores the governments limited control over its mineral wealth. As war continues to displace millions and drive the country toward famine, the unchecked gold trade is both a financial lifeline and a source of fuel for ongoing conflict, deepening Sudans humanitarian and economic crisis.
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:

PathoPlex. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09225-2

Researchers from Aarhus Universityin a major international collaborationhave developed a groundbreaking method that can provide more information from the tissue samples doctors take from patients every day.

The new technique, called Pathology-oriented multiPlexing or PathoPlex, can look under a microscope at over 100 different proteins in the same small piece of tissueinstead of just 1-2 at a time, as is done now.

The technology, which has just been published in the journal Nature, combines advanced image processing with machine learning to map complex disease processes in detail.

"PathoPlex provides unique opportunities to explore the complex nature of human disease, which could have a direct impact on patient care," explains Professor Victor Puelles from the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University.

Can see changes even before disease becomes visible

In the study, researchers tested the technology on, among other things, specimens from patients with diabetes. Here they could detect complex disease processes that cannot be seen with conventional methods.

"We could see how diabetes affects the kidneys through an entire network of simultaneous changes," says Puelles.

Particularly noteworthy was that researchers could find changes in young diabetic patients before there were clear signs of kidney disease.

3D printing-based liquid-handling solution. This video shows the use of a 3D printer with custom 3D-printed cartridges and imaging chambers to perform automated liquid handling following the PathoPlex protocol. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09225-2

Can measure how medicine works directly in tissue

One of the most promising applications is the technology's ability to measure how medicine works directly in tissue. The researchers examined the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors, a common type of diabetes medication, and found surprising results.

"We could see that treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors helped with some of the alterations linked to diabetes, but not all of them. While there is much more work to be done, our results raise important questions, for example, whether diabetic patients might need additional therapies to protect their kidneys," says Puelles.

Free and available to everyone

Unlike many other research breakthroughs, the team has chosen to make their technology freely available. They have also made it flexiblewith different solutions for small and large experiments, one of which uses a simple 3D printer as a liquid handling system. The researchers also include a step-by-step computational guide to perform image analysis, with a Python package called "spatiomic" available to the community.

"It was important for us to provide an open solution that the entire research community could use," explains Puelles.

PathoPlex as a tool to analyze human DKD. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09225-2

Can be used for many diseases

Although the study focused on kidney diseases, researchers believe the technology can be used for almost all diseases where doctors need to examine tissues. For example, the team showed that PathoPlex works in liver and brain tissue, demonstrating how versatile it can be.

Before the technology can be used in hospitals, however, more work is needed. The researchers are working on simple solutions to fully automate the method, improvements to current benchmarking strategies, and concrete clinical applications that can show direct added value for patients.

The study was conducted in collaboration with and co-led by researchers from Germany, Japan, France, the U.S., Australia, and Switzerland, in a truly multidisciplinary effort across borders.

More information: Victor Puelles, Pathology-oriented multiplexing enables integrative disease mapping, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09225-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09225-2 Journal information: Nature
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A new study led by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, has found that exposure to higher levels of air pollution during midlife is associated with slower processing speed, lower scores on a cognitive screening tool, and differences in brain structure later in life.

Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the research was conducted in partnership with University College London (UCL), University of Leicester and Alzheimer's Research UK (ARUK). It provides further evidence that exposure to air pollution is linked with poorer brain health as humans age and suggests that even small reductions in levels of exposure could conserve cognition and brain structure in older people.

This research combined an analysis of health survey data with a neuroimaging sub-study to gain a more detailed understanding of the effects of exposure to a range of air pollutants.

Researchers examined the data available from 1,761 participants aged 45 and over who had taken part in the Medical Research Council's (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD). The team examined modeled exposure to air pollution over a 26-year period and assessed participants' verbal memory and processing speed at ages 43, 53, 6064, and 69. They also underwent an Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination cognitive screening test at age 69, designed to detect cognitive impairment and dementia.

Researchers also analyzed data from a substudy from NSHDInsight 46in which a smaller group of NSHD participants aged 6971 underwent a brain scan. Unlike previous work, this study could control for lifetime exposure to a range of pollutants while also adjusting for an extensive range of clinical and sociodemographic factors, including childhood cognition.

When analyzing the data, researchers found that, at age 69, those participants who had been exposed to higher levels of all air pollutants from age 45 onwards had lower scores on their ACE III tests, which measures attention, memory, verbal fluency, language and perception.

Those participants who were exposed to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and particulate matter (PM 10 ) also demonstrated slower processing speeds between the ages of 43 and 69.

These associations remain significant even after accounting for participants' childhood cognitive ability and air pollution exposure up to age 45. The researchers did not, however, find any conclusive association between air pollution and verbal memory.

In the neuroimaging substudy, researchers found that high levels of exposure to NO X was associated with smaller hippocampal volume while increased levels of exposure to NO 2 and PM 10 was associated with larger ventricular volume, which increases in size when brain tissue reduces. Both brain structure outcomes are linked with cognitive impairment and dementia.

"153 million people are predicted to be living with dementia byc 2050. Our study represents one of the longest follow-ups that seeks to understand the impact of air pollution on a broad range of cognitive outcomes and on brain health as we age. Most of the world's population is breathing toxic air above World Health Organization recommended limits, which could partly explain the increased dementia risk as people age," says Professor Ioannis Bakolis.

Thomas Canning, one of the study's first authors from King's IoPPN said, "For some time, researchers have been seeking to highlight the long-term and potentially permanent effects of air pollution on the brain. Our study highlights that reducing people's exposure has the potential to help conserve cognition and brain structure as they age, even if this happens once they reach midlife."

More information: Thomas Canning et al, Associations between life course exposure to ambient air pollution with cognition and later-life brain structure: a population-based study of the 1946 British Birth Cohort, The Lancet Healthy Longevity (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100724
By Akbar Novruz



Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reportedly informed close associates that Armenia will likely withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in February 2026, Azernews reports, citing Armenian outlet Hraparak. The announcement marks the clearest signal yet of Yerevans accelerating disengagement from the Russia-led military bloc.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia has halted participation in CSTO activities since September 2023, effectively severing operational ties. Under the CSTO charter, any member state that fails to pay its membership fees and share of the organizations budget for two consecutive years becomes subject to internal review regarding the appropriateness of its continued membership.

The prime minister reportedly acknowledged two possible outcomes: either Armenia will be formally expelled, or the country itself will initiate a voluntary withdrawal.

Note that the Armenian Prime Minister mentioned this issue at a press conference on Wednesday.

It is more likely for Armenia to withdraw from the CSTO than to freeze its membership, he said, attributing the decision to the CSTOs failure to fulfill its obligations to Armenia.
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Credit: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Long ambulance response times, costly and unreliable non-emergency transportation, and insufficient insurance coverage for travel-related health care expenses are among the key findings of a new report released by the University of Hawaii Rural Health Research and Policy Center (UH RHRPC).

"The Impacts of Transportation and Travel Access on Rural Health in Hawaii" underscores the widespread challenges faced by residents in rural and neighbor island communities when trying to access timely and affordable health care, and offers policy solutions to address barriers.

Although about 30% of Hawaii's population lives in rural areas spread across six publicly inhabited islands, most specialty care is located on Oahu. The report found that residents of Molokai and Lanai routinely face flight delays or cancellations, often missing urgent medical appointments and waiting months for rescheduling.

The report also highlights gaps in insurance coverage, especially for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid, and the high out-of-pocket costs for travel, lodging, and food associated with medical visits. Maternal-fetal health services are particularly challenging, with some pregnant patients needing to relocate from neighbor islands to Oahu for prenatal and delivery care or risk emergency medevac transport.

"Improving access will require coordinated efforts across health care, transportation and policy sectors," said John Desfor, UH RHRPC policy and data analyst. "We hope this research will guide meaningful action to improve transportation access for health care in rural communities across Hawaii."

Some of the shared policy options to address these challenges include:

Enhance emergency air and ground ambulance fleets

Support community paramedicine programs and expand primary care teams

Mandate non-emergency medical transportation coverage in Medicare and private/employer-based insurance in Hawaii

Establish a grant program for community-based organizations to support housing for maternal-fetal patients relocating for prenatal and delivery care

Support regional health hubs and mobile maternal health clinics in rural areas

Expand interisland flight programs and explore cost-effective and sustainable alternative modes of transportation for health services

Address airline reliability concerns and increase airline competition by leveraging the U.S. Department of Transportation Essential Air Service program

Enable hospitals and clinics to be reimbursed for transportation

The four-part report features a literature review, interviews with 40 stakeholders, policy recommendations and a focused sub-report on maternal-fetal telehealth.

"We appreciate the significant community engagement in this project from start to finish," said Aimee Grace, UH RHRPC principal investigator and UH Strategic Health Initiatives director. "Many stakeholders met with our team to share their stories or contribute context and policy ideas. We look forward to working together to share these policy options further."

The Hawaii Public Health Institute will host a webinar on this project on August 18, 2025, noon1 p.m. (register here).

More information: The Impacts of Transportation and Travel Access on Rural Health in Hawai'i. research.hawaii.edu/rhrpc/wp-c  ne-25-2025-Final.pdf
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Vitamin D is not only an essential nutrient, but also the precursor of the hormone calcitriol, indispensable for health. It regulates the uptake of phosphate and calcium necessary for bones by the intestines, as well as cell growth and the proper function of muscles, nerve cells, and the immune system.

Now, researchers have shown for the first time in Frontiers in Endocrinology that a particular gene called SDR42E1 is crucial for taking up vitamin D from the gut and further metabolizing ita discovery with many possible applications in precision medicine, including cancer therapy.

"Here we show that blocking or inhibiting SDR42E1 may selectively stop the growth of cancer cells," said Dr. Georges Nemer, a professor and associate dean for research at the University College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, and the study's corresponding author.

Faulty copy

Nemer and colleagues were inspired by earlier research that had found a specific mutation in the SDR42E1 gene on chromosome 16 to be associated with vitamin D deficiency. The mutation caused the protein to be cut short, rendering it inactive.

The researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to transform the active form of SDR42E1 in a line of cells from a patient with colorectal cancer, called HCT116, into its inactive form. In HCT116 cells, the expression of SDR42E1 is usually abundant, suggesting that the protein is essential for their survival.

Once the faulty SDR42E1 copy had been introduced, the viability of the cancer cells plummeted by 53%. No fewer than 4,663 "downstream"' genes changed their expression levels, suggesting that SDR42E1 is a crucial molecular switch in many reactions necessary for the health of cells. Many of these genes are normally involved in cancer-related cell signaling and the absorption and metabolism of cholesterol-like moleculesconsistent with the central role of SDR42E1 in calcitriol synthesis.

These results suggest that inhibiting the gene can selectively kill cancer cells, while leaving neighboring cells unharmed.

Cuts two ways

"Our results open new potential avenues in precision oncology, though clinical translation still requires considerable validation and long-term development," said Dr. Nagham Nafiz Hendi, a professor at Middle East University in Amman, Jordan, and the study's first author.

But starving selected cells of vitamin D is not the only possible application that immediately sprang to the mind of the researchers. The present results suggest that SDR42E1 cuts two ways: artificially dialing up levels of SDR42E1 in local tissues through gene technology might likewise be beneficial, leveraging the many known health effects of calcitriol.

"Because SDR42E1 is involved in vitamin D metabolism, we could also target it in any of the many diseases where vitamin D plays a regulatory role," said Nemer.

"For example, nutrition studies have indicated that the hormone can lower the risk of cancer, kidney disease, and autoimmune and metabolic disorders. But such broader applications must be done with caution, as the long-term effects of SDR42E1 on vitamin D balance remain to be fully understood."

More information: SDR42E1 modulates vitamin D absorption and cancer pathogenesis: insights from an in vitro model, Frontiers in Endocrinology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1585859
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The number of mpox cases in Guinea since an outbreak was first detected has passed 200, health officials told AFP Friday, with several nearby countries witnessing recent increases in infections.

Last month World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus remains an international health emergency amid the rise in West Africa.

Guinea has now recorded 206 total cases, spokesman Sory Keira of the National Agency for Health Security (ANSS) told AFP.

The outbreak, which began last September, includes one death and 77 hospitalizations.

Mpox is caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox. It can be transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed between people through close physical contact.

The disease, which was first detected in humans in 1970 in the DR Congo, causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, and can be deadly.

It has two subtypes: clade 1 and clade 2.

Long endemic in Central Africa, the virus gained international prominence in May 2022 when clade 2 spread around the world, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men.

WHO in June said the disease would remain an international emergency "based on the continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent."

From January to late May of this year, Sierra Leone recorded a total of 3,350 cases, including 16 deaths.

Liberia had some 71 active cases in early June, according to its National Public Health Institute.

Thousands of cases have also been recorded this year across DR Congo, Uganda and Burundi, according to WHO.

 2025 AFP
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Our beliefs about health often unconsciously shape the decisions we make daily. However, not all these beliefs are based on solid scientific foundations. Some, although well-intentioned, are illusory beliefs about health, i.e., misconceptions that can lead us away from effective practices and towards choices that can harm our health.

One example is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), whose practices can even provide well-being and relief, with harmless effects. However, the generalized rejection of approaches based on scientific evidence can pose serious health risks.

To understand how illusory health beliefs relate to the use of regular health care and the adoption of scientifically recommended behaviors, a team led by Andrew Denovan carried out a study with 1,507 participants using statistical models.

In the article "The Relationship Between Illusory Health Beliefs, Recommended Health Behaviours, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Investigation Across Multiple Time Points," published in May in the journal Behavioral Sciences, the researchers from Liverpool John Moores University and Manchester Metropolitan University (U.K.) explain that they analyzed adherence to recommended health behaviors (e.g., lifestyle, vaccinations) and trust in health professionals versus the use of CAM.

The findings revealed a clear pattern: the stronger the belief in pseudoscientific ideas, the greater the distrust of conventional medicine and the higher the tendency to seek unvalidated therapies. The study also revealed that certain factors can reduce or even suppress the intensity of this pattern.

This is the case with valuing science and the perception of personal control over health, the so-called internal locus of control, which is associated with more informed decisions, greater adherence to health recommendations, and trust in health professionals, as well as a critical attitude towards pseudoscientific practices.

"It's important to bear in mind that while certain CAM approaches can offer complementary value, especially in contexts such as palliative care, rejecting conventional medicine based on scientific evidence can lead to serious consequences, such as vaccine hesitancy or delaying important diagnoses," emphasizes Denovan.

"This was the first study to explore the predictive and mediating relationships between illusory health beliefs and health outcomes," reveals the researcher, emphasizing that "understanding these dynamics is a fundamental step towards strengthening health literacy and promoting truly informed choices."

More information: Andrew Denovan et al, The Relationship Between Illusory Health Beliefs, Recommended Health Behaviours, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Investigation Across Multiple Time Points, Behavioral Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.3390/bs15050614

Provided by BIAL Foundation
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that affects ovaries, periods and fertility in about one in 10 Canadian women. Different from ovarian cysts, PCOS is associated with infertility, pregnancy complications, heart disease and a general decreased quality of life, and yet fewer than half of those affected even know they have it.

This under-recognition and under-diagnosis is a significant problem, because a recent Canadian study suggests these women are 20% to 40% more likely to experience negative health outcomes during their lifetime than the general population, including hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney disease, gastrointestinal disease, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.

Heart disease risk

The Canadian researchers also found obesity, dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of fat in your blood) and Type 2 diabetes to be two to three times more common for women with PCOS. And most importantly, cardiovascular disease, which causes heart failure and stroke, was not only 30% to 50% more likely, but occurred three to four years earlier than average in women with PCOS.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, so when PCOS symptoms are missed and untreated, women's health is at risk.

High cost

There is undoubtedly a personal cost to individual women, both physically and mentally, and living with PCOS can be a significant financial, health-care and work-life burden for many women, too, which may disproportionately affect those in lower socioeconomic groups.

These experiences are further compounded by a system failure to properly diagnose and manage their symptoms. Women report doctors ignoring or dismissing their concerns, not believing them and struggling to make a diagnosis. In fact, a large international survey reported it can take several months, and even several years, before women are diagnosed.

Common PCOS symptoms

PCOS symptoms can vary between different women, but it is important to discuss the possibility of PCOS with your doctor, because careful management and/or treatment can help protect against developing more serious, related health issues. Common symptoms include:

Irregular periods

Excess body hair, called hirsutism (usually darker hair on the face, arms, chest or abdomen)

Thinning or loss of hair (like excess body hair, this is caused by high levels of male hormones, or androgens)

Acne and/or oily skin

Weight gain

Managing and treating PCOS

Despite PCOS first being diagnosed almost a century ago, there is no single test to confirm whether a woman has it, and there is no cure. If your doctor suspects you may have PCOS, they may order blood work to check your hormone levels and an ultrasound to check your ovaries.

Unlike ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs that develop on or inside an ovary and can be painful, polycystic ovaries are enlarged, with multiple follicles that can be seen on ultrasound.

If PCOS is diagnosed, further testing for cholesterol and glucose levels is likely in order to manage heart disease and diabetes risk.

Researchers also suggest ways women with PCOS can help manage their condition, which include:

PCOS research underway

Despite the current problems, improvement is possible, and there have been sustained efforts in recent yearsall over the worldto advocate for women with this condition and invest in PCOS research.

In 2023, an International PCOS Guideline, led from Australia, was published. It recommends an individualized approach to PCOS treatment, including lifestyle modifications (for example, healthy eating and exercising), medical management to treat symptoms and regular checkups to provide support and screen for related complications.

In Canada, the province of Alberta recently launched a much-needed clinical pathway to recognize, treat and advocate for PCOS that could be adopted more widely.

At the University of Calgary, Dr. Jamie Benham, one of the authors of this story, leads EMBRACE (Endocrine, Metabolic and Reproductive Advancements), a new women's health research lab where a team of clinical researchers is focusing on reproductive disorders across the whole of a woman's life system, including PCOS and gestational diabetes.

This work, supporting patients' PCOS care, includes a current online needs-assessment survey, and focus groups beginning later this year, to inform the development of a co-designed patient tool to support PCOS management.

Patient engagement

With such a huge demand for answers, the EMBRACE team works closely with a PCOS Patient Advisory Council, chaired by Robyn Vettese, another author of this story, to uncover complex connections between hormones and health, promote screening, find solutions and provide answers. Importantly, the lab's research questions come directly from clinic patients, and the answers the lab finds go back to those patients and are then shared more widely.

Other recent PCOS advocacy events include Dr. Benham's presentation at the inaugural Sex, Gender and Women's Health Research Hub's Women's Health Symposium event in Calgary, and her interview with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.

PCOS awareness

Another exciting research program in Alberta is PCOS Together. Researchers with this group are working to establish methods that will detect early disease risk in all women with PCOS, as well as clinical interventions that will help prevent disease in high-risk women.

Similar organizations exist in the United Kingdom and Australia, including Verity PCOS, a volunteer-based charity, and Ask PCOS, a researcher- and clinician-led organization. Both organizations provide a wealth of information online.

This is a critical (albeit often overlooked) area of women's health that needs greater awareness and attention so that we can improve and save women's lives.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Sankey diagram demonstrating treatment progression from first-line therapy through to subsequent lines of therapy in the Lothian UC population. Credit: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2025). DOI: 10.1111/apt.70240

Greater access to innovative treatments could be linked to a drop in patients requiring surgery for a type of inflammatory bowel disease, a 20-year study suggests.

The number of patients using so-called advanced therapiesmedicines designed to target a specific part of the immune systemto tackle ulcerative colitis rose rapidly between 2004 and 2023, accompanied by a dramatic drop in surgical interventions.

The recent expansion in new therapies provides patients with a more personalized approach to treatment and long-term management of their condition, experts say.

More than 300,000 people in the UK live with ulcerative colitis, a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed.

When drugs fail to control the inflammation, patients can undergo a colectomy to remove the large intestine, a major life-changing procedure resulting in the use of stoma bags to collect stools.

Breakthroughs in novel therapies have led to a substantial increase in the number of medicines to treat ulcerative colitis in recent years. These advanced therapies target the immune system to help control inflammation, better managing the progression of the condition and reducing the need for surgery.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh examined prescribing and colectomy trends across two decades, from 2004 to 2023, for the Lothian IBD Registrya database including nearly all ulcerative colitis patients treated by the NHS Lothian Health board.

The number of patients living with the condition more than doubled in the Lothian region between 2004 and 2023, rising from two in 1000 people to four in 1000 people. 4115 patients with ulcerative colitis were recorded in 2023.

A total of 720 patients were prescribed an advanced therapy over the study period. This increased from zero patients in 2004 to 115 patients in 2023.

Researchers identified 563 patients who had a colectomy over the same time period, with the number of patients receiving surgery dropping from 42 in 2004 to only seven in 2023.

Statistical analysis of the findings suggests 2013 was a key turning point, when the prescribing of advanced therapies significantly increased and the rates of colectomy began to decline simultaneously.

The study also uncovered recent trends in the use of different advanced therapies.

The most used first-line therapy since 2021 has been a drug called filgotinib, which can be given orally. Some advanced therapies must be given by infusions or injections, increasing costs. The use of an oral drug could help to save money and resources in an already stretched health care system.

While there is a clear correlation between the uptake of advanced therapies and decreased colectomy rates over time, the findings cannot prove that the decrease in surgery is caused by access to new treatments, researchers say.

The study focused on the Lothian region in Scotland, which has ready access to advanced therapies. Study leaders say larger studies are needed, including across regions with reduced access to advanced therapies, to better understand the broader impact of recent treatments on colectomies.

The study is published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. The research team included scientists from the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian.

Professor Charlie Lees, study lead from the University of Edinburgh's Institute of Genetics and Cancer, said, "Our real-world data in Edinburgh show that as soon as we began prescribing targeted biologic and small-molecule drugs at scale, the need for colectomy plummetedfalling by more than 80% since 2004. Ensuring that everyone with ulcerative colitis has timely access to these advanced therapies could spare many more people from life-changing surgery and the physical and psychological burden that follows."

Dr. Tracey Gillies, Medical Director of NHS Lothian, said, "We're proud of our IBD service in NHS Lothian and the standards of care it provides. Over the years, we have invested in staff and developed services to make them more accessible and ensure patients can benefit from advanced therapies and clinical trials.

"Our leading role in academic studies such as this, helps us to continually evolve and feature in a number of reports as an exemplar."

More information: Alexander T. Elford et al, TwentyYear Trends in Colectomy Rates and Advanced Therapy Prescribing in Lothian, Scotland, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2025). DOI: 10.1111/apt.70240
The sound of a rooster called as kids, both goat and human, ran across the dirt at Turner Farms on a recent sunny afternoon. They cut lettuce growing in rows in a field and harvested a couple of onions and other vegetables before washing the produce clean. The crops would eventually end up in a homemade pasta dish  their lunch for the day.

The scene offers a glimpse into the world of agritourism, where family-owned farms invite visitors to learn the ins and outs of farming.

Turner Farms, tucked away in the Orchard Homes neighborhood, is one of several agriculture operations in Missoula that aim to connect people to the land and provide hands-on educational experiences. They bring in revenue through their U-pick pumpkin patch, an on-site farm store and a number of farm activities people can participate in.

Agritourism has "significantly grown" in Montana over the last decade, according to the 2024 Montana Agritourism survey completed by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research.

"That desire to actually get out and understand the landscape is just growing and growing, and has been, said Debbie Queen, agritourism specialist for the newly created Montana Agritourism Association. I think we're seeing that energy and push has just grown and small operators are really uniquely in place to open up those opportunities for tourists.

The association offers a variety of resources to support producers already in agritourism or just starting out.

Queen said the creation of the association, which this year moved under the Montana Department of Agriculture, is an important step to the growth of the industry.

Turner Farms owners Erin and Jon Turner both got involved in the association back in 2022 when it was a grant-funded fellowship program, with one serving on the board and the other acting as a regional representative.

Helping to weather the storm

Agritourism, at the intersection of ag and tourism, has been embraced by operations like Turner Farms and others around Missoula as a way to supplement income with the smaller plots of land they produce on.

We had no idea that we were actually even doing agritourism and then what we realized is that 99.9% of what we do is actually agritourism, Erin said during a recent interview at the farm.

Nationwide, farms that participated in agritourism brought in an average of $44,000 in gross revenue from their programs in 2022, according to the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey completed by the Northeast Region Center for Rural Development. Small and mid-sized farms report earning anywhere from $25,000-to-$100,000 a year, with some exceeding $1 million, the survey showed.

But economic impacts arent the only benefit of agritourism. According to the Montana Agritourism survey, 71% of producers said the industry "strengthens their ability to keep working their land."

So when people can create a new diversified income stream, it allows them to potentially weather agricultural storms that may come up, Queen said. So for example, you might have a bad year but you can pivot and actually create income through your agritourism operation, so it's basically just allowing you to diversify those income streams, instead of being wholly reliant on all your eggs in one single basket.

Jon said "monoculture farms "  operations that only cultivate one crop  generally bring in less income and have a harder time passing their farmland onto the next generation.

Erin said over the last 20 years, fewer children are moving back to the family farm or ranch to take over, adding the farms doing well are the older generation farmers who have decided to embrace agritourism.

The bottom line is, that's why agritourism is a thing now," Erin said. "Farmers and ranchers are recognizing, in order for their operation to continue or for their family to want to come back and take over, they have to do something, because growing wheat or growing cattle is not going to do it."

'We have a responsibility'

The Turners harvest their own beef, vegetables, and flowers to fill their farm store, but also sell items from other Montana ag producers. The farm also hosts summer camps where kids can spend the week harvesting their own food and caring for farm animals.

The Turners decided to expand their operation beyond the farm store during the pandemic when they realized people were hanging around just to watch the animals through the fence. They saw there was a lack of education in peoples understanding of where their food comes from.

We looked at each other, we were like, we have to do something. We have a responsibility. And so that's when we started to say, any schools that want to come, we will do it for free, Erin said. We have to educate these kids.

But agritourism also has its challenges, including securing insurance, permitting, building business plans and keeping up with marketing.

(Insurance) can be very, very expensive, Queen said. It's probably one of the bigger overall startup expenses that anybody is going to have when you're inviting people on to your property. And I completely understand that there needs to be some kind of robust support there for folks.

The Montana Agritourism Association offers step-by-step guides on business planning, risk management, financial planning and more, Queen said, adding that farmers and ranches can also become part of the association and have on-site consultations to advance their business into agritourism.

The association currently has about 40 members and is hosting yearly conferences at Montana State University. Queens position as the agritourism specialist is being funded by AmeriCorps through the end of the year. While she said theres always a potential for the federal funding to be cut, she said there are already active conversations about renewing the program.

When people come to Montana, they're looking for a story about the land. That ultimately is what the heart of agritourism is, Queen said.
A year into Montana schools using the new MAST assessment, teachers say it takes too long to administer. Many students seem to like it, but wish they could see their scores.

Thats according to teacher and student survey data that was collected by the Office of Public Instruction and presented to the Board of Public Education during their meeting Thursday.

More than 70% of teachers reported being unable to schedule the MAST testlets to align with their planned curriculum, which was a selling point for the switch. A majority of teachers also said testing ate into their instructional time. Nearly 75% of educators said they didnt receive enough MAST training and more than half had trouble accessing testing data.

Nearly 80% of students believe they learn more by taking several tests over the year, and about that many students look forward to their scores. But half of those students surveyed said they couldnt access them.

Board members were largely not pleased with the results of the survey showing teacher frustration and gaps in testing data feedback, but said they have faith the Office of Public Instruction can course correct with the lessons learned.

Board member Ron Slinger said he was angry after reading the survey feedback, saying it contributed to why Montana has low test scores.

The fact that [students] are not getting any feedback from their instructor defeats the entire purpose of the whole thing, he said. I was reading over this the other day I was losing my mind.

Board Chairman Tim Tharp said he knew of teachers leaving the classroom because of the new assessment, with some feeling they were sold a bill of goods.

They thought they're getting one thing, they're not getting it, Tharp said.

The 2024-25 school year was the first the Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year Assessment, or MAST, was officially administered to 3rd to 8th grade students to test Math and English proficiency across Montana.

MAST assesses students multiple times a year with testletes with fewer questions instead of with one end-of-year exam, which in Montana was the Smarter Balanced assessment. The idea behind the new system was for students to be assessed closer to when they learned the material, and for it to take less instructional time. But in action, educators are saying its taking too much time away from teaching.

Brian Frederick, a middle school math teacher at the Florence-Carlton School District, told the Ravalli Republic after the first testing window in the fall he didnt feel the smaller tests would add much administrative burden. But a year in, he thinks differently.

It interrupted midstream some of the lessons that we were doing, Frederick said.

Frederick administered about a dozen testlets, and instead of taking four days at the end of the year for testing, it took 10 days throughout the year. He taught the required material, but didnt have time to reinforce it, saying once the kids got the concept he had to move on.

Data from the education improvement company Education First found although MAST testlets were designed to take 15 to 20 minutes, teachers reported actual administrations taking closer to 45 minutes.

Increased frequency of testing is disrupting instructional coherence, often due to how districts structure testlet administration, the report said, which was included in OPIs data summary.

Teachers also struggled to access MAST score reports, Education First found, finding them difficult to access, interpret, and use, limiting their instructional value.

Education First reported while student and class-level data was available, instructors had to manually locate and review individual testlet reports, and this time-consuming process has led many teachers to disengage from data use altogether.

School leaders also had trouble accessing the data, which made it hard to apply to schoolwide decision making.

Without more user-friendly tools and centralized reporting, MASTs data is not yet fulfilling its potential to drive instruction and improve outcomes, Education First found.

Instructors also want to see student improvement over time, especially for kids who arent performing at grade-level, but as of right now the data is stagnant.

Teachers largely werent aware of the resources for training on MAST, and Education First said challenges stemmed from district and school leadership turnover.

OPI trained MAST coordinators in each school district to help facilitate the testlets, but Superintendent Susie Hedalen said OPI was going to work to get the information directly in the hands of teachers.

Victor MAST Coordinator Dori Peltier said one of the issues her school dealt with was the frequency of make-up tests if kids were absent. She said the advice for teachers was to find a quiet time when kids were doing independent activities to have kids makeup the test in the back of the classroom.

But with teachers missing instructional time to give the test itself, they didn't really feel like they could give kids an independent activity, just have somebody do a makeup test, she said.

We're not the only school that has attendance issues, I can't imagine other schools aren't kind of feeling that too, she said.

I felt like that's all I was doing sometimes, she said. It's just kind of a lot to manage.

She compared it to the old testing system, saying with the importance put on it for one week, parents made sure their kids were present.

Frederick did like knowing the concepts kids were going to be tested on so he could adjust his curriculum ahead of time, instead of the potluck of the previous end-of-year testing.

Students liked that too with OPI reporting 70% of students across grade levels prefer smaller tests distributed throughout the year and nearly 80% believe they learn more by taking several tests over the year.

Nearly 90% of students believe what they learn in class will help them on the next testlet.

Education First also found stakeholders believed in the promise of MAST testing and its innovation.

Tharp said being on the cutting edge nationwide, its an "uncomfortable position to be in

That's a huge risk, he said. It also gives us a huge opportunity.

Hedalen said OPI is learning the lessons from these survey results and noted any sort of change is hard.

It is unfreezing routines that we have ingrained into educators for years and years and years, she said. We are positioned in a great place to shape education in our state through our assessment.

Board member Renee Rasmussen said Hedalen shouldnt throw any of this away.

Other states are going to want to look at it, she said.

Hedalen said they already ask for it.
Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform, has come under scrutiny by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) over alleged misleading practices that are distorting the local market, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

Temu entered the Pakistani market just a few months ago with an aggressive digital advertising blitz, flooding various platforms with promotional content. These ads, promising huge discounts and seemingly risk-free purchases, quickly attracted a large consumer base while putting local sellers at a significant disadvantage due to Temus scale and pricing strategies.

A coalition of independent retailers and sellers, known as the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), filed a formal complaint with the CCP, accusing Temu of engaging in anti-competitive behavior harmful to both consumers and domestic businesses. The association stated,

We urge the Competition Commission of Pakistan to investigate the rising anti-competitive conduct driven by unregulated foreign e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein.

These platforms operate without any physical or legal presence in Pakistan, selling artificially underpriced and sometimes substandard products shipped under the De Minimis exemption, thereby avoiding taxes and import duties. Meanwhile, local retailers, online sellers, and manufacturers comply fully with tax, customs, and regulatory obligations. This creates an uneven playing field with serious economic consequences.

CAP highlighted the massive displacement of formal, tax-paying local businesses, along with a decline in consumer protection, quality control, and regulatory oversight.

Another concerning issue is Temus requirement for pre-payment in foreign currency, with no cash-on-delivery option, which the association warns could negatively impact Pakistans current account balance.

We call on the CCP to take prompt action and launch a formal investigation into these foreign platforms operating without compliance, the association said.

CAP also recommended close regulatory collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to enforce registration and ensure fair competition. Additionally, they urged logistics and courier companies to process only shipments accompanied by valid commercial invoices and correctly declared retail values.

The association also called for the implementation of verifiable tracking systems and mandatory digital submission of all shipment data to relevant authorities for effective monitoring.

Pakistans formal retail sector, manufacturers, importers, and e-commerce players are increasingly uncompetitive due to these practices, posing long-term risks to the integrity of the countrys tax and trade ecosystem.

These foreign operators violate the spirit of fair competition and undermine Pakistans regulated economy. CAP stands ready to support any measures CCP deems necessary, the statement added.

Separately, a group of independent sellers also filed a complaint through the Office of Fair Trade in Islamabad, claiming that Temus pricing strategies distort the market and mislead consumers, making it difficult for local businesses to compete.

One of the core allegations is Temus predatory pricing strategy. By offering products at extremely low prices, Temu is accused of undermining fair competition and threatening the survival of small local retailers who comply with all regulations and tax policies.

Logistics and import industry insiders have reported that Temu frequently undervalues goods, splits high-value orders into smaller parcels to stay below tax thresholds, and mislabels products to avoid customs duties. These unethical and illegal practices raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of recently introduced policies without stronger enforcement.

Despite mounting evidence, customs authorities have taken limited action. While local businesses often face penalties for minor infractions, platforms like Temu continue to operate with minimal oversight, creating an uneven competitive environment. Domestic sellers are under increasing regulatory and financial pressure despite their crucial contribution to employment and the economy.
Montana's tort defense office has denied a $5 million claim from state Sen. Jason Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican who said he was defamed in the controversial saga that ended with his lifetime ban from the Montana Senate.

The senator, who has been under investigation by the Montana Department of Justice since February for his role in a contract dispute that devoured much of the 2025 Legislature's attention, now looks to take his case to court, his attorney said Thursday.

Ellsworth in January became ensnared in scandal over two no-bid state contracts he arranged for a business associate with no qualifications for the job. The contracts together were worth $170,100 and Ellsworth intended the payout for his associate would come from a tranche of leftover funds from a committee he formed in early 2024.

Members of his own party soon accused Ellsworth of corruption, and in March his attorney, Joan Mell, submitted a $5 million claim against the state for defamation, invasion of privacy, emotional distress and "blacklisting."

GOP Senate probing $170K state contract legislator quietly awarded to business associate Senate President Matt Regier said he has very, very serious concerns about the contract arrangement. "The more you look at it, the deeper it's getting.

In the filing, Mell asserted Ellsworth had developed health issues due to the unrelenting scrutiny, and news coverage, of his contract deal with Agile Analytics.

The Department of Administration has a 120-day window to accept or deny such claims, providing the state an opportunity to settle the matter, before a party can file a civil lawsuit to retrieve damages.

On June 30, attorneys retained by the Department of Administration to review Ellsworth's claim notified Mell it was denied.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Mell vowed to press forward with a lawsuit, declining to speak to the specifics but stating it would "address all the wrongdoing that has occurred."

Montana Senate votes to censure Sen. Ellsworth, revoking nearly all legislative abilities The Montana Senate resoundingly voted to censure Hamilton Sen. Jason Ellsworth, a move that includes a lifetime ban from the chamber.

Auditor's findings, Senate's conclusions

Ellsworth was in the final days of his term as president of the Senate in December when he told staff to pay out a single contract to Bryce Eggleston, the sole employee of Agile Analytics and a longtime friend, to track the implementation of bills that had yet to be introduced at the Legislature. Eggleston later told an attorney he had no expertise in this work but had several conversations with Ellsworth about policymaking that he believed qualified him for the contract.

Legislative staff rejected that attempt, noting all contracts over the $100,000 threshold had to go through the public bidding process. Ellsworth returned days later with two contracts that split the original work agreement into two documents and bifurcated the payments which separately appeared below the $100,000 threshold. Ellsworth told the reporters he did so "Because I was under the impression that there was a certain dollar amount I had to be under, so that's why I split it up into two."

Emails: Legislative staff blocked senator's initial request for controversial contract GOP Senate President Matt Regier said he only recently learned of the $170k state-funded contract. On Friday he said he was trying to cancel it and terminate any payments.

This time, staff worked to revise provisions of those contracts in order to abide by the state's requirements for such business deals and to meet an upcoming deadline: At the end of December, the pool of funds leftover from Ellsworth's committee would expire and return to the state account from which it was disbursed. The Montana State News Bureau first reported on the contracts and, following a surge in attention on the matter, the contracts were canceled before Eggleston received any payment.

Republican Senate leadership referred the arrangement to Legislative Auditor Angus Maciver, whose office determined that Ellsworth had abused his government position and wasted state resources.

"There was and is no logical reason that the original contracts were bifurcated other than to unlawfully avoid oversight of the contracts by the Division of Administration" the report stated. "State law specifically prohibits artificially dividing contracts to avoid the required procurement process."

That legislative audit report prompted the Senate to form an ethics committee to form a recommendation for the upper chamber. On April 1, the Senate voted 44-6 to strip Ellsworth of all his committee assignments and preclude him from serving on interim committees. While he retained his power to vote on legislation, the body also handed him a lifetime ban from the chamber.

Ellsworth's defense largely asserted his involvement in gathering the contract was legal, and that he was under political persecution due to his alliance with a bloc of moderate Republicans and Democrats who had taken control of the Senate and undermined leadership in his own party.

Montana GOP calls for Sen. Ellsworth's resignation following controversial business deal "Should Senator Ellsworth choose not to resign, the Montana Republican Party will fully support the Senate's decision to expel him," the Montana GOP said Sunday.

Litigation incoming

Ellsworth now appears ready to fight his case in the courts, the very government branch that he sought to bring to heel when he formed the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform in 2024. The leftover funds from that committee were intended for the controversial contract.

Mell said Thursday there are several components likely to appear in the upcoming litigation, namely Maciver for his office's findings in the audit report.

"I guarantee the auditor will be (named)," she said.

Maciver declined to comment for this story.

Other elements of upcoming litigation may be reflected in the March tort claim in which Ellsworth demanded $5 million from the state. That notice named Senate President Matt Regier and cited statements he made implying Ellsworth had engaged in criminal and corrupt conduct.

Regier did not return calls seeking comment on Thursday.

Mell's decision to press forward with litigation also comes before the state justice department appears to have wrapped up its investigation into the contract dispute.

A spokesperson for the Montana Department of Justice and Attorney General's Office confirmed on Thursday the case is still under investigation.

Montana DOJ opens criminal investigation into Senator Ellsworth's $170K contract deal Attorney General Austin Knudsen will conduct the criminal investigation into Sen. Jason Ellsworth's controversial contract, but he said he cannot conduct the ethics investigation.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs7.30 lakh on four cooperative banks, two from Gujarat and two from Maharashtra for non-compliance with the directions issued by the banking regulator. The highest penalty of Rs3 lakh has been levied on Gujarat-based Sarvodaya Nagrik Sahakari Bank Ltd.

Other banks penalised by RBI are Gujarat-based Mandvi Nagrik Sahakari Bank Ltd and Maharashtra-based Thane District Central Cooperative (DCC) Bank Ltd and Laxmi Vishnu Sahakari Bank Ltd.

Sarvodaya Nagrik Sahakari Bank was penalised for failing to comply with the RBI's guidelines on the comprehensive cybersecurity framework for primary urban cooperative banks (UCBs), as part of its graded approach. The lender also violated directions related to the standard turnaround time (TAT) and customer compensation for failed transactions made through authorised payment systems.

RBIs statutory inspection of Sarvodaya Nagrik Sahakari Bank found that the lender had failed to conduct vulnerability assessments (VA) and penetration testing (PT) of its internet-facing mobile application within the required timeframes. Additionally, the Bank did not provide compensation for certain failed IMPS and UPI transactions that were not auto-reversed within the prescribed timeline.

Mandvi Nagrik Sahakari Bank, located in Surat, has been penalised Rs2 lakh for non-compliance with directions issued by the RBI on management of advances for UCBs.The lender had failed to ensure the end-use of funds with respect to a loan sanctioned by it.

Maharashtra-based Thane DCC Bank has been fined Rs2.10 lakh for non-compliance with directions issued by RBI on know-your-customer (KYC). RBI found out that the lender had failed to put in place a system of periodic updation of KYC of its customers as per the prescribed periodicity.

Laxmi Vishnu Sahakari Bank has been penalised Rs20,000 for non-compliance with directions issued by RBI on loans and advances to directors, their relatives and firms and concerns in which they are interested. The lender had sanctioned a loan to one of its directors.

RBI says its action against these four cooperative banks is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce on the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their customers.
Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta on Friday told the Karnataka High Court that X had allowed the creation of a fake account in the name of the Supreme Court of Karnataka" (X Corp v. Union of India and ors).

The SG used the example to highlight the perils of anonymity and lack of editorial accountability on social media platforms before a Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, who was hearing X Corps petition challenging the Centres Sahyog portal and the rule governing its creation.

The Sahyog portal is a platform set up by the Central government to inform online intermediaries about unlawful content, so that the same may be taken down.

SG Mehta today argued that the Sahyog portal was set up as a matter of administrative convenience, so that all online intermediaries can easily track notices from authorised officials regarding any unlawful content on their respective platforms. He added that this helps in ease of doing business, and questioned why X Corp was challenging this mechanism.

He argued that this was the least intrusive measure to check on unlawful content, adding that such new solutions are required to tackle the new problems presented with the evolution of the internet.

He also flagged concerns that it is very easy to create fraudulent social media accounts. To illustrate this point, he showed the Court a Twitter/ X page of an account that claimed to be the "Supreme Court of Karnataka."

"(There is an account) in the name of 'Supreme Court of Karnataka.' And it is a verified account by Twitter. And I can post anything in that and lakhs and lakhs of people who view that will say Supreme Court of Karnataka has said this. I can remain anonymous or pseudonymous...We have not used it, because otherwise it comes in public domain. This is just to show there exists an account, SG Mehta submitted, while displaying a screenshot to the Court.

Senior Advocate KG Raghavan, appearing for X Corp, strongly objected to this turn of events.

"I have objection to this. This is not to be put against me without even being put on record so I can say has it gone through my scrutiny process, what is the extent of scrutiny I can do."

He added that anonymity is a concern that is not unique to online publications. He also refuted the SG's allegation that X Corp had verified the fake "Supreme Court of Karnataka" account.

As today's hearing drew to a close, Raghavan also told the Court that X Corp has now suspended this account.

"Just to end on a good note, that account has been suspended, the 'Supreme Court of Karnataka' account. We are a responsible business house...If something comes from my learned friend, I have no difficulty...My instructions is that it is not even a verified account. Statement made was that it was gone through our filtration process, that was not true," he said.

Meanwhile, the SG questioned if X Corp's petition was even maintainable before the High Court. He argued that since X Corp is an artificial, foreign entity, it cannot claim that it has rights to Articles 19 (1)(a) (free speech and expression) or Article 21 (life and liberty) of the Constitution of India. He contended that X Corp's petition was not maintainable.

On merits, he argued that the Sahyog portal mechanism is only being used to inform intermediaries about unlawful content, leaving it up to the platform to decide whether to take down such content. He added that if the intermediary does not take down content, the only consequence is that it loses its "safe harbour" status.

He argued that since Twitter claims to be merely a platform without its own speech, it cannot invoke the right to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a).

He also questioned the argument that the Centre's Sahyog mechanism had a chilling effect.

Chilling effect is a word coined for a different purpose, but used at the drop of a hat when you have no other argument," he remarked.

In his written arguments, SG Mehta had contended that greatest threat to free speech not from government but from private oligopolies like X Corp.

The matter will be heard next on June 25, when X Corp is expected to make rejoinder submissions.
Ryan Saddler, CEO of the Friends of MLK Inc. in Davenport, believes former U.S. Rep. John Lewis and his mentor Martin Luther King Jr. would be appalled at the political polarization and violence occurring in today's political scene.

Speaking before the showing of a documentary on Lewis' life, "John Lewis: Good Trouble", at the TMBC Lincoln Resource Center in Davenport on Thursday, Saddler said both Lewis and King were devoted to the idea of peaceful protests with a person's voice best being heard through the voting process.

The center's auditorium was set up to hold 220 people for the viewing, with well more than 100 people showing up to watch the 90-minute documentary. It was followed by a talk by Yolanda Grandberry Pugh, a Rock Island educator and community change agent.

The event was sponsored by the Friends of MLK, NAACP Branch 3268 in Rock Island, NAACP Davenport Metrocom Branch 4109, Indivisible QC, Liberty and Justice Movement and 50501 Iowa.

Saddler said the event was part of the national John Lewis Day of Action inspired by Lewis' own words, "good trouble, necessary trouble."

Lewis served Georgia's 5th Congressional District from 1987 until his death in 2020 after battling pancreatic cancer.

Today there are attacks on civil and voting rights, refugee and immigrant rights and basic social welfare, organizers said.

When looking at the threats to civil rights today, Saddler said it is voting rights that concern him most. Not only do voting rights need to be protected, he said, but it is necessary for parents and influencers to teach people the necessity of speaking with the vote.

"We need to get people to the point where they care enough to vote," Saddler said. "Some may care but they don't understand the value in showing up to vote. They also need to show up and support something that they believe in."

Saddler said that children learn about the voting process in school.

"But if they don't see me going out to vote on Election Day, for instance, I've not set the example, and then they may end up believing that it's OK not to participate in the process," he added. "We have to practice what we preach."

Lewis, like many other civil rights leaders, was heavily influenced by King. Each were part of a group of men and women who fought for civil rights, including voting rights and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that got rid of the literacy tests and poll taxes that were used to prevent Black citizens from voting.

"Also, we as tax-paying citizens have a responsibility to hold those we voted for accountable for what they said in their campaign to get our vote," Saddler said.

Among the many protests in which he participated, Lewis was one of the 13 original Freedom Riders in May of 1961 who were protesting segregated seating in interstate travel on buses. The bus ride was to take them from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. In Birmingham, Alabama, they were attacked by a mob. They then took a plane from Birmingham to New Orleans.

Saddler said that Lewis, one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was arrested 40 times between 1960 and 1966 for protesting Jim Crow laws and practices in the South. Lewis suffered a fractured skull when he was beaten during a march from Selma to Montgomery in March of 1965.

But always, Lewis took the road of the peaceful protest and urging people to use the vote to make their voice heard, Saddler said.

Saddler said that Americans used to pride themselves on their ability to compromise. "We've become bullies today," he said.

Joanie Demmer sat with Patricia Sheller in the auditorium waiting for the documentary to start. Sheller held a sign that said, "Due Process for All!"

"That says it all," Sheller said, adding that she is on the Scott County Democrats central committee.

Sheller said she made it to the "Hands Off" rally and the "No Kings" rally among others held in the Quad-Cities. She reads widely the Democratic party materials that come her way and knows of John Lewis' history.

"I'm more educated now than I was back in 2000 when I was still a Republican," she said.

Demmer said she has been to "a lot of the rallies, and we need to do more unity with our community."

"John Lewis is an inspiration for all that he did from the sit ins to all he did in Congress," Demmer added. "It takes all of us standing up and once we all stand up, we'll be so much better off."
WASHINGTON  Under intense pressure from President Donald Trump's own supporters, his administration said it will push a court to unseal secret documents Friday related to Jeffrey Epstein's case to put to rest a political crisis largely of its own making.

The Justice Department asked a federal court Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion urging the court to release the transcripts a day after the president directed the Justice Department to do so.

Even if those records become public, it's far from certain they will appease critics enraged over the administration's unfulfilled promises of full transparency about evidence against the wealthy financier.

Meanwhile, the administration remains dogged by questions about its refusal to release other records in its possession after stoking conspiracy theories and pledging to uncover government secrets of the "deep state."

Trump is desperately trying to turn the page on a crisis that consumed his administration since the Justice Department announced last week that it would not release any more evidence about the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, who killed himself behind bars while awaiting trial in 2019.

Trump filed a lawsuit Friday against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a day after the newspaper published a story reporting on ties to Epstein. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami and seeks at least $10 billion in damages.

Trump promised a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trumps name and was included in a 2003 album for Epsteins 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter.

The letter bearing Trumps name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, according to the newspaper.

The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely or provide details on how it came to learn about it.

Shortly after the story was published, Trump said he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to "produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval."

"This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" the president wrote on social media.

House approves $9B in cuts; Steve Miller Band cancels tour

Grand juries decide whether there is enough evidence to bring an indictment, or a formal criminal charge, and their proceedings are secret to protect the reputations of people who end up not being charged and to encourage reluctant witnesses to testify.

Grand jury transcripts  which could show the testimony of witnesses and other evidence presented by prosecutors  are rarely released by courts, unless they need to be disclosed in connection with a judicial proceeding.

In fact, grand jury secrecy is such a sacrosanct principle under the law that government officials who improperly disclose testimony are subject to prosecution. Witnesses are not bound by those rules.

Even with the Justice Department endorsement, it could take weeks or months of legal wrangling to decide what can be released and how to protect witnesses and other sensitive victim information.

It's unlikely the transcripts would shed any light on a major fascination of conspiracy theorists obsessed with Epstein's case: the financier's connections to other powerful figures whom some believe were involved in Epstein's sex trafficking scheme.

The court blocked the release of grand jury materials in other high-profile investigations.

House Democrats in 2019 sought grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation while Congress was conducting its impeachment inquiry into Trump. But the Justice Department successfully fought for years to keep the material secret.

Other records

The Justice Department's decision to seek grand jury transcripts gives the administration a reason to point to the courts to explain why more material hasn't yet been released. But the uproar over the Epstein files was never about the grand jury transcripts  it was about the thousands of other pages in the government's possession that the administration now says it won't release.

Facing outrage after the first release of Epstein files flopped in February, Bondi said officials were poring over a "truckload" of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.

But after a monthslong review of evidence in the government's possession, the Justice Department determined that no "further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."

The Justice Department has yet to fully explain why none of that material could be released. It noted in its memo this month that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and "only a fraction" of it "would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial."

Since then, Bondi largely refused to answer questions from reporters about the matter.

Meanwhile, House Republicans could vote next week on a resolution that seeks to appease GOP demands for more transparency on the Epstein case. The resolution calls on the Justice Department to publicly release records, but it carries no legal force.

Democrats, with the support of nine Republicans, advanced their own legislation that would require the Justice Department to release more information about the case.
DES MOINES  Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin shared how Republicans won in a blue state in 2021 and drew policy comparisons between his state and Iowa during an annual GOP fundraiser Thursday evening.

As the headlining speaker of the Lincoln Dinner, Youngkin told a crowd of over 200 people in a downtown Des Moines event center ballroom how he became Virginias first statewide-elected Republican in 12 years and how Republicans can gain more ground in traditionally blue states.

Youngkin flipped Virginias gubernatorial seat in 2021 when he beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Before then, he had never run for public office and served as the co-CEO of investment firm Carlyle Group.

Every year for 12 years, we've been in the desert  they (Democrats) tried to take Virginia and turn her into California as fast as you can imagine, Youngkin said.

Youngkin is one of many Republican lawmakers from across the country who have made a visit to Iowa this year as discussions around the 2028 Republican caucuses begin to pick up.

His visit came less than a week after Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke at the annual Family Leadership Summit, hosted by the evangelical, conservative group The Family Leader.

Multiple Republican presidential candidates have headlined the Lincoln Dinner in the past in hopes of laying campaign groundwork in Iowa ahead of the caucuses. In 2023, 13 Republicans spoke at the event, including then-former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Asked by Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann during a fireside chat what he thinks of Iowa having the first say in picking presidential candidates, Youngkin said caucuses allow for different outcomes compared to primaries.

The beginning of the nomination process starts with incredibly informed voters, Youngkin said. You see the difference in the way that the caucus system works and the way a normal primary works. You all know this is  a moment to fully understand issues, candidates and what that candidates can do. And so often, primaries are a day when someone shows up and just pulls on a lever because a friend whispered in their ear vote for them.

Youngkin added that the Democratic Party made a massive mistake in abandoning Iowa as their first stop, when the state lost its first-in-the-nation status for holding presidential caucuses in 2024.

After the event, Kaufmann told reporters he doesnt know whether Youngkin is planning a presidential run, but said he welcomes visits from potential candidates looking to get to know the state ahead of 2028.

That's the overriding message for me, just another step showing the rest of the country that we know how to do things. We know how to let these candidates start for themselves, and we know how to start out this whole process, Kaufmann told reporters. The whole reason for all of these events is to make sure that national leaders have a vehicle in which to speak and to interact with people.

Youngkin draws comparison between education systems

During his remarks, Youngkin attributed his campaign's success to his stance on K-12 education policies in the state, especially his opposition to COVID-19 vaccination requirements and mask mandates for students.

He said most Virginians realized the importance of parental choice in their childrens education during the pandemic in 2020.

Youngkin added he would like to expand school choice in the state through the Virginia Opportunity Scholarship, which would be similar to Iowas current Education Savings Accounts, which uses taxpayer money to fund private school scholarships for students.

Youngkins proposed program would provide $5,000 in private school scholarships to 10,000 low-income Virginia families.

Party leaders commend 2025 legislative session accomplishments

Also during the dinner, Iowa state legislative leaders touted legislation passed during this years legislative session and commended the Republican supermajorities in both chambers.

Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair said Iowa Republicans passed common sense legislation this year, including lowering the age requirements to carry a handgun to 18, reducing the unemployment insurance tax and implementing Medicaid work requirements in the state.

House Speaker Pat Grassley said that even with Republican supermajorities in the Iowa House and Senate, he will continue to make sure GOP candidates are strong in every election to ensure they hold onto their numbers in the Iowa Capitol.

When we have these super majorities, like we do, and we have in the House and that we have in the Senate, it only takes a few of those (seats) to lose those majorities, Grassley said. Keeping every seat and being competitive in every race is the goal that I have.

Between speakers during the middle of the dinner, a sequined jacket sporting Grand Old Party across the front in white block letters was auctioned off to attendees. House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl ended up winning the jacket after bidding $1,200.

Afterwards, House Speaker Pat Grassley asked whether Windschitl would wear the jacket.

The speaker would like to know if youre gonna wear that, Kaufmann asked

Only if he does first, Windschitl shouted back.
The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has strongly condemned the new fuel price increase announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), describing it as unjustified and exploitative.

In a statement released on Thursday, July 17, MAK was infuriated by the price rise, especially considering that global oil prices are still trading below $70 per barrel.

This abrupt hike price of Super Petrol by Kes 8.99 & Diesel 8.67 per litre on both petrol and diesel by the Ministry of Energy through the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) caught motorists completely by surprise and left us shocked and lost for words.

Having now processed the shock, we must express our disgust and total dismay at the deliberate exploitation of Kenyan motorists. This increase is irrational and indefensible. Global oil prices remain below USD 70 per barrel, yet Kenyans have been denied the benefit of these favorable prices, the statement continued.

The association is now calling on the government to abandon what it described as state-controlled price manipulation and instead reinstate a free-market system that allows pump prices to reflect true global market forces and encourage healthy competition among fuel suppliers.

According to MAK, only a liberalized fuel market will protect consumers from arbitrary and unexplained price hikes that continue to burden ordinary Kenyans.

MAK Calls for Return to Open Tender System

The Association is also demanding the reintroduction of the Open Tender System (OTS), a procurement method that previously allowed Kenya to source oil from the most affordable global suppliers.

We, as motorists, demand a return to a free-market system where pump prices reflect genuine world market forces and healthy competition among suppliers, the association stated. We further call for a return to the Open Tender System (OTS), which allowed sourcing of oil from the cheapest suppliers and ensured fair downstream distribution at the lowest possible price.

MAK further urged the government to eliminate the unjustified increase in oil marketers margins, which it claims have inflated pump prices unfairly. The association also called for compensation for motorists whose vehicles have suffered damage due to adulterated fuel, and a return to fuel pricing based on scientific and fair market principles.

Warning of growing frustration among drivers, MAK threatened to mobilize peaceful protests and legal action if the government fails to address their demands.

If these demands are not met, motorists will have no choice but to pursue peaceful protests and court action to defend our right to fair, transparent, and affordable fuel pricing, the statement added.
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has disclosed that he was reluctant to take over the role of Attorney General, and that President William Ruto and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula had to persuade him.

Muturi said that he had anticipated taking on the role of a minister in Rutos Cabinet. But when the government was being constructed in 2022, Ruto instead asked him to become the Attorney General.

I started noticing things were not as I had expected, particularly regarding my role, Muturi said during an interview with K24.

When he gave me the job of Attorney General, I initially declined. I told him that is not the job I wanted when we agreed to form the government.

Muturi indicated that he initially declined the appointment without much explanation of why he made that choice.

However, a few days later, Moses Wetangula, one of his longtime university friends, urged him to reconsider the decision.

I told Moses, you know I am a stickler for the law. I was hesitant about taking up the role of principal legal adviser because I wasnt sure Id be allowed to carry out the job independently, he said.

Despite his concerns, Muturi stated that President Ruto remained adamant and insisted on his appointment.

Muturi: Ruto Gave Me His Word Before I Accepted AG Role

During a State House session several days prior to when the Cabinet was announced, Justin Muturi recalled when President Ruto personally revived his invitation for him to become Attorney General.

He told me, JB, I still want you to be my AG, Muturi recounted. But I told him I would prefer to serve in a ministry. I value legal independence and would rather stand by my professional principles than offer advice simply to please the administration.

According to Muturi, Ruto responded by saying that very integrity was what made him the right fit for the job.

When I raised concerns about being involved in procurement matters, he said, That is exactly why I want you, Muturi said.

Eventually, Muturi accepted the position but only after Ruto gave him a personal assurance.

I told him, If you promise that Ill work without interference, then Ill take it. He gave me his word, Muturi said.

He went on to serve as Attorney General until July 11, 2024, when President Ruto dissolved the entire Cabinet amid widespread national protests. In the reshuffle that followed, Muturi was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Public Service.
President William Ruto has pledged to expand youth employment in both the Climate Worx and affordable housing programmes, aiming to double current figures within the next three months.

During a tour of Soweto, Nairobi, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, Ruto assured residents that the government would not only scale up job opportunities but also invest in major community infrastructure.

In September, I will be coming back to begin the construction of a stadium here in Jacaranda alongside a school, hospital and a social hall.

Ruto acknowledged the ongoing unemployment crisis among the youth, noting that although 20,000 young people are currently engaged through the Climate Worx initiative, that number is set to double.

I understand that we still have a significant majority of the youth who are unemployed. Currently, I have at least 20,000 youth working in the Climate Worx initiative, but on Monday, July 21, 2025, I will double the number to 40,000, he said.

The President also highlighted the progress made under the affordable housing and market projects, which he said have already provided jobs to over 300,000 youth nationwide.

I have instructed the Cabinet Secretary and her Principal Secretary to ensure that in the next three months, we want to increase the number to 600,000, Ruto added.

Ruto Slams Opposition Leaders

At the same time, President William Ruto challenged political rivals to produce their own proposals for creating jobs, instead of inciting violence. He dismissed violence and destruction as unacceptable alternatives, urging leaders to focus on meaningful solutions.

What is your plan? It cannot be that your plan is to incite and pay young people to destroy property and burn businesses. That is not acceptable, he said.

Speaking in Dandora during an inspection of the Nairobi River Regeneration Programme, the President encouraged young people to reject leaders who offer no real answers to the nations problems, especially unemployment.

Do not accept to be led by leaders who have no plan and those driven by tribalism and hatred, he said.

The President explained that Kenya cannot grow in a climate of chaos and ethnic division. He said lasting job opportunities can only emerge in a peaceful and stable environment.

We have no time for violence, chaos, and ethnicity. We want to build our country, he said.

Nairobi River to Get Sewer Lines, Eco-Friendly Walkways, Cycle Lanes, and Social Housing

Under the Nairobi River Regeneration project, the government will construct 54 kilometers of new sewerage pipes along the Nairobi River to block raw sewage from polluting the water.

In addition, the project will offer 10,000 social housing units along the riverbank, alongside the construction of social halls, community parks, and new public toilets.

Footpaths and bike lanes will be built on the riverbanks, and the routes will be electrified for security, through the Climate Worx component. The plan also includes the construction of 44 pedestrian and non-motorized bridges to ease movement across the river.

The government will also expand the Kariobangi wastewater treatment plant to strengthen the citys sewer treatment capacity. Traders will benefit from newly constructed modern markets, while extensive tree planting along the riverbanks will help prevent soil erosion and promote biodiversity.

While the social housing units will be distributed across Nairobi, all other phase one projects will be implemented along a 27.2-kilometer stretch of the Nairobi River, from Naivasha Road to Dandora Falls.

Phase two of the programme will extend regeneration efforts to the Mathare and Ngong Rivers.

President William Ruto reaffirmed that the Nairobi River Regeneration project is not just about infrastructure, it also includes aquaculture, sewage systems, markets, and social housing. He assured the public that every element of the project is on track to be finished by January 15, 2027.
President William Ruto has doubled down on his contentious plan to construct a church within the State House grounds, brushing off concerns about the projects cost as mere propaganda aimed at misleading and inciting the public.

While acknowledging that State House is public property, Ruto insisted that establishing a proper place of worship inside it aligns with the Constitution and fulfills a spiritual need.

I have been to many churches, and no one has ever asked me to help build a mabati church. Everyone tells me they want a stone church, Ruto told leaders of the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya (FEICCK) during a meeting at State House, Nairobi.

So, how do I go around helping build stone churches across the country and leave the State House with a mabati church? Even you cant pretend that makes sense.

Presient Ruto argued that State House isnt just his official residence, it also serves as a workplace for hundreds of public servants and security personnel, many of whom live with their families within the compound.

We have nearly 300 families here, security officers, staff and even a Sunday school. This is not my private residence alone. It is a community, and it deserves a proper place of worship, he added.

Also Read  President Ruto Sued Over State House Megachurch for Violating Constitution

Ruto called for understanding from critics, noting that the Constitution recognizes the central role of God in the life of the nation. In that spirit, he said, building a worthy place of worship within government premises should not be viewed as inappropriate.

Yes, State House belongs to the public, and I respect that. But our constitution affirms that we are a nation under God. There is no greater honour I can offer as President than building a proper house for the Lord here, he stated.

The Head of State at the same time dismissed claims that the project would cost billions of shillings, describing such reports as deceptive and deliberately misleading.

Hiyo mnasikia mabillioni sijui billioni ngapi ni lugha ya shetani ya kujaribu kuchochea na kuharibu, he stated.

Translated loosely: (That reports youre hearing about billions is the language of the devil, meant to incite and destroy)

RELATED  Ruto Denies Ksh1.2B State House Church Claim, Reveals Actual Cost
Thousands of iconic images of African American authors, athletes, artists and activists will soon be easier to access and explore, thanks to a three-year grant from the Getty Foundation for Black Visual Arts Archives.

The Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory University recently received the $280,000 grant to process the Jim Alexander photograph collection. One aspect of the work made possible through the grant will be enhancing the finding aid with a more detailed description, making it easier for researchers and course instructors to find what they need.

A documentary photographer, Alexander is known for his compelling images of Black musicians, politicians, protesters and everyday people. He started taking photos in 1952 at age 17 when he was in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in 1968 with a degree in commercial photography, but instead followed his passion and spent his life documenting the lives of African Americans and their experiences. His work has been featured in more than 60 exhibits, including some at Emorys Woodruff Library, and he has taught photography at Yale University and other colleges.

Alexander, who will turn 90 in August, continues to take photographs. His historical images were exhibited in four Atlanta locations in June and July, including The Sun ATL Gallery (on display through Aug. 16) and the Fulton County Central Library.

N'Kosi Oates, curator of African American collections at Rose Library, is the lead principal investigator (PI) on the grant project. Carrie Hintz, associate director of Rose Library, is co-PI.

The Rose Library has a very robust collecting area regarding African Americans in the arts, ranging from theater and playwrights to literature and writers to photography and artists, says Oates. Jim Alexanders collection ranks among the top for scope and scale. The Getty Foundations support for processing Alexanders collection is a testament to just how remarkable and valuable his archive truly is to visual culture, the Atlanta community and American history.

Alexanders photography at Emory

The Alexander collection first came to the Rose Library in 2014, with subsequent additions made in 2016, 2018 and 2022.

The collection consists of prints, negatives, slides and contact sheets  in all, thousands of photographs taken by Alexander from about 1960-2022.

Many of the photos were taken at marches, rallies and protests in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast, including civil rights and anti-apartheid marches, KKK rallies, concerts and music festivals, and more. Images of prominent African American politicians, athletes, activists, authors, musicians and artists  including Romare Bearden, Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, John Lewis, Andrew Young, Angela Davis, James Baldwin, Duke Ellington and others  are among the collection materials.

Jim Alexander is one of the best-known historical civil rights era photographers of our time, says Valeda F. Dent, vice provost of Emory Libraries, Carlos Museum and the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship. It is an honor for the Rose Library to be the steward of Jims photography collection and to be graced with the opportunity to teach and support research using these collections. Jim is also a major supporter of the Emory Libraries and the Michael C. Carlos Museum, and we so value his presence and partnership. We are over the moon about this new opportunity!

The Alexander photography collection offers a rich visual story of Atlantas 20th-century arts and culture history, especially during the Black arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s. But much of it remains unprocessed, including images of key events like the National Black Arts Festival and Atlanta Jazz Festival, and settings like the Neighborhood Arts Center (a community arts center significant in Atlantas Black arts movement).

Work funded by the grant intends to address this gap.

The grant project will include two main components. First, a visiting archivist will process the collection to improve discoverability and accessibility. Second, an oral history will be created with Alexander. Oates has been training with the Emory Oral History Project team on how to prepare for and conduct the interviews. Among other topics, he hopes to ask Alexander about his artistic evolution and discuss the context of selected images.

Clinton Fluker, senior director of culture, community and partner engagement for Emory Libraries and the Michael C. Carlos Museum, helped bring in parts of the collection over the years as a graduate student assistant and then as curator of African American collections of the Rose Library.

The Jim Alexander photograph collection is such a gift to Emory University and the world, says Fluker. Alexanders photographs capture moments in history that span decades and tell us stories about the African American experience in this country that only a master can produce. Just as he has mentored photographers and artists all over the world, well now be able to learn from his collection of photographs for years to come as it serves as an invaluable resource to researchers in the Stuart A. Rose Library.

Learn more about the Jim Alexander photograph collection through the Rose Library finding aid for the collection or email the Rose Library staff.
Groundbreaking research led by Erik Johnson, MD, PhD, neurologist and neuroscientist at Emory Universitys Goizueta Brain Health Institute, reveals that adults with Down syndrome (DS) may experience a form of Alzheimers disease (AD) that has unique features compared to other forms of the disease.

The study, published in Nature Communications, analyzed spinal fluid from 229 individuals with DS in the Down Alzheimer Barcelona Neuroimaging Initiative (DABNI) to identify how Alzheimers progresses from early stages to dementia. These results were then compared to individuals with late-onset Alzheimers disease and a rare genetic form of AD called autosomal dominant AD.

This research shows us that Alzheimers disease in people with Down syndrome is not the same as in other populations, says Johnson, assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine and lead U.S. investigator for the study. That means we may need to have special considerations in how we detect, treat, and ultimately prevent AD in this patient population.

Key findings from Johnson and collaborators:

People with DS showed earlier and more severe changes in immune system proteins, blood-brain barrier dysfunction and nerve fiber tracks and insulation in the brain even before the classic AD pathology of amyloid and tau appeared.

Individuals with DS also had early problems with neurons that suppress the activity of other neurons, which can eventually lead to seizures. Seizures are a common feature of DS patients who have AD.

These early changes may be driven by trisomy 21, which is an extra copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down syndrome.

The study reinforces the importance of early screening and specialized care strategies for adults with Down syndrome, who are at significantly higher risk for developing Alzheimers as they age.

About Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute

The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute is dedicated to advancing innovation in brain health prediction, prevention and treatment. Our talented team aims to uncover the mechanisms of brain diseases and develop groundbreaking therapeutic strategies and biomarkers. The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute is a proud part of Emory University, benefiting from its rich history of academic excellence and collaborative spirit. For more information, visit goizuetabrainhealth.emory.edu.

About Down Alzheimer Barcelona Neuroimaging Initiative

The Down Alzheimer Barcelona Neuroimaging Initiative (DABNI) is an international research collaboration aimed at understanding Alzheimers disease progression in people with Down syndrome. For more information, visit https://santpaumemoryunit.com
The meeting, held online, focused on building stronger economic relations, promoting mutual growth, encouraging innovation, and exploring long-term cooperation.

Sharing details of the meeting on social media, Goyal said, "Held a fruitful discussion with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment @Khalid_AlFalih. Discussed strengthening investment and trade ties between India and Saudi Arabia, focusing on mutual growth, innovation, and long-term collaboration."

This discussion came a day after Goyal held another virtual meeting with HE Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning.

That meeting focused on improving the India-Saudi Arabia trade and investment partnership and identifying areas of cooperation in key sectors.

The two ministers talked about working together in areas such as pharmaceuticals, petroleum, ceramics, and more. Goyal also invited Minister Al-Ibrahim to visit India soon, in an effort to deepen the relationship through direct engagement.

"Discussed strengthening India-Saudi Arabia ties, with a focus on enhancing our trade & investment partnership and collaborating in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, petroleum, ceramics, etc. Also, extended an invitation to His Excellency to visit India at the earliest. We are confident of exciting growth prospects ahead for both nations," Goyal stated in his post, showing optimism about the future of the India-Saudi Arabia economic relationship.

These back-to-back meetings reflect India's ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia. Both countries are aiming to expand cooperation in various sectors, promote innovation, and ensure long-term and sustainable growth.

The discussions mark another step forward in strengthening the strategic and economic partnership between the two nations. (ANI)
The Indian stock market opened flat on Friday as weak investor sentiment continued due to sustained selling by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and a subdued earnings season in the IT sector. The Nifty 50 index opened at 25,108.55, witnessing a marginal dip of 2.90 points or 0.01 per cent. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex began the session at 82,193.62, declining by 65.62 points or 0.08 per cent. Experts attributed the weak market opening to the ongoing disappointing earnings season. Ajay Bagga, Banking and Market Expert, told ANI, "India is seeing continued FPI selling and another underwhelming earnings season for IT so far. As more bellwethers come out with their earnings, the guidance for the rest of the year and the next will provide the catalyst for Indian markets." He also highlighted global factors influencing investor mood. "Markets have been driven by concerns on US deficit and debt, Trump policy uncertainty, tariff's impact and the White House criticism of the US Fed and Chair Powell, with markets unnerved by talk of Trump firing Powell. However, strong earnings and a stable US economy is providing a silver lining which markets are grasping to rally to all-time highs," Bagga added. In the broad market indices on NSE, Nifty 100 opened in red while Nifty Small cap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 opened in green with marginal gains. In the sectoral indices on NSE, Nifty IT up by 0.40 per cent, Nifty Metal also surged 0.51 per cent along with Nifty Auto which gained 0.23 per cent in opening. While the other sectoral indices like Nifty FMCG are down with Nifty Pharma, Nifty PSU bank. According to SBI Securities, sectors like PSU Bank, Pharma, Healthcare, Automobile, Consumer Durable, FMCG, and India Tourism are expected to outperform in the short term. On the other hand, Defence and IT sectors are likely to underperform. Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, noted technical indicators pointing to bearish momentum. "Technically speaking, the daily candle completed a bearish engulfing pattern, and that's not surprising given that we'd mentioned that closing above 25245 and then 25340 was essential for bulls to make a comeback. So, 25000 remains the support level to watch while 25340 is vital resistance. Asian cues are mostly bullish this morning along with US index futures," he said. On the earnings front, several major companies are scheduled to announce their first-quarter results today. These include Reliance Industries, Hindustan Zinc, Indian Overseas Bank, LT Finance, Bandhan Bank, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, Atul, Hatsun Agro Products, Indiamart Intermesh, Mastek, MPS, Aarti Drugs, Jayaswal Neco Industries, Garuda Construction and Engineering, Shiva Cement, Kerala Ayurveda, and Mahindra EPC Irrigation. In other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 index and South Korea's KOSPI index were trading under pressure. However, other indices showed gains at the time of filing this report. Taiwan Weighted Index surged by 1.15 per cent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up by 0.96 per cent, and Singapore's Straits Times rose by 0.34 per cent. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 18: In today's fast-paced business world, keeping track of time and ensuring optimal productivity are two essential pillars of success. Large organizations face unique challenges when it comes to managing workforce efficiency and performance. With an increasing number of employees, departments, and projects to oversee, effective time tracking becomes more than just a managerial tool--it becomes a necessity. This is where platforms like TimeCamp come into play, offering reliable, scalable solutions for monitoring employee work hours and project performance. For companies looking to improve efficiency without micromanaging, integrating solutions that support productivity monitoring is essential. By providing real-time data and insights into employee activity, businesses can foster transparency, accountability, and continuous performance improvement without creating an environment of distrust. The Growing Need for Productivity Monitoring in Large Organizations As businesses scale, maintaining visibility into daily operations becomes increasingly complex. Teams become dispersed, remote work becomes more common, and project timelines grow tighter. Leaders must ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and that every hour contributes to achieving organizational goals. This is where productivity monitoring provides a competitive advantage. Productivity monitoring is not about surveillance or employee mistrust; it is about leveraging data to understand how time is utilized and identifying potential inefficiencies. Tools like TimeCamp empower businesses to gather insights into work patterns, project progress, and employee engagement, all while respecting individual autonomy. When implemented properly, such tools lead to improved project delivery, better resource management, and higher employee satisfaction. Time Tracking: More Than Just a Clock-In, Clock-Out Solution For many businesses, time tracking begins as a simple way to record working hours. But for large organizations, time tracking software like TimeCamp offers much more. It provides detailed analytics that help identify how time is spent across tasks, projects, and teams. This level of detail is particularly beneficial for businesses managing multiple projects with overlapping deadlines and limited resources. By having access to accurate time data, managers can pinpoint bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and ensure that high-priority tasks receive the attention they deserve. Moreover, transparent time tracking promotes accountability among employees, fostering a culture where everyone understands the value of their contributions. How TimeCamp Supports Employee Productivity Without Micromanagement One of the most common misconceptions about time tracking and productivity monitoring is that they are tools for micromanagement. However, TimeCamp demonstrates that with the right approach, these tools can actually empower employees rather than restrict them. The platform offers features that allow for automated time tracking, project time allocation, and detailed reporting--all designed to be unobtrusive and user-friendly. Employees can focus on their tasks without the constant pressure of manual time entries, while managers receive actionable data that highlights both strengths and areas for improvement. This balanced approach enhances trust, as employees know their performance is evaluated based on transparent, objective data rather than subjective observations. The Benefits of Time Tracking and Productivity Monitoring for Large Companies Large organizations stand to gain the most from effective time tracking and productivity monitoring solutions. With hundreds or even thousands of employees working across multiple locations, maintaining operational efficiency requires a data-driven approach. Here are some of the key benefits companies can expect when implementing tools like TimeCamp: * Increased Operational Visibility: TimeCamp provides real-time insights into project progress, task allocation, and employee workload, helping managers make informed decisions swiftly. * Better Resource Management: By understanding how time is spent, organizations can allocate resources more efficiently, ensuring that high-priority projects receive adequate attention. * Improved Project Budgeting: Time tracking helps in accurate estimation of project timelines and costs, reducing the risk of budget overruns. * Higher Accountability: Transparent time tracking fosters a sense of responsibility among employees, as they understand the direct impact of their productivity on organizational success. * Enhanced Employee Satisfaction: Contrary to popular belief, employees often appreciate clarity around expectations and performance metrics. Tools like TimeCamp provide that clarity without infringing on personal autonomy. Overcoming Common Challenges in Implementing Time Tracking Software Despite its benefits, introducing time tracking and productivity monitoring can face resistance, especially in large organizations where change management is complex. Concerns about privacy, micromanagement, and additional administrative tasks often surface. However, these challenges can be addressed with a thoughtful implementation strategy. Firstly, it is crucial to communicate the purpose of time tracking clearly. Emphasize that platforms like TimeCamp are designed to improve workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and support employees, rather than to monitor every keystroke or minute spent. Transparency builds trust, which is essential for successful adoption. Secondly, choosing the right tool matters. TimeCamp's automated features, intuitive interface, and robust reporting minimize the administrative burden on employees while providing managers with meaningful insights. By selecting a tool that integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, businesses can ease the transition and maximize engagement. TimeCamp's Role in Shaping a Productive, Transparent Work Culture In large organizations, building a culture of transparency and accountability is no easy feat. Yet, with tools like TimeCamp, companies can foster environments where employees feel empowered, and managers have the data they need to drive performance. TimeCamp's ability to deliver actionable insights while remaining non-intrusive makes it ideal for large teams spread across different locations. Furthermore, the platform's integration capabilities allow businesses to connect TimeCamp with project management tools, CRM systems, and communication platforms. This streamlines workflows and centralizes data, offering a holistic view of productivity at both individual and organizational levels. Why Time Tracking is Essential for the Future of Work The modern workplace is evolving. Hybrid work models, remote teams, and project-based structures are becoming the norm. In this environment, traditional methods of managing productivity--such as physical supervision--are no longer sufficient or practical. Businesses must rely on technology to bridge the visibility gap and maintain high performance standards. TimeCamp's time tracking and productivity monitoring solutions are well-suited to meet these evolving demands. By providing accurate, real-time data, the platform supports organizations in making informed decisions, enhancing employee accountability, and adapting to new work dynamics without sacrificing autonomy or morale. Key Takeaways for Business Owners Considering Time Tracking Solutions For business owners managing large teams, investing in time tracking and productivity monitoring tools is not merely about tracking hours--it's about unlocking potential. TimeCamp stands out as a robust solution that delivers comprehensive insights, fosters accountability, and supports a transparent work environment without overwhelming employees. By implementing tools like TimeCamp, organizations can improve resource management, streamline project delivery, and build a culture where performance is measured objectively. In a business world where time is one of the most valuable resources, leveraging technology to track and optimize its use is a strategic imperative that no large organization can afford to overlook. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
India PR Distribution Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 18: In a proud and emotional moment, the students of Om Creations Trust were honoured by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Honourable Shri Eknath Shinde, during a special screening of the film Sitare Zameen Par held at Marine Lines, Mumbai. The event was graced by the presence of Bollywood icon Aamir Khan and philanthropist Shaina NC, who had graciously invited Om Creations Trust to be part of this impactful occasion. The celebration highlighted the creativity, resilience, and talent of the neurodivergent students at Om Creations. The Honourable Deputy CM, along with Aamir Khan and Shaina NC, personally presented certificates of appreciation to the students and spent time in heartfelt conversations with them and Dr. Radhike Khanna, Founder and Managing Trustee of the organisation. The dignitaries admired the exceptional work the students have been doing in art and painting, pottery, handmade packaging, textile crafts, festive gifting, and culinary arts - all part of the integrated vocational training provided by Om Creations Trust. For over three decades, Om Creations Trust has been empowering young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities through carefully curated, skill-based programmes that foster creativity, independence, and dignified livelihood opportunities. The students' handcrafted products - from exquisite artworks to gourmet delicacies and corporate gift hampers - have touched lives across India and beyond. Speaking to the media, Dr. Radhike Khanna shared her heartfelt gratitude: "It's truly an honour to share this platform with the Honourable Deputy CM and the ever-inspiring Aamir Khan. Their warmth and encouragement deeply touched our students. I'm especially thankful to Shaina NC for giving us this opportunity to showcase the talent and spirit of our young artists." Rahul Rai, who leads communications for Om Creations Trust and works closely with Dr. Khanna, added: "This was not just a proud moment - it was a powerful reminder of how far inclusion can go when backed by belief. With her vision and continued support, we will keep expanding our reach and creating impact where it matters most." This event stands as a shining example of how compassion, art, and inclusion can come together to change lives - and how every step forward is a celebration of ability, dignity, and shared humanity. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 18: In a momentous celebration that blended culture, achievement, and global unity, the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) inaugurated its 125th Batch at the iconic Marwah Studios, Noida Film City--setting a world record and establishing a new benchmark in creative education.

The grand function witnessed an overwhelming presence of distinguished international dignitaries, diplomats, and renowned personalities from the Indian film, television, and media fraternity. The vibrant campus was adorned with dazzling decorations, the soulful rhythms of the AAFT Band, and young women in traditional sarees proudly representing Indian heritage. Scouts and guides in uniform added a ceremonial aura to the occasion.

Dr. Sandeep Marwah, founder of Noida Film City, Marwah Studios, and Chancellor of AAFT University, formally declared the 125th batch open, stating, "We are creating our 10th World Record today. AAFT is the only institution in the world to open its 125th consecutive batch of creative arts trainees. This milestone reaffirms our commitment to excellence and innovation in media education. A global family of over 35,000 alumni is celebrating this historic achievement with renewed pride."

On this occasion, the World Book of Records, London honored Dr. Sandeep Marwah with a prestigious certificate recognizing this global achievement.

The event was graced by eminent international dignitaries, including: H.E. Abdenor Khelifi, Ambassador, Embassy of Algeria, Nazar Mirjan Al-Assadi, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Iraq, Emile Mwepesi, Deputy Head of Mission, High Commission of Rwanda, Faisal Mahmud, Minister (Press), Bangladesh High Commission, Alfredo Caldera, Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of Venezuela, Abdulaziz Abduganiev, First Secretary, Embassy of Uzbekistan, Kim Myong Chol, First Secretary, Embassy of DPR Korea, Conrad Nana Kojo Asiedu, First Secretary, High Commission of Ghana

The dignitaries applauded AAFT's visionary leadership, global outreach, and transformative impact on media and arts education.

Adding to the celebration, a special poster commemorating the 125th batch was unveiled. A landmark initiative, AAFT International Skill Development Council, was officially launched to empower youth with cutting-edge skills across 17 disciplines in arts, media, and technology.

Another proud moment was the release of the book "Sandeep Marwah - The Architect of Aspirations", a tribute to Dr. Marwah's phenomenal journey and unmatched contribution to the creative world.

In recognition of their support and association, Dr. Sandeep Marwah presented all dignitaries with Life Memberships of the World Peace Development and Research Foundation, reinforcing a collective commitment toward peace, culture, and global development.

The event concluded with a captivating cultural evening featuring a classical dance recital, a fashion show by AAFT School of Fashion & Design, and a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony to commemorate this historic feat.

AAFT continues to stand tall as a beacon of creativity, innovation, and international collaboration in media and arts education.

(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)
New Delhi [India], July 18: Moksha Media Production Pvt. Ltd. has been appointed as one of the digital communication partners for Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). The agency will be responsible for managing digital communications related to the commercial offerings at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport).

This appointment comes following a multi-agency pitch process, with Moksha Media being selected for its integrated capabilities across strategy, content, and digital media.

Under this engagement, Moksha will lead social media management, content creation, digital campaigns, and brand storytelling related to the commercial experiences at BLR Airport, including retail, dining, services, and other non-aero offerings. The focus is to enhance passenger engagement and drive visibility for the airport's commercial ecosystem.

Asher Gianchandani, CEO of Moksha Media Productions, said: "To be associated with a marquee brand like BIAL is an exciting milestone. We look forward to creating memorable digital narratives that bring the commercial offerings at BLR Airport closer to travellers and enhance the airport's brand experience."

BLR Airport, operated by BIAL, is known for its world-class infrastructure, innovation, and customer-centric approach. This partnership with Moksha is expected to support the continued evolution of its commercial storytelling across digital and social platforms.

(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)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 18: In a landmark move set to revolutionize the startup ecosystem in India and globally, Market Research Universe (MRU) proudly announces the official launch of MRUnavigator -- India's first real-time market research platform for startup ideation, business planning, pitch deck creation, Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy, and product launch, offering a comprehensive all-in-one ecosystem. MRUnavigator empowers startup founders, corporate CXOs, investors, academic researchers, management students, and anyone aspiring to build data-driven, market-fit ventures and create successful, future-forward businesses. Solving a Critical Startup Problem in India and Globally Over 90% of startups fail -- not due to lack of ambition, but because of poor market-fit, weak planning, and delayed GTM execution (source: IBM-Oxford Study). Founders often rely on assumptions rather than data, resulting in devastating financial and emotional consequences. To solve the problem, Mirdul Amin Sarkar, India's top market research mentor, consultant, and Founder of Market Research Universe (MRU), built MRUnavigator -- a real-time market research platform that offers an end-to-end ecosystem for launching data-backed, market-fit business. Proudly Made in India, Built for the World, MRUnavigator equips startup leaders and strategists across geographies with the power of real-time insights, execution tools, and investor-ready pitch deck creation and documentation -- all from a single, integrated platform. Explore MRUnavigator: [ https://www.marketresearchuniverse.com/ ] MRUnavigator at a Glance MRUnavigator is more than a SaaS tool -- it is a digital strategy command center that simplifies how ideas are validated, planned, and launched. Key Features * 5,000+ curated startup business ideas and 10,000+ business niches across 15+ high-growth sectors * Real-Time Market Research Dashboard with trend tracking, value chain mapping, opportunity discovery, and consumer insights * Business Planning Toolkit with TAM/SAM/SOM modeling, revenue forecasting, and competitive ecosystem analysis * Pitch Deck Generator optimized for Seed, Series A, VC, grants, and CSR-based funding formats * GTM Planning Suite for building buyer personas, pricing strategies, launch plans, and channel strategies * Financial Modeling Tools including P&L projections, ROI estimators, and break-even calculators * Integrated Learning Platform: Connects with Market Research Academy (MRA) and MRU Academy to provide fellowships, workshops, and mentorships in market research and business building From solopreneurs in India to accelerator-backed ventures in Middle East, Europe or the Americas, MRUnavigator is scalable, intuitive, and globally relevant. Made in India, Built for the World Designed by Mirdul Amin Sarkar, MRUnavigator is a homegrown innovation responding to a global pain point: Why do startups fail at such a high rate? The culprit: poor market validation, fragmented tools, and delayed execution. MRUnavigator solves this by combining: * Real-time market research & trend tracking * Strategic business planning & financial modeling * GTM execution tools * Investor-ready pitch deck creation "We built MRUnavigator so that any entrepreneur, policymaker, or strategist can move from an idea to a validated, well-planned, and investment-ready business -- without relying on fragmented tools or expensive consultants," says Mirdul Amin Sarkar, Founder, Market Research Universe (MRU). Global Problem, Indian Innovation: Best Market Research Company for Startup & SMEs While India has emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, the challenge of accessing fast, affordable, and actionable insights remains a global issue. Traditional market research methods are often: * Market Research Universe (MRU), through its breakthrough platform MRUnavigator, is disrupting this landscape with a real-time, interactive digital solution that lowers costs, accelerates timelines, and enhances strategic accuracy. "We're not just offering a product -- we're creating a new category," says Mirdul Amin Sarkar. "This is a business ideation + market research + GTM execution platform -- accessible to anyone with a vision." Who Is MRUnavigator For? MRUnavigator is designed for a diverse and future-focused audience looking to build data-backed, scalable ventures: * Startup Founders & Entrepreneurs: Looking for market-fit business ideas, strategic planning support, and pitch deck creation; * Corporate CXOs & Product Heads: Exploring new markets, business models, and innovation roadmaps; * VCs & Angel Investors: Tracking mega trends and scouting innovative startups with high-return potential; * Academic Researchers, MBA Students & Policy Thinkers: Engaged in innovation, strategic research, and market-driven policy design; * Incubators, Accelerators & Policymakers: Supporting entrepreneurship ecosystems and economic development initiatives; * Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Seeking the right tools and insights to launch a market-fit business with confidence. With its cloud-based SaaS model, MRUnavigator is location-agnostic, ready to serve users across India, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas -- anywhere bold ideas are born. Get in touch with us Whether you're a first-time founder, a corporate innovator, or an impact investor -- MRUnavigator is your single source of truth for strategic startup building. Website:www.marketresearchuniverse.comBusiness WhatsApp / Contact: +91-9811025630Email: explore@marketresearchuniverse.comSubscribe: YouTube Chanel - @Market Research Universe (MRU)Follow: LinkedIn - @Market Research Universe (MRU) Our Vision for the Future Market Research Universe (MRU) envisions MRUnavigator as the world's go-to market research platform for entrepreneurs and institutions alike -- enabling real-time market research, idea validation, strategic planning, and successful business launches. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 18: The Global Excellence Summit 2025, co-branded by Aimlay, successfully concluded on July 5, 2025, at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, marking a remarkable milestone in recognizing outstanding leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from around the world. The event brought together over 350 distinguished guests, including prominent academicians, corporate leaders, innovators, and industry pioneers, fostering a powerful exchange of ideas, collaborations, and knowledge-sharing. This high-impact summit was a grand celebration of excellence, leadership, and innovation, reinforcing the importance of recognizing individuals who are making a remarkable impact in their respective fields. The Global Excellence Summit 2025 was a prestigious gathering, shining a spotlight on visionaries who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in various domains. This year's summit featured two highly esteemed award categories, celebrating individuals and organizations that have made a lasting impact: * Honorary Doctorate Awards - Recognizing outstanding individuals for their exceptional contributions to research, academia, business, and social impact. * IFEA Awards 2025 - Honoring trailblazers in diverse sectors, including Academic Excellence, Business Innovation, Leadership, Philanthropy, and Community Impact. The prestigious IFEA Awards 2025 honored distinguished individuals for their remarkable contributions to their respective fields. Among the esteemed awardees were: * Mr. Manaz Al Bukhari * Dr. Indu Chandrasekharan * Dr. Nerida Phillipa McDowall * Dr. Muhammad Youshaa Korumtallee * Dr. Jaimon Antony Vallayil * Mrs. Manasi Ashish Godbole * Dr. Bijul Balan Ayinipully * Dr. Preety Suman * Dr. Pradnya Pradip Chavan * Mrs. Sangita Kapse * Dr. Abdool Khwaza Asmed Boolaky * Dr. Anourag Ramloll * Dr. Kamal Kanti Datta * Dr. Manidar Nadeson * Dr. Sanjeev Raina * Dr. Pradip Sakharam Chavan * Dr. Ashna Ramdoyal * Dr. Naresh Batra * Mrs. Monika Vaid * Dr. Abhishek Anand * Mrs. Dusna Reena Rambrichh * Dr. Renu Saxena * Dr. Pramila Vipul Adhia * Dr. Sushil Kumar Pandey * Dr. Syed Iqbal Ahmed * Mrs. Renu Gungaram * Dr. Lakshminarayanan Narahari Gajavaradhan * Dr. Nutan Nayak * Mr. Satish Lotta * Dr. Lambhadaka Patlong * Dr. Sivasankaran Nair Haridas * Dr. Rupa Choudhury * Dr. Asavadi Rajeswara Rao * Dr. Navin Kumar * Dr. Rajendra Manohar Khadilkar * Dr. Prakash D Kadam * Dr. Sudesh Kumar * Dr. Muhammad Arshad Joomun * Dr. Mohit Rana * Dr. Deepa Binoy Sarkar * Dr. Felcie Ponmathy * Dr. Varsha Ashok Atram * Dr. Shilpa Prashanth * Mr. Sudeep Ranjan * Dr. R Faritha Sabeena * Dr. Satyajeet Soorjonowa * Mr. Abhijit Chatterjee * Dr. Nelliakunnel Thomas Devasia * Mr. Mahesh Vasoya These exemplary individuals were selected from the thousands and recognized for their outstanding contributions to making a positive impact in their respective domains. The event was graced by the presence of esteemed Chief Guests, whose contributions and presence elevated the summit. Colonel Dr. Harinder Singh Attari, a decorated Army veteran and distinguished educator, brought decades of leadership experience and a deep commitment to nation-building and academic excellence. Accompanying him was Mrs. Malvinder Kaur Attari, a special guest known for her grace and unwavering support. Also honored at the summit was Mr. Inder Mohan Singh Manchanda, a pioneering cancer researcher with nearly 40 years of relentless dedication to uncovering the root causes of cancer. The atmosphere throughout the event was extravagant, with attendees engaging in intellectual discussions, networking, and celebrating achievements, making it an unforgettable experience. As a co-branding partner, Aimlay played a crucial role in ensuring that the Global Excellence Summit 2025 became a benchmark event in recognizing and celebrating outstanding individuals. With a strong presence in research, education, and business mentorship, Aimlay continues to empower professionals, scholars, and industry leaders, providing platforms to honor excellence and foster knowledge-sharing. By facilitating an event of this magnitude, Aimlay has once again demonstrated its commitment to creating opportunities that bring together exceptional individuals and organizations to inspire, collaborate, and lead in their respective fields. The Global Excellence Summit 2025 was not just an award ceremony but a celebration of vision, leadership, and knowledge. It provided a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with experts, exchange ideas, and build meaningful collaborations, paving the way for future innovations and advancements. The interactive networking sessions allowed attendees from academia, corporate sectors, research institutions, and entrepreneurial ecosystems to connect, discuss new ideas, and explore potential partnerships that could shape the future. As the curtains close on the Global Excellence Summit 2025, the event leaves behind a lasting legacy of inspiration and achievement. With the overwhelming success of the summit, Aimlay remains committed to continuing its journey of recognizing and uplifting individuals who are driving progress in education, research, and leadership. The remarkable success of this summit sets the foundation for even more impactful editions in the future, reinforcing the mission to honor excellence, foster innovation, and shape a brighter tomorrow. Stay tuned for upcoming initiatives celebrating success, leadership, and innovation or visit Aimlay at www.aimlay.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
India PR Distribution Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 18: The IIBM Institute of Business Management proudly marks its 17th anniversary, celebrating nearly two decades of empowering working professionals with flexible, future-ready education. With a milestone of transforming over 80,000 careers globally, IIBM continues to redefine online executive learning for the modern workforce. Since its inception, IIBM has remained committed to bridging the gap between industry needs and academic excellence. Offering programs like MBA, Executive MBA, PGDM, and Doctorate Courses, the institute has grown into one of India's most trusted names in online education. Vikas Maheshwari, CEO of IIBM Institute Said - "Our journey from one student to thousands proves that when passion meets opportunity, transformation follows. 17 years strong--and we're just getting started.." With learners from 90+ countries, including strong representation across India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the GCC, IIBM has established itself as a global platform for executive learning and career advancement. In 2025, the institute made major strides in digital learning innovation, most notably with the launch of AI-powered learning modules designed to personalize the educational journey and enhance learner outcomes. Dr. Vidhi Maheshwari, , International Academic Head of the IIBM Institute Said -" Looking back on these 17 years, it's not just the numbers I remember--it's the stories, the gratitude, and the belief that we've built something that truly matters." Over 17 years, IIBM Institute has transformed 80,000+ careers globally. 92% of learners reported promotions, salary hikes, or job shifts, while 85% credited the flexible, self-paced model. A 70% rise in international success stories reflects growing global trust. In 2025, IIBM launched AI-powered learning and free micro-courses, expanded ties with Swiss and European universities, and enhanced career services like mentorship and job support--reinforcing its mission of delivering accessible, high-impact education worldwide. Dr. Latika Vaishak Shanbhag, Academic Dean Said - "We're not here just to educate--we're here to elevate, "Seventeen years in, our mission grows stronger: to make quality education borderless, purposeful, and lifelong." About IIBM Institute: The IIBM Institute of Business Management is a premier online education provider offering industry-aligned MBA, PGDM, and Doctorate programs, in partnership with top global institutions. Known for its accessibility, affordability, and academic excellence, IIBM empowers working professionals across India and more than 60 countries. Visit: www.iibmindia.inEmail : administration@iibmindia.inContact no. : +91 93191 23456 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
BusinessWire India Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 18: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) (ELC) today announced the launch of the fourth edition of BEAUTY&YOU India, an initiative designed to discover and propel the next generation of India-focused beauty entrepreneurs. Created by New Incubation Ventures, the company's early-stage investment and incubation arm, the program offers financial support and industry expertise to entrepreneurs shaping the future of skin care, makeup, hair care, and fragrance in India. Under the theme Beauty Frontiers, the program celebrates bold ideas and the emerging talent reimagining the future of beauty in India. Applications are now open through August 24, 2025, at www.beautyandyouawards.com. Nykaa, the pioneer of India's beauty revolution, returns this year as lead partner, reaffirming its role as the driving force behind the country's evolving beauty narrative. Over the past decade, Nykaa has redefined how India discovers, experiences, and embraces beauty, while playing a pivotal role in spotlighting Indian beauty on the global stage. This year's program also features Startup India following the launch of its partnership with ELC through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) - the first-of-its-kind between a global beauty company and Startup India. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting Indian entrepreneurs and women-founded startups. Link- https://www.instagram.com/beautyandyouawards/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/niv_elc/?hl=en Advancing Innovation & Entrepreneurship in India Nadine Graf, President, Europe, UK & Ireland, and Emerging Markets, The Estee Lauder Companies, said: "India continues to inspire--not only as a dynamic beauty market, but as a global force for innovation and bold entrepreneurship. Through BEAUTY&YOU India, we have seen firsthand how ideas rooted in culture and courage can shape the future of beauty. This year, I am especially proud that the program will launch a new Visionary Women's Award--a tribute to the ambition, ingenuity, and leadership of women founders. Supporting them is more than an opportunity: it's a responsibility we embrace with purpose." Shri Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, said: "Our collaboration with The Estee Lauder Companies underscores the role of public-private partnerships in advancing innovation and strengthening India's startup ecosystem. Building on the program's success, we are pleased to extend Startup India's support to BEAUTY&YOU India 2025 and help create new opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs." Shaping India's Beauty Ecosystem Falguni Nayar, Executive Chairperson, MD & CEO of Nykaa, commented: "At Nykaa, we've spent over a decade shaping India's beauty ecosystem, from discovery to distribution, and from consumers to creators. As lead partner for BEAUTY&YOU India 2025, we are proud to extend that ecosystem to early-stage founders through a program designed to transform bold ideas into scalable, future-facing brands. In collaboration with The Estee Lauder Companies, this initiative offers the resources, network, and credibility needed to empower the next generation of beauty entrepreneurs." Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager, The Estee Lauder Companies, India, added: "BEAUTY&YOU India reflects our ambition to not just participate in, but actively shape the future of beauty in India. With the support of Startup India and DPIIT, this platform has become a national engine for beauty entrepreneurship--grounded in cultural insight, commercial potential, and inclusive innovation." Expanded Prize Program & New Visionary Women's Award Winners will receive financial support from a prize pool of up to $500,000 and earn recognition across four award categories: * GROW: Best in-market beauty brands. * IMAGINE: Best pre-launch beauty concepts. * BREAKTHROUGH: Leading innovations in beauty, such as new product technologies and business model innovations such as ingredients, AI, and sustainability. * VISIONARY WOMEN'S AWARD: Inspired by ELC's legacy as a beauty company founded by a trailblazing woman, this award, new in 2025 and presented with Startup India, will recognize the innovation and impact of outstanding women entrepreneurs. Along with monetary awards, winners receive support and promotion, including: * One-on-one mentorship from global beauty and business leaders. * Brand-building and distribution support through Nykaa's powerful ecosystem, spanning discovery, consumer insights, digital amplification, omnichannel presence, and access to its extensive network. * National visibility and strategic opportunities through Startup India, including participation in Startup Mahakumbh, the world's largest startup event. BEAUTY&YOU India 2025 seeks applicants whose deep cultural insights and use of new technologies or formulations meet the evolving needs of Indian beauty consumers. Since its launch in 2022, the program has become a powerful platform--receiving more than 1,500 applications from 150+ cities in India and around the world, with the majority from women entrepreneurs. Finalists for this year's program will be announced in September and invited to present their concepts to a panel of industry experts this October in Mumbai. The Estee Lauder Companies is a leading prestige beauty company in India. Over the past 20 years, ELC has launched 14 brands locally across makeup, skin care, hair care, and fragrance. The company is committed to supporting rising brands, businesses, and talent in India through innovative programs and its strategic investment in Mountain Valley Springs India Private Limited, the parent company of Forest Essentials, India's foremost luxury Ayurvedic skin care brand. Through BEAUTY&YOU India, ELC, and partners including Nykaa and Startup India, continues to champion innovation, elevate entrepreneurship, and shape the future of beauty. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
NewsVoir New Delhi [India], July 18: Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), the national leader in test preparatory services, is proud to welcome over 10,000+ new students into its classrooms this academic year who joined Aakash after experiencing various competitive brands. These students and their parents have shown trust in Aakash seeing its strong track record, dominating results and consistent success in competitive exams like NEET, JEE, and Olympiads. Cake cutting ceremonies were held across the country at Aakash branches to welcome the new joinees. A grand ceremony was also held at Aakash Institute's South Extension branch. Their joining not only reflects the growing trust in Aakash's unparalleled academic ecosystem but also reinforces its position as the Home of Problem Solvers, a space where challenges are met with the well-structured learning journey, with the right tools, strategies and expert guidance to help them do their best. With over 5,500 experienced faculty members, regular AIATS and FTS assessments, personal mentors, and one-on-one doubt-clearing sessions, students receive continuous guidance to identify and strengthen their weak areas. Regular Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) keep families actively involved in the learning journey, while smart learning analytics and personalized study plans ensure every student remains on the right track. Aakash also offers INVICTUS, a specialized JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) preparation program designed for students aspiring to secure seats in top IITs. The program emphasizes advance training, personalized mentorship and AI-powered learning tools to help students excel in JEE Advanced. For NEET aspirants, Concept Kundli helps them build a strong foundation by analyzing and improving conceptual clarity. Additionally, Aakash Digital provides flexible online learning solutions for students who live in remote areas or prefer studying from home, ensuring no learner is left behind. Mr. Deepak Mehrotra, Managing Director & CEO, Aakash Educational Services Limited, said, "We are happy to welcome more than 10,000 students and their families into the Aakash family. This shows the growing belief in our academic system and the way we work closely with each student to help them succeed. At Aakash, we don't just teach, we help students solve problems, stay focused, and move forward with confidence. We thank all the parents and students for trusting us with such an important year in their lives." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
In a series of posts the founder of embattled ed tech firm BYJU's, Byju Raveendran, has claimed that the counsel for GLAS trust has made unsubstantiated allegations against him during proceeding in a US Court in Delaware. Glas Trust is the trustee representing lenders. https://x.com/ByjuofBYJUS/status/1946086847869784214 In a post on X Byju Raveendran alleged, "Shocking revelations from Delaware court transcripts! GLAS counsel Ravi Shankar is at it again, lying to sway orders. He is peddling "reports" that I'm negotiating with high-ranking Indian officials for "substantial payments" - pure fiction, no evidence presented. This in a Court case where I am not even a party to defend myself!" "Highlight from the transcript: Shankar claims these "reports" suggest private/unofficial deals to resolve FEMA disputes. NO PROOF, JUST SMEARS! These FEMA probes were against TLPL- controlled now illegally by GLAS represented by Ravi Shankar as 99% of the COC! Why will I," the second post read. "The evidence? None. Just that Ravi Shankar and GLAS have "received reports." From where? Their own corrupted inner voice? This is their playbook: -Make a wild claim in Delaware to trigger panic & sway orders in Delaware court. -Shout '533m' & '1.2b' multiple times, without," the third post claimed. Further Byju Raveendran claims that the counsel has been leaking information to damage his reputation "This isn't isolated. Shankar has always misled with slide decks--omitting key details on signatures, jurisdiction, and service dates to paint a false picture. It's a pattern of courtroom theatrics: Lie and omit in US court, leak to Indian media, damage reputations while All my substantial payments were made to TLPL. Today, I've nothing except my shares in TLPL! And, for the nth time, no monies are 'missing' and we do not have any of these monies! The future of thousands of employees & millions of students has been sabotaged by GLAS...," his posts read. Byju Raveendran further claimed that he is preparing a USD 2.5 Billion lawsuit against the investor. "I'm done with their smear campaign & misleading of the Courts. Now, I'll use every tool available to oblige them to fix the damage they caused and ensure they make substantial payments, which will go towards rebuilding our company. We are preparing a $2.5b lawsuit against.... This isn't just about me. It's about justice for the thousands who have stood by us through manipulation, misinformation & legal bullying. We will fight back--with the truth, with evidence, and in every forum that matters," he claimed in his post. Earlier, BYJU'S founders said they were considering seeking legal action against parties that they allege are trying to cause damage to their business. "The conduct before the Courts by Alpha, Glas Trust and its counsel has been reprehensible and improper in our view. We reserve the right to use all legal means to obtain justice for BYJU's Founders. Claims have already been raised in India against Glas Trust, the former subsidiary of Think & Learn, that Glas Trust now claims to control and other parties," stated J Michael McNutt, Senior Litigation Advisor, Lazareff Le Bars Eurl on behalf of BYJU's founders "Additional Claims are being prepared against those parties in other jurisdictions. Such claims to be issued by all or some of BYJU's Founders are expected to request monetary damages of not less than $2.5 billion," the Litigation Advisor added. BYJU's further claimed that there is no Court Order in any jurisdiction, including in India or the United States, ordering the payment by Byju Raveendran or Divya Gokulnath of any amount to Think & Learn, or any entity related to Think & Learn. (ANI)
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, urged petroleum dealers across the country to transform into active partners in India's energy transition, while addressing the Plenary Session of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) conclave. AIPDA is the largest national body representing petroleum retail outlet dealers. The Minister emphasised the importance of embracing green initiatives, enhancing digital readiness, and evolving business models in line with India's dynamic energy landscape. Recognising the pivotal role played by petroleum dealers in the energy ecosystem, Minister Puri acknowledged concerns related to dealer commissions, operational costs, and other issues. He assured the gathering that the Ministry believes in "consultation, not confrontation," and cited the revision of dealer margins in October 2024 and the implementation of intra-state freight rationalisation as concrete steps taken to address disparities. He further said that structured platforms for feedback and grievance redressal would continue to be strengthened. Reflecting on the challenges of the past five years--including the COVID-19 pandemic and global geopolitical conflicts--Minister Puri noted that India not only navigated these disruptions effectively but also emerged as a global leader in energy growth. Despite global volatility, India accounted for 16 per cent of global growth in crude oil consumption and is projected to contribute 25 per cent of such growth over the next three decades. The Government, he said, has ensured affordable and uninterrupted energy supply to citizens, even during times of global uncertainty. Highlighting India's achievements in the biofuels sector, the Minister noted that nearly 20 per cent ethanol blending has been achieved in 2025, a significant rise from 1.53 per cent in 2014. This accomplishment has resulted in Rs 1.4 lakh crore in foreign exchange savings, substitution of 238 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, a reduction of 717 lakh metric tonnes in CO emissions, and direct payments of Rs 1.21 lakh crore to farmers. He also cited the expansion of CNG stations from 738 in 2014 to over 8,100 today and the provision of 10.33 crore LPG connections under PMUY, empowering women and improving health outcomes. "These numbers are not just achievements; they are milestones on our journey towards a cleaner, self-reliant energy future," he said. Appreciating the dedication of petroleum dealers who serve over 67 million customers daily, Minister Puri stated, "You are the physical interface between the Indian citizen and the national energy system." He emphasized that as India reduces crude oil imports, diversifies energy sources, and boosts renewables, the role of dealers becomes crucial in ensuring accessibility, availability, and affordability--the three pillars of energy justice. He lauded the dealer network's reach from Ladakh to Lakshadweep, ensuring fuel availability even during emergencies, natural disasters, and elections. Minister Puri called for a transformation of retail outlets into centres of customer excellence, where digital payments, automated billing, clean toilets, strict safety protocols, and effective grievance redressal become the norm. He urged adoption of technologies that enable zero pilferage, zero tampering, and complete transparency. He also emphasized the growing relevance of non-fuel services at outlets, such as convenience stores, EV charging, utility bill payments, and fintech services, which can enhance customer experience and provide new revenue streams. The Minister laid out a roadmap for dealers to reposition themselves as energy entrepreneurs. He advised the community to upskill their workforce through structured training in customer service, digital tools, and safety standards. He encouraged collaboration with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to implement EV charging points, rooftop solar installations, and energy-efficient infrastructure. Minister Puri also stressed the importance of adopting digital dispensing systems, automated monitoring, and transparent auditing to strengthen consumer trust. He highlighted the strategic importance of the dealer network in supporting national objectives like disaster response, public health drives, and voter awareness campaigns. Minister Puri particularly urged the petroleum dealer fraternity to leverage the prime locations of their retail outlets to generate Non-Fuel Revenue (NFR) by offering services such as communication hubs, battery swapping stations, water kiosks, and digital financial services. He reiterated that as India navigates the complexities of a rapidly changing energy landscape and works towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, petroleum dealers will continue to play a central and evolving role. Concluding his address, the Minister called upon dealers to look beyond retail margins and redefine their role in line with the vision of energy self-reliance. "Let this conclave be not just a gathering of peers, but the starting point of a new journey--a journey that takes you beyond retail, beyond margins, and into the very heart of India's energy transformation," he said. Minister Puri appreciated the enthusiastic participation of AIPDA members from across the country and assured the government's continued support for the collective benefit of citizens, dealers, and Oil Marketing Companies. (ANI)
The 'Thor' actor took to his Instagram handle to shared a picture with his wife and son Tristan. The trio appeared to be at a restaurant, posing happily with a cake in the frame.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMP1MKcRgLt/?img_index=1

It was followed by a short clip, that featured Pataky blowing the candles on her birthday cake with Hemsworth by the side.

Calling his wife an "incredible human," the actor, in his sweet birthday note, then added, "Thank you for being an incredible human and each year continuing to allow me to eat the vast majority of the cake."

For the birthday dinner, Hemsworth chose a simple white t-shirt paired with black trousers and a cap, whereas Pataky went for a black top with an open-button shirt.

It remains unclear if the couple's other children, Sasha and India Rose were a part of the celebrations.

This came shortly after the family made a stunning appearance at the London premiere of 'Limitless: Better Now Live.' Hemsworth walked the red carpet with Elsa Pataky and their twins, Sasha and Tristan.

The actor's parents, Craig and Leonie, his brother Liam Hemsworth and his girlfriend, Gabriella Brooks were also in attendance.

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have been going strong for more than a decade. They got married in December 2010, just a few months after going public with their relationship, reported People.

They welcomed their first child, daughter India Rose in 2012 and then twin sons, Tristan and Sasha in March 2014. The family of four has only gotten stronger, despite the rumours of a potential split. (ANI)
Actor Tiger Shroff on Friday attended the trailer launch of 'Hunter 2', surprising dad Jackie Shroff and Suniel Shetty. He came to offer his support to the entire 'Hunter 2' team. Cheering for his father and Suniel Shetty, Tiger at the trailer launch said, " Honestly speaking, I'm getting a chance to witness two OG action heroes together after a very long time. So very happy to be witnessing the trailer for the first time with you all, so congratulations." "I'm feeling strange trying to come here and tell you guys to watch my dad's series . He is the original hero. Of course, I'm just here as a fanboy too, Mai promote karne nahi aya hu in dono ko zarurat nahi hai. I am happy to be here, and I think I'm in a way getting a promotion for myself by just standing between these two," Tiger quipped. 'Hunter Season 2 - Tootega Nahi Todega' also stars Anusha Dandekar, Barkha Bisht, Anang Desai, Pramod Pathak, and Mazel Vyas. Expressing his excitement about his return to the series, Suniel Shetty highlighted, "Season 2 of Hunter - Tootega Nahi Todega digs deeper into Vikram's past, his pain, and what drives him. This trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. What I love most is how personal the action feels this time. It's not just about guns and chases, it's about what's at stake emotionally. And that emotional weight made every scene more intense. Launching the trailer in front of fans and the media gave us a real sense of how ready people are for this next chapter." Sharing insights about his character, Jackie Shroff shared, "Jumping into Hunter 2 - Tootega Nahi Todega was a wild ride. The world had its own vibe, and then this Salesman walks in and turns it all upside down. Playing him was like holding fire in your hands - calm, yet deadly. The trailer's out, Bhidus! Time to dive in and enjoy the ride!" The second season will be out on Amazon MX Player on July 24. (ANI).
After learning about the axing of Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show', ABC's Jimmy Kimmel called out CBS, extending his support to the former. "Love you Stephen. F*ck you and all your Sheldons CBS," Kimmel wrote in a story on his personal Instagram account as he reposted the video of Colbert revealing CBS' decision to end The Late Show at the start of tonight's telecast, as per Deadline. In a companion announcement by CBS, the network said that the cancellation of The Late Show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and "is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount," a likely reference to the pending acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global by Skydance. The decision has shocked many, including late-night host Andy Cohen, who expressed his disbelief and sadness about the show's conclusion. Cohen, known for hosting Watch What Happens Live on Bravo, shared his thoughts on Colbert's exit from late-night TV. Speaking to Deadline at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, Cohen said that he feels, "It's a sad day for late-night television." He acknowledged Colbert's significant role and praised his work, calling him a "singular talent." "I think it's a sad day for late-night television. I think it's a sad day for CBS. I think Stephen Colbert is a singular talent. He's going to have an incredible next chapter." "I can't believe CBS is turning off the lights at 11:30 after the local news. I'm stunned. He's one of three late-night shows deemed worthy enough for an Emmy nomination. He produces a brilliant show," he added. According to PEOPLE, Colbert made the announcement during the show's taping on Thursday, July 17, at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York. Colbert, who took over the show in September 2015 after David Letterman retired, told the live audience that CBS had decided to end the program in May next year. "Before we start the show, I want you to know something that I found out just last night," Colbert said during his opening monologue. "Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May." The audience responded with boos, to which Colbert replied, "It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced." He went on to share that he feels extremely "grateful" to his team and fans. "I am extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here. We get to do this show. We get to do this show for each other every day, all day, and I've had the pleasure and the responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years." (ANI)
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police (CP) S Dev Datta Singh said that the Odisha Bandh called by the opposition parties to protest the death of a college student in Balasore, who recently succumbed in hospital to injuries sustained after setting herself on fire last week, remained largely peaceful. Speaking to ANI, Singh highlighted that extensive arrangements were made by the police in the wake of the protest called by the political parties. "Extensive preparations were made for the law and order situation. Political parties protested by exercising their democratic right. A special platoon force was deployed to ensure that people face minimal inconvenience and no untoward incidents occur. More than 200 officers were deployed, and drones and CCTV cameras were installed. The Bandh remained largely peaceful," he said. Police on Thursday detained several opposition leaders and workers, including the State Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, during the Odisha Bandh. Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu accused the state government of trying to deny justice to the college student. Alleging that the government was using force to stop protests, he stated that the Congress would not be afraid. "The State government does not want to give justice to the victim and has resorted to hooliganism....We will not be intimidated and will continue to raise our voice against the state government. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha CM will have to resign," the Congress leader said. Congress workers also blocked railway tracks in Balasore as part of the protest against the State government. Transport services were hit and shops remained shut in Bhubaneswar on Thursday as several opposition parties observed an Odisha bandh. Security forces were deployed, and petrol pumps remained closed in Odisha's capital city as several opposition parties observed the state bandh. The bandh also caused long traffic jams on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway, where trucks and other vehicles were left stranded. Bus services were impacted in different parts of the state. The 20-year-old student had allegedly faced prolonged sexual harassment by the Head of Department (HoD) at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore. Despite filing a formal complaint and seeking help from the college principal, her grievances reportedly went unheard, leading her to take the extreme step on campus on July 12. (ANI)
CM Sarma said, "On September 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam and he will attend three government programmes."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal on Friday and will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore at Motihari in Bihar at around 11:30 AM.

He will also address a public function, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Will be in Motihari, Bihar, tomorrow, 18th July. Development works worth Rs. 7200 crore will be dedicated to the nation or their foundation stones would be laid. These works cover Software Technology Parks, four new Amrit Bharat trains, road projects and more."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs 5000 crore at a programme in Durgapur in West Bengal on Friday.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, these projects cover sectors like oil, gas, power, railways and roads.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Looking forward to being among the people of West Bengal tomorrow, 18th July. At a programme in Durgapur, will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs. 5000 crore. The projects cover sectors like oil and gas, power, railways, roads."

Launching attacks on ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, the Prime Minister said that the people of state are suffering due to TMC's "misrule" and are seeing the BJP with hope.

"West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule. People are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development. Tomorrow, 18th July, will be addressing a @BJP4Bengal rally in Durgapur. Do join!" PM Modi posted on Thursday. (ANI)
Supporters of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) sat on a protest outside Mumbai's Marine Drive Police Station in the early hours of Friday over the clash that broke out outside Maharashtra Assembly between supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad. NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad were among the protestors who were demanding the release of activist Nitin Deshmukh, who was taken to the police station. They also demanded the arrest of the accused involved in the scuffle. Speaking to the media, Pawar alleged that Awhad received a threat SMS on his phone after the scuffle. "I, Jitendra Awhad, and all our party workers are here at Marine Drive Police Station. Jitendra Awhad was going to be attacked by a person who had various allegations against him. Nitin Deshmukh intervened and tried to prevent the scuffle and then there was an altercation. The Speaker had said that Nitin Deshmukh would be released as soon as the session is over, and action would be taken against the four accused. Only one out of those four people has been arrested so far. Jitendra Awhad also received a threat SMS on his phone. What example is the government trying to set with these incidents in the assembly," he said. He further alleged that the police was not concerned about the poor but in the middle of night after receiving a phone call they were taking action against the peaceful protesters. Raising concerns over his party worker Nitin Deshmukh, Jitendra Awhad said that they don't know where the police has taken him. Speaking to ANI, Awhad said, "We are being framed. The Speaker said he (Nitin Deshmukh) would be released. We trusted him blindly. Later, we got to know that Nitin Deshmukh is being taken to the police station. When we tried to stop the police, our karykartas were beaten. We don't know where he has been taken. Some are saying he has been taken to Azad Maidan Police Station, so we are going there." A video of the scuffle went viral on social media, showing members of both groups engaging in a heated altercation. Following the incident, Jitendra Awhad alleged that he was abused and threatened with death by individuals he described as "goons" who confronted him outside the Assembly. "The whole of Maharashtra knows who the attacker was. We are being asked for evidence again and again, while the whole country has seen who carried out the attack. Goons are being allowed to enter the assembly, posing a threat to the safety of the MLAs. I was abused, threatened with death. Abusive words like 'dog', 'pig' were used. Was this what was expected to happen in the assembly?" Awhad told reporters. Expressing concern over legislators' safety, he added, "I just came out after giving a speech, and these people came to confront me. If MLAs are not safe in the assembly, then why should we remain MLAs?" (ANI)
The ganja was seized from platform No. 1 towards the Jirania end.

The contraband was discovered inside seven packets stored inside two bags, left unclaimed on the platform. Following all legal formalities, the ganja was officially seized as unclaimed property.

The Agartala GRP Police Station has launched an investigation to trace the origin and intended recipient of the seized narcotics. Preliminary estimates place the destination market value of the contraband at around Rs 1.90 lakh.

Earlier on July 16, in a major success against drug trafficking, Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with Tripura Police, recovered a huge consignment of narcotics from the general area Kheyerpur.

During a routine check, a truck was intercepted and a thorough search, 3 lakh Yaba tablets were recovered from the vehicle, as per the release. The seized contraband is assessed to be worth approximately Rs 30 Crore in the international market.

The recovered narcotics have been handed over to DRI for further investigation and necessary legal action, the release said. This recovery highlights the relentless efforts of Assam Rifles in its ongoing commitment towards a Drug Free Tripura and a Drug Free North East.

Earlier on Monday, Assam's South Salmara Mankachar district seized 50,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 10 crore and arrested a suspected drug trafficker.

According to officials, the special Anti-NDPS operation was launched following a tip-off about a large consignment of narcotics being transported by bus. Acting on specific intelligence, police set up a naka checkpoint at Sonapur along HM Road under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ). (ANI)
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, speaking on the clash between supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Legislative Assembly (BJP MLA) Gopichand Padalkar and National Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad outside the Maharashtra Assembly, said that what happened was "very unfortunate". "The incident that occurred in the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan is very unfortunate. I have ordered a thorough investigation and requested a report. Once the report is received, I will announce further action on this matter in the Assembly," said Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. A clash broke outside the Maharashtra Assembly between BJP MLA Padalkar and NCP-SCP leader Awhad on Thursday. Following this, supporters of the NCP-SCP sat on a protest outside Mumbai's Marine Drive Police Station. NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad were among the protestors who were demanding the release of activist Nitin Deshmukh, who was taken to the police station. They further demanded the arrest of the accused involved in the scuffle. Speaking to the media, Pawar alleged that Awhad received a threatening SMS on his phone after the scuffle. "I, Jitendra Awhad, and all our party workers are here at Marine Drive Police Station. Jitendra Awhad was going to be attacked by a person who had various allegations against him. Nitin Deshmukh intervened and attempted to prevent the scuffle, but an altercation ensued. The Speaker had said that Nitin Deshmukh would be released as soon as the session is over, and action would be taken against the four accused," he said. Adding further, Pawar said, "Only one out of those four people has been arrested so far. Jitendra Awhad also received a threatening SMS on his phone. What example is the government trying to set with these incidents in the assembly?" He further alleged that the police were not concerned about the poor, but in the middle of the night, after receiving a phone call, they were taking action against the peaceful protesters. Raising concerns over his party worker Nitin Deshmukh, Jitendra Awhad said that they don't know where the police have taken him. Speaking to ANI, Awhad said, "We are being framed. The Speaker said he (Nitin) would be released. We trusted him blindly. later, we got to know that Nitin Deshmush is being taken to the police station. When we tried to stop the police, our karykartas were beaten. We don't know where he has been taken. Some are saying he has been taken to Azad Maidam Police Station, so we are going there." A video of the scuffle went viral on social media, showing members of both groups engaging in a heated altercation. Following the incident, Jitendra Awhad alleged that he was abused and threatened with death by individuals he described as "goons" who confronted him outside the Assembly. "The whole of Maharashtra knows who the attacker was. We are being asked for evidence again and again, while the whole country has seen who carried out the attack. Goons are being allowed to enter the assembly, posing a threat to the safety of the MLA's. I was abused, threatened with death. Abusive words like 'dog', 'pig' were used. Was this what was expected to happen in the assembly?" Awhad told reporters. Expressing concern over legislators' safety, he added, "I just came out after giving a speech, and these people came to confront me. If MLAs are not safe in the assembly, then why should we remain MLA's? (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to West Bengal, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that under the leadership of the PM, the state would undergo transformation. Speaking to ANI, Majumdar stated, "The transformation that is taking place under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, we will see that transformation across Bengal in the coming times.. In Durgapur, the Prime Minister will have two events. Under the first event, projects worth Rs 5,400 crore will be inaugurated... After that, he will address a public gathering where lakhs of people will assemble... The election bugle has been sounded, and in the coming times, Mamata Banerjee will have to leave her seat..." PM Modi, on his visit to West Bengal, will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs 5000 crore at a programme in Durgapur. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, these projects cover sectors like oil, gas, power, railways and roads. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Looking forward to being among the people of West Bengal tomorrow, 18th July. At a programme in Durgapur, will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs. 5000 crore. The projects cover sectors like oil and gas, power, railways, roads." Launching an attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, the Prime Minister said that the people of state are suffering due to TMC's "misrule" and are seeing the BJP with hope. "West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule. People are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development. Tomorrow, 18th July, will be addressing a @BJP4Bengal rally in Durgapur. Do join!" PM Modi posted on Thursday.. In a major boost to Oil and Gas infrastructure in the region, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia district of West Bengal worth around Rs 1,950 crore. It will provide PNG connections to households, commercial establishments and industrial customers, and provide CNG at the retail outlets and also create employment opportunities in the region. Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation Durgapur to Kolkata section (132 Km) of Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, which has been laid as a part of ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline also known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight solo in the upcoming council elections in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The decision was taken during a crucial meeting held at State BJP headquarters in Guwahati on Thursday in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and State BJP president Dilip Saikia. Kishore Upadhyay, Chief Spokesperson of Assam State BJP said that, BJP will fight alone in the upcoming BTR election, which is likely to be held in September. "From August 2 to August 20, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and State BJP president Dilip Saikia will attend the rallies in 40 council constituencies," Kishore Upadhyay said. Earlier on July 6, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated 'Bodoland Speaks: From Vision to Action,' an initiative of the Bodoland Territorial Council under the Bodoland Happiness Mission, at a program held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. CM Sarma also launched BTR Communication Bridge, A Practical Resource of 1001 words and 1001 sentences in 18 languages of the region; Transforming Bodoland--a journey of change in BTR; Looking 'Within: My Reflections, authored by CEM BTC Pramod Boro; and the Annual Report of the Bodoland Happiness Mission (2024-25). CM Sarma, on the occasion, also conferred the Bodoland Lifetime Achievers Award on 18 personalities who contributed immensely to the enrichment of folk cultures in the BTR. The Chief Minister hailed the Bodoland Happiness Mission and said that the mission is an excellent effort to strengthen the peace and stability that the people of BTR achieved over the last five years. He said that the Bodoland Happiness Mission launched in the BTR has been hugely successful in forging happiness in the BTR areas. Giving a contrasting situation that existed in the Bodoland areas since 1968 which witnessed violence, turmoil and more, CM Sarma said that the demand of self-determination of the Bodo people and the associated fear psychosis generated among the people belonging to other communities living in the areas made Bodoland one of the most disturbed areas. Sarma said that maintaining peace and harmony in the BTR is a shared responsibility, and the Bodo community, including the 26 tribal communities residing in the region, is playing a pivotal role. The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections are likely to be held later this year. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at the premises of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state. The searches are part of the agency's broader crackdown on suspected money laundering and irregularities linked to the multi-crore scam. Following the raids, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on X," ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. 'Saheb' has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence." The move comes months after the agency, in March this year, seized Rs 30 lakh from the residence of Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya. The amount was recovered during a day-long search operation conducted at a total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh, pertaining to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering. ED has gathered that Chaitanya Baghel is also "a recipient of proceeds of crime generated from the liquor scam, wherein total proceeds of crime is around Rs 2,161 crores siphoned off through various schemes." Reacting to the then raid, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on 'X', saying, "When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today the guests of ED have entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding." The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that illegally collected around Rs 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor in the state between 2019 and 2022. The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, where a cartel controlled the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops. A portion of liquor sold was not accounted for in official records, and bribes were allegedly collected from suppliers to allow its sale outside the legal system. The investigation is based on an earlier report by the Income Tax Department, which flagged irregularities in the liquor trade. Earlier, the ED had arrested several key accused, including IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur's mayor. The agency had earlier conducted multiple raids, including on politicians and bureaucrats linked to the previous Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh. (ANI)
Former Andhra Pradesh Tourism, Culture and Youth Advancement Minister Roja Selvamani demanded legal action against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Gali Bhanu Prakash for allegedly subjecting her to "filthy and abusive language". "There is no dignity left for women in Andhra Pradesh today. I was subjected to filthy and abusive language by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Gali Bhanu Prakash simply for raising my voice. This is not just an insult to me. It is an attack on every woman who dares to question those in power," Selvamani posted on X. She criticised the Andhra Pradesh police for their inaction against the ruling party's MLA. "When I went to the Andhra Pradesh Police to file a complaint, they hesitated even to register it. Is this justice? Is this the state we live in now, where police take orders from political bosses and opposition voices are silenced?" the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party leader asked. Claiming a political vendetta against her, Selvamani alleged that a dangerous culture was being normalised in Andhra Pradesh, where women were being denied justice while those in power were "enjoying protection." "This is not just about me. It is about the growing political vendetta and the dangerous culture being normalised in our state. Women are being threatened, abused and denied justice while those in power enjoy protection," the YSRCP leader said. "I will not be silenced. I demand immediate legal action against Bhanu Prakash. No woman should be treated this way. We will continue to fight for justice, for dignity and for every woman in Andhra Pradesh," she added. (ANI)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Basavaraj Bommai took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the recent title awarded to him by the AICC Backward Classes Committee. A day earlier, the AICC Backward Classes Committee conferred the title of Nyaya Yodha (Warrior of Justice) upon Rahul Gandhi. Addressing reporters in Gadag on Thursday, Bommai said, "Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has supposedly delivered justice, but to whom, no one knows. An unknown award has been given for an unknown achievement." When asked about the Andhra Pradesh government's push to attract aerospace companies, Bommai said Karnataka has a long-standing history in aerospace technology. "This industry has been rooted in Karnataka for the last six to seven decades. It will not move out of the state," he said. On political developments within Karnataka, Bommai was asked about efforts to reunite former ministers B Sriramulu and Janardhana Reddy. He clarified there was no need for any special effort, stating, "They have been together from the beginning." Also, Bommai hit out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said that the development of Dalits and backwards communities cannot happen merely through verbal announcements and alleged that the CM seemed to believe that mere announcements can fill people's stomachs. He urged the government to properly allocate the funds reserved for these communities.Speaking to the media in Gadag on Thursday, Bommai said that the Chief Minister talks a lot about Dalits. "It's enough if he properly allocates the funds reserved for SCs and STs. Similarly, there are no specific targets set for schemes meant for backward classes. There are eight OBC corporations, yet not a single one has received funds. They claim to uplift the OBCs, but don't fund the existing schemes. The funds reserved for Dalit welfare schemes are being reduced. The Chief Minister must address this. Merely appointing someone as the chairman of a board or corporation doesn't bring real change. If the communities are to truly develop, the schemes must reach them. Nothing can be achieved through mere lip service. Siddaramaiah believes stomachs can be filled just through announcements," Bommai said. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal on Friday and inaugurate multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore and Rs 5,000 crore, respectively. He will also address a public function in both states today. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said that during his visit to Motihari in Bihar, development works worth Rs 7,200 crore will be dedicated to the nation, or their foundation stones will be laid. He said, these works cover Software Technology Parks, four new Amrit Bharat trains, road projects and more. He said that these projects will open doors of opportunity for the people. In Durgapur in West Bengal, PM Modi will lay the foundation stones for various works and also inaugurate projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore. The projects cover sectors like oil and gas, power, railways, and roads. The Prime Minister said that West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule, and people are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development. In line with his commitment to boost connectivity and infrastructure, PM Modi is going to dedicate multiple rail projects to the nation. It includes automatic signalling between the Samastipur-Bachhwara rail line that will enable efficient train operations in this section. The doubling of the Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur rail lines is part of the Darbhanga-Samastipur doubling project, worth over Rs 580 crore, which will enhance the capacity of train operations and reduce delays. Another rail project includes the development of infrastructure for maintaining Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra. Automatic signalling on the Bhatni-Chhapra Gramin rail line (114 km) to enable streamlined train operations. Upgradation of the traction system in the Bhatni-Chhapra Gramin section to enable higher train speeds by strengthening the traction system infrastructure and optimising energy efficiency. The Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj rail line doubling project is worth approximately Rs 4,080 crore, aimed at increasing sectional capacity, enabling the operation of more passenger and freight trains, and strengthening connectivity between North Bihar and the rest of the country. In a major boost to road infrastructure in the region, the PM will lay the foundation stone for the four-laning of the Ara bypass on NH-319, which connects Ara-Mohania on NH-319 and Patna-Buxar on NH-922, providing seamless connectivity and reducing travel time. The PM will also inaugurate the four-lane Parariya to Mohania section of NH-319, worth over Rs 820 crore, which is part of NH-319 and connects Ara Town to NH-02 (Golden Quadrilateral). This will improve both freight and passenger movement. Among others, a 2-lane road with a paved shoulder from Sarwan to Chakai on NH-333C, which will facilitate the movement of goods and people, and act as a key link between Bihar and Jharkhand. Moreover, PM Modi is set to inaugurate the New Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility at Darbhanga and the state-of-the-art Incubation Facility of STPI at Patna, aimed at promoting the IT/ITES/ESDM Industry and Startups. These facilities will help boost IT software and service exports. It will also nurture the tech startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, encourage innovation, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and product development. In a major step towards strengthening the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Bihar, the PM will inaugurate a series of fisheries development projects sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). This marks the launch of modern fisheries infrastructure, including new fish hatcheries, biofloc units, ornamental fish farming, integrated aquaculture units, and fish feed mills, across various districts in Bihar. Aquaculture projects will help in generating employment opportunities, enhance fish production, promote entrepreneurship, and accelerate socio-economic development in rural areas of Bihar. In line with his vision of a future-ready railway network, PM will flag off four new Amrit Bharat trains between Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna) to New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari to Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal), Darbhanga to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) and Malda Town to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur improving connectivity in the region. The PM will also release Rs 400 crore to around 61,500 Self-Help Groups in Bihar under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). With a special focus on women-led development, over 10 crore women have been connected to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). PM Modi will also hand over keys to some beneficiaries as part of the Griha Pravesh ceremony for 12,000 beneficiaries and release over Rs 160 crore to 40,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin. For West Bengal, PM is going to lay the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal worth around Rs 1,950 crore. It will provide PNG connections to households, commercial establishments, and industrial customers, and offer CNG at retail outlets, while also creating employment opportunities in the region, according to the press release. PM will also dedicate to the nation the Durgapur to Kolkata section (132 Km) of Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, which has been laid as a part of the ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline, also known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project. The Durgapur to Kolkata section, worth over Rs 1,190 crore, passes through the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia in West Bengal. The pipeline provided direct and indirect employment during its implementation phase and will now facilitate supply of natural gas to lakhs of households in the region. In line with his commitment to clean air and health security for all, PM will also dedicate to the nation the Retrofitting Pollution Control System-Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) of Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation, worth over Rs 1,457 crore. It will benefit the region by supporting cleaner energy production and creating employment opportunities. Boosting rail infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister is also going to dedicate to the nation the doubling of the Purulia - Kotshila Rail Line (36 km) in Purulia, worth over Rs 390 crore. This will improve rail connectivity between industries in Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad with Ranchi and Kolkata, as well as enhance the efficient movement of goods trains, reducing travel time and improving logistics for industries and businesses. According to a statement, the PM will inaugurate two road over bridges (ROBs) constructed under the Setu Bharatam Programme, worth over Rs 380 crore, at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman. It will improve connectivity and also help prevent accidents at railway level crossings. (ANI)
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Friday criticised the central government over Jan Dhan Yojna, claiming that the scheme is the reason behind the "massive inactivity" of bank accounts in the country. In a post on X, Tagore, citing the World Bank's Global Findex 2025 report, stated that over 35 per cent of bank account holders in India do not use their bank accounts, which he claimed is the highest among developing nations. He alleged that millions of bank accounts were opened under the Jan Dhan Yojna for the sake of publicity, rather than for "real" empowerment. https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/1946039895224713406 "World Bank Exposes Modi's Jan Dhan Scam. Over 35% of bank account holders in India don't use their accounts--the highest among developing countries. That's 7x the global average. So much for 'financial inclusion!'" the three-time Lok Sabha MP from Virudhunagar said. "The World Bank's Global Findex 2025 report directly blames the Jan Dhan Yojana--hailed as Modi's 'masterstroke'--for this massive account inactivity. Millions of accounts were opened for headlines, not for real empowerment," he added. He noted that the accounts go unused due to a lack of funds and trust, as well as discomfort among the users. "Why do accounts go unused? 40% said they don't have enough money. 30% feel uncomfortable using them. Half live far from banks or don't trust the system," Tagore said. Calling it a policy disaster, Tagore said, "This isn't a people problem--it's a policy disaster. A clear indictment of BJP's hollow schemes. The share of inactive accounts in India hasn't improved since 2017. While the world moved forward, India stayed stuck in fake celebrations and headline management." He further went on to say that Ministers in the NDA government abuse opposition leaders when they raise issues in parliament, resulting in the country's poor suffering. "No income. No access. No dignity. Just slogans. When the Opposition raises these issues in Parliament, we are mocked, attacked, and silenced. Modi won't listen. His ministers abuse him. Democracy suffers. The poor pay the price," he said. "Economist PM Dr. Manmohan Singh: Real inclusion, dignity, stability. Propaganda PM Modi: Fake numbers, empty accounts, inflated claims. Jan Dhan is not empowerment. It's exposure," the Congress MP further added. (ANI)
On the occasion of the remembrance day of a key Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) idelogue, Balasaheb Apte, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale spoke about Apte's contributions to the RSS and society. "He was a lighthouse for us, and he shouldn't have gone this early. But I guess god had other plans. Apte's morals and principles served as an inspiration for the RSS. We are living in challenging times, and life can get tough; however, Apte never stopped contributing to society and inspiring people," said the RSS Secretary Hosabale on Apte's remembrance day. Furthermore, he emphasised that Apte always was about building a good society and taking care of the environment around. "Buidling societies was one of the greatest principles for Balasaheb Apte. He loved taking care of the environment and nature around, and we should follow that too," said the RSS General Secretary. Recalling times when Dattatreya played the Holi festival with Apte, he said, "It was always fun to play Holi with him, and soon after we were done playing, he would hand us some amount of money along with sweets. He was a person of strong thoughts, and we karyakartas always felt like being involved with him in several festivals." Adding further, he mentioned, "Apte was assertive and not aggressive. His language has newness in it. He has also contributed intellectually to many students by participating in discussions and explaining various important concepts to them. This has been a significant contribution from his end." Addressing Apte as a "conscience keeper", Hosabale said, "We all believed that if we approached Apte with any of our issues, he has always shown us the right path. That was the faith we had in him, and it is really unfortunate that he is not amongst us." (ANI)
Rajasthan experienced heavy rainfall, causing waterlogging in several parts of Ajmer city today. Ajmer Municipal Corporation Health Officer Prithviraj Singh appealed to the public to remain at home and avoid areas with waterlogging. Prithviraj Singh said, "Today's red alert has been announced by the weather department. All the common people are asked to remain in their homes. Where there is excessive water, the general public is aware of all the affected areas; therefore, they should avoid going out there and pay special attention to those places." He also stated that, in accordance with the Municipal Commissioner's directions, various teams, including engineers, sanitation workers, and healthcare workers, are visiting all areas where waterlogging occurs regularly. "Our teams are stationed at all the places where water is filled on a regular basis, Brahampuri, Sunheri Colony, Aam Ka Talab, and New Govind Nagar. Wherever there is a complaint of water stagnation or a broken valve, our team is present and efforts are being made to resolve the issue. Also, wherever there is a requirement for soil cuttings, or a valve is broken, soil cuttings are immediately sent from the control room," Singh added. He also urged the general public, residents of Ajmer Corporation, and the City Corporation to avoid the area with waterlogging problems and refrain from travelling. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of "extremely heavy rain" red alerts for east and west Rajasthan. According to the IMD, Heavy rainfall of 79 mm is expected today at Ajmer with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees and a minimum of 22.5 degrees. Meanwhile, the IMD said, the depression over northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Southwest Uttar Pradesh moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of July 18 over northwest Madhya Pradesh abd adjoining Southwest Uttar Pradesh, near latitude 26.3N and longitude 79.0E, 20 km southof Etawah, 80 km east of Gwalior, 120 km east-southeast of Dholpur and 140 km southeast of Agra. It is likely to move west-northwestwards across northwest Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan during next 24 hours. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Friday, accusing them of surrendering key government decisions to the United States. He shared a 1986 US intelligence letter suggesting that Rajiv Gandhi replaced Foreign Minister Baliram Bhagat after he criticised America's invasion of Libya, appointing P Shiv Shankar to please Washington and focus on acquiring Western technology. In a post on X, Nishikant Dubey shared a letter and wrote, "The Gandhi family surrendered before America. Here, who would be the Foreign Minister, who would be the Finance Minister, was also decided by America." https://x.com/nishikant_dubey/status/1946033044608995399 "In 1986, Baliram Bhagat ji, the Foreign Minister, was immediately replaced because he spoke out against the American invasion of Libya. Who became the Minister? P Shivshankar, who knew nothing about foreign policy?" the post reads. Earlier on July 14, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey slammed the Congress party and questioned the role of a missing American nuclear device near the Nanda Devi mountain in the Himalayas, linking it to recent natural disasters in India. In a post on X, Dubey attached a copy of a 1978 letter from members of the US Congress addressed to the US President. The letter expressed concern about the CIA's secret operation and the potential radioactive leak from the lost plutonium-powered device in the Himalayas. The lawmakers had urged the US government to investigate the matter and take responsibility if the claims were true. He referred to a past CIA operation in the 1960s, which allegedly involved placing nuclear-powered surveillance equipment on the Nanda Devi peak to monitor Chinese activities. One such device reportedly went missing after being buried by an avalanche, raising concerns that it may have leaked radioactive material. Dubey asked whether the Kedarnath disaster, the Teesta River flooding, melting glaciers in Gangotri and Yamunotri, and even the decreasing water level of the Ganga River could be linked to this incident. (ANI)
Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday raised concerns after more than 20 schools in the national capital received bomb threats. She criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not being able to ensure safety for students. "More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking," Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Kalkaji assembly constituency, posted on X. 20 schools in Delhi have received bomb threats via emails, officials said on Friday. According to the police, the Richmond Global School in Delhi's Paschim Vihar area has reported getting a bomb threat. The fire department and Delhi police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the bomb threats, the Department of Delhi Fire Services said. Further investigation is underway. This comes days after nearly ten schools and one college in the national capital received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures. According to the Police, the bomb threat letter said, " Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I will watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children." "You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, I will commit suicide after the news, will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists, no one has ever cared and no one will ever care. You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans' psychiatrists never tell you that those meds ruin your organs or that they cause disgusting weight gain. You brainwash people into thinking psychiatric meds can help them. But they don't. I a living proof that they do not. You all deserve this. You deserve to suffer just like me," the letter read. Earlier, on Wednesday morning, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya announced it would remain closed for the day as advised by the police. According to officials, the schools that received threats include St. Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, The Mother's International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate. Earlier, St. Stephen's College at the University of Delhi also received a bomb threat. The email claimed that a bomb had been planted in the library, officials said. The locations were evacuated, and the Delhi Police Bomb Squad, Dog Squad, Delhi Fire Brigade team, and Special Staff team are on the spot. It was cordoned off, and a thorough AS check is being conducted. So far, nothing suspicious has been found, according to the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police further stated that no other college has provided them with any such information to date. On Monday, two schools in Chanakyapuri and the Dwarka area of Delhi also received bomb threats via the Delhi Police's mail. No explosives were found in the combing operation. (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar on Friday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav stated that the PM was coming to the state to tell "lies". https://x.com/laluprasadrjd/status/1946054003856449757 In a post on social media X, Yadav shared a poster of the PM and wrote, "Prime Minister Modi is coming to Bihar today to tell lies. Would you like to listen to lies?" The PM will visit Bihar's Motihari today, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 7,200 crore. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Will be in Motihari, Bihar, tomorrow, 18th July. Development works worth Rs. 7200 crore will be dedicated to the nation or their foundation stones would be laid. These works cover Software Technology Parks, four new Amrit Bharat trains, road projects and more." According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday, he will also address a public function. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation development projects catering to Rail, Road, Rural Development, Fisheries, Electronics and Information Technology sectors. In line with his commitment to boost connectivity and infrastructure, Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation multiple rail projects. It includes automatic signalling between Samastipur-Bachhwara rail line that will enable efficient train operations in this section. Doubling of Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur rail line part of Darbhanga-Samastipur doubling project worth over Rs 580 crore that will enhance the capacity of train operations and reduce delays. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for multiple rail projects. Rail projects include development of infrastructure for maintenance of Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra. Automatic signalling on Bhatni-Chhapra Gramin rail line (114 km) to enable streamlined train operations. Upgradation of traction system in Bhatni-Chhapra Gramin section to enable higher train speeds by strengthening the traction system infrastructure and optimising energy efficiency. Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj rail line doubling project worth around Rs 4,080 crore to increase sectional capacity, enable operation of more passenger and freight trains, strengthen connectivity between North Bihar and the rest of the country. In a major boost to road infrastructure in the region, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for 4-laning of Ara bypass of NH-319 that connects Ara-Mohania NH-319 and Patna-Buxar NH-922 providing seamless connectivity and reducing travel time. Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 4-lane Parariya to Mohania section of NH-319, worth over Rs 820 crore, part of NH-319 which connects Ara Town to NH-02 (Golden Quadrilateral) that will improve freight and passenger movement. Among others, a 2-lane with paved shoulder from Sarwan to Chakai of NH-333C which will facilitate the movement of goods and people and act as a key link between Bihar and Jharkhand. Prime Minister will inaugurate New Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility at Darbhanga and State of the art Incubation Facility of STPI at Patna for promoting IT/ITES/ESDM Industry and Startups. These facilities will help in boosting IT software and service exports. It will also nurture the tech startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, encourage innovation, IPR and product development. In a major step towards strengthening the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Bihar, Prime Minister will inaugurate a series of fisheries development projects sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). This will mark the launch of modern fisheries infrastructure including new fish hatcheries, biofloc units, ornamental fish farming, integrated aquaculture units, and fish feed mills across various districts in Bihar. Aquaculture projects will help in generating employment opportunities, enhance fish production, promote entrepreneurship, and accelerate socio-economic development in rural areas of Bihar. In line with his vision of a future-ready railway network, Prime Minister will flag off four new Amrit Bharat trains between Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna) to New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari to Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal), Darbhanga to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) and Malda Town to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur improving connectivity in the region. Prime Minister will also release Rs 400 crore to around 61,500 Self-Help Groups in Bihar under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). With a special focus on women-led development, over 10 crore women have been connected to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Prime Minister will also hand over keys to some beneficiaries as a part of Griha Pravesh of 12,000 beneficiaries and release over Rs 160 crore to 40,000 beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin. (ANI)
Security forces recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district, as per a press statement issued by the PRO of the Inspector General Assam Rifles (IGAR) North. In the press statement, the PRO of IGAR (North) said that, acting on specific intelligence of the presence of arms and ammunition in the general area MS 38 along the Miao-Vijaynagar axis in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam Rifles units under Spear Corps launched a search operation. "The operation involved an extensive search employing specialized teams, niche technology equipment, tracker dogs, etc. The operation resulted in the recovery of six weapons comprising three rifles, including two AK series weapons, one Lathode, one Under Barrel Grenade, one 7.62mm Local Made Rifle, ammunition and war-like stores," said the press statement. On Tuesday, Security forces apprehended 10 cadres from the hill and valley-based groups in Manipur and recovered 35 weapons, 11 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, ammunition and war-like stores, said the Indian Army. "In a series of operations, Indian Army and Assam Rifles formation under Spear Corps launched intelligence-based operations in the hill and valley districts, namely Kangpokpi, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, Imphal West and Imphal East between 07 Jul - 14 Jul 25 in coordination with Manipur Police, CRPF, BSF, and ITBP," said the army in a press release. Earlier, from the midnight of July 3, 2025, to the morning of July 4, 2025, Security Forces (SFs) conducted extensive search operations in the hill districts of Manipur. Acting on specific intelligence regarding the presence of a large cache of arms, ammunition, and other warlike materials concealed in various locations, coordinated operations were launched simultaneously at multiple sites in the interior and suspected areas of Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Churachandpur districts by joint teams comprising of Manipur Police, Assam Rifles/ Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). These operations resulted in the recovery of the arms, ammunition, explosives, and other warlike stores. A total of 203 weapons recovered included SLRs, pistols, carbines, snipers, muzzle-loaded rifles and assault rifles, according to a press note by the Director General of Police, Manipur. The recovered ammunition and explosives included grenades and IEDs On June 5, based on specific information, the Security Forces launched a patrol in Pongchau Circle in Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh, along the Indo-Myanmar border. (ANI)
Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit on Friday hit out at the Congress party after CCTV cameras showed a video footage of a young girl being attacked and dragged by a group of stray dogs. https://x.com/BJP4Karnataka/status/194606772839527235 In a post on social media X, the party stated that the Congress party had been looting Karnataka "day in and day out" without a "shred of shame", further stating that the party had done nothing for the state's development. "Dear useless @INCKarnataka, You've been looting Karnataka day in and day out without a shred of shame. You've done absolutely NOTHING for the state's development. You failed to protect our daughters and sons because your appeasement politics matters more than public safety. You failed to stop cow slaughter. You failed to prevent maternal deaths. Now don't fail little kids too. A young girl was just attacked and dragged by stray dogs, caught on CCTV," the post read. Advising the Congress party to adopt, house and let their own kids have dogs, BJP appealed to the party to remove stray dogs from the streets. "Build shelters for stray dogs if needed. If you're so desperate to show love towards them, go ahead, adopt them, house them, and let your own kids be part of your "Where will they go?" activism. Not just that, feel free to feed them biryani, egg rice, Schezwan fried rice, and maybe even allocate a few MUDA sites. Anyway, the ones who truly deserve them aren't getting them. But please, remove them from the streets. Save our kids," the post further read. Earlier on July 18, former Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Basvaraj Bommai hit out at the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said that development of Dalits and backward communities cannot happen merely through verbal announcements and alleged that the CM seemed to believe that mere announcements can fill people's stomachs. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday addressed the issue of religious conversions during a discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, stating that incidents of conversion through fraud or force are not acceptable under the Constitution or the law. "It is a fact that incidents of (religious) conversion keep happening," Fadnavis said while referring to a Supreme Court ruling and ongoing investigations into alleged forced conversions in the state. He invoked the Supreme Court's decision from November 26, 2024, saying, "On November 26, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs can avail the benefit of Scheduled Caste reservation. Other religions cannot avail of it." Fadnavis strongly criticised conversions done through temptation or greed. "If someone is converted by force or fraud, it is not acceptable to the Constitution and law, it is a wrong act. If conversion is done by giving temptation or showing greed, it is not acceptable. It is a fact that poor people are converted," he stated. However, the CM Fadnavis clarified that not all institutions would be targeted. "There is no need to investigate or take action against all institutions in general in the case of conversion. Investigation cannot be done only because they belong to a specific religion; however, the institutions from which complaints are being received regarding conversion will be investigated, and certain action will be taken." Fadnavis confirmed that the state has witnessed several instances of conversion "by fraud and pressure," prompting the formation of a special committee headed by the DGP. He also stated that a committee has submitted a report to the state government with recommendations to make laws more stringent against such practices. "The committee has studied it and sent the report to the state government. This report has been received by the state government recently. The state government will study it and make necessary changes in it," he added. (ANI)
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday called for "drastic" reform of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and an end to tax "terrorism." Ramesh, General Secretary in-charge of Communications of the Congress Party, in a post X, citing a research report, said that India's economy needs a huge "booster dose", calling for the abandonment of growth by a few "big" business groups through favouritism. "It is abundantly clear that the economy needs a huge booster dose. That will happen only when drastic reform of GST takes place, when the atmosphere of tax terrorism ends, and when the fixation on the growth of just one or two big business groups through favouritism is abandoned," Ramesh said on X. He claimed that key high-frequency indicators are slowing or remaining subdued, including credit and exports as well as GST collections. https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1946062424022434261 He also pointed out that private consumption is not gathering momentum, which includes real estate and sales of two and three-wheeler automobiles. "A research report issued by Nuvama Institutional Equities the day before yesterday has underscored some concerns on the current state of the Indian economy. It highlights the following. Key High Frequency Indicators are slowing or remain subdued. These include credit and exports as well as GST collections. Private Consumption is also not gathering momentum. These include real estate, 2-wheeler, and 4-wheeler sales," the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said. "Industry is off to a weak start in 2025/26 with a similar trend in electricity and diesel consumption as well as medium and heavy commercial vehicles. Eight core industries are showing poor growth. Agricultural prices, determinants of well-being in rural India, remain weak," he added. The senior Congress leader also claimed that the Corporates in the country continue to stay cashflow focused and are now cutting wages and capital expenditure to lift their already high free cashflows. (ANI)
After receiving information about a bomb threat Fire Department and Delhi Police personnel were deployed at Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, the Sovereign School in Rohini Sector 24, Modern International School in Dwarka Sector 19 and the Heritage School in Rohini Sector 23 among several other schools in the national capital on Friday. Richmondd Global School Principal Moupali Mitra said that they had informed the Commissioner of Police only a few minutes after receiving the bomb threat email this morning. Each corner of the school was checked for explosives with the help of the bomb disposal squad and other teams, and it was found to be safe, she added. "We are keeping an eye on every kind of message. We received the mail threat at 10:52 AM and mailed the Commissioner of Police at 10:58 AM. Immediately, the bomb squad and other teams arrived along with the Cyber department... We cross-checked every corner of the school, and it is absolutely safe... We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the children... Some anti-social people are spreading such rumours, and we all must stand against them... The school is functioning normally," Mitra told ANI. More than 20 schools in Delhi have received bomb threats via email, officials said on Friday. This comes days after nearly ten schools and one college in the national capital received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures. According to the Police the bomb threat letter said, " Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I will watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children." "You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, I will commit suicide after the news, will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists, no one has ever cared and no one will ever care. You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans' psychiatrists never tell you that those meds ruin your organs or that they cause disgusting weight gain. You brainwash people into thinking psychiatric meds can help them. But they don't. I a living proof that they do not. You all deserve this. You deserve to suffer just like me," the letter read. As this happened, Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday raised concerns after more than 20 schools in the national capital received bomb threats. She criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not being able to ensure safety for students. "More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking," Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Kalkaji assembly constituency, posted on X. Earlier, on Wednesday morning, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya announced it would remain closed for the day as advised by the police. According to officials, the schools that received threats include St. Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, The Mother's International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate. Earlier, St. Stephen's College at the University of Delhi also received a bomb threat. The email claimed that a bomb had been planted in the library, officials said. The locations were evacuated, and the Delhi Police Bomb Squad, Dog Squad, Delhi Fire Brigade team, and Special Staff team are on the spot. It was cordoned off, and a thorough AS check is being conducted. So far, nothing suspicious has been found, according to the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police further stated that no other college has provided them with any such information to date. On Monday, two schools in Chanakyapuri and the Dwarka area of Delhi also received bomb threats via the Delhi Police's mail. No explosives were found in the combing operation. (ANI)
Special Judge Sushant Changotra took up the charge sheet and asked the record keeper (Ahalmad) to check the charge sheet and documents and give a report.

The court listed the matter for consideration on July 24.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) NK Matta appeared for the ED and sought a short date.

Earlier on Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with an alleged fraudulent land deal involving businessman Robert Vadra and others.

The complaint, filed on July 17, 2025, names 11 individuals and entities as accused, including Vadra, his company M/s Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd., Satyanand Yajee, and Kewal Singh Virk.

The case stems from an FIR registered by Gurugram Police, alleging that Vadra, through his company Sky Light Hospitality, fraudulently purchased 3.53 acres of land in Village Shikohpur, Sector 83, Gurugram, from Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. on February 12, 2008.

The complaint alleges the use of false declarations in the acquisition and claims that a commercial license was secured for the land using Vadra's personal influence.

As part of the ongoing probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order on July 16, 2025, attaching 43 immovable properties worth approximately Rs 37.64 crore. These properties are reportedly linked to Vadra and his associated entities, including Sky Light Hospitality. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday applauded the Assam Police for arresting an individual after 30,000 YABA tablets worth Rs 6 crore were recovered from him. https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/1946058871514230787 In a post on social media X, the CM wrote "In a source backed anti-narcotics operation carried out by @sribhumipolice, 30,000 YABA tablets worth 6cr were recovered from an individual. The accused has been arrested and investigations are on to trace linkages. Good job @assampolice." Earlier on July 17, Sarma hailed Guwahati, capital of the state, after it was recognised as the cleanest capital in the northeast in the 2024-25 Swachh Survekshan awards, securing the 44th overall position. Guwahati and North Lakhimpur were also honoured under the 'Promising Swachh Shehar' category at the national urban cleanliness survey.CM Sarma also emphasised Guwahati's "huge leap forward" from being the dirtiest to the cleanest capital in the northeast, highlighting how dedicated action resulted in a visible transformation. "Dedicated action, visible transformation! From being the dirtiest to being the cleanest capital city in the Northeast, Guwahati has taken a huge leap forward in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 rankings. From bottom to top, Assam's cleanliness efforts make an impact!" the Assam CM posted on X. Meanwhile, Assam's Minister of Public Health Engineering and Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Jayanta Mallabaruah, hailed the award given to the districts. "It gives me immense pleasure to share that Guwahati has been honoured with the 'Promising Swachh Shehar Award' under the 3-10 lakh population category, securing 44th rank nationally in Swachh Survekshan 2024!" Mallabaruah said in a post on X. The Minister also highlighted the performance of other districts, including North Lakhimpur, which secured the 155th rank among cities with a population between 50,000 and 3 lakh, and Nagaon, which ranked 274th nationally." Alongside Guwahati's remarkable rise, we are proud of the impressive strides made by other towns in Assam under Swachh Survekshan 2024! North Lakhimpur has secured an outstanding 155th rank out of 820 cities in the 50,000-3 Lakh population category. Nagaon emerged as the third-best performer in Assam, with a national rank of 274," the minister said in another post. Indore has once again been declared India's cleanest city, winning the top spot for the eighth consecutive year in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25. Surat secured the second position, while Navi Mumbai stood third. President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards in New Delhi today. Notably, Surat's Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of the Swachh Bharat campaign."PM Modi has started a great initiative of the Swachh Bharat campaign in the nation. Following this, the Surat corporation is connecting the people of Surat with cleanliness in a campaign mode and is continuously working... Two things are very important in waste-to-wealth. Women play a crucial role in segregating wet and dry waste, and women in Surat are doing this work very efficiently," she told ANI. Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 marks the 9th edition of the world's largest urban cleanliness survey. This landmark event unveiled the cleanest cities of urban India, recognising the tireless efforts of cities driving the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) forward. Starting with 73 ULBs in 2016, the latest edition now encompasses 4,500+ cities. This year, the awards not only celebrate the top Swachh Shehar but also recognise and encourage small cities showing strong promise and progress. (ANI)
The Supreme Court refused to stay the trial proceedings against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav before a special court in Delhi in a land-for-jobs case during his tenure as railways minister from 2004 to 2009. The Delhi High Court on May 29, while dismissing Yadav's petition for a stay of the trial in the land-for-jobs scam case, said that there was no compelling reason to stay the proceedings. While refusing to stay the trial court's proceedings, the High Court issued a notice to the CBI on Yadav's plea to quash the CBI FIR and posted the hearing for August 12. During the hearing today, the apex court refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court's May 29 order that had declined to stay the proceedings. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh asked the High Court to expedite the hearing of the case and granted an exemption to Yadav from personal appearance before the trial court. "We are not inclined to interfere except by observing that at the time of disposing of the final matter, the observation made in the impugned order will not stand in the way. Considering the fact and circumstances of the case we are inclined to pass a further order to the effect that he may not be personally present (before the trial court) and therefore his appearance is dispensed with. We request the High Court to expedite the hearing. Disposed of accordingly," the order stated. Yadav has approached the top court seeking an order to quash criminal proceedings against him in a land-for-jobs case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, sought stay by contending that there was no prior approval obtained by CBI under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (prior sanction before initiating investigation against public servant). ASG SV Raju, representing CBI, submitted that Section 17A sanction was not required in the present case as it pertained to offences which took place before the 2018 amendment. On May 18, 2022, the CBI had registered a case alleging that between 2004 and 2009, Yadav had allegedly exploited his ministerial position to secure land transfers for his family in exchange for Group "D" railway jobs. The CBI has alleged these appointments were made without any public job advertisements and that senior officials in the West Central Railways facilitated these appointments under Yadav's direction. According to the CBI, these appointments did not align with the Indian Railways' established standards and guidelines for recruitment. On June 7, the CBI filed a detailed charge sheet against Yadav, his family members, and 77 other persons, including 38 job seekers. (ANI)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) centre in Shimla has again issued a rain warning for Himachal Pradesh, with moderate to heavy rainfall expected to continue in several districts of the state over the next few days. IMD Senior Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma on Thursday said, "In the past 24 hours, moderate to heavy rainfall was recorded in some areas of Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi... Today, light to moderate rainfall is possible in the plains of the state. An alert for heavy rainfall has been issued for several districts... From July 20 to July 23, light to moderate rainfall is expected in most parts of the state." Despite the intense rain spells, the overall seasonal rainfall has been normal so far, with the state recording 12 per cent above-average rainfall. Only Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba have reported slightly below-normal precipitation; the rest of the districts have seen normal to above-normal rainfall. "Even in July, the rainfall levels across Himachal have been largely normal," Sharma added. Temperatures are also hovering near normal, though a slight dip in temperatures is expected around July 20. July 19 is expected to experience generally stable weather, but intermittent rain is anticipated across the state from today (July 17) through July 23. Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Thursday that the state has suffered over Rs 1,000 crore in damages due to the ongoing monsoon-related disasters, including flash floods, landslides, and heavy rainfall. Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Negi said the scale of the devastation across the state has been unprecedented in the past 28 days. "So far, 109 people have lost their lives, out of which 64 deaths were caused directly due to rain-induced disasters like flash floods and landslides. The remaining fatalities occurred mainly due to road accidents during the same monsoon period," Negi told ANI. Furthermore, the minister warned that the monsoon is far from over, and alerts continue to be issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "Heavy rain warnings are being issued frequently for various regions. We are on high alert. All our district disaster management teams are activated and fully alert," he emphasised. In a public appeal, Jagat Singh Negi urged residents, saying, "I appeal to people to follow the weather advisories issued by the Meteorological Department. Anyone planning to travel should check alerts before heading to their destination." (ANI)
Over 40 private schools in Karnataka's Bengaluru received bomb threat messages via email on Friday morning, officials said. Schools in several areas, including Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Kengeri, in Bengaluru were threatened through an anonymous email message. Following this, the police administration jumped into action and deployed teams outside the targeted schools. Meanwhile, in the national capital Delhi too several schools received bomb threats today following which the Fire Department and Delhi Police personnel were deployed outside them. The schools included Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, the Sovereign School in Rohini Sector 24, Modern International School in Dwarka Sector 19 and the Heritage School in Rohini Sector 23. Richmond Global School Principal Moupali Mitra said that they had informed the Commissioner of Police only a few minutes after receiving the bomb threat email this morning. Each corner of the school was checked for explosives with the help of the bomb disposal squad and other teams, and it was found to be safe, she added. "We are keeping an eye on every kind of message. We received the mail threat at 10:52 AM and mailed the Commissioner of Police at 10:58 AM. Immediately, the bomb squad and other teams arrived along with the Cyber department... We cross-checked every corner of the school, and it is absolutely safe... We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the children... Some anti-social people are spreading such rumours, and we all must stand against them... The school is functioning normally," Mitra told ANI. More than 20 schools in Delhi have received bomb threats via email, officials said on Friday. This comes days after nearly 10 schools and one college in the national capital received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state, officials confirmed. The action comes a few hours after the agency carried out raids at Chaitanya's residence in Chhattisgarh. The searches were part of the agency's broader crackdown on suspected money laundering and irregularities linked to the multi-crore scam. Following the raids, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on X,"ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. "Saheb" has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence." The move comes months after the agency in March this year seized Rs 30 lakh recovered from the residence of Bhupesh Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya. The amount was recovered during day-long search operation conducted at a total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh in the case pertains to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering. ED has gathered that Chaitanya Baghel is also "recipient of proceeds of crime generated from the liquor scam wherein total proceeds of crime is around Rs 2,161 crore siphoned off through various schemes." Reacting to the then raid Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on 'X', saying, "When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today the guests of ED have entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding." The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that illegally collected around Rs 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor in the state between 2019 and 2022. The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, where a cartel controlled the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops. A portion of liquor sold was not accounted for in official records, and bribes were allegedly collected from suppliers to allow its sale outside the legal system. The investigation is based on an earlier Income Tax Department report, which flagged irregularities in the liquor trade. Earlier, the ED had arrested several key accused, including IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur's mayor. The agency has earlier conducted multiple raids, including on politicians and bureaucrats linked to the previous Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh. (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir JD(U) president GM Shaheen on Friday demanded a ban on all organisations involved in spreading terror in the country, a day after the US Department of State's designate "The Resistance Front" (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), Shaheen also called on global forums for a ban on other Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations as well. "This should have been done earlier... All those organisations that spread terror in the country should be banned immediately... They should not have waited for the Pahalgam attack to ban these organisations. Banning organisations after they have murdered people is not a good policy," Shaheen said. "They should be banned when such suspicious activity is detected globally. The world should also ban other Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations... The USA should not align with those who support terrorists," he added. This comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement, acknowledged that TRF under US anti-terrorism laws, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam terror attack, and in light of this, it accorded the group the status of FTO and SDGT. TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), was the group that claimed responsibility for the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan in the coming two weeks. The US noted this was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also carried out by LeT. The decision, the US government stated, underscored the Trump administration's ongoing commitment to global counter-terrorism. "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," Rubio said in the statement. "TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as an FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," the statement further added. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed its appreciation for the US Department of State's decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), describing it as a significant step in the global fight against terrorism. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acknowledged and appreciated the leadership of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the decision. "The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard," the statement read. "The TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), has been involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the heinous attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, for which it twice claimed responsibility," it added. (ANI)
NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday, speaking on the clash between the supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad, said that these kinds of incidents would lead to distrust among the people of the state. "These kinds of incidents will lead to distrust among the people of Maharashtra..."Pawar told ANI. Giving insights into the attack, Pawar said that four people had planned to attack the NCP-SCP leader who received threats on Whatsapp from the workers of the new 'aaka.' "Four people planned to attack the NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad outside the Maharashtra Assembly yesterday as he received threats on WhatsApp and messages from the workers of the new 'aaka'...The new 'aaka' gives signals from a distance, and these four goons committed hooliganism there..." he further said. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police have registered an FIR and arrested two people in connection with the incident of the clash. Earlier on July 17, a clash broke out between the supporters of Padalkar and Awhad outside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. A video of the scuffle went viral on social media, showing members of both groups engaging in a heated altercation. Following the incident, Jitendra Awhad alleged that he was abused and threatened with death by individuals he described as "goons" who confronted him outside the Assembly. "The whole of Maharashtra knows who the attacker was. We are being asked for evidence again and again, while the whole country has seen who carried out the attack. Goons are being allowed to enter the assembly, posing a threat to the safety of the MLAs. I was abused, threatened with death. Abusive words like 'dog', 'pig' were used. Was this what was expected to happen in the assembly?" Awhad told reporters. Expressing concern over legislators' safety, he added, "I just came out after giving a speech, and these people came to confront me. If MLAs are not safe in the assembly, then why should we remain MLAs?" BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar termed the incident "unfortunate" and expressed regret. "I am really saddened by what occurred here. This is an unfortunate incident...I express my regret and apologise...," he said. (ANI)
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra visited the Gauri Shankar Temple, situated in Chandni Chowk, this morning. During this visit, BJP MLA Poonam Bhardwaj also accompanied him. After visiting the temple, Mishra shared information on the Kanwar Yatra preparations in Delhi during an interaction with the media. He said that Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has taken many significant decisions for this year's Kanwar Yatra. Mishra also lauded and congratulated BJP MLA Poonam Bhardwaj, who had participated in the Kanwar Yatra herself. Mishra said, "This time, a unique arrangement has been made in Delhi. Last time, 170 camps were organised for devotees taking part in the Kanwar Yatra; this time, 374 camps are being organised. The Chief Minister has taken many significant decisions, such as providing direct assistance to the Kanwar camps, freeing electricity, and providing single-window clearance. We are seeing her influence, but what Poonam Bhardwaj has done today is truly worthy of salutation, and I congratulate her very much." BJP MLA Poonam Bhardwaj said, " This was my first Kanwar Yatra, and I saw thousands of people carrying Kanwar, walking with the echoes of Mahadev... The UP government has implemented excellent programs, and our Delhi government has also made very good arrangements. Camps are organised everywhere, with food, water, and electricity arrangements in place. Additionally, they also provided the medical treatment." On Wednesday, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra inspected entry gates at 17 places in the city set up for the welcome of Kanwariyas. Speaking to ANI, Mishra stated that the Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, would welcome the Kanwariyas arriving at the border of Delhi on July 20, further stating that the gates were named after the 12 Jyotirlingas and Lord Shiva. "The Delhi government is ready to welcome the Kanwariyas... These gates have been built at 17 places and are named after the 12 Jyotirlingas and Lord Shiva... The Chief Minister will welcome the Kanwariyas in Delhi on July 20... Last time, 170 camps were set up in Delhi, while this time there are 374 camps, which demonstrates that the Chief Minister's plans have been widely accepted," Mishra told ANI. On Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat regarding the Kanwar Yatra. Cabinet minister Ashish Sood and Kapil Mishra accompanied her during the meeting. She stated that the officials have been given instructions to ensure no "shortcomings" in serving the "devotees" of Lord Shiva. Rekha Gupta highlighted that for the Delhi government, the Kanwar Yatra is an "opportunity" for "public service". This year, the Kanwar Yatra began on July 10. During the annual pilgrimage, Kanwariyas collect holy water from rivers and carry it over hundreds of kilometres to offer it at Lord Shiva temples. Devotees across the country observe fasts, perform rituals, and undertake the Yatra as a mark of devotion. (ANI)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced that people of the state will be provided with free electricity. He also informed that the State government has approved Rs 50,000 crore for 430 new schemes that would provide benefits to the people. Nitish Kumar promised that the state government would provide jobs to one crore youth in the coming five years. "During the previous government's tenure, there was no electricity. There was electricity for only eight hours, even in Patna. We managed all of it. Consumers used to pay a significant amount of money for their electricity bills. We have decided that electricity will be provided for free. We will hold a cabinet meeting and will decide on the same today itself," Kumar said while addressing the gathering in Motihari in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We have already given 10 lakh government jobs to youth and are working to provide more. In the coming five years, we will decide on providing jobs to one crore youth," he added. The Bihar Chief Minsister announced the state government's decision to increase the pension amount for the differently abled, senior citizens, and widows to Rs 1,100. "The pension amount given to differently abled, senior citizens and widows was only Rs 400. However, we have decided to increase the amount to Rs 1,100. This will benefit over 1.11 crore people," Kumar said. Apprising the gathering about announcements made for Bihar in the upcoming 2025 Union Budget, he said that the government will establish a Makhana Board that would improve the overall marketing of the crop, including its production and processing. "We have been surveying several regions in the state. We are trying to rectify the shortcomings. We have approved Rs 50,000 crore for 430 new schemes, and we are working on them. Announcements have been made for the establishment of the Makhana Board, inauguration of the Airport and financial aid for the Western Kosi River in the Budget of 2025 in February," Kumar said. Criticising the previous governments for "not doing any work", the Bihar CM said that the NDA government, since 2005, has been committed to fast-paced development in the state, while focusing on the education and health sectors. "Before the BJP-JDU formed the government in November 2005, the previous government didn't do any work. Every region is being developed at a fast pace. We have paid attention to education and health. The road infrastructure, including bridges, has been developed in Bihar," Kumar said. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary stated that over 60 lakh houses have been constructed in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. "Over 60 lakh homes were built in Bihar under PM Awas Yojna in 11 years of the tenure of PM Modi," he added. Ahead of the public function PM Narendra Modi flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains between Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna) to New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari to Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal), Darbhanga to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) and Malda Town to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur. Earlier PM flanked by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Chaudhary held a roadshow in an open jeep. The assembly elections in Bihar are expected to be held later this year, in October or November. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date. While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again seek to continue its stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will aim to unseat Nitish Kumar. In the current Bihar Assembly, comprising 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 members, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U) having 45, HAM(S) having 4, and the support of 2 Independent Candidates. The Opposition's INDIA Bloc comprises 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 11, CPI(M) with 2, and CPI with 2. (ANI)
Hours after the Enforcement Directorate arrested his son, Chaitanya Baghel, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched a scathing attack on the central government on Friday, accusing it of "muzzling" opposition voices. Speaking to mediapersons after the arrest, the Senior Congress leader vowed not to bow down in front of the centre. "Congress is fighting against Adani. This strategy has been adopted to muzzle the opposition. They are now targeting my son so that no one can raise their voice against Adani. We will not get scared or bow down. Today, my son has been arrested on his birthday. Last year on my birthday, my advisor was targeted," Baghel said. Earlier today, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state, officials confirmed. The action comes a few hours after the agency carried out raids at Chaitanya's residence in Chhattisgarh. The searches were part of the agency's broader crackdown on suspected money laundering and irregularities linked to the multi-crore scam. Following the raids, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on X that the ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. "Saheb" has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence." This comes months after the agency in March this year seized Rs 30 lakh recovered from the residence of Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya. The amount was recovered during a day-long search operation conducted at a total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh in the case pertains to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering. ED has gathered that Chaitanya Baghel is also a "recipient of proceeds of crime generated from the liquor scam wherein the total proceeds of crime are around Rs 2,161 crore syphoned off through various schemes. Reacting to the raid, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on 'X,' saying, "When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today the guests of ED entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding." The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that illegally collected around Rs 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor in the state between 2019 and 2022. The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, where a cartel controlled the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops. A portion of liquor sold was not accounted for in official records, and bribes were allegedly collected from suppliers to allow its sale outside the legal system. The investigation is based on an earlier Income Tax Department report, which flagged irregularities in the liquor trade. Earlier, the ED had arrested several key accused, including IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur's mayor. The agency had earlier conducted multiple raids, including on politicians and bureaucrats linked to the previous Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh. (ANI)
On the occasion of Tamil Nadu Day, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin shared a post on X on Friday, noting that this day in 1967 marked the transformation of the first line of this land's identity and is a unique day in the history of the Tamil-speaking world. He said in a post, "A unique day in the history of the Tamil-speaking world! July 18, 1967: The day the D.M.K. movement assumed power, transforming the very first line of this land's identity." On this day, the name of Tamil Nadu was officially adopted, fulfilling a dream cherished in our hearts for ages, CM Stalin stated in the post. He further stated in the post, "A day when the great leader, Perarignar Anna, bestowed the name upon our motherland, proclaiming 'Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu' three times in the assembly, as the sound of desks being thumped echoed to the skies--this is #TamilNaduDay!" Tamil Nadu Day, also referred to as Tamil Nadu Dhinam, is a holiday celebrated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu to commemorate the formation of the state. Tamil Nadu was formed on November 1, 1956, as the state of Madras. On July 18, 1967, the state was officially renamed from Madras State to Tamil Nadu. The DMK government had, in 2022 declared July 18 as Tamil Nadu Day by rescinding an earlier order of the previous AIADMK government making November 1. For, it was on July 18, 1967 the first DMK government of CN Annadurai passed a resolution in the state assembly to rechristen the state as Tamil Nadu which was called Madras State till then. Later, parliament gave its approval for the same. (ANI)
Justice Yashwant Varma of Allahabad High Court has approached the Supreme Court challenging the in-house three-judge inquiry committee's report and former CJI Sanjiv Khanna's recommendation to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. Justice Varma stated that he was not given a fair opportunity to respond to the in-house inquiry committee before it presented its findings. His plea came ahead of the Parliament's monsoon session, which begins July 21. The cash was allegedly found by fire tenders when a fire broke out in the judge's residence on March 14 at his Delhi residence, when he was the judge of the Delhi High Court. The judge was not present at his house. In his plea, Justice Varma alleged that the committee proceeded in a pre-determined fashion and even without finding any concrete evidence, merely drew adverse inferences against him after reversing the burden of proof. He sought a declaration that the recommendation by the CJI on May 8, 2025 to the President and the Prime Minister for initiation of his removal as a High Court Judge is "unconstitutional and ultra vires". "The Petitioner is not in possession of a copy of the communication dated May 8 but assails the action on various constitutional parameters. The petitioner is seeking the indulgence of this court challenging the process culminating in the communication of the then CJI to the President and to the Prime Minister by way of his communication dated May 8 seeking the initiation of removal proceedings of the petitioner as a Judge of a High Court," the petition stated. He said that the in-house procedure, adopted via a 1999 Full Court Resolution to handle complaints against judges and preserve judicial independence while maintaining public faith, "unjustifiably extends beyond the intended scope of self-regulation and fact-finding". "By culminating in recommendations for removal from constitutional office, it creates a parallel, extra-constitutional mechanism that derogates from the mandatory framework under Articles 124 and 218 of the Constitution, which exclusively vest powers for removal of judges of the High Courts in Parliament through an address supported by a special majority, following an inquiry under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968," stated the petition. It further submitted the in-house, which adopts no such comparable safeguards, usurps parliamentary authority to the extent that it empowers the judiciary to recommend or opine on the removal of Judges from constitutionally held office. "This violates the doctrine of separation of powers, which is part of the basic structure of the Constitution, as the judiciary cannot assume the role reserved for the legislature in the removal of judges," added the plea. Justice Varma also sought quashing of the final report dated May 3 of the in-house committee constituted by the CJI, and all actions consequential thereto. Invocation of the in-house procedure was "improper and invalid" since it was done in the absence of any formal complaint against Justice Varma, said the plea. The plea said the committee denied him access to evidence, withheld CCTV footage, and offered no chance to rebut allegations. Key witnesses were examined in his absence, violating natural justice, he added. The committee was constituted on March 22 by then CJI Khanna to probe the incident, comprising of Justices Sheel Nagu (then Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court), GS Sandhawalia (then Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka High Court). The incident occurred on March 14, following a fire at his Lutyens' Delhi home, during which semi-burnt wads of cash were reportedly found. This discovery led to an in-house inquiry initiated by the Supreme Court, which appointed a three-member committee to investigate the matter. Justice Varma has strongly denied any involvement, asserting that neither he nor his family members placed the cash in the storeroom. (ANI)
Three colleges of Delhi University received bomb threats through email, police said on Friday. According to police, IP College for Women, Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) got bomb threats via email today. Standard drill is being followed. Campuses are being searched. This comes days after St. Stephen's College received a bomb threat. The email claimed that a bomb had been planted in the library, officials said. Moreover, St. Xavier's School in the national capital has also received a bomb threat. Over 20 schools in Delhi have received bomb threats via email, officials said today. Personnel of the Delhi Fire Department and Delhi Police were deployed at several schools. Richmondd Global School Principal Moupali Mitra said that they had informed the Commissioner of Police only a few minutes after receiving the bomb threat email this morning. Each corner of the school was checked for explosives with the help of the bomb disposal squad and other teams, and it was found to be safe, she said. "We are keeping an eye on every kind of message. We received the mail threat at 10:52 AM and mailed the Commissioner of Police at 10:58 AM. Immediately, the bomb squad and other teams arrived along with the Cyber department... We cross-checked every corner of the school, and it is absolutely safe... We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the children... Some anti-social people are spreading such rumours, and we all must stand against them... The school is functioning normally," Mitra told ANI. This came days after nearly ten schools and one college in the national capital received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures. Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday raised concerns over the bomb threats to the schools and criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not being able to ensure safety for students. "More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through. BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking," Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Kalkaji assembly constituency, posted on X. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday unfurled a 108-feet-tall religious flag (pataka) at the historic Jakhu Hanuman Temple in Shimla. The CM called the installation a mark of deep-rooted devotion and Himachali tradition, while also reiterating that the state government is accelerating relief and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of recent monsoon devastation. He once again urged the Union Government to provide a special relief package for the disaster-hit state. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, CM Sukhu said that, keeping in mind the environmental aspect, the government would beautify the temple and install a large statue of Lord Ram after obtaining Forest clearance. "Jakhu Temple has historic significance. It already houses the world's tallest statue of Lord Hanuman, and now, with this 108-feet-tall flag, perhaps the tallest of its kind, we have once again shown our devotion. This symbolizes our faith, culture, and traditions. We, the people of Himachal, are the living expression of that faith," he said. Senior priest of the Jakhu Temple, B.P. Sharma, highlighted the spiritual significance of the event. Sharma said, "On the auspicious occasion of Ashtami in the holy month of Shravan, the flag was hoisted". He added, "This flag is taller than the statue itself and can be seen from far and wide. On regular days, we see 20,000 to 25,000 devotees visit daily, although numbers are lower now due to the rains. There is also discussion about installing a large idol of Lord Ram, but a survey will be conducted first to ensure the mountain's stability before any decision is made". The Chief Minister also revealed that plans are underway to install a grand statue of Lord Ram near the temple, but the project is currently held up due to forest clearance issues. "I have given directions to explore the possibility of installing a large idol of Lord Ram here. However, due to forest restrictions, we will need clearance. While that process is underway, we will immediately work on beautifying the temple premises. A blueprint will be prepared to improve parking and seating facilities. The work will be done in a way that protects the environment and upholds the spiritual sanctity of this sacred place," he added. When asked about the ongoing monsoon devastation, CM Sukhu asserted that his government is working at full speed to restore normalcy. "I want to clarify that there has been no lapse in our restoration and relief work. We are even coordinating with former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur since his constituency has suffered extensive damage," Sukhu said. "I have briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about the scale of destruction in Siraj, Karsog, Dharampur and other areas. Rising above party politics, I have requested a special relief package for Himachal," he emphasized. He expressed hope that the Union Home Minister would announce concrete assistance during his upcoming visit to the state."The rehabilitation work is progressing rapidly. There is no dearth of food or supplies. People are also generously donating. The state government takes full responsibility for families who have suffered losses. While we cannot allot new land, wherever government land is available (except forest land), we will ensure plots are given to disaster-affected families," CM Sukhu said. He also highlighted a 5,000 monthly rent assistance scheme for displaced families. "People whose homes have been destroyed and who are currently staying in government rest houses can shift to rented accommodation. If they provide written proof to the local patwari, they will receive 5,000 per month towards rent," he added. "Our main aim is to ensure that roads remain open and that horticultural produce reaches the markets without delay. Instructions are being issued for the speedy clearance of roads and transport routes," he said. (ANI)
Hailing Operation Sindoor in Bihar's Motihari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the "new" India spares no effort in punishing its enemies. "This is a new India-an India that spares no effort in punishing the enemies, mobilizing forces from both land and sky", PM Modi said in Motihari, recalling that it was from the soil of Bihar that he had resolved to launch Operation Sindoor. He affirmed that today, the success of that operation is being witnessed by the entire world. PM Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation development projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore in Motihari today. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said Bihar is the land of Champaran, a land that has shaped history. During the freedom movement, this land gave Mahatma Gandhi a new direction. He emphasized that the inspiration from this very land will now shape Bihar's new future. He extended congratulations to all present and to the people of Bihar for these development initiatives. PM Modi further said that the 21st century is witnessing rapid global progress, noting that the dominance once held solely by Western nations is now increasingly shared by Eastern countries, whose participation and influence are growing. He stated that Eastern nations are now gaining new momentum in development. Drawing a parallel, the Prime Minister stated that just as Eastern countries are advancing globally, in India, it is the era of the eastern states. He affirmed the government's resolve to ensure that, in the coming times, Motihari in the East becomes as prominent as Mumbai in the West. PM Modi envisioned equal opportunities in Gaya, as in Gurugram, industrial growth in Patna akin to Pune, and development in Santhal Pargana comparable to Surat. He expressed hope that tourism in Jalpaiguri and Jajpur would set new records, like those in Jaipur, and that the people of Birbhum would progress, like those in Bengaluru. "To advance Eastern India, Bihar must be transformed into a developed state", emphasised PM Modi, stating that rapid progress in Bihar is possible today because both the Centre and the State have governments committed to Bihar's development. He stated that during the 10 years of the previous government's tenure, when they were in power at the Centre, Bihar received only around Rs 2 lakh crore, remarking that this was a form of political retaliation against the government led by PM Nitish Kumar. The Prime Minister asserted that after coming to power in 2014, his government ended this politics of vendetta against Bihar, stressing that under their rule over the past 10 years, nearly Rs 9 lakh crore has been allocated for Bihar's development. He pointed out that this is four times more than what was provided under the previous dispensation, affirming that this funding is being utilised for public welfare and development projects across Bihar. Underscoring the importance of today's generation in understanding the despair Bihar faced two decades ago, PM Modi stated that under the rule of previous governments, development was stalled, and it was nearly impossible for funds meant for the poor to reach them. He criticised the then-leadership for being focused solely on looting money meant for the poor. The Prime Minister praised the resilience of Bihar's people, calling it a land where the impossible is made possible. He commended the public for liberating Bihar from the shackles of previous dispensation, enabling direct delivery of welfare schemes to the poor. PM Modi also highlighted that over the past 11 years, more than 4 crore houses have been built under the PM Awas Yojana across the country, with nearly 60 lakh constructed in Bihar alone. He noted that this figure surpasses the total population of countries like Norway, New Zealand, and Singapore. "In Motihari district alone, around 3 lakh families have received pucca houses, and the count continues to grow rapidly. Over 12,000 families in the region have received the keys to their new homes today", said PM Modi. Crediting Bihar's progress to the strength and determination of its mothers and sisters, PM Modi stated that women in Bihar clearly understand the significance of every step taken by their government. He acknowledged the large presence of women at the event and recalled the days when they had to hide even Rs 10, lacking access to bank accounts, and were denied entry into banks. The Prime Minister affirmed his understanding of the dignity of the poor and recounted how he questioned banks on why their doors were closed to the underprivileged. He highlighted the massive campaign launched to open Jan Dhan accounts, which greatly benefited women, with approximately 3.5 crore women in Bihar now having Jan Dhan accounts. Reiterating their party's vision: 'Bihar's progress is essential for India's progress', PM Modi emphasised that Bihar will advance only when its youth move forward. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to a prosperous Bihar and employment for every youth. The Prime Minister stated that significant efforts have been made in recent years to create employment opportunities within Bihar itself. The Prime Minister announced that the Central Government has recently approved a major scheme aimed at supporting first-time job seekers in the private sector. Under this scheme, youth receiving their first appointment in a private company will be granted Rs 15,000 by the Central Government. He stated that the scheme will be implemented starting August 1 and will involve an expenditure of Rs 1 lakh crore by the Centre, emphasising that this initiative will significantly benefit the youth of Bihar. PM Modi also highlighted efforts to promote self-employment in Bihar through schemes like the Mudra Yojana. He noted that in the past two months alone, lakhs of loans have been disbursed under the Mudra Yojana in Bihar, adding that in Champaran specifically, 60,000 youth have received Mudra loans to support their self-employment ventures. Asserting that leaders from other parties can never provide employment, especially those who, under the guise of offering jobs, seize people's land, PM Modi urged the public to remember the contrast between the era of lanterns and today's Bihar, illuminated by new hopes. He credited this transformation to Bihar's journey with their coalition government, affirming that Bihar's resolve remains firm and unwavering in its support for the coalition. The Prime Minister highlighted the decisive action taken against Naxalism in recent years, which has greatly benefited the youth of Bihar. He stated that districts like Champaran, Aurangabad, Gaya, and Jamui--once held back by Maoist influence--are now witnessing the decline of extremism. He emphasised that in areas once overshadowed by Maoist violence, youth are now dreaming big and reaffirmed the government's commitment to completely freeing India from the grip of Naxalism. The Prime Minister affirmed that Bihar lacks neither capability nor resources and today, Bihar's resources are becoming instruments of its progress. He highlighted the rise in makhana prices, attributing it to efforts by their government, which he attributed to the integration of makhana farmers with larger markets. He also mentioned the formation of a Makhana Board to further support this sector. PM Modi listed several key products--banana, litchi, Mircha rice, Katarni rice, Zardalu mango, and Maghai paan--as examples of Bihar's agricultural richness. He emphasised that these and many other products will connect Bihar's farmers and youth to global markets. Stating that increasing farmers' produce and income is a top priority for the government, PM Modi highlighted that under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, approximately Rs 3.5 lakh crore has been disbursed to farmers across the country. He noted that in Motihari alone, over 5 lakh farmers have received more than 1,500 crore through this scheme. The Prime Minister affirmed that the government does not stop at slogans or promises,it delivers through action. He emphasized that when their Government says it works for the backward and extremely backward communities, this commitment is reflected in its policies and decisions. He stated that their mission is clear: priority to every backward individual, whether it is backward regions or backward classes, they remain central to the government's priorities. The Prime Minister further noted that even India's border villages were long considered "last villages" and left behind, but the government redefined them as "first villages" and prioritized their development. He highlighted that the OBC community had long demanded constitutional status for the OBC Commission--a demand fulfilled by their coalition government. PM Modi also mentioned the launch of the Janman Yojana for the most marginalized among tribal communities, with Rs 25,000 crore being allocated for their development. The Prime Minister announced a new major initiative aligned with this vision: the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana, recently approved by the Union Cabinet. Under this scheme, 100 districts,agriculturally rich in potential but lagging in productivity and farmer income will be identified and prioritized. He stated that farmers in these districts will receive targeted support under the scheme. He emphasized that this will directly benefit nearly 1.75 crore farmers across the country, with a significant share belonging to Bihar. Emphasising Champaran's deep connection with India's faith and cultural heritage, PM Modi stated that the Ram-Janaki Path will pass through Motihari's Sattarghat, Kesariya, Chakia, and Madhuban. He highlighted that the new railway line being developed from Sitamarhi to Ayodhya will enable devotees from Champaran to travel to Ayodhya for darshan. He remarked that these initiatives will significantly enhance connectivity in Bihar and generate new employment opportunities in the region. The Prime Minister criticised the previous governments for having long engaged in politics in the name of the poor, Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities and that they not only deny equal rights but also fail to show respect to those outside their own families. He asserted that Bihar is witnessing their arrogance clearly today. The Governor of Bihar, Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manji, Giriraj Singh, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Chirag Paswan, Ramnath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satish Chandra Dubey, Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary were present among other dignitaries at the event. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lambasted the INDIA bloc partners, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, for halting development in Bihar and appealed to voters to "protect" the State from their "malicious" intentions ahead of Assembly polls due later this year. Addressing a public rally in Motihari after dedicating projects worth Rs 72,00 crore for Bihar, Prime Minister accused Congress and the RJD of doing politics in the name of the poor, Dalits, backwards classes, and tribals, but they never ensure equal rights to them. "Congress and RJD have been doing politics in the name of the poor, Dalits, backwards classes, and tribals. However, far from ensuring equal rights, they often fail to show respect to people outside their immediate families. The arrogance of these people is being witnessed by the entire Bihar today. We must protect Bihar from their malicious intentions," the Prime Minister said. Further sharpening the attack, PM Modi stated that it was impossible for the poor to obtain such pucca houses during the rule of the RJD and Congress in Bihar. "During the rule of the RJD and Congress, it was impossible for the poor to get such Pucca houses. In the regime of those people, folks didn't even dare to paint their homes, fearing that if they did, who knows, the landlord might just have them evicted." "Bihar is the land of brave souls who make even the impossible possible. You people have freed this land from the shackles of RJD and Congress, making the impossible possible. As a result, today in Bihar, schemes for the welfare of the poor are directly reaching the poor," PM Modi said, emphasising that it is essential for today's generation to know how Bihar was steeped in despair two decades ago. "It is essential for today's generation to know how Bihar was steeped in despair two decades ago. During the rule of RJD and Congress, development was stalled, and it was impossible for the poor's money to reach the poor. Those in power only thought about how to loot the money meant for the poor," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi's visit comes ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, which are expected to be held later this year; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date. While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again seek to continue its stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will aim to unseat Nitish Kumar. In the current Bihar Assembly, comprising 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 members, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U) having 45, HAM(S) having 4, and the support of 2 Independent Candidates.The Opposition's INDIA Bloc comprises 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 11, CPI(M) with 2, and CPI with 2. (ANI)
UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) and the Atal Incubation Centre, Mahamana Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Institute of Management, Banaras Hindu University (AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU), co-hosted a Start-up Showcase in Varanasi as part of the UAE-India CEPA Council Start-up Series. Held in one of India's most historic and culturally significant cities, the event underscored the UAE-India CEPA Council's commitment to deepening innovation partnerships with emerging entrepreneurship hubs across the Republic of India. A key milestone of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UICC and the AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU. The MoU aims to foster deeper collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship, with a focus on youth-led ventures and technology-driven enterprises. The agreement is expected to catalyse cross-border scaling, knowledge sharing, and institutional linkages between the UAE and India. Speaking on the occasion of the event, Mr. Ahmed Aljneibi, Director of the UAE-India CEPA Council, stated, "The UAE-India CEPA Start-Up Series is about more than opportunity; it's about access, ambition, and acceleration. Through this initiative, we are positioning the UAE as an international scale-up launchpad for India's most promising next-generation ventures, particularly those emerging from Tier 2 and Tier 3 innovation hubs. Our goal is to build bridges that transform local talent into global players." Commenting on the partnership, Professor P.V. Rajeev, Director and Professor-in-Charge of the AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU, said, "This collaboration with the UAE-India CEPA Council marks a pivotal moment for our institution and the broader start-up community in Varanasi. By connecting our young innovators with international opportunities, particularly in the UAE, we are opening doors for knowledge exchange, global mentorship, and cross-border scaling. We look forward to building a robust platform that empowers student entrepreneurs to think globally and act boldly." As part of the showcase, participants viewed the official trailer for the UAE-India Start-Up Series, outlining its key offerings, including incubation support, fast-track UAE licensing pathways, curated mentorship, and direct access to leading UAE-based investors and innovation networks. The program concluded with an engaging question-and-answer session led by Mr. Aljneibi, providing students, start-up founders, and incubation professionals with an in-depth understanding of the CEPA Start-Up Series and its application process. The Varanasi showcase marks a significant step in the UAE's innovation diplomacy, ensuring that the benefits of the CEPA partnership extend well beyond major metros, reaching India's cultural heartland and the next generation of entrepreneurial talent. Start-ups interested in being part of the upcoming flagship pitch event in New Delhi are encouraged to apply via the official microsite. The application window remains open until 31 July 2025. (ANI)
A day after the US Department of State's designated 'The Resistance Front (TRF)' as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, Hyder Shah, father of pony ride operator Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who died in the Pahalgam terror attack while saving tourists, expressed his happiness. "The terrorist organisations should be eliminated to stop the killing of innocent people...We are very happy as The Resistance Front (TRF), proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. They killed my child in Pahalgam...They provided justice to us by designating The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO)..." Shah told ANI. The sister of Syed Adil Hussain Shah also expressed her happiness on the decision and said "We are very happy and all terrorist organisations should also be banned. All the terrorist organisations should be eliminated...We trust PM Modi a lot..." Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed the United States' decision against the TRF that had claimed responsiblity for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir in which Pak-supported terrorsis killed 26 people in the name of religion. Jaishankar termed the move by the US Department of State as a "strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation." "Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism," Jaishankar posted on his social media platform X. In a statement issued by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio it was acknowledged that TRF, which is a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, under US anti-terrorism laws had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam terror attack. The Pahalgam attack in the tourist hotspot in Jammu and Kashmir had triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. In light of this, the US accorded the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The United States noted this was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also carried out by LeT. The US State Department further stated that TRF has also been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces in recent years, including in 2024.The decision, the US government said, underlined the Trump administration's continued commitment to global counter-terrorism. "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," Rubio said in the statement. (ANI)
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey emphasised the crucial role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the party's electoral success, stating that the several sections which did not vote for BJP earlier now support the party and it has broken new ground in many states. Dubey, who is one of the most articulate faces of BJP in Parliament, told ANI in an interview that the BJP requires PM Modi for its success and PM Modi's leadership is essential for the party's victory. Dubey highlighted that the BJP's success is heavily dependent on PM Modi's leadership. "Today, Modiji has become the Prime Minister for the third time...if Modiji is not our leader, the BJP may not win even 150 seats (in LS polls)," Nishikant Dubey said. PM Modi has been in Prime Minister since 2014 and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance recorded its third successive victory in last year's Lok Sabha polls. The BJP got absolute majority on its own in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "When Modiji came, the vote bank that never belonged to the BJP, especially among the poor, shifted towards the party due to their faith in him. Some may like it or not, but it's a reality," Dubey said. Dubey, who is parliamentarian from Godda and is four-time MP, attributed party's success to the faith that people have in PM Modi. "2029 ka chunav bhi BJP ki mazboori hai ki Modiji ke natritav mein ladna padega...(it is BJP's compulsion to fight the 2029 (Lok Sabha polls) under leadership of PM Modi). The BJP needs Modiji...As a party worker, I believe that we need Modiji's leadership, " Dubey added. "My remarks were not meant to be controversial, but rather a reflection of the reality on the ground. The fact that Modi's name alone can secure votes for the party is a testament to his leadership and the faith that people have in him. As long as his body permits, we will need his leadership to achieve our goal of a developed India by 2047," he added. Answering a query on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about stepping down at the age of 75, Dubey said there is no need for Modiji to do so. "BJP needs him. One may agree or not, political party runs on cult...," he said. Answering another query, Dubey said that for the next 15-20 years, PM Modi would be the leader. "15-20 saal tak Modiji nazar aa rahen hain (he is visible (as a leader) for the next 15-20 years)." "It's natural for people to wonder about the future. However, when you're working at the grassroots level, you understand the reality. I contested elections in 2009 and won, but my victory margin was slim - just 6,000 votes. In fact, I lost in almost all six assembly segments, which is a testament to the challenges of winning," Dubey noted. The BJP secured an absolute majority on its own for the first time in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate. It won 282 seats in 2014, and improved its tally to 303 seats in the 2019 general elections. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossed the 350-mark, recording one of the highest victories in Lok Sabha polls. Under PM Modi's leadership, BJP has attained repeated success in assembly polls. Tripura, Assam, Haryana and Odisha are among states BJP formed government for the first time. It has also spread its influence in northeastern states and expanded its base in southern states. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh's Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister, Jagat Singh Negi, on Friday said that the state government will approach the Supreme Court against the High Court's directive that has led to mass felling of fruit-bearing and green trees on encroached forest lands. Calling the green felling "environmentally disastrous" and contrary to the principles of ecological conservation. Negi told ANI, "Nowhere in the country is green felling permitted. Eviction of illegal encroachments is being carried out, but cutting decades-old fruit-bearing trees is not justified." He added that the state will file a petition in the Supreme Court to prevent unnecessary destruction of green cover. While the government is complying with the High Court's order to remove illegal encroachments, Negi warned that the large-scale removal of apple orchards and other full-grown trees could have serious environmental consequences, especially amid the threat of heavy monsoons, cloudbursts, and floods. "There are trees over 50 to 60 years old being cut down. Be it fruit-bearing or otherwise, a tree is a tree. We are following the court's eviction orders, but mass tree felling is a first-of-its-kind action and a matter of grave concern," he said. Negi warned that tree removal on such a large scale could lead to soil erosion, flooding, and broader destruction in downstream areas. He urged the judiciary to differentiate between illegal possession and green asset preservation, and asked the Centre to frame a balanced policy that allows the removal of encroachments without harming the environment. Following the restoration work after monsoon damage, Negi said that things are returning to normal. Despite the havoc and widespread damage, restoration efforts have accelerated across Himachal Pradesh, according to the minister. "All national highways have been reopened, including the Manali Highway and NH-707, which was blocked yesterday. Around 250 link roads are still blocked due to landslides and are being restored," he said. The power supply has improved, with 81 electricity schemes now functional, up from 73 yesterday. The drinking water supply has also been largely restored, with only 61 schemes remaining disrupted compared to over 700 a week ago. According to Negi, 65 lives were lost to floods and cloudbursts, and 45 deaths due to road accidents since June 20 and 23,000 livestock deaths have been reported. He stated that 493 houses were fully damaged and 1,100 were partially damaged due to rain and flooding in the state. A total of 306 shops, 81 labour sheds, and 1,300+ cow shelters destroyed. He said that over 200 schools were damaged, with some completely destroyed. "Temporary arrangements have been made to continue classes in makeshift facilities," he added. Negi has also ordered a probe into Shrikhand Mahadev Pilgrim Death, ordering a full inquiry into the death of a youth from Chandigarh during the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra in Kullu district, and expressed concern over allegations of tourist exploitation by porters. An SDM-level inquiry has been ordered, and Negi directed that the Rs 20,000 charged by porters be refunded to the family. He also questioned why no administration or rescue team members were stationed along the critical stretch. Negi emphasised that ensuring timely evacuation and medical care for injured pilgrims is the responsibility of the administration. (ANI)
During the night hours of July 17, the BSF troops on duty intercepted successive drone intrusion on Amritsar border, said the force in a press release.

Responding quickly, the technical counter measures deployed on border were activated, which neutralised every narco drone coming from the Pakistan side.

Subsequent search conducted by the BSF recovered four DJI Mavic 3 Classic drones with three packets of suspected heroin (gross weight-1.744 kg) from the farming fields near village- Pulmoran. The packets of narcotics were found attached to the drones.

In a similar operation near village Roranwala Khurd during night hours, the vigilant BSF troops recovered one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone along with one packet of heroin (596 grams), which got crashed due to technical interference of the counter drone measure.

In the early morning hours today, one more DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone was intercepted and shot down with the activation of technical counter measure in the vicinity of village Dhanoe Kalan, the BSF said in the release.

In all, the operations by the BSF during the last few hours resulted in recovery of six DJI Mavic 3 Classic drones and 2.340 kg of heroin.

Alert BSF troops and impeccable performance of technical counter measures deployed on border led to such incredible achievements, thus decimating the nefarious designs and striking a severe blow to the Pakistani narco-trrror syndicate operating from across the border. (ANI)
The initiative for women's safety, launched in March 2015 under the leadership of PM Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has now marked a decade. According to the release, over the past 10 years, 16,58,892 women have turned to the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline for help during difficult moments. The Chief Minister has played a pivotal role in supporting women, girls, adolescents, and children across Gujarat during times of crisis. Whether facing domestic violence, harassment, or emotional distress, Abhayam has become a steady source of strength for many, reflecting the government's commitment to prioritising women's safety. According to the release, Women of Gujarat continue to receive free, 24/7 support through Abhayam 181 Women Helpline. To ensure timely assistance during moments of distress, 59 rescue vans are operational across the state. Of these, 12 serve Ahmedabad city under the Safe City Project. In emergencies, these vans reach the location with a trained counsellor, offering immediate help and compassionate resolution. So far, 3.31 lakh women have been supported through these rescue vans, with 2.09 lakh cases resolved on the spot. Services such as counselling and on-site intervention have become a lifeline for countless women facing emotional, domestic, or personal crises, offering not just solutions but also a sense of reassurance. To make the service even more accessible, the Abhayam 181 mobile application was launched on August 6, 2018. Since then, over 2.73 lakh women have downloaded the app. The Gujarat government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, continues to reaffirm its commitment to women's safety through sustained financial support for the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline. Over the past three years, 37.78 crore has been allocated to strengthen and expand the helpline's reach. In 2022-23, 10.50 crore was allocated, followed by 12.50 crore in 2023-24, and 14.78 crore in 2024-25. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the government has approved a provision of 15.02 crore. These steady increases reflect the state's determined effort to build a stronger, more responsive, and dependable safety framework for women across Gujarat. A skilled and responsive team has been established for the Abhayam 181 Women Helpline through the joint efforts of the Women and Child Development Department, the Home Department, GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute), and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Women facing any kind of crisis can reach out by calling 181 at any time, from anywhere. The helpline offers immediate support, including rescue assistance, guidance over the phone, and short and long-term counselling to help women move forward confidently. In cases of domestic or other forms of violence, an Abhayam rescue van is sent to the woman's location, and if needed, she is safely relocated to a secure environment. The Abhayam 181 Women Helpline offers assistance across a wide range of issues affecting women, including domestic violence, physical, sexual, and mental harassment, financial exploitation, female foeticide, cybercrimes, marital or relationship conflicts, stalking, substance abuse recovery, child marriage, and concerns faced by homeless women. Over the past decade, the helpline has helped countless women across Gujarat find timely and effective solutions to these challenges. By calling 181, women can also obtain information about local support services, including women's police stations, police station-based support centres, free legal aid, family counselling centres, protection officers, and the Gujarat State Commission for Women. These services are available to all women in the state, including those visiting from across the country. (ANI)
Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road, Transport & Highways Harsh Malhotra addressed the Road and Highways Summit in Delhi today. The Minister stated that, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Nitin Gadkari, MoRTH is committed to building a world-class road and transport infrastructure that connects people, drives economic growth, and ensures safety and sustainability for all. Malhotra stated that over the past 11 years, the Ministry has worked tirelessly to turn PM Modi's vision into reality--connecting cities, empowering communities, and accelerating development through an unprecedented pace and scale of highway construction. The minister stated that these modern highways are not just roads; they are lifelines of progress, connecting people, industries, and opportunities, and by expanding the network, the government has redefined the very experience of travel, making it faster, safer and significantly more comfortable for every citizen. Malhotra stated that the national highway network has expanded from 91,000 km in 2014 to over 1.46 lakh km today, making it the second-largest road network in the world. Minister quoted that the government's spending on road infrastructure has grown 6.4 times between 2013-14 and 2024-25 and the budget allocation for road transport and highways has seen a 57% increase from 2014 to 2023-24, reflecting the government's unwavering commitment to connectivity, mobility and economic growth. The Minister also stated that in recent years, road infrastructure has created 45 crore man-days of direct employment, 57 crore man-days of indirect employment and 532 crore man-days of induced employment, which demonstrates the substantial impact of infrastructure projects on job creation across various sectors. Malhotra also stated that more than 10000 kms of National Highways (NHs) have been constructed in the North Eastern Region (NER) during the past decade, which demonstrates PM Narendra Modi Ji's commitment to the region. Malhotra mentioned the Delhi Decongestion Plan, which aims to reduce the traffic congestion and pollution in the city and would improve connectivity in the city. The plan includes extension of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (NE-5) from KMPE till UER-II (NH-344M) in Delhi and Haryana, Extension of UER-II (NH-344M) near Alipur till Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (NH-709B) near Tronica City in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and Construction of a Road Tunnel starting from Dwarka Expressway (near Shiv Murti Mahipalpur) to Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj. The Minister stated that the Ministry is in the process of developing over 700 Wayside Amenities (WSAs) by 2028-29, which will offer clean restrooms, quality food, rest areas, fuel stations, and EV charging points. Malhotra stated that the Ministry has accorded top priority to Road Safety and mentioned that 14,000 accident-prone blackspots have been rectified. The Minister also commended the successful implementation of schemes such as the Good Samaritan Scheme and the Cashless Golden Hour Scheme. Shri Malhotra stated that with initiatives like the Green Highways Policy and 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', the Ministry has planted over 4.78 crore trees and transplanted around 70,000 trees along national highways. The Minister stated that the Ministry has also adopted sustainable construction practices, including the use of over 80 lakh tonnes of plastic waste in major projects such as UER-II and the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway. Additionally, fly ash from thermal power plants is being incorporated into highway construction, reducing the need for raw materials and lowering emissions. Malhotra, at the end, said that the construction of more highways is pivotal to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Every rupee invested in highway development yields a threefold return to the GDP, unlocks vast employment opportunities and opens multiple channels for revenue generation, and the government is not just building roads-- it is laying the foundation for a prosperous, peaceful, and resilient Bharat. (ANI)
Fire tenders from both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have been deployed and are actively engaged in firefighting operations to control the blaze.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and no casualties have been reported so far. Further details are awaited. (ANI)
Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon (Retd) on Friday welcomed the decision of the United States to designate Resistance Front (TRF)-an offshoot of Pakistan based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that initially claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Dhillon, who was the Corps commander in Kashmir from 2019 to 2020, noted that the Resistance Front (TRF) emerged as an online organisation during that period. "This is the first time during that period that this name came to the fore. TRF is nothing but a front of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Since Lashkar-e-Taiba was getting internationally banned, that is when they came out with this TRF...Initially, this came up as an online name which subsequently started claiming all the terrorist actions of Lashkar-e-Taiba, including the Pahalgam attack...," Dhillon told ANI. "It is a very welcome step that it has been designated as a terrorist organisation and designated as a foreign terrorist organisation, and Pakistan now should be designated as a terrorist state..." This comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement, acknowledged that TRF under US anti-terrorism laws, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam terror attack, and in light of this, it accorded the group the status of FTO and SDGT. TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), was the group that claimed responsibility for the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan in the coming two weeks. The US noted this was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also carried out by LeT. The decision, the US government stated, underscored the Trump administration's ongoing commitment to global counter-terrorism. "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," Rubio said in the statement. "TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as an FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," the statement further added. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed its appreciation for the US Department of State's decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), describing it as a significant step in the global fight against terrorism. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acknowledged and appreciated the leadership of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the decision. "The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard," the statement read. "The TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), has been involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the heinous attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, for which it twice claimed responsibility," it added. (ANI)
The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called on the Congress-led state government to take a clear and judicious stand on Maharashtra's controversial proposal to merge 14 border villages from Telangana into its territory. In a statement issued today, BJP Telangana chief spokesperson NV Subash said, "The Maharashtra government's intent to merge these villages is a serious issue. It is imperative for the ruling Congress government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to publicly clarify its position and protect the interests of Telangana's territorial integrity." The statement was made in response to Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's remarks on Wednesday, in which he claimed that his government has initiated the process of merging 14 villages located along the Telangana-Maharashtra border. Bawankule further stated that Maharashtra maintains revenue records for these villages and asserted that the residents are registered voters in Maharashtra. "The people of these 14 villages cast their votes in Maharashtra. Some of the land lies in Telangana, some in Maharashtra--but these villages are part of our state. We have the documentation and have begun the merger process," Bawankule was quoted as saying. Reacting to these assertions, Subash said, "While the claims made by Maharashtra may appear documented, it is still the duty of the Telangana government to examine the validity of these claims, initiate dialogue with the Maharashtra administration, and most importantly, take the local people's views into account." Reports in a section of the media indicate that residents of the 14 villages have opposed the merger, expressing their desire to remain in Telangana. Many have urged the authorities to intervene and halt any such integration into Maharashtra. Subash emphasised that such sensitive inter-state matters must be handled with diplomacy and consensus. "Only through transparent dialogue and mutual respect can these disputes be resolved amicably. But for that to happen, the Revanth Reddy government must break its silence and make its stand known to the people of Telangana." The BJP has urged the state government to treat the matter with utmost seriousness and engage all stakeholders before taking any further steps. NV Subash also reacted to Rahul Gandhi X post, he said, "My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment. I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution, and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail". (ANI)
In light of the serious allegations, the NHRC has issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, demanding a detailed report within two weeks.

According to reports, the victim--an IP University contract employee residing in Nangli Vihar--was taken into custody on July 10 for questioning regarding a theft complaint filed by a woman supervisor. Tragically, he died by "suicide" on July 11. A note purportedly written by the victim has been recovered.

The Commission emphasised that if the claims reported in the media are accurate, they reflect a grave violation of human rights.

Media coverage dated July 12 further states that the victim bore visible injury marks and had reportedly been subjected to electric shocks, causing swelling in his ear. His family took him to a local hospital, which referred him to Indira Gandhi Hospital for specialised treatment. He was later found dead, hanging in his room. (ANI)
The Airline Pilots' Association - India (ALPA-I) on Friday welcomed recent statement by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India regarding the tragic accident in Ahmedabad involving Air India Flight VT-ANB that killed 260 people on June 12. ALPA-I said AAIB's appeal to the media and public to refrain from speculation is a vital step in protecting the integrity of the investigative process. "We thank the AAIB for addressing public concerns and making a much-needed appeal to themedia and public to refrain from speculation, premature conclusions, or unverified narratives while the investigation is ongoing," ALPA-I said in a press statement. This is a vital step in protecting the integrity of the investigative process and the dignity of all those affected," it added. AAIB on Thursday issued a strong appeal to the public and media, raising concerns about "selective and unverified reporting" by certain international outlets in the aftermath of the ill-fated Air India 171 crash. ALPA-I has said that as a professional body representing the airline pilots of India, it has consistently maintained that such tragedies must be investigated with utmost diligence, transparency, and impartiality. ALPA-I also reiterated its request to be included in the investigative process, at the very least as observers, "to ensure that the perspectives of frontline professionals are considered and that the process maintains public trust." "We have written several letters and formal communications to both the AAIB and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), requesting to be included in the investigative process, at the very least as observers, to ensure that the perspectives of frontline professionals are considered and that the process maintains public trust," the statement said. ALPA-I said that it was of the view that in keeping with global best practices and ICAO Annex 13 (Paragraphs 5.24 and 5.25), pilot associations can be permitted to assist in investigations as technical advisers. "These paragraphs allow the State conducting the investigation to include advisers nominatedby accredited representatives, provided they possess suitable qualifications. In many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, pilot unions and associations routinely participate in this capacity. ALPA-I once again renews its request to be included as an observer in the ongoing investigation of VT-ANB, to contribute professionally and help strengthen the safety framework of Indian aviation," ALPA-I said in the statement. "Our objective remains aligned with that of the AAIB: to uncover the root causes of theaccident in order to improve aviation safety and prevent recurrence. We remain committedto supporting the AAIB in this mission and urge all stakeholders, including media personnel,analysts, and commentators, to avoid speculative or sensational interpretations, especiallyon sensitive issues like crew conduct or mental health, until the facts are fully established," the statement added. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed a public rally in Durgapur, West Bengal, where he strongly criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for its alleged misrule and corruption. He accused the TMC of obstructing investment in the state through "Gunda Tax" and claimed that businessmen are being threatened by TMC members. "...In West Bengal, money is being demanded from businessmen, the people of the TMC threaten them...The 'Gunda Tax' of TMC obstructs investment in the state," said PM Modi. PM Modi urged the people of West Bengal to consider a change in government, promising that a BJP-led administration would bring development and ensure the state's progress. He highlighted the need for a "double-engine" government to utilize central funds effectively and prevent corruption, citing the development witnessed in BJP-ruled states like Assam, Tripura and Odisha. He said, "BJP got a chance in Assam after a long time, and now Assam is developing rapidly. Everyone knows what situation Tripura was in, but the BJP government is taking Tripura forward in development. Odisha will also become one of the states that will top the list in terms of development. I urge you to give one chance to the BJP and form a government that is honest and hardworking." Lashing out at the TMC government, Prime Minister Modi said that in the last decade, a situation has been created in West Bengal that is unfavourable for investment and employment. He stated, "We have to take back the pride of Durgapur and West Bengal. The important thing for it is investment, and people here set up industries. There should be more and more investment on Bengal's youth and their skill. But it's not possible under TMC's reign. In last decade, a situation has been created against investments and jobs. Riots like Murshidabad happen in West Bengal and the police take unilateral action. When there is no ray of justice in West Bengal, how can one invest? The state government cannot protect the shops and lives of the people of the state...." Asserting that development will only be possible once the TMC government is removed, the Prime Minister said, "When the TMC government is removed from power, then only there will be real development in West Bengal..." He expressed pain and anger over atrocities against women in West Bengal, citing the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, where he claimed the TMC tried to shield the culprits. PM Modi emphasized that hospitals are not safe for women under the current government. Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, "The injustice happening with the daughters in West Bengal under the rule of the party that talks about "maa, maatu aur maanush" (TMC government) is painful and outrageous. It is happening on the land of Kadambini Ganguly, India's first Western medicine doctor. It is her birthday today, but today hospitals are also not safe for the daughters in West Bengal." "TMC government shielded the criminals in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. The nation did not recover from this incident, and in another college, an atrocity was committed on a daughter and in this case, the accused has a connection with the TMC... There are several examples that are proof of TMC's ruthlessness. We have to free Bengal from this ruthlessness," he said. During his visit ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, PM Modi laid the foundation stones and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over 5,000 crore, focusing on sectors like - oil and gas; BPCL's City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia districts, worth 1,950 crore, retrofitting pollution control systems at Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station, doubling of the Purulia-Kotshila rail line, worth 390 crore and inauguration of two road overbridges built under the Setu Bharatam scheme. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey has spoken about his controversial "Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country" and "parliament, assemblies should be shut" remarks made amid opposition parties' move to approach the top court against the Waqf Act and said influx of around 4,000 people from Malda, Murshidabad, and Kaliachak into his constituency had become a significant challenge, prompting him to speak out. Dubey, who is MP from Godda, had also slammed the Supreme Court ruling prescribing a timeline for the President to decide on pending bills "During the time of the Waqf Act, around 4,000 people from Malda, Murshidabad, and Kaliachak came to my constituency because it's nearby. We had to take care of their food and shelter, providing them with three meals a day, and everything else. We have passed an Act; if you wish to render a judgment, please proceed. However, the daily chaos and claims that a stay would be granted on the Act influenced the situation. Even wealthy people would struggle to feed and shelter 4,000 people every day, that's why I spoke out," he told ANI in an interview. Opposition parties have fiercely opposed the Waqf Amendment Act passed by the Parliament in the budget session of Parliament. The apex court is hearing petitions against the Waqf Act. Dubey, a four-time MP, said he is concerned about delay in cases in courts. "In our country, people are worried because many court cases go on for 50, 60, or even 70 years. Recently, Prime Minister Modi and the Home Minister introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and made changes to the Evidence Act, setting clear timelines so that judgments are delivered within a year, more or less," he said. Dubey said there are still cases that have been pending for decades, and the court hasn't fixed any timeline for those. "Now, the President, who is the first citizen of India, is being told by the court to decide within three months, or it will be deemed to be approved. Where is this written in the Constitution? All of us, including the Prime Minister, Vice President, and even the Chief Justice, are second citizens compared to the President. So, how can the court dictate terms to the President?" he said. BJP had distanced itself from Dubey's remarks pertaining to the Supreme Court. "Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country. The Supreme Court is going beyond its limits. If one has to go to the Supreme Court for everything, then Parliament and State Assembly should be shut," Dubey had said, triggering a row. The Supreme Court had in May refused to entertain a PIL that sought contempt proceedings against Dubey for his remarks. However, it had pulled up Dubey for his "absurd" remarks and said that remarks of the parliamentarian show ignorance about the role of the constitutional courts and the duties and obligations bestowed on them under the Constitution. Waqf Amendment Act 2025, also known as the UMEED Act, passed in the Parliament in April 2025, proposes significant changes to the governance and management of Waqf properties in India. This legislation seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, aiming to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the administration of Waqf properties while addressing long-standing issues within the system. Originally introduced in 2024, the bill underwent scrutiny by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has recently issued notice on the plea of an accused seeking discharge in a case of murder of Delhi police Head Constable Ratan Lal. He was allegedly murdered by a mob in the North East Delhi riots in February 2020. Petitioner Mohammad Khalid has challenged the order of framing of charges passed by Karkardooma Court on November 22, 2024. Justice Shalinder Kaur issued a notice to the Delhi Police on July 14 and sought a response. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashish Datta appeared for the Delhi Police and sought time to file a reply. Advocate Sikander, Mohd. Hasan and Heena appeared for Mohammad Khalid. The matter has been listed for hearing on October 14, 2025. A petition seeking discharge has been moved through advocate Mehmood Pracha. Petitioner has challenged the Order of 22/11/2024 passed by the Karkardooma Court whereby the Charge for offences punishable under Sections 120B read with Sections 148, 186, 188, 302, 323, 325, 332, 333, 353, 427, 435 of the Indian Penal code (IPC) and Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 read with Section 120B/149 of the IPC and further under Section 188 of the IPC has been framed against the petitioner. Petitioner Mohd Khalid was arrested in June 2023. Thereafter, he was named in the fifth supplementary charge sheet. He was granted bail in September 2023. It is contended by the petitioner that there is no prima facie case against the petitioner, nor is there any cogent evidence against the petitioner. Furthermore, the chargesheet does not contain any material on record that raises grave suspicion on the petitioner or establishes a direct nexus between the petitioner and the alleged offence, the plea said. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed pain and anger over atrocities against women in West Bengal, citing the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, where he claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal to shield the culprits. PM Modi emphasised that hospitals are not safe for women under the current government regarding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found on August 9, 2024, in the hospital's seminar room. Lashing out at the TMC government for "failing" to protect the women in the state, the Prime Minister said that the injustice is happening under the rule of the party that preaches the values of "Maa, Mati, and Manush." Addressing a public gathering in Durgapur, PM Modi said, "The injustice happening with the daughters in West Bengal under the rule of the party that preaches the values of Maa, Mati, and Manush deeply pains and angers me. It is disheartening to witness such actions occurring on the very land of Kadambini Ganguly, India's first female western-trained medical doctor. Yet today, even hospitals are not safe for young women." Citing the recent South Calcutta Law College alleged rape case, the Prime Minister alleged that the accused has a connection with the TMC. "The TMC has spared no effort in protecting the perpetrators... TMC government shielded the criminals in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. The nation did not recover from this incident, and in another college, an atrocity was committed on a daughter and in this case, the accused has a connection with the TMC... There are several examples that are proof of TMC's ruthlessness. We have to free Bengal from this ruthlessness," he stated. A student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in the Kasba area in the capital city of West Bengal on June 25. Sharpening his attacks, PM Modi alleged that TMC is "double attacking" the state's education system through corruption and crime, leading to thousands of teachers being unemployed due to the government's corruption. The Prime Minister said, "Today, people are saying 'TMC hatao, Bengal bacho'... the things that are happening with youth's education and skill is worrying, whether it is higher or primary education. TMC is doing double attack on the state's education system through corruption and crime. Thousands of teachers are unemployed due to the corruption of the TMC government... The court also said that this is a systematic fraud. TMC has put both present and future of state in danger." (ANI)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will attend the inaugural convocation ceremony of the Gujarat Maritime University as Chief Guest on July 19, said an official press release. The inaugural convocation ceremony of the Gujarat Maritime University--established under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be held on Saturday at the Aura Auditorium of Gujarat National Law University at 5 pm. The Chief Minister, Patel, will attend the ceremony as the Chief Guest, deliver the Convocation address, and confer Gold Medals to 13 meritorious students, including 8 female students, in recognition of their outstanding academic excellence. During this ceremonial event, degrees will be awarded to a total of 250 students, comprising 188 from the LLM programme and 62 from the MBA programme. President of Gujarat Maritime University and Chief Secretary to the Government of Gujarat, Pankaj Joshi, will administer the oath to the graduating students and deliver an address from the Chair. According to the official website of the University, the establishment of Gujarat Maritime University (GMU) is an endeavour by the Government of Gujarat through Gujarat Maritime Board to provide a fillip to this growth by bridging the knowledge gap within the industry. The primary objective of Gujarat Maritime University is to establish itself as a global centre of excellence in maritime education, research, and development, as well as professional training. It aims to enhance and increase the human capital and capacity of the maritime industry, both in India and globally. The aspiration is to serve the global maritime community by producing educated and well-trained professionals in the maritime domain. In the first phase, the University plans to offer programs catering to the commercial aspects of the maritime value chain, including maritime law, shipping finance and economics, maritime management, logistics, ship broking, chartering, and ship management, among others. (ANI)
The seizure was made following a meticulously planned operation based on specific intelligence inputs, they added.

According to a release, DRI Pune received a tip-off that a female foreign national would be travelling from Delhi to Bengaluru by bus, carrying psychotropic substances concealed in her luggage. Acting swiftly on this information, officers from DRI Pune Regional Unit, along with Pune Customs, mounted surveillance along the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway and intercepted the suspected passenger while she was in transit.

"Initially, no contraband was found during the search of the woman or her visible baggage. However, a detailed rummaging of the bus led the officers to a second bag hidden at the back of the vehicle, which was later identified as belonging to the accused," the DRI said in its release.

A thorough inspection of the concealed baggage revealed six salwar suits. Each garment was folded with specially designed paper cardboards that created hidden cavities lined with polythene. Inside these cavities, officials found a white, crystal-like substance suspected to be a narcotic drug.

Field testing confirmed the substance to be amphetamine, a potent psychotropic drug commonly known as crystal meth. The total weight of the seized material was 3.815 kilograms.

The woman was immediately taken into custody, and the narcotics were seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The estimated illicit market value of the seized contraband is Rs 7.63 crore.

Further investigation is currently underway to trace the origin and intended recipients of the smuggled drugs, the DRI added. (ANI)
Six bodies of Naxalites have been recovered in the ongoing exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists in Chhattisgarh Abujhmad region of Narayanpur District, a top police officer said. "A huge quantity of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and SLR rifles, have been recovered so far from the spot. Search operation is underway," said Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Bastar range of Chhattisgarh, Sundarraj. Earlier, twenty-three Naxalites, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.18 crore, surrendered in Sukma district. The group comprises 14 men and nine women, all identified as hardcore Naxalites, said officials. Sukma SP Kiran Chauhan earlier said, "23 Naxalites have surrendered. All are hardcore Naxalites. They will be provided with facilities as per the government policy. On this occasion, I appeal to all Naxalites to lay down their arms and join the mainstream." On July 5, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai emphasised that the state will soon be free from Naxal violence, and the affected areas will have all the necessary facilities, including roads and electricity. As per an official statement from the government of India, in 2024 alone, 290 Naxals were neutralised, 1,090 arrested, and 881 surrendered. Major recent operations in March 2025 saw 50 Naxals surrender in Bijapur, 16 neutralised in Sukma, and 22 killed in Kanker and Bijapur. With continued support through Special Central Assistance and targeted development, the government is on track to eliminate Naxalism by 31 March 2026. (ANI)
The arrests were made by a team led by Edakkara Sub Inspector P Jayakrishnan, in collaboration with the DANSAF (District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force) team.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Anas (42), a native of Kolathur in Kondotty, and Hakeem (42), from Chirayamanangad in Thrissur, said the police.

The arrests followed a confidential tip received by Malappuram District Police Chief R Viswanadh. Acting on instructions from Nilambur DYSP Saju K. Abraham, Edakkara police and the DANSAF team conducted a joint operation at Muttikkadavu Poochakuthil at 2:00 PM today, said the police.

According to the police, the suspects were attempting to transport the cannabis disguised within a lorry carrying fish from Andhra Pradesh. To avoid detection, they had packed the cannabis in thermocol boxes and placed fish boxes on top.

The police stated that the accused confessed to having smuggled cannabis in a similar manner on previous occasions. Hakeem, one of the arrested, is also a convicted individual in an attempted murder case. Further investigations are underway, the police added. (ANI)
The proposal to rename Mohammedwadi village in Pune's Hadapsar area to Mahadevwadi has gained momentum, with Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale formally requesting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde to consider the change. The demand, which dates back to 1996, has received strong backing from local leaders and residents. Shiv Sena's Pune city chief, Pramod (Nana) Bhangire, announced the development on social media. In apost on X, he said, "Mohammedwadi will now become Mahadevwadi!!! Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale has requested Eknath Shinde to rename Mohammedwadi as #Mahadevwadi. Jai Maharashtra. Jai Shri Ram." According to Bhangire, the demand for renaming reflects the long-standing sentiment of local residents. The village has a very old Mahadev Mandir in its heart, and locals believe the name Mahadevwadi better reflects their heritage and faith. Residents claim that the name Mohammedwadi has no relevance to their history or culture, and they are unsure who named it or why. A resolution to rename the village was passed in 1996, but it was never acted upon. Locals reiterated their demand when CM Eknath Shinde visited the area. "This issue was first raised in 1996 when the village was under the gram panchayat. A resolution to rename it as Mahadevwadi was passed back then, but was never acted upon. Over the years, nothing concrete happened. However, when CM Eknath Shinde visited the area, locals reiterated their demand. Now, with Bharat Gogawale officially writing to the CM and MLC Yogesh Tilekar also raising the matter in the ongoing assembly session, we are confident that the name change will finally happen," Bhangire said. He also added, " The Maharashtra Government, keeping the sentiment of the people in mind, recently changed the name of Aurangabad to Chatrapati SambhajiNagar, Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv. On the same line, we wish the Maharashtra Government would consider our request to change the name of this village soon ". Villagers have expressed strong support for the proposed renaming, citing that the current name is incongruous with the village's demographics and cultural identity. One resident said, "We have been demanding this name change since at least 1996. It feels odd that our village is named Mohammedwadi, even though there are no Muslim families residing here. In fact, we have a very old Mahadev Mandir in the heart of the village. The name Mahadevwadi better reflects our heritage and faith." Another villager added, "We don't even know where the name Mohammedwadi came from or who named it. It has no relevance to our history or culture. We want our village to be known as Mahadevwadi from now on." The Maharashtra Government has recently changed the names of several cities, such as Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar, and Osmanabad to Dharashiv, keeping in mind the sentiment of the people. Locals and Shiv Sena leaders are confident that the government will consider their request and change the name of the village to Mahadevwadi soon. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday lambasted incidents of violence against Hindi speakers in Maharashtra after the Mahayuti government's move on three-language policy which was later withdrawn. In an interview with ANI, Nishikant Dubey said India is diverse and all its people have a strong affection for their region. The four-time MP also said people have a right to move from one part of the country to the other. "I am saying this again, I stand by my statements. This nation is diverse, and all its people have a strong affection for their region...If Maharashtra is a part of this country, then anyone can be settled anywhere in this country...But they beat up those who are Hindi language speakers...Even today, only 31-32% Marathi speakers live in Mumbai...I accept that Maharashtra has a huge contribution to the economy, I have huge respect for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said. He was asked about his controversial "patak, patak ke maarenge" remarks. "I am proud that my mother tongue is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not big laat sahabs . I am an MP, do not take law in my hands. Whenever they go out, whichever state they go, the people of that place will beat them..." he said. "If you beat up the poor, they will react one day. It is not only Hindi speakers. They protested against Gujaratis in 1956, then against South Indians, and now they are doing it against Hindi speakers. Their history is such that everyone is angry at them....Unka security vapis leljiye, agar ghar se bahar nikal jaye to main samajh jaun bahut bade sher hai (Take away their security, they will not leave their residence)," he added. Taking a dig, those resorting to violence can stand outside the headquarters of prominent institutions, such as the State Bank of India (SBI) and LIC, and ask them to leave Maharashtra, as their top officials don't converse in Marathi. The BJP MP said that just as people from the South are proud of their languages, people from the northern and eastern regions are also proud of their mother tongue, which is Hindi. "This is a country of languages. There is unity in diversity. All are fond of their regions. Nobody can question the rich history and existence of the Marathi language. I respect Marathi and Marathas...Anyone can settle anywhere in this country. Be it Rajasthani, Kannada, Telugu or Tamil - just like they love their language, we love Hindi. You don't have a problem with teaching English, which is the language of the British," Dubey said. "Bombay was part of Gujarat. It was not part of Maharashtra until 1956, when the division occurred based on language. However, only 31 to 32 per cent of Marathi speakers live in Mumbai. An equal percentage of people who speak Hindi live there. Two per cent of people speak Bhojpuri in Mumbai. Twelve per cent are Gujarati speakers," he added. The Maharashtra Government had revoked the government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy, introducing Hindi as the third language in primary schools. The government has decided to set up a committee to take a relook into the three-language policy. Fadnavis announced that the government resolutions (GRs) issued in April regarding the three-language policy in primary schools have been cancelled. The first GR had made Hindi a compulsory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 and the second GR made it optional. Uddhav and Raj Thackeray had held a joint 'victory rally' to celebrate the state government withdrawing its move. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut later clarified that their party is not against the Hindi language, but opposes making it mandatory in primary schooling. "The Southern states have been fighting for this issue for years. Their stand against the imposition of Hindi means they will not speak Hindi and neither let anyone speak Hindi. But that is not our stand in Maharashtra. We speak Hindi... Our stand is that the strictness for Hindi in primary schools will not be tolerated. Our fight is limited to this," he said. Fadnavis had also clarified on Nishikant Dubey's "patak, patak ke marenge" had sparked a row in Maharashtra. He said that the remarks were not aimed at the Marathi community but at certain organisations that, according to Dubey, triggered the controversy. "Whatever Nishikant Dubey has said, he has not said it for the common Marathi people, but for those organisations which have fuelled this controversy," said Fadnavis. However, the Chief Minister also distanced himself from the content of Dubey's remarks. "I believe that Nishikant Dubey's statement was not completely correct." "No one can deny or forget the contribution of Maharashtra in the progress of the country, and if someone does so, it would be completely wrong," he added. Dubey, who is MP from Godda, had made the remarks over some purported comments of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. "What are you doing, whose bread are you eating? You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have? We have all the mines in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. What mines do you have? All semiconductor refineries are in Gujarat. If you have the courage to beat Hindi speakers, then beat those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu too. If you're such a 'boss', come out of Maharashtra--come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu. 'Tumko patak patak ke maarenge'...," Dubey had said. "We all respect Marathi and the people of Maharashtra, who fought for India's independence. We respect all the freedom fighters -- Chhatrapati Shivaji, Tatya Tope, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale -- Maharashtra has contributed a lot to our freedom and independence," he added. Sanjay Raut, in his Saamana article on July 13, stated that the Thackeray brothers, who joined hands on the Marathi issue, must also come together politically to fight the "commercial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)". He asserted that the alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray was "necessary" for Maharashtra to get a new direction." "The current rulers of Delhi and Maharashtra are shaken by the way the storm of Marathi unity has been created in Maharashtra. They will try to prevent this alliance from happening," the article read. (ANI)
The Delhi Police have launched an investigation into the death of a 36-year-old man in Uttam Nagar, after the family of the deceased alleged foul play. According to police, a PCR call was received from Mata Rooprani Maggo Hospital on July 13, reporting the death of Karan Dev, a resident of Uttam Nagar. The patient was declared 'brought dead' due to electrocution, as per the medico-legal certificate (MLC), informed the police. The police official also added that at the time of the incident, no allegations were raised by the family members, and they reportedly expressed their desire to waive post-mortem examination. However, due to the young age of the deceased and the need to rule out any unnatural causes, the police went ahead with a post-mortem at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital. The case took a turn on July 16, when the deceased's brother, Kunal, approached police with suspicion regarding the death of his brother. The police further added that acting on the complaint, police initiated a preliminary inquiry into the matter and on the basis of the enquiry and the material available during the proceedings, a case under the appropriate sections was registered. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances surrounding Karan Dev's death. Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has made serious allegations, pointing to a possible conspiracy involving Karan's wife, Sushmita, and a guy name Rahul, who is cousin of the deceased. Speaking to ANI, Karan's mother Neeru said she learned of the alleged relationship between Sushmita and Rahul only after the cremation when Kunal, yonger brother of the deceased person found WhatsApp chats on Rahul's phone. In the chats, Sushmita told Rahul that she had given Karan drug-laced food, but he wasn't dying. She kept updating Rahul and also mentioned electric shocks, Neeru added. She further said that Karan lived with his wife in a flat and around 9 am on Sunday, daughter-in-law Sushmita came and said Karan was electrocuted. The family then rushed to the flat and took him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. At that point, everyone assumed it was an accident, the mother said. Karan's friend Gaurav told ANI that the day after the cremation, the family confronted Sushmita, where she confessed in front of all that she killed Karan because Rahul was blackmailing her. He added that Rahul was also questioned separately and admitted to the murder. According to the family, the WhatsApp chats recovered from Rahul's phone suggest that Sushmita was constantly informing him about Karan's condition on the night of the incident and neighbours have also reported seeing Rahul near the couple's flat that morning," they said. The Delhi Police are currently investigating the case. (ANI)
Shimla city's mayor, Surinder Chauhan strongly objected to the recent rankings of the Swachh Survekshan awards, calling into question credibility of the process conducted by the Central Government's agency. Chauhan, who heads one of the oldest municipal corporations in the country, expressed dismay over Shimla being ranked poorly in the national Swachh Survekshan Index, despite receiving a 100 per cent cleanliness certificate from the same evaluating agency. "On one hand, we are given a 100% cleanliness score by the same agency, and on the other hand, they rank us extremely low in Swachh Survekshan. This contradiction is shocking and raises serious doubts about the integrity of the process," Chauhan told ANI. Mayor Chauhan said that the matter has been taken up with the Union Urban Development Ministry, demanding a full investigation into the methodology used for the rankings. He pointed out that many of the parameters used in the survey are not even applicable to Shimla. "For example, we are being judged under the lake-cleaning category, while Shimla does not have any lakes at all. Despite that, the report shows we were marked zero in that category, which is completely misleading and unfair," he said. Chauhan also questioned the agency's claim that Shimla has only 2% waste segregation. "This is completely false," he said, and adding that "we carry out waste segregation at source and collect dry waste not just from the city, but also from surrounding 17 rural panchayats and areas like Theog, Rampur, Chopal and Sarahan. Yet the agency reflects just 2% segregation. This cannot be accepted." He emphasized that this flawed ranking directly impacts the morale of Municipal Corporation employees, who, despite working under harsh weather and difficult terrain, ensure the city's cleanliness standards are maintained. Highlighting the city being a global tourist destination, the mayor said, "Shimla is a global tourist destination known for its clean air and well-maintained public spaces." "Tourists come here for that experience. When our rankings are pulled down despite visible ground-level work, it demoralizes the hardworking sanitation teams," he added. The mayor confirmed that both he and the Municipal Commissioner will be writing a formal letter to the Urban Development Ministry and also seek accountability from the survey agency. "I have no objection to Shimla not being ranked number one," Chauhan said, "But the question is: what are the parameters on which this scoring is based? The agency must explain the criteria. I strongly register my resentment and will communicate the same officially to the Government of India." Chauhan also claimed that Shimla was recently conferred the SKOCH Award for Cleanliness, further adding to the irony that while one national platform recognizes the city's efforts, another simultaneously pulls down its rating. "This contradiction cannot be ignored. The entire survey needs a re-evaluation. The parameters used must be reviewed and corrected. If this was a genuine and fact-based ranking, I would have no issue. But this is far from the ground reality," he asserted. He further alleged that the population base used in the evaluation was grossly exaggerated, adding, "Even by current figures, Shimla's population is far below what was recorded by the agency. This also skewed the results." The Swachh Survekshan awards were conferred by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday in Delhi. Indore was once again declared to be India's cleanest city, with Surat securing second and Navi Mumbai standing third. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered immovable assets acquired by Jalaluddin Shah alias Chhangur Baba that were allegedly registered in the names of his close associates in a bid to conceal his direct involvement in money laundering activities. The close associates were Naveen Rohra alias Jamaluddin and Neetu Rohra alias Nasreen, whose details came to the fore after the ED carried out raids on July 17 at 15 locations related to Chhangur Baba, his close associate and others in Lucknow's Balrampur district and Mumbai under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. These revelations are to play a crucial role in the Chhangur Baba religious conversion case. https://x.com/dir_ed/status/1946205783630516267 The ED in a statement said, "The evidence collected during the searches revealed that all the immovable assets acquired by Chhangur Baba are in the names of his associates Naveen Rohra and Neetu Rohra to conceal his actual involvement in money laundering." During the course of searches, ED said, officials also recovered "several physical records deemed crucial for the ongoing investigation." These developments are part of a larger probe into illegal financial dealings and the alleged use of proxies to mask the true ownership of assets. The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of the First Information Report registered by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Lucknow, under sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, alleging a large-scale conspiracy involving unlawful religious conversions, utilisation of foreign funding, and activities posing a potential threat to national security. ED also said that Chhangur Baba and his associates are alleged to have established an extensive network operating from the premises of Chand Auliya Dargah, Balrampur, where he regularly organised large gatherings attended by both Indian and foreign nationals. "He is accused of systematically inducing, coercing, and manipulating individuals of other faiths, particularly Scheduled Castes, and economically disadvantaged persons belonging to the Hindu religion into religious conversion", added the ED. During the course of the investigation, the ED informed that 22 bank accounts related to Chhangur Baba and his associates have been analysed so far. According to the analysis of these bank accounts, funds amounting to more than Rs 60 crore received by Chhangur Baba and his associates have been identified, the federal agency stated. "It is also revealed that a large amount of funds has been received from foreign countries by Chhangur Baba and his associates," pointed out the ED. During the searches, a number of documents were seized, which revealed that funds, which are nothing but Proceeds of Crime, were mainly transferred to different people for purchasing a number of immovable properties worth crores of rupees and carrying out construction activities in these properties, it added. ED launched a formal investigation against Chhangur Baba, who faces serious allegations related to religious conversions, misuse of foreign funds, and activities that could potentially threaten national security and disturb communal harmony. On July 9, ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Chhangur Baba under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the offences of money laundering and gathered information that he has funds worth Rs 106 crore, mainly received from the Middle East in 40 bank accounts. As part of its inquiry, the ED on July 10 sought detailed information about Chhangur Baba from local police authorities, the District Magistrate, and multiple banks. Officials said the probe aims to trace the source and end use of foreign contributions allegedly received by individuals or organisations linked to Chhangur Baba. The agency suspects that these funds may have been diverted for unlawful activities, including orchestrating religious conversions and disrupting public order. The ED's action comes amid growing scrutiny of financial flows linked to organisations under the scanner for violating provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the PMLA. During the course of investigation, ED on July 10 had sent a letter to Superintendent of Police ATS Lucknow requesting to provide a "certified copy of First Inormation Report registered against Chhangur Baba (real name Karimulla Shah) on November 16, 2024, details of entities associated with him, bank account details related to him and his associates, and details of movable and immovable assets." The federal agency had also written a letter to the Balrampur District Magistrate requesting details of the assets of Chhangur Baba and his associates. Emails have been sent to the AML (Anti-Money Laundering) cells of the concerned banks to obtain bank account statements for the bank accounts mentioned in the FIR. During the investigation under PMLA, ED said, it has been revealed that Chhangur Baba was arrested along with his close associate Neetu alias Nasreen from a hotel in Lucknow on July 5 by Lucknow ATS. A resident of Madpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, Chhangur Baba, Neetu alias Nasreen, and others are accused of being involved in a large-scale conspiracy involving unlawful religious conversions, utilisation of foreign funding, and activities posing a potential threat to national security and communal harmony, the ED had said in a statement earlier this month. Officials said, through his religious discourses, the publication of a book titled Shijra-e-Tayyaba, and strategic psychological influence, Chhangur Baba is accused of promoting Islam while systematically inducing, coercing, and manipulating individuals of other faiths-- particularly Hindus, Scheduled Castes, and economically disadvantaged persons--into religious conversion. "These acts were part of a broader organised effort to carry out mass conversions and accumulate wealth through deceitful means. FIR further revealed that Chhangur Baba amassed assets exceeding Rs 100 crore over a span of a few years, allegedly acquired through this organised network," said the officials. According to the officials, Chhangur Baba purchased land and undertook extensive illegal construction-- including residential, commercial, and institutional structures--without obtaining the requisite land use conversion approvals. (ANI)
Trinamool Congress government has put the identity of Bengal at stake by "encouraging infiltration" in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday at a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in Durgapur district. PM Modi said a "whole ecosystem" for supporting illegal immigrants has been made in the Bengal. "For their own benefit, the TMC government has put the identity of West Bengal at stake. Infiltration is being encouraged in the state. Fake documents are being made for the infiltrators. A whole ecosystem has been made. This is a big threat to West Bengal and the country, a threat to Bangla culture," the Prime Minister noted. He also accused the Mamata government of "crossing all limits" in appeasement politics. "In the politics of appeasement, TMC is crossing all limits. A new drive has started too in favour of infiltrators. This is a challenge to Constitutional values. TMC is openly favouring them. But I tell the land of Durgapur clearly that whoever is not a citizen of India, who has come here by infiltrating, there will be constant action against them," PM Modi said a fiery address. He also vowed that any "conspiracy" against the people of Bengal will be curbed by the BJP, "this is Modi's guarantee." Raising the slogan of "TMC Hatao, Bengal Bachao," the Prime Minister also alleged the TMC of doing a double attack on the state's education system. "Whether it's primary education or higher education, education at every level is being ruined. The TMC government has handed over Bengal's education system to crime and corruption and doing a double attack on it. Thousands of qualified teachers are unemployed today, and the biggest reason for this is TMC's corruption," PM Modi said during the rally. The Prime Minister raised the issue amid the ongoing protests and public outrage over the cancellation of teacher appointments after a Calcutta High Court decision in 2024 found fraud in the recruitment process. On July 14, Senior Secondary Commission (SSC) teachers launched a protest march 'Nabanno Abhiyan' in Howrah towards the Bengal Secretariat under the banner of 'Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha'. PM Modi also accused the Congress and Left party of not caring about Bangla language and heritage, alleging that they did not even think of Bengali as a language, and it was the BJP which gave it the status of a 'classical language' in October 2024. Earlier today, in a major boost to Oil and Gas infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project, worth around Rs 1,950 crore, in Bankura and Purulia district of the state. Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation Durgapur to Kolkata section (132 Km) of Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, which has been laid as a part of ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline also known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project. In line with his commitment to clean air and health security for all, Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation Retrofitting Pollution Control System-Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) of Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation, worth over Rs 1,457 crore. It will benefit the region. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey has said that "no deep state" aligned to a foreign power can operate in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and if anyone tries to be close to any such entity, they will be quickly destroyed. In an interview with ANI, Dubey said that PM Modi has a strong connect with the citizens and has deep knowledge about people and places of the country. "After 2014, it is the era of social media. 140 crore people of this nation are journalists. Earlier, there was controlled journalism, but now it is uncontrolled... No Deep State can function under the leadership of PM Modi. The reason behind this is that the PM handles everything personally. Nothing is hidden from him," Dubey said. "The second thing is his connection with the ordinary people. Whenever I meet him, he tells me something about my constituency that I am not familiar with. So, the Deep State cannot function for longer under his leadership," he added. He was responding to a query about allegations that there is a US deep state and it is trying to influence public opinion. "If anyone tries to collaborate with any kind of deep state, they will be finished in two minutes. Because honest leadership--I'm not saying this alone - the whole world acknowledges this and it is a fact, there cannot be more honest leadership," he said. Dubey said BJP-led government has been in power for 11 years at the Centre and there is no allegation against any minister. The four-time BJP MP also referred to CBI action in the case related to National Medical Commission over regulatory framework concerning medical colleges and said action is taken if there is a wrongdoing. "Their were raids...if there's corruption, no one is spared," he said. Dubey also pointed to hard negotiations with the United States over the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and US President Donald Trump's statements. "If there was a deep state connection, it would not have happened," he said. Answering a query on Operation Bluestar, the BJP MP claimed that when it was executed, British Armed Forces officers were present in Amritsar "It was conducted in June 1984, and this document is from January-February. They planned to execute the Operation Bluestar by taking Margaret Thatcher (former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) into confidence...When Operation Bluestar was executed, British Armed Forces officers were present in Amritsar. They did not come in June (1984), they were there since January-February (1984)...If we are fighting other countries with the help of a different country, there is no problem with that. But we taking help from any other country to fight our own countrymen, what kind of a socialist country were we?" he asked. Answering a query, he alleged that Mamata Banerjee government is not giving land for fencing to check infiltration from Bangladesh. "Bangladeshis being driven out of Assam are now being settled in Karnataka and Kerala," he claimed. Dubey defended electoral revision in Bihar. "It is not for the citizenship. The people are creating confusion about this...You were not a voter in the 2010, 2015 and 2020 elections, and then suddenly, a 70-year-old man becomes a voter in the 2025 elections. Then, ECI will ask that if you are a voter at present, where were you in previous elections...Bihar elections will be conducted with the voters of Bihar, not Bangladeshis," he said. Bihar will face polls later this year. (ANI)
In a move to enhance internal security infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, the state Cabinet on Friday approved the raising of the 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn). The decision was taken state Cabinet meeting held in Itanagar on Friday under chairmanship of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Arunachal Pradesh shares a border with China. "Arunachal Pradesh currently has two State Armed Police Battalions (1st AAPBN and 2nd AAPBN) and five IR Battalions. The addition of a new battalion - 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), will significantly augment policing capacity, improve public safety, maintain law and order, and reduce reliance on Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). This will also generate employment opportunities to eligible local youths from the state," an official release said. In an effort to boost technical education, the state Cabinet has also approved the creation of 34 teaching and non-teaching posts for the Government Engineering College, Toru in Papum Pare district. It also adopted adoption of Model Guidelines for Support Persons under Section 39 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, with necessary state-specific modifications. "The revised guidelines provide for one support person per ten cases to assist child victims during pre-trial and trial stages, while detailing the qualifications, selection process, duties, and responsibilities of such personnel," the release said. The revised guidelines provide for one support person per ten cases to assist child victims during pre-trial and trial stages, while detailing the qualifications, selection process, duties, and responsibilities of such personnel. Further, the state Cabinet approved the creation of three posts of Deputy Director (Prosecution), ten posts of Assistant Director (Prosecution), and eighteen posts of clerical staff in the Directorate of Prosecution. "The currently serving Additional Public Prosecutors will be re-designated as Deputy Directors. The Cabinet also approved revision of the Pay Matrix levels of Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor, and Assistant Public Prosecutor posts to maintain pay parity in line with government norms," the release said. "As part of cadre restructuring in the Directorate of Forensic Science, PTC Banderdewa, the Cabinet approved the amendment of Recruitment Rules for the posts of Scientist-E, Scientist-D, Scientist-C, and Laboratory Assistant, along with change in nomenclature and revision of their pay structure," it added. In order to enhance the civil aviation activities in the state, the state Cabinet approved the creation of 10 posts under the Directorate of Civil Aviation; Transfer of posts of Veterinary Officers from the Department of Rural Development to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development (AHV&DD). (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC), calling on people to give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a chance to form an "honest, hardworking, and strong" government in West Bengal in 2026 assembly polls. Addressing a public rally in Durgapur, PM Modi accused the TMC government of presiding over a "double attack of crime and corruption," especially in the education sector. "Whether it's primary education or higher education, the system is being ruined at every level. The TMC government has handed over Bengal's education to crime and corruption, and is doing a double attack on it. Thousands of qualified teachers are unemployed today because of TMC's corruption," he said. PM Modi's remarks come amid continued protests over the 2024 Calcutta High Court order that cancelled teacher appointments in a massive recruitment scam. On July 14, SSC-qualified teachers under the banner of 'Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha' marched towards the state secretariat Nabanna, demanding justice. Alleging that the future of thousands of children is at stake due to a shortage of teachers, the Prime Minister said, "This has brought crisis upon thousands of families. TMC has pushed both the present and the future of Bengal into darkness." PM Modi also raised concerns about safety on college campuses, citing recent incidents of sexual harassment. Referring to the RG Kar Medical College case, which sparked widespread protests, he said, "The party that talks about 'Mother, Soil, Humanity' is causing pain and rage due to the injustice faced by daughters. Even hospitals in West Bengal are no longer safe. When a doctor daughter was subjected to atrocities, the TMC government got busy protecting the accused." He further accused the TMC, Left, and Congress of ignoring the Bengali language. "It was the BJP government that granted classical language status to Bangla. TMC and Left supported Congress for years in Delhi, but didn't care to do so," he said. Targeting the industrial decline in Bengal, PM Modi said the youth were being forced to migrate due to a lack of jobs. "West Bengal was once a hub of development. It was a thriving centre for businesses, attracting people from across the country seeking opportunities. Cities like Durgapur, Bardhaman, and Asansol played key roles in the nation's growth. But now, industries are shutting down, and the youth are leaving in search of better opportunities. We must bring Bengal out of this crisis," he said. He appealed to people of West Bengal to elect the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, promising development, jobs, and good governance. Earlier in the day, PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects during his visit. He laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts worth around Rs 1,950 crore, which will provide PNG connections to households, commercial establishments and industrial customers, and provide CNG at the retail outlets and also create employment opportunities in the region. PM Modi also dedicated to the nation the Kolkata section (132 Km) of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, part of the ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline, also known as the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project. He also dedicated to the nation Retrofitting Pollution Control System-Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) of Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation, worth over Rs 1,457 crore. (ANI)
Accompanied by the First Lady of Arunachal Pradesh, Anagha Parnaik, the Governor presented the President with a copy of 'Orchids of Arunachal Pradesh,' an official release said.

This meticulously compiled reference book is unique and visually engaging, showcasing the remarkable diversity of orchid species found in Arunachal Pradesh. Many of these species are rare, endemic, and hold significant botanical importance on a global scale.

According to the release, during the meeting, the Governor apprised the President of the ongoing developmental progress in Arunachal Pradesh and the State Government's unwavering commitment to making meaningful contributions to the national vision of 'Viksit Bharat' through its localised roadmap, 'Viksit Arunachal'.

He highlighted key initiatives and transformative efforts being undertaken across various sectors to uplift the lives of the people and ensure inclusive growth in the Frontier State.

The Governor also briefed the President on the follow-up actions and compliance related to the key points discussed during the last Governors' Conference, reaffirming the State's dedication to national priorities and cooperative federalism.

He underlined the importance of these efforts in building a more resilient and equitable society in the State's remote and diverse regions.

The Governor highlighted the Raj Bhavan's proactive role in advancing public health, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis, promoting women's empowerment, youth development, and supporting improvements in health and education. (ANI)
In the supplementary charge sheet filed before the NIA Special Court, Hyderabad, CP Moideen, also known as Girish, has been charged under relevant sections of the UA(P) Act, 1967, and the IPC.

As per the NIA investigation, Moideen was actively involved in the Maoist conspiracy to wage a war against the Government of India. Evidence gathered during the investigation confirmed his central role in Maoist operations in the Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee (WGSZC) of CPI (Maoist).

Further NIA investigations revealed that he was a Special Zonal Committee Member of the WGSZC and took over as Secretary of WGSZC after the arrest of Central Committee Member Sanjoy Deepak Rao in September 2023.

Moideen oversaw PLGA squads in WGSZC, led recruitment drives, propagated Maoist ideology, and planned violent actions targeting security forces in the Kerala-Karnataka-Tamil Nadu tri-junction, the anti-terror organisation found during the investigation, the NIA said.

Moideen was taken into custody by Kerala Police in August 2024 and formally arrested by NIA in January 2025 in the case RC-01/2024/NIA/HYD.

The case was originally registered by Telangana Police in September 2023 against the cadres/members of CPI (Maoist) and its frontal organisations following the arrest of Sanjoy Deepak Rao. Sanjay Rao was nabbed when he was found carrying arms and ammunition along with Maoist literature.

Subsequently, the case was taken over by NIA, which chargesheeted Rao and carried forward the investigation as part of its efforts to scuttle CPI (Maoist)'s revival attempts and dismantle its urban and armed networks, the NIA added. (ANI)
A Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party meeting was held at the Chief Minister's Camp Office under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, in which it was emphasised that the party will focus on issues concerning Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming Parliament session. Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh and several MPs attended the meeting. After the meeting, TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu told reporters that the party will focus on issues concerning Andhra Pradesh during the upcoming parliamentary session. One of the key points discussed in the meeting was the "achievements" of the party over the past year, both inside and outside the Parliament, he said. "Inside Parliament, the Telugu Desam Party has been one of the most active parties, whether in participating in debates, raising questions, or maintaining attendance. Upon examining the data, our performance exceeds that of many national parties and even the national average. TDP MPs have been consistently proactive," Devarayalu said. "Outside Parliament, we have secured significant funds for the development of Andhra Pradesh. For example, we received Rs 15,000 crore for the Amaravati. More funding is already in the pipeline," he added. He termed the restarting of the Polavaram Project and the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone as one of the major achievements of the party. "We have also restarted the Polavaram Project. Regarding the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, which many believed would be privatised, our Chief Minister personally met with the Union Finance Minister, even at 12:30 AM in Delhi, to ensure the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant remains under the central government. That is a major success. Additionally, we succeeded in establishing the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone," he said. Pointing out that Andhra Pradesh is a largely agrarian state, he said that his party's aim is to ensure higher remuneration for farmers. "Andhra Pradesh is a largely agrarian state. While we've received recognition, such as the 'One District One Product' awards, we now aim to ensure higher remuneration for farmers. We're going to push for more food processing industries in the state, and we'll be seeking additional funds and incentives for the same," the TDP leader said. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Andhra Pradesh was allocated Rs 23,000 crore. However, from 2019 to 2024, only Rs 2,000 crore has been spent, he said. "We are discussing how to better utilise the remaining funds to ensure every household receives drinking water," he said. (ANI)
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has condemned the clash between supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SCP MLA Jitendra Awhad outside the State Assembly. Speaking to the media, Narwekar also termed the Thursday incident as "unfortunate" as the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, which commenced on June 30, culminated on Friday. He marked the impact of Maharashtra brawl-like incidents on the parliamentary democracy and noted that it has been conveyed to the House that "if we have to strengthen people's trust in parliamentary democracy, then such incidents should not be repeated. "I have made the House and its members aware of the actions that have to be taken and that have been taken. Such incidents taking place on the Assembly premises are highly inappropriate. If we have to strengthen people's trust in parliamentary democracy, such incidents should not occur on Assembly premises. We have conveyed this to the House. I hope that in the time to come, such unfortunate incidents do not occur...Such incidents taking place on the Assembly premises are unfortunate," Narwekar told reporters here. He further said, "Our next session, the Winter session, will take place in Nagpur. Be it security or the issue of conduct of members and visitors, all of these will be taken care of." A detailed report of the incident has been submitted to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, on the incident "I immediately instructed the Maharashtra Assembly security department to submit a detailed report regarding the incident of the scuffle. The department had submitted a report to me, FIR over concerned persons involved and other unidentified persons is registered at Marine Drive Police Station," Narwekar said earlier on Friday. The case has been registered at the Marine Drive Police Station in Mumbai, police said. (ANI)
After a 13-year-old boy allegedly died due to electrocution on school premises in Kerala's Kollam, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged the Kerala government to immediately undertake a public audit of all school infrastructure and "fix responsibility" for this tragedy. In a post on X, Rahul said, "Six years ago, I had written to the Chief Minister of Kerala urging a comprehensive infrastructure audit of schools, after the 'heartbreaking' death of a young girl due to a snakebite inside her classroom. It pains me deeply that another precious life - 13-year-old Mithun Manu - has been lost to electrocution from a sagging power line within a school compound in Kollam." He also urged the Kerala Government to immediately undertake a time-bound public audit and upgrade all school infrastructure in the state, and to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable. "No parent should have to endure such unimaginable loss. Every child has the right to a safe learning environment," the Congress MP said. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala termed the incident "unfortunate" and blamed the government's electricity board for the incident. "It is very unfortunate. I am very sad about that incident...I feel that the Government Electricity Board is the real culprit, Education Department too," he told ANI on Friday. He also referred to Rahul Gandhi's letter to the Chief Minister, highlighting the need to conduct an audit in schools following a similar incident and demanding an audit in all schools. "When a girl was bitten by a snake in Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi gave a letter to the Chief Minister to have an audit in all the schools. This was two to three years ago, and to date, they have not taken any action. If an audit had been done at that time, this incident would have been avoided. So, I request the state government to have an audit in every school so that these kinds of incidents will never occur," Chennithala said. Meanwhile, opposition political parties organised a protest in Kerala's Kollam on Friday, seeking justice for the family. Kerala Minister K Krishnankutty told reporters on Thursday," Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation. Further action will be taken after receiving the report. It is not yet clear who is at fault. Two agencies are conducting the investigation. The report is expected by this afternoon. Both the Chief Electrical Inspector and KSEB are carrying out separate inquiries." ABVP members also held a protest march towards the Secretariat in Thiruvanathapuram a day earlier. (ANI)
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) affiliated workers union, the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC) on Friday staged a protest march against the National Register of Citizens(NRC) in Siliguri, condemning the alleged harassment and pushback of migrant Bengali-speaking individuals from several BJP-ruled states. The union has said that the Bengali-speaking migrants have been incorrectly labelled as "Bangladeshis." Party workers held placards and shouted slogans against what they called a systematic targeting of Bengali migrants under the guise of identifying illegal immigrants, according to a statement from the union. INTTUC leader Nirjal Dey said, "Bengalis have made the biggest sacrifices for the country. Today, this is a question of the existence of Bengalis. Today, Bengali-speaking individuals are being sent to detention camps. We are residents of Bengal and speak Bengali. We are proud of it. In Bengal, members of all sections of society live in harmony...But in Odisha, 400 Bengalis have been sent to detention camps. Their nationality is being questioned. Their only crime is that they speak Bengali; they are being branded as foreigners. This is the biggest issue...Arrest Rohingyas, but why will you arrest Bengali-speaking Indians? That is our question..." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday at a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in Durgapur district that the Trinamool Congress government has put the identity of Bengal at stake by "encouraging infiltration" in the state, PM Modi said a "whole ecosystem" for supporting illegal immigrants has been made in Bengal. "For their own benefit, the TMC government has put the identity of West Bengal at stake. Infiltration is being encouraged in the state. Fake documents are being made for the infiltrators. A whole ecosystem has been made. This is a big threat to West Bengal and the country, a threat to Bangla culture," the Prime Minister noted. He also accused the Mamata government of "crossing all limits" in appeasement politics. "In the politics of appeasement, TMC is crossing all limits. A new drive has started too in favour of infiltrators. This is a challenge to Constitutional values. TMC is openly favouring them. But I tell the land of Durgapur clearly that whoever is not a citizen of India, who has come here by infiltrating, there will be constant action against them," PM Modi said in a fiery address. Earlier on July 16, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP and the various state governments led by the party for discriminating against Bengali-speaking citizens. In a fiery speech, she alleged that people were being harassed based on language, identity, and political bias. She recalled the recent incidents and alleged that people from Bengal were being harassed in states like Maharashtra and Assam. (ANI)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday hit back at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's controversial "patak-patak ke maarenge" remarks. In a counter-attack, Raj Thackeray said, "A BJP MP said, 'Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge'... You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge." Reacting to Dubey's remarks, the MNS chief asserted that he will not compromise on matters related to the Marathi language and the people of Maharashtra. He further said that those who live in Maharashtra should "learn Marathi as soon as possible." "I will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. Those who live in Maharashtra, to them I would like to say 'learn Marathi as soon as possible, wherever you go, speak Marathi'. In Karnataka, they fight for their language. Even a rickshaw puller knows that the Government is standing behind him over language. Similarly, you be like a pillar and speak in Marathi only. This is what I have come to request all of you," Thackeray said while addressing a gathering in Mumbai. Taking a dig at the Maharashtra leadership over the language policy, Thackeray said, "Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had said that they would make Hindi language compulsory (in schools)... Maharashtra CM is fighting for Hindi. Marathi should be made mandatory in all schools. But instead, you are speaking about making Hindi mandatory." He also alleged that certain vested interests were trying to create a rift between Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra. "A few Gujarati businessmen had planned to cause a rift between Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra...They have had their eyes set on Mumbai for years. They are testing us. They are seeing if Maharashtra would oppose the Hindi language being mandated. If we remain mum, Hindi would be the first step; their plan is to take control and send everything to Gujarat," he said. Earlier today, Nishikant Dubey lambasted incidents of violence against Hindi speakers in Maharashtra after the Maharashtra government's move on the three-language policy, which was later withdrawn. In an interview with ANI, Nishikant Dubey stated that India is diverse and that all its people have a strong affection for their region. The four-time MP also stated that people have the right to move from one part of the country to another. "I am saying this again, I stand by my statements. This nation is diverse, and all its people have a strong affection for their region...If Maharashtra is a part of this country, then anyone can be settled anywhere in this country...But they beat up those who are Hindi language speakers...Even today, only 31-32% Marathi speakers live in Mumbai...I accept that Maharashtra has a huge contribution to the economy, I have huge respect for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said. He was asked about his controversial "patak, patak ke maarenge" remarks. "I am proud that my mother tongue is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not big laat sahabs . I am an MP, do not take law in my hands. Whenever they go out, whichever state they go, the people of that place will beat them..." he said. "If you beat up the poor, they will react one day. It is not only Hindi speakers. They protested against Gujaratis in 1956, then against South Indians, and now they are doing it against Hindi speakers. Their history is such that everyone is angry at them....Unka security vapis leljiye, agar ghar se bahar nikal jaye to main samajh jaun bahut bade sher hai (Take away their security, they will not leave their residence)," he added. The Maharashtra Government had revoked the government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy, introducing Hindi as the third language in primary schools. The government has decided to set up a committee to take a relook into the three-language policy. Fadnavis announced that the government resolutions (GRs) issued in April regarding the three-language policy in primary schools have been cancelled. The first GR had made Hindi a compulsory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 and the second GR made it optional. Uddhav and Raj Thackeray had held a joint 'victory rally' to celebrate the state government withdrawing its move. (ANI)
Refuting the recent altercation between BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SCP MLA Jitendra Awhad outside the Maharashtra Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the behaviour of both the MLAs was not acceptable and they both behaved like school kids. Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis said, "We have condemned the incident. The behaviour of both MLAs was not acceptable. They literally behaved like school kids. We are hurt by the incident and will make sure it doesn't happen again." Fadnavis addressed the media following the conclusion of the Monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly, highlighting the passage of 16 significant bills and decisions, including the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill. The monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly was held from June 30 to July 18. Speaking at a press conference, Fadnavis noted that the Assembly session saw the passage of several key legislations. He said, "In the Assembly Session, important Bills, supplementary demands and important decisions were taken. A total of 16 Bills were passed. The Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, an important Bill, was also passed. We got the cooperation of the Opposition too for the Bill, but later there was pressure on them, that's why they opposed it outside the House." Referring to a 2024 Supreme Court ruling on Scheduled Caste reservations, Fadnavis stated that the State Government would comply with the Court's direction. He said, "In 2024, the Supreme Court passed a ruling wherein they stated that SC reservation can be granted to only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. If anyone converts, they cannot be granted this reservation. After conversion, their SC status gets scrapped. So, the State Government will order as per the Supreme Court order." The Supreme Court ruled on Nov 26, 2024, that only Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs are eligible for Scheduled Caste reservation. Fadnavis also expressed concern over the sharp increase in the number of Calling Attention Motions raised during the session. "Usually, 3 to 4 such motions are taken up, but this time the number was substantially higher. We have requested the Speaker to regulate this, as ministers also require adequate time for briefings," he said. When asked if the state government would stop the offering of flowers at the tomb of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, the Maharashtra CM said, "Aurangzeb is not the hero of India, there is no need to offer flowers to his tomb. The tomb is under the ASI (Central Government); in that case, the State Government will not be able to take any decision in this regard. I believe that history should be presented as it but false glorification of it should not be done." On the decision to rename Islampur to Ishwarpur, he said, "Jayant Patil has raised concerns, which I understand. But the original and historic name of the place was Ishwarpur. It was a long-standing demand of the people, and as the government in power, we have acted upon it." Fadnavis also criticised the Opposition's conduct during the session. He said, "Opposition has left with no issues; they couldn't take up any issues inside the house with evidence. So just to make their presence felt, they used to do protests in different forms on the stairs of the Assembly" He added, "We are satisfied with the work done during this session, but at the same time, we even regret the unfortunate incident that took place during the session." (ANI)
Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood chaired a high-level meeting on the future augmentation plan of Delhi with Power (Secretary), and Discoms. He directed the Secretary (Power) to prepare a Power Master Plan for Delhi. Sood headed the meeting on the future augmentation plan of Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) and Discoms in the coming year, as well as for the next three years. According to a release, DTL presented the projected addition plan for power capacity up to March 2029, which will provide significant relief to Delhi over the next three years, starting from the current year, to ensure there is no power shortage during the peak demand in the forthcoming summer session 2026-27. The three DISCOMs, TPDDL, BRPL, and BYPL, submitted their augmentation plan up to September 2026, which includes the setting up of transformers at various sites in Delhi, with a capacity of 66KV/33KV, 11KV, and LT levels. The total cost to be incurred in the augmentation will be approximately Rs 1937 Crores. Sood inquired about the total load on the DTLs being 90 per cent so far and how much load will be reduced by the next year, and within the next three years. The concerned officer informed that by 2028-29, the load will be reduced to 70 per cent by way of the installation of new TDs and the repair of old substations. The Total transmission capacity will be around 24000 MVA, whereas the expected demand will be around 11000 MVA. The Minister was informed that by the year 2028-29, two new substations will be added in Gopalpur and Tikri Khurd, with both generating a total of 4000 MVA of electricity. He asked why there was a delay in execution since 2022-23? The Minister was informed that there was a power grid issue, no bid had been received, the scheme had now been prepared, and the board needed to approve it, the release stated. The Discoms informed that they have been facing delays in acquiring land for installing Distribution Transformers (DTs). Ashish Sood directed the Power (Secretary) to conduct meetings of the Discoms with the concerned area MLAs and the land-owning agencies (DDA and MCD) to overcome the hurdles and ensure there are no obstacles whatsoever in meeting the deadlines. Sood directed the Secretary (Power) to prepare a Power Master Plan for Delhi, which will streamline electricity generation and transmission within the city. (ANI)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump still supports Syria's pathway to become a prosperous nation. In a weekly White House Press briefing on Thursday (local time), Leavitt said that after the US' intervention, the clashes are de-escalating in the region. Trump met the interim president of Syria a couple of months ago, where he described him as a 'young, tough, attractive guy'. "After the latest clashes in Syria over the last few days, Trump still supports Syria's pathway to a peaceful and prosperous country. And as soon as the United States became involved in this conflict, we were able to deescalate, deconflict. That seems to be continuing. Syria agreed to draw back their troops that were in the area where that clash was ongoing and we continue to be very actively monitoring the situation and the president wants to see Syria become a prosperous and stable country and by the lifting of the sanctions on Syria he's giving them a real chance to do that and he wants to see that through go ahead," Leavitt said. Meanwhile, US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in her Press Briefing, "Regarding Israel's intervention and activity ... the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes. We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states." Bruce said that the US has worked to quickly stop the escalation. "I won't speak to future conversations or past ones. What we're dealing with now is this particular episode, what was required, and I think we've been very clear about our displeasure, certainly that the President has, and we've worked very quickly to have it stopped," she said. As per Al Jazeera, Israel carried out an air strike in the vicinity of Syria's Suwayda, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Thursday. These strikes came despite a new ceasefire deal struck after four days of clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces that have left hundreds dead. (ANI)
The White House on Friday (local time) shunned media reports circling around US President Donald Trump's visit to Pakistan, stating that there has been no such presidential travel plans. "A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time", the White House confirmed to ANI. The White House has not announced or confirmed any such travel arrangements, contrary to what has been reported by news channels in Pakistan. There have been reports circulating in Pakistani news outlets regarding potential presidential travel plans. Earlier in the day, some local television news channels reported, citing sources, that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan in September. The news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September. The channels later withdrew their reports, Dawn reported. Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told Dawn, "We have no information about this matter." George W Bush was the last US president to visit Pakistan in 2006. As about Trump's travel plans, US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday (local time) said that he will visit Scotland from July 25-July 29. Leavitt said that Trump is set to hold trade-related talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the visit. "US President Donald Trump will travel to Scotland, where he will visit both Turnberry and Aberdine from July 25-July 29. During the visit, Trump will meet again with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the great trade deal that was brokered between the United States and the United Kingdom," she said. Leavitt further said that Trump and First Lady Melania will visit Windsor Castle to meet King Charles later this year. "And the President and the First Lady will travel to the United Kingdom for an official state visit from September 17-September 19 later this fall. This will mark a truly unprecedented second state visit for President Trump and he is honoured and looking forward to meeting with His Majesty the King at Windsor Castle," she said. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited the headquarters of Submer on Friday (local time), a company which specializes in data center cooling technology. Yadav said that he held positive discussions regarding potential investments in Madhya Pradesh. In a post on X, he said, "During the visit to Spain today, the headquarters of Submer, located in Barcelona, was visited. This company, which specializes in data center cooling technology, held positive discussions regarding potential investment and strategic partnership in Madhya Pradesh. Such collaboration could prove to be a significant step towards strengthening the state's digital infrastructure to global standards." https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1945911135435358310 Earlier in the day, Yadav at A Coruna headquarters of Inditex explored investment and collaboration opportunities in Madhya Pradesh's textile sector. Yadav said that there are significant prospects for establishing apparel units at the PM MITRA Park in Dhar. In a post on X, he said, "On the second day of the Spain visit, Mr. Jose M. Romay, Ms. Marta Francos Rey, and the Inditex leadership team were invited at their A Coruna headquarters to explore investment and collaboration opportunities in Madhya Pradesh's textile sector. There are significant prospects for establishing apparel units at the PM MITRA Park in Dhar. On this occasion, the team was also briefed on the state's new Industrial and Export Policies." https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1945843653039272438 Yadav's meeting was focused on long-term partnership between Madhya Pradesh and Inditex. Yadav said that their government is committed to improved labour standards and water conservation among other ideals. "Our government is fully committed to promoting ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) values, which include water conservation, waste management, and improved labor standards. Our vision fully aligns with Inditex's sustainable and responsible sourcing policy," he said. Yadav said that their policies aim at promoting renewable energy to reduce carbon footprint and lead in clean energy. "We are promoting renewable energy to reduce our carbon footprint and lead in clean energy. We are not just building businesses, but building a green future. Madhya Pradesh is ready with its new Industrial and Export Policies (2025), which provide a conducive environment for promoting industries and exports. We seek the overall development of the textile and apparel industry in Madhya Pradesh with Inditex's cooperation," Yadav said. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at A Coruna headquarters of Inditex lauded the textile's commitment to sustainability. Yadav's meeting focused on long-term partnership between Madhya Pradesh and Inditex. "Inditex is not only a global leader in the fashion industry, but your commitment to Sustainability, Innovation, and Ethical Business Practices is truly exemplary. We are together envisioning and building a future that is sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven," he said in his address. "The main objective of our meeting today is to explore the possibilities of a strong and long-term partnership between Madhya Pradesh and Inditex. We want to demonstrate how Madhya Pradesh, being the Heart of India, has emerged as an ideal, sustainable location for the textile and apparel industry," the Madhya Pradesh CM said. Yadav said that MP is one of India's largest raw cotton producing states, which aligns with Inditex's ideals of sustainability. "Madhya Pradesh is one of India's top raw cotton producing states, with an annual production of approximately 18 lakh bales (about 3 lakh metric tons). We are proud to be a major producer of Organic Cotton, with GOTS-certified farmer groups actively working here. This makes us an ideal partner for your sustainability priorities, where we can work together on the 'Farm-to-Fabric' value chain. Our goal is to further increase cotton production in Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with Inditex, especially in the organic cotton sector, to meet your sustainable sourcing needs," he said. CM Mohan Yadav said that their government is committed to improved labour standards and water conservation among other ideals. "Our government is fully committed to promoting ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) values, which include water conservation, waste management, and improved labor standards. Our vision fully aligns with Inditex's sustainable and responsible sourcing policy," he said. Yadav said that their policies aim at promoting renewable energy to reduce carbon footprint and lead in clean energy. "We are promoting renewable energy to reduce our carbon footprint and lead in clean energy. We are not just building businesses, but building a green future. Madhya Pradesh is ready with its new Industrial and Export Policies (2025), which provide a conducive environment for promoting industries and exports. We seek the overall development of the textile and apparel industry in Madhya Pradesh with Inditex's cooperation," Yadav said. Yadav proposed that Inditex may establish its garmenting unit at PM MITRA Park (Dhar). "Our proposal is that Inditex establish its garmenting unit in the PM MITRA Park (Dhar), which is the Government of India's largest initiative and can be an ideal center for sustainable and integrated production for global brands like Inditex," he said. He said that such a deal will also boost employment, women empowerment and sustainable development. "We expect that the presence of a global brand like Inditex will not only increase exports but also strengthen local employment, women empowerment, and sustainable development. Our main goal is to see how Madhya Pradesh can become a major hub for sustainable sourcing and production for Inditex, establishing mutually beneficial relationships for both sides. I am confident that our discussions today will open new doors for collaboration, which will not only bring business success but also contribute to achieving our shared global sustainability goals," the CM said. (ANI)
The Deputy Chief of Mission of Israel in India, Fares Saeb in a video message explained the history of Druze people, as the Israeli government is asserting to protect them in Syria. Saeb claimed that the Druze people are under persecution in Syria due to the differences in faith with the 'jihadists'. https://x.com/IsraelinIndia/status/1945786345391014347 "In the last few days, we saw much more news here in India about the situation in West Asia, the Druze in Syria, and of course Israel's to help and assist the Druze minority in Syria. As an Israeli diplomat who belongs to the Druze minority in West Asia, I feel obligated to give our followers and friends here in India more information to better explain the situation of what's happening now in Syria," he said. He further explained the demographic of the people of the Druze faith in the Middle East and explained its connections with Greek faith, Hinduism and Buddhism. "For those who are not familiar with the Druze's community with the Druze faith. The Druze are located in West Asia for almost 1,000 years. Basically, the majority are located in Syria, around 7,00,000, in Lebanon, estimated 2,50,000, Israel, 1,50,000, and a small community in Jordan of 30,000 Druze. The Druze faith is, of course, connected to the Abrahamic religions, but it's also connected to the Greek philosophies, to Sufism, to Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Hinduism. For example, we do believe that the soul is eternal and we do believe in reincarnation," he said. Saeb said that the Syrian administration is violating the Druze area, meting similar treatment there that the Hamas did to Israel in October 7, 2023 attacks. "For the jihadists, this is blasphemic and anti-Islamic. Because of this, the jihadists decided to attack the Druze area, humiliating our priests, killing, raping, and kidnapping the same atrocities that we saw on October 7, 2023. The new Syrian regime and president are deeply connected to the ISIS ideology. And in the last couple of months, we saw them attacking other minorities in Syria, especially the religious minorities, such as the Alawites and the Christians," he said. Saeb said that they are attacking the Druze people because of their strong alliance with the Jews. Thus, Israel is standing to protect them. "And now they are focusing on the Druze in southern Syria. Due to the strong bond between the Druze and the Jews in West Asia, and the strong alliance between Israel and its Druze population, Israel leadership, government and opposition in a consensus decided to step forward and to assist the Druze and to help the Druze minority in stopping this genocidal act," he said. Saeb, a Druze himself, lauded the Israeli government for their decision to protect the minorities. "And what we see now is that Israel is the only country in the world that is protecting minorities in West Asia, while the rest of the world is silent. As a Druze, I want to thank my country for standing so strong and firm with my community. As an Israel diplomat, I was never more proud," he said. As per Al Jazeera, Israel carried out an air strike in the vicinity of Syria's Suwayda, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Thursday. These strikes came despite a new ceasefire deal struck after four days of clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces that have left hundreds dead. In a post on X on July 16, the IDF said, "The IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria. The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime's actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the IDF is striking in the area and remains prepared for various scenarios." https://x.com/IDF/status/1945421069487145072 https://x.com/IDF/status/1945559040815198626 "We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens, and prevent harm to Druze civilians," Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, during a situational assessment at the Syrian border said. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Rupert Murdoch for the Jeffrey Epstein story they published on the Epstein files. The reaction by Trump was catalysed by a report by the Wall Street Journal that the former sent an alleged letter to Epstein, the contents of which were sexually suggestive. https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1946007571984236634 "The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn't want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don't even exist," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal. It has truly turned out to be a "Disgusting and Filthy Rag" and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant. If there were any truth at all on the Epstein Hoax, as it pertains to President Trump, this information would have been revealed by Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary, and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago. It certainly would not have sat in a file waiting for "TRUMP" to have won three Elections. This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS!" Trump said. As per CNN, a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Thursday (local time). Trump in an interview with the Journal on Tuesday denied that he wrote the letter or drew the picture and threatened to sue the newspaper if it published the story, as per CNN. "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he said, according to the Journal. "It's not my language. It's not my words." Epstein, a financier who socialized with a range of politicians and other powerful figures, was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. He was later found dead in his jail cell. Medical examiners ruled the death a suicide, but the circumstances have since opened a bag of worms, spinning conspiracy theories, as per CNN. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump on Friday called for the release of grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein's case, callling it a 'scam' allegedly perpetuated by the Democrats. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end right now." The remarks came after a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Thursday (local time), as per CNN. The report, which cites documents reviewed by the newspaper, comes amid continued public interest in Epstein's past connections with powerful individuals. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of child sex trafficking. Trump has denied writing the letter and accused the media of running a coordinated smear campaign, according to CNN. Trump also threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal, News Corp., and Rupert Murdoch for the Jeffrey Epstein story they published on the Epstein files. "The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn't want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don't even exist," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also issued a strong statement on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the Journal of publishing unverified claims. "The Wall Street Journal published a hatchet job article with a FAKE 'birthday letter' that is supposedly from 2003," she wrote. "This is like the Steele Dossier that kickstarted 'the Russia, Russia, Russia' Hoax all over again. The WSJ refused to show us the letter and conceded they don't even have it in their possession when we asked them to verify the alleged document they're basing their ENTIRE fake story on," she said. She added, "As I said at the podium today, there is a coordinated Hoax by the Democrats and Fake News to smear President Trump, as we've seen throughout both of his terms." (ANI)
As the controversy surrounding the Epstein files continues to cause disarray among 'MAGA' supporters in the US, a recent Wall Street Journal report alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein has further fuelled the fire which was swiftly and strongly condemned by Vice President JD Vance, who dismissed it as "complete and utter bulls**t." Following the report by the WSJ, which stated that the US President has sent a letter to Epstein, the contents of which were sexually suggestive, Vance expressed outrage in a post on X on Friday (local time), noting that the media house should be "ashamed" for publishing such stories. Vance further questioned the credibility of the report, asking about the whereabouts of the letter. "Forgive my language, but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?" Vance said in the post. Vance further challenged the journalistic ethics of the WSJ, reflecting on a broader narrative of scepticism regarding allegations against Trump. "Doesn't it violate some rule of journalistic ethics to publish a letter like this without showing it to the victim of this hit piece? Will the people who have bought into every hoax against President Trump show an ounce of skepticism before buying into this bizarre story?" the US VP added. The remarks came after a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a WSJ report published on Thursday (local time), as reported by CNN. Trump has denied the allegation and accused the media of running a coordinated smear campaign, according to CNN. Trump also threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal, News Corp., and Rupert Murdoch for the story they published about his links with Epstein. "The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn't want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don't even exist," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Thw US President also called for the release of grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein's case, calling it a 'scam' allegedly perpetuated by the Democrats. "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end right now," he stated in another post on Truth Social. US Attorney General Pamela Bondi also acknowledged Trump's call, stating, "President Trump--we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts," in a post on X. Earlier, Trump's 'MAGA' fanbase targeted Bondi over the Justice Department's handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, including the US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation's joint memo, which stated that there is no "client list" and reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in 2019, as reported by The Hill. Epstein, a disgraced financier, faced multiple allegations of sex trafficking involving underage girls and was known for his connections with numerous high-profile individuals, including influential celebrities, business leaders, and political figures, the Hill reported. His long-time associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking in 2022 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday welcomed the United States' decision to designate as a "Foreign Terrorist Organisation," The Resistance Front (TRF) which is a proxy of Pakistan's Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT) terror group and that has claimed responsiblity for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Jaishankar termed the move by the US Department of State as a "strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation." "Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism," Jaishankar posted on his social media platform X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1946044497642852558?t=8zoGYKIgdkTM1BneszGvfg&s=19 In a statement issued by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio it was acknowledged that TRF, which is a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, under US anti-terrorism laws had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam terror attack. The April 22 attack in the tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir had claimed the lives of 26 civilians and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. In light of this, the US accorded the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The United States noted this was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also carried out by LeT. The US State Department further stated that TRF has also been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces in recent years, including in 2024. The decision, the US government said, underlined the Trump administration's continued commitment to global counter-terrorism. "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," Rubio said in the statement. "TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," the statement further added. The Indian embassy in the US said in a statement, "Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist." "TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism!" the statement by the Indian embassy in the US further read. Earlier this week, EAM Jaishankar, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, emphasised the importance of taking an uncompromised stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, which was condemned by the UN Security Council. Jaishankar highlighted that three evils have taken over the world: "Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism," which he believes often occur together. (ANI)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reaffirmed its efforts to normalise India-Canada relations again, reiterating that both nations are working towards deploying High Commissioners in their respective capitals. During a press briefing on Thursday, Jaiswal highlighted the progress, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, held a discussion on the matter in Kananaskis on the sidelines of the G7 Summit last month. He further expressed optimism in the "movement" of India-Canada ties. "We had the meeting at the Prime Minister level in Kananaskis, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the importance of India-Canada ties and to rebuild these ties. We are working; both sides are now working towards it. We are also working to get High Commissioners deployed in the two capitals. We are positive about the movement in India-Canada ties," Jaiswal stated during the briefing. Last month, the MEA had stated that both nations are working to reinstate the High Commissioners to each other's capitals in an effort to normalise relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, which had sharply deteriorated last year. At a press briefing, Jaiswal said PM Modi and Carney had reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in Canada. He added that both sides agreed to take constructive steps to "restore stability" in the relationship. "We had issued a press release when we had the last meeting of PM Modi with Prime Minister Carney on the sidelines of the G7 in Kananaskis in Alberta. Both leaders then reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of high commissioners to each other's capitals," the MEA spokesperson said. Diplomatic tensions between the two nations flared up last year after the former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that his government had "credible allegations" of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. India had strongly denied the charges, calling them "absurd" and "motivated". In response, India recalled six diplomats, including its High Commissioner to Canada, after they were labelled "persons of interest" by Canadian authorities investigating the killing. India also expelled six Canadian diplomats, including Canada's High Commissioner to India. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. With Mark Carney now serving as the Canadian Prime Minister after Trudeau's resignation, both countries appear to be taking steps to improve ties. According to the MEA, India and Canada also agreed to resume senior and working-level mechanisms and discussions in various areas, including trade, people-to-people contact, connectivity and collaboration in key areas like cooperating on clean energy and technology initiatives, collaborating on digital infrastructure projects, exploring opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence and discussing potential collaboration on food security and critical minerals. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on the third day of his official visit to Spain on Friday, will be showcasing the state's global capabilities and strengthening investment cooperation and will present the "Madhya Pradesh Vision" to global audiences of investors, industrialists, and members of the Indian diaspora in Barcelona. Yadav is currently on the second leg of his two-nation tour, aimed at attracting global investment to the state, encouraging technology exchange, and creating jobs under the "Global Dialogue 2025" initiative. He reached the European nation after completing a three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. The MP CM will begin his day with a visit to Mercabarna, Barcelona's premier maritime and logistics hub, which is considered a key supply chain centre of Europe. The visit is expected to provide an opportunity to explore potential partnerships and learn from the European logistics model to develop Madhya Pradesh's capabilities in the sector. Following this, the Chief Minister will highlight the state's investment-friendly policies and infrastructure readiness to Spanish industries, corporate groups, and institutional investors at the Barcelona Business Forum, under the theme "Invest in Madhya Pradesh". The forum will place a special focus on Madhya Pradesh's industrial policies, opportunities in the primary sector, ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects, and its global partnership model. He will also address the forum, which is expected to play a key role in translating investment interest into tangible proposals. The Chief Minister will also be holding one-on-one meetings with prominent industrialists, business leaders, and potential investors to discuss collaborative opportunities and long-term investment possibilities in the state. Later in the day, Yadav is scheduled to visit Barcelona's Smart City and Innovation Centres, where he will observe systems and models related to urban management, green technologies, data-driven public services, and startup collaboration frameworks. He will also receive information about potential technical partnerships for Madhya Pradesh's smart city model. He will also hold some bilateral meetings planned post the site visits, following which in the evening he will attend the 'Pravasi and Friends of Madhya Pradesh' event, where he will engage with NRIs, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders from across Spain and Europe. He will also honour the contributions of the diaspora and invite them to actively participate in the development journey of Madhya Pradesh. The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
A delegation of special envoys led by South Korea's former Prime Minister Kim Boo Kyum on Friday visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in the national capital and paid their respects to the Father of the Nation. "It has been a great honour for us to be visiting Raj Ghat, the memorial in honour of the great Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. It provided us with a valuable opportunity to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi ji and revisit his teachings and principles of non-violence and peace,"Kim Boo Kyum said. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had dispatched a team of special envoys to India, among several other countries to mark his administration's opening push to bolster both bilateral and multilateral ties. "With the new president Lee Jae-myung in office, I believe this visit has provided a significant impetus to move bilateral relations between Korea and India to a new height as peace-loving countries in the region. We have been able to convey the message from our President, re-affirming the robust ties and friendship between our two countries," Kim Boo Kyum told ANI. The South Korean delegation called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the national captial on Thursday. PM Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing the India-Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership, which marks its 10th year. He highlighted the partnership's continued growth across key sectors including innovation, defence, shipbuilding, and skilled mobility. Prime Minister Modi recalled his very warm and productive meeting with President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June 2025 and conveyed his deep appreciation for President Lee's gesture of sending a high-powered delegation to India. "As Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also mentioned yesterday, there is vast potential for Korea and India to deepen cooperation across various sectors -- including defense, semiconductors, and shipbuilding," the former PM of South Korea told ANI. "Both countries are home to highly skilled human resources and cutting-edge technologies with strong global competitiveness, offering ample opportunities for collaboration. The Indian leadership also expressed its hope for more active investment and business engagement from Korea in the future. We fully share this vision, and the Korean government is committed to working closely in that direction,"Kim Boo Kyum said. Stating that India has long been home to a rich history and cultural heritage, the South Korean envoy said,"We recognize and deeply appreciate the country's immense potential, especially in the fields of art, cinema, and other creative expressions." "It is our hope that this vibrant culture will continue to spread and be embraced as part of the shared heritage of all humanity," he said. During his meeting with Kim Boo Kyum, PM Modi highlighted the economic and manufacturing growth in India that unlocks deeper investment opportunities and cooperation in key sectors such as emerging technologies, ship-building, defence, electronics, green hydrogen, and batteries. Prime Minister also emphasized on the potential of India's demographic dividend and skilled human-resource as a transformative force for the economies of both countries. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Delighted to receive the delegation of Special Envoys from the Republic of Korea led by Mr. Kim Boo Kyum. Recalled my positive meeting with President Jaemyung Lee last month. India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership, which completes 10 years, continues to grow from innovation and defence to shipbuilding and skilled mobility. Close collaboration between the democracies contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region." Meanwhile, Jaishankar said that he discussed "economic, technology, defence and maritime cooperation as well as expanding people-to people exchanges" with the visiting South Korean delegation who met with him on Thursday. "India will engage the new administration actively and work towards further enhancing our Special Strategic Partnership," Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting. Kim Boo Kyum served as the South Korean Prime Minister from 2021 to 2022. He is also a former four-term lawmaker and served as interior minister. India and South Korea signed a 'Strategic Partnership' in 2010, which was elevated to 'Special Strategic Partnership' in 2015 during the State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Seoul. Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's centre-left candidate, was officially declared president in June this year following a snap election triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. (ANI)
The visit came following a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Canada last month on the sidelines of the G7 summit, where both leaders expressed commitment to working together in trade, investment, green energy, and emerging technology sectors.

Earlier on Thursday, PM Modi received the delegation of special envoys and highlighted the completion of 10 years of India-South Korea partnership.

He underlined that the close collaboration between the two countries plays a key role in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Delighted to receive the delegation of Special Envoys from the Republic of Korea led by Mr. Kim Boo Kyum. Recalled my positive meeting with President @Jaemyung_Lee last month," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Mininister also highlighted the various areas of collaboration between India and South Korea, such as innovation, defence, shipbuilding and skilled mobility.

"India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership, which completes 10 years, continues to grow from innovation and defence to shipbuilding and skilled mobility. Close collaboration between the democracies contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," the post added.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also met the delegation and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in key areas, including economy, technology, defence, maritime security, and people-to-people exchanges.

"Delighted to meet RoK President Lee Jae Myung's delegation of Special Envoys to India led by former PM Kim Boo-kyum this morning in Delhi. Discussed economic, technology, defence and maritime cooperation. As well as expanding people-to-people exchanges," the EAM stated in a post on X.

The meeting comes amid renewed efforts from both sides to boost cooperation across sectors such as green hydrogen, shipbuilding, investment, semiconductors, and regional security, especially in the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had admitted that Tel Aviv had made a "mistake" by striking the sole Catholic Church in Gaza during a call with US President Donald Trump, the White House stated. During a press briefing on Friday (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump held a phone call with Netanyahu to address the strike, noting that there was "not a positive reaction" from the US President. "It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza. And I understand that the Prime Minister agreed to issue a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church. That's what the Prime Minister relayed to the President. You should look at the Prime Minister's statement," Leavitt stated during the briefing. Following the attack and, in some way, pressure from Trump, Israel expressed deep "regret" about the attack, blaming it on a "stray" ammunition that hit the Holy Family Church in the conflict-ridden Gaza, which was already under severe Israeli military operations. "Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," the statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office read. "We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites," it added. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also addressed the issue, noting that early findings showed fragments from a shell fired during military operations in the area may have hit the church by "mistake". "An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review, " the IDF stated in a statement posted on X. "The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them," the post added. According to Al Jazeera, three people were killed and at least ten more were injured during the strike on Gaza's only Catholic church. (ANI)
India and Fiji held their first Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on defence cooperation in Suva on Friday, focusing on training, capacity building, and strengthening bilateral ties, the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Vishwesh Negi, and Fiji's Acting Permanent Secretary for Defence, Sainitiki Ravuso. In a statement shared online, the Ministry said, "The 1st Joint Working Group meeting between the Ministries of Defence of India and Fiji was held in Suva on 18 July 2025. Discussions, led by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Shri Vishwesh Negi and Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Fiji, Ms Sainitiki Ravuso, focused on training and capacity building to strengthen." https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/19460705570842255 According to the Indian High Commission in Suva, the ties between India and Fiji are built on mutual respect, cooperation, and strong cultural and people-to-people connections. The relationship received a major boost in November 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Fiji and launched the first Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), marking a key moment in India's outreach to Pacific nations. The Government of India continues to support Fiji's nation-building efforts across multiple sectors, especially in human resource development and capacity building. As a committed development partner, India provides assistance through various programmes such as the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), under which several training slots are offered to Fijian nationals every year, as per the Indian High Commission. Additionally, many Fijians pursue higher education in India through scholarships offered by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). These initiatives have created strong educational and cultural bridges between the two countries. In November 2024, India and Fiji also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote digital transformation by sharing India's successful large-scale digital solutions. The MoU aims to open new opportunities in the technology and innovation sectors for both nations.(ANI)
Families of detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and relatives of forcibly disappeared persons from Balochistan have launched a sit-in protest outside the National Press Club in Islamabad, demanding an immediate end to enforced disappearances and the release of all detained activists, The Balochistan Post reported. The protest, which began earlier this week, includes family members of BYC leaders who have been in custody for over three months, along with long-suffering families of missing persons. Many of the demonstrators have spent years campaigning for the safe return of their loved ones, without any resolution or justice, The Balochistan Post reported. Addressing a press conference at the protest site's location, participants said they had once again travelled to the capital in the hope that their voices might finally be heard. "In Balochistan, our cries are suppressed on our own soil. Media censorship is rampant, and the doors to truth have been shut," one speaker told The Balochistan Post. The families described Balochistan as an "information black hole", where only state-approved narratives are permitted. "Any voice that dares speak against injustice is silenced," they added. Protesters accused state institutions of promoting a false narrative of peace in Balochistan while the ground reality remains marred by "repression, enforced disappearances, and political intimidation," The Balochistan Post reported. They highlighted the arrests of key BYC and human rights activists, Dr Mahrang Baloch, Beebarg Zehri, Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Shah Jee Sibghatullah, Ghaffar Qambarani, and Imran Baloch, in what they termed a targeted crackdown following a press conference in Quetta on March 19. Despite court orders for release, the activists were held under the colonial-era 3-MPO law and later transferred to anti-terrorism custody on July 8, facing new charges, The Balochistan Post reported. The protesters demanded two actions: the immediate release of all detained Baloch political leaders and an end to the "cycle of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Balochistan". They appealed to Pakistani media, civil society, lawyers, and international human rights organisations to raise their voices in solidarity, The Balochistan Post reported. (ANI)
The European Union on Friday approved its 18th round of sanctions against Russia, calling it one of the "strongest" moves so far to reduce Moscow's ability to continue its war in Ukraine. The new sanctions package directly targets Russia's energy, banking and defence industries, according to a statement by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. "We are standing firm. The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date. We're cutting the Kremlin's war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks' access to funding," Kallas posted on X. https://x.com/kajakallas/status/1946092888221241797 As part of the new measures, the EU has also decided to ban the Nord Stream pipelines and reduce the cap on Russian oil prices. There will be stricter controls on exports used in Russian drones and other military technology. "We are putting more pressure on Russia's military industry, Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," Kallas added. This time, the EU has also extended sanctions beyond Europe. It has listed, for the first time, a flag registry and the largest Rosneft refinery in India. "For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India," Kallas wrote. The EU has also taken steps against organisations involved in the forced relocation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children by Russia. "Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the decision and called it a strong step against Russia's war efforts. "I welcome the agreement on our 18th sanctions package against Russia. We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine, targeting its banking, energy and military-industrial sectors and including a new dynamic oil price cap," she wrote on X. https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1946098876798337325 The EU's latest move is being seen as a significant escalation of economic pressure on Russia, aimed at blocking all possible loopholes that allow Moscow to fund its war through oil trade, third-party banks, and shipping. (ANI)
In a vibrant celebration of Tibetan resilience, culture, and faith, the Tibetan community in the Netherlands marked the 90th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama with a grand two-day event in Amsterdam from 8 to 9 July 2025, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reported. The festivities brought together nearly 1,000 Tibetans from across the Netherlands, united in their devotion and solidarity. The celebration began with a traditional enthronement ceremony of Dalai Lama's portrait, led by local monks and community leaders, followed by a ceremonial cake-cutting by Norbu Tsering, President of the Netherlands Tibetan Community. The community then shared traditional sweet rice, symbolising joy and spiritual unity, CTA reported. Preceding the two-day event, on 6 July, a public gathering was held at Dam Square featuring an interfaith event with representatives from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Speakers from each faith emphasised compassion, tolerance, and peace, principles long championed by the Dalai Lama. A symbolic "Peace Cycle" rally through central Amsterdam and a "Lunch of Compassion", featuring traditional Tibetan dishes like Tingmo and Tsel-Momo, further underscored themes of generosity and harmony, according to CTA. Cultural activities such as Tibetan circle dances and indoor games were performed throughout the event, offering a lively display of Tibet's enduring cultural heritage in exile, a heritage that continues to be suppressed in Chinese-occupied Tibet. In a notable gesture of commitment to the Tibetan cause, Tenzin Nordhen, Accountant of the Office of Tibet in Brussels, collected Green Book Chatrel contributions from around 300 attendees, each donation a symbolic act of support for the Tibetan freedom movement, CTA stated. The event was supported by ICT Netherlands and the Tibet Support Group Netherlands, whose presence reinforced international solidarity with the Tibetan people. The Amsterdam gathering was more than a birthday celebration; it was a peaceful but powerful reaffirmation of Tibetan identity, compassion, and resistance against decades of Chinese oppression. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly criticised the treatment of its jailed founder and former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, claiming he is being kept in a "death cell" and denied basic rights, Dawn reported on Friday. Addressing a press conference, the Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said Khan is being kept in isolation for 22 hours a day and is not allowed newspapers, television, or books. "Despite being a former prime minister, Khan was denied both his status and even the basic rights of an ordinary prisoner, which was a matter of grave concern, as he was the country's most popular leader, and the entire nation was deeply worried about his well-being and safety," Akram said, according to Dawn. He warned that the way prisoners are being treated, along with the ongoing judicial and economic problems in the country, is pushing Pakistan towards a "constitutional and humanitarian crisis." Dawn quoted Akram saying that Khan's legal team is not being allowed to meet him to discuss more than 200 legal cases pending against him, calling it a clear violation of his right to a fair trial. He alleged that even court orders allowing six designated people to meet Khan are being ignored by jail authorities, which amounts to "blatant contempt of court." Akram further said that Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, has also been denied visitation rights. His sister Aleema Khan is also reportedly not allowed to meet him, while his other sisters are permitted only limited visits, Dawn reported. Speaking about other detained PTI leaders, Akram raised concerns over the deteriorating health of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He also mentioned Dr Yasmin Rashid, a cancer survivor, saying, "Even if she defeated Nawaz Sharif politically, her basic human rights cannot be ignored." Akram also criticised the judiciary, highlighting that senior PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhry remains in jail despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court. "I appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan that your directives are being openly discarded by Adiala Jail administration," Akram said during the press briefing, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
With just days left before the 15-day deadline set by Tajik authorities for Afghan refugees, the government has already begun mass deportations, Khaama Press reported. Citing multiple sources, the outlet said over 150 individuals were forcibly rounded up from markets and public areas across the country on Wednesday and deported. Khaama Press reported that those deported include men, women, elderly individuals, and minors under the age of 18. In numerous cases, families were torn apart--children deported while their parents remain in Tajikistan, or spouses separated from each other. The sudden and aggressive nature of the removals has sparked panic and distress among Afghan refugees in the region. Of particular concern, according to Khaama Press, is that many of those targeted for deportation reportedly hold legal refugee status. Several are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and possess valid refugee cards. Others are in the middle of asylum proceedings, with active resettlement applications to Canada still under review. Khaama Press noted that the Tajik government has not officially explained the reason behind the sudden deportations. However, analysts believe the move may be influenced by shifting regional geopolitics. Russia's recent formal recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is thought to have triggered policy realignments across Central Asia. Tajikistan, which has historically provided safe haven to Afghan opposition figures and been openly critical of the Taliban, may now be signaling a pivot towards Moscow's strategic stance. Most Afghan refugees in Tajikistan are housed in Wahdat, a district about 20 kilometers east of the capital, Dushanbe. Formerly known as Kofarnihon, Wahdat has become a major hub for displaced Afghan communities. Khaama Press said the region lacks the infrastructure to support its already stretched population, making the deportations especially disruptive and painful for families and local residents alike. In response to the escalating crisis, online petitions are calling on the Canadian government to accelerate asylum and resettlement procedures. Several humanitarian groups and refugee advocates have urged Ottawa to initiate emergency evacuations for those with pending cases, warning of "chaotic and alarming" developments. Despite the involvement of international actors such as the UN, Khaama Press reported that the Tajik government has shown little willingness to engage with or respond to concerns about international refugee protection obligations. Observers fear that without immediate intervention, vulnerable Afghan families could continue to be subjected to unlawful expulsion and potential harm. Khaama Press also reported that many of the deported individuals had been in advanced stages of resettlement, raising questions about the coordination--or lack thereof--between Tajik authorities and international agencies involved in refugee support. The situation remains fluid, with rights groups calling for urgent international attention to prevent further separations and forced returns. (ANI)
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Spain's Mercabarna, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, to explore models for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure in the central Indian state. In a post on X, MP CM Yadav stated that he held a discussion centred on Madhya Pradesh's plans to build multimodal logistics infrastructure, agricultural export zones, and Mega Food Parks. "On the third day of the Spain visit under Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025, Mercamadrid, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, was visited, followed by discussions with its officials. Discussions focused on Madhya Pradesh's vision for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure. The seamless operations of Mercamadrid are certain to serve as a historic model of collaboration for the state's agricultural sector," he stated in a post on X. Yadav also emphasised the need for a government-supported ecosystem to protect farmers from price drops during abundant production while underscoring the potential for value-added processing to boost farmers' incomes and expand export opportunities. "We are currently at Mercabarna in Spain -- a 250-acre campus where farmers not only sell their produce but also receive support in processing surplus crops. We are hopeful that, as the irrigated area in Madhya Pradesh expands and farmers continue to witness strong crop yields, we can adopt a similar model. In this context, we have begun consistent efforts to create an ideal ecosystem -- a government-supported model that connects communities. When there is abundant production, market prices tend to fall. To protect farmers from such price drops, we need mechanisms that allow for processing and value addition where it's most needed," the MP CM said. "Implementing such a model in Madhya Pradesh could be a game-changer -- both for the farmers and for the state's economy -- enabling robust business opportunities within India and in international markets," he added. Pablo Vilanova, Director General of Mercabarna, expressed enthusiasm about the visit and highlighted the critical role of such markets in the efficient distribution of produce. "We are very grateful and proud of the visit. It's been a pleasure for us to exchange different subjects related to markets, fruits, and the production of produce in general. We will be very glad to continue this exchange of knowledge between the two institutions to improve best practices," Vilanova said. "The potential is huge because, as a production area, the need for a market to improve distribution is critical. It's very important to have a really good network of markets to take advantage of all this production, as you have in India, to avoid waste," he added. The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump has said that he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all relevant grand jury testimony in the case of sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, The Hill reported. "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. Following the announcement, Bondi posted on X, "President Trump--we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts." Trump's directive comes amid mounting pressure from his supporters to disclose more information in the Epstein case. Last week, the FBI and Justice Department stated that Epstein did not have a client list and reaffirmed that his 2019 death in a New York City jail cell was ruled a suicide. A number of Trump supporters have long promoted conspiracy theories regarding Epstein's death, claiming that releasing a client list would expose links between Epstein and prominent Democrats. Epstein, who was accused in multiple cases of trafficking young girls for sex, had ties with several high-profile individuals, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew, and other celebrities and billionaires. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking. According to The Hill, Trump has recently expressed frustration with the continued focus on the Epstein case, including by some of his loyal supporters. He reportedly criticised "weaklings" and "foolish Republicans" for amplifying the issue and claimed that "some of his supporters had been 'duped' by Democrats into giving the story oxygen." Bondi has also been under fire from some Trump supporters, who argue she has overpromised and underdelivered on producing documents related to Epstein. The Hill reported that Trump's comments followed the House Rules Committee's advancement of a resolution calling for -- though not requiring -- the release of information related to the Epstein files. A timeline for a floor vote remains unclear. Trump's announcement also came just hours after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that he had written a letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. According to the Journal, the letter included several lines "framed by the outline of a naked woman" and ended with, "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump denied writing the letter and said he would sue The Wall Street Journal over the report. His allies quickly rallied to discredit the publication and the credibility of the story. (ANI)
The Vice President of SpaceX, Lauren Dreyer, commended the coordinated efforts of government officials in Bangladesh for supporting the effective launching of Starlink in the country. She made the remarks during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Friday. "We operate in 150 countries and territories. We have never seen such efficiency and decisiveness. On behalf of all my colleagues at SpaceX, I extend our appreciation to you. We look forward to working closely with your team," she said. The Chief Adviser thanked the Vice President for visiting Bangladesh. "It's a lovely time of year here, the monsoon season. Greenery and water everywhere. At the same time, we face challenges of flooding and waterlogging, which highlight the need for dependable technology to maintain connectivity." "There is also a pressing need for improved connectivity in the remote areas of our hill tracts. These regions lack proper schools, teachers, and doctors. We have set a target to introduce online education in 100 schools, which will benefit students in isolated areas," he said. Emphasizing inclusive healthcare, the Chief Adviser said, "We are prioritizing digital healthcare so that people in remote areas can consult doctors online. Their medical histories will be stored digitally, making future consultations easier." "This is particularly important during pregnancy, a time when women often need male assistance to visit a doctor. With digital services, they can consult doctors from home," he said. "Bangladeshi expatriates will also benefit from digital health services. Many hesitate to consult doctors abroad due to language barriers. With this system, they will be able to consult Bangladeshi doctors from overseas. We are implementing small initiatives here, but you can take these projects global," he said. Lauren Dreyer expressed her appreciation for Professor Yunus's insights. "The example you are setting here can be shared with other leaders. If Professor Yunus can do it in his country, then others can as well," she said. She also commended Professor Yunus's efforts in combating corruption. "Your initiatives to ensure that public services reach the people are highly commendable. A significant part of my work involves traveling around the world. I understand how serious an issue corruption can be. Using technology to decentralize services and improve governance is a meaningful vision," she said. Richard Griffiths, Global Engagement Consultant of SpaceX; Bangladesh's National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman; Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb; and Executive Chairman of BIDA and BEZA, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, were also present at the meeting. (ANI)
Speaking at a high-profile gathering of foreign correspondents and de facto embassy representatives in Taipei, Hsiao emphasised that Taiwan continues to navigate one of the world's most contested geopolitical environments. "Taiwan doesn't live in a vacuum," she said. "We operate at the centre of one of the world's most dynamic and contested geopolitical environments," Focus Taiwan quoted her as saying.

Hsiao noted that China's pressure on Taiwan, through military escalations, gray-zone operations, and economic coercion, has intensified since President Lai Ching-te assumed office in May 2024. She described Beijing's tactics as aggressive and counterproductive, warning that efforts to infiltrate and divide Taiwanese society undermine the very status quo China claims to oppose.

According to Focus Taiwan, Hsiao outlined the government's strategy for deterring these threats, including a wide-ranging reform and integration of national defence. Taiwan's military, she said, is being transformed into "a force that is capable, credible and responsive," with an emphasis on asymmetric warfare, joint operations, and enhanced training.

"Modern security threats do not stop at the battlefield," Hsiao cautioned. She cited hybrid threats like cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and supply chain interference as core challenges to national resilience.

Highlighting the recent Han Kuang military drills conducted alongside Urban Resilience Exercises, Hsiao said they exemplified Taiwan's integrated approach to strengthening both deterrence and civilian preparedness.

On cross-strait relations, Hsiao reiterated Taiwan's commitment to maintaining the status quo. "Defending the status quo is our choice," she said, "not because it is easy, but because it is responsible and consistent with the interest of our entire region."

Despite mounting challenges, Hsiao declared that Taiwan is "not a passive actor," but an active shaper of its future through democratic resolve, innovation, and global partnerships. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday highlighted India's growing global role and Madhya Pradesh's alignment with national goals under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, during his visit to Spain. "PM Modi has resolved that we should have the capacity to provide free housing to as many people as Spain's population. Madhya Pradesh should also contribute a large number to this," CM Yadav said while addressing a gathering in Barcelona. Emphasising India's evolving global standing, Yadav said, "Today, India is poised to take on the role of a leading partner for European countries. Along with India, Madhya Pradesh is also progressing steadily under PM Modi's leadership." The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also announced a new development in bilateral cooperation. "Yesterday, we also signed an MoU with the data centre on behalf of the Madhya Pradesh government," he stated. Yadav is currently in Spain as part of the "Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025" to attract investment, strengthen partnerships, and showcase opportunities in the central Indian state. As part of the visit, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Spain's Mercabarna, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, to explore models for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure in the central Indian state. In a post on X, MP CM Yadav stated that he held a discussion centred on Madhya Pradesh's plans to build multimodal logistics infrastructure, agricultural export zones, and Mega Food Parks. "On the third day of the Spain visit under Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025, Mercamadrid, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, was visited, followed by discussions with its officials. Discussions focused on Madhya Pradesh's vision for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure. The seamless operations of Mercamadrid are certain to serve as a historic model of collaboration for the state's agricultural sector," he stated in a post on X. Yadav also emphasised the need for a government-supported ecosystem to protect farmers from price drops during abundant production while underscoring the potential for value-added processing to boost farmers' incomes and expand export opportunities. "We are currently at Mercabarna in Spain -- a 250-acre campus where farmers not only sell their produce but also receive support in processing surplus crops. We are hopeful that, as the irrigated area in Madhya Pradesh expands and farmers continue to witness strong crop yields, we can adopt a similar model. In this context, we have begun consistent efforts to create an ideal ecosystem -- a government-supported model that connects communities. When there is abundant production, market prices tend to fall. To protect farmers from such price drops, we need mechanisms that allow for processing and value addition where it's most needed," the MP CM said. "Implementing such a model in Madhya Pradesh could be a game-changer -- both for the farmers and for the state's economy -- enabling robust business opportunities within India and in international markets," he added. Pablo Vilanova, Director General of Mercabarna, expressed enthusiasm about the visit and highlighted the critical role of such markets in the efficient distribution of produce. "We are very grateful and proud of the visit. It's been a pleasure for us to exchange different subjects related to markets, fruits, and the production of produce in general. We will be very glad to continue this exchange of knowledge between the two institutions to improve best practices," Vilanova said. "The potential is huge because, as a production area, the need for a market to improve distribution is critical. It's very important to have a really good network of markets to take advantage of all this production, as you have in India, to avoid waste," he added. The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
India and Spain share a strong economic and trade relationship, with total trade between the two countries amounting to around USD 10 billion, said Raghvendra Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while speaking in Barcelona on Thursday. "India and Spain have a very good economic and trade relationship. The total trade between Spain and India is around 10 billion dollars. There are 280 Spanish companies operating in India and 90 Indian companies operating in Spain," Singh said. Highlighting the potential impact of the ongoing India-EU Free Trade Agreement talks, Singh added, "We do have lots of opportunities... through the India-EU trade relationship, which is going to be concluded, I believe, I wish, before the end of this year, it will open new opportunities for Spanish companies in India and Indian companies in Spain." Promoting Madhya Pradesh as an investment destination, Singh said the centrally located state has much to offer across sectors. "Madhya Pradesh is centrally located in India. It can be termed as Central Provinces. Once upon a time, its name was Central Provinces. It's the second largest state in terms of area, fifth largest state in terms of population, and the population is 88 million. The population is 88 million. It's much bigger in population than Spain," he said. "We have 2 million youth population in the 15-29 years. We are the second largest food grain producer in India and the largest exporter of wheat in India," he added. Singh also emphasised the state's ecological strengths and skilled workforce. "We are probably the cleanest state in the entire country in India. We have 32 percent of forest cover in Madhya Pradesh, and that is around 12 percent of total national forest cover in India. When you want to invest, Madhya Pradesh can be an ideal destination because we provide you opportunity in diverse fields, and we are not only settled with a few fields, but you can have investment in many fields." He continued, "We have 47 percent working population, 200,000 graduates every year. We have very low attrition rate. We have a very good work-life balance and ease of living is of highest order." Outlining the state's industrial infrastructure, Singh said, "We have abundance of skilled workforce, abundance of water supply for industries -- more than 1,000 million cubic metre at very affordable rates. We are a power surplus state producing 31 gigawatt of electricity and of which more than 20 percent share is from renewable energy -- that is around 6 gigawatt at this point of time." He added, "But as the Honourable Prime Minister has taken a pledge to make 550 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, Madhya Pradesh has also taken a pledge that from 6 gigawatts today, we are going to have 33 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030." Taking forward this broader vision of sustainable development, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, during his visit to Spain, toured Mercabarna -- one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets -- to study models that could help develop Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh. In a post on X, MP CM Yadav stated that he held a discussion centred on Madhya Pradesh's plans to build multimodal logistics infrastructure, agricultural export zones, and Mega Food Parks. "On the third day of the Spain visit under Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025, Mercamadrid, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, was visited, followed by discussions with its officials. Discussions focused on Madhya Pradesh's vision for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure. The seamless operations of Mercamadrid are certain to serve as a historic model of collaboration for the state's agricultural sector," he stated in a post on X. Yadav also emphasised the need for a government-supported ecosystem to protect farmers from price drops during abundant production while underscoring the potential for value-added processing to boost farmers' incomes and expand export opportunities. "We are currently at Mercabarna in Spain -- a 250-acre campus where farmers not only sell their produce but also receive support in processing surplus crops. We are hopeful that, as the irrigated area in Madhya Pradesh expands and farmers continue to witness strong crop yields, we can adopt a similar model. In this context, we have begun consistent efforts to create an ideal ecosystem -- a government-supported model that connects communities. When there is abundant production, market prices tend to fall. To protect farmers from such price drops, we need mechanisms that allow for processing and value addition where it's most needed," the MP CM said. "Implementing such a model in Madhya Pradesh could be a game-changer -- both for the farmers and for the state's economy -- enabling robust business opportunities within India and in international markets," he added. The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
A delegation of special envoys, led by South Korea's former Prime Minister Kim Boo Kyum, met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Parliament House on Friday and extended best wishes to President Lee Jae Myung for his recent electoral success. The meeting focused on shared democratic values, cultural ties and strategic cooperation. Om Birla thanked South Korean leadership for understanding and accepting India's viewpoint on the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath, during the visit of the Indian Parliamentary delegation to South Korea. He further lauded the significant presence of South Korean companies in India, urging more South Korean companies to invest in India and adopt the 'Make in India' initiative. He also congratulated the new South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung . Our discussions reflected the deep-rooted democratic values, transparency, and cultural ties that bind India and Korea. I extended best wishes to President Lee Jae Myung for his recent electoral success and expressed confidence in stronger bilateral ties under his leadership. The South Korean delegation thanked the Indian leadership for their steadfast support during the constitutional crisis in South Korea last year. The delegation also expressed willingness to work with India, which has emerged as a leader of the Global South. Both sides discussed the formation of the India-South Korea friendship group, Officer on Special Duty (OSD to Speaker Om Birla, Rajiv Datta, remained present during the meeting. https://x.com/ombirlakota/status/1946178516791550366 "Glad to welcome the delegation from the Republic of Korea led by former Prime Minister Mr. Kim Boo Kyum to the Parliament of India," Birla wrote on X. "Reaffirmed India's strong and clear 'Zero Tolerance' policy against terrorism and reiterated our responsible and decisive approach under Operation Sindoor. Urged democratic nations to unite with a common strategy to counter terrorism globally," he added. Earlier in the day, the delegation visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in the national capital and paid their respects to the Father of the Nation. "It has been a great honour for us to be visiting Raj Ghat, the memorial in honour of the great Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. It provided us with a valuable opportunity to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi ji and revisit his teachings and principles of non-violence and peace," Kim Boo Kyum said. On Thursday, the South Korean delegation called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the national capital. PM Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing the India-Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership, marking its 10th anniversary. He highlighted the partnership's continued growth across key sectors, including innovation, defence, shipbuilding, and skilled mobility. PM Modi recalled his very warm and productive meeting with President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June 2025 and conveyed his deep appreciation for President Lee's gesture of sending a high-powered delegation to India. "As Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also mentioned yesterday, there is vast potential for Korea and India to deepen cooperation across various sectors -- including defence, semiconductors, and shipbuilding," the former PM of South Korea told ANI. (ANI)
Highlighting the growing ties between India and Spain, representatives from both governments on Friday emphasised the strategic and economic importance of Catalonia and Madhya Pradesh, while reaffirming their commitment to fostering deeper cooperation in trade, tourism, and sustainable development. Consul General of India to Barcelona, Inbasekar Sundaramurthi, underscored Catalonia's role as a key link in India-Spain trade. "Catalonia is the engine of trade between India and Spain. 33% of Spanish exports to India and 41% of imports from India pass through Catalonia," he said. Addressing concerns surrounding travel to India, Inbasekar noted, "I also want to address some stereotypes about India not being safe for tourists... India is as safe as Singapore or any other country." He added that the Indian Consulate in Barcelona will continue to facilitate business links. "The Indian Consulate General will do its best to provide visas to businessmen," he said. Promoting Madhya Pradesh as a tourist destination, Inbasekar said, "A state known for its law and order, as well as a favourable business environment, will welcome you. Take advantage of its tourism potential because you don't need to spend a lot to derive pleasure from tourism in Madhya Pradesh." Echoing similar sentiments, Minister of European Union and Foreign Action of Catalonia, Jaume Duch Guillot, described India as a key global player and praised Madhya Pradesh's developmental strides. "India is a strategic global actor and Madhya Pradesh is the most promising and fastest developing state. It stands out for its dynamic development, strategic location, and a clear commitment to sustainable growth and innovation," he said. Guillot also highlighted Madhya Pradesh's leadership in key sectors. "We recognise the vision and leadership shown by the state government in sectors such as green mobility, textile, and garment. Madhya Pradesh's ambitious projects in these areas closely align with Catalonia's dedication to sustainability, the transition to clean technologies, innovation, and digital transformation." Emphasising Catalonia's readiness to partner with Madhya Pradesh, he said, "The Catalan government can offer a robust and internationalised economy, political stability, a competitive and diversified industrial base and extensive expertise, and assets in many of the areas that are central to Madhya Pradesh development plans." Building on these discussions, Minister of European Union and Foreign Action of Catalonia, Jaume Duch Guillot, met with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during the latter's visit to Spain and highlighted the region's interest in deepening ties with India. https://x.com/jduch/status/1946165214883311719 In a post on X, Duch said, "It has been a pleasure to meet with the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, @DrMohanYadav51, and to participate in the event on investment opportunities in this region. From the @govern, we are strengthening relations with Asia, always with an open and strategic perspective." The meeting took place as part of the "Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025" initiative, aimed at attracting foreign investment and forging international partnerships in key sectors such as green mobility, textiles, and digital transformation. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday continued his investment outreach in Spain by engaging with industry leaders and technology firms, as part of the ongoing "Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025". During his visit, CM Yadav met Pau Abello Pellicer, Senior Managing Director of Institutional Relations at the Roca Group, to explore opportunities for investment and collaboration. The meeting focused on strengthening institutional ties and enhancing industrial cooperation between the two regions. Taking the dialogue further, the Chief Minister also held a round table meeting with textile manufacturers in Barcelona, aiming to promote Madhya Pradesh as a competitive and attractive destination for textile investment. Highlighting the state's growing engagement with the technology sector, Founder of Submer, Pol Valls Soler, expressed optimism about future collaboration with Madhya Pradesh. "We are expanding worldwide. One of the key regions for us now is India. We were very glad about the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's visit to explore how we could collaborate and potentially set up some of our supply chain there, together with commercial presence, and try to help the government make sure that the data centres in the region have the sustainability and technology standards required in today's AI world," Soler said. He added, "We recently hired a General Manager for India because we have an interesting pipeline in the region... It is a perfect match for what we do... India is one of the fastest-developing regions. It has a lot of potential for what we do because of its sustainability culture." Reinforcing this collaboration, MP State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd and Submer Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost investment and partnership opportunities in the state. The MoU aims to facilitate the establishment of sustainable data centres, immersion cooling solutions, and green digital infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh. In a broader context of Madhya Pradesh's alignment with national priorities, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday highlighted India's growing global role and the state's progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, during his visit to Spain. "PM Modi has resolved that we should have the capacity to provide free housing to as many people as Spain's population. Madhya Pradesh should also contribute a large number to this," CM Yadav said while addressing a gathering in Barcelona. Emphasising India's evolving global standing, Yadav said, "Today, India is poised to take on the role of a leading partner for European countries. Along with India, Madhya Pradesh is also progressing steadily under PM Modi's leadership." The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also announced a new development in bilateral cooperation. "Yesterday, we also signed an MoU with the data centre on behalf of the Madhya Pradesh government," he stated. Yadav is currently in Spain as part of the "Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025" to attract investment, strengthen partnerships, and showcase opportunities in the central Indian state. As part of the visit, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Spain's Mercabarna, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, to explore models for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure in the central Indian state. The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
Nepal has ordered its telecommunication service providers to block the messaging app Telegram for allegedly fueling online fraud and money laundering. The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) issued a notice ordering all telecommunication service providers to block Telegram with immediate effect on Friday late afternoon. "As the number of online frauds through the Telegram App operating in Nepal is continuously increasing, and it has been understood that there is involvement in serious crimes such as money laundering, all relevant telecommunication service providers have been directed through this notice to immediately block/close access to the Telegram App," the one-sentence notice reads. The telecommunication regulatory body of the Himalayan nation didn't elaborate or mention the number of cases of online fraud and incidents of money laundering. With this, Nepal is the latest country to ban the messaging app, which is known for its encrypted messaging facility that secures communication. Vietnam issued a similar order in May to close the messaging app. Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology had cited Telegram channels in Vietnam as containing "poisonous and bad information" and had disseminated "antistate documents" and were involved in "reactionary activities." Last year, during the hacking of F1 Soft, the dominant online transaction software widely used by Nepali banks, the police discovered the use of Telegram to communicate, which has since increased scrutiny in the Himalayan nation. The Himalayan nation, with a population of less than 30 million, has an internet penetration rate of 16.5 million individuals using the internet in Nepal at the start of 2025, when online penetration stood at 55.8 per cent, as per government data. With nearly one billion users worldwide, Telegram has been embroiled in controversies globally related to security and data breach concerns. Telegram's Russian-born founder and chief executive, Pavel Durov, was detained at a Paris airport and later charged with several counts of failing to curb extremist and "terrorist" content on the app. He reportedly remains in France and is unable to leave without authorisation from the authorities. The cloud-based, cross-platform messaging app is known for its speed, security, and focus on privacy. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, and files of any size. Telegram offers both private and group conversations, with optional end-to-end encryption for "secret chats" and voice/video calls. (ANI)
Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), along with several Republican lawmakers, introduced the District of Columbia Sister City Integrity Act, a legislative move aimed at shielding the US capital from foreign adversary influence, especially from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to a statement released by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP). The bill, introduced by Representative Moolenaar, Comer, Foxx, Stefanik, Dunn, Bilirakis, and Moran, would prohibit Washington, DC's local government from entering or maintaining Sister City relationships with jurisdictions located in countries designated as foreign adversaries under US law (10 USC SS 4872). These include China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. "In Washington, DC, our citizens enjoy the rights to free speech and assembly, liberties the people of Beijing are denied under CCP rule," Chairman Moolenaar stated in the SCCCP release. "China stands out among DC's Sister City partners due to its ongoing human rights abuses, making this relationship especially dangerous." The SCCCP noted that this legislative push follows a letter from Chairman Moolenaar to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser urging an end to the city's Sister City relationship with Beijing. The letter described the relationship as a vector for CCP propaganda and emphasised the need to stand in solidarity with the Chinese people, not the regime that oppresses them. Under the proposed bill, DC would be granted 180 days to terminate any active Sister City relationship with jurisdictions in adversary nations. Furthermore, federal funds would be withheld from the District if it continues diplomatic or international outreach without certifying full compliance with the Act. The SCCCP emphasised the bill's importance, citing Washington, DC's strategic status as America's governmental and diplomatic hub. "Allowing CCP-aligned jurisdictions to maintain symbolic ties to our capital poses real risks," the Committee warned. "The United States must remain vigilant and proactive in countering authoritarian influence, especially when it targets the heart of American democracy," the SCCCP concluded. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh is actively seeking foreign investment in its tourism sector, with the state's Principal Secretary of Tourism and Culture, and MP Tourism Board MD, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, highlighting the attractive investment policy for any investor from Spain. He highlighted the state's investment potential, offering concessional land and heavy financial incentives for hospitality and tourism projects. While addressing, Invest in Madhya Pradesh India Business Forum in Spain, the principal secretary stated that India has an "attractive investment policy where we offer concessional land and also heavy financial incentives for any investor from Spain to establish hospitality and tourism-related activity in Madhya Pradesh." The Madhya Pradesh's principal secretary revealed lucrative investment opportunities, including 30% returns for investments over EUR10 million, to attract Spanish investors. Shukla stated, "So, if you are interested in investing more than EUR10 million, you can get 30 per cent of it back... Many ready land parcels and numerous opportunities, including those under public-private partnerships, are available." "Some of these big brands already have a heavy presence in Madhya Pradesh, and more are in the pipeline. We also offer incentives for establishing wellness and mindful tourism initiatives in the state," he added. MP CM Mohan Yadav, who is currently in Spain, attended the 'Invest In Madhya Pradesh Programme' along with Sanjay Dubey, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, and Raghwendra Kumar Singh. Madhya Pradesh is also emerging as a hub for film tourism, with the state offering incentives for filmmaking projects. Shukla mentioned, "Madhya Pradesh is rapidly emerging as a hub of film tourism in the country... We have a plethora of incentives to offer, apart from the ease of obtaining filming permissions." "For international projects, we offer 10 per cent of the project's cost, up to Euro 1 million, in addition to the central government's incentive of 30 per cent up to Euro 3 million," he added. This means that investors can receive significant returns on their investments. Shukla explained, "If you invest Euro 10 million in a filmmaking project in Madhya Pradesh, you will receive a return of Euro 4 million." The state is also promoting responsible tourism, with initiatives aimed at sustainable and inclusive living. Shukla added, "We have forayed into responsible tourism, created comfortable rural homes to stay with the community and to understand the most inclusive and sustainable way of living in India." The MP CM will be staying in Spain till July 19 as part of his visit. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, as part of his ongoing investment outreach in Spain, held a series of high-level meetings in Barcelona with key representatives from leading global companies across the technology and industrial sectors. During his visit, he discussed investment opportunities and future partnerships with Max Klippel of SL COATING (Power Soil). As part of the engagements, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met delegates from the Servitize group in Barcelona, Spain, to explore collaboration opportunities. Continuing the outreach, CM Yadav also met delegates from SumeetSSG, an Indo-Spanish joint venture between Sumeet Group Enterprises (India) and SSG Transporte Sanitario (Spain), underlining the growing synergies between businesses from both countries. In a lighter moment during the visit, delegates from SportsFirst gifted a customised jersey to the Chief Minister during their interaction in Barcelona, reflecting goodwill and cultural connect alongside business discussions. Further deepening the investment dialogue, CM Yadav interacted with delegates from AMEC Company, exploring potential avenues for industrial collaboration and investment in Madhya Pradesh. He also met with Pol Valls Soler, Founder of Submer, a company specialising in sustainable data centre technologies. The meeting focused on aligning Madhya Pradesh's digital infrastructure goals with Submer's cutting-edge solutions. Strengthening the state's ties with the tech ecosystem, the Chief Minister held discussions with Pere Duran, Director of 4 Years From Now (4YFN), a platform that supports start-ups and innovation, to explore possibilities of fostering entrepreneurship and tech incubation in Madhya Pradesh. Broadening the scope of outreach, CM Yadav also met with representatives from SOGO Group, Norsea Global, and Hallotex, highlighting investment opportunities in the state's manufacturing and textile sectors. The meetings aimed at building industrial partnerships and encouraging companies to tap into the state's skilled workforce and growing infrastructure. The series of meetings in Barcelona is part of the larger "Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025" initiative, aimed at attracting global investments and positioning the state as a competitive business destination in India. Continuing this momentum, CM Yadav on Friday engaged with industry leaders and technology firms in Spain, further advancing the objectives of the initiative. During his visit, he met Pau Abello Pellicer, Senior Managing Director of Institutional Relations at the Roca Group, to explore opportunities for investment and collaboration. The meeting focused on strengthening institutional ties and enhancing industrial cooperation between the two regions. Taking the dialogue further, the Chief Minister also held a round table meeting with textile manufacturers in Barcelona, aiming to promote Madhya Pradesh as a competitive and attractive destination for textile investment. Highlighting the state's growing engagement with the technology sector, Founder of Submer, Pol Valls Soler, expressed optimism about future collaboration with Madhya Pradesh. "We are expanding worldwide. One of the key regions for us now is India. We were very glad about the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's visit to explore how we could collaborate and potentially set up some of our supply chain there, together with commercial presence, and try to help the government make sure that the data centres in the region have the sustainability and technology standards required in today's AI world," Soler said. He added, "We recently hired a General Manager for India because we have an interesting pipeline in the region... It is a perfect match for what we do... India is one of the fastest-developing regions. It has a lot of potential for what we do because of its sustainability culture." Reinforcing this collaboration, MP State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd and Submer Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost investment and partnership opportunities in the state. The MoU aims to facilitate the establishment of sustainable data centres, immersion cooling solutions, and green digital infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh. In a broader context of the state's alignment with national priorities, CM Yadav on Friday highlighted India's growing global role and Madhya Pradesh's progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, during his visit to Spain. "PM Modi has resolved that we should have the capacity to provide free housing to as many people as Spain's population. Madhya Pradesh should also contribute a large number to this," CM Yadav said while addressing a gathering in Barcelona. Emphasising India's evolving global standing, Yadav said, "Today, India is poised to take on the role of a leading partner for European countries. Along with India, Madhya Pradesh is also progressing steadily under PM Modi's leadership." The Chief Minister also announced a new development in bilateral cooperation. "Yesterday, we also signed an MoU with the data centre on behalf of the Madhya Pradesh government," he stated. Yadav is currently in Spain to attract investment, strengthen partnerships, and showcase opportunities in the central Indian state. As part of the visit, he also toured Spain's Mercabarna, one of Europe's largest integrated wholesale food markets, to explore models for developing Mega Food Parks, agricultural export zones, and multi-modal logistics infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister will remain in Spain till July 19. (ANI)
India has responded to recent sanctions announced by the European Union, stating that it does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures and emphasizing the importance of avoiding double standards, especially in the domain of energy trade. In response to media queries on the issue, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures." "We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations," Jaiswal said. The spokesperson further underlined that the Government of India considers the provision of energy security a critical responsibility. "Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade," he added. The remarks align with the External Affairs Ministry's response on Thursday to NATO chief Mark Rutte's comments on potential secondary sanctions over Russian oil, stressing that securing India's energy needs is an "overriding priority" and decisions are driven by "available offers" and "prevailing global circumstances." The Ministry of External Affairs further cautioned against "double standards" on the matter. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate and I have said this in the past as well that securing the energy needs of our people is, understandably, an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets, as well as by the prevailing global circumstances." "We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter," the MEA Spokesperson said. The NATO Secretary General had in his recent remarks asked India, China, and Brazil to reconsider their purchase of oil from Russia or face the prospect of "100 per cent secondary sanctions". Rutte echoed the position taken by US President Donald Trump, who earlier this week threatened severe tariffs on countries maintaining trade with Russia. "My encouragement to these three countries, particularly, is that if you live now in Beijing or in Delhi, or you are the President of Brazil, you might want to take a look at this because this might hit you very hard," Rutte had said. The NATO chief had also urged India and the other countries to "make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks" with Ukraine. "because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way." (ANI)
Two splinter communist parties that had parted ways from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML have merged together as the Himalayan Nation warms up for the next general election due in 2027. The CPN- Unified Socialist, led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, and the CPN Unity National Campaign, led by Bamdev Gautam, announced their merger on Friday at a ceremony held at City Hall in Kathmandu. With the merger, Bamdev Gautam, the campaign coordinator, has formally joined the CPN-Unified Socialist, which was formed after a split with CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist led by KP Sharma Oli following the intra-party rift. According to the merger agreement, Gautam, a former Home Minister, has been appointed to the third most senior position in the Unified Socialist Party, following party chair Madhav Kumar Nepal and senior leader Jhalanath Khanal. The leaders announced that they had decided to unite following a consensus on political ideology, principles, programs, strategies, and direction. The leaders said that the unification aims to strengthen Nepal's communist movement through broader left unity. "Today, we are giving a fresh start to the unity campaign. The unity campaign hasn't ended, this is just the process to start the unification, and this will continue," Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman of the CPN-Unified Socialist, said, addressing the event. The Unified Socialist and the group led by Gautam had split from the CPN-UML in 2021 and had been operating separately since. Over the past four years, both sides engaged in formal and informal negotiations towards party reunification. Leaders on both sides said that the merger represents a significant milestone in building a united front for Nepal's leftist forces and in countering political fragmentation within the communist bloc. "Unity really is enthralling and sweet. This unification is the result of the desire that all the communists in Nepal had wanted. Cadres and party members had wanted this unification and want a united party, unfortunately because of some leaders in the forefront of the communist movement the party had to be torn off and remains divided," Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister and second-in-line leader of the CPN-Unified Socialist said addressing the gathering jibbing on incumbent Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, also the chair of CPN-UML. In 2021, after breaking off from CPN-UML, both the former Prime Minister's duo, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, had formed the CPN (Unified Socialist), but Gautam chose not to join the new party. Gautam, at the time, launched his own CPN Unity National Campaign, announcing that he would work to bring all communist forces under a single umbrella by not joining any side, including the CPN-UML, the US, or the Maoist Centre. Although multiple rounds of talks were initiated, an agreement ultimately didn't materialise. "We should have a unified communist party, that's why we should unify all those splinter communist groups. The unification between the CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and the CPN-Maoist Centre, led by KP Sharma Oli, was never on the opposite side. It was Madhav (Kumar Nepal) and I who were ready for it, and we also could bring him to the table of agreement at the end, and the party was unified," Gautam recalled on Friday again, stressing unification. Failing to convince other parties of the need for unification, Gautam has eventually chosen to merge his faction into the Unified Socialist, which holds 10 seats in the House of Representatives and eight in the National Assembly. With Gautam on board, the CPN-Unified Socialist now has 9 seats in the upper house. The merger between the two splinter parties at this juncture coincides with the approaching periodic general elections, expected in 2027. With political parties already starting to talk and make preparations for the expected general election, the merger between the communist factions is expected to peak in the coming days. Although the leaders expressed their interest and willingness to merge all the communist factions into one, Madhav Kumar Nepal, the chairman of the CPN-Unified Socialist, ruled out any possibility of merger with the CPN-UML led by Oli. Out on bail in the Patanjali land scam, the former Prime Minister announced, "If we are searching for the possibility of unification with the CPN- Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), then there is no chance of unification. Standing at this point in time, there is no possibility of unification with the CPN-UML. We have seen the situation inside that party. I have no comment on it, if someone has even the slightest expectation over it. But talking about the relation with this party (CPN-Unified Socialist), the statement from the leaders of that party (CPN-UML) is self-explanatory." (ANI)
Additional Chief Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Science and Technology Department, Sanjay Dubey, said that if Spanish investors are considering making investments, they should consider MP as a "key contender", highlighting the state's tailor-made policies and fiscal incentives. While addressing, Invest in Madhya Pradesh India Business Forum in Spain, Dubey said, "If you are thinking of making investments in any part of India, you have to consider Madhya Pradesh as the most important contender." The state has implemented policies tailored to the needs of various industries. Dubey highlighted the benefits, stating, "We have tailor-made policies essentially targeted to the scope of the industry... If you decide to establish a global capability centre here, you will realise that we have taken care of capex reimbursement, scaling and upscaling subsidies for employees, the establishment of AI-enabled cybersecurity, and R&D support." Investors can also expect fiscal incentives, including support for infrastructure development, skilling, and training. Dubey noted, "There are fiscal incentives, including those given for infrastructure development, skilling, and training." "There is a significant amount of collaboration occurring between industry, academia, and the government. We are creating COEs (Centres of Excellence) to ensure that anybody interested has a constant supply of talent as well as a lot of R&D activities," he added. As India and Spain strengthen their cooperation, Sudam Khade, Commissioner of the Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department, believes that Madhya Pradesh can play a key role. He stated, "As India and Spain move towards deeper cooperation, Madhya Pradesh is poised to serve as a gateway to India's burgeoning economic potential." The state's strategic location, industry-friendly policies, and natural resources make it an attractive destination for international partnerships and investment. Khade highlighted, "With its strategic central location, industry-friendly policies, abundant natural resources, and a strong commitment to sustainability and ease of doing business, the state provides an ideal landscape for international partnerships and investment." MP CM Mohan Yadav, who is currently in Spain, attended the 'Invest In Madhya Pradesh Programme' along with Sanjay Dubey, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, and Raghwendra Kumar Singh. On Friday, Yadav held a series of high-level meetings in Barcelona with key representatives from leading global companies across the technology and industrial sectors. As part of the engagements, Yadav met delegates from the Servitize group in Barcelona, Spain, to explore collaboration opportunities, discussed investment opportunities and future partnerships with Max Klippel of SL COATING (Power Soil), and also met with Pol Valls Soler, Founder of Submer, a company specialising in sustainable data centre technologies. The Chief Minister will remain in Spain till July 19. (ANI)
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 18 (ANI/TPS): The Tkuma Administration, which aids communities in the Gaza region, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the "Poalim for Tkuma" Fund of Bank Hapoalim, is investing approximately 12 million Shekels (USD 3.56 million) to strengthen tourism projects and small businesses in the Tkuma region. In recent months, there have been investments totaling approximately 16 million Shekels (USD 4.75 million), of which approximately 8 million Shekels (USD 2.37 million) were transferred by the Tkuma Administration, 4 million Shekels (USD 1.18 million) from the Bank Hapoalim budget, and another 4 million Shekels are investments by the businesses that received the support. The projects supported by the authorities of the Resurgence Region: Sderot Municipality, Eshkol Regional Council, Ashkelon Coast Regional Council, Shaar Negev Regional Council and Sdot Negev Regional Council, and they include expanding visitor centers, developing experiential attractions and strengthening small businesses, with the goal of establishing tourism as a significant economic anchor in the region, which will contribute to sustainable development and the creation of local employment. The budgets will be transferred to 34 local businesses and tourism ventures in the region that operate visitor centres and tourist attractions in the Resurgence region, for the purpose of establishing, expanding or equipping, with the aim of developing and expanding their business activities and thus strengthening tourism as an economic anchor in the region. Among the businesses: local and agricultural visitor centres, wineries and breweries, farms, a blacksmith shop, bicycle tourism and riding centres, workshops and more. Alongside the budgets, businesses will also be provided with free business support by consultants from the Ministry of Tourism's Tourism Incubator. (ANI/TPS)
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 18 (ANI/TPS): In the past hour, a siren was sounded in Netiv HaAsara, near the Gaza border. One rocket launched from Jabalia in northern Gaza was intercepted. Yesterday, two rockets fired toward Sderot were also intercepted. In total, five rockets were launched toward Israeli territory over the past week -- all were successfully intercepted. (ANI/TPS)
Yadav said the meeting yielded positive discussions on textile machinery manufacturing under the 'Make in India' and 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' initiatives.

In a post on X, CM Yadav said, "Under the 'Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue-2025', a roundtable meeting was held today in Barcelona, Spain, with leading European textile machinery manufacturers and experts. The discussion focused extensively on the possibilities of establishing advanced production units in Madhya Pradesh. On this occasion, positive discussions were held on developing the state as a global hub for textile machinery manufacturing under the 'Make in India' and 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' initiatives."

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946245551718342906

The objective of the meeting was to establish Madhya Pradesh as a textile machinery manufacturing hub and promote partnerships with European technology providers. Yadav gave information about the state's investor-friendly policies, special textile parks, SEZs, and incentive schemes.

CM Yadav expressed his commitment to promoting technology transfer and sustainable production. European companies were invited to establish production units in Madhya Pradesh, according an official statement.

Key representatives from leading textile machinery companies in the US, Italy, and Spain attended the meeting.

Leading textile companies in Madhya Pradesh, including Best Corp, Pratibha Syntex, Shreeji Polymers, and DB Group, also participated in the meeting, the statement read.

Yadav also held talks with Spain's Foreign Minister Jaume Duch Guillot.

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946147505378615539

"During the Spain visit today, a meeting was held in Catalonia with Hon'ble Foreign Minister Mr. Jaume Duch Guillot. Discussions focused on academic partnerships along with collaboration in higher education and research, as well as investment and technological cooperation in sectors such as food processing, textiles, and renewable energy. Suggestions were also shared on various topics, including joint tourism promotion to showcase Madhya Pradesh's World Heritage Sites across Europe," Yadav said in a post on X. (ANI)
The objective of the meeting was to establish Madhya Pradesh as a textile machinery manufacturing hub and promote partnerships with European technology providers. Yadav gave information about the state's investor-friendly policies, special textile parks, SEZs, and incentive schemes.

CM Yadav expressed his commitment to promoting technology transfer and sustainable production. European companies were invited to establish production units in Madhya Pradesh, according to the statement.

Key representatives from leading textile machinery companies in the US, Italy, and Spain attended the meeting.

Leading textile companies in Madhya Pradesh, including Best Corp, Pratibha Syntex, Shreeji Polymers, and DB Group, also participated in the meeting, the statement read.

Yadav also held talks with Spain's Foreign Minister Jaume Duch Guillot.

"During the Spain visit today, a meeting was held in Catalonia with Hon'ble Foreign Minister Mr. Jaume Duch Guillot. Discussions focused on academic partnerships along with collaboration in higher education and research, as well as investment and technological cooperation in sectors such as food processing, textiles, and renewable energy. Suggestions were also shared on various topics, including joint tourism promotion to showcase Madhya Pradesh's World Heritage Sites across Europe," Yadav said in a post on X.

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946147505378615539

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946186107760312468

He also signed an MoU between MP and Submer, a company that specialises in data centre cooling technology.

"At the Invest in Madhya Pradesh Business Forum held today in Barcelona, the capital of Spain, detailed discussions were held with entrepreneurs on the immense potential for investment and trade in Madhya Pradesh, and they were invited to explore opportunities in the state. On this occasion, an MoU was also signed between MP State Electronics Development Corporation and Submer. It is a matter of pride that Madhya Pradesh has successfully earned the trust of global investors through its stable governance, industry-friendly policies, simplified procedures, and prompt decision-making," he said in a post on X. (ANI)
Yadav said that he was proud of the fact that Madhya Pradesh is the first choice of investors, thus aiding in the country's progress.

In a post on X, he said, "Today, the heartfelt dialogue with our Indian diaspora brothers and sisters settled in Spain, under the 'Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue 2025,' will always remain vivid in my memories. We are proud that Madhya Pradesh, which has become the first choice of investors, is playing a leading role in the nation's progress. Together, with a team spirit, we will take this saga of pride to new heights."

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946291002076962862

Yadav also held a roundtable meeting under the 'Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue-2025' with leading European textile machinery manufacturers and experts.

Yadav said the meeting yielded positive discussions on textile machinery manufacturing under the 'Make in India' and 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' initiatives.

In a post on X, he said, "Under the 'Madhya Pradesh Global Dialogue-2025', a roundtable meeting was held today in Barcelona, Spain, with leading European textile machinery manufacturers and experts. The discussion focused extensively on the possibilities of establishing advanced production units in Madhya Pradesh. On this occasion, positive discussions were held on developing the state as a global hub for textile machinery manufacturing under the 'Make in India' and 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' initiatives."

https://x.com/DrMohanYadav51/status/1946245551718342906

The objective of the meeting was to establish Madhya Pradesh as a textile machinery manufacturing hub and promote partnerships with European technology providers. Yadav gave information about the state's investor-friendly policies, special textile parks, SEZs, and incentive schemes.

CM Yadav expressed his commitment to promoting technology transfer and sustainable production. European companies were invited to establish production units in Madhya Pradesh, according to an official statement.

Key representatives from leading textile machinery companies in the US, Italy, and Spain attended the meeting.

Leading textile companies in Madhya Pradesh, including Best Corp, Pratibha Syntex, Shreeji Polymers, and DB Group, also participated in the meeting, the statement read. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) signed into Law S. 1582 GENIUS Act. The Act aims to regulate payment stablecoins. The White House in an official statement said, "On Friday, July 18, 2025, the President signed into law: S. 1582, the "Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act" or "GENIUS Act," which provides for the regulation of payment stablecoins, and for other purposes." Addressing the audience while signing the Act, Trump jested, "The GENIUS Act -- they named it after me. This is hell of an act!" The GENIUS Act is a historic piece of legislation that aims to pave the way for the United States to lead the global digital currency revolution. Trump recognised the many industry leaders present for the signing of the GENIUS Act. "This afternoon, we take a giant step to cement American dominance in global finance and Crypto technology, as we sign the landmark GENIUS Act into law," Trump said. Addressing the crypto community, he said, "For years, you were mocked and dismissed and counted out... this signing is a massive validation of your hard work and your pioneering spirit and your ability to never give up... Congratulations on this incredible achievement!" Trump said that the act ensured that the US would be the Crypto Capital of the world. "I pledged that we would bring back American liberty and leadership and make the United States the Crypto Capital of the world -- and that's exactly what we've done. The GENIUS Act creates a clear and simple regulatory framework to establish and unleash the immense promise of dollar-backed stablecoins. This could be perhaps the greatest revolution in financial technology since the birth of the internet itself," he said. "I also remain fully committed to my pledge never to allow the creation of a Central Bank Digital Currency in America. It won't happen," he added. Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, lauded Trump's decision, which will help cement the US dollar as the global reserve currency. https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1946283991562084432 "Blockchain technologies will power the next generation of payments, and the U.S. dollar is coming onchain. Thanks to President Trump's visionary leadership, and Senator Bill Hagerty's important work in Congress, the GENIUS Act will help cement the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency for generations to come," Bessent said in a post on X. (ANI)
(600810):2024 20250718 19:02:14 

:

:   2024 About the Report

Report Information Explanation Terminology Notes

This Report is the 2024 Sustainability Report released by Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company"). It For ease of expression and reading, "Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd." is referred to in this Report as "Shenma Corporation", "the Com-

outlines the Company's sustainability philosophy and policies, and presents its efforts in 2024 in the areas of environmental pro- pany", or "we".

tection, social responsibility, and corporate governance, in response to the expectations and concerns of stakeholders.

Common Company Name Interpretations

Shenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Company Refer to Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (Production Department)

Time Frame

Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd. Refer to Pingdingshan Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd.

st st

This Report covers the period from January 1 , 2024 to December 31 , 2024. To maintain continuity, enhance comparability, and

Nylon Chemical Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Nylon Chemical Co., Ltd.improve forward-looking insights, certain information may extend beyond this timeframe. All data are sourced from internal re-

cords and publicly available information. Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd. Refer to Pingdingshan Shenma Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd.

Shenma Engineering Plastics Technology Develop- Pingdingshan Shenma Engineering Plastics Technology Devel-

Refer to

ment Co., Ltd. opment Co., Ltd.

Shenma Aramid Refer to Henan Shenma Aramid Technology Development Co., Ltd.Organizational Scope

Aidian Refer to Henan Shenma Aidian Chemical Co., Ltd.

The Report covers the major business activities of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. and its majority-owned subsidiaries, consistent with

the scope disclosed in the Company's Annual Report.

Shanghai Shenma Refer to Shanghai Shenma Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd.Shenma Jinhua Technology Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Jinhua Technology Co., Ltd.Shenma Hydrogen Chemical Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Hydrogen Chemical Co., Ltd.Data Interpretation

Shenma Huawei Plastic Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Huawei Plastic Co., Ltd.All data and case studies cited in this Report are sourced from official company documents and statistical reports. Unless other-

1

wise stated, operational data are derived from the 2024 Annual Report of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the International Trade Refer to China Pingmei Shenma Group International Trade Co., Ltd.

Annual Report"). In the event of discrepancies, the data in the Annual Report shall prevail. All monetary amounts, unless otherwise

specified, are presented in RMB.

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This Report is available in printed form. Investors may also access the Report via the official website of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd.

Reference or the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Websites: http://www.shenma.com/ and http://www.sse.com.cn/

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Guidelines No. 14 and No. 4 for Self-Regulation of Listed Companies on Sustainable Development Reporting (Trial) issued by the

Shanghai Stock Exchange Position Securities Affairs RepresentativeEnvironmental, Social and Governance Reporting Code and Climate Disclosure Guidance issued by the Hong Kong Stock Ex-

Contact Person Yike Zhang

change

Contact Address No. 63, Jianshe Road, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, ChinaIFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards S1 and S2 issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

Contact Number 0375-3921930

Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact

Fax 0375-3921930

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)

1

The International Trade is a subsidiary of China Pingmei Shenma Group and is not included in the consolidated financial statements of

Chairman's MessageThis Year, we steadfastly pursued green development prioritized technology innovation, increased R&D shared value creation, and elevate our core compet-

and low-carbon transformation. The Company has been investment, and expanded lab reserves. We put pilot itiveness and industry influence. We march toward

committed to green and low-carbon initiatives, promot- bases into service, established joint pilot labs for nylon the goal of becoming a world-class enterprise and

Chairman of Shenma Corporation

ing advanced energy-saving technologies and processes intermediates and plastics, and launched a full-process contributing further to high-quality, sustainable so-

Benbin Li

throughout the industrial chain. Guided by green devel- adiponitrile lab. Key projects progressed: a 1,000t green cio-economic progress.

opment, it has achieved high-quality growth, earning an polyamide fiber pilot project started; 10.8 g/d ultra-high-

A rating in CDP China's corporate climate disclosure and strength industrial yarn entered continuous production;

the global CDP Climate Leadership Award. The Company nylon 66 airbag yarn and civilian-grade half-dull nylon

has implemented exhaust gas collection and treatment 66 resin projects advanced; R&D into high-strength fib-

projects to reduce emissions. It has explored wastewater er chips, PAMXD6, and long-chain PA1012 accelerated.

management through separate stormwater and sewage "Shenma" brand productshigh-strength nylon 66 fiber

About Shenma Corporation

About Shenma Corporation



Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shen- ing plastics, industrial yarn (tire cord), airbag yarn and others.

ma Corporation" or "the Company") originated as the Ping- Supported by hydrogen and ammonia industrial services, the

dingshan Nylon Cord Fabric Factory one of nine key national Company has developed a unique, well-coordinated nylon



tries and regions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The structural upgrading, intelligent

ing the first listed company in Henan Province on the SSE. The Company has strategic and trade partnerships with more than



Core Competitiveness Analysis of Shenma Corporation





R&D Advantages Marketing Advantages

Total number of Employees

Established an integrated full-process R&D platform. Nationwide coverage and global sales and service

people

8,131 network.

Obtained numerous patents and achievements.



Industrial Chain Integra-

Brand Advantages

tion Advantages

The "Shenma" brand has received numerous honors Strong product portfolio synergy.and enjoys a strong reputation both domestically and

Strong market adaptability and risk resistance.

internationally.

Realized a vertically integrated operation from basic

Complete certification system, stable product quality.

raw materials and intermediates to end products.

Major Products and Business Segments Nylon 66 Tire Cord Fabric Adipic Acid The Company primarily produces high-end nylon 66 tire cord fabric used in semi-steel radial tires, engineering tires, and Adipic acid is an important dicarboxylic acid monomer that can react with diamines to form nylon 66 salt through poly- aerospace tires. Shenma Corporation's nylon 66 tire cord fabric features low denier variation, high strength, excellent fa- condensation. It is a key raw material for producing nylon 66 and related polymer series. It also serves as a plasticizer, tigue resistance, and abrasion resistance, making it an ideal reinforcement material for aircraft tires, large engineering tires, adhesive, lubricant additive, and flavoring agent in daily chemical and pharmaceutical production. and high-performance new energy vehicle tires. It is a key supplier to global tire giants such as Michelin, Goodyear, and Bridgestone. Nylon 66 Industrial Yarn Nylon 6 Chips Nylon 66 industrial yarn is a high-strength yarn obtained via continuous polymerization or solid-phase polymerization Nylon 6 chips are thermoplastic polymers made from caprolactam via ring-opening polymerization. They are foun- and drawing of nylon 66 salt. It has advantages in fatigue resistance, abrasion resistance, and high strength, and is pri- dational raw materials for the nylon industrial chain. Shenma Corporation's nylon 6 chips can be customized based marily used in tire cord fabric. It is also used in other fields such as automotive airbags, conveyor belts, geotextiles, and on specific application needs and are mainly used in differentiated fiber products such as fine denier yarn, ultra-fine Honors of 2024





ESG Rating



Responsible for making decisions on major sustainability matters of the Company, including reviewing the Company's annual sus-

Shenma Corporation incorporates the principles of sustainable development into practical action, integrating Environmental,

tainability report and overseeing ESG-related issues.

Social, and Governance (ESG) factors throughout its operations. A systematic and institutionalized ESG management structure en-

sures the effective implementation of sustainable practices.Group and its subsidiaries, forming a well-structured, clearly tiered, and efficiently functioning three-level system: Governance Lev-

ESG Management Team

el  Management Level  Execution Level. This structure ensures efficient advancement of ESG-related work.

The Board Office leads the ESG team in crafting sustainable strategies and policies, ensuring their implementation through over-

The Board of Directors is responsible for making decisions and overseeing ESG matters. Under the Board's guidance, the ESG man-

sight, inspection, evaluation, and recommendations. The team also coordinates ESG efforts across subsidiaries and reports peri-

agement team coordinates the implementation of ESG activities across departments and subsidiaries. It is also responsible for

odically to senior management.

formulating sustainable development strategies, ESG governance policies, and specific action plans.



old Protect Impr ess Labor Prod ics Rights Qual ve Strengthen Focu uct Climate Sa ity Resilience Prod



Be truthful, act solidly, Everyone responsible, all Life first, safety foremost.

n J onv rom onf elev rom egm a co ets xec arge eted peci Stakeholder Communication Materiality Analysis

In 2024, Shenma Corporation continued to focus on the expectations and demands of stakeholders from various sectors of society, During the topic identification phase, the Company referred to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Sustainable

including shareholders, investors, customers, regulatory authorities, employees, and suppliers. Guided by ESG principles, the Com- Development Goals (SDGs), domestic regulatory policies, cutting-edge industry sustainability trends, and the Company's develop-

pany established regular communication mechanisms with stakeholders through multiple channels. Leveraging its deep industry ment strategy to identify issues relevant to both the Company and its stakeholders, thereby establishing a material topics database.

experience and thorough understanding of ESG, the Company effectively addressed the concerns of all parties involved.

In the materiality assessment phase, the Company analyzed the degree and scope of actual or potential significant impacts of each

topic on the economy, society, and environment over the short, medium, and long term to complete the impact materiality assess-

ment. Simultaneously, the Company assessed the actual or potential significant impacts of each topic on its business operations and

Stakeholders Key Concerns Communication Channels

financial performance over the same timeframes to complete the financial materiality assessment. Additionally, stakeholders includ-

ing sustainability experts were invited to complete questionnaires to evaluate the importance of each topic. These assessments were

Corporate Governance General Shareholders' Meeting

Stakeholder Communication Materiality Analysis

In 2024, Shenma Corporation continued to focus on the expectations and demands of stakeholders from various sectors of society, During the topic identification phase, the Company referred to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Sustainable

including shareholders, investors, customers, regulatory authorities, employees, and suppliers. Guided by ESG principles, the Com- Development Goals (SDGs), domestic regulatory policies, cutting-edge industry sustainability trends, and the Company's develop-

pany established regular communication mechanisms with stakeholders through multiple channels. Leveraging its deep industry ment strategy to identify issues relevant to both the Company and its stakeholders, thereby establishing a material topics database.

experience and thorough understanding of ESG, the Company effectively addressed the concerns of all parties involved.

In the materiality assessment phase, the Company analyzed the degree and scope of actual or potential significant impacts of each

topic on the economy, society, and environment over the short, medium, and long term to complete the impact materiality assess-

ment. Simultaneously, the Company assessed the actual or potential significant impacts of each topic on its business operations and

Stakeholders Key Concerns Communication Channels

financial performance over the same timeframes to complete the financial materiality assessment. Additionally, stakeholders includ-

ing sustainability experts were invited to complete questionnaires to evaluate the importance of each topic. These assessments were

Corporate Governance General Shareholders' Meeting







p Routine Communication

Fair Treatment of SMEs Low Financial Materiality High

Suppliers

Contract Execution

Industry Collaboration

Governance Environmental Social

Energy Use

Dimension Dimension Dimension

Water Resource Utilization

1 24

Anti-Unfair Competition 8 Energy Use 16 Data Security and Customer Talent Development Waste Disposal

Waste Management Policy

Privacy Protection

2

Climate Change Response Corporate Governance 9 Waste Disposal 25 Rural Revitalization 17

Customer Service

3 Anti-Bribery and An- 10 Environmental Com- 26 Employee Rights Pollutant Discharge

Community and

Low-Carbon Awareness Cultivation

ti-Corruption pliance Management Supply Chain Security

18

Product Safety and

Environmental Compliance Management 27

Environment

Compliance and Risk 11 Pollutant Discharge 19 Public Welfare and Philanthropy Quality 4

Circular Economy

Control

12 Biodiversity 20 Industry Collaboration 28 Fair Treatment of SMEs Biodiversity

5

13

Circular Economy 21 Responsible Marketing 29 R&D and Innovation R&D and Innovation Academic Exchange

agement



cation

Public Welfare and Charity Talent Cooperation Programs

15

Climate Change Re- and Inclusion 31 Technology Ethics

Academic Institutions

7

Due Diligence

Industry Collaboration Vocational Education

sponse

Governance

Shenma Corporation has established a structured R&D innovation management framework and institutional system. The Henan

Nylon New Materials Industry Research Institute oversees the Company's scientific research projects and comprises three daily

Risk Type Description Mitigation Measures

management officesResearch Project Management, R&D Platform Management, and the Technology Centeralong with eight

dedicated R&D institutions and one results transformation platform. The Company has issued a series of management documents

The Company's current products have under- Strengthen process R&D, secure continuous governing the full lifecycle of research projects, including performance evaluation mechanisms. During the Year, the Company re-

gone process maturation and enjoy cost advan- R&D investment, and enhance equipment vised the Measures for the Management and Evaluation of Research Projects, optimized network node controls, and introduced a

tages. However, if technological breakthroughs upgrades through technological advance-Governance

Shenma Corporation has established a structured R&D innovation management framework and institutional system. The Henan

Nylon New Materials Industry Research Institute oversees the Company's scientific research projects and comprises three daily

Risk Type Description Mitigation Measures

management officesResearch Project Management, R&D Platform Management, and the Technology Centeralong with eight

dedicated R&D institutions and one results transformation platform. The Company has issued a series of management documents

The Company's current products have under- Strengthen process R&D, secure continuous governing the full lifecycle of research projects, including performance evaluation mechanisms. During the Year, the Company re-

gone process maturation and enjoy cost advan- R&D investment, and enhance equipment vised the Measures for the Management and Evaluation of Research Projects, optimized network node controls, and introduced a

tages. However, if technological breakthroughs upgrades through technological advance-









o e ti o

Indicators and Targets

Accelerating Digital and Intelligent Transformation

At the end of 2024, Shenma Corporation launched its Intelligent Operations Platform, which was piloted in four national demonstration

In 2024, the Company continued to increase its R&D investment to drive breakthroughs in core technologies, particularly in the

units (Shenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd., Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd., and Shenma Hydrogen

areas of high-performance nylon materials and green manufacturing processes, ensuring its competitive edge in key sectors. Total Chemical Co., Ltd.) and put into normal operation. The platform is expected to be fully online by August 2025. The system is centered on

production and business data, designed to support decision-making through comprehensive analytics. It integrates data from produc-

R&D expenditure for the Year amounted to RMB 504.8165 million, representing 3.61% of revenue, providing strong financial sup-

tion, energy, operations, and finance, enabling real-time automation and visualization of costs and benefits. By capturing and analyzing

port for technological innovation efforts.

relevant operational data, the platform performs intelligent diagnostics and automated assessments of enterprise operational status,

providing strong data support for management decision-making and production planning.As of the end of the Reporting Period, the Company had undertaken 162 research projects, including 41 major projects. Among

them, the performance of ultra-high-strength nylon 66 industrial yarns has reached internationally advanced levels. The Company

accelerated the application of intelligent and digital technologies in twisting and weaving production units, successfully estab-

lishing automated production lines that precisely match production rhythms. By introducing advanced equipment, the Company

explored new processes for adipic acid production, successfully achieving process innovation and upgrades. At the same time,

Key R&D and Innovation Indicators in 2024

the Company actively promoted the application of nylon 66 in civilian markets. Semi-dull nylon 66 resin for civilian use has been

successfully supplied to clients, and full-dull nylon 6 resin is currently under trial by downstream customers. The quality of nylon R&D Investment RMB 10,000 50,481.65

66 chips used in industrial yarns has been significantly improved and consistently meets customer requirements. In addition, the

R&D Investment as a Percentage of Operating Revenue % 3.61

Company has successfully developed and launched specialty nylon chip products for wind turbine vacuum bag films, fishing lines,

and electric vehicles.

Number of R&D Employees persons 689

Number of Newly Authorized Invention Patents items 22

Indicators and Targets

Accelerating Digital and Intelligent Transformation

At the end of 2024, Shenma Corporation launched its Intelligent Operations Platform, which was piloted in four national demonstration

In 2024, the Company continued to increase its R&D investment to drive breakthroughs in core technologies, particularly in the

units (Shenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd., Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd., and Shenma Hydrogen

areas of high-performance nylon materials and green manufacturing processes, ensuring its competitive edge in key sectors. Total Chemical Co., Ltd.) and put into normal operation. The platform is expected to be fully online by August 2025. The system is centered on

production and business data, designed to support decision-making through comprehensive analytics. It integrates data from produc-

R&D expenditure for the Year amounted to RMB 504.8165 million, representing 3.61% of revenue, providing strong financial sup-

tion, energy, operations, and finance, enabling real-time automation and visualization of costs and benefits. By capturing and analyzing

port for technological innovation efforts.

relevant operational data, the platform performs intelligent diagnostics and automated assessments of enterprise operational status,

providing strong data support for management decision-making and production planning.As of the end of the Reporting Period, the Company had undertaken 162 research projects, including 41 major projects. Among

them, the performance of ultra-high-strength nylon 66 industrial yarns has reached internationally advanced levels. The Company

accelerated the application of intelligent and digital technologies in twisting and weaving production units, successfully estab-

lishing automated production lines that precisely match production rhythms. By introducing advanced equipment, the Company

explored new processes for adipic acid production, successfully achieving process innovation and upgrades. At the same time,

Key R&D and Innovation Indicators in 2024

the Company actively promoted the application of nylon 66 in civilian markets. Semi-dull nylon 66 resin for civilian use has been

successfully supplied to clients, and full-dull nylon 6 resin is currently under trial by downstream customers. The quality of nylon R&D Investment RMB 10,000 50,481.65

66 chips used in industrial yarns has been significantly improved and consistently meets customer requirements. In addition, the

R&D Investment as a Percentage of Operating Revenue % 3.61

Company has successfully developed and launched specialty nylon chip products for wind turbine vacuum bag films, fishing lines,

and electric vehicles.

Number of R&D Employees persons 689

Number of Newly Authorized Invention Patents items 22

Participated in drafting multiple industry standards, including national standards The Company implements the Group's Per-

for Rubber Dipped Yarn  Wire Cord  Test Method for Adhesion Strength and Spin- formance Appraisal and Incentive Measures

dle Yarn Elongation, as well as industry standards such as Specification for Colored for Technological Innovation Targets, which



rive ervi echn actu ut a uali Th eq tra ins AI- sid per thr "da by i Th he ma so pro nifi pro

evel ultu om ook As t ted he b fter ssue hail new business opportunities through active engagement. About the ReportReport Information Explanation Terminology NotesThis Report is the 2024 Sustainability Report released by Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company"). It For ease of expression and reading, "Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd." is referred to in this Report as "Shenma Corporation", "the Com-outlines the Company's sustainability philosophy and policies, and presents its efforts in 2024 in the areas of environmental pro- pany", or "we".tection, social responsibility, and corporate governance, in response to the expectations and concerns of stakeholders.Common Company Name InterpretationsShenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Company Refer to Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (Production Department)Time FrameShenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd. Refer to Pingdingshan Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd.st stThis Report covers the period from January 1 , 2024 to December 31 , 2024. To maintain continuity, enhance comparability, andNylon Chemical Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Nylon Chemical Co., Ltd.improve forward-looking insights, certain information may extend beyond this timeframe. All data are sourced from internal re-cords and publicly available information. Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd. Refer to Pingdingshan Shenma Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd.Shenma Engineering Plastics Technology Develop- Pingdingshan Shenma Engineering Plastics Technology Devel-Refer toment Co., Ltd. opment Co., Ltd.Shenma Aramid Refer to Henan Shenma Aramid Technology Development Co., Ltd.Organizational ScopeAidian Refer to Henan Shenma Aidian Chemical Co., Ltd.The Report covers the major business activities of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. and its majority-owned subsidiaries, consistent withthe scope disclosed in the Company's Annual Report.Shanghai Shenma Refer to Shanghai Shenma Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd.Shenma Jinhua Technology Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Jinhua Technology Co., Ltd.Shenma Hydrogen Chemical Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Hydrogen Chemical Co., Ltd.Data InterpretationShenma Huawei Plastic Co., Ltd. Refer to Henan Shenma Huawei Plastic Co., Ltd.All data and case studies cited in this Report are sourced from official company documents and statistical reports. Unless other-wise stated, operational data are derived from the 2024 Annual Report of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the International Trade Refer to China Pingmei Shenma Group International Trade Co., Ltd.Annual Report"). In the event of discrepancies, the data in the Annual Report shall prevail. All monetary amounts, unless otherwisespecified, are presented in RMB.Access to the ReportThis Report is available in printed form. Investors may also access the Report via the official website of Shenma Industrial Co., Ltd.Reference or the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Websites: http://www.shenma.com/ and http://www.sse.com.cn/This Report has been prepared with reference to the following ESG disclosure standards: GRI Universal Standards (2021) issued by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) Reference Indicator System for ESG Reports of Central SOE-Controlled Listed Companies by the SASAC Bureau of Property Rights Feedback and Contact InformationManagement and Social Responsibility Research CenterContact Information of the ReportGuidelines No. 14 and No. 4 for Self-Regulation of Listed Companies on Sustainable Development Reporting (Trial) issued by theShanghai Stock Exchange Position Securities Affairs RepresentativeEnvironmental, Social and Governance Reporting Code and Climate Disclosure Guidance issued by the Hong Kong Stock Ex-Contact Person Yike ZhangchangeContact Address No. 63, Jianshe Road, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, ChinaIFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards S1 and S2 issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)Contact Number 0375-3921930Ten Principles of the United Nations Global CompactFax 0375-3921930United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)The International Trade is a subsidiary of China Pingmei Shenma Group and is not included in the consolidated financial statements ofChairman's MessageThis Year, we steadfastly pursued green development prioritized technology innovation, increased R&D shared value creation, and elevate our core compet-and low-carbon transformation. The Company has been investment, and expanded lab reserves. We put pilot itiveness and industry influence. We march towardcommitted to green and low-carbon initiatives, promot- bases into service, established joint pilot labs for nylon the goal of becoming a world-class enterprise andChairman of Shenma Corporationing advanced energy-saving technologies and processes intermediates and plastics, and launched a full-process contributing further to high-quality, sustainable so-Benbin Lithroughout the industrial chain. Guided by green devel- adiponitrile lab. Key projects progressed: a 1,000t green cio-economic progress.opment, it has achieved high-quality growth, earning an polyamide fiber pilot project started; 10.8 g/d ultra-high-A rating in CDP China's corporate climate disclosure and strength industrial yarn entered continuous production;the global CDP Climate Leadership Award. The Company nylon 66 airbag yarn and civilian-grade half-dull nylonhas implemented exhaust gas collection and treatment 66 resin projects advanced; R&D into high-strength fib-projects to reduce emissions. It has explored wastewater er chips, PAMXD6, and long-chain PA1012 accelerated.management through separate stormwater and sewage "Shenma" brand productshigh-strength nylon 66 fiberAbout Shenma CorporationAbout Shenma CorporationShenma Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shen- ing plastics, industrial yarn (tire cord), airbag yarn and others.ma Corporation" or "the Company") originated as the Ping- Supported by hydrogen and ammonia industrial services, thedingshan Nylon Cord Fabric Factory one of nine key national Company has developed a unique, well-coordinated nylontries and regions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The structural upgrading, intelligenting the first listed company in Henan Province on the SSE. The Company has strategic and trade partnerships with more thanCore Competitiveness Analysis of Shenma CorporationR&D Advantages Marketing AdvantagesTotal number of EmployeesEstablished an integrated full-process R&D platform. Nationwide coverage and global sales and servicepeople8,131 network.Obtained numerous patents and achievements.Industrial Chain Integra-Brand Advantagestion AdvantagesThe "Shenma" brand has received numerous honors Strong product portfolio synergy.and enjoys a strong reputation both domestically andStrong market adaptability and risk resistance.internationally.Realized a vertically integrated operation from basicComplete certification system, stable product quality.raw materials and intermediates to end products.Major Products and Business Segments Nylon 66 Tire Cord Fabric Adipic Acid The Company primarily produces high-end nylon 66 tire cord fabric used in semi-steel radial tires, engineering tires, and Adipic acid is an important dicarboxylic acid monomer that can react with diamines to form nylon 66 salt through poly- aerospace tires. Shenma Corporation's nylon 66 tire cord fabric features low denier variation, high strength, excellent fa- condensation. It is a key raw material for producing nylon 66 and related polymer series. It also serves as a plasticizer, tigue resistance, and abrasion resistance, making it an ideal reinforcement material for aircraft tires, large engineering tires, adhesive, lubricant additive, and flavoring agent in daily chemical and pharmaceutical production. and high-performance new energy vehicle tires. It is a key supplier to global tire giants such as Michelin, Goodyear, and Bridgestone. Nylon 66 Industrial Yarn Nylon 6 Chips Nylon 66 industrial yarn is a high-strength yarn obtained via continuous polymerization or solid-phase polymerization Nylon 6 chips are thermoplastic polymers made from caprolactam via ring-opening polymerization. They are foun- and drawing of nylon 66 salt. It has advantages in fatigue resistance, abrasion resistance, and high strength, and is pri- dational raw materials for the nylon industrial chain. Shenma Corporation's nylon 6 chips can be customized based marily used in tire cord fabric. It is also used in other fields such as automotive airbags, conveyor belts, geotextiles, and on specific application needs and are mainly used in differentiated fiber products such as fine denier yarn, ultra-fine Honors of 2024ESG RatingResponsible for making decisions on major sustainability matters of the Company, including reviewing the Company's annual sus-Shenma Corporation incorporates the principles of sustainable development into practical action, integrating Environmental,tainability report and overseeing ESG-related issues.Social, and Governance (ESG) factors throughout its operations. A systematic and institutionalized ESG management structure en-sures the effective implementation of sustainable practices.Group and its subsidiaries, forming a well-structured, clearly tiered, and efficiently functioning three-level system: Governance Lev-ESG Management Teamel  Management Level  Execution Level. This structure ensures efficient advancement of ESG-related work.The Board Office leads the ESG team in crafting sustainable strategies and policies, ensuring their implementation through over-The Board of Directors is responsible for making decisions and overseeing ESG matters. Under the Board's guidance, the ESG man-sight, inspection, evaluation, and recommendations. The team also coordinates ESG efforts across subsidiaries and reports peri-agement team coordinates the implementation of ESG activities across departments and subsidiaries. It is also responsible forodically to senior management.formulating sustainable development strategies, ESG governance policies, and specific action plans.Be truthful, act solidly, Everyone responsible, all Life first, safety foremost.Stakeholder Communication Materiality AnalysisIn 2024, Shenma Corporation continued to focus on the expectations and demands of stakeholders from various sectors of society, During the topic identification phase, the Company referred to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Sustainableincluding shareholders, investors, customers, regulatory authorities, employees, and suppliers. Guided by ESG principles, the Com- Development Goals (SDGs), domestic regulatory policies, cutting-edge industry sustainability trends, and the Company's develop-pany established regular communication mechanisms with stakeholders through multiple channels. Leveraging its deep industry ment strategy to identify issues relevant to both the Company and its stakeholders, thereby establishing a material topics database.experience and thorough understanding of ESG, the Company effectively addressed the concerns of all parties involved.In the materiality assessment phase, the Company analyzed the degree and scope of actual or potential significant impacts of eachtopic on the economy, society, and environment over the short, medium, and long term to complete the impact materiality assess-ment. Simultaneously, the Company assessed the actual or potential significant impacts of each topic on its business operations andStakeholders Key Concerns Communication Channelsfinancial performance over the same timeframes to complete the financial materiality assessment. Additionally, stakeholders includ-ing sustainability experts were invited to complete questionnaires to evaluate the importance of each topic. These assessments wereCorporate Governance General Shareholders' MeetingStakeholder Communication Materiality AnalysisIn 2024, Shenma Corporation continued to focus on the expectations and demands of stakeholders from various sectors of society, During the topic identification phase, the Company referred to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Sustainableincluding shareholders, investors, customers, regulatory authorities, employees, and suppliers. Guided by ESG principles, the Com- Development Goals (SDGs), domestic regulatory policies, cutting-edge industry sustainability trends, and the Company's develop-pany established regular communication mechanisms with stakeholders through multiple channels. Leveraging its deep industry ment strategy to identify issues relevant to both the Company and its stakeholders, thereby establishing a material topics database.experience and thorough understanding of ESG, the Company effectively addressed the concerns of all parties involved.In the materiality assessment phase, the Company analyzed the degree and scope of actual or potential significant impacts of eachtopic on the economy, society, and environment over the short, medium, and long term to complete the impact materiality assess-ment. Simultaneously, the Company assessed the actual or potential significant impacts of each topic on its business operations andStakeholders Key Concerns Communication Channelsfinancial performance over the same timeframes to complete the financial materiality assessment. Additionally, stakeholders includ-ing sustainability experts were invited to complete questionnaires to evaluate the importance of each topic. These assessments wereCorporate Governance General Shareholders' MeetingRoutine CommunicationFair Treatment of SMEs Low Financial Materiality HighSuppliersContract ExecutionIndustry CollaborationGovernance Environmental SocialEnergy UseDimension Dimension DimensionWater Resource Utilization1 24Anti-Unfair Competition 8 Energy Use 16 Data Security and Customer Talent Development Waste DisposalWaste Management PolicyPrivacy ProtectionClimate Change Response Corporate Governance 9 Waste Disposal 25 Rural Revitalization 17Customer Service3 Anti-Bribery and An- 10 Environmental Com- 26 Employee Rights Pollutant DischargeCommunity andLow-Carbon Awareness Cultivationti-Corruption pliance Management Supply Chain Security18Product Safety andEnvironmental Compliance Management 27EnvironmentCompliance and Risk 11 Pollutant Discharge 19 Public Welfare and Philanthropy Quality 4Circular EconomyControl12 Biodiversity 20 Industry Collaboration 28 Fair Treatment of SMEs Biodiversity13Circular Economy 21 Responsible Marketing 29 R&D and Innovation R&D and Innovation Academic ExchangeagementcationPublic Welfare and Charity Talent Cooperation Programs15Climate Change Re- and Inclusion 31 Technology EthicsAcademic InstitutionsDue DiligenceIndustry Collaboration Vocational EducationsponseGovernanceShenma Corporation has established a structured R&D innovation management framework and institutional system. The HenanNylon New Materials Industry Research Institute oversees the Company's scientific research projects and comprises three dailyRisk Type Description Mitigation Measuresmanagement officesResearch Project Management, R&D Platform Management, and the Technology Centeralong with eightdedicated R&D institutions and one results transformation platform. The Company has issued a series of management documentsThe Company's current products have under- Strengthen process R&D, secure continuous governing the full lifecycle of research projects, including performance evaluation mechanisms. During the Year, the Company re-gone process maturation and enjoy cost advan- R&D investment, and enhance equipment vised the Measures for the Management and Evaluation of Research Projects, optimized network node controls, and introduced atages. However, if technological breakthroughs upgrades through technological advance-GovernanceShenma Corporation has established a structured R&D innovation management framework and institutional system. The HenanNylon New Materials Industry Research Institute oversees the Company's scientific research projects and comprises three dailyRisk Type Description Mitigation Measuresmanagement officesResearch Project Management, R&D Platform Management, and the Technology Centeralong with eightdedicated R&D institutions and one results transformation platform. The Company has issued a series of management documentsThe Company's current products have under- Strengthen process R&D, secure continuous governing the full lifecycle of research projects, including performance evaluation mechanisms. During the Year, the Company re-gone process maturation and enjoy cost advan- R&D investment, and enhance equipment vised the Measures for the Management and Evaluation of Research Projects, optimized network node controls, and introduced atages. However, if technological breakthroughs upgrades through technological advance-Indicators and TargetsAccelerating Digital and Intelligent TransformationAt the end of 2024, Shenma Corporation launched its Intelligent Operations Platform, which was piloted in four national demonstrationIn 2024, the Company continued to increase its R&D investment to drive breakthroughs in core technologies, particularly in theunits (Shenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd., Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd., and Shenma Hydrogenareas of high-performance nylon materials and green manufacturing processes, ensuring its competitive edge in key sectors. Total Chemical Co., Ltd.) and put into normal operation. The platform is expected to be fully online by August 2025. The system is centered onproduction and business data, designed to support decision-making through comprehensive analytics. It integrates data from produc-R&D expenditure for the Year amounted to RMB 504.8165 million, representing 3.61% of revenue, providing strong financial sup-tion, energy, operations, and finance, enabling real-time automation and visualization of costs and benefits. By capturing and analyzingport for technological innovation efforts.relevant operational data, the platform performs intelligent diagnostics and automated assessments of enterprise operational status,providing strong data support for management decision-making and production planning.As of the end of the Reporting Period, the Company had undertaken 162 research projects, including 41 major projects. Amongthem, the performance of ultra-high-strength nylon 66 industrial yarns has reached internationally advanced levels. The Companyaccelerated the application of intelligent and digital technologies in twisting and weaving production units, successfully estab-lishing automated production lines that precisely match production rhythms. By introducing advanced equipment, the Companyexplored new processes for adipic acid production, successfully achieving process innovation and upgrades. At the same time,Key R&D and Innovation Indicators in 2024the Company actively promoted the application of nylon 66 in civilian markets. Semi-dull nylon 66 resin for civilian use has beensuccessfully supplied to clients, and full-dull nylon 6 resin is currently under trial by downstream customers. The quality of nylon R&D Investment RMB 10,000 50,481.6566 chips used in industrial yarns has been significantly improved and consistently meets customer requirements. In addition, theR&D Investment as a Percentage of Operating Revenue % 3.61Company has successfully developed and launched specialty nylon chip products for wind turbine vacuum bag films, fishing lines,and electric vehicles.Number of R&D Employees persons 689Number of Newly Authorized Invention Patents items 22Indicators and TargetsAccelerating Digital and Intelligent TransformationAt the end of 2024, Shenma Corporation launched its Intelligent Operations Platform, which was piloted in four national demonstrationIn 2024, the Company continued to increase its R&D investment to drive breakthroughs in core technologies, particularly in theunits (Shenma Cord Fabric, Shenma Cord Fabric Development Co., Ltd., Shenma Engineering Plastic Co., Ltd., and Shenma Hydrogenareas of high-performance nylon materials and green manufacturing processes, ensuring its competitive edge in key sectors. Total Chemical Co., Ltd.) and put into normal operation. The platform is expected to be fully online by August 2025. The system is centered onproduction and business data, designed to support decision-making through comprehensive analytics. It integrates data from produc-R&D expenditure for the Year amounted to RMB 504.8165 million, representing 3.61% of revenue, providing strong financial sup-tion, energy, operations, and finance, enabling real-time automation and visualization of costs and benefits. By capturing and analyzingport for technological innovation efforts.relevant operational data, the platform performs intelligent diagnostics and automated assessments of enterprise operational status,providing strong data support for management decision-making and production planning.As of the end of the Reporting Period, the Company had undertaken 162 research projects, including 41 major projects. Amongthem, the performance of ultra-high-strength nylon 66 industrial yarns has reached internationally advanced levels. The Companyaccelerated the application of intelligent and digital technologies in twisting and weaving production units, successfully estab-lishing automated production lines that precisely match production rhythms. By introducing advanced equipment, the Companyexplored new processes for adipic acid production, successfully achieving process innovation and upgrades. At the same time,Key R&D and Innovation Indicators in 2024the Company actively promoted the application of nylon 66 in civilian markets. Semi-dull nylon 66 resin for civilian use has beensuccessfully supplied to clients, and full-dull nylon 6 resin is currently under trial by downstream customers. The quality of nylon R&D Investment RMB 10,000 50,481.6566 chips used in industrial yarns has been significantly improved and consistently meets customer requirements. In addition, theR&D Investment as a Percentage of Operating Revenue % 3.61Company has successfully developed and launched specialty nylon chip products for wind turbine vacuum bag films, fishing lines,and electric vehicles.Number of R&D Employees persons 689Number of Newly Authorized Invention Patents items 22Participated in drafting multiple industry standards, including national standards The Company implements the Group's Per-for Rubber Dipped Yarn  Wire Cord  Test Method for Adhesion Strength and Spin- formance Appraisal and Incentive Measuresdle Yarn Elongation, as well as industry standards such as Specification for Colored for Technological Innovation Targets, whichnew business opportunities through active engagement.
Im over mosquitoes. The money Ive spent on mosquito products that are sprayed on me, on my loved ones, into the air, burned in lamps and sprayed on after the bite could buy a small car. And yet I have recently bought another tool for the annual mosquito war  but this one is going to force
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France has officially ended its 65-year military presence in Senegal, handing over its last two bases in a ceremony Thursday (17 July) attended by high-ranking French and Senegalese officials.

The withdrawal marks a symbolic conclusion to decades of military cooperation rooted in colonial legacy. Camp Geille in Dakar and its adjacent airfield were transferred to Senegalese control, concluding a phased departure that began in March. Approximately 350 French troops who had conducted joint operations with Senegals army will now leave the country. This event marks an important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two countries, said Senegals Chief of General Staff, General Mbaye Cisse. His French counterpart, General Pascal Ianni, described the move as part of reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa.

The move follows the election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in 2024, who ran on a platform of national sovereignty and reducing foreign military influence. While demanding all foreign troops leave by the end of 2025, Faye maintains that France remains a valued partner  albeit now on equal footing. Unlike other former colonies in West Africa that have cut ties with France in favor of Russian support, Senegal seeks a new model of cooperation. The withdrawal reflects a broader continental shift, as Paris scales back its military footprint and consolidates its presence in Djibouti, now its only permanent base in Africa.
Chanting enough is enough, hundreds of Liberians took to the streets of Monrovia on Thursday (17 July) in the largest protest since President Joseph Boakai took office last year.

Led by opposition figure Mulbah Morlu, demonstrators voiced growing anger over unfulfilled promises, job losses, and the governments failure to establish a war crimes court. The protest was peaceful but charged with emotion. Businesswoman Victoria Roberts captured the mood: How can you say that you came to better the lives of the people, but then you came and took people from jobs? A central demand was justice for victims of Liberias brutal civil wars between 1989 and 2003. Protesters called for the creation of a long-promised war crimes tribunal. The war crimes court should not be for Prince Johnson alone. General Butt Naked needs to go to the war crimes court too, said one protestor.

Protesters also criticized what they see as politically motivated dismissals and a lack of economic progress. Liberians voted for Joseph Boakai because he has 40 years experience, said protester Musu Dennis. So he should start to use that 40 years experience for the Liberian people, not for him to come and put tension on the Liberian people. The crowd marched toward the Executive Mansion to present a formal petition. Though no violence occurred, Monrovias streets were noticeably quieter, with many residents staying home amid tensions. As of Friday morning, President Boakais office had yet to issue a public response.
A leaked United Nations expert report has raised serious allegations against Rwanda and Uganda for their roles in fuelling the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The confidential document, seen by Al Jazeera, claims that Rwanda exercises command and control over the M23 rebel group, while Uganda has unilaterally doubled its military presence in the conflict-ridden region without DRCs consent. The report accuses both neighbouring countries of aggravating the volatile security situation and enabling human rights violations.

According to the findings, Rwanda has provided M23 rebels with critical support, including directives from its intelligence services, and allegedly facilitated their territorial advances, notably the capture of strategic cities such as Goma and Bukavu. The report suggests that Rwandas ultimate aim is to control DRC territory and its mineral wealth. It documents the smuggling of minerals like coltan into Rwanda, where they are reportedly laundered and sold as local produce, implicating private entities such as Boss Mining Solutions in the illicit trade.

Uganda is also singled out for criticism. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) reportedly increased their troop deployment in eastern DRC, creating a buffer zone that inadvertently shielded M23 fighters. Kampala, which has previously been linked to M23 support, has dismissed the claims as falsehoods. Ugandan officials argue their military presence is defensive and part of joint operations against other armed groups like the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). However, the UN report contends that the recent deployments were carried out independently and without DRC government approval.

The report also highlights the role of the Congolese government in exacerbating the crisis. It accuses Kinshasa of collaborating with irregular militias, including the FDLRan armed group under UN sanctionswhich has been involved in reprisal attacks, recruitment of child soldiers, and widespread abuses. As M23 advanced, retreating government forces and their allies reportedly committed looting, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings, further undermining civilian safety and rule of law.

Despite widespread denials, the UN experts assert that all parties to the conflict share blame for the humanitarian toll, marked by mass displacement and continued rights violations. While Rwanda and Uganda reject the findings as biased, civil society voices within the DRC argue that the report provides crucial evidence and accountability. With the peace process still fragile, the international community now faces the urgent task of mediating a multi-layered regional crisis rooted in geopolitical competition, resource control, and historical grievances.
Avocados could be no more in the future if agricultural productivity does not increase.

Avocados face uncertain future

Australian scientists warn the fruit - which comes from Mexico and Central America, but is grown all over the world - could be scarce if native vegetation, such as trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses, does not grow alongside the crops.

Researchers from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, discovered that insects in an avocado orchard next to native vegetation searched widely for more than double plant species when crop flowering was limited.

They found that insects with a range of food sources have a better survival rate and will pollinate crops.

The team estimated that up to 10 billion people globally will need access to safe food that is packed with nutrition in the next 25 years.

As a result, agricultural productivity will need to increase by 75 per cent by 2050.

Curtin University's Doctor Joshua Kestel, who led the study - which is published in the journal Environmental and Sustainability Indicators - said: "We identified the diversity of pollen transported by insect communities collected during sampling.

"This allowed us to demonstrate that vegetation adjacent to orchards may enhance food security."
After two years of work and counting, North Platte and Lincoln County residents next week will get a partial first look at updates to their foundational planning, zoning and housing plans.

But David City planning consultant Keith Marvin said Thursdays 2 and 6 p.m. open houses arent intended for extended debate on the touchy county issue of wind and solar farms.

Hell review his progress on revising the 14-year-old county comprehensive plan and his own 2018 city-county housing study during the sessions at North Platte Community Colleges South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Road.

The principal of Marvin Planning Associates will briefly discuss his work on both of those documents at the start of each open house, Marvin said in a Friday press release. Public questions and answers will follow.

Marvin hopes to hold similar open houses in late summer or early fall on updating North Plattes comprehensive plan and preparing a Safe Streets for All transportation study for the city, said Judy Clark, planning administrator for both the city and county.

But none of the four documents Marvin was hired in April 2023 to update will be ready for either City Council or County Board hearings and votes before years end, she said.

Energy project simmers

Clark also echoed a statement by Marvin in his press release arising from recent local comments on what county commissioners might decide on whether to allow wind turbines or solar panels in rural Lincoln County.

To set the record straight, this is not a meeting to discuss and/or debate solar and wind projects, Marvin said. This is simply an opportunity for the public to make general comments and not a discussion on the merits of one land use type vs. another.

Clark agreed. This is not a wind and solar hearing, she told The Telegraph Friday. This is an open house.

Commissioners since March 2023 have maintained a moratorium on approving wind or solar projects, setting aside regulations that the County Board first adopted in 2020.

The nearly 2 years since included an Oct. 2, 2023, hearing that drew more than 70 people to the North Platte courthouses district courtroom. The bulk of them opposed rural wind and solar farms in general and a proposed 40- to 50-turbine wind farm between Maxwell and Brady in particular.

County Board members decided three weeks later to keep their moratorium in place until after Marvin finishes updating the county comprehensive plan and proposes updates to county zoning regulations  including those on wind and solar farms.

Clark said North Plattes and Lincoln Countys planning commissions and governing boards will each eventually hold hearings before voting on the updates to their respective comprehensive plans. Both were drafted in 2011 and approved a year later.

Updates to city and county zoning regulations will follow a similar path to approval, she said, but their comprehensive plans serve as their foundations and must be adopted first.

A full planning plate

Marvin, who consults on planning matters with many Nebraska cities and counties, has been a familiar face around North Platte since his December 2018 unveiling of what then was the first update in eight years for North Platte and the countys other towns.

It found that their effective sales-rental vacancy rate was half that of a healthy housing market and North Platte alone needed some 600 to 800 new housing units of all types.

The 2018 housing study set the tone for a multiyear City Hall offensive to meet that goal, one that more or less doubled when the council embraced the Sustainable Beef project in 2021.

Clark said Marvins update will reflect where North Plattes housing needs stand now. Weve talked about housing so much, we probably all know the city needs more of it, she said.

Council members added both the housing and Safe Streets for All transportation studies to Marvins plate after they and county commissioners hired him for a combined initial $181,180 to update their separate comprehensive plans.

The transportation study is meant to boost the citys chances of getting federal help on larger-scale safety projects through grants under former President Joe Bidens 2022 infrastructure law, Clark said.

Its likely to include simple, cheap projects like new signs as well as larger street improvements, she said. The council held a non-voting work session before its regular July 1 meeting to review Marvins progress on that document.

The David City planners work started in summer 2023 with public town-hall meetings and interviews with members of local focus groups, the City Council and the County Board.

Housing needs took center stage in public comments then, as did aging city and county populations and the need to keep younger people from leaving North Platte or Lincoln County.

Marvins 18-month timetable to complete the rewritten comprehensive plans is nearly a year into overtime. His extra city assignments are only part of the reason, Clark said.

The citys 2012 plan, in my opinion, was not as well done as the countys comprehensive plan, she said. The city plan has taken a lot more time and effort and is still a work in progress at this point.

Depending on Thursdays input, Clark said, the revised housing plan likely will be finished first. Planning Commission and County Board hearings and votes on the revised county comprehensive plan could take place in early 2026.

An open house on the citys comprehensive plan and transportation study could happen as early as September, with hearings and council action next spring, she said.
Western media has largely framed Israels recent strikes in Syria as a defensive move to protect the Druze community from escalating sectarian violence. Why the Druze and what they have to do with the sectarian violence against the Alawites is rather complicated and not entirely logical. In June, Syrian forces massacred over 1,500 Alawites (the deposed Assad regimes power base). In response to that, Bedouin and regime-aligned militias are targeting Druze communities in Sweida. The Druze had nothing to do with the Syrian regimes massacre of Alawites, but they are always viewed with suspicion, largely because they are neutral, which can be viewed as disloyal. That makes them an easy scapegoat, which is what they are in this case. Pro-regime forces appear to be attempting to deflect blame for the attack by rousing sentiments that the Druze betrayed the Alawites simply because they have not supported any stance against the current interim regime. They have been accused of harboring deserters or sympathizing with Syrian forces. There is no evidence to support any of this vague betrayal but the narrative definitely has legs, and they are running fast. Israel is facing pressure to protect Syrias Druze minority,

Israeli airstrikes in Syria this week have been publicly framed as a response to threats against the Druze community after massacres of Druze that are being traced back to the new Syrian leadership in Damascus. The actual agenda is a bit more complicated.

Israeli airstrikes in Syria this week have been publicly framed as a response to threats against the Druze community after massacres of Druze that are being traced back to the new Syrian leadership in Damascus. The actual agenda is a bit more complicated.

Western media has largely framed Israels recent strikes in Syria as a defensive move to protect the Druze community from escalating sectarian violence. Why the Druze and what they have to do with the sectarian violence against the Alawites is rather complicated and not entirely logical. In June, Syrian forces massacred over 1,500 Alawites (the deposed Assad regimes power base). In response to that, Bedouin and regime-aligned militias are targeting Druze communities in Sweida. The Druze had nothing to do with the Syrian regimes massacre of Alawites, but they are always viewed with suspicion, largely because they are neutral, which can be viewed as disloyal. That makes them an easy scapegoat, which is what they are in this case. Pro-regime forces appear to be attempting to deflect blame for the attack by rousing sentiments that the Druze betrayed the Alawites simply because they have not supported any stance against the current interim regime. They have been accused of harboring deserters or sympathizing with Syrian forces. There is no evidence to support any of this vague betrayal but the narrative definitely has legs, and they are running fast.



Israel is facing pressure to protect Syrias Druze minority, as allies across the border. But Tel Aviv is also interested in making sure that the current interim president of Syria (Ahmad al-Sharaa) does not manage to fully consolidate power in Damascus. A new fully centralized authority in Damascus, especially one whose position vis-a-vis Iran is not yet clear, is dangerous for Israel. Syrias interim president is not overtly aligned with Iran, but also is not offering Israel any assurances, and Syrias new post-Assad regime is dead set on reasserting its sovereignty over the southern zone, which Israel occupies and treats as a de facto buffer. So, the Israeli airstrikes are partly to protect the Druze, but partly to ensure there is no consolidation process that would threaten Israels hold on the buffer zone.

Arab media appears to believe that Israel is attempting to prevent al-Sharaa from smoothing things over with the Druze. The Druze community in Sweida is not near the southern border buffer zone or the Golan Heights, but its not about territorial proximityits about keeping things fragmented enough so Israel can maintain some control.

With this control and this buffer zone, Israel can continue to strike Iranian proxies and manage cross-border threats without formal resistance. The Golan Heights is a strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in 1967, and it overlooks northern Israel and southern Syria. Directly adjacent to the Golan, on the Syrian side, is a historically designated buffer zone (circa 1974). Maintaining control over this is paramount for Tel Aviv, and a new, unified and cohesive regime in Syria could threaten that, especially with future alliances up in the air.

Since the fall of Assad, Israel has largely operated from the south with impunity, attacking Iran-linked targets and deterring Hezbollah without much blowback. Fragmentation serves Israeli interests. Israeli strikes from here would carry too much diplomatic baggage with a strong new government in Damascus that has managed to unite the communities of the country. Protecting the Druze helps Israel legitimize its airstrikes.
Oil prices moved higher on Friday morning after the EU agreed to an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, but the effectiveness of the sanctions is yet to be seen.













Friday, July 18th, 2025

The constant drumbeat of Russian sanction announcements is keeping Brent futures around $70 per barrel, with the European Union and its concept of a floating price cap taking centre stage this week. The bullish momentum was further supported by assumed Iraqi drone strikes on Kurdish oil fields, taking out all the major producing assets in less than a week, suggesting that Baghdads OPEC+ compliance will improve over the upcoming weeks.

Chevron Beats Exxon in Legal Standoff for Hess. US oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) will be allowed to integrate Hess Energys $53 billion assets after winning a high-profile litigation with ExxonMobil in the International Chamber of Commerce over Hess Guyanese assets, giving it 30% in the Stabroek block.

Drone Attacks Cripple Kurdish Production. A flurry of drone strikes ultimately achieved what Iraqi negotiations had failed to achieve in over two years  namely, slashing Kurdish oil output by 200,000 b/d  after explosive-laden drones debilitated the Tawke and Peshkabir fields operated by Norways DNO.

BlackRock Becomes Saudi Arabias Preferred Investor. Saudi state oil firm Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) is reportedly closing in on a $10 billion deal with US investment firm BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), potentially giving it a stake in the $100 billion Jafurah sour gas project, the largest Saudi untapped gas field.

India Mulls Yet Another New Refinery. Stoking fears that Indias refining overcapacity might be the next downstream scare, the South Asian countrys state-controlled ONGC is considering building a new 200-240,000 b/d refinery at Jamnagar in the western state of Gujarat, already home to the giant Reliance refinery.

Chinese Buyers Wary of Malaysias Iran Crackdown. Malaysian authorities are planning to crack down on illegal ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude in the countrys territorial waters, reportedly later this month under notable US pressure, jeopardizing the 1.5-1.7 million b/d of Iranian flows to China.

Russias Energy Output Falls in 2025. Russias crude oil production dropped by 3.5% year-over-year to 211 million metric tonnes in January-May, reflecting lower output amidst OPEC+ production cuts, whilst the Energy Ministry reported gas production declining by a similar 3% to 290 billion cubic metres.

Beijing Threatens to Block Panama Ports Deal. The Chinese government is threatening to block the $23 billion sale of more than 40 ports owned by Hong Kong-registered CK Hutchison to US investment giant BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) and MSC if Chinese shipping giant Cosco doesnt get a stake in the transaction.

Belarus Survives Nuclear Scare, For Now. The second of two nuclear reactors at Belarus Astravets power plant was disconnected from the power grid after an alarm indicated a deviation in its cooling system, impacting 20% of the countrys power needs as radiation levels at the plant stayed unchanged.

Trump Scraps US Funding for High-Speed Rail. The Trump administration rescinded $4 billion in US government subsidies for Californias High-Speed Rail (HSR) project connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim, citing HSRs bloated $128 billion price tag as grossly over initial budget.

Steel Markets Turn Very Tariffy as Canada Chips In. Canadas new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced tariff rate quotas for countries with which Ottawa has free trade agreements, excluding the US, seeking to protect Canadian steel production whilst also slapping a flat 25% tariff on Chinese steel.

Slovakia Acquiesces to EUs 18th Russia Sanctions Pack. Slovakia will lift its veto against the European Unions 18th sanctions package against Russia after Prime Minister Robert Fico reportedly received guarantees from Brussels over its energy security past 2028, paving the way for the EUs new price cap.

Lithium Is More Alive than Dead. The worlds benchmark futures in lithium pricing, the lithium carbonate futures on the Guangzhou Exchange, rose to a three-month high of 70,000 per metric tonne ($9,750/mt) after Chinese miner Zangge Mining reported having halted production at its Qinghai mine.

Brazil Eyes Asian Markets After US Snub. Brazils state oil firm Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is considering redirecting its oil flows away from the United States on the heels of the Trump Administration slapping 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, having supplied some 200,000 b/d of oil to Pacific Coast refiners.

US Targets Chinese Graphite with Prohibitive Tariffs. The US Commerce Department announced it will impose a preliminary anti-dumping duty of 93.5% on all China-produced anode-grade graphite, a key component to produce electric vehicles, with final duties for the material to be issued by December 5.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Iran-backed militias conducted drone attacks on Iraq's Kurdistan region for four consecutive days, forcing production shutdowns at oilfields operated by Gulf Keystone, DNO, and Hunt Oil. Officials reported

However, the geopolitical premium faded when Trump announced a 50-day deadline to end the Ukraine war. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo noted this delay reduced expectations of immediate market tightening, leading to a retreat from Monday's three-week high of $69.65.

European Union diplomats neared consensus on an 18th round of sanctions targeting Russian crude, potentially with a lower price cap. Markets initially priced in supply constriction risks, providing early bullish support.

The period began with significant geopolitical risk as President Trump prepared statements on Russia with direct oil supply implications. Trump confirmed plans to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, while bipartisan Congressional momentum drove new sanctions legislation aimed at pressuring Russia into peace talks.

WTI crude oil traded between a high of $68.34 and low of $64.11 before reaching $66.28 as of Thursday's close, down $0.86 or -1.28%. The price action reflected competing fundamental forces: escalating geopolitical tensions that initially supported prices, followed by trade policy uncertainties and mixed inventory data that pressured the market lower.

WTI crude oil traded between a high of $68.34 and low of $64.11 before reaching $66.28 as of Thursday's close, down $0.86 or -1.28%. The price action reflected competing fundamental forces: escalating geopolitical tensions that initially supported prices, followed by trade policy uncertainties and mixed inventory data that pressured the market lower.

Geopolitical Tensions Drive Early Week Strength

The period began with significant geopolitical risk as President Trump prepared statements on Russia with direct oil supply implications. Trump confirmed plans to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, while bipartisan Congressional momentum drove new sanctions legislation aimed at pressuring Russia into peace talks.

European Union diplomats neared consensus on an 18th round of sanctions targeting Russian crude, potentially with a lower price cap. Markets initially priced in supply constriction risks, providing early bullish support.

However, the geopolitical premium faded when Trump announced a 50-day deadline to end the Ukraine war. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo noted this delay reduced expectations of immediate market tightening, leading to a retreat from Monday's three-week high of $69.65.

Iraq Supply Disruptions Provide Persistent Support

Iran-backed militias conducted drone attacks on Iraq's Kurdistan region for four consecutive days, forcing production shutdowns at oilfields operated by Gulf Keystone, DNO, and Hunt Oil. Officials reported output slashed by 140,000-150,000 barrels per day, more than half the region's normal 280,000 bpd production.

Andrew Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates noted the attacks demonstrated "how vulnerable oil supplies are to attacks using low technology." Oil prices rose $1 on Thursday following the fourth day of strikes.

Chinese Demand Signals Offer Mixed Picture

China delivered encouraging import data with crude oil imports rising 7.4% year-on-year in June to 12.14 million barrels per day, the highest since August 2024. Chinese refiners ramped up throughput following maintenance shutdowns, aiming to meet third-quarter demand and rebuild gasoline and diesel stocks at multi-year lows.

However, J.P. Morgan flagged risks from China's storage levels at 95% of 2020 peak capacity, warning that reserve releases into Western pricing hubs could temper price gains.

China's second-quarter GDP exceeded expectations, but analysts attributed results to short-term government support and pre-tariff export rushes. Consumer sentiment remained weak, with declining prices and export demand pointing to potential consumption softness.

Trade Policy Uncertainty Weighs on Demand Outlook

Trump announced 30% tariffs on European and Mexican imports starting August 1, while the EU prepared retaliatory measures targeting $84 billion in U.S. goods. Trump also warned of "very severe tariffs" on Russia without a Ukraine deal within 50 days.

Ashley Kelty of Panmure Liberum noted "near-term prices are set to remain volatile due to uncertainty over the final scale of U.S. tariffs and the resultant impact on global growth." These measures increased likelihood of reduced fuel consumption globally. Markets remained jittery awaiting tariff implementation, which could redirect oil supplies from the U.S. to India and China.

U.S. Inventory Data Provides Conflicting Signals

The American Petroleum Institute initially estimated crude stocks rose 839,000 barrels, with gasoline up 1.93 million barrels and distillates climbing 828,000 barrels, suggesting ample domestic supply.

However, the official EIA report showed crude stocks fell 3.9 million barrels versus expectations for only a 552,000-barrel draw. U.S. crude exports surged to 3.5 million barrels per day, providing bullish support.

The demand side proved concerning. Gasoline inventories rose 3.4 million barrels and distillates increased 4.2 million barrels, both above forecasts. Implied product demand fell significantlygasoline down 670,000 bpd and distillates off 245,000 bpdreflecting soft end-user demand.

OPEC Maintains Optimistic Demand Outlook

OPEC's secretary general told Russian media that oil demand would remain "very strong" through the third quarter. The organization's monthly report projected stronger global demand in the second half, highlighting economic resilience in Brazil, India, and China, with stabilization signs in the U.S. and EU.

Weekly Light Crude Oil Futures

Trend Indicator Analysis

The main trend is up according to the weekly swing chart. However, a trade through $62.69 will shift momentum to the downside. Despite the steep sell-off and the potentially bearish closing price reversal top the week-ending June 20, the market has not followed through to the downside, suggesting the presence of buyers.

Holding above the 52-week moving average at $64.41 indicates buyers are defending against another plunge. Additionally, the ability to sustain a move over the long-term pivot at $65.37 will signal the buying is getting stronger.

There are two other pivots to note. The April bottom at $51.18 and the June top at $77.09 has formed a pivot at $64.13 that has acted as support the past four weeks.

Additionally, the short-term range is $77.09 to $62.69. If there is a breakout to the upside then its pivot at $69.89 will become the initial upside target.

Essentially, bullish traders are looking for the 52-week moving average to hold as support and for a sustained breakout over $63.37. Bearish traders want to see a complete breakdown under the 52-week moving average.

Weekly Technical Forecast

The direction of the Weekly Light Crude Oil Futures market the week ending July 25 is likely to be determined by trader reaction to $65.37 and $64.41. The pivotal indicator will be the 52-week moving average, currently at $64.41.

Bullish Scenario

A sustained move over $65.37 will signal the presence of buyers. If this creates enough upside momentum, we could see a near-term rally into a minor pivot at $69.89. The major upside target is the resistance zone at $77.09 to $81.60.

Bearish Scenario

A sustained move under $64.41 will indicate the return of sellers. If it generates enough downside momentum, we could witness the start of a prolonged down move into the support zone at $52.00 to $51.18.

Crude Oil Outlook Hinges on $64.41 Support as Fundamentals Tighten

While WTI settled lower through Thursday, the broader market picture remains fundamentally constructive. The IEAs confirmation that rising output isnt translating into inventory builds points to underlying demand resilience. Geopolitical risks  from Iraqs supply outages to broader regional tensions  continue to present upside potential, even if price action remains temporarily weighed by macro uncertainty.

Technically, the 52-week moving average at $64.41 is a key line in the sand. With a long-term pivot level at $65.37, the market holds a bullish bias above this zone. A sustained break above both levels would confirm support and likely draw buyers back into the market. Conversely, a move below $64.41 would signal deeper downside risk and shift the focus toward demand deterioration.

For now, the setup leans bullish, provided prices remain anchored above the 52-week average.
Shares of rare earths companies have exploded higher since MP Materials (NYSE:MP) unveiled a game-changing deal with the U.S. Department of Defense that marks the most aggressive federal intervention in the rare earths space in decades. The DoD-backed investment package will see the Nevada-based producer build out a fully domestic magnet supply chain and lock in long-term pricing support for neodymium-praseodymium, the critical alloy used in everything from fighter jets to iPhones. MP shares have doubled in just days, taking year-to-date gains north of 275% and re-rating the entire Western rare earths complex.

The deal isnt just about cash; its about control. Under the agreement, the Pentagon will take a 15% equity stake in MP through a $400 million preferred share issuance and secure warrants for additional common stock down the road. The government is also extending a $150 million loan, while JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are syndicating $1 billion in private financing to bring MPs so-called 10X Facility online. Construction is already underway, with commissioning slated for 2028.

The real deal sweetener is a $110/kg floor price guarantee for NdPr magnets, nearly double todays spot price of $63. That pricing mechanism, backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, creates a bulletproof margin environment for domestic producers and resets the cost basis for long-term buyers across defense, autos, and consumer electronics, according to Reuters.

Analysts say it's the rare earths equivalent of a strategic petroleum reserve, but for permanent magnets.

MPs planned capacity of 10,000 metric tons per year will cover a significant chunk of U.S. magnet demand and more than double current domestic output. For defense planners, the numbers are even more compelling: that volume would be enough to secure magnet supply for the entire F-35 fleet, major missile systems, and naval sonar applicationsall without touching Chinese exports.

The move immediately drew follow-on activity. Apple Inc. said it would invest $500 million to source NdFeB magnets from MP made entirely from recycled feedstock. The tech giant, which has faced mounting scrutiny over its reliance on Chinese rare earths, said production would begin in 2027 and ramp up to cover hundreds of millions of devices per year. Apple will source from MPs upgraded facility in Mountain Pass, California, and its soon-to-be-operational Texas plant, using material pulled from discarded devices and scrap.

The Apple deal adds enormous commercial legitimacy to MPs scale-up and underscores the trend toward localization at the OEM level. Recycled magnet manufacturing has long been viewed as a technical curiosity. Now its a $500 million line item on Apples strategic sourcing agenda.

Meanwhile, rare earth equities have gone vertical. Lynas Rare Earths (OTCPK:LYSDY) surged to a two-year high after Jefferies hiked its price target from A$6.40 to A$10, calling the company the next logical beneficiary of U.S.-led reshoring. Iluka Resources exploded 30% in a single sessionits biggest one-day gain on recordas investors rotated into any name with near-term capacity outside China. Australian juniors like Liontown and Sayona also caught a bid.

MP added to the frenzy by announcing a $500 million common stock offering to fund continued expansion and working capitaltriggering a minor pullback in the stock but doing little to dent the broader narrative. Capital is pouring into rare earths like its 2011.

Defense contractors were quick to endorse the move. Lockheed Martin, prime contractor for the F-35, said it welcomed efforts to strengthen secure, resilient supply chains. Analysts say the move will de-risk magnet inputs for THAAD batteries, Virginia-class submarines, and next-gen missile systems. At the industrial level, General Motors and Stellantis are evaluating new sourcing options for permanent magnet EV motors as they accelerate domestic platform rollouts.

What sets this deal apart is its structure. Rather than handing out tax credits or indirect subsidies, the U.S. government is writing equity checks, underwriting price floors, and letting commercial lenders come in behind. The structure resembles the CHIPS Act, but more serious. Analysts say this model could be replicated for battery anodes, graphite, and even gallium.

Still, execution risks loom. MP will need a reliable pipeline of rare earth oxide feedstock, and while it has upstream capability at Mountain Pass, questions remain about whether that will scale fast enough. Labor and permitting hurdles in both California and Texas could delay full ramp-up. And there's the broader question of how quickly defense and OEM contracts can be converted into long-term offtake agreements.

As of mid-July 2025, Beijing has remained quiet. No official response from the Chinese government or state media has been issued in response to the Pentagon-MP announcement. That silence is notable. In 2024, Chinese officials warned against artificially constructing supply chains without China. That language has not been repeated publicly this year.

But observers note that China's influence remains concentrated in refining, oxide conversion, and separation, areas where Western capacity still lags. Any serious U.S. effort to localize rare earths will inevitably collide with these structural realities, and Beijing may yet respond through informal levers like export permit delays or price manipulation.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Donald Trumps ambitious plans to resuscitate the United States once-dominant coal industry show no signs of materializing so far, as utility companies didnt follow his battle cry, and there still

Due to oil sands resembling mining more than usual oil extraction, the resource base of companies operating there is much larger  CNR, to take but one example, reports 43 years worth of production with 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserves.

New investments in Canadas oil sands are relatively rare, especially now that most oil majors (BP, Chevron, TotalEnergies, and others) sold their assets in Alberta, but that is due to Canadas restrictive carbon regulations.

Oil sands saw their breakevens around $50-52 per barrel before the COVID-19 impact and subsequent wars and sanctions, but by now, most producers are profitable at around $41-43 per barrel.

Whilst Albertas oil sands require substantial capital expenditures upfront, once the projects are online, operational costs can be greatly reduced by means of autonomous mining vehicles, smarter water management, and AI integration.

Canadas oil sands giants, Suncor and Imperial Oil, have become North Americas lowest-cost producers, a key transformation in the upstream landscape as shale producers struggle to break even with new wells as WTI prices still linger around $65-68 per barrel.

Why Isnt Canada Cutting Oil Production?

Canadas oil sands giants, Suncor and Imperial Oil, have become North Americas lowest-cost producers, a key transformation in the upstream landscape as shale producers struggle to break even with new wells as WTI prices still linger around $65-68 per barrel.

Whilst Albertas oil sands require substantial capital expenditures upfront, once the projects are online, operational costs can be greatly reduced by means of autonomous mining vehicles, smarter water management, and AI integration.

Oil sands saw their breakevens around $50-52 per barrel before the COVID-19 impact and subsequent wars and sanctions, but by now, most producers are profitable at around $41-43 per barrel.

New investments in Canadas oil sands are relatively rare, especially now that most oil majors (BP, Chevron, TotalEnergies, and others) sold their assets in Alberta, but that is due to Canadas restrictive carbon regulations.

Due to oil sands resembling mining more than usual oil extraction, the resource base of companies operating there is much larger  CNR, to take but one example, reports 43 years worth of production with 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserves.

Trumps Big Plans for King Coal Might Run Aground

Donald Trumps ambitious plans to resuscitate the United States once-dominant coal industry show no signs of materializing so far, as utility companies didnt follow his battle cry, and there still is no new US coal plant to be built in the upcoming years.

There have not been new coal plants in the US since the 2012 commissioning of the Sandy Creek Energy Station in Texas, with nearly 166 GW of coal capacity retired across the country between 2000 and 2024.

More than 75% of currently operating coal plants are 40 years old or more, exceeding their initial planned lifespan, with more than 35 GW of supercritical capacity in the US being more than 50 years old.

US coal exports have also been on the decline, with H1 outflows dipping 7% year-over-year to 40.37 million tonnes, largely because Australia and Indonesia are closer to key demand outlets in Asia and have been outbidding US coal.

With no workable export markets to expand into, the Trump administrations Beautiful Clean Coal agenda might only lead to extending operational lifespans for existing assets, with limited to no impact on coal mining and demand.

Drone Strikes End Iraqs OPEC+ Overproduction Nightmare

The semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has long been Baghdads main headache as it tried to persuade OPEC+ peers that its constant overproduction was happening against its will, but that might end soon, and all it took was a couple of drone attacks.

Drones, purportedly launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned militias, have struck the Tawke, Peshkabir, Khurmala, and Sarsang oil fields in just two days, concurrently targeting the main gas power station in the regions capital, Erbil.

Interestingly, merely a day after the drone attacks came to an end, the Iraqi federal government announced that the Kurdish Regional Government agreed to resume oil exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, following a prolonged halt that started in February 2023.

Iraqi Kurdistan was believed to be producing 280,000 b/d before the drone attacks; but after five fields reported physical damage to infrastructure, the regions output dropped to just 70-80,000 b/d.

EU Sanctions Derail Russias Giant Refinery Sale in India

The European Unions upcoming 18th package of sanctions might inadvertently lower the global energy M&A landscape as it directly targets Indias Nayara refinery, majority owned by Russias state oil company Rosneft.

Rosneft purchased a 49.13% in Indias second-largest refinery back in 2017, paying $12.9 billion for a 400,000 b/d plant in Vadinar as well as nearly 7,000 retail fuel outlets across the country.

In recent months, however, Rosneft initiated negotiations with several regional majors, including Indias leading private refiner Reliance and Saudi Arabias national oil company Aramco, as it struggles to repatriate earnings from Nayaras operations due to sanctions.

Nayara has so far accounted for 16% of Indias imports of Russian crude oil in 2025 to date, importing some 285,000 b/d, and its inclusion in the European Unions blacklist will probably scare off potential buyers.

According to the EUs sanctions, from now on, Nayara will not be allowed to export any refined products to Europe, leaving Reliance as the only Indian refinery able to do so, which should be a great boon for US diesel cracks, as the Gulf Coast will latch onto this opportunity.

East Asia Doubles Down on US Oil Before It Gets Too Late

Seeking to appease the Trump administrations tariff frenzy, several East Asian nations have taken to maximizing US crude oil imports as a negotiation tactic, but some might be reaching the limits of these imports.

Indonesias state energy company Pertamina signed a memorandum of understanding with the US on crude oil supply this month, whilst Thailand has already ramped up its WTI imports to 150,000 b/d, a 15% increase from a year ago.

Even though South Korea has been trying to import higher US flows through state-owned entities, including barrels for its strategic storage, private refiners such as SK and Hanwha TotalEnergies signalled that theyd only buy US crude oil if it is more profitable than competing grades.

The US light sweet benchmark WTI usually trades at a premium to regional competitors such as Murban, mostly reflecting the higher logistics costs, but in recent months, the premium dipped to just $1 per barrel, making WTI imports more palatable.

US Reserves Dip Lower as Peak Supply Scenarios Loom Large

According to the US Energy Information Administration, US proven reserves of crude and condensate dipped to 46 billion barrels as of end-2023, a 4% decline from the previous years record.

Reserve additions have been continuous over the past decade, except for the 2015 price collapse and the 2020 pandemic impact, indicating that US oil growth is structurally set to plateau over the upcoming years.

The single largest year-over-year change in US reserves came from the Bakken play in North Dakota, shedding more than 600 million barrels compared to 2022, whilst New Mexico saw the biggest increase with the net addition of 380 million barrels.

The state of Texas accounts for 43% of US crude and condensate reserves (20.1 billion barrels), with New Mexico trailing in second place with a 15% share (6.5 billion barrels) and the Gulf of America closing the top three with 10% (4.6 billion barrels).

The decrease in US natural gas reserves was even more marked than for crude, falling by 12.6% (or 87 TCf) from a year ago to 603.6 TCf, with every single large producing basin seeing year-over-year declines.

Ruthenium Outshines Palladium and Gold to Become Top Metal of 2025

Ruthenium, one of the worlds rarest elements, rose to prominence lately as it doubled in price over the past year to $800 per ounce, becoming the best-performing metal of 2025 so far.

Thanks to its particularly high wear resistance, ruthenium is an indispensable element in the production of chips and hard disk drives, and exponentially growing data storage needs ratchet up demand for the rare metal.

Simultaneously, ruthenium is a key component in catalysts used to produce caprolactam, the feedstock to create nylon, and Chinas booming chemical sector demand helped to trigger a massive shortage of the metal.

Given that ruthenium is not traded on any exchanges, it has become exceptionally difficult to source it, also because it mostly comes as a by-product of platinum output, with a mere 30 tonnes produced in 2024.

Some 80% of global ruthenium is supplied from South Africa, with Russia coming in second place, leaving supply for a key component of the upcoming AI revolution in very fragile hands.
Joshua Jackson is "bummed out" by the cancellation of Doctor Odyssey.

Joshua Jackson's Doctor Odyssey has been axed after just one season

The 47-year-old actor had a great time filming the medical drama and has been left mystified as to why it was axed by ABC after just one season, despite giving the network its most-watched debut drama in five years.

He told People magazine: "I'm always bummed out when a show gets cancelled. I really, really enjoyed the experience.

"That was a really good group of people, and it was a really fun show.

"But this is a crazy and difficult business, and whatever the reasons were for them not wanting to move forward with it, they don't actually tell us those things.

"I'm going to miss the gang for sure."

Joshua is "sad" he won't get to return to the show but he hoped fans still had a great time watching.

He said: "I hope they got the same thing that we got out of it, which was that it was a beautiful, over-the-top kind of experience that was like nothing else on television, I don't think.

"I'm sad that we don't get to go back and do it again. But I really enjoyed the time that we did get to do it."

The former Dawson's Creek star confirmed his contract had "lapsed" so the show was cancelled by default, and though there is always a possibility Doctor Odyssey could return with a new cast, he thinks it is unlikely.

He said: "They may make that show with somebody else.

"I have no idea what their plans are. They haven't let me know, but I am not holding my breath that it's coming back."

Doctor Odyssey was co-created by Ryan Murphy and the actor heaped praise on his experience working with the American Horror Story showrunner.

He said: "He dreams up incredible worlds, and he puts together great teams, both in front of the camera and behind the camera.

"So I know everybody from that show is going to be okay, everybody's good. It's a bummer we don't get to do it again, but I'm happy for the time that we got."
Libyas eastern authorities have submitted a new note to the UN asserting maritime claims that extend beyond Crete, escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The move, which reasserts Libyas 2019 maritime agreement with Ankara, comes amid heightened regional diplomacy and renewed Cypriot-Turkish deadlock. Greece has dismissed the claims as legally void, but the timing reflects growing alignment between Khalifa Haftars eastern bloc in Libya and Turkish strategic aims, despite earlier being staunch enemies. Haftar is now positioning himself as a gatekeeper to offshore gas corridors and international recognition. With Turkeys foreign minister engaging at the UN on Cyprus,

Trumps sudden reversal on Russia (shifting from passive tolerance to a 50-day ultimatum backed by tariff threats and conditional arms for Ukraine) is not rooted in strategy or ideology. Its ego-centric. Its not a policy shift in the traditional sense. Trump is attempting to reassert dominance after concluding that Putin is no longer playing by his rules. The tariffs, like the deadline, are not structured instruments aimed at isolating Russia economically. They are improvised leverage or public pressure designed to force behavioral change through uncertainty. Trump offered space earlier in the year, and Russia refused the deal. Now the price is higher. The 50-day window is about raising the stakes for anyone still hedging.

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict

Trumps sudden reversal on Russia (shifting from passive tolerance to a 50-day ultimatum backed by tariff threats and conditional arms for Ukraine) is not rooted in strategy or ideology. Its ego-centric. Its not a policy shift in the traditional sense. Trump is attempting to reassert dominance after concluding that Putin is no longer playing by his rules. The tariffs, like the deadline, are not structured instruments aimed at isolating Russia economically. They are improvised leverage or public pressure designed to force behavioral change through uncertainty. Trump offered space earlier in the year, and Russia refused the deal. Now the price is higher. The 50-day window is about raising the stakes for anyone still hedging.

Libyas eastern authorities have submitted a new note to the UN asserting maritime claims that extend beyond Crete, escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The move, which reasserts Libyas 2019 maritime agreement with Ankara, comes amid heightened regional diplomacy and renewed Cypriot-Turkish deadlock. Greece has dismissed the claims as legally void, but the timing reflects growing alignment between Khalifa Haftars eastern bloc in Libya and Turkish strategic aims, despite earlier being staunch enemies. Haftar is now positioning himself as a gatekeeper to offshore gas corridors and international recognition. With Turkeys foreign minister engaging at the UN on Cyprus, Libyas new maritime push creates leverage for Ankara on multiple fronts: it pressures Greece, undercuts Egypts quiet coordination with Haftars rivals in Tripoli, and signals continued Turkish reach in Mediterranean maritime negotiations. The note verbale is unlikely to result in enforcement but reshapes the legal-political map enough to keep energy and boundary negotiations unsettled, and both Ankara and Haftar benefit from this ambiguity.

Discovery & Development

ConocoPhillips is ramping up oil exploration in Alaskas National Petroleum Reserve, aiming to drill four wells and run seismic surveys over 300 square miles this winter. The push comes as the company looks beyond the $7B Willow project, which is set to start flowing 180,000 bpd by 2029. New activity is backed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Republicans and signed by Trump, mandating at least five lease sales and a rollback to Trump-era rules. Conoco sees Alaska as a long-term oil play with 8.7 billion barrels still on the table.

Azule Energy, the BPEni joint venture, just struck gas in Angolas first-ever exploration well dedicated solely to gas. Drilled in Block 1/14 of the Lower Congo Basin, the Gajajeira-01 well hit pay with over 1 Tcf of gas and 100 million barrels of condensate, according to early estimates. The find is being called a turning point for Angolas gas ambitions, which have long played second fiddle to oil. Azule operates the block with 35%, alongside Equinor (30%), Sonangol (25%), and local firm Acrep (10%).

Aker BP hit more oil in Norways North Sea, confirming two out of five targets at its Omega Alfa well in the Yggdrasil area. The discovery adds to rising volumes there, with recoverables now pegged at 700 MMboe, up from 650 MMboe after folding in the East Frigg Beta/Epsilon find. Yggdrasils first oil is still expected in 2027, but cost estimates have climbed to $12.1B. Meanwhile, pipelay and topsides construction are advancing fast, and the companys broader North Sea and Norwegian Sea projectsincluding Valhall, Alvheim, Johan Sverdrup, and Skarv Satellitesare all pushing toward fresh output over the next two years.

CNOOC has made another major find in the Beibu Gulf, striking a 211-meter oil and gas pay zone at its WZ10-5S-2d wellits second big hit in the area after the earlier 283-meter pay at WZ10-5-1Sa. The new well, drilled to 3,362 meters, is the first major breakthrough in Chinas offshore exploration of metamorphic sandstone and slate buried hills. Initial flows hit 400 bpd of crude and 165 Mcf/d of gas, reinforcing CNOOCs bet on deep play and buried hill formations. The company says this opens the door to large-scale exploration in mature basins like Beibu, with more production gains likely in the pipeline.

Chevron is backing a $100M exploration push in Perus offshore Block Z-62, partnering with Anadarko after seismic studies revealed signs of a new oil and gas field. The block, located off La Libertad and Lambayeque, could help Peru close its hydrocarbon trade gapcurrently importing double the diesel it produces. The plan includes drilling five exploratory and ten confirmatory wellsa significant step in boosting domestic output. Perus energy ministry is framing the project as a critical step toward energy security and long-overdue reactivation of its oil and gas sector.

Equinors wildcat well 34/6-8 S in the North Seas Garantiana NV prospect came up dry, with no hydrocarbons found in the Cook Formation target. The well, drilled by the Deepsea Atlantic rig, hit 105 meters of Cook Formation but encountered only water-bearing sandstone. Its the eighth well in PL 554 and has now been permanently plugged and abandoned. This follows another dry hole at the Lit prospect, though Equinor did recently score a gas find at its Skred prospect in the Barents Sea.

Assam is now the first state in India with a direct stake in crude production, following a hydrocarbon discovery at the Namrup Borhat-1 well. Through a likely 10% interest via Assam Hydrocarbon and Energy Co., the state will share in both the revenue and risk alongside Oil India Ltd. (OIL). Assam already ranks #3 in Indias onshore crude output, but this shift from royalty recipient to equity partner puts it in a new league. Chief Minister Sarma called it a milestone for energy security and a signal that Assam is done playing a passive role in Indias oil story.

BlackRock is leading a group set to invest around $10B in Saudi Aramcos massive Jafurah gas project, marking another pipeline-style leaseback deal. Like Aramcos 2021 infrastructure transactions, the group wont own the assets outrightAramco keeps control while paying tariffs to investors for using the pipelines and processing facilities. Jafurah is Aramcos $100B shale gas bet, touted as the largest non-U.S. shale project, and key to boosting Saudi gas output 60% by 2030. For Saudi Arabia, its another way to cash in on energy assets without relinquishing control, while shoring up funds for economic diversification.

Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

SLB just locked in final approval for its $7.8B merger with ChampionX after the UKs CMA signed off on a package of divestitures aimed at easing monopoly fears. The dealdelayed for months by regulatory scrutinywill close Wednesday, giving SLB new firepower in production chemicals and drilling services. To get it done, SLB and ChampionX agreed to offload overlapping UK assets, sell ChampionXs US Synthetic unit, and license quartz sensor tech to competitors. Norway's competition authority had already greenlit the deal in April, clearing the last real hurdle.

Perenco has wrapped up its acquisition of Woodsides Greater Angostura assets in Trinidad & Tobago, securing operatorship of offshore fields producing 50,000 boepd. The deal includes stakes in the 2(C) and 3(A) PSCs plus an onshore terminal, and pushes Perencos T&T output above 100,000 boepd. The move deepens its foothold in the region and boosts gas output to over 500 mscfd. Perenco says it's banking on its expertise in mature fields to extend the life of Angostura while backing T&Ts economic growth.
Oil prices were ticking up slightly but largely flat in Asian trading Friday as supply losses from Iraqi pipeline disruptions were offset by renewed demand concerns tied to U.S. tariff threats against key Asian economies. Brent crude edged up to $69.78 and WTI was trading at $67.75 at 2.25 a.m. ET, with both benchmarks holding narrow gains despite broader market uncertainty.

Multiple drone strikes near oil infrastructure in Iraqi Kurdistan this week forced the suspension of production at several fields. The attacks disrupted operations and prompted a temporary halt in output. No group has claimed responsibility, but the incidents mark the most serious disruption in the region since April.

The latest strikes have shut in at least 150,000 barrels per day of oil production across multiple sites, with some estimates nearing 200,000 bpd of shut-ins. The fields are operated by international consortia under contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Energy officials in Kurdistan told Reuters that the region's output stood at approximately 285,000?bpd before production was slashed by up to 150,000?bpd due to the attacks, cutting output nearly in half

Tariff warfare, however, appears to be in the driver's seat with respect to oil markets this week, overtaking fears of supply shut-ins in Iraqi Kurdistan. Growing fears of a tariff escalation between the U.S. and multiple Asian exporters have added pressure to fuel demand forecasts.

With global growth already showing signs of slowing, the possibility of another round of tit-for-tat trade measures has weighed more heavily on oil sentiment than localized supply shocks. Reuters cited analysts on Friday as saying that the muted price response to the Kurdistan outages suggests markets are increasingly discounting temporary disruptions unless they escalate or coincide with broader geopolitical risk.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Freeport LNGs Texas export terminal was set to increase natural gas intake on Thursday following a shutdown of one of its three liquefaction trains earlier in the week, according to a company filing with state regulators and gas flow data from LSEG, as reported by Energy Now.

In a notice to Texas environmental officials on Wednesday, Freeport reported an emissions event after Train 2 went offline Tuesday night due to a compressor system malfunction.

The development comes shortly after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday granted Freeport LNG Development LP an additional 40 months to complete its fourth liquefaction train. The extension moves the deadline to December 1, 2031, allowing the company more time to restart construction following delays caused by the June 2022 explosion that shut down the facility.

Train 4 would add 5 million tonnes per annum of LNG export capacity to Freeports existing three-train terminal, which currently operates at 15 mtpa. Once completed, total nameplate capacity would rise to nearly 20 mtpa. The expansion was originally approved in 2019 under Docket CP17-470. According to Natural Gas Intelligence, this marks the third time Freeport has requested an extension for the project.

The 2022 explosion was caused by overpressurized piping and resulted in a fire that shut down all liquefaction operations. Freeport remained offline for more than six months while conducting a root-cause investigation and implementing FERC- and PHMSA-mandated safety upgrades. Partial service resumed in early 2023 under revised regulatory conditions.

Freeport is the second-largest LNG export facility in the United States, accounting for roughly 15 percent of U.S. liquefaction capacity. Hart Energy reports that the company continues to evaluate financing and contractor alignment before issuing a final investment decision on Train 4.

Construction timelines remain dependent on permitting conditions, capital structure, and global LNG demand.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Israels only Red Sea port at Eilat is on the verge of a full commercial halt as municipal authorities freeze the operators accounts, citing unpaid taxes and concession fees totaling around NIS 10 million (~$3 million). The financial crisis reflects the sharp fallout from nearly 20 months of Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, which have slashed port revenues by over 90%, according to the Times of Israel.

The closure, which is set to begin on July 20, has been confirmed by both Israels Ports Authority and National Emergency Authority, with additional reporting by Marine Insight. Regional sources, including Middle East Eye, highlight that municipal authorities froze the ports accounts after months of deferred payments and repeated shortfalls, with throughput effectively collapsed since late 2023.

The Eilat port has strategic national importance to Israel as the countrys southern gateway on the Red Sea for maritime trade with the Far East, India, and Australia, and constitutes a significant economic anchor for the city and its residents, Eilat port CEO Gideon Golber told The Times of Israel. The closure of a strategic seaport in Israel would be a huge international success for the Houthis that none of our enemies have ever achieved.

From an energy-sector standpoint, the shutdown impairs not only general trade volumes but also strategic flows such as potash exports and potential crude oil movements via the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline. Shipping firms now face costly rerouting either to Mediterranean terminals or via the Cape of Good Hope. However, that alternative adds over 6,000 nautical miles and days to transit times.

Analysts say the financial unraveling at Eilat reflects the wider vulnerability of Red Sea logistics infrastructure under massive and lasting pressure. With no clear resolution in sight, maritime risk premiums are rising, and Israeli authorities face a dilemma: absorb emergency losses to sustain operations or abandon the Red Sea corridor altogether. Either choice carries implications for regional energy supply chains and long-term port viability.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Despite Baghdads assurances that oil exports from Kurdistan will resume immediately after more than two years, the semi-autonomous Iraqi region isnt prepared to restart exports, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

Amid drone attacks on oilfields in Kurdistan this week, which have shut in about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) in production, the federal Iraqi government said on Thursday that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) would immediately begin delivering at least 230,000 bpd to Iraqs state oil marketing firm SOMO for export. The exports would be carried out under a new agreement approved by the federal cabinet, Baghdad said on Thursday.

However, a source close to APIKUR, the association of companies active in Kurdistan, told Reuters that the restart of exports depends on the receipt of written agreements.

Another source at the company operating the pipeline via Turkey to the Mediterranean coast of Ceyhan, KAR Group, told Reuters that there havent been any preparations for an imminent resumption of exports.

The federal government in Baghdad and the regional Kurdish government in Erbil have been squabbling for more than two years over who should be responsible for the oil exports and the subsequent revenue distribution.

The federal authorities say Baghdad should have sole discretion in handling oil exports and oil revenues.

Oil exports from Kurdistan have now been halted nearly two and a half years after they were shut in in March 2023 due to a dispute over who should authorize the Kurdish exports. Despite some breakthroughs in negotiations in recent months, the disagreements apparently continue, and Kurdistans oil exports continue to be shut in.

Before the halt to exports, oil supply from Kurdistan averaged more than 400,000 bpd.

The issue with the resumption of exports was raised again this week after foreign companies operating some oilfields in the semi-autonomous region were forced to halt output following attacks with explosive-laden drones on infrastructure at the fields.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Slovakia will lift its veto with which it was holding up the required unanimous approval of the EUs 18th sanctions package against Russia, Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico says.

Earlier this week, Fico said that Slovakia would drop its veto on the EUs new sanctions against Russia if it receives an exemption to continue importing Russian pipeline gas for nearly another decade.

On Monday, the EU failed to approve the package, which is set to include a floating oil price cap for Russias crude and a ban on the use of Nord Stream infrastructure, due to Slovakias veto.

Slovakias Fico said early this week that the EU guarantees on its energy security after January 1, 2028, when the EU plans to have dropped all Russian gas supply, have been insufficient.

Slovakia has tied dropping its veto on the sanctions package with sufficient energy security guarantees.

However, in a last-minute twist, Fico is now conceding that it would accept the EU guarantees on its energy security.

All negotiation options have been exhausted, and maintaining our blocking stance would endanger our national interests, Fico said in a video posted on Facebook.

Im therefore instructing our representatives in the EU to lift the block and allow the 18th sanctions package to proceed.

Slovakia and Hungary have often stalled talks on sanctions packages and EU plans to ditch Russian gas, arguing their energy security would be at stake.

Unlike most other EU member states, Hungary and Slovakia continue to receive Russian gas via a pipeline through Balkans.

The European Unions executive arm, the European Commission, in May unveiled a roadmap to fully end EU dependency on Russian energy. For gas, the Commission proposes to cease all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027 by improving the transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas across the EU markets. New contracts with suppliers of Russian gas will be prevented and spot contracts (for immediate payment) will be stopped by the end of 2025, according to the roadmap.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The Trump Administration is expected to unveil a so-called AI Action Plan to detail policy guidelines, including expanding power sources for data centers and easing regulations, sources briefed by administration officials told Bloomberg on Friday.

The AI Action Plan is expected within days, with a set of measures to accelerate the development of AI in the United States. Some of the policies in the plan will be enacted via executive orders that President Trump will sign, according to Bloombergs sources.

In an executive order in his first days in office, President Trump directed in January relevant government agencies and bodies to develop and submit to the President an action plan to achieve the U.S. policy to sustain and enhance Americas global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.

This week, the Trump Administration announced more than $90 billion worth of AI and energy investments in Pennsylvania. These include Googles $25 billion investment in data centers and infrastructure, Blackstones $25 billion investment in data centers and natural gas plants, and CoreWeaves $6 billion investment in data center expansion.

President Trumps agenda for next week includes remarks on AI at an event on July 23, so its possible that the AI Action Plan is unveiled around that date.

In the energy sector, U.S. power utilities have announced billions of dollars in capital plans for the next few years and are getting a lot of requests from commercial users, most notably Big Tech, for new power capacity in many areas next to planned data centers.

Onshoring of manufacturing activity and AI-related data centers are driving an increase in U.S. electricity consumption, Goldman Sachs said in a report earlier this year.

U.S. electrical power demand is expected to rise by 2.4% each year through 2030, with AI-related demand accounting for about two-thirds of the incremental power demand in the country, the investment bank said.

The worlds biggest economy will need all energy sources to ensure power demand is met. Natural gas is the biggest near-term winner of AI advancements, but renewables will also play a key role in powering the data centers of next-generation computing, analysts say.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Rachel Brosnahan "was a real champion" for Mikaela Hoover on the set of Superman.

Mikaela Hoover has heaped praise on Rachel Brosnahan

The 41-year-old actress plays gossip columnist Cat Grant in the new superhero movie, and Mikaela has heaped praise on her co-star, revealing that they developed a close bond during the shoot.

Mikaela told People: "I got the opportunity to get the closest to Rachel and I value that friendship so much. She was a real champion for me through this entire movie, and I will be grateful to her for that."

Mikaela also praised director James Gunn for helping to unite the cast, which also featured the likes of David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, and Isabela Merced.

The actress said: "I love the entire cast. James Gunn has a knack for pulling together the best humans. I got close to a lot of the actors."

Mikaela actually likened the on-set vibe to attending a "summer camp".

She shared: "When we wrapped, we would always go get dinner and stay up late talking."

Earlier this week, David praised James for creating a "familial feeling" on the set of the new Superman movie.

The 32-year-old actor revealed that he relished the experience of watching the movie for the first time with the cast and crew at the world premiere in Los Angeles.

David - who plays the titular character in the film - said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: "Usually I watch a movie early. If I'm nervous, I want to get my self-conscious viewing out of the way early. But when I started seeing the trailers, I kind of got the feeling of what it might be to watch the movie as an audience member, and there was this ... uplifting energy and feeling of inspiration.

"It feels like the movies that I grew up watching and loved, so I wanted to preserve the experience.

"It was a great audience for it. Big crowd and the cast and some of our crew and loved ones ... so it was just a very positive and supportive audience."

David subsequently praised James, 58, for creating a supportive attitude on set.

The actor explained: "James Gunn does that deliberately. He really makes a familial feeling ... He loves what he does."

David actually watched the movie for a second time at a cinema in Philadelphia.

The Hollywood star shared: "That was the first viewing and there was some self-consciousness, so I needed to go back. So I snuck into the back of an IMAX screening outside of Philly with a couple of friends.

"It was great. It was better the second time."
WASHINGTON  The House was expected to vote late Thursday to approve President Donald Trump's request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans target institutions and programs they view as out of step with their agenda.

The White House described the package as a test case and said that if Congress went along, more would come. The House's approval would mark the first time in decades that a president successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and even then the results were more mixed. Unlike other presidents, Trump is getting almost all the cuts he requested.

Opponents voiced concerns not only about the programs targeted, but about Congress ceding its spending powers to the executive branch as investments approved on a bipartisan basis are being subsequently canceled on party-line votes. No Democrats supported the measure when it passed the Senate, 51-48, in the early morning hours Thursday. Two Republicans also voted no.

"We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters.

The package cancels about $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and almost $8 billion for a variety of foreign aid programs, many designed to help countries where drought, disease and political unrest endure.

The effort to claw back a sliver of federal spending comes just weeks after Republicans also muscled through Trump's tax and spending cut bill without any Democratic support. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that measure will increase the U.S. debt by about $3.3 trillion over the coming decade.

A heavy blow to CPB

The cancellation of $1.1 billion for the CPB represents the full amount it is due to receive during the next two budget years.

The White House claims the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense.

The corporation distributes more than two-thirds of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to support national programming.

Democrats were unsuccessful in restoring in the Senate.

Lawmakers with large rural constituencies are concerned about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some local public stations in their state.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Tuesday the stations are "not just your news  it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert."

Less than a day later, as the Senate debated the bill, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the remote Alaska Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings on local public broadcasting stations that advised people to get to higher ground.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he secured a deal from the White House that some money administered by the Interior Department would be repurposed to subsidize Native American public radio stations in about a dozen states.

But Kate Riley, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, a network of locally owned and operated stations, said that deal was "at best a short-term, half-measure that will still result in cuts and reduced service at the stations it purports to save."

Senate passes $9B in spending cuts; TSA liquids rule could change

Cuts to foreign aid

Among the foreign aid cuts are $800 million for a program that provides emergency shelter, water and family reunification for refugees and $496 million to provide food, water and health care for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. There also is a $4.15 billion cut to programs that boost economies and democratic institutions in developing nations.

Democrats argue the Republican administration's animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America's standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the amount it takes to save a starving child or prevent the transmission of disease is minuscule, even as the investments secure cooperation with the U.S. on other issues. The cuts made to foreign aid programs through Trump's Department of Government Efficiency were having life-and-death consequences around the world, he said.

"People are dying right now, not in spite of us but because of us," Schatz said. "We are causing death."

After objections from several Republicans, GOP leaders took out a $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a politically popular program to combat HIV/AIDS that is credited with saving millions of lives since its creation under Republican President George W. Bush.

Future spending fights

Democrats say the bill upends a legislative process that typically requires lawmakers from both parties to work together to fund the nation's priorities.

Triggered by the official rescissions request from the White House, the legislation only needs a simple majority vote to advance instead of the 60 votes usually required to break a filibuster. That meant Republicans could use their 53-47 majority to pass it along party lines.

In the end, two Republican senators, Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, joined with Democrats in voting against the bill, though a few other Republicans raised concerns about the process.

Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the imminent successful passage of the rescissions shows "enthusiasm" for getting the nation's fiscal situation under control.

"We're happy to go to great lengths to get this thing done," he said during a breakfast with reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

In response to questions about the relatively small size of the cuts  $9 billion  Vought said that was because "I knew it would be hard" to pass in Congress.

Vought said another rescissions package is 'likely to come soon."

"But we're not there yet," he said.
That may sound like a silly question, but my sister posed it when she gifted me a copy for my birthday. The latest novel from Kristin Hannah is titled The Women. How could it not?

On the surface, it seems to be, from its title to its plot, the story of a girl who joins the army and becomes a doppelganger of a troubled Vietnam veteran. A woman making her way in a mans world is the tired trope of feminist storytelling. However, this one is subversive to the point of being anti-feminist.

First, lets be clear where feminism stands today. This social movement generally gets described in waves. First wave feminism was limited to isonomia (equality under the law), seeking suffrage and the right to own property. Each succeeding wave after that has been challenging gender norms itself. Moving us from Betty Friedans The Feminist Mystique (1963) which found motherhood boring and unfulfilling to Hillary Clintons classic put-down when defending her conflict of interest as a lawyer in Arkansas when her husband was governor. Telling her 60 Minutes interviewer in 1992 I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession.

In The Women, Hannah surreptitiously turns this idea on its head. True to the 1960s, the main character Frankie McGrath doesnt fight in the infantry. Shes a recent nursing major graduate who joins the Army Nurse Corps. Feminist fiction tends to avoid traditionally female jobs, writing female characters into action roles intended to transform stereotypes or would have her be a doctor rather than a nurse.

While that might be explained by good historical fiction writing, sticking to period-confirming probabilities, its another technique of historical fiction writing that foreshadows this novels message. Writers of historical fiction tend to weave period-specific books into the narrative, nonchalantly mentioning what a character is reading.

When Hannah does this, the books have a common theme: women unfulfilled because their plans for motherhood go wrong.

Graham Greenes The Quiet American

Ken Keseys Sometimes a Great Notion

Ira Levins Rosemarys Baby

Jacqueline Susanns Valley of the Dolls

And ultimately, The Women joins that theme. The book concludes with Frankie McGrath arriving at the good life by finding the right man. Far from Irina Dunns A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, the plot of this book is a series of attractions, rejections, and longings to be a wife and mother. McGraths service in Vietnam does what military service often does: it delays and interferes with the volunteers later civilian life. Her suffering as a Vietnam vet is depicted as a detour when contrasted with her friends who all got married right after school and live happier, more stable lives as wives.

The role of women in society remains possibly the most divisive cultural issue today. Like the appearance of this book, the real story is more complicated than the surface view. At first glance, the traditional roles of women as wives and mothers look like they have been permanently defeated by a cultural revolution. American women attend college at higher rates than men and regularly go on to be doctors, lawyers, and managers. However, its not misogynistic men successfully fighting back against the tide of social progress that keeps the role of women a salient issue. Instead, its the social cost borne by professional women fearing they are missing out, plagued by innate longings for the love of a stereotypically masculine man and an irrepressible craving for childrens love that holds total transformation back. Kristin Hannahs The Women stealthily speaks to this tremendous tension all around us.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.
Olivia Attwood has shared the details of the break-in at her home - admitting it is a "horrible feeling that someone's been in your house".

Bradley Deck and his wife Olivia Attwood

On Thursday (17.07.25), the 34-year-old TV personality and her 31-year-old husband, Gillingham midfielder Bradley Dack, expressed their thanks to a private security team, as well as the local Cheshire police force, for responding quickly to an alert that crooks had tried to break into their lavish 1 million property.

Now, Olivia - who has lived in the property with Bradley and their dogs Lola and Stitch since 2022 - has revealed the burglars "smashed a second-floor window" and entered the property, which then triggered an alert to her and Bradley's security team "30 seconds" later.

The crooks stole "some stuff" but "didn't get what they came for" - of which Olivia did not reveal.

Speaking in a TikTok video as she sat in the back of a taxi, Olivia said: "So obviously I cant go into too much detail because its an open investigation now.

But some scumbags basically smashed a second-floor window, went in, and the security team got the notification within like 30 seconds, and they were there within two minutes with dogs.

The little scumbags ran off. They got some stuff but they didnt get what they came for, and now I have to just show face because its a really important work day and Im feeling a bit tired and a little bit emosh, but yeah, brave face.

In another TikTok video posted on Thursday, Olivia - who was in Spain at the time of the incident - went for a gym session to release her "rage".

She said: "Our house got broken into last night, and I just did a 5am gym sesh because I need to get rid of some of the rage, and I need to get ready for the busiest f****** day of my life."

In a third TikTok video, Olivia replied to a fan who asked how her and Bradley's dogs, Carpathian/German Shepherd mix Lola and Rottweiler Stitch, are doing.

She said: "We weren't there and the dogs weren't there. Obviously, if you know my dogs, the rescue shepherd and rottweiler, no one's getting into my house and not getting out unalived if my dogs are in there.

"So these f******, like disgusting vermin, were obviously tracking the house, and they obviously went at a time they knew the dogs weren't there, but they didn't know that we had security with a dog team, so they came down so quickly, thank God.

"And it's just a horrible thing; the feeling that someone's been in your house. Even though they didn't take the most valuable things, it's just the feeling. It's so horrible."

Olivia revealed she and Bradley have now been burgled three times.

She continued: "And we have had that happened to us before in Manchester. It's the third time we've been burgled in different houses up there.

"It's just sad, isn't it? A sad society. But look, life goes on.

"There's a lot worse things that could happen. So, we keep it moving.

"I like to think I'm a tough gal, but obviously I was awake from like 2am until 6am, and didn't sleep last night because I was on-and-off the phone with police, security team, neighbours. And I was upset and stressed, and I literally just worked.

"That's probably why I look like an ageing rocker.

"My head's going to hit the pillow tonight, and I'm going to be out.

"We've got people at the house looking after everything."
SPRINGFIELD  When Lee Enterprises reported earlier this month that Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton decided against taking money from corporate political action committees in her run for retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's seat, it was noted that there were caveats.

Those were on full display as Stratton and others reported earlier this week how much they raised between April 1 and June 30.

Stratton announced raising nearly $1.1 million while spending $417,286. This left her with $666,416 cash on hand, though about $185,000 of that can't be used until the general election campaign.

To be in compliance with her self-imposed "no corporate PAC money" pledge, Stratton returned a $5,000 contribution from a political action committee representing Marquis Energy, a corporation that operates a north-central Illinois ethanol plant.

But, as has previously been highlighted, there are ways around the pledge.

Case in point: Six executives of the family-run corporation donated to Stratton's campaign in their personal capacity. This technically complies with Stratton's pledge, though it's not far-fetched to believe that the executives had the interests of their ethanol plant in mind when giving to her campaign.

This is just one observation from second quarter filings with the Federal Elections Commission and Illinois State Board of Elections this week.

Here are four more interesting fundraising observations from Illinois politics and government:

Pritzkers give big to Stratton

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was quick to endorse his No. 2 in the Senate race. And he and his were quick to follow up with financial support.

The billionaire governor and seven members of his family each donated $7,000 apiece to Stratton's campaign, the maximum allowed under law.

In addition to the governor, First Lady MK Pritzker and their adult children Teddi and Donny donated to Stratton. Pritzker's cousins Gigi, John and Jennifer and first cousin once removed Adam also gave Stratton the maximum amount, totaling $56,000.

The real question moving forward will be whether Pritzker financially backs a super PAC supporting Stratton. While campaign finance laws place strict restrictions on how much individuals can contribute directly to candidates, super PACs, which can support candidates and causes but can't directly coordinate with them, can receive and spend unlimited amounts.

Before Durbin announced his retirement, Stratton launched her own Level Up PAC. And in May, Illinois Blue PAC was formed to explicitly support her candidacy.

In addition to the Pritzker family, Stratton received contributions from Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz and Bulls and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf along with Reinsdorf's son Michael, who runs the Bulls day-to-day. She was also backed by many involved in state government, including Intersect Illinois chairman John Atkinson and several state lawmakers.

Krishnamoorthi dominates fundraising

Get used to seeing Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi's face on television.

The Schaumburg Democrat has spent years preparing to run for Durbin's seat, amassing an enormous war chest that made him an immediate frontrunner when he officially launched his campaign in May.

Krishnamoorthi continued to be the most prolific fundraiser in the Illinois delegation, raising more than $3.1 million last quarter, upping his cash on hand to more than $21.1 million.

This puts him at a more than 30-to-1 advantage against Stratton, who had to start from scratch since state and federal campaign accounts are separate.

And it places him at a more than 8-to-1 advantage over Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Lynwood, who is also running for Durbin's seat. Kelly raised $573,831 last quarter and has about $2.45 million in the bank.

With this fundraising advantage, Krishnamoorthi launched the first television ad of the campaign this week. To give context, the $500,000 buy, which covers a week of ads on broadcast television and streaming platforms, is about the same amount as Stratton has in the bank.

Downstate congressional districts

As much as Illinois Republicans would love Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, to jump into the race for the open U.S. Senate seat, he is far more likely to run for reelection and continue to climb the leadership ladder in the House.

Regardless, LaHood took full advantage of his flirtation with a Senate bid, raising $688,213 last quarter, bringing his total cash on hand to more than $6.23 million. He serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, raised $386,480 and has nearly $2.26 million in the bank. Progressive primary challenger Dylan Blaha of Urbana reported having just $2,223 on hand while Republicans Jeff Wilson and Joshua Loyd reported $45,543 and $1,185, respectively.

Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-East Moline, raised $399,496 and had $544,742 in the bank. Republican challenger Dillan Vancil raised $44,045 and had $34,223 on hand.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, raised $283,598 and has $498,219 on hand. The six-term incumbent won the GOP primary by less than 3,000 votes against former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey in 2024. However, it does not appear like Bailey is gearing up for another run. The Louisville Republican reported just $1.18 in his federal campaign account.

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Hindsboro, one of President Donald Trump's closest elected allies in Illinois, raised $175,096 last quarter and had $704,291 on hand. There are three Democrats vying to taking her on next year, though none have reported more than $1,000 in the bank.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, not up for reelection until 2028, raised $1.1 million and has $3.41 million in her campaign war chest.

Statewide officials

While Pritzker announced his reelection last month, the self-funder has yet to replenish his campaign account. He reported more than $2.4 million cash on hand. Expect that to change soon.

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, who announced his candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination earlier this year, raised $81,500 and has $100,588 on hand while

Stratton, focusing on her Senate campaign, reported raising $5,085 in her state account while spending $84,444, leaving her with $19,014.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who is seeking reelection and is often mentioned as a potential challenger to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2027, raised nearly $1.05 million, leaving him with nearly $4.69 million on hand.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who announced earlier this week that she would not seek another term as the state's chief fiscal officer amid speculation that she's mulling her own Chicago mayoral bid, raised $84,525 and has nearly $1.4 million in her campaign account.

Among the Democrats that considering running for Mendoza's job, state Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, leads with $261,940 on hand while Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim has $43,909 in the bank. State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, has $12,329 in her account.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul raised $191,847 and has more than $1.28 million on hand. Treasurer Mike Frerichs raised $268,420 and has nearly $1.26 million on hand. Both are seeking reelection.
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Antarctic ice holds clues to earth's changing climate.

In a small, refrigerated room at a Brussels university, parka-wearing scientists chop up Antarctic ice cores tens of thousands of years old in search of clues to our planet's changing climate.

Trapped inside the cylindrical icicles are tiny air bubbles that can provide a snapshot of what the Earth's atmosphere looked like back then.

"We want to know a lot about the climates of the past because we can use it as an analogy for what could happen in the future," said Harry Zekollari, a glaciologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

Zekollari was part of a team of four that headed to the white continent in November on a mission to find some of the world's oldest icewithout breaking the bank.

Ice dating back millions of years can be found deep inside Antarctica, close to the South Pole, buried under kilometers of fresher ice and snow.

But that's hard to reach and expeditions to drill it out are expensive.

A recent EU-funded mission that brought back some 1.2-million-year-old samples came with a total price tag of around 11 million euros (around $12.8 million).

To cut costs, the team from VUB and the nearby Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) used satellite data and other clues to find areas where ancient ice might be more accessible.

Blue ice

Just like the water it is made of, ice flows towards the coastalbeit slowly, explained Maaike Izeboud, a remote sensing specialist at VUB.

Belgian scientists study Antarctic ice cores.

And when the flow hits an obstacle, say a ridge or mountain, bottom layers can be pushed up closer to the surface.

In a few rare spots, weather conditions like heavy winds prevent the formation of snow coverleaving thick layers of ice exposed.

Named after their coloration, which contrasts with the whiteness of the rest of the continent, these account for only about 1% of Antarctica's territory.

"Blue ice areas are very special," said Izeboud.

Her team zeroed in on a blue ice stretch lying about 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) above sea level, around 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station.

Some old meteorites had been previously found therea hint that the surrounding ice is also old, the researchers explained.

A container camp was set up and after a few weeks of measurements, drilling, and frozen meals, in January the team came back with 15 ice cores totaling about 60 meters in length.

These were then shipped from South Africa to Belgium, where they arrived in late June.

Inside a stocky cement ULB building in the Belgian capital, they are now being cut into smaller pieces to then be shipped to specialized labs in France and China for dating.

Zekollari said the team hopes some of the samples, which were taken at shallow depths of about 10 meters, will be confirmed to be about 100,000 years old.

Ice samples will be sent to specialised labs in France and China for dating .

Climate 'treasure hunt'

This would allow them to go back and dig a few hundred meters deeper in the same spot for the big prize.

"It's like a treasure hunt," Zekollari, 36, said, comparing their work to drawing a map for "Indiana Jones".

"We're trying to cross the good spot on the map... and in one and a half years, we'll go back and we'll drill there," he said.

"We're dreaming a bit, but we hope to get maybe three, four, five-million-year-old ice."

Such ice could provide crucial input to climatologists studying the effects of global warming.

Climate projections and models are calibrated using existing data on past temperatures and greenhouse gases in the atmospherebut the puzzle has some missing pieces.

By the end of the century temperatures could reach levels similar to those the planet last experienced between 2.6 and 3.3 million years ago, said Etienne Legrain, 29, a paleo-climatologist at ULB.

But currently there is little data on what CO 2 levels were back thena key metric to understand how much further warming we could expect.

"We don't know the link between CO 2 concentration and temperature in a climate warmer than that of today," Legrain said.

His team hopes to find it trapped inside some very old ice. "The air bubbles are the atmosphere of the past," he said. "It's really like magic when you feel it."

 2025 AFP
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Blue Origin's first launch of its New Glenn rocket was supposed to send up a pair of Mars-bound satellites for NASA, but uncertain readiness plans last year forced NASA to yank back its payload. Now things are lining up for the mission to finally take flight.

The company announced Thursday the second launch of its heavy-lift rocket would be for the ESCAPE mission, although it did not announce a target launch date.

"This will be an exciting mission for New Glenn and Mars exploration," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted on X. "ESCAPADE is not only New Glenn's first interplanetary mission, it's also the first multi-spacecraft orbital science mission to study the Martian magnetosphere. And, we hope to land and recover our booster for the first time. Mars, here we come."

Dubbed NG-2, the mission will also fly a technology demonstration for commercial satellite company Viasat in support of NASA Space Operations Mission Directorate's Communications Services Project.

When it does lift off, the mission will fly again from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36. The debut launch came in January, thrilling crowds that were gathered only 5 miles south of the site.

While the launch was an orbital success, Blue Origin was not able to stick the landing of its booster on the vessel "Jaclyn," named after company founder Jeff Bezos' mother. The company's plans seek to reuse New Glenn boosters for up to 25 flights with recovery landings done in the same manner as SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.

The ESCAPADE mission, which stands for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, was originally targeting an October 2024 launch that would have put the two satellites on an 11-month flight to the Red Planet. The decision came amid uncertainty around New Glenn's readiness, since fueling the two satellites in itself is a pricey endeavor NASA didn't want to have to do twice.

NASA awarded Blue Origin a $20 million launch task order for ESCAPADE in February 2023. The satellites were constructed by fellow rocket launch provider Rocket Lab and will study how solar winds interact with Mars' magnetic fields.

"This mission can help us study the atmosphere at Marskey information as we explore farther and farther into our solar system and need to protect astronauts and spacecraft from space weather," said Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator for science. "We're committed to seeing ESCAPADE safely into space, and I look forward to seeing it off the ground and on its trip to Mars."

For Blue Origin, the second launch of its rocket will continue its plans to achieve certification for future national security missions. The Space Force requires two successful launches before allowing its payloads on the rocket, but the company had already been awarded the right to compete for contracts as part of the National Space Security Launch Phase 3 program along with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.

The company also has several commercial customers on tap, including Bezos' first company. Amazon has contracted for at least 12 launches to send up hundreds of satellites for its Project Kuiper internet constellation, which aims to compete with SpaceX's Starlink.

New Glenn is also tapped by NASA to fly Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar landers, one of which is contracted to be the human landing system for the Artemis V mission no earlier than 2029.

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Bezos has sunk billions into the company, which had previously only launched its suborbital New Shepard rockets from its West Texas launch site.

At 321 feet tall, New Glenn is more than five times taller than New Shepard.

Although the January flight was a first for Blue Origin, its BE-4 engines had already been flight-proven with versions having successfully launched ULA's new Vulcan rockets twice in 2024.

While Vulcan only used two BE-4s, the seven on New Glenn produce 3.85 million pounds of thrust on liftoff, which makes the rocket more than twice as powerful as SpaceX's Falcon 9 and more powerful than ULA's Atlas V rocket.

New Glenn also offers the largest cargo space among its competitors with a nearly 23-foot-diameter fairing, the structure that forms the cone at the top of the rocket. That's compared to the roughly 17- to 18-foot-diameter fairing found on Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Vulcan rockets.

Blue Origin is the only commercial company so far to make it to orbit with a rocket that was made in Florida.

New Glenn's stages are manufactured and integrated with its engines at Rocket Park, located nine miles inland adjacent to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island. Final prep for launch, including fueling, occurs at facilities at LC-36.

Blue Origin took over the lease for LC-36 in 2015, investing about $1 billion in the pad site alone. It was previously used for government launches from 19622005, including lunar lander Surveyor 1 in 1967 and some of the Mariner probes.

2025 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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A new study led by UC San Diego Assistant Professor Shermin de Silva cautions that human-provided food interactions can led to dangerous outcomes. Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project

A study led by a scientist at the University of California San Diego offers new warnings on the dangers of human interactions with wildlife.

Assistant Professor Shermin de Silva of the School of Biological Sciences studies endangered Asian elephants and has previously reported on their shrinking habitats, a downturn that has resulted in territorial conflicts between people and elephants.

Along with her study co-authors, de Silva now provides fresh evidence in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence on the serious consequences of humans supplying food to wild animals. The report indicates that such provisioning can lead wildlife to become habituated to people, causing the animals to become bolder and more prone to causing problems. Even for those who live in areas without native elephant populations, the new study provides cautionary information about interactions with any wildlife species living among us.

Wild elephants are a prime attraction in Asia, with Sri Lanka and India featuring some of the world's last abundant populations of Asian elephants.

In Sri Lanka, de Silva studied 18 years of elephant-tourist interactions at Udawalawe National Park. She found that the elephants congregating near tourists at the park's southern boundary have developed "begging" behavior and have become habituated to sugary foods, sometimes breaking through fences to continue being fed.

As a result of elephants being drawn to the fence, several people have been killed or injured, and at least three elephants have been killed, while others have ingested plastic food bags and other contaminants. Such close human-wildlife encounters, including tourists feeding animals from sightseeing vehicles, also increases the risk of disease transmission to animals.

Elephants such as "Rambo," seen here, have become regional celebrities, begging for food from visitors. Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project

In India's Sigur region, study co-authors Priya Davidar and Jean-Philippe Puyravaud of the Sigur Nature Trust observed feeding interactions with 11 male Asian elephants, four of whom died from suspected human causes. One elephant was successfully rehabilitated and returned to natural foraging behavior.

"Many people, especially foreign tourists, think Asian elephants are tame and docile, like domestic pets," said de Silva, a faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and founder of the non-profit conservation organization Trunks & Leaves. "They don't realize these are formidable wild animals and try to get too close in order to take photographs or selfies, which can end badly for both parties."

Of the 800 to 1,200 elephants estimated to live in Udawalawe National Park, the study found that 66 male elephants, or 915% of the local male population of Asian elephants, were observed begging for food. Some elephants, including a popular male named Rambo, became local celebrities as they solicited food from tourists over several years.

"Food-conditioned animals can become dangerous, resulting in the injury and death of wildlife, people or both," the researchers note in their paper. "These negative impacts counteract potential benefits."

Human feeding of wild animals can cause animals to lose their foraging ability and become a conduit for disease transmission. Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project

Since wild elephant feeding cannot be adequately regulated as an ongoing activity, the authors of the study recommend that feeding bans should be strictly enforced.

The researchers recognize that tourists are, for the most part, acting with good intentions, like people in many areas around the world who feed or leave food for wild animals in their regions. They can act from the motivation that they are helping friends in nature and take gratification from such interactions.

"But this encourages wild animals to seek food from people, attracting them to areas that can put themselves or people at risk," said de Silva. "It can be a conduit for disease transfer between species. Such feeding can also cause animals to lose their ability to forage for themselves if the behavior becomes prevalent, especially with young animals."

Such interactions, de Silva says, can change animals' movement patterns and possibly force them to lose knowledge of natural food sources if they become too dependent on handouts.

With rare exceptions, people should avoid feeding wild animals, de Silva urges, and encourages people to engage in responsible tourism.

More information: Don't Feed The Elephant: A Critical Examination of Food-Provisioning Wild Elephants, Ecological Solutions and Evidence (2025). DOI: 10.1002/2688-8319.70060
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Global distribution of earthquakes detected and alerted. Credit: Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4779

If you're in an earthquake-prone area and own an Android phone, it could save your life. It may even have already done so. The Android Earthquake Alert (AEA) system, which began in the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded globally, sends an automatic alert approximately one minute before the ground starts shaking. That can be enough time to take cover or warn others nearby.

In a new paper published in Science, Google explains how its detection system, which is built into most Android phones, works. They also share insights from its first years of operation and the improvements they've made.

Between 2021 and 2024, the AEA system sent warnings to millions of people in 98 countries. This included more than half a million people in Turkey and Syria who received an alert on February 6, 2023, just before a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck. Overall, Google's researchers report that alerts were issued for 1,279 events, with only three of them being false alarms, two of which were triggered by thunderstorms.

Users were also surveyed, with 85% of those who received alerts experiencing shaking. Specifically, 36% of respondents received an alert before the shaking began, 28% during the shaking, and 23% after the shaking started. This writer received an alert on Monday morning at the same time as a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck southern Spain.

How your phone can detect earthquakes

So, how does Google's system work? Just like traditional detection systems, Android phones detect P and S waves that radiate out from the epicenter of an earthquake. When a phone detects the waves, it sends the data and an approximate location to Google's servers, which search for the seismic source. Once it identifies the source with sufficient confidence, it sends out the alerts. Some people will receive these before the earth starts moving because electronic messages travel faster than seismic waves.

"AEA demonstrates that globally distributed smartphones can be used to detect earthquakes and issue warnings at scale with an effectiveness comparable to established national systems," the researchers wrote.

One of the advantages of the AEA is that it doesn't need dedicated seismic detection infrastructure, making it invaluable in regions that don't have an established warning network. The system now sends out an average of 60 alerts a month to around 18 million users.

Addressing challenges

Google's paper also highlights failings in their technology and steps taken to improve it. For example, during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, the system underestimated its magnitude, and warnings were only sent to some people after the shaking had started. Others didn't receive an alert at all. So, the Google team went back and tweaked their algorithm, and then tested it on the same earthquake data from 2023. They found it would have sent 10 million "take action" alerts.

Android Earthquake Alert is not designed to replace traditional systems, but rather to supplement them. Google says it will continue to work on AEA to improve warning times for future quakes.

Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Andrew Zininthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

More information: Richard M. Allen et al, Global earthquake detection and warning using Android phones, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4779 Journal information: Science

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A composite map (a) and maps by cover type (b-d). Credit: JF Bastin

An international study led by the University of Liege proposes a new map of the potential for natural vegetation on Earth, far beyond forests. By incorporating the role of fire and herbivores, researchers are paving the way for a more realistic and inclusive approach to ecosystem restoration. The study is published in Nature Communications.

Is it necessary to plant trees to restore nature? "Not necessarily," says Professor Jean-Francois Bastin (University of Liege).

The new study led by ULiege proposes a unique map of Earth's potential natural vegetation. Taking into account climate, fire regimes and the presence of herbivores, this study demonstrates that nature is not limited to forests and that restoring ecosystems requires opening up to a diversity of landscapes.

Traditionally, nature restoration has been equated with reforestation. This binary approachforests or nothingoverlooks the richness of open ecosystems such as savannas, grasslands, scrublands and semi-desert areas.

"We want to move beyond the 'for or against reforestation' debate by showing that other natural states are possible and just as legitimate," explains Bastin.

Forest mosaicSavannah / aerial view, with traces of fires in the Savannah. Malebo region, Mai-Ndombe, DRC. Credit: Frederic Creteur

Using a predictive model fed by more than 40,000 ecological surveys in protected areas and six large climate datasets, the researchers estimated the types of vegetation that each region of the planet could naturally support. And the results are striking:

43% of land could be naturally forested,

39% could support low vegetation (herbaceous or shrubby),

18% would be dominated by bare soil (excluding ice and urban areas).

What's more, the study identifies around 675 million hectares where several vegetation states are possible depending on how fire or herbivory are managed. These landscapes could therefore shift, under equivalent management, between forests and savannas, or between scrubland and grasslands.

Fire, herbivores and human choices: the real drivers of nature

The model developed by the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech team introduces two factors that are often overlooked in ecological planning: vegetation fires and large wild herbivores. "Our study shows that managing these factors sometimes has a greater impact on the landscape than climate change itself by 2050."

This is a revolution in the way we think about restoration. Where we used to see fixed states dictated by the climate, this research reminds us that landscapes are also the result of natural dynamics and human choices. Ignoring this means risking failure. On the contrary, recognizing that several restoration trajectories are possible opens up a richer dialogue between scientists, managers, decision-makers and local communities.

The map shows areas of the world with significant changes in cover type depending on the scenario chosen. Credit: University of Liege / JF. Bastin

Distribution of vegetation cover for different ecoregions, based on different scenarios for fire and herbivory management and considering the effects of climate change expected by 2050. Credit: University of Liege / JF Bastin

A tool for decision-makers

Far from remaining theoretical, the model developed can be consulted online (via EarthMap and Google Earth Engine) and allows users to visualize the expected effects of different management policies (frequency of fires, reintroduction of herbivores, etc.) on the potential natural vegetation in a given region.

The maps produced as part of this work are accessible to all: NGOs, government agencies and international organizations. By simulating different scenarios, each stakeholder can better anticipate the consequences of their decisions.

It is a valuable decision-making tool that makes the complexity of ecosystems tangible while promoting strategies tailored to the local ecological and social context.
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The constellation of the Orion and the Taurus with three open clusters: the ONC, the Pleiades, and the Hyades. Credit: (2025). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf941

Orion Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades: The latest research results indicate that these famous star clusters represent the different phases of life of one and the same star system. A team of astrophysicists at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Zanjan, Iran, and the University of Bonn have found evidence that these three star systems are not just located in roughly the same region of space but also developed in the same way. These results were recently published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

When the stars twinkle in the night sky, you can see the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) and Hyades right next to one another with the naked eye, not far from the central "star" in Orion's Sword. It isn't really one star but rather the Orion Nebula Clusterand thus the third of a group of star clusters.

However, the clusters in this trio are of different ages and at varying distances away from Earth. The Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) is one of the youngest and most active star-forming regions in the Milky Wayat just 2.5 million years old and about 1,350 light years away. It contains thousands of young stars surrounded by the residual cloud of gas from which they were formed.

In contrast, Pleiades, which is also known as the Seven Sisters, is about 100 million years old and its stars are much more widely scattered, while Hyades is around 700 million years old and contains fewer stars that are even more widely dispersed.

Baby, adolescent and elderly

"Our highly precise stellar dynamics calculations have now shown that all three star clusters originated from the same predecessor," says Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa from the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics at the University of Bonn, a co-author of the publication. The Orion Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades are like three different photos of the same person. These three photos show this entity at different ages: as a baby, adolescent and elderly.

It is a bit like the same person was being born over and over again. "From this we can learn that open star clusters seem to have a preferred mode of star formation, says Kroupa, who is also a member of the transdisciplinary research areas Modeling and Matter at the University of Bonn.

Does this mean that different molecular clouds form very similar star clusters? "It appears that there is a preferred physical environment in which stars form when they evolve within these clouds," says the astrophysicist.

How does a young, dense star cluster like the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) develop into something like Pleiades over hundreds of millions of years and then ultimately mature into something resembling Hyades? The researchers headed by Dr. Ghasem Safaei from the IASBS (Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences) in Zanjan (Iran) are modeling this life cycle with the aid of powerful computer simulations.

The calculations concur with observed characteristics

Using these simulations, which include precise calculations of the varying forces between the stars, the researchers are able to follow the life cycle of a star cluster from its early formation in a gas-rich environment through to its gradual expansion and aging, when it loses gas and stars to its environment. The results concur very well with already observed characteristics such as the size, mass and structure of the Orion Nebula Cluster, Pleiades and Hyades at different phases of their lives.

"This research shows that it is entirely plausible that star clusters such as the Orion Nebula Cluster follow a development path that transforms them into systems like Pleiades and later on Hyades," says Prof. Hosein Haghi from the IASBS, who is currently carrying out his research at the University of Bonn.

The team has simulated their development over a period of 800 million years, starting from an initial state based on the latest observed characteristics of young star clusters, including their compact size, high mass density and abundance of double stars.

"The results show that clusters such as the Orion Nebula Cluster can lose up to 85% of their stars but nevertheless retain a coherent structure similar to Hyades, after they have passed through an intermediate stage similar to Pleiades," explains Ghasem Safaei.

Interestingly, all three of these star clustersOrion Nebula Cluster, Pleiades and Hyadesare located in the same region of the night sky. This fact has fascinated astronomers for a long time. The research team suspects that this is more than just a coincidence and could be related to how star clusters form and develop in the galaxy.

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A delicate balance

Prof. Akram Hasani Zonoozi, one of the co-authors of the study, adds, "This research gives us a deeper understanding of how star clusters form and develop and illustrates the delicate balance between internal dynamics and external forces such as the gravitational pull of the Milky Way." Prof. Hasani comes from the IASBS and is currently carrying out her research at the University of Bonn.

This research is not only shedding more light on the life cycle of star clusters. The researchers have also demonstrated how well modern theoretical simulations can be combined with real observations. It will open up new possibilities for understanding the origins of other star clusters and refining models that show how stars and their related environments develop over time.

More information: Ghasem Safaei et al, Are the ONC, Pleiades, and Hyades snapshots of the same embedded cluster?, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2025). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf941 Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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Credit: Institute of Science Tokyo

In a step toward smarter materials, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo collaborated with researchers from Switzerland to develop a smart hinge-like molecule that can indicate mechanical stress in polymeric materials through fluorescence.

Using a framework of [2.2]paracyclophane and two pyrene-based luminophores (light-emitting compounds), the developed molecule exhibits excellent stress-sensing with high durabilityoffering a powerful tool for real-time monitoring of mechanical damage.

Flexible polymers like elastomers are used everywherefrom cushions in shoes and furniture to car bumpers and medical devices. However, when such materials undergo excessive mechanical stress, the damage often starts at the molecular level long before it is visible on the surface.

Evaluating this damage is critical to ensure the durability of such materials. This requirement drove the invention of mechanochromic mechanophoresmolecular frameworks that can respond to mechanical stimuli with a change in luminescence color.

Delving deeper into this, a group of researchers led by Associate Professor Yoshimitsu Sagara of the School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, and Professor Christoph Weder of the Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, have developed a new class of mechanochromic mechanophores for visualizing mechanical force by skillfully utilizing [2.2]paracyclophane.

The findings of the developed system were published online in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Traditionally, mechanical sensing largely relied on either excimer-forming dye doping or covalently introducing mechanophores whose working mechanisms rely on breakage of covalent bonds.

While dye doping offered reversible sensing, its mechano-responsive behavior was strongly dependent on the nature of the polymer and processing conditions. Whereas, covalent mechanophores indicate signals at the molecular level, the cleavage of covalent bonds makes it irreversible.

To overcome these limitations, supramolecular mechanophores were introduced. These molecules exhibit mechano-responsive behavior at the molecular level but with non-covalent interactions.

"Many supramolecular mechanophores exist, but some of them show inefficient signaling," explains Sagara. "We aimed to develop a system that emits more efficient and reliable signals in direct proportion to the applied stressand does so reversibly."

[2.2]Paracyclophane is an organic compound in which two benzene rings are connected by two ethylene bridges at the para positions. The team used [2.2]paracyclophane as a backbone and introduced two fluorescent groups (pyrene-based dyes) to form a hinge-like structure called PC-Py1.

The two pyrene-based dyes were forcibly held in close proximity, enabling efficient formation of excimers (emitter dimers formed when two molecules bind together in an excited state). This resulted in bright yellow fluorescence by excimers. The framework was then embedded in flexible polyurethane elastomer for analysis.

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When mechanical force was applied to the PC-Py1 through polymer chains, the fluorescent groups separated, releasing the forced proximity. This change results in a fluorescence shift, changing the fluorescence color from yellow (excimer state) to blue-green (monomer state).

"The fluorescence color change is not only clearly visible to the eye but also reversible. What's more, it closely tracks the actual mechanical stress," remarks Sagara.

The key factor was the structural rigidity of the [2.2]paracyclophane molecular skeleton. When more flexible versions of the molecule were tested, they produced weaker color shifts.

Additionally, the hinge-like motion of the system acted as the source of the signal, which was confirmed through mechanical and spectroscopic studies. Moreover, the mechanophore remarkably endured more than 50 cycles of stress and releaseconfirming the durability and stability of the hinge mechanism.

The study marks a significant advance in the design of supramolecular mechanophores. By leveraging the forced proximity effect of [2.2]paracyclophane, it is possible to incorporate weakly interacting fluorescent or quenching groups into mechanoresponsive systemscomponents previously considered unsuitable.

This strategy expands the design flexibility and photo-functional diversity of such materials, offering a powerful new platform for visualizing mechanical force.

The findings of this study not only deepen our understanding of mechanophores but also open doors to various practical applications ranging from damage-sensing coatings and flexible electronics to smart wearable technologies.

Additionally, by tuning the molecular design, the strategy could further utilize a wide range of fluorophorespaving the way for next-generation customizable stress sensing.

More information: Shohei Shimizu et al, HingeLike Mechanochromic Mechanophores Based on [2.2]Paracyclophane, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202510114 Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
A member of NATO is bombing their own bunkers, testing how well the nation's defenses would hold up in the event of a possible Russian attack.

Lithuania, who officially joined NATO in 2004, has begun unleashing barrages of explosives against their own bunkers in Pabrade to test which materials are the most effective in sheltering soldiers, as well as to ensure that the bunkers can withstand a Russian attack, according to Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Once identified, Lithuania plans to build more strongpoints across the region, designed to house about 120 soldiers each. There, troops will be able to run defensive exercises, citing lessons learned from Ukraine's defense against Russia.

Officials plan to measure pressure, sound levels and wall vibrations inside the bunker to determine the most effective materials for defense.

In February 2024, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced plans to build 600 bunkers across their eastern sides in preparation for any possible attacks from Russia, as reported at the time by Breaking Defense.

Estonia's Undersecretary for Defence Readiness at the time, Susan Lillevali, told reporters that the countries were "already halfway through [the] planning cycle, development and testing of product type bunkers."

President Donald Trump's pledge to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine has so far been unsuccessful. On Tuesday, he threatened to impose 100% tariffs on any countries that do business with Russia, pressuring the country to accept a ceasefire deal, CBS News reported.

The 50-day warning was branded "unacceptable" by Russian officials in response, according to the country's state-run news agency TASS. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said President Vladimir Putin is "ready to negotiate," but if the country cannot meet "our goals through diplomacy, then the SVO [war in Ukraine] will continue."

Originally published on Latin Times
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A stretch of the Nolichucky River, seen here upstream from Chuckey Beach in Chuckey, Tennessee, offers a glimpse of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene flooding across a 10-county region in northeast Tennessee. Credit: D. McIntosh, UTIA.

UT Beef and Forage Center coordinator David McIntosh, an eighth-generation native of northeast Tennessee, watched with unease as Hurricane Helene approached his hometown of Chuckey.

"The night before it happened, I had a gut feeling I couldn't quite explain," McIntosh recalls. "I even called my uncle, wondering aloud if something bad was going to happen.

Heavy rainfall from the September 2024 cyclone caused the Nolichucky River to rise two feet per hour. At its peak, 1.3 million gallons of water per second surged over the Nolichucky Dam near Greenevillenearly double Niagara Falls.

The flood waters tore through riverbanks, farmland, and communities, destroying roads and bridges and depositing debris and sediment. Thousands lost essential utilities. In Chuckey, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents had to evacuate.

As the flood set in, agricultural leaders across Tennessee closely monitored the situation. State Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher contacted UT Extension agricultural economists to begin assessing economic damage.

Economist Aaron Smith found that existing tools couldn't capture the full impact on farmland and communities. So, he and information technology analyst Brad Wilson developed a new decision-making tool to quantify damage from flooding. The tool overlays satellite imagery with datasets to track changes in vegetation and land recovery at one-, three-, and six-month intervals, and beyond. The tool is being designed for use in future disasters.

Their efforts grew into the UTIA flood recovery initiative involving eight other UT Extension specialists and AgResearch scientists in plant and soil sciences; animal science; veterinary medicine; and agricultural leadership, education, and communication. They, in turn, have involved more than twenty colleagues from UT and other universities.

Team members secured forage for overwintering cattle, analyzed sediment on the bottomlands, and assessed the land's capacity to return to productive use. On August 20, they will host a field day in Limestone, Tennessee, to further assist producers with recovery.

At the UT Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Greeneville, center staff and UT/TSU Greene County Extension office agents and staff took part in relief effortsunloading truckloads of donated forage, human and animal food, and supplies from as far as Wisconsin and Illinois. The center also made 45 acres available to support local cleanup.

Extension agents across the ten-county region have been vital to recovery efforts. UTIA also posted online resources to assist the public in recovering from both flood and tornado damage, resources that remain available on the website.

"For me," says McIntosh, "this is a once-in-a-lifetime projectfor the relief it brings now and the legacy it builds for future generations in northeast Tennessee."
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

More than 100 specially designed picnic tables, four all-terrain wheelchairs and a detailed inventory of trails usable for visitors with disabilities are highlights of efforts this summer to make Rocky Mountain National Park more accessible.

The non-profit Rocky Mountain Conservancy has worked for decades with park officials to improve accessibility. Funding primarily comes from the conservancy, which is the park's official non-profit partner, along with the National Park Foundation, other foundations and donors. Projects are chosen from a priority list generated by park officials.

This year's improvements include the replacement of 135 aging and failing picnic tables with concrete tables designed to accommodate wheelchairs according to standards outlined by the federal Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), and the acquisition of an accessible shuttle bus for transporting visitors to the conservancy's "field institute" educational events in the park. Four GRIT all-terrain wheelchairs, three of which are new this year, can be rented for free at a local mountain gear shop.

The conservancy is also supporting the compilation of a Rocky Mountain National Park Accessibility Guide, a comprehensive park inventory with descriptions of accessible trails, scenic overlooks, picnic areas and visitor centers detailing their features and level of accessibility. The guide will be published next spring.

While national parks are struggling with budget constraints that have worsened under the new administration in Washington, there is nothing new about the conservancy's efforts to help the park. They have been part of its work for decades.

"The government funds a lot of this work, but where we can, we go above and beyond and help them to access additional funding sourceslike individual donors or foundationswhere we have mission alignment to further enhance the visitor experience or resource stewardship," said Estee Rivera Murdock, the conservancy's executive director.

Projects that expand opportunities in the park for those with disabilities date back to the creation of an accessible trail around Lily Lake in the late 1990s.

"These are all multi-year, long-term initiatives," Murdock said. "We are in the business of stewarding the park, for everyone, forever. These calendar year 2025 projects, we set these priorities back in October of last year. It doesn't stop at the end of this year, either. It continues to be a priority. There is a legal mandate for the park to have some accessibility, and for us there is a mission mandate. It's fully aligned with our mission to help connect people to the park."

This summer, 120 reinforced concrete picnic tables were built in the Glacier Basin campground, and 15 more are being built in the Moraine Park campground, which just reopened this month after a more than two-year closure.

They were designed to specifications in the American Barriers Act that stipulate parameters for height, clearance, wheelchair space and other criteria. They were designed to look as though they weren't specially designed to be accessible.

The conservancy acquired an accessible shuttle bus this year for transporting individuals with disabilities to its field institute events, which help visitors learn about the park's plant and animal life, geology and history. The shuttle has 12 standard seats, two wheelchair spaces and a wheelchair hoist.

Working in partnership with the Estes Park Mountain Shop, the conservancy is promoting the availability of four all-terrain wheelchairs that users can take on trails that can't accommodate standard wheelchairs. There is no charge to use the chairs.

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The wheelchair program began four years ago with one chair donated by the family of a son who used an all-terrain chair before he passed away, according to Jenny Coriell, manager of the Estes Park Mountain Shop. The family offered his chair to the conservancy, and the conservancy worked out a partnership with the shop to be the outlet for making the chairs available.

Most days, all four chairs are in use. They can be reserved by calling the shop.

"It's really neat," Coriell said. "It's pretty cool, watching families be able to get out and enjoy the park and have those opportunities."

The Rocky Mountain National Park Accessibility Guide will be available via PDF, print (and large print), braille and audio with a written transcript when the conservancy publishes it next spring. The aim is to give visitors with disabilities all the information they need to decide which trails and attractions are suitable for their abilities and equipment. Trail information, for example, will include trail width, surface type and grade.

"The accessibility guide is really geared at helping folks understand what they can expect at different locations," Murdock said.

"The technology has just changed so much. What you think of as a wheelchair has shifted a lot. We've got off-road wheelchairs and users with various disabilities of varying abilities. Even folks who aren't in a wheelchair (permanently), but maybe just recently had a knee surgery, might need to know the width of a trail based on what their device's width might be. Or, what's the grade? It's also working with aging populations."

2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The tooth of sperm whale. Credit: Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo et al. 2025

A team of researchers, led by Dr. Samuel Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo, recently provided a comprehensive, multidisciplinary study of a sperm-whale tooth found in the Copper Age mega-site of Valencina de la Concepcion-Castilleja de Guzman (henceforth referred to as Valencina).

The Valencina site, located southwest of Seville, Spain, has been the subject of research interest since the discovery of the tholos-type megalithic monument known as La Pastora. In 2018, a section of the mega-site, called Nueva Biblioteca (New Library), was excavated as part of the construction of a new municipal library.

Among the finds, which included lithics (stone tools), animal remains, and pottery fragments, was a single 13.2 cm large tooth.

Morphological analyses and comparison to other collections revealed the tooth to belong to an adult sperm whale.

"It belongs to an old specimen," explains Dr. Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo, "based on the wear visible on the labial side, and a smoothed fracture with loss of material on the lingual side that indicates that it was produced during the animal's life."

Taphonomic analysis revealed the tooth had likely spent some time on the sea floor shortly after the animal's death. Here it was subject to scavenging, possibly by sharks, as indicated by tooth marks left on the specimen's surface. Eventually, the tooth was colonized by various species of sponges and gastropods.

The tooth likely spent some time buried in the sea floor sediment before it was dragged to the surface, likely through an energetic event such as storms or large tidal action.

View of the transverse fracture. Credit: PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323773

Here, the tooth remained, developing a cemented crust and root etchings before being picked up by humans.

The lower half of the tooth is missing, having been removed by people who split it using steady pressure and a chisel-like tool.

In Neolithic Europe, a phenomenon emerged involving pits that contained deposits of sometimes high intrinsic cost and social value. These pits lack human remains and are thus not burials, but rather are interpreted as ritualistic deposits.

In Valencina, there is a plethora of evidence to suggest that large animals were treated with reverence and were often included as grave goods for socially prominent individuals.

"I support the idea that they knew the animal it came from or at least that it came from a huge marine animal... People at that time knew their surroundings, the resources, they would have contact with other communities. For example, in Portugal, there are objects made with sperm whale bones, so for the Copper Age as well, so who knows if they share stories about big sea creatures," Dr. Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo explains.

In this case, it is possible that the sperm whale tooth was included in such a ritual deposit, as it was recognized as having come from a large animal or even recognized as having belonged to a whale. In this case, it may have been given the same reverence as other large animal remains.

The discovery of the Valencina sperm whale tooth is the first ever found on the Iberian Peninsula during the 3rd millennium and the second for the western Mediterranean, with only one other sperm whale tooth having been recently discovered in Monte d'Accoddi.

Dr. Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo elaborates, saying, "The interesting thing about both teeth is that they are the only sperm whale teeth from the Neolithic-Chalcolithic time found in archaeological contexts in Europe, at the moment. Both were found in very important places, almost sacred, I would say, which speaks of the importance given to these pieces."

Written for you by our author Sandee Oster, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Andrew Zininthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

More information: Ramirez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo et al, From the jaws of the "Leviathan": A sperm whale tooth from the Valencina Copper Age Megasite, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323773 Journal information: PLoS ONE

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Credit: Nout Gons from Pexels

Giving pedestrians a 7-second head start at traffic lightsknown as Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs)is associated with a 33% reduction in total pedestrian injuriesboth fatal and non-fatalat New York City intersections, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

The researchers analyzed data from 6,003 intersectionsthe largest dataset to date evaluating LPI effectiveness. The reduction in pedestrian injuries was consistent across all intersection types, with the most pronounced impact seen during the daytime: fatal pedestrian crashes dropped by 65% during daylight hours. The study was published in Nature Cities.

LPIs allow pedestrians to begin crossing before vehicles get a green light to turn, typically offering a 711 second lead depending on the intersection size.

"The idea is to give pedestrians time to reach the center of the intersection where they're more visible," said lead author Christopher Morrison, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School. "Most pedestrian-vehicle crashes happen near the curb, where drivers are less likely to see people crossing."

Using a spatial ecological panel design, the study evaluated intersection-level injury risk from 2013 to 2018, using precise geographic data from NYC Open Data and the city's Vision Zero initiative. Of the intersections studied, 2,869 had LPI treatments installed.

New York City was an early adopter of the U.S. Vision Zero program, a systems-based, multidisciplinary effort to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths. LPIsalongside other low-cost measures like speed humps and turn-calming treatments like rubber speed bumpsare central to the city's pedestrian safety strategy.

Globally, road traffic crashes cause more than 1.35 million deaths and 50 million injuries each year. In the U.S., over 68,000 pedestrian deaths and 6.1 million serious pedestrian injuries occurred between 2011 and 2020many in large cities like New York.

The research team focused on pedestrian injuries occurring within 100 feet of a signalized intersection. Intersections within 10 feet of an LPI were categorized as treated; those beyond that buffer were considered untreated.

"As someone who lives in the city, it is good to know that interventions like LPIs led by NYCDOT are making pedestrians safe," noted co-author Siddhesh (Sid) Zadey, doctoral student in Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School.

"LPIs are one of the most affordable and scalable traffic safety interventions," Morrison added. "A 7-second delay for drivers can mean the difference between life and death for pedestrians. Our findings show they workand should be adopted more widely."

Other co-authors include Leah Roberts, Brady Bushover, Arianna Gobaud, Christina Mehranbod, Carolyn Fish, Xiang Gao, Evan Eschliman, and Dana Goinall from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

More information: Zadey, S. et al. Effectiveness of Leading Pedestrian Intervals for City Walkers' Safety, Nature Cities (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00267-1, www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00267-1 Journal information: Nature Cities
OCEAN CITY  Shade was at a premium as more than 150 people gathered Thursday afternoon at the foot of the Route 52 causeway at Ninth Street to protest President Donald Trump and a range of the administrations policies.

It was the latest in a series of events held throughout the area, with participants accusing Trump of overstepping presidential power and criticizing him on multiple fronts, from mass deportations to cuts to social protections in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which Congress narrowly approved in time for Trump to sign it on July 4.

One sign read Release the Epstein Files, referring to Jeffrey Epstein, the well-connected and wealthy financier who killed himself in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Such signs had previously been more often waved by Trump supporters while Joe Biden was president.

The event saw plenty of responses from passing drivers, with many laying on their horns. A few drivers yelled about their love for Trump, others smiled and cheered.

They make it pretty easy to figure out the difference, said Ali Cleveland, a member of left-leaning organization Cape May County Indivisible and one of the organizers of the event.

It appeared that more drivers offered support, waving to those gathered behind a fence at the small park, but there was no way to be sure.

One man shouted from across the street his support for Trump, saying he will be in office 1,282 more days.

Woman tells Cape officials she felt threatened by biker at Rio Grande protest At a June protest in Rio Grande, a motorcycle rider yelled at participants, who said he rode his bike toward them. Officials say it does not rise to the level of a crime.

The economys already tanking, a protester shouted back.

For more than an hour, people spoke at the event, followed by a walk along the pedestrian lane on the bridge to the Welcome Center.

We are not paid protesters, said Lou Stricoff, another organizer who helped found Indivisible OCNJ. We are not paid organizers.

He refenced a repeated accusation that billionaire George Soros and other wealthy activists pay people to participate in political action. Stricoff suggested those who believe that do not understand political participation.

The event was organized as part of a national series of good trouble protests, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the death of John Lewis, a civil rights leader and longtime Democratic congressional representative for Georgia. He had participated in the Freedom Rides, been beaten in Selma, Alabama, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington.

In one of his most famous quotes, he called on people to get in Good trouble. Necessary trouble.

Im here because I can see whats happening and I refuse to stay quiet, said Jasmine Johnson, co-founder of the Fight Against Fascism Organization and part of Atlantic County Indivisible. She cited Lewis, saying before he was famous, he was just a young man from Troy, Alabama.

She described the nonviolence of the Civil Rights Movement as disruptive, active and effective.

Native American teens kayak major US river to celebrate removal of dams and return of salmon A group of several dozen Indigenous youth from across the Klamath Basin recently emerged victorious after a monthlong journey paddling the Klamath River.

Nonviolence isnt weak, and it isnt soft. Its a form of power, she said. John Lewis wielded it with everything he had.

She and other speakers decried cuts to Medicaid and other federal benefits, the treatment of immigrants and other issues.

They want us scared, and they want us divided, Johnson said.

Bill Davenport, a Vietnam veteran, spoke about veterans issues and decried several statements attributed to Trump.

The event saw a fraction of the turnout of the No Kings rally held along the bridge last month, in which thousands lined up to show their disagreement with Trump.

It was also a Saturday, Cleveland said. She said to have more than 100 people on a weekday in the heat was an accomplishment. Temperatures were over 90 degrees, in bright sunshine. Cleveland added she would continue to organize events.

We just want to keep getting the word out that this is not normal. Whats going on in D.C.; this is not politics as usual anymore, Cleveland said. He is not listening to what the American people are saying.

In addition to Trump, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew also drew the anger of participants. A Democrat when first elected to Congress, Van Drew changed parties to Republican in his first term and has since then aligned closely with Trump. He voted in favor of the Big, Beautiful Bill.

Judge orders halt to indiscriminate immigration stops, arrests in California Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit last week accusing the Trump administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people.

On Thursday afternoon, a similar-sized group of protesters also rallied outside Van Drews legislative office in Northfield for a Save Medicaid Rally.

Bayly Winder and Terri Reese, who both plan to run against Van Drew in 2026, were among the speakers in Ocean City, as were other political candidates, including Carolyn Rush, a Democrat running for Assembly, and Eric Morey, running as a Democrat for the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, which is entirely Republican.

I know that I have to do something, said Sonya Bertini, attending with her husband, Rich Tolson. I have benefited from the freedoms this country has afforded me for a long time. I cant get to this stage in life and watch it all get thrown out the window.

The two live in Margate and were longtime Ocean City residents. Tolson said national politics are impacting the local level. Both said it is important for people to take a visible stand.

Were hearing a whole lot of horns honking in support, but youre also getting other mad white people that are supporting Donald Trump, Tolson said.
A former British police officer has been convicted of murdering his American wife with a rubber mallet months after obtaining a green card, and then trying to stage the murder as a suicide.

On November 24, 2023, 57-year-old Brian McManus called 911 saying he returned home from a walk to find his wife dead, saying it appeared to be an "obvious" self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to arrest warrants obtained by WMAZ.

First responders arrived to find Lucille Ann McManus, 63, dead with a head wound. However, no gun or shell casings were found near her body, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

Though the woman had been shot, an autopsy determined that her cause of death was actually from being hit in the head.

Months prior to Lucille Ann's death, Brian had been able to obtain a green card through their marriage, which happened after just three months of dating. But shortly after, the British man allegedly got wrapped up in an affair with a Florida woman, according to prosecutors.

The victim reportedly found out about the affair after McManus accidentally sent her a message intended for his mistress.

After looking through security footage in the neighborhood, investigators were able to locate a rubber mallet and a cell phone in a drainage ditch. Officials believe after the victim finished showering, McManus allegedly struck her head before strangling her. He then reportedly went on a walk with his dog where he disposed of the murder weapon and then called 911 upon returning home.

According to the Houston County District Attorney's Office, the man tried to "pin it on the victim's family."

McManus was convicted of malice murder, felony murder and one count of aggravated assault by a jury on Saturday.

Originally published on Latin Times
OCEAN CITY  A divided City Council approved a new 3% tax on online rentals, which could mean an estimate of $1.8 million in new revenue next year.

Some residents, and some members of council, described the tax as unfair because it leaves out other means of renting in the popular beach town such as through a Realtor or booking at a hotel.

Those other rental methods were included in an earlier version of the ordinance, which drew far more opposition when it came up for a public hearing last December.

With opponents crowding council chambers for that meeting, council voted unanimously against the tax.

This time, the tax will apply to rentals booked through Vrbo, Airbnb and similar online platforms. Two members of the public spoke against the tax, but the turnout was much smaller Thursday.

The ordinance approved in a 4-3 vote will create a transient accommodations fee of 3% on accommodations booked through transient space marketplaces.

Think online, city attorney Dottie McCrosson told council members. She said the tax will not apply to those paying the owner directly.

It will not be in place for this summer. McCrosson told council members it will take effect 90 days after the vote, and after a required state review, with the expectation of beginning at the start of 2026.

New Ocean City 3% online room tax moves forward Ocean City Council is moving ahead an ordinance creating a new 3% tax on some online property rentals. A final vote is due July 17.

She said she had to look into what will happen for a rental already booked for next year, in response to a question from a council member after the vote.

Those who spoke in opposition to the new tax cited fairness and the added expense.

Steve Kearns, who owns a rental property and uses an online booking service, said he has already seen social media posts complaining that Ocean City was pricing out families; that a week in Europe or Disney World was less expensive than a week at the Jersey Shore.

Here we are considering an additional tax, he said Thursday. This is not a level playing field and certainly a conflict of interest for anyone on council who is in the real estate business."

Council member Pete Madden, who works in real estate, voted in favor of the ordinance. Two council members mentioned that they own investment properties that rent through online services, Jody Levchuk and Sean Barnes.

Levchuk, a yes vote, said he did not see any conflict. Barnes spoke against the ordinance, and stated his intention to abstain, but when the roll call vote took place he voted no.

There was some consideration of changing that vote.

An abstention would mean that he wouldnt comment on it either, so you might as well cast your vote, McCrosson said.

Ocean City to take a new look at 3% Airbnb tax A new ordinance to add a 3% tax on accommodations booked through Vrbo, Airbnb and similar apps is set to come back to City Council on Thursday.

Council members Keith Hartzell and Tony Polcini also voted no, while members Dave Winslow and Council President Terry Crowley Jr. joined Madden and Levchuk to vote yes.

Winslow has framed the decision as part of an overall plan to reduce spending and increase revenue, adding it will be the renters, not the property owners, to pay the tax.

I have a problem leaving money on the table thats not paid by our taxpayers but is paid by our visitors, Winslow said.

Hartzell cited a property tax rate increase in this years budget, even as the assessed values in Ocean City continue to soar, as indication that city spending is the problem rather than a lack of revenue.

Until this budget gets under control, Im not for another new tax, he said. I dont care who gets affected, who doesnt. Its another new tax.

Levchuk said new properties are being built for the online rental market, describing that as a good thing, but added there is an impact from the visitors. While the Ocean City summer rental market is locked in to weekly rentals from Saturday to Saturday, online bookings are more flexible. But that can mean multiple turnovers in a week.

Barnes wasnt buying it, at least not without evidence.

Trash is trash. Theres seven nights in a week, he said, doubting that having different families in a rental over the course of the week would require more city services than a single family.

Gillian unveils $125 million budget for Ocean City Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian touted accomplishments and infrastructure improvements as he presented City Council with a budget proposal that includes a tax rate increase.

Barnes said not everyone can afford to buy a hotel, but more people can invest in Ocean City if online rentals can help with the mortgage.

This equates to government stepping in and making one business more marketable than another, and Im thoroughly opposed to that, Barnes said.

Polcini cited the economy for his opposition. He had previously supported the ordinance.

I dont think its a good time. We need to grow our rentals and get people back here, he said Thursday. Times are tough right now. People are scared of spending money. We dont know whats going to happen in the future.

Administrative costs for the new tax are minimal, Winslow said, with the task of collections falling to the online service. The money goes to the state and is later distributed to the municipality, under the state law enabling the tax.

Supporters of the new tax argued it will not mean a drop in rentals.

Winslow said the 3% will amount to $75 on a rental bill of $2,500.

Its not astronomical, he said. Most people are not going to leave Ocean City for $75.
A Hamilton man is facing a homicide charge in the shooting death of his wifes cousin after an altercation at a residence south of Hamilton on Tuesday.

Scott Paul Peratis, 55, was charged with felony deliberate homicide in Ravalli County Justice Court on Thursday, July 17 in the shooting death of 52-year-old David Earl Connors, of Simi Valley, California.

Officers from the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office responded to an address on Ponderosa Drive south of Hamilton on Tuesday afternoon, July 15 after receiving multiple 911 calls from the residence around 1:50 p.m. reporting the shooting.

Upon arrival officers found Connors lying on a patio table with an obvious head wound, according to court documents. Despite medical efforts Connors was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the coroners report, he was shot in the head.

Connors was in Hamilton visiting his cousin, who is separated from Peratis but still shares a residence. He was reportedly in town to help his cousin while Peratis was undergoing cancer surgery.

According to court documents, Connors had driven Peratis to a medical appointment in Missoula earlier in the day on Tuesday prior to the shooting.

The woman reported she heard the two men talking in the kitchen in an agitated manner after returning shortly after 1:30 p.m. Peratis then told the woman he wanted Connors to leave the residence, but she told Peratis that she was not going to have Connors leave because he was family and could be in their home.

The woman said that Peratis was agitated, and Connors, who was like a brother to her, seemed to not want to leave her alone with him. She said the men continued to go back and forth but that it was all verbal.

She then observed Peratis walk towards Connors posturing with his chest out in an aggressive manner, to which Connors reportedly responded, get the f*** away from me, dont f***ing touch me, according to charging documents.

The woman said she saw Peratis trying to move Connors out of a kitchen doorway which led to the two men pushing each other, causing both to fall. She told law enforcement she saw Peratis stand up from the floor, and as she started to turn to walk out of the kitchen, she heard the gunshot.

She said she found Connors lying on a low patio table on the porch with Peratis, three to four feet away, still holding the gun pointed at Connors head.

Upon questioning, Peratis allegedly admitted he pulled the firearm from his right front pocket and shot the man, according to charging documents. He told law enforcement he had offended Connors on the way back from Missoula and that Connors had been verbally intimidating to him, and he asked Connors to leave but he would not.

According to Peratis he went to leave the house, but Connors would not move and kept pushing him back into the house. He said that Connors grabbed him on his shoulder and shook him, throwing him backwards into the kitchen 8-10 feet, and that when he got up Connors was walking towards him. He later said the two advanced on each other.

Peratis allegedly gave conflicting stories to law enforcement, first saying he had gotten to his feet before pulling out the handgun but later telling officers he pulled the gun out of his pocket while still on the ground.

Peratis repeatedly claimed that Connors tried to grab the gun, causing it to go off, according to officer reports.

Peratis said Connors charged me, he came at me, and then he put his hand up and the pistol went off, according to court documents.

A state medical examiners autopsy of Connors body conducted on Thursday, July 17 determined the victims hands and forearms had no powder burns or stippling, inconsistent with Peratis reports that Connors hands were on the gun when it discharged. The medical examiner also reported that the bullet trajectory is consistent with the victims head being turned to the right relative to the position of the handgun.

Bond was set at $500,000. If convicted Peratis could face 10 years to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
A preschool in Beaverton, Oregon, was placed on a "soft lockdown" Tuesday morning after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a father outside the school as he dropped off his child.

The man, a 38-year-old Iranian national and licensed chiropractor, was taken into custody in the parking lot of Guidepost Montessori School, shocking staff, students, and parents. ICE claims he had overstayed a student visa issued in 2017.

"He married a US citizen and his US citizen wife filed a green card application for him," Caroline Medeiros, an immigration attorney working with the family, told OPB. "He attended his green card interview with his wife and they were just simply waiting for the green card to come through."

The shaken school alerted families with a message announcing it went into a "soft lockdown to ensure the safety of all students and staff."

Randy Kornfield, a grandfather who witnessed the scene described it as "heartless."

"They were driving off with one of the fathers who had just dropped his kid off," Kornfield told the outlet. "These poor kids don't know what's going on."

ICE confirmed officers broke a window to remove the man from his vehicle, citing resistance, but noted the child was unharmed.

Guidepost Montessori said it was "deeply disturbed" by the incident. "Our first priority is the safety and emotional well-being of the children in our care," regional manager Angel Ignacio said in a statement obtained by KPTV. "We are actively supporting the affected child and family, and we are providing our staff and families with resources to help them process this event with care and sensitivity."

The father was sent to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, pending removal proceedings.

ICE declined to confirm whether agents had obtained the supervisor approval required to conduct an arrest at schools or other sensitive locations where detainment was previously prohibited.

The Trump administration rescinded the policy blocking arrests at schools, churches, hospitals and courthouses with an executive order on his first day back in office.

Originally published on Latin Times
By APF

ISTANBUL, July 18: Turkey has arrested 153 presumed members of the Islamic State group (IS) in nationwide raids, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.

The arrests took place from Izmir and Mugla in the west and southwest, to Hatay and Mardin in the southeast and Samsun on the northern Black Sea coast.

"In the course of operations in 28 provinces over the past two weeks, our military police have detained 153 presumed members of the terrorist organisation" IS, Yerlikaya said on X.

The suspects "have provided funds to affiliated groups" and are accused of "propaganda that benefits a terrorist organisation," he said.

Yerlikaya said the police had acted on information from Turkish intelligence services and cooperation from authorities abroad.

Turkey shares an 800-kilometre (500-mile) border with Syria, where the IS claimed responsibility in late May for an attack on the new government forces in the south of the country.
If you ask Mayor Danny Avula, hell tell you he understands the importance of transparency.

It was one of his central campaign pledges and, in the six months since he took office, City Hall has in some ways shifted.

Meanwhile, compliance with rules set by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act has increased significantly with respect to requests submitted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch  although city officials continue to charge large, discretionary fees for disclosing public records.

But at least one transparency-related issue remains as yet unchanged: city officials still are not publishing City Halls monthly expenditures online, as they are required to do under city code.

Asked whether he would resume the mandated practice of disclosing city spending, Avula said he was open to the idea, but that officials simply dont have the resources or the manpower at the moment.

Over time, Id love to explore a realistic and sustainable path to relaunching an online spending portal, he said. We just arent there yet.

Avula added that he is complying with other, similar ordinances, like the one that requires the finance department to put out a monthly financial synopsis that lays out the citys general financial position.

Register is requirement, not suggestion

By ordinance, the citys finance department is expected to maintain a public-facing payment register on the citys website. The register must include payment information such as names, dollar amounts, dates and payment types, among other details, and must be updated every month.

Its not a suggestion. Its a legally binding obligation of the mayoral administration.

But in 2019, city officials under then-Mayor Levar Stoney ceased updating the payment register. In August 2024, after The Times-Dispatch asked officials why they were not abiding by city code, the register disappeared from the city website entirely.

At the time, former Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders explained that the register was not being maintained because it was a tedious and time-consuming task, and because it posed security risks.

Those security risks havent deterred cities like Boston  which still features a payment register on its website  but emails obtained by The Times-Dispatch support Saunders first argument.

In messages sent to Saunders in October 2023, Charles Todd, director of the citys IT department, said that finance department Director Sheila White had become overwhelmed with the task, so he had begun handling the register by himself.

But the manual data entry proved too much for him too, Todd told Saunders, so he reached back out to finance department officials for help, got no response and stopped shouldering the burden.

It was a ridiculous thing for me to try, Todd wrote in an email to Saunders. And, under city code, it wasnt Todds responsibility in the first place.

Why not automate?

Saunders in August said officials had reached out to a vendor to look into automating the payment portal, but also said he would ask City Council to repeal the ordinance.

Neither of those things appear to have come to fruition. The ordinance is still a binding part of city law  and the manual task still is not completed.

To Andreas Addison, former 1st District councilman who had a hand in establishing the payment register and who ran against Avula for mayor, there are no excuses.

Financial transparency should just be expected, he told The Times-Dispatch. People should be expecting this from their city government.

Addison in 2015  then a City Hall employee  helped set up the register, and in 2017  then a councilman  successfully proposed an ordinance that created an open data portal, which would go on to host the then-functioning register. He said that, if the existing technology doesnt support transparency and compliance with code, it is incumbent upon city officials to acquire new systems.

(Avula) is right, he said. It is hard to do. But I would argue that we need to make our tools work for the right purposes. There are good examples of cities that do it well. The tools are available. Its about choosing to use them.

And its probably never been more important, Addison said, referencing multiple investigations of city employees spending.

City auditors on Tuesday released a report identifying $5 million of questionable expenditures on city credit cards in only a year and a half. And The Times-Dispatch earlier this month reported that a former Richmond fire department employee  Reginald Thomas  had directed at least $2 million in public funds to companies registered to himself and associates.

Thomas spending is the subject of an investigation by the citys inspector general, but Addison said it doesnt always have to get that far. A public payment register could help nip potential misappropriation in the bud.

Look at the p-cards, he said. I mean, we should all be able to actually see that happening.
What started with a routine pat-down of a resident at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center led the Department of Juvenile Justices gang intervention agents on a six-month investigation.

It uncovered a staffers alleged sexual assault on a resident and an allegedly far-reaching conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the Chesterfield County facility where youth who have been found culpable for crimes go when theres no other place for them.

Now, a multijurisdictional grand jury has indicted two former Bon Air staffers and two people outside the facility on felonies that the Department of Juvenile Justice says endangered youth in its care.

Former Bon Air staffer Rejea T.C. Cuffee, 35, of Richmond, is charged with five felonies, including carnal knowledge of a resident who at the time was 15, as well as possession of the narcotics methadone and oxycodone and delivering vape pens to residents, which are banned in the facility.

Former staffer Franchesa S. Hunt, 38, of Richmond, is charged with four felony counts of delivering contraband to Bon Air residents.

In addition, Kathryn S. Brice, 53, of Albemarle County, and Isaiah Zampini, 20, of Chesterfield County, are charged with felonies related to an alleged conspiracy to acquire and deliver cellphones to Bon Air residents.

Authorities say cellphones, which are banned in the facility, are key for smuggling drugs and other contraband into a correctional center.

Authorities say the pat-down that ultimately led to these indictments found a cellphone in a residents jacket pocket in late March 2024. Three weeks later, officials say, staff found an identical phone in a plastic bag, stowed in the tank of another residents toilet.

The residents had some privileges suspended  and Department of Juvenile Justice Special Agents Eric Kempf and Jonathan Zegelien, hired in 2022 to help launch a departmental effort to get the kids in its care out of gangs, began investigating.

It was a time when more vapes, including cannabis vapes and opioid pain medication, were getting into Bon Air. As Kempf and Zegelien talked with residents  many of them youths the agents had met in their years as police officers on the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads  they got a feeling that there was something pretty organized going on.

It was someone told me this, or I overheard that, Zegelien said.

Sometimes, as they made their rounds at Bon Air, and with young people headed for court, theyd get: I dont talk to cops.

But sometimes, as happened during their investigation of the phones, it was something different, like the 19-year-old in Bon Air who wanted to break away from a gang.

His counselor told him he should speak with us, Kempf said. He said, Im a 19-year-old and I want to live the life I want to live.

We talked. ... As we talked, I could see he wanted to rebuild his bond with his father.

A pastors help

Kempf called a pastor he knew from his days on the Peninsula and who he knew was willing to help troubled kids and their families. He and the pastor sounded out the father and arranged for phone calls so father and son could start talking. They convinced the dad to come up to Bon Air to visit. All too many youth in Bon Air dont have much family interested in visiting. The young man is out now, and Kempf and Zegelien stay in touch.

Conversations and follow-ups like that with several residents picked up more leads. Some pointed to Bon Air staff who were spending unusual amounts of time with residents in housing units where searches had been finding contraband.

In the meantime, Zegeliens search warrant, allowing him to tap into the phones, was turning up other leads  and not just about how the phones got into the correctional center, a crime that can mean a year in jail.

Authorities say texts on the phones suggested they were used to place orders for drugs; a follow-up search warrant with a cellphone company got names of people outside who were getting calls; a warrant for a cellphone store got video showing who bought the phones.

Zegelien says he tapped into the payment apps on the phone to see there was serious money changing hands.

It was only then that they interviewed the youth who had the phones.

Its sort of like a chess game; you want to have enough so they cant bluff you, Zegelien said.

You go in pretty low-key. Were saying work with us, help us. We can get past this. Youre going to leave here but if the people outside can do this, it means kids here are going to be at risk.

It was the big break.

They told us everything, told us even more than we already knew, Zegelien said.

And even with the technical wizardry to unlock a cellphones secrets, the patient tracing of money flows and their connection with the time of phone calls and hints in text messages, the search warrants of places far from Bon Air that found drugs, recovered five guns and paperwork to further nail down an indictment, Zegelien and Kempf said the heart of the case came down to something else. It was the trust that some troubled youth slowly came to have in adults who tried to help before going to Bon Air, and who stayed in touch, even on their days off.

Its basically consistency, building trust, Kempf said. These kids havent had a lot in their lives  but when you call on a Saturday to ask, How are you doing? that can send a message.
Each year, Henry Gorham Jr. renewed his hopeful request for parole.

And for decades, his efforts were fruitless.

Not a single judge on Virginias five-person parole board seemed interested in granting his early release for a robbery committed in 1975 and subsequent offenses while incarcerated.

In 2017, more than 30 years after his last criminal offense, some board members began to reconsider his case. And in the spring of 2021, the required majority finally turned his way. Three judges voted to grant his parole.

Gorham, who went by Bo Billy, was never released. On July 10, he died at Greensville Correctional Center of natural causes believed to be linked to liver and pancreatic cancer diagnoses. He was 69 years old.

Gorhams advocates, including his sister and his parole adviser, allege a mishandling of his case. On the other hand, Virginia Parole Board Chair Trish West said his case was handled properly, and that board members who approved his parole likely changed their minds, resulting in their votes never becoming final, or certified.

Its a threshold that isnt immediately clear from the agencys public policy documents. West said that after a parole candidate receives a majority vote, the board then does a deeper dive in the form of a public hearing followed by certification. All throughout that process, a parole candidates initial majority vote approval can be undone, West said.

The parole board retains the right to change their vote up until the person walks out the door, said West. There was nothing unusual about his case.

The Virginia Parole Board routinely hears the cases of over 3,000 parole-eligible prisoners in the Virginia prison system. Most committed offenses before parole was technically outlawed in 1995, while others are eligible for geriatric parole beginning at the age of 60, as well as juvenile parole for offenses committed as a minor.

In 2024, Gorham discovered the uncertified parole votes through his parole adviser, Karen Morrison, who filed a public records request for all votes ever taken in during his incarceration. Morrison also runs the not-for-profit Fighting 4 Freedom, a group that advocates for the rights of the incarcerated.

The duo pushed for an explanation and agitated for his release. Why hadnt Gorhams votes been certified? In May, Gorham filed a habeas corpus case before the Virginia Supreme Court, alleging that the board arbitrarily and capriciously failed to follow through on its own protocols.

Gorham is seeking habeas corpus relief to challenge this injustice and compel the state to honor its own parole process, reads his lawsuit. His fight is not just for his release but for accountability in a system that has failed him.

In their suit, Gorham said his case was similar to that of two other prisoners  Leroy Coleman and Richard Bagby  who had since been released. After an internal audit, the board admitted to making a mistake in not certifying their release, according to letters sent to the men by the board in 2024.

West said those two men, whose votes had been certified, were different from Gorham. She described their cases as a mistake owing to a computer glitch.

As soon as we found them, we immediately stopped and got into the process of releasing them, said West. I wouldnt be holding him if he had three certified votes.

In June, a throbbing pain in his stomach and a grim medical diagnosis added new urgency to Gorhams efforts. But a request for his release based on declining health, known as a terminal illness application, was denied by the board on July 9, said Morrison. He died the next day.

Morrison believes the boards initial vote should have been binding, citing language in the agencys own manual. The manual states that certification should occur upon the concurrence of the designated number of Board Members.

Should a parole decision be reversed, a separate agency guideline instructs that the prisoner is afforded a right to a hearing with an attorney.

Why did the Board violate their own process by not certifying the votes? said Morrison.

Two parole board members, Kemba Pradia and Tonya Chapman, changed their mind in his case. After initially voting for Gorhams release, they later reversed, citing his extensive criminal record and wrote that he needed to show a longer period of stable adjustment.

Pradia and Chapman did not return calls seeking comment on Thursday afternoon.

Someone found out something and they changed their vote, said West, who was not on the parole board in 2021. In more recent years, West voted against his subsequent requests for release.

Gorham, who grew up in Portsmouth, served just over 50 years as an inmate in the Virginia Department of Corrections. After his initial robbery in 1975, he was retried for offenses committed while in prison, with his most recent criminal offense in 1985.

That was when Gorham was implicated in a well-known jailbreak from Mecklenburg State Prison, which led to the escape of the notorious Briley Brothers and the injuries of several prison guards. Gorham, then 29, denied involvement. But a Richmond Circuit Court judge meted out an additional 40 years for the wounding of two Mecklenburg State Prison guards.

Gorham then served 21 years in solitary confinement, according to his sister, Mary Gorham. She said he maintained his innocence in the Mecklenburg incident, and that Gorham was a mentor to others behind bars.

He had a hard fight. His whole life, said Mary Gorham. 50 years in the system.
Ecology and Environment working to evict Mennonite communities devastating Quintana Roo jungle

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  The states Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) says they are working to evict Mennonites off local land. Groups of Mennonites have been blamed for the destruction of hundreds of hectares of jungle around Quintana Roo.

Oscar Rebora Aguiler, the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA), says they have begun the process to have the Mennonite communities removed from those lands. According to Rebora Aguilera, internal talks have begun to develop a strategy to evict them.

We are working on a strategy to evict them and restore these properties. Agricultural experts have told us that many of the pesticides they use are very aggressive to the land, so we need to review how much of it can be restored.

Once all this is established we will take the appropriate action based on what the experts tell us, he explained.

Oscar Rebora Aguiler

Rebora Aguilera said that throughout the municipality of Bacalar alone, more than 30,000 hectares of trees have been illegally cut down over the years. He says Profepa (Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente) has intensified operations to enforce closures after years of ignored reports that large areas of jungle were being cleared without permits.

Rebora Aguiler says the problem has been ignored for years by previous governments.

The bad practices and decisions of other governments are already being worked on today in a technical roundtable. Talks are being had with the Federal Attorney Generals Office for Environmental Protection, the State Attorney Generals office, the Legal Counsel, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and other stakeholders.

The first closure seals have already been placed to protect one of the properties and work is also being done on the legal strategy related to the Mennonites, he said.

Federal officials closed cleared properties June 14, 2025.

In June, the Federal Attorneys Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) reported locating seven cleared areas by Mennonites around the Yucatan Peninsula. Their finding was from May 28 to June 14, 2025 totaling more than 2,600 hectares. Of those 2,600 hectares of illegally cleared land, 400 hectares were located in south Quintana Roo.
Marina reports more than 44,000 tons of sargassum collected so far this season

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  More than 44,000 tons of sargassum has been collected in Quintana Roo so far this season. The Secretariat of the Marina says it continues to implement comprehensive efforts to address arriving sargassum along the coast. According to the Marina, the strategys triple helix model contemplates joint efforts by different levels of government.

For its implementation, the operation has been divided into three strategic zones that include the Northern Zone of Isla Mujeres, Cancun and Puerto Morelos, the Central Zone which includes Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum and then the Southern Zone from Mahahual to Xcalak.

Naval personnel, specialized machinery and various resources have been deployed along Quintana Roos nearly 1,000 km of coastline. Sargassum is being contained using one Ocean Sargassum Vessel (the main maritime collection vessel, whose work has reached up to 90 tons extracted in a single day).

The Marina says 11 coastal sargassum vessels along with 22 smaller support vessels and equipment are also used daily. These methods have been implemented in conjunction with the 8,850 meters of containment barriers placed along the coast.

Approximately 400 naval elements distributed throughout the state also help in the at-sea and land removal of seaweed.

One of the key phases of the strategy is coastal containment, which is implemented by installing barriers on beaches with a high incidence of grounding. These structures, taking advantage of currents, waves and wind direction, allow the sargassum to be redirected to specific points for extraction using manual or mechanical equipment, the Marina explained.

Regarding extraction during the 2025 season, a constant effort has been made by sea and land to prevent the massive washup of sargassum on beaches. These actions have resulted in an average collection of 4,147 tons at sea and 4,026 tons on land, representing a total of more than 8,170 tons collected by the Secretariat.

Overall, under the joint scheme, as of July 13, more than 44,000 tons has been collected, demonstrating the positive interaction between all parties responsible for the removal of the seaweed.

With these actions, the Secretariat of the Navy-Mexican Navy reaffirms its commitment to protecting the marine environment and preserving the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean, in close coordination with all levels of government.

Through Operation Sargassum 2025, we continue to work firmly and decisively to mitigate the effects of this natural phenomenon, benefiting the population, tourism, and the national coastal ecosystem.
A Coldplay concert in Boston turned into an alleged "affair" scandal when Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught on the stadium's jumbotron appearing intimately close then abruptly parting ways.

The incident happened July 16 at Gillette Stadium, where a playful "kiss cam" segment landed on the two executives mid-embrace, The Sun reported. Byron immediately released Cabot and ducked behind a barrier while she covered her face with her hands.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin paused to narrate the moment, saying, "Either they're having an affair or they're very shy," triggering loud gasps and laughter from the crowd.

Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM  Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025

But the fallout didn't stop at the stadium. Byron is now getting torched in the comments of his recent LinkedIn posts, where a flood of users have left barbed reactions ranging from sarcastic HR tips to brutal marriage advice.

One viral screen recording of the comment section, shared on X, shows hundreds mocking his leadership and judgment.

"Just want to add to the pile on, much like your wife's divorce attorney will," one person wrote. Another added, "So running multiple concurrent workflows?"

"Andy you dawg!" one user playfully wrote.

The comments section on LinkedIn  pic.twitter.com/7UThsgQwnj  Gareebchacha (@gareebchacha) July 17, 2025

Byron, who became CEO of the $1.3 billion software company Astronomer in 2023, had previously praised Cabot, hired nine months ago, for her "exceptional leadership." Meanwhile, online sleuths noticed another telling update: Byron's wife has reportedly removed his last name from her Facebook page.

Byron's LinkedIn page has since been deleted or deactivated. He has yet to issue a public statement about the incident or the allegations.

Originally published on Latin Times
Mexico City suspect on the run since 2018 captured in Cancun

Cancun, Q.R.  A Mexico City suspect on the run since 2018 has finally been captured. Police say David N was wanted for a university campus rape that happened in Mexico City in 2018.

He was captured in Cancun Thursday in a coordinated effort between the State Attorney General (FGE) of Quintana Roo and the Attorney Generals Office of Mexico City.

According to Quintana Roo authroties, David N was taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant for his alleged participation in acts that could constitute the crime of aggravated rape.

Police say David N is accused of raping a teenager on a university campus on February 12, 2018. Initially, David N was arrested, but a judge ruled he be released because the arrest was not in flagrante delicto; he then fled, authorities reported.

Elements of the Investigative Police, in collaboration with the Attorney Generals Office of Mexico City, captured David N. He was transferred to the Cancun airport Thursday and returned to Mexico City to face charges.
As Chriss Coffee and Custard is preparing to close up shop at its current location in southeast Roanoke, owners Beth and Chris Woodrum are looking forward to opening the doors at its future permanent location at the historic Starkey School.

Chriss will close its shop at 1824 Ninth St. S.E. on Aug. 30. Construction crews are working to build a 90-day kitchen in the historic Starkey School so the business can begin serving custard and other menu items out of its food truck-like trailer on site while the rest of the building is renovated. The historic Starkey School is located at 6426 Merriman Road in southwest Roanoke County.

Were going to be working really hard  once we get the kitchen finished, were just rolling right into doing the rest of the building, Beth Woodrum said.

Lately, its been one thing after another for Chriss, she said. In April, the Chriss Coffee and Custard food truck was destroyed in a fire at Noke Van Co. In May, after they officially purchased the historic Starkey School, they were approached by their current landlord and told their lease would need to end in August, as hed received inquiries from other businesses about renting the space at Ninth Street long term. Beth Woodrum was excited that hed received those inquiries, and that Chriss would be able to move into its new building earlier, she said.

To replace the food truck, Chriss got a trailer, which it will serve out of at the historic Starkey School until the building is ready to be opened. Beth Woodrum hopes that will be sometime in January. They plan to take the trailer to as many events as possible in the meantime, starting with the Big Lick Comic Con on Aug. 2, she said.

Right after the fire in April, Evan Johnson of Johnson Orthodontics started a $20,000 matching fundraiser for Chriss to cover the cost of purchasing the trailer and equipment, as well as the total build out cost needed to finish the trailer, Beth Woodrum said.

The Roanoke County School Board voted unanimously Thursday night to approve the sale of a parcel adjacent the historic Starkey School to Chriss Coffee and Custard. Chriss will use this space for extra parking, and allow Penn Forest Elementary School to use it for event parking throughout the year, Beth Woodrum said.

Chriss Coffee and Custard opened on Ninth Street in March 2021. The name and idea for the business was inspired by Beth Woodrums son, Chris, who has Down syndrome.

I knew we had a special purpose. I always believed that God puts the children in the families that theyre supposed to be in, and so when he was born, I knew there was going to be a special purpose for him, she said.

Chriss serves more than just coffee, custard and sandwiches  it also serves as a venue for on-site workforce training for individuals with disabilities. The Woodrums created LovABLE Services Inc., a nonprofit and the parent company of Chriss, to establish the workforce training program. The program helps individuals with disabilities enhance both their social and work-related skills, while also creating job opportunities for them at the Chriss Coffee and Custard store and food truck.

Once we do the training with the young adults, then if we have a job that we can match up to their skill set, well be able to offer them employment, Beth Woodrum said.

Currently, the business employs around 36 young adults with disabilities, ranging from autism to cerebral palsy to rare chromosome disorders. It also employs around the same number of support staff members, many of which are retired teachers. The workforce training program was designed by a special education teacher.

Theres a lot of different special abilities and diagnoses of young adults that work here, she said.

The Woodrums expected to have around a year to get things at the historic Starkey School in order. The building served as a school from 1915 to 1961, and its on the site of an even earlier school. It was used as a senior center after closing but has been vacant for years.

With their lease ending sooner than planned, the Woodrums are looking at a time frame of around six months. That means that they need to reach the goal for their capital campaign, around $850,000, sooner than expected, too. Those looking to help can donate to the capital campaign on the Chriss Coffee and Custard website, donate equipment or volunteer with Chriss, Beth Woodrum said.

Whether its a small donation to a large donation, they all come together and support us, she said. Were just really excited about being there for a new community.

Despite the recent chaos, the Woodrums are looking forward to getting settled in at their new location. They live in Roanoke County, so it feels like coming home, Beth Woodrum said. Its the last historic building in the Starkey community, and they plan to keep as much of the history as possible. They have a lot of things planned for the new location, including, but not limited to, new menu items.

Chriss is hosting a celebration and community fundraiser during regular business hours on Saturday, Aug. 23, just before the current location closes.
Spotify has revealed its latest Audiobooks+ offer which will add additional hours of listening time to the available audiobook content on the platform. The initial offer from Spotify for its Premium subscribers only brings 15 hours of audiobook streaming per month, but for those who consume it significantly, it would not be enough.

Currently, the Audiobooks+ offer is slowly rolling out to Premium users, with Spotify offering them twice as many listening hours as their original subscription but for an extra cost.

Spotify Audiobooks+ Now Rolling Out to Some Premium Users

Spotify shared a new announcement that introduces its latest Audiobooks+ product, offering users a way to add more listening hours on their Premium accounts to listen to audiobooks. It was revealed by Engadget that several Premium users are already seeing the latest offer from Spotify on their accounts, but it is currently limited to a select number of users.

The feature is currently rolling out after its recent test in Canada and Ireland, with the company adding more countries to the mix. It was reported that the feature is starting to roll out in several countries in Europe, and they are also adding it to Australia and New Zealand.

That being said, it has not been confirmed when the United States will get the new add-on subscription service from Spotify.

Additional Listening Hours on Spotify Audiobooks

The Audiobooks+ is an add-on subscription to already existing Premium subscriptions on the platform, which means that it would cost extra to get the service.

The regular Spotify Premium subscription only features 15 hours of audiobook listening, but with the Audiobooks+, they would get an additional 15 hours.

According to the report, the United Kingdom region offers it for 9 British Pounds per month, which is around $12.

Spotify Premium Features

The audio streaming experience from Spotify is one of the best in the world, with its Premium subscription offering top features for users to enjoy, complete with ad-free listening. A recent feature called Offline Backup automatically downloads songs that users recently played on their app in case they lose Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.

The ad-free listening experience on Spotify Premium also brings other features like an AI-generated playlist creator, access to unlimited Podcasts, endless skips, and others. It also features exclusive access to Audiobooks, with Spotify recently promising that more compositions transformed into spoken content are coming to the platform thanks to generative AI.

The next step for Spotify is to deliver the much-awaited Lossless audio streaming experience on the platform, which promises the best quality of songs using the renowned FLAC format. This new feature is not yet available, but it was already referenced in its code.

Originally published on Tech Times
This is Prudie Phones a Friend, a feature where Jenee Desmond-Harris calls a few experts for their advice to a letter writer. Submit questions to Prudence here.

Dear Prudence,

My sister-in-law, Amelia, is a lovely woman who lives on a very tight budget. I enjoy cooking and entertaining, and my husband and I frequently host gatherings. Every time we invite Amelia to a meal, whether its Christmas dinner or a weekend cookout, she insists on bringing something. This is where it goes horribly wrong.

Ive told her again and again that all we want is the pleasure of her company. To be clear, I say this to everyone. I really dont need/want anyone to bring anything.

Yet, Amelia brings items shes obviously pulled from her pantry or fridgean open jar of olives well past the expiration date, a half-liter of flat soda, sketchy onion dip. Ive tried directing her to specific inexpensive items (a pack of hamburger buns! a bag of ice!), but she still shows up with old food. Im not comfortable serving these items, and she notices if I dont set them out. I like this woman. Id invite her over more often if I didnt have to deal with this issue. But I dont know how to stop her from bringing us her old food without hurting her feelings. Help!

This Is Not a Potluck

Dear This Is Not a Potluck,

There are obviously some interpersonal issues here that go beyond sketchy onion dip. When I asked for help with a question involving food, Im pretty sure the experts I contacted were expecting to be asked about something that leaned a little more on their culinary expertise. But I thought people with a lot of experience thinking about what makes a good meal would be invested in your dilemma. And they did in fact have good insights. Lets start with their praise for you.

I spoke to Danny Palumbo, a cook, food writer, and the culinary detective behind Slates new Recipe for Disaster feature, in which he investigates things recipes get wrong and how to fix them. He started by saying, People have delicate feelings, especially around food, so I think its awesome that youre considering hers so much. Sounds like you have a good heart. I agree.

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By the way, he also affirmed that it can be annoying when guests bring food (even appropriate, non-expired food) and expect to see it served that night. Whenever I host people for dinner, I insist everyone come empty-handed, he said. Dinner is purely a service I want to provide to friends and family, right down to doing the dishes. So youre not alone here.

On a strictly practical note about the food safety element of your letter, there was a lot of hope about the olives. Id nudge her towards the olives more often, Palumbo said. Theyre generally good one to two years past their best by date, and its really, really hard to get sick from a brined olive. Flat soda also isnt pleasant, but still infinitely better than getting sick from an old onion dip.

Eddy Gourdet, a friend of mine who has worked in the restaurant industry for 25 years, echoed this: I was hoping that the old food would be all stuff like the olives (hard for them to go bad), but even if it were, I understand squeamishness about serving things past their expiration date.

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So one idea is to tell Amelia you really, really love her year-old olives and ask her to bring them every time. Maybe even give them a palace of honor in a special, beautiful serving dish dedicated to expired-but-still-not-poisonous appetizers. Shell love it. They might seem a little out of place if youre serving, say, Thai cuisine. But no one will get food poisoning.

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You might satisfy Amelias need to contribute by giving her a job. If you genuinely enjoy her company, you could tell her to show up a bit early to help finish cooking or setting up the table. Or to stick around and help with the dishes, Palumbo said. Perhaps she would be more inclined to leave the expired food at home if she knew she was helping by putting in some work.

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Kara Nielsen, a former pastry chef and restaurant manager whose work centers on predicting food and beverage trends, agreed.This might work to make the sister-in-law better understand the meal or feel like she is contributing in another way, Nielsen explained. Or, start earlier by talking about the menu with the sister-in-law and ask her for some ideas of what she might like to contribute, food or other support.

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Nielsen also floated the idea of being a bit clearer and firmer that nothing is neededand that any good contributions wont be placed on the table. She suggested that you, State that the meal has already been planned with every element coordinating or serving a purpose. There isnt room or need for anything else. Then, let your sister-in- law know that anything she brings will be enjoyed (I mean, this isnt totally a lieIm sure throwing it in the trash will bring you some pleasure) at a later time.

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Taking the theme of being clear and firm a step further, Gourdet made what I thought was a good point. Shes already hurting her sister-in-laws feelings to some extent by not putting out the food, so go all the way and explain the issue, he said. I think theres something to this. He suggests starting off with a statement about how much you enjoy her company, and then being direct. If you go this route, try something like: I really appreciate your generosity but things that have already been opened or have been in your refrigerator for some time are hard to serve. Thats why Im not setting them out. Please just bring yourself next time!

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And if she pushes back, or cries, or if this starts to feel like a situation that is going to cause a huge problem in your family, remember what we said about plating the olives.

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Classic Prudie

I am in desperate need of guidance. Ive been married for 30 years. Early in our marriage, my wife had an affair that resulted in pregnancy. It was difficult, but we stayed together because I wanted to make sure I was there to raise my 2-year-old daughter. My wife gave birth to a baby boy who I raised as my own. We went on with our life, but I never really recovered from the affair and I never felt the same connection. Now, every five years or so, I end up in the same placewanting to leave, ending up in couples counseling, and then not leaving.
Our advice columnists have heard it all over the yearsso were diving into the How to Do It archives to share classic letters with our readers. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. Its anonymous!

Dear How to Do It,

Im a female instructor at a graduate school and see a new set of students every few weeks. I met a student (who is 20 years younger than me) who emailed me after her time in my course and told me what a great experience it was. I offered mentorship and possibly friendship down the line. (Tricky line given the student/professor dynamic.) During the course of the first few days of text messages, it became clear she had a crush on me. I soon learned that it was way more than a crush and she was very attracted to me but according to her not in a sexual way as she claims to be asexual. I had zero interest in her in that way.

Weve had exhaustive discussions about our ability to form a friendship knowing that she would like it to be more and she is very respectful of my boundaries. I do enjoy spending time with her, but there is a very tiny part of me that feels like she was put in my life to help her get through school, as, due to past trauma and current school stressors, she is occasionally suicidal. To complicate matters, she originally told me that it was hard for her because she is generally very affectionate with her friends and will hold hands and cuddle with them. This is not something I do with my friends. I never want to give her the wrong impression that something has changed, but I was curious about what it would be like to hold hands or cuddle with a woman, so gradually this has become a thing in our friendship. I do enjoy it but its not a romantic thing for me like it is for her. Shes expressed several times that she wants to kiss me. I hate mouth kissing and I dont feel that way about her so thats a line I dont intend to cross.

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Shes very open and truthful so she tells me often how gorgeous she thinks I am or that I am magnetic, etc. I wont deny its an ego boost and I wonder if its wise to continue this friendship. I enjoy her company but she always needs a lot of assurance that I also want to have her around and since Im a very sarcastic person I often make jokes without realizing how she perceives what I say, which often doesnt match my intentions. Im trying to get better at recognizing that. I could get more into the fact that we are both insecure introverts but thats not the point of this.

Am I doing the right thing by allowing this friendship to continue? I actually dont want it to end but I do sometimes feel like Im in a partnership with her given her needs and expectations. I also sometimes wonder if I could ever just get over the personal and societal stigma of being in a relationship with a woman and if I could be happy with her long-term as a life partner because shes asked me to be with her in that way multiple times. There are many other complicating factors but I just need advice as to whether you think its right to let someone who is in love with you try to continue to be your friend when you know you can never love them back in that way but ending things might mean a fatal blow to the other persons mental health.

Mildly Reluctant Cuddler

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Dear Mildly Reluctant,

Theres a whole lot to unpack here, so I called in the help of several friends and acquaintances with experience in academia. One quipped that In theory, everyone is an adult by grad school but it rarely ever plays out that way. Another questioned whether feeling responsible for your former students well-being was another facet of the ego boost you describe. A third, who is a long-time faculty member, suggested that your prudent course of action would be to disengage and find a therapist or counselor not connected to work, and their point was supported by a fourth who noted that being afraid to be honest about your boundaries with someone out of fear for their mental health is a major red flag, which, while understandable, can lead to codependence and resentment. Others brought up the ways that schools regulations and policies vary depending on the institution, which may inform the range of resources you feel comfortable reaching out to for yourself.

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Natasha Lennard, author of Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life and current university lecturer, also weighed in over email. I have no clinical training, and Im certainly not a relationships expert, she clarified. But I do teach at a university, with students whose well-being I care about long after they stop being my students. One thing she noticed is the way the problem you put forward appears to change shape as you move through describing it. Lennard continued, At the beginning of your letter, the problem of imbalanced power is glaringly clear; this is not an intense, proto-romantic/friendship that should have been invited in the first place, given that, as you note, you were in a mentor positionone that is necessarily asymmetrical in terms of power.

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While the romantic and sexual incompatibility might be relevant in other circumstances, Lennard said the power imbalances in this dynamic (both formal and emotional) should prevent romantic progression anyway. Lennard noted that toward the end of your letter your description of the problem has shifted entirely away from the initial issue. Your closing question is important, but somehow all the key issues of structural power imbalance that informed this relationship have disappeared from it. A lot of what is unhealthy in this dynamic is missed when you state this as a problem of unrequited love, or incompatible sexualities, rather than addressing more seriously the power dynamic that undergirds this relationshipand is perhaps part of the reason why your former student is so dependent on your affirmation and approval.

All of that said, Lennard continued:

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Youre in the situation youre in now, and youre concerned for this woman. And that you want to be kind. But I do fear your friendship may be doing her more harm than good. Which is not to say you should suddenly leave her in the lurchnow is the time to be the mentor you should have been all along, not the intimate friend and definitely not the inamorata. It sounds to me like this young woman needs mental health support that your friendship cannot provideif you believe her mental health is truly dependent on maintaining the dynamic you currently have, then she is certainly in need of some robust care, but not the sort that you can offer as a friend or partner. Can you assist her in finding support, either professionally, or with her peers? Are there trusted mutual friends or friends of hers you could speak to about helping her? I dont think she can heal from within the bounds of a relationship that is inherently imbalanced.

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As for preventing a recurrence of this issue, Lennard added, In future, I think it will be crucial that you be attentive to how power informs relationships, especially those developed in educational spaces.

Jessica Stoya

From: My Former Student Wants More Than Friendship. Im Not Sure How It Got This Far. (Dec. 28, 2022).

Get sex advicesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear How to Do It, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to How to Do It following up) Submit

Dear How to Do It,

My husband and I were both very young (21 and 22!) and both virgins on our wedding night, as we came from very religious backgrounds. Weve been married for 18 years now, and while I love him, I find myself extremely disappointed and frustrated with our sex life. He is extremely shy and awkward when it comes to sexSTILL!and absolutely refuses to initiate sex with me EVER, despite me repeatedly telling him how much I need that from him. He just keeps telling me he feels weird being the one to initiate, and hes not willing to change just because I need to feel needed.

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When we do have sex, he is awful at foreplay (i.e. he thinks honking my boobs a few times is sufficient), and he refuses to touch or go near my genitals with anything other than his penis (he has sensory issues and doesnt like the feel of my wetness on his fingers). So, if I ever want to have an orgasm, its 100 percent up to me. At this point, its easier to just masturbate, since I have to take care of everything myself anyway. At the beginning of our marriage, I hoped that he would improve with time and experience, but this obviously hasnt been the case. Ive tried telling him, showing him, describing to him what I need, watching porn with him, incorporating toyseverything embarrasses him and he just shuts down and refuses to try anything new.

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I love my husband, and I dont want to leave the marriageeverything except the sex is great! I find myself fantasizing more and more about having an affair. I so desperately want some passion in my life! Is it ever justified to cheat on your spouse when it seems impossible for your needs to ever be met? Do I have an affair? Keep waiting and trying to change him? Resign myself to a life of disappointing sex and a passionless marriage?

Forever Newlyweds?

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Dear Newlyweds,

You and your husband come from a culture that pushes people toward marriage before theyve had a chance to see if theyre a sexual match. Start with compassion for yourself, and also for his position. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber describes, in her book Shameless: A Sexual Reformation, Christian couples who struggle, once theyre married, to engage with each other sexually because of beliefs about sex being bad, dirty, and, well, shameful. Is it possible that the reason your husband is so shy, awkward, embarrassed, and likely to shut down is that hes flooded with these negative feelings about sex? You dont say which tradition the two of you were raised in, but regardless of specific spirituality, Bolz-Webers book might provide some useful insight.

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Youve certainly tried telling your husband what you need, but Im wondering how many conversations youve had about whats happening on his end. Have you talked about how he feels about sex? Have you asked him for more detail about what he means when he says he feels weird initiating sexual interactions? Have you had conversations about your views on the religion you were raised in, its beliefs on sexuality, and the effects those beliefs have had on the two of you? If you have, and those conversations have been fruitless, counseling could help you two have these discussions. If youre still in that religious community, your religious leader might be a place to start. If you arent, a couples therapist who is currently outside that faith themselves would be ideal. Finding this person is a tall order, I know. AASECTs provider referral directory can help direct you to some names, and from there you can reach out to providers to ask about their comfort level around taking on clients from your particular religious background.

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If youve tried all of that, or you do try and none of it helps, youve got a big choice to make. You have to weigh for yourself the benefits this marriage brings yoube cautious of overvaluing the security of the knownand the benefits that a partner who has a similar view of sex would bring. If you decide to leave, know that finding that partner isnt guaranteed. And if you decide to stay, look for passion elsewherenot in the arms of an illicit lover, but in other aspects of life. Feel free to fantasize about taking other lovers, if that provides an emotional or sexual outlet, but dont put those thoughts into action. Theres a third option, which might be so intolerable to your husband that it destroys your marriage anyway: opening up your marriage. Consider the potential fallout and carefully weigh your risks and rewards. Good luck.

J. S.

From: All My Failed Dates Have Exactly Two Things in Common. (Sept. 27, 2022).

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Dear How to Do It,

I had a casual sexual encounter recently with a friend who I have great chemistry with, a guy Ive known for some time (Im a lady). Its a good situation with solid communication and respect, but he has a LOT of trouble as soon as the condom comes out. He pretty much cant stay hard while wearing a condom, much less finish. He doesnt put up any argument against wearing one and he doesnt pressure me to not use one, but its awkward and kills the momentum. Weve hooked up a handful of times over the years and its a recurring issue; we (attempt to) have intercourse for a while, its somewhat discouraging, and then we switch to some combo of hands and mouth, which is nice but not my favorite (penetrative sex is my favorite, and no disrespect to this dude but the way he uses his hands/mouth is eh, fine).

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Im not trying to date this guy seriously so its not a high-priority problem, but hes not the only dude Ive encountered who has had trouble staying erect while wearing a condom. My question is, Is there anything that can be done about this? Some magic formula of the perfect condom and sensation-enhancing lube? Are condoms really that severe of a boner kill? I just got out of a relationship and want to stay unattached for a while, which means condoms feature in my future. Are people who have this much trouble with condoms aware that it would behoove them to get really, really good with their hands and mouths? Is it too bald to simply ask a casual partner, Are you one of those guys who comes much more easily with something up your ass, and could that override the condom issue? I kind of dont care which of us gets fucked as long as the act doesnt devolve into middling oral sex and, Well, you want to watch Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia? again.

Tragically Unfucked

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Dear Tragically,

For some people, condoms really are that severe of a boner killer. Partially this seems to be a result of anxietythe more they struggle to stay hard with a condom, the more the belief that they cant stay hard with a condom sets in and the more internalized messages about mens sexuality kick inand I do believe that sensation is also a contributing factor. I used to hook up with a dear friend who wilted as soon as the willie wrapper went on. We talked about it, and, after asking some questions about his other sexual interactions, I suggested he might need a different size. He thought his dick wasnt that big, so I listed my credentials, asked him to please humor me, and did my best not to preen when it turned out that I had been correct. Smaller than standard sizes can also cause an issue. Generally, I feel its the penis-havers responsibility to get the right fit, but if youre motivated to help you might get one of these sizing kits and give it to your friend.

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Then, of course, theres the negotiation of what materials and brands everyone involved prefers. Depending on whats available in the best size for the partner in question, you might have options ranging from Sagamis polyurethane condoms (my top pick due to the thinness, which helps increase the ability to feel textures, and heat transmission, though unfortunately, difficult to find outside of Japan) through SKYNs polyisoprene (my second choice, much more widely available in the U.S., and I have to disclose that I once did a commercial for them, which I was paid for) to more traditional latex. If a brand is unfamiliar to you, though, do your research on how well-tested the product is. Internal condoms are another option.

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I dont think its too blunt to ask a casual partner whether theyd like something in their ass, or whether theres something else you can do to increase their enjoyment. I also dont think its too blunt to ask before meeting up or during a first meeting whether theyre able to use condoms. Its the same as casually asking whether they eat pussy, whether theyre into any particular acts or dynamics, and all other sorts of questions. A lot of lackluster sex can be avoided through early discussions and evaluating whether our needs and desires match up.

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I empathize with what I imagine is your frustration when you ask whether people with condom consternation know it would behoove them to work on their oral and manual skills, but it isnt that simple. They may rock other peoples worlds with their mouths and fingers but not do things in a way that works for you. They may not be interested in sex outside of penetration. And there are plenty of people who are receptive to sex without condoms. Share your needs, desires, and boundaries, listen to theirs, and look for partners whose ideas about and preferences around sex line up well with yours.

J. S.

From: My Wife Says Our Sex Life Is My Punishment. (Dec. 14, 2022).

More Sex Advice From Slate

I am a 54-year-old male married to a wonderful woman for over 25 years. Im definitely the more adventurous onesexually and otherwise. The one blemish is an affair I had a decade ago. In retrospect, I was just thrill-seeking, my wife forgave me, and our marriage came out stronger. Like many people in middle age, I have things I wish I had done in my 20s. Mine is, well
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When the history of Americas long journey toward the abolition of capital punishment is written, it will be studded with the names of people who, in their time, took little-noticed decisions to oppose the death penalty. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will likely be one of those people.

Beshear, a rising star in the Democratic Party, is not a prominent and outspoken abolitionist. In fact, during an October 2023 gubernatorial debate with his Republican opponent, Beshear explained that there are some crimes so terrible and some people so dangerous that I do believe this law needs to continue to be on the books.

With statements like that, Beshear certainly does not sound like a candidate for the abolitionist Hall of Fame. But consider what he did late last month, when he refused to authorize the execution of Ralph Baze, who was convicted of murdering two police officers and would later be the lead plaintiff in an unsuccessful constitutional challenge to lethal injection.

Beshears refusal was enormously significant in forestalling a real step backward for the abolitionist movement.

And, while it is by no means the death penalty capital of the United States, the fate of capital punishment may be determined in places like Kentucky, places I call death penalty swing states, and not just in states with many executions like Texas, Oklahoma, or Alabama.

A death penalty swing state is one in which the death penalty remains an authorized punishment, but in which executions seldom occur and death sentences are seldom handed down. As the Death Penalty Information Center notes, Although the United States is considered a death penalty country, executions are rare or non-existent in most of the nation.

Related From Slate Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Starting to Make the Supreme Courts Puppeteers Nervous Read More

Right now, there are 10 death penalty states in which no one has been executed in the past 10 years. Kentucky is one of those states, along with California, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming. Three other death penalty statesArkansas, Nebraska, and Ohiohave not carried out an execution in the past five years.

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The reasons why states retain the death penalty but dont use it are quite varied. Some states stop executing because of the difficulty of obtaining the drugs needed to carry out lethal injection or problems theyve encountered in the administration of capital punishment. In other states, governors have declared a moratorium on executions.

Still others seem disinclined to go forward with executions but have not mustered the political momentum to take the death penalty off the books. For example, Kansas has not executed anyone in almost 50 years; Wyoming has not done so since 1992.

Kentucky carried out its last execution in November 2008 when Marco Allen Chapman was put to death for the gruesome murder of two children and the rape of their mother. All told, the Bluegrass State has executed only three people in the past half-century.

Its death penalty history dates back to 1780, before it was granted statehood, when it carried out its first judicially authorized execution. Since then, Kentucky has gone on to set the record for the most executions in a single day. On July 13, 1928, it used the electric chair to put seven men to death, one after the other.

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Eight years later, it was the site of this nations last public execution.

In 1998, though, the state became the first to enact a Racial Justice Act. That act authorizes judges in capital cases to consider whether racial bias played a role in any decision to seek, or impose, the death penalty. Kentucky has not carried out an execution in more than a decade because of problems with its lethal injection protocol and various legal challenges to it. The DPIC reports that in 2006, death-sentenced prisoners filed a lawsuit alleging the execution protocol had not followed the proper administrative rulemaking process. Since then, legal challenges have focused on the states failure to provide a single-drug lethal injection option, inadequate protections against executing people with intellectual disability, and inadequate protections against executing those considered insane.

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In 2019, a judge found the states execution protocol to be unconstitutional and invalid, and issued an injunction. But that did not stop Kentuckys Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman from calling on the governor last month to set an execution date for Baze.

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Coleman has been fighting to restart executions since he took office. His request put the progressive governor in a difficult spot in deep-red Kentucky.

But Beshear held firm and kept his state in the group of death penalty swing states. He told the AG that he would not authorize Bazes execution because of continuing problems and unresolved legal issues with the states execution protocol. As recently as April of this year, a Kentucky trial judge found that the state still had not fixed those problems.

In response to Colemans request, the governor would not jump the gun just to score political points. He pointed out that Kentucky does not currently have, nor can it obtain, the drugs necessary to carry out lethal injection executions.

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So, Kentucky remains a place with 25 men on death row. The last death sentence handed down in the state was in 2014.

States that move from the group that has not executed anyone in a long time to actually executing set an unfortunate example for other swing states that may encourage them to follow suit. We know that imitation is an important mechanism for the spread of policies or state actions, and this is as true in the realm of the death penalty as in any other area.

As I wrote previously, Political leaders in one place scan the horizon looking to other places to see [what is happening] and to learn what works and what doesnt. The federal system provides the framework within which this learning and borrowing can occur.

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That neighboring Indiana recently broke from the group of death penalty swing states after having not carried out an execution in 15 years makes Beshears refusal to issue a death warrant all the more significant. It helps avoid a kind of domino effect involving other swing states, including Ohio to the north and Pennsylvania to the northeast.

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Beshear is an example of a political leader for whom the abstract belief that some people may deserve death as a punishment for their crimes gives way to a realistic assessment of the way the death penalty works, or does not work, in practice. It is that assessment that has fueled the substantial progress that abolitionists have made in changing the national conversation about capital punishment.

For his refusal to let Kentucky restart what the late Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun once called the machinery of death and for the political courage it took to do that, Andy Beshear may rightly be called an antideath penalty hero.
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The controversies created by Joe Bidens late-term pardons were reinvigorated this week by a story in the New York Times describing the White House processes that generated some of those pardons. On the right, the article produced harsh criticism of Bidens judgment and mental competence as well as renewed calls for investigation into his pardons by Congress and the Justice Department. On the left, the principal theme was exasperated dismissal of the pardon story as a baseless attempt to distract attention from Donald Trumps never-ending cascade of scandal and outrage.

As an academic student of the presidential pardon power, I think the new information deserves a more nuanced and dispassionate treatment than partisan combatants have given it. Taken as a whole, the Times reporting debunks many of the Republicans wilder claims. But it also raises one fairly debatable question about the validity of some of Bidens pardons and, more importantly, reinforces the impression that the process that produced a number of these pardon decisions was irregular, hurried, and sometimes poorly executed.

To begin, recall that the Biden pardon brouhaha embraces at least five sets of pardons: the presidents pardon of his son Hunter, both for crimes of which he had been convicted and for those he might have committed; the prospective pardons of members of Bidens family, former officials Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, and members and staff of the Jan. 6 Committee to protect them from feared retaliation by the incoming Trump administration; the Dec. 23, 2024, commutation to life imprisonment of all but four occupants of federal death row; the Dec. 12, 2024, commutation of the remaining prison time of 1,499 federal defendants who had been released to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the Jan. 17, 2025, commutation reducing the sentences of 2,490 nonviolent drug offenders.

These very different clemencies have generated multiple distinct criticisms.

The pardon of the presidents son was decried as a gross exercise of nepotism unjustifiably benefiting a confessed felon. The prospective pardons of other Biden family members, allies, and Trump critics were excoriated as an effort to cover up supposed corruption and shield those who hadsupposedlybaselessly hounded Trump. My view, expressed while Biden was still president, was that the Hunter pardon was an understandable but mistaken expression of fatherly love and that prospective pardons of others would be understandable in light of Trumps known vindictiveness but would create a profoundly undesirable precedent. I still think the precedent is regrettable and is likely to seem even more so when Trump preemptively pardons the many genuine legal transgressions of his own people. But given Trumps grotesque and unapologetic weaponization of the Justice Department, Bidens action has become harder to criticize.

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Bidens sweeping commutations of the sentences of some 4,000 ordinary federal felons have been subjected to a different set of complaints.

Predictably, some tough-on-crime types deplore sentence reductions this numerous, especially for murderers sentenced to die, as inappropriate presidential nullification of the considered conclusions of the justice system. And it must be said that Bidens intervention was unprecedented. No other president has ever commuted the sentences of nearly so many federal convicts. The closest analog was Obamas clemency initiative (itself unprecedented), which commuted about 1,700 sentences, less than half Bidens total. And while most presidents have commuted some death sentences, none has ever commuted a block of capital defendants, all but clearing federal death row.

That said, no one has claimed that Biden lacked the power to award commutations at this scale. Any such assertion would be unsupportable. The Constitution confers on presidents the Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States. This language has always been interpreted to include sentence commutations. And there is no numerical limit on the pardon authority.

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Republicans have instead promoted several other complaints about Bidens mass commutations. The first and most sensationalist is an extension of the 2024 campaign theme that the aging Biden was non compos mentis during the later stages of his presidency and was not really performing his duties as president. On pardons, Republicans seized upon the fact that the pardon warrants for some or all of Bidens late-term pardons were signed not by the president himself but with an autopen.

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They argued that this was evidence of Bidens general incapacity and further suggested that the pardons and commutations might be invalid for one of three reasons: 1) Biden was somehow legally incompetent to grant clemency, 2) The autopen signature proved that Biden did not himself authorize these clemencies, or 3) Regardless of Bidens mental acuity and subjective intentions, an autopen signature is legally insufficient to validate a grant of clemency.

The first and third of these arguments are easily dispensed with.

Although Biden was undeniably diminished at the end of his term, there is no credible evidence that he was mentally unable to perform the duties of his office. More to the point, there is no constitutional mechanism for invalidating presidential action with a retrospective competency challenge. Constitutionally, presidents are president during their terms unless they are impeached and convicted, they die, or they are removed by the processes of the 25th Amendment. Actions taken by presidents while president bear a virtually irrebuttable presumption of legal legitimacy. Moreover, the Supreme Court has held that a presidents choice to award pardons, commutations, and reprieves is neither reviewable by the courts nor reversible by Congress.

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As for autopens, presidents (including Trump) have used them for decades, and the DOJs Office of Legal Counsel long ago opined that autopen signatures are perfectly valid so long as they provide a visible indication that the president approved some action.

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That said, if it could be shown that an action purportedly taken by the president was actually performed by someone else without authority to do so, that would be different. For example, if someone forged a pardon warrant without any knowledge of the president, that warrant would be invalid.

Which brings us to the recent Times story. The facts reported there, as well as numerous public statements by Biden, demonstrate without a doubt that he fully intended to pardon his son, some family members, Fauci, Milley, and the Jan. 6 Committee.

However, the Times revealed details of the White House process for issuing the mass commutations that raise a potentially worrisome point. Biden plainly did authorize, in principle, the three large commutations in December and January for home confinement defendants, death row inmates, and nonviolent drug offenders. But, as the Times reported,

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Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people.  Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence.

Then, using these criteria, White House staff assembled a list of qualifying names that were placed on a single master warrant for each categorical pardon. That list was then tweaked based on input from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the master warrant was finally signed with an autopen, apparently without Biden having reviewed the final list himself.

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This procedure does raise some questions. From medieval England to the present, kings and presidents have often issued group or categorical pardons, not by listing names, but by specifying parameters for those who would qualify. Similarly, beginning in the Eisenhower administration, presidents have often issued master warrants listing many names rather than issuing one signed pardon warrant for every individual pardon.

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In the past, those wishing to benefit from a categorical pardon would bring it to the attention of a court or other appropriate official and show that they qualified under its terms. But the pardon was perfectly valid even though the executive authorizing it didnt approve any list of names (or indeed know the names of most of those who might qualify).

Modern master warrants are simply an efficiency mechanism, obviating the need for the president personally (or by autopen) to sign a different document for every beneficiary. Nonetheless, the operating assumption in the use of master warrants is that presidents will choose to approve every person on a particular listeven though the odds are that in most cases theyre just accepting the recommendations of the DOJ and their staff without having the faintest idea who the vast majority of these people are or why they deserve a pardon.

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However, Biden did something new. He approved three group pardons based on specified criteria, not names, but then had his staff compile a pardon warrant consisting of a list of names meeting those criteria, to which staff affixed an autopen signature.

Are these pardons valid? I think almost certainly. Biden made a decision and told his staff, in effect, I intend to commute the sentences of everyone who meets Criteria A, B, and C. If he had simply issued a proclamation saying just that, it would be valid as to everyone meeting Criteria A, B, and C. American history is full of such pardons, from James Madisons 1815 pardon of the Barataria Pirates to Andrew Johnsons Civil Warera pardons of ex-Confederates, multiple presidents pardons of rebellious or polygamous Mormons, and a slew of 20th-century postwar pardons of deserters and draft evaders.

Related From Slate Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Starting to Make the Supreme Courts Puppeteers Nervous Read More

The only tricky bit for Bidens categorical commutations is that the pardon warrants contain lists of names but no enumeration of the presidentially approved selection criteria. Indeed, so far as I am aware, there is no public record of what the criteria were. And it seems Biden never saw the final list of names before the autopen signature. So can he be said to have approved them?

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I think courts will turn away any challenge to these commutations because the primary question, as I have explained elsewhere, is one of intention: Did the president intend to pardon the individuals claiming benefit of the pardon? And here it seems plain that he did, albeit clumsily.

It is worth observing that there were sound reasons for drafting the warrants as lists of names. Categorical clemency grants framed only in terms of qualifying criteria require would-be beneficiaries to come forward and prove that they qualify. They also require courts to sort out the claims. A warrant drafted as a list hugely simplifies clemency implementation. In addition, had Biden taken the categorical approach, the incoming Trump administration would surely have tried to defeat his benevolent purpose by slow-walking or outright opposing individual applications for relief.

Another problem with purely categorical pardons is that they create the risk of granting relief to some who meet the stated parameters but are for other reasons undeserving. Creating a list of those to be named in a pardon warrant should, if the process is properly executed, ensure that this doesnt happen. Unfortunately, Bidens end-of-term process was so rushed that some really bad actorslike Michael Conahan, the former judge who took bribes for sentencing juvenile offenders to a private prisongot relief. Criticism of this aspect of the presidents actions is entirely fair.

The bottom line on the Biden pardons is that all of them were almost certainly constitutionally authorized and legally valid. Some, particularly those of his family, were probably ill advised, though the final judgment on that will depend on future developments. And the group commutations, whatever one thinks of them as criminal justice policy, suffered from defects stemming from hasty execution that open the door to legal quibbles and political exploitation.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called out a detail of President Donald Trump's rebuke of a bombshell report claiming the president drew a picture of a naked woman in a birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein.

According to the Wall Street Journal, who reviewed the letter, Trump signed his name "Donald" where the woman in the sketch's pubic hair would have been.

"I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he told the outlet. "It's not my language. It's not my words."

This line appeared to draw Newsom's attention, who dug up and reposted a clip of a Washington Post article from April 2019, in which a drawing of the New York City skyline by Trump with his signature was up for auction.

I never wrote a picture in my life. pic.twitter.com/sxYydO4LcJ  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 18, 2025

The sketch from 2004 was originally sold as part of a charity event. The piece later went back on the market with bidding starting at $9,000.

"'I never wrote a picture in my life,'" Newsom simply captioned the tweet, quoting Trump.

The doodle was not the first drawing by Trump auctioned off either. A 2005 sketch by Trump was also first auctioned during a charity event before selling for more than $29,000 in July 2017, Artnet News reported at the time.

A 1995 drawing of the Empire State Building by Trump also sold for $16,000 in October 2017. It was sold originally for less than $100 at a charity auction until the original buyer put it back up for sale, as reported by Reuters.

Trump has continued to rally against the report, taking to Truth Social to claim that he told media mogul and Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch to not publish the story because it was a "scam."

"The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I'm going to sue his a** off, and that of his third rate newspaper," Trump wrote Thursday night.

Other members of the Trump administration have rallied around the president, including Vice President JD Vance who said the Journal "should be ashamed for publishing it."

Originally published on Latin Times
This piece was originally published on State Court Report , a hub for reporting, analysis, and commentary about state courts and constitutions. State Court Report is a project of the Brennan Center for Justice.

Delaware lawmakers last week voted to amend the states Constitution to prohibit the death penalty. Should the measure pass again in the next legislative session, as required for constitutional amendments in the state, Delaware would become only the second state with an explicit constitutional bar on the death penalty, after Michigan. (The death penalty is forbidden in 21 additional states by statute or because their Supreme Courts have found laws allowing it unconstitutional.)

For death penalty opponents, the move is a rare bright spot. This year, 26 people have been executed nationwide, compared with only nine people by this time last year. As of Tuesday night, when Florida executed Michael Bell, more people have been put to death in 2025 than in any year since 2015. The executions have been concentrated in three states (Florida, South Carolina, and Texas) at a time of declining public support for the death penalty.

Faced with difficulties obtaining the drugs needed for lethal injectionslargely because pharmaceutical companies have objected to the use of their products for executionsstates have passed laws resurrecting long-abandoned methods like electrocution or adopting untested ones like nitrogen hypoxia.

The results have been gruesome. When Alabama killed Kenneth Smith last year in the countrys first-ever nitrogen hypoxia execution, witnesses said he writhed and gasped for minutes. It took at least 22 minutes for him to die.

This April, a three-person firing squad in South Carolina executed Mikal Mahdi. An autopsy revealed only two bullets struck him, neither in the heart, likely causing him immense suffering while still conscious.

The South Carolina Supreme Court last summer rejected claims that execution by firing squad or electrocution violated the states ban on cruel or unusual punishment. The court noted that a person killed by firing squad would feel excruciating pain for only 10 to 15 seconds unless there was a massive botch  in which each member of the firing squad simply misses the inmates heartexactly what then happened to Mahdi.

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When it comes to challenges to the method of execution, the South Carolina high court is the only one to have considered the constitutionality of the firing squad. However, the high courts of Georgia and Nebraska both declared execution by electric chair cruel and unusual in violation of their state constitutions in 2001 and 2008, respectively. Floridas found it constitutional in 1999.

The U.S. Supreme Court, meanwhile, has been very clear repeatedly that it has no interest in method-of-execution challenges, said John Mills of public interest law firm Phillips Black, which represents multiple people on death row. States have become more willing to experiment as a direct result of the federal courts unwillingness to get involved and stop them.

This experimentation and uptick in executions comes amid potentially grave miscarriages of justice. In September, Missouri executed Marcellus Williams despite a motion to vacate his conviction by the prosecutors office that originally tried his case. The prosecutor asserted that new evidence undermined the conviction. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued that res judicatathe principle that parties cannot raise claims or defenses that have already been decidedbarred any relief for Williams. The state Supreme Court rejected the prosecutors motion.

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In Oklahoma, the Court of Criminal Appealsthe states highest court on criminal matterssimilarly refused last year to vacate the conviction and death sentence of Richard Glossip, despite the state attorney generals concession that prosecutorial misconduct required a new trial. The U.S. Supreme Court this term agreed with Glossip and the attorney general and ordered the state to retry Glossip. (Mills represented Glossip in that case.)

And Wednesday, a Texas court set a new execution dateOct. 16for Robert Roberson, whose possible innocence sparked an interbranch conflict in December. Roberson was sentenced to death in 2003 for the murder of his daughter based on shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis increasingly labeled junk science. The day before he was set to die, a bipartisan state legislative committee issued him a subpoena to testify, forcing the executive branch to either halt the execution or dishonor the subpoena. The Texas Supreme Court held that the legislatures action interfered with the executive branchs lawful administration of the death penalty in violation of the separation of powers under the Texas Constitution.

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Finally, a case pending before the California Supreme Court claims that the racially discriminatory application of the states death penalty violates the state constitutions equal protection clause. At least one state, Washington, has invalidated its death penalty because it was imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner in violation of the states ban on cruel punishment. Across the country, Black defendants are many times more likely to receive death sentences than similarly situated white defendants. Study after study also shows that the likelihood of a death sentence significantly increases if a victim is white.

During a period when the U.S. Supreme Court has shown little interest in addressing injustices associated with the death penalty, state constitutions can offer an alternative path. States should be willing to give independent meaning to their constitutional clauses, Mills said. There are opportunities there.
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In November 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson added a monumental new institution to his Great Society: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a miracle in communication that LBJ compared to the United States first telegraph line. This Corporation will assist stations and producers who aim for the best in broadcasting good music, in broadcasting exciting plays, and in broadcasting reports on the whole fascinating range of human activity, Johnson remarked, as he approved the nonprofit that would birth National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. Today we rededicate a part of the airwaveswhich belong to all the peopleand we dedicate them for the enlightenment of all the people.

Nearly 60 years later, Congress has done all it can to obliterate that mission. This week, the Senate narrowly approved a legislative package that rescinds $9 billion in formerly approved spending for various federal programsincluding but not limited to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. About $1.1 billion of that money had been directed to support CPB over the next two years. The corporation would then have delegated the bulk of it to its over 1,500 affiliate radio and TV stationsmany of which are the only free sources of basic information available to millions of Americans in rural regions as well as underfunded communities like Native reservations. These primary sources of news, emergency alerts, educational programming, arts coverage, and stories from your neighborhood are to be severely curtailed.

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This rescissions package, the first of its kind in 30 years, is not yet law; the House of Representatives will vote Thursday before the bill goes to President Donald Trumps desk. But its unlikely the House will preserve public media funding either. [Update, July 18, 2025, at 9:50 a.m.: The House voted to pass the package around midnight.] Historically, Republicans from states with significant rural and Indigenous populations have often fought to preserve and even expand public media funds, even when other GOP legislators opposed such efforts. (Past recipients of the Champion of Public Broadcasting Award include reliable conservatives such as West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, and Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole.) Polls conducted over the years have consistently demonstrated major support for public media and its government funds from the populaceincluding GOP voters. Trump, during his first term, consistently attempted to zero out public media budgets, yet was often stymied by fellow Republicans.

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This time, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were the only real GOP holdouts, with the latter pointing to a Wednesday earthquake in her home state of Alaska as an example of public medias necessity. Local residents and summer visitors alike were able to evacuate thanks to federal tsunami advisories relayed through local public broadcasting stations, Murkowski tweeted that day, echoing a speech she made on the Senate floor. Their response to todays earthquake is a perfect example of the incredible public service these stations provide.

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What changed for their colleagues, then? There are two main factors here: a yearslong culture-war campaign to reduce Americans trust in NPR and PBS, and the far-right Heritage Foundations successful effort to install the architects of its Project 2025 agenda in the White House. After a former NPR senior editor published a screed last year accusing his employer of having been compromised by wokeness, right-wing activists leaped on the controversy to undermine the radio networks then recently installed CEO, Katherine Maher, by pointing out her past anti-Trump and pro-Biden tweets. The attacks on Maher extended to her affiliations with other nonprofit services like Wikimedia and Signal, and she was called up to testify to Congress this March alongside PBS CEO Paula Kerger.

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But it was less a hearing than a moment of Republican bellyaching, having been organized by well-known conspiracist Marjorie Taylor Greene, given the title of Anti-American Airwaves, and rounded out with a Heritage Foundation fellow as a witness. The ridiculous sideshow saw Republicans falsely claim that PBS had introduced drag shows into childrens programming and transformed themselves into propaganda machines. This served as an addition to Project 2025 co-author and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carrs ongoing crusade, in which he baselessly accused PBS and NPR of violating federal law by airing commercials, something public broadcasters are prohibited from doing. And that was all on top of Trumps endeavors to fire three CPB board members who had been appointed by President Joe Biden.

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This was nothing like the forum where Fred Rogers brought a PBS-skeptical lawmaker to tears with an impassioned case for the value of public programming. Rather, it was the cheap justification for widespread cuts to far left public media proposed by DOGE and by Russell Vought, the Project 2025 leader now serving as Trumps Office of Management and Budget director. Late last month, propublic media senators grilled Vought in a less sensational hearing about how slashed CPB funding would starve rural neighborhoods of a much-needed public resource. He excused the move by vaguely promising that emergency services and rural stations would be fine no matter what, while adding that the budget cuts wouldnt take effect until the next fiscal year, giving CPB member stations ample time to adjust.

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Thats not quite the case. NPR and PBS are well prepped to adjust, as national brands that use a only minimal amount of their federal dollars2 percent of NPRs budget and 15 percent of PBSs budget, respectivelyand earn ample revenue from corporate sponsorships, viewer donations, distribution fees, and special endowment. However, even though CPB gives the bulk of its government appropriations to local stations, it does get some money in turnnamely, programming fees that Michigan Public pays for the rights to broadcast NPR shows like All Things Considered, just as Missouris Ozarks Public Television pays for the rights to broadcast PBS NewsHour. Local public radio and TV stations dont have the same wider recognition that NPR and PBS do, and if they serve low-income areas (as many of them do), their listeners are less able to gift substantial donations. Overall, NPR and PBS will take a hit, but they have a much better chance of adapting than Alaska Public Media does. Which means such stations are likely to trim costs further, lay off staffers, or even close altogether.

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Its obviously true that radio and TV are no longer the dynamic, widely indispensable media they were in the preinternet age. But car drivers and long-haul truckers still love their NPR, and rural areas without high-speed internet can still depend on public airwaves. Plus, CPB has done a valiant job of adjusting to the digital age, bringing more PBS shows to streaming, on its own app and on other services (see also: Sesame Street), while NPR still produces some of the most successful podcasts of the modern age. PBS has noted in its own stats that nearly 60 percent of American television householdsabout 130 million peopletune in to local and national public stations on a yearly basis, and that 60 percent of those viewers hail from rural areas. The TV networks kids programming in particular remains the gold standard in terms of healthy and legitimately educational screen time for millions of children in the U.S. At the very least, its a more than worthy substitute for YouTube brainrot.

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Also, for pundits and members of Congress to decry CPB as some leftist indoctrination factory is laughable. The corporation has multiple Republican board members, including current President and CEO Patricia Harrison, a George W. Bush appointee. Throughout their lifespans, NPR and PBSalong with their member stationshave employed several conservative hosts, including William F. Buckley Jr., Milton Friedman, Rich Lowry, and Sarah Isgur. And all hosts frequently bring on right-wing voters, legislators, and commentators to share their viewsincluding those politicians who directly inform radio and TV anchors why they want to halt federal support.

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And if I can get personal for a second: I dont know what I would be today without NPR, PBS, and their locally tailored Michigan programming. Even as a youth of the computer age, I learned so much and found endless value in Mister Rogers Neighborhood reruns, classical-music broadcasts, and specialized podcasts like Microphone Check. Such free-to-consume treasures opened up my world and exposed me to ideas I would never have encountered otherwise.

This is not the end of public media, to be clear. At least three dozen states also provide direct monetary support for local public stations, and there are other nonprofit groups not backed by the federal government, like American Public Media and Pacifica. Still, the local and national media ecosystems will suffer a steep injury, and there will be a far narrower range of programming and opportunities than before. Lyndon Johnsons dream of dedicating Americas channels to the enlightenment of the public has been shattered.
Mary Grace Miedzinski, "Grace", 84, of Solomons, MD (formerly of Great Mills, MD) passed away peacefully at her home with her devoted family at her side.



She was born on October 26, 1940, in Washington D.C. to the late Joseph Luke Bean and Mary (nee: Smith) Bean.



Grace was a lifelong resident of Saint Mary's County and a 1958 graduate of St. Mary's Academy. She completed two years of college at St. Mary's Seminary Junior College (now St. Mary's College of MD) and transferred to Towson State Teacher's College where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1962. She went on to earn her master's degree from George Washington University in 1978. On November 17, 1962, she married her beloved husband, William Francis "Bill" Miedzinski at Holy Face Catholic Church. Together, they celebrated over 47 steadfast years of marriage. Grace was employed as a teacher with the St. Mary's County Public Schools for 28 dedicated years. She spent most of her career teaching second grade at Greenview Knolls Elementary School but also served on the staff at Chopticon High School for the first several years of her career. In between her high school and elementary teaching years, she taught middle school at Little Flower School.



Throughout her working years, Grace maintained a steady focus on service to the Lord and her community. She led a weekly bible study group, who met faithfully for 30 years. She taught the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) at Immaculate Heart of Mary for 20 years, guiding many to the Catholic faith. Worshipping together with her "graduates" from RCIA was among her most deeply satisfying and spiritual experiences. Following her retirement from teaching, Grace worked as the Director of Religious Education at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.



Grace had a deep love for travel and eagerly explored new places. Shenandoah National Park, "God's headquarters on the East Coast" was one of her all-time favorites as was the country of Ireland. These places were followed closely by anywhere that offered a possible moose sighting. Grace was wild about moose, and she collected moose in every form, from figurines to fabrics, earrings to art. She was always on high alert to spot one in the wild.



Grace poured her creativity into craftsceramics, quilting, crochet, and making things that brought comfort and beauty to others. She had a gift for turning simple materials into something special. She enjoyed cooking and thought nothing of cooking a full sit-down meal for family and friends any night of the week, after she arrived home from a full day of teaching!



Grace lit up around babies, especially her grand and great grand babies. Her face would soften, and her voice would change, as she gave each child her full attention and gentleness. To her, there was nothing more precious than holding a baby close.



Grace is survived by her daughters: Tracey Heibel (Jake) of California, MD, Lisa Radar (Tim) of Vienna, VA and Linda Miedzinski (Andrew) of California, MD; sister, Ann Bean Taylor of California, MD; grandchildren: Jeffrey Wettengel (Caroline), Christina Wettengel Seeley (Tim), Michaela Richardson (Andrew), Lauren Heibel (Jackson), and Zachary Radar; great-granddaughters: Winnie Wettengel and twins, Grace and Eva Seeley; her beloved fur baby, Willow; and extended family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband.



Family will receive friends on Thursday, July 24 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 22375 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.



Memorial contributions in Grace's name may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122 or online at: www.hospicechesapeake.org



or the St. Vincent De Paul of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Food Pantry online at:



https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Giving/ihmrcc



Select "Give Now", "One-Time". Select fund SVDP of IHM to complete the donation.



Condolences may be left for the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.



Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/azerbaijani-ombudsmans-office-says-its-staff-visited-detained-employees-of-sputnik-1122457380.html

Azerbaijani Ombudsman's Office Says Its Staff Visited Detained Employees of Sputnik

Azerbaijani Ombudsman's Office Says Its Staff Visited Detained Employees of Sputnik

Sputnik International

Employees of the Azerbaijani ombudsman's office visited each of the Russian citizens detained in Baku, including employees of Sputnik, a representative of the office told Sputnik on Friday.

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On June 30, the Azerbaijani authorities groundlessly detained seven people at Sputnik Azerbaijan (part of the Rossiya Segodnya media group), Editorial director Igor Kartavykh and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov have been arrested for four months. The Rossiya Segodnya media group considers the actions of the Azerbaijani security forces unwarranted and the accusations far-fetched. The functioning of the editorial office is blocked, neither consular staff nor relatives are allowed to see the detainees. Requests for medical assistance from Russians detained in Baku have been satisfied, the office added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250712/azerbaijani-press-councils-claims-against-sputnik-empty-as-drum---rossiya-segodnya-ceo-1122431548.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/israel-launches-airstrike-on-suburbs-of-city-of-suwayda-in-southern-syria---reports-1122454245.html

Israel Launches Airstrike on Suburbs of City of Suwayda in Southern Syria - Reports

Israel Launches Airstrike on Suburbs of City of Suwayda in Southern Syria - Reports

Sputnik International

Israel carried out an airstrike on the suburbs of the city of Suwayda in southern Syria, the SANA news agency reported. 18.07.2025, Sputnik International

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Earlier in the day, the Syria TV broadcaster reported, citing local sources, that clashes between Bedouin tribes and armed groups resumed in the province of Suwayda in southern Syria.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/israel-may-be-using-syrian-raid-on-druze-community-to-overthrow-sharaa-govt---politician-1122456074.html

Israel May Be Using Syrian Raid on Druze Community to Overthrow Sharaa Govt - Politician

Israel May Be Using Syrian Raid on Druze Community to Overthrow Sharaa Govt - Politician

Sputnik International

Israel may have struck Syria under the pretext of protecting the religious Druze minority in Suwayda in a bid to overthrow the Syrian government led by interim President Ahmed Sharaa, Tarek Ahmad, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, told Sputnik.

2025-07-18T13:26+0000

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On Wednesday, Israel conducted a series of powerful strikes on the Syrian capital Damascus, including the Syrian Ministry of Defense building near the presidential palace. This escalation in the campaign, which Israel claims is in support of the Arab minority group in Suwayda province, follows several days of clashes that resulted in numerous casualties. Amid the violence, the Syrian government and Druze leaders, who have historically been at the forefront of opposition forces against former President Bashar Assad and are now opposed to Sharaas government, reached a ceasefire on Wednesday. As tensions mount, Israel appears to be strategically positioning itself to exploit the vulnerabilities of the ongoing Syrian government, according to Ahmad, who pointed to the deep-seated mistrust that characterizes relations between these two nations. The politician warned that Israeli actions could further destabilize the struggling Syrian government and reshape the power dynamics within Syria.  added that these developments would have far-reaching consequences for regional security.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/un-human-rights-watchdog-confirms-executions-kidnappings-other-violations-in-southern-syria-1122454865.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250717/russia-deeply-concerned-about-new-wave-of-violence-in-syria---foreign-ministry-1122451593.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/kremlin-says-nato-instrument-of-confrontation-bloc-hostile-towards-russia-1122455493.html

Kremlin Says NATO Instrument of Confrontation, Bloc Hostile Towards Russia

Kremlin Says NATO Instrument of Confrontation, Bloc Hostile Towards Russia

Sputnik International

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that NATO was an instrument of confrontation, adding that the bloc is hostile towards Russia.

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2025-07-18T11:49+0000

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"NATO is an instrument of confrontation, it is a bloc that is hostile towards our country," Peskov told reporters, adding that the bloc's attitude forces Russia to take measures to ensure its own security. Regarding the statements of Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa, who said on Wednesday that NATO had sufficient capabilities to neutralize Russia's Kaliningrad region in case of a conflict and had already developed a corresponding plan, Peskov said that such statements were taken into account. "This is yet another statement in a series of such hostile, aggressive statements that we now often hear from representatives of the defense departments of European countries," Peskov added.On SanctionsRussia opposes unilateral restrictions, but has already learned to adapt to them, Peskov said, commenting on the EU's new package of sanctions against Moscow."We are against them [unilateral sanctions]. But at the same time, of course, we have already acquired a certain immunity from sanctions. We have adapted to life under sanctions," Peskov told reporters.The new EU sanctions package against Russia will be analyzed to minimize its consequences, the official said, adding that Moscow sees a consistent anti-Russian line of Europe."Each new package [of sanctions] adds a negative effect for the countries that join it. This is a double-edged sword," Peskov added.Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the permanent representatives of the EU member states had agreed on the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. Later in the day, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said that the new restrictions would replace the disconnection of Russian banks from SWIFT with a complete ban on transactions.On Talks With UkraineThe statement by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky about the need to intensify the negotiating track for a settlement is a positive signal.Earlier in the day, Zelensky said that he had held a meeting with new head of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and tasked him with intensifying the negotiating track for a settlement."This is a positive signal," Peskov told reporters., adding that Russia is in favor of adding dynamics to the negotiation process with Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250713/military-situation-in-baltic-worsening-due-to-natos-actions---russian-ambassador-1122432079.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250717/defying-wests-sanctions-russia-stands-tall-as-worlds-no-4-economic-powerhouse-1122448447.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250717/russia-ukraine-talks-on-pause-because-of-kiev---foreign-ministry-1122453452.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/rdif-vows-to-continue-investments-despite-new-eu-sanctions-1122457242.html

RDIF Vows to Continue Investments Despite New EU Sanctions

RDIF Vows to Continue Investments Despite New EU Sanctions

Sputnik International

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) will continue to invest in promising Russian companies and promote them in international markets, Kirill Dmitriev, RDIF CEO and the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said on Friday.

2025-07-18T16:29+0000

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Earlier in the day, the EU Council approved the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. As part of the new sanctions, the EU imposed a ban on transactions with 22 Russian banks, as well as with RDIF and its subsidiaries. He also called on the Europeans to engage in dialogue instead of resorting to the sanctions. These restrictions on the fund are an extension in addition to the sectoral sanctions imposed in March 2022, he added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250717/defying-wests-sanctions-russia-stands-tall-as-worlds-no-4-economic-powerhouse-1122448447.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/russias-weekly-military-gains-precision-strikes-and-ten-liberated-settlements-1122455709.html

Russia's Weekly Military Gains: Precision Strikes and Ten Liberated Settlements

Russia's Weekly Military Gains: Precision Strikes and Ten Liberated Settlements

Sputnik International

Moscow's forces have carried out five group air strikes on Ukrainian defense industry enterprises and Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) facilities over the past week, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Friday.

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Russian forces also liberated ten settlements during the week.Russia's Yug Battlegroup continued advancing into the enemys defense and liberated Petrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The Vostok Battlegroup took control of the settlements of Karl Marks, Voskresenka, Novokhatskoye in the DPR, and Malinovka in the Zaporozhye region also.The Dnepr Battlegroup liberated Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye region, while the Tsentr Battlegroup continued its offensive in the Donetsk People's Republic and Dnepropetrovsk region, liberating three settlements  Nikolayevka, Mayak, and Popov Yar in the DPR.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250717/zelenskys-money-could-feed-several-continents---russias-foreign-ministry-1122453700.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/trump-says-biden-admin-would-have-released-epstein-files-if-they-contained-smoking-gun-1122455941.html

Trump Says Biden Admin Would Have Released Epstein Files If They Contained Smoking Gun

Trump Says Biden Admin Would Have Released Epstein Files If They Contained Smoking Gun

Sputnik International

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that if the Epstein files had contained solid incriminating evidence, the Biden administration would have made this information public.

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Late Thursday, Trump asked US Attorney General Pam Bondi to release trial transcripts in the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein if the court approves such a decision. Earlier in July, the FBI and the US Department of Justice said in a memo that Epstein had not blackmailed influential people and had no "client list." The conclusion provoked a backlash among some Republicans over the administration's handling of the case. In 2019, Epstein was charged in the US with trafficking minors for the purpose of their sexual exploitation, which carries a prison sentence of up to 40 years, and conspiracy to engage in such trafficking  up to five years in prison. According to prosecutors, between 2002 and 2005, Epstein engaged in sexual relations with dozens of underage girls whom he hosted at his residences in New York and Florida. He paid them hundreds of dollars in cash, after which he assigned some of the victims to serve as recruiters to bring in more girls, some of whom were as young as 14 years old. In early July 2019, a Manhattan court in New York City, after hearing Epstein's arraignment, ruled that he be kept in custody and not released on bail. In late July of that year, it was reported that Epstein had been found in a jail cell "semi-conscious" and had later died. The investigation revealed that he had committed suicide.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250712/tensions-rise-at-doj-fbi-chiefs-consider-exit-over-bondis-mishandling-of-epstein-case-1122430135.html

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Statement of Sri Lanka at the Opening of the 66th Series of Meetings of the WIPO Assemblies, from July 8-17, 2025

Mr. Chairman,

Sri Lanka congratulates you, the Director General, and the WIPO Secretariat for the successful organization of these Assemblies. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the distinguished delegate of Pakistan on behalf of the APG.

Sri Lanka places high importance on the protection of IP and the commercialization of innovation.

We commend WIPOs leadership in the adoption of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, a milestone in simplifying global design registration.

Earlier this year, Sri Lanka signed an MOU with WIPO to enhance IP services through digitization, system upgrades, and capacity building. The digitization of our IP documents, expected to conclude by December, will significantly improve our IPAS system and enable modernized services, including online filing and search.

We are also making progress toward ratifying the Madrid Protocol and thank the Madrid Registry for its valuable support. Deployment of the system is expected soon after digitization is complete.

In copyright, we are introducing a voluntary registration and depository system, alongside strengthening CMOs to better serve right holders.

Mr. Chairman, we have enacted legislation to register GI, providing stronger protection for iconic Sri Lankan products such as Ceylon Tea, Cinnamon, and Gems.

We remain committed to fostering innovation, expanding the TISC network, and continuing collaboration with WIPO on the Global Innovation Index and innovation ecosystem development.

As a country rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, we are advancing a national policy and legal framework for TK , recognizing its vital place in our IP system.

In conclusion, Sri Lanka expresses its deep appreciation to WIPO for its continued support and reaffirms our commitment to a vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking IP system.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

View PDF
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/trump-says-he-asked-us-attorney-general-to-release-epstein-trial-transcripts-1122455124.html

Trump Says He Asked US Attorney General to Release Epstein Trial Transcripts

Trump Says He Asked US Attorney General to Release Epstein Trial Transcripts

Sputnik International

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had asked US Attorney General Pam Bondi to release trial transcripts in the case against financier Jeffrey Epstein, if the court approves such a decision.

2025-07-18T09:56+0000

2025-07-18T09:56+0000

2025-07-18T09:56+0000

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Bondi said that the department would go to court on Friday to have the transcripts of the Epstein trial unsealed. On Wednesday, Trump said that Bondi is free to release all documents related to the Epstein case, which she believes to be credible. On the same day, a poll conducted by SSRS Polling for CNN showed that half of US citizens are dissatisfied with the amount of information released about Epstein. In 2019, Epstein was charged in the US with trafficking minors for the purpose of their sexual exploitation, which carries a prison sentence of up to 40 years, and conspiracy to engage in such traffickingup to five years in prison. According to prosecutors, between 2002 and 2005, Epstein engaged in sexual relations with dozens of underage girls whom he hosted at his residences in New York and Florida. He paid them hundreds of dollars in cash, after which he assigned some of the victims to serve as recruiters to bring in more girls, some of whom were as young as 14 years old. In early July 2019, a Manhattan court in New York City, after hearing Epstein's arraignment, ruled that he be kept in custody and not released on bail. In late July of that year, it was reported that Epstein had been found in a jail cell "semi-conscious" and had later died. The investigation revealed that he had committed suicide.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250712/tensions-rise-at-doj-fbi-chiefs-consider-exit-over-bondis-mishandling-of-epstein-case-1122430135.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20250718/ukrainian-diplomats-in-latin-america-recruiting-mercenaries-for-25th-air-assault-brigade-1122454968.html

Ukrainian Diplomats in Latin America Recruiting Mercenaries for 25th Air Assault Brigade

Ukrainian Diplomats in Latin America Recruiting Mercenaries for 25th Air Assault Brigade

Sputnik International

The Ukrainian Embassy in Peru, which also handles Kievs relations with Ecuador and Colombia, has been recruiting mercenaries with combat experience to join Ukraines 25th Air Assault Brigade via its website, Sputnik has found out.

2025-07-18T09:48+0000

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The embassys website features a link to a portal that invites foreign fighters to join the 25th Brigade as infantrymen and drone operators. The brigade is active on the Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk fronts. The requirements include "high level of physical fitness and motivation, military experience and drone operation experience." The posting says that recruitment is being conducted on an urgent basis. In an interview with Sputnik in June, Russian Ambassador in Bogota Nikolai Tavdumadze said that Ukraine was recruiting mercenaries in Colombia through its embassies, in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. In March, relatives of Colombian mercenaries protested outside the Foreign Ministry building in Bogota to demand clarity about the whereabouts of their loved ones. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly warned that Kiev uses foreign fighters as "cannon fodder" and that the Russian military will continue to strike mercenary troops across Ukraine. Colombians have been complaining about poor coordination in the Ukrainian armed forces, which makes survival in the high-intensity conflict in Ukraine much harder than in Afghanistan or the Middle East.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250504/it-was-a-mistake-killed-son-of-finnish-politician-rued-joining-ukrainian-mercs--1121977134.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250313/no-mercy-for-mercs-what-legal-nightmare-awaits-them-in-russia-1121634819.html

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US Could Run Out of Missiles in Eight Days - Douglas Macgregor

US Could Run Out of Missiles in Eight Days - Douglas Macgregor

Sputnik International

Ex-Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor added that President Donald Trump should be briefed on how low the US missile stockpile "really is."

2025-07-18T06:47+0000

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Macgregor urged the US to "stop sending weapons abroad" as he warned of Americas exhausting stockpile of offensive and defensive missiles.The remarks come just days after President Trump announced new massive shipments of US weapons to Ukraine.Russia has repeatedly stressed that the long-range weapons supplied by the West are being used by Ukrainian forces to target civilians on Russian territory and disrupt peace efforts.Allowing Ukraine to use these weapons would fundamentally change the nature of the conflict, as Russian President Putin has previously stated."We will make the necessary decisions based on the threats we face," he said. "The key question is whether to consider NATO countries as directly involved in the military conflict," the president added.

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Twin B Joe Fresh, the 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year, will be making her first appearance in Massachusetts on Sunday, July 20 when she ships to Plainridge Park to start in the $100,000 (G3) Clara Barton Distaff Pace. And new Hall of Famer, trainer Chris Ryder, who co-owns the champion with her driver Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak, couldn't be happier with his mare as she heads to the Commonwealth.

Twin B Joe Fresh is coming in off an eye-popping 1:48.1 romp that featured a :25.3 final quarter in the $194,521 Dorothy Haughton at The Meadowlands last week, and her preparation for this race was summed up simply by her trainer.

Bang-on! Just the way we like it. No hiccups, and physically she's fine. Right now everything is good. She's a healthy horse and not that difficult at all. It's her fourth year of racing at a high level and not too many horses do that. Once they have a year or two at the top level they seem to peter off. But she's been holding her top-line form terrific. She's ready to go, said Ryder.

Over the past four years, Twin B Joe Fresh has put up unbelievable numbers on the strength of her unbelievable performances. She has won 33 times in only 44 lifetime starts with eight seconds and a third while earning more than $3 million for her efforts. It takes a special kind of pacer to post stats like that and Ryder said her physical attributes set her apart from the rest.

I always say good horses do good things, and she's something else. She's very strong and obviously, she's got speed. But she's a bit of an exception when you look at her. Physically, she's exceptionally strong. She's built like a stud horse and as she's gotten older, I think it's helped her carry her speed more. She doesn't look like a filly at all, said Ryder.

Her work is fairly light now that she's racing. She obviously jogs everyday, she doesn't swim or anything like that. She's prone to tying up, so she goes in the field every morning before she jogs. And most days we'll just let her pace free-legged and not that fast to keep her loose.

The field for the Barton is short, but has five other very capable mares competing including last year's Clara Barton winner, Sylvia Hanover, whose rivalry with Twin B Joe Fresh has become long-running and somewhat legendary.

According to the U.S. Trotting Association's Ken Weingartner, the two mares have met 16 times during their careers with Twin B Joe Fresh winning 10 and Sylvia Hanover winning five. The only time one of them didn't win a head-to-head event was when Grace Hill won the Breeders Crown Mare Pace elimination last October.

Despite this fierce competition on the track, Ryder said the rivalry is a friendly one.

We talk freely in the paddock with the Steacys, theyre nice people, and the time is very friendly and competitive. I'm pleased for them if they beat us and I think it's the same the other way around. Sylvia is a lovely mare and it is a good rivalry the mares have, said Ryder.

When that rivalry gets renewed this week, Ryder feels Twin B Joe Fresh will benefit from the short field that entered. She's drawn post four in the field of six.

Oh, it 100 percent helps her. And this was an ideal draw for her too. I think she'll control the race. I don't see how she doesn't control it, said Ryder.

Ryder has raced at Plainridge Park only one other time in his career in 2013, when he was in a pinch to get a filly trotter qualified for a New York Sire Stake final, and he was very impressed with his experience there.

The track couldn't have been any better. They were terrific, I couldn't say enough good things about them, said Ryder.

Twin B Joe Fresh is affectionately known as Joey around the barn, because Ryder said they couldn't come up with a better name for her.

Twinbrook Farm was delighted we didn't change her name. The official breeder was Brittany Farms, but they sold the mare in foal at Harrisburg and Twinbrook bought her. So Twin B Joe Fresh was actually foaled at Twinbrook in Canada, explained Ryder.

Ryder will not be on hand Sunday to watch his mare race due to another commitment. But Joey will definitely be on hand to try and add to her already gaudy career totals and maybe make some history.

The stake and all-time track pacing record is 1:48.1. It was achieved twice in the Barton by Shartin N and her stablemate Lyons Sentinel, and it appears to be a number that could be rewritten this week.

The $100,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace is carded as race seven with an estimated post time of 4 p.m. Post time for the first race is at 2 p.m.

$100,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace

Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer

1. Talk Curdy To Me - Brett Beckwith - Jeff Culipher

2. Valar Dohaeris - Yannick Gingras - Ake Svanstedt

3. Turn The Page N - Ron Cushing - Heidi Cushing

4. Twin B Joe Fresh - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder

5. Sylvia Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Mark Steacy

6. My Girl EJ - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris

(Plainridge Park)
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 OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File

OpenAI should continue to be controlled by a nonprofit because the artificial intelligence technology it is developing is "too consequential" to be governed by a corporation alone.

That is the message from an advisory board convened by OpenAI to give it recommendations about its nonprofit structuredelivered in a report released Thursday, along with a sweeping vision for democratizing AI and reforming philanthropy.

"We think it's too important to entrust to any one sector, the private sector or even the government sector," said Daniel Zingale, the convener of OpenAI's nonprofit commission and a former adviser to three California governors. "The nonprofit model allows for what we call a common sector," that facilitates democratic participation.

The recommendations are not binding on OpenAI, but the advisory commission, which includes the labor organizer Dolores Huerta, offers a framework that may be used to judge OpenAI in the future, whether or not they adopt it.

In the commission's view, communities that are already feeling the impacts of AI technologies should have input on how they are developed, including how data about them is used. But there are currently few avenues for people to influence tech companies who control much of the development of AI.

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, started in 2015 as a nonprofit research laboratory and has since incorporated a for-profit company with a valuation that has grown to $300 billion. The company has tried to change its structure since the nonprofit board ousted its CEO Sam Altman in Nov. 2023. He was reinstated days later and continues to lead OpenAI.

It has run into hurdles escaping its nonprofit roots, including scrutiny from the attorney generals in California and Delaware, who have oversight of nonprofits, and a lawsuit by Elon Musk, an early donor to and founder of OpenAI.

Most recently, OpenAI has said it will turn its for-profit company into a public benefit corporation, which must balance the interests of shareholders and its mission. Its nonprofit will hold shares in that new corporation, but OpenAI has not said how much.

Zingale said Huerta told the commission their challenge was to help make sure AI is a blessing and not a curse. To grapple with those stakes, they envision a nonprofit with an expansive mandate to help everyone participate in the development and trajectory of AI.

"The measure of this nonprofit will be in what it builds, who it includes, and how faithfully it endures to mission and impact," they wrote.

The commission toured California communities and solicited feedback online. They heard that many were inspired by OpenAI's mission to create artificial intelligence to benefit humanity and ensure those benefits are felt widely and evenly.

But, Zingale said many people feel they are in the dark about how it's happening.

"They know this is profoundly important what's happening in this 'Age of Intelligence,' but they want to understand better what it is, how it's developed, where are the important choices being made and who's making them?" he said.

Zingale said the commission chose early on not to interact with Altman in any way in order to maintain their independence, though they quote him in their report. However, they did speak with the company's senior engineers, who they said, "entered our space with humility, seriousness, and a genuine desire to understand how their work might translate into democratic legitimacy."

The commission proposed OpenAI immediately provide significant resources to the nonprofit for use in the public interest. For context, the nonprofit reported $23 million in assets in 2023, the most recent year that its tax filing is available.

The commission recommend focusing on closing gaps in economic opportunity, investing in AI literacy and creating an organization that is accessible to and governed by everyday people.

"For OpenAI's nonprofit to fulfill its mandate, it should commit to more than just doing goodit should commit to being known, seen, and shaped by the people it claims to serve," they wrote.

The commission suggested opening a rapid response fund to help reduce economic strains now. Zingale said they specifically recommended funding theater, art and health.

"We're trying to make the point that they need to dedicate some of their resources to human to human activities," he said.

The commission also recommended setting up a requirement that a human lead the nonprofit, which Zingale said is a serious recommendation and "a sign of the times."

 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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The recycled rubber grids on a stretch of test track laid at Chullora NSW. Credit: Rakesh Malisetty.

New research has shown that a world-first system of rubber shock absorbers made from recycled tires can significantly protect railway tracks from damage, addressing the dual challenges of high maintenance costs and national tire waste.

The technology was validated over a two-year period by a collaborative team from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney Trains, Transport for NSW, and industry partners EcoFlex and Bridgestone, following extensive monitoring at a live Sydney Trains freight line in Chullora.

Researchers installed track sections with the rubber underlay alongside conventional track sections for a direct comparison, monitoring vibration, track settlement, and ballast degradation under real-world conditions.

The results, detailed in the research paper "Effects of Rubber-Intermixed Ballast on Train Loading Response Through Field Monitoring in Western Sydney" published in the Canadian Geotechnical Journal, confirm the sections with the rubber underlay showed significantly less degradation and greater stability.

The patented technology involves placing the tire cells in a specific layout made from recycled tires infilled with waste materials such as spent ballast and coal wash. Recycled rubber grids cast from worn-out conveyor belts from mining sites are also placed directly beneath the rail track's primary load-bearing layer, known as ballast.

The technology addresses a long-standing engineering challenge: the high cost of maintaining conventional tracks.

"The rubber-based underlay effectively protects the ballast, preventing it from being pulverized and extending the life of the entire track structure," said UTS researcher Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna, the original inventor of this technique, and Director of the UTS Transport Research Center.

"Additionally, the underlay controls the way the train load is distributed to the deeper, softer and often wet soil beneath the track, preventing unacceptable soil settlement and weakening of the overlying track.

"This translates directly to lower maintenance costs, fewer track closures for the public, and improved network reliability."

Dr. Richard Kelly, Chief Technical Principal for Geotechnical Engineering at SMEC Australia and an advisor on the project, said, "If widely adopted by railway asset owners, this will save the Australian rail industry millions of dollars annually by reducing the demand for freshly quarried rock for ballast that is very expensive and not carbon friendly."

The project provides a powerful solution for the over 50 million end-of-life tires Australia generates annually.

"Finding sustainable, onshore uses for this material is a national priority, and at the same time, we need to reduce our reliance on finite quarried materials," said Professor Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn from the UTS Transport Research Center.

"We have proven we can turn a significant waste stream into a high-value asset that makes our critical infrastructure more resilient and advances the circular economy."

Building on this success, the research team will now expand the work. This next phase will test the technology in more demanding locations, such as at bridge approaches and junctions, where abrupt changes in track stiffness create high-impact zones prone to rapid degradation.

More information: Buddhima Indraratna et al, Effects of rubber-intermixed ballast on train loading response through field monitoring in Western Sydney, Canadian Geotechnical Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1139/cgj-2024-0507
Recent analysis from think tank InfluenceMap shows that in 2023, over half of the planet's carbon dioxide emissions came from just 36 fossil fuel producers. Inevitable or avoidable?

On February 28th, Greenpeace Africa submitted a global petition with signatures from 500,000 people asking governments to force oil & gas companies to "stop their climate wrecking activities" and "repair and pay for the damage they have caused." The included letter states that companies should pay damages to "help communities across the world to recover, rebuild and invest in climate solutions."

While saying 'fossil fuel production must stop' is unreasonable given the world's current reliance on it, telling oil & gas companies to step up efforts towards greener operations with lower environmental footprints is entirely realisticsome are already doing it. But the IEA's The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions 2023 report shows that only 1% of investment in clean energy comes from oil & gas companies, and 60% of that comes from only four of them. That is unacceptable if global climate goals are to be reached.

Companies Stepping Up

Although the industry is one of the largest contributors to climate change, and a lot of greenwashing is done to mask that, initiatives and companies actually making fossil fuel production greener and more efficient do exist. Far from greenwashing, these companies are making progress. For example, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is comprised of the industry's 12 largest companies and has a target of reducing collective methane intensity at members' operations to under 0.25% by 2025. So far, those companies have cut routine flaring by 53% and reduced collective upstream methane emissions by 55% since 2017.

Big production means big pollution, so it is crucial that the industry's major players take significant steps towards reducing emissions. Morningstar compared these companies in its 2023 Annual Check-Up: Integrated Greenhouse Gas Emissions report and found that Norway's Equinor had the lowest level of portfolio GHG emissions intensity, flaring, and percentage of methane emissions. One way the company has achieved this is by using low-emission power to electrify offshore platforms, like at its Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea.

Despite Equinor's comparably green rankings, activists argue that the efforts are insufficient given the company's investments in new fossil fuel projects. Henriette Undrum, Equinor's strategy director, responds that, "There has been a mistaken belief that the green transition would be 'simple and inexpensive.' Unfortunately, it's proving to be both costly and challenging."

Unlike the major oil & gas giants, there are a few companies in the industry, albeit very few, that work to make production greener on a daily basis. Export Petroleum (XP Group) is an upstream oil and gas operating company whose mission is "to increase the fields' efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint to make them more sustainable." Two years ago, the company also launched XP Upgreen, focusing solely on helping companies decarbonize operations and reduce CO2 and methane emissions. They have already made significant improvements at oil & gas operations in Romania and Ukraine and were recently asked by a delegation from Turkmenistan to help the country "increase the efficiency and environmental sustainability of production processes" at its operations.

Bart Wauterickx, XP Upgreen's Managing Director, explains that "Real progress requires being on the groundmeasuring direct and indirect emissions, throughout the whole value chain from upstream to downstream activitiesto identify the greatest opportunities and implement effective reduction strategies... We are actively addressing both intended emissions like flaring, combustion emissions and venting, and unintended emissions coming from leaking components."

Wauterickx also argues that strict environmental frameworks (like in Europe) are necessary for sustainable development and points to the severe soil contamination and air pollution in Nigeria as a warning against lax regulations. Nigeria is finally trying to turn this situation around with the help of First E&P, a company founded to address the country's problems with the mission of "... contributing to the well-being of Nigerians... we are proud to be at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in the energy sector."

First E&P recently helped The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) reduce routine gas flaring by 96% at the Anyala field in OML 83 and the Madu field in OML 85. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, CEO of First E&P, says, "This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible energy production. By substantially reducing our carbon footprint, we are contributing to a sustainable energy future that benefits both the environment and the communities we serve." The reduced gas flaring was a positive step, but there is a lot more to be done in Nigeria if First E&P is to live up to this bold statement.

Making a Necessary Evil More Palatable

Producing oil and gas pollutes our planet, but for the foreseeable future, fossil fuels are not going away. This UNECE report argues that, "Oil and gas will play a key role in the future sustainable energy system even under a scenario that meets stringent climate objectivesthe sector will continue to support economic growth and social progress as alternatives to oil and gas will take time to emerge and achieve global scale."

The report also says that about 50% of the oil & gas sector's methane emissions could be eliminated at no net cost. Furthermore, a report from the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Tracker says that eliminating flaring would cut about 381 million tons of released carbon dioxide emissions.

Some companies are already making genuine advances in reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions, and a few, like XP Upgreen and First E&P, make environmental protection a priority. But the rest of the industry needs to follow suit and implement effective, sustainable measures if there is any hope for the world climate objectives to be met.

Because, as Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, argues, "The fossil fuel sector must make tough decisions now, and their choices will have consequences for decades to come. Clean energy progress will continue with or without oil and gas producers. However, the journey to net zero emissions will be more costly and harder to navigate, if the sector is not on board."
Kinshasa, DRC (PANA) - As sexual violence has increased this year in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the withdrawal of US funding is leaving thousands of people without care and access to lifesaving medicines, a United Nations agency warned Thursday
Rickey published his first article in 1957 at age 20, his last in 2017 at age 80 and proceeded into involuntary retirement, forced by elements of advanced age. (Photo: News Source Guyana)

Veteran journalist Rickey Singh passed away on Saturday, July 05, in Barbados.





Singh, who was born in Guyana, lived and worked in several Caribbean nations, sharing his opinions and analyses of issues affecting the people of the region.





His column Our Caribbean was published in The Nation and he was a regular contributor to publications in Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.





But perhaps one of Singhs most significant assignments was as editor (1975 - 1983) of the Caribbean Contact (organ of the Caribbean Conference of Churches) which covered and commented on regional and international issues.





Singh left Guyana for Trinidad and Tobago to take up his editorship with the Caribbean Contact, but he again fell afoul of a politician, branded a communist for supporting the bloodless coup in Grenada under Maurice Bishop. With his work permit not being renewed, he came to Barbados.





This time, it was late Prime Minister Tom Adams who took exception to his comments in The Nation and did not renew his work permit. Singhs family  his wife Dolly and the children  remained in Barbados and he roamed the Caribbean as a freelancer.





On Adams death in 1985, he was invited to return to Barbados but refused the work permit in favour of the right to be able to live and work as a citizen. Singh continued to "pen columns from his home in Strathclyde, St. Michael. He never worked for another newspaper, but his work appeared in the publications which supported him when he was roaming.





In 2002, the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Letters. (Sources: The Nation, Trinidad Newsday)
To advance the goal of free movement of all Community nationals, the Heads of Government 49th Summit endorsed the right of nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and SVG to enter, leave and re-enter, move freely, reside, work and remain indefinitely in the receiving Member State, without the need for a work or residency permit. (Photo Source: caricom.org)

Beginning October 1, 2025 nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be allowed to move freely among these countries, and stay indefinitely and work without requiring a work permit.

This was one of the key takeaways following the 49th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting held in Jamaica between July 6 and 8.





According to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, there already exists free movement arrangement among the citizens of the six OECS countries.





Within the CARICOM region however, nationals were only allowed to remain within a territory for a period not exceeding six months, providing they met the relevant criteria, and they were not allowed to work without a work permit unless they obtained a skilled workers certificate.

"But the big take away in the freedom of movement was that some countries have taken advantage of what we have called the enhancement regime of cooperation, Gonsalves said during a press briefing on July 11.

There already existed free movement between nationals of SVG and Dominica under the OECS agreement, but Barbados and Belize agreed to also institute the free movement of nationals from within the four named countries beginning October 1.





"What it means now, our Garifuna brothers and sisters in Belize who want to come and spend more time, not just come for the six months, they can come and work here if they want, Gonsalves said.

According to the prime minister, other CARICOM territories had some reservations about implementing the free movement of nationals.





"But from my standpoint, whatever needling problems exist, it will all come out in the wash, he said.

Gonsalves further made the point that the free movement of nationals from other countries would solve the issue of declining populations, which he said exists here.

"We see how the population is stagnating because the fertility rate has dropped to about 1.5 children per woman.





"And if it continues like that, then you will have a decline in the population, and one of the ways that this has been satisfied is through migration, Gonsalves said.
Just five days after a Guardsman Security, Wadie Simon, was remanded on a murder charge, another security guard, who told the Court he is employed with Guardsman, has been remanded until June 23 for full sentencing on a criminal charge.





Appearing at the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Wednesday, the defendant, Al Tyson, 34, of Glen/Cedars, pleaded guilty to assaulting his common-law-wife Colleena Williams of Glen, causing her bodily harm; damaging a wooden bedroom door and a steel burglar barred gate which together valued EC$585.35, the property of Williams; and damaging a laptop valued US$200 belonging to Williams 15-year-old sister.

While compensation has been ordered on all three charges, the Court is yet to complete the sentencing process on the assault charge.

The facts as presented by court clerk Constable 196 Lynosia Constantine, showed that Williams and Tyson have been in a common-law relationship for 14 years and lived together in a rented apartment at Glen.





The incident

About 10:30 p.m. on July 13, 2025, Williams was at home with her 15-year-old sister and one-year-old niece, when Tyson arrived. An argument ensued between him and Williams, during which he spat in her face.

Williams left the room with her niece and went to another room, but Tyson followed her. The argument continued and he struck her.

On hearing Williams cries, her sister entered the room, picked up the baby and returned to her own room.

Tyson then punched Williams in her face, and when she attempted to leave the house to seek help, he proceeded to beat her with a cutlass and swung the weapon at her head. She managed to dodge it, and it struck and damaged two burglar bars of a gate.





Williams ran into her bedroom and barricaded the door with a bed, but Tyson kicked the door open and continued to assault her.

Her sister tried to contact the police using her laptop, but Tyson seized the laptop and slammed it to the ground.

As the chaos continued, Williams managed to flee the house and reported the matter at the Calliaqua Police Station.

Constable 955 Campbell took the report, and officers from that station apprehended Tyson. He was cautioned, interviewed and subsequently charged.





To jail or not to jail





Williams told the Court that, to date, she cannot eat properly because of an injury to her gum the result of the beating.

"It (incident) just took a toll on me, she said, adding that she keeps jumping out of her sleep. She said she has to pay rent and other bills.

Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie told the woman that parliament has enacted legislation meant to protect people like her, not just from physical damage, but economic damage as well. The Magistrate hinted that she could go to the Family Court and ask for a protection order.

"You are an adult, you have the right to choose whether you want to be in this type of relationship, McKenzie told Williams.

"I dont know how to break up with him, Williams replied.

"You dont have to get permission from him to break up, McKenzie told her.

When the Magistrate asked her whether she wanted Tyson to go to jail, she replied, "I dont want him to go to jail because he has responsibilities.

But the Magistrate reminded the woman that "there are plenty of people in prison with responsibilities.

Williams then indicated that Tyson had a loan to pay, but when Prosecutor Shamrock Pierre asked her whether the loan was related to her, she said no.

"You love him, the Magistrate asked the woman, who replied in the affirmative.

"You have to love yourself more, McKenzie told her, adding that Williams would have to decide what path she wanted to take from here, or the situation could have a much more serious outcome.

Williams teenage sister also told the Court that she was greatly affected by the incident because her schoolwork was stored on the laptop that was damaged.





Compensation ordered

Tyson said he accepted the facts as presented by the prosecution, but explained that the incident was triggered by a dispute over some money that Williams had for him.

Eyebrows were raised in Court when he said he worked as a security guard with the firm Guardsman.

For damaging the laptop, Tyson was ordered to pay $1000 compensation forthwith or one year in prison, and for damaging the door and burglar-barred gate, he will have to pay compensation in the sum of $585.35, $170 forthwith or three months in prison and the balance of $365.35 by August 15, or six months in prison

Tyson was also ordered to pay $2,000 in compensation to Williams for assaulting and causing her bodily harm, but the Magistrate has left that penalty open, and will complete the sentencing process on that charge when Tyson returns to Court on July 23.





On Friday, July 11, Wadie Simon, a 60-year-old Security Guard attached to Guardsman appeared at the Serious Offenses Court after being charged with murder, stemming from the death of Shernard Gloster, a 47-year-old resident of Keartons, Barrouallie who was shot and killed.
Since the Mount Olive Baptist Church of Centerville Virginia, USA, began partnering with the Saint Martins Past Students Association of North America (SAMPASA) Inc. three years ago, to assist students here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it has been nothing but a relationship of mutual gratification.





That is the assessment of Minister Gairy Leonard, who led a team from the church on a twelve-day mission, to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, July 12 to 23, 2025.





While the mission of the church is to always spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, the occasion of the visit also lent itself to packing and distributing items to students, families and individuals, as well as to lap up all what St Vincent and the Grenadines had to offer.





Leonard related, "Six members of the church are here on this trip. They are lapping up everything, getting to eat your lovely mangoes as well as interacting with the people and getting first-hand experience of the people whom they meet, and people they have put their money to support.

According to Leonard, it is the unbridled joy that emanates from the faces of the recipients that warm their hearts.





"When I look at the smiles on the peoples faces that they really appreciate we have touched their lives  that makes us want to do more and more, Leonard said as he took time off from the packing process at the St. Martins Secondary School.





Explaining the process of collecting funding, Leonard revealed it is all about partnership.

"I will send letters out to the members of my church, each just pours monies into the project. Marcus Coombs (SAMPASA member) and my co- workers have a financial plan. We have a Benevity programme where funds are matched one hundred percent, Leonard disclosed.





Because of the combined efforts, they have been able to ship tons of items, including food, books, stationery supplies, bags, clothing, which have benefitted over one hundred and fifty families.

Buoyed by the expressions of gratitude, Leonard assured that coming to St. Vincent and the Grenadines for another year on the same mission

"is a given.
Sixty-year-old male Guardsman security Guard Wadie Simon of Brighton has been charged with the murder of Shernard Gloster, aged 47, of Keartons, Barrouallie.





The charge was laid on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at the Major Crime Unit, Police Headquarters in Kingstown.

Preliminary investigations indicate that on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at approximately 12:35 p.m., an altercation occurred between Simon, who was on duty as a security guard, and Gloster at the Kingstown Cooperative Credit Union (KCCU) Kingstown Office.





During the incident, Simon allegedly discharged his firearm, fatally wounding Mr. Gloster who was pronounced dead on the spot by a medical practitioner.





Simon was arraigned before the Serious Offences Court on Friday, July 11, 2025, where he was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge. The case was adjourned to Tuesday 22nd July 2025, for a status update on the investigation and to set a date for the preliminary inquiry. Simon was remanded into custody at His Majestys Prison.





Meanwhile Guardsman SVG issued a statement on the KCCU incident. It read as follows:

"Guardsman St. Vincent and the Grenadines Limited is aware of the formal charges against one of its employees, in relation to the unfortunate incident that occurred on July 9, 2025 at Kingstown Co-operative Credit Union Ltd.





The Company is actively cooperating with the authorities. The incident stands in direct contravention to the Companys core values, rigorous training programs and clearly communicated policies.





This isolated occurrence does not reflect the standards Guardsman St. Vincent demands of its employees. The safety of the public and the integrity of our operations remain our top priorities.





The Companys focus now is on ensuring accountability, reinforcing our values internally, and continuing to serve all our stakeholders with the professionalism and care that they expect.





We thank the public for their understanding and patience and extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.





No further comment will be made at this time while the legal process is ongoing.




Arkansas parents were arrested and charged with the physical and mental abuse of their seven-year-old son.

The Russellville Police Department's officers were notified on July 15 that a seven-year-old boy was in critical condition at the Children's Hospital in Little Rock. It was later found that the child had been previously admitted to the Dardanelle Regional Medical Center by his parents.

Parents Arrested Over Abuse of Son

Hospital staff described the young boy as being pale, limp, and extremely underweight at only 28 lbs. Officials added that the doctor who examined the boy described his condition as "near fatality" due to years of severe and prolonged nutritional issues.

Law enforcement personnel later searched the child's residence, which is located in the 800 block of Sandstone Circle, and found that the living conditions were "unfit for children." Investigators who searched the home found a closet that was turned into a makeshift room, where the boy is believed to have been confined for extended periods.

Authorities concluded that the makeshift room showed frequent signs of being used, which was indicated by the urine and feces that they found on the floor. They also discovered worn-down walls and door hardware that supported their theory, according to THV11.

When searching the residence, officials also found that there was plenty of food and thousands of dollars in cash. They discovered that other children were living in the home, who revealed that rope was used to restrain the seven-year-old and a his five-year-old sibling as a form of punishment.

The parents were identified as Chris and Katelyn Freeman, who admitted to locking their son in the closet and failing to seek medical assistance. They said this was because they feared repercussions and embarrassment.

Physical and Mental Torture

An official spokesperson noted that the abuse at the home of the family was a case of "physical and mental torture." Russellville Police Chief David Ewing added that it was likely they would pursue additional charges against the parents, KARK reported.

The parents, 39-year-old Chris and 27-year-old Katelyn, appeared at a probable cause hearing where they sat before Circuit Judge James Dunham. The hearing itself was conducted over Zoom, where officials described the "emotional and physical abuse" of the two boys.

Police authorities revealed that the couple, who are being held in the Pope County Detention Center, are both being held on a $100,000 bond each. When the parents first brought their seven-year-old son to the Dardanelle Regional Medical Center, he had posturing hands, dilated eyes, and did not respond to stimuli, as per Courier News.
The Baltic states are leading efforts to strengthen Europes ability to face a potential foreign attack and cope with its fallout. From ECFR.



The Baltic Incursion Scenario

It is the spring of 2028. Russia, having used an uneasy 2026 ceasefire to recover economically and militarily from its war on Ukraine, launches a limited incursion into an Estonian border town. This is not a grand offensive by any means  just a small, calculated operation designed to probe the credibility of NATOs and the EUs collective defense commitments. Vladimir Putin did not have to send troops across the Pyrenees to rattle Europe, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez once put it. Nor did the move from the Kremlin require a major mobilization: it took just a modest deployment to test NATO, one that Putin can easily reverse to prevent full-scale escalation.

Path one: safe not sorry. Europe is prepared. Its governments and people heeded the many warnings in 2024 and 2025 that Russia could be ready to act again in two to five years. The EU used this window of vulnerability to bolster Europes military readiness and its preparedness across society. Defense spending rose. Supply chains were shored up. Critical infrastructure was hardened. Hospitals, schools, transport systems, and utilities developed the capacity to withstand shocks.

Allied forces respond quickly and in unison to Russias incursion. Daily life continues largely undisturbed across the EU, despite Russian sabotage attempts. Estonian hospitals and schools remain open and functioning, and essential supplies  water, food, energy  continue to flow. The population calmly follows well-rehearsed emergency protocols. Europe writ large holds firm, and Russia pulls back.

Path two: sorry not safe. Europe is not prepared. The EU remained true to tendency  hoping for the best until the worst happened. Governments made vague promises to increase their defense budgets, but a lack of clear timelines resulted in business as usual. Companies ignored contingency planning; operators of critical services failed to audit their vulnerabilities. Populations were complacent and left uninformed and unaware of emergency protocols.

Russias incursion catches the continent off guard. The military response is delayed and disjointed. Across the Baltics, energy supplies are disrupted and communications break down under the onslaught of Russian cyberattacks. Hospitals are overwhelmed and unfit to function in wartime conditions. All down the EUs eastern flank, evacuations are panicked and poorly coordinated. In the absence of public messaging, societies begin to descend into unrest.

These scenarios are not predictions but hypothetical versions of infinite unknowable futures. One thing is more certain: if an EU country were to face an attack, the continents civil preparedness  the capacity of institutions and society to endure a foreign attack and cope with its fallout  would prove just as vital as its military readiness.

Civil Preparedness

In March 2024, the European Commission launched its Preparedness Union Strategy. The document outlines 30 key actions to embed a preparedness by design ethos across EU policies. These include the creation of a crisis hub to improve coordination, minimum preparedness criteria for essential services, strategic stockpiles of critical materials, regular EU-wide emergency drills, and even crisis education in school curricula. It was launched almost in conjunction with the EUs white paper for European defence, to stress the need for the bloc to pair military capacity-building with collective resilience.

In a policy brief for ECFR, I argued the EU should go further: adopt a binding legal act  an EU Preparedness Act  to align European rules and procedures with the realities of a time between peace and war, and to prepare for other emergencies. The recent blackout in the Iberian Peninsula underlined the need for such a framework. That unwelcome stress test revealed alarming shortfalls  in government readiness, utility resilience, and household self-sufficiency  and the imperative for the EU to act faster in dealing with unforeseen circumstances.

Absent EU-wide legislation, the Nordic and Baltic states are leading the way. In Lithuania, hospitals are installing generators, building shelters, converting basements into underground operating theaters, and conducting mass-casualty drills. Estonian health facilities are stockpiling medical supplies and distributing bulletproof vests and satellite phones to emergency medical teams. Preparations are under way for potential mass evacuations. The interior ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania recently committed to joint evacuation plans to ensure vulnerable groups are not left behind and to streamline information exchange. This followed a May declaration from eight EU interior and civil protection ministers calling for urgent measures to strengthen civil protection, preparedness, and resilience.

Institutional Preparedness

The EU and member state governments need to prime their institutions  both public and private  to respond to the extraordinary. This includes clear, tested protocols for emergencies or credible threats.

Every member state should implement a robust civil emergency planning system. NATOs methodology, known as readiness, involves subcommittees focused on preventing disruption and ensuring continuity in energy, transport, communications, health, food, and water. Member states should establish similar teams to manage emergencies across vital sectors.

Governments must also create strategic reserves and stockpile critical goods like medical supplies, protective equipment, and essential raw materials. In 2024, Finlands former president, Sauli Niinisto, proposed a common European framework to coordinate this effort. Such a framework would allow member states to rely on each other in times of need.

Civil protection agencies need secure emergency communication channels and always-on public information systems to relay safety instructions or reassurances. This is key to preventing public unrest during emergencies.

Private operators of critical infrastructure  energy grids, telecoms, food distribution  must set firewalls, enhance security, install backups, and establish emergency protocols. Contingency planning and stress tests will help ensure continuity or rapid restoration of services. It will not be enough to react only after disaster strikes.

The EUs Critical Entities Resilience directive, in force since 2023, mandates regular risk assessments and obliges critical operators to adopt preparedness measures and notify governments of incidents. Close cooperation between operators and authorities is key. The EU should expand this framework to include the defense industrial base and account for potential armed aggression.

Societal Preparedness

Citizens and communities play a central role in crisis response. A population that is well-prepared, stocked with supplies, and trained for emergencies increases national resilience.

This is why it was surprising to see uneasy reactions to a recent video from Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for preparedness and crisis management, urging citizens to prepare 72-hour emergency kits. Some political leaders accused her of fear-mongering, missing the point entirely. These recommendations are prudent given todays geopolitical and security realities.

Several countries already issue such guidelines. France advises citizens to keep survival kits with food, water, medicines, flashlights, chargers, cash, copies of prescriptions, spare keys, warm clothes, and tools. Nordic and Baltic states go further, distributing preparedness guides with detailed household instructions.

Regular emergency drills in schools and workplaces are also essential. These should include evacuation routes, shelter locations, and meeting points. Such exercises help prevent panic and build societal resilience.

The Path Taken

The EU and its member states should treat the next two years as an opportunity to reinforce their collective backbone. In a crisis, resilience cannot be improvised  it must be built in advance. Europeans have some control over whether they face a safe not sorry or sorry not safe scenario, whatever Putin decides to do. Better to be safe than sorry.



Tiago Antunes is an associate senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where this article originally appeared. Reprinted by permission.
The EU should fund and protect the countrys independent media for the sake of its own security.

In an era overwhelmed by overlapping crises, it is understandable that Europes attention and resources are being diverted to step up the military-industrial complex. Yet, if there is one asset Europe cannot afford to overlook, it is the Belarusian independent media in exile  because this media community is a critical piece of Europes own security architecture.

The key to understanding what is happening lies in the events of five years ago. In 2020, Belarus was rocked by mass protests following a presidential election widely condemned as fraudulent. The regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in power since 1994, responded with brutal force. Independent media were targeted as key players in documenting the unrest: journalists were arrested, newsrooms dismantled, and news outlets declared extremist. The crackdown extended beyond the press to include their families, sources, and audiences. Hopes for political change diminished further in 2022, when the Belarusian government aligned itself with Russias invasion of Ukraine, deepening its isolation and authoritarian grip.

Facing mounting repression, many Belarusian journalists fled the country, often forced to relocate multiple times. Despite exile, financial strain, and the emotional toll of separation from their families, they kept their work alive. Over time, they formed a transnational media ecosystem, comprising around 45 media organizations of various kinds: national outlets (Zerkalo, Nasha Niva, and others), local media (Hrodna.Life, Flagshtok, and others), a news agency (Pozirk), investigative journalism outlets (Belarusian Investigative Center, BuroMedia), niche media (Tribuna, Devby.io and many others), a wide network of freelancers, and support organizations (Belarusian Association of Journalists, Press Club Belarus). Today, this exiled media community remains one of the last lifelines of independent information for Belarusians inside the country and abroad.

As a support organization that has been helping Belarusian media grow for 13 years  initially inside Belarus and now in exile  we at Press Club Belarus are repeatedly asked by donors and partners why exiled Belarusian media are not just another struggling diaspora or a scattered group of homeless newsrooms. After the latest seismic shock to hit Belarusian media  the U.S. overseas funding freeze  we realized it was time to offer a more comprehensive answer: why it is of strategic importance for the European Union to support Belarusian media.

In our strategic vision paper Exiled. Effective. Essential, we explain why Belarusian media in exile together form a resilient and effective ecosystem that, despite harsh censorship and severe restrictions, continues to reach audiences inside the country and operates as a critical shield against propaganda emanating from both Minsk and Moscow. Let us take this statement apart step by step.

First, consider their impact. Nearly five years after their forced exile began, Belarusian outlets continue to shape resilient, democratic public opinion inside a country where the truth is under constant attack.

Just imagine: media consumption itself has become dangerous for Belarusians. Reading, watching, sharing, or even subscribing to independent outlets can lead to administrative or criminal prosecution. Yet, in the face of widespread censorship and heavy online blocking, these outlets still manage to reach four in 10 news consumers inside the country.

Next, their strategic value is undeniable. Belarusian journalists in exile have exposed critical threats  from Wagner Group logistics and secret Russian filtration camps in Belarus to the labor exploitation of political prisoners by a German politician and schemes to evade international sanctions. These investigations have informed EU policy, challenged state narratives, and triggered international scrutiny and responses well beyond Belarus. Far from being peripheral players, these journalists function as watchdogs, providing real-time fact-checking and creating information streams that act as alternatives to Kremlin propaganda. In other words, protecting Belarusian independent media directly props up Europes informational integrity and resilience.

Finally, Belarusian media in exile, working under the gaze of a cruel regime, embody the very principles that Europe advocates globally, from editorial independence and ethical journalism to resilience against authoritarianism.

As noted by the reports reviewer Rita Rudusa, a media expert and founder of the Baltic Center for Media Excellence, these truths illustrate the immense power of independent journalism  making it perfectly logical to view Belarusian exile media as a strategic partner in European security.

Our report also reveals, however, that the ecosystems success hinges precariously on its long-term sustainability. The recent abrupt cuts in U.S. funding demonstrate how fragile the sector remains. Business models are non-existent when home audiences can give financial support to independent media only at risk of prosecution. Visas for journalists living in exile are often a challenge to obtain, and legal protections in host countries vary dramatically. Without predictable, multi-year support, this truly efficient ecosystem faces the risk of gradual attrition precisely when Europe needs it most.

We propose a shift in how Europe perceives and interacts with Belarusian independent media: not merely as recipients of aid but as strategic partners vital to European security and democratic stability. Concretely, this means integrating Belarusian exile media into initiatives such as the European Democracy Shield and providing sustained, structural funding mechanisms. It also means offering robust legal protections and stable residency rights within EU member states.

Thus, this is not just about preserving press freedom in Belarus, it is about bolstering Europes eastern flank against an escalating hybrid threat. The Belarusian independent media ecosystem is a front-line shield for Europes democratic architecture, offering proven value and resilience. Allowing it to deteriorate would not only betray democratic allies but would also weaken Europe itself.

The choice facing European institutions today is clear: invest in the Belarusian exiled media, or risk losing a strategic asset at a moment when Europe strives for strategic allies and seeks to restore its global leadership.

Natalia Belikova is in charge of international cooperation at Press Club Belarus.
A few days after being mobilized, an ethnic Hungarian man from Ukraines Transcarpathia region was hospitalized and consequently died on 6 July. From Telex.



There are many questions surrounding the death of 45-year-old Jozsef S., and given the state of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations and the Hungarian governments objections regarding the situation of Hungarians in Transcarpathia, it is an especially sensitive matter. This makes it particularly important to thoroughly investigate the case so as to clarify whether the man indeed sustained injuries after being mobilized and whether he suffered abuse on account of his Hungarian nationality. The Ukrainian side rejects both possibilities.

The official Ukrainian narrative greatly diverges from the accounts of those in the town of Berehove who knew the deceased. The bizarre video recording of Jozsef, presumably taken on the second day of his training, is not helpful in clarifying the situation either. According to those who were close to Jozsef, his back was severely beaten, several of his ribs were broken, there was swelling on his head, and before his death he told his lawyer that he had been beaten in the military. However, none of this is mentioned in the official Ukrainian documents.

He Wasnt Hiding From Conscription

Jozsef lived in Berehove with his wife, and according to anonymous sources that Telex spoke with, he wasnt hiding around town to evade being called up, but continued to work  he was running his guesthouse in the village of Dijda.

What is known for sure is as follows:

Jozsef was stopped for an ID check by military conscription officers on 15 June, and as he was within mobilization age (25-60), they took him in and later transferred him to the 128th brigade in Mukachevo for military training.

On 19 June, he was admitted to the Bertolon Linner District Hospital in Berehove, and five days later he ended up in the citys psychiatric hospital, where he died in early July.

His family buried him on 9 July.

According to the official report, his death was caused by a blood clot that had travelled from his leg to his lungs.

However, the statement he made to his lawyer just days before his death, in which he reported injuries that were not documented in the medical records raises multiple questions. There is also uncertainty about exactly what happened between 15 June and 19 June during the training in Mukachevo, how he was transferred to the hospital in Berehove, and the treatment he received there, given that Jozsefs family and Ukrainian diplomatic sources have different accounts of these days.

Was Jozsef a Deserter?

The command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (ZSZU) has also spoken out on the matter, which is already causing a new wave of diplomatic tension between Ukraine and Hungary. According to its statement, the military expressed its deepest sympathy to the mans family and promise to investigate the case, but they also state that he was a Ukrainian citizen  one of the Ukrainian diplomatic sources we spoke with also interpreted this as meaning that Jozsef was not of Hungarian nationality, and his name was Joszip  and besides, he failed to report for duty on 18 June, which essentially means that he deserted his post.

He left the military unit recorded in the official investigation of his own volition, without weapons, the statement said, adding that Jozsef then reported to the hospital in person the following day.

However, this partly reduces the severity of the claim of desertion, as according to a regulation adopted in 2024, if a soldier shows up at his place of service himself, he may be exempted from legal consequences, and his showing up at a hospital that is partially under military control is essentially equivalent to this.

We categorically reject the allegation that cruel treatment or human rights violations have taken place [at the military command] or in other parts of the armed forces, the statement additionally says, noting that the Ukrainian side expects the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states to be observed with regard to the investigation.

We call on the media, the public, and representatives of foreign governments to refrain from disseminating unverified or emotionally charged information that could be used as a tool of a hostile states destructive influence or intelligence operations, the statement said.

The Fewer Soldiers There Are, the Greater the Pressure

Theres no question that those responsible for checks have become much more aggressive all over the country, a source in Transcarpathia said. Its also become easier to get on the wanted list. One can end up there just by failing to have his data in the military register updated, but more recently this can also happen if they are not able to notify a Ukrainian citizen because he does not have a registered address in Ukraine.

They noted that this is not only the case in Transcarpathia or its areas populated by ethnic Hungarians  as now, in the fourth year of the war against Russia, the pressure for the state to reach those who can be mobilized throughout the country and send them to the front has increased.

Some have said that the military patrol officers responsible for mobilization have become brazen, and they have recently been deployed to regions further away from where they live so that personal connections would not influence their work. On the one hand, this helps to eliminate potential corruption, but it also makes it easier for them to apply harsh measures against those concerned, even if these measures border on illegality. For this reason it cannot be ruled out that this forceful approach could even lead to acts of abuse and the violation of the rules. The most important question in relation to Jozsefs death (which was first reported by his sister on Facebook, although she later changed the setting to private) is whether the authorities had subjected him to abusive treatment during the mobilization.

News websites close to the Hungarian government  which considers Ukraine to be a warmonger  such as Mandiner, which was the first to report on Jozsefs death in Hungary, are treating the abuse as fact. We first addressed our questions to the Ukrainian embassy, and eventually, through diplomatic sources, the Ukrainian side stated that, based on a discussion with the head of the Beregszasz branch of the RTCK and SZK  the regional center responsible for military recruitment and social benefits  it can be stated that no abuse had occurred during the mobilization. Jozsef did not explicitly make such a claim either; according to his alleged last statement, he was subjected to abuse in Mukachevo, and those around him likewise reported a conversation to that effect.

There is no doubt that Jozsef was taken to Mukachevo for training  he may have been beaten there. There is a bizarre video of him, which, unfortunately, does not make the situation any clearer. It was presumably made at the training ground in Mukachevo, but the time of recording and the circumstances of its publication are also unclear. The recording shows Jozsef on the training ground, crawling on all fours, complaining of pain. Why are you crawling? My back hurts, Jozsef replies to the soldier filming him, then explains that he was injured by the metal pipes that hold up the tents. After this, the person filming for some reason asks: But you werent abused, were you? to which Jozsef  still on his knees  replies that he was not. It is unclear why the questioner felt the need to ask about the possibility of beating in order to receive a negative answer.

This recording was allegedly made on 17 June, and according to official Ukrainian documents, Jozsef escaped  i.e., did not report for duty  the following day.

Was He in the Hospital or in an Unknown Location?

However, according to Jozsefs acquaintances in Berehove, he was admitted to a medical facility in Mukachevo on 17 June, but was afterward returned to the training facility, and was released on 18 June  at least according to the statement attributed to him. He then allegedly walked 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from there to Dijda, and then ended up in a hospital in Berehove.

At this point, the documents presented by the Ukrainian side once again differ from the accounts of Jozsefs acquaintances, as according to official documents, Jozsef fled the army, which was discovered on 18 June. However, the military police did not initiate proceedings at first, so Jozsef was not a wanted man. According to the Ukrainian side, Jozsef was discharged from the hospital on 19 June, the same day he checked himself in, and he only returned five days later, but this time to the psychiatric ward.

However, according to other sources, Jozsef remained at the Bertolon Linner Hospital on 19 June and fell into a coma two days later at the same location. Then on 24 June, while still unconscious, he was taken to the psychiatric ward, where he was given an injection. He regained consciousness and even walked about for a while, speaking incoherently, but from the following day until his death, he did not utter a word.

In other words, according to the documents, during the time his acquaintances claim he was in a coma, he was not even in the hospital, and based on the paperwork, he only reappeared in the system at the exact time when, according to personal accounts, he had regained consciousness following his transfer  the justification for which is questionable.

He spoke with his lawyer between 19 and 21 June, i.e. at the time when, according to the Ukrainian side, Jozsef was not hospitalized. After 24 June, he was unable to speak coherently until his death on 6 July.

His Acquaintances Saw Injuries, But the Medical Log Knows of None

The medical records state that everything was fine with him, and he didnt have any injuries. According to personal accounts, however, the dark swelling on his head was examined several times, but allegedly nothing noteworthy was found. However, Jozsef ultimately died of a blood clot  according to medical records, the clot formed in his leg, where, Jozsef stated, he did not receive a beating.

Jozsefs friends and family claim that the Ukrainian side is trying to shift the blame, while the Ukrainians suggest that this is a case of disinformation and malicious political interpretation, which suits the Orban governments anti-Ukraine campaign. However, without clarity, Jozsefs death could additionally burden the relationship between Ukraine, which continues to be under attack from Russia and which accuses the Hungarian government of being pro-Russian, and the Hungarian leadership, which accuses Kyiv of fomenting war and, hence, rejects the idea of Ukraines EU membership.

Gergely Nyilas is a journalist at Telex.hu, where this article originally appeared. Translation by Andrea Horvath Kavai. Reprinted with permission.
THE Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) is expected to generate US$100 million in confirmed sales this year, signalling renewed momentum in regional and international deal-making, according to Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) president Dale Parson.

And that might be a little bit modest, judging from the number of booths and the amount of activity and interest on the floor, Parson told the Sunday Express Business while speaking from the trade floor at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
CHAIRMAN Emeritus of the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society George Laquis has called on stakeholders to focus on the well-being of the nations children, whether through healthier lifestyles, education or security.

Laquis expressed concern for many of the countrys young people, and yesterday said everything must be done to ensure their future.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging parents and students to start preparing for the reality that will come when state law inevitably implements a ban on the use of cellphones in school.

On Wednesday, Hochul said that the back-to-school season in New York this year is different because it includes "detoxing" from cellphones. The situation comes after a roundtable discussion that was attended by students, parents, union officials, and the head of the city's school system, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.

Kathy Hochul on Cellphone Ban in Schools

The governor also assured reporters that schools in the state are prepared to transition to phone-free environments after the passing of a law that bans devices for the entire school day. However, this would not mean that students themselves are prepared the same way.

Hochul said, "change is always hard," noting that it has already been a decade since cellphones started being used in schools. She said this would undoubtedly make it harder for children to transition out of. The governor said they have to prepare parents to look at a "detoxing period" for their kids, according to GovTech.

The New York governor also shared her advice to parents based on what she does with her kids, which is weaning them to bed earlier. This is what Hochul is urging other parents to do to prepare their kids for the change that is coming to schools.

School districts have until Aug. 1 to finalize and publish a policy that would separate students from their mobile devices while on school grounds. Next Wednesday, the Panel for Educational Policy will vote on the revised rules.

Preparing Parents and Students

After that, the responsibility will be given to schools to implement the policy, which would require cell phones to be turned off and stored somewhere chosen by principals. Right now, more than half of city schools are already collecting cellphones or restricting their use in some way, the New York Daily News reported.

Furthermore, the school system is now conducting a "readiness" survey and is working with different schools on implementation plans based on their sizes and current practices. Some campuses provide students with lockable pouches or let them use bins or lockers to store devices before going to class.

However, there are principals who are still trying to create policies, which could be complicated due to the uncertainty of funding. A spokesperson for the city Education Department did not provide details about when such funding would be distributed to schools, as per Chalkbeat.
WE have clearly reached the tipping point in this socially decaying society that I have warned about for the last ten years in my Express columns, unheeded by the Rowley administrations.

Our present plight is lucidly reflected in the words of the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who after having the present state of emergency (SoE) declared by the President, spoke with resolve.
Its hard to believe that in the 20-plus years since he introduced himself to Tucson, violinist Steven Moeckel had never played a recital with Arizona Friends of Chamber Music.

The former Tucson Symphony Orchestra concertmaster made up for lost time on Wednesday when he and pianist Nathan Arch headlined the Friends summer concert series at Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ.

The pairs one-hour concert was a masterclass in virtuosity from Beethovens delightful early Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major that opened the concert to Saint-Saens fantastically challenging Sonata No. 1 in D minor.

That work, Moeckel told the audience filling Rincons wooden pews, was easily one of the most virtuosic works ever composed for piano and violin.

He wasnt wrong.

Moeckels fingers danced over the fret so fast they became a blur. His bowing was a numbingly frenetic mix of elegant strokes crisscrossing pizzicato and the occasional thump from tapping the strings. You held your breath just wondering how the heck he managed to keep pace with the French composers score while still summoning all of the musics emotional depth and beauty.

Arch and Moeckel opened the recital with Beethovens early period Second Violin Sonata, which actually gave equal weight to both instruments. The piece plays like a dynamic conversation between the piano and violin, with the violin  through a simple pluck or a flurry of notes delivered with dynamic flourish  mostly finishing the pianos sentences. A few times, Arch would muscle his way in with some mad fun keyboard skill to steal the last word in.

The true thrill ride of the recital came in the middle with Jennifer Higdons 2006 suite String Poetic, a technically fascinating five-movement work that showcases the extraordinary interplay between the piano and violin and some pretty terrific sound effects.

Moeckel took a few minutes beforehand to demonstrate those effects, which included both instruments playing pizzicato in the intriguing and super interesting Blue Hills of Mist middle movement and Arch pounding out shuddering dissonant bass notes in the opening Jagged Climb that reminded us of that scene in a scary movie just before the monster/zombie attacks.

Those themes bookend the work, which Higdon composed for violinist Jennifer Koh, reappearing in the finale Climb Jagged. But the works biggest appeal was its contrasting moods and tempos including the lush American sound inspired by Aaron Copland in the achingly beautiful Nocturn and the breathless and technically explosive romp of Maze Mechanical.

Wednesdays performance of String Poetic was a first for Tucson.

Arizona Friends of Chamber Music will wrap up its summer concert series on Aug. 27 with TSO principal harp Ben Albertson, who will perform a work composed for him by the innovative young composer Chelsea Komschlies. The TSO performed one of her compositions in early 2024.

Meanwhile, Moeckel, who was the TSO concertmaster from 2002-08, returns to the orchestra as its artist in residence next season. He will perform Mozarts Violin Concerto No. 5 to open the Masterworks chamber series Oct. 11-12 and return the following weekend for an Up Close recital.

Moeckel divides his time between Phoenix, where he spent 13 seasons as Phoenix Symphonys concertmaster, and Flagstaff, where he teaches violin at Northern Arizona University.
Arizona Democrats ousted their new party chair after only six months on the job during a meeting Wednesday night.

The 700-plus members of the partys state committee were invited to join a special remote meeting to consider whether to vote Robert Branscomb out. They needed to cast a two-thirds vote of the state committee in order to oust him, a proportion equivalent to 468 votes.

On Wednesday night, only 521 members of the state committee attended the remote meeting, said Tucsonan Paul Eckerstrom, who chaired the meeting. That made the challenge difficult, because two-thirds of the total committee members had to vote to remove Branscomb in order to achieve the ouster  468 votes.

Lengthy technical difficulties delayed the vote, leading to a motion to allow voting by email, but in the end, 476 of the attendees voted the official way to oust Branscomb, Eckerstrom said. That meant counting emailed votes wasnt necessary.

Now, First Vice Chair Kim Khoury takes over the chair position until a new state committee meeting occurs on Sept. 13. Its unclear what the status of executive director Ruff will be. The party passed a new rule in June forcing the chair to get the advice and consent of the partys executive board in the hiring of the director.

Branscomb had won the position over incumbent Yolanda Bejarano during the partys January meeting, as many Democrats took out their unhappiness with the 2024 election results on her. But tensions began rising behind the scenes after Branscomb fired the former director Morgan Dick and hired his friend Michael Ruff without outside consultation.

The tensions exploded into view when Branscomb wrote an email to a large group of Democratic activists in April, airing disagreements with party leaders, including Sen. Mark Kelly. Disaffection grew as the financial position of the party looked increasingly precarious, with the party spending far more than it was taking in.

Democratic state elected officials even established a plan to go around the state party and route the money they raised through the Navajo County party. Its unclear whether those plans will go forward now that Branscomb has been removed.

Grijalva win highlights rootedness

It turns out, theres no substitute for being deeply connected to the community where youre a political candidate.

Deja Foxx, the young woman who appeared to be pressing a serious challenge to Adelita Grijalva, was not deeply connected in the city, Tucson, where she grew up, but had only recently moved back. She had a nationwide network of supporters who supplied more than 80% of her donations and much of her enthusiastic backing.

She was an internet sensation. And to the surprise of many, she is losing the Democratic primary election in Congressional District 7 badly, by 41 percentage points.

Grijalva, on the other hand, is deeply connected, with a longstanding network of supporters and volunteers built in part by her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva. The young challenger with the internet base, it turns out, was no challenge at all.

It was not about social media likes, Grijalva said at her election-night party. It was about knocking on doors, face-to-face with community members, having real conversations about whats important.

Elections are about likes in a way. Each vote for a candidate is a sort of like, but theyre from a geographic community bounded by district lines. While Grijalvas likes were largely from the district, Foxxs likes were from the unbounded internet.

And they were based on a relatively limited appeal: Foxx delivered a practiced stump speech that hit a half-dozen points of biography over and over, slammed Grijalva for being part of the legacy establishment, and left it at that. Over time, she didnt grow much as a candidate or deepen her appeal.

As some of her critics in the Grijalva camp said, she tended to talk about me, while Grijalva tended to talk about we.

Foxx also turned off some in the Democratic base when she hammered on the fact that three Democratic members of Congress, including the man she was running to replace, had died in office, as she called for generational change.

Hernandez stumbles badly

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the Tuesday night primary went to former state legislator Daniel Hernandez Jr.

Hernandez had the biggest fundraising haul of any of the five Democratic candidates, but with approximately $1 million to spend, he has only managed to win about 14% of the vote so far.

Hernandez tried to position himself as the pro-jobs, pro-business Democratic candidate, expressing support for mining projects in Southern Arizona that are highly controversial among Democrats.

Although it wasnt a big campaign issue, he was also the most pro-Israel among the candidates, again not a popular position in a Democratic primary during the Gaza war.

The low point of the campaign arrived when a Grijalva supporter, Tucsonan Scott Blades, published video of Hernandez angrily grabbing Blades phone from him during an argument between Hernandezs sister Alma and an attendee at a forum in Bisbee.

Far from posing a challenge to Grijalva, Hernandez and the three alternative candidates have only 38% of the vote so far.

Does race matter, or not?

In comments to the Star, GOP nominee Daniel Butierez, who spent years in prison, bemoaned the way prisons divide inmates, and the way society does its people.

What they did in prison was divide us by race, by religion, he said. So when I walked out of prison, I saw our government was doing the same thing to the people out here in the community that the prisons were doing to the inmates in prison.

He went on, So I realized we got to bring everybody together, or were never going to get anything done.

But his next comments seemed to undermine the point. Speaking about Foxx, he said, Deja, shes not Hispanic. Shes Caucasian and Filipino. Shes got no Hispanic in her, and were 60% Hispanic (in the district), so thats going to hurt her.
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Planners, the nation's largest home-based travel franchise network, has once again secured its position among the most powerful players in the travel industry, ranking #24 on Travel Weekly's prestigious 2025 Power List.

Cruise Planners Executive Team: Chief Strategy Officer, Scott Koepf, Chief Operations Officer, Theresa Scalzitti, Founder and CEO, Michelle Fee, and Chief Information Officer, Brian Shultz.

This annual list honors the most successful travel agencies in the U.S. based on full-year sales volume and influence in the marketplace. Cruise Planners' consistent presence on the Power List is a testament to its continued momentum, strong leadership, and the entrepreneurial spirit of its nationwide network of franchise owners.

Cruise Planners ended 2024 with a remarkable $1.23 billion in total sales, representing a year-over-year increase of more than $100 million. This upward trajectory continues into 2025, positioning the company for yet another record-breaking year.

"Being recognized on Travel Weekly's Power List year after year is not only an honor, but a reflection of the relentless drive and passion of our franchisees and team members," said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. "It underscores how our commitment to innovation, personalized service, and travel advisor support sets us apart in a competitive industry."

Cruise Planners' success can be attributed to its cutting-edge technology, award-winning marketing, and world-class training and support  all designed to empower its travel advisors to thrive in an ever-evolving travel landscape. As leisure travel demand continues to surge, Cruise Planners remains at the forefront, leading with purpose, passion, and performance.

As the company celebrates this latest milestone, it remains laser-focused on expanding its reach, supporting its franchise network, and continuing to deliver unforgettable travel experiences to clients across the globe.

Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation's largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and innovative booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry's top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as "Best-In-Category" for 2 years.

Cruise Planners received a 99% franchise owner satisfaction report from Franchise Business Review for 2024 and 2025. Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.

Visit our website, www.cruiseplanners.com, for more information or to view the complete list of awards and honors. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/.

SOURCE Cruise Planners Franchising, LLC
PHOENIX  State schools chief Tom Horne has no legal power to force school districts to use only English immersion to teach the language to students who are not proficient, the Court of Appeals says.

In a ruling Thursday, the judges said the state Board of Education has the authority to decide what methods of teaching English are acceptable. And that board has provided a variety of other options, against the wishes of Horne, a Republican elected official whose title is superintendent of public instruction.

The superintendent has no independent policy-making authority, Judge Paul McMurdie wrote Thursday for the unanimous three-judge panel. His authority is limited to executing, under the direction of the board, the policies that have been decided on by the board.

The school chiefs objections to the boards actions are legally irrelevant, McMurdie also. He said nothing in state law specifically authorizes Horne to go to court to enforce what he believes is the law.

Another issue is that, in making his case, Horne sued not only various school districts he contends are breaking the law, but also Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes. But neither of them have any authority over the English language program and what schools teach, McMurdie said.

Horne said this isnt the end of his fight to force schools to use what he said voters approved in 2000, saying he is weighing an appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.

And, if nothing else, he noted that his wife, attorney Carmen Horne, is representing parents  who he believes do have standing to sue  in a separate case over how English is taught. But Horne acknowledged that case, too, is on appeal after being thrown out of court.

So the law Horne doesnt like remains in effect for now  and he is on the hook for the legal fees of everyone he sued.

50-50 dual language

Central to the case is Proposition 203, a 2000 voter-approved measure that says all children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English, and all children should be placed in English language classrooms.

But school officials in several districts have relied on a 2019 law, which allowed the state board to adopt and approve alternate research-based models, giving schools more flexibility in how to schedule English-learning time. It also allows classes mixed with students whose native language is not English, as well as those from homes where that is not the case.

Based on that, the Board of Education concluded  backed by Mayes  that one of the acceptable alternatives is a 50-50 dual language model, through which students can learn English but also keep up with their peers on other subjects.

Horne argues that studies have shown it is more effective to have students learn English quickly by being immersed in language lessons, even if they fall behind their peers in academic subjects. He also contends the 2019 law is unconstitutional because it is being interpreted to amend the 2000 ballot measure.

The Arizona Constitution forbids lawmakers from altering what voters have approved unless it furthers the purpose of the original law. Horne said that cannot be the case here because the purpose of Proposition 203 is that children be taught in English for the entire school day, in order for them to quickly become proficient in English.

The Court of Appeals focused instead on whether Horne should even be in court.

The superintendent has no independent policy-making authority, McMurdie wrote. His authority is limited to executing, under the direction of the board, the policies that have been decided on by the board.

The judge also noted it is the board  and not the schools chief  that has express authority to contract, sue and be sued.

McMurdie acknowledged the superintendent is responsible for identifying English learners  those who are not proficient  and overseeing the Department of Education funding, administration and monitoring role.

But the superintendent has no role in determining the instructional models available to schools, the judge said. The Board (of Education) alone is allowed to adopt and approve lawful structured English immersion and non structured English immersion education models for the schools use.

No standing to sue

Horne sued the attorney general because she issued a legal opinion that the state board, and not Horne, has sole authority over English immersion models. And he sued Hobbs by claiming the governor has been touting dual language even though she knows, or should know, that is contrary to law.

McMurdie pointed out that Arizona law provides standing to sue only to those who have a legitimate interest in the controversy. Beyond that, it requires that someone filing suit must allege a personal injury traceable to the conduct of those being sued.

That doesnt exist here, the court said.

The superintendent has not alleged that he has or will suffer an injury by the attorney generals written opinion, McMurdie said.

Nor was the appellate court impressed by the claims against the governor.

McMurdie acknowledged that the Arizona Constitution, as Horne points out, does require that all laws be faithfully executed. The governors duties also include appointing members of the Board of Education beyond Horne, who serves based on his position.

But the superintendents pleading seeks not relief for the governors exercise of her duties and powers, the court noted. He simply complains that she has publicly supported the 50-50 model.

McMurdie called it speculative that the governor could use her power to force the board to take an action to side with Horne.

The court also separately said Horne has no standing to sue the school districts that have chosen the 50-50 model.

Finally, McMurdie said even if Horne was entitled to sue, they could not do what he asks: declare the 50-50 model illegal.

The most we could do would be to reverse the dismissal and permit the superior court to decide the merits, he said, referring to the lower court that dismissed Hornes lawsuit last year.

In that case, Maricopa County Superior Court Katherine Cooper ordered Horne to pay $120,000 in legal fees to those he sued. The appeals court on Thursday not only upheld that order but said that the defendants now can seek reimbursement for what they spent on the appeal.

Horne said because he sued in the name of the Department of Education, it is that agency, and not he, who owes the money.

Previous legislative effort

Not everyone agrees with Hornes contention that English immersion is the best method to teach the language.

There was an effort in 2020 to put a measure on the ballot to replace Proposition 203 with a requirement for public schools to provide dual language programs for both native and non-native English speakers. It spelled out that schools must provide effective and appropriate instructional methods.

This is a simple bill that says all the kids should have the equal chance to learn, said John Fillmore, then a Republican state representative from Apache Junction.

The problem, Fillmore said, is when students are confined to classrooms where English is the only thing being taught, they are not keeping up with their counterparts who are in classes learning math, science and other subjects. Tha means they end up being held back, he said.

Fillmore said his measure would have created an opportunity for students who come to school knowing only English to pick up a second language.
James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Reporter Follow James D. Watts Jr. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The list of ingredients under the names of the cocktails on the Maestro menu is usually just the tip of a very large ice cube.

A lot of the items on our cocktail menu are things that people will be familiar enough for people to connect with them, or theyll recognize some of the main ingredients and have an idea of what theyll be served, said Aaron Post, Maestros owner and the creator of its cocktail program.

But what they wont see are the 10 to 15 other ingredients that have gone into the creation of this cocktail, to add to its complexity, he said. We do a lot of split bases. Well add little drops of salt solutions. We do citric acid solutions. All these are things to elevate these cocktails up to 11.

That includes using a blend of freshly squeezed Persian and key limes for such items as Maestros take on the margarita, or infusing its variation on rum and cola, the Nitro Libre, with milk sugar and a shot of nitrogen to give it the mouthfeel of Guinness beer while delivering the familiar flavor of a Cuba libre.

Even a seemingly simple drink, such as the tequila-and-grapefruit soda mixture known as the paloma, gets turbocharged through a multi-step, multi-ingredient process that begins long before the customer places an order.

Maestro, which is open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday in the Santa Fe Square development, 507 E. Second St., is the third libations-forward concept Post has created in his hometown. He co-founded Valkyrie, at 13 E. Reconciliation Way in the Tulsa Arts District, in 2012, followed by St. Vitus in 2019, at 112 S. Elgin Ave.

Post worked on the restaurants interior design, which evokes a tropical atmosphere without resorting to cliches, with Kate Wallace-Helm and local artist Nic Annette Miller, who was the bars brand designer.

Its also the second food-related business to open in Santa Fe Square. Insomnia Cookies, the local outlet for a chain that offers cookie deliveries until the wee hours of the morning, operates a few doors to the east of Maestro, while windows to the west announce the anticipated opening of something called Forno Santo (Holy Oven).

Two things differentiate Maestro from Posts other cocktail destinations. One is that Maestro puts the emphasis on spirits derived from agave and sugar cane, such as mezcal.

Ive had a passion for mezcal for a long time because I think it is the most agricultural of any distilled spirit, Post said. I mean, you can taste the plants; you can taste the terroir; you can taste the fermentation process; you can taste the distillation in mezcal, and you cant really say that about any other distilled spirit.

The other is that Maestro has a kitchen, serving a menu that, like its drinks program, melds influences from throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

My main goal was for everything to be executed to the nth degree, but without it being too precious or fussy, Post said. When my wife and I travel, like to New York City, we usually try to spend a couple of days seeking out different cocktail bars. And one thing Ive discovered is that  in my opinion, at least  some of the best food Ive had in New York City was served at some of its best cocktail bars.

I also wanted to create a place that would be a casual date-night place, where you could have a great drink and some small plates of really good food, without having to worry about dressing up, he said. I felt there was kind of a void in Tulsa for a place like that. And I had also vowed not to open another concept that did not have a kitchen.

Post said one of the inspirations for the food served at Maestro came from a trip to New Orleans, to attend Tales of the Cocktail, a national drinks industry gathering. While there, Post and his wife went to dinner at Cane & Table, one of the restaurants overseen by chef Alfredo Nogueira.

And we were just absolutely stunned  blown away by the dishes and the programming in general, because it was so convivial, he said. It didnt take itself too seriously. It was high energy, and every dish that landed was just so well executed without being too fussed over. And I was hooked.

Years later, when Post was beginning to explore the idea of what would become Maestro, he knew he wanted to work with a consulting chef to create the menu and find a talented local chef with the ability to realize the concept and efficiently run a kitchen.

At the top of my list for a consultant was Alfredo Nogueira, and while that list went through a lot of versions, he was always at the top, Post said. I ended up cold-calling him, and we almost immediately connected over food, music and travel. I arranged for him to visit Tulsa, and we ended up working on this menu together.

As for the Tulsa chef who would make the menu a reality, Post enlisted Gabe Lazarde, formerly of Solaire Food & Wine, which was one of the Tulsa Worlds Best New Restaurants of 2024.

Gabe is just an absolute rock star as a chef, Post said. Hes extremely familiar with the cuisines we draw from, but what really has impressed me is just his drive and his passion. Were all here to do the same thing, which is to try and change the conversation about whats happening with food and drink in Tulsa. He shares that mentality, and hes creative and ambitious, and all that shows up in the food we serve.

The menu at Maestro has about a bakers dozen of dishes ranging from tapas-like small plates meant for sharing to a few entree-sized dishes.

This latter category includes a wagyu sirloin cap picanha steak served with a chimichurri sauce, avocado and radish ($38); arroz con mariscos, a mix of seafood over Valencia rice ($38); and a frita Cubano ($18), which is Maestros version of a smashburger with sauteed onions, cheese and an over-easy egg with a chorizo-spiced beef patty.

The burger is maybe one of the best in the city. The chorizo seasonings give a unique complexity to the juicy beef; the garlicky aioli adds a bright and unctuous note; and the toast on the brioche bun brings a bit of crunch to the proceedings. It comes with what are described as shoestring potatoes, but the reality is that these are closer to being potato threads. They come piled on and around the burger, and they do a great job of adding crunch and absorbing any of the runoff from the burger itself. (Trust me, youll be scraping the plate clean.)

The small plates range from $12 for the papas brava, or fries served with aioli and salsa brava, to $21 for mussels served with a chipotle crema, and the tuna ceviche, served with leche de tigre (which is made neither with milk nor tiger, but is a citrus-based marinade made from fish stock, citrus and aji amarillo peppers) and thin chips made of sweet potato.

Lazarde said he recently received a shipment of blue-fin tuna that included the belly, so the ceviche being served the night I was there was perhaps a bit more luxurious in texture. The sharpness of the leche de tigre cut through the richness with surgical precision, and the chips were a delightfully whimsical addition.

I also sampled the croquetas ($18), balls of lump crab meat coated in a paper-thin batter and fried, and served atop an assertive lemon aioli. For me, this was one dish that did not work so well. The croquettes themselves were excellent, and the almost-sour aioli provided a nice balance. But as I finished the dish, I found the aioli to be overwhelming the delicate flavor of the crab. But that was likely the result of having no one with whom to share this dish  its one truly meant to be shared.
Jimmie Tramel Tulsa World Scene Reporter Follow Jimmie Tramel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Oklahoma-born folk music legend Woody Guthrie died 58 years ago, but that doesnt mean youve heard the last of him. A new collection of Guthrie recordings will soon be made available.

Woody at Home, Volumes 1 & 2 will be released Aug. 14 via Shamus Records and can be pre-ordered at woodyathome.com. The collection comes from what has been described by a family member as a private treasure trove of Guthrie home recordings.

Recordings on Woody at Home sprang from raw and intimate tapes that werent created for commercial release. The tapes were recorded by Guthrie in 1951 and 1952 as his musical introduction to a new publisher. He recorded the songs on a reel-to-reel tape machine at his familys two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. A news release about the collection said the recordings include sounds of Guthries toddlers and doors opening.

In audio found on the tapes, Guthrie says: I just want to tell you fellers that Im awful glad sending this batch of songs to you. This sounds like about the best tape I made so far. ... I was here at home watching the kids by myself. So the kids tapes Im sending you, the ones with me and the kids on them, I dont want you sending them back or anything like that. I just want you to keep them and play them, and see the place from whence all good folk songs breed and spring.

The new albums are blessed with 22 previously unreleased recordings, including 13 new songs and three spoken-word tracks. Among the tracks is a version of This Land is Your Land with new verses. The collection also includes previously unheard home recordings of Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done, Pastures of Plenty and Jesus Christ. The recently restored analog tapes will be released alongside previously unpublished family photographs, artwork and lyric sheets.

As an appetizer for the collections arrival, Shamus Records released Guthries only known recording of his original song Deportee (Woodys Home Tape) as a lead single July 14  Guthries birthday.

Deportee (Woodys Home Tape) is also known as Plane Wreck at Los Gatos. It was written in 1948 in response to a New York Times article about a plane crash in Los Gatos Canyon, California, that killed 32 people, including 28 migrant farm workers.

Cady Shaw, director of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, said Nora Guthrie (Woodys daughter) and Anna Canoni (Woodys granddaughter and president of Woody Guthrie Publications) poured a lot of time and energy into the new collection.

And I think this unheard material, its rare and its monumental because its his voice, Shaw said. Some of these are songs that have always been lyrics without music, and to hear him actually put music to them, its unprecedented. Its like opening a time capsule, really,

When it was suggested to Shaw that the albums seem like a decades-later arrival of an unexpected gift, she said: Right, exactly. And I think it goes to just remind us of the timelessness of his vision. The songs are more than music. Theyre kind of blueprints for change. The things that Woody was talking about during his time, were still talking about today, and his words are very poignant, and Im just really excited to be able to delve into this collection myself.

The recordings came about because Guthrie got his first publishing deal in 1950 with TRO, founded by music publisher Howie Richmond. That same year, two-channel tape recorders that permitted recording in stereo appeared in the U.S. for the first time, according to a news release about the collection.

Said the release: Able to get his hands on one of the new machines, Howie sent the recorder to Woody in Brooklyn. Woody spoke, rambled, sang and gave new context and intimate reflections into his songs using the single mic reel-to-reel machine. Woody sings about historic events, stories of the disenfranchised and ignored, love, and of course, the fight against fascism.

Then Guthrie was betrayed by his own body. He was admitted to Brooklyn State Hospital in 1952 and was in and out of hospitals before a Huntingtons chorea diagnosis in 1956. He spent the rest of his life in hospitals and died at age 55.

The last of the home tapes (also the last Guthrie recordings) were sent to TRO in December of 1952. More than 30 tapes containing 300-plus recordings of Guthrie at home were submitted, according to the news release. Shamus Records is a label subsidiary of TRO Essex Music Group.

Significant work was required to make the recordings (almost 75 years old) album-ready. The release said the recordings were transferred and produced by Grammy winner Steve Rosenthal and restored and mastered by Grammy nominee Jessica Thompson using pioneering software and antique tape machines to de-mix and mix the voice and guitar, while staying true to the homemade, analogue spirit of the original recordings.

Said Rosenthal: It has been my great pleasure to get to know and work with the Guthrie family for the past 25 years. With recent advancements in sound restoration technology along with the current political climate, I believe this is the right time to release Woodys home tapes. These are not professional studio recordings, but instead, highlights from Woodys audio sketchbooks. These are his words and music, shared with his publisher Howie Richmond in 1951, and happily in 2025 with us.

Asked if Woody Guthrie Center was part of the Woody at Home project in any way, Shaw said, No. We work very closely with Woody Guthrie Publications, which is Anna Canoni and her mother, Nora Guthrie. They run that, and weve known about it for some time, and shes been just telling us little snippets and things that shes found and it has been something that weve been aware of and are very supportive of.

Shaw said the center is hoping to do something with Nora Guthrie and Canoni to celebrate the release, and well hopefully have more information on that soon.

Woody Guthrie Center, which opened in 2013, celebrates the life, music and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world in which the values of justice, equality and compassion prevail. The Woody Guthrie Archives are housed at the center.

Shaw indicated she is excited to hear the unearthed Guthrie recordings.

And its not just the songs, but also his remarks and just his ideas and kind of an unfiltered look into Woody and his thoughts, she said. I think thats really exciting, because thats not something weve been able to really experience before.
Steve Metzer Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Steve Metzer Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

OKLAHOMA CITY  Hundreds of new troopers would have to be hired by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for the OHP to continue to routinely patrol interstate highways in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas while at the same time providing solid public safety coverage in all corners of the state, Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Tipton said Thursday.

Tipton said the difficult decision to end routine patrols by troopers of interstate highways in the two metro areas beginning in November was driven by a realization that has grown more obvious in recent years that troopers have been stretched too thin. He said travel on interstates and other highways in rural areas of Oklahoma has increased to the point that a shifting of OHP resources has become necessary.

The decision to redeploy troopers away from metro area interstates will mean the Tulsa Police Department will pick up responsibility for patrolling and responding to calls for service and accidents on more than 40 miles of highway. Tipton, who held a press conference that lasted about 45 minutes at the Department of Public Safety headquarters in Oklahoma City, said the TPD will have to pick up coverage of 24 miles of Interstate 44, 15 miles of I-244 and 3 miles of I-444, the eastern and southern legs of the Inner Dispersal Loop.

Tipton referenced PowerPoint slides during his presentation, including one showing that the OHP responded to 514 collision calls on interstates in the Tulsa metro area in fiscal year 2025. Since fiscal year 2023, troopers have responded to an average of 1.2 such calls daily.

Tipton was asked whether the DPS had similar numbers to show how many tickets troopers had written for speeding or how many people they had pulled over for driving under the influence on average daily on interstates in Tulsa.

I could probably dig that data up, but it would take a while, he said.

There are 589 troopers assigned to 13 field troops across Oklahoma, including 51 assigned to Troop B, which covers Tulsa, Rogers, Creek and Okmulgee counties. With lieutenants and other senior officers and personnel added, the OHP includes a total of 734 people.

Tipton said some 2,000 law enforcement officers are employed by municipal departments in each of the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas.

Its not an easy decision (to pull OHP resources away from the metros). No doubt it is somewhat of a burden on these other agencies,  (but) every one of these agencies are highly trained and very professional,  and in weighing this, it is What is the best footprint for us as a state law enforcement agency that needs to provide the best coverage for public safety statewide, and how do we deploy assets in a way that gives us the best coverage? Tipton said.

The public safety commissioner was asked whether the issue of funding for more troopers had been raised with the Legislature and the Governors Office.

Weve had studies out there that say to continue the mission in all the areas that we cover, we need about 1,100 troopers, he said. At some point, I guess the decision has to be made, How big do you want to grow state government? (or) Can we go through partnerships such as this to take up duties and responsibilities that allow us to meet missions that are most critical and (let) other partner agencies that are able to take up areas of public safety within their municipalities?

The Tulsa Police Department, which would be solely responsible for coverage of the metro interstates, issued a release Thursday critical of the DPS plan. It said the Police Department is currently understaffed by 137 officers, leaving no capacity to divert resources without compromising on regular calls for service.

Beyond the additional responsibility of responding to accidents, speed enforcement on the interstates would call for a significant increase in officer presence, the TPD said. The release noted, too, that the OHP has resources that the TPD does not have to investigate complex accidents that might involve heavy commercial trucks. It added that the unfunded mandate would require the department to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to manage emergency situations on interstates.

This would require more Officers to handle closures, further straining our already limited resources, it says.

The TPD said it would work with other agencies to explore options for additional funding to be able to handle the anticipated changes.

At his press conference, Tipton said troopers with specialized training will still be available to respond when necessary to accidents involving heavy trucks within the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas.

Troopers will continue to be responsible for providing 24-hour patrols of all turnpikes, including those in the metro areas, and if they happen to encounter someone driving erratically or breaking some other law on any metro roadway, they will still initiate traffic stops, he said.

Tipton said a number of other states, including Texas and Kansas, have adopted similar plans as theyve had to deal with increasing travel outside metro areas at all hours. He said he brought up the DPS plan with Gov. Kevin Stitt in June and that the governor was supportive.

He said he also spoke with some police chiefs.

We did meet with the leadership from all those different law enforcement agencies and explained to them the reason behind what we were doing. Theyre in a situation where they feel theyre stretched for calls for service, as well, and I fully understand that, Tipton said. Im guessing that they would rather we not do this, obviously, but I will say, some of them, if they take the perspective of what our job is as state law enforcement, they understand  not to say that they agree with it or like it  because it is going to put a burden on them.

Tipton was asked how he would respond to taxpayers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City who will still be paying taxes to support the OHP but wont have troopers patrolling metro area interstates routinely after Nov. 1.

I personally believe that the professional officers in (the affected city police departments) can take that (extra responsibility), he said. In weighing that against the calls for service outside (of the metros), where there is no law enforcement 24/7 coverage, (the question becomes), Are we providing a better service?
Jason Collington Tulsa World Executive Editor Follow Jason Collington Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The Tulsa World Special Report on the Bever murders in Broken Arrow can now be heard on episodes of the Tulsa World Podcast.

The series, which appears in the print edition of the Tulsa World starting Sunday, is read by Reporter Tim Stanley, who wrote the special report that goes over the events of July 22, 2015, where a quintuple homicide made international headlines.

> Listen to the series on the Tulsa World Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Descriptions of the episodes:

Episode 1: What happened when the Bever brothers said 'we're going to kill them tonight'

Ten years after the Bever brothers murdered their parents and three siblings as part of a planned killing spree, people still wonder what forces or factors put two Broken Arrow teens on the path to mass murder. This first episode is a narrative retelling of the events of the night of July 22, 2015, uses previous reports, trial coverage and available records from the Broken Arrow familicide case. Read by Tulsa World Reporter Tim Stanley.

Episode 2: How officers handled the Bever murders: 'No human is supposed to see what we saw'

Ten years after the Bever brothers murdered their parents and three siblings as part of a planned killing spree, people still wonder what forces or factors put two Broken Arrow teens on the path to mass murder. Brandon Tener, now a captain with the Broken Arrow Police Department, has never been able to shake his memories of the night he became the first responder to set foot in the Bever family home. Read by Tulsa World Reporter Tim Stanley.

Episode 3: Looking for motive after Bever murders, investigators find 'just pure evil'

Ten years after the Bever brothers murdered their parents and siblings as part of a planned killing spree, questions linger  Why did this happen? What forces or factors put two Broken Arrow teens on the path to mass murder? Read by Tulsa World Reporter Tim Stanley.

Episode 4: Why the Tulsa World wrote the Bever series and the journalists who produced it

Executive Editor Jason Collington talks with Reporter Tim Stanley about the goals of this series, the thoughts behind pursuing them and comparing this series to his other work on infamous crimes in Oklahoma.

> Listen to the series on the Tulsa World Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
60 Minutes: July 20

Is Australia becoming uninsurable?

On 60 Minutes, why are so many Australian homes being refused insurance?

The Unlucky Country

When it comes to insuring our homes and businesses, Australia is fast becoming the unlucky country. According to the Climate Council, right now 750,000 properties are considered to be at high risk of damage or destruction from natural disasters. Another million and a half face a greater than moderate danger. The numbers are extraordinary, and extraordinarily distressing for homeowners. Many are now being refused insurance, and for those who can get cover, premiums are skyrocketing, often by tens of thousands of dollars a year. But while battling Australians face heartbreak and hardship, not so the insurance companies. On assignment for 60 Minutes, Nines Christine Ahern reports how last year they collectively made more than six billion dollars in profits.

Reporter: Christine Ahern

Producer: Sandra Odorisio

Life of the Party

After near annihilation by the ALP at the federal election in May, who would now want to be Liberal Party leader? Its a job many say only a mug would take on. Sussan Ley however sees opportunity in failure. And as the first woman to lead the Libs, which also makes her Australias first female Opposition Leader, shes probably right, because her partys current state is so grim that up is really the only direction to go. On Tuesday, parliament resumes for the first time since the election, with Ley preparing to battle a supremely confident Anthony Albanese. But the emboldened Prime Minister needs to remember that as a migrant, a mother and grandmother, a former farmer, a punk rocker and a pilot, Sussan Ley packs an arsenal that goes well beyond gender and politics.

Reporter: Tara Brown

Producers: Anne Worthington, Toni Ambrogetti

8:10pm Sunday on Nine.
AWG: 2025 Emerging Writers, John Hinde Award winners

Australian Writers' Guild held an event last night to recognise produced and unproduced screen projects.

The Australian Writers Guild last night announed winners in its 2025 Emerging Writers Awards.

Zoe Coombs Marr hosted the event at Moon Dog Brewery in Abbotsford.

Two winners will share in $10,000 in script development funding, generously provided by Scripted Ink.

Mads McRae (pictured top left) won the Long Form Award for her script Graves End.

McRae has created a beautifully gothic and original world with confidence and lyricism, said the judges. The script shows a strong grasp of tone and voice, and the judges felt easily able to imagine the world on screen.

Georgia Struckel (top right) received the Short Form Award for her black comedy series Sugar Soap, in which a single mother starts working as a cleaner for a contract killer. Accidentally.

This deserving winner is well-written, funny, and produceable, with an engaging lead and clear series premise. It is a slick and accomplished pilot, said the judging team.

Long Form Category

Winner

Graves End by Mads McRae [Television, Drama]

A young woman faced with the death of her father does the one thing she swore shed never do and brings back the dead with devastating consequences.

Highly Commended

Penny Loafers by Melody Chen [Television, Comedy]

Nineteen year-old Penny Wu wakes up in the body of her finance bro older brother, Daniel, the week before his death. As Penny stumbles through Dans life and uncovers the dark truth behind his accident, she must also grapple with painful questions about their relationship, her fractured family, and ultimately, what it means to live a life of her choosing.

Shortlist

Hells Gate by Danielle Frost [Feature, Horror]

A convict with a haunted past joins a British expedition to salvage a sunken warship, but as they descend into Hells Gate, they uncover a terrifying secret that threatens to consume them.

Hysterical by January Jones [Feature, Thriller]

When Harriet moves to a new development in rural Australia, strange things begin to happen to her body.

Tiny Places by Charlie Milne [Feature, Drama]

In small-town South Australia, a complacent man is given the technology to journey into the mind of his wife, where they rekindle their relationship as her dementia worsens.

Short Form Category

Winner

Sugar Soap by Georgia Struckel [Television, Comedy]

A single mother starts working as a cleaner for a contract killer. Accidentally.

Shortlist

Homebody by Jess Fisher [Television, Comedy]

After an agoraphobe accidentally kills her estranged sisters criminal ex-boyfriend, a detective arrives in their small Queensland town to investigate but the sisters must confront their differences in order to keep their deadly secret buried from the cops and a local bikie gang.

Hussk by Senie Priti [Short film, Thriller]

A middle-aged womans solitary retreat by the Snowy River becomes a dangerous game of Cat and Mouse when three fishermen invade her campsite, unearthing her survival instincts and buried past as she fights to reclaim her space.

Meanwhile, Jesse Laurie and Charlie Milne, were announced as the winners of the 2025 John Hinde Award for Science Fiction.

Jesse Laurie (bottom left) took home the award in the Produced category for his sci-fi feature Zero. The judges described Zero as a skillfully crafted feature film which takes some of the best-loved elements of sci-fi and uses them to tell a human story with a compelling emotional arc. We found it easy to see this script coming to life on the screen as we read.

Charlie Milne (bottom right) was awarded in the Unproduced category for his feature Tiny Places.

This bold and playful feature film manages to combine melancholy with charm. The writing was pacey and considered with a strong emotional impact, said the judges.

Both will receive $5,000, generously provided by the John Hinde Trust.

Produced Category

Winner

Zero by Jesse Laurie [Feature Film]

Shortlist

Rock Island Mysteries: An Echo Must Return by Rachel Laverty [Childrens Television]

Rock Island Mysteries: To Catch a Ghost by Matthew Bon [Childrens Television]

War Machine by Patrick Hughes and James Beaufort [Feature Film]

Unproduced Category

Winner

Tiny Places by Charlie Milne [Feature Film]

In small-town South Australia, a complacent man is given the technology to journey into the mind of his wife, where they rekindle their relationship as her dementia worsens.

Shortlist

Blood Will Have Blood by Vivienne Walshe [Feature Film]

In a world where fifty-year-olds receive teenage blood, extending their life span by fifty years, a man loses his supply and sets out to kidnap a new one.

The Harvest by Darcy Conlan [Feature Film]

When a backpacker takes a job on a remote fruit farm, she discovers that the land thrives under a sinister cosmic force and the farmers will spill blood to keep it that way.

Mine by Noah Jordan [Feature Film]

When shimmering alien goop bonds with grizzled outback miner Tori, a cosmic love affair begins, as does a sinister feud with her neurotic male neighbour, Alex.

The World Michael Made by Peter Redhead [Feature Film]

We did it. We made Utopia. So why is the guy responsible so damn depressed about it?

The winning and shortlisted projects are now available to view on AWGs prestigious Pathways Showcase, joining an outstanding collection of projects available for development.
Postcards: July 20

Steve Hooker is guest presenter on Victorian travel series this Sunday.

Steve Hooker is guest presenter on Postcards team this Sunday on Nine.

Livinia Nixon experiences two forms of French artistry in Melbourne (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country), admiring both paintings and pastries. She kicks off her day at the NGV for the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, French Impressionism, which is on display until October 5. It is one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind to ever visit Australia, with over 100 paintings from artists like Monet and Renoir on exclusive loan from Bostons Museum of Fine Arts. Livinia rounds out her French-themed day with a visit to Lune Croissanterie on Russell Street, a ten-minute walk from the gallery, which is known for making some of the best croissants in the world and has people queuing down the street for its classic and creative monthly specials.

Steve Hooker soaks up the pre-weekend buzz in Richmond (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country), an area thats always alive with something new popping up. He starts his day in Cremorne at the new Baker Bleu on Dover Street, a cafe-style bakery where, unlike their other locations, you can dine in on sandwiches, Roman-style pizzas, and pastries. For something fancier, he heads three minutes away to Amatrice Rooftop, a restaurant ten floors up with breathtaking city views and a menu with a tasty Italian flair. Steve wraps up his tour in the backstreets of Richmond at one of his favourites, The Kingston Hotel, a classy yet relaxed venue dating back to the 1850s that has been recently refurbished to create a modern and sophisticated space.

Kris Smith escapes to the Queensland sunshine on the Gold Coast (Bundjalung Country), a region with the best of both worlds, from golden beaches to lush green rainforests. He begins his tour in the hinterland suburb of Bonogin at the breathtaking Mater Prize Home. A twenty-minute drive back to the coast, Kris stops for brunch at Refinery Coffee in Currumbin Waters, a cafe with a strong local following, a laid-back atmosphere, and an amazing Asian-inspired menu. He ends his day at the picturesque Currumbin Beach, settling in at Tommys Italian, a popular beachside restaurant with a great sharing menu and a killer drinks list to enjoy with the ocean views.

Madeline Spark explores one of her favourite seaside towns on the Great Ocean Road, the postcard-perfect Anglesea (Wathaurong Country). She kicks off her day on the water with Anglesea Paddle Boat and Canoe Hire, a local fixture for over forty years, exploring the sparkling river and Coogoorah Reserve. For lunch, she heads to Lovehouse, a laid-back oceanfront spot on the Main Beach with an Asian-inspired menu where for every meal purchased, another is donated to children experiencing food insecurity. Madeline wraps up her tour at Winespeake Cellar + Deli, the second outpost of the beloved Daylesford wine bar, which has traded spa country for seaside and offers an outstanding curated wine list and top-drawer grazing option.

5:30pm Sunday on Nine (Melbourne) and 9Now.
Aditya Sharma, TwoCircles.net



New Delhi: The skies have opened above the city, but for hundreds of families from Jailerwala Bagh, there is no roof to catch the rain. Only memories. Only rubble.

Support TwoCircles



Anita, 36, cradled her feverish two-year-old under a plastic sheet pinned between two iron rods. I begged them to wait. My husband brings home Rs 10,000 a month. We spent Rs 5,000 to get a stay from the court. But that meant nothing. They (the Delhi Development Authority or DDA) reduced my home to dust. Now my child burns with fever, and we are drenched, she said with her voice barely above the sound of thunder.

On June 16, 2025, the quiet lanes of Jailerwala Bagh in Ashok Vihar, northwest Delhi, echoed with the grinding roar of bulldozers in the early morning 7:30 AM. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), supported by over 250 police officers and a Special Task Force, razed over 300 shanties, labelling them illegal encroachments on public land.

Tin roofs, brick walls, water containers and baby shoes  all gone. Men and women who built Delhis buildings, cleaned its floors and pulled its rickshaws were left staring at the sky, praying the clouds would hold.

But now, the rain is here.

The Court Gave Us a Stay; the Bulldozer Gave Us Nothing

Rahul, 27, a taxi driver, had a stay order from the court. He was told by the police to stand back, that nothing would happen to his home.

I went away for a while. But something felt off. When I came back, I could not recognize my own lane. My house was gone. The court papers meant nothing, he said, wiping sweat from his face.

Dharmendra Kumar and his wife, both in their fifties, were spared demolition but not suffering.

Our jhuggi still stands. But we have no electricity. No water. The wires were cut. We sit inside like ghosts in heat and darkness, while the sky cracks open above us, he said.

Factory worker Rakesh, 41, broke down when officials from the Electricity Board pulled out cables and poles.

Where do we go in this heat? In this rain? Are we even counted as people? I saved every

rupee to build this home. And now I cannot even switch on a fan, he said.

Flats Promised, Dignity Denied

The DDA says the demolitions were carried out against ineligible squatters or those already allotted homes. A total of 1,078 families have been shifted to Swabhiman Apartments, they claim. But behind that number lies a mess of broken promises and impossible expectations.

As per Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), eligibility for rehabilitation requires presence in voters lists between 2012 and 2015 and possession of at least one of 12 valid documents, including electricity bills or driving licenses.

Kamla Devi, 54, from Jaunpur, did get a flat, but it cost her Rs 2.10 lakh. Now she lives on the 13th floor, fetching water from the ground because only two out of six lifts work.

We have no dustbins. No cleaning staff. The water smells. Thieves come in the night. If this is development, give me my old jhuggi back, she said.

Raju, 27, who got a flat said most of the families have 5-7 people which makes it very

difficult for them to accommodate in 1BHK. Many families are having fights over spaces. I spent 60,000 additional to 1,76,000, which was the official amount, to get this flat with a broken washroom, dirty and smelly water, he added.

For those left behind, the story is worse. Dont just send bulldozers, said Rama, 33,

showing all her documents  voter ID, Aadhaar and old electricity bills. Still, she was deemed ineligible.

We were never surveyed. They did not care to check. We were not even counted as

humans, she said.

A Bulldozer for the Poor, a Wall for the Rich

Advocate Talha A. Rahman compares demolitions to riots. It wipes out decades of life in a single morning. It is social erasure, a slow death, he said.

Human rights lawyer Kawalpreet Kaur called the demolition brutal and pointed out that many families had court stays. Still, the bulldozers rolled on. How can you demolish homes with legal protection? she asked.

Mithun, a local resident, says many families were not a part of the survey. People who were out of stations came back in a rush and pleaded and cried to submit their documents which were never accepted.

No list. No hearing. Just metal crushing bricks and lives, he said.

Between Clouds and Cold Floors

Shanta Devi, a community fellow from the Housing and Land Rights Network described the aftermath. Clothes buried. Beds under cement. Children looking for their school books under broken walls.

Who are left behind, are left with nothing. No electricity, no washrooms, no water. Water

tankers had to be brought in privately because official supplies were cut.

Politics Pours In, But Shelter Doesnt Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders called it betrayal. Where is humanity? They (the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP) lied to people, promised homes and sent bulldozers, Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged.

AAPs Kalkaji MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, in a furious post on X, reminded the BJP that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had promised no demolitions. Bhoomiheen Camp, gone. Jailerwala Bagh, gone. You will be cursed by the poor, she wrote.

AAP National Convener and Ex-Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of

orchestrating a slow erasure of Delhis slum dwellers. Why did Modi ji say, Jahan jhuggi, wahan makaan? Was it a lie? he asked.

But CM Rekha Gupta held her ground adding were building flats, upgrading slums. We are following court orders. Unsafe jhuggis must go. If they collapse in the monsoon, wholl be responsible? she said.

A Prayer Under Plastic

A dozen families were sleeping along a roadside drain. Some held umbrellas. Others used

torn tarps or bedsheets tied to poles.

Anita tried to rock her baby to sleep, but the child kept crying. We do not want your pity. We want a roof that does not collapse. We want a life that is not washed away in one rain, she said. Behind her, Jailerwala Bagh is silent. A community once buzzing with the clatter of utensils, the smell of street food and the cries of children is now only wind, dust and broken bricks.

The monsoon is here. And Delhi has turned its back.